Christian meditations upon eight Psalms of the prophet David. Made and newly set forthChristian meditations vpon eight Psalmes of the prophet Dauid. Made and newly set forth

¹OH my God, where shall that true felicity be found, which ungracious men ween to find? Certainly man finds it not within him self. For who is he that can say, he is without sin in his soul? And where there is sin, doubtless there is malediction also. And ⟨image 23⟩for the body, what man is so brutish, that can persuade himself, the most sovereign good should fall into a lump subject to so many evils and miseries within and without, bringing it at length also to death? This felicity then is out of our selves, and we must beg it from otherwhere. And from whence? To seek it among beasts were more then beastlike, and consequently much less will it be found in the senseless creatures. O gold and silver, so highly valued with men of no value for wit, how can you make a man happy, sith your best service to a man standeth in leaving him, & to pass to another, & that tarrying with him, you bring him nothing but care to keep you, fear to lose you, and an unsatiable desire to hoard you? Thou food, whose taste holds ⟨image 24⟩not the space of half a foot in all mans body, and cannot be felt, but while it is in loosing, which canst not nourish but with thine own corruption, which art most commonly the instrument of maladies, and finally of death, canst thou bring bliss to a man? You celestial circles turning about endlessly, is it true that mans happy or unhappy state hangs upon your influences? How senseless were he that so would think, sith you your selves must suffer change? And being such as you are, you send us to the knowledge of one far greater, upon whom you your selves depend. You spiritual creatures so excellent, shall it be you that shall furnish us of this goodly felicity? You be happy in deed & very puissant creatures, & yet but creatures, & therefore also unable to repair ⟨image 24⟩the image of God in me, (without which I must remain unhappy) as to say trueth, it is not your work, but for God alone: neither were you created to bestow on me that which you have not your selves received, but by the free goodness of him that is greater then you, & then all things else. And if I find none elsewhere, neither above, nor below, that can give me in part or in whole, that which I seek, should I be so devoid of understanding, as to think that I can give it to my self? Shall I find blessedness in corruption, justice in unrighteousness, life in death?