IT is impossible (right honourable) for a man to turn himself any kind of way here in this world, either in calling to mind generally, the heavens and earth, either yet particularly, the glorious garnishing, light, brightness, & movings of the one, and the great plenty of all sorts of beasts, fowls, and fruits of the other, together with the infinite diversity of flowers, wherewith God, by his heavenly wisdom and goodness, every year afresh, marvellously clotheth, and repaireth them, as it were with rich, and beautiful attires and colours: But that he, as often (I say) as he beholdeth these so wonderful works of his majesty, must even so often needs confess that there is set before his eyes, a most large matter & argument for him, to glorify thee altogether good, & only omnipotent God, who hath not created all things for the use of man only, but also even for his delight and pleasure. For he is so good and glorious a Father to all his children, as that his very meaning is) so we take them modestly and thankfully) to have us freely use his benefits for our necessity, yea, and receive them with pleasure, and delight, without scruple of conscience▪ For else, to what purpose should we have created such a number of sorts of fruits, differing in substance, strength and nurture, & of so sundry shapes, in greatness thickness, & colour, in smell, taste, & savour, except it had bin both to strengthen & delight us? For doth wine only strengthen our bodies? doth it not likewise, as David reckoneth it amongst the benefits of the Almighty, glad the heart of man. And therefore, what is he that can be so blockish, as not to think as much generally, of all the rest of the benefits ⟨image 3⟩of God, which he daily bestoweth upon us, for the sustaining of our bodies. Yet notwithstanding, this were not enough for us, hereupon to acknowledge, as our duty is, the fatherly care which he hath over our present life, in administering to us whatsoever is needful for the same: except we eftsoons learned also hereby, that he alone, who principally is the father of our souls, (for, it is he that hath created and regenerated them) giveth the food of everlasting life unto them, by the bread of his holy word: to the end we might be drawn as it were by degrees, by our bodily food to attain unto spiritual life:
IT is impossible (right honorable) for a man to turne himselfe any kinde of way heere in this world, either in calling to minde generally, the heauens and earth, either yet particulerly, the glorious garnishing, light, brightnes, & mouings of the one, and the great plentie of all sortes of beasts, foules, and fruits of the other, together with the infinite diuersitie of flowres, wherewith God, by his heauenly wisedome and goodnesse, euery yeere afreshe, meruellously clotheth, and repareth them, as it were with rich, and beautifull attyres and colours: But that hee, as often (I say) as hee beholdeth these so wonderful works of his maiestie, muste euen so often needes confesse that there is set before his eyes, a most large matter & argument for him, to glorifie thee altogether good, & only omnipotēt God, who hath not created all things for the vse of man only, but also euen for his delight and pleasure. For hee is so good and glorious a Father to all his children, as that his very meaning is) so wee take them modestly and thankfully) to haue vs freely vse his benefits for our necessitie, yea, and receiue them with pleasure, and delight, without scruple of conscience▪ For els, to what purpose should we haue created such a number of sortes of fruites, differing in substance, strength and nurriture, & of so sundry shapes, in greatnes thicknes, & colour, in smel, tast, & sauor, except it had bin both to strēghtē & delight vs? For doth wine onely strengthen our bodies? doth it not likewise, as Dauid reckoneth it amōgst the benefites of the Almighty, glad the heart of man. And therefore, what is hee that can bee so blockish, as not to thinke as much generally, of all the rest of the benefites ⟨image 3⟩of God, which he dayly bestoweth vpon vs, for the sustening of our bodies. Yet notwithstanding, this were not enough for vs, hereupon to acknowledge, as our dutie is, the fatherly care which hee hath ouer our present life, in administring to vs whatsoeuer is needfull for the same: except wee eftsoones learned also heereby, that hee alone, who principally is the father of our soules, (for, it is hee that hath created and regenerated them) giueth the foode of euerlasting life vnto them, by the bread of his holy word: to the end we might be drawn as it were by degrees, by our bodily food to attaine vnto spirituall life:
