128 Ore. 3. Emc.G. t6. ler. 3. Efay S7 Sinvedermi- neth the Soute by decrees. r.Tim t. Heb. t3. ChrilçsreCur. refìion the greateft Mi- racle. AnEuill `Von the Wednefday after. loffeof Faith. trueand euerliuittg God. And for the better declarationofthis DoCtrine;itisto benoted, Firft, That the vnderflandingand the truth, haue akindof marriage between them ; f bi fponfammihi affumere fapientiam, I deftredto marry hir, fuch lane had Iunto hir beauty. And one that Comments vponthefe words, fayth, That from the Vnderftanding,and Truth,well vnftorftood,theredoth growa greater vnitie,than there doth arife from betweene thematter and the forme. Secondly,That betweenethe Soule,and God,by the meanes of the Truth of Faith,there is another kind of fpirituall marriagemade,whercof of fayth,De_ f onfabo tc mihi rnfide, fmill marrie theeuntomeeforeuer, yea Iwitmarry,. heevntome inrighteoufneffe, and in iudgement,andinmercy, andin compafrion. Iwill euenmarrie thee(as if thiswere that wedding ring,that made all fure) unto mee in Faithful neflè. And this knot isknit fo fall, that Saint Paul could fay, He that cleaueth vn- to God,isone firit with him. And for that thepeople of the lewes , had fallen fomewhile into Herefie, another,into Idolarrie,falfely expounding the Law, and forfaking the FathofGod,to follow a Calfe,and Idols: whereof God taxes them euery foote in the Scriptures , oiling them adulterers, harlotschildren, workers offornication; fo here bee now fayth, Generatio adultera. Mala &adultera. Euill andadulterous. Firft,he layesMala,and thenvidultera, Tearming them in thefirft place Ill, in thefecond, Adulterous. For the ordinarie way to look faith, is an euill life. But as thevomitting vpofour meate , turneth fometime toour good i fo is it nowand then in the riddingofour ftomackeofVertue. And in this fence,Sainr Ambrofe fayd , Profuit mihi Dominequadpeccaui, Itrows wellformeô Lord, that! finned. For repentancemay reftore Grace,inahigher degree. But ifthis weake- neffe, (hall take fuchviolent hold vponvs,that wee fhall fill once to vomitingof blond, it will goe hard withvs,ifnot coifvs our hues. In like manner a firmer perfeuering in his fines, comes at laft toloofehis Faith. 'And this is one of the feuereft punifhmentsofGods Iuflice; Whereof Jeremy fayd,Perxenitgladus of queadanimam. Whence Saint ¡cromegathereth, that then the fword pierceth to the Soule, when there is no figne oflife left init. Inyour buildings,the firft dan- ger doth not confift it their fudden fillingtoground,but they goemouldring away by little andlittleanddecay bydegrees : So likewifein this our Spiritual building,the firft danger is not the loffe ofourFaith ; nor our firft demolifhing, ourfalling intoHerefies : but before wecome to that, weegoeby littleand lit- tle, firftleffening, then loofing our verrues,andheaping fin vponfin, till at laft, Mole riot /r'ea, all comes tumbling downtoour vtter deffrudion. SaintPaul doth much commend& earneftly recommend vnto vsagood confcience 5 Qumqui- dem repellentes, naufragauerunt áfide, Faith grounded vponaneuill confcience, is likea houlethat is built vponthe fand , which whenthewaters rife,&the winds blow, isfuddenly thrown down and carried away. optimumc/l,gratiaflabilrre cor, It isan excellent thing, that theheart be e/labli/hedwithgrace ; that whenye fhall be fet vpon with diners and fundrieftrange Doctrines, yee may ftand Immooua- ble,andnot befhaken with euerievaine blaft of wind. Signumnondabiturets, nifi fignumIona. .4figueJballnot beegiueu them, butthat of foutu. Now louai his lignewas the death and refurreIionofour Sauiour : which rfuflen calls, Signam fignorum , miraculummiraculorum,Thefgue offignes,andmiracleofmiracles. And hee that will 1
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