><68 Oe.7. Why God fwnetimes prolongsour paineshere in this life. Punintments inuentedone- ly for preferuation. Vpon theFryday after herein like vntoCakesthat are bakedvpon coles which areburnt beforethey come to their baking. According to that of°fee, Fatees Ephraim,fabcineritiue panicpsi nonreuerfatar, (i.) Ephraim isasa Cake on the hearth, not turned. And this ought to beawarning-piece to thofethat are oldand antient finners,and hauenot yet beenqueflioned for their lewd !sues, nor neuer felt thelathofGodswrath. They thatkcepe Lyons, vfe towhip their youngwhelpes, that theymay make thegreater Lyons to feare, andhue in awe ofthem : Fewer are the faults , but more theftripes which the Poorefeele ;abad fgne for the Rich,that doe runne ryot. viii 1otlefaith,Thatpunifhments were inuentedforthe deterringofmen from euill. Saint Chryfofiome, That themarkewhich God fet vpon Cain,was not fomuch for his particular defence, asfor a forewarning to others : and therefore God granted him fo long alife, thathis example might adde terrour to pofteri- tie. Some punifhments are quickely paff ouer , and therefore doenot fo much good ; and others areverie profitable,by reafonof theirlength & continuance. lob faith, That God hadas it werenailed hisshafts on his fides, they flucke fo clofe to his ribs. Efay and e italachie take their comparifon from the Siluer- fmith, who fits long at his worke, Etfedebitconflans,&c. NowGod by thefehis long afliEtions punifheth himwhom he loueth , tothe end that the finer may take warning thereby,and learne to feare theLord ; Non videbit interitum, cam viderit Sapientes morientes, (i.)He fhall notfeedeflruution,whenhefhallfee thatWife- men die, Eight and thirtieyeares . According to the common courfewhich God ta- keth ofpunifliing finne in this life , this of thinie eight yeares feemeth fome- what toorigorous a correétion. Vpon this doubt diuers reafons are rendered, and onemore principal!than the ree, is, That thisprolongationwas notbecaufe Godwifliedhim ill, or loued him the leffe ; but becaufe there is not any Medi- cine that preferues a manmore from theplague ofvice andof finne,than a long frckeneffe. Prifons andFetters (faithYlpianw) werenot fo much inuented for thepuntpingof diforders, as the reftrainingof them : being as a great logge of wood to anvntamedandvnrulyHeyfar,a flrap to the fleet Hound, or abridle to aHorfe. lobcalleth the Gout, a paireofStockes Pofuifli in truncopedemmeum, Thouputteßmyfeet in theStocker, andlookefl narrowly toall my paths, andmakefl the print thereof in theheeles ofmy feet. Andhe (tileshis dunghìll,his prifon, 2TZ su- quidCateego[um, out c*rare, quia circumdediflime in f oearcere? Am Ia Sea or a Whale-fifh, that thoukeepefl me in ward? OurSauiour Chrifthealing a woman that bowed her bodie fo downwardto the earth,that fhçecouldnot lookevp to hea- uen; raid ,Hant filiä Abraha quam,&c.oughtnot this daughter ofAbrahamwhomSa- iban bathbound eighteenyeares, be leofedfrom this bond? Salomoncomparesa Phy- fition ro a Iaylor;tor when Godcommirsa delinquentto his couch,caufing him there to remaineprifoner, hauing fettered, asit were, his feet to his fheets ; the _Phyfrtion lookesvnto him, and hathacarethat hee flirrenot from thence till God releafeth himofhis fickeneffe. Thusdid bee dealewith this poore man, who lay thirtie eight yeres,asit were,by the heeles,vnable towagge eitherhand or foot, fo ftrangely was he benumm'd in allhis limmes. Some man willfay, I haueafhrewdburningFeuer; but this is amorecommon,than properphrafe of fpeech. And theEuangeliftcorreas it thus, Secrus autein Petri tenebatur moguls febribws. She hadnot the Feuer, butthe Feuer hadher. Infrenabote, ne iytereáá, Withthebridle of Sickenefre he will.hold thee backe,that thoumaiftnot head- longrindown the Rocke that leadsto vtter deftruEtionbothofboche & foule. Homer feignes, That the Goddefïe Pallae,forthe louewhich thebaretoAcbilles,. kept
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=