16 Pv.Ov EREs. Chap.i. publicke Sermons) and as oft as we (hall conuerfe with faith- full people, that we difcerne of their wholefome fayings, tt- tered in their private conferences.- It is fpoken in the praife ofthem that receiue the feed in good ground, that they heare the word, randvndersland it. The wretched elate of the ob- flinate hard- hearted hypocrites, is aggrauated by this, that in hearing they fhouid heare and not vnderfland, and in feeing they fhuuld fee, and not perceïue : and the happy condition of his difciples extolled by this , that they had their cares bleffed in hearing, and their eyes bleiled in feeing. The utility, and profit thereof, is manifold, andgreat : It flren,gtheneth the memory to contayne what it receiueth : it quickneth the affaclions with liuely motions : it perfwadeth the heart to glue credit, and yeeld obedience : the tongue is inabled by it, to tefiifie truelywith approbation, or improba- tion, as thecafe rcquireth. Secondly, many dangerous evils proceede from the con- trary : when men difcerne not the fenfe of the word, theyne- uer cnioy the fruit, andvertue of it , they arePubic& to et- yours, and rafh cenfuring, as to condemne the befl,and c orn- mend the wort}, to call light darkneiTe, and darkneife light. What. caufeth ,fo many, inuec`iiues , and clamours ¡Taint} comfortable doctrines, and neceffary íntlruc`tions ? Igno- rancemifconfiruing themeaning thereof, according to that which S. Peter faith , They f eátke e(ä11 ®f thole things which they know not. This is anhardfaying, (crie they out vpon our Sa- uiour, whenhe fpake moil gratioufly) Whocanheare it ? Euen Nicodemus , though a man not imrnodefl , but ignorant, thought he might iufily take exception againfi the pofition ofChri fl, affirming, that Except a man be borne againe, bee cannotfeethekin(dome of God. How cana man, (faith free) be bornewhich il. oleic? canheenter into his mothers wombeagain, and be borne ? And as the truth not vnderflood is depraued, and tradu- ced , fo is it alto many times abufed to iuflifie that which it refuteth, to allowof that which it conderuneth , and to pra- c ife that which it forbiddtth as the Apcille witnelieth: In
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=