The benefits of hauing the firíi Sundayin Lent. Serní.8, Chrift OUTmaiRer. its the old Law : And therefore thofetimesof the old Teftament, were called by the name ofNight, Norpraceftit,(i.) TheNight ispafi, Vic. The other , for that all Matterswhatfoeuer in the World befides , doe not effectually perfuade andmoue the Will ofman ; Butthis Matterof ours, doth penetrate with his words, the very innermoft parts of the Soule, and thefecrer corners of the Heart ; He mooues it, and perfuades it bymilde yet powerfull meanes . Efay, making a promife on Gods behalfeto his people , this Doctor touchedboth thefe effects, .Dabittibi Deuspanematrium, & aquam breuem , (i.) Godwillgiue thee a littlewater and a littlebread, butmuch learning , for thouthalt behold thyMatter with thine eyes, Erunt ocidi tui videntes praceptorum. And with thyBares flialt thou heare his voice,Et aures tuxaudient poß terga monentù. Who (hall bee (till admonifhing and perfuading thee Hac eft via, ambulatein ea, This rs theway,walke in it. A little waterand a littlebread,butmuch light of lear- ning; for towardsthofe whom God beltloueth,he carries a hard and ftraight hand,in thofegood things whichconcernethebodie ; but thowes himfelfvery franke and liberali in thofe bleffingsthatbelong totheSoule. And one dramme ofWifedome, is better thanmany quintals ofGold. God did applaudSalo- mons perition,becaufe makingflight account of riches, of lordfhips, andof re- uenging himfclfevponhis enemies, he did begge Wifedomeat his hands : and thereforepoflefledwith thisdiuine Spirit,hee fayd afterwards; W f dome is bet- ter than the mefl precious Riches andwhat(ewer is to beedeftred, is not comparable to it. Saint ¡Brame noteth that the Prophet fayth,Thou fhaltfee this thyMatter with thyeyes,in regardof tholejuft and rightaûions, which hee (hallalwayes fet before thineeyes : And, that thou fhalt heare himwiththy eares,inregard, that as thouart afiner, hee (hall be ftilI calling thee to repentance, preaching andcryingout voto theeto returnebacke from thyeuillwayes, (hewing thee, that This is theway, walkein it. It isametaphore borrowed from a Trauailour that hath loft his way amongftwoodsand rockes, where heeis ready at euerie fteptobreake hisneck ; and therefore like a good fheapheard , greeuing to feehim thus wilfully to runeontohisdeftru&ion, hee calleth out aloudvnto him, telling him, Thrs is the way. Inlike manner, the World beeing as it were loft, and blinded in the trueknowledge of Godandhis fonne Chrift Iefus, let- ting beforevs the wayof theGofpell,hee cries out vnto vs,thatwee might not goeaftray ; Haeft via, This is the way. This wasagreat,and extraordinariefa- uour, andthe Prophet Ioel giues the paralell thereof to the Church ; FilÿSyon exaltate,& latamini inDomino Des vefiro,quiadedil vobis Dollorem iuf itia,(i.) Ex- altyee tonnesofSion,andreioyce in theLordyour adobe hathgiuen youaTeacher of Righteoufneffe. TheGreeke hath it Efcasiufiitia,That God bath giuenyeea Ma- tterthat (hall bee vnto you,as the v rie meate and nourifhment ofRighteouf- nefí'e, to feed and preferueyour foules ; and will reftore vntoyou the yeares that theLocufts bath eaten,the canker-worme,andthe catterpillar, and thepal- mer-worme,&c. And ifin Commonwealths tohaue Matters, andwifeand learnedTeachers, beeof fo ineftimable aprice, that Ari/iotle asking thereafon, why theyhadno let ftipend orreward,as manyother Offices & States had a an- fweres it thus , Becaufe there could bee no reward anfwerable to theirdefert. What then mightthisMattermerit oftheWorld, beeing fo fingularand lear- ned aTeacher, inwhome were depofitedall thetreaferes of theWifedomeof God ? In regardof thishappinefre,our Sauiour Chrift fayd , Beati oculi qui vi- dent quavos videtis. TheScribes therfore and the Pharifees,commingvotohim, and in a flatteringandfcorneful manner callinghimMafter,it isno maruailethat the Efaq io. g Sap. s. loci ,.
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