Fonseca - Houston-Packer Collection. BX1756.F66 D5713 1629

i ii8 Nothing as Mans Willy On the \'Vednefdayafter Mar. 26. lohn 6. Normere pernicious tohia:fetfo. afleep. TheDead liue, the Deafe heare, the Blindfee, the Lamegoe,the _tones ofthe Templearetome in funder, the Graues open, the Sun is eclipfed,and the Moonedarkened, and this great Ship ofthe World istoffed to and fro,with the furie ofthewinds, and yet this people fleepeth ; andwould toGod they were but afleepe : forhe that fleepeth, euerie littlenoyfe willawaken him ; but thefe men hauing the eyesoftheir bodie open, are asblind as any Beetle in thole of theirfoule. Theyare incondition like vnto thofe Deuils ofwhom 46 fpea- keth,Cor eius indurabiturquaf lapis, & extinguetur 9uafi malleatoris inns: He corn-, parestheir heart toa (tone, and thinking this too fhortacomparifon, ( for that the hardeft _tone is cut andhewne with the Cheefill andHammer) he compares it to a Smiths Anuile , which the moreit is beatenvpon, the harderit groves. AndSaint Gregorie hath obferued , That on the Anuile all other "mettalls are made foft, arewrought to bee plyable , andare reduced to diuers formes and fhapes ; but the Anuile itfelfe continues Rill harder andharder.In the laid chap- ter lob faith, That the bodie ofLeuiathan was ioyned and knittogether,and that themettall of his fcakes was like ftrong Shields ,furely faftned together : Allu- ding (asit fhouldfeeme)to that which Ieremie fpeakethofhis Children , Dabis cisfcutumcordis,éc. Thou'haltgiue them,ô Lord,a heart like afliieldofBrat, which _hallreboundbacke vpon thine own bofome,thofe fhafts that thou halt f boot againf thew : forthofe fauours and thofebleflings which thou beftoweft vpon them , make their heartsthe harder ; and they arefo blindedthrough their finnes , that their heartsare become as hard asa Target ofyron to theend that theinfpirations of thyholySpirit may not pierce them through. Andif theythat arehard de- ferne to behardlydealt withal it is not amiffe , that our Sauiour Mouldfay vnto them,Generatiomalaer adulterafzgnumyuarit,4wickedandadulterousgenera- tionfeekes afterafigne,&c. The third reafon difcouers it felfe in thisword V,lumwg. What, Will they preferre their owneproperwill in theprefenceofGod ; beeing, the fumme of his Doétrine is, a ui volt venirepoft me, abnegetfemetipfum, He that wilifollowmee, mull deniehimfelfe? Saint 4uguJline treateth at large, in his bookes DeCiuitate Dei, That the materiallsof Babylon were, their owne proper will. And ifthefe menhad not beene toomuchwedded to their owne will , lerufalemhad flouri- fhed more thanal theCities of the world betides. Thegreateft affrontthat for- mer or future Ages hauefeene, or _hall fee, was that which the Lewes offered to our Sauiour Iefus Chrift, judging him more worthie the Gallowes,than Bara- bas : AlI which, proceeded from their owneproper will. Whom willyee that 1 Pad let loofevntoyou c It was Pilots propofition vnto them : and when it was left to theirowneproper will, (faith Saint Bernard) and thatit wasleft to their choyce, and that the powerwas now in their hands,Inpropriumdefault sutharem, They raveagainfl himthat made them. Once when our Sauiour Chrift made peti- tion to his Father in thenameof that inferiour porrion,Fatber,ifitbepofibie, let this Cupdepart ; (asbeeing jealous ofhis owneproper will, he prefentlyhad re- courfeto his Fathers will)Yet not as 1will, but asthou wilt. And inanother place, I camedamnfromheauen,not todoe myownewill,bot the willofhim that fnt me. O fweet Iefu ! Thywill conforming it felfetothe willof thy Father,Whyfhoul- deftthou beeaffiaid e Itwas to teach thee That ifour Sauiour Chrift flood in feareof his ownewil] (itbein im ffibleforhimtowillmorethanwhatftood , i g } withhis Fatherswill) thou, that dooftnotconforme thy felfe according to the will ofGod, it is notmuch, that thouthouldft beaffiaidthereof. Seneca faith in one ofhis Epiftles,That the feuereft Rod that we candefire,is,ro defireofGod, that

RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=