120 colof:r. Hypocrites great fauorers ofMiracles. Chrtos Vpon the.VVednefday after tocorreßour Wí16 Will. All the ai ions ofour Sauiours life anddeath had two intents : The one To redecmevs frolri the feruitudeand flauerieof the Dcuill : The other,To in- fufeloue intoour hearts ; !came tofitfireon the earth, andwhat remaines but that it burn ? With this double charge of his whichcoif him no leflè than his life, and the{bedding ofhismolt pretious blood, he left a freeentrance for vs to get intoHeauen. Andif any man(!tall aske me , Whichwas the greater coft of th3 two r I anfwer,That our Saviourfound greaterdifficultie inaflèéfiouating vs for Heauen, than in purchafing Heauen for vs, orinconquering the Deuill and HA: For oneonelydrop of hisblond was fufficient to do this ; but for to affeétionate our will, all hisblond in his bodie would fcarce fuffice. And therefore Saint Cyprian faith, That hewas willing to fuller fo much, though hemight, and that in rigo tir , hauc fatisfiedwith fo little. For, thougha little might haue ferued the turne,for to worke ourredemption ; yet a little was not enough for to in- flateour hearts with the fireof his loue. This fencemay fuit with that fayins of Saint Paul, fo diucrfly commented, Gaudeoinpafionibus mac, & aditnpleo qua defzzntpafionumChrilli incarne mea. Ireioyce tomyfufferings foryou, andfialfill the refl oftheafflielions of Chr , in my Flefb. Why fhould the Apoftle fay fo ? For what can bewanting to thofepaffions ofChrift, which were fo aboundant and all fufficient ? Marry,. Thatweemight make true benefit thereof, and that hee might infufc this affection into our hearts,the Apo(tle faith,l delire to bediffol- ued,and tobewith Chriff. Volumes a to fignum videre, (i.) Wemould haue afigne from thee, Saint Luke ad- deth,De mlo,fromHeauen; alÿ tentantes;fagnum de carlequarebant. It is the con- dition and natureofHypocrites tobe friends and favourers ofMiracles, which make agreat noife in the world, but doe littleor nogoodat all. Theyare Ad- mirationc magi,quam pietatis; things rather ofadmiration than pietie. An Hy- pocrite, will outwardly cloath himfèlfe with the Camels haire ofa JohnBapte, with the mortification of a Saint Jerome and with Penitence it f lfe ; but be- caufein the inward man,Charitic is wantingvntohim,his bowelshaue no com- pafïion, but arc full of extortionandcrueltie. And therefore Saint Paulgiueth this caucat unto vs, and it is agood one, Memovos feducat,volens inhumilztate,& relogione Angelorum, Let no man deceiue you with feigned humilitie, nor a dif- fembled deuotion,reuealing vnto yet, thattheyhaue had the vifionofAngels, and thatthey appeared thusand thus vnto them ; for,if to remoouemountains fromone place to another without Charitie, be but abeatingofthe Ayre, qua f aeremverherans, orlike the found ofbels, whichfuddenly vanifheth;fo likewife thefe their vifions (without charitie) thail be but vaine and idle. OfAntechrift, the Apocalips faith, That hee (hall caufe fireto come downe from Heauen;and Saint Efrem, that bee fhall remooue Iílands and mountaines and that hee (hall walke vpon thewaues of the Sea as on drie Land and that hee (hall flie in the Ayreand take no harme ; And Rabanus, That bee (hall make the fields to bring forth flowers inthe heart of Winter as if it were inthe midít of May ; That he (hall difcouer the bortomcleffe bedsof the Sea;that hee fhall raitevp thedead, and put Nature quiteout of her courfe. But all thefe (hall bee falfeand lying Prodigies, which (hail bedirefted toa kind ofvaine anddeceitful! admiration. Jn predigÿs,&. fignicmendacibue (as Saint Paul bath it.)So in likemanner, the Hy- pocrite lyeth, with his countenance, his eyes,his feet, his hands, his mouth,and his apparel! Vendit fumum (fayth Chryfologws) emit applau/una, Flee feBeth fmoake,andbuyer theapplaufe andacclamation ofmen. Our Sauiour hrift was thofe waters ofShiloa, which did tonne filentlyalong, and did quench the thir(t of thofe
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