The Nature of Chrifis miracles. the firft Sunday inLent. Serm.8. I . 123 Houfe : uadfupercß datepauperibus, Giue the remainder of thatwhich isleft to the poere. King Achaz aid ill,for that hewould not aske a frgne; and the Pharifees did worfe,in demanding one fi oni Heauen ; the one offended in the leffe, the other, in then:ore; theonewas too backeward,theother,too forward. For God hauing defcended downe from Heauen inhis owne perfon, they could not,than this, delirea greatermiracle. But theywere the formes of thofe fathers who enioying the bread of Angels , were quickely wearie of it and long'd for uailes ; infun itchthat Godwas forced to takeaway their hues from them,be- caufe he knewno: how to fatisfietheir longings. The fecoodqualitie andpropercie of our Sauiours miracleswas, That he did themwith Empireand command ; &ioyniug this his Empirewith his doEtrine, they did cicerely prooue, that he was God,asit is noted byThomas. Saint Chry- faflome bringsin herea comparifmwhich makes much to the purpofe that wee haue in band : Thouentrefl (faith he) into a Pallace,thou knoweft not the Prince or Lord thereof; thouefpieft one,before whom all the reft standbare, and riling vp from their feats, obey wharfoeuer hee comniandeth : Nowwhenthou feeft this, thou canft not be fo fimple,butthoumutt needsknow thatthis is theirking and chicfè commander. Inthe levees it was notmuch, that they fhould doubt whither ourSauior Chrifl were Lord of heauen &earth, or no ; butwhen they law that the Winds didobeyhim, the Wanes, theDead, 'theLining, Heauen, añdEarth, and that he did command all creatureswith that fupreame power and Empire, theymight then eeriewell haue fallen into this reckoning , as to fay, Thisis the Lord of all. The Centurions,though they hadno learning, yet did they light vpon thistruth, Vere Fil ceo Dei erat ife,Th,s was truly theSonne ofGod., The oneofthem led thereunto,whenhe law in what aftrange manner the whole worldwas troubled : Theother, wheningood manners, witha Domine 2`roli vexari, Lord, Trouble notthy fl fe, he feemedloath togiueour Saviourthat trou- ble; faying untohim, Iambuta poore Captaine,an ordinarie Commander,and yet when I lay my commandment upon my feruants,they obey me ; muchmore reafon then is it, that fckeneffe fhould be labialto thyEmpire,&c. Andif the inuilibletl-,ings of God aremanifeftedby thevifible, [Sempiternaquoque virtu: diuinitas] and thatthey which mayknow himby them, will not glorifiehint inthem, they (hall remaineinexcufable.Thiswas the Scribes andPharifees cafe, who law fomany miracleswith their owne eyes, &c. Volumesà cefignum do Colovidere, Wee woulafee afgnefromHearten. Here like- wife is Theirvainecuriofirie tobecondemned : Some would hauemiracles, vt credant ; fome, vt videam ; one, to ftrengthenhis beleefe ; another, topleafe his eye. InbothLawes, the Old, andthe New, wee findthat God did euermore withhis friends Phew thole his lignes and tokens,In rebus naturalibua, In things that were natural!; as inhis fendingdown fire fromHeauenvpon "gels Sacrifice, (hewing thereby howwell heacceptedof it ;in his promife to 2Qah,That there fhouldnot bea fecond Floud ; Arcum meumponamin 2KLibihua, Iwillput myBowin theÇIouds : To Abraham, whenhe paft hisword vnto him , That his pofteritie (hquldpoffeffethepromifedLand.In the oldTe(tamentwe readofmany lignes andrtokens : King Ahazmight haue made his choice of miracles, either from Heauen, Earth, or Hell. But inthe Lawof Gracethey were more in number, andgreaterinqualitie. But there Pharifees comming vnto him , Sainte.Make tells vs, Thatour Saviour Chri !fighed deepely inNs Spirit,andfäid,Wiry doth this ge- Ñerationfeekeafgneere. Theydoe pot deferueit, neither (hallirbcgiuen vnto them ; forthey doenotdelire it forany loue to our Sauiour, orthereby tobee L z brought (a.) Theyaredone imparitiuely and with a kind ofempire and ceimand. Why mira. eles fhould benefited. Marc fro- gum inthe umeof Grace than endet the Law. Marke 8.
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