The courts ofPrinces,like the firft Sunday inLent. Serm.to. thePoole of Bethesda. careful! andvigilant, when thewater fhouldmooue , and then did they rufh in fpeedily, left tome other fhould preuentthem and ftep inbefore them. In the Court your Pretenders Randattendingwith agreat dealeofcare, whenOftices are tobe beftowed, and other prouifions granted forth,fhouldringand fhoouing one another, that others may notget theftart ofrhem,and clapin betwixt them and home. Senecacompares the Courtier's toButchers Curres,who in the hum- bles hand lookingwithawatchfull eye for forceoffalls ofthe intrailes that (hall bethrowne downe amongft them,for the which theyfall togetherby the cares; but onehailing the morcell, and theother going whining away,&c. Fourthly, He that was fped firft in the Fifli-poole,and had his pretenfion,left the reft fad and enuyinghis good fortune. So likewife inCourt , hee that ob- raines his pretenfion, caufesfuch a fadneffe inthe reft, that for many moneths af- ter, all is cries and complaints,lamenting and finding fault with the inequalityof the times and howftrangely things are carried,Hand (as they fay) ouer head. Hethat pretendsa Captains place,thegouernmentofa GarrifonTowne,or the keepingofa Fort,frets and fumes,when he knoweshe hath done the Stategood feruice in theWarres, tofee aCarpet Knight,that canbettervfe a Violl than a Sword,lead ameafure with aLadie than a Band of men, be preferred,and him- felfe put by. So is it with your good Schollers , when they fee Dunces Carrie away their preferments from them : And fo with the like, &c. Fiftly, OneAngell onelymooued the waters of the Fifh-poole ; but thófe waters of the Court, manyAngelis, or, to fpeakemore properly,many Deuils mutt mooue them ; and when one fauours , fouredisfauourthem : onemooues here, butmany theretrouble thewaters ; & tomake fo many mens wilsto trem- ble, is agrieuous torment. Abimileck thebaftard fonneof Gideon,defirous to ty- rannifethe gouernmentof Ifraell, alledged this reafon to thofe ofSichern, Which feemethbetter vntoyou, Thatthe feuentie fonnes of Gideonfhould rule ouer you, or oneonely r And,which istheeafier of thetwo, to fubmitamans will to feuentiewils, or toonewill only ? KingAcbifbout of this refpeet thrufts Dauid out ofhis Court ; Formyne owne part (faid he) I liketheewell enough, SedSatrapis nonplacis, (i.) . But thouart notpleafing to the Princes. InCourr,aman mutt crowch andcreepe tomany: Happie is that man that negotiateswith God, there is but one.care tobetaken, one onelygoodwill tobeegot. According to that ofTertullian roomnegotiant mihi eji, neque aliudcure. GregorieNazianzen addeth, That GodbeeingVnus &folta one,andone!, one, to thew his foie com- mandouer vs ; fodid healfoaffumemany naines tohimfelfe,to giuevsthereby to vnderftand, that hewaswillingtoaffoordvs manyfauours.Whereasthe De- uill takes acontrariecourte ; forhee inuented many gods to commaund in the world, but not any todoe themgood. ,Sixtly,In the1ifh-poolcmen had theirhealthsgiuen them for nòthing,fo that it coft not the ficke onefarthing : dealingwith the Patient,as Heauendothwith the Penitent; who when hedelires to embarkehimfelfefor that place , giues himhis paffageín.the ShipofRepentance, free,and gratis, Gratis venundatieflis, ¿j-fine argento redimemini; Teewerefouldfrcely, andyeefhallhe redeemed without mo- nie. Hee is a kindMatter ofa Ship, whohull giuea man his farefor nothing : Our. SauiourChrift would askenomoreof this ficke man, than his deflre and willingnefieto bewhole ; [is famesfiieri ? ] butin the Court,before thoucorn- met} to theFiat of thypretenfion, thou haft eatenout thy cloake,and it iswon- der, if thecourtefie quit the colt. Seuenthly, The Angell thatcame totheFifh-poole(as all theCommentators vpon 163 fudges 9.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=