17+ Life,ieldomewean. Come to any. sodrauoreth whom the world forfa- keth. rrat. 34. Dan. 3. E.rod a On the Fryday after yeares ;that fewand quill had thedayes of his life beene ; and that hee had not attainedto the yearesof the life ofhis fathers,in the dayesof their pilgrima- ges. Elias fled from death, when hee lawhow neere lezabels hand wasto take his life fromhim, howfoeuervnder the Iunipertree heeTeemedmuch todefine it. Vpdn Paradife God hadputa ftrange gard,not only abladeof a fword,fha- ken, tokeepe the wayof the Tree ofLife ; butmany Cherubins aifo,that were like fo many flames of fire. What,$ Lord,dooft thoumeanbythis fopower- ful a gard for fo cowardlyand fearefal a creature as mancO fir,in.Paradifethere isa Tree that beares the fruit of Life , and out of thedefire that man bath to line, hewill preflè vpon thefwords point, and iufhthrough fireandwater toget in : And thougha leffegard might happely ferue turn in regard ofman ; yetwil it not fuffice tokeepe the Deuill out ; and if he fhouldchance to rob this tree of her fruit, he would carrie the whole world after him, out of the great loue and affectionthat they haue unto Life. Saint Augufine greatly endeeringthis loue, faith,That itwere agreat happinefhe for man,tt hebore butthat lime to life eter- nall,ashedoth to this that is temporall ; and that hewould but labour as much toobtaine that,as he feekerh toconferue this. But this poore wretchedman in- deeres itmuchmore who at the endofthirtie eightyeares,hauing leda life that was worfe thandeath, fhouldyetdefire tohue longer. Than, not aman . This isthe reafonwhy God fits his eye vpon thee, exbe- ginsto looke towards thee ; for the onelymeanes to make God to fuor vs,is, when hefees the Worldhath forgot vs. Thecaufewhy fomany fuitors thriue nobetter, is, becaufe they feekemoreafter the fauour ofmen, than ofGod : Where Naturecafts vs off thereGrace takesvsvp ; when theWorld abando- neth vs, thenGodembraceth vs. TheRauens young ones are forfakenby her, God feedeth them.In the Indiesthere arenoPhyfitions,yet arethere whol- fore Hearbeswherewith they cure theirdifeafes. In like manner , where the Worldaffoordeth few fauours,there Godsprouidence fupplies vs with many. Chryfofiome faith, nhaber hominem,fedDeum,Thou hallnot man,6ut thouhaft God tothyfriend. The 'Egyptianwhom the Amalekites left behind them,becaufehe was ficke ofa Feuer,and could not follow them ; Dauidfindinghimas hefollo- wed thechafe, Cooke himvpandcherifhed him. Saint Gregorie noteth, That it is thefafhionofthe World, toforfake thofe that will not follow after it:where- asGod runnes acontrarie courfe ; for he cherifheth andfáuoureth thofe whom theWorld forfaketh. Saint vlaltoponders much vpon Iofphs twoyeares be- ing inprifon, expeâingthe fauourofPharaohs fe-tuant, towhomhe had recom- mended his fuit; fo that as longashe depended vpon man, he was fufpended by God : but when hishopes were that wayutterlyloft, and was now able to fay, Hominem non babeo, zhauenota man, Goddid workehis enlargement. Iofeepb laid to the Cup-bearer, Memento nrei, Remember me ; andhe didnot fo much as once thinke ofhim in two yearesafter : The Theefe faid to Chrift vpon the Croffe, Mementomei, Rememberme, and hewas admitted into Paradifethe verie fame day. Domine, ante toomnedefideriummettm, ÒLord, mydefires, mygrones, andmy íìghs areforand to thee, andmy truft isin thee only,that thou wilt not i. fee me vnréwarded. DanielbeingPhut vpin theLyons Den, and ruhedoore tea- ledwith the Kings ownSeale ; whenhecould findno fauouramongftmen,God prefently extendedhis fauiourtowards him. Thelike fsuordid he flew tothofe Children thatwereinthefirie Furnace ; andto c.otofeerin that Arke ofRuffles floating vpon the waters'. SenecacomfortingMarciaconcerningher font death, amongltotherreafons healledgeth this, Comfort yourfelfe in this thacuou . liue
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