Chnff theonely bion bothof fouleand thefir(Sonday in Lent. Serm.1o. body. Brother Jimarifeagaine; Whereunto fheanfwered,I know that hefhall rifeagain in the refurrethonat the last day. Chriftmight take this ill,as awrong done vn- to the lauewhich he bare to Lazarus, That thee fnould thinke him fo negleifull of his friend,as to let his fauor towards him be fo long incomming. Saint Chry- fofome faith, That yourbad Phyfitions are theButchers of aCommonwealth ; and your good, the Borchers ofmans life,who patchand mend it making this flefhie doodling ofours, and this our rotten carkaife, to hold out as long as it can. But God, who is his Arts-mafter,and a wondrous nimble Workman,made this ficke man topettedly whole, and foinitantly firong , that hee was able to take hisbed vponhis backeand walke. Andif by this he (hewed , that hee did now fully enioy health of bodie ; in his goingftrerghtway to the Temple, hee madegood proofeofhis Soules health. Which is nomore than what S. Aafien. Both infer upon thofe words which our Saviour afterwards laidvnto him, w finne no more, &c. Saint Augufiinevpon this our Sauiours healingof thisman alone, faith, That hereinhe feemed fomewhat too fparing and too niggardly to thofe other that hadneedofhis helpe. Wherunto I anfwer firót ofall,That for thofe things which ourSavior Cjirift did, or did riot, thewit of mancannot beacompetent Iudge. Secondly, That this was ameerea& of his mercie, andnotto bequeftioned. Befides,health perhapsto the reftmight haueproued hurtful vnto them,though not to their bodies, yet to their foules. Thirdly, Tertulian faith, That the operationof the Fifh-poole beeing nowto ceafe and loofe it's vertue, Thatour Sauiourby curing himwho was the longeft & themoil fickeamongft them,gaue therebyan induction & entrance to all that were ficke, to come and repaire to him for helpe : As if bee fhould haue fayd, He that defires to bemadewhole, from hence forward let him goe no more to the Fifh-poole, nor flay there expecting the Angells comming; for when hee comes he healsbut one at once ; but comeyou all vnto me,&I Thalheale you al. Tolegrabatum, Takevp thy bed . This would feeme tobe too heauie a bur- then forhim : Amanwouldhaue thought that it liad beene enough for him to haue beene punifhedwith thircieeight yeres keepingofhis bed,without being put now at laittobeare it onhis backe. But if God cangiue fuchgreat ftrengih to fo weakeaman, that the burthenof his bedding feemes noweightier than a ftraw; the heuier it is, the lighter it is, efpecially ifGod shall put but the leaft helpe ofhis little finger thereunto, Daquadjabes, &jibe quodvis,Giuewhat thou commandefa,and command what thoupleaflf. Secondly,Chrift here fetsbefore vsamodellandpatternof' truerepentance ; before,with a racebat,He lay allforlorn; nowwitha Surge,he walkes found & vp- right : before,he wastorpens &fupefaclw, benumm'dandftupefred; now he was in hisambulare, walke : before,his bed did bearehim ;'andnow hee bearer his bed, Tollegrabatum titian. This was to liignifie, That hewas to run a contrary courfe to that he did before,and to tread out theprints ofhis forepaffedfrnnefùll life : So that (according to Chryfologus) that which heretofore was awitneßë ofhis infirmitie, (hall henceforth be a teftimonie of his health. rniuerfmchat f ratam verfaffiininftrmitateeius Thou turnedit hisbed topfituruie, firftyhis way, then that way, till thouhadit madeit moreeafie for him. Thou changeft (faith Gene- brard) hisweakenefl'e into ftrength,and his frckneffe intohealth;itwas before, a Fick bed,now a found one ; before,abedof forrow,nowofjoy ; before , abed of finne,nowof teares. This 177 Ob. Apatterne for Repentance.
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