Theeete(fitic of our Sa- the fecCindSunday inLent. Serm.il. 187 uiours transfiguration. Cali. Forpleafures,at`e not forthe earth ; hee that inioyes them , fteales them from Heauen. And as hee thatfteales,inioyes what hehath fogot, withagreat deale of feare and iealoufie ; fo may weebe fayd to inioy thefe humane feafts and paftimes. Thatfacrifice Abrahams, was heldthemoft acceptable that euerany manin theold Teflament offeredvnto God. For, infacrificing hisfon Ifaac, hee did facrificeall the ioy and content ofthishis life. For /flue by inter- pretation lignifies laughter. Rifum fecit mihi Dominue. The likemay bee confi- dered in his callingAgar outof his houfe,which lignifies a (ranger. Refoluing withhimfelfe ( beeing but as a ftrangerin this world ) not to ioyin the contents of this life. Ieremie, whofeordinarieoccupation , was weeping, fayd , Diem hominid non defideraui, That is, the dayofprofperirie, and ofpleafure haue I not defired. AndSaint Bernardhath thisnote vpon it ; That hee might haue fayd, That he did neither delireit,nor inioy it. Dauidgrew wearieofhis paffe-times and pleafures. Renuitconfolarianima mea. Ifany thingcan affoordmeecomfort, it is the meditationof euerlaoing ioy. Safe isthat made, that lines merrieand contentedwiththe inioyingof thegoods of this life. Bafe arethe thoughtsof that Prince,who keeping himfelfe clofe in a Sheapheardscottage, (hall deeme himfelfe happiein that poore eflate, not fo much as once thinking on that crown which heought to hope for . Saint Auflen declaring that placeofSaint lames, Fratres fu erentiam lobaudiffis,&finem Domini vid f id, Teehaue heard Brethren of Yob'sfu eying , and tee haue teen theendof the Lord. God fens before vs , as pat- temes ofpatience the lifeof Iob,and the deathof Chrift ; where it is to be ob- ferued, that heBoth not fet beforevs theendoflob ; becaufe Godgiuing him a larger increafe of wealth, of children, and other contents in this life, his end was not by him tobee defired . But that ofour Sauiour was molt paine- full unto him. And therefore it is fayd,Learneof lob to fuller in this life, and ofour Sauiour inhis death. Leaning our hopes to relye vpon thatother life. Et transfiguratus eft. Andhee was transfigured. Itwas likewife fit, that our Saui our fhould be tranf- figured,for theconfirmation of our Faith.For, if thefe our humane eyesdid fee in Chrift ourSauiour,onely the courfe caffocke ofour bafeneffe,and the fcorne and contempt ofhis owne perfon, as Efaypaints it forth, Whowill beleeue thegold ofhis Diuinitie 1 Saint Augufline inhis bookes De CiuitateDei,faith,That all the transformations of thofe gods which the Gentiles didcelebrate inBirds,Bulls, Stones, Trees, Fountaines,Fires,andgraines of Gold,weredirected to this end, that theWorld fhouldbeleeue,thatvnderthe forme of mortal! men, & this our own proper matter, lay hid fome powerfupernaturalI. Whowould beleeuethat Ch rift wasGod, if he had not giuenTome glimpfeofhis Riches e Who would haue relied vponhis protection! Without force particular reuelation, who would haue dreamt ofhis omnipotencie r Inafubiect foweake,who would fur- mile it a Imagine anAngell in thefhape and figure ofan Ant ; none will be- leeue that this wasanAngell, vnleffe bee fhouldatforce timeor other difcouer forcepartof his brightneffe. It wasalfo fitting that Chrift fhoulddifcouer vntovs forceof thofe his hid- den treafures, to the end that thofe that were his, might beperfuadedthat they might fafely fleepe vnder the fhadowofhis wings. Mofsbeeing employed in that bufineffeof A gypt, OLord'(faithhe) whom (hall Ifay hath fent me C Ego rum qui fiem, lam that Iam: Andanonafter,Egofum Dear Abraham,bDead if ac, b DewsJacob, I am theGodofAbraham, theGod ofIfaac,and theGodofJacob ; Tel Pharaoh, 16%17. ayS;. 2. axgd. I. 6xod. y.
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