Fonseca - Houston-Packer Collection. BX1756.F66 D5713 1629

194 Gen. 18. PM, 49. 2.6o1:,1. The ¡oyes of Heauen.once truly taacd,onelydefire. . ;pon the Saturday after,&c. And 'on wherewithin that courfe he runnelontohis deftruhtion.Si dederst mihi Dominus patient advefcendum, &c. It was rags fpeechvnto God , afterthat hehad done that greatfàuour of (hewing aLadder vpon earth,whole topreached vpto Hea-' uen; youknow the Storie : but the vow that heevowedvnto Godwas this If; Godwill be with me, and will kcepe mein thisjourney that Igoe,and will giue me bread to eat andcloathes to put on, then fhall the Lordbemy God , and I (hall neuer forget this hiskindneffe towards me. More loue(a man would haue rhought)hemighthaue fhewntowards God,ifhehad promifedto ferue,though' he hadgiuenhim neither breadto ear,nor cloathes toput on. But Saint Chryf_ florae faith, That he teeing in this vifionofhis,the profperitiethat God was wit: lingto throwvpon him,did acknowledge the thankefull remembranceof this hispromifed.&hoped forhappines : ForProfperitie is euermorethe companion ofObliuion. Saint Bernardexpounding that placeof Dauid, L.Wtan being in ho- nour,hathno vnderftanding, faith,That the profperitiewhereinGodplacedman, robbedhimof his vnderl anding, andmade him likevnto theBeafts, thatperifh. And herenow dothSaint Peter boofe his memorie. Nor is this a thingfo much to he wondred at ; forif therebe fuch riches here vponearth, that they robbea manofhis vnderftanding,andalienate him from hinzfelfe ; if the bonne that is borne ofamother whohath fufferedgreat painesin the bringing ofhim forth, ramnonmeminitpreffur.e, hath forgottenhis mothers throwes , and thinkes not on the wombe that borehim ; if thegreat loue of world, and theprofperi- tie thereof, can make vsfo farre to forget our feines ; it is no irange thing, that we fhouldbe farre more tranfported andcarried away withheauenly things.Da- uidfollowingthe purfuit of hispi eafures, amidit all the delightsof this life, he cries out, only thyglorie canfillme, that only canfatisfie me. Remigiuvvnfolds this verfe, ofthe glorie of the Transfiguration ;and it may be that this KinglyPro- phet did fee itby the light of Prophecie. Andif fo fortunate a King ashewas, did forgetall thofe other goods that heenioyed, andfaith, Thathee delires no other good, nor no otherfùlnefl'e; Whatmeruaile is it, that a poore Fifherman fhould bee forgetfull ofgood or ill: Andas bee that is Hinted likes nothing but what is the caufeofthis his fulneffe,reckoning all other meats foure,though theybe neuer foTweet ; fo he that (hall once come to tall ofthat good, will fay, TLómaa bien, I defireno othergood butthis. What faythSaint Paul, Sedgy not, &c. Butwe a f which haue thefirfl f altsof theSpirit , euen weedoeftgbinourfeelues, waitingforthe adoption,eiten theredemption ofourbodie,&c. Though Paulenioyed the firft fruits of the Spirit,and extraordinarie regalos and fallouts ; yet hee groa- ned and trauelled in paine forHeauen. What,faithSaint Chryfoflome,Is thyfoule become aHeauen,and dooft thou yet groanefor Heauent' Do not thou meruaile that I groan,hauing feenethat inHeauen which I haue Peen; &mil raptusfns iá Paradifum : I feethe good which theworldwanteth ; andthe illwhich the Pro- digal endured ; he did groaneand fighin the Pigge-ftie,whenhe calledtomind his fathersgoodlyhoufes. Saint Hierome treatingof the raptures of his Spirit, faith, That he found himfelfe many times among Quires ofAngelis ; hee faith, That hehued awhole weekewithout anyfence ofbodilyneceflìtie : nor was it much,he enioyingtheconuerfationof Angelis, and the fellowfhipofGod, Diuina vifionis intuitu : but when I came againe to myfelfe, I did bewaile the good that I hadloft. But that Peter may not groanewith Saint Paul, nor weepe with Saint Hierome; knowinghow the world wentherebeneath,faid, Let vs not leaue that placewhichwe may hauecaufe toweepe for, when we are once gone from it : For,whatgood isthere vponearth,be itneuer fogood,which hath not fome

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