The meat ofHeauen once the fecond Sunday inLent. rafted, onely defired. Come ill with it'sgood e Obtaine(if thoucanft) of God, that hee will but once giue thee leaue totart ofthegoods ofHeauen,and thou wilt foone forget what- Ibeuer is onearth. The reafon why thefe fraile& tranfitorie goods are fomuch defired and fought after with fogreat thirft and couetoufneffc, is, becaufe thofeeternall goods whichcall continually vnto vs , ftand info farce a diftance fromour hearts andour thoughts : for if thou fhouldit but tafte onedropofthe water ofthat cceleftiall Fountain,or but onecrumme of that diuineTable,thou wouldft faywitha full and refolute purpofe, No madmundo, Let the world goe, I will no moreofit. The Houndwhen he neither feesnor fents his Game , goes flow andfoft, diuertinghimfelfe hereand there , as if hee had no life inhim ; but heno fooner fpies the Hare,but he Aies with thewind. Robbed ofthe con- tent of Heauen, I fàid,All,whatfoeuer is in the earth is aLye. Peter was rob'd of himfelfe, and therefore he defired to fray ftill there. The firft that tafted Wine, though he were fograue amanas fah, it made him commit a great es- ceffe, infomuch that it gaue oceafion to his owne fonne tomocke him.And how fhouldnot the firftthat tatted of the glorie whichour Sauiour Chrift had mani- fefted inTabor, (though fograue aone as Pe:er) be fo drunken therewith,that he fhouldvtter fogreat anexceffe r Butwhatfoeuerwas taken from himfelfe; hee didadde it a11(whatfoeúer itwere, more orleflè)to theglorieofChrift. Non enim fciebat, quiddiceret. For he knew notwhat heftid : ErmaPetre, (faith Saint Hierome) Peter, thouart in a mightie errour : Firft, In iudging that fora happineffe that was fo Ihort and tranfitorie ; there being no felicitie butin things that arepermanent. Immagine all poflible happineffe, nteafure it with the durationof Ages andwith that time which in the end mutt end ; and when it isended, thou wilt hold it anvnhappi- neffeand infelicitie. Peter thoudefireft to inioy glorie here in this world,which is to end toomorrow : Andfor that the glorie whichthou defireft, is not to last fo long as theworld, nay fcarce an hourein this world, thouart ina nightie errour,Peter.Saint Luke faith,That to thehungrybellietheremembrance ofhis forepaffed fulneffe Thalbe a torment vnto him;and tothe forrowful, hisformer laughtersand contentmentsThal but themoreaugment hisgriefe,&c. Secondly; Peterdid erre, inpreferring a particular,before a publickegood; efpecially, beeing aPrelatand Paftorof the Church. The handand the foot, renouncing theirproper right , offer themfelues to incounter withany danger, for todefendthe he,ad,and faue the life. AmongfttheElements, theWater,the Earth,andthe Ayre,forfaketheir Center forto afï'ift commonneceffitie. Agood Citifenmuftbee wantingtohis owne houfeand perfon, for to further the com- mon good. Saint Aufien fayth, That Prelatesmuff make profefiîon ofadouble obligation : One,of Sheapheards,for their fheepe ; another,of Chriftians, for themfelues. For the firft, theynuft haue recourfe to theneceffitie oftheir fub- ieéts, with agreat dealeof care andvigilancie. For thefecond, theyare toex- ercife themfelues in all kindofvertue, andholinefTe. But many ofthem, pra- ctice the contrary. They are Chriftians for others, willing them to exercife themfelues in vertue and holyneffe; and Paftors for themfelues, caring too much for their owne pleafures,and profit . TheKing ofSodome fayd vnto Lil6rahan , Giesemee the perforas, take the goods to thyfelfe. Hee regarded more the freedomeand libertie of his fubieets, than the ranfomingofhis treafures: And howbeit hee was a bad man,ÿethee.fhewed himfelfe a good Iheapheard. Dauid cried out untoGod, Lordkeepemyfule, anddeliaerIfrael oat ofallhis trou- R 2 Ìles. 19 Pfa(. ro6. Saint Peters errorin hisad. miration of Mount Tabor Publicke Good, curto bepreferred before the private.
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