Godmeafures outhis bleffngsvnto On the Fryday after 26z vsmoreby Loue,thanWifedome. i GodsLone ceafethnot formans wir kedneffe. vnrighteoufneffe, beforeacompanion andfriend ; and oftheft, before theplace where thoudwellef},&before the truthofGod & his Couenant ; & toleanwith thine elbows vponthe bread;or tobe reproued forgibing or taking;&ofuilence tothem that falute thee;&to look vpon anharlot,& toturn away thy facefrom thyKinfeman ; or totake away aportionor gift ; orto beeuill minded towards anothermans wife ;or to foliciteany mans mayd ; or to Randby her bed ; orto reproachthy friends withwords ; or rovpbraid whenthou giueft any thing ; or to report amatter that thouhaft heard ; or to reueale fecret words : Thus mayft thouwell be fhamefaced, & fhaltfind fauourwith all men. This Erubefcite muff be the burthen of the Song , to euerie one ofthefe yerfscles. It is a foule and a fhamefull thing, to doeanyofthefe things inthe prefenceofgraue perlons, to whom weowe arefped. Much more foule intheprefence of God,whoRands atthy elbow inallthy aEtions. But foulef}ofall, to colnmit thefe thingsin the prefence of theSonne of God, whomehis Father fenttobeethy Matter, thy Tutor, andnayled him to the Croffe forthyfinnes,that thou mightft beeaf la- med to commit the likeàgaine,confidering thegreat torment that hefuffered for thee. Somedeuout pi&ureor Image doth fometimesrefrainadefperatefinner fromcommitting force foule offence ; What wouldit workethenwith him,had Godhimfelfe flood there prefent before him e It may betheywill reuereace mySonne . Say that wee take thisFeria orForf:tan in the fame fence asthe words themfelues found; it isapoint worthie ourconfi- deration,That the innumerable fummeof thofe,infinite fauourswhich Goddid to hisVineyard, shouldend in a Peraduenture , and fland vpon haphazard. A man may thinke it fomewhat ftrange, That God fhouldcome toany place vpon vncertainties : but God is fo good aGod,that he doth not fomuch proportion his blef(ingsby themeafureofhis Wifedome,as his Loue ; not that hedoth not certainly knowwhat wewill be, butbccaufehewould fainehauevs tobewhat we fhould be: For ifhe shouldrewardvsaccording to thofe our a&ions, which he inhis prefcience and eteruall effenceforefeeswill come topaffe; Who ofvs fhouldbe left aline, or whoofvs fhould beeborne ? Onely theInnocent ( faith T eoderet) fhould then befauoured. And therefore ratherthanitfhould bee fo, hewas willingto put it vponthe venture, how or whatwemight prooue heere- after. He knewbefore hand,that Luciferfhould fall ;that AdamMould fin; that Saul fhould turn difobedient ; & thatludm fhould fel him&betray him: yet did he not forbeare for all this to throwhis fáuours vpon them. S.Ambrofeasketh the queftion, WhyChrift wouldmakechoice ofiudru,whenas he knewbefore hand that hewouldbetrayhim ? Andhis anfwer thereunto is, Thatit was toju- Riflehis loue, and to(hew the greatdelire that he hadthat all íhould beefaued, yea, euen fades himfelfe : And therefore (knowinghis couetous difpofirion)hee made him hisPurfe-bearer, that he might Phut the dooreto his excufes,and that hemight not haue iuflcaufe to fay,That hewas inwant,& lacktmony,& fo was forcedout ofmeere neceffitie,to betray and fel his Mailer which otherwife he wouldneuer haue done but the deliuering ouer the Purfe vnto him , tooke away that obieétion. Wellthen, Whatcan this Traitor fayfor himfelfe :' That Chrift did not countenance himas he did the ref}, orthat hee madelight recko- ning of him e Neitherwillthis hold water; forhee had made him an Apoile, heewas lifted inthe roIlewiththerei,heewrought miraclesaswell as his Fel- lowes,&receiued manyotherfauours from his Mailers hands. Thefame reafon mayferueas well fortheIewes,as lades : For our Sauior knew that they fhould puthim todeath;yet forallthiswould not beceafe tothewhis louevnto them. Hic
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