2ós 00 Dumbnere in Chrifian Upon the third the gmateftMi1crie Without con- fer lon notrne comfort. olee.r a TheDeuils craft is to Amt vp ourmouths fromCon. fefGon. as a fanner hatha tongue, heneednot to defpaire. lob beeing become as it were a Sieuevpon the dunghill, could yet make thisboatt, Derelic7a font tantummodo labia circa ¿entes meos,onely my lipsare left about my teeth. This onelywas enough to bring the Prodigall againe to proíperitie : Whenhe had ípent all , yet his tongue was left freevnto him, to fay, Iwill geevntomy Father. And this is fuf- ficient,forto repaire thy loffes. Your dumbemen beingdefirous to fpeake,mul- tiply fignes andgeftures,efteemingtheir dumbneffe theirgreareft vnhappineffe. AChriftian being askt,Heareft thouSermons, giueftthou aimes, loofeft thou thofethat are inbonds,clotheft thou thenaked,&c.He anfwered,Yes. But dooft thou confeffethy finnes r To that he faid,No. This,ofall othermiferies is the greateft. OLord (faith he) it were agreat fhamevntome , that I (hould reueale thattoMan, which I would (if I could)conceale fromGod. But Ecclefiaflicus anfwerethhereunto , That there is a fhame, that bringethfinewith it ; And there isa fhame, which bringeth Grace andGlorie. The Theefe,hee confeffes his offence,he is afhamed thereat,andcurfes the fatherthat begot him. The re- pentant frnner,he likewife confef res his faults, and is afhamedthat hee thould fo offend his Creator;but withall,remainescomforted withthe hopeofhis Grace andof his Glory.Andno doubt,where there is a true confeffionofourfins,expe- rienceteacheth vs, that God theredwellethandabideth invs. For otherwife it were not poffihle that a fanner íhould bee at quiet inhis confcience. And there- fore the Counfell ofTrent faith, that fhame of ourfinnes werea great confoun- ding veto vs , if it were not quickned and heartned vpwith the comfortof Grace . ofee makes a comparifon of an vntoward daughter , yet fomewhat fhamefac't withall,who couers herbeingwith child, withthe name ofoppila- tionsandobftrudtions; but being put hard vnto it, and throughly examined by her Mother, thee confeffeth the truth, that theremay beeTome courfe taken to falueher credit;fwearingand forfwearingbefore, thattherewas no fuch matter, and curling her felfe to the pit of Hell : but the day comes at lair, wherein the treadingofher fhooeawry, is difcoucredto thofe of the houfe, and without doores,fohercredit is crackt euerafter as long as the liues. The iniquitie ofEphra_ im is bound vp hisfinneis hid. The forrorvesofa travelling woman 'hall come vpon him. What adeale ofconfufion and fhame (hall he be free from, that fhai! con- feffe his fault e Saint Chr o/iome faith, That God laceth fhame in fine and yfJ' P > > comfort,inconfeffion. Whereas the Deuill,in finne,placethprefumption; and and in confeffion, fhame. Plutarch faith, That as a moderatefhame, is aguard ro innocencie,awallto honeftie,and a general! ornamenttoall theVerrues ; fo too much fhameon the other fide , is a fpoile and ruineto them all. Saint L4u'len faith , That itis a fouleneffeand weakeneffeof our vnderftanding, that thou fhould(t be afhamed toconfeflè thattoone particularman in privat,which perad- uenture thou haft committed inthe companieof many,and inthe prefence ofa multitude. Amongft other imprecationswhich lob bathagainft himfelfe, this is one,Si abfondipeceatum,&c. ifIhaueconcealed,or keptferretmy(nne. Whenthe Deuill openedAdams mouth to eats the Apple, heedid likewifePhutit vp from the confeffingof his fault. PopeGregerie faith, Thatwhen God didaske Adam, vbi es , Whereart thou ? hethenprerended,had heewillinglyand readily confeft his fault,not only to haue pardoned him his offence,but to haue reftored likewife allthat good which hehad loft,bothtohimfelfe,and his pofteritie. Saint Au/len isof the fameopinion. AndSaint Bernardfaith, That he did not hurt himfelfe morebyhis difobedience, than by feeking to excufe his fin. For this his tranf- greffion,had hedealt fairelyand plainelywith God,mightperhaps haue beene repaired.
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