t Truefriend (hip confiaeth molt in theimparting of (ecrets. Sunday inLent. Ser. 1 8. thofegreat and manywonders that he had wrought forthem,but becaufe bee had reuealed his heart andbofome vntothem. The finene(feof friendfhip, and thepurealloy thereof, doth not confift in this, that mypurfe is open vnto thee, and that thou (hare withme in my wealthand riches,but that there isnot that fe- cret in my heart, which I doe not communicate vnto thee. I haue termedyee ml+ friends,for whatfauertvaadeliveredvnto meofmy Father, the f me haue t madeknown voteyeti. The ApoftleSaint Paulaskes the quefcion , What aduautage the Iew hadof the Gentiles e And what CUrcumcition did benefit them more than others e And his anfwcr is, Agreat deale Firfii, becaufe Godpath moreparticularly reutäledhirrfelfe-unto them; &c. Many were the fauours which God haddone them ; but thegreateft that euer he did them,was the revealingof his Wordvn- to thein, the impartingofhis fcrctsvntothem, and ti-tilting thcni therewith - all. And fo it paffeth likewifle,betwixt man and man , where there is true loue and friend(hip indeed. It is laid in the third ofSaint John, Hethiat bath the Bride, is the Bridegroome; but thefriendofthe Bridegroome reiayceth greatly becauf of the Bridegraomesvoyce. The E;Uangelift heretieaterh ofSaintlohn Baptß,and faith, Thatto the Husband of the Church, which is our Sauiour Iefus Chrift, the Spoufemeerly belongeth ; but fbr theoffice ofa friend, fuch aoneas was Saint Zahn Baptifi,itappertainedveto him,toaflitt this loving Couple,and to keepe the Bridegroome and the Bride companie, and to hearken vnto them with 'a great dealeof contentment and pleafure. Si VerbumDei, (faith Saintvhtgufline)&c. If the Word ofGodwhich ispreachedin the Church, thoufhaltreceive it withfulneffëof Faith,andtrune ofdeuotion;that Word(hall become whatfewer thouwilt haueit to be : Itfhallbevnto thee like Manna,which fitted itfelfeto all menstaftes, there being not thatpalate andappetite which it did notpleafe andatfeCt,accogding to it'sowne relifh. The third fence andmeaning,whichis no left` literall thanthe former, pre- fuppofeth two things : The one, That this woman was ftrucken into a doable amazement or aflo- nifhment. Firft, Of the ftrangeneffeof themiracle. Secondly,Of the incredulitieand obftinacie ofthePharifees. The other, That thefe words aremore direéted to the praife andcommen- dationof the Sonne,than theMother. And thereforewhen as here cfytarcella liftedvpher voyce andfail , Blefedwas that mother thatbrought theeforth,and the paps thatgame theePeke ; hermaine and principali intent was, thecommendation of her fonne,and inclufiuely an honouring likewife ofthemother. But our Sa- uiour Chrift was willingthereupon to fliew and make knowne to the World, howunequal aneftimation thisis which we makeof thefekindof goods; for, tocalf outDeuils, and thedoingbetides of ftrange and wonderful) miracles, worldly men,and thofe thatlooke onely on theoutride of things, preferre them vfually before the iuftificationoftheirfoules. And this womancrying out,oc- cafioned by thegreatneffe and ftrangeneffe of this miracle, Bled beethewombe that bare thee,& ! thebre/s thatthou did/ifucke:He prefently addes thereupon, NIty rather blep arethey which heart the Word ofGod and keepe it. If thou dooft fo much admireand wonderto feeDeuills thrownout ofmens bodies,thou wilt meruailemuch more, to fee them call outof their foules. And being that my Word is fo powerfull,as to free foules from this feruitude and tyrannie; more happie ought yee toholdmec, for thofe famous and renowned miracles which by my Word I worke in yourfoules, than for thofe which by myworkes I t Dd doe 313 lobn3.29.
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