iS Thhe13eneoñof Vpon theThurfeday niee.3 t. robsvas ofe 6.11.3. . . Efayr.4.5. rerem.:. ter.u. Amb.lib.s.de °fie Aug.li decatb. radtbur.r.4. Marg. intom. Pl e. s. ofthe Whales bellie,broughtIona forth to the light ; the ftroke ofan Arrow made Alexanderknow he wasmortali ; Wormesmade great Antiochus confeffe hewas no God; andthe threatning ofElias wrought repentance in Achab : In aword,vexatiodat intellellum,Cafligafli me Domine&eruditos fum,Afflielion cau- fethvttderflanding,thou didficorreF.I me á Lord,&1was infiruïled.O! how correcti- onopens thofe eyes which profperitie kept Phut.' O ! how often Both the pai- ningofthebadieworke the facing of the fouler O ! how often doe misfor- tunes, likethe rounds inJacobs ladder,ferue to bring our foules vp to Heauen t' Goddealingwith thefe afflicted foules, as the Gardner doth withthe Buckets of his Well,whohumbles thembyemptying them , that heemay afterwards bring them vp full. And fo is that place oflab to bee vnderftood, Heewoundeth, andhee healeth,(i.)he healeth bywounding ; likeyour cauteries,whichcure by hur- ring. It is Gods ownevoyce, Iwillfmiie, and Iwill make whole : according to thatofofee, Percutiet,& curabit, he ftrikesthebodiewith ficknefhe,andwith that woundhe healeth the foule. But hereby theway it istobenoted, That there is a great difference betwixt one (inner andanother : for he that is hardned infinne,is made ratherworfethan better bycorrection. And this is that whichEfay bewaileth, wherehee crieth out, Woe to thefinnefull Nation,a People laden withIniquitie ;Whyfhouldyee beflric- ken any more, yeewillreuolt moreandmore : All thefruit that fuch kind ofwilful' (inners reapefrom their punifliment,is,to addefinne vnto finne ; like that Slaue, who beingwhipt for fwearing,falls into blafpheming. I hauefrnitten,(faith re- remie) your childereninvaine they receiued no correction. And inanother place he comparesthem to reprobatefiluer,which beingput intothe CrifoI of afiétiontobe refined andpurified, remainesfouler thanbefore. Others there are that are tender hearted,and are as fenfible ofothermens miferies,as ifrhem- felues were in the fame cafe;and iuft fowas it with thisdifcreet Centurion. Dignos e i , vt illipr ofes, (i.) He is worthie,forwhom tbou fhouldß doe this: The Eldersof the Iewes inCapernaum, whichwere fent bythe Centurion vnto Chrift,tobefeech himto comeandheale his feruant, acknowledged apower in ourSauior ofworking miracles,by that often experiencetheyhad made there- of, buttheydid not acknowledgehis Diuinitie.Andtherefore they herenotifie vntoChriftthe great merit and deferuingneffe of this Centurion ; which ifit had beene meerelyfor Godsfake,theymight the betterhauepleaded ir. They alledge two reafons toinduce him thereunto. The firft, Diligit geisternnoflram,He loueth our Nation; which heehath many wayes manifeftedby thofe hisgooddeedsandactions towardsvs ; and this his loueand kindneffe bindes vsto folicitehis caufe, whichgood will of hisought likewife to inclineyou tofauour this his fuit. Thefecond, Synagogamsdicauit nobis,He bath built vs aSynagogue; whereby heehath not onely {hewedhis goodaffection to the Iewes , but his religiouf- neffe alfo vnto God ; Dignua cil ergo, vt illiproffer, Hee therefore deferues this fauourat,thy hands. Theirreafons are both powerful' as wellwith man, as with God ; for Loue obligeth much. Saint Ambrofe faith , That Nature did ingrauenothing fodeepely inour hearts, as toloue him that louethvs. Saint Au en faith , That it is a hard heart that repayes not louewith loue : agreeing with thatofMarciliusFicinus That Loue isTantipretq, a thing fovnualuable, that nothing can recompenceitbut Loue. Firft,From thisgroundwe maygather thefoulneffeofourdif -loue towards God : Ipfepriordilexit, faith Saint lobe, Helottedvtfirfl, & if hehad not vouch- fafed
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