Gofl bath foordred all things,thattheRich Vpon theThurfeday after 7`r muff he /pthe Poore, do thePoore the Rich. . Ecct.14 , a.cor.s.14 Chrift brings health and ho lin,ffe where . foeuer hee conicS In Hierufalem(faithGenebrard) there was aprincipali Temple,which had in it foute hundred andeighty Synagogues,fomemore honourablethan the other, and lame leffe;and in all the Citiesof that Kingdomethere was great ffore of them, which occafioned our Sauiourto fay , Theyafill thechiefiplaces in theSy- nagogues.There,witha ftrange kindoflìlencedid thepeoplehearkenveto them, and it was counted agreat punifhment, todepriueany Citifen of this fo great a good. In there Synagogues our Sauiour Chrift fpent the greareft part of his life,andwhen he went out ofthem itwas to cure theSicke,or to relieue others neceftities. And though now a dayes aPreachercomes fweating out ofthe Pul- pit,and goes toa friends houfe where hee hath warmeNapkins clapt about his necke,and is much made of; yet ourSauiour Chrift goes here from (Marie: bu- fineihe to that ofMartha s andfrom that againeofMartha,to that ofMaries;from the Synagogue to the houfeofPeter,becaufePeterswiues motherwas frck.Cbry- folegru faith,That it waseafie tobee feene,whatwas the motion that carried him along to Petershoufe,Ytigaenondifumbeñdi velaptas,fedìacentis infrrmitas;Nrotfo muchfor búoweeafc,,re to eafethe Sicke. He entredinto Symons boute, andSymons minesmother,&e. OurSauiourChrift had agreat defire tocure her, and this goodWiddow had as great acare towel- come him and toferuehim ; and her Feuer did more grieue her out of the hin- deranceofher feruice,thanthecaufe ofher torment : And Chrift onthe other fide,did accept of this inuiration more for to recouer the Sicke, than to recreate himfelfe. TheSickediddefire more to giue him kind entertainmenr,for to nra- nifeft her loue,than toreceiue health fortomitigate her paine. Both their de- Gres refted well fatisfied ; that of Chrift, inhealing the Sicke ; and that of the Sicke, in fersiingof Chrift. Andthough the Angelismight enuiethis hercare, yet didifhe feeke tooutftrip theAngels inher defireto ferue herLord.Heremay wefee thepraétifeofthat whichEcclefiaflicus recommendeth vntovs,Let not the portionof thygooddeftresouerpaè thee , gnu, andtake, . andfanaifie thyfault, be. Glue awaythe goods of the earth, and thoushalt receiue thofeofHeauen:Ac- cording to that ofS. Paine, Letyour aboandance['apply their wants,that their abeun- dancemayfupplieyours ; for bythis choppingand changing of pouertie for pien- tie,and ofplentieforpouertie, neitherof bothhaue caufe tocomplaine. That emblemeofBlciat is well knowne vntoyou ; A lame manand a blindman met both by chance ata riuer, the lamemanguided the blind man,andtheblindman carried the lamemanon his fhoulders.In likemanner(faithChryfofiorne)wee muff fuccor oneanother ; the whole mull cure theSicke,and theSickemuff giue the wholelouing andfriendly entertainment. Thewhole houfewas inrichedby this receptionofour Sauiour ; themother andthe daughter, by being not onelymade whole, but holy. If gluing enter= tainmentto anearthly Prince inricheth thewhole houfe that receiueshim,with earthly bleffings;Howmuch more fhaltheirhappineffe be,who feaft the kingof Heauenv Godhath oftennotifiedvnto vsthegreat content that he takes inhof- pitalitie;efpecially towardsthepoore &the ftranger. That thou fhoulditlodge and feaft aKing,thoucounteftit a great fortune andhappineffevnto thee,for ho- nours,fauours,&rewards follow thereupon ; but inentertaining the poore,thou i dooft him this kindneffe for noother refped in theworld, butbecaufe he is the i Imageof God.Hofitalitatis polite obliai fci,quidam enim,&e. Alluding tothat hot - pitageofAbraham,who thinking he had entertainedftrangers in his houfe,enter- tainedAngels. AndS. Auflenand S.Gregory, Somemen (fay they) thinkingthat they only feed the Poore;they aremifkaken, for therein they feaft our Sauiour himfelfe.
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