Good feruicea luremanioc to drawa recompéce from God. after Afhwednefday. fafed to loue vs , mansbreft had neuer had a ftockewhereon tograft his loue towards him. Hauingtherefore lou'dvs firft, and out ofhis loue donevs fuck greatand fpeciall fauours,it were extraordinarie bafeneffe and impietie in vs, not to loue him againe,heebeeing fowilling toaccept ofourloue. Manythere arewhich ftandvpon it as apoint ofhonour, not to beftowtheir loue vpon euc rie one that leckes their loue, but onely vpon thofe that haue giuen them fomepledges oftheir loue. Now if thou dooft efteemethy loue atthat rate, that thouwilt not conferreit vpon him to whom thou dooft not owe it, yet oughteft thou haue the honefty to repay thy louetohim towhomthou dooft owe it. efpecially being Nature abhorreth, thatthey that louefhouldnot be be- loued. Moreoucr,many times thou loueft thofe that neuer loued thee,nay, euen thofe that hauehated thee.Isit much thenthat thou fhouldit loue him that hath louedthee , neuer will kaueoff to loue thee,and cannot but loue,though thou fhouldit grow cold ? S.Bern.erdfaith, That we arewonderfullybeholding unto Chrift for the treafuresof his loue,becaufe therebyhegauevsmatter toworke vpon, to repay this incomparablegood ofLoue,with Loue.No other ofGods fauourstowards vs canwemake repayment ofin the famecoyne,onely his loue is leftvnto vs to be repaidwith loue. 2 The fecond reafon is no leffepowerfull , Hebath built us aSynagogue. For where force feruice hath preceded it is as itwere apledge with Godof fa- uours tobee rcceiued. Howbeit,in matterof giuing , we cangaine nothingby the hand . For, Buisprior dedidilli ? Saint Chryflome treatingofthe miracle which Saint Peterand Saint Johndid atthedooreof the Temple calledBeauti- full,vpon that poore Cripple which beggedan almes for Godsfake;pondereth, how boldly and fecurely they entered to aske a fauour in Gods Houle, who hadfirftexercifed their charity vponthe Poore, ftrengthningand preuenting thofeprayers of the poore, with thofe that theywere tomake themfelues vn- to God. To thisend is it full in vfe, that the poore lyes atthe doore ofthe Temple, as the fameDoctor obferueth,that the Faithfull entring to aske Mer- cie of God, for to fecure their petition,thatthey fhould firft Thew Mercy. sub. uenite oppreffo (faythqty.) Beforethou entereft into my Houle, beftowe thine aimes vponCome poore begger or other;For my (lampe is ingrauenvponhim, hee ismine owne picture, and therefore feeyou releeue him. And thenVenite, argxiteme,i. Come,andreafon withmee : If I (hall not then helpe thee, chal- lengeme for it.SaintLuke,recountingthe refurrettionof Dorcas (otherwife cal- ledTabitha) fayth, That the poore and thewidowes came vnto Peter fhowing him thofecloathes and (hirtswhich Theehad giuen them. Circumdederunt exm vidu e ientes, &ortendentes tuncas, i. Wrdrwes campaffldhim about, and Jliswed him their coats,&c. One fayd, {hee gaue meethis coate, another this fmocke ; and God hawing receiued fo many feruices towards the poore, from the hands of this holyWoman,it is fitthat fhe fhould find this fauour, andthat you fhould notfticke much vpon it to reftore her her life ; and the Text fayth , Thathee prefentlyrailed her vp alilic. No lefle to thispurpofe feruesthat railing againe tolife ofthe Widowsfon,which nourifhedthe Prophet Elias. Behold,ô Lord, thou haftafflicted apoore Widow, that lodgedmeeand fuftainedmee for thy fake and therfore thou art bound to repayher this feruice. It is oneof theabu- fes of thefetimes, that inthe dayofprofperity thouneuerthinkeft vpon the poore,bechethy neighbour,ora {(ranger; or if thoudooeft, itis but toquarrell with him,& tomurmure againfthim:thou neuergiuefthim any thingbut (harpe words , but if thy houfe (hall beevifitedwithanymisfortuneof fire or other- C 3 wife 29 cb ft. core s.Serm.de Martf. Atri>s. Good feruicè neuer vnre- wardedwit4 God. At&.9.
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