Seei,Mereiymuff cke t the third Sondayln - Lent. ( woutd find Ser.z3. notfuffice, andhad entertaineda Ruffianor Swallubticklerto behercompanion and champion that lbbafe andvileawoman asahee was ( confider her which wayyou will)in herlinage,hcr feiriune,herlife,her behauiour, her age,ot what- foeuerelfe that fauoursof bafenefi'e; that Chrilt (hould make choiceofherto publifhhis name, to beeas it were oneof his Euaugelifksand Preachersofhis Gofpell,annot but appeare to theWorld tobe one ofthegreateft demonftrari. ons ofGods both bountieand goodneffe. ThismadeEfy tocrie our Good newes,goodnewesIbringyou, I haue ioyfull tydings to tell you , Fountaines haueguíhedforth'inthe Defart, waters-hauelhewne themfelues in the Wilder' neffe,and riuers appearewhere therewas nothing beforebut drieland. Grace dothvfually follow the.ftepsof Nature, and though ordinarily your Brooke's andyour Riuers keepe themfelues within their owne bounds and precincts, yet Sometimes theyleapeout ofthofe beds that were purpofely made forthem,and ouerflowthofe brinkes.thatbind them in watering thofe thirffieplaces that ftood inneed of their refrefhing. Rift fo ftands the cafe with Grace ; for al- thoughit commonlykeeps it'svfuall and ordinariecourfe, yetnow and then it fwelisaboueit's chanels,andrifeth out ofit'sbed,making the wildernesapoole ofwaters,thebarraineft grounds molt fruitfull,andthegreateft Sinnersthe Brea. tell Saints. And heete fomeone perhaps will fay I will waitfor the like comminn of Gods mercie : but let me tell him, whofoeuerhe be,That this is notagoing for waterto the Fountaine, butthat the Fountaine fhouldbee brought home vnto vs. It is fufficient, that wee haue fo frankeand free aGod that will now&then conferrethefehisgreatfauoursvpponvswithoutourfeekingofthem: But what will not he doe for thee, ifthou fbalt feekehimwith thywhole heart a Such a one,ourSauior'compares tothat Merchant which fought afterpretious pearles ofineffimablevalue.Wherein lie notificth vntovsthatextraordinariediligence wherewithwe arc tofeekeafter him ; and this is thatViaRegia, or the Kings Highway inwhichwe muffwalke,ifwe mean to findhim;and this wasthe track thatwas troad inbyall the Saintsof Hcauen : Hifans gai venerant exmagna tri- bulatione,'c. Theft arethey which came out ofgreat tribulation,e-c. Others our Sa- uiour comparethtohidden Treafure, which isfoundby chance, and feldome hapnerh ; and this itwas this womansgood lucketo light vpon, whichwas re- uealedto fomefew, but from thoufandsofothers hiddenandconcealed,&c. He cameinto a CitieofSamaria calledSycar . TheSaintsdoe render two rea- fonsof this journey. Saint Cyrilfaith, Thatnewes wasbrought vnto the Pha-- rifees, That Chriff hadmore DifciplesthanJohn Baytifi, though Chriffhim- felfe didnorbaptife; which railed fuchan inraged enuie in thehearts of them,` that it comming to ourSauiours knowledge,he left ludea andwent for Galilee, Being inforcedtopap through themidfi ofSamaria. Whereinhegaue to theMini- fters of the GofpellatwofoldLefture. Theone, That they ought fometimes to preferre fufferance before bold- nefle; and rather to diffemblefomefeare,than to fhow themfelues too forward; and to 'Ayefrom thefwordof anger thantooppofe themfeluesagainftthe edge thereof. And therefore it is fayd,lfyebeeperfeecuted inone Citie fly into another. Many account itagreat pointofvalour,andthat theyprooue themfeluestobee flout menin (landing ffiffely to their Caufe,andmaintainingit with an vndaun- ted refolution; but this is ratherWeakeneffe than Fortitude, Forinfomeòcca- fions, the greateft Vietorie,is to fuffer himfelfetobevanqui(hed. The other, ( and letthis bethe fecond occafionof our Sauiours iournie) K k z That A diáreet feare is better than a for- ward boldnes gratti, s o.
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