Rcafons whyChril4 would wearc On the Fryday after 39 0 \ out himfelfe wich journeying, c. Elay4. Vnicorne, makes ourpaines to turn toour good. IA tbat day (hallfeuen women take holdofone man,faying, Wewilleat ourcrone bread, onely let vs bee called by thy name,andtake awayour reproch. ThenameofWoman fignifieth weakeneffe, and the number offeuen,multttudinem, agreat fort : whereas hee faith , That fèuen women (hall take holdof one man; the meaning is, That our weakeneffes and our paincs and punifhments inthis life,fhall take holdon that onemanour Saui- our Iefus Chrift,andbefeechhim to takepittie ofvs,and that hewill do vs but that grace as to fuller vs to be calledby hisname, it isall wee will askeofhim ; all the Won d will elfe íhunandabandon vs,asperfons affronted and difbraced : Hafer opprobriumnotrum,o Lordrake this reprochliomvs. Secondly,S. Bernardfaith,That Godcouldhaue redeemedMankind at a lefl'e ratc,,but that he waswilling by this fo painful' a courfe to banifhfloathfulneffe, lazineffe,and vnthankefulneffeoutof mans heart. For ifGod journeying in the heats, fuffering the fcortchingof the Sunne,andneither eatingnor drinking, ti- reth out himfelfe thus for thy fake ; How cant' thou be fo lazieandvngrateful to this his great painsand wearineffe,as to fit ítí11 vponthyftoole totake thy cafe and doenothing r How careful' were thofe two Tobies, írí deuifing how they might requiteRaphaelfor the painswhich hehad taken in his journey What íhall we giue himto contenthim r Ifwe fhouldgiue himbalkof that we haue, 7ob.1z. nay(faid the young 7obie) if I fhould becomehis flaue,I cannot recompence the loue andkindneffethar bath lhewne voro mec. Efay treating ofour Sauiour Chrifl,fairh, Etfaí7us eft f luator in omni tribulationcorm, el- Angelus faciei din Iiluabit cos : TheSeuentie tranflateit,Neque Angelus,feedipfe Domrnuofaluabit cos, He f all be their Sauiour inall theirtribulations, not any e.íngell, but God himfilfe. And here it is notan Angellthat takes thispaines,and thus wearies himfelfè, but it is God himfelfè. Is it muchthen,that thou fhouldf'be carefull andpainefull, andtoyle andmoyle to doe good, Peeing thy Sauiour bath fet thee fo good an example , andwill fo well accept and reward this thy labour and feruice The reafon whereof is much ftrengthened and increafed , by conGdering Elay4o. what a powerful' Godour God is, and what apoore thing isMan._ billnations areas a dropofa Bucks before him, and are counted asthe duff of the ballance, which is with averse little,littleleffe thannothing. And as it is in the booke of SaP, :.z : Wifedome, As thefmallthing that the ballaneeweigheth,fo rs the Worldbefore thee,and as adrop ofthemorning dew thatfallethdawnevpon theearth. S.Ambrofiqueffions God, Why,ôLord,fo much for fo little Andhis anfwer is, Thatthis doth in- deere thy mgratitude,andhis Ieue.This isa thingto ftunneaman, and to make him Rand .aftonifbed ; that the Sea fhould goeafter a dropofwater, as ifthere- with it fhould augment it's immeniticand vaftneffe; that Mum fhould feeke af- ter Nihil, he that is all inall,afterathingof nothing,as if thereby he fhould bet- ter his Being ; that God fhould feeke after a wench that was awater carrier,and beingfo wcarie (as hewas) he fhould fit him downe vpon JacobsWell, and there entertainehimfelfein talke with her,Howcan theeuer beable torequite fogreat and vndeferued akindne(fe c This reafon isalfo the more indeered, conGderinghow little it concernes God,and howmuch it imports man. What is it to God r Nothing. What canft thou giueontohim ? Ifthou fhoulditvndoe thy felfe inhis feruice, thou (halt not adde one dramrne ofglorie vntohim. What is it toMan! The greateft happi- neffe that canbefall him , in that God should tyre out himfelfe forhim who is notworth iethe looking after. Much (faith Saint Bernard) ought man to medi- tate on this hiswcanineffe, conGderinghowdeere man did colt God. Ic were meere
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