43b Chrifls Miracles all wrought for the repairing ofour miferics. Vpon the fourth A true friend hard tobe found. 3Reg.3 pion to makegood hisTitle. Seneca preffing this Argument, faith, Many Flyes cometo theHonie, manyWolues'to theSheepefold,many Ants to theWheat; yet the'flyes are no friends to the home , nor the wolues to the fheepe , northe antsto the corne: Nor art thoutoefleemethofe thy friends that accompanie thee,for they are nobetter than tryes,wo lues,and ants,which feekenot thee but rhemfelues. And if thou fhouldflbrit beare,after theyhaue pro felt themfelues thy,fricnds,ftwn'd vpon thee with flattering tearmes,and vow'd what adeale of loue andaffeetion theybeare vnto thee,what they talkeofthee behind thy back, and what they mutterand whifper of thee in by-corners,thou woulditthen fee and perceiuethat all thyprofpeeitie,is the fable and common by -wordoftheir wrongs anddifèontents. Becaùfc theyfare . is c3Lliracles,whichhedidon them that were drfeafed. All the Mi- racles ofour Sauiour Chrift,weredirected to the repayringofour iniferies. Firft,for the furtheringofour Fairh,which depending vponthe. Will,comes by benefitsto bee well aftedioned thereunto , and toincline toKnowledge and Vndcrftanding. The other,To (nowby fencible figues the end which caufed him tocome into the world, whichwas to cure our Soules infirmities. The third,That itmight appeare vnto Man,that the onelymotiue thereunto, was his Mercie. Now the Iewesdidneither fixe theireyes nor their thoughtsvpon any one of there 5 but only vpon their owne proper ends . Either becaufe hee fhould heale them,orfill their bellies. And therefore,albeit fome fay, that the Euan- gelift did feydownethis reafon, that hemight thereby aduife vs, that our Saui- our was bound as it were to doe that hedid,for the(epeople that followed him, yet I doe rather beleeue,that he fet downe this pafhage, to giue vs thereby tovn- derftandhow vnobliged he ftood to doe them this fo great a fauour and how kind hee was of his owne accord, to thofe that did fo ill deferue any kind neffeat his hands . And therefore heedifcouereth their mincies, layeth open their intentions, and manifefteth their private interefts . Becaufe theyfarehis t.*firacles,&t. And therefore Saint Paul faith, Ile didAla ripallinvnbeleefe, That is, Hee did permit, that they fhould all fall into thenet of finne,that hee remainingwholly difingaged,his obligationfhould byhis mercie&his pittieofthem,be themore efleemed,by howmuch the more it was vndeferued. uìavidebansfigna. As if he Mould haue faid , That they fought rather after meat, than afterhim that was to giue it them ; and therefore hee faid vnto them elfewhere, Teebauefellowedmebecaufe Ihauefledyour bellies, andgiuen you fulne/ ofbread. For thereare force people that feeke after God for worldly bleffings,and neuer thinke vpon himbut in timeof want and neceflitie,and then if Goddoe notrelieue them, they care not a pinfor him. Elifha was with leho- ram, -aridreprooued him becaufc he neuerfought after him,but in time of hun- ger and thirff. Micah went weeping andcrying afterthofe that had ftolneaway his filuergod, but becaufe hee made vfe thereof for his owne private intereft, when agreaterconueniencie of gaine was offered vnto him , hee forgot the former, and thought thereof no more : It is better for thee (fayd they ) that thou fhouldit bee aPrieft of' awhole Tribe,than ofoneparticular Houfe. Philoncommenting vponCainsanfwer vnto God, [theSeuentie rendering this Tranflarion, Si proÿcìs meáfacie tua, afacie tua abfeendar, If thoucall mefrom of thefaceof theearth, letmebehid thyface] faith, That it was all one as if bee Mould
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