44z The courfe our Satin'. tookc On the fourth in prodttitig this miracle. fand : butyour couetous men, tiericher they are,the greedier theygrow , and more hurtful! to the Commonwealth; for a poore Minifler will 'content him- felfe with final matters, but the rich Miter is infatiable. The Prodigallkeeping hogs at a Farmhoufe in the Country,fuffereda ftrange & raging kind ofhunger, but whenhecould get nobetter food to fatisfie the fame,hewas wellcontent to takepart with the Swine.Therichman in the Gofpel had the world at wil,wan- tednothing, neitherfor his backe nor hisbellies Thouhaft muchgoods(faid bee of himfelfe) laid vp for many ycares : but all this would not fatisfiehis infatiable de- fire ; The Barnes are not big enough,&myGranaries too little for my hunger, I will plucke them downeand make them bigger. lefts, Cooke the Leaues, andwheis kehadgiuen thankes,he, &c. It is firft ofall to be noted , That our Sauiour tooke the Loauesand theFifhes firft into his owne facred hands,that he mightthereby thew himfelfe tobe theauthor ofthismira- culous multiplication. Secondly, He didlift vphis eys vnto Heauen,intoken that hehad this power from Heauen. Thirdly, He gaue thankes vntothe fuher,as hewas Man,becaufe he wasplea- fed toworkefo great miracle for the fpirituall and corporali good ofman, which heaccounted as a kindneffe done vnto himfelfe. Fourthly, Hedidblare the loauesand the fifties, giuing them the venueand power ofmultiplication. Fiftly, Thepartition and diuifionofthem, hedid put them into thehands of his Difciples,that they might díttide them amongftthem,and minifterthemvn- tothem. Andall this was a typeof thebleffed Sacrament. He couldhaue aswell created loauesand fifhesanew , but thenperaduenture thepeople would hauethought that Godhad fent them down from Heauen, as he did raine at the prayerofElias, or O iles intheDefert, or as Manna;and fo they would haue diuerred their eyes &their thoughts from thevenue ofthofe diuine hands.And thereforeit was fit & conuenient, that he fhould addean aug- mentationvnto them,butnot create them : as at the wedding heturned thewa- ter intowine, which he could(ifhe would) hauecreated anew. Saint Augafiine faith, That this multiplication began inthe hands ofour Sauiour Chrift 5 Saint Cbryfoneme,That it inlarged itfelfe in thehands ofthe Apoftles 5 Saint Hilarie, That it indured till it came to thehands of the Guefts : Thevenuewas all one, but it extendedit felfe toall, that the feruicemight be thebetterperformed,and themiracle made the more notoriousand manifeft. OurSauiour Chrift was willing that this multiplication fhould bee by the hands ofhisApoftles,for to fattenvpon all Clergiemen this liberalitie & boun- Clergie men tie,in dittributingofbread,and doing almefdeeds. A Bifhopputs onhis Pon- ought to beh. tificiall robes in the Church, and inthe Church hec puts them offagaine ; and berau. when hecomes forth,his office is to inrichthe widdow with hispurfe, and to fpendhisportion vpon Orphansand fatherlefle children. Haasreturnedthemo- ney for whichhe fould his Sauiour, to the Temple, and the Prieftsentring into councell,What theyfhoulddoe with it r theydecreed, That it fhould beefpenr - vponthe Poore,becaufeit was the priceofthebioudof the High-Prieft, who was the Fatherofthe Poore. Saint Bernard faith, That the Prieft that bath his part here vpon earth, muff not looke for apart in Heauen; Si quidhabueritprayer ThenGod Deum,parseita,noneritDewe. Saint Cyril, That when Bifhops feruants paffevp hauemercie anddowne the Streets and enter intovnknowne houles hethat looker vpon vpon many. themought toprefume,That they gointheretofeekeafterthe Poore torelieue them.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=