461- TheWordof God is like vntoa Looking- glafre, Vpon the Tuefday after lamest. Learning is w;choutlabor seat.r. Proms. eyes, andlooked;andbeholdaflyingbake. ThenPaid he vnto me ; This is thecurie that goethforthoiler thewholeearth. Sant Gregorie faith, That thisbooke is the làcred Scripture , wherein (asLyra notes it) are written the curies and chaftifements againftthe finfall men of this world. Aflyingbooke. When there dothappeare in theayre any new orange fight, the Vulgar, he wondersat it the wile man, he is afraid of it ; becaufè itis avfuall prognosticationofmiferiesand difafters. As tholefearefull fightingsthat were feenein the ayrein the timeofthe M&ca- bees, your Comers,your Crucifixes of fire, and yogi showers of blood. The likeeffedt dothGodsword worke, Some Randwondringair, and Comegrow fadvpon ir. The Seuentie rranflates it : Vidiftkemvolantem, tfauveaflyingfackle; Which (asPierius noteth) fignifieth the timeofijarueft. t9Wittefansrakes ,q:oni- am tuatarafont mess, Ibruff inyourfickles, derthe harueß is ripe. In token , that when the word ofGod, and themaledidtion in holy Scripture comes to be little or nothingat all regarded,and when the earth in Readof corne , brings forth nothing butthiftlesand thornes, it is high time to cut it downe. Saint lames compares the word ofthe Lord toa looking-glafPe. And Saint Bernardcalls it theLooking-glaffe of Truth,which nor flatters, nor deceiueth any man: But hee that (hall looke therein, (hall finde himfelfe tobe thefame he feemes. Saint Au- gufinebath ina manner thevery farne...Ina lookingglaffe,one beholds thegray hayres onhis head, and the wrinckles that are in his face, andwhenhehath tur- nedhiseye off from thence , the figurethereof is blottedout ofhis renmem- brance. Another,he lookes (efpecially if he haue not feene himfelfe a long time ina glafl'e) and wondersat himfelfe, he knits the browesandcryes out, I amgrowne old and weake,and drawing neere to my graue , Juodfc-nefeit, propé interim"; ef! ; He that is old, hath onefoote in thegran, And therefore he had need makegood prouifion, being fo fooneto goe his iourney. But he that 'Lap be- forehim(as aglage) the Lawofperfed libertie, as one, who with a great deale of heedeviewesadeepepir,orfome remote place, This manfiall be happie in f doing. How knoweth this mantheScriptures,feeingthat he neuer learned? The admirationofthepeoplewas increafed,by their confidering with them- felues, That our Sauiour Chrift hadneuer beetle brought vp inany Vniuerfitie, nor had crackt fo muchas anargument in theSchooles, efpecially in matter of learning.And asit is in theProuerb, Nunca mucho, togapace, tMuch is neuer got witha little ; That isto fay, Duiaddit fcientiam, addit laborem, L,dllthings arefull oflabour. In the multitude of wifedome, is muchgriefe ; andhe thatincreafeth knowledge, increafethforrow. That is; it cannot bee corne by without great paineof bodyand minde. Or, as Aquila tranllates it; 4ddit tormenturn. Holy lobaskes the question; ¡'bi inueniturfapientia ? Where is wifedome to be found? And the first conclufion is, 2'l n inueniturin terra fuauiter viuentium , It is neuer tobefoundamong!!thof that areenemies to labour. Salomonfaith in hisProuerbs, That it muff be got as weget treafure, digge and delue for it. There was neuer in this world any famous mania learning,who had not ftudyed veryhard, and takenagreat deale ofpaines. Yt thefaurea,efoderis eam, tuntintelliges. Plutarch re- ports ofPlate, That he neuerexcufed anytrouble ofbody, or of mind. Andof Demoflhenes, That he would Scotchandnotchhis hayre crosfe-wayes, thathee might keepe in forthreemoneths together, andfollow his ftudy.A11your great Philofophers did breaketheir braines, and dyed in trauellingafter the fearchof knowledge. The folitudes of a Saint Jerome, thecanes of otherSaints andDo- ¿tors make this truth deere. Antiquitiecelebrating Saturn for an inuenter of learning,
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