48o Sin the only Security that God could haueofman, for his Glory. Reafons why God fuffereth macycorpo- ral! defeEts, And weaknef- fes in than. Toknow thy felfeis the Vp.on the vVednefda after beginning ofPerfedión: r Y cleere, tothe endthat in them might bee cleerely manifefted the moft fanious workes ofGod. Iremeua,Saint Chryfoffome,andSaint Ambrefe fay, That hemade him without eyes,that by beftowing them afterwards vpon him, he might mani- felt totheworld , That Godhis Redeemer hadcreatedhim anew.Saint Aufline harptvpon the fame ftring,treatingof Malchua his care. Saint Auguflinefaith, That Godmaking thefeeyes of fobale amatter as clay orduct, intermingled with fpettle, reprefenteth themyfterieofthe Incarnation, wherein God did raife and lift vp our nature tothe admirable vnionofhis hea- uenlyçondition, fromwhence theWord became flefh,whichgaue lightto this blindman,andthofe that fatein thefhadowofdeath , hauingthe eyes of their foules darkenedwith finne. Saint vlmbrof affirmeth, That Chrifttaught vsby this myracle, that for to recouer ourfoules light, wemutt putdurt vpon our eyes,that is, we muffthinke vpon our owne bafeneffeandfrailtie : Fortheprincipium or beginningofChri- ltian perfection, is for a man toknow himfelfe. Nor were his workes only manifefted in thefehis eyes, but all his otherperfes Lions and attributes ; as his omnipotencie,in reftoring his eye-fight, orrather making him new eyes,mol- ded out of durt ; his juftice,in letting thePharifees hue in their blindneffe; and his goodneffe andbountie, ingiuing light to this blind man. Neither bee nor hisparents , ¿^c . Saint Chryfofiome askes thequeftion, Why God wouldmanifeft his workesin this blindman fo muchto his coft,being that henight hauetaken for this purpofe,meansofgood,andnot of hurt ? Saint Am- brej faith,That our SauiourChrift was willingto takeour finnesas a pledge or gageof hisglorie, that he might make-it thereby thefurer : For thofe that im- pofeTributes,or fettle their Rents, are alwayes careful to hauegood fecuritie; and of all other affurances, the belt is, thattheStare thus ingagedor impawned, be properly belonging tothe debtor. And if God fhould ground his glorie on our goodneffe,we cannot giue himány good fecuritie for it , becaufe this is others góods,and not our owne but our fumesare our owne, and whatfoeueris ill invs, properlybelongeth tovs, and are foperpetuated toour perlons, that they canneuerLade vs.Chrift didredeemevs from the capriuitieofour crimes, but in this his redeeming and ranfommingvs from finne, thisholy Saint fayth, Thathehad a kindof intereft ofhis owne : for although God did not remaine thereby more powerfull,nroremercifull, more iuft, &c. Habuit tarnen quad ad cultumfua Maiefiatie adtungeret, Hehad f methingby thebargain, thatgane an addi- tion to the worfhipofhiediurne Maieflie. And as it is in another place,by gluing vs libertie, Sibi etiarnaligaidacqu uit,Hegotfomewhat alfa tohimfelfe. What didhe get by it e He got in amanner all his glorie by it ; he got to be reuerenced , fer- ued, praifed,acknowledged,and adored,to bee as well a Sauiour as a God : fo that in forcefort Godmay bePaid tobe indebted to the ill that isin vs. Tertulli- an faith, That God then loucth this our flefh, when it is fulleft ofmiferies, for by giuingremediethereunto, his attributes are knowne and acknowledged in the World : and I darebe bold tofay it, That if it were not forthe infirmities ofour flefh, and the in-bred ill that is in vs, thofe good things wouldnot bee knowneand acknowledged,which come fromGod. In the a r3 Pfalnte, Dared makes an enumerationof thofemeruailesandprodigious wonders which God multiplied in the behalfeofhis People, at their departure out ofÆgypt: And after that he had related manyof them, heendethwith this, Coe on rat thou hall befun,â Litrd,sviththeftNations. For although the profit will be ouns,thehonour will bethine : andwhereas thefe Nations doe point outtheir gods with their fingers,
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