God delighted with n°attribute the fourthSonday in Lent. Stek.28. I 481 I !o much as that of Merde. fingers, it is fit wethould altoknow that we hauea Godamongft vs , andnot a godofwood, as theyhaue. Thefecond reafon is Saint Bernords : Amongstall hisother attributes, none a Rcafon. in ouropinion, none(confidering his naturalicondition) is tobe comparedwith that ofhis beingmifiricors,a merciful! God : He iscalled Patermilric.ra i,The Father ofinercie ; which prefuppofeth ourmiferie : and tomultiplie his bief- Pings andhisgoodnefhe vpon vs , we hauing no finnenor euill invs, hee could hardlydoe it. If hee fhould haue dealt thuswith victor,before his fall , and with the Angells intheir bleffed eftate, it might haue been an effeft ofhisboun- tie, but notofhis mercie,which isaboueall his work es. But Tonicmanperhaps will fay, O Lord, to throw euills vponvs , that thou maiftafrerwards remoouethem from vs, is no filchgreat fauour.. Y'esmarty is it,and that an extraordinarie fauour ;for wedoe notknowhealth, but by ficke- neffe; thefeifingofthat foundly vponvs,thewes what a blefling a found bodie is : Speciefamffericeráia Dei, quaffntabespliouia in tempore f ccitatts, As raineis wel- come inadrought, fo is Gods mercieto the AffliEted : and fo to this blindman was his fight. Thethird is SaintChryfiflowes : God fometimestakes fromvs what is good, ;.Keaton. that hemay giue vs that which is better whatfoeuer God doth repaireby my- God neuer racle is better than thatwhich is offeffed b nature as it fucceeded in thewine takes any > P y , think from atthe Wedding. Saint Bernard treatingofthe conuerfionof Saint Paul faith, vs,but tore. That it was a great happineffethat he was ftruckenblind , for by this his blind= turn a better. neffe he was takenvp into the thirdHeauen,&therefaw fuch things as manmay not vtter ; and when he cameto receiueagainc the eysof thishis bodie,hepof- feffed wirhall the eye-fightofhis foule : and fo'did it likewife fare with this blind man. Thefourthreafon is, God infiiing th euill ofpuriiíhment vponman God 4Reafom therein dothnotdoe maniniuftice ; for(as Saint Cbryfoflome faith) there is in this Nothing which God lifenomore than onegood, andone ill ;the good confrfts in feruing God ; the infiasvpon ill, inoffendinghim. Letnoman therefore complaineofhis misfortunes , for vs cancauour therecannoçbeany difafterfogreat , that canhúrtthee inthe leaft haire ofthy °fin¡offs"' head, Capiflasdecapiteveflrononperibit. And ifaman doe not rune hazard in the loffefo muchas ofonehaire,therewill bemuchmore care had,that the bet- ter andmore materiali pares thall not perifh. Many in Ierufalem hauing eyes, remained blind;and thisblindman hauingno eyes, camethereby to enio his fight both in bodie and in foule. Seneca faith, That the want ofeyes catifed in manythewant offinning, & was agreat occafion of their innocencie oflife,and inculpabilitie. Thefifth reafon is, That it is no iniuftice inGod, to inflift punifhment vpon q.Reafon. vs ; foralbeit therebe noproper precedent fine, neither in ourfelues nor our No manbut Parents,yet the original finne thatwe are liablevnto,may draw, and thatitiftly; m`m` han moft grieuous punifhmentsvpon vs;as Saint AuguJiinehath learnedly noted con- God doth lay cerning little infantswhich fuffer fickeneffe anddeath. So that Gods freeing '1'°nhim' ofman frompunifhment, is mercie ; hisnot freeinghim, no iniuftice.Thouhaft manydebtors,thou forgiueft one,and fueft another ; itis akindneffeto the one, butno iniurie to theother. One owes thee agreat fumme,thou art contented to takea little ; forthis, thydebtor owes theeagreat deale of thankes. Godtooke away this manseyes from him,he might likewife haue bereavedhim ofhisfeet andhis hands, he isbound tothankehim that hefpared him thevfeofthofe. Be- fides, this cannot bePaid tòbefo muchataking away ofthat which is due, as Sf not
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