482 6 Keafon. 7 Reafon. It i* God a- louemut fa- thion vs anew Barra 6. The eye a great Init.: Vpon the VVednefday after leaderofthe heart. not a giuing of that vnto him, which hemight, if he would. The good things whichweenioy, are fromGod, and hee maydiftribute them as it beft pleafeth him. Againe,thearme is todefend the head,though it runne thehafardcfbe- ingloft ; a Cirifen forthe fafeguardof his Commonwealth, a Subied to faue his Soueraignes life, a Chriftian for the glorie ofChrift,a Creature for the ho- nour of his Creator,and Martyrs for the maintenance of their Religion, haue not refufed to lay downe their liues : it is not much then, that this man fhould be contented with the loffe ofhis eyes,that the Workes ofGod might bemade manifefl. The fixt reafon is, Thatbecaufethe heart doth commonly follow after the eyes, iris better towant eyes than tohauethem. Ir is the common opinionnot onlyofthe Phylofophers,but ofGods Saints,That the eyesare principiummalo- rumnotrornm,The indui7ien toallour ill. Luciancalls them, Prima amorù via,The onely doorethat opens unto lone. Plato, Principium amorù nom, The entrance to lone. Dionyfius, vldalides, or Pucesamorù, Theguides or ringleaders to lose. Seneca, vtnimafneflrs,Thewindow to thefaale. Sal/name:, Thecalements tomans breft. Clemens Alexandrrnru, That thefirft encounters and skirmifhes fallie from forth theeyes. Nazianzen flues them, The prime inftruments of our bewitching. In aword, The eyes were the ruineof Lots wife ; the eyes, Thebewitching of the childrenof Ifraell , videntesfigDei,filioshominum, ¿re. Theeyes, ouerthrew Eue inParadice; the lodges that wouldhaue wrongedSufanna in Babylon, Da- uid, Sampfan, and Salomon,might all of them verie well fay, vt vidi &pe'ÿ, (.0y fight vnd:dme. lercmiecomplaineth, That all the Daughtei s of his Citie were vtterlyvndoneby their eyes, Depredator eft oculus mesa animammeans in cunelie filiabut vrbis. Saint Peter, That many Caft- awayes haue their eyes full of Adul- teries. Plutarchreporterh ,ThatacertaineConquerour entring the Citie in tri- umph,cafting his eye afidevponahandfome youngwoman,hadhis heart taken prifoner by her ; and fending his looker ilill after her,hegaueoccafiontoDioge- nestobreake this jeaft vpon him, That this faire mayden had like a Chicken wrunghis necke thusafide,looking ftillbackwardas his Chariotwent forward. The feuenth isof Irenaur, Saint Ambroft, and Saint Chryfoforce ; It being ria- nifefted in this blindman, That God is our fole Creator, and that no hands but hisonely, can mold and fafhion vs anew. Man confidering the Worlds great beautie,was defirous to fearchout the author thereof; and the Deuill boafting forth and to himfelfe the glorie of this admirable piece of worke, blazoned it forth vnto them, I am the Lordof all this Vniuerfe, I made the world,and I poflèffe ir. Whereupon, Man gaue vntohim the honourofGod,the greater part of theworld adoring him in his Idolls. God findinghimfelfe thus wronged, did permit inmanthefe maimes and defects in theeyes, hands, and feet, andother the likemonfirous mif-(hapedneffe. Now if the Deuill had the power to repairethefe imperfeäions, hemight then enioy this glorie : But if all the Idols (as Baru; faith) being put together , cannot giue fightto the Blind, howcan theythenbe God r The wonderfulleft worke that God euer made, was Man; and inMan,the greateft artifice and workemanfhip,are his eyes. Our Sauiòrtherfore had fò ordred ir,thatthis manfhould bebornblind,that his eys being fafhioned & giuenhim byhishand,the worldmightacknowledge him to betheir Godand their Redeemer. . Whenbee hadthus ffoken, beefeat on theground, and madeclay ofthe fpittle, &c. SaintAmbrof dwels much vpon thefe ceremonies. And much adoe ismadea- boutthecoft and cure of this poore mans eyes. O Lord, thou haft reftored other
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