Heartl lcireIayer nsentke the fourthSonday inLent. Ser.3o. feundlef% I n(l'.rumcnu. SyrianGoddeffe. Blidamockt at thofeof Bads Priefls continuing frommor- ning to highnoone ; Climate vocemaiori, (faid he) Criealoud,forbe is agodthat ei- ther talketh,orparfueth hitenemies, ora inhisjourney, orit may be that be fleepeth,and mußbeawaked,erc. Our Sauior Chrifi aduilmg vs howwe ought to pray,faith, Whenyes pray, vfeno vaine repetitionsas the Heathen;far they thinke to bee heardfor their muck6abIng. It is now the fathion ofthe World,to amplifie reafons, and to inlargeit's dilcourCeswith the ornaments of Eloquence,the floures ofRhe- toricke, choicePhrafes, and agreat deale ofartifice andcunning; but that of Heauen conlifisof fewwords, but is full of fpirltand deuotion : one frngle As- ter sneervttred with feruour, is ofmore force, than many vofario's without it. When aVeffellfounds,irisaliigneitisemptie. Mofectreating withGod , fayd, o my Lord,1ammat eloquent , neither at any time hauebeen, era. but lamflow of 1eech,andfloweftongae. moles was herinmifiaken;for I would hauethee to know, thata talking tongueand a dumbe heart doe notfiite wel together. DiuineBer- nardaskes the queftion, Why God in the Lords Prayer did put this word fui eß in Calic,Whichartin Hewn, being that he is prcfent euerie where, and in all places C And his anfwer is, That his delire was,that our prayers fhouldproceed with that feruencieand forcibleejaculations , as if Godcould not heare vs vn- leffeby our prayers we pierced Hcauen. r /Ssfor oarherpes we hanged them vp upon the Willoagbes. Ruffrnus faith, That yourWilloughes arebut barren Trees, and without fruit ; andwhenPrayerproceeds froma drie heart,and abarrenand vnfruitfull foule, it is like the Harpe there fpokenof that hangsvpon the Wil- loughes by thewaters ofBabylon. In a word , your Laconicall kind ofLan- guage, that which is fhort & full,Nazianzen faith,Thatit is The utteringofmuch matter ina few words; and the fewerthe wordsare , thegreaterare the voyces ofour delires. When the Deuill leftlobs lips only free from bytes and fores, he didnot doe it out ofany pittie towardshim, but outofa defrre that hee had todraw fome wordof impatienceor blafphemiefrom them : but he was both deceiuedand afhamed, when he faw that heimployed them in thefe only foute praife-worthiewords,Sit timers Domini benedic`tum,BleI dbe the nameofthe Lord. And fay the Deuill Mould haue bereaued himof thevfeof his lips, and that he (would nothaue beenable tohaue vttered aword, yet his delires would haue fpoken their mind in a loud voyce. Cum inuocarem, exaudiuit me Deus juflicia mea : He callshim, Deumjuflici amea, TheGodofmy righteoufne(, not,The God of my Prayer : And why foe The reafon is, Becaufe Workes out-fpeake Words. Saint John faith, That hee law vnder the Alter the foules of the Mar- tyrs, Crying with a loadvoyce, How longLord? era. But if thefe foules werefeue- red from their bodies, how could they crie a SaintGregorie refolues it thus, That their delires didcrieout aloud. Mofes did not vnfold hislips, nor once open hismouth, andyet God faid vnto him, Why doeß thou crieunto me? onely becauCe his delires did fet out a throat.So46els bloudwas faid to crie outagainft Cain. So that with God a few words will fuffice. Befides, your better fort of women ought tobeverse fparingof their words, tA'uaritiainverbs (faithMan- tas) in feeminisfemperlaudabilu. Of a lewdand naughtie woman Salomon repor- teth, That fheinuitingayoung man, irretiait eumfermonibxs, proteoked him with herwords. Ecclefiaflicus faith, Thatwifedome and filence in awoman, is the gift of God: Naturemay giuebcautie ,bloud,profperitie, and other goodgifts; but wifedomeand filence Godgiues : Sicut vitra coccinea labia tua Thy lips are likea thredof[Cadet, andthy talke is comely. Thofe your womens haires which are dif-fheuded andblownabroadwith the wind,theydid vfetobroid &bind them 50I 3.Xeg.IS. Mat.6.7. God regards not thelength ofour praicrs, but their ftreneoth. Esed.ç. Pfal.rjy4 Works:oat- fpeakeWords Cant.4.3,
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