S I 2 God aloneourLord ; theHdh 3c Vpon theFrydayafter tufts thereoffhould beour flaues, 3 Rep's. Beloved , a name of great prehemineuce. Gods 'amours feldome come tingle. t.xeg. 10.3. therighte_ ouscuer mind foil of God, Retful of their itar.zs. them vp with a red ribbond; And therefore the Bridegroomecompareth his fpoufes lipsto athred ofScarlet,or fome red coloured fillet to bindthemvp,the better to fhow,that the fhould not be too laui(h ()filer tongue,but offwwords, and rhofe too vpon fit occafion. The fecond confideration in this their difcretion,was, That theycalled him Lord,Domine,&e. Yourgreateft Kings and molt powerfull Princesvpon earth, haue no dominion or empireotter the foule , neither are they able to adde or take away one dramme ofthe fpirit. But thou, ôLord, Thouart the vniuerfall Lord both ofHeauenandEarth, and we arethy handmaidesand feruants ; and therefore thou can'tnot denievs thy fauour. Saint vimbrofe,expounding thole wordesof Dauid, Serums tausfumega,1 am thy ferment,faith, That they whohaue manyLords and Matters here vpon earth, cannot cleaue vntoGod ; Serumtam fam ego, ferai domrnatifont nojiri : Thofecreatures which God bath giuenvs to be our ilaues,fleth,the dainties, the delicacies,the delights, &pleafant paftimes of this world,fhallhaue dominionouer them. The third, uemam.ea, He whom thou lomeft. vtmatus,orbeloved, is a more honourable namethan that of Angell, Apoftle, Martyr, Confeffor,or Virgine : LmSifer,was anAngell ; ludas,anApoftle : TheHeretick will not flicke to fay, that hee dyes for Chrifts caufe, and that he is aMartyrand a Confeflor : your Vetralles,fliledthemfeluesVirgines; yet all theft names, haue beene lyable to frnne,tomisfortune,and Hell. But the name of Beloued,is not compatible in that kind, And Chritt hath got the Hart of Man in his loue, For hee lowed vsfirfl,, Andwhere he once loues heneuerleaues off. Befides, Two things I would haueyou to note, which are vfuall with the Saints andchildrenof God. The one, to let before their eyes the fauours theyhaue receiued, toal- ledge them, to (hew themfelues thankefull for them , and to praifc and com- mend them. The other,Not to thew themfeluesforgetful oftheirferuices towards God ; Knowingthat it is Gods conditionand qualitie,when hebeftowethone fauour, to ingage himfelfe for a greater. Ezechiasalledged vnto God his holineffe and goodnelfeof life : OLord, remembernow how 1 haue walked before theein truthand witha perfeft heart, andhate donetbatwhich itgood in thy fight. Saint Gregoriepref fèthhereupon;Were it not better to alledgethy miferie,thanto reprefent thole manygood things which thou haft done all which thou haft receiued from his hand r But withGod,to alledge them,and to thewour felues thankefull forfor- mer receiuedfauors,is a powerful! meanes for the receiuingoffar greaterbene- fits and bleffingsfrom him. A frer that Damidhad madealarge mutter ofhis tri- bulations, He fayth , Conuerfna,viuifeafiime, c deabifis ter: L, herum reduxifli me, Thou haft gaickned mee , andhaft broughtmeeagainfromout the deeper of the earth. Where! would haue you to ponder the word iterum; For God neuer does one tingle fauour. Secondly, the righteous are forgetful' of theirowne feruices, for that they hold them fo meane and fo vile , that they iudge themvnworthy Godsfight. And when in that general! iudgementGod (hall fay, ¡was nakedandyee careered me,&c. The Saints (hall anfwere, Lordwhendidwe fie thee naked, &c. And it is noted byTheodore:, that thefe are not words ofcourtefie,or outof mannerlines, but of meere forgetfulnefle. For it is their fafhion,fotodefpife theirowne fer- uices and deferuings,that they doe wholy forgetthern. Thefourthconfiderationof their difcretionwas, That fo efpeciall is the fa- uour
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