God neuerforfakes thefourthSonday in Lent. Ser.3o. fps his friends. uor which God fhowes vnto his friends;andthe griefewhichhe conceiuetb 6f any that fhall befall them, that they held it agreater point of Wifedome to al- ledge that beewas his friend, than their brother. Saint Bernard fayth, That al- beit the defect ofmy feruicesdoe difheartenmee, yetGods great mercies, and his manyfauours doe incourage mee : For it isnot Gods fafhion to forfake his friends. And therfore faithSaint t..Infien,2cgnenimamas b defern.The Princes of the ,Earthare nowand thenweltcontent,their friends fhould fuffer,becaufe in theist, Power andLoue is not equall : But thofe in whom thefe attributesgoehand in hand,ought not to fuller their friends to mifcarrie. Theywould feeme here toput this vponChrift, and tomake this caufehis owne. O Lord , That wee Mouldloofe our brother,it is no great loffe,becaufe in theeweehaueabrother : But thou (ôLord ) amongft fo many thy profelfed enemies , haft loft a great friend. It is the condition of Gods Saints togreeue for the deathofthe luft, Injuries done to becaufe God receiuesa !akin them;and to relent their own proper iniuries not reasons P P , for that thefeiniuries aredone to themfelues, but for that they areiniuries done the righteous, vntoGod. Tabefiere mefecit zelra mesn,quia oblitifunsverbs tma,i>lünici mei : Vp- than rh if d n es. onwhich place, Genebrardgiues this expofition, That, mine owne iniuries;doe not fomuch offendmee forthat they aremine , but becaufe they are offences done vnto thee. And Dauidinhis thirtithPfalme treateth of fome cfoffes and of is ion,that Godby ftckeneffe had layd vpon him, after hehad built his pal- laces, Thou didfl hide thy face andIwastroubled. Iwas loathtodye, notformmine "1 39. owne fake, forit werehappineffe tome if I fhoulddye today or totnorrow,but not for thee,Wbatprofît iethereinmy bloud,wbcn Igodownto thepit 'What feruice canDarriddo thee,when heis layd inhis fepulchre r But ô Lord,inhis life, inhi' honor,in his crowne,and in his kingdome,he maydo theegoodferuice: This,ô' Lord, concernes thee,andmuff runne to thy account. The likebold infnuati- ondidcatofes vfe, when he faid, OLord, pardonthispeople ; left the Ægypti- ans,fhouldfay, Thouhadft plotted this of purpofe to lead them out into the Defert,and there tomake anend of them, hauing nobodietohelpe them. Tibi foli peccaui,&matron coram tefeei, vt iuf ficerio in fermonibrra tun, e vinc rßcum in- dicaris ; SaintAugrßine giues it this interpretation, Tibifolipeccaui, viz. Tibi felumfum relitlus. OLord, this woundwas only made for thee, that thou alone mightft Neale it ; all otherPhyfitions hauequite giuen theouer,there isnot any one vpon earth that knowes how tocuremee, and therefore I laythe fame open onely tothee,Vt iaflificeris. Thouhaft ordained aLaw, That at what time foe- uer aSinner (hall repent himofhis finne,andturne vnto thee, thouwilt blot out hisoffences : OLord, Í amforrie I hiveoffended thee, I confeffemy fault,and acknowledge my finnebefore thee, and therefore it mutt be put to thyaccount, topardon me;otherwife it wilbefaid ofthee,That thoudooft not complywith thypromife. Secondly,Thefe two lifters did pretend to ftrengthenthis our Sauiours loue Notnnewher" to theirbrother. For it doth not ftand with therules of friendfhip that aman noreleefe. fhould loue,and not releeue theneceffities of him heloueth. One tellingTheo- phraftred,That twofuch were very great friends,& that the onewas very rich,and theother verypoore ; He returned him thisanfwere, It cannotbee,beeing they be friends. This veryargument didthefe filters vrge our Sauiour Chrift with- all: LaZaraa beeing thy friend,and thoubeing life itfelfe,why haftthou fuffe- red Death to layholdvpon him Againe,There is no force that is able to refift Death,but Loue, Lowe uas firmsDeath. Death hathbeenfo audacious as to enter
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