506 Tribulation the pre- feruatiue of Vertu. Vpon theFryday after The belt re- w,rd that God can gire his followers Mansmiferie theblafoa of GodsMaielty. dean, TheLordrs with thee thenvaliant man. But bee anfwered withakind of ad- miration andwondring,vlhmy Lord, If theLordbewith vs, why then is all Chit .rill comevponvs ?This is a fecret hiddenfrom the eyes of the Reih; wherein we are toacknowledge thefetwo truths : The one, That Tribulation conferueth Vertue. The other,That God giues tribulation to his bell friends,asa rewardoftheir greatandgood feruices. Touching theformer, Inthat earthly Paradife, Vertue was conferued in it's perfect reft and quiet , becaufethegoods of the bodie did concurre with the goods of the foule. But this concordwasbroken through fìnne;and then ver- tue,amidfl it's cafe and pleafure,liued ingreater danger; but in it'stribulation, in greater fecuritie.Caietanfaith,That the certain&andmolt affured figne that Ver- tues are fuch ftrangers here vpon earth, is, for that they haue need of fu many materialls ofperfecutions for their preferuation. Fire being in it's ownfphere, is folely by it felfe conferued without any fuel! tomaintaine it,orbreathofaire to blow it : the like fucceedethwith Vertue. Touching the fecond, Saint Bmbrofe faith of lob, That before the fiormes of affliction fell vponhim,he was aholyman; yet for all that had henot thereward of holy, Virtutispremium non habebat, Godhadnet rewarded, himfor this his ver. toe : He had (hewed himfelfe avaliant fouldier inpeace . a;ut not aConquerour inwarte ; and that his troubles andaflidions bellowed eponhim thePalme of this hisvic`torie. He faith likewife of lofeph That the temptation of his Mi- ftreffeclapt the Crowne of Chaflitievpon his head; and thewronghe receiued byitnprifonment, was the Touch-flone of his valour. Your earthly Crownes aremadeofgold, but your heauenlyDiadems, of the thornes oftribulation; Neeefefuit, vt tentatio probaret te , it was needful! that thoufhouldfl be triedby temp- tation. But this is a Theame which bath beene beaten vpon heretofore , and in many places much infifledvpon, and therefore I will paffeit ouer. Thisiekeneffe is not veto death, butfor theglorieofGod, 6-e. That great & dan- gerous difea(ès honour the Phyfitionthat doth curethem that greatand terri- ble tempeíls recommend the Pilotsskill that canpreferuetheShip amidfl thofe cruel! flawesand raging feas ; that great victories innoble the Captaines that obtaine them, is amanifefl and knowne truth : but that thofe flormes which pricke and paine my feet, fhould ferue for flowers in Gods hands; that thofe ftoneswhereat I (tumble, fhould ferueas Diamonds for his Crowne; this is a hidden treafure, and a fecret myflerieof heauenlyPhylofophie ; but fo certain, that in cafe Godhad not created the world for anyother end than to throw tri- bulations vponhis friends, ithadbeenea famous piece of worke, and a moll glorious Fabricke : for fo great is theglorie whicha Saint drawes from his fuf- ferings, that hemakes noreckoningof thepaine that heindures. And it is fitly teamedglorie, for thatall our felicitie confiflethin thefeeingof God, Tribu- lation openeth the eyes of theSoule, wherebywee come to fee him the better, Vexatio dat intelletium, It is akindofglorie tofuffer affliction. Heretofore(fayd Tod) Auditu saris audinite, nurseautemoastsmew videt te, Inmy profßeritie,o' Lord, Ihadfame knowledge ofthee ;bat nowinmy miferiefsttinQon thedunghill, Ihauefaene theewithmyneeyes 51 find agreat difference between thatwhich I heard,and that. which I now fee. Not that he fawGod, ( faith Saint Chryfoßome) but becaufe his knowledge was by his miferiemade more cleere. After that manhad fallen by finne, God gaue that to him for apunifhment, whichbefore he hadbellowed vpon him for entertainement : He had placedhim in Paradife, todreffe & keepe it;
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