All Creatures obey the fourth Sunday in Lent. Ser.3o. thevoyce ofGod. with aftonifhment. Dauid in a Pfalme of his , fetteth forth the obedience whichall creatures beare to the voyceof God, aswell lightning, raine,& thun- der, as the reft ; Thevoyceof the Lordbreaketh the Cedars mentheCedars ofLiba- non : There is not the talleft Cedar inLibanon, which aHafh of lightning, or a cracke ofthunder will not rent and teare vp by the roores, and continue it to afhes. The voyceof the Lordmaketh the Wilderneffe to tremble, it diuideth the flames offire ; it maketh the Hindes tocalue, anddifcouereth the Forrefts; there is not that leaft of liuing creatures the pooreft or the fmalleft Worme; that hides it felfein holes and in the Rockes,which is not brought to light, and fhewes himfclfe when Godcalls vntohitn. Phylon profecutiug this argument, weighes with himfelfethe forcible violenceof the Winds, in thatthey turn vp the fturdieft okes,makingthe roots euenwith the tops ; in that theyouerwhelme the talleft (hips, and that they leuell withthe groundthe goodliefl andthe grea- teft buildings. Yetall thefe are nothing, comparedwith the powerfulneffe of this our SauiourChrifts voyce, whichmade Hellgates to flrake, ftrooke Death dead, and made the Deuills roare for feare, &c. Then he that wan deadcamefertb,boundhand&footwith bands,&c .This deadman came forth, his feetand hishands being bound ; which caufed Saint Bafilto crie out, Miraculurn in miraculo, Here's onemyracle vpon another : Tomile vp one that was dead, was a ftrange andaghaftly kindofmyracle ; butthat beeing now aliue, he fhouldgoe,being boundhand and foot, was another as ftrange & great amyracle. Lazarus ( had God beene fopleafed ) might haue left his winding firer in the graue, his Kerchiefe, and thenapkin that couered his face andeyes, as ourSauiour Chrift did in his Sepulchre ; but Lazarus here brings them out with him, in token that he did rife to die again ; but our Sauiour Chrift rote neuertodicany more,though Lazarus died tonic thirtie yeaes after this his re- furreEtion, as it isleft vs vpon Recordby Epiphaniue : And this was the-reafon, why the Sepulchreofour Sauiour remained f hut, and that of Lazarus left open. Loofe him and let himgot . Here Chrift wills tobe taken from himall thole occafions thatmight caufehim to (tumble. 1f therefore thou wilt not fall, fhun the occafionoffalling,flie as farre from them as thou canft. Saint Bernard finds fault withEue, and reprehends her feuercly for it, That Theewould prefume ro looke vponthe treeof Life, that tree of good and euill,which the was fo ftriEtly enioyned to abftaine from ; where the Text faith,Tbewoman f w that itwadgoad and theeye no fooner law, but the heart contented. But if any man (hall replie and fay, That the eyes or the hands doe onelyincline amanto thisor that, let him takethis alto fromme, That the eyes arean Indiciam and manifeft ligne ofa finne committed , at leaft a great occafionof that which maybee committed. Saint Cyril faith, ThatGod appearingvntoMofes, and thofe twenrie Elders or Antients of the People,in a throne of Saphyres of the colour of Heauen, was done only to take awayall occafion from that People,of Idolatrie.The&lgyp- tians did adore the Creatures, anddid pull other things, though neuer fogreat, vnder their feet, in token that onely that Maieftie ought tobee wor(hipped and adored. utthanafausfaith, That Gods appearing vntoMofes in theBufh,andnot in anyother tree that was eitherbigger or better, was,becaufe thatthe Iewes be- ing inclined to Idolatrie, wouldhaue made them godsof Cedar, Pine, or Oke, to thediminution and lefleningof the authoritie of the true and lining God. And therefore to remooue this occafion from them , hee appeared in the fine Bulb,whereof they could not fo wellmakeany Image or figure. Godofhis in- finite goodnefl'e loofenvs withLazarus, from thebonds ofour fins,&c. THE 515 P¡al.:9. Thedifference betwixt Laza rus riling cut ofthcgrauc,& ourSauiour. occafions to fio mutt bee auoydcd; Why Godap peared toMo- les ina Bu[N.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=