572. Adulery eom- pared,to a hatedOnett. Gods glorie greaterin our connection than creation ?Mao!. To conuert a Snney is a workeofwon drousdifâcul- tie in regard of mane per- uerfnelres ThecircumRances of Mariesperdition. Vpon the Thurfday after the fmoke which blindes.Seeft thçuaman befotted withthe loueof thisor that woman, andof that doting affect ion towards her , thathauing fuffered for her fake, in his honor,his eftatc,andhis health;ifhe donot takevp himfelfe in time, andTooke out fome remedy for this fore, you mayboldly fay he is blind. Saint loinpaintingfoorth thefall of Lucifer, faith, That thebottoml effe pitwas ope- nedwithakey ; (for Lucifer,according toRupertas,had the firft handfell ofhell) and fromforth that infernali pit, there went out fuch a thicke fmoke that it darkenedtheSun and the Starres. And this is the ftampe and figureof him that fhall throw himfelfe downe headlonginto the bottomleffe pit ofdifhoneftie, whence commethforthfomuch fmoke, thatit blindeth the Sunof the vnder- ftanding,and darkneth thofe (larresofthe facultiesof the foule. From therecircumftancesdo Idraw thedifficulty of cYrfary Magdalen Con- uerfion ; groundingmy fuppofirion vpon thefe three truths. The firft, Thatfor God to iuftifiea foule,isa farregreater matter thantocre- ate heauen and earth , andall that therein is. This hath beene prooued elfe- where. And lobexpreft as much,whenhe laid, Thecreating of me was the leaft ofthy mercies towards me, Exaltare (faith Daaid) Exalt thy felfe ê Godabout the booms, andlet thyglory bevponall theearth, that thy beloved may bee delçaered. So thatifwe lhouldput into the one hand ofGod, theworld created ; and into the other,a foule conuerted; thegloryofthishand is thegreater.And there are two very good reafons for it : Theone,For that in thecreatingoftheworld,God hadno repugnancieor refi fiance; but in the conuertingofa fòule,he maymeet with oppofition, by reafon ofmans peruerfewill, Et qui ereauit to f ne te,nonfalaabit tofine te , For though het createdtheewithout thyw; II,hewil{notface thee mahoutthy will. Godtakes moreplca- fure in conuerting a toule,than in allthe reft ofthofe wonders which he wrought with his hands,viuerte oealos taos á me, pia ipft measolare ftcerunt , Turreaway thineeyesfrom me ; foreaen theyhase mademeffye awayauolare is thefame in that place, as Superbire, inflare. Rabby Salomon rendersit, Inflentiorfatinsfum animo. To fee thyeyes heretofore fowithdrawne from me, andnow fobufie inbehol- ding me. So great is thecontention, which isbetwixt theloue ofGod, and the loue ofthe world, between thedefires ofthe fiefh, andof the Spirit, That the one Bothftriue to take the (wordout ofthc others hand : Anitavires,fubtrahitaleramer. Plotinrescalls Loue aPainter: Diuine Loue,that paints;andhumane Loue,that paints t This painreth forth our felicitie inriches, beauty, andfeafting; That, in pouerty, teares,and- fa(ting. For,to ingraue fuch an imageas this in our hearts, topaint fuchaggittuure, we mutt blot outall thofecolours, whichany otherloue hath drawnethere. Theocher, Forthat in creating the world, God didnot(hewhimfelfe to bee weary, but made it as it werea kindofentertainment, and paire-time, Ladens in orbeterrarum :But in redeeming mankind,hewas weariedout, euentothe filed- dingofhis bloodßandthe loofingofhis life. The fecond truth is, That it is theeafieft thing inthe worldwith God, to in- richa finerwithhisgrace. GodfentJeremy tothe Potters houfe, whobegin- ning to'workevponapeece ofclay, it not fadging tohismind, he tore itin 'Un- der, andmolding itanew, fafhioned it afterwards to his owne good liking and content.Cänot Idealebyyouas thepotter dothwithhisclayeIs mypower lefre thanhis e Noahkept aLyon in the Arke, but hecontinued frill aLyon. But our Sauiour ChriftinhisChurch turnes the Lyon intoa Lambe, Thepots inthe Lords host i
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