571- Maries con- uerfion affor- deth hope to the moll def. perate finners ()lit a. OfMaries repentance. God would haue no finnerto defpaue. Vpon the Thurfedayafter fame; Nonquarens mereedem,fedeosamendans artem ; Sowas Christ well conten- ted with this occalìon, Adinfermatienemeeram, quicrediturifunt, For thebet- ter informing oftbofetbat were to beleeae. Togiue knowledge (faith the Apof}le) to all finners, That there is inGod apower, a wifedome, and a will, forto heal themof their infirmities, be theyneuer fo foule and enormious. Sothat this conuerfion is the bayte of humane hopes , and the reparation of our dcfpra- tion. Hadwe none other to cast our eyes vpon in the Church but theVirgin Mary,andJohnBaptif ; where wereour hopes ? The Church therefore doth fet twoMariesbefore vs. Theonefree from frnne, the other full offinne. The one takes awayVaine- glory fromall the from righteous, and the otherbanifheth Co- wardife anddefpaire all forts of finners. At the prefènce of the Sunne, all the lights ofheauenwithdraw themfelues, and hide their heads in a cowardly kind of fafhion ; butwhentheMooneonce beginsto thine they recouer their formerboldnes and libertie. The Swine prefideth ouer the formes of the day ; the Moone ouerthe childrenofthe night. Hee that cannot come to bea Sunne, let himhue inhopetobe a Moone, or a Starre. Whatfayes Hefei' ? Iwìllgheeher thevalley oft.4chor,for thedooreof Hope. The Prophet there touching vpon the Hiftorieofttchan, who in thefpoyles ofTericohid the golden wedge, contra- ry to lofhuas proclamation, wherewithall God was fo offended,Thatthe Army marching to aCity called Ay was ouerthrowne, and the Ifraelites turning their backs like fo many hares it feemed the doore ofHopewas fhut againft them forentring into theLandofPromife. But the delinquent being conuin- ced,and (toned todeath in the valleyofAchor, and all his familie, Godfoorth- withgaue themviEtorieouer their enemies. And thereforehe faith, Iwillgiue them the Palley of Ackerforadoore ofHope. Saint Jerome renders it inanother let- ter, I will giue tomy Church thevalley ofperuerfenefi'e, orofthe peruerfe, for toraisevp the hopes ofdeieéted hearts, as a Paul, a t Mary c titagdelen, &c. All thisconcerneth that her condition and ftateoffinne wherein the ftood; which Saint Lakepaintethforth in thofehisfirst words, Beholds woman inthe Citywhich was afinger. That we may the better treat of thefecondState,touching her Repentance,it is to be fuppofed, thatMary Magdalenhad heard fome fermons ofour Sauionr Chrift (as heretoforehath beeneprooued) and that our Lord did direét hisdif- courfe to a foulethat had fuftained fo many loffes,onewhilepropofing the(hort- nefleofthis our life'; anotherwhile,the fearefull horroursofdeath, together with thebitterneflè offinne, the terrour ofiudgement, the torments ofhell, &c. Why (houldit thou fo highlyprize thy beauty, that thou fhouldit adore it Why,being the Imageof God in thyfoule and thybody, fhouldfc thou be fo muchaffèted tothefouleneffè offinne t Whatwas it that made the Angels fo foule? &c. finellingfofweetofAmber,Muske,and Chia, how canft thouen- durethe euill fauourof hell r Profaa in odore,fcetor, Thyfoft bed is wearifome vntothee,and beingnot ableto abide init all night long, thou fhifteft thy bed, and canft thou then endurethe bed ofeternall flames, moth-eaten mattreilès, fheeres offnakes,and bolster andpillowes ofwormes gnawing continually on thy confcience t Thou changeft thygownsand thy dreflings twiceor thrice a day,and can(fthou fuller the euerlaftingrayment of hell fire r The daintie(t di- (hesare fet before thee to feed on ; andcant thou endure that hunger, where tonguesare bitten offand fedon Famepafcentar, vt canes mandacaaerant lin- guasfasspredolore. Thou canft not abide in thy houle , no not one honre ; and canft thou lineclaptvp in the dungeon ofeternall death and damnation O how many
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