S The £airenes ofvenue. Pfat.y E. Goodoccafi- ons nmfibe embraced with fpced. tant. t .4. Of Maries repentartct. Vpon theThurfday after dy:butfor the foule;that whichis f tteft forit,isto notifievnto it,that it is either at Heauensdoore,or Hells gate. Saint,iuguflinc confeffeth, that hisconuerfion was bythefe Reps;Tu auterrr retorquebas meadmetpfunr, vt viderempain vlcerofw ejem, Thouhaft notifiedvntome (ô Lord)my danger, bymakingmee to turne mine eyes vpon my felfe, that I might feemyfores : aduifing me ofthat which leremy vttercth, Thywound is incurable. God likewifedidMary r.7i'tagdalen a great fauour, indifçouering vnto her the faire and beautiful face of Vertue, kindling in her breft thofe hotcoles ofLoue. A finnerin bisvices andvainepleafutes, is like vnto a horfe, ofwhom fob faith, That inhearing the noyfe of the trumpet founding to warre, hee enters into the battaile with great courage, fcorningall kind of feare whatfoeuer. Vertue (me thinks)fhould not beofworfe condition.And the iuft knowinghis ownftrength, and how faire andbeautiful) he is inGods fight , it is not much that hee fhould couragioufly enter the liftes, layingafide allfeare. Secondly,The knew the feafonof this her happineffe, That fefsesfat at Table in the houfeofSimon the Leper, and theewould not loofe fo faire anopportunitie; which beingonce loft as hardly recouered. The vocations and infpirations of God, are euery dayes example,Thematersfare thee andwere afraid, thedepths trem- bled, the cloudespowredout water, the heauensgauea found, thy arrowes went abroad, the voyceof thy thunderwasroundabout ,the lightnings lightnedthe world,&c. Saint Aagufitne faith, That theProphét heretreateth of theeffevt of Godsword, and compares it to thofe things which gaffeand quickly difappeare, as the noyfe of a rutting ofwaters,or of fomeBrea twhirle- wind,or arrowesshotwith a ftrong acme; orofthunderand lightning; Thefe arcthings whileftthey laft,which doe much amafe, mooue, and difquietvs, Theearthfaro it andwas mooned at it. But thefe things doe not long continue, but quicklypaffe away. And thereforeour goodconfifting in it's good effect, it wereagreat lafrneffeand fouleflothfulneffe invs notto take occafion by the foretop. Whatfayes Lucan ? Sempernecuit dif- ferreparatis ? Sophonias ? Coruusfu erliminari, Cras,cras. Saint Jeromehath obfer- ued that theHebrew letterfignifiesa knife; In token that the deferring ofagood occafion, is theknife that cuts ourfoules, and the fword that kills them. The damned doe eternally bewaile their loft occafron, Defideriaoccidentpigrum,For the sluggard defires, and defires,andholdsone hand vponanother, but neuer fets his handto any thing ; but Mary Magdalen, vt eognouit, t_ls fameasfheeknewthat fe/us wasinSimons houfe,&c. TheEuangelifl faithnot, Thatthe flayed to take her Mantle with her, nor that theopened anycoif?... r , ortooke anyBalfamum out of fuch orfuch a boxe, but,vtcognouit, asToone its theknewwhere hewas, the beflir- red herPlumpes, andmade all the haft thecould. And when the knew that heefat at Tabliin the houfeof Simon the Leaper,it was a watchword vnto her, that this was nowa fit time for her to come vnto him. For hce thatwould not loaththe company ofa Leper, and pardon thofefaults which that Table might afford, would not bequeafie flomackt towardsa firmer, &c. My welbeloued put in his hand bythe hole ofthedoore, and mine heart was afet`tioned towards him.My welbeloued his putting in ofhis hand, is my callingofme. And therefore our 'Sauiour Chrift whenhefawMary Magdalen modeftie, and that outof bathful- neffe the forbore to prefl'etoo neere vpon him,hemade fignesvntoher,imbold. ringher therebvrocnme vnto him. Shebrought a boxe ifoyntment,&c. This was a certaine figne and affured to- ken ofher generallchaneeand alteration. Inthe old Law, thofewomen that did wholy giue ouertheworid, and did confecratethemfelues to the Temple, did offer
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