OF Maries Re- pentats e. Paflion Sunday. Ser.36. heart, as Water, doth the earth : And as in a ground that is deftirute ofwater, howbeit Fruit may grow therein,yet doth it neuer come toit'sperfeûripeneffe, It witheredaefame as it camevp, becaufe itwantedmoyFlure. In likefort,the Soule which is not made tender with teares,although it may budforth fome flowers andleaues ofgood intentions, yet it neuer comes tobeare fruit. Foule,becaufe there is not that Collyriunr or medicine which can foclenfe andcleere theeyes of the Soule,as Teares, though theeyes of the bodie fhould waxe blind with weeping. She begantofallaweeping . We know thebeginningof thefe teares, but not theend ; for that fountainsof teares whichhad its Well-headand fpring at the feet ofour Saviour Chrift, didneuergrow emptic orark inthe eyesof (Marie Magdalen. Saint Bafil askesthe queftion, How it comes topaflè that teares fonre- times fhould come vpon vs without defiringthem, and atother times though we defire them neuerfo much, we arenot abletoped a tcaree And his reafon is,That we haue themnow& then,Godbeingwilling togiuévs atafte ofthin ; for the Soule that once taftethof the fweetneffeof teares, will not ieaue them for a world : for, as thofevaporsthatare exhaled from thofe fait andbitterwa- ters of thefea,being conuerted into clouds,areafterwards refolued intoa fweec and fauoriewater; fo thofe fighes andfobbs arifrng from a fad and forrowfull Soúlefor hauingoffended the Maieflieof God,beeing conuerted into Clouds of feare,refolue themfelues atlaft into molt fweet &moftfauorie teares.Other- whiles Goddeniesthem vntovs, thoughwe feeke after themneuer fo much, in punifhment ofour forepaffed negligence : for it is no reafon that hee fhould on the fuddeninioy fogreat agood,who by long esercife bath not deferuedthem. Saint Augufirneafter that he was conuerted, faith , That his eyes were two Fountaines, and that hewas veniewell pleafedthey fhould bee fo ; Fluebant la- chryma, é' benemihi erat cum í11i. Davidafter that hehadfayd,That euerynight hewafhed hiscouch with teares ; thatis, Perfingulda nodes, Night after night; (accordingtoSaint Chryfofierne) headdeth, Amplitts lava me, he callethfor more andmore teares Rill : for weepingmuff haue abeginning, but neuer haueanen- ding. InHeauenGod onely dries vp our teares once and no more. God fliall wipe awayeuerie tearefrom their eyes. But Marie Magdalen;teares, many a time and oft did hee wipe ; for enioying through her tearesfo great agood , Thee then tookemoft pleafure when thewept molt. Jacob hadput ona purpofc, neuer to leaueoffweeping as long as heliued ; Surely I will goedowne vnto the Graue tomyfonne mourning, I fhall neuer hauedrieeyes till I feemy fonne lofiph. If hedid defire to flied fuch eternall tearesof forow, it isnot much,that Mary Mag- dalen thouIddefire to fhedeternall teares of joy. Shefellaweeping. Chryfto ascites to this purpofe thatverfe ofDauid,Praife yes the Lordyeewaters thatbe abone theHeauen. Some vnderftandby thefe waters that areabone theHeauens, the Angells ; fome,the CryftallineHeauen; others, tl,ewaters of the Cloudswhichare aboue the aire, which the Scripture calleth Heauen : But I (faith Chryfologus) confidering thefe teares that were poured forth vpon our Sauiours feet, cannot but confeffe, That thefeare thofe Waters thatbe aboue the Heauens. TheHiftorie of the Kingsmakethmentionof the giftswhich theQfreneof Shebabrought to KingSalomon; andthat none in all the worldhad at any timebrought fuch rich Prefents, !I'm' fo pretious intheir qualitic, hot fo many in theirquantitie : The likemaybe faydof Marie Magda:- lens teares, neuer wasthere thatwotnanin the world that fliedfo many,andfuch richandpretious teares,as fhe, northat prefentedrhe like from her eyes, to the Cccz true 579 Tearer some- timesdenied vs for our pu- nilhment. Teares forfin mull neuer haueanend. Tea resthede- light ofa Pe- nitent. Pfal.t4Y. What is meant bywa- ters aboue the heaùcns. a. Reg.to.
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