ToLoue ourenemies is againii Nature. afterAíhwednefday. Serai .3. 49 mea,vtfuflineam?Tivunquid 6anum tibi videtur, ficalumnieris,&r apprimas me, . con- reb 6. s X. cilium impiorum adiuves ?What ismyOrength, that rfbouldhape,&c. vinaniaswas aholyman,andknowne fo tobe throughout all Iudea ; yet when Chriftour Sa- uiour willedhimto receiue Sot/intohis houfc,he madea ftop,andbleffing him- o f feife,faid,Lord, dooft not thou knowthat heis a Deuill,andanenemie toall that call vpon thyname r Haftthou forgot the ill hehack done in Hierufalem r Iere- ramie s. S;. mie faith, That the fwordofthe enemie ftriketha terrour invs Gladivai,imici patter incircuitu. Wrfedome,That thevoiceofan enemieisvnpleafingand harfh, sap. IS. Inconueniensinimicorumvox. The eyesarelight and quicke in their looking,but whenthey come tolooke vpon their enemie, euerie lidde weighes anhundred weight. And ifin Naturewe fee fuckgreat emnitie amongft things ofa contra- rie difpofition,as well with, as without life, as in cold andheate, nioiít anddrie, heauieand light,white andblacke,the Sheepand the Wolfe, the Hare and the Greyhound, the Cocke and the Elephant, and the like ; why fliouldwe make it fo ftrange,that our flefnandblond íhould not rifeat an enemy that hatethvs. Saint Bafl difcouering thereafon of this dimcultie, faith, Thatthere are in Bafr Seri.de our Soule twoPotentia,or Faculties. s,=. Theone Concuprfibilis,and that deGrethall thatis good. The other, s,and thatfeeketh to fhunneall that is ill. This he compareth toaSheepheards Curre, that barkerhat thofehee abhor- Thecaufea reth, thinking therebyto fray themaway. The faidDoEtor faith further, That whywe can. it feemethfomewbat hard that Godhaving createdmanCreaturamirafcibilem, «° toue our A Creaturefabicít toanger,he thould enioyne him not tobe angrie ; nay,which is enemies. more, to loue him that(hall offend him. Butas the Sheepeheardmuftkeepe in his Dog, that he fet not vpon all that he abhorreth ; fo Reafon muftbridle this irafciblepart in man,that it breake not out againft his enemie.But foviolent are the motionsofthe flefh,that the verySaintsofGod,ifhis hand had not forcibly heldthembacke,had run in thistheir fury headlonginto Hell.Paulominua (fayth Pfalme 9a David,vpon thefame occafìon) haditaffitininfernoanimamea,Alittle mare (faith David) andmyfoule haddwelt in hell. Againe, TheJoue toour enemie muften- creafeby thehate to our felues; and thofe iniuries thatthou recciceftfrom his hand,muftbevnto theemotiues toloue him; and from that woundthat he giues thee,growes thycure: As Saint Ambrofe faith ofthat ofourSauiour Chrift,vul- Am6sa.;.ist nusinflielumeras4' luehat.vnguentum,Awoundwasgiuen, andtheoyntment rued Plat Iii. out. And this youwill thinkeahard lcffon, That amanmuft learneto hire him- felfe : The difficultie is plaine ;but as heauieweights becomelight, when they are counterpoyfedbygreater; fo that heauineffewhichNature fuffereth in lo- uing her enemie, ismade light and eafieby the counterpoyfe ofGrace. Firft,weareto confeffe, Thatthis performance isnot tobeemeafuredbyany naturali forceor powerofours ; for it were great prideto prefume, That man could naturallydeferue fo greata rewardas is prepared for vs, our righteoufnes beingnobetter thanaRainedcloath, Godnot crowningthemerits ofour Na- 6xodu/ 3!. rum,but thofehis gifts of Grace that he conferrethvponvs.Saint Auflen faith, That Godwrote the Lawwith his owne hand , intoken,that our poweroffal- filling it depcndeth in the fauour ofhis hand. The (haft that flies fo nimbly through the ayre, it is not it's owne lightneffe thatcaulth it's fwiftneffe, but the arme that drawes and delivers it. Ifthou (halt alledge,That God hashnot his fauourfo readieat hand,thou dooft wrongGod,who isalwaies fo rcadie at hand, that thou canft blame no bodiebut thy felfe. Secondly, It isfo calk and fo fweete, bythofe fauours that Godaffoordeth, E that
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