No man fo wife but PaffìonSunday. Ser.37. may need ccunfell. war againft thole fauours Goddid toAbel; the little honeflieof.lofephs brethren, andhis mafiers wife , againft hisgreat both honeflieandgoodneffe ; the proud and bail]] natureof OMagainftthe meeke And fweet didpofition of Iaceb : But againft our Sauiour Chrift,all the wicked ingeneral' haue combined themfelues; Come let vs oppof oar'duesagainfl the iufi, becauf becrofth our anions , andliketh not of that we doe. They collect Councell. There is not any one thing more precious , or more neceflary than a Councell. There is not thatman(faithSaint Chryfoflem ) be he the wifeft man in the world, but in fine isaman, andbath need of Counfell : on- ly it may bePaid of God, Who was euer his Counfeller, or was able to aduife him r What faith Saint Augufiine 1 Egofeenex t Epifcopáas, paratusfamapuero do- cert,t, though an oldman, andaBifbop,doenotfcorne to !earnof a child. ("Wefts did not fcorne the Counfell of his father inLaw Iethro, thougha Prieft ofMidian; not fo much regarding hiscall ing,as his Counfell; his perfon,as theproie&.The Counfeil which lofipb gauetoPharaoh, imported himmore thanif bee had in- richt him withmuch rreafure : For treafuredecreafeth throughwaft ; butCoon- fell increafèth through vie. Treafurediuidedamongft many , comes in the end toalittle and heoftentimes wants,that fupplyes others wants : But Counfell, themore it is imparted,the more it profiteth,returningbacke againe to thefoun- taine from whence it came. The Apofile Saint Paul, after thathee hadbeene, rapt vp to the third heaucn, and hauing beenenow fomefourteencyeares.an Apoflle,he faith, That hewent vp to Ierufalem,and communicated with them of the Gofpell whichhe had preachedamong the Gentiles : and prefently ren- dreth a reafonthereof in thewords following, Leaf' byany manes ifhauld ramie, or had name in vaine. Nomaruaile then, ifhe that is not fuch an Eagle as he was, nor hathBeene rapt vp into heauenwithhim, fhould be fo foolifhlywilful' , ás not to aduifewith his Counfell, butfuller himfelfe tobe carryed away withhis owne paflìon,andproper opinion. . Counfell therefore ought tobe pureand frncere, free from malice, pafïion, and ignorance.Saint . Ambrofe tells vs byway ofdemand ; Whoamidff dartand mudde, will feeke for a cleere fountaine f. Whowill take water outofa foule poole t' How thencan he giue me Counfell that knowes not how to follow it himfelfé r Neueryet was a blindman fittpbeablind mansguide, Hee that ita foiewalkes in darkneffe. Throughout the Scripture wedoe not finde the Cowl fell ofthe wicked to thriue with them. TheHiftorie ofthe Macchabeesreports vntovs certaine wicked perlons that reCoined to make a leagueor couenant with the Nations ; from whence fprungthe ruineofall Religion.The rail] counfell of acompany ofyoung heads,was the Joffe oftenneparts ofRehoboams kingdóme. For fuch counfells haue twogreat enemies (Anger,andHaft.) That Counfell of Ieroboam for theereófingoftwocalues,for todetain thofe that went to offer f - crifice at Ierufalem, blotted his houle from offthe face of theearth. That of Pharaohagainft the children of Ifrael, Beholdthepeopleofthechildren of Ifrael are greater er mightier thanwe,come let vsworkwifely with them,&c.was the originalof theirvtter perdition. but no Councell was comparable in mifchiefe to this Courcell. They calledaCouncell again/llfue. Thefe words, eAgainíi lefua, are not of the Eúan;elift, though they beto bee foundin many Miffils : and theycarrie with them agreat Emphafis, Againft fef ros, thatis, Again(' their Sa,riour. That of Saint Ambrof, treatingof Chrifts agonie in the gardeh, of his myfticall fweat, I and his prayer tonis Father, is worthy your confederation, Fatherifitbethy will, let S7 Ssod.r 8, Goodcou,{el a prctious Gcmmc. cat.. III ccunfell producethill effefts, Eccls. Eaòd.t.i
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