6o8 Of Peters Fall, The ocaGons of it. Mans wayes in this world,are two. Of Peters Deniall. nation. And for that reprehenfionwhichour Sauiour Chrift bellowedvponhis Difciples at his departure for heauetl;iris a cleere cafe , that it was not direéled toPeter,asappearethby the words following, where it is faid, That the rest, when theywere toldby thewomen that he was rifen from thedead, it feemed vntothem as a feigned thing, neither beleeued they them : But Peter was one of the firft that rannevnto our Sauiours Sepulchre, and reuealed to the refttheglo- riónsrefurreétion of his Lordand Sauiour. OtherDJCtours excufing Peter, fay,That in this Deniall,hefpake Amphibo- logically, hiswords carrying adoubtfull or double meaning, andyet mightad- mit agood conftrtlthon ; and this opinionS. Amf+rofe, S. Hilary, andS. Cyril toucht vpon : butthe truth is, that S. Peter didgrieuoufly finnetherein, and that he hadloft his loue,but not his faith. Some treatingofthe occafions that made God to turne his eye from Peter, fome (they fay) were onPeterspart,others on our Sauiours. And the firft and chiefeft occafion was Saint Peters confidence andprefump- tion. Saint Limbrofe profeffeth, , nodnon eras humane infirmitatis, feddiuinapo- teflatis, That it was notfomuch out afbamanefrailtieasdiuine power; Such a thing, that all the flrength and forceofhumane weakeneffe could not performe. Leo the Pope, HaftarepermigUs ell, vt nemoauderet defugvirtute ìonftdere, Hefufered him toflagger, that no manmight dareto relye'upon his owneftrength ; Vfing it as á cooling-cardfor confidentPrefumifts. Saintvtugufline expounding that place of thePiouerbs,2' equedeelinesaddextram,nequeadfiniffram, Doe net declinenei- ther to theright' Band, nor the left, doth put, the difficultie in declining to the right hand. We doe acknowledgetwo wayes in this our earthlypilgrimage. Oneoflife. Thèother ofdeath. Thatit isa dangerouspiece of bufrneffe todecline to thewayofdeath , it is a cleerecafe ; but to thewayof life, verydarke and intricate. S. leromefaith, That theTuft man fhould haueacare not todecline to the right hand, becaufe he may chanceto offendGodoutof his double diligence,as Pzzadid , in ftaying the Arke, leaft it might fallto the ground. Saint t .fuguf ìne faith, That our beft fer- uice maybe vnacceptable, ifnot ffnfull,through our owneprefumption. And fo didPeter finne, prefumingon his owne proper valour, andfetled refolution ; which made ourSauiour Chrii'c layyto him, Thou /halt denyme thrice ; andhee replyed thrice, Rather than I will deny thee, I will dyea thoufand deaths. O Ford, either thou telleftme thus out of thefeare ofmyweakneffe, or to try me what I will doe,1hauebutone life tolook, Ifneedwere Imoulddyewith thee, 6c. He promifed that whichwas not inthe power ofhis ffrength toperforme. Man promifeth heknowes not what, becaufe he knowes not himfelfe. The Angell knewnot what would follow : for had he had this knowledge at the firft, that alone would haue leffened hiscontempt. Ada» knewby reuelation,Thathis mar- riage did reprefentthat ofour Sauiour Chriftwith his Church; but heknewnot the (Media, or meanes that led thereunto. Saint Peter would neuer haue prefu- med fomuchonhimfelfe,had heknownewhat wouldhaue followed thereupon: So that he promifed thatwhich he was not poflìbly abletoperforme. Butifpre- ftiming on our SauiourChrifts fauour, hehad toldthewench that flood at the doore, Iam oneofChrifls-Difciples, and I will laydownemy life for the tefîi- monieof histruth, andmine owne faith ; he hadfecured hislifer Forit wasnot pofliblethat our SauiourChrift ihouldbe falfe ofhisword, ifyefeekeme, fifer thefefrsjl tope their way. Buteuermore thofemen that molt prefume, aremoft dèceiued
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