51 Grace enableth es todoe what Nature cannot. Vpon the Fryday The example of our fauiour to mouevs veto it. Pfal.69.rz.r; Theone, Thatthe hurt is fo great to him that doth thewrong,that he that is wronged ought to takepittie and compaffionof him : and beeing it is Daman; anima,The hurt of thefoule, which the offended cannot repaire ofhimfelfe , hee muffpray vnto God for him, That hewould be pleafed torepaire it. Philontrea- ting of the deathofAbelfaith,that Cainkilled himfelf, b no alterum,¬ano- ther ; and that Abel was not dead,but aline, becaufe he kildbut the bodie,which was none ofhis, and left him his foule, which was his. Andof Caine, That his bodic remained aline,whichwas none of his , and his fouleflaine, which was his : and thereforeClamatfan,guis Abel, ThebloodofAbel cries,&c. Theother, That there are fome fuch defperate enemies, thatarc made rather worfe thanbetterby benefits ; being like therein vnto Paper , which themore you fupple it with Oyle,the ftitfer it growes ; or like vnto fand,which themore it is wet, the harder it waxeth ; or likevnto ananuile, which is not ftirred with the ftrokeof the hammer ; or like vnto ludo, who comming from thewafhing ofour Sauiors feet,went forth afterwardswithagreaterdefire for to fel and be- tray him : whereasbeing inthis defperatecafe , hee Ihould rather haue had re- courfe vnto God.Prayertherefore is propofed vntovs, as the greateft charme and powerfulleftexorcifineagainft the obftinacie& rebellionofanenemie.For vpon fuch occafions as thefe, Prayer is woont to workemiracles. SaintStephen prayd for thofe that 'tonedhim to death ; whichwrought fopowerfull an effect, that Saint Anienfaith, That the Church is beholdingin Tomefort , to this his Prayer, for the conuerfionofSaint Paul. AndSaint Luke, That the Heauens were opened hereuponvnto him, &he lawChrift ftanding inglorieatthe right hand ofhis Father. And it is worth thenoting, That the ordinarieLanguage of the Scripture is, That our SauiourChriff is faid tofit at the right hand ofGod the Father : but now here in thisplace thewordStantem,Standing,is vfed , as if Chrift had ftood vpofpurpofc to fee fo rare and ftrange an accident, and claue the Heauens in funder,offeringhimall the good they did containe;or thathe did feeme to offer him his Scare (as it were) asto a child ofGod ;`vt frtisftlÿpatris vefiri, That yeemay bethe childrenofyour Father. And thisgraceand fauor which God fhewesvnto thofe that pray for their enemies, was peraduenture amotiue toourSauiour Chrift, tomake thatpittifull moanevpon the Croffe, bewayling the Iewescruel' proceedingagainft him , and praying that hisdeath might not belaydto theircharge; Pater ignofceillis,Fatherforgiuethem. Hee might haue hoped, thatthefe his charitable prayerswouldhaue opened the GatesofHea- uen, forthe Sonneof Glorie to enterin : But in ftead thereofthe Sunne was darkened, and a Macke mantle (asit were, inmourning) fpred ouer all the earth, whileft he himfelfevttcred thcfewords ofdifcomfort , aty God, my God, why hall thouforfakenme? Thedoores ofHeauenarePhut againft me,& my God hath forfaken me. But themyflerie is, That Heauenwasfhut againft him,thatit mightbeopenedvntoyou ; andefien thenwas it opened to the Theefe, and to miiny'thatieturnedfromMount Caluarie,percutie etespeaorafua, i. Smiting their brefls ; as afroto that Centurion thatfaid, Veré (rainsDei Bratifte, This was truly the Sonne ofGod. There`rnayberendred another reafonofthis our Sauiours praying vpon the Croffe : Which is this , That forroobtains fauors from Gods haud,there is no meanes comparable to thatofprayingfbr ourenemies. In me loguebantar, yar fedebant in Parta, inmepfillebant, 9ui bibsb ant vinum:e oautem orationemmeant ad to Domine temperabeneplaciti Deur.Dauidfpeaking thereasa figureofChriff,faith, That-his enemies fatelikejudges intheGatescifthe entertaining them., felues
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