The connerfionof the Theefe in all rcfpefte miraculoùs. the good Theefe. Ser.9.o. 617 infamous than a theefe. Ofall bafeneffe it was the greateft , that our Saviour fhould die as a theefe. It was much that bee fhould become man, ExinaMitit/e- metrpfum ; morethathee fhould takevpon him the forme ofa feruant ; Formam fetus acciprens ; andmore then that, Thathe fhould be nomore eftcemedof than aworme of theearth ; andmore yet thenthis, That he fhould take vponhim in his Circumcifionthe imageofa{inner; but inoft of ail, that bee fhould die as a notable theefe, betwixt two theeues. Inthegardenhefaid,recomeforthtoappre- hend me ,es ifIhadbeenea7heefe. Therehe was takenlikeatheefe, here condem- ned to death as a theefe, that no man.might takepittieofhim. There is no man that dies by thehand of Iufticebut is pittied ofthe people, face only the theefe; not onethat takes compaflïon ofhim. He that feeth a theefe hung vp inthehigh way, vfethas he paffethby; to fay, BeneditIurn lignum,per guo.dfu Ixfütia, Bleed be thatgallowes, onwhichfuchgood lraflrce àe done. TheChurch rec eiueth the Iewes, the Moore , and the Gentile, but will not entertainea theefe. lnLeuiricrss,God did forbid the Weafil,andthe Moufe, andthefrog,alfo the Rat,and the Lyzard, and the Cameleon, and the Crocodile,and the Mole, as vncleane and vnfit tobe eaten : and if you will but reade in the naturall Hiftories the conditions and propertiesofthefe creatures,you (hall fee that they are all theeues. Ít made ma- ny men maruell, That the Crocodilebeingfogreara creature, the diuineHifto- rian fhould reckon him vpamongft thefèother contemptible& it-nail creatures. And Radolphus Flauiacenfis renders the teafonof it to be this, That they haue all ofthem theeuifh qualities. The Crocodilemore. particularly fwims inthe fea, runnes on theland, orte whileby day, another whileby night ; file layesaverie little egge, which afterward growes to bea great beaft, andgoesfrill iucreafing as long as Thee liueth; and is not onely the ftampe and figure ofa Sea-pyrar, but ofaLand- robber,which night and day feckes al"1 occ,tfions torob and (kale. Like vnto that theefe which in fome poore country village, begins firft to fall a pilfringof force fixe royalls, and from this fo fmall a'beginning, raifethhis frock to fifcie rhoufand Ducats, and comes at laft to bea Regidor, a Cauallero,and aTitu- lado. Andby this fo vile and errant a theefe, as is here now treated of, our Saui- our Chrift did confound all Ierufalem. He might haue made vfe ofthe tongueof aProphet,oranEuangelift; but as Sampfon (hewed his valour in conquering a thoufindarmed men with the iawe-bone ofanAffe, which had not approued it felfe to be fogreat,hadhe made vfe of Golias his fword,or Hercules club, or of Thefeus his mace,fo our Sauiour Chrift,&e. Gods nterciein this cafe, did alfo Phew it felfe exceedingly. Saint Augufine faith, That this Conuerfionwas an efpeciall Myracle of Chrifts affronts and wounds. He deliuered vp himfelfeto the filmic and reprochof the Groffe, that hemight glorifie this theefe. That he might faue a theefe, was the intent of his dying betweenetwo theeues. And inanotherplace, he faith, Thathe was nay- led onthe Croft, and fuffered his blood tobe flied, that he might cleanfe a will that wasgrowne foaged and foulewith finne. Thomasfait h,Thatit is Gods great mercie,that thofe that aregrowne old intheir fines, fhould be (hued : For, ha- uing by ill and long cuftome their taftefo quitemarredand fpoyled, theyabhor that which fhould giue themhealth , and dye in the endby thehands of their owne foolifh longings. On their graues that diedby the fireof Gods wrath, whileft theAO) oftheir quayles was yetbetween their teeth, this Epitaph was puts reputehra concupifcentia.For commonly,thefetheir mafters and their delights are both buryed together. And therefore S. Paul faith, 2 jw thefè areen[ampler to r. corto. vs, to the intent that wefhouldnot luff after euili things, as they alfa lulled. The truth F ff 3 is
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