Motiuen inducing the Thcefe the good Theefe. Ser.4.o. tobe converted. theroff from vnder his wing, a filly maiddid out-face him, andmade him turne coward. And when hee began to fnke in the fea, becaufehe was neere Cnriit, Chrift ftretchtout his hand vnto him to fauehim, whereasifhe had bcene but two (irides further fromhim, hemight haue bcene in danger ofperilhing.Saint Cypriot Riles him, Colega Cfirifii, Chri Colleague, His fellow and companion. When onegoes forth into the field vpon a challenge , one girts hisfword vnto him, another buckles his armour, andothers accompanyhim into thefield ; and if heget thevifkorie, all doe (hare in thegloryofthe Conquerour. In that his combat in the derart, the Angels did waitvponhim: In that combatofhis death, anAngell comfortedhim. The Theefe, hegoes alongwith him for companie, and all doepartake ofhis glory. Thirdly, Saint Chryfaflomefaith, Thathe met with another happinefre, to wit, That he dyedas Chrift did,vpon theCroflè : Godhauingpropfed heauen vntovs inConqueft onely hefhall inioy it, thatcan get it by force of Armes. But the Crofre cloth excufe them this labour For,it beingheauenskey,whofò- euer (hall come therewith, may enterwithout anyviolence ; but others tnuft be forced to knocke,andthat hard,at the gares, and it is well if with agreat deale of labour hecanget inat laft. Saint Bernard faith, That the leagues which are be- tweene earth andheauen,are withoutnumber5but he that bath a familiar,lec him beftride buta Ilicke, and with that wooddenhorfe hewill trauell in two houres fromMadrid to Rome: This vertue the Crofre inioyes,with muchmore aduan. tage ; doe but fallenyourfelfe to that, and in an inftant you 1ha11 be conueycd to heauen. And expounding that word , Damveneririn regnant tuam this Saint faith, Ettamvidit, Then, eaen thendidhefe himtaking his iourney for heauen, and laid vnto him, Lord remembermewhen thoucommeflinto thy Kingdome. Fourthly,it was hisgood hap toRandmainely then for C hrifts honor, when in a manner all theworld had forfaken him,R.L4,ando Petrrsc (faithS.Chryfot.)nega_ bat interra,Latro confitebatar in Crace, When Peterdenyedhim onearth, the Theefeac- knowledgedhimon theCrof. When lads (faithS.Ambrofc) fold him as a Slane, then did the Theefe acknowledge him for his Lord. O My good Theefe (faithS.Aug.)What couldit thou fee in aman that wasblood-lcfre,blafphemed, abhorred,and defpifed C What Scepter r what Crowne couldit thou hope for from him, whole Scepter wasa reede,whofeCrowne thornesr &c. Daaidcom. manded his fonSalomon, that he fhould Phewkindneffe to thefonnes of Barzillai the Gileadite, and caufe them to fit downe andeat with him at his owne table, becaufe they ftuckedolevnto him in his tribulation. Fiftly, That he had the good happe tobee there iuft in thenickewhenChrift was crowned with aCrowne ofglorie,and had made this hisweddingday, and all things were ended according to his owne hearts defire : and therefore fo no- bleabridegroome could not but conferre anfwerable fauours ; and fo great and generous a King,do no lefre than beftowaCrown vponhim.Shinrei railed againft Daaid, when flying fromAbfalon,he wenthalte naked andvnfhod,by the skirt of a mounraine ; but when thewar was ended, heproltrated himfelfeat the Kings feet, and laid, Let notmy Lord imputewickedneffe vnto me, norremember the thing that thy feruant did wickedly, when myLord theKing departedout ofle- rufalem, thatthe King fhould takeit tohis heart: for thy feruant doth know that I haue dupe amifiè. But Abifhay the fonneof Zeraiah anfwcred and Paid, Shallnot Shir' ei diefor this ?becaufehe turfed the Lordsannoynted r Shall foure words offubmiflion faue the life of this blafphemousdog c But Daaid faid,Shall there any man die thisday in Ifraelrpoflthou not knoro,that ram thuday Kingoaer ¡frael? Make 62,3 k I The Croire is hoeueneicy
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