Nothingeatedioustooatthatlouts, Ofthe LordsSupper. Ser.4r. as thcabfentt ofwhat it loves. friend ,thatfurnifheth thee withmoneyes; no longer furnifhthee, no longera friend : So 1 ayes Seneca inan epiftle of his toLaciliur. That whichis founded vponpleafureand delight, huesor dyes, as thofe de- lights liucor dye in vs. But that whichmakes Honeffie it's ayme,that endureth for euer, My friend (faithSeneca) I ought to loue him fo well, as tofollow himin his banilbment,,to releeue him in his neceffities and ifneed were todye for him. Saint Augufline faith, that Senecahued inthe timeofthe Apofiles and that it is very probaole, that hehadTomecommunication with Saint Paul, and that the Apofile related vntohim what ourSauiour Chrift did for his That he accom- panied them in their banifhment inricht them withthe richesofheauen, and in the cud layd downehis life forthem. This is that, Infinem dilexiteus, He hued thenmto theend. A great loue canneuer indure a longabfence. Theodoree faith, That Saint Pe- ter having heard fromChrifts owne mouth, a Ter me negaba, Tbou(halt denie mee thrice, He would fainehaue fled many Lcaguesfrom that ûccafìon ; butthat his loue was fogreat, that he held it a le{feill todenie him,by following him, than to confeffe him by flying from him. He tooke fo muchpleafure in his pretence, that he chofe rather to hazard the loffeof his foule , thanofhis beloued fight : Holding it a le{fevnhappineffe to denie, than not to be in the eyeofhim, whom he loued fo dearely.Saint Bernard treatingofthat petition which Motimadevn- to God, Eitherblot meant oftbe bookeoflife,orfpare thispeople, giues vs this note out of that place ; Thatfo great was the loue which theProphet bare to thatpeo pie, that albeit Goddidoffer him tobe chiefe Gouernour ouera farrebetterand greater people, yet could henot endure tobe diuorced from them, nor to ab- fènt himfelfe from theircompanie, and therefore made choife rather of this fofad andgrieuons a r,folution, vlutdelemedelibrovita , &c. ô Lord either pardon them,or condemnenie : My loue towards them can better abidedeath, andhe1,hantheirabfence. Plu:.faith, That Loneis like Iuie, which ifit cleaue but toa {tone,or anoldwall, will ratherdye than forfake it. Chrifr Paid vnto his Di fciples,t'nlffè Igoehence, thecomforterwi/not come untoyou: All theirfelicitie confiffing in the comming of the Holy Ghoff ; But Igoetoprouide a place foryou. Nobodybut I, can open thegates ofheauen vnto you. Our Sauiour Paid , Lift vpyourgates ti yePrinces,&c. Where S. Chryf jloreobferueth That it had beene fufficient, had he but onely Paid, open thegates. but he didnot fay, open, but,take thegates array , heauethem offthe hookes. For heauen,that isneuer (hut againft any, hathno need ofgates. His Difciplesmight haue faidvntohim; Lord,fince we (hall receiue fo great agood by thy departure; Fuge,afsimulareCapre,hinnulo- que ceruorum. Yet fogreat was their loue vntohim,that with teares in their eyes, theydefired rathertheir owne hinderance, than his abfence. Many nations of theworld made their gods prifoners, chaining themfaft with ftrongyrons;For, infeeingthemfeluestobee forfaken by them, theyprefently accounted them. telliesbut dead men. Paufaniac reporteth, that theLacedæmonians had tyed fait thy' Statue ofMars with cordsof filke. And Alexander ab Alexandeo faith, That Hercules was bound fait with fettersofgold , AndPlutarch in his Problemes, re- counteth the likeofApellas Image. And the facred Scripture deliuers vnto vs, That micas the Idolater followed with teares in his eyes, thofe theeues which had fioh away the Idols belonging to his houfe, or his houfhold gods. And Labanvpon the like occafion, purfuedJacob. For it isimpoffibie, thatany bodie fhouid fuffer or enduretheabfence ofhisGod. Twopowerfull Loues therefore wrefilint, 633
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