Cafli.2.v.¢. Our !cluehow it irto be or- dred and di( pofed. Reafons why we Mould Vpon theFryday loue our enemies. tenensfufam, cadensgladio,i. Let there notfailefromthe Houfiof rodone that bath aniffue,oris a Leaper,or that leanethon aflare, orfallethby thefivord. God didpu- nifh thisweakenesfc andcowardly aEtof Ioab , withthe weakeneffe and cowar- difeof all hispofteritie. Laftly, Being theSonneof God, thoumayft be fure heewill be mindful' of thee, take careof thee, and loue thee. Efay brings in the Church,complaining, That God had forgotten her, Dominusoblitw eftmei,TheLordhathforgottenmee. But he anfwereth, tnquidoblimifipoteflmulier infantis verifui ? i. Canawoman forget the childe of her wombe ? Butfaythefhould, Ego (faith he)non obliu f ar tut, ecce in manibus mein drfcripfi te, (i.) Iwillnotyetforget thee; behold, I haue engranen theein my Palmes. God cannotforget his children, if theywill butacknowledge him tobe their father ; and they can innothingbemore likeunto him , than in being mercifull,ashe is merciful!. Eflíoteergoperfeîti,ficut Pater rueflerperfe tself Beyee thereforeperfecî, earnasyam. Father isperfect. He reduceth this perfeEti- on to the loueof our enemie ; for to amans friend, the verieHeathens do this. Saint t 4uflen and Saint Chryfi tome fay, it is orants virtutrsCorona6, vertex, The heigth ándglorie ofall venue. Wherehe denieth not the reward to him thatfoal loue his friend for Gods fake;but tohimthat fhal loue like aGentile, or a Pub- lican, not for Gods loue, but either outofa natural] propenfion inhimfelfe,or forhis owne pleafure, or commoditieandprofit; andhe that doth not loue his enemie, fhewes plainly, that he louethnot his friend forhis loue toGod , but forhis louetohimfelfe : for ifhe fhould loue him for Gods loue , bee would no leiTelouehis enemie,being that heis aswel the Image ofGod,as hisfriend. So that he that loues his friend, and nothis cnemie ought not to expeaa re- ward for lowingofhis friend : but he that doth not onely louehis friend, but his enemie allo, hee (hall be lure ofadouble reward,lntroduxitme Rex in cellam vinariam,ordinauit inmecharitatem, (i.) The King broughtme into the Banquetting hoafe,andbisbanner euerme,was Loue. Origen notes, Thatthat which theSoule defires of her Husband,is not to loue,ortohate; for this being anaturali perfe- &ion, it is notpoffiible it should faile : thewill is neither idle, nor in vaine, for it muft of force witheitherwell or ill. All the kindneffe that thee delires ofher husband, is, hisorderingof his loue ; forindiforder intollerable errours arife. Of all the Predicaments,God is the highest , and hee oughtto bee theprinci- pall marke of our well ordered affeâion : Dilexi , quoniam audiuit Deusvocem orations ntex , (i.) I lamed, becaufe theLord heardthe voyceofmyprayer : Loued r Whomhaft thou loucd ?Aprudent wil,which placeth it'sfelicitre in the obfer- uance of the Law ; wee muft not askeofit,Whom it loueth r This is aqueftion to be askedof a Reprobate,or Calf-away. In a word,He that man ought chief-. ly to loue, is God ; and next., man,fortheloue ofGod,be he friend,orbehe foe. Andbecaufe when it doth notreach &extend it felftoour enemie, it cannot be laid to beperfeEtloue;it is laid,Effeteperfetiificut Pater ve_fier,Be yeperfecï rsyour Father. The reafon is, Becaufe in the refs ofthe aEtions ofvenue, humanere- fpeéts may comeathwart vs ; one may fait, becaufe ab(finence importeth his health ; another giueAlmes,becaufe he affelteth vaine-glorie; a third,not feeke to be reuenged, forfeare of thofe inconueniences that followafter it; a fourth be chaff, forthe auoyding offhame, &c. But toloueamans enemie, that mutt onely proceed from our loue to God,it murkneeds be done only for Gods fake, and Godonely canrequite it. Secondly,
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=