76 Temporal] viEtories got. tonby figh tint,Sprituall byflying. Mat.23. Thoughwee ought tofuf. fer for Chrifhi fake, wee fhouldnot yet fecke is Men muffnot thruft them- felues into Temptation. Vpon the firft head,andfet himinto it. And thetruthof this doctrine is deliuered vntovs by Yiíier Antiochenue,Saint fohn,Chrifoftome,GregoriusNifTnus, Euthimiva, & many other Saints ofGod. Incorporali warre, it is greater courage to fight, than to flie ; but in thefpiritual( warfare,theaffurance oftheVittorieconfifts in flying. And God would ratherhauevs tobee cowardsthrough feare, than couragious through prefumption ; and therefore hee firft promifethvs his Protection, that is,hisAyd, and his Fauour. Deus refugium virtue., adiutor inopportunitatibus, e in tribalatione,i. Godis ahelperin due feofn,& in tribulation. Hee firft faycs,he will bee our refuge,and afterwards our helper. Flye therefore fromdanger,and haue recourfe vnto God , and beeing fheltred vnder thefhadow of his wings, andvpheld by the ftrength of hisArme, thou needit not feareany harme that Bell can doe vnto thee. So that God is not bound to fauourthee in thofe temp- rations which thou dooft thruftthy felfeinto , but in thofe that thou feekeftto Thun. Saint t Asflen, aduifing I knownotwhom, that they fhouldnot talke and conuerfe withWomen fo familiarly as theydid ; theyexcufed themfelues vn- tohim telling hint , that they onelydid fo, that theymight meetewith fome Temptations wherewith to encounter. Butthis glorious Do&orplainely told them3, Herein , you feekenothing but dangers, and (tumbling blockes to caufe you tofall . Andas itis fit to take from before theeyes ofthe franticke,allthofe images andpictures whichmaymouepaillon inhim,for that they wilbe an oc- cafion tomake himmadder than euer he was before ; fo,ought a finnerto auoid all the vanitiesof thisWorld. Ecceelongasifugiens,&man£infolitudine. Saint Bernardhath well obferued , that for hisbetter eafe andquiet , this holyKing, did not onely leaue hisowne Citie,but fled farrefrom it. And heethat shall flie fromthe occafionsoffinning,performes nofmall matter. But hee that Thall flie afarre off from them, willfind itto bee molt for his eafe . Temptation, as it is theDeuils acte,is ill; andGoddoth notwill it pofftiuely,but permiflïuely hee doth ; fo faythSaint Çhrif (tome : Aduifing vs that wee fhouldnot feekeafter them, but if they chance to fet vpon vs,thenarewee toRandtoit,and valiantly tofight it out. Thisour Sauiour Chrift would infinuate tohis Difciples, inthe garden,when hee faydvnto them ; Watch andpray thatyeenter not into Tempta- tion. Foraman to fleepe,when hee is in daunger andnot to flie vnto God for fuccour, is to feekeafter Temptation. Saintt.í4uflen,SaintCyprian, Saint Grego rie,and Saint Chryfo.Ftome,fay, That this is the meaningof that prayerwhich we dailymake,Andieadvsnot intoTemptation.Which carries withit a doublefence. The one,Leadvs not ( ôLord ) into Temptation, forour weakeneffe and frail- tieis exceeding great. SodothFetrus Chrifilos uexpoundit. But becaufe iris nota fitting language for aSouldierto-delire ofhis Captaine, that hee fhould not fend himfoorth to fight; that other fence is more plaine, ,Safer vs not (ô Lord) tojallintoTemptation. Butif thouwilt permit that wee muftbee temp- ted, etconfent not (6Lord) that wee bee ouercome. And this fence, Saint Aujn feetneth toapptoue in.that hi§fermon,deMonte. But inwhat fence foeuer yourake it,itisvery true,thatnoinanought rafhlytorunhimfelfe into danger; AndSaint-eyprian fiyth', That noman fhouldprefume to offer histhroat tobee cutby it tyrants kmfe,_burofadelire that he bath to fufferforour Sauiours fake, butthat beewatght.Ifs -rime and tarry till they takehimand put himvpon the racke. ZálfäntissFtrmr'anúsfayth, That hee thatvnnecefl'arily ventures vpon danger,óught nottobePitiledvaliant, nor indeedis, but oughtrather tobee ac countedrafhand inconfiderater For1tee that is tritely valiant, is neitherrafhin daring; nor imprudentin fearing ; tìor'weake infuffering as Samt Asa pen bath well
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