Soo ExercifesofredigiOn.gotternmentofthe Eyes. frommurmuring, and ¡came to reft patientlie on the good will and pleafure of the Lord. to This is thewaywee muff vfe in trouble : frt{ to feeke counfell ofGod in his word, thentogiveour felues to feruentprayer,and afterto vie the meaneswhich God hash ap- poynted,not trolling in them. This did lacobwhen hee was topacifie his brotherEfate at hisreturne,and thusdid theIfraelites atthe redfea,they prayed, and then they afrayed to goethrough the fea,andpreuailed to the confufion ofalltheir enemies. is Wemutt vie the meanes,yetfuck as aremolt fare,and neereft hand, which if they willnotpreuaile,then maywe goeyet further : butwhen wevie themeanes,then Atwee goe to the Lord,otherwifetheLord will infatuatevs inthe means,or make themvnpro- fitable ; as inIlfa,becaufehebeing lick,fought 5rft tothe Phifitions,andnot to the Lard, he dyed thereon. So wefee in lof.sh,who though hewere a good man,yet becaufe hcewent towarre withoutthe counfell of theLord,was haine inthefame battell. So is itludg.ao. theywhich hada good caufe,were,cwice ouercome in warre, becaufe they fought not to seingtru(y the Lord, but when they foughttohimbyprayer,* then theyOuercame. Contrarilywet humbledina fee in Ezekirshand otherKings, that becaufethey prayed to the Lord, and then fought o- re1s lass f4. thermeanes,theLordganethem notable viefories.Otherwifehie may depriuevs f the knowledge ofthemeanes, or if wehaue them,yetheewill make them without fruit. Fire thenwemutt preuailewithGod by faithand prayer, before that by meanes wee canwell preuaileagainft ourenemies. Many wanting this good courfe,andrutting to théirowne witsand fuch like,haue failedof all their purpofes. Wherefore when wee banevied the meanes and benothelped,we muff confider,that wehaue not vied the right meanes; or ifwehad them, we hauevied them amitre ; orif wehaue viedthem rightly,yet letvs con- fider that our finnes haue deferued that wefhouldnotprofit by them. CHAP. 26. Ofthe gouernment ofthe dyes. Reatcomplaint is made of thewickednetfe of there daiesjand all the blameis laid vponthe heart. I thinke indeedeit deferueth a great part of it,butthe fightofthe eye.is not to beexcufed :forthe hartisa fprmg, and bath fpoutes to fend outas a conduit,and pipes wherewithal( it is one word* fg gathered a nifieethboth an eye nd afpri g,and it isas commonly fontemlgni- r`-' ' taken for the oneasfor the .other : and thereforeHierome calleththe Scat. eyes thefreaines or fpringsof lulls. Though the hearthad no pipes to conuey in, yet it Th nyen lu would ouerflow,fuch is the meafure and abundanceofcorruption which liethin it brea- taofl king forth continually. hisnot only true that from theabundance ofthe hart themouth bundanceof ipeaketh,the hand worketh,ece.butalfo from theabimdance ofthe fenfes,the heart thin. theheartthe keth.Therefore as thetonguemuft beblamed and that iuftly,.fo the eyesought toweep, mouthfpea- becaufeof the euill which they conueyvntotheheart; and fo much therather,for that the ka bt n ref', e roguecloth difclofe whateuill proceedeth into it, but theeye keepeth it clofe, which is à thefenfesthe thingmore perilous. Againe, the fight ofdr eye Itirredi vp the thoughts ofthe heart, heart tbiaketh. though theybe alleepr,whenas goodthings rather thould beconueiedby theeyeinto the heart,feeing nogoody effegroweth there naturally. a The eye is fucha thing,that.the Scriptures (peaking of i ,bya fynecdoche(aswe fay) underthis one fenfe,it comprehendeth all other things of the faine kinde : as under one principal) thingbidden orforbidden intheDecalogue,many ocher infceiour things of the famekinde be either commanded or inhibited. Iwill neuer beleeue,whenDasidprayed á¿ote. that hiseyes might be turned from beholdingofvanitie, that hee was negligentas touch- ing hiseares,and regardednot that they fhouldbe open to heare what theywould. And thereis nodenfeto thinke,thatwhen lobmade a couenant with hiseyes, he hadno care of . his
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