386 OfPatient'eunder the CroiP. profperitie,feehis hindthat bleffeth thefame vnto vs,and lbvfc thefamevntohis gtorie, andgore him all the praile. 4 To a goodaetion, it is requifitethat our intent beaccordingto theword,thatthen ouraéï!ionbeing good weevfe righemeanes : Sour ineanes begood, then muttweehaue faith : ifwehaue fàith,then muttwee haue found hearts : ifour hearts be found, wee mutt deuoure through peace hindrance : andwaiting forthe good time of cite Lord,wemutt poflefleour foules inpatience. 5 Thereare díuers plaineIfraelites that will fuller a vaile to be put before theirfaces, and they willvfe them as thePharifees did IohnBaftifl,to obieahimagainft Chrilt; Iohn and hisDifciplesfaft : and whydoe others fo but tohaue a. cloake fortheir wickednefle? Thele are abufeáfor want ofwtfedome, and would milliketheirpra hifes in their heart,if they could found thedepthof them : Prfiat ere caadamLeonis,quàmcaput vul is: Better to bethe toileofa Lion,thanthe heado a Fox.Wel,it is good tobe iutt andwife,butyet not for our felues : but yet filch aswill not keepe their wiledometo themfelues, but tell it oat, or writeit, cometo wrack.Becaufe he will not follow the counfell ofAmazioe,Seenot,liebath the rewardofthe Prophets,andal theProphets except fount perifhed.The taufe was,they weremorewife thanwas for thePrinces aduantage.In refpe& mienofGodhispermiffion, it is iutt that theiuft fhouldperifh: wemay fay,is this hisreward? but we mutt know that when for corruption oftime,Godhischildren cannotliuewithouthazardoftheir hazard, he taketh themaway : neither in fo doingdothbebreake his promife,that giues them for a long life,cternall life ; for a bagge of filuer,abagge ofgold : for info doinghepromifeth the lefle,and performeth the more. Wewould indeedebethe Lords feruants, ifwe faw his feruice wouldaltvaiespreuaile ; but becaufefometimewee fee their feates without honour that ferueGod,we willbe none ofhis feruants or wee learnt by reafoitoiudgeno aótion by the perfon : yet wefay,ifhe prevailed not,hetooke nogoodcourfe,orifwecannot but fay,he is wife,we fayheistoo wife. TheProphet(Prou.3 o.)faith,he will writehis vilionto Ithiel,and ifVC41bewithhim,tohimtoo,orelfenot: themeaningis,IthielisGodwithvs: hewould writeit to pleafeGod : Veal is to preuaile: ifthat bewith theother, he willhaue both,elfe keepto theother,and let Vcatalone.Whena mangoeth to themarket cumobo- His batfepesie lo,ifhelikeletteflè,hemaytakethem, andgiuehisobolum,ifhelikehishalfepenybetter,he andlettifetoo. maÿkeepeit; but one wouldhatie both obolumandlafíucas. foifwehauevpright dealing, ulPri be if and will efteeme thefauour ofmen in authoritie better,wee maychangeit for that: but if foiencçbetter weefteetne our vpright dealingbetter,letvskeepeit,wemutt not require themboth. Ex- . than the fit- ample in Chrift, liewas croft in all hisdoings : bee went with a full mindeto conuert his sour ofmen. eountrimen, and theywould hauethrowne him downean ]till ; hewould haue preached to the Gargazices,and theyprayedhim todepart: he fpake greatly to difcredit thePlia. rifees,aiad they preuailedwith the peopleagainit him : lice bent all his preachingagainff Traditions, but in the Apot les times they increafedtenne forone, theypreferredBer- rabas beforehim,and to fill vp the meafure,the iuftman perifheth in his righteoufnes: but what reafon is thereofthis ? that it may appeareGods feruants are no mercenaries, they be not godly with fuel) and filch conditions, they faynot, let inflict rather be loft, thanI dyeas the heathen. Afecondreafon is in refpeéiof the thingit felfe. Aagufline marueileth why they call not life a difeafe : for men(peaking ofadifeafe willfay,he is inan Apoplexe, furelyhe will dye ofit,when indeedhemay efcape : butof lifewemay furely fay, heehash the ftcknes of life,thereforehe (hall dye,we dieof the corruption of humours,andasthere ammobodies publikeand private : fotwo humors,and twocorruptionsofthent,and isit not allone for one to die bythe corruptionof thepublikehumors,lawes andcuftomes,as of ourown ? Nay better,we beingwhole inbodie and foule. In taking uponvs tobeChri- ftians,webinde our felues todie : lincethe fall of Adamno ratanpaßètlt to Paradifebusby the burningSeraphins; no manto theland ofCanaan,but by theburthenofhün,and the waters ofMoral) ; no man to Ierufitlem,but bythe valleyof weeping; no man to the hap- pie citie,but bythe waters ofBabel : thetenor whereby wehold heauetyisthe croffe,that was the indenturebetwixt Clint! i and litsFather,that lie Ihould notenter Intoheaueu ,but that hemust firit fuffer,z.Timoth.z.all that will line godly mutt fuffer. And Ambrofetur- nctb
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