Chap.12. accordingta St M A TT H° & VV. p ffe delere ? Knows not Antipater,that one tear ofmy mothers, can eafily blot out all his accufations againft her, fi}id Alexander the Great ? Brethren alfo; or neer-allyes ( as thefe were to our Sa- viour ) are dearly to be refpefted, and greatly gratified,as were o- fephsbrethren by him in his greatnefie. But when thefe relations-;' or their requens, come incompetition with Gods work or glory, they mull be negleeted,nay rejee ed and abominated. For is there any friend, toGod ? or any foe like him ? Men be they pleafedor dilpleafed, he mull be obeyed, and hisbufneffe difpatched, be the contrary occafions never fourgent in thew, thepretences neverfo fpecious and plaufible. Verfe49. Beholdmy mother andmybrethren] Santfior efit cop,tla cordisquam corporie. Spirituali kindred is better theneter- nails There is afriend that flicketh c'ofer then abrother, Prov. f &, 24.Chrifl is endeared tohis in all manner ofnearsft rela tiers and engagements.Oh then the dignity and fafety ofaSaint 1. Andoh the danger and difafter of fuck as either by hand or tongue maligne or mold them What? will they wrong Chrills mother to his face ? will they force the ueen alto in the houfe ? &C. IfJacobs Elfh Mpe tons were fo avenged for the indignity, done to their filler Dinah, if ,flbfolon' forTamar, what wili.Chrtffdoe, or rather what will he not doe for his dearcn relations ? How will, this greater then Solomon arifeoff his throne,at thetall day,to meet his mother half- Kig. a, Ey. way, and to doe her all the honour that may be in that great Am- phitheatre? How fweetly will he accon, his brethren that have been long abfent from him in the flefh, though prefent ever in fpi- rit, with ,-iz -, Come ye bleffed, &cìß q.d. wherehave you been all this while ? They alto thanbe bold to fay CO him as Ruth die to Boaz, Spread thy shirt over us,fur thouart otkr near(iofnan, or, R ;},; 4« one that bath goodright to redeem. Verfe 5o. For Whofoevtr (hall doe the Will Loe here's the right wayof becoming akin to Chrin ; and can webetter prefer our felves ? It was an honour toMark, that he was Barnab.?s h;s fitters fon. David darnnot in modeny think of being ton in law to a King. Elymat the forcerer, affeaed to. beheld allyed to Chrift,and therefore tiledhimfelf Barjefeu:as Darius in his proud Fnbáfly to Alexa;,der, called himfelf Kingof Kinfgs,and, Co'en of the Gods.. But the right way to beennobled indeed, and in- righted to Chrin and his Kingdom is, to beleeve inhis Name, and obey his will. This, this us to become Chrins brother, andfifier,, 377
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=