Chap.23. icordrngtoStMATTHEVV. Upon all fuch covetous caitiff, , as have the greedy worm under tivev their tongues, and their ill-gotten goodsgotten already into their Lek.,, 1.4I. bowels, 2S thefe Pharifeeshad : which thereforeGod (hall fetch Iob 3o.15. thence againwith a vengeance. Makelong praier] God takes not mens praiers by tale, but by weight. He refpeeteth not the Arithmetike of our praiers, howmany they are, nor the Rhetorike of our praiers, how elo- quent they are, nor the Geometryofour praiers, how long they arc, nor the Mufick ofour praiers, the fweetneffeofour voice, nor the Logick ofour praiers, or the methodofthem, but the divini- ty of our praiers, is that which he fo much efieemeth. He look- eth not for any famer with hornyknees through affiduity in prai- er: nor forany Bartholomew with a century of praiers for the morning, and as many for theevening : but S.°Panlhis frequency o£praying "with fervencyof fpirit, without alltedious prolixtties and vain bablings ; this is it that God maketh molt account of. It ¡snot afcrvants going toand fro, but the difpatchof his bufi- neffe that pleafeth his mailer. It is not the loudneff of a preach- ers voice, but the holintffe of the matter, and the fpirit of' the preacher, that moveth a wife and intelligent hearer. So hem not gifts, but graces in praier move the Lord. But thefe long praiersofthePharifeeswere fomuch the worfe, becaufe thereby they fought toentitle God to their fin, yea, they meetly mocked him,fleeting in his face. Verfeií5. reeempaffefea and land]. They walked the round, as the devil cloth, to gain profelytes ; they (pared for nopains to pervert men (as now the ]efuites thofe Circulatores & rgyr- ae;) . fhould not we be as diligent and indefatigable to convert them toGed ? Shall we not beas bu.ie in building flair-cafes for beaten,' as feducers are indigging deicents to hell. If Saul, feel(' ingAfrs founda Kingdom, {hall not we by Peeking others finde heaven ? Iremake. him two -fold . more the childe of hell] Either becaufe they rclapfe toGentilifrne, as finding you fo vile andvicious in your lives : Or, becaufe ye teach them only Ceremonies and fu, perftitions: Or, becaufeyoukeep them ignorant of Chrift,.and Ambrof.¿e$, plant in theman hatred ofthe truth, as the J efuites do in their pa d7'Qj$,d profelytes. So that ofthemwemay fay as e 1mbrofe did ofTo. esp. z z. lemo, who, of a drunkard, by hearing Xenocrates, became a P;hilofopharr ,Si reßpeeit Avila, trait femper tauten totbrelentiae farri. legie 533
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