Deuout contemplations expressed in two and fortie sermons vpon all ye quadragesimall Gospells written in Spanish by Fr. Ch. de Fonseca Englished by. I. M. of Magdalen Colledge in Oxford

THE XXIII. SERMON, VP∣ON THE FRYDAY AFTER THE THIRD SONDAY IN LENT. (Book 23)

IOHN 4.5.

Venit Iesus in Ciuitatem Samariae, quae dicitur Sychar.

And Iesus came into a Citie of Samaria, which was called Sychar.

* 1.1IN matter of Conuersion, this action of our Sauiours seemeth of all other the most famous for the manifesting of Gods mercy.

In matter of Faith we know verie well, That hee that shall seeke him as he ought, shall find him: And of this Truth God hath giuen many testimonies in Scripture, They that seeke me•• early shall find me: And in another place, If thou seekest her a•• sil∣••er, and searchest for her as for Treasures, thou shalt find her. And elsewhere it is said, Seeke and yee shall find,* 1.2 knocke and it shall be opened vnto you. Wee know likewise, that some haue found him that haue not sought him, I was found of them that ••••••ght me not: but none did light on him with so little labour, and at so cheape •• rate,* 1.3 as this Samaritane. S. Paul was tumbled off from his horse on the ground, and was strooken blind; the Adulteresse passed through a purgatorie of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 and confusion; Marie Magdalen for her part poured forth a sea of teares; and the good Thee••e was faine to betake himselfe to a great deale of faith, loue, patience, and hope: but this woman, I know not what labour or paines it cost her, more than the letting downe of a Bucket and rope into the Well to draw a little water. That such a dishonest woman as this was, whom fiue husbands could

not suffice, and had entertained a Ruffian or Swash-buckler to be her companion and champion; that so base and vile a woman as shee was (consider her which way you will) in her linage, her fortune, her life, her behauiour, her age, o•• what∣soeuer else that sauours of basenesse; that Christ should make choice of her to publish his name, to bee as it were one of his Euangelists and Preachers of his Gospell, cannot but appeare to the World to be one of the greatest demonstrati∣ons of Gods both bountie and goodnesse. This made Esay to crie out, Good newes, good newes I bring you, I haue ioyfull tydings to tell you, Fountaines haue gushed forth in the Desart, waters haue shewne themselues in the Wilder∣nesse, and riuers appeare where there was nothing before but drie land. Grace doth vsually follow the steps of Nature, and though ordinarily your Brookes and your Riuers keepe themselues within their owne bounds and precincts, yet sometimes they leape out of those beds that were purposely made for them, and ouerflow those brinkes that bind them in, watering those thirstie places that stood in need of their refreshing. Iust so stands the case with Grace; for al∣though it commonly keeps it's vsuall and ordinarie course, yet now and then it swells aboue it's chanels, and riseth out of it's bed, making the wildernes a poole of waters, the barrainest grounds most fruitfull, and the greatest Sinners the grea∣test Saints.

And heere some one perhaps will say, I will wait for the like comming of Gods mercie: but let me tell him, whosoeuer he be, That this is not a going for water to the Fountaine, but that the Fountaine should bee brought home vnto vs. It is sufficient, that wee haue so franke and free a God that will now & then conferre these his great fauours vpon vs without our seeking of them: But what will not he doe for thee, if thou shalt seeke him with thy whole heart? Such a one, our Sauior compares to that Merchant which sought after pretious pearles of inestimable value. Wherein he notifieth vnto vs that extraordinarie diligence wherewith we are to seeke after him; and this is that Via Regia, or the Kings Highway in which we must walke, if we mean to find him; and this was the track that was troad in by all the Saints of Heauen: Hi sunt qui venerunt ex magna tri∣bulatione, &c. These are they which came out of great tribulation, &c. Others our Sa∣uiour compareth to hidden Treasure, which is found by chance, and seldome hapneth; and this it was this womans good lucke to light vpon, which was re∣uealed to some few, but from thousands of others hidden and concealed, &c.

He came into a Citie of Samaria called Sycar. The Saints doe render two rea∣sons of this journey. Saint Cyril saith, That newes was brought vnto the Pha∣risees, That Christ had more Disciples than Iohn Baptist, though Christ him∣selfe did no•• baptise; which raised such an inraged enuie in the hearts of them, that it comming to our Sauiours knowledge, he left Iudea and went for Galilee, Being inforced to passe through the midst of Samaria. Wherein he gaue to the Mini∣sters of the Gospell a twofold Lecture.

The one,* 1.4 That they ought sometimes to preferre sufferance before bold∣nesse; and rather to dissemble some feare, than to show themselues too forward; and to flye from the sword of anger than to oppose themselues against the edge thereof. And therefore it is sayd, If ye bee persecuted in one Citie, flye into another. Many account it a great point of valour, and that they prooue themselues to bee stout men in standing stiffely to their Cause, and maintaining it with an vndaun∣ted resolution; but this is rather Weakenesse than Fortitude, For in some occa∣sions, the greatest Victorie, is to suffer himselfe to be vanquished.

The other, (and let this be the second occasion of our Sauiours iournie)

That the Minister of Gods word, who is to loue all, to desire all should bee sa∣ued, and that all should haue the hearing of the Gospell, not to sow all the seed of Gods word in populous Cities. Clemens Alexandrinus compareth our Sauior to the Sunne, which inlightneth the World, expelleth Darkenesse, augmenteth Plants, fomenteth Flowers, breeds Gold in the veines of the Earth, Pearles in the shells of the Sea, inricheth and beautifieth all Creatures, and leaues no cor∣ner of the earth, which hee doth not visite and comfort with the beames of his light and splendor. The Pharisees murmuring, that our Sauiour Christ cured the sicke on the Saboth, he said vnto them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I worke. It is said in Genesis,* 1.5 He rested from all his worke which he had made. True it is, that God had then put an end to all the workes of his Power, but not to all the workes of his Loue. For in doing good deedes, the three diuine persons neuer take any rest. And as his loue in it selfe is perpetuall, so doth it still continue to∣wards his Creatures. Dionisius stileth Loue, Mobile, incessabile, ••eruens, & super∣feruens,* 1.6 He might likewise haue termed it Vniuersale; for there is not that worme whereunto it's vertue doth not extend it selfe. In a word, As that Husbandman in the Gospell, did not leaue out any part of the land, but did sow the same all ouer; so our Sauior Christ did plough that holy Land, which had the happines to haue him set his feet thereon, and did sow in it the seed of his Word; and by his Apostles did afterwards spred the same abroad through all the World: and here now, fals himselfe a worke at Sichar.

And there was Iacobs well. That the memorie of dead friends should be so pow∣erfull with God, as to make him affoord fauours to the liuing, it is much; But that the places where his friends liued, should worke this effect vpon him, it is more than much. But the Wel of Iacob teacheth vs this truth, & the good fortune that this woman had to find our Sauiour sitting there, where Abraham had ere∣cted an Altar vnto God; where he had receiued those great promises for his po∣steritie; where Iacob digg'd that Well, which was a great reliefe to that Citie. God treating of annointing Dauid King, willed it to bee done in Hebron. And why there more than in any other place, Abulansis renders this reason, That, that people did not deserue so good a King as Dauid,* 1.7 but a Tyrant like his predeces∣sors. And because in Hebron, Adam, Abraham, Isaac, and Iacob were there inter∣red, he would that it should be in Hebron, that the place might supply that defect which was wanting in the peoples desert. Our Sauior Christ being born in Beth∣lem, the Angells came to tell the tidings thereof to the Sheapheards. And why to the Sheapheards? What aduantage haue they of Grace, Nature, or Fortune, aboue other men? Saint Ierome sayth, That the antient Patriarchs had fed their flockes in those fields; and that in this, as likewise in Rachels beeing buried there, consisted this their happinesse: So that, not onely the Saints of God, but those places wherein they liued, or dyed, will be a meanes for thee to meet with God. As in the place where sinners meet, as in your Conuenticles of Heretickes, and Witches, the Deuill comes amongst them, offering them imaginarie fountaines of delights: So, in holy places thou shalt presently meet with God, who will offer thee fountaines of liuing waters, &c. Tertullian treating of the Amphi∣theaters where men went in to kill one another, sayd, Tot daemones, quot 〈◊〉〈◊〉, That there were as many Deuils there, as there were Men. And a woman that was a Christian comming from these sports, the Deuill entred into her. And beeing asked how he durst doe so to a seruant of our Sauior Christ, made answer, I found her within the limits of my Iurisdiction.

Wearied in the iourney. It was no wonder that he was wearie, it beeing a iour∣ney,

of such painefull circumstances.

First, In that our Sauiour went foot; a trauaile which in long iournies is woont to tyre out the strongest and ablest men. Those Posts which foot it, and those Souldiers that march long and hard marches, remaine oftentimes surbated and lame of their feet. Dauid pursuing those theeues that had fired Ziklag, one part of his Souldiers were so tired out with their trauaile, that they aboad be∣hind, and were not able to goe ouer the riuer Bezor.* 1.8 And Dauid afterwards fly∣ing from his sonne Absalon, the Storie sayth, That he and all his people were so wearie, that Achitophell being aduertised thereof, would haue set vpon him at midnight, presuming that beeing so wearie as they were, they would not be able to defend themselues. The Prophet Elias flying from Iezabel,* 1.9 came so bruised and so leg-wearie, to the shade of a Iuniper Tree, that he desired of God, that he would be pleased to take away his life.

The second circumstance was, The scortching heat of the Sunne, which in the Sommer time is so troublesome, that a Sheepeheard or Heardsman can hard∣ly indure it. The Children of Israell were afflicted in Aegypt with the tale of their brickes, with the gathering of straw for to make them, with their skins rent and torne with rods of thornes and briars, and tormented with many miseries: And God leading them one Sommer through the Desart of Arabia, which was a hot sandie ground, it seemed vnto him, that it was intollerable trouble for them to trauell in such heats, and to march on as it were in despight of the Sun; He spread a cloud ouer them like a curtaine. Which i•• all one with that of Wisedome,* 1.10 Thou madest the Sunne that it hurted 〈◊〉〈◊〉 not in their honourable Iourney. Ionas bee∣ing parched with the heat of the Sunne in the Confines of Niniuie, did suffer such great torment, that he held death the lesser pain of the two. The Sun beat vp∣on the head of Ionah, that he fainted & wished in his heart to die; and said,* 1.11 It is bet∣ter for me, Lord, to die, than to liue. The glorious Doctor S. Austen saith, That the Sunne did not know our Sauiour Iesus Christ till the houre of his blessed death, and that his then retyring of himselfe, the hiding of his head, and the withdrawing of the beames of his light, was not onely in pittie and compassi∣on of his Creator, but to shew his sorrow and repentance for that small kindnes which he had vsed towards him when he went his journeys.

The third circumstance was, The extream heat and drought of the Countrie of Samaria; the heat of those sandie grounds being (as the Poet saith) very fu∣rious and raging; Furit ••stus arenis. This must needs cause thirst and wearinesse in the hardest constitution whatsoeuer; How much more must they work their painfull effects vpon so delicate and tender a bodie and complexion as that of our Sauiour Christ?

Wearied with his journey. The ends which God intended in wearying out himselfe, were not without some deepe mysterie; Non frustra fatigatur Iesus, (saith S. Austen) Iesus did not take this paines in vaine.

First of all, He was willing thereby to honour our sweats and our labours, and to giue a sauorie relish to our trauells and paines taking.* 1.12 Those waters which passe through a golden Mine, are verie sweet and pleasing to the taste; and your ••quae, waters, in Scripture are taken for poenae, punishments. Saue me, ô God, for the waters are entred euen to my soule. The many waters of affliction were not able to quench my loue. But these our paines passing through those veins which are farre better and more pretious than gold, doe giue a sweet and pleasing sauour to Heauen it selfe. The horne of the Vnicorne makes those waters wholesome,* 1.13 which before were full of poyson and venome: Ou•• Sauior, whom Dauid calls a

Vnicorne, makes our paines to turne to our good. In that day shall seuen 〈◊〉〈◊〉 take hold of one man,* 1.14 saying, We will eat our owne bread, onely let vs bee called by thy name, and take away our reproch. The name of Woman signifieth weakenesse, and the number of seuen, multitudinem, a great sort: whereas hee saith, That seuen women shall take hold of one man; the meaning is, That our weakenesses, and our paines and punishments in this life, shall take hold on that one man our Saui∣our Iesus Christ, and beseech him to take pittie of vs, and that he will do vs but that grace as to suffer vs to be called by his name, it is all wee will aske of him; all the World will else shun and abandon vs, as persons affronted and disgraced: Aufer opprobrium nostrum, O Lord take this reproch from vs.

Secondly, S. Bernard saith, That God could haue redeemed Mankind at a lesse rate, but that he was willing by this so painfull a course to banish sloathfulnesse, lazinesse, and vnthankefulnesse out of mans heart. For if God journeying in the heats, suffering the scortching of the Sunne, and neither eating nor drinking, ti∣reth out himselfe thus for thy sake; How canst thou be so lazie and vngrateful to this his great paines and wearinesse, as to sit still vpon thy stoole to take thy ease and doe nothing? How carefull were those two Tobies, in deuising how they might requite Raphael for the paines which he had taken in his journey? What shall we giue him to content him? If we should giue him halfe of that we haue, nay (said the young Tobie) if I should become his slaue,* 1.15 I cannot recompence the loue and kindnesse that he hath shewne vnto mee. Esay treating of our Sauiour Christ, saith, Et factus est saluator in omni tribulatione eorum, & Angelus faci••i 〈◊〉〈◊〉 saluabit eos: The Seuentie translate it, Neque Angelus, sed ipse Dominus saluabit eos, He shall be their Sauiour in all their tribulations, not any Angell, but God himselfe. And here it is not an Angell that takes this paines, and thus wearies himselfe, but it is God himselfe. Is it much then, that thou shouldst be carefull and painefull, and toyle and moyle to doe good, seeing thy Sauiour hath set thee so good an example, and will so well accept and reward this thy labour and seruice?

The reason whereof is much strengthened and increased, by considering what a powerfull God our God is,* 1.16 and what a poore thing is Man. All nations are as a drop of a Bucket before him, and are counted as the dust of the ballance, which is with a verie little, little lesse than nothing. And as it is in the booke of Wisedome,* 1.17 As the small thing that the ballance weigheth, so is the World before thee, and as a drop of the morning dew that falleth downe vpon the earth. S. Ambrose questions God, Why, ô Lord, so much for so little? And his answer is, That this doth in∣deere thy ingratitude, and his loue. This is a thing to stunne a man, and to make him stand astonished; that the Sea should goe after a drop of water, as if there∣with it should augment it's immensitie and vastnesse; that Totum should seeke af∣ter Nihil, he that is all in all, after a thing of nothing, as if thereby he should bet∣ter his Being; that God should seeke after a wench that was a water carrier, and being so wearie (as he was) he should sit him downe vpon Iacobs Well, and there entertaine himselfe in talke with her, How can she euer be able to requite so great and vndeserued a kindnesse?

This reason is also the more indeered, considering how little it concernes God, and how much it imports man. What is it to God? Nothing. What ca••st thou giue vnto him? If thou shouldst vndoe thy selfe in his seruice, thou shalt not adde one dramme of glorie vnto him. What is it to Man? The greatest happi∣nesse that can befall him, in that God should tyre out himselfe for him who is not worthie the looking after. Much (saith Saint Bernard) ought man to medi∣tate on this his wearinesse, considering how deere man did cost God. It were

meere idlenesse in man, to thinke that God made him for nothing, or to sit still & be idle. In the sweat of thy browes shalt thou eat thy bread: This was poena culpae, a punishment appointed him for the fault he had cōmitted, that euery bit of bread should cost him a drop of sweat▪ and this lighted vpon our Sauiour himselfe,* 1.18 as being our Suretie: the debt was ours; but he standing bound for vs, was forced to pay it, we failing therein. Meus cibus est, vt faciam voluntatem patris: And here the meat that he was to feed vpon, was a hard crust to gnaw vpon. The con∣uersion of this woman; he was to tug for it and sweat for it,* 1.19 Hee shall see of the trauell of his soule; and shall be satisfied. His bodie trauelled with wearinesse, his soule with thoughts and cares; but he shall see that which he desired, and bee satisfied. Saint Ambrose discoursing of these our Sauiours paines, saith, That for that he did esteeme so highly of them, they are not to be considered as pains, but as the price of our Redemption. And if the price of thy ransome cost God a great deale of labour and sweat, it is not much, that the price of finding God should be thy labour and thy sweat. Laurentius Iustinianus saith, That God had contriued it so, that the Nin••uites should see Ionas gaping for breath, & al-to-be∣rayed with the filthie slime and oyle of the Whale; to the end that this so sad and sorrowful a spectacle, should be of equiualencie to those miracles which he wrought amongst them, and should persuade them to Fastings, Sackecloath, and Ashes, &c. Philon declaring that place of Deutronomie,* 1.20 That hee that had plan∣ted a Vineyard, and not eaten of the fruit thereof; and that he that had built him an house, and not dwelt therein; and that he that had married a wife, and had not enioyed her companie, should returne backe from the Warre: this learned Do∣ctor saith, That the reason of this Proclamation was, for that it was not held fit,* 1.21 that another should for a song (as they say) and doing little or nothing for it, come to inioy the fruit of another mans labours. Will God, That thou shalt not enioy another mans house, or his Vineyard, for nothing; and shall hee giue thee Heauen for nothing? Zenon inferreth the selfe same consequence, from that place of Genesis,* 1.22 He will not but thou shalt get thy bread with the sweat of thy browes; And doest thou thinke thou shalt purchase Heauen without taking of paines? This is a strange and harsh kind of doctrine to our daintier sort of peo∣ple and nice Worldlings, who cannot be without their coaches, their warming-pannes, their perfumes, their muffes, their banquets, their musicke, their Come∣dies, their Gardens of pleasure, &c. as if this were the way to goe to Heauen. But I would haue thee to know (saith Greg. Nizen) that Heauen may be here fit∣ted and prepared for vs, but not enioyed. Doe not thou wearie out thy selfe in seeking after that which our Sauiour Christ could not find. When I see a man fare daintily and delicately, choise and nice in his dyet and his cloathes, and as greedie after his profit as his pleasure; I would faine know of him, being so great a Louer as he is of a merrie and pleasant kind of life, being wholly giuen to iol∣litie, How he dares to goe treading and counting these his steps, towards Hell? Doth he thinke to lead the same life there?

Iesus then wearied in the iourney, sat downe on the Well. A Trauailer comes all dust and sweat, and exceeding wearie to a fountaine, hee washes himselfe, makes him∣selfe cleane, drinkes, sits downe, and so seekes to shake off his wearinesse. But our Sauiour comming extreame wearie to this fountaine, nei••her washes himselfe, makes himselfe cleane, nor drinkes, but onely sate thus, as beeing wearied, that this woman might take notice of his wearisomenesse, and this his troublesome iourney; and so Caietane, and the Cardinall of Toledo, doe expound the word sic; that he sate euen thus vpon the Well.

The ends why God exprest himselfe to be thus wearie, are no lesse deepe and profound, than the former.

First, Because out of this his wearinesse, the sinner might apprehend his loue. Theodoret deriueth the name of God from a Greeke word, which signifieth, To runne. And they gaue this name vnto God, who tooke the starres to bee Gods. Damascene, that hee was therefore called God, because he succours our miseries, and releeues our necessities with that hast and speede, that thereby we may per∣ceiue how much he loues vs. Leo the Pope, expounding that place of Saint Luke, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me, sayth, That these words which our Sauiour vsed to his father, were not words of complaint; but a Lecture which he read vnto Man, making vpon the Crosse a muster or beade-rolle of all those troubles, that he had both in his life and death suffered for him: And therefore cryeth out, I beseech thee (deere Father) that thou wilt giue Man eyes to see, The end why thou hast forsaken mee. For that thy naturall sonne, should come to this so miserable and wretched an estate, it was neither disaster nor disgrace, nor force, nor any thing else that could cause it, but the great loue which I bore vn∣to Man, seeing his disease was so desperate, that it was requisite that I should tast of this so bitter a potion, and that if I had been so necessitated and so sick as Man was, I could not haue done more for my selfe.

We haue two principall fountaines of Loue to consider in God.

The one, In his Creating of vs.

The other, In his Redeeming of vs.

In creating vs, hee poured forth the rich treasure of his Loue, Thy hands made mee, and fashioned mee, &c. The Beasts, Birds, and Fishes could not say so much. All the rest of the creatures had their beeing, God onely speaking the Word, Ipse dixit, & facta sunt. But when he came to the creation of Man, he sayd, Faci∣amus hominem, &c. Tertullian, and Saint Austen are of opinion, That God tooke the forme of Man vpon him, because he had created him after his owne image, and likenesse. Wherein hee manifested most strange pledges of his loue, not on∣ly because he was the workemanship of his owne hands [howbeit Aristotle saies, that euery man beares a loue and affection to that which his owne hand hath planted, and for which he hath taken paines. As God sayd vnto Ionas, Thou weepest and takest on for thy Gourd, for which thou hast not laboured, neither madest it to grow;] but for the good affection that he had placed vpon man, and for that he had taken Mans likenesse vpon him.* 1.23 But much more are wee bound vnto him, that he hath redeemed vs. He created vs by his power, but he redee∣med vs by his loue; so that we owe more to his loue than his power. His ta∣king of our weakenesse vpon him, was our strengthening. Thy power did create me, but thy frailtie did refresh me, said Saint Augustine. He calls our Redemption a second Creation: And as we vse to sing in the Church, What benefit had our birth beene vnto vs, if we had not receiued the fruits of Redemption? So likewise may we say, What good would our creation haue done vs, if wee must haue perished had we not had the profit of Redemption?

Secondly, For to put a Sinner in some good hope & assurance; for why should not I relie vpon Gods loue, being that he hath taken such a deale of pains forme, and hath wearied out himselfe to giue me ease? Zacharie represents our Sauiour Christ vnto vs with wounds in his hands;* 1.24 and asking the question, What are these wounds in thy hands? How camest thou by them? or, Who gaue them thee? This answer is returned, Thus was I wounded in the house of my friends. Rupertus & Galatinus are both of opinion, That this is a metaphor drawne from

a Labrador or Husbandman, who hath his hands hardned, and a kind of callum or thicke skinne growne vpon them through too much labour. So that seeing Man was condemned for his offence, to dig and plough the earth, Christ vndertooke that taske for him, as one that was willing to suffer for his friends.* 1.25 I am a Husband∣man; for Man taught me to be a Heardsman from my youth vp: for, to ease them of this burthen, I was willing to beare their punishment. He then that shall take such pittie and compassion of me, he that shall vndergoe such a deale of trouble for my sake, makes me to haue a strong hope and beleefe, that he will denie mee nothing. Iacob wrestled all night with God, the Patriarke in that strugling got a lamenesse, and God grew so wearie, that he cried vnto him, Let me goe.* 1.26 But Ia∣cob answered, I will not let thee goe except thou blesse mee. Was this a good time, thinke you, to craue a blessing? Yes marry was it; for I standing in need there∣of, and God waxing wearie for my sake, What shall I aske, that hee will de∣nie mee?

Thirdly, Christ shews himselfe wearie, to the end that by this his great pains he might saue the sinner from perdition. Saint Augustine saith, Fatigatus Iesus, quia fidelem populum inuenire non poterat, That Iesus was wearie, because he could not find out a faithfull People. The Sheepeheard that seekes after his lost sheepe, may wearie out himselfe verie much in seeking of him out; but much more will hee find himselfe so, if he doe not find him. It is not so much Gods paines that hee takes, but our sinnes, and our wandring so farre out of the way from him, that makes him so wearie. And if a Sheepe had but the vnderstanding to know the paines that the Sheepheard takes, the care and wearinesse that accompanies such a strange kind of stragling, besides his being indangered of being deuoured by that Wolfe the Deuill, which lies in wait for his destruction; he would bee bet∣ter aduised, and fall a bleating after his Sheepheard Christ Iesus, and hasten into the Fold.

Fourthly, The feare of a mans own hurt and condemnation; for though God now shew himselfe vnto thee wearie, and as it were quite tired out in seeking af∣ter thee, who refusest to be found while it is day; thou shalt see him hereafter in pompe and maiestie, to thy great feare and terrour. Now, he calls vnto thee, in∣uites thee, and intreats thee to come vnto him; now, thou findest him heere, sit∣ting and staying to see if thou wilt come vnto him, beeing meruailous willing and readie to doe thee good, and to supplie thy necessities; hee is now all pittie and mercie, but hereafter he will bee all rigour and justice. Nothing hath put God to halfe that paines, as hath thy sinnes; it is they that haue wearied him, they that haue wounded him, and they that haue crucified him:* 1.27 and if there∣fore now thou shalt not take the benefit of these his paines, wounds, and cruci∣fixion, they shall hereafter condemne thee. For you was my side opened, and yee would not enter in, saith Saint Augustine; my armes were spred abroad to em∣brace yee, but yee would not come neere me; and therefore these my wounds shall be the Atotrney to accuse you, and the Witnesse to condemne you: and all those things which heeretofore did represent vnto you reasons of confidence and assurance, shall now driue you into the depth of desperation, and make you call vnto the Mountaines, with a Cadite super nos, Fall vpon vs and couer vs. The Quaile keepes a mourning and complaining in her kind of language, when shee sees the Sunne; and the Condemned they will likewise howle & lament, when they shall see Christ in the Heauens. The Angells did aske, Who is this that comes from the earth so glorious and so bloudie? I haue fought a bloudie bat∣tell here vpon earth, triumphing like a Conqueror ouer the Deuil & Death, &c.

But then they replyed and asked him, What, bloud and wounds in Heauen? to what end, I pray you? They are memorialls of the wrongs I receiued: And in the day of vengeance I shall say vnto you, Behold the Man whom yee haue cruci∣fied. Ye shall then take notice of these wounds, & of this Crosse of myne. So that those things that are now our strong tower, our defence, our protection, our as∣surance, and our loue, shall be our feare, our cowardise, and our condemnation. In Exodus God commanded, That they should not seeth the Kid in the milke of it's Damme. Lyra and Clemens Alexandrinus make this Glosse thereupon, That God would not haue that which was the beginning of it's life, to be the instru∣ment of it's death. And this may be verified of the wearinesse and wounds of our Sauiour Christ; neither the torments of the Deuill, nor the fire of Sodom, nor the water of the Floud which drowned all the world, nor hel it selfe ought so much to feare thee, as to see thy God thus wearied and wounded for thee.

Sedebat sic, He sate thus.

Saint Chrysostome, Euthymius, and Theophilact say, Sedebat sic, non in cella, aut in loco honoratiori, sed in terra, He sat thus, not in a chaire, or some more honorable place, but on the ground: Conforming himselfe according to the time and place, he sate him downe as well as he could, not being curious of the softnesse, easinesse, or con∣ueniencie thereof. Wherein are condemned two sorts of persons.

The one, They, who for one houres paines, will haue a thousand dainties to delight themselues withall, and for one houres labour, a thousand refreshings. They indeere this storme and tempest of theirs more than any Galley-slaue that tugs at the oare; they extoll their labour so high aboue the skies, that there is no earthly reward that can recompence their paines. It is such a strange thing for them to put themselues to any trouble, and so vaine is their presumption, that the sea and the sands are too little to content them. And this is commonly the condition of base people, that are preferred to honourable place.

The other, They who will not be pleased with accommodating themselues as well as they can, or content themselues with that which is sufficient for them, but are still seeking after more than is enough: And this is too common amongst vs.

* 1.28He sate thus vpon the Well. A woman (saith Saint Augustine) eame to the well, and found a Fountaine there which she little thought of. And he farther sayth, That he sate him downe vpon the Well, to the end that we should not seeke to draw water out of this depth, but endeauour to draw water out of that Fountaine which is aboue all the waters in the world. This Well is the water of life, let vs draw from hence, that we may drinke of the cup of Saluation. One of the attributes of Christ, is Oyle or Balsamum poured forth and scattered abroad, whose propertie and qualitie is to swimme vpon the water. The water drawne from the Well giues a great deale of trouble, and little satisfaction; it is a brac∣kish water that quenches not the thirst: but this soueraigne Fountaine affoordeth vs that sweet and comfortable water which quencheth the flames of the firie lusts and affections of this life, and allayeth the thirst of our sinnes. Of that wa∣ter of the mysticall Rocke which in those dayes of old did quench the thirst of sixe hundred thousand persons, Thomas and Lyra affirme, That it followed the Campe, and that God would not that any other water should giue them reliefe, but the water of the Rocke;* 1.29 which was a figure of our Sauior Christ: This Wa∣ter was Christ. This woman came for water to Iacobs Well, but this could not quench neither her nor thy thirst, but another Fountaine that sate vpon the lid

or couer of this Well.

His Disciples were gone into the Citie to buy meat. Saint Chrysostome hath obser∣ued, That our Sauior Christ and his Disciples had but little care of their bellie; yet it being now high noone, and hauing had so long and painfull a journey, they were inforced to goe buy them some victuals.* 1.30 W•••• vnto that land whose Princes eat betimes in the morning, and Woe vnto them that rise vp early to follow drunkennesse. He that hath not broke fast at one of the Clocke in the afternoone, what will he say or thinke of him that rises vp to eat by day-breake? Seneca saith, That Gl••t∣tonie hath reached farther than possibly the wit of man could reach. Nat••••e makes gold and pearles; Art, money and jewels; & of all this, Gluttony makes a daintie dish to please the palate. And in another Epistle he saith, That we need not so much wonder at our many sickenesses and infirmities, hauing so many Cookes and Kitchen Bookes, so many inuentions of sundrie sor•••• of dishes and seuerall kinds of seruices, euerie one of them beeing it selfe a s••••knesse. Philon paints forth a Glutton, in the Serpent, to whom God said, Terram comedes.

First, Because he trailes his brest vpon the earth, which is his food.* 1.31

Secondly, In regard of the poyson which he alwaies beares in his mou••h▪ so the Glutton hath alwaies his mind on that which he is to eat; and poyson in his mouth, because he goes eating of that which shortens his life.

Thirdly, For that God admitting the excuse of Adam and Eue, did not allow of the Serpents excuse: Maledictus super omnia animantia, Cursed art thou aboue all the Creatures, &c. Which was all one as if he should haue said, That others sinnes might receiue excuse, but to forsake God for to fill the bellie, is inexcusable.

They went into the Citie to buy meat. Saint Chrysostome saith,* 1.32 That it is super∣••••uous prouidence in a Traueller, to carrie with him an Alforias, or a Walle••, be∣cause he shall neuer want vpon the way, that which shall be sufficient to ••••••••sfie his hunger; and he farther addeth, That it is a needlesse care in the Souldiers of Iesus Christ. The fiercest beast dies not of hunger, nor the Corke tree in the Desert, though neuer so much pilled, at any time s••arueth. All the trees of the field shall be filled &c. And can the Seruant of God then want? When I s••nt••yee forth without a scrip, was there any thing wanting vnto you? If there be any need at all of prouision (saith the said Chrysostome) it is for our journy for that other life: for, besides that it is a long one and a narrow one, there is no bai••ing place by the way, no Inne, no Victualling house, no Fountaine, no Well, no Brooke, nor Sheepheards Cottage: It is a Sea voyage, wherein you must carrie all your Ma∣talotage and prouision with you readie killed, & powdred vp. The rich Glutton, when he was gone hence, because he made not his prouision before han••▪ could not meet with so much as one drop of water.

It was about the sixt houre. Saint Cyril saith, That the Euangelist sets downe this word About, in token that euen in the least things we should haue a great care of the truth, considering how hatefull a thing a lie is. And here hee giues a reason of his Sedebat, why he sate there.

The one was, His extreame heat and wearinesse.

The other, (which was the maine cause) His expecting of the woman of S••∣maria's comming to the Well; waiting there for her, as an Hun••s••an for his Game; and het want of water makes the way for her to come thither, Ies•••• sit∣ting there all the while. Saint Augustine saith, Sede••a•• iuxta p••t••um, ••ed 〈◊〉〈◊〉 qui∣••s••ebat, He sate by the Well, but tooke no great ••ase; his bodie rested it selfe, bu•• not his soule. Philon saith, That a mans sitting doth not argue case, but to sit, and to

leane the hand on the cheeke, as it seemeth our Sauiour vpon the Well-lid, is the posture of a pensatiue man,* 1.33 and one that is full of care. Moses flying from Pha∣raohs Court, the Scripture sayth, That finding himselfe wearie he sate him down by a Well; and that loosing the sailes to his thoughts, his mind was on Aegypt, casting with himselfe what they talked of him in the Princes pallace; and bee∣ing doubtfull what fortune should be fall him, got him to Midian. Ioseph•• Bre∣theren (sayth the same Doctor) sate them down in Aegypt, vnloaded themselues of their sackes and wallets, as men that were willing to rest themselues; but what with the sorrow that they tooke for their father, whome they left behinde them in the land of Canaan; and what would betide them with Ioseph, they found but little ease. Esay painting foorth God in his Throane, circled about with Seraphins,* 1.34 sayth, That euery one of them had six wings: With twaine he couered his face, and with twaine hee couered his feete, and with twaine he did flye. Saint Bernard askes the question, how they may be sayd to flye, and not to flye? And his answere is, That this was a Miracle of Loue, that made them assist for Gods glorie, and yet flye abroad for mans good. It is a Type of our Sauiour Christ, who resting his bodie on the couer of the Well, set the cogita∣tions of his soule vpon it's wings; considering with himselfe, how farre those sheepe were gone astray, which he came to bring backe againe vnto the fold, and what a deale of labour and paines he was to take, being scattered so farre asunder as they were.

There came a woman of Samaria to draw water. Our Sauiour Christ beeing wea∣rie, and this woman beeing likewise wearie, let no man in this life, be he righte∣ous, or be he a sinner, looke for any ease or rest in this life. If Gods elect children come brused and broken to Heauen, passing through fire and water, broyled, roasted, sawne, dragged on the ground, whipt, and quartered, Sancti per 〈◊〉〈◊〉 vicerunt regna, &c. And if the places of Scripture, which indeere the torment of the just are many, many likewise are the indeerements of the torments which sinners suffer. So that both of them plie the oare in the Galley of this life. Si impius fuero, va mihi; si iustus, non leuabo caput, &c. But the just hath a double aduantage.

* 1.35The one, That their paines are sauorie vnto them, because they suffer them for Gods sake. Saint Gregorie sayth, That in the midst of his greatest miseries, the iust doth inioy a kind of secret glorie. And that Iob vpon the dunghill did inioy this comfort, thinking vpon the peece of pot-shard which God had put in∣to his hands; weighing & considering with himselfe, that as the fire doth harden the clay, and makes it a purer and better kind of Earth than before; so he him∣selfe should be much bettered by this fierie triall of his, and bee purified the more by these sores and boyles that brake out vpon his bodie. But the sin∣ner doth not inioy this happinesse, euen his verie pleasures are painfull vnto him, and his solace turnes into sorrow.

The other aduantage is the end of the Iust. Saint Bernard treating of the two Theeues, sayth, That they came both wearie, and their bones broken, to that other life, They had the same prison, the same shackles, bonds, torments, & crosse. But Quam ••imiles cruces, quam dissimiles exitus habuerunt, How equall their crosses, how vnequall their ends.

* 1.36S••e•• came to draw water. This woman it should seeme, was borne vnder some vnhappie Starre, That hauing buried fiue husbands, she should be so poorely left amongst them, that she must be forced to fetch water her selfe at the Well, & be driuen to draw it vp. But there are two great miseries that accompanie your wo∣men

that are wanton and lasciuious.

The one is, That they commonly come to a great deale of neede and want, scarce hauing bread to put in their mo••ths. Why ••unnest thou about so much to change thy wayes? Thou shalt not p••osper thereby. The Prophet speaketh here of his people,* 1.37 in the metaphor of an Harbor, who pilling this and that other m••n, and causing the richest & wealthest Citi••ens in Ierusalem, to wast and consume their means vpon them, come themselues in the end to dye in an Hospitall. She gathered it out of the hyre of a Harlot, and they shall returne to the wages of an Harlot. He followes the same metaphor still,* 1.38 proouing that the wages and riches of Harlots seldome thriue, and as they are wickedly gotten, so are they vilely and quickely spent. The price of a Whoore, is scarce worth a loafe of bread. So that, though such a one should chance to gaine a Million, yet (as Salomon sayes) were it a Kings patrimo∣nie, it would be all wasted and consumed: For such a one shall be brought to that low estate, that she shall bee readie to starue for lacke of food. And albeit, spea∣king in the generall, our neuer offending of our God, bee a good meanes for the purchasing of prosperitie to our selues; yet to grow into wealth by this base course, is but Vigilia inferni, Hels Wake-day; a little pleasure, for a long torment. For that which generally happeneth to all, and in particular to women, is the extremest of pouertie.

The other is,* 1.39 That your H••rlot is 〈◊〉〈◊〉 to bestow money to maintaine her Louers and to find her friends. So Ezechiel complained of his people, They giue gifts to all other Whoores, but thou giuest gifts to all thy Louers, and rewardest them, that they may come vnto thee on euerie side for thy fornication. There are some Whoores that sinne out of Couetousnesse, I will goe after my Louers,* 1.40 that giue me my bread and my water, my wooll and my flaxe, mine oyle and my drinke.* 1.41 And because they doe not acknowledg whence this good commeth; For she did not know that I gaue her corne and wine &c. they come to suffer great hunger. For God takes away those blessings from them, for the which they giue thankes vnto their Louers. Therefore will I returne, and take away my corne in the time thereof,* 1.42 and my wine in the season thereof, and will recouer my wooll and my flax lent, and discouer her lewdnesse in the sight of her Louers; and no man shall deliuer her out of my hand; I will cause all her mirth to cease, her feast dayes and all her so∣lemne feasts, I will destroy her vines, and her figge-trees, whereof she hath said, These are my rewards that my Louers haue giuen me.

Others sinne out of lasciuiousnesse and wantonnesse, and these come to be so vile and so base, that they woo men both with their person and their substance, giuing money to boot. And the more that time flyes from them, and that their goods forsake them, the more they pursue their pleasures and indeauor to inioy them. Let it be in thy Letanie, That God would deliuer thee from this euill, That the more thy Vices fly from the, the faster thou shouldst follow after them: For when thy youth inuiteth thee therunto, and that thou inioyest these humane pleasures and delights, euen then it is bad; but when Time goes away from thee, Age comes vpon thee, and that it is high time that thy Vices should leaue thee, or thou them▪ that thou shouldst then follow after them, that is farre worse, and the very vtmost of Ill. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 My dayes (saith Iob) haue beene more swift than a Post,* 1.43 they haue fled, and haue seene no good thing. They are passed as with the most swift ships, and as the Eagle that flyeth to her prey.

Woman giue me drinke. When our Sauiour craued water of her, waterdropped from him, and hee sweat hard for it. And Saint Chrysostome sayth,* 1.44 That Christ was willing that the Samaritane should confesse this Almes vpon him, in token

that the first step to our justification, should be mercie and pittie. Petrus Chry••∣logus saith, That our Sauiour Christ did craue this humane mercie of her, that towards her he might exercise his diuine pittie. If you withhold the water a while in the Fountaine, and keepe it backe from it's course, it gusneth foorth in greater aboundance; so is it with the milke in the brest; and so likewise is it with Almesdeeds, which still returne a double requitall. Saint Ambrose ex∣pounding that place of Saint Paul, Pietas ad omnia vtilis, saith, That the man that is pittifull, though he suffer weaknesse in respect of the flesh, Vapulabit, sed non peribit, He shall be beaten, but shall not perish. For there is nothing in a greater disposition to make God to pardon a sinner, than is Pittie.

Giue me drinke. God gaue way to his thirst, that he might make way the better to that hunger and thirst which he hath after the soule of a Sinner; which is so great, that he onely is able to indeere the same; it is meat and drinke vnto him, and so sauorie to his tast, that none is able to expresse the true relish thereof, sa••e onely he that knowes it. But here he made choice to manifest this his desire ra∣ther by his thirst, than by his hunger.

First, By taking occasion from the water which this Woman drew out of the Well.

* 1.45Secondly, Because it is the more vehement passion of the two, and doth com∣monly more afflict and torment vs; yet in the end, he did not drinke, drowning that his thirst in that other thirst which he had after this poore soule. The ena∣moured. Spouse did not eat, though shee were hungrie, because her Beloued was sicke, and had no stomacke to his meat. Our Sauiour seeing this Samaritane had no great mind to drinke of this liuing water, doth not drinke himselfe, though he were athirst, and much desired to quench it with this dead water. Sampson hauing a Fountaine neere at hand, would not drinke, though he were thirstie, til he had got the victorie ouer his enemies. Saint Augustine saith of S. Laurence, That he did not feele the fire of the Tyrant, so strongly was hee affected with that diuiner fire.* 1.46 So our Sauiour was not sencible of his owne thirst, nor of his wearisomenesse, nor of the Sunnes heat, out of the desire that hee had to ob∣taine his pretended victorie. Saint Ambrose expounding that place of Dauid, Cucurri in siti; saith, That it may be read, Cucurrerunt in siti: and hee prooueth it out of the Greeke word, as also that which followeth, Ore suo benedicebant, & cor∣de suo benedicebant: The letter treateth of the Scribes and Pharisees; so that our Sauior Christ had thirst, and they had thirst; he thirsted for their life, they thir∣sted for his death. And this was one of the reasons why our Sauiour Christ did sweat bloud in the garden; for that the Priests, the Scribes, and the Pharisees had decreed his death in that their sacrilegious Councell: for albeit they had alrea∣die treated before of his banishing of him from amongst them; another while, of throwing him downe from the side of a steepe hill, and attempted many other disgraces and violences vpon his person; yet were they not come til now, nor was it euer to be supposed that they would haue beene so cruel, as to desire the shedding of his diuine bloud, & to pursue him with that eagrenes as they did vnto death. And because no other desire could satisfie that their bloud-thir∣stie desire, than the desires of our Sauiours bloud, to leape out of those his sa∣cred veines, for their and our good; therefore, Factus est sudor sanguinis, &c. To this end tended that Fac citius of Iudas: he had alreadie driuen the bargaine, and the price for which he sould him agreed vpon, and his feet did now itch to be gone, that he might receiue his money; in token that Christ had a greater de∣sire to be sould, than he had to sell him: and therefore hee said vnto him, Quod

facis, fac citius, That thou doest, do quickly. The like end he had in the institution of his blessed Sacrament; the deliuerie was promised, but before Iudas deliuered him vp, he deliuered vp himselfe; Praestabilis super malitia, (saith Ioel) not onely because Gods mercie ouercomes Mans malice, but because it preuents it.

How comes it, that thou being a Iew requirest drinke of me? When this Samari∣tane woman did petition our Sauiour Christ, saying, Sir, giue me of that water; he might haue made her this answer, How is it that thou bee••••g a Samaritane, askest drink of me? But she was a woman, and weake, and therefore she spake as she did; but our Sauiour would not touch vpon that string. For, to take too much liber∣tie to our selues in our owne proper cases, and to vse hypocrisies and finesse in those of other men, is the condition of naughtie and ill natured people. Saint Chrysostome sayth, That when any scruple did arise, our Sauiour tooke vpon him to excuse it, Christum cauere oportebat, It concerned Christ to looke about him, How∣soeuer it did this Samaritan woman. Absalon beeing vp in rebellion against his father, when Hushai the Archite, Dauids friend, was come vnto h••m, and sayd vn∣to Absalon, God saue the King, God saue the King: Then Absalon said vnto Hushai, Is this thy kindnesse to thy friend?* 1.47 He made no scruple to take his fathers Kingdome from him, and his life; but could find fault with Hushai for forsaking his friend Dauid. So blind are men in seeing their own faults, & so apt to condemne others of that crime whereof themselues are most guiltie.

Yet notwithstanding, this woman was not quite disheartned herewith, shee was not cleane dasht out of countenance; shee had her boughs rent and torne, like vnto Daniels tree, yet at the root shee had some greenenesse and sappe remai∣ning. Saint Iohn sayd to the Bishop of Philadelphia, I know thy workes,* 1.48 for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name. But a little strength, yet this little strength, this little vertue, may make the tree to waxe greene againe. Those trees that haue no shew of verdure, no signe of greenenes, are commonly condemned to the fire. Thou sufferest thy selfe to bee subdued by the world, the flesh, and the Deuill; thou forgettest, if not forsakest thy God, thou runnest on in thy sinnes, and makest no reckoning of them; yet there are some pawnes and pledges of Heauens loue, whereon thou mayest ground thy hopes, and betake thy selfe one day as seriously to Gods seruice, as thou hast earnestly followed thyne owne foolish pleasures.* 1.49 Ezechiell charging his people in the metaphore of a little pretie young maiden child, whom God had prote∣cted from her cradle, reckoneth vp one after another the many courtesies and kindnesses that he did her, the rich apparell and iewels that hee bestowed vpon her, and all to this end, that when she should forsake his house and run away from him, she might carry with her some memorials of his loue; for Gods fauors ne∣uer are forgotten, and are neuer vnwelcome, come they neuer so late. Take com∣passion, ô Lord, vpon me, when I cry vnto thee,* 1.50 For thou art my father and the guide of my youth. And God will then reply vnto thee, Bee thou still of this mind, and see thou forget not to consider with thy selfe that I am thy father and thy first loue, to whom thou didst make the first tender of thy good will and af∣fection; and let this be a Motiue vnto thee to make thee to leaue thy vile cour∣ses, and to repent thy selfe of the wrongs thou hast done mee, and to bewaile thy many slidings from me, that I may run with open armes to receiue thee and hugge thee in the bosome of my loue. It was an especiall prouidence of God, that the Babilonians burning and destroying all the jewels & spoiles of the chil∣dren of Israell, they suffred them to carry along with them to Babilon their in∣struments of Musicke, which was, to put them in hope that they should one day

returne againe to Ierusalem their beloued Countrey. For in a strange land they could not play vpon their Harps, nor sing the Songs of Syon, Quomodo cantabi∣mus canticum Domini, &c.

Saint Chrysostome sayth, That this woman gaue wonderfull great tokens of her Predestination.

First, in those scruples that she made.

Secondly, in the desire and willingnesse that shee had to be saued. Scio quia Messias ve••it. But Hell is full of good desires. Gilbertus the Abbot sayth, That it is an ordinarie thing with sinners to say, O, how I do desire to liue a god∣ly and a holy life; and yet complying with all those other desires of the bodie, they neuer complie with those of the soule. Saint Ambrose treating of the good desires which the Prodigall had when he kept hoggs, to forgoe that base kind of life (Surgam & ibo ad patrem meum) saith, It little importeth to say, I wil goe, vnlesse I put the same in execution. Otherwise, these weake purposes of ours are rather deceits, wherewith the Deuill goes entertaining & deluding vs. And as it is a follie to put any hope or confidence in weake influences, which ne∣uer take effect; so those our idle and dangerous determinations, which possesse and hinder the will, and still crie Cras, Cras, are but the cords that draw vs along vnto death. Consider with thy selfe the great good which the desire of Hea∣uen worketh on the Iust, and that little good which it worketh on thee, and thou shalt then plainly perceiue, that it doth thee more hurt than good.

Againe, Though this Samaritane discouered a great deale of ignorance in her discourse with our Sauiour;* 1.51 yet Christ offering her the water of Life, shee said, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the Well is deepe. And this was not much to meruaile at in so meane and sillie a soule as shee was: Nicodemus was a Doctor of Law, and yet betraid his great ignorance; Art thou a Master in Israell, & knowest not these things? It was sufficient, that he shewed his care in matter of Faith. Our Fathers did worship in this Mountaine; It was sufficient, that he discouered his af∣fection to those things that concerned his soule. Sir, giue me of that water, that I may not thirst, nor come hither to draw. Our Sauiour hauing vsed this Woman thus kindly, and continued so long in conuersation with her, his Disciples at last comming vnto him,* 1.52 thinking it now time to hie her home, leauing her Water∣pots behind her, she made all the hast that shee could to the Citie, magnifying the person of our Sauiour Christ, and abhorring her former lewd life, shee tur∣ned ouer a new leafe, and made publique profession to all that she met with, for what end they were borne. Your Diamond will shine euen in a Dunghill, and your Mariners Needle in the darkest nights wil euer looke towards the North. Doe not alledge Peter vnto mee, saying, Lord, whither shall we goe? thou hast the words of eternall life: nor his confessing of Christ to be the Sonne of the liuing God; but when he was charged with the deniall of his Sauiour, with maledi∣ctions and execrations, then did he shew what he was. Lux in te••ebris l••cet, & ••e∣nebrae eum non comprehēderunt; Those thatare predestinated, are H••espe••es del Viti••, Vices Guests, and oftentimes entertainers of sinne. But as the Children of Is∣raell being Captiues in Babylon, did vpon euerie light occasion discouer the loue which they bare to Ierusalem, [Si non proposuero Ierusalem in principio l••titi•• meae, &c.] so this woman did presently discouer the embers that lay hid in her brest.

If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith vnto thee, &c. Heere be∣gins this womans Catechisme; Christ dealing with her as Schoolemasters do with little childeren when they teach them first to read; or as Riders with yong

Colts, before they begin to breake them, vsing them verie gently, and smoo∣thing and stroking them with the hand. Saint Augustine vnderstandeth by this gift, the water of Life; and by the water of Life, the holy-Ghost. And he al∣ledgeth in fauour of this sence, that place of Saint Iohn, If any man thirsteth, let him come vnto me and drinke. He that beleeueth in me, as the Scripture saith, out of his bellie shall flow Riuers of liuing Water. And the Euangelist adde••h, That our Saui∣our vttered this sentence, Concerning the Spirit, which Beleeuers should receiue. S. Cy∣ril vnderstandeth thereby, the Grace of the holy-Ghost; Theodoret, the Word of God; S. Ambrose, Baptisme. The proportion consisteth in three things:

The first, That as liuing Water doth enioy an inseperable vnion with the fountain from whence it flow••th; whence it followeth, that it can neuer be dried▪ vp, nor haue any euill sauour, like those dead waters of your Cisternes and your standing Pooles, which are dried vp, stinke and putrifie, & breed fil••hie vermine: So in like manner the grace of the holy-Ghost, the Word of God, and the bles∣sed Sacraments, inioy the selfe same vnion with that first beginning from whence they proceed.

The second, That as your liuing water doth enioy a kind of life, & vncessable motion, (for which cause the Scripture attributeth thereunto the actions of life, The Flouds are risen, the Flouds haue lift vp their voice, the flouds lift vp their waues,* 1.53 &c.) So the grace of the holy Ghost, the Word of God, and the blessed Sacra∣ments, cause in the Soule the effects of life.

The third, That as your liuing Water doth ascend to the height of it's birth and Beeing; so the Grace of the holy-Ghost, the Word of God, and the bles∣sed Sacraments, ascend vp euen as high as to God himselfe, because they had their birth & Being from God, he being the Spring or Wel-head from whence they had their rising; Fiet in eo sons aquae salientis in vitam eternam.

If thou knewest the gift of God. First, hee setteth downe the originall of all our ill; which is, our not knowing, or our want of knowledge:* 1.54 According to that of Pope Clement, in an Epistle of his to the Councell of Toledo. And it is a most assured truth, That the first step to il, is the ignorance of good. Salomon saith, Without knowledge the mind is not good.* 1.55 Hee calls it the knowledge of the soule, which is the onely thing that importeth vs for Heauen: As for the knowledge of the World, and the wisedome thereof, it is but foolishnesse with God.

Secondly, he doth not say, If thou didst but know who it is that talketh with thee, thou wouldst haue giuen him water without asking thee for it,* 1.56 & wouldst haue offered him to drinke, of thine owne accord: though comparing Man with God, Man cannot be said to bestow any thing on God by way of gift or donati∣on; all that good correspondencie which can be held on mans part, is to shew himselfe thankeful for the fauours which he receiueth from Gods hand. If God shall giue me wealth, he doth it to the end that I should serue him; if he giue me honour, he doth it to the end that I should maintain his cause, &c.. Anna, Samuels mother said, O Lord, if thou wilt looke on the trouble of thy handmaid,* 1.57 and remember and not forget thyne handmaid, but giue vnto thyne handmaid a man child, then will I giue him vnto the Lord all the dayes of his life. Nor doth this earths pouertie owe ought more for those fauours which we haue from Heauen. This made Saint Augustine to say, Da quod iubes, & iube quod vis. And the truth of this is groun∣ded vpon that which is deliuered in the last Chapter of the first of the Chronicles, when as Dauid and the Princes of the people made a plentifull rich Offering of three thousand talents of gold, seuen thousand of siluer, and as many of other

〈1 page duplicate〉〈1 page duplicate〉

〈1 page duplicate〉〈1 page duplicate〉

mettals,* 1.58 &c. This holy King said, Who am I, and what is my people, that wee should be able to offer willingly after this sort? for all things come of thee, and of thyne owne hand we haue giuen thee. None can offer vnto God, saue what they haue receiued from God; Quis prior reddit illi, & retribuitur ei?

Thirdly, Christ did lay a double bait before this woman.

* 1.59The one, Curiositie of knowledge.

The other, Desire of receiuing. Two things wherewith that sex of theirs is soonest taken: and as the holy-Ghost hath said, That in another third thing wo∣mans appetite is insatiable; so likewise is it in these two: and for this cause they compare her to a Lampe, which goes still sucking in the oyle with which it must continually be maintained.

* 1.60Fourthly, Gregorie Nazianzen hath obserued, That our Sauiour Christ did put a doubt in the Samaritans desire, forsitan petisses, he put a doubt in her asking, but not in his giuing.

To shew vnto vs, That albeit woman bee couetous in receiuing, yet God is more bountifull in giuing.

To receiue, is proper vnto Creatures that are in need and in want: all Crea∣tures haue their mouths stil open, crauing their fulnesse from God; and God he is alwayes readie at hand to satisfie their hunger. Open thy mouth wide (saith the Psalmist) and I shall fill it. The soule desireth but one onely thing, which is thy selfe, ô God, this will suffice her: Nam vnum est necessarium, for one thing is necessarie. But the Flesh through it's many longings, desireth many things; yet let it desire neuer so many, it shall be sooner wearied with asking, than God with giuing, if it bee for it's good. Abraham did entreat for Sodome till hee waxed wearie of his suit; and had he beene earnest therein, and not haue giuen it ouer, it may be God would haue spared that Citie. What shall I returne to the Lord for all that he hath rendred vnto me; I will take the Cup of saluation, and will call vpon the name of the Lord. Man is disingaged by paying, and is impawned by receiuing: but God holds himselfe fully satisfied for those former fauours hee hath done thee, to the end that thou maist craue new courtesies from him; hee lookes not to haue old scores paid, and desires nothing of thee but a thankefull acknow∣ledgement.

And this is the reason why Christ became a suiter to this woman for a little water; he was willing to beg of her a draught of dead water, that shee might beg of him a cup of liuing water: dealing with her as a father doth with his prettie little sonne, begging an apple of his child, that he may thereby take oc∣casion to throw vpon him a thousand fauours.* 1.61 The Philippians made much of the Apostle, who thanking them for this their kindnesse, saith, I reioyce in your care for me; I speake not because of want, for I haue learned in whatsoeuer state I am, therewith to be content. Notwithstanding yee haue well done, that yee did commun••cate to my affliction; not that I desire a gift, but I desire the fruit that may further your reckoning. The rendering of thankes for one courtesie, is a requiring of another; but I doe not thanke you to this end, but that yee may reape the fruits of your charitie extended toward me.

But some one will say, If God be so free handed, and so bountifull in giuing, knowing our necessities, why doth he driue vs to beg these his fauours? Saint Augustine answers it thus, That God will haue vs to exercise our selues in the petitioning of our desires; Vt possimus capere quae praeparat dare, That wee may bee made capable of those kindnesses which God is willing to conferre vpon vs. Thomas hee puts the question thus; Either God will giue me this or that, or he will not giue

it me: For his will is immutable; and begging, be it in what kind so euer, see∣meth to be Quiddam accessorium. But his answere is, That begging is the meanes which God hath appointed and preordained, through which you may receiue that blessing which God before all ages was determined to giue vnto you. So that Prayer, is that rope or cord by which we draw vp water from that deepe Well of Gods euer flowing bountie.

Lastly, another doubt is put, whether shee were willing to beg this liuing Wa∣ter or no, at Christs hands? For the sinner will euerie foote bee crauing of the goods for the bodie, but for those of the soule he often stands vpon a Forsitan, being carelesse whether he haue them or no. It is our dayly petition, that God would giue vs the dayly bread of this life, but take not so much care for that of the other. The sons of Reuben, & of G••d in passing ouer Iordan, saw certain fields that were verie fertile and fruitfull, and those pastures seeming good vnto them for their flockes, besought Moses and the Princes of the people that they might haue the possession of them; loosing the desire of their promised Land. In like manner the sinner will be well content, to take for his inheritance and possession, the forbidden fields of the humane delights of this world, and forgoe the desire of those that are heauenly and diuine.

If thou knewest the gift of God. When the rich denies the poore a cup of cold water, a morsell of bread, an old shirt, or the like, a man may say vnto him, Si sci∣res donum Dei, If thou didst but know what thou deniest, and to whom thou deniest; Now thou doost not know so much, neither doost thou thinke so much, but the time will come when God shall say vnto thee, Thou sawest mee hungry, and gauest me not to eat; To such as were wearie thou hast not giuen water to drinke;* 1.62 & hast withdrawn bread from the hungrie. A Cauallero comes into the Church, kneeling vpon one knee, like a fowler when he makes a shoot at a fowle, casting his eye on euery side of the Church, rowling them this way and that way; O! if thou didst but know whome thou adorest, or if thou couldst but see the reue∣rence wherwith the Angels stand in Gods presence! The Merchant, he wil swear and forsweare for his commoditie; The Souldier, hee will turne Turke vpon point either of profit, or of honor; The Gamester vpon euery bad cast, or euery little hard carding, will curse and blaspheme; O! if thou didst but know whose name thou takest in vaine in that foule mouth of thine, or that thou wouldst but consider whom thou blasphemest, &c.

Lord, thou hast not wherewith to draw, and the Well is deepe. There is not any Hi∣storie that can more indeere the great reckoning that God makes of a soule, than to see how our Sauiour Christ doth here suffer, and indure the ignorances of this vile foolish woman. Doe but weigh & consider the Maiesty which God doth in∣ioy in Heauen, not as he is in himselfe, for Mans imagination is but a thimble-ful in comparison of the incomprehensiblenesse thereof: but as the Scripture paints him foorth vnto vs. Daniell reckons vp his pages by thousands, his seruants by hundreds of thousands, the Heauen of Heauens (sayth Salomon) are straight and narrow Pallaces for his dwelling, Excelsior Coelo est;* 1.63 The wheeles of his Caroch are the wings of the Cherubins. After that Iob had spent many Chapters in ex∣pressing his power, and relating his famous Acts,* 1.64 hee addeth Omnia haec ex parte dicta sint viarum eius. We heare little, and wee know lesse; But if God should thunder out his greatnesse, who were able to abide it? Quis poterit sustinere? But that this God, onely Good, onely Holy, onely Mightie, onely Mercifull, and onely Infinite, should entertaine talke so long with a poore silly woman, beeing so lewd a creature, and of so euill a life, showes what a wonderfull great loue he

beareth to a distressed soule.

Thou hast not wherewith to draw, and the well is deepe. Let vs suppose that the wa∣ters, in sacred Scripture (as bef••re hath beene sayd) did signifie troubles; And let vs likewise heere deliuer vnto you, that they also signifie pastimes and de∣lights: And not onely humane but diuine, so farre as to become the Symbolum and signe of happinesse. That they signifie humane happinesse, we may ground it vpon this reason, that they are inconstant, fugitiue, transitory, and slide away as water, Omnes morimur, & quasi aqua dilabimur, sayd the woman of Tekoah to King Dauid. Wee must needs dye, and we are as water spilt on the ground. And this Truth may be verified as well in mens persons,* 1.65 as their goods. They haue forsaken me▪ the fountaine of liuing waters, to digge them pits, euen broken pits that can hold no water. Qui bibit, &c. (sayth Iob) Which drinketh iniquitie like water. Quasi aquam super aquam refectionis educauit me,* 1.66 &c. (saith the Psalmist) He maketh me to rest in green pastures,* 1.67 and leadeth me by the still waters. They are likewise the symbole or signe of happinesse.

First, Because Water is the Mother of fulnesse and aboundance. For that land that is without Water, voyceth out famine and hunger; Sicut terra sine aqua tibi.

Secondly, Because nothing else can satisfie & quench our thirst, when we are taken with the Calenture of Gold, of Iewels, and Pretious-stones; and then will the soule crye out for Water.

Thirdly, Because nothing in comparison of Water can sute so wel with a thir∣stie appetite.

This truth beeing supposed, the Samaritan woman vttered one most certaine and approued Experience; And one most grosse and foule Ignorance.

* 1.68The Experience is this, That the Water of humane content, must be drawne out of so deepe a Well, and with that strength of the arme, that not any thing can cost vs more deere in this life. Dalila placed her content in knowing where Sampsons strength lay; and the Scripture sayth, that she did sweat and toyle, and take no rest,* 1.69 till she could come to the bottome of this Well. Ad mortem vsque lassata est. It was death vnto her, til she had obtained her desire. Saint Ambrose compareth humane pleasures and delights to the Serpent, who all his life time goes trailing his bellie vpon the earth, and eateth and licketh vp the dust therof. Boaetius compares them to the hony in your Bee-hyues, which although it bee sweete, yet it leaues a painefull sting sticking in vs. Seneca doth celebrate that saying of Virgil, who cals them Mala mentis gaudia. The water that came vp to Tantalus his chinne and glided away by him, signifieth as much. And to take such a deale of paines in the pursute of these transitorie pleasures and delights, as it betraies our Ignorance; so it makes vs to thinke that the sweet tast of this liuing water, is tyde to the rope and bucket.

Whosoeuer drinketh of this water shall thirst againe. But whosoeuer drinketh of the water that I shall giue him, shall neuer be more athirst. Our Sauiour here sets downe the aduantages, which the liuing water hath of the dead; The cheifest wherof is, That he that shall drink of the water of this Wel, shal soone after be athirst again. For, Aunque haze troguas, no assienta pazes, Though he make a truce for a time, yet doth he not conclude a finall peace. Saint Austen vnderstands this difference touching the thirst of the body; but diuerse other Doctors, of the the thirst of the soule. But the Plainest and the surest is, that it imbraceth both, and to cleere this opini∣on, Let vs first of all suppose, that (laying aside the thirst of the body) all do ge∣nerally suffer the same in the soule. And he that from the clouds should behold

this vale of the world, shall perceiue it to be like a desart, full of filthy standing pooles of stinking water, and that all men goe thirsting after the same. And Saint Austen saith, Ipsum desiderium sitis est anim••. For, as a man cannot liue without the desire of the soule, so can he not liue without thirst. Inquietum est cor nostrum, do∣nec ••eniamus ad te. This our saturity and fulnesse is reserued till wee come vnto God, who is our Center. Satiabor, cum apparauerit gloria tua, I shall bee satisfied, when thy glorie shall appeare. In the interim, we must of force liue tormented with hunger, and thirst.

Secondly, We are to suppose that this liuing Water, whether it bee the Holy Ghost, be it Grace, or the Word of God, or Baptisme, doth not in this life quench either that thirst of the bodie, or that of the soule. Touching that of the bodie, we know that many Saints of God, rauished with some deepe contempla∣tion, haue forgotten al hunger and thirst, without any torment or trouble, euen to the abhorring of meate. Nor is it much that the holy Ghost should worke this effect in man, seeing that the vehement passions of sorrow and of ioy, though in a different manner do dayly cause the like. For this our not eating nor drinking occasioned by passion, doth debilitate our forces, and weakens our strength; but beeing assisted by the helpe of the holy Spirit, it doth not onely conserue, but renew our strength, and put as it were new mettle into vs; as was to be seene in Elias, who with that water and bread which the Angell gaue him, went vp to Mount Horeb, & there fasted 40 days. And diuers weake men haue (holpen by Grace) indured such hunger & thirst, as hath made the world to stand amased at it. But the holy-Ghost doth not alwais worke these effects, saue only when it seemeth good vnto him; nor at all times, nor towards all persons, no not to the verie Saints themselues; for those that haue beene the greatest Fasters, haue come in the end to suffer hunger and thirst.

And if we shall treat of the thirst of the soule, it is a plaine case, that this li∣uing water doth not quench it, but that the holy-Ghost doth to the Righteous adde more thirst after the goods of heauen, and those coelestiall ioyes: Accor∣ding to that of Ecclesiasticus, Qui edunt me, adhuc esurient; so that till wee come to see God, no man shall see himselfe voyd of thirst.

Thirdly, The thirsting and hungring after these earthly goods and humane blessings, many seeke to quench the same by filling themselues full, and not de∣nying to their eyes (as Salomon saith) any thing whatsoeuer their heart desireth vnderneath the Sunne. But their thirst growes still more and more, and their hunger increaseth, like him that hath eaten salt meats, or drunke brackish sea wa∣ter. All that is in the world (saith Saint Iohn) is either the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, or the pride of life. Imagine three Riuers to thy selfe; one of delights,* 1.70 a second, of riches, and a third of pride and vanitie: this is all the good that the world affoordeth, and hee that shall drinke of the water of any of these three Riuers shall still be more and more thirstie. And for this cause it is called Aqua concupiscentiae, the water of concupiscence; a lusting with desire: and as hee that shall drinke and swallow downe these his desires, cannot chuse but grow more and more thirstie; so hee that shall drinke of this water, shall desire to drinke more: And (as Salomon saith) hee shall follow the birds which flie in the aire. The truth whereof is well prooued by that rich man in the Gospell; who ha∣uing food sufficient for many yeares, yet did toyle and labour (as if he had been in great want) to fill his barnes and his Granaries as full as hee could cram them, making more and more store, as if he should neuer haue prouision enough, hee thought all the roomes that he had were too little, I will pull downe my Barnes and

make them bigger.

* 1.71And if any man shall aske me, If this rich man shall not be able as long as hee liues, though the yeares of his life were neuer so many, to eat out that which hee hath stored vp, why he should take such a deale of carke and care for his di∣et and his drinke? I answer, That for the feeding of his bodie much lesse might haue sufficed him,* 1.72 a little thing would haue serued the turne; but it seemeth in the Storie, that hee sought to satisfie his soule, and that hee inuited his soule to feast it selfe, and to make merrie, whose thirst is insatiable. Saint Gregory saith, That man, not finding in the pleasures and pastimes of this life, any humane de∣lights answerable to those which his heart desireth, seeketh after change and va∣rietie of sports; Vt quia qualitate rerum non potest, saltem varietate satietur, That if the qualitie could not, yet the varietie of them might some way giue content: In a word, as well doth the Couetous as the Prodigall die of hunger. Salomon after that he had entred into such a full riuer of del••ghts, and enioyed such a plentiful haruest of all kind of worldly pleasures, hauing the World at will, comes forth with two Horse-leeches of that insatiable appetite, that they still followed him, and neuer left crying, Affer, affer: And who could not finde in his heart to curse that Creditor almost to the pit of Hell, who shall still baule vpon a man, & be as discontented being paid, as if he were vnpaid.

Others there are, which seeke to satisfie this thirst with the goods of Hea∣uen, taking onely from the earth as much as is sufficient for them; like vnto Gi∣deons souldiers, who passing along by the riuer side, tooke vp water in the palmes of their hands. God approouing in the warfare of this life, that wee should in∣ioy the goods of this life by snatches, and not to lie at racke and manger, Enioy∣ing this world as they enioyed it not: Whereas those that lay down vpon their brest, and like dogs lay lapping vp the water, were reprooued by him.

Now by this time the aduantage appeareth cleere vnto vs, which liuing wa∣ter hath ouer that which is dead: he that shal drink of this water, whither it bee this naturall water, or the symbolicall water of humane delights, he wil quicke∣ly become thirstie againe. For neither with the one water is the thirst of the bo∣die allayed, nor with the other of humane pleasures, that of the Soule: but hee that shall drinke of that liuing water that I shall giue them, shall thirst no more, reseruing it's satisfaction and fulnesse to that other life. This sence the Car∣dinall of Toledo followes. Yet me thinkes there is a plainer explication of this place, to wit, That he that shall drinke of this dead water, be it naturall, or sym∣bolicall, shall haue thirst both here and there, in this, and in that other life: in this, because the more water he drinketh, the more hee thirsteth: in that other, because Hell is a lake where there is no water. The couetous rich man could not there get so much as one poore drop of water; the thirst there is too raging and too hot to be quenched. So that this verie word Iterum, Againe, doth im∣plie an eternitie in their thirst; but hee that shall drinke of the liuing Water, shall not suffer an eternall thirst, because this his thirst shall bee allayed in Heauen.

Shall thirst no more. In part, it may be verified of the fulnesse of this life.

First, Because albeit the holy-Ghost doth augment the thirst of those diuine goods, giuing the Righteous a taste thereof, as he did in Tabor to the three Dis∣ciples, when he gaue them a relish of his glorie; yet that thirst & desire which they had at first to enioy that good, was not wearisome and troublesome vnto them, but rather that one little droppe, that one small crumme, see∣med so ••auorie to Peter, that hee could haue rested well contented therewith for

many Ages. So that those drops of water which are deriued from the fo••••••ain of that celestiall Paradice, howbeit they augment our desire, yet they giue vs with∣all such a pleasing taste, that Christ calls those happie that enioy them. And Ec∣clesiasticus saith, That they surpasse in sweetnesse the hony and the hony combe; The remembrance of me is sweeter than honey,* 1.73 and myne Inheritance sweeter than the ho∣ney combe. They that eat me shall haue the more hunger, and they that drink me shall thirst the more: And Saint Augustine saith, That as in Heauen there is ful∣nesse without fastidiousnesse; so on earth there is a desire & a hope, but no grie∣uous torment. Whereof we haue proofe from many places of Scripture, which inuite vs to drinke of these liuing Waters: As in Esay, All yee that thirst, &c. Thou sweatest and labourest, and all to no purpose, because thou betakest thy selfe to those false brackish waters; haue recourse rather to those faithfull Waters, which, as Ieremie saith, make that good which is promised in Ecclesiasti∣cus;* 1.74 Draw neere vnto me yee vnlearned, and dwell in the house of Learning; Wherfore are yee slow, and what say you of these things, seeing your soules are verie thirstie? Your soules perish for verie thirst, and only the water of Wisedome is able to quench it. And this is the Argument of the eight chapter of Wisedome, which is verie excellent to this purpose.

Secondly,* 1.75 Because this liuing Water doth in the Righteous quench the thirst of humane delights: and this woman heere had scarce heard the newes of this Water, but she leaues her bucket and her rope behind her, as if she cared not now any more for earthly water, or worldly pleasures. Melior•• sunt vbera t••a vino; [Another letter hath it Amores tui] the wine of the Vine makes me sleepe, but the sweetnesse that I taste from thee, and thy deere loue (my Beloued) doe in a manner rauish me, and quite alienate me from my selfe, and doe assuage in my brest my disordinate appetites. One drop of the water of Heauen is able to quench the flames of Hell fire: And this made the rich man in Hell, to beg the same of Abraham: Introduxit me rex in cellam vinariam, in domum vini, [Saint Ambrose reads it, Et ordinauit in me charitatem] He gaue me to drinke of the wine of this cellar, and my loue was reformed. Before I loued, but now I abhor that which I loued, and loue that which I abhorred: Wine is vsually a spurre to sensuality, but my Beloued did not giue me of this Wine, but of that which King Lemuel gaue to those that were comfortlesse, and of a sorrowfull heart. Noli Regibus dare vinum, &c. It is not fit for Kings to drinke wine, nor for Princes strong drinke,* 1.76 lest he drinke, and forget the Decree, and change the iudgement of all the ch••lderen of aff••••∣ction: giue yee strong drink to him that is readie to perish, and wine vnto them that haue griefe of heart; let him drinke, that he may forget his pouertie, and remember his miserie no more. True it is, that in this life our thirst cannot be fully quenched, by reason of those manifold sinnes whereinto out of our weakenesse we cannot chuse but fall, and that verie often, while we beare these bodies of sinne about vs.

Domine da mihi hanc aquam.

Lord, Giue me of this water. Our Sauiour Christ had so indeered this water,* 1.77 that he set an edge vpon this womans desire, to enioy it. The Serpent spake so much of the forbidden Fruit, that Eue, contrarie to Gods commaund, did eate thereof. The Queene of Sheba heard so much good spoken of Salomons wise∣dome, that she vndertook a wonderful great journey, that she might both see and heare him. Abigal did so highly recommend to Dauid the noblenes of pardoning of an offence, that of a fierce Lyon, she made him as gentle as a lamb: the woman of Tecoa told Dauid so handsome a tale, that he pardoned his sonne Absalon.

Some do seeme to wonder, that the sinne of dishonestie beeing so hatefull a thing in Gods sight, that permitting other sinnes in his Apostolicall Colledge, as Pride, Couetousnesse, and Treason, he did neuer winke at this kind of sinne; and hauing antiently so seuerely punished them, that hee should now with this woman deale so mildly and so gently. The drowning of the World was for wantonnesse, & such like dishonesties; the burning of Sodom, for vnnaturall vn∣cleannes. The punishing of Dauid by the vntimely death of Bersabes son, & by vi∣siting himselfe with sicknesse, was for his adulterie with Vria••s wife. Ezechiell cals Ierusalem a pot, and the Princes thereof flesh; because that Citie was much giuen to sensualitie. And he sayth, that he will put fire thereunto, vntill all the flesh be consumed,* 1.78 and that the pot be melted. How is it (ô Lord) that thou we••t then so seuere,* 1.79 and art now become so milde? I answere, That it is wisdome in a Physition to apply different medicines; sometimes Lenitiues, and sometimes Corasiues. The sinnes of Ierusalem were growne hard and brawnie, (saith Iere∣mie) Why cryest thou for thine affliction?* 1.80 Thy sorrow is incurable; because thy 〈◊〉〈◊〉 were increased, I haue done these things vnto thee. All these bals of wilde fire were no more than thy hardnesse of heart had neede of. But those sinnes of this Sa∣maritan, and those of this Adulteresse, were sinnes of weakenesse, and these must be discreetly dealt withall by the soules Phisitions. There are some that we must preach nothing vnto but thunder, death, hell, and damnation. Others, grace and mercie, and win them to amendment of life, by affectionating them to the de∣lights of Heauen, Considering thy selfe, least thou be also tempted: For if thou bee sharpe,* 1.81 tart, and bitter against weake consciences, God may chance to suffer thee to fall into the like frailties. Iudge charitably of thy neighbour, and censure him by thy selfe; and seeke rather to comfort, than cast downe a soule, &c.

Lord, giue me of this water. How powerfull a thing is priuate interest! This woman found excuses not to giue, but none not to aske. The Antients did paint forth Interest, in Mercurie the god of Wisedome, with a bunch of keyes in his hand; for the couetous man opens another mans brest, for to receiue thence, and shuts his owne, that he may not giue: and for both these things he is verie pru∣dent and wise. The Pharisees had many reasons and places of Scripture, for to persuade themselues that Iohn Baptist was not their Messias; to wit, for that hee was of the Tribe of Leui, that he wrought no miracles, that hee liued in the wil∣dernesse, and remooued from the conuersation of men, contrarie to that prophe∣cie of Baruc,* 1.82 Cum hominibus conuersatus est, He dwelt among men. The only thing that did speake for him, was, That he was a holy man, and a Saint of God: and (as Saint Chrysostome hath noted it) this one reason they pretended should pre∣uaile against al the rest, because it was in fauour of their owne particular interest. And it is a strange case, that the holynesse of Saint Iohn should bee sufficient to make them to conceiue that he was the Messias, but not sufficient to make them doe that which he commanded them.

Voca virum tuum, Call thy husband.

* 1.83Theophilact gathers this note from hence, That Christs willing her to call her husband, was to aduise vs, that a wife is not to craue or receiue any thing, no not so much as a pot of water, without the leaue of her husband, and by order from him, being so made one flesh, and so one spirit by marriage, that they are not to be seperated. Malachie treating of a married wife, saith, Nonne residuum spiri•••••• eius est? Is she not the remainder of his breath? Whither the allusion bee made to the formation of Adam (as Saint Chrysostome hath obserued) for that with the

same respiration wherewith God had created the soule in Adam, hee like∣wise created that of Eue; or whither it haue relation to the husband, for that the selfe same spirit which giues life vnto him, is to giue the same likewise to his wife. Saint Augustine in a mysticall kind of meaning vnderstands by the man, the vnderstanding; but the plainer & truer meaning is, That our Sauior in willing her to call her husband, would therby giue her occasion to confesse her fault, & not to dismerit the mercie that was offered vnto her: for, to draw from a womans brest such immodest and dishonest weakenesses, will require a great deale of dexteritie and cunning. The seruant that ought ten thousand talents, presently confessed the debt, and the King forgaue it him; Inconfessione debiti solutionem in∣uenit, His confession was his solution, so saith Saint Chrysostome. But he was a man, and his fault lesse foule; but for an old woman to lie at rack and manger with her Louer in these her elder yeres, will aske much labour, and no lesse skill, to bring her to confession. Obstetricante manu eius eductus est coluber tortuosus, To take the subtill winding Snake out of mans bosome, we had need of Gods helping hand; that's the Midwife that must doe it. For to sinne (saith Saint Chrysostome) the Deuill putteth great confidence into the brest of a sinner; but to confesse the same, he infuseth far greater shame: so that dishonestie doth not onely disjoyne vs from God, but remooues vs, like the Prodigall sonne, a great wayes off from him, in regionem longinquam, into a farre Countrie. God hath giuen vs so noble and so gentleman-like a nature, (saith Saint Hierome) that Sinne doth make vs melancholly and sad; but Vertue, cheerefull & merrie. And from hence (saith Saint Augustine) arise those remorcements of conscience, those inward stings of the soule, which like the flies of Aegypt disquiet a Sinner. Our Sauiour Christ therefore did here make mention of her husband, (Como mentado la soga, en casa del a horcado: as if one should talk of a halter in the house of one that hath bin hang'd) to the end that her sinne might trouble her conscience, worke some remorce in her, and make her to confesse the foulenesse thereof, to the intent that by this meanes she might come to tast of the liuing water.

Thou hast had fiue husbands, and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband.* 1.84 S. Chry∣sostom saith, That not any one of these was her husband; & some modern authors follow this his opinion. And this may be grounded vpon that which Saint Hie∣rome hath in an Epistle of his to Rusticus, Post sex viros inuenit Dominum, After six husbands she found the Lord. Irenaeus saith, That all saue the first were Adulte∣rers. But these seuerall sences suit not with this Text. Athanasius saith, That they had a Law in Samaria, that they might not marrie aboue fiue times; and that the incontinencie of this woman was so great, that hauing buried fiue hus∣bands, she tooke a friend into her house: to whom Saint Hierome adding those fiue which had beene her husbands truly and indeed; said, Post sex viros, After six husbands. And though these were not Adulterers, yet is it▪ sufficient proofe, that Sensualitie is a brackish kind of water, which causeth more thirst▪ and, for that Woman is an impatient creature, and much subiect to long after this & that other thing, Ecclesiasticus stiles her Multi••••la. If she be thirstie, and one cannot satisfie the same, she will solicite sixe, nay sixtie to allay this her thirst. And therefore Saint Hiero••e equalls viduall continencie with virginitie, in regard of those her forepassed pleasures: for like the Phoenix she reuiues againe, by kind∣ling the fire with the wings of her owne proper thoughts; and therefore in that respect preferres chast widdowhood before Virginitie. For in euerie kind of vice one sin calls vpon another; but it is most seene in these two, to wit, sensua∣litie, and heresie: And this peraduenture is the reason, why the Scripture com∣monly

calleth Idolatrie, Fornication. Saint Ambrose treating of 〈…〉〈…〉 in lawes burning fits of her Feauer, saith, For••asse in typ•• mulier•• illiu••, 〈…〉〈…〉 languebat varijs criminum febribus, Peraduenture in the figure of that 〈…〉〈…〉 flesh languisheth vnder the Fea••ers of diuers crimes. It may likewise be 〈…〉〈…〉 it was a stampe of this old woman, who was all this while in a hot burn••••g ••e••∣uer. When Abimelecke fell in loue with Saraah, some make her to bee 〈◊〉〈◊〉 yeares of age; when Paris stole away Helena, she was fiftie yeares of age and vp∣wards; In that Sea voyage of the Argonauts, wherein went ••as••or and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 her brethren, she was about some twentie yeares of age; and from that time to the destruction of Troy, Theodoret puts thirtie yeares, and Eusebius ninetie. So that according to one account she must be fiftie, and according to the other, ••n h••••∣dred and ten: and yet notwithstanding all this, shee was married afterwards to Deiphoebus, Theseus hauing stolne her away the second time. Isiodore saith, That aged dishonestie is the sweetest and the hardest to be left off.

But because many times the tyring of our selues out with sinne, makes vs to grow wearie thereof, and at length to loath it, and vtterly leaue it off; God is woont to deale with Sinners as Fishers doe with their Fish, who giue them li••e enough till the poore fooles haue played themselues wearie, and then will easily land them where they list.

— Et quae non puduit ferre, tulisse pudet,

saith Ouid. I was not then ashamed when I did the sin, but I had no sooner done it but I was ashamed. They haue painted the god of Loue with Torches and with Wings, to shew, That there is a time wherein these pleasing delights doe flame out-right in vs; and a time againe wherein they betake them to their wings, and flie away from vs, and are neuer seene againe. Dauid, as it were by way of hyperbole, said of a Sinner, Astitit omni viae non bonae, malitiam autem non odiuit; It is an ordi∣narie thing with most men to loath sinne at last, and to fall into a dislike thereof: So did Salomon,* 1.85 who after so plentifull a haruest, such a fulnesse of pleasures as he had, yet cryed out at last, Vanitas vanitatum, & omnia vanitas. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 like∣wise saith in another place, Non est timor Dei ante oculos eius; he paints forth a sin∣ner that hath cast behind his backe the feare of God, and the shame of the world, and hath so wholly deliuered himselfe vp to all manner of delights, that hee comes at last to abhorre his owne wickednesse. Moses Varceras in his Booke which he made of Paradice, saith, That when Eue had eaten of the forbidden Fruit, it seemed then as loathsome and vnsauorie vnto her, as before shee ta∣sted it, it appeared sweet and pleasant to the palate. Saint Augustine reporteth in his Confessions, That the Diuine prouidence did deferre his Conuersion many dayes, as if it had beene necessarie for the cleering of his errour, that hee should lie a little longer in the mire of his sinnes, Quasi necesse esset adhuc S••rdi••••••e. And the reason of this truth is,* 1.86 That worldly pleasures haue a faire shew and a sweet appearance; but if a man be drowned in them, and come once to the lees, there is not any Rododaphne more bitter: they shine & giue a light at the first like light∣ning, but anon after they leaue vs in a more than Aegyptian darknesse. This ••ence may be giuen to that place of Micah, where treating of his people, he saith, Ad Babylonem venies, & ibi saluaberis, Thou shalt come vnto Babylon, and there thou 〈◊〉〈◊〉 be saued. And to that which Salomon hath, Impius, cum ad profundum peccat•••••••• veniet, contemnet, The Wicked when hee comes to the depth of Sinne, hee shall con∣temne it.

The Disciples did wonder to see him talke all alone with a woman; Though none of them did aske him what he made with her. And had he not beene as wel God as

man, they might haue had some ground for it. For conuersation with women (according to Saint Basil) is that leauen which soureth the soule; bee a man ne∣uer so holy, neuer so good, Tamen in ipso congress••, &c. In the verie meeting yet, the diuersitie and sex is soone discouered: And therfore he saith, That that man is happie which hath least to doe with them, but most happie that doth neuer see them. S. Cyprian saith, That for a man to be inuironed on euerie side with flames of fire, and not bee burned; Nazianzen, That Flaxe should bee neere the fire, and not take flame; that a young man should bee in familiar conuersation with a young handsome maid, and not bee tempted with an euill thought, is a miracle. Theo∣philact deliuers vnto vs, That after that miracle of the Loaues and Fishes, the Apostles remained in the companie of certaine deuout women which had fol∣lowed our Sauiour Christ into the Desert, and were indeering vnto them the greatnesse of Gods power; and that to diuert them from their conuersation, Coe∣git illos, he inforced them to imbarke, and to put forth to sea; and a fearefull tem∣pest followed thereupon: in token, that amongst those rough billowes, furious waues, and tempestuous winds, they did runne lesse danger, than in the conuer∣sation of those good and holy women. One of the names (amongst many other) which the Phylosophers and diuers other godly men haue giuen vnto women, was, Tumulus Viuorum, The Graue or Sepulchre of the Liuing. And as vpon your Tombes and Sepulchres there are Epitaphs written, which speake thus, Hic ja∣cet, &c. Here lies such a one; so vpon this liuing Sepulture, innumerable Epi∣taphs may be put: Here lyes the Prophecie of Dauid; here lyes the Wisedome of Salomon; Heere lyes the strength of Sampson; Here, the valour of Hercules: for woman is that shelfe or quicksand, wherein the valiantest, the wisest, and strongest men in the world, haue hasarded both their liues and reputation.

Notes

• * 1.1

  This Storie a most excellent d••monstration of Gods mer∣cie. Prou. 8. Prou. 2.
• * 1.2

  Esay ••5.
• * 1.3

  Rom. 10.
• * 1.4

  A discreet feare is better than a for∣ward boldnes. Math. 10.
• * 1.5

  Iohn. 5.17. Gen. ••.2.
• * 1.6

  Gods loue doth neuer rest, but is still working.
• * 1.7

  2. Reg. 2.
• * 1.8

  1. Reg. 30.
• * 1.9

  2 Reg. 16.
• * 1.10

  Psalm. 78. Sap. 18.
• * 1.11

  Ionoh. 4.8.
• * 1.12

  Reasons why Christ would thus weare out himselfe. Psalm. 69.
• * 1.13

  Psalm. 29.
• * 1.14

  Esay 4.
• * 1.15

  Tob. 12.
• * 1.16

  Esay 40.
• * 1.17

  Sap. 11.22.
• * 1.18

  The great cost & pai••es that Christ was at for our redem∣tion.
• * 1.19

  Esay 53.
• * 1.20

  Deut 20.
• * 1.21

  Heauen is not gotten with a Song.
• * 1.22

  Gen 3.
• * 1.23

  Gods loue to Man in his Creation. The like in his Redemption.
• * 1.24

  Zacar. 13.
• * 1.25

  Za••har. 13.5.
• * 1.26

  Gen. 32.26.
• * 1.27

  Our sins the cause of all Christs suffe∣rings.
• * 1.28

  Christ the on∣ly Well of re∣freshing wa∣ter.
• * 1.29

  1. Cor. 10.
• * 1.30

  Esay ••.
• * 1.31

  Gluttōs com∣pared to Ser∣pents for di∣uers reasons.
• * 1.32

  No Trauellers in this life ca•• want that which is suffi∣cient.
• * 1.33

  Exod. 2.
• * 1.34

  Esay. 6.
• * 1.35

  The Iust yet haue a double aduantage ouer the Wic∣ked.
• * 1.36

  Wanton wo∣men vsually subiect to two great miserie••
• * 1.37

  I••rem. 2.36.37.
• * 1.38

  Micah. 1.7.
• * 1.39

  She lets out her selfe, that she may hyre others. Ezech. 16.33.
• * 1.40

  Hose 2.5.
• * 1.41

  Hose 2.8.
• * 1.42

  Hos. 2.9.10.11.
• * 1.43

  Iob 9.25.26.
• * 1.44

  The first step to justification is mercy and pittie.
• * 1.45

  Thirst a grea∣ter torment than hungar.
• * 1.46

  While the Heart is aboue the starres, the heele hath no feeling of the Stockes.
• * 1.47

  2. Reg. 16. & 16.
• * 1.48

  Ther's hope of a ••ree, if it be neuer so little greene. Apoc. 3.8.
• * 1.49

  Ezech. 16.
• * 1.50

  Ierom. 3.
• * 1.51

  Christ respects not our know¦ledge, but our Faith.
• * 1.52

  The leauing of sinne a sure marke of our Predestination
• * 1.53

  Psal. 93. Eccles▪ 1.
• * 1.54

  Ignorance a maine cause of all our euill.
• * 1.55

  Prou. 19.
• * 1.56

  All that Man can giue vnto God, is to praise him for what he recei∣ueth from him
• * 1.57

  1 Sam. 1.
• * 1.58

  1. Chron. 29.
• * 1.59

  Two baits at which women vsually bite.
• * 1.60

  No doubt of Gods giuing, if there bee none in our asking.
• * 1.61

  Phi••••p. 4.
• * 1.62

  Iob. 22.
• * 1.63

  3. Reg. 8.
• * 1.64

  2. Chron. 2.
• * 1.65

  Ier. 2.13.
• * 1.66

  Iob. 15.16.
• * 1.67

  Psal. 23.2.
• * 1.68

  Worldly con∣tents not ••t∣tained with∣out much toyle.
• * 1.69

  Iud. 16.
• * 1.70

  1. Io••n. 2.16. The Riuers of this world are three.
• * 1.71

  Ob.
• * 1.72

  Sol.
• * 1.73

  Eccle. 24.23.
• * 1.74

  Eccle. 5 23.
• * 1.75

  He that tasteth the well of life will no more relish the buc∣ket of Samaria
• * 1.76

  Prou. 31.
• * 1.77

  Men vsually couer, what is specially commended.
• * 1.78

  Ob.
• * 1.79

  So••.
• * 1.80

  〈◊〉〈◊〉 30.1••.
• * 1.81

  Gal. 6.1.
• * 1.82

  Baruc. 3.3••.
• * 1.83

  Wiues ••ot to doe any thing without the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of their Hus∣b••••d. Ma••ach. 2.
• * 1.84

  Womens in∣continencie.
• * 1.85

  Sinne at one time or other growes loath∣some through sa••••etie.
• * 1.86

  Worldly plea∣sures whereun∣to compared.