Moralities.
1. LAzarus being raised from his grave, conver∣seth familiarly with Jesus, and to preserve the life which he had newly received, he ties him∣self continually to the fountain of lives: to teach us, that since we have begun to make a strong conversion from sin to grace, we must not be out of the sight of God: we must live with him, and of him; with him, by applying our spirit, our prayers, our fervours, our passionate sighs toward him: and live of him, by of∣ten receiving the blessed Sacrament. Happy they (saith the Angel in the Apocalyps) who are invited to the wedding-supper of the Lamb. But note, that he who invites us to this feast, stands upright amidst the Sun, to signifie, that we should be as pure as the beams of light, when we come unto the most holy Sacrament. Lazarus did eat bread with his Lord, but (to speak with S. Augustine) he did not then eat the bread of our Lord, and yet this great favour is reserved for you, when you are admitted to that hea∣venly banquet, where God makes himself meat, to give you an Antepast of his Immortality.
2. God will have us acknowledge his benefits, by the faithfulness of our services. S. Peter's mother in law, as soon as she was healed of her Feaver, present∣ly served her Physitian. And observe, that Martha served the Authour of life, who had redeemed her brother from the power of death. The faithfull Ma∣ry, who had shed tears, gave what she had most pre∣cious, and observes no measure in the worth, because Jesus cannot be valued Cleopatra's pearl (estimated to be worth two hundred thousand crowns) which she made her friend swallow at a Banquet, this holy woman thought too base; She melts her heart in a sacred Limbeck of love, and distils it out by her eyes. And Jesus makes so great account of her waters and perfumes, that he would suffer no body to wash his feet, when he instituted the blessed Sacrament, as not being willing to deface the sacred characters of his sacred Lover.
3. Judas murmures and covers his villanous pas∣sion of Avarice, under the colour of Charity, and Mercy toward the poor. And just so do many cover their vices with a specious shew of virtue. The proud man would be thought Magnanimous; the prodigal would pass for liberal, the covetous for a good hus∣band; the brain-sick rash man, would be reputed couragious; the glutton, a hospitable good fellow; Sloth puts on the face of quietness, timorousness of wisdom, impudence of boldness, insolence of liberty, and over-confident or sawcy prating, would be taken for eloquence. Many men (for their own particular interests) borrow some colours of the publick good, and very many actions, both unjust and unreasonable, take upon them a semblance of piety. S. Irenaeus saith, that many give water, coloured with sleckt white∣lime or plaster, in stead of milk. And all their life is but a Farse, where Blackamores are whited over with meal. Poor truth suffers much more amongst these cozenages: But you must take notice that in the end, wicked and dissembling Judas did burst, and shew his damned soul stark naked. Yet some think fairly to cover foul intentions, who must needs know well, that hypocrisie hath no vail to cozen death.