To the extent possible under law, the Text Creation Partnership has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above, according to the terms of the CC0 1.0 Public Domain Dedication (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/). This waiver does not extend to any page images or other supplementary files associated with this work, which may be protected by copyright or other license restrictions. Please go to http://www.textcreationpartnership.org/ for more information.
CONSIDER that our pious and mercifull Lord, not being the God of the Iewes onely, but also of the Gen∣tils (who will all men to be saued, and to come to the knowledge of the truth) limites not the riches of his goodnesse within the confines of Iewrie, but will haue them extended to all the world: so that he calls
not the Iewes onely in the persons of the shepheards; but the Gentils also in the persons of the Kinges. If he had promises for those, he is not without blessings nei∣ther for these. If he haue Angells in a∣boundāce to call those; he wants not starrs to conduct these to his royall presence; testifying by them both, that he is noe ac∣ceptour of persons, but loues Iewe and Gentil, vnlearned and learned, poore and rich, and breathes, by the holy Ghost, where he pleaseth, subduing what hartes he pleaseth, to his seruice.
[Affection.] Let vs then, o my soule, imitating Gods mercyes, extende the assistance of our obsecrations, prayers, pos∣tulations, thankes-giuinges to all men: to Iewe and Gentil; to such as are farre off, and such as are neere hand, to such as are in the Church, and such as are out of it, to poore and riche, to kinges and Poten∣tates, be they friends or foes, protectours or persecutours: For this is good and acce∣ptable before God our Sauiour. (For alas what doe we know that we hate not a brother, while we thinke onely to hate an enemie?) Let vs pray, I say, first for our domesti∣kes in faith, that they may increase in
grace, ad haue the gift of perseuerance. Next for those that yet beleeue not, vt ex nolentibus fiant volentes, that of such as will not beleeue, they may, by Gods grace, be made beleeuers, sayinge with the holy Church, etiam rebelles compelle vo∣luntates, compelle euen those rebellious∣wills; that obstinacie and blindnesse being subdued, Turke, Iewe, and Gentil, may be but one flocke and fold.
CONSIDER how the kinges came, and we shall presently find that our attentions are stopt by the Euangelist, with a word inciting to admiration. Ecce, behold, saith S. Matthew, there came sages from the cast to Hierusalem. Nor is it with∣out wonder indeede, that wise men should leaue their countrie, to come a greate iorney, to a forraigne land which had nothing common with them. And yet their errand seemes more strange. They came &c. saying: where is he who is borne the kinge of the Iewes? A demande, which,
in likelyhoode, might haue cost them their liues. And yet their motiue seemes most strange of all; for, say they, we haue seene his starre in the east. Should wise men, and Kinges, leaue their Kingdomes, vpon the onely sight of a starre, to looke out one borne the Kinge of the Iewes, and that in the midst of Iewrie, where another Kinge alreadie raigned?
[Affection.] O my soule, what can we find here but admirations with S. Paule? O the highnesse of the riches of the wisdome, and knowledge of God? How incomprehensible are his iudgements, how inscrutable are his wayes! What doe we find, I say, but effects of Gods great mercy strangly and strongly working? For certainly, their iorney, their demande, their motiue, appeare litle lesse then madnesses in the eyes of men; while yet, in the eyes of God they are effectes of grace, and heauenly wis∣dome. For the starre which they saw ex∣teriourly, was seconded by the grace which they felt interiourly: and thence they vndertooke the iorney; the grace of the holy Ghost knowing noe sluggish de∣layes. The grace which they felt was a powerfull and conquering grace, and
thence they feared not to aske for the kinge of the Iewes, euen in the face of the Tyrant. The starre which they saw, was the light of faith, and thence they giue for their reason, a thinge which reason is not acquainted with, an obscure, yet con∣uinceing argument, of thinges which appea∣re not.