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Blessed are the eyes which see what you see. Luc. 10.
CONSIDER how great a Blessing it was indeede for a companie of poore fisher men to behold God incarnated: fi∣miliarly to conuerse with him: to dis∣course with him in a friendly manner: to
sitt at table and eate and drinke with him, to be the hearers of the sacred words which streamed from his diuine lipps: to be com∣panions of his labours &c. To see him in earth a milde Emmanuel, whom the Che∣rubins and Seraphins adore with trem∣bling in heauen.
[Affection.] Certes, my soule, this was a great blessing; and a thinge ardently brea∣thed after by the Patriarkes and Prophe∣tes, who cryed out: come o Lord, and de∣laye not: come and pardon the sinnes of thy peo∣ple, come and saue man, whom thou didst make of claye. I would to God thou wouldst burst the heauens and descende: and yet this happi∣nesse was not granted them; while we Christians inioy that or a greater. For though (as S. Chrysostome comfortably saith) we haue not the happines to be hold his forme, and figure; his apparell &c. Yet we see him, we touche him, we eate him. O my soule, what a singular honour is this, to be fedd with him, to be vnited to him; and to be made one body of Christ, and one flesh.
CONSIDER that tho those good Ie∣wes (the Apostles) to whom the son∣ne of God was especially sent, had a be∣nediction of preference, to haue seene him in person; yet was there another, noe lesse meritorious, left for vs poore gen∣tiles of seeing him by faith, attested by the same Truth: Blessed are they who haue not seene, and haue beleeued: for there, saith Gregorie, faith hath more merite, where hu∣mane reason produceth noe euidence.
[Affection.] Howeuer, my soule, the preference of seeing our Sauiour in body visibly may seeme a greate happinesse, yet it is not therin, that the happinesse of a Christian doth consiste, but in that he beleeues by a firme faith, him whom the Apostles saw, to be truly the sonne of God: and by so beleeuing begins to hope in him, and to aspire to his loue: since, according to S. Augustine, it is the dutie of a faithfull man to beleeue what he sees not, that by the merite of that faith, he may hope both to see, and loue.
What is written in the Lawe.
CONSIDER that this question of this Doctour in the lawe: Master what must I doe to possesse life euerlasting? may putt vs in mynd, that to appeare wise and carefull of our saluation, we often putt questions to God and man, saying: what are we to doe to aduance in perfe∣ction: to be truly vertuows, to attaine to life euerlasting &c. wheras without as∣king, we know it well enough: for doe not we read in the lawe? are we not all taught in our Catechisme? Thou shall loue the Lord, thy God, with all thy hart with all thy soule: and thy neighbour as thy selfe.
[Affection.] Noe, my soule; let vs not wilfully feyne to be ignorant of what we knowe. Nor knowing it, seeke for some new perfection. The thinge commanded by God, (by the obseruance of which we are to liue euerlastinglie) is neither aboue vs, nor farre off from vs. It is not placed aboue the heauens, or beyond the sea's; but is verie neere vs, in our mouth
and in our hart. Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God, with all thy hart, with all thy soule, and thy neighbour as thy selfe. Ah, saith louing S. August. had it not bene enough to haue permitted me the honour of louing thee: but thou must commande it: yea and threaten me, huge punishments if I doe it not. Ah deare Lord were it not the worst of punishments, to be prohibited, or depriued of that loue?
Who is my neighbour?
CONSIDER that tho that greate Doctour of the lawe asked a question where he had noe doubt as he was forced to acknowledge (for he redd in the lawe and knew well, that to liue, he was to loue God aboue all thinges and his neighbour as himselfe) yet still he has another doubt to putt, to witt, who is his neighbour? To which our Sauiour in effect answers; not Iewes to Iewes onely, but Iewes to Sa∣maritons too, and Samaritons also to Ie∣wes; that is, according to S. Augustine, euery man is neighbour to euery man: for we ought to vnderstand him to be our neighbour, to whom we owe workes of mercy, in his present or future want: as he too the like to vs, in like ne∣cessitie.
[Affection.] Let then the accompt of our neighbourhoode, my soule, and our loue to the same extend it selfe to noe lesse a compasse then the boundes of the whole world: Let vs loue, that is, doe well to, speake well to, wishe well to all men, of what condition, profession, religion, and nation soeuer they be. Let vs pray for Turke, Iewe, and Gentile, least in thin∣king to hate an enemye, we indeede may hate a friend; the Turke happlie in Gods diuine prescience beeing neerer to him then we. Let this, saith the louing S. Aud∣gustine, be thought vpon; let this be me∣ditated; let this be retayned in memorie let this be done; let this be fully accom∣plished.