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The incomparable Loue wherwith our Lord instantly rewarded the speedy obedience of the Apostles.
SVCH men as these they were, whome our Lord designed to the Apostolate; which yet was the most excellent, and most eminent office, in the Church of God. And he vouch∣safed to inuite them, with such strength, as well as with such tendernes of loue, that they came when they were called. They did it in∣stantly, and cheerfully, and absolutely. Saint
Peter and S. Andrew,* 1.1 were casting their netts into the Sea, and immediatly vpon the fight, and voyce of our Lord Iesus, who bad them come and follow him;* 1.2 they went, and left their netts, in the act of their falling into the water; without staying so long, as might serue to draw them vp againe. And much lesse did they delay, till they saw what draught they might chaunce to haue.* 1.3 S. Iohn and S. Iames, were in the act of mending their netts; and v∣pon the very first sight, and hearing of the voyce of Christ our Lord, who called them to him, they did not so much as fasten one stitch, or tye one knot; but immediatly they put themselues vpon following him. Leauing not only their netts, but abandoning euen their very father, through the desire they had to comply, at full speed, with the inspiration of God; which spake more lowdly to their harts, then the voyce of Christ our Lord as man, had done to their eares of flesh, and bloud.
S. Matthew (as is touched,* 1.4 both before, and afterward) was in the(a) 1.5 Custome house, in the midst of a world of reckonings & ac∣counts; he was in the very act of sinning; the company which he was in would not faile to encourage him in doing ill; but yet our Lord had no sooner bid him follow him, but he left all, at the very instant, without so much as saluting his friends; yea this he did, with such excesse of ioy, as that, to shew the comfort of his hart, he feasted his new Lord and mai∣ster.
The world is full of men who can write and read; but there are not so very many, who cast account so well, as this B. Apostle knew how to doe. Preferring God before the world, and the treasures of diuine grace, be∣fore the corruptible riches of this life; and lending such a watchfull, and listning care to the inspirations of almighty God; in the obe∣dience wherof, it was, but for our Lord to call, and him to come.
But neither he, nor those others, were in danger of(b) 1.6 loosing any thing, by obey∣ing the voyce of Christ our Lord. To vvhom, although, for the tryall of their loue, and for the increase of their merit, he made no pro∣mise at all, vvhen he called thē, (but only to those fishers, that he would make them fishers of men) yet aftervvards, he made them knovv, that they had to doe vvith a liberall God. And for as much as they had left their little como∣dities to follovv him, vvho seemed to haue lesse; and for that they had so generously con∣temned the care of friends and goods, for his loue; and in regard that they had put them∣selues instantly, and franckly vpon his seruice, (vvithout asking any day; or desiring to be assured of any cōdition) he vvas quickly plea∣sed to shevv the very bovvells of his mercy to∣vvards them. They vvere opened before, but then did he let them see, hovv he had lodged them all, therin. For(c) 1.7 he admitted them in∣stantly, into his ovvne diuine conuersation; he instructed them by his heauenly doctrine;
He gaue them a dominion ouer deuills, that they might expell them out of the bodies of men. He made them knovv, that he vvould leaue them Ambassadours, in his place be∣tvvene God and the vvorld. That they should haue povver, to offer, consecrate, and consummate his owne pretious body and bloud. And to remit or retaine the sinnes of men, according to that spirit of vvisedome, and the authority vvhich he vvould impart to them, for that purpose. And that so, they must grow to be Treasurers of eternall riches; and administrators of all his diuine Sacraments; & Doctours of the vvhole vvorld. And they being so fraile, and imper∣fect men as vve haue shevved before, he assu∣med them, to a kind of participation of his ovvne Empire, ouer heauen and earth; and to a spirituall kind of principality aboue all the Monarks of the vvorld. And that vvhich more importeth then all this, he declared, that they should sit, together with himselfe vpon his throne; and at the day of Iudgement, giue sentence vpon the Twelue Tribes of Israell, vvherby the vvhole vvorld is designed.
So(d) 1.8 that heere vve haue meanes to see, at hovv high a rate that mony is put out to vse, vvhich vve present to God. I meane, vvhat infinite gaine is raysed, by making a deed of guift of the miserable litle thing which vve haue, and are, to that immense goodnes of his. By hearkning with a diligent & faith full hart, to his holy inspirations, vvherby he vvoes vs to become his; that in exchange, he
may be ours. It is true that he desires to haue all, or none, and he hath reason. For if this soule of ours (with being so poore a thing as it is) be yet of such capacity, as that nothing which is lesse then God himselfe, can content and fill it; what a brutish thought, would it be in vs to conceaue; That our God himselfe, could be contented to inioy but a part of vs, who are things of nothing; and who were all created by him; and who are his, and only his by so many tytles, that hell it selfe is a punish∣ment, which comes not home to the crime, of our diuiding the soule, betwene him, & crea∣tures. He being the sole and supreme truth; & all(e) 1.9 creatures, no better then a pure & per∣fect lye; in whatsoeuer they say they are, or would seeme to be, otherwise then as they yield obedience to the diuine Maiesty. S. Au∣gustine doth excellently expresse this particu∣lar, when (reuersing the wandring steps of his ill gouerned youth, in the way of confession to almighty God) he deliuereth himselfe in this manner. Thou art supreme truth, who presi∣dest ouer all things. Loath I was to loose thee; but, through my couetousnes, I desired to possesse a Lye to∣gether with thee. This was the reason why I lost thee, because thou disdainst to be enioyed, in the company of a lye.
The Apostles therfore when they were called did instantly, and wholly giue them∣selues away, with all they had. And though the goods which they left, were not a matter, in themselues, of any moment; yet they
were esteemed to haue giuen much, because those happy men, reserued nothing to them∣selues. And with the same affection, through which they had left that little, they were as ready to haue left a thousand worlds, for the loue of Christ our Lord. And S. Peter, after∣ward, was not affraid, to put our Lord in mind therof; by these words, of his innocēt, and confident,* 1.10 ardent, tender loue. Behould, we haue left all things, and followed thee; what ther∣fore wilt thou doe for vs? He said not, that he had left his netts, or his house, or his boate, or this, or that; but absolutely, that he had left all things. And(f) 1.11 our Lord made him this answere, with no lesse then the bounty of a God: Amen, Amen &c. (which declareth a most serious affirma∣tion or protestation) You who haue followed me, shall sit vpō thrones, at the resurrection of the iust, & you shall iudge the twelue tribes of Israell. And who∣soeuer shall haue left his Father, or mother, or brother, or sister, or house, or land, for my names sake; shall haue a hundred fold in this world, and afterward, shall possesse eternall life.
Yea so liberall is our Lord IESVS, as to reward with no lesse then heauen, for euery instant of that tyme, which we dispose our selues to imploy vpon his seruice. And yet his excellency is such, as that, euen the very, on∣ly, doing him any little seruice, is of so great happines, to a faithfull soule; as that it, alone, is an ouer-pay foral the paines that can be ta∣ken in this life. But to shew that our Lord is scarce able to differre the recompence of such
as follow him, with a ready will; we shall see in the next Chapter, how he takes some of them, as it were, into the ioyes of heauen, be∣fore their tyme. And he, who(g) 1.12 would not haue them present, when he was tempted, & solitary, and in act of penance, because per∣haps they were not so able to feed so soone, vpon such crosses, or hard crusts as those, did yet resolue that he would not haue some of them absent, when he was to be Transfigured vpon the hill. But that, in recompence of their beginning to doe him seruice, & for the strengthning of their Faith, and Hope, and Loue in the processe of it, they should tast a dropp of that glory, wherwith they were to be ine∣briated in heauen.
Marc. 1.
Matth. 4.
Ibid.
Matt. 9.
The admira∣ble con∣uersion of S. Matt∣hew.
Men are far frō loosing by giuing much to God.
The vnspea∣keable fauour with our Lord le∣sus impar∣ted to his Apostles, in regard that they had left their little All for him.
How infinitely we gayne, by giuing al to God.
All that which concer∣neth crea∣tures is a meer lye, whensoe∣uer it dis∣obeyeth God, or drawes vs from him, Confes. lib. 10. cap. 22.
Matt. 19.
The infinite liberality of our Lord Ie∣sus.
Note heer the excellent loue of Christ our Lord.