thinking, no doubt, out of his watchful spiritual wisdom, to work more successfully, and to leave more strong and lasting impressions in their hearts, while the bloody unnatural villainy was yet fresh in their eyes and ears. And when they were met together, he relates the doleful story: bOur noble Citizen (saith he) here of Hippo, Cyrillus, a man mighty amongst us, both in work and word, and much beloved, had, as you know, one only son, and because he had but only one, he loved him immeasurably, and above God. And so being drunk with immoderate doting, he neglected to correct him, and gave him liberty to do whatsoever ⟨p. 219⟩he list. Now this very day, this same fellow, thus long suffered in his dissolute and riotous courses, hath in his drunken humour wickedly offered violence to his mother great with child, would have violated his sister, hath killed his father, and wounded two of his sisters to death. O mighty domination of the Devil! &c. But I need not prosecute this point by further illustration out of strange Stories. Daily experience presents unto our eyes and ears, the many woeful discomforts, unkind requitals, and unnatural usages, which Parents receive at the hands of those children, which in their younger years they made wanton with their love, and undiscreetly doted upon. 2. Or in some other kind; for example: If thine heart be set upon riches, God may justly, and mercifully too, exercise, and afflict thee with his heavy hand; upon thy body, with sickness; upon thy conscience, with terror; upon thy reputation, with disgrace, or the like, thereby to unglue thy noble spirit from the dust, and rent it from grovellingnesse upon the earth. If thou be ambitiously enamoured upon honours and high rooms; after wasting thy wealth, wounding thy conscience, wearying thy self with bribery, baseness, and irksome waiting, thou mayest be taken away untimely in the very pursuit, or presently after the attainment of them, &c. Thus it is not strange or extraordinary with God, to prevent, or take off our hearts from taking self-conceited pleasure or pride in any thing we enjoy, by crossing and correcting us in other kinds. Even Paul, that blessed Saint and servant of the Lord, lest his heart should be too much pleased, and puffed up with abundance of revelations;
thinking, no doubt, out of his watchful spiritual wisdom, to work more succesfully, and to leaue more strong and lasting impressions in their hearts, while the bloody vnnaturall villany was yet fresh in their eyes and eares. And when they were met together, he relates the dolefull storie: bOur noble Citizen (saith he) here of Hippo, Cyrillus, a man mightie amongst vs, both in worke and word, and much beloued, had, as you know, one onely sonne, and because he had but onely one, he loued him immeasurably, and aboue God. And so being drunke with immoderate doting, hee neglected to correct him, and gaue him liberty to doe whatsoeuer ⟨p. 219⟩he list. Now this very day, this same fellow, thus long suffered in his dissolute and riotous courses, hath in his drunken humour wickedly offered violence to his mother great with child, would haue violated his sister, hath killed his father, and wounded two of his sisters to death. O mightie domination of the Deuill! &c. But I need not prosecute this point by further illustration out of strange Stories. Daily experience presents vnto our eyes and eares, the many wofull discomforts, vnkind requitales, and vnnaturall vsages, which Parents receiue at the hands of those children, which in their younger yeeres they made wanton with their loue, and vndiscreetly doted vpon. 2. Or in some other kind; for example: If thine heart be set vpon riches, God may iustly, and mercifully too, exercise, and afflict thee with his heauy hand; vpon thy body, with sicknesse; vpon thy conscience, with terror; vpon thy reputation, with disgrace, or the like, thereby to vnglue thy noble spirit from the dust, and rent it from grouelingnesse vpon the earth. If thou be ambitiously enamoured vpon honours and high roomes; after wasting thy wealth, wounding thy conscience, wearying thy selfe with bribery, basenesse, and irkesome waiting, thou mayest bee taken away vntimely in the very pursuite, or presently after the attainement of them, &c. Thus it is not strange or extraordinary with God, to preuent, or take off our hearts from taking selfe-conceited pleasure or pride in any thing we enioy, by crossing and correcting vs in other kindes. Euen Paul, that blessed Saint and seruant of the Lord, lest his heart should be too much pleased, and puft vp with abundance of reuelations;
- bFilium, ut scitis, habebat: & eum unicum possidebat: & quia unicus erat, eum superfluè diligebat, & supra Deum. Ideò superfluo amore in ebriatus, filium corrigere negligebat, dans etiam potestatem faciendi omnia, quae placita essent illi. O dolosa libertas! O grandis filiorum perditio! O paternus amor mortiferus! Ecce, filios see dicunt diligere, quos jugulari procurant. Dicunt eos amare, quibus jam suspendia parant, &c. Sed ecce, hodiè ebrietatem perpessus, matrempregnantem nequitèr oppressit, sororem violare voluit, patrem occidit, & duas sorores vulneravit admortem. O magna Diaboli dominatio! &c. August, adfratres in eremo. Serm. 33.Filium, vt scitis, habebat: & eum vnicum possidebat: & quia vnicus erat, eum superfluè diligebat, & supra Deum. Ideò superfluo amore in ebriatus, filium corrigere negligebat, dans etiam potestatem faciendi omnia, quae placita essent illi. O dolosa libertas! O grandis filiorum perditio! O paternus amor mortiferus! Ecce, filios se dicunt diligere, quos iugulari procurant. Dicunt eos amare, quibus iam suspendia parant, &c. Sed ecce, hodiè ebrietatem perpessus, matrempregnantem nequitèr oppressit, sororem violare voluit, patrem occidit, & duas sorores vulnerauit admortem. O magna Diaboli dominatio! &c. August, adfratres in eremo. Serm. 33.
