436 Hypocritcfi leave llielr converts as Ihe ofitrich her eygs.
Job 39, pained at the loss of his cliildrcn. To have left eggs, therc-
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— fore, in the earth, is not to raise above earthly actions the
children which have been born by conversion, by inter-
posing the nest of exhortation. To have left the eggs in the
earth, is to furnish to his children no example of heaverdy
life. For, since hypocrites glow not with the bowels of
charity, they never grieve at the torpor of the offspring
which has been born to them ; that is at the coldness of
their eggs ; and the more willingly they engage in worldly
pursuits, the more carelessly do they permit those, whom
they beget, to pursue earthly courses. But, because the
care ofheaven deserts not the forsaken children of hypocrites,
for it warms some even of such, foreknown in secret election,
by the regard of grace bestowed, it is rightly subjoined;
Wilt thou percJiance warm them in the dust ?
X. 15. As if He said, As I, Who warm them in the dust;
because, namely, I kindle with the fire of My love the souls
of the young, even when placed in the midst of sinners.
What is understood by ' dust,' but the sinner ? Whence
also that enemy is satiated with the perdition of this sinner.
Is. 65, of whom it is said by the Prophet, For the serpent, dust is
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his bread. What is pointed at by dust but the very insta-
Ps. 1,4. bility of the wicked ? Of which David says, A^o^ so the un-
godly, not so, hut as dust which the ,rind sweepeth away
from the face of the earth. The Lord therefore warms the
eggs, which have been left in the dust ; because He kindles,
with the fire of His love, the souls of His little ones, bereft
of the anxious care of their preachers, even when dwelling
in the midst of sinners. Hence is it, that we behold many,
both living in the midst of multitudes, and yet not adopting
the conduct of the sluggish people. Hence is it, that we
behold many both not flying the crowds of the wicked, and
yet glowing with heavenly ardour. Hence is it, that we
behold many, if I may so speak, glowing in the midst of
cold. For whence do some, living amidst the sluggishness
of earthly men, burn with desires of heavenly hope ; whence
are they kindled, even amidst frozen hearts, except that
Almighty God knows how to warm the forsaken eggs even
in the dust, and, having dispelled the insensibility of their
former coldness, so to animate them with the feeling of