death or stripes Doe thou inquire the cause in the opened bowells of Christ to wit his burning loue which cutt brake asunder this sacke of his body poured foorth his bloud so pleÌ„tifully What will the holy Angels do which were astonished in the natiuity of this Lord at the wonderfull loue which caused almighty God to take vpon him a frayle and infants body How will they be amazed both at this loue of God which for man was coÌ„tent to be esteemed a worm rather then a man to be the scorn of men and the outcast of the people the scum and laughing stocke of all men also at the raging malice of the Iewes who would neuer bee satisfied with the paines and punishment of their Messias which so many ages before was expected promised vnto them and likewise at the hardnes of thine owne heart which is not softened and melted with this burning charity of thy Creator Admire thou these thinges and pray thy Lord to inflame thy heart with the loue of him Ioan. 19 The Iewes answered him we haue a Lawe and according to the lawe he ought to dye because hee made himselfe the Sonne of God COnsider first the proud answere of the Iewes we haue a Lawe They belieued in the lawe which they had in writing and did not fulfill it in worke Those men doe imitate them first which boast of the word of God and continually obiect the same and are wholy in the commendation of faith when in the mean time they do nothing worthy neither of faith nor of the holy Scriptures nor yet of a Christian man Secondly they which place all piety in outward ceremonies onely and not in the worship of God in brotherly charity Consider 2. That according to the Lawe Christ ought to dye For the whole lawe of Moses and of the Prophets foreshewed the death of Christ for all the sacrifices of the old Law were shadowes of the sacrifice of the Crosse and all the Prophets referred their prophesies to the death of the Messias Therefore the Iewes said true but not according to their owne intention whose meaning was that the sinne and blasphemy of Christ deserued death by the Lawe that thou maiest learne that God turneth to thy good those things which are badly spoken or done by the wicked and also that thou shouldest drawe goodnes euen out of wicked men Consider third-the cause of his death Because hee made himselfe the Sonne of God A most true cause of death First if thou doest consider God the Father for the Son of God being made man made man the Sonne of God assuming humane nature into one person of the Sonne of God For wee should neuer haue come into grace with the eternall Father but by the death of that man who was the true and very Sonne of God Secondly if thou consider the Iewes because hee liued the life of the Sonne of God For therefore their enuy was exasperated to the death of Christ because his most Holy life reprehended their wicked behauiours Take thou heede that neuer any other fault bee noted in thee but onely that thou art the sonne of God For if thou doest suffer for that cause thou art happy and the faithfull Disciple of Christ And because the Sonne of God did vndergoe this death to make thee the Sonne of God pray him that hee will lighten thy soule with his Grace and exalt thee to bee the Sonne of God and after this life by communicating his Diuinity vnto thee he will number thee amongst the Sonnes of God and graunt thee thy portion among his Saints which shall bee called the sonnes of God The 28. Meditation of the second examination of Christ made by Pilate When Pilate heard that speach hee feared more Ioan. 19 and entred againe into the Pallace and said vnto him whence art thou but Iesus gaue him no answere COnsider first that Pilate being an Ethnicke and possessed with the error of the Gentiles feared least Christ was the Son of some God as perhaps of Iupiter or Maâ—s For so the Poets faine of Romulus and Remus and of diuers others and Christ his modesty in answering and his grauity of manners confirmed this opinion Hee feared therfore the indignation of the God his Father whose Sonne hee had so vniustly whipped The Gentile feared the vaine wrath of the Gentile God and feared not the grieuousnes of his sin neither did the Iewes feare the most iust wrath of the true God Thou likewise doest feare sometimes shadowes dreames and childish fancies and art not affraid of the Deuill who is alwayes at thine elbowe when thou sinnest nor the district iudgment of Christ whome thou doest offend nor Hell mouth gaping for thee Consider secondly Whence art thou Euill men neither knowe God the giuer of all good thinges nor from whence any good commeth to them The Oxe knoweth his Keeper and the Asse the manger of his Lord. Hennes Cattes and Hogges when meat is cast vnto them lift vp their heades and looke vpon them that cast the same And man who hath receiued so many benefites froÌ„ God doth neither thanke nor knowe God Consider thirdly that Christ made no answere First because it was not necessary seeing hee had manifested his innocency before and also satisfied this question saying My Kingdome is not of this world I was borne for this and for this I came into the World c. For our Lord spake but seldome and necessary thinges and as St. Chrysostome saith least hee might seeme proude by his continuall silence Hom. 87. in Mat. Secondly least by his answeares hee might bee thought desirous to escape and to auoyde death which he might easily haue done if either hee himselfe or any other for him had seriously defended his cause Thirdly least hee should giue holy thinges vnto Dogs For at this time Pilate by his great sinne of whipping him had made himselfe vnworthy of an answere at Gods handes Fourthly because an Heathen man could not vnderstand the answere of that which the Angells cannot conceiue For from whence is that Person which with his Maiesty filleth both Heauen Earth which alwayes springing in the bosome of the Father Isa 53 is alwayes borne and perfect whose generation noe man can declare Thou therefore pondering in thy minde the Maiesty of thy Lord and seeing him before this wicked President thus fowly torn deformed with so many stripes and couered with so many spittings filth and torments admire and aske him whence art thou Art thou hee whose Father is God whose Seruants are the Angels and whose Kingdome is Heauen For if wee may Iudge of a man according to his habite thou seemest to bee a Worme rather theÌ„ a Man brought forth of the durte rather then comming from Heauen Then Pilate said vnto him Doest thou not speake vnto mee Ioan. 19 doest thou not knowe that I haue power to crucifie thee and power to dismisse thee COnsider first the
participate of other mens griefes and afflictions feeling the same though not in body yet in minde by which affection the griefe of the Patient seemeth to bee diuided and communicated with another and is thereby greatly mittigated and asswaged as on the contrary side it is much augmented and increased if either we â—eride him or bee not moued with his afflictions Chr st our Sauiour to diminish our sorrowes would suffer for vs and condole also wish vs as the Apostle saith Wee haue not a High Priest that cannot haue compassioÌ„ on our infirmities but tempted in all thinges by similitude except sinne And truly although we cannot lessen by this our sorrowe the most grieuous and exessiue sorrowes that our Sauiour suffered for vs yet this our compassion is most gratefull to him whereby we make his dolours ours and apply his suffrings vnto our selues Wherefore the Apostle hath said very rightly We are coheires of Christ yet if we suffer with him that we may be also glorified with him For hee that will not bee a partaker with Christ in his sufferings cannot be a partaker with him in his kingdome There are two thinges which are most availeable to prouoke this commiseration First the condition of the person that is to say his nobility his goodnesse his piety towards men and such other things which doe aggrauate the indignity of his inflicted miserie Secondly the cruelty and immanity of his torments If therefore we desire to feeâ—e in our hearts this coÌ„miseration we must consider in euery article First who it is that suffereth As first that it is God who with his Maiesty filleth Heauen and Earth secondly a most honorable man descended of the house of Dauid and conceiued by the holy Ghost in the wombe of the Virgine thirdly one most learned in his vnderstanding and most holy in his will who by no error or sinne did euer offend either God or man fourthly most graue and sober in his conuersation being neuer seene to laugh but often to weepe and that for our sinnes fiftly more beautifull in his body then all the sonnes of men and of a more tender and delicate complexion Secondly wee must set before our eyes the greatnes of his torments and with what particular payne euery member was afflicted Considering first that all the sences of his body and all the powres of his soule sustayned their proper and peculiar tortures Secondly that his tormenâ—s were most grieuous both by reason of the most tender constitution of his body and also because he wanted all interior comfort to indure the same Certainly it is the vndoubted opinion of all Diuines that neuer any creature indured such paynes and torments as our blessed Sauiour did If we see a wicked man suffer such punishment as he hath most iustly deserued we cannot but be moued to compassion and griefe and if we see but a Dogge or an Asse cruelly whipped or beaten we are presently touched with commiseration Ought we not then to condole with the Son of God suffering so vnspeakable tortures and that for our sakes The second affectioÌ„ is Compunction Compunction or sorrowe for our sinnes when we are induced to an horror and detestation of our sinnes by the remembrance of our Sauiours passion which may easily be done if we ponder what the malice of sinne is and what torments it hath drawne vpon Christ our Sauiour As God is infinite so the malice of sinne which is committed against God is also infinite and this malice in the iustice of God which ought not to be violated could not by any satisfaction be taken away but by that which was infinite Wherfore either an infinite paine was to be endured which no finite creature could endure or for an infinite time which the damned in hell endure or by an infinite person which is God himselfe Hence let vs proceede and consider what it was that drewe God from Heauen to earth and induced him to vndergoe his passion which was nothing else but our sinnes For if man had neuer sinned God had neuer been incarnated nâ—uer suffered neuer dyed Wherefore like as for the sinner his sinnes prepare a place in hell for the thiefe his theft prepareth his punishment so for our blessed Sauiour our grieuous sins haue procured a necessity of suffering death The malice therefore of sinne is aboue all things to bee detested which caused euen our Lord God himselfe to bee crucified But least thou shouldest imagine perhapps that the grieuousnesse of sinne is heereby extenuated because Christ did not suffer for thy sinnes alone but for the sinnes of all the world be thou assured of this that the malice of sinne is not thereby diminished or impaired but the singular vertue of our Sauiours passion is declared which hath washed away the sins not of this or that man but of all the men in the world For the merite of his passion is infinite and no malice whatsoeuer is able to counteruaile it which thing alone doth sufficiently discouer the grieuousnes of sinne because without the infinite merite of Christ it could not be forgiuen As therefore if one only man see the Sunne it will shine no more to him alone then it would doe to him and all other men together and as a man doth no lesse kill another when alone he stabbeth him to the heart then if he should take ten or twelue others to assist him in the same so euen one mortall sinne for redeeming whereof the death and passion of the Sonne of God was necessary is no lesse the cause of our Sauiours death then all the sinnes of the world ioyned together Neither doth the passion of our Sauiour bring vs lesse profite being vndertaken for the vniuersall saluation of the world then if it had beene vndertaken for mee alone The third affection is Imitation Imitation whereby wee desire to followe and imitate those rare excellencies which we discouer in Christ as the Apostle teacheth vs Christ suffered for vs 1 Pet. 2. leauing you an example that you may followe his steppes And againe Christ hauing suffered for vs in the flesh be you also armed with the same cogitatioÌ„ 1 Pet. 4 There are two thinges principally to bee imitated in our Sauiours Passion The one is a desire to suffer for vs. The other is a great heap of vertues which appeared so plainly in this his Passion that though our Sauiour spake nothing yet by his example from the Pulpit as it were of the Crosse he taught all kinde of vertues yea and taught them most perfectly both for that hee was destitute of all interior comfort which doth ordinarily accompany our vertuous acts and also because there wanted not meanes whereby hee might haue resisted his Passion Wherefore in euery Meditation wee must search out First what vertue is chiefly coÌ„mended vnto vs therein Secondly how our Sauiour exercised the same And lastly wee must stirre vp a desire and firme purpose to obtaine that vertue deuising the
the greatnes of their enuy whereby they desired to doe all mischiefe vnto Christ and that our lord had giuen them power to satisfie their desires Acts. 22 The Apostle Paul was taken with great cruelty pulled out of the Tēple by force presētly beaten with their fistes almost killed with stripes but it was nothing to this cruelty which surpassed all cruelty Consider the antient predictions of this his captiuity Many clogs compassed me about they tooke me as a Lyon prepared for his prey Psal 11 Psal 16. casting me downe they compassed me now about they compassed me like Bees and they burned like fire in the thornes being pushed I was ouerthrowne that I fell Secondly marke the words of the Euangelists a cōpany the tribune the Ministers not a few but the whole army laboured for this captiuity euery one went about some thing they came they leaped with great violence as blessed Gregory Nazianzene affirmeth Laid hands on him not onely apprehending him but grieuously beating him They held him as St. Leo saith In Christo patiēte ser 7. de pas domini they pulled him hither thither and they bound him O how many cords were pulled not by one but by many both because he should not escape and also because being seene in such habit he might be iudged worthy of death by all men These bands were due vnto thee for thy sinnes except thou beest partaker of them thou shalt bee bound with euerlasting chaynes in hell Suffer then with thy lord who was so cruelly bound for thy cause and endeauour to be thankefull and pray him that by this his captiuity hee will deliuer thee free frō al the power of the Deuill and from all bonds of euill desires which according to the Deuills will might drawe thee into any sinne restore thee to spirituall liberty that being deliuered out of the hand of thy enemie thou maist serue him Mat. 26. Mar. 14. Then all his Disciples leauing him fled but a certaine young man did followe him cloathed in linnen vpon the bare and they layd hold of him but he leauing his linnen fled away naked from them COnsider first that heere are two things declared whereby thou maist vnderstād the great fury cruelty which was vsed in taking Christ and carying him away One was the flight of his most deare Disciples who were stroken into so great a feare that although they burned in loue with him yet euery one of them fledd away The other that a young man in one of the next houses being moued with the tumult rose out of his bed couered onely with linnen came foorth to see what was done in the streete whome they thinking to bee one of his Disciples would haue apprehended but he leauing his linnen fled away naked whereby thou maist gather what a clamor they made as if their prey were now taken and how much they raged and desired to hurt all them which belonged vnto Christ Consider secondly that Christ was forsaken by all his friends and followers and cruelly carryed away by the hands of the wicked Learne heereby not to trust in men which oftentimes in this life and euer in death doe forsake all men and pray thy Lord that he neuer forsake thee although thou beest forsaken of al men especially in the houre of thy death when thou must goe into a strange countrye without the company of any man with thee The twelfe Meditation of the acts in Annas house and his sending to Caiphas And they brought Iesus first to Annas Ioan. 7. for he was father in law to Caiphas who was the high Priest of that yeare And Caiphas was he which gaue counsaile to the Iewes Because it is necessary that one man dye for the people COnsider first that Christ was brought to Annas either because he should be caried to his father in law Caiphas an old man which should succeede the next yeare in the high priesthood and dwellling in the way to the high Priests house or else for the traytor to whome as Saint Cyrill saith Annas was appointed by the Priestes to pay the reward of his treason Lib. 11. in Ioan. cap. 37. for the taking of our Lord. Behold thou the affections of euery man the cruell ioy of this most wicked Annas tryumphing that at the last his enemy was taken the flattering congratulations of the Soldiours the couetousnesse of Iudas hauing now receiued his money the modesty of Christ and his cheerefull minde to suffer for thee Consider secondly that mention is here made of the counsaile which Caiphas gaue for the putting of Christ to death that it may be shewed that he prosecuted his death who first gaue the counsell of his death Secondly that thou maist learn that al things which our Lord suffered in his passion did not happen vnto him so much by humane counsaile as by the will of God For those words of the death of our Lord although Caiphas vttered them out of a wicked minde yet he spake them by the instinct of the holy Ghost who vseth to apply the words of the wicked for the profit of the iust that he might teach thee that God the Father inioyned God the Son tooke vpon him this cruell passion only for the loue of mākinde that thou again mightst be caried into the loue of God with all thy heart minde Thirdly that thou maist know that God neuer forgetteth sinnes past though perhappes they are out of thy minde For all things are kept in memory and an account shall be demanded at the houre of death And Annas sent him bound to Caiphas the high Priest Ioan. 18 Mat. 26. where the Scribes and Seniours were assembled COnsider first that Christ suffered many wrongs in the house of Annas for this word hee sent him signifieth that he did not lightly suffer him to goe away but that he made some stay But search out with thy selfe what those things were For blessed Cyrill saith that the blowe was giuen him in the house of Caiphas and many affirme that this word he sent should be taken in the Hebrue for this word he had sent Consider secondly what this word signifieth bound to wit that either he was newly bound or else that his former bōds were not loosed that he might bee accounted condemned as guilty worthy of bonds by the iudgmēt of this graue mā But as the wicked Priest did take no compassion vpon him that was bound so neither doest thou take any pittie vpon thy poore afflicted Neighbour nor yet vpon thy owne soule which is grieuously tyed with the bondes of sinnes Consider thirdly this wearisome iourney in which thy Lord was cruelly drawne with with cordes and whipped on with stripes whether soeuer it pleased the wicked people to earye him He walked indeede the hard waies that he might make the way to Heauē easie and plaine for thee and that thou mightest goe in the way of the Cōmaundements
thy Lord and let thy chiefest care bee to be better esteemed of God then of men Consider thirdly that that thing happened to the Iewes which they feared For they did not eate the mysticall Pasch because Christ the true Pasch tooke it away by his death and that which they did eate they celebrated with polluted minds hatefull vnto God Be thou therefore carefull not so much for the outward beauty cleannes as for the inward purity of thy mind that thou maist receiue the true Pasch of our Lord in the Eucharist praying vnto God that thou mayst be pure in hart wherby thou maist often eate worthily this holy Pasch Ioan. 18. Then Pilate went foorth vnto them said what accusation do you bring against this man they āswered him if he were not a malefactor we would not haue deliuered him to thee Then said Pilate to them take ye him and according to your Law iudge him The Iewes said to him It is not lawfull for vs to kill any man that the speach of Iesus might be fulfilled signifying what death he should dye COnsider 1. The humanity of Pilate who might haue interpreted their refusing to come into his house as to an vnclean person as a contempt of him yet he yeilded to their religion being better then thou many other Christians who being contemned yeild contempt againe by no intreaty will yeild in any poynt or tytle of honour Consider 2. The proud answere of the Iewes by which they abused the outward face of Religion to the death of an innocent We say they being Priests making conscience to breake the least commandement of the law would neuer haue deliuered this man vnto you except for many causes he had beene most worthy of death So great was the innocency of our Lord that without compulsion they would not haue come to accuse him Consider thirdly Pilates answere more wise then the answer of the Priests For many times secular men haue more goodnesse then Priests The Gentile seemed to be not a little offended that hee should bee required to put him to death without hearing or cōuicting him as if hee should say If your Law permit this yet the Lawe of the Romanes doth not But the Iewes had no consideration of this iust scandall whome thou doest immitate so oft as thou doest giue cause of scandall whom thou doest immitate so oft as thou giuest cause of scandall or reproach to the weake or to Heretiques Remember the word of our Lord It is better that a mil-stone should be hanged about his necke Mat. 18. and he throwne into the bottome of the Sea then one of those little ones should be scandalized Consider fourthly the other answere of the Iewes saying it is not lawfull for vs to kill any man Act. 7. that is to say vpon the Crosse Ioan. 8. For they stoned Stephen and they prepared to stone the Adulteresse For our Lord must be put to death not with stones hut vpon the Crosse and not by the Iewes but by the Gentiles which is shewed by that which followeth that the speach of Iesus might be fulfilled who had foretold them both Giue thankes therefore vnto thy Lord that he passed from the Iewes to the Gentiles and pray him that he which by the handes of the Gentiles would vndergoe the Crosse suffer death will accept for thee the vnbloudy sacrifice which in remembrance of his Passion is offered in the Church of the Gentiles world without end Then they beganne to accuse him Luc. 23. saying We haue found this man subuerting our people and forbidding to giue tribute vnto Caesar and saying that hee is Christ our King THey began saith hee as the beginning of many accusations which should follow We haue found wee haue not heard of others but wee our selues haue seene Consider 1. three accusations al which depended vpō one He doth affirme say they that hee is the Messias King of the Iewes promised to our fore-Fathers and thereby draweth the people vnto him and he cōmaundeth neither to obey Caesar Ioan. 6. nor to pay tribute vnto him Lying plainly who knew that our Lord did shun a Kingdome did teach obedience did pay tribute Mat. 27. Mar. 22. and did answeare that it should bee payed Hereby thou mayest learn how enuy maketh a mā blinde so as hee cannot perceiue the ignominy reproach that hee doth vnto himselfe For by these words they proued thēselues lyars before Pilate who could not bee ignorant of Christ his answer to the Herodyans Render vnto Caesar those thinges which are Caesars Mat. 22 Auoyd thou therefore all perturbation of minde which doth both much hinder the seeing of the truth weaken thy reputation Consider secondly wherof Christ was accused First that hee did subuert the people His office is to mooue the people to turne them vp and down to subdue the flesh which ruled the spirit vnto the spirit to place poore and base Fisher-men aboue Kinges and after his life to throw the proude rich men downe into Hell and to lift poor Lazarus into Abrahams bosome Secondly that hee forbad to giue tribute vnto Caesar Our Lord doth forbid to pay tribute vnto the Deuill who is called Prince of this world and requireth no small tribute of the actions of men whome hee would haue to attempt or execute nothing without some mixture of sin Christ contrariwise commandeth to this tribute vnto God that thou shalt refer all thy actions to his glory Thirdly that he is a King the Messias Thy Lord is truly a King and the Messias who gouerneth and feedeth all his people both with his body and holy spirit Yeilde thou thy selfe vnder the gouernment of this King fight against his enemies and follow him thy Captaine in all thinges The 20. Meditation of the examination of Pilate Ioan. 18 Then Pilate went againe into the Pallace and called Iesus and Iesus stoode before the President Mar. 27. And Pilate asked him art thou King of the Iewes Iesus answered doest thou speake this of thy selfe or haue others tolde it thee of me Pilate answered am I a Iew thy people and thy Priests haue deliuered thee to me what hast thou done COnsider first Pilate dealt with Christ not afore the multitude but priuately in his house of whome saith St. Chrysostome hee had conceiued a great opinion Hom. 85. in Ioan. Thou in like manner if thou wilt deale with Christ auoide company much busines enter into the chamber of thy heart that thou mayest more clearly heare our Lord speaking Consider secondly that the Lord of all creatures standeth as guilty before the Gentile President to whom he must render account of his life Liue thou so that thou needest not blush to render an account of all the actions before any man Consider 3. the question of Pilate Art thnu King of the Iewes That is to say can it bee that thou being so poore and
I finde no cause in this man But the high Priestes accused him in many things and Iesus answered nothing Then Pilate asked him saying to him Dost thou not heare howe great testimonies they speake against thee dost thou not answere any thing behold in how great things they acuse thee But Iesus answered not him to any word Mar. 15 so as the President wondred greatly COnsider first that Pilate expecting no answere to this question what is the truth went foorth either because he thought that question appertained not to him or else that it was not conuenient at that time To whom thou maiest knowe thy selfe to be like so oft as thou passest ouer lightly heauenly things or as oft as thou shalt thinke that those things which are spoken of euerlasting life of perfection or of christiaÌ„ life appertain not vnto thee or as often as thou dost lightly leaue that which before thy God thou hadst iustly purposed Thinke no time vnfitt for diuine instructions Consider secondly that Pilate found no cause of death in Christ the Iewes a false cause and God the Father a true cause to wit the purging of thy sinnes for the saluation of thy soule Ponder earnestly with thy selfe vpon this cause For the reason why thou louest not Christ so well as thou oughtest nor art so thankfull as thou shouldest be nor art sufficiently moued with this his so great and bitter paine is because thou doest not earnestly acknowledge nor reuolue in thy minde that thou wert the cause of these his bitter paines Consider thirdly the great and manifould crimes obiected against thy Lord in the sight and hearing of all the people who wondred exceedingly at such new and strange things Doe thou patiently suffer for thy Lords sake all slanders iniuries and reproches Consider fourthly the deepe silence of our Lord wherein Pilate the Gentile admired the wisedom of Christ and the Iewes were made more audacious to adde more and more grieuous accusations Admire thou the patience of God who beeing hetherto offended with so many and so grieuous sinnes both of thee and of other men doth not onely still holde his peace winke at them parâ—oÌ„ them but also doth bestowe many benefites vpon thee that thou being moued with his bountifull liberality maist at last remember thy felfe But they were more earnest saying Luc. 23. He moued the people teaching through all Iurie beginning froÌ„ Galilee euen hither COnsider first the clamors of the Iewes who hauing no hope to effect any thing by truth raised vp troubles tumults and clamours like those which defeÌ„d an ill cause wherein they imitate the Deuill who when he can doe nothing by his owne suggestions theÌ„ he stirreth vp friends parents and companions he moueth the inward concupiscâ—nce he hindereth and darkneth the vnderstanding Doe thou nothing impatiently imitating our Lord who was not prouoked nor moued by any iniuries except to loue the more dearly Consider 2. that Christ was heere reputed captaine of the sedicious Thou knowest say they O Pilate the Galilaeans to be factious people whose bloud thou didst lately mingle with their sacrifice behold hee is the head and Ring-leader of all mischiefe borne to raise sedition among the people Verily O Lord thou doest moue the people but not to sedition treason robberies and man-slaughters which is the property of Heretiques which stirre vp such motions in their Sermons but to the change of their life and manners that forsaking their pleasures and sinnes they may all giue themselues to the exercise of vertue Thou fillest the Monasteries with religious people the Deserts with Anchorites the Prisons with Confessors and the gallowes with Martyrs Through thy motion Virgins cast away their braue artyre Rich men choose pouerty Noble men submit themselues to the wills of others and young men by a vowe of religion offer themselues as a Holocaust vnto thee Pray thou also that our Lord may mooue thee Consider thirdly whome he is said to teach to wit the Galilaeans that is Passengers and Iewes that is Confessors and praisers of God But hee began from Galilee For the beginning of Christian doctrine is to passe from sinne the middle is to confesse our dayly defects with sorrowe of heart and purpose of amendment and to praise God in true obedience and the end is to behold the face of God in Ierusalem in the vision of peace Pray our Lord to bring thee to the perfection of this wisedome And Pilate hearing Galilee asked if the maÌ„ wer a Galilaean as soon as he knew that he was vnder the iurisdiction of Herod Luc. 23. he sent him to Herod who also in those dayes was in Hierusalem GAlilaean is heere to bee seperated from the man in this sence whether this maÌ„ be a Galilaean Consider first that either Pilate did not knowe the name of Iesus or else that he disdained to name him Wicked men knowe not Iesus suffering mocked and bound they knowe the honours of the world but not the ignominy of the Crosse Therefore they shall not bee knowne of Iesus that is their Sauiour and they shall neuer reape the fruite of saluation which reiect the Passion being the instrument of saluation Consider secondly that Herode the Iewe came to Hierusalem against the feast of Pasch For sinners vse to celebrate the Feastes of the Faithfull with outward ceremonies onely in brauer Apparrell with daintyer Dishes c. But they doe not receiue the inward fruit of the Feasts neither doe they labour so much for the inward ornament of their Soule to the which they ought to bee caried from the outward ceremonyes Consider thirdly thy Lord is saide to bee vnder the iurisdiction of Herode a wicked man Incestuous Adulterous and a Murtherer that thou mayest willingly obey thy Superiours though they bee not very good hauing respect not to their vices but to the vertue of obedience Consider fourthly the sower Iudges of Christ two Priests Annas Cayphas and two secular men Herode the Iewe and Pilate the Gentile For Christ was adiudged to death by all states of men hee was slaine for the sinnes of all men hee suffered and dyed for the saluation of all men Therefore doe thou confidently lay all thy sinnes vpon him that being free'd from them thou mayest receiue eternall saluation prepared by him The 22. Meditation of the acts in the house of Herode Herode when he saw Iesus reioyced much Luc. 23. for hee was desirous a long time to see him because he had heard many thinges of him and hee hoped to see some signe done by him And he examined him with many questions but hee answered nothing vnto him COnsider first that this Herode neuer came vnto Christ neuer heard his wordes nor neuer saw his miracles but yet hee knewe many things of him by the report of others Wherefore he was glad that hee had occasion to see and behold him but he was not moued with hope or desire of saluation but with a
thee so thou oughtest religiously to meditate worship and imbrace those spittings whips reproaches which haue brought aboundance of so great goods vnto thee For our Lord knoweth his owne attyre and he will more easily receiue thee comming in such garments then in worldly pompe and brauery And hee had rather haue thee to pray and worship him in this poor array then in all thy braue attyre Consider secondly that this sack of the body of Christ which came down from Heauen Ioan. 1 full of grace and truth is now opened and torne in all partes breathing out of his holy bowels a wonderfull sauour so sharpe that it driueth away Deuils Mat. 24. so peircing that it entreth into stony hearts and so sweete that it draweth the Eagles from all partes of the world For where the body shall bee Mat. 24. thither also will the Eagles be gathered Purge thou the nostrils of thy heart purge thou the filth of thy vices that being stirred vp with the sweetnes of the sauour of God Thou mayst runne into the sweet sauour of these oyntments Cant. 1 And pray vnto our Lord to drawe thee after him with his sweetnes to instill into thy heart the loue of his Passion that thou mayest contemne the world in respect therof And he said behold the man by this worde Pilate endeauoured to mooue some commiseration shewing first the bitternes of his punnishment as if hee had said knowe that hee is a man and not a beast if hee haue committed any fault he hath paid wel for it therfore ô meÌ„ take pitty vpon a man it is the part of beasts not to spare the conquered And again behold he is a man a most miserable man whom ye haue accused as King of the Iewes there is no cause why yee should be afraid of this King whome through the great deformity of his body cruell tormeÌ„ts yee can scarce knowe to be a man Doe thou apply these words profitably vnto thy selfe in this maÌ„ner 1. Behold the man he is set before thee to imitate in this habite in these gestures and in this shape of body and minde Abraham was proposed to our Auncestours for an example of life Isa 51 Marke the Rock saith Isaias out of which yee were cut Heere a man is proposed vnto thee of whom our Heauenly Father saith Heare him and the Sonne of God Learne yee of mee Mat. 27. for I am meeke and humble of heart Looke therefore not vpon other mens manners but vpon this mans vpon this face of Christ who although hee be God whose vertues and deedes thou canst not attayne vnto yet he is true man indued with the same frayle and humane nature like thee and other men Thy first Father Adam made thee of a man like to foolish Beastes Psal 84. If thou wilt returne to the auncient dignity of humane nature ioyne thyselfe with this man Secondly beholde the man to whome thou maist flye in all thy necessities these spittings are suffered for thee this bloud is shedd for thee and all these euills are indured for thy sake both that thou shouldest take away thy sinnes and cure thy wounds by these medicines and also that thou shouldest pay them to the eternall Father for thy infinite depts Thirdly behold the man marke what thy sinnes haue brought vnto this man thy pride hath caused these irrisions and this contempt thy couetousnesse this nakednes thy drunkennesse this effusion of bloud thy lust these thornes and thy sloath these bonds O man behold this man but who art thou and what is he thou a man like a worme he a man and God Oh how great glory is due vnto him and how much shame vnto thee yet what is he become for thy sake and what sufferest or doest thou for him Psal 21 he is made a worme and no man a scorne of men and an abiect of the people And this because he would carry thee vp to God But thou being carefull of nothing lesse then of exalting his glory applyest thy selfe about thine own honor wealth and commoditie The 27. Meditation of the third accusation of our Lord before Pilate Ioan. 16 Then wheÌ„ the high Priests and the Ministers sawe him they cryed saying crucifie him crucifie him COnsider first the people holding their peace and inclyning to coÌ„miseration the Priestes and their ministers and flatterers were not pacified That thou maist knowe first that no man is moued more hardly to repent his sinnes then he which sinneth of set purpose and malice For they which fall thorough weakenesse and ignorance are sooner recalled and deserue pardon but they which wittingly and willingly are euill are rather hardned indurate theÌ„ any way ameÌ„ded by admonitions 2. That the enimies of Christ and of his Church are neuer the better for being vsed geÌ„tly curteously For these kind of meÌ„ are to be subdued by thretnings terrors constancy not by sufferance Consider 2. That euen as these wicked men did vpon the sight of the bloud of Christ thirst after his death like dogges vpon the sight of the bloud of a wilde Beast So thou oughtest to be inflamed with the loue of the passion of our Lord by the contemplation of his paines Psal 38. that the fire of Deuotion may be inkindled in thy meditations Consider thirdly how the words of these wicked people did pierce the bowells of thy Lord crucifie him crucifie him of which he foretold in the Prophet I haue left my house I haue put away my inheritance Hiere 12 I haue giuen my beloued soule into the hands of her enemies my inheritance is made vnto me like a Lyon in the woâ—d Sâ—ffer with thy Lord and lament thy sinnes which continually send foorth the same cryes and are bloud-suckers instantly crying Pro. 30 Bring Bring Pilate said vnto them take yee him and crucifie him Ioan. 19. for I finde no cause in him COnsider first that Pilate being moued with disdaine answered somewhat sharply vnto the Iewes Admire thou thy own coldnesse who art a Christian knowest the dignity of Christ and the greatnesse of his paines and doest confesse that thou wert the cause thereof and yet art not moued neither with commiseration towards Christ nor with disdaine against thy selfe Learne iustly to be angry at them which goe about to incite thee and others vnto sinne that is to say at the Deuill and his ministers Say vnto him if thou wilt offend the goodnesse of God I finde no cause in him but of loue reuerence and thankesgiuing Consider 2. Though Pilate was loath to pronounce the senteÌ„ce of death aganst our Lord yet he did not hinder his death but wold put it ouer to other meÌ„ WhoÌ„ thou doest imitate as often as thou leauest to the will of others that mischife which thou thy selfe darest not coÌ„mit Consider 3. That this wicked PresideÌ„t after all this grieuous punishment found no cause in him either of
and made a peace and reconciliation with his Father Hee sayeth therefore O Father forgiue and that by and by For the time of hauing mercy on him commeth Pâ—al 101. for the time commeth to wit the houre of sacrifice the day of satisfaction the time of forgiuenes the last instant of my life in which being presently to yeeld vp my breath I now propound my last petitioÌ„ and intreat onely this O Father forgiue them Fourthly hee saith not forgiue the sinnes already committed but onely forgiue euen those euills which they shall hereafter coÌ„mit against mee their irrisions their blasphemies the bitternes of the vineger my death and the wound in my side that thou also shouldst quickly forgiue thy enemies and remit all thinges keeping no rancor at all in thy heart Fiftly hee sayth not I forgiue both because the offence against his Father grieued him more thâ—â— his own torments and also because being intentiue vpon the happines which should redound to all the world by this his Passion hee seemed to esteem all the euils which the Iewes did vnto him rather as a benefite then any hurt Like as a man hauing a grieuous vlcer in his side if his enemy thinking to kill him should wound him in that place whereby the vlcer should be opened and the corruption let out would bee glad of that wound which was the cause of his cure So desirous was our Lord of thy saluation that hee reioyced at those his paines which were the cause of so great good vnto thee Them Note first that hee sayeth not these wicked Crucifiers these Hangmen these aduersaries and enemies both because thou shouldest refraine from all euill wordes and reproaches and also because thy Lord reputeth no man his enemy who payed the price of his death for all men and offereth saluation to euery one louing dearly euen these very Iewes his executioners Rom. 11. not for their owne euill workes but for their Fathers sakes who were holy and iust men and therefore speaking of his stripes Zach. 13. I was whipped saith hee in the house of them that loued mee Not by them that loued me but the Sonnes of them that loued mee that good might be done vnto the Children for their holy Fathers sakes Secondly them in the plurall number not onely those which conspire now against my death but also to all those who at any time by their sinnes haue giuen cause of this my Passion For thou shalt not bee excluded from this prayer whose sinnes haue been cause of our Lords death and thou mayst haue hope of pardon if thou wilt ioyne thy prayer with the prayer of Christ For if the prayer of Christ did profite them which neuer required it doubtlesse it will profite thee requiring it of him and praying together with him For they knowe not what they doe Luc. 23. COnsider first that Christ to whome all iudgement is giuen and whome his enemyes had offended did not take vpon him the office of a Iudge or an accuser but rather of a defender patrone The Iewes sought how to accuse him and found nothing worthy of accusation in him Our innocent Lord that was offended seeketh how to excuse the offence and the malice of the offence was such that nothing could be alleadged for the extenuating therof but onely ignorance And yet this ignorance being voluntary could no more excuse the Iewes then him who wittingly and willingly hideth his eyes because he will not see him whom he striketh or killeth If Christ then in the midst of his torments mittigateth the sinnes of his torturers will hee not now before his Father excuse their sinnes who call vpon his name with faith deuotion and sorrow for their sinnes Consider secondly that the Father answered not his Sonne by worde and yet Christ was heard for his reuerence Heb. 5 For God when he denyed his Sonnes request answered in the garden by an Angell but when hee graunted it hee answered not in worde but in deede Ioan. 19. For first hee restrained all creatures froÌ„ rising against his enemies in reuenge of his death all which would haue fought for their creator if this prayer of Christ had not stayed them Secondly hee reduced one of the Theeues vnto pennance Thirdly at the death of his Sonne he changed the minde of the Centurion and others Fourthly vpon the solemnity of Penticost hee conuerted sometimes three somtimes fiue thousand of the same Iewes vnto his faith Therefore God the Father not by outward words but by inward consent answered his Sonne in this manner O my Sonne I grant that which thou requirest laying aside all wrath I open the fountaines of mercy and I offer grace and pardon of sinnes Iustice and adoption of children as wel vnto these who haue afflicted thee as also vnto all the Nations of the world for euer and euer so as they will admit mercy offer'd vnto them For I will compell none against their will but I giue power to all to returne into grace and fauour with mee if they will and to be made the Sonnes of God and to come into my inheritance in Heauen so as they will be partakers of the merit of this my Passion through faith and the Sacraments Doe thou cry out now with great affliction great are thy mercyes therfore we giue thankes to thee our Lord God And pray him to bestow the guift of wisdome vpon thee that thou mayst know and admire his bounty and goodnes and driuing away all enuy to giue vnto thee the vertue of charity that thou mayst bee inflamed with the loue of thy neighbour The 36. Meditation of the diuision of his Garments Ioan. 19 Then the Soldiours when they had crucified him tooke his garments and made foure partes to euery Soldiour a part and his coate And the coat was without seame wouen all ouer COnsider first the pouerty of Christ thy Lord hee had not change or many suites of apparrell nor the same of silke and other costly matter but his garments were fewe and poore to defend him only from the cold and to couer his nakednes And by tradition it is deliuered as Euchemius witnesseth that his coate without seame was the worke of the mother of God In Mat. 27 which she did weaue with her owne hands for her sonne when he was a little infant which grew miraculously as our Lord grewe and was not worne nor torne out in all that long time the like whereof is rehearsed in holy Scripture to haue happened to the children of Israell that thou mayest learne by the example of thy Lord to forsake all curiositie and superfluity as well in apparrell as in other things Consider secondly the liberality of thy spouse he had already giuen his body shedde his bloud and spent his youthfull yeares for thee and now he giueth a fewe poore garments leauing nothing for himselfe but nayles thornes spittings and bloud clodded on his body Behold the riches of thy
of God without trouble CoÌ„sider fourthly and enter with thy Lord into the counsaile of the wicked Behold heere many Calues and fatte Bulls compassing the most innoceÌ„t Lamb Psal 21. the Scribes the Doctors of the Lawe the Elders the Magistrates of the people the Pharises the religious people of the Iewes being Gluttons insolent and cruell Consent not thou to their counsaile nor their deedes but take the poore out of the hand of the mighty that God also may haue mercy vpon thee in the day of thy trouble And Simon Peter followed Iesus a farre off Ioan. 18. and another disciple and that disciple was known to the high Priest entred with Iesus into the high Priests court but Peter stood at the gate without Therefore the other disciple who was known to the high Priest went forth spake to the porter brought in Peter euen into the Court of the high Priest Mat. 26. being come in Mar. 14. the fire burning in the midest of the Court and they sitting round about it Luc. 22. Peter was in the midst of theÌ„ sate with the ministers at the fire that he might see the end and warme him selfe COnsider first whether these flying Apostles went being amazed with so great fury of the Soldiours now wauering and doubtfull in their beleefe of the diuinity of Christ For who would beleeue that God should euer suffer such things especially if according to the receiued opinion of the Iewes he thought that vertue shold be rewarded with temporall goods Behold Peter following a far off and louing more then the rest tooke some courage vnto him so as he doubted not to thrust himselfe into the coÌ„pany of the Ministers but yet fearefully and inconstantly hoping that hee should not be knowne Consider secondly the other Disciple either Saint Iohn as the common opinion is the vnseperable companion of Peter or else some secret Christian a rich Citizen who by reason of some acquaintance with the high Priest did enter into the house whilest Peter as a poore and vnknowne man stayed without doores For poore men are not admitted to come into the houses of great men and if at any time they are permitted it is accounted a great fauour to bee placed amongst their slaues Bee not thou delighted with such a Court neither thrust thy selfe into the company of wicked men If necessity enforce thee depart assoone as thou canst least thy innocency be defiled with the familiarity of wicked meÌ„ Consider thirdly that Peter came not in directly but through the fauour of a friend and of a woman Seeke thou therefore no honour by fauour or by the loue of women nor yet by any vicious or fraudulent meanes least according to the example of Peter thou mayest expect a most certain assured downfall Also if thou chancest to get honour lawfully and art entred into the Bishops Pallace the direct way doe not ioyne thy selfe with the wicked nor followe their examples but enter into thine owne heart and set our Lord alwaies before thine eyes who hath called thee to that estate Desire these thinges of Christ and pray vnto him to drawe thee after him and not to forsake thee for euer The 13. Meditation of the blow in the house of Chayphas Then the high Priest asked Iesus of his Disciples and of his Doctrine Iesus said to him Ioan. 18 I haue spoken openly to the world I alwaies taught in the Synagogue and in the Temple whether all the Iewes assemble and in secret I haue spoken nothing Why ask you mee Aske them which heard me what I haue said vnto them behold these know what I haue spoken COnsider first that when hitherto they had obsereued nothing in all the life of Christ worthy of death nor yet of bonds the high Priest began with certaine fraudulent interrogations to draw something out of his answers which might bee obiected as a crime vnto him For the offence of Christ was not the cause of these bondes but the enuy of the Iewes of which enuy the Scripture in the booke of Wisdome numbreth fourteen causes Because hee is vnpr fitable for vs c. Secondly hee asked him of his Doctrine whether it differed nor from Moses and of his Disciples with what minde hee had chosen them what Doctrine he had taught them and what mindes they carried to the Lawe Heere inquire thou the Doctrine of Christ that thou mayst follow it and of his Disciples that thou mayest immitate their manners Thirdly Christ answeared boldly nothing fearing the high Priest nor that assembly of Noble-men that thou shouldest not bee afrayd in Gods cause But hee held his peace concerning his Disciples both because he could not commend them and accuse them hee would not that thou shouldest neuer hurt any manns fame praise if thou canst but if thou cansâ— not yet detract not and also because the question of his Disciples was mixed with the question of his Doctrine the answeare whereunto satisfied the high Priest Consider fourthly the purity of the doctrine of Christ which our Lord propounded to bee examined by his enemies I haue spoken openly Which is a signe of the purity of his Doctrine To the world no man is barred from the hearing thereof Nothing in secrâ—t nothing impure which neede to hate or flye the light For those things which I said in priuate I would haue published to all men preached in all places Consider fiftly that it was accounted a fault in the high Priest to be ignorant of those thinges which Christ had taught so openly In the same manner many great and learned men will not goe to Sermons either because they will not be pricked in conscience or else because they are so ouerwhelmed with worldly cares that they esteeme all things coÌ„cerning their soules vnnecessary Doe thou meditate continually vppon the wordes of our Lord and pray him that hee will alwaies put thee in minde of his wordes When hee had spoken this Ioan. 18. one of the seruants gaue a blowe to Iesus saying doest thou answere the high Priest so COnsider first that this blowe was giuen both because these very Seruantes were secretly pricked which being sent to apprehend Iesus returned home saying Neuer did man speake so Ioan. 18. And also of flattery because it seemed not to be reuerently spoken to the high Priest Why doe you aske me Proud and high minded men desire to bee dealt honorably withall and will loose none of their titles yet they violate the name of God with many oathes periuries blasphemies Learne thou hereby that there are many ready to reuenge the wronges of rich and mighty men but no man wil defend the cause of Christ and of the poore Consider secondly the iniquity of this Iudgment where euery one had power to hurt freely with applause and allowance of the Iudges Thirdly that this blowe was of great cruelty because particuler mention is made thereof aboue all other being
miserable and so many wayes afflicted canst call thy selfe King of the Iewes Answere thou for thy Lord yea certainly he is King of the Iewes whome the true Iewes doe acknowledge that is such as knowe and confesse their sinnes For they will obey this King that being brought out of sinne and deliuered out of the hand of their enemyes they may serue him Admire thou this King whose beauty consisteth not in golde and precious stones outward ornameÌ„ts but in contempt disgrace and externall ignominy For these things haue both made Christ famous through the whole world and also haue beautified thy soule Consider fourthly the answere of Christ the sence whereof is this did you euer see or heare any thing of mee whereby I might be suspected to seeke for a Kingdome This question signifieth the absurdity of the accusation Ponder heer with thy selfe whether thou dost know thy Lord Christ that is whether thou doest feele Christ raigning in thy minde or else whether thou art a Christian without any outward sweetnes Consider fiftly the proud answere of Pilate disdaining and taking it in euill part that a guilty person durst aske him a question He excuseth himselfe with ignorance of the Iewes causes I knowe not saith hee what your Nation dreameth of the coÌ„ming of a Messias Thou canst not plead ignorance in Gods cause to whom Christ hath made manifest euen the secrets of God And if ignorance did not profite Pilate how can it profite any Christian to whom God hath giuen so great knowledge Consider sixtly What hast thou done the great innocency of thy Lord that when accusations failed hee himselfe must be asked Answer thou what he hath done Hee hath made Heauen Earth and all Creatures hee hath done all good and no euill But for the good done for thy sake which thou doest abuse vnto sinne hee must suffer the punishment which thou didst deserue This place is fit to meditate what Christ hath done for thee and what thou hast done againe for him that admiring his bounty thou mayst giue him thankes detesting thy owne ingratitude thou mayst bee confounded with shame Iesus answered my Kingdome is not of this world If my Kingdome were of this world my Soldiours would fight for me that I should not be deliuered vp to the Iewes but now my Kingdome is not from hence Pilate said vnto him then art thou a King Iesus answered thou sayest that I am a King COnsider first the Christ answered Pilate plainly who dealt sincerely with him but to the Iewes who went about to intrappe him hee would not answere but adiured For our Lord detesteth fiction and with the simple in his speach Consider secondly that hee applyed himselfe to this Ethnicke deriuing his argument from the vse and custome of men You may vnderstand saith hee by this that I seeke not a Kingdom of this world because I haue no Soldiours nor ChaÌ„pions for my defence But with the Iewes that knew the Lawe hee vsed the Scriptures Thou maist learne hereby that God vseth all waies reasons to conuert thee and others If thou wouldst consider those meanes which our Lord vsed to helpe and cure thee thou wouldest admire Gods prudent loue and charity towards thee Consider thirdly My Kingdome is not of this world He doth not say in this world For hee raigneth in his Church and in thee But hee saith of this world that is to say It is not like the Kingdomes of this world neither doth it consist in the multitude of Seruantes and Soldiours nor in solemnity and pompe nor in ryot and brauery of apparrell But in the ornament of the soule in voluntary obedience and multitude of vertues And perhaps in this Kingdome of Christ there are more poore beggerly weake and vnlearned then rich noble mighty and wise people Be thou careful therfore that Christ may rule thee and thy affections and raigne in thee For if to serue Christ is to reigne then Christ reigning in thee will make thee a mighty King ruling ouer thy selfe the whole world I was borne in this and to this I came into the world Ioan. 18 that I may giue testimony vnto the truth And euery one which is of the truth heareth my voyce Pilate saith vnto him what is the truth COnsider first for what cause Christ came into the world to wit first that he might free the world from the falsenes of Idolatry and of diuers errors and of sinne Secondly that he might declare the vanity and folly of those things which the world admireth set before our eies those things as they are indeede and not as they seeme to be Thirdly that by this truth he might rule the mindes of men Thou maist learn hereby First what thou oughtest chiefely to seeke for in the kingdome of Christ to wit to be deliuered made free from al vanity falshood and sinne 2. That they are the chiefe seruants inlargers of the Kingdome of Christ which labour in teaching the truth 3. That it appertaineth especially to the charge of Christian Princes and superiours to keepe increase their subiects in the faith of Christ For they are not superious like Gentiles to maintain their people only in a ciuile peaceable gouernement but they are also Christian Princes ouer Christians that they may enlarge the Kingdome of Christ Consider secondly I was borne in this and to this I came into the world A high sentence which Pilate might haue vnderstood if he had persisted in simplicity I am not borne saith hee like other men for I was now before I was borne of my mother I was borne not thorough the necessity of nature but of mine owne will and for certaine causes which moued me to take humane nature vpon me to wit that I might teach men the truth If therefore thou wilt listen vnto Heauenly Doctrine and deale sincerely with God Christ will reueale vnto thee the secretes of Heauen Consider thirdly I was borne and I came For by his birth he is our Christ and also hath done all his actions for our profite that thou again shouldest referre all thy time thy studies and thy labours to his glory Consider fourthly that Christ did answere secretly to the question propounded by Pilate What hast thou done for I haue taught the truth I haue reprooued vice For this was the onely cause that moued the Iewes to put him to death Doe thou seeke out the truth and pray vnto God to lighten thine eyes that thou sleepe not in death consider earnestly with thy selfe whether thou be of the truth that is whether thou beest mooued with the truth or with pride lust auarice and other passions of the minde For he which is of truth Ioan. 18. he is of God but he which followeth lyes is of the Deuill his Father whose will he fulfilleth The 21. Meditation of the second accusation before Pilate Pilate went forth againe vnto the Iewes Ioan. 18 â—uc 23. Mar. 27. saying
desire to see some sign Thou mayest learne first what this King thought our Lord to bee an Inchaunter a Iugler a Foole. Secondly that the custome of worldly men is more willingly to heare newe thinges which may delight then good things which may profite Cōsider 2. that Christ admireth not the outward pompe and royall dignity but beholdeth the beauty foulnes of the heart neither would hee vouchsafe to speak vnto him seeing hee expected no profit therby Learne thou 1. not to esteeme too much these outward shewes for in the future examination of the Iudge the humble poor man shal be better esteemed then the proude rich man 2. Not to vtter thy wordes in vaine but to direct thy speaches alwayes to some good purpose remembring that in the day of Iudgement thou shalt render an account of euery idle worde 3. To flatter none to auoyd ostentatiō not to expose Religious and Holy things to be laughed at not to abuse the Scriptures or diuine ceremonyes to Iests and prophane matters Consider 3. what questions were propoūded to Christ by Herode to wit vnprofitable curious Perhaps whether hee were Iohn Baptist whether he could destroy restore the Temple whether his Father in times past killed the Infants for his cause Do thou ask profitable things of our Lord pray him to answer to thy questiōs for the profit saluatiō of thy soule And the chiefe Priests and the Scribes stood constantly accusing him but Herode despised him with his Army Luc. 23. and mocked him cloathing him in a white garment and sent him backe to Pilate COnsider first that Christ suffered 4. thinges in this Kings Pallace For 1. hee was grieuously constantly accused by the Priests Secondly he was despised and mocked by Herode Thirdly hee was euil intreated by the malepert Soldiours no lesse then by the Seruants in the house of Cayphas Fourthly hee was cloathed in a white or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a bright garment in signe of an affected Kingdom or of folly as one that was able to say nothing before the King in his owne defence Consider secondly that Herode was offended at the silence of Christ lesse then the Priests who pronounced him guilty of death but more then Pilate who by his silence admired the prudent grauity of our Lord. Thou mayst learne that by the same causes some fall more grieuously then others those most grieuously which are in highest estate and calling Pilate was a lay Gentile Herode a laye man but a Iewe Cayphas the high Priest of the Iewes Consider thirdly that Christ is a King but such a one as the world knoweth not but doth accuse laugh at and dispise By these irrisions our Lord deserued for himselfe to bee exalted aboue all Kinges and for vs that wee should bee indued with true wisdome bee made immortall Kings in the Kingdome of Heauen bee cloathed with the white garments of immortality Reioyce therfore if thou dost suffer irrision and persecution with Christ for iustice because thine is the Kingdome of Heauen And beware least Christ be mocked by thee if thou dost contemn the poore and his Seruants neglect his Sacramēts words Cōmandements Lastly do thou accōpany the spouse of thy Soule cloathed in this scornfull garment in his iourney to Pilates house marke what scoffings hee heard obserue his eyes what countenance hee shewed pray vnto him with thy whole heart that thou maist be a foole vnto the world so thou bee accounted wise vnto Christ And Herode and Pilate were made friends in that day Luc. 23. for they were enemyes before one to another COnsider first a double mistery 1. That wicked men agree together against Christ and his followers Heritiques oppugning the Church and the Deuills vexing the iust man The other that the death of Christ made peace betweene the Iewes and the Gentiles and so that the first and principall Office of the passion of our Lord was to bring and maintaine Peace Therefore presently after his Resurrection in his first second meeting hee said to his Disciples Peace bee vnto you Hee would that wee should haue peace with God to whō hee payed the price of our sinnes with our own conscience which he deliuered from sinne and filled with inward grace and with our neighbours whome hee commaundeth vs to loue hauing infused his diuine loue into our hearts As often therefore as thou feelest inward war within thy self as oftē as thou seeest that thou hast lost peace with God as often as thou shalt perceiue thy neighbour angry at thee or dost experience his hatred against thee Presently turne thy selfe to the Crosse of Christ as to him which is thy onely true Mediator and will restore thee vnto peace with all men Consider secondly In that day that is the very same day That thou mayest learne how easie it is for our Lord to make peace and to pacifie mindes that are most incensed and to helpe thee in thy greatest afflictions although there bee no humane meanes Pray therefore vnto God that hee will bring tranquillitie vnto the Christian cōmon wealth cease the troubles of warre and giue a constant Peace vnto his Church The 23. Meditation of the requiring of Barrabas But Pilate calling the chiefe Priests Luc. 23. and the Magistrates and the people sayd vnto them yee haue offered vnto me this mā Mar. 27. as auerting the people and behold I examining him before you Mar. 15 finde no cause in this man of these things in which yee accuse him no nor Herod neither For I haue sent yee vnto him and behold nothing worthy of death is done vnto him therefore I will dismisse him being corrected And on the solemne day the President had a custome and must of necessity dismisse one of the prisoners whom soeuer they should require And he had thē a notable prisoner called Barrabas who was takē with the seditious who in the sedition had committed murther Then Pilate said yee haue a custome that I dismisse one in the Pasch whome will yee that I dismisse vnto you Barrabas or Iesus who is called Christ for he knew that the high priests had deliuerd him by enuy COnsider first that Herod though he sawe nothing worthy of death in Christ yet he did not deliuer the innocent out of the handes of the Iewes but to gratifie the Priests and the President hee referred the knowledge of the cause to Pilate In like manner euery one desireth to please man but none to please Christ Consider secondly that so many Iudges sought the life of Christ and nothing was found worthy of death or of imprisonment Doe thou so order thy life like vnto Christ that the Deuills at the houre of death may finde nothing of their owne on thee Purge thy soule with daily examination of thy conscience and often confession of thy sinnes so as nothing passe out of this world with thee but that which is holy
them that hate him Consider fourthly that the place day and houre of the condemning of Christ is distinctly noted first to declare the greatnesse of the sinne when the onely begotten Sonne of the true God was condemned to dye on the Crosse Secondly to signifie the mysterye which is contayned in the same It was the day of the Paraseene that is the sixt day in which man was created in which man was to bee redeemed in which the true Lamb was to be immolated and in which the typicall Lamb was slaine About the sixt houre that is a little before noone in which houre the typicall Lambe was prepared to be sacrificed and men doe commonly pamper and cherish their bodies The place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is strowed with stones and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is high because Christ was condēned by men more hard and more proud then the very stones and did receiue this sentence of death for thy pride and for the hardnes and blindenes of thy heart Pray vnto thy Lord to lighten thy blindenes to mollifie thy hardnes and to suppresse thy pride And Pilate said to them behold your king Ioan. 19 and they cryed away with him away with him crucifie him COnsider first that Pilate preuailing nothing by other reasons began to prouoke them to mercy by laughter as if he should lay behold your great King whō yee accuse of aspiring for he which scarce looketh like a man how can he hope to be a King or else that he spake these words to make them deny their Messias and to submit themselues to the bōdage of the Romanes which was hatefull vnto them For yet there remained a little sparke of pietye in his minde that thou mayst learne how hardly our Lord forsaketh vs. Consider secondly the three names giuen to Christ in this time of his passion by Pilate and the Iewes A man a king the sonne of God Mat. 2. which three names the Sages acknowledged by their offerings For saluation could not be giuen vnto vs except God and man should suffer who by his Passion tooke away the kingdome of the world from the deuill Consider thirdly the word full of comfort behold your king by which word the conditions of our King are shewed vnto vs who is not a sowre hard and importunate exactor oppressing vs with labours and leading vs with great burthens and imposing a grieuous yoake vpon vs but louing and gentle bestowing on vs through his aboundant charity his owne labours dolours bloud and life and that bloud by which alone all the filth of our sinnes is washed away who caryeth also our sinnes beareth our burthens briefely who refresheth vs with his body and bloud and lifteth vp his sweet yoake vpon our shoulders Osea 11 To this King thou hast giuen thy name in baptisme thou hast begun to fight vnder his banner behold therefore diligētly his armour and obserue the manner of his fighting with his enemy For thou must vse the same weapons fight in the same māner and if thou dost desire to be rewarded with the like Honours thou must striue for the victory by humility contempt Charity and other vertues Cōsider fourthly the vnbridled rage of the Iewes who reiected the King of glory together with his Kingdome Away with him Luc. 19. away with him say they we will not haue him reigne ouer vs. But do thou take this king of the Iewes reiected by the Iewes and giuen to the Gentiles Cant. 3 and bring him into the house of thy Mother and into the chamber of her that bare thee Make him thy King and not the World nor the Deuill nor thy Belly nor Mammon And say not now Behold your King but beholde our King yea my King who hath loued me and giuen himselfe for me And beware that thou doest not againe by any sinne crucifie this King whome thou hast once admitted least hee complain of thee saying Yee all yee people Mala. 3 Galat. 2. Psal 118. doe nayle me But rather being fastened thy selfe vnto the Crosse with Christ pray him that hee will fasten thy flesh with his feare Pilate said vnto them shall I crucifie your King The Priests answered wee haue no King but Caesar COnsider first in this question of Pilate howe vnworthy a thing it was that the Messias who was promised to Man-kinde from the beginning of the world and expected so many ages and at last thorough the mercy of the eternall Father sent for the saluation of the Iewes should come to such and so miserable a death and as an vnworthy accursed person should bee demaunded to the horrible punishment of the Crosse Do thou look vpō thy selfe mark whether perhaps thou art not in the same error Thou knowest that thou wert borne into this world to this end that at the last thou shouldest enioy God in euerlasting and heauenly felicitie Thou knowest that all the whole world was made and framed by God for thy sake and that for the same cause the very Son of God discended down from Heauen was borne of the Virgin Mary and consecrated all his labours yea his Passion and Death vnto thee But thou hauing no consideration of all this doest by thy sinnes driue away God from thee when thou oughtest to imbrace him thou shuttest vp heauen neglectest wholy thy saluation Consider secondly the franticke choise of the Priests They refuse the Messias sent by God as if it were in them to choose a Messias according to their owne will and pleasure not rather to receiue the Messias whome God gaue vnto them O intollerable madnes of mē who will make to themselues a God according to their owne will or deuise a newe Religion or frame the manner of seruing God out of the holy Scriptures wrested and interpreted according to their owne fantasies Wherefore they are truely called Haeretiques that is choosers It is Gods office to appoint Religion and the manner how to serue him and not ours to choose Consider thirdly the nature of enuy which seeketh the hurt of another though it bee to his owne losse The Romane gouernment was very grieuous and hatefull vnto them and yet the Priests both for themselues and for the whole people preferred it before the sweete yoake of Christ Learne first to lay aside all euill affections of thy minde least thou fall into more grieuous sinnes Secondly not to esteeme so much of outward Nobility or power that thou shalt therefore breake the least Commaundement of God or swarue one iote from truth and iustice For Nobility power and authority are of no estimation except the same be vnder Christ and for Christ from whom all power proceedeth both in Heauen and Earth and vnto whom all Honour and power is due Consider fourthly that this foolish election of the Iewes is cōfirmed by God Mat. 22 Mat. 24. Psal 78 for they haue beene both deptiued of their Messias nowe so many yeares and also giuen
Mat. 27. Mar. 15. Luc. 13. called Simon comming from the countrey the Father of Alexander and Rufus him they compelled to take vp his Crosse and they inforced him to carry the Crosse after Iesus COnsider first that the Iewes perceiuing the weaknes of Christ being spent with labours paines and with the losse of so much bloud and fearing least he might dye before he suffered the most grieuous torments of the Crosse being moued not with pitty but with cruelty caused this Gentile to carry the Crosse after Iesus But God directed this acte of theirs to another end For he signified hereby First that the Crosse being consecrated with the bloud of our Lord was giuen to Christians conuerted from Gentilisme who followed Christ going before them loaden with his Crosse being themselues also loaden with their crosses in sundry manners as some by Martyrdome some by fastinges some by watchinges and by other voluntary afflictions some by conquering themselues and subduing the wicked motions of the minde Secondly that it is not enough that Christ carry his owne Crosse and that wee onely beholde it by faith and contemplation But it behooueth vs to set our hand to it and in holy workes to follow Christ which saith Hee which will come after mee let him deny himselfe and take vp his crosse daily and follow mee Consider secondly who hee is which doth profitably carry the Crosse of Christ First Symon that is to say obedient to the Commaundements and suggestions of God Secondly Comming from the Countrey who putting off the rudenes of sinnes forsaketh his vnciuill manners Thirdly of Cyrene of Pentapolis that thou shouldest carry the Crosse of Christ in thy fiue sences Consider 3. that this Symon was constrained euen against his wil to lay this crosse vpon his shoulders to teach thee First to offer violence to nature which abhorreth such a crosse and the change of manners and mortifying of thy sences Secondly not to thrust thy selfe rashly into perils but patiently to suffer the euills which others doe vnto thee The Soldiours lay the Crosse vpon him for wicked men by their vexations and torments giue occasion to the iust to suffer with Christ Consider fourthly the profite which this Symon had as a reward of his labour though hee carryed the Crosse euen against his will First his name by the diuulging of the Gospell through the world is consecrated to eternall memory Secondly his Citty Country is made knowne to all Christians Thirdly his children were not onely Christians but also famous amongst Christians Do not thou therefore feare the Crosse troubles for Christ his name Chris hō 1. ad Pop. Antio for the Crosse of Christ maketh men glorious and bringeth many commodities with it But thou must follow after not runne before Iesus nor choose what crosse thou likest but accept of that which hee sendeth And pray him to lighten thy burthen with his grace to strengthen thy shoulders The 32. Meditation of the Women following Christ And there followed a great troope of people and of women which mourned Luc. 23. and lamented him and Iesus turning vnto them said O Daughters of Hierusalem weepe not ouer mee but weepe ouer your selues and ouer your Children COnsider first that an innumerable multitude of people flocked together to this sorrowfull spectacle to whō perhaps as the custome is in some places at this day there was some signe giuen of the future execution And because the womē only are said to lament weepe it is an argument that there were many mockers curious spectators according to that saying They spake against mee which sate in the gate Psal 68 But with what affection wilt thou follow thy Lord With what minde wilt thou suffer with him With what eyes wilt thou beholde him Doest thou want occasion of sorrow teares in this spectacle since our Lord goeth thus loaden and deformed for thy sake and not for himselfe Thou didst play abroad in the streete Beat. Ber. ser 3. in nat Dom. and in the Kings priuy chamber sentence of death was giuen against thee The onely begotten Sonne of God heard it and hee went forth putting off his Diadem cloathed in sackcloath wearing a Crowne of thornes vpon his head barefooted bleeding weeping crying out that his poore seruant was condemned Thou seest him come foorth thou askest the cause hearest it What wilt thou doe wilt thou still play and contemne his teares or rather wilt thou not follow him and weepe with him and esteeme the greatnes of thy danger by the cōsideration of the remedy Cōsider secondly that the teares of these women were gratefull vnto our Lord who in signe of loue turned himselfe towards them in the midst of his torments Yet hee reprooued them because out of a wrong cōceipt of humane pitty they lamented his death as the greatest euill and extreamest misery without any benefite at all Do thou mourne lament and weepe First because thou wert the cause of all these so great paines Secondly because thou hast hitherto born an vnthankefull minde Thirdly because perhaps this death of thy Lord will not bee the cause of thy saluation glory but of thy greater damnation Consider thirdly the difficultie of this thy Lords iourney which caused the women to follow him with teares Remember thou the seauen hard wayes which thy Lord walked for thee in this his Passion that hee might stop vp the seauē wayes of the seauen deadly sinnes which lead thee vnto Hell might open the way to euerlasting life by the seauen guifts of the holy Ghost For hee went First from the house where he supped to the Garden Secondly from thence to Annas Thirdly to Cayphas his house Fourthly to Pilate Fiftly to Herod Sixtly again to Pilate seauēthly to the Crosse Do thou in all thy trauailes meditate vpon these wayes and and for the loue of thy Lord runne in the way of his Commaundements For behold the daies shall come in which they shall say blessed are the barren Luc. 23 the wombes which haue not brought foorth the breasts which haue not giuen sucke then they shall begin to say to the Mountaines fall vpon vs and to the Hills couer vs. COnsider 1. the goodnesse of thy Lord who in the middest of his paines seeketh by his admonitiō our saluatiō and by the terror of future miseries endeauoreth to moue vs to pennance He speaketh also to women not to men 1. least because he was punished by men he should seeme to threaten reuenge Secondly that by these euills foretold vnto women who had offended lesse men might vnderstand that the like at the least should happen vnto them 3. By this prediction to comfort those women which lamented so much the death passions of our Lord signifying thereby both that he did vniustly suffer this death which in a fewe yeares should bee so deepely reuenged and also that they might escape this reuenge which would leaue to bee
the children of this earthly Hierusalem conuert themselues to the faith of Christ Consider secondly whereas in former times the barren were accursed now the barren in Christ are blessed For there is giuen to Eunuches that is to them which liue chaste and single in the Church Isa 56. a name better then from sonnes and daughters Consider thirdly that in all troubles of this life wee must say vnto the mountaines fall vppon vs and to the hills couer vs that is to say we must haue recourse to the helpe of Saints who in the Scriptures are called by the names of mountaines and hilles as in Isaias Isa 2. the house of our Lord shall be a prepared mountaine that is to say Christ the head of the Church in the toppe of the mountaines and he shall be eleuated aboue the hills exceeding in dignitie and worthynes all Saints great and lesse Consider fourthly although these predictions of our Lord pertaine cheifly to the ouerthrowing of Hierusalem yet they may and ought to be referred also to all sinners who by their sinnes were cause of the death of our Lord and yet are not made partakers of his merits nor returned into Gods fauour by his death For they which now liue securely and whome no danger will make to refraine from sinnes shall then runne into the dennes and Caues of the earth Isa 2. Osea 11. Apoc. 6. as the Prophets haue forespoken From the face of God sitting on the throne and from the wrath of the Lambe For there shall come a great day of wrath on them and who shall be able to stand The countenance of the Iudge shall be terrible to the wicked and his sentence intollerable Then the barren shall bee called blessed that is they whome the world accounted vnprofitable and the wombes which haue not brought foorth that is which haue not followed the concupiscence of the flesh but haue subdued the vices of their belly and throat the pappes which haue not giuen sucke that is the humble and such as are not high minded Pray thou thy Lord that thou maiest not feare the face of his fury in the day of wrath and last reuenge whilst time serueth bee reconcyled vnto Christ For if they doe these thinges in greene wood Luc. 23 what shall bee done in the drye Consider first Christ is the wood euer greene and flourishing delectable to behold moderating the great heate with the shadowe of his thicke leaues bringing foorth fruit pleasant both to the taste and smell delighting the earth with the singing of birds For by his diuine nature and by the inward grace of the Holy Ghost hee doth not onely exceede all beauty but also preserue chearish and comfort all creatures Thou also art wood but dead without the sappe of Grace barren without the fruite of charitie naked and vnprofitable without the leaues of good workes Consider secondly who they are which doe these things in the greene Wood that is which gaue these torments and death vnto Christ thy Lord. First Rom. 8 God the Father who spared not his owne sonne but deliuered him vp for vs al. Secondly the Deuill who prouoked his sernants to put Christ to death Thirdly the Iewes and other ministers of his death But all these did not concord in the passion of Christ to one end For God the Father punished his Sonne for the loue of thy saluation Gen. 22 and like Abraham carrying the sword of iustice in his hand against his sonne and the fire of Charitie towardes thee hee layed the wood vpon his sonnes shoulders to be carryed by him for the burning of the holocauste The Deuill greiuing at the conuersion of many indeauored to hinder the course of his preaching to intangle the Iewes in the most grieuous sinne of innocent death and to ouercome the patience of Christ by his torments And the Iewes being moued by enuie could not indure to be admonished to amend their liues by the wordes and example of Christ Consider thirdly the argument of our Lord If they doe these things in greene wood what shall be done in the drye First if I suffer this for other mens sins what shalt thou suffer for thine owne Secōdly if the Father doe so grieuously afflict his innocent and obedient Son what will he do against his wicked and disobedient serūat Thirdly if the deuills could by their officers doe these things in another kingdom against the sonne of God what will they bee able to doe in hell in their owne kingdome against their owne bond-slaues Fourthly if by the permissiō of God wicked men raged thus against the onely begotten Sonne of God for the sinnes of men why shall any man meruaile that God will permit men to vexe and molest men when their sinnes deserue it Pray thou thy Lord to ingraft thee into himselfe being the green wood and that neuer more punishment bee exacted of thee then that which he himselfe suffered for thee The 33. Meditation of the crucifying of our Lord. And they came into the place which is called Golgotha which is a place of Caluaria Luc. 23. Mar. 27. Mar. 15. and they gaue him wine to drinke mixt mith gall and when he had tasted hee would not drinke and it was the third houre COnsider first the ascending of this hill howe painfull it was vnto thy Lord how hee inforced his tender and consumed body that it should not faile to procure thy saluation but that in the mountaine nearer vnto heauen he might stande before God the Father and offer Holocaust as a sauor of sweetnes for thy sinnes Follow thou the Lord ascending his hill as neare as thou canst and stand by him in this hill euen vntill death Consider secondly how the executioners made ready the Crosse how they bored the holes for the nailes and prepared nayles hammers and ropes thy Lord behoulding them with his eyes Doe thou also behold them and lament and beware because thou doest prepare a Crosse for thy Lord as often as by thy sinnes thou deseruest a place in hel for thy soule which is created to his owne likenes Consider thirdly that according to the custome of such as were put to death they offered a cup to Christ but much differing from that was vsed to be giuen to others The drinke was mixed with wine Myrre gall and vineger for St. Mathew vseth in stead of wine this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vineger that none of his sences should want his paine and punishment His cruell enemies compasse him round about troubled his sight their cruell wordes vpbraydings and blasphemies tormented his hearing the stench of the of the place and of the filth which couered his face offended his smelling his touching suffered most grieuous paines all ouer his body and because no sence should bee without his tormēt this most bitter drinke was giuen him to afflict his tast Is it not reason then thinkest thou that thou shouldest suffer some affliction or trouble
for thy Lord which for thy sake had no part of his body free from paine But Christ tasted this sowre potion for thee to drawe from thy soule to his owne body all the sharpnes and bitternes of thy sinnes and left for thee sweete wine mixt with no sowernes that is to say the grace of God and a pure and quiet conscience Consider fourthly When he had tasted hee would not drinke for Christ tooke vpon him thy sinnes in his body as in his mouth but hee polluted not his soule with the filth of sinne that thou also shouldest as it were taste the malice of sinne with the sowernes of pennaunce but by no meanes suffer it to enter into thy soule Consider fiftly that the houre of his execution is noted to wit the third houre which in the Equinoctiall is from Nine of the clocke in the morning till twelue at noone whereby thou mayest note the great hast which they made partly least Pilate shold change his minde and partly least Christ should dye before he was crucified Saint Iohn writeth that the sentence was pronounced almost at the sixt houre that is a little before noone And Marke affirmeth that Christ was crucified the third houre that is before the clocke had strucke 12. Consider thē what hast was made how cruelly thy Lord was pulled drawn with ropes and whipped forward Take heed least thy feete run vnto sinne but runne chearfully this way of our Lord and casting away all impediments flye vnto the Crosse of Christ and pray him to remoue all sowernes difficulties from the exercise of vertues And there they crucified him Luc. 23. Ioan. 19 COnsider first that the Apostles did not expresse so great an action in many wordes which thou mayst easily vnderstand both by the accustomed punishmēt of the Crosse and by the hatred of the Iewes and by the auncient oracles of the Prophets For first they pulled off his garment with great insolency renued the woundes sticking vnto it making his sacred body bleede and appeare all naked Secondly they outragiously threw him downe vpon the Crosse which lay on the ground thinking it sufficient if hee were nayled aliue on the Crosse Thirdly they pulled one hand to the hole which they had boared and draue a naile through it with a hammer and the bloud issued foorth aboundantly according to the olde figure They stroke the Rocke Psal 77 and the waters flowed out and the Riuers swelled vp Fourthly when one hand was fastned they tooke the other and stretched it to the other hole which being farre distant they pulled it either with their handes or with cordes with all their force and that being also fast nailed they came to the holes for his feete and with great violēce they brought his holy feete vnto it Ser. de Pasc Dō Psal 21. and as St. Cyprian saith fastened them with nailes Dauid did plainly foreshew this stretching foorth of our Lord in these words I am spred abroad like water I am wasted and decayed with the extremity of paines and destitute of all strength like water powred out hauing no power to stay in any place All my bones are dispersed that is are loosened pulled out of their places the colde drynes and extensiō vpon the Crosse dissoluing all the ioynts of my members They haue digged my handes and my feete they haue numbred all my bones so cruel was this extension of his mēbers that euery bone being pulled from another might easily be seen Thirdly they lift vp on high the tree of the Crosse cloathed with this solemne hoast and let it fall down with great violence into the hole Num. 21. Exod. 29. which they had digged for it For so was the brasen Serpent lift vp in the wildernes Leuit. 23 the hoasts of the Sacrifices were wont to be offred vnto God by lifting them vp on high In all these thinges doe thou ponder and thinke vpon the most bitter torments of thy Lord behold the banner of the Crosse lift vp look vpon the streams of bloud running down from his hands feete goe quickly and draw whilst the springs are flowing and before their veynes be dried vp Consider secondly why thy Lord chose this death of the Crosse for thy saluation and no other death There are many causes thereof First because there was no death more long more grieuous more ignominious nor more proper and fit for the procuring of thy saluation For hee would not haue his body deuided that the Church his mysticall body might bee preserued whole He would not be burnt with any other fire then the fire of charity Hee would not bee strangled with a halter drowned with water or smothered with earth least hee might seeme to haue retained something to himselfe and not to haue shed all his bloud most liberally for thy sake Secondly that being lift vp on high like an hoast hee might place himselfe as a Mediator betweene God the Father and mankinde Being the only Mediator of God and men 1 Tim. 2 reconciling the lowest thinges to the highest Thirdly to throw downe the Deuils the Princes of the ayre quite out of the ayre into Hell or at the least to subdue their forces Fourthly that he might see thee with his eyes a farre off drawe thee vnto him with the chaines of his bloud receiue thee at thy cōming with his armes spred shewe thee his inward partes and hide thee in his woundes binde thee vnto him with the linkes of charity haue thee ingrauen in his handes alwayes before his eyes keepe thee imprinted in his heart and with his feete fastened to seeke nothing but thy saluation Fiftly that thou shouldest no more fasten thine eyes vpon the ground but lift them vp on high beholde him a farre off runne vnto him require of him thy saluation and all good thinges thinke vpon him alwayes in all thy busines followe his life and fulfill his Commaundements Heere doe thou speake whatsoeuer thy spirit shall put into thy mouth And they crucified with him two Theeues Mat. 27. Mar. 15. Ioan. 19 Isa 53. one on the right hand and the other on the left and Iesus in the middest And the Scripture was fulfilled which saith and hee was reputed with the wicked COnsider first the malice of the Iewes who by this ignominy endeauoured to deface the name of Christ in stead of the Messias to make him reputed a notorious theefe But Christ vsed this their sinne to shewe forth his owne glory to prepare our saluation and to giue hope to all sinners For first wheras there were three nayled on the Crosse hee placed in the midst as the chiefe offender yet hee alone with his Crosse is glorious vnto the whole world Secondly dying betweene two sinners hee payed the ransome for all sinnes Thirdly hee gaue hope of pardon to all sinners and did fore-shewe that hereafter hee would be conuersant amongst sinners be alwayes ready to assist them whē
Sun no lesse dependeth then the light of the other starres depend vpon the brightnes of the Sunne Thirdly that thou shouldest knowe the greatnes of this sinne from which the Sunne abhorring did as it were turne away his face and withdraw his light and shewed himselfe ready to reuenge and offered to his Lord and creator to perish for his death Thou learnest hereby that euery mortall sinne is so grieuous that it were better the Sunne and starres should perish then that the maiesty of God should bee offended by one sinne For by euery mortall sinne God is put to death whose death cannot bee recōpenced with the perishing of all creatures Fourthly that thou mayst know that Christ suffred this death for the great and thicke darknes of sinners and of the Iewes that this darknes being driuen away throgh the death of our Lord there might a nowe light of faith diuine wisedome be restored vnto the world as at the 9. houre the light appeared againe Fiftly that thou mayst vnderstand that the fruite of our Lords death consisteth in the cōtempt of the splendor fauour of the world for they which are crucified with Christ reioyce not in Honors Nobility but in obscurity neglect contempt Consider 2. the manner of this Eclipse with St. Dionisius Areopagita being an eye witnes Epist 7. ad policarpū 11. ad Apolloph hath described 1. The Moone being at the full and opposite to the Sun returned from midnight to noone 2. It returned not by his ordinary motion from the West but by a contrary motion to himselfe from the East Thirdly the Sunne it selfe lost his light in it selfe Fourthly not in one only part of the earth as in other Eclipses but ouer the whole world this darknesse of the Sunne was seene in like manner as of the Moone eclipsed and depriued of her light by the shadowe of the earth falling vppon her Fiftly this eclipse continued three whole houres which vsually lasteth but a small time All these thinges are not voide of their reasons and considerations Christ is the Sonne of Iustice the Moone is the world and foolish sinners Eccles 27 For a foole is changed like the Moone Therfore our Lord dyed when the world being opposite to God did shine in glory riches and wisdome The world also came to this eclipse that is to the death of our Lord to which not onely by other sinnes but also by this seeking of the death of Christ it had giuen cause But because the maiesty of Christ is not subiect to humane power hee could neuer haue beene obscured put to death by the power of man except hee had bin deliuered to death by the diuine will of God Therfore the Sunne is truly obscured and Christ is truly slaine both by the malice of the world by his Fathers wrath For our Lord was like vnto him which standeth between two men a fighting and receiueth both their swordes into his owne body The world fighteth with God and our Lord receiueth in his body both the wrath of God and the fury of men Thy wrath saith hee hath passed through me Psal 87. and thy terrors haue troubled me Therfore when the Sun of Iustice was eclipsed the Earth was couered with darknes both because by this grieuous sinne there was newe matter giuen of lamentation and reuenge and also because by the death of our Lord all power ouer men was taken away from the Prince of the world and in stead thereof he was bound in chaynes of fire and condemned to the darke prison of Hell But whereas the Moone by a contrary motion came from the East to the Sunne in the South thereby is signified that the Iewes without all consideration of equity and iustice hastened the death of Christ contrary to Law contrary to the right of nature and contrary to their owne conscience and did violently suppresse all good motions in themselues To bee briefe the Sunne was eclipsed three houres because our Lord lay hid three whole dayes partly in torments and in the handes of the Iewes and partly in the Sepulcher Pray thou vnto Christ to preserue the true light of faith and grace in thy soule About the nynth houre Iesus cryed out with a loude voyce saying Eli Eli Mat. 27. Mar. 15. lammasa bactani which is interpreted My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee COnsider first why thy Lord at the end of his life made this crye Certainly not to escape the paines like vnto vs who crye out assoone as wee feele any paine for now the end of his paine approached nor to bee reuenged on the Iewes for this his death for the bloud of Christ speaketh better then the bloud of Abell But first that hee who by the space of three houres being couered with darknes had giuen no signe of life neither by worde nor groane might be knowne to bee still aliue Doe thou consider with thy selfe what hee did all the time of his silence in the midst of his torments surely hee prayed without ceasing vnto God for thee in that admirable lyturgie and sacrifice and hee rehearsed the holy wordes of the Psalmes for thy saluation speaking some with a loude voyce that he might be heard of the standers by Secondly least by the continuall silence of Christ and his admirable patience and constancy of minde hee might erroneously be thought to be but a vision and no man and not to haue felt any paine at all For hee did truly suffer feele paines but the loue of thee restrained him from complaining Thirdly to teach thee in all thy miseries to crye only and with all affection to almighty God Fourthly that thou shouldest learne by this loud voyce to obtaine of God the Father through Christ the fruite of his Passion Fiftly that thou shouldst earnestly pōder with thy selfe what thinges how great for whome and by whome our Lord suffered For our Lord saith St. Epiphanius spake these thinges in the Syriack tongue Haere 69 that all the standers by might vnderstand him Consider secondly and marke the wordes O God hee sayeth not Father First because hee was ashamed representing the person of all sinners to call him Father that thou setting aside all pride shouldest learne humility Secondly least he should seem as a Sonne to complaine of his Father but rather as a naturall man of his affliction My that is though thou art the God of all creatures yet thou art peculiarly my God for many respectes both because thou wouldest haue humane nature assumed into the person of the Son and mee to be exalted aboue al creatures and because thou with thy owne handes didst frame this body in the Virgins wombe and also because I haue euer loued and obserued thee sincerely without any vice The repetition My God my God sheweth the great affection of this speach Why hee asketh not the cause least the perfection of his obedience shold be diminished but hee complaineth out of a
application of them to thy selfe Thy dinner indeed is ready but thou must goe to the table and put the meate in thy mouth thy medicine is made but it is kept in the shop of the Church inclosed in seauen boxes to wit in the seauen Sacraments the price is payed for thee but not yet applyed vnto thee Doe not thou thinke that onely Faith as some Heretiques would haue thee belieue is sufficient for thee thou must goe with thy feete to dinner thou must take thy meate and medicine with thy handes thou must put them into thy mouth and receiue them into thy stomache that is thou must frequent the Sacraments and be diligent in the exercise of vertues that that which was effected giuen for all mankinde may bee accepted for thee applied to thee and profite thee Pray thou our Lord that hee who spent and consummated all his dayes with infinite merits of good works will neuer suffer thee to spend and passe away thy dayes idly and in vaine The 4◠Meditation of the seauenth worde of our Lord on the Crosse And crying againe Mat. 27. Mar. 15. Luc. 23. he saide with a loude voyce COnsider first that as often as Christ spake for himselfe vnto his Father hee cryed with a loude voyce but when he spake to others or for others hee vsed a lower voyce to teach thee First that thou must alwayes deale with God with great affection To others thou openest thy griefes with teares but when thou speakest with God thou art so drye that thou hast scarce any feeling of deuotiō Secondly what grieuous paines the Son of God suffered who with the violence thereof was forced to crye out Consider secondly that Christ for diuers causes cryed out in his prayers when hee was ready to dye Ioan. 11. First to shew that he was Lord of life and death hauing power to yeeld vp his soule and to take it againe at his owne will and pleasure Therfore hee called for death as Nazianzen saith which durst not come In Christo patiente except it had been called Secondly to mooue God the Father to mercy For seeing all mankinde being oppressed with grieuous sinnes was farre off from God hee who carryed the person of all men ought to cal vpon God with a loude voyce being so farre absent Doe thou therefore knock at our Lords eares not so much with loudnes of voice as with affection of hart Thirdly that this voice being sent through the whole world might moue mens hearts and that hearing of the death of God for their sinnes they might be penitent for their offences For at this voyce the Earth was shaken the Rockes were cleft in sunder and the Monuments were opened that thy stony heart might also be broken by the force of this worde of God Not without cause did Marke say his voyce being sent forth that thou shouldst vnderstand that being sent into the world it worketh still in the heartes of men Fourthly that Hell should tremble at this voyce and euen as at the crye of our Lord calling Lazarus the soule of Lazarus returned without delay into his body so now euery one there should prepare himselfe to receiue their Lord being ready instantly to come vnto them The holy Fathers therefore in Limbo reioyced at this voyce and the Deuils in Hell trembled Fiftly to teach thee how to meditate on death not remisly or negligently as of a thing little pertaining to thee nor slowly and dully as of a thing a farre off but often and earnestly of a thing most certaine and at hand so much the more feruently because it is the onely gate to saluation Consider thirdly that in the ninth houre our Lord brake forth into this clamor in the houre I say of prayer and of the euening Sacrifice For then the true hoast was sacrificed vpon the Crosse and being cutt into two partes that is into body and soule was immolated to God the Father by the high Priest with a loud voyce and great labour Ioyne thou thy prayers with Christ his prayer that with his voice they may pierce the Fathers eares Luc. 23. O Father into thy handes I commend my spirit COnsider first that Christ prayed not vnto his Father vppon the Crosse but in the wordes of the Scripture First because hee knewe that these wordes were most acceptable to his Father beeing written by the holy Ghost to teach vs to pray Secondly to teach thee to worship God not according to thy owne fashion vnderstanding but in such manner as the Church indued with the holy Ghost hath appointed thee Consider secondly that Christ vsed this word Father onely twise vpō the Crosse in his first in his last prayer but in his middle that is in his fourth prayer hee called him not Father but God First that thou shouldest like a Son willingly accept that punishment which thy Father sendeth and in thy punishment confesse thy own basenes who art not worthy to bee called the son of God and like a poore creature call vpon God thy Creator for tribulation and aduersity doe teach good men their owne fraile estate and vnworthines and thereby perswade or rather inforce them to mend their liues that in the end hauing ouercome all aduersities thou shouldest take courage reioyce as a Son For probation worketh hope Rom. 5. which confoundeth not Secondly because the beginnings of Gods word doe most sweetly affect the minde the progresse is hard to sensuality but the fruites which are gathered are most pleasaunt The booke was in the mouth of Iohn sweete as hony Apoc. 10. but being deuoured it made his belly bitter Thirdly because in his first prayer when hee prayed for sinners hee was to gaine authority to his prayer through the loue of a Sonne for none but a sonne could bee heard for so great wickednes In the middle he complained as a man And in this last hauing fulfilled his embassage he desires as a Son to bee called home to his Father Consider thirdly that Christ made this petition to his Father not for feare of iudgment for now his Father had committed all iudgement to him nor for feare of the Deuill whose forces hee had already broken nor for feare of the paines of Hell which now hee came to take from good men and to carry away the spoyles of Hell But first to teach thee neuer to remit or slacke thy inuincible spirit from prayer Secondly that thou shouldest knowe with what confidence he went vnto his Father For hee sayeth not anxiously after the māner of a suppliant I pray thee Father but as it were of mine owne right and authority I commend my spirit Consider fourthly marke euery word of this last prayer which before had bin made by the holy Ghost to this purpose Psal 32. and is now recited by the Son to the Father with addition onely of this word Father Father First I haue remained thy Son in all these so great
but in another mans Sepulcher Sixtly In a place hard by both because no man should say hee was stollen away if the place had beene farre off and also because both aliue and dead our Lord would not bee far from his seruants but alwaies remaine amongst his people Seauenthly In the Sepulcher of a iust man both because hee dyed that hee might indue vs with Iustice and also because no man ought to receiue him in the holy Communion but a iust man Consider thirdly that the womeÌ„ rested the next day and ceased from their worke and duty by reason of the Commandement whereby the vertue of obedience is commended vnto vs which teacheth vs that for God euen the seruice of God somtimes is to bee omitted that is that many workes of deuotion and Heauenly comforts are to bee pretermitted when the Superiour so coÌ„maundeth Pray thou our Lord that hee who exercised obedience euen till his death will graunt thee the perfection of that vertue The 50. Meditation of the keeping of the Sepulcher And the next day which is after the Parasceue the chiefe Priests the Pharises came together to Pilate saying Maister wee remember that this seducer saide whilest he liued after three dayes I will rise againe Commaund therefore that the Sepulcher may bee kept till the third day Mat. 27. least perhaps his Disciples come and steale him away and say to the people hee is risen from death and the last error will bee worse then the first COnsider first what the care of these men was vpon the Sabaoth and vpon this Sabaoth also being the solemnitie of their Pasch to wit to obscure the glory of Christ and that day wherein they should speake with God they spend in busines with a prophane man whome thou doest often imitate spending thy time in worldly busines when either the Sacraments ought to bee handled or some other thing to bee done with God Consider secondly that the Sabaoth is not named the next day after the Parasceue First because the true solemnity of the Saboath and of the Pasch was to bee transferred to the next day by the new resurrection of Christ Secondly because holy dayes being prophaned by sinne are not feastiuall profitable to sinners but rather hurtful prophane Theoph. in Mat. 27. Consider 3. Maister they which refused the Messias for their Lord and Maister are worthily compelled to accept a vile Idolater for their Maister For the Deuill and the world shall rule ouer him ouer whom Christ ruleth not Consider fourthly that Christ was called by the wicked a seducer For the Deuill euen at this day indeauoreth by his seruants to perswade that Christ is a Seducer and that they are seduced to errors and wickednes whom Christ doth either conuert to the true faith or exhort to a better kinde of life whereas Christ doth seduce no man but leadeth them from the wide way of Hell to the straite and narrowe pathe of eternall life Consider fiftly that the wicked feared Christ being dead how much more then ought he to be feared being liuing and comming with Maiestie to iudge the quicke and the dead Heere thou feest two kindes of the feare of God one in the Centurion and the rest which went away striking their breasts and for feare of future euils thinking of the amendment of their liues the other of wicked men who labor to infringe the councells of God and this feare is proper to the deuill and to all the enemies of God Consider sixtly that the great care and diligence of these wicked men did much increase the glory of Christ For by this diligent carefulnes of them the rumor of the foresaid resurrection of Christ was the more published and caused veâ—y many to hope and expect the same and also tooke away all suspition of stealing him away seeing there was with such diligence a company of souldiers appointed to watch him Consider seauenthly that they feared least the Disciples of Christ should steale away his bodie Doe thou receiue it openly for it is giuen to thee borne for thee and crucified for thee and pray our Lord neither to depart from thee himselfe nor to suffer any creature els to take him from thee Pilate said to them ye haue a guard goe and keepe him as ye knowe COnsider first that Pilate who had once consented with the Iewes to the death of Christ did now assigne them a guard to wit the Garrison soldiours appointed for the watching of the Cittie For whosoeuer doth once yeild to the will of the wicked shall hardly withdraw himselfe after from their will and importunity wherof they haue experience who intangle themselues with the vnlawfull loue of women and the Deuill also hauing once got the vpper hand bringeth men into miserable bondage Consider secondly that Pilate who before had diligently defended the cause of Christ doth now conspire with the Iewes against the glorie of Christ Goe saith he keepe him as ye knowe that is be diligent in watching him for a man doth so easily fall out of one sinne into another that he also becommeth an author and prouoker of sin in others Consider thirdly that Pilate when he heard mention made of his resurrection waxed afraid both of the inconstant people and also of Caesar without whose commaundement he had condemned an innocent man to death For this is the fruite of sinne that it bringeth feare care and disquiet of minde Therefore doe thou auoide sinne and with a secure and quiet Conscience be thankfull vnto God And they going away garded the Sepulcher Mat. 27. marking the stone with Watchman COnsider first the diligent watching of the Sepulcher For First they marked the stone with a seale least the Souldiers should vse any subtiltie or deceipt Secondly they appointed a Garde that is a sufficient number of Soldiours both because the fauourers of Christ should be able to offer no violence and also least a fewe might fall asleepe and in the meane time be stolen away Consider secondly that Christ permitted them to vse all this diligence and industrie that his resurrection might be more published and knowne being proued euen by the testimony of his enemies Thou seest first that there is an admirable treasure of goods hidden in Christs Sepulchre which by all meanes thou oughtest to endeauour to keepe Secondly that thy heart in which our Lord doth rest ought to bee kept most carefully Thirdly that thou needest not to feare the wicked who by their persecutions do nothing else but keepe and watch the hidden treasure of thy soule least by any vanity or pride it should bee stollen from thee Consider thirdly that the markes of the wicked are nothing but impure spots whereby they labour to infect and pollute the cleane creatures of God Doe thou mark thy heart with Christ his seale and pray him to guard and preserue thee with his Angels in his true faith and seruice which Almighty God grant vnto mee also through thy intercessions and Prayers Laus Christo Virginique Matri Ad maiorem Dei gloriam FINIS
pride of Pilate First because hee thought he was contemned by this silence of Christ hee threatneth him with his power and authority For a proud man is soone angry and will not suffer indignity at anothers hand and yet careth not what iniury hee offereth to them himselfe Secondly that hee attributeth to himselfe the power which hee hath receiued from another that thou mayest learne first to referre all thy good things vnto God from whome thou hast receiued them least hee take them from thee for thy ingratitude Secondly to acknowledge those guiftes and to vse them to the honour of thy Lord least by abusing thē thou beest grieuously punished Consider therefore earnestly with thy selfe thine owne wealth authority learning strength of body and thy other guifts and howe much good thou mayest doe thereby either for the increasing of Gods glory or the saluation of thy neighbours and how much good thou hast done and labour instantly to doe as much as thou art able for neither worke nor reason nor wisdome nor knowledge shall bee in Hell to which place thou makest hast Eccle. 9. Consider secondly that Pilate acknowledgeth free power in himselfe to crucifie our Lord and to dismisse him That thou mayest learne first that thou doest not want free will to doe well or ill and that thou mayest vse it to the exercise of vertue and not to commit sinnes Secondly that it is an euill freedome whereby wee may doe euill Au. Epist 45. and an excellent necessitie which bringeth vs to better thinges Doe thou then ioyne thy selfe so vnto Christ that it shall not bee in thy power to doe ill but that thou mayest will and doe onely good and vertuous thinges For that is true Christian liberty so to bee able to worke through vertue and to effect those things which reason faith doth dictate that wee would not sinne though it were lawfull the will being so confirmed in good that it cannot bee diuerted by any impediments either of concupiscence or any other thing Iesus answered thou couldest haue no power against mee Ioan. 19 except it were giuen thee from aboue Wherefore hee which hath deliuered mee to thee hath the greater sinne COnsider first that by these wordes Christ abated the pride of Pilate teaching him that hee had of himselfe no power but that which was either giuen him from aboue by Caesar whose Vicegerent hee was as St. Augustine interpreteth this place Tract in Ioan 116. or granted him from God in Heauen without whose speciall permission no man could doe any thing against Christ the Sonne of God Pilate receiued this power with the enemyes of our Lord when hee gaue them lycence in the garden to rage against him by these wordes This is your hower and the power of darknes And although it was necessary to haue a more peculiar permission to rage against Christ Luc. 22. then against any other Christian Yet thou mayest learne truely with Saint Cyprian Beat. Leo. ser de pas Dom. that the Deuill can doe nothing against man except God permitt him Consider secondly he which deliuered me to thee hath the greater sin to wit then if he had offered any other man to be put to death by thee or greater sinn then thou partly because thou maist be much moued therevnto by reason of thy authority and by the people and the chiefe men whereas hee did it of himselfe by priuate hate and setled malice partly because thou knowest not the dignity of my person and office which the Iewes must needs knowe by the prophesies of the Prophets hauing seene so many myracles which could not happen but by the Messias so as they had no excuse of their sin Thou seest first that al sins are not alike as some men fayne but that those sinnes are more grieuous Ioan. 15 which come of deliberate malice then those which are cōmitted through weakenes or ignorance and they sin more which mocke and persecute the godly then they which deride wicked men and they offend more which induce men to sinne then they which are induced for the sinne of such redoundeth also to the inducers Secondly thou learnest to abstaine from all sinnes but especially frō those which are committed against God as Heresie blasphemy periury irrision and prophanation of holy and diuine things For althogh in the blinde iudgement of men which thinke nothing to bee a fault but that which tendeth to the hurt of our neighbour those thinges seeme small yet God will reuenge more sharply the wrong done vnto him selfe then to any other creature Admire thou the bounty of Christ who so louingly taught the wicked Iudge pray him that he will neuer giue thee libertie to sinne The 29. Meditation of the fourth accusation of Christ before Pilate From thence foorth Pilate sought to dismisse him but the Iewes cryed saying if thou dost dismisse him Ioan. 19 thou art not friend to Caesar for euery one that maketh himselfe King contradicteth Caesar but when Pilate heard these speaches he brought Iesus foorth and sate in the iudgement seate in the place called Lithostrotos but in hebrewe Gabbata and it was the paraseene about the sixt houre COnsider first that Pilate when he heard mentiō of sinne thoght earnestly of the dismissing of Christ for feare of cōmiting a greater offence that thou maist learne hereafter to absteyne from sinne for the loue of Christ for thou hast offended God long enough and defiled thy conscience with the filth of sinne but be thou more constant then Pilate vpon whom God hath bestowed more grace Consider secondly the burning hate of the Iewes who wanting matter of accusation terrifyed the Iudge with threatnings and as it were inforced him to do wickedly as if they should say Wee will complaine of thee to Caesar whose enemie and competitor of the kingdome thou hast fauoured Wicked men vse to threaten when they cannot preuaile by truth If thou fearest none but God thou shalt ouercome all thy enemies Consider thirdly that Pilate hitherto played the man so long as it concerned not himselfe but when he thought his owne honour and reputation was called in question he yeelded to their threatnings and was quite discouraged like to those who defend the truth as long as they shall suffer no inconuenience thereby but if they perceiue any storme they presently turne sayle and yeeld vnto the tempest and will not suffer any kinde of trouble Doe thou flie the world least it carry thee away from the affaires of Christ to some vniust action For he which maketh himselfe a king and ruleth ouer himselfe and ouer his desires is not a friend to Caesar the deuill I meane the prince of this world whose friendship if thou seekest and dost feare his wrath thou shalt get that which happened to Pilate who by the complaint of the Iewes in another cause lost Caesars friendship dyed miserably in exile The Deuill followeth those that feare him and flyeth and forsaketh
naturall affectiō First that he is forsaken through no demerite of his owne Are saith he the words of my offences far from my saluation that is Psal 21. doe my sinnes hinder my saluation and thy helpe but I haue committed no sinne Secondly of the vnworthines of the cause that thou mightest saith hee redeeme a poor seruant thou hast deliuered thy Sonne to his enemies Hast thou forsaken hee sheweth that hee receiued no helpe nor comfort from the vnion of his Diuinity and that all the time of his Passion hee was left as man to his owne power Hee sayeth not doest thou forsake but hast thou forsaken not onely in this passion but in all my life thou hast not assisted mee in my labours Amongst the Prophets many thinges were spoken hereof Psal 87 I am poore in labors from my youth An vnworthy thing I haue a rich Father but hee giueth his riches plentifully amongst wicked men For of thy hidden thinges Psal 16. that is of riches which vse to bee hidden Their belly is filled but I thy Sonne am left in the meane time poore and beggerly from my child-hood am inforced to great labours Thou hast remoued farre from mee my friend and my neighbour who might comfort mee in my troubles Thy fury is setled ouer me Psal 87 and thou hast brought all thy floods vpon mee thou hast oppressed and drowned mee in calamities Mee thy Sonne whome thou hast begotten frō all eternity whom aboue all creatures thou oughtest to holde most deare In these thinges beholde the iust cause of complaint in Christ together with the most ardent loue of his Father towards thee who because hee would heare thy complaint refused to heare the cōplaints of his Son whom hee would haue not onely to knowe but also really to feele affliction and misery both that hee might take compassion vpon thy infirmityes and also bestow on thee the guift of knowledge how to vse all things to thine owne saluation Mat. 27. Mar. 15 But some standing there and hearing said Beholde this man calleth Helias COnsider first that the Romane Soldiours according to St. Hierome being ignorant of the Hebrue tongue for Eli is Hebrue and Lammasabactani Syriack and hauing heard many times among the Iewes with whome they cōuersed mention made of Helias were deceiued by the meer sound of the words and thought that our Lord had called vpon Elias Learne thou not to vse nor interpret rashly the wordes of God which thou vnderstandest not Consider secondly that all those three houres of the eclipse euery man stood amazed without motion and without speach but assoone as the light returned the wicked also returned to their irrisions that thou mayest learne First that the impiety of wicked men may bee restrained for a time but cannot be quite taken away without the speciall fauour of God Secondly to obserue diligently and feare the miracles and thratenings of God For euen as God by this darknes did foreshew vnto the Iewes the iminent darknes wherin for euer they shall remaine except they repent so by his threatning signes by comets thunder earthquakes pestilence famine and other strange thinges and euents he foresheweth the calamity and mischiefe to come Consider thirdly whereas heretofore the Iewes required a signe to bee giuen them from Heauen heere they hauing a signe are made neuer the better That thou mayest knowe that they would not haue beleeued as they promised if hee should discend from the Crosse because the desires of the wicked are not directed to their saluation but to vanity and mocking Consider fourthly what comfort is brought frō the world to wit mocking and contempt for how can they comfort others which want true comfort of minde themselues Consider fiftly that these wordes were spoken by them which stood by and heard that thou mayest learne First the idle men which are not occupied in their own affaires doe nothing but carp and scoffe at the wordes and deedes of others Secondly that such wrest Gods wordes to an euill sence which onely heare them and doe not imploy their time to the study of vertue Consider sixtly that the wicked knowe no difference betweene Helias Eli and the honour which is due vnto God and which is due vnto creatures Therefore some leauing God seeke help of his creatures to which they vse to flye in all their necessities others giue more honor to men then to God himselfe others thinke those thinges to bee done to creatures which by them are referred vnto God as the reuerence worship done to Images Saints obediēce to their Pastors c. But doe thou better interpret the wordes of Christ pray him to informe thy soule with his diuine guift of knowledg The 41. Meditation of the fift worde of Christ on the Crosse Afterwards Iesus knowing that all thinges were now consummate Ioan. 19. that the Scripture might bee fulfilled hee saide I thirst COnsider first that our Lord in all these torments of the Crosse did neuerthelesse in his minde reuolue the Scriptures and diligently view them all least perhaps there might bee somthing in them vnfulfilled for thy saluation that thou likewise being alwayes attentiue to the will of God and to the cōmandements of thy Superiours mayst neuer ouer-flip any thing belonging to thy office duty Consider secondly that Christ neuer spake nor did any thing rashly but referred all thinges to this end that the Scripture might bee fulfilled Blessed art thou if thou doest nothing but of obedience which giueth a great ornament to the dooer and deserueth an admirable recompence for the worke Consider thirdly that this thirst was most grieuous which the kingly prophet Dauid foresawe so many ages before which grewe both from the labours and torments of the Crosse and frō the continuall streams of bloud and from his fasting all the day and night before Mark the wordes of the Psalmist Psal 21. My strength is dryed like an earthen pott and my tongue hath cleaued vnto my iawes and thou hast brought mee into the dust of death that is thou hast made mee like to dry ashes Consider fourthly why the Scriptures that spake of this thirst were fulfilled last after all the rest to wit First that the first sinne cōmitted in the wood by intemperāce which infected all mankinde might as the greatest prouoker of all the rest be last of all washed away and abolished vpon the wood of the Crosse Secondly because this thirst proceeced from the decaying of his strength and from the losse of all naturall moisture that our Lord might declare vnto vs that hee had with a liberall hand bestowed all his benefits vpon vs. Consider fiftly why being inwrapped compassed with so many torments paines on euery side he complained onely of thirst First to show that he did truly and sharply feele the torments of the Crosse for Christ vseth not to complaine lightly but onely in matter of great moment Secondly to commend