For most strange of all it is that all the Creatures in heauen and earth seemed to heare this his mournefull Complaint in their kind to shew their Regard of it The Sunne in heauen shrinking in his light the earth trembling vnder it the very stones cleauing in sunder as if they had sense and Sympathie of it and sinfull men onely not mooued with it And yet it was not for the Creatures this was done to Him to them it pertaineth not But for vs it was and to vs it doeth And shall wee not yet Regard it Shall the Creature and not we Shall we not If we doe not it may pertaine to vs but wee pertaine not to it It pertaines to all but all pertaine not to it None pertaine to it but they that take benefite by it and none take benefite by it no more then by the brasen Serpent but they that fixe their eye on it Behold Consider and Regard it the profite the benefite is lost without Regard If we doe not as this was a day of Gods fierce wrath against him onely for regarding vs so there is another day comming and it will quickly bee heere a day of like fierce wrath against vs for not regarding him And who regardeth the power of this wrath Hee that doeth will surely Regard this In that day there is not the most carelesse of vs all but shall cry as they did in the Gospel Domine non ad te pertinet si perimus Pertaines it not to thee Carest thou not that we perish Then would we be glad to pertaine to him and his Passion Pertaines it to vs then and pertaines it not now Sure now it must if then it shall Then to giue end to his Complaint let vs graunt him his Request and Regard his Passion Let the Rarenesse of it The Neerenesse to vs Let Pitie or Duety Feare or Remorse Loue or Bountie Any of them or all of them Let the Iustnesse of his Complaint Let his affectionate maner of Complaining of this and onely this Let the shame of the Creatures Regard Let our Profit or our Perill Let some thing preuaile with vs to haue it in some Regard Some Regard Verily as his sufferings his Loue our good by them are so should our Regard bee a Non sicut too That is a Regard of these and of nothing in comparison of these It should be so For with the benefit euer the Regard should arise But God helpe vs poore sinners and bee mercifull vnto vs. Our Regard is a Non sicut indeed but it is backward in a contrary sense That is no where so shallow so short or so soone done It should be otherwise it should haue our deepest consideration this and our highest Regard But if that cannot be had our nature is so heauy and flesh and blood so dull of apprehension in Spirituall things yet at leastwise some Regard Some I say The more the better But in any wise some And not as here no Regard none at all Some wayes to shew wee make accompt of it to withdraw our selues to void our minds of other matters to set this before vs to thinke vpon it to thanke him for it to Regard him and stay and see whether he will regard vs or no. Sure he wil and we shal feele our hearts pricked with sorow by consideration of the cause in vs our Sinne And againe warme within vs by consideration of the cause in him his Loue till by some motion of Grace he answere vs and shew that our Regard is accepted of him And this as at all other times for no day is amisse but at all times some time to be taken for this duety so specially on this day this Day which we hold holy to the memorie of his Passion this Day to doe it to make this Day the Day of Gods wrath and Christes Suffering a Day to vs of serious consideration and Regard of them both It is kindly to consider Opus diei in die suo The worke of the Day in the Day it was wrought and this day it was wrought This Day therefore whatsoeuer our businesse be to lay them aside a little whatsoeuer our haste yet to stay a little and to spend a few thoughts in calling to minde and taking to Regard what this Day the Sonne of God did and suffered for vs and all for this end that what he was then wee might not be and what he is now we might be for euer Which Almighty God graunt we may all doe more or lesse euen euery one of vs according to the seuerall measures of his grace in vs c. A complaint 1. Cor. 10.13 Iob 19. 21. Christes complaint Hos. 11. 1. Mat. 2. 15. Psal. 22. 1. Mat. 27. 46. 1. Cor. 10.11 The parts The parties to whom O all ye that passe by the way Consider Sorow Herb. 13. 3. 1. Behold Luke 10. 32. Ioh. 3. 14 Acts 1. 11. 2. Consider Hebr. 12. 23. The qualitie If euer the like In the three parts of his Sorrow 1. 2. 3. 1. Of the qualitie First of the qualitie of his Passion 1. Poena sensus in the Body Iohn 19. 5. 2. Poena sensus in the Soule Syra 15. 57. Prou. 18. 14. Iohn 12. 27. Luke 22. 44. Mark 14. 35. Matt. 26. 38. Luk. 22. 44. Verse 13. 3 Poena Damni 1 Leaues 1 Withered leaues Iohn 18. 40 and 19.15 Mat. 27. 25. Mar. 15. 29.36 2 Greene leaues 2 Fruit. Mat. 27. 46. Secondly of the qualitie of his Person 1. Ioh. 19. 5 2. Matt. 27. 19. Luke 23. 14. 15. Iohn 14. 30. 3 Iere. 22. 18. Ioh. 19. 22. 4. Ioh. 19.5 Mar. 15. 39. C. 4.20 2. Of the cause 1. GOD. Luke 22. 53. Gods wrath 2. Sinne. Not his Ioh. 18. 22. Gen. 18. 25. Dan. 9. 26. Other mens Ours Esa. 53. 4 5 6. 2. Sam. 12.7 3 Loue of vs. Esa. 53.7 Rom. 5. 8 Eph. 2. 3. Rom. 2. 5 Our benefite by it Perteines it not to vs 2. Cor. 6. 2. Exod. 12. 15. Num. 15. 28. Rom. 8. 15. Matt. 26. 28. The recapitulation of all 1. The Complaint The matter Iust. The maner earnest The regard of the Creatures of it The benefite if The perill if not Psal. 90. 11. Mark 4. 38. 2 The Request Haue some Regard I Our best Regard 2. At least some Regard Act. 2. 37 Luke 24. 32. 3 This day specially
point not to the end The Cause then in God was wrath What caused this wrath God is not wroth but with sinne Nor grieuously wroth but with grieuous sinne And in CHRIST there was no grieuous sinne Nay no sinne at all God did it the text is plaine And in his fierce wrath he did it For what cause For God forbid God should doe as did Annas the high Priest cause him to be smitten without cause God forbid saith Abraham the Iudge of the world should doe wrong to any To any but specially to his owne Sonne That his Sonne of whom with thundring voyce from Heauen he testifieth all his ioy and delight were in Him in him onely he was wel pleased And how then could his wrath waxe hot to doe all this vnto him There is no way to preserue Gods Iustice and Christs Innocency both but to say as the Angel said of him to the Prophet Daniel The Messias shall be slaine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ve-en lo shal be slaine but not for himselfe Not for himselfe for whom then for some others He tooke vpon him the person of others and so doing Iustice may haue her course and proceede Pity it is to see a man pay that he neuer tooke but if he will become a Surety if he will take on him the person of the Debtor so he must Pity to see a sillie poore Lambe lie bleeding to death but if it must be a Sacrifice such is the nature of a sacrifice so it must And so Christ though without sinne in himselfe yet as a Suretie as a Sacrifice may iustly suffer for others if he will take vpon him their persons and so God may iustly giue way to his wrath against him And who be those others The Prophet Esay telleth vs and telleth it vs seuen times ouer for failing He tooke vpon him our infirmities and bare our maladies He was wounded for our iniquities and broken for our transgressions The chastisement of our peace was vpon him and with his stripes were we healed All wee as sheepe were gone astray and turned euery man to his owne way and the Lord hath layd vpon him the iniquities of vs all All all euen those that passe to and fro and for all this Regard neither him nor his Passion The short is It was wee that for our sinnes our many great and grieuous sins Si fuerint sicut the like whereof neuer were should haue swet this Sweat and haue cryed this Cry should haue bene smitten with these sorrowes by the fierce wrath of God had not he stepped betweene the blow and vs and latched it in his owne body and soule euen the dint of the fiercenesse of the wrath of God O the Non sicut of our sins that could not otherwise be answered To returne then a true verdict It is we we wretched sinners that we are that are to be found the principals in this acte and those on whom wee seeke to shift it to deriue it from our selues Pilate and Caiaphas and the rest but instrumentall causes onely And it is not the executioner that killeth the man properly that is They No nor the Iudge which is God in this case onely sinne Solum peccatum homicida est Sinne onely is the murtherer to say the trueth and our sinnes the murtherers of the Sonne of God and the Non sicut of them the true cause of the Non sicut both of Gods wrath and of his sorowfull sufferings Which bringeth home this our text to vs euen into our owne bosomes and applieth it most effectually to mee that speake and to you that heare to euery one of vs and that with the Prophet Nathans application Tu es homo Thou art the Man euen thou for whom God in his fierce wrath thus afflicted him Sinne then was the cause on our part why we or some other for vs. But yet what was the cause why Hee on his part what was that that mooued him thus to become our Suretie and to take vpon him our debt and danger that mooued him thus to lay downe his Soule a sacrifice for our sinne Sure Oblatus est quia voluit faith Esay againe Offered he was for no other cause but because he would For vnlesse he would he needed not Needed not for any necessitie of Iustice for no Lambe was euer more innocent Nor for any necessitie of constraint For twelue legions of Angels were ready at his command But because he would And why would hee No reason can be giuen but because hee Regarded vs Marke that reason And what were we Verily vtterly vnworthy euen his least regard not worth the taking vp not worth the looking after Cum inimici essemus saith the Apostle we were his enemies when he did it without all desert before and without all regard after he had done and suffered all this for vs and yet hee would Regard vs that so little regard him For when he saw vs a sort of forlorne sinners Non priùs natos quà m damnatos Damned as fast as borne as being by nature children of wrath and yet still heaping vp wrath against the day of wrath by the errours of our life till the time of our passing hence and then the fierce wrath of God ready to ouerwhelme vs and to make vs endure the terrour torments of a neuer dying death another Non sicut yet When I say he saw vs in this case hee was mooued with compassion ouer vs and vndertooke all this for vs. Euen then in his loue he regarded vs and so regarded vs that he regarded not himselfe to regard vs. Bernard sayth most truely Dilexistime Domine magis qudm te quando mori voluisti prome In suffring all this for vs thou shewedst Lord that wee were more deare to thee that thou regardest vs more then thine owne selfe And shall this Regard finde no regard at our hands It was Sinne then and the hainousnesse of Sinne in vs that prouoked wrath and the fiercenesse of his wrath in God It was loue and the greatnes of his loue in Christ that caused him to suffer these Sorrowes and the grieuousnes of these Sorrowes and all for our sakes And indeed but onely to testifie the Non sicut of this his Loue all this needed not that was done to him One any one euen the very least of all the paines hee endured had bene ynough ynough in respect of the Meus ynough in respect of the Non sicut of his Person For that which setteth the high price on this Sacrifice is this That he which offereth it vnto God is God But if little had bene suffered little would the Loue haue bene thought that suffered so little and as little Regard would haue bene had of it To awake our Regard then or to leaue vs excuselesse if we continue regardlesse all this he bare for vs that he might as truely make a Case of Si fuerit Amor sicut
Amormeus as he did before of Si fuerit Dolor sicut Dolormeus We say we will Regard Loue if we will here it is to Regard So haue we the Causes all three Wrath in God Sinne in our selues Loue in Him Yet haue we not all we should For what of all this What good Cuibono That that is it indeed that we will Regard if any thing as being matter of Benefit the onely thing in a manner the world regardeth which bringeth vs about to the very first words againe For the very first words which we reade Haue ye no regard are in the Originall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lo alechem which the Seuentie turne word for word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Latine likewise Nonne ad vos pertinet Perteines it not to you that you Regard it no better For these two Perteining and Regarding are folded one in another and goe together so commonly as one is taken often for the other Then to be sure to bring vs to Regard he vrgeth this Perteines not all this to you Is it not for your good Is not the benefit yours Matters of benefite they perteine to you and without them Loue and all the rest may pertaine to whom they will Consider then the inestimable benefite that groweth vnto you from this incomparable Loue. It is not impertinent this Euen this That to vs hereby all is turned about cleane contrary That by his Stripes we are healed by his Sweat we refreshed By his forsaking wee receiued to Grace That this day to Him the day of the fiercenesse of Gods wrath is to vs the Day of the fulnesse of Gods fauour as the Apostle colleth it A day of Saluation In respect of that hee suffered I denie not an euill day a day of heauinesse But in respect of that which He by it hath obtained for vs It is as we truely call it A good Day a Day of Ioy and Iubilee For it doeth not onely ridde vs of that wrath which pertained to vs for our Sinnes but further it maketh that pertaine to vs whereto we had no maner of right at all For not onely by his death as by the death of our sacrifice by the blood of his Crosse as by the blood of the Paschal Lambe the Destroyer passeth ouer vs and we shall not perish But also by his death as by the death of our High Priest for hee is Priest and Sacrifice both we are restored from our exile euen to our former forfeited estate in the lande of Promise Or rather as the Apostle sayeth Non sicut delictum sic donum Not to the same estate but to one nothing like it that is One farre better then the estate our sinnes berest vs For they depriued vs of Paradise a place on earth but by the purchase of his Blood wee are entitled to a farre higher euen the kingdom of Heauen his blood not onely the blood of Remission to acquite vs of our sinnes but the blood of the Testament too to bequeath vs and giue vs estate in that heauenly inheritance Now whatsoeuer else this I am sure is a Non sicut as that which the eye by all it can see the eare by all it can heare the heart by all it can conceiue cannot patterne it or set the like by it Pertaines not this vnto vs neither Is not this worth the regard Sure if any thing be worthy the regard this is most worthy of our very worthiest and best Regard Thus haue we considered and seene not so much as in this sight we might or should but as much as the time will giue vs leaue And now lay all these before you euery one of them a Non sicut of it self the paines of his Body esteemed by Pilates Ecce the sorrowes of his Soule by his sweate in the Garden the comfortlesse estate of his Sorrowes by his crie on the Crosse And with these his Person as being the Sonne of the great and eternall God Then ioyne to these the Cause In God his fierce wrath In vs our heinous sinnes deseruing it In him his exceeding great Loue both suffering that for vs which we had deserued and procuring for vs that wee could neuer deserue making that to appertaine to himselfe which of right pertained to vs and making that pertaine to vs which pertained to him onely and not to vs at all but by his meanes alone And after their view in seuerall lay them all together so many Non sicuts into one and tell me if his Complaint bee not Iust and his Request most Reasonable Yes sure his Complaint is Iust Haue ye no Regard None and yet neuer the like None and it pertaines vnto you No Regard As if it were some common ordinary matter and the like neuer was No Regard As if it concern'd you not a whit and it toucheth you so neere As if hee should say Rare things you regard yea though they no wayes pertaine to you this is exceeding rare and will you not regard it Againe things that neerely touch you you regard though they be not rare at all this toucheth you exceeding neere euen as neere as your soule toucheth you and will you not yet regard it will neither of these by it selfe mooue you will not both these together mooue you what will mooue you will Pitie Here is Distresse Neuer the like will Duetie heere is a Person neuer the like will Feare here is wrath neuer the like will Remorse heere are sinnes neuer the like will Kindnesse heere is Loue neuer the like will Bountie heere are Benefits neuer the like will all these heere they be all all aboue any Sicut all in the highest degree Truely the Complaint is Iust it may mooue vs it wanteth no reason it may mooue and it wanteth no affection in the deliuerie of it to vs on his part to mooue vs. Sure it mooued him exceeding much for among all the deadly sorrowes of his most bitter Passion This euen this seemeth to bee his greatest of all and that which did most affect him euen the griefe of the slender reckoning most men haue it in as little respecting him as if he had done or suffered nothing at all for them For loe of all the sharpe paines he endureth he complaineth not but of this he complaineth of No Regard That which grieueth him most that which most he moaneth is this It is strange he should be in paines such paines as neuer any was and not complaine himselfe of them But of want of Regard onely Strange he should not make request ô Deliuer me or Relieue me But onely ô Consider and Regard me In effect as if he said None no deliuerance no reliefe do I seeke Regard I seeke And all that I suffer I am content with it I regard it not I suffer most willingly if this I may finde at your hands Regard Truely This so passionate a Complaint may mooue vs it mooued all but vs