passe that God being appeased will leaue to vs behind him his Benediction and chastize vs as his Sonnes with a paternall correction and not depriue vs as bastards and adulterate of our heauenly Inheritance I will here adioyne one ExaÌ„ple out of S. Gregory from whence we may gather how great the reward allotted to Patience is He relateth hom 3â— super Euang. that a certaine man called Steuen was so patient as that he reputed theÌ„ his chiefest frieÌ„ds vvho had beeene most troublesome vnto him giuing them thanks for their contumelies and esteeming the losses and detrimâ—nts offered to him to be his chiefest gaine and benefit thus numbering and ranging his Aduersaries amoÌ„g his Benefactours This man the vvorld no doubt would repute as mad or foolish but he listened to the Apostle of Christ not with a deafe eare saying 1. Cor. 3. Yf any man seeme to be wise among you in this world let him become a foole that he may be wise For as S Gregory vvriteth in the place aboue alledged many Angels were seene to be present at the instant of his death who did carry his soule directly into Heauen And the holy Father feared not to range this Steuen among the Blessed Martyrs in regard of his wonderfu l Patience Of the fourth fruite of the fifth Word CHAP. XI AS yet remaineth one frâ—â—te behind and this most sweet which may be gathered from the word Sitio I thirst For S. Austin expounding the said word saith That by this word was not signified only the desire of corporall drinke but a desire with which Christ did burne for the health and saluation of his Enemies But now taking occasion from the sentence of S. Austin we may ascend a litle higher and say that Christ did thirst after the glory of God and the saluation of men and that we ought to thirst after the glory of God the honour of Christ our owne health the health of our Brethren Thâ—â—â— Christ was euen thirsty of the glory of God health of soules cannot be doubted since all his vvorks all his Sermons or speaches all his sufferings and all his miracles do euen preach and proclaime the truth hereof Therefore to vs it rather belongeth to thinke to shevv our gratefulnes to so great a Benefactour by vvhat meanes vve may be inflamed as truly to thirst after the honour of God VVho so loued the VVorld as that he gaue hit only begotten Sonne Ioan. 3. and withall after the honour of Christ truly and ardently who loued vs and deliuered himselfe for vs an oblation host to God in an odour of sweetnes Ephes 5. As also that vve may so truly compassionate vvith our Brethren as most vehemently to thirst after their health saluation But this one thing is chiefly and principally incumbent vnto vs to wit that vve do so truly intensly and from the bottome of our Hart thirst after our owne proper health and saluation as that our thirst thereof may force vs according to our strength and povver to thinke speake and do euery thing vvhich may conduce vnto the purchasing therof For if we do not thirst after the honour of God nor the glory of Christ nor the health of our Neighbours it followeth not that God shall therefore want his due honour or Christ be dâ—priued of his glory or our Neyghbours shall not obtaine their saluation but it follovveth that vve our selfes shall perish eteâ—nally if vve neglect to thirst after our ovvne peculiar health and Saluation From the consideration of vvhich point a strong admiration possesseth me to vvit from vvheÌ„ce it proceedeth that vve knovving Christ so ardently to haue thirsted after our Health and Well fayre and acknovvledging him to be the Wisdome of God are neuerthelesse litle moued to imitate him in so great a matter vvhich to vs is aboue all things most necessary Neither doe I lesse vvonder to obserue hovv greadily our selfes do thirst after temporall Goods as if they vvere eternall and yet do so negligently sleight our eternall saluation and so litle thirst after it as if it were a thing momentary and light We may adde hereto that temporall Goods are not pure goods but mixed with many euils and inconueniences yet neuertheles are most sollicitously painfully sought after vvhereas Eternall saluation is exempted from being accompanied with any Euill and yet it is so neglected so faintly coueted as if it had in it selfe no worth solidity or firmnesse O Blessed Lord so illuminate my interiour eyes that I may at length fynd the Cause of this so blind and dangerous an Ignorance Certainly Loue begetteth a desire and desire when it beginneth vehemently to burne is called a Thirst. But who cannot loue his owne saluation especially being to remaine for all Eternity and voyd of all Euill And if so great a matter cannot be but beloued why is it not vehemeÌ„tly desired Why is not ardently thirsted after Why is it not procured vvith all endeauour and force Perhaps the reason hereof is in that Eternall saluation doth not fall vnder our sense therefore we haue no experiment thereof as we haue of our Corporall health and prosperity and therefore this we thirst after that we but couldly desire But if this were the reason of so great an Ignorance from whence then did it spring that Dauid being a mortall man did so ardently thirst after the Vision of God in which Vision eternall health consisteth as that he cried out Psal 41. Eueâ— as the Hart desireth after the fountaines of Waters so doth my soule desire after thee O God My soule hath this sted after God the strong and liuing when shall I come and appeare before the face of God Where we see the Prophet as yet remaining here vpon earth did most burningly thirâ—â— after the Vision of God which is eternall health it selfe And this desire diâ— not happen to Dauid alone but tâ— many other men eminent for sanctâ—ty to whom all earthly matters seemed sordide base and vnsauory anâ— vvho most greedily withall sweetnes did relish and tast the remembrance or recordation of God Therefore the Cause is not why vve do not earnestly thirst after eternall Beatitude in that it falleth not vnder our sense but by reason it is nor thought vpon attentiuely daily and with a full fayth Now it is not thought vpon as it ought to be because we are not spirituall but sensuall The sensuall man perceaueth not those things which are of the spirit of God 1. Cor. 2. Wherefore O my Soule if thou dost couet to thirst after thy ovvne health the health of others and much more after the honour of God and Glory of Christ heare then S. Iames saying Cap. 1. Yf any of you lacke Wisdome let him aske of God who giueth to all men abundantly and vpbraideth not and it shal be giuen him This wisdome being so high perfect is not found in the schooles of this world but only in the Auditory of the spirit of
should be wanting thereto and that he might leaue after him a most admirable Example of Perseuerance Truly it is an easy matter to perseuer and continue in sweet places and in doing pleasing Actions but to persâ—uer and constantly to remaine long in labour and dolour is most difficult But if we did know what induced Christ to perseuer vpon the Crosse perhaps our selfes would learne to beare our Crosse perseuerantly yea if it were lawfull to hang vpon it euen vntill death If a man do cast his eyes only vpon the Crosse the Instrument of so lamentable a death being but seene it cannot but beget an horrour in his hart But if he looke vp with the eyes not so much of his body as of his soule towards him who commandeth vs to beare the Crosse and towards the place whither the Crosse leadeth and to the fruit or benefit which the said Crosse produceth then it is not a thing hard or vngratefull but easy pleasant to perseuer in kissing of the Crosse and perseuerantly to hang vpon the Crosse What therefore moued Christ so incessantly without complaining to hang vpon the Crosse euen vntill death The first cause heerof was che loue towards his Father The cup which my Father hath giuen me sayth he wilt not thou that I do drinke it Ioan. 18. Christ did loue his Father with an ineffable loue and with the lyke loue was beloued of him Therefore when Christ did see that cup to be prepared for him by his most good louing Father he could not in any sort suspect but that it was giuen to him for a most happy end and to him most glorious Was it then any strange thing if he did drinke vp all the cup most willingly Furthermore the Father made a mariadge for his Sonne and espoused to him the Church but then bespotted and wrinkled the which neuerthelesse if he would diligently wash in the hoate bath of his bloud he should easily make it to be glorious Not hauing eyther spot or wrinkle Ephes 5 Therefore Christ loued his spouse giuen to him by his Fatherâ— in regard whereof it was not painefull to him to wash away all her spots with his bloud that so she might appeare beautifull and glorious For iâ— Iacob for the loue of Rachel laboured seauen yeares in looking vnto the flooke and sheep of Laban so as he was almost consumed away with heate and frost and want of sleep and if those so many yeares seemed to him but a few dayes in respect of the greatnes of his loue Gen 2. I say if Iacob litle prized the labour and toyle of seaâ—en yeares for one Rachel what wonder then is iâ— if the Sonne of God would perseuer continue three houres vpon the Crosse for his Spouse the Church which was to beâ—ome mother of many thousand holy Sonnes of God To conclude Christ did not respect only the loue of his Father and of his Spouse when he was ready to drinke the cup of his Passion but also he had a regard to that most eminent glory and greatnes of Ioy neuer to be ended â—o the which he was to ascend by the meanes and instrumeÌ„t of the Crosse according to that sentence of his Apostle Philip. 1. He humbled himselfe made obedient to death euen the death of the Crosse For the which thing God also hath exalted him and hath giuen him a Name which is aboue all Names that in the Name of Iesus euery knee shall bow of things in Heauen in earth and vnder the Earth We may adioyne to the Example of Christ the Example of the Apostles Saint Paul reckoning the Crosses of himselfe and of the other Apostpostles thus contesteth Rom. 8. Who then shall separate vs from the Charity of Christ Tribulation or distresse or Famine or Nakednes or Danger or Persecution or the Sword As it is written for we are killed for thy sake all the day we are esteemed as sheepe for the slaughter And then the Apostle answereth But in all these things we haue ouercome because of him that hath loued vs. Thus the Apostles during their continuing in their punishments had not their eyes so much fixed vpon the punishments as vpon the loue of God who loued vs and gaue his Sonne for vs. In like sort they had respect to Christ himselfe Who loued vs gaue himselfe for vs. The same Apostle writing to the Corinthians sayth I am replenished with consolation I do exceedingly abound in ioy in all our Tribulation 2. Cor. 7. But from whence commeth so great coÌ„soâ—ation from whence so great ioy as that it almost taketh away the sense and feeling of Tribulation The Apostle answereth to this demaund in an other place saying Because that our tribulation which is momentary and light worketh aboue measure exceedingly an eternall weight of glory in vs 2. Cor. 4. Therefore the Contemplation of eternall glory which he did place before the eyes of his mynd was the cause why tribulation did appeare to him to be but momentary and light Has cogitationes c. sayth S. Cyprian VVhat persecution can ouercome these thoughts what torments are able to daunt them l. de mart To all this may be referred the Example of S. Andrew who beheld the Crosse whereupon he hanged two daies not as an vnpleasant Crosse but saluted it as a friend And when the People endeauoured to take him off from thence he would not in any case suffer them but continued hanging thereupon till death Neither was this man imprudent and foolish but most wyse and full of the Holy Ghost Now from these examples of Christ and his Apostles all Christians may learne how they ought to beare themselues when they cannot descend from their Crosse that is when they cannot be freed of their Tribulation without sinne In the number of these are first Regular Persons whose life being tyed to the vowes of Pouerty Chastity and Obedience is reputed like vnto Martyrdome In like sort married Persons when through diuine Prouidence the husband hath gotten a harsh cholerick vnquiet and almost intollerable wyfe or the wyfe hath a husband of a fierce rough disposition and such was the husband of S. Monica as S. Austin witnesseth Againe those that are slaues condemned to perpetuall prison or to the Gallyes In like sort sicke Persons who labour with some incurable disease And poore men vvho cannot aspire to riches but by stealth and thieuery All these and such others in like case if they desire to suffer their Crosse with spirituall ioy and great reward let them not looke vpon the Crosse but vpon him who hath layed the Crosse vpon their shoulders But he doubtlesly was God who is our most louing Father and without whose Prouidence nothing in this world is done Now the pleasure and will of God is best ought to be most gratefull vnto vs. Furthermore all men ought to say with Christ The Cup which my Father hath giuen me will thou not that I should drinke And with the
contumely would haue his owne Mother and his Disciple whom he loued to be present and to stand neere to the Crosse that so the griefe of the Compassion of his owne friends might giue an increase to the griefe of his Passion Christ being vpon the Crosse resembled as it were foure fountaines of Bloud abundantly streaming For his will and pleasure was that his owne Bl. Mother his beloued disciple Mary the sister of his Mother and Mary Magdalene who most ardently aboue all other VVomen loued him should be present at his death that from them foure fouÌ„taines of teares should burst out so as he should be almost no more troubled at the effusion of his owne bloud then he was at that copious showre of teares which the griefe of them then present did extort and force from their eyes and Haâ—ts It seemes to me that I heare Christ saying The sorrowes of death haue compassed me Psal 17. For that sword foretold of good old Simeon which should pierce the soule of my most innocent Mother with incredible griefe and anxiety doth euen wound my hart But o bitter death doest thou separate not only the soule from the body but also the mother from such a Sonne Therefore dolour would not suffer me to say Mother but VVoman behould thy Sonne God so loued the World that for the redeeming therof he was content to giue his only begotten Sonne and the Sonne so loued the Father as that for his honour he was ready to shed powre out his owne most precious bloud And not being content only with the dolour of his Passion he added thereto the dolour of Compassion that so he might become a most abundant satisfaction for our sinnes Therefore from hence it appeareth that both the Father and the Sonne do commend their Charity to vs after an ineffable manner that thereby we may not perish but that we may obtaine life euerlasting And yet mans hart doth hitherto resist so great a Charity maketh choyce rather to try the wrath and indignation of the Omnipotent liuing God then once to tast the sweetnes of Mercy to yield to the Charity of diuine Loue. Verily we are most vngratefull worthy of all punishment that since Christ loued vs with such an ardeÌ„t affection as that he was content to suffer for vs much more then necessity vrged From whereas one drop of his bloud was sufficient for our Redemption he neuerthelesse would spend it all and suffer innumerable other punâ—shments besides And yet notwithstanding all this we are loath and forbearing for his loue and for our owne health and good of our soule to endure and suffer euen so much as is but needefull The cause or source of so great a sluggines and madnes is in that we do not ponder and meditate on the Passion and Charity of Christ with that serious introuersioÌ„ of mind with whâ—ch we â—ught and that we do not appoint or designe times and places soâ—ting to so great a busines but only read or heare the passion of Christ briefly negligently and cursorily Therefore the holy Prophet admonisheth vs saying Thren 1. Behould see if there be any griefe like to my griefe And the Apostle sayth Thinke vpon him who endured of sinners such contradiction against himselfe that you be not wearied fainting in your minds Hebr. 12. But the tyme shall hereafter come when fruitlesly and in vaine we shall repent our selfs of so great ingratitude towards God and of supine negligence of our owne Saluation There are many who at the last day repenting and sighing for anguish of spirit shall say The sunne of Iustice hath not shined to vs. Sap. 5. Neither shall they first then begin thus to lament but before the day of IudgmeÌ„t I meane that as soone as they shall shut and close the eyes of their body by death the eyes of their soule shal be opened to them and then they shall see those things the which when time and oportunity was they would not once behould Of the second fruite of the third Word CHAP. X. AN other fruit growing from the roote of this VVord may be taken from the Consideration of the mistery of the three Women which stoode neere vnto the Crosse of our Lord. For Mary Magdalene did beare the person of the Penitents therin of those who did begin to serue God In Mary of Cleophas may be figured the state of those who do go on forward and profit in Vertue In Mary the Mother of Christ and a Virgin may be personated the state of those vvho are Perfect with whom we may deseruedly ioyne S. Iohn who was a Virgin and was vvithin a short tyme to become Perfect if at that present he were not All these and only these are found to stand neere vnto the Crosse of our Lord for those who liue in state of sinne and neuer thinke of doing any pennance for their wicked liues stand far off from the Crosse which is the scale or ladder to Heauen Furthermore all those not without cause stand neere vnto the Crosse who need the ayde of him that was crucified for such as be Penitents and Beginners in the way of Iustice do wage Warre with Vices and Concupiscences and stand greatly in need of the assistance of Christ our Captaine that they may be encouraged to fight whiles they behould him combatâ—ing with the Old Serpent and not descending from the Crosse vntill most happily he had triumphed ouer him For thus doth the Apostle speake to the Collossians cap. 2. He spoyled the Principalities and Powers leading them confidently in open shew and triumphing ouer them in himselfe And a litle before Fastening to the Crosse the hand-writing of the Decree which was against vs. Those who do profit in the way of our Lord signified by Mary of Cleophas who was a Woman maried and brought forth sonnes which were called â—he Brethren of Christ do also need the help of the Crosse lest otherwise the cares and anxieties of this world with the which they are necessarily entangled do choke the good seede or that they labouring by night do catch nothing Therefore such Persons ought to goe on forward in spirituall profit and to behould Christ vpon the Crosse who not satisfying himselfe with those good works being many and great which before he had done would by the meanes of the Crosse proceed to works of a higher Nature from whence he would not descend till he had ouercome and put to fight his Enemy For nothing is more deadly or domageable to those who are in progresse of Vertue then to become wearie in their course and to cease to goe forward since as S. Bernard sayth Ep. ad Garinum In via Virtutis non progredi regredi est In the way of Vertue not to goe forward is to goe backward who putteth the example of the Lader of Iacob vpon which all do ascend or descend but not any doe stand still To conclude those who are in state of Perfection liuing
naturally be because at that time being the Pascha of the Iewes the moone was found to be opposite to the Sunne and therfore it fâ—llovveth that that Eclypse vvas vvrought vvithout any interposition of the moone or that through an vnvsuall and an astonishing Miracle the moone did moue as much in fevv houres as at other times it vvas to moue in fourteene dayes and againe that vvith the like miracle it returned backe vvith so great svviftnes that in the space of ree houres it performed its motion of fourteene dayes Novv those cuâ—nts vvhich proceed from the Celestiall Orbes cannot be accoÌ„plished but by God since the povver of the diueâ—s is limited vnder the moone and therefore the Apostle calleth the diuell The Prince of the Power of this ayre Eph. 2. The Eclypse could not be occasioned after the second manner because as vve haue said aboue a thick and grosse cloude is not of force to take from vs the sight of the Sunne except vvith all it take from vs the sight of the Starres But it is euident from the testimony of Phlegon that the Sunne vvanting its light at the Passion of Christ starres vvere seene in Heauen after the same manner as they are seen in the night Touching the third maÌ„ner it is indisputrbly most true and acknovvledged that the beames of the Sunne could not be dravvne backe or extinguished but only by the Power of God who created the sunne From all this it then followeth that this second Verity is no lesse irrefragable and certaine then the first neither can it be impugned with lesse temerity and want of Iudgment then the first 3. The third Verity is that that daâ—knes of which we in this place do speake was occasioned by reason of the Crucifixion and Passion of Christ and did proceed from the diuine Prouidence This Truth taketh its demoÌ„stration from the tyme this darknes continued in the Ayre for it continued as long as Christ our Lord did hang aliue vpon the Crosse that is from the sixt hower vntill the ninth This is witnessed by all those who haue made meÌ„tion of this defection of the sunne Neither can it be ascribed to chance that this darknes full of Miracles could casually happen to be at the Passion of Christ since Miracles are not wrought by chance but by diuine Prouidence Neither hath there bene any Authour that I know that euer would attempt to ascribe this so wonderfull an Eclyps to any other cause For those who did know Christ did confesse this Miracle to be wrought for his sake and such as did not acknowledge Christ remayned astonished at it confessing their ignorance of the cause thereof 4. The fourth Verity is that this so prodigious a darknes could intimate and signify no other thing but that the Sentence of Caiphas and Pilate was most iniust and that Iesus was the true proper Sonne of God and the true Messias promised to the Iewes For this was the chiefest and most vrging cause why the Iewes thirsted after and plotted the death of Christ For in the Councell of the High Priest Scribes Pharisyes when the high Priest discerned that the testimonies produced against Christ preuayled not nor proued any thing he rose vp and said Matth. 26. Adiuro te per Deum viuum c. I adiure thee by the liuing God that thou tell vs if thou be Christ the Sonne of God But Christ consâ—nâ—ing thereto and confessing himselfe so to be the high Priest rent his garments saying He hath blasphemed what need we any further witnes Behould you haue heard the blasphemy what thinke you And they answering said He is guilty of death And againe in the presence of Pilate who coueted to free our Lord from death the High Priests and Ministers said we haue a law and according to the law he ought to dye because he had made himselfe the Sonne of Cod. Ioan. 19. This therefore was the chiefest cause why our Sauiour was condemned to the Crosse Which very Point was prophesied by Daniel saying occidetur Christus c. Christ shall he slaine and it shall not be his People that shall deny him Dan. 9. And this was the maine motiue why God at the Passion of Christ did power downe such dreadfull darknes vpoÌ„ the world that thereby it might be most abundantly witnessed the High Priests to haue erred the People to haue erred Pilate to haue erred Herod to haue erred and him who hanged vpon the Crosse to be the true Sonne of God and the Messias who was promised The truth whereof the Centurion obseruing the Heauenly signes wounders testifyed in those words Verè filius Dei erat iste Indeed this was the Sonne of God Matt. 27. And againe Inded this man was iust Luc. 23. For the Centurion did know that those celestiall and astonishing Prodigies were as it were the Voyce of God retracting and condemning the Sentence of Caiphas and Pilate and affirming that that man contrary to all Iustice was deliuered ouer to death seing he was the Authour of Life the true Sonne of God and Christ promised in the Law For what other thing could that Darknes being accoÌ„pained with the cleauing of the stones renting of the veyle of the Sanctuary import but that God was auerted from a People before his that he was highly offended in that the People did not know the tyme of their Visitation Luc. 19. Certainly if the Iewes did maturely consider these things and withall obserue that they are euen from that tyme dispersed and scattered among many Nations not hauing any King or High Priest or Altars or Sacrifices or diuine Miracles or the Answers of Prophets among them they would clerrely perceaue themselues to be abandoned and forsaken by God and which is far more miserable to be deliuered ouer into a reprobate sense and that to be accomplished and fulfilled in them which Esay did prophecy when he introduced our Lord thus speaking Goe and thou shalt tell this People Heare you that heare and vnderstand not and see a Vision and know it not Blind the hart of this People and make their eares heauy and shut their eyes lest perhaps they might see with their Eyes and heare with their eares and vnderstand with their Hart and be conuerted and I heale them Isa 6. Of the fifth fruite of the fourth Word CHAP. VI. IN the first three words or Sentences Christ our Maister did recommend vnto vs three notable Vertues Charity to our Enemies Mercy to the Miserable and Piety or duty to our Parents In the foure following Words he exhorts vs to foure Vertues not more worthy then the former but to vs no lesse necessarie to wit Humility Patience Perseuerance and Obedience Touâ—hing Humility It may be truly called the Vertue of Christ since there is no mention made thereof in the Writings of the Wisemen of this World for Christ throughout the whole course of his life did really in his actions practise this Vertue and furthermore professeth
the Passion when as Christ himselfe foretould of them Ioan. 16. The world shall reioyce but you shall be gladde All these did truly contristate and lament but they did not lament together with our Lord in that there was not the same reason of Griefe in Christ and in the others For our Lord sayth I expected some body that would be sory with me and there was none and that would comfort me and I found not any Those persons abouesayd did grieue touching the Passion and corporall death of Christ But Christ did not grieue touching this point but only for a short tyme in the garden to shew himselfe to be true Man Yea he said Luc. 22. With desire I haue desired to eate this Pasche with you before I suffer And in another place Yf you loued me you would reioyce because I goe to the Father Ioan. 4. What cause then of griefe was there in our Lord in which he did not find others grieuing vvith him To wit the losse of soules for which he did suffer And vvhat cause of Consolation in which he had not another to comfort and reioyce with him except the sauing of soules after which he thirsted This one Consolation he did seeke this he desired of this he was euen hungry and thirsty but gaule is giuen to him for meate and Vineger for drinke For the bitternes of gaule doth signify and figure out sinne then the which nothing is more bitter to him that hath the sense of Tast not infected or depraued The acrimony or bitternes of Vinager representeth obstination in sinne Therfore Christ deseruedly did lament because he did see for one Thiefe conuerted not only an other thiefe remayning in his obstinacy but also many others continuing in the like peruersity of mind And euen then among the Apostles themselues suffering scandall he saw S. Peter to haue denied him and Iudas to haue despayred Yf therefore any man vvill comfort and bemoane Christ oppressed vvith hunger thirst vpon the Crosse and from thence greatly grieuing first let him present himselfe as truly penitent and loathing all his former sinnes Next let him conceaue with Christ a great heauinesse and sorrow in his hart that so great a multitude of soules do daily perish since so easely all men may be saued if so they will take the benefit of the price of mans Redemption Doubtlesly the Apostle was one of those who deplored with Christ seing he thus sâ—yth Psalm 9. Veritatem dico in Christo c. I speake the Verity in Christ I lye not that I haue great sadnes and continuall sorrow in my hart for I wished my selfe to be an Anathema from Christ for my Brethren who are my kinsmen according to the flesh who are Israelits whose is the adoption of sonnes The Apostle could not more amplify enlarge his desire of sauing soules then by this exaggeration of wishing himselfe to be an Anathema from Christ For this sentence according to the iudgment of S. Iohn Chrysostome is ro be interpreted that the Apostle was so vehemently troubled and afflicted touching the damnation of the Iewes as that if it could haue bene he desired to be separated from Christ for Christ his sake meaning herby he did not couet to be separated from the Charity of Christ of which point he had spoken a litle before saying Who shall separatâ— vs from the Charity of Christ but to be separated from the glory of Christ as making choyce rather to be depriued of the Heauenly glory then that Christ should be depriued of that great fruite of his Passion which would appeare in the conuersion of so many thousand of Iewes Therefore the Apostle did truly grieue with Christ did giue comfort to the griefe of Christ But we haue few men in these dayes who are emulous or imitatours of him For there are no few Pastours of soules who more lament if the annuall rents of their Church be diminished or lost then if a great number of soules vnder their charge through their absence or negligence do perish Patientiùs ferimus Christi iacturam quà m nostram sayth S. Bernard VVe suffer with greater patience the losse of Christ then our owne losse We make great search into our daily expences but of the daily losses of the flocke of Christ we rest ignorant Thus this holy Father l. 4. de consid c 9. It is not sufficient for a Prelate if himselfe liue piously and labour priuatly to imitate the Vertues of Christ except withall he do make his owne subiects or rather his owne sonnes vertuous and by the footesteps of Christ bring them to eternall life Therefore if such men do couet to suffer and grieue with Christ to bemoane his dolours let them watch ouer their flock diligently let them not forsake their poore sheepe but let them direct them by Words and go before and leade them the way by good Example But Christ may deseruedly complaine of priuate men that they do not condole with him or with his dolours For if Christ hanging vpon the Crosse did iustly complaine of the perfidy and obstinacy of the Iewes by whom he saw all his great labour griefe to be contemned and so precious a medicine of his bloud to be by them as by fanaticall and mad men reiected and vilifyed what now may he say when he doth see not from the Crosse but euen from Heauen his owne Passion to be valewed at no worth and his sacred Bloud to be betrampled vpon by those men who do belieue in him or at least say they do belieue in him and who offer to him nothing but gaule and Vineger that is who do multiply their sinnes without consideration of the diuine Iudgement or without feare of H ll We read in S. Luke c. 15. that There shal be ioy in Heauen vpon one sinner that doth Pennance But if that Man who by fayth and Baptisme was borne in Christ and by Pennance was recalled from death to life do presently againe dye by sinning is not the ioy then turned into sorrow and griefe and is not the Milke changed into gaule and the Vine into Vinager Certainly A woman when she trauaileth hath sorrow if she bring forth her child with life she remembreth not the payne for ioy that a man is borne into the world Ioan. 16. But if it happen that the child do instantly dye or be borne deade is not the mother afflicted with a double griefe Euen so many do labour and take paines in confessing their sinnes and perhaps put in practise fasting and Almes-deeds not without some difficulty yet because through an erroneous Conscience or through an vnwarrantable Ignorance they do not arriue to perfect Pardon do not these men euen labour in Child-byrth and bring forth an Abortiue and afflict their Pastours with a double griefe These therfore resembâ—e a man that is sicke who hasteneth his owne death by taking of most bitter Physick from whence he hoped for health Or els a Husbandman
or take any occasion of sinning did remaine shut vp with her maids in a secret chamber and wearing a haire-cloath about her body fasting all dayes excepting the feasts of the house of Israel Behould here with what great zeale euen in the old Law which permitted far more liberty then the Ghospell doth a yoÌ„g rich and beautifull Woman did take heed of Carnall sinnes for no other reason then that she greatly feared our Lord. The sacred Scripture doth mention and commend the same thing in Holy Iob. For he made a couenant with his eyes that he would not so much as thinke of a Virgin that is he vvould not look vpon a Virgin to preuent therby that no vnchast thought might creep into his mind And why did Iob so warily and diligently auoid such allurements Because he greatly feared our Lord for thus it there followeth For what part should God from aboue haue in me that is if an vncleane cogitation should in any sort defile my mind I should not be Gods portion nor God should be my Portion There were no end if I should insist in examples of Saints during the tyme of the New Testament This therefore is the Feare wherewith the Saints were endued of which if our selfes were full there were nothing the which we could not most easily obtaine of our Heauenly Father The last fruite of the seauenth Word CHAP. XXIV THere remaineth the last fruite which is gathered from the consideration of the Obedience of Christ manifested in his last words and in death it selfe For wheras the Apostle sayth He humbled himselfe made obedient vnto death euen the death of the Crosse Philip. 2. This was chiefly performed when our Lord pronouncing those Words Father into thy hands I commend my spirit did presently giue vp the Ghost But it will be conuenient to repeaâ—e ponder more deeply what may be said of the ObedieÌ„ce of Christ that so we may gather a most precious fruâ—te from the tree of the holy Crosse Therefore Christ our Maâ—ster and Lord of all Vertues did exhibit such Obedience to God his Father that a greater cannot be conceaued or imagined First the Obedience of Christ tooke its beginning from his Conception and continued without intermission euen to his death Thus the whole life of our Lord Iesus Christ was but one Act or Course of a continuated and vnintterrupted Obedience Truly the soule of Christ euen in the first moment of its Creation had the vse of freewill and withall was replenished with Grace and Wisdome and therefore euen from that first momeÌ„t Christ being as yet inclosed in the wombe of his mother began to exercise Obedience Where we read in the 39. Psalme in which it is said in the Person of Christ In the head of the booke it is written of me that I should do thy will my God I would and thy law in the middest of my Hart. That in the head of the booke signifieth no other thing but in the summe of the diuine Scripture that is throughout the whole Scripture it is chiefly preached of me that I am peculiarly chosen and sent to this end that I should do thy Will I my God will I haue most willingly accepted thereof and thy law thaâ— is thy commandement I haue placed in the middest of my hart that I might euer thinke thereof and might most diligently performe and execute it And hither also those words of our said Lord haue reference My meate is to do tho will of him that sent me to perfect his worke Ioan. 4. For as meate is not taken once or twice through a mans life but is taken daily with pleasure so our Lord himself did continually and with a willing mind practice all Obedience to his Father And hereupon he said I descended from Heauen not to doe my owne will but the will of him that sent me Ioan. 6. And more clearely in another place He that sent me is with me and he hath not left me alone because the things that please him I do alwayes Ioan. 8. And because Obedience is the most excellent Sacrifice of all Sacrifices according to the iudgment of Samuel therefore it followeth that how many works Christ did all the tyme that he liued as Pilgrime vpon the Earth so many Sacrifices did he offer vp and those most gratefull to God This therefore is the first Prerogatâ—ue of the Obedience of Christ to wit in that it endured from his Conception to the end of his life Furthermore the Obedience of Christ was not determinable to any one kind of worke as we commonly see it is among men but it was extended to all those things vvhich it should please God his Father to command him And from hence so great variety is seene in the life of Christ our Lord as that one vvhile he would stay in the desert neither eating nor drinking perhaps not sleeping but liuing with beasts as S. Marke notâ—th c. 1. At another tyme he vvas in the frequency sight of men eating and drinking Then he remained obscure and secret at home and that for no few yeares At an other tyme appearing excellent for wisdome and Eloquence working most great and stupendious Miracles Novv with great authority casting buyers and sellers out of the Temple At an other tyme latent as it were weake declining from the multitude and company of men All which things require and exact a mâ—nd free from all proper free will For neither would our Lord haue said Math. 16. He that will come after me let him deny himselfe that is let him renounce his proper will and proper iudgment Neither except Christ himselfe had performed it before he would haue persuaded his disciples to the perfection of Obedience when he said Luc. 14. If any man commeth to me and hateth not hiâ— Father and mother and wife chilsdren and brethren and sisters yea and his owne life besides he cannot be my Disciple Thus according hereto did Christ himselfe forsake all things which are accustomed to be so ardently beloued yea his owne life the which he was so prepared to lose as if he did hate it This is the true roote and Mother of Obedience vvhich shyned most admirably in Christ our Lord. And who want this shall hardly euer come to the revvard of Obedience For how is it possible that one should promptly obey an other mans Will who is wholy deuoted to his ovvne will and his owne iudgment This is the Cause why the Celestiall Orbes do not resist or withstaÌ„d the Angels mouing them vvhether they be caried towards the East or West because they haue not any peculiar and proper propension either to one part or to the other And the same reason is why the Angels themselfes stand at a becke obedient vnto God as holy Dauid singeth in the 102. Psalme To wit because they haue no proper Will repugnant and refractary to the will of God but being most happely conioyned vvith God they are one