the houre wherein he was sought for and taken by Torch-light and â—…hornes vntill the sixth hour of his crucifying that hee gaue vp the ghost one betrayeth him another apprehends him one bindes him another leades him bound from Pilat to Herod fâ—…om Herod to Pilat againe one séeketh false witnes against him another crieth out vpon him he is not worthie to liue one scourgeth him another strikes him on the face one clotheth him with purple another putteth on his heade a crowne of thornes a third giues him a Réede mocking him so they neuer let him rest vntil they haue no more what to do against him 5 When we haue séene the maner of his suffering let vs consider how great he was that suffered euen hee it was to whom power ouer all thinges in heauen and earth was giuen he before whom the 24. Elders fall down he whose countenance Iohn a little after behelde to shine as the Sunne in his strength when he saw him and fell at his féete as dead hearing a voyce Feare not I am the first and the last and I am aliue but was dead and am aliue for euermore and haue the keyes of hell and death And thus who it was that suffered 6 Nowe for whom suffered hee all this Euen for none other then sinnefull men For Christ suffered in the place of sinners and with sinners to â—…ewe that hee suffered for sinâ—…rs Learnâ—… O man to hate â—…ne which was so haynous â—…d as often as thou art at leyâ—…re to meditate of the passion 〈◊〉 Iesus Christ the Sonne of God which thou shouldest daylie doe for it is better sayeth one then thy fasting with â—…ad and water so often I say as thou doest meditate of â—…is passion call to minde as the greatnesse of thy sinnes so â—…so the greatnesse of his loue who dyed for thy sinnes that as in the one thou mayest bewayle thy owne wickednesse so in the other thou mayst acknowledge his bountie and mercie towards thée 7 But of whom suffered hee all this iniurie Euen of his owne kindred and acquaintance the people of the Iewes After all his myracles and workes of mercie doone amongst them in curing their sicke cleansing their Leapers and healing all that came vnto hâ—… after his féeding so many hungry people in the Wildernes teaching so many the way to saluation that came to heare him now they reward his paines and trauâ—…ile with opprobrious contumeâ—…es his vnspeakeable mercy with bitter hatred neuer leauing him vntill they bring him vnto the death of the Crosse. Thus hee sufferes not oâ—… strâ—…ngers and forrayners but of his owne neighbours yea his 〈◊〉 brethren as himselfe calleth them It is not good to take the childrens bread and to giue it vnto dogges By the one hee vnderstandeth the Iewes by the other the Gentiles 8 Foure thinges there are which wee should meditate vpon concerning the passion of our Sauiour Christ. First for imitation calling to minde his patient suffering wee should not abhorre suffering or murmure against tribulations séeing hee suffered so great thinges as hee did Secondarily for compassion wee ought to consider with griefe of minde that our sinnes were the cause of all this and â—…refore we should truly repent 〈◊〉 of them Thirdly for admiration when wee call to minde who for whom and what he suffered Fourthly for resolution that 〈◊〉 to giue our bodies as the Apostle speaketh a sacrifice to serue him who hath giuen himselfe a sacrifice to saue vs. And so haue we 〈◊〉 his passion imitation to direct compassion to vnite admiration 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vp resolution to perfect our Christian loue and duty towards him 9 To go forward and to leaue 〈◊〉 the indignities offered him in the indgement Hall his scourng crowning with thorâ—…es â—…eting spetting vpon bearing â—…s crosse and the like Now the gréedie Souldiours begin to spoile him of his garments exposing his sacred body 〈◊〉 naked vnto the sharpe colde â—…re which crueltie was not â—…ont to be offered but to abiect persons Then begin they to faâ—…en him to the crosse racking and â—…ning his hands and féete farther then naturally they wâ—…d extend so cruelly are all parts of his body stretched that the beholders might tell all his bones according to that dinumerauerunt omnia ossâ—… mea They tolde all my bones Héere is he fastned vnto the crosse with nailes at the hands and féete Foderunt manus They digged my hands and féet Inexplicable was this suffering the nailes pearcing those places where the sinewes méâ—…te together the poise of his body euery moment increasing the paine nowe they offer him â—…gar mingled with gall according to that they gaue me gall to eate and vinegar to drinke Oh 〈◊〉 mildly did he suffer all this How should wee be consent to leaue earthly things séeing him stripped spoiled of his clothing how should wee crucifie the flesh the concupiscence thereof when wee remember his spare flesh to be fastned to the Crosse Sée wee héere Abell killed of his brother the serpent lifted vp to heale all that are stung O most louing Sauiour saith S. Austen that which the sinner deserueth the â—…cent suffereth 10 A superscription is written by Pilat vpon the crosse Iesus of Nazareth King of the Iewes â—…at although ignorant coÌ„menâ—… Christ in this superscription in thrée things First for the reâ—…ssion of sins in that hee wrote Iesus Secondly for the bestoâ—…ing of grace in that he saide of â—…areth Thirdly for his poâ—…t in that hee called him King of the Iewes this is written 〈◊〉 thrée tongues for that of all â—…ts comming vnto the Feast â—…ry tongue might confesse Ieâ—…s the sonne of God It is written in Hebrewe Gréeke Latine In Hebrew 〈◊〉 the Iewes who gloried in the Law In Greeke for the Grecians who gloried in wisedome and in Latine for the Romanes who most gloried in dominion and power as if Pilate should haue saide This is the King of all Religion hauing reference to the Hebrewes of all wisedome hauing reference to the Gréeks of all power hauing reference to the Romaines And these thrée sorts sayeth S Austen may challenge vnto them the dignity of the Crosse to wit all deuout and religious rich or poore all signified by the Hebrewes all wise who are noted by the Gréekes all mighty who are resembled by the Latines So then the Religion the wisedome the power of the worlde confesse Christ their King Rex Iudaeorum King of the Iewes Iudaeorum that is to say of them that confesse him for so signifieth Iuda and this superscription is written in their harts he wrote King of the Iewes not for that he was onely King of them but he was King of the Gentiles also euen of all that doe confesse him 11 And this tryumphant title or superscription is written in his death to shew that for all his suffering death he lâ—…t not 〈◊〉 Kingdome The Iewes saw it to their shame and therefore would not haue it
they were nearest destruction Was it for the ouerthrow of the wals and goodly buildings that Christ wept no it was for the sinnes of Ierusalem which should be the cause of all this What affection was héere in the eternall Sonne of God to wéepe for sinfull men Euen then was hee weeping when they were most reioycing and laughing The Phisition most weepes when the frauticke man is or séemes to be most merrie because hee knowes then the daunger is greatest and therefore giues ouer to administer Phisicke any more leauing him to be lamented of his good friends 3 O that thou hadst knowne in this thy day those thinges that belong vnto thy peace Which wordes were weeping wordes and vttered with an interrupted voyce and as it were for verie sorrowe breaking oft in the middest by a manner of spéech called Aposiopesis when there was something more to be spoken but very sorrowe would not suffer him to vtter it I wéepe but O Ierusalem which art now reioycing if thou diddest know the thinges which doe belong vnto thy peace thou wouldest as well weepe for thy selfe as I doe weepe for thee Thou hast had a day of peace but there is a day comming full of sorrowe and persecution O Ierusalem because thou wouldest not accept the one thou art like shortly to rue the miserie of the other In this Christ lamented their forgetfulnesse of their estate in prosperitie they remember not what is to come after all And thus heare wee a mournfull Phisition wéeping for his wilfull patient which would not be healed nor receiue help though it were offered with teares 4 The most dolefull desolation that came vpon this Citie so mighty in promesse so glorious in fame so rich in all abundance is set forth by those who haue mentioned the tragicall ende which befell about the fortieth yée le after our Sauiour suffered the beholding thereof made Eleazar one of the inhabiters at the very time to breake out into this or the like mournfull oration O Ierusalem thou great and goodly Citie of the worlde where is now the beauty of Sion the ioy of the whole earth where is thy glory where is thy magnificence O Ierusalem Where is that Sanctum sanctorum where are thy Priests who were attendant vpon God as Angels Where are thy sages thy young men O from what glory art thou fallen to what reproach and infamie O Ierusalem Ierusalem Who can reade with drie eyes the most wofull ende of this Citie and people They refused the father and the sonne and God sent Titus and Vespasian the Father Sonne that neuer left them vntill they were vtterly defaced O Ierusalem strongly did thy enemies besiâ—…ge thâ—… but thy sinnes did more strongly assault thee They sold the Sauiour of the worlde for thirty pâ—…e and what followed in the captiuitie thirtie Iewes were solde for a pennie The Lord Iesus was apprehended vpon mount Oliuet and upon mount Oliuet was Ierusalem first besieged the Lord Iesus was crucified at the Passeouer and at the Passeouer was all Iewrie as it were shut vp in a prison Ierusalem sacked and in such sort as the Romanes themselues confessed saying That vnlesse this people had offended the God of heauen they could neuer haue preuailed against them as they did A eleâ—…n hundred thousand saith the Historie changed life with death and that within the circuite of a short time Thus haue we heard of Christes weeping ouer Ierusalem and the cause which moued him to weepe by which without farther application we may consider as Gregorie saith that their destruction is our admonition If the naturall braunches were cut off the wild may feare When Scipi saw Carthage burne hee wept being asked the reason for that saith he I know not what shall become of Rome who can but sorrow when he cals to mind that Ierusalem sometimes the Garden of the world is come to vtter desolation 5 For thrée causes did Christ our Sauiour wéepe and at three seueral times First Christ wept that wee should haue by so much the more our hope and confidence in him when wee sée him wéeping which procéeded of meere compassion Secondarily Christ wept to teach vs to weepe and bewaile our owne miserie as hee did the miserie of others Thirdlie he wept to shew vs when we should wéepe euen then when wee thinke our selues in greatest securitie At thrée times also did he wéep first in raysing Lazarus there he bewayled mans miserie Secondarily ouer Ierusalem there hee bewayled mans securitie Thirdly vpon the Crosse there hee bewayled mans infirmitie If our Sauiour Christ were séene to weepe in the presence of others wee may easily conceiue that secretly in the dayes of his flesh he often offered vp groanes as the Apostle speaketh with strong crying and teares vnto him that was able to deliuer him 6 Now what may we learne by this weeping loue of Christ Shall we sée saith Cassiodor the Prince himselfe wéeping and we in the meane while solace our selues in pleasure Is he a good childe that beholding his father sit in sackcloth and ashes will stand by laughing and sporting as nothing mooued Shall the Sonne of God wéepe for thy sinnes and wilt thou delight thy selfe in vaine mirth O Christian soule mourne a little when the house is on fire wee bring water when the soule is â—…lamed with vnlawfull desires wee bring the teares of repentance Call to minde that doctrine of Christ Blessed are they that mourne Harsh doctrine but sweetened with a â—…ssing It was the prayer of Saint Austen O God giue me the grace of teares And there is in godly mindes saith S. Ambrose a certaine delight to wéepe flendi voluptas The vnwise make but a sport of sinne sayeth Salomon their heart is as a barren land where all remembrance of God is forgotten but the wise man is conuersant in the house of mourning Pharaoh his host were drowned in the Sea as sinne and the works of sinne are in the teares of repentance Those who were diseased found cure in the troubled poole We lost our felicitie by delightfull eating and wee recouer our selues by mournfull chastening There is saith the wise man A time to reioyce and a time to mourne Many take their time of reioycing but cannot hit vpon the time of mourning O that we did knowe at the least in this our day those things that doe belong vnto our peace better is it to mourne heere then heereafter When wee are moued to mournfull passions let vs remember with how small pompe and pleasure Christ passed his time in the worlde who passed it in often weeping The two Kine carying the Arke they lowed all the way as they went and yet neuer stayed vntill they came to the place appointed we goe on wéeping in this vale of teares but yet kéepe on the way still vntill we come vnto our iourneyes end â—…nd then an ende of wéeping Heere as in Romah a voyce is heard of
vs his righteousnesse hee gaue himselfe a sacrifice to saue vs and wee giue our selues a sacrifice to serue him Chap. 28. Of Christs resurrection from the dead and how the veritie hereof doth much strengthen our Christian faith LOue saith Salomon is as strong as death wee shall see in the resurrection of our Lord this verified whom we haue considered in his passion dying for our sinnes for héere we find that loue which was stronger then death Now behold we him as a Champion returning from thâ—… spoiles after so many labours and trauailes now méete we him with gratulation Our Dauid hath slaine his ten thousand our Eagle is renued our Phenix is reuiued our Ionas is come safe and sound from the belly of the Whale Our Sunne that went downe in a ruddy cloude is risen againe with glorious beames of light our graine of corne that was cast into the earth is sprung up and flourisheth our Ioseph is deliuered out of prison our Sampson hath caried away the gates 〈◊〉 his enemies our spouse is 〈◊〉 the voyce of the Turtle is â—…ard in our land Christ our reâ—…er is risen from the dead He is risen early that was late in the euening layde in the Sepulâ—…r after his dolefull passion hee is risen hee is risen whereâ—… with the Prophet wee say Sorrowe may endure for a night but ioy commeth in the morning Christ hastened his resurrecâ—…n that his disciples might not 〈◊〉 long dwel in sorrow he would â—…t their mournful harts should 〈◊〉 reciue comfort Christ rose â—…ly the third day to haue layen â—…ger might haue bred doubt of 〈◊〉 rising to haue rose sooner of 〈◊〉 dying Had only the sorrowâ—… Apostles or those women â—…at came mourning vnto the â—…epalcher the ioy of the resurâ—…ion No this was the ioy of thousand thousandes which may say with Dauid This is the day of the Lord wee will reioyce and be glad in it Looke we vnto the passion before mentioned there wee sée wéeping and wayling sorrowe and suffering on euery side The blessed virgine the Disciples full of heauines now all is turned into ioy The Angell appeareth in white the women runne and tell the Disciples they scarce beléeue either the Angels or one another for ioy A little before the stone is refused of the builders Deliuer vnto vs Barrabas nowe is this stone the head of the corner which ioynes together the building of two nations both Iewes and Gentiles A little before we haue no other King but Caesar now is hee a King aboue all Caesars A little before he trusted in God let him deliuer him if he wil haue him Now is he deliuered and God is with him hee with God A little before is he a lamb â—…ed vnto the slaughter but now a Lion of the tribe of Iuda A little before he was in humility and â—…ged of others now is he risen to appeare the Iudge both of quick dead at the right hand of God aboue in glory 2 Wherfore O faithfull Christian man reioyce in the Lorde yea saith the Apostle againe I say reioyce reioyce in the resurrection of thy Sauiour for manie are the benfites that hence â—…rise Nowe is thy Lorde returned from the battaile nay from the conquest ouer the deuill sinne hell and death thanks be vnto God that hath giuen vs the victorie by Iesus Christ our Lord. Beléeue that his resurâ—…ion was the cause of thy resurrection for hee which raysed Christ from the dead shall also rayse these our mortall bodies by his spirit that dwelleth in vs. If thou consider this thou shalt haue consolation agaynst all feare and dread of death for thou mayst say I knowe that my Redeemer liueth Againe I will lay me downe to sleepe and take my rest for the Lord maketh me to dwell in safety Because this was so behâ—…uefull a poynt for the stay of our christian faith Christ appeared so often vnto his Apostles after his resurrection communed with them as at other times so then especially when their hearts did burne within them as hee opened the Scriptures shewing them the veritie of his resurrection The Apostles whose charge was to teach glad tydings vnto the world the first tydings they taught was the doctrine of the resurrection The Euangelists doe most diligently set foorth vnto vs the resurrection of Christ as a thing profitable and ioyfull to all faithfull beléeuers for in the resurrection wee sée how Christ is exalted and what hope wee haue in him This they lay downe with many circumstances both by testimonies before and after before that hee had told his Disciples he must die and rise againe after in that he was conuersant amongst them forty dayes walked in the way with two of them communing of the thinges that â—…re done at Ierusalem and surely in time of sorrow to comâ—…ne of Christ and talke of him in our wearisome iourney of this life shall much comfort vs at this time Christ walketh with them their vnderstanding is opened 3 The women come vnto the Sepulcher and view euery place throughly they finde the stone â—…ed away the linnen cloathes â—…aining a signe his body was not taken away but risen for these were together laid with his body in the Sepulcher the body â—…ne the Angels testifie he is risen what say the Souldiours to this First they confesse a truth afterward corrupted with mony they giue out his Disciples had stolen away his body while they were a sleepe If they were a sleepe howe saw they the Disciples steale away the body If they were not a sléepe how could a fewe weake fishers take away the body from a band or company of armed Souldiours but let them confesse the truth as they did before vnto the high Priests and after when they were charged that they had séene a vision of Angels that he was risen indéede So the veritie is inuincible and the ioy great of the resurrection Wee see a desire and loue to Christ in Peter and Iohn for why they runne to the Sepulcher affection makes vs diligent the women come with sweet odors to annoint the body we haue no swéet odors but manie vnsauorie sins to bring vnto the resurrection there to offer vp the incense of our praise which is the swéetest offering our harts can yéeld Mary commeth néere her Lord Christ saith vnto her Woman touch me not not but that Christ had a body tangible after his resurrection but Mary touch me not doe not so much affect my presence héere on earth as my presence in heauen By this we learne to know and honour Christ as he is risen sitteth at the right hand of God aboue S. Paul writing to Timoâ—…e saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Remember that Iesus Christ is risen from the â—…ad When the Teacher giues his Scholler many lessons if he giue him one amongst that rest with 〈◊〉 Momento Remember this he thinks that of all
other of most especial regard and worthy of the best obseruation it seêmeth the Apostle so accounted of the resurrection for what is there more necessarie for our christian meditation then héere to call to minde that it was hee who did redéeme Israel that as he rose powerfullie in himselfe so also did hee in those that beléeue on him that hee rose 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according vnto the Scriptures that hee rose by way of equitie for first hee humbled himselfe then God exalted him giuing him a name aboue all names That hee rose by way of power for being without sinne death could not holde him for it was vnpossible he should be holden of death 5 He whom Iohn not long before had séene as a sacrifice offered vpon the Crosse when hee was as the Prophet speaketh without for me to looke vpon now hee séeth him after another manner then amongst théenes nowe walking amongst the seauen candlestickes then cloathed in purple by way of derision nowe cloathed as the Sunne then called a King by those that reproached him now called the King of Kings by them that honor him Wherefore as we haue séene him in his humility so with Iohn also let vs sée him in his glory As we haue séene him fighting for vs in his passion so let vs also beholde him tryumphing for vs in his resurrection for all was for vs. In the passion and resurrection of Christ our Sauiour consisteth the summe of all our happines he dyed for our sinnes and rose againe for our iustification vnlesse he had dyed we had not been deliuered from sinne and consequently from death vnlesse hee had rose from the dead wee had not receiued comfort of rysing againe from the dead his passion remoued away that which was euill his resurrection brought vnto vs that which was good As in these two wee haue a double benefit so haue wee a double example in his passion an example of suffering in his resurrection of hope when wee haue suffered Which doth shew in vs two liues the one in the flesh laborious which we must endure the other when wee are deliuered from the flesh which wee must hope 6 Now we must not onely acknowledge with the mouth or beleeue in the heart this sacred truth of the resurrection but we must also be raysed vp to newnes of life for thus much dooth the holy Ghost require of vs in beléeuing the resurrection Wee are sayeth the Apostle buried with him by Baptisme vnto his death that like as Christ was raysed from the dead by the glory of the Father so we also should walk in newnes of life And this is the similitude which wee doe carie of his resurrection This is to set our affection on heauenly things or thinges that are abaue where Christ fitteth at the right hand of God and this is the third thing that we should apply our selues vnto in beléeuing the resurrection from the dead that is first to rise with him from the death of sinne and consequently to be raysed by him vnto a hope of the resurrection vnto eternall life 7 It is wonderfull to consider with how many strange enemies Christ had to do at once with the world the Prince of the world with death and sinne the cause of death Who would haue thought that one shéepe should haue béene able to haue withstoode so manie Wolues but yet heare the triumphant voyce of the conquerour Death where is thy sting Hell where is thy victorie the sting of death is sinne and the strength of sinne is the Lawe The Apostle like a valiant champion goes forth and offers challenge and combate to all these or anie of them Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods chosen If Sathan say that will I because they haue followed the wayes of ungodlines If the world say I will lay to their charge the manie vanities they receiued of me if the Lawe say I will indite them because of transgression if death say I will arrest them by reason of sinns S. Paul answereth them all with a short reply Iesus Christus mortuus est imo resurrexit Iesus Christ is dead yea he is risen from the dead as if hee would say that same rising of Christ from the dead hath beâ—…t you all of all your force and nowe all your Pleas are frustrate Nay howe is the poore Captiue comforted when the Iudge himselfe shall say Who shall detaine this man I haue paâ—… his ransome 8 What a ioyous thing is it nowe to be strengthened in the faith of the Resurrection First in regard of the calamities of this life for what shall dismay vs séeing the members hope to be ioyned with their head Secondly though this life be transitory and troublesome yet Daniel shall be deliuered out of the Lyons den The Doue shall returne to the Arke with a braunch of Oliue when once the flood and waters are fallen Ieremie shal come out of the pit whereinto hee is cast of his enemies Our noble Dauid hauing gotten the victorie is gone triumphantly to raigne in Ierusalem we all his people and armie tracing and trayning after him wee were detayned and held as captiues of cruel enemies but by Christ the enemies are vanquished and wee deliuered how are we deliuered but by the sonne of God was it not his suffering onely that was as hath beene said the remouing of euill Him selfe saith what profit is there in my blood if I goedowne to corruption as if he would tell vs there were something adioyned héereunto to make his suffering glorious beneficial vnto others and this was his resurrection 9 Euery effect naturally doth shew his cause The resurrection was the effect of his deitie and therefore gaue euident Testimonie he was God Againe his resurrection confirmeth our faith for so doth S. Paul reason against the Pseudo-Apostoli if the dead rise not then is not Christ risen if Christ be not risen then where is our beléeuing but Christ is risen therefore there is a resurrection The head doth not rise without the body The head is risen the body therefore shall rise So the resurrection of Christ is the cause of our resurrection and he rising we all rise The Lord is King sayth the Prophet Let the earth reioyce end the â—…es be glad therof The first fruites being sanctified all the other fruits are hallowed vnto the Lord Thomas bring hiâ—…er thy hand and féele the print of the nailes Blessed are those that haue not seene and yet doe beléeue That which befell Christes body saith S. Austen the third day shall befall our bodies in the last day 10 Foure sortes were there which behelde heard the whole manner of our Sauiours passion and resurrection The first were a kind of men which onely were present as spectators hearing and séeing what was done without further obseruation and these were many of the common people which following their owne