Augustine though such as vowe Virginitie to God hold a more ample degree of honour and dignitie in the Church of God yet are not they without mariage for they belonge to the mariage with the whole Church wherin Christ is the spouse Affection O admirable dignitie of the Virgine where the humble handmayd is raysed to the honour of a Bride to Christ himselfe the Bridegroome whom whē she loues she is chaste whom when she touches she is pure whom when she takes in mariage she is a Virgine O supercelestial mariage from whence fidelitie and fertilitie is expected as well as in other mariages for such as breake this first faith haue damnation saith the Apostle and the happie state of Virgines assures S. Augustine is more fruitfull and fertile not to haue bigge bellies but great mynds not to haue breasts full of mylke but harts full of candour and in lieu of bringing forth earth out of their bowells they bring forth heauen by their prayers Hence issues a noble progenie puritie iustice patience mildnesse charitie followed by all her venerable traine of vertues This is the Virginns worke to be sollicitous of what belongs to God and to haue her whole conuersation in Heauen THE SECONDE MEDITATION FOR THE SAME SVNDAY CONSIDER yet a third sort of mariage wherin the whole Catholike Church that is all faithfull soules are espoused to Christe in faith hope and charitie but especially by charitie which as Queene drawes a longe with her all the powers and affections of the soule to conforme and subiect them to the pleasure of her diuine spouse making but one will and nill of two wills to witt that of God and man And this conformitie saith the deuoute S. Bernard maries the soule to God Whence results an ineffable content and pleasure and such a heate of diuine loue that the soule and all her affections are absorpt therin Affection Let the world then my soule boast as much as it will of the pleasures and contentements which it inioyes they are not like to the lawe of the Lord thy God that sweete law of loue in comparisō of which the most prosperous earthly pleasure is but vile and base The cheife Good is our Good of which Tertulian saith excellently soome goods as well as some euills bring an intolerable waight with them and most dearely and deliciously oppresse the soule Hence it was that that holie Apostle of the Indies cryed out Satis est Domine satis est It is enough ô Lord it is enough THE SECONDE POINTE CONSIDER yet a fourth sorte of Mariage which is made euery day to all kinds of faithfull soules which approche to the B. Sacrament Wherin we are made one with that diuinely deare spouse of ours not onely by charitie but euen in realitie and in verie deede we are mingled with that sacred flesh of his in that celestiall banket which he bestowes vpon vs to shew vs the excesse of his loue Whence S. Christome saith therfor it was that he ioynd himselfe with vs and mixed his body into vs to the'nd we might be come one with him as the body is ioyned to the heade for euen as one who powres melted waxe saith Cyrill into other waxe must necessarily wholy mixe the one with the other so he that receiues the body and bloud of our Lord is so ioyned with him that Christ is found in him and he in Christ Affection O excesse of goodnesse ô ineffable delightes of that most chaste and sacred mariage betwixt the kinge of heauen and poore man Here in this mariage banket is serued in the foode of Angells nay the kinge of the Angells himselfe becomes the whole feaste Nor is there neede there of any other wine then the precious bloude of the Lambe who dyed for our loue say then my soule and let all that loue and feare our Lord Iesus say with vs quoniam bonus quoniam in saeculum misericordia eius that he is infinitly good and his mercys are without end THE FIRST MEDITATION FOR THE THIRD SVNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANIE If thou wilt said the Leper to our sauiour thou canst make me cleane Matt. 8. THE FIRST POINTE. CONSIDER that the poore Leper had found by a longe and painfull experience that there was noe hope of cure by the power of man all his owne and others endeuours prouing vneffectuall and therfor he wisely resolued in an humble confidence to haue recourse to him whom he knew by faith to be able to doe all that he would in heauē and in earth By adoration he acknowledges him to be God and by his words he publishes him to be all powerfull He came and adored him sayinge Lord If thou wilt thou canst and the present effects proue that his faith is powerfull and gratefull to Christ who graciously replyes I will Be thou made cleane and forth with his leprosie was made cleane Affection Our great and good Lord my soule neither wants power nor good will to cure all our infirmites if we aske as we ought If he some tyme delaye vs it is but the better to trye vs and more euidently to acquainte vs with our owne want of abilitie till he putt his powerfull hand to the worke for then our leprosie is forth with cured If he delaye vs and sometyme permitt vs for a longe space to languish and euen to be ouerspredd with our leprosie it is but the more perfectly to humble vs and throughly to cure the more dangerous desease of pride Finally if he delay the cure till we waxe more desparatly sicke it oblidges vs being at length cured the more highly to magnifie his mercy and publish his power to all men THE SECONDE POINTE. CONSIDER that there is noe stayne so deeply setled which Gods power is not able to fetch out noe leprosie of body or soule so inueterate and incurable which God with a word doth not cure Our application or addresse is onely to be looked to We must approche to the Lord of life and death as to one such with a liuely faith with an absolute confidence that with a word he can worke what he will his power being onely limited by his will as the faithfull leper plainly expresses Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me cleane Affection Be then my soule thy leprosie and other spirituall deseases neuer so peremptorie Be it that they haue growne on with thee since thy youth Seeme they rather to be another nature then natures defects yet haue but a frequent confident humble recourse to this souueraigne Physitian with a true acknowledgement of thyne owne miserable and otherwise desparate estate crying out with afirme faith O Lord if thou wilt thou canst cure all myne infirmities and infallibly in his good tyme we shall heare I will be thou made cleane THE SECONDE MEDITATION FOR THE SAME SVNDAY Of the Centurion or Capitaine of an hundred Soldiers who sued to our Sauiour for the cure of his seruante THE FIRST POINTE. CONSIDER that we may
flowres of the field are prouided with feathers to clothe them and fitting nourishment to releiue them much more man then concludes our Sauiour who is the Lord and Master of them all Affection Let a diligent and moderate care my soule be vsed in all thinges but let inordinate care and sollicitude be banished from that Christiā harte which should be wholie free to seeke Christ his iustice and his Kingdome Those other thinges may be sought too but with moderation with iudifferencie without distrust of that great prouidence which doth furnish necessaries for farre lesse cansiderable thinges Let them be sought as thinges to be vsed in the way not to be inioyed not to take vp our thoughtes and ingage our hartes which must be reserued as a place for our Lord and a tabernacle for the God of Iacob THE SECONDE POINTE. For your father knoweth that you neede all these thinges CONSIDER that our Saniour goes still on to breake downe our sollicitude and selfe confidence that our cheife dependance may be of his diuine prouidence not in our owne First by reason of the litle power we haue being not able to adde one inch to our stature secondly because by that strange sollicitude we should be like the heathens who seeke the same thinges Thirdly because therby we forgett our owne happie condition of being children to an almightie Father who knowes that we neede all these thinges Affection To depende vpon our selues my soule is to depende vpon miserie and pouertie and to fayle in our expectation and hope in our Lord and pray to him and thou shalt be fedd in his riches There is noe want to those that loue him We haue a good father who is all-seeing and knowes what we wāt who is all-powerfull and able to giue it Let vs be good children then and intirely confide in his fatherly prouidence he loues vs nor doth he loue and forsake Nay saith that deare father of ours I will not leaue you orphants THE FIRST MEDITATION FOR THE XV. SVNDAY AFTER WHITSVNDAY Iesus went into a citie called Naim c. And behold a deade man was caried forth Luc 7. THE FIRST POINTE. CONSIDER that though God is iustly admirable and ought most iustly to be admired in all his workes yet it happens almost generally by mans stupiditie and dulnesse that he is more admired magnified and praysed for things lesse admirable while greater thinges are past ouer with litle consideration One younge man is here restored to life and the whole multitu de who accompaigned the corps magnified God publishing that a greate prophete was rysen amongst them and that God had visited his people Thousands are daylie restored to the life of the soule by verrue of the Sacramentes of Baptisme and pennance and litle notice is taken of it Affection Aye me my soule we are but litle ones and thence we speake as litle ones we vnderstand as litle ones we thinke as litle ones our thoughtes reach litle further then our eyes are able to see and by them we frame our iudgements not by the light of faith And thence it is that we more magnifie God for some temporall blessing as deliuerie from sicknesse danger or death then for multitudes of mercy which we daylie experience And more admire and loue him vpon the deliuerie of one body from a temporall death then a thousand thousand soules by his grace from an eternall death THE SECONDE POINTE. Behold a deade man was caried forth the onely sonne of his mother CONSIDER that as gray heires length of yeares and frequent infirmities doe daylie and hourely threaten the old man that he cannot liue longe so frequent experience ought to assure vs that young men may and often doe dye soone yea in the verie flowre of their age as did he here being the onely sonne of his mother whose corps was caried forth Wherin all her hopes of a successour fayled and howeuer he might haue fedd himselfe with the expectation of a rich inheritance all that falls to him from his poore mournefull mother mounts to noe more then her comfortlesse teares which fall fruitlessly to the grounde Affection For an old man to promise himselfe longe life is a thinge worthy to be laughed at so farre hath old age robbd him of all rationall hopes And for a younge man be he neuer so younge to giue himselfe assurance of a longe life deserues to be wept at Let noe man thinke he can make a league with death Youth is noe proofe against it Nay it is euen farre more subiect to innumerable dismall occasions therof as daily experience puts vs out of doubt What are we to doe then my soule but to banish all assurance of life from our thoughtes and so to liue as though we were euery houre to dye hearing continually with S. Hierome the trumpet sounding Arise ô yee deade and come to iudgement THE SECONDE MEDITATION FOR THE SAME SVNDAY Behold a deade man was caried forth c. accompaigned with a great multitude c. CONSIDER that a day will come God onely knowes how soone when the soule which now animates this body shall be driuen out and the poore senselesse lumpe shall be left to be brought forth as this young mans was to be accompaigned to the graue by some number of friends who happly may bestowe some fewe teares or smale commendation vpon it before they throw that vselesse and loathsome masse into the ground which some tymes had bene ouerualued at an vniust rate both by our sel-and others as now it too plainely appeares Affection This day my soule will as surely arriue as it is sure that man is but man that is a subiect of corruption and death to witt it is decreed in the supreame Court that men shall once dye That is the immortall soule shall be separated from this body of earth which did ouerloade itt and incline it to earthlinesse This masse of corruption was it which we so pampered so cherished so adorned so admired and loued to heare admired by others And loe now a tender mother will giue noe longer lodging to it tho it be all that 's left of her onely child but brings it forth to be cast into the earth THE SECONDE POINTE. CONSIDER that we reade in the Gospell of three sorts of deade bodyes restored to life by our Sauiour which perfectly represent three kinds of soules deade by sinne That of the Archsynagogues daughter who was truly deade but was not yet caried forth Representing a soule who consented to mortall sinne in thought without any exteriour action That of the widowes onely sonne who was deade and caried forth expressing one who did not onely consent in thought but performed it in effect Finally that of Lazarus who was foure dayes deade and began to be corrupted pointing out the soule which is not onely deade by sinne but euen deade and buried in the badd custome of sinning All which not-withstanding our Sauiour was mercyfull and powerfull enough to
i' st your sute to liue I 'am endlesse life and endlesse life doe giue O then quitt vncoulth wayes hope not in lyes To find out truth nor th' life that neuer dyes In fading moments Ah you seeke in vaine To find true life in th'land where death doth raigne THE COMMVNICATION OF THE diuine goodnesse by imparting of his Glorie OVR sea of goodnesse still streames on there is Noe end in it we tend to endlesse blisse Those guifts of nature grace and all the rest Are gu'in to bringe vs to eternall rest Our joyes were great at the coming of that guest Our hearts reioyc'd to lodge him in our breast But ah he will not haue vs end our storie Till he conduct vs to the state of glorie So saith our faith to this our hopes are raysd With this excesse our charitie's amays'd That goodnesse free from want our dust should choose To place it's loue vpon and kindly loose Himselfe on man Ble'st prodigalitie By th' guifts of his diuine Hypostasie To be himselfe companion in his way To call him backe by grace in case he stray To feede and fatten him with his owne bloode O that this happinesse were vnderstoode To proue in death bis sauing sacryfice And endlesly to be himselfe his price So saith his word I 'le be my selfe thy hyre What more then this can vastest heart desire AN APOSTROPHIE TO THE DAMES OF SION O Then deare Dames let th' loue I dayly find Mongst you increase and all your hearts cobind In one loue-knott vse all your wit and Arte To haue but all one comon soule one heart This God command's this Austine doth aduise Doe this alone deare soules it will suffice FINIS SINE FINE GLORIA TIBI DOMINE MEDITATIONS Vpon our blessed Sauiours Passion THE FIRST MEDITATION Of the last supper THE FIRST POINT CONSIDER that now the blessed tyme of grace and mercy drawing neere wherin our sweete sauiour Iesus-Christ had determined to pay mans ransome not with the corruptible price of gold and siluer but euen with the effusion of his owne pretious bloude he graciously daigned in testimonie of true loue to feaste with his beloued Apostles before his departure See him louingly accompanie them into the roome where they were to suppe and let vs take the humble boldnesse to follow him inn and to receiue some of his last words I haue had an ardent desire saith he to eate this pascall lambe with you it being the consummation of all the ancient sacrifices and the last I shall eate And say to him cordially Affection That in verie decede we find our selues exceeding hungerie but that we neither doe nor indeede can possibly find any meate which feeds and saciates vs saue himselfe or from his table The rest doe but puffe vp and swell they doe not solidly feed and fatten so that by how much more we eate by so much the more doe we languish and pine away Tell him that verily you are not worthy you know it well you confesse it to the whole world but thar it is he alone who makes vnworthy creatures worthy who makes sinners iust and that for your part you relie not vpon your owne merites which are none without his mercys but run intirely to his free mercy Tell him that euen your dogges eate the crums which fall from their masters tables and in that confidence you approche or els with an humble and contrite hart fall downe at his sacred feete with the mournfull Magdalaine and make lamentations teares and grones more fully speake your hart The seconde Pointe Consider with what compassion and mildnesse our blessed sauiour begins to comfort his disciples whyle he obserues them sorrowfull and sadd vpon the apprehensiō of his departure which he fore told them saying my deare Disciles be not sorrowfull let not your harts be troubled I vvill not leaue you Orphantes t is for your sakes that I goe But seeing them yet some weeping some sighing his fatherly bowells were wholie moued to compassion and he spoke to them in these sweete tearmes my tenderly beloued sons my deare Disciples be not terrified bee not troubled behold I am vvith you till the end of the vvorld Affect This sweet sauiour shall be my comfort in all my desolations that though thou seemest to absēt thy selfe yet wilt thou not leaue me an Orphā whether it be that thou goest from me by permitting me to fall into some temptations or spirituall drynesse for my greater trial and merite or it be that thou often lettest me fall into little faultes that I may better learne to run back to thee my louing father this shall still be my consolation that thou dearely sweete and loueing Lord ar◠still with me till the end of the world THE II. MEDITATION Of Christs humilitie and loue shevven at his last supper Cons 1 COnsider what is done at that his last supper looke about and you shall see him rise vp from the table to giue by his owne example and in his owne person that first and most necessarie lesson humilitie the ground of our christian building and euen of all christian discipline as S. Augustine esteemes it You shall see the master become all his seruants seruant the vertue of the highest lowe laid at his creatures foule feete him in whose name all knees are bowed kneeling to wash to drye to kisse his seruants feete in fine the king of glorie so farre as I may say forgett his glorie as humbly officiously and louingly to fall downe euen at a disloyal Iudas loathsome feete Affect Ah my soule what is this we behold are wee deceaud or is it the king of heauen we see at the traiterous Iudas his feete shall we euer then haue the hart and courage to swell againe after this wonderfull humiliation If God indured this for me shall not I endure this or that reflecting vpon some difficultie we haue to stoope for him nay for my selfe for myne owne aduantage and eternall good or if this cannot moue me what will be euer able to moue my proud hart O my sweet sauiour euen for thy felfes sake bestow vpon me some scrappe of this wholesome dishe and grant me in euerie occurrence of difficultie submission or humiliation to haue this thy blessed example liuely placed before myne eyes Consid 2. Consider that notwithstanding that Christ knew by certaine knowledge that his heauenlie father had giuen all power and authoritie into his hands that he came from him and went to him rhat is that he was indued with fulnes of knowledge issuing from him by his eternall generation and returning to him to take possession of his owne right yet disdained hee not for our example to rise from supper to putt off his vpper garment to take a linen and girt about him to putt water into a basine to washe his disciples feete to wipe them with the Iinen which he had put before him Affect O God I haue nothing to saie but am lost in astonishement and
torments but solace my smale sufferances in the same THE XXI MEDITATION Our Sauiours Prayer vpon the Crosse Father pardon them c. 1. Point COnsider how our high preist who is now readie to sacrifice himselfe a torne and bloodie host such as you haue seene him for the sinns of his people begins first to offerr vp his praiers for them to his heauenly father saing Pater dimitte illis non enim sciunt quid faciunt Father pardon them for they know not what they doe Affect O ineffable mercie mildnesse and longanimitie While their inhumanitie hath left him neither hand nor foote free he wantes not a tongue to pleade for his persequutors peace and reconcilement O my soule let vs Learne le ts learne by this example to pardon our enemies be the offence neuer so great 2. Point Consider that thus it was that our Sauiour Iesus Christ taught vs from the Crosse euen amidst his greatest torments when the most innocent person that euer liued receiued the most barbarous treatie that euer malice inuented and euen in such circumstances this lesson of praying for our enemies c. he left vs to followe Obserue with shame how we Christians complie with it Is our first addresse to God when we meete with Crosses tribulations contradictions c. Is our first sute for pardon for those that iniure vs Doe we studie to finde out some excuse for them or rather doe we not indeede fall to muttering and murmuring and impatience and euen offend God by returning euill for euill because others offende vs In lieu of pardoning or begging pardon for them doe we not desire and seeke for reuenge Doe we not insteede of extinuating striue by the sophistrie of the Diuell to aggrauate little and inconsiderable deedes words or mistakes And yet we are not Christs we are not innocencie it selfe yea contrarily we are faultie enough and as subiect to doe as to receiue iniuries Affect Alas alas my soule the Copie hath no resemblance with the originall it s as farre differēt as light from darknesse This is not to expresse Christ in our actions but the Diuell his mortall enemie It is but in words and in name to professe Christ and infacts to denie him and to sweare with S. Peter that we know not the man whose language wee speake whose liuerie we weare and beare his name And yet this was a lesson he alwaies taught in his life A lesson which he preached and practised dying A lesson which he left written in letters of blood for vs to practise after his death Resolution I vvill pardon such and such a vvrong in memorie of this excessiue mercy THE XXII MEDITATION Of the Ievves tauntes scornes and blaspheamies 1. Point Consider how their tygerish rage runs still on against this innocent dying Lambe which mutters not The streames of blood which flowe downe from euery part gluts not their malice extreame torments which their rude violence puts him to appeases not their furie It seemes not enough to their hellish madnesses to leaue no member without its torture vnlesse they fill his eares and hart with scoffes and scornes and blasphemies If he be the king of Israel let him come dovve from the Crosse and vve le beleeue him If thou beest the sonne of God descend from the Crosse He saues others and cannot saue himselfe Vau avvaie vvith him vvho destroies the Temple and vvithin three daies builds it vp againe Affect Ah my deare dying Lord what extreamitie of torment is this that thou sufferest for me and by thine owne nation what hart conceaues not an absolute detestation against those most barbarous bloodsuckers yet beware my soule that by the same iudgement which thou zealously conceauest against them thou condemnest not thy selfe Looke home and see with confusion whether a great part of that rage that malice that madnesse be not lodged in thine owne hart As often dost thou crucifie him with them as thou preferrest the concupiscence of the flesh concupiscence of the eyes or pride of life before him And as often dost thou add new woundes ouer and aboue the wounds they inflicted as often as thou comest downe or callest others downe by ill example or counsell from the Crosse which is putt vpon them for Gods glorie or despairest of his power to be able to helpe thee in thy greatest Crosses afflictions and temptations Let sinne therefor be most hated as it is indeede most criminall and truly put thy Christ to death 2. Point Consider that though this so hugely afflicted person is he who is only said to be free and subiect to no restraint yea he who alone giues power to others to tye and vntye hath often been tyed for our loue and our libertie as in the stable in poore clothes in the garden and from thence to Annas Caiphas and Herods howses in cordes in the Pretorie to the Pillorie to be whipped yet neuer was my deare Lord and spouse so closely and cruelly tied and torne as I see him here vpon the hard Racke of the Crosse where he neither findes nor hopes for any case or libertie at all but that which he must purchace with the price of his life when death shall free his afflicted soule out of his barbarously tortured body Affect Ah my soule must thy deare Lord treade the wine presse alone Must thy Master and Redeemer who is alone free among the dead purchace him selfe and thee libertie by the losse of his owne life And must the bounden slaue liue still at libertie and ease Whereas indeede we are neuer free so long as we liue vnder false libertie which is true slauerie and not vnder the true seruitude of Christ which is true libertie Gods seruice is a true raigne Happie saith your holy father is that necessitie or tye which compels vs to better vnhappie that libertie which lyes open to our ruine Resolution My calling is and shall be my happie Crosse to vvhich the consideration of these cords shall tye me for my Masters loue and honour for euer Hic habitabo quoniam elegi eum Here vvill I euer dvvell because it vvas mine ovvne choice THE XXIII MEDITATION Of the Princes of the people and Priests blaspheamies 1. Point COnsider that though all these bodily torments of my deare innocent crucified Lambe be inormiously greate beyond all measure yet they are but as it were the body of torment whereas the life and soule of torment indeede is the torment of the soule Those cruell Deicides tooke him they bound him they haled him they boxed him they whipped him they spitt in his face they crowned him with thornes they nailed him hand and foote to the Crosse they brought him to the verie doore of death but all this was performed vpon his bodie But when he heares his Fathers power and loue to him called into question by the Princes and Preists and People saying he saies he is the sonne of God in him he is confident let God now deliuer him if he will
seruice whether it be in point of receiuing his owne true body or in charitably assisting his owne poore afflicted members For how often haue we obserued our selues to haue quaked with feare wher we mett with noe danger indeede and permitted such fond feares to frustrate our pious designes and resolutions and stifle the seede which was sowen in our hartes from heauen Feare not as longe as thou art imployed about Iesus and him crucified Either will noe danger at all be mett with or none at least be preualent to make vs misse of Iesus And if it be about Iesus that we are imployed if in that name we suffer we ought not so much to apprehend it the sufferance of a Crosse as the assurance of a crowne 2. Point Consider with astonishment the great power which the diuine prouidence giues to Pilate who had indeede noe power ouer Christ but what was giuen from aboue in whose handes the disposall of the body of a God was left Yes of that body which the holy Ghost framed the Virgine mother brought-forth the diuinitie still inseparably inhabited Of that body I say Pilate à sinner an vniust Iudge an infidell hath power to dispose and he giues it to Iosephe Affect O my soule how this Christ this God-man is wholy imployed in the behalfe of man In his life at his death after his death In his life for our instruction at his death for our redemption after his death for our consolation Be we left vnder what power soeuer iust or vniust peaceable or tyrannicall according to our desires or contrarie to our inclinations by our Lord and Masters sweete disposition he that so left vs if we faithfully follow his foot stepps will certainly deliuer vs glorifie vs. Noe vniust Pilates sencence will be able to hinder vs from deliuering vp our soules into the hands of a louing father nor depriue our body of the happie expectation of à glorious resurrection Resolution I will euer admire to see the disposition of the deade body of Christ left in an infidells hands but much more to see his liuing and glorious body and soule left at the dispose of disloyall Christians who beleeue in him and yet crucifie him againe by their dailie crymes THE XXXIV MEDITATION 1. Point COnsider that God being Omniponcie it selfe wanted not power to haue deliuered the body of this deare sonne of his out of the hands of Pilate without his leaue He that was onely free among the deade could easily haue freed himselfe from the deade and haue rysen as gloriously the first day from the Crosse as the third from the graue But the Scriptures were to be fulfilled his sepulcher vvas to be glorious Our Ionas was to remaine three dayes and three nightes in the bowells of the earth And his last lesson after his death as well as his first before he could yet speake was to teach vs by his blessed example an admirable submission obedience abandonnement of himselfe into what hands soeuer Affect O wisdome of heauen how secreete and incomprehensible are thy wayes We are not able my soule to looke into them In thy infancie thou wholy abandonnedst thy selfe vnto thy B. mothers care and custodie In thy youth thou wast subiect to her and Iosephe In thy passion thou wast giuen ouer to the wills of the Iewes remayning obedient till death and the death of the Crosse and now too after thy death thou continuest still at Pilates dispose Let me learne deare Lord by this singular submission of thyne in imitation therof and for thy loue to be willingly subiect to euerie creature neuer desiring to take my selfe out of that order and subiection wherin thy prouidence may haue placed me Ita Domine quoniam sic placitum est coram te Yes sweete Sauiour purely becaus so it is aggreable in thy diuine sight 2. Point Consider that Pilate hauing bene petitioned giues vp the body to Iosephe Iosephs care takes it downe from the Crosse and bestowes à sydon or fine white linen sheete Nicodemus contributes many pounds of oyntments to witt mixed mirre and aloes the body is imbalmed therwith and wound vp in Iosephs syndon according to the iewes rites His mournefull mother Marie bestowes more hartie sorowe and compassion then any tongue can speake or any hart but her owne that is the hart of a mother and such a mother the mother of a God can conceiue who as in that name she farre surpasses all other creatures in dignitie consanguinitie and neerenesse to her sonne so also in loue and consequently in compassion and sorrowe The desolate louing Magdalene and her companions their familiar teares and Ioseph putts the adorable body in his owne new Monument cutt in the side of a rocke and shutts it vp with a great stone Affect Thus my soule haue we at length gott to an end of a wearisome procession Thus haue our sinnes layd the God of heauen and earth in the bosome of the earth Thus haue our hard hartes lodged him in a rocke at whose voyce the very rockes burst in sunder Ah my soule this hard world at his first entrie lodged him in a rocke and a rocke too must receiue him at his going out O deare Master Let it be this rockie hart of myne that may haue the happines to afford thee this last lodging or at least may I be lodged with thee be the rocke neuer so hard that I may truly be according to the Apostles expression consepultus cum Christo buried togeither with Christ neuer to ryse againe but with him in newnesse of life O that my hart as it sympathises too neerely with this Monument in hardnesse had also the rest of its qualities O that it were yet in its primitiue newnesse and puritie O that it had neuer bene prepossessed by any creature But alas alas it fares not so It hath bene too longe and too easely prostituted to the worlds allurements to the Diuells suggestions It hath bene but too too peruious to all approches and remayned onely a rocke to thy holy inspirations to thy heauenly instructions to any true sense of thy excessiue torments and sorrowes A PRAYER BVt ô my deare Lord thou vvho art a hammer brusing rockes bruse this hard hart of myne into true contrition and smite it vvith the rodd of thy Crosse that novv at least though too late alas it may pay dovvne deepest compassion and sorrovve vvith the most desolate Virgine mother flouds of repentant teares vvith those mournefull Maries and finally a most manly courage and resolution plentifull vvorkes of mercy and the pretious oyntements of frequent and feruent prayers vvith the good Ioseph and Nicodemus But ah my dearest Sauiour Christ my true rocke and strength these are indeede the resolutions of my hart but of a vveake and vvauering hart vvhich vvill effect nothing vvithout thy povverfull assistance grant it o Lord for thy pretious blouds sake and let the holes of thy sacred side c. lye alvvaies open to my ayde and
which the Spouse cried so out for osculetur me osculo oris sui let him kisse me with a kisse of his mouth See the foure sacred fountaines of Paradise streame out Riuers of inestimable worth from his wounded hands and feete euerie droppe whereof being of more valew then all heauen and earth and in these Riuers are we ô my Soule permitted to bathe cure eternise ourselues O Sacred fountaines ô Ambrosian springs dulciora super mel fauum sweeter then honey and the honey combe He hath a tongue which in the beginning said fiat be it made and the whole Machine of the Vniuerse was presently raised out of nothing and with which be can still saie N. Salus tua ego sum I am thy Saluation vel hodie mecum eris in Paradiso or this daie thou shalt be with me in Paradice And what hart can wish a richer treasure a more wishfull and blissefull present He hath yet a tongue but it too must not passe without it's torment For they mixe gale amongst his foode and in his thirst they present vineger to drinke He hath yet a tongue intire and that too must be imployed euen amidst his greatest torments to pleade mans pardon reconcilement Father pardonne them for they knovv not vvhat they doe O miracle of mildnesse and mercie The persecuted becomes the persecutours Aduocate euen in the act of persecuting him The dying Lord turnes his dead and dying slaues Patron euen while he is bloodily striking at his hart Father He makes his addresse to him not so much in qualitie of God whom he knowes to be actually prouoked to reuenge as of Father whose bowells are all mercie for his prodigall children Father what confidence may not poore sinners conceaue when a father and such a father is sued to by a sonne and such a sonne Father I begge not reuenge for what I suffer but pardon for those for whom and by whom I suffer Father pardonne them I sue not that the world should be iudged for me but that it might be cleared and saued by me Father pardon them I doe not plead not Guiltie where I know sinne is great and spred vniuersally ouer the whole body of man and growen to a kind of infinitie but I am his Saluation and the price of my bloud which here I lay downe is infinite indeede let grace then through my merites superabound where sinne abounded Father pardonne them It 's pardon I demande and euen in that name the cryme is acknowledged I cannot excuse Pilates iniustice which is so much more cryminal by how much his owne conscience pleades guiltie against himselfe for condemning a person in whom he found noe guilte nor the Priests and Princes inueterate malice nor the soldiers crueltie nor the peoples false testimonies scornes and blasphemie But by how much their crymes are more cleare ther pardon is more necessarily petitioned for by how much their miserie is more desparatly great by so much thy great mercy is more absolutly to be implored haue mercy therfor vpon them according to thy great mercy and pardon them Pardon them I say heauenly Father for they know not what they doe The penall ignorance which runs all along through their actions though it excuseth not yet it much extenuates their transgression They know not they apprehend not that they arme their malice against that infinite charitie which flames vp so high amidst the same malice that all the floodes of their furie is not able to extinguish it They know indeede that they putt an innocent man to death but they know not that they Crucifie the God of glorie T is enough my dearest Lord thou hast powerfully pleaded and wunne poore man's cause which without thy plea and thy price was irrecouerably lost for euer Thou art heard for thyne owne reuerence and millions shall be giuen to thy prayers and merites 11. But ah my soule is it not true that as this lesson brings comfort to all Christian harts so it loades them with confusion and fixeth shame vpon their foreheades He couers in some sort the Iewes crymes and confusion with a plea of ignorance for had they had an absolute knowledge of what they did and to whome they had neuer crucified the Lord of glorie But we seeing knowing by the light of faith which is a more absolute assurance then any demonstration then all humane knowledge can afford and being bound standing readie in the preparation of our hart to putt downe our life for it that it was God man the verie God of glorie that they putt to death we I say make noe difficultie to crucifie him againe by our dayly crymes to treade the sonne of God vnder foote and to esteeme the bloude of the Testament polluted 12. We acknowledge that we are taught by the mouth of eternall truth it selfe vnlesse we haue renounced all Christianitie and we euen see it in his owne example that we are to returne Good for euill and we contrarily render euill for good hatred for loue disrespect for good offices neglect forcares ingratitude for greatest obligations We haue seene our Christ sadd to death betrayed taken bound abused reuiled scorned boxed spitt in the face whipped crowned with thornes blaspheamed crucified and we heare him from the same Crosse preach plead pray for pardon And yet we Christians alas who as we take our name from Christ so should his actions be the rules of our life and our conformitie to the same rules the perfection therof liuing as it were by the law of contraries run quite contre The Master cryes for pardon the scholler exacts reuenge The masters wisdome and charitie finds wayes to couer multitudes of enormious crymes and the schollers iniquitie and madnesse inuents meanes to make Molehills appeare montaines and to multiplie a few smale faultes into huge numbers The master by a Rethorique brought from Heauen endeuours to extenuate a visible iniurie by alleaging ignorance which though otherwise afected did in some sorte lessen the cryme The scholler by a Sophistrie inuented in Hell striues to aggrauate euen almost inuisible faults from the place in which it was done the tyme the manner c. And if none of these seeme vigorous enough he guesses at the intention of him that did it and will needes haue it to be such as his Passion hath framed it in his mynd In fine the scholler hath neither harte nor hand nor tongue to plead excuse to worke or wishe well too euen a seeming enemy though otherwise a true friend indeede He will not take the paines to consider that the misintelligence was but caused at most by ignorance inconsideration precipitation and to take it at the highest that it was but man sinfull man man subiect to all the same deseases that rather tooke then had offence giuen him While the Master neither hauing hand nor foote free but onely a hartfull of mercye and a tongue free and readie to expresse the same imployes it to begge pardon