in this place corporall life is vnderstood so as the sense is to be this I do now deliuer vp the spirit of my life and therein I cease to breath and to liue But this spirit this life O Father I commend to thee that vvithin a short tyme thou mayst restore it to my Body For to thee nothing is lost but all things do liue to thee who in calling out that vvhich is not makest it be and in calling out that which doth not liue makest it to liue That this is the true meaning of this place may first be gathered out of the 30. Psalme from whence our Lord did take this Prayer For thus Dauid doth there pray Thou wilt bring me out of this snare which they haue hid for me because thou art my Protectour Into thy hands I commend my spirit In vvhich place the Prophet by the spirit most euidently vnderstandeth lyfe for he prayeth to God that he will not suffer him to be slayne by his Enemies but that he will preserue his lyfe Furthermore the same point is deduced as true euen from this place of the Gospell For after our Lord had said Father into thy hands I do commend my spirit the Euangelist did subioyne And saying this he gaue vp the Ghost For to giue vp the Ghost signifieth to cease to draw spirit or wynd which is proper to those Creatures which are liuing the vvhich thing cannot be said of the soule the substantiall forme of the Body but it is said of the ayre which vve breath vvhilst we liue and we do cease to breath vvhen we dye Lastâ—y the foresaid exposition is gathered from those words of the Apostle Hebr. 5. Who in the dayes of his flesh with a strong cry and teares offering prayers and supplications to him that could saue him from death was heard for his reuerence This place some do vnderstand of the prayer which our Lord made in the garden saying Father if it be possible transferre this Chalice from me Mar. 14. But in that place our Lord did not pray with a strong cry neither was he heard neither would he haue beene heard that he should be free exempted from the death For he prayed that the Chalice of his Passion might passe from him thereby to shew a naturall desire of not dying and himselfe to be true man whose nature doth abhorre death But he added Not that which I will but that which thou let thy Will be done Thus we see that the prayer of Christ in the garden cannot be that Prayer of which the Apostle speaketh to the Hebrews Others maintaine that that prayer of Christ mentioned by S. Paul is the same vvhich our Lord made for his Crucifiers vpon the Crosse saying Father forgiue them for they do not know what they doe Luc. 23. But at that time our Lord did not vse any strong crye neither did he pray for himsâ—lfe that he might be saued from death both which two points are euidently expressed by the Apostle to the Hebrews For being vpon the Crosse he prayed for his Crucifiers that that most grieuous and heauy sinne might be pardoned to them Therefore it remaineth that those words of the Apostle be vnderstoode of that last prayer which our Lord made vpon the Crosse saying Father into thy hands I commend my spirit the which prayer he made with a strong crye S. Luke saying And Iesus crying with a loud voice said c. Where vve see that S. Paul and S. Luke do clearely herein agree togeather Furthermore our Lord prayed tâ—at he might be saued from death as S. Paul doth witnesse but the meaning herâ—of cannot beâ— that he should not dye vpon the Crosse for therein he vvas not heard yet S. Paul testifieth that he was heard but the meaning is that he prayed that he might not be vvholy absorpt vp by death but only might tast death and presently returne to life For thus much is implied in those words He offered vp prayers to him that could saue him For our Lord could not be ignorant but that he was to dye especially being then most neare to death but he couered to be safe from death in this sense to wit that he might not be detayned long by death which was nothing else but to pray for a speedy Resurrection in which hiâ— prayer he was fully heard since he did rise most gloriously the third day This explication of the testimony of S. Paul euidently conuinceth that when our Lord said Into thy hands I command my spirit the spirit is taken for Lyfa not for the â—oule For he was not sollicitous of his soule the vvhich he did knovv to be in safety since it was most blessed and did see God face to face euen from its Creation but he was sollicitous and carefull of his Body which he savv vvas to be depriuâ—d of lyfe through death and therefore he prayed that his Body might not long remaine in death the vvhich petition as aboue we said he in a most full manner obtayned The first fruite of the seauenth Word CHAP. XX. NOw according to our former Method I wil gather some fruits from this Last word of Christ from his death presently ensuing And first euen from that thing which seemeth to be most full of infirmity weakenes and simplicity the great Power Wisdome and Charity of God is demonstrated For in that our Lord gaue vp the Ghost crying with a great Voyce his Power and strength is manifestly discerned since from this vve may gather that it vvas in his povver not to dye and that he dyed willingly For those men vvho dye naturally do lose by degrees their force and voyce and in their last agony fight vvith death they are not able to cry out with any great and vehement speach or Voyce Therefore not without cause the Centurion seeing that Iesus after so much profusion of Bloud vvith a great and lovvd voyce dyed said Certainly this was the Sonne of God Mar. 15. Christ is a great Lord vvho euen dying sheweth his â—ower not only by crying out with a great Voyce at his last breathing but also in cleauing the Earth cutting a sunder the stones opening the Monuments and in rending the Veyle of the Temple all vvhich things to haue fallen out euen at the very tyme vvhen Christ dyed the Euangelist witnesseth Furthermore all these strange Euents haue their mistery by which the Wisdome of Christ is manifested For the concussion of the Earth as also the cleauing of the stones did signify that by the Passion and death of Christ men vvere moued and stirred vp to pennance and the harts of the obstinate vvere euen cut a sunder vvhich Effects at that very time to haue happened S. Luke writeth when he sayth that many returning from that spectacle and sight did knock their breasts The opening of the graues sepulchers doth designe the glorious Resurrection of the dead to succeed after that of Christ The tearing or rending of the Veyle
sort for many yeares their Almes-deeds and those not in number few But when these come to the diuine ballacing examination and are precisely to be discussed whether they were well done to wit with right intentions with due attention in fitting tyme and place proceeding from a man gratefull to God O how many things which did appeare to be gaines to the soule will rather be accounted as losses and detriments vnto it And how many things which seemed in mans iudgment to be gould siluer and precious stones built vpon the foundatiō of fayth will be found to be wood straw which the fire will instantly consume The consideration of this point doth not a litle terrify me by how much I draw more neare to my end for as the Apostle speaketh Heb. 8. That which groweth ancient and waxeth old is nigh vnto vtter decay so much the more euidently I see that the admonition and Counsell of S. Iohn Chrysostome is necessary to me who councels vs not to weigh and prize to much our owne good works because if they be good works indeed that is works vvell piously done they are registred by God in his booke of Accounts and there is no danger that they shal be defrauded of their due reward but let vs daily thinke sayth he of our euill bad works and labour vvith a contrite hart and spirit vvith many teares and serious pennance to wash them away For such men vvho performe his aduise herein shall say at the close and end of their life vvith great confidence and Hope Into thy hands I commend my spirit thou hast redeemed me O Lord God of Truth Of the fourth fruite of the seauen VVord CHAP. XXIII THere followeth the fourth fruite which may be gathered from the most happy hearing of the prayer of our Lord that from so comfortable an Euent all of vs may be much animated and encouraged to commend our spirits to God with greater vehemency and ardour of deuotion For the Apostle did most truly write that our Lord Iesus Christ was heard for his reuerence Heb. 5. Our Lord prayed to his Father for a speedy Resurrection of his Body as aboue we haue shewed His prayer was heard so as his Resurrection was no longer delayed then it was needfull to proue that his Body was truly dead For except it could be infallibly demonstrated that his Body did truly depart out of this lyfe both the Resurrection as also the whole Christian Fayth might be doubted of and called into question Therefore our Sauiour was to remaine in the graue for the space at least of fourty houres especially seeing the figure of Ionas the Prophet was to be accomplished which as our Lord himselfe taught in the Ghospell was to premonstrate and foreshew his death But to the end that the Resurrection of Christ might be accelerated hastened so farre forth as it was cōuenient and that it might be more manifestly proued that the prayer of Christ was heard the diuine Prouidēce would that the three dayes and three nights during which tyme Ionas was in the Belly of the Whale should be reduced in the Resurrection of Christ to one entire and whole day and two parts of two dayes which time not properly but by the figure intellectio might be said to contayne three dayes three nights Neither did the Father heare the prayer of Christ only in shortning the tyme of his Resurrection but also in restoring incomparably a better lyfe then before he enioyed Since the lyfe of Christ before his death was mortall but it is restored to him immortall Christ rising againe from the dead now dieth no more death shall no more haue dominion ouer him as the Apostle speaketh Rom. 6. The lyfe of Christ before his death was passible that is subiect to hunger thirst wearines wounds but being restored impassible it stāds not obnoxious to any iniury The Body of Christ was before death Animale but after the resurrection it became spiritale that is so subiect to the spirit as that in a twinkling of an Eye it might be caryed into any place where the spirit it selfe would Novv the reason why the Prayer of Christ was so easily heard is subioyned by the Apostle when he sayth pro sua reuerentia for his reuerence The Greeke word here vsed to wit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth a reuerentiall feare vvhich was most eminent in Christ tovvards his father Therefore Esay describing the guifts of the Holy Ghost which were in the soule of Christ of other guifts thus sayth The spirit of wisdome and Vnderstanding shall rest vpon him the spirit of Counsell and Strength the spirit of Knowledge and Piety but of reuerentiall Feare the said Prophet thus speaketh And the spirit of the Feare of our Lord shall replenish him Isa 11. Novv because the soule of Christ was most full of reuerentiall Feare towards his Father therefore the Father did take most great pleasure in him according to that we read in S. Matthew This is my beloued sonne in whom I am well pleased Matth. 3. 17. And euen as the Sonne did euer reuerence the Father in a most high degree so did the Father euer heare him praying and granted whatsoeuer he desired Novv from hence may we learne that if vve expect euer to be heard by our heauenly Father and to obtaine whatsoeuer we demaund of him we ought to imitate Christ herin in prosecuting our said heauenly Father with supreme Reuerence and in preferring nothing before his honour For so it wil be effected that whatsoeuer we pray for we shall obtaine and peculiarly that in which consisteth the chiefest good of our state I meane that vvhen death shall approach God may receaue our soule passing out of the Body commended vnto him vvhen the roaring Lyon standeth neere vnto vs as being ready for a prey Neither let any man thinke that Reuerence is exhibited to God only in genuflection or in bovving of the knee in vncouering of the Head or in any other worship and honour of such like nature The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or timor reuerentialis doth not signify only this externall honour but it chiefly denotes a great feare of offending of God and an invvard continual horrour of sinne and this not through dread of punishment but through loue of our Celestiall Father He is truly indued with reuerentiall Feare who dare not thinke of offence or sinne especially mortall sinne Blessed is that man sayth Dauid who feareth our Lord He shall haue great delight in his Commandements That is he truly feareth God and in that respect may be called Blessed who with all bent of Will and Endeauour studies to keep all the Commandement of God And from hence it proceeded that that holy widdow Iudith timebat Dominum valde as we reade in her Booke cap. 8. For she being but a yong Woman and of great beauty and very rich lest she should after the death of her husband either giue
OF THE SEAVEN VVORDES SPOKEN BY CHRIST vpon the Crosse Two Bookes Written in Latin by the most Illustrious Cardinall Bellarmine of the Society of Iesus And translated into English by A. B. Foderunt manus meas pedes meos Psal 21. They haue digged my hands my feet Permissu Superiorum 1638. The Translatour to the Reader GOod Reader in place of a Ceremonious and formall Dedicatory Epistle I send thee these few lines The worke heere translated is one the spirituall Treatises of the most Learned and Vertuous Bellarmine of Blessed Memory being entituled Of the seauen VVords spoken by Christ vpon the Crosse Prize the Contents of those words as thou prizest thy owne soule they being in number few in force and weight many Take them as so many rich Legacies left by our charitable Testatour immediatly before his death to mankind And vvho is he that neglecteth the Legacies of his dying Lord and Friend Most men do much regard ponder the last words of a dying man at that tyme hauing his senses and memory vnperished who during the whole course of his life had gained among others a great name reputation of VVisdome Of what estimate then ought we to make the VVords of Christ vttered in his dying state who wâ—s not only wise but VVisdome it selfe VVho is the VVord it selfe VVho is God himselfe These VVords hereafter following in this Treatise Christ spake being nayled vpon the Tree of the Crosse a Tree infinitly more high as reaching from Earth to Heauen then the highest Cedar in Libanus Tast of the fruits which may be gathered from thence since arbor bona fructus bonos facit Matth. 7. Vpon this Tree death became dead vvhen life thereon did dye This Tree was the Chayre from whence our spiritual Doctour dictated his Precepts to vs Christians It was the Pulpit out of which our Heauenly Ecclesiastes preached to mankind Briefly it was and is the true Ladder of Iacob adumbrated and shadowed by that Ladder spoken of in Genesis by which the soule of Man ascendeth vp to Heauen Thus not enlarging my selfe further and humbly intreating the charitable remembrance of all good Catholiks in their Deuotions I leaue thee to the perusing of what followeth Thine in Christ crucifyed A. B. The Preface of the Authour BEhould now the fourth yeare is passed when as preparing my selfe to my End I retire to a place of quietnes and rest exempt from negotiations and throng of Busines but not exempt from the meditation of the sacred Scriptures and from the writing of such things which to me in tyme of meditation do occur That if I be not able to profit others either by my owne speaches or by composing of any large and voluminous Booke at least that I may be of power to aduance my Brethren in their spirituall Good by some small deuout Treatise Now calling to mind of what subiect I might chiefly make choyce which might dispose me towards dying well might profit my Brethren towards liuing well The death of our Lord presented it selfe to me and that last Sermon of his which consisting of seauen most short but most graue sentences the Redeemer of the World from the Crosse as from a high and eminent Chayre deliuered to all MaÌ„kind Since in that Sermon or in those seauen Words all those Points are contained of which the said Lord thus speaketh Luc. 18. Behould we go vp to Ierusalem and all things shal be consummate which were written by the Prophets of the sonne of Man Those things which the Prophets did foretell of Christ are reduced to foure Heads or branches To wit to his Preaching and Sermons made to the People To his Prayer directed to his Father To the most grieuous Euills which he was to suffer To sublime and admirable Works performed by him All which seuerall Points did admirably shine in the life of Christ For first our Lord did most frequently preach in the Temple in the Synagogues in the fields in desert solitary places in priuate Houses and to conclude euen out of the ship to the People standing vpon the shore Furthermore He spent for the most part whole nights in Prayer to God for thus the Euangelist speaketh Luc. 6. He passed the whole night in Prayer to God Now his admirable and astonishing working of Wonders of which the holy Gospells are very full doth concerne the expelling of the Deuils curing the sicke multiplying of bread and in appeasing or allaying tempests or stormes all sea To conclude the Euills that in recompence of the Good which he had done were perpetrated against him were many not only in contumely of Words but also in stoning of him and in endeauoring to cast him headlong dovvne from a fearefull Precipice But all these seuerall Points were consummated and perfected most truly vpon the Crosse For first He so mouingly persuadingly preached from the Crosse as that many returned from thence knocking their Breasts And further not only the harts of men but euen the stones as it were through a secret compassion were riuen and torne a sunder He in like manner so prayed vpon the Crosse as that the Apostle sayth thereof Heb. 5. Cum clamore valido lachrimis exauditus est pro sua reuerentia With a strong Crye and teares he was heard for his reuerence Now what he suffered vpon the Crosse was of so high a nature in reference to those things which he had suffered through the rest of the life as that they alone may be thought peculiarly to belong to the Passion To conclude He neuer wrought greater Prodigies and signes then when lying vpon the Crosse he was brought to extreme imbecillity and weaknes For at that time he did not only exhibite Miracles from Heauen the which the Iewes had before importunely demaunded of him but also a litle after he wrought the greatest Miracle of all When being dead and buried by his owne proper force and Vertue he returned from Hell and resuming his Body restored it againe to life yea to an immortall life Therfore we may conclude that vpoÌ„ the Crosse all things were truly performed and accomplished which were written by the Prophets of the Sonne of Man But before we descend to write of the particular Words of our Lord I hold it conducing to our purpose to speake some thing of the Crosse it self which was the Chayre or Pulpit of the Preacher the Altar of the Priest sacrifizing the race or place of him that did combat and feight the shop as it were of working miraculous things First then touching the forme of the Crosse the more common Opinion of the Ancients is that it consisted of three seuerall parcels of Wood One long vpon the which the Body of our Lord crucified was laid or extended another ouerthwart in which the haÌ„ds were fastened the third was affixed and ioined to the lower part vpon the which the feet did rest but so nailed thereto that they could not be moued from thence
is frequent in the sacred Scriptures aâ— S. Austin obserued in his booke of thâ— Consent of the Euangelists l. 3. c. 16. For the Apostle writing to the Hebrews sayth They stopped the mouthes of Lyons they were stoned they were hewed they went about in sheepskins in Goate-skins and yet who stopped the mouthâ— of Lyons was but one Daniell and who was stoned was but one Ieremy and vvho was hewed in peces vvas but one Esay Add hereto that S. Mathew and S. Marke do not so expresly say that both the Theeues did vpbraid Christ as we find S. Luke expresly to vvrite Vnus autem de his c. One of the theeues that were hanged blasphemed him For the greater probability of truth we may further say that therâ— caÌ„ be no reason alledged why the same theefe should both blaspheme and praise Christ And whreas some do reply that this theefe who afore did blaspheme did after change his Iudgement and praysed Christ when he heard him say Father forgiue them for they know not what they do is euideÌ„tly repugnant to the Gospell for S. Luke relateth that Christ prayed for his Persecutours to his Father before the wicked Theefe begunne to blaspheme Therefore the iudgements of S. Ambrose and S. Austine are to bâ— imbraced heerin who mantaine that of the two theeues the one did blaspheme the other did prayse and defend Christ Therfore the other thiefe did answere to the thiefe blaspheming thus Neyther dost thou feare God whereas thou art in the same daÌ„nation Luc. 23. This good and happy thiefe partly from the vertue of the Crosse of Christ and partly from diuine light and inspiration which then did begin to shyne to him vndertooke to correct his Brother and to draw him to a more safe mynd iudment The meaning of whose words is this Thou wouldest imitate the blaspheming Iewes but they as yet haue not learned to feare the iudgment of God because they are persuaded they haue ouercome and they do vaunt glory of their Victory when they seeÌ„ Christ nayled to the Crosse and themselfes to be free and at liberty suffering no euill But thou who for thy offences hangest vpon the Crosse and hastest towards death why dost thou not begin to feare God Why heapest thou sinne to sinne And further this happy Thiefe increasing in his good VVorke and seconded vvith the light of the Grace of God confesseth his sinnes and preacheth the Innocency of Christ saying Et nos quidem iustè and vve are iustly to vvit condemned to the Crosse but this man hath done no Euill Luc. 23. Lastly the light of Grace more resplendently shining he addeth Domine memento mei c. Lord remember me when thou shalt come into thy kingdome Certainly the Grace of the Holy Ghost which vvas in the hart of this Thiefe is most wonderfull S. Peter the Apostle denieth Christ the Thiefe nayled to the Crosse confesseth him The disciples going to Emaus say But we did Hope the Thiefe confidently speaketh saying Remember me when thou shalt come into thy kingdome S. Thomas the Apostle denied to belieue in Christ except he saw that Christ had risen froÌ„ death The Thiefe being vpon a Crosse and seing Christ fastened to the Crosse doubteth not â—o acknowledge that after he was to â—e a King But who had taught this â—heefe so high Mysteries He calleth that man Lord whom he did behould â—aked wounded lamenting openly derided and contemned and hanging with him He further sayth that Iesus after his death was to come into his kingdome From which point we vnderstand that the Theefe did not â—reame of any future temporall kingâ—ome of Christ here vpon earth such â—s the Iewes do expect but belieued that Christ after his death was to be an Eternall King in Heauen Who had instructed him in such sublime Sacraments Certainly only the spirit of Truth which did preuent him in the benedictions of sweetnes Christ after his Resurrection said to his Apostles Christ ought to suffer these things and so to enter into his glory But the Theife did foreknow this after a wounderfull manner and did confesse it at that tyme when there appeared no likelyhood in Christ to raigne Kings do reigne vvhen they liue and when they cease to liue they cease to reigne But the Theefe openly affirmed that Christ by death was to come into his Kingdome The vvhich point our Lord did explaine in one of his Parables vvhen he said Luc. 19. A certaine Noble man went into a farre Country to take vnto himselfe a kingdome and to returne This our Lord said being most neare vnto his Passion signifying that by death himselfe was to goe into a far distant Country or Region that is to an other life or vnto Heauen which is most remote from the Earth and to goe to the end to receave a most large and euerlasting kingdome and after to returne at the day of iudgment that he might make retribution either of reward or punishment to all men according as they had deserued in this lyfe Therefore of this kingdome of Christ which presently after his death he was to receaue the wyse Theefe said Remember me when thou shalt come into thy kingdome But was not Christ a king before his death Certainly he was and therefore the Magi cryed out Vbi est qui natus est Rex Iudaeorum Where is he that is borne king of the Iewes Math. 2. And Christ himselfe said to Pilate Thou saist that I am a King For this was I borne and for this came I into the world that I should giue testimony to the Truth Ioan. 18. Neuerthelesse he was a king in this world as a stranger among his Enemies and therefore he was acknowledged as a king only of few but contemned and badly entreated by many And in regard thereof he said in the Parable aboue cited that he was to goe into a far Country to take vnto himselfe a kingdome He said not to seeke or to gaine a Kingdome which did not belong to him but to receaue his owne kingdome and to returne therefore the Theefe wisely said VVhen thou shalt come into thy kingdome To proceede The kingdome of Christ signifieth not in this place any Regall Potency or Soâ—â—raignty For this euen from the beginning he had according to that of the Psalme 2. I am appointed king by him ouer Sion his Holy Hill And in another place He shall rule from sea to sea and from the Riuer euen to the ends of the world Psal 71. And Esay sayth cap. 9 A litle one is horne to vs and a sonne is giuen to vs whose Principality is vpon his shoulder And Ieremy cap. 23. I will rayse vp Dauid a Iust branch and he shall reigne a king and shal be wise and he shall do iudgement and iustice vpon the earth And Zacharias cap. 9. Reioyce greatly O daughter of Sion make iubilation O daughter of Ierusalem Behold thy king will come to thee the iust and Sauiour himselfe poore and
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
But before we discourse of the Necessity of Patience it is needfull that we distinguish betweene true and false Patience Well then that is true Patience which commandeth vs to suffer the Euill of payne or punishment to the end we may not be forced to suffer the Euill of Fault or sinne Such was the patieÌ„ce of the Martyrs who made choyce rather to vndergoe the torments of their Persecutours then to yeald vnto an abnegation of their Fayth in Christ and to suffer the losse of all their temporall goods then â—o exhibite worship and honour to false Gods But counterfaite and false Patience is that which persuadeth a man to suffer all Euills and Inconueniences thereby to giue satisfaction to the Law of Concupiscence and to loose euerlasting Goods for the conseruation of temporall and momentary Such is the Patience of the Martyrs of the Deuill so to style them who easily endure hunger thirst cold heate the losse of their reputation and good name and which is more to be admired the losse of the Kingdome of Heauen that so they may increase and heape together Riches may glut and satisfy their owne Carnality and aspire to certaine steps and degrees of Honour Now this is incident and peculiar to true Patience to perfect and conserue all Vertues And this is that which S. Iames euen preacheth in the prayse of Patience saying cap. 1. Patience hath a perfect worke that you may be perfect and entire failing in nothing For other Vertues in regard of their difficulty except they be supported and gouerned with Patience cannot subsist or continue long but when they are accompained with Patience they easely commaund and ouer-rule all opposition and resistance whatsoeuer For Patience doth conuert and maketh crooked things straight and rough wayes plaine Isa 42. And this is so indisputably true that S. Cyprian thus discourseth of Charity the Queene of Vertues Serm. de Patientia Charitas fraternitatis c. Charity is the bond of fraternity the foundation of Peace the knitting togeather of Vnity It is greater then Fayth or Hope It euer goeth before martyrdome It shall euer remaine in vs with God in the Heauenly kingdome Yet spoyle and depriue it of Patience it becomes desolate and endures not take from it the vertue of sustaining and tolerating and then you do pull it quite vp by the roote The which very point I meane the necessity of Patience the same S. Cyprian more easily proueth to be in Chastity Iustice and Peace with our neighbours for thus he heerof discourseth Let thy Patience be strong immoueable in thy hart let not thy sanctifyed Body and Temple of the Holy Ghost be polluted with adultery neither let thy Innocency deuoted to Iustice be contaminated with any contagion of deceyt nor after thou hast receaued the most reuerend Eucharist let thy hand be dishonoured with the sword or imbrued in bloud Ibid. Thus this Doctour who intimateth from a contrary sense that Chastity without the support of Patience is not able to resist Adultery nor Iustice can be voide of fraud nor the taking of the Eucharist can free a man from Homicide This which S. Iames aboue teacheth touching the vertue of Patience is also taught in other words by the Prophet Dauid by Christ himselfe and by the Apostle Dauids wordes are these Psal 9. The patience of the poore shall neuer perish Beacuse it is a perfect worke and in this respect its reward shall not consume or wast away Patience also is said not to perish because it is recompenced for all eternity in regard of its fruite after this manner we are accustomed to say that the labours of a Husbandman doe perish when they beare no fruite and not perish when they beare fruite Now the word Poore is heer added because in this place it signifyeth one that is humble who acknowledgeth himselfe to be poore and that he cannot eyther doe or suffer any thing without the concurrency and ayde of God and thus is this point expounded by S Austin lib. de patient cap. 15. Neither only the poore but the rich and such as do abound with affluency of temporall wealth may haue the vertue of patience so that they do not confide and trust in their riches but in God of whome as being truly poore in all diuine guifts they pray for Patience and obtaine it This said point our Lord himselfe signifyed when he sayd in the Ghospell Luc. 21. In your patience you shall possesse your soules For he onely doth truly enioy his soule that is his lyfe of which no man can be bereaued who will tollerate patiently all afflictions yea the very death of the body so that he sinneth not against God For although by dying he may seeme to loose lyfe yet he looseth it not but keeps and reserues it for all Eternity Since the death of the iust is not death but a sleep and a very short sleep But those who are impatient that so they loose not the lyfe of the Body feare not to sinne eyther by apostating and denying of Christ worshipping of Idols by becomming a prey to sensuality or by perpetrating any wickednes whatsoeuer these men seeme indeed for the time to preserue lyfe but they loose eternall lyfe both of Body and soule And as it is said of those who are truly patient Not one hayre of your head shall perish Luc. 25. So to the impatient it may be said not one member of your Body shal be free froÌ„ the incendious heats and burning of Hell To conclude this forsaid point the Apostle confirmeth saying Heb. 10 Patience is necessary for you that doing the will of God you may receaue the Promise Where we see that the Apostle plainly pronounceth that Patience is wholy necessary to vs that thereby we may alwayes do the Will of God and by doing it may receaue the Promise that is the Crowne of Glory which God hath promised for them that loue him and keep his Commandements Iac. 1. For we read Yf any loue me he will keep my Words He that loueth me not keepeth not my Words Ioan. 14. Thus vve obserue the whole Scripture cohering and agreing in it selfe to preach to all the faithfull the necessity of Patience And this is the Cause why Christ going out of this life would testify to all men his inuisible most bitter and most long suffering of thirst that we being moued with so great an Example should be inflamed to keep Patience in all our Afflictions That this thirst of Christ was a most vehement paine we haue aboue shewed in the explication of the word Sitio That it continued for a long tyme it may be easily made euident And that we may begin from the scourging of Christ when Christ was whipped he was then already spent and wearied through prolixity of Prayer through his Agony effusion of bloud in the garden Also he was much tired with iourneys which that night and the day following he made As from the Garden to
whereby was discouered the Sancta Sanctorum was a signe that through the merits of the death of Christ the Celestiall Sanctuary was to be opened and that all the Saints were after to be admitted to see the face of God Neither only in the signification of these Mysteries did Christ show his Wiâ—dome but also in that he did produce draw life from death in figure whereof Moyses caused water to flow out of a stone And Christ himselfe for the same Cause said he resembled a graine of wheate in that by dying he brought forth much fruite For as a graine of wheate by being corrupted doth bud forth an care of liuing Corne so Christ by dying vpon the Crosse enriched multitudes of NatioÌ„s with the life of Grace S. Peter most manifestly thus speaketh of Christ He swallowing death that we might be made heyres of life euerlasting 1. Pet. 3. As if he would haue said The First man swallovving the forbidden sweet apple condemned all his posterity to death But the second Man swallowing downe the bitter apple of death brought all those to eternâ—â—l life who were borne againe of him To conclude Christ manifested opened his Wisdome in dying because he made the Crosse then the vvhich nothing was before more despicable and contemptible most honourable and glorious so as euen Kings themselfes do account it an honour to signe their Foreheads therevvith Neither is the Crosse made only honourable but also svveet to the louers of Christ Whereupon the Church thus singeth Dulce lignum dulces clauos dulce pondus sustinuit The which very point S. Andrew demonstrated by his ovvne example when behoulding the Crosse vnto vvhich he was to be fastened said Salue Crux preciosa c. All haile O precious Crosse which hath receaued honour and beauty from the members of our Lord Thou art long desired and carefully sought after thou art loued without any intermission and comes prepared to a willing mind I approach to thee with security and ioy that thou exulting mayst receaue me being the disciple of my Maister Iesus Christ who did hang vpon thee Now what shall we speake of Charity The sentence of our Lord is this Greater Charity then this no man hath that a man yield his life for his friends Ioan. 15. This Christ performed vpon the Crosse since no man could against his Will depriue him of life For himselfe thus sayth hereof No man taketh my life from me but I yield it of my selfe Ioan. 10. Therefore as aboue is said no man hath greater Charity then he that yieldeth his life for his frieÌ„ds because nothing can be found more precious and to be beloued then Life it being the foundation of all goods For what doth it proffit a man sayth our Lord if he gaine the whole world and sustaine the domage of his soule that is of his lyfe And from hence it is that all things labour to resist with all their strength yea aboue their strength those who do endeauour to take away their lyfe And we read in Iob Skinne for skinne and all things which a man hath he will giue for his lyfe But these passages are generall vve vvill descend to particulars Christ did ineffably shew by many meanes to all mankind and to euery one of vs his Charity by dying vpon the Crosse First because his life vvas the most precious of all liues as being the lyfe of man vvho vvas God the lyfe of the most potent King of Kings the lyfe of the most wisest of all the Doctours Furthermore he gaue his lyfe for his Enemies for wicked men for vngratefull men Againe he laid dovvne his lyfe that he might deliuer these his Enemies wicked vngratefull men from the burnings and torments of Hell to the which they vvere alreadâ— condemned Lastly he gaue his lyfe that he might make these men to become his Brethren and Coheyres and moâ—â— happily place them in the kingdome of Heauen for all Eternity And is there any man of that flinty or sauage nature who from this tyme vvill not loue Christ Iesus with all his Harts and will not suffer any aduersity for his sake O mercifull God auert and turne such a stony and iron hart not only from our Brethren but from all men whosoeuer either Infidels or Atheists The second fruite of the seauenth Word CHAP. XXI AN other fruite and that most profitable is if we learne to vse frequently that prayer which our Lord taught vs when being ready to goe to his Father he said Into thy hads I commend my spirit But because he was not pressed and vrged with that Necessity with the which we are vrged since he was the Sonne and Holy we but seruants and sinners Therefore our Mother and Mistresse the Church instructeâ—h vs to fâ—equent and often vse it but as it is entire and whole in the Psalme of Dauid and not diuided as our Lord pronounced it In the Psalme it is thus read Into thy hands I commit my spirit Thou hast redeemed me O Lord God of Truth Psal 30. Christ did omit the later port because himselfe was the Redeemer and not the party redeemed but we who are redeemed with his most precious bloud ought not to pretermit this part of the Psalme Christ also prayed to his Father as his only begotten sonne We pray to Christ as our Redeemer therfore we say not Father into thy hands I commend my spirit But into thy haÌ„ds O Lord I commend my spirit thou hast redeemed me O Lord God of Truth According to which manner of speach S. Steuen the first Martyr being ready to dye said Lord Iesus receaue my spirit Act. 7. Furthermore our Mother the holy Church teacheth vs to say this Prayer at three seuerall tymes First euery day at the Complyme as those vvell knovv vvho read the Canonicall Howers Againe when we approach to the most holy Eucharist after those words are said Domine non sum dignus the Priest first for himselfe and after for the Communicants doth say In manus tuas commendo spiritum meum Lastly at our departure out of this lyfe all the faithfull are admonished that they say In manus tuas commâ—ndâ— spiritum meum As concerning the Complyme it is not to be doubted but that there is said In manus tuas Domine c. because the Complime is accustomed to be read tovvards the end of the day and as S. Basill speaketh Primis se intendentibus tenebris c. Assoone as darknes commeth because it may so fall out that in the night tyme vnexpectedly death may surprize vs therefore we commend our soule to our Lord that if so sudden death might happen to vs it might not happen to vs vnforseene in Reg. fusius explic q. 37. That at the tyme of receauing the most Blessed Eucharist is said In manus tuas commendo c. the reason is because that action is very dangerous and withall very necessary so as without perill it cannot often be
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
in want as standing in neede of being instructed hovv to loue out Enemies Which precept is far more difficult theÌ„ to know how to loue our friends or allies since this is most easy being after a sort begotten with vs and increaseth with vs and doth often preuaile more then reason requireth Therefore the Euangelist saith Iesus autem dicebat where the word autem designeth the time and occasion of praying for his Enemies and implyeth an Antithesis or opposition of words with words and vvorkes with workes As if the Euangelist would haue said They did crucify our Lord and deuided his garments in his ovvne sight and others derided traduced and defamed him as a seducer and Lyar. But he seing and hearing these passages and suffering most vehement paines by reason of his hands feete most cruelly pierced through vvith nailes did render good for euill and said Pater dimitte cis Father forgiue them He heere calleth him Father not God nor Lord as vvell knowing there vvas need of the benignity of a Father in this busines but not of the seuerity of a Iudge And because to appease God doubtlesly offended through such perpetrated impieties it was conuenient to interpose the comfortable Name of a Father Therefore that vvord Father seemeth thus much in this place to signify I am thy Sonne vvho now suffer I pardon them pardon them also O Father For my sake remit them this their offence though they do not deserue it Remember also that thou art a Father vnto them by Creation through the which thou hast made them to thy owne likenes and similitude therefore impart to them thy paternall Charâ—ty since though they be wicked yet are they thy sons Dimitte forgiue them This word comprehendeth the summe of the Petition vvhich the Sonne of God as an Aduocate for his Enemies doth exhibite to his Father Novv this VVord Forgiue may be referred both to the Punishment and to the offence Yf it be referred to the punishment then his prayer was presently heard because whereas the Ievves tâ—rough this vvicked Crime deserued to be instantly penished as either to be consumed vvith fire falling from Heauen or to be ouervvhelmed vvith Water or to perish through svvord and famine yet was the Punishment due for this offence and sinne prolonged and delayed for the space of forty yeares vvithâ—n vvhich compasse of time if that Nation had done Pennance it had remained safe and in security But because it neglected all performance of Pennance God did send against them the Army of the Romans Vespasian then being Emperour vvho ouerthrovving the chiefe Citty destroyed the Ievvish Nation partly through famine in beseiging the City partly in putting to the svvord many after the Citty vvas taken partly by selling and leading them Captiues and partly by dispersing and relegating them into seuerall Countries and Places VVhich very point first by the Parable of the Vine of the King causing a Mariage to be solemnized for his Sonne and of the barren and vnfruitfull fig tree and after in most exprâ—sse words our Lord vpon Palme-sunday by his owne weeping and lamentation did foretell Now so far as belongs to the fault and offence his prayer was also heard because through the merit and vertue of his Prayer Grace of Compunction was giuen to many from God Among whom those were Who returned knocking their breasts as also the Centurion who said In very deed this was the Sonne of God And many others more who after the preaching of the Apostles were conuerted and therevpon confessed him whom afore they had denied worshipped him whom they had despised The Reason why Grace of Conuersion was not giuen to all is because the Praâ—er of Christ was conformable to the VVisdome and Will of God VVhich point S. Luke writeth in other VVordâ— in the Acts of the Apostles c. 13. saying As many belieued as were preordinate to life euerlasting Illis them By this word those are vnderstood for whom Christ prayed that they might obtaine Pardon And truly they seeme to be the first who actually nayled Christ vnto the Crosse and who deuided his garments among themselues and then all those are vnderstood who were the Cause of our Lords Passion for example Pilat who pronounced sentence against Christ The People who cryed tolle tolle crucifige eum away away with him crucify him The chiefe of the Priests and the Scribes who falsly accused him And to ascend higher euen the First Man himselfe and all his Posterity who through sinne gaue occasion of Christ his Passion Therefore our Lord prayed for pardon from the Crosse for all his Enemies All of vs were in the number of his Enemies according to that of the Apostle Rom. 5. When we were Enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Sonne Therefore euery one of vs euen before we were borne are numbred in that most sacred Memento so to speake in the which Christ the supreme Bishopâ— prayed in that most holy Masse which he performed vpon the Altar of the Crosse VVhat retribution therefore O my Soule wilt thou giue to him for all those Benefits which he gaue to thee before thou hadst Being Our Blessed Lord did see that thou once wast in the number of his Enemies neuerthelesse he prayed to his Father for thee neither seeking after him nor desiring him so to pray that this thy madnes should not be imputed to thee Is it not then thy duty euer to haue euer imprinted in thy hart the remembrance of so benigne and louing a Patrone and not to let slip any occasion of seruing of him And is it not in like sort reasonable that thou as being instructed by so great an example shouldest not only learne to pardon thy enemies and to pray for them but also that thou shouldest perswade all others to do the same Say therefore O my Soule this is most iust and fitting and I do much couet and determine to accomplish the same and the rather seing he who hath left this most remarkable ExaÌ„ple is ready out of his goodnes to affoard his efficacious hand and help to the effecting of so great a VVorke Non enim sciunt quid faciunt For they know not what they do That this Intercession of Christ may seeme more reasonable he doth extenuate excuse the Offence of his Enemies in such sort as he can Certainly he could not excuse the Iniustice of Pilate neither the Cruelty of the souldiers nor the malice of the Chiefe of the Priests nor the foolishnes and vnthankfulnes of the Common People nor finally the false testimonies of those who swore against him Only this remained that he did excuse the Ignorance of them all For truly as the Apostle speaketh 1. Cor. 2. If they had knowne they neuer would haue crucified the Lord of glory But although neither Pilate nor the Chiefe Priests nor the People nor the Ministers of his Passion did know Christ to be the Lord of Glory yet did Pilate know that
his death he entred into the ioy of his Lord. From this then we may learne that no man ought to despaire of his Saluation seing this poore man who came into the Vineyard almost at the last hower receaued the revvard vvith those who came at the first Contrariwise the other Thiefe that humane infirmity might more appeare tooke no correption or admonishment from that notable Charity of Christ who prayed for his Crucifiers in so louing a manner neither from his owne proper punishment nor from the counsell and example of his fellow nor from the vnaccustomed darknes and cleauing of the stones nor from the Example of those who after Christ was dead returned back beating knocking their Breasts All vvhich things did fall out after the Conuersion of the good Thiefe that from thence we might be instructed that the one Thiefe without these helps could be conuerted the other with all the samâ— could not or rather would not But thou wilt heere demaund why God did inspire and giue the grace of Conuersion to the one Thiefe and did not inspire it to the other I answere that sufficient Grace vvas not wanting to either And if the one of them did perish he perished through his owne fault if the other vvas conuerted he was conuerted through the Grace of God but not without the cooperation of his owne free will But thou will reply Why did not God giue to both the Theeues that efficacious Grace which is not refused and reiected euen of hard and stony Harts This belongeth to the secrets of God the which it becommeth vs to admire but not to search into since it is sâ—fficient for vs to know that there is no Iniquity with God as the Apostle speaketh and that the Iudgments of God may be secret but iniust they cannot be as S. Austin teacheth It behoueth vs rather to learne from this proceeding of God not to deferre or prolong our Conuersion till the end of our Life Since though it happen to one man to find the Grace of God at the last hovver yet to another it falleth out to find Iudgment And iâ— any man will reuolue or looke ouer Histories and obserue the daily euents and chances he shall certainly find them to be very few vvho haue fortunatly and happily passed out of this World if so they liued wickedly throughout the vvhole course of their life but rather after their life negligently led haue bene sent to euerlasting Punishment As on the contrary most few can be numbred who haue liued piously and saintly and yet haue perished vnhappily and miserably but many may be rekoned who after a vertuous and godly life haue arriued to sempiternall ioyes Certainly they are ouer bold and ouer rash who in a matter so much importing to wit life Euerlasting or torments euerlasting dare defer to remaine in deadly and mortall sinne but one day since they may be receaued and depriued of this present life euery moment and that after death there is no more place left for Pennance and no Redemption in Hell Of the third fruite of the second Word CHAP. VII THe third fruit of the same Sentence of our Lord may be gathered from that if one will consider that ther were three Persons crucified in the same place at the same houre One that was Innocent to wit Christ an other Penitent the good Thiefe the third obstinate and obdurate in his sinnes the bad Thiefe Or otherwise we may say There were three Persons crucified at one time Christ who was euer excelleÌ„tly good One Thiefe euer notoriously wicked Another Thiefe who was sometimes wicked sometymes holy From this now vve may inferre that no man in this life can liue without his Crosse and that those labour in vaine vvho hope and endeauour to auoyde the same but those are wise who receaue their Crosse from â—he hand of our Lord do suffer the same euen till death not only patiâ—ntly but also resignedly and â—â—llingly That all good and Vertuous men are to haue their Crosses appeareth from those words of our Lord Math. 16. Yf any man will come after me let him deny himselfe and take vp his Crosse and follow me And in another place He that doth not beare his Crosse and come after me cannot be my Disciple Luc. 14. The which point the Apostle clearely teacheth saying 2. Tim 3. All who will liue godly in Christ Iesus shall suffer persecution To whom are concordant the holy Fathers both Latin and Greeke For greater breuity I will insist only in two S. Austin who writeth Vita ista c. This life is a litle Tribulation Yf it be not a tribulation it is not a peregrination but if it be a peregrination either thou litle louest thy Country or without doubt thou sufferest Tribulation in Psal 137. And the same Father in another place Si putas te c. If thou be persuaded that as yet thou hast suffered no tribulation then thou hast not begun to be a Christian in Psal 11. S. Iohn Chrysostome thus accordeth with the former Father A Christiani vita c. Tribulation is an indissoluble bond from the life of a Christian hom 67. ad Pop. And againe Non potest dicere c. Thou canst not alledge any one who is exempt from tribulation because he is Iust. hom 29. in Ep. ad Heb. To conclude the force of Reason manifestly euicteth this point Things coÌ„trary without a mutuall concertation and fight cannot stand togeather Fier and Water so long as they remayne in seuerall remote places rest quiet and without iarring But when they meet together then instantly the Water begins to euaporate and send forth smoke to leape as it were and to make a noyse vntill either the water be spent and consumed or the fire extinguished Ecclesiasticus sayth cap. 33. Contra malum bonum est contra mortem vira Sic contra virum iustum Peccator Against Euill is good against death Lyfe so also against â—â—iust man is a sinner Iust men are like to fire they shyne they burne they ascend high whatsoeuer they do they do it efficaciously vigorously and sparkily Buâ— the Iniust resemble Water they are could they â—â—de vpon the earth causing in euery place dirt filth What vvonder then is it if all good men do suffer persecution at the hands of the Wicked But because euen to the consummation of the World the wheate and the Darnell shall grow in the same fiâ—ld the chaffe and the Corne in the same Barne good and bad Fish in the same Net that is Vertuous wicked men not only in the same World but euen in the same Church therefore it cannot be otherwise but that vertuous and holy men shall receaue from the wicked and impious Iniuries and Tribulations But neither the wicked do liue in this world voyde and exempt from the Crosse For although they do not suffer persecution from the Iust yet they do suffer from other wicked men they suffer
a single and vnmaried life especially if they be Virgins as the B. Virgin the Mother of Christ and S. Iohn the Disciple of Christ and beloued of him aboue other in regard of his Virginity were these perfect Persons I say stand in great necessity of the aide and supportance of Christ crucified since such as are placed in a more eminent high degree ought greatly to feare the blasts of Pryde except they be founded and rooted lowly in Humility For although Christ did often shew himselfe to be a Maister of Humility as where he said Learne of me because I am meeke and humble of Hart Math. 11. As also in teaching vs To sit in the lowest place where he repeateth so often who so exalteth himselfe shal be humbled and who humbleth himselfe shal be exalted Luc. 18. Yet he neuer manifested himselfe to be a Maister of Humility in a more high degree then when he was seated in the Chayre of his Crosse Which point the Apostle will declared in those words He humbled himselfe made obedieÌ„t vnto death euen the death of the Crosse Phil. 2. For what greater humility could be imagined theÌ„ that he who was omnipotent should suffer himselfe to be bound nayled to the Crosse Or that he in whom are all the treasures of Wisdome and knowledge of God should be content to be reputed as one mâ—d or distracted by Herod and his army and through scorne to be cloathed with a whyte garment Or lastly that he who sitteth vpon the Cherubims should brooke himselfe to be crucified in the middst of theeues Truly who will seriously glasse himselfe in the mirrour of the Crosse will proue ouer indocible if he do not learne and confesse that as yet he is most farre from obtayning true Humility howsoeuer he may be thought to haue made some progresse aduancemeÌ„t therin Of the third fruite of the third Word CHAP. XI IN this third place we learne from the Chayre of the Crosse and from the words of Christ spoken to his Mother and his Disciple what is the duty of God Parents towards their Sâ—â—nes and reciprocally of good sonnes towards their Parents We will begin with the first Good Parents ought to loue their Sonnes yet to restraine and proportion their loue to them as that it may be no impediment to the Loue of the Parents towards God And this is that vvhich our Sauiour teacheth in the Gospell He that loueth his Sonne or his daughter more then me is not worthy of me Math. 10. This Precept the B. Virgin most precisely obserued For she stayed neere to the Crosse with great Griefe and with great Constancy Her Griefe did witnesse the extremity of her loue towards her Sonne hanging vpon the Crosse her Constancy did testify her great obseruance and duty towards God reigning in Heauen She did behould her innocent sonne with great anxiety and care of mind whom she so dearely loued suffering most bitter dolours and paines yet did she not labour either in words or action to hinder those his afflictions though she could because she did well know that her Sonne was to vndergoe all those torments by the defined Counsell prouidence of God the Father Loue is the Measure of Griefe therefore the Mother did much lament to behould her sonne to be so cruciated and afflicted since she loued him much And how could it otherwise be but that the Virgin the mother of Christ should most ardently loue her sonne since she was well priuy that her sonne did exceede all the sonnes of men in euery degree of Prayse and that her sonne was in a more strict bond to her and did more nearely belong to her then any other sonnes do belong vnto their Mothers The reason why Women do loue their sonnes is accustomed to be twofold The one is in that they bare and brought their sonnes forth into the World The other in that the sonnes become famous for their deportment and good deserts For otherwise there are not Mothers wanting who do but litle loue or rather hate their sonns if either they be of any deformity in body or do proue wicked or vngratefull and vnnaturali towards their Parents Now the B. Virgin the mother of Christ loued her Sonne for both these respects in a more intense and high degree then any other Mother euer loued her sonne For first Other women alone do not generate children but in the generation of them they haue their husband for their Companion in that Act. But the Blessed Virgin alone did generate her sonne Since a Virgin did beget and a Virgin did bring forth And as Christ our Lord in his diuine generation had a Father without a Mother so in his humane generation he had a Mother without a Father And although it may be truly said that Christ was conceaued of the Holy Ghost yet the Holy Ghost is not the Father of Christ but the Effectour and maker of the Body of Christ Neither did the Holy Ghost frame the body of Christ of his owne proper substanee which peculiarly belongeth to a Father but he formed it of the most pure bloud of the Virgin Therefore the most Holy Virgin alone without the company of a Father did beget and bring forth her Sonne And she alone doth challenge her Sonne as whole to herselfe and thereupon did more loue him then any other Mother euer loued her Ospring Novv so far forth as belongeth to the second Reason The sonne of the Blessed Virgin was and is specious and beautifull aboue the sonnes of men and doth excell both men and Angels in all manner of prayse Therefore it followeth that the Blessed Virgin who loued her Sonne aboue all others did also condole and deplore his death passion more then all others This point is so vndeniable as that S. Bernard is not afraid to say that the Griefe of the B. Virgin conceaued touching the Passion of her SoÌ„ne might be called the Martyrdome of her Hart according to that of S. Simeon Thy owne soule shall a sword pierce And because the martyrdome of the Hart seemeth more intollerable then the martyrdome of the Body S. Anselme writeth that the dolours of the B. Virgin were more sharpe and insufferable then any corporall martyrdome Certainly our Sauiour when praying in the garden of Gethsemani he suffered his hart to be martyred and strongly apprehending all the paines and torments which the next day he was to vndergoe and withall giuing as it were the reines and liberty to griefe and feare began so vehemently to be cruciated and afflicted as that a bloudy sweat distilled from his whole Body The which is not read to haue fallen out in his corporall Passion Therfore the B Virgin doubtlesly suffered most bitter paine and acerbity of affliction through the sword of Dolour penetrating her soule And yet in that she was most willing that the honour and glory of God should ouer weigh the loue which she did beare to the flesh of Christ therefore
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
himselfe to be a Maister thereof in plaine and direct Words saying Learne of me because I am meeke and humble of Hart. Math. 11. But he neuer more perspicuously and clearely did commend this Vertue vnto vs and withall Patience which cannot be disioyned from Humility then when he said My God my God why hast thou forsaken me For in these words Christ sheweth that through the permission and sufferance of God all his glory and excellency in the sight of men was wholy obscured the which point also that darkenes or Eclyps did demonstrate Now our Lord could â—ot without wonderfull Humility and Patience tollerate so great an obscuration The glory of Christ of which S. Iohn speaketh in the beginning of the Gospell when he sayth We saw the glory of him glory as it were of the only begotten of his Father full of grace and Verity Ioan. 1. was placed in the Power Wisdome Probity Princely Maiesty Beatitude of the soule and in the Diuine Dignity which he had as he was the true and naturall Sonne of God All this glory his Passion did cloud and obscure and the darkning thereof those words do plainly signify My God my God why hast thou forsaken me The passion did obscure his Power because being nayled to the Crosse he seemed to be of no power or ability and therefore the chiefe Priests souldiers and the Thiefe did exprobate to him his impotency and weakenes saying Yf thou be Christ come downe from the Crosse c. And againe He saued others himselfe he cannot saue Now how great Patience how great Humility was required that he who was truly Omnipotent should be wholy silent to such vpbraydings The Passion did darken his Wisdomâ— when before the chiefest of the Priests before Herod before Pilate he answered nothing to many Interrogatories and Questions as if he had bene depriued of iudgment by which his silence it was occasioned that Herod his Company contemned him and cloathed him in a white vestment by way of derision How great Patience how great Humility was heer also required for him to tolerate these indignities who was not only wiser then Salomon but was the very Wisdome of God His probity and Innocency of life the Passion obscured who being crucified vpon the Crosse did hang betweene two thiefes and was reputed a seducer of the People and Vsurper of an other mans kingdome And the splendour of this his Innocency that dereliction of God which himselfe confessed saying Why hast thou forsaken me might well seeme more more to obscure Since God is accustomed to forsake not pious men but such as be wicked Certainly haughty and proud men are very cautelous to speake any thing wherby those who heare them may suspect that they confesse any thing against their owne Worth but humble and patient men of which sort Christ was the King willingly take bould of all occasion of Humility and Patience so as they speake nothing which is false How great Humility how great Patience here againe is required of him to suffer these things of whom the Apostle thus speaketh It was fit that we should haue such a Priest holy innocent impolluted separated from sinners made higher then the Heauens Heb. 7. Furthermore the Passion did so obscure the Regall Maiesty of Christ as that it gaue to him for a goulden diademe a Crovvne of thornes for a Tribunall a gibbet for Princely attendance two Thieues Therefore I say againe How great Humility how great Patience was necessary for him who vvas truly the king of Kings the Lord of Lords and the Prince of the kings of the Earth Now vvhat shall I say of the Beatitude of the soule which Christ truly had from his Conception And the vvhich he was bâ—th of povver and of Will to transfuse into the Body How vehemently did the Passion darken this glory since it made Christ A man of sorrowes and knowing infirmity despised and the most abiect of men Isa 53. and caused him through the acerbity of his sufferings to crye out My God why hast thou forsaken me To conclude the Passion did so ouercloud the dignity of his diuine Person as that he vvho sitteth aboue all not only men but Angels in regard of his Passion said I am a worme and no man A reproach of men and the outcast of the People Psal 21. To this lowest place therefore Christ did descend in his Passion but this his descending was accompanied with great merit and exaltation For what our Lord did often promise in words saying Euery one that humbleth himselfe shal be exalted the same was performed in his Person as the Apostle witnesseth He humbled himselfe made obedient vnto death euen the death of the Crosse for the which thing God hath also exalted him and hath giuen him a Name which is aboue all Names That in the name of Iesus euery knee bow of the Celestials terrestrials and Infernals Phil. 2. Therefore he who was the last is pronounced and declared to be the first and a most short Humiliation resolued into an euâ—râ—aâ—ting Exaltation The which change we also find to haue happened to all the Apostles and to all Saints For S. Paul wâ—iteth that the Apostles were The refuse of the World and the drosse of all meaning most base vile things which are cast out by euery one and betrampled vpon This was the Humility of the Apostles But what was their Exaltation S. Iohn Chrysostome teacheth hom 32. in Ep. ad Rom. and sheweth it when he sayth that the Apostles are now in Heauen and do assist neere to the Throne of Christ where the Cherubims do glorify Christ where the Seraphims do fly that is they haue their place with the chiefest Princes of the kingdome of Heauen from whence they shall neuer fall or depart Certainly if men would attentiuely consider and ruminate how honourable a thing it is to imitate the Humility of the sonne of God heere vpon the Earth and with all would make to themselues some coÌ„iâ—cture how great that exaâ—tation is to the which humility it selfe adâ—anceth them we should find very few proud men But because most men do measure all things by the false yard of the senses of the flesh humane cogitation therefore it is no wonder if Humility can so hardly be found vpon the Earth and that the Multitude of proud men be infinite The fifth Word Sitio I thirst is explicated according to the Letter CHAP. VII THe fifth Word followeth which we read in S. Iohn And indeed it is but one Word to wit Sitio I thirst But that it should be truly according to the present purpose vnderstood it is needfull to adde the words of the Euangelist both going before and after For thus S. Iohn speaketh Postea sciens Iesus c. Afterward Iesus knowing that all things were now consummate that the Scriptures might be fulfilled he sayth I thirst A Vessel therefore stood there full of Vineger they putting a sponge full of Vineger
God which spirit turneth a sensuall man into a spirituall And it is not sufficient to demand or pray for this wisdome once or twyce and coldly but we ought euen to besiege the eares of God with our incessant petitions and inutterable lamentations For if a Carnall Father be not accustomed to deny his little child moaning and asking some bread How much more sayth our Lord will your Father from Heauen giue the good spirit to them that aske him Luc. 11. The sixt Word Consummatum est It is consummate Ioan. 15. literally expounded CHAP. XII THe sixt VVord pronounced by our Lord vpon the Crosse is related by the foresaid S. Iohn as almost conioyned with the fifth For presently after our Lord had said I thirst had tasted vinegre brought vnto him S. Iohn thus addeth When Iesus therefore had taken the Vinegre he said It is consummate Io. 19. And truly according to the letter the word Consummatum est signifieth nothing but that the worke of Christs Passion was then consummate perfected and ended For two works or labours the Father did enioyne vpon his Sonne One was the preaching of the Gospell The other his suffering for mankind Of the first Worke our Lord did spake in S. Iohn c. 17. I haue consummated the worke which thou gauest me to doe I haue manifested thy name to men This our Lord spake after his last and longest Sermon made to his Disciples after his last supper Thus he had finished then his first VVorke imposed by his Father The second VVorke concerned his drinking the Cupp of his Passion of which himselfe sayth Can you drinke of the Cup which I shall drinke of Matth. 20. and againe O Father if it be possible let this Cup passe from me Matth. 26. and yet more The Cup which my Father hath giuen me shall I not drinke it Io. 18. Therefore of this worke of his Passion our Lord being most neare to his death said Consummatum est It is consummate and finished I haue drunke vp this whole cup euen to the dregs nothing is now remaining but to depart out of this life And so bowing his head he gaue vp the Ghost Ioan. 19. But because neyther our Lord himselfe nor S. Iohn as affecting breuity did explaine and set downe what that was which was consumate and finished occasion thereby is giuen to vs to apply that consummatum est to diuers mysteries and this not without iust reason and fruite First then S. Austin referreth the word consummatum est to the fullfilling of the Prophecies which were deliuered of our Sauiour for thus he writeth in Comment huius loci Our Lord knowing that all things were consummate that the Scripture should be consummated accomplished said I thrist And taking the vinegre he said It is consummate That is that is now fullfilled which did remaine to be fullfilled From whence we gather that our Lords meaning was that all those things are now coÌ„summate and finished which the Prophets had foretould of his lyfe and death For example His Conception in those words Behould a virgin shall coÌ„ceaue Isa 7. His Natiuity in Bethleem And thou Bethleem the land of Iuda out of thee shal come forth my Captaine which shall rule my People of Israel Micheas 5. The ApparitioÌ„ of the new Star A starre shall rise out of Iuda Num. 2â— The adoration of the Kings The Kings of Tharsis and the Ilands shall offer presents Psal 71. The Preaching of the Ghospell The Spirit of the Lord is vpon me to preach to the poore he sent me Isa 61. Christ Miracles Isa 35. God himselfe will come and saue vs then shall the eyes of the blind be opened and the eares of the deafe opened then shall the lame leape as an Hart and the tongue of the dumbe shal be opened His riding vpon an Asse or coult of an Asse Zach. 9. Behould thy king will come to thee the Iust and Sauiour himselfe poore and riding vpon an Asse and vpon a Colt the fole of an Asse To conclude the Scene of his whole Passion by parts is described by Dauid in his Psalms by Esay Ieremy Zachary and others as abouesayd And this is that which our Lord going towards his Passion said Behould we go vp to Ierusalem and all things shal be consummate which were written by the Prophets of the Sonne of Man Luc. 18. Of those things therefore which were to be consummate our Lord now sayth consummatum est that is to say all is now consummate and finished which the Prophets foretould of me that so they may be fouÌ„d to be true Prophets Furthermore according to the sentence of S. Iohn Chrysostome the vvord consummatum est signifieth that all the power permitted to men and the Deuils against Christ was consummated and ended in the Passion of Christ of which povver Christ himselfe spake to the chiefe of the Pharisees Priests or Officers of the Temple This is your hower and the power of darknes Luc. 22. Therfore this hower and whole tyme during the which God permitting the wicked had power ouer Christ was ended when our Lord said Consummatum est For then the peregrination of the Sonne of God among men receaued its end which peregrination Baruâ—h the Prophet foretould when he said cap. 3. This is our God and there shall none other be â—steemed against him He found out all the way of discipline and deliuered it to Iacob his seruant and to Israel his beloued After these things he was seene vpon the Earth and was conuersant with men And the Condition of his mortall life according to which he was hungry did thirst did sleepe was spent out with iniuries whipping wounds and subiect to death did take its end together with his peregrinatioÌ„ Therefore when Christ said vpon the Crosse consumutatum est these words imply that that iourney was finished of which he faith in another place I came forth from the Father came into the world againe I leaue the world and go to the Father Iob. 16. That laborious and painefull peregrinatioÌ„ is finished of which Ieremy speaketh cap. 14. O expectation of Israel the Sauiour thereof in the time of tribulation why wilt thou be a seiourner in the Land a wayfaring man turning in to lodge The mortality of Christs humanity is consummate and ended the power of all his Enemies agaâ—nst him is consummate finally the sacrifice greatst of al sacrifices is consuÌ„mate to which all the Sacrifices of the old Law as being but types shadowes had necessary relation as to a true and solid sacrifice For thus S. Leo speaketh Serm. 8. de pass Dom. Traxisti Domine omnia ad te c. O Lord thou hast drawne all things to thee because the veyle of the Temple being cut a sunder the Holy of Holyes departed from the vnworthy Priests that so the figure might bâ— turned into the Truth Prophecy into manifestation or clearenes and the Law into the Ghospell And a litle after Now the variety
of Carnall Sacrifices ceasing one Oblation of thy Body and Bloud doth fill vp and include all the differences of hoasts Thus he For in this Sacrifice the Priest vvas God and man the Altar the Crosse The sacrifice the LaÌ„be of God the fire of the Holocaust Charity the fruite of the sacrifice the Redemption of the World I say the Priest was God as man then whome not any can be imagined to be greater Thou art a priest for euer according to the Order of Melchisedech Psal 109. And trulâ— according to the Order of Melchisedech for Melchisedech is read in the Scripture so be vvithout Father without mother without genealogy Christ vvas without Father vpon earth without Mother in Heauen without Genealogy For who shall shew his generation He was be gotten before the Day-star and his comming forth from the beginning from the dayes of Eternity Mich. 5. The Altar of this great Sacrifice was as aboue I said the Crosse the vvhich by hovv much it was more vile and base before Christ vvas crucified thereon by so much it was after made more illustrious and more ennobled and in the last day it shall appeare in Heauen more bright and shyning then the sunne For the Church interpreteth that of the Crosse which is said in the Gospell Matth. 24. Then shall the signe of the sonne of man appeare in Heauen In like sort the Church thus singeth This signe shal be in Heauen when our Lord shall come to iudge The which point is also confirmed by S. Chrysostome who further affirmeth that vvhen the sunne shal be obscured and the Moone not giue her light then shall the Crosse be more splendid and radiant then the Sunne Furthermore the Sacrifice shal be the Lambe of God altogether innocent and immaculate of whom Esay thus speaketh cap. 55. Euen as a sheepe to the slaughter shall he be led and as a lambe before his shearer he shal be dumbe and shall not open his mouth And the Forerunner of our Lord sayth Behould the Lambe of God behould who taketh away the sinnes of the World Ioan. 1. And the Apostle S. Peter Not with corruptible things gould or siluer are you redeemed but with the precious bloud of an immaculate and vnspotted Lambe Christ Who also is called in the Apocalyps cap. 13. The Lambe slaine from the beginning of the World Because his Price being foreseene of God did profit those who vvent before the times of Christ The fyar burning the Holocaust and perfecting the Sacrifice is Charity in a high degree being as it were a furnace set on fire vvhich did burne in the hart of the Sonne of God vvhich fire many waters of his Passion vvere not able to extinguish To conclude the fruite of this Sacrifice vvas the expiation of all the sinnes of the Sonnes of Adam and the reconciliation of the whole World For thus S. Iohn speaketh 1. Ioan. 2. He is the propitiation for our sinnes and not for ours only but also for the whole World Which very thing is signified by the words of S Iohn Baptist Agnus Dei Ecce qui tollit peccata mundi But heere ariseth a doubt vvhich is Hovv could Christ be both Priest Sacrifice since it is the function of the Priest to slaughter that vvhich is to be sacrifized But Christ did not slay himselfe neither could he lawfully so doe since then he should haue rather perpetrated sacriledge then offered vp Sacrifice It is true that Christ did not slay himselfe neuerthelesse he truly offered vp sacrifice because willingly and freely he offered himselfe to be slaine for the glory of God and expiation of sinne For neither could the souldiers other Ministers haue euer apprehended and taken him neither could the nayles haue pierced his hands and feete nor death could haue seized vpon him though fastened to the Crosse except himselfe had bene willing thereto Therefore Esay most truly sayrh He was offered because himselfe would And our Lord himselfe sayth Io. 10. I yield my lyfe no man taketh it away from me but I yield my selfe And the Apostle S. Paul most euidently Christ loued vs and deliuered himselfe for vs an oblation and host to God in an odour of sweetnes Eph. 3. Now what euill or sinne or rather atrocity vvas in the Passion of Christ all that belonged to Iudas the Iewes to Pilate and the souldiers for these men did not offer vp Sacrifice but did commit must horrible sacriledge deseruing the name not of Priests but of sacrilegious Persons But vvhat in the same Passion was good religious and pious streamed from Christ who out of the affluency and abundance of his Charity offered himselfe as a Sacrifice to God not in slaying himselfe but in tollerating most patieÌ„tly death to wit the death of the Crosse and this to the end he might appease the wrath of God reconcile the vvorld to God satisfy the diuine Iustice that so mankind should not perish Which point S. Leo expresseth in most few words saying He suffered at the hands of furious men who whiles they were busied about their wickednes they became seruiceable to our Redeemer Fourthly a Great War betweene Christ and the Prince of this world iâ— consummate and finished in the death of Christ of which warre our Lord thus speaketh in Iohn cap. 12. Now is the iudgment of the world now thâ— Prince of this World shal be cast forth And when I shall be exalted from thâ— Earth I will draw all things to mâ— selfe This warre was iudiciall not military It is like to the war of those who contend in Suites and Causes noâ— of souldiers who fight in the field Foâ— the Deuill did contend with the Sonne of God touching the possession of the World that is of mankind The deuill for a long tyme had intruded himselfe into the Possession of the World because he had ouercome the first man and had made him with all his ospring his seruant or bondslaue Therefore S. Paul himselfe calleth the Deuils the Princes and Potentates of this VVorld and the Gouernours of this darknes Eph. 6. And Christ himselfe as aboue we haue shewed calleth the Deuill the Prince of this World The Deuill would not be content to be â—eputed the Prince of the world but also to be accounted a God according to that in the Psalmes The diuels are the Gods of the Gentils Psal 95. For the diuell was commonly adored by the Gentils in engrauen Idols was worshipped with the sacrifice of Rams and Calfes Now on the other syde the Sonne of God as lawful heere of all things did challenge to himselfe the principality of the world Therfore this warre was in the end consummate and ended vpon the Crosse and the seâ—te nâ—â— was giuen in behalfe of our Lord Iesus-Christ because our Lord had most abondantly satisfyed the diuine Iustice vpon the Crosse for the offence of the first Man and of all the faithfull For the Obedience exhibited to God by the Sonne was greater then the
Schooles of this world neuertheles if a man would in soule goe out of this world and vse a serious introuersion vpon himselfe and say to himselfe I will heare what our Lord God will speake in me Psal 84. And withall would with humble prayer and lamentation beate at the Fares of our Heauenly Maister who is both the Text and the Comment he then would not with difficulty vnderstand the Truth and the Truth would free him from all errours so as that should not seeme hard to him which afore seemed impossible Of the third fruite of the sixt Word CHAP. XV. NOw the third fruite which we may gather from the sixt woads is that our selfs may learne as being spirituall Priests to offer to God spirituall Hoasts as S. Peter speaketh 1. Pet. 3. Or as the Apostle S. Paul teacheth vs To exhite our Bodies a liuing Hoast holy pleasing God our reasonable seruice For if those words consummatum est did signify that the sacrifice of the Chiefe Priest was perfected vpon the Crosse then it is iust that the disciples of him that was crucifyed as coueting to imitate their maister to their small hability should also offer vp sacrifice to God And certainly the Apostle S. Peter teacheth that all Christians are Priests meaning not such as those are who are created by Bishops in the Catholicke Church to offer vp the Sacrifice of the Body of Christ but spirituall Priests that is as himselfe expoundeth to offer vp spirituall Hoasts not Hoasts properly called such as were in the Old Testament as sheep oxen turtles doues and in the new Testament the Body of Christ in the Eucharist buâ— mysticall Hoasts which may be exhibited by all men as Prayers laudes good workes fasting Almesdeedâ— c. Of which S. Paul thus speaketh Heb. 13. By him therefore let vi offer alwaies the Hoast of prayer to God thaâ— is to say the fruite of the lips confessinâ— his Name But the same Apostle teacheth vs in his Epistle to the Romans most accurately to offer a mysticall sacrifice to God euen from the consideration of our Bodies for there were foure lawes or necessary conditions of Sacrifices The first that an Hoast be present in the sacrifice that is a thing dedicated to God the which was impiety to conuert to any prophane vse Another was that it should be a liuing thing as a sheep a Goate a Calfe The third that it should be holy that is cleane for among the Hebrews some were accounted cleane Creatures others vncleane The cleane liuing Creatures were sheep Oxen Goates Turtles sparrowes doues and the rest were taken as impure and vncleane as Horses Lions Foxes Birds liuing by pray Crowes and the like The fourth that the Hoast should be enkindled and set on fire that so it might send forth an odour of sweetnes And all these the Apostle doth reckon when he saith I beseech you exhibit your bodies a liuing Hoast holy pleasing God then addeth your reasonable seruice to the end we may vnderstand him not to counsell vs to a sacrifice properly called as if he did meane that our Bodies like vnto sheep sacrificed should be truly slaine and burned but to exhort vs to a mysticall sacrifice and rationall to a sacrifice only by resemblance not proper spirituall not corporall Therefore the Apostle persuadeth vs that as Christ for our health did offer vp the Sacrifice of his owne Body vpon the Crosse by a true and reall death so ought we to offer vp our Bodies to his honour as a certaine Hoast liuing holy and perfect and therin pleasing to God the which Hoast after a certaine spirituall manner may be said to be slaine burned Let vs explicate in order the seuerall conditions First our Bodies ought to be Hoasts that is things consecrated to God the which not as our own but as the things of God we are to vse to the glory of God to whome we are consecrated by Baptisme and vvho bought vs vvith a great price as the same Apostle saith 1. Cor. 6. Neyther ought vve to be an Hoast of God but vvithall a liuing Hoast through the lyfe of grace and the Holy Ghost For those men vvho are dead through sinne are not the Hoasts of God but of the Deuill who mortifieth their soules and much glorieth therein But our God who euer liueth and is the fountaine of life will not haue stinking Carcasses to be offered to him which are profitable for nothing but to be cast out to the Beasts Therefore it is necessary that we conserue the life of the soule with all diligence that by this meanes we may exhibit to our Lord our Reasonable Seruice Neither is it required only that the Hoast be liuing but also it must be holy as the Apostle sayth liuing holy The Hoast is said to be holy when it is offered of cleane liuing Creatures not of vncleane Now the cleane Creatures which are foure footed as aboue we said were sheepe Goates Oxen of Birds Turtles sparrowes Doues The first sort of these liuing Creatures do figure out an Actiue life the second a Contemplatiue Therefore those men who do lead an Actiue life among the faythfull if so they will exhibit themselues a holy sacrifice or Hoast to God they ought to imitate the simplicity and gentlenes of the Lambe which is ignorant how to hurt its fellow In like sort they are to imitate the labours paines of the Oxe which is not idle nor wandreth here and there but bearing his yoake and drawing after him the plow laboreth continually in tilling the ground To conâ—lude the promptitude and agility of the Goate in clym ng of mountaines and the shâ—rpnes of eyes in behoulding things a far of Neither those men who lead an Actiue life in the Church of God ought to content themselues with meeknes and iust labours but it behoueth them also by their often iterated and multiplied prayers to ascend high and to fixe their eyes vpon those things which be aboue For how shall they refer their works to the glory of God and send vp the incense of their sacrifice if seldome or neuer they thinke on God If through Contemplation they do not burne in loue towards him For the Actiue life of Christians ought not to be wholy disioyned and separated from the Contemplatiue life nor the Contemplatiue from the Actiue as presently hereafter we will shew Therefore those men who do not imitate Sheepe Oxen Goates Doues and the like which are daily seruiceable and profitable to their owner or maister but pursue hunt after temporall benefits these men cannot offer vp to God a holy Hoast but they beare themselues like to rauâ—nous Beasts feeâ—ing vpon flesh as VVolues Dogs Beares Gleads Vulturs Crowes who pamper their Bellyes follow that Lyon which roaring goeth about seeking whom he may deuoure 1. Pet. 3. Noâ— Christian men who haue chosen to themselues a Contemplatiue life and who endeauour to exhibit to God a liuing and holy Sacrifice are to imitate
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
Apostle In all those things we ouercome for his sake who loued vs. Moreouer all men ought and may consider who cannot depose and lay aside their Crosse without sinne not so much the present labour as the future reward which doubtlesly doth surmount all labour and griefe of this present life the Apostle saying Rom. 8. The sufferings of this time are not condigne to the glory to come that shal be reuealed in vs. Who speaking of Moyses in an other place thus writeth Moyses esteemed the reproach of Christ greater riches then the treasure of the Egyptians for he looked into the remuneration Hebr. 11. To conclude we may produce for the comfort of those men who are constrained to vndergoe a heauy Crosse for a long tyme the example of two men who did lose their perseuerance and thereupon did fynd incomparably a farre greater Crosse Iudas the Betrayer of Christ when he reflected vpon himselfe did detest his sinne of Treachery and not enduring the confusion and shame which he must suffer if he would conuerse with the Apostles and Disciples did hang himselfe So as he changed only but auoyded not the Crosse of the Confusion which he did flie Since greater Confusion shall follow him at the day of iudgment in the presence sight of all the Angels and of men when he shal be declared to be not only the Betrayer of Christ but withall his owne Homicide or Butcher And how great blindnes then was it in him to auoyde a small confusion among a few persons who being the Disciples of Christ were mild and gentle who euer would haue beene ready to exhort him to hope well of the Mercy of the Sauiour of the world but not to auoyde the infamy and confusion of his betraying of Christ hanging himselfe in the Theater and eye of all men and Angels The second example may be taken out of the Oration of S. Basill in 40. Mart. The summe whereof is this In the persecution of Licinius the Emperour foâ—rty souldiers being resolued to continue in the Fayth of Christ were condemned that openly in the ayre without any shelter in a most cold tyme and place they should spend the whole â—ight and so through a most long and sharp Martyrdome should perish through cold and frost There was prepared neere vnto the place when they were a hoat comfortable Bath to receaue such of the souldiers as would deny their Fayth Of the whole number of the souldiers thirty and nyne setting before their eyes not so much the present punishment of being frozen to death which would in a short tyme be ended as the Eternity of glory and happines perseuered in their Fayth receaued from the hands and bounty of our Lord most glorious Crownes Our souldier who had his mind fixed only vpon the present torment could not perseuere in his Christian fayth did thereupon leape into the warme Bath But he had no sooner gotten thereinto but that seuerall parts of his flesh being already congealed did fall asunder and the poore wretch breathed out his Soule and as denier of Christ descended into Hell and to perpetuall torments Thus he flying death he found death and changed a short and light Crosse or tribulation for an euerlasting and most grieuous Crosse Now all those do imitate these two most vnhappy men who do forsake the Crosse of a religious Course of life who do cast off a sweet yoake and easy burden and when they least thinke therof they do find themselfes to be tyed to a farre more grieuous yoake of diuers Concupiscences and Passions which they can neuer satisfy and thus being pressed downe with the most heauy weight of their sinnes they are not able to breath or take wynd The like reason is of all those who refuse to beare their Crosse with Christ and yet through sinning are forced to beare a far more grieuous Crosse with the Deuill The seauenth Word to wit Pater in manus tuas commendo Spiritum meum Father into thy hands I commend my Spirit Luke 23. is litterally explained CHAP. XIX VVE are now come the last Word or Sentence of Christ which being ready to dye vpon the Crosse he spake not without great clamour saying Pater in manus tuas coÌ„mendo spiritum meuÌ„ Father into thy hands I commend my spirit We will explicate in order euery word Pater he deseruedly calleth him Father because himselfe was an obedient Sonne to him euen to death and therefore most worthy that he should be heard In manus tuas into thy Hands The Hands of God in the Scriptures are said to be his Intelligence and Will or VVisdome and Power Or which is coincident herewith the Vnderstanding of God knowing all things and his Will being able to performe or do all thinks For with these two God as not wanting Instruments otherwise doth all things because as S. Leo speaketh In Deo Voluntas Potentia est In God his Will is his Power Serm. 2 de Natiu Therfore with God to will a thing is to doe a thing according to that He hath done all things whatsoeuer he would Psal 113. Commendo That is I do commend or deliuer vp in pledge that it may be restored with trust when the tyme of restitution shall come Spiritum meum Touching this word how it is here to be taken there is no small Controuersy The word Spiritus is accustomed to be taken for the Soule vvhich is the substantiall forme of the Body as also it is taken for life it selfe and the reason hereof is because breathing is a signe of lyfe and who do breath do liue and who cease to breath do dye And certainly if by the word Spirit vve vnderstand in this place the Soule of Christ we are to take heed that no man should imagine there were any danger for that soule to goe out of its body As when other men are in dying their soule is accustomed to be commended to God through many Prayers and great Care in that it goeth to the Tribunall of the Iudge ready to receaue for its good or wicked works Glory or Punishment Such a Commendation as this the soule of Christ did not need both in that it was blessed from the beginning of its Creation as also because it was ioyned in Person with the Sonne of God and might be called the Soule of God and lastly by reason as victorious and triumphing it went out of its Body and was a terrour to all the Deuills but they could be no terrour to it Therefore if the Spirit be taken in this place for the Soule then these words of our Lord Commendo spiritum meum do signify that the Soule of Christ which vvas in its Body as in a Tabernacle was to be in the hands of the Father as in deposito vntill it did returne to the Body according to that Sap. 3. The soules of the Iust are in the hands of God But it is much more credible that by the word Spirit
frequented or intermitted For he that eateth the Body of our Lord vnworthily eateth iudgment to himselfe 1. Cor. 11. That is he eateth condemnation to himselfe And againe He that eateth not the body of our Lord eateth not the bread of lyfe and life it selfe Ioan. 9. Thus vve are brought to straits on ech syde being partly like to those men who suffer extremity of hunger and yet are vncertaine whether that which is brought to them to eate be meate or poyson Therefore with iust reason we say with feare and trembling O Lord I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter into my house except out of thy ineffable goodnes thou wilt make me worthy therefore say the word and my soule shal be healed But because of this I also doubt whether thou wilt vouchsafe to cure my wounds I commend my spirit into thy hands that so in this terrible busines thou mayst be present to my soule which thou hast redeemed with thy precious Bloud Yf men would ponder these things maturely they would not so greedily approach to receaue Priesthood that by daily celebrating they might maintaine their corporal state For such men are not accustomed to be much carefull as they ought to be whether they come with due preparation since their End is rather the meate of the Body then the meate of the Soule There are also many who attend vpon Prelats and Princes who perhaps do not come rightly prepared to this dreadfull table yet they approach to it as drawne through a humane feare least they may displease their Prince or Prelate if at the appointed and accustomed tyme they be not presenâ— among and one of those who are tâ— communicate What â—herefore is to be done It may be it were more profitable to come to that table more rarely Yea but it is more profitable often to frequent that table so it be with reuerence due preparation For by how much one commeth more rarely by so much he is made lesse apt to participate of that Heauenly Table as S. Cyril hath wisely admonished lib. 4. in Ioan c. 17. There now remaineth the tyme of neare approaching or imminent death at what time it is necessary with great feruour of mind frequently and often to repeate and say Into thy haÌ„ds I commend my Spirit thou hast redemed me O Lord God of truth That is the tyme in which the chiefest busines of all is haÌ„dled for if it should so happen that the soule departing out of the Body commeth into the hands of the Deuill there is no hope left of Saluation And contrariwise if it haue its passage to the paternall Hands of God no povver of mans Ghostly Enemy is after to be feared Therefore with an inutterable moaning vvith true and perfect Contrition with a strong fayth and confidence in the infinite mercy of God it is againe and againe to be iterated and repeated Into thy hands O Lord I commend my spirit And because at that instant of tyme those vvho haue led a negligent and carelesse life do suffer no greater temptation then of despayre as if the tyme of Pennance and repeÌ„tance were then past Let such oppose against this temptation the buckler of Fayth since it is written In what day soeuer the sinner shall repent I will not remember his sinnes Ezech. 33. Let them also take the Helmet of Hope which trusteth in the boundles Mercy of God and let them often repeate Into thy hands I commend my spirit neither is that reason which is the foundation of our Hope to be omitted to wit Because thou hast redeemed me O Lord God of Truth For who vvill restore to Christ his innoceÌ„t bloud who vvill repay backe to him the price with which he bought vs For so S. Austin speaketh teaching vs in those words to confide much in our Redemption which is in Iesus Christ which cannot be in vayne and fruitles except our selues do put a barre or hindrance therto through Impenitency or Desperation The third fruite of the seauenth Word CHAP. XXII THe third fruit is placed in that we may learne that death neare approaching we are not much to confide in the Almes-deeds Fastings or the prayers of our kinred friends For there are many vvho during the vvhole course of their lyfe are wholy forgetfull of their soule busiyng their mynds with nothing els but how to leaue their wife children and Kâ—nsfolks rich of great estate But when themselfes come to dye then not before they begin to thinke of their ovvne soule And because they haue distributed and deuided their goods faculties among their forsaid friends they commend the charge of their soules to them that by their meanes their soules might be helped with Almes-deeds Prayers masses and other good workes Christ did not teach vs this by his example since he commended his soule not to his kinsmen but to his Father Neyther doth S. Peter admonish vs that we should commend our soules to our Children or kinsfolkes but to the faythfull Creatour by good deedes 1. Pet. 4. I do not say this as reprehending those who either procure or desire Almes-deedes or sacrifices of the holy masse to be offered vp for them after their death But I much blame those vvho repose too much trust in their Children and kinsfolkes since daily experience teacheth that they quickly forget their dead Ancestours I further reprehend them because in a matter of so great importance they will not prouide for themselues and that they will not giue and performe the Workes of Charity and Almes-deeds by which they may purchase many friends by whose meanes as we read in the Gospell they may be receaued into the Eternall Tabernacles Luc. 16. I also greatly blame them wâ—o do not obey the Prince of the Apostles commanding vs as is aboue said to commend our soules to our faythfull Creatour and to commend them not only in words but also in good Workes Since good works sent before to God are those which efficaciously and truly commend the soules of Christians to God Let vs heare what voyce sounded from Heauen to S. Iohn Apoc. 4. I heard a voyce from Heauen saying to me Write Blessed are the dead which dye in our Lord from hence now sayth the spirit that they rest from their labours for their works follow them Therefore good works performed by our selfes whilst we liue and not to be done after our death by our Children or kinsfolkes are those which certainly do follow vs especially if those works be of their owne nature not onely good but as S. Peter not without mistery hath expressed for thus he speaketh In bene factis commendent animas suas fideli Creatori let them commendent their soules to their faythfull Creatour by good deeds meaning in works well done For there are many who can number many good Works by them done as many Sermons preached many Masses daily celebrated their howers of prayers for many yeares their fast of Lent continued in like