about Hysope offered it to his mouth Ioan. 19. Of which words this is the meaning Our Lord would haue all things accomplished and fulfilled which the Prophets being full of the Holy Ghost did foretell of his Life death and because all other Predictions being then already performed this one yet remained That is that he should tast Vineger in his thirst according to those words of the Prophet Psal 68. In my thirst they gaue me Vineger to drinke Therefore he said with a cleare voyce I thirst and those who were present did offer to his mouth a spoÌ„ge full of Vineger put vpon a Reede or Cane Thus our Lord said I thirst that the Scripture might be fulfilled And why to the end the Scripture should be fulfilled Why did he not say I thirst because he was really thirsty desired to allay his Thirst For the Prophet did not foretell it to the end that that should fall out which he had foretould but he did therefore foretell it because he did foresee it after to be And he did foresee it after to be because the thing was truly to be although it had not beene foreseene Therefore foresight or prediction is not the cause of a thing after to come to passe but the thing which is after to be is the cause why it may be foreseene or foretould Now a great Mystery is in this place reuealed Our Lord did truly labour with extremity of thirst euen from the beginning of his Crucifixion and his thirst increased more more so as it was one of his chiefest torments which he suffered vpon the Crosse since sheeding of much bloud doth drye the body and procureth thirst I knew a Person who being wounded in seuerall parts of his body from which great store of bloud did flow desired nothing but drinke as if his most raging thirst had bene the only euill or payne he then suffered The like is read in the life of S. Emmerammus Martyr who being tied to a stake and hauing receaued many wounds only complayned of thirst Sur. die 22. Sept. Therefore how could it otherwise be but that Christ who after long wearines had shed much bloud in his whipping and after being crucified had opened as it were foure fountaines in his body from which great abundance of Bloud did for a long tyme streame should be cruciated and vexed with a most burning thirst And notwithstand ng he concâ—aled in silence this his long torment for the space of three howers and could haue concealed it euen to his death which was present at hand For what other reason then did our Lord hyde in silence for so long a tyme this his vehemency of Paine now being ready to dye did manifest it saying I thirst but because it was the will of God that all of vs should know this torment of thirst not to be wanting vnto Christ And therefore the same heauenly Father would haue it foretould by a Prophet in the Person of Christ and did inspire it into our Lord Iesus to make this new and most bitter paine knovvne to his faithfull seruants for an example of Patience He said therefore I thirst that is all my moisture in my flesh is spent my veynes are dry my tongue is dry my pallate is dry my iawes are dry all my invvard parts are dry if any man vvill comfort and refresh me let him giue me to drinke Novv let vs heare vvhat drinke they brought him vvho vvere present at the Crosse Erat vas aceto plenum c. There was a vessell full of Vineger and they putting a sponge full of Vinâ—cre about Hysope offered it to his mouth O strang consolation and refreshment There vvas a vessell full of Vineger vvhich is pernicious and hurtfull to wounds and is accustomed to hasten death and to that end it vvas brought thereby to hasten the death of those vvho vvere to be crucifyed S. Cyrill cap 35. in Ioan. vvith reference to this passage thus vvriteth Pro iuuante iucundo potu c. For a medicinable and pleasant drinke they proffered him that which was hurtfull and bitter And by reason hereof that thing is made more credible vvhich S. Luke vvriteth in his Gospell The souldiers mocked him comming to him and offering him Vineger Luc. 23. And although S. Luke doth write this of Christ lately nayled to the Crosse yet it is very credible that the souldiers themselues when they heard him crying I thirst did giue him Vineger in a sponge vpon a reede the vvhich they before in a mocking manner had offered vnto him The summe and closure of all is that as in the beginning a litle before he vvas nailed to the Crosse they offered him wyne mixt with gaule so in the end of his life they brought him Vineger dangerous to his wounds so as from the beginning to the end the Passion of Christ vvas a true vehement Passion as not accompained with any alleuiation or comfort at all Of the first fruite of the fifth Word CHAP. VIII THe Scriptures of the Old Testament are for the most part explained by the Scriptures of the Nevv But touching this Mystery of the thirst of our Lord the vvords of the sixty eight Psalme may vvell paraphraze comment the Ghospell We do not find clearely in the Ghospell vvhether those vvho offered Vineger to our Lord thirsting did it to gratify him or rather the more to afflict him that is vvhether this their action proceeded from Loue or Hate We vvith S. Cyrill do interpret in a bad sense the fact of those vvho gaue to our Lord suffering thirst Vineger to drinke But the vvords of the Psalme are so cleere and euident as that they need not any exposition And from those vve vvill gather this fruit that vve may learne to thirst vvith Christ after those things vvhich truly and healthfully are to be thirsted after These are the Words of the Prophet I expected some body that would be grieued with me and there was none or that would comfort me and I found not any And they gaue me gaule for my meate in my thirst they gaue me Vineger to drinke Psal 68. Therefore those men vvho gaue to Christ our Lord a litle before he vvas mayled to the Crosse vvine mingled vvith gaule and those vvho offered to our Lord aftervvard Vineger to drinke vvere of that number of vvhom it is said I expected some body that would be grieued with me and there was none and that would comfort me and I found not any But some may here demaund did not the most Blessed Virgin the Mother of our Lord and Mary of Cleophas sister of his mother as also Mary Magdalen vvith the Apostle S. Iohn standing neere vnto the Crosse truly and from their hart grieue and lament for our Lord In like sort did not those Women who weeping followed our Lord to the Mount Caluary truly condole vvith him To conclude were not all the Apostles much agrieued lamented in the tyme of
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
riding vpon an Asse and vpon a Coult the foale of an Asse Therefore of this kingdome Christ did not speake in the Parable aboue neither the good thiefe when he said Remember me when thou shalt come into thy kingdome but both did speake of perfect Beatitude by the which a man is exempted and freed from all seruitude and subiection of things created and only is become subiect to God whom to serue is to reigne and he is constituted by God himselfe ouer all his Workes This Kingdome so farre forth as it concerned the Beatitude of the Soule Christ receaued euen from the beginning of his Conception but as it concerned his Body he had it not actually but only by right vntill after his Resurrection For whiles he was a Pilgrime or stranger heer vpon Earth he was subiect to wearines famine thirst iniuries wounds and to death it selfe yet because the glory of the Body was due to him therfore after his death he did enter into his glory as due to him For thus our Lord himselfe speaketh after his resurrection Ought not Christ to haue suffered these things and so to enter into his glory Which glory is called his glory because he is of power to communicate it to others and in this respect he is said to be Rex gloriae Dominus gloriae and Rex Regum And he himselfe saith to his disciples I dispose for you a Kingdome It is in our power to receaue glory or a Kingdom but not to giue and accordingly it is said to vs Matth. 2◠Enter into the ioy of thy Lord and not into thy owne ioy Therefore this is that Kingdome of which the good Thiefe sayd when thou shalt come into thy Kingdome But heer the great Vertues which shine in the prayer of this Holy Thiefe are not to be passed ouer in silence that therby we may the lesse wonder at the answere which Christ our Lord made to him he saith Lord remember me when thou shalt come into thy Kingdome He calleth Christ Lord by which title he acknowledgeth himselfe to be his seruant or rather his redeemed bondslaue and confesseth him to be his Sauiour He adioyneth Remember me which is a word full of hope Fayth Loue Deuotion Humility He sayth not remember me if thou canst because he belieued Christ could doe all things neither saith he if it pleaseth thee because he was confident of Christs charity and goodnes He saith not I desire the consort and participation of thy Kingdome because his Humility would not beare this kind of speach to conclude he desireth nothing in particular but onely saith rmember me which is as much if he had said If thou wilt vouchsafe only to remember me if thou wilt be pleased to turne the Eye of thy Benignity towards me it is sufficient for me because I am assured of thy Power and Wisdome and vpon thy goodnes and Charity I wholy anker and stay my selfe He lastly addeth this when thou shalt come into thy Kingdome to shew that his desire was not fixed vpō any weake and temporary benefit but that it aspired to thinges sublime and eternall Heere it followeth that we consider the Answere of Christ he sayth Amen I say vnto thee this day thou shalt be with me in Paradise That particle Amen is a word graue and solemne with Christ the which he was occustomed to vse when he would affirme any thing earnestly and vehemently S. Austin was not afraid to say that this word Amen was as it were the oath of Christ tract 41. in Ioan. Properly it is no oath since when our Lord said in S. Mathew I say to you not to swere at all And a litle after Let your speach be yea yea no no And that which is ouer and aboue these is of Euill Mat. 5. Novv it is no way probable that our Lord should haue sworne so often as he pronounted Amen since he vsed this word Amen many tymes And in S. Iohn he sayth not only Amen but Amen Amen Therefore S. Austin truly said that Amen was as it were an Oath but he said not that it was an Oath For this word Amen signifieth Truly And when one sayth I say truly to thee he affirmeth earnestly and an earnest affirmation is peculiar to an Oath Therfore Christ with good reason said to the Thiefe Amen I say to thee that is I truly do affirme but do not sweare And indeed there were three emergent Reasons which might cause the Thiefe to wauer and rest doubtfull of the Promise of Christ except he had auerred it with so earnest an asseueration The first may be drawne from the person of the Thiefe who seemed not in any sort worthy of so great a Reward or so great a guift For who would imagine that a Theife should from the Crosse presently passe to a kingdome The second Reason is taken from Christ promising who at that instant seemed to be reduced brought to extremity of want weaknes calamity For the Thiefe might probably thus reason and discourse with himselfe Yf this man during his life tyme was not able to performe any thing in behalfe of his friends shall not he be lesse able being dead The third reason may haue reference to the thing promised For here Paradise is promised but Paradise as then all men tooke notice did belong not to the Soule but to the Body since by the Word Paradise a terrestriall Paradise was vnderstood by the Iewes It had beene more credible to the Thiefe and subiect to his beliefe if our Lord had answered To day thou shalt be with me in the place of repose and refreshment with Abraham Isaac and Iacob For these Reasons therefore did our Lord premise those words Amen Dico tibi Hodie to day Our Lord sayth not In the day of Iudgment when I shall place thee with the lust vpon my right hand Neither sayth he After some yeares of thy being in Purgatory will I bring thee to a place of rest Nor doth he say I will comfort thee after certaine Months or Dayes but he sayth This very day before the sunne shall set thou shalt passe with me from the gibbet of the Crosse to the delights of Paradise A wonderfull Liberality or Bounty of Christ and a wonderfull happines of the sinner With iust reason therefore S. Austin following S. Cyprian herein is of Opinion that this good Thiefe might be reputed a Martyr and therefore escaping Purgatory did passe from this World immediatly to Heauen The Reason why the good Thiefe might be called a Martyr is in that he publikly confessed Christ at such tyme when his Disciples were afraid to speake a word in Honour of him therefore in regard of this his free and ready Confession his death with Christ was reputed with God as if he had suffered for Christ Those words Mecum eris Thou shalt be with me though no other thing should be promised then what these words only import yet had it bene a great benefit and
she stood neere vnto the Crosse full of all constancy and spirituall resolution looking without any shew of impatience vpon her Sonne then suffering She did not fall vpon the Earth halfe dead as some do imagine she did not teare the hayre from her Heade she did not after a womanish manner bewaile and crye out but she entertained welcomed with all eauennesse and serenity of mind what was to be tollerated as proceeding from the good pleasure and Will of God She greatly loued the flesh of her sonne she more loued the honour of the Father saluation of the World which two points the Sonne himselfe did more loue then the safety and health of his owne Body Furthermore the assured Fayth of the Resurrection of her Sonne to be after the third day of the which she neuer doubted did so animate her and minister new spirits of Constancy as that she did not â—tand in need of humane Consolation For she knew well that the death of her Sonne was like vnto a most short sleepe according to that of the Prophet I haue slept and haue bene at rest and I haue risen vp because our Lord hath taken me Psal 3. All good pious Christians ought to imitate this Example I meane they ought to loue their Children but not to prefer them in loue before God who is the Father of all and who loueth them better and in a more perfect manner then we know how to loue And first ChristiaÌ„s ought to loue their Sonnes with a manly prudent loue not boulstering or encouraging them when they do euill but bringing them vp in the feare of God and correcting them not only with words but euen with strokes if either they offend God or neglect their studies and learning For this is the will of God reuealed in the Holy Scriptures as Ecclesiasticus speaketh cap. 7. Hast thou children Instruct them and bow them from their childhood And we read of Toby that he taught his Sonne from his infancy to feare God and to abstaine from all sinne And the Apostle Ephes 6. admonisheth Fathers that they do not prouoke their Children to anger but do bring them vp in discipline correction of our Lord that is that they vse them not as seruants but as freemen For those who beare themselues ouer seuerely and austerely towards their Children continually checking or striking them for the least fault do treate them as bondslâ—ues so causing them either to be of a base and dâ—iected disposition or els to fly away from their Parents Now those who are ouer indulgâ—nt do make their Children wicked nourishing bringing them vp not for the kingdome of God but for Hell The true way for the education of Children is that Parents do instruct them in discipline so as they may learne willingly and promptly to obey their Parents and maisters and when they do erre and offend that they do correct them paternally that so the Sonnes may vnderstand themselues to be chastized out of Loue not out of Hate Furthermore if so it shall please God to call any of them to the Clergy or to some religious Order let not the Parents resist so good a resolution for feare they may resist God who is the first Father of all men but let them say with holy Iob. Our Lord gaue and our Lord hath taken away The name of our Lord be blessed To conclude if children be taken from their Parents by vntimely death the which thing did câ—iâ—fly happen to the Blessed Virgin let them consider ponder the iudgments of God who often taketh some out of this World by death to preuent that malice and sinne do not change their good and vertuous mind and so perish eternally Certainely if Parents did sometymes know â—pon what counsell and inducements G d thus worketh they vvould not oâ—ly not bewayle the death of their Câ—â—ldâ—â—n but they would euen reioâ—ce thereaâ— And if the fayth hope of the Râ—surrection did feelingly and liuely worke in vs as it did in our B. Lady we should no more grieue when any of our sonnes or friends do dye before they arriue to old age then when any of them begin to sleep before it be night since the death of a faythfull and pious man is a kind of sleepe as the Apostle admonisheth vs saying 1. Thess 4. I will not haue you ignorant concerning them that sleep that you be not sorrowfull as others are that haue no Hope Heere he mentioneth rather Hope then faith because he speakeâ—h not of euery Resurrection but of a blessed and glorious Resurrection which leadeth to true lyfe and such was the Reâ—urrection of Christ That man therefore who firmely belieueth that there shal be a Resurrection of the flesh and hopeth that his Sonne taken away by immatuâ—e death shall after rise to glory hath no reason of griefe but rather of ioy because the health of his sonnes Soule is placed in great security and safty I heere come to the duty of a Sonne towards Parents the which Christ dying performed in a most full and ample manner toward his Mother It is the duty of children to render mutuall duty to their parents 1. Tim. 5. Now Sonns do render mutuaâ—l duty to their parents when they procure all things necessary for their parents being in age Euen as the Parents haue prouided for their children being yong or not able to get things touching dyet or apparell Christ therefore did commit the charge of his mother growing aged and hauing not any one to take care of her after the death of her Sonne to S. Iohn adopting him as it were for her Sonne saying to her Behould thy Sonne to S. Iohn Behold thy Mother Now heâ—re our Lord accomplished the function of a Sonne most fully towards his Mother and this seuerall wayes For first he assigned to her a Sonne who being of the same age with Christ or rather a yeare yonger was most fitting to vndergo the charge and care of the Mother of our Lord. He furthermore out of the twelue Apostles made choice of him to this incumbency and labour whome our Lord himselfe chiefly loued and of whome he also did know himselfe to be greatly againe beloued therefore he might well repose greater confidence and trust in him touching his diligence towards his Mother Againe our Lord assigned him whome he knew was to liue very many yeares and therefore without any doubt to ouer liue his Mother To conclude our Lord was not wanting in his duty to his Mother euen at that tyme when his thoughts were to be busied touching his owne anxieties and dolours For at that tyme a man might probabâ—y thinke that his cogitations were only fixed vpon the suffering of his corporall dolours and iniuries of his enemies and in tasting the most better cup of his neare approching death so as he could not turne his thoughts to any other affaires Neuertheles his charity towards his mother ouercame him and so litle regarding his
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
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
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
It is written in the history of the life and death of Saint Engelbertus Arch-bishop of Cullen that when he was entrapped by his Enemies in his iourney and slayne by them and he then saying in his Hart Pater ignosce illis O Father pardon them It was reuealed of him that for this one act being in a high manner gratefull to God his soule was not only instantly taken vp by the Angels to Heauen but that being placed in the Quyre of Martyrs obtained the Crowne of Martyrs and after his death was illustrious for many miracles Apud Sur. die 7. Nouemb. O! if Christians did know how easily if themselues would they might be enriched with inestimable Treasure and might be aduanced to high Titles of Honour and glory if so they would suppresse and curbe the perturbations and passions of their mind with a true fortitude would spurne at small Iniuries against them committed they would not be of such a flinty and inexorable disposition to remit or suffer wrongs and offences But they will reply It semeth to be aduerse euen incoÌ„patible with the law right of Nature that a man should suffer himselfe to be betrampled and trodden vpon by other men offered wroÌ„gs and disgraces either in word or deed For we see euen brute Beasts who are carryed only by the instinct of Nature to assault other Beasts their Enemyes with great fiersnes and do labour to kill them In like sort we haue experience in our selfes that if vnexpectedly we meete or fall vpon our Enemy instantly our Choler is inflamed our Bloud begins to rise and boyle and that we haue a desire euen naturally of Reuenge But he is greatly deceaued who thus disputeth and he doth promiscuously confound a iust defence with an iniust reuenge A iust defence is not subiect to reprehension and this iâ— that which euen nature instructeth vs to wit vim vi repellere to repell and withstand force by force but she teacheth vs not to reuenge an iniury receaued No man is forbidden to resist that a wrong be not offered him But to reuenge an Iniury already committed the diuine Law prohibiteth since this belongeth not to any priuate Man but to the publike Magistrate And because God is the King of kings therefore he crieth out sayth Reuenge to me and I will reward Deut. 32. Now that Beasts with a maine fiercenes rush vpon other Beasts their Enemies this procedeth in that Beasts cannot discerne betwene Nature and the Vice or imperfection of Nature but men who are endued with Reason ought to make a distinction betweene Nature or the Person which is created good by God and the Vice or sinne which is euill and proceedeth not from God Therefore a man receauing an Iniury ought to loue the person but to hate the Iniury and not so much to be offended with his Enemy as to communicate and pity him imitating herein Physitians who loue their sicke Patients and therefore endeauour to cure them But do hate their disease and sicknes laboring with all their skill and art to expell it And this is that which our Maister and Physitian of our Soules Christ Iesus did teach when he said Loue your Enemies do good to them that hate you and pray for them that persecute and abuse you Matth. 5. Neither was our Maister Christ like vnto the Scribes Pharisees who sitting vpoÌ„ the Chaire of Moyses did teach but did not answerably thereunto But he sitting in the Chaire of the Holy Crosse did accordingly as he taught and preached For he loued his Enemies and he prayed for them saying Father forgiue them for they know not what they doe Now whereas the Bloud beginneth to rise and boyle in men when they see them of whom they haue receaued an iniurie the reason of this is because such men are Homines animales and haue not yet learned to restraine with the bridle of Reason the motions of the inferiour Part of the Soule which is common to them with Beasts But such men as are Spirituales to wit spirituall and know how not to yeald to their owne Passions but to maister and ouerule them are not offended at their Enemies but pitying theâ—â— do labour by curtesies and beâ—â—â—â—s to reduce them to peare and concord But this many men say is ouer harsh and vngratefull especially to such as being nobly borne are solicitous and so ought to be of their Honour To this I answere that the point here enioyned is easy for the yoake of Christ who imposed this Law to his Disciples and followers is sweet and his burden easy as we read in the Gospell and his Commandements are not heauy as S. Iohn affirmeth Now if they seeme more difficult and burdensome to vs then we expect this falleth out through our owne default in that there is but litle Charity of God in vs or none at all For nothing is difficult to Charity according to that of the Apostle 1. Cor. 13. Charity is patient is benigne suffereth all things belieueth all things hopeth all things heareth all things Neither did Christ alone loue his Enemies though he did in a far more eminent degree then any other for euen in the Law of Nature holy Ioseph the Patriarch did wonderfully loue his Enemies by whom he was sold And in the written Law Dauid did patiently beare his Enemy Saul who sought his death a long tyme. And yet when Dauid had oportunity to kill Saul he euer did forbeare the same Againe in the law of Grace S. Steuen the Protâ—martyr did follow the example of Christ who when he was stoned prayed saying Lord lay not this sinne vnto them Act. 7. In like sort S. Iames who was cast downe from a great height by the Iewes and being most neare to his death cried out O Lord pardon them for they know not what they doe And the Apostle S. Paul speaking of himselfe and of his fellow Apostles thus sayth 1. Cor. 4. We are cursed and we do blesse we are persecuted and we sustaine it we are blasphemed and we beseech To conclude many Martyrs and infinite others following the Example of Christ haue easily fulfilled this Precept But some others do further vrge saying I grant we are to pardon our Enemies but this is to be performed in due tyme to wit vvhen the memory of the receaued iniury is partly forgotten and the mind returneth to it selfe as voyde of Passion But what if it fall out that in the meane tyme thou be snatched out of this life and happen to dye and thou art found without the vestment of Charity and it be said vnto thee How camest thou in hither not hauing a wedding garment Matt. 22. Wilt thou not be then dumbe when thou shalt heare the Sentence of the Lord saying Bind him hand and foot and cast him into vtter darknes there shal be weeping gnashing of teeth Therefore I wish thee to be diligent and attent and to imitate the Example of thy Lord vvho in
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
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
contumely would haue his owne Mother and his Disciple whom he loued to be present and to stand neere to the Crosse that so the griefe of the Compassion of his owne friends might giue an increase to the griefe of his Passion Christ being vpon the Crosse resembled as it were foure fountaines of Bloud abundantly streaming For his will and pleasure was that his owne Bl. Mother his beloued disciple Mary the sister of his Mother and Mary Magdalene who most ardently aboue all other VVomen loued him should be present at his death that from them foure fouÌ„taines of teares should burst out so as he should be almost no more troubled at the effusion of his owne bloud then he was at that copious showre of teares which the griefe of them then present did extort and force from their eyes and Haâ—ts It seemes to me that I heare Christ saying The sorrowes of death haue compassed me Psal 17. For that sword foretold of good old Simeon which should pierce the soule of my most innocent Mother with incredible griefe and anxiety doth euen wound my hart But o bitter death doest thou separate not only the soule from the body but also the mother from such a Sonne Therefore dolour would not suffer me to say Mother but VVoman behould thy Sonne God so loued the World that for the redeeming therof he was content to giue his only begotten Sonne and the Sonne so loued the Father as that for his honour he was ready to shed powre out his owne most precious bloud And not being content only with the dolour of his Passion he added thereto the dolour of Compassion that so he might become a most abundant satisfaction for our sinnes Therefore from hence it appeareth that both the Father and the Sonne do commend their Charity to vs after an ineffable manner that thereby we may not perish but that we may obtaine life euerlasting And yet mans hart doth hitherto resist so great a Charity maketh choyce rather to try the wrath and indignation of the Omnipotent liuing God then once to tast the sweetnes of Mercy to yield to the Charity of diuine Loue. Verily we are most vngratefull worthy of all punishment that since Christ loued vs with such an ardeÌ„t affection as that he was content to suffer for vs much more then necessity vrged From whereas one drop of his bloud was sufficient for our Redemption he neuerthelesse would spend it all and suffer innumerable other punâ—shments besides And yet notwithstanding all this we are loath and forbearing for his loue and for our owne health and good of our soule to endure and suffer euen so much as is but needefull The cause or source of so great a sluggines and madnes is in that we do not ponder and meditate on the Passion and Charity of Christ with that serious introuersioÌ„ of mind with whâ—ch we â—ught and that we do not appoint or designe times and places soâ—ting to so great a busines but only read or heare the passion of Christ briefly negligently and cursorily Therefore the holy Prophet admonisheth vs saying Thren 1. Behould see if there be any griefe like to my griefe And the Apostle sayth Thinke vpon him who endured of sinners such contradiction against himselfe that you be not wearied fainting in your minds Hebr. 12. But the tyme shall hereafter come when fruitlesly and in vaine we shall repent our selfs of so great ingratitude towards God and of supine negligence of our owne Saluation There are many who at the last day repenting and sighing for anguish of spirit shall say The sunne of Iustice hath not shined to vs. Sap. 5. Neither shall they first then begin thus to lament but before the day of IudgmeÌ„t I meane that as soone as they shall shut and close the eyes of their body by death the eyes of their soule shal be opened to them and then they shall see those things the which when time and oportunity was they would not once behould Of the second fruite of the third Word CHAP. X. AN other fruit growing from the roote of this VVord may be taken from the Consideration of the mistery of the three Women which stoode neere vnto the Crosse of our Lord. For Mary Magdalene did beare the person of the Penitents therin of those who did begin to serue God In Mary of Cleophas may be figured the state of those who do go on forward and profit in Vertue In Mary the Mother of Christ and a Virgin may be personated the state of those vvho are Perfect with whom we may deseruedly ioyne S. Iohn who was a Virgin and was vvithin a short tyme to become Perfect if at that present he were not All these and only these are found to stand neere vnto the Crosse of our Lord for those who liue in state of sinne and neuer thinke of doing any pennance for their wicked liues stand far off from the Crosse which is the scale or ladder to Heauen Furthermore all those not without cause stand neere vnto the Crosse who need the ayde of him that was crucified for such as be Penitents and Beginners in the way of Iustice do wage Warre with Vices and Concupiscences and stand greatly in need of the assistance of Christ our Captaine that they may be encouraged to fight whiles they behould him combatâ—ing with the Old Serpent and not descending from the Crosse vntill most happily he had triumphed ouer him For thus doth the Apostle speake to the Collossians cap. 2. He spoyled the Principalities and Powers leading them confidently in open shew and triumphing ouer them in himselfe And a litle before Fastening to the Crosse the hand-writing of the Decree which was against vs. Those who do profit in the way of our Lord signified by Mary of Cleophas who was a Woman maried and brought forth sonnes which were called â—he Brethren of Christ do also need the help of the Crosse lest otherwise the cares and anxieties of this world with the which they are necessarily entangled do choke the good seede or that they labouring by night do catch nothing Therefore such Persons ought to goe on forward in spirituall profit and to behould Christ vpon the Crosse who not satisfying himselfe with those good works being many and great which before he had done would by the meanes of the Crosse proceed to works of a higher Nature from whence he would not descend till he had ouercome and put to fight his Enemy For nothing is more deadly or domageable to those who are in progresse of Vertue then to become wearie in their course and to cease to goe forward since as S. Bernard sayth Ep. ad Garinum In via Virtutis non progredi regredi est In the way of Vertue not to goe forward is to goe backward who putteth the example of the Lader of Iacob vpon which all do ascend or descend but not any doe stand still To conclude those who are in state of Perfection liuing
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
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
heare that the generall deluge was after to be Noë being the Prophet of God and foretelling this very â—hing not only by word but by causing with such labour the Arke to be made could not easily be induced to belieue any such future inundation to be because they neuer saw any such deluge before therefore the wrath of God desceÌ„ded vpon them suddenly But we knowing that to haue beene already fullfilled which the Prophet Noë did foretell why may we not with facility belieue that a deluge of of fyre shall heerafter come in which all those things shal be destroyed which we now esteeme and prize at so high a rate And yet neuerthelesse there are very few who so belieue these things to be as to withdraw their desire from such matters as are heerafter to perish and to fix their minds where there are true and euerlasting Ioyes But this very Point is prophesied of our Lord himselfe that such men may rest inexcusable who from the accomplishment of things past can not be drawne to belieue that thinges future shal be fulfilled For thus our Lord speaketh Matth. 24. And as in the dayes of Noë so also shall be the coÌ„ming of the Son of man for as they were in the dayes before the floud eating and drinking wedding and giuen to mariage euen vnto that day in which Noë entred into the Arke and knew not till the floud came and ouer tooke them all so also shall the comming of the Sonne of man be VVatch therefore because you know not at what houre the Sonne of man will come And the Apostle S. Peter sayth The day of our Lord shall come as a thiefe in which the Heauens shall passe with great violence but the elements shall be resolued with heate and the earth the works which are in it shal be burned 1. Pet. 3. But men who sleight these thinges say these are farre off and of great distance from vs. Be it that they are farre of from vs yet thy death is not farre of from thee and the houre of it is vncertaine And yet it is certayne that we must giue an account of euery idle word in the particular iudgment which is not farre off And if an account must be rendred of euery idle word what reckoning must he made for false pernicious words for periury blasphemy which is so familiar ordinary to many if of words what account then is to be giuen of deeds of Adulteries of deceits in buying selling of murders and other grieâ—ous sinnes Therefore it followeth that the predictions of the Prophets being allready fullfilled make vs inexcusable except we may certainly belieue that all things which remaine are also fulfilled Neyther it is sufficient to belieue what things Fayth teacheth vs to be practized or to be auoyded except our fayth doth stirre vs vp efficaciously to the practizing or auoyding thereof If an Architect should say Such a house is ruinous and will instantly fall downe and they within the House make shew to belieue the Architect yet wil not come out of the house but suffer themselues to be oppressed with the ruine and fall of the house what credit do these men giue to the words of the Architect Which errour the Apostle chargeth other lyke men with saying Tit. 1. They say they know God but in deeds they deny him And if the Physitian shal command that the sicke Patient drinke no wyne and he is persuaded that the Physitian prescribeth profitably healthfully for him but in the meane tyme he demandeth for wine and is angry if it be not giuen to him what shall we heere say Certainly that the sicke man is eyther depriued of his wit and senses or that he giueth no credit to his Physitians directions O would to God there were not many among Christians who say that they do belieue the future Iudgment of God and diuers other mysteries of Christian fayth but deny them in their deeds and conuersation Of the second fruite of the sixt Word CHAP. XIV ANother fruite may be gathered from the second explication of the words of Christ Consummatum est For we said aboue with S. Chrysostome that the laboursome iourney of the peregrination of Christ himselfe was consuumate and finished in the death of Christ which iourney of his cannot be denyed but to haue beene most painefull aboue all measure yet the asperity of it is recompensed with the shortnes of the tyme with the fruit with the glory and honour proceeding from thence It continued thirty three yeares but how can a labour of thirty three yeares be compared to a repose and rest for all eternity Our Lord did labour with hunger with thirst with many dolours and innumerable iniuries with stripes with wounds with death its self but now he drinketh of a Torrent of pleasure which pleasure shall neuer cease but be interminabâ—e To conclude our Lord is humbled is made the reproach of men and the out-cast of the People Psal 21. but in recompence heerof we read of him thus God hath exalted him and haâ—h giuen him a Name which is aboue all Names that in the Name of IESVS euery knee bow of things in Heauen in Earth vnder the Earth Philip. 2. But now to cast our Eye on the contrary side the perfidious Iewes reioyced til the houre of Christs Passion Iudas being become a slaue to couetousnes reioyced till he had gayned some feâ— peeces of siluer Pilate reioyced till that houre of Christs PassioÌ„ because he lost not thereby the fauour and grace of Augustus and had recouered the friendship of King Herod But now all these haue beene already tormented in Hell for the space of sixteene hundred yeâ—res almost and the smoke of their flames shall arise and ascend vp for all Eternity From hence let all the seruants of the Crosse learne to be humble gentle patient and let them ackowledge how good happy a thing it is for a man to take vp his owne Crosse in this present lyfe and to follow Christ his Captaine neither let them enuy those who seeme in the Eye of this worrld to be happy For the lyfe of Christ of the holy Apostles and the Martyrs is a most true CoÌ„mentary of the words of him who is the Maister of all Maisters Blessed are the poore in spirit for theirs is the Kingdome of Heauen Blessed are the meeke blessed are they that mourne blessed are they that suffer percutioÌ„ for Iustice for theirs is the Kingdome of Heauen Matth. 5 But on the contrary side Woe be to you that are rich because you haue your consolation woe to you that are filled because you shal be hâ—ngry woe to you that now do laugh because you shall mourne and lament Luc. 6 And although not only the words of Christ but also the life and death of Christ I meane not only the Text but the Comment also bâ— vnderstood of few and that this doctrine is banished out of 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
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
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
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
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