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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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