sayde Remember thou my pouertie my wormwood and gall And in an other place our Lorde him selfe doth likewise lament vs that we haue likewise forgotteÌ„ him and that which he hath done and suffered for vs. That we maye therefore the better exercise our selfe in this kind of meditation it behoueth often to reade the historie of the passion as the foure Euangelistes do set foorth the same and is to be founde in certayne godly bookes or els to be learned at sermons or by other spiritual talke so that thou must trauell to haue the same well fixed and rooted in thy memorie imagining and thinking alwayes vpon it chewing it in thy minde vntill thou finde thy selfe so ready and prompt in it that if thou were apposed in any part of the historie of the passioÌ„ thou mightest be able to answer to it declare it perfectly And to this it shal helpe thée often to exercise thy selfe in meditation of Christes passion Also to this maner it doth apperteine to cal to thy remembraunce according to that which thou hast read or learned by bookes or preaching that whatsoeuer thou seest in thy contemplation thy sauiour to haue suffred they were before figured and foreshowen by many holy Prophetes And so thou shalt knowe and well perceiue that the truth of that thou goest about to meditate doth answere to the olde figures and auncient prophecies the which shall minister gret cause of consolation and more confirme thée in faith and also chase and driue away all other fancies whiche distract the minde and make the same more attentiue and benâ— to the matter in meditation And so this shall be as a beginning to passe further to the other considerations ¶ A declaration of the seconde manner of meditation which is by way of compassion The seconde maner of meditation vpon the blessed passion which is by way of compassion is more acceptable to our Lord and that is to endeuour to trauell in sorrow and griefe with him And it is also no lesse profitable for vs for that as Saint Paule sayth if we will suffer with Christ we shal also reigne together with Christ In this kinde the matter of meditation is so plentiful and copious that it shuld be long to write or meditate the same at large and therfore it shall suffice to consider therein two poyntes to the which the other may be reduced that are vsed for that purpose to be considered of The first is to consider the person that suffereth The seconde to consideâ— the thing which he suffereth thâ— which two poyntes well considered of may suffice to moue any hard hart to compassion Foâ— what hart will not mollifie oâ— melt to consider first the qualities which do concurre in the person that would suffer béeing very God man And touching his diuine nature no man is able to declare or comprehende neither his generation nor his dignitie nor his maiestie nor his highnesse nor his eternitie nor yet the fulnes of his perfections And touching his humanitie he is most noble of blood royal the sonne of the most cleare Virgin mother formed by the operation of the holy Ghost the most beautifull body that euer was séene amongst men the most gracious swete humble meeke â—ouing with all other excellencies more then can be thought And touching the soule in him is the fulnesse of grace of charitie of holynes of all other noble vertues and heauenly giftes in more high degrée then euer was communicate to any creature And this such and so mightie a Lord did suffer béeing most innocent without any faulte or sinne more grieuous payns and terrible tormentes then mans tongue or Angels can expresse Nowe let this be the seconde poynt that is to say the things which he hath suffred and therof thou hast to remember in thy meditation howe he suffered in his body from the crowne of his head to the sole of his foote from top to toe yea and in al his sences and féelings and so running in through discourse of them thou shalt finde that there remayned in him no one part nor sence or féeling in the which he did not suffer so many sortes of tormentes as can not be thought yea and that in fleshe moste tender delicate and quicke to féele for the perfection of his complexion Consider here withall that he dyed in the flowre of his age when to liue was most swéete and death the cause of more sorrowe Remember also the blasphemies they gaue him the iniuries the reproches the scornings mockings they deuised against him sometimes clothing him in one fashion of garment somtimes in an other with so many kinds of mockinges and finallye in spoyling and stripping him bare and crucifying him naked before suche a multitude of people that it can not be declared and it passeth mans wit to expresse howe great the spite and shame was they wrought against him O infinite heape of sorrowes and reproches so great that there can not be found the wit or vnderstanding to thinke nor yet tong finde words to expresse and vtter them yea or howe much soeuer they were able to thinke or vtter yet should it be the least part of all that he suffered O my Redéemer how well worthy maye those wordes be spoken of thée by the Prophet Ieremie O all ye that passe by the way consider and sée if there were euer any sorow like vnto mine And so truly it is O our Lorde that like as there was neuer loue to be compared to thine so also verily there was neuer sorrowe like nor equall vnto thine neither in quantitie nor in qualitie nor yet in all other circumstances that can be imagined How then good brother can thy hart holde out and not with pitie relent and melt and with compassion be moued when thou shalt consider these and many other things whiche thou mayest call to thy remembrance and which do aggrauate and make more lamentable the bitternesse the sorrowes the tormentes and great iniuries done to thy Sauiour And this is that he suffered in his body and to our sight outwardly which in déede was the least part because muche more grieuous and percing were the inwarde sorowes paynes and afflictions of his moste blessed soule As that his sorrowe vnto death did witnesse which he said he felte and also that agonie which he suffered in his prayer hauing diuers and infinite obiectes of paynes before his glorious sight whiche so troubled and tormented him that it caused him to sweate that bloody sweate trickling downe from his face and body to the ground The causes of that so greate heauinesse and affliction of his blessed soule may in our meditation be gathered to be these First the coÌ„sideration he had of the sinnes of all people from the beginning of the world in time past time present and time to come the number the malice and wickednes the abhomination he both saw and euidently knewe and playnly vnderstood how great iniurie and dishonor they committed
thereby against his eternall father whom he aboue all other things loued and desired to honour the which did gréeue and torment him more then all those outward tormeÌ„ts Secondly he sorrowed for the vnkindnes and vnthankfulnes of men and chiefly Christians for whom he gaue his life and offred him selfe to so great and bitter payne and yet he sawe they would not endeuour nor begin to know nor estéeme or care to helpe them selfe with so great and inestimable benefite and so through their owne fault he should not gayne by his grieuous passion death that fruite for the whiche he traueled so sore and which he might haue had if they them selues would haue disposed their good willes thereto which did more grieue him then death it selfe And that he playnly showeth where he lamenteth by the mouth of the Prophet Esay saying in vayne haue I traueled and without cause and fruite haue I consumed my strength Thirdly he sorowed much the damnation of Iudas and of so great a multitude of people otherwise whome he knewe shoulde be damned for despising of that moste holsome medicine he should leaue for them in his precious blood and that by howe muche the more with infinite charitie he desired their health and saluation so muche the more it grieued him to sée their perdition and also considering the inestimable ryches they loste and the horrible tormentes wherein they should for euer be punished This was a cause of more bitter sorrowe to him then the cup of his passion Fourthly the representation of that sword of sorowes which he knewe should passe through the virgin hart of his most dere mother was likewise a cause of great griefe and sadnes For he knew she would accompanie him in the middle of his tormentes and the sight of her did encrease the same through the tender compassion he had of her And likewise he did sorowe and pitie the solitarines cares and trauels his disciples should be left in and all his friends both present and all other his elect that should come vnto the ende of the world of whose persecutions torments tribulations he did no lesse grieue at féele then the head doth féele payne griefe when any of his members doth suffer Sée then how diuers sorts of sorowes besides many other a man may call to remembraunce and meditate that perced and ranne through his most sacred soule and those he felt euery payne by it selfe the one not letting the griefe of the other and that without all consolation or comfort without ease or rest and béeing forsaken of all parts as he declared vpon the crosse when he sayd O God my god why hast thou forsaken me And as it is sayd of him in an other place That he was made as a man without helpe For so it pleased his entier loue the more to suffer for vs and so to make the greater satisfaction to the iustice of God O loue without measure O infinite clemencie and pitie most euidently declared in that thou wouldest showe thy selfe cruell to thy self to be pitiful towards vs And that thou more estéemedst our health then thy owne comfort and life Séeing that béeing depriued of all comforte and helpe thou wast drowned in a bottomlesse pit of so great griefes and sorowes and wast content to be swallowed vp as an other Ionas in the belly of the whale of death What man then can finde in his heart to be so voyde of all pitie that thinking vpon these thinges will not be mollified and moued to compassion Séeing he woulde be sorie I trowe for the greatest enemie he had if he should sée him in like torment of body and soule without all ease and comfort Lo then my dere brother how in these poyntes hitherto is declared what was the person that suffered and what he suffred as well in body as in soule wherin thou shalt finde sufficient matter to styrre thée to compassion which is the ende we purposed in this part For if thou meditate and consider in thy minde after this sorte this holy mysterie it can not be but if thou remember well the aforesayde things with good attention and â—euotion it shall moue breake â—hy hart were it neuer so hard â—eing that the very stones in the stréete brake and shiuered in peces in the death of the very same thy Sauiour A declaration of the third manner of meditation by way of contrition and compunction The third maner we purposed to teache thée howe to meditate on the blessed passion is by the way of contrition and compunction the ende wherof is to haue an inward sorowe and repentance of thy sinnes committed against the maiestie of God and to find out the fruit of this which is not a litle it behoueth a man to ground him selfe vpon this veritie that all which christ our redéemer hath suffred was for the sinnes of the world In so much that if man had not sinned Christ had not suffred nor dyed for so the diuine scripture affirmeth that for the sinnes of the people he was stroken of his â—ternal father and that he layde â—pon his shoulders the sinnes of â—s al and that he was scourged â—nd wounded for our iniquitie â—nd beaten and buffeted for our â—eseruing And this veritie is â—onfirmed by many other auâ—horities aswell of the olde as â—he new Testament Now then this so béeing when thou shalt be disposed to make discourse and occupie thy minde in meditation of the death and passion of thy Redéemer thou haste to think verily that thou wast the cause of all those sorrowes tormentes and iniuries whiche thou seest him to haue suffered For notwithstanding he suffered and dyed for all yet neuerthelesse he dyed as well for thée alone as he dyed for all So that thou mayest truely saye with Saint Paule that he was offred for thée that he was scourged for thée that he was nayled on the Crosse for thée and dyed for thée And likewise that thy sinnes killed him thy pride crowned him with thorne thy dishonesties filthy life scourged him thy drunkennesse and gluttony gaue him the eysel and gall thy disorderlye doinges and sinnes were the causes of his grieuous sorowes and that thy sins were those many dogs and great bulles of whom he said he was enuironed or compassed round about and so when thou shalt beholde him in the piâ—â—full image where Pilate sheâ—eth him to the Iewes when he â—ayde Beholde the man then â—â—so remember that our Lorde sayth the very same wordes vnto thée Behold O man the rewarde I haue receiued for thée Behold howe I am handled for thée Beholde howe I suffer the scourge of thy deseruings Behold what thy vnthankfulnesse hath caused me to haue Behold the deformed picture and image which thy sinnes haue giueÌ„ me in recompence of my good wil to make thée partaker of my beautie Of this coÌ„sideration we shaâ— soone conceiue in our mindâ— what an horrible thing sinne is which in such sort hath handleâ—
The godly garden of GETHSEMANI furnished with holsome fruites of Meditation and prayer vpon the blessed passion of Christ our Redéemer SVRSVM CANT I. Fasciculus Myrrhae dilectus meus mihi inter vbera mea commorabitur A nosegay of myrrh is my true loue to me Betvvene my brestes his dvvelling shal be ¶ To the Reader BY chaunce happeninge vppon this litle Treatise written in the Italian by a deuoute person as it appeareth and one specially professed by rules of Christian life to the glorious name of Iesu for my small vnderstanding in that tongue and further exercise therein I put on it an English habite of suche course weauing as skil serued me And finding therein suche swéetenes as is alwayes proper to so good matter I thought good to bestowe my simple trauayle though with more charges in presenting onely the same to a speciall good friend or two as a winter flowre to weare in their bosome or red Rose nowe at Christmas by my tenure or seruice due whiche they might at their pleasure ioyne with other posies of their accustomed deuotions If thou good Reader chaunce vpon any one booke thorough the liberalitie of the printer or otherwise by more number printed then I purposed I haue therefore to desire thée to accept it with good will as I know they do to whom of purpose I vowed my trauels also that thou wilt excuse and beare with all the faultes committed by the Printer or me for this time which are not so great to frustrate thée or me of the fruite of thy exercise or expectation herein which is encrease of pietie and deuotion Of which thou mayst assure thy self to reape as much fruit to thy comfort as is possible of so litle a treatise I haue called it by the name of the garden of Gethsemani alluding in my fansie to the Garden where Christe prayed and shed both water and blood for mankinde which name for néede may put thée sometime in mind oftner to resorte to this garden of exercise and to haue Christes wordes to his Disciples there alwayes sounding in thy eares slumbring minde Can ye not watch with me a litle while c. Also our heauēly Salomon and Sauiour Christe inuiteth his spouse the Church in these words Come into my garden my sister and wife And she our mother founde no flowre or fruite in this paradise of god more to hir liking than this trée of life the blessed crosse of Christ as may wel appeare by hir own words A nosegay of myrrhe is my true loue to me and within my brest his habitation shal be Meaning by the myrrhe whiche for the bitternesse thereof was geuen Christ to drinke in his extreme thirst and which for the swéete smell agayne serued amongest other thinges to annoynt his body in the sepulchre That she reioyced in nothing more then to gather hir selfe a posie of the bitter paynes and sorowes that Christe suffered for hir and hir faythfull children Then according to hir example as children rightly nurtured in hir lappe let vs not thinke it tedious to followe hir course and steppes and say with her In the sweete sent of thy oyntmentes Gracious Lord I do runne after thee And let vs holde alwaies in our breast and kéepe in memory by continuall meditation all the grieuous tormentes and troubles which our sauiour suffered for the redemption of the worlde that therby we may learne and knowe the length the breadth the height depth of that moste healthfull trée and Crosse of Christ which of his great mercy I beséeche him graunt both thée me good Reader Of the fruite of suche deuout meditation and of the maner and order of this litle Treatise AMongst all exercises of deuotiō that a Christian man can haue one of the most fruitefull and most acceptable to God is to be often and deuoutely occupied in calling to remembrance and well to consider in minde which otherwise we terme to meditate the passion of Christ our redéemer The which all the Doctours that write thereof affirme and also reason and experience do playnely declare the same For by such holy meditation the soule is inflamed in the loue of Christ considering howe tenderly he loued it how muche he suffered to saue and beautifie it and moreouer it feareth and is ashamed of his sinfulnesse knowing séeing how grieuously it was punished in the sonne of God who as the Prophet Esay saith was stroken of the father for the sinnes of his people Yea the soule thereby receiueth in hir selfe and increaseth newe and freshe desires to amende the life séeing the liuely and marueilous examples which particularly do shine in the holy passion of Christ And likewise it is thereby styrred and pricked forwarde to geue thankes prayse for his infinite goodnesse and mercy that it hath pleased him with so tender loue to be made a sacrifice and to suffer so bitter death that he might geue vs miserable and wretched wretches life and saluation And thus finally the soule may séeme in some parte to pay the great debt it is bounde in féeling in it selfe the great benefite it hath receiued when it calleth to remembraunce and bethinketh particularly the manyfolde sorrowes iniuries and tormentes which the sauiour of the worlde suffred in his death and passion and doth know that this seruice is most acceptable to him and also is sory for them who do not the like but forget the great kindnes of their Redéemer So then for this and many other fruits gathered of this blessed meditation certayne Doctours affirme that those gayne more which euery day do meditate with deuotion some little part of the passion of Christ than if they should exercise manye prayers fastings disciplins and chastenings of the body otherwise And therefore albeit many haue copiously at large written hereof yet notwithstanding for the better commoditie and helpe of them that haue not such bookes specially for suche our Christian brothers and sisters sakes that haue a desire to exercise them selues in the meditation of the passion of our Lorde we are moued to finde out some meanes howe they maye with more facilitie and taste godlily occupie them selues therein Whiche I doubt not my good brother but thou shalte well proue if thou be willing with attention diligently to marke what shall in this little Treatise be layde before thée wherein thou shalt finde great swéetenesse in applying thy selfe to so heauenly an exercise both necessary and highly commended For here thou shalte sée in figures set foorth the Images of those mysteries thou hast to call to thy remembrance and mind in beholding wherof thou maist be holpen to be more setled and stayed in memorie and minde of that imagination which is so imprinted within thée Herein also are declared the poyntes to discourse on and so to procéede with more deuotion in thy meditation Or if thou knowe not howe of thy selfe to make these or the like talkes or spéeches with God then
disciples there maye be these poyntes following to meditate vpon 1 With howe great méekenes and humilitie the sauiour of the world rising from supper washed the féete of his Disciples and also of Iudas and wyped them with the towell wherewith he was gyrt 2 Secondarily consider of the entier loue which moued him to institute that high Sacrament in the which he gaue his Disciples to eate his most sacred body and precious blood to drinke and willed it shoulde remayne in his Church as the foode and consolation of our soules 3 Thirdly call to minde that heauenly lesson which he preached to his Disciples comforting and exhorting them and vs also to humilitie charitie and patience of the whiche vertues he gaue vs so liuely examples in the latter ende of his life here The prayer I Geue thée thanks most swéete Iesu with all my hart for thy marueilous humilitie in abasing thy selfe to become as a seruaunt to washe the féete of thy seruants And also I prayse and worship thée for the inestimable benefite that thou diddest work for vs in willing to continue with vs in thy most holy sacrament in the whiche thy blessed body is verily conteined for the foode and comfort of our soules I humbly beséeche thy infinite clemencie pitie to graunt me grace to folowe this example of so great humilitie and that my vile condition neuer become proude when I shall consider and sée thy maiestie so humbled And vouchsafe also my gracious Lorde and Redéemer to washe my féete that is to say the affectes and naughtie passions of my soule And giue me that loue and charitie which thou diddest so greatlye commende to thy Disciples that with purenesse of hart and with suche inwarde cleannesse of minde as I am bounde and as is acceptable to God I may draw neare to this moste swéete Sacrament and participate aboundauntlye of those effectes which it worketh in deuoute soules Graunt me also O celestiall Scholemaster and euerlasting wisdome of the father that thy most blessed words may be imprinted in me which thou didst preach in this worlde chiefly those words of thy latter talke neare thy death béeing full of so great charitie coÌ„solation with the which thou didst coÌ„fort the sorowful minds of thy beloued Disciples And séeing thou hast the word of euerlasting life more swete then the hony or hony combe make my soule to tast it chiefly to delight in it and alwayes to obay it that by it as by a most lightsome lanterne I may sée how to guide my selfe in all my wayes and works Amen Ter prece sollicitat patrem sudatque pauetque Innocuas stringunt impia vincâ—a manus Of the prayer in the garden and apprehending of our Sauiour ¶ Poyntes to meditate therevpon 1 How our sauiour going into the garden to which place he knew his enemies should come for to apprehend him with that inward sorow and feare which for our saluatioÌ„ fréely his soule would féele he fel downe flat on the grounde with most great reuerence he made his prayers thrée times to his father praying him that the bitter cup which was prepared for him myght passe away yet notwithstaÌ„ding submitted himselfe alwayes to his fathers most godly will 2 Howe that his affliction and anguishe increasing which willingly he receaued caused hym at the last to sweate droppes of blood that fell vppon the earth And beyng in this agony there came downe an Angell from heauen to comfort him 3 How that being moued with the burnyng desyre of our redemption he went and met his enemyes in the face and was content to be kissed of that traitour Iudas and of the other to be taken and cruelly bounde to be forsaken of his disciples and brought to the house of Annas the Bishop ¶ The prayer BLessed be thou my Lorde and God O Iesu Christ for that thine infinit mercy that it pleased thée for to harten and comfort vs to be assaulted thy selfe wyth suche extréeme feare and sadnes And thou being the gladnesse and comforte of Angels diddest take well in worth to be comforted of an Angell I blesse and prayse thée also for that thy feruent loue that for to loose the bondes of our sinnes and to set vs at true libertie sufferedst thy selfe to bée taken and bounde of thy enemyes shamefully like a théefe I beséeche thy infinite goodnesse therefore that in mine afflictions feare and sadnesse I may haue the grace alwayes to run vnto thée with most humble and deuout praier submitting my selfe wholly into thy blessed handes and that so to doe may be my onely comfort and helpe séeing that without thée vaine is the health and helpe that any worldly creature can giue me I beséeche thée also most méeke Lambe by that thy patience and gentlenesse which with hard cordes and ropes diddest suffer thy selfe to be bounde when thou wast taken that thou wilte vouchsafe to bynde my soule with the chaynes of thy loue that I being loosed by thée from my sinnes and from my disorderly affections suffer not my selfe to bée anye more bound with them And that neither the diuell the worlde nor the fleshe may at any time separate me from thy loue seruice and most blessed will and pleasure Amen Ad sedes Annae rapitur Caifaeque tribunal Hic tota insultat nocte proterua oohors How Christ was lèd to the house of Annas and Caiphas ¶ The poyntes to meditate 1 The blasphemies and villanies which were spoken against our redéemer by those wicked ministers the outrages buffetinges and beatinges which he suffered when he was led from the garden to Annas house where he was first presented 2 Consider the great méekenes humilitie and modestie which shyned in our Sauiour whiles he stoode before the presence of that proude byshoppe and aunswered to the demaundes of his doctrine and of his Disciples tooke so patiently those reprochfull strokes and buffets 3 And after that howe wyth like spite cruell handeling and shame he was ledde to the house of Chaiphas where they vsed muche scornings iniuries towards him as in couering and blindfolding his blessed and reuerend face spitting in it and striking it so that he passed all that night without any rest at all ¶ The prayer I Render thankes and prayses to thée moste louing Iesu for thy inuincible patience with which it pleased thée for vs most vyle sinners to beare and suffer so greate trauelles paynes and iniuries submitting thy most blessed bodye to them that did beate it and thy most reuerend bearde and heare to them that dyd teare it bespit it and soyle it and diddest not turne thine amiable face from them that did spitte in in I do humbly beséech thy goodnes for that thy insuperable patience sake with which thou sufferedst so many strokes and beatinges without grudge or anger towardes thyne enemies that thou wilt graunt me strength and patience to suffer all persecutions and iniuries which in this worlde are wrought against me knowing that my
do laude prayse thée so that I nor all men in the world know nor yet are able to thanke thée nor yet vnderstand thy so gret mercy And because I haue no tong able to do it as it ought to be I pray thée of thine infinite goodnes to graunt me an heart that may take compassion and féele in part that which thy most blessed mother felt when she beheld and saw those gréeuous woūds and scourgings of her and thy most louing sonne Geue me therfore O Lorde teares in abundance that I may bewayle with her his death also wéepe for that which was the occasion therof and that was my sinnes the which I pray thée for the same thy sonnes sake that thou wilt pardon me and for the time to come to preserue me that I offend not in the same agayne but alwayes hate and abhorre my sinnes and wickednesse Amen Et florum nimbo fusisque lignoribus vngunt Vnctaque candenti sindone membra tegunt How the blessed body of Christ was anoynted and dressed to the buriall Meditations thereof 1 When night drew neare S. Iohn Ioseph and Nicodemus as it maye be godly thought prayed our Lady to geue them leaue to annoynt the most blessed body of her sonne who agréed to their godly request albeit that she vnderstoode that there was an other principall annointing that is that he was annointed of his diuinitie with the which he was vnited 2 Consider with what great deuotion and reuerence that most diuine body was anoynted and how many sighes teares they shed euery one that were present thereat in séeing him so wounded and pitifully handled and specially beholding those fiue principall wounds worthy of so great compassion 3 Consider that when the blessed body was annoynted they decently wounde it in a white shéete they brought with them and couering his said body with a fine launde so shrowde it vp to be buried according to the maner of the Iewes ¶ The prayer MY soule blesseth thée O most louing Iesu and all the powers within me geue thankes prayse to thy most holy name for all thy works which I confesse to be most worthy of all prayse and blessings But specially I prayse and magnifie thée for that thou hast accomplished and finished that so highe and heauenly worke of our redemption on whiche my saluation and life dependeth I also adore and worship thy precious body with the which it hath pleased thée to suffer most gréeuous torments and seing thou my Lord and God wast content to accept that deuotion and pietie of thy friēds that came to do thée their seruices and wast cōtent being dead that thy body should be annoynted with those materiall oyntments which they brought of the which thou hadst no néede at all because thou wast preserued from all corruption with the swéete balme of thy diuinitie I beséeche thy clemencie that thou vouchsafe to graunt me that pietie that charitie and those teares of deuotion that I may be able to annoynt thee spirituallye whiche is the vnction that is wonte to bée most acceptable to thy maiestie Vouchsafe also my Sauiour to imprint in myne heart those fiue most holy woundes whiche maye bée at all tymes my comfort my medicine the tower of my fortresse my refuge sanctuarie more sure and safe then those Cityes whiche in the olde lawe were appoynted for offenders to runne vnto and saue them selues And that by meanes of them I maye escape what tyme it shall please thy diuine iustice to punish me for my sinnes Amen Conditur ah tumulo mundi mihi conditor in quo Vnicaspes hominum conditur vnasalus Howe Christ was put into the graue Matters of meditation 1 Howe that most sacred body was caried put with due reuerence of Ioseph in a newe sepulchre or graue the which was nere to the place where he was crucified And here you may call to minde also the multitude of sighes and abundance of teares of his most sorrowfull mother and of those holy persons that were there present 2 Consider the extreme pouertie of the king of heauen and of earth who when he was dead had not any place where to rest his head but after death was buried in the sepulchre or buriall of an other 3 Then finally consider howe loth and gréeuous that sorrowfull mother was to depart from the sepulchre where her tresure was left and layde and the dolefull desolate sadnesse she felt seing her selfe depriued from his ioyful company vntil his rising agayne whiche she looked for with a stedfast fayth ¶ The prayer AL thy works O my God and lord Christ Iesu be holy perfect wrought by infinite wisedome for the which without ende I laude giue thankes prayses to thée and specially for thy holy passion death and buryall For euen as when the worke of the creation of the worlde was finished the scripture saith thou diddest rest and ceasse from creating anye more thinges so also now the great worke of the redemption of man béeyng also finished thou tookest thy rest and dyddest ceasse from suffering any more and wouldest that thy blessed body vnited with thy diuinitie shoulde remayne closed within the sepulcher thy moste blessed soule vnited with the same Diuinitie in meane time discending to visite and comfort with thy presence glory those holy fathers thy great friendes the which with vnspeakable desire looked for that day Blessed and praysed for euer be thyne infinite mercie power and wisedome the which stretcheth ouer all and disposeth all thinges swéetely For the which I praye thee to open the eyes of my soule that I may learne to know loue and reuerence thée Geue mée also my redéemer plentie of teares of compassion with the which I maye accompanie thy moste sorrowfull mother who at this tyme remayned sole and desolate bewayling with great affection which shée felte for thy death and absence vnto the time that thou camest agayne to wype awaye those pitifull teares which ran downe her reuerende face I desyre also and praye thée to graunt me a cleane harte voide of all corruption of sinne where as in the lyke Sepulcher not of harde stone but of tender fleshe and louynge it may delight thée to rest vntyll the time thou vouchsafe of thy mercie to bring mée eternall rest Amen Mortis victor adest animis comitatus ab orco Ne tumulo hanc matres quaerite vinus abit The glorious resurrection of Christ our Sauiour ¶ Poyntes to meditate vpon 1 First consider how that when the most blessed soule of Christe had béen in Lymbo comforted those holy fathers and brought them frō thence the sonday morning it did returne againe and vnite it selfe with his most blessed bodye caused it to become glorious resplendent immortal and impassible and so with the diuine power those glorious indowmēts which it communicated to the body it rose vp out of the place where it lay the sepulcher or graue remaining fast shut and closed 2 Ye may also thinke that the first thing he did being raised from death was to visite his beloued mother which with so many teares sighes sorowes missed him and looked for him All which griefes were turned into incomparable ioyes gladnes with the glorious sight of her sonne raised agayne from death to life 3 Ye may also meditate howe he firste appeared vnto Magdalen before the other who when she knew him she was greatly comforted and likewise vppon his other apparitions as vpon this daye as when he shewed himselfe and appeared to the deuoute women which went to the sepulcher and after to his Disciples goyng towardes the castle of Emans ¶ The prayer THy name be blessed without end most swéete Iesu my redéemer for that after the tempest of thy passion there is come the faire bright day of thy glory to the night of sorrowes and teares for thy death the festiuall ioyful day of thy resurrection doth succéede For the one for the other I giue prayse and thanks to thée as for the one and for the other I am debtour to thée bicause thou wouldest dy for my sinnes rise again for our iustification And therefore it is iust that they which do suffer wepe with thée in thy sorowfull passion and death should also in thy gloryous resurrection reioyce with thée thy most blessed mother Who according to the measure of hir anguishe sorrowes passed hath receiued the ioyes consolatiōs of this day present And what tongue may suffice to expresse that vnspeakeable gladnesse which hir hart felt when she sawe thy glorious risyng againe and the darknesse of thy passion turned into such beautifull clerenesse thy shames reproches into glory thy wounds into such beautie brightnesse When she did consider that now the stormy winter of thy persecutions was past the waters of the fludde of thy sorows ceassed that there should be nowe no more Pharisies to accuse thée nor Iudasses to betray thée nor Pilates to iudge or condemne thée nor death to haue might power ouer thée If Iacob did so muche reioyce when hée vnderstood that his sonne Ioseph whō he beleued to be dead was a liue and did rule ouer all Egipt how great may we thinke the ioy of thy glorious mother to be when hauing sene thée dead yea and of such a death did sée thée alyue againe a vanquisher of death triumphing ouer the diuell hell Lorde of heauen and of earth wherefore I beséech thée my heauenly king that I calling to remembrance this great triumph gladnes of thy blessed mother thou wilt giue me grace to hate all other vaine pleasures and worldly consolations whiche may separate me frō thée Graūt me Lord I pray thée by thy holy resurrection that my soule may rise againe with thée by the life grace and that I dye no more by the death of sinne so that I may by thy mercy hereafter rise agayne glorious in body and soule and come to reigne with thée eternally in glory Amen FINIS Laude Honour and Glory be for euer to Iesu Christ our Redéemer which suffered dyed and rose agayne Amen
deformities And so shalt thou be encouraged with more diligence to bestirre thée to worke according to this examplar and paterne showed vnto thée in this mount of most â—igh perfection as it was sayde vnto Moyses Because in this imitation conforming of thy life after the example of Christ consisteth the greatest merite thou canst haue in this life and the greatest rewarde prepared for thée in the life to come A declaration of the fyfth manner of meditation which is in thankesgeuing The fifth manner of meditation vpon the holy passion is by way of thankesgiuing whiche we are bounde often to do For if we ought of very duetie because we woulde not fall into the vice of ingratitude whiche so muche displeaseth God and no lesse hurteth vs to call ofâ—en times to our remembrance suche other benefites as we â—aue receyued at Gods hande â—nd to thanke his infinite goodnesse and liberalitie for the â—ame How muche more ought â—e so to do for the benefite of â—ur redemption the whiche so much more passeth all other beâ—efites as it hath by our redéeâ—er with more deare coste and â—rice and for our greater proâ—ite bene purchased A great matter it was that â—e gaue vs a soule and body with all our members and senâ—es and muche it is to be estéemed that for our conseruation and benefite he hath created the heauens and the earth with so many and diuers creatures as we sée in it But what should it haue profited vs to be borne into the world if we had not bene redéemed Of what estimation or valour might our creation haue bene thought if our redemption had lacked For by the first we receiued but our being by this seconde we haue receiued our wel béeing The first thing cost our creator but litle for that he created vs and al the world with his onely word and in a short time but as for the seconde who is able to declare how dearly and with how great expence our redéemer purchased and bought it Séeing that with the trauels and sweat of thrée and thirtie yeres finally with tormentes and death vpon the Crosse he gaue vs life and repaired the worlde which in sixe dayes he had made Nowe if it séeme to thée that thou art litle bound to him for that whiche cost him litle yet thou canst not denie but that thou art muche in his debt and very greatly bounde vnto him for that thing he payed so dearly for Thou shalt do then right as the wise man giueth thée counsell not to forget the grace and benefites thou haste receiued of such a benefactour that hath giuen his life for thée Consider if thou haddest receyued of anye man the like benefite how gretly shouldest thou haue remained bounde howe highly wouldest thou haue praysed him howe wouldest thou haue endeuoured thy selfe to haue serued him And therefore thou mayst perswade with thy selfe how greatly thou art bounde to God thy Creator and Redéemer for if thou mightest possibly be bound to any other man whiche had deliuered thée from a corporall death howe muche more oughtest thou to be bounde to him that hath deliuered thée from the spirituall death of the soule And if thou wouldest acknowledge thy selfe muche beholden to a man that had suffered a little for thée then remember howe muche more thou owest to him that is both God and man who hath suffered suche paynes and tormentes for thée and not onely tormentes but also moste bitter and shamefull death through which thy sinnes were cancelled and rased oute of remembraunce the might of the diuell was broken to péeces peace and reconciliation was made with God the gates of heauen opened besides other innumerable giftes giuen thée And séeing thou canst not better recompence this so great debte then to knowe to loue and to be thankfull to thy benefactour why then remember to offer to him the often sacrifice of prayse and thankesgiuing as the holy king prophet Dauid exhorteth and encourageth thée to do styrring vp thy soule with those words wherewith he lifted vp his owne hart and soule vnto God saying O my soule blesse the Lord and all the powers within me prayse ye his holy name O my soule blesse thy Lorde and forget not how great benefites he hath bestowed vpon thée But yet chiefly remember the greatest of all the rest which is to haue deliuered thy life froÌ„ eternal death and to crowne thée with mercy in his glory if the fault be not in thy selfe As verily it shal not be whensoeuer thou shalt declare thy selfe thankfull for his giftes receiued And that shalte thou do in exercising thy selfe to giue prayse and thankes to the giuer therof And think it therfore thy duetie as often as in this maner thou art disposed to meditate vpon the blessed passion to remember and endeuour by all meanes earnestly to giue thanks and prayse for that entier louing charitie of thy Sauiour that woulde redéeme thée with his owne blood and for that incomparable patience of his by the which he suffered all those sorrowes iniuries mockes and scornes as thou shalt call to thy minde béeing after this sorte occupied in thy meditation And albeit that the giuing of thanks which in this litle treatise is set in the ende of euery prayer may helpe and serue thée to that effect yet neuerthelesse it shal further thée muche that in thy discourse of meditation thou deuise of thy selfe newe prayses and thankes giuing sayinge sometimes Thanks be to thée O my God for thy excéeding charitie Blessed mayest thou be in thy patience that wouldest suffer suche tormentes for me O most innocent Lamb praysed and blessed be thy méekenesse Let thy Angels in my behalf blesse thée that wouldest so muche humble thy selfe And at an other time saye When shall I be able O my Lord to recompeÌ„ce these and other so great paynes and sorowes shames and reproches which thou hast suffred for me Let euery spirite and creature confesse thy mercies and be thankfull therefore And so vsing suche other lyke words of prayses according as thy deuotion shall moue thée A declaration of the sixt manner of meditation which is by way of admiration The sixt maner is according to our former diuision in order of admiration which thy soule shall féele to be very great if thou knowe once howe to exercise thy selfe well in that sort of consideration And séeing that the Prophet Dauid vsed as he affirmeth of him selfe to consider and meditate in his minde the maruellous works of God so is it good reason that thou do exercise thy selfe in the meditation of his most holy passion and death which is the moste marueilous worke amongst all that he hath wrought And who will not maruell when he considereth that suche a one did suffer who is the only refuge and protection of al those that do suffer And that he is sadde and heauy for sorowe who is the mirth and comforte of Angels And that he is despised and scorned who is
also how after the other words which he spake in promising the thiefe Paradise which committed himselfe vnto him and giuing S. Iohn to his mother in stead of her sonne in him also vs and her to Iohn and likewise to vs to be as a mother and declaring the gret thirst whiche he had and that chiefly was for our saluation he then finally commended his spirite into the handes of his eternall father and so inclining downe his head he yelded vp the ghost Of whose tormentes and death the heauens declare they did in some part féele the griefe for the sunne was eclipsed the earth trembled the very stones sheuered in péeces the graues opened the veyle of the temple deuided 3 Consider also the cruel launce and thrusting in of the speare with the whiche Longinus opened a gappe into the syde of Christ out of the which issued blood and water And albeit to him it was no payne because he was already deade yet notwithstanding his most innocent mother felte it whose bowels and hart was in those most greuous sorowes and sighes perce◠and thrust through agreable to the prophesie of Simeon ¶ The prayer I Render vnto thée O Iesu Christ most high and eternall Bishop infinite thankes for that thou hast offred thy self to thy father in moste swéete sacrifice and brought vnto an ende the works of our redemption thou diddst take vpon thée neuer staying therein neither for moste bitter tormentes which they put thee too nor yet for the multitude of blasphemies they spake agaynst thee For the whiche I humblye besech thee that thou vouchsafe to open the eyes of my soule that I may beholde and see and diligently marke that whiche thou hast wrought and taught on the crosse and in thy death Bring low O Lord my hawtines and pride in séeing thy head inclined and brought lowe vnder a crowne of thorne Temper and moderate my gluttonie and intemperancie with the remembrance of thy most swete mouth tasting the bitter gawle and vineger Cause me to forsake the delites of the flesh in séeing thy flesh put to so great paynes vppon the crosse Mollifie the hardnes of my hart and suffer it not to be more hard then the stones which shiuered in péeces at thy death Make me O Lord to enter into thy open side where I may more safely saue my selfe in the great and perillous flood of this world then in the arke of Noe. Cause me for thy seruice willingly to endure beare all trouble and aduersitie seing that thou for my sake wouldest giue thy most blessed life and euen as thou diddest perseuer and continue vnto death in the obedience of thy father so graunt that I maye always perseuer in obedience towards thée Amen Ex cruce traiectos artus frigida membra Detrahit alta animi vis pietasque virum How our Redeemer was taken downe from the Crosse ¶ The poynts of meditation 1 How the rage of that vnhappie generation being partly mitigate quieted with the death of him that is the life of the world they returned into the citie but his most afflicted mother continued with him accompanied with the beloued disciple Iohn and other deuoute women tarying to sée if they might by any meanes burie him 2 Call to remembrance howe those honorable personages Ioseph and Nicodemus hauing leaue of Pilate to take Christe frō the crosse brought oyntmēts and other things necessarie for to embalme and burie him 3 Consider also with how great deuotion reuerence and tears they tooke him from the crosse and howe desirous his vncōfortable mother was to take him in hir armes to imbrace him ¶ The prayer I Adore and worship thée my most louing sauior I thāk thee and prayse thée with all my hart power for that through thy most holy crosse thou haste recouered and saued the world All thy workes O Lorde are most perfect and so it was thy will and pleasure perfectly to finishe this worke of so great importance of our redemption not leauing any thing that was to be done or suffered of that which of thine infinite wisdome was ordeined and of thy holy Prophetes forespoken which in those words thou diddest signifie It is iustified whiche thou spakest a litle before thou gauest vp the ghost Thanks be also to thy diuine power and might with which dying thou hast destroyed death after the maner of that strong Sampson with thy death thou hast ouercome thine enemies I beséeche thee therefore which art the giuer of life by the same thy deth that mortifying all my concupiscences and disorderly affections thou wilt reuiue my soule with the life of thy grace and so make me dye to the vayne pleasures honours and desires of the world of the fleshe that it may liue onely to thée onely confesse thée adore and worship thée dwel in thée seke for those things which belong to thy seruice as those thy deuoute seruants did in taking of thée from the crosse honoring thy moste blessed body in procuring to burie it being so greatly dishonored before 〈◊〉 Hic complexa sinu corpus miserabile nati Virgo parens lachrymis vulnera sacra vigat How our Sauiour beeing nowe taken frō the Crosse was layd in his moste sorowfull mothers lappe ¶ Poyntes to meditate 1 First consider with how gret tendernes the most blessed virgin mother receiued the dead body of her swéete sonne béeing nowe taken from the crosse beholding particulerly the signes of his soares and wounds with moste tender loue she kissed the same embraced bathed it with the teares which abundantly issued out of her pitifull eyes 2 Then cal to mind the lamentable words which his mother spake when she saw that blessed body of his so scourged wounded and ill handled the which she with so great loue and reuerence had brought vp whose words sighes were inough to breake with cōpassion the hart of any that heard them 3 Remember also the lamentable playnt which other deuoute men women made that were there present and chiefly of that welbeloued disciple Iohn and Magdalen which helde clipped fast the féete of her swéete master not satisfying her selfe ynough in kissing and washing them with her pitifull teares ¶ The prayer O My most merciful father and my god who shal giue water to my head and a fountayne of teares to mine eyes that I may bewayle the paynefull death of my swéet redéemer both day and night celebrate his holy exequies together with that deuout companie whiche with wofull playnt did celebrate the same Or who may giue me an hoate burning hart worthily to praise thée and thanke thée for the ineffable benefite which thou hast done for me in that thou haste vouchsafed that thine onely begotten sonne should léese his life to giue me life Whom would it not amase to sée this thy vnspeakable charity that for to redeme a vile slaue wouldest giue to death thy dearly beloued son All the Angelicall spirites