King and yet reproched by his most despicable seruants treading vpon Crownes and yet his Crowne is a vexation vnto him wounding his beautifull head with a thousand pricks hee is clothed with roiall purple but in it hee is rather despised then honoured hee caries a Scepter in his hand but with it his reuerend head is wounded they worshippe him with bended knees and call him King but presently they besmere his amiable face with spitting dishonouring his cheekes and venerable aspect with their fists See O my soule how this man is afflicted and contemned of all sides Hee bowes himselfe vnder the burthen of his Crosse bearing that ignominie which was proper vnto thee where being brought vnto the place of execution his thirst is quenched with mirrhe and vineger vpon the Crosse saying Father pardon c. What kinde of man is this who in all his sufferings doth not once open his mouth or vtter one word of complaint or excuse or of threat or of curse against those reuiling doggs but concludes with such mild wordes of blessing as haue not bin heard before O my soule when hast thou seene any one more mercifull what can be more curteous then this man Behold him with more attention how worthy he is of admiration and most tender compassion Looke at him naked and torne with whips betwixt two theeues ignominiously nailed vpon the Crosse quenching his thirst with vinegar and after his death wounded in the side with a speare sending out plentifull riuers of blood from those woundes in his handes feete and side O my eies abound with teares and O my soule bee thou dissolued with the fire of compassion in condoling so mercifull a man whom thou seest amidst so great biternesse to bee afflicted with sorrowes And now O my soule thou hast seene his infirmicies and thou dost pitty him now thou hast looked vpon his maiesty and thou dost admire him for what saith the Scripture From the sixth hower vnto the ninth hower there was darkenesse vpon the whole earth and the Sunne was darkened and the vaile of the Temple rent asunder from the toppe euen to the bottom and there was an Earth-quake and the rockes cloue and the graues opened and many bodies of the Saints which were dead arose Who is this with whom both Heauen and Earth doe suffer and whose death doth raise men from death Know O my soule know that this is the Lord God Iesus Christ thy Sauiour the onely begotten sonne of God very God very man who of all men vnder the Sunne was onely found to be without sinne and behold how hee is accompted amongst the wicked and esteemed as one of the Lepars or as an abortiue birth throwne from his mothers wombe So is hee throwne from the wombe of his Mother the vnhappy Synagogue Hee that was the fairest amongst the children of men how deformed is hee made hee was wounded for our iniquities and broken for our sinnes he was made a burnt Sacrifice of sweete incense vnto thee O Father of eternall glorie to pacifie thy wrath conceaued against vs and to place vs in the celestiall mansions of glorie Behold O holy Father from thy Sanctuarie and from thy high habitation behold this our holy sacrifice which our Head-priest offereth vnto thee thy holy Sonne and our Lord Iesus offering himselfe vp for our sinnes and mercifully doe away the multitude of our transgressions Behold the voice of the blood of our Iesus crieth vnto thee from the Crosse. For what O Lord what is it that hangeth thereon hee hangeth euen now because things past are as things present before thee Take knowledge O Father vnto the coat of thy true sonne Ioseph Behold a sauage beast hath deuoured him and trampled vppon his garment in his furie staining his bewtie with the effusion of his blood behold he hath made pittifull rents in it This O Lord is the garment which thy inocent son left in the hands of that Aegiptian harlot thinking it better to lose his coate then his honour and chusing rather to be spoiled of the garment of his flesh and to descend into the prison of death then for the glorie of the world to harken vnto the voice of the Adultresse to that voice I say where it was said vnto him All this will I giue thee if thou wilt fall downe before me and worship me which was as if he shold haue slept with the Adultresse And now O my Lord we know that this thy sonne liueth and is Gouernour ouer all Aegypt and in euerie place of thy dominion for hee is aduanced from the prison of death and of Hell to thy Empire and attaining a Crowne of immortallity hath changed the garment of his flesh to reflourish within the immortality of the spirit where thou hast receiued him with much honour For hee hath subiected the empire of Pharoh vnto him and hath triumphantly ascended Heauen by his owne proper maiesty behold he is crowned with glorie and honour when hee sitteth at the right hand of thy maiesty mediating for vs for hee is our flesh and our brother Behold O Lord the face of thy Christ who became obedient vnto thee euen vnto death nor let the scars of his woundes euer depart from thy sight that thou maiest remember the satisfaction thou hast receiued for our sinnes I would O Lord thou wouldst but weigh our sins in a balance by which we haue deserued thy wrath and the calamity which thy sonne suffred to appease thy wrath Surely more forcible and more worthy would the cause appeare to show thy mercie vpon vs then by reason of our sinnes to powre downe the viols of thy Ire vpon vs. Let euery tongue O father giue thankes vnto thee for the exceeding aboundance of thy loue in not sparing thy onely begotten Sonne but giuing him ouer vnto death for vs that we might haue him as a faithfull Aduocate before thee in Heauen for vs. And thou O Lord Iesus most mighty most zealous of mans saluation what thanks shall I giue vnto thee that I may giue thankes worthie being but dust and the workemanship of thy hands for what couldest thou doe for my saluation and hast not done it from the sole of thy foot to the crowne of thy head thou hast plunged thy selfe wholly into the waters of thy passion that thou mightest draw me wholly from them and these passions haue entred euen vnto thy soule For thou subiectedst thy soule to death and desolation to preserue my soule from death and perdition and behold thou hast bound me in a double bond vnto thee First in that thou hast giuen thy life for mee and secondlie because my soule was giuen by thee twice vnto me once in my creation and once in my recreation wherefore I haue nothing that is fitter to giue thee then my soule which I had of thee for if I should in recompence of thy mercy giue vnto thee the Heauen the earth and all the excellency thereof yet
surely could not I attaine to the measure of that I owe thee sith that which I owe and that which is possible for mee to giue is thy gift without which I haue nothing to giue Thou art to be loued O my Lord with all my heart with all my soule with all my strength and thy imitable footsteps are to be followed by me because thou vouchsafedst to die for me and how can this be done in me but by thee let my soule cleaue vnto thee because all my power dependeth on thee And now O Lord my redeemer I worship thee as the true God I put my trust in thee I hope in thee and with my vtmost desires doe I sigh after thee helpe my many imperfections I incline my selfe wholly vnto the glorious signals of thy passion wherein thou hast perfected my saluation In thy name O Christ doe I reuerence the royall Banner of thy victorious Crosse. O Christ with all humility doe I adore and glorifie the remembrance of thy thornie crowne thy red-skarlet nailes besmeared with blood thy lance drenched in thy sacred side thy wounds thy blood thy death thy buriall thy glorious and victorious resurrection and glorification For the breath of life breatheth to mee in all these by these liuely and redolent odors raise my spirit O Lord from the death of sinne By the power of these preserue me from the subtilties of Sathan that the yoke of thy commandements may be vnto me easie and the burden of thy Crosse which thou commandest me to beare after thee may be light for what is my strength that according to thy commandement I might be able with an inuincible spirit to sustaine so manifold afflictions in the world Are my feete like Hindes feete that like a swift courser I may be able to runne ouer the thornes and difficulties of thy passions but heare my voice and lay thy corsse softly vpon thy feruant that crosse which is the wood of life to them that lay hold vpon it my hope is I shall runne swiftlie and shall carrie as constantlie the crosse which is giuen me of my enemies to follow thee Lay I say that most diuine crosse vpon my shoulders the breadth whereof is charitie the length eternitie the height omnipotencie and the depth inscrutable wisdome replenished with maiestie Naile my feete and my hands vnto it and conforme thy seruant O Lord whollie vnto thy passion Grant vnto me O Lord that I may abstaine from all the workes of the flesh which thou hatest and doe those workes of righteousnesse which thou louest and in both to seeke thy glorie I suppose it verie expedient that my left hand bee nailed vnto the crosse with the nayle of temperance my right hand with the naile of vprightnesse Grant that my soule may continually meditate vpon thy law fixing all her cogitations vpon thee and fasten thou my right foote to the same wood of life with the naile of wisdome Grant that the seeming felicity of this transitory life may not enfeeble the operation of my spirit with a sinister sensualitie nor that it be troubled with this present liues infelicity but that both my right hand and left may be fixed vnto the crosse with the naile of fortitude and that some appearance of the thornes which were platted vpon thy head may be resembled in me giue vnto my heart I beseech thee the wholsome compunction of repentance compassion of anothers miserie the pricke of feruent zeale which may be founde vpright before thee and to turne vnto thee in my affliction whilest my head is crowned with this threefold wreath of thornes I desire thee also to reach a spunge vnto my mouth by a reede and to minister the bitternesse of gall vnto my tast I desire also that by thy Scriptures thou wouldest illuminate my reason that I may tast and see how this flourishing world is as an empty spunge and all the concupiscenses there of more bitter then vinegar So my father may that Babilonian Cuppe diffused vpon the whole earth seeme bitter vnto me not able with her fruitlesse flourish to seduce me nor with her false sweetenesse to inebriate me as shee doth those who call darknesse light and light darkenesse that which is bitter sweete and what is sweete bitter Thy wine mixed with mirrh and gall is suspicious vnto me forasmuch as thou wouldest not drinke of it because it imploied the bitternesse of enuie and impiety of such as crucified thee Fashion thy seruant O Lord after thy liuely death so working in me that I may die in the flesh but liue in the righteousnesse of the spirit But that I may reioice in the carrying of the whole image of Christ crucified expresse in me a similitude of that which the insatiate malice of the wicked Iewes exercised against thee after thy death let thy quicke and effectuall word more piercing then the sharpest lance reaching euen vnto the diuision of my soule wound my heart and produce out of it as from my right side in stead of blood and water a loue O Lord vnto thee and to thy brethren finally wrappe my spirit in the pure syndon of my originall stole of innocencie that I may rest there going out and going in into the place of thy admirable Tabernacle hiding me till thy furie be ouerpast but in the third day after the day of my labour the day of punishment early in the first sabbath raise me thy vnworthy seruant and place mee perpetually among thy children that in my flesh I may see thy glorie and be satisfied with the light of thy countenance O my Sauiour and my God let the time come let it come I beseech thee that what I now beleeue I may behold with reuealed eyes what I now hope for I may at last obtaine that what I now desire vehemently I may embrace really may kisse louingly being plunged in the bottomlesse sea of mercie O my Sauiour and my God But blesse thou my Sauiour O my soule and magnifie his name O how good sweet art thou O Lord Iesus vnto the soule that seeketh thee O Iesus the redeemer of the lost the sauiour of the redeemed the hope of the banished the strength of the wearied refreshing to the distressed comfort to the desolate a sweete repose and a comfortable to the sorrowfull soule running O Lord speedily after thee till shee oreget thee the crowne of triumph the chiefest marchandise and the ioy of all the heauenly Citizens an euer-flowing fountaine of all spirituall graces the onely child of God and the great God Let all things which are in Heauen aboue or in earth below praise thee Great art thou and great is thy name O thou immortall glorie of the high God and the pure maiestie of the light eternall O life that quicknest all things O light that enlightenest all things O light that illuminatest euerie light and conseruest by thy eternall splendor Thousands and ten thousands of lights haue shined before the Throne
of thy maiestie from the beginning O eternall substantiall and inaccessible cleere and delectable streame of that fountaine hid from the eies of all mortall men whose beginning is without beginning whose bottome is without bottome whose periodde is without period whose circuit is incircumscrutable whose puritie is imperturbable The heart of the Almightie hath sent thee O my soule out of his impenetrable Abysse O life from thee haue wee in all fullnesse receiued life from thy light haue wee receiued light thou that art eternall hast made vs eternall thou that art boundlesse hast made vs boundlesse making vs in all things equall to thy selfe For thou that art the most plentifull fountaine of euery perfect gift hast vouchsafed to conuay the precious Riuer of thy seauen fould graces into our hearts to enrich vs with thy secret treasures and with the sweetenesse thereof to allay the saltnesse of this sea that is of our infirmities O thou Spring of the oile of gladnesse thou riuer of pure wine thou torrent of entire zeale the holie Spirit our comforter beeing sent vnto the world by the Father and thee to both he is equall in dignity of essence filleth all things contayneth al things being spirit of the spirit of thy Father one of both as the indiuiduall communion vniting both a soulder vniting a coniunction indissoluing and that peace which passeth all vnderstanding This is the well of thy comforts O Lord by which thou daily supportest and with pleasant obiects most abundantly refreshest that delicate and glorious City Hierusalem is aboue where those glorious and flamie Organs doe incessantly sing Hymnes in the voice of exultation and feasting with the desired tunes whereof the hungry iawes of thy people in the daies of this their pilgrimation craue dayly to bee refreshed Suffer O Father the little dogges to feede on the crums which fall from their masters table Send out your dewe O Heauens from aboue and let the cloudes raine vpon the righteous him O Lord whom thou hast made zelous of thy lawes Purge we beseech thee O Lord with the sallatorie of thy word the religious first fruits of thy people being a testimonie of our solemne celebration of this time renew illuminate inflame inspire confirme and vnite the hearts of all beleeuers vnto thee that they may bee one tast one and with all vnanimitie require apprehend see and glorifie thee our only God in Sion Let glorie thankes honour and power be attributed to the indiuiduall Trinity for euermore Amen Quaedam sententiae eaeque vere Aureolae ad humanae mentis intimam deuotionem inflammandam excerptae Qui de se humiliter sentit haec legat CHristus qui pro nobis passionem sustulit in fructus passionis nos promouebit vt sicut spinarum coronâ tempora eius figebantur gaudiorum mercede mentes nostrae illustrentur Hic viximus in dolore illic afficiemur Honore Honore dei qui mundano Honori maxime aduersatur ille enim a christianis qui sub vexillo suo meruerunt possidetur Hic autem ab Ethnicis qui eorum famam auxerunt petitur O quam incundum est in domo tua domine habitare vbi nullo metu nulla cupiditate nullo motu distrahimur videntes vero faciem tuam meridiana luce multo clariorem laeitia vultus tuisatiamur Hic dilectus est meus quem quaerit mens mea quaeret nec desistet donec cum quaerendo inueniet A MOST DEVOVT MEDITATION of Saint Barnard entreating of the miserie of man and examination of the last Iudgement TOuching the outward man I descend from those parents who ere I was borne made me forlorne Sinners beget sinners in their sinne nourishing them from sinne vnto sinne miserable man hath brought his miserable issue to light from my parents I haue nothing but miserie and sinne and this corruptible body which I carrie about with me And to them I hasten who are departed hence by the death of their Bodies whose Sepulchers when I behold I finde nothing in them but dust and wormes filthines and horror what I am haue they been and what they are I shall be What am I miserable man engendred of liquid humour at the time of my conception I was conceiued of humane seed which seede afterwards growing thicke by encreasing little by little became flesh whence weeping and shriking I was exposed to the exile of this world and behold now I die being full of iniquities and abhominations Euen now shall I bee presented before a fearefull Iudge that will take an exact accompt of all my workes Woe is me wretch that I am when that day shall come and those bookes shall be opened wherein all my actions and cogitations shal be reiected in the presence of God O then shall I stand fearefull before the Lord in iudgement hanging downe my head and confessing my shame remembring the offences I haue committed and the sinceritie of a pure conscience which I haue defiled and when it shall be said of me behold the man and his workes then shall I set before mine eyes all my sinnes and transgressions for it will come to passe by a certaine diuine instinct that all our workes both good and euill shall come vnto our remembrance and by the piercing sight of the minde shall be apprehended by a wonderfull quickenesse to the end knowledge might accuse or excuse conscience and so all vniuersally and euery one distinctly might together be iudged each man shall giue accompt what he hath done of all to all how ended how begunne for what we are now ashamed to confesse priuately shal be then manifested publikely and what we now seeke to shadow by dissembling shall be discussed by the fire of reuenge euer burning Swift flaming fire shall scorch with boundlesse rage and by how much longer God hath expected our amendment by so much more seuerely will he punish vs because we were negligent Why therefore doe we so greatly desire this life wherein the longer we liue the more we offend for by how much our life is longer by so much bee our offences more For daily are euils encreased but goodnes diminished daily is man changed by prosperitie and aduersitie yet knoweth not he when he shall die for as a glittering starre coasting swiftly in heauen suddenly vanisheth or as a sparke of fire is quickely extinguished and turnes to ashes so soone the dissolutiō of mans life for whilest man soiorneth willingly and ioifully in this world promiseth himselfe to liue long disposing many of his affairs for succeeding times suddenly is he surprised by death vnawares is his soule taken frō his body yet with great feare and vnmeasurable griefe is his soule separated frō his body For the Angels come to take it and bring it before the Tribunall seat of that fearefull Iudge where remembring his euill works nay his most impious workes which he hath committed night or day he trembleth seeking to flie from them and to take truce with them saying
with a Threnodia Thou foole this night shall thy soule bee taken away Alas so soone this was the first night it seemes of his rest aud must it be his last too yes Esay answereth him There is no rest to the vngodly hee is euer in discontent seeking to quench his hydropticke thirst with getting but is neuer satisfied They which should bee Gods Amners to distribute to the necessity of the Saints are oppressors beeing as sponges which sucke vp the laborious gaines of the poore Let there not bee a begger in Israell saith God to Moses but these regraters which exhaust and consume the meanes of the poore make many beggars in Israell But the Lord shall come in thunder and roote them from the face of the earth hee shall raze doune their buildings and make their dwelling with Ostriches For the Lords delight is in the poore that humbles himselfe beefore him his horne shall bee exalted with honour but for the mighty oppressors that grinde the face of the poore the Lord will chastice them in his fury and be auenged of them in his mightie displeasure O if the rich man knew being Gods dispensour how soone the sythe of humane frailety will cut him short hee would not promise to himselfe length of daies but with all integrity of heart feruencie of spirit and humility of minde fall downe before the Throne of Gods merie Sicut Apes flores quaesitant ita Sancti misericordiam Dei The Saints of God and such as are consecrate to him will seeke the mercie of God and with teares of entire compassion turne to the Lord that it would please him to turne from their sinnes They will not protract the time nor take day with their sinnes but with hearty contrition speedy conuersion and firme resolution not to commit the like sinnes again they purchase their atonement with God leauing off sinne before sinne leaue them For what is it when the Organs and naturall faculties of the bodie through their debilitie haue lost all power of sinning then to surcease from sinne No reserue the heate of the day for the Lords vineyard let not him haue the afterlings The first fruits were in ancient time giuen to the Priests and wilt thou detaine thy first fruits from him which is the head Priest O dedicate thy labors vnto him and be conuerted euen in the maturitie of thy time Thou art now able to cope with Antichrist to morrow it may be thou shalt be lesse able A valiant captaine in the siege of any Citty or fortresse will apprehend euery aduantage and occasion of attaining his purpose he will not intermit any time but with all alacritie prosecute the charge he hath in hand that his deportments may purchase him glory Sub vexillo meret moeret si non mereat Thou art in the same case in a straite siege beleagred with impetuous and violent enemies The world besiegeth thee on euerie side by those 5. Gates or breaches viz. thy fiue corporall sences eye eare tast smell and touch he woundeth thy soule as with most venemous Arrowes so as death entreth in at the verie window of thy soule Ismaell plaies with thee and deludes thee the flesh whom thou pamperedst rebels against thee thy verie housholds sinnes begin to wrastle with thee and Grauis lucta Graue est periculum contra domesticum hostem pugnare saith Barnard Thou must wrastle with sinne conspiring within thee with the flesh which enuirons thee and the voluptuous affections of worlds vanitie that seeke to surprise thee Show thy selfe resolute in this encounter fight a good fight and with the complete Armour of a spirituall warriour raze downe the tyrannicall kingdome of Antichrist Thou must passe many difficulties ere thou canst obtain the victorie Those Cyanea saxa those rockes of perill temptations of euery kinde but perseuerance will make thy victorie most eminent The yong man must needes take leaue of his friends before he can follow Christ. But thou must abandon friends estate possessions and all encombrances that thou may be thought a worthy follower of Christ. Qui Christum sequi petit equum est vt omnia relinquat quo Christum arctius teneat Riches were best demonstrated by the Romane word Impedimenta hinderances indeed for our heauenly expedition we should vse them in necessarie respects not to adore them if the price of gold had not beene knowne Baals golden calfe had not beene erected It is a cause of much false Adoration and many I am perswaded yet timerous in perswasion worship the idoll in their chest more then their Messias in his Temple O prophanation of Times when an externall appearance of tempting vanitie can seduce an Intellectuall soule from her Creator with the desire of a bare mettall ordained for the vse of his creature We are wise and vnderstanding in chymicke labours and are profoundlie read in minerals But that onely and principall good the select treasure of the minde is as farre estranged from our reading as Demas heart was from any thing saue what tasted of the world We can talke of eccentricke lines bodies motions temperatures affections but which amongst vs seekes to season the ill disposed temper of our minde O pittie and great pitty it is to neglect so diuine a substance let the Philosophers idle axiome alone the body should take her temperature from the soule and not the soule from the body Corpus Ancilla est vt pareat non domina vt imperet Confusion of Gouernors spoile euerie well gouerned state and those kingdomes be most happy where there be not the most but the best Kings Thou hast a monarchy and that 's the best kinde of Gouernement within thy selfe O dispose then of thy affections like a Prince be inuested with a roabe worthy an Emperor the pure stole of integrity thy thoughts must be eleuate not depressed downe to this earthly centre It is reported that the Emperour Augustus could see as well by night as day thy eyes should be so not obscured or darkned with the night of error but euer tralucent that if there were windowes in thy heart the splendor of thy internall man might show her owne dignity But especially let me caution thee in this that thou be open handed and bountifully hearted to thy neeedfull brother it will make thee see more cleerely into the prouidence of God and excite thee to an acknowledgement of his mercies euer meditating of his bounty in bestowing and thy immerrited seruice in deseruing It will inflame in thee a perfect and exact measure of charity to giue freely because thou hast receiued more amply An affectionate charitie is approued by God and man making our selues in distributiue iustice Christians and imitating the inimitable patterne of Christ who sustained the weak supported the needy relieued the hungry being all to all that he might show his glory towards all his humility may asswage our pride and caution vs to be humble here that wee may be exalted elsewhere His
that bloody sweat did most euidently expresse the sorrowes of thy hart which al the time of thy prayer trickled downe droppe by droppe vppon the ground O my Lord Iesus whence comes this thy sorrowfull supplication didst thou not voluntarily offer thy selfe a sacrifice vnto thy father euen so Lord. But we suppose that thou tooke this vpon thee for the comfort of thy weake and disconsolate members least peraduenture some should despaire if at any time the fraile flesh seeme to murmure when the spirit is ready to repell any tentation Surely thou didst it to this end that we might haue continuall motiues of loue thankfulnes towards thee hauing expressed the naturall infirmity of our flesh by these tokens in thee By which we are taught that thou hast truely borne our infirmities hast passed the pricking thornes of thy passions not without a sensible feeling of them For that voice seemed not to be the voice of the spirit but of the flesh in that thou addest the spirit is truely ready but the flesh is weake That the spirit was ready to thy passion thou euidently demonstrated when thou ran of thine owne accord to meet thy betraier such men as were giuen to shed blood attending him seeking to take away thy life with lanternes and Torches and weapons vpon the Night and least they should receiue any notice by the Captaine of this impiety thou manifested thy selfe for thou turnedst not away from that cruell Beast comming to kisse thy most holy mouth but affably gaue thy mouth wherein was neuer deceipt found vnto his mouth which abounded with all malice O Innocent lambe of God what hast thou to doe with that wolfe what concord betwixt thee and Belial but this was O Lord thy great mercy to exhibit all such things as might any way mollifie the pertinacie of a depraued heart for as one not al together vnmindfull of ancient friendshippe thou admonished him saying my friend to what end camest thou and willing as it seemes to wound the heart of this impious Traitour with the horror of his sinne thou said Iudas doest thou betray the sonne of man with a kisse and behold the Philistins are vpon thee Sampson Neither didst thou driue them from thee intending to smite them at the houre of thy apprehension with thy right hand no not in defence of thy selfe that the foolish presumption of man may know that they can doe nothing against thee but so much onely as is permitted by thee But who can heare without weeping how they laid their murdering hands vpon thee tying thy innocent hands with cords sweet Iesus who like a most meek lambe speaking nothing was carried after the manner of a theefe contumeliously to the slaughter Neither ceasedst thou then O Christ to shew thy mercy vpon thy Enemies to diffuse the honiecombe of thy sweetnesse vpon them reprouing the zeale of thy defendor and withholding him from hurting such as haled thee Their furie was cursed because wilfull being neither moued by the maiesty of thy miracles nor the greatnes of thy benefits Thou wast brought before a counsell of wicked head-priests consulting against thee and confessing the truth as was seemelie thou wast adiudged to death for thy blasphemie O louing Lord how many vnworthy things hast thou suffered of thine owne Nation men of polluted lips beslubbring with their spittle thy amiable countenance on which the Angels haue desired to looke replenishing the whole Courts of heauen with ioy and vnto which all the rich men in the world shall make intercession beating it with their sacrilegious hands and blindfolding thee in derision and being Lord of all creatures buffetted thee as a seruant most contemptuous of all others But let vs now come to their deliuering vp of thy soule to be swallowed vp by vncircumcised flesh They lead thee bound before Pilate requiring that thou maist be crucified which knewest no sinne that a murderer might bee let loose vnto them lesse esteeming of a lambe then a wolfe of gold then clay O vnworthy and vnhappy merchandise neither was that wicked Pilate ignorant how all these things were done through enuie against thee yet for all that he proceeded rashly in iudgement against thee filling thy soule with much bitternesse without a cause He suffered thee to be mocked commanding thee to stand in the sight of thy mockers nor spared he to teare thy pure virgin-skinne with most sharpe scourgings cruelly inflicting stripes vpon stripes and wounds vpon wounds O thou deere child of God what hast thou committed that should deserue so great bitternesse so great reproch Surely nothing It is I it is I wicked man that I am that was the cause of thy death I O Lord haue eaten the sower grape and thy teeth are on edge paying for that which thou neuer tooke And yet the impiety of the trecherous Iewes is not satisfied with all these indignities done against thee but thou art now at last deliuered ouer into the hands of vncircumcised souldiers to be put to a most shamefull death It seemed but a little matter for those sacrilegious miscreants to crucifie thee but they must also vex thy soule with reproches For what saith the Scripture of them Then all the people gathered together and taking his owne garments from him they put vpon him a purple coate and they cloathed him with a skarlet robe and winding a crowne of thornes they put it vpon his head and a reede in his right hand and bowing vnto him they mocked him saying Haile King of the Iewes and they buffetted him and spit vpon him and taking the reede in their hands they smote him on the Head and after they had mocked him they put his owne garments vpon him to crucifie him bearing his owne crosse and they led him to Golgotha giuing him wine to drinke mixed with mirrhe and gall and when he had tasted of it he would not drinke then they crucified him and two theeues with him the one of the right hand and the other of the left and Iesus in the middest And Iesus said Father forgiue them for they know not what they doe Afterwards Iesus knowing that all things might be done that the Scripture might be fulfilled said I thirst and one amongst them running tooke a spunge and filled it with vinegar and put it vpon a reede and gaue him it to drinke assoone as he had receiued the vinegar he said It is finished and crying with a loud voice he said Father into thy hands I commend my spirit and bowing downe his head he gaue vp the ghost Then one of the Souldiers opened his side with a speare and presently their issued out water and blood for the redemption of man Awake O my soule shake of the dust of sinne and fixe thy contemplation vpon this memorable patterne of Humanitie whom thou seest presented vnto thee in this glasse of Gods word Behold O my soule who it is that cometh in vnto thee hauing the image of a
shall deliuer thee from the bonds of this enthrallement let the Lord arise let this armed man fall before him let this man greatest enemy to man fal be confounded since he is a cōtemner of God a worshipper of himselfe his own illimited affections a friend to the world a seruant to the diuel How doest thou thinke of it if thou thinke rightly thou wilt say with me he is guilty of death let him be crucified Doe not therefore dissemble do not differre do not spare but with celerity magnanimity and instācy crucifie this mā But so as with the Crosse of Christ wherein there is saluation life for whosoeuer shal cal on Christ intentiuely incessantly shall presently haue his crucified old man inuiting him with all benignitie and Christ answering with as much mercie To day thou shalt be with mee in Paradice O the exceeding mercie of Christ O the inopinate saluation of the wicked made righteous by Christ So gratefull and approoued is the loue of God so admired is his sweetenes so vnexpected his louingnes so immerited his mercifulnesse that whosoeuer crieth to him is heard of him for the Lord is mercifull and cals to minde how hee made him O how great is the mercie of God how ineffable the compassion of the right hand of the almightie yesterday was I in darkenesse this day am I in light yesterday in the mouth of a Lion most bloodie this day in the hand of my mediatour full of mercie yesterday in the gate of hell to be tormented for euer to day in a paradice of perpetuall pleasure But what doe these letters of admonition profit vnlesse thou wipe from thy conscience those letters or characters of death what doe these writings profit what doe they both read and vnderstood auaile vnlesse thou both reads and vnderstand thy selfe applie thy selfe therefore to inward reading that thou may reade conceaue and apprehend thy selfe so reade as thou may loue God that thou may fight and by fighting vanquish the world and all thy enemies therein that thy labour may bee conuerted into rest thy lamenting into reioycing and after the darkenesse of this life ending thou may see the rising of that morning sunne of righteousnesse euer shining where thou may likewise see that meridian sunne of eternitie in whom thou shalt see the Bridegroome with his bride one and the same Lord of glorie who liueth and raigneth for euermore A Meditation of Saint Barnard wherein he describes the method of prayer and how a zealous Christian should pray HAue mercie on me O Lord for I sinne there the most where I ought to reforme my selfe the most for in the priuate Monastery oft times whilest I pray I giue not attention to that I pray I pray with my mouth and implies thereby a lippe labour but my minde is wandring abroade and therefore am worthily depriued of the fruite of my prayer in bodie I am inward but in heart outward and therefore I lose the benefit of my speech for little aualleth it vs to sing onely with the voice without the pure intention of our heart wherefore it is great peruersenesse nay great madnesse when we presume to talke familiarly with God in our prayer being of so exceeding Maiestie sencelessely to diuert our mindes from him and prostitute our hearts to I know not what folly Great madnes is it likewise greatly to bee punished when vile dust and ashes composed of nought but sin disdaineth to heare the creator of this vniuerse speaking vnto him But ineffable is the humilitie of his diuine goodnesse daily beholding vs vnhappie wretches turning our eares hardning our hearts yet vouchsafeth he incessantly to crie vnto vs saying returne you that be of an vncircumcised heart behold and see I am your Lord and God God speaketh vnto me in a Psalme and I vnto him neither yet when I say the Psame doe I consider whose Psalme it is therefore doe I a great iniurie vnto God when I desire him that hee would heare my prayer which I when I powre it before him doe not heare my selfe I beseech him to incline his eare vnto my prayer but I incline mine eare neither to my selfe nor to my prayer but which is worse by meditating of vnprofitable and sensuall affections I oppose a most filthie and horrible corruption in the consideration of my hearts pollution before the eies of his all-seeing Maiestie A verie profitable prayer taken out of Saint Barnard intreating of the forme and manner how euerie one ought to consider himselfe no lesse sententious then zealous IF I behold not my selfe I know not my selfe but if I behold my selfe I shall not endure my selfe because I finde so manie things in mee noe lesse worthie of reprehension then confusion and shame so as by how much more exactly and seriously I examine my selfe so manie more abhominations doe I finde in the corners of my heart For since the time I first began to sinne I could neuer passe one day without sinne neither as yet doe I cease from sinne but from day to day adde sinne vpon sinne which though I haue them before mine eyes and consider the exceeding measure of them yet doe I not lament them I see sinnes in mee to be ashamed of yet am not I ashamed I behold sinnes to be sorrowed for in me yet am not I sorrowfull which is an euident signe and token of death and damnation for that member which feeleth not paine is dead and a disease insensible is incurable I am sensuall and dissolute neither yet doe I correct my selfe but daily reiterate those sinnes which before I confessed neither am I aware of the ditch into which miserable soule that I am I haue fallen or made another to fall or seene him falling And whereas I ought to deplore my sinnes and with instancie of supplication pray for remission of them to wit for the euils which I had comitted and the good which I had neglected and omitted woe is me I did the quite contrarie for first I grew luke warme and after chill-could in the feruour of my praier and now I remaine key-could without any sence or apprehension of sinne and therefore cannot bewaile the sinne committed by mee because the grace of teares and remorse is departed farre from me That sinne is not to be excused VVhere I ought to haue amended my sinnes I added sinne vpon sinne when I was accused of them I either in a sort excused them or wholy denied them or which is worse I defended them and with impatience answered for them whereas there was no sinne with which I was not defiled or might haue beene defiled It is fit therefore that all occasion of delay set apart I promise amendment of all sides or by whomsoeuer I am accused to the end I may bee deliuered from the seruitude of sinne by me committed or which might be by me committed Qui ver saturin atrijs Dei oret deploret oret vt peccata eius remittantur deploret peccata que cōmittuntur speret in Deo vt possideat Deum in quo sperauit Ibid A Glorious Hymne of an ancient Father expressing the Harmonious vnion of the heauenly Citizens SAcred powers vnited euer Which no discord can disseuer So enrich'd by the heauenly giuer As empouerishd are you neuer Concords perfect ioyes vniting To melodious feasts inuiting Where all obiects be delighting Noe darke clouds your day benighting What one hath is not so priuate But his friend may likewise haue it And suppose he should not craue it Yet vnited loues receiue it There 's no light that moone doth borrow All 's one day there 's no morrow Perfect solace free from sorrow Yeere by yeere contented thorough Noe Ecclips of Sunne or Moone Neither of their lights be showen Heauen has tapers of her owne Which to heauenly saints are knowne Fruites so mellow full of pleasure Sacred mounts repleate with treasure Of which saints haue perfect seasure Reaping them at their best leasure There the Cedar and the Pine Fruitefull Olyue braunchie Vine Peacefull Mirtle Mirrhe diuine There the Rose and Eglantine Euerie flower in seemely order Stands to beautifie her border More then Art could ere afford her Since diuinest powers haue stord her There loues bird sits on a spray Chaunting out her roundelay Glorious soules their ioyes display Euerie saint keepes holiday Clad they be in goulden clothing Ophir gould to that is nothing Full of ioy yet without lothing Time-obseruing without soothing There the Topaz Emerald And the Diamond that 's cald The worlds beautie Citties walld Round with gould with gemmes empalld There is that Bethesdas poole Which refresheth euerie soule There the bookes which doe enroule Such as laugh and such as houle None must in that campe appeare Conquerors but conquerd heere Such as past their daies in feare To be cround for euer there Let vs fight that we may winne Mastrie ouer death and sinne That after life we may begin To renew our life with him Who has mercie still in store And doth liue foreuermore FINIS