participate of other mens griefes and afflictions feeling the same though not in body yet in minde by which affection the griefe of the Patient seemeth to bee diuided and communicated with another and is thereby greatly mittigated and asswaged as on the contrary side it is much augmented and increased if either we â—eride him or bee not moued with his afflictions Chr st our Sauiour to diminish our sorrowes would suffer for vs and condole also wish vs as the Apostle saith Wee haue not a High Priest that cannot haue compassioÌ„ on our infirmities but tempted in all thinges by similitude except sinne And truly although we cannot lessen by this our sorrowe the most grieuous and exessiue sorrowes that our Sauiour suffered for vs yet this our compassion is most gratefull to him whereby we make his dolours ours and apply his suffrings vnto our selues Wherefore the Apostle hath said very rightly We are coheires of Christ yet if we suffer with him that we may be also glorified with him For hee that will not bee a partaker with Christ in his sufferings cannot be a partaker with him in his kingdome There are two thinges which are most availeable to prouoke this commiseration First the condition of the person that is to say his nobility his goodnesse his piety towards men and such other things which doe aggrauate the indignity of his inflicted miserie Secondly the cruelty and immanity of his torments If therefore we desire to feeâ—e in our hearts this coÌ„miseration we must consider in euery article First who it is that suffereth As first that it is God who with his Maiesty filleth Heauen and Earth secondly a most honorable man descended of the house of Dauid and conceiued by the holy Ghost in the wombe of the Virgine thirdly one most learned in his vnderstanding and most holy in his will who by no error or sinne did euer offend either God or man fourthly most graue and sober in his conuersation being neuer seene to laugh but often to weepe and that for our sinnes fiftly more beautifull in his body then all the sonnes of men and of a more tender and delicate complexion Secondly wee must set before our eyes the greatnes of his torments and with what particular payne euery member was afflicted Considering first that all the sences of his body and all the powres of his soule sustayned their proper and peculiar tortures Secondly that his tormenâ—s were most grieuous both by reason of the most tender constitution of his body and also because he wanted all interior comfort to indure the same Certainly it is the vndoubted opinion of all Diuines that neuer any creature indured such paynes and torments as our blessed Sauiour did If we see a wicked man suffer such punishment as he hath most iustly deserued we cannot but be moued to compassion and griefe and if we see but a Dogge or an Asse cruelly whipped or beaten we are presently touched with commiseration Ought we not then to condole with the Son of God suffering so vnspeakable tortures and that for our sakes The second affectioÌ„ is Compunction Compunction or sorrowe for our sinnes when we are induced to an horror and detestation of our sinnes by the remembrance of our Sauiours passion which may easily be done if we ponder what the malice of sinne is and what torments it hath drawne vpon Christ our Sauiour As God is infinite so the malice of sinne which is committed against God is also infinite and this malice in the iustice of God which ought not to be violated could not by any satisfaction be taken away but by that which was infinite Wherfore either an infinite paine was to be endured which no finite creature could endure or for an infinite time which the damned in hell endure or by an infinite person which is God himselfe Hence let vs proceede and consider what it was that drewe God from Heauen to earth and induced him to vndergoe his passion which was nothing else but our sinnes For if man had neuer sinned God had neuer been incarnated nâ—uer suffered neuer dyed Wherefore like as for the sinner his sinnes prepare a place in hell for the thiefe his theft prepareth his punishment so for our blessed Sauiour our grieuous sins haue procured a necessity of suffering death The malice therefore of sinne is aboue all things to bee detested which caused euen our Lord God himselfe to bee crucified But least thou shouldest imagine perhapps that the grieuousnesse of sinne is heereby extenuated because Christ did not suffer for thy sinnes alone but for the sinnes of all the world be thou assured of this that the malice of sinne is not thereby diminished or impaired but the singular vertue of our Sauiours passion is declared which hath washed away the sins not of this or that man but of all the men in the world For the merite of his passion is infinite and no malice whatsoeuer is able to counteruaile it which thing alone doth sufficiently discouer the grieuousnes of sinne because without the infinite merite of Christ it could not be forgiuen As therefore if one only man see the Sunne it will shine no more to him alone then it would doe to him and all other men together and as a man doth no lesse kill another when alone he stabbeth him to the heart then if he should take ten or twelue others to assist him in the same so euen one mortall sinne for redeeming whereof the death and passion of the Sonne of God was necessary is no lesse the cause of our Sauiours death then all the sinnes of the world ioyned together Neither doth the passion of our Sauiour bring vs lesse profite being vndertaken for the vniuersall saluation of the world then if it had beene vndertaken for mee alone The third affection is Imitation Imitation whereby wee desire to followe and imitate those rare excellencies which we discouer in Christ as the Apostle teacheth vs Christ suffered for vs 1 Pet. 2. leauing you an example that you may followe his steppes And againe Christ hauing suffered for vs in the flesh be you also armed with the same cogitatioÌ„ 1 Pet. 4 There are two thinges principally to bee imitated in our Sauiours Passion The one is a desire to suffer for vs. The other is a great heap of vertues which appeared so plainly in this his Passion that though our Sauiour spake nothing yet by his example from the Pulpit as it were of the Crosse he taught all kinde of vertues yea and taught them most perfectly both for that hee was destitute of all interior comfort which doth ordinarily accompany our vertuous acts and also because there wanted not meanes whereby hee might haue resisted his Passion Wherefore in euery Meditation wee must search out First what vertue is chiefly coÌ„mended vnto vs therein Secondly how our Sauiour exercised the same And lastly wee must stirre vp a desire and firme purpose to obtaine that vertue deuising the
vouchsafe to answere Christ their Lord What will they doe at the latter iudgement when they shall haue him for their Iudge whome they iudged vnworthy of their answer Thinke thou hereof as often as thou shalt be admonished by God in thy conscience and thou dost reiect his inspiratiō Cōsider fourthly that our lord being asked whether he was Christ did answere out of Dauids Psalme of the sitting of the right hand of his Father Psal 109. which Psalme he alleaged to them another time that by that argument which otherwise they could not solue they might knowe that the Messias was the Sonne of God Mat. 22. which they did easily vnderstand for they inferred vpon his answere Art thou then the Sonne of God Admire the goodnes of God which ceased not to admonish and to withdrawe them from this grieuous sinne wherein they should sinne not against man onely but against him who was the Sonne of God Pray thou vnto Christ that the reuerence respect of him may moue thee that whensoeuer thou shalt sinne thou mayest thinke of that saying To thee alone haue I sinned Psal 50. and I haue done euill before thee For it is God who is offended not man alone But they said what neede wee testimony any further Luc. 22. Mat. 26. Mar. 14. for wee our selues haue heard from his owne mouth And all the multitude of them rising and binding Iesus brought him bound to Pilate the President COnsider first from an excellent answeare an euill conclusion because hee is Christ and the Sonne of God therefore hee must be offered to Pilate to dye Thou oftentimes concludest in like manner God is mercifull therefore let vs sinne more freely Consider secondly out of St. Chrysostome Hom. 85. in Mat. that the Iewes would not put Christ to death secretly but openly that the glory which he had gotten by his miracles might be taken away by the publique shame and ignominy of his death and that he might generally be esteemed a wicked man in all places But God permitted it vpon a far different reason First that hee which should dye for all men should be put to death not secretly by the Iewes onely but openly by the Gentiles also before all men Secondly that this death which seemed to bee infamous and full of ignominy should sanctifie all Nations and should bee glorious for euer throghout the whole world Galat. 6. Doe thou with the Apostle Paul Glory in nothing else but in the Crosse of our Lord Iesus Christ Ser. 8. de Pasc Dō Cōsider thirdly out of St. Leo that after Iesus was offered being boūd with hard knottes beaten with many boxes blowes defiled with spittings condemned before-hand with clamours To the end that amongst so many fore-iudgments wherby euery one desired to haue him dy Pilate should not dare to discharge him Follow thou thy Lord in this iourney as neare as thou canst and offer him vp for thy selfe not to Pilate the President but to God the Father desire him that hee who was once adiudged to dye for thy sinnes may by his death deliuer thee from all euils The 18. Meditation of the death of Iudas Then Iudas who had betrayed him seeing that hee was condemned Mat. 27. repenting himselfe brought againe the thirty peeces of siluer to the high Priestes and to the Elders saying I haue sinned betraying iust bloud But they said what is that to vs Looke you to it COnsider first that Iudas hearing of the condemnation of Christ by the high Priests being led by repentance either good through the greatnes of his offence or false through the shame whereby hee thought he should neuer be able to indure the reproaches which would insue brought againe the money This also was permitted by God whereby the innocency of Christ might be manifested to all men least the Iewes by this argument might confirme the death of our Lord to be iust because his inward disciple who knew all secrets had deliuered him vp to them to dye But Iudas betrayed our Lord not that Christ shold dye but because hee would haue the money hoping that as at diuers times before so at this time also our Lord might escape Learne first the innocency of our Lord which the Traytor himselfe confessed openly with most earnest wordes and by throwing downe of the money Secondly the bitter torments of our Lord which moued the very Traytor to repētance Thirdly the quallityes of the Deuill who bewitcheth our eyes before the sinne bee cōmitted least we should fee the foulnesse thereof but after the sinne hee openeth the same that wee should dispaire Cōsider secondly the answere of the Priests What is that to vs Peter after his sinne cōmitted went out from the cōpany of the wicked and obtained pardon Iudas contrariwise came to the wicked fell into desperation Learn hereby that they which offend the Maiesty of God because they may haue the fauour of other men are after forsaken by them that alwaies after this life when euery one shall beare his owne burthen and often times also euen in this life Consider thirdly the grieuous burthen of an euill conscience which feared neither shame nor death Doe thou lamenting for thy sinnes say with Iudas I haue sinned betraying iust bloud that is to say I haue through my sinnes cast oftentimes from my selfe the passion of Christ which was giuē me for my soules health But trusting in the mercy of Christ dispaire not but in thy prayer adde this O Lord restore it thou vnto me that it may profite my soule Consider fourthly that it is manifest by the answer of the Priests that Christ dyed not for any fault committed by himselfe but of meere malice enuy For this What is that to vs is as much to say it skilleth not whether hee dye iustly or vniustly so hee dye Consider fiftly Looke thou to that that euill men giue onely matter of dispaire Learne hereby first the disposition of wicked superiours who care not how their subiects liue so as they may inioy their owne profite and pleasure Learne secondly to suffer with the afflicted and to comfort them at least with good wordes if otherwise thou art not able Learne thirdly in thy afflictions not to repaire to euery one but to seeke out those whome God hath appointed to be the guiders of thy soule are commended for their life and wisdome And casting downe the peeces of siluer in the Temple Mat. 27. Act. 21. hee went aside and going away he hanged himselfe in a halter being hanged hee brake in the midst and all his bowels were scattered COnsider first that the fact of Iudas which exceeded all measure of reuenge deserued no other Iudge or executioner then Iudas himselfe For if hee had bin put to death by another De Leo ser 3. de Pasc Dō he might haue hoped for pardon But hanging himselfe hee cōmitted a new sinne of murther desperation Behold how
into bondage to strange Kinges who burned their Citty and ouerthrew their Temple leauing not one stone vpon another Did eate Iacob made his place desolate disperced them amongst the Gentiles oppressed them with grieuous seruitude that they should bee a reproach to their neighbours a mocking stocke illusion to them which were round about them Doe thou desire nothing of God but to bee guided by him and to take from thee the grieuous yoake of that tyrant the Deuill The 30. Meditation of the condemnation of Christ Mat. â—7 And Pilate seeing that he profited nothing but that the tumult was made greater taking water washed his handes before the people saying I am innocent of the bloud of this iust man Looke yee to it PIlate who was a HeatheÌ„ being mooued with the touch of conscience and reason and desirous to dismisse Christ vncoÌ„demned the Iewes beginne to mutiny Consider therefore first how much that afflicted the minde of Christ that a Heathen being a stranger froÌ„ the knowledge of God and from the Sacraments should bee carefull for his deliuery and they vpon whome God had bestowed the knowledge of himselfe and honored them with many Sacraments should so tumultuously labour to haue the sentence of death pronouÌ„ced against him Learne not to maruaile if some thinges happen vnto thee contrary to equity and reason Consider secondly that the wicked doe mutiny For euen as Hell is replenished with tumult and horror so all thinges which are suggested by the Deuill are referred to tumulte and perturbation either outwardly amongst the Citizens or else inwardly in mens minds Consider thirdly the ceremony of Pilate who washed his hands with water but did not wash away the guilt of conscience for sinnes are not purged with outward water but with teares Doe thou apply this water of teares to thy sinnes already past but doe not vse them to the end thou mayest sinne more freely For as all sinnes committed may bee cleansed by teares and pennaunce so there is nothing which can giue libertie to sinne Consider fourthly the wordes of Pilate I am innocent Hee thinketh himselfe innocent because hee condemned him against his will But he cannot bee innocent Lib 3. ad Auari ca. 80 which sendeth Iesus to the Crosse with the same lippes by which hee had pronounced him innocent before Thou learnest also that they are like vnto those Iewes which will neuer take any warnings nor bee mooued with any reasons And they immitate the sinne of Pilate first which sinne against their owne conscience at the request of others Secondly which vnder any pretence excuse themselues and lay the blame vpoÌ„ others Thirdly which couer the wickednes of their minde with any colour of good But see that thou doest vse this word of Pilate more warily to thine owne benefite O Lord let me bee innocent by the bloud of this iust man For seeing hee only is iust and our true Iustice nothing can bring mee innocency of my soule but by the bloud of this iust man shed for iustice for the remission of sinnes And the whole people answered Mat. 27 saying His bloud bee vpon vs and vpon our Children COnsider first the blinde fury of enuy They doe not deny him to bee iust but whatsoeuer hee bee they demaund him to be crucified and that they may giue courage to the fearefull President and hasten the death of this iust man they binde themselues their posterity to most greiuous miseries This worde wounded the heart of Christ our Lord by which the people of God who should haue been deliuered by this bloud desired the reuenge thereof to light vpon themselues Consider secondly how great folly it is to wish for that euill wherof thou knowest not the greatnes For if euery sinne deserueth a great grieuous punishment for the eschewing whereof this bloud was shed oh what a Hell is due for that sinne by which this bloud was shed They are like vnto these bloudy Iewes first who nothing esteeming the future paines of hell the greatnes whereof they knowe not coÌ„tinue in offending God with their sins 2. Which vndertake difficult matters without consideration 3. Which load theÌ„selues with other meÌ„s sins not weighing what will follow Consider 3. The bouÌ„ty goodnes of God who as according to the desire and request of Pilate he spared the Gentiles so he dealt lesse seuearely with the Iewes theÌ„ they required for he receiued euen many of them into fauour and grace brought many thousaÌ„ds of ther posterity into faith saluatioÌ„ Do thou take heed least thou through thy sinnes be guilty of the body bloud of out Lord but pray that his bloud may be vpon thee and thy children for thy saluation and the remission of thy sinnes Then Pilate willing to satisfie the people adiudged Mar. 15 Luc. 23 Mar. 27. Ioan. 19 that their petition should be done and he dismissed vnto them him which was sent to prison for murther and sedition Barrabas whome they demaunded but Iesus being whipped he deliuered to their will that hee should bee crucified COnsider first that the Priestes sinned in the death of Christ of enuy the people through the perswasion of the Elders Pilate to satisfie the people None was free from sinne for the first sinned of malice the second of ignorance the third of fraylty For Christ vnderwent the punishment of the Crosse for all sortes of sinners whatsoeuer Consider secondly the manner of his coÌ„demnation neuer vsed before for First omitting all crimes for which he ought to be coÌ„demned he was pronounced iust by the iudge himselfe I am innocent saith he from the bloud of this iust man as if hee should say who is not coÌ„demned for his faultes but for his iustice Secondly a guilty person loaden with most grieuous crimes is let goe that the iust man may be condemned for our Lord dyed to this end that he might by his death deliuer all sinners from eternall death Thirdly hee was not onely adiudged after the accustomed manner to the Crosse but also to be tortured vpon the Crosse according to the will of the Iewes For these are the words he deliuered him to their will that he should bee crucified For he would be deliuered wholly to the will of the wicked that thou shouldst yeild thy selfe entyrely to his will Pray therefore vnto thy Lord not to deliuer thee to the will of thy enemies but that through this most vniust seÌ„tence of his death he will deliuer thee froÌ„ the iust iudgement of euerlasting death The 31. Meditation of the carrying of the Crosse And the Soldiours tooke Iesus Ioan. 19 Mat. 27. Mar. 15. pulling off his scarlet garmeÌ„t they cloathed him in his own vestments brought him foorth that they might crucifie him COnsider first that thy Lord whome Pilate seemed hitherto a little to fauour is now destitute of al humane ayde deliuered vp to the executioners least thou shouldest bee forsaken of God deliuered vp
they call for helpe and neuer forsake them as long as they liue Consider secondly that hee chose to dy amongst theeues rather thē amongst other sinners First that whereas theft is a most grieuous sin which both offendeth God whose image it taketh away and also hurteth our neighbour whom it depriueth both of goods and life he might signifie that there is no offence so great which is not cleansed by this his death nor any man so wicked which may not obtaine remission of sinnes Secondly because euery sinner is a thiefe and a robber which by his sinne killeth his owne soule taketh away honour frō God defileth his creatures and depriueth the Church of a liuely member that is of himselfe whome hee hath bereaued of spiritual life Consider 3. that the good theefe as well as the bad suffered the punishment and death of the crosse with Christ but the one turned his punishment to the benefit of his own saluation and the other to the hurt and losse of his soule That thou shouldest vnderstand that Christ is alwayes present both to good bad in their afflictions and doth send them troubles and miseries to this end that they should remember themselues and lift vp their eyes and hearts vnto him Doe thou then pray vnto God that in all thy tribulations thou mayest haue recourse only to his diuine help and not bee ouer carefull to vse other meanes The 34. Meditation of the Title of the Crosse And Pilate wrote the title of his cause vpon his Crosse Mat. 27. Mar. 15. Luc. 23. Ioan. 19 and the superscription was ouer his head and it was written in Hebrue Greeke Latine COnsider first that Pilate set vp the Title of the cause of his death and vsed the words following First that thy Lord might bee thought worthy of this death as a traytor arrogating the name of a King vnto himselfe and that Pilate might be cleared before Caesar of the cryme of not condemning his competitor of the kingdome Secondly to bee reuenged of the Iewes who had threatned to complaine of him for hee mocked them that hee had crucified their king and that king also whome their auncestors had fore-tolde so many ages before and had expected with so great affection and desire These were the causes that mooued Pilate to make that tytle And Christ also our Lord ordained this tytle for himselfe but for farre other reason drawne from the mysterie of our saluation First that thou shouldest knowe that hee suffered this death of the Crosse not as a guilty person but as a Sauiour adorned with all vertues that he might rule thy soule and that thou shouldest submit thy selfe to be wholy gouerned by him who being nayled both hand and foote cannot hurt his beloued people but offereth thē all saluation from his open woundes Secondly to let thee vnderstand what merchandize are offered to thee to be solde out of this shop of his Crosse For all houses and shops haue commonly their signes Heere then thou mayst finde all saluation in Iesus all flowers of vertue in Nazareth and all security in the King Runne thou hither in all thy necessityes Isa 55. and buy and take what thou list without money or any other exchāge for this marchant requireth nothing of thee but thy company and thy loue Thirdly that thou mayest know by the Table set before the house what doctrine and Artes are read taught in this schoole For Schoole maisters vse to write before their gates what things are taught within their houses Heere thou mayest learne to bee saued to follow all vertues to rule thy selfe to conquer thy enemyes to gouerne wisely others that be vnder thy charge Our Mr. Christ doth now teach from the chayre of his Crosse euen as hee taught being an Infant in the manger of the Stable But thou perhaps desirest an easier chaire But such doctrine is not taught hut out of such a chaire for there is no way to saluation but by the crosse and by many tribulations and the habits of vertues are obtained by painfull actions If thou wilt rule thy selfe perfectly and subdue thy enemies the world the flesh and the Deuill thou shalt not seeke after the ease of thy body but thou shalt bee seuere against thy body and pull it out of the power of the Deuill by fasting watching workes of humility contempt tribulations according to the example of this Maister Neither shalt thou bee able to gouern others rightly if thou relyest onely vpon thy power and authority except according to this lesson of Christ thy teacher thou doest out of the very bowels of thy charitie apply thy selfe wholy and all thinges in thee to the profite and good of thy subiects Fourthly that by this tytle thou mayest feele of what force the sign of the Crosse is which thou makest with thy handes For it is not a iugling tricke or a flye flappe as the blaspheming enemies of the crosse doe tearme it But it is the vertue power of Christ for the safety of all beleeuers that thou being signed therewith mayst be knowne by thy badge to bee the seruant of the Messias thy King and be a terror to the Deuil and haue entraunce into the house of Christ and that all thy actions may tend to the glory of God and to thy owne saluation Consider secondly that this Tytle was written in diuers languages First because it concernes all men to knowe this King and therefore it was set in a high place that thou mayest beholde it a farre off stand still read vnderstand and follow this King forsaking all other maisters whom thou hast hitherto serued Secondly because the crucified Messias is to bee knowne and praised in all Languages Cōsider thirdly the māner of the writing A part of this Tytle being preserued with great deuotiō of Christians at Rome in the Church of the Holy Crosse in Hierusalem doth declare vnto vs First that the Title was of wood Secondly not written with a pen but grauen with iron Thirdly that the Hebrue was first then the Greeke and lastly the Latine Fourthly that the Greeke and Latine was written like the Hebrue from the right hand to the left SVNERAZANEI ALL which thinges are not without their mysteries For first these three languages onely were set vpon the Crosse which were most vsuall at that time and so continue vntill this day the Hebrue for the Iewes the Greek for the East Church and the Latine for the West For seeing that all Learning is written in these tongues the Scriptures in Hebrue Philosophie Rethoricke in Greek and Latine Christ taught vs hereby that there is neither any diuine knowledge nor humane learning and eloquence of any force except it bee sanctified by the bloud of Christ and referred to the glory of him crucified And therefore the holy Church vseth these languages onely in her diuine seruice as the most common and those that are consecrated with the bloud of our Lord. Secondly the
Sun no lesse dependeth then the light of the other starres depend vpon the brightnes of the Sunne Thirdly that thou shouldest knowe the greatnes of this sinne from which the Sunne abhorring did as it were turne away his face and withdraw his light and shewed himselfe ready to reuenge and offered to his Lord and creator to perish for his death Thou learnest hereby that euery mortall sinne is so grieuous that it were better the Sunne and starres should perish then that the maiesty of God should bee offended by one sinne For by euery mortall sinne God is put to death whose death cannot bee recōpenced with the perishing of all creatures Fourthly that thou mayst know that Christ suffred this death for the great and thicke darknes of sinners and of the Iewes that this darknes being driuen away throgh the death of our Lord there might a nowe light of faith diuine wisedome be restored vnto the world as at the 9. houre the light appeared againe Fiftly that thou mayst vnderstand that the fruite of our Lords death consisteth in the cōtempt of the splendor fauour of the world for they which are crucified with Christ reioyce not in Honors Nobility but in obscurity neglect contempt Consider 2. the manner of this Eclipse with St. Dionisius Areopagita being an eye witnes Epist 7. ad policarpū 11. ad Apolloph hath described 1. The Moone being at the full and opposite to the Sun returned from midnight to noone 2. It returned not by his ordinary motion from the West but by a contrary motion to himselfe from the East Thirdly the Sunne it selfe lost his light in it selfe Fourthly not in one only part of the earth as in other Eclipses but ouer the whole world this darknesse of the Sunne was seene in like manner as of the Moone eclipsed and depriued of her light by the shadowe of the earth falling vppon her Fiftly this eclipse continued three whole houres which vsually lasteth but a small time All these thinges are not voide of their reasons and considerations Christ is the Sonne of Iustice the Moone is the world and foolish sinners Eccles 27 For a foole is changed like the Moone Therfore our Lord dyed when the world being opposite to God did shine in glory riches and wisdome The world also came to this eclipse that is to the death of our Lord to which not onely by other sinnes but also by this seeking of the death of Christ it had giuen cause But because the maiesty of Christ is not subiect to humane power hee could neuer haue beene obscured put to death by the power of man except hee had bin deliuered to death by the diuine will of God Therfore the Sunne is truly obscured and Christ is truly slaine both by the malice of the world by his Fathers wrath For our Lord was like vnto him which standeth between two men a fighting and receiueth both their swordes into his owne body The world fighteth with God and our Lord receiueth in his body both the wrath of God and the fury of men Thy wrath saith hee hath passed through me Psal 87. and thy terrors haue troubled me Therfore when the Sun of Iustice was eclipsed the Earth was couered with darknes both because by this grieuous sinne there was newe matter giuen of lamentation and reuenge and also because by the death of our Lord all power ouer men was taken away from the Prince of the world and in stead thereof he was bound in chaynes of fire and condemned to the darke prison of Hell But whereas the Moone by a contrary motion came from the East to the Sunne in the South thereby is signified that the Iewes without all consideration of equity and iustice hastened the death of Christ contrary to Law contrary to the right of nature and contrary to their owne conscience and did violently suppresse all good motions in themselues To bee briefe the Sunne was eclipsed three houres because our Lord lay hid three whole dayes partly in torments and in the handes of the Iewes and partly in the Sepulcher Pray thou vnto Christ to preserue the true light of faith and grace in thy soule About the nynth houre Iesus cryed out with a loude voyce saying Eli Eli Mat. 27. Mar. 15. lammasa bactani which is interpreted My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee COnsider first why thy Lord at the end of his life made this crye Certainly not to escape the paines like vnto vs who crye out assoone as wee feele any paine for now the end of his paine approached nor to bee reuenged on the Iewes for this his death for the bloud of Christ speaketh better then the bloud of Abell But first that hee who by the space of three houres being couered with darknes had giuen no signe of life neither by worde nor groane might be knowne to bee still aliue Doe thou consider with thy selfe what hee did all the time of his silence in the midst of his torments surely hee prayed without ceasing vnto God for thee in that admirable lyturgie and sacrifice and hee rehearsed the holy wordes of the Psalmes for thy saluation speaking some with a loude voyce that he might be heard of the standers by Secondly least by the continuall silence of Christ and his admirable patience and constancy of minde hee might erroneously be thought to be but a vision and no man and not to haue felt any paine at all For hee did truly suffer feele paines but the loue of thee restrained him from complaining Thirdly to teach thee in all thy miseries to crye only and with all affection to almighty God Fourthly that thou shouldest learne by this loud voyce to obtaine of God the Father through Christ the fruite of his Passion Fiftly that thou shouldst earnestly pōder with thy selfe what thinges how great for whome and by whome our Lord suffered For our Lord saith St. Epiphanius spake these thinges in the Syriack tongue Haere 69 that all the standers by might vnderstand him Consider secondly and marke the wordes O God hee sayeth not Father First because hee was ashamed representing the person of all sinners to call him Father that thou setting aside all pride shouldest learne humility Secondly least he should seem as a Sonne to complaine of his Father but rather as a naturall man of his affliction My that is though thou art the God of all creatures yet thou art peculiarly my God for many respectes both because thou wouldest haue humane nature assumed into the person of the Son and mee to be exalted aboue al creatures and because thou with thy owne handes didst frame this body in the Virgins wombe and also because I haue euer loued and obserued thee sincerely without any vice The repetition My God my God sheweth the great affection of this speach Why hee asketh not the cause least the perfection of his obedience shold be diminished but hee complaineth out of a
to thee as a sponge fastened to the reede of the Crosse full of grace and truth out of which thou maist sucke sweete water he will communicate vnto thee the guift of vnderstanding whereby thou maist vnderstand and be partaker of the delihgts of thy spouse And he said let be Mar. 15 Mat. 27. let vs see whether Helias come to take him downe and the others said let be let vs see whether Helias come to deliuer him COnsider first the words of the executioners One of them reaching him vineger which being dronke by the crucified person hastneth his death saith let be let vs see whether Helias come that is Helias shall not come for I will preuent him by this deadly cup and rid this man out of the way Others by the same words perswaded him to stay the cuppe that they might see by experience whether Helias would come and so reproue him as a false Prophet of vanity in calling vpon shadowes those which were dead Learn thou heere first what those executioners thought of our Lord beeing euen then ready to dye that thou mayest esteeme better of him in thy soule Secondly that he departed out of this world with great thirst and carryed that thirst of thy saluation into heauen with him where with an ardent though not troublesome desire hee worketh the meanes of thy saluation Thirdly that this cold and piercing cuppe of vineger brought death vnto our Lord for through sinne death entring into the world killed all and spared not the very Sonne of God for whom it was necessary to taste of death that he might ouerthrowe death Resolue thou therefore to flye sinne least hauing gotten power to kill thy body it creepe farther and kill thy soule also Consider secondly two kindes of men for some without faith doe by their sinnes deride the patience of God 1 Pet. 3 Where say they is his promise or his comming Others haue faith but preuent the sting of conscience with hast of sinning Whose feete runne to euill Take thou heede of both and pray vnto God not to forsake thee in the houre of death to bee mocked by the Deuill The 42. Meditation of the sixt word of our Lord on the Crosse Ioan. 19. When Iesus had taken the vineger he said COnsider 1. that this word aboue all the rest brought admirable comfort to all sinners For hitherto all that hee said pertayned for the most part to the executioners to the Thiefe to his Mother c but this he speaketh to vs all declaring that now our debts are payed and all things perfected which seeme necessary to our saluation Consider secondly who he is which saith it is coÌ„summate to wit Christ God and man for as man he offereth this payment and as God he receiueth it For euen as he that draweth wine and hee for whome it is drawne saith there is good measure we ought to credit them so we ought to beleeue Christ our Lord saying all thinges are consummate Consider thirdly where he spake it as first vpon the Altar of the Crosse in which the price was payed vnto God Secondly in a high and eminent place that like vnto a cryer he might publish these newe tydings vnto the world Listen thou vnto it and be assured that the price is paid Consider fourthly when he spake it which was when he had drunke the vineger and was now ready to dye that thou shouldest knowe that he being nothing moued with our ingratitude did confirme his last will and testament vnto vs which shall neuer bee infringed by any wickednesse of man but whosoeuer will be partaker of this bloud it shall remaine whole and holy vnto him Consider fiftly why he spake it namely for our comfort who knowe the offence of sinne to bee so great that no creature was able to redeeme the same Our Lord therefore affirmeth that the enorinity of our offences is not so great nor the number of our sinnes so many nor our debts so infinite but that he hath fully satisfied for all Pray thou vnto him to comfort thee at thy death with this word least thou beest affrayd to appeare before God thy creditor thorough the greatnesse of thy debts It is consummate COnsider first he said not this or that is consummate but absolutely it is consummate that thou maist knowe that by this passion of Christ all things are consummate and made perfect in Heauen and in earth as well those things which portain to God as those which belong to man For euen as sinne violated all things so the bloud of Christ restored all thinges againe that thou maist learn to seeke all things in the passion of Christ and with the Apostle to glory in nothing but in the Crosse of our Lord Iesus Christ Gal. 6. Consider secondly how those things which belong to God are consummate by Christ For first he perfectly obserued all the commaun-of God the Father and neuer transgressed any of them no not in thought Secondly he carefully fulfilled all thinges committed to him in charge by the holy Scriptures neither did one lot or tytle passe which was not fulfilled Mat. 5. For he had receiued froÌ„ his Father a double charge one deliuered in Heauen to himselfe another committed to writing and communicated to vs. Thirdly he ended all figures ceremonies and shadowes of the old Testament and commaunded all things to cease which signified the death of the Messias and the future mysteries of the Church Fourthly whatsoeuer was imperfect in the old sacrifices hee perfected and fulfilled in one sacrifice of the Crosse Fiftly by this his death he repayred the ruines of Heauen which were opened by the sinnes of Lucifer â—oan 1. and gaue power to men to bee made the sonnes of God to those which belieue in his name and after this life spent in the seruice of God to replenish againe the seates of those Angels whom their wickednesse and sinne had throwne downe into hell Behold how thy Lord ready to goe to his Father doth glory that he hath left nothing in this world vnconsummate but that he hath executed all things to the full which hee was commaunded I would thou also at the houre of thy death according to the example of thy Lord couldest glory that thou hast left nothing imperfect in thy selfe Saint Paul said I haue fought a good fight I haue consummate my course 2 Tim. 4 I haue kept the faith And Saint Peter in the name of the Apostles Behold we haue left all things and haue followed thee Mat. 19. what therefore shall we haue What wilt thou say when thou art ready to dye who hast violated Gods commandements and hast receiued thy good in this life What canst thou offer vnto God for the reward of eternal glory Thinke earnestly of these thinges that thou mayst diligently execute the Commaundements of our Lord. CoÌ„sider thirdly that by Christ his Passion all thinges likewise are consummate which belong to vs. 1.
hereafter they may haue the greater rewards in the life to come Doe thou desire rather to be afflicted in this world for thy sinnes then after thy death to be separated from Christ with euerlasting punishment The third Meditation of the great perplexitie of Christ in the Garden Mat. 26. Mar. 14. And he began to feare to waxe weary to be sorrowfull and to be sad BEcause that sinnes are first committed in heart before they be done in worke Christ would suffer the sorrowes of heart before the paines of body that thou maist know that he was grieuously afflicted not onely in body but also in minde and there are foure principall kindes of sorrowes assigned by the Euangelists which Christ admitted of his owne will in the Garden and retayned them euen till his death The first was a certaine terror and feare of the most grieuous paines now at hand and also of a most terrible death which nature alwaies abhorreth beyond measure also of the sinnes of all man-kinde which he tooke vpon him in the Garden and cloathed himselfe therewith as with a garment weaued of all kinde of filthinesse with which in the person of all sinners he must suffer the seuerity of God The second griefe was loathsomnesse being weary of all things in this life seing himselfe forsaken not onely of all men but also of his heauenly Father The third was sorrowfulnesse first for the grieuous sins which the Iewes should commit in his death and also for the small number of them which should be pertakers of this his so great affliction and likewise for the vnfaithfulnesse of thee and of other Christians who by their blasphemous words and grieuous sinnes should shed and defile the most precious bloud which he was now ready to offer for them The fourth was sadnesse that is a grieuous trouble or anxiety of minde when he sawe there was no meanes for him to escape For of the one side the commaundement of his Father and the great loue of man-kinde encouraged and pricked him forward and on the other side nature feared and repugned These foure affections Christ tooke vpon him that he might prepare a medicine for sinners who are troubled with the like passions For they which are not content with any estate liue in continuall wearinesse and loathsomnesse they which are alwaies pricked in conscience liue in perpetual sorrow and they which are troubled with the remēbrance of death liue in continuall feare and they passe their life in sadnesse and doubtfulnes which know that their sinnes shall be examined by the strict iudgment of Christ which happenneth chiefely at the houre of death when Christ our Iudge standeth at our doores Doe thou pray vnto our Lord that those his afflictions may bring vnto thee fortitude ioy alacrity and security Mat. 26. Mar. 14. And he said vnto them my soule is sorrowfull euen vnto death LEt vs weigh euery word wisely for he doth not say my soule is fearefull or I am weary of life or my soule is doubtfull least he should seeme to goe to his passion rather against his will then willingly but he saith it is sorrowfull not onely for the sundry causes of sorrowe but that therby he might shew that he was very man that suffered my soule he doth not say I am sorrowfull because his wil reioyced and was desirous to dye but my soule that is my nature which neuer moued his will Againe my soule that is griefe hath inwardly entered into my soule least perhappes you might thinke through the continuall contemplation of his diuine nature that he felt no griefe in his soule Euen vnto death that is either because that sorrowe continued vntill his death and no longer or else because it was so vehement that mans nature could endure no more without perill of death Pray vnto our Lord that this his sorrowe may bring life vnto thy soule Mat. 26. Mar. 14. Luc. 22. Stay yee heere and watch with me and he was drawne away from them and he went as farre as the cast of a stone COnsider first what euery one must doe in his troubles to wit he must stay that is expect patiently and hee must watch that is he must be carefull that no euill happen vnto him for to an vnquiet troubled man many vicious and euil things are suggested Consider secondly how vnwillingly Christ left his disciples For this worde drawne away discribeth a violent pulling and going hee went not farre but as farre as the cast of a stone like as mothers are wont to goe a little way from their young children when they teach them to goe so as they may catch them againe when they are ready to fall All these thinges declare the loue of Christ his greeuous inward sorrowes by which hee was moued to pray vnto his Father that he might haue some comfort from him Bee thou moued with the sorrowes of Christ thy Lord who was forsaken of all men because he loueth nothing better then to bee with thee apply all thy endeauours that he may alwaies remaine with thee The fourth Meditation of the first prayer of Christ And kneeling downe hee fell on his face vpon the ground and prayed Mat. 26. Mar. 14. Luc. 22. if it might bee that that houre might passe from him Saying O my Father if it may bee let this cup passe from me but yet not as I will but as thou wilt COnsider first the ceremony which Christ vsed in this praier For he kneeled downe on the ground as one guilty of death for thy sinnes hee fell down vpon the earth prostrating himselfe to be sacrificed for thy saluation representing whose person hee had now taken vpon him the most abiect estate of sinners who as they are vnworthy to looke vp to Heauen so lying vpon the earth with the weight of their sinnes they are worthy to bee troden trampled vpon by all men Consider secondly his wonderfull affection in this prayer and the force of euery worde My Father that is I am thy Son that must suffer most bitter paines for most vilde men O father wilt thou not spare me thy only begotten Sonne If it may bee hee vnderstandeth that sauing Gods iustice there was no other meanes left for the redeeming of man-kinde but onely by the death of the sonne of God Consider heer in thy minde the loue of God who spared not his own Son that he might spare thee Let passe from me This prayer was to escape so cruell a kinde of death Yet in these wordes there lyeth hidden some secret meaning as if hee should say I would not that this affliction should remaine in mee but that the fruit thereof may passe vnto all Christians I will drinke and they shall bee satisfied This cup he calleth his passiō a cup as that which containeth the cause of all our ioy And eeuen as those torments made Christ as it were drūken with the greatnes of his loue so all iust
comfort by his prayer though hee prayed with great affection nor yet could be refreshed by the presence of his Disciples euen as sicke folkes are wont to turne this way and that way to ease their wearines Consider secondly that Christ was neuer so troubled with any occasions no not now whē he was ready to suffer but that he alwaies thought vpon thy saluatiō Yea euen now when he is in Heauen hee hath his eyes alwayes bent fauorably towards thee Cōsider thirdly how little man can doe without Christ how soone he falleth a sleepe how soone hee fainteth if Iesus depart neuer so little from him Consider fourthly what it is to haue our eyes heauy that is when wee are not so apt ready to meditate on diuine and heauenly thinges by reason of earthly cares which hinder the mind As the immoderate desire of honor riches ambition the vanities of this world such like affections of the minde Therfore thou must pray vnto God to take from thee that slouthfulnes heauines and accōmodate thee to his owne will Cōsider fiftly how much ashamed the Apostles were who being admonished now the second time could not yet contain themselues frō sleepe wherfore amongst themselues they did carefully both accuse and excuse their own infirmity Note also this they did not knowe what they should answere vnto him For if the Apostles themselues being men excelling others in sanctity holines of life in a matter of no great fault wherein they might haue aleaged their owne frailty were so sorrowfull knew not to answere what answer wilt thou giue to Almighty God when thou shalt be cyted before him for matters of great moment and many grieuous sinnes shall be obiected against thee which thou hast committed not only by frailty but also craftily maliciously Consider sixtly that our Lord did not complaine that hee was left alone in prayer and labor Because thou shouldest resolue not to be grieued if at any time thou beest inforced to take great paines whilst others bee idle And pray vnto our Lord that hee will stirre thee vp when thou art slouthfull And hee prayed the third time Mat. 26. prayed the same speach saying O my Father if this cup cannot passe from me but that I mmst drinke thereof thy will be done COnsider first that Christ runneth againe to his Father and crauing still one and the same thing is not heard This prayer comprehendeth the wonderfull submission of Christ yeelding himselfe and all that he had into the hands of his Father taking it in no euil part that he was not hard Learne thou hereby not to be troubled in thy minde when things succeed not according to thy desire when thou hast done thy best endeauours Consider secondly the great necessity that Christ should suffer For the eternall Father would neuer haue suffered his sonne to haue prayed so often vnto him if thy saluatiō might haue been gottē by any other meanes Consider thirdly this māner of speaking if it cannot passe except I drinke it for hee would be vnderstood that all the benefit of our Lords passiō should passe vnto vs who are the mēbers of his body but as it were drawne through our mouth that is through Christ who is our head Moreouer as a potiō is bitter vnsauory to the tast yet very profitable for the mēbers of the body So the dolours of Christ were bitter vnto him and profitable vnto vs. And the passiō of Christ passeth vnto vs partly because his merit is cōmunicated and imparted vnto vs and partly because our tribulatiōs labors are sanctified Therfore so often as thou shalt suffer any aduersity so oftē do thou think that thou doest participate with the passiō of Christ And pray him to mittigate thy miseryes through his dolours which hee indured The sixt Meditation of his agony bloody sweate And there appeared vnto him an Angel frō heauen cōforting him Luc. 22. COnsider first that though in Christ the diuine nature was ioyned with humaine nature into the same person yet in this time of his passion hee tooke no comfort at all from thence Consider secondly how great and grieuous those torments were that man was not sufficient to mittigate them but that it was necessary for an Angel to come from Heauen Cōsider thirdly what was the cause why Christ wold be comforted by an Angell to wit because he wold know to suffer with vs when we are afflicted and teach vs not to haue recourse to fraile vain delights such as are cōmonly drawn from creatures but vnto spirituall angelicall heauenly things Cōsider fourthly that God neuer forsaketh them that trust in him For although he doe not alwaies free vs from our troubles yet he doth euer giue vs his grace and strength that we may be able to beare them Consider fiftly that Angells are alwaies present at our prayers therefore thou must be carefull and diligent to worship them being present in a religious and comely manner and pray vnto God according to the Psalme in the fight of Angells I will sing vnto thee Epiph in an corato Haeresi 69. Consider sixtly how the Angell did comfort Christ for he did it not by any inward comfort or grace because Christ admitted no comfort in all the time of his passion but vsed some outward wordes wherin hee propounded vnto him both the absolute necessity of such bitter paines and the great profite that shall come thereby and also the resolute will of his Father the oracles of the Prophets c. Consider seuenthly whether there bee any thing wherein thou maiest comfort and confirme Christ and incourage him to doe something for thy sake which will be effected if he shall see thee behaue thy selfe well wisely to imploy the tallent which he hath deliuered vnto thee and that thou doest indure thy labours couragiously For then hee will behold thee louingly exalt thee to higher honour In the meane time do thou pray vnto Christ to comfort and instruct thee not onely in outward words but especially in inward vertue and wisdome Luc. 22. And being in an agony hee prayed longer THis agony was a certain inward striuing not of the flesh against the spirit but of nature against Death and in all this bitter time Christ was to fight in three seuerall cōflicts and he was superiour in euery one First with nature abhorring to dye so cruell a death Secondly with the iustice of his Father exacting grieuous punishment Thirdly with the most cruell enemy of man-kinde But hee began with the battel against nature that thou mayest knowe how to behaue thy selfe in thy cōflict for thy saluation that is that first of all thou must indeauour to subdue thy inclination to restraine thy desires which being ouercome thou shalt finde God pacified and the Deuill will flye from thee Consider first with what contention with how great labour Christ thy Captaine doth fight and
of any moment was alleaged Yet he vrged those things which hee knew to be false Consider secondly that Christ helde his peace both because hee knewe that his conscience did answer all those things and also because he would not avoyd death by his eloquence Hee teacheth the first to contemne all iniuries and lyes to suffer them patiētly partly because thogh perhaps thou art not guilty of those thinges which are obiected against thee yet thou hast offended God in many thinges whereof no man accuseth thee and partly because thou art neuer the worse because other men thinke thee to bee euill For euery one is such as hee appeareth to bee in the sight of our Lord. Secondly not to thinke them worthy of an answer which do offer wrong because their owne conscience doth reproue them Cōsider thirdly what our Lord did when hee held his peace For this saith hee That they should loue mee Psal 108. they did detract from mee but I did pray Hee prayed then that the fruite of his Passion might passe vnto thee Therfore in euery trouble of thy minde conuert thy selfe vnto Christ For it cannot bee that hee remembring this vniust accusation can be vnmercifull vnto thee in thy troubles false accusations Consider fourthly that the high Priest euill interpreting this silence of our Lord did vse adiuration in these words I adiure thee or as the Greek text is I coniure thee which worde is vsed in the coniuration of Deuils Marke heere whom thy Lord is accounted to bee to wit one obsessed of a deuill And the high Priest by his coniuration demanded two things First whether he bee Christ that is to say the Messias promised in the Law Secondly whether hee be the Sonne of God For therefore was hee put to death because he was Christ and therefore hee redeemed man-kinde by his death because he was the Sonne of God that is to say of equall Maiesty with God the Father Iesus said vnto him thou hast said Mat. 26. Mar. 14. I am but I say vnto you hereafter yee shall see the Sonne of man sitting at the right hand of the power of God and cōming in the cloudes of Heauen COnsider first that Christ being admired by the name of the liuing God did holde his peace no longer both because hee would not seeme to auoide death by holding his peace and also that thou shouldest alwayes reuerence the name of God Thou hast said That is so it is as thou hast spoken and as thy conscience doth witnes vnto thy selfe Consider secondly that hee maketh mention of the Iudgment to come in the wordes of Daniel First that hee might take away the iealousie of his affecting a Kingdome because hee sought not an earthly but a heauenly and eternall Kingdome Secondly that they should abstaine from this euill iudgment for feare of the Iudgment to come Learne first in all thy actions to remember thy last end Secondly in all accusations to haue patience because power shall be giuen thee to Iudge thy accusers and those which haue afflicted thee Thirdly alwayes but especially at the end of thy life to confesse a truth euen though it be great losse both to thy body and goods And pray thy Lord that hee will strike thy flesh with wholsome feare and inflame thy hart through the Meditatiō of his Passion The 16. Meditation of the first condemnatiō of Christ and of his mocking Then the chiefe Priest rent his garments Mat. 26. Mar. 14. saying Hee hath blasphemed what neede wee witnesses any further beholde yee haue now heard the blasphemy what thinke yee they answering said he is guilty of death IF in any great matter there happened any grieuous euill as without doubt blasphemy is then the Iewes did cut or teare their garments and by that signe did shew the grieuousnes of the matter which should cut the heart with griefe and bee reuenged euen with the losse of honour and goods But the high Priest was forbidden to cut his garments by this Lawe The high Priest shall not vncouer his head hee Leuit. 21 shall not cut his garments Neuerthelesse this vnlearned Priest being ignorant of the Lawe did cut his garment and by cutting it made an end of the Priesthood of the Iewes Learne thou to be moued with the iniuries offered vnto God though it bee to thine owne losse hinderance Cōsider first what opinion the Iewes had of thy Lord. He was first accounted an Imposter or Inchanter wherupon Iudas said Carry him warily least in wrapping your eyes with his iugling he slippe from you Secondly iniurious vnto men doest thou so saith hee answere the high Priest Thirdly obsessed by a Deuill in the exorcisme and coniuration of the high Priest Fourthly blasphemous against God Fiftly a false Prophet in the Officers scoffing and mocking him Behold with what Titles thy Lord was honoured in this his passion Consider secondly with what minde Christ heard this generall voice of the people He is guilty of death and euen of that people whose dead hee had raised whose sicke he had healed and whose profite hee had procured Admire the malice of wicked men and the gentlenes of Christ who being nothing mooued with this sentence of death offered himself ready to dye for them which killed him Pray therfore that by this sentence of his death thou mayst be deliuered from the sentence of eternall death And the men Luc. 22. Mat. 26. Mar. 14 which helde Iesus mocked him beating him and they spet in his face beate him with blowes they couered him struck his face asked him saying Prophesie vnto vs O Christ who is hee that struck thee COnsider first that Christ in the coūsel was not only tyed with bondes but also held by the hands of many who after the sentence of death pronoūced did handle him most cruelly as a cōdemned man against whom they could not sinne The deuil increased their cruelty who because he had obserued no sinne in him in his whole life desired by these tormēts to moue him to some impatience Cōsider secondly that then they raged most against Christ when hee confessed himselfe to be the Son of God For then thou must expect most temptations both by men and deuils when by the amendment of their life and manners thou shalt shew thy selfe to bee the Sonne of God Consider thirdly there were fower kinde of mockings First they beat him with their fists and handes about the head face and necke Secondly they spit their filthy fleame in his face Thirdly they couered his face which by the sweet aspect therof seemed to hinder and stay their fury and wickednes Fourthly they vsed reproachfull words prophesie as if they should say thou art not a true but a false Prophet Take thou heede of these kinde of illusions For first thou doest strike Christ when thou hurtest thy neighbour thou dost strike his head with blowes when secretly thou doest hurt thy superiours his face
if openly Secondly thou spittest vpon him when thou pollutest thy consciēce with euill thoughts Thirdly thou couerest his face when oppressing thy cōscience thou perseuerest in sin Fourthly thou reuilest him whē thou dost not belieue his promises nor threatnings Looke vnto thy selfe least by imitating the sinnes of the Iewes thou incurrest the same punishment For they haue a vayle ouer their heart so as they cannot knowe Christ They are in all places derided of all men and many times they are reuyled and beaten being hatefull both to God and men Pray vnto thy Lord that these his reproaches may free thee from the eternall reproaches of thy soule Luc. 22. And blaspheming they spake many other things against him ENter thou into the high Priestes Court and consider what these wicked Officers did all night and what Christ suffered in Luc. 22 Saint Theophilact saith that they being drunke at their supper did many thinges very want onely according to that saying They did sing against me which did drinke wine Psal 68 And because the Euangelist doth conclude the labour of the whole night in these fewe wordes looke thou into the writings of the Prophets what they say of these illusions Isaias Isa 50. I gaue my body to the strikers and my cheekes to the pinchers I haue not turned my face from them that rebuked and spit vpon me I haue put my face as a most hard rocke Hyeremias Hierom. 3 He shall giue his cheeke to him that will strike him he shall be satiated with reproches Iob They opened their mouthes against me and vpbrayding they stroke my cheeke Iob. 16 they are satiated with my paynes Hereby is signified Fist that the whole body of Christ was stricken most cruelly beaten with staues fistes and feete for these words seem to signifie so much I gaue my body to them that would strike Secondly that his beard was pulled off and his face bloudy Thirdly that the visage of Christ was beaten with fistes and made blewe Fourthly that he sufferd diuers kinds of mockings and illusions and to be briefe that nothing was omitted that could be deuised for his paine They are satiated saith he with my paines for thinke that the officers vsed our Lord this night by the consēt of the high Priests in such manner that although he should not be crucified yet he could not by nature continue long aliue Therfore it is not to meruailed at though he were dead sooner then Pilate expected Do thou also behold Christ marke his face which was exposed to blowes so amiable his eyes breathing forth loue expressing so much more charity in them by how much our Lord was beaten with stripes The Priestes departed now to take their rest and the officers likewise framed thēselues to sleep onely the Spouse of thy soule could take no rest for he must take no other sleepe then in the bedde of the Crosse Pray him that his vnquiet rest may bring euerlasting rest to thy soule The 17 Meditation of the second condemnation of Christ in the house of Cayphas Mat. 27. Mar 15 Luc. 22. And presently in the morning as soon as it was day all the chiefe Priests and the elders of the people and the Scribes assembled together against Iesus that they might put him to death and they brought him into their counsaile saying If thou art Christ tell vs. COnsider first that now the second time they assemble into councell both because more should consent to the condemnation of Christ For perhaps in the night many wer absent also that they might confirme in the day time that which they had iudged in the night There assembled 3. sorts of people the Priests the Elders of the people who had the ciuil gouernment the Scribes in which sort the Pharisees also are vnderstood being the Religious people of the Iewes that thou maist vnderstand 1. That all men gaue cause of the death of our Lord. 2. That Christ dyed for all 3. That all men ought worthily to acknowledge themselues to bee sinners and to seeke helpe by the death of Christ Cōsider secondly that this question If thou beest Christ which was hādled al night Mat. 4. was the question of the Deuil tempting Christ If thou art the Sonne of God and also of them which mocked our Lord on the Crosse Luc. 13. If thou beest Christ saue thy selfe whereby is signified first that they which doubt of their faith are the sonnes of the Deuill and liue in darkenesse Secondly that this is the fault of all sinners not to knowe who Christ is Some will haue him rich noble c. they will not haue him spit vpon despised poore Others thinke him austere and sowre and are ignorant how sweete our Lord is Others contrariwise will haue him so mercifull that he will not be offended with any sinnes nor punish any offenders Doe thou acknowledge in Christ both mercy and iustice and learne that heerein consisteth the highest wisedome that thou knowest the true God Iesus Christ whome he sent Ioan. 17. Then enter into the counsaile of those wicked men Behold thy Spouse foulely and euilly vsed by the Iewes Admire first inquire art not thou Christ Can it bee that thou which art the Sonne of God the Author of all Creatures the glory of saints wilt suffer such things for me poore and vile worme By these questions stirre vp thy selfe that whilst Christ suffereth and is full of confusion thou in the meane time seeke not after gaine worldly honour And hee sayde vnto them If I should tell you you would not beleeue me And if I shall aske yee will not answere me nor let me goe But hereafter the Sonne of man shall be sitting at the right hand of the power of God And they all said art thou then the Sonne of God who answered you say that I am COnsider first that our Lord before hee professed himselfe to bee Christ did vse a preface for whereas hee professed the same most plainly in the night and was so farre from profiting that thereby a greater accusation was framed against him heere being asked the second time hee seemeth to make some difficulty in answearing That thou mayst learne that the suggestions of God being once reiected doe hardly returne againe Consider secondly how often they asked and neuer beleeued For there are some which alwayes repeate the selfe same question not because they are ignorant but because thereby they may finde out something which may please their owne will and not bee repugnant to their desire 2 Tim. 3. euer learning and neuer comming to the truth of knowledge Thou also how many thinges doest thou knowe and how fewe doest thou performe Doubt not But the Seruant Luc. 12. which knoweth the will of his Lord and doeth it not shall bee beaten with many stripes Consider thirdly if I shall aske yee will not answere me the pride of the wicked who would not
death or stripes Doe thou inquire the cause in the opened bowells of Christ to wit his burning loue which cutt brake asunder this sacke of his body poured foorth his bloud so pleÌ„tifully What will the holy Angels do which were astonished in the natiuity of this Lord at the wonderfull loue which caused almighty God to take vpon him a frayle and infants body How will they be amazed both at this loue of God which for man was coÌ„tent to be esteemed a worm rather then a man to be the scorn of men and the outcast of the people the scum and laughing stocke of all men also at the raging malice of the Iewes who would neuer bee satisfied with the paines and punishment of their Messias which so many ages before was expected promised vnto them and likewise at the hardnes of thine owne heart which is not softened and melted with this burning charity of thy Creator Admire thou these thinges and pray thy Lord to inflame thy heart with the loue of him Ioan. 19 The Iewes answered him we haue a Lawe and according to the lawe he ought to dye because hee made himselfe the Sonne of God COnsider first the proud answere of the Iewes we haue a Lawe They belieued in the lawe which they had in writing and did not fulfill it in worke Those men doe imitate them first which boast of the word of God and continually obiect the same and are wholy in the commendation of faith when in the mean time they do nothing worthy neither of faith nor of the holy Scriptures nor yet of a Christian man Secondly they which place all piety in outward ceremonies onely and not in the worship of God in brotherly charity Consider 2. That according to the Lawe Christ ought to dye For the whole lawe of Moses and of the Prophets foreshewed the death of Christ for all the sacrifices of the old Law were shadowes of the sacrifice of the Crosse and all the Prophets referred their prophesies to the death of the Messias Therefore the Iewes said true but not according to their owne intention whose meaning was that the sinne and blasphemy of Christ deserued death by the Lawe that thou maiest learne that God turneth to thy good those things which are badly spoken or done by the wicked and also that thou shouldest drawe goodnes euen out of wicked men Consider third-the cause of his death Because hee made himselfe the Sonne of God A most true cause of death First if thou doest consider God the Father for the Son of God being made man made man the Sonne of God assuming humane nature into one person of the Sonne of God For wee should neuer haue come into grace with the eternall Father but by the death of that man who was the true and very Sonne of God Secondly if thou consider the Iewes because hee liued the life of the Sonne of God For therefore their enuy was exasperated to the death of Christ because his most Holy life reprehended their wicked behauiours Take thou heede that neuer any other fault bee noted in thee but onely that thou art the sonne of God For if thou doest suffer for that cause thou art happy and the faithfull Disciple of Christ And because the Sonne of God did vndergoe this death to make thee the Sonne of God pray him that hee will lighten thy soule with his Grace and exalt thee to bee the Sonne of God and after this life by communicating his Diuinity vnto thee he will number thee amongst the Sonnes of God and graunt thee thy portion among his Saints which shall bee called the sonnes of God The 28. Meditation of the second examination of Christ made by Pilate When Pilate heard that speach hee feared more Ioan. 19 and entred againe into the Pallace and said vnto him whence art thou but Iesus gaue him no answere COnsider first that Pilate being an Ethnicke and possessed with the error of the Gentiles feared least Christ was the Son of some God as perhaps of Iupiter or Maâ—s For so the Poets faine of Romulus and Remus and of diuers others and Christ his modesty in answering and his grauity of manners confirmed this opinion Hee feared therfore the indignation of the God his Father whose Sonne hee had so vniustly whipped The Gentile feared the vaine wrath of the Gentile God and feared not the grieuousnes of his sin neither did the Iewes feare the most iust wrath of the true God Thou likewise doest feare sometimes shadowes dreames and childish fancies and art not affraid of the Deuill who is alwayes at thine elbowe when thou sinnest nor the district iudgment of Christ whome thou doest offend nor Hell mouth gaping for thee Consider secondly Whence art thou Euill men neither knowe God the giuer of all good thinges nor from whence any good commeth to them The Oxe knoweth his Keeper and the Asse the manger of his Lord. Hennes Cattes and Hogges when meat is cast vnto them lift vp their heades and looke vpon them that cast the same And man who hath receiued so many benefites froÌ„ God doth neither thanke nor knowe God Consider thirdly that Christ made no answere First because it was not necessary seeing hee had manifested his innocency before and also satisfied this question saying My Kingdome is not of this world I was borne for this and for this I came into the World c. For our Lord spake but seldome and necessary thinges and as St. Chrysostome saith least hee might seeme proude by his continuall silence Hom. 87. in Mat. Secondly least by his answeares hee might bee thought desirous to escape and to auoyde death which he might easily haue done if either hee himselfe or any other for him had seriously defended his cause Thirdly least hee should giue holy thinges vnto Dogs For at this time Pilate by his great sinne of whipping him had made himselfe vnworthy of an answere at Gods handes Fourthly because an Heathen man could not vnderstand the answere of that which the Angells cannot conceiue For from whence is that Person which with his Maiesty filleth both Heauen Earth which alwayes springing in the bosome of the Father Isa 53 is alwayes borne and perfect whose generation noe man can declare Thou therefore pondering in thy minde the Maiesty of thy Lord and seeing him before this wicked President thus fowly torn deformed with so many stripes and couered with so many spittings filth and torments admire and aske him whence art thou Art thou hee whose Father is God whose Seruants are the Angels and whose Kingdome is Heauen For if wee may Iudge of a man according to his habite thou seemest to bee a Worme rather theÌ„ a Man brought forth of the durte rather then comming from Heauen Then Pilate said vnto him Doest thou not speake vnto mee Ioan. 19 doest thou not knowe that I haue power to crucifie thee and power to dismisse thee COnsider first the
to the Deuill Behold his tender body wounded in euery part rubbed with their cruell hands Thou canst not indure to be touched vpoÌ„ any light hurt what paine then doest thou thinke our Lord indured by the rude barbarous pullings of the soldiers Consider secondly how the soldiours pulled off his garment making his most chast heart ashamed to be seene naked afore all the people Behold how his purple garment cleauing to the congealed bloud being violently pulled off did renue the wounds make them bleed afresh plucke away the torne skin together with the flesh But Christ put off this garment that he might with more alacrity take vp the wood of the Crosse For euen as worke men when they goe about any great labour put off their cloathes that they may worke the more nimbly so it is written of Christ that in this his passion he did foure times put off his clothes when he was to effect any great worke That thou shouldest not be ignorant with how great desire he wrought thy saluation First when by his whipping he was to shedd his bloud for thee ouer his whole body Secondly when he was to receiue a crowne of thorns vpon his head to prepare an assured Kingdome for thee in Heauen Thirdly when he was to lay this wood of the Crosse vpon his shoulders as the Scepter or Soueraignty of the Kingdome or as the Key of Dauid with which he should open heauen for thee Fourthly when he was to ascend that tree of the Crosse as the thron of Salomon Consider thirdly that his owne cloathes were giuen him againe that his face being all polluted and as it were disguised with spittings bloud and filth yet he might be knowne by his accustomed apparrell But our Lord put on those vestments that hee might both consecrate vnto God his vestment the Church and euery member thereof with his Crosse and his fresh bleeding Wounds and also that he might teach vs to indure the Crosse and all afflictions It is not read that the Crowne of Thornes was taken from his head that according to the olde Prophesie of Dauid Colloq cuÌ„ Triphone Psal 98. which Saint Iustine coÌ„plaineth was razed out by the Iewes our Lord might raigne froÌ„ the wood Consider 4. That our Lord was brought foorth out of the cittie that as one vnworthy to dye in the holy Citty hee might be put to death amongst the wicked But our Lord went foorth 1. To teach that hee offered this sacrifice for the whole world and not for the Iewes onely for whom the sacrifice was offred in the Temple yea rather that this sacrifice should not be profitable to the Iewes so long as they trusted in their auncient rytes ceremonies according to that saying we haue an altar of which they haue no power to eat who serue the Tabernacle Therfore he went foorth carrying his Crosse that hee might as it were with his sheep-hook inforce thee a stray sheepe to come home vnto his fold 2. That thou shouldst not thinke that Christ is found amongst the cares of the world the troubles of the Cittye and multitude of businesse Hee is abroad in quiet of conscience in contempt and nakednesse and want of all things Let vs then goe foorth vnto him saith the Apostle without the Tents carrying his reproach Flye the world that thou maist finde Christ And carrying his Crosse Ioan. 19. Luc. 23. hee went foorth into that place which is called Caluaria and in the Hebrue Golgotha There were also carryed two wicked mâ—n with him that they should be put to death COnsider first that in the whole Citty there was no man found to carry the Crosse of our Lord to the place of punishmeÌ„t The soldiers would not the Iewes esteemed the very touching of it an execrable thing because the Scripture saith that accursed was euery one Deut. 21. which should hang on the wood therfore our Lord must needes take the wood of his punishment vpon his owne shoulders Consider weigh with thy selfe whether thou doest not imitate them when it is grieuous vnto thee to haue one thought of the passion of our Lord and a most hard thing to suffer any little affliction for the loue of thy spouse Consider secondly with what insolency they layd that wood vpon his tender shoulders beeing wounded with many stripes The world giueth this grieuous and troublesome Crosse which thou must beare alone without the helpe of any other but Christ who imposeth a sweete yoake and a light burthen Mat. 11. Osea 11. and he himselfe lifteth it vp with his grace and exalteth it ouer the iawe bones Pray our Lord to lay thy sins vpon this Crosse carrying them from thee to his owne body and washing them away with his bloud death For he is the Lambe of God which taketh away the sinnes of the world Consider thirdly Ioan 3. whither our Lord went to wit to a hil neer the citty Hom. 84. in Ioan. In ca. 5 ad Ephe. in Epis ad PaulaÌ„ ad Marcel Orig. tra 35. in Mat. Cip in ser de resur domini AthaÌ„ de pas dom Epip haer 40. Amb. epis 19. Aug. ser 7 de Temp. Theop. Eâ—thy in Ioan. 19 Isa 3. called Golgotha that is Caluaria either by reason of the sepulture of our first parent AdaÌ„ of his scull there found of which opinion St. Chrysostome and St. Hierome report some to haue been or else of the sculls of dead persons which had suffered death in this hill being the place of execution The place was filthy and infamous but Christ sanctified it by his death and with his bloud washed away the sinne of Adam Consider fourthly that 2. Theeues were carryed to execution with Christ that according to the prophesie of Isaias Hee might be reputed with the wicked and a rumour be spred abroad that 3. Theeues the same day were iudged to dye For it is likely that about the most famous Feasts wheÌ„ the whole people vse to assemble themselues together their custome was to condemne and execute some guilty malefactors for exaÌ„ple to the rest and now at the request of the Iewes whose will Pilate inteÌ„ded to satisfie there were certaine of the most notorious malefactors chosen of whoÌ„ thy Lord should bee accouÌ„ted the captain leader So great was the desire of the Iewes to obscure the name of Christ But our Lord chose to be crucified with those theeues and malefactors to another purpose and intent First that thou shouldest know that hee dyed for sinners that there is no offence so great but it may bee purged by the death of Christ Secondly that by this his disgrace and ignominy hee might obtaine eternall glory for thee make thee of a theefe to bee a Iudge in the world to come Pray then thy Lord to drawe thee to the hill with him and to coÌ„municate vnto thee the merites of his Crosse And going forth they found a certaine man of Cyrene
Christ But Iesus said COnsider first what thy Lord in these great paines of the Crosse did doe say or thinke when as amongst all those torments he found no comfort neither outwardly by men nor inwardly in his owne soule Yf he moued his body the woundes of the nayles tormented him if his head the thorns ranne in deeper and pricked him if he stirred not at all his torment was intollerable ouer his whole wearied body Thinke thou yppon these things in all thy labours and afflictions which thou sufferest for thy Lord. Hee reproued no man although he were slaundered diuers wayes But because the mouth speaketh from the aboundance of the hart his wordes euen vppon the Crosse were directed to thy profite and saluation and doe declare most manyfestly that he prayed to his Father incessantly for thee when by reason of his torments he was not able to vtter one word Consider secondly his swan-like song and note the last words of thy Lord which he spake to thee at the poynt of death For euen as the voyce of the Serpent hyssing out of the Tree of the knowledge of good and euill instilled the poyson of sinne so the last wordes of Christ from the Tree of the Crosse were very effectuall for our saluation and full of burning feruour as proceeding from the depth of infinite charitie Hee spake with a loud voyce and weeping teares with great affectiō and deepe sighes in fewe words but with many teares mixed with bloud streaming downe from his head His teares watered his prayers Heb. 5 and his bloud adorned them his eyes pierced his Fathers eares his sighes moued his heart Doe thou listen to these wordes marke them diligently and gather the fruite thereof For by these seauen wordes the wordes and formes of the seauen Sacraments are sanctified the seauen guiftes of the holy Ghost are obtained and the seauen deadly sinnes are driuen away Consider thirdly but Iesus said First whilst the Iewes were busie in crucifying tormenting mocking him Iesus as if he had not marked these thinges yea rather that he migh render good for euill said Secondly hee who hetherto in his owne cause to the admiration of all men held his peace and could not be brought to speake but being adiudged and had also abstayned from the most iust defence of himselfe now in the middest of his torments is not silent in thy most vniust cause but being not intreated intreateth yea and intreateth with most effectuall wordes Iesus said who the Sonne of God To whome to God the Father Where vpon the Crosse When being ready to dye and his vitall spirits being spent How not sitting nor lying easily but vpright vpon his feete with his hands lift vp and spread abroad like Moses in former times Ezo 17. and all bleeding For whome for sinners who were carelesse of their owne saluation for Christ and his frtends pray for sinners Heb. 5. before sinners pray for themselues What he craueth mercy offring his prayers and supplications appealing from this cruell sentence of the Iewes his bloud be vpon vs and vpon our children to a better sentence and full of mercy and desiring that this cruell sentence might be made frustrate Before whome openly in the hearing of his enemies to teach them mercy sweetnesse and in the presence of his Mother and of his friends both because they should bee witnesses of his pardoning them also that they should neuer pray for the reuenge of this sinne O excellent speach of highest merite and worthy to be imitated by all men full of labour charity mercy and piety Haue confidence then in Christ and pray him who by speaking first for sinners before he spake for his Mother left to vs a testimonye how much he esteemeth the saluation of sinners that hee will vouchsafe to haue continuall care of thee now in Heauen Luc. 23 Father forgiue them PAuse vpon euery word Father he doth not say Lord which is a name of seuerity and iustice but Father which is a name of mercy and of the newe Testamēt giuen vnto vs in this place by the bloud merites of Christ that euen as he would be our Brother so we should haue all one father in Heauen He saith therefore O Father knowe me thy Sonne the Father will denye nothing to his sonne I came into the world to this end that thou shouldest receiue thine enemies for thy children Heare me then praying for them For euen as the prayers of the Priestes in the Church shall hereafter be very effectuall which shall conclude in my name in these wordes through Christ our Lord so I doe now pray vnto thee my Father thorough me thy onely begotten Sonne Therefore as thou louest mee thy Son so receiue these my prayers For I ascended this crosse haue suffred all these stripes that I might obtaine mercy and pardon for them If therefore thou doest reiect the prayers of thy sonne and not hear thy sonne thou shalt impose a greater torment on mee then the Crosse it selfe which I suffer that I might take away a greater euill that is that I might turne away thy wrath from them Spare therfore the great dolors of thy Son least he seeme to haue indured them in vaine Thou giuest reward to others labours I desire onely this reward for my paines that thou wilt forgiue these men Forgiue heer our Lord doth the office of a Priest for he prayeth for the sinnes of the people and he cryeth Heb. 5. not only as a Priest but as a sacrifice desiring not a free pardon but offering a full satisfaction His wounds crye his bloud cryeth his spittings his paines and all his members crye Forgiue accept of these torments for their sinnes I haue paied their debtes I giue my bloud for the pryce my paines for the ransom my life in satisfaction my body soule for a sacrifice Be thou therfore merciful for this is a copious redemption A hard thing is required to wit that the Father should forget the death of his onely begotten Sonne and of such and so gteat a Sonne but the Sonne beggeth and hee beggeth with his bloud Secondly hee asketh it not conditionally as he praied for himselfe in the Garden If it bee possible if thou wilt if it may bee done but absolutely Forgiue Both that thou mayest learne to pray to God for pardon of thy sinnes and for his diuine grace without any cōdition because that hath alwayes relation to Gods honour And also that thou shouldest freely forgiue thy neighbours faultes without any condition Thirdly hee prayeth to haue them forgiuē presently and not to bee deferred till after his death For hee would not leaue this life till peace was made with God Parents when they are dying doe often leaue vnto their children small store of goods and those intangled with many difficulties charges debts and contentions But Christ before his death payed all debts with his owne bloud took away all difficulties and charges
application of them to thy selfe Thy dinner indeed is ready but thou must goe to the table and put the meate in thy mouth thy medicine is made but it is kept in the shop of the Church inclosed in seauen boxes to wit in the seauen Sacraments the price is payed for thee but not yet applyed vnto thee Doe not thou thinke that onely Faith as some Heretiques would haue thee belieue is sufficient for thee thou must goe with thy feete to dinner thou must take thy meate and medicine with thy handes thou must put them into thy mouth and receiue them into thy stomache that is thou must frequent the Sacraments and be diligent in the exercise of vertues that that which was effected giuen for all mankinde may bee accepted for thee applied to thee and profite thee Pray thou our Lord that hee who spent and consummated all his dayes with infinite merits of good works will neuer suffer thee to spend and passe away thy dayes idly and in vaine The 4◠Meditation of the seauenth worde of our Lord on the Crosse And crying againe Mat. 27. Mar. 15. Luc. 23. he saide with a loude voyce COnsider first that as often as Christ spake for himselfe vnto his Father hee cryed with a loude voyce but when he spake to others or for others hee vsed a lower voyce to teach thee First that thou must alwayes deale with God with great affection To others thou openest thy griefes with teares but when thou speakest with God thou art so drye that thou hast scarce any feeling of deuotiō Secondly what grieuous paines the Son of God suffered who with the violence thereof was forced to crye out Consider secondly that Christ for diuers causes cryed out in his prayers when hee was ready to dye Ioan. 11. First to shew that he was Lord of life and death hauing power to yeeld vp his soule and to take it againe at his owne will and pleasure Therfore hee called for death as Nazianzen saith which durst not come In Christo patiente except it had been called Secondly to mooue God the Father to mercy For seeing all mankinde being oppressed with grieuous sinnes was farre off from God hee who carryed the person of all men ought to cal vpon God with a loude voyce being so farre absent Doe thou therefore knock at our Lords eares not so much with loudnes of voice as with affection of hart Thirdly that this voice being sent through the whole world might moue mens hearts and that hearing of the death of God for their sinnes they might be penitent for their offences For at this voyce the Earth was shaken the Rockes were cleft in sunder and the Monuments were opened that thy stony heart might also be broken by the force of this worde of God Not without cause did Marke say his voyce being sent forth that thou shouldst vnderstand that being sent into the world it worketh still in the heartes of men Fourthly that Hell should tremble at this voyce and euen as at the crye of our Lord calling Lazarus the soule of Lazarus returned without delay into his body so now euery one there should prepare himselfe to receiue their Lord being ready instantly to come vnto them The holy Fathers therefore in Limbo reioyced at this voyce and the Deuils in Hell trembled Fiftly to teach thee how to meditate on death not remisly or negligently as of a thing little pertaining to thee nor slowly and dully as of a thing a farre off but often and earnestly of a thing most certaine and at hand so much the more feruently because it is the onely gate to saluation Consider thirdly that in the ninth houre our Lord brake forth into this clamor in the houre I say of prayer and of the euening Sacrifice For then the true hoast was sacrificed vpon the Crosse and being cutt into two partes that is into body and soule was immolated to God the Father by the high Priest with a loud voyce and great labour Ioyne thou thy prayers with Christ his prayer that with his voice they may pierce the Fathers eares Luc. 23. O Father into thy handes I commend my spirit COnsider first that Christ prayed not vnto his Father vppon the Crosse but in the wordes of the Scripture First because hee knewe that these wordes were most acceptable to his Father beeing written by the holy Ghost to teach vs to pray Secondly to teach thee to worship God not according to thy owne fashion vnderstanding but in such manner as the Church indued with the holy Ghost hath appointed thee Consider secondly that Christ vsed this word Father onely twise vpō the Crosse in his first in his last prayer but in his middle that is in his fourth prayer hee called him not Father but God First that thou shouldest like a Son willingly accept that punishment which thy Father sendeth and in thy punishment confesse thy own basenes who art not worthy to bee called the son of God and like a poore creature call vpon God thy Creator for tribulation and aduersity doe teach good men their owne fraile estate and vnworthines and thereby perswade or rather inforce them to mend their liues that in the end hauing ouercome all aduersities thou shouldest take courage reioyce as a Son For probation worketh hope Rom. 5. which confoundeth not Secondly because the beginnings of Gods word doe most sweetly affect the minde the progresse is hard to sensuality but the fruites which are gathered are most pleasaunt The booke was in the mouth of Iohn sweete as hony Apoc. 10. but being deuoured it made his belly bitter Thirdly because in his first prayer when hee prayed for sinners hee was to gaine authority to his prayer through the loue of a Sonne for none but a sonne could bee heard for so great wickednes In the middle he complained as a man And in this last hauing fulfilled his embassage he desires as a Son to bee called home to his Father Consider thirdly that Christ made this petition to his Father not for feare of iudgment for now his Father had committed all iudgement to him nor for feare of the Deuill whose forces hee had already broken nor for feare of the paines of Hell which now hee came to take from good men and to carry away the spoyles of Hell But first to teach thee neuer to remit or slacke thy inuincible spirit from prayer Secondly that thou shouldest knowe with what confidence he went vnto his Father For hee sayeth not anxiously after the māner of a suppliant I pray thee Father but as it were of mine owne right and authority I commend my spirit Consider fourthly marke euery word of this last prayer which before had bin made by the holy Ghost to this purpose Psal 32. and is now recited by the Son to the Father with addition onely of this word Father Father First I haue remained thy Son in all these so great
their departure Doe thou likewise for whose sake the Son of God suffred death come neare vnto the Crosse behold all thinges diligently with the eyes of thy soule and let thy speach bee often times thereof Consider secondly that crying he bowed his sacred head first because hee would call thee both by his voyce and becke to learne the profite of the Crosse and to receaue the merites and benefites of the same Secondly to speake in thy eare to communicate his secretes vnto thee to teach thee his commandements and counsailes Thirdly to signifie his consent to all thy petitions and prayers which depend vpon this his holy passion Fourthly that thou mightest the better viewe his head and marke euery thing diligently his thornes his spittinges his bloud his eyes now shutt to thy sinnes his mouth silent from reuenge his face pale with death Consider thirdly that the Euangelists wrote this death of our Lord in diuers words Iohn saith he deliuered vp his spirite Mathewe he sent foorth his spirit Marke and Luke hee breathed out that thou shouldest knowe that Chriâ—t died not like vnto other men but in a singular and peculiar manner neither did he against his will or by compulsion but of his owne free accord render vp his spirite This word hee deliuered signifieth first that he gaue his spirite into his Fathers hands to be kept three dayes and that from thence all merites all vertues all iustice and grace should bee gathered for man-kinde Secondly that as he had already giuen his body to the executioners so now also hee would deliuer his soule for vs because nothing should be wanting to our felicity and happinesse He had giuen his garments he had giuen his honour he had giuen his body hee had giuen his bloud and now there remained nothing but to giue his soule that according to the prophesie of Isaias Isa 9. the whole Sonne might be giuen 3. That he deliuered vp the full price of our redemption For hitherto something was wanting and he had payed as it were but in part but now he made an absolute and full payment that thou maist knowe that now thou art not thine owne man but Christs who hath bought and redeemed thy members with his thy powers with his thy honours and riches with his thy body with his and thy soule with his If thou doest consider these things rightly thou shalt learne first not to abuse thy selfe thy goods to thy owne pleasures nor to spend them according to the will of the Deuill no nor yet to vse them as thine owne but to referre all to the honour of Christ to whome all thinges belong and appertayne Secondly seeing thou hast gotten Christian liberty and art deliuered out of the power of the Deuill neuer to yeilde to him againe For hee hath no right to thee whome Christ hath so dearely redeemed with his bloud Do thou giue thankes vnto thy Lord and offer vp thy selfe and all that thou hast freely vnto him He breathed foorth Mar. 15. Luc. 23 COnsider first that by this word is signified that Christ breathed foorth his last spirite by which spirite and holy breathing first hee purged the ayre being infected with deuils by vertue wherof the Deuills also are driuen away in exorcismes and exsafflations Therefore as the earth is sanctified by the holy body of our Lord and the element of water and all lyquors by the holy bloud and water yssuing from his side so by the diuine spirite of Christ the ayre is sanctified that it may the more profitably carry and inspire into our sences the word of God and his holy mysteries Secondly hee coÌ„municated vnto this world his inward guifts and graces not onely through the holy wounds of his body but also by his mouth Consider secondly that Christ for many causes would suffer not onely paine and torments but also death First to offer vp himselfe by his death as a sacrifice and Holocaust vnro God Secondly to redeeme eternall death due vnto thee through this his death of infinit value Thirdly to confirme by his death all his Sacraments and the newe Testament Fourthly that by this his death as by the death of the high Priest according to the old figure Num. 15. he might recall thee into thy heauenly countrey Fiftly to let thee knowe that thou oughtest to bee his who dyed for thee and not to submitt thy selfe to the Deuill who suffered neither death nor wound for thy saluation Sixtly that thou shouldest account thy selfe dead to the world with Christ and mortifie thy vices and affections For if saith the Apostle one dyed for all 2 Cor. 5. therefore all are dead Consider thirdly that Christ dyed in his flourishing age being three and thirty yeares old when his sences were freshest his heat greatest and his strength best to indure labour First because he was willing to bestowe all his most flourishing things vpon thee to preserue the heate of his loue in thee and with great forces to prepare many benefites for thee Secondly that thou shouldest not prolong the change of thy life till thy withered and decayed old age but consecrate thy youthfull yeares strength vnto Christ Consider fourthly that our Lord was nayled to the Crosse in the sixt houre and in the nynth houre when the day began to growe to an end hee dyed First because he which in the precedent ages had beene immolated in the figures of the sacrifices did in this fourth age of the world dye truly for vs. Secondly that thou who hitherto perhapps hast spent the rest of thy life vnprofitably and wickedly mayest at the least in the end of thy life flye to the death of our Lord. A great comfort is heere giuen vnto sinners who languishing either with age with sicknes or in minde are not able by exacting grieuous punishment of themselues to satisfie for their sinnes may haue the paines bloud and death of Christ to offer for their offences Giue thankes vnto God and dispise not so great a treasure Ioan. 19 Hee sent forth his spirit COnsider that heere also mention is made of the liberty freedome of Christ to dye For euen as in former times Noe sent the Doue out of the Arke Gen. 8 which after a few dayes returned bringing in her mouth a boughe with greene leaues So Christ sent foorth his spirit to returne againe after three dayes with an army of flourishing Saints Emisit saieth hee hee sent forth and not Amisit he lost that thou shouldest not loose thy spirit amoÌ„gst the wicked Consider secondly how the Deuills expected this spirite being ready to come foorth that by the coÌ„mon law of all it might bee ioyned to other soules in Hell For the Euangelist seemeth to signifie so much when hee said the Deuill went from him for a time as though at this time of his death hee would returne againe But because the Prince of this world had nothing in Christ Luc. 4. hee was
and Mary Mother of Iames the lesse and of Ioseph and Salome Mother of the sonnes of Zebedee and many other which came together to Hierusalem COnsider first the goodnesse of God who conuerteth the euill intentions of men to their owne profite They came to behold to mocke and to blaspheme but changing sodainly their mindes they returned sorrowfull and striking their breasts Haue thou confidence that thy good workes through his goodnes shall turne to thy saluation since their euill acts through his mercy were profitable vnto them Consider secondly that whilest the Romane soldiours praised Christ the Iewes were silent because hereafter the Gentiles should gouern the Church of Christ and the Iewes should holde their peace Consider thirdly that they stroke their breasts because hee that will drawe the fruite of the Passion vnto himselfe must vndergoe some pennance For euen as ashes beeing moistened with some liquor doe make a greater quantity then if beeing drye they were powred into the water so hee who like vnto Christ suffereth some labour and pennance shall reape the greater profite by his Passion Consider fourthly that these Iewes did know the dignity of Christ the greatnes of their owne sin but yet they would not confesse it in their words For there are many which feele indeed the prick of conscience but beeing hindered either by pride or malice they refuse to confesse their sinnes CoÌ„sider fiftly that his friends and acquaintance stood a farr off and those women which had serued our Lord in Galilee That thou shouldest knowe First that Christ rewardeth almes with this benefite that they shall perseuere euen vnto the Crosse Tob. 4. For Almes addeth confidence and suffereth not the soule to goe into darknes SecoÌ„dly by what meanes Christ rewardeth his friendes in this world to wit that through many tribulations they should enter into the Kingdome of God But they stand farre off for that which they suffer is very small Actor 14. if it bee compared to the Passion of Christ Pray thou vnto Christ to sign thee with his Crosse and to ioyne thee to the nuÌ„ber of his friends The 47. Meditation of the opening of Christs side Ioan. 19. Then the Iewes because it was the Paraseeue that the bodyes might not remaine vpon the Crosse on the Sabaoth for that was a great Saboth day intreated Pilate that their leggs might bee broken and they might bee taken away The Soldiers therfore came and indeed they brake the legges of the first and of the other which was crucified with him COnsider first that by the commandement of the Law such as were hanged on the tree Deut. 21 were woÌ„t to bee buryed at night when as such as were put to death by any other meanes were as vnworthy of buriall either couered with stones or left to bee deuoured by beasts First because God the soueraigne Law-maker knewe that his Sonne should dye that death Secondly because God in his mercy would not that guilty persons should bee punished twice for one and the same fault For because euery one was accursed which hanged on the Tree hee ordained that at least after their death they should haue the honor of buriall Thirdly that all such as suffer the Crosse that is the punishment of Christ in this life may be assured that there is great glory reserued for theÌ„ with Christ in the next life Consider secondly that the Iewes were not moued by this Lawe but by the solemnity of the next day for wicked men doe often times many thinges well not because they desire to obey God and to serue his honour but to preserue their owne fame and estimation CoÌ„sider thirdly that the dead bodyes ought not to bee left on the Crosse on the Sabaoth day that thou shouldst neuer carry a dead soule about thee but at the least on the Holy dayes thou shouldest purge it from all sinne and wickednes But thou notwithstaÌ„ding dost not onely carry a dead soule but also doest defile it more vpon Holy dayes consecrated to the seruice of God then vpon any other dayes Consider fourthly that the Iewes vnder pretence of seruing God desired another matter to wit that they might take away the life of Christ whom they knewe not to bee yet dead with more grieuous torments that thou maist learn First that the impiety of wicked men who maliciously are seperated from God is daily increased according to the Apostle But euill men and seducers shall prosper to the worse 1 Tim. 3 Secondly how cruell the enemy of man-kinde will bee in his owne kingdome against wicked men which rageth so much in anothers kingdome by his Ministers Doe thou therefore take heed of his tiraÌ„ny wherein there is neither measure nor end CoÌ„sider fiftly that the good and the euill Theefe did not both suffer one punishment For the one wiped away his sinnes by his paines and obtained glory to himselfe the other changed his temporall punishment with the euerlasting torment of Hell Learn hereby what reward the world and the Deuill doe giue to their seruantes to witt grieuous paines and euerlasting torments in Hell For this Theefe who to please the Iewes blasphemed against Christ was as much tormented by them as if hee had praised him See that thou adhere vnto Christ and according to the example of the good Theefe receiue all thy torments in full satisfaction for thy sinnes and pray vnto God to afflict thee here and not to punish thee euerlastingly But when they came to Iesus and sawe him already dead they did not breake his legges but one of the Soldiers with a speare opened his side and presently issued forth bloud and water COnsider first that the Soldiours assoon as they had receiued coÌ„mandement from the President made hast to the Crosse and diligently obserued whether there was as yet any signe of life in Christ for if they had perceiued any they would haue inflicted the same torment vpon him Consider secondly what manner of wound this was For the Scripture saith not hee stroke his side or hee wounded his side Tract 120 â—n loan but hee opened his side as St. Augustine noteth that the cruelty of the wound might bee signified thereby Ioan. 20 which opened his side so much that St. Thomas was bidden by our Lord to put his hand into it CoÌ„sider thirdly why our Lord would receiue this wound being now dead for vs. First that hee might shew that by his death hee abated nothing of his loue towards vs and offered himselfe ready to suffer againe and againe for vs if it were thought necessary for our saluation Secondly that according to St. Ciprian Ser. de duplici martirio hee might power out all the moisture remaining in his body and all the bloud residing in his heart and reserue nothing to himselfe Thirdly that hee might ingraue the signe of thy loue in his heart neuer blot thee out againe Fourthly that as out of the side of Adam sleeping Eua was
Sonne COnsider first the good order in our Lords wordes first hee prayed his Father for the saluation of sinners next hee gaue spirituall goodes to the Thiefe and assigned him Paradise lastly hee giueth temporal cōfort to his dearly beloued Mother That thou shouldest learne first why Christ came into the world and dyed vpon the Crosse to wit to saue sinners of which number thou art one 1 Tim. 1. Secondly that thou shouldest be carefull of the saluation perfection of thy neighbours before thou applyest thy minde to worldly things Consider secondly that he who from his childhood had followed Christ and had dedicated his youthfull yeares vnto our Lord stood by his Crosse when all the rest hid themselues and did receiue for his reward the cōmendatiō of constancy and the keeping of the Virgine Mother that thou from thy infancy shouldst honor Christ and his mother and shouldst suffer the yoake of our Lord euen frō thy youth Consider 3. with what eyes the most louing Son beheld his most deare mother with what countenance she beheld him againe Loue and pitty lifted vpp the Mothers eyes to her Son and presently griefe plenty of teares cast them downe againe Thinke thou with thy selfe what the heart of the Son spake to the heart of the Mother what the heart of the Mother answered to the Sonne Haue compassion on them both to their speaches ioyne thy petitions Consider fourthly that Iohn called not himselfe by his owne name but the Disciple whom Iesus loued that thou shouldest alwayes set before thine eyes the benefites wherewith our Lord hath preuented thee and declared his singuler loue towards thee Consider fiftly that our Lord both by his countenance wordes made his last will and testament for his Mother and his friends For beholding his Mother his Disciple hee gaue vnto them himselfe and all that belonged vnto him his crowne of thornes his nayles his spittings his bloud his contempt of the world his mockings and shames that wee should not abhorre these ensignes of Christ but thinke there are great treasures hidden in them and seeke them by all diligence labour and that his Mother might bee moued by them to take compassion vppon vs and that wee being signified in Iohn should vse them in our prayers to God and to the virgin his Mother and should beseech them by these spittings by these nayles and by this bloud Also by his wordes hee bequeathed his Disciple to his Mother and his Mother to his Disciple and to all vs. Consider sixtly euery word of this testament Woman he sayth not Mother but Woman first because hee would not giue occasion to his enemies to mocke her Secondly because he would not afflict his Mothers heart with a name of loue Thirdly that he might shewe that this was she of whome God spake long before I will put enmity betweene thee and the woman Gen. 3. she shall bruize thy head for now the body of Christ taken of the Virgine and giuen by the Virgine to subdue the power of the Deuill did bruize the head of the Serpent Fourthly that we might knowe the constancy of his Mother to whome the prophesie of Salomon agreed who shall finde a valiant woman Behold Pro. 31. it is not saith he an equall change to take the Sonne of man for the Son of God or the Son of a Fisher-man for the Sonne of so great a King but the guifte ought to be free both because it was of necessity and because it came from the Sonne and also because in him all man-kinde was commended Son I haue hitherto loued this Iohn and in him all Christians I haue counted them my children I haue prouided for them as for children and I haue fed them with my flesh bloud Therfore ô my Mother doe thou account them as thy children for my sake Thy so loue them as if thou hadst borne them in thy wombe This recommending of the Son was of great force with the Mother Be thou therefore confident in the benignity of this Virgin and flye vnto her as vnto thy mother in all thy necessityes Ioan. 19. Then hee said to his Disciple beholde thy Mother and from that houre the Disciple tooke her as his owne COnsider first that Iohn who for the loue of Christ had forsaken both Father and Mother had heere a far more worthy mother giuen vnto him for so our Lord had said Hee shall receiue an hundred folde Consider secondly Mat. 19. that virginity and all chastity is cōmended by our Lord and that the wantonnes of the flesh is repressed through the passion of Christ and the help of the Mother of God Consider thirdly the piety of Christ towards his Mother that through the grace of Christ thou mayest obtaine the guift of piety towards God and thy Parents Consider fourthly the wordes of our Lord. Beholde a great benefite that God and man should both haue one parent Mother whom thou mayst reuerence loue and defend to whome thou mayest flye in whome thou mayest haue hope who shall be a Mediator betweene me and you my Children by whome I will accept your prayers Thy she is not onely patrone of all man-kinde but of thee also as she that loueth thee and gaue her onely begotten Sonne to dye for thee suffering him to be crucified whipped mocked and slaine for thee Consider filtly that Iohn beeing poore who had forsaken all and vowed pouerty with the rest of the Apostles and had left himselfe nothing receiued this newe Mother not into his houses lands or possessions but into his dutifull care seruice and protection Therfore he tooke care for her that she should want nothing Au lib. 18 de ciuit dei cap. 4. prouiding sufficiently for her out of the almes of Christians Pray thou our Lord to commaund his Mother to bee also thy Mother that thou mayest defend her honour increase her glory and standing with her by the Crosse mayest receiue the guiftes and benefites of the Crosse The 40. Meditation of the fourth word on the Crosse Mat. 27. Mar. 15. And from the sixt houre darknesse was made ouer the whole earth vntill the ninth houre and the Sunne was darkned Luc. 23. COnsider first that in the Passion of thy Lord the Sunne was darkened and the vniuersal world was compassed with darknes whereof as St. Cyprian witnesseth Amos had prophesied The Sunne shall set at noone day Lib. 2. ad Quirinú Cap 23. Amos. 8. Hiere 15. and the day of light shall bee darkened and Hieremias The Sunne did sett before him when it was midday First that euen as when the maister of a family dyeth all the house is hanged with blacke to moue sorrow lamentation so thou when the lightes of Heauen mourne and darknes ouerwhelmeth the earth shouldest also morne and lament for the passion of our Lord. Secondly to declare that Christ the true Sunne dyeth of whose brightnes the light of this our
torments I haue remitted nothing of my deuotion loue to thee Secondly I thy Sonne am returned to thee from this hard embassage from this bloudy battell I carry away the victory and I bring the spoyles What reward wilt thou giue me what glory wilt thou prepare for mee what triumph wilt thou assigne mee The Roman Emperors triumphed with the victorious Army Poore Lazarus Luc. 16. which was denyed cruÌ„mes from the rich mans table was carryed in a triumphant Chariot that is in Angels hands into Abrahams bosome What glory then wilt thou giue to me thy Sonne I am more honorable because I am thy Son I haue labored more then the rest for I haue spent my bloud I haue vndergone more danger for I haue fought alone with the enemy I haue indured more want for a drop of water hath been denyed mee I haue ouercome more strange enemyes for I haue subdued the Prince of this world broken his forces and thrust him out of possession and to bee briefe I haue taken more noble spoyles hauing deliuered so many thousand soules from the bondage of the Deuill and subdued all the whole world vnto thy gouerment What then wilt thou prepare for so great a conqueror Into thy handes First as sacrifices are offered into the handes of God so I as high Priest doe offer my soule as a most fatt sacrifice into thy handes Secondly hitherto the soules which departed out of this world went not into the handes of God but into Abrahams bosome in the places belowe but now I desire first to be receiued into thy handes and my Disciples hereafter to bee receiued also Thirdly this my spirit which is now descending into Hell to deliuer the Fathers shall not want the diuinity but euen as the diuine nature took the humane nature into the same person so it shall remain both with the body in the sepulcher with the spirit in Hell Fourthly I commend it to thy hands that thou shouldest endowe it with glory adorne it with rewardes I commend or as the Greeke text saieth I will commend that is euen now I will send it to thee First hitherto neither this body nor my soule hath seemed to bee greatly commended vnto thee because both the body hath remained in the hands of enemies and my soule being sorrowfull euen vnto death was alwaies in my own hands subiect to many miseries Psal 118. and death it selfe Hitherto thou hast seemed to haue care only of thy bondslaues and to neglect thy Sonne for thou hast deliuered vp thy Sonne to redeeme thy seruant doe thou now at last receiue my spirit coÌ„mended vnto thee Secondly I commend that is I leaue it with thee to haue it againe after three dayes Thirdly no man taketh it from mee for I am not compelled to dye against my will but I willingly yeild it and deliuer it to thy custody My spirit hee saith not my soule which beastes possesse aswell as men but my spirit because the sensual man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 perceiueth not those thinges which are of the spirit of God In Christ the spirit 1 Cor. 2. that is the higher part had as it were conuerted the soule into it selfe so as the inferiour man desired nor coueted nothing but according to the rule of reason Pray thou vnto God the Father that hee will receiue thy soule alwayes commended with the spirit of his Sonne Into thy handes I commend my spirit COnsider first that though the spirit of Christ needed not to be commended to the Father yet it was coÌ„mended to him that all faithfull and holy men should knowe that they are coÌ„mended vnto God by this prayer of Christ For God calleth those by the name of Spirit which are indued with his spirit That saieth hee which is borne of the spirit Ioan. 3. is spirit euen as they which are ruled by the spirit of the Deuill are called the spirits of Deuils Doe thou looke into thy selfe what spirit raigneth in thee 1 Tim. 4 whether of Christ or of the Deuils And againe whether thy soule hath changed the spirit into it selfe so as thou seemest little different from a brute beast or whether the spirit of our Lord hath thy soule wholy subiect and obedient vnto it Heb 4. For the worde of God being liuely and powerfull reacheth euen to the diuision of the soule and of the spirit And therefore in the houre of death diligent inquiry shal be made what the spirit hath done and what the soule and they onely shall bee commended vnto God Rom. 8. which haue wrought by the spirit of God Consider 2. if Christ commended vs to God the Father then wee ought to bee carefull to commend our soules vnto him in good workes Therefore let vs prouide First that what the grace of the holy Ghost hath wrought in our soules Pet. 4 may be preserued framed perfited as it were by his diuine hands Secondly that our spirite bee often conuersant in Heauen and adhere not too much to any worldly things For saith St. Augustine if our mindes be there wee shall haue rest heere Ser. 175. de temp Thirdly that God will holde vs in his handes according to that Sap. 3. Ioan. â—0 The soules of the iust are in the handes of God neither can any man take theÌ„ out of his handes Fourthly that our spirits when they goe out of this world may bee deliuered to the handes of God to be crowned and be commended to his keeping till the future resurrection of our bodyes Consider thirdly that the Church of God which is directed and guided by the spirit of Christ is so commended to God the Father by this prayer of her spouse That the gates of Hell cannot preuaile against her Mat. 16. Therefore doe thou neuer seperate thy selfe from her except thou wouldest fall into thy enemies handes but defend the life and safety of thy soule by the spirit faith grace and Sacraments of the same Consider fourthly that there is coÌ„mended vnto thee by his prayer First the guift of the feare of God and next diligent deuotion against the vice of slouth For if Christ the Son of God did with such earnest prayer commend his spirit to his Father it behooueth thee not onely to pray but also to worke thine owne saluation with feare and trembling Phil. 2. Pray then vnto our Lord to take care of thy soule and to bestow rather heauenly guifts vpon thy spirit then earthly benefites vppon thy body The 44. Meditation of the death of Christ Luc. 23. Ioan. 19. And saying this bowing his head gaue vp the ghost COnsider first in what manner the Spouse of thy soule ended his life The standers by vse to obserue the countenaunce gesture and words of those which are to dye mothers also vse to marke the eyes and countenaunce of their children when they goe farre from them and to remember often in their minds the manner of