were in prison at one time with â—oseph Pharoahs baker and cupbearer who hauing dreamed each of them sundry dreames and not knowing what they meaned Ioseph did interprete them vnto them telling them that after three daies they would hang the baker and return the cup bearer vnto the pallace al which came to passe as Ioseph had told them After that chast Ioseph had ben two years in prison because he would not sinne with his masters wife he entreated the kings cupbearer very earnestly that he would speake vnto the king for him but hee was so vngratefull that he neuer thought of him any more of whome hee had receiued such good newes God doth not well like of such persons which are not thankfull for the benefites bestowed vpon theÌ„ Which is easily perceiued for although Pharaohs cupbearer had forgotten to doe that which good Ioseph requested him to doe yet the scripture dooth not forget to accuse him for a thanklesse and an vngratefull man Rich Laban was vngratefull vnto his sonne in law Iacob who although he had serued him forty yeares continually for his shepheard yet hee paied him very vnthankfully for all that seruice for ouer and besides that he gaue him one daughter for another at the time of his mariage he deceiued him also in parting of his goods Saule was also vngratefull vnto his good sonne in law Dauid who hauing slaine in his seruice that great Philistian and oftentimes deliuered all the people of Israel from the enemies yet Saule lanched a dart at him at dinner time where Dauid had ended his life if hee had not defended himselfe speedily from him The yong Prince Amon was vngratefull vnto the good king Dauid who hauing sent to comfort him for the death of his father the young youth cut off a peece of king Dauids Embassadours coats and shaued halfe their beards saying that they went not to comfort him but to bee a spie ouer him King Ioas was vngratefull vnto the High Priest Ioiada who hauing brought him vp from his childhood and done him great seruices yet Ioas commanded his sonne to be slame not because he had been a Traitor but because he had rebuked the king to bee a sinner and a trangressor of the law King Demetrius was vngrateful vnto the good captaine Ionathas who after he had sent to succour king Demetrius being in great distresse and to leuie the siege being besieged yet good Ionathas had no greater aduersary afterward than the king Demetrius Cognouit bes possessorem suum asinus praesepe domini suit Israel autem non cognouit me said God by the Prophet Isay in the first chapter as if hee would say What meaneth this people of Israel what meaneth this The oxe knoweth the labouring man which doth yoke him and the asse knoweth him which giueth him meat in the stable and thou Israel doest neither know me for thy Lord and master neither remember thy selfe of the good turns which I haue made vnto thee Isidorus vpoÌ„ these words saith That God compareth a thank lesse and an vngratefull man as it were in an anger vnto an oxe which is a heauy beast and vnto to an asse which is a foolish beast because that to say the troth no man omitteth to bee thankfull for the benefites receaued vnlesse he be a waiward and sluggish man in conuersation or a foole in condition Is not thinke you an vngrateful man a foole and a very foole seeing hee maketh himselfe vnworthy of an other benefite by not being thankfull for that which hee hath receaued There is no vice in the world which hath not his seat rather in one kingdome than in another as pride among the Babilonians enuy among the Iewes anger among the Thebanes couetousnesse among the Thirians gluttony among the Sidonians and the magicall art among the Egyptians But there is no man which will receaue ingratitude in his house no man willingly giue him a seat to sit in For although I bee vngrateful to thee yet I would not haue thee bee vngratefull vnto mee Seneca in his booke of Anger sayth That it is not onely a griefe but also a perillous thing to haue to doe with an vngratefull man for when hee purposeth not to pay that which hee oweth hee hateth him whome hee ought not and by that meanes for hauing beene his friend â—â—eâ— turneth to bee thy enemy Cicero in his Bookes De Legibus reporteth that Bisias the Grecian Osiges the Lacedemonian Bracaras the Thebane and Scipio the Romane counted it a lesser hurt to be banished into strange countries than to liue in their owne countries with those which were vngratefull for their seruiuices Plautus saith very well in a Comedy That it is the property of a base mind of an impudent man to giue euery man leaue to serue him be vngrateful vnto all men for their seruice and therevpon it is that he which serueth an vngratefull man serueth no body he which doth any thing for an vngrateful maÌ„ doth for no man Eschines the Philosopher saith that although the cities of Thebes Athens be ful of naughty men yet there are not so many of any sort as of vngrateful men the reason of this great mischiefe is because we take those to bee our friends which are not expedient for vs to take and giue our gifts vnto those which know not how to bee thankfull for them Whereof thinkest thou doth it proceed that no men be thankful for that which thou doest bestow vpon them nor acknowledge the fauors thou doest theÌ„ but because thou doest admit those to be thy familiars which ought not to bee taken for thy neighbours If thou doest any good sayth Ciprian vnto those which deserue it I assure thee that he will be gratefull for it but if thou giue vnto him who is strait vnto himselfe how wouldest thou haue him liberall vnto thee To come then vnto the purpose although King Pharaohs cup-bearer was vngrateful vnto holy Ioseph yet certainly Christ was not so vnto the good theefe seeing that vpon the crosse he did more for him than he deserued and also gaue him more there than he asked And therefore seeing we haue told you what the theefe demanded of Christ it is coÌ„uenient now that wee tell you what Christ gaue the theefe and thereby wee shall plainly perceiue that our Lord is more liberall in giuing than we are in asking Amen dico tibi hodie mecum eris in Paradiso said Christ vnto the theefe as if hee would say O thou theefe my friend and companion doest thou thinke that I haue forgotten the seruice that thou hast done me in honouring me keeping me company vntill this my last houre I promise thee as I am God and sweare vnto thee as I am man that this day thou shalt bee with me in Paradise O this was a glorious answere and a happy legacy which the diuine wisedome gaue vnto this good theefe because that in old time God recoÌ„penced all the
that his father would destroy all the word for to reuenge his death hee lifted vp his eies vnto heauen and with a sorrowfull voice said Father forgiue them because they know not what they doe as if he would say O my eternall and holy father I beseech and pray thee that thou wouldest forgiue this vnhappy people seeing thou shouldest make more account of the bloud which I shed for thē than of the offence which they haue committed against thee It is now now time for a thousand to fall on thy left side and ten thousand on thy right for seeing that I stand betwixt them and thee it is not reason that they should fall but rise nor that thou shouldest punish but pardon them O what a happie time O what a happy age the Catholike church liueth in in the which hee which is iniuried is reconciled and made our friend the iudge become our aduocate and spokesman for vs our accuser turned to bee our defender and hee who was woont to feare vs with iustice doth now flatter vs and entice vs to him with mercy How shal Dauid be able to say now Cadent à latere eius mille A thousand shall fall on his side seeing the sonne of God hath said vpon the crosse Father forgiue them In the law of grace and vnder the yoke of Christ it is not time to goe astray but aright not to cast away our selues but to saue our selues not a time of iustice but of mercie not to punish but to pardon neither is it time to fall but to rise It is much to be noted that the sonne of God did neuer command any man to fall and throw downe himselfe but rather bad all men rise vp as it appeareth in the ninteenth of S. Matthew where hee sayth Rise vp and take thy bed and in another place Arise maid and hee said vnto him whom hee raised from death in Naim adolescens tibi dico surge and likewise hee said in the garden to his Disciples Rise let vs goe It is the propertie and office of the diuell to counsell and procure men to fall for so he counselled Christ in the desart when he said I will giue thee all these things Si cadens adoraueris me as if hee would say I will make thee Lord ouer all the world if thou wilt but fall downe on the ground O my sweet Iesus I wil liue with thee who commandeth me to rise and not with the diuell who counselleth mee to fall for hee is desirous to haue me fall and thou and no other art able to helpe mee vp again Why should I liue with the diuell who deceiueth me a thousand waies or with the world which putteth mee in a thousand dāgers or with the flesh which asketh of me a thousand pleasures O redeemer of my soule O sweet delight of my life I will liue and die with thee and no other for if I bee sick thou dost heale me if I be sorrowful thou dost cōfort me if I be falling thou dost help me if I be falne thou dost helpe me vp if I haue sinned thou dost pardon me He is the disciple of the diuell who goeth about to throw down his brother he is the sonne of Christ who doth helpe to lift vp his neighbor for we are not able in this life to do any mā a greater fauor then to keepe his credit honor to help him to saue his soule When the giuer of life said vpon the crosse Father forgiue them by those speeches he ment to obtain two things of his father That is that hee would neither punish their bodies like vnto murderers nor condemne their soules like vnto traitors O infinite goodnesse O clemency neuer heard of before O redeemer of my soule doest thou dissemble with the trecherous pardon murderers excuse traitors vndertakest for the credite of the infamous turnest vnto sinners It is litle when I say thou doest turn vnto sinners seeing thou doest not only turn vnto them but also die for them What is the reason O good Iesus what is the reason that thou doest pray vnto thy father that he would forgiue them and doest not say I doe forgiue them When thou saiest Father pardon them why doest thou not say also I pardon them Art thou the partie iniuried art thou the partie shamed and disgraced art thou the partie agreeued and doest giue the libertie of pardoning them vnto another It is a high mysterie and a hidden Sacrament to thinke that the sonne of God would not say I pardon them but entreat his father to pardon them making greater reckoning of the iniurie which they had done vnto his father then of the death which they procured vnto himselfe The reason why the sonne of God would not say I pardon them although hee were the partie offended was to tell vs plainly That hee did not esteeme those which put him to death his enemies rather his deer brothers great good doers vnto the world hauing more regard vnto the good vvhich they had done in causing the world to be redeemed then vnto the hurt which they did in causing himselfe to bee murdered When good Iesus said Father forgiue thē it is no more thē to say thou art he my good father who must forgiue thē because they haue brokē thy law discredited thy doctrine violated thy temple put to death thy son If thou dost say that I should forgiue thē I say I haue no cause to forgiue for I take my death as wel reuenged my life as well bestowed seeing that by the merit thereof all the world may liue heauen made open vnto all men S. Augustine sayth That if the sonne of God had holden the Iewes for his enemies as they accounted of him it was in his power to forsake them and goe preach vnto others but because hee esteemed of them as of his kindred in bloud neighbours by nature brothers by law disciples in doctrine it was not needful for him to say on the crosse I forgiue thē seeing he was not angry towards thē nor moued at al with thē They bare rancor and hatred vnto Christ but nor Christ vnto thē therfore notwithstanding all the reproches they vsed towards him al the iniurious speeches they gaue him he neuer left off preaching vnto thē nor neuer ceased to work miracles amongst them With what face could they say that Christ was their enemy seeing hee raised their dead cast out diuels frō them instructed their childrē cured their friends of diseases also forgaue thē their sins Seeing the son of God had done the works of a friend among them that of a true friend why should he say vpō the crosse I do also forgiue thē seeing he did not hold any one of thē for his enemy If sweet Iesus was angry with thē if he misliked thē it was not for the iniuries which they did vnto him but for the offences they cōmitted against his father
was a most wicked and naughtie king but onely that God had made him a king Thereupon Saint Ambrose saith and that very well that according vnto the example of Dauid thou oughtest not to looke vnto the malice with the which thy enemy entreateth thee but vnto the vnction wherewith he is made a Christian and whether he be a christian or not thou art not the iudge of this busines but he who is thy God and his who is to punish the iniury which thou hast done vnto him in him the reuengement which thou hast taken on thee Comming then vnto our purpose The words which Dauid spake vnto Saul that is Let our Lord be a iudge betwixt me and thee the Sonne of God may say vnto the Synagogue and vnto all her children and that hee alone shall bee the iudge betwixt them as well of all the good which Christ did vnto the Synagogue as of the hurt he hath receiued by her Which of all the Angels if he would come downe vnto vs which of the dead if hee could rise againe what man were hee neuer so wise were able to number the multitude of benefits which were ceiued by him and the incredible torments which they gaue him Let our Lord bee a iudge betwixt me and thee O Synagogue for no other can be how much more greater my loue was with the which I redeemed thee than the torments which in my passion thou gauest me and that how thy hatred was far greater than all the cruelties thou vsedst towards me Therefore I call thee into iudgement O Synagogue before God not to the end that he should chastise thee but onely to iudge betwixt mee thee how that there is no worke of pity and mercy which I left vndone for thee and how there was no cruelty of torment which thou didst not assay against mee Speaking then more particularly of the pardō which the sonne of God gaue the Hebrewes it were reason to shew what they did to deserue it and what mooued Christ to giue it for by so much the more excellent bountifull is the pardon by how much the lesser the occasions were to giue it The Iewes did Christ fiue notorious iniuries at the time of his death the least of all which if it had bene throughly punished had deserued not onely not to be pardoned but also condemned into eternall fire For saith Hilarius what punishment worthy of their desert can be giuen vnto them who take away life from him which is the giuer of life The first wrong which they did vnto Christ was that they crucified him through malice not finding any fault in him at al which appeareth plainly by that that they did let goe Barrabas the manslaier and condemned the sonne of God iudging him to bee an honester man who killed those which liued thē that great Prophet which raised vp those which were dead Christ was a giuer of alms and Barrabas was a theefe Christ was quiet and a peacemaker and Barrabas a sower of sedition Christ a great preacher and Barrabas a great robber and assailer of men by the high way Christ a maister of all good men and Barrabas a captain of all scandalous men and yet notwithstanding all this they condemned Christ to be put immediately to death and sent Barrabas home vnto his house O how wicked a demād made you O yee Iews and peruerse petition in asking that he may liue which killeth those which are aliue and that hee should die who raiseth to life those which were dead Who is there in your citie who can heale the sicke and diseased or raise the dead vnto life if this Prophet die So great was the hatred which they bare vnto the son of God that to heare him once named they were much troubled in Barrabas name they much reioiced which they shewed manifestly when they cried al with one voice that Pilate should deliuer them Barrabas and crucifie Christ O what a happy man should I bee if my loue towards thee were so great as their hatred was towards thee for by that meanes as they tooke a wrong course in chusing Barrabas for themselues so I should doe aright in making choise of thee for my selfe It had not ben to haue beene maruelled at if they had erred in their choise if Pilat had giuen thē their choise betwixt two theeues or two mankillers or other two strangers vnto them but giuing thē the choise betwixt an assailing theefe and a most holy Prophet and they presently to chuse the wicked one vse iniustice against the good one it could not bee but they did it through great want of wisedome and greater abundance of malice The second iniury was that if they had put the sonne of God to death in some mean village it would not haue ben so great an infamy and reproch vnto him but the excommunicated Iewes the better to reuenge themselues vpon Christ and to put him to the greater shame put him to death in the great city of Ierusalem where he was very well known by his preaching allied vnto many honorable Persons by consanguinity What wrong like vnto this was euer done vnto any man or what reproch comparable vnto this that is to lead him to bee crucified at the Mount of Caluary through the same streets which he was wont to passe through to the Tēple to preach Seneca sayth That it is a greater griefe then death it selfe to a man that is shamefast and of a valiant courage to see himselfe troden downe where he hath ben honored and contumeliously handled where he hath been highly esteemed for he feeleth the present torment and griefe he greeueth and perceiueth that which his enemies speake Because the son of God was mighty in doing miracles faire and amiable in his countenance profitable in his doctrine and a friend vnto the weale publicke hee was beloued of all and enuied of many by reason whereof he greeued much at the open dishonour they did him and that publickly they tooke his life from him What griefe could hee be free from seeing himselfe carried openly and condemned vnto the death of the crosse that his friends accompanied him weeping and his enemies scorning mocking him The third was that although they could haue put him to death secretly in his chāber or in some darke night yet they neuer ment once to do it but they brought him forth at one of the clocke they condemned him at three they crucified him at six they murdered him at nine It was not for want of diligēce but through abundance of malice that they chose that houre because thē the sunne sheweth his beames most brightest most people passe through the streets Chrisostome vpon S. Matthew sayth That the Iews would not put Christ to death in the morning because all men were not vp nor in the night because all were at their rest nor yet late in the euening because many had withdrawn thēselues to their
and vs as if he would say If thou bee the Christ which the Iewes hope for deliuer thy selfe from death and quite vs from paine Cyprian vpon the passion of our Lord sayth O that that is a wicked word and a detestable praier which thou O naughty theefe doest vtter with thy mouth when thou doest persuade the son of God to come downe from the crosse for if he do suffer die it is for nothing that toucheth him but for that which toucheth thee and is most expedient for me Why dost thou aske him that hee would saue thee and also himselfe seeing that he suffereth of his owne accord dieth for thy naughtinesse The beginning of this naughty theeues perdition was when he said if thou be the sonne of God and not thou art the son of God in which words it seemed that hee doubted whether hee were the sonne of God or not and so hee doubted in his faith and made a scruple whether he were the redeemer of the world or not and so hee fell into infidelitie which is the highest wickednesse of all other Cyrillus vpon S. Iohn saith That the good theefe said not If thou be Christ neither did S. Peter say I beleeue if thou bee Christ but the one said faithfully Lord remember me and the other likewise said I beleeue because thou art the sonne of God insomuch that no man can be lightened or pardoned which maketh any doubt at all in the faith of Christ The Apostle saith in his canonicall Epistle if any man want wisedome let him aske it of God not doubting in faith as if he would say If any man haue need of any great matter let him take heed that he do not aske it with a faith that is luke warme for if our Lord do not grant vs that which we aske him it is rather because wee know not how to ask him than because hee hath not a desire to giue it Damascen sayth If he who asketh be not a Pagan and that which he asketh bee not vniust and hee who asketh be holy and the place where he asketh be also sacred and he for whoÌ„ he asketh be needy why should he doubt to obtaine it considering that of himselfe hee is so mercifull O good Iesus O my soules pleasure giue me thy grace that I may say vvith the blind man in Ieremie O sonne of Dauid haue mercy vpon mee and keepe mee from saying vvith the naughty theefe if thou be Christ saue thy self and me too seeing that like a true Christian I confesse thy mighty power and call for thy great mercy Christostome saith The naughty theese thought that as Pilate had condemned him for a robber by the high way so he had executed iustice vpon Christ for stirring the people to sedition and that Christ did no lesse esteeme of his life than hee did abhorre death vvherein certainly he vvas much deceiued for he did not so earnestly desire to liue as Christ did desire to die The Iews persuaded Christ that hee should come downe from the crosse and this naughty theefe did also persuade him that hee vvould slie from the crosse that vvhich the sonne of God did not loue to hear of nor would not do for if he had forsaken the crosse all the vvorld should haue beene crucified S. Barnard sayth I doe not desire thee my good Iesus that thou come down froÌ„ the crosse nor that thou slie from the crosse but that thou vvouldest put me there with thee because it would be more reasonable that they should giue sentence vpon me for thee than that they should giue sentence vpon thee for me It may bee gathered of all that which wee haue spoken what great courage we haue need of to begin any good worke and a far greater to finish it for our enemies are ready alwaies about to deceiue vs the flesh to mooue vs men to hinder vs and the world to trouble vs. CHAP. VIII Of the great charity which the good theefe had towards the naughty theefe in correcting him of euill doing and in aduising him of the good which he lost COmmendat deus omnem charitatem suam in nobis saith the Apostle writing vnto the Romanes in the fift chap. as if he would say The God and Lord which I preach vnto you O Romanes dooth commend nothing more vnto you than charity in louing your neighbours with all your heart the which loue you must shew them not so much because they loue you as because they serue God Holy Paule did preach and teach vs many things whereof some were to make vs afeard some to giue vs counsell some to teach vs some to comfort vs as this matter which we now handle the which being wel looked into and read with attention we shal find that hee giueth vs as much as hee hath and loueth vs as much as he ought For the better vnderstaÌ„ding of this speech we must suppose that the loue of God charity and grace go alwaies coupled together in so much that no man can haue heauenly loue without heauenly charity no man can haue heauenly charity but he must haue heaueÌ„ly grace he who hath heauenly grace cannot faile but goe to glory Damascen sayth That Loue and Charitie and Grace are only one gift and the greatest which came from heaueÌ„ is called Grace because it is giuen without any price and it is called Charity because it is high and it is called Loue because it doth ioine and vnite vs with God in so much that when he recommendeth his Charity vnto vs he trusteth his Loue with vs. WheÌ„ our Lord doth commend vs his Loue as a thing left to keepe with vs if we marke it well what else is it but a token whereby we should marke with what Loue he loueth vs and with what Charity he entreateth vs O happy pledge O luckie trust when our Lord credited vs with his eternall Loue his infinite Grace and vnspeakable Charity the which vertues he gaue vs because we should not liue ingratefully with them and that in our death we should buy heauen with theÌ„ When our Lord doth giue vs charge to keepe his Charity what else is that but to doe vs the fauour to giue it vs If he would not haue giuen it vs hee knew well where to keepe it without giâ—ing it vs to pledge but hee saith that hee dooth commend it vnto vs to keepe and not giue it vs because wee should bee very carefull in keeping it and fearefull to lose it because we cannot be saued without it Bede vpon the Apostle sayth One friend can giue to another his iewels of siluer and gold but he cannot giue him the loue which hee hath in his heart for although he can shew it yet hee cannot passe it vnto him but the sonne of God did not onely shew vs his loue but did also giue it vs. He did shew vs his great loue when hee tooke mans flesh vpon him and he doth giue vs his sweet
haue to serue our Lord is rather baslard will than a lawfull will for to tell the troth my brother wee haue more skill in sinning than in louing The good theefe would not so plainely teach the euill theefe the art of loue as hee did the duty of feare partly because the time was too short to learne so high a matter as then being in great torment and neer vnto death and partly because the quality of mans mind is easily induced to feare and very slowly to loue O vnto how many may wee say now adaies that which the good theefe said vnto the other that is neither thou doest feare God letting them to vnderstand by these words that they neither feare God nor loue God nor serue God nor yet remember whether there bee a God considering they let no sinne vndone vnlesse it bee because they dare not or because they cannot What friend is there in this world which giueth his brother such brotherly correction What friend dare tell his friend take heed brother for thou art prowd or ill-tongued or a babbler badly beloued and euery man marketh thy doings S. Barnard vpon those words of Ieremy Omnes amici eius spreuerunt eum c sayth Woe be vnto me O my good Iesus woe be vnto me because that all the holy maisters which brought me vp are now dead all my faithful friends which were wont to giue me counsell are now gone and if I haue any left they rather couer my faults than correct them There are few good theeues left to correct mee and many naughty friends to hide my faults and which cannot be said without teares which art not content only to hide my sinnes but also are ready to entise mee to sinne A certaine man of Athens asking Plato wherein he should shew his friendship vnto him answered him Thou shalt aduise me of all that I shall speak amisse and helpe mee in all that I shall doe amisse because the duty which I require of my friend is that he would helpe mee to be vertuous and hinder me from being vicious There are but few friends which doe this and very few which aske this of their friends for there are few which will haue those for their friends which may and will correct them for the enormities they doe but defend them in the vices they commit What doth it auaile me if my friend deliuer mee from my enemies which lay wait for me if he deliuer me vnto vices which kill me We see that one theefe doth correct another from the crosse and yet one Christian will not correct another but will rather be vicious betwixt themselues than breake the friendship which is betwixt them Nonne qui oderunt te domine oderam inimici facti sunt mihi said Dauid in the 138 Psalme as if hee would say O great God of Israel and mighty Lord of the house of Iacob one of the duties which I haue done for thy seruice is that all the daies of my life I haue hated those which loue not thee I haue vtterly disliked those which followed not thee I went from them which loued not thee yea I did flie from him which serued thee not Cassio dorus vpon these words sayth Thou hast great reason in that which thou saiest and greater in that which thou doest O renowmed and gracious king Dauide for if naughty men had no cōpanions to helpe them and wanted friends to bandy for them in short time wee should see them ended or amended That one friend doe not helpe another in matters touching his wealth it may be born but not to counsell him in things concerning his conscience may not be endured for if the matter doe offend God and endanger our conscience we should neither suffer our father who engendred vs nor yet consent with friend or brother who loueth vs. Nathan did rebuke Dauid Samuel Saul Micheas Achab Helias Iezabel S. Iohn Herod and S. Paul S. Peter not for any thing that they had done against themselues but for that which they had committed against God because we should know that we ought to hold him for an enemy who is not beloued of God How wilt thou haue God for thy Lord and friend if thou bee a friend vnto that that he detesteth We haue great need to say with the Prophet Did I not hate those which did hate thee and they are become my enemies For to tell thee the truth my brother thou canst neues rightly Ioue vertue and vertuous men vnlesse thou doe first detest vice and vicious men For as Seneca sayth Hee shall neuer or very late bee good who will haue a naughty man for his friend S. Augustine vpon S. Iohn sayth What greater maruails wouldest thou see or heare thā those which the sonne of God did at his death where preachers became theeues theeues turned to be preachers Wicked Iudas was a preacher and he became a theefe and hee who suffered with Christ was a theefe and he became a preacher and as they tooke new offices so they ended in diuers effects for the one sold Christ in the temple and the other excused Christ vpon the crosse Who was the last theefe of the Synagogue and the first preacher in the church but that holy theefe which suffered by Christ Who made a Sermon of greater weight than this theefe did considering that in the presence of all men and against them all he accused himselfe and excused Christ Hic autem quid malifecit These are the words not of a Pagan but of a Christian as if he would haue said Who euer being God made himselfe a man eternall made himselfe temporall being infinite limited his power and being a iudge suffered himselfe to bee iudged What hurt did he Who taught those which knew little who set those aright which went astray who did comfort those which wept who did pardon those which did offend What hurt did he He who did restore the deafe vnto their hearing fed the hungry gaue sight vnto the blind and raised the dead to life What hurt did he He who preached vnto the Samaritane woman defended the woman taken in adultery and hee who helped the Cananean and forgaue Mary Magdalen What hurt did he Hee who preached the faith taught the law opened the Prophets and hee who put vp a schoole throughout all the world Quid mali fecit what harme had he done He who made vs a path-way to walk in a truth to hold by a life to liue by and glory for vs to enioy What hurt did he He who endured hunger because I might eat took great iournies because I should take rest and who suffered because I should not bee endangered and hee who died because I should liue What hurt did he O cursed Israelites O forsaken Iewes what hurt hath hee done vnto your Synagogue who neuer ceaseth to doe good vnto all the world If hee could haue beene accused to haue done any hurt it was because he had done so
put mee to death on the Mount of Caluary and on the Mount of Caluary they kill thee at high noone daies they execute mee and at the same houre they execute thee thou art as neere the end of thy life as I am neere to death and therfore Lord remember me thus as wee depart both together out of this world so also we may both together goe into heauen What reason doth permit it or what iustice doth suffer O my good Lord that thou shouldest take me for thy companion to suffer on the crosse with thee and when thou doest go into heauen to leaue mee here behind thee Seeing thou wilt depart out of this world to death and that through such a narrow passage and long way whom canst thou take with thee better than the theefe which was thy fellow vpon the tree It is necessary that thy poore mother liue thou hast left thy Iohn thy cousin to his owne custodie Peter thy Disciple hath denied thee Iudas thy steward hath sold thee all the Iewes haue beene vngratefull vnto thee and therfore seeing that thou doest see no body neere thee who doth confesse and acknowledge thee but my selfe alone who am here alone with thee Lord remember mee and either giue mee somewhat in thy Testament or take mee with thee to Paradise O holy Nazarean and blessed Prophet seeing that thou diddest heare Ionas out of the Whales belly Daniel out of the lake of Babilonia Ioseph out of the dungeon of Egypt Ieremy out of the darke well and diddest heare Dauid when he said Tibi soli peccaui I haue sinned vnto thee only why doest thou not heare-mee when I crie Lord remember mee Domine memento mei Behold O my good Lord behold O my good companion now my eies doe breake now my last houre is come now my sight faileth mee and my speech is troubled and my soule is pulled out of my body and therefore in this narrow passing and doubtfull way vnto whome should I say better than vnto thee Lord remember me yea and all the whole Psalme of Miserere Iosue was a theefe seeing he stole grapes fron Chanaan Dauid was a theefe seeing hee stole the bottle of water from Saul Rachael was a theefe seeing she stole the idols from her father Ionathas was a theefe seeing hee stole hony from the hiue Iosaba was a theefe seeing he stole the infant Ionas and yet thou diddest not command any one of all these to bee hanged nor send them from thy houseuf this be so and if thou diddest forgiue those which stole thy goods wilt thou not forgiue mee poore theefe who turne for thy honours sake and keepe thee company in this place Seeing that of old time thou art accustomed to forgiue very famous theeues and dissemble very notorious thefts why doest thou not forgiue me among them and absolue me of my sinnes If thou wilt haue tears for the thefts which I haue done thou seest that they run downe my cheekes if thou doest content thy selfe to see bloud thou seest that there is no drop left in mee if thou wilt haue mee whip my selfe I am already bowelled if thou wilt haue mee repent I say vnto thee Soli peccaui if thou wilt haue mee make entire satisfaction how canst thou haue me to do it not hauing halfe an houre to liue Lord Iesus remember mee and bee my surety vnto thy father in the other world and put mee with thy chosen flocke write mee in thy booke and place mee in thy glory seeing that the faith of which thou art doth flourish onely in thy mother and remaineth in my heart Remember mee O good Iesus and if thou wilt depart out of this sorrowfull life into the other before mee I beseech thee leaue mee the step of thy foor to tread in and a path-way to follow thee for if I acknowledge thee for my God and receaue thee for my God and beleeue in thee for my God being as thou art dismembred and crucified shall not I serue thee and praise thee farre better when I shall see thee glorified Darest thou trust me with thy crosse because I should worship it and with thy body because I should accompany thee and with thy mother to comfort her and with thy honour to defend it and with thy church to augment it and with thy faith to maintaine it and wilt thou not put thy glory into my hands that I may alwaies praise thee in it When they condemned thee to bee crucified and brought mee to bee executed I heard thee say there before Pilate That thy kingdome was not of this world and then seeing thou art a king and hast a kingdome remember mee and take me with thee and I will tell thy father what thou hast suffered to serue him and all the fauours which thou hast done for me Now that the good theefe hath made his praier vnto God and recommended himselfe vnto him it is reason now that the naughty theefe haue license to speake which is my naughty and peruerse heart because the theefe which hanged on the left hand of God did blaspheme Christ but once but thou my soule doest blaspheme him euery day Remember mee O sweet Iesus and haue mercy on mee O my soules glory to the end that the shedding of thy pretious bloud be not euilly bestowed in mee for at the time when thou diddest shed it thou diddest not feeele so grieuously the vvant of it in thy bodie as thou diddest feele the vngratefulnesse of the whole world And when is thy precious bloud vnthankfully shed for mee but when I yeeld vnto that which my Sensuality demâ—ndeth of mee and not vnto that which thy Gospell counselleth mee What is all that worth which I would if thou wilt not If thou goest to seeke out theeues and if thou doest hunt after sinners why doest thou seeke for any more than for mee because there is no theefe who hath committed greater robberies than I nor any sinners who hath done more greeuous sins than I O patient and benigue Lord if the wickednesse of my heart and the offences which I haue committed in secret were knowne notoriously vnto the iudges of the world as they are knowne vnto thee I should many yeares agoe haue beene hanged and in the other world condemned I will not say with the Prophet Dauid Where be thy old mercies seeing that I see them enter euery day into my gates because I doe not make more hast to sinne than thou to pardon mee The pardon which thou diddest giue vnto the good theefe doth giue vs also great hope to obtaine pardon at thy hands for he being come to the gibbet condemned for his offence went away sanctified with thy Grace If thou do giue theeues and robbers kingdomes what wilt thou do and giue vnto theÌ„ whom thou doest loue and are chosen of thy father If thou diddest giue the kingdome of heauen to a rouer and a theese for speaking one onely word vnto thee and seruing thee one
Nathan the Prophet vnto Dauid the great Prophet Esaias vnto Manasses his holy Prophet Ieremy vnto King Ozias the Prophet Daniel vnto Balthasar and the Satiricall Prophet Helias vnto king Achab. The sonne of God sent a greater imbasie and greater Embassadours vnto the theefe than God the father did vnto the Kings seeing that vnto the theefe which was crucified on the crosse with him he sent no other embassador than himselfe so by this meanes the embasie and the Embassador were all one thing Was it not think you the selfesame thing seeing that it was Christ which sent the message the selfesame Christ which carried it Origen in an Homilie sayth thus The greatest message that euer came from heauen into the world was that of the incarnation and the next vnto it was that which Christ did vnto the good theefe insomuch that by the comming of the sonne of God the gate of glory was opened and in the promise made vnto the good theefe the possession of it was taken The embasie which Iohn Baptist brought vs was that the kingdome of heaueÌ„ was at hand but the good theef saith not that he is neer vnto heauen but that he is within heauen S. Iohns was a great embasie when he said Behold the lambe of God which taketh away the sinnes of the world but that of the theeues was better wheÌ„ he said Behold him here who hath already redeemed the world The embasie that Samuel brought vnto Dauid was good wheÌ„ as of a shepheard he annointed him king but the embasie which Christ did vnto the good theef was farre better because that there passed almost fourty years betwixt the time that the kingdome was promised vnto Dauid and the time that it was deliuered vnto him but the theef had his kingdome promised him at two of the clock in the afternoone and was giuen him presently toward night The reward for bringing thee news of such a great embasie as that of Christs was that is the promise of glory he would let no man haue but he would win it himself insomuch he who promised glory gaue glory was the glory it self O good Iesus redeemer of my soule dost thou well see that in promising glory Paradise that thou doest promise nothing but thy self what meaneth this O good Iesus what meaneth this Dost thou trust malefactors coÌ„meÌ„d thy self vntorouers offer thyself vnto sinners coÌ„mit thy self vnto theeues If thou thinkest thy selfe ouercharged with this theefe giue him the Prouince of Achaia giue him part of Assyria giue him the kingdome of Palestine giue him the monarchy of Asia for in giuing him as thou doest giue him thy selfe if thou were not God as thou art it would seeme that thou shouldest preiudice many Is there any other Paradise but to enioy thee is there any other glory than to see thy face is there any greater contentment than to be in thy company is there any goodnesse but that which commeth from thy hands This day thou shalt bee with me in Paradise where thou shalt see me face to face enioy my essence dwell with my person haue the fruition of my glory thy death shall die and thy life shall rise againe This day thou shalt bee with mee in Paradise where thou shalt be alwaies mine and I will be thine where thou shalt serue mee and where I will loue thee without end where thou shalt leaue sinning and I neuer cease to doe thee good This day thou shalt bee with mee in Paradise where thou shalt see ioy without sorrow health withour griefe life vvithout death light vvithout darkenesse company vvithout suspition plenty vvithout want and glory without end This day thou shalt bee with mee in Paradise where youth doth neuer waxe old old age doth neuer appeare beauty neuer fadeth health neuer decaieth ioy neuer waxeth lesse griefe is neuer felt no vvailing euer heard nosorrow euerseene and death feareth nor This day thou shalt bee with mee in Paradise where thou shalt go from the goulfe to the â—â—auen from the battaile to the triumph from the streame to the spring from darkenesse vnto light from vvaâ—â— to vvealth from a dreame vnto the truth from faith to hope from cold loue to perfect and seruent Charitie This day thou shalt bee vvith mee in Paradise vvhere thou shalt not know how to vveepe but laugh not complain but bee â—oifull nor aske but gâ—â—e not blaspheme but blesse not sigh but sing not hate but loue not mislike but praise not die but liue This day thou shalt bee â—â—th mee in Paradise vvhere thy handes shall touch that which they desiced thy eies see that thâ—â— they looked for thy eares heare that which they loued and thy heart possesse that which hee groned for This day thou shalt bee vvith mee in Parachse vvhere thou shalt nor feare the deceits of the Diuell the cockering of the flesh the vanitie of the world the ambushes of thy enemies the suddaine passions vvhich fall out euery day the necessity of euery hour nor yet the anxiety and griefe of mind This day thou shalt bee vvith mee in Paradise vvhere there is no night which is darke nor day which decreaseth no rough Winter nor troublesome Summer no cold to freeze thee no heat to distemper thee no famine to weaken thee no thirst to make thee drie no death to make thee afraid nor life which shall haue any end O my soule O my heart wilt thou not tell mee vvhat thou doest thinke vpon or what thou doest contemplate on seeing thou hearest not this which is spoken doest thou not marke vvho speaketh it nor vnto vvhom hee speaketh it nor doest thou regard vvhere it is spoken Hee vvho speaketh is the sonne of God hee vvith vvhom hee speaketh is a theefe that which he sayth is that he promiseth Paradise the place vvhere hee speaketh is the Mount of Caluary the houre vvhen hee speaketh is at the point of death and those before whome hee speaketh is the vvhole Synagogue Is it possible that an imbasie accompanied vvith these many circumstances should not bee new and heard For in Scripture there is nothing necessary that is not full 〈◊〉 mystery Certainly this was a very new thing seeing that Christ neuer had this word Paradise in his mouth not from the time of his incarnation vntill the last houre that hee departed out of this world and then hauing no other there but the theefe which bare him company at that time he promised him Paradise O my soule if thou wilt haue part in Paradise behold vvhat a one the sonne of God is vvho giueth it and behold vvhat hee doth vnto the theefe vnto vvhom hee gaue it and as thou diddest see vvhat they doe so doe thou force thy selfe to doe the like O my soule O my heart doest thou not see that our Lord who giueth Paradise is vpon the crosse and that the theefe vnto whom heauen 〈◊〉 giuen is also vpon the crosse therefore that the crucified doth nor giue
old Testament who knew so much as Christ did When the sonne of God did prophecy that there should not remaine one stone vpon another in Ierusalem did hee not as well know that there should not bee left in his body one drop of bloud with another When good Iesus did prophecy vnto S. Peter that he should die in his old age vpon the tree did he not know as well that himselfe should bee crucified vpon the crosse If then the sonne of God did know that he should die and that his death should be to be crucified vpon the crosse what ioy or mirth could there be in him The sonne of God had two things alwaies before his eies that is the crosse and the nailes with the which they would crucifie him and his enemies which would crucifie him whose conuersation hee neither vvould nor could eschue seeing that he came to redeem theÌ„ with his bloud and conuert them with his doctrine What man is so stout or who is of that courage that can liue conuerse with him that must take his life froÌ„ him O great goodnesse and infinit charity good Iesus who but thou alone hath defended them who persecuted him protected those who haue accused him giuen honour vnto those who haue diffamed him and pardoned their offences who haue taken his life from him What wilt thou do good Iesus what vvilt thou doe for those which follow thee and serue thee if thou deale thus with those which lay wait to intrap thy person impugne thy doctrine take away thy same depriue thee of thy life Anselmus sayth That the sonne of God did liue among sinners not because he did like theÌ„ but because he would amend theÌ„ because no man euer tooke greater delight in reuenging than he in pardoning To speake more particularly it was not without a high mystery that Christ said Et ego in flagella paratus sum hauing a greater regard vnto the laslies which he was to endure thaÌ„ vnto the death which they were to giue him because that a noble modest man doth grieue much more at one lash with a whip giuen him in open place than if they should strike off his head inprison Men are woon in criminall causes to behead worshipful free meÌ„ or vse some other punishment vpon them contrariwise whip hang or mark with a hâ—te yron bondslaues so that in the manner of punishmeÌ„t a mans griefe is greatly augmented or diminished Wee vse to speak it for a great reproch to say vnto one gâ—e thy way thou hast been whiphed the which words wee neuer vse vnto one who 〈…〉 because that bâ—nshment is giueÌ„ only for a 〈…〉 but whipping is gâ—ueÌ„ for a punishmeÌ„t an intaiâ—y WheÌ„ the Apostleâ—nd Ter virgis caesus sum semel lapidatus um ter naufrâ—giumpe tuli although he make mention of three kinds of tormeÌ„â—s yet if we looke well vnto it he maketh his thrise whipping the foundatioÌ„ of his martyrdome By the law of a noble man as Christ was by the law of modesty shamefaâ—â—ouile which he made reckoning of it is to be thought that he felt greater griefe wheÌ„ they brought him forth whipped with Ecce homo than when they brought him to the crosse vpon the Mount of Caluary because the crosse tooke away his life and the whipping tooke away his reputation credite The Iewes gaue Christ three solemâ— tormeÌ„ts which they did not vse to gaue vnto other theeue that is lashes with a whip with the which they opeued his shoulders the thornes with the which they did raze his head and the gauâ—e and vineger wiâ—h the which they did make his mouth bitter In the two thee 〈◊〉 they purposed nothing but to take then liues from 〈…〉 seemed not mough to take away Christs life but they would also take away his same good name If the sonne of God had not felt the discipline of the whipp more than any other punishment he wold neuer haue said Ego in flagella paratus sum in which holy words he gaue vs to vnderstand that he was ready nor only to suffer all kind of punishment which they should lay vpon him but also to beare all iniury that they would vse towards him O what great reason good Iesus had to bee more grieued with the whipping than with the other torments coÌ„sidering that in other punishments he was only tormented but in this hee was tormented shamed hee felt the griefe when they did whip him the shame wheÌ„ they put him naked O good Iesus O my souls health being as thou wast so teÌ„der of skin so smooth soft so subtile in bloud so quick in thy iudgement what didst thou feele when they did whip thee so cruelly and vncloth thee so vnseemely If it were not wheÌ„ thou didst preach that thy face was vncouered wheÌ„ thou diddest trauel that thy feet were without shoes who euer saw thy precious flesh naked vntil they took thy garmeÌ„ts from thee wheÌ„ thou wast tied vnto Pilates pillar O my good Lord vnto what diddest thou offer thy selfe wheÌ„ thou didst say Ego in flaâ—ella paratus sum because that at Pilates pillar thou wast turned out of thy garmeÌ„ts tied whipped iniurited shamed beaten blacke and blew at one time O redeemer of my soule O maker of my life when shall I see the day that I may see my life so spoiled of faults so naked from vices as thou wast theÌ„ froÌ„ garmeÌ„tes S. Barnard vpon those words of Ecce homo sayth Thou art not content O good Iesus thou art not content to goe bound from the garden but they carry thee to Annas bound vvith a cord thou doest goe to Ierusalem also tied vvith a rope and thou doest returne vnto Pilate in the same order and now thou art content to bee spoiled againe of thy apparell and whipped in open place with Ecce homo Behold the man One friend may suffer banishment for another and bee taken for another yet notwithstanding no man doth suffer himselfe to be turned naked whipped for any other because a friend should venter his person for his friend and spend his goods with condition alwaies that his credite and honour be conserued and kept The sonne of God only was he who said Ecce ego in flagella paratus sum seeing that he did suffer himselfe publickely to bee stripped naked and bound and whipped and so whipped to bee brought vnto shame not respecting the griefe which he felt nor the shame reproch which he endured What else did he meane when he said I am ready to be whipped but that hee had as ready a will to receaue martyrdome and such great loue in redeeming the world that if they would haue giueÌ„ him twise as many lashes more and doubled his torment hee was ready to receiue it Why diddest thou say O good Iesus why diddest thou say I am ready to be whipped but that by force of stripes they should open thy
secret in them and discouer some mystery in the expounding of them Whose figure doth Ionas represent but onely the good and godly and who were the Marriners which threw him into the sea but onely wicked men Then the Marriners doe cast Ionas into the sea when the wicked doe persecute and cast downe the good because there is no greater torment to a naughty man than to heare a good man praised in his presence Of all those which were in that ship onely Ionas was a holy and vertuous man as it doth plainly appeare because there was no one which spake against the throwing of him into the sea but were all of one opinion in that fact for albeit naughty men bee sometime at variance among themselues yet in doing of mischiefe they easily agree in one O in what greater danger good mens fame and credite is in among the wicked than their liues and goods in the deepe seas which is plainly seene in that that men did cast the holy Prophet Ionas from them and the waters did receiue him into them Origen vpon holy Iob sayth What should become of the good if God had no care ouer them What would not naughty men venter to doe with their smal shame lesse conscience if their power should stretch as far as their malice If thou wilt see my brother the care that God hath to keepe thee if thou haue a care to serue him thou shalt see it in the holy Prophet Ionas in that our Lord had prepared long before a fish to saue him than the Marriners had determined to drowne him The fish which did saue the Propher Ionas did not put him by him nor on him nor vnder him but within him and so kept him so warily in his entrals that neither the fish durst kill him nor the waters drowne him O that thy goodnesse is infinit thy charity very great my good Iesus seeing that thou doest acquit all those which the world doth condemne loue those which the world hateth receiue those which he casteth off foster those which he suffereth to perish and giuest honour vnto all those which the world doth dishonour Aymon vpon Ionas saith The Prophet Ionas slept in the lowest part of the ship the Marriners did cast him into the bottome of the sea the Whale kept him in the secretest part of his bowels I mean by this that Christ dooth put vs in the daintiest part of his bowels for it is his propertie to keepe those in his hart which loue him from the hart S. Ierome saith If thou doe put Christ in thy eies to looke vpon him he doth put thee in his to looke vpon thee If thou place him in thy eares to heare him he doth place thee in his to heare thee if thou haue him in thy tongue to praise him he hath thee in his to honour thee if thou put him in thy heart to loue him hee doth put thee in his to loue thee insomuch that where thou doest put Christ Christ doth also in the same place put thee Vpon those words of the Psalme Iacta cogitatū tuū in domine S. Basil saith Yeeld thy selfe my brother yeeld thy selfe to the will of God goe whither he will direct thee do that which he commandeth thee giue him that which he asketh of thee beleeue him in that which he telleth thee for as hee preserued the Prophet Ionas in the Whales belly so hee will preserue thee in the dangers of this life By this which happened vnto the Prophet Ionas it is very euident that thre is nothing firm stable but that which God doth sustain nor nothing sure but that which God doth keep seeing that that holy Prophet was drie among the waters found comfort in danger a remedy against death and profite in his enemy Did he not find a remedy against death and profite in his enemy seeing the water did not only not drowne him nor the huge and great fish kill him but was in the Whales belly with as great contentment and delight as a Prince is in his roiall pallace We haue spoken all this because no man should omit to doe his duty or goe with the truth as farre as hee can for feare of temptation or ielousie of naughty persons because our Lord who deliuered Tobias that the fish should not deuour him and Ionas from the sea that it should not drowne him will also deliuer thee from temptations which follow thee from the enemies which persecute thee CHAP. VI. Here the Author followeth the figure which hee touched before which is declared well to the purpose and there is brought also a prophesie of Ieremy APprehende branchiam eius trahe eum ad te quod cum fecisset traxit eum in siccum Tobias 6. chapter These are the wordes which the Angel Raphael spake vnto yong Tobias as if he would say I haue told thee already that thou shouldest not feare this fish but rather as he came vnto thee so thou shouldest goe and meet him and apprehend him by the head and pull out his gilles all which I would not tell thee vnlesse I thought it conuenient for thee Although Tobias did not then know the Angel for to be an Angel but thought him to bee another man like himselfe yet notwithstanding he gaue credit vnto his speech and accepted of his counsell so that Tobias did immediately kill and panch the fish vpon the sand which thought to eat him in the vvater We doe in this place aduertise the curious Reader that he shall not be able to vnderstand this chapter if he doe not read the chapter afore going because this figure of Tobias vvas there begun and from thence is cited To continue then this figure the text sayth that Tobias did sit vpon the fish and tooke him by the sinnes neer vnto the head and by the gilles in the throat and drew him to the sand there did cut off his head and strip him and tooke out his heart liuer and kept his gaule for himselfe and did eat part of him and salted the rest for his iourney Who is Tobias but the Iudaicall people What was the fierce sea but the passion of Christ And vvhat vvas the great fish but the same Christ And vvhat vvas the sand vvhere the fish was panched but the high Mount of Caluary where Christ vvas put to death Tobias did greatiustice vpon that vnhappie fish vvhen hee panched him on the sands but the Synagogue did farre greater cruelties vpon Christ vvhen they tooke Christs life away on the Mount of Caluary for if Tobias did kill the fish it vvas because the Angell vvhich kept him did so command him but if the Synagogue did put Christ to death it was done of meere enuy and malice For the better vnderstanding of this place it is here to bee noted that it was done by a continuall miracle that Christ did neuer suffer his most holy soule to communicate and impart her glory vnto his
which he doth deceiue the world for thou wilt one day thinke that the Lord is carelesse and hee will send some grieuous punishment vpon thee And thou art now to vnderstand that there are so many in thy house which will awake him as thou hast faults and sinnes in thy soule In the house of our Lord who is the waker of his clemency but only our amendment and who is the waker of his iustice but only our offence Vpon those words of the Psalme Ecce non dormitabit S. Barnard sayth As the enemy which dooth impugn Israel Non aormitabit neque dormiet so the Lord who defendeth Israel Neque dormitabit neque dormiet and if it seeme that his clemency is asleepe when he doth fauour vs it is because we should liue better and if it seemeth that hee dooth defer his iustice it is because we should amend What should Isay more vnto thee but look what workes thou doest such wakers of God thou hast If thou be good thou doest awake him to doe thee good if thou bee naught thou doest awake him to doe thee hurt because that in the sight of our Lord the fault crieth for punishment and goodnesse asketh reward Ioining then mystery vnto mystery and Sacrament vnto Sacrament now that wee haue declared how God slept in the old Testament it is reason that wee declare also how his son did sleepe and awake vpon the crosse seeing that there is no lesse to be wondered at in the sleeping of the sonne thā there was to be spoken of in the sleeping of the Father For to think that the sonne of God did sleepe vpon the crosse as one that is weary and in health is woont to doe were a vanity and also an heresie for giuing him as they did gaule to eat and vineger to drinke there were more reason that his stomacke should be ready to ouerturne rather than his head haue any inclination to sleepe When Esay sayth Expergefactus lassus hee speaketh nor of materiall sleepe but of spirituall and if hee say that Christ did awake his powers within him without doubt did not awake because they were broken with tormēts but those powers did awake which lie hidden within him And although the Apostle doe say Quòd ex ipso in ipso per ipsum sunt omnia to wit of him in him and by him all things are yet there are sixe principall things aboue the rest in him These sixe are his essence his power his wisedome his humane flesh his patience and his clemency and of these sixe excellences and graces three of them slept when the sonne of God suffered and the other three alwaies watched His pure and diuine essence slept vpon the crosse seeing hee did not shew himselfe by it to be an absolute God for if hee had shewed himselfe to haue been onely God and not man he could neuer haue died vpon the crosse His high and eternall wisedome slept vpon the crosse in his passion seeing that hee neuer answered vnto any iniurious word were it neuer so grieuous against him Esichius sayth Christ did suffer that to be done by him on the crosse that a sheepe doth by himselfe in the butchery for if the sonne of God should haue showne before Pilate and Herod any sparke of his wisdome the Iews had neuer been able to haue put him to death His inspeakable and incomparable power did also sleep in his passion vpon the crosse not reuenging at all on his enemies for if it would haue pleased him to haue vsed it in lesse than a moment hell would haue swallowed thē all aliue Now that wee haue told what three powers slept with Christ on the crosse it is also conuenient for vs to shew what three they were which watched with him the same time His tender flesh did not sleep at the time of his passion vpon the crosse which was not one moment at ease nor an instant without torment How was it possible that Christ should not bee but awake on the crosse seeing that there was no vaine in his holybody which did not bleed nor no part of his flesh which was not brused and beaten blacke and blew His incomparable patience did watch and not sleepe vpon the crosse the which our blessed Iesus did neuer lose seeing that he neuer spake iniurious word vnto his enemies nor neuer shewed them an angry countenance Augustine sayth All deuout persons ought to follow Christ in the vertue of suffering for besides that the vertue of patience is meritotious before God shee is also an occasion of great quietnesse in mans life Christs diuine and louing clemency did also watch and not sleep in his passion the vvhich he did shew vvhen hee pardoned his enemies and praied for his malefactors O infinite goodnesse O inspeakable pitie O my good Iesus for if vve should grant that all the other vertues should haue slept on the crosse yet thy clemency vvould neuer haue giuen ouer vvatching for it is farre easier for the sonne to lose his light than for thee not to forgiue and pardon Plutarch in his Apothegms sayth That the Emperor Titus on a time gaue a great sigh and said Diem amisimus amici as if he vvould say It is not reason that this day should be reckoned among the daies of my life seeing that I haue done no good nor vsed any liberality in it This speech was spread throughout all the world much commended of the Philosophers and worthy of so high a Prince That which the Emperour Titus spake of his francknesse Christ might farre better haue spoken of his infinite clemency for if the Emperour did let no day passe in the which he did not some good neither did Christ let slip any houre or moment wherein hee did not pardon some offence And because the Prophet saith that the sonne of God did not onely sleepe but also that he did awake let vs now see how these three powers did awake in Christ and when and for what cause His incomparable diuine essence did rise and awake when he spake that terrible word at the time that his soule was drawne out of him and therevpon as it were in a traunce and a maze the great Centurion said of Christ That this was the son of the true God Christ did also awake his high wisdome vpon the crosse whē he spake those seuen wordes in the last houre of his death in the which there is contained more profound and deepe science and knowledge than is in all humane Philosophy or knowledge Christ did also awake his incomparable power when hee made the sunne to be darkened the earth to tremble and quake the graues to open and the dead to rise again Who dooth doubt but that the sonne of God doth shew in these wonderfull meruels the highnesse of his power the depth of his essence and the greatnesse of his wisedome and the valour of his person O my good Iesus O the light of my soule how vnlike thou
drinke water of the cesternes as to saue sinfull soules O that the thirst which Christ suffered was of a farre more higher degree than Dauids thirst for Dauid did but sigh for water but the sonne of God did not sigh but did suffer death to redeeme our soules and Dauid did quench his thirst with the preiudice of other mens bloud but the sonne of God did not kil his but with his own bloud Christ had not so good friends on the Mount of Caluary as Dauid had in his campe because Dauids seruants brought him water to refresh him withall and Christs enemies gaue him gaule vineger to tast of Super vulnera mea addiderunt dolorem said the Prophet Dauid speaking in the person of Christ as if hee would say The greatest trauaile and griefe which I feele now is that besides the words dolours which the Iewes gaue me in crucifieng me sinners haue now added another dolour vnto my former dolours which doth grieue me more than all the others did The dolours which Christ suffered in his passion his wounds and thornes caused them but the dolour which he now complaineth of our sinnes doe cause And he hath great reason to complaine more of this than of the others because the wounds which they gaue him and the nailes and thornes which tormented him dured but one day but the griefe which our offences doe cause in him doe euery houre offend him Saint Augustine sayth If there were no fault in vs there should be no wounds in Christ and therevpon it riseth that wee wound him more in his entrails with our offences than the Iewes did with their nailes But some man may say that Christ dooth not so much complaine by the Prophet of his wounds as of a grief and dolour which they added aboue all dolours and therefore it is conuenient that we declare what this dolor is and how farre it reacheth For the better vnderstanding of this point we must note that ouer and aboue all the sinnes which we commit we doe adde a new one vnto them which is as it were a counterpeise against euery sinne the which causeth the sinne to bee more grieuous and lesser hope of amendment in vs. What is this new sinne but the pleasure which we take to haue sinned the desire which we haue to sinne againe And because wee may not seeme to speake at randome wee will giue of euery one an example If the prowd man would be content to bee prowd only it would be but halfe a fault but alasse hee sayth that he is nothing prowd at all if wee regard his great desart by reason whereof he desireth to be of greater power and authority and ability to bestow more than hee doth If the angry and impatient man would be content to chide onely to braue it and murmure it might passe but alas hee doth adde fault vpō a fault that is he hath a very great thirst a desire to iniury and molest his enemies take their liues from thē also to ransacke and spoile their goods If the couetous man could be content with that which were necessary and with somewhat more it were tollerable but alasse like a noughty Christian he heapeth sinne vpon sinne for besides that hee is not content to saue bread and drinke yet hee neuer ceafeth day nor night to hoord vp all hee can If the carnall man would bee content once to attaine his desire and that which his sensuality requireth it might be dissembled but alasle hee hath such a great thirst to enioy all hee seeth that if it were in his power he would leaue no virgine vndefloured no married woman not diffamed nor any widdow not deceiued If the slothfull man would bee content himselfe not to goe in the cold in the Winter nor into the head in Summer but would eat without any labour of his owne and sleepe in his bed without care we would not much care if he did it but alasse hee hath such a great desire of ease and is such an enemy to labour that hee desireth nothing but that his neighbours should take paine because hee might eat and that all they should watch because hee might sleepe If the glutton would be content to eat till he were fill and sometimes vntill hee belked wee would not so much regard it but alasse hee hath such a great desire to eat daily of exquisite meats and drinke wines of great price that if it were possible there should bee no fish in the sea which hee would not eat of nor no meat on earth which he would not tast Loe then this is the dolour which Christ complaineth on when he sayth Super vulnera mea addiderunt dolorē which did so much grieue him that he felt none more for Saint Augustine sayth That God doth not looke what we be but what we desire to bee What greater wickednesse or what greater naughtinesse can there be in the world than not to be content to be naught but to desire to be more naught Cassiodorus sayth That the offences which wee commit are the wounds which wee giue Christ and the dolour which we adde vnto these wounds is the desire which we haue to sinne more and more This cursed desire and wicked thirst of adding sinne vnto sinne is also paied for and satisfied for the iust which come vnto our Lord when he said aloud on the crosse that he had a desire to suffer more as the wicked had to sinne more O infinite goodnesse O vnspeakable clemēcy who had euer so great a thirst to enioy our sinnes as thou my good Iesus haddest to suffer torment Who vntill this day had euer a desire to become worser and worser but our Lord had a greater desire to make him better and better Who had euer a greater thirst to encrease his vices than Christ had to make vs very vertuous O my soule O my heart doe you not see that your thirst of sinning more and more is cured with his thirst of suffering and that your thirst of heaping one sinne vpon another is quenched by Christs thirst of adding one pain vnto another Quod facis fac citius said Christ to Iudas in the night of the last supper Ioh. 13 as if he would say Seeing that thou wast so shamelesse as to sell me yesterday and art determined to deliuer mee this night vnto my enemies make an end of thy supper and rise from thence and doe that which thou wilt doe quickly because that the end of thy perdition shall bee the beginning of my redemption O sorrowfull speech O heauy word which Christ spake vnto the vnhappy disciple because that thereby he is permitted to doe what he would as though he should giue him licence vtterly to destroy himselfe and that there should bee no hope of his amendment What other meaning had those wordes which our holy maister spake vnto the reprobate disciple that is Do that which thou hast to doe with speed but to declare by
seeing it was spoken by the theefe which suffered by Christ In the third which was Behold thy mother what part hath the church therein seeing hee spake it onely vnto the disciple which was there present and to his mother which wept by him In the fourth which was Why hast thou forsaken me what hath the church therein seeing he speaketh only vnto his Father and complaineth of his Father vnto his Father In the fift which is I am a thirst what part hath the church therein seeing that thereby hee dooth shew the exceeding great thirst which hee sustaineth for the torments which hee suffereth In the seuenth vvord which is Into thy hands O Lord I commend my spirit what part hath the church therein seeing the sonne goeth out of the world and commendeth his spirit vnto his Father If we haue any part of all the seuen vvordes it is in Consummatum est in giuing vs knowledge by his owne mouth of the perfection and end of the old lavv and of our full redemption seeing he spake then vnto vs only and forthe end of all our sins vvhich vvere at one time redeemed euen as Christ did end his life and gaue vp his blessed ghost O profound mystery O vnspeakable secret and neuer heard of before in Consummatum est seeing that it is nothing else to say Consummatum est but to giue notice vnto all the vvorld that the church is novv begun and the Synagogue cast dovvne the Scripture fulfilled his life ended His precious bloud is ended the vvhich is so dravvne out that there remained no one drop in his vaines for hee came vvith a determination into the vvorld fully to accomplish all the loue vvhich hee bare vs and to shed for vs all the bloud vvhich hee possessed That is Consummated vvhich I came into the vvorld for and my fathers commandement is also accomplished for vvhom I came into the vvorld to manifest his holy name for so I haue done and if I came to lighten the vvorld to preach I haue preached and giuen it light The greife of my body is ended the torments of my members the persecutions of my enemies the wearinesse of my bones the multitude of my trauels are all at an end All that which the Prophecies prophecied all that which the Patriarkes signified all that which the holy men desired and all that which our Fathers craued of God is finished and consummate The riches of the Temple the highnesse of the kingdome the rigour of the law the purenesse of Preisthood and the honour of the people is at an end The hatred of the Iewes the enuy of the Pharisies the hypocrisie of the Saduces the malice of the Scribes is fully at an end What was euer seen that Christ began which he brought not in the end to full perfection Wee are those which doe hardly begin any good thing and if we doe begin it scarse bring it to the middle and if wee bring it to the middle we neuer end it The sonne of God is he only who beginneth all thinges when he will continueth them as he ought and finisheth them as he lusteth When Christ went to Ierusalem to suffer he said vnto his disciples Ecce ascendimus Hierosolimam consummabuntur omnia quae scripta sunt de me and when he praied ouer the supper he said Opus consummaui quod dedisti mihi and on the altar of the crosse he said also Consummatum est giuing vs to vnderstand by that speech that like vnto a man hee doth giue that which he is commanded pay that which he doth owe and accomplish that which he doth promise S. Cyprian sayth Much greater O my good Iesus much greater is the taking of the torments which thou hast endured than the wasting of the grace which wee haue lost and farre greater is thy paine than our fault and thy offering than our offence and therefore thou doest say Consummatum est because that now the fault of the seruant is ended with the death of the sonne Anselmus sayth O how truly thou doest say O my good Iesus Consummatum est for hauing thy eies broken as thou hast thy shoulders opened thy hands piersed and the world redeemed what doth there remaine to end seeing that thou art at an end Damascen sayth When vpon the crosse the sonne of God sayth Consummatum est If he would haue vsed the rigour of his iustice as he did vse his accustomed clemency had it thinke you haue been much that all the world should haue ended with him seeing the Lord ended and died there which did create it Remigius sayth O bill of paiment O precious money O sure account O acquittance of God which thou doest giue vs O good Iesus when thou doest say Consummatum est seeing that thou doest assure vs by that speech that the bond obligation which the deuil had ouer our humane nature is payd by thee and cancelled and blotted our and also cast into dust ashes Fiue thousand yeares and more we were bound to hell and subiect vnto the deuill but the sonne of God going to the crosse to die he vnbound vs from the seruice of the Deuill and as he went by little and little towards his end the obligation went wearing away in so much that with this speech Consummatum est the soule went out of his body and sinne tooke his end in vs. O high Lord O great redeemer when thou saiest Consummatum est what is that which doth not end seeing that thy life doth end Gods humane life dooth end death to hell sinne to the world idolatry to gentility ceremonies to the law and figures to the Scripture Pope Leo sayth by this word Consummatum est was ended the reproch of the crosse the banishment from heauen the power of the diuell the treason of the disciple the denying of Peter the sentence of Pilate the indignation of the people the life of the sonne and the comfort of the mother O comfortlesse mother O virgine borne without the like what griefe did thy sorrowfull heart feele when thou heardest thy sonne say that his life was ended thou continuing as thou didst without thy sonne What meaneth this O good Iesus what meaneth this With this speech Consummatum est the paine endeth to those which languished in desiring thee the offence of the wicked ceaseth the bloud of thy vaines drieth vp and yet doe not the teares of thy mothers eies end With this speech of Consummatum est All is finished dost thou drie the teares of those which haue offended thee their fill and dost thou make no reckoning of thy blessed mother who vnto the crosse hath followed thee If vnder that speech doe enter all whome thou hast created why doest thou leaue out thy mother of whom thou wast borne Most blessed mother of God certainly is not left out because that here on the crosse is finished and accomplished the quietnesse of her heart the light of her eies the contentment of her
kill a beast but in Christs holy law one death tooke away all deaths one life did buy all liues and one paine tooke away all paines and offences When the Apostle calleth Christ Hostiam viuentem he wanteth not a deepe secret and a profound mystery because that in the old law they called Hostiā the sacrifice which was offered against those which were enemies they offered nothing but dead sacrifices because the beast which they did offer was neither called sacrifice nor Hostia vntill his life had been taken from him The sonne of God gaue the name of Hostia a sacrifice when he died and the name of life when he rose againe and therefore wee may very well call him a liuely sacrifice a holy sacrifice a pure sacrifice and holy bread seeing that hee is the sacrifice and Hostie which giueth life vnto all and is the holiest sacrifice of all other and the purest and the cleanest bread of all others Anima cum obtulerit oblationem sacrificij domino similae erit eius oblatio fundet super eam oleum ponet thus Leuit. 2. God spake these words vnto Moyses because he should tel them the people of Israel as if hee should say If any will offer any sacrifice which shall bee acceptable vnto mee offer mee it of the purest floure mingled with oile and therewithall he shal adde a little frankincense If wee doe curiously looke vnto it of three things onely our Lord requireth an offering of vs that is pure floure good oile and sweet incense the which things are easiy to bee found light to offer and not costly to buy S. Ambrose sayth In this wee may see what a great desire our Lord hath to pardon the sinnes which we commit against him in that he himselfe doth teach vs what sacrifices we should offer vnto him What is vnderstood by that fine sifted floure but that most sacred humanity of the sonne of God This holy floure was so sifted and putrified that all the Angels which shall come to see it and all the men in the world which shall come to clense it shall not find in that sacred humanity one smal grite of originall sinne nor on spot of mortall sinne nor one little dust of any other small sinne Of this most pure floure Christ did knead the sacramentall bread in his last supper which he left vs in the church which doth differ farre from that which mother Eue did leaue her children because that in eating of that we doe sinne and receiuing of this we doe liue What is the incense which God commaunded vs to offer with the floure in his Temple but the diuinity which is ioined with the humanity in Christ Vntill the gate of the Temple the floure was carried by it selfe and the incense by itselfe but being brought to the gate of the Temple the one was incorporated with the other which mystery was most notably accomplished in the comming of Christ because that so farre asunder was mankind which was here vpon earth from the diuinity which was in heauen but the son of God comming into the world immediately God with man and man with God became one What is the oile with the which God commanded the floure and incense to be tempered but that which in the blessed Trinitie wee call the holy-ghost The coniunction bond of loue betwixt the Father and the son and hee who did incorporate the floure with the incense was no other but the holy-ghost for so said the prophesie Vnxit te deus deus tuus eleo letetia and so said the Angell vnto the virgine when he said Spiritus sanctus superueniet in te That which the Prophet called oile the Angell afterward did cal the holy-ghost insomuch that the cake which God demanded of floure oile and incense was nothing else but the humanity of him which was made by the father and by the son and by the holy-ghost A cake so well seasoned a sacrifice so highly well made which of the saints would not offer and which of the Angels would not adore The sacrifice which God did demand in times past was not that which the Synagogue did offer but that which the catholike church doth now offer for they did offer him dow wet in vineger and foustie oile and most sharpe incense but the sacrifice which wee doe now offer him is the humanity and diuinity of Christ vnited and put together by the handes of the holy-ghost It is no reason that the Christian and deuour reader should be ignorant why God commanded but a part of the floure to bee offered but all the incense To put a measure in the floure was to say that the humanity of it selfe was limitted and had an end and to put no measure in the frankincense was to say that in the diuinity there is neither beginning nor end which is most true because the workes which the sonne of God did were limmitted and circumscribed in that that he was man but being kneaded with the oile of the holy-ghost he made them infinite in value and weight To come then to our first purpose the text sayth si oblatio tua fuerit de sartagine simile conspersa oleo absque fermento diuides eam minutatim fundas super cam oleum as if he should say The fritter which thou shalt offer vnto me shall bee made of the floure of the meale without leauen kned with very good oile and then being well pricked thou shalt sprinckle it ouer with new oile If there should bee no mystery hidden vnder this Iudaicall sacrifice wee might haue occasion to thinke that our Lord were a glutton and giuen to variety of meats seeing that in the beginning of this chapter he asked of thē fritters or cake dressed with good oile and now againe a cake made of the floure of wheat and that without leauen small broken and fried in a frying pan in very whote oile Of this high and new sacrifice what is the floure but the humanity which suffered what the oile but the loue with the vvhich hee died and what the frying pan but the crosse where hee died To say that God the Father did aske for a cake made in a frying pan and to say that the crosse of his sonne was the frying pan and that the fine floure of his precious flesh was fried in that fryingpan and that the oile with the which it was fried was the loue with the which he redeemed vs is no vnreuerent speech to vse neither is there any errorin affirming it seeing wee he certain that there is no word writtē in holy Scripture which is not full of high mystery The property of the fryingpan is being put vpon the fire the fire dooth not wast him nor melt him as hee doth many other thinges and beside hee maketh those meats which are cold hard and not to be eaten whote soft and very sauourous What was the death and passion of our redeemer Iesus Christ but a frying