sinnes deserued muche more And séeing that thou O Lord whose face the Angels desyre to behold wast content to haue it defyled with their moste fylthye spettinges and all for to beautifye our soules graunte me grace not to regarde the vanityes of thys body or of the world but to care for the beautie of my soule and the ornamentes of holy vertue and the workes thereof With which I may séeme worthy to appeare before thy face in that moste happye kyngdome where the true and perfecte beawtie is And where they shall be adorned and clothed in glorie that shall raygne with thée without ende Amen Turba furens instat trahit ad praeteria vinctum Ficta probare malo crimina teste parat How Christ our Redeemer was brought to Pilates house ¶ Poyntes to meditate vpon 1 Howe the frydaye morning those wicked Iewes which so greatly desired the death of him that was the giuer of life came earely in the morning to the house of Caiphas where they left him after they had made an end of their wicked councell in the which they iudged hym worthy of death they led hym to the house of Pilate that hée might giue iudgement on him 2 Consider with howe great modestie our Lorde stoode in the presence of Pilate with howe great humilytie he aunswered to the thinges he demaunded of him and woulde neyther excuse nor defende himselfe agaynst any false inditement or accusations layd to his charge 3 Consider also specially those wordes of our redéemer which he spake to Pilate that is when he sayde my kingdome is not of this worlde declaring by those wordes that albeit he were the true king of heauen and earth he came not yet to reigne in the world but to suffer paines and to die for the life and redemption of the world ¶ The prayer BLessed bée thou Kinge of heauen for thy so great humility that being the vniuersall iudge of the lyuing and the deade it pleased thée so much to abase thy selfe to be led and to be iudged of an vniust iudge Who although he knewe thy innocencie and also the enuie of thy persecutours yet he suffered himselfe to bée peruerted and ouercome with worldly feare All whiche thou diddest willingly suffer without laying of any excuse for thy selfe in any thing so great was thy desire to gyue thy lyfe for the world vnto death being moued thy selfe thereto through thy passing loue and charitie I beseeche thée O Lorde to cleanse awaye from mee all wycked inclinations which I féele in my selfe when I excuse my synnes and my greate imperfections Where as thou being an innocent and voyde of all faultes wouldest not excuse thy self of those false and vniust accusations whiche were layde against thée And séeing thou diddest confesse that thy kingdome was not of this worlde I pray thée by that pouertie and base estate in which thou being King of heauen wouldest liue vppon the earth That thou wilte graunt me grace to dispise the honour vaine fauour of thys worlde and that I onely desire and séeke for that true and euerlasting kingdome which thou hast prepared for thē that truely and duely loue and serue thée Amen Ductus ad Herodem cum nil respondeat albam Induitur chlamydem luditur eijcitur How Christ beeing ledde vnto Herodes house was also there mocked scorned ¶ Poynts to meditate 1 Call to minde the diligence and busie crueltie of those peruers ministers of iniquitie in leading our Sauiour from Pilate to Herode with their gréedie and insatiable desire to put him to death 2 Remember also that cleare bright quiet countenaunce and continuall silence in the which our most méeke Sauiour stood◠before Herode without answering to any question they made to him because they were al curious vayne and vnprofitable 3 How that béeing mocked and scorned of Herode and his people he was apparrelled in derision with a white garment and then brought againe to Pilates house with all the shame and reprochfull deuises they could imagine ¶ The prayer I Moste humbly adore and worship thée most benigne Iesu for those wearisome iourneys which for our saluation it was thy will to make béeing so many times led hurried and haled from one iudge to an other in which procession thou didst suffer such gasings shame and mockeries namely béeing clothed with that white garmēt thou wast of all men mocked and scorned How shal I be able O Lord to answere these thy so great mercies and benefites receiued at thy godly hands that being by the transgression and disobedience of our first father Adam spoyled of that white garment of innocencie and immortalitie wherwith he was indued thou which art the second Adam our most true and louing father woldest recompence that losse and others which we had receiued of him in béeing content to be so clothed dispised besides other great iniuries and tormentes whiche thou diddest suffer I therfore besech thy maiesty for thy so gret trauels and rebukes that thou wilt pardon me my euill and vnprofitable walkings which I haue made in the discourse of my life walking in the waye of perdition and graunt me grace to runne cherefully from henceforth in the way of thy holy commaundementes perfect obseruance of my calling and state So that I grudge not or disdayne although I be neuer so muche set at nought despised of men for thy loue sith that I sée thée whiche art the wisdome of the eternall father with so great silence to holde thy peace and be content to be mocked and clothed like a foole to recompence so my foolish pageantes and ignorances with which I haue so many times offended thée from the which I pray thée frō henceforth to preserue me Amen Ex pedit hic virgas iudex verbera torquet Largifluo tellus sanguinis imbre madet The scourging of Christ our Sauiour ¶ Poyntes to meditate 1 How our Lorde béeing brought agayne to the house of Pilate who thinking by giuing him some kind of punishment to mitigate the rage of the Iewes that were very importune vpon him to put Christ to death he tooke order he shuld be whipped 2 Consider the sharpnesse and bitter crueltie of those pitylesse tormentors in scourging of that most méeke Lambe in spoyling him of his garments and binding him strongly to a piller and so to beate him without all mercy and compassion 3 Remember also how cruelly he was whipt and beaten with roddes so that there remayned no one part of his blessed body vnwounded nor vnbathed with blood frō the crowne of his head to the soles of his féete ¶ The prayer I Adore worship O my Lorde God thy déepe iudgementes which are worthy to be adored and magnified and not serched And amongst other I worship and thanke thée for that which sufficeth to make the very Angels them selues to maruell that thou béeing the beloued sonne of the eternall Father to whom all seruice and reuerence is due and of whom
also how after the other words which he spake in promising the thiefe Paradise which committed himselfe vnto him and giuing S. Iohn to his mother in stead of her sonne in him also vs and her to Iohn and likewise to vs to be as a mother and declaring the gret thirst whiche he had and that chiefly was for our saluation he then finally commended his spirite into the handes of his eternall father and so inclining downe his head he yelded vp the ghost Of whose tormentes and death the heauens declare they did in some part féele the griefe for the sunne was eclipsed the earth trembled the very stones sheuered in péeces the graues opened the veyle of the temple deuided 3 Consider also the cruel launce and thrusting in of the speare with the whiche Longinus opened a gappe into the syde of Christ out of the which issued blood and water And albeit to him it was no payne because he was already deade yet notwithstanding his most innocent mother felte it whose bowels and hart was in those most greuous sorowes and sighes perce◠and thrust through agreable to the prophesie of Simeon ¶ The prayer I Render vnto thée O Iesu Christ most high and eternall Bishop infinite thankes for that thou hast offred thy self to thy father in moste swéete sacrifice and brought vnto an ende the works of our redemption thou diddst take vpon thée neuer staying therein neither for moste bitter tormentes which they put thee too nor yet for the multitude of blasphemies they spake agaynst thee For the whiche I humblye besech thee that thou vouchsafe to open the eyes of my soule that I may beholde and see and diligently marke that whiche thou hast wrought and taught on the crosse and in thy death Bring low O Lord my hawtines and pride in séeing thy head inclined and brought lowe vnder a crowne of thorne Temper and moderate my gluttonie and intemperancie with the remembrance of thy most swete mouth tasting the bitter gawle and vineger Cause me to forsake the delites of the flesh in séeing thy flesh put to so great paynes vppon the crosse Mollifie the hardnes of my hart and suffer it not to be more hard then the stones which shiuered in péeces at thy death Make me O Lord to enter into thy open side where I may more safely saue my selfe in the great and perillous flood of this world then in the arke of Noe. Cause me for thy seruice willingly to endure beare all trouble and aduersitie seing that thou for my sake wouldest giue thy most blessed life and euen as thou diddest perseuer and continue vnto death in the obedience of thy father so graunt that I maye always perseuer in obedience towards thée Amen Ex cruce traiectos artus frigida membra Detrahit alta animi vis pietasque virum How our Redeemer was taken downe from the Crosse ¶ The poynts of meditation 1 How the rage of that vnhappie generation being partly mitigate quieted with the death of him that is the life of the world they returned into the citie but his most afflicted mother continued with him accompanied with the beloued disciple Iohn and other deuoute women tarying to sée if they might by any meanes burie him 2 Call to remembrance howe those honorable personages Ioseph and Nicodemus hauing leaue of Pilate to take Christe frō the crosse brought oyntmēts and other things necessarie for to embalme and burie him 3 Consider also with how great deuotion reuerence and tears they tooke him from the crosse and howe desirous his vncōfortable mother was to take him in hir armes to imbrace him ¶ The prayer I Adore and worship thée my most louing sauior I thāk thee and prayse thée with all my hart power for that through thy most holy crosse thou haste recouered and saued the world All thy workes O Lorde are most perfect and so it was thy will and pleasure perfectly to finishe this worke of so great importance of our redemption not leauing any thing that was to be done or suffered of that which of thine infinite wisdome was ordeined and of thy holy Prophetes forespoken which in those words thou diddest signifie It is iustified whiche thou spakest a litle before thou gauest vp the ghost Thanks be also to thy diuine power and might with which dying thou hast destroyed death after the maner of that strong Sampson with thy death thou hast ouercome thine enemies I beséeche thee therefore which art the giuer of life by the same thy deth that mortifying all my concupiscences and disorderly affections thou wilt reuiue my soule with the life of thy grace and so make me dye to the vayne pleasures honours and desires of the world of the fleshe that it may liue onely to thée onely confesse thée adore and worship thée dwel in thée seke for those things which belong to thy seruice as those thy deuoute seruants did in taking of thée from the crosse honoring thy moste blessed body in procuring to burie it being so greatly dishonored before 〈◊〉 Hic complexa sinu corpus miserabile nati Virgo parens lachrymis vulnera sacra vigat How our Sauiour beeing nowe taken frō the Crosse was layd in his moste sorowfull mothers lappe ¶ Poyntes to meditate 1 First consider with how gret tendernes the most blessed virgin mother receiued the dead body of her swéete sonne béeing nowe taken from the crosse beholding particulerly the signes of his soares and wounds with moste tender loue she kissed the same embraced bathed it with the teares which abundantly issued out of her pitifull eyes 2 Then cal to mind the lamentable words which his mother spake when she saw that blessed body of his so scourged wounded and ill handled the which she with so great loue and reuerence had brought vp whose words sighes were inough to breake with cōpassion the hart of any that heard them 3 Remember also the lamentable playnt which other deuoute men women made that were there present and chiefly of that welbeloued disciple Iohn and Magdalen which helde clipped fast the féete of her swéete master not satisfying her selfe ynough in kissing and washing them with her pitifull teares ¶ The prayer O My most merciful father and my god who shal giue water to my head and a fountayne of teares to mine eyes that I may bewayle the paynefull death of my swéet redéemer both day and night celebrate his holy exequies together with that deuout companie whiche with wofull playnt did celebrate the same Or who may giue me an hoate burning hart worthily to praise thée and thanke thée for the ineffable benefite which thou hast done for me in that thou haste vouchsafed that thine onely begotten sonne should léese his life to giue me life Whom would it not amase to sée this thy vnspeakable charity that for to redeme a vile slaue wouldest giue to death thy dearly beloued son All the Angelicall spirites
deformities And so shalt thou be encouraged with more diligence to bestirre thée to worke according to this examplar and paterne showed vnto thée in this mount of most â—igh perfection as it was sayde vnto Moyses Because in this imitation conforming of thy life after the example of Christ consisteth the greatest merite thou canst haue in this life and the greatest rewarde prepared for thée in the life to come A declaration of the fyfth manner of meditation which is in thankesgeuing The fifth manner of meditation vpon the holy passion is by way of thankesgiuing whiche we are bounde often to do For if we ought of very duetie because we woulde not fall into the vice of ingratitude whiche so muche displeaseth God and no lesse hurteth vs to call ofâ—en times to our remembrance suche other benefites as we â—aue receyued at Gods hande â—nd to thanke his infinite goodnesse and liberalitie for the â—ame How muche more ought â—e so to do for the benefite of â—ur redemption the whiche so much more passeth all other beâ—efites as it hath by our redéeâ—er with more deare coste and â—rice and for our greater proâ—ite bene purchased A great matter it was that â—e gaue vs a soule and body with all our members and senâ—es and muche it is to be estéemed that for our conseruation and benefite he hath created the heauens and the earth with so many and diuers creatures as we sée in it But what should it haue profited vs to be borne into the world if we had not bene redéemed Of what estimation or valour might our creation haue bene thought if our redemption had lacked For by the first we receiued but our being by this seconde we haue receiued our wel béeing The first thing cost our creator but litle for that he created vs and al the world with his onely word and in a short time but as for the seconde who is able to declare how dearly and with how great expence our redéemer purchased and bought it Séeing that with the trauels and sweat of thrée and thirtie yeres finally with tormentes and death vpon the Crosse he gaue vs life and repaired the worlde which in sixe dayes he had made Nowe if it séeme to thée that thou art litle bound to him for that whiche cost him litle yet thou canst not denie but that thou art muche in his debt and very greatly bounde vnto him for that thing he payed so dearly for Thou shalt do then right as the wise man giueth thée counsell not to forget the grace and benefites thou haste receiued of such a benefactour that hath giuen his life for thée Consider if thou haddest receyued of anye man the like benefite how gretly shouldest thou haue remained bounde howe highly wouldest thou haue praysed him howe wouldest thou haue endeuoured thy selfe to haue serued him And therefore thou mayst perswade with thy selfe how greatly thou art bounde to God thy Creator and Redéemer for if thou mightest possibly be bound to any other man whiche had deliuered thée from a corporall death howe muche more oughtest thou to be bounde to him that hath deliuered thée from the spirituall death of the soule And if thou wouldest acknowledge thy selfe muche beholden to a man that had suffered a little for thée then remember howe muche more thou owest to him that is both God and man who hath suffered suche paynes and tormentes for thée and not onely tormentes but also moste bitter and shamefull death through which thy sinnes were cancelled and rased oute of remembraunce the might of the diuell was broken to péeces peace and reconciliation was made with God the gates of heauen opened besides other innumerable giftes giuen thée And séeing thou canst not better recompence this so great debte then to knowe to loue and to be thankfull to thy benefactour why then remember to offer to him the often sacrifice of prayse and thankesgiuing as the holy king prophet Dauid exhorteth and encourageth thée to do styrring vp thy soule with those words wherewith he lifted vp his owne hart and soule vnto God saying O my soule blesse the Lord and all the powers within me prayse ye his holy name O my soule blesse thy Lorde and forget not how great benefites he hath bestowed vpon thée But yet chiefly remember the greatest of all the rest which is to haue deliuered thy life froÌ„ eternal death and to crowne thée with mercy in his glory if the fault be not in thy selfe As verily it shal not be whensoeuer thou shalt declare thy selfe thankfull for his giftes receiued And that shalte thou do in exercising thy selfe to giue prayse and thankes to the giuer therof And think it therfore thy duetie as often as in this maner thou art disposed to meditate vpon the blessed passion to remember and endeuour by all meanes earnestly to giue thanks and prayse for that entier louing charitie of thy Sauiour that woulde redéeme thée with his owne blood and for that incomparable patience of his by the which he suffered all those sorrowes iniuries mockes and scornes as thou shalt call to thy minde béeing after this sorte occupied in thy meditation And albeit that the giuing of thanks which in this litle treatise is set in the ende of euery prayer may helpe and serue thée to that effect yet neuerthelesse it shal further thée muche that in thy discourse of meditation thou deuise of thy selfe newe prayses and thankes giuing sayinge sometimes Thanks be to thée O my God for thy excéeding charitie Blessed mayest thou be in thy patience that wouldest suffer suche tormentes for me O most innocent Lamb praysed and blessed be thy méekenesse Let thy Angels in my behalf blesse thée that wouldest so muche humble thy selfe And at an other time saye When shall I be able O my Lord to recompeÌ„ce these and other so great paynes and sorowes shames and reproches which thou hast suffred for me Let euery spirite and creature confesse thy mercies and be thankfull therefore And so vsing suche other lyke words of prayses according as thy deuotion shall moue thée A declaration of the sixt manner of meditation which is by way of admiration The sixt maner is according to our former diuision in order of admiration which thy soule shall féele to be very great if thou knowe once howe to exercise thy selfe well in that sort of consideration And séeing that the Prophet Dauid vsed as he affirmeth of him selfe to consider and meditate in his minde the maruellous works of God so is it good reason that thou do exercise thy selfe in the meditation of his most holy passion and death which is the moste marueilous worke amongst all that he hath wrought And who will not maruell when he considereth that suche a one did suffer who is the only refuge and protection of al those that do suffer And that he is sadde and heauy for sorowe who is the mirth and comforte of Angels And that he is despised and scorned who is
that Lorde before whose sighte the powers of heauen feare and tremble Who can but wonder when he remembreth that he dyed who is the lyfe of all thinges liuing O howe aptly to this did the Prophete Abacuc vnderstanding in the spirite of prophesie say Lorde I considered thy works and I was afrayde And truely the causes of wonder be so greate to make a man muse thereat that it is more maruell to sée one not maruel and muse then one that dothe muse and maruell at it For howe can it be deare brother but thou must maruell and wonder if thou consider the greatnes the mightinesse the highnesse and the eternall maiestie of him that suffered so many kindes of paynes of iniuries of tormentes and of so shamefull a death And contrariwise the basenes the vilenesse and the vnthankfulnes of men for whom he suffered And if any of these things being by itselfe considered haue cause sufficient to make thée maruell what shal it be if thou ioyne all together that his high maiestie hath suffred suche and so great tormentes for so base and vile creatures That is to say that the iudge of the liuing and the dead was crucified betwéene two théeues that the king of glory which is adored of Angels was blasphemed of most vile men who woulde not maruell who would not be afrayd who would not be astonnied to thinke vpon it This is one thing that shall giue thée copious matter to woÌ„der and maruell to consider the infinite loue bountie and mercy of God in this worke of thy redemption declared And thou shalt no lesse maruell if thou consider the great wisedome he sheweth in the same his passion and crosse in that he found out so conuenient and apt meane to vanquish and ouercome our aduersarie euen as it were with the same weapon wherwith he ouercame vs. And this is it that the Catholike Churche singeth That he ordeined the trée of the crosse to be the instrument and meane of our saluation because the diuell like as he wanne the victorie ouer vs by one trée so likewise he might be vanquished and troden vnder foote by an other trée Also his crosse and passion was a most present remedie for all our infirmities For he humbling himselfe euen to the death of the crosse did pay sufficiently the price of our disobedience and pride Geuing vs the greatest example that might be of his humilitie which is so necessarie a vertue for vs besides diuerse examples els as of despising the worlde and of many other vertues spoken of before By meanes whereof we maye knowe our owne vices and amende them and chiefly renounce and forsake our selfe-love which is the roote of all vice Also the remembraunce of his Crosse and passion may encourage vs to suffer and patiently beare the manyfolde trauels miseries and griefes whereof our life is full For what greater comforte can there be had then to beholde Christ nayled on the Crosse whose woundes are sufficient to heale our woundes whose paynes and griefe if we well consider them may cause vs not so impatiently to take our troubles whatsoeuer they be And likewise to inflame and kindle our loue towardes him there can not be founde a better meane then to lay before our eyes how gretly and entierly he loued vs in suffering so much for vs and that he hath left vs so great ryches of his mercies of Sacraments of examples of coÌ„forts of satisfactions of fayth of hope of deuotion of consolation Beholde Christ with diligent eyes vpon the Crosse and thou shalt finde hid therein so great and so wonderfull treasures that they will cause thée to crye out say with Saint Paule O the depâ—nesse of the ryches of the wisedome and knowledge of God Thou shalt finde also good cause to maruell if thou consider his great power and might whiche he shewed in his passion for so muche as thereby he ouercame the diuell and being exalted on the Crosse he drew all things to him as he saide before dying he destroyed death triumphing ouer the world and hell Thou shalt likewise finde good cause to wonder if thou marke well the iustice he obserued in his passion and death in that he would not our sinnes and offences should remayne without recompence and satisfaction and by it giue remission and pardon of them and that more fréely and fully then of our part was due or deserued And by howe much more thou art willing to consider search out the secrets of the Crosse so muche the more high mysteries shall be reuealed vnto thée and cause thée not only to maruell but also to be greatly amased And then shalte thou knowe that Saint Paule the Apostle spake not without great cause when he sayde He would preache none other nor would learne to knowe any other thing but Iesus Christ and him crucified By this then hitherto said thou mayst gather and perceiue how copious matter thou haste to maruell and wonder at when thou art in this maner disposed to meditate vpon the death and passion of thy Redéemer All whiche the better to retayne in memorye thou mayest reduce and bring them to these poyntes The first is to consider the infinite highnesse and maiestie of thy Lorde that suffered for thée The seconde is the seruile and base estate of them for whom he suffered Thirdly the wonderfull tormentes and iniuries which he suffered Fourthly the wisedome power and iustice which he declared in his blessed passion and death These things in maner before specified and others that may happen to come into thy remembraunce whiles thou art in thy meditation if thou consider them as thou oughtest attentiuely shall minister occasion vnto thée greatly to maruell and wonder at this diuine mysterie A declaration of the seuenth manner of meditation which is by way of hope and reioysing The seuenth manner of meditation we sayde was by waye of reioysing and hope Whiche kinde of meditation is very necessarie also sometime to vse For when a man shal with him selfe consider howe great the wickednesse and euill of sinne is howe odious it is and howe muche it displeaseth God séeing for the due punishment thereof and for to repaye and repayre the great losses it had caused in the worlde our Lorde him self came downe from heauen and after so great trauels and paynefull life at the laste he would suffer so bitter passion and death And when he shall likewise call to minde that he hath runne and fallen into his haynous euill and sinfulnesse not only once but many times and in diuerse sortes he shall then rest so sad and dismayed that he shall néede of some speciall helpe for to comfort him that he dispayre not in him selfe when he remembreth that he shall appeare before the iudgement seate of the fearfull iudge to yéelde the account of all his life To remember this it hath made not onely many sinners to feare and tremble but also iuste men and persons of holy life as
the fyre of the loue of God and true charitie And among all meditations in the which this heauenly fyre is kindled the chiefest is this of the passion and death of our Redéemer Bicause if there be any thing that hath force to drawe the loue of one man to loue an other it is to knowe that he is loued of the other and so there can not be a thing in the worlde more apte to drawe the heart of a Christian to loue God then to consider how God first loued him the whiche he may very well vnderstande by that whiche he did and suffered for him And if it be the greatest signe that a friend can showe of that loue he beareth towardes an other to giue his owne life for him as he our Lord him self sayth this signe then haue we most manifestly of the loue he bare vs for that his will was to giue his most precious lyfe for vs or rather as Saint Paul concludeth a greater signe can we not haue of his innumerable loue then to knowe his will was to offer him selfe vnto death euen the death of the crosse and that not only for his friendes but also for his enemies If then thou were negligent slouthfull and cold to loue God before thou knewest how much he loued thée nowe thou doest knowe it by suche and so many signes and argumentes endeuour to him which hath so loued thée Call to minde in this mysterie how streatly thou art beloued of al the whole Trinitie séeing the father so muche loued thée that he gaue his onely begottē sonne vnto death for thée Remember wel those words of the Euangelist S. Iohn which saith in this maner So God loued the worlde that for it he gaue his onely begotten sonne In which wordes thou mayest knowe the greatnes of the person of whom thou art so beloued and that is the Father almightie maker of heauen and of earth and also the greatnes of his loue wherewith he loued thée is manyfest by the greatnes of the gifte whiche he gaue thée and that is his only begotten sonne who hath the same like infinite power bounty and maiestie with the father And this suche a sonne he hath graciously giuen thée that taking thy humanitie or manhood he might dye in the same for thée and redéeme thée in suche sorte as the Apostle sayth God spared not his owne sonne to pardon vs his miserable seruants O inestimable loue and greater then any vnderstanding can comprehende And likewise the loue of the Sonne was nothing lesse then this of the Father in that he came downe from heauen and was incarnate for thée spente hys lyfe and dyed for thée that by suche meanes he might in diuers sortes be giuen to thée In byrth as thy companion in life as thy comfort in his last Supper as thy foode in death as price for thée in heauen as a rewarde for thée And as the loue of the Father and the Sonne was towardes thée so was the loue of the holy Ghost who willed wrought together with the father and the sonne thy saluation redemption Now the most blessed and glorious Trinitie hath so loued thée how canst thou be so slacke in rēdring to him loue for loue séeing that loue can not be repayed but with loue And if thou vnderstande not this excéeding loue of God by other benefites whiche he hath done for thée as in thy creation and conseruation consider yet what thou hast receiued of him in thy reparation and redemption then shalt thou perceiue how true those words be which he spake by the prophet Ieremie With perpetual loue haue I loued thée and therefore haue I drawen thée to me in hauing mercy vpon thée These be the sharpe arrowes which the kingly prophet Dauid speaketh of sufficient to pearce anye hard hart These be the new warres which the scripture speaketh of that a king is from heauen elected to subdue and conquer men of the earth Differing from the first which he made with thretnings and feare These be the ropes of Adam and the cordes of charitie with which the prophet O say sayth he would draw men vnto him Because if they will worke according to the vse of reason which they haue in respect they be reasonable men they ought not to be more vnreasonable then brute beastes who suffer them selues to be drawen with ropes and halters in finding them selues forced and constrayned to loue such as loueth them When thou therefore shalte meditate vppon the death and passion of thy Redéemer let the principall ende of thy trauell be to be rauished in the loue of such a Lorde that hath so loued thée and by so many profes hath wel declared his loue towards thée and assure thy selfe that al those stripes and bloodye woundes which thou beholdest in him be voyces crying and testifying his deare and true loue towardes thée Beholde him vppon the Crosse thrust through with a speare and thou shalte perceiue how he prouoketh and forceth thée to loue him His féete so nayled do showe that he will tarie for thée if thou wilte returne come agayne to him His armes so stretched do signifie that he desireth to embrace thée His head so bowed downe doth signifie that he will giue thée the kisse of grace That side of his opened with a spere doth manifestly shew that he is willing to giue thée a place in his hart where thou mayst rest thy selfe quietly surely And what other thing might he do for thée which he hath not done And what other thing doth he more require of thée but in that acknowledging this his loue thou answere him agayne with thy loue O moste swéete Iesu the true louer of men what is he if he well consider this and know it that can denie the thing thou requirest of him and for so many causes is due vnto thée And howe can any man excuse himselfe to loue thée béeing pricked forwarde and prouoked with so many motions and swéete callings of thy diuine loue Be not therefore my good brother vnthankfull nor so dull to vnderstande this his so great loue for the which it should behoue thy hart to melt euen as the wax whensoeuer thou remembrest that he loued thée first and that he washed thée with his precious blood Denie him not the tribute of loue thou owest him for although he haue forgiuen thée other thy debtes yet this he will not discharge or acquite thée of but rather affirmeth that he came to put fyre on the earth and woulde that it should burne continually And in figure of this he commaunded in the olde lawe that the fyre shoulde stande alwayes kindled vppon his altar The whiche is not so muche ment of the materiall fyre as of the spirituall which is our loue towards him and that he would should alwayes burne vpon the altar of our heart because that sacrifice is alwayes acceptable to him whiche is offered with suche fyre And because this maye be
do laude prayse thée so that I nor all men in the world know nor yet are able to thanke thée nor yet vnderstand thy so gret mercy And because I haue no tong able to do it as it ought to be I pray thée of thine infinite goodnes to graunt me an heart that may take compassion and féele in part that which thy most blessed mother felt when she beheld and saw those gréeuous woūds and scourgings of her and thy most louing sonne Geue me therfore O Lorde teares in abundance that I may bewayle with her his death also wéepe for that which was the occasion therof and that was my sinnes the which I pray thée for the same thy sonnes sake that thou wilt pardon me and for the time to come to preserue me that I offend not in the same agayne but alwayes hate and abhorre my sinnes and wickednesse Amen Et florum nimbo fusisque lignoribus vngunt Vnctaque candenti sindone membra tegunt How the blessed body of Christ was anoynted and dressed to the buriall Meditations thereof 1 When night drew neare S. Iohn Ioseph and Nicodemus as it maye be godly thought prayed our Lady to geue them leaue to annoynt the most blessed body of her sonne who agréed to their godly request albeit that she vnderstoode that there was an other principall annointing that is that he was annointed of his diuinitie with the which he was vnited 2 Consider with what great deuotion and reuerence that most diuine body was anoynted and how many sighes teares they shed euery one that were present thereat in séeing him so wounded and pitifully handled and specially beholding those fiue principall wounds worthy of so great compassion 3 Consider that when the blessed body was annoynted they decently wounde it in a white shéete they brought with them and couering his said body with a fine launde so shrowde it vp to be buried according to the maner of the Iewes ¶ The prayer MY soule blesseth thée O most louing Iesu and all the powers within me geue thankes prayse to thy most holy name for all thy works which I confesse to be most worthy of all prayse and blessings But specially I prayse and magnifie thée for that thou hast accomplished and finished that so highe and heauenly worke of our redemption on whiche my saluation and life dependeth I also adore and worship thy precious body with the which it hath pleased thée to suffer most gréeuous torments and seing thou my Lord and God wast content to accept that deuotion and pietie of thy friēds that came to do thée their seruices and wast cōtent being dead that thy body should be annoynted with those materiall oyntments which they brought of the which thou hadst no néede at all because thou wast preserued from all corruption with the swéete balme of thy diuinitie I beséeche thy clemencie that thou vouchsafe to graunt me that pietie that charitie and those teares of deuotion that I may be able to annoynt thee spirituallye whiche is the vnction that is wonte to bée most acceptable to thy maiestie Vouchsafe also my Sauiour to imprint in myne heart those fiue most holy woundes whiche maye bée at all tymes my comfort my medicine the tower of my fortresse my refuge sanctuarie more sure and safe then those Cityes whiche in the olde lawe were appoynted for offenders to runne vnto and saue them selues And that by meanes of them I maye escape what tyme it shall please thy diuine iustice to punish me for my sinnes Amen Conditur ah tumulo mundi mihi conditor in quo Vnicaspes hominum conditur vnasalus Howe Christ was put into the graue Matters of meditation 1 Howe that most sacred body was caried put with due reuerence of Ioseph in a newe sepulchre or graue the which was nere to the place where he was crucified And here you may call to minde also the multitude of sighes and abundance of teares of his most sorrowfull mother and of those holy persons that were there present 2 Consider the extreme pouertie of the king of heauen and of earth who when he was dead had not any place where to rest his head but after death was buried in the sepulchre or buriall of an other 3 Then finally consider howe loth and gréeuous that sorrowfull mother was to depart from the sepulchre where her tresure was left and layde and the dolefull desolate sadnesse she felt seing her selfe depriued from his ioyful company vntil his rising agayne whiche she looked for with a stedfast fayth ¶ The prayer AL thy works O my God and lord Christ Iesu be holy perfect wrought by infinite wisedome for the which without ende I laude giue thankes prayses to thée and specially for thy holy passion death and buryall For euen as when the worke of the creation of the worlde was finished the scripture saith thou diddest rest and ceasse from creating anye more thinges so also now the great worke of the redemption of man béeyng also finished thou tookest thy rest and dyddest ceasse from suffering any more and wouldest that thy blessed body vnited with thy diuinitie shoulde remayne closed within the sepulcher thy moste blessed soule vnited with the same Diuinitie in meane time discending to visite and comfort with thy presence glory those holy fathers thy great friendes the which with vnspeakable desire looked for that day Blessed and praysed for euer be thyne infinite mercie power and wisedome the which stretcheth ouer all and disposeth all thinges swéetely For the which I praye thee to open the eyes of my soule that I may learne to know loue and reuerence thée Geue mée also my redéemer plentie of teares of compassion with the which I maye accompanie thy moste sorrowfull mother who at this tyme remayned sole and desolate bewayling with great affection which shée felte for thy death and absence vnto the time that thou camest agayne to wype awaye those pitifull teares which ran downe her reuerende face I desyre also and praye thée to graunt me a cleane harte voide of all corruption of sinne where as in the lyke Sepulcher not of harde stone but of tender fleshe and louynge it may delight thée to rest vntyll the time thou vouchsafe of thy mercie to bring mée eternall rest Amen Mortis victor adest animis comitatus ab orco Ne tumulo hanc matres quaerite vinus abit The glorious resurrection of Christ our Sauiour ¶ Poyntes to meditate vpon 1 First consider how that when the most blessed soule of Christe had béen in Lymbo comforted those holy fathers and brought them frō thence the sonday morning it did returne againe and vnite it selfe with his most blessed bodye caused it to become glorious resplendent immortal and impassible and so with the diuine power those glorious indowmēts which it communicated to the body it rose vp out of the place where it lay the sepulcher or graue remaining fast shut and closed 2 Ye may also thinke that the first thing he did being raised from death was to visite his beloued mother which with so many teares sighes sorowes missed him and looked for him All which griefes were turned into incomparable ioyes gladnes with the glorious sight of her sonne raised agayne from death to life 3 Ye may also meditate howe he firste appeared vnto Magdalen before the other who when she knew him she was greatly comforted and likewise vppon his other apparitions as vpon this daye as when he shewed himselfe and appeared to the deuoute women which went to the sepulcher and after to his Disciples goyng towardes the castle of Emans ¶ The prayer THy name be blessed without end most swéete Iesu my redéemer for that after the tempest of thy passion there is come the faire bright day of thy glory to the night of sorrowes and teares for thy death the festiuall ioyful day of thy resurrection doth succéede For the one for the other I giue prayse and thanks to thée as for the one and for the other I am debtour to thée bicause thou wouldest dy for my sinnes rise again for our iustification And therefore it is iust that they which do suffer wepe with thée in thy sorowfull passion and death should also in thy gloryous resurrection reioyce with thée thy most blessed mother Who according to the measure of hir anguishe sorrowes passed hath receiued the ioyes consolatiōs of this day present And what tongue may suffice to expresse that vnspeakeable gladnesse which hir hart felt when she sawe thy glorious risyng againe and the darknesse of thy passion turned into such beautifull clerenesse thy shames reproches into glory thy wounds into such beautie brightnesse When she did consider that now the stormy winter of thy persecutions was past the waters of the fludde of thy sorows ceassed that there should be nowe no more Pharisies to accuse thée nor Iudasses to betray thée nor Pilates to iudge or condemne thée nor death to haue might power ouer thée If Iacob did so muche reioyce when hée vnderstood that his sonne Ioseph whō he beleued to be dead was a liue and did rule ouer all Egipt how great may we thinke the ioy of thy glorious mother to be when hauing sene thée dead yea and of such a death did sée thée alyue againe a vanquisher of death triumphing ouer the diuell hell Lorde of heauen and of earth wherefore I beséech thée my heauenly king that I calling to remembrance this great triumph gladnes of thy blessed mother thou wilt giue me grace to hate all other vaine pleasures and worldly consolations whiche may separate me frō thée Graūt me Lord I pray thée by thy holy resurrection that my soule may rise againe with thée by the life grace and that I dye no more by the death of sinne so that I may by thy mercy hereafter rise agayne glorious in body and soule and come to reigne with thée eternally in glory Amen FINIS Laude Honour and Glory be for euer to Iesu Christ our Redéemer which suffered dyed and rose agayne Amen
thereby against his eternall father whom he aboue all other things loued and desired to honour the which did gréeue and torment him more then all those outward tormeÌ„ts Secondly he sorrowed for the vnkindnes and vnthankfulnes of men and chiefly Christians for whom he gaue his life and offred him selfe to so great and bitter payne and yet he sawe they would not endeuour nor begin to know nor estéeme or care to helpe them selfe with so great and inestimable benefite and so through their owne fault he should not gayne by his grieuous passion death that fruite for the whiche he traueled so sore and which he might haue had if they them selues would haue disposed their good willes thereto which did more grieue him then death it selfe And that he playnly showeth where he lamenteth by the mouth of the Prophet Esay saying in vayne haue I traueled and without cause and fruite haue I consumed my strength Thirdly he sorowed much the damnation of Iudas and of so great a multitude of people otherwise whome he knewe shoulde be damned for despising of that moste holsome medicine he should leaue for them in his precious blood and that by howe muche the more with infinite charitie he desired their health and saluation so muche the more it grieued him to sée their perdition and also considering the inestimable ryches they loste and the horrible tormentes wherein they should for euer be punished This was a cause of more bitter sorrowe to him then the cup of his passion Fourthly the representation of that sword of sorowes which he knewe should passe through the virgin hart of his most dere mother was likewise a cause of great griefe and sadnes For he knew she would accompanie him in the middle of his tormentes and the sight of her did encrease the same through the tender compassion he had of her And likewise he did sorowe and pitie the solitarines cares and trauels his disciples should be left in and all his friends both present and all other his elect that should come vnto the ende of the world of whose persecutions torments tribulations he did no lesse grieue at féele then the head doth féele payne griefe when any of his members doth suffer Sée then how diuers sorts of sorowes besides many other a man may call to remembraunce and meditate that perced and ranne through his most sacred soule and those he felt euery payne by it selfe the one not letting the griefe of the other and that without all consolation or comfort without ease or rest and béeing forsaken of all parts as he declared vpon the crosse when he sayd O God my god why hast thou forsaken me And as it is sayd of him in an other place That he was made as a man without helpe For so it pleased his entier loue the more to suffer for vs and so to make the greater satisfaction to the iustice of God O loue without measure O infinite clemencie and pitie most euidently declared in that thou wouldest showe thy selfe cruell to thy self to be pitiful towards vs And that thou more estéemedst our health then thy owne comfort and life Séeing that béeing depriued of all comforte and helpe thou wast drowned in a bottomlesse pit of so great griefes and sorowes and wast content to be swallowed vp as an other Ionas in the belly of the whale of death What man then can finde in his heart to be so voyde of all pitie that thinking vpon these thinges will not be mollified and moued to compassion Séeing he woulde be sorie I trowe for the greatest enemie he had if he should sée him in like torment of body and soule without all ease and comfort Lo then my dere brother how in these poyntes hitherto is declared what was the person that suffered and what he suffred as well in body as in soule wherin thou shalt finde sufficient matter to styrre thée to compassion which is the ende we purposed in this part For if thou meditate and consider in thy minde after this sorte this holy mysterie it can not be but if thou remember well the aforesayde things with good attention and â—euotion it shall moue breake â—hy hart were it neuer so hard â—eing that the very stones in the stréete brake and shiuered in peces in the death of the very same thy Sauiour A declaration of the third manner of meditation by way of contrition and compunction The third maner we purposed to teache thée howe to meditate on the blessed passion is by the way of contrition and compunction the ende wherof is to haue an inward sorowe and repentance of thy sinnes committed against the maiestie of God and to find out the fruit of this which is not a litle it behoueth a man to ground him selfe vpon this veritie that all which christ our redéemer hath suffred was for the sinnes of the world In so much that if man had not sinned Christ had not suffred nor dyed for so the diuine scripture affirmeth that for the sinnes of the people he was stroken of his â—ternal father and that he layde â—pon his shoulders the sinnes of â—s al and that he was scourged â—nd wounded for our iniquitie â—nd beaten and buffeted for our â—eseruing And this veritie is â—onfirmed by many other auâ—horities aswell of the olde as â—he new Testament Now then this so béeing when thou shalt be disposed to make discourse and occupie thy minde in meditation of the death and passion of thy Redéemer thou haste to think verily that thou wast the cause of all those sorrowes tormentes and iniuries whiche thou seest him to haue suffered For notwithstanding he suffered and dyed for all yet neuerthelesse he dyed as well for thée alone as he dyed for all So that thou mayest truely saye with Saint Paule that he was offred for thée that he was scourged for thée that he was nayled on the Crosse for thée and dyed for thée And likewise that thy sinnes killed him thy pride crowned him with thorne thy dishonesties filthy life scourged him thy drunkennesse and gluttony gaue him the eysel and gall thy disorderlye doinges and sinnes were the causes of his grieuous sorowes and that thy sins were those many dogs and great bulles of whom he said he was enuironed or compassed round about and so when thou shalt beholde him in the piâ—â—full image where Pilate sheâ—eth him to the Iewes when he â—ayde Beholde the man then â—â—so remember that our Lorde sayth the very same wordes vnto thée Behold O man the rewarde I haue receiued for thée Behold howe I am handled for thée Beholde howe I suffer the scourge of thy deseruings Behold what thy vnthankfulnesse hath caused me to haue Behold the deformed picture and image which thy sinnes haue giueÌ„ me in recompence of my good wil to make thée partaker of my beautie Of this coÌ„sideration we shaâ— soone conceiue in our mindâ— what an horrible thing sinne is which in such sort hath handleâ—
the sonne of God and how abhominable the filth thereof is which hath outwardly so berayed darkned stayned and soyled him which is the very myrror and glasse without spotte the brightnes of eternall life This wel considered and called to thy remembraunce shall strike into thy hart gret hatred and repentance of thy sinnes which were the cause of so sore paynes and punishmentes of thy Redéemer which neuer committed sinne neither anye guyle was euer â—ouÌ„d in his mouth And so much â—he more thou oughtest to sorâ—ow and lament thy sinnes by â—ow much the oftener thou hast â—allen into theÌ„ For euery time thou hast sinned as the Apostle saith so often thou hast gone about to crucifie and despise the sonne of God And if they for their parte should repent them selues and be grieuously sorye which once onely offended him mortally and crucified him how much more oughtest thou to repent and be sory whiche haste crucified him so many times This coÌ„sideration and remembraunce maye strike into thée sometimes suche sorowe and feare of thy selfe that it shall prouoke thée to say these or the like wordes Ah my God and gracious Lorde where was my iudgement wit when I was so bolde to commit suche sinnes against thy diuine maiestie where was my vnderstanding that could not remember howe that eury time I sinned I went about to crucifie thée againe how is it possible that I should imploy my hands to offend thée thou hauing thy hands nayled on the crosse to saue me howe could I open my mouth to blaspheme thée thou hauing opened thy mouth so often to pray for me howe is my harte become so harde and stubborne to loue thée and obay thée séeing thine hart with a spere euen through perced to shewe the great loue thou barest me Thou shalt not onely learne by this consideration how to hate and be sory for thy sinnes passed but also it shal moue thée with more earnest purpose euer after to flye suche sinnes fearing agayne to runne vnto the horrible abhomination to go about to crucifie Christ agayne and likewise cause thée to be afrayed of the great punishment which thou shouldest deserue if with newe sins thou go about to defile thy self again If the sonne of a Prince would be afrayed when for the fault that he him selfe committeth he doth sée his page or slaue beateÌ„ how much more ought the slaue to feare when he séeth the sonne of the Prince beaten for the fault which he the slaue him self committeth Feare thou then and tremble miserable wretch séeing for thy fault the sonne of God thy king and Lorde is beaten and so cruelly handled and call to thy remembraunce the words he spake to the women that wept when they sawe him â—eare the crosse If they do this â—n the gréene trée what shall be â—one in the dry wood That is â—o say If in Christ which is the â—réene trée full of the leaues of most holy words and fruites of most excellent works so seuere punishment is vsed for that he hath taken vpoÌ„ him our sinnes what shal be done to thée which art a dry withered trée yéelding no good fruites neither of patience nor of charitie nor of any vertue nor yet is there to be séene in thée so much as the leaues of words profitable to thy selfe or any other and much lesse any one flowre of liuely desire to amende thyne owne life If thou then shalte be a trée not onely barren and fruitlesse but also vitious and laden with most euill and wicked fruites whaâ— shall become of thée but that which is vsed to be done of the like trée that is to be cut down and cast into the fyre And that shalt thou haue worse then any other trée for that the fyre of other wood is soone consumed but thy fyre shall be euerlasting Sée therfore how this meditation of Christes holy passion shal cause thée to sorrow for thy sinne passed to feare the sins to come because thou wouldest not willingly fall into the iustice of god the which thou séest so rigorouâ—ly and sharply executed vpon thy sauiour in that he was offered to pay thy raunsome The fourth maner of meditation which is by way of imitation or following The fourth maner howe to meditate and consider vpon the blessed passion we sayde it was by the way of imitation which is of muche fruite and highly commended by holy men For as the chiefe of the Apostles S. Peter saith one cause why that Christ suffered for vs was to leaue vs an example to followe his steps And Christ him selfe sayth that he hath giuen vs an example to do as he hath done Which so being wheÌ„ thou shalt occupie thy selfe in meditating vpon his passion marke wel the manyfold and marueilous vertues which he teacheth therein as well in that he suffered as in the maner of his suffering the which thou must desire to follow by his grace as much as is possible in thée staying thy selfe chiefly vpon the consideration of that vertue which thou knowest principally to be lacking in thée And because it may seme impossible to coÌ„sider all the vertues whiche shine in his moste glorious passion who was the most perfect paterne of all vertue and perfection I will onely â—et here before thy eyes those which thou oughtest most often to remember and whiche be moste necessarie for thy turne And first to beginne with those two vertues whiche our Lorde specially commendeth vnto vs by his owne example and to be learned of him saying Learne ye of me because I am méeke and humble of heart Consider I say howe perfectly he teacheth them in his blessed passioÌ„ Humilitie which is the foundation of all vertues he declareth playnely in humbling him selfe to so shamefull a death as that of the crosse disdaining not that the very thief Barrabas found more friendship and fauour to be deliuered before him and being content to be crucified betwéene two théeues In many other things thou mayst by discourse call to mind consider that louely humilitie which he setteth forth in the rest of his life aswel as in his passion as that in washing the féete of Iudas of his other disciples not long before in being born in an oxe stall or stable with many other examples of the same vertue whereof both the rest of â—s life death are full For in â—s birth in his liuing in his â—ing he neuer ceassed to leaue vs all examples that might be of so necessarie a vertue for vs. He shewed also a marueilous example of méekenes in his holy passion when he was led vnto death as the Prophet Esaâ— spake of him euen as shepe anâ— stoode as gentle as a lambe before them who so cruelly hanâ—led him not once opening hiâ— mouth to speake an euill word against them which railed vpoâ— him nor yet to threaten theâ— which tormented him In lykâ— maner he declared his modestâ— and sobernesse in that clere anâ— lightsome countenance of
hiâ— standing before the Iudges anâ— his accusers and in the maner of his answering to their questions and in that peaceable calmnesse of minde whcih he alwayes expressed not once being troubled in his countenance or chaunging moode although he â—ere neuer so muche iniuried and wrongfully slaundered He â—eclared also his perfect obedience not onely béeing obedient â—o his eternall Father in the â—ommandement of death which â—e gaue him but also declared â—he same in euery thing euen â—owardes his wicked enemies whiche crucified him in dooing whatsoeuer they willed as in suffering him selfe to be spoyled of his clothes and agayne to be clothed and that as often as pleased them to commaunde him Nowe going to one iudge and now vnto an other as they woulde haue him and finally when he was appoynted thereto he bare the Crosse whereon he should be crucified What shal we then say of the softnesse and of the silence he obserued and kept in all that pitifull pageant of his passion He was not desirous to multiply words nor to answere so many iniuries and blasphemies they spake agaynst him neither to defende him selfe agaynst the false witnesse they brought foorth ne to excuse him selfe of that they vniustly accused him and layde to his charge But he suffered patiently all things without aunswering of any thing euen as though he had bene domme So that he therin well fulfilled that whiche was written of him I as a deafe man did not heare and as a domme creature which openeth not his mouth I made no aunswere And the Euangelist affirmeth that euen the very iudge Pilate him selfe dyd much maruel at his gret silence But much more his inuincible patience may cause vs to maruell with the which he suffered and bare not only the innumerable scornes skoffes and mockings with other outrages deuised agaynst him but also the gréeuous sorowes and paynes the most bitter tormentes they coulde inuent to punishe him withall whiche were so many and so cruell that they might suffice to breake any hard stone Verifying in this that whiche Ezechiel prophesied of him wheÌ„ he likened his face to the Diamond and hard flint because of the hardnes wherewith he bare so many blowes and buffettes with their fists and hard gauntlets and all with suche an inuincible patience without making resistance at all ne yet so muche as any show of murmuring or grudging And likewise consider howe that his most feruent and burning charitie was not able to be quenched or diminished with all the waters of those his afflictions and sorows which entred into him and perced euen through the very middest of his most blessed soule but rather the more they doubled his torments the more increased the flame of loue by the which in his most excessiue sorows he prayed for them that crucified him and excused them before his father who accused and condemned him Furthermore remember that intier deare mercy of his that where he saw our great miseries and calamities he had compassion vpon vs and wéeped for our sakes he prayed for vs and shedde his most precious blood thereby to heale and cure our gréeuous diseases and daungerous woundes Call also to minde and consider that fortitude and magnanimitie of his who knowing as noteth the Euangelist Saint Iohn all things that should be done vnto him that is to saye the great battayle which was prepared agaynst him and in the whiche he shoulde dye with so many gréeuous tormentes and deadly woundes yet feared he nothing at all to marche forwarde to méete his enemies in the face and offer him selfe into their hands to execute what crueltie they would vpon him Consider also his constante perseuerance which is a vertue that crowneth and rewardeth all our good workes Because who so euer shall perseuer and continue in well dooing to the ende he shall be saued Which vertue is in none better séene then in Christ who in such sorte perseuered continued â—â—â—tly went forward with that worâ—e of our redemption he had begoâ—â— that neither the feare of paineâ— nor strokes nor iniuries nor scornes nor threatnings foule wordes nor fayre promises nor men nor diuels could be able to make him come down from the Crosse or leaue vndone any one iote of that was to be done for finishing of the worke of our redemption which his Father had commaunded him Nor yet leaue thou here vnremembred both for thy consolation and example to folow his blessed stepps that contempt of the world and that his extreme pouertie whereof he giueth vs notable examples both in his blessed passion death and also in his life and conuersation which was full of pouertie and contempt of honour and worldly fauour But specially it is to be séene in his passion and ende of his life because he dyed in that straite bedde of the Crosse hauing nothing at all to leane his head vpon standing spoyled and naked with so great shame and ignominie in that multitude of people beholding and gasing vppon him And in the thirst and drinesse which he suffred they gaue him not so much as a cup of water but only bitter gal and vineger There was not one that mighte helpe or comfort him with any ease or reliefe but rather those his enemies studied by all deuises and inuentions they could new kindes of paynes and wayes how to vexe and disgrace him O my God what is that man but if he will remember this and marke it well may be ashamed to murmure grudge and lament him selfe of any griefe or aduersity that he doth suffer What pouerty or barennesse in the worlde may be compared to thine what abstinence what austeritie of life or straitnesse of penance was euer so harde and sharpe which may be compared to that thou diddest suffer on the Crosse what man was euer in the world so despised so mocked and so persecuted as thou waste in thy passion and death Truely O Lorde he that can well remember and consider thée maye shutte his mouth shame to lament him self at al either of pouerty hunger thirst nakednesse vnkindnesse or of any other lacke or griefe that he suffereth He may be ashamed to sée howe fayntly and coldly he traueleth to folow thée O Lord being set before vs as an example and rule of our life Thou seest now good brother what order thou muste obserue béeing after this sort occupied in thy meditation vpon the passion Beholde the pure and cleare glasse in the whiche thou mayst looke and learne to knowe and sée in thy selfe thy faults deformities and defects and then compare them together with his vertues and perfections because thou shalte so vnderstand how great thy pride is if thou beholde and haue respect to his lowlynesse méekenesse and humilitie how great is thy coldnesse in comparison to his tender and burning charitie and the like of other vertues aforesaid and many more that may be coÌ„sidered of which shal discouer and open vnto thée thy lackes and imperfections thy foulenesse and
Palmesunday Concerning which ye may meditate these poynts following 1 HOwe that Christ oure redéemer comming vnto Bethania sixe dayes before his Passion supped in the house of Symon Leprosus where at that tyme was Lazarus his two sisters Martha and Magdalen and it is to be supposed that the most blessed virgin his mother was there also 2 Consider with what chéerfulnesse and diligence Martha serued at the table and that most feruent loue deuotion of Marie Magdalene who taking a vessell of Alabaster full of precious oyntment powred it vppon the head and féete of hir beloued maister and wyped hys féete with her heare and howe that the house was filled wyth the sauour of that swéete oyntment 3 Remember also howe the traitour Iudas murmured that Magdalene had so bestowed an oyntment of suche great value And how our most gracious Iesu defended her and praysed the woorke of so greate charitie and deuotion that she had done In the whiche was signifyed hys death and buriall that was at hande The prayer O My GOD and Lorde amongest other seruices and sacrifices which are acceptable to thée and which thou requirest of vs thou haste declared howe the sacrifice of laude and prayse pleaseth thée Wherfore knowing howe muche all men are debtours to thée for so great giftes and benefites receyued of thy most liberall hande I desire to offer to thée the same sacrifice My soule therefore most swéete Iesu maketh adoration and giueth thankes to thée and all my powers within me blesseth thy most holy name for all the works which thou hast done in the course of thy blessed lyfe for the innumerable sorowes reproches and tormentes which thou hast suffred in thy passion which thou wouldest shoulde be alwaies imprinted in my hart And first I laude prayse thée that knowing the nearer thy sorowfull death was at hand and for the whiche those thy deare friendes that loued thée so entirely should be in great sorowe and sadnesse it was thy godly pleasure first to chéere and kindly entertayne them in supping with them in Bethanie where those two moste deuoute sisters Mary and Martha declared the pure loue thy bare vnto thée I beséeche thée my good Lorde which art the faythfull louer of all them that loue thée for thine infinit loue to vouchsafe to kindle and inflame my heart with the fyre of thy loue that I may loue thée from the bottome of my heart as I am bounde and giue mée grace to followe that feruencie and deuotion which thy deuout seruaunt Magdalen shewed in casting that swéete liquor vpon thy heade and féete And that I maye also declare the same in annoynting of thée spirituallye That is in beléeuyng stedfastlye in honouring and reuerencing duely thy diuinitie and most holy humanitie in workyng accordyng to my power in the seruice of my neighbour to ayde and helpe him and to perseuer in so dooing all the dayes of my lyfe That by these meanes in exchaunge of that filthynesse and odious sauour which my sinnes haue vnto this tyme caused I may render for the time to come the swéete sauour of good workes which may bée acceptable both vnto thée and others that shall sée the same Amen Insidet in tardo regum rex Christus asello Cui vestem ac ramos plebs bona steruit ouans The solemnitie in the receiuing of Christ into the citie of Ierusalem the sunday before his passion ¶ Poynts to meditate vpon 1 How that the day folowing that is to say fyue dayes before that Christe the true Lambe should be sacrificed for vs in his passion he would present hymselfe in Ierusalem euen as the lawe commaunded of the mysticall Lambe whiche so many dayes before it shoulde be sacrificed was to be prepared And for to shewe his good wyll and with what desyre of mynde he came to offer hymselfe he woulde therefore enter into Ierusalem with that ioye and solemnitie as was shewed him 2 Consyder with what deuotion and ioye the people at that tyme receiued their true king and Lorde and the diuersitie of seruice they shewed in honouring him as in dressyng the stréetes with bowes and spreading their garments before him in the waye and praysing him with songes 3 Call to minde also howe that in the myddest of that feasting and ioye in whiche our Lorde went when he sawe the Citie of Ierusalem he shedde his sorowfull teares well knowing how farre contrarywise within the space of fiue daies he was to bée handled of them and sorowing within him selfe the destruction of that Citie which he knew for their sinnes should be destroyed and brought to ruine Consider howe straightwayes after his entring into the Citie he went to visite the Temple out of the which he draue away them that prophaned the same with their marchandize in buying and selling The prayer I Adore and worship thée most louing Iesu true and eternal King of Heauen and earthe to whom al adoration honour and reuerence is due for all the workes whiche liuing in thys worlde thou diddest with wonderfull wysedome and infinite charitie And specially I giue thankes and praise to thée for that readie good wyll with which thou most innocent Lamb knowing that thou shouldest be sacrificed for the synnes of the worlde wouldest a fewe dayes before present thy selfe in Ierusalem entring into it with feaste and triumphe willyng thereby to declare thy chéerefulnesse and moste earnest desyre wherein thou camest to offer thy self vnto death whereon thou knewest our life to depende that in dying thou shouldest ouercome and triumph ouer death it selfe hell sinne and all other our enemyes I beséech thy immeasurable bountie and goodnesse to gyue mée grace and strength willynglye and gladly to offer my selfe to suche daungers and trauele as shall behoue mée to suffer in this lyfe for thy seruice and make me to despise for thy loue all the prayses and honours with which this deceitefull world would deceiue me euen as those solemnities prayses and honours with whiche the people of Ierusalem receiued thée did not let thée with great compassion to wéepe and lament what time other sang and made great ioy Let my chiefe care be to séeke thée and haue a zeale to honour thée and thine eternall Father séeing and considering that thy care which assoone as thou haddest entred the citie thou diddest by and by goe to visite his temple and beholding that most feruent zeale of thine in dryuing oute of it all them that boughte and solde in the same not contented that the house of prayer shoulde be so prophaned I humbly therefore beséeche thy diuine maiestie that thou driue out of my heart euery thing that may prophane or defile it to the ende it maye rest as thy temple and house of prayer into the which thou mayest vouchsafe to enter and dwell Amen Conuiuis fis Christe cibus coenaque refectis Abluis ipse pedes tum loca sola petis Of the last Supper which Christ our Lorde made to his
it is written that the whip shal not come neare to his tabernacle diddest willingly consent to be bounde naked to a piller and so sharply to be whipped and beaten as if thou haddst bene some vile slaue and vagabound willing to pay with so sharp stripes of thy virgin fleshe for the vayne and superfluous delightes that I thy vile slaue haue pampered my fleshe withall agaynst thy will and pleasure And séeing thou hast vouchsafed to defende me with thy shoulders suffring them to be sharply whipped I beséech thy infinit clemencie to kéepe far from me the scourge of thy wrath the which I know to haue deserued for the multitude of my sinnes And let this thy discipline teach me hereafter and cause me to shake off all delicatenesse and pleasures in pampering of my fleshe by chastening and mortifying of it by due penaunce because it may not rebel any more agaynst thée and hinder me to attende vpon thy seruice as I am bound Amen Spinea serta caput pangunt illudit amictus Purpureus turbis ecce homo praetor ait Of the crowning of Christ with thornes Matter for meditation 1 Howe those tormentors béeing wéerie of beating that blessed body did loose him from the piller and howe our most patient Lorde did humbly gather vp his garmentes whiche they had caste and scattered on the grounde with the whiche he couered agayne his moste sacred body béeing all bloody sore and full of payne 2 Consider howe that hauing yet scantly put on his clothes the souldiers of Pilat were busie to honor him in scorne with royall ensignes because they sayde he had made him selfe a king they clothed him with a red purple cape or mantell and crowned his head with a garlande of moste sharpe pricking thornes and they put a réede in his hande in stead of a scepter with which they strake him and kneling before him in mocking they saluted him 3 Then also beholde howe Pilate brought foorth in the sight of all the people the king of heauen euen as he was so mocked and yll handled thinking that their obstinate furie might be so pacified when they should sée him in that case worthy of pitie and compassion But it nothing suffised them but rather they cried the more crucifie him ¶ The prayer WHat thanks may I render to thée O my God that thou being the true king of heauen of earth and so worshipped and reuerenced of the Angels them selues diddest not refuse to beare that shamefull and painfull ensignes of a faygned King with which thou waste scorned and mocked of moste vile men neither yet diddest grudge to appeare openlye in the sight of all the people with that painefull sharpe pricking crowne of thorne wherewith thou wast crowned of thē whom thou contrariwise desiredst to crowne with glory And who would not maruell at their obstinate malice in that they could finde out so many inuentions the more to put thée to shame paine and torment but more cause of maruell is in thy burning charitie Lord which the waters of so great tribulations and persecutions were not able to quenche no nor in one poynt to coole And euen as thou wast neuer satisfyed nor couldest thinke in thy self to haue loued vs inough so thou couldest neuer fully satisfye thy selfe in suffering for them whom thou louedst Let thy bountifull goodnesse therefore bée honoured and thanked of the Angels of all creatures the which I doe also adore and worship and desire that I maye alwayes so doe with all reuerence humbly beséeching thée that thou wylte cause mée to knowe thy highnesse almyghtie maiestie that I maye with truth and vnfaynedly continually honour that same to giue me grace that I may wyth the eyes of my soule beholde that lamentable spectacle and sight whiche Pilate shewed to the Iewes in saying beholde the man That my hart being therby made tender and mollyfied I maye haue the more compassion and pitie of thée and wyth more earnest desire loue thée embrace thée And also to reioyce in my selfe to be reuiled and dispised in the world for thy sake according to thine example hoping afterwardes through thy mercye to be crowned of thée in heauen Amen Insons damnatur tandem portare iubetur Proh dolor ipse suae pondera saeua crucis Howe Christ caried the Crosse to be crucified and the poynts to meditate thereon 1 Howe Pilate beyng weryed with the importune calling and cryinges on of the Iewes did iudge Christ the author and giuer of life to death whose iudgement he willingly accepted for the great desire he had to worke our saluation 2 Consyder with howe great humilitie he did beare that heauye trée of the Crosse vppon his shoulders Which for that it was so huge and great made hym often tymes to fall to the grounde and so to renewe his gréeuous paines 3 Consider also that being not well able to goe for his weakenesse and mightie burthen they tooke the crosse of his shoulders and caused Cirineus to beare it And howe hée turned himselfe to comfort and admonishe the deuout women who with great compassion followed hym wéeping Where you maye call to mynde what sorrowe his blessed mother suffered when shée sawe this lamentable sight ¶ The prayer WHo woulde not bée amased O moste swéete Iesu of the bottomlesse fountain of thy passing humilitie that beeing the iudge of the liuing and the dead to whome by thy heauenlye father all iudgement was committed wouldest submitte thy selfe to bée iudged of a mortall man being an vniust and prophane person thou being most innocent and cleare from al sin and to accepte with great obedience méekenes the sentence of death which malefactours deserue that by death they might obtaine life I render vnto thée infinite thankes as wel for this incomparable charitie as also for that good will and readinesse with the which as it were an other Isaac thou cariedst on thy backe the wood wherewith thou shouldest be sacrificed in the fire of thy most burning charity willing thereby to make satisfaction to the iustice of thine eternal father for our sinnes which thou barest on the crosse And séeyng that in accepting the sentence of death which Pylate pronounced against thée thou deseruedst that the sentence of eternall death shoulde be reuoked whiche was pronounced against me therfore I humbly beséech thée of thy mercie to defend kéepe mée that I deserue not to léese this so great priuiledge of grace to incurre by my sinfulnes into the same sentence of damnation from the which for thy part thou hast deliuered mée Geue mée also the grace and strength to bée alwayes able to followe thée in bearing of my crosse according as thou haste commaunded vs that is to say the trauels tribulation which it shall please thée to lay vppon me in this life The which for good cause maye be easie and light vnto me considering the paine and trouble thou diddest féele in bearing so willingly for my loue thy crosse Amen