reputed of him as men of no worth hee standeth not in awe of our authoritie hee esteemeth our threatnings of no moment and he arrogantly boasteth that he hath God for his Father Let vs see if his protestations be faithfull and if his speeches be true and let vs assay and make tryall what things will happen vnto him If he be the true Sonne of God hee will receiue him into his protection deliuer him out of the hands of his foes and keepe him safe from danger Let vs examine him churlishly and torment him cruelly to make triall of his meeknesse let vs condemne him to a most shamefull death that we may proue his patience Such were the bitter words of the cruell Iewes who sate in counsell to kill my Sauiour Iesus the true Lord of life whose good deedes were so odious to their vicious sight and his sweet breath so noysome vnto their stinking nosthrils that they would not suffer him to liue any longer Oh that hellish enuie should so peruert the vnderstanding and enrage the mindes of men to doe such mischiefe Why did the Iewes so furiously rage together why did they imagine a vaine thing against the Lord and his anointed saying Let vs breake their bonds asunder and cast away their cords from vs But the Lord had them in dirision hee spake vnto them in his wrath and vexed them in his sore displeasure and placed his King vpon his holy hill of Sion for euer Now although the bloudy minded Iewes longed for the death of my innocent Iesus yet they were loath hee should suffer on the day of their Feast not for any fauour they bare vnto him but for feare of the people But thou my louing Lord didst make choise of that time to offer vp thy selfe a Sacrifice for our sakes that thou mightest receiue greater reproach and that thy death might be acted with more shame suffered onely for our sins Thy righteous life being not onely alwayes free from any euill action but euermore so pure that it neuer was tainted with euill cogitation And also that thy death might be knowne vnto many although lamented of few which did behold thee the concourse of people being great that flocked from many bordering townes and villages to Hierusalem at the day of that great solemnitie who seeing with their eies had not Grace beene wanting might haue vnderstood in their hearts that thou wert the true substance whereof the Paschall Lambe was but a figure Oh Lambe of God which takest away the sinnes of the world sprinkle my soule with some drops of thy precious bloud that although it haue lien long buried in the graue of sinfull iniquitie yet at last it may be reuiued and liue againe by vertue of thy quickning mercy Now the bloody Iewes holding a wicked consultation how they might depriue my beloued Sauiour of his life euen then came cursed Iudas and offered them for money to betray his louing Maister to death saying What will yee giue me and I will deliuer him vnto you Nor was hee a more greedie Traytor to set his kinde Maisters bloud to sale then they readie chapmen to entertaine so bloudy an offer seeing one of his owne familie so forward to deliuer him vp into their hands whom they had already murthered in their hearts So they proffered him thirtie pieces of siluer Oh cursed Iudas to make such an offer Oh execrable Iewes to accept it But most damned Iudas to performe it Had Malice oh yee bloudie Iewes so hardened your hearts had Fury so blinded your eyes had Enuie so fired your grudging affections that contrarie to the law of God Nature you should animate such a damnable Traitor to perpetrate so horrible a treason against your Messias your master For what could be more hatefull to God more odious to good Men what more opposite to Nature what more contrary to good Nurture then that one of a mans owne houshold should proue so vnfaithfull as to sell at so vilde a price the dearest bloud of his louing Lord or that any men should be found so monstrous as to allow and like of such a damnable offer Oh thou most wicked traitor oh thou most ingratefull and gracelesse Seruant Oh yee generation of Vipers cursed Iewes damned Iudas Oh thou dissembling Disciple by name but indeede a most bloudie enemie are these the thankes thou dost giue to thy Maister for his kindenesse is this the requitall of his loue are these the most worthy rewards that thou canst spare him for his liberall bountie are these the best arguments of thy gratuitie for all his benefits bestowed vpon thee Oh thou Sonne of perdition execrable Traitor and damnable Merchant to sell the sacred bloud of thy faithfull Maister Had my kinde Iesus committed any offence against thee or had hee discontented thy minde and vexed thy heart that thou shouldst treacherously betray him into the hands of his foes to be tortured and put to a most cruell and shamefull death nay rather what large liberalitie had he not vsed towards thee what store of benefits had hee not heaped vpon thee Oh thou vngratefull wretch Oh thou hatefull traitor my louing Iesus made thee one of the little number of his Disciples admitted thee into the blessed societie of his elected and made thee Steward of his familie to keepe the bag and bestow the money which was giuen to him and his Disciples and dost thou in requitall of his fauourable loue and in recompence of his extraordinary kindenesse post to the cruell Iewes whom thou thou I say knewest did alwayes prosecute him with deadly hate and eagerly sought his innocent life to offer them open sale of the bloud of thy louing Maister allured with the vnsatiable desire of money a pleasant baite to take a couetous minde bewitched with Sathans enticements and instigated with the vnquenchable thirst of damnable lucre that distempered thy vnderstanding and cleane put out the eye of thy naturall reason Oh how doth couetous lust tyrannize ouer our soules and captiuate our senses if it once seaze vpon our hearts and take possession in our breasts It maketh vs violate our Faith towards God our Fidelitie towards Men it maketh Parents vnkinde to their Children and Children vndutifull towards their Parents it armeth the wicked to commit bloudie murther it maketh Subiects disloyall to their Prince it eggeth and edgeth them to attempt the vtter ruine of their Country it kindeleth the fire of ciuill and intestine Seditions it bloweth vp the sparkles of horrible Treason it excludeth kinde Hospitalitie it is the Cut-throate of Christian Charitie it pampereth all vices it starueth all vertues What is it but a Hellish Furie the author and actor of humane miserie Oh how happie is the heart that is not affected to it Oh how peaceable is the conscience that is not infected with it Tell me thou bloudie Traytor Iudas diddest thou not see many wonderfull Miracles done by thy louing Master before thine eyes diddest thou not heare many diuine
Disciples which follow him hauing their faces pale with feare their mindes perplexed with doubts and their hearts drowned with flouds of sorrow Oh that thou mightst be so happie as to haue a little taste of the sweetnesse of his words and to haue some rellish of his comfortable Admonitions which hee made by the way to his sorrowfull Disciples to refresh their fainting spirits and to establish their doubtfull mindes What plentie of bitter teares did the Apostles poure downe by their cheekes when they saw and heard their Lord and Master speaking so gentlie vnto them Hee propounded vnto them as I suppose all things which hee had done with them at his last Supper and the words he had spoken vnto them and also after what manner hee should be deliuered to death that night Behold his Disciples amazed at his wofull words and hearing with attentiue eares the sweet admonitions of their carefull Master They all gaue heedy attention to euery word that came out of the mouth of their beloued Lord communicating so gentlie with them Oh wofull separation oh lamentable departure Now a most kinde and louing Master shall be separated from his beloued Disciples a wakefull Shepheard from his harmelesse sheepe yea a louing Father from his beloued Children What maruell is it then if their mirth be changed into mourning their ioy into sadnesse and their solace into sorrow They knew well by experience how ioyfull how pleasant it was to remaine with their beloued Iesus and to enioy his blessed societie therefore they had good cause to be amazed with sadnesse and to be wounded with sorrow for the losse of their louing Redeemer Oh what pittifull words as I suppose what lamentable voices did they vtter saying Wilt thou leaue vs our most gracious Master like silly Orphanes depriued of comfort Wilt thou leaue vs in a Sea of sorrow without a Pilot Where shall wee hope for consolation where shall we seeke for helpe in thy absence And as they could not refraine themselues from sorrow so hee their most louing Shepheard was readie to giue them sweet comfort chearing vp their drooping mindes with assured hope of his powerfull helpe and comforting their sorrowfull hearts with his neuer-failing promise of his euerlasting loue telling them that although he were absent from them in bodie yet he would alwayes be present with them by his holy Spirit I thinke our most mercifull LORD could not containe his teares he had such tender compassion towards his sorrowfull Disciples so kinde was his affection towards them so great was their reciprocall loue towards him Cleaue thou also oh my soule to this most holie and heauenly companie and follow thy Lord weeping and sighing sorrowing and lamenting for him which goeth to die for thy transgressions and to be sacrificed for thy sinnes say vnto him faithfully Lord I will follow thee wheresoeuer thou goest I am readie to goe with thee into prison and to death Now alas oh my louing Iesus thou doest arme thy beloued Disciples with spirituall weapons and dost labor by comfortable exhortations to expell cowardly feare out of their hearts and to settle a constant courage in their doubtfull mindes that they might not be dismayed in the day of perill nor falsifie their Faith for dread of any worldly affliction But most wicked Iudas was busied to furnish the Iewes with deadly weapons that they might wrongfully apprehend thee and cruelly condemne thee to a shamefull death What damnable deed hast thou done thou detestable Traytor What infernall Phrensie possessed thy minde What hellish furie peruerted thy vnderstanding Thou didst leaue a most gentle Master sitting at the Table with his Disciples friendly eating and familiarly talking with them the KING OF HEAVEN and soueraigne Lord of the whole earth who was able to haue made thee partaker of his eternall kingdome where thou mightest haue liued in happinesse without measure and ioy without end and thou didst follow the Diuell who led thee to the Iewes to bargaine with them to betray into their hands thy gracious Lord and bountious Master And as thou hast beene obedient to his will so shalt thou be partaker of his reward who abideth in the prison of euerlasting darkenesse tormented in the fire whose flame is neuer slaked nor shall euer be extinguished But now oh my soule let vs leaue damned Iudas a fearefull spectacle for all horrible Traitors and let vs returne to innocent IESVS entring into the Garden with his Disciples where hee exhorted them to watch carefullie and to pray earnestly that they might not fall into temptation nor runne into danger Here my Sauiour beganne to taste of the bitter Cup of sorrow and to feele the pangs of humane affliction his spirits wearied with heauinesse and his minde tyred with sadnesse so that he craued comfort of his Disciples saying Can yee not watch with me one houre Stay here oh my soule straine forth teares from thine eyes and throng forth sighes from thy heart draw neare and expresse thy compassion towards thine afflicted Iesus Behold how his countenance is changed his face couered with palenesse he is scant able to vtter in words the sorrow of his heauy heart And what doth hee say My soule is heauie euen vnto death Thy words oh my most mercifull Iesus doe not a little amaze my minde and affright my perplexed thoughts For what doest thou feare why art thou touched with sorrow why art thou pressed with heauinesse From whence oh my louing Lord doth arise the cause of thy sadnes doest thou feare any imminent danger Dost thou dread the punishment which thou art about to suffer But for what other thing oh sweet Lord diddest thou come into the world For what other end most blessed Sauiour didst thou assume flesh vnto thee in the wombe of the blessed Virgin but that by thy death thou shouldest destroy our death and saue that which was lost What benefit had we reaped by thy birth how could we haue reioyced for the happie day of thy blessed Natiuitie if our condemned soules had not beene redeemed to life by thy most precious death If thou oh my louing IESVS hadst refused to die for mee who should haue satisfied for my sins what could haue cured my loathsome Leprosie but the drops of thy Bloud What could restore mee to life but thy innocent death What did moue thee to dye for mee but thy exceeding mercie whereas my louing Sauiour thou wert subiect to feare and heauie with the terrour of death there appeared vnto vs the veritie of thy Humanitie not exempted from the passions of our nature yet alwayes free from the infection of sinne and cleare from the spots of iniquitie Wherefore wee may the more boldlie bee most earnest Sutors vnto thee to obtaine thy succour in the time of our necessitie and to call for thy sweet mercie in our bitter miserie because wee are assured that thou in thy Humanitie hast had a sense of our sufferings Behold also now my soule his faithfull
sake seeing thou hast suffered so much for my sinnes But before thou passe any further oh my soule doe thou not let it passe without earnest meditation how that although the hearts of the tormentors of mine afflicted Iesus were so poysoned with impietie and their hands so polluted with cruelty that they grieued his righteous soule vvith their scornes and reproaches killed his innocent body with their tortures yet that the fury of their malicious harts was so restrained and the violence of their cruell hands so repressed that they could not breake one bone of his blessed body as they did of the malefactors which were crucified with him because the sacred scripture had said they should not and therefore their hands were fettered that they could not Exod. 12.46 Num. 9.12 Zach. 12.10 Wherefore let this meditation comfort thy drooping heart oh my soule and consolate thy fainting spirits in the sowrest fits of any worldly misery and in the sorest conflicts of any affliction that can betide thee that no Tyrant be hee neuer so mighty or his heart neuer so malicious can imagine more in his cruell thoughts or act any more with his bloudy hands against thee then the Diuine prouidence hath predestinated and the counsell of the highest hath alwayes determined Let this resolution be as a pretious Balme to heale the wounds of thy sorrow and as a soueraigne Salue to cure thy soares that they may not fester with dispairefull repining or rancor with impatient mourning Let no dread of danger throw downe the Fort of thy hope let no Tempest of persecution shake the foundation of thy Faith and let no waues of affliction quench the flame of thy loue towards thy Sauiour but let the oyle of his sufficient grace so strengthen the sinewes of thy Faith when it waxeth feeble that thy heart neuer faile nor thy courage quaile when thou art molested with any sickenes or affliction of body or moued with any malady of thy mind being faithfully perswaded that no calamity can betide thee without his will nor no danger can come neere thy dwelling without his good pleasure and that no Tyrants although they be neuer so mighty can do but so much and no more against thee then hee in his wisedome knoweth to be profitable for thee For neither the prophane Gentiles nor the superstitious Iewes could doe any more vnto my innocent Iesus then he vvas willing to suffer who came to die for the sinnes of the people they could not do one iot more then was enacted in the highest Court of the Caelestiall Parliament determined by the secret Counsel of the Trinity confirmed by the euerlasting Statutes of the sacred Scriptures Confirme my mind oh Lord with a stedfast perswasion of thy power and comfort my weake nature with a resolute confidence in thy word that in the time of my aduersitie and day of my tribulation yea at the houre of my death I may commend my spirit into thy hands as thou didst thine into the hands of thy heauenly Father Oh what a consolation comfort may it be vnto me in my greatest misery to commend my soule into thy custody for there it shall remain in the safe harbor of eternal tranquility no more subiect to misery no more obnoxious to vanity the ioy that it shall possesse is vnspeakable the felicitie incomparable the continuance of it neuer decaying but alwayes durable without any change or ending Receiue my soule oh my louing Sauiour into thy hands that it may be safe vnder the shadowe of thy wings it is thine owne it came from thee and therefore let it returne vnto thee receiue my gift my bountifull giuer But because oh Lord nothing that is impure may appeare in thy sight neither canst thou behold any vncleane thing with thine eie purge my soule with the fire of thy spirit and wash away the spots of it with thy precious bloud that being beautified with the pure white robe of thy mercy Reu. 12.18 it may confidently approach vnto the Throne of thy Maiesty Oh let the affection of my loue be neuer defectiue towards thee and infuse that into me by the gift of thy grace which I am not able to obtaine by my owne strength captiuate all my sences that they may be obsequious to do thy will and frame all the members of my body to performe thy law that being partaker of thy death by true mortification of my flesh I may also be made partaker vvith thee of thy glorious Resurrection by the viuification of thy blessed Spirit A Meditation how the Lord Iesus was buried and of the lamentation of his Mother and other women for his death MED XX. Within a a Mar. 15.46 Tombe which in a Rocke was wrought Ioseph b Mar. 27.90 enshrines the body of our Lord. Wrapt in a c Luk. 23.53 Mark 15.46 cloath which hee of purpose bought Oh happy man that did such loue afford AS there was a wicked and couetous Iudas oh my soule amongst the faithfull Disciples of thy louing IESVS to betray him to a cruell death so there was a kinde Ioseph found among the Iewes who brought him honourably to his graue Oh who is able to relate the lamentation to expresse the sorrow and vtter the griefe of the Virgin Marie mourning for the death of her deare Sonne and other vvomen vvho did behold him vvith their compassionate eyes vvhen like an innocent Lambe he gaue vp the Ghost and bewailed his departure from them vvith floods of teares Now thinke that thou doest heare the Virgine Marie discouering the inward sorrowes of her heart of her grieued and wounded heart vttered out of her dolefull mouth passionate as she was a tender harted woman and more compassionate as shee vvas a louing Mother vvhen shee saw the vvounded and breathlesse body of her Sonne taken downe from the Crosse Let her sorrowfull words penetrate thine eares and pierce thy heart that thou maist bewaile the debts of thy sinnes as she lamented the death of her Sonne in this or the like manner Oh my most sweet Sonne what is my felicity which I had by thee in thy life Is it any thing else but extreame miserie at thy death how is my chiefest ioy changed into sorrow my mirth into mourning how is my reioycing turned into lamenting my cheerefulnesse turned into heauinesse nothing can mittigate my calamity nothing can ease my malady What hadst thou done oh my most deare Sonne what hainous crime hadst thou committed vvhat odious treason hadst thou perpetrated that thou wert condemned to die such a shamefull and bitter death Thy pure hands were neuer defiled with any euill actions and thy harmlesse heart did neuer harbour any vvicked cogitations thine eyes were neuer bewitched with worldly vanities nor thine eares delighted with lewd discourses thy mouth did vtter forth wisedome and thy tongue spake nothing but the truth thy whole life was a Mirrour of piety thy words deserued no reprehension thy deeds were without all
vvhich thou hast so great societie but a fome become flesh clothed with beautie fraile and euery moment decaying But it shall be truely it shall be a miserable and rotten carkasse and meate for the vvormes For how much soeuer it be decked and adorned it is alwayes flesh If thou doest consider vvhat issueth out by the mouth nosthrils and other passages of the body thou shalt neuer see a more filthy dunghill If thou vvilt reckon vp all her miseries thou shalt finde how shee is fraughted and laden vvith sinnes prouoked with vices itching with concupiscences possessed vvith passions polluted with illusions alwayes prone vnto euill and bending towards all kinde of vices full of all confusion and ignominie By the flesh man is made like vnto vanitie because from it he hath drawne the vice of lustfull concupiscence by which hee is held captiue and abased that hee loueth vanitie and worketh iniquitie Consider oh man what thou art from the first beginning The beginning of a proud man and day of thy birth vnto thy latter end and day of thy death and what thou shalt be after this life Truely thou hast beene that which in time afore thou wert not afterwards made of base matter wrapped in a homely cloth thou wast nourished with vnclean bloud in thy mothers wombe and a thin skin was thy best Garment thou camest vnto vs being so clothed and attyred neither art thou mindfull of thy base vile and contemptible beginning beauty fauour of the people youthfull heat and riches haue stolne from thee the knowledge to know what man is Mans vilenesse For man is no other thing but corrupt seed a vessell of vncleannesse and meate for the Wormes After hee is a man hee becommeth a Worme after the worme commeth stinke and lothsomnesse So euery man is turned into no man Wherefore is man proud whose conception is sinne whose birth is punishment whose life is a turmoyling labour and death an ineuitable necessity Why therefore art thou proud oh man Consider what thou wert in thy Mothers wombe Meanes to pull down pride to humble vs. how afterwards thou wert exposed and obiected to the miseries of this life and to sin and after that to become a worm a d wormes meat in the graue Why art thou proud dust and ashes whose conception is sinnefull whose birth is misery life a punishment and death anguish and calamity Wherefore doest thou feed and pamper thy belly with delicate meate and decke thy backe with sumptuous clothes vvhich vvithin few dayes after the vvormes shall deuoure in the graue But thou dost not adorne thy soule with good workes which is to bee presented vnto God and his Angels in Heauen Why doest thou basely esteeme thy Soule and preferre the flesh before her That the Mistrisse should vvaite and play the Mayd and the Mayde beare all the sway like the Mistrisse is a great abuse The vvhole world verily cannot counteruaile the price and value of one soule Therefore the price of the Soule is farre deerer and is at an higher rate vvhich could not bee redeemed but vvith the bloud of CHRIST What wilt thou giue for exchange to redeeme thy soule which doest giue her for nothing Did not the Sonne of GOD The soule of man invaluable when hee was in the bosome of his Father descend from his royall Throne for her that hee might deliuer her from the power of the Deuill The vvhich when hee saw fettered with the ropes and chaynes of Sinnes and forthwith to bee deliuered to the Deuils that shee might bee damned to perpetuall death hee vvept ouer her vvhich knew not to vveepe for her selfe Neither did hee onely vveepe but suffered himselfe to bee slaine that hee might redeeme her vvith the precious price of his bloud Behold oh mortall man for whom such a Sacrifice is giuen Acknowledge oh man how noble thy Soule is and how grieuous her wounds were for whom there was such necessitie that the Lord Christ should be wounded If her wounds had not beene to death The haynousnesse of sinne and to euerlasting death the Son of God would neuer haue dyed to haue cured them Doe not therefore carelesly esteeme the passion of thy soule to whom thou seest such great compassion to be yeelded from such a great Maiesty He powreth forth teares for thee wash thou also euery night thy bedde with compunction of thy heart and continuall streames of thy teares Hee powred forth his bloud for thee shed thou also thine rather then for any worldly affliction to start from thy Christian profession Doe not regard what the flesh will but what the spirit may then shall the soule be glorious vvhen she shal returne to her God Yet so if she shall carry no sinne with her from the body and shall wipe away all filthinesse But if thou say this is a hard saying I cannot despise the World and hate my flesh Tell mee where are the louers of the world which were with vs a little while agoe Motions to despise the flesh Nothing remaineth of them but ashes worms marke diligently what they are and what they haue beene They haue beene men as thou art they haue eat drunke laughed and spent their dayes in prosperitie and in a moment are gone downe all to the Graue many to Hell Heere their flesh is bequeathed to the wormes and there their Soule to the fire vntill they two being bound againe with an vnhappy coniunction be ouerwhelmed in euerlasting flames which were before companions together in vices For one punishment doth entangle them in the end whom before one loue had bound together in a wicked deed What hath vaine-glory auailed them their short ioy worldly power and authoritie the pleasure of the flesh deceitfull riches their great householde and euill concupiscence Where is their laughter Where is their boasting Where is their pride and arrogancie Of such great mirth what great mourning After so little pleasure how grieuous miserie They are fallen from that exceeding reioycing into great miserie into great ruine and grieuous torments VVhatsoeuer is happened to them A good catuion may happen to thee because thou art a man of the same earth slime of the same slime Thou art from the earth thou liuest of the earth and thou shalt returne into the earth When that last day shall come vvhich will come suddenly peraduenture it shall be to day The certaintie and vncertaintie of death It is certaine that thou shalt die but it is vncertaine when or how or where because death doth alwayes attend and waite vpon thee euery vvhere Thou also if thou wilt bee vvise Those which fulfill the lusts of the flesh must bee punished with the flesh shalt looke for death euery where If thou wilt follow the flesh thou shalt bee punished in the flesh if thou art delighted vvith the flesh thou shalt bee tormented in the flesh If thou shalt require fine and costly apparell in stead of thy
braue garments the Wormes shall be spread vnder thee and the Wormes shall be thy couering For the Iustice of God can iudge and determine no other thing but that which our works do deserue For hee which loueth the world more then God a place of pleasure The marks of a wicked worldling more then the House of Prayer gluttony more then abstinency letchery more then chastity followeth the Deuill and shall goe with him to euerlasting punishment What mourning do you thinke there shall be then what lamentation what sorrow and sadnesse when the wicked shal be separated from the fellowship of the righteous and from the sight of God and shall be deliuered into the power of the Deuils and shall goe with them into euerlasting fire and shall be there with them alwayes without end in perpetuall mourning and lamentation Because being banished farre from the blessed Countrey of Paradise they shall be tormented in the place of neuer-ceasing torments neuer to see the light any more neuer to obtaine any releasement or refreshing but by thousands of thousands of yeeres to be tormented in Hell neuer to be deliuered from thence where the tormentors are neuer tyred nor wearied neither hee vvhich is tormented euer dyeth For the fire there so consumeth that it alwaies preserueth The torments are so acted that they are alwaies renewed The quality of the paine shall be fitted to the quality of the offence But euery one shall endure paine of torment according to the quality of the fault and they that are guilty of the same sinne shall be sorted and ioyned to their like to be tormented No other thing shall be heard there but weeping and mourning groaning and howling lamentation and gnashing of teeth And nothing shall be seene there but Wormes and the terrible faces of the tormentors and most hidious monsters of the Diuels Cruell Wormes shall bite the innermost parts of the heart heere shall be paine there feares sighing astonishment and horrible terrour And they being miserable and wretched shall burne in euerlasting fire for euer The condition of the damned after death of the body and besides they shall be tormented in the flesh by fire in the spirit by the Worme of conscience there shall be intollerable griefe horrible feare incomparable stinke death both of soule and body without hope of pardon or mercie Neuerthelesse they shall so dye as they may alwayes liue and shall so liue as they may alwaies die The difference of a repenting and an obstinate sinner So the soule of a sinner is tormented in hell for his sinnes or being conuerted from her sinnes is placed in Paradise Now therefore let vs choose one of the two either alwaies to be tormented vvith the vvicked or to liue in ioy with the righteous For good and euill life and death are set before vs that vvee may put forth our hand to which vvee vvill If torments cannot terrifie vs at least let rewards allure vs. Of the reward of the heauenly Countrey the which all Christians ought to endeauour to obtaine MOTIVE IIII. IT is a reward to see God to liue with God to liue of God to be with GOD to be in God vvhich vvill be all things in all To haue GOD vvhich is the chiefest good where the chiefest good is there is the chiefest felicitie chiefest pleasure true libertie perfect charitie eternall securitie and secure eternitie there is true ioy full knowledge all beauty and all beatitude There is peace pietie goodnesse light vertue honesty ioyes mirth sweetnesse euerlasting life glory praise rest loue and sweet concord The exceeding ioyes of the righteous So the man shall be blessed with GOD in whose conscience sinne hath not beene found Hee shall see God at his desire he shall haue him at his pleasure hee shall enioy him to his euerlasting delight He shall flourish in eternity hee shall be glorious in truth hee shall shine in glory he shall reioyce in goodnesse so hee shall haue eternity of continuance so hee shall haue facilitie of knowledge and wisedome and felicity of rest and quietnesse For he shall be a Citizen of that Holy Citie of which the Citizens are Angels God the Father the Temple his Sonne the glorie and brightnesse the Holy Ghost the loue and charity Oh heauenly Citie A description of the celestiall Citie secure Mansion fertile and ample Countrey thou containest all which delighteth the people liue vvithout mourning the Inhabitants are quiet and peaceable persons hauing no want or necessity How glorious things are spoken of thee oh Citie of God! So that the Habitation of all vvhich reioyce is in thee All reioyce with mirth and exceeding ioy All are delighted and made ioyfull by God vvhose lookes are beautifull face faire and comely speech sweet and delectable hee is delightfull to be seene pleasant to be drunke sweet to be enioyed He pleaseth by himselfe alone he both sufficeth of himselfe for desert and also sufficeth of himselfe for reward neither is any thing sought without him because it is wholly found in him whatsoeuer is desired Iâ— God is all good It is alwaies pleasing and delightfull to behold him alwaies to be delighted in him and alwaies to enioy him In him the vnderstanding is clarified and the affection is purified to know and loue the truth And this is the sole and whole good of man namely to know and loue his Creator Therefore vvhat madnesse of vices doth moue vs to thirst after the bitter Wormewood of this World to follow the shipwracke of this sliding life To suffer calamitie to endure the Dominion of a vvicked Tirannie and not rather to flye and flocke together to the felicitie of the Saints to the societie of the Angels to the solemnitie of supernall and heauenly ioy and to the pleasantnesse of a contemplatiue life that vvee may enter into the Dominions of the LORD and see the superaboundant riches of his goodnesse There we shall be freed from toyling cares and shall see how sweet the Lord is and how great the multitude is of his exceeding sweetnesse We shall see the beautie of his glorie The happy estate of the iust in heauen the brightnesse of his Saints and honour of his Royall Maiestie We shall know the power of the Father the vvisedome of the Sonne the most liberall clemencie of the Holy Ghost and so vvee shall haue knowledge of the most high Trinitie Now vve see bodies by the bodie also we see the Images of bodies by the Spirit but then vvee shall see the Trinitie vvith the pure sight of the minde Oh happie vision to see God in himselfe to see him in vs and to see vs in him In which vision with happy pleasure and pleasant happinesse wee shall haue all whatsoeuer wee shall desire desiring nothing else besides and wee shall loue vvhatsoeuer wee shall see blessed with the loue blessed with the sweetnesse of the loue and pleasantnesse of the contemplation This shall be
Iesus was led to Annas and how he was there beaten and buffeted c. page 152 Med. 9. How the Lord Iesus was led from Annas to Caiphas and of his scourging there c. page 172 Med. 10. How Peter denied his Master thrice of his repentant weeping c. page 184 Med. 11. How Iesus was sent vnto Pilate of his vsage there pag. 205 Med. 12. How Pilate caused Iesus to be scourged and then pronounced sentence of death against him pag. 213 Med. 13. How Christ bearing his crosse on his shoulders is led to Mount Caluarie to be crucified page 250 Med. 14. Of the cruell and bitter crucifying of our Lord Iesu performed on Mount-Caluary page 285 Med. 15. Of the derisions and scornfull speeches vttered to the Lord Iesus when hee was nayled on the Crosse page 319 Med. 16. Concerning the lamentation of the Virgin Mary beholding her Son vpon the Crosse page 331 Med. 17. Of the Eclipse and obscuration of the Sunne about the ninth houre and of the fourth speech which Christ vsed vpon the Crosse page 343 Med. 18. Of the fift sixt words which the Lord Iesus spake vpon the Crosse to wit I thirst and it is finished page 355 Med. 19. How Christ gaue vp the ghost of the wonders then wrought and his death page 369 Med. 20. Of Iesus Christ his buriall and of the lamentation of his Mother and other women for his death page 381 Med. 21. Of the Lord Iesus his Resurrection of his appearance to his Disciples of his ascention into heauen and of his comming to iudgement page 397 FINIS O my Father if it be possible let this Cup passe from me He kneeled downe and Prayed but beinge in an agonie he prayed more earnestly and his sweat was like droppes of blood trikling downe to the ground Luke 22.44 Sit ye here whil I goe and Pray yonder MOST DEVOVT MEDITATIONS vpon the most holy and bitter Passion of our Lord Iesus Christ MED I. A Meditation of the comming of the Lord Iesus into Hierusalem riding vpon an Asse and the bringing in of him into the Citie with Songs and Praises and of his returne into Bethany the same day Into a Mat. 21.5 Hierusalem our Sauiour rides Vpon an b Mat. 21.7 Asse a simple harmlesse beast The people spread their c Mat. 21.8 cloathes and boughes besides Crying d Mat. 21.9 Hosanna Thou in Heauen highest THe time approaching which the Diuine prouidence had from eternity prefixed in which my most kinde and louing Iesus should come to his preordained Passion cruell death of the Crosse which he willingly came to vndergoe being the onely begotten of God incarnated in the wombe of the Virgin as through the whole course of his life he shewed exceeding great humility so toward the houre of his Passion comming to the place where hee should endure the torments of a most shamefull cruel death he tooke his entrance from humility when riding meekly vpon an Asse he came to the Citie where he should sustaine the vndeserued punishment of the Crosse Therefore when the Lord Iesus sixe dayes before the Passeouer had made his Supper with his Disciples in Bethanie the towne of Marie and Martha in the house of Simon the Leaper which was a friend to the said Mary and Martha where Mary also had powred an Alablaster boxe of precious oyntment vpon his head the morning following very earely most kind Iesus calling two of his Disciples said Goe into the towne which is ouer against you where you shall find a she-Asse tied and her Colt loose them and bring them vnto me And if any man shall say any thing against you say that the Lord hath neede of them and strait-way they will let them goe The lowly and louing Disciples obeying the commandement of their Master license being freely graunted to them by the Lord of all creatures they presented the shee-Asse and her Colt to their beloued Redeemer Then Iesus riding vpon the Asse directeth his iourney towards Hierusalem And when hee came to the going downe of the mount Oliues many people which were come thither hauing heard of the strange miracle of Lazarus whom Iesus raised out of his graue went forth to meete him And that they might doe him the greater honour some spread their garments vpon the ground others cut down boughes from the Trees and strewed them vpon the earth and all of them some going before and some comming behinde cried Hosanna to the Sonne of Dauid blessed is hee which commeth in the name of the Lord. And vvith these praises and Iubilies they brought louing Iesus euen to the Gates of Hierusalem following after him with his Disciples And after Iesus beheld the Citie he now fore-knowing the destruction of it to come moued with compassion powred forth teares ouer it but the Pharises and Scribes enflamed with the fire of enuie seeing Iesus to be extolled with admiration and honour rebuked sole redemption to deliuer vs out of the bondage of eternall death and from the intollerable paines of euerlasting damnation to be made coheires with him of a most blessed life in the Kingdome of Heauen Learne therefore oh my soule to imitate thy blessed Sauiour who abstained from meate to doe the will of his heauenly Father by seeking by all meanes to winne their soules who being void of all humanitie sent him fasting out of their Citie Oh hard-hearted Iewes to giue such vnkinde entertainment to my bountifull Lord and louing Iesus But be thou kinde oh my soule like Lazarus and ready like Mary and Martha to receiue thy Sauiour that hee may giue thee euerlasting bread for thy foode and water of eternall life for thy drinke Come and suppe with mee my sweet Sauiour vouchsafe to enter into my simple cottage I confesse I am vnworthy that thou shouldest come vnder my roofe yet I know that thou art alwayes willing to come where thou art kindly and friendly inuited Open thou the dore of my heart that thou maist enter and dwell with mee for euer then saluation shall come to my whole house then I shall lie downe to sleepe in peace and rise againe without any dread of danger for I shall be safely couered vnder the shadow of thy wings and remaine in peaceable securitie vnder thy mightie protection Consider Oh my Soule and meditate often in thine inward thoughts of the strange ingratitude of the stony-hearted Iewes toward thy Sauiour IESVS who would not afford him so much as a meales meate at night for his great paines hee tooke with them all the day but hee was constrained to returne hungry with his Disciples from so oppulent and populous a Citie to Bethanie a poore and small village there to refresh his weary and weake body where hee made so small a supper that he returned hungry to Hierusalem the next morning and spying a Figge-tree which had onely faire leaues Beware of hypocrisie but no fruit to slake his hunger or to
afford him any refreshing in his iourney he was so highly displeased that it made so faire a shew and bare no fruit that he cursed it and so it withered and became barren for euer Wert thou oh my gracious Lord so highlie displeased with this fruitlesse Tree and wert thou not grieuouslie offended with the vnthankfull Iewes No doubt but thou hadst iust occasion to haue cursed that vngratefull Nation whose hearts were so barren that they did beare no fruit and their mindes so deuoid of all common humanitie that although they euer stood in neede yet they did neuer deserue any drop of thy sweet and comfortable mercie Oh Lord who can worthilie land the immeasurable largenesse of thy infinite mercie who can throughly taste the sweetnesse of thy most excellent bountie It was thy desire to haue wonne them by mildnes it had beene thy delight to haue conuerted them by kindenesse thou diddest curse that barren tree which had store of leaues but no profitable fruit to teach that gracelesse Nation what thou did dest expect at their hands and what thou mightst haue iustly inflicted vpon them for the hardnes of their harts whose mouths were often filled with religious words their hearts and hands being euermore emptie of charitable works Be thou wise therefore oh my soule thinke not that thou hast done enough if thou vtterly condemne those inhumane and hard-hearted Iewes who had not so much kindnes as to offer thy Sauiour a crum of bread or a cup of colde water vnlesse thou thy selfe make some prouision to entertaine thy louing Iesus whensoeuer hee shall vouchsafe to come into thy Cottage to visit thee in kindnesse Oh how happie shalt thou be if thou art prouided to welcome so good a Guest whose acceptance shall bring thee eternall blessednesse and who is so kinde that he will dwell with thee for euer and where he remaineth their store is alwayes increased their riches are multiplyed in abundance he cannot he will not be chargeable vnto thee if thou wilt shew him infallible tokens of thy true loue and make any prouision be it neuer so meane to receiue him with chearefulnesse he expecteth no sumptuous preparation hee longeth for no daintie cates hee regardeth no magnificent pompe hee hateth vaine ostentation and outward glorie he can neuer abide to make any abode in that house which is not furnished with true humilitie Oh happie is that soule that is not vnprouided at his comming but standeth alwayes ready at the doore to open vnto him whensoeuer hee knocketh and is willing to enter Consider also ô my soule the great paines and diligent labours of thy industrious Sauiour who continued the day time in the Temple preaching and teaching the people and in the night praying or instructing his Disciples therefore if thou wilt shew thy selfe a faithfull seruant to so good a Lord and a louing Disciple to so kinde a Maister set him alwayes before thine eyes as a perfect patterne and liuely example to imitate him in the carefull execution of thy lawfull calling Weare not out the moment of thy poasting life in carnall delights fulfilling the lewd desires of the wanton flesh accounting worldly pleasure thy chiefest treasure and making thy bellie thy God for the end of such is eternall damnation God hath giuen man an vpright countenance that hee should lift vp his head and looke towards Heauen therefore derogate not so much from thy dignity as to haue thine eyes and thy thoughts still fixed vpon the earth like vnto the bruit beasts neuer well pleased but when like a Mole thou art turning ouer thy siluer and golden heapes Thou seest oh my soule that thy louing Sauiour Iesus did seeke by all meanes to benefit the Iewes his vnnaturall Country-men and to do them all good but they were alwaies so froward that they were euermore forward to doe him nothing but mischiefe and hurt who hauing exiled tender pittie from their eyes all humane compassion from their harts had not onely so much kindenes as to offer him a morsell of meat to refresh his weary body at night when he had laboured all day to feed their soules with spirituall bread but most vnkindely their chiefe rulers and the Scribes held a Councell against him complotted many strange inuentions forged many odious calumniations and imagined many false crimes cruelly to depriue him of his harmelesse life and to accelerate his speedy death because the good deeds which Christ did daily to the people were vnwelcome newes to their eares and bred nothing else but sorrow in their enuious mindes Therefore they raged with fury and conspired in bitternesse of their malice how they might entrap Christ Iesus by craft and subtiltie and so like an innocent Lambe lead him away to the slaughter for so fell was their hatred to the life of our Sauiour so greedie were they to hasten his death that had they not feared that the people would haue hindred their wicked purposes interrupting the course of their malicious practise they would haue vented their swelling spite and disgorged their full stomackes surcharged with malice against him on the feast-day but they suspected their cruell deede at that time would haue stirred vp greater tumults amongst the people which did reuerence Iesus as a Prophet for if they might haue had their owne will and satisfied the longing of their enuious humour they would haue spared no day nor regarded any place so they might haue split his innocent bloud Oh with what damnable counsell and diuellish deuises doe I heare thy furious enemies consulting against thee my innocent Iesus thou Lord of eternall glorie What false imaginations what monstrous inuentions what hellish stratagems what forged accusations did they coyne against thee their hearts burning and their hands itching to cut off thy blessed life to staine the earth with thy precious bloud and to worke as they wickedly wished thy finall destruction How cruelly doe these faithlesse Iewes conspire against thee those impious wretches said within themselues carried away with the violent current of their irefull imaginations let vs oppresse that righteous man let vs swallow him vp in our rage let vs sodainely deuoure him in our madnes let vs set traps to take him and lay snares to entangle him let vs roote him out from the land of the liuing that his name may neuer be remembred any more because he is obstinate in contradicting our words and peremptory in carping at our workes Wee cannot wee may not tollerate his arrogancie wee will not brooke his oppositions Hee layeth open our sinnes to increase our shame he professeth that hee hath the knowledge of God and nameth himselfe the Sonne of God He discloseth our secret thoughts hee is loathsome to our eyes wee cannot abide him in our sight the course of his life is opposite to our Lawes he is an open aduersary to our Decrees hee abstaineth from our wayes as though they were wicked defiled with vncleannesse and polluted with vices We are
worthie to be compared vnto it Oh most sweet Iesu how pleasant how sweet art thou if wee might haue a true taste of thy exceeding sweetnesse In this thy wonderfull Sacrament thou dost feed vs with corporall bread but after a spirituall manner What therefore can I want to satisfie my what may I wish to augment my ioy if I haue my Iesus present with me Though now I see thee darkely through a glasse yet hereafter I shall see thee face to face I cannot satisfie my minde oh my most bountifull Iesus with admiration of thy vnmeasurable liberalitie I cannot wonder enough at the exceeding largenesse of thy bountie What greater gifts couldest thou haue bestowed vpon vs what more excellent benefits couldest thou haue deriued vnto vs For in this thy blessed Testament thou hast bequeathed great and precious Legacies to all thy Brethren that faithfullie loue thee and constantlie beleeue in thee In verie deede thou hast left them a rich inheritance wee cannot estimate the price we can make no true account of the greatnesse Some at their death leaue to their heires Cities and townes great possessions and store of monie some build them sumptuous houses and erect statelie Sepulchers that their name might remaine among men and their memorie continue vpon earth But thy bountie my most kinde and louing Iesus doth farre exceed and surmount them all for thou hast left thy owne selfe vnto vs that wee should haue a continuall spectacle of thy most holy Passion in our mindes and often thinke vpon thy innocent death in our repenting hearts And in thy blessed Sacrament which is so highly to be honoured of vs and most reuerently to be celebrated by vs thou dost giue thy selfe for food to be receiued of vs by faith which may nourish vs to euerlasting life and deliuer vs from the doome of eternall death Oh my most bountifull Lord oh exceeding admirable and incomparable loue of my louing Sauiour my beloued Iesus But how odious is mine ingratitude my kinde and louing Iesus how great and grieuous is my forgetfulnesse that I doe not continuallie remember the pangs of thy Passion and euermore meditate on the paines of thy bitter death when I participate thy wonderfull Sacrament and celebrate thy blessed Supper seeing by thy death thou hast merited for me euerlasting life and by thy Passion hast purchased for mee eternall redemption Why doe I not remember that thou wert wrongfully accused scornefully derided spitefully reuiled cruelly scourged and crucified as a hainous malefactor and put to a shamefull death as a wicked doer and how patientlie thou didst endure the bitter paines of the crosse to deliuer mee a most wretched sinner from the curse of eternall death iustly pronounced against mee and readie to be inflicted vpon mee if thy obedience had not appeased the wrath of thy heauenlie Father and thy gracious mercy salued the wounds of my misery Oh my drie head why doest thou not draw water with ioy out of the fountaines of thy Sauiour for he is a Well of liuing water Oh teares why doe yee not streame forth in great abundance with exceeding ioy and exultation while I call to minde the exceeding sweetnesse of mine euerlasting libertie and meditate vpon the greatnesse and goodnesse of my eternall Redemption in this most sacred holie and wonderfull Sacrament represented vnto me Why doe not my spirits faint with exceeding ioy and why is not my minde rauished with excessiue mirth when I consider the immeasurable greatnesse of thy loue and the incomprehensible largenesse of thy bountie whereby thou hast beene moued to giue vs thy selfe for euerlasting meate to nourish vs to eternall life Haue mercie vpon mee oh my most mercifull Lord because by reason of the imbecillitie of my dull vnderstanding and by the hardnes and drinesse of my heart I am notable to relish the goodnesse nor taste the sweetnesse of the wholesome fruit of thy holie and blessed Sacrament yet I most vilde wretch presume to come to thy Table and to receiue this holy foode though most vnworthie of so great a mercie But woe bee vnto my conscience and horror vnto my wounded soule because I haue approached vnto thy holie Table and taken of thy sanctified meat with polluted hands and vnwashed feete and yet I haue not blushed for shame nor bewailed the follie of my intollerable Presumption For I consider my most sweet IESVS that in this thy most glorious Supper before thou diddest institute the most blessed Sacrament as a memoriall vnto vs of thy bloudie Passion thou the true Christall-glasse of Humilitie taking the shape of a Seruant didst wash the feete of thy Disciples saying moreouer vnto Peter If I shall not wash thee thou shalt haue no part with mee Shall it not therefore bee my great presumption and shall I not incurre the danger of a most grieuous offence against thee if I would haue any part with thee when I approach vnto thy holy Table with vnwashed feete and participate thy blessed Sacrament with defiled hands I know therefore my gratious Lord who and what a one I ought to be when I come to such an excellent Sacrament I know my louing Lord that I should first wash my feete heart and hands and purge all my corrupted affections before I should presume to receiue thy pure and holie Sacrament I know my good and gracious Iesus that it is needfull for mee euery night to wash my Bed and water my Couch with my teares Yea and to wash my feet with teares of true compunction and with streames of sorrow flowing from the inward deuotion of a relenting and repenting heart But woe be vnto me most vnhappie wretch because that I a most vilde creature doe not feare to approach vnto such an excellent Maiestie infected from the crowne of my head to the sole of my foote with sores and loathsome diseases and being a most wicked sinner wholie ouer-spread with corruption and stained with filthie pollution doe not blush to come into thy presence but presume to intrude my selfe into thy blessed societie and to sit downe at thy holie Table which art a diuine Spirit alwaies pure from the spots of sinne and staines of iniquitie I come vnto thee my meeke and louing Iesus puffed vp with pride and lifted vp with rebellious thoughts and I presume to eate with impure hands and vnwashed feet Notwithstanding my most mercifull IESVS I know that thy clemencie is farre greater then mine indignitie and thy mercie farre exceeding my miserie And therefore confident in thy great benignitie and relying whollie vpon thy immeasurable mercie I am bold to receiue thee and being infected with so manie dangerous and deadlie diseases I come vnto thee being a skilfull and louing Phisitian that I may be cured from my grieuous maladies by thy soueraigne medicines For by how much the more weake I am and by how much the greater the maladie is which doth afflict me by so much the more I stand in need of thy helpe
poisoned thy affections Thou goest about in thy monstrous madnesse and vnbrideled furie to kill the immortall Lord who is Truth it selfe to direct vs and Life it selfe to quicken vs and to bring him to the slaughter who onely is able and none but hee to bring all men to death to restore all men to life Tell me I pray thee thou wicked and foolish mad-man wert not thou also as well as the other Disciples with the Lord IESVS when he reuiued the mayden which was dead when he cured the Sonne of the Ruler when he raised Lazarus out of his graue when he cleansed the Lepers healed the man sicke of the Palsie deliuered them which were possessed with Diuels when he made him to see which was borne blinde and restored many others to their sight Tell mee I pray thee had hee beene able to haue done these miracles if God had not beene with him What Aegiptian darknesse had blinded thine eyes that thou couldest not see his diuinitie what Ignorance had blinde-folded thy vnderstanding that thou couldest not know him to be the Sonne of God by his admirable workes Where wert thou when at two sundrie times he fed a great multitude of people with a little bread and a few fishes But to let these mercifull and miraculous workes passe which hee did for others why did not these gracious and charitable deedes which hee performed toward thee so mooue thy minde that although thou hadst imagined yet thou mightest not haue practised thy horrible intended mischiefe against him Remember thou most wretched creature and vngratefull Disciple how thy humble Master washed thy feete Iohn 13.5 How should this wonderfull humilitie of so great a Master haue humbled thy minde being so base a Seruant Remember how hee alwaies extended the tokens of his loue to thee as hee did to the other Apostles yet no kindnesse could restraine thy wicked will nor change thy couetous minde Consider thou most vngratefull and cruell Traitor how often my louing Iesus did mildely admonish thee that thou shouldest retire from thy wicked purpose whose all-seeing eye was able to penetrate into the darkest corners of thy heart and to search the secrets of thy inward bowels It might haue checked thy guiltie conscience when hee said after hee had washed his Disciples feete Yee are cleane but not all Iohn 13.11 And againe I speake not of all of you I know whom I haue chosen Iohn 13.18 But although these generall reprehensions were motiues of small moment to mollifie thy stonie heart yet hee spake vnto thee particularly saying Doe that quickely which thou art about to doe Iohn 13.27 Didst thou not clearely see that hee knew thy inward thoughts and the secret plot of thy wicked counsell And who but God is able to know the secrets of the heart and to discouer our hidden cogitations But was not thy heart as flintie as an Adamant that it did not relent with sorrow was not thy fore-head as hard as brasse that thou didst not blush for shame Were not thine eyes more drie then a rocke that they could shed no teares when thy louing Master and my beloued Lord said mildelie vnto thee What Iudas doest thou betray the Sonne of man with a kisse Luke 22.48 Oh great humilitie exceeding meekenesse most admirable clemencie of my Sauiour Iesus Yet neither the mildnes of his words nor wonderfulnesse of his works could soften thy obdurate heart or reclaime thy obstinate minde oh thou pernicious Traitor My Sauiour called him friend Mat. 26.10 whom hee knew to be a direfull foe that the meeknesse of the name might haue a little calmed the furie of his nature but the Diuell had sowed such naughtie seede in the furrowes of his couetous heart that hee became a wicked guide to deliuer his louing Master into the hands of his bloudie enemies who hating his innocent life had longed for opportunitie to put him to a cruell and shamefull death Tell mee thou damned Iudas what brought thee into such an hellish Phrensie that thou didst complot with the bloudie Iewes to betray thy gracious Lord with a token of kindnesse Had thirstie Couetousnesse so inflamed thy minde that thou didst run headlong to sell thy soule for a little piece of monie If thou hadst come like a foe thy crime had not beene so haynous nor thy crueltie so odious But thou like a cousening hypocrite didst cunningly maske thy deadly hate with the vizard of counterfeit loue Thou didst salute my louing Iesus with no friendly but a deadly kisse that with this token of peace and kindnesse thou mightest cast a mist before the eyes of his faithfull Disciples that they might thinke thou hadst nothing to doe with those wicked persons who came to apprehend their Lord Master thou thoughtest thou haddest complotted so cunningly and contriued thy matters so carefully that all should haue beene hidden in darknesse and no man haue knowne thy damnable practise but onely the cursed crue of thy confederates but the Diuill who was the author to allure thee to this mischiefe did beguile thee with a deceitfull imagination and so he will doe all others that follow thy crooked steppes and walke in thy cursed waies Such iugling hypocriticall trickes may often be hooded from the dim sight of men but they can neuer be hidden from the all-seeing eye of Almightie God thou camest with a word of peace in thy mouth when thou didst pretend nothing but warre in thy heart thy speech was as soft as Butter but thy inward thoughts were more sharpe then a Raisor thou didst presume to offer a Traitors kisse Mat. 26.49 to my blessed Sauiour when thy lips were full of poyson and thy throate an open Sepulcher thou camest like a subtle Foxe to salute him with a word of health when thou wert a wicked guide to a hand of cruell Souldiers who meant him nothing but hurt so strong was the desire of filthie lucre to hale thee to mischiefe so eager was thy greedie appetite to bite at this pleasant baite that thou couldest not see the killing hooke For when thou didst sell the precious life of thy louing Master thou didst giue thy damned Soule to the Diuell to be tormented with him for euer in the fire which flameth continually and burneth so extreamely that the paines of the least sparkle of it are more then intollerable wherefore my sweet Iesu so mollifie my heart and moderate my minde which am thy most vnworthy Seruant that I may not giue such direfull and deadly kisses vnto thee which art my most kinde and louing Master And grant vnto mee by thy gracious clemencie that I may offer vnto thee the sweet kisses of loyall Obedience and constant Loue that my Soule may say vnto thee Kisse me with the kisses of thy mouth Cant. 1.1 for thy loue is better then wine Run oh my soule and neither let the baites of terrene pleasure nor the brunts of worldlie sorrow hinder thee in thy way when thou goest to kisse thy
sweet and louing Iesus But first of all kisse his blessed feete and bathe them as Mary did with the teares of true repentance sighing and groaning with sense of thy sinnes that the comfort of his mercie may be extended vnto thee when such welcome tokens of thy loue are bestowed vpon him Prostrate thy selfe oh my Soule on the earth that thou maist cease to be wretched Imbrace the feete of thy IESV pacifie them with thy teares who spared not to poure forth bloud out of his feet hands heart and side to clense thy pollution and to wash away thy sinnes so that after thy sorrowfull contrition thou maist heare him pronounce vnto thee the ioyfull word of saluation saying Thy sinnes are forgiuen thee And now my Soule after wee haue fallen downe before the Lord in true humilitie and haue powred out before him the teares of an vnfained contrition let vs arise with a comfortable heart to kisse his blessed hands And then doe we kisse his gracious hands with a reuerent and lowly heart when our mouthes are filled with his worthy praises for his bountifull benefits freely bestowed vpon vs proclaiming his wonderfull mercie and disclaiming our vnworthie merit whose hand hath raised vs vp out of the mire and hath aduanced vs to euerlasting honor Lastly after wee haue reuerently kissed his hands wee may more boldlie approach to kisse his blessed mouth to behold the glorie of our Creator that the bright beames of his countenance may illuminate our obscure vnderstanding and that his sweet breath may so inspire our soules that all our cogitations may be consonable and our actions conformable to his most holy will Shew vs the light of thy countenance oh my louing Iesus and then our hearts shall be filled with gladnesse and wee shall be satisfied with the abundance of thine euerlasting goodnesse for to see the beautie of thy face is our chiefest felicitie and to be banished from thy face is our endlesse miserie Therefore kisse the Sonne lest he be angry for if his wrath be kindled yea but a little blessed are all they that trust in him Psal 2.12 Thou hast heard oh my soule how traiterous Iudas betrayed my innocent Iesus consider the crueltie of the one wonder at the mildenesse of the other Oh that all treacherous persons and bloudie minded Traitors might haue a view of desperate Iudas strangling himselfe with an Halter that the horror of his cursed death vpon earth and the terror of his continuall paines in hell might stay the rage of their furious mindes and manacle their bloudie hands For although desperate Iudas was so tormented with horror of a guiltie conscience that hee could haue no peace in his fearefull thoughts nor chuse but crie in his tormenting miseries depriued of all hope of comfortable mercie I haue sinned in betraying the innocent bloud Matth. 27.4 and could finde no other medicine to cure his desperate maladie but the helpe of an halter being his owne Hang-man to shorten his woefull dayes vpon earth that hee might make the more haste to abide euerlasting torments in hell yet there are manie whose hearts are so sore infected with his venemous humour and their thoughts so poisoned with greedie desires of vnlawfull gaine that they make no conscience to betray their Prince and Countrie to prooue disobedient and cruell to their naturall Parents and faithlesse to their dearest friends yea to sell Heauen their soules and themselues for a base piece of money but woefull is their inheritance which buy Hell for their purchase Yet let mee not so bitterly inueigh against the monstrous fact of cursed Iudas that I forget the mildenesse of my mercifull IESVS who did not rate and reuile him calling him in name as hee was indeede a damnable Traitor saluting his Master with a kisse as a token of his loue but alas it was onely to betray him My patient Sauiour Iesus called him by the name of a friend Mat. 26.50 whom hee knew to be a deadly foe that the mildnesse of the name might haue bred remorse in his heart but that the Diuell had taken full possession in his minde and ruled powerfully ouer his thoughts But why did my louing Sauiour vse such affable words to such a detestable Traitor It was to teach mee to represse mine affections from raging furie when any of his wicked brood lie in waite to take away my life and secretly seeke to contriue my death Teach mee my Iesu to imitate thy patience when my curtesie is rewarded with crueltie when supposed friends proue faithlesse and when my kindnesse is recompenced with bad words and rewarded with worse deedes Thou hast willed vs to blesse them that curse vs and to pray for our persecutors Mat. 5.44 But our flesh is wayward and it cannot away with this doctrine wherefore I beseech thee my gracious Lord to lend me thy helping hand it is thine owne worke to conforme my minde to thy blessed will that I may be made obsequious and obedient to thy sacred Law But now my Soule turne aside thine eies from hatefull Iudas to looke vpon louing Peter who beganne to be touched with the heate of true loue when hee saw his Master attached by the hands of his enemies and did boldlie obiect his owne life vnto danger that hee might deliuer his harmelesse Master out of perill and that hee might performe in deede that which a little before he had professed in word Mat. 26.35 Ioh. 18.10 As his loue was much so his courage was great in the defence of his dearelie beloued Master hee regarded not the multitude that came against him hee respected not how well they were armed his true heart dreaded no danger But so soone as hee saw his dread master Iudasly betraied and cruellie apprehended by his malicious foes he drew out his sword and laid about him and cut off Malchus his eare Thy loue was strong louing Peter although thy strength was feeble to resist so manie so ill-minded and so well armed I cannot but commend thee for thy loue although thy louing Master doth not praise thee for thy deede thou diddest shew a token of thy feruent loue and affection although alas he stood not in neede of thy weake protection my louing Sauiour came to fulfill the will of his Father to suffer death yea to suffer a cruell and shamefull death on the crosse that we might be restored to life be freed and deliuered from the curse It was the feruencie of thy loue that had inflamed thy aged heart with courage thou couldest not hold thy hands when thou diddest see thy beloued Master so violently apprehended so currishly handled and haled to the slaughter For whosoeuer my louing Sauiour hath his heart knit vnto thee with bands of true loue hee dreadeth no danger for thy sake but will be more willing to forgoe his life then to leaue his true loue But thou diddest not desire my louing Iesus nay thou didst not allow that Peter should shew his manhood or
attempt by anie force to rescue thee out of the hands of thy cruell foes thou diddest disclose vnto thy faithfull Disciples the dangerous daies that were to come and tell them of the bitter afflictions which were to ensue and that they should be like Sheepe scattered without a Shepheard But it was not that they should arme their bodies with weapons but their heads and soules with patience So indeed the loue of thy Apostle was full of zeale but yet it was barren void of knowledge who had beene often forewarned that thou shouldest suffer a cruell and shamefull death to fulfill the scripture and do the will of thy Father Wherefore oh my most mercifull Iesus so inflame my heart with thy loue that I may freelie confesse it with my mouth and so performe it with my heart that I may not onely be prepared to loose my libertie but to forgoe my life for the name of my Lord Iesus who is blessed for euer A Meditation how the Lord Iesus taken and bound was led to Annas his house where he was buffeted and how all his Disciples fied from him Iohn 18.13 MED VIII To a Ioh. 18.15 Annas first is Christ in b Io. 18.12.20 fetters lead From thence to c Iohn 18.24 Caiaphas where he beaten is And d Mat. 26.67 Marke 18.22 scourg'd and mockt spit on and almost dead All which h'endur'd to bring vs vnto blisse SO soone as false-hearted Iudas had saluted his faithfull Master Iesus with a deadlie kisse the hard-hearted Souldiers laid violent hands vpon my kinde Sauiour and did cruellie binde him Oh vngentle cords oh cruell hands and cursed hearts that did binde my Lord Iesus Come hither therefore oh my Soule and with inward sorrow of heart and with weeping eies lament with tender compassion for the currishnesse in words and crueltie in deedes vsed against thy mercifull Sauiour which patientlie suffered so manie bitter words and cruell blowes for thee and thy sinnes for it was now the houre of darknesse and they beganne to act with their mercilesse hands that which was conceiued in their malicious mindes reuiling him with blasphemous speeches and afflicting his precious bodie with deadlie blowes And thus they neuer ceased all that night long both with their venemous tongues and villanous hands to torment my meeke and patient Iesus Tell mee my sweet Sauiour vvhat vvere the contumelious words what were the outragious deedes which thou didst suffer of those dogged Souldiers vvhen they had laid their tormenting hands vpon thee For truely the wicked rose vp against thee and the Sinagogue of the mightie they sought thy life and set not God before their eyes They compassed thee about like Bees and burnt with furie against thee like fire among the Thornes Oh let some spectacle of their barbarous crueltie be presented vnto mee that mine eyes may waxe dim with weeping that my heart may be wounded with sorrow all my senses afflicted with mourning for my guiltie conscience doth tell mee that my sinnes were as fewell to kindle their rage and mine iniquities like wood to maintaine the fire of their furie Behold Oh my Soule vvith attentiue deuotion of minde and with store of teares flowing from thine eyes how furiously they rush vpon thy louing Sauiour and how cruelly with their bloudie hands they torture and vexe his blessed body One tuggeth him by his garment another haleth him by the armes one taketh holde of his necke another pulleth him by the haire and least he should get from them they binde him and drag him like an vntamed Bull to the shambles Oh most meeke Lambe Oh most milde sheepe how currishlie how cruelly art thou handled like a wicked theefe Yea was euer any common theefe so inhumanely and shamefully vsed although his life vvas odious and his deedes neuer so desperate Some hale him on this side some thrust him on that side some buffet him on the face others thumpe him on the backe After they haue reuiled and railed against him with most opprobrious words they passe from diuellish words to deadlie blowes so that they neuer cease by word nor deede to grieue and vexe mine innocent Iesus but imployed all the faculties of their minde and all the forces of their bodie to doe him all hurt who neuer meant them any harme I am not able to tell thee my sorrowfull soule one halfe of the odious words nor one moitie of the horrible deedes which those damned wretches vsed against thy harmelesse and louing Sauiour my tongue doth falter for griefe and my speech doth faile mee for sorrow for all of them bitterlie cursing him and cruellie beating him void of all mercie and raging with hellish furie they hale him like a most innocent Lambe to the slaughter And amongst all that cursed crew there was none so soft-hearted that either would pittie the woefull case or speake in the cause of my gracious Lord. Oh how should mine eies haue beene watered with teares and my heart haue beene wounded with sorrow to haue seene my mercifull Iesus so vnmercifullie abused so ignominiouslie and hatefullie misused whiles they hurrie him in their madnesse and hale him in their furie towards Hierusalem who went as an innocent Lambe among a company of deuouring Wolues not once opening his mouth to reproue them for their barbarous crueltie but did willingly sustaine the extremitie of their malice with a patient minde sometime haled by one and sometime thrust forward by another thinking the time long till they might bring him where they would haue him so greedy was their desire to doe a bad deede and they made such post-hast to hasten the death of the Lord of life Oh my most sweet Iesu what hast thou done What hast thou deserued that thou shouldest endure the sting of their malice and abide the tempest of their madnesse Verilie my Lord thou didst neuer offend them in thought but thy exceeding loue did moue thee to suffer all things with patience that thou mightst redeeme mee a most wretched sinner all others that with a contrite hart a broken spirit sue vnto thee for grace hauing an assured hope in thy blessed word and confidently beleeuing in thy gracious promises I am that wofull man which haue beene the occasion of thy torments and the cause of thy grieuous Passion The wicked man hath sinned and the righteous is punished The guilty hath trespassed and the innocent is tormented The vngodly hath offended and the godly man is condemned Oh my most louing Lord I haue eaten a sowre grape and thy teeth are set on edge I haue committed the trespasse and thou hast suffered the punishment Blush therefore oh my soule for shame smite thy heart for sorrow let thine eyes be dissolued into teares and sacrifice thy selfe vpon the Altar of true repentance because thou hast beene so forgetfully vngratefull towards thy louing IESVS for his maruellous kindnesse and so excessiuely vnmindfull of his excellent loue Oh my good Iesu what shall
innocent blood and so eagerly desired to haue him put to a shamefull death that they cried out in a rage and exclaimed in their fury Set Barrabas at libertie and crucifie Iesus But when Pilate perceiued that nothing could calme the storme of their rage and represse the violence of their madnesse but effusion of his innocent blood then he commanded that my harmelesse Iesus should be cruelly scourged thinking that the streames of bloud running downe from his sacred body would haue allaide the heat of their malice quenched the flame of their fury But alas it was his life that they onely sought nothing but his innocent death could satisfie their bloody mindes yea nothing but cruell death could tame their bruitish rage Matth. 26. But stay here my soule that thou mayest reuiew againe thy innocent Iesus accused vniustly reuiled malitiously spitefully scorned and cruelly scourged by the commaundement of Pilate they crowned his head scornefully with pricking Thornes and did teare his tender flesh with their cruell whips Oh my most louing Lord oh my most mercifull Iesus mollifie my hard hart that it may be wholy dissolued into streames of sorrow with the memory of thy bitter scourging and that my soule may be wounded so that it may send forth deepe groanes at the meditation of thine afflictions Grant me oh my most mercifull LORD that my thoughts and affections may be so seriously affected vvith the remembrance of thy tedious Passion that my senses may be made partakers of thy grieuous paines for I my selfe most louing Lord am nothing able to performe that indeed which I doe desire and conceiue in my minde I doe often times purpose with my selfe to meditate on thy Passion and to thinke seriously vpon thine affliction and to ruminate in my secret thoughts what ignominious crueltie was acted against thee vvhen thou didst finish the worke of my redemption But alas my senses are replenished with such stupiditie and dulnesse that I am not touched vvith any sensible compassion because my vnderstanding is distempered with vaine and fond cogitations and my heart is become so hard that it is vnapt to conceiue any tender affection while I meditate vpon the grieuous paines and muse on the great afflictions which thou didst sustaine and patiently endure to satisfie the vvrath of thy Father due vnto me for my sinnes I cannot taste the sweetnesse I cannot relish the goodnesse of thy passion because the matter is tedious to my corrupted thoghts and vnpleasant to my carnall desires For so vnconstant and instable is my heart so mutable and variable are the motions of my minde that they are both soone distracted alienated and diuorced from that heauenly meditation by swarms of idle fantasies foolish cogitations But from whence oh Lord doe these noysome vveeds grow vp in my hart how is it that they finde such a fertile soile in my minde truly because my heart is not planted vvith thy loue nor my mind furnished with thy graces For I can neuer haue my fill of those things vvherein I take too much delight my minde cannot be drawne from their societie because they haue wonne my fauor haue gotten my loue Wherefore oh my most mercifull Iesus because I loue thee so little and dote vpon worldly vanities so much my hart slideth away from thee mine affections are diuerted from thee and I know oh Lord how prone ready I am to consent to euery wicked motion and how impotent and feeble I am to go about any good action Therfore I pray thee not to correct me in thy wrath nor to proceed against mee with seuerity of thy Iustice but to haue pitty on me a most miserable sinner and to confirme my vnconstant hart with a stedfast delight in thy loue to establish my wandring minde according to the multitude of thy mercies so that no pleasure be it neuer so sweet may be able to allure me to leaue thy blessed loue nor any tribulation be it neuer so bitter constraine me to forsake thy happy seruice driue all idle cares out of my minde purge all corrupt thoughts out of my hart and draw me wholy vnto thee that I may remember with a deuout compassion call to minde with a serious meditation how many what great grieuous torments what scornefull derisions thou didst suffer in thy most pretious body by the commaundement of Pontius Pilate who contrary to the equitie of thy cause and testimony of his owne conscience Ioh. 19.4 commaunded thee to be scourged without all pitty when as he himselfe with his owne words had iustified thy innocency Oh vvhat a flood of teares should streame from mine eyes what groanes and sorrowfull sighes should arise from the depth of my heart how should all my senses be ouer-whelmed with a sea of sorrow when I meditate on the flinty hearts and cruell hands of those tormentors who scourged my louing Redeemer My heart cannot conceiue the outrage of their tyranny my tongue is too weake to expresse their barbarous inhumanitie Who vvere as eager to lay violent hands vpon my poore Iesus as rauenous Wolues are greedy to deuoure a tender Lambe or hungry Lyons to ceaze vpon their prey They make haste to vnbinde his armes and to vntie his hands but it was not done to release him of his cruell bands or to afford him any little ease but that they might strip him of his garments to scourge his naked body with their tormenting whips and to make his veines spout out bloud with their cruell stripes Ah ruthfull spectacle to pittifull eyes and able to haue made a deepe impression of tender compassion in their hearts if they had not beene more heard then Marble What sauage thoughts raigned in their murdering mindes What monstrous indignitie was done vnto my louing Redeemer to be stripped of his garments and to stand naked before such vile and base vassals who cloathed the Heauens with exceeding glory and adorned the earth with admirable beauty Now when they had stripped him of his cloathes they bound him to a pillar to endure their cruell stripes hauing banished pitty from their hearts and imbraced cruelty with their hands somtime they lash him on the backe sometime they scourge him on the brest Now they let their smarting whips flie on his shoulders anon they strike him on his armes they suffer no part of his body to bee free from blowes and they grieue his righteous soule with bitter words whilest yet they are executing their cruell deeds But what Tygers heart harboured in their brest oh my innocent Sauiour which robbed them of grace and they disrobed thee of thy cloathes What hellish fury armed their hands which bound thee to a pillar and scourged thy blessed body how exceeding execrable is their sauage crueltie How rare and admirable is thy silent patience It was I it was I oh my most sweet Iesu which deserued to bee scourged with the whips of euerlasting torments And thou my most mercifull Sauiour
should the crying voices of murthering Iewes haue beene to thy eares how shouldst thou haue hated their bloudie hearts detested their vnlawfull requests and loathed their malicious desires vvhen they cried out vnto thee in their furie exclaimed in their madnes Let Barrabas goe free let Barrabas goe free Crucifie crucifie Iesus Matth. 27.21 Thou knewst vvell enough that vvicked Barrabas had made an insurrection disturbed the peace and committed murther and that thou couldst finde no fault nor ferret out any offence in the life of my blessed Sauiour but that the spitefull Iewes had accused him for enuie and sought his death to satisfie their malice for indeede his vvhole life vvas a Mirrour of excellent vertues his hands were cleane from euill actions his heart vvas pure from sinfull cogitations Say thine eyes were so blinded that thou could'st not see the bright beames of his Diuinitie yet thou didst see and thy mouth did testifie that thou didst see the apparant Vertues of his innocent humanitie What did mooue thee to pronounce false iudgement to shed his innocent bloud Wert thou so fond to purchase fauour of the high Priests Didst thou so dote after the loue of the people whose mindes are more mutable then the winde altering their affections euery moment that contrarie to the sense of Law testification of thy conscience and approbation of thy owne words thou wert seduced to condemne such an innocent person Thy vvife did admonish thee that thou shouldest haue nothing to doe vvith that Righteous man who suffered many things because of him in her sleepe and therefore fore-warned thee by her fearefull dreame Matth. 27.19 But neither the Caueat of thy wife nor chastisement of thy own conscience could stay thy false iudgement but at last the enuious Iewes had what they would at thy hands and thou didst giue them thy consent to execute the extream malice of their wicked harts What hadst thou gotten if thou hadst gained the vvhole vvorld vvith lose of thy soule Wofull is the purchase which is bought at so deare a rate Before thou vvouldst vouchsafe to giue Iudgement against my harmlesse Redeemer thou diddest make a solemne protestation before the multitude that thou wouldst not be guiltie with them in the shedding of his innocent bloud thinking by vvashing thy hands with a little vvater to take away the deepe staines of thy conscience Oh how may all the world wonder at thy madnesse How may all posterities condemne thee of folly Well might a little vvater cleare the spots of thy hands but all the vvater in the Ocean could not vvash away the blots of thy soule Such prety slights may passe without contradiction amongst men but alas they cannot blinde the all-piercing eyes of the Eternall Iudge vvho knoweth the secrets of euery mans heart searcheth the reines and vnderstandeth all our thoughts It vvas horrible crueltie yea it vvas a cursed deed voyd of all common humanitie to command my Lord Iesus to be stripped out of his cloathes and to haue his naked body wounded with stripes vvhen thou sawest he could not be conuicted of any vvicked acte nor iustly reproued for any euill word and to license thy lewd Officers to gibe at him at their wils and to ieast at him like a foole at their pleasure and by aggrauating his miseries to make themselues merrie yet so popular vvas thy minde and thine affections so glewed to the humor of the people that vvhen thou sawest that those streames of his precious bloud could not extinguish the flame of their furie thou didst doome him to a most scandalous and ignominious death vvho vvas honourable aboue all the sonnes of men for his righteous life and declared to be faultlesse by thy voluntarie confession after thy strict examination Oh happy are the eyes of those which sit on the seat of iudgement which can see the deformity of thy sinne that their hearts may be replenished with integrity and their hands vvith innocencie not stained vvith the spottes of Innocent bloud Curbe thou oh Lord the furious passions of my minde and quench the flame of bloudie wrath vvhen it beginneth to be kindeled in my breast that my heart may not imagine to slay the innocent nor my hands be defiled with their bloud Keepe me that I walke not in the counsell of the vvicked vvhen they lay snares and digge pits for the destruction of any of thy deare children I know oh Lord that I am readie euery moment to vvander astray vnlesse thou direct my feete by thy holy Spirit and guide me in thy path by the light of thy word I confesse my heart is tainted with originall vices and my hands are stained vvith actuall offences all my parts are defiled yea my whole body is nothing else but a vessell full of corrupted liquor I am prone to commit all euilnesse with greedinesse But alas I finde in my selfe not so much as a motion to doe any goodnesse I am forward to persecute thee with the cruell Iewes and to giue my consent to shed thy innocent bloud vvith cursed Pilate yea I daily crucifie thee by my sinnes and pierce thy blessed side vvith mine iniquitie I caused thee to be vniustly accused and vvrongfully condemned Haue not my cursed vvords and bloudie oathes beene like sharpe speares to wound thy heart and my cruell deedes like nailes to fasten thee to the Crosse Wherefore wound thou my heart that I may not lye still snorting in the bed of carelesse securitie and continue senselesse in the lethargie of sinne Purge the drosse of my vitious heart vvith the fire of thy holy spirit and purifie my corrupted cogitatious by the bright beames of thy grace Oh let this holy fire bee still burning in my breast that it may consume the corruption of mine infectious sinne that cleaneth so fast vnto my bowels Bow downe thine eare oh my mercifull Sauiour vnto my humble petition and giue a gracious answere to my earnest supplication then I shall bee emboldened to come before thy Maiestie and to approach neere vnto thy seate of mercie Oh let my morning and euening Sacrifice of thankes-giuing my louing LORD and bountifull Iesu send vp a sweet sauour into thy nosthrils which diddest suffer thy selfe to be scorned scourged and condemned by the sentence of vvicked Pilate onely for my sake and my sinnes to set my captiue soule at libertie and vvith the effusion of thy most precious bloud to pay so deare a price for the purchase of my Redemption Graunt that the remembrance of such a worthie and more then wonderfull benefit may euermore be fresh in my memorie and laid vp as a most pretious Iewell in the safest closet of my thankfull minde And at the day of thy last iudgement and generall Assises when thou shalt come to iudge the quicke and the dead enter not into iudgement with thy seruant nor remember mine iniquities but iudge me with thine elected according to thy mercie that I may possesse the kingdome with them vvhich thou hast
desperate people whose eyes were more hard then a rocke that they could not yeeld forth one teare for pittie and hearts more vnapt then Adamant to relent with any tender compassion when they saw so wofull and dolefull a spectacle But for all the venemous speeches vttered out of their railing mouthes and for all the brutish deedes done vnto thee my louing Iesus with their cruell hands thou didst not once open thy mouth to contradict them in their raging madnesse or once to blame them in the heat and hate of their greatest furie but didst goe forward vvith meekenesse to the dolefull place of their bloudie execution to suffer the painefull pangues not for thy owne faults but for mine iniquities and that with thy pretious bloud thou mightst make a wholsome Bath to cure the spots and heale the blaines of my sinfull soule Teach me oh my sweet Christ and louing Iesus by thine example so to master mine affections and to direct mine actions that when mine enemies doe insult ouer mee vvith slaunderous vvords and slauish deedes I may vvalke and tread in thy pathes with meekenesse of heart and trace out thy steps with humility of minde hearing their diuellish curses with silence and bearing my heauie Crosse with patience committing my cause vnto the GOD of vengeance who heareth the cries of the silly orphane putteth the teares of the weeping vvidow into his bottle and deliuereth poore captiues out of prison when they call vpon him But tell me oh ye generation of vipers tell me oh ye bloodie-hearted and bloodie-handed Iewes why were ye so bloodie minded against my innocent Iesus vvhat horrible conspiracie had he plotted or practised against you that yee vvere so eager to vndermine his life and so greedie to hasten the bloodie day of his death Is this the honour that you giue to my Sauiour Is this the glorie you vouchsafe my Redeemer Is this the kinde entertainement you afford to your Prophet whom the day before you receiued with such ioy spreading your garments on the ground and couering the earth greene boughes when he entred into Hierusalem Oh most vngratefull vnconstant vngracious and gracelesse people Is your loue so soone changed into deadly hate is your late curtesie conuerted into cruelty were your fauours so quickly turned into frownes Is your honour altered to shame are your plausible speeches changed into bitter curses Doe yee to day lift him vp as high as Heauen and to morrow throw him downe as low as Hell Doe yee blesse him to day and curse him to morrow Doe yee flocke after him to day that your tongues may sing forth his prayses and to morrow doe ye crowd after him to fill his eares with reproches Doe ye to day entertaine him into the Citie as desirous of his life and to morrow doe yee leade him out of the Citie as a malefactor to suffer a shamefull death Did yee but now like him and by and by doe yee lothe him Is the milde complection of your loue altered in a moment into deadly hate What was the cause of your mutabilitie What was the occasion of your instabilitie Were the affections of your hearts so mutable and your vnconstant desires so moneable So soone as you perceiued that my louing Iesus began to bee hated of your enuious magistrates and cruelly handled by their wicked ministers scorned and scoffed at by the Souldiers tanted with proud and malicious words beaten and buffeted with cruell blowes scourged with whips spitted vpon by the scumme of the people disdainfully contemned of the high Priests and lastly condemned by Pilate then yee began to like of their chollericke humors and to play the executioners of their bloudy hate This day ye misuse and abuse him most vilely whom but yesterday yee honoured and exalted so highly Now your malice towards him is without meane and your cruell deeds without moderation The cruell Enuy of the high Priest kindled the fire and yee cast Oyle into it to increase the flame Oh what extreame crueltie what cruell extremitie what ignominious indignitie was done vnto my afflicted Iesus Was not the edge of your malice yet rebated Did the streame of your hatred growe to bee more violent Was there no little corner left for pitty to lodge in your brests Was there no motion of compassion within your bowels Tell me then how could ye be so harsh-harted and hard-handed as to lay so heauy huge a crosse vpon the shoulders of my poore afflicted Christ whose blessed body was disquieted for want of sleepe being cruelly tormented all the night faint with losse of blood and sore with store of cruell blowes Had Enuie so robbed your hearts and dispoiled all your sences of common humanitie that you were now so poore that yee were not able to bestow vpon him so much as one mite of mercie What infernall Phrensie vvhat Tyrannous impietie what execrable Tyranny can be compared to this Iewish crueltie But alas was there not one amongst so many vvhich vvas so kinde-harted as to lend a helping hand to ease the weary shoulders of my Sauiour Christ when his knees bended and his legs trembled vnder the burden of his heauy Crosse Oh let the lamentable relation of their furious ferocitie to my Iesus be so odious vnto our eares that it neuer finde any harbour in our hearts Behold oh my sorrowfull soule the monstrous Atrocitie of the stiffe-necked Iewes and the miraculous mildnesse of thy lowly Iesus Consider his humble obedience view his obedient humility vvho was euer truly obedient euen vnto death and euer was willing to offer vp his life as a sure pledge of his infinite loue towards his beloued Behold thou seest how mine afflicted Lord wounded with the teeth of Enuie and pierced with the darts of malice grudgeth not at the paine nor refuseth the tedious labour to carry the heauy burthen on his feeble necke contrary to all humanity and without any pitty so spitefully imposed vpon him But how should my sinnefull tongue divulgate the incomparable merite of thy admirable patience my most kinde sweet and humble Iesu How should my vnworthy vvords vtter the worthines of thy vnspeakeable humility which wert willing to vndergo the burden of so heauy a Crosse to deliuer me a most wretched sinner from a bitter curse when the vigor of thy naturall faculties was decayed thy humane strength weakened and thy whole body wearied with the grieuous paines torments afflictions which the wicked Iewes not fleshy but flinty-hearted without any mercy of theirs and merit of thine did cruelly heape vpon thee Oh let my hart be deeply wounded with ceaselesse compunction Let mine eyes be darkened with continuall weeping Yea let all my sences be afflicted with mourning that my sorrowes may be great because my sinnes are so grieuous For they indeed were the Tyrannicall tormentors that layd so heauy a Crosse on thy tyred shoulders who out of the abundance of thy infinite loue taking pitty on my wretched miserie didst willingly
submit thy selfe to such slauish cruelty not sparing to shed thy most pretious bloud to compound of it a most soueraigne Medicine to cure my desperate malady Now what measure of wordes can be so great or what voyce so vehement as may fully expresse the extreame impietie of the bloudy Iewes towards my blessed Iesus When such hellish fury did rule and reuell in their fiery harts that in the middest of so many bitter paines and pangs of his body and insupportable anguish of his soule they did impose so ponderous and heauy a Crosse on his faint and feeble shoulders being framed extraordinarily in respect of the matter and also vnvsually in regard of the forme More gently were the two Theeues vsed which were led along with him who were constrained to endure no such labor for we may wel think they would vse more kindnes to those wicked persons then to my holy Iesus For we doe not read that they were put to the toile to beare their Crosses whose bodies vvere more able because they had not felt one fit of the grieuous paines nor suffered one iot of the great tortures wherewith my sorrowful Sauiour had beene all the night before extreamely vexed and cruelly tormented Heere thou hast iust cause oh my soule to cry out against the monstrous inhumanity and brutish crueltie of the Iewes acted against thy despised Iesus What imagination can sound the bottome of their sauage tyrannie What tongue is able to make a perfect relation of their horrible furie Was it not a most ruthfull Spectacle forcible enough to haue drawne streames of teares out of the dryest eye and to haue incited a multitude of heauy groanes out of the hardest heart to see my beloued Lord carry so heauy a burden vpon his painefull shoulders yet bleeding with cruell wounds lately without any meane or mercie inflicted vpon them was there euer cruelty like vnto this Oh my louing Lord Oh my most beloued Iesu thou art now become a laughing-stocke to the barbarous Gentiles and matter of derision to the perfidious Iewes They scorned despised flouted and derided thee bearing thy heauy Crosse with patience towards the place of execution whereon thou shouldest suffer a most bloody bitter and shamefull death And so went my Lord Iesus with constant humanity towards the place where he was to suffer the deadly pangs of their extreamest tyranny whose knees were so weake and legs so feeble that they were not able to support the weight of so heauy a burthen which with such disdainful indignation they had imposed vpon him that thereby they might so much the more increase his derision and multiply his dolorous affliction Oh yee most cruell tormentors doe yee neuer cease to molest vexe my humbled Lord Iesus Could not one cruell death haue quenched the flame of your blood-thirsting malice Oh vvhy doe you abuse his meeke-minded patience by compelling him to feele so many deadly passions Now when those malicious persecutors saw that my vvearyed Christ was so surcharged vvith his heauy Crosse being so weightie in respect of the ponderous substance and also so cumbersome in regard of the extraordinary length that although hee had a willing minde yet that he had not sufficient strength to carry so heauie a load then they compelled Simon of Cyrene the father of Alexander Rufus to ease him of his burthen and to follow my tyred Christ with that painefull Crosse What did their stonie hearts now begin to relent vvith any motiue of compassion towards my poore afflicted Iesus No for the Curres were more curteous that licked the loathsome soares of hungry Lazarus that lay crying and dying for want of foode at the gate of their churlish maister then those vncircumcised Gentiles and stiffe-necked Iewes were to my innocent Iesus For how should their mindes be affected with any sparke of pittie whose harts were drowned in so deepe a sea of impietie But because they were loth that my Sauiour should end his tedious life before hee came where hee should suffer a most painefull pittifull and shamefull death they graunted him a little ease that he might goe with better speed and make a little more haste to the place of execution where they should play like the infernall Furies the last act of their bloody Tragedie Oh my sadde and sorrowfull soule how canst thou calme the waues of thy flowing sorrow how canst thou how canst thou asswage the pangs of thy turbulent passions when thou dost meditate how many miseries mischiefes calamities and distresses were violently inflicted vpon my beloued Iesus by the hatefull handes of those bloudy tormentors Oh my most mercifull Iesu Oh my most louing Lord Oh why was not I with thee at that time my sweet Christ that I might haue carried thy heauy Crosse Oh how happily should I haue shut vp the last euening of my short and gloomy dayes Oh how blessedly should I haue finished my restles course if I had died with thee on thy sacred crosse Oh how sweet had the sharpe deadly pangs and dolorous paines beene vnto mee how ioyfull had dolefull death bene vnto me a sorrowfull sinner if I had died with thee my bountifull Lord and blessed Redeemer It may be thou wouldest haue bequeathed me some liberall gift of thine indulgent mercie as thou didst vnto that true though late repenting thiefe vvhich was crucified with thee For at that houre thou didst franckely bestow the riches of thy bountiful mercy and then thou gauest the treasure of thy mercifull bountie Then sweet streames of pure vvater did flowe out of the cleare fountaine of thy mercy comfortable to coole the heat of a thirsty tongue and medicinable to cure the spreading malady of a leperous soule infected with sinne Oh vvould I had bene there to haue had some sweet taste of that blessed fountaine If I had drunke neuer so little it would haue beene enough to haue quenched my thirst and yet I should still haue thirsted to drinke more although I had drunke neuer so much If the cursed churle damned glutton had had but one drop of this caelestiall water it had bin sufficient not onely to haue cooled the tip of his flaming tongue but also to haue extinguished the fire of his euer neuer-dying soule and of his continuall burning and neuer consuming body tormented in Hell fill my soule oh my sweet Christ with this comfortable vvater that may cure my sinfull soares and mittigate my deserued sorrow But as thou didst go toward the place vvhere thou shouldst offer vp thy selfe for a compleat sacrifice to appease the vvrath of thy angry Father to make an euerlasting attonement betweene him and vs his disobedient children thou saydst vnto those mourning women who could not containe their trickling teares nor deteine their sorrowfull sobs to see their louing and dearely beloued Lord so doggedly haled and currishly handled Weepe not for me ye daughters of Ierusalem weepe for your selues your children Luk. 23.28 And now thou sayst vnto me
23.46 Of his deere life What more could he d Ioh. 19.30 abide NOw blessed Iesus and my beloued Sauiour is come vnto Mount Caluarie where he was to make the last period of all his humane miserie by suffering a most bloudie vile and violent death being cruelly nayled to that Crosse which of late lay so heauie vpon his shoulders that his whole body did shake and tremble vnder the burthen Oh blessed Mountaine happy for thy dignitie happy for thy fertilitie because it pleased the Lord Christ to suffer vpon thee But who shall ascend vp to the Hill of the Lord where the Lord Iesus is crucified Truly he that hath innocent hands and a cleane heart He vvhich loueth the Lord Iesus with all his heart with all his soule with all his strength hee shall ascend vp to his Mountaine and shall be crucified vvith the Lord Iesus Hee which hath crucified his flesh and the concupiscence thereof shall be crucified and suffer with his beloued Iesus I desire to be crucified with thee oh my most sweet Iesu I long to suffer on the crosse with thee that I may be crowned by thee but I know that first it is needefull for mee that the world be crucified vnto mee and I vnto the vvorld Gal. 6.14 But now let vs see oh my sorrowfull soule how my innocent Iesus was vsed by the rough-handed and cruell hearted tormentor when he vvas come to the place of execution vvhere malefactors did suffer grieuous punishment for their hainous offences First hauing exiled all compassion and pittie from their heart they lay hold vpon him with their bloudie and polluted hands and then they hastily rob and disroabe him of his garments before a rude multitude of the basest and meanest of the people yea they strip him starke naked that hee might appeare more vile and contemptible in their eyes Here hast thou good cause and iust occasion my perplexed soule to ouer-flowe thy cheekes afresh vvith a flood of teares and to dilate and open thy heart that thy heauie groanes and sorrowfull sighes may haue their free passage when thou seest thy louing Iesus stripped naked by the hands of such dogged and cruell tormentors exposed to the eyes of the pittilesse people and extreame coldnesse and roughnesse of the weather Oh how was the beauty of thy excellent composed body obscured with spots of bloud how was the pure-white colour of thy skin made blacke and blew with bitter blowes my most beautifull Iesu Oh how spitefull and vnappeasable was their indignation how bitter was the miserie how great yea exceeding great was the ignominie of thy grieuous passion my louing Christ my mercifull Iesu For so sharp was the edge of their cruelty so eager was the malice of their hearts and inhumanitie of their hands against thee that thou art layde naked vpon the Crosse vvhen as such extremitie was not vsed but to most wicked vile and abiect persons who for their notorious crimes deserued no pittie such was their damnable impietie But vvhat a spring of bitter teares might arise in the vveeping eyes of thy sad and mourning Mother vvhat sword of sorrow did pierce her tender heart vvhen she saw her deerely-louing and deerely beloued Sonne so roughly disrobed of his cloathes and nakedly exposed to the view of the rude base and common people vvho came not with relenting hearts to shew any signe of sorrow at the execution of such bloudie crueltie but rather to solace themselues and to laugh deride and raile vpon thee in this extreamest miserie Now when those cruell tormentors had speedily turned my innocent Iesus out of his cloathes they layde his naked body vpon the Crosse and first they nailed his innocent hands and after his blessed feet with long strong nailes So that the streames of bloud spouting out of his veines changed the hew of his Crosse into a crimson colour Oh what grieuous paine what horrible tortures did those wicked vvretches procure to my blessed Sauiour Oh vvhat infernall furie had incensed their bloudie mindes what diuellish madnesse enraged their hearts so farre to degenerate from the ciuill nature of men into the sauage nature of beasts Oh spectacle full of sorrow oh sight full of ruth how grieuous vvould that pittifull sight haue beene to mine eyes when the very Meditation of it doth so deepely wound my heart Though I know that the immaculate Lambe was sacrificed on this woodden Altar that he might wash and cleanse my polluted soule with his pretious bloud take away the foule staines of my defiled flesh and by suffering so vile a death on the Crosse to deliuer me from a bitter curse due vnto mee for my great and grieuous sinnes Yet needes must mine eyes haue melted like Ice into teares my heart haue beene consumed with sobs and all my bowels pained with compassion if I had beene a wofull beholder of his dolefull Passion vnlesse mine eyes had beene more drie then a flint my heart more hard then iron and my bowels composed of brasse But indeede vvhat riuers of streaming teares should water my cheeks what heauy groanes and lamentable sighes should sound out of the bottome of my heart How should all mine affections be drowned in the vvaues of afflictions when I contemplate the hidious deformities of my vgly sinnes and seriously meditate on the cruell tyrannie of my trayterous transgressions which indeed were nothing else but cruell hands and a hard hammer to driue the iron-nailes into thy blessed hands and innocent feet and to crash their tender bones into pieces Wound my soule oh my sweet Iesu pierce my heart that it may streame forth blood let nothing but mournfull sighes be pleasant vnto my vveeping eyes let nothing but voices of horror and lamentation be delightfull vnto my dolefull eares so that all my senses may be true mourners to bewaile the crueltie of my sinnes and to shew some tokens of true repentance for the multitude of my transgressions which so pittifully wounded thy sacred body and so grieuously vexed thy righteous soule Crucifie my heart that it may die to wicked cogitations Crucifie my hands that they may haue no power to commit euill actions Crucifie mine eyes that they may want light in taking delight to gaze vpon vvorldly vanities Crucifie mine eares that they may be dull and depriued of hearing when they should listen to fruitlesse and friuolous words vnsauorie speeches lasciuious and wanton discourses Crucifie my tongue that it may haue no motion to vtter any opposite thing to the pure Law of my God or hurtfull to the commoditie of those which are godly and good Crucifie my Taste that it may not be allured with the wanton enticements of delicate meates nor so ouercome with the baytes of pleasant wine that the eyes of my vnderstanding be darke vvith the fumes of gluttony or my soule be polluted or my body defiled with filthie adulterie Crucifie the olde man sinne that hath beene my Tenant so long and hath had his habitation in
vouchsafe to die for the loue of me Wherefore haue the sparks of my loue lien so long couered in the embers Or rather why are they almost extinguished Oh what seuere punishment should I take of my selfe for my monstrous ingratitude How is my tongue able to vtter one word yea one sillable of a word to excuse the coldnesse of my loue How may I blush nay how may my face be confounded with shame vvhich am so vvayward and vnwilling to suffer any little affliction for thy sake who endured so many extreame torments for my sinne I lie on feather-beds couered vvarme vvith cloathes and thou didst lie naked nailed to a woodden Crosse and that in the time of colde weather vvhen others doe vvarme themselues at a fire If my head begin to ake I lay it downe vpon a soft pillow to ease my paine lessen my griefe But thou oh my louing Lord hast not so much as a bolster of straw vvhereon thou mightest lay thy dying head pierced with sharpe thornes and bleeding vvith many wounds When I am sicke my friends about mee bestirre themselues to ease my diseased body and to reuiue my fainting spirits But alas my sweet Sauiour there vvas none about thee at the houre of thy pittifull and painefull death vvhich vvould proffer thee any kinde deede no not so much as a comfortable word They offer thee bitter vvine mixed with mirrhe and mingled with Gall. But although thy thirst was great caused by the extremitie of thy paines and immoderate effusion of thy blood yet vvhen thou hadst tasted of it thou didst refuse to drinke of their bitter potion How hard were their harts yea how dead without any feeling of common compassion that could giue vnto my sweet Sauiour no better then such a bitter Potion Such was the succour that they would afford thee at the houre of thy death This was the best Cordiall they would giue thee a little before the parting of thy breath What iust occasion hadst thou my mercifull Redeemer yea what admirable patience hadst thou that thou didst not bitterly inueigh against the bloudie Gentiles and vnbeleeuing Iewes who were so maliciously madded and bloudily minded against thee that all vvhich they sought and all which they wrought was to augment thy sorrow But whilst their hearts were inflamed with malice against thee and their hands labouring to crucifie thee thou wert so farre from accusing them for their sauadge cruelty that thou didst pray vnto thy heauenly Father that hee would remit and forgiue their iniquity saying Father pardon them because they know not what they doe Luk. 23.34 And this oh my sweet Christ vvas the first vvords vvhich thou spakest vpon thy bitter Crosse Indeede they knew thee not for their eyes were blinded that they could not see and their hearts were hardned that they could not vnderstand Heere maist thou meditate oh my soule with exceeding comfort vpon the wonderfull patience admirable mercy sweet words of thy louing Sauiour who was not so much grieued with paine of his owne afflictions as hee was earnest to pray for the remission of their sinnes Hee did not once open his mouth to make any iust Apologie for his owne innocencie nor to denounce any deserued malediction No not one bitter vvord against them for their dogged cruelty But in the extremest pangs of his bitter Passion his tender heart was moued vvith pittifull compassion towards them he opened the fountaine of his mercy that the sweet streames of his Benediction might flow vpon them Hee blessed them that cursed him hee shewed them a true token of his entire loue for their cruell hate he prayed for them as if they had been his dearest friends when indeed they were his deadly foes How should my feeble tongue like a trumpet oh my bountifull Iesu sound forth the wonderfull worthinesse of thy surmounting mercy How should mine vnable and barren hart conceiue the dignitie of thine vncomparable meeknesse How should the weake sight of my darke vnderstanding pierce into the hidden mysteries of thy gratious mildnesse vvhich surpasseth all vnderstanding How affable and ineffable is the sweetnesse of thy charitable prayer how bottomlesse is the depth of thy clemencie how vnexhaustible is the treasure of thy benignitie How large and spacious yea how infinit are the bounds of thy mercie For with what tranquility of minde with what piety and pittie of heart with what sweet milde and perswasiue words didst thou sue for their pardon vvho now were breathing out nothing else but curses against thee vvith their malicious tongues and euen now acting the extremity of their Tyrannie against thee with their bloudie hands Thou wert not discouraged by their iniuries thou wert not hardned with their reproches thou didst not rebuke them for their euill words thou didst not check them for their wicked deeds thou didst seeke to salue their soares who gaue thee deadly wounds thou diddest make intercession for their life who cruelly put thee to death thou wert full of pitty towards them whose hearts were empty of all compassion towards thee Oh with what wonderfull mildnes of mind with what great deuotion of spirit in what abundance of loue didst thou cry Father forgiue them Oh wonderfull worke of thy worthy mercy oh rare and memorable example of exceeding pitty oh perfect patterne of excellent charity oh let me poore wretched sinner taste the sweetnes of this hony reuiue my dying heart with this cordiall compassion relieue my sicke soule with this comfortable confection Cry out so for me my sweet Lord and kinde Mediator commend my wofull case and pleade my cause vnto thy Father saying Father forgiue him For in truth I know not what I do loue of the world hath blinded mine eyes desire of carnall pleasures is rooted in my heart and all manner of wanton vanities are rife in my minde I runne headlong in the broad way of destruction I cannot finde the narrow path which leadeth to Saluation Open mine eyes oh Lord that I may see to walke in thy wayes and direct my feet that I may tread in thy pathes Teach mee to follow the patterne of thy excellent patience so that I may not wish well onely to my dearest friends which dearely loue mee but also pray for my cruell enemies who deadly hate mee But alas how soone am I displeased how long is it before I will forgiue if I be once offended I am prone with enuious Cain to stain my hands with horrible murder I long for a day with rough Esau wherein I may slay my innocent brother I oftentimes fall out with my friend for a crosse word so that oftentimes in requitall I seeke to doe him a mischieuous deed I thinke my selfe the worse when I see him Oh how doe I disdaine to speake vnto him Teach mee to learne this hard lesson of patience purge the seed of malice out of my mind mellow the ground of my heart vvith the deaw of thy graces that it may not onely be
tender to giue my beloued poore Friends but that it may also be pliable to forgiue my hatefull Foes seeing that thou wert not so much touched with the sense of thy owne afflictions and no doubt the paines of them were most grieuous vnto thee as thou wert mooued with zeale to pray for thy bloody enemies when they made a prey of thy garments and cast lots for thy vnseamed vesture Ioh. 19.24 Now though Pilate gaue wrongfull iudgement against thee to take away thy innocent life yet he seemed to honour thee at the houre of thy death when hee wrote on the Crosse Iesus of Nazareth King of the Iewes Matt. 27.37 Mar. 15.26 Luk. 23.38 Iohn 19.19 It pleased him to intitle thee a King by name but alas hee had no such conceit of thee in his secret thoughts But indeed thou wert worthy of a far more honorable Title being not onely King of the Iewes but also of the Gentiles Yea Creator and Gouernor of euery creature Neuerthelesse thou didst not clothe thy selfe with the vesture of our Humanitie that thou shouldst be honoured with any worldly dignity It was thy chiefest honor to do the will of thy heauenly Father Ioh. 14.31 thou camest not to depriue Herod of his Kingdome nor to gather any forces to deliuer the Iewes as they fondly dreamed of their Messias vainely expected at the comming of their King Thou camest to deliuer the people from the Captiuity of their sinnes and by shedding thy pretious blood to saue their soules Graunt me oh my sweet Sauiour that I may set open the dore of my heart that thou mayest enter which art the true King of glory and that I may stil desire althogh I am vnable to shew my selfe a louing and loyall subiect to receiue thee Send thy holy spirit as a Harbenger before thee to giue mee warning of thy comming and then I shall be prepared to entertaine my gratious Soueraigne with humility of minde and tokens of sincere loue I long oh my King for thy comming for I am assured if thou vouchsafe to enter into my cottage thou wilt bestow such a royall gift vpon mee that I shall beginne to disdaine the pompe of the vvorld and account nothing so deare vnto mee as thy loue Oh would my louing Sauiour would imbrace mee betweene his blessed armes Oh I vvish to liue I long to die betwixt thy louing imbracements thy armes vvere stretched out on the Crosse as if thou wert ready to receiue any penitent sinner refuse not to receiue me a wretched sinner who wounded with the horror of my sinnes doe come vnto thee as my Physition who is only able and willing to heale my wounds Let thy pretious blood stoppe the bloody issue of my sinnes thy mercy and nothing but thy mercy can cure my malady that one and that alone is all my remedy Graunt mee oh my sweet Iesu that I may bee able to say vvith thine Apostle I am crucified with thee Crucifie my wanton flesh with the nayles of thy feare mortifie my rebellious thoghts with dread of thy Iustice and Meditation of thy iudgements Let it be the ioy of my hart let it be the daily exercise of my minde let it be the obiect of all my thoughts to thinke on my Lord Iesus and him crucified I cannot wonder enough thogh I neuer cease to wonder at thee my Iesu my Sauiour and my Redeemer yet let me neuer cease to maruaile at the wonderfull worke of thy Passion which thou didst so patiently suffer that by thy innocent death thou mightest cancell the obligation of our infinite debt affixe it to thy Crosse that thou mightest deliuer vs poore and miserable wretches from the danger of the curse which was gone out against vs Oh how can my meditations attaine to the length of thy admirable loue how can my cogitations measure the bredth of thy clemency how should my deepest imaginations diue into the depth of thy mercy My eye is too dimme to perceiue the beauty my eare is too dull to heare the greatnesse my hart is too grosse to conceiue the goodnes my taste is too weake to rellish the sweetnes my tongue is too feeble to declare the worthines of thy loue no words be they neuer so many can expresse the quantity no eloquence be it neuer so excellent can relate the quality Oh with what humility of minde with what exceeding patience with what kinde and tender affections didst thou suffer the extreamest pangs of thy bitter afflictions How is my minde amazed with the bright beames of thy loue How are all my thoughts confounded with the greatnes of thy clemency How is my soule rauished with the goodnes of thy mercy What did mooue thee oh my sweet Sauiour but thy vnspeakeable loue what did induce thee but thy incomparable mercy to pay so deere a price for my Redemption Oh let the remembrance of thy infinite bounty neuer depart out of my minde Let all my affections be inflamed with the fire of thy loue Let the sweetnesse and greatnesse of thy mercies be my chiefest Meditations Mortifie my disobedient cogitations with thy feare and crucifie my rebellious actions on thy Crosse that although sinne must dwell and remaine in mee yet it may not raigne and rule ouer mee A Meditation concerning the derisions and scornefull speeches vttered to the Lord IESVS when hee was nayled on the Crosse by the Iewes and one of the Theeues which were crucified with him and of the second words he spake on the crosse MED XV. Twixt a Mat. 27.38 Mark 15.27 Theeues Christ suffered For no fault he shed His pretious bloud The b Mark 23.4 Iohn 19.6 Sunne thereat asham'd c Mar. 15.33 Matth. 27.45 and 27.52 Ore-uaild his face The graues gaue vp their dead With wonders more that cannot here be nam'd NOw ruminate oh my sorrowful and lamenting soule what scornefull speeches vvhat spitefull derisions and bitter reproaches were breathed out of the mouthes of the enuious Iewes against my patient and silent Iesus after they had nailed his pure hands blessed feet to the Crosse Call home all thy wandring cogitations that they may be soly and wholy intentiue to this heauenly and diuine meditation Let streames of teares gush out of my melting eyes let them penetrate into my bosome that they may mollifie my stony heart so that it may be so deepely wounded with sorrowfull compassion as if I had beene an eye-witnesse of his painefull Passion when his innocent hands and blessed feet streamed forth pretious blood yet the streames of it could not quench the fire of their malice they could not calme the rage of their stormy minds nor breed any one thought of pitty in their cruel hearts It was not sufficient for them to torment him with their bloody hands but now at his vndeserued death they raile and reuile him with their blasphemous mouthes for as their hearts were stony not apt to take any print of compassion and their hands filled with
sauage cruelty without mercy so their words and speeches were vnciuil void of all modesty Some cry out He saued others let him saue himselfe if he be the Sonne of God the Souldiers disdainfully deride him and scornfully mocke him saying If thou be king of the Iewes saue thy selfe Also they that passe by nod their heads at him reuile him bitterly and blaspheme him saying Ah thou which doest destroy the Temple of God and in three dayes dost build it againe saue thy selfe If thou be the Sonne of God come downe from the Crosse Oh how cruelly was my innocent Sauiour tormented with their vnmercifull hands oh how was his righteous soule woūded with their malicious tongues their words do sauour of Gall and their speech is more bitter then wormwood But so great was their malice so grieuous was their indignation so deadly was their hatred against my louing Iesus that they thought all their cruell deeds were too litle to be inflicted vpon him and that all their words were not halfe bitter enough which their venemous mouthes did spue out against him But as my blessed Redeemer did patiently suffer the extreame tortures of their merciles hands so hee did meekely beare the bitter taunts of their reuiling tongues Oh let the memory of this thy exceeding patience bee so deepely sealed in my minde that my thoughts may stil meditate on thy infinite loue let my teares often flowing out of my eyes be true tokens of my inward sorrow and let my grieuous groanes be as faithfull messengers to declare my true repentance For it was my horrible transgressions and hainous offences my kinde and louing Sauiour that made thee to abide the tyranny of their bloody and murthering hands and to feele the sting of their sharpe and malicious tongues But alas mine eyes are so dry that they cannot shed a teare and my heart so hard that it cannot yeeld a groane vnlesse thou moysten the one with the gratious raine of thy graces and mollifie the other by the vertue of thy spirit Now not onely the irreligious Gentiles who were actors of this bloody Tragedy and the enuious Iewes who were authors and Spectators of all their cruelty did disgorge the bitter choller of their malice against my crucified Iesus but also one of the malefactors hauing no remorse of conscience for his owne offences nor pitty on my Sauiour so grieuously taunted and spightfully scorned of the basest of the people began to raile vpon him without modestie to vse these tearmes against him full of vile indignitie If thou art Christ saue thy selfe and vs Luke 23.39 But his other fellow touched with sorrow for his sinnes and freely confessing that they had both worthily deserued did iustly suffer death for their transgressions began to reprehend him for his blasphemous impietie and to iustifie my Iesus for his blamelesse innocency And when he had rebuked his fellow for such great inhumanity he turned to my Sauiour to implore his mercy that he might be made partaker of the ioyes of his heauenly Kingdome vttering this short and sweet prayer Lord remember me when thou commest into thy Kingdome And hee had scant ended his short petition but my mercifull Sauiour made him this gratious answere Verely I say vnto thee this day thou shalt be with mee in Paradise Luke 23.43 But now let vs consider oh my soule with deuout attention and behold with attentiue deuotion what riches of infinite bounty what large promises of vnmeasurable liberalitie what a blessed inheritance my bountifull redeemer doth promise vnto this poore naked and true though late repenting sinner How might this blessed promise mittigate the sorrowes Oh thou sorrowfull sinner of thy perplexed minde How might it ease the soares of thine afflicted body for as faith bred in thy heart a true contrition and opened thy mouth to make that humble petition so no doubt it sealed such an assurance vnto thy wounded conscience that thou didst stedfastly beleeue his promise and faithfully looke for the performance But how may my speech extend it selfe to the length of thy boundlesse liberalitie my most liberall Redeemer How may my words measure the bredth of thy vnlimited mercy yea how can my thoughts sound the bottomlesse Sea of thy benignitie in thy first words vttered on the Crosse thou doest pray thy Father to forgiue thy cruell tormentors and in thy second words thou doest bountifully giue Paradice vnto a sorrowfull sinner Oh who can worthily estimate the dignitie of the gift who can sufficiently extol the bounty of the giuer although my sweet Iesu thy whole life was the merit of our saluation yet at thy bitter death thou didst pay the full price of our redemption Oh happy theefe that had such a sweet tast of thy mercy Oh blessed soule that wert made partaker of such infinite bounty Oh what great graces excellent vertues were infused into thee that thou didst beleeue my Iesus to be the true Son of God thy Creator whom thou didst see to die the death of a miserable creature As thy faults were intollerable in thy dissolute life so thy faith appeareth admirable at thy sorrowfull death For what but faith was the motiue to moue thee to sue to him to be remembred in his kingdome of eternall felicity who to thy outward eyes appeared nothing else but a spectacle of wofull misery and as thy confidence was great and thy loue much so thy Iesus doth speedily assure thee to enioy a bountifull reward Therefore I pray thee my most bountifull Iesu so to inspire my minde with thy grace and so to kindle thy loue in my brest that I may be contented to be crucified with thee here vpon earth that I may be receiued by thee into thy kingdome of heauen And grant that I may so truly lament for my trespasses and shed such bitter teares for my sins that I may faithfully say with this penitent theefe Lord remember mee when thou shalt come into thy Kingdome For I confesse O Lord I haue beene no better then a Theefe for I haue robbed thee of thy honor I haue bene vntrue vnto thee concerning thy glory My lips are defiled with lying my hands haue wrought the workes of deceipt I haue often beguiled the widdow and defrauded the Orphane I haue sought to make my selfe rich by oppression I haue beene disobedient to my gouernours and would not liue vnder their lawfull subiection Oh Lord remember not my great and grieuous offences let thy mercy blot them out of thy memory that they may not be laid against me when I shall be summoned to appeare before thee Remember me according to the multitude of thy mercies as thou didst this late-repenting malefactor whom thou hast left vnto mee as one rare example of thy infinite mercy that I should not dispaire in regard of thy iustice and that I should not presume to sin in respect of thy mercie Oh let me remember this rare example of thy extraordinary goodnesse so that I may
neither dispaire with the heauy burden of my sinnes nor presume without feare to transgresse the bounds of thy holy law that although I haue runne long the wilde race of vnbrideled iniquitie yet at last I may returne home vnto thee out of the way of impietie vvith this faithfull and true repenting offender and be a companion vvith him in thy Paradice of euerlasting felicitie A Meditation concerning the lamentation of the Virgine MARY beholding her Sonne lifted vp vpon the Crosse standing by it accompanied with Iohn the Euangelist and Mary Magdalene MED XVI The blessed Virgin a Iohn 9.25 standing by the Crosse Of Christ our Lord Behold thy b Ibid. 26. Sonne sayd he Vnto his Mother Oh most grieuous losse That he must die who from all c Luke 23.14 faults was free NOw turne thy thoughts Oh my sorrowfull soule from the blasphemous reproches scornfull derisions and malicious slanders of the wicked Iewes insulting against my innocent IESVS And now thou hast heard how bountifull thy Sauiour was vnto the penitent Theefe that was sorrowfull for his owne iniquity and couragious to iustifie my mercifull Redeemer for his vnspotted innocency Meditate a while on the Lamentation of his blessed Mother whose heart was wounded with sorrow to see her Sonne so cruelly tormented when hee had neuer offended in word nor imagined any euill in thought How sharpe was the sting of dolour to wound her heart how intollerable was the griefe that did trouble her minde when shee saw his body bleeding with so many wounds before her wofull eyes and heard their bitter words and diuelish reproches cast out against him in the audience of her dolefull eares As shee had cause to reioyce at his blessed Birth so now shee had good occasion to mourne for his cruell death For though no doubt she was annointed with oyle of graces aboue her fellowes yet we may not thinke shee vvas quite exempted from the passions of a woman or void of the tender affections of a Mother when shee saw the harmlesse head of her louing and beloued Son bleeding with a Crowne of Thornes his innocent hands and blessed feete fastened to the Crosse with iron nailes Certainely shee knew that his Conception vvas so sanctified by the holy Ghost in her wombe that his most blessed body vvas alwaies free from the infection of impiety and his flesh neuer tainted vvith the corruption of iniquitie But yet shee knew hee did not suffer without sense of his paines and although he was endued with a supernaturall patience yet shee knew that he felt the pangs of his bitter Passion subiect by his humane nature to many infirmities as we are yet euer hauing a pure heart and cleane hands from the spots of sinne vvherewith our soules are polluted our bodies continually infected Wherefore thinke oh my soule that as her afflictions were grieuous so her lamentation vvas great suppose that thou doest see her with her face discolored with palenesse discouering her motherly sorrow to thy outward eies and that thou didst heare her mournefull tongue telling this dolefull tale to thy attentiue eares vvhich should cause thee to be a partner with her in her woe and sigh for thy sinnes which vvere the cause of her sorrow to see her beloued Sonne so cruelly crucified by the Gentiles and so disdainfully derided by the Iewes Thinke I say that thou doest see her vvatering her eyes vvith store of teares vttering these or the like words with her sorrowfull lips to her dearely beloued Son which words should draw out teares from thine eyes and driue out groanes from thy hart which shee pronounced with a dolefull accent in this or the like manner Oh what medicine be it neuer so soueraigne can asswage the rigour of my malady what salue be it neuer so precious can heale the wounds of my bleeding heart vvhat vvords be they neuer so comfortable can cheare vp my dolefull minde when I see thee my beloued Sonne so cruelly tormented and so ignominiously taunted Alas for me poore wretch thy sorrowfull Mother How intollerable is the paine how grieuous is the punishment that is inflicted vpon thee Thy death is not so bitter vnto mee and yet how loath I am to forgoe thee as these cruell torments which I see doe torture thy innocent body and doe greatly augment the sorrow of my perplexed minde As thy blessed life was the cause of my chiefest felicity so will thy bitter death be the beginning of my miserie Who shall afford mee comfort in the time of my calamity who shall giue me counsell who shall be my succour in the time of my necessitie vvhen I am separated from thee How shall I spend the daies with sorrowing and passe through the teadious nights with mourning But thou oh my GOD omnipotent vvhich art his eternall Father vvho canst not shut thine eies of compassion from thine afflicted Sonne comfort mee his sorrowfull Mother Thou seest the wounds of his body thou knowest the sorrowes of my heart and because thou art a Father of mercies and a GOD of all consolation looke downe vpon me out of thy holy Sanctuarie and as thou hast proued me to be thy faithfull Handmaide so let the sweetnesse of thy Fatherly loue temper the bitternesse of my griefe that although I be depriued from the humane societie of my Sonne yet the vvings of thy prouidence may still ouershadow mee and thy omnipotent arme safely protect me But as the Virgine Marie did bewaile the cruell and bloudie death of her innocent Sonne so Marie Magdalene vvith many teares gushing out of her eyes began to lament the wofull case of him her louing Master on this or such like manner Oh my deere Master oh my gracious Lord oh my blessed and bountifull benefactor I cannot liue without thy louing company I cannot abide without thy amiable Societie What tongue though it speake neuer so dolefull can truly relate my sorrow What vvords be they neuer so rhetoricall can ease my inward griefe vvhen I see I shall be separated from so louing and so kinde a Master Oh how tyrannous are the torments wherewith the bloudy tormentors doe torment thine afflicted body How sharpe are the arrowes of their malice vvherewith they vvound thy righteous soule How grieuous is the sight of their cruell deedes vnto mine eyes How odious are their dogged words vnto mine eares Yet my constant loue vnto thee will not giue mee leaue to leaue thee though it be a death vnto mee to see thy calamity so long as mine eyes may behold thee The sight of the bitter pangs of thy Passion doth affright me with horrour The signes of thy approaching death doth confound my senses with continuall terror I see thy head which I annointed with pretious oyntment cruelly pierced with Thornes pittifully bleedihg with many wounds I see thy harmlesse hands pierced with iron nayles and thy innocent feete stained vvith bloud which I bathed with the teares of mine eyes and vviped vvith the
accuser and when it shall be sayd of mee behold the man and his vvorkes then I shall reduce and bring againe before mine eyes all my sinnes and offences For it shall be brought to passe by a certaine diuine power that good and euil works shal be recalled to the remembraunce of euery one and shall be seene in the view of the minde with a wonderfull speede and celeritie that the knowledge of them may accuse or excuse the conscience and that so both euery man seuerally and generally may be iudged together Euery man shall be iudged for his deeds And all the secrets of all men shall appeare and lie open vnto all For that which wee are ashamed At the day of iudgement all things shal be made manifest and blush at to confesse now shall then be manifest and apparant to all And there the reuenging and deuouring fire shall burne and consume whatsoeuer heere wee cloake and flatter by dissembling The swift fire shall rage and raigne euery where hauing gotten free scope and libertie And by how much the longer the Lord doth waite and tarry for our amendement so much the more strictly hee will iudge vs if vvee shall abuse and neglect his patience Why therefore doe vvee so earnestly couet this life in which the longer wee liue the more we sinne For by how much the more the dayes of our life are lengthened Nothing more mutable then humane condition by so much the more our faults and transgressions are augmented For euill things do daily increase but good things decay and are diminished Mans state doth neuer stand at a stay but is continually chaunged by prosperity and aduersitie and hee knoweth not when he shall die For as a blazing starre in the skie runneth swiftly and vanisheth away suddenly The shortnesse of mans life shadowed out by a double similitude or as a sparkle of fire is suddenly extinguished and turned into ashes so wee may see this life quickely ended and suddenly consumed For while man tarrieth willingly and liueth most pleasantly in this World and supposeth that hee shall liue long and purposeth many things to be done in long time hee is suddenly snatched away by death and the Soule is taken from the body before hee beware of it Yet the soule is separated with great feare much paine and bitter griefe from the body For the Angels come to take her that they may bring her before the Tribunall seat of a most fearefull Iudge then shee calling to minde her euill and most wicked workes which shee hath done day and night trembleth and seeketh to shunne and auoyd them and to desire a truce of them saying Graunt me the space yea but of one houre Then her workes as it vvere Our works will follow vs to iudgement speaking together shall answere and say Thou hast made vs wee are thy workes wee vvill goe forward with thee to iudgement Vices also shall accuse her with many and manifolde crimes and shall bring many false testimonies against her although one sufficeth to her damnation The Deuils also shall terrifie her vvith their gastly countenance and horrible aspect they shall persecute her and take holde of her as terribly so also horribly desirous to reteine her vnlesse there be one vvho can deliuer her from them Then the Soule finding the eyes shut the mouth and other sences of the body by which shee was wont to haue passage and to bee delighted in these outward things closed The state of a damned soule shall returne to her selfe and seeing her selfe alone and naked stricken vvith exceeding horrour shee shall faint in her selfe and fall downe vvith desperation And because for the loue of the world and pleasure of the flesh shee forsooke the loue of God shee wretched shall be quite forsaken in the houre of such great necessitie and shall be deliuered to the Deuils to be tormented in Hell So the soule of a sinner in the day wherein hee is ignorant and houre in which hee knoweth not is snatched away of death and is separated from the body and proceedeth forward full of miseries trembling and sorrowing and when shee hath no excuse which shee may alledge for her sinne shee fainteth and faileth with dreadfull feare to appeare before GOD shee is shaken and quaketh with exceeding horrour and is tossed and troubled with manifold tempests of perplexed thoughts and dispairefull cogitations the dissolution and separation of the flesh grieuing her and all being remoued out of her sight shee considereth her selfe and that time to which shee approacheth and after a little while she findeth in that that which can neuer be altered nor reuersed Shee considereth throughly how seuere the eternall Iudge commeth and what straight accounts she must make before the seueritie of such great Iustice For although shee haue escaped all the vvorkes vvhich shee could vnderstand yet for all that comming before a strict and seuere Iudge shee dreadeth those more which shee vnderstandeth not in her selfe Feare increaseth when shee thinketh she could not passe through the way of this life vvithout a fault neither that time which shee hath liued commendably is without offence if it be iudged pitty and mercy excluded For who is able to consider how many and how great euils vvee commit in moments of times Sinnes are of two sorts of commission and omission and what great good things wee neglect to doe For as the commission of an euill thing is sinne so the omission of a good thing is an offence For great is the losse and dammage when wee neither doe nor thinke good things but suffer our heart to wander stagger abroad through vaine and vnprofitable things Neuerthelesse it is a very hard and difficult thing to bridle the heart and keepe it from an vnlawfull cogitation Also it is a thing ouer-hard to execute earthly affaires without sinne Wherefore no man can perfectly comprehend and discerne himselfe But being busied toyled with many thoughts and cogitations he remayneth in some measure vnknowne vnto himselfe that hee knoweth not all those things which he tollerateth Why man is at his death fearfull Wherefore his departure out of the world being instant and pressing him hee is terrified with a more exact feare because although he remembreth that hee hath not omitted those things which he knew yet he dreadeth those things which he knoweth not Of the dignitie of the Soule MOTIVE III. OH Soule sealed with the Image of God adorned with his similitude Excellency of the Soule betrothed to him by Faith endowed with the Spirit redeemed by bloud associated with Angels capable of Beatitude heire of Goodnesse partaker of Reason what hast thou to doe with the flesh of whom thou sufferest so many euils Because of the flesh the sinnes of another are imputed to thee and thy vertues reputed as a stained and filthy clout and thou thy selfe art brought to nothing and reputed as nothing The flesh is no other thing vvith
and deceiue me but aduerse and contrary things because they haue some bitternesse as bitter Potions doe make mee suspitious and fearefull I feare the euill more vvhich I doe priuily then that which I doe openly For the Temptor commeth boldly to the euill vvhich no man seeth which no man comprehendeth and where no man is feared which should finde fault vvith it and so iniquitie is more easily committed Truly there is Warre on both sides danger on both sides to be feared on both sides And euen as they which remaine in the Land of their enemies must looke on this side and that side and must turne their head about at euerie noise So the flesh suggesteth pleasant things to me the vvorld vaine things the Diuell bitter things because so often as a carnall cogitation doth importunately moue assaile my minde concerning meate and drinke sleepe and other like things belonging to the care and prouision of the flesh the flesh speaketh to me When a vaine thought is busied in my heart concerning worldly Ambition bragging and boasting it proceedeth from the world But when I am prouoked to anger and wrath and to bitternesse of minde it is a diuellish suggestion the which I must resist no otherwise then the Diuell himselfe neither must I any otherwise take heede and beware of it then of damnation it selfe It is the office of Diuels to bring in false suggestions it is our duite not to consent to them For so often as we resist them so often we ouercome the Diuell wee glad the Angels we honour God For he doth exhort and encourage vs that wee may fight hee helpeth vs that wee may ouercome hee beholdeth vs fighting he succoureth vs fainting hee crowneth vs conquering From whence the flesh of Man proceedeth and what it bringeth forth MOTIVE XV. MY flesh proceedeth from the clay and therefore I haue voluptuous thoughts from it vaine and curious cogitations from the world Three cruell enemies of man euill malitious suggestions from the Diuell These three enemies doe assaile persecute me somtime openly somtime secretly but alwaies malitiously For the Diuell trusteth most in the helpe of the flesh because a domesticall enemie doth most hurt and procureth greatest harme For she hath entered a league with him for my ruine ouerthrow and destruction to wit being borne of sinne and nourished in sinne corrupted vvith vices from the very beginning Flesh is corrupted be birth nurture and custome but made a great deale more vitious by euill custome From hence it proceedeth that she coueteth and lusteth so eagerly against the spirit that she continually murmureth and cannot abide good discipline and vvholsome correction because she suggesteth vnlawfull things will neither obey reason nor is brideled vvith any feare That wretched Serpent approacheth to her hee aydeth her hee vseth her being the olde and deadly enemie of mankinde who hath no other desire no other businesse no other exercise but to destroy our selues The continuall practise of the Diuell This is hee which imagineth mischiefe continually speaketh subtilly suggesteth artificially deceiueth craftily Hee inspireth wicked and vnlawfull motions raiseth warres nourisheth hatred stirreth vp gluttonie incenseth lust pricketh forward the vnbrideled desires of the flesh and prepareth baites and occasion of sinne and also assaulteth without ceasing the hearts of men with a thousand slights to hurt and destroy them From hence it falleth out that he beateth vs with our owne staffe bindeth our hands with our owne girdle and cutteth our throat with our owne knife so that the flesh which is giuen to vs for a helpe becommeth to vs ruine and hurt and is as a blocke in our way to make vs to stumble It is a grieuous combat and a great danger to fight against such a domesticall enemie especially seeing wee are strangers and hee a Citizen hee inhabiteth his owne Country we are banished men and strangers It is also great perill and danger to endure so often yea rather such continuall conflicts of his diuellish policie whom as well subtill nature as long exercise of his inueterate malice hath made so politicke and crafty Of the short life of man MOTIVE XVI THe day of man is as it were a shadow or rather a shadow vpon earth it hath no continuance and then it is properly nothing and more vaine then any thing when it seemeth to stand surest and to rest vpon a sound foundation Therfore why doth a couetous man hoord vp treasure here vpon earth so greedily The folly of rich men when both hee himselfe must passe away so suddenly also the treasure which he hath stored vp so carefully And in truth oh foolish man what fruit canst thou expect in the vvorld whose sweetest fruit is vtter ruine whose end is death and wofull destruction Would to GOD thou wert wise could vnderstand and carefully prouide in thy short life against the day of thy certaine and vncertaine death A notable description of the olde man or sinne I know one who many yeeres hath liued familiarly with thee hath sat downe at thy Table hath receiued meat from thine owne hand hath slept in thy bosome and when he would hath had priuate conference with thee He by hereditary law is but thy seruant But because from his tender yeeres thou hast pampered him delicately brought him vp very wantonly and hast spared the rod foolishly hee is now become stubborne and rebellious against thee Hee hath lifted vp his heele aboue thy head hee hath brought thee into slauish bondage and doth cruelly tyrannize ouer thee But peraduenture thou wilt say Who is hee It is thy olde man vvhich treadeth and trampleth thy Spirit vnder feete who disdaineth contemneth and reputeth lesse then nothing that blessed Land which is solely and wholy to be desired because nothing can giue a sweet taste or procure a pleasing rellish to his corrupted humour but onely such things as may please the wanton flesh and her vntemperate desires This man is blinde and deafe from his Natiuitie dumbe ancient with dayes many and euill rebellious against vertue opposite to verity an Enemie of the Crosse of Christ Hee scorneth derideth and flowteth the innocent and that man which walketh vprightly in truth and sincerity He busieth himselfe and intermedleth with great and wonderfull matters which doe farre exceede his weake capacitie and much surpasse the short reach of his dull doltish vnderstanding His arrogancie and impudent boldnesse is more then all his fortitude and forces hee dreadeth none nor standeth in awe of any but saith proudly in his doting foolishnesse There is no God Hee pineth and consumeth with good things he is also fed and nourished with other mens euils hee is fatted and cherished with vncleane thoughts and impure cogitations he is neuer tyred nor wearied with them rebelling and transgressing euen vnto the end hee disperseth scattereth abroad his owne like an vnthrifty wasting Prodigall he coueteth and raketh to himselfe other mens goods like
Thou didst mildely suffer the temptations and illusions of the Deuill and at last with thy holy word didst put him to a shamefull foyle and forced him like a coward to flie the field Matth. 4.10.11 to make such bickerments more tollerable and easie vnto vs and to instruct vs that whensoeuer Christian warriours shall manage this double-edged sword aright that their common enemie will soone be danted take himselfe to flight and they alwayes obtain a glorious conquest SECTION VII AT length thou camest to the lost sheepe of the house of Israell lifting vp the bright lampe of thy diuine word openly to giue light to the world which was obscured with thicke clouds of sinfull darkenesse that men seeing their sinnes might then sigh for their forepassed iniquities seeke by speedy and true repentance to saue their soules Matth. 5.1.2.3.4.5.6.7 c. And thou also proclaiming the Kingdome of God to all obeying the word didst confirme the verity of thy infallible words with many wonderous and miraculous deeds thou diddest plainely declare the vertue of thy diuinitie and manifest the incomprehensible essence of thy God-head in all things to those which vvere diseased and were affected and grieuously afflicted with many infirmities Luke 5.12.18 Performing all things of thy free mercy without any merits to all nations that by thy gratious words and mercifull workes thou mightest gaine the Saluation of all truly repenting for their sins seeking by thy only mercy to saue their soules But their foolish heart oh Lord was darkened their reason infatuated their vnderstanding blinded they maliciously despised proudly contemned and carelesly reiected thy blessed words behind them neither did they Oh Lord admire no not so much as regard thy wondrous workes which by the Finger of thine owne hand thou hadst powerfully wrought among them except a few Noble Champions which thou diddest chuse among the weake and abiect things of the World that by them thou mightst batter downe strong holds throw downe high Towers that thy inuincible power might appeare in their weaknes so the glory of thy Maiestie might shine the brighter Neither vvere they onely vnthankefull to thee for thy gracious benefits and great kindnesse but they did very spightfully reproach thee oh Lord of Lords and spit out the Gall of their malice against thee plotting in their Diuellish mindes and performing with their desperate hands whatsoeuer their vnbridled lust did command them For thou doing the workes of God which no other hath done how malignant were their words How malicious were their speeches For they sayd in their mad mood and furious folly This man is not of God he casteth out Deuils by the Prince of Deuils he hath the Deuill hee seduceth the people hee is a Glutton and a Drinker of Wine a Friend of Publicanes and sinners Matth. 11.9 Why dost thou weepe oh man why are thy thoughts perplexed and the peace of thy minde disturbed when thou doest feele the sting of venemous tongues or endure the stormy tempest of iniurious words Doest thou not heare what monstrous slanders bitter taunts and opprobrious speeches vvere belched out against the Lord thy God onely for thy cause and thy sinnes yet he did patiently disgest the extreame bitternesse of their cruell malice and did alwayes seeke by gentle mildenesse and workes of mercy to mollifie their hard hearts and to induce them to true repentance If they haue called the Master of the house Belzebub how much more will they call them of his household Mat. 10.25 Luke 11.15 But thou oh righteous and innocent Iesus diddest patiently heare and constantly sustaine their blasphemous words spightfull derisions and taunting speeches although oftentimes they were carried with such a violent streame of raging fury against thee that they assailed thee vvith stones hating nothing so much as thy blessed life and hastning nothing so much as thy cursed death And thou becamest before them as a man vvhich heareth not all and as one that is dumbe hauing no word of reproofe in thy mouth SECTION VIII LAstly they valued thy righteous and precious bloud but at thirtie peeces of siluer betrayed vnto them by thy vnkinde Disciple the sonne of Perdition greedily desiring with extreame hate vvithout any shadow of iust cause to hasten thy cruell death It was not a strange thing or a concealed secret excluded from the search of thy knowledge because the most couert cogitations of euery heart are open vnto thee that one of thine owne Disciples should proue disloyall treacherously conspire against thee and like a Traytour sell thee his gratious Lord kind Master for a small piece of money When as at the Supper where thou didst wash thy Disciples feet thou didst not disdaine to handle wash and wipe with thy most holy hands the cursed feet of that damned Traytor swift to shedde bloud kneeling downe before him Iohn 13.4.5 Oh wonderfull example of humilitie oh patience most worthy of continuall admiration But why dost thou walke with thy out-stretched necke oh earth and ashes Doth Pride still lift thee vp Doth fretting anger euermore molest thee Behold and looke vpon the Lord Iesus the mirror of Humilitie and Meekenesse the Creator of euery Creature the fearefull Iudge of the quicke and the dead bowing his knees before the feet of a man that should traiterously betray him into the hands of his deadly Foes who long thirsted for his innocent bloud loathed his godly life and could neuer quench the raging flame of their furie vntill they had acted the lamentable Tragedy of his most cruell death Learne therefore of him because he is meeke in minde and lowly in heart debase thy high and loftie lookes and let the feeling sence of thy scornfull Pride confound and cast downe thy haughty thoughts and blush at thy furious madnesse and sigh at the inward sight of thy impatient folly This also oh louing Lord was a plaine argument of thy meruailous kindnesse and extraordinary fauour that thou wouldest not publikely detect the mischieuous malice and openly disclose the horrible Treason of thy gracelesse Disciple and odious Traitor but diddest onely in the assembly of his brethren very slightly admonish him to hasten his intented purpose Iohn 13.27 Neuerthelesse neither the sweet streames of thy mercy could quench the burning fire of his fury nor the graces of thy Humility stay the rage of his madnesse but he departing out of the house laboured diligently to bring his wicked designement into act which as yet lay couered in his treacherous heart Iohn 13.30 SECTION IX HOW didst thou fall from Heauen oh cleere-shining Lucifer which didst appeare so bright at thy rising in the morning Thou once wert beautifull with exceeding glory placed in pleasant Paradise where all things were abounding which might breed delight whose happy state did stand still at a stay subiect to no contrary change hauing the Citizens of Heauen for thy louing companions pure Manna of the Diuine Word for thy daily food How art thou now tumbled
downe and consorted vvith the sonnes of darkenesse Why hast thou refused sweet Hony to feed on Gall and wholesome food to cloy thy stomacke with stincking dung At that time oh sweet Christ thy Family was cleared thy Houshold purged when such a leaprous person and deadly diseased creature went out into the world from the company of the Angels societie For then at last were the thirsty soules of that blessed company plentifully filled with sweet flowing streames of thy Diuine Word and vvith the most pleasant liquor of thy true celestiall Nectar which thou art alwayes able and euermore willing to giue vnto thy faithfull Seruants when hee was worthily cast out from thy most holy and blessed Family whom thou didst know to be vnworthy to taste one drop of that liuing water which quencheth the thirst of all sinfull soules for euer when thou of thy free loue dost afford them to drinke of that blessed Fountaine be their thirst neuer so great or the people neuer so many which resort to receiue refreshing by it SECTION X. NOW when thou hadst giuen a new Commaundement to thy louing Disciples that they should knit their hearts together with the true vnion of perfect loue Iohn 13.34 and arme themselues with patience against the approaching day of their fiery triall and also hadst disposed the kingdome of thy heauenly Father to thy faithfull Brethren thou cammest to the place with them well knowne vnto couetous Iudas that Traitour which did betray thee into the hands of the cruell Iewes who were as greedy to buy as he was couetous to sell thy innocent and precious bloud Yet thou diddest not audaciously obiect thy selfe vnto suddaine danger or desperately throw thy selfe into perill but thou wert willing to offer and lay downe thy owne life to deliuer vs poore condemned vassals from the heauy doome of eternall death knowing all things which should come vpon thee Iohn 18.4 Oh vnsearchable profundity of thy infinite loue Oh glorious beames of thy gracious mercy For like a tender-hearted Father thou haddest willingly cast thy selfe into suddaine danger to haue deliuered thy Children from some imminent perill or if thou haddest aduentured thy life to haue rescued thy friends from threatned death this without doubt had beene a deed of true naturall affection and excellent loue But that thou shouldest of thine owne accord offer thy selfe to death to saue thy deadly enemies and willingly shed thy bloud to ransome thy mortall foes This oh sweet Sauiour is a miracle of superadmirable kindenesse beyond the compasse of all vnderstanding SECTION XI VVHen thou wert come to the place where wretched Iudas had bargained to betray thee into the hands of the wicked Iewes thou wert not ashamed to confesse the heauy pangs which thou didst sustaine by thy approaching Passion in the audience of thy Brethren which thou wert willing to endure not for thy owne desert but by thy owne desire for our sakes and our sins saying My Soule is heauy euen vnto death Mat. 26.38 So ponderous was the burden of our iniquities so heauy was the weight of mine yea of all our sins layd vpon thy shoulders And there bowing thy knees on the ground and falling downe with thy face on the earth thou diddest in thy bitter agonie offer vp thy humble petition to God thy Father saying My Father if it be possible let this Cup passe from me Matth. 26.39 Indeed that Cup contained a deepe draught to be taken of thee for the health of our languishing soules more bitter then Colloquintida to the mouth or Gall in the maw And no doubt but the bloody sweat which trickled downe on the earth by drops from thy most holy flesh did plainely declare the sorrowes of thy perplexed minde and the anguish of thy sorrowfull Soule Luke 22.44 Oh powerfull Lord Iesus what meaneth or what is the cause of thy lamentable supplication Didst thou not wholly of thine owne accord offer vp thy selfe for a Sacrifice to thy Father and willingly shed thy bloud to pay the price of our ransome Yes verely oh gracious Lord it was thy exceeding great loue and onely mercy that did moue thee so patiently to vnder-goe the wrath of thy Father that thou mightest deliuer vs condemned sinners from his iust and heauy displeasure that by thy stripes wee might be healed and that by thy free and voluntary death wee might be restored to a second and euerlasting life But we thinke that thou didst willingly taste the bitternesse of our miseries and in thy selfe expresse vnto vs a true passion of our weakenesse for the comfort and consolation of all thy feeling members that no man might dispaire or let goe the Anchor of stedfast Hope when our weake flesh fainteth and our naturall faculties faileth but yet the spirit is ready to abide the painefull pangs of any passion and to suffer the conflicts of any affliction whatsoeuer Truly thou didst expresse the naturall weakenesse of the flesh in thy selfe by those tokens vnto vs that wee might the sooner be prouoked to embrace thee with more loue and gratefully to yeeld thee greater thanks Whereby also we are taught that thou didst truly beare our diseases and infirmities and that thou hast not runne through the thornes of grieuous passions vvithout the sense of painefull afflictions For that voyce seemeth to be the voice of the flesh not of the Spirit by that which thou hast added The Spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is weake Marke 14.38 And thou diddest openly declare that the Spirit was willing to suffer the deadly pangs of thy grieuous passion when thou diddest goe forth of thine owne accord to meete those bloudy minded persons conducted by their damnable General trayterous Iudas in the night time furnished with lanternes torches and weapons seeking without any cause raging vvith malice to destroy thy harmelesse life and cruelly to shed thy innocent blood and there didst openly discouer thy selfe to their eyes and offer vp thy selfe to their bloudy hands least they might thinke themselues beholding to their bloudy guide and that by his craftie pollicie thou hadst beene suddainely and vnwillingly apprehended For thou diddest not repell or put backe that cruell monster comming to kisse thy most holy mouth but diddest gently put thy mouth in which there was found no guile to his mouth abounding with venome and filled with malice who vnder token of loue pretended nothing but deadly hate and with a dissembling kisse to betray thee into the hands of those who were ready armed to kill thee And although desperate Iudas became his owne hangman Mat. 27.5 yet many doe follow his steps and desperately runne to their wilfull wofull destruction Oh innocent Lambe of GOD how couldest thou endure that such a rauenous Wolfe should come neere vnto thee that came so greedily to deuoure thee What fellowship hath light with darkenesse What agreement hast thou with Beliall But this oh Lord was a deed of thy gracious benignitie and an act of thy exceeding
bounty that thou mightest shew vnto him all tokens of thine accustomed fauour which might mollifie the hardnesse of his wicked heart and quaile the malice of his couetous minde For thou not forgetfull that once hee was sorted among thy Friends had tasted of the sweet fruit of thy former loue admitted into the holy societie of thy faithfull Disciples didst kindly admonish him saying Friend wherefore comest thou Mat. 26.50 And thou wouldest haue smitten the guilty conscience and wounded the hardened heart of that odious dissembler and damnable Traytor with the horrour of his hellish deede and detestation of his execrable fact when thou spakest to him saying Iudas doest thou betray the Sonne of man with a kisse Luk. 22.48 And behold the Philistines are vpon thee Sampson SECTION XII IT did nothing mittigate the rage of their furious mindes nor stay the audacious attempts of their bloodie hands when in the houre of thine apprehension thou diddest throw them flatte on the ground vvith thy omnipotent arme and make them to fall backward vvith the breath of thy mouth yet it was not done to defend thy selfe from the edge of their malice or to make an escape out of their cruell hands but that humane presumption might know that it could deuise nothing nor act any thing against thee but whatsoeuer was permitted by thee And vvho can restraine his eyes from showers of teares and his heart from the ouer-flowing waues of sorrow when he heareth how violently they were carried against thee and how furiously they laid their murdering hands vpon thee and how quickly binding thy tender and innocent hands they currishly haled thee a most meeke Lambe not once opening thy mouth against them to bring thee vvho neuer had offended to a most bloodie slaughter As if thou haddest beene most innocent and louing Iesus a cruell Theefe a cursed Traytor or a bloodie murtherer Their outragious vsage towards thee vvas so farre out of measure and their mischieuous deedes so farre voyde of reason And then oh Christ thou didst not cease to powre downe showers of mercy and to let the honey-deaw of thy aboundant sweetnesse to distill vpon the head of thy cruell enemies vvhen thou diddest vvith milde vvords and gentle speeches calme the burning zeale of thy forward Disciple vvho drew forth his sword and beganne to lay about him in the defence of his louing Master Luke 22. verse 49.50 For hee had no sooner giuen a vvound but thou diddest miraculously heale the hurt Luke 22. verse 51. vvilling him to put vp his sword keepe the peace and make no resistance But such cursed fury had blinded their eyes such stubborne grosnesse ouer-clowded their vnderstanding and such stonie hardnesse had ouer-growne their hearts that neither the Maiestie of the miracle nor mercy of the benefit could chase away the hellish vapours of their franticke furie or soften the extreame hardnesse of their hearts that seeing their Bedlam folly they might haue relented with pittie SECTION XIII THou wert brought before the High-Priests Iohn 18.24 who maliced and hated thy vnblameable life wickedly imagined and cruelly sought thy bloody death When thou wert churlishly examined and falsly accused thy modest reply was voyd of bitternesse and thou didst confesse the truth vvith much humilitie and mildnesse yet they cried out in their raging madnesse He speaketh blasphemous words What neede we stand vpon further triall He is worthie of a shamefull death Oh most louing Lord how shamefully wert thou handled how despightfully wert thou scorned how cruelly wert thou abused of thine owne people They polluted thy amiable face vvith their noysome spettle Mat. 26.67 which the Angels doe alwaies desire to behold and which hath filled the heauens with ioy and shall be desired of the most rich Noble of the people And which not long before shined more bright then the Sunne appeared most beautifull in glory they did beat and strike it with their sacriligious hands They couered it vvith a vaile to floute and deride thee and did cruelly buffet thee with their fists being Lord of euerie creature like a base and contemptible seruant Yea they deliuered thee to bee swallowed vp and deuoured of the vncircumcised SECTION XIIII FOr after they had railed vpon thee with reuiling words and buffeted thee with store of blowes they brought thee bound like a Theefe before the face of Pilate Mark 15.1 requiring in their franticke fit and heate of their furie that hee vvould pronounce sentence of death against thee And they would neuer cease their clamorous voyces neither were their outragious out-cries appeased before thou wert condemned to suffer a most cruell and cursed death of the Crosse vvhich neuer knew sinne or thought any euill And although that vvicked Iudge had certaine knowledge and his owne conscience did testifie vnto him that thou vvere falsly accused brought like an innocent Lambe to the slaughter and that all these things were forged of enuie against thee vvhen those hard-hearted Iewes earnestly desired that a Murderer might be giuen them and haue pardon for his bloody offence and that thou mightest vniustly bee condemned to suffer a most cruell death preferring a deuouring Wolfe before an innocent Lamb and dirty drosse before pure gold yet his words towards thee were without any mildnesse and his deeds quite without mercy filling thy soule with gall and bitternesse when as hee could finde no cause or ferrit out any occasion whereby hee might iustly reproue thee Luk. 23.14 He receiued thee at their hands after they had tauntingly flouted bitterly derided and scornefully disgraced thee and commanded thee to stand in the middest of those malitious scoffers who had vsed thee for a foole to cause their mirth and to encrease thy sorrow Neither did he spare to teare thy vndefiled flesh vvith most bitter blowes multiplying stripes vpon stripes with excessiue crueltie and bleeding wounds vpon wounds without any humane pittie Matth. 26.67 Oh thou beloued Sonne of my God! vvhat haddest thou committed worthie of such barbarous immanitie What haddest thou done worthie of such wofull and bitter confusion In very deede nothing at all I wretched man I alone a most horrible sinner haue beene the sole cause of all thy painefull sufferings my grieuous sinnes haue hardened their hearts and armed their bloody hands against thee I oh Lord haue eaten a sower Grape and thy teeth are set on edge because then thou didst make satisfaction vvhen thou hadst done no iniurie and payd my infinite debt with thy most innocent death But all these iniurious deeds proceeding from malitious hate and acted with cruell hands could not satisfie the vnsatiable impietie of the perfidious vnfaithfull Iewes against thee most righteous and innocent Iesus who diddest neuer cease to doe them good but euermore healed their incurable diseases making the lame to walke the blinde to see the dumbe to speake and the deafe to heare Thou didst cleanse loathsome Leapers cure dead Palsies and raise from death to life Mat. 4.24 Iohn 7.23
with an honourable triumph hath entred the heauens And behold he being crowned with glory and honour sitteth at the right hand of thy Maiestie who being our Aduocate maketh continuall intercession for vs that we being the children of wrath and disobedience by Nature may bee reconciled vnto thee for euer by the exceeding riches of thy grace For hee is flesh he is our brother Looke oh Lord vpon the amiable face of thy sweet Christ which became obedient vnto thee euen vnto death that thou being well pleased in beholding him mayest send downe the comfortable dewe of thy mercy vpon vs neither let his scarres depart for euer out of thy sight that thou mayest remember what a great satisfaction thou hast receiued of him for our sinnes I wish it might please thee to ballance the sinnes wherewith vvee haue deserued thy wrath and indignation together with the calamitie and sorrow which thy innocent Sonne hath suffered for vs. Certainely the waight of his heauy miserie vvill more then counterpoyse the waight of all our iniquities and it hath rather deserued that thou shouldest raine downe the sweet shewers of thy mercy vpon vs then that our sinnes haue demerited to kindle the fire of thy deuouring vvrath against vs that wee should vtterly be depriued of thy wonted clemency which should slake the fury of thine incensed ire and put out the flame of thy burning indignation But oh gratious and mercifull Father let euery tongue proclaime immortall thankes vnto thee and sound forth aloud thine eternall praises for the exceeding largenesse of thine immeasurable bounty vvhich hast not spared thine onely Sonne which was as deere and neere as thine owne heart vnto thee but hast deliuered him vp vnto death for vs all that we might haue him as a faithfull Aduocate and louing Mediatour before thee in Heauen And to thee oh Lord Iesus a most couragious and constant Louer and my gratious Redeemer what thankes be they neuer so many can I returne or what praises be they neuer so great may I vtter which might counteruaile the least iot of thy vvorthy merit when as I am but a base creature made of dust and shaped out of the clay whose breath is in my Nosthrils and I subiect euery moment to forgoe it although I commonly forget it and to returne againe into the wombe of the Earth from vvhence I vvas taken SECTION XIX FOR what oh sweet Sauiour shouldest thou haue done which thou hast not vvillingly done to finish the great worke of my saluation Thou hast diued and cast thy selfe ouer head and eares into the troublesome Ocean of thy stormy Passions that thou mightest draw mee wholly out aliue from those perillous Waters when the waues haue entered euen into thy Soule For thou diddest willingly subiect thy selfe to the paines of Death that thou mightest restore my soule vnto mee which I had so wilfully lost Luke 1.71 And now behold I am obliged vnto thee by a double debt because thou hast twise giuen mee my soule once by Creation and once by Redemption what haue I that I may more iustly giue thee then my soule But for thy precious soule vexed perplexed and troubled vvith so many and such heauy tribulations I finde not what recompence man can bee able to render vnto thee in any sort to gratifie the worthinesse of thy desert For if I should be able to giue thee Heauen and Earth and all their beautifull furniture and the glorious ornaments of them I could in no wise attaine the measure or discharge the infinite sum of such an euerlasting debt But that I may render both that which I owe and also that which is possible for mee is a matter wholly belonging to thy liberall bountie and must onely flowe from the sweet fountaine of thy beneficiall goodnesse Thou art to be loued oh Lord with all my heart vvith all my strength I must tread in thy path and follow thy steps vvhich hast endured all the extreamities of thy bitter Passions with exceeding patience and being Lord of life hast of thine owne accord vouchsafed to yeeld thy selfe vnto death to redeeme mee and all faithfull repentant sinners to the ioyes of eternall life And how shall that thing bee effected and wrought to mee but onely and wholy by thee through thy mightie power which is able to worke all things in Heauen aboue and in the Earth beneath Let my Soule cleaue vnto thee let it be vnited vnto thee with the bond of euerlasting loue because all the vertue and faculties of it depend onely vpon thee and because it must needs sinke into a bottomlesse pit of endles misery if it bee but a moment debarred from thy louing mercy And now oh Lord my gracious Redeemer I worship thee as true God I trust in thee I hope in thee I couet long to approach so neere vnto thee as the feeble wings of my mounting desires will carry me Let thy strong hand support my weakenesse Let the rich treasure of thy mercy supply the wants of mine infirmity Let the greatnesse of thine vnsearchable goodnesse neuer depart out of my remembrance Let a memoriall of thy bitter passion by which thou hast wrought mine euerlasting Saluation be perfectly written vvithin the palmes of my hands so that mine eyes may still be viewing it and let it be deepely ingrauen in my heart that mine inward thoughts and cogitations may euermore be meditating and musing vpon it Let thy Crowne of Thornes thy redde bloudy nailes thy pierced side thy grieuous vvounds thy precious bloud thy death and buriall bee euermore presented before the eyes of mine vnderstanding that I may vvater my Couch and make my bedde to swimme vvith teares of true sorrowfull repentance that I may duely and truely bewaile the multitude of my haynous sinnes vvhich haue beene like so many Iron-nayles to enter through thy harmelesse hands and innocent feete and like so many sharpe Speares to pierce thy blessed side to make thy wounded heart send forth plentifull streams of thy deere and precious bloud Lastly let the fresh remembrance of thy most glorious and victorious Resurrection and the blessed memory of thy triumphant Ascention comfort the fainting Spirits of my drooping soule with a sweet taste of ioy mittigate the sorrowes of my perplexed minde For in all these the sweet odour of life doth ascend vp into my nosthrils Raise thou oh Lord my spirit with their reuiuing odour from the death of sinne and out of the Graue of perpetuall darkenesse Touch my heart oh Christ that I may touch thee yea although it bee but the hemme of thy Garment that Vertue may come out of thee Matth. 14.32 Marke 6.56 Which may keepe me from the snares of Sathan and comfort me in the houre of tribulation so that the yoake of thy commaundements may be made easie vnto mee and the burthen of the Crosse which thou commandest mee to carry after thee may be light to my soule What am I a silly worme What is