A true DESCRIPTION OF THE PASSION OF OVR SAVIOVR IESVS CHRIST As it was acted by the bloodie Iewes And registred by the blessed Euangelists In English Meetre by IOHN BVLLOKAR Calend. Nouemb. 1618. LONDON Printed by George Purslowe for Samuel Rand and are to be sold at his shop neere Holburne Bridge 1622. A true DESCRIPTION of our Sauiours PASSION WRapt in our sinfull flesh yet free from sinne The louing-worlds Redeemer lōg had sought Vnto himselfe the stubborne Iewes to winne With mighty signes wonders daily wrought But wished fruit his zeale could neuer gaine He plowd the sands and reapt but losse of paine And when he had full thirty three yeeres space For men and with men dwelt on earth below Lending rich treasures of his heauenly grace To pay those countlesse debts that Sinne did owe. The time was come that should our God restore To heauen aboue from whence he came before Whose passage must by Death prepared be As erst the holy Prophets had foretold That so his death from death might set vs free Whom sinne from life as slaues to death had sold So deadly was the diuellish Serpents sting That nought but Gods death life to man could bring Which to assure vs ere he parted hence He leaues behind for our immortall good A full release of Adams first offence Scaling the Charter with his dearest blood That man might see his loue and learne thereby To loath the sinne that made a God to die Yet neuer could the powerfull stroke of death Nor Fate nor Chance nor Satans secret blow Nor humane force enforce him yeeld his breath Vntill his Will gaue leaue it should be so The Iewes might rage yet heauen had fore decreed He chose to die though they did act the deed But lest the sudden storme if vnforetold Should drowne the seeds of Faith so lately sowne Or make new kindled loue of him grow cold In weak conceits not to perfection growne He shewes them euery thing must come to passe That of him in the Scripture written was And knowing that the houre approched now To his small number of Disciples he Plamely foretels his death and manner how Withall the time when as his death should be To strength their doubtfull thoughts make thé know He could foresee though would not shun the blow Two dayes there are saith he and then the Feast Of Easter comes when Moses did command In memory that Israel was releast From hard oppression of proud Egypt land The Paschall lambe should yeerely eaten be Of all their seed whom God had Io set free But now the old Lawes end approcheth nie These shadowing Figures shortly must away The Sonne of man shall be betraid to die And on the Crosse the worlds great ransome pay To free it from infernall Charons power Whose tyrant rage would life and soule deuoure Thus hauing warn'd whilst at Bethania he Receiu'd in Simons house doth there remaine A woman by him late from sinne set free Doth come her louing Lord to entertaine Bringing a boxe of Alabaster faire Fill'd with an oyntment costly sweet and rare O Loue sole life of Peace and death of Strife Strong knot to tye sweet vnion of consent Thoughts purity faire Mappe of Angels life Heauens new-made Liuery Nurce of all content How true it is the world of thee doth say That whoso loues can brooke no long delay The curious Boxe she breaks and quickly powres This precious liquor on her Sauiours head Whose sweet distilling drops full mainly showres Adowne his necke and on his garments shed Refining all the ayre neere which they fell With fragrant odour of their pleasing smell But enuious Malice soone occasion finds This womans godly meaning to reproue Some standers by do murmure in their minds As discontent to see such zealous loue His owne Disciples too that sate at bord Do grudge such cost bestowd vpon their Lord. Why need this needlesse waste be made say they Of what was worth three hundred pence at least It better had bin sold and giuen away To poore for almes against this holy Feast 'T is pitie such sweet oyle so dearely bought With idle vaine expence should come to nought Thus they But Christ that sought to saue his foes Forgets not now to helpe a friend at need He soone perceiues the grudging thoughts of those That were mislikers of this womans deed And mildly doth rebuke them for their sinne With praise of her that did the worke begin O why should you whom I haue chose for mine Against your louing Lord offended be Why should your murmuring hearts with spite repine At her whose faith wrought this good worke on me Take heed this lesson first was learnt at Hell To grudge at grace and enuie doing well The poore may be relieued when you will No want of them the earth doth euer find But me you shall not haue amongst you still The work 's now done that heauen had erst assign'd And she that knew I shortly hence must go Against my buriall did this cost bestow Of truth therefore I say in each place where The worlds Redemption shal be preacht or taught This womans zeale shall be related there In memory of what she now hath wrought Great loue shall surely reape a great reward Heauen do's the hart not outward shews regard By this the Priests and Scribes whose hearts were set A fire with burning spite and deadly hate At Caiaphas palace are together met In councell closely to deliberate How they might Iesus take by subtill traine And with some shew of Iustice haue him slaine Yet must we not say they in any wise At this great Feast in such a course proceed Left the rude people should against vs rise Or stir rebellion to withstand the deed His words his workes and doctrine haue bin such That him as now we cannot safely touch But Sathan fearing lest by this delay His long-desired worke should rest vnwrought Presents them with an vnexpected way Wherby their mischiefe might to passe be brought Iudas one of the Twelue whom Christ had chose Vnhappy wretch to this assembly goes There doth the Traitour set his Lord to sale Mongst those he knew long sought to sucke his blood Whose precious worth this caitiffe counts so small He bids them make the price as they thought good What will you giue me thus doth Iudas say And I into your hands will him betray O blessed Lady hadst thou present beene When thus thy Sonne by theeuish hands was sold To bloody Merchants it had soone beene seene How deare true owners wel-got pearles do hold Thy tender loue had pitcht the price so hie That Iewish wealth one haire should neuer buy But thou true picture of pure piety Resignst to heauens decree thy proper right Suffering a damned wretch contemptuously To make a market of thy dearst delight Then hie thee hie thee since the case so stands Come buy thine own frō these Priests murthring hands And Iudas O if greedy hope of gaine Entice
thee thus thy Sauiour to forgo Why dost thou shew thy selfe so fondly vaine As offer him to those that hate him so His friends I wis would giue more mony for him Then scornfull foes whose pride and spite abhor him O what would Lazarus new brought to liue From graue haue payd to keep his Lord from death What price would Magdalen refuse to giue That lou'd her Master dearer then her breath Or Martha and his Virgin-mother too That lou'd him more then all the world can do Yea leaue the earth and aske of Angels bright What they would giue thee for their King diuine Doubtlesse to get him home their chiefe delight They would exchange their heauenly state for thine O hadst thou thus made sale of Christ before Thy guilt had beene the lesse and gaine the more But Sin with self conceit it selfe still blinds Daring without respect of what it may Witnesse false Iudas who with desperate mind Tels proudly to the Priests he will betray As if the Maker of heauen earth and seas Were in his power to vse him as he please They glad with others blame t' effect the deed Whereto their proper malice would aspire Resolue to prosecute it now with speed And thirty pence appoint him for his hire He straight accepts the wages they assign'd Slight gaine soone sets to work a willing mind Ah Iudas sinke of sinne and earthly shame First lucklesse lambe that straid from Christs deare fold Monster of mankind vile reproach of fame Sequestred from all grace most impious bold Blind reprobate alas what hast thou done To buy hel fire with sale of Gods deere Sonne O did thy wretched eyes so grieue to see Three hundred peniworth of oyle bestowd Whose costly value should aduantag'd thee If thy false hand had sold the same abroad That now to make amends for such shrewd losse Thou must betray thy Sauiour to the Crosse Did this bad crop spring vp from heauenly seed Did Christs example such vile thrift maintaine Ah no he taught thee by his Word and Deed T' abhorre the muddie mind of worldly gaine T' embrace pure thoughts whose safety feares no fall To hurt no man and to do good to all But thou vnchang'd a gracelesse Impe of hell With Iacobs spitefull sonnes in sin art growne Whose malice did their brother Ioseph sell For twenty pence to Merchant-men vnknowne Yet Ioseph was preferd to honour hie And call'd the Sauiour of the world thereby So Christ thy Lord by thee sold to be slaine Though death and hell striue both to presse him downe Shall Phoenix-like with glory rise againe And win by death an euerlasting Crowne That in his Name eterniz'd without end All knees in heauen in earth in hell may bend The Feast of sweet bread now was hard at hand And spotlesse pascall lambes were markt to die When Christs Disciples came to vnderstand Their Masters will in this Solemnitie Where wilt thou say they we prepare for thee The Passeouer that now must eaten be Straight blessed Peter readiest to obay And Iohn whom Iesus alwaies held most deare Are called for and sent without delay To make prouision for this heauenly cheare Receiuing by their Lords directing care A signe that shewd them where they should prepare You two saith Christ shall now this taske begin At yonder towne where you shall surely meet A man assoone as you are entred in Bearing a pot of water through the street Him follow wheresoeuer he doth go What house he enters enter you also Aske of the owner for some place where I With my Disciples may this Supper eate And he I know will shew you by and by A parler roome well paued faire and great Which will be fit make ready there for me For there shall this last Supper eaten be O happy Feast held by a heauenly King Where bread of life with bounty was bestowd No more a Type but now a figured thing True Rocke whence pure sin-cleansing waters flowd Sweet antidote whose vertue sets man free From deadly surfet of forbidden tree When thou wert made each ceremonious Rite â—hat had prefigur'd better things to come â—y Gods appointment was abolisht quite â—ew Sacraments succeeding in their roome Whose worth in Christ who worthily embrace Adopted are new heires of heauenly grace Cleare light was then in place of shadowes brought â—igures for better Truth exchang'd away â—he ioyfull Gospel for the Law was taught â—nd Mercy crownd where Iustice earst bare sway New Life was borne and Death began to die In this great Suppers heauenly mysterie â—here did the King of Glory thinke no scorne Leauing behind a patterne for vs meet â—ith girded loynes addrest in seruile forme â—o stoope and wash his owne Disciples feet That those which after should the Gospel preach Might by himselfe be cleans'd ere they did teach â—â—t this is not yet all that then was done â—or the new-spoused Church redeemd so deere â—he precious Body of Gods only Sonne â—as instituted to be eaten heere That blessed Body borne for sinners good True Manna farre exceeding Angels food Such wisedome did th' Almighty workman show In altering shadowes into substance true Such humble seruice did a God bestow Pure humbled thoughts in proud man to renue Such precious cates were by our dying Lord Bequeath'd for euer to this heauenly boord The bright Sunne now with Westerne clouds was hid Dim darknesse on the errth began to grow Nor day nor night it was when Iesus did With his Disciples to this Supper go And as they ate he spake Of truth I say That one amongst you here shall me betray They straight with dead pale lookes bewray their feare And gaze together doubtfull to suspect As mazed persons wonted are that heare A sudden presage of some dire effect And willing there their innocence to trie Each after other said Lord is it I Iudas that felt himselfe neere toucht herein Wondring to heare his guilt so soone made knowne And fearing silence might disclose the sinne For Craft and Treason still are linkt in one Askt last of all faining himselfe dismaid Lord is it I Christ answered Thou hast said But wo be vnto him that makes this match Selling the Sonne of man to sinners spite Farre better had it bin for that vile wretch â—f he vnborne had neuer seene the light O ten times happy life that liueth well But curst is he that liues to liue in hell These threats in Iudas could breed no remorce That blacke detested action to abiure Obdurat harts though warn'd yet stil wax worse Like rotten vlcers mastring Physickes cure So hard it is except Gods grace be strong To saue that soule where sin hath harbord loÌ„g Peter whose daunted thoughts could take no rest Vntill the author of this ill were knowne Makes signes to Iohn who lean'd on Iesus brest To aske his name whose sin should cause their mone Resoluing boldly if in him it lay To kill the wretch did plot his Lords decay But Peters purpose could not come to
For God so lou'd the world that now he gaue His onely Sonne from sinne the same to saue Who Lambe-like mild in league with heau'ns decree Folding earth-dwellers in as deare embrace Would pleading for himselfe repulsed be That for vs praying he might still find grace O rare obedience perfect zeales true signe How much owe we for this great loue of thine But now he riseth from the dewie ground To visit his Disciples left distrest And finds them all securely sleeping sound When waking Peter heauy as the rest O Simon art thou now asleepe quoth he What couldst thou not watch one bare houre with me As he would say Wert thou of selfe-accord So prodigall of vowes with timelesse speed And do'st so soone neglect thy helplesse Lord In drowsie slumber at his greatest need Ill canst thou in my safegard spend thy blood That wilt not wake to do thine owne soule good Not so false Iudas who for pettie gaine Sleepes not a winke this night nor can forbeare Postes round the waked streetes cals vp his traine Sollicits helpe seekes armour euery where Marshals his Band himselfe and thinkes a yeere Till he may come to apprehend me here O shame that Satans slaues so forward are In acting mischiefe that shall bring damnation And you to saue your soules deuoid of care O watch and pray therefore lest ill temptation Oppresse your faith the spirit faine would do it But that weake flesh is hardly brought vnto it Not yet through-wak't he leaues theÌ„ slumbring stil And fraught with feares departs againe to pray Impulst by weaknesse of his humane will O Father if this cup in no wise may Passe by vnlesse the potion worke in me Thy heauenly pleasure let performed be Thus this good Shepheard iealous of his sheepe Whom rauening Wolues he knowes will soone molest Watches with care whilst they securely sleepe And sighes alone that they in peace may rest Not sparing to ingage his proper life To saue them all from slaughtring butchers knife His prayer ended he returnes againe And finds like comfort that he found before They still slept hard vnable to refraine One minutes rest and which did grieue him more So carelesse of the former words he spake Quite vnprouided what excuse to make O now what horror in this soule doth dwell â—aked of helpe forsaken all alone â—â—ught by his bloodie foes assail'd of hell â—etraid or else neglected of his owne Giuen vp by heau'n to die with painfull shame And bare the burden of all sinners blame â—wake my soule run forth with ioy and dread 〈◊〉 to this garden where thy Sauiour lies â—â—ere shalt thou see the Booke of life wide spred â—ith lessons stor'd of heauenly mysteries There shalt thou see thy truth thy strength thy food Thy way thy life thy light and all thy good â—here shalt thou see the way of patience â—he Sun-bright lampe of burning charitie â—he perfect patterne of obedience â—he mirrour of profound humility The root of loue the goale of vertues race The salue of sinne and fulnesse of Gods grace â—here shalt thou see the strength of Israels weale â—â—at valiant Dauid thy most louing God â—â—est to the fight arm'd all in fiery zeale â—â—rning with hot desire to spend his blood And wash away the foule opprobrious blot That threats vile bondage if he succour not Emboldened with exceeding loue of thee Here in these paled lists alone he stayes Expecting till his foes arriued be Meane while accumulating sundry wayes With willing mind to his al-ready store Such paines as neuer flesh did feele before O with what sorrow did the nobler part Of his pure soule where Reason hath her seat Pity th' inferiour where weake Sense doth smart How faithfully for it did he intreat Vntill at last concorded both in one They ioyntly cride Father thy will be done Yet though this blessed Vnion did gain-say Detract of time whereto faint flesh aspires From the Disciples he departs away And to his praying place againe â—etâ—es And there the third time doth with teares implore Vsing like words as he had vsde before When lo an Angel gliding through the ayre Appeares to him from starrie Region sent Which makes him for a while desist his prayer To hearken what this heauenly Herald meant Who nearer comes with sweet speech comforteth His fainting Lord against dismay of death Sweet Iesu how art thou deiected now From sublime glory to disgrace and feare Most true it is the Prophet spake That thou Art somewhat lower made then Angels were Since in thine agonizing languishment To comfort thee an Angel downe is sent See see O Angel how thy Maker lies Below and here on earth afflicted sore Whom plac't in maiestie aboue the skies With feare and reuerence you do all adore Wonder of wonders the like neuer done How can thine eyes endure to looke thereon Can riuers adde vnto their fountaines slow Through whose supply those streames they haue do runne Can branches helpe the quickning root to grow Or pale-fac't Moone lend light vnto the Sunne How canst thou Angel comfort then his mind In whom thy selfe dost all thy comfore find But this O man must needs on thee be laid Whose fleshes frailtie and sinnes earned smart Doth with surcharging horror so inuade That euen almost forgetting his best part His Godheads power be sdaines not in this dread Of his owne creature to be comforted And yet alas this comfort could not cure The death-sicke dolours of his wounded heart But now the time grew on his body pure Vnto the dreadfull Crosse must needes depart And rising vp he thus to them did say The man was neere that should their Lord betray No sooner had our Sauiour told this newes But straight the traitorous Iudas with a kisse Betraid his Lord and Master to the Iewes A cruell act which lost eternall blisse The sands on shore in number are not told His sundry faults passe number to vnfold O let me breathe before I do proceed Surcharging loads will craue a little rest The grants are small to them that stand in need That will not bring some comfort to their brest And he that writes what doth in wicked lurke Shall breathe him twice before he end his worke Looke how the Sea-fowles on a stormy day Do flocke themselues about the Ocean shore As thicke as Leaues when Summer fleetes away So throng these Iewes vnto him more and more Cruell reward he ought to them good will And they like traitours sought his blood to spill â—â—en from the Garden they their Master brought 〈◊〉 to the Priests and Elders of their crue â—â—ey bore false witnesse there his life they sought â—ch cride that death should be his onely due Labouring indeed as much as in them lay To take the Life of liues their Lord away â—â—d then from thence they drag'd him to his death â—â—en to the Crosse they nail'd his hands and feet â—â—en did they stop their blessed Sauiours breath â—â—en did they him with scornefull titles greet And now the Scripture true is brought to passe For he amongst the wicked counted was 〈◊〉 now the houre of death being fully runne â—â—e heauens were darke he to his Father cries 〈◊〉 God my God why dost thou leaue thy Sonne â—â—d ending so his soule from bodie flies A happy death since death doth make vs liue And blest be He that blessed life doth giue FINIS