were in prison at one time with â—oseph Pharoahs baker and cupbearer who hauing dreamed each of them sundry dreames and not knowing what they meaned Ioseph did interprete them vnto them telling them that after three daies they would hang the baker and return the cup bearer vnto the pallace al which came to passe as Ioseph had told them After that chast Ioseph had ben two years in prison because he would not sinne with his masters wife he entreated the kings cupbearer very earnestly that he would speake vnto the king for him but hee was so vngratefull that he neuer thought of him any more of whome hee had receiued such good newes God doth not well like of such persons which are not thankfull for the benefites bestowed vpon theÌ„ Which is easily perceiued for although Pharaohs cupbearer had forgotten to doe that which good Ioseph requested him to doe yet the scripture dooth not forget to accuse him for a thanklesse and an vngratefull man Rich Laban was vngratefull vnto his sonne in law Iacob who although he had serued him forty yeares continually for his shepheard yet hee paied him very vnthankfully for all that seruice for ouer and besides that he gaue him one daughter for another at the time of his mariage he deceiued him also in parting of his goods Saule was also vngratefull vnto his good sonne in law Dauid who hauing slaine in his seruice that great Philistian and oftentimes deliuered all the people of Israel from the enemies yet Saule lanched a dart at him at dinner time where Dauid had ended his life if hee had not defended himselfe speedily from him The yong Prince Amon was vngratefull vnto the good king Dauid who hauing sent to comfort him for the death of his father the young youth cut off a peece of king Dauids Embassadours coats and shaued halfe their beards saying that they went not to comfort him but to bee a spie ouer him King Ioas was vngratefull vnto the High Priest Ioiada who hauing brought him vp from his childhood and done him great seruices yet Ioas commanded his sonne to be slame not because he had been a Traitor but because he had rebuked the king to bee a sinner and a trangressor of the law King Demetrius was vngrateful vnto the good captaine Ionathas who after he had sent to succour king Demetrius being in great distresse and to leuie the siege being besieged yet good Ionathas had no greater aduersary afterward than the king Demetrius Cognouit bes possessorem suum asinus praesepe domini suit Israel autem non cognouit me said God by the Prophet Isay in the first chapter as if hee would say What meaneth this people of Israel what meaneth this The oxe knoweth the labouring man which doth yoke him and the asse knoweth him which giueth him meat in the stable and thou Israel doest neither know me for thy Lord and master neither remember thy selfe of the good turns which I haue made vnto thee Isidorus vpoÌ„ these words saith That God compareth a thank lesse and an vngratefull man as it were in an anger vnto an oxe which is a heauy beast and vnto to an asse which is a foolish beast because that to say the troth no man omitteth to bee thankfull for the benefites receaued vnlesse he be a waiward and sluggish man in conuersation or a foole in condition Is not thinke you an vngrateful man a foole and a very foole seeing hee maketh himselfe vnworthy of an other benefite by not being thankfull for that which hee hath receaued There is no vice in the world which hath not his seat rather in one kingdome than in another as pride among the Babilonians enuy among the Iewes anger among the Thebanes couetousnesse among the Thirians gluttony among the Sidonians and the magicall art among the Egyptians But there is no man which will receaue ingratitude in his house no man willingly giue him a seat to sit in For although I bee vngrateful to thee yet I would not haue thee bee vngratefull vnto mee Seneca in his booke of Anger sayth That it is not onely a griefe but also a perillous thing to haue to doe with an vngratefull man for when hee purposeth not to pay that which hee oweth hee hateth him whome hee ought not and by that meanes for hauing beene his friend â—â—eâ— turneth to bee thy enemy Cicero in his Bookes De Legibus reporteth that Bisias the Grecian Osiges the Lacedemonian Bracaras the Thebane and Scipio the Romane counted it a lesser hurt to be banished into strange countries than to liue in their owne countries with those which were vngratefull for their seruiuices Plautus saith very well in a Comedy That it is the property of a base mind of an impudent man to giue euery man leaue to serue him be vngrateful vnto all men for their seruice and therevpon it is that he which serueth an vngratefull man serueth no body he which doth any thing for an vngrateful maÌ„ doth for no man Eschines the Philosopher saith that although the cities of Thebes Athens be ful of naughty men yet there are not so many of any sort as of vngrateful men the reason of this great mischiefe is because we take those to bee our friends which are not expedient for vs to take and giue our gifts vnto those which know not how to bee thankfull for them Whereof thinkest thou doth it proceed that no men be thankful for that which thou doest bestow vpon them nor acknowledge the fauors thou doest theÌ„ but because thou doest admit those to be thy familiars which ought not to bee taken for thy neighbours If thou doest any good sayth Ciprian vnto those which deserue it I assure thee that he will be gratefull for it but if thou giue vnto him who is strait vnto himselfe how wouldest thou haue him liberall vnto thee To come then vnto the purpose although King Pharaohs cup-bearer was vngrateful vnto holy Ioseph yet certainly Christ was not so vnto the good theefe seeing that vpon the crosse he did more for him than he deserued and also gaue him more there than he asked And therefore seeing we haue told you what the theefe demanded of Christ it is coÌ„uenient now that wee tell you what Christ gaue the theefe and thereby wee shall plainly perceiue that our Lord is more liberall in giuing than we are in asking Amen dico tibi hodie mecum eris in Paradiso said Christ vnto the theefe as if hee would say O thou theefe my friend and companion doest thou thinke that I haue forgotten the seruice that thou hast done me in honouring me keeping me company vntill this my last houre I promise thee as I am God and sweare vnto thee as I am man that this day thou shalt bee with me in Paradise O this was a glorious answere and a happy legacy which the diuine wisedome gaue vnto this good theefe because that in old time God recoÌ„penced all the
Nathan the Prophet vnto Dauid the great Prophet Esaias vnto Manasses his holy Prophet Ieremy vnto King Ozias the Prophet Daniel vnto Balthasar and the Satiricall Prophet Helias vnto king Achab. The sonne of God sent a greater imbasie and greater Embassadours vnto the theefe than God the father did vnto the Kings seeing that vnto the theefe which was crucified on the crosse with him he sent no other embassador than himselfe so by this meanes the embasie and the Embassador were all one thing Was it not think you the selfesame thing seeing that it was Christ which sent the message the selfesame Christ which carried it Origen in an Homilie sayth thus The greatest message that euer came from heauen into the world was that of the incarnation and the next vnto it was that which Christ did vnto the good theefe insomuch that by the comming of the sonne of God the gate of glory was opened and in the promise made vnto the good theefe the possession of it was taken The embasie which Iohn Baptist brought vs was that the kingdome of heaueÌ„ was at hand but the good theef saith not that he is neer vnto heauen but that he is within heauen S. Iohns was a great embasie when he said Behold the lambe of God which taketh away the sinnes of the world but that of the theeues was better wheÌ„ he said Behold him here who hath already redeemed the world The embasie that Samuel brought vnto Dauid was good wheÌ„ as of a shepheard he annointed him king but the embasie which Christ did vnto the good theef was farre better because that there passed almost fourty years betwixt the time that the kingdome was promised vnto Dauid and the time that it was deliuered vnto him but the theef had his kingdome promised him at two of the clock in the afternoone and was giuen him presently toward night The reward for bringing thee news of such a great embasie as that of Christs was that is the promise of glory he would let no man haue but he would win it himself insomuch he who promised glory gaue glory was the glory it self O good Iesus redeemer of my soule dost thou well see that in promising glory Paradise that thou doest promise nothing but thy self what meaneth this O good Iesus what meaneth this Dost thou trust malefactors coÌ„meÌ„d thy self vntorouers offer thyself vnto sinners coÌ„mit thy self vnto theeues If thou thinkest thy selfe ouercharged with this theefe giue him the Prouince of Achaia giue him part of Assyria giue him the kingdome of Palestine giue him the monarchy of Asia for in giuing him as thou doest giue him thy selfe if thou were not God as thou art it would seeme that thou shouldest preiudice many Is there any other Paradise but to enioy thee is there any other glory than to see thy face is there any greater contentment than to be in thy company is there any goodnesse but that which commeth from thy hands This day thou shalt bee with me in Paradise where thou shalt see me face to face enioy my essence dwell with my person haue the fruition of my glory thy death shall die and thy life shall rise againe This day thou shalt bee with mee in Paradise where thou shalt be alwaies mine and I will be thine where thou shalt serue mee and where I will loue thee without end where thou shalt leaue sinning and I neuer cease to doe thee good This day thou shalt bee with mee in Paradise where thou shalt see ioy without sorrow health withour griefe life vvithout death light vvithout darkenesse company vvithout suspition plenty vvithout want and glory without end This day thou shalt bee with mee in Paradise where youth doth neuer waxe old old age doth neuer appeare beauty neuer fadeth health neuer decaieth ioy neuer waxeth lesse griefe is neuer felt no vvailing euer heard nosorrow euerseene and death feareth nor This day thou shalt bee with mee in Paradise where thou shalt go from the goulfe to the â—â—auen from the battaile to the triumph from the streame to the spring from darkenesse vnto light from vvaâ—â— to vvealth from a dreame vnto the truth from faith to hope from cold loue to perfect and seruent Charitie This day thou shalt bee vvith mee in Paradise vvhere thou shalt not know how to vveepe but laugh not complain but bee â—oifull nor aske but gâ—â—e not blaspheme but blesse not sigh but sing not hate but loue not mislike but praise not die but liue This day thou shalt bee â—â—th mee in Paradise vvhere thy handes shall touch that which they desiced thy eies see that thâ—â— they looked for thy eares heare that which they loued and thy heart possesse that which hee groned for This day thou shalt bee vvith mee in Parachse vvhere thou shalt nor feare the deceits of the Diuell the cockering of the flesh the vanitie of the world the ambushes of thy enemies the suddaine passions vvhich fall out euery day the necessity of euery hour nor yet the anxiety and griefe of mind This day thou shalt bee vvith mee in Paradise vvhere there is no night which is darke nor day which decreaseth no rough Winter nor troublesome Summer no cold to freeze thee no heat to distemper thee no famine to weaken thee no thirst to make thee drie no death to make thee afraid nor life which shall haue any end O my soule O my heart wilt thou not tell mee vvhat thou doest thinke vpon or what thou doest contemplate on seeing thou hearest not this which is spoken doest thou not marke vvho speaketh it nor vnto vvhom hee speaketh it nor doest thou regard vvhere it is spoken Hee vvho speaketh is the sonne of God hee vvith vvhom hee speaketh is a theefe that which he sayth is that he promiseth Paradise the place vvhere hee speaketh is the Mount of Caluary the houre vvhen hee speaketh is at the point of death and those before whome hee speaketh is the vvhole Synagogue Is it possible that an imbasie accompanied vvith these many circumstances should not bee new and heard For in Scripture there is nothing necessary that is not full 〈◊〉 mystery Certainly this was a very new thing seeing that Christ neuer had this word Paradise in his mouth not from the time of his incarnation vntill the last houre that hee departed out of this world and then hauing no other there but the theefe which bare him company at that time he promised him Paradise O my soule if thou wilt haue part in Paradise behold vvhat a one the sonne of God is vvho giueth it and behold vvhat hee doth vnto the theefe vnto vvhom hee gaue it and as thou diddest see vvhat they doe so doe thou force thy selfe to doe the like O my soule O my heart doest thou not see that our Lord who giueth Paradise is vpon the crosse and that the theefe vnto whom heauen 〈◊〉 giuen is also vpon the crosse therefore that the crucified doth nor giue
enuy did vse him and how in Samaria they sold an asse head for fourescore pence and they gaue but thirty for his Fol. 310 Chap. 12 Christ complaineth vnto his Father that all other martyrs had their paines and troubles inflicted vpon them at diuers times and he is all at once Fol. 318 The Contents of the fift Word WHy the son of God did bid all those which were athirst come vnto him and yet said vpon the crosse that hee himselfe was a thirst Fol. 335 Chap. 2 How the Crowes gaue the Prophet Helias meat and how the Iewes gaue Christ neither meat nor drinke Fol. 342 Chap. 3 How the hangmen drank the wine which was brought vnto him and the other theeues and did suffer Christ to die with thirst Fol. 349 Chap. 4 He followeth the authority of the Prophet Osee speaketh of the garments which Christ left in pledge Fol. 356 Chap. 5 Where is brought a figure of Tobias and declared to the purpose Fol. 362 Chap. 6 Here the Author followeth the figure which hee touched before which is declared well to the purpose and there is brought also a prophesie of Ieremy Fol. 368 Chap. 7 Of a new thirst which King Dauid had which was a thirst not to drinke but to saue himselfe Fol. 376 Chap. 8 God complaineth that we forsake him for vile base things and doth compare vs vnto old pooles Fol. 381 Chap. 9 How the sonne of God did not refuse to drinke gaule vineger although he kniw it would kill him Fol. 385 Chap. 9 How the synagogue could giue Christ nothing to drink but rotten dregs Fol. 390 Chap. 11 How the synagogue gaue Christ that to drink that she her selfe was that is gaule and that which shee had that is vineger Fol. 393 Chap. 12 How that the thirst that Christ had vpon the crosse was not so much for drink as to desire to suffer for vs. Fol. 398 Chap. 13 Where he goes forward with the figure aforesaid Fol. 405 Chap. 14 Of the cruelty and ingratitude that the Iews vsed in giuing Christ gaule and vineger and how hee satisfied for euery sinne in particular Fol. 407 The Contents of the sixt Word HEre are put diuers vnderstandings of this speech Fol. 429 Chap. 2 Against disordered eaters and drinkers and how Christ was a greater martir than any other and there is declared a prophesie of Esayas Fol. 434 Chap. 3 Of the greatnesse of the son of God and how all things haue weight and measure and number sauing onely the humanity of Christ Fol. 441 Chap. 4 Herein is entreated of the greatnesse and wealth of Salomons temple how that in the holy temple of Christs humanity the holyghost hath bestowed greater workmaÌ„ship riches spiritual gifts theÌ„ the teÌ„ple which SalomoÌ„ built Fol. 448 Chap. 5 How that al the misteries prophesies which God had prophesied of him were fulfilled in Christ in Ierusalem Fol. 455 Chap. 6 Here hee entreateth of that high praier which Christ made vpoÌ„ the table saying Pater sancte non pro mundo rogo sed pro illis vt serues eos a malo In which praier if he obtained constaÌ„cy stoutnes for his Apostles yet he forgot not the weak saying Non rogo vt tollas eos a muÌ„do Fol. 463 Chap. 7 Herein hee entreateth of the variety and diuersity of names of the sacrifices of the old Testament of the excellency of the sacrifice of the new Testament Fol. 473 Chap. 8 Wherein is declared a figure when Moyses did annoint the altar seuen times with one finger and how that vnction was a figure of Christ and fully accomplished in his most sacred humanity Fol. 480 The Contents of the seuenth Word HOw God is the only and true comforter and how hee was Deus vltionum to the Synagogue and is to the church Pater misericordiarum Fol. 486 Chap. 2 Of the difference that is betwixt Dauids testament Christs testameÌ„t seeing the ane commaÌ„deth to reuenge other mens iniuries and the other pardoneth his own death Fol. 492 Chap. 3 Of the difference betwixt the bloud of Abel and the bloud of Christ how vnlike their cries vnto God are Fol. 496 Chap. 4 Where Christ complaineth on the ChristiaÌ„ mans soule because shee was vngratefull for the benefite of her creation and redemption Fol. 498 FINIS Here beginneth the first of the seuen words which Christ our redeemer spake vpon the altar of the Crosse saying Pater ignose illis quia nesciuns quid faciunt that is My father pardon these which crucifie me because they know not what they doe CHAP. I. Pater ignosce illis quia nesciunt quid faciunt THe sonne of God spake these words at the houre of his death vpon the altar of the crosse as if he would say O my eternal iust holy father the first thing that I request of thee on this crosse is that thou wouldest forgiue all these which take my life from me seeing they know not how highly they offend thy goodnes clemencie Super inimicos mees prudent em me fecistâ— saith king Dauid in his Psalmes as if hee would say O great God of Israell I giue thee many thanks for that thou hast endued me with the vertue of prudence by the which I haue learned to doe my selfe good by the enemies which persecute me and forgiue them the iniuries which they haue done vnto me For the better vnderstaÌ„ding of that which Christ said vpon the crosse and of that which Dauid vttered in this Psalme it is to bee vnderstood that amongst all the Cardinall vertues the first and chiefest is Prudence because that without her iustice endeth in cruelty temperancie in weakenesse sloth and idlenesse fortitude in tyranny might and power in pride boldnesse in folly and madnesse and knowledge and skill in malice Plate said that Prudence was such a great gift that with her alone the wise man amerâ—â—lâ—th that whâ—â—h is past strengtheâ—â—th that which is broken ruleth and gouerneth that which is present prouideth for that which is to come redresseth that which is amisse and mainteineth that which is well done Eschines the great orator sayth I haue known many Grecians of my time which were eloquent in that which they spake subtile in that they inuented bold in that which they tooke in hand wary in their doings close and dissembled in that they went about to haue and also modest in their behauior which notwithstanding for want of a little wisedome and prudence lost all in one houre Socrates said oft vnto his schollers that they were not tied and bound wholly vnto the letter of that which he taught them for I am your maister said he to tell you only what you are to doe but prudence must afterward teach you when you are to doe it and how you are to doe it and whether you are to doe it or not and if you are to doe it then why are you to doe it Cicero to Atticus sayth Thou art not
eie and life for life why doest thou O mighty redeemer giue thy hands vnto those which bind thē thy feet vnto those which pierce them with nailes thy eies vnto those which make thee blind and thy life vnto those which take thy life from thee If thou wilt not reuenge thy iniuries why doest thou not let iustice doe iustice vpon thy enemies S. Barnard sayth in a sermon from the time that our Sauiour was taken in the garden vntill hee was crucified on the crosse the works which he did were many but the words which he spake were very few whereby hee gaue vs to vnderstand that in time of great vexations and persecutions it is fitter for vs to helpe our selues with patience than with eloquence In this first praier which the sonne made vnto the father it is to be noted who the father is what that is that he asketh of whom he asketh when he asketh from whence he asketh how hee asketh and for whome hee asketh for by so much the more one businesse is greater than another by how much the inconueniences are greater which it draweth after it He who asketh is the sonne he of whom he asketh is the father that which he asketh is pardon the place frō whence hee asketh is the crosse the time is when hee dieth those for whom are his enemies the maner how is with many teares in so much that a praier offered vvith all these circumstances ought of great reason to be heard This praier of Pater ignosce illis Father pardon them is a very high praier seeing that he vvhich made it vvas the sonne of God vvho saith Si quid petieritis patrem in nomine meo dabit vobis And if this bee so how is it possible that the father should not graunt all that which the sonne requesteth seeing hee promiseth to giue all things that shall be demanded in his name If this be a great praier by reason of him which maketh it it is also a very great high praier by reason of him vnto whom it is made which is Pater misericordiarū deus totus consolationis The father of mercies and the God of all comfort the vvhich eternall father created vs vvith his power guideth and gouerneth vs vvith his vvisedome sustaineth and vpholdeth vs with his essence and forgiueth vs with his elemency how is it possible that a sonne vvhich hath such a father or a father vvhich hath such a sonne should not grant his demand This praier of Pater ignosce illis was also very great because of the place vvhere it was made which was in the mount of Caluarie and on the altar of the crosse vvhere the vvrath of the eternall father was appeased his blessed sonne put to death the vvicked deuil ouercome the old sinne forgiuen and all the world there redeemed S. Ambrose vpon S. Luke sayth how much the Iewes dishonoured the holy temple so much Christ honored the Mount of Caluary for they made a den of theeues of the house of praier and the sonne of God made a house of praier of a den of theeues O good Iesus what is there now that thou doest not make cleane what doest thou not renue what doest thou not sanctifie what doest thou not make holy seeing thou wentest to the Mount of Caluary to pray for sinners which before was infamous by reason of execution done there vpon malefactors The sonne of God praying on the infamous and stinking place of the Mount of Caluary giueth all men license to pray vnto God where they will and how they will and for whome so euer they will because the perfection of praier doth not consist of the place where wee pray but of the small or great deuotion with the which wee pray According vnto that which the Samaritane woman said vnto Christ That many Iews would not pray but within the temple and it may bee to take away this error wee doe read that the son of God did not pray there but preach only which our blessed Sauiour did because no man should excuse himselfe from praier deuotion saying that the temple was shut vp Vbertinus saith that the sonne of God is not ashamed to pray Pater ignosce illis on the dunghill of the Mount of Caluary and art thou ashamed to pray alone in thy house O what a high charge and office the office of meditation and praieris considering that Christ his being naked on the crosse with his handes bound and tied his feet peirced with nailes his head crowned with thornes his mouth seasoned with vineger did not hinder him to pray Pater ignosce illis Father forgiue them and seeing hee pardoned and forgaue with his heart and praied with his tongue CHAP. II. How the sonne of God said vnto his father that those which crucifie him be not his enemies but his friends QVid sunt plagae istae in medio manuum tuarum his plagatus sum in dom◠eorum qui me diligebant said God by the Prophet Zachary in the thirteenth chapter as if he would say Who hath giuen thee these cruell wounds in the middest of thy hands the Prophet answered and said Lord they wounded mee thus in the house of those which loued mee much These words were not spoken voluntarily nor of euery man seeing they cannot be applied neither to the nature of mankind nor of angell because men are not wont to receiue stripes and words in their friends houses but in their enemies The Prophet toucheth a new thing and a high mystery in saying that he was whipped and wounded in the house of his well-willers and therefore it is needfull for vs to lift vp our vnderstanding to discouer and reach vnto this high secret because that high mysteries are fit only for heroicall and high persons This demand and this answere passed on the altar of the crosse betwixt the eternall father which asked and his blessed sonne which answered who not being content to entreat only for his enemies saying Pater Father forgiue them would also haue excused them and take all blame from them in saying Nesciunt quid faciunt They know not what they doe the father said vnto him Quid sunt plagae istae so said the father vnto his son which is as much as to say O my son if thou doest say that none of these Iewes are guiltie and culpable of thy death and passion I pray thee tell me who made these cruell wounds in the midst of thy tender hands The son answered his father His plagatus sum in domo eorum qui me diligebant which is as much as to say O holy and eternall father I receiued these wounds which thou seest in my tender hands in the house of those which were my friends and if I be ioifull in receiuing them why art not thou glad in forgiuing them Thou knowest well O my father that nothing can be called an iniury in this world but only that which is done against our proper will If
he suffered in his members When the Apostle sayth That the sonne of God offered vp praiers and supplications vpon the altar of the crosse hee declareth as Theophilactus sayth That the praier ignosce illis was extended vnto the good and vnto the bad in so much that for his enemies he offered praiers for the pardon of their sinnes and for his friends hee offered vp oblations for to confirme them in his grace As the sonne of God was Lord ouer all men and died for all men so vpon the crosse he praied for all men For if the wicked had need of him to help them to rise the good also had need of his helpe to keep them from falling Anselmus in his meditations sayth That when the Apostle sayth that the sonne of God was not content to pray only with deuotion but also offered vp that praier vnto his owne father it is to let vs vnderstand that for the sauing of all the world hee offered vp his paines and sorrowes for a recompence his life for a satisfaction his person for a reward his bloud for a price and his soule for a sacrifice It is also to bee weighed that the sonne of God made not this holy praier of Pater ignosce illis Father forgiue them sitting but vpright not being at libertie but bound not in a low voice but aloud not laughing but weeping that which is most to be maruelled at the words that he praied with were very few but the tears he bathed them with were very many O good Iesus O my souls pleasure who could be worthy to stand at the foot of thy crosse to see how thy bloud ran from the thornes and thy tears flow from thy eies in so much that at the same hour and moment thou diddest water the earth with tears and pierce the heauens with sighes O what a sacred word was that O what a holy praier was Pater ignosce illis Father forgiue them seeing that it was made by the sonne of God vpon the altar of the crosse accompanied with sighes washed with the bloud of Christ and offered vp with the tears of the redeemer Although the sonne of God requested the greatest matter of his father and of the greatest weight that euer was demaunded of him that is to wit Pardon of his precious death yet the tears which hee shed were so many and the loue so great with the which he asked it that if he had asked a greater matter of him his father would neuer haue denied it him S. Basill sayth O what great hurt sinnes bring vnto vs considering that for to lighten vs of them and obtaine pardon for them it was needfull for Christ to pray vnto his father for theÌ„ and offer oblation and crie out and suffer his bloud to bee shed and tears to poure downe from his eies so that thou O good Iesus diddest buy my great offences by the weight of thy bloud tears Our Lord when he praied for his enemies vpon the crosse taught vs what forme and fashion wee ought to keepe when wee pray that is to shed bloud from our members and fall tears froÌ„ our eies The son of God wept when he praied for his enemies and art not thou ashamed to laugh and talke when thou praiest for the remission of thy sinnes Yea and if thou canst not weep in thy praiers yet tel me why thou doest talke ouermuch Barnard sayth That it is more then a iest rather then a praier if at one time thou wouldest pray and talke for if thou bee not attentiue vnto that that thou praiest neither will our Lord be vnto that that thou demandest Defecerunt prae laâ—hrimis oculi mei sayth Ieremie in his Lamentations as if he should say I had such great compasston to see all the Iewes led captiue vnto Babilonia that my eies with very weeping lost their sight And indeed there is no greater token that a man is in true charity then to see him haue compassion of other mens hurts and therevpon it happeneth that good men weepe sooner for the wicked then for themselues the which happened also vnto Christ vpon the crosse who wept first for his enemies before they wept for their owne sinnes It is a very proper thing vnto the chosen people of God to weepe a like for other mens harmes and for their owne because it is the propertie of true Christian charitie to take as great griefe to see his brother lost as pleasure to see himselfe saued One of the greatest priuiledges that good men haue is that euen as they merit in taking comfort and ioy of the good that is done to good men so they are greeued at the hurt which falleth vnto euill men in so much that the good man and the iust reapeth profit commodity of euery mans conuersation Who doubteth but that the lamentation which Christ made vpon the crosse was far greater then that which Ieremie made on the Mount Sion But now it is to be vnderstood that Ieremy wept for one people onely and the sonne of God for all the vniuersall world Ieremy wept only tears from his eies but the son of God wept tears from his eies and shed bloud from his vains Further Ieremie complained that by weeping he had lost his sight onely but our sweet sauior did not only loose his sight with weeping vpon the crosse but also his very life O good Iesus my soules delight what patience is sufficient or by vvhat iustice is it reason that I should commit the offence and thou shed the teares Art thou not content vvith Ierâ—my to make fountains of tears of thy eies but also to make streames of bloud of thy vains With all those sighes which proceed from thy heart with so many griefes which thy members endure with so many teares which run from thy eies and with so much bloud which floweth from thy vains who would not graunt thy request and who would not haue compassion of that which thou sufferest O who can be able tosay with Ieremy Defecerunt prae lachrimis oculi mei Because that the greatest hap which could light vnto mee were that in amending my faults I could recouer my soule and in weeping many teares lose my sight CHAP. V. Why the father answered not his sonne when hee praied for his enemies VOs cogitastis malum de me sed deus vertit illud in bonum ego pascam vos paruulos vestros When the great Patriark Iacob died in Aegypt and that all his childreÌ„ remained vnder the power and will of their brother Ioseph and being afeard least hee should call to mind how they had sold him vnto the muleters of Aegypt the good Ioseph spake these words vnto them You my brethreÌ„ did think that you had done me great hurt but you did me great good for your selling of me was the occasioÌ„ that I came vnto prosperity and to rule and gouerne all Aegypt in so much that the great goodnesse of our Lord
turned your gall into honny and your poison into triacle Feare not nor yet haue no suspition that I will reuenge for that iniurie or that I will take satisfaction for that reproch and shame but I haue rather a will to looke vnto your wants giue nurriture vnto your children It is not necessary to expound this glorious figure vnto those which are curious in the scriptures seeing al this was fulfilled literally in our good Iesus Yet notwithstanding we will say something touching this figure because all mē may perceiue how well the truth answereth vnto the figure the sence vnto the letter the proofe vnto the prophecie and that which was prophecied vnto that which after happened What did it mean that Ioseph was enuied of his owne proper brothers but that the son of God was hated of al the Iews Who was sold vnto the Ismalites like Ioseph but the blessed Iesus who was also bought with money Who like vnto Ioseph was cast into prison because hee would not commit adultery with his mistris but only the sonne of God which was condemned vnto death because he would not consent to sinne with the Synagogue who like vnto Ioseph did pardon the manslaughter cōmitted by his brothers but only the son of God who was not cōtent only to pardō his enemies but also praied vnto his father for thē The pardon which Christ gaue his enemies was of greater value thē that which Ioseph gaue vnto his brothers because without comparison it is a greater mischiefe to take ones life frō one thē to sell his person O how rightly may the son of God say vnto the Iews which killed him Vos cogitastis de me malum sed deus vertit illad in bonum You thought todo me hurt but God doth turne it to my good considering that they thought at one time to put him to death vpō the crosse and take all power from him vpon earth but hee maugre theirmalice rose the third day and like vnto another Ioseph had al power giuen vnto him vpon earth and in heauen You O yee Iews Cogitastis de me malum When you bereaued me of my life but my blessed father did turne it to my good when at the same time my life ended the Synagogue was buried and the Church tooke her beginning With iust occasion and with no lesse reason good men may say vnto the euill the iust vnto the vniust those that are persecuted vnto the persecutors Vos cogitastis de me malum You thinke to hurt mee but God turneth it vnto my good for when they thinke to suppresse tread them down they exalt and life them vp and thinking to diffame and discredite them they giue them credite and honour for the Tyrant Herod did much more good to the innocent children when hee caused their throats to bee cut then if hee had caused them to haue ben kept and brought vp There was neuer done in the world saith S. Augustine in his Confessions nor neuer shal be done a wickeder part then the killing of Christ and yet there was neuer so great good done nor neuer shal bee as hath been gathered by the death of Christ that is the redemption of all the vniuersall world in so much that God neuer permitteth any euill to be done whereof he doth not draw some profite Cyprian in his booke of Martyrs sayth If the diuell do tempt thee if the flesh disquiet thee if the world hate thee Iacta cogitatum tutum in dominum Cast thy thought vpon God for although Tyrants and naughty men thinke to doe thee hurt yet haue a sure confidence and hope Quòd deus vertet illud in bonum That God will turne it to good seeing that the euill Christian goeth out of tribulation moued and stirred vp but not amended and the good and vertuous man chastised bettered and amended The excommunicated Iewes Cogitabant de Christo malum whē at the foot of the crosse they said Vah qui destruis templum dei Thou which doest destroy the Temple of God but the son of God turned that into good when hee said Pater ignosce illis Father forgiue them in so much that the hast which they vsed in speaking ill and cursing of him and reuiling him our good Iesus vsed in blessing and praying for them It is here now to bee weighed how it can be true that the sonne of God was heard of his father as S. Paule sayth Pro sua reuerentia Seeing that God answered him no one word at all For the better vnderstanding of this point it is to bee presupposed that in some requests which were made vnto the sonne of God if he would not yeeld vnto that which was demanded he answered them presently by word but when it pleased him to condiscend vnto their petition he performed it with deed without any word speaking we haue example of both these in the Zebedeans his cousins vnto whom he answered Nescitis quid petatis You know not what you aske when the great Iohn Baptist sent to know of Christ Es tu qui venturus est He answered no one word vnto the Embassie more then that he began immeadiately before the Embassadors to work such great miracles that they knew by them that he was the Messias promised vnto the Iewes When the collectors of the tributes of Capernaum said vnto Iesus that hee was to pay his Didrachma which was the tribute due vnto the king he answered them no word at all but sent S. Peter vnto the sea and of that which the disciple fished the maister pared his tribute To applie this vnto our purpose wee say that what magnificency Christ vsed vnto Iohus desciples and vnto the rent-gatherers of Capernaum the selfesame vsed the father towards his proper son on the crosse not answering him by word vnto Pater ignosce illis Father forgine them but by deed forgiuing the wicked their offences if they would at any time be sorry and repent them of their sinnes and by confirming the good in grace Beda vpon Luke sayth That the praier which the sonne of God made was not mad in vaine considering that by the merit of that praier and by him who praied it all our praiers both are and haue been heard and for this cause the Apostle sayth Quòd offerebat oblationes preces Because hee praied for all men and in the name of all men and so he wept for all and in the name of all O good Iesus O glory of my soule what doe I want if I doe not want thee and what haue I not saith Barnard if I haue thee I haue and possesse thee O my good Iesus seeing that I am partaker of thy praiers I haue part in thy teares I haue thy gifts in pledge I am the successor of thy sorrowes and heire apparant vnto thy sweatings Damascen sayth as the Apostle doth Exauditus est prosua reuerentia Christ was heard vpon the crosse seeing that by the merites of Father forgiue
that his father would destroy all the word for to reuenge his death hee lifted vp his eies vnto heauen and with a sorrowfull voice said Father forgiue them because they know not what they doe as if he would say O my eternall and holy father I beseech and pray thee that thou wouldest forgiue this vnhappy people seeing thou shouldest make more account of the bloud which I shed for thē than of the offence which they haue committed against thee It is now now time for a thousand to fall on thy left side and ten thousand on thy right for seeing that I stand betwixt them and thee it is not reason that they should fall but rise nor that thou shouldest punish but pardon them O what a happie time O what a happy age the Catholike church liueth in in the which hee which is iniuried is reconciled and made our friend the iudge become our aduocate and spokesman for vs our accuser turned to bee our defender and hee who was woont to feare vs with iustice doth now flatter vs and entice vs to him with mercy How shal Dauid be able to say now Cadent à latere eius mille A thousand shall fall on his side seeing the sonne of God hath said vpon the crosse Father forgiue them In the law of grace and vnder the yoke of Christ it is not time to goe astray but aright not to cast away our selues but to saue our selues not a time of iustice but of mercie not to punish but to pardon neither is it time to fall but to rise It is much to be noted that the sonne of God did neuer command any man to fall and throw downe himselfe but rather bad all men rise vp as it appeareth in the ninteenth of S. Matthew where hee sayth Rise vp and take thy bed and in another place Arise maid and hee said vnto him whom hee raised from death in Naim adolescens tibi dico surge and likewise hee said in the garden to his Disciples Rise let vs goe It is the propertie and office of the diuell to counsell and procure men to fall for so he counselled Christ in the desart when he said I will giue thee all these things Si cadens adoraueris me as if hee would say I will make thee Lord ouer all the world if thou wilt but fall downe on the ground O my sweet Iesus I wil liue with thee who commandeth me to rise and not with the diuell who counselleth mee to fall for hee is desirous to haue me fall and thou and no other art able to helpe mee vp again Why should I liue with the diuell who deceiueth me a thousand waies or with the world which putteth mee in a thousand dāgers or with the flesh which asketh of me a thousand pleasures O redeemer of my soule O sweet delight of my life I will liue and die with thee and no other for if I bee sick thou dost heale me if I be sorrowful thou dost cōfort me if I be falling thou dost help me if I be falne thou dost helpe me vp if I haue sinned thou dost pardon me He is the disciple of the diuell who goeth about to throw down his brother he is the sonne of Christ who doth helpe to lift vp his neighbor for we are not able in this life to do any mā a greater fauor then to keepe his credit honor to help him to saue his soule When the giuer of life said vpon the crosse Father forgiue them by those speeches he ment to obtain two things of his father That is that hee would neither punish their bodies like vnto murderers nor condemne their soules like vnto traitors O infinite goodnesse O clemency neuer heard of before O redeemer of my soule doest thou dissemble with the trecherous pardon murderers excuse traitors vndertakest for the credite of the infamous turnest vnto sinners It is litle when I say thou doest turn vnto sinners seeing thou doest not only turn vnto them but also die for them What is the reason O good Iesus what is the reason that thou doest pray vnto thy father that he would forgiue them and doest not say I doe forgiue them When thou saiest Father pardon them why doest thou not say also I pardon them Art thou the partie iniuried art thou the partie shamed and disgraced art thou the partie agreeued and doest giue the libertie of pardoning them vnto another It is a high mysterie and a hidden Sacrament to thinke that the sonne of God would not say I pardon them but entreat his father to pardon them making greater reckoning of the iniurie which they had done vnto his father then of the death which they procured vnto himselfe The reason why the sonne of God would not say I pardon them although hee were the partie offended was to tell vs plainly That hee did not esteeme those which put him to death his enemies rather his deer brothers great good doers vnto the world hauing more regard vnto the good vvhich they had done in causing the world to be redeemed then vnto the hurt which they did in causing himselfe to bee murdered When good Iesus said Father forgiue thē it is no more thē to say thou art he my good father who must forgiue thē because they haue brokē thy law discredited thy doctrine violated thy temple put to death thy son If thou dost say that I should forgiue thē I say I haue no cause to forgiue for I take my death as wel reuenged my life as well bestowed seeing that by the merit thereof all the world may liue heauen made open vnto all men S. Augustine sayth That if the sonne of God had holden the Iewes for his enemies as they accounted of him it was in his power to forsake them and goe preach vnto others but because hee esteemed of them as of his kindred in bloud neighbours by nature brothers by law disciples in doctrine it was not needful for him to say on the crosse I forgiue thē seeing he was not angry towards thē nor moued at al with thē They bare rancor and hatred vnto Christ but nor Christ vnto thē therfore notwithstanding all the reproches they vsed towards him al the iniurious speeches they gaue him he neuer left off preaching vnto thē nor neuer ceased to work miracles amongst them With what face could they say that Christ was their enemy seeing hee raised their dead cast out diuels frō them instructed their childrē cured their friends of diseases also forgaue thē their sins Seeing the son of God had done the works of a friend among them that of a true friend why should he say vpō the crosse I do also forgiue thē seeing he did not hold any one of thē for his enemy If sweet Iesus was angry with thē if he misliked thē it was not for the iniuries which they did vnto him but for the offences they cōmitted against his father
was a most wicked and naughtie king but onely that God had made him a king Thereupon Saint Ambrose saith and that very well that according vnto the example of Dauid thou oughtest not to looke vnto the malice with the which thy enemy entreateth thee but vnto the vnction wherewith he is made a Christian and whether he be a christian or not thou art not the iudge of this busines but he who is thy God and his who is to punish the iniury which thou hast done vnto him in him the reuengement which thou hast taken on thee Comming then vnto our purpose The words which Dauid spake vnto Saul that is Let our Lord be a iudge betwixt me and thee the Sonne of God may say vnto the Synagogue and vnto all her children and that hee alone shall bee the iudge betwixt them as well of all the good which Christ did vnto the Synagogue as of the hurt he hath receiued by her Which of all the Angels if he would come downe vnto vs which of the dead if hee could rise againe what man were hee neuer so wise were able to number the multitude of benefits which were ceiued by him and the incredible torments which they gaue him Let our Lord bee a iudge betwixt me and thee O Synagogue for no other can be how much more greater my loue was with the which I redeemed thee than the torments which in my passion thou gauest me and that how thy hatred was far greater than all the cruelties thou vsedst towards me Therefore I call thee into iudgement O Synagogue before God not to the end that he should chastise thee but onely to iudge betwixt mee thee how that there is no worke of pity and mercy which I left vndone for thee and how there was no cruelty of torment which thou didst not assay against mee Speaking then more particularly of the pardō which the sonne of God gaue the Hebrewes it were reason to shew what they did to deserue it and what mooued Christ to giue it for by so much the more excellent bountifull is the pardon by how much the lesser the occasions were to giue it The Iewes did Christ fiue notorious iniuries at the time of his death the least of all which if it had bene throughly punished had deserued not onely not to be pardoned but also condemned into eternall fire For saith Hilarius what punishment worthy of their desert can be giuen vnto them who take away life from him which is the giuer of life The first wrong which they did vnto Christ was that they crucified him through malice not finding any fault in him at al which appeareth plainly by that that they did let goe Barrabas the manslaier and condemned the sonne of God iudging him to bee an honester man who killed those which liued thē that great Prophet which raised vp those which were dead Christ was a giuer of alms and Barrabas was a theefe Christ was quiet and a peacemaker and Barrabas a sower of sedition Christ a great preacher and Barrabas a great robber and assailer of men by the high way Christ a maister of all good men and Barrabas a captain of all scandalous men and yet notwithstanding all this they condemned Christ to be put immediately to death and sent Barrabas home vnto his house O how wicked a demād made you O yee Iews and peruerse petition in asking that he may liue which killeth those which are aliue and that hee should die who raiseth to life those which were dead Who is there in your citie who can heale the sicke and diseased or raise the dead vnto life if this Prophet die So great was the hatred which they bare vnto the son of God that to heare him once named they were much troubled in Barrabas name they much reioiced which they shewed manifestly when they cried al with one voice that Pilate should deliuer them Barrabas and crucifie Christ O what a happy man should I bee if my loue towards thee were so great as their hatred was towards thee for by that meanes as they tooke a wrong course in chusing Barrabas for themselues so I should doe aright in making choise of thee for my selfe It had not ben to haue beene maruelled at if they had erred in their choise if Pilat had giuen thē their choise betwixt two theeues or two mankillers or other two strangers vnto them but giuing thē the choise betwixt an assailing theefe and a most holy Prophet and they presently to chuse the wicked one vse iniustice against the good one it could not bee but they did it through great want of wisedome and greater abundance of malice The second iniury was that if they had put the sonne of God to death in some mean village it would not haue ben so great an infamy and reproch vnto him but the excommunicated Iewes the better to reuenge themselues vpon Christ and to put him to the greater shame put him to death in the great city of Ierusalem where he was very well known by his preaching allied vnto many honorable Persons by consanguinity What wrong like vnto this was euer done vnto any man or what reproch comparable vnto this that is to lead him to bee crucified at the Mount of Caluary through the same streets which he was wont to passe through to the Tēple to preach Seneca sayth That it is a greater griefe then death it selfe to a man that is shamefast and of a valiant courage to see himselfe troden downe where he hath ben honored and contumeliously handled where he hath been highly esteemed for he feeleth the present torment and griefe he greeueth and perceiueth that which his enemies speake Because the son of God was mighty in doing miracles faire and amiable in his countenance profitable in his doctrine and a friend vnto the weale publicke hee was beloued of all and enuied of many by reason whereof he greeued much at the open dishonour they did him and that publickly they tooke his life from him What griefe could hee be free from seeing himselfe carried openly and condemned vnto the death of the crosse that his friends accompanied him weeping and his enemies scorning mocking him The third was that although they could haue put him to death secretly in his chāber or in some darke night yet they neuer ment once to do it but they brought him forth at one of the clocke they condemned him at three they crucified him at six they murdered him at nine It was not for want of diligēce but through abundance of malice that they chose that houre because thē the sunne sheweth his beames most brightest most people passe through the streets Chrisostome vpon S. Matthew sayth That the Iews would not put Christ to death in the morning because all men were not vp nor in the night because all were at their rest nor yet late in the euening because many had withdrawn thēselues to their
lodgings but they remeÌ„bred to kil him in the day time betwixt three four of the clock because that at that time al men go abroad to walke in the market place It was an old plague of the Synagogues to embrue flesh theÌ„selues in the bloud of the prophets holy men as of Esaias whoÌ„ they sawed in peeces Ieremy whoÌ„ they drowned in a wel Micheas whom they buffeted to death Zachary whom they stoned to death Ezechiel whom they imprisoned and because the curse of their predecessors should reach vnto those which were theÌ„ aliue they be thought theÌ„selues to take Christs life froÌ„ him blemish his good name credite DamasceÌ„ saith that wheÌ„ the Iews crucified Christ they chose a bright a fair day without cloud darknes because Christ should be seen of al meÌ„ not vnknown of any because their purpose intent was aswel to discredit him as to kill him For wheÌ„ the EuaÌ„gelist saith that wheÌ„ Christ gaue vp the ghost the sun was darâ—â—ed it is an vnfallible argumeÌ„t that it was a bright a clear day but the sun waxed darke vpon the sudden because he would with his shadow haue couered him whoÌ„ the Iewes had put to open shame S. Ciprian saith That when the Iews put Christ to death they were not coÌ„tent only to make choice of a bright day cleare but also they would haue a long day as coÌ„monly the daies are the 25 of March because they might haue time in one day to accuse him giue iudgement on him crucifie him The 4. point was that although they could haue put him to death alone yet they would not do it without coÌ„pany the coÌ„pany they gaue him was not of honest meÌ„ but of two arrand theeues It is to be weighed that the Iews neuer gaue Christ the prehemineÌ„ce or highest room but only vpoÌ„ the crosse and gibbet where they crucified him betwixt two theeues they put him in the midst as if he had ben the greatest theef among theÌ„ al the most notorious offender Albertus saith That the Iews hanged our good Iesus betwixt two malefactors as if he had ben a captain a ringleader of theÌ„ to make vs think therby how bad a person that Prophet was seeing that in comparison of him the theeues were of a better life Put the case saith S. Ierom that al the testimonies which they brought against Christ had been true and that they had proued by sufficient witnesse those crimes which they laid against him yet notwithstanding hee deserued not that kind of punishmeÌ„t nor to be executed with such infamous theeues because the Imperiall laws doe command such only to be partakers of equall punishment which were confederates in the offence If the sonne of God drew sinners vnto him receiued them truly it was not for that he would helpe them or further them in sinne but to draw theÌ„ to good life in so much that by his blessed company they were not peruerted but much more conuerted The fifth wrong was that although they might haue put him to another kind of death which was not so scandalous to heare of nor so cruell to bee endured as the death of the crosse yet they would put him to no other death but that because hee should end his life with great cruelty smart For the torment of the crosse was holden to be the terriblest that was to suffer the least pitifull to giue and therefore they crucified none vnlesse it were such a one as without amendment did breake the law or such a one as durst be a traitor to the king Was hee pardie a breaker of the law who said openly Non veni soluere legem sed adimplere I came not to breake the law but to fulfill the law Is he pardy a traitor who said openly Reddite quae sunt Caesaris Caesari Giue that which is Caesars vnto Caesar and that which is Christs vnto Christ They not the sonne of God were breakers of the law they were Traitors vnto the king they caused sedition among the people yea they stole away the sacrifices in so much that against all order of iustice those transgressors murdered him which was holy the Traitors put to death him who was loiall the guiltie crucified the innocent and the theeues crucified their iudge Chrisostome sayth That as the hatred which they bare vnto Christ did passe al other hatred in the world and as the enuie they bare Christ was far greater then any other which could sinke into mans heart so also they would that the death which they gaue Christ should exceed the deaths which all other men did suffer Who doubteth but if a worser death they could haue inuented a worser death he should haue had It is to be weighed that being an old custome that the iudges which giue senteÌ„ce and not which accuse should appoint the maner of death which the party which offendeth should endure yet the Iewes would not leaue Christs death vnto Pilates arbiterment but they themselues would presently design appoint what death he shold die Tel me I pray you what death did they appoint him or what torment did they chuse out for him Barrabas the theefe being loused let free by the common consent agreement of them al Pilat asking theÌ„ what they would doe by Iesus of Nazareth they cried all aloud with one voice Crucifie crucifie him because hee is guilty of death with few words they condemn Christ vnto many cruel terrible torments that is that he should die quickly seeing they say that he is guilty of death that he should die vpon the crosse seeing they said crucifie him that hee should bee twise crucified considering that they say crucifie crucifie him As touching the first they entreat Pilat to put Christ to death and Pilat said that he found no cause in him why hee should die but in fine his resistance preuailed not so much as their importunity The Iews did not request of Pilat that he would whip Christ or banish him or obiect any reprochfull crime against him but that he would immediatly put him to death that because the holy doctrine which he preached and the euill life which they led were imcompatible the one with the other And as for the second the forsakeÌ„ Iews were not content to demand of Pilat that Christ should be put to death and with that death which they themselues desired but that they should immediately crucifie him on a crosse which kind of punishment was neuer giuen but vnto very naughty wicked persons and for very heinous and enormious saults S. August vpon S. Iohn noteth that the Iewes were not conteÌ„t to cry vnto Pilat once that he would crucifie him but they doubled their cry said crucifie him crucifie him to let vs vnderstand that they meant aswell to crucifie his fame and credite as they did crucifie his person Origen saith That by entreating Pilate twise to
crucifie him saying crucifige crucifige was to persuade him that hee would crucifie him with his hands and that they would crucifie him with their hearts They crucified him with their hearts when with their hearts they hated and detested him then they hated him with their hearts when they diffamed his person and discredited his doctrine in so much that it was not without cause that they cried twise crucifie crucifie him seeing that at one time they tooke away his life and blemished his credit And although Pilate should haue been determined to put him to death either by cutting his throat or casting him into a well or by hanging him which are easier deaths to suffer and lesse infamous to endure yet the doggish Iews would not leaue it vnto Pilates arbitrement and free will for feare least he wold haue beene too pitifull in the maner of his death When certaine words are doubled in holy scripture it is a great signe of loue or hatred in those which vse them as when Christ said Desiderio desideraui I haue desired with desire and when he said Martha Martha in which words he shewed the loue and affection which hee bare vnto his disciples and what tender loue he bare to Martha who guested him in her house The Iews also by iterating of those words shewed the great hatred which they bare vnto Christ and let vs vnderstand with what heart good wil they crucified him Behold thē their deeds towards Christ behold also the deserts which were found to be in them Yet notwithstanding all this in recompence of the cruel death which they gaue him the great shame and infamy they put him to he saith with a loud voice Father forgiue them for they know not what they doe CHAP. IX How that Christs mercy was far greater towards the Synagogue then their naughtinesse towards him seeing hee pardoned her though she desired no pardon FRons meretricis facta est tibi noluisti erubescere tamen reuertere ad me dic pater meus es tu God spake these words by the mouth of the Prophet Ieremy complaining vnto him of the enormious and great sinnes the Iewish nation had committed against him And they are as if he should say O wicked and infortunate people of the Iews which art come vnto that boldnesse of sinning that like vnto a publick whore thou hast no shame in doing naught Turne therefore vnto me O sinfull Hierusalem turn thy selfe vnto me thou vnfortunate Synagogue for I can doe no lesse when thou doest aske any thing of me like as of a father but I must graunt it vnto thee like a sonne S. Ierome vpon these words saith O what an infinit goodnesse and mercy is this O my God and Lord that seeing thou hast tanted condemned Ierusalem as one which was full of sinne and without shame yea and hast compared her vnto a publicke strumpet yet thou doest entreat her to amend giuest her license to call thee Father Whome wilt thou cast from thee and denie to be thy son seeing thou doest vouchsafe to be a father vnto a strumpet If thou dost admit publick lewd womē into thy company is it like that thou wilt cast frō thee the honest and vertuous ones of thy house If thou loue those which are sinfull and shamelesse who is a greater sinner or lesse bashful or more lewd then this my wicked soule If the remedy of my soule consist in nothing else but in calling thee Father from this time forward I do cal thee Father and if thou dost require nothing else of me but that I should turne vnto thee O good Iesus I turne vnto thee and aske thee forgiuenesse of all my sinnes and seeing I doe turne vnto thee as vnto my Lord and confesse my selfe before thee to bee a great sinner I beseech thee most humbly that thou wouldst not cast me from before thy face that thou wouldest not take thy holy spirit from me for if thy holy grace forsake me my soule is turned vnto that that she was before that is vnto a shamelesse and lewd woman It is much to be noted here that God doth not cōplaine of the Iews that they were enuious angry or gluttennous but that they were bold and without shame which wanteth not a high mystery because there is no greater signe in all the world that a mans conscience is very corrupt then when to sin he hath no shame at al. I haue a great hope saith S. Augustine that that sinner will amend his life which sinneth secretly and is ashamed of it which hope I haue not of him who is resolute in his speech and dissolute in sinne because that that man doth either very late or neuer amend his manners who by long vse hath hardened his conscience To come then vnto our purpose with very great reason and for iust occasion God called the synagogue a shamelesse and dissolute strumpet seeing that in the death of his sonne shee shewed not onely her malice but also her impudency in killing him in the open day not being sorrowfull for it at all Christ knew very well that which his father had promised vnto the Iewes that is that if they would call him Father hee would forgiue them as his children By reason whereof Christ our God began his praier with Father forgiue them giuing thereby to vnderstand that seeing hee called him Father hee should bee heard like a sonne If it seeme vnto you my louing brethrē saith S. Ambrose that the Iews had no occasiō to put Christ their Lord to death neither did he see in thē any condition whereby he should pardon thē and touching this mercifull pardon I can tell you that I doe not so much maruell of the pardon which hee giueth on the crosse as I doe of the circumstances with the which hee dooth giue it The Iewes shewed their naughtinesse towards Christ in many thinges but the son of God shewed his mercy clemency towards thē in many more things for there is no mā in this life able to cōmit so great an offence but Gods mercy can go beyond it The first thing wherin he shewed his mercy towards thē was in the petitiō which he made vpō the crosse for them that is pardō remission of their sins being his enemies preferring them before his blessed mother which brought him into the world his welbeloued disciple which followed him before Mary Magdalen whom he so much loued What charity saith Remigius shold haue burned in his diuine bowels who at the very instāt of his own death remēbreth first to releeue his enemies thē cōfort his friends what meaneth this O good Iesus what meaneth this doest thou first remēber those who opēly blaspheme thee thē those which stand at the foot of the crosse weeping for thee O infinit charity O inspeakable goodnes what hart could do that which thou dost S. Barnard saith that it was in maner of a cōtention whether were
greater the sighs of the faithful the tears which issued out of his mothers eies or the bloud which gushed out of Christ vains or the blasphemies which the wicked Iewes vttered with their mouth but yet our holy meek Iesus did first pardō the iniuries before he was mindful of the tears O good Iesus O redeemer of my soule saith Anselmus as thou dost say Father forgiue thē why dost thou not say dry the eies of my sorrowfull mother stanch the bloud of my tender vains heal the woūds of my gētle flesh haue pity cōpassion of these faithfull women which here weep for my sake as thou didst say in thy last supper saith Ciprian Mandatū nouū do vobis I giue you a new cōmandemēt so maist thou now say vpō the crosse I giue you a new exāple seeing that neuer any before thee hath taught vs so perfect a maner how to loue nor so liuely an exāple how to pardon it was a strange a new kind of goodnes which Iesus vsed in asking pardon first for those which crucified him rather then for those which followed him for his mother which accompanied him for without comparison the griefe which he had to see the souls of his enemies perish was farre greater vnto him thē to see his mothers eies run downe with tears Let no man thē wonder nor maruel that our good Iesus did remēber himself first of the people which murdered him before his mother which bare him because he came not into the world to drie mēs eies frō weeping but to sauesoules from perishing Secōdly the son of God shewed his mercy in asking pardon for his enemies with kind sweet words that is not by calling him God or Lord or creator but only father which is a word answerable vnto mercy pity contrariwise this word God or Lord doth alwaies signifie iustice Whē Christ said Father forgiue them hee would haue said Lord forgiue them or my God forgiue them it would haue seemed that he would haue had the pardon according vnto the rigor of iustice the which if he had required or his father granted there is no doubt at al but before the son of God should haue yeelded vp his ghost the ground would haue opened swallowed thē vp Whē the son of God would ask any great thing of his father he began his praier alwaies with Father as whē he said I confesse vnto thee O father whē he said Father into thy hands I cōmend my spirit What meaneth this O redecmer of my soule what meaneth this Is thy pity so great towards vs and thy mercy so abundant that thou doest pray for thy enemies with the same wordes as thou doest pray for thy own affairs S. Chrysost vpon S. Mathew noteth That the excōmunicated Iews did alwaies change their stile maner of speech whē they spake vnto Christ for once they said Benedictus qui venit in nomine domini anone after they said Vah qui destruis tēplū but as for the son of God as his mind was sincere clear inwardly so his words were holy outwardly were not think you his words holy his thoughts pure cleare whē he said vnto his Father Father forgiue them seeing hee praied with his tongue pardoned with his heart S. Barnard crieth out O sweet Iesus O redeemer of my soule what couldest thou haue said or what shouldest thou haue done more for thy enemies thā pardon them with all thy heart make intercession for thē with such sweet louing words Thirdly Christ shewed his goodnes mercie in asking pardon in the presence of such as were there that is in the presence of his sorrowful mother of his welbeloued disciple his deer friend Mary Magdalen his cousins and kindred shewing that as all men were by him redeemed so also all should be by him pardoned Vbertinus to this purpose saith O good Iesus in the death which thou didst suffer and in the pardon which thou diddest giue to thy enemies thou diddest not only helpe thy selfe there with thy tongue but also with thy heart seeing thou didst entreat thy father with thy tongue that he would haue pity on them and diddest also beseech thy mother with thy heart that she would forgiue them Rabanus vpon S. Matthew saith That it was not without a high mystery hidden sacrament that the son of God when he died would haue his mother his kindred there the reason was because they should all be witnesses of his pardon as they were of his passion for our holy Lord had a greater desire that his bloud should benefite his enemies than that his kindred should entreat at his death for him Wherfore O good Iesus saith Anselmus wherfore didst thou bring thy mother all thy family to the foot of the crosse but only because as thou didst suffer in thy flesh so they should also fuffer in their hearts as thou didst forgiue thē thy death they should also forgiue thē their iniuries wrongs done by thē Bonauenture saith that as the son of God said father forgiue thē opēly so he said mother forgine thē insecret in so much that as the hangmē did martirize the sonne so the son martirized the mother leauing her bound to weep his death but not licensed to reuēge it O my Iesus O my soules health I beseech thee that as thou didst get pardon of thy father and mother for thy enemies so thou wouldst get me pardon for my sinnes saying Father forgiue mother forgiue him seeing I am hateful vnto thy father by reason of the sins which I commit against him vngratefull vnto thy mother for the benefites which I haue receiued of her O happy holy day in which thou didst die seeing that on that day the Father forgaue his iniury the son pardoned his death the mother pardoned her martyrdome Saint Iohn pardoned his reproch and perill Mary Magdalen her anguish and distresse and the good theefe was pardoned of his sinne How was it possible that the Father should not forgiue the world of their sinnes seeing that on one day in one houre and at one time they said Father forgiue them the son by letting his bloud streame from his vaines the mother by suffering her tears flow from her eies and the sadde familie by piercing the heauen with their sighes Because saith Ciprian the office of the son of God was to put together that which was broken and reconcile those which disagreed hee would not depart out of this world before hee had made an attonement betwixt his friendes and his foes beseeching his father to forgiue thē cōmanding his mother not to accuse thē The sorrowful mother had great reason to challenge the Iews for the life which they took frō her son and also the father for the wrongful death which they put him to therefore our most merciful redeemer besought of his father that he wold not cōdemn thē into
euerlasting damnatioÌ„ obtained with his mother that she shold not challeÌ„ge hisdeath before any iustice But what iustice could she ask of those malefactors seeing they had been already pardoned of her sonne Anselmus saith That wheÌ„ Iesus gaue vp the ghost vpon the crosse he left no death for his mother to reueÌ„ge nor iniury to forgiue but only a bitter passion to weep and bewaile which shold be great inough to rend her bowels in sunder dry vp the tears of hir eies The 4. goodnes which Christ shewed the Iews was in that he gaue pardoÌ„ to his enemies which did not demaÌ„d it yeelded that vnto his crucifiers which they wold not haue For how is it possible for those men to seek for pardon which will not acknowledge themselues culpable And how should they acknowledge theÌ„selues culpable which cast al the fault vpoÌ„ him which deserued it not The Iews were so fleshed in the bloud of Christ so far out of their wits that they did not not only procure ask pardoÌ„ for their offeÌ„ce but rather hindered it put it froÌ„ theÌ„ when it was offered theÌ„ taking delight in the hurt which they did vnto Christ griefe that they were not able to do him more When they led the innocent lambe to be crucified for very ioy they said O thou which doest destroy the Temple of God And when Pilat would haue deferred his crucifying with great enuy they said If thou let this man goe thou art not a friend vnto Caesar in so much that if they did shew themselues grieued and sorrie it was not for that they thought themselues culpable of any crime but because they had deferred and prolonged Christs life so long time The wickednesse of the Iewes was not content in not hauing pardon of God for their offences but they demaunded openly vengeance for them when they said vnto Pilat Let his blood fall vpon vs and vpon our children and therefore by these dreadfull words they desire to be punished of God and at no time pardoned at his hands O wicked Synagogue O impious saying Let his blood be vpon vs. Tell me I pray thee why doest thou desire that the blood of Christ which hee shed for to redeeme thee be â—urned to condemne thee The sonne of God appealeth from these words which they speake and he will not stand vnto that agreement which the Iewes made with Pilat hee will not agree that his blood should be shed against them but for them and therefore as they said Let his blood fall vpon vs so contrariwise he said Father forgiue them O wicked Synagogue O vnfortunate Iewish nation saith Remigius who hath led you vnto such great folly and madnesse that you should more esteeme of the blood of kine which your priests shed in the Temple than of the blood which Christ shed in the mount of Caluarie Saint Ierome saith On the altar of the crosse the Prophecie of Simeon was fulfilled who said that Christs comming into the world was to some mens good and to others hurt seeing that wee doe pray that the blood which hee sheddeth should be in the remission of our sinnes and the Iewes doe intreat that it turne vnto their condemnation and vpon their children It is much to be noted that wee see it often times fall out that one enemy hurteth not another and that a good Christian doth pardon another of his offence when hee repenteth wee see it also by experience likewise we see it fulfilled that a perfit man doth loue his enemy but yet wee neuer saw that euer any but Christ pardoned him which would not be pardoned And how would they be pardoned who pardoned Barrabas and condemned the sonne of God What contrition of their sinnes haue they who desired of Pilat that the curse of God should light vpon them and vpon their children O infinite goodnesse O vnspeakable charity did they say pardy with king Dauid Tibi soli peccaui To thee alone haue I sinned or with the thiefe Domine memento mei Lord remember me to the end that he should say God be mercifull vnto you Misereatur vestri What wit is able to conceiue or what heart able to acknowledge such great mercy when thou saidst Forgiue them in stead of their sanguis eius His blood light vpon vs O my good Iesus O my soules health who is hee who dare say that hee hath enemies now seeing that thou doest make cleane the vncleane settest those at libertie which will not be free loosest those which wil be bound vnburdenest those which will bee burdened and aboue all giuest pardon vnto those which will not be pardoned If thou doest pardon that people which would not be pardoned wilt thou not with a better will pardon him who hath repented him of his sinnes and whome it grieueth with all his heart to haue offended thee Saint Augustine vpon S. Iohn saith Will not he who meant to meete them who came to apprehend him in the garden of Gethsemani come out to receiue and embrace those who goe to serue him Will not he who defended the adulterous woman from outrage and pardoned the wicked people not beeing thereunto asked pardon and defend that sinner whome hee seeth amended and hath beene of him with many teares thereunto entreated CHAP. X. How it is meet for vs to conforme our wills vnto Christs will to the end that we may know how to loue him and serue him COr tuum numquid est rectum cum corde meo sicut cor meum est rectum cum corde tuo Wee reade in the fourth booke of the Kings that a certaine king of Israel called Iehu going from Samaria to kill the children of Achab and the priestes of Baal met on the way with Ionadab vnto whome he spake these words Tell me I pray thee Ionadab is thy heart and mind so faithfull and vpright with mine as my heart is with thine Ionadab answered him vnto these words Know thou O king Iehu that my heart is conformable vnto thine Iehu replied and said Seeing it is true that thy heart is agreeing vnto mine giue me thy hand and come to me into this charriot where we will talke and communicate of things profitable for vs both This is a wonderfull figure worthy of great attention and consideration seeing that our Lord doeth teach vs by it the great good turnes which hee doth vnto vs and that which in recompence thereof wee are to doe vnto him againe Who is that king Iehu who taketh his iourney from Iudea vnto Samaria to kill and to take vengeance vpon the wicked men which were there but onely the sonne of God who came downe from heauen aboue to destroy our sinnes Assure mee saith Saint Augustine that there be no sinners in the world and I will assure thee that there be no naughty men in the world for as in heauen there is no sinne remitted nor any wicked man there suffered and as contrariwise there is nothing but
irae dei vsque ad faeces said the Prophet Esay speaking with Israel as if he would say Rise vp O Ierusalem rise vp O Synagogue seeing that of meere drunkenesse thou art fallen vpon the earth considering that thou hast dronke the cup of the anger of God vnto the very bottome and dregs The sonne of God the night before his passion being at his praiers in the garden of Gethsemani when all the torments which he was afterwards to suffer came vnto his mind and the torment of the death which hee was to endure said vnto his eternall father Pater sivis transeat a me talix iste as if he would say My eternal and holy father I ask thee as thy son and beseech thee as thou art my father that thou wouldest consent that all those of my church may also drink of this cup of bitternes The doubt now is that seeing the cup that Israel tasted of was frō as good a God as the cup that Christ drank of why the cup that Christ drank of was approued liked the cup that Ierusalē drank of misliked disallowed The one was a cup the other a cup the one was of bitternes and the other was of ire the one fell to the synagogue the other to the church the one was of God the other was of God seeing it is so why do they threatē Israel for that which hee drunk and praise Christ for that which he supped vp The better to vnderstand this point we must vnderstād that there are two kind of cups or chalices in the holy scripture To wit the one which is called the chalice of bitternesse the other which is called the chalice of ire and the difference betwixt thē is that by drinking the one we appear betimes in the morning in Paradise by drinking the other we go down at night vnto hel What is the cup of bitternesse ful of but with hunger cold thirst persecution temptation all which things our Lord giueth to drinke vnto all those which hee hath chosen to serue him and vnto all those whom he hath predestinated vnto saluation S. Gregory in his Morals saith That it is a sign that he is predestinated to be saued vnto whom God giueth his cup of bitternes to drink in so much that we cannot escape grieuous hels vnlesse it be by the cost of great trauails It is to be noted that Christ said not vnto his father that he wold not drink of the cup neither yet did he offer himself to drink vp al but he praied him only by speciall grace that others might help him to drink it for if he should alone haue dronken the cup of bitternes he alone should haue entred into Paradise O giuer of all goodnes O distributer of al fauors what hadst thou that thou didst not cōmunicate vnto vs or what didst thou possesse that thou didst not deuide amongst vs Thou hast giuē vs thy body to eat thou hast giuen vs thy bloud to drink thou hast giuē vs thy law to keep thou hast giuē vs thy hart to loue thou hast giuē vs thy cup to tast thou hast giuē vs thy glory to enioy Anselmus saith That in the vain pallaces of the world those are thought to be most familiar which are most of all made much of by their Lord but in the company house of God those are best beloued which are worst handled insomuch that we wil say him to be his familiarest friend whom we shall see to drinke oftenest of his bitter cup. O high mystery O diuine Sacrament when the sonne of God did weepe teares from his eies in the garden and did sweat bloud from his body hee did not aske that his chosen flocke might bee cockered and made much of but only that he wold let thē sup some sup of his bitter cup. What else was S. Peters crosse S. Andrews crosse likewise Bartolomewes knife S. Laurence grediron S. Steuens stones but certain pledges which they receiued of Christ certain bitter sups which they dranke of his chalice Hilarius vpon S. Matthew saith That how many more sups a man hath supped in this life of Christs cup so many steps the higher shall hee bee in heauen in glory for what cause we ought to entreat and aske earnestly that if we cannot drink al his cup yet that he would let vs at the least rast of him with his elect S. Ierome sayth also That although the cup which Christ left his elect bee somewhat bitter in drinking yet after that it is drunke it is sauerous and profitable because the trauels of this world doe not giue vs so great griefe and paine when wee suffer them as they bring vs delight after we haue suffered them It is also to bee noted that hee sayth Transeat a me calix iste that is He would not haue his bitter cup turne backe againe but goe on forward wherby he giueth vs to vnderstand that the merit of his passion and the bloud of our redemption should not be bestowed vpon them which euery day goe worse and worse vntill the end but onely vpon them vvhich euery day grow better and better This word of Transeat Let this cup passe is a high word and worthy to bee marked in the which and by the vvhich our good Iesus doth admonish and warne vs that those shall not drinke of his cup of bitternesse enter vvith him into glory which hauing been good turn in the end to be naught but only those vvho being naught proue to be good nor those vvho vvhen they should go forward from vertue to vertue turne backward and perseuere in vices because that among the seruants of our Lord he vvho doth not profit doth disprofit There is no rich mā in this world which doth set so much by his wealth as Christ doth by his chalice of bitternesse and therfore seeing that he commandeth that his cup should passe further that those should drink of him vvhich doe go forward the seruant of our Lord ought to take pains to make himselfe better and to go forward not in ambitiō which doth tēpt him but in deuotiō which he doth want O good Iesus O my soules cōfort Let this cup go not frō me but to me because we may tast of thy pains trauels feel thy griefes weep for thy tormēr enioy thy loue wash away my wickednes insomuch that whē thy cup doth passe frō thee it may light vpon me Let euery mā make his prouision of wines of Illana of Candie of Dania yet I for my comfort and deuotion doe aske of God that all the daies of my life I may deserue to drinke of that bitter cup one drop There is another cup which is called the cup of the wrath and ire of God of the which when I begin to speake my bowels open my heart is troubled and my soule is sorrowfull my flesh trembleth and my eies also weepe How is it possible that
haue to serue our Lord is rather baslard will than a lawfull will for to tell the troth my brother wee haue more skill in sinning than in louing The good theefe would not so plainely teach the euill theefe the art of loue as hee did the duty of feare partly because the time was too short to learne so high a matter as then being in great torment and neer vnto death and partly because the quality of mans mind is easily induced to feare and very slowly to loue O vnto how many may wee say now adaies that which the good theefe said vnto the other that is neither thou doest feare God letting them to vnderstand by these words that they neither feare God nor loue God nor serue God nor yet remember whether there bee a God considering they let no sinne vndone vnlesse it bee because they dare not or because they cannot What friend is there in this world which giueth his brother such brotherly correction What friend dare tell his friend take heed brother for thou art prowd or ill-tongued or a babbler badly beloued and euery man marketh thy doings S. Barnard vpon those words of Ieremy Omnes amici eius spreuerunt eum c sayth Woe be vnto me O my good Iesus woe be vnto me because that all the holy maisters which brought me vp are now dead all my faithful friends which were wont to giue me counsell are now gone and if I haue any left they rather couer my faults than correct them There are few good theeues left to correct mee and many naughty friends to hide my faults and which cannot be said without teares which art not content only to hide my sinnes but also are ready to entise mee to sinne A certaine man of Athens asking Plato wherein he should shew his friendship vnto him answered him Thou shalt aduise me of all that I shall speak amisse and helpe mee in all that I shall doe amisse because the duty which I require of my friend is that he would helpe mee to be vertuous and hinder me from being vicious There are but few friends which doe this and very few which aske this of their friends for there are few which will haue those for their friends which may and will correct them for the enormities they doe but defend them in the vices they commit What doth it auaile me if my friend deliuer mee from my enemies which lay wait for me if he deliuer me vnto vices which kill me We see that one theefe doth correct another from the crosse and yet one Christian will not correct another but will rather be vicious betwixt themselues than breake the friendship which is betwixt them Nonne qui oderunt te domine oderam inimici facti sunt mihi said Dauid in the 138 Psalme as if hee would say O great God of Israel and mighty Lord of the house of Iacob one of the duties which I haue done for thy seruice is that all the daies of my life I haue hated those which loue not thee I haue vtterly disliked those which followed not thee I went from them which loued not thee yea I did flie from him which serued thee not Cassio dorus vpon these words sayth Thou hast great reason in that which thou saiest and greater in that which thou doest O renowmed and gracious king Dauide for if naughty men had no cōpanions to helpe them and wanted friends to bandy for them in short time wee should see them ended or amended That one friend doe not helpe another in matters touching his wealth it may be born but not to counsell him in things concerning his conscience may not be endured for if the matter doe offend God and endanger our conscience we should neither suffer our father who engendred vs nor yet consent with friend or brother who loueth vs. Nathan did rebuke Dauid Samuel Saul Micheas Achab Helias Iezabel S. Iohn Herod and S. Paul S. Peter not for any thing that they had done against themselues but for that which they had committed against God because we should know that we ought to hold him for an enemy who is not beloued of God How wilt thou haue God for thy Lord and friend if thou bee a friend vnto that that he detesteth We haue great need to say with the Prophet Did I not hate those which did hate thee and they are become my enemies For to tell thee the truth my brother thou canst neues rightly Ioue vertue and vertuous men vnlesse thou doe first detest vice and vicious men For as Seneca sayth Hee shall neuer or very late bee good who will haue a naughty man for his friend S. Augustine vpon S. Iohn sayth What greater maruails wouldest thou see or heare thā those which the sonne of God did at his death where preachers became theeues theeues turned to be preachers Wicked Iudas was a preacher and he became a theefe and hee who suffered with Christ was a theefe and he became a preacher and as they tooke new offices so they ended in diuers effects for the one sold Christ in the temple and the other excused Christ vpon the crosse Who was the last theefe of the Synagogue and the first preacher in the church but that holy theefe which suffered by Christ Who made a Sermon of greater weight than this theefe did considering that in the presence of all men and against them all he accused himselfe and excused Christ Hic autem quid malifecit These are the words not of a Pagan but of a Christian as if he would haue said Who euer being God made himselfe a man eternall made himselfe temporall being infinite limited his power and being a iudge suffered himselfe to bee iudged What hurt did he Who taught those which knew little who set those aright which went astray who did comfort those which wept who did pardon those which did offend What hurt did he He who did restore the deafe vnto their hearing fed the hungry gaue sight vnto the blind and raised the dead to life What hurt did he He who preached vnto the Samaritane woman defended the woman taken in adultery and hee who helped the Cananean and forgaue Mary Magdalen What hurt did he Hee who preached the faith taught the law opened the Prophets and hee who put vp a schoole throughout all the world Quid mali fecit what harme had he done He who made vs a path-way to walk in a truth to hold by a life to liue by and glory for vs to enioy What hurt did he He who endured hunger because I might eat took great iournies because I should take rest and who suffered because I should not bee endangered and hee who died because I should liue What hurt did he O cursed Israelites O forsaken Iewes what hurt hath hee done vnto your Synagogue who neuer ceaseth to doe good vnto all the world If hee could haue beene accused to haue done any hurt it was because he had done so
seruices done vnto him by increasing their wealth or prolonging their daies or deliuering them from warre or sauing them from plague O happy speech This day thou shalt bee with mee in Paradise because that all which God gaue from the beginning of the world was as it were from the tiles of our house downewards but that which he giueth now is from the heauens vpward that is such a gift as no tongue is able to expresse Do tibi partem vnam extra fratres tuos said Iacob vnto his sonne Ioseph when hee was at the point of death as if hee would say For the troubles which thou hast endured with this mystery was that when the children of Israel saw the sea before them which they could not passe ouer and the Egyptians behind them who came with intent to sley them they began to complaine of Moises and in his prefence crie out aloud why he had brought them out of Egypt where they had their sepulchres and lead them into the desarts where they should bee eaten vp of wild beasts Moyses seeing himselfe in such a narrow strait spake not one word vnto our Lord but began to weepe and with his heart only to pray vnto God and commend himself vnto him which praier was of such great force efficacy that it seemed to moue God greatly to condiscend vnto that which hee had asked him Good Moises did pray yet did not crie he wept and yet spake not he sighed and made no noise hee desired and entreated not and hee hoped and yet hee did not importunately vrge This was a high kind of importuning by not importuning and a high kind of asking in not asking for to obtaine that which wee desire at Gods hands sighing is better than crying out more is gotten by offering vnto him tears than by speaking many words S. Gregory in his Morals sayth That God did not beare false witnesse against Moises in saying that he did importune him in not importuning him and that he astonied him by crying he not crying at all because there is no higher kind of asking than by praying nor any sweeter manner of speaking with God than by weeping Barnard sayth How is hee not busie who is busie with his heart and what doth not he obtaine who asketh with tears S. Augustine vpon the Apostles words saith That our Lord doth oftentimes heare the heart when hee praieth although the tongue doe not speake outwardly but hee neuer heareth the tongue which speaketh outwardly if the heart doe not pray inwardly because our Lord is neerer vnto the heart with the which we loue him than vnto the tongue with the which we speak vnto him Our Lord had great reason to say vnto Mâ—ises Quid clamas ad me What doest thou cry vnto me for Because he had more respect vnto the tears which Moises wept than vnto the cries which the people made and so he regarded more that which Moises desired with silence than that which the people demanded with a noise What meaneth this O great God of Israel what meaneth this Doest thou not answere one word to the people which call vpon thee doest thou answere Moises which doth not speake one word vnto thee Doest thou hold thy peace when the Iewes and torturers speake vnto thee at the foot of the crosse and doest thou answere the theefe for speaking once vnto thee There is no such great difference betwixt torturers and theeues and theeues and torturers that the one should be heard and the other repulsed for if torturers and hangmen take their liues from such as are hanged so doe great theeues also take away mens riches and apparell by the high way The wicked Iewes did not deserue an answere at Christs hands seeing they said come downe from the crosse because no man should bee so bold as to bid him come downe but goe vp because such as are to goe into hell goe downe and those which are to go to heauen goe vpward The hangmen did not deserue to be answered of Christ which said Thou who dost destroy the teÌ„ple of God because he came not into the world to take away the stones of Salamons Temple but to win soules vnto his father which is in heauen For it auailed Christ very little to that which he pretended whether the temple stood or were fallen downe Neither did the naughty theefe deserue an answere who said vnto Christ Saue thy selfe and vs because there was no man able by any force to put Christ vpon the crosse vnlesse he had gone vp of his own wil that not to fly from it but to redeem the world vpon it Why should the son of God answere so naughty a theefe seeing he demanded nothing but to haue his life saued not making any mention at all of his soule When the naughty theefe said vnto Christ saue thy self saue me too what els did he preteÌ„d or demaÌ„d but that by some miracle or by some words of enchantment he should deliuer them from the crosses and put them in safety Irenaeus in a sermon sayth thus According vnto the great loue that Christ died with according vnto the great quantity of bloud which issued out of his body it had been but a small enterprise for Christ to haue loosed the theefe haue sent him to keepe his Easter in his owne house because hee came not into the world to set theeues at liberty but to saue sinners Cyprian sayth That if as that naughty theefe did ask Christ that hee would pull out those nailes and slacken those cords and deliuer him from those torturers and asswage his torments he would haue asked somewhat touching his soule or that he would haue had mercy shewed vpon him our gratious Lord would not haue refused to answere him to that which hee said nor haue denied him that which hee demanded O what a theefe hee is sayth Haymo and a theeues fellow who can aske nothing of Christ but honour to get him credite power to defend himself and might to offend others riches to enioy liberty to command and health to liue onely in this world Such as dare to aske these things of our Lord be either Christians without souls or theeues without shame of whom I doe now prophecy that if they bee not hanged like theeues they shall bee condemned like sinners Let vs take example by this dreadfulll example that wee doe not aske with the naughty theefe that our Lord would take vs from the crosse but that hee would keepe vs on the crosse nor let vs not aske of him that hee would giue vs a long life but that he would amend our consciences For look how willing our Lord is to giue vs things necessary to saue vs so is hee vnwilling to giue vs that which wee doe aske of him to cocker vs. CHAP. XI Of these words Domine memento mei Lord remember me which the good theefe spake vnto Christ the which words are deuoutly and deepely expounded QVia
the theefe Doest thou defer it to her who brought forth Christ take pity on him who bare him coÌ„pany on the crosse seeing thou doest augmeÌ„t tears in her diminish offences in him It was a word of great fauor which hee did vse vnto Mary Magdalen that Remissa tibi peccata multa Many sins are forgiuen thee but yet that was greater which he did vse to the good theefe because hee vsed greater liberty with him thaÌ„ with hir for if he loued her pardoned her he loued the theef like a friend pardoned him like a Christian rewarded him lika a iust man Barnard saith vnto this purpose That it is a signe of great loue to pardon but a greater sign to giue pardon because that pardon is sometime giueÌ„ by force but a gift neuer coÌ„meth but of free wil. OrigeÌ„ vpoÌ„ Mathew crieth out O deepe mystery O diuine sacrameÌ„t who euer heard or saw the like vnto this that is betwixt the sunne rising the sunne setting the theef was condemned by Pilat shamed by the criers iusticied by the hangmen confessed by his owne mouth by Christ pardoned and also brought vnto Paradise What meaneth this O good Iesus what meaneth this Who is able to reach vnto the reason why Abel vvith his innocency Nee with his iustice Abraham with his faith Dauid with his charity Moyses with his meekenesse Iâ—b vvith his patience Tobias with his franknesse Lazarus with his pouerty should so long desire to see Christ and the theefe presently enioy him S. Ambrose sayth That Christ receiued in a new kind of martyrdome all the torments vvhich were giuen the theefe as a naughty man from the houre and moment that he defended Christ and confessed with Christ insomuch that if he began to suffer like a theefe and a rouer hee ended and died like a glorious martyr This happy theefe was a very glorious martyr seeing he suffered neere Christ and with Christ where Christ suffered and in the same manner that Christ suffered and which is most of all hee was the first martyr after Christs passion and the first Saint which the sonne of God did canonize after his death S. Stouen was the first martyr after Christs ascention but from Christs death vntill he ascended into heauen there was no other Mattyr in the vvorld but the theefe whose conuersion Christ caused whose teares hee accepted whose martyrdome hee approued whose passion hee canonized and whose soule hee glorified S. Augustine sayth O good Iesus O my soules delight considering that thou doest saue him who accuseth his owne faults and him who excuseth thy innocency the maintainer of thy credit the confessor of thy essence the companion of thy person wilt thou not saue also this sinfull soule of mine For so great a battaile as thou hast won this day for so great a victory as thou hast obtained and also for so much bloud as hath issued from thee it is a small prize to carry away with thee but one theef only because that by so much the greater the triumph is by how many more prisoners the triumpher is followed with all And if it will not please thee to take mee thither with thee tarry thou here with me O good Iesus for I desire no other glory of thee in this miserable world but that thou wouldest let mee haue alwaies a good conscience Origen sayth in an Homily that it is much to be noted and a thing to be wondered at that Christ did not say vnto the theefe Amen dico vobis although there were many more there but hee said Amen dico tibi to let vs vnderstand that by forgiuing him alone hee shewed his mercy and by not pardoning others hee shewed his great iustice There were store of sinners about the crosse as well as hee which peraduenture would haue beene pardoned as well as he but amongst them all the theefe onely deserued to heare his pardon but by this hee maketh vs know that there is no man which hath cause to dispaire of pardon seeing hee forgaue him and yet that we presume not too much of pardon seeing he forgaue him alone Let the conclusion of all this be that wee remember before wee sinne that our Lord did not pardon the multitude that was there present and after wee haue sinned let vs remember that hee pardoned the theefe which suffered with him and in so doing we shall feare his iustice and remember his mercy the which I humbly beseech him that it would please him to vse here with grace afterward with glory Amen Amen The end of the second word which Christ our redeemer spake vpon the Crosse ⧠Here beginneth the third word which the sonne of God spake vpon the Crosse vnto his blessed mother Mulier ecce filius tuus Woman behold here thy sonne CHAP. I. That the loue which the mother of God had did exceed the loue of all other men and also the loue of Angels SIcut water 〈…〉 it a agâ— te diligebaâ—â— these are the words of holy Dauid 2. Reg. chapâ—â—â— 1. when 〈…〉 brought him that king Saul his enemy and Prince Ionathas his great friend were slaine in a battaile which they had with the Philistims The Iewes gaue this battaile to the 〈…〉 the wild mountaines of Gâ—â—boe and when the sorrowfull newes came to king Dauid that king Saul had lost the battaile hee began aloud to crie and shed many grieuous teares and said as followeth in dolefull wise O famous and renowmed Israel why doest thou not weepe for the losse of so many excellent men which this day they haue slaine thee and noble Princes which this day are perished within thee How is it possible that the strongest of Israel haue fallen downe so ignominiously and the most famous of Iuda haue ended their life by sword O how well king Saul Ionathas should haue loued one the other when they were aliue seeing that they left not the one the other in death although the cruell sword was able to take away their liues from them yet certainly it was not able to take away their hearts from them with the which they loued one the other What sword durst wound their hearts or what launce durst touch their flesh considering that Saul and Ionathas were in running more light than eagles and in sight more strong than lions Ionathas arrow was neuer shot but he hit Sauls sword drawn but he stroke Weepe then O ye daughters of Israel weep vpon the death of your king Saul who clothed you in scarlet in your passeouer and gaue you iewels of gold in your weddings O ye mountains O ye mountains of Gilboe I curse froÌ„ henceforth anathematize you for euer to the end that it neuer raign water vpoÌ„ you by day nor any dew fal vpoÌ„ you by night seeing that you consented that the enemies of Israel should there kill Saul and slay my good friend Ionathas in the same place O my faithfull and old friend Ionathas why
didst thou goe to the battaile not calling mee with thee and why diddest thou die not taking mee with thee My heart can receiue no comfort nor my eies cease from weeping when I remember how much I was bound vnto thee and call to mind the great loue that passed betwixt vs because that the loue which passed betwixt thee and me was of like quality as the loue which a mother hath when she hath but one child onely It is now to bee noted that for this last word wee haue brought all this story whereby wee may well gather and inferre that the loue which a mother beareth vnto her onely sonne exceedeth all other humane loue For if Dauid could haue found any greater loue vnto a greater hee would haue compared his King Dauid was a very holy man and his sonne Absalon a very bold young youth but in the end when newes came vnto him that Ioab had thrust him through and that he was hanged vpon an oake the poore old man made such pitifull complaint and did shew such griefe for it that euery man did perceiue plainly that he wished himselfe rather dead thaÌ„ his sonne lose his life The which he openly said when he cried aloud My sonne Absalon my sonne Absalon where truly he would willingly haue gone to his graue if his sonne might haue liued God had no better experience to proue the loue which the Patriarch Abraham bare him but to command him to kill his onely sonne which hee had in his house and when the old man had lifted vp his sword to slay the young youth the Angell tooke him by the arme and commanded him to be quiet for now our Lord was satisfied to see that he loued him better than his own son When news was brought to holy Iob how the wise men had robbed him of fiue hundred yoke of oxen and that a flash of lightning from heauen had burnt him seuen thousand sheepe and that the Chaldeans had taken from him three thousand Camels and had put to the sword all the shepheards of his flocke the good man was not grieued at all with it nor vttered any sorrowfull word forir But when the fourth post came to bring him news how they had slaine his sixe sonnes and three daughters in his eldest sonnes house the man of God could not dissemble his great griefe and did shew it more by deed than by word by rending his garments in sunder and cutting his haire from his head and wallowing oftentimes vpon the ground Wee doe not read that the great Patriarch Iacob did weepe in all peregrinations or complaine in all his tribulations vntill hee heard that the wolues in the desart had eateÌ„ his welbeloued sonne Ioseph the which euill news did strike him so near the heart that hee said before his other children that hee would die and goe into hell because hee might haue space and time inough to bewaile his sonne Sunamites the Inne keeper of Samaria and hosâ—esse vnto Heliseus did so much grieue at the death of her sonne which God had giuen her by the praier of Heliseus that shee went weeping like a foole about the fieldes in such manner that neither her husband could bring her in nor the Prophet comfort her The great Priest Heli was so greeued vvheÌ„ it was told him that the Philistims had ouercome the Iewes and taken the Arke and killed his two sonnes Obni and Phinees that he fell from his seat and immediately yeelded vp the ghost The wife of old Tobias and mother vnto young Tobias did weepe beyond all measure and went almost beside her selfe only at the long tarrying which her sonne made in Rages a citie of the Medes vvhether his father had sent him to take vp certaine money and this her griefe was so excessiue that she neuer ceassed to pray vnto God for to keepe him nor she neuer left off weeping vntill she saw him with her eies I haue thought it expedient to rehearse all these examples the better to proue and extoll the loue which fathers and mothers beare vnto their children and how it is not to bee compared with any other loue and how bitterly the Parents weepe not onely for the death of their children but also for their absence Horace saith That to the losse of a child and that of the onely child there can bee no losse comparable vnto it because that causeth griefe at the heart which is loued from the heart Anselmus sayth to this purpose that this fatherly loue is not found onely in men which are reasonable but also in brute beasts for we see the Henne fight with the Kite the Storke with the Goshauke the Mare with the Wolfe the Lionesse with the Ounce the Eliphant with the Rinoceront the Gander with the dog and the Pie with the Cuckow the which fight is not only because they be enemies but because they steale away their young ones S. Ambrose in his Exameron saith That the loue of the father is so great and so excessiue that oftentimes we see brute beasts follow men which haue taken away their yong ones wherein they let vs vnderstand that they had rather be taken themselues than see their little ones taken captiues If a brâ—te beast shew this griefe for his little oues what shall a reasonable man doe When Demosthenes wept bitterly the death of one of his sons another replied vnto him and said that he was a Philosopher it seemeth well said hee that thou hast neuer been a father nor what the loue of a sonne is because that to haue a sonne is the greatest of all loues to lose him the greatest griefe of all griefes To come at the last vnto our porpose what woman did euer loue her sonne as the mother of God did loue hers Ipsum solum tenet mater sua pater eius tenerè diligit eum said the Patriarke Iudas vnto the Patriarch Ioseph his brother as if hee would say O most renowmed Prince Ioseph I and my brothers and my brothers and I doe humbly beseech thee vpon our knees and request thee with many tears that thou wouldest forgiue our yonger brother Beniamin the taking away of the golden flask which was found in his bag because his dolefull mother hath no other son and his old father loueth him with most tender loue These words may better be spoken of the virgin and of her sonne than of Beniamin and his mother Rachel who had more than one sonne although shee knew it not seeing that Ioseph Beniamins brother was aliue the most richest mightiest of all Egypt The eternall father had no other sonne but this alone and the immaculate virgin had no other but Christ only for the father neuer engendred other naturall son but this and the mother neuer brought forth other sonne but this We may very well say of the father that hee did loue his son tenderly seeing hee gaue him all his nature all his wisedome all his power all his
griefes sorrowes because all other men haue power only to hear theÌ„ but no skill to remedy them Irenaeus sayth If I be a cold he who wisheth me vvel can bring me to the fire if I be hungry giue mee a little bread if I bee thirsty giue mee a cup of vvater if I bee naked giue mee a shirt but if my soule bee sad and comfortlesse vvhat comfort can he giue me but only bid me haue patience S. Augustine to the Hermites saith Hee who will comfort the soule ought to be in the soule and he vvho will remedy the heart should dwell in the heart but because no man hath his abiding there but onely the sonne of the liuing God of him and of no other our remedy and ease must proceed Cicero in an Epistle saith O how hee is deceiued which saith and thinketh that the griefes of the heart are lenified and eased by seeing faire meddowes vvalking by fresh riuers eating dainty meats hearing pleasant musicke For all these things can but suspend my griefes for an houre or two but they cannot root them out and much lesse remedy them Tell mee I pray thee how can the instruments vvhich found in my eares remedy my griefes vvhich are inclosed in my bowels How can the pleasures and ioies which my eies receiue in beholding meddowes and forrests giue ease to my paines vvhich lie in my bones What doth dainty faire mitigate the anxiety of mind What comfort can an aâ—â—licted mind take if they giue him no other remedy but bid him haue patience What careth my sorrowfull heart for my friends words if when they are gone from mee my sorrowes remaine Seeing that all the pleasures and ioies of the vvorld reach no further than vnto the fiue sences it is a certaine thing that as pleasures are seated in those sences so likewise griefes are rooted in the heart Plato sayth That griefes and delights are great enemies and that they dwell farre one from another and therevpon it happeneth that there is no delight and pleasure which entâ—reth into the inward part of the heart nor no griefe which commeth out further than the heart Cassiodorus saith That as we seeke for an expert Pilote to saile with and a skilfull Phisition to cure vs with so for to comfort our griefes and heauinesse we should seeke out cunning men in them because that no man can take more pitty on another than he who hath been wearied iniuried by suffering WheÌ„ the son of God came into the world hee came not to learne to read nor to write nor to swim nor to preach for all this is but drosse and mire in comparison of that which hee knew before hee came into the world That which hee came hither to learne by experience was that which hee knew before onely by science that is to accustome himselfe to suffer corporall passions and vexations because he might haue the more compassion vpon the afflicted Chrysostome sayth That the sonne of God came to trafficke in this vvorld like vnto a rich wealthy merchant that is by carrying to heauen that which there wanted by bringing from thence that which wanted here for there ther wanted meÌ„ therfore took some thither with him here there wanted merits therefore left store behind him The son of God came into the world because there wanted men in heauen to enioy his glory and because we wanted grace to deserue it so we gaue him humane flesh to suffer with and he gaue vs his holy grace wherby wee might merit O holy and glorious exchange seeing that he changed with vs quietnesse for trauell innocency for infamy spirit for flesh life for death and glory for painâ—â— Now that 〈◊〉 haue declared how the sonne of God came into the world to learne vexations and troubles the better to haue compassion on them in others it is conuenient that wee declare now how that the mother of God did inherite her sons sword of sorrows as hee did inherite his father Dauids seat of griefes and trauails CHAP. VI. Of the sword of griefe which killed the sonne of God and went through his blessed mother ETtuam ipsius animam doloris gladius pertransibit said Simeon to the Virgine in the second chapter of S. Luke as if he would say The sword of the passion of this thy sonne shall bee so cruell O high Virgine that at one stroke it shal take his life from him pierce thy soule The like prophecy was neuer heard of in times past nor read in any booke nor any so sorrowfull a prophecie euer spoken of as this was which the Virgine newly deliuered heareth this day which the good old Simeon vttereth vnto her for what saith the prophecy but that at one time in the selfesame day in the same hour and with the selfesame sword they will doe iustice vpon the sonnes flesh and vpon the mothers bowels There are found swords commonly to cut off a theefes eare to behead a murderer to quarter a traitor to cut a blasphemous tongue but a sword that can pierce the soule and mind there is no other to bee found but this sword of Christs The sword which Cain killed his brother with the sword which Moyses killed the Egyptian with and the sword which king Dauid slew the Philistime with and Helias sword with the which he slew the Idolaters and Phiâ—â—es sword with the which he slew the Ammonites did all wound the body but alas Simeons sword brused the flesh of the sonne and did not fauor the bowels of the mother Vbertinus noteth that Simeon doth not say that a sword of sorrow shall strike thee but Pertransibit that is that that sword vvill not bee content onely to wound but as it were with a mortall thrust shall peirce thy blessed soule from one side vnto the other And then that deadly sword peirced her from one side vnto the other when all the sorrowes and griefes which the sonnes flesh endured did load the heart of the dolorous mother with griefe The wordes of Auegratia plena which the Angel vsed and those which Simeon spake doloris gladius pertransibit went togither and were of equall force for euen as the Virgines soule was so full of grace that she could receiue no more so her heart was so full of griefe that shee could endure no more There could not a greater griefe be spoken of than that which the mother was to suffer which was vttered in saying that a sword should pierce her heart from one side vnto the other and indeed as old Simeon had prophecied so it came to passe because there was neuer Martyr which suffered more torment in the martyring of his body than the blessed Virgine suffered in seeing her son martyred And this speech tuam ipsius animam is very much to bee noted for although other holy men were grieued at the death of Christ yet none so much as his holy mother for in other men the griefe was as it were
a blow but in the Virgins heart a thrust Simeon doth threaten none that the sword of grief shal pierce but only the mother of Christ to let vs vnderstand that as she was the creature vnto whom Christ imparted most of his comfort so it was she vnto whom he gaue most of his dolors insomuch that as she did most deserue so she did most suffer O great Simeon why doest thou threaten the mother onely with the sonnes sword seeing that not only the martyrs did feele his death and passion but it seemeth also that the Angels themselues did lament and weepe for it For what martyr is there in heauen O sweet Iesus which did not feele thy death and die for thy holy law It is therefore said that the holy Virgine did by a speciall grace and priuiledge feele more grieuously the death of her sonne than any other creature of the world because it is a propertie of our Lord to impart most bitter feeling of his passiō vnto those soules whom hee doth most tenderly loue When Simeon said that shee should feele her sonnes passion more than any other it vvas to say that Christ would leaue his passion and torment in keeping with her aboue others to the end that they might bee knowne afterward vnto the world in so much that it was vnto thee blessed Virgin vnto whom the sonne of God bestowed his greatest loue on earth and vnto whome hee imparted most of his sorrowes Vnto whom then should wee run for a true sufferer of his sorrows but vnto thee O mother of God now full of ioy and consolation though then full of sorrowes and passion O that thy soule is glorious and thy heart most happie blessed Lady seeing thou was not martyred with the Emperour Neroes sword as the Apostle Saint Paule was but vvith the selfesame that thy sonne was in so much that as in the incarnation loue coupled you together so in his passion dolour seperated you one from the other Flebat Anna mater Tobiae irremediabilibus lachrymis Tobie chapter 10 as if hee would say The honourable Matrone Anna old Tobias wife and young Tobias mother vvept the absence of her welbeloued sonne vvith remedilesse teares saying Woe bee vnto mee vvoe bee vnto mee my sonne and my heart vvhat vvill become of mee without thee or is it possible for mee to take any rest in thy absence Whither art thou gone from mee vvhere hast thou absented thy selfe the light of my cies and staffe of my old age comfort of my life and hope of my house How is it possible that thy father could obtaine of himselfe or of mee to send thee to recouer a little money so farre from vs What greater disaster could fall vnto vs than to lose our sonne for the recouering of a little coine I vvould to God that that money ha◠neuer beene due vnto my house for for the ease of my heart there is no treasure like as to haue thee vvith mee O my deere sonne O my sonne O my heart how vnfortunately did I consent that thou shouldest depart out of my sight considering that it vvas most certaine that hauing thee vvith mee I vvanted nothing What shall my sorrowfull eies doe now seeing they cannot see thee but fill themselues vvith vveeping for thee Such sorrowfull vvords and grieuous complaints could not be vttered but of a tender heart nor could not be spoken but of a child deerly beloued Mimus the Philosopher saith That because the tongue is a crier and a publisher of that vvhich is in the heart it is most certaine that if there bee loue in the hart that he crieth Loue and if there be nothing but sorrow griefe in the heart he publisheth also nothing but sorrow For the better vnderstanding of this dolorous figure it is to bee noted that as Isaac vvas the figure of Christ in that vvhich hee vvas to suffer so Tobias mother vvas the figure of that that the immaculate Virgine was to weepe insomuch that the virgins glorious martyrdome was prophecied by Simeon and figured in holy Anna. The mystery did well answer vnto the Sacramēt seeing the blessed virgin was a mother Anna a mother the one wept the other wept the one had but one only son the other had but one onely son the Virgines son went a far iourney Annas son went a far iourney Tobias mother vvept remedilesse tears the mother of Gods tears were also without remedy Yong Tobias took his iourney at his fathers cōmandement the son of God was incarnate by his fathers commandement if Tobias went to gather vp money which his father had lent Christ also came to recouer soules which his father had lost What shall I say more but that Christ and Tobias and Tobias and Christ vvere sent by their owne fathers and lamented by their owne mothers O that the Virgine had better reason to vveepe for her sonne vvith remedilesse teares than Tobias mother had because her sighes and reares found remedy and comfort but the mother of God found no remedy nor comfort O sorrowfull vvoman and comfortlesse mother for what comfort could thy teares find seeing thou diddest see him end his life in one day vpon the crosse whome thou wast thirty yeares a bringing vp O comforelesse mother and mother of discomfort thou art shee which should weepe with remedilesse teares and not the mother of young Tobias because her sonne came home well married but thy precious sonne remained dead vpon the crosse O honourable Anne and blessed old woman it is an Angell which led him an Angell which accompanied him an Angell which married him and an Angell which guarded him and an Angell which brought him backe againe Therefore leaue thy teares for her who is the mother of him which is crucified considering that a traitor sold her sonne a sinner denied him a tyrant condemned him and a wicked people put him to death Our Lady wept with remedilesse tears seeing that she not Tobias his mother did lose the staffe which did support her the glasse which she looked in the light with which shee saw the rest wherein she tooke ioy her only hope and that which shee most of all loued Seneca to this purpose sayth That the griefe is not so great when thinges are lost by little and by little as when they are lost all at once and therefore it is a great matter for a man to bee accustomed to endure and hardened in suffering Who doth doubt at all but that the suddaine losses which fall vnto vs are more grieuous than those vvhich come not all together if they had apprehended the sonne of God in one day accused him on another giuen sentence on him the other and executed him on the other although the griefe could not but haue beene great yet it had been tollerable but to see that in foure and twenty houres they apprehended him accused him gaue sentence on him and put him to death vvhat heart is able
to suffer it or vvhat eies can weepe and bewaile it sufficiently Venient tibi has vna die sterilitas viduitas said God by the Prophet Esay chapter sixteene as if hee would say When thou shalt least thinke vpon it there shall happen two great mishaps vnto thee O Synagogue that is thou shalt bee made a widdow and also barren vvithout a sonne The space of three thousand yeares in which God vvas married vnto the Synagogue hee raised Patriarkes and Prophets continually in her but vvhen the son of God vvas put to death shee vvas put from him like a naughty vvoman and the Church admitted in her place in so much that from good Friday forward vvhen he died on the crosse shee neuer after vvas great vvith any gifts or graces nor neuer brought foorth any holy man Our blessed Lord vvas his mothers bridegroome and deere sonne also and hee vvas so certainely her bridegroome that Ioseph vvas not more hers vvhen hee vvas betrothed vnto her and therevpon it is that vvhen Ioseph died shee vvas not fully a vviddow but vvhen the sonne of God died shee was fully a vviddow Why dooth the Prophet call her a vviddow but by reason of her sonne vvhich shee lost and vvhy doth hee call her barren but by reason that shee had no comfort and consolation O that the Prophet doth rightly call thee barren seeing that in one day and in one houre thou diddest lose thy husband and vvast bereaued of thy sonne But yet thou maiest comfort thy selfe vvith one thing O glorious Virgine that is that thou needest not vveare a mourning vveed though thou bee a vviddow because thee very stones haue broken in sunder and the heauens haue mourned for pure compassion Magna velut mare est contritio tua quis medebitur tibi Sayth Ieremy in his Lamentations as if hee would say thy griefe dooth so much exceed all other griefes as the sea doth exceed all other vvaters because all men can take pitie on thee but no man remedy thee Ieremy doth highly set forth the dolours vvhich the sorrowfull mother suffered on the Mount of Caluary by comparing her vnto the sea vvater because that as there is no drop of water in the sea which is not salt euen so there was no part of the Virgines heart which did not feele griefe and paine Hee calleth the Virgines dolour Contrition that is a kind of brusing or breaking hee calleth it great and hee calleth it a sea which is bitter in so much that as there is nothing which can bee compared to the sea in greatnesse euen so there is no griefe which can bee compared vnto the griefe which the Virgine suffered There are some griefes and sorrowes the which if they bee bitter yet they are not great and if they bee great yet they are not bitter but the Virgines dolour vvas the greatest in the world for it was so bitter that there could bee none so bitter and so great that none could bee greater What could bee more bitter seeing it went to her heart what longer seeing it continued all her life time O that thy contrition was great like vnto the sea for as there is in the sea both calme and tempest so was there in thy heart at one time ioy and sorrow ioy in seeing thy sonne redeeme the world and sorrow in seeing thy sonne die vvithout iustice What sorrow doest thou thinke should that heart feele in the which at one time there did striue sensuality and reason loue and feare liking and dissiking willing and nilling What sea can bee compared in depth or what water in bitternesse vnto the heart in the which is forged at one time a will to redeeme all the world and a will that her sonne should not suffer For as the sea is deepe and large so the Virgines griefe was deepe because it reacheth vnto the heart and great because it vvas of a great matter and bitter because it was the greatest griefe in the world Barnard sayth That as in the sea one waue followeth another and when they are come to the banke they breake against it euen so in the Virgines mind one sorrow ouertaketh another and one grief ouerreacheth another the which both together breake against the Virgines bowels And shee suffered all these anxieties and sorrowes alone because there was none who might take part of them with her nor any man able to giue her remedy for them Quis medibitur tibi as if Ieremy would say O sorrowfull mother and comfortlesse Lady what Phisition is able to cure thy wounds hauing them as thou hast them so farre within thy heart Who shall cure thee O thou of all other the most comfortlesse because the griefes of the heart are such that although they are easie to bee reckoned yet they are hard to bee cured Who shall heale thee O blessed Ladie seeing thy carefull loue is of such qualitie and the wounds of thy sorrow so great that no man can guesse at the curing of them but hee alone who was the cause of them Who shall ease thee of all others the most desolate seeing that the Phisitian which cured the dolours of the heart is now crucified among theeues and malefactors Who shall cure thee O blessed Virgine or who shall make whole thy sorrowfull heart but hee onely in whome thou hast put it seeing wee know that although Gallen and Hypocrates can purge the humors and let the vaines bloud yet they cannot cure the griefes of the mind Who shall ease thy sighes but only he for whome we sigh for Who shall heale thee O my good Ladie seeing that hee is dead on the altar of the crosse for whome thou doest weepe and hee hath yeelded vp the ghost for whome thou doest sigh Who shall heale thee O my sinfull soule if thou hast lost Christ and fallen from grace Thou must now know that thou hast no recompence for so great a losse Ioine therefore O my soule with our Lady and weep with her shee for her sonne and thou for thy losse because that after his resurrection he may comfort her and helpe thee would haue bestowed them all in seeking looking vpon in hearing and in louing and seruing her sonne O who could haue seene thee in that lamentable houre on foot and not sitting hard by the crosse and not farre off looking vpon him with thy sorrowfull eies kissing his feet with thy mouth and receiuing the drops of bloud vpon thy head The scripture doth not say only that shee did stand hard by the crosse but addeth further iuxta crucem Iesu by the crosse of Christ to distinguish the crosse of Christ from the crosse of theeues for it had been no matter whether a man had been on foot or sitting by those crosses Who should come to the crosse of Christ crucified but he who is also crucified And hee who will come to the crosse must liue like vnto them that are on the crosse vpon which they know nothing but how to
mighty Redeemer and supreme Creator vvho is able to tell the secret or reach vnto this that is to say why thou diddest take the mother vvith thee thither to see thee die in that great and high day of thy passion and leaue all thy other disciples behind thee because they might not see thee suffer In so great a conflict and so narrow a straight as this was vpon the Mount of Caluary why wouldest thou haue rather womē with thee to weep thā mē to defend thee Who but thou O good Iesus saith S. Barnard who but thou did euer goe into the field to fight against his enemies without weapons accompanied with tears The mother wept the sonne wept the kinsman wept the disciple wept the aunt wept all the family wept so that Moyses did drowne his enemies in waters and the sonne of God his with teares Anselmus sayth That hee that could haue beene at the death of Christ vpon good Friday should haue seene the Iewes make an outcry the Pharisies blaspheme the hangmen lay on the heauens vvaxe darke and all the faithfull weepe in somuch that there was nothing in the synagogue but blasphemies and nothing in the church but teares Non immolabitur vna die ouis cum filio fuo said God in Leuiticus chap. 22. As if he would say Let those take heed which will offer to the Tabernacle that they doe not kill the lambe and the ewe the same day Origen sayth That because our Lord is mercifull hee would haue his disciples bee so likewise and therefore he did forbid them any thing that might tend vnto cruelty or induce them vnto it What can be more cruell than to take the lambe and the owe at one time Who is the ewe which hath brought forth the lambe but only the mother of Christ and who the lambe but her precious sonne God did warn the synagogue often that they vvould take heed vnto the Lambe and ewe and especially that if they would touch the sonne that they vvould pardon the mother God had no greater wealth nor any equal neither in heauen nor in earth vnto that lambe and sheep of whom he himselfe had a care and in whose seruice and guard all the powers of heauē were by him emploied This commandement was broken on the Mount of Caluary where they at one time killed the innocent lambe and spared not the sorrowfull mother What cruelty and inhumanitie like vnto this was euer seen or heard of haung but one sheep in the Synagogue the church hauing but one lamb to kill the lambe in the presence of his mother and torment the ewe in the sight of the Lambe What equall torment could there bee to the mother than to kill her son before hir face or what greater martyrdome could the son suffer than to sacrifice his mother in his sight O how glorious and happy should I be if my soule would turn to be such an ewe and my heart such a lambe because I might bee sacrificed on the Mount of Caluary with the true Lambe O sweet Iesus saith Vbertinus O mercifull Lord seeing that all lawes doe speake in fauour of thy precious mother why wouldest thou breake them seeing thou art the iudge of them all Is not the law made in the fauour of thy mother which commandeth that the lambe should not bee sod in the milke of his damme Is not that law made in the fauor of thy mother which cōmandeth to take the yong Sparrows and let the old one go The law which cōmandeth not to kill the Lambe and the ewe at one time is it not made in fauour of thy mother Thou then that art the giuer of the law doe not breake the law which thou doest if thou sacrifice thy selfe which art the lambe and thy mother which is the ewe There is bloud inough in the bloud of the lamb there needeth not the bloud of the mother for if it be necessary for the son to die to redeeme vs the mothers life is also necessary to cōfort vs. Bonauenture Anselmus Vbertinus cannot wonder inough what should bee the reason why the sonne would take his mother with him to the foot of the crosse seeing that shee could not helpe him in his death nor hee had no need of her to redeeme vs. It is not to bee thought that hee brought her thither without cause neither that shee did goe thither vvithout some mystery because that all things done betwixt the sonne and his mother should bee esteemed as a mystery of mysteries like vnto Salomons Canticles which are songs of songs The reason why our good Iesus would take his mother with him was as Anselmus sayth Because hee would leaue her his onely inheritrize as being the next of kindred O my singers O my heart how is it possible for you to bee able to write or my tongue able to speake of the wealth which the sonne leaueth or of the inheritance which the mother doth inherite But what could hee leaue vnto his mother who was borne in Bethelem among beasts died on the Mount of Caluary betwixt theeues What can his sorrowfull mother inherite of him who shrowdeth himselfe in a borrowed shrowd and burieth himselfe in another mans sepulchre What could hee bequeath by Testament who hauing two coats gaue one to the hangmen which crucified him and the other to the knights vvhich kept him What could hee leaue vvho neuer had a foorme to set downe on nor a boulster to lay his head on The inheritance then which she did there inherite from her sonne was the bloud which there hee shed and the dolours which hee there suffered for all men so that with the bloud which came downe from the crosse hee watered her body and with the dolours which hee suffered hee martyred her soule Saint Barnard De passione domini saith That in so great and high a work as this was and in so narrow a strait as this which Christ was in it was very necessary that the Virgine should bee there and giue her sonne part of all that was in her not onely to haue compassion on him but also to suffer with him S. Augustine vpon the passion of our Lord sayth That because the great prophecy of Simeon was not as yet accomplished it was done by the permisson and counsell of the holy ghost that the mother should be with the sonne on the Mount of Caluary where at one time the sword of grief bereaued the son of his life and pierced the mothers soule As it was not reason saith Anselmus that the mother of God should want the crowne and reward of martyrdome so was it not reason that she should be put into tyrants hāds therfore it was giuen her as a meane that because shee had serued her sonne with excessiue loue her own sonne should martyre her with his inspeakable griefs Who euer saw or heard that as it were at one sound and after one measure the hangmen should martyrize the son
the son martyrize his mother S. Barnard vpon those words Maior est iniquitas mea which Cain spake sayth thus O good Iesus that that charity is greater vvhich thou diddest vse than that which thou diddest command me O redeemer of my soule seeing that on the Mount of Caluary the Friday which thou diddest suffer vpon the crosse thou diddest not only put thy owne life for vs but also thy blessed mothers When didst thou condemne thy selfe to die not pardon thy mother but whē the knife of thy passion did take away thy owne life from thee and pierce thy mothers soule The greatest matter that the sorrowfull mother could inherite was some thorne fallen from thee or some of thy blood shed vpon her or some peece of thy flesh which stucke vpon the crosse or some of the haires of thy head which were cast abroad Shee did also inherite the hatred which the people bare vnto her sonne because that from that day forward shee was called the mother of him which was put to death of him which was possessed with a deuill of the Southsayer Publicane His sorrowfull mother did inherit also all the holy colledge of the twelue Apostles Isichius vpon Leuiticus sayth thus Christ tooke his precious mother to the Mount of Caluary because she should be a witnesse of his passion and credite her with the bloud of our redemption for to beleeue hold for a certainty that we are redeemed it sufficeth if the Virgin tell vs that she saw her son die The son of God came into the world and paied his father the debt which was due for all the sinnes of the world of which paiment his will vvas that his mother should be a witnesse because she might giue testimony after his death how his father was paied the world redeemed sinne at an end the heauen already opened and the deuill ouercome The end of the third word which Christ our redeemer spake vpon the crosse ⧠Here beginneth the fourth word which the sonne of God spake vpon the Crosse when hee complained vpon his father saying Deus meus deus meus vt quid me dereliquisti That is to say My God my God why hast thou forsaken me CHAP. I. How Christ in this speech more than in all the rest seemeth to change his stile of speaking HEloij beloij lamazabathani Hoc est deus deus meus quare me dereliquisti This is the fourth word which the redeemer of the vvorld spake on the altar of the Crosse vvhich speech is no lesse dreadfull than pittifull nor pittifull than dreadfull and it is as if hee would say My God my God My father my father what haue I done irreuerently against thee that thou shouldst forsake me in so narrow a strait as this is There are offered vnto vs in this diuine speech high mysteries and deepe secrets to entreat of whereof wee can giue no reason if vvee bee not fauoured vvith Gods diuine assistance whom with teares wee doe humbly beseech that it would please him to lighten vs vvith his grace and succour vs vvith his helpe and aid The reason is to bee knowne vvhy the sonne of God did change his manner of speaking rather in this speech than in all the others which hee vsed as the Euangelists do record it saying Heloij heloij lamazabathani Was it because hee should be vnderstood of all men seeing that hee vvas crucified for all men It is also to bee knowne vvhy hee doth repeat this vvord God twise saying My God my God as though God vvere deaffe in hearing him It is also to bee vveighed vvhy hee called him God and not Father seeing hee vvho complained vvas the sonne and hee vnto whom hee complained was his Father It is also to bee maruelled at that seeing hee did not cal him father but God why he did adde this vvord My saying My God my God as though his Father were his God onely and not the God of all others It is also very much to be noted why hee doth rather complaine that his Father had forsaken him than put him to death seeing that hee knew very well that Pilate was not of power to take away his life from him if his eternall father had not giuen him license to doe it And although hee did complaine of his Father vvhy did hee not say My Father why doest thou forsake mee but My God vvhy hast thou forsaken mee making account of that vvhich hee hath suffered and not of that vvhich then hee did suffer Although all these thinges are easily rehearsed yet they are not easie to bee expounded but because they are diuine secrets and done betwixt diuine persons onely they passe mans capacity yea the Angels vnderstanding To come then vnto the mysteries it is first to bee seene vvho complaineth and vnto whome hee complaineth vvhereof hee complaineth and vvhere hee complaineth and before whome hee complaineth and vvith vvhat wordes hee complaineth Hee vvho complaineth is Christ hee vnto whome hee complaineth is his Father that whereof hee complaineth is because hee had forsaken him the place where was on the crosse and hee complained before his mother with these words My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee These are most pittifull words to heare and tender to prouoke vs to weepe for if vve consider how the sonne of God spake them being nailed vpon the crosse his body naked and his enemies round about him and that vpon a dunghill what heart is there that would not breake to thinke on it Seeing wee know beleeue and confesse that Christ was true God and that his father was also God and both were but one God how can it enter into mans vnderstanding that one who is God should complaine vpon him who is also God If between one God and another there bee complaints is it any great matter if men sometimes fall at ods Wee see it fall out daily that the sonne complaineth of the Father and one friend vpon another yea one man vpon himselfe but that Christ who is God should complaine vpon his father who is God it is a thing neuer heard of before nor humane weakenesse is not able to conceiue it For seeing no man cōplaineth on another but for some wrong done vnto him what grieuance could the eternall Father haue done vnto his sonne whom he loued so well For seeing we know that Christ is the sonne of God and his onely beloued sonne and with whome God hath left all his treasures in keeping how is it possible that God should haue dealt hardly with him seeing that he deserued it not neither his father desired it According vnto that which we haue said our reason is good which way so euer wee doe wind our selues for if wee say that the father did that vnto his sonne which hee ought not wee can neither say it nor affirme it then if we say that the sonne complained vvithout occasion we dare not presume so to say in so much that we
is thankful vnto me for my benefites bestowed vpon him I bewaile my virginity because I haue found none to bestow my virginity on none to giue my innocency vnto none to impart my patience vnto none vnto whome I may communicate my charity nor any one with whom I may leaue my humility in keeping but if I came rich and adorned with vertues in the world so I must return rich again with theÌ„ to heauen The figure which wee haue spoken of saith further that all the maids of Sion did meet in Ierusalem to mourn and weep the death of Iephthes daughter foure daies one after another in the which they made great lamentations so that no yeare did passe in which this solemnity was not obserued It is here to be noted that although there haue beene in the synagogue many personages noble in bloud valerous in warre discreet in the Common-wealth learned in all sciences and cleane and vnspotted in life yet it is not read of any of theÌ„ that after they were dead and buried were mourned for at any other time Al the kings Dukes Patriarks and Prophets were buried by their friends and kinsfolkes and forgotten of them excepted onely the daughter of Iephthe for whose death all the virgines and maids did mourne and weepe euery yeare once by a speciall priuiledge Wee speake all this because that if the daughters of Sion thought it conuenient to thinke vpon and weepe for the death of that virgine once euery yeare should it not bee greater reason that wee should weepe for the death of Iesus Christ euery houre and euery moment of an houre Those virgines did weepe for the death of that young virgine for no other reason but because she was young beautifull and vertuous so that they were induced to make that solemne lamentation rather through compassion than reason What other reason could there bee for that solemne yearely lamentation seeing that the daughter of Iephthe died not for the Commonwealth nor yet had in estimation for any rare vertue aboue the rest Iust occasion and reason doth inuite vs to weep euery houre and euery moment of an houre for the death of Christ considering that he died for the Commonwealth and paied for our offence For the son to say vnto his father Why hast thou forsaken me is to say nothing else but to complaine of vs because wee remember not his precious death as Iephthes daughter was wept for once a yeare Although the sinfull soule doth not remember the death of Christ yet the holy church doth not forget nor omit to celebrate his death once at the end of euery year in the holy weeke And in steed that the daughters of Sion did weepe for the death of that virgin foure times in the yeare the church doth represent vnto vs the passion written four times of the foure Euangelists CHAP. VII How Christ complaineth vnto his father because they did open his wounds through malice as they did stop vp Isaac his wels through enuy HAbuit Isaac possessionâ—â— onium armentorum familiam plurimam ob hoc inuidentes Palestini obstruxerunt omnes putees eius implentes humo Genes 26. The Scripture hath these wordes telling vs of a great discouresie which the king of Palestine did vnto Isaac the Patriarke and it is as if hee would say Isaac was a great and mighty man and had many flockes of sheepe and many heards of kine and many bondslaues both man and woman by reason of which prosperity of his the Palestines did greatly enuy him and did stop vp his wels by casting much earth into euery one of them O that the Apostle said very true when hee said all things happen vnto them in figura seeing that all things that were done in the Synagogue were nothing else thaÌ„ a figure of that which should happen in the Catholicke church For if it were not so there are many things in Scripture which vvould seeme but a iest to write of and a superfluous thing to read If there should not be some deep mystery some hiddeÌ„ secret in this figure what were it vnto vs or what profite should wee receiue in knowing that Isaac had many sheepe kine and slaues What were it also vnto vs if hee had many enemies and that they did shut vp his wels enuy his riches haue an ere vnto his greatnesse considering that it is an old custome that euery rich man is enuied This figure doth lead vs vnto higher mysteries than the letter doth shew and therefore it is needfull to haue a high spirit to declare it and great attention in reading it To come then vnto the purpose Isaac in the Hebrue tongue doth signifie a man ful of laughter and ioy the which ioifull name can agree only vnto the sonne of God and hee only in this world in a high degree can be called Isaac When rhe sonne of God was in heauen aboue and before hee came downe into this world no mortall man knew any cause to laugh nor yet durst not laugh for because that they saw that God was angrywith all the world al the world was in a dump and mourned When God had said vnto Noe the Patriarke Paenitet me fecisse hominem that is I am sorry and repent that euer I made man how could any man dare to laugh and bee merry How durst holy Iob laugh seeing that hee said with many teares Vtinam de vtero translatus essem ad tumulum I would to God I had been buried as soone as euer I was borne His meaning was this O great God of Israel why hast thou brought mee out of my mothers wombe and now that thou hast brought me out why doest thou not destroy me why did dest thou not carry mee presently from my mothers bowels to my graue How could the Prophet Helias laugh seeing that running flying away through the mountains from Queene Iezabel Petiuit anima sua vt moreretur His meaning was Am I better than my predecessors that I should liue rather than they Die then my soule die for because that my life is grieuous vnto me and I would see it at an end How should the Prophet Ieremy laugh seeing that hee said with deepe sighes Quis dabit capiti meo lachrimas oculis meis fontes lachrimarum vt plorem interfectos populi mei His meaning was Who can bring to passe with the great God of Israel that he would make a sea of water of my head change my eâ—es into fountaines of teares to sigh by night and weepe by day for those whom sinne hath deceaued and the sword slaine How could old honorable Tobias laugh when he said Quale mihi gaudium erit quia in tenebris sedeo lumen caeli non video In those pittifull words hee meant to say this What ioy can there be in my heart or what laughter can there bee in my mouth seeing that I find my selfe poore and feele my selfe aged blind and cannot see the light of
at the very instant that thy enemies appreheÌ„ded thee in the gardeÌ„ thou didst request nothing else at their hands but that they would take thee and set thy family at liberty In his last supper and in his last Sermon when he said Pater Father keepe them which beleeue in mee and such as will beleeue in me hee did well shew the loue which he bare vnto his family seeing hee praied vnto his Father for those which were already borne and for those which should be born afterwards for these which were absent and for those which were present as well for the dead as for those which were aliue O happy is that soule vvhich doth dwell in the family of the sonne of God seeing that hee loueth him before that hee is borne and vvhen hee is borne giueth him iustice and after his death glory The figure sayth further that all those of the kingdome of Palestine did greatly enuy the Patriarke Isaac and all his house not because hee had done them any hurt or vvrong but because hee vvas mightier than all they Sâ—neca in his booke of Anger sayth That there is no enuie more dangerous than that vvhich proceedeth of another mans prosperitie for as long as the good lucke of the one doth last the others enuy and malice is neuer at an end All the intent and purpose of an enuious man is to turne him backe vvhich goeth before beat downe him which is on high throw him downe which â—s more fortunate than himselfe discredite him vvho is in greater honour and empouerish him vvho is richer than himselfe Hâ—race sayth That the property of an enuious man is that as anothers prosperity dooth encrease so his enuy doth also grow whereof it followeth that because hee cannot abide him hee hateth him with his heart diffameth him vvith his tongue iniurieth him vvith his hands and stirreth vp also others against him Good Isaac did neuer hurt the Palestines his neighbours hee did neuer forray their mountaines nor eat vp their pastures nor violate their vviues nor speake euill against them nor breed any discord amongst them but did succour them as if they had bâ—en his brothers and entreat them as if they had been his children Yet notwithstanding all this being besotted and dronke with enuy and obstinate in malice they commanded good Isaac to goe out of the land forsake his vvealth and breake vp his houshold And further the people of Palestine not content vvith all this agreed by the consent of the people and by a clattering of a counsell to stop vp his vvels vvhich his seruants vsed and his flockes dranke of They could not haue shewed their malice nor bewraied their enuie more in any thing than in demming vp Isaacs vvels of vvater because that vvithout the element of vvater neither men can liue nor beast sustaine himselfe To come then vnto our purpose vvhat mortall man hath there euer been is or shall bee who hath been so much enuied as the sonne of the liuing God was What was the cause of such vntollerable enuie in the Israelites but his excellency in knowledge his skilfulnesse in learning his vprightnesse in iustice and the purity of his life The Iewes raged and were ready to hurt themselues to see Christ vtter such great mysteries of Scripture as hee did preach so many sermons vnto the people doe such strange miracles in the city preach publickly against vice and draw vnto his companie those which were alwaies accounted honest The Iews malice against Christ was greater than the Palestines against Isaac because they did nothing but command Isaac to go out of the land but the Iewes did not commaund Iesus but they themselues with their owne hands drew him out and not satisfied with that they agreed afterward to crucifie him They did shut vp the water where Isaac did drinke but they did open Iesus hands and side and therefore comparing hurt with hurt and losse vvith losse it was a greater losse to take Christs life from him than to take Isaacs vvater from him Is it not thinke you a greater hurt to open a mans vaines of bloud vvith the vvhich hee liueth than to shut vp a mans wels vvhereof hee drinketh If men shut vp my wels I open others if I haue no vvater I drinke vvine if they expell me out of this country I goe vnto another but if they draw my bloud from me vvho vvill giue me more bloud and if they breake my vains vvho vvill lend me others and if they take my life from mee vvho vvill helpe me vnto another Christ then vvas vvorser handled through enuy than Isaac for if Isaac did liue in honour he vvent away vvith honour and if he came aliue into the land he vvent away aliue but vvhat shall we say of holy and blessed Iesus vvhose family they did scatter abroad through enuy vvhose mother they seperated away from him vvhose bloud they shed vvhose doctrine they contaminated and vvhose fame they obscured and al through enuy and malice Chrisostome sayth As all the riches of man doth consist in his soule his credite his life and goods so the Pharisaicall enuy and malice did leaue Christ none of all these for they tooke his soule from him they discredited him in his fame they depriued him of his life and left him no goods at all How farre thinkest thou did all his goods reach but onely vnto a torne cassocke and a bare coat And yet most cursed enuy came and tooke the garments away from him and gaue the one vnto the hangmen which did put him to death and the other coat vnto the souldiers vvhich kept him What pouerty then in all the vvorld can bee equall vnto this vvhich Christ our Lord suffered hanging vpon the crosse seeing they haue drawne his soule from him shed his bloud bereaued him of his life and diuided his garments Although the enuy and malice vvhich the Palestines bare to Isaac vvere great yet they did neuer lay hands vpon him but they did lay hands vpon the sonne of God vvhen they did apprehend him they did lay their feet vpon him vvhen they did kicke him they did lay their tongue vpon him vvhen they did blaspheme him and they did lay their hearts vpon him vvhen they did hate him The Author continueth this matter and expoundeth another figure to this purpose TVlit mulier velamen expandit super â—s putei quasi siccans ptisanas sic latuit rex 2. Reg. chap. 17. For the better vnderstanding of these vvordes you must know that there vvere sent from Dauids campe two young men into Ierusalem to know vvhat determination and counsell Absalon and Achitophel had taken against Dauid to the intent that Chusi vvho vvas Dauids true friend and Absalons fained friend and yet dwelling vvith him might let Dauid vnderstand what Absalon purposed to do And as Chusi did send to these two yong men vvho vvere Achimaas and Ionathas Absalons determination a certaine young man had spied them neere
old Testament who knew so much as Christ did When the sonne of God did prophecy that there should not remaine one stone vpon another in Ierusalem did hee not as well know that there should not bee left in his body one drop of bloud with another When good Iesus did prophecy vnto S. Peter that he should die in his old age vpon the tree did he not know as well that himselfe should bee crucified vpon the crosse If then the sonne of God did know that he should die and that his death should be to be crucified vpon the crosse what ioy or mirth could there be in him The sonne of God had two things alwaies before his eies that is the crosse and the nailes with the which they would crucifie him and his enemies which would crucifie him whose conuersation hee neither vvould nor could eschue seeing that he came to redeem theÌ„ with his bloud and conuert them with his doctrine What man is so stout or who is of that courage that can liue conuerse with him that must take his life froÌ„ him O great goodnesse and infinit charity good Iesus who but thou alone hath defended them who persecuted him protected those who haue accused him giuen honour vnto those who haue diffamed him and pardoned their offences who haue taken his life from him What wilt thou do good Iesus what vvilt thou doe for those which follow thee and serue thee if thou deale thus with those which lay wait to intrap thy person impugne thy doctrine take away thy same depriue thee of thy life Anselmus sayth That the sonne of God did liue among sinners not because he did like theÌ„ but because he would amend theÌ„ because no man euer tooke greater delight in reuenging than he in pardoning To speake more particularly it was not without a high mystery that Christ said Et ego in flagella paratus sum hauing a greater regard vnto the laslies which he was to endure thaÌ„ vnto the death which they were to giue him because that a noble modest man doth grieue much more at one lash with a whip giuen him in open place than if they should strike off his head inprison Men are woon in criminall causes to behead worshipful free meÌ„ or vse some other punishment vpon them contrariwise whip hang or mark with a hâ—te yron bondslaues so that in the manner of punishmeÌ„t a mans griefe is greatly augmented or diminished Wee vse to speak it for a great reproch to say vnto one gâ—e thy way thou hast been whiphed the which words wee neuer vse vnto one who 〈…〉 because that bâ—nshment is giueÌ„ only for a 〈…〉 but whipping is gâ—ueÌ„ for a punishmeÌ„t an intaiâ—y WheÌ„ the Apostleâ—nd Ter virgis caesus sum semel lapidatus um ter naufrâ—giumpe tuli although he make mention of three kinds of tormeÌ„â—s yet if we looke well vnto it he maketh his thrise whipping the foundatioÌ„ of his martyrdome By the law of a noble man as Christ was by the law of modesty shamefaâ—â—ouile which he made reckoning of it is to be thought that he felt greater griefe wheÌ„ they brought him forth whipped with Ecce homo than when they brought him to the crosse vpon the Mount of Caluary because the crosse tooke away his life and the whipping tooke away his reputation credite The Iewes gaue Christ three solemâ— tormeÌ„ts which they did not vse to gaue vnto other theeue that is lashes with a whip with the which they opeued his shoulders the thornes with the which they did raze his head and the gauâ—e and vineger wiâ—h the which they did make his mouth bitter In the two thee 〈◊〉 they purposed nothing but to take then liues from 〈…〉 seemed not mough to take away Christs life but they would also take away his same good name If the sonne of God had not felt the discipline of the whipp more than any other punishment he wold neuer haue said Ego in flagella paratus sum in which holy words he gaue vs to vnderstand that he was ready nor only to suffer all kind of punishment which they should lay vpon him but also to beare all iniury that they would vse towards him O what great reason good Iesus had to bee more grieued with the whipping than with the other torments coÌ„sidering that in other punishments he was only tormented but in this hee was tormented shamed hee felt the griefe when they did whip him the shame wheÌ„ they put him naked O good Iesus O my souls health being as thou wast so teÌ„der of skin so smooth soft so subtile in bloud so quick in thy iudgement what didst thou feele when they did whip thee so cruelly and vncloth thee so vnseemely If it were not wheÌ„ thou didst preach that thy face was vncouered wheÌ„ thou diddest trauel that thy feet were without shoes who euer saw thy precious flesh naked vntil they took thy garmeÌ„ts from thee wheÌ„ thou wast tied vnto Pilates pillar O my good Lord vnto what diddest thou offer thy selfe wheÌ„ thou didst say Ego in flaâ—ella paratus sum because that at Pilates pillar thou wast turned out of thy garmeÌ„ts tied whipped iniurited shamed beaten blacke and blew at one time O redeemer of my soule O maker of my life when shall I see the day that I may see my life so spoiled of faults so naked from vices as thou wast theÌ„ froÌ„ garmeÌ„tes S. Barnard vpon those words of Ecce homo sayth Thou art not content O good Iesus thou art not content to goe bound from the garden but they carry thee to Annas bound vvith a cord thou doest goe to Ierusalem also tied vvith a rope and thou doest returne vnto Pilate in the same order and now thou art content to bee spoiled againe of thy apparell and whipped in open place with Ecce homo Behold the man One friend may suffer banishment for another and bee taken for another yet notwithstanding no man doth suffer himselfe to be turned naked whipped for any other because a friend should venter his person for his friend and spend his goods with condition alwaies that his credite and honour be conserued and kept The sonne of God only was he who said Ecce ego in flagella paratus sum seeing that he did suffer himselfe publickely to bee stripped naked and bound and whipped and so whipped to bee brought vnto shame not respecting the griefe which he felt nor the shame reproch which he endured What else did he meane when he said I am ready to be whipped but that hee had as ready a will to receaue martyrdome and such great loue in redeeming the world that if they would haue giueÌ„ him twise as many lashes more and doubled his torment hee was ready to receiue it Why diddest thou say O good Iesus why diddest thou say I am ready to be whipped but that by force of stripes they should open thy
was Iacobs came wholly vnto the church and Israels fell vnto the Synagogue but almost ouerthrowne not because she deserued it not but because all which was written might bee fulfilled According vnto this Prophecy the Angell said vnto the virgine in his embasie He shall raigne in the house of Iacob he said not he shall raigne in the house of Israel because the Synagogue did then draw towards an end and the church vnto her beginning in the sonne of God God then calleth the house of Iacob which is the church calleth those which remained of the house of Israel which is the Synagogue because Saint Peter was the residue of Israel and Saint Paul was the residue of Israel and all those of his Colledge were the remnant of Israel the which the sonne of God vvent throughout all the Iewish nation to gather together as it had been crummes of bread hurled abroad Now that wee know what the house of Iacob is and those who remained of the house of Israel it is now reason also that wee know what hee will doe vvith them and why he doth call them and why he vsed a speech vnto them which was neuer hard of before that is that hee doth beare them vpon his shoulders from their mothers wombes God will haue nothing else with them but onely that they beleue in him and heare him seeing he sayth Audite me Heare me and withall hee doth put them in remembrance of the great benefites that hee doth for them to wit carry them vpon his shoulders Portamini ab vtere and therfore if we will haue Gods fauour we must beleeue the words which he doth speake and bee thankfull vnto him for all the benefites that hee shall bestow vpon vs. Robertus vpon Esay sayth If wee will compare that which God requireth at our hands with that that hee doth giue vs vvithout comparison hee doth bind himselfe vnto more than that which hee doth bind vs vnto for hee doth bind vs to nothing but to beleeue in him and hee doth bind himselfe to maintaine and gouerne vs Ab vtero vsque ad senectam that is from the time that wee bee first borne vntill our dying day our Lord doth bind himselfe to bring vs vp like his children and maintaine vs like his brothers in so much that like a pittifull Father and a mercifull Lord hee giueth vs that which we haue need of and counselleth vs that which we haue to doe O infinite goodnesse and exceeding charity of thine my good God considering that by this speech Ab vtero portamini thou doest bind thy selfe to giue vs food to liue vvith and by Audite me thou doest bind thy selfe to giue vs counsell to saue our selues vvith and therefore vvee haue of thee a Lord to helpe vs and a Father to counsell vs. Our Lord vvhich did create vs is a better Father vnto vs than man vvhich doth beget vs seeing that hee sayth Qui portamini ab vtere By vvhich fatherly speech hee doth let vs vnderstand that hee doth not only prouide for our necessities but doth also dissemble our iniquities O that our Lord doth say very vvell Qui portamini ab vtero seeing that hee doth beare vs on his shoulders as oft as hee doth vvinke at our wickednesse for if hee should punish vs for euery fault according vnto his iustice wee should by this time haue had no memory left of vs. If our Lord should not beare vs vpon his shoulders and dissemble vvith our faults to prouoke vs to repentance hee should scarse haue any at all to punish aboue two or three houres and for the first sinne only if it had pleased him he might haue condemned vs to hell What temporall father doth so long suffer his owne children as our Lord doth all vs. What father doth carry his child in his armes aboue an houre as our Lord doth vs all our life time Before wee bee borne wee offend him in originall sinne after we be borne we offend him al the rest of our life with other grieuous sinnes yet notwithstanding all this hee doth bring vs vp like his children and deale vvith vs like brothers What vvouldest thou haue mee say more vnto thee but that from our mothers wombe our wickednesse doth striue with his goodnesse hee in forgiuing vs and wee in offending him O great goodnesse and vnspeakable clemency what father or mother did euer the like for their children that thou my good Iesus hast done for my sinfull soule There is no liuing creature this day in the world that doth giue milke vnto his young ones aboue two yeares but our eternall Father and Christ his precious sonne from our birth vntill our old age doth giue vs the milke of his grace the bread of his doctrine the helpe and succour of his church the pardon of his clemency and the reward of his glory Dilexit me tradidit semetipsum pro me sayth S. Paul◠as if hee would say Doe not maruell you Galathians that I did preach so vehemētly vnto you that I did exalt Christs name with such great feruency for I tell you if you know it not that besides that hee loued mee very much hee suffered himselfe to be crucified for me This is so strange a thing that S. Paul speaketh of in this place that vnlesse a man bee acquainted with the phrase of Scripture hee would take scandale at it for when Paul saith that Christ died for him not mentioning any other he seemeth to exclude the redemption of all the world beside What meaneth this O diuine Paul what meaneth this if the sonne of God did giue himself for thee why doest thou preach him to bee the redeemer of all mankind Were thy sinnes so grieuous and so enormious that they had need of all Christs bloud to redeeme them If God should send into the world a new redeemer for the taking away of euery sinne how were it possible that God could send so many seeing that hee had no more sonnes but Christ Tell me I pray thee how could so glorious a humanity so profitable a life such sound doctrine such a copious redemption such a dreadfull death bee emploied in thee alone and not benefite any but thy selfe If it bee so O Paule that Christ gaue himselfe for thee and not for me what haue I more to doe with Christ than with a holy Prophet If hee died for thee alone is it not reasonable that thou alone sholdest be thankfull for his death God forbid that it should be so neither doth his mercy permit that the Apostle onely should be redeemed and all the world besides depriued of the bloud of Christ for his redemption was so copious and there was such abundance of bloud shed for vs that on Christs part redemption did abound and there wanted on ours to be redeemed Did not redemption think you abound on his part seeing that one drop of his bloud was sufficient for all redemption and did there not want
without vs and so many feares torment vs within vs. Loe then you see these fiue principal griefs prooued vnto you although it was not needfull to prooue them seeing wee see that all men doe die all men weep that all men are full of sorrow that all men complaine and that all men liue in feare If wee could happily meet with any man now adaies vvho would bind himselfe to keepe vs from these griefes and cure vs of these feares vvhat vvould vvee denie him or vvhat vvould vvee not giue him If we pay bountifully and bee thankfull vnto the Phisitian vvho doth cure vs of one griefe vvhat should vvee pay or giue him or what thankes should vvee render vnto him who vvould cure vs of all Verè languores nostros ipse pertulit dolores nostres ipse portauit sayth Esayas chapter 54. As if hee would say The Redeemer of the vvorld and the heire of all eternities vvas he vvho tooke our infirmities vpon himselfe and did load and burthen himselfe with all our griefes sorrows In old time Esculapius the inuenter of Phisick was much set by the Greekes esteemed of Hipocrates their first Phisitian the Thebanes of Anthony Musa their first surgeon and the Romanes of Archagnatus their first Phisitian whome they adored for a time like an Idoll and in the end stoned him in Campus Martius The Greekes the Romanes the Thebans had neuer such a Phisitian as wee Christians haue of Christ for all other Phisitions of the vvorld can but counsell vs but our great Phisition hath science to counsell experience to cure and power to heale S. Augustine sayth There was neuer any such manner of curing in the world as Christ brought with him because that all other Phisitions before his time if they found any man sicke they left him sicke and if they found him in paine they left him in paine but holy Iesus did neuer lay his band vpon any that was diseased but hee left him whole Hilarius sayth WheÌ„ the Gospell saith of Christ Totum hominem saluum fecit bee spake it not so much for corporall infirmities as hee did for spirituall diseases the which are woont to proceed not of corrupted humours but of sinnes vvhich had taken root S. Ambrose sayth The sonne of God did then heale me of all my griefes when he tooke them vpon himselfe for seeing that they had such possession of me so long time rooted and wxt old in me how was it possible that any man should take them from me if hee had not cast them vpon himselfe Hee did cast my death vpon himselfe when he did die vpon the crosse hee did cast my sorrow vpon himselfe when he was in his agonie he did cast my teares vpon himselfe vvhen hee did vveepe for my sinnes hee did load my griefe vpon his owne backe when hee did taste vineger and gaule and hee did take my feare vpon himselfe when he did feare death like a man When a temporall Phisitian commeth to visite a sicke person hee dooth comply with him by taking him by the pulse and by giuing him a regiment of life and if hee find him to haue an ague hee leaueth him vvith it insomuch that they may better bee called counsellours seeing they doe giue counsell onely than Phisitians seeing they cure not God forbid that any such thing should bee said of our Phisitian seeing that from the time that he came down from heauen to cure the world he himselfe became sicke cured him who was sick and he who was sicke did rise vp aliue and the Phisitian remained there dead and the reason of that was because he changed the health which he brought with him with the sicknesse which the other had O that this exchange was a glorious and happy exchange which thou diddest make with me good Iesus seeing that thou didst change thy goodnesse for my naughtinesse thy clemency for my iustice thy health for my infirmity thy innocency for my malice and thy paine and punishment for my fault And because we haue made mention before of fiue notable paines euils with the which all mortall men are beaten and afflicted it is reason that wee see in this place how the sonne of God did bear our weaknesses vnburdening vs of them and burdening himselfe with them Verè languores nostros ipse pertulit when he said in the garden of Gethsemani my soule is heauy vnto death for with those dolefull words he loaded his soule wâ—â—h my heauinesse and did vnload vpon me all his ioy WheÌ„ did our ioy begin but in his greatest sorrow So long as God did not know by experience what sorrow was we did neuer know what mirth was and from that day that hee began to weepe we began to laugh Hee did truly take our infirmiries vpon him when good Iesus vpon his knees in the garden said vnto his Father Transeat a me calix iste for in that agonie hee did cast all my feare vpon himselfe to the end that I should afterward be lesse timorous Before that God tooke flesh he was feared of all men and did feare no man and wicked man did feare all things and was feared of no body but since the time that Christ like a fearefull man said my soule is sorrowfull and heauy there is no reason that we should fear any thing for his feare was sufficient to make all the world couragious S. Barnard vpon that saying Cum ipso sum in tribulatione sayth Seeing that thou doest bind thy selfe O good Iesus by these words to be alwaies at hand with me and to be by my side when I shall be afflicted and persecuted why or for what cause or whereof should I bee afeard There is no cause to feare the flesh seeing that thou diddest make thy selfe flesh there is no cause to feare the deuill seeing that thou hast ouercome him there is no cause to feare sinne because thou hast brought it to an end there is no cause to feare the world because thou hast ouercome it there is no cause to feare man seeing thou hast redeemed him neither will I feare thee O my good Iesus but loue thee Before that thou diddest make thy selfe man I was man who did feare now I am he who is feared sinne doth feare mee because I admit him not the flesh feareth mee because I cherish him not the diuell feareth me because I beleeue him not and the world feareth me because I follow him not He did then truly take our infirmities vpon him when as vpon the altar of the crosse he did crie with a loud voice and many teares and when hee praied and shed many teares with the which hee did wash away our offences He did then take our infirmities vpon him when as in the last houre he did yeeld vp his ghost Inclinato capite accepting the death which his Father did offer him to transferre life into vs. Damascen sayth From what time did we loose the shame of death but since Christ
did fear death No man ought to maruell that the sonne of God did feare death but that which we should maruell at is that hee made his martyrs not feare death and that they should goe so freely to death seeing that they goe more cheerefully to be martyred than Princes doe goe to be crowned The sonne then doth complaine vnto his Father saying Why hast thou forsaken me because that hauing takē our infirmities sinnes and sorrowes vpon himselfe it is no reason that wee should bee so vngratefull and vnthankfull vnto him CHAP. XI Christ complaineth vnto his Father how badly enuy did vse him and how in Samaria they sold an asse head for fourscore pence and they gaue but thirty for his INuidebant ei fratres sui nec poterant ei quidquam pacificè loqui Genesis 37. chap. The Scripture declaring the great hatred which Iacobs eleuen sons bare vnto their brother Ioseph speaketh these words and the meaning is this The elder brothers did hate the yong very much because his father did loue him best and make most of him and their hatred and enuy grew to that depth that they could not endure to see him nor speake one friendly word vnto him Saint Paul thought that enuy was the root and foundation of the perdion of mankind seeing hee sayth that Propter inuidiam mors intrauit in mundum and therefore it shall be great reason that we declare what enuie is and what hurt it doth and who is Queene of enuy Aristotle sayth That enuy is nothing else but a passion of the mind a mortall anguish to see another man in credite and honour imagining that to be his discredit Horace sayth The greatest griefe that we haue with enuy is that it is not in the eies for so it would bee seene nor in the hands for it would bee felt nor in the tongue for it would bee heard but his chaire and seat is in the secretest place of the heart and mind where it abideth complaining of euery man and tormenting him who possesseth it Menander saith The mother of enuie is swelling pride and cursed ambition and therefore they neuer goe asunder or very seldome but where pride is there is enuy and where enuy there pride S. Augustine sayth Take away enuy and presently all that is mine is thine and all that is thine is mine Origen sayth Enuy doth grow so fast vpon me by reason of the disordinate loue which I beare vnto my owne person for thereby I beare malice vnto my inferiors for feare least they become my equals and I enuy my equals least they goe beyond mee and I spight my superiors because they doe me no good S. Ierome in a Sermon sayth That the difference betwixt a malicious man and an enuious man is that the malicious man doth loue nothing but that that is naught and the enuious man doth hate nothing but that which is good S. Gregory in the fift booke of his Morals sayth The naughty man doth enuy none but such as he seeth in higher estate than himselfe or whom hee seeth to bee of better life than himselfe or whome hee heareth better spoken off than himselfe whereof it insueth that how much the other doth grow encrease in goodnesse so much the enuious man doth vexe and torment himselfe Isidorus sayth Take heed of enuy my brother take heed for it is nothing else but a certaine disease which doth trouble thy sences burneth thy breast gnaweth thy bowels grindeth thy heart wasteth thy life darkeneth thy memory and condemneth thy soule Seneca sayth That a man doth seldome enuy him whom he can ouercome but him whom he cannot vanquish And the selfesame Seneca sayth further It is more expedient for vs to beware of the enuy of our friends than of the hatred and displeasure of our enemies because the enemy carrieth his hatred in his tongue and I take heed of him but because my friend hideth his enuy in his heart it cannot be known nor I cannot beware of him Laertius saith I would to God that all enuious men had their eies scattered ouer all the world that because other mens goods and welfare is a torment vnto them they might bee tormented with so many tortures as they see other mens hap and felicity encrease Diogenes sayth There hath no man liued in this world in fame and credite but hee hath presently felt the worme of enuy whereof it followeth that the poor and miserable man doth only escape the enuious mans hands Demosthenes in an Oration sayth What shall I doe wretched man as I am or whether shall I goe For if I desire to liue in pouerty misery doth weary me and if I chuse to be rich enuie doth torment mee To come then vnto our purpose all this discourse hath tended vnto no other end but to admonish all men of honest life and of a cleane conscience to beware of enny because the Deuill is such a friend vnto this vice that if hee see a man to bee very enuious hee will tempt him with no other sinne Cicero sayth What hath caused all the vvarres which we haue had with strāgers all the dissensions which wee haue had among our selues but aboundance of wealth and the enuy which men haue borne vnto Rome Although Christ vvas poore yet hee vvas hated of the vvicked accused of malice and persecuted vvith enuy But his pouertie being so great as it was and hiding his power as he did wherof should any man enuie him They did not enuy Christ for the feature of his body seeing there vvere other beautifull also nor for his stocke and kindred seeing there vvere others noble also not for his eloquence seeing there were others learned nor for his vvealth seeing there vvere others more vvealthy but that vvhich they did most of all enuy at vvas his Catholicke doctrine vvhich hee did preach and holy life which hee did lead because that none of the Prophets vvhich vvent before him did preach of such high points as hee did nor yet any one of them did liue so sincerely as hee did Saint Augustine vpon those words Sciebat enim quod per inuidiam tradidissent eum sayth The enuy conceiued against good life is more dangerous than that vvhich is bred by reason of our vvealth for if hee bee a naughtie man vvhich is possessed of this vvealth hee vvill endeuour himselfe rather to encrease his substance than amend his life Let vs compare then the enuie vvhich Iacobs sonnes bare vnto their brother Ioseph vvith the enuie vvhich they did beare vnto Christ and vvee shall see how vvell the figure dooth answere vnto the thing figured and the spirit vnto the letter seeing that the one vvas fold by enuie into Aegipt and the other also through enuie crucified Ioseph did mislike his brothers doings and therefore they did enuie him and Christ did not like the Iewes doings and therefore they did hate him and they did persecute Ioseph because hee did accuse them before their
come into the world condemned to death Zaram onely who was the figure and the sonne of God who was the thing figured were those who had their finger tied with a coloured thred because he and no other was to die for the world and redeeme vs out of sinne What other meaning had the thred of scarlet sauing onely the shedding of his precious bloud The difference betwixt thee O my sweet Iesus and other condemned persons is this that they are tied in a hempen cord and thou in a thred of scarlet and they about the necke and thou about the finger and they are lead to be hanged and thou to be crucified A thiefe is led away bound with a great tope because he is drawne to death by force but the sonne of God is tied with a small fine thred because hee dieth not by force but of his owne free will for if it were not his good pleasure so to doe neither the Angels nor men nor the diuels were able to put him to death O high mystery O diuine Sacrament who euer saw or heard that before a child were borne or knew what sinne was yet that he should come out of his mothers wombe already condemned What mercy can be compared vnto this that before his mother should giue him milke to sucke his owne father threatened him that he should die crucified Elegit suspendium anima mea ossa mea mortem nequaquam vltra iam viuam saith Iob chap. 7. And he spake them when his children were dead and his body plagued and his goods lost and himself vpon the dunghill and it is as if hee would say My paines and dolours doe so narrowly beset mee about and my griefe is come to that bitternesse that my soule hath chosen to be hanged and my life to come at an end because I am a weary to suffer any longer and doe loath my life Such pittifull complaines as these are and such tender vvordes cannot proceed but from an afflicted and grieued heart and from a man which desireth death Because it is the property of one which is distressed to complaine vnto all those which comfort him fill himselfe with weeping with all those which come to visite him What else would holy Iob say when he sayth Elegit suspendium anima mea ossa mea mortem but that his soule desired to bee hanged and his bones chuse death and his life to bee at an end O holy man thou hast nothing left thee but thy soule and wouldest thou haue it hanged nothing left but thy bones and doest thou desire to haue them dead thou hast nothing left but thy life and vvouldest thou loose it Thou must vnderstand my good brother that Iob did not speake these dolefull vvordes in his owne name but in Christs name vnto vvhome this speech dooth most properly belong Because that from the beginning of the vvorld vntill this day there vvas neuer soule so sorrowfull as his nor neuer body so martyred as his vvas Saint Chrisostome vpon these vvords of the Apostle Fidelis deus qui non permittit nos tentari vltra id quod possumus sayth thus Our Lord is very faithfull and pittifull because hee tempteth no man aboue that vvhich hee is able to suffer nor suffereth no man to haue greater paine than he is able to beare the sonne of God excepted onely vpon vvhome the Father laid in the iudgement of men torment and paine not able to bee indured and withall innumerable temptations What vvilt thou require more in this case but that God the Father laid martyrdome vpon Saints by ownces but vpon his blessed sonne by great loads and burdens Whaâ— great distresse vvas his soule in thinke you and vvhat griefe did oppresse his heart vvhen hee sighed for the gallowes and his body desired his graue When did thy soule desire to bee hanged but vvhen thou diddest crucifie thy blessed humanity vpon the crosse when did thy bones couet death but vvhen thou diddest loose thy life for the elects sake When the Scripture sayth Elegit Hee did chuse it is signified that thou diddest die willingly for vs and when he saith Suspendium his death was signified and withall his determination which he had to redeeme the world and that our redemption should be hanged vpon the tree And vvhen he sayth Ossa mea the multitude of people is set forth which were at his death as well the good as the bad the quicke as the dead the good to see themselues redeemed by him and the bad to see themselues reuenged of him All humane pains are brought vnto three principall heads that is to the trouble and trauell of the body to the griefe and sorrow of the mind and to the losse of life These vexations are woont to happen at diuerse times and also be deuided and laid vpon diuerse persons and hee who hath griefe of body feeleth no sorrow of mind and if hee haue anguish of mind yet not so great that it should take his life from him because our Lord is so pittiful that hee dooth not looke vnto the multitude of our offences but vnto the vveakenesse of our forces God was more pittifull vvith all mankind than vvith his owne only sonne considering that hee gaue other men their troubles and paines by peeces and vnto his sonne all at once For hee gaue him sorrow and griefe of mind seeing hee sayth My soule hath chosen to bee hanged and hee gaue him the paines of the body seeing hee sayth that his bones desired death and hee tooke away his life considering that hee sayth Iam non viuam What vnspeakable sorrow and what sea of tempest should tosse and vexe that blessed soule vvhen hee said My soule hath chosen to bee hanged that is that it vvould bee a comfort vnto him to bee crucified What cruell griefe should crush his bones when hee said and my bones death thinking it an ease to see his bones in their graue rather than to suffer such intollerable torment What a iest did they make of his doctrine and how little did they regard his person seeing hee sayth I vvill liue no longer that is that hee vvould forsake vs because vvee are incorrigible and because vvee doe not deserue his company hee vvill not bestow his grace among vs. This speech may otherwise bee very vvell vnderstood because the time vvhich hee did suffer and die in did take from him all that might mittigate his paine and comfort his heart No other Martyr could euer say My soule hath chosen hanging because there vvas none of them vvhich vvanted comfort in their sorrows and helpe in their pains and aboue all this vvas a great comfort to them to thinke for how good a maister they suffered and vvhat a great reward they expected for their martyrdome That vvhich did comfort Martyrs in their Martyrdome did discomfort Christ in his passion For if hee did die it vvas for a lost and peruerse nation and the reward hee looked for
was perpetuall ingratitude because there was neuer so great a matter performed as when Christ died because vve should liue and yet there vvas neuer deed so vngratefully requited as his death was by vs. Saint Barnard sayth O good Iesus O my soules ioy Art thou not content to loose thy life for my life but that thy sorrow and griefe should continue also vntill they take thy soule from thee vpon the crosse If the sonne of God had said only Tristis est anima mea it had beene tollerable but to say Vsque ad morteÌ„ it is a thing not to be any way indured For it was only he and no other in whom the paine ended at the same time that his soule departed from him Cyprian saith That by this speech Vsque ad mortem the son of God dooth bind himselfe to die sorrowfully and comfortles taking no ease at all in his passion because there was no portion of the inferiour part which griefe did not wholly possesse nor any bone in all his bodie vvhich vvas not brused and broken with griefe and paine Christ sayth Eleg it suspendium anima mea because that as all the time that hee liued in this vvorld hee kept the glory of his soule in suspence because it should not fall vpon his body so at the time of his passion hee did keepe his reason in suspence because it should not comfort his soule For if Christ vvould haue giuen his glorious soule license to impart some small sparkle of her glory vnto the body hee had neuer been comfortlesse and if hee would haue giuen license vnto his reason to haue comforted him in his passion hee should neuer haue felt his passion so sharpe and bitter But because our redemption should bee more copious and aboundant hee would admit no comfort nor consolation at all Ne fortitudo lapidum fortitudo mea nee caro mea sayth holy Iob As if hee vvould say O great God doe not punish mee so rigorously nor shew thy selfe so cruell against mee because my heart is not so hard as a stone to feele no paine nor my flâ—sh as hard as copper that no torments are able to hurt it Hee who spake these words did craue aid for his griefe and fauour for his anguish seeing hee did confesse that his heart vvas not able to beare them nor his strength able to sustaine them There are some men so sencelesse that they feele no kind of tribulation no more than if their hearts vvere made of stone and contrary there are some of so tender a nature that if a man doe but touch their coat they crie out that they may bee heard vnto heauen in so much that the first like vnto beasts feele nothing and the other like impatient men neuer cease crying When the holy man sayth That his heart vvas not like a heart of stone hee meant that hee did feele all tribulation and anguish euen vnto the heart and vvhen hee said that his flesh vvas not made of copper or brasse his meaning was that although he did feele all tribulation yet hee did neuer complaine of it in so much that if hee did feele it as a man yet hee did dissemble it like a wise man S. Gregory in his Morals saith Iob doth very wisely vnder these vvords shew vs the manner how bad men and good men doe suffer their anguish and hee compareth those which feele no tribulation vnto a stone and those which complaine on them alwaies vnto sounding copper for indeed hee who feeleth no griefe at all is like vnto a stone and to feele it and hold his peace is the part of him who is wise and discreet Christs heart vvas not of stone because hee should not feele neither was his flesh of copper to complaine for hee did feele all paine and anguish more than any man and did suffer it better than any for in all the time of his passion he did neuer complaine vpon any when hee suffered nor did neuer command a reuenge to bee taken on any when he died CHAP. XIII How the son complaineth of his Father because that he had condemned him to die before that Iudas had sold him QVare me posuisti contrarium tibi factus sum mihimet ipsi grauis These words are vttered by holy Iob in the person of the sonne of God speaking vnto his Father vpon the crosse their meaning is this O my Father why art thou so contrary vnto me as if I were thy enemy doth it not content thee that for my friends sake I am grieuous vnto my selfe and complaine on my selfe It is an ordinary thing to see one man complaine vpon another and to see me complaine vpon my selfe is no new thing but to complaine on thee and my selfe at once is a hard case for although my tongue can count my griefes and tribulations yet my heart cannot suffer them If Christ did complaine of Herod for mocking him or of Pilate for giuing sentence on him it was no maruell but to complaine on his Father it seemeth that there is no patience able to endure it For seeing that hee should haue defended him it seemeth a very hard part to suffer him to bee crucified The sonne of God dooth frame two great complaints in these wordes the one of his eternall Father the other of himselfe and therefore it is very conuenient that we declare how the eternall Father did send his sonne to die and how hee himselfe went to suffer on the crosse and in so doing wee shall find that the one did that which hee did moued therevnto with charity and the other to suffer that which hee suffered was mooued with pitty Qui proprio filio non pepercis sed pro omnibus nobistradidit illum saith S. Paul and his meaning is this The loue which God bare vnto all the world was so exceeding great that he would not pardon the death of his owne proper sonne but would haue him crucified for all Being as he was his naturall sonne his only sonne and so holy a sonne and so welbeloued a sonne was it not a thing most wonderfull that hee would suffer him to be crucified Dauid had many sonnes besides Absalon and yet when the captaine Ioab had slaine him in field Dauid was almost besides himselfe and cried out O my sonne Absalon O my sonne Absalon who will doe mee the fauour to kill me and restore me thee again He that gaue such sorrowful words for the death of a sonne would he not thinke you haue powred out farre more pittifull lamentations if he had been handled as Christ was crucified To haue killed a seruant for to saue his sonne any Father would haue done but to kill his sonne for to saue his seruant onely the Father of Christ did who hauing no other sonne but him gaue them him as freely to be carried to be crucified as if they had led him to be crowned Damascen sayth The eternall Father did well know that our businesse could not
bee brought to passe but by his sonnes meanes and he knew also very well that so old a strife would cost his sonne very deerely and notwithstanding all this he gaue his full consent that hee should bee condemned to die And that which most of all did shew his goodnesse and our wickednesse is that the diuels against whome he did plead striue did not giue sentence against Christ but man for whom hee did plead and whose cause he did defend Theophilus dooth seeme to say that it importeth more to say that the father did suffer his sonne to bee crucified than to say that hee doth suffer sinne which appeareth by the Apostle when hee sayth Quòd pro nobu omnibus tradidit illum and hee sayth not Quòd permisit but hee sayth that hee did deliuer and giue his sonne to bee crucified If the father did giue him to be crucified who was able to defend him If we doe giue credite vnto the Prophet Esayas the sonne dooth charge no man with his death and passion sauing only his Father seeing that hee sayth in the Fathers name Propter peccata populi mei percussieum as if hee would say Let no search bee made for the death of my sonne because I was he who stroke him and wounded him and crucified him and buried him because the sinnes of my people could not be clensed but with the bloud of my sonne Dauid was of the same opinion in the 88 Psalm saying thou hast shortened the daies of his life hast thrown his seat vpon the ground Who was able to cut off his daies or cast downe his seat but only he who gaue him life and honored him with a seat All this was figured not onely in Abraham who had drawne his sword to kill his sonne but also in king Moab who for the liberty of the people did kill his own sonne from the top of a wall Origen vpon the Apostle sayth Although it seeme to be a thing against humanity for the father to be a butcher of his owne sonne and make an anatomy of him yet it was no cruelty for the father to make his sonne to die for the redemption of the world but rather a great point of charity because it was decreed from the beginning that as our hurt came by disobedience so our bulwarke and defence should bee by obedience Theophilus sayth God left his sonne in the hands of death with an intention that because that if shee did set vpon him without cause hee should loose the right which he had vpon others and so it befell vnto him for because hee ventered vpon him who was iust hee lost his action against him who was a sinner S. Augustine vpon S. Matthew saith There were at Christs death first Christs father and then the sonne the Lieutenant Pilate Iudas the Disciple and all the people of the Iews and as they were all of diuers conditions so they were of diuers intentions Pilate gaue sentence on him for feare Iudas sold him for couetousnesse the Iews slew him by malice the Father deliuered him for charity and the sonne offered himself to die with pittie and he sayth further Doe not say O you Iewes doe not say If hee be the sonne of God let him come downe from the crosse for you would haue crucified him long before that time if his Father had not denied you him afterward whē he would and how hee vvould hee deliuered him vnto you What did Pilate in the death of Christ but sinne what did Iudas in the passion of his Maister but sinne what did the Iewes in crucifieng Christ but sinne The passion of Christ our redeemer the Father permitted the sonne suffered the holy ghost approued in so much that wee bee not bound for our redemption vnto those who put him to death for to reuenge their iniuries but vnto those who suffered it to redresse our faults O how much we owe vnto God the Father for his clemency seeing that because hee would not punish my offence in my selfe he punished his own sonne for it not according vnto his innocency but vnto my great offence the which his holy sonne did lay vpon his owne shoulders to the intent to disburden me of it Anselmus in his Meditations saith Say O my soule say with the Prophet I am he who sinned I am hee who haue offended thee I am hee who hath sinned for the Lambe thy sonne what hath he done Let thy fury bee turned against me O Father who haue committed the fault and not against thy sonne who is without spot and let not the cruell speare of yron pierce his heart who can doe nothing but loue and let him enter into my heart who can do nothing but sinne O fatherly affection and fauour neuer heard of before what is there in me to giue thee or what is there in all the world to serue thee with seeing that for to seeke out him vvho vvas lost to redeeme him vvho vvas sold to vnlose him vvho vvas bound and deliuer him out of captiuity who was taken prisoner thou diddest make thy owne sonne captiue O infinite goodnesse and vnspeakable clemency what pittie did constraine thee or vvhat charity did ouercome thee that to giue light vnto the blind to heale the lame put him in the right way who went astray to make cleane the vncleane to lift him vp who was fallen and pardon him who had offended thou wouldst not pardon thy owne sonne What priesthood can bee compared vnto thy Priesthood or what sacrifice is like vnto thy sacrifice seeing that in old time they did offer nothing vnto the Priest but some liue beast for the sins of the people and thou diddest not offer but thy own proper sonne The sonne then hath great occasion to complain of his Father saying Why hast thou put me contrary vnto thy self seeing that he commanded that sonne which hee loued best to die for those which most of all did hate him He followeth this matter in a morall sence FActus sum mihimet ipsi grauis sayth Iob as we haue already said Although saith hee I complaine of many yet I complaine of none more than of my selfe and although many things doe wage battaile against me yet I am the greatest enemy vnto my selfe Origen vpon this place sayth It is a thing neuer heard of and a very strange complaint for although a man bee neuer so culpable yet he desireth to excuse himselfe and accuse others Irenaeus in a Sermon sayth We fall euery day and stumble and sinne yet notwithstanding all these faults no man dooth confesse himselfe to bee naught nor acknowledge his brother to bee good Petrarch sayth That men complaine of the sea that it is dangerous of the aire that it is corrupt of his friend that he is a dissembler of the time that it is troublesome and yet I see no man sayth he who complaineth of himselfe therfore wee are like vnto young gamesters which neuer blame their owne play
was loaden with many sacrifices and beleeued in many Christs and offered many Holocausts but the holy church hath but one sacrifice beleeueth but in one Christ and doth offer but one Holocaust Neither doth Abraham say that the Lord would prouide a sacrifice for any other but for himselfe seeing hee sayth Dominus prouidebit sibi for vntill the very instant and houre that his sonne was crucified on the crosse he was neuer pleased nor pacified for the offēce which was done vnto him Neither did Abraham say that he would prouide indifferētly any sacrifice but specially that sacrifice which was called Holocaustum because that in al other sacrifices there remained alwaies one part for the priest to eat of another for him which offered it for to take away But it was not so in that sacrifice which they called Holocaustū because that in it all the whole beast was quartered cut in peeces burnt so being made ashes was wholly offered vnto God Was it not think you an Holocaust a great Holocaust which Christ offered seeing there was no spot in it wherby it should be cast away nor any mēber in his body which was not tormented To come then vnto our purpose it is to be noted that we haue made all this discourse to proue that in the mystery of this word Sitio which end because that the Iewes did but borrow them vntill our Lord should prouide them a sacrifice which by Abraham he promised vnto all the world Isidorus vpon Genesis sayth The sacrifice which God promised to send into the world ought to bee worthy of him vnto whom it was offered and profitable vnto him who did offer it which could not bee by dead calues and the bloud of goats and vnpleasant liquors nor yet with bloudy hands How was it possible that the sacrifices of time past should please the Lord or profit the sinner which did offer them seeing their altars did seeme rather butchers shambles than temples of Priests Rabanus sayth Abrahams sacrifice was profitable vnto himselfe and hurtfull vnto his sonne seeing he should there haue lost his life and because we may know that this is true the Lord did ordaine that Abrahams sword should onely threaten his sonne Isaac and afterward kil the son of God Our Lord seeing what smal benefite should be gotten by the death of that child what griefe it would cause vnto this old Father although hee gaue him license to draw his sword yet hee did not consent that it should come neere the child the which our Lord would neuer haue hindered if the death of that child could haue ben sufficient to redeeme al the world God the Father was older than Abraham and loued his sonne better than Abraham did his yet notwithstanding all this seeing that in that only sacrifice did consist mans saluation he consented that they should take his life from him Esichius vpon Leuiticus sayth That that which Abraham did was only good vnto himselfe alone because hee did accomplish that which was commanded him but when he said that the Lord would prouide a sacrifice vnto himselfe that was profitable vnto all the world considering that by that prophecie wee were warranted and made sure that we should be redeemed by the sonne of God Origen sayth That it is much to be noted how that all the sacrifices of the old law did proceed from two things only that is from the beasts which they did kill and the fruit which they plucked from trees Of their beasts they did offer the head and feet vnto the Lord the caule the flesh and the entralls and of trees incense storax fruit grapes aloes mirrhe oile and sweet odours And God was not content only that euery mā should offer what pleased himselfe but onely of that which God in the law commāded that is of beasts that they should offer the greatest of fruits the best of perfumes the sweetest of mettales the richest of liquors the most excellente If we beleeue the Philosopher in his book De animalibus The first thing that is engendred is the heart and the last the gaule when a beast dieth it is contrary for the first thing that corrupteth is the gaule and the heart the last thing that dieth The Commentator sayth That as the gaule is the last thing that is ingendred in man so it is also the most filthiest and basest thing that is in him Of all liquors the wine is the most precious and contrary no liquor worser than the dregs of soure corrupted wine Doest thou thinke my brother that we haue trauelled in vaine in prouing vnto thee that the gaule is the worst part of the beast and putrified dregs the worst of liquors The end why wee haue spoken all this is because that when the Redeemer of the world was dead with thirst vpon the altar of the crosse they gaue him these two thinges to drinke that is bitter gaule which is the last and worst part of the beast and dregs and vineger which is the worst of all liquors S. Augustine vpon S. Iohn sayth The purest clearest and cleanest of the Synagogue was already ended and gone and turned into vineger and lees by reason wherof they gaue Christ nothing to drinke but gaule vineger giuing vs therby to vnderstand that they did not giue him only that which they had in the Synagogue but also that which themselues were For what was all the Synagogue but soure vineger and bitter gaule It was not without a high mystery that they offered that which they did to Christ vpon the crosse for as the gaule is the last and the vildest thing that is in the beast so the Synagogue was now at an end and at the vvorst of all her life in so much that shee was become nothing els but a gaule of malice and also vineger of couetousnesse Saint Ierome sayth Euen as vineger hath been good wine because it was gathered of the best of the vine so the people of the Iews were somtimes good because they had good mē among them in so much that there is no other meaning in that they gaue Christ wine mingled with mire and soure vineger to drinke but that the people were now corrupted and scarse one good man left among them How came this hap among you O you Iewes that all the wine of your vessels is become soure vineger and all the hony of your hiues turned into bitter gaule Then your wine began to turne into vineger when you would not receiue Christ for your Redeemer and then all your hony turned into gaule when you did defame his doctrine and bereaue him of his life The Synagogue striketh great pity into my heart to see that in time past they did offer vnto their God sacrifices Holocausts and offerings and afterward gaule and vineger and dregs by which cursed and wicked offering they took away their makers life brought their Commonwealth vnto an end CHAP. XII How that the thirst
which he doth deceiue the world for thou wilt one day thinke that the Lord is carelesse and hee will send some grieuous punishment vpon thee And thou art now to vnderstand that there are so many in thy house which will awake him as thou hast faults and sinnes in thy soule In the house of our Lord who is the waker of his clemency but only our amendment and who is the waker of his iustice but only our offence Vpon those words of the Psalme Ecce non dormitabit S. Barnard sayth As the enemy which dooth impugn Israel Non aormitabit neque dormiet so the Lord who defendeth Israel Neque dormitabit neque dormiet and if it seeme that his clemency is asleepe when he doth fauour vs it is because we should liue better and if it seemeth that hee dooth defer his iustice it is because we should amend What should Isay more vnto thee but look what workes thou doest such wakers of God thou hast If thou be good thou doest awake him to doe thee good if thou bee naught thou doest awake him to doe thee hurt because that in the sight of our Lord the fault crieth for punishment and goodnesse asketh reward Ioining then mystery vnto mystery and Sacrament vnto Sacrament now that wee haue declared how God slept in the old Testament it is reason that wee declare also how his son did sleepe and awake vpon the crosse seeing that there is no lesse to be wondered at in the sleeping of the sonne thā there was to be spoken of in the sleeping of the Father For to think that the sonne of God did sleepe vpon the crosse as one that is weary and in health is woont to doe were a vanity and also an heresie for giuing him as they did gaule to eat and vineger to drinke there were more reason that his stomacke should be ready to ouerturne rather than his head haue any inclination to sleepe When Esay sayth Expergefactus lassus hee speaketh nor of materiall sleepe but of spirituall and if hee say that Christ did awake his powers within him without doubt did not awake because they were broken with tormēts but those powers did awake which lie hidden within him And although the Apostle doe say Quòd ex ipso in ipso per ipsum sunt omnia to wit of him in him and by him all things are yet there are sixe principall things aboue the rest in him These sixe are his essence his power his wisedome his humane flesh his patience and his clemency and of these sixe excellences and graces three of them slept when the sonne of God suffered and the other three alwaies watched His pure and diuine essence slept vpon the crosse seeing hee did not shew himselfe by it to be an absolute God for if hee had shewed himselfe to haue been onely God and not man he could neuer haue died vpon the crosse His high and eternall wisedome slept vpon the crosse in his passion seeing that hee neuer answered vnto any iniurious word were it neuer so grieuous against him Esichius sayth Christ did suffer that to be done by him on the crosse that a sheepe doth by himselfe in the butchery for if the sonne of God should haue showne before Pilate and Herod any sparke of his wisdome the Iews had neuer been able to haue put him to death His inspeakable and incomparable power did also sleep in his passion vpon the crosse not reuenging at all on his enemies for if it would haue pleased him to haue vsed it in lesse than a moment hell would haue swallowed thē all aliue Now that wee haue told what three powers slept with Christ on the crosse it is also conuenient for vs to shew what three they were which watched with him the same time His tender flesh did not sleep at the time of his passion vpon the crosse which was not one moment at ease nor an instant without torment How was it possible that Christ should not bee but awake on the crosse seeing that there was no vaine in his holybody which did not bleed nor no part of his flesh which was not brused and beaten blacke and blew His incomparable patience did watch and not sleepe vpon the crosse the which our blessed Iesus did neuer lose seeing that he neuer spake iniurious word vnto his enemies nor neuer shewed them an angry countenance Augustine sayth All deuout persons ought to follow Christ in the vertue of suffering for besides that the vertue of patience is meritotious before God shee is also an occasion of great quietnesse in mans life Christs diuine and louing clemency did also watch and not sleep in his passion the vvhich he did shew vvhen hee pardoned his enemies and praied for his malefactors O infinite goodnesse O inspeakable pitie O my good Iesus for if vve should grant that all the other vertues should haue slept on the crosse yet thy clemency vvould neuer haue giuen ouer vvatching for it is farre easier for the sonne to lose his light than for thee not to forgiue and pardon Plutarch in his Apothegms sayth That the Emperor Titus on a time gaue a great sigh and said Diem amisimus amici as if he vvould say It is not reason that this day should be reckoned among the daies of my life seeing that I haue done no good nor vsed any liberality in it This speech was spread throughout all the world much commended of the Philosophers and worthy of so high a Prince That which the Emperour Titus spake of his francknesse Christ might farre better haue spoken of his infinite clemency for if the Emperour did let no day passe in the which he did not some good neither did Christ let slip any houre or moment wherein hee did not pardon some offence And because the Prophet saith that the sonne of God did not onely sleepe but also that he did awake let vs now see how these three powers did awake in Christ and when and for what cause His incomparable diuine essence did rise and awake when he spake that terrible word at the time that his soule was drawne out of him and therevpon as it were in a traunce and a maze the great Centurion said of Christ That this was the son of the true God Christ did also awake his high wisdome vpon the crosse whē he spake those seuen wordes in the last houre of his death in the which there is contained more profound and deepe science and knowledge than is in all humane Philosophy or knowledge Christ did also awake his incomparable power when hee made the sunne to be darkened the earth to tremble and quake the graues to open and the dead to rise again Who dooth doubt but that the sonne of God doth shew in these wonderfull meruels the highnesse of his power the depth of his essence and the greatnesse of his wisedome and the valour of his person O my good Iesus O the light of my soule how vnlike thou
of smels is of bread the sauor of sauors is of salt the sweetest of all sweetes is of hony and the bitterest of all bitters is of gaule For what is there vnder heauen sweeter than hony or more bitter than gaule For what stomacke is there in the world so strong who after a cup of gaule and vineger would not either burst or die Rabanus vpon S. Luke sayth If the Iewes had remembred that his Father gaue them fresh water in the desart to drinke of and bread from heauen to eat of and that his sonne likewise gaue fiue thousand of them fish their fill and bread vntill they left off it they would not haue giuen him gaule to eat and vineger to drinke Damascenus sayth That it is proper to naughty men to be very sparing in matters of vertue and in matters of vice very lauish which doth easily appear in Christ for he asking for nothing but drink they gaue him also somewhat to eat Anselmus sayth That the abundance of malice and the want of conscience made the Iewes put that bitter gaule to Christs mouth which other men do loath to touch The Iewes did also shew the depth of their wicked naughtinesse in giuing Christ that horrible drinke being as hee was so neere death vpon the crosse because that all men are wont in that extremity bee they friends or enemies to helpe him who is in torment to die well and no man in that houre dare to trouble or vexe him Origen sayth That it is a custome among sauage and barbarous men that such as were enemies in their life time doe reconcile themselues and pardon one another in death Because as Plato sayth Death alone doth end all trauaile and all anger This generall rule failed only in the Iewes as men which were more barbarous and inhumane than all other who at the very time that Christ was yeelding vp his spirit did spet vpon him blasphemed him with their tongues hated him with their hearts tormented him with gaule and vineger King Dauid and king Saul were mortal enemies but when the Philistims had slain Saul in the hils of Gelboe they saw Dauid weepe bitterly for him and caused him to bee buried with great care and diligence All writers doe affirme that there were not greater enemies in all Greece than Demosthenes the Philosopher and Eschines the Orator but when Eschines vnderstood in Rhodes that Demosthenes his enemy was dead in Athens he did not only weepe many teares for him but did also bestow sumptuous funerals vpon him The great hatred and warres which were betwixt Iulius Caesar and Pempeius the great are knowne vnto all the world yet neuerthelesse when pittifull Casar had Pompeius head in his hands hee spake many pittifull words in his fauour and shed many teares ouer his head Cyrillus vpon S. Iohn sayth That there was neuer read of the like hatred as the Iews bare Christ seeing that although they saw his breath going out of his body yet they gaue him gaule to eat and vineger to drinke because that as they had tormented his outward members with torments they might also poyson his inward bowels with griefe and paine S. Cyprian sayth It is not credible that the wicked Iews had mens hearts in them but the hearts of some madde dogges seeing that the more the sonne of God did draw neere vnto death the more they did waxe cruell because that the end why they gaue him gaule and vineger was because hee should die sooner and also raging If as it did please Christ onely to tast of that drinke it had been his will to haue drunke it all considering how there was no bloud left in his vaines and also his weakenesse at that time it is no doubt but it would haue shortened his life and put him to a more painfull death O that this doctor said very well that they had not mens hearts in them for otherwise considering the extremity they saw him in they could not haue done lesse than haue giuen him some wine to drinke or water to refresh him or vsed some words of comfort O pittifull case and vnspeakable cruelty seeing that at the houre of thy death thou haddest no friend to encourage thee no drop of water to refresh thee but onely a little gaule for thy breakefast and a little vineger to drie thy mouth with Let not mee vse then any delicate meates and let all superfluous diet bee farre from mee for seeing my God and Lord doth neither eat nor drinke but gaule and vineger from euening to euening how dare I fare daintely at set meales How dare I looke for death seeking a thousand dainties euery houre and change a thousand meats euery day Seeing that thou O my good Iesus haddest thy mouth poysoned with gaule and wet with vineger O sacred mouth O holy tongue who is so wicked as to dare bath that mouth with gaule and vineger hauing preached with the same so many Sermons giuen so many holy lessons taught so many people and done so many miracles You should put gaule and vineger O yee cursed Iewes vpon this my mouth which is neuer opened but to deceiue and vpon my tongue which can doe nothing but lie for as for that of your Creator and our Redeemer what sinue was there that hee did not tell you of and what vertue is there that hee did not teach you Saint Barnard sayth O what great difference there is betwixt mouth and mouth tongue and tongue For mans tongue said vnto Pilat crucifige eum Christs tongue said vnto his Father Nesciunt quid faciunt In so much that the peoples whole drift was to induce Pilate to kill him and Christs whole intention was to persuade his Father to forgiue them Vbertinus sayth Should not Christ haue had better reason to haue giuen the people gaule and vineger seeing they accused him openly thā they to Christ considering that with teares hee did excuse them Quid vltra debui vineae meae quod non feci Said Christ to the Prophet Esaya◠as if hee would say O my chosen vine O my deere Synagogue what diddest thou aske of mee that I did not giue thee or what could I doe for thee that I haue not done These wordes are deepely to bee considered of seeing that by them our Lord dooth call the Synagogue to a reckoning like vnto one friend which chideth with another who with intention not to breake off their friendship will trie out where the fault lieth And to the same purpose God spake by the Prophet Ieremy when hee said Iudicium contraham tecum as if hee would say I will O Israell that thou and I and I and thou sit down to iudge and take an arbitrator betwixt vs to the end that both parts being hard he may iudge what small reason thou hast to offend me what great cause I haue to complaine on thee O infinit goodnesse O vnspeakable clemency of thee my great God what creature can iustly say
drinke water of the cesternes as to saue sinfull soules O that the thirst which Christ suffered was of a farre more higher degree than Dauids thirst for Dauid did but sigh for water but the sonne of God did not sigh but did suffer death to redeeme our soules and Dauid did quench his thirst with the preiudice of other mens bloud but the sonne of God did not kil his but with his own bloud Christ had not so good friends on the Mount of Caluary as Dauid had in his campe because Dauids seruants brought him water to refresh him withall and Christs enemies gaue him gaule vineger to tast of Super vulnera mea addiderunt dolorem said the Prophet Dauid speaking in the person of Christ as if hee would say The greatest trauaile and griefe which I feele now is that besides the words dolours which the Iewes gaue me in crucifieng me sinners haue now added another dolour vnto my former dolours which doth grieue me more than all the others did The dolours which Christ suffered in his passion his wounds and thornes caused them but the dolour which he now complaineth of our sinnes doe cause And he hath great reason to complaine more of this than of the others because the wounds which they gaue him and the nailes and thornes which tormented him dured but one day but the griefe which our offences doe cause in him doe euery houre offend him Saint Augustine sayth If there were no fault in vs there should be no wounds in Christ and therevpon it riseth that wee wound him more in his entrails with our offences than the Iewes did with their nailes But some man may say that Christ dooth not so much complaine by the Prophet of his wounds as of a grief and dolour which they added aboue all dolours and therefore it is conuenient that we declare what this dolor is and how farre it reacheth For the better vnderstanding of this point we must note that ouer and aboue all the sinnes which we commit we doe adde a new one vnto them which is as it were a counterpeise against euery sinne the which causeth the sinne to bee more grieuous and lesser hope of amendment in vs. What is this new sinne but the pleasure which we take to haue sinned the desire which we haue to sinne againe And because wee may not seeme to speake at randome wee will giue of euery one an example If the prowd man would be content to bee prowd only it would be but halfe a fault but alasse hee sayth that he is nothing prowd at all if wee regard his great desart by reason whereof he desireth to be of greater power and authority and ability to bestow more than hee doth If the angry and impatient man would be content to chide onely to braue it and murmure it might passe but alas hee doth adde fault vpō a fault that is he hath a very great thirst a desire to iniury and molest his enemies take their liues from thē also to ransacke and spoile their goods If the couetous man could be content with that which were necessary and with somewhat more it were tollerable but alasse like a noughty Christian he heapeth sinne vpon sinne for besides that hee is not content to saue bread and drinke yet hee neuer ceafeth day nor night to hoord vp all hee can If the carnall man would bee content once to attaine his desire and that which his sensuality requireth it might be dissembled but alasle hee hath such a great thirst to enioy all hee seeth that if it were in his power he would leaue no virgine vndefloured no married woman not diffamed nor any widdow not deceiued If the slothfull man would bee content himselfe not to goe in the cold in the Winter nor into the head in Summer but would eat without any labour of his owne and sleepe in his bed without care we would not much care if he did it but alasse hee hath such a great desire of ease and is such an enemy to labour that hee desireth nothing but that his neighbours should take paine because hee might eat and that all they should watch because hee might sleepe If the glutton would be content to eat till he were fill and sometimes vntill hee belked wee would not so much regard it but alasse hee hath such a great desire to eat daily of exquisite meats and drinke wines of great price that if it were possible there should bee no fish in the sea which hee would not eat of nor no meat on earth which he would not tast Loe then this is the dolour which Christ complaineth on when he sayth Super vulnera mea addiderunt dolorē which did so much grieue him that he felt none more for Saint Augustine sayth That God doth not looke what we be but what we desire to bee What greater wickednesse or what greater naughtinesse can there be in the world than not to be content to be naught but to desire to be more naught Cassiodorus sayth That the offences which wee commit are the wounds which wee giue Christ and the dolour which we adde vnto these wounds is the desire which we haue to sinne more and more This cursed desire and wicked thirst of adding sinne vnto sinne is also paied for and satisfied for the iust which come vnto our Lord when he said aloud on the crosse that he had a desire to suffer more as the wicked had to sinne more O infinite goodnesse O vnspeakable clemēcy who had euer so great a thirst to enioy our sinnes as thou my good Iesus haddest to suffer torment Who vntill this day had euer a desire to become worser and worser but our Lord had a greater desire to make him better and better Who had euer a greater thirst to encrease his vices than Christ had to make vs very vertuous O my soule O my heart doe you not see that your thirst of sinning more and more is cured with his thirst of suffering and that your thirst of heaping one sinne vpon another is quenched by Christs thirst of adding one pain vnto another Quod facis fac citius said Christ to Iudas in the night of the last supper Ioh. 13 as if he would say Seeing that thou wast so shamelesse as to sell me yesterday and art determined to deliuer mee this night vnto my enemies make an end of thy supper and rise from thence and doe that which thou wilt doe quickly because that the end of thy perdition shall bee the beginning of my redemption O sorrowfull speech O heauy word which Christ spake vnto the vnhappy disciple because that thereby he is permitted to doe what he would as though he should giue him licence vtterly to destroy himselfe and that there should bee no hope of his amendment What other meaning had those wordes which our holy maister spake vnto the reprobate disciple that is Do that which thou hast to doe with speed but to declare by
and a great louer In Salomons Temple the things of gold were so measured those of wood so leuelled that when they were laid downe there was no Ax nor hamber heard When the Holy-ghost did frame the Temple of the most sacred humanity of Christ in the wombe of the blessed Virgine Mary hee framed it so iust and made it in all perfection so exquisite that there was there no axe of sinne nor hamber of the diuell The windowes of that temple were broader within than vvithout to signifie vnto vs that the loue which Christ had secretly in his entrails was farre greater and broder than the wounds were which hee suffered for vs and although that at the beginning he doth lead his a straight and narrow way yet after that they doe tast of his heauenly loue he maketh all things broad and large vnto them In this holy Temple of Christ we must offer pure gold and excellent siluer which wee doe then when in heart we beleeue him and with our mouth confesse him There must also be offered latten copper and brasse by which we may vnderstand the vertue of patience for as those mettals doe suffer many blowes and serue to many vses so the vertue of patience doth suffer many iniuries and maketh many men vertuous It is fit for vs to offer there a â—acinth stone which is of the colour of heaueÌ„ to signifie therby vnto vs that al our works desires shold be directed to attain heaueÌ„ because that is in heauen which we do beleeue on earth there he dwelleth whoÌ„ we preach here and that is recompenced there which wee suffer here Wee should offer also in the liuely Temple of that blessed humility scarlet wel coloured and fine whereby is vnderstood the memory which wee ought to haue of his holy passion the which if it was troublesome for him to suffer is most profitable for vs to contemplate O how happy should he be of whoÌ„ it might be said thy hears are like vnto the scarlet of the king died in the gutters What are the heares but my thoughts and what are the gutters but his precious wounds and what is the coloured scarlet but his most precious flesh died in his owne precious bloud O who could be worthy to wash in this bloud the heares of his thoughts euery day a little time for seeing them of that colour they would presently be acceptable to Christ Thou shouldest offer also in this most holy TeÌ„ple scarlet twise died that is loue doubled if thou wilt know what loue doubled is we tell thee that it is the loue of God and the loue of thy neighbor He offereth scarlet twise died who doth the works of charity vnto his neighbour and giueth no euill speech vnto any man and hee doth also offer scarlet twise died who offereth his soule vnto God and part of his goods vnto his neighbour in necessity God did also command fine white linnen to be offered vnto him whereby a chast and a clean conuersation is vnderstood because there is nothing in this world in greater danger than the fame of a vertuous person Flie then my brother flie the occasions of the world and trust not so much as thy selfe for how much the finer the thrid of thy fame is the sooner it will be broken spotted if thou haue not a viligant care ouer it God commaunded likewise that they should offer him in his Temple timber of the wood Cethin because it was incorruptible whereby are vnderstood all perfect works and well finished and this hee noteth that if in vertuous workes wee haue not great constancy and peseuerance the worme dooth consume them like as they doe timber God doth also command that they should offer in his Temple goats heare if they had nothing else nor no other riches and therevpon the Lord may offer what he will and man what hee can What other thing are the goats heare which thou art to offer vnto him but only our sharpe and austere workes with the which wee are to serue him With a vile and base and rough couering cloath of gold and fine silke is kept and with a seuere life fame is conserued and a clean conscience because that dainty meats and curious apparell are not to bee vsed among perfect men O how happy hee should bee who might say with Christ Consummatum est that is that he followed our Lord vntil the last houre as hee might and offered vnto him that which he had CHAP. V. How that all the mysteries and prophesies which God had prophesied of him were most highly fulfilled in Christ in Ierusalem ECce ascendimus Hierosolimam consummabuntur omnia quae scripta sunt de filio hominis Luke 18. Christ spake these wordes vnto his disciples in the last iourney that hee made with them in this life and it as if hee would say Behold we goe vp into the great city of Ierusalem where all the prophesies shall bee fulfilled which are written of mee and where the sonne of the virgine shall bee deliuered vnto the Gentiles shal be scorned and spet vpon whipped and put to death and after three daies they shall see him risen again Before all things it is principally to be noted that whersoeuer this aduerb Ecce is put there is alwaies signified some great mystery as in Esayas Ecce Behold a virgine shall bring forth in the incarnation Ecce Behold the handmaid of the Lord in the transfiguration Ecce Behold a white cloud in the temptation Ecce Behold the Angels shall minister vnto him and in his resurrection Ecce behold an earthquake The things which Christ spake vnto them in this place were so high and the mystery so great which hee discouereth vnto them that they could not onely not vnderstand it but they were also afeared and began to tremble to heare it for they thought it a violent thing that they should martyr a holy man and they thought it a very strange thing that any man should rise againe Theophilus vpon S. Matthew sayth That it is much to bee noted that in all other iournies which Christ made it is alwaies said that hee went in the company of his disciples this one excepted where hee sayth that hee went before them to declare the great ioy that hee had to see that hee went to die and suffer passion for those whom he meant to redeeme and saue The difference betwixt those which take in hand any iourney is this that hee who goeth with greatest ioy goeth alwaies formost because hee would soonest come to the end and so it fell out here for Christ hauing a greater desire of our redeÌ„ption and saluation than the Apostles had made most hast on the way Secretum meum mihi secretum meum mihi said God by Esayas chap. 24. as if he would say From the beginning of the world in the deapth of the eternity I haue kept close a secret which no maÌ„ knoweth O infinit good O high Trinity what is this
secret and from whom dost thou hide it If there bee more than one secret why doest thou call it two and if there be but one why doest thou say twise My secret to my selfe My secret to my selfe Hee doth twise iterate this word Secret because there be two mysteries and yet calleth them in the singular number because they are but of one Christ in whom they were accomplished and for whose cause they were vnto the world reuealed What greater secret or what greater mystery or what higher Sacrament could there be in the world than for Christ to tell his disciples that being God he should die being man he should rise againe And it was not without a great mystery that Christ would draw his disciples from the people draw them to the way and talke with them in secret letting them vnderstand by these circumstances that that which he would tell them should be a great secret seeing that he did not tell it theÌ„ but in great secret Chrisostome vpon S. Mathew sayth All the glory of God and all the saluation of the Gentiles consisteth in the death which Christ died and in the bloud which for al the world he shed and therefore because the mystery was so high so strange he would not discouer it but vnto those of his holy colledge and vnto them also in great secret It was a high mystery to say That being God he should die and it was also as strange to say That he who was man should rise again and he would not reueale it vnto the people because they should not bee scandalized but reuealed it to those of his holy colledge for their benefit because that the most preciousest treasures are alwaies kept in the best and surest chests It is not then without cause that the text sayth Assumpsit eos secretò to let vs thereby vnderstand that wee should not reueale high secrets to all men nor yet hide theÌ„ from some men Now that Christ hath drawne his disciples into the field and lead them somewhat beside the way the text sayth that hee spake secretly vnto them saying Behold wee goe vp to Ierusalem as if hee should say My children my brethren I will open a secret vnto you such as you haue neuer heard before that is that we draw now neere vnto Ierusalem where I am to suffer and now the time is come when I must suffer the death which they will giue shall be such as my Father hath ordained and which in the Scripture is prophecied and which by mee is accepted And because our Lord here sayth that he must die in Ierusalem and not els where the prophesie of the Psalme is to be considered 73. which sayth Deus autem rex noster ante secula operatus est salutem in medie terrae His meaning is Our God and our king hath determined to redeeme the world in a place which is in the middle of the world If vvee read Ptholome in his tables and beleeue Strabo in his booke of the situation of the world they will say that the situation of the city of Ierusalem is in the middle of the earth and that that precisely is the nauell and center of the vvorld According vnto the prophesie alledged Christ dying in Ierusalem hee died in the middle of the world because that IerusaleÌ„ hath on the South side the kingdome of Aegypt on the East side the kingdome of Arabia and on the West side the Mediteranâ—an sea doth compasse it and one the North side the kingdome of Syria Basill the great sayth vpon the Psalmes There could nothing bee more fit and conuenient than that hee who was the meane and mediator that God should pardon our sinne should die as hee did in the middle of the world for if hee should haue died in the East or in the West they would haue thought that they had been redeemed that all the rest had continued coÌ„demned By reason wherof our Redeemer of the world would die in the middest of all men seeing that he suffered for all men Barnard in an Epistle sayth When the Prophet saith that our Lord hath wrought our saluation in the middle of the earth hee meaneth that he loueth the mean very much hateth extreames for he doth aswell hate the extream of fasting as ouermuch eating and hee hateth as well extreame pouerty as too much vvealth and he hateth as well too great basenesse of mind as extream pride and hee hateth as well extreame ignorance as ouermuch eloquence Cyprian sayth In this thou maiest see what an enemy Christ is to extreamties and how little hee fauoureth such as vse them in that that for to giue vs an example that in all thinges wee should cleaue to the meane and flie the extreames his will was to die in the middle of all the world Wee must note also that Christ sayth Ecce ascendimus for by this hee sheweth that hee goeth not to his death forced or constrained by any but of his owne loue the vvhich infinite loue as it brought him from heauen to take flesh so it dooth lead him to die on the crosse When the son of God sayth vnto his Disciples Behold we go vp to Ierusalem this is no speech of a malefactor but of a great Redeemer because the vvicked man neuer sayth vnto his friendes I goe to die but looke they carry or lead mee to receiue iustice O high mystery O diuine Sacrament vvho euer heard that such a man as Christ vvas young healthfull free and iust of his owne proper vvill should say vnto his Disciples Behold I go to Ierusalem to die as if hee vvould say Behold I goe to bee merry and to great ioy Aymon sayth What sayth hee else vvhen hee sayth Behold vve goe vp to Ierusalem but make it knowen vnto the rulers of the church that he goeth to die before his information bee drawne before the sergeants do take him before the hangmen doe keepe him and before that the iudge hath giuen sentence on him Rabanus vpon this place sayth When Christ sayth vnto his Disciples Behold vvee goe vp to Ierusalem it is as if hee vvould say Behold and marke vvell that when you shall see mee hanged vpon the crosse like vnto a malefactor doe not thinke that I am onely a man for if to die bee the condition of a man yet to die vvillingly is the property of God alone Hee vvho is a pure man dieth although hee vvould not but hee vvho is God and man dieth vvhen hee vvill and such vvas the sonne of God vvho tooke death vvhen hee vvould and took againe his life vvhen it pleased him Remigius in a certaine Homily sayth In this speech of Behold vvee goe vp to Ierusalem the sonne of God dooth shew two things vnto vs that is That hee goeth to die and that hee goeth to suffer that death of his owne accord so that we owe him for two debts the one for the bloud vvhich hee shed and the other
for the loue vvith the vvhich he shed it Cyrillus saith also If as Christ said Behold I goe to Ierusalem to die of my owne voluntary vvill hee should haue said Behold they draw me to be iusticied by force vve should haue ben bound vnto him for the martirdome which he suffered not for the wil vvith the which he suffered But seeing he saith plainly that he goeth of his own voluntary vvill to the butchery of the Mount of Caluary to bee executed it is certaine that if vvee owe him much for that hee did suffer we owe him much more for the loue vvith the which he did suffer S. Ierome sayth likewise in this speech of Ecce ascendimus our great sheepheard dooth admonish all other sheepeheards that when necessity doth so require they should not oppose themselues against any tyrant if they vvould put thē to death but also offer themselues to death for the saluation of their flocke because there is no higher degree of martyrdome than to die for the sauing of his neighbour Simon de Gassia sayth For the sonne of God to say vnto his disciples Behold I goe to die and not They carry mee to kill me was to let them vnderstand that to the Christian religion profession of the Gospell vvee should not bee drawne by force but goe willingly because our Lord doth not so much regard the feet with the which wee seeke him as hee doth behold out intentions with which we loue him And Christ saith further Et consummabuntur omnia quae scripta sunt de me as if he would say The cause vvhy I goe to Ierusalem is because all things vvhich are vvritten of mee by the Prophets may bee fulfilled and accomplished Origen sayth All thinges vvhich vvere vvritten of Christ are brought vnto three things and all those to be fulfilled by him to wit that vvhich he should doe that vvhich he should suffer and the reward vvhich he should haue aswell for that vvhich hee did in his life as for that vvhich he suffered at his death That which Christ did vvas to plant the church that vvhich he suffered was a most cruell death the reward vvhich he receiued vvas his glorious resurrection insomuch that in his holy life in his dreadfull death and passion and glorious resurrection all the holy Scripture is contained These two speeches vvhich Christ spake doe very vvell agree that is that vvhich he sayth here Consummabuntur omnia and the other vvhich he vttered vpon the crosse Consummatum est For in that that he died and rose againe all vvas fulfilled that was vvritten of him But speaking more particularly Christ sayth that in entring into Ierusalem he should be deliuered vnto the Gentils and that he should bee mocked vvith iniurious vvords and spet vpon with grosse spettle and whipped with much discipline and that he should also bee crucified and put to death with great nailes Who euer saw or heard the like vnto this that they should vnload such a heape of iniuries and such a multitude of torments vpon so tender a body and so iust a person Dedit percutientibus se maxillam saturabitur opprebrijs saith Ieremy chap. 3. Speaking of Christs iniuries as if hee should say The redeemer of the world will bee so patient in his trauails and so obedient vnto his persecutors that hee himselfe will offer his cheeke to be buffetted and he will put himselfe before them because they should fill him with iniuries How well so euer Ieremy did prophesie this yet Christ did fulfill it better seeing that he offered vnto his enemies not onely his cheeke that they might buffet it but also all his holy body that they might kill it What meaneth this O good Iesus what meaneth this The Prophet Elias did she from the citie of Ierusalem because Queene Iezabel should not cut off his head and doest thou goe to Ierusalem where thou knowest that they wil depriue thee of thy life Great king Dauid fled from the city of Ierusalem and went out of it because hee would bee no more persecuted of king Saul and doest thou goe to Ierusalem to bee crucified In this point sure thou art not Dauids sonne nor Helias companion for if they flie from Ierusalem to saue their liues thou goest to Ierusalem to offer thy selfe to death If thy death had been a common death it might haue been born with but seeing that it was more grieuous to suffer the circumstances of thy death than death it selfe what necessity constrained thee or what charity mooued thee why thou shouldest not haue fled with thy Father Dauid or absented thee with the Prophet Ely It is a thing worthy to bee noted that Christ putteth it for the greatest point of his Martyrdome that he should be iniuried and also that he should be scorned and mocked By which complaint hee doth let vs vnderstand that the sonne of God did grieue more at the iniurious words which they spake vnto him than at the lashes and discipline which they gaue him Ieremy doth not say that Christ should be filled in his passion with stripes flagellis but opprobrijs reuilings and iniuries and the reason is because stripes lashes passe no further than the shoulders but iniuries entred vnto the entrails Who is he in the world which wil not be more grieued at an iniurious word thā with the point of a speare Ieremy maketh no reckoning of the thornes nor of the nailes nor of the lashes but onely of the iniuries which Christ suffered seeing that hee saith Saturabitur opprobrijs because hee passed through those torments but one day but hee suffered iniuries and blasphemies euery day In these words of Ieremies He shall be filled with iniuries he signified vnto vs the cruelty of his torments and the multitude of his iniuries for as hee who is full hath no more place in his stomacke to fill so there was no torment which to the sonne of God they left vngiuen nor no iniury vnspoken For what torments were there which they gaue him not or what iniuries could there be spoken which they vttered not Hugo de sancto victore vpon Ieremy sayth Because the son of God would declare that hee was the iustest of all others and of all martyrs the greatest martyr he said that he should be filled with iniuries and reuilings because that in all other martyrs they did lay hands with no other intention but to martyr them but in Christ they laid hands to kill him tongues to iniury him S. Ierome on this place sayth Ieremy saith very well of Christ Quod saturabitur opprobrijs for wee doe not read of any Martyr that he was martyred with tongues but with hands the son of God alone is he whose life they tooke away with their hands and fame with their tongues Isichius vpon Leuiticus sayth With great reason the Prophet Ieremy sayth of Christ That he should be filled with iniuries seeing wee see that in his holy passion liers doe sell the
truth sooles mocke wisedome the guilty whip innocency the wretched spet vpon glory and the dead kill life S. Barnard in a sermon of the passion sayth What heart is able to endure it or what fingers able to write it to see that the liberty of captiues is sold the glory of Angels scorned and mocked the morning starre of the world spet at the Lord of all scourged whipped and he who is the rewarder of trauels murthered S. Ambrose vpon S. Luke sayth Of Christ only of no other Ieremy sayth Quod saturabitur opprobrijs seeing that he was sold like a malefactor mocked like a foole spet at like a vile person whipped like a theefe and put to death like a traitor S. Hilary in an Homily sayth According vnto the prophesie of Ieremy the sonne of God shall be filled with iniuries seeing that he is sold of the Symoniacles mocked of hypocrites whipped of tyrants spet at by blasphemers and put to death by heretikes Let our conclusion then be that not without a high mystery nor profound sacrament Christ before hee should suffer said these words of Consummabuntur and in the end of his suffering Consummatum est to let vs vnderstaÌ„d that at one time Christs life did end and if we be such as we ought to be our faults CHAP. VI. Here hee entreateth of that high praier which Christ made vpon the table saying Pater sancte non pro mundo rogo sed pro illis vt serues eos a malo In which praier if he obtained constancy and stoutnesse for his Apostles yet he forgot not the weake saying Non rogo vt tollas eos a mundo PAter sancte claritatem quam tu dedisti mihi dedi eis vt sint Consummati in vnum Iâ—h 17. These words are spoken by the mouth of the son of God praying vnto his Father after he had made a sermon before supper the highest and longest that euer hee preached in all his life time as if hee should say O my holy eternall mighty and blessed Father that which I entreat and request of thee in this last houre is that seeing I haue giuen to my Disciples part of the light and science which thou hast giuen mee thou wouldest also giue them grace to bee perfect in that kind of perfection as thou are wont to make perfect the elect By occasion of those words which Christ spake vpon the crosse that is Consummatum est and by reason of that other which he spake praying vnto his Father Consummati sunt it shall bee necessary for vs to declare in this place what that is which the redeemer of the world spake in his praier and what the Scripture sayth of it It is here to be noted who hee is which praieth where hee praieth when he praieth and how he praieth and for whome he praieth what he praieth for oftentimes in Scripture the circumstances how a thing is done makes it either weighty or very weighty Hee who praieth is Christ the place where is the pâ—râ—or the time is at supper how is with lifting vp his eies the things which hee praieth are very high they for whom are his disciples In this high praier Christ spake dainty words most graue sentences very secret mysteries very necessary aduises and very profitable counsels by reason whereof it is conuenient to read them with attention and note them with deuotion Christ then sayth in the beginning of his praier Pater sancte serua eos in nomine tuo qui tui sunt pro eis rogo non pro mundo as if he should say My holy and blessed father that which I ask of thee for these thy children and my disciples is that thou deliuer them from sin keep them in thy seruice seeing that they bee my brothers by nature and thy children by grace and if I aske any thing of thee it is not for those which are of the world but for those which thou doest keepe vnder thy safegard O sweet words for the good and sorrowfull for the bad seeing that by them are diuided and seperated the perfect from the foreseene the elect from the reprobate Gods friends from the children of perdition and also the neighbours of heauen from the louers of the world Howsoeuer Christ our redeemer praied from the hart for those which he loued from the heart yet he set this word Sancte Pater before his praier because it is a very naturall thing that this word Pater maketh a father attentiue to here the child and maketh his eies tender to behold him and his heart gentle to loue him and openeth his entrails that hee can deny him nothing What sweeter words can come to a fathers eares than to heare his sonne call him father As a sonne welbeloued and tendered once Christ calleth his father my father another time iust father another time Lord and father sometimes holy father and sometimes father and nothing else so that such as his praier was such was the name which hee gaue him It is not then here without a mystery that hee calleth him Pater sancte because hee who praied in this praier was most holy hee to whom hee praied was holy that which hee praied were holy things the place where hee praied was a holy place and hee for whom he praied was his holy colledge What doest thou aske O good Iesus what doest thou aske Pardon for my sheepe that God would deliuer them from Wolues pardon for my disciples that God would keepe them from the diuell pardon for my elect that God would seperate them from sinne and pardon for my friendes that God would take them vp into heauen As thou art going thy iourney to the crosse at the point of death in the euening of thy agony and wheÌ„ they come to apprehend thy person among so many thinges which thou doest aske of thy Father doest thou ask nothing for thy selfe O heauenly care O vnspeakable loue O charity neuer heard of before such as thine is O creator of my soule towards all mankind seeing that in such a dismal day in such a narrow strait as thou art in thou hast cause sufficient to craue of thy father for thy selfe sauing only that to remember me thou doest forget thy selfe And Christ sayth that he doth aske for such as are his that is for those which in the depth of his eternity are predestinated and are in the number of the elect to the end that they may bee one thing in the father as the father and the sonne are one thing Let the curious reader marke in this place that this abuerbe Sicut dooth not in this place make an equality betwixt God and man but onely a resemblance and a likenesse for vnlike the which because Arrias would not vnderstaÌ„d became to be an infamous heretike When Christ said Sint vnum in me his meaning was this That which I aske of thee O heaueÌ„ly Father is that as those of my colledge be thy children and
All mortal men go after their pleasures and hunt for delight but alasse they seeke them in the house of the God of trauels which is the world and forsake the Lord of consolations which is God and therefore they goe astray in that which they seeke and goe discomforted in that which they desire Barnard in a sermon sayth O what a great comfort it is to the good that they haue him for their God and Lord who is the God and Lord of all consolations for it is not to be beleeued that being the God of al comforts that he doth not impart some of them vnto his and especially seeing that hee doth not discomfort those which offend him who will not beleeue but hee will comfort those which serue him When the Apostle sayth that our God is the God of all consolations and not onely that but also the father of mercies we haue great cause to loue him and to be thankfull vnto him seeing that not long before hee called himselfe the God of reuenge as now he dooth call himselfe the Father of mercies S. Ambrose sayth What greater news could we hear or what could he giue vs for a greater reward then for our Lord to giue himselfe vnto vs for our father his sonne for our brother the holy-ghost for our maister his church for our mother the Sacraments for a medicine his death for a pardon his bloud for our redemption Isichius vpon Leuiticus sayth Marke the depth of the Scripture and thou shalt see that when he speaketh of mercies it doth not call God Deus misericordiarum The God of mercy but Pater misericordiarum the Father of mercies and when it talketh of iustice it doth not call him Pater vltionum but Deus vltionum The God of reuenge because it is the office of God to punish and the duty of the father to pardon The Prophets did oft vse this word Deus God and helped themselues little with this word Pater Father and Christ contrariwise did oft benefite himselfe with this word Pater Father and sildome with this name Deus God giuing vs thereby to vnderstand that the time of iustice was now ended and that the time of mercy was come Isidorus De summo bono sayth O eternall goodnesse and depth of all vvisedome vvhy should I distrust in thy great clemency being that thou art my Father and Father of all mercy Let the Pagans distrust in thee who beleeue thee not let the vvicked distrust in thee vvho serue thee not for I vvill hope in thee vvith those vvhich serue thee and loue thee For although I cannot wholly serue thee I labour as much as I can not to offend thee Anselmus vpon the Apostle sayth After I heard thee say O my good Iesus Pater ignosce illis and the Apostle say Pater misericordiarum Although my naughty life make mee afraid yet thy great mercy commeth immediately to my mind for the same day that thou diddest make thy selfe man thou diddest change thy name from the God of Reuenge into the Father of Mercies O glorious and happy chaunge that is the changing the name of God into the name of Father and the name of a Reuenger into the name of a Defender the name of Iustice into the name of Mercy the name of a Creator into the name of a Redeemer all which thou diddest chaunge vvhen thou wast made man and diddest suffer on the crosse for mee Saint Augustine vpon the Apostles vvordes sayth Tell mee O good Iesus tell mee O great Redeemer after thou haddest chaunged the name of Deus vltionum into the name of Pater misericordiarum what diddest thou see so hard that thou diddest not bring to passe or vvhat sinne diddest thou see so enormious that thou diddest not pardon In calling thy selfe the Father of mercies thou diddest forgiue Matthew his exchanges Mary Magdalene her vanities the Samaritane her Adulteries the good theefe his theft and the fisher-man Peter his denying of thee the Apostles forsaking of thee and thy enemies putting thee to death Irenaeus sayth Seeing that the time of Deus vltionum is past and that the time of Pater misericordiarum is come haue mercy on mee O great God of Israel haue mercy on mee and when shall this bee but vvhen thou vvilt giue me strength to serue and praise thee and endue mee vvith grace to saue mee O Father of mercies O the God of all consolation vvhen shall my soule heare for her selfe Pater ignosce illi as the vvicked Synagogue did heare thee say Father forgiue them What doth it auaile mee that thou hast pardoned those vvhich did then put thee to death if thou doe not also now forgiue vs vvhich most vvickedly offend thee Children for children sinners for sinners there is as great reason that thou shouldest pardon those of thy holy church as those of the Synagogue for if they vvere children of the God of reuenge vvho did put thee to death then they are also children of the Father of mercies who do offend thee now Saint Augustine in his Confessions sayth O Father of mercies and God of all comfort if it bee true that I vvas vvith those vvhich tooke thy life from thee vpon the crosse vvhy shouldest thou not as well forgiue mee my fault as thou diddest then theirs Vnto thee O eternall Father I say Mea culpa and vnto thee O holy sonne I confesse my offence in that that if I vvas not vvith Iudas vvhen hee sold thee yet I vvas vvith the vvicked and vngratefull Iewes vvhen they did crucifie thee for if they did fasten thee on the crosse vvith nailes I did there crucifie thee vvith my sinnes Anselmus in his Meditations sayth O good Iesus O the blisse of my soule vvho carried thee to the crosse but the loue which thou haddest to redeeme vs And what tormented thee but thy dolours And what tooke thy life from thee but my sinnes And by whom haue I life but by thy merits O Father of mercies if it be true that for my demerits thou diddest lose thy life and that by thy great merits I recouered my soule dost thou not thinke that thou hast much in my faults to pardon in my soule to redresse and amend Barnard sayth O creator of all things O redeemer of all sinnes vnto thee O my God I offer my selfe and before thee O my Lord I present my selfe not such a one as thou diddest leaue mee when thou diddest create mee but such as one as thou foundest mee when thou redeemedst mee What a one diddest thou leaue mee but made to thy image and semblance and what a one diddest thou find mee but with my innocency lost and loaden with sinne O father of mercies pardon mee seeing that I am a worke of thy owne hands pardon me seeing that I am one of thy children and seeing I say vnto thee vpon my knees Tibi soli peccaui it is reason that thou answer me O my God with Miscriatur tui CHAP. II. Of the
difference that is betwixt Dauids testament and Christs testament seeing the one commandeth to reuenge other mens iniuries and the other pardoneth his owne death NOn deduces canicies eius pacifice ad inferos 3. Reg. chap. 2. King Dauid being in the last point of his life commanded his sonne and heire apparent Salomon to be called vnto him vnto whome hee spake these words Thou rememberest my sonne Salomon when my seruant and capraine Ioab did slay captaine Abner and Amasias who were scruants vnto king Saul the which offence because I cannot reuēge in my life the charge shll be laid vpon thee to see that hee goe not quietly to his graue and Dauid said further vnto him Thou shalt also remember that when I fled from thy brother and my son Absolon my enemy Simei came against me and followed mee all the field ouer cursing me and casting stones at me Look vnto it like a wise and a discreet man and that hee depart not in peace out of this world That which Dauid commanded his sonne Salomon to doe was not commanded to one who was deaffe for if hee did command him to kill two hee did kill three or foure that is the infant Abdonias the captaine Ioab Simei and the Priest Abiathar In al his kingdome Dauid had no captaine which had done him so great seruice nor no seruant which had loued him better than old Ioab yet neuerthelesse he had more respect to reuenge the iniuries done to others than vnto their seruices past If Dauid had not been welbeloued and by Scripture commended his Testament should much haue scandalized vs seeing that at the time of his death when men forbid iniuries hee commandeth by his Testament to take away mens liues It is to be beleeued that he being so acceptable to God as he was that he had consulted with God for otherwise being in so narrow a straight as he was in it was more than time for him to prepare himselfe to confesse his sins than to command the death of his enemies O how vnlike Dauids Testament is vnto Christs for Dauid commaunded in his to reuenge other mens deaths but Iesus Christ our Redeemer commanded his owne proper death to be pardoned How happy we be which be the inheritours of Christ and how vnhappy they be which bee the successours of Dauid which is easily seene by their Testaments for Dauids soule goeth out of his body saying Filine ignoscas illis and Christ yeeldeth his last breath saying Pater ignosce illis What similitude is in this when the one commaundeth to slay Ioab who neuer once touched so much as his garment and the sonne of God willeth to forgiue those which tooke away his life How would Dauid forgiue his owne death seeing he commandeth to reuenge another mans wilt thou see the difference betwixt the charity of the one and the goodnesse of the other Thou maiest see it in that that king Dauid would not pardon Ioab and Simei whose sinnes were so old that they were forgotten and meeke Iesus did pardon the Iewes whose wickednes was new and fresh How wouldest thou haue the wounds of him vvho pardoneth more fresher and the wickednesse of those which are pardoned more newer but to haue them at the same time crucifieng as he is pardoning Aymon sayth Much good may Dauids Testament doe him which hee made being annointed for I will hold with that which Christ made when he was crucified for the one seeketh out those which are culpable to kill and the other seeketh out faults to pardon Saint Augustine vpon our Lords wordes saith O how much better it is to fall into the hands of God then into the hands of men which is easily seene in the death of king Dauid and in the death of the sonne of God where the one commandeth to slay his owne seruants and the other willeth pardon to his cruel enemies Hugo de sancte victore sayth I do not enuy king Salomon for the kingdome which king Dauid his father left him nor for his will which he commāded him to accomplish because he left him the heire of his kingdome with such a condition that whē he should giue the last gaspe the other should presently begin to murder and kill In the same day and in the same houre that good king Dauid died as the captaine Ioab was in the Temple a praying kind Salomon sent immediately to sley him insomuch that before they could put Dauid in his graue they tooke away poor Ioabs life O my good Iesus the conditions of thy Testament be not like vnto these seeing that in the last farwell on the altar of the crosse thou diddest not command thy successors to reuenge but to forgiue nor to take away mens liues but to pardon iniuries so that as the Synagogue was a house of buying and selling so thou madest thy church a house of pardon Christ himselfe did whip those who bought and sold in the Temple and the selfesame son of God did pardon those whom he found in his house of pardon whereof wee may inferre that he is no inhabitant of his house who dareth reuenge an iniury Christ did shew himselfe to be the sonne of Dauid in being meeke as hee was but he shewed it not in being vindicatiue as he was for when he died vpon the crosse he did not leaue in al the world any one sinne to forgiue nor any iniury for his heires to reuenge If as Dauid did command to reuēge the misdemeanour which his seruants did him Christ should haue commanded to reuenge the sinnes which the Iewes committed against him it had not been possible to haue been done because the sinners had too many sinnes and the tormentors wanted torments CHAP. III. Of the difference betwixt the bloud of Abel and the bloud of Christ and how vnlike their cries vnto God are ACcessistis ad sanguinis aspersionem melius loquentem quam Abel sayth the Apostle writing vnto the Hebrewes chap. 9 as if hee should say We are very happy which beleeue in Christ and receiue his gospel seeing wee bee redeemed by his death and bought with his precious bloud And because thou maiest the better esteeme of the price of this bloud know thou that it crieth before the eternal father better than the bloud of Abel because that cried Iustice Iustice and the bloud of the sonne of God crieth Mercy Mercy S. Ierome sayth The Apostle dooth highly set forth the bloud of Christ whose soueraine price and high merit hee would not compare with the other blouds of the old Testament but with the bloud of the first iust man that euer was in the world the bloud of the holiest saint that is in heauen Origen saith The Apostle should haue done Christ great iniury if hee should haue compared his bloud with the bloud of calues and goats of the old Testament because the bloud of those beastes did serue to no other purpose but to defile the staires and to take away their liues but the
them and not pardon him was because our good Lord is so liberall in giuing and so noble in pardoning that he cannot forgiue any one sinne alone if there remaine any other hidden offence in the sinner Factious and enuious men are wont to pardon some of their enemies not other some but the sonne of God for a certainty dooth not so but he would forgiue all men togâ—ther and redeeme all men togither S. Iohn said not of Christ behold him who taketh away the sinne of the world but said behold him who taketh away the sinnes of the world He said not vnto Mary Magdalen thy sinne is released but thy sinnes are forgiuen thee In so much that in matter of sinnes God cannot but either wholly winck at them or wholly pardon them For as S. Ierome sayth No man euer heard the sonne of God say I pardon thee such a sinne or this sinne or that sinne but hee alwaies said I pardon thee all thy sinnes and therevpon praying vpon the crosse vnto his father hee did not say Pardon him but said Father pardon them For it seemed vnto him that the value of the bloud which hee shed was of such price that those for whome hee died were but few although hee died for those which were absent as well as for those which were present for the quicke and for the dead for those which were already past and for those which were to come for the iust and for the sinners that one drop of his bloud which he should shed would bee sufficient to redeeme a thousand of worlds and if this were so what reason had hee to bestow it vpon one alone seeing there did abound for all the world The sonne of God debated not the matter nor plaied not the huckster with his father in contending how much bloud shall I giue thee for their pardon because he would let vs vnderstand in this that he paied very well yea and repaied for al the sinnes which were forgiuen For to conclude all the sinnes in the world might haue ben numbred but the price of the bloud of Christ could not bee valued O good Iesus O my soules hope if in fauour of great sinners thou diddest say Father forgiue them why doest thou not say in my behalfe who am a great sinner Pater ignosce illi Forgiue him If the Iewes haue beene vngratefull towards thee for the miracles which thou diddest amongst them haue not I been much more ingratefull for the benefites receiued of thee If thou diddest pray for the Israelites which did kill thee once why doest thou not pray for me which kill thee euery day Doe not I put thee to death euery day and euery houre seeing I doe crucifie thee as oft as I sinne against thee Seeing the sinnes which are seuerally in other meÌ„ are together in me why dost thou not say Father forgiue him as thou didst say Father forgiue theÌ„ Say then O my good Iesus say vnto thy Father Father pardoÌ„ this sinner seeing that by how much the more my sins offences are greater then other mens by so much the more thy mercy will shine by forgiuing me CHAP. VII How God is more mercifull now then hee was in time past and why Christ did not say that he did pardon his enemies when he asked pardon for them of his father POnam contra te omnes abommationes tuas non parcet oculus meus super te These are the woordes of the great God of Israell spoken with much anger and verie great furie to the people of Israel by the mouth and preaching of the holy Prophet Ezechiel chapter 7. as if he would say I am so angry with thee O Synagogue and haue pardoned thee so often that I am now determined to lay open all thy wickednes and not forgiue thee any one of them because that as mercy doth follow thy amendment so iustice rigor may follow thy hardnesse of heart Before the sonne of God came into the world to take mans flesh vpon him God was much more accustomed to vse his iustice then his mercie seeing that in all the story of the old Law those which hee chastised were very many in number and those whome hee forgaue very few And that we may proue it to haue ben so from the beginning of the world how did he punish Adam and Eue his wife for no other cause but for eating the apple which was forbidden them Did hee not condemne the wicked Cain to wander throughout all the world and haue a shaking in his head for the murder which hee vsed against his brother Who is ignorant how God did drowne many in the vniuersall floud for the sinne of the flesh and sunke those of Sodome for the sinne against nature and let the ground open and swallow vp Dathan and Abiron for the rancor of enuie And did not God command Moyses and Iosua to take out of the campe and stone to death the Iew for hiding a barrell of gold at the sacke of Ierricho and another Israelitie for gathering stickes vpon the Sabboth day Hieremie neuer endeth to bewaile the captiuitiy of Babilon whereof hee sayth Destruxit non pepercit hee destroied and spared not But God commaunded that all that kingdome should bee made desolate and destroied not pardoning nor forgiuing any one When the Lord commanded king Saule to go take Amelech his kingdome hee aduised him and instructed him that from the king himselfe which sate in his throne vnto the beast which fed in the meadow hee should not pardon any one but sley and kill them euery one In the ninth chapter of Ezechiell God said these wordes vnto the striking Angel Senem iuuenem virginem paruulum interfice sanctuario meâ— incipe c. as if he would say Go throughout all the city of Ierusalem put to the sword all the old men and all the young men all the virgins and all the children and because no man shall thinke that any place may saue him thou shalt begin this my punishment with the Priests of the Temple Cadent à latere tuo mille decem millia à dextris tuis sayth the Psalmist as if he would say Thou doest so seuerely reuenge thy iniuries O great God of Saboth and so punish our offences that as oft as I looke vpon thee I see both thy armes armed and both thy hands couered with bloud insomuch that if a thousand men are fallen at thy left hand there are other ten thousand slairie at thy right hand When the eternall God had seene that they had put to death his welbeloued sonne being accustomed to punish presently and not to pardon he darkened the light of the sunne made the earth to quake rent the vaile of the Temple and opened the sepulchres of the dead because those which were dead should rise againe and take reuengemeÌ„t of those which were aliue WheÌ„ the son of God perceiued that al this was done for his sake