and deceiue me but aduerse and contrary things because they haue some bitternesse as bitter Potions doe make mee suspitious and fearefull I feare the euill more vvhich I doe priuily then that which I doe openly For the Temptor commeth boldly to the euill vvhich no man seeth which no man comprehendeth and where no man is feared which should finde fault vvith it and so iniquitie is more easily committed Truly there is Warre on both sides danger on both sides to be feared on both sides And euen as they which remaine in the Land of their enemies must looke on this side and that side and must turne their head about at euerie noise So the flesh suggesteth pleasant things to me the vvorld vaine things the Diuell bitter things because so often as a carnall cogitation doth importunately moue assaile my minde concerning meate and drinke sleepe and other like things belonging to the care and prouision of the flesh the flesh speaketh to me When a vaine thought is busied in my heart concerning worldly Ambition bragging and boasting it proceedeth from the world But when I am prouoked to anger and wrath and to bitternesse of minde it is a diuellish suggestion the which I must resist no otherwise then the Diuell himselfe neither must I any otherwise take heede and beware of it then of damnation it selfe It is the office of Diuels to bring in false suggestions it is our duite not to consent to them For so often as we resist them so often we ouercome the Diuell wee glad the Angels we honour God For he doth exhort and encourage vs that wee may fight hee helpeth vs that wee may ouercome hee beholdeth vs fighting he succoureth vs fainting hee crowneth vs conquering From whence the flesh of Man proceedeth and what it bringeth forth MOTIVE XV. MY flesh proceedeth from the clay and therefore I haue voluptuous thoughts from it vaine and curious cogitations from the world Three cruell enemies of man euill malitious suggestions from the Diuell These three enemies doe assaile persecute me somtime openly somtime secretly but alwaies malitiously For the Diuell trusteth most in the helpe of the flesh because a domesticall enemie doth most hurt and procureth greatest harme For she hath entered a league with him for my ruine ouerthrow and destruction to wit being borne of sinne and nourished in sinne corrupted vvith vices from the very beginning Flesh is corrupted be birth nurture and custome but made a great deale more vitious by euill custome From hence it proceedeth that she coueteth and lusteth so eagerly against the spirit that she continually murmureth and cannot abide good discipline and vvholsome correction because she suggesteth vnlawfull things will neither obey reason nor is brideled vvith any feare That wretched Serpent approacheth to her hee aydeth her hee vseth her being the olde and deadly enemie of mankinde who hath no other desire no other businesse no other exercise but to destroy our selues The continuall practise of the Diuell This is hee which imagineth mischiefe continually speaketh subtilly suggesteth artificially deceiueth craftily Hee inspireth wicked and vnlawfull motions raiseth warres nourisheth hatred stirreth vp gluttonie incenseth lust pricketh forward the vnbrideled desires of the flesh and prepareth baites and occasion of sinne and also assaulteth without ceasing the hearts of men with a thousand slights to hurt and destroy them From hence it falleth out that he beateth vs with our owne staffe bindeth our hands with our owne girdle and cutteth our throat with our owne knife so that the flesh which is giuen to vs for a helpe becommeth to vs ruine and hurt and is as a blocke in our way to make vs to stumble It is a grieuous combat and a great danger to fight against such a domesticall enemie especially seeing wee are strangers and hee a Citizen hee inhabiteth his owne Country we are banished men and strangers It is also great perill and danger to endure so often yea rather such continuall conflicts of his diuellish policie whom as well subtill nature as long exercise of his inueterate malice hath made so politicke and crafty Of the short life of man MOTIVE XVI THe day of man is as it were a shadow or rather a shadow vpon earth it hath no continuance and then it is properly nothing and more vaine then any thing when it seemeth to stand surest and to rest vpon a sound foundation Therfore why doth a couetous man hoord vp treasure here vpon earth so greedily The folly of rich men when both hee himselfe must passe away so suddenly also the treasure which he hath stored vp so carefully And in truth oh foolish man what fruit canst thou expect in the vvorld whose sweetest fruit is vtter ruine whose end is death and wofull destruction Would to GOD thou wert wise could vnderstand and carefully prouide in thy short life against the day of thy certaine and vncertaine death A notable description of the olde man or sinne I know one who many yeeres hath liued familiarly with thee hath sat downe at thy Table hath receiued meat from thine owne hand hath slept in thy bosome and when he would hath had priuate conference with thee He by hereditary law is but thy seruant But because from his tender yeeres thou hast pampered him delicately brought him vp very wantonly and hast spared the rod foolishly hee is now become stubborne and rebellious against thee Hee hath lifted vp his heele aboue thy head hee hath brought thee into slauish bondage and doth cruelly tyrannize ouer thee But peraduenture thou wilt say Who is hee It is thy olde man vvhich treadeth and trampleth thy Spirit vnder feete who disdaineth contemneth and reputeth lesse then nothing that blessed Land which is solely and wholy to be desired because nothing can giue a sweet taste or procure a pleasing rellish to his corrupted humour but onely such things as may please the wanton flesh and her vntemperate desires This man is blinde and deafe from his Natiuitie dumbe ancient with dayes many and euill rebellious against vertue opposite to verity an Enemie of the Crosse of Christ Hee scorneth derideth and flowteth the innocent and that man which walketh vprightly in truth and sincerity He busieth himselfe and intermedleth with great and wonderfull matters which doe farre exceede his weake capacitie and much surpasse the short reach of his dull doltish vnderstanding His arrogancie and impudent boldnesse is more then all his fortitude and forces hee dreadeth none nor standeth in awe of any but saith proudly in his doting foolishnesse There is no God Hee pineth and consumeth with good things he is also fed and nourished with other mens euils hee is fatted and cherished with vncleane thoughts and impure cogitations he is neuer tyred nor wearied with them rebelling and transgressing euen vnto the end hee disperseth scattereth abroad his owne like an vnthrifty wasting Prodigall he coueteth and raketh to himselfe other mens goods like
a couetous and greedy Miser he heapeth vp to himselfe Ignominie and foule reproach by his odious fraud and dissimulation and through his malitious subtilty kindleth the wrath of God against him and daily addeth more fewell to augment the flame This man was conceiued bred and borne in sinne and so being nurtured and nusled in sinne is become a friend of iniquitie the childe of death the vessell of wrath exposed to contumelious reproach and finall destruction Who although hee be so corrupted with wicked manners depraued with vile conditions and depriued of all commendable vertues yet hee vttereth forth the sacred Iustice of God with his dissembling words and taketh his holy couenant in his prophaned mouth He hateth discipline and scorneth correction he dishonoureth his soueraigne Lord and casteth his commaundements contemptuously behinde his backe When hee spieth a Thiefe hee entereth a league of societie and runneth to mischiefe with him he shareth and hath his portion with filthy and vncleane Adulterers he is vvholy delighted vvith their scandalous amitie he alwaies frequenteth their damnable societie Hee forgetteth many false accusations and criminall obiections against the sonne of his owne and onely mother hee also treasureth wrath vpon thee against the day of wrath and vengeance to worke and contriue thy wofull and eternall perdition he would rob and quite depriue thee of thy rich and royall inheritance and would banish thee for euer from thy heauenly and most happy Country to dwell in a land of perpetuall darknesse full of euerlasting woes and lamentations Yet thou art so blinded vvith selfe-conceited folly and so besotted with thy doting affections that thou wilt not lift vp so much as thy little finger to reuenge so great so notorious and grieuous an iniurie but are content to dissemble thy hurts and to put vp all his vvrongs hee hath done vnto thee to hold thy tongue and so to let them passe away in silence neither doest thou speake an vnkinde or froward word nor shew him a frowning or soure looke but thou smilest vpon him vvith a ioyfull face When he flattereth sootheth thee in thy dangerous follies thou doest sport play dally and solace thy selfe with a scornefull mocker thou knowest not that it is a deriding Ismael which sporteth and playeth with thee This is no Childish sport acted in simplicitie and qualified vvith harmelesse innocency but the beginning of it is bloody persecution and the end of it euerlasting death and damnation hee hath tumbled thee downe headlong into the deepe pit which hee digged and made for thy eternall destruction now thou art become an effeminate Coward and hast lost the vigor of thy manly forces now thou being a wretched Captiue pressed downe with the grieuous yoke of most miserable and slauish bondage art basely deiected trampled and trod vpon vnder his feet O wretched wofull and miserable man who shall deliuer rescue and redeeme thee from the heauy band and bondage of this ignominious and opprobrious Nick-name Let God arise and let that armed man fall downe to the ground If God be on our side wee need not care who be against vs. let him fall flat on the ground let that direfull foe and bloody Tyrant be beaten into pieces as small as the dust to be scattered abroad with the violence of the stormy windes A proud contemner of God and all that are good a worshipper of himselfe a friend of the world a seruant of the deuill What thinkest thou What is thy opinon How inclineth thy minde and affection If Reason be thy Pilot to direct the course of thy opinion and Wisedome the Master to stirre the helme of thy Vnderstanding thou wilt say with mee Hee hath committed most vile and horrible treason against the highest Maiestie hee is guiltie of death let him be crucified and let him suffer as he hath well deserued the extreame rigour of most bitter and painefull Torments of the flesh Do not therefore play the Hypocrite and maske thy counterfeiting affections vvith the vizard of dissimulation deferre not his execution from day to day by a fond repriuall spare him not for foolish pitty but speedily boldly instantly crucifie that sinfull and guilty Traytor But on the Crosse of Christ by whose death wee are restored and raised to life made coheyres with him of his glorious Kingdome and of euerlasting Saluation to whom if thou shalt cry vvith a sorrowfull compunction of a groaning heart and vvith the deepe sighes of a grieued and penitent minde then thy crucified Christ will heare thee speedily answering thee kindly To day thou shalt be with me in Paradise Oh wonderfull pitty of Christ a most louing Sauiour oh vndeserued nay vnexpected Saluation of a great and grieuous Sinner So bountifull so gracefull and so delightfull is the exceeding loue of God so admirable is his sweetnesse so farre beyond our opinion is his fauourable kindnesse so immeasurable is his meekenesse that his eares are alwaies open to heare the complaints of his pleople he is alwaies at leisure to receiue with kindnesse and to answere with speedinesse the humble petitions of those which in time of their distresses will faithfully call vpon him and with contrite and relenting hearts will reuerently approach neere vnto him because his mercy toward vs is without measure and his tender compassion knoweth no bounds Oh how great worthy and wonderfull is the mercy of our gratious God! Oh how vnvtterable is the powerfull alteration of the right hand of the highest Yesterday I was fast fettered in the Prison of darkenesse vnder the checke of a cruell and mercilesse Murtherer How pleasant is the freedome of sinne to day I am in the hand of a pittifull and mercifull Mediator Yesterday I was in the gate of deuouring hell on euery side affrighted with feare and afflicted with misery to day I am in the pleasant Paradise of eternall delights and pleasure totally replenished with neuer-decaying ioy endlesse delight and euerlasting felicitie But how may these Letters of admonition preuaile how may they profite vnlesse thou race out of the Booke of thy Conscience the blacke letters of thy bloody death and sinnefull debt How can these sentences affoord thee any solace procure any profit or bring any comfort when they are read and vnderstood vnlesse thou read thy selfe truly know and vnderstand perfectly Doe thy best diligence afforde thy chiefest indeauours to internall and mentall reading The true end and vse of reading bookes that thou mayest read thy selfe truely looke into thy selfe circumspectly and know thy selfe throughly Read that thou mayest loue God vnfainedly that thou mayest fight and hold out vntill the end of the battell couragiously and that thou mayest ouercome the world and euery cruell enemy victoriously so that thy toyling labour may be turned into eternall rest and quietnesse thy wofull mourning into mirth and gladnesse thy streames of teares into riuers of comfortable vvaters and that when Death hath quite put out the twinckling Lampe of
mollifie those harts which are full fraughted with crueltie thinke oh my soule thou doest heare Pilate that vniust and wrongfull iudge vttering these or the like words vnto the muttering Iewes Behold I bring him forth vnto you that yee may know I can finde no cause to pronounce iudgement against him but because yee pretend some matter Behold how I haue punished the man to calme the tumults of your enraged mindes Looke vpon him vvith your eyes see how miserable vvofull base and contemptible he appeareth in your sight You need not stand in feare that he will seeke to rule ouer you as a king you may see his power is too weake to compasse a kingdome you may see how bitterly hee hath bene scourged scoffed at by the people scorned of the multitude rudely haled and roughly handled by the Souldiers you need not dread him as a man dangerous to the State though he had a mind yet he hath no might to raise vp any tempest of sedition Wherefore ye may now set him at libertie after hee hath beene scourged without any feare of perill and let him goe without any dread of danger But consider heere my soule that although vniust Pilate contrarie to equitie of law testimony of his owne conscience and sentence of his owne mouth had extreamely punished my louing Sauiour and had authorised his basest officers to vse him at their pleasure and to abuse him in their iesting humour And although their taunts were bitter without meane their derisions intollerable without any sparke of modesty and their torments excessiue without measure yet none of them nor all of them could once delay the fury of the hasty executioner nor allay the heat and fiery hatred of the enuious cruell Iewes kindled in their burning breast without cause against my innocent Iesus but although they saw him so deformed so ignominiously disgraced and grieuously afflicted yet it could not satiate no it could not so much as slake the thirst of their bloudy mindes they were so farre transported beyond the limits of reason in their chollericke moode and fretting without measure to see his life prolonged the space of a moment that they exclaimed in their madnesse Crucifie him crucifie him his very breath is odious vnto vs If thou let him goe thou art not Caesars friend Ioh. 19.12 Oh ye peruerse and peeuish nation Oh yee wicked and viperous generation was it not enough to haue stopped your clamorous mouthes to haue mollified your flinty hearts and to haue stayed your bloudy hands when yee sawe my meeke and kinde Sauiour so cruelly scourged currishly scorned and pittifully tormented as though he had bene a man dangerous to your state and a pernitious foe to your countrie But although all those insupportable iniuries and opprobrious indignities were contrarie to all pietie and without any pitty inflicted vpon him when as by the testimonie of Pilate a sterne seuere Iudge he was pronounced to bee innocent and cleare from all offences Ioh. 19.6 yet ye supposed that al those torments were too little and nothing too much vvhich was vniustly done to that innocent Lambe who opened not his mouth once to murmure or mutter against his cruell persecutors Here hast thou cause oh my soule to admire the vnspeakeable mildnesse of my Iesus and to stand amazed at the implacable crueltie of the Iewes When Pilate perceiued that his words could not preuaile to slake the flame of their enuious mindes but rather added more fuell to their boyling furie and that delay of his death did so mad vexe their confused thoghts that they would not be quieted before they had shed his innocent blood then he willing to satisfie their franticke humor and to shew himselfe a friend vnto Caesar presumed against the contradiction and care of his owne conscience to pronounce sentence of death yea of a most vile and shamefull death against the innocent Lambe my louing Lord Iesus Neuerthelesse he would make a fayre shew to the world that he did acquit him in his heart although hee condemned him vvith his mouth And taking water hee washed his hands before the people saying I am innocent from the blood of this iust man looke ye vnto it Mat 27.24 Then all the people cryed out aloud with open mouthes and bloody mindes His blood be vpon vs and our children Mat. 27.25 And indeede at last they found the wofull effect of their bloudie vvish they felt the smart of their bloudie desire though then in the heat of their furie they dreaded no danger nor dreamed on the day of their sorrow wherein their Citie was filled with slaughtered bodies and the channels of their streets streamed with bloud Although my tender hearted Sauiour had fore-told them of their wofull desolation and vvith weeping teares fore-warned them of their dolefull destruction but they stopped their eares and would not heare his voice flattering themselues in their deceitfull securitie and laughed at his vvords in the faire dayes of their prosperity But here cease a while my sorrowfull soule to meditate on the malicious madnesse of the bloud-thirstie Iewes vvhose clamorous voices could not be pacified before the corrupted Iudge cursed Pilate had condemned my deare and innocent Iesus and consider the hainous and hatefull condition of Pilates sinne and view the wofull horrour of his vvretched soule who for feare of Caesar and fauour of the people did contrary to the knowledge of his conscience and custome of law pronounce sentence of death against my poore Iesus who neuer meant hurt nor thought any euill Tell me thou vvicked Iudge how couldest thou pretend any shadow to couer thy sinne where couldst thou think to find a place of refuge for thy guilty soule Didst thou more dread the displeasure of the people then the horrour of a guiltie conscience diddest thou stand in more awe of mortall men then of the Eternall God didst thou more regard to protest thy selfe a friend vnto Caesar vvho although he vvere a great King was but a feeble creature than thou hadst care to discharge thine office to God thine omnipotent Creator Tell me did not thy heart ake and all thy body tremble so soone as wrongfull iudgement had passed out of thy lippes against my innocent Sauiour Wert thou not tormented vvith the sting of thy vvounded conscience Or vvert thou depriued of all thy senses so soone as thou haddest vttered that vvrongfull sentence Thou didst know that the Iewes had deliuered him of enuie Matth. 27.28 and wouldst thou be an instrument to satisfie their wicked malice Thou wert ordained a Iudge to execute Iustice and to giue righteous iudgement wherefore how horrible was thy sinne how wofull was the state of thy guilty soule when thou hadst condemned my innocent Iesus Bitter and sweet vvater doth not flowe out of the selfe-same fountaine yet thou vvith the selfe-same mouth didst iustifie my Sauiour as an innocent person and by and by vvith the selfe-same mouth condemne him as an hainous malefactor How odious
neither dispaire with the heauy burden of my sinnes nor presume without feare to transgresse the bounds of thy holy law that although I haue runne long the wilde race of vnbrideled iniquitie yet at last I may returne home vnto thee out of the way of impietie vvith this faithfull and true repenting offender and be a companion vvith him in thy Paradice of euerlasting felicitie A Meditation concerning the lamentation of the Virgine MARY beholding her Sonne lifted vp vpon the Crosse standing by it accompanied with Iohn the Euangelist and Mary Magdalene MED XVI The blessed Virgin a Iohn 9.25 standing by the Crosse Of Christ our Lord Behold thy b Ibid. 26. Sonne sayd he Vnto his Mother Oh most grieuous losse That he must die who from all c Luke 23.14 faults was free NOw turne thy thoughts Oh my sorrowfull soule from the blasphemous reproches scornfull derisions and malicious slanders of the wicked Iewes insulting against my innocent IESVS And now thou hast heard how bountifull thy Sauiour was vnto the penitent Theefe that was sorrowfull for his owne iniquity and couragious to iustifie my mercifull Redeemer for his vnspotted innocency Meditate a while on the Lamentation of his blessed Mother whose heart was wounded with sorrow to see her Sonne so cruelly tormented when hee had neuer offended in word nor imagined any euill in thought How sharpe was the sting of dolour to wound her heart how intollerable was the griefe that did trouble her minde when shee saw his body bleeding with so many wounds before her wofull eyes and heard their bitter words and diuelish reproches cast out against him in the audience of her dolefull eares As shee had cause to reioyce at his blessed Birth so now shee had good occasion to mourne for his cruell death For though no doubt she was annointed with oyle of graces aboue her fellowes yet we may not thinke shee vvas quite exempted from the passions of a woman or void of the tender affections of a Mother when shee saw the harmlesse head of her louing and beloued Son bleeding with a Crowne of Thornes his innocent hands and blessed feete fastened to the Crosse with iron nailes Certainely shee knew that his Conception vvas so sanctified by the holy Ghost in her wombe that his most blessed body vvas alwaies free from the infection of impiety and his flesh neuer tainted vvith the corruption of iniquitie But yet shee knew hee did not suffer without sense of his paines and although he was endued with a supernaturall patience yet shee knew that he felt the pangs of his bitter Passion subiect by his humane nature to many infirmities as we are yet euer hauing a pure heart and cleane hands from the spots of sinne vvherewith our soules are polluted our bodies continually infected Wherefore thinke oh my soule that as her afflictions were grieuous so her lamentation vvas great suppose that thou doest see her with her face discolored with palenesse discouering her motherly sorrow to thy outward eies and that thou didst heare her mournefull tongue telling this dolefull tale to thy attentiue eares vvhich should cause thee to be a partner with her in her woe and sigh for thy sinnes which vvere the cause of her sorrow to see her beloued Sonne so cruelly crucified by the Gentiles and so disdainfully derided by the Iewes Thinke I say that thou doest see her vvatering her eyes vvith store of teares vttering these or the like words with her sorrowfull lips to her dearely beloued Son which words should draw out teares from thine eyes and driue out groanes from thy hart which shee pronounced with a dolefull accent in this or the like manner Oh what medicine be it neuer so soueraigne can asswage the rigour of my malady what salue be it neuer so precious can heale the wounds of my bleeding heart vvhat vvords be they neuer so comfortable can cheare vp my dolefull minde when I see thee my beloued Sonne so cruelly tormented and so ignominiously taunted Alas for me poore wretch thy sorrowfull Mother How intollerable is the paine how grieuous is the punishment that is inflicted vpon thee Thy death is not so bitter vnto mee and yet how loath I am to forgoe thee as these cruell torments which I see doe torture thy innocent body and doe greatly augment the sorrow of my perplexed minde As thy blessed life was the cause of my chiefest felicity so will thy bitter death be the beginning of my miserie Who shall afford mee comfort in the time of my calamity who shall giue me counsell who shall be my succour in the time of my necessitie vvhen I am separated from thee How shall I spend the daies with sorrowing and passe through the teadious nights with mourning But thou oh my GOD omnipotent vvhich art his eternall Father vvho canst not shut thine eies of compassion from thine afflicted Sonne comfort mee his sorrowfull Mother Thou seest the wounds of his body thou knowest the sorrowes of my heart and because thou art a Father of mercies and a GOD of all consolation looke downe vpon me out of thy holy Sanctuarie and as thou hast proued me to be thy faithfull Handmaide so let the sweetnesse of thy Fatherly loue temper the bitternesse of my griefe that although I be depriued from the humane societie of my Sonne yet the vvings of thy prouidence may still ouershadow mee and thy omnipotent arme safely protect me But as the Virgine Marie did bewaile the cruell and bloudie death of her innocent Sonne so Marie Magdalene vvith many teares gushing out of her eyes began to lament the wofull case of him her louing Master on this or such like manner Oh my deere Master oh my gracious Lord oh my blessed and bountifull benefactor I cannot liue without thy louing company I cannot abide without thy amiable Societie What tongue though it speake neuer so dolefull can truly relate my sorrow What vvords be they neuer so rhetoricall can ease my inward griefe vvhen I see I shall be separated from so louing and so kinde a Master Oh how tyrannous are the torments wherewith the bloudy tormentors doe torment thine afflicted body How sharpe are the arrowes of their malice vvherewith they vvound thy righteous soule How grieuous is the sight of their cruell deedes vnto mine eyes How odious are their dogged words vnto mine eares Yet my constant loue vnto thee will not giue mee leaue to leaue thee though it be a death vnto mee to see thy calamity so long as mine eyes may behold thee The sight of the bitter pangs of thy Passion doth affright me with horrour The signes of thy approaching death doth confound my senses with continuall terror I see thy head which I annointed with pretious oyntment cruelly pierced with Thornes pittifully bleedihg with many wounds I see thy harmlesse hands pierced with iron nayles and thy innocent feete stained vvith bloud which I bathed with the teares of mine eyes and vviped vvith the
to the quicke with a patheticall compunction and bathe his bleeding wounds with the streaming teares of thy true and zealous repentance Weepe forth showers of teares and melt thou also my soule with the fire of compassion and sigh with hartie contrition and make deepe wounds in thy selfe with a sharpe point of sorrowfull compunction when thou dost meditate of the bitter Passion of this louely and vvorthy person whom thou seest afflicted vvith such terrible torments and vvounded from the crowne of the head to the sole of his feete that with the plentifull streames of his most precious blood he might wash away the multitude of thy sinnes And now my perplexed soule thou hast seene the sorrowes distresses weakenesse and miserie of thy louing Sauiour as hee was the seede of the Woman ordained to breake the head of the Serpent who cloathed with the base garments of our fraile humanity was subiect to all our infirmities the infection of our sinnes onely excepted and seeing him languishing on the Crosse tormented flouted scorned and villainously handled by the barbarous multitude thou hast had cause to groane sigh and sob moued with a sensible pittie and touched with a feeling and vvofull compassion SECTION XVIII BVt now direct thine eyes from his lamentable miserie and seriously contemplate the mighty power of his magnificent Maiestie and then all thy senses vvill be amazed with sodaine feare and thy selfe astonished with wonderfull admiration For what saith the Scripture Now from the sixt houre was there darknesse ouer all the land vntill the ninth And the Sunne was darkened And the vaile of the Temple was rent in twaine from the top to the bottome and the earth did quake and the stones were clouen And the graues did open themselues and many bodies of the Saints which slept arose Matth. 27. What manner of man is hee what kinde of Person Because Heauen and Earth hath such a Sympathie of his Passion The Sunne mourning vvith his darkenesse for his wofull miserie and denying the light of his beames to the cruell tormentors at the execution of their bloodie Tyrannie How powerfull how potent how auaileable vvas his death which opened the Graues raised and reuiued the dead conquering Sunne death hell and the diuell Oh worke of more then admirable wonder Oh honourable conquest and glorious victorie For in the thickest clouds of his darkest miserie there appeared cleere beames of his brightest Maiestie Know my soule know thou my soule this is the Lord our God Iesus Christ thy Sauiour the onely begotten Sonne of God Christ perfect God and perfect man true God true man who alone vnder the Sunne vvas found pure from the spottes of sinne and onely cleare from the staines of iniquitie among the Sonnes of men And behold how hee is sorted in the damnable ranke of the wicked excluded like a loathsome Leaper from the fruition of common societie reputed as an abiect and one of the worst among the basest people cast out from the vvombe of the vnhappy Sinagogue his Mother like an abortiue proiected out of the wombe of a woman How is hee that was so beautifull aboue the Sonnes of men become so deformed and vncomely to the eyes of them that behold him How are the Ornaments of his amiable feature diminished How is his royall dignity disgraced How is he become a subiect of nothing else but of sorrow calamity and a wofull obiect of lamentation and pitty He is wounded for our iniquities he is bruised for our vvicked offences and is made an acceptable Sacrifice of a most sweet smelling sauour in thy sight oh God of eternall glory that thou mightest auert thy indignation from vs and reuerse the sentence of thy heauie displeasure gone out against vs and make vs Co-heires with him for euer in his heauenly habitation Looke downe oh Lord holy Father from thy holy Sanctuarie and from the high Throne of thy infinite Maiestie and behold this holy Sacrifice vvhich our great high Priest doth offer vnto thee thy holy Childe the Lord Iesus for the sinnes of his brethren and let thy wrath be appeased which our iniquities haue most iustly procured against vs remouing farre out of thy sight the multitude of our innumerable transgressions And let his innocent death pay the full summe of our heauy debt Behold the voice of the bloud of our Iesus doth cry vnto thee from the Crosse begging mercy at thy hands for our many misdeeds pardon for all our haynous sins and speaking better things then the bloud of Abell What meaneth this Oh Lord Doth he still hang naked and nailed on the Crosse Are his veines newly lanced will his bleeding wounds neuer bee stanched Shall his side remaine euermore pierced and his skinne alwayes dyed with bloud Did not his Disciples behold him with their eyes ascending aboue the Cloudes really and royally into the Mansion of eternal glory and now hath he not his residence in Heauen sitting at the right hand of thy Omnipotent Maiestie leading Captiuitie Captiue and giuing gifts vnto men Wee know oh Lord and are certainely assured that our blessed Sauiour ruleth and raigneth with thee in euerlasting glory and yet hee remaineth fixed on the Crosse his wounds still streaming out precious bloud to wash away our sinfull blots All times are present with God because his painefull passion with thee is euermore in action and things long past are alwayes present before thee And we daily see him crucified paying the price of our Redemption in our spirituall contemplation diuine Meditations Know thou oh heauenly and louing Father the Coat of thy true Son Ioseph Alas a most cruell Beast deuoured him and hath trodden his Garment vnder feet in his fury and hath stained al the beauty and disgraced all the glory of it with spots of gore-bloud Behold that rauenous beast hath left fiue pittifull rents in it This oh Lord is the Garment which thy innocent Childe left in the hand of the Aegiptian Harlot chusing rather to loose his Cloake then to forgo the precious Iewel of his vnspotted Chastity by polluting his vndefiled body with filthy adultery chusing rather being spoiled of garment of the flesh to descend into the prison of death then to obey that adulterous voice by which it was very well said All these things I will giue thee if thou wilt fall downe worship me Mat. 4.9 As Ioseph did willingly forgo his cloake when he was allured to haue committed folly with his adulterous Mistris And now omnipotent Lord and gracious Father we know that thy Son liueth raigneth ouer all the land of Egipt in euery place of thy vniuersall Monarchy for he is brought out of the prison of death hell into thy glorious Kingdom crowned with the Emperial crown of eternall immortalitie and hauing changed his Garment of the flesh immortalitie flourisheth for euer being receiued of thee with exceeding glory For hee hath subdued and conquered the kingdome of Pharo and with his owne noble valour