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
from the other because that in their embracing the one the other they change their hearts in so much that this mans heart goeth away with him and his heart remaineth with this man It seemeth that Dauid and Ionathas vvere great friends seeing that they did embrace one another so heartily and wept so tenderly Dauid did much more esteem of the friendship of Ionathas than of the hatred of his father king Saul the which was easily seene to bee so considering that when Saul made a truce betweene them Dauid presently departed out of the kingdome Dauid vvith all his wisedome and force durst neuer abide the persecution of Saul his enemie vvithout his friend Ionathas aid vvhereby vvee may inferre that there is no griefe in this life equall to the losse of a friend Bee hee saith Seneca poore or be hee rich be hee great or be hee little how is it possible for him to liue without a friend Horace sayth That if a man be in prosperous estate he hath need of one to giue him counsell if in meane to comfort him for I haue heard sayth he my maister Menander say that a fortunate man hath as great need of good counsell to gouerne himselfe by as the needy man hath need of helpe to lift vp himselfe by If then the mighty haue need of good counsell and the poore of helpe and succour who can better giue vs good counsell or supplie our vvants than a friend Eschines in an inuectiue against Demosthenes sayth That an enemy can doe his enemy no greater vvrong than take his good friend from him because hee taketh away the secret of his heart the refuge of his trauails the remedy of his necessities and reliefe and cherishing of his persecutions Plutarch maketh mention that when Denis the Tyrant did scoffe at Phocion the Philosopher for that he vvas poore hee made answere thus I confesse vnto thee that I am poore but yet Denis is poorer for although hee abound in money yet hee vvanteth friends and I haue friends inough but vvant money That Philosopher thought it a greater pouerty to want friends than to want money wherein hee had great reason because that in tribulation or sicknesse it doth ease a man better to see two or three friends at his beds head than to haue his chests coffers full of gold and siluer There are many sayth Vbertinus vvhich are poor of money not of friends and others which are poore in friends and not in money and there are some which are poore in the one and in the other of which sort Christ is the chiefe seeing that on the crosse he had no man which vvould bestow a cup of water vpon him nor any one which would giue him one word of comfort Christ complaineth of the Apostles because they fled complaineth of his parents because they did hide themselues complained on his acquaintance because they did not sticke vnto him because that in all the conflict of his passion hee had no friend which followed him no kinsman which defended him nor acquaintance which backed him Christ had sayth Rabanus very honourable and vertuous friends and valerous acquaintance but vvhen they saw him weake in strength and poore in wealth all of them left him in his troubles because they vvould not bee the partakers of his daunger Saint Barnard crieth out and sayth What meaneth this O good Iesus vvhat meaneth this There vvanteth not one in Ierusalem to defend Barrabas and dooth there vvant one before Pilate to defend thee Doth Barrabas by stealing find friends and doest thou by preaching get enemies Doth the murderer of the quicke find defenders and doth the raiser of the death find accusers Doe they condemne him who made an attonement betwixt God and man and doe they set him at liberty who disquieted all Ierusalem O vnhappy and wicked Ierusalem will there be alwaies some in thee to persecute the good and defend the wicked Venerable Bede sayth That al those which were Barrabas friends were Christs enemies and all those which were Christs friends were Barrabas enemies for with the same note and voice that they cried doe not let goe any but Barrabas they said of Christ crucifie him S. Augustine in an Homily saith That because the twife doubling of a word is the true token of loue or hatred the Iewes did well shew the loue which they bare vnto Barrabas in desiring Pilute twise to let him loose and the hatred which they bare to Christ in saying twise Crucifie crucifie him For to say twife Non dimittas nobis nisi â—arrabam what else was it then to aske with all their hearts that hee would grant that thiefe his life and send him to his house that feast of Easter And to crie out twise aloud crucifie crucifie him what else would they say to Pilate but that they aske with their tongues entreat with their hearts that hee would put Iesus of Nazareth vpon the gibbet or put him to death vpon the crosse Chrisostome saith The Prince of the Synagogue and the ruler of Capernaum Centurio the captaine Zacheus the rich and Simeon the leaper and Lazarus the knight were not all these trow you Christs friends and acquaintance and of the richest and honourablest among the people Christ did very much for euery one of these wheÌ„ he was aliue but there was none of these which did any thing for him wheÌ„ he died although he went by their gates to be crucified and with their eies they did see him die Christ then had great reason to say vnto his Father why hast thou forsaken me considering that himself had too many enemies and Barrabas wanted no friends CHAP. VI. How Christ complaineth vnto his father because they made more account of Iepthes daughter in the Synagogue than they doe at this day of his death in the church FAc mihi quodcunque pollicitus es concessa tibi victoria vltione de inimicis tuis chap. 12 of the Iudges The daughter of that famous captaine Iepthe spake these words vnto her father when her father returned from the war which the people of Israel had against the king of the Ammonites as though she wold say Do with me O my Father doe with me what pleaseth thee For seeing that thou doest come victorious from the warre it is very iust and reasonable that thou shouldest performe that which thou hast promised our Lord. Iepthe had promised and made a solemne vow that if God would giue him the victory of that warre that he would offer vnto him the first liue thing of his house which he should meet withall and although it were aliue vvhen hee should meet it yet he vvould not offer it but killed and dead Iepthe then returning from the vvarre vvith a great victory his sorrowfull fate vvas that hauing but one only daughter she vvent to meet him receiue him comming home singing and playing on a Taber Immediately as the sorrowfull Father saw his vnfortunate daughter his eies were full
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
presume to call himselfe my seruant in my church if he doe not reconcile himselfe first vnto his brother Father forgiue thē for seeing the old law endeth when I shal say Consummatum est All is finished and the new law beginneth when I shall say Commendo spiritum meum I commend my spirit it would not be reasonable that vnder the law of Grace we should cōsent that any thing should be vnfitting or vnsit nor that vnder the law of Loue wee should permit ranckor and malice Father forgiue them for if in the wildernesse of Aaron whē thou wast angry vvith all the Iewes thou diddest forgiue them and reconcile them vnto thee for no other cause but only because Moses and Aaron did offer a little incense vnto thee why wilt thou not forgiue them now seeing I doe now offer for them not incense but my selfe crucified Father forgiue them for seeing they bee thy creatures by creation thy clients by law my children by redemption my brethren by bloud my acquaintance by education my followers in doctrine and so neare of kindred vnto my disciples why should I consent to their losse and condemnation Father forgiue them seeing I came not into the vvorld to procure thee enemies but to giue thee new friends and to take thy old griefes and sorrowes from thee for otherwise if by my death this people should remaine in thy disgrace and hatred it would seeme that my death would rather moue thee to indignation than appease thy wrath If my death make not an attonement betwixt you who is able to doe it O my good father when thou diddest command me to come downe from heauen and also to die vpon the crosse diddest not thou promise and agree that thy anger and my life and my life and thy anger should haue an end at the same houre Father forgiue them and fulfill thy agreement giue that which thou hast promised and seeing in thy presence my life is deerer vnto thee than thy anger I am glad and willing to die if by that meanes thy ire may bee appeased O blessed praier O holy wish and request neuer heard of before O happie petition which thou madest sweet Iesus in thy last houre wherein thou diddest shew by deeds all that thou haddest preached with words seeing thou diddest entreat for those which put thee to death aske pardon for those which crucified thee Let all the praiers bee brought forth that euer were made in the world and we shall easily perceiue that there was neuer any equall vnto this praier of Christs for there was neuer any which had that intent which hee had nor asked that which hee asked nor compassed that which hee compassed What did the great Patriarch Iacob request of Laban his father in law but only his faire daughter Rachel for his spouse What did the women of Israell demaund of the women of Aegypt saue only their siluer and gold What did Anna Helcans wife and Samuels mother request of God in the temple sauing only that it would please him to giue her a son What did the Iew maid called Axa aske of her father Calaph but only the pasture which held water because the other which hee had giuen her was drie What did the mother of the Zebedees require of Christ but onely that hee would make them the greatest lords of his kingdome Which of all these doe aske any thing of God for their enemies or yet for their friendes Euery man did aske for that which was fittest for his owne turn euery man sought for that which was good for himselfe no man entreated for his neighbour no man remembred his enemie no man made intercession for another no man loaded himselfe with other mens faults Only the son of God made man praieth for his enemies in the last supper saying Pater keepe those which beleeue in me and praieth also vpon the crosse for his enemies saying Pater ignosce illis so that like a mercifull lord he defendeth the good and pardoneth the wicked CHAP. III. How the son of God put himself a mediator betwixt God and mankind and what torment he receiued thereby QVaesiui de eis virum qui interpeneret sepem staret oppositus contra me these are the words of the great God of Israell spoken to the Prophet Ezechiell being in the captiuitie of Babilon not far from the riuer Cobar in the two and twentith chapter of his prophesie And it is as if he would say Ezechiell I haue beene many a day angrie with Ierusalem and I seeke out a holy and a vertuous man which should put himselfe like a hedge betwixt mee and the people of Israell because their offences might not come vnto mee nor my punishment reach vnto them Wee may inferre of the complaint which our Lord maketh in this place what great scarsitie there was in the synagogue of good men seeing he found not one among them all which was worthie to appease the wrath of the Lord and to helpe and succour the people The merites of good men are of great force and power before God for to pardon the euill in their faith which is easily seene in all the cities of Sodome which he did pardon for ten good mens sake and all the twelue tribes of Israel which he pardoned for one alone but alasse neither in the synagogue was there found that one neither in Sodome those ten To say the truth it was no maruaile that hee was not to be found in all the synagogue with those conditions which God required in him for he ought to haue ben a man in discretion and not a child and the Lord himselfe was to make choice of him and no other and he was to be an Hebrew and not a Gentile he was to put himselfe a mediator betwixt God and the people and it was required that he should be partiall on neither side And our Lord was not content onely with this but that mediator ought also to haue desert and merit in him to appease Gods indignation and not sinne to stirre him to wrath S. Gregory vpon Ezechiell sayth I doubt whether a man endued with these conditions and shining with these vertues might bee found amongst the Angelicall Hierarchies how much lesse among humane creatures because such a one should bee more than man yea he should be equall with God Abraham Isaac Iacob and Dauid and all the letanie of the old and new testament were not equall with God nor any thing more then men seeing they were borne in sinne and attained vnto no diuine secret without it were reuealed vnto them The sonne of God only was equall vnto God and the diuine vvord only vvas more than man because in him and in no other those cōditions of a holy man were found which God sought for and the vertues which should pacisie God his wrath and anger The first condition which God required was that this mediator should be a man in wisdome and not a child which may
better bee verified in Christ than in any other seeing that from the first instant that he tooke humane flesh vpon him he saw the deuine essence and knew as much as hee dooth now in glorie vvhich is not so in other men seeing they are long a bringing vp and vvaxe old very timely The sonne of God vvas also an Hebrue of the tribe of Iuda a vvhich vvas the most honourable stocke of all the tribes and hee vvas of Nazareth vvhich vvas a holy land and he vvas also the most honourable of all his kindred Thirdly the sonne of God vvas best beloued of his father because of him and of no other he said in his baptisme Hic est filius meus dilectus as if hee vvould say This is only my lawful child in him only am I vvel pleased this only is my heire him onely I doe tender and loue in him I delight and take great contentment Fourthly the son of God vvas a very thicke mud vvall a close hedge vvhich put himselfe betwixt God and the people vvhen he suffered himselfe to bee crucified vpon the crosse vpon the vvhich as strong battelments they discharged all the sinnes vvhich vvere in the vvorld and all the wrath vvhich God had O glorious hedge O happie vvall O strong vvounds such vvast thou O redeemer of my soule seeing thou diddest permit and consent to put thy selfe a mediator betwixt God man to the end they should vnlode and put vpon thee all the sins of the vvorld and all the vengeance vvhich God vvas to take for them S. Gregory vpon Ezechiell sayth The sonne of God only vvas the man he sought for this vvas the vvall he required this vvas the mediator he asked for this is the pacifier of the old quarrell and of Gods vvrath this is the reformer of new grace and this is the ouerthrower of the old sinne S. Ierome vpon this place sayth The man vvhich God sought by Ezechiel who else was hee but the son of the liuing God and our redeemer Who like vnto an vnexpugnable wall did put himselfe boldly betwixt God and vs saying Pater ignosce illis Father forgiue them By which words he did not like that our sinnes should come into the sight of God neither suffered he Gods wrath and vengeance to descend vpon vs. Origen vpon S. Marke sayth That whē the two chiefe captaines of the synagogue Moses and Aaron perceiued that the Lord began to poure his wrath and anger vpon the people they went immediatly vnto the tabernacle the one to pray and the other to doe sacrifice to be a mean betwixt God and them because that otherwise God would haue poured out his anger vpon them the Synagogue haue receiued great hurt and detriment That which happened vnto those two holy men in the desart happened vnto Christ on the mount of Caluarie who seeing the elements to be troubled and the dead to rise againe to reuenge his death and punish that nation he made himselfe a mediator and a stikeler betwixt God and them and praied Paterignosce illis as if hee would say Pardon them my father pardon them for if thou wilt not pardon them it will bee a greater griefe vnto me to see them lost then my passion which causeth mee to die What would become of the Iewes then if Christ had not said vnto his father father forgiue them and what should betide vs now if he should not say Pater parce illis Spare them father S. Barnard saith in a sermon That this word of Ignosce illis Forgiue them is of such a deepe consideration that it should neuer be out of a sinners mouth nor blotted out of his memory because that the sonne of God did shew his mercy more vnto vs in two things thē in al the rest that is in the pardon which he got vs of his father and in the bloud which he shed for vs on the crosse Anselmus reasoning with Christ sayth What doest thou crie for what doest thou aske what doest thou intreat for what wilt thou what seekest thou what saiest thou to thy father O good Iesus what saiest thou I intreat O my father that thou wouldest forgiue them because they know not what they do and that thou wouldest load my flesh with thy anger and I intreat that there remaine nothing vnteconciled vnto thee because that my redemption would seem vnperfect and insufficient if there should remaine in any a fault to bee redeemed and in thy selfe any anger to punish vs. O what an enflamed charity what a wonderfull example what incredible patience what entire loue thou diddest shew vs O sweet Iesus in this speech of Father forgiue them the which thou diddest vtter not for an ease to thy griefe but in fauour of thy persecutors O what infinite goodnesse what vnspeakable clemencie what strange charitie doth shine this day in thee O my Iesus and sauiour seeing thou doest loose those which bind thee pleadest for those which diffame thee entreatest for those which accuse thee excusest those which blame thee and pardonest also those which will kill thee What meaneth this O good Iesus what meaneth this doest thou pray for them at the very instant which they blaspheme thee mocke thee and laugh thee to scorne They haue pierced thee with a speare and yet doest thou giue them an acquittance and a release of the blow What mortall man can praise himselfe or bost to haue done that which thou hast done that is to craue pardon for murderers before they haue confessed their fault and seeke to release them before they haue repented They will not returne into the citie before thou hast yeelded vp the ghost and wilt not thou die before thou hast first pardoned them Who euer saw or heard any thing like vnto this to wit that pardon should proceed first out of his blessed bowels before the blood should end to issue out of his tender vaines Doest thou not remember to aske a sepulchre for thy body and doest thou remember to aske forgiuenesse and mercie for those which crucified thee O sweet Iesus O my soules glorie who but thou could haue the breath going out of his body and Ignosce illis Pardon them in his mouth To defend thy selfe couldest not thou open thy mouth and to excuse thy enemies couldst not thou keepe it shut S. Chrisostome sayth The sonne of God onely was he who on the altar of the crosse inspeaking these words Father forgiue them coupled ioined and handfasted together pittie and cruelty the offence and mercie anger and patience hatred and loue killing and pardoning With as great reason sayth Hilarius we can now say Vbi sunt irae tuae antiquae as the Prophet Dauid said Vbi sunt misericordiae tuae antiquae seeing we bee certaine that from the houre that the son of God died vpō the crosse we may cal him Pater misericordiarū as the Synagogue called him Deus vltionū The God of reuenge No man ought to distrust Christs
therfore he coÌ„mitted the pardoÌ„ vnto him which was most iniuried protesting that himself was not offended with theÌ„ O sweet Iesus how canst thou say that thou wast not offended nor iniured by theÌ„ being as thou wast iniuried crucified by their hands and although thou do not coÌ„plaine vpon theÌ„ nor reuenge thee on them nor yet accuse theÌ„ yet O my redeemer why dost thou excuse them Barnard saith That the son of God was replenished with such great charity and such inspeakable pity towards those which crucified him that he could not obtaine leaue of himselfe to impute any fault vnto them seeing he had charged himselfe with the pain due for it Cyprian saith That seeing Christ was the true mediator pacifier stikler betwixt his father the world it would haue beene euilly thought of to say that any one of them were his enemies and therevpon it is that seeing hee had no enemie there amongst them hee had no necessitie to say on the crosse I pardon them If the sonne of God saith S. Chrysostome hanging vpon the crosse should haue said I also pardon them it would haue beene thought that hee receiued greater griefe for the torment which hee himselfe suffered than of the iniuries which were done vnto his father which for a certentie was not so for if it were possible Christ would more willingly returne againe into the world to die than endure to see one iniury done vnto his father Who dare now O good Iesus saith S. Barnard who dare aske a reuenge of the iniuries done vnto him seeing thou diddest make such small account of those which were done vnto thy selfe Doest not thou recken of the cruell thornes which pierced thy holy head and shall I make account of an angry word which my brother speaketh against me How shall I dare to say that I haue enemies seeing thou doest handle those which nailed thee vnto the crosse like brothers It ought to be a strange speech in the mouth of a Christian to say This is my enemy for in making thy brother thy enemie thou doest loose Christ and causest him to be no more thy friend It is much to be noted that Christ entreated not his father to pardon them after they were dead but asked that he would pardon them quickly yea that very quickly because he would let vs vnderstand that the value of his precious blood was of such great price that at that instant that it began to be shedde at the same time it began to doe good The redeemer of the world would not leaue vs out of the fauor of his father nor an enemy vnto any in token wherof hee came into the world saying Et in terra pax hominibus Peace vnto men vpon earth and went out of the world saying Pater ignosce illis Father forgiue them The son of God saith Cassiodorus vpon the Psalms is not like vnto the children of this world who leaue vnto their children a little wealth with much strife seeing that by that speech of Father forgiue them hee redeemed vs with his blood baptized vs with his teares annointed vs with his sweat instructed vs with his doctrine loosed vs from the deuill and reconciled vs vnto his father O how much are wee bound vnto thee sweet Iesus for praying vnto thy father that he would forgiue his enemies before and not after thy death that is before the teares of thy eies were dried vp and whilst the wounds of thy body were yet fresh What would haue become of mankind if Christ at his death had bin angry with vs When he said in his last Sermon Pacem meam do vobis I giue you my peace What else meant he but that he left vs reconciled vnto his father and vnited vnto himselfe How could the eternall father saith Anselmus deny his blessed sonne the pardon which hee demaunded seeing he asked it with such milde wordes with such sorrowfull teares with such fresh wounds with such louing bowels with such continual sighes and with such great and passing griefe Wee may then conclude that when Christ praied his father to pardon quickely and without delay he teacheth vs that before we die and go out of this life it is conuenient for vs to pardon all iniuries for otherwise those in the other world shall haue great occasion to weepe which would not in this world speedily forgiue CHAP. VIII How our Lord reckoneth with the Synagogue and of fiue cruelties which the Iewes vsed in the death of Christ SIt Dominus iudex inter te inter me said the most renowmed king Dauid vnto his Lord and king king Saul Reg. chap. 24. as if hee would say I will haue no other iudge betwixt me and thee O great king of Israel but onely the mighty God of heauen vnto whom it is well known how faithfully I doe serue thee and how cruelly thou doest handle me Origen saith that king Dauid ought to haue great priuitie with God seeing hâ—e chose him for the iudge of all the words he spake of all the thoughts he conceiued of all the workes which he did of all the enmities he suffered yea and of all the friendships he followed Dauid could not iustifie his cause better than to referre the iustice of it vnto the hands of God who is so iust in his person so vpright in his iudgement that neither praiers bow him neither threatnings feare him nor gifts mooue him nor words deceiue him When good king Dauid cited Saul to appeare before the iudgement of God Dauid could haue cut off his head if hee would as hee did the gard of his garment but yet hee would not doe it because hee did set more by Gods fauour than by Sauls euill will Saul was a capitall enemie vnto king Dauid hee caused him to flee his countrey forsake his kindred depriued him of his riches banished him his court separated him from his wife and proclaimed him to be his publike enemie And yet notwithstanding all this Dauid if hee had listed could haue beene reuenged of Saul as especially when hee stole the bottle from vnder his beds head and cut away a piece of his garment yet the pitifull king Dauid would not onely not do it but shewed himselfe angry with those which durst counsell him vnto it Origen saith that onely because Saul was annointed king by the God of Israel it seemed vnto good king Dauid that hee deserued pardon and that that was a sufficient cause to make him reuerenced of all and offended by none Wee are annointed with a better ointment than king Saul was for hee was annointed with the oyle of the Oliue tree but wee are annointed with the blood of Christ and therfore he who doth persecute a Christian doth persecute one who is annointed by Christ Good king Dauid respected it not that Saul did abuse his regall vnction and annointing but onely because that hee was annointed by a good Spirit in so much that Dauid regarded it not that Saul
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
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
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
liberty and in freedome why doest thou call him Lord which is fastened to the crosse and crucified like thy selfe Seeing that he who should be a Lord ought to bee mighty and rich why doest thou call him Lord who was poor in his life time and naked in his death But this Prophet whō I call vpon and vnto whome I commend and commit my selfe is a mighty Lord and a king of great power seeing the son lost his light for compassion the stones broke with griefe the vaile rent in sunder for a mystery the graues opened with feare and the Centurion confessed him to be Christ O great God of Israel O great Lord of the house of Iacob◠for this cause thy name is admirable and worshipped in all the circuit of the earth because thy power and dominion is doubled and redoubled more than any mans in the world Cassiodorus noteth vpon this matter That the holy scripture doth neuer call any twise Lord Lord but Christ alone because he alone and none with him is Lord of heauen and earth of life and death body and soule and of peace and warre Wee cannot call Hector the Troian Anchises the Grecian Alexander the Macedonian and Caesar the Romane Lord more than once because they were kings onely of their owne kingdomes but vnto the sonne of God wee say twise Domine domine noster Lord our Lord because his siegnory is so great that no man is able to limit it nor set any bonds vnto it Euery other Prince hath his kingdome limited and set with bonds either to the top of a steeple or couering of a house and if it bee not so let him send a post from thence vpward and hee shall perceiue that his kingdome reacheth no higher which cannot be said to be true of the sonne of Gods Empire seeing it goeth from one end of the world vntill the other and reacheth vp vnto the highest heauen Considering that Dauid calleth Christ Lord Lord twise why doth he call him only once Lord. The mystery of this mystery is that Dauid called him Lord Lord twise because hee should keepe his body from his enemies and cary his soule vnto those which are blessed but the good theefe did call him but once Lord because his intention was not that Christ should keepe his life but only that hee would vouchsafe to saue his soule Why doest thou thinke sayth S. Basil vpon the Psalme that Dauid said vnto our Lord Lord calling him twife Lord but because he was Lord of the truth and of the figure of the church and of the synagogue of the Prophets and of the Apostles and of the old Testament and of the new The good theefe would not call Christ Lord twise because hee would let vs vnderstand that the figure is fulfilled and the truth come that the church is come and the synagogue ended that the Prophets are dead and the Apostles succeeded in their place that the old law is buried and the Gospel proclaimed Why think you doth the good theef call Christ Lord but once but because we haue but one Lord to beleeue one redeemer to worship To say once Christ remember me was to say that hee would haue him and no other for a master to serue for God in whō he would beleeue for his Lord whom hee would obey for a friend whome hee would trust vnto for an aduocate in whose hands he would put himselfe into The second word which the theefe said vnto Christ was Remēber me as if he would say Seeing that I doe confesse thee here before all men to bee my Lord and vpon this crosse acknowledge thee to be my redeemer haue mee in remembrance my good Lord seeing I haue remēbred thee and turned vnto thee Remember me O sweet Iesus seeing thou hast created me remember me seeing thou hast redeemed mee remember mee and seeing thou hast lightened me remember mee and seeing thou hast chosen me remember me for it would auaile me very little that thou shouldest giue me light to know thee if withall thou shouldest not giue me grace to serue thee Remēber me O good Iesus because I am hard by thy side remember me because I beleeue in thee remember me because I trust in thee remember me because I hope in none but in thee and seeing I haue offered my selfe for to be thy perpetuall seruant remember I beseech thee to accept me for thine Remember mee because thou hast raised me from the dust remember me because thou hast made me a Christian remember me to make mee good and remember mee to giue mee heauen and aboue all things I beseech thee that seeing thou hast giuen thy life for me remember me that I lose not my soule O good Iesus giuer of life with my tongue I beseech thee and with my heart I aske it of thee that seeing thou doest shed thy precious bloud vpon the crosse for me remember me that it be not euilly bestowed on mee and when shall thy bloud be euilly bestowed on mee but when it is not by thee accepted for me Seeing thou hast sweat oft for me suffered most grieuous pains for me endured inspeakable persecutions for mee and hast dissembled my abominable offences what doest thou gaine O good Iesus what doest thou gaine if I lose my soule and thou the fruit of thy precious bloud Remember me O Lord seeing that in pardoning my fault and by sauing my soul thou shalt make a Christian people heauen the more enrich thy church spread abroad thy fame and exalt thy mercy Remember the sabboth day said God in the law remember the daies past said Moyses vnto God remember because my life is a wind said holy Iob remēber how I haue walked before theesaid king Ezechias when he was sick and remember me said good Ioseph when he was in prison and remember mee when thou commest into thy kingdome I say vnto thee here now crucified vpō the crosse What should I say O the light of my life What doest thou aske me that I haue not giuen thee and what doe I possesse that is not thine I haue already giuen my money to the iailor my coats to the hang man I haue salne out with my companion who iniuried thee I haue made the best answere that I could for thy honour and therefore I can do nothing more but say Lord remember me Domine memento mei and seeing I offer thee the confession of Miserere that vpō my knees and my eies washed with tears why shouldest thou shut the gates of thy mercy against me my confession being thus iust being condemned for a naughty person as thou art my members disiointed the one from the other like thine crucified vpon the crosse like thy selfe I beleeue faithfully in thee and commend my selfe wholly vnto thee saying Lord remember mee Lord-remember mee and I beseech thee haue pitie on me seeing that in suffering I am like vnto thee I dy for being a theefe and thou for the same cause they
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
Wee haue read of no drunkards we haue seene no drunkards nor yet heard of any drunkards which haue made themselues such onely vvith pure bloud for although barbarous men loue to shed bloud yet they loue not to drinke it The catholicke church hath no â—ewell comparable vnto this nor no greater riches in her holy shop than the bloud of the Saint of all Saints and with the which shee healeth vs vvhen vvee are sicke shee vpholdeth vs vvhen vvee fall maketh vs cleane when wee finne and iustifieth vs vvhen vvee die The Apostles vvere drunke vvith this kind of drunkennesse when they said Wee must rather obey God than man and S. Peter was drunke in this sort when hee said Let vs make three Tabernacles in this place and S. Paul when hee said I am not ready onely to be bound but also to die and S. Laurence when he said it is broiled inough turne it now and eat of it The more pure wine S. Steuen had drunke of the more impatiently hee would haue felt the stones vvhich hee vvas stoned vvith and S. Laurence the coales and S. Bartholomew his sword but after they had entred into this holy seller and drunke of this holy bloud he suffered the stones as if they had been roses and the coals as if they had been lillies And therefore the bride had great reason to commend and not to bee angry with her loue for bringing her into this diuine seller where shee slept without being awaked and vvatched and yet sate not vp all night and entred into it without infamy and liued with change and did eat without paying for the shot O good Iesus O the glory of my soule wilt thou not let me goe into this holy tauerne to drinke there if I lust one drop Giue me leaue O good Iesus giue me leaue because I may know thy grace and tast of thy precious bloud for of all other drinkes in the world the more I drinke of them the greater thirst I feele of all the drops of bloud which thou hast shed most freely wilt thou not giue mee one to assuage the thirst of this sinfull soule It is also to bee noted that the bride doth not only boast that her bridegroome did bring her to the tauerne to drinke but did also teach her there the order which she shold keep in louing in so much that of a plain maid he taught her to be a curious louer This that the bride said Ordinauit in me charitatem is worthy of great heed seeing that by that the Scripture will let vs vnderstand that there is no loue firme and stable if there be not an order in the maner of louing If there be saith Ouid an order in fishing in fouling fighting shall there not be also in louing And he saith further that all which fish loue not nor all which hunt loue not nor al which fight loue not but al which loue fish hunt and fight because he fisheth well who fisheth for others good wil he hunteth well who hunteth after others bowels fighteth wel who fighteth for anothers hart S. Barnard saith Take heed O my soule take heed that that do not happeÌ„ vnto thee that happeneth in vain worldly loue where often those which loue chide those disagree which loue wel not so much for any treasoÌ„ which the one hath done to the other as for want of order in louing He who is not wise in his loue is not my friend but my enemy hee doth not loue me but diffame me Origen vpon these words saith That wheÌ„ there is no order in loue al endeth in disorder for loue endeth in hatred well-willing in detesting seruing in offending praising into diffaming speaking into not hearing care into forgetfulnes diligeÌ„ce into slouth ofteÌ„ visiting into long absence and sighing into coÌ„plaining S. August saith O how well the bride saith he hath set charity in me in good order because that by how much the more ferueÌ„t the zeale is the spirit vehemeÌ„t and the loue sodain by so much the more it is coÌ„uenient that he who loueth be wise because that the zeale may be printed in him the spirit moderated in him charity set in order Anselmus saith also O how well my good Iesus hath set charity in good order in me when he giueth me his holy grace to loue our Lord only for himself in himself by himself giueth me also grace to loue my neighbor only for God and in God and because he is the house of God Cyprian vpon the Creed sayth He cannot bee said with truth that Ordinauit in me charitatem vvho loueth God not because hee is good but because he should giue him Paradise and hee who forsaketh sinne not because it is naught but for feare of hell and if he loue his neighbour it is not because hee is a Christian but because hee is his friend in so much that such a one would neither loue God nor his neighbor but in hope to get some profite by it This kind of loue the Deuill had in the beginning vvho when he should haue loued God in God and for God loued himselfe in himselfe and for himselfe insomuch that when he went about to climbe aboue himselfe he fell lower than himselfe Then God doth ordaine all things in charitie sayth Remigius when he setteth mee in the right way and doth lighten me and when my loue beginneth in him continueth in him and endeth in him because that cannot be called true loue which is not grounded in God for God and by God Irenaeus in an Homily saith I will say theÌ„ with the bride that he hath ordained charity in me when hee hath set such order to my eies that they see no vaine thing and when hee stoppeth my ears that they heare no prophane things bridle my tongue that he speak no superfluous things shut vp my heart that hee desire no forbidden thing S. Gregory vpon Iob sayth That seeing there is nothing bad but that which our Lord hath forbiddeÌ„ we dare say boldly that no maÌ„ ought to desire that which is not lawfull for him to get S. Ierome to Priscilla saith O vvith vvhat great truth he may say with the bride Ordinauit in me charitatem vvho holdeth himselfe for a sinner and others for iust and hee who acknowledgeth a fault in himselfe and preacheth innocency in others for otherwise it should bee no Christian charity neither is it permitted in the law of God to loue goodnesse in my neighbour and retaine naughtinesse in my selfe To come at the last vnto our purpose vvho in this life hath or shall enter so farre into the shop and storehouse of our Lord as the mother of our Lord and that without spot No man went so farre into the selleâ— of our Lord nor no man drunke off so many wines as she did because shee left no cup vntasted of neither was there any grace of the holy ghost vvhich shee was not
greater and a better watch in our Paradise than Adam had in his because that the Cherubin did but stand at the gate but the sonne of God is the gate it selfe When he said I am the gate what did hee mean else but that he was the key with the which we should open he was the gate through the which we should enter in and he the guide which should direct vs and he the Paradise which we should enioy It is also to bee noted that the sword with the which the Cherubin kept Paradise was neither of siluer nor gold nor yron but was of pure fire which is a new and an vnusuall thing which no man would beleeue if it were not in Scripture It is a thing often tried for yron to haue fire in it and for yron to bee in fyre but that a fyre should bee called a sword is neuer read but of that sword which kept Paradise To apply thē the figure vnto the thing figured al mē are as it vvere yron ouercast with rust that is fallen into original sinne or actuall great or small the sword of the liuing God excepted in vvhō there was neuer found any sin nor the rust of any fault but was alwaies like vnto a sword of fire made in the forge of the holy Ghost What was the sword vvhich kept Paradise but onely Iesus vvhich suffered on the crosse When thou diddest say O my sweet Iesus I come to put fire on the earth art not thou happily all fire seeing that thou dost come to put all the vvorld on fire O how much better the sword is vvhich the church hath than that vvhich the synagogue vsed Because her sword did let no man enter into Paradise but ours doth open the gates vnto vs. What shall I say more but that her sword vvas of fire vvhich did burn ours is but of Loue vvhich giueth comfort O sword of holy loue my sweet Iesus hovv happy I should be if I vvere dead vvith thy knife because that that killing should bee a rising from death that bowelling of me a letting of bloud my end a nevv beginning and my dying a liuing Our Lords mercy is such that he saith not Ego mortifico but he saith I doe giue life nor he saith not I will strike but hee saith I will make whole in so much that if he kill vs it is to raise vs to life againe and if he◠wound vs it is to make vs whole againe Then our Lord doth mortifie vs when he killeth our inclinations in vs and thē we are stroken with his hand whē we are punished with his great mercy and like a good surgeon hee neuer seareth the quicke flesh but the rotten member which infecteth the rest And because Simeon saith that the dolours and the sword of her sonne went through the mothers heart it is expedient for vs to stay somewhat in declaring the greifes which Christ suffered because that thereby we shall know them which he imparted vnto his mother Cum esset Dauid in spelumcā Obdollam conuenernat ad eum omnes qui erant in angustia oppressi aere alieno saith the Scripture 1. Reg. 22. as if he would say When king Dauid hid himselfe in the den of Obdolla there came vnto him all such as were banished by the order of iustice or fled for debts of all which sorrowfull Dauid was the Prince and captaine for of all the afflicted he was the most afflicted This is a high figure and deepe mystery worthy of great consideration because in it is figured very much by Dauid and namely the great griefes which Christ endured O that it were farre better for me poor sinner which write this that my soule did tast of them than for my fingers to write them Because that the doctrine which the sonne of God teacheth is of that quality that although it bee very good to preach it yet it is farre better to follow it There were many figures of Christ in the old law but none so liuely as Dauid was in proof whereof they did not call Christ the sonne of Adam nor the sonne of Moyses but the sonne of Dauid partly because hee was of his princely Tribe partly because he was not so liuely figured in any as in him God said vnto Dauid by special priuiledge I haue found a mā according vnto my own hart the Father said of Christ only this is my welbeloued sonne in so much that that loue which God bare in times past vnto Dauid was figured afterward in the loue which hee bare to his deere beloued sonne Dauid was also a figure of the sonne of God in that that as Dauid was persecuted by his maister the king of Israel without cause euen so Christ vvas persecuted of the Israelites not hauing offended them at all insomuch that if Saul did persecute Dauid of pure enuy the Iewes did persecute Christ of pure malice Dauid was also a figure of Christ in the denne of Obdollam where if Christ had been Dauid had neuer beene the captaine and prince of all the afflicted and banished men but the son of God had been their ringleader as hauing endured more griefe and vexation than all they because he did exceed all heathenish gods in power and all the Angels in merite and all the Martyrs in suffering King Dauid vvas badly handeled by his brothers defied and chalenged by Golias banished by Saul skoffed at by Michol stoned by Simei persecuted by Absalon robbed by the Amalechites vvarred by the Philistims watched by the Ceilitas and iniuried by the Ammonites But notwithstanding that king Dauid suffered many griefes and troubles yet they may bee numbred But what shall we say of those which good Iesus endured which were so many in number that no man is able to reckon them nor yet at all follow them Being a verified matter that king Dauid had tenne kindes of people which did persecute him that he had twelue tribes or kingdomes which did obey him it is now to be knowne who was his son vvho inherited his kingdomes and vvho was his sonne who succeeded him in all vexations and griefes Salomon sonne vnto Bersabee and Dauid succeeded him in the inheritance of his twelue kingdomes vvith vvhome his father left him no warres to maintaine no enemies to resist him no succeeds to contend with him no factions to pacifie nor debts to pay What did not the good old man leaue his sonne considering that he left him al his kingdomes in peace and great treasures laid vp for him But vvhen forgetfull Salomon saw that his father had left him great store of vvealth and no vvarres hee bestowed all that in vices vvhich hee should haue bestowed against his enemies King Salomon inherited kingdomes and vices vices and kingdomes seeing hee had threescore Queenes crowned to his wiues and seuē hundred concubines Salomon did inherite vices and all other daintinesse seeing he himselfe doth commend himselfe that his eies coueted nothing which was denied
him nor his heart desired nothing which he did not obtaine in so much that he did not liue according vnto that which reason did prescribe him but according vnto that the flesh did lead him vnto Hee vvasted his fathers treasures which hee did inherite in building stately houses to dwell in and strong castels to retire himselfe vnto large orchards to recreate himselfe in great pooles to fish in cunning musitians to sing to him sweet instruments to play vpon and nimble young maids to daunce in his hall King Salomon did inherite great peace and concord from his father Dauid considering that in fifty years vvhich hee raigned hee vvas neuer challenged by any king hee neuer saw enemie in his kingdome hee neuer placed army in field there neuer vvent banner out of his pallace neuer captaine had pay of him no drum euer brake his sleepe Salomon did inherite great riches from his father seeing that he couered the Temples with gold he inherited great power seeing that all the kings of the earth did serue him he inherited great wisedome seeing he neuer erred in matter of iustice hee inherited eÌ„xceeding great knowledge seeing that men came to see him as a miracle Salomon did inherite from his father more delights and dainties than kingdomes seeing it is not read that euer he was sick that euer he endured any necessitie that any enmity did disquiet him that any persecution did afflict him that any grief did trouble him that any king durst offend him that any kingdome rebelled against him or subiect disobeied him To conclude wee say that Dauids successor in his kingdomes was his sonne Salomon vvhome by excellency they called the rich the wise and quiet because that in all his life time he neuer put hand to sword nor neuer shed mans bloud Now that wee haue told you who succeeded Dauid in his delights and kingdomes it is also needful that we proue vnto you who was his sonne which succeeded him in his iniuries and greifes for seeing wee haue reioiced with the prosperous it is reason that we suffer somewhat with the afflicted Dauid was twise made a Prince once in the city of Ebron where hee was annointed king of the twelue Tribes secondly in the denne of Obdollam where hee was made chiefe of those which were in tribulation and from hence it groweth that when the time came when hee should deuide these two kingdomes betwixt his two sonnes he gaue Salomon his rich and flourishing kingdome and Iesus Christ his poore afflicted one Our Lord will giue him his father Dauids seat said the Angel vnto the Virgine as if he would say Thou art to vnderstand O high Virgine that the pledge and dowrie which the eternall father will giue his eternall sonne shall bee the seat of his old father Dauid the seat I say not of iudgemeÌ„t but to be iudged nor the seat of commanding but of obeying not of weale but of woe not of honour but of pouerty not of pleasure but of paine O how the Iudaical natioÌ„ was deceiued in thinking that Christs kingdome should bee a temporall kingdome and that hee should deliuer them out of their captiuity For seeing that he inherited but one seat of his father Dauid how was it possible that he should deliuer the synagogue by force of armes If the Messias promised in the old law should bee Dauids sonne and rich and mighty why did they not receaue king Salomon for their Messias seeing that hee inherited from his father armes to deliuer them power to defend them treasure to enrich them and great wisdome to gouerne them How is it possible that the sonne of God who inherited nothing of Dauid but a poore seat should make warre vnto any and deliuer them from seruitude The sonne of God succeeded his father Dauid in the seat of obedience which hee had with those who obeied him in the seat of charity which hee had with the diseased in the seat of mercy which he had with the afflicted the seat of humilitie which he had with the prowd and the seat of patience which hee had among the ouertrauelled Christ did onely inherite the principality of the afflicted and comfortlesse and was content withall with it seeing that he was banished by Herod sold by Iudaâ— denied by Saint Peter accused of the Iewes and sentence giuen on him by Pilate and mocked of his seruants If all the troubles vexations of the world should bee put on one heape and those which Christ alone suffered on another all men would giue him the prime and to none of the rest because that of all other men bee they neuer so holy there is no man that feeleth more than his owne griefe and paine but the sonne of God did feele his owne and those of his elect When the Apostle saith that the sonne of God Factus est omnia nobis is made all things for vs what else doth hee say but that hee doth suffer with him who suffereth weepeth with him who weepeth dieth with him who dieth Because he is the father of vs al he feeleth all our griefes and because we cost him much he is grieued that wee suffer much and therefore being a Prince and a captaine of the afflicted he doth helpe vs to weep our greifâ— and remedy the excesse For he saith in his Sermon Veâ—ite and mâ— omnes qui laboratis â—nerati estis ego reficiam vas as if he would say Come vnto me al you which are laden and I will vnlade you and come vnto â—ee all you which labour and I will comfort you O glorious captaine and happy proclamation which Christ maketh throughout the world seeing that hee bindeth himselfe to vnload those which are burdened comfort those wich are afflicted turne to those which are persecuted refresh those which are hungry lift vp those which are troden downe and bâ—e a father of all which be father lesse If such as were in tribulation and necessity and fled vnto king Dauid were sad and sorrowfull sad and sorrowfull they returned again if they were banished banished they returned againe if they were in debt indebted they returned againe and if they were discontent discontented they returned in so much that good king Dauid could neither coÌ„fort them nor releeue them He vvho is persecuted with Iesus cannot for a certaine say so nor hee who is banished vvith our banished Lord because none coÌ„meth vnto him comfortlesse who returneth not comforted nor no man commeth vnto him indebted whose debt he paieth nor O this this is a happy calling Come you vnto me al you which are laden seeing that the son of God doth let vs vnderstand thereby that he hath a schoole for the ignorant an exchange for the needy an hospitall for the diseased a tower for such as are fled a pantry for the hungry and a safe conduct for the banished S. Barnard sayth The God of all creatures and the Lord of the heauenly gouernements is the true Phisitian of my
now anew thou doest breake all thy anger vpon me and doest lay vpon my back all thy dreadfull feares It is a new speech and a grieuous complaint to say that the father should breake his anger vpon his sonne and that hee maketh his soule afeard And therefore it is necessary for vs to shew what anger is and how it can be verified that there is anger in God Possidonius the Philosopher being asked what anger was answered In my opinion anger is nothing else but a short and a suddaine folly Aristotle defyning it said that anger was but a kindeling of the bloud an alteration and mouing of the heart a forgetting of wit sence and a troubling of the iudgement Eschines being demanded from whence anger proceeded said that it proceeded from the heat of the bloud and of the abundance of choller and a vapour of the gaule and fiercenesse of the heart Macrobius sayth That no man should chide with one that chideth nor with him who is chidden vntill the cause be knowne on both sides for the cause is not in the anger which wee shew in chiding but in the iustice or iniustice of the cause for which wee chide Seneca in his first booke of Anger sayth That the conditions of an angry man are not to beleeue his friends to bee sodden in all his businesse helpe himselfe with his hands not to respect dangers speake suddenly and maliciously and bee angry for a smal occasion and admit no reason Chilo the Philosopher sayth That if any man aske him what hee thinketh of anger hee will answere that it is a thing easie to be written of and easie to persuade and sweet to bee counselled against but very hard to bee bridled Saint Basil vpon the Psalme Neque in ira tua corripias me sayth That Anger is such a dangetous thing that if wee doe giue it entrance into our will it doth afterward make our nill of our will Then wee yeeld our will vnto anger when wee begin to trouble our selues with small matters and then anger doth that which is not our wil when in great matters we would not be angry in so much that if wee doe not resist anger in the beginning we shall neuer or late cast it out of our house Wee haue spoken all this to the end that wee should maruell the more how it should be in God and how he should bee moued like a man seeing that as there is no man able to take his eternall being from him so there is no man able any way to trouble him Who should bee able to trouble him seeing wee know that God is a spirit and hath no heart in his breast no bloud in his vaines no vapour rising from his gaule no gaule in his lights no forgetfulnesse in his memory no alteration in his iudgement S. Ierome vpon the Prophet O see saith That God is so wise that no man is able to deceiue him so mighty that no man is able to resist him so constant that no man is able to mooue him so inuisible that no man is able to touch them so iust that no man is able to oppresse him Then if it bee so that hee cannot bee deceiued oppressed nor moued how is it possible that any anger should raigne in him as it doth in a man When the sonne sayth vnto the Father In me transierunt iraetuae hee sayth plainly that hee hath vnloaden his great anger vpon him and hath cast all his griefes vpon his shoulders For the better vnderstanding of this complaint which Christ maketh it is to bee noted that for the space of many yeares God had enmities and hatred and found himselfe agrieued moued and disquieâ—ed for at the same houre that he created creatures the Angels would haue been equall with him man began to disobey him sinne began to preuaile and also to persecute his friends God had three notorious enemies in the world which are man the deuill and sinne whereof man went about to lift vp himselfe in Paradise the diuell to take heauen from him and sinne to rule and gouern the whole world O that these were vnspeakeable griefes which these three enemies caused God to haue and their disobedience toward him exceeding great heaping daily sin vpon sinne wickednesse vpoÌ„ wickednesse neuer going about to amend themselues nor God to be pacified Our Lord did dissemble all kind of disobedience and all manner of sinne vntill his sonne came into the world vpon whose humanity hee did so fully vnload and vnburden his anger and griefe as though hee had been the only inuenter of sinne Gregory in his Morals sayth That the world is a strong enemy the deuill a stronger and sinne the Traitor the strongest of all for if there were no sinne in the world God would not bee angry nor man should not bee condemned nor the Deuill vvould not goe about so diligently neither should there bee any hell for the vvicked Damascen sayth thus It dooth vvell appeare that the eternall Father did breake all his anger vpon his precious sonne and that hee did vnburden himselfe and load all his vvrath vpon his humanitie seeing that before his sonne did take flesh hee did nothing but punish and after that hee died did nothing but pardon Haue you seene since God hath broken his anger vpon his sonne either the vvorld drowned vvith vvater as in the floud or burnt vvith fire as in Sodome and Gomorra Hath there beene seene since God brake his anger vpon his sonne such captiuities as the people of the Iewes vvere in or such plagues as vvere in Aegypt or such famine as were in Dauids time or such warres as were in the Machabees time Christ had great reason to say vnto his father In me transierunt irae tuae seeing that hee broke all his anger and discharged all his wrath vpon him Eripuit me de inimicu meis fortissimis ab his qui oderunt me saith the Prophet Dauid speaking vnder the person of Christ That is in recompence that my Father hath vnloaden vpon mee all his wrath and anger he hath deliuered me from my mightiest enemies and hath put from my side such of my enemies which did hate mee exceedingly What doest thou say O sweet Iesus what doest thou say doest thou die by the hands of thy enemies and yet doest say that thy father hath deliuered thee from them My father hath not deliuered me from the deuill seeing that he doth tempt me nor from the Pharisies seeing that they haue accused mee nor from the Scribes seeing that they haue diffamed mee nor from the Gentiles seeing that they haue crucified me but he hath deliuered me from sinnes which are the strongest of all my enemies Are they not the strongest of all seeing they rule and maisterall Augustine vpon the Apostles words sayth Of three enemies which we haue sinne is the strongest of them al because many holy men haue gone before vs in old times vpon whom although the deuill and the
world haue had no power yet notwithstanding sin hath had a dwelling place in them because there did neuer man liue so cleane who knew not what sinne was Cassiodorus sayth I for my part thinke sinne more mightier than any other enemy because the world and the diuell can but deceiue me but wicked sin can hurt me damn me For if there were no manner of sin in the world we should need neither gallowes nor sword Christ onely may say hee hath deliuered me from my enemies because he no other was free from sinne because all other creatures knew what sinne was and all knew what punishment for it was O how happy a man he should be who could say with the Prophet he hath deliuered me from my strongest enemies for it is nothing else to say that God hath deliuered him from his enemies but that our Lord hath deliuered him from his sinnes The Prophet had great reason to call sinne not only an enemy but also his strongest enemy seeing that without other helpe he threw the Angell out of heauen cast Adam out of Paradise depriued Iudas of his Apostleship and condemned all the world to death Is not sinne thinke you the mightiest of all other enemies seeing that hee is able and strong inough to carry mee to hell The power of my visible enemy reacheth no further than to take my life from mee but sinne the Traitour is an enemy so strong that hee is able to take my life from me depriue me of grace cast me out of glory hurt my soule and condemne mee vnto paine Who had such enemies as the sonne of God had that is so wicked in their cogitations so malicious in their speech and so cruell in their deedes Were not the lashes which opened Christs shoulders very cruell enemies the nailes which broke his sinewes the thornes which tore his temples and the speare which opened his side and the Synagogue which tooke his life from him Yet Christ called none of all these his enemies nor did not handle them like his enemies but only sins which hee did not only call enemies but mighty and strong enemies giuing vs therby to vnderstand that we should hold none for our enemie but onely sinne When good king Dauid said Persequar inimicos meos comprehendam illos Hee spake it not in respect of the enemies which persecuted his person but for sinnes which did damnifie his soule For seeing that good king Dauid did pardon Saul and Simei and others his mortall enemies how could hee counsell vs that wee should persecute ours When he saith I will persecute my enemies vntill I destroy them he spake of no other enemies but of his sinnes the which it is conuenient for vs to persecute and cast from vs. And it is not without a mystery that hee sayth Persequar comprehendam Because that as the enemy which is offended if he be not taken turneth againe and biddeth vs a more fierce battaile than hee did before euen so dooth the diuell and sinne deale with vs the which if we doe not driue away vtterly from vs and root out from our hearts they turn againe against vs like vnto most mighty and strong enemies What doth it auaile the huntsman if hee run after the Hare if he take her not what doth it is profite thee if thou run after sinne and detest sinne and speake euill of it if thou doest not ouertake sinne and what else is it to ouertake sinne but to ouercome and destroy sinne vtterly O how many there be which say I wil persecute my enemies and how few there bee which say and I haue taken them for if they cast out sinnes to day on one side of their house they turne againe to morrow and knocke at the ring of the dore and it is opened presently vnto them CHAP. III. How Christ complaineth of his Father because hee tooke all his friends from him in his passion and all others which he knew ELongasti ame amicum proximum notos meos a miseria These are the words which the sonne of God spake continuing his former complaint vttered by the Prophet Dauid Psalm 87 as if he would say Thou shouldest haue contented thy selfe O my Father when thou didst vnload al thy wrath vpō my weake body not seperate anew my friends frō me hinder those to come vnto me which were my known acquaintance Christ cōplaineth in this place of his Father that he tooke his friends from him seeing that he sayth thou hast remoued my friends from me he complaineth that he took his kinsmen from him that hee tooke his acquaintance from him and at that instant when hee vvas in greatest misery This is a pittifull complaint which the sonne of God now maketh because there is no griefe to be compared vnto that nor no hurt equall vnto the taking away of a mans trusty and faithfull friend Horace asketh what hee is able to doe or what hee hath who hath no friends To what purpose doth he liue which hath no friends Mimus the Philosopher sayth That a man dieth as oft as he loseth any of his good friends and sayth further that as the body is made of diuers members so the heart of friends and there vpon it is that as the body cannot liue without it haue many members so likewise the heart cannot liue vvithout friends They killed Dauids greatest enemy which was Saul and his deerest friend who was Ionathas in one day and hee was so agreeued at the death of his friend that by turns after hee had wept the death of his friend hee wept his enemies death also We doe not read that our redeemer did weep for the death of holy Ioseph his maister nor for all the trauails which he eudured in this world but he wept for the death of Lazarus his good friend whose death hee could not endure but immediately did raise from death againe If Plutarch the great Philosopher doe not deceiue vs Plato came from Asia vnto Cicilia for no other cause but to see Phocion the Philosopher who was his deere friend Cicero in his booke of Friendship sayth That the Philosophers do cōmend nothing more vnto vs nor wise men did esteeme of no riches more than of the conuersation of their friends because that without friends it is not lawfull for vs to liue nor yet very sure to die Aristorle being asked what friendship was answered That it was nothing else but one soule which ruled two hearts and one heart which did dwell in two bodies Diogenes sayth That seeing there is no greater paine than to deale with naughty men nor no greater comfort than to conuerse with good men for my owne part I confesse and say that I had rather die vvith him whom I hold for my friend than liue with him whome I esteeme my enemie Eschines the Philosopher being demanded how one friend should be towards another answered betwixt true friends there is but one yea and one
vnto Ierusalem because they durst not enter into the Towne The vvhich yong man gaue Absalon intelligence of them presently who sent forthwith to apprehend them and they perceiuing that they were discouered ran away with all speed and came very weary to Bahurim where they entered into a house and knowing that they were pursued went into a well and the good wife couered the well with a sheet and when Absalons people were come and inquired after them shee made answere that they came thither very weary and drinking a cup of water they ran away with all speed and so Absalons souldiours not hauing any hope to ouertake them are gone back again to Ierusalem And when they were gone away Achimaas and Ionathas came out of the well and went vnto Dauid and did aduertise him of the aduise which Chusi did send him The wisedome of this Inne-keeper was great considering that through her only wit Achimaas and Ionathas escaped safe and Absalons scouts were deceiued Mimus the Philosopher sayth That a friends aduised and deliberated counsell is best and an enemies first counsell to be feared and a womans sodden wit to be followed for if shee haue time to thinke vpon that which she should say she wil direct her vow voice vnto that which her hart is most inclined vnto It is conuenient here to declare what the well is what the sheet with the which it was couered who they were which did hide thēselues in it who they were who did seek out those which were hidden in the well who the woman was which saued those which were hidden and who they were which were mocked by her To come vnto the first point what shall wee say the well to bee but the old and new Testament the which well was high because it speaketh of high matters and also deepe because it speaketh of profound matters it is a well because no man can draw it drie and emptie it and it is of water because it treateth of nothing but of most cleane and holy things Saint Ambrose vpon those vvords Puteus altus est sayth thus Although the vvels bee neuer so deepe vvith vvaters yet the holy Scripture is farre more profounde in deepe and hidden mysteries because the vvater may be emptied with a rope but the mysteries of Scripture cannot be reached vnto without grace When Dauid the great Prophet said vnto God Da mihi intellectum scrutaber mandata tua Who doubteth that seeing he craued for grace to vnderstand the scriptures but that they cannot be vnderstood without grace Christ spake many things vnto his Apostles vvith his owne mouth which they did not vnderstand for vvant of grace and if this bee so how dare any man presume to say that he doth vnderstand the Scripture without grace vnles he know himself lightned with grace there be many men which die for thirst because they wil not go for water these are Pagans which haue no faith and there bee others which goe for vvater and take not a cord with them and these are Heretikes vvhich doe not vnderstand the Scripture well others there be vvhich doe take a rope vvith thē but doe take no vessell to put in and these are simple men which can read the Bible but cannot vnderstand it He who will draw vvater out of this holy vvell ought to take the cord of science and knowledge vvith him and a pitcher of conscience because he shal neuer or very late vnderstād the Scripture who doth not study it vvith a holy purpose and meaning What other meaning hath it that the vvell vvas couered and stopped vp but that the old Testament vvas very darke and obscure This vvell was couered vvith a linnen cloth and Moyses face vvas couered with a linnen and the Sancta sanctorum was couered with a linnen to let vs vnderstād that all the old mysteries were darke hard and obscure What other thing did the breaking and rending of the vaile of the Temple at Christs death signifie but only that hee did open and reucale vnto vs the mysteries of the old Testament What dooth it mean that the vaile of the Temple was rent in two at Christs death that the vaile which Moses had ouer his face was neuer rent brokē but that the holy catholicke church is only lightened that the Synagogue lieth hidden vntill this day with her Moses According vnto that saying of the Apostle Adhuc velamē est super faciē Moisi that is vntill this present day Moses face is couered to wit the Iews are hardened with him Much good may it doe vnto the Synagogue to keepe their Moyses vvith his face couered but the holy mother the church hath her Christ bare and open vpon the crosse for as in dying he did shew vs all his holy flesh so he did discouer open all his secrets vnto vs in preaching To goe forward then vvith this figure vvhat vvas the meaning that there vvere two messengers or spies hiddē in the bottome of the wel I say messengers of the king of the Priest or princely and priestly authority for they receiued the determination which Absalon and Chusi had made by the meanes of Abiathar the Priest and so they represented the secrets betwixt the roiall and Priestly estate What meaneth I say all this but that the humanity of the Word should take vpon him the roiall and priestly estate What is the meaning that the selfesame wel vvas an occasion that some should escape others be mocked but that one and the selfe same scripture is cause that the catholickes doe saue themselues and the Heretikes condemne themselues What doth it meane that Absalons seruants did neuer meet vvith the vvell but that the poor Iews haue not as yet met vvith Christ It is much to be weighed that Absalons scouts and spies did looke no further than the sheet vvhich couered the vvell and in like manner the people of the Iewes doe looke no further than the exterior letter of the old Testament doth say vnder vvhich Ionathas and Achimaas doe lie hidden that is to say the humanity of the vvord and the vvord it selfe Remoue and take away O you Iewes take away the sheet of your ignorance take away the sheet of your malice take away the couering of the letter and vvithdraw the vaile of your obstinacy for vntill you doe forsake your errour you shall neuer meet vvith Christ shut vp in the vvel O vvhat great pitty and compassion vvee should take vpō the wicked Synagogue seeing that there is nothing betwixt Christ and her but onely a sheet the vvhich if they vvould take away they should meet imediately with Christ And vvhat thinkest thou is the sheet but the euill vnderstanding vvhich they giue of the scripture Absalons scouts went about the well and yet they neuer did meet with their enemies and the Iewes doe goe about the bible but the mysteries of it are hidden and the reason is because they will
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
I am making O from my selfe then God desend me When such graue and wise men doe complaine on themselues wee haue small reason to trust to our selues because a wise man should distrust none more than himselfe I will iustly say Factus sum mihimet ipsi grauis for if I bee in the kings displeasure I forsake his countrey if I am pursued by iustice I flie from it if I be troubled with a naughty neighbour I remoue into another street but hauing my owne proper wil to my enemy how should I possibly flie from my selfe Who will not say I am made grieuous vnto my selfe seeing that within my owne heart I harbour loue and hatred contentment and discontment my will and my nill my liking disliking my ioies and my griefes and also my delight and my sorrow For my owne part I say and confesse that I am grieuous vnto my selfe considering that I vvillingly would that I had no such vvill for pride doth puffe mee vp enuy dooth consume mee gluttony doth wast mee anger causeth mee hatred incontinency dooth disquiet mee in so much that if I doe abstaine from sinne it is not because I haue not a vvill vnto it but because I am vveary and can sinne no more O how true it is Quòd factus sum mihimet ipsi grauis for if I bee sicke it is because I haue eaten too much if I bee poore it is because I tooke my pleasure too much if I bee imprisoned it is because I haue stolne if I bee sad it is for that I loued if I bee ashamed it is for somewhat that I haue coÌ„mitted if I be disconteÌ„ted it is through my own choise and if I haue committed an errour in my owne choise whom should I blame but my selfe If the truth bee well examined there is no man who ought to be more grieued with any man than with himselfe for as of one part we doe nothing else but complaine of the troubles and trauels which we suffer so on the other part we our selues doe continually seeke them If it be true that I am grieuous vnto my selfe with whome shall I haue a good peace if I my selfe doe make warre against my selfe Who shall deale with me that I bee not grieuous and troublesome seeing that I my selfe cannot bee content vvith my selfe By what meanes can I possibly set my neighbours at one if my sensuality and reason doe bandy one against the other Who vntill this day hath euer had more cruell enemies against him than I haue now of my owne thoughts and desires considering that they draw me to that which is good afeared and amazed and vnto that which is vvicked vvith great confidence and boldnesse I doe conclude then and say that considering the time which I lose and the small profite which I make the care I haue in sinning and careleslenes I haue in amending the great goodnesse I receiue at God his hands and how little I serue him the euill which I doe and the good which I hinder I am greatly ashamed to liue very sore afraid to die The end of the fourth word which Christ our redeemer spake vpon the Crosse Here beginneth the fift of the seuen words which the sonne of God spake vpon the Crosse to wit Sitio that is I am a thirst CHAP. I. Why the sonne of God did bid all those which were a thirst come vnto him and yet said vpon the crosse that he himselfe was a thirst SCiens Iesus quia omnia consummata sunt vt consummaretur Scriptura dicit Sitio These are one of the seuen words which Christ spake vpon the crosse which S. Iohn rehearseth in the 19 chapter as if he would say The sonne of God knowing that all that touched the redemption of all the world was now finished hauing an intention that all the scripture should be accomplished he spake the fift word saying Sitio that is I am a thirst Christ did well know that it was written in the Psalme In siti mea potauerunt me aceto seeing that to fulfill the Scripture he suffered that great thirst to the end that all the mysteries should bee accomplished vvhich were prophecied of his death The Prophets had prophecied many things in Christs name which hee should doe when hee came into the world among the which they had prophecied that he should suffer very great thirst and therefore to say that he had thirst to fulfill the Scripture was to say that hee did suffer that torment to vngage his vvord Christ did deale like a friend with all the Prophets and holy men of old time considering that to the cost of his life and great trauell of his holy person he did accomplish and fulfill all that which they had laid downe in Scripture to the great credite of the Prophets and great glory of holy writ and with the great trauell of his owne person Christ said preaching that there was no tittle no point nor sentence of holy Scripture vvhich should not be fulfilled according vnto the letter The first mystery of the incarnation Ecce virgo conciptes was fulfilled litterally seeing himselfe vvas a virgine and borne of a virgine and also the last mystery of his passion was accomplished litterally Dederunt in escam meam fel in siti mea potauerunt me aceto Seeing that they gaue him vpon the crosâ—e gaule and vineger to drinke What did Christ meane when he said that to fulfill the Scripture hee had such great thirst but that hee might now freely depart and goe out of this vvorld seeing that all the redemption was ended and the Scripture accomplished The simple Reader ought not to imagine that the sonne of God would not haue come into the world nor redeemed the world nor endured this torment and thirst if it had not been written in the Prophets for hee must learne that the Scriptures are tied vnto Christ and not Christ vnto the Scriptures because that they should not haue been written if hee should not haue been borne and crucified and yet he should haue been borne and crucified although the scripture had not spoken it Venerable Beed sayth Seeing that all Christs actions are great and those of his death and passion most great it is much to be noted and to bewondered at why it was the pleasure of the sonne of God that his thirst should be his last work and that he would depart out of this life with great thirst S. Augustine sayth The last griefe and paine which Christ suffered was his thirst the last complaint which hee made vvas of his thirst and the last request vvhich hee made vvas for a cup of vvater and the last torment vvhich he endured vvas of the gaule vineger and mire vvhich hee dranke because that immediately after that hee had tasted of that cup he gaue vp his ghost vnto his Father Seeing therfore that this thirst is the last torment the last request the last complaint and the last vvorke that Christ did in
that thou hast condemned him without iustice seeing thou doest first sit downe to verifie thy iustice O vnto how many may God iustly say at this day what can I doe more for thee than I haue done and wherein canst thou offend me more than thou hast offended me O good Iesus O light and glory of my soule what shouldest thou doe more for me than create me or what couldest thou doe more for me than redeeme mee Thy goodnesse and my wickednes do striue before thy face and thy grace and my offence thy bountie and my vngratefulnesse thy mercy and mine obstinacy thy pardon and my sinne in so much that I neuer cease to sinne and thou neuer to dissemble it But to speake more particularly it is to be cōsidered that our God was not cōtēted to redeem all of vs in general but he did also satisfie for our sins in particular laying vpon himself a particular pain which should answere vnto our particular offence Christ satisfied for the sinne of pride when hee tooke mans flesh vpon him vnto which humility there can no vertue of any Saint be compared because he made himselfe of God a man of eternall temporall of one that was immortall mortal Barnard sayth That of all those which were proud Lucifer was the greatest of all gluttons Adam of all Traitors Iudas of all patient men Iob and of all humble men Christ exceeded all Christ satisfied for fornication by his circumcision and therevpon it is that because the sinne of lechery is that sinne into which men do easiliest and most oftenest fall into our Lords pleasure was to redeeme it with his precious bloud Christ satisfied for the sinne of enuy with his incomparable pouerty which hee so streitly kept that hee had neither house to dwell in nor a penny to spend nor wealth to liue by S. Ierome sayth That the end of Christs pouerty was to withdraw from himselfe things necessary because we should leaue off things superfluous for if a Christian haue any thing in his house which is superfluous hee dooth possesse it all as stolne from the poore Christ satisfied for gluttony by his continuall fasting all his life time and oftentimes suffering great hunger which is easily seene because that after his fast in the desart he was greatly a hungred and also when he and his disciples did eat eares of corne in the field S. Barnard sayth Christ had such a great feruour to preach by day and did contemplate so continually by night that although hee had meat yet he did scarse remember to eat it Christ satisfied for the sinne of anger with his continuall patience which patience of his was so perfect that hee neuer knew how to reuenge an iniury nor neuer vse towards any man an iniurious word In patientia vestra possedebilis animarū vectrarum said Christ to his disciples Luke 25. As if hee would say The merit and reward of patience is so great that it maketh him vvho hath it lord ouer his owne soule Many possesse their eares by not hearing of backbiting and other possesse their eies not seeing of vaine things and others possesse their hands by keeping them from stealing others their tongues by keeping them from blasphemy but of all these which I haue spoken off doth Christ say that any of them doth possesse his soule but only hee who hath patience What doth it auaile vs to be lords of our feet hands and ears if the diuell do possesse our soules What is it to be lord and maister ouer a mans own soule but wholy to subdue his owne sensuality Ambrose vpon S. Luke sayth He onely hath his will in subiection who in trauaile and vexation hath great patience Christ doth say very well that you shall possesse your soules in your patience Seeing that patience is the vertue which dooth confirme friends reconcile enemies cut off passions and maketh our he arts mild and gentle Loe then thou seest it proued how the son of God was not content to redeeme all the world in generall but that hee did in particular as it were satisfie for euery sinne disburdening euery man of a particular fault and casting vpon himselfe a generall paine CHAP. XV. Here there is brought a figure of Dauid and declared to the purpose OSi quis mihi daret potum aqua de cisterna quae est iuxta portum Bethleem 2. Reg. 23. king Dauid being in the field of the giants and fighting with the Philistims in summer time and wearied with the heat of the sunne and wanting water gaue a great sigh and vttered these wordes O who would giue me now a cup of water of the cestern which is neere vnto the gate of Bethleem where I was wont to recreate my selfe when I was a young man and take my fill in drinking of the water Dauids sigh being heard and his great desire of drinking perceiued three young men which were his seruants determined to arme themselues and goe to Bethelem for water maugre the enemies with a resolution to bring some or die in the place And as they had sworne so they did accomplish it and going through the enemies camp striking and killing the end was that they shed more bloud in going than they brought water in comming againe In the letter of this figure there are two things to be noted that is that good king Dauid did not sigh nor desire sauerous wine to make him drunk with but for a pot of water to refresh himself with Whereof we may take an example that we may better ouercome our inuisible enemies with abstinence than with abundance and plenty Yet so it was that notwithstanding the great thirst which Dauid had hee would not drinke one drop of that water saying that God forbid that hee should drinke of that water which was gotten with the deaths of so many men and was bought with so much bloud Euery man may take an example to himselfe by this that no man should carry any thing to his house gotten with an euill conscience or by the preiudice of another for we see nothing more common than that men for greedinesse of another mans doe not onely lose that which was their own by inheritance but that also which of other mens they had gotten Leauing the letter and comming to the spirituall meaning it doth well appeare that Christ is the sonne of Dauid and that Dauid is the father of Christ seeing the one was thirsty in the field and the other on the Mount of Caluary the one sighting the other sufiering the one compassed with enemies and the other hanging betweene theeues the one to drinke a cup of cold water and the other to redeeme mankind How farre greater the thirst was which the sonne of God had than that which Dauid had it is easily seene in that that Dauid did manifest his thirst with words onely and the sonne of God with words and teares wherevpon wee may inferre that his true thirst was not so much to
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
reuerence of the arke whereby so much the more euery thing was more precious by how much the neerer it was vnto it For the seruice of this Temple there were appointed twenty and foure thousand Priests of the great tribe of Leui whose charge was to panch the beasts offer sacrifice light the lampes and kindle the fire For to keepe the gates of the Temple there were appointed foure thousand porters and for to sing the Psalmes which Dauid made and those which Salomon made there were chosen other foure thousand whose office was also to play on instruments of musicke If the building which Salomon made was prowd and stately so was also the first sacrifice which he offered for he killed and offered vnto our Lord on one day twenty and two thousand beefes and a hundred and twenty thousand sheepe Now that wee haue spoken of the pompe glory and riches of that famous temple wee will tell you in what all this great treasure did end and thereby it may be perceiued how vaine and brittle all worldly glory is and especially that which is founded vpon riches It is a thing much to be wondred at and worthely to be noted that wheÌ„ the Sancta was not rich and when the great citie of Ierusalem was poore with their pouerty they did ouercome all their enemies and afterward with their wealth they were ouercome by them Dauid was poorer than Salomon and Saul was poorer than Dauid and yet for all their pouerty they had more victories ouer their enemies then Salomon and Roboam his sonne in their times whose riches treasures did exceed the treasures of their predecessors Men thinke that the remedy against misery pouerty doth consist in getting much wealth and riches and in hauing abundance of all things the which thing to thinke is a great vanity and a dangerous thing to get for we see many who thinking to bring wealth and riches to their house bring death war and dissention to it and because we may not seeke far for examples let vs looke vpon the Iewes with their treasures and if wee weigh the matter well we shall find for a truth that misery pouerty is not remedied with riches and that the captain of misery is peace and the companion of riches is misery No longer after the death of Salomon but fiue yeares Sesach king of Aegypt did send to Ierusalem seuenty thousand horsemen and twise as many footmen and a thousand two hundred Wagons for cariages and took Ierusalem and robbed the Temple and spoiled king Roboams pallace insomuch that the Temple was not so long a sacking as it was a building The king of Babilon did send his army to Iudea who vsed the matter so well that hee tooke the city and robbed the Temple and led the king of Iudea prisoner to Babilonia and no man was able to resist him or hurt him After this great mischiefe came the king of the Chaldeans who killed the yong men tooke the women captiue set fire on their towres burnt the sanctuary tooke the people prisoners and robbed the treasure The warres which the Aegyptians Chaldeans and Babilonians had with the Hebrews were not because they did hold them for their enemies but only to rob their treasures nsomuch that against the poore Israelites made greater warres their owne riches than all other barbarous nations Let the litterall conclusion be that wee may say truly of the Temple of Salomon Quod Consummatum est seeing that the Temple is at an end Salomon which made it the people where it was made the riches with the which it was made and the sacrifices for the which it was made Of all this we may gather that God dooth not giue vs riches because we should loue them but because wee should benefite our selues by them serue him with them but alasse that which God doth giue vs to serue him withal we doe turne to our owne pleasures and delights Dominus in templo sancto suo dominus in caelo sedes eius sayth the Psal 10. as if he would say The places where our Lord doth most of all abide are in the heauens vvhere he hath his seat and in the holy Temple where he hath his dwelling place Because we should not thinke that the Temple vvhich he here speaketh of is the Temple of Salomon in Ierusalem or of Dian. in Antiochia or of Pantheus in Rome God said not that hee dwelled in euery Temple but he added holy and also his For in the Temple where God must dwell there must be no sinne nor any else with him The Temple which Salomon made vvas very rich and although it vvas a Temple it followeth not that it vvas holy for if it had been and those also which made it they would not haue killed within it the great Prophet Zachary hard by the altar nor they would not haue placed the Idoll Asâ—aroth in it vpon the altar nor they vvould not haue consented that Pompeius should haue made a stable for his horses hard by the altar which vvas dedicated vnto diuine sacrifices Neither was that Temple holy in respect of the Priests and ministers which were in it for if it had beene holy they would not haue had birds at the gate to sell nor bankes for Vsurers nor Christ would not haue rebuked them nor they put Christ to death Neither was that Temple holy in respect of the sacrifices seeing that they were not sufficient to take away sinnes and if there was any profit in them it was not by reason of the sacrifice which was there offered but in respect of the merits of those which did offer them Neither vvill vve say that Salomons Temple vvas holy by reason of the matter whereof it was made because that true and sincere holinesse is not in gold siluer timber stone whereof it was made but in the Christian and glorious Temple which is there assembled and gathered together It followeth then of that which is spoken that God doth not abide euery where where euery man lusteth but where our Lord wil make his dwelling place must be a Temple and that a holy Temple and his owne Temple or els hee will dwell vvith none Where or vvho is the true Temple vvhere God dwelleth but the most sacred humanity of the son of God Wee shall call his deified body a Temple and a holy Temple and his owne Temple because of him and of no other God said at the riuer of Iordan This is my welbeloued son This holy Temple was builded not by the hands of Salomon the peaceable but by the hands and industry of the Holy-ghost in whose framing and fashioning as Salomon spent seuen yeares so the Holy-ghost did endue his with his seuen gifts This our Temple is farre more richer than Salomons was for if his was couered with gold so ours is couered with diuine loue and the difference betwixt those two may easily bee knowne by the difference that is betwixt a simple gilter
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
nay one liking one misliking one agreeing one disagreeing one wil and one nill one loue and one hatred Experience doth teach vs that how good soeuer the bread be yet it mouldeth and wine becommeth vineger and garments teare and flesh waxeth stale and years passe away but friendship alone is that which neuer wearieth good conuersation is that that neuer doth loathe Pliny in an Epistle sayth If thou wilt be honored giue honour vnto others If thou wilt bee succoured succour others If thou wilt be loued loue others For if thou wilt haue a friend thou must either make him or find him and in that case I say that it is better for thee to make him by good turns than buy him with money Peter of Rauenna sayth in a Sermon of the holy Ghost O what a sweet thing it is to haue friends to loue and to loue to bee loued againe for the qualities of true friendship are that it feareth no sword it dreadeth no arrow it refuseth no spear nor esteemeth not his life but embraceth death with cheerefulnesse rather than make any default in friendship Isidorus sayth That the priuiledges of true friendship are that it maketh prosperous fortune more pleasant and aduerse more easie maketh doubtful things certaine and fiercenesse meeke and maketh that light which is greeuous heauy Hermogenes sayth When thou art in prosperity in this world thou oughtest to suspect all friendship for thou doest not know whether they loue that which thou hast or thy selfe which doest possesse it for true friendship is not knowne when thou hast much to giue but when thou art in necessity to aske Is there saith S. Ambrose any greater cōsolation in this miserable vvorld thā to haue a faithful friend with whom thou maist open thy breast communicate thy secrets discouer thy heart impart thy pleasures and giue part of thy griefes If thou doest make a bed to lie in and build chimnees to warme thee in and garners for thy corne vvhy doest thou not seeke bowels to hide the secrets of thy bowels And thou must know that thou oughtest nor to trust the secrets of thy heart but vnto another who is thy heart Saint Ierome vnto Ruffinus sayth Whē thou dost enter into friendship with any faithfull friend Ruffinus learne better how to keepe him than thou diddest keepe Ierome for a good friend is not found euery where the is long a seeking for and seldome gotten he is hardly kept and easily lost he is recouered very slowly and the want of him felt very quickly Chilo the Philosopher sayth I am halfe of my friend and my friend is halfe of me in so much that I must seeke him in me and my selfe in him because he is I and I am hee And hee saith further that when my friend dieth in him whom I loued halfe of my selfe died with him and halfe of him remaineth aliue with mee in so much that by my will I should die if it were not to keepe that part of him which remained in me aliue This vertue of friendship could not bee better praised than this Philosopher hath done it seeing hee doth confesse that halfe of himselfe is in the graue with his friend and that halfe of his friend was aliue in his soule and that he desired to liue for no other reason but because his friend should not die in him To come then vnto our purpose if all this be true we should haue great compassion vpon Christ seeing his Father tooke his friends from him separated his kin from him left him no comfort by his acquaintance It is much to be noted that Christ doth complaine that his Father took but one friend frō him one kinsman but many of his acquaintance to note vnto vs that of faithfull friends there is scarse one to be found and of vertuous kinsmen hardly one but of acquaintance a great number O that hee knoweth but meanly what friendship is who putteth a friend a kinsman and his acquaintance vnder one reckoning because that I am to call him only my friend who loueth me him my kinsmā who is a good Christian all other my neighbours cōpanions my acquaintance To speak properly Christ had but one friend only who was his Father no other friend like vnto him one only which was of his kindred who was his mother none other like vnto her but he had great acquaintance among the Iews in that great conflict which he had in his passion his friend forsooke him his kindred did not helpe him and his acquaintaince shewed themselues vngratefull Thou diddest remoue farre from me my friend seeing that thou O my Father wouldest not heare me when I praied vnto thee in the garden following the inclination of the flesh and thou diddest remoue my kin from me seeing that my mother could not help me on the Mount of Caluary and thou diddest remoue my acquaintance from me seeing that there I was put to death by them O in what great danger and in what a narrow strait the son of God vvas at the time of his passion seeing he complaineth that his Father did not heare him his mother did not helpe him and none of his friends would know him Thou diddest say very well O sweet Iesus that Elongasti a me amicum proximum seeing thy friend who was thy father could comfort thee but would not thy kin who was thy mother would but could not helpe thee and thy acquaintance who was Iudas neither would nor could accompany thee in so much that vpon the altar of the crosse thou diddest abound in torment and want friends O that wee had a farre better friend of thee than thou haddest of vs seeing that Totum belli pondus versum est in Saul When as to make an attonement betwixt vs and thy Father he did lay all the danger of the warre vpon thy shoulders Non est qui vtrumque possit arguere ponere manum suam in ambobus sayth Iob chapter 9. As if hee would say The one is so strong and the other so obstinate that there is no man able to satisfie thē nor who dareth put his hand between thē Whē that holy mā Iob saith that he saw two men at a variance which al the world could not make friends set at agreement yet did not name thē it is small doubt but he vnderstandeth some great secret hiddē mystery Of these two which holy Iob speaketh of who is the strong mightie one but only our eternal God who the obstinate man but he who is without cōfort Cyrillus saith That God man man God did hādle one another very hardly because man did nothing but sin God did neuer cease to punish thervpō it is that in those daies they called God Deus vltionū deus vltionū twise because he did neither pardon their bodies of punishment nor their soules of the fault Because God was the highest