vpon the crosse when we lose our liberty the heauens are stoln Adams was but a small theft seeing of all Paradise hee stole but one apple But this good theefe was not content with the apples of Paradise vnlesse he stole all Paradise It was a vaine and a light theft which faire Rachel committed against her father Laban and this of the theefe was an honorable theft because hee did not abase himselfe to steale idols made of wood but he stole the very true God The theft which king Dauid coÌ„mitted was a bold theft when hee stole the bottle of water and the speare from king Sauls boulster but the good theeues theft was more solemne who stole not a launce from a boulster nor a bottle of water but he stole Christs body drie and without bloud and his side which was pierced with a launce Moises spies were craftie and subtile theeues vvhich stole avvay the bunch of grapes of the land of promise but the good theefe vvas farre more subtiler seeing hee stole from those vvho had stolne not a bunch of grapes vvhich hanged but Christ crucified Let al the theeues that are come forth saith Cyprian and bee compared vvith this theefe and they shall find for a truth that he is the greatest of all and the most famous of them all seeing that if other doe steale they lose their life but this in stealing recouered life CHAP. VI. How the good theefe had nothing remaining on the crosse but his heart and his tongue and that by these two hee gained glory and there are curious points vttered touching the heart OMni custodia custodi cor tuum quia ex ipso vitaprocedit said Salomon the vvise speaking vvith his son Roboam in the fourth chap. of his Prouerbes as if he vvould say I counsell thee my son Roboam as a thing that doth very much import thee that thou keep thy heart vvith all care vvatching because from him proceedeth al the good of thy life It doth behooue vs very much that vvee beleeue this that the vvise man saith and also keepe it seeing he vvriteth it vvith such high vvordes and persuadeth it vvith such deepe reasons I confesse for my owne part that amongst all the things which I haue read or haue heard wise men speake of there is none that hath taken such deep root in my memory nor hath satisfied my iudgemeÌ„t like vnto this couÌ„sel of the wise man For the better commending of which speech I wish I had Homers vnderstanding Platoes wit Diogenes phrase Eschines art of Oratory Ciceroes tongue After this saying in comparison of it there is nothing more to bee thought nothing more to be sought nothing more to be said nor nothing more to be commended for vnder this speech is comprehended al the goodnes that hath ben written vntil this day all that which is necessary for thy saluation This is a high doctrin a wonderful saying worthy to be heard and true to be beleeued iust to be taught wholly to be obserued S. Ierome saith thus of it wheÌ„ the wise man saith Omni custodia Keep thy hart with al watching it is to say plainly keep keep watch watch be aduised be aduised shut shut the gates entrance of thy heart for it is he in whom our Lord desireth to delight in and that is he vvhom the deuill also would willingly possesse S. Augustine in a sermon saith The wise man saith not without cause keepe thy heart with a carefull watch considering that God and the deuill and the diuell and God striue not who shall possesse the eies wee doe see with or the tongue which we speak with but only which of theÌ„ both shall house shut himself as in a castle in our harts which we bear insomuch that in the guard keeping of the hart consisteth our saluation or perditioÌ„ Origen saith That wheÌ„ the wise man saith Omni custodia cor tuuÌ„ custodi he doth forwarne vs aduise vs that we put diligeÌ„t watch ward ouer our fugitiue hart because the flesh may not defile him the world mooue him the deuill deceiue him the enemy steale him possesse him What els doth he say wheÌ„ he biddeth thee watch ward thy hart but only that so much interest wee haue in Christ how much hee himselfe hath in our hearts If God hath little in thee thou hast litle in God if thou hast much in God god hath much in thee seeing thou wouldest haue nothing of God but thy saluation God would haue nothing of thee but thy heart thou oughtest highly to keepe it and trust it and commit it to none but vnto him S. Gregory in his Morals saith The counsell of the wise man is very deepe and his aduise very diuine when hee saith Keepe thy heart with all watching and the reason is that because all that which God giueth vs and al that which wee offer vnto him is worth nothing if it bee not kept in the heart and proceed from the heart and therefore it is a very wholesome thing that our hearts bee alwaies full of good desires and very far from vaine thoughts Tell mee I pray thee why the wise man was not content to say that wee ought to keepe the heart but he added that we should keep him with all watching and guarding and put him in very great safetie What other thing is it to keepe it with al guard but only that wee should not giue place for any vanity or folly to enter in Seneca saith in an Epistle Wee see that the eies are defended with the eie lids the mouth with the lips the ears with a cotton the bands with gloues the corne in the garner and mony in chests but no man is able to take away vaine desires from the ambitious mutinous heart nor cut off his light cogitations Tel me I pray thee what treasure is there in mans heart because he shold be gorged with so many guards O my brother if thou diddest know what a great treasure that is which God hath left in keeping in the heart of the iust man I assure thee and sweare vnto thee that thou wouldst keep thy heart with a strong guard wouldst not consent that any but God shold enter into it is it not thinkest thou great reason that thy hart be wel guarded seeing God wil not haue it for any other but for himselfe In the heâ—â—t of man there is the reasonable power with the which hee gouerneth himselfe the irascible power with the which he defendeth himself coÌ„cupiscible with the which hee prouideth for things necessary and in the keeping of these three powers the saluation of the soul consisteth the rest quietnes of the life The diuell trauelleth much like vnto another Ioab to giue vs three fierce wounds in these three noble powers because our sorrowful heart should faint be dismaied not know how to gouerne himselfe in prosperity nor help himself in aduersity
S. Barnard vpoÌ„ Qui habitat saith O what guards double guards O what watches double watches meÌ„ should put to their poor heart that is Liberality against the world which doth compasse vs with riches Chastity against the flesh which doth enuiron vs with pleasures Charity against the diuel who doth vex vs with malice If we had as great a care in guarding our harts as the diuel hath in fighting with it he shold neuer bring vs into such great disquietnes nor could neuer put vs in such danger and perill If thou wilt hear me tel thee the order of thy perditioÌ„ thou shalt perceiue clearly that it riseth for want of putting a guard ouer thy hart insomuch that at the same instant in which we withdraw the guard froÌ„ our hart presently our coÌ„scieÌ„ce runneth to perdition TheÌ„ the order of our disorder is that the sight breedeth thought thought breedeth delight delight breedeth coÌ„sent coÌ„sent breedeth work the work breedeth custome custome breedeth obstinatioÌ„ obstinatioÌ„ breedeth desperatioÌ„ desperatioÌ„ damnatioÌ„ Would it not be iust to keep a hart manacled fettered which bringeth forth such children nephews who holdeth you O my soul loaden with scrupulosities who holdeth you O my body tormeÌ„ted with trauails but only the towers of wind which my heart breedeth a thousand daÌ„gers into which he casteth himself It is very coÌ„uenieÌ„t saith Anselmus that we keepe our heart in work because that which we shal do may be good keep our tongue very well because that which we shal speak may be iust keep wel our thought because that which we shall think may be clean and pure because our hearts shal be such as our works are Audi popule stulte audiqui non babes cor said God by the Prophet Ieremy in the 5. chap as if he would say Heare my foolish cursed people heare mee people without heart which art come to such perdition that thou wantest reason and hast no heart God could not haue iested at the people of Israel nor giuen theÌ„ a greater scoffe than call them fooles without a heart For seeing that the life of the body is the heart as it is and the life of the heart the soule and God the life of the soule that the life of God is God himselfe what other thing is it to be without a heart than to be naught and vvithout a soule Origen vpon â—eremy saith That God speaketh not of the heart of flesh which is in the breast for this heart no Iew vvanted but God speaketh of holy spiritual hearts with the which vvee serue our Lord and saue our soules in this sence if any one want a heart hee wanteth also reason And if this be true as true it is that the heart is nothing else but reason vvhat loseth he who loseth his heart and vvhat hath hee vvho hath not his heart And therefore there are not any put into the house of innocents or into Bedlem because they wanted a heart to liue with but because they want reason to gouerne themselues with for this cause is not he a verier foole who liueth not according to reason thaÌ„ he who hath his heart molested and troubled Plato saith in his Timaeo If a man doth lose his eies or feet or hands or his wealth we may say of such a one that if he lose he loseth somewhat but hee who loseth his heart reason loseth all for in the wombe of our mother the first thing which is engendred is the heart and the last thing which dieth is the same heart Because wee haue great need of patience in the trauails which we do endure and constancy in the good works which we do take in haÌ„d God doth vs a principall fauour in making vs a stout heart it is also a great punishmeÌ„t of him to make vs of a faint hart Anselmus in his meditations saith O good Iesus O the glory of my soule stop I pray thee stop my ears that I heare not make my eies blind that I see not cut off my hands that I steale not with coÌ„dition that thou wouldst leaue me a wil to serue thee and a heart to loue thee How is it possible that I shold loue thee serue thee with al my hart if thou O sweet Iesus doest let my heart lose it self seeing thou art the God in whom I beleeue the Lord whome I serue and life with which I liue and the heart vvhich I most loue vvhat other thing is it for me to be vvithout a heart than to bee depriued of thee O my good Iesus Vae duplici corde labijs scelestis c said the wise man as if he would say Woe bee vnto that man which hath two hearts to think ill with two tongues to murmure much with and two hands to steale more with and goeth two waies to lose himselfe No man hath two hearts but hee who is malicious no man hath two tongues but hee who cannot rule his tongue no man hath two handes but the couetous man no man goeth two waies but the ambitious man who for to haue more and preuaile more leaueth no way not gone nor any estate not shot at or shakeÌ„ It is sure a new thing not heard of before that the wise maÌ„ dare say that some maÌ„ hath two tongues to murmure much with some two hearts to think much with in this case we dare well say that it is as monstrous a thing to haue two harts as to want one Remigius vpoÌ„ these words saith In things which do hinder the one the other to vndo them is to win theÌ„ to seperate theÌ„ is to flie from theÌ„ to cut theÌ„ asunder is to sow theÌ„ to diminish theÌ„ is to encrease them and to wast them is to better theÌ„ the example of all this may bee giuen in trees which haue many boughes and in a vine which hath many branches whose superfluitie if we doe cut off wee make them grow and the pruning of the vine maketh it fructifie The Prophet Ieremy accuseth Israel because he hath no heart at all and Salomon reprehendeth the malicious man because hee hath two hearts what meane shall we keep then to complie with the one and satisfie the other Hugo de arra anima answereth and saith Seeing our loue ought to be but one and he on whom we ought to bestow our loue should bee but one in like manner the heart with whom we should engage our loue should bee but one because that cannot be called true loue which is scattered into many hearts If we should be permitted by the law of Christ to haue many loues wee should also bee suffered to haue many hearts but seeing it is not permitted to haue more than one loue why would we haue more than one heart He in an Order of religion is said to haue many hearts who remaineth with his body in the monastery and with his will mind wandereth in the
world and so hee liueth with paine by reason of the one and casts out sighes by reason of the other The dissembling hypocrite hath also two hearts who with the one desireth to bee in low degree and with the other laboureth to be exalted with the one he speaketh fair with the other he bireth secretly with the one he proclaimeth cōscience with the other he maintaineth malice which is worst of all with the one he doth forward concord and with the other he stirreth vp war Woe therfore be vnto him who hath two hearts for if hee had but one either hee would bee wholly good or wholly bad but hauing two hearts he cannot in religion do that which he ought nor in the world doe that which hee would Hee hath also two hearts who hath good words and naughty vvorks he vvhich crieth the spirit is al flesh he vvho liueth wickedly hopeth vvell he vvho is rigorous vvith other men and mild vnto himselfe strait vnto his brothers liberall vnto himselfe Hath not he think you two harts vvho promiseth much performeth litle he vvho sweareth that he loueth and yet in the end loueth not but deceiueth To come then vnto our purpose all that vvhich I haue spoken is to let you know hovv vvisely and vvarily the good theefe kept his heart and hovv highly he did imploy it seeing he denied it the diuel offered it vnto Christ Christ and the deuill vvere at a great variance vvhich of thē should cary avvay the theeues hart because the deuil alledged that hee did belong vnto him because hee vvas a ringleader of theeues and Christ said that he did belong vnto him because he vvas the father of sinners But vvhen the theefe said Lord remember mee the deuil fled Christ defended the theefe Chrisostome sayth That Cain offered corne vnto God Abel lambes Noe Weathers Abraham doues Melchisedech vvine Dauid gold Iepthe his daughter and Anna her sonne If all these men did offer much vnto God that vvhich the good theefe did offer vvas much more for all that vvhich they offered vvere externall thinges and not their ovvne but that vvhich the good theefe offered vvas his ovvne and in this case there is great difference betvvixt offering that vvhich a man possesseth and keepeth in his house and offering of his ovvne proper person If any man aske thee vvhat that is that the theefe offered Christ let him first ansvvere vvhat that vvas that he kept for himselfe for giuing as he did all vvhich he had vnro Christ he vvas not seene to reserue any thing for himselfe Seneca saith in an Epistle Who is he vvho giueth another all vvhich he can vvho doth not giue him also his vvil and al that he hath The good theefe gaue Christ al that he could all that he vvas vvorth all his povver all that hee possessed also al his might vvill at vvhat time he acknovvledged himselfe a sinner vpon the altar of the crosse and Iesus Christ to be his redeemer O good sinner O glorious confessor vvilt thou not tel vs vvhat thou diddest offer vnto thy God seeing thou didst obtain such grace by it The theef offered not his eies because they vvere couered neither his mony because the iailor had it nor his coat because the hangman had it nor his body because it vvas crucified he had only left his tongue vvith the vvhich he confessed Christ and his hart vvith the vvhich he beleeued in him If he vvould haue giuen Christ his honour hee knevv not vvhere it vvas if hee vvould haue serued Christ vvith his life it vvas novv at an end if hee vvould haue bestovved his goods vpon him hee had none left for he lost his honor and credit by his theft his life Pilat commanded to be taken from him and all his goods the office of the Fiskall possessed O high my stery saith Origen O diuine example vvho being put vpon the tree had nothing left but his heart and vvith that he beleeued in Christ and his tongue and vvith that he commended himselfe vnto God It is to be beleeued that if this good theefe had had any thing else left but his tongue and his hart that vvith more he vvould haue serued Christ insomuch that vve cannot cōdemn his offering for a mean and miserable gift seeing he offered God al which he had For vvhat doth he not offer vvho offereth his heart what doth hee not deuide vvho deuideth his heart O my tongue O my heart vvhy doe you not take for your companion this theefe crucified vpon the tree because he may teach you how sins are bewailed the heauens stolne away Irenaeus saith I think I shal neuer bee condemned but I haue a great hope I shall bee saued seeing that the good theefe being alone crucified vpon the crosse by no other means but by offering his heart tongue vnto God in lesse than halfe an houre went into glory S. Barnard sayth O good Iesus O the hope of my soule why should I torment my selfe and bee sorrowfull if I want feet to goe to glory or haue no eares to heare sermons nor haue no riches to giue almes nor iewels to offer in the temples Seeing that I hold it for certaine that with one holy wish I shall content thee O sweet Iesus Moyses sister was scabby noble Lia was blearecied good Moises stutted in his speech holy Tobias was blind Mimphiboseth was lame yet notwithstanding al these defects and imperfections nothing hindered them from being vertuous and holy If our hearts be cleane and whole what careth God if our members bee rotten The great Patriarke Iacob blessed his sons being blind dogs licked the wounds of holy Lazarus legs patient Iob did wipe and shaue off the wormes of his flesh with a tile stone holy Tobias saw nothing but what his children directed him vnto but none of all these things hindered them from seruing their Lord and God and from helping their neighbors brothers to saue themselues Remigius saith Behold O my soule behold the good theefe had sentence to die vpon the crosse with his ioints seuered the one from the other his eies couered his flesh rent torn his bloud shed and yet notwithstanding al this with his hart which only liued he knew how to remedy and saue himselfe In so few houres in so short a space the pennance which the good theefe did could not be great nor the sighes which hee gaue could not bee many yet because hee gaue them so from his heart and with such great deuotion Christ tooke them in a sort for a iust account not only those which thē he gaue but also those which he had a will afterward to giue if death had not cut him off CHAP. VII How the naughty theefe lost himselfe only for want of faith and of two chalices which the scripture maketh mention of of which both the theeues dranke of COnsurge consurge Hierusalem quiae bibisti calicem
loue when he doth impart his grace amongst vs insomuch that with the first loue hee deliuered vs from being slaues and with the second loue he receiued vs to be his sonnes In figure of all this the altar of the Synagogue was all hollow but the altar of the church is massie and sound by reason of the feruent loue which God beareth vs and great charitie and mercy which hee doth vs. It is much to bee noted that God doth not commend vnto vs Faith Hope Patience and Chastitie but only Charitie in which words hee giueth vs to vnderstand that if we doe set much by that which our Lord giueth vs we ought to esteeme much more of the loue with the which hee doth giue it vs. Isidorus sayth That all the courtesies which our Lord doth promise vs and all the persuasions vvhich hee vseth vnto vs are to no other end but because vve should bee thankfull vnto him and because vve should be mercifull vnto our neighbours What vvanteth hee vvhich vvanteth not Charity and what hath he who hath no Charity The mercifull and pitifull man hath God alwaies at his hand that he fall not from his faith that hee lose not his hope that he defile not his chastity nor despise humility for in the high tribunall seat of God no man need to feare that they will deale cruelly with him if hee hath had any charity in this world Wherein doest thou thinke saith S. Ierome that all Christian charity doth consist and al the health of thy soule but only in seruing of Christ with all our heart and in labouring to profit and benefit our neighbour What greater good can I doe vnto my brother than put him in the right way if hee be out and correct him if hee bee naught Bede sayth vpon this matter That true and chast loue may bee deuided betwixt God and our neighbour so as our neighbor be not prowd and naught for if he be so we are to wish his saluation and flie his conuersation Wee haue spoken all this to declare the great charity which this good theefe had and also vsed towards the naughty theefe seeing that vpon the crosse hee taught him that which was conuenient for him reprehended him in that which he spake Neque tu times deum qui in eadem damnatione es said the good theefe vnto the bad as if he would say O my friend and companion I wonder much at thee that hauing beene of such a naughty life and conuersation and being vpon the very point to die I say I maruel that thou darest to crucifie this holy Prophet more with thy tongue than the hang men doe with their nailes because the nailes doe open his vains but thy euill tongue doth rend his entralls The good theefe vsed but few wordes but they contained many mysteries and therefore it is needfull that they be read with attention and written with grauity It is to bee noted that although our Lord God be present in all things with his power yet hee is much more in mans heart and tongue by grace because those are the two parts with the which we doe most of all please or offend God with S. Aug. saith That the eies doe loth oft to see the ears to hear the hands are loth to work the feet to go yea the body to sinne but the heart is neuer weary of thinking nor the tongue with speaking Cor mundum crea in me deus pone custodiam ori meo said the Prophet Dauid as if he would say I beseech thee O good Lord that thou wouldest renue this heart within me put a watch vnto this mytongue because that al the other parts of my body can but trouble offend me but the heart tongue can trouble me damne me S. Ambrose saith That it is a certein token that we are in Gods fauor when he doth giue vs grace to keep our hearts clean our tongues brideled because the foundation of all Christian goodnes is to beleeue our Lord God with all our hearts praise him with our tongue Ego dabo eis cer nouuÌ„ said God vnto Israel I will open thy mouth said God vnto Ezechiel as if he would say I will lighten thy heart O Israel to the end that thou maist beleeue in me and I will open thy mouth O Ezechiel to the end that thou maist preach my name for thou hast obtained no small gift if thou come to know me learn wel to set forth my name To come theÌ„ vnto our purpose the grace of a new heart which God gaue vnto Israel and the gift of praising his name which he gaue Ezechiel Christ also gaue vnto the good theef which was neer vnto him seeing he touched his heart with the which he beleeued in him opened his mouth with the which he preached his name Vbertinus saith That this good theefe was an excellent preacher in the church of God who in a sort seemed to goe before the Apostles in faithfully beleeuing and preaching Christs might and power What greater maruell wouldst thou haue the bloud of Christ worke saith Rabanus thaÌ„ to make preachers of theeues robbers the pulpit in the which hee preached was the crosse the preacher was the theâ—f the holy one of whoÌ„ he preached was Christ the church where he preached was Caluary the audience before whom he preached were the Iews the Theame vpoÌ„ which he preached was Neque tu deum times Neither doest thou fear God and that which there hee preached was the setting forth of Christ and the reprehending of that which his fellow spake The office of a preacher is saith Saint Gregory Secreta reserarae vitia extirpare virtutes inserere The duty of a preacher is to open the secrets of the scripture extirpate vice out of the Commonwealth and teach how our soules are to be saued What greater secret can there bee than to confesse and preach a man crucified to bee God Who reprehended vices like vnto this theefe seeing that hee confessed himselfe to be a sinner and accused the other theefe to bee a blasphemer who did teach the way to heauen better thaÌ„ this theef seeing hee was almost the first that went thither The good theefe deuided his sermon into foure parts the first was when hee rebuked the other theefe when hee said Neque tu deum times the second when hee accused himselfe to bee naught saying Nos quidem iustè patimur The third when he excused Christ saying Hic autem quid mali fecit The fourth when hee craued pardon for his sinnes Domine memento mei Lord remember mee Seeing then that the preacher is but a new preacher the pulpit new and the thing that he preacheth new it is reason that wee should heare that which hee preacheth with attention and do that which he counselleth with great deuotion Auferetur zelus meus ate quiescam ne irascar amplius said God by Ezechiel chap.
put mee to death on the Mount of Caluary and on the Mount of Caluary they kill thee at high noone daies they execute mee and at the same houre they execute thee thou art as neere the end of thy life as I am neere to death and therfore Lord remember me thus as wee depart both together out of this world so also we may both together goe into heauen What reason doth permit it or what iustice doth suffer O my good Lord that thou shouldest take me for thy companion to suffer on the crosse with thee and when thou doest go into heauen to leaue mee here behind thee Seeing thou wilt depart out of this world to death and that through such a narrow passage and long way whom canst thou take with thee better than the theefe which was thy fellow vpon the tree It is necessary that thy poore mother liue thou hast left thy Iohn thy cousin to his owne custodie Peter thy Disciple hath denied thee Iudas thy steward hath sold thee all the Iewes haue beene vngratefull vnto thee and therfore seeing that thou doest see no body neere thee who doth confesse and acknowledge thee but my selfe alone who am here alone with thee Lord remember mee and either giue mee somewhat in thy Testament or take mee with thee to Paradise O holy Nazarean and blessed Prophet seeing that thou diddest heare Ionas out of the Whales belly Daniel out of the lake of Babilonia Ioseph out of the dungeon of Egypt Ieremy out of the darke well and diddest heare Dauid when he said Tibi soli peccaui I haue sinned vnto thee only why doest thou not heare-mee when I crie Lord remember mee Domine memento mei Behold O my good Lord behold O my good companion now my eies doe breake now my last houre is come now my sight faileth mee and my speech is troubled and my soule is pulled out of my body and therefore in this narrow passing and doubtfull way vnto whome should I say better than vnto thee Lord remember me yea and all the whole Psalme of Miserere Iosue was a theefe seeing he stole grapes fron Chanaan Dauid was a theefe seeing hee stole the bottle of water from Saul Rachael was a theefe seeing she stole the idols from her father Ionathas was a theefe seeing hee stole hony from the hiue Iosaba was a theefe seeing he stole the infant Ionas and yet thou diddest not command any one of all these to bee hanged nor send them from thy houseuf this be so and if thou diddest forgiue those which stole thy goods wilt thou not forgiue mee poore theefe who turne for thy honours sake and keepe thee company in this place Seeing that of old time thou art accustomed to forgiue very famous theeues and dissemble very notorious thefts why doest thou not forgiue me among them and absolue me of my sinnes If thou wilt haue tears for the thefts which I haue done thou seest that they run downe my cheekes if thou doest content thy selfe to see bloud thou seest that there is no drop left in mee if thou wilt haue mee whip my selfe I am already bowelled if thou wilt haue mee repent I say vnto thee Soli peccaui if thou wilt haue mee make entire satisfaction how canst thou haue me to do it not hauing halfe an houre to liue Lord Iesus remember mee and bee my surety vnto thy father in the other world and put mee with thy chosen flocke write mee in thy booke and place mee in thy glory seeing that the faith of which thou art doth flourish onely in thy mother and remaineth in my heart Remember mee O good Iesus and if thou wilt depart out of this sorrowfull life into the other before mee I beseech thee leaue mee the step of thy foor to tread in and a path-way to follow thee for if I acknowledge thee for my God and receaue thee for my God and beleeue in thee for my God being as thou art dismembred and crucified shall not I serue thee and praise thee farre better when I shall see thee glorified Darest thou trust me with thy crosse because I should worship it and with thy body because I should accompany thee and with thy mother to comfort her and with thy honour to defend it and with thy church to augment it and with thy faith to maintaine it and wilt thou not put thy glory into my hands that I may alwaies praise thee in it When they condemned thee to bee crucified and brought mee to bee executed I heard thee say there before Pilate That thy kingdome was not of this world and then seeing thou art a king and hast a kingdome remember mee and take me with thee and I will tell thy father what thou hast suffered to serue him and all the fauours which thou hast done for me Now that the good theefe hath made his praier vnto God and recommended himselfe vnto him it is reason now that the naughty theefe haue license to speake which is my naughty and peruerse heart because the theefe which hanged on the left hand of God did blaspheme Christ but once but thou my soule doest blaspheme him euery day Remember mee O sweet Iesus and haue mercy on mee O my soules glory to the end that the shedding of thy pretious bloud be not euilly bestowed in mee for at the time when thou diddest shed it thou diddest not feeele so grieuously the vvant of it in thy bodie as thou diddest feele the vngratefulnesse of the whole world And when is thy precious bloud vnthankfully shed for mee but when I yeeld vnto that which my Sensuality demâ—ndeth of mee and not vnto that which thy Gospell counselleth mee What is all that worth which I would if thou wilt not If thou goest to seeke out theeues and if thou doest hunt after sinners why doest thou seeke for any more than for mee because there is no theefe who hath committed greater robberies than I nor any sinners who hath done more greeuous sins than I O patient and benigue Lord if the wickednesse of my heart and the offences which I haue committed in secret were knowne notoriously vnto the iudges of the world as they are knowne vnto thee I should many yeares agoe haue beene hanged and in the other world condemned I will not say with the Prophet Dauid Where be thy old mercies seeing that I see them enter euery day into my gates because I doe not make more hast to sinne than thou to pardon mee The pardon which thou diddest giue vnto the good theefe doth giue vs also great hope to obtaine pardon at thy hands for he being come to the gibbet condemned for his offence went away sanctified with thy Grace If thou do giue theeues and robbers kingdomes what wilt thou do and giue vnto theÌ„ whom thou doest loue and are chosen of thy father If thou diddest giue the kingdome of heauen to a rouer and a theese for speaking one onely word vnto thee and seruing thee one
the bowels of his mercy The holy Prophet dooth in this open a high mystery vnto vs whereby hee giueth vs to vnderstand how entirely our Lord dooth loue vs seeing that hee doth visite vs vvith the bowels of his mercy There bee many vvhich haue this word Mercy in their mouth but not in their hands and those bee such as are faire in speech but cruell in deedes and such vse sweet speech to take men and flattery to kill them Others there bee which haue mercy in their handes and nor in their tongues the which are rough in words but mild and gentle in deeds and those offer blowes but strike not they feare but kill not Only our sweet Iesus hath mercy pity in his mouth seeing hee dooth so much commend it vnto vs and in his deedes seeing hee dooth vse it so much and also in his bowels because hee dooth loue vs so much S. Barnard sayth vnto this purpose Our Lord would not place mercy in the eies least they should make him blind hee would not place it in the eares for feare they should make him deaffe hee would not place it in the handes for feare it should bee lost hee would not put it to keepe in the body for feare least it should grow old neither yet in the tongue for feare hee should be dumbe But our good Iesus put it to keepe in his heart to bestow it vpon those whom hee loueth and keepeth it within his bowels because that all that which is loued with the heart is kept within the heart O good Iesus O the life of my soule I beseech thee by the bowels of thy mercy that thou wouldest take pity on my sinfull soule and seeing I haue no other Lord in my bowels but thy selfe on whom wouldest thou better bestow the mercy which thou hast within thine than vpon mee Thou diddest speake with the bowels of thy mercy vnto the good theefe when thou wast not content onely to say Amen Truly I say but thou diddest adde tibi to thee letting vs vnderstand that thou diddest speake vnto him alone and promise Paradise vnto him alone and vnto no other Vbertinus sayth That if when Christ said Amen dico hee had not added tibi his mother who brought forth his humanity and the other theefe which had lost his liberty might haue thought that hee had spoken vnto them I say if hee had not turned himselfe vnto the good theefe and said tibi What meaneth this O good Iesus what meaneth this doest thou speake vnto the theefe and forget thy mother Doest thou not speake vnto thy mother who bare thee nine months in her bowels and doest thou speake vnto the theefe who had knowne thee but three houres Doest thou promise presently Paradise vnto the theefe which spake but three words and doest thou make no reckoning of thy mother who bought thee with her teares Doest thou bestow thy precious bloud first vpon a theefe which knew not how to do any thing else but shed bloud by the high waies before thou doest bestow it vpon thy mother Would it not bee reason to pay thy mother now with the bloud that runneth from thy side for the milke which thou diddest sucke of her breast What more heroicall and diuine exchange could there bee made in the world betwixt the sonne and the mother the mother and the sonne than bloud for milke and milke for bloud If thou doest looke O good Iesus that shee should speake vnto thee as the theefe did doest thou not see that for wearines she cannot helpe thee for griefe she cannot looke vpon thee for feare shee cannot comfort thee and for being astonied shee cannot speake vnto thee I beseech thee Per viscera misericordia that thou wouldest say Amen dico vobis as thou doest say Amen dico tibi For by that means thou shouldest comfort thy mother satisfie the theefe vanquishe Hell helpe the world and withall I should haue hope to be pardoned If thou doest die for all and not for one why doest thou not say Verely I say vnto you as thou doest say Truly I say vnto thee O sweet Iesus and loue of my soule seeing that vpon my knees and my face bathed in teares I say vnto thee Tibi soli peccaui I haue sinned vnto thee alone doe not I deserue to heare from thy mouth these words Amen dico tibi Truly I say vnto thee Anselmus sayth That it was too timely to giue Paradise vnto his mother and the other theefe had not deserued it and the great Centurion was not yet become a Christian and the Iewes were hardened in their hearts and therefore it was not without cause that he said vnto the theef Amen dico tibi and not Amen dico vobis It was a great word which God spake vnto the first man that is dominamini piscibus maris volatilibus cali but that which hee spake vnto the good theefe was farre greater because it is far better to be companions vnto the Angels in heauen than kings ouer beasts vpon earth It was a great word that God spake vnto Noe that is I found thee iust in my sight but this which hee spake vnto the theefe was far greater because it is better to be iust receiue the reward of being iust thā to be simply iust That was a fauourable speech which hee vsed vnto king Dauid I haue found a man according vnto my heart but this which he spake vnto the good theefe was farre more fauourable because that Dauid was but neere vnto his heart but the theefe was in his heart And it did appear easily that Dauid was but neer Gods heart seeing hee did sinne afterward and it doth well appeare that hee had the theefe within his heart seeing hee suffered him to sinne nor steale no more That was a fauorable speech which God vsed vnto Abraham that is Num celare potero qua gesturus sum Abraham But that which was vsed towards the theefe was more fauourable because the greatest secret that God reuealed vnto Abraham was that the son of God should come into the world but hee did not onely reueale but also shew this vnto the good theef Christ did trust the good theef better thā he did trust Abraham because he was the first sinner who saw the redemption of the world with his eies he was hee vpon whome the bloud of Christ was first bestowed The precious bloud of the sonne of God was then otherwise shed towards the theefe who was vpon the crosse than towards his mother who was by the crosse because it dropped downe vpon the garment of his sorrowfull mother but it went to the soule of the theefe to saue him therevpon the holy theef went immediately to Paradise but his sorrowful mother staied weeping on the Mount of Caluary O holy bloud O heauenly blame why doest thou take such pity on the theefe doest deferre to giue thy mother the kingdome of heauen which thou doest giue presently vnto
must deliuer the father of all fault and allow the sonnes complaint to bee good To vnfold our selues of this businesse it is to bee noted that Christ said by the Prophet Abinfantia creuit mecum miseratio Because he began to suffer from his childhood and yet hee neuer complained vntill the time came that hee should die Leo vpon the Passion of our Lord sayth That the noble mens children of this world crie our presently when they see any trouble come vpon them and aske for succour but neuer any man saw our Lord open his mouth to complaine vntill a quarter of an houre before they would pull his heart out of his body S. Chrisostome vpon Luke crieth out sayth What newes is this O redeemer of the vvorld vvhat news is this When they lay hands on thee thou takest it quietly vvhen they blaspheme thee thou makest as though thou vvere deaffe vvhen they vvhip thee thou doest hold thy tongue whon they doe crucifie thee thou doest suffer vvhen they kil thee thou doest dissemble and yet doest thou open thy mind euen as thou art yeelding vp thy ghost Why doest thou complaine vpon thy father alone hauing as thou hast so many enemies which haue offended thee that is Iudas who sold thee Peter which did denie thee Pilate which gâ—ue sentence on thee Herod vvho scorned thee and all the people vvhich put thee to death Demosthenes the Philosopher sayth That a man ought neuer begin that vvhich hee cannot bring to an end nor say that vvhich he cannot proue nor aske that which cannot be giuen him nor loue that vvhich cannot be gotten noâ— contend with him vvhome hee cannot reuenge nor yet complaine of that which cannot bee remedied Seneca in an Epistle sayth That no man should say that hee complaineth vnlesse he thinke that he shall haue remedy against his complaint for otherwise he doth himselfe hurt in complaining stirreth him vnto anger of vvhom he complaineth Tell mee then O good Iesus what remedy hâ—st thou for thy coÌ„plaint seeing that thou hast not halfe an houre to liue Doest thou make thy request vnto thy Father when thy soule is euen now departing from thy body Who euer heard of or euer saw the like that the end of thy vexitions to bee the beginning of thy complaint in thirty and three yeares that thou diddest conuerse with vs thou diddest neuer braule with any thou diddest neuer iniury any man nor neuer complaine of any man and now being at the very point of death doest thou complaine only vpon thy Father O what great mystery and deep secret this thy complaint doth couer seeing that in such a time and such a narrow strait thou doest complaine when all other are woont to pardon their iniuries and reconcile their enmities and aske pardon for their offences Pauper in laboribus a iuuentute mea exaltatus autem humiliatus conturbatus these wordes the Prophet Dauid sayth in the person of Christ Psalme 88 as if hee would say I haue been brought vp in trauails and pouerty from my childhood and then I was lifted vp and then made low and afterward troubled and persecuted Thy fears haue made me afraid and thy angers haue broken vpon me and thy trauails haue compassed me about and they haue compassed me about altogether as it were a vie and ouer and aboue all this thou hast set my friend farre from me and hast seperated him who was my neighbour farre from me If wee doe deepely looke into the complaints which the sonne maketh in this place against his eternall Father wee shall find that they are many in number great in quality and in respect incomparable cruell in their kind and vnworthy of him vnto whom they are sent Basil vpon the Psalme sayth That speaking like a man it seemeth in humane reason that the innocency of good Iesus did not deserue neither could it be in the clemency of his good Father that the diuine pittie should load vpon weake humanity so many torments together and heape so many troubles vexations The first complaint which the sonne made against his Father is Quod pauper in laboribus sum a iuuentute mea to wit That he brought him vp poorely from his childhood he made him liue with hunger and go like a banished man from place to place Cicero sayth in an Epistle When a young man doth suffer trauails and endure pouerty if he bee not a foole and an idiot he beareth it with a great courage by remembring that his Father was poore in the same manner but if his Father had been rich and now hee himselfe poore this is such a misfortune that there is no patience able to endure it nor heart which can dissemble it What should the sonne of God thinke when hee remembreth what a rich Father hee had and that hee did spend all his treasure vpon other mens children and suffer him to goe poorely naked and a hungred and scorned by all men The Apostle speaking of Gods riches sayth Deus qui dines es in omnibus as if hee would say Thou art the God only which doth possesse great riches and art the Lord which hath many lordships because thou shouldest want nothing thy selfe and to impart much of the ouerplus vnto others Gloria diuitiae in domo eius saith the Prophet his house is full of glory and there is infinite wealth in his chamber If God then haue glory for those which are in heauen with him and bee also a father who hath wealth for such as are with him in this world what was the cause why he did not impart some of this vnto his sonne Ambrose vpon this word Pauper in laboribus sayth That most sacred humanity came in pouerty of glory seeing that his Father did not suffer his soule to impart somewhat of his glory vnto his body and his person also liued in pouerty seeing hee had nothing proper vnto himselfe in this life in so much that as the father was rich in all things so the sonne was poore of all things Plato in his Timaeo sayth That although pouerty bee no euill thing in a good man yet notwithstanding mans nature doth much abhorre it because there can none but he be called very fortunate who is able to giue vnto others neither is there any other very vnfortunate but hee who must of necessity aske of others It is to bee thought that Christs humanity did feele his pouerty and necessity which hee endured aswel because his father had very much to bestow vpon him as for that hee must oftentimes aske for that which hee had need of S. Bonauenture sayth in the life of Christ Christ had much a doe to maintaine himselfe and those of his Colledge for sometimes he asked that which he had need of and they gaue it him not and at other times he asked not and yet they sent him in so much that there did striue in his tender heart at one time the hunger
doth tell vs in this authoritie when he sayth Quid vltra debut facere vincae meae and S. Paul when he said Tradit semetipsum pro me where the one speaketh of the great care which our Lord hath in gouerning and maintaining vs and the other of the bitter paine hee tooke in redeeming vs. Our Lord sayth very well what should I haue done more vnto my vineyard seeing that he tooke humane flesh for vs washed away our offences endued vs with his grace incorporated vs in his church and made vs capable of glory What should he hauedone more considering that he hath left vs his body to receiue his merites to help our selues with his Saints to imit-te his Gospel to keepe and his Sacraments for a medicine Quid vltra debus facere considering how he made our bodies of nothing created our soules to his owne likenesse giuen vs Angels to guard vs and bestowed all the earth vpon vs What should he do more seeing that hee hath commanded the sunne to giue vs light the earth to sustaine vs the fire to heat vs the water to wash vs the aire to recreate vs What should he doe more for vs seeing thâ—t ouer and aboue all other beasts hee hath giuen vs iudgement to discerne good from bad memory to rememberthings pâ—st and a will to loue that which is holy and good If these benefites doe seeme great vnto thee yet I tell thee further that he hath done more than this for thee which thou hast forgotten of which our Lord wil call for an account at the great day of his generall accounts What are these new sauours or when doth hee vnto vs any other good turnes but when hee turneth some dangerous hurt from vs Griefe of mind anxietie of heart feares of life suddaine passions touching our credite and fame with such like as are woont to assault vs euery minure of an houre although we thinke not on them so that if our Lord should not keepe vs with his mighty hand wee should liue with paine and die with perill What are those mischiefes which doe most of all weary vs and which are neuer from vs but dreadfull death vnspeakable griefe bitter teares extreame sorrow and vntollerable feare These fine dolours doe bait and ouerthrow all mortal men because they are so common among great men and so vniuersal among the meaner sort that vntill this day we haue known none exempted from them and wee haue heard of none who haue died and not tried them If euery man will examine his owne person he shall find it to bee true that he knoweth all these mischiefes and euils not by any science which hee hath heard but by experience within himselfe seeing that we see nothing else euery houre but euery man to weepe and bewaile his infinite paines and griefes And because we may not seeme that we doe speake at pleasure we will speake of euery word a little to bring thee to remembrance how euery one of these griefes is experimented in thy selfe As concerning the first which is death what mortall man was euer borne in this life whom death in the end hath not made an end of and put into his graue With this condition we come into the world and liue in the world that in the end wee must leaue the world and that by reason of a common law which he hath giuen vs. The second griefe are teares and what mortall man did euer liue in this world with such great ioy but hath wept at some time or other and that heartily Horace sayth That weeping is so naturall a thing vnto all mortall men that we be borne weeping liue weeping and die weeping Demosthenes sayth That a man hath need of a maister to learne all offices and duties vnlesse it be weeping because there is nothing wherof a man hath such abundance and plenty as of cares in his mind complaints in his tongue and teares in his eies The third paine is sorrow for what mortall man did euer attaine vnto such sure and quiet state of life that hee should neuer need to fetch at any time a deepe sigh O that it is well seene in the life of holy Iacob that to mourne sigh and weepe are offices and duties so annexed vnto the miserable life of man that we shall first see our selues dead than free from them The griefes which trouble our mindes are so many and the anxieties which charge our bowels are so huge and strong that lamenting and vvailing is taken for a remedy and sighing for a comfort and weeping for an ease because it happeneth often to afflicted minds that the more teares they shed the more ease their hearts receiue The fourth paine which is griefe what man hath euer beene so strong and healthy who hath not beene throwne downe with some sicknesse or beaten vvith some great affliction O that the Apostle said very well that vvee haue a treasure in fickle vessels seeing that vvee are so weake in strength and feeble of health that wee doe nothing but keepe our selues from the sunne least hee burne vs and from cold least it goe through vs and from the aire least it distemper vs from the vvater least it stop vs and from meat least vvee disgest it not Auerroes sayth That because these inferiour bodies are subiect vnto the superiour influences of the heauens they passe great perill and are endangered by the starres and planets for the elements often changing in themselues the bodies which are made of them doe also the like Of all the riches of this life there is none equall or to bee compared vnto health because that all other paines and griefes either time doth cure or discretion doth moderate The fist paine vvhich is feare vvhat mortall man had his heart euer so at rest that no feare hath euer come vpon him or in vvhome no suddaine passion hath raigned Menander sayth That of necessitie there must raigne in mens hearts mirth or sorrow loue or hatred paine or ease and hope or feare but of all these sorrow and hatred paine and feare are those which doe most of all raigne in our bowels because we see mirth and loue pleasure and hope either late or neuer come to our dore Cicero in his Commonwealth sayth put case that wee loue many things yet without comparison wee feare more thinges and that which is worst of all is that our loue doth change euery day but our feare doth neuer depart from vs. Plautus sayth How merry so euer our countenance bee and how full soeuer of laughter thy mouth bee and howsoeuer the tongue talketh yet neuerthelesse the sorrowfull heart is loaded with feare for hee feareth least his credite and honour shall bee taken from him or least they steale away his vvealth or least his life be neere an end or least that vvhich hee loueth should be long absent Xenophon saith What pleasure or contentment can raigne in any mortall mans heart seeing that wee suffer so many griefes
Mount Caluarie THE SECOND PART Compyled by the Reuerend Father Don Anthonio de Gueuara Bishop of Mondonnedo Chronicler and preacher vnto Charles the fift In this Booke the Authour treateth of the Seuen Words which Christ our Redeemer spake hanging vpon the Crosse Translated out of Spanish into English IL VOSTRO MALIGNARE NON GIOVA NVLLA LONDON Printed by Adam Islip for Edward White and are to bee sold at his shop by the little North dore of Pouls at the signe of the Gun Anno. 1597. ⧠A Table of the Chapters contained in this Booke PAter ignoice illis quia nesciunt quid faciunt Chap. 2 How the sonne of God said vnto his Father that those which crucifie him bee not his enemies but his friends Fol. 7 Chap. 3 How the son of God put himselfe a mediator betwixt God and mankind and what torment he receiued therby Fol. 13 Chap. 4 Of many qualities conditions which the praier of Father forgiue them had in it how it is meet for vs to follow it in our praiers Fol. 20 Chap. 5 Why the father answered not his son when hee praied for his enemies Fol. 24 Chap. 6 How Christ praied for his enemies on the crosse more heartily then hee did in the garden for himselfe seeing the one praier was made with condition and the other not Fol. 30 Chap. 7 How God is more mercifull now than hee was in time past and why Christ did not say that he did pardon his enemies when hee asked pardon for them of his Father Fol. 35 Chap. 8 How our Lord reckoneth with the Synagogue and of fiue cruelties which the Iewes vsed in the death of Christ Fol. 42 Chap. 9 How that Christs mercy was farre greater towards the Synagogue than their naughtinesse towards him seeing hee pardoned her though she desired no pardon Fol. 51 The Contents of the second word OF the conuersion of the good theefe and of the great wonders which our Lord did vnto him in this case Fol. 64 Chap. 2 How Iudas Iscarioth was a great theefe of the thefts hee committed and how hee fell from the apostleship Fol. 69 Chap. 3 Here are reckoned many other great offences which Iudas committed and diuers treasons which he did against Christ. Fol. 76 Chap. 4 Of the great vertues which the good theef had which died with Christ and how he beleeued of that which the Prophet Ieremy speaketh to this purpose Fol. 83 Chap. 5 How three houres in which the good theefe was with Christ vpon the crosse did profite him more than the three yeares profited Iudas in the which he followed Christ and how some steale vntill they come to the gallows and how this theefe stole vpon the gallows Fol. 90 Chap. 6 How the good theefe had nothing remaining on the crosse but his heart and his tongue and that by these two hee gained glory and there are curious points vttered touching the heart Fol. 96 Chap. 7 How the naughty theefe lost himselfe onely for want of faith and of two chalices which the scripture maketh mention of of which both the theeues dranke of Fol. 105 Chap. 8 Of the great charity which the good theefe had towards the naughty theefe in correcting him of euill doing and in aduising him of the good which he lost Fol. 113 Chap. 9 Why the good theefe did not chide with the naughty theefe because hee did not loue Christ as hee did chide with him because hee did not feare God there are many notable things brought touching the feare of our Lord. Fol. 121 Chap. 10 How the son of God was more grateful vnto the good theefe which bare him company on the crosse than Pharoahs cupbearer was to Ioseph who accompanied him in prison Fol. 130 Chap. 11 Of these words Domine memento mei Lord remember mee which the good theefe spake vnto Christ the which words are deuoutly and deepely expounded Fol. 139 Chap. 12 How our Lord heard the theeues praier vpon the crosse and how Christ answered in the seuen wordes for siue which he spake vnto Christ Fol. 149 Chap. 13 How the son of God neuer vsed this word Paradise vntill he promised it vnto the good theefe of many learned expositions of this saying Hodie mecum eris Paradiso This day thou shalt be with me in Paradise Fol. 157 The Contents of the third Word THat the loue which the mother of God had did exceed the loue of all other men also the loue of Angels Fol. 174 Chap. 2 How that if the loue which the mother bare vnto her sonne was great so likewise the loue which the son bare his mother was no lesse and to proue this there is expounded a saying of the Canticles Fol. 181 Chap. 3 Of the first and second word which holy Simeon spake vnto our Lady and how many fall from the law of Christ without his fault Fol. 189 Chap. 4 Of the third word which old Simeon spake vnto the Virgine in the Temple and of three authorities touching this purpose Fol. 195 Chap. 5 How Salomon did inherite the kingdome of his father Dauids pleasures and how Christ did inherit the kingdome of trauails Chap. 6 Of the sword of griefe which killed the son of God and went through his blessed mother Fol. 212 Chap. 7 How the Virgine and her family stood hard by the crosse and others sate a farre off Fol. 220 The Contents of the fourth Word HOw Christ in this speech more than in all the rest seemeth to change his stile of speaking Fol. 233 Chap. 2 How Christ doth complaine vpon his father because he doth breake all his anger vpon his body Fol. 242 Chap. 3 How Christ complaineth of his Father because he took all his friends from him in his passion and all others which he knew Fol. 247 Chap. 4 How Christ complaineth on his Father because he bathed his body with the bloud of his vaines and drowned his heart in waters of distresse Fol. 255 Chap. 5 How Christ complaineth of his Father because he did permit those to crucifie him which were wont to bee his friends and how he calleth them friends Fol. 260 Chap. 6 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 Fol. 265 Chap. 7 How Christ complaineth vnto his father because they did open his wounds through malice as they did stop vp Isaacs wels through enuy Fol. 273 Chap. 8 How the son of God complaineth to his father because they did load his body with stripes and his heart with care and anguish Fol. 286 Chap. 9 How the son of God complaineth vpon the Synagogue that hauing carried them vpon his backe yet they bee vngratefull vnto him Fol. 297 Chap. 10 How Christ complaineth vnto his Father vpon vs for our vngratefulnesse considering that he hath taken vpon himselfe all our offences Fol. 303 Chap. 11 Christ complaineth vnto his Father how badly
greater the sighs of the faithful the tears which issued out of his mothers eies or the bloud which gushed out of Christ vains or the blasphemies which the wicked Iewes vttered with their mouth but yet our holy meek Iesus did first pardō the iniuries before he was mindful of the tears O good Iesus O redeemer of my soule saith Anselmus as thou dost say Father forgiue thē why dost thou not say dry the eies of my sorrowfull mother stanch the bloud of my tender vains heal the woūds of my gētle flesh haue pity cōpassion of these faithfull women which here weep for my sake as thou didst say in thy last supper saith Ciprian Mandatū nouū do vobis I giue you a new cōmandemēt so maist thou now say vpō the crosse I giue you a new exāple seeing that neuer any before thee hath taught vs so perfect a maner how to loue nor so liuely an exāple how to pardon it was a strange a new kind of goodnes which Iesus vsed in asking pardon first for those which crucified him rather then for those which followed him for his mother which accompanied him for without comparison the griefe which he had to see the souls of his enemies perish was farre greater vnto him thē to see his mothers eies run downe with tears Let no man thē wonder nor maruel that our good Iesus did remēber himself first of the people which murdered him before his mother which bare him because he came not into the world to drie mēs eies frō weeping but to sauesoules from perishing Secōdly the son of God shewed his mercy in asking pardon for his enemies with kind sweet words that is not by calling him God or Lord or creator but only father which is a word answerable vnto mercy pity contrariwise this word God or Lord doth alwaies signifie iustice Whē Christ said Father forgiue them hee would haue said Lord forgiue them or my God forgiue them it would haue seemed that he would haue had the pardon according vnto the rigor of iustice the which if he had required or his father granted there is no doubt at al but before the son of God should haue yeelded vp his ghost the ground would haue opened swallowed thē vp Whē the son of God would ask any great thing of his father he began his praier alwaies with Father as whē he said I confesse vnto thee O father whē he said Father into thy hands I cōmend my spirit What meaneth this O redecmer of my soule what meaneth this Is thy pity so great towards vs and thy mercy so abundant that thou doest pray for thy enemies with the same wordes as thou doest pray for thy own affairs S. Chrysost vpon S. Mathew noteth That the excōmunicated Iews did alwaies change their stile maner of speech whē they spake vnto Christ for once they said Benedictus qui venit in nomine domini anone after they said Vah qui destruis tēplū but as for the son of God as his mind was sincere clear inwardly so his words were holy outwardly were not think you his words holy his thoughts pure cleare whē he said vnto his Father Father forgiue them seeing hee praied with his tongue pardoned with his heart S. Barnard crieth out O sweet Iesus O redeemer of my soule what couldest thou haue said or what shouldest thou haue done more for thy enemies thā pardon them with all thy heart make intercession for thē with such sweet louing words Thirdly Christ shewed his goodnes mercie in asking pardon in the presence of such as were there that is in the presence of his sorrowful mother of his welbeloued disciple his deer friend Mary Magdalen his cousins and kindred shewing that as all men were by him redeemed so also all should be by him pardoned Vbertinus to this purpose saith O good Iesus in the death which thou didst suffer and in the pardon which thou diddest giue to thy enemies thou diddest not only helpe thy selfe there with thy tongue but also with thy heart seeing thou didst entreat thy father with thy tongue that he would haue pity on them and diddest also beseech thy mother with thy heart that she would forgiue them Rabanus vpon S. Matthew saith That it was not without a high mystery hidden sacrament that the son of God when he died would haue his mother his kindred there the reason was because they should all be witnesses of his pardon as they were of his passion for our holy Lord had a greater desire that his bloud should benefite his enemies than that his kindred should entreat at his death for him Wherfore O good Iesus saith Anselmus wherfore didst thou bring thy mother all thy family to the foot of the crosse but only because as thou didst suffer in thy flesh so they should also fuffer in their hearts as thou didst forgiue thē thy death they should also forgiue thē their iniuries wrongs done by thē Bonauenture saith that as the son of God said father forgiue thē opēly so he said mother forgine thē insecret in so much that as the hangmē did martirize the sonne so the son martirized the mother leauing her bound to weep his death but not licensed to reuēge it O my Iesus O my soules health I beseech thee that as thou didst get pardon of thy father and mother for thy enemies so thou wouldst get me pardon for my sinnes saying Father forgiue mother forgiue him seeing I am hateful vnto thy father by reason of the sins which I commit against him vngratefull vnto thy mother for the benefites which I haue receiued of her O happy holy day in which thou didst die seeing that on that day the Father forgaue his iniury the son pardoned his death the mother pardoned her martyrdome Saint Iohn pardoned his reproch and perill Mary Magdalen her anguish and distresse and the good theefe was pardoned of his sinne How was it possible that the Father should not forgiue the world of their sinnes seeing that on one day in one houre and at one time they said Father forgiue them the son by letting his bloud streame from his vaines the mother by suffering her tears flow from her eies and the sadde familie by piercing the heauen with their sighes Because saith Ciprian the office of the son of God was to put together that which was broken and reconcile those which disagreed hee would not depart out of this world before hee had made an attonement betwixt his friendes and his foes beseeching his father to forgiue thē cōmanding his mother not to accuse thē The sorrowful mother had great reason to challenge the Iews for the life which they took frō her son and also the father for the wrongful death which they put him to therefore our most merciful redeemer besought of his father that he wold not cōdemn thē into
sinne and wickednesse in hell so also there is nothing but naughty and wicked men Wee are much more bound vnto our Christ than Samaria vnto their king Iehu because that that king did only rid Samaria of naughty men but the sonne of God made cleane purged all the earth from sinne Who are the children of Achab whose heads king Iehu cut off and who are the priests of Baal which the also slew but Idolatry which hee tooke away from the Gentiles and the Mosaicall law which hee tooke from the Iewes What is the charriot which the son of God went vp into to accomplish such high and strange things but onely the crosse vpon the which our holy Lord attained such and so many great victories It is to be noted that the king Iehu did not aske Ionadab whether their apparell were alike or neat of one fashion but if they loued one another alike to let vs vnderstand that without comparison our Lord doeth much more regard the loue which wee beare him than the seruices which wee doe him Saint Basil vpon the Prophet which saith Bonorum meorum non eges Thou wantest not of my goods saith I see wel my God I see well that how much the more need I haue of thee the lesse thou hast of me and if thou hast need of mee it is not in respect of the goods of fortune but the loue of my mind Note also that the king of Israel and no other tooke Ionadab by the hand to lift him vp into the charriot whereby we are to vnderstand that onely the sonne of God no other Saint of heauen is able to giue vs grace to loue him giue vs strength to follow him Who is able to follow thee or hath power to imitate thee O redeemer of the vvorld if thou doe not first stretch out thy hand vnto him who is able to lift himselfe vp vnto the charriot where thou doest triumph or vnto the crosse whither thou goest to die if thou doe not take vs by the arme to lift vs vp and if thou doe not hold vs by the hand least wee fall How had it beene possible for Mary Magdalen to haue forsaken her prophane life or Matthew his renting of custome or Paul his persecution or the thiefe his assailing of men by the high vvay if the sonne of God had not taken them by the hand and lifted them vp vnto the crosse with him When in the holy scripture by the feet are vnderstood good purposes and desires and by the hands good works what meaneth he by giuing Ionadab his handes and not his feet for to mount into the chariot but that our good Lord doth rather take hold of the good works which wee doe then of the good purposes which wee haue Gregory in his Register saith If thou wilt get vp vpon the chariot of the crosse with thy captaine Ionadab thou must not get vp with thy tongue which are good words nor with thy feet which are good wishes and purposes but with thy hand which are good deeds because S. Iohn dooth not say Veebaâ—ecoruÌ„ Their words nor Desideria coruÌ„ Their desires but Opera corum sequuntur illes Their works follow theÌ„ It is also to be noted that the king of Israell would not suffer the captaine Ionudab to goe vp into the chariot to him vntill hee had certified and assured him that hee was his true friend in so much that they vnited their hearts before they ioined their hands After the â—â—itation of these two friends we must haue amity and loue with Christ if we wil haue him to helpe vs vp into the chariot and the amity and friendship which wee ought to haue with him is to loue him as hee loueth vs for Christ our Lord will first bee loued of vs then serued by vs. S. Basil saith That if any maÌ„ did labor in the church of God and take pains and forgetteth to loue wee may well say of such a one that he shall not only not bee accepted but that God will thinke him also importunate and troublesome because God will not be serued by men of greatstrength such as are forcible but of such as are free of heart And further the king of Israel was not content to ask Ionadabs heart but that hee should giue it him vpright sincere and entire which Christ also demandeth of vs because the son of God will neuer take him for his friend who hath his heart crooked sinister and not vpright And who hath his heart vpright and sincere but the seruant of our Lord and hee which hath no other thing in this world nor seeketh after any thing but onely Iesus Christ Who is hee who hath his heart crooked and awry but hee who is without life who hath care neither of Christ neither of himselfe but goeth euery houre more and more sinking and as it were drowned in the world Dauid knew this very wel when he said Cor mundum crea in me deus spiritum rectum innoua in visceribus meis as if he would say O great God of Israel O great Lord of the house of Iacob I beseech thee that thou wouldest create a new heart in mee and fauor me with the gift of a new spirit which may be both right and true for the heart which I brought from the womb of my mother is such a one as I dare not offer it vnto thee nor he dareth not appear in thy presence because it is vnclean with sinne and loaden with thoughts and care O good Iesus O my soules hope what better praier can I make vnto thee or what iuster petition can I make vnto thee then that thou wouldest create a new heart in mee That is that you wouldest giue mee a cleane heart with the which I may praise thee and a new spirit with the which I may loue thee Giue me O good Lord giue me a new spirit because mine is old vnpleasant vnto thee giue me a cleane and a chast heart because mine is foule and stinking before thy face for if thou do not no praier of mine can bee acceptable vnto thee nor no worke that I doe can bee meritorious vnto thee Cassiodorus noteth That king Dauid was not content that hee was noble in bloud a Prophet by office a king in degree and in surname and calling of a roiall tribe but he asketh of God aboue all things that hee would giue him a cleane heart and poure the holy ghost into him to let vs vnderstand that it doth little auaile vs to bee gratefull vnto the world if withall wee bee hatefull vnto God Then wee are hatefull vnto God and out of his sauour vvhen our hearts bee vncleane and loaden with many spirits and then wee haue many spirits when vvee please others better then wee please God Which the Prophet liketh not but praieth vnto God that it would please him to giue him a cleane heart to beleeue in him and an vpright to serue him Why
vvouldest thou O my soule haue more then one heart seeing thou art to loue but one Christ onely And vvhy also vvouldest thou haue more then one holy spirit considering that it is the Deuill vvhich poureth many spirits into one body and our God for all bodies hath but one onely spirit S. Barnard vpon the passion of our Lord sayth If wee vvill ascend with Christ to the crosse it is necessary for vs to doe that with our hearts that hee did with his that is with the heart of God hee tooke the heart of a man and with the heart of a spirit hee tooke a heart of flesh and with a high heart hee tooke a low heart and vvith a heart of reuenge hee tooke a heart of pitie and mercy Take good Lord a new heart to come downe from heauen into the world and doe not renue thy heart to ascend from the world to heauen The end of the first word which Christ our redeemer spake on the crosse Here beginneth the second word which Christ our redeemer spake vpon the Crosse when he forgaue the good theefe vz. Amen dico tibi hodie mecum eris in Paradiso Truly I say vnto thee that this day thou shalt be with me in Paradise CHAP. I. ⧠Of the conuersion of the good theefe and of the great wonders which our Lord did vnto him in this case DOmine memento mei dum veneris in regnum tuum said the good theefe which vvas crucified on the right hand of Christ and speaking vnto Christ himselfe and it is as if hee had said O maker of all things and redeemer of all mankind I beseech thee that â—s thou vvouldest take mee for a companion vnto thee vpon this tree so also thou vvouldest vouchsafe to remeber me aboue in thy kingdome If vve marke curiously this speech vve shall find that there vvas neuer praier made vvith like circumstances as this vvas For he vvho made it vvas a theefe the place vvhere he made it vvas on the crosse he vnto vvhom he made it a man crucified that vvhich hee asketh is a kingdome and the time when hee asketh it is when hee was almost dead in so much that at the very time when he should die hee desired that Christ would let him raigne I haue of a long time commended vnto my memory and singularly well liked of that speech of Boetius which saith Quòd nihil ex omniparte beatum as if he would say There is nothing so perfect in this life which doth neither want nor abound in somewhat insomuch that either we haue need of scissers to clip off that which is superfluous or a needle and a thimble to ad that which wanteth Seneca in his booke of Clemency saith It is an hundred and twelue years agoe since I was borne in Cordua a town in Spaine and it is threescore and eight years agoe since I came to dwell in the court of Rome and yet in all this time I neuer saw any thing so perfect which was euen when it came to bee measured or of iust waight in the ballance when it came to be peised or satisfied the eie when it came to bee seene or contented mens minds when it came to be enioied And it is easily perceiued that there is nothing Ex omni parte beatum because there hath neuer been any Prince in the world so famous and renowned no Philosopher so wise no captaine so valorous no personage so worthy who wanted not somewhat worthy of commendation and in whom there was not found somwhat worthy of reprehension Who doubteth that there is nothing euery way perfect seeing there is no maÌ„ aliue who hath not wept who hath not erred who hath not sinned who hath not sighed and who hath not ben persecuted How can wee say that there is any man happy on earth seeing he doth a thousand things whereof hee hath cause to repent scarse one thing worthy of praise Only our Lord and no other is ex omni parte beatuis in all respects happy seeing that of him and of no other the Prophet saith lustus es domine rectum iudicium tuum as if he should say Our Lord is very iust in himselfe and vpright in all which hee dooth It had beene but a small honour vnto God to say that hee was iust vnlesse it had beene also said that hee did iustice and it is a small matter to say that hee did iustice vnlesse wee say also that hee is very iust because there are many which are iust and yet doe no iustice and very many which doe iustice and yet are not iust S. Augustine saith That it is so high and heroical a vertue to hit aright in all things and not to be able to misse in any that God reserued this point onely vnto himselfe and participated it with none but vnto his sonne and vnto his mother Irenaeus vpon the Psalmes sayth That it is a small matter to say of our Lord that he is iust seeing hee is iustice it selfe and to say that he is vpright seeing that he is righteousnesse it selfe and to say that hee is holy seeing that he is holinesse it selfe because there is no other righteousnesse but that which hee hath no holinesse but that which hee giueth nor iustice but that which he doth Who is so blind who seeth not plainely that our Lord is iust and his iudgement right seeing there is no other goodnesse but that which is himselfe nor other iustice but that which hee dooth in his owne house Who is so iust as thou sayth Hierome in that which thou doest and so vpright in that which he iudgeth as thou art O great God of Israell seeing that in thy iudgements and sentences neither ignorance deceiueth thee nor entreaty boweth thee nor rewards corrupt thee nor threatnings feare thee To come then vnto our purpose seeing that thou art iust O good Lord and that thy iudgement is rightfull how fell it out that thou diddest send Iudas from the crosse into hel and tookest the theefe from thence with thee to Paradise Theefe for theefe naught for naught sinner for sinner vngratefull for vngratefull and both alike it seemeth vnto mans iudgement that he should as well haue bestowed his kingdome vpon Iudas which followed him three years as vpoÌ„ the theefe which accompanied him three houres When our Lord tooke from Cain the right of his first birth or inheritance and gaue it vnto Abel tooke it from Ismaell and gaue it vnto Isaac tooke it from Esau and gaue it to Iacob from Ruben and gaue it to Iudah from Saul and gaue it to Dauid the reason was for that hee found in those great demerite whereby they lost it and in the others great merit with the which they deserued it If Christ should take a kingdome from a naughty man and bestow it vpon a good man it would bee but iust but yet it would scome a hard point to take it from one theefe giue it to another because
we know whether he commanded him to do these things for the sins which he hath committed or for sins which hee hath seene in the Iudaicall people Who euer saw Christ weepe or command any man to weep but he had occasion to doir and reason to command it The reason why Ieremy weepeth is Quid ablata est fides de ore corum Because there is now no faith in the house of Iacob because the goodnes truth of Israel is perished Behold how God doth not complain here of vs for that we do not offer sacrifice nor because wee pay not our tithes nor because we break the holy fasting daies nor because they are couerous nor because they are carnall glurtons because nature inuiteth inclineth vs to all these carâ—lesnesse humane frailty excuseth vs. That which our Lord coÌ„plaineth of is that they are faithlesse in heart idolaters and that they can speake nothing with their mouth but lies which two vices are perrillous for vs to be saued with very hard to ameÌ„d Ciprian vpoÌ„ the Creed saith Although the Apostle saith that faith without works is dead yet I had rather do sinful works being a faithful Christian theÌ„ vertuous works being a faithlesse Pagan because that our Lord doth easilier lighten him which beleeueth that which he coÌ„mandeth theÌ„ him which blasphemeth him and his church Damascen saith That the diuel dare neuer tempt mightily any but such as he perceiueth to be weak in faith and in that case hee careth not much to teÌ„pt him hardly with other vices if he see him weak cold in faith because the diuel is better at ease to see a man doubtful wauer in faith theÌ„ to see him coÌ„mit all other sins in the world What dooth the diuell watch at or ouerwatch but to see whether thou bee doubtfull in the faith of Christ what hast thou if thou hast not true faith what wantest thou if thou wantest not the true faith of Christ O good Iesus O the light of my soule I beseech thee that thou wouldest not depriue me of thy faith that thou wouldst not cast me out of thy church that thou wouldst not take thy mercy froÌ„ me for if thou wilt not suffer me to fall from thy faith I shal alwaies haue a hope that in the end I shal be saued To come theÌ„ vnto our principal purpose who made vnhappy Iudas hang himselfe what was the cause the good theefe was saued but only the great faith the theefe had the sinful infidelity which the other fel into because Iudas wold not beleeue that Christ was our maker and because the good theefe beleeued that Christ was our redeemer Iudas sold Christ and the other beleeued in Christ insomuch that in beleeuing knowing litle men come to offend much So much saith Gregory the faith of a good ChristiaÌ„ is more meritorious by how much the fewer argumeÌ„ts reasons it is grounded on because the merit of the catholick faith doth not coÌ„sist on that which we see with our eieâ— but in that which we beleeue with our hearts If we compare the faith of the good theef with the faith of the old fathers we shal find it to be true that he did so far exceed theÌ„ in faithfully beleeuing as they did go beyond him in good liuing How should not Abraham beleeue in God considering how God spake vnto him from heaueÌ„ aboue and vsed him as if he had beene his particular friend The thecues faith was greater thaÌ„ his because that Christ neuer spake vnto him one word of beliefe neither did hee euer see him in heauen but only hanged vpon the crosse The Prophet Esay did beleeue in God when he saw him sit on high in his throne beset with thousands of Seraphins but the the eues faith was greater because hee neuer saw Christ but crucified and accompanied with theeues The Prophet Maises had faith when hee saw the God of Israel speake vnto him out of a bush and that the bush wasted nor burnt not but the faith of the good theefe was greater than this considering that hee saw Christ loaden with thorns which burnt nor in show but in troth pierced his braine S. Peter had faith when hee saw Christ goe vpon the waters but the good theefes faith was greater considering he saw Christ not spurn the waters but saw him bathed in bloud from the feet to the head Mary Magdalen had faith when she saw him raise her brother Lazarus from death to life who had beene foure daies dead but the good theefe had greater faith then this considering how he neuer saw Christ raise the dead but only saw himselfe die vpon the crosse like a malefactor S. Iohn the Euangelist had faith when he had ssept vpon our Lords breast after he had supped vvith him in the parlar but the theefes faith vvas greater then this seeing that hee beleeued in the sonne of God not sleeping vpon stis breast but suffering vvith him by his side vpon the crosse S. Iames had faith vvhen hee savv Christ transfigured in the hill Tabor and the Fathers of the old law adore him but the good theefes faith was greater then this considering hee saw not the sonne of God transfigured but disfigured hee saw not his face shine but his body torne in pieces O happy and glorious theefe who but thou hath stoine the faith from the synagogue which of old shee was wont to haue and stolne Christ from them in whom then they beleeued not Impart and deuide vnto me part of the faith which thou didst steale from the Synagogue and Christ which thou diddest rob away on the Mount of Caluary for although I was not thy companion in suffering yet now I will bee in beleeuing That which I would haue thee impart vnto mee is the entire faith which thou hast the holy wordes which thou speakest the abundance of bloud which thou sheddest the true confession which of God thou makest and the Christian charity with the which thou doest correct the other theefe O that this theefe hath a happy inheritance seeing that with the theft of worldly things he easily got the gallowes and with the theft which hee stole vpon the crosse hee got glory Chrysostome of the praise of the theefe saith thus In whom O good Iesus in whom did thy holy faith remaine when thou diddest depart out of this life but in thy sorrowfull mother who wept at the foot of the crosse in that holy theefe who suffered on thy side O good Iesus O redeemer of my soule saith Barnard what a small number of friends thou hadst with thee on the crosse and what a multitude of enemies about thee considering that thou hadst there but two faithfull Christians that is thy blessed mother which did beleeue in thee with her heart and that iust theefe which did confesse thee with his mouth Seeing it was nothing else to be a Christian but to beleeue in Christ and serue Christ
follow reason The end why the vvise man did aske for a heart easie to bee instructed was because hee might know how to chuse vvhat vvas conuenient and eschew that vvhich vvas hurtfull for if a man cannot doe this a brute beast can do that which a man cannot doe because wee see by experience that hee eateth euery day of one food for his sustenance and of others he eateth at times for a purgation S. August de verbis Apostoli saith That it is so great a gift to haue a mind apt to learne in this vvorld vvhat is good and vvhat is bad that he giueth it but vnto very few for this being knowne there is nothing else to be known To come then vnto our purpose had not this good theefe a heart easie to bee taught vvhat vvas good vvhat euill and that farre better than the other theefe his companion seeing he said vnto our Lord Remember me commending himselfe vnto Christ and the other said blaspheming Christ if thou be Christ saue thy selfe and vs Origen vpon Matthew saith Care not my brother for being a theefe in hope to saue thy selfe as the good theefe did to saue him for God gaue him not heauen so lightly but that he paied somewhat for it FOr if he gaue him the kingdome of heauen it vvas because he did confesse him vvhen al denied him praised him when all men blasphemed him accompanied him vvhen all men forsooke him and defended him vvhen all men accused him O high iudgements of God O inscrutable secrets of Gods diuine prouideÌ„ce vvhich of the Saints deserue to vnderstand them or vvhich of the Seraphins is able to attaine vnto theÌ„ Let all the vvise men of the vvorld come together let all the Hierarchies holy principalities assemble themselues what count can they yeeld or vvhat reason can they alledge vvhy three houres onely in the which the good theefe vvas vpon the crosse vvith Christ did profit him more than Iudas three vvhole years continually that he went vvith Christ Agreeable vnto the saying of the Apostle what auaileth it the gardener if he labour in his garden plant lettise and water them with the water of the morning if our Lord doe not visite it with his grace Chrisostome de laudibus latrâ—nis sayth The theefe stole and Iudas gaue almes the theefe filled his belly and Iudas fasted the theefe stole and Iudas praied the theefe followed the world Iudas serued Christ yet notwithstanding al this the theef is saued Iudas coÌ„demned What dooth it auaile vs to serue if it please not the sonne of God God looked first vpon Abel then vpon his sacrifices in the world they look first vnto the gift although hee who giueth it bee naught but in the house of God they regard more the merit of him who giueth thaÌ„ the value of the thing which he giueth The merits of this theefe were very great considering he serued Christ neither yeares nor monthes nor weekes but houres and those very few but hee emploied them so well that if he sinned a long time he repented suddenly amended with speed saued himselfe in a short space Vbertinus saith That it is to bee noted that the scripture passeth with silence who this theefe was from whence he was what age hee was of what law he obserued of what stocke hee descended because that Pilate being a Romane iudge could aswell crucifie the Gentiles as hang the Iews The scripture kept close the secret of this secret to let vs vnderstand that for our saluation it maketh little to the purpose whether wee be noble men or meane men rich or poore well spoken of or infamous but only that wee hold Christ for our Lord and king and that wee keepe faithfully his holy law S. Basil vpon the Psalmes saith That all the things of this world suffer an excuse but those things which touch the good of our conscience the seruice of the catholike church do admit none at all And that there is no excuse to be admitted in the seruice of God let vs look vnto the good theef which suffered on the crosse with Christ who for to aske pardon of his error and to repent him of his sinnes was not hindered at all by being infamous nor coÌ„demned nor crucified nor of base linage nor yet that hee had so smal time to repent How great sinnes so euer we haue or how late soeuer we come vnto the crosse let vs not distrust to bee heard nor despaire to bee admitted for wee doe not read of this theefe that he was baptized or confessed yea or that he had repented vntill he was put vpon the crosse Cyrillus crieth out O great mercy O infinite goodnesse what sweats did that theefe endure for thee what discipline did hee giue his flesh what number of yeares did he serue thee in what holy pilgrimages did he bestow his time that thou shouldest within three hours pardon his offences and no other but thou thy selfe take him to glory Barnard saith O who could become a theefe with the good theefe seeing that one fight of thee made him a Christian and one word brought him to heauen We see daily that some steale in their childhood some in their youth some at mans estate some in their old age â—nd some euen vnto the gallowes but yet to steale vpon the gallowes of whom do we read it but of this holy theefe There was neuer any famous theefe that euer did so famous a robbery before he came to the gallowes as this good theefe did euen vpon the gallowes considering that before all their faces he stole away the kingdome of heaueÌ„ O that this was a happy theft which the theefe stole vpon the crosse considering that hee stole the sonne from his father their Lord from the Angels and their creator from the Iewes and their redeemer from the Christians Who euer saw any thing like vnto this who euer heard any thing like vnto this or who euer read any thing like vnto this Thy feet nailed thy armes crucified thy hands bound all thy body disiointed and withal hanging vpon the crosse and yeelding vp the ghost yet doest thou steale from others When other men ask pardon of the people say their beliefe restore things taken away as all other theeues doe at that time thou doest go about to steale anew O good Iesus O the comfort of my soule wilt thou not giue me license to rob and steale with this theefe That which I would steale should bee the bloud which thou diddest shed the loue which thou diddest die with and the charity which caused thee to die and the crosse on which thou diddest die but woe and alasse if I would steale all this I should first crucifie my selfe O my soule O my heart if you will steale and rob with this theefe suffer your selues to be taken then to be bound then to bee dismembred and crucified for as in the world when wee are at liberty money is stolne so
my hart should dispose my penne write my inke marke and my paper suffer mee to write how happy they are who escape the drinking of this cup and how vnhappy they are which drinke of it With this cup of ire God did threaten Ierusalem of this the Synagogue dranke with this wicked Babilon was drunk yea and this was the cause why all Iudea was lost S. Augustine in an Homilie saith He drinketh of the cursed cup of ire who through his sin falleth from the estate of grace which is an euill aboue all the euils of this life because a soule without grace is farre more deader than a body without a soule When doest thou thinke that God doth suffer vs to drinke of the cup of his ire but when hee forgetteth to hold vs vp with his hand through our demerite When shall wee see whether we haue dronke of the cup of his wrath but vvhen God is carelesse in keeping vs from falling and vvee slothfull in amending our selues S. Ambrose vpon the Psalmes sayth O vvhat a difference there is betwixt the vvrath of God the vvrath of man for they punish vvhen they are angry but God forbeareth to punish vvhen hee is angry in so much that God is more displeased vvhen hee dissembleth a fault than vvhen he doth presently punish S. Barnard sayth That there is no greater temptation than not to bee tempted nor greater tribulation thaÌ„ not to be afflicted nor greater punishment than not to be punished nor yet a sharper scourge than not to be scourged For as there is small hope of the sick mans life vvhome the Phisition doth distrust and despaire of euen so in like manner there is great occasion to suspect the saluation of that man vvhom our Lord doth not punish in this life It is also to be noted that Esay doth not only threaten Ierusalem because she dronk of the cup of the ire of God but because she drunke also the dregs and lees vntill shee left none in so much that if there had ben more more she would haue drunk We call that properly the dregs of the wine that part of the wine which corrupteth and marreth and that which goeth to the bottome and that which rotteth and stinketh and that whereof we receiue no profite What are the dregs which sinke vnto the bottome but onely wicked sinne which beareth vs into hell The dregs of sinne cause vs to rot and with dregs of sinne we sinke and by the dregs of sinne we are damned and by the dregs of sin we are hated of God I will visite Ierusalem and those men which are fastened in their dregs saith God by the Prophet Sophonias in the first chapter as if hee would say I will visite all the dwellers of Ierusalem and I will make no reckoning of other sinnes and offences but of such as I shall find entangled and tumbling in the dregs and lees Who are those which sticke in the mire are bedurted with the dregs but those which stand obstinately in their sinnes and wickednesse God complaineth not of those which are defiled in the dregs but on those which are fastened and fixed in them for our Lord is not so much scandalized to see vs fall into sinnes as to see vs wallow and delight in their dregs and grounds O that wicked is the heart which is fastened and standeth firme in the dregs of sinne because promises cannot allure and entise him nor threatnings feare him nor entreatie conuert him nor punishment amend him nor counsell profite him How badly our Lord liketh of them which are firme in the lees and dregs he sheweth plainly seeing he threatneth such as stand fast in them and those which drink of the cup vnto the dregs wherof we may inferre that wee doe not so much condemne our selues for sinning as because we will not goe out of sinne To drinke of the cup vnto the dregs is as if as there are but seuen capitall sins they were feuen thousand to haue a will to offend in them all before we died To drinke vnto the dregs is that if by deed we commit ten sinnes euery day in thought we commit an hundred euery houre To drinke the cup vnto the dregs is that if wee omit to commit any sinne it is not because wee would not but because we could not or durst not To drinke of the cup vnto the dregs is that not being content to sinne we commend and praise our selues for doing it as if we had done our Lord some notable seruice To drinke the cup vnto the dregs is that when wee haue committed all kind of sinnes yet wee cannot endure to be called sinners To drinke the cup vnto the dregs is to be so gracelesse and shamelesse in sinning that we entise and importunately vrge others to do the like To drinke the cup vnto the dregs is to hate our neighbour with our heart iuiurie him with words and hurt him in deeds Loe thus then haue I told you what is the cup of bitternes which the elect and chosen drinke of and which is the cup of wrath and ire which the wicked drinke of in so much that if wee would know who shall bee saued or who damned wee are onely to mark what cup he dranke of To come then vnto our purpose we must suppose that these two theeues drank of both these cups which are so dreadfull and wonderfull and such as the cup was of which ech of them dranke such was the reward or punishment which on the crosse ech of theÌ„ receiued and carried away WheÌ„ the naughty theefe said vnto Christ saue thy selfe and vs he dranke of the cup of wrath and when the good theefe said vnto Christ Lord remember me he dranke of the cup of bitternesse insomuch that the one drank of the pure wine seeing he went into heauen and the other dranke of the stinking dregs seeing he went into hel What meaneth this O good Iesus what meaneth this Seeing they were both coÌ„panions both the eues both hanged both saw Christ and both were neere vnto Christ why doe they giue to the one to drinke of the cup of glory and vnto the other the cup of ire S. Augustine answereth vnto this sayth Why God doth giue light vnto one and not vnto another why he draweth this man and not that man I pray thee good brother goe not about to seeke out the reason if thou wilt not bee deceiued for all this dependeth of Gods high iudgements the which although they be secret yet notwithstanding they be not vniust Origen vpon Mark saith As there are many things in the heart which are not of the heart and as there are many in warâ—â— which take no pay in the warre so the naughty theefe was vpon the crosse not hauing the fruit of the crosse for in stead of asking Christ that he would pardon him be asked that he would deliuer him and vnbind him If thou bee Christ saith the naughty theefe saue thy selfe
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
they deale in their owne affaires because they beleeued not in God nor followed his counsels And therefore seeing hee sayth I am the Lord who speaketh iustice whom should we giue ear vnto but vnto him whose doing should wee credite but his and especially seeing that be alone no other seeth that which is present and knoweth all that is past vnderstandeth that which is doubtfull teacheth vnto that that is secret knoweth things to come and withall most of all others desireth that which is good for vs Why should I beleeue in man and not in God seeing that of that which is past he knoweth nothing but that which hee hath heard of that which heeseeth not he knoweth nothing but that which hath beene told him of secret things he knoweth no more thā hath been reuealed vnto him of things which are present hee knoweth no more than that which he seeth and of things to come he knoweth no more than what hee can guesse at S. Barnard in an Epistle sayth That it is not without cause that God said by Esay I am the Lord which speaketh iustice and righteousnesse because that the counsels which mē giue vs are but coniectures and no certainties but the counsels which God giueth vs cannot faile but be as he hath ordained God said vnto Iacob non frustrà dixi quaerite me that is That he had not giuen him that counsell in vaine neither did it repent Iacob at any time to haue followed it but few men can say this nor few counsels can bee praised in this sort for oftentimes it were better giue a counsellor his fee not to follow his counsell than to follow it He giueth me counsell in vain who maketh me more passionate than already I am and maketh me enter into more sutes than I haue already begun because it is the dutie of a good friend to put him in his vvay vvho is out of it lift him vp who is downe comfort him vvho is afflicted and quiet his mind vvho is mooued vvith passions Vpon those vvordes of the Psalme Audiam quid loquetur in me dominus deus Basil the great saith O how vvillingly I vvill heare all that thou vvilt say vnto me O good Iesus because thou art eloquent in speaking vvise in counselling pittifull in pardoning iust in succouring mighty in commanding bountifull in giuing and true in accomplishing all that thou doest promise What did euer good man aske of thee but thou hast commanded it to bee giuen him and what hast thou commanded but hee hath obtained What can a man giue but that which hee hath and what can a man say but that which he knoweth Seneca vnto this purpose sayth That if we find a man eloquent in speaking vve shal find him weake in vvit to put that in execution vvhich he speaketh insomuch that if it be a pleasure to hear him it is daugerous to beleeue him If vvee find a man that is iust in releeuing him vvho is oppressed vve shall find him very hard in forgiuing his owne enemy insomuch that if he be iust in other mens iniuries he is very vindicatiue of his owne It is the property of a man that if he haue much temporall goods at his commandement he hath no vvill to spend them vvith any so that if by the request of friends or importunitie of neighbours he do part vvith any thing he doth vveep before he doth leaue it It is the property of man although not of a wise man to desire to be heard although he cannot speak to be feared although he haue no authority and wel beloued although he cannot loue and be beleeued although he speak not true and he vvill bee serued although hee haue no need What tongue can speake it and vvhat heart can suffer and endure to talke vvith a foole to loue an vngratefull man to aske and craue of a niggard deale vvith a liar and serue a proud man Hee vvho forgetteth God and dealeth vvith man cumbereth himselfe vvith all these inconueniences and bindeth himselfe vnto all these obligations and the rather because there is no man vvho trusteth long another man but in the end is paied for it To come then vnto our purpose the good theefe was most happy in vvorshipping Christ alone and beleeuing in him onely for reward vvhereof Christ said vnto him alone and no other This day thou shalt be with me in Paradise It is a great pitty to see how many Leuites and Priests Lawyers and ancients neighbours and acquaintance of Christ vvere about the crosse looking how he suffered vvatching how he died vnto none of all vvhich he said Hedie me cum eris in Paradiso as he did vnto the good theefe in so much that they heard the words but vvanted the promise Seeing our good Iesus saith Chrysostome vvas determined to giue the good theefe glory vvhy did hee not giue it him and hold his peace And seeing hee did not send him vvord by a third person vvhy did he not tell it him in secret and in his eare And seeing he vvould not tell him in secret but publikely why did he not defer the reward And yet if he would not defer the reward vvhy did he not send him to heauen alone but vvould take him to Paradise vvith himselfe All these are such high mysteries and such deepe secrets that there is no wit able to vnderstand them nor tongue able to set them forth nor hand able to write them and therefore it is necessary for vs to craue for the grace of our Lord to direct vs in it and the holy Ghost to lighten vs. When Christ said vnto the theefe This day thou shalt bee with mee in Paradise it is as if hee had said O thou theefe my friend and fellow seeing that I know with whome I speake it is also reason that thou doe know who speaketh and therefore I let thee vnderstand that I am the creator of heauen I am the redeemer of the world I am the Prophet which is desired I am the Messias promised I am the giuer of the Gospell and I am also the Lord of Paradise Let all men beare witnesse with me therefore I speake it openly that I bequeath my eternall Paradise vnto this theefe by this Will and Testament because that all such which shall succeed me in my church may know how well I recompence those which serue me and how well I deale with those which follow mee Anselmus crieth out and saith O glorious theefe O happy theef how fortunate and lucky wast thou seeing thou diddest nothing but that which did content our good Iesus nor saidest nothing but that which well liked him Thy feet with the which thou diddest follow him were happy the eies with the which thou didst suffer with him was happy the tongue with the which thou diddest confesse him was happy the heart with the which thou diddest beleeue in him was happy S. Chrisost noteth That God did send Moises as an Embassador to Pharaoh
the Babilonians Egyptians Chaldeans Persians and Medes Greekes and those of Palestine because the law of the Gospell hath been preached and receiued in those places Chrysostom saith That the son of God came to take flesh for the fall of the Temple of Salomon the city of Ierusalem the sacrifices of Iuda the ceremonies of Israell and of the old Mosaicall law and of the pride of all the Synagogue which was all ended and gaue vp the ghost with this word Consummatum est The sonne of God came into the world for the ouerthrow of all sinnes for if hee was as hee vvas the truth it selfe hee was a great enemy of lies and because he highly loued charitie he hated cruelty and because hee highly commended humilitie hee persecuted enuy vvhich vvas the cause that no man did euer reprehend vice more sharplier than hee nor no man did euer extoll vertue like vnto him The sonne of God came into the vvorld to the vtter ruine of the famous city of Hierusalem seeing there vvas not one tower in the citie vvhich vvas not throwne downe no vvall which was not broken no house vvhich vvas not barnt no Temple vvhich vvas not beaten to the ground no treasurie vvhich vvas not robbed nor orchard vvhich vvas not spoiled no Virgine vvhich was not violated no woman which was not forced no man which was not either slaine or taken captiue The sonne of God came into the world for the ouerthrow of the Synagogue seeing he left them no kingdome whither to goe vnto no citie where to dwel no king to rule them no Patriarke to honour no Prophet to giue them counsell no army to defend them no captain to fight for them The soune of God came into the world in ruinam the ouerthrow of the Pharisies and Sadduces cōsidering that he took away their hypocrisie from thē by which they preuailed their authority by which they commanded their doctrine with which they deceaued their couetousnesse with the which they robbed and their Symony with the which they made themselues rich CHAP. IIII. Of the third word which old Simeon spake vnto the Virgine in the Temple and of three authorities touching this purpose IN resurrectionem multorum in Israel in signum cui contradicetur said holy Simeon vnto the blessed Virgine that day when she presented the child Iesus in the Temple as if hee would say I haue told thee my daughter Mary how this thy son and my Lord shall bee a stumbling blocke to many and an occasion that many which are fallen shall rise againe and many which goe astray conuerted and he shal be a marke and a signe which shall bee spoken against by many Origen saith That it doth wel appear that holy Simeon spake by the mouth of the holy Ghost when hee said that the son of God was come into the world not only for all naughty wicked men to stumble at but also because that al goodnesse and good men should bee raised vp by him because it is the dutie of a good Phisitian not only to purge the humor which offendeth but also to strengthen it What fruit should we receiue by his comming into the world if he should only throw downe the wicked and not raise vp the good Whē our Lord saith by Ieremy Consolabor me de inimicis meis he would vvith a farre better will forgiue vs rather thā punish vs but because all that is in God is God himselfe hee cannot doe lesse than vse his iustice giuing notwithstanding alwaies place vnto his mercy When he sayth Woe bee vnto mee vvoe be vnto me I must reuenge mee of my enemies what can bee spoken with a more tender heart or vvhat iustice can bee done vvith greater mercy seeing that hee first weepeth for the sinner before he punish the sinne and first shed many tears before he shew discipline vpō the malefactors In the iudgemēt seat of vvorldly iudges they punish sinnes without iustice then mocke at the sinners but in the house of God they first vveepe for the sinners and then they punish the sinne because there is nothing more strange to God than reuenge nor nothing more gratefull vnto him than mercy Perditio tua ex te Israel ex me autem saluatio said God by the Prophet osee as if hee vvould say O vvhat paines I take with thee O Israel for if thou lose thy way I put thee into it againe if thou stumble I hold thee vp if thou see not I direct thee if thou fall I lift thee vp if thou defile thy selfe I make thee cleane if thou bee blind I giue thee light if thou doubt I counsell thee This speech of the Prophet is vvorthy to bee noted and also vvept and to bee bewailed vvith many teares seeing that hee telleth vs and admonisheth vs by it how little vvee are able to doe of our selues how little wee are worth how little wee possesse how little vvee know seeing that it is in our owne power to fall but vvee are not able to rise vvithout the helpe of God Thou saiest very vvell O great Simeon that the soune of God is come In resurrectionem multorum for after wee are fallen and defiled if hee doe not giue vs his hand who is able to lift vs from the ground What had become of the people of Israell when they were captiue in Egypt if our Lord had not deliuered them from thence vvith his mighty hand What would haue become of good King Dauid when he slue innocent Vrias and committed adultery with his wife Bersabee if God had not giuen him counsell by the mouth of the Prophet Nathan and lightened his heart What had become of king Ezechias when our Lord cōdemned him to death and that vnto a suddain death if our Lord had not visited him by the hands of the Prophet Esay and accepted his tears What had become of the Apostle Saint Peter when hee denied Christ three times if our Lord when he was tied to a pillar had not looked vpon him and prouoked him to teares What had become of S. Paul when hee went to the city of Damasco to apprehend all such which called vpon the name of Christ if our Lord had not spoken vnto him by the way and of Saul would not haue made him Paul and of a persecutor of Christ had not made him a preacher of the Gospell What would become of thee and me and of all the sinners of the world if good Iesus should not giue vs light because wee should not stumble and giue vs his hand to rise againe S. Barnard to this purpose saith It may be said better of me than of any O my good Iesus That thy perdition is of thy selfe Israel and thy saluation of mee For if I hit aright in any thing it is onely through thy grace and if I erre it is through my owne malice and therefore my owne sinne is able to make me fall but to rise againe I haue need of thy mercy
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
a blow but in the Virgins heart a thrust Simeon doth threaten none that the sword of grief shal pierce but only the mother of Christ to let vs vnderstand that as she was the creature vnto whom Christ imparted most of his comfort so it was she vnto whom he gaue most of his dolors insomuch that as she did most deserue so she did most suffer O great Simeon why doest thou threaten the mother onely with the sonnes sword seeing that not only the martyrs did feele his death and passion but it seemeth also that the Angels themselues did lament and weepe for it For what martyr is there in heauen O sweet Iesus which did not feele thy death and die for thy holy law It is therefore said that the holy Virgine did by a speciall grace and priuiledge feele more grieuously the death of her sonne than any other creature of the world because it is a propertie of our Lord to impart most bitter feeling of his passiō vnto those soules whom hee doth most tenderly loue When Simeon said that shee should feele her sonnes passion more than any other it vvas to say that Christ would leaue his passion and torment in keeping with her aboue others to the end that they might bee knowne afterward vnto the world in so much that it was vnto thee blessed Virgin vnto whom the sonne of God bestowed his greatest loue on earth and vnto whome hee imparted most of his sorrowes Vnto whom then should wee run for a true sufferer of his sorrows but vnto thee O mother of God now full of ioy and consolation though then full of sorrowes and passion O that thy soule is glorious and thy heart most happie blessed Lady seeing thou was not martyred with the Emperour Neroes sword as the Apostle Saint Paule was but vvith the selfesame that thy sonne was in so much that as in the incarnation loue coupled you together so in his passion dolour seperated you one from the other Flebat Anna mater Tobiae irremediabilibus lachrymis Tobie chapter 10 as if hee would say The honourable Matrone Anna old Tobias wife and young Tobias mother vvept the absence of her welbeloued sonne vvith remedilesse teares saying Woe bee vnto mee vvoe bee vnto mee my sonne and my heart vvhat vvill become of mee without thee or is it possible for mee to take any rest in thy absence Whither art thou gone from mee vvhere hast thou absented thy selfe the light of my cies and staffe of my old age comfort of my life and hope of my house How is it possible that thy father could obtaine of himselfe or of mee to send thee to recouer a little money so farre from vs What greater disaster could fall vnto vs than to lose our sonne for the recouering of a little coine I vvould to God that that money ha◠neuer beene due vnto my house for for the ease of my heart there is no treasure like as to haue thee vvith mee O my deere sonne O my sonne O my heart how vnfortunately did I consent that thou shouldest depart out of my sight considering that it vvas most certaine that hauing thee vvith mee I vvanted nothing What shall my sorrowfull eies doe now seeing they cannot see thee but fill themselues vvith vveeping for thee Such sorrowfull vvords and grieuous complaints could not be vttered but of a tender heart nor could not be spoken but of a child deerly beloued Mimus the Philosopher saith That because the tongue is a crier and a publisher of that vvhich is in the heart it is most certaine that if there bee loue in the hart that he crieth Loue and if there be nothing but sorrow griefe in the heart he publisheth also nothing but sorrow For the better vnderstanding of this dolorous figure it is to bee noted that as Isaac vvas the figure of Christ in that vvhich hee vvas to suffer so Tobias mother vvas the figure of that that the immaculate Virgine was to weepe insomuch that the virgins glorious martyrdome was prophecied by Simeon and figured in holy Anna. The mystery did well answer vnto the Sacramēt seeing the blessed virgin was a mother Anna a mother the one wept the other wept the one had but one only son the other had but one onely son the Virgines son went a far iourney Annas son went a far iourney Tobias mother vvept remedilesse tears the mother of Gods tears were also without remedy Yong Tobias took his iourney at his fathers cōmandement the son of God was incarnate by his fathers commandement if Tobias went to gather vp money which his father had lent Christ also came to recouer soules which his father had lost What shall I say more but that Christ and Tobias and Tobias and Christ vvere sent by their owne fathers and lamented by their owne mothers O that the Virgine had better reason to vveepe for her sonne vvith remedilesse teares than Tobias mother had because her sighes and reares found remedy and comfort but the mother of God found no remedy nor comfort O sorrowfull vvoman and comfortlesse mother for what comfort could thy teares find seeing thou diddest see him end his life in one day vpon the crosse whome thou wast thirty yeares a bringing vp O comforelesse mother and mother of discomfort thou art shee which should weepe with remedilesse teares and not the mother of young Tobias because her sonne came home well married but thy precious sonne remained dead vpon the crosse O honourable Anne and blessed old woman it is an Angell which led him an Angell which accompanied him an Angell which married him and an Angell which guarded him and an Angell which brought him backe againe Therefore leaue thy teares for her who is the mother of him which is crucified considering that a traitor sold her sonne a sinner denied him a tyrant condemned him and a wicked people put him to death Our Lady wept with remedilesse tears seeing that she not Tobias his mother did lose the staffe which did support her the glasse which she looked in the light with which shee saw the rest wherein she tooke ioy her only hope and that which shee most of all loued Seneca to this purpose sayth That the griefe is not so great when thinges are lost by little and by little as when they are lost all at once and therefore it is a great matter for a man to bee accustomed to endure and hardened in suffering Who doth doubt at all but that the suddaine losses which fall vnto vs are more grieuous than those vvhich come not all together if they had apprehended the sonne of God in one day accused him on another giuen sentence on him the other and executed him on the other although the griefe could not but haue beene great yet it had been tollerable but to see that in foure and twenty houres they apprehended him accused him gaue sentence on him and put him to death vvhat heart is able
mighty Redeemer and supreme Creator vvho is able to tell the secret or reach vnto this that is to say why thou diddest take the mother vvith thee thither to see thee die in that great and high day of thy passion and leaue all thy other disciples behind thee because they might not see thee suffer In so great a conflict and so narrow a straight as this was vpon the Mount of Caluary why wouldest thou haue rather womē with thee to weep thā mē to defend thee Who but thou O good Iesus saith S. Barnard who but thou did euer goe into the field to fight against his enemies without weapons accompanied with tears The mother wept the sonne wept the kinsman wept the disciple wept the aunt wept all the family wept so that Moyses did drowne his enemies in waters and the sonne of God his with teares Anselmus sayth That hee that could haue beene at the death of Christ vpon good Friday should haue seene the Iewes make an outcry the Pharisies blaspheme the hangmen lay on the heauens vvaxe darke and all the faithfull weepe in somuch that there was nothing in the synagogue but blasphemies and nothing in the church but teares Non immolabitur vna die ouis cum filio fuo said God in Leuiticus chap. 22. As if he would say Let those take heed which will offer to the Tabernacle that they doe not kill the lambe and the ewe the same day Origen sayth That because our Lord is mercifull hee would haue his disciples bee so likewise and therefore he did forbid them any thing that might tend vnto cruelty or induce them vnto it What can be more cruell than to take the lambe and the owe at one time Who is the ewe which hath brought forth the lambe but only the mother of Christ and who the lambe but her precious sonne God did warn the synagogue often that they vvould take heed vnto the Lambe and ewe and especially that if they would touch the sonne that they vvould pardon the mother God had no greater wealth nor any equal neither in heauen nor in earth vnto that lambe and sheep of whom he himselfe had a care and in whose seruice and guard all the powers of heauē were by him emploied This commandement was broken on the Mount of Caluary where they at one time killed the innocent lambe and spared not the sorrowfull mother What cruelty and inhumanitie like vnto this was euer seen or heard of haung but one sheep in the Synagogue the church hauing but one lamb to kill the lambe in the presence of his mother and torment the ewe in the sight of the Lambe What equall torment could there bee to the mother than to kill her son before hir face or what greater martyrdome could the son suffer than to sacrifice his mother in his sight O how glorious and happy should I be if my soule would turn to be such an ewe and my heart such a lambe because I might bee sacrificed on the Mount of Caluary with the true Lambe O sweet Iesus saith Vbertinus O mercifull Lord seeing that all lawes doe speake in fauour of thy precious mother why wouldest thou breake them seeing thou art the iudge of them all Is not the law made in the fauour of thy mother which commandeth that the lambe should not bee sod in the milke of his damme Is not that law made in the fauor of thy mother which cōmandeth to take the yong Sparrows and let the old one go The law which cōmandeth not to kill the Lambe and the ewe at one time is it not made in fauour of thy mother Thou then that art the giuer of the law doe not breake the law which thou doest if thou sacrifice thy selfe which art the lambe and thy mother which is the ewe There is bloud inough in the bloud of the lamb there needeth not the bloud of the mother for if it be necessary for the son to die to redeeme vs the mothers life is also necessary to cōfort vs. Bonauenture Anselmus Vbertinus cannot wonder inough what should bee the reason why the sonne would take his mother with him to the foot of the crosse seeing that shee could not helpe him in his death nor hee had no need of her to redeeme vs. It is not to bee thought that hee brought her thither without cause neither that shee did goe thither vvithout some mystery because that all things done betwixt the sonne and his mother should bee esteemed as a mystery of mysteries like vnto Salomons Canticles which are songs of songs The reason why our good Iesus would take his mother with him was as Anselmus sayth Because hee would leaue her his onely inheritrize as being the next of kindred O my singers O my heart how is it possible for you to bee able to write or my tongue able to speake of the wealth which the sonne leaueth or of the inheritance which the mother doth inherite But what could hee leaue vnto his mother who was borne in Bethelem among beasts died on the Mount of Caluary betwixt theeues What can his sorrowfull mother inherite of him who shrowdeth himselfe in a borrowed shrowd and burieth himselfe in another mans sepulchre What could hee bequeath by Testament who hauing two coats gaue one to the hangmen which crucified him and the other to the knights vvhich kept him What could hee leaue vvho neuer had a foorme to set downe on nor a boulster to lay his head on The inheritance then which she did there inherite from her sonne was the bloud which there hee shed and the dolours which hee there suffered for all men so that with the bloud which came downe from the crosse hee watered her body and with the dolours which hee suffered hee martyred her soule Saint Barnard De passione domini saith That in so great and high a work as this was and in so narrow a strait as this which Christ was in it was very necessary that the Virgine should bee there and giue her sonne part of all that was in her not onely to haue compassion on him but also to suffer with him S. Augustine vpon the passion of our Lord sayth That because the great prophecy of Simeon was not as yet accomplished it was done by the permisson and counsell of the holy ghost that the mother should be with the sonne on the Mount of Caluary where at one time the sword of grief bereaued the son of his life and pierced the mothers soule As it was not reason saith Anselmus that the mother of God should want the crowne and reward of martyrdome so was it not reason that she should be put into tyrants hāds therfore it was giuen her as a meane that because shee had serued her sonne with excessiue loue her own sonne should martyre her with his inspeakable griefs Who euer saw or heard that as it were at one sound and after one measure the hangmen should martyrize the son
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
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
grieued to see his body plagued than to see his goods taken from him This then was the reasoning and dialogue which passed betwixt God the diuell touching Iobs tentation whereof we may inferre how much more that is to be esteemed which the sonne of God offered than Iephthes sacrifice because the one offered his daughter and the other his owne proper life The victory which Iephthe had was a costly victory vnto him but Christs was more costly because that Iephthe did ouercome and liue but the sonne of God did ouercome and die and there is no dearer victory in the world than that which is bought with the exchange of a mans proper life Although Iephthe did loue his onely daughter well yet Christ did loue his precious flesh better because it was vnited vnto the diuine eslence and therefore the better hee did loue it the more was his griefe in losing it Aristotle sayth That wise men doe loue their liues better than others of the vulgar people because they see themselues more necessary vnto the Commonwealth and euery common good is to be preferred before a particular And according vnto this saying of the Philosopher as the sonne of God was wiser than all men and better than all men so without doubt by so much the more he loued his life by how much it was most profitable to all men Sathan said well Pellem pro pelle dabit homo A man will giue one skin for another For if a man would haue asked the captaine Iephthe which of these two thinges he would rather haue done either haue sacrificed his daughter or his owne person it is to bee thought that hee would rather haue sacrificed his daughter twise than his owne person once Seneca in his booke of Clemency sayth That because it is a naturall thing vnto vs to liue and a dreadfull and fearefull thing to die wee are much afraid of our owne death and beare another mans easily Theophilus saith That it is much to be maruelled that Christ would die but it is much more to bee wondered at that hee would die with so good a will because that without augmenting his glory yea rather diminishing it hee offered himselfe willingly vnto them to the end that they should take his life from him The figure sayth further that Iephthes daughter went two months weeping and wailing her virginity on those solitary mountains with other virgines and maids which bare her company What was the meaning that that pare virgine bemoned and bewailed her virginity but onely that shee was sorry that shee had not been married and had a husband and that she had no children to mourne for her death or inherite her goods It seemeth to bee a dishonest matter for a virgine to weepe and bewaile her owne virginity if there were no other hidden sence vnder this letter because that in scripture the more obscure a saying is the more fuller it is of mystery Wee haue already said that Christs sacred flesh is figured by that tender virgine and now wee say againe that as Iephthes daughter bewailed her owne virginity so did Christ likewise his only it is to be noted that there is a difference betwixt weeping and weeping virginitie and virginity The sonne then doth complaine on his father saying Why hast thou forsaken me which he vttered because hee had not emploied his most pure virginity and most holy innocency as he desired to doe for as he was borne a virgine a virgine hee died and if hee came innocent into the world with his innocency hee returned vnto heauen againe Let no man thinke that Christ bewailed and wept his virginity because hee did inuiolably keepe his most holy flesh for if his mother did not lose it in bringing him into the world neither could hee lose it by liuing in the world The chastity which the scripture speaketh of and the virginity which Christ bewaileth with Iephthes daughter is not the corruptible virginity but the incorruptible not the virginity of the body but of the soule the which doth make our Lord great with holy speeches and diuine inspirations and therefore if hee bee great with these diuine inspirations he bringeth forth afterward holy workes S. Augustine vpon those wordes Desponsauit te mihi in fide sayth Spirituall and holy men haue as great need to marry their foules with Christ as worldlings haue to seeke husbands for their daughters and if I haue said as great now I say more need because a maid may bee saued without the company of a husband but a soule cannot be saued vnlesse she take Christ with her S. Barnard sayth O how farre more higher is the spirituall matrimony than the corporall the one is betweene the wife and her husband the other betwixt the soule and Christ of the one come children which sometimes do breed griefe anger of the other there do proceed workes which doe alwaies good If Iephthes daughter doe weepe her departing out of this world a virgine euen so doth Christ weepe and lament his virginitie because hee hath left no greater a spirituall posteritie after him for he would willingly haue left all the hearts in the world great with child with good vertuous desires and all soules deliuered of good workes When God said by the Prophet Esayas Numquid ego qui alijs generationem tribue sterilis ere That is Shall I be barren my selfe and giue issue vnto others hee did not speake this for any desire which hee had to marry himselfe with any woman but for the great zeale which hee had to marry and couple himselfe with our soules because that in all ages and all times the chastity of the body is a holy thing and in all ages all times the barrennesse of the soule is naught and discommendable What doest thou weepe for then O good Iesus what doest thou weepe I weepe my virginity with the daughter of Iephthe because I haue scarse found any in all the world who will marry with my diuine grace nor who will be great with child with my diuine inspirations and that which I mislike most of all is that if I begin to dally and make loue with any sinfull soule she turneth her backe towards mee and is ready to flie from mee I bewaile my virginitie because that in three and thirty yeares which I haue liued in the world with al the sermons which I haue preached and with all the dead which I haue raised vnto life and with all the diuels which I haue cast out and all the sinnes which I haue forgiuen it seemeth vnto mee that I haue made small gaine and done little good in respect of the paines which I haue taken I bewaile my virginity because that being come in person into the world hauing instructed all the people shed my bloud rent and torne my flesh lost my reputation and bestowed my life yet I see now that there is scarse any one found who would benefit himselfe with my bloud or who
improba as if hee would say Many famous men in watres and learned in sciences haue been banished from Athens not for any fault which they committed but for malice conceiued against them the which were rather willing and glad to liue in banishment than to dwell in an vngratefull citie Valerius Maximus sayth That the most notablest man that the renowmed Lacedemonia did euer bring forth was that great Philosopher Lycurgus because among all those which liued before his time those which succeeded him there was none equall vnto him in knowledge nor none which went beyond him in life The Oracle of Pithius Apollo being asked in what reputation he did hold Lycurgus made answere I am very doubtfull vvhether I should put him among the number of men or place him among the companie of Gods Notwithstanding that the Oracle had giuen this high testimony of Lycurgus and that he was pure in his life eloquent in learning constant in paines and very wise in his lawes yet all these vertues and excellent gifts could not keepe him from proouing the vngratefulnesse of his thanklesse citizens And therefore they did not onely iniury him in words but also they did shew by cruell deeds the hatred which they bare him and the hurt which they wished him for once they burned his houses and another time they followed him with stones and another time they dashed out one of his eies another time they expelled him from among the people and in the end for a recompence and reward of gouerning that Commonwealth eight and thirtie years they banished him out of the country and so hee died Plautus sayth That there is no loue worse bestowed than that which is bestowed vpon an vngrateful man because that man loueth nothing at all who loueth an vngratefull man I haue spoken all this against the vice of vngratitude and vsed so many examples because euery man might perceiue what great reason God hath to complaine vpon vngratefull men for seeing that the Philosophers doe inueigh so bitterly against them it would be but small reason that they should be defended by Christians S. Cyprian sayth Christ doth complaine of our ingratitude because that for so great vnspeakable a benefite as he did for vs in dying vpon the crosse hee did not bind vs to follow him in that kind of death or that we should die for him by the sword but that which good Iesus did bind vs vnto is that we should haue his blessed passion in a remembrance and loue him with all our heart How shall any man sayth Barnard beleeue that thou wilt venter thy life for Christ and for his faith seeing thou doest not remember his death in all thy life If thou wilt sayth Vbertinus haue the death of Christ help thee in thy last houre remember that death of his euery day because the sonne of God doth alwaies take pittie vpon those in their last houre vvhich doe remember his passion in their life time Christ saith And my griefe is alwaies before my eies because that among all the griefes which are ingratitude is cause of the greatest of them and among all the sinnes and naughtinesse which are this is the greatest for if there were no vngratefull men vnto God there should bee no sinne at all in the world Christ doth cal the sinne of vngratefulnesse dolour and griefe because that hee is alwaies grieued with it for the griefe which hee had of the thornes is past his whipping had an end and the paine of the crosse dured no longer than his life did last but the griefe of ingratitude is renued in him daily Christ doth also say that the griefe which hee doth complaine of is his owne griefe Dolor meus by which louing speech he doth let vs vnderstand that he is much more grieued to see vs sinne than it grieueth vs to be sinners Why doth Christ say in his complaint my griefe and not our griefe but onely because that wee doe not feele so great paine and griefe when we are punished by him as good Iesus feeleth to thinke that he must punish vs. I would to God that it would please his diuine clemency that I were so sory to commit an offence as it doth grieue him to punish me for then I thinke that I should not know how to sinne nor God should haue nothing to punish He complaineth also that he doth not only suffer griefe but he sayth that that grief is alwaies in his sight and therefore because wee doe neuer giue ouer sinning it is certaine that his griefe of compassion wil neuer haue an end Cease then my brother and giue ouer sinning and then the paine which thou doest endure will presently haue an end When thou shalt heare vs say that God hath any griefe or paine thou must not thinke that it is a griefe or paine which hee suffereth but onely a most entire and louing compassion which he hath vpon vs. When the sonne of God sayth vpon the crosse vnto his Father Why hast thou forsaken mee the chiefest complaint that hee formeth in that place is because hee causeth him to suffer so cruell a passion for such vngratefull people CHAP. IX How the sonne of God complaineth vpon the Synagogue that hauing carried them vpon his backe yet they be vngratefull vnto him AVdite me domus Iacob residuum domus Israel qui portamini ab vtere meo vsque ad senectam God spake these words by the Prophet Esayas chap. 46 as if he would say Hear me now he are me all you of the house of Iacob and all you which haue escaped of the house of Israel giue credite vnto my words seeing that I am the God which carry you vpon my shoulders from the houre of your birth vntill your death Vnder these few words God doth touch very many great matters for first he beginneth to call them then he biddeth them giue eare then he saith that it is hee who calleth them then he noteth who they bee whom hee calleth then how vvell he loueth them when hee sayth Qui portamini ab vtero adsenectutem But we must note first of all in this place why the Lord doth seperate the house of Iacob frō the house of Israel and why hee doth call the house of Iacob an entire house and the house of Israel a broken and dissolued house for he sayth heare mee all you of the house of Iacob all you of the house of Israel which haue escaped and remaine If Iacob and Israell and Israel and Iacob bee all one thing and all one house fauing that one man had two names how vvas it possible for the one to stand the other to fal In very truth in old time all the Synagogue had but one God one people one linage one king one law but when they began to sinne and play the Idolaters our Lord did immediately deuide thē By the one house by the other are vnderstood the church and the Synagogue whereof the one which
vnto the hangmen and that because vvee should vnderstand that to the catholicke church there fell the entire and whole coat seeing that shee dooth fully beleeue that Christ is both God and man and vnto the Synagogue there happened his torn coat seeing they beleeue that hee is no more than a bare man Saint Augustine sayth By Christs two garments are vnderstood both his bodies that is his true body made and compacted of his holy members and his mysticall body which are all good Christians and because thou maiest perceaue my brother how much thou art bound vnto Christ know thou that hee did esteeme better of his mysticall body vvhich are Christians than of his owne true body which vvas made of his owne members What vvas his meaning that hee suffered them to take away and teare in pieces the one of his coats and yet neuer touch the other but only that hee is more grieued when any man doth speake euill of his church than to haue laid hands vpon his owne proper person Remigius sayth O how whole and entire hee did leaue vs the vnsowne coat of his church and yet naughty Christians and perfideous Heretikes doe rent his coat into as many pieces as they doe raise dissentions and stirre vp heresies in the church It was Christs holy vvill to die not only without a coat but also not to haue one thred of a coat vpon him which hee did suffer to the great preiudice of his grauity and losse of his credite Who was euer or vvho euer shall bee so graue in his doctrine as the sonne of God vvas and so honest in his person And seeing that Esayas sayth that hee was offered vp because hee would it is to bee beleeued that seeing they could not crucifie him if he himselfe vvould not so they could neither haue stripped him naked vnlesse he had consented vnto it Wherof it followeth in a good consequence that if hee would die for our redemption that hee did let himselfe bee stripped for our comfort What did it signifie that the sonne of God did put off all his garments but that hee did dispossesse himselfe of all his good workes I and thou thou and I my brother haue great need to die clothed and clad to wit vvith our owne faith and good vvorks and also bee helped by others For as for holy Iesus as hee came out of the vvombe of his mother vnited vnto the diuine essence so hee had no necessity of his owne vvorkes to saue himselfe nor of other mens merits to pardon vs. Cyrillus vpon S. Iohn sayth Of as much as the sonne of God did merite praying on the mountaine preaching among the people healing the diseased in hospitals by suffering among his enemies and dying vpon the crosse I say hee did spoile and make himselfe naked of all that and put it vpon vs insomuch that wee are heires of his bloud with which he redeemed vs and successors of all the merits which hee heaped together O glorious inheritance and happie wealth which thou good Iesus diddest leaue to the parishioners of thy church seeing that by the meanes thereof vvee are made sonnes of the Father brothers of the sonne puples of the Holy ghost companions to the Angels parishioners of the church and heires of thy glory O vvhat great difference there is betwixt the inheritance of heauen and an inheritance in the world Worldlings leaue their children store of goods and reuenues and much debate and strife to defend them and many enemies to persecute them but our good Lord in lieue of great wealth did leaue vs his grace and in steed of enemies did leaue vs his merites What should haue become of all the sinners of the world if as Christ died spoiled and depriued of his goods so hee would haue died clothed vvith all his merits What should become vnto prowd men if hee would not haue left them his humilitie and vvhat of cruell men if hee would not haue left them his charitie What end should angry men come to if he should not haue left them his patience and vvhat vvere it of all sinners if hee should not haue left them his clemency Cyprian sayth If Christ would haue ascended to heauen vvith all that which hee merited in this world and not impart it among vs and as it were vnclothed himselfe of them as of certaine garments there should not haue been in the world at this day a church to preach in nor Priest to bee ordained nor Sacrament to bee administred Cyrillus sayth to this purpose If the sonne of God would haue merited for himselfe alone and died for himselfe alone wee might haue said with reason that hee had come into the vvorld and tooke flesh vpon him for himselfe and not for vs. But let such blasphemy bee farre from our tongues and thoughts and farre from our heart because our good Lord died not for himselfe but for vs nor did not merite for himselfe but for vs. Hugo de sancto victore sayth Because that the great Redeemer of the world did leaue vs his garments for reliques and his merites for Treasures the Church his spouse hath at this day Sacraments to giue sacrifices of a contrite heart to offer sweet doctrine to preach and rewards to promise for amendment of life CHAP. IIII. He followeth the authority of the Prophet Osee and speaketh of the garments which Christ left in pledge PArtiti sunt vestimenta mea super ea miserunt sirtem said Christ in the 21 Psalme complaining vnto his Father on the crosse as if hee would say O my good Father thou wast not content only that they should spoile me of my garments and turne me naked to my great shame but also that the hangmen should deuide my coat and the souldiours cast lots vpon him We must see in this place how many coats there were and whose they were and among whome they were deuided because all our saluation dooth consist in being excluded or admitted vnto that deuision There were but two garments in all and Christ was the maister of them and they were deuided betwixt hangmen and souldiours the place where was by the crosse and the manner how was by lots These two garments were deuided betwixt the Gentlemen which kept and guarded Christ and the hangmē which crucified Christ insomuch that according vnto the merite or demerite of euery one of them they receiued their part of the garment Theophilus saith Who are meant by these gentlemen and knights but the vertuous and iust and who by the hangmen but sinners and naughty men O infinit goodnesse O clemency neuer seene before such as thine was O good Iesus vpon the altar of the crosse where thou diddest barre no man of the inheritance of thy sweatings and deuiding of thy merits depriue no man exclude no man nor disinherite no man but there fell aswel one part to the hangmen which lifted thee vp vpon the crosse as to Nichodemus who tooke thee down from the same Isichius
are predestinated and he shall be placed in the kingdome of heauen Saint Augustine saith in a Sermon As the sonne of God did command vs to keepe new precepts so he did promise vs new rewards for it and as hee gaue great commandements so hee gaue great rewards wherevpon it is that vntil hee came into the world no man commanded that which hee commanded nor no man promised that which he promised Christ said not in vaine Ecce noua facio omnia but because hee instituted the Sacrament which was a hard thing to reach vnto and commanded vs to beleeue the blessed Trinity which is a high matter to vnderstand willed vs to beleeue him both God man which is a new thing to bee receiued charged vs to loue our enemies which is a hard matter to doe and commanded vs to keepe his law only which was a new thing in the world to doe S. Thomas in his book against the Gentiles sayth That as the sonne of God did not command those of the old law to beleeue great things so he did not promise them but small things and because hee commanded his chosen Christians to beleeue hard things and performe things which were not easily done he promised that they should possesse and emoy very high rewards To come then vnto the text of Vestimentis pignoratis c. It is to bee noted that as the seruice of the iust was to bee done here vpon earth and the reward which they are to receiue to be giuen aboue in heauen because wee should not thinke that hee mocked vs in deferring our paiment to the other world his pleasure was to leaue vs a good gage and pledge in this world vntill he should reward vs for our good life in heauen The pledges which Christ left vs in this world were his precious garments his holy works and his most holy Sacraments Why did Christ thinkest thou leaue vs so many pledges in this life but because hee will vnpawne them afterward aboue in his glory In his glory aboue all those pledges shall bee taken away and haue an end because that in heauen we shall need to hope for nothing because we shall see that with our eies which now we desire nor we shall haue nothing to beleeue because there shall be nothing hidden wee shall haue no cause to feare because there shall bee no death wee shall need to aske for nothing because life is there euerlasting neither shal we desire any thing seeing that glory is there perpetuall O how happie be all Christian people seeing they haue not only Christs garments for a pledge and hostage but also Christ himselfe remaining with vs vnder the visible signs of the Sacrament vntil he giue himselfe vnto vs in heauen glorified Let no man maruell to heare vs say that we haue Christ for a pledge pawne for that which his Father promised vs seeing that the Apostle saith also that we haue the Holy ghost for a pledge for that which the son commanded vs Ipse est pignus haereditatis meae as if he would say God the eternal Father hath giuen vs the gifts of the holy Ghost and all the garments and merites of his sonne for a pledge of that which hee hath promised vs and this no longer but vntill hee will carry vs to his eternall glory and giue vs the fruition of his diuine essence What Christian is there who will bee afraid to loose himselfe and not haue a hope to saue himselfe hauing as wee haue for an assurance of our saluation as Christs robes in pawne and the gifts of the Holy ghost in hostage Super vestimentis pignoratis all holymen doe leane when they ioine their workes with Christs workes for all that we doe is little worth vnlesse we tie it vnto Christs merits It is to be weighed that the Prophet Osee did not see the garments by themselues and elbowes by themselues but garments with elbowes and elbowes with garments to giue vs to vnderstand that we cannot merite with our own works and that Christ wil not alwaies saue vs by himselfe by reason whereof it is necessary that wee fasten our armes vpon his workes and that he sticke his workes vpon our elbows armes CHAP. V. Where is brought a sigure of Tobias and declared to the purpose EXentera hunc piscem cor eius fel iecur repone tibi Tobias 6 chap. The Angell Raphael spake these words vnto young Tobias as if hee would say Crie not nor bee not afraid of this fish but take him out of the water flay him cut him in the middle and take out his heart his gaule and liuer and keepe it all for thy selfe because it is all very medicinable to cure a sicke man The story of Tobias is very well knowne to the learned in Scripture When he sent his young sonne Tobias to Rages a towne of the Medes for the recouering of tenne markes of siluer which he had lent his friend Gabelus when hee was captiue in Babilon and when yong Tobias came to the riuer Tygris to wash his feet there came foorth a very great fish to the banck side toward him with such boldnesse as if hee would haue eaten and swallowed him vp before that hee could flie from him When the Angell saw the fiercenesse of this fish and the great feare that the youth was stroke into hee began to encourage him saying Feare not the fish because the fish ought rather to be afraid of thee and therefore it is necessary that thou do by him that which he would haue done to thee because another cannot recouer health before this fish bee killed Tobias tooke heart by the encouragement of the Angell and fastening on the fish by the gilles drew him out of the water and stripped him and tooke out his heart and his gaule and his liuer as the Angell his master had commanded him to doe Now that Tobias fear was past when the fish was dead and drawne he said vnto his Angell Tell mee brother Azarias to what purpose thou diddest command mee to keepe the fishes heart gaule and liuer and diddest not bid me eat at all of him To this the Angell answered Thou must vnderstand my sonne Tobias that this thy iourney and this chance which hath befaln vnto thee wanteth not a great mystery as hereafter it shall appeare But for the present let it suffice thee to know that the meat of this fish is good for trauailers to eat of and the heart good to cast out diuels and the gaule good to heale the blind and the liuer soueraine for to cure other externall diseases There are presented vnto vs many deepe mysteries in this figure if it may please God to giue mee the knowledge to expound them for in it is set foorth the wonderfull death which the sonne of God suffered and the inspeakeable fruit and benefite vvhich vvee receiue by it Here is to bee vnderstood who Tobias is vvhich taketh the iourney what the fish
vsing thy infinite power thou didst make of the dry desart great abundāce of water why thē dost thou make vnto thy son of an abundant sea a dry desart thou didst send meat to the Prophet Daniel when he was cast vnto the Lyons although no man did demand it at thy hards wilt thou not giue thy precious son a little water at such great entreaty Cōsidering that whē the famine was at Samaria thou didst cōmand the Crowes to carry the Prophet Helias food and the riuer Carith to giue him drinke why doest thou not helpe thy owne sonne whom thou hast ingendred of thy owne substance with a little water in this his extream thirst Considering that thou diddest turn the sower waters of Marath to be sweet because those cursed people should drinke of them why wilt thou giue thy precious sonne neither of the sweet nor sowre O what great encreasing of torments to Christ are framed in the figure of Tobias ioined with the prophesie of Ieremy seeing the one did draw the fish to the drie land and the other made a desart of the sea for vpon that drie tree of the crosse Christ was exceeding drie seeing hee could not obtain a little water to drink of and hee was also in a great desart seeing that hee found not so much as one friend to comfort himselfe with The fourth mystery which the figure containeth is that Tobias did open the fish and took out his gaule and his heart both which did him his afterwards great good the one for his owne marriage and the other to cure his fathers blindnesse It is greatly to be noted that in all that fish Tobias found nothing which was not worthy of the keeping commodious and profitable in curing sauerous in eating The best that euer hath been or shall be in the world was the Creator and Redeemer of the world whose words were holy whose doctrine was profitable whose workes were maruellous and whose bowels were most louing What did Tobias vnto that fish that the Iewes did not vnto Christ If the fish was drawne out of the riuer so was Christ from the people if the fish was put vpon drie land so was Christ carried vnto the Mount of Caluary if the fish was stripped so was Christ whipped if the fishes throat was cut Christ was also crucified if the fish was opened so was Christ pierced with a speare if the fish was cast into the fire so was Christ also cast into the sepulchre This which wee haue said is but a little in respect of that which wee will say and that is that the holy catholike Church hath drawne out this blessed fishes gaule with the which hee cureth vs and heart with the which hee loueth vs and liuer with the which he pardoneth vs bowels with which hee dooth cherish vs. O good Iesus O my soules health who hath euer had or who euer shall haue a more louinge heart than thou to loue vs or so sound a liuer to pardon vs or so profitable a gaule to cure vs or such tender bowels to cherish vs What wilt thou denie me now or what wilt thou not now giue mee O my good Iesus seeing that for to shew thy clernency and mercy vpon me thou art hanged vpon a drie tree made a dead fish opened drawne and bowelled for my sake What loue can bee compared vnto thy loue seeing that for that which touched me and not for any thing that belonged to thee thou diddest consent that they should open thy heart and diddest permit them to rend and teare thy bowels What am I able to giue thee O good Iesus what can I giue thee vnlesse it be my heart which is filthy for thine which is cleane my rotten liuer for thy vvhole one my bitter gaule for thy sweet one and my wicked and hurtful bowels for thy most louing ones Which are the greatest relickes which are this day in heauen or earth but the heart liuer and bowels which Christ left vnto his church O how happy should he be who should haue such relickes in his custodie for hauing thy heart in custodie how couldest thou chuse but loue me and hauing thy bowels in keeping how wouldest thou but pardon me How is it possible O my good Iesus how is it possible that there should bee any euill thing in thee vvhen as the church hath thy precious gaule for a relicke Since the beginning of the vvorld there hath neuer been any such thing seene or heard that is that among the relickes vvhich the church dooth account for the best the gaule is one of the most precious because that vvithout that bitter gaule neither the world could haue beene redeemed nor the Prince thereof haue beene ouercome What is the gaule which the church keepeth in her treasure but only the bitter passion which Christ suffered The richest iewell which the Synagogue had was the Manna vvhich came from heauen the greatest treasure which the church hath is the gaule and passion of Christ Betwixt vvhich two vvhat great difference there is it is easily perceiued because that the profite cōmodity of our gaule doth continue vntil this day will continue for euer but the memory of that old Manna is already lost O glorious gaule O happy gaul which thou good Lord diddest leaue vnto thy catholick church for if it did kill thee it did make mee whole if it gaue thee paine it gaue me glory if it was gaule vnto thee it was hony to me if thou diddest end thy life vvith it yet my soule vvas redeemed vvith it Christs passiō vvas bitter gaule vnto Christ and yet Christs death vvas a sweet gaule for the redeeming of all the vvorld for if vnto him there fell trauell pain yet vnto vs there fell rest quietnesse if it fell to his lot to suffer yet it fell to vs to reioice be glad if the soure fell vnto him the sweet fell vnto vs in so much that hee chose the gaule for himselfe and left the hony for vs. Iurauit patribus dare terrans fluentem lacte melle said the Prophet Moises Exod. 13 As if he vvould say You shall well remember O yee children of Israel how you did agree vvith our Lord he vvith you that both of you by oth that you should neuer serue any other Lord but him and that he would giue you a land vvhich should flow milke and hony Notwithstanding this oth the children of Israel were such naughty periures that our Lord determined not to giue them a land which should flow hony but which should bring them forth gaule seeing hee made it batten for to sow in rugged and rough to trauell in vnhealthfull to dwell in vveake in defence drie to drinke in and very poore to maintaine it selfe God did make a farre better agreement vvith his Church than vvith the Synagogue for hee did not send vs a land vvhich should bring forth honey but gaule and therefore hee
for the sinner and the righteous for the vniust and that vvhich is euerlasting for that vvhich is transitory Our Lord in this place as it vvere iesting and mocking vs doth call all our workes cesternes which cannot hold water that is that wee are cesternes or pooles vvhich let out all vvaters because vve be not vvell glewed and fastened O how our Lord hath shamed vs in these words and embased vs in saying by the Prophet Ieremy that all our vvorkes are nothing but old broken cesternes and puddles wherein there is nothing commonly but reeds and duckeweed dirt mire stinking vvaer and venomous adders Our Lord doth compare vs vvith great reason vnto that vvhich hee dooth name and doth scorne and mocke vs fitly by it because the sinnes vvhich are in our soules are farre vvorser than those filthes which are found in standing puddels What is there in an old puddle that is not in my soule What are all my vvorkes but a little mire vvhose property is to trouble the water hold them fast vvhich enter into it O how vnhappie we be seeing wee sticke so fast in worldly things that wee cannot get out and so bemire our selues in vaine things that wee can neuer make our selues cleane insomuch that there escapeth no man vvhich is not either defiled with sinne or wet vvith infamie Our workes are also compared vnto duckweed in standing puddles vvhose propertie is to fill the vvater and giue it an euill sauour O wretched and vnhappy that I am seeing I doe no more good in the catholick church thā that weed doth in the water which is easily seene seeing I offend and hurt others with my euill example and that which is worst of all I possesse the roome of a good one Thou and I I and thou my brother wherein doe we serue God or wherein doe we benefite the church vnlesse it be in furthering the bad and persecuting the good and cherishing and pampering our bodies and in eating the bread of the little ones Doest not thou eat the bread of the little ones when as if a Moore or a Pagan had receiued so many fauors as thou hast at Gods hands he would haue serued him more than thou hast done and offended him much lesse What doth the duckweed serue for in pooles but to hide and succour frogges and in what doe I serue Christ in but because all kind of sinne should rest in my heart What sinne did euer knocke at my dore vnto which I haue not presently opened Woe be vnto me woe be vnto me what doe I say that I answered presently when sin called at my doore seeing that very oft before it doth call at my doore I goe vp and downe seeking it from house to house Our workes are also like vnto standing puddle whose property is to be troubled and thicke to looke into and very stinking to drinke When our Lord sayth by the Prophet Esaias Auferte malum cogitationum vestrarum ab oculis meis how should he not detest our workes seeing he saith that all that we doe thinke of doth stinke Anselmus sayth If we will haue God accept of that which wee doe it is necessary that all that bee cleane which wee thinke of for God doth not so much looke vnto that which vve be as vnto that vvhich vvee would bee if vve could O my soule O my heart what is in me that hath a good sauour and what is in thee vvhich doth not stinke Dooth not my body stinke with the euill vvorkes vvhich I doe my flesh vvith sloth my mouth with lies my life vvith couetousnesse and my heart vvith malice S. Barnard sayth According vnto the time vvhich I haue liued and according vnto the small profite vvhich I haue done I am partly weary of my life and partly afeard to die for if I behold my flesh it is now stinking with yeares and if I looke vnto my conditions they are also rusty with age All my workes are so vnpleasant and corrupt and my conditions so stinking that it is more tollerable to smell a dead carkasse with my nose than vnto thee O my God to smell this filthy heart of mine Our workes are also like vnto the frogges which are bred in puddles whose property is to make the water loathsome and offend our eares with their croaking S. Barnard vpon the Canticles sayth Looke how beautifull a thing it is to see a soule when shee is in the state of grace so deformed a thing it is to see her when she is darkened with sinne for in the one estate God is neuer satisfied in looking vpon her and in the other he will neuer hear her The properties of frogs are these they are euil fauoured to looke vpon loathsome to touch vnpleasant to heare and monstrous to eat of for if it be well marked they haue no scales like a fish nor feathers like a bird Origen talking of the frogs of Egypt sayth A frog and worse than a frog is that soule which in the fountain of his goodnesse doth not bath her selfe because we may well say of such a soule that she is euill fauoured in respect of her sinne loathsome in respect of her punishment and not to be suffered in respect of her infamie The quality of the frog is to croake night day it is the condition of a naughty man alwaies to complain because it is one of the infelicities which naughty mē endure in this life that they complaine of all things and liue discontented with thēselues It is also to be weighed that how well soeuer the stones of a poole bee ioined yet the water dooth woose betweene them vnlesse they bee well mortered together because that the propertie of the water is to moisten that which it toucheth and seeke alwaies where it may find a place to issue out What thinkest thou is the clay and morter with the which a holy soule is fastened together but only Gods holy grace Irenaeus in an Homily saith What dooth it auaile vs to haue in the poole of our soule the vertue of humility the goodnesse of patience the wealth of almes giuing and the perfection of abstinence if there want the clay and pitch of charity to keepe them togither S. Ambrose vpon Beati immaculati sayth Let vs not cast away our selues and grieue because our Lord wil not impart his graces vnto vs but because we know not how to keepe them when we haue thē because there is required greater vertue to keepe that which is gotten than to recouer that which was lost O what great reason our Lord hath to say and complaine of all the good turnes that he doth vs and of all the fauours which he doth bestow vpon vs for we cast them al into an old puddle where we haue nothing but the dirt of couetousnesse the frogges of vainglory the reeds and duckeweeds of hypocrisie and the tod-poole of lechery CHAP. IX How the sonne of God did not refuse to drinke gaule and
the secōd to make vs clean of al that which we haue already sinned O what small need Christ hath to bee so many times annointed nor by the church helped for from the first instant of his incarnation was annointed not only the altar of his most holy humanity to enioy presētly the diuine essence but also all the members of his holy body were annointed because they might neuer sinne nor neuer be seperated from God The figure of annointing the altar with all the furniture was spoke of none but of Christ nor fulfilled in none but in Christ alone because it doth easily appeare that as the holyghost left no part in his soule nor body which he did not sanctifie and make holy so there was no power in his soule nor body which to our benefite hee did not imploy Wee may better say of Christ than of Moyses hee dooth annoint the altar Cum omni suppellectile seeing that with his feet hee visited the altars of the Temples with his hands cured the sick with his tongue preached to the people and with his heart forgaue sinners The end of the fift word which Christ our redeemer spake vpon the altar of the Crosse These foure chapters are all which the Author left made vpon the seuenth word which Christ spake vpon the crosse that is In manus tuus c. For whilest that he was a making it it pleased our Lord to take him out of this life CHAP. I. How God is the only and true comforter and how hee was Deus vltionum to the Synagogue and is to the church Pater misericordiarum BEnedictus deus pater domini nostri Iesu Christi pater misericordiarum deus totius consolationis qui consolatur nos in omni tribulatione nostra These are the words of the Apostle speaking of the goodnes and mercy of our Lord God as if hee should say Blessed and praised bee the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ who is the father of all mercies and God of all comfort and who is the true consolation of all our tribulations With a high stile and lofty wordes the Apostle doth extoll the greatnesse and power of God in calling him Father and Father of mercies and God and the God of consolations and aboue all that he keepeth them not for himself only but doth succour vs with them in all our tribulations O how happy is the Apostle who vttereth these words and how blessed wee Christians for whom hee spake them and how blessed is Christ by whose merits they were spoken What grauer sentences or sweeter words could bee spoken seeing that by them he maketh himselfe of God our Father of a iudge our aduocate of a Lord our brother of a reuenger mercifull of him which was cruell gentle meek of him which could not be spoken with most affable and of one which was inuisible treatable Thou maist haue pitty on me and I haue pitty on thee and I can comfort thee thou canst comfort me but to haue pitty on all who can doe it but only the father of mercies and comfort all men who is able to doe it but only the father of all consolations If I be sicke one may cure me if I be naked another can cloth me if I be sad a freind can somewhat comfort mee but tell mee I pray thee who is able to helpe mee in all tribulation and distresse but only our Lord who doth cōfort vs in all our tribulations Who sayth by the Psalme Cum ipso sum in tribulatione of whom speaketh the Apostle Quod consolatur nos in omni tribulatione of who was he euer called whom he did not helpe The father of our Lord Iesus Christ is he who in calling vpon him doth open in speaking to him doth answer who being demanded any iust thing doth graunt it By peeces by patches and by crownes men can giue vs of their pleasures and the world his delights onely hee who is the God of all comfort can comfort vs in our distresses and succour vs in our necessities It is much to be noted that the Apostle doth not say the God of consolation but the Lord of all consolation whereof wee may inferre that all comfort which dooth not come of him is dissolute or fained or imperfect Wee should haue great pitty on those men which say Let vs go sport our selues at the water let vs goe walke in a garden who seeme rather to play the Idolaters then to recreate themselues seeing they put all their felicity and case in seeing a greene meddow in the running of the riuer in flourishing trees and to sit in a banketting house Seneca in an Epistle sayth Let no man thinke that consolation dooth consist in that which wee see with our eies or heare with our eares or touch with our hands or smel with our nose but only in that which the heart desireth for no man can bee at rest if his heart haue not contentment With variety of meats the tast is recreated the sight reioiceth in faire sights the hearing is delighted with sweet musick the smell is pleased with aromaticall perfumes and the feeling ioieth in soft thinges but what shall the poole heart doe which neither taketh tast in meats nor pleasure in musicke nor delight in that which it seeth nor contentment in that which it smelleth what other thing saith the church when she sayth Sursum corde but that we should lift vp our hearts vnto God seeing that there is no perfect consolation for them below in the world Al wicked men would bid God much good doe it him with his glory if they could find any perfect case vpon earth for their hearts but because they cannot find it bee he neuer so bad hee sighteth to goe to heauen We say all this because the Apostle saying that hee is the God of all consolation how can any man haue any consolation in this life vnlesse hee giue it him who is the God of all consolation How great soeuer a lord Hector was in Troy how great soeuer Alexander was in Asia and how mighty soeuer Caesar was in Rome notwithstanding Christ was greater in his church because all those Princes were such ouer their cities only but the sonne of God is the God of all consolations What greater pleasure then to giue pleasure to whom thou louest what greater contentment then to giue contentment to whome thou likest Our Lord kept this treasure for himselfe alone and reserued this segniory for himself that is Quod sit deus totius consolationis and therevpon it is that if he will not shew that which hee can doe and impart among vs that which he hath no iust mā should liue cōtētedly nor any Angell happily If as one is lord of many possessions and inheritances he were also of many pleasures and consolations what would wee not giue for them what would wee not bestow to attaine vnto them and vnto what would we not put our selues to take them
deepe wounds S. Barnard vpon the Canticles saith Note well that Christ doth not say thou hast brokē my head but thou hast pierced my heart to let vs thereby vnderstand that all the offences which we commit against him and also all the seruices which wee doe for him doe reach vntill his heart as hee doth loue vs with the heart Anselmus to this purpose sayth Our Lord doth iest with no man nor will not bee iested at by any man and therevpon he loueth vs with all his heart if we be in state of grace and hateth vs with his heart if we bee in his disgrace By reason whereof there is no offence which we doe commit against his Maiesty vvhich goeth not to his heart nor there is no seruice which we do to him but he doth keepe it in his heart Origen sayth The cause why the bridegroome doth complaine vpon the bride and not the bride against the bridegroome is because the soule hath no cause to complaine vpon God and God hath scarse no cause to bee pleased with the soule The bridegroome complaineth that the bride woundeth him in the heart because that one heart cannot be hurt but of another heart because that that cannot be called a fault but that which doth determinatly proceed from the will Then thy heart doth pierce and wound Christs heart when reason doth teach thee that thou shouldest not sinne and yet notwithstanding thy will dooth determine to sinne whereof God dooth not so much hold himselfe iniuried of that which thou doest as of the heart and will with the which thou doest it Thou doest so many times wound Christ as thou doest consent vnto sinne and therefore hee sayth that thou hast wounded his heart because his iniuries and offences proceeded from thy heart It is much to bee noted that hee sayth not thou hast killed my heart but thou hast wounded my heart for seeing that we see some die only because his heart is moued stirred it should be greater reason that they should die hauing their heart wounded If a griefe of the heart be hardly cured how shall that heart bee healed which is wounded If it be so that all the wounds in the heart are mortall and not to bee cured why doth Christ say that his louer had wounded his heart not confesse that he had killed him By this is knowne the difference betwixt offending God and offending man for a man dieth with euery wound because he will neuer forgiue and pardon but holy Iesus doth not complaine that they kill him but onely that they wound him Giuing vs therby to vnderstand that at the same instant when a soule doth repent her of her offences he doth hold himselfe satisfied for that fault What should become of vs if Christ should say that wee doe kill him as hee sayth that we doe wound him What other thing were it to take Christs life away but to sinne without hope of mercy God speaking with the Angell sayth Interfecisti cor meum and speaking with man sayth onely Vulnerasti cor meum because the sinne of the Angell had no remission but the sinne of man obtaineth euery day pardon O good Iesus O creator of my soule how much are wee bound vnto thee in saying that we doe wound thee and not that wee doe kill thee because that by this high speech thou doest let vs vnderstand that the wounds which we giue thee in the heart and the offences which wee commit against thee are as easily cured as they are easily amended Let no man despaire let no man be discomforted in thinking that he shall not bee pardoned and that there is no remedy for his offences seeing that the son of God doth confesse that wee haue not wholly slaine him but only wounded him of which wounds hee then beginneth to be cured when wee begin to amend O infinite goodnesse O great charity of thine O my good Iesus tell mee I pray thee what diddest thou see in my sinfull soule that thou shouldest trust the weapons in her hands which shee may wound thee with and also the medicines with the which shee may cure thee what are the weapons with the which she doth wound thee but the faults which shee dooth commit against thee And what is the medicine with the which shee dooth cure thee but only the amendment of her owne life Christ saith further that the weapō with the which the bride did wound him was one of her eies which she had in her head and with one of her haires which hanged at her throat so that her eies serued her for arrowes and her hair for bindings Origen vpon this place sayth O how tender the heart is which is wounded with the only sight of an eie and what small force and strength he hath who is bound with a hair The heart which is touched of our Lord although he be stronger then Sampson and lighter then Asael yet in louing of God and tasting of Gods holy loue it is easily taken and suffereth himselfe to be bound without resistance We haue two eies in our head to see with and wee haue two eies in our soules to loue with whereof the one is the eie of loue and the other is the eie of feare and when our Lord sayth that wee looke vpon him with one eie hee sayth that sometimes wee serue him with feare and sometimes with loue Men of high perfection doe looke vpon him with the eie of loue and men of lesser perfection with the eie of feare and the difference is that with the sight of the one there is no alteration at all and with the sight of the other she is presently delighted What can there be in the world more sweeter to the tast or wherin our soule may receiue greater recreation thā to fix all our intention to behold and look vpon God and serue him with all our heart When do we look vpon him with one eie only but whē for loue we serue him and not for fear What can Christ speake more tenderly vnto our soule or what more sweeter words can his holy mouth vtter vnto the soule than to say that she had wounded him with one eie and tied him fast with one haire O infinite loue of thine my Creator and Redeemer tell me I pray thee if thou be so easily satisfied with a soule that doth but once behold thee what wilt thou doe by her which doth behold thee euery day and serue thee all her life time S. Barnard sayth He doth bind God with one haire who thinketh on God and nothing else and hee doth wound him with the sight of one eie who loueth him and no other so that it lieth in our owne hands to serue Christ and attaine vnto his blisse and felicitie Trino vni laus FINIS
the theefe Doest thou defer it to her who brought forth Christ take pity on him who bare him coÌ„pany on the crosse seeing thou doest augmeÌ„t tears in her diminish offences in him It was a word of great fauor which hee did vse vnto Mary Magdalen that Remissa tibi peccata multa Many sins are forgiuen thee but yet that was greater which he did vse to the good theefe because hee vsed greater liberty with him thaÌ„ with hir for if he loued her pardoned her he loued the theef like a friend pardoned him like a Christian rewarded him lika a iust man Barnard saith vnto this purpose That it is a signe of great loue to pardon but a greater sign to giue pardon because that pardon is sometime giueÌ„ by force but a gift neuer coÌ„meth but of free wil. OrigeÌ„ vpoÌ„ Mathew crieth out O deepe mystery O diuine sacrameÌ„t who euer heard or saw the like vnto this that is betwixt the sunne rising the sunne setting the theef was condemned by Pilat shamed by the criers iusticied by the hangmen confessed by his owne mouth by Christ pardoned and also brought vnto Paradise What meaneth this O good Iesus what meaneth this Who is able to reach vnto the reason why Abel vvith his innocency Nee with his iustice Abraham with his faith Dauid with his charity Moyses with his meekenesse Iâ—b vvith his patience Tobias with his franknesse Lazarus with his pouerty should so long desire to see Christ and the theefe presently enioy him S. Ambrose sayth That Christ receiued in a new kind of martyrdome all the torments vvhich were giuen the theefe as a naughty man from the houre and moment that he defended Christ and confessed with Christ insomuch that if he began to suffer like a theefe and a rouer hee ended and died like a glorious martyr This happy theefe was a very glorious martyr seeing he suffered neere Christ and with Christ where Christ suffered and in the same manner that Christ suffered and which is most of all hee was the first martyr after Christs passion and the first Saint which the sonne of God did canonize after his death S. Stouen was the first martyr after Christs ascention but from Christs death vntill he ascended into heauen there was no other Mattyr in the vvorld but the theefe whose conuersion Christ caused whose teares hee accepted whose martyrdome hee approued whose passion hee canonized and whose soule hee glorified S. Augustine sayth O good Iesus O my soules delight considering that thou doest saue him who accuseth his owne faults and him who excuseth thy innocency the maintainer of thy credit the confessor of thy essence the companion of thy person wilt thou not saue also this sinfull soule of mine For so great a battaile as thou hast won this day for so great a victory as thou hast obtained and also for so much bloud as hath issued from thee it is a small prize to carry away with thee but one theef only because that by so much the greater the triumph is by how many more prisoners the triumpher is followed with all And if it will not please thee to take mee thither with thee tarry thou here with me O good Iesus for I desire no other glory of thee in this miserable world but that thou wouldest let mee haue alwaies a good conscience Origen sayth in an Homily that it is much to be noted and a thing to be wondered at that Christ did not say vnto the theefe Amen dico vobis although there were many more there but hee said Amen dico tibi to let vs vnderstand that by forgiuing him alone hee shewed his mercy and by not pardoning others hee shewed his great iustice There were store of sinners about the crosse as well as hee which peraduenture would haue beene pardoned as well as he but amongst them all the theefe onely deserued to heare his pardon but by this hee maketh vs know that there is no man which hath cause to dispaire of pardon seeing hee forgaue him and yet that we presume not too much of pardon seeing he forgaue him alone Let the conclusion of all this be that wee remember before wee sinne that our Lord did not pardon the multitude that was there present and after wee haue sinned let vs remember that hee pardoned the theefe which suffered with him and in so doing we shall feare his iustice and remember his mercy the which I humbly beseech him that it would please him to vse here with grace afterward with glory Amen Amen The end of the second word which Christ our redeemer spake vpon the Crosse ⧠Here beginneth the third word which the sonne of God spake vpon the Crosse vnto his blessed mother Mulier ecce filius tuus Woman behold here thy sonne CHAP. I. That the loue which the mother of God had did exceed the loue of all other men and also the loue of Angels SIcut water 〈…〉 it a agâ— te diligebaâ—â— these are the words of holy Dauid 2. Reg. chapâ—â—â— 1. when 〈…〉 brought him that king Saul his enemy and Prince Ionathas his great friend were slaine in a battaile which they had with the Philistims The Iewes gaue this battaile to the 〈…〉 the wild mountaines of Gâ—â—boe and when the sorrowfull newes came to king Dauid that king Saul had lost the battaile hee began aloud to crie and shed many grieuous teares and said as followeth in dolefull wise O famous and renowmed Israel why doest thou not weepe for the losse of so many excellent men which this day they haue slaine thee and noble Princes which this day are perished within thee How is it possible that the strongest of Israel haue fallen downe so ignominiously and the most famous of Iuda haue ended their life by sword O how well king Saul Ionathas should haue loued one the other when they were aliue seeing that they left not the one the other in death although the cruell sword was able to take away their liues from them yet certainly it was not able to take away their hearts from them with the which they loued one the other What sword durst wound their hearts or what launce durst touch their flesh considering that Saul and Ionathas were in running more light than eagles and in sight more strong than lions Ionathas arrow was neuer shot but he hit Sauls sword drawn but he stroke Weepe then O ye daughters of Israel weep vpon the death of your king Saul who clothed you in scarlet in your passeouer and gaue you iewels of gold in your weddings O ye mountains O ye mountains of Gilboe I curse froÌ„ henceforth anathematize you for euer to the end that it neuer raign water vpoÌ„ you by day nor any dew fal vpoÌ„ you by night seeing that you consented that the enemies of Israel should there kill Saul and slay my good friend Ionathas in the same place O my faithfull and old friend Ionathas why
didst thou goe to the battaile not calling mee with thee and why diddest thou die not taking mee with thee My heart can receiue no comfort nor my eies cease from weeping when I remember how much I was bound vnto thee and call to mind the great loue that passed betwixt vs because that the loue which passed betwixt thee and me was of like quality as the loue which a mother hath when she hath but one child onely It is now to bee noted that for this last word wee haue brought all this story whereby wee may well gather and inferre that the loue which a mother beareth vnto her onely sonne exceedeth all other humane loue For if Dauid could haue found any greater loue vnto a greater hee would haue compared his King Dauid was a very holy man and his sonne Absalon a very bold young youth but in the end when newes came vnto him that Ioab had thrust him through and that he was hanged vpon an oake the poore old man made such pitifull complaint and did shew such griefe for it that euery man did perceiue plainly that he wished himselfe rather dead thaÌ„ his sonne lose his life The which he openly said when he cried aloud My sonne Absalon my sonne Absalon where truly he would willingly haue gone to his graue if his sonne might haue liued God had no better experience to proue the loue which the Patriarch Abraham bare him but to command him to kill his onely sonne which hee had in his house and when the old man had lifted vp his sword to slay the young youth the Angell tooke him by the arme and commanded him to be quiet for now our Lord was satisfied to see that he loued him better than his own son When news was brought to holy Iob how the wise men had robbed him of fiue hundred yoke of oxen and that a flash of lightning from heauen had burnt him seuen thousand sheepe and that the Chaldeans had taken from him three thousand Camels and had put to the sword all the shepheards of his flocke the good man was not grieued at all with it nor vttered any sorrowfull word forir But when the fourth post came to bring him news how they had slaine his sixe sonnes and three daughters in his eldest sonnes house the man of God could not dissemble his great griefe and did shew it more by deed than by word by rending his garments in sunder and cutting his haire from his head and wallowing oftentimes vpon the ground Wee doe not read that the great Patriarch Iacob did weepe in all peregrinations or complaine in all his tribulations vntill hee heard that the wolues in the desart had eateÌ„ his welbeloued sonne Ioseph the which euill news did strike him so near the heart that hee said before his other children that hee would die and goe into hell because hee might haue space and time inough to bewaile his sonne Sunamites the Inne keeper of Samaria and hosâ—esse vnto Heliseus did so much grieue at the death of her sonne which God had giuen her by the praier of Heliseus that shee went weeping like a foole about the fieldes in such manner that neither her husband could bring her in nor the Prophet comfort her The great Priest Heli was so greeued vvheÌ„ it was told him that the Philistims had ouercome the Iewes and taken the Arke and killed his two sonnes Obni and Phinees that he fell from his seat and immediately yeelded vp the ghost The wife of old Tobias and mother vnto young Tobias did weepe beyond all measure and went almost beside her selfe only at the long tarrying which her sonne made in Rages a citie of the Medes vvhether his father had sent him to take vp certaine money and this her griefe was so excessiue that she neuer ceassed to pray vnto God for to keepe him nor she neuer left off weeping vntill she saw him with her eies I haue thought it expedient to rehearse all these examples the better to proue and extoll the loue which fathers and mothers beare vnto their children and how it is not to bee compared with any other loue and how bitterly the Parents weepe not onely for the death of their children but also for their absence Horace saith That to the losse of a child and that of the onely child there can bee no losse comparable vnto it because that causeth griefe at the heart which is loued from the heart Anselmus sayth to this purpose that this fatherly loue is not found onely in men which are reasonable but also in brute beasts for we see the Henne fight with the Kite the Storke with the Goshauke the Mare with the Wolfe the Lionesse with the Ounce the Eliphant with the Rinoceront the Gander with the dog and the Pie with the Cuckow the which fight is not only because they be enemies but because they steale away their young ones S. Ambrose in his Exameron saith That the loue of the father is so great and so excessiue that oftentimes we see brute beasts follow men which haue taken away their yong ones wherein they let vs vnderstand that they had rather be taken themselues than see their little ones taken captiues If a brâ—te beast shew this griefe for his little oues what shall a reasonable man doe When Demosthenes wept bitterly the death of one of his sons another replied vnto him and said that he was a Philosopher it seemeth well said hee that thou hast neuer been a father nor what the loue of a sonne is because that to haue a sonne is the greatest of all loues to lose him the greatest griefe of all griefes To come at the last vnto our porpose what woman did euer loue her sonne as the mother of God did loue hers Ipsum solum tenet mater sua pater eius tenerè diligit eum said the Patriarke Iudas vnto the Patriarch Ioseph his brother as if hee would say O most renowmed Prince Ioseph I and my brothers and my brothers and I doe humbly beseech thee vpon our knees and request thee with many tears that thou wouldest forgiue our yonger brother Beniamin the taking away of the golden flask which was found in his bag because his dolefull mother hath no other son and his old father loueth him with most tender loue These words may better be spoken of the virgin and of her sonne than of Beniamin and his mother Rachel who had more than one sonne although shee knew it not seeing that Ioseph Beniamins brother was aliue the most richest mightiest of all Egypt The eternall father had no other sonne but this alone and the immaculate virgin had no other but Christ only for the father neuer engendred other naturall son but this and the mother neuer brought forth other sonne but this We may very well say of the father that hee did loue his son tenderly seeing hee gaue him all his nature all his wisedome all his power all his
old Testament who knew so much as Christ did When the sonne of God did prophecy that there should not remaine one stone vpon another in Ierusalem did hee not as well know that there should not bee left in his body one drop of bloud with another When good Iesus did prophecy vnto S. Peter that he should die in his old age vpon the tree did he not know as well that himselfe should bee crucified vpon the crosse If then the sonne of God did know that he should die and that his death should be to be crucified vpon the crosse what ioy or mirth could there be in him The sonne of God had two things alwaies before his eies that is the crosse and the nailes with the which they would crucifie him and his enemies which would crucifie him whose conuersation hee neither vvould nor could eschue seeing that he came to redeem theÌ„ with his bloud and conuert them with his doctrine What man is so stout or who is of that courage that can liue conuerse with him that must take his life froÌ„ him O great goodnesse and infinit charity good Iesus who but thou alone hath defended them who persecuted him protected those who haue accused him giuen honour vnto those who haue diffamed him and pardoned their offences who haue taken his life from him What wilt thou do good Iesus what vvilt thou doe for those which follow thee and serue thee if thou deale thus with those which lay wait to intrap thy person impugne thy doctrine take away thy same depriue thee of thy life Anselmus sayth That the sonne of God did liue among sinners not because he did like theÌ„ but because he would amend theÌ„ because no man euer tooke greater delight in reuenging than he in pardoning To speake more particularly it was not without a high mystery that Christ said Et ego in flagella paratus sum hauing a greater regard vnto the laslies which he was to endure thaÌ„ vnto the death which they were to giue him because that a noble modest man doth grieue much more at one lash with a whip giuen him in open place than if they should strike off his head inprison Men are woon in criminall causes to behead worshipful free meÌ„ or vse some other punishment vpon them contrariwise whip hang or mark with a hâ—te yron bondslaues so that in the manner of punishmeÌ„t a mans griefe is greatly augmented or diminished Wee vse to speak it for a great reproch to say vnto one gâ—e thy way thou hast been whiphed the which words wee neuer vse vnto one who 〈…〉 because that bâ—nshment is giueÌ„ only for a 〈…〉 but whipping is gâ—ueÌ„ for a punishmeÌ„t an intaiâ—y WheÌ„ the Apostleâ—nd Ter virgis caesus sum semel lapidatus um ter naufrâ—giumpe tuli although he make mention of three kinds of tormeÌ„â—s yet if we looke well vnto it he maketh his thrise whipping the foundatioÌ„ of his martyrdome By the law of a noble man as Christ was by the law of modesty shamefaâ—â—ouile which he made reckoning of it is to be thought that he felt greater griefe wheÌ„ they brought him forth whipped with Ecce homo than when they brought him to the crosse vpon the Mount of Caluary because the crosse tooke away his life and the whipping tooke away his reputation credite The Iewes gaue Christ three solemâ— tormeÌ„ts which they did not vse to gaue vnto other theeue that is lashes with a whip with the which they opeued his shoulders the thornes with the which they did raze his head and the gauâ—e and vineger wiâ—h the which they did make his mouth bitter In the two thee 〈◊〉 they purposed nothing but to take then liues from 〈…〉 seemed not mough to take away Christs life but they would also take away his same good name If the sonne of God had not felt the discipline of the whipp more than any other punishment he wold neuer haue said Ego in flagella paratus sum in which holy words he gaue vs to vnderstand that he was ready nor only to suffer all kind of punishment which they should lay vpon him but also to beare all iniury that they would vse towards him O what great reason good Iesus had to bee more grieued with the whipping than with the other torments coÌ„sidering that in other punishments he was only tormented but in this hee was tormented shamed hee felt the griefe when they did whip him the shame wheÌ„ they put him naked O good Iesus O my souls health being as thou wast so teÌ„der of skin so smooth soft so subtile in bloud so quick in thy iudgement what didst thou feele when they did whip thee so cruelly and vncloth thee so vnseemely If it were not wheÌ„ thou didst preach that thy face was vncouered wheÌ„ thou diddest trauel that thy feet were without shoes who euer saw thy precious flesh naked vntil they took thy garmeÌ„ts from thee wheÌ„ thou wast tied vnto Pilates pillar O my good Lord vnto what diddest thou offer thy selfe wheÌ„ thou didst say Ego in flaâ—ella paratus sum because that at Pilates pillar thou wast turned out of thy garmeÌ„ts tied whipped iniurited shamed beaten blacke and blew at one time O redeemer of my soule O maker of my life when shall I see the day that I may see my life so spoiled of faults so naked from vices as thou wast theÌ„ froÌ„ garmeÌ„tes S. Barnard vpon those words of Ecce homo sayth Thou art not content O good Iesus thou art not content to goe bound from the garden but they carry thee to Annas bound vvith a cord thou doest goe to Ierusalem also tied vvith a rope and thou doest returne vnto Pilate in the same order and now thou art content to bee spoiled againe of thy apparell and whipped in open place with Ecce homo Behold the man One friend may suffer banishment for another and bee taken for another yet notwithstanding no man doth suffer himselfe to be turned naked whipped for any other because a friend should venter his person for his friend and spend his goods with condition alwaies that his credite and honour be conserued and kept The sonne of God only was he who said Ecce ego in flagella paratus sum seeing that he did suffer himselfe publickely to bee stripped naked and bound and whipped and so whipped to bee brought vnto shame not respecting the griefe which he felt nor the shame reproch which he endured What else did he meane when he said I am ready to be whipped but that hee had as ready a will to receaue martyrdome and such great loue in redeeming the world that if they would haue giueÌ„ him twise as many lashes more and doubled his torment hee was ready to receiue it Why diddest thou say O good Iesus why diddest thou say I am ready to be whipped but that by force of stripes they should open thy
sides to the end that thy enemies should see thy louing bowels and heart When thou doest say Ego in flagella paratus sum what other meaning hast thou sauing onely that the speare should pierce thy sides and the lashes cut and open thy shoulders to the intent that they might see thy blessed heart and how that the loue which thou doest die withall is farre greater than the torments vvhich thou doest suffer The Author followeth this matter and maketh an end of the authorities which he alleaged before ETdolor meus in coÌ„spectu meo semper saith Christ in the same Psalme as if hee would say Among all the dolours which I suffer there is one of them of so euill a condition that it neuer departeth out of my sight Although the complaint which Christ formeth in this place doe containe but few words yet it is full of many graue sentences for he complaineth not of many griefes but of one hee sayth not that it is another mans griefe but his owne hee sayth not that it is in an others mans sight but in his owne and hee hath it not by fits but cootinually If the Prophets doe not rise againe to tell vs and if the Angels doe not declare it vnto vs how can wee be able to gueste what griefe it is which lasted so long and the complaint which hath no end If the sonne of God had been diseased of a dropsie or gout or palsie we could haue said that as his infirmity was such had ben his griefe but seeing that wee doe not read that hee was euer sick who can guesle what his griefe should be It cannot easily bee comectured what this griefe was seeing hee calleth it but dolor one griefe wee know not whether it was the griefe of his agony or of the pillar or of the piercing of the speare or the yeelding vp of his ghost because euery one of these griefes doe breed a feare in vs when vvee thinke of theÌ„ how much more to suffer them When Christ saith that my griefe is alwaies in my sight it is a thing to make vs both wonder feare for seeing that Christs griefes were so many in number and so cruell in torment what should he meane to complaine vpon one seeing that they were without number and count Wee cannot deny but that Christ suffered many bitter torments but there is one more principall than all the rest the which is such a one and so grieuous a one that vntill this present day it runneth bloud in thy presence and cannot bee taken away whilest this life doth last What griefe can be compared vnto this grief seeing it hath his beginning in this world and doth not end in the other This long griefe is the great vngratefulnesse which is in vs for our redemption the smal câ—re which we had that hee â—as put vpon the crosle for vs in so much that the griefe whereof he complaineth vnto his father was caused neither by the thornes nor nailes which pierced him but by vngratefull and vnthankfull men who did not acknowledge him S. Barnard speaking of our dury to God sayth If thou wilt know what God hath made thee looke vvhat he hath done for thee for in thy miserable nature the vvorkes of his infinite benignity doe appeare How much the baser thy God made himselfe in humility so much the greater he made thee in goodnesse and how much the more viler hee made himselfe for mee so much the more familiar and like hee made me vnto him Take heed then man that thou be not prowd seeing that thou art made of dirt and see that thou bee not vnthankfull and vngratefull vnto God seeing that thou art so neer coupled vnto him because an vngratefull man was neuer pleasant nor acceptable vnto God It is the part of a peruerse mind to seeke occasions and shifts to excuse himselfe not to be gratefull for the benefites which he hath receiued the which kind of treason and naughtinesse is proper only vnto shamelesse men and to such as haue dead hearts and as it were without a soule Who is he who cannot be thankfull for a benefite receiued but he who neuer knew to doe good vnto others All this is S. Barnards speech Cassiodorus sayth in an Epistle That it is a hard matter to suffer and not easie to dissemble that a wise discreet man should gather no fruit of his trauaile but that hee should rather receiue hurt from whence hee hoped for remedy in so much that he suffereth hurt without an offence giuen punishment without a fault griefe without cause paine without sin persecution without an enemy Naughty mens manners would bee much worse than they are if there were none to chastise vice and reward vertue Lactantius sayth That which Imaruell at in men is that if they bee sicke they commend themselues presently vnto God if they haue warres they run to God if they want water they aske it of God if they bee molested with a plague they turne to God if they goe by sea they offer themselues vnto God but that which cannot bee spoken without griefe is that after God hath deliuered them out of those dangers no man thinketh more of God Do not thinke it sayth Seneca to bee a small misfortune vnto thee if by chance thou hast lighted vpon an vngratefull friend because that as a benefite or good turne is woont to make of a foe a friend so the same benefite is wont to make an enemy of him who was thy friend For it is the property of an vngratefull man that the more that he is bounden vnto any man for any benefite receiued of him the more he hateth him of whom he hath receiued it and the worst of all is that they would see him dead of whom they receiued it and not be thankfull at all for it Thou doest complaine O my friend Lucilius that thou hast fallen vpon more than an vngratefull man and that of an old friend hee is become thy new enemy and if thou wouldest enter into the coÌ„sideration of this losse thou shouldest abstaine from euer doing any good turn vnto any which I doe not counsell thee to doe nor yet that thou counsell any man to doe it because it is better that men accuse the other of vngratefulnesse than thy selfe of couetousnesse and that the benefite bee lost in the other rather than rot in thee There is no vice more common among men than for one man to be vngratefull vnto another which doth proceed oftentimes hereof that men know not how to make choice of their friends or for that they doe not bestow their benefites well and therefore oftentimes we haue greater reason to complaine vpon our selues for not knowing how to giue rather than of others because they bee vngratefull for the good turnes which they haue receiued of vs. Cicero in his third booke of laws sayth Clarissimi viri Athenis pulsi carere ingrata ciuitate maluerunt quà m manere in