that Lorde before whose sighte the powers of heauen feare and tremble Who can but wonder when he remembreth that he dyed who is the lyfe of all thinges liuing O howe aptly to this did the Prophete Abacuc vnderstanding in the spirite of prophesie say Lorde I considered thy works and I was afrayde And truely the causes of wonder be so greate to make a man muse thereat that it is more maruell to sée one not maruel and muse then one that dothe muse and maruell at it For howe can it be deare brother but thou must maruell and wonder if thou consider the greatnes the mightinesse the highnesse and the eternall maiestie of him that suffered so many kindes of paynes of iniuries of tormentes and of so shamefull a death And contrariwise the basenes the vilenesse and the vnthankfulnes of men for whom he suffered And if any of these things being by itselfe considered haue cause sufficient to make thée maruell what shal it be if thou ioyne all together that his high maiestie hath suffred suche and so great tormentes for so base and vile creatures That is to say that the iudge of the liuing and the dead was crucified betwéene two théeues that the king of glory which is adored of Angels was blasphemed of most vile men who woulde not maruell who would not be afrayd who would not be astonnied to thinke vpon it This is one thing that shall giue thée copious matter to woÌ„der and maruell to consider the infinite loue bountie and mercy of God in this worke of thy redemption declared And thou shalt no lesse maruell if thou consider the great wisedome he sheweth in the same his passion and crosse in that he found out so conuenient and apt meane to vanquish and ouercome our aduersarie euen as it were with the same weapon wherwith he ouercame vs. And this is it that the Catholike Churche singeth That he ordeined the trée of the crosse to be the instrument and meane of our saluation because the diuell like as he wanne the victorie ouer vs by one trée so likewise he might be vanquished and troden vnder foote by an other trée Also his crosse and passion was a most present remedie for all our infirmities For he humbling himselfe euen to the death of the crosse did pay sufficiently the price of our disobedience and pride Geuing vs the greatest example that might be of his humilitie which is so necessarie a vertue for vs besides diuerse examples els as of despising the worlde and of many other vertues spoken of before By meanes whereof we maye knowe our owne vices and amende them and chiefly renounce and forsake our selfe-love which is the roote of all vice Also the remembraunce of his Crosse and passion may encourage vs to suffer and patiently beare the manyfolde trauels miseries and griefes whereof our life is full For what greater comforte can there be had then to beholde Christ nayled on the Crosse whose woundes are sufficient to heale our woundes whose paynes and griefe if we well consider them may cause vs not so impatiently to take our troubles whatsoeuer they be And likewise to inflame and kindle our loue towardes him there can not be founde a better meane then to lay before our eyes how gretly and entierly he loued vs in suffering so much for vs and that he hath left vs so great ryches of his mercies of Sacraments of examples of coÌ„forts of satisfactions of fayth of hope of deuotion of consolation Beholde Christ with diligent eyes vpon the Crosse and thou shalt finde hid therein so great and so wonderfull treasures that they will cause thée to crye out say with Saint Paule O the depâ—nesse of the ryches of the wisedome and knowledge of God Thou shalt finde also good cause to maruell if thou consider his great power and might whiche he shewed in his passion for so muche as thereby he ouercame the diuell and being exalted on the Crosse he drew all things to him as he saide before dying he destroyed death triumphing ouer the world and hell Thou shalt likewise finde good cause to wonder if thou marke well the iustice he obserued in his passion and death in that he would not our sinnes and offences should remayne without recompence and satisfaction and by it giue remission and pardon of them and that more fréely and fully then of our part was due or deserued And by howe much more thou art willing to consider search out the secrets of the Crosse so muche the more high mysteries shall be reuealed vnto thée and cause thée not only to maruell but also to be greatly amased And then shalte thou knowe that Saint Paule the Apostle spake not without great cause when he sayde He would preache none other nor would learne to knowe any other thing but Iesus Christ and him crucified By this then hitherto said thou mayst gather and perceiue how copious matter thou haste to maruell and wonder at when thou art in this maner disposed to meditate vpon the death and passion of thy Redéemer All whiche the better to retayne in memorye thou mayest reduce and bring them to these poyntes The first is to consider the infinite highnesse and maiestie of thy Lorde that suffered for thée The seconde is the seruile and base estate of them for whom he suffered Thirdly the wonderfull tormentes and iniuries which he suffered Fourthly the wisedome power and iustice which he declared in his blessed passion and death These things in maner before specified and others that may happen to come into thy remembraunce whiles thou art in thy meditation if thou consider them as thou oughtest attentiuely shall minister occasion vnto thée greatly to maruell and wonder at this diuine mysterie A declaration of the seuenth manner of meditation which is by way of hope and reioysing The seuenth manner of meditation we sayde was by waye of reioysing and hope Whiche kinde of meditation is very necessarie also sometime to vse For when a man shal with him selfe consider howe great the wickednesse and euill of sinne is howe odious it is and howe muche it displeaseth God séeing for the due punishment thereof and for to repaye and repayre the great losses it had caused in the worlde our Lorde him self came downe from heauen and after so great trauels and paynefull life at the laste he would suffer so bitter passion and death And when he shall likewise call to minde that he hath runne and fallen into his haynous euill and sinfulnesse not only once but many times and in diuerse sortes he shall then rest so sad and dismayed that he shall néede of some speciall helpe for to comfort him that he dispayre not in him selfe when he remembreth that he shall appeare before the iudgement seate of the fearfull iudge to yéelde the account of all his life To remember this it hath made not onely many sinners to feare and tremble but also iuste men and persons of holy life as
disciples there maye be these poyntes following to meditate vpon 1 With howe great méekenes and humilitie the sauiour of the world rising from supper washed the féete of his Disciples and also of Iudas and wyped them with the towell wherewith he was gyrt 2 Secondarily consider of the entier loue which moued him to institute that high Sacrament in the which he gaue his Disciples to eate his most sacred body and precious blood to drinke and willed it shoulde remayne in his Church as the foode and consolation of our soules 3 Thirdly call to minde that heauenly lesson which he preached to his Disciples comforting and exhorting them and vs also to humilitie charitie and patience of the whiche vertues he gaue vs so liuely examples in the latter ende of his life here The prayer I Geue thée thanks most swéete Iesu with all my hart for thy marueilous humilitie in abasing thy selfe to become as a seruaunt to washe the féete of thy seruants And also I prayse and worship thée for the inestimable benefite that thou diddest work for vs in willing to continue with vs in thy most holy sacrament in the whiche thy blessed body is verily conteined for the foode and comfort of our soules I humbly beséeche thy infinite clemencie pitie to graunt me grace to folowe this example of so great humilitie and that my vile condition neuer become proude when I shall consider and sée thy maiestie so humbled And vouchsafe also my gracious Lorde and Redéemer to washe my féete that is to say the affectes and naughtie passions of my soule And giue me that loue and charitie which thou diddest so greatlye commende to thy Disciples that with purenesse of hart and with suche inwarde cleannesse of minde as I am bounde and as is acceptable to God I may draw neare to this moste swéete Sacrament and participate aboundauntlye of those effectes which it worketh in deuoute soules Graunt me also O celestiall Scholemaster and euerlasting wisdome of the father that thy most blessed words may be imprinted in me which thou didst preach in this worlde chiefly those words of thy latter talke neare thy death béeing full of so great charitie coÌ„solation with the which thou didst coÌ„fort the sorowful minds of thy beloued Disciples And séeing thou hast the word of euerlasting life more swete then the hony or hony combe make my soule to tast it chiefly to delight in it and alwayes to obay it that by it as by a most lightsome lanterne I may sée how to guide my selfe in all my wayes and works Amen Ter prece sollicitat patrem sudatque pauetque Innocuas stringunt impia vincâ—a manus Of the prayer in the garden and apprehending of our Sauiour ¶ Poyntes to meditate therevpon 1 How our sauiour going into the garden to which place he knew his enemies should come for to apprehend him with that inward sorow and feare which for our saluatioÌ„ fréely his soule would féele he fel downe flat on the grounde with most great reuerence he made his prayers thrée times to his father praying him that the bitter cup which was prepared for him myght passe away yet notwithstaÌ„ding submitted himselfe alwayes to his fathers most godly will 2 Howe that his affliction and anguishe increasing which willingly he receaued caused hym at the last to sweate droppes of blood that fell vppon the earth And beyng in this agony there came downe an Angell from heauen to comfort him 3 How that being moued with the burnyng desyre of our redemption he went and met his enemyes in the face and was content to be kissed of that traitour Iudas and of the other to be taken and cruelly bounde to be forsaken of his disciples and brought to the house of Annas the Bishop ¶ The prayer BLessed be thou my Lorde and God O Iesu Christ for that thine infinit mercy that it pleased thée for to harten and comfort vs to be assaulted thy selfe wyth suche extréeme feare and sadnes And thou being the gladnesse and comforte of Angels diddest take well in worth to be comforted of an Angell I blesse and prayse thée also for that thy feruent loue that for to loose the bondes of our sinnes and to set vs at true libertie sufferedst thy selfe to bée taken and bounde of thy enemyes shamefully like a théefe I beséeche thy infinite goodnesse therefore that in mine afflictions feare and sadnesse I may haue the grace alwayes to run vnto thée with most humble and deuout praier submitting my selfe wholly into thy blessed handes and that so to doe may be my onely comfort and helpe séeing that without thée vaine is the health and helpe that any worldly creature can giue me I beséeche thée also most méeke Lambe by that thy patience and gentlenesse which with hard cordes and ropes diddest suffer thy selfe to be bounde when thou wast taken that thou wilte vouchsafe to bynde my soule with the chaynes of thy loue that I being loosed by thée from my sinnes and from my disorderly affections suffer not my selfe to bée anye more bound with them And that neither the diuell the worlde nor the fleshe may at any time separate me from thy loue seruice and most blessed will and pleasure Amen Ad sedes Annae rapitur Caifaeque tribunal Hic tota insultat nocte proterua oohors How Christ was lèd to the house of Annas and Caiphas ¶ The poyntes to meditate 1 The blasphemies and villanies which were spoken against our redéemer by those wicked ministers the outrages buffetinges and beatinges which he suffered when he was led from the garden to Annas house where he was first presented 2 Consider the great méekenes humilitie and modestie which shyned in our Sauiour whiles he stoode before the presence of that proude byshoppe and aunswered to the demaundes of his doctrine and of his Disciples tooke so patiently those reprochfull strokes and buffets 3 And after that howe wyth like spite cruell handeling and shame he was ledde to the house of Chaiphas where they vsed muche scornings iniuries towards him as in couering and blindfolding his blessed and reuerend face spitting in it and striking it so that he passed all that night without any rest at all ¶ The prayer I Render thankes and prayses to thée moste louing Iesu for thy inuincible patience with which it pleased thée for vs most vyle sinners to beare and suffer so greate trauelles paynes and iniuries submitting thy most blessed bodye to them that did beate it and thy most reuerend bearde and heare to them that dyd teare it bespit it and soyle it and diddest not turne thine amiable face from them that did spitte in in I do humbly beséech thy goodnes for that thy insuperable patience sake with which thou sufferedst so many strokes and beatinges without grudge or anger towardes thyne enemies that thou wilt graunt me strength and patience to suffer all persecutions and iniuries which in this worlde are wrought against me knowing that my
Crux recipit fessum claui palmasque pedesque Traijciunt sedant fellea vinasitim Of the nayling of Christ vpon the Crosse ye may meditate these poyntes 1 Howe that being with great trouble and trauell nowe come to the mount of Caluarie which was the place where the malefactours shoulde put him to execution in steade of good wyne which they vsed to geue others that went to their sorrowfull death to comfort their spirites they gaue Christ wine that was myxte with gall because there shoulde no member or part nor yet anye sense remayne in him without torment 2 Remember the inhumanitie of them to spoyle him of his garmentes which was a new cause of griefe and torment to that most méeke Lambe and a renuing of the excéeding sorrowes which he suffered And likewise call to minde howe that béeyng spoyled of his garmentes hée stoode all naked in most bytter sorrowes griefe and shame 3 Then further consider with howe great crueltie they caused hym to bée stretched vppon that harde bedde of the Crosse which they had prepared for him On the which they perced throughe and nayled with bygge grosse nayles the most holy hands and féete of him that made bothe heauen and earth And on the other syde consyder wyth what excéedyng patience and charitie hée suffered so great tormentes as no tongue suffyceth to expresse ¶ The prayer NO tongue most mercifull Iesu sufficeth to giue thankes and prayse worthye to thée for thy burning charity which caused thée with so great patience to beare and suffer the incomparable tormentes thou diddest féele what tyme thou wast nayled vpon the Crosse For albeit the griefe smart of thy paine and sorrowe were excéedyng great yet without all comparison muche more passing great and vnspeakable was the greatnesse of thy loue that prycked thée forwarde to suffer it Thy verie works O Lorde prayse thée and for my parte I thanke and praise thée as much as I maye confessing my selfe neuer to be able to thanke thée for the least parte of that I am bounde vnto thée And therefore I praye the for those moste bitter sorowes and for the entier loue of thine which caused thée for the saluation of the worlde to suffer so gréeuous tormentes that thou wilt graunt me grace that they maye be alwayes fixed in my harte and minde as the percing arrowes of thy tender loue and that renouncing all vayne loue of this worlde I maye be surely nayled and fastened to thée in perfect loue and obedience And for so muche as thou art figured by that cluster of grapes whiche the two men broughte on a staffe vppon their shoulders from the lande of promise and waste troden foorth in that wine presse of the Crosse that out of thée should flowe moste swéete wine to swéeten and ouercome our soules swéeten and fil my soule with that wine which causeth men to become chast and pure And cause that I be fast nayled with thée with the nayles of thy loue and charitie Thoroughly nayle my fleshe with the feare of thée that it be not rebellious agaynst the spirite and let my hands and féete be so nayled with thine that they neither moue nor stretche besides thy blessed will And geue me so abundant grace that I may be desirous to suffer and to be dispraysed of all men for thée and to be pressed downe for thy diuine loue Amen Conspicitur crux alma solo caeloque verenda In qua expirauit mox viriusque parens How Christ was exalted vpon the Crosse ¶ Poynts to meditate vpon 1 How that béeing in maner aforesaide with such excessiue sorow and outcryes of the people nayled vpon the crosse he was exalted or lifted vp on high that all men might beholde him And was put in the place appoynted betwene two théeues that were also crucified with him 2 Remember the incomparable sorowe and anguishe which his moste blessed mother felt when she saw her swéete sonne wounded from toppe to toe and deformed so muche through the stripes and torments receiued that scarcely she might knowe her owne childe 3 Call to minde also howe amongst so many tormentes as our most mercifull sauiour suffered the first wordes he spake béeing nayled vpon the Crosse was to pray for his very enemies and them that crucified him whose blindnes and crueltie gréeued him more then his owne paynes and torments ¶ The prayer I Confesse my most swéet Lord and true louer of mankinde that in all the time of my life if I should do none other thing els both day and night yet I could not worthily for my part prayse and blesse thée for this vniuersall benefite of the redemption of mankinde both yll considered of me many other What may I then say O eternall loue of the father séeing thée in our mortall flesh so abased for my sake tormented for me and lifted vp vpon the crosse in the middest of two théeues and as one of them and muche worse handled O my Lord thanks be giuen to thée of all men and of all Angels for thine infinite charitie the which is sufficient to make them all to maruell séeing that I am he which hath committed the robbery and yet it is thy pleasure to suffer the punishment due therefore I beséech thée O infinite goodnesse that séeing it hath pleased thée to paye for mine iniquitie and sinnes and that thou haste pardoned me those whiche I haue committed that thou wilt giue me grace to take héede that I trespasse not in the like offences hereafter and that I deserue not eternall tormentes from whiche by meanes of thy tormentes thou haste so manye times deliuered me Giue me O Lorde the grace that I maye stande and staye my selfe surely and constantly by thy Crosse with thy moste blessed mother féeling some part of the sorowe that she felt And giue mine eyes grace to looke vp vpon thée raysed and lifted on high vpon the Crosse so that I maye be holpen from my spirituall soares as they were holpen from their corporall soares who did beholde the serpent that Moyses did in figure of thée exalt in the desart Vouchsafe also to graunt me so much thy fauour and grace that I maye reste my selfe vnder the shadow of this trée of life and that I maye taste of his moste swéete fruite the whiche maye cause me to loue euen mine enemies and to pray for them euen as thou standing nayled vpon the same trée as it were from thy chayre and pulpit doest teach and preach vnto me Amen Exanimum pectus transfigit cuspide miles Pectore ab effosso lympha cruorque fluunt How Christ was thrust into the side with a speare ¶ Poyntes to meditate 1 When that wicked generation had nailed and lifted vp the redéemer of the world vpon the crosse and coulde not nowe any more strike him with their handes they smote him with their tongs with many reprochefull words and blasphemies giuing him vineger to drinke in his great thirst vpon a sponge 2 Consider
deformities And so shalt thou be encouraged with more diligence to bestirre thée to worke according to this examplar and paterne showed vnto thée in this mount of most â—igh perfection as it was sayde vnto Moyses Because in this imitation conforming of thy life after the example of Christ consisteth the greatest merite thou canst haue in this life and the greatest rewarde prepared for thée in the life to come A declaration of the fyfth manner of meditation which is in thankesgeuing The fifth manner of meditation vpon the holy passion is by way of thankesgiuing whiche we are bounde often to do For if we ought of very duetie because we woulde not fall into the vice of ingratitude whiche so muche displeaseth God and no lesse hurteth vs to call ofâ—en times to our remembrance suche other benefites as we â—aue receyued at Gods hande â—nd to thanke his infinite goodnesse and liberalitie for the â—ame How muche more ought â—e so to do for the benefite of â—ur redemption the whiche so much more passeth all other beâ—efites as it hath by our redéeâ—er with more deare coste and â—rice and for our greater proâ—ite bene purchased A great matter it was that â—e gaue vs a soule and body with all our members and senâ—es and muche it is to be estéemed that for our conseruation and benefite he hath created the heauens and the earth with so many and diuers creatures as we sée in it But what should it haue profited vs to be borne into the world if we had not bene redéemed Of what estimation or valour might our creation haue bene thought if our redemption had lacked For by the first we receiued but our being by this seconde we haue receiued our wel béeing The first thing cost our creator but litle for that he created vs and al the world with his onely word and in a short time but as for the seconde who is able to declare how dearly and with how great expence our redéemer purchased and bought it Séeing that with the trauels and sweat of thrée and thirtie yeres finally with tormentes and death vpon the Crosse he gaue vs life and repaired the worlde which in sixe dayes he had made Nowe if it séeme to thée that thou art litle bound to him for that whiche cost him litle yet thou canst not denie but that thou art muche in his debt and very greatly bounde vnto him for that thing he payed so dearly for Thou shalt do then right as the wise man giueth thée counsell not to forget the grace and benefites thou haste receiued of such a benefactour that hath giuen his life for thée Consider if thou haddest receyued of anye man the like benefite how gretly shouldest thou haue remained bounde howe highly wouldest thou haue praysed him howe wouldest thou haue endeuoured thy selfe to haue serued him And therefore thou mayst perswade with thy selfe how greatly thou art bounde to God thy Creator and Redéemer for if thou mightest possibly be bound to any other man whiche had deliuered thée from a corporall death howe muche more oughtest thou to be bounde to him that hath deliuered thée from the spirituall death of the soule And if thou wouldest acknowledge thy selfe muche beholden to a man that had suffered a little for thée then remember howe muche more thou owest to him that is both God and man who hath suffered suche paynes and tormentes for thée and not onely tormentes but also moste bitter and shamefull death through which thy sinnes were cancelled and rased oute of remembraunce the might of the diuell was broken to péeces peace and reconciliation was made with God the gates of heauen opened besides other innumerable giftes giuen thée And séeing thou canst not better recompence this so great debte then to knowe to loue and to be thankfull to thy benefactour why then remember to offer to him the often sacrifice of prayse and thankesgiuing as the holy king prophet Dauid exhorteth and encourageth thée to do styrring vp thy soule with those words wherewith he lifted vp his owne hart and soule vnto God saying O my soule blesse the Lord and all the powers within me prayse ye his holy name O my soule blesse thy Lorde and forget not how great benefites he hath bestowed vpon thée But yet chiefly remember the greatest of all the rest which is to haue deliuered thy life froÌ„ eternal death and to crowne thée with mercy in his glory if the fault be not in thy selfe As verily it shal not be whensoeuer thou shalt declare thy selfe thankfull for his giftes receiued And that shalte thou do in exercising thy selfe to giue prayse and thankes to the giuer therof And think it therfore thy duetie as often as in this maner thou art disposed to meditate vpon the blessed passion to remember and endeuour by all meanes earnestly to giue thanks and prayse for that entier louing charitie of thy Sauiour that woulde redéeme thée with his owne blood and for that incomparable patience of his by the which he suffered all those sorrowes iniuries mockes and scornes as thou shalt call to thy minde béeing after this sorte occupied in thy meditation And albeit that the giuing of thanks which in this litle treatise is set in the ende of euery prayer may helpe and serue thée to that effect yet neuerthelesse it shal further thée muche that in thy discourse of meditation thou deuise of thy selfe newe prayses and thankes giuing sayinge sometimes Thanks be to thée O my God for thy excéeding charitie Blessed mayest thou be in thy patience that wouldest suffer suche tormentes for me O most innocent Lamb praysed and blessed be thy méekenesse Let thy Angels in my behalf blesse thée that wouldest so muche humble thy selfe And at an other time saye When shall I be able O my Lord to recompeÌ„ce these and other so great paynes and sorowes shames and reproches which thou hast suffred for me Let euery spirite and creature confesse thy mercies and be thankfull therefore And so vsing suche other lyke words of prayses according as thy deuotion shall moue thée A declaration of the sixt manner of meditation which is by way of admiration The sixt maner is according to our former diuision in order of admiration which thy soule shall féele to be very great if thou knowe once howe to exercise thy selfe well in that sort of consideration And séeing that the Prophet Dauid vsed as he affirmeth of him selfe to consider and meditate in his minde the maruellous works of God so is it good reason that thou do exercise thy selfe in the meditation of his most holy passion and death which is the moste marueilous worke amongst all that he hath wrought And who will not maruell when he considereth that suche a one did suffer who is the only refuge and protection of al those that do suffer And that he is sadde and heauy for sorowe who is the mirth and comforte of Angels And that he is despised and scorned who is