the fyre of the loue of God and true charitie And among all meditations in the which this heauenly fyre is kindled the chiefest is this of the passion and death of our Redéemer Bicause if there be any thing that hath force to drawe the loue of one man to loue an other it is to knowe that he is loued of the other and so there can not be a thing in the worlde more apte to drawe the heart of a Christian to loue God then to consider how God first loued him the whiche he may very well vnderstande by that whiche he did and suffered for him And if it be the greatest signe that a friend can showe of that loue he beareth towardes an other to giue his owne life for him as he our Lord him self sayth this signe then haue we most manifestly of the loue he bare vs for that his will was to giue his most precious lyfe for vs or rather as Saint Paul concludeth a greater signe can we not haue of his innumerable loue then to knowe his will was to offer him selfe vnto death euen the death of the crosse and that not only for his friendes but also for his enemies If then thou were negligent slouthfull and cold to loue God before thou knewest how much he loued thée nowe thou doest knowe it by suche and so many signes and argumentes endeuour to him which hath so loued thée Call to minde in this mysterie how streatly thou art beloued of al the whole Trinitie séeing the father so muche loued thée that he gaue his onely begottē sonne vnto death for thée Remember wel those words of the Euangelist S. Iohn which saith in this maner So God loued the worlde that for it he gaue his onely begotten sonne In which wordes thou mayest knowe the greatnes of the person of whom thou art so beloued and that is the Father almightie maker of heauen and of earth and also the greatnes of his loue wherewith he loued thée is manyfest by the greatnes of the gifte whiche he gaue thée and that is his only begotten sonne who hath the same like infinite power bounty and maiestie with the father And this suche a sonne he hath graciously giuen thée that taking thy humanitie or manhood he might dye in the same for thée and redéeme thée in suche sorte as the Apostle sayth God spared not his owne sonne to pardon vs his miserable seruants O inestimable loue and greater then any vnderstanding can comprehende And likewise the loue of the Sonne was nothing lesse then this of the Father in that he came downe from heauen and was incarnate for thée spente hys lyfe and dyed for thée that by suche meanes he might in diuers sortes be giuen to thée In byrth as thy companion in life as thy comfort in his last Supper as thy foode in death as price for thée in heauen as a rewarde for thée And as the loue of the Father and the Sonne was towardes thée so was the loue of the holy Ghost who willed wrought together with the father and the sonne thy saluation redemption Now the most blessed and glorious Trinitie hath so loued thée how canst thou be so slacke in rēdring to him loue for loue séeing that loue can not be repayed but with loue And if thou vnderstande not this excéeding loue of God by other benefites whiche he hath done for thée as in thy creation and conseruation consider yet what thou hast receiued of him in thy reparation and redemption then shalt thou perceiue how true those words be which he spake by the prophet Ieremie With perpetual loue haue I loued thée and therefore haue I drawen thée to me in hauing mercy vpon thée These be the sharpe arrowes which the kingly prophet Dauid speaketh of sufficient to pearce anye hard hart These be the new warres which the scripture speaketh of that a king is from heauen elected to subdue and conquer men of the earth Differing from the first which he made with thretnings and feare These be the ropes of Adam and the cordes of charitie with which the prophet O say sayth he would draw men vnto him Because if they will worke according to the vse of reason which they haue in respect they be reasonable men they ought not to be more vnreasonable then brute beastes who suffer them selues to be drawen with ropes and halters in finding them selues forced and constrayned to loue such as loueth them When thou therefore shalte meditate vppon the death and passion of thy Redéemer let the principall ende of thy trauell be to be rauished in the loue of such a Lorde that hath so loued thée and by so many profes hath wel declared his loue towards thée and assure thy selfe that al those stripes and bloodye woundes which thou beholdest in him be voyces crying and testifying his deare and true loue towardes thée Beholde him vppon the Crosse thrust through with a speare and thou shalte perceiue how he prouoketh and forceth thée to loue him His féete so nayled do showe that he will tarie for thée if thou wilte returne come agayne to him His armes so stretched do signifie that he desireth to embrace thée His head so bowed downe doth signifie that he will giue thée the kisse of grace That side of his opened with a spere doth manifestly shew that he is willing to giue thée a place in his hart where thou mayst rest thy selfe quietly surely And what other thing might he do for thée which he hath not done And what other thing doth he more require of thée but in that acknowledging this his loue thou answere him agayne with thy loue O moste swéete Iesu the true louer of men what is he if he well consider this and know it that can denie the thing thou requirest of him and for so many causes is due vnto thée And howe can any man excuse himselfe to loue thée béeing pricked forwarde and prouoked with so many motions and swéete callings of thy diuine loue Be not therefore my good brother vnthankfull nor so dull to vnderstande this his so great loue for the which it should behoue thy hart to melt euen as the wax whensoeuer thou remembrest that he loued thée first and that he washed thée with his precious blood Denie him not the tribute of loue thou owest him for although he haue forgiuen thée other thy debtes yet this he will not discharge or acquite thée of but rather affirmeth that he came to put fyre on the earth and woulde that it should burne continually And in figure of this he commaunded in the olde lawe that the fyre shoulde stande alwayes kindled vppon his altar The whiche is not so muche ment of the materiall fyre as of the spirituall which is our loue towards him and that he would should alwayes burne vpon the altar of our heart because that sacrifice is alwayes acceptable to him whiche is offered with suche fyre And because this maye be
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
do laude prayse thée so that I nor all men in the world know nor yet are able to thanke thée nor yet vnderstand thy so gret mercy And because I haue no tong able to do it as it ought to be I pray thée of thine infinite goodnes to graunt me an heart that may take compassion and féele in part that which thy most blessed mother felt when she beheld and saw those gréeuous woūds and scourgings of her and thy most louing sonne Geue me therfore O Lorde teares in abundance that I may bewayle with her his death also wéepe for that which was the occasion therof and that was my sinnes the which I pray thée for the same thy sonnes sake that thou wilt pardon me and for the time to come to preserue me that I offend not in the same agayne but alwayes hate and abhorre my sinnes and wickednesse Amen Et florum nimbo fusisque lignoribus vngunt Vnctaque candenti sindone membra tegunt How the blessed body of Christ was anoynted and dressed to the buriall Meditations thereof 1 When night drew neare S. Iohn Ioseph and Nicodemus as it maye be godly thought prayed our Lady to geue them leaue to annoynt the most blessed body of her sonne who agréed to their godly request albeit that she vnderstoode that there was an other principall annointing that is that he was annointed of his diuinitie with the which he was vnited 2 Consider with what great deuotion and reuerence that most diuine body was anoynted and how many sighes teares they shed euery one that were present thereat in séeing him so wounded and pitifully handled and specially beholding those fiue principall wounds worthy of so great compassion 3 Consider that when the blessed body was annoynted they decently wounde it in a white shéete they brought with them and couering his said body with a fine launde so shrowde it vp to be buried according to the maner of the Iewes ¶ The prayer MY soule blesseth thée O most louing Iesu and all the powers within me geue thankes prayse to thy most holy name for all thy works which I confesse to be most worthy of all prayse and blessings But specially I prayse and magnifie thée for that thou hast accomplished and finished that so highe and heauenly worke of our redemption on whiche my saluation and life dependeth I also adore and worship thy precious body with the which it hath pleased thée to suffer most gréeuous torments and seing thou my Lord and God wast content to accept that deuotion and pietie of thy friēds that came to do thée their seruices and wast cōtent being dead that thy body should be annoynted with those materiall oyntments which they brought of the which thou hadst no néede at all because thou wast preserued from all corruption with the swéete balme of thy diuinitie I beséeche thy clemencie that thou vouchsafe to graunt me that pietie that charitie and those teares of deuotion that I may be able to annoynt thee spirituallye whiche is the vnction that is wonte to bée most acceptable to thy maiestie Vouchsafe also my Sauiour to imprint in myne heart those fiue most holy woundes whiche maye bée at all tymes my comfort my medicine the tower of my fortresse my refuge sanctuarie more sure and safe then those Cityes whiche in the olde lawe were appoynted for offenders to runne vnto and saue them selues And that by meanes of them I maye escape what tyme it shall please thy diuine iustice to punish me for my sinnes Amen Conditur ah tumulo mundi mihi conditor in quo Vnicaspes hominum conditur vnasalus Howe Christ was put into the graue Matters of meditation 1 Howe that most sacred body was caried put with due reuerence of Ioseph in a newe sepulchre or graue the which was nere to the place where he was crucified And here you may call to minde also the multitude of sighes and abundance of teares of his most sorrowfull mother and of those holy persons that were there present 2 Consider the extreme pouertie of the king of heauen and of earth who when he was dead had not any place where to rest his head but after death was buried in the sepulchre or buriall of an other 3 Then finally consider howe loth and gréeuous that sorrowfull mother was to depart from the sepulchre where her tresure was left and layde and the dolefull desolate sadnesse she felt seing her selfe depriued from his ioyful company vntil his rising agayne whiche she looked for with a stedfast fayth ¶ The prayer AL thy works O my God and lord Christ Iesu be holy perfect wrought by infinite wisedome for the which without ende I laude giue thankes prayses to thée and specially for thy holy passion death and buryall For euen as when the worke of the creation of the worlde was finished the scripture saith thou diddest rest and ceasse from creating anye more thinges so also now the great worke of the redemption of man béeyng also finished thou tookest thy rest and dyddest ceasse from suffering any more and wouldest that thy blessed body vnited with thy diuinitie shoulde remayne closed within the sepulcher thy moste blessed soule vnited with the same Diuinitie in meane time discending to visite and comfort with thy presence glory those holy fathers thy great friendes the which with vnspeakable desire looked for that day Blessed and praysed for euer be thyne infinite mercie power and wisedome the which stretcheth ouer all and disposeth all thinges swéetely For the which I praye thee to open the eyes of my soule that I may learne to know loue and reuerence thée Geue mée also my redéemer plentie of teares of compassion with the which I maye accompanie thy moste sorrowfull mother who at this tyme remayned sole and desolate bewayling with great affection which shée felte for thy death and absence vnto the time that thou camest agayne to wype awaye those pitifull teares which ran downe her reuerende face I desyre also and praye thée to graunt me a cleane harte voide of all corruption of sinne where as in the lyke Sepulcher not of harde stone but of tender fleshe and louynge it may delight thée to rest vntyll the time thou vouchsafe of thy mercie to bring mée eternall rest Amen Mortis victor adest animis comitatus ab orco Ne tumulo hanc matres quaerite vinus abit The glorious resurrection of Christ our Sauiour ¶ Poyntes to meditate vpon 1 First consider how that when the most blessed soule of Christe had béen in Lymbo comforted those holy fathers and brought them frō thence the sonday morning it did returne againe and vnite it selfe with his most blessed bodye caused it to become glorious resplendent immortal and impassible and so with the diuine power those glorious indowmēts which it communicated to the body it rose vp out of the place where it lay the sepulcher or graue remaining fast shut and closed 2 Ye may also thinke that the first thing he did being raised from death was to visite his beloued mother which with so many teares sighes sorowes missed him and looked for him All which griefes were turned into incomparable ioyes gladnes with the glorious sight of her sonne raised agayne from death to life 3 Ye may also meditate howe he firste appeared vnto Magdalen before the other who when she knew him she was greatly comforted and likewise vppon his other apparitions as vpon this daye as when he shewed himselfe and appeared to the deuoute women which went to the sepulcher and after to his Disciples goyng towardes the castle of Emans ¶ The prayer THy name be blessed without end most swéete Iesu my redéemer for that after the tempest of thy passion there is come the faire bright day of thy glory to the night of sorrowes and teares for thy death the festiuall ioyful day of thy resurrection doth succéede For the one for the other I giue prayse and thanks to thée as for the one and for the other I am debtour to thée bicause thou wouldest dy for my sinnes rise again for our iustification And therefore it is iust that they which do suffer wepe with thée in thy sorowfull passion and death should also in thy gloryous resurrection reioyce with thée thy most blessed mother Who according to the measure of hir anguishe sorrowes passed hath receiued the ioyes consolatiōs of this day present And what tongue may suffice to expresse that vnspeakeable gladnesse which hir hart felt when she sawe thy glorious risyng againe and the darknesse of thy passion turned into such beautifull clerenesse thy shames reproches into glory thy wounds into such beautie brightnesse When she did consider that now the stormy winter of thy persecutions was past the waters of the fludde of thy sorows ceassed that there should be nowe no more Pharisies to accuse thée nor Iudasses to betray thée nor Pilates to iudge or condemne thée nor death to haue might power ouer thée If Iacob did so muche reioyce when hée vnderstood that his sonne Ioseph whō he beleued to be dead was a liue and did rule ouer all Egipt how great may we thinke the ioy of thy glorious mother to be when hauing sene thée dead yea and of such a death did sée thée alyue againe a vanquisher of death triumphing ouer the diuell hell Lorde of heauen and of earth wherefore I beséech thée my heauenly king that I calling to remembrance this great triumph gladnes of thy blessed mother thou wilt giue me grace to hate all other vaine pleasures and worldly consolations whiche may separate me frō thée Graūt me Lord I pray thée by thy holy resurrection that my soule may rise againe with thée by the life grace and that I dye no more by the death of sinne so that I may by thy mercy hereafter rise agayne glorious in body and soule and come to reigne with thée eternally in glory Amen FINIS Laude Honour and Glory be for euer to Iesu Christ our Redéemer which suffered dyed and rose agayne Amen