pan put to the fire The sacred humanity of Christ being put in the fryingpan of the crosse notwithstanding all the torments which they gaue him and all the iniuries and reproches which they spake against him they neuer diminished any part of his vertue for although for the space of three daies his soule was seperated from his body yet they deuide not his Diety from his soule nor from his body Isichius vpon Leuiticus sayth Before that the sonne of God was fried in the frying pan of the crosse his flesh was so raw that it could not bee eaten but after that the fire of his passion did season it vs and frie it there is nothing in heauen more sauerous nor nothing on the earth more profitable Cyrillus in another sence saith There were four things in this sacrifice fire the pan oile and flour These four things were found in the passion of Christ that is the fire which the Iewes kindled to the end hee should dieithe frying pan vvas the crosse which they sought out where hee should die and the oile the loue and charity with the vvhich hee died there for to redeeme the world and the floure his most sacred flesh vvhich there was fried O glorious sacrifice O eternall meat that thou art O sonne of the liuing God seeing that fried and whote and seasoned thou diddest giue thy selfe in the frieng pan of the crosse to the end that all men might eat thee and none excused from seruing thee When the sonne of God said Nisi manducaueritis carnem filij hominis his Disciples being scandalized Abierunt retrorsum dixerunt durus est hic sermo But after that that most sacred flesh was seasoned fried in the frying pan of the crosse it was soft sweer to tast of sauerous to eat and profitable to be taken Sume tibi sartaginem ferream ponas eam murum ferreum inter te eiuitatem said God by the Prophet Ezechiel chap. 4 as if hee should say Goe thy way out of the city and thou shalt put a frieng pan of iron betweene thee and the city because thou maiest neither see her nor shee hurt thee Who euer saw or heard the like that the Lord should command the Prophet to fight with a frying pan and defend himselfe behind the same Tell me O Ezechiel what hurt couldest thou do with a frying pan seeing it hath no point or how couldest thou defend thy selfe vnder it considering that it will scarse couer thy head If thou wilt goe to fight take a launce with thee and if thou wilt go to defend thy selfe from thy enemies take thy Target because the frying pan is fitter for the kitchē thā the warre and better to dresse meat with than to fight O glorious crosse O holy frying pan where the flesh of my God was fried where his bloud was shed where his charitie vvas enflamed where our fault was melted and where his life was ended The frying pan of the Synagogue was neither good for warres nor profitable for peace But thou holy crosse and happy frying pan wast hee with the which the diuell was ouercome God pacified the world redeemed and the heauen opened What thing can I put betwixt thee and mee O good Iesus but this precious crosse frying pan where thou diddest end thy life that my sin might not come vnto thee nor thy punishment passe to me Doe thou not think my brother doe thou not think that God commanded the Prophet to put betweene him and the city a frying pan for any good that it would doe him but for that which the frying pan signified for thereby was signified the crosse and the crucified which should be a mediator betweene God and the world O sweet Iesus O my soules delight where but in the frying pan of thy dolors and griefes and where but in the oile of thy charity and loue diddest thou end consume and fry my enormious sinnes Where but in the frying pan of the crosse where thou saiedst Consummatum est giuing vs to vnderstand by that last speech that there thou haddest ended and made a full account of our sinne and thy anger of our perdition and thy passion of our ignorance and thy life CHAP. VIII Wherein is declared a figure when Moyses did annoint the altar seuen times with one finger and how that vnction was a figure of Christ and fully accomplished in his most sacred humanity DIgito suo vnxit Moyses altare septies oleo vnctionis this is written in the 40 chapter of Exodus as if hee should say In the same day that Moyses did institute his brother Aaron bishop and ordained also his children Priests hee did annoint the great altar seuen times and that with one finger and did consecrate it with oile Cyrillus vpon this place sayth That although all the holy Scripture be full of mysteries yet there is greatest attention to bee giuen when it speaketh of the altar or of a Priest because that that mystery cannot be handeled and not talk of the mysteries of Christ If we doe looke into the words of the text we shall find that that which is annointed is the altar that with the which it is ointed is holy oile and the manner how is with one finger only and that seuen times and that which was further ointed were all the ornaments of the altar These were the qualities of the altar neere vnto it were the holy breads before it burned lampes on the side of it they did put the candlestickes on the top of it the offered sacrifices at the foot of it they shed the bloud behind it were the people ouer against it was the vaile vpon it was the Cherubin about it were the curtaines This altar was made of wood which would not rot there could come none to it but the Priests they could not goe vp to it by steps nor staires night and day lampes burned there other fire which should not be put out Although the altar of the Synagogue had many priuiledges and great freedomes yet it had a counterpeise with it which was that vpō it they slew all the beasts which they did offer vnto God therefore it was sometimes so bloudy so loaden with flies that it seemed rather a bord in the butchery to cut flesh on then an altar of the church Who is the true altar the holy altar and the cleane altar but only the sonne of the liuing God Origen sayth In the Temple of the Synagogue the altar was one thing and the Priest another another thing that which they offered but in the altar of the church the altar where they offer and the Priest which doth offer and the sacrifice which is offered and he vnto whom it is offered is one and the same thing Leo in a Sermon of our Lords Supper sayth In this high supper and in this holy altar the sonne of God is the ultar and the meat and he who inuiteth and he who is inuited
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
perfection of his praier as his disciples which were with him then at his table O glorious speech O blessed praier which Christ vsed when hee said I doe not pray for them only but for those which shall hereafter beleeue in me although we had neuer seen him nor done him any seruice at all nor deserued any loue at his hands yet he praied with as great affection for vs as for those which sat at his table Rabanus sayth Because the sonne of God was the founder of the church he praied vnto his father for those of his church not forgetting nor excluding any one by reason whereof we shall aske with great confidence those things which belong to the saluation of our soule for seeing he doth pray to his Father for those things which are fit for vs it is to be beleeued that he will not deny vs of that which himselfe possesseth Theophilus sayth Marke well that Christ dooth not pray here for those which beleeue that there is a God but onely for those which doe beleeue in God The Pagan doth beleeue that there is a God the diuell doth know well that to be true which God saith but onely the good Christian doth beleeue in God because hee doth that which God dooth command him There bee many which beleeue that there is a God as the Pagan dooth and beleeue God as the diuel doth but they do not beleeue in God as the good Christian doth for the Apostle sayth that our faith is not knowne by the words which we speake but in the good works which we doe Christ doth conclude sayth Vt omnes sint Consummati in vnum that is hee entreateth his Father that all those which be at his table and all those which shall after succeed in his catholicke church may end in one faith in one baptisme in one loue and in one charity CHAP. VII Herein he entreateth of the variety and diuersity of names of the sacrifices of the old Testament and of the exellency of the sacrifice of the new Testament SI oblatio tua fuerit de sartagine similae conspersum oleo absquefermento diuides eam minutatim funde super eum oleum Leuit. 2. chap. God spake these words to holy Moyses giuing him order how the Priests should be appointed and how the sacrifices should be offered as if he would say If any Hebrew will offer vnto God any fruit to bee fried in a frying pan the floure must bee kned with oile and without leauen and after it is well fried and oile sprinkled vpon it and cut into very smal peeces so offered vnto Aaron to bee offered vpon the altar Before wee come to expound these mysteries we must shew the cause why our Lord would busie and occupy the people of the Iewes in such strange rites in such new sacrifices and in so many ceremonies being as hee was so graue a Lord and so mighty a God Stapulensis in the first of Leuiticus sayth That for three causes God commanded the Iewes to offer so many small sacrifices and made with so many ceremonies The first is that because the Iews had beene brought vp in Aegypt where all were idolatours and they giuen to Idolatry the Lord would that they should offer those sacrifices vnto him and not to the gods of the Gentiles The second reason is that because vnder those sacrifices hee would declare and figure the true sacrifice which should come into the world which was his precious sonne The third reason is that being occupied in that multitude of sacrifices they should haue no time to bestow in committing of other sinnes because the foundation of all wickednesse is accursed idlenesse It is also to be noted that there was seuen kinds of sacrifices in the old law vnto the which all other were reduced although they seemed to be infinite The first sacrifice was called Holocaustum which was the greatest and most sumptuoust of all because it was offered vnto our Lord without any other respect the second was called Pacificum because it was offered in time of warre partly because our Lord should giue them peace in their times and partly because he should giue thē victory against their enemies The third was called Propiciatory which was offered in time of great dearth or pestilence and the end of it was because our Lord should withdraw his hand from ouer them and take that plague from them The fourth was called Pontificat which was offered for the sinnes of the priest of the Temple and the end of it was because they did hold it certaine that if the Priest were loaden with sinnes that the Lord at his handes would not accept the sacrifices The fift was called Regale which was offered for the sinnes which the king had committed and the end of it was because the Lord should pardon the sins which he had committed lighten him to gouern well his Commonwealth The sixt was called Common which was offered for the sins of all the people of Israel the end of it was that the Lord should take them vnder his protection look vpon that people The seuenth was called Particular this was offered for euery particular person and the end of it was that God should pardon him for that which was past giue him grace to amend hereafter All these sacrifices differed in the beasts which were offered in them in the ceremonies with the which they were offered and in one thing they all agreed that is that there could no sacrifice be made for the remission of any sin vnlesse the bloud of one cleane beast were shed The Apostle said not without great cause Non fit sanguinis effusio sed remissio because no mā could bee made cleane of a fault in the old law but by the death of some beast Origen sayth It is certain that euery beast doth rather liue by his bloud than by his flesh or members or bones which he goeth with for when he leaueth bleeding hee leaueth breathing Although it bee true that in recompence of the least fault we are bound to offer our life for it yet God in the old law was content with the life of a dead beast in recompence of the life which that Iew did owe him O how happie we be which fight vnder the name of Christ because the parishioners of the synagogue did offer the bloud of dead beasts but the faithful Christians offer nothing but the bloud of the sonne of the liuing God insomuch that we haue no necessity to offer our liues in recompence of our offences because the life of one was sufficient to make cleane all the faults of the world S. Paule could not praise Christs buying of vs better than to say Emptiestis pretio magno giuing vs thereby to vnderstand that with the bloud of his vaines hee had bought our liues and also taken away our offences For to haue pardoned a Iew of his fault it was necessary euery time that hee had sinned to
he suffered in his members When the Apostle sayth That the sonne of God offered vp praiers and supplications vpon the altar of the crosse hee declareth as Theophilactus sayth That the praier ignosce illis was extended vnto the good and vnto the bad in so much that for his enemies he offered praiers for the pardon of their sinnes and for his friends hee offered vp oblations for to confirme them in his grace As the sonne of God was Lord ouer all men and died for all men so vpon the crosse he praied for all men For if the wicked had need of him to help them to rise the good also had need of his helpe to keep them from falling Anselmus in his meditations sayth That when the Apostle sayth that the sonne of God was not content to pray only with deuotion but also offered vp that praier vnto his owne father it is to let vs vnderstand that for the sauing of all the world hee offered vp his paines and sorrowes for a recompence his life for a satisfaction his person for a reward his bloud for a price and his soule for a sacrifice It is also to bee weighed that the sonne of God made not this holy praier of Pater ignosce illis Father forgiue them sitting but vpright not being at libertie but bound not in a low voice but aloud not laughing but weeping that which is most to be maruelled at the words that he praied with were very few but the tears he bathed them with were very many O good Iesus O my souls pleasure who could be worthy to stand at the foot of thy crosse to see how thy bloud ran from the thornes and thy tears flow from thy eies in so much that at the same hour and moment thou diddest water the earth with tears and pierce the heauens with sighes O what a sacred word was that O what a holy praier was Pater ignosce illis Father forgiue them seeing that it was made by the sonne of God vpon the altar of the crosse accompanied with sighes washed with the bloud of Christ and offered vp with the tears of the redeemer Although the sonne of God requested the greatest matter of his father and of the greatest weight that euer was demaunded of him that is to wit Pardon of his precious death yet the tears which hee shed were so many and the loue so great with the which he asked it that if he had asked a greater matter of him his father would neuer haue denied it him S. Basill sayth O what great hurt sinnes bring vnto vs considering that for to lighten vs of them and obtaine pardon for them it was needfull for Christ to pray vnto his father for theÌ„ and offer oblation and crie out and suffer his bloud to bee shed and tears to poure downe from his eies so that thou O good Iesus diddest buy my great offences by the weight of thy bloud tears Our Lord when he praied for his enemies vpon the crosse taught vs what forme and fashion wee ought to keepe when wee pray that is to shed bloud from our members and fall tears froÌ„ our eies The son of God wept when he praied for his enemies and art not thou ashamed to laugh and talke when thou praiest for the remission of thy sinnes Yea and if thou canst not weep in thy praiers yet tel me why thou doest talke ouermuch Barnard sayth That it is more then a iest rather then a praier if at one time thou wouldest pray and talke for if thou bee not attentiue vnto that that thou praiest neither will our Lord be vnto that that thou demandest Defecerunt prae laâ—hrimis oculi mei sayth Ieremie in his Lamentations as if he should say I had such great compasston to see all the Iewes led captiue vnto Babilonia that my eies with very weeping lost their sight And indeed there is no greater token that a man is in true charity then to see him haue compassion of other mens hurts and therevpon it happeneth that good men weepe sooner for the wicked then for themselues the which happened also vnto Christ vpon the crosse who wept first for his enemies before they wept for their owne sinnes It is a very proper thing vnto the chosen people of God to weepe a like for other mens harmes and for their owne because it is the propertie of true Christian charitie to take as great griefe to see his brother lost as pleasure to see himselfe saued One of the greatest priuiledges that good men haue is that euen as they merit in taking comfort and ioy of the good that is done to good men so they are greeued at the hurt which falleth vnto euill men in so much that the good man and the iust reapeth profit commodity of euery mans conuersation Who doubteth but that the lamentation which Christ made vpon the crosse was far greater then that which Ieremie made on the Mount Sion But now it is to be vnderstood that Ieremy wept for one people onely and the sonne of God for all the vniuersall world Ieremy wept only tears from his eies but the son of God wept tears from his eies and shed bloud from his vains Further Ieremie complained that by weeping he had lost his sight onely but our sweet sauior did not only loose his sight with weeping vpon the crosse but also his very life O good Iesus my soules delight what patience is sufficient or by vvhat iustice is it reason that I should commit the offence and thou shed the teares Art thou not content vvith Ierâ—my to make fountains of tears of thy eies but also to make streames of bloud of thy vains With all those sighes which proceed from thy heart with so many griefes which thy members endure with so many teares which run from thy eies and with so much bloud which floweth from thy vains who would not graunt thy request and who would not haue compassion of that which thou sufferest O who can be able tosay with Ieremy Defecerunt prae lachrimis oculi mei Because that the greatest hap which could light vnto mee were that in amending my faults I could recouer my soule and in weeping many teares lose my sight CHAP. V. Why the father answered not his sonne when hee praied for his enemies VOs cogitastis malum de me sed deus vertit illud in bonum ego pascam vos paruulos vestros When the great Patriark Iacob died in Aegypt and that all his childreÌ„ remained vnder the power and will of their brother Ioseph and being afeard least hee should call to mind how they had sold him vnto the muleters of Aegypt the good Ioseph spake these words vnto them You my brethreÌ„ did think that you had done me great hurt but you did me great good for your selling of me was the occasioÌ„ that I came vnto prosperity and to rule and gouerne all Aegypt in so much that the great goodnesse of our Lord
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
the reward of Paradise but vnto another crucified Saint Barnard vpon the Passion sayth for mine owne part I thinke not my selfe deceiued but I know that the naked giueth not his kingdome but vnto another naked he whose ioints are vnloosed vnto another whose ioints are also loosed one from an other hee that is couered with bloud vnto another couered with bloud also and the crucified vnto another crucified Thou that sittest sporting thy selfe what doest thou aske of him who suffereth on the crosse Thou that art clothed and reclothed what doest thou craue of him who is bowelled vpon the crosse Thou that art faire and fat what doest thou aske of him who is on the crosse one member rent from one another Thou that art at freedome and liberty what doest thou aske of him who is nailed and fastened vpon the crosse If thou wilt heare sayth Anselmus O my soule Hodie mecum eris in Paradiso Lift vp thy affections from the earth let thy heart bee free from all passions let thy flesh keepe watch and vvard ouer her inclinations crucifie thy liberty on the crosse let bloud thy fancie of all presumptions and bury thy affections that they may not appeare If thou wilt ascend as high as heauen it is necessary that with the theefe thou take the crosse for thy ladder to steale it for otherwise although thou bee a companion with him in sinning yet for all that thou shalt not so be in raigning CHAP. XIIII Why the sonne of God did not say vpon the crosse vnto all men Amen dico vobis as hee did say vnto the theefe Amen dico tibi aad how he was the first martyr which died with Christ and the first Saint which he canonized LOquetur ad eos in ira sua in furore suo conturbabit eos said king Dauid in the second Psalme as if hee would say when the great God of Israell shall bee angry and troubled hee will speake vnto the wicked men with anger and when hee shall trouble their iudgements it shall bee with great anger Our Lord doth threaten the wicked whome hee meaneth to punish with two grieuous scourges that is that hee will speake in anger to feare them and trouble their iudgement that they shall not bee able to guesse at any thing aright If our Lord speake vnto vs with anger it may bee borne with but if he trouble our iudgement it is a thing much to be lamented for in this wicked world if he doe not lighten our steps to see where wee goe wee shall fall downe vpon our face Barnard crieth out and saith What shall become of thee O my soule if he who should lead me put mee out of the way if hee who should succour me forsake mee if hee who should pardon me accuse me and he who should quit mee condemne me and he who should giue mee sight make mee blind Saint Augustine De verbis Apostoli sayth When it is said in Scripture that God speaketh vnto vs with anger it is meant that he doth not speake with mercy and when it is said that hee doth trouble vs with fury it is to say that hee doth not lighten vs with his diuine grace because there cannot happen vnto vs greater hurt in this world than for God to withdraw his hand from doing vs good There is no anger in God as there is in man with the which hee doth trouble himselfe nor furie to moue him withall and when wee say that he is angry it is because he vseth that punishment which in others is done with anger and if we say that he is in fury it is because hee vseth rigorous punishment towards vs or else because hee doth not punish at all in this world for wherin can our Lord shew greater anger than by not vsing his accustomed clemency Our Lords wrath is appeased when hee punisheth presently after the offence committed and he is very angry when hee deferreth the punishment vnto hell S. Ambrose sayth That in the house of God not to punish is to punish to dissemble is to bee angry with not to speake is to chide to pardon is to threaten to suffer is to let it putrifie to defer is to reuenge the more Is there thinke you any greater punishment than not to bee punished in this world When doth our Lord speake vnto vs with anger but when wee fall from his grace into sinne by our fault God spake with anger vnto our first father when hee said vnto him thou shalt eat thy bread in the sweat of thy face as if hee would say Because thou hast fallen from my grace and eaten of the apple which I did forbid thee to eat of for a perpetuall punishment thou shalt eat and drinke alwaies with care in thy mind sweat on thy face and trauaile of thy body insomuch that at the best morsell thou shalt giue ouer eating and fall to sighing God spake also with anger vnto the murderer Cain when hee said vnto him behold the bloud of thy brother Abel doth crie from the earth vnto mee as if he would say Because thou hast flaine thy brother Abel through malice and enuy I cannot but doe iustice vpon thee because his bloud crieth aloud for it of me and thy punishmēt shall be that thou shalt wander to and fro all the daies of thy life and thy head shal neuer cease shaking God spake with anger vnto the great king Nabugodonoser whē he said Eijciam te ab hominibus as if he would say Because thou hast robbed my tēples of their treasures and led away my people of the Iews captiue thou shalt be throwne out frō the conuersation of men shalt liue with beasts on the mountaines thou shalt eat hay like oxen and bee clothed like wild sauages with haire vntill thou doest acknowledge mee for to bee thy Lord and thy selfe to bee a sinner God spake with anger vnto the great Priest Heli when hee said Ego praecidam brachium tuum c as if hee would say Because thou diddest not punish thy children when they stole away the sacrifices and behaued themselues dishonestly vvith women in the Tabernacle I will take thy Priesthood from thee I will kill thy steward and will make that no old man come into thy house in so much that thou shalt haue no children in thy stocke to inherite after thee nor ancient men to counsell thee To come then vnto our purpose God vsed this kind of speech vnto the Synagogue but now speaketh otherwise vnto the church as is easily seene in the death of Christ when hee said vnto the theefe Hodie mecum eris in Paradise Wee doe not read that Christ did euer vse this woord of anger so oft as hee hath done the woord of mercy the which hee hath vsed often as Per viscera misericordiae dei nostra said holy Zachary in his song as if he would say The sonne of God came downe from the highest of heauen into the earth moued thereunto by
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
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
and chiefest goodnesse that was and man inclined vnto wickednesse God did command him to better and amend himselfe vnto which he answered that he would bee merry and take his pleasure by reason whereof man went euery day worse and worse and God more angry and incensed euery day against him Pope Leo sayth That God doth not weigh whether we be weake or strong in health or sicke rich or poore simple or wise but that which he desireth is that we should be good and he is angry if we be naught and therupon it is that hee neuer casteth any good man out of his presence nor hee admitteth no naughty man into his house Gregory sayth That hee could not suffer one sinne in him who was an Angell and doest thou thinke he will suffer so many sinnes in thee who art but a man And hee sayth further that God would rather suffer that an Angell should take heauen from him and man the world than suffer one only sinne either in the one or in the other because that to make a new heauē he is of sufficient power but to like and approue a sinne neither is his power able to doe it neither can it bee comprehended vnder his clemency Seeing then that God is such an enemie vnto sinne and seeing that man doth so much couet to sinne how can they bee but contrary the one vnto the other and vse one another like enemies Holy Iob doth weepe and sigh saying Non est qui possit vtrumque arguere that is there was no man who durst be a mediator betwixt them nor put himselfe betweene them to the end that man might giue ouer sinning God withdraw his hand from punishing Damascen sayth When God and man and man and God were at strife and variance and the one alwaies aboue in heauen and the other continually vpon the earth there vvas no meane to make them meet nor no court to agree them in because there came none downe from heauen to vs nor any fit person went hence from vs to heauen The son of God came thē into the world and put himself a mediator between them both that is betweene God and flesh O how much wee are bound to Christ for that which he did for vs and much more for the manner with the which he did it for the more to bind the one and the other he tooke the diuinity of his Father with the which he might pardon vs and tooke flesh of man with the which hee might suffer with vs. In so much that because he tooke his kindred and alliance of both hee was able to make them both friends O how costly this friendship and kindred was to the son of God and grieuous also seeing that it did cost him his bloud which was in him the life which hee possessed so farre forth that for to make mee friends with God he became an enemy vnto himselfe It is certaine that when two enemies doe draw their vveapons to fight if another venter in betwixt them that both their blowes do light vpon him in so much that hee vvho parreth them is hurt or slaine and those which were at debate proue afterward good friends On the Mount of Caluary and on the altar of the crosse as God and man and man and God had summoned the one the other to a place of defiance blessed Iesus put himselfe betwixt them both to cut off the strife because hee knew that if hee had not taken away all anger at that place they vvould haue remained perpetuall enemies As man threw sinnes at God and God punishment vpon man it fell out that the sinne which man fought with and the punishment with the which God did chastise fell all vpon the Mediatour who had not deserued it O good Iesus and glory of my soule vpon whome but vpon thee did thy Father lay his old anger vpon whome but vpon thee did man lay his fault Doe not then vexe thy selfe O holy Iob and saie Non est qui ponat manum suam in ambobus seeing hee is already come from heauen and already borne in the world vvho hath put his hand betwixt God and man yea and hath both his hands cut off by them Haue not they both trow you cut off his hand seeing his Father ordained that hee should die and man put the fault on him for which hee should bee crucified O diuine mediatour O holy stickeler which of the Angels could doe the like or vvhat man could attempt that which thou hast done That is willingly and vpon good and long deliberation thou diddest offer thy selfe to lose thy life to set God and man in concord and vnitie The sonne of God then doth complaine vpon his Father with iust cause saying Why hast thou forsaken mee seeing that hee did load all his wrath vpon his backe and man likewise lay all the burden of his sinnes vpon his shoulders vpon him in that place God did emptie all his wrath and in that place mans sinnes tooke their end O that this is a glorious time and a happie age which vvee of the Catholicke church liue in for hauing Christ for our Mediatour there can no sinne goe vp to the Father but it must first meet with Christ nor any punishment come downe vpon man but it must also come by him The sonne of God being a meane betwixt his Father and vs who doubteth but that hee will stop our sinne in himselfe that it ascend not to heauen and also keepe backe the punishment of his Father that it doe not descend into the world As otherwise it would if Christ should not make himselfe a meane betwixt vs. CHAP. IIII. How Christ complaineth on his Father because hee bathed his body with the bloud of his vaines and drowned his heart in waters of distresse CIrcumdederunt me sicut aqua tota die circūdederunt mesimul Psalme 88. The sonne of God spake these words continuing his complaint against his Father and it is as if hee would say What meaneth this O my Father what meaneth this Wast thou not content to breake thy anger vpon me and remoue all my friends from me but now anew thou wilt compasse mee with a great floud of water in the which my life is drowned Christ doth set foorth at large all his trauails and bewaileth the want of friends for hee sayth that the waters were great and he saith twise that they besieged him and that they came all together vpon him and that they came so ragingly that they tooke away all his forces First of all we must examine here of what kind of waters our Lord speaketh in this place whether they bee sea waters or of a riuer or fountaine or of a lake because that in all these a man may drowne himselfe and lose his life We read onely of two punishments which God hath inflicted by waters the one in the floud of Noe in which almost all the world perished the other which he vsed against the people of
is thankful vnto me for my benefites bestowed vpon him I bewaile my virginity because I haue found none to bestow my virginity on none to giue my innocency vnto none to impart my patience vnto none vnto whome I may communicate my charity nor any one with whom I may leaue my humility in keeping but if I came rich and adorned with vertues in the world so I must return rich again with theÌ„ to heauen The figure which wee haue spoken of saith further that all the maids of Sion did meet in Ierusalem to mourn and weep the death of Iephthes daughter foure daies one after another in the which they made great lamentations so that no yeare did passe in which this solemnity was not obserued It is here to be noted that although there haue beene in the synagogue many personages noble in bloud valerous in warre discreet in the Common-wealth learned in all sciences and cleane and vnspotted in life yet it is not read of any of theÌ„ that after they were dead and buried were mourned for at any other time Al the kings Dukes Patriarks and Prophets were buried by their friends and kinsfolkes and forgotten of them excepted onely the daughter of Iephthe for whose death all the virgines and maids did mourne and weepe euery yeare once by a speciall priuiledge Wee speake all this because that if the daughters of Sion thought it conuenient to thinke vpon and weepe for the death of that virgine once euery yeare should it not bee greater reason that wee should weepe for the death of Iesus Christ euery houre and euery moment of an houre Those virgines did weepe for the death of that young virgine for no other reason but because she was young beautifull and vertuous so that they were induced to make that solemne lamentation rather through compassion than reason What other reason could there bee for that solemne yearely lamentation seeing that the daughter of Iephthe died not for the Commonwealth nor yet had in estimation for any rare vertue aboue the rest Iust occasion and reason doth inuite vs to weep euery houre and euery moment of an houre for the death of Christ considering that he died for the Commonwealth and paied for our offence For the son to say vnto his father Why hast thou forsaken me is to say nothing else but to complaine of vs because wee remember not his precious death as Iephthes daughter was wept for once a yeare Although the sinfull soule doth not remember the death of Christ yet the holy church doth not forget nor omit to celebrate his death once at the end of euery year in the holy weeke And in steed that the daughters of Sion did weepe for the death of that virgin foure times in the yeare the church doth represent vnto vs the passion written four times of the foure Euangelists CHAP. VII How Christ complaineth vnto his father because they did open his wounds through malice as they did stop vp Isaac his wels through enuy HAbuit Isaac possessionâ—â— onium armentorum familiam plurimam ob hoc inuidentes Palestini obstruxerunt omnes putees eius implentes humo Genes 26. The Scripture hath these wordes telling vs of a great discouresie which the king of Palestine did vnto Isaac the Patriarke and it is as if hee would say Isaac was a great and mighty man and had many flockes of sheepe and many heards of kine and many bondslaues both man and woman by reason of which prosperity of his the Palestines did greatly enuy him and did stop vp his wels by casting much earth into euery one of them O that the Apostle said very true when hee said all things happen vnto them in figura seeing that all things that were done in the Synagogue were nothing else thaÌ„ a figure of that which should happen in the Catholicke church For if it were not so there are many things in Scripture which vvould seeme but a iest to write of and a superfluous thing to read If there should not be some deep mystery some hiddeÌ„ secret in this figure what were it vnto vs or what profite should wee receiue in knowing that Isaac had many sheepe kine and slaues What were it also vnto vs if hee had many enemies and that they did shut vp his wels enuy his riches haue an ere vnto his greatnesse considering that it is an old custome that euery rich man is enuied This figure doth lead vs vnto higher mysteries than the letter doth shew and therefore it is needfull to haue a high spirit to declare it and great attention in reading it To come then vnto the purpose Isaac in the Hebrue tongue doth signifie a man ful of laughter and ioy the which ioifull name can agree only vnto the sonne of God and hee only in this world in a high degree can be called Isaac When rhe sonne of God was in heauen aboue and before hee came downe into this world no mortall man knew any cause to laugh nor yet durst not laugh for because that they saw that God was angrywith all the world al the world was in a dump and mourned When God had said vnto Noe the Patriarke Paenitet me fecisse hominem that is I am sorry and repent that euer I made man how could any man dare to laugh and bee merry How durst holy Iob laugh seeing that hee said with many teares Vtinam de vtero translatus essem ad tumulum I would to God I had been buried as soone as euer I was borne His meaning was this O great God of Israel why hast thou brought mee out of my mothers wombe and now that thou hast brought me out why doest thou not destroy me why did dest thou not carry mee presently from my mothers bowels to my graue How could the Prophet Helias laugh seeing that running flying away through the mountains from Queene Iezabel Petiuit anima sua vt moreretur His meaning was Am I better than my predecessors that I should liue rather than they Die then my soule die for because that my life is grieuous vnto me and I would see it at an end How should the Prophet Ieremy laugh seeing that hee said with deepe sighes Quis dabit capiti meo lachrimas oculis meis fontes lachrimarum vt plorem interfectos populi mei His meaning was Who can bring to passe with the great God of Israel that he would make a sea of water of my head change my eâ—es into fountaines of teares to sigh by night and weepe by day for those whom sinne hath deceaued and the sword slaine How could old honorable Tobias laugh when he said Quale mihi gaudium erit quia in tenebris sedeo lumen caeli non video In those pittifull words hee meant to say this What ioy can there be in my heart or what laughter can there bee in my mouth seeing that I find my selfe poore and feele my selfe aged blind and cannot see the light of
at the very instant that thy enemies appreheÌ„ded thee in the gardeÌ„ thou didst request nothing else at their hands but that they would take thee and set thy family at liberty In his last supper and in his last Sermon when he said Pater Father keepe them which beleeue in mee and such as will beleeue in me hee did well shew the loue which he bare vnto his family seeing hee praied vnto his Father for those which were already borne and for those which should be born afterwards for these which were absent and for those which were present as well for the dead as for those which were aliue O happy is that soule vvhich doth dwell in the family of the sonne of God seeing that hee loueth him before that hee is borne and vvhen hee is borne giueth him iustice and after his death glory The figure sayth further that all those of the kingdome of Palestine did greatly enuy the Patriarke Isaac and all his house not because hee had done them any hurt or vvrong but because hee vvas mightier than all they Sâ—neca in his booke of Anger sayth That there is no enuie more dangerous than that vvhich proceedeth of another mans prosperitie for as long as the good lucke of the one doth last the others enuy and malice is neuer at an end All the intent and purpose of an enuious man is to turne him backe vvhich goeth before beat downe him which is on high throw him downe which â—s more fortunate than himselfe discredite him vvho is in greater honour and empouerish him vvho is richer than himselfe Hâ—race sayth That the property of an enuious man is that as anothers prosperity dooth encrease so his enuy doth also grow whereof it followeth that because hee cannot abide him hee hateth him with his heart diffameth him vvith his tongue iniurieth him vvith his hands and stirreth vp also others against him Good Isaac did neuer hurt the Palestines his neighbours hee did neuer forray their mountaines nor eat vp their pastures nor violate their vviues nor speake euill against them nor breed any discord amongst them but did succour them as if they had bâ—en his brothers and entreat them as if they had been his children Yet notwithstanding all this being besotted and dronke with enuy and obstinate in malice they commanded good Isaac to goe out of the land forsake his vvealth and breake vp his houshold And further the people of Palestine not content vvith all this agreed by the consent of the people and by a clattering of a counsell to stop vp his vvels vvhich his seruants vsed and his flockes dranke of They could not haue shewed their malice nor bewraied their enuie more in any thing than in demming vp Isaacs vvels of vvater because that vvithout the element of vvater neither men can liue nor beast sustaine himselfe To come then vnto our purpose vvhat mortall man hath there euer been is or shall bee who hath been so much enuied as the sonne of the liuing God was What was the cause of such vntollerable enuie in the Israelites but his excellency in knowledge his skilfulnesse in learning his vprightnesse in iustice and the purity of his life The Iewes raged and were ready to hurt themselues to see Christ vtter such great mysteries of Scripture as hee did preach so many sermons vnto the people doe such strange miracles in the city preach publickly against vice and draw vnto his companie those which were alwaies accounted honest The Iews malice against Christ was greater than the Palestines against Isaac because they did nothing but command Isaac to go out of the land but the Iewes did not commaund Iesus but they themselues with their owne hands drew him out and not satisfied with that they agreed afterward to crucifie him They did shut vp the water where Isaac did drinke but they did open Iesus hands and side and therefore comparing hurt with hurt and losse vvith losse it was a greater losse to take Christs life from him than to take Isaacs vvater from him Is it not thinke you a greater hurt to open a mans vaines of bloud vvith the vvhich hee liueth than to shut vp a mans wels vvhereof hee drinketh If men shut vp my wels I open others if I haue no vvater I drinke vvine if they expell me out of this country I goe vnto another but if they draw my bloud from me vvho vvill giue me more bloud and if they breake my vains vvho vvill lend me others and if they take my life from mee vvho vvill helpe me vnto another Christ then vvas vvorser handled through enuy than Isaac for if Isaac did liue in honour he vvent away vvith honour and if he came aliue into the land he vvent away aliue but vvhat shall we say of holy and blessed Iesus vvhose family they did scatter abroad through enuy vvhose mother they seperated away from him vvhose bloud they shed vvhose doctrine they contaminated and vvhose fame they obscured and al through enuy and malice Chrisostome sayth As all the riches of man doth consist in his soule his credite his life and goods so the Pharisaicall enuy and malice did leaue Christ none of all these for they tooke his soule from him they discredited him in his fame they depriued him of his life and left him no goods at all How farre thinkest thou did all his goods reach but onely vnto a torne cassocke and a bare coat And yet most cursed enuy came and tooke the garments away from him and gaue the one vnto the hangmen which did put him to death and the other coat vnto the souldiers vvhich kept him What pouerty then in all the vvorld can bee equall vnto this vvhich Christ our Lord suffered hanging vpon the crosse seeing they haue drawne his soule from him shed his bloud bereaued him of his life and diuided his garments Although the enuy and malice vvhich the Palestines bare to Isaac vvere great yet they did neuer lay hands vpon him but they did lay hands vpon the sonne of God vvhen they did apprehend him they did lay their feet vpon him vvhen they did kicke him they did lay their tongue vpon him vvhen they did blaspheme him and they did lay their hearts vpon him vvhen they did hate him The Author continueth this matter and expoundeth another figure to this purpose TVlit mulier velamen expandit super â—s putei quasi siccans ptisanas sic latuit rex 2. Reg. chap. 17. For the better vnderstanding of these vvordes you must know that there vvere sent from Dauids campe two young men into Ierusalem to know vvhat determination and counsell Absalon and Achitophel had taken against Dauid to the intent that Chusi vvho vvas Dauids true friend and Absalons fained friend and yet dwelling vvith him might let Dauid vnderstand what Absalon purposed to do And as Chusi did send to these two yong men vvho vvere Achimaas and Ionathas Absalons determination a certaine young man had spied them neere
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
bee brought to passe but by his sonnes meanes and he knew also very well that so old a strife would cost his sonne very deerely and notwithstanding all this he gaue his full consent that hee should bee condemned to die And that which most of all did shew his goodnesse and our wickednesse is that the diuels against whome he did plead striue did not giue sentence against Christ but man for whom hee did plead and whose cause he did defend Theophilus dooth seeme to say that it importeth more to say that the father did suffer his sonne to bee crucified than to say that hee doth suffer sinne which appeareth by the Apostle when hee sayth Quòd pro nobu omnibus tradidit illum and hee sayth not Quòd permisit but hee sayth that hee did deliuer and giue his sonne to bee crucified If the father did giue him to be crucified who was able to defend him If we doe giue credite vnto the Prophet Esayas the sonne dooth charge no man with his death and passion sauing only his Father seeing that hee sayth in the Fathers name Propter peccata populi mei percussieum as if hee would say Let no search bee made for the death of my sonne because I was he who stroke him and wounded him and crucified him and buried him because the sinnes of my people could not be clensed but with the bloud of my sonne Dauid was of the same opinion in the 88 Psalm saying thou hast shortened the daies of his life hast thrown his seat vpon the ground Who was able to cut off his daies or cast downe his seat but only he who gaue him life and honored him with a seat All this was figured not onely in Abraham who had drawne his sword to kill his sonne but also in king Moab who for the liberty of the people did kill his own sonne from the top of a wall Origen vpon the Apostle sayth Although it seeme to be a thing against humanity for the father to be a butcher of his owne sonne and make an anatomy of him yet it was no cruelty for the father to make his sonne to die for the redemption of the world but rather a great point of charity because it was decreed from the beginning that as our hurt came by disobedience so our bulwarke and defence should bee by obedience Theophilus sayth God left his sonne in the hands of death with an intention that because that if shee did set vpon him without cause hee should loose the right which he had vpon others and so it befell vnto him for because hee ventered vpon him who was iust hee lost his action against him who was a sinner S. Augustine vpon S. Matthew saith There were at Christs death first Christs father and then the sonne the Lieutenant Pilate Iudas the Disciple and all the people of the Iews and as they were all of diuers conditions so they were of diuers intentions Pilate gaue sentence on him for feare Iudas sold him for couetousnesse the Iews slew him by malice the Father deliuered him for charity and the sonne offered himself to die with pittie and he sayth further Doe not say O you Iewes doe not say If hee be the sonne of God let him come downe from the crosse for you would haue crucified him long before that time if his Father had not denied you him afterward whē he would and how hee vvould hee deliuered him vnto you What did Pilate in the death of Christ but sinne what did Iudas in the passion of his Maister but sinne what did the Iewes in crucifieng Christ but sinne The passion of Christ our redeemer the Father permitted the sonne suffered the holy ghost approued in so much that wee bee not bound for our redemption vnto those who put him to death for to reuenge their iniuries but vnto those who suffered it to redresse our faults O how much we owe vnto God the Father for his clemency seeing that because hee would not punish my offence in my selfe he punished his own sonne for it not according vnto his innocency but vnto my great offence the which his holy sonne did lay vpon his owne shoulders to the intent to disburden me of it Anselmus in his Meditations saith Say O my soule say with the Prophet I am he who sinned I am hee who haue offended thee I am hee who hath sinned for the Lambe thy sonne what hath he done Let thy fury bee turned against me O Father who haue committed the fault and not against thy sonne who is without spot and let not the cruell speare of yron pierce his heart who can doe nothing but loue and let him enter into my heart who can do nothing but sinne O fatherly affection and fauour neuer heard of before what is there in me to giue thee or what is there in all the world to serue thee with seeing that for to seeke out him vvho vvas lost to redeeme him vvho vvas sold to vnlose him vvho vvas bound and deliuer him out of captiuity who was taken prisoner thou diddest make thy owne sonne captiue O infinite goodnesse and vnspeakable clemency what pittie did constraine thee or vvhat charity did ouercome thee that to giue light vnto the blind to heale the lame put him in the right way who went astray to make cleane the vncleane to lift him vp who was fallen and pardon him who had offended thou wouldst not pardon thy owne sonne What priesthood can bee compared vnto thy Priesthood or what sacrifice is like vnto thy sacrifice seeing that in old time they did offer nothing vnto the Priest but some liue beast for the sins of the people and thou diddest not offer but thy own proper sonne The sonne then hath great occasion to complain of his Father saying Why hast thou put me contrary vnto thy self seeing that he commanded that sonne which hee loued best to die for those which most of all did hate him He followeth this matter in a morall sence FActus sum mihimet ipsi grauis sayth Iob as we haue already said Although saith hee I complaine of many yet I complaine of none more than of my selfe and although many things doe wage battaile against me yet I am the greatest enemy vnto my selfe Origen vpon this place sayth It is a thing neuer heard of and a very strange complaint for although a man bee neuer so culpable yet he desireth to excuse himselfe and accuse others Irenaeus in a Sermon sayth We fall euery day and stumble and sinne yet notwithstanding all these faults no man dooth confesse himselfe to bee naught nor acknowledge his brother to bee good Petrarch sayth That men complaine of the sea that it is dangerous of the aire that it is corrupt of his friend that he is a dissembler of the time that it is troublesome and yet I see no man sayth he who complaineth of himselfe therfore wee are like vnto young gamesters which neuer blame their owne play
vineger although he knew it would kill him QVis poterit gustare quod gustatum adfert mortem Holy Iob spake these words in his sixt chapter As if he would say What man is hee which so much hateth himselfe or who hath so corrupt a tast or who is so weary of his life that he dare drinke or tast of any liquor which hee knoweth will presently make him yeeld vp the ghost These words are full of matter and containe deep mysteries in them For as they were prophecied by holy Iob so they were fulfilled by the sonne of God when as on the altar of the crosse hee tasted a cup of such bitter poyson that in tasting of it his life went presently out of his body The Philosopher in his second booke De generatione sayth That the life of a reasonable man dooth consist in the perfection of the radicall or naturall moisture and in the conseruation of natural heat and that is the only reason why nature doth desire meat and drinke of vs for by eating and drinking that humor is alwaies preserued Wee see oftentimes men of ninty or a hundred years die and yet neuer complaine of any griefe and the reason is because that that naturall moisture was ended in them and their naturall heat was extinguished in them and therefore we may say of such that their life did rather end thaÌ„ that they died Now that we must eat drink of necessity which of these two is most agreeable vnto nature and which lesse grieuous If Aristotle doe not deceiue vs in his booke De secretis secretorum this question was debated before Alexander the great and in his presence throughly disputed on because that at the table of that mighty prince no man was admitted to speake but his captains which sustained his warres or Philosophers which gouerned his house The conclusion which those learned men gaue was that it was farre more pleasing and agreeable vnto mans nature to drinke than to eat and their reason was because that drinke doth assuage the thirst which is a very troublesome offensiue thing to suffer and that it hath neither need of a knife to cut it nor teeth to chew it Vltimum refugium naturae est potus said the Philosopoher as if he should say The last refuge that nature doth giue to sustaine vs withal is the strength to drink which is easily perceiued in those which are sicke whereof we see some partly by reason of their long infirmity partly by reason of their old age lose their sight some their hearing some their smelling some their eating and yet none lose their drinking What old man haue wee seene in our daies in the world who hath not beene able to drinke a cup of wine Dioscorus an old Phisitian sayth that of what age or condition a man be he is easilier comforted with drink than meat And therefore seeing that is more necessary for me to drinke than to eat in times past when meats at certaine times were forbid they did not limit their cups in drinking for looke how much a man is recreated and refreshed when hee drinketh at his pleasure so much hee is tormented and afflicted when endureth thirst and therevpon the Philosopher sayth in his booke De somno vigilia That there is no torment equall vnto that when a man is denied his drinke and kept from sleepe Plutarch sayth That the great tyrant Dennis gaue his enemies no other torment but much salt meat to eat and no drinke to drinke and made them labour hard and not permit them to sleepe Cicero in an Epistle sayth That nature is a great enemy to three things that is of griefe and sorrow because it wasteth the bones of great weakenesse and of great thirst with the which choller is enflamed To come then vnto our purpose if to suffer thirst and want sleepe be two great torments who was more tormented with these than Christ was For if we talke of his sleepe we know well that he had not slept from the last night which hee slept in Bethania and if we talke when he dranke from the time that hee celebrated his last supper he neuer drunke drop of water Barnard sayth Considering the hunger which hee had suffered the torments which were giuen him the bloud which they drew from him the iourney which hee went doest thou not think that my good Iesus had great cause to want sleepe and bee very thirstie Cassiodorus sayth Why wilt thou O my good Lord why wilt thou haue mee to occupy my pen in shewing how thirstie thou wast vpon the crosse and how much sleepe thou diddest want considering that there vvas no kind of punishment vvhich vvas not experimented vpon thee Anselmus sayth Who but thou O my good Iesus who but thou diddest suffer in the manger cold in Egypt banishment on the way wearinesse in the palace scorning and mocking on the crosse thirst in thy honour infamie and in thy person death There vvere as Barnard sayth fiue torments which did most of all afflict Christ vpon the crosse that is to say the stripes of the whip which did open his shoulders the nailes which pierced his hands the thornes which tore his Temples the spettle which the hangmen did spet at him and the thirst vvhich did burne his bowels Wee must take great compassion of the thirst which Christ suffered vpon the crosse and wee are to wonder at the remedy which they gaue him for it for in steed of water they gaue him gaule mingled vvith mirrhe and insteed of wine pure vineger If wee maruell that Christ tooke these cruell drinkes wee are much more to maruell to see that Christ himselfe with his owne mouth did aske for them for if he had not said Sitio I am a thirst no man durst haue giuen him gaule and wine mingled with mirre Chrisostom sayth Christ saw those cups of gâ—ule and vineger from the crosse in the Iewes hands and he knew very well that their desire was to giue him of that drinke and yet notwithstanding he said alowd Sitio I am a thirst to the end that they might haue time and place to reach him that drinke Hilarius sayth When the maker of the world said vnto the Iewes Sitio it was to tell them plainely that they should giue it him with their owne hands although hee knew well what they would giue him because that the great thirst which hee had and the gaule and vineger which the Synagogue gaue him did signifie a greater matter and enduced vs vnto a greater mystery than any man thought of As it vvere in a maze and astonied with that that Christ did holy Iâ—b spake that vvhich hee spake vvhen hee said Quis poterit gustare quod gustatum adfert mortem The meaning of these words is this What man is there in such a desperate taking or so farre out of loue vvith himselfe which dare tast of a drinke vvith the vvhich hee knoweth that hee shall die presently The
of smels is of bread the sauor of sauors is of salt the sweetest of all sweetes is of hony and the bitterest of all bitters is of gaule For what is there vnder heauen sweeter than hony or more bitter than gaule For what stomacke is there in the world so strong who after a cup of gaule and vineger would not either burst or die Rabanus vpon S. Luke sayth If the Iewes had remembred that his Father gaue them fresh water in the desart to drinke of and bread from heauen to eat of and that his sonne likewise gaue fiue thousand of them fish their fill and bread vntill they left off it they would not haue giuen him gaule to eat and vineger to drinke Damascenus sayth That it is proper to naughty men to be very sparing in matters of vertue and in matters of vice very lauish which doth easily appear in Christ for he asking for nothing but drink they gaue him also somewhat to eat Anselmus sayth That the abundance of malice and the want of conscience made the Iewes put that bitter gaule to Christs mouth which other men do loath to touch The Iewes did also shew the depth of their wicked naughtinesse in giuing Christ that horrible drinke being as hee was so neere death vpon the crosse because that all men are wont in that extremity bee they friends or enemies to helpe him who is in torment to die well and no man in that houre dare to trouble or vexe him Origen sayth That it is a custome among sauage and barbarous men that such as were enemies in their life time doe reconcile themselues and pardon one another in death Because as Plato sayth Death alone doth end all trauaile and all anger This generall rule failed only in the Iewes as men which were more barbarous and inhumane than all other who at the very time that Christ was yeelding vp his spirit did spet vpon him blasphemed him with their tongues hated him with their hearts tormented him with gaule and vineger King Dauid and king Saul were mortal enemies but when the Philistims had slain Saul in the hils of Gelboe they saw Dauid weepe bitterly for him and caused him to bee buried with great care and diligence All writers doe affirme that there were not greater enemies in all Greece than Demosthenes the Philosopher and Eschines the Orator but when Eschines vnderstood in Rhodes that Demosthenes his enemy was dead in Athens he did not only weepe many teares for him but did also bestow sumptuous funerals vpon him The great hatred and warres which were betwixt Iulius Caesar and Pempeius the great are knowne vnto all the world yet neuerthelesse when pittifull Casar had Pompeius head in his hands hee spake many pittifull words in his fauour and shed many teares ouer his head Cyrillus vpon S. Iohn sayth That there was neuer read of the like hatred as the Iews bare Christ seeing that although they saw his breath going out of his body yet they gaue him gaule to eat and vineger to drinke because that as they had tormented his outward members with torments they might also poyson his inward bowels with griefe and paine S. Cyprian sayth It is not credible that the wicked Iews had mens hearts in them but the hearts of some madde dogges seeing that the more the sonne of God did draw neere vnto death the more they did waxe cruell because that the end why they gaue him gaule and vineger was because hee should die sooner and also raging If as it did please Christ onely to tast of that drinke it had been his will to haue drunke it all considering how there was no bloud left in his vaines and also his weakenesse at that time it is no doubt but it would haue shortened his life and put him to a more painfull death O that this doctor said very well that they had not mens hearts in them for otherwise considering the extremity they saw him in they could not haue done lesse than haue giuen him some wine to drinke or water to refresh him or vsed some words of comfort O pittifull case and vnspeakable cruelty seeing that at the houre of thy death thou haddest no friend to encourage thee no drop of water to refresh thee but onely a little gaule for thy breakefast and a little vineger to drie thy mouth with Let not mee vse then any delicate meates and let all superfluous diet bee farre from mee for seeing my God and Lord doth neither eat nor drinke but gaule and vineger from euening to euening how dare I fare daintely at set meales How dare I looke for death seeking a thousand dainties euery houre and change a thousand meats euery day Seeing that thou O my good Iesus haddest thy mouth poysoned with gaule and wet with vineger O sacred mouth O holy tongue who is so wicked as to dare bath that mouth with gaule and vineger hauing preached with the same so many Sermons giuen so many holy lessons taught so many people and done so many miracles You should put gaule and vineger O yee cursed Iewes vpon this my mouth which is neuer opened but to deceiue and vpon my tongue which can doe nothing but lie for as for that of your Creator and our Redeemer what sinue was there that hee did not tell you of and what vertue is there that hee did not teach you Saint Barnard sayth O what great difference there is betwixt mouth and mouth tongue and tongue For mans tongue said vnto Pilat crucifige eum Christs tongue said vnto his Father Nesciunt quid faciunt In so much that the peoples whole drift was to induce Pilate to kill him and Christs whole intention was to persuade his Father to forgiue them Vbertinus sayth Should not Christ haue had better reason to haue giuen the people gaule and vineger seeing they accused him openly thā they to Christ considering that with teares hee did excuse them Quid vltra debui vineae meae quod non feci Said Christ to the Prophet Esaya◠as if hee would say O my chosen vine O my deere Synagogue what diddest thou aske of mee that I did not giue thee or what could I doe for thee that I haue not done These wordes are deepely to bee considered of seeing that by them our Lord dooth call the Synagogue to a reckoning like vnto one friend which chideth with another who with intention not to breake off their friendship will trie out where the fault lieth And to the same purpose God spake by the Prophet Ieremy when hee said Iudicium contraham tecum as if hee would say I will O Israell that thou and I and I and thou sit down to iudge and take an arbitrator betwixt vs to the end that both parts being hard he may iudge what small reason thou hast to offend me what great cause I haue to complaine on thee O infinit goodnesse O vnspeakable clemency of thee my great God what creature can iustly say
and a great louer In Salomons Temple the things of gold were so measured those of wood so leuelled that when they were laid downe there was no Ax nor hamber heard When the Holy-ghost did frame the Temple of the most sacred humanity of Christ in the wombe of the blessed Virgine Mary hee framed it so iust and made it in all perfection so exquisite that there was there no axe of sinne nor hamber of the diuell The windowes of that temple were broader within than vvithout to signifie vnto vs that the loue which Christ had secretly in his entrails was farre greater and broder than the wounds were which hee suffered for vs and although that at the beginning he doth lead his a straight and narrow way yet after that they doe tast of his heauenly loue he maketh all things broad and large vnto them In this holy Temple of Christ we must offer pure gold and excellent siluer which wee doe then when in heart we beleeue him and with our mouth confesse him There must also be offered latten copper and brasse by which we may vnderstand the vertue of patience for as those mettals doe suffer many blowes and serue to many vses so the vertue of patience doth suffer many iniuries and maketh many men vertuous It is fit for vs to offer there a â—acinth stone which is of the colour of heaueÌ„ to signifie therby vnto vs that al our works desires shold be directed to attain heaueÌ„ because that is in heauen which we do beleeue on earth there he dwelleth whoÌ„ we preach here and that is recompenced there which wee suffer here Wee should offer also in the liuely Temple of that blessed humility scarlet wel coloured and fine whereby is vnderstood the memory which wee ought to haue of his holy passion the which if it was troublesome for him to suffer is most profitable for vs to contemplate O how happy should he be of whoÌ„ it might be said thy hears are like vnto the scarlet of the king died in the gutters What are the heares but my thoughts and what are the gutters but his precious wounds and what is the coloured scarlet but his most precious flesh died in his owne precious bloud O who could be worthy to wash in this bloud the heares of his thoughts euery day a little time for seeing them of that colour they would presently be acceptable to Christ Thou shouldest offer also in this most holy TeÌ„ple scarlet twise died that is loue doubled if thou wilt know what loue doubled is we tell thee that it is the loue of God and the loue of thy neighbor He offereth scarlet twise died who doth the works of charity vnto his neighbour and giueth no euill speech vnto any man and hee doth also offer scarlet twise died who offereth his soule vnto God and part of his goods vnto his neighbour in necessity God did also command fine white linnen to be offered vnto him whereby a chast and a clean conuersation is vnderstood because there is nothing in this world in greater danger than the fame of a vertuous person Flie then my brother flie the occasions of the world and trust not so much as thy selfe for how much the finer the thrid of thy fame is the sooner it will be broken spotted if thou haue not a viligant care ouer it God commaunded likewise that they should offer him in his Temple timber of the wood Cethin because it was incorruptible whereby are vnderstood all perfect works and well finished and this hee noteth that if in vertuous workes wee haue not great constancy and peseuerance the worme dooth consume them like as they doe timber God doth also command that they should offer in his Temple goats heare if they had nothing else nor no other riches and therevpon the Lord may offer what he will and man what hee can What other thing are the goats heare which thou art to offer vnto him but only our sharpe and austere workes with the which wee are to serue him With a vile and base and rough couering cloath of gold and fine silke is kept and with a seuere life fame is conserued and a clean conscience because that dainty meats and curious apparell are not to bee vsed among perfect men O how happy hee should bee who might say with Christ Consummatum est that is that he followed our Lord vntil the last houre as hee might and offered vnto him that which he had CHAP. V. How that all the mysteries and prophesies which God had prophesied of him were most highly fulfilled in Christ in Ierusalem ECce ascendimus Hierosolimam consummabuntur omnia quae scripta sunt de filio hominis Luke 18. Christ spake these wordes vnto his disciples in the last iourney that hee made with them in this life and it as if hee would say Behold we goe vp into the great city of Ierusalem where all the prophesies shall bee fulfilled which are written of mee and where the sonne of the virgine shall bee deliuered vnto the Gentiles shal be scorned and spet vpon whipped and put to death and after three daies they shall see him risen again Before all things it is principally to be noted that whersoeuer this aduerb Ecce is put there is alwaies signified some great mystery as in Esayas Ecce Behold a virgine shall bring forth in the incarnation Ecce Behold the handmaid of the Lord in the transfiguration Ecce Behold a white cloud in the temptation Ecce Behold the Angels shall minister vnto him and in his resurrection Ecce behold an earthquake The things which Christ spake vnto them in this place were so high and the mystery so great which hee discouereth vnto them that they could not onely not vnderstand it but they were also afeared and began to tremble to heare it for they thought it a violent thing that they should martyr a holy man and they thought it a very strange thing that any man should rise againe Theophilus vpon S. Matthew sayth That it is much to bee noted that in all other iournies which Christ made it is alwaies said that hee went in the company of his disciples this one excepted where hee sayth that hee went before them to declare the great ioy that hee had to see that hee went to die and suffer passion for those whom he meant to redeeme and saue The difference betwixt those which take in hand any iourney is this that hee who goeth with greatest ioy goeth alwaies formost because hee would soonest come to the end and so it fell out here for Christ hauing a greater desire of our redeÌ„ption and saluation than the Apostles had made most hast on the way Secretum meum mihi secretum meum mihi said God by Esayas chap. 24. as if he would say From the beginning of the world in the deapth of the eternity I haue kept close a secret which no maÌ„ knoweth O infinit good O high Trinity what is this
he should not spoile the world of the good is a speech of great comfort for seeing that hee would not haue the world without good ones it is a signe that hee would that by them wee should be conuerted When the Lord would drowne all the world with a floud he did first put Noe in safety and when he would send fire vpon Sodome and Gomorra hee placed Lot vpon a high hill and when hee would punish the murmurers in the desert hee commanded Moyses and Aaron to goe out to the field so that it is a great signe that God is angry with some when hee taketh the good out of their company Vnhappy Iudas immediately after hee had departed out of that holy colledge hanged himselfe and it happened otherwise in S. Peter whom although Christ suffered to fall yet hee did not abandon him and put him out of his sight for as soone as hee had committed the fault Christ presently looked him in the face Iudas was a disciple and S. Peter was a disciple Iudas did sinne and S. Peter did sinne the one did sell Christ the other did denie Christ Iudas was damned and S. Peter saued and the reason was because Christ was where Peter sinned and would not bee where Iudas did hang himselfe In the two great captiuities of Babilon there were many iust men carried away captiue among the wicked as Thobias Daniell and Esdras and Abdias all which our Lord did send thither not because they had committed any sinne against him but for the consolation and remedy of some sinners What should become of sinners and naughty persons if our Lord should take away all good men from amongst them In the merit of the good and vertuous God doth sustaine vs which are sinners for otherwise because we are Gods enemies the sonne would not shine vpon vs nor the heauen would not raine vpon vs the aire would moue it selfe and the earth open and wild beastes would deuour vs and the diuels would kil vs. Gregory sayth That sinners may haue great hope when our Lord dooth not draw the iust from among them for in not seperating the good from the bad it is a token that by the merits and handes of those good men hee will draw vs from that which is naught and lead vs to that vvhich is good Ambrose sayth In those words which Christ spake I aske not for the world hee dooth threaten vs with his iustice and in the other speech of Non tollas eos de mundo hee doth flatter vs with his mercy seeing that in the one hee setteth away the obstinate from obtaining of mercy and in the other hee giueth hope vnto the weake that they shall haue part in his clemency I beseech thee then O my good Iesus I beseech thee that thou wouldest not seperate mee from among the good or else put not the good from mee for if I should not bee good for conscience at the least I should bee for shame It is also much to bee noted that our Lord dooth not entreat his Father that hee would not take the good out of the world but that hee would keepe them from all perill and daunger in so much that in his most high praier hee dooth neither forget the vveake nor bee carelesse of the good because for sinners hee praieth that they bee not forsaken of the good and for the iust hee praieth that they bee not ouermaistered by sinners If it bee true that Saint Gregory sayth Deus qui nos in tantis periculis and that the Apostle sayth Periculum in mari periculum in terra and also the Prophet Hoc mare magnum speciosum why doth not the sonne of God pray that his Father would deliuer vs from more than one danger seeing there are so many in the world It seemeth that there should bee some great euill in the vvorld seeing that Christ maketh mention of it and of no other as so it is truly for if that euill had not come into the world there should haue beene no hell in the other Irenaeus sayth As in heauen there is one holy one aboue all holy ones which is God and in hell there is one euill aboue all euils which is the diuell so there is in the world one naughty thing which passeth all the rest which is sinne Tell mee I pray thee what naughtinesse would there bee in the world if in the world there were no sinne Hunger and cold thirst and wearinesse we do vniustly call euils or naughty things because they are not naught of themselues but onely the reliques of that great euill for if wee had not knowne what thing sinne had beene neither should vvee haue knowne what hunger and cold had meant For to deliuer vs from this great euill Christ dooth teach vs to pray when wee say Sed libera nos a malo and so Christ in his praier sayth Non rogo vt tollas eos de mundo sed vt liberes eos de malo So that wee are to craue nothing else of our Lord but that hee would deliuer vs from sinne and guide vs in his seruice What doest thou aske thy Father O my good Iesus for thy elect what doest thou ask for thy welbeloued disciples I doe not aske riches for them for that is a fraile thing I doe not aske honour for them for that is a vaine thing nor life for that is transitory nor ease because there is none in this world I aske onely that thou wouldest deliuer them from sinne for my disciples cannot possesse greater riches than to haue their hearts cleare from sinnes Christ addeth further in his praier and sayth Non pro eis tantum rogo sed pro eis qui credituri sunt in me as if hee should say I doe not pray onely O my Father for these which eat at my table but for all those which will hereafter enter into my church because that thou being in mee by nature and I being with them by grace they may bee perfect in one perfect charitie Christ made his praier in very good order for first hee praied for himselfe then for his Disciples then for weake sinners and in the end for all those vvhich vvere to come If Christ should haue praied only for those which sat at his table what should haue become of all those which should afterward be borne in his catholicke church Chrisostome sayth That Christ praied for the quicke and for the dead for the present and for the absent for those which were already born for those which should afterward be born insomuch that all the fauors which God dooth for vs at this day Christ did merit for vs by his life and bloud and obtained them with his praier S. Augustine sayth In the merit of those words which Christ spake in his praier Non tantum pro eis rogo wee which are now in his church haue as great part in the merits of this life in the bestowing of his bloud and in the
difference that is betwixt Dauids testament and Christs testament seeing the one commandeth to reuenge other mens iniuries and the other pardoneth his owne death NOn deduces canicies eius pacifice ad inferos 3. Reg. chap. 2. King Dauid being in the last point of his life commanded his sonne and heire apparent Salomon to be called vnto him vnto whome hee spake these words Thou rememberest my sonne Salomon when my seruant and capraine Ioab did slay captaine Abner and Amasias who were scruants vnto king Saul the which offence because I cannot reuēge in my life the charge shll be laid vpon thee to see that hee goe not quietly to his graue and Dauid said further vnto him Thou shalt also remember that when I fled from thy brother and my son Absolon my enemy Simei came against me and followed mee all the field ouer cursing me and casting stones at me Look vnto it like a wise and a discreet man and that hee depart not in peace out of this world That which Dauid commanded his sonne Salomon to doe was not commanded to one who was deaffe for if hee did command him to kill two hee did kill three or foure that is the infant Abdonias the captaine Ioab Simei and the Priest Abiathar In al his kingdome Dauid had no captaine which had done him so great seruice nor no seruant which had loued him better than old Ioab yet neuerthelesse he had more respect to reuenge the iniuries done to others than vnto their seruices past If Dauid had not been welbeloued and by Scripture commended his Testament should much haue scandalized vs seeing that at the time of his death when men forbid iniuries hee commandeth by his Testament to take away mens liues It is to be beleeued that he being so acceptable to God as he was that he had consulted with God for otherwise being in so narrow a straight as he was in it was more than time for him to prepare himselfe to confesse his sins than to command the death of his enemies O how vnlike Dauids Testament is vnto Christs for Dauid commaunded in his to reuenge other mens deaths but Iesus Christ our Redeemer commanded his owne proper death to be pardoned How happy we be which be the inheritours of Christ and how vnhappy they be which bee the successours of Dauid which is easily seene by their Testaments for Dauids soule goeth out of his body saying Filine ignoscas illis and Christ yeeldeth his last breath saying Pater ignosce illis What similitude is in this when the one commaundeth to slay Ioab who neuer once touched so much as his garment and the sonne of God willeth to forgiue those which tooke away his life How would Dauid forgiue his owne death seeing he commandeth to reuenge another mans wilt thou see the difference betwixt the charity of the one and the goodnesse of the other Thou maiest see it in that that king Dauid would not pardon Ioab and Simei whose sinnes were so old that they were forgotten and meeke Iesus did pardon the Iewes whose wickednes was new and fresh How wouldest thou haue the wounds of him vvho pardoneth more fresher and the wickednesse of those which are pardoned more newer but to haue them at the same time crucifieng as he is pardoning Aymon sayth Much good may Dauids Testament doe him which hee made being annointed for I will hold with that which Christ made when he was crucified for the one seeketh out those which are culpable to kill and the other seeketh out faults to pardon Saint Augustine vpon our Lords wordes saith O how much better it is to fall into the hands of God then into the hands of men which is easily seene in the death of king Dauid and in the death of the sonne of God where the one commandeth to slay his owne seruants and the other willeth pardon to his cruel enemies Hugo de sancte victore sayth I do not enuy king Salomon for the kingdome which king Dauid his father left him nor for his will which he commāded him to accomplish because he left him the heire of his kingdome with such a condition that whē he should giue the last gaspe the other should presently begin to murder and kill In the same day and in the same houre that good king Dauid died as the captaine Ioab was in the Temple a praying kind Salomon sent immediately to sley him insomuch that before they could put Dauid in his graue they tooke away poor Ioabs life O my good Iesus the conditions of thy Testament be not like vnto these seeing that in the last farwell on the altar of the crosse thou diddest not command thy successors to reuenge but to forgiue nor to take away mens liues but to pardon iniuries so that as the Synagogue was a house of buying and selling so thou madest thy church a house of pardon Christ himselfe did whip those who bought and sold in the Temple and the selfesame son of God did pardon those whom he found in his house of pardon whereof wee may inferre that he is no inhabitant of his house who dareth reuenge an iniury Christ did shew himselfe to be the sonne of Dauid in being meeke as hee was but he shewed it not in being vindicatiue as he was for when he died vpon the crosse he did not leaue in al the world any one sinne to forgiue nor any iniury for his heires to reuenge If as Dauid did command to reuēge the misdemeanour which his seruants did him Christ should haue commanded to reuenge the sinnes which the Iewes committed against him it had not been possible to haue been done because the sinners had too many sinnes and the tormentors wanted torments CHAP. III. Of the difference betwixt the bloud of Abel and the bloud of Christ and how vnlike their cries vnto God are ACcessistis ad sanguinis aspersionem melius loquentem quam Abel sayth the Apostle writing vnto the Hebrewes chap. 9 as if hee should say We are very happy which beleeue in Christ and receiue his gospel seeing wee bee redeemed by his death and bought with his precious bloud And because thou maiest the better esteeme of the price of this bloud know thou that it crieth before the eternal father better than the bloud of Abel because that cried Iustice Iustice and the bloud of the sonne of God crieth Mercy Mercy S. Ierome sayth The Apostle dooth highly set forth the bloud of Christ whose soueraine price and high merit hee would not compare with the other blouds of the old Testament but with the bloud of the first iust man that euer was in the world the bloud of the holiest saint that is in heauen Origen saith The Apostle should haue done Christ great iniury if hee should haue compared his bloud with the bloud of calues and goats of the old Testament because the bloud of those beastes did serue to no other purpose but to defile the staires and to take away their liues but the
bloud of the son of God dooth wash and make cleane offences and saue our souls The first bloud with the which God was offended was the bloud of Abel and the first bloud with which God was pleased was the bloud of Christ and that which is most to be wondered at is that the bloud of Abel did benefite but himselfe alone but the bloud of Christ did profite all the world S. Ambrose sayth What bloud can be compared vnto the bloud of Christ for the bloud of Abel did stirre vp and not appease seeing that thereby hee lost his life and his brother his soule The bloud which thou didst shed for mee O sweet Iesus did not stirre vp but appease because it did pacifie the fathers anger tooke away thy owne life and redeemed my soule Anselmus sayth The bloud of Abel is bloud and the bloud of Christ is bloud the one the bloud of a iust man and so likewise the other that was shed by enuy and this shed through enuy But the difference was that the bloud of Abel cried from the earth and the bloud of the sonne of God praied from the crosse Weigh well this speech Clamabat ad me de terra and also that Melius loquentem quam Abel and thereby thou shalt perceiue how the bloud of Abel doth crie for vengeance vpon his brother Cain and the bloud of the sonne of God doth pray for mercy for all the world Consider well of this word Melius loquentem that is that the bloud of Christ should haue been but of small profit if hee should haue died for none but for those of that time The Apostle doth not say that the bloud of Christ did then speake onely but that it doth speake now and will speake vntill the worlds end and therevpon it is that we do represent this bloud euery day and offer it in our praiers for otherwise as there is no day in which wee doe not commit some sinne against him so there should no day passe in which wee should not suffer some punishment Saint Basil sayth His offence is very great which committeth a fault if hee doe not immediately helpe himselfe with the bloud of Christ for if it bee frosen for Pagans and Heretikes yet it is fresh and whot for Christians and sinners It is also to bee marked that the Apostle sayth not Accessistit ad sanguinis effusionem but ad sanguinis aspersionem which speech he vsed not for the wicked Synagogue but for the holy mother church because the Synagogue was in the time of shedding of bloud but the holy church came to the sprinckling gathering of it together O how happy we Christians be and how vnhappy the Iewes were seeing that they came Ad sanguinis effusionem to the shedding of bloud and we Christians Ad sanguinis aspersionem so that they shed the bloud of the son of God did not gather it vp we gather it and did not shed it S. Augustine vpon S. Iohn saith By this speech of Aspersionem sanguinis the Apostle doth let vs vnderstand that the bloud of Abel had no other force thē to be shed vpon the earth but with the bloud of the son of God all the catholicke church was as it were with Isope sprinckeled so that all the bloud of the Synagogue was but shed cast on the ground but the bloud of Christ was shed imparted amongst vs. Cyrillus vpon Leuit. saith The church was at the sprinckling of bloud but the synagogue at the effusiō of bloud seeing that of the bloud of the Synagogue there was no drop gathered of the bloud of the church there was no drop lost S. Barnard saith As for the bloud of Abel let it be lost but as for the bloud of the son of God it is not lawful that any should be lost And he goeth gathering it drop by drop who by little litle doth imitate Christs life he doth gather one drop who doth imitate him in one vertue he doth imitate him in two drops who doth follow him in two hee doth gather many drops who doth bestow himselfe in the getting of many vertues insomuch that as on the crosse he gaue it in recompence of wickednesse so he doth now giue it in exchange of vertues CHAP. IIII. Where Christ complaineth on the Christian mans soule because she was vngratefull for the benefite of her creation and redemption VVlnerasti cor meum seror mea vulnerasti cor meum sponsa mea in vno oculorum tuorum in vno crine colli tui Cant. 4. as if hee should say Thou hast wounded my heart O my sister thou hast pierced my heart O my spouse and the cause of my captiuity was because thou diddest behold mee with one of thy eies and because I did behold one of thy haires Origen vpon these words sayth Such sweet words and such pittifull complaints as these are from whence should they proceed but from a man sorely greeued with heauenly loue greatly enflamed The louing wordes which Christ speaketh vnto the soule and the anxiety and griefe which the soule vttereth vnto Christ who can better declare than the soule which is familiar with Christ Such deepe reasons such pittifull wounds such true complaints and griefes so lamentably vttered as these are which are contained vnder these words how is it possible for my pen to write or my heart to tast of How sweet our Lord is to the soule which seeketh him and how delightfull vnto the soule which calleth vpon him and how pleasant vnto the soule which dooth keepe him is so high a language that none is able to vnderstand but only that soule which dooth deserue to tast of the same First of all it is here to be noted why Christ dooth call a holy soule once sister and another time spouse for if she be a sister she cannot be a spouse and if she be a spouse shee cannot be a sister The mystery of this secret is that she is called spouse because of the faith which shee tooke of Christ and she is called sister because of the flesh which Christ tooke in so much that Christ is our bridegroome in that that hee is our Creator and he is our brother in that that hee is our Redeemer Twise the bridegroome complaineth to haue beene wounded of his bride saying Thou hast wounded my heart my sister thou hast wounded my heart my spouse for in respect of two loues hee hath compassion on her and in respect of two loues he suffered for her that is for hauing made her to his likenesse and semblance and for hauing redeemed her with his bloud For Christ to say twise Thou hast wounded me thou hast wounded me is to say thou hast been vnthankfull for the fauour I did to create thee and thou hast been vngratefull for the benefite which I did thee in redeeming thee insomuch that to bee vnthankfull vnto Christ for these two benefites is to wound Christs heart with two