did not know his owne imbecilitie his eyes were blinded that hee could not see his owne infirmitie the spirit indeede was willing but the flesh was weake He began to shew some courage when he drew his sword and cut of Malchus his eare but alas it was soone abated and he fled from his Maister when hee saw him in the hands of his enemies and surprised by his cruell foes And albeit hee was so bolde spirited then that hee durst resist a multitude of men yet hee was so timerous now that being terrified with the voyce of a Mayde hee did renounce his gratious LORD and flatly denie his louing Maister so soone were his boasting words turned into cowardly deeds the professed constancie of his loue found most inconstant in the day of tryall So we may note that Peter presumed hee was able to haue done great exploits while hee was with Iesus but we see the vigor of his courage was soone diminished and the heate of his loue cooled when hee was separated from his Lord Iesus so long as he did enioy peaceably his blessed societie so long he dreaded no danger he liued in securitie In time of peace he thought of no war In time of calme weather he feared no suddaine storme But when he entered into the house of the high Priest where hee saw his poore Master spightfully derided mocked and cruelly scourged then his courage was cooled his haughtie words proued no deedes and hee became a starke coward Learne thou also oh my soule by the example of Peter to loue thy Lord Iesus but so to loue him that no affliction or calamitie may compell thee to leaue him But say with the Apostle Who shall separate me from the loue of Christ shall tribulation or anguish shall persecution or hunger I am readie not onely to be bound but also to die in Hierusalem for the name of the Lord Iesus Learne likewise by the example of Peter not fondly to vaunt of thine owne courage or to boast of thy strength let the remembrance of his fall be as a bridle to restraine thee from running headlong into the like fault Say not in the prosperous time of thine aboundance vvhen all things succeede happily according to thy wish and nothing falleth out contrarie to thy desire I shall neuer be moued least afterward thou be constrained to change thy note vveeping vvith bitter teares for thy folly and lamenting for thy presumption with sorrowfull sighes saying Thou didst turne away thy face from mee and I was troubled Teach mee oh Lord to know mine owne weakenesse open the eies of my vnderstanding that I may see the frailtie of my flesh and ficklenesse of my minde when any cloud of persecution doth appeare ouer my head or any dread of future affliction trouble my heart I often presume vvith Peter that I could goe to prison vvith thee abide any torment for thy sake yea lose my life for thy loue my louing Sauiour but alas I see by the frailtie of thy beloued Disciple that I should proue but a dastard when I come to fight thy battell and begin to seeke some couerture to hide my head from danger For how can I boast of my valour or bragge of my manhood when as one of thy stoutest Souldiers who had beene so long trained vp vnder thee and had receiued so many encouragements by thee began to faint at the word of so weake an enemie that hee did denie the seruice of so good a Master onely for feare before he felt the bitternesse of affliction What is man that hee may boast of his strength or be proud of his vertue when the best is so vnable to performe a good action that he is altogether vnable to conceiue a good motion Lighten thou oh my gratious Lord my darke and obscure vnderstanding that I may not fondly runne into the snares of temptation through a vaine confidence of my owne power or through a fond presumption of my owne strength seeing I am so weake that I cannot conceiue any good thought in my heart nor do any good deed with my hands vnlesse thy diuine grace doe gouerne mine affections and direct the course of my actions But oh my most mercifull Sauiour although the allurements of the flattering world should so intice me the pleasures of the wanton flesh so ouercome mee and the feare of persecution so terrifie me that I should be ashamed of thy liuerie and denie so gracious a Lord yet vouchsafe oh my sweet Iesu to turne thy fauourable eies towards mee that my faith may not vtterly faile though it begin to quaile and that thou wilt neuer leaue mee vvhen I begin to shrinke from thee Oh let me not presume of thy loue nor dispaire of thy mercy Let remembrance of thy words wound my heart and awake my sleepie conscience that my soule may be cast downe with true sorrow and that I may vveepe yea vveepe bitterly vvith sorrowfull Peter Luk. 22.62 for my sinnes that I may be made partaker of the benefit of thy comfortable mercie and obtaine remission of my grieuous transgressions by true Repentance as he did Thou hast left this example of the fall of thy louing Disciple recorded in thy holy word not to animate vs to commit the sinne of presumption but to comfort vs that wee runne not into the pit of wofull desperation when wee are ouertaken with the like fault and haue committed the like folly therefore teach me oh Lord so to presume of thy mercie that I may alwaies stand in awe of thy Iustice I am not assured that thou wilt turne thine eies towards mee as thou didst towards him so that my heart may be smitten with sorrow and mine eies streame forth bitter teares of true Repentance and that thou wilt receiue me into thy blessed seruice againe as thou didst him after I haue denied thee to be my Lord and Master It was thy free mercie to afford vnto him such an vnspeakeable grace of thy extraordinarie loue he could plead no worthinesse of words nor merit of workes to deserue thy fauour But oh most gratious Lord if my guiltie conscience doe at anie time tell mee that I haue or doe commit the same offence yet vouchsafe that I may resort to the euerlasting fountaine of thy plentifull mercie that there my thirstie soule may bee refreshed with the sweet waters of comfort so that it may neither be drowned in the Sea of excessiue sorrow nor wounded with the Darts of curelesse dispaire Now consider thou oh my soule the place where Peter was and the conditions of the people who were vvith him vvhen hee made such a fearefull defection from his gracious Lord and failed in his loue towards his kinde and louing Master He was in the Palace of the high Priest who sate in counsell with the Scribes and Pharises against the Lord and his annointed amongst a wicked crewe of these cruell Ministers vvhose mindes were incensed with furie and hands armed with crueltie to
submit thy selfe to such slauish cruelty not sparing to shed thy most pretious bloud to compound of it a most soueraigne Medicine to cure my desperate malady Now what measure of wordes can be so great or what voyce so vehement as may fully expresse the extreame impietie of the bloudy Iewes towards my blessed Iesus When such hellish fury did rule and reuell in their fiery harts that in the middest of so many bitter paines and pangs of his body and insupportable anguish of his soule they did impose so ponderous and heauy a Crosse on his faint and feeble shoulders being framed extraordinarily in respect of the matter and also vnvsually in regard of the forme More gently were the two Theeues vsed which were led along with him who were constrained to endure no such labor for we may wel think they would vse more kindnes to those wicked persons then to my holy Iesus For we doe not read that they were put to the toile to beare their Crosses whose bodies vvere more able because they had not felt one fit of the grieuous paines nor suffered one iot of the great tortures wherewith my sorrowful Sauiour had beene all the night before extreamely vexed and cruelly tormented Heere thou hast iust cause oh my soule to cry out against the monstrous inhumanity and brutish crueltie of the Iewes acted against thy despised Iesus What imagination can sound the bottome of their sauage tyrannie What tongue is able to make a perfect relation of their horrible furie Was it not a most ruthfull Spectacle forcible enough to haue drawne streames of teares out of the dryest eye and to haue incited a multitude of heauy groanes out of the hardest heart to see my beloued Lord carry so heauy a burden vpon his painefull shoulders yet bleeding with cruell wounds lately without any meane or mercie inflicted vpon them was there euer cruelty like vnto this Oh my louing Lord Oh my most beloued Iesu thou art now become a laughing-stocke to the barbarous Gentiles and matter of derision to the perfidious Iewes They scorned despised flouted and derided thee bearing thy heauy Crosse with patience towards the place of execution whereon thou shouldest suffer a most bloody bitter and shamefull death And so went my Lord Iesus with constant humanity towards the place where he was to suffer the deadly pangs of their extreamest tyranny whose knees were so weake and legs so feeble that they were not able to support the weight of so heauy a burthen which with such disdainful indignation they had imposed vpon him that thereby they might so much the more increase his derision and multiply his dolorous affliction Oh yee most cruell tormentors doe yee neuer cease to molest vexe my humbled Lord Iesus Could not one cruell death haue quenched the flame of your blood-thirsting malice Oh vvhy doe you abuse his meeke-minded patience by compelling him to feele so many deadly passions Now when those malicious persecutors saw that my vvearyed Christ was so surcharged vvith his heauy Crosse being so weightie in respect of the ponderous substance and also so cumbersome in regard of the extraordinary length that although hee had a willing minde yet that he had not sufficient strength to carry so heauie a load then they compelled Simon of Cyrene the father of Alexander Rufus to ease him of his burthen and to follow my tyred Christ with that painefull Crosse What did their stonie hearts now begin to relent vvith any motiue of compassion towards my poore afflicted Iesus No for the Curres were more curteous that licked the loathsome soares of hungry Lazarus that lay crying and dying for want of foode at the gate of their churlish maister then those vncircumcised Gentiles and stiffe-necked Iewes were to my innocent Iesus For how should their mindes be affected with any sparke of pittie whose harts were drowned in so deepe a sea of impietie But because they were loth that my Sauiour should end his tedious life before hee came where hee should suffer a most painefull pittifull and shamefull death they graunted him a little ease that he might goe with better speed and make a little more haste to the place of execution where they should play like the infernall Furies the last act of their bloody Tragedie Oh my sadde and sorrowfull soule how canst thou calme the waues of thy flowing sorrow how canst thou how canst thou asswage the pangs of thy turbulent passions when thou dost meditate how many miseries mischiefes calamities and distresses were violently inflicted vpon my beloued Iesus by the hatefull handes of those bloudy tormentors Oh my most mercifull Iesu Oh my most louing Lord Oh why was not I with thee at that time my sweet Christ that I might haue carried thy heauy Crosse Oh how happily should I haue shut vp the last euening of my short and gloomy dayes Oh how blessedly should I haue finished my restles course if I had died with thee on thy sacred crosse Oh how sweet had the sharpe deadly pangs and dolorous paines beene vnto mee how ioyfull had dolefull death bene vnto me a sorrowfull sinner if I had died with thee my bountifull Lord and blessed Redeemer It may be thou wouldest haue bequeathed me some liberall gift of thine indulgent mercie as thou didst vnto that true though late repenting thiefe vvhich was crucified with thee For at that houre thou didst franckely bestow the riches of thy bountiful mercy and then thou gauest the treasure of thy mercifull bountie Then sweet streames of pure vvater did flowe out of the cleare fountaine of thy mercy comfortable to coole the heat of a thirsty tongue and medicinable to cure the spreading malady of a leperous soule infected with sinne Oh vvould I had bene there to haue had some sweet taste of that blessed fountaine If I had drunke neuer so little it would haue beene enough to haue quenched my thirst and yet I should still haue thirsted to drinke more although I had drunke neuer so much If the cursed churle damned glutton had had but one drop of this caelestiall water it had bin sufficient not onely to haue cooled the tip of his flaming tongue but also to haue extinguished the fire of his euer neuer-dying soule and of his continuall burning and neuer consuming body tormented in Hell fill my soule oh my sweet Christ with this comfortable vvater that may cure my sinfull soares and mittigate my deserued sorrow But as thou didst go toward the place vvhere thou shouldst offer vp thy selfe for a compleat sacrifice to appease the vvrath of thy angry Father to make an euerlasting attonement betweene him and vs his disobedient children thou saydst vnto those mourning women who could not containe their trickling teares nor deteine their sorrowfull sobs to see their louing and dearely beloued Lord so doggedly haled and currishly handled Weepe not for me ye daughters of Ierusalem weepe for your selues your children Luk. 23.28 And now thou sayst vnto me
let the time come I pray thee let that blessed time come wherein I may see that with my inward eyes which now I beleeue by faith which now I enioy by hope and apprehend a farre off And that I may embrace that with mine armes and kisse that with my ioyfull lips which I now long to haue with such thirstie desires as will neuer be satisfied vntill they be wholy possessed of it and that I be swallowed vp in the deepe Sea of thine infinite goodnesse oh my Sauiour and my God But praise thou oh my Soule my God my Sauiour and magnifie his Name For it is holy replenished with store of most holy delights whose quantitie is stinted with no measure nor qualitie subiect to any mutability Oh how good how sweet art thou Lord Iesus to the soule that seeketh thee Oh Iesus the Redeemer of those which were lost the Sauiour of those which are redeemed the hope of the banished the strength of those that are troubled the libertie of a Spirit afflicted with bondage the comfortable solace and sweet refreshing of a sorrowfull Soule which sheddeth teares and sendeth forth sweat while it runneth after thee the Crowne of the Tryumphing the onely reward and ioy of all celestiall Citizens the most plentifull Fountaine of all Graces the glorious Sonne of the highest God and also the highest God Roman 3.25 Matth. 9.12 Zach. 13.1 Psal 16.5 Iohn 10.7.9 Let all things praise thee which are in Heauen aboue and which are in Earth beneath Thou art great and thy name is wonderfull Oh exceeding glory of the high God and most pure brightnesse of eternall light oh life quickening euery life oh light illuminating euery light and preseruing them in eternall brightnesse A thousand thousands of glistering lights are before the Throne of thy Diuinity for euer Oh eternall and vnaccessible substance the most cleere sweet streame of a Fountaine hidden from the eyes of all mortall Creatures whose water is without beginning profunditie without any bottome depth without any end amplitude vnsearchable purity vncorruptible The heart of the highest God hath sent thee out from his bottomlesse deepenesse life hath sent forth life light hath sent forth light the Eternall hath sent forth the Eternall the incomprehensible hath sent forth the incomprehensible and coequall to himselfe in all things all of vs receiue from thy fulnesse For thou a most plentifull Fountaine doest send out from thy Treasures a precious Riuer of euery good thing of thy seauen-folde Graces vvith vvhose pleasant sweetnesse thou dost vouchsafe to sweeten the saltnesse of the salt Sea of our infirmities A riuer of the oyle of gladnesse a riuer of pure Wine a riuer of fierie courage The holy spirit the comforter is poured forth from thee and the Father into the World equall to both filling all things contayning all things the Spirit proceeding from thee proceeding from the Father one Spirit proceeding from both vniting both to wit the vnseparable connexion the glewe of perfect Vnion the Cyment that can neuer be dissolued the euerlasting knot of eternall coniunction of both and peace passing all vnderstanding This is the flood oh Lord of abounding and exceeding pleasure wherewith thou doest water continually that pleasant and glorious Citie Ierusalem which is aboue so that the furrowes thereof are filled with the streames of eternall delight Where the bright and glistering Organs sound out sweet songs of continuall reioycing whose melody exceedeth in sweetnesse neuer ceaseth but hath an euerlasting continuance With the sweet drops of this pleasant riuer the thirsty iawes of thy banished people oh Lord doe waite continually to bee refreshed by thee Suffer oh Lord the whelpes to drinke vp the droppes that fall from the Table of their Masters Let the Heauens send downe from aboue the comfortable deaw and let the clouds poure forth a gracious rayne oh Lord of that righteous Spirit vvhich thou diddest cause to streame downe vpon the famous first fruits of thy people an euident demonstration of our future tryumphing With the heauenly distillation of those fierie drops we pray thee oh Lord that thou wilt vouchsafe to purge renew illuminate enflame to make ioyfull confirme and vnite the harts of them which beleeue in thee that they may be one sauour one thing require and apprehend one thing with one minde that they may see and laud thee the GOD of Gods in Sion Glory thanks-giuing honour and dominion be ascribed to the inseparable Trinitie now and for euer AMEN Daemona non armis sed morte subegit Iesus The Authors deprecation or Petition for himselfe DEliuer mee from mine enemies oh my God and from them which hate mee because of their multitude I dread them and because of their might I am too weake to encounter them And I which euen vntill this day haue liued against my selfe vvill euen now begin through thy grace to liue to my selfe For we ought to liue so here in this World that when the body shall be deuoured of the Wormes in the graue the soule may reioyce with the Saints in Heauen We ought to seeke after the heauenly Ierusalem The Spirit is to bee directed towards that place to which it shall goe and wee ought to make hast thither where wee may alwaies liue and neuer stand any more in feare of our loue If we so deerely loue and highly esteeme this sliding fickle and fraile life in which wee liue vvith toyle labour and yet by eating drinking and sleeping can scant satisfie the necessities of the flesh and supply her daily wants wee ought farre dearer to esteeme and feruently to desire to attaine to eternall life in the Hauen of rest where we shall sustaine no labour where is alwaies the chiefest pleasure greatest happinesse happy liberty and endlesse blessednesse where men shall be like vnto the Angels of God and the righteous shine like the Sunne in the Kingdome of their Father How wonderfully and gloriously doest thou thinke that the soules of the iust shall excell in brightnesse when as the light of their bodies shall equall the splendour of the Sunne when as his golden beames doe shine clearest There shall be no sadnesse no pensiuenesse no paine no feare there shall be no labour no death but perpetuall health dwelleth there and abideth for euer there breedeth no spitefull malice no miserie of the flesh no dolefull calamitie There is no grieuous sicknesse no pinching want no carefull necessitie There is no hunger no thirst no colde no heate no wearisomnesse of Fasting no temptation of the enemie neither is there any will to sinne nor facultie to offend but ioy and gladnesse ouer-spreadeth all reioycing and exultation possesseth all Men there also associated with the Angels and freed from all fleshly infirmitie shall remaine and continue for euer There shall be infinite pleasure euerlasting blessednesse in which whosoeuer shall once be happily inuested hee shall surely and securely liue possessed with it for euer There shall be quiet rest from our toyling and tyring labours perpetuall peace vvithout any dreadfull feare of our enemies delightfull pleasantnesse proceeding from flourishing and continuall newnesse securitie arising from Eternitie delectablenesse and sweetnesse flowing from the glorious vision of GOD our omnipotent Creatour And who doth not hourely long and daily desire to dwell and remaine in this heauenly Paradise and celestiall Pallace of true and euerlasting pleasure both in regard of that perpetuall peace delightfull pleasantnesse neuer-decaying eternity and also in respect of the glorious Vision and sight of God who shall replenish vs with infinite ioy and immeasurable gladnesse No man shall be there a Pilgrime and Stranger but whosoeuer shall be admitted as vvorthy to come and enter into this celestiall City they shall dwell there for euer in their owne Country secure from all feare of any dreadfull danger alwayes ioyfull alwayes satisfied with the most delightfull sight of GOD their Creator And by how much the greater obedience any one shall performe towards God heere by so much the more bountifull reward hee shall receiue of him there and by how much the more entierly and deerely he shall long after God by so much the neerer hee shall approach vnto him and see him vvhom so exceedingly hee coueteth to view and desireth to behold To this Kingdome bring mee oh God by the merits of thy Sonne Christ IESVS FINIS
reputed of him as men of no worth hee standeth not in awe of our authoritie hee esteemeth our threatnings of no moment and he arrogantly boasteth that he hath God for his Father Let vs see if his protestations be faithfull and if his speeches be true and let vs assay and make tryall what things will happen vnto him If he be the true Sonne of God hee will receiue him into his protection deliuer him out of the hands of his foes and keepe him safe from danger Let vs examine him churlishly and torment him cruelly to make triall of his meeknesse let vs condemne him to a most shamefull death that we may proue his patience Such were the bitter words of the cruell Iewes who sate in counsell to kill my Sauiour Iesus the true Lord of life whose good deedes were so odious to their vicious sight and his sweet breath so noysome vnto their stinking nosthrils that they would not suffer him to liue any longer Oh that hellish enuie should so peruert the vnderstanding and enrage the mindes of men to doe such mischiefe Why did the Iewes so furiously rage together why did they imagine a vaine thing against the Lord and his anointed saying Let vs breake their bonds asunder and cast away their cords from vs But the Lord had them in dirision hee spake vnto them in his wrath and vexed them in his sore displeasure and placed his King vpon his holy hill of Sion for euer Now although the bloudy minded Iewes longed for the death of my innocent Iesus yet they were loath hee should suffer on the day of their Feast not for any fauour they bare vnto him but for feare of the people But thou my louing Lord didst make choise of that time to offer vp thy selfe a Sacrifice for our sakes that thou mightest receiue greater reproach and that thy death might be acted with more shame suffered onely for our sins Thy righteous life being not onely alwayes free from any euill action but euermore so pure that it neuer was tainted with euill cogitation And also that thy death might be knowne vnto many although lamented of few which did behold thee the concourse of people being great that flocked from many bordering townes and villages to Hierusalem at the day of that great solemnitie who seeing with their eies had not Grace beene wanting might haue vnderstood in their hearts that thou wert the true substance whereof the Paschall Lambe was but a figure Oh Lambe of God which takest away the sinnes of the world sprinkle my soule with some drops of thy precious bloud that although it haue lien long buried in the graue of sinfull iniquitie yet at last it may be reuiued and liue againe by vertue of thy quickning mercy Now the bloody Iewes holding a wicked consultation how they might depriue my beloued Sauiour of his life euen then came cursed Iudas and offered them for money to betray his louing Maister to death saying What will yee giue me and I will deliuer him vnto you Nor was hee a more greedie Traytor to set his kinde Maisters bloud to sale then they readie chapmen to entertaine so bloudy an offer seeing one of his owne familie so forward to deliuer him vp into their hands whom they had already murthered in their hearts So they proffered him thirtie pieces of siluer Oh cursed Iudas to make such an offer Oh execrable Iewes to accept it But most damned Iudas to performe it Had Malice oh yee bloudie Iewes so hardened your hearts had Fury so blinded your eyes had Enuie so fired your grudging affections that contrarie to the law of God Nature you should animate such a damnable Traitor to perpetrate so horrible a treason against your Messias your master For what could be more hatefull to God more odious to good Men what more opposite to Nature what more contrary to good Nurture then that one of a mans owne houshold should proue so vnfaithfull as to sell at so vilde a price the dearest bloud of his louing Lord or that any men should be found so monstrous as to allow and like of such a damnable offer Oh thou most wicked traitor oh thou most ingratefull and gracelesse Seruant Oh yee generation of Vipers cursed Iewes damned Iudas Oh thou dissembling Disciple by name but indeede a most bloudie enemie are these the thankes thou dost giue to thy Maister for his kindenesse is this the requitall of his loue are these the most worthy rewards that thou canst spare him for his liberall bountie are these the best arguments of thy gratuitie for all his benefits bestowed vpon thee Oh thou Sonne of perdition execrable Traitor and damnable Merchant to sell the sacred bloud of thy faithfull Maister Had my kinde Iesus committed any offence against thee or had hee discontented thy minde and vexed thy heart that thou shouldst treacherously betray him into the hands of his foes to be tortured and put to a most cruell and shamefull death nay rather what large liberalitie had he not vsed towards thee what store of benefits had hee not heaped vpon thee Oh thou vngratefull wretch Oh thou hatefull traitor my louing Iesus made thee one of the little number of his Disciples admitted thee into the blessed societie of his elected and made thee Steward of his familie to keepe the bag and bestow the money which was giuen to him and his Disciples and dost thou in requitall of his fauourable loue and in recompence of his extraordinary kindenesse post to the cruell Iewes whom thou thou I say knewest did alwayes prosecute him with deadly hate and eagerly sought his innocent life to offer them open sale of the bloud of thy louing Maister allured with the vnsatiable desire of money a pleasant baite to take a couetous minde bewitched with Sathans enticements and instigated with the vnquenchable thirst of damnable lucre that distempered thy vnderstanding and cleane put out the eye of thy naturall reason Oh how doth couetous lust tyrannize ouer our soules and captiuate our senses if it once seaze vpon our hearts and take possession in our breasts It maketh vs violate our Faith towards God our Fidelitie towards Men it maketh Parents vnkinde to their Children and Children vndutifull towards their Parents it armeth the wicked to commit bloudie murther it maketh Subiects disloyall to their Prince it eggeth and edgeth them to attempt the vtter ruine of their Country it kindeleth the fire of ciuill and intestine Seditions it bloweth vp the sparkles of horrible Treason it excludeth kinde Hospitalitie it is the Cut-throate of Christian Charitie it pampereth all vices it starueth all vertues What is it but a Hellish Furie the author and actor of humane miserie Oh how happie is the heart that is not affected to it Oh how peaceable is the conscience that is not infected with it Tell me thou bloudie Traytor Iudas diddest thou not see many wonderfull Miracles done by thy louing Master before thine eyes diddest thou not heare many diuine
Disciples which follow him hauing their faces pale with feare their mindes perplexed with doubts and their hearts drowned with flouds of sorrow Oh that thou mightst be so happie as to haue a little taste of the sweetnesse of his words and to haue some rellish of his comfortable Admonitions which hee made by the way to his sorrowfull Disciples to refresh their fainting spirits and to establish their doubtfull mindes What plentie of bitter teares did the Apostles poure downe by their cheekes when they saw and heard their Lord and Master speaking so gentlie vnto them Hee propounded vnto them as I suppose all things which hee had done with them at his last Supper and the words he had spoken vnto them and also after what manner hee should be deliuered to death that night Behold his Disciples amazed at his wofull words and hearing with attentiue eares the sweet admonitions of their carefull Master They all gaue heedy attention to euery word that came out of the mouth of their beloued Lord communicating so gentlie with them Oh wofull separation oh lamentable departure Now a most kinde and louing Master shall be separated from his beloued Disciples a wakefull Shepheard from his harmelesse sheepe yea a louing Father from his beloued Children What maruell is it then if their mirth be changed into mourning their ioy into sadnesse and their solace into sorrow They knew well by experience how ioyfull how pleasant it was to remaine with their beloued Iesus and to enioy his blessed societie therefore they had good cause to be amazed with sadnesse and to be wounded with sorrow for the losse of their louing Redeemer Oh what pittifull words as I suppose what lamentable voices did they vtter saying Wilt thou leaue vs our most gracious Master like silly Orphanes depriued of comfort Wilt thou leaue vs in a Sea of sorrow without a Pilot Where shall wee hope for consolation where shall we seeke for helpe in thy absence And as they could not refraine themselues from sorrow so hee their most louing Shepheard was readie to giue them sweet comfort chearing vp their drooping mindes with assured hope of his powerfull helpe and comforting their sorrowfull hearts with his neuer-failing promise of his euerlasting loue telling them that although he were absent from them in bodie yet he would alwayes be present with them by his holy Spirit I thinke our most mercifull LORD could not containe his teares he had such tender compassion towards his sorrowfull Disciples so kinde was his affection towards them so great was their reciprocall loue towards him Cleaue thou also oh my soule to this most holie and heauenly companie and follow thy Lord weeping and sighing sorrowing and lamenting for him which goeth to die for thy transgressions and to be sacrificed for thy sinnes say vnto him faithfully Lord I will follow thee wheresoeuer thou goest I am readie to goe with thee into prison and to death Now alas oh my louing Iesus thou doest arme thy beloued Disciples with spirituall weapons and dost labor by comfortable exhortations to expell cowardly feare out of their hearts and to settle a constant courage in their doubtfull mindes that they might not be dismayed in the day of perill nor falsifie their Faith for dread of any worldly affliction But most wicked Iudas was busied to furnish the Iewes with deadly weapons that they might wrongfully apprehend thee and cruelly condemne thee to a shamefull death What damnable deed hast thou done thou detestable Traytor What infernall Phrensie possessed thy minde What hellish furie peruerted thy vnderstanding Thou didst leaue a most gentle Master sitting at the Table with his Disciples friendly eating and familiarly talking with them the KING OF HEAVEN and soueraigne Lord of the whole earth who was able to haue made thee partaker of his eternall kingdome where thou mightest haue liued in happinesse without measure and ioy without end and thou didst follow the Diuell who led thee to the Iewes to bargaine with them to betray into their hands thy gracious Lord and bountious Master And as thou hast beene obedient to his will so shalt thou be partaker of his reward who abideth in the prison of euerlasting darkenesse tormented in the fire whose flame is neuer slaked nor shall euer be extinguished But now oh my soule let vs leaue damned Iudas a fearefull spectacle for all horrible Traitors and let vs returne to innocent IESVS entring into the Garden with his Disciples where hee exhorted them to watch carefullie and to pray earnestly that they might not fall into temptation nor runne into danger Here my Sauiour beganne to taste of the bitter Cup of sorrow and to feele the pangs of humane affliction his spirits wearied with heauinesse and his minde tyred with sadnesse so that he craued comfort of his Disciples saying Can yee not watch with me one houre Stay here oh my soule straine forth teares from thine eyes and throng forth sighes from thy heart draw neare and expresse thy compassion towards thine afflicted Iesus Behold how his countenance is changed his face couered with palenesse he is scant able to vtter in words the sorrow of his heauy heart And what doth hee say My soule is heauie euen vnto death Thy words oh my most mercifull Iesus doe not a little amaze my minde and affright my perplexed thoughts For what doest thou feare why art thou touched with sorrow why art thou pressed with heauinesse From whence oh my louing Lord doth arise the cause of thy sadnes doest thou feare any imminent danger Dost thou dread the punishment which thou art about to suffer But for what other thing oh sweet Lord diddest thou come into the world For what other end most blessed Sauiour didst thou assume flesh vnto thee in the wombe of the blessed Virgin but that by thy death thou shouldest destroy our death and saue that which was lost What benefit had we reaped by thy birth how could we haue reioyced for the happie day of thy blessed Natiuitie if our condemned soules had not beene redeemed to life by thy most precious death If thou oh my louing IESVS hadst refused to die for mee who should haue satisfied for my sins what could haue cured my loathsome Leprosie but the drops of thy Bloud What could restore mee to life but thy innocent death What did moue thee to dye for mee but thy exceeding mercie whereas my louing Sauiour thou wert subiect to feare and heauie with the terrour of death there appeared vnto vs the veritie of thy Humanitie not exempted from the passions of our nature yet alwayes free from the infection of sinne and cleare from the spots of iniquitie Wherefore wee may the more boldlie bee most earnest Sutors vnto thee to obtaine thy succour in the time of our necessitie and to call for thy sweet mercie in our bitter miserie because wee are assured that thou in thy Humanitie hast had a sense of our sufferings Behold also now my soule his faithfull
poisoned thy affections Thou goest about in thy monstrous madnesse and vnbrideled furie to kill the immortall Lord who is Truth it selfe to direct vs and Life it selfe to quicken vs and to bring him to the slaughter who onely is able and none but hee to bring all men to death to restore all men to life Tell me I pray thee thou wicked and foolish mad-man wert not thou also as well as the other Disciples with the Lord IESVS when he reuiued the mayden which was dead when he cured the Sonne of the Ruler when he raised Lazarus out of his graue when he cleansed the Lepers healed the man sicke of the Palsie deliuered them which were possessed with Diuels when he made him to see which was borne blinde and restored many others to their sight Tell mee I pray thee had hee beene able to haue done these miracles if God had not beene with him What Aegiptian darknesse had blinded thine eyes that thou couldest not see his diuinitie what Ignorance had blinde-folded thy vnderstanding that thou couldest not know him to be the Sonne of God by his admirable workes Where wert thou when at two sundrie times he fed a great multitude of people with a little bread and a few fishes But to let these mercifull and miraculous workes passe which hee did for others why did not these gracious and charitable deedes which hee performed toward thee so mooue thy minde that although thou hadst imagined yet thou mightest not haue practised thy horrible intended mischiefe against him Remember thou most wretched creature and vngratefull Disciple how thy humble Master washed thy feete Iohn 13.5 How should this wonderfull humilitie of so great a Master haue humbled thy minde being so base a Seruant Remember how hee alwaies extended the tokens of his loue to thee as hee did to the other Apostles yet no kindnesse could restraine thy wicked will nor change thy couetous minde Consider thou most vngratefull and cruell Traitor how often my louing Iesus did mildely admonish thee that thou shouldest retire from thy wicked purpose whose all-seeing eye was able to penetrate into the darkest corners of thy heart and to search the secrets of thy inward bowels It might haue checked thy guiltie conscience when hee said after hee had washed his Disciples feete Yee are cleane but not all Iohn 13.11 And againe I speake not of all of you I know whom I haue chosen Iohn 13.18 But although these generall reprehensions were motiues of small moment to mollifie thy stonie heart yet hee spake vnto thee particularly saying Doe that quickely which thou art about to doe Iohn 13.27 Didst thou not clearely see that hee knew thy inward thoughts and the secret plot of thy wicked counsell And who but God is able to know the secrets of the heart and to discouer our hidden cogitations But was not thy heart as flintie as an Adamant that it did not relent with sorrow was not thy fore-head as hard as brasse that thou didst not blush for shame Were not thine eyes more drie then a rocke that they could shed no teares when thy louing Master and my beloued Lord said mildelie vnto thee What Iudas doest thou betray the Sonne of man with a kisse Luke 22.48 Oh great humilitie exceeding meekenesse most admirable clemencie of my Sauiour Iesus Yet neither the mildnes of his words nor wonderfulnesse of his works could soften thy obdurate heart or reclaime thy obstinate minde oh thou pernicious Traitor My Sauiour called him friend Mat. 26.10 whom hee knew to be a direfull foe that the meeknesse of the name might haue a little calmed the furie of his nature but the Diuell had sowed such naughtie seede in the furrowes of his couetous heart that hee became a wicked guide to deliuer his louing Master into the hands of his bloudie enemies who hating his innocent life had longed for opportunitie to put him to a cruell and shamefull death Tell mee thou damned Iudas what brought thee into such an hellish Phrensie that thou didst complot with the bloudie Iewes to betray thy gracious Lord with a token of kindnesse Had thirstie Couetousnesse so inflamed thy minde that thou didst run headlong to sell thy soule for a little piece of monie If thou hadst come like a foe thy crime had not beene so haynous nor thy crueltie so odious But thou like a cousening hypocrite didst cunningly maske thy deadly hate with the vizard of counterfeit loue Thou didst salute my louing Iesus with no friendly but a deadly kisse that with this token of peace and kindnesse thou mightest cast a mist before the eyes of his faithfull Disciples that they might thinke thou hadst nothing to doe with those wicked persons who came to apprehend their Lord Master thou thoughtest thou haddest complotted so cunningly and contriued thy matters so carefully that all should haue beene hidden in darknesse and no man haue knowne thy damnable practise but onely the cursed crue of thy confederates but the Diuill who was the author to allure thee to this mischiefe did beguile thee with a deceitfull imagination and so he will doe all others that follow thy crooked steppes and walke in thy cursed waies Such iugling hypocriticall trickes may often be hooded from the dim sight of men but they can neuer be hidden from the all-seeing eye of Almightie God thou camest with a word of peace in thy mouth when thou didst pretend nothing but warre in thy heart thy speech was as soft as Butter but thy inward thoughts were more sharpe then a Raisor thou didst presume to offer a Traitors kisse Mat. 26.49 to my blessed Sauiour when thy lips were full of poyson and thy throate an open Sepulcher thou camest like a subtle Foxe to salute him with a word of health when thou wert a wicked guide to a hand of cruell Souldiers who meant him nothing but hurt so strong was the desire of filthie lucre to hale thee to mischiefe so eager was thy greedie appetite to bite at this pleasant baite that thou couldest not see the killing hooke For when thou didst sell the precious life of thy louing Master thou didst giue thy damned Soule to the Diuell to be tormented with him for euer in the fire which flameth continually and burneth so extreamely that the paines of the least sparkle of it are more then intollerable wherefore my sweet Iesu so mollifie my heart and moderate my minde which am thy most vnworthy Seruant that I may not giue such direfull and deadly kisses vnto thee which art my most kinde and louing Master And grant vnto mee by thy gracious clemencie that I may offer vnto thee the sweet kisses of loyall Obedience and constant Loue that my Soule may say vnto thee Kisse me with the kisses of thy mouth Cant. 1.1 for thy loue is better then wine Run oh my soule and neither let the baites of terrene pleasure nor the brunts of worldlie sorrow hinder thee in thy way when thou goest to kisse thy
torture thy body and such furious tyrants to vexe thy soule how great oh my sweet Iesu are the tortures which thou doest patiently endure for my sake how painefull how shamefull and cursed vvas the death vvhich thou didst suffer for my sinnes the punishment was great wherewith thy body was afflicted the anguish was grieuous wherewith thy soule was affected the thornes vvere sharpe that wounded thy sacred head the whips were terrible that scourged thy naked body the nailes were painefull that entred through thy hands and pierced thy feete nothing but markes of cruelty appeared to thine eyes nothing but scornefull reproaches of thine enemies sounded in thy eares But as thy outward afflictions were vnspeakeable so thy inward sorrow was more intollerable vvhen thou didst thinke how forgetfull vvee vvould be of thy mercies and how vnthankfull we would be for thy benefits And as thou my most deare Iesu in the fiercest fittes of thine agonie and sorest pangs of thy Passion didst call and crie to thy heauenly Father for succour so teach mee to lift vp my deuout heart pure hands and a lowde voice towards the seat of mercy when any outward affliction doth pinch my body or any inward tribulation presse my soule teach me oh Lord in the stormie daies of my greatest persecutions to meditate on thy vvonted goodnesse and when my soule is most perplexed with the horror of my guilty conscience to thinke on the multitude of thy mercies But forsake mee not my sweet Iesu vvhen my strength faileth vphold mee when my feete begin to slide and raise mee vp vvhen I begin to fall thou doest neuer leaue them vvithout comfort in time of their trouble vvho come vnto thee vvith confidence of thy promises and faithfully craue thy succour Oh suffer not my soule to be cast downe vvith immoderate mourning or my mouth to be filled vvith murmuring when thy hand lieth heauie vpon mee Comfort my drouping heart with some taste of thy heauenly consolation vvhen either the sword of persecution doth vvound my body or sorrow for my sinnes doth afflict my minde Let mee remember that thy children are in this vvorld as the Israelites were in the Desart they shall haue many cruell foes abide hunger and thirst runne through many dangers and drinke of the bitter waters of Mara before they can come into heauenly Canaan and chaw the Wormewood of affliction before they can eate of the fruit of the tree of life more sweet then milke and more delicate then hony Let me remember that Abraham the Father of the faithfull was often afflicted that Iacob thy beloued was constrained to flye for feare of Esau his rough-handed and hard-harted brother and then vngently intreated and vniustly rewarded for his faithfull seruice by Laban his churlish Vnckle That Dauid thy chosen vvas often in danger of his life pursued and persecuted by furious Saul before he was aduanced to his Kingdome Oh let mee not forget the many miseries and bitter afflictions which tumbled in heapes vpon Iob thy faithfull seruant Let their patience calme the turbulent motions of my repining minde and let the remembrance of their deliuerance arme my hart with a confident and stedfast resolution that the eye of thy carefull prouidence neuer sleepeth nor slumbreth but continually watcheth ouer thy faithfull and beloued and that thine omnipotent arme is then stretched out to rid them out of perill vvhen they seeme to be in a desperate case past all hope and farthest from succour And let me know that affliction is the best hope that thy children may expect in this worldly Lotterie but yet let the anchor of my hope take such sure hold on thy promises in the time of my misery that I may alwaies be assured that thou art able and neuer vnwilling to cure my maladie if I call faithfully vpon thy name and waite thy appointed time with patience abiding constant in thy loue and confident in thy vvord Grant mee oh my Lord Iesus to crie out vnto thee in the daies of my trouble to craue thy strong aide in the houre of my tribulation O let mee drinke a deepe draught of the fountaine of thy mercie vvhen my poore heart is parched with thirst in this world of miserie Heare me from Heauen and let my voice sound in thine eares that I may receiue comfort when I am distressed helpe me vvhen I am oppressed and peace of conscience when my soule is afflicted that when I feele the sweet taste of thy mercy my lips may shew thy praise and my tongue declare thy glory saying With my voyce I cried vnto the Lord with my voyce I prayed vnto the Lord and hee heard mee A Meditation concerning the fift and sixt words which the Lord Iesus spake on the Crosse to wit I thirst and It is finished MED XVIII When Christ our Lord the a Zach. 13.1 fountaine of all blisse Had said I b Ioh. 19.28 thirst and that the houre was come That hee to Death must yeeld for our c Rom. 4.25 amisse He said It 's d Ioh. 19.30 finisht now and all is done HEere Oh my soule consider not onely the woes but mark the words of thy dying Iesus thou didst heare him cry vnto his heauenly Father with feruencie of his affection vttering the vehemencie of his affliction and now heare thy wofull Iesus speaking vnto the wilfull deafe-eard and dead-hearted Iewes saying I thirst And although enuie had so parched vp their hearts that they had no sap of relenting pittie yet let his words pierce so deepe into thy tender heart that it may be wounded vvith true compunction and stirre vp actiue and liuely motions of compassion vvithin thy bowels so often as thou dost thinke on his necessity and so often as thou dost meditate on his calamity but alas thou dost seldome or neuer meditate on his humane misery Oh what grieuous infirmities miseries distresses and calamities did our fraile assumed nature bring vpon thee my louing sweet and mercifull Iesu How many great and vnsupportable torments did our sinne yea my sinnes made thine by imputation compell thee to suffer What did cause thee to doe it my blessed Sauiour but the ardent feruour of thy exceeding loue What worthinesse of merit was there in vs as a motiue to mooue thee it was thine vnspeakeable mercy and nothing but thine inestimable mercy which did induce thee But canst thou oh my sorrowfull soule containe thy teares within the little caue of thine eyes and suppresse thy groanes and represse thy sighes within the hollow corners and cauernes of thy heart when thou doest thinke on the extreame thirst of thy louing Iesus and of the small compassion that was shewed vnto him by the vnmercifull Iewes wherefore cry out with the voyce of mourning and lament in thy crying say vnto thy beloued Iesus Oh my most louing Lord oh my most gracious Reconciler oh my most mercifull Redeemer how should my sad sorrowfull soule be afflicted with heauinesse how