SAINT BERNARD HIS MEDITATIONS OR Sighes Sobbes and Teares vpon our Sauiours PASSION In Memoriall of his Death ALSO His Motiues to Mortification with other Meditations The third Edition much amended By W. P. Mr. of Arts in Cambridge 1 COR. 2.2 I esteeme not to know any thing amongst you saue Iesus Christ and him crucified LONDON Printed by T. S. for Francis Burton dwelling in Paules Church-yard at the signe of the greene Dragon 1614. TO THE Right Worshipfull Mr. IOHN BVLLOCKE of the Inner Temple ESQVIRE SYR it was my purpose when I first vndertooke to translate these diuine and comfortable Meditations on the Lords Passion and Motiues to Mortification selected out of the workes of S. BERNARD and other auncient Writers not verbally turned into English but augmented with such other Meditations as it pleased God to infuse into my minde to haue dedicated them vnto your worthy Father who both in respect of his neere alliance and other reasons of moment might by his owne right haue challenged that duty at my hands But since it seemed good vnto the Diuine Maiestie to remoue him from earth out of the societie of mortall men to liue for euer in the company of the blessed Angels in Heauen before I could attaine to the accomplishment of my wished desires I could finde none more neere and deere vnto me then your self who might vouchsafe to giue the first kinde entertainement to my well-intended labours when they should come forth into the light For as the Lord hath blessed you with a peaceable fruition of your Fathers possessions so no doubt you are also a true heire of his commendable Vertues My desire is to profit all yet I am obliged by many priuate respects to commend my labours such as they are in a more speciall manner vnto your selfe that thereby I might seale vnto you a true assurance of my gratefull affection towards you For farre be it from my thought that eyther I should forget your kind speeches or bury your good deed in the darke graue of Obliuion expressed to mee and extended towards mee at my last conference with you I know you cannot but kindely accept my small mite if you ballance it with the willingnesse of my minde and I am assured you will not mislike it in regard of the matter though happily you may finde some distaste in respect of the stile For what can be more fit for these times then Motiues to Mortification or more comfortable to the soule of a sorrowfull sinner then a serious Meditation of the bitter Passion of our Crucified Redeemer who being God became man for our sakes suffered a most cruell death on the Crosse for our sinnes and being buried rose againe for our iustification But it is not my purpose heere to relate what sweet streames doe flow from this christall and pure Fountaine what wholesome fruits may be gathered from this fruitfull Tree or what rich Treasure may be found in this golden Mine I desire to containe my lines within the bounds of Mediocritie especially when the Current of my words turneth towards One whom God hath blessed with capacitie able to conceiue the great commodities which doe proceed from such Christian exercises Yet before I make a full period giue mee leaue I pray you to let you vnderstand that I haue much endeauoured so to expresse the grieuous Passion of our gracious Redeemer as if it were now in present action before our eyes that I might the better stirre vp feruent motions of Pietie in the minde and kindle the sparkes of true deuotion in the heart of the Reader For indeed the full scope of my desire is to glorifie GOD and benefit my brethren And that your owne soule as also the soule of euery religious Reader may be the more neerely and deepely touched and wounded with a feeling consideration of our Sauiours death I suppose it the best way after a due preparation thereunto by prayer without which nothing can be sanctified vnto vs to beginne at the first Meditation and so taking the History of his Passion before you to proceed vntill you come vnto the yeelding vp of his Ghost vpon the Crosse In the progresse whereof it may please God so to touch your heart with sorrow that your eyes with those in the Gospell who came to see his death Luke 24.48 may gush forth Teares for griefe that so innocent a Lambe should be so despightfully and cruelly tortured tormented and crucified Where also you in whose person I speake vnto all may iustly conceiue a double griefe First that Iesus Christ the Righteous was killed for sinne Secondly that hee was killed for our sinne The consideration whereof should moue all with weeping Peter Luke 22.62 to shed salt and brinish teares of contrition in remembrance of our offences that being therewith pricked at the heart Christ Iesus may say vnto our sorrowfull soules as sometimes he did vnto the Israelites I haue heard your groaning and will haue compassion on you Iudg 2.18 And may also thereunto adde Sonne be of good cheere thy sinnes are forgiuen thee Matth. 9 2. Come hither and taste how sweet I thy Lord am with mee there is plenteous redemption And as in matter of sorrow it more deepely pierceth the soule of the hearer with griefe or in matter of delight more affecteth the minde with ioy to heare the particular relation of some Tragical euent or the parts and particles of some delightfull accident reported then onely to heare a bare narration of either in grosse without expressing the parts thereof so likewise it cannot chuse but more deepely wound the soule of euery Christian to heare or read the speciall and seuerall sufferings of Christ in his Passion then if it were onely sayd thus Christ died for vs. But least I draw my lines beyond the limits of due measure I heere conclude desiring the LORD to blesse you and the rest of your Fathers issue with many happy dayes vpon earth and when they are ended heere in peace to receiue you all into his heauenly Kingdome of euerlasting Glory Yours ready at commaund W.P. A Table of the Meditations vpon the Lords PASSION 1 A Meditation of the comming of the Lord IESVS into Hierusalem riding vpon an Asse c. page 1 Med. 2. Of the returning of the Lord Iesus into Ierusalem and of his often preaching in the Temple c. page 30 Med. 3. Of the preparation of the Lords Supper and washing his Disciples feete c. page 57 Med. 4. Of the institution of the blessed Sacrament of the body and blood of Christ c. page 72 Med. 5. How the Lord Iesus told his Disciples that one of them should betray him c. page 89 Med. 6. Of the going of Christ into the Mount-Oliuet and of his praying thrice in the Garden c. page 104 Med. 7. How Iesus arose from prayer and went to meet Iudas who with a multitude came to apprehend him c. page 130 Med. 8. How the Lord
soule turne thine eyes from thy Sauiours humilitie and take a suruey of his bitter pangs in his grieuous Agonie whose heart was inflamed with heate and all the parts of him so vexed with paine that streames of sweate mixed with drops of bloud ranne downe from his sacred bodie Luke 22.44 Oh would my head might be turned into a fountaine or teares and my bowels melt with tender compassion in this my sorrowfull meditation when I thinke vpon the dolorous pangs and dolefull paines which pressed drops of bloud out of the innocent flesh of mine afflicted Iesus Oh how was thy bodie pained how was thy minde perplexed how were all thy senses tired in this great worke of our Redemption How heauie is the weight of my sinnes that dissolueth the blessed bodie of my Lord vnto such a wonderfull sweat How is the beautie of thy face which the Angels doe behold with ioy and gladnesse changed with rednesse through excessiue heate how immoderately is it moistned with showers of watrish and bloudie sweate Thou diddest but speake the word and thy word was a worke at the first Creation Gen. 1.3 But now I see thee sweating toyling yea thy heart aking while thou art acting the worke of our Redemption Oh wretched man why am I so carelesse of the health of my soule when it cost thee so deare a price to redeeme it What shall I say what shall I doe my good Iesu my heart is as hard as iron and my bowels no softer then brasse I haue no sense of tender compassion nor any feeling of sorrowfull compunction mine eies are as dry as the Pumise stone I cannot shed one teare to weepe for my sinnes which were the source of thy sorrow and the cause of thy passion Indeed my heart should distill drops of bloud and mine eyes should trickle downe teares when I meditate in my minde on the intolerable paines which thou didst suffer to satisfie the Iustice of thy Father for my grieuous sins and to saue my guiltie soule Oh how can I excuse nay rather how should I but accuse my wretched and vile ingratitude Where shall I hide my head for shame where shall I shrowd my selfe from thy presence My conscience is a continuall witnesse against me that I am an vncleane and polluted creature I may not I dare not approach vnto thee vnlesse thou wash me in the sacred Lauer of thy precious bloud for then I dare and may appeare before thee Wherefore haue mercie vpon me shew me some pittie my compassionate Iesus giue me a Fountaine of teares that I may weepe for my forgetfulnesse towards thee all the day and water my bed for mine vngratitude with my weeping all the night and so deepely imprint in my minde the paines of thy Passion that I may account all the time ill spent and the day quite lost wherein I doe not meditate on them teach me to imitate thee my mercifull IESVS that with bended knees and an humble heart I may make my earnest prayer before thee inspire my minde with thy holy Spirit and then teares of true Repentance shall flow from mine eyes Send thy Angell oh Lord to bring mee consolation in the distressefull time of my tribulation for thou hast ordained them to assist vs in our prayers and to comfort vs in our sorrow And as thy Angell appeared to comfort thee Luke 22.43 so also thou wilt neuer faile to send thine Angell to comfort vs if wee pray vnto thee with true humilitie of minde and sue vnto thee with heartie sorrow for our sinnes Instruct mee also after thine example my blessed Sauiour not to despaire of thy mercie although it be long before I receiue any comfort Thou didst pray three times before thou hadst any consolation in thine Agonie or any answere from thy heauenly Father and as the fiercenesse of thy grieuous Passion was augmented so the feruencie of thy most holie prayer was increased Mat 26.44 that by thy patience our courage might the better bee cheared and our Christian Magnanimitie more firmely resolued to tollerate Famine Nakednesse Persecution or any affliction whatsoeuer with constancie and meeknesse building our hope vpon a firme rocke of a stedfast resolution that wee shall eyther haue deliuerance out of trouble or comfort in our tribulation all in good time day houre yea minute and moment which the Lord hath appointed It is thy owne worke it is thy onely mercie my mercifull Sauiour to corroberate our mindes and confirme our hearts with this constant and Christian resolution Wherefore I beseech thee for thy bountifull mercie for thy mercie is my onely merit to work such a resolute constancie in me that in the bitter brunts of affliction I may depend vpon thy wakefull prouidence and wholie submit my selfe vnto thy diuine will knowing that nothing can happen to thy Children but that which thou hast determined to be most expedient for them whether they liue at rest in prosperitie or be tryed like gold in the fire of aduersitie A Meditation how IESVS arising from Prayer went to meete Iudas and of the multitude which came to apprehend him and how Peter cut off one of their eares MED VII The Prince of peace the Lambe of God a Math. 26.47 betraid Expos'd to murderers by a traytours b Matth. 26.49 kisse Iudas c Matth. 27.3 restores the price the Priests had paide Despairing d Matth. 27.5 hangs himselfe Traytors marke this AFter IESVS had receiued consolation by his Prayer he went forth to meete false-hearted Iudas who had solde him for a prey to the bloud-thirstie Iewes for he knew that the time did approach and that the houre drew neere wherein hee should glorifie his heauenly Father and accomplish the wonderfull worke of our Redemption Here oh my Soule the first matter of our Meditation is the monstrous ingratitude of a gracelesse Disciple towards his gracious and louing Master how odious is his deede vnto my thoughts how doth his hellish madnes torment my minde Oh that my tongue might be more bitter then gall to exclaime against the dissembling hypocrisie of such a deceitfull Disciple and my speech more sweet then honie to proclaime the singular sinceritie of so louing a Master that our soules might abhorre the infidelitie of the one and our hearts for euermore imbrace the faithfulnesse of the other Oh thou most wicked wretch thou wretched stubborne and obstinate Traitor thou Childe of the Diuell thou Sonne of perdition what furious malice hardened thy heart How wert thou brought to such raging madnesse how could the light of thy reason be so darkened how couldest thou be so grosly seduced that thou should'st betray thy most louing Master and my most gracious Lord Was there no sparke of grace left in thy breast had impudence so blinded thine eyes and crueltie taken such sure possession in thy heart that nothing could change thy bloudie minde and stay the rage of thy franticke moode wherewith the Diuell had bewitched thy soule and
looking vpon my miserable wofull and distressed estate with thine eye of pitty wert willing to be scourged for me a most wretched sinner and being innocent to suffer for mine offences that the streames of thy pretious bloud might wash away the filthy staines of my hainous sins Alas how is the wonderfull glory oh my most sweet Lord of thy super-excellent beauty decayed how is the gracefull decency of thy amiable feature diminished And how much is the delightfull comelinesse of thy most sacred body disgraced Oh let mine eyes send forth a sea of teares and let my perplexed heart breake into pieces with exceeding sorrow to see my beloued Sauiour stained with his owne blood and leopard-like bespotted with deformitie who did farre excell all the sonnes of men with his glorious beauty Now thou seest oh my soule how the snow-white skin of the bodie of thy Sauiour is changed into a bloody tincture Thou maist see and sigh when thou seest how his tender flesh is made black and blew with the cruel blowes which cruell tormentors inflicted vpon him whose stony hearts had no sense of his grieuous paines when they saw with their eyes and yet alas they would not pitty his wofull case how the bloud ran out of his veines as water floweth out of a fountaine Mourne and lament oh my soule send forth deepe groanes and sorrowfull sighes at so pittifull a sight For now thou canst not say My beloued is white and ruddy Cant. 1.14 as sometime thou mightest But rather say my beloued is blacke and blew his pretious bloud gushing out of his veines and his tender flesh mangled with grieuous wounds Who is so cruelly minded and so stony-harted which cannot be moued to shed plentifull teares when he vieweth my sweet Sauior Iesus so sauagely abused without any pitty and so spitefully taunted and maliciously tormented without any mercy Now when those cursed Tormentors had almost tired their hands but yet not tamed the crueltie of their hearts they cloathe him with a vesture of purple colour set a crowne of sharpe thorns on his head and put a Reed for a Scepter into his hands calling him King in derision vvith their blasphemous mouthes whom they accounted more base then the meanest abiect in al the world Mat. 27.2 Is it possible for thee my sorrowfull soule to keepe backe the tide of thy streaming teares when thou dost meditate in thy perplexed minde and as it were view within thy secret thoghts how cruelly thy harmelesse Sauiour was tortured by those bloody tormentors how spitefully he was tanted and shamefully mocked by those blasphemous wretches There was no man oh my sweet Iesu that did afford thee so much as a signe of pitty in thy greatest paines thou mightest not haue a Chirurgion to stanch thy bleeding wounds no man sought to ease thy smart nor to bathe thy scourged body no man offered thee a cup of water to refresh thy fainting spirits Oh let shewers of teares trickle downe my cheekes and let a sea of sorrow ouer-flow my heart when I enter into a serious meditation of the grieuous paines derisions and afflictions which my innocent redeemer patiently endured Oh then let mine eyes send forth a flood of teares because my mercifull louing Iesus suffered all those intollerable extremities for mee a most wretched sinner that he might pay the price of my redemption and deliuer my soule from euerlasting captiuitie Oh how should I my bountifull Iesu sound the bottomlesse profunditie of thy vnspeakeable mercy And how can I search the endles depth of mine owne wretched miserie Touch my heart oh Lord by the vertue of thy holy spirit and teach me by the sacred documents of thine vnsearchable wisdome so that the affections of my heart may be faithfully affianced and for euer affixed vnto thy immeasurable loue and my minde euermore imployed in the diuine meditation of thy holy law Instruct mee to lay vp in the store-house of my perpetuall memorie how many how great and grieuous paines thou hast endured for me What should I render vnto thee in requitall of thine immeasurable loue how should I be able to demeane my selfe thankefully vnto thee when of my selfe I am so vile a creature that I cannot thinke dutifully of thee Wherefore open mine eyes oh my sweet Iesu that I may see the inestimable riches of thy bountie Infuse thy working grace into my vnderstanding that I may know acknowledge the greatnes of thy loue and goodnesse of thy gratious benefits Graunt me such a portion of thy grace that in the highest degree of my prosperitie I may meditate on thy pouerty so that my minde may be brideled from ambitious thoughts and my actions neuer transgresse the bounds of moderate humility And when I decke my body with costly attire let me thinke of thy nakednes that it may asswage my swelling pride and induce me to abate somewhat of my superfluitie to cloathe and relieue my poore brethren in their naked necessitie And when my Table is furnished with delicate meates and my cuppe filled with delicious wine then oh my louing Sauiour let me remember thy hunger Oh let me not forget thy thirst that I may be sober in my diet and temperate in my drinke and remember to refresh poore hungry Lazarus when he lieth crying and crauing at my gate When I enioy my libertie let me thinke of thine imprisonment that I may not let mine affections runne ryot but tame their wilde motions before they breake forth into desperate actions Let not worldly pleasure haue such soueraigne dominion ouer my peaceable thoughts but that I may alwayes haue some taste of the paines which thou didst suffer for my sinnes with patience and sustaine for my transgressions with silence Lastly let me neuer dispaire of thy potent mercy though by my owne merit I finde I haue deserued nothing else but hell and damnation Now that this blessed worke of thine excellent goodnesse oh my gratious Lord may be affected in mee make a deepe impression of thy loue in my bowels and ingraue the true character of thy kindnesse on my heart so that nothing may please my taste nothing breed my delight nothing affect my desires but onely thou my King God my Sauiour and my Redeemer Kindle the fire of thy loue within my bones that my ardent zeale may neuer be quenched towards my beloued Lord Iesus who did willingly abide the curse and die on the crosse to pay my debt and to deliuer my soule out of the prison of eternall death But stay not here my soule turne thine eyes toward thine afflicted Iesus view him harmlesse and innocent and see in what scornefull habit iniurious Pilate doth present him to the bloudy-minded Iewes his body is arraied in a roabe of purple his cheekes bedewed with blood running out of the veines of his head wounded with a Crowne of sharpe thornes A ruthfull spectacle which might haue made their stony-hearts haue melted with compassionate pitty But alas vvhat can
Iesus was led to Annas and how he was there beaten and buffeted c. page 152 Med. 9. How the Lord Iesus was led from Annas to Caiphas and of his scourging there c. page 172 Med. 10. How Peter denied his Master thrice of his repentant weeping c. page 184 Med. 11. How Iesus was sent vnto Pilate of his vsage there pag. 205 Med. 12. How Pilate caused Iesus to be scourged and then pronounced sentence of death against him pag. 213 Med. 13. How Christ bearing his crosse on his shoulders is led to Mount Caluarie to be crucified page 250 Med. 14. Of the cruell and bitter crucifying of our Lord Iesu performed on Mount-Caluary page 285 Med. 15. Of the derisions and scornfull speeches vttered to the Lord Iesus when hee was nayled on the Crosse page 319 Med. 16. Concerning the lamentation of the Virgin Mary beholding her Son vpon the Crosse page 331 Med. 17. Of the Eclipse and obscuration of the Sunne about the ninth houre and of the fourth speech which Christ vsed vpon the Crosse page 343 Med. 18. Of the fift sixt words which the Lord Iesus spake vpon the Crosse to wit I thirst and it is finished page 355 Med. 19. How Christ gaue vp the ghost of the wonders then wrought and his death page 369 Med. 20. Of Iesus Christ his buriall and of the lamentation of his Mother and other women for his death page 381 Med. 21. Of the Lord Iesus his Resurrection of his appearance to his Disciples of his ascention into heauen and of his comming to iudgement page 397 FINIS O my Father if it be possible let this Cup passe from me He kneeled downe and Prayed but beinge in an agonie he prayed more earnestly and his sweat was like droppes of blood trikling downe to the ground Luke 22.44 Sit ye here whil I goe and Pray yonder MOST DEVOVT MEDITATIONS vpon the most holy and bitter Passion of our Lord Iesus Christ MED I. A Meditation of the comming of the Lord Iesus into Hierusalem riding vpon an Asse and the bringing in of him into the Citie with Songs and Praises and of his returne into Bethany the same day Into a Mat. 21.5 Hierusalem our Sauiour rides Vpon an b Mat. 21.7 Asse a simple harmlesse beast The people spread their c Mat. 21.8 cloathes and boughes besides Crying d Mat. 21.9 Hosanna Thou in Heauen highest THe time approaching which the Diuine prouidence had from eternity prefixed in which my most kinde and louing Iesus should come to his preordained Passion cruell death of the Crosse which he willingly came to vndergoe being the onely begotten of God incarnated in the wombe of the Virgin as through the whole course of his life he shewed exceeding great humility so toward the houre of his Passion comming to the place where hee should endure the torments of a most shamefull cruel death he tooke his entrance from humility when riding meekly vpon an Asse he came to the Citie where he should sustaine the vndeserued punishment of the Crosse Therefore when the Lord Iesus sixe dayes before the Passeouer had made his Supper with his Disciples in Bethanie the towne of Marie and Martha in the house of Simon the Leaper which was a friend to the said Mary and Martha where Mary also had powred an Alablaster boxe of precious oyntment vpon his head the morning following very earely most kind Iesus calling two of his Disciples said Goe into the towne which is ouer against you where you shall find a she-Asse tied and her Colt loose them and bring them vnto me And if any man shall say any thing against you say that the Lord hath neede of them and strait-way they will let them goe The lowly and louing Disciples obeying the commandement of their Master license being freely graunted to them by the Lord of all creatures they presented the shee-Asse and her Colt to their beloued Redeemer Then Iesus riding vpon the Asse directeth his iourney towards Hierusalem And when hee came to the going downe of the mount Oliues many people which were come thither hauing heard of the strange miracle of Lazarus whom Iesus raised out of his graue went forth to meete him And that they might doe him the greater honour some spread their garments vpon the ground others cut down boughes from the Trees and strewed them vpon the earth and all of them some going before and some comming behinde cried Hosanna to the Sonne of Dauid blessed is hee which commeth in the name of the Lord. And vvith these praises and Iubilies they brought louing Iesus euen to the Gates of Hierusalem following after him with his Disciples And after Iesus beheld the Citie he now fore-knowing the destruction of it to come moued with compassion powred forth teares ouer it but the Pharises and Scribes enflamed with the fire of enuie seeing Iesus to be extolled with admiration and honour rebuked sole redemption to deliuer vs out of the bondage of eternall death and from the intollerable paines of euerlasting damnation to be made coheires with him of a most blessed life in the Kingdome of Heauen Learne therefore oh my soule to imitate thy blessed Sauiour who abstained from meate to doe the will of his heauenly Father by seeking by all meanes to winne their soules who being void of all humanitie sent him fasting out of their Citie Oh hard-hearted Iewes to giue such vnkinde entertainment to my bountifull Lord and louing Iesus But be thou kinde oh my soule like Lazarus and ready like Mary and Martha to receiue thy Sauiour that hee may giue thee euerlasting bread for thy foode and water of eternall life for thy drinke Come and suppe with mee my sweet Sauiour vouchsafe to enter into my simple cottage I confesse I am vnworthy that thou shouldest come vnder my roofe yet I know that thou art alwayes willing to come where thou art kindly and friendly inuited Open thou the dore of my heart that thou maist enter and dwell with mee for euer then saluation shall come to my whole house then I shall lie downe to sleepe in peace and rise againe without any dread of danger for I shall be safely couered vnder the shadow of thy wings and remaine in peaceable securitie vnder thy mightie protection Consider Oh my Soule and meditate often in thine inward thoughts of the strange ingratitude of the stony-hearted Iewes toward thy Sauiour IESVS who would not afford him so much as a meales meate at night for his great paines hee tooke with them all the day but hee was constrained to returne hungry with his Disciples from so oppulent and populous a Citie to Bethanie a poore and small village there to refresh his weary and weake body where hee made so small a supper that he returned hungry to Hierusalem the next morning and spying a Figge-tree which had onely faire leaues Beware of hypocrisie but no fruit to slake his hunger or to
speeches vttered by his blessed mouth didst not thou attend vpon him preaching in the day didst thou not accompanie him praying in the night hadst thou so soone forgot his blessed Sermons went all in at one eare and out at the other didst thou remember no better his heauenly Exhortations hadst thou quite raced out of thy memorie his generall compassion towards all and his particular goodnesse towards thee why was thy soule starued for want of food in the middest of plentie why were thy spirits dryed vp with thirst being so neare a pure fountaine It was because thou haddest no grace to taste of that sweet coelestiall Manna or to drinke of that rocke of liuing water Couldest thou esteeme so rare a Iewell as my Sauiour Iesus at so base a rate wouldest thou sell his precious bloud at so low a price that was sufficient to pay the greatest price of our Redemption What base opinion mightest thou thinke the high Priest might haue of thee prouing so vilde a Traytor although to serue their owne turnes they allowed thy Treason Didst thou not thinke the whole World would daily hate thee when being a Disciple thou hadst so vildely betraied thy louing Master and craftily plotted the death of thy gracious Benefactor But woe be vnto thee and to all of thy condition it had beene better for thee thou haddest neuer beene then being to haue beene an instrument of such haynous such detestable such horrible Treason Keepe my soule oh Lord set a Watch before the dore of my heart that no couetous desire may haue passage into my bowels or enter into my brest to get dominion ouer my reason to wound my conscience to inflict my minde with noysome lusts and to confound my vnderstanding with greedy desires Let the memory of this sorrowfull day wherein thy couetous and damnable disciple Iudas sold thee my innocent and louing Sauiour Iesus vnto the murmuring and murthering Iewes draw out floods of teares from mine eyes and fetch out sorrowfull sobs and deepe sighes from my repenting heart to bewaile the horrour of my transgressions and to lament the innumerable multitude of my many most monstrous iniquities which brought thy most sacred bodie to the market there to be solde and from thence to be led to the slaughter cruelly to be slaine that with thy most precious bloud thou mightest pay the price of my Redemption which am a most wretched and sinfull creature yet let the sweet recordation of thy immutable loue and the ioyfull remembrance of thy immeasurable mercy so comfort mee in the midst of my miserie that although I finde much matter in my selfe to make mee feare yet that I may neuer despaire knowing that thou art alwaies willing to apply a soueraigne salue to a wounded soule and sweet consolation to a woefull conscience whensoeuer oh blessed Sauiour we acknowledge our maladie and faithfullie desire thy sauing helpe in our miserie Of the Preparation of Christs last Supper by the Disciples on Thursday of the washing of the Disciples feete performed by Iesus himselfe and of many exemplary actions of Iesus at the Supper MED III. Christ Iesus a Iohn 13.5 washed his Disciples feete They loath b Iohn 13.8 refuse but he enforceth it For c Iohn 13.2 Supper done to Symon thus said hee Vnlesse I doo 't thou hast no part with me d Iohn 13.8 THe first day of the sweet bread that is to say the fift day of the week in the euening of which day the Paschall Lamb was slaine and sweet bread was eaten according to the custome of the Iewes the Disciples came to Iesus seeing it was the time of the Feast and that their Maister had no resting place of his owne where he might lay his head and said vnto him Where wilt thou that wee prepare for thee to eate the Paschall Lambe Teach mee here my sweet Sauiour by thy example so to liue in the world that I may be prepared euery day to leaue the world esteeming my selfe as a Pilgrime still trauelling and euery day remouing not to build my palace of pleasure here in this transitorie world where all things are vncertaine subiect euery moment to miserie changes and mutabilitie Let neyther the pleasant baites of prosperitie nor the bitter brunts of aduersitie hinder me in my iourney whilest I trauaile toward the heauenly Ierusalem Let thy humilitie be my greatest honour in time of prosperitie let thy pouertie be my chiefest riches in time of aduersitie and let thy patience be my onely comfort in the sorrowfull day of affliction let thy quiet contentment calme the tumults of my grudging minde and barre out all repining thoughts seeing thou the Lord of all hadst not so much as a Cottage to couer thy head from the dew of heauen or to shadow thy face from the beames of the Sunne But my sweet Sauiour although thou wert poore in respect of thy Humanitie that thy pouertie might be our consolation in time of our distresses and to teach vs to beare with patience the heauie burden of our afflictions yet thou didst shew the bright beames of thy Diuinitie to thy Disciples when they saw that performed indeed which thou haddest told them in word when they met with the man in the Citie a meere stranger vnto them whose heart thou haddest prepared to make prouision for thee and thy Disciples to celebrate the Feast of the Paschall Lambe Oh happie man whom thou didst vouchsafe to choose for thy Hoste Oh blessed house prepared to receiue such a Guest Send thy holy Spirit my louing Sauiour as a Harbinger to prepare a lodging for thee in my heart and so furnish my minde with thy heauenlie graces that I may be able to giue thee such entertainment that thou maiest like and loue to dwell with mee for euer Now when the Table was prepared the Paschall Lambe made readie with other necessaries at euening Iesus came thither with his disciples and when the houre was come he sate downe to the Table Oh happy feast blessed are they my louing Sauiour which sit downe to meate at thy Supper Most happie and blessed are they oh most mercifull IESVS who are so dearely beloued of thee and so highly honoured by thee as to be made worthy to sit at thy Table Thou wilt giue them euerlasting food for their meate and water of life for their drinke so that after thy bountifull Feast they shall neuer know any hunger nor feele any thirst Graunt mee Oh bountifull Lord to taste of that heauenly food and to drinke my fill of that Coelestiall water so that my body may be thy holy Temple and my soule thine euerlasting habitation Behold oh my soule how thy louing IESVS sitteth amongst his Disciples a meeke Lambe among meeke sheepe except cruell Iudas who although hee were a deuouring Wolfe sate downe to the Table in their holy societie Oh most holy societie of thee and thy faithfull Disciples Oh most glorious companie of all but one who
that the infinitenesse of thy mercie may appeare the clearer in the cure of my grieuous maladie and the beames of thy glorie shine the brighter by my deliuerance Therefore I will come confidentlie vnto thee my most milde and mercifull Iesus because thy mercies are infinite that I may enioy with thee the euerlasting delights of the blessed Giue me therefore thy heauenlie bread oh my good Iesus thou which art the life of the world and graunt oh bountifull Lord that I may be enabled by thy grace to eate worthilie that I may remaine in thee eternallie and thou in mee euerlastingly for I desire this one thing it is the ioy of my heart and the contentment of my longing affections that I may dwell inseparablie with thee for euer and I will cleaue vnto none other but onely vnto thee oh my sweet Iesus because with thee is the fountaine of life and in thy light I shall see light A Meditation how the Lord Iesus fore-told his Disciples that hee should be betrayed by one of them that same night MED V. Amongst the a Mat. 26.20.21 twelue as Iesus sate at meates At his b Marke 14.14 last Supper thus to them he said Who c Luke 22.22 dips his hand in dish and with me eates By d Iohn 18.5 him the Sonne of man shall be betraid AFter our most louing and most gracious Iesus had fed his Disciples with his precious Bodie and refreshed them with his Bloud hee was troubled in spirit and said to his Disciples Verily verily I say vnto you that one of you shall betray mee which eateth with mee that the Scripture may be fulfilled he which eateth my bread shall lift vp his heele against mee Oh how hard is this saying my blessed and bountifull Sauiour Oh how harsh and bitter meats hadst thou reserued for thy Disciples at the end of thy Supper Thou didst feede them with sweet milke in the beginning and thou gauest them delicious honie in the middle when thou didst wash their feete and refreshedst them with thy precious body for their meate and with thy roiall bloud for their drinke But now in the end thou hadst reserued gall and Wormwood sowre sauce for their sweet meate when these sorrowfull words did passe out of thy blessed lips and that dreadfull speech was vttered by thy honie-flowing mouth Woe is me my sweet and louing Iesus I seeme to see the cheerefull countenance of thy deare disciples sodainely changed their hearts ouer-whelmed with floods of sorrow their mindes perplexed with excessiue griefe the heate of their desires quite extinguished and all their hopes whollie dashed so soone as those fearefull words had passed through their eares and pierced their hearts who of so sweet a beginning little expected so sowre a conclusion Had they not much matter of mourning and was it not a world of sorrow vnto them that thou being their Master Captaine Gouernour Gardian and Ruler shouldst be betraied to death and it did much more augment the matter of their woe and increase the heapes of their griefe that one of them should contriue this horrible Treason and be the Author of this bloudie attempt The first was a violent motiue to moue them to exceeding sorrow because they so dearly loued and were so entirely beloued of their louing Maister But the latter was so horrible to their eares and so terrible to their hearts that it quite abated all their former ioy vtterly amazed their perplexed mindes maruelling in their troubled cogitations who amongst such a little flocke of Sheepe should proue so woluish as to deuoure so good a Shepheard admiring that any one in their holie societie should so farre degenerate from his faithfull fidelitie as to betray the life of so bountious so milde and so mercifull a Master But heare oh my soule what his faithfull Disciples answered when they heard those lamentable words pronounced They looked one vpon another their faces being pale with feare and their hearts full fraughted with sorrow and scarcely could their tongues vtter any part of their inward griefe the floud of their woes did flow fast and rise to so high a tide in their hearts and they said with a trembling voyce what sorrowfull words are these which our deare Master doth vtter Who amongst vs shall proue such a cursed wretch as once to imagine or such a horrible traitor as once to complot such a detestable deede and execrable fact Such a hainous intention said euery one of them was farre from my thoughts such a hellish motion did neuer enter into my breast For how should such a Diuellish cogitation enter into our mindes or finde any harbour in our harts but our Lord cannot be deceiued Wherefore euery one of them turning to the Lord said Is it I Rabbi to whom blessed Iesus answered One of the twelue which dips his hand with me in the dish shall betray me But peraduenture many of them shouing their hand in the dish at that time they were not able to discerne who it should be Wherefore Iudas said What is it I Rabbi But louing Iesus otherwise not discouering him answered Thou hast said as though hee should say thou hast said and not I for we may thinke truely that if my louing Iesus had plainely discouered that cursed man to the rest of his louing and beloued Disciples they if we should compare their affections with other mens passions had not beene able to haue contained their hands but with one accord would haue assailed that most wicked traitor and haue ended his hatefull daies with a speedie death who allured with the baites of the Diuell went about to make sale of the blessed life of their deare and best beloued Maister For how wouldest thou haue beene able oh bold and couragious Peter to haue cooled the heate of thy furie and to haue held thy hands from taking vengeance vpon such a damnable Traitor when as thou didst not feare to make resistance against a great band of Souldiers in the defence of thy beloued Master For as their loue toward louing Iesus was without meane so their hatred toward hatefull Iudas would haue beene without moderation if his treacherous plot had beene openly discouered vnto them But I pray thee stay here a while oh my soule and ponder within thy inward thoughts with deuout meditation the sacred words and diuine speeches more sweet then honie the honie-combe which my most sweet Iesus vttered to his faithfull Disciples as he went to the place of his vniust apprehension which the Euangelist Iohn retaining in his memorie through the holy Ghost hath faithfully recorded in his heauenlie and most sacred Gospell Meditate there seriouslie vpon the wonderfull loue which hee had towards his loyall Disciples hee was their Lord and Master yet he did not disdaine to eate meate conforting with the meanest of them hee washed their feete hee gaue his bodie and bloud vnto them and after all these things did not cease to teach them the
and sorrowfull Disciples looke vpon them and view what store of teares doe fall from their eyes heare what pittifull sighes and grieuous grones doe come from their hearts while they see their louing Master vexed in his bodie and afflicted in his soule suffering the wrath of his Father for the guilt of our sinnes After my louing IESVS had told his sadfull Disciples the heauinesse of his soule pressed with the ponderous waight of our sinnes he departed from them about a stones cast and kneeling on the earth prayed vnto his heauenly Father saying My Father all things are possible to thee if it be possible remoue this Cup from mee yet not my will but thy will be done Learne here oh my soule of thine afflicted Sauiour where to seeke a salue for thy wounds and from whence thou maist hope for help when any fearefull danger doth hang ouer thy head or any present anguish torment thy hart poure forth thy prayers in his holy Sanctuarie let thy deuotion ascend vp to him that his benediction may descend downe vpon thee learne alwayes to submit thy wish to his will for if it be not his will to deliuer thee it will be his will alwayes to comfort thee if thou continue thy prayers with perseuerance and attend his appointed time with patience Consider how thy Sauiour prayed three times vttering the same words when his pangs in his Agonie were so grieuous and his paines so dolorous that his sweate ranne downe like drops of bloud so heauie was the displeasure of his Father against him for our sinnes so great was the burden of our iniquities imposed vpon his shoulders But in the extremitie of his passions and sorrow of his soule his heauenly father sent downe an Angell from heauen to comfort him for the Lord will neuer leaue them forsaken in their sorrow that call vpon him faithfully he hath commanded vs to call vpon him in our trouble and he will deliuer vs and as he hath commanded the one so will hee neuer faile to performe the other Draw me oh my louing Lord to the Garden where thou wert that I may see thee praying and suffer with thee in thy afflictions call me and say Come into my garden my sister my spouse make hast oh my Soule to come to thy Beloued because thy Beloued is gone vp into his garden to his bed of spices that hee may feede there and gather Lillies Let vs consider oh my Soule and meditate attentiuely vpon all things which our Iesus hath done let vs ruminate his feuerall actions which may afford vs consolation and tend to our instruction For we may take many examples from our louing Master which should euermore be proposed before our eyes that wee might alwayes imitate them in the course of our life Thou seest how our most gentle Master hath commanded his Disciples to lincke their hearts together with the bands of true loue and to arme themselues with patience against the daies of danger when he went to the mount Oliuet to pray Wherefore being about to enter into a fearefull fight to beginne a dangerous battell and to encounter many deadly foes hee animateth his courage and armeth himselfe with prayers Learne thou also by this his example in the day of thy tribulation and houre of thy affliction to haue thy speedy recourse vnto Prayer Wee can finde no better weapon wherewith to offend our foes Wee can vse no better shield wherewith to defend our friends Thou seest also my soule how thy Sauiour Iesus preparing himselfe to Prayer did leaue the companie of his Disciples and he onely selected three out of his number so that they three which before had beene spectators in mount Tabor of his glorious Transfiguration might now be companions and eye-witnesses of his grieuous Passion that in the mouth of two or three euery word might be established Learne thou also to leaue the societie of men when thou doest addresse thy selfe to talke with God When thy Sauiour did pray he ascended vp into a mountaine to teach vs that although our bodies doe remaine vpon earth yet our cogitations should mount and soare vp into heauen by the wings of deuout prayer he poured forth the compassion of his heart he being a good Shepheard doth diligently watch ouer his flocke the extremitie of his owne passions doe not make him forgetfull of his Brethren Oh great loue how constantly euen vnto the end did he tender and loue the little flocke of his faithfull Disciples being indeede their most kinde and louing Pastor when in the most grieuous fits of his heauy Agonie and greatest pangs of his Passion he was carefull to procure their rest in that little time which was limited vnto them Teach me my mercifull Iesu not onely to be tender-hearted towards my poore Brethren in the bright dayes of my flourishing prosperitie but breed also within my bowels such a feeling compassion towards them in the hard time of my clowdie aduersitie that I may not onely wish mine owne ease and labour for mine owne cause but also that I may be mindfull of others afflicted and doe for them what I may which are in the like wofull case Attend also to the lowly demeanour and humble gesture of thy gentle Lord when hee prayeth who kneeling meekely on his knees and falling flat on the earth with his face Luke 22.41 Mark 14.35 doth plainely discouer by the submissiue humiliation of his bodie the sincere humilitie of his minde Oh great worthy and wonderfull humilitie when as he being equall and coeternall with God doth prostrate himselfe to the earth when he prayeth his father as though hee were a most base and wretched creature and submitteth the issue of his Petition to the pleasure and will of his Father Oh how should I learne to humble my soule and prostrate my bodie which am indeed nothing else but a sinke of sinne and an vnsauorie lumpe of iniquitie When I addresse my selfe vnto holy prayer and come to put vp my petition to a God of such infinite glory should I not cast downe my high lookes should I not curbe mine aspiring thoughts should I not lay aside my proud attyre and put on the mourning garment of sorrowfull and true Repentance Oh how should I which am but dust and ashes yea indeede nothing else but a very masse of grieuous misery humble and cast downe my selfe when I approach to speake to such a glorious Maiestie I confesse I must stand aloofe off with the poore publican terrified with the horrour of my sinnes which lye so heauie vpon my head that I cannot lift vp mine eyes vnto heauen Teach me oh Lord for none but thou can teach me to learne this hard lesson of true humilitie This is the Ladder by which my prayers must ascend vp vnto thee and thy Graces descend downe vpon mee I cannot enter into the Palace of thy most ioyfull and glorious Eternitie vnlesse I passe through the straite dore of selfe-debasing humilitie But now oh my
should the crying voices of murthering Iewes haue beene to thy eares how shouldst thou haue hated their bloudie hearts detested their vnlawfull requests and loathed their malicious desires vvhen they cried out vnto thee in their furie exclaimed in their madnes Let Barrabas goe free let Barrabas goe free Crucifie crucifie Iesus Matth. 27.21 Thou knewst vvell enough that vvicked Barrabas had made an insurrection disturbed the peace and committed murther and that thou couldst finde no fault nor ferret out any offence in the life of my blessed Sauiour but that the spitefull Iewes had accused him for enuie and sought his death to satisfie their malice for indeede his vvhole life vvas a Mirrour of excellent vertues his hands were cleane from euill actions his heart vvas pure from sinfull cogitations Say thine eyes were so blinded that thou could'st not see the bright beames of his Diuinitie yet thou didst see and thy mouth did testifie that thou didst see the apparant Vertues of his innocent humanitie What did mooue thee to pronounce false iudgement to shed his innocent bloud Wert thou so fond to purchase fauour of the high Priests Didst thou so dote after the loue of the people whose mindes are more mutable then the winde altering their affections euery moment that contrarie to the sense of Law testification of thy conscience and approbation of thy owne words thou wert seduced to condemne such an innocent person Thy vvife did admonish thee that thou shouldest haue nothing to doe vvith that Righteous man who suffered many things because of him in her sleepe and therefore fore-warned thee by her fearefull dreame Matth. 27.19 But neither the Caueat of thy wife nor chastisement of thy own conscience could stay thy false iudgement but at last the enuious Iewes had what they would at thy hands and thou didst giue them thy consent to execute the extream malice of their wicked harts What hadst thou gotten if thou hadst gained the vvhole vvorld vvith lose of thy soule Wofull is the purchase which is bought at so deare a rate Before thou vvouldst vouchsafe to giue Iudgement against my harmlesse Redeemer thou diddest make a solemne protestation before the multitude that thou wouldst not be guiltie with them in the shedding of his innocent bloud thinking by vvashing thy hands with a little vvater to take away the deepe staines of thy conscience Oh how may all the world wonder at thy madnesse How may all posterities condemne thee of folly Well might a little vvater cleare the spots of thy hands but all the vvater in the Ocean could not vvash away the blots of thy soule Such prety slights may passe without contradiction amongst men but alas they cannot blinde the all-piercing eyes of the Eternall Iudge vvho knoweth the secrets of euery mans heart searcheth the reines and vnderstandeth all our thoughts It vvas horrible crueltie yea it vvas a cursed deed voyd of all common humanitie to command my Lord Iesus to be stripped out of his cloathes and to haue his naked body wounded with stripes vvhen thou sawest he could not be conuicted of any vvicked acte nor iustly reproued for any euill word and to license thy lewd Officers to gibe at him at their wils and to ieast at him like a foole at their pleasure and by aggrauating his miseries to make themselues merrie yet so popular vvas thy minde and thine affections so glewed to the humor of the people that vvhen thou sawest that those streames of his precious bloud could not extinguish the flame of their furie thou didst doome him to a most scandalous and ignominious death vvho vvas honourable aboue all the sonnes of men for his righteous life and declared to be faultlesse by thy voluntarie confession after thy strict examination Oh happy are the eyes of those which sit on the seat of iudgement which can see the deformity of thy sinne that their hearts may be replenished with integrity and their hands vvith innocencie not stained vvith the spottes of Innocent bloud Curbe thou oh Lord the furious passions of my minde and quench the flame of bloudie wrath vvhen it beginneth to be kindeled in my breast that my heart may not imagine to slay the innocent nor my hands be defiled with their bloud Keepe me that I walke not in the counsell of the vvicked vvhen they lay snares and digge pits for the destruction of any of thy deare children I know oh Lord that I am readie euery moment to vvander astray vnlesse thou direct my feete by thy holy Spirit and guide me in thy path by the light of thy word I confesse my heart is tainted with originall vices and my hands are stained vvith actuall offences all my parts are defiled yea my whole body is nothing else but a vessell full of corrupted liquor I am prone to commit all euilnesse with greedinesse But alas I finde in my selfe not so much as a motion to doe any goodnesse I am forward to persecute thee with the cruell Iewes and to giue my consent to shed thy innocent bloud vvith cursed Pilate yea I daily crucifie thee by my sinnes and pierce thy blessed side vvith mine iniquitie I caused thee to be vniustly accused and vvrongfully condemned Haue not my cursed vvords and bloudie oathes beene like sharpe speares to wound thy heart and my cruell deedes like nailes to fasten thee to the Crosse Wherefore wound thou my heart that I may not lye still snorting in the bed of carelesse securitie and continue senselesse in the lethargie of sinne Purge the drosse of my vitious heart vvith the fire of thy holy spirit and purifie my corrupted cogitatious by the bright beames of thy grace Oh let this holy fire bee still burning in my breast that it may consume the corruption of mine infectious sinne that cleaneth so fast vnto my bowels Bow downe thine eare oh my mercifull Sauiour vnto my humble petition and giue a gracious answere to my earnest supplication then I shall bee emboldened to come before thy Maiestie and to approach neere vnto thy seate of mercie Oh let my morning and euening Sacrifice of thankes-giuing my louing LORD and bountifull Iesu send vp a sweet sauour into thy nosthrils which diddest suffer thy selfe to be scorned scourged and condemned by the sentence of vvicked Pilate onely for my sake and my sinnes to set my captiue soule at libertie and vvith the effusion of thy most precious bloud to pay so deare a price for the purchase of my Redemption Graunt that the remembrance of such a worthie and more then wonderfull benefit may euermore be fresh in my memorie and laid vp as a most pretious Iewell in the safest closet of my thankfull minde And at the day of thy last iudgement and generall Assises when thou shalt come to iudge the quicke and the dead enter not into iudgement with thy seruant nor remember mine iniquities but iudge me with thine elected according to thy mercie that I may possesse the kingdome with them vvhich thou hast
should all my sences be afflicted with mourning vvhen my minde doth contemplate the wounds of thy body and meditate the sorrow of thy soule afflicted with the deadly pangs of thy bitter passion vvhich inflamed thy heart with excessiue heat and dried vp the moysture of thy bowels with immoderate thirst And how should mine eyes swell with weeping and my hart be wearied with groning to bewaile my sinnes which so sharpened the hearts of the Gentiles vvith the eagernesse of crueltie and so shortned the hands of the Iewes vvith the malice of impietie that they reteined no sparke of pitty in their hearts nor would extend their hands to giue thee any comfortable refreshing in thy greatest extreamity But as their hearts and bowels were filled with sharpe sower and malicious humors so they giue thee a sowre and bitter drinke compounded of Gall and Vinegar Oh nefarious horrible impiety oh detestable cruelty of the perfidious Iewes to be so stony-harted as not to afford so much as a draught of cold water to my dying Iesus vvho is able to giue water of life which shall so plentifully satisfie the longing desire of those that drinke of it that they shall neuer after be molested vvith thirst nor haue any necessity to drinke Oh would I had beene there my bountifull Iesu that my vveeping eyes might haue afforded thee store of water to haue slaked thy drinesse and quenched thy thirst Oh how extreame vvas the griefe of thy tender-hearted Mother Oh how sorrowfull vvas the sadnes of Iohn thy louing Disciple who loued thee so tenderly was beloued of thee so intirely Oh how dolorous was the lamentation of Mary Magdalene mourning for thee her kinde distressed Master who had forgiuen her many sinnes because shee had shewed thee much loue Who all did behold thee with their wofull eyes and did heare thee with their doleful eares complaine that thou wert dry and thirsty and no doubt but they did all wish with sighes desire with heauy groanes that they had beene able but alas they might not be suffred to giue thee some comfortable refreshing When the Diuell our ancient enemy did tempt thee in the Wildernesse thou wert pinched with hunger at thy death thou wert parched with thirst thy moysture dryed vp like a pot-shard and thy tongue cleauing to the rooffe of thy mouth Now what are these naturall wants and weak infirmities found in thy body but strong arguments vnto vs of thy true man-hood and true testimonies of thy humane nature that we might know that although thou wert indued with exceeding patience yet that thou being man wert subiect to our passions but as thy sacred Conception was free from all carnall corruption so thy pure Life was alwaies free from all sinnefull infection Thou hadst great cause my louing Sauiour to be molested with drinesse and grieued with thirst when as thy body was distempered with watching brused with cruell blowes and thy bloud exhausted with thy bleeding wounds yet such as was the inhumanity such was the cruelty of the pittilesse Iewes that in this extremitie they would not afford thee a cuppe of colde water But is it credible yea is it possible that my Sauior should be afflicted vvith thirst at his death who hath tolde vs and it is true that hee hath told vs that he hath the water of life Tell me my bountifull Iesu how was thy moisture consumed what caused thy thirst art thou not hee which cryed If any man thirst let him come to me drinke Ioh. 7.37 art thou able to satisfie others that are thirsty and art thou thy selfe oppressed with thirst art not thou he my louing Sauiour which said to the woman of Samaria that thou hadst the water of life that hee vvhich should drinke of this water should neuer thirst any more but that it should be a well of water in him springing vp vnto euerlasting life Thy speech my Sauiour is veritie and thy words are truth thou hast the water of life thou art able and as thou art able so thou art most willing to refresh our thirsty soules vvith this blessed vvater if vvee will resort to drinke of thy pure and Christall fountaine I will come vnto thee my sweet Iesu that thou mayest satisfie my soule vvith thine euerlasting bread and quench my thirst with this Water of life for my soule thirsteth after God which is a liuing Fountaine I will cry vnto thee the Lord my God my Sauiour my protector and I will say I thirst I thirst my bountifull Iesu Oh that I might haue but so much as a little taste of this Caelestiall water Oh how doe I long to drinke of this fountaine quench thou my thirst oh my sweet Iesu with this liuing Water for thou onely art able to quench my thirst because vvith thee there is the fountaine of life And graunt that my soule may still thirst with such a longing after thy loue that it may make haste to these waters of comfort Oh how dangerous and deadly were my malady how vnsufferable were my misery how damnable were my state how desperate were my case if I should not drink of this heauenly Fountaine But as the spring of these blessed and wholesome waters doth euer flowe and as thy vnstinted bounty oh my mercifull Sauiour euer aboundeth so thou doest neuer deny any thirsty soule to drinke of this liuing water Wherefore let the feruency of thy loue so inflame my soule that it may thirst and thirsting may runne vnto thee to be refreshed with this comfortable water I know oh my blessed Redeemer that thou wert not onely afflicted with thirst in thy body but that thou wert more affected with thirst in thy spirit Heare thou oh my thirsty soule the sweet word of thy Sauiour Oh with what exceeding mercy is it replenished with what inestimable Charity is it vttered He saith I thirst but he saith not I am pained grieued or afflicted And what dost thou thirst for so much oh my louing Lord Thou dost not thirst so much for wine which is pressed out of the grapes of the Vine or for water which floweth out of the Riuer but thy thirst is my saluation thy meat is my redemption Thou doest thirst for my faith my saluation my ioy this spirituall thirst did more affect thy soule then any naturall or humane thirst could afflict thy body Therefore thirst thou oh my soule after thy louing and merciful Sauiour as the thirsty Hart desireth the water Oh how canst thou but thirst after him who hath thirsteth so much after thee Let all things be they neuer so sower be pleasant vnto thee for his sake let all things be they neuer so bitter be most sweet vnto thee for his loue Refuse not to drinke of the bitter cup of affliction for his cause and hee will not faile to refresh thee in the time of thy calamitie his hand shall be stretched out to deliuer thee in thy necessitie Grant me my Lord that I may
vvhich thou hast so great societie but a fome become flesh clothed with beautie fraile and euery moment decaying But it shall be truely it shall be a miserable and rotten carkasse and meate for the vvormes For how much soeuer it be decked and adorned it is alwayes flesh If thou doest consider vvhat issueth out by the mouth nosthrils and other passages of the body thou shalt neuer see a more filthy dunghill If thou vvilt reckon vp all her miseries thou shalt finde how shee is fraughted and laden vvith sinnes prouoked with vices itching with concupiscences possessed vvith passions polluted with illusions alwayes prone vnto euill and bending towards all kinde of vices full of all confusion and ignominie By the flesh man is made like vnto vanitie because from it he hath drawne the vice of lustfull concupiscence by which hee is held captiue and abased that hee loueth vanitie and worketh iniquitie Consider oh man what thou art from the first beginning The beginning of a proud man and day of thy birth vnto thy latter end and day of thy death and what thou shalt be after this life Truely thou hast beene that which in time afore thou wert not afterwards made of base matter wrapped in a homely cloth thou wast nourished with vnclean bloud in thy mothers wombe and a thin skin was thy best Garment thou camest vnto vs being so clothed and attyred neither art thou mindfull of thy base vile and contemptible beginning beauty fauour of the people youthfull heat and riches haue stolne from thee the knowledge to know what man is Mans vilenesse For man is no other thing but corrupt seed a vessell of vncleannesse and meate for the Wormes After hee is a man hee becommeth a Worme after the worme commeth stinke and lothsomnesse So euery man is turned into no man Wherefore is man proud whose conception is sinne whose birth is punishment whose life is a turmoyling labour and death an ineuitable necessity Why therefore art thou proud oh man Consider what thou wert in thy Mothers wombe Meanes to pull down pride to humble vs. how afterwards thou wert exposed and obiected to the miseries of this life and to sin and after that to become a worm a d wormes meat in the graue Why art thou proud dust and ashes whose conception is sinnefull whose birth is misery life a punishment and death anguish and calamity Wherefore doest thou feed and pamper thy belly with delicate meate and decke thy backe with sumptuous clothes vvhich vvithin few dayes after the vvormes shall deuoure in the graue But thou dost not adorne thy soule with good workes which is to bee presented vnto God and his Angels in Heauen Why doest thou basely esteeme thy Soule and preferre the flesh before her That the Mistrisse should vvaite and play the Mayd and the Mayde beare all the sway like the Mistrisse is a great abuse The vvhole world verily cannot counteruaile the price and value of one soule Therefore the price of the Soule is farre deerer and is at an higher rate vvhich could not bee redeemed but vvith the bloud of CHRIST What wilt thou giue for exchange to redeeme thy soule which doest giue her for nothing Did not the Sonne of GOD The soule of man invaluable when hee was in the bosome of his Father descend from his royall Throne for her that hee might deliuer her from the power of the Deuill The vvhich when hee saw fettered with the ropes and chaynes of Sinnes and forthwith to bee deliuered to the Deuils that shee might bee damned to perpetuall death hee vvept ouer her vvhich knew not to vveepe for her selfe Neither did hee onely vveepe but suffered himselfe to bee slaine that hee might redeeme her vvith the precious price of his bloud Behold oh mortall man for whom such a Sacrifice is giuen Acknowledge oh man how noble thy Soule is and how grieuous her wounds were for whom there was such necessitie that the Lord Christ should be wounded If her wounds had not beene to death The haynousnesse of sinne and to euerlasting death the Son of God would neuer haue dyed to haue cured them Doe not therefore carelesly esteeme the passion of thy soule to whom thou seest such great compassion to be yeelded from such a great Maiesty He powreth forth teares for thee wash thou also euery night thy bedde with compunction of thy heart and continuall streames of thy teares Hee powred forth his bloud for thee shed thou also thine rather then for any worldly affliction to start from thy Christian profession Doe not regard what the flesh will but what the spirit may then shall the soule be glorious vvhen she shal returne to her God Yet so if she shall carry no sinne with her from the body and shall wipe away all filthinesse But if thou say this is a hard saying I cannot despise the World and hate my flesh Tell mee where are the louers of the world which were with vs a little while agoe Motions to despise the flesh Nothing remaineth of them but ashes worms marke diligently what they are and what they haue beene They haue beene men as thou art they haue eat drunke laughed and spent their dayes in prosperitie and in a moment are gone downe all to the Graue many to Hell Heere their flesh is bequeathed to the wormes and there their Soule to the fire vntill they two being bound againe with an vnhappy coniunction be ouerwhelmed in euerlasting flames which were before companions together in vices For one punishment doth entangle them in the end whom before one loue had bound together in a wicked deed What hath vaine-glory auailed them their short ioy worldly power and authoritie the pleasure of the flesh deceitfull riches their great householde and euill concupiscence Where is their laughter Where is their boasting Where is their pride and arrogancie Of such great mirth what great mourning After so little pleasure how grieuous miserie They are fallen from that exceeding reioycing into great miserie into great ruine and grieuous torments VVhatsoeuer is happened to them A good catuion may happen to thee because thou art a man of the same earth slime of the same slime Thou art from the earth thou liuest of the earth and thou shalt returne into the earth When that last day shall come vvhich will come suddenly peraduenture it shall be to day The certaintie and vncertaintie of death It is certaine that thou shalt die but it is vncertaine when or how or where because death doth alwayes attend and waite vpon thee euery vvhere Thou also if thou wilt bee vvise Those which fulfill the lusts of the flesh must bee punished with the flesh shalt looke for death euery where If thou wilt follow the flesh thou shalt bee punished in the flesh if thou art delighted vvith the flesh thou shalt bee tormented in the flesh If thou shalt require fine and costly apparell in stead of thy
thy daily consuming life thou mayest see the bright and glorious appearing of that euer-shining Morning whose euer-glistering Sunne shall neuer set nor his golden beames be euer obscured with any cloudy Euening And that thou mayest also see with thy cleere-sighted eyes neuer wearyed in beholding to thy Soules eternall solace to the infinite ioy of thy triumphing minde and constant delight of all thy purified sences the resplendant and radiant beames of the gliftering Sunne of conspicuous righteousnesse in vvhich thou mayest behold the bountifull the beautifull the glorious Bridegroome the Lord Iesus Christ vnited vvith his euerlasting most deere best and onely beloued Spouse whom hee hath decked with his rich and royall Robes adorned with super-excellent and admirable beauty hauing with his owne pretious Bloud yea Wee are clensed by Christs bloud his Heart-bloud vvashed cleansed and rinced her from all the foule staines spottes and blemishes of her former sinnefull deformitie Hee that is one and the same Lord of Eternall glory vvho liueth and raigneth by Times which are vvithout any bounds of measure and whose euer-durable continuance shall neuer haue any ending FINIS A most zealous and deuout Lamentation of blessed Anselmus sometime Arch-bishop of Canterbury for the losse of his Soules virginitie appliable vnto the soule of euery mortified Christian OH my soule sorrowfull soule Iob 14.1.5.7 Eccles 1.13 3.10 Oh miserable soule of a miserable wretched and contemptible Creature Arise out of the bedde of senselesse security and narrowly examine the particulars of thy great and grieuous transgressions Great sins desire and deserue great sorrowes rouze vp thy drouzie vnderstanding let the sence of thy haynous sinnes wound thy heart with such a dolefull compunction that thy deepe fetcht sighes may pierce the skies with the sharpe accent of thy sorrowes Let the greatnesse of thy b Ezech. 18.4.5 wickednesse affright thee with dismaying horrour and deepely wound thee with intollerable dolour The terror of a wicked conscience Thou I say which some-time being made as white as Snow with the c Eph. 2.22 Rom 3.25 and 5.10 celestiall Fountaine and Lauor endowed with the holy Spirit bound by a sacred oath to maintaine thy Christian profession being a Virgin hast beene obedient espoused to Christ thy glorious d Mat. 19.15 25.1.5.6 Bride-groome Alas too well I remember it Oh whom haue I named verily not so kinde a Spouse of my chast Virginitie as a terrible e Wis 17.1 Mat. 16.27 Rom. 2.1 Iudge of my odious impuritie Alas wofull is the remembrance of my decayed pleasure Why doest thou more and more increase the sorrow of the possessor How miserable is the lot of vvicked and hainous offences to whom both good and euill doe breed nothing else but torment and torture For an euill f Wis 17.10 Conscience doth trouble and vexe mee and horrour of that vnquenchable fire doth terrifie me in which I feare I shall burne continually and neuer be consumed The remembrance of a good Conscience and of the rewards of it doth afflict and affright mee vvhich I know I haue lost and shall neuer repossesse or recouer Woe is me to lose to lose that without hope of recouery which should haue beene carefully g Acts 23.16 preserued for euer Oh comfortlesse sorrow to lose that which doth not onely depriue mee of good things but doth also multiply my torments Oh Virginitie now not beloued of mee but lost departed from me thou art now not my onely solace and felicitie but alone my onely sorrow and incurable misery how is thy former beauty changed into disdainefull deformitie Into what deepe pit of calamitie hast thou deiected me Oh thou hatefull Fornication which hast defiled my minde with thy contagious vncleannesse and infected my soule with deadly diseases how and from whence didst thou creepe into my wretched bosome to vexe and molest mee From what glorious and delightfull state of Felicitie hast thou tumbled me headlong to languish in continuall miserie On this side bitter sorrow doth sting mee on the other side extreame pangs and terrible feare doth torment mee while my minde is distracted with heauy meditations vpon my vnrecouerable losses And as my losses are voyd of hope and consolation so my torment will admit no moderation and a Sea of woes doth ouerflow mee But if that which is good and that which is euill doe both alike punish and iustly afflict me so that I often feele the horror of death while I liue in this wretched life my guilty conscience doth tell mee and my perplexed thoughts teach mee that I haue worthily deserued it For thou my Soule disloyall periured against God thy Creator and become a filthy strumpet to the dishonour of Christ thy louing Lord and Redeemer art wofully throwne downe from thy glorious high estate of vnspotted Virginitie into the bottomles lake of loathsom Adultery Thou sometime espoused to the King of Heauen art now become an Harlot to the tormentor of Hell Alas for thee that art cast out of the fauour of God who did so kindely regard thee and art exposed to the malice of the diuell vvho will most cruelly torment thee Nay rather thou vvhich hast cast away God and embraced the diuell For thou being changed most miserably from a vertuous Virgin to a vitious strumpet and an impudent Harlot thou first hast offered an vnkinde refusall of thy first loue to God thy gratious Creator and wilfully and willingly hast prostituted thy selfe to the lust of the deuill a cunning deceiuer and thy cruell murtherer Oh damnable exchange most miserable and more then most miserable alteration Alas from what high seat of blessednesse art thou throwne downe into vvhat deepe dungeon of cursednesse art thou ouerwhelmed Alas how kinde and louing a Husband hast thou treacherously reiected how malicious mercilesse and dreadfull a Tyrant hast thou accepted Ah vvhat hast thou done thou furious madnesse of my doting vnderstanding thou doting vncleannesse and vncleane impiety what hast thou done Thou hast vtterly forsaken thy chaste and faithfull Spouse vvho gloriously raineth in Heauen and hast eagerly followed the Authour of thy odious vncleannesse into hell and in that deepe gulfe of euerlasting darkenesse hast not prepared for thy selfe a Bride-chamber to solace thy selfe vvith thy true and chaste beloued but a filthy Brothel-house where thou mayest bee defiled and polluted vvith incurable vncleannesse What wonderfull horror doth attend vpon thee vvhat peruerse will and lustfull desires hath bewitched thee Oh horrible wonder oh voluntary madnesse How oh God am I fallen into the corruption of such great impietie How oh Lord God shall I make satisfaction vnto thee for my grieuous iniquitie Throw thy selfe downe thou miserable and cursed Creature into the depth of immoderate mourning and misery who hast willingly cast thy selfe downe into the Gulfe of immeasurable and horrible iniquity Let the waight of thy wickednesse ouerwhelme thee let the heauy burthen of thy vnsupportable sorrow
afford him any refreshing in his iourney he was so highly displeased that it made so faire a shew and bare no fruit that he cursed it and so it withered and became barren for euer Wert thou oh my gracious Lord so highlie displeased with this fruitlesse Tree and wert thou not grieuouslie offended with the vnthankfull Iewes No doubt but thou hadst iust occasion to haue cursed that vngratefull Nation whose hearts were so barren that they did beare no fruit and their mindes so deuoid of all common humanitie that although they euer stood in neede yet they did neuer deserue any drop of thy sweet and comfortable mercie Oh Lord who can worthilie land the immeasurable largenesse of thy infinite mercie who can throughly taste the sweetnesse of thy most excellent bountie It was thy desire to haue wonne them by mildnes it had beene thy delight to haue conuerted them by kindenesse thou diddest curse that barren tree which had store of leaues but no profitable fruit to teach that gracelesse Nation what thou did dest expect at their hands and what thou mightst haue iustly inflicted vpon them for the hardnes of their harts whose mouths were often filled with religious words their hearts and hands being euermore emptie of charitable works Be thou wise therefore oh my soule thinke not that thou hast done enough if thou vtterly condemne those inhumane and hard-hearted Iewes who had not so much kindnes as to offer thy Sauiour a crum of bread or a cup of colde water vnlesse thou thy selfe make some prouision to entertaine thy louing Iesus whensoeuer hee shall vouchsafe to come into thy Cottage to visit thee in kindnesse Oh how happie shalt thou be if thou art prouided to welcome so good a Guest whose acceptance shall bring thee eternall blessednesse and who is so kinde that he will dwell with thee for euer and where he remaineth their store is alwayes increased their riches are multiplyed in abundance he cannot he will not be chargeable vnto thee if thou wilt shew him infallible tokens of thy true loue and make any prouision be it neuer so meane to receiue him with chearefulnesse he expecteth no sumptuous preparation hee longeth for no daintie cates hee regardeth no magnificent pompe hee hateth vaine ostentation and outward glorie he can neuer abide to make any abode in that house which is not furnished with true humilitie Oh happie is that soule that is not vnprouided at his comming but standeth alwayes ready at the doore to open vnto him whensoeuer hee knocketh and is willing to enter Consider also ô my soule the great paines and diligent labours of thy industrious Sauiour who continued the day time in the Temple preaching and teaching the people and in the night praying or instructing his Disciples therefore if thou wilt shew thy selfe a faithfull seruant to so good a Lord and a louing Disciple to so kinde a Maister set him alwayes before thine eyes as a perfect patterne and liuely example to imitate him in the carefull execution of thy lawfull calling Weare not out the moment of thy poasting life in carnall delights fulfilling the lewd desires of the wanton flesh accounting worldly pleasure thy chiefest treasure and making thy bellie thy God for the end of such is eternall damnation God hath giuen man an vpright countenance that hee should lift vp his head and looke towards Heauen therefore derogate not so much from thy dignity as to haue thine eyes and thy thoughts still fixed vpon the earth like vnto the bruit beasts neuer well pleased but when like a Mole thou art turning ouer thy siluer and golden heapes Thou seest oh my soule that thy louing Sauiour Iesus did seeke by all meanes to benefit the Iewes his vnnaturall Country-men and to do them all good but they were alwaies so froward that they were euermore forward to doe him nothing but mischiefe and hurt who hauing exiled tender pittie from their eyes all humane compassion from their harts had not onely so much kindenes as to offer him a morsell of meat to refresh his weary body at night when he had laboured all day to feed their soules with spirituall bread but most vnkindely their chiefe rulers and the Scribes held a Councell against him complotted many strange inuentions forged many odious calumniations and imagined many false crimes cruelly to depriue him of his harmelesse life and to accelerate his speedy death because the good deeds which Christ did daily to the people were vnwelcome newes to their eares and bred nothing else but sorrow in their enuious mindes Therefore they raged with fury and conspired in bitternesse of their malice how they might entrap Christ Iesus by craft and subtiltie and so like an innocent Lambe lead him away to the slaughter for so fell was their hatred to the life of our Sauiour so greedie were they to hasten his death that had they not feared that the people would haue hindred their wicked purposes interrupting the course of their malicious practise they would haue vented their swelling spite and disgorged their full stomackes surcharged with malice against him on the feast-day but they suspected their cruell deede at that time would haue stirred vp greater tumults amongst the people which did reuerence Iesus as a Prophet for if they might haue had their owne will and satisfied the longing of their enuious humour they would haue spared no day nor regarded any place so they might haue split his innocent bloud Oh with what damnable counsell and diuellish deuises doe I heare thy furious enemies consulting against thee my innocent Iesus thou Lord of eternall glorie What false imaginations what monstrous inuentions what hellish stratagems what forged accusations did they coyne against thee their hearts burning and their hands itching to cut off thy blessed life to staine the earth with thy precious bloud and to worke as they wickedly wished thy finall destruction How cruelly doe these faithlesse Iewes conspire against thee those impious wretches said within themselues carried away with the violent current of their irefull imaginations let vs oppresse that righteous man let vs swallow him vp in our rage let vs sodainely deuoure him in our madnes let vs set traps to take him and lay snares to entangle him let vs roote him out from the land of the liuing that his name may neuer be remembred any more because he is obstinate in contradicting our words and peremptory in carping at our workes Wee cannot wee may not tollerate his arrogancie wee will not brooke his oppositions Hee layeth open our sinnes to increase our shame he professeth that hee hath the knowledge of God and nameth himselfe the Sonne of God He discloseth our secret thoughts hee is loathsome to our eyes wee cannot abide him in our sight the course of his life is opposite to our Lawes he is an open aduersary to our Decrees hee abstaineth from our wayes as though they were wicked defiled with vncleannesse and polluted with vices We are
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
had a Diuell These thy children my most louing Iesus doe sit like Oliue branches round about thy Table They sate downe with thee lincked together with the bond of perfect loue the mindes of all them being faithfull vnto thee and all their affections longing after thee onely Iudas was an odious Traytor and thou knewest well enough that he should betray thee They all eate with thee the meat set before them and they eate the pure Paschall Lambe after the manner of the Iewes Oh blessed house oh happie supping-parlour worthy of great honour in which my gracious Lord vouchsafed to make his blessed Supper Wherefore was not I there then my sweet Sauiour to attend vpon thee and thy faithfull Disciples I would haue esteemed it as my greatest honour to haue done thee any seruice Certainely I would haue gathered vp some of the crummes which fell from the Table of my Lord. Oh how ioyfull would it haue beene to my hart Oh how would it haue pleased mine eyes to haue had but a view of thy amiable countenance I would haue fallen downe flat at thy feete and with Mary Magdalene I would haue washed them with my teares And thou oh my most mercifull Lord which didst not despise the teares of a sinfull and a sorrowfull Woman wouldst not haue reiected mee a poore Publican and grieuous sinner and as thou wert compassionate towards her so thou wouldst also haue beene mercifull to me Oh how comfortable would thy most pleasant speeches my sweet Sauiour haue beene to my sorrowfull soule how quickly would thy most wholsome words wherwith thou didst refresh thy louing Disciples haue healed the wounds of my grieued conscience What did my Lord beginne to speake what were thy first words when thou wert set at the Table Thou saist I haue earnestly desired to eate this Passeouer with you before I suffer Oh how great is thy Charitie how immeasurable is thy loue my louing Iesus Thou didst earnestlie desire to eate with thy Disciples but it was not to slake thy hunger or to refresh thy feeble nature thou hadst no such neede of corporall food but it was thy meate to doe the will of thy Father Thou wert desirous to leaue some tokens of thy exceeding loue with thy louing Disciples before thy departure and to seale them an euerlasting assurance of thy continuall prouidence ouer them let the precious balme of thy soueraigne mercie heale the deepe and deadly wounds of mine iniquitie Oh my God open thy pittifull eares to heare my petition answere me graciously and despise not my prayer Command my wandring heart to come out of the broad way that leadeth to Hell and damnation and to returne into the narrow path which conducteth to heauen and euerlasting saluation so that being once againe returned into it it may neuer hereafter wander out of it Shut all worldly cares and wicked cogitations out of my heart that neither the heauie burthen of them may so depresse my minde that the deuotion of my Prayer cannot ascend vp vnto thee nor so stop the passage of my soule that the comfort of thy grace cannot descend downe vpon me Draw mee vnto thee my most louing Iesus thou which art mine assured saluation in the day of my greatest miserie and my onelie comfort and consolation in the last and latest houre of my deadly agonie for I am wounded and my heart is consumed because I haue forgotten to eate my bread which should haue nourished me to euerlasting life Indeed I haue beene altogether forgetfull of thee my beloued Iesus for I haue not called to my minde thy most holy Passion with any zealous or serious meditation I haue had no delight to thinke vpon thy precious wounds which thou didst suffer to heale my sores neither haue I found any comfort in the pure streames of thy innocent bloud powred out to wash away my sinnes and to purge my corrupted soule I haue not looked after my beloued in the day I haue not longed for my Bride-groome in the night I confesse my gracious Lord I haue not beene mindefull of thee my thoughts haue beene wandring abroad my minde hath not been exercised with any sweet meditation of thy mercie my spirit hath not beene troubled with sorrow for my sinnes mine eyes haue shed no teares nor my heart sent forth any sighes for my manifold transgressions Therefore what shall I doe I will returne to the Lord my God and I will call vpon him I will not cease to reiterate the most holy Name of Iesus vntill thy voice sound in mine eares there there Come therefore oh good Iesus and haue mercie vpon me Heare oh sweet Iesus the prayer of thy seruant infuse and dip my heart in thy bloud and diffuse thy grace into my soule oh most mercifull Iesus let my heart oh most louing Iesus be like waxe melting in the middest of thy bloudy side Cloath my minde with the mourning garment of thy Passion and let my zealous affections burne like fire in my serious meditation Leade me oh my most milde and kinde Iesus to thy most holy Supper where I may heare thee speaking to thy Disciples sitting at thy Table after thou haddest washed their feete Tell mee oh my soule if thou hast read what the Lord my Iesus did when he sate downe againe to the Table after the washing of his Disciples feete Verily while they were yet eating Iesus tooke bread and giuing thanks he blessed it brake it and gaue it to his Disciples and said Take and eate this is my body which is giuen for you doe this in remembrance of mee And when hee had giuen euery one a morsell hee tooke the cup and powring wine into it giuing thankes hee likewise gaue it to them saying Drinke yee all of this for this is my bloud of the new Testament which is shed for you and for many for the remission of sinnes and they all dranke of it Let vs pause a while oh my soule and with deuout meditation ponder in our mindes and treasure vp in our hearts the wonderfull things which our blessed IESVS hath done for vs for our mercifull and gracious Lord hath made a memoriall of his wonders hee hath giuen meate to them which feare him Oh wonderfull Supper in which so many admirable things were done and effected This was thy last Supper oh most sweet Iesu which thou didst make when thou wert about to depart out of the world to thy Father How many admirable wonders of thy exceeding loue how many miracles of thy infinite mercy are presented vnto vs in this thy blessed Supper but thou hast most speciallie ordained this mysticall sweet delightfull and heauenlie sacrament of thy body and bloud that the memorie of thy Passion might remaine for euer in the mindes of the faithfull Oh wonderfull Sacrament in which is contained such abundance of all kinde of sweenesse no sweetnesse be it neuer so dilicious can come neere it in goodnesse no pleasure be it neuer so incomparable is
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
sweet and louing Iesus But first of all kisse his blessed feete and bathe them as Mary did with the teares of true repentance sighing and groaning with sense of thy sinnes that the comfort of his mercie may be extended vnto thee when such welcome tokens of thy loue are bestowed vpon him Prostrate thy selfe oh my Soule on the earth that thou maist cease to be wretched Imbrace the feete of thy IESV pacifie them with thy teares who spared not to poure forth bloud out of his feet hands heart and side to clense thy pollution and to wash away thy sinnes so that after thy sorrowfull contrition thou maist heare him pronounce vnto thee the ioyfull word of saluation saying Thy sinnes are forgiuen thee And now my Soule after wee haue fallen downe before the Lord in true humilitie and haue powred out before him the teares of an vnfained contrition let vs arise with a comfortable heart to kisse his blessed hands And then doe we kisse his gracious hands with a reuerent and lowly heart when our mouthes are filled with his worthy praises for his bountifull benefits freely bestowed vpon vs proclaiming his wonderfull mercie and disclaiming our vnworthie merit whose hand hath raised vs vp out of the mire and hath aduanced vs to euerlasting honor Lastly after wee haue reuerently kissed his hands wee may more boldlie approach to kisse his blessed mouth to behold the glorie of our Creator that the bright beames of his countenance may illuminate our obscure vnderstanding and that his sweet breath may so inspire our soules that all our cogitations may be consonable and our actions conformable to his most holy will Shew vs the light of thy countenance oh my louing Iesus and then our hearts shall be filled with gladnesse and wee shall be satisfied with the abundance of thine euerlasting goodnesse for to see the beautie of thy face is our chiefest felicitie and to be banished from thy face is our endlesse miserie Therefore kisse the Sonne lest he be angry for if his wrath be kindled yea but a little blessed are all they that trust in him Psal 2.12 Thou hast heard oh my soule how traiterous Iudas betrayed my innocent Iesus consider the crueltie of the one wonder at the mildenesse of the other Oh that all treacherous persons and bloudie minded Traitors might haue a view of desperate Iudas strangling himselfe with an Halter that the horror of his cursed death vpon earth and the terror of his continuall paines in hell might stay the rage of their furious mindes and manacle their bloudie hands For although desperate Iudas was so tormented with horror of a guiltie conscience that hee could haue no peace in his fearefull thoughts nor chuse but crie in his tormenting miseries depriued of all hope of comfortable mercie I haue sinned in betraying the innocent bloud Matth. 27.4 and could finde no other medicine to cure his desperate maladie but the helpe of an halter being his owne Hang-man to shorten his woefull dayes vpon earth that hee might make the more haste to abide euerlasting torments in hell yet there are manie whose hearts are so sore infected with his venemous humour and their thoughts so poisoned with greedie desires of vnlawfull gaine that they make no conscience to betray their Prince and Countrie to prooue disobedient and cruell to their naturall Parents and faithlesse to their dearest friends yea to sell Heauen their soules and themselues for a base piece of money but woefull is their inheritance which buy Hell for their purchase Yet let mee not so bitterly inueigh against the monstrous fact of cursed Iudas that I forget the mildenesse of my mercifull IESVS who did not rate and reuile him calling him in name as hee was indeede a damnable Traitor saluting his Master with a kisse as a token of his loue but alas it was onely to betray him My patient Sauiour Iesus called him by the name of a friend Mat. 26.50 whom hee knew to be a deadly foe that the mildnesse of the name might haue bred remorse in his heart but that the Diuell had taken full possession in his minde and ruled powerfully ouer his thoughts But why did my louing Sauiour vse such affable words to such a detestable Traitor It was to teach mee to represse mine affections from raging furie when any of his wicked brood lie in waite to take away my life and secretly seeke to contriue my death Teach mee my Iesu to imitate thy patience when my curtesie is rewarded with crueltie when supposed friends proue faithlesse and when my kindnesse is recompenced with bad words and rewarded with worse deedes Thou hast willed vs to blesse them that curse vs and to pray for our persecutors Mat. 5.44 But our flesh is wayward and it cannot away with this doctrine wherefore I beseech thee my gracious Lord to lend me thy helping hand it is thine owne worke to conforme my minde to thy blessed will that I may be made obsequious and obedient to thy sacred Law But now my Soule turne aside thine eies from hatefull Iudas to looke vpon louing Peter who beganne to be touched with the heate of true loue when hee saw his Master attached by the hands of his enemies and did boldlie obiect his owne life vnto danger that hee might deliuer his harmelesse Master out of perill and that hee might performe in deede that which a little before he had professed in word Mat. 26.35 Ioh. 18.10 As his loue was much so his courage was great in the defence of his dearelie beloued Master hee regarded not the multitude that came against him hee respected not how well they were armed his true heart dreaded no danger But so soone as hee saw his dread master Iudasly betraied and cruellie apprehended by his malicious foes he drew out his sword and laid about him and cut off Malchus his eare Thy loue was strong louing Peter although thy strength was feeble to resist so manie so ill-minded and so well armed I cannot but commend thee for thy loue although thy louing Master doth not praise thee for thy deede thou diddest shew a token of thy feruent loue and affection although alas he stood not in neede of thy weake protection my louing Sauiour came to fulfill the will of his Father to suffer death yea to suffer a cruell and shamefull death on the crosse that we might be restored to life be freed and deliuered from the curse It was the feruencie of thy loue that had inflamed thy aged heart with courage thou couldest not hold thy hands when thou diddest see thy beloued Master so violently apprehended so currishly handled and haled to the slaughter For whosoeuer my louing Sauiour hath his heart knit vnto thee with bands of true loue hee dreadeth no danger for thy sake but will be more willing to forgoe his life then to leaue his true loue But thou diddest not desire my louing Iesus nay thou didst not allow that Peter should shew his manhood or
attempt by anie force to rescue thee out of the hands of thy cruell foes thou diddest disclose vnto thy faithfull Disciples the dangerous daies that were to come and tell them of the bitter afflictions which were to ensue and that they should be like Sheepe scattered without a Shepheard But it was not that they should arme their bodies with weapons but their heads and soules with patience So indeed the loue of thy Apostle was full of zeale but yet it was barren void of knowledge who had beene often forewarned that thou shouldest suffer a cruell and shamefull death to fulfill the scripture and do the will of thy Father Wherefore oh my most mercifull Iesus so inflame my heart with thy loue that I may freelie confesse it with my mouth and so performe it with my heart that I may not onely be prepared to loose my libertie but to forgoe my life for the name of my Lord Iesus who is blessed for euer A Meditation how the Lord Iesus taken and bound was led to Annas his house where he was buffeted and how all his Disciples fied from him Iohn 18.13 MED VIII To a Ioh. 18.15 Annas first is Christ in b Io. 18.12.20 fetters lead From thence to c Iohn 18.24 Caiaphas where he beaten is And d Mat. 26.67 Marke 18.22 scourg'd and mockt spit on and almost dead All which h'endur'd to bring vs vnto blisse SO soone as false-hearted Iudas had saluted his faithfull Master Iesus with a deadlie kisse the hard-hearted Souldiers laid violent hands vpon my kinde Sauiour and did cruellie binde him Oh vngentle cords oh cruell hands and cursed hearts that did binde my Lord Iesus Come hither therefore oh my Soule and with inward sorrow of heart and with weeping eies lament with tender compassion for the currishnesse in words and crueltie in deedes vsed against thy mercifull Sauiour which patientlie suffered so manie bitter words and cruell blowes for thee and thy sinnes for it was now the houre of darknesse and they beganne to act with their mercilesse hands that which was conceiued in their malicious mindes reuiling him with blasphemous speeches and afflicting his precious bodie with deadlie blowes And thus they neuer ceased all that night long both with their venemous tongues and villanous hands to torment my meeke and patient Iesus Tell mee my sweet Sauiour vvhat vvere the contumelious words what were the outragious deedes which thou didst suffer of those dogged Souldiers vvhen they had laid their tormenting hands vpon thee For truely the wicked rose vp against thee and the Sinagogue of the mightie they sought thy life and set not God before their eyes They compassed thee about like Bees and burnt with furie against thee like fire among the Thornes Oh let some spectacle of their barbarous crueltie be presented vnto mee that mine eyes may waxe dim with weeping that my heart may be wounded with sorrow all my senses afflicted with mourning for my guiltie conscience doth tell mee that my sinnes were as fewell to kindle their rage and mine iniquities like wood to maintaine the fire of their furie Behold Oh my Soule vvith attentiue deuotion of minde and with store of teares flowing from thine eyes how furiously they rush vpon thy louing Sauiour and how cruelly with their bloudie hands they torture and vexe his blessed body One tuggeth him by his garment another haleth him by the armes one taketh holde of his necke another pulleth him by the haire and least he should get from them they binde him and drag him like an vntamed Bull to the shambles Oh most meeke Lambe Oh most milde sheepe how currishlie how cruelly art thou handled like a wicked theefe Yea was euer any common theefe so inhumanely and shamefully vsed although his life vvas odious and his deedes neuer so desperate Some hale him on this side some thrust him on that side some buffet him on the face others thumpe him on the backe After they haue reuiled and railed against him with most opprobrious words they passe from diuellish words to deadlie blowes so that they neuer cease by word nor deede to grieue and vexe mine innocent Iesus but imployed all the faculties of their minde and all the forces of their bodie to doe him all hurt who neuer meant them any harme I am not able to tell thee my sorrowfull soule one halfe of the odious words nor one moitie of the horrible deedes which those damned wretches vsed against thy harmelesse and louing Sauiour my tongue doth falter for griefe and my speech doth faile mee for sorrow for all of them bitterlie cursing him and cruellie beating him void of all mercie and raging with hellish furie they hale him like a most innocent Lambe to the slaughter And amongst all that cursed crew there was none so soft-hearted that either would pittie the woefull case or speake in the cause of my gracious Lord. Oh how should mine eies haue beene watered with teares and my heart haue beene wounded with sorrow to haue seene my mercifull Iesus so vnmercifullie abused so ignominiouslie and hatefullie misused whiles they hurrie him in their madnesse and hale him in their furie towards Hierusalem who went as an innocent Lambe among a company of deuouring Wolues not once opening his mouth to reproue them for their barbarous crueltie but did willingly sustaine the extremitie of their malice with a patient minde sometime haled by one and sometime thrust forward by another thinking the time long till they might bring him where they would haue him so greedy was their desire to doe a bad deede and they made such post-hast to hasten the death of the Lord of life Oh my most sweet Iesu what hast thou done What hast thou deserued that thou shouldest endure the sting of their malice and abide the tempest of their madnesse Verilie my Lord thou didst neuer offend them in thought but thy exceeding loue did moue thee to suffer all things with patience that thou mightst redeeme mee a most wretched sinner all others that with a contrite hart a broken spirit sue vnto thee for grace hauing an assured hope in thy blessed word and confidently beleeuing in thy gracious promises I am that wofull man which haue beene the occasion of thy torments and the cause of thy grieuous Passion The wicked man hath sinned and the righteous is punished The guilty hath trespassed and the innocent is tormented The vngodly hath offended and the godly man is condemned Oh my most louing Lord I haue eaten a sowre grape and thy teeth are set on edge I haue committed the trespasse and thou hast suffered the punishment Blush therefore oh my soule for shame smite thy heart for sorrow let thine eyes be dissolued into teares and sacrifice thy selfe vpon the Altar of true repentance because thou hast beene so forgetfully vngratefull towards thy louing IESVS for his maruellous kindnesse and so excessiuely vnmindfull of his excellent loue Oh my good Iesu what shall
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
torment my innocent Sauiour Marke how soone he was infected by their vvicked manners how soone his soule was corrupted with their naughtie conditions for now he began to protest with swearing and to affirme with cursing that he knew not his louing Maister to whom not long before hee had made a solemne vow not onely to forgoe his libertie for his cause but also to loose his life for his sake Luke 22.33 Oh fearefull downfall of so great an Apostle for if his louing Master and mercifull Sauiour had not beene more constant towards him in his loue and tenderly compassionate towards him by his mercie hee had neuer recouered himselfe but had perished for euer No man can touch Pitch but hee shall be defiled no man can tread vpon thornes with barefeete but he shall be pricked nor any man holde his hands amongst fierie coales but they will be burned Euen so no man can remaine amongst lewd persons and conuerse in the companie of the wicked but his minde shall be stained with the spots of impietie his conscience wounded with the thornes of sinne and his soule made loathsome vvith the botches and blaines of iniquitie But so soone as my beloued Iesus had turned his eies towards Peter and vvith his lookes had awakened his drowsie memorie then perplexed Peter remembred the words of his Master so that his heart being surcharged vvith sorrow and his eyes flowing with teares he left that wicked companie and went out and wept yea he wept bitterly Luk. 22.62 Teach me oh Lord to leaue the dangerous societie of the wicked neither let mee desire or delight to dwell in the Tents of the vngodly Let me also learne by the example of thy sorrowfull Disciple to goe into some secret place and with-draw my selfe from the people when I call my selfe to reckoning for my transgressions but alas I am negligent in casting vp this account and begin to sorrow for my sinnes and to shed teares for my grieuous offences that all impediments may be remoued from mine eies and as much as is possible all vaine and vvicked cogitations out of my heart vvhen I come before thy presence oh Lord to prostrate my selfe before thee in submissiue humilitie desiring thee to passe ouer mine offences and to forgiue me my sinnes through thy infinite mercie Then oh my good Lord so deepely vvound my conscience vvith horrour of my detestable sinnes that I may offer vp a broken and contrite heart vnto thee because thou art alwaies vvell pleased vvith such a Sacrifice and it sendeth vp a sweet sauour into thy nosethrils Now consider oh my soule that as the trespasse of Peters deniall vvas great so his sorrow vvas grieuous as the remembrance of his fall vvas sowre so the streames of his teares vvere bitter yet they vvere not so bitter vnto him for feare of punishment as they vvere bitter because hee had denied so sweet and so louing a Master the remembrance of his horrible ingratitude vvas more bitter vnto him then gall and more vnpleasant then wormewood his teares vvere bitter vnto him in respect of his presumption who promised so much and performed so little and they vvere bitter vnto him vvhen he thought vpon the sweet loue of his Master and the great benefits hee had receiued of him And yet their bitternesse vvas mixed vvith sweetnesse because they were signes of his hartie sorrow and tokens of his true repentance for where true repentance goeth before remission of sinnes alwaies followeth after Eze. 33.19 Thou seest also that the lookes of the Lord did draw out teares from Peters eies Neither is it any wonder for the eies of the Lord were as a flame of fire and the eies of Peter as Ice vvhich began to melt into teares by the influence of their heat as true tokens of his sorrowfull relenting and penitent heart Oh happie are thine eies my blessed Sauiour vvhich doe so warme the coldnesse of our harts that they may bee able to haue some sense of thy loue and doe so illuminate our dimme vnderstanding that we may see our errours and seeing may sigh and weepe for our transgressions Oh how soone doe they dissolue the Ice and melt the frost of our hard harts and turne it into the waters of bitter lamentation and sorrowfull deuotion Oh my most bountifull Iesu oh my most mercifull Lord haue mercy vpon mee pitty my vvofull case shut not the dore of thy compassion against mee oh let me taste of the sweetnesse of thy wonted clemency vvhich haue so often so stubbornely renounced thee through the peeuishnes of my will so often denyed thee by my wicked words and most often forsworne thee by my wretched deeds Haue mercy vpon me oh my most sweet Iesus let the beames of thine eyes make their reflection towards mee that mine eyes may melt into teares as the rocke did gush forth water when Moses smote it with his rod Exod. 17.5 that I may weep for my sins and bewaile my transgressions which haue so often refused thy seruice because I vvas loath to leaue the vanities of the wicked world or to forsake the pleasures of the wanton flesh Heale mee oh Lord for I am full of sores and my bones doe rot away with corruption Stay me vp oh Lord when my feete begin to slide and lift me vp when I am downe vnlesse thou support mee I cannot but slide and vnlesse thou doe lift me vp I cannot rise againe when I doe fall I can doe nothing vvithout thee thou onely doest heale those that are bruised and thou alone doest raise them vp that are fallen Therefore looke towards mee and haue mercie vpon mee for I am desolate and poore Neither turne away thy face from me but let thine eyes be fixed vpon me If thou wilt vouchsafe oh my most kind and louing Lord to shew me this mercy and to regard the wofull estate of mee a most wretched creature then oh Lord I shall call my transgressions to remembrance mourne for my grieuous offences that I haue committed against thee Raise mee vp oh Lord out of my dead sleepe of carelesse securitie as thou didst Lazarus out of his graue Ioh. 11.43 44. open the eyes of my vnderstanding that I may see to tread in the pathes of thy commandements Be thou as a strong Pillar to support and stay me in my weakenesse for I am so feeble that I cannot stand without thy helpe and euery moment I shall bee ouerwhelmed vnlesse thy strong hand doe support me Let thy eyes oh my louing IESVS be euermore turned towards mee that I may euery day returne vnto thee by true and harty repentance sorrowing for my sinnes that are past and endeuouring by thy grace to take better heed to my wayes in time to come so that I may do that which is agreeable to thy sacred law and acceptable to thy holy will Oh my GOD let thy seruant Peter his falling put me in continuall minde to take heed to mine owne standing and his
innocent blood and so eagerly desired to haue him put to a shamefull death that they cried out in a rage and exclaimed in their fury Set Barrabas at libertie and crucifie Iesus But when Pilate perceiued that nothing could calme the storme of their rage and represse the violence of their madnesse but effusion of his innocent blood then he commanded that my harmelesse Iesus should be cruelly scourged thinking that the streames of bloud running downe from his sacred body would haue allaide the heat of their malice quenched the flame of their fury But alas it was his life that they onely sought nothing but his innocent death could satisfie their bloody mindes yea nothing but cruell death could tame their bruitish rage Matth. 26. But stay here my soule that thou mayest reuiew againe thy innocent Iesus accused vniustly reuiled malitiously spitefully scorned and cruelly scourged by the commaundement of Pilate they crowned his head scornefully with pricking Thornes and did teare his tender flesh with their cruell whips Oh my most louing Lord oh my most mercifull Iesus mollifie my hard hart that it may be wholy dissolued into streames of sorrow with the memory of thy bitter scourging and that my soule may be wounded so that it may send forth deepe groanes at the meditation of thine afflictions Grant me oh my most mercifull LORD that my thoughts and affections may be so seriously affected vvith the remembrance of thy tedious Passion that my senses may be made partakers of thy grieuous paines for I my selfe most louing Lord am nothing able to performe that indeed which I doe desire and conceiue in my minde I doe often times purpose with my selfe to meditate on thy Passion and to thinke seriously vpon thine affliction and to ruminate in my secret thoughts what ignominious crueltie was acted against thee vvhen thou didst finish the worke of my redemption But alas my senses are replenished with such stupiditie and dulnesse that I am not touched vvith any sensible compassion because my vnderstanding is distempered with vaine and fond cogitations and my heart is become so hard that it is vnapt to conceiue any tender affection while I meditate vpon the grieuous paines and muse on the great afflictions which thou didst sustaine and patiently endure to satisfie the vvrath of thy Father due vnto me for my sinnes I cannot taste the sweetnesse I cannot relish the goodnesse of thy passion because the matter is tedious to my corrupted thoghts and vnpleasant to my carnall desires For so vnconstant and instable is my heart so mutable and variable are the motions of my minde that they are both soone distracted alienated and diuorced from that heauenly meditation by swarms of idle fantasies foolish cogitations But from whence oh Lord doe these noysome vveeds grow vp in my hart how is it that they finde such a fertile soile in my minde truly because my heart is not planted vvith thy loue nor my mind furnished with thy graces For I can neuer haue my fill of those things vvherein I take too much delight my minde cannot be drawne from their societie because they haue wonne my fauor haue gotten my loue Wherefore oh my most mercifull Iesus because I loue thee so little and dote vpon worldly vanities so much my hart slideth away from thee mine affections are diuerted from thee and I know oh Lord how prone ready I am to consent to euery wicked motion and how impotent and feeble I am to go about any good action Therfore I pray thee not to correct me in thy wrath nor to proceed against mee with seuerity of thy Iustice but to haue pitty on me a most miserable sinner and to confirme my vnconstant hart with a stedfast delight in thy loue to establish my wandring minde according to the multitude of thy mercies so that no pleasure be it neuer so sweet may be able to allure me to leaue thy blessed loue nor any tribulation be it neuer so bitter constraine me to forsake thy happy seruice driue all idle cares out of my minde purge all corrupt thoughts out of my hart and draw me wholy vnto thee that I may remember with a deuout compassion call to minde with a serious meditation how many what great grieuous torments what scornefull derisions thou didst suffer in thy most pretious body by the commaundement of Pontius Pilate who contrary to the equitie of thy cause and testimony of his owne conscience Ioh. 19.4 commaunded thee to be scourged without all pitty when as he himselfe with his owne words had iustified thy innocency Oh vvhat a flood of teares should streame from mine eyes what groanes and sorrowfull sighes should arise from the depth of my heart how should all my senses be ouer-whelmed with a sea of sorrow when I meditate on the flinty hearts and cruell hands of those tormentors who scourged my louing Redeemer My heart cannot conceiue the outrage of their tyranny my tongue is too weake to expresse their barbarous inhumanitie Who vvere as eager to lay violent hands vpon my poore Iesus as rauenous Wolues are greedy to deuoure a tender Lambe or hungry Lyons to ceaze vpon their prey They make haste to vnbinde his armes and to vntie his hands but it was not done to release him of his cruell bands or to afford him any little ease but that they might strip him of his garments to scourge his naked body with their tormenting whips and to make his veines spout out bloud with their cruell stripes Ah ruthfull spectacle to pittifull eyes and able to haue made a deepe impression of tender compassion in their hearts if they had not beene more heard then Marble What sauage thoughts raigned in their murdering mindes What monstrous indignitie was done vnto my louing Redeemer to be stripped of his garments and to stand naked before such vile and base vassals who cloathed the Heauens with exceeding glory and adorned the earth with admirable beauty Now when they had stripped him of his cloathes they bound him to a pillar to endure their cruell stripes hauing banished pitty from their hearts and imbraced cruelty with their hands somtime they lash him on the backe sometime they scourge him on the brest Now they let their smarting whips flie on his shoulders anon they strike him on his armes they suffer no part of his body to bee free from blowes and they grieue his righteous soule with bitter words whilest yet they are executing their cruell deeds But what Tygers heart harboured in their brest oh my innocent Sauiour which robbed them of grace and they disrobed thee of thy cloathes What hellish fury armed their hands which bound thee to a pillar and scourged thy blessed body how exceeding execrable is their sauage crueltie How rare and admirable is thy silent patience It was I it was I oh my most sweet Iesu which deserued to bee scourged with the whips of euerlasting torments And thou my most mercifull Sauiour
mollifie those harts which are full fraughted with crueltie thinke oh my soule thou doest heare Pilate that vniust and wrongfull iudge vttering these or the like words vnto the muttering Iewes Behold I bring him forth vnto you that yee may know I can finde no cause to pronounce iudgement against him but because yee pretend some matter Behold how I haue punished the man to calme the tumults of your enraged mindes Looke vpon him vvith your eyes see how miserable vvofull base and contemptible he appeareth in your sight You need not stand in feare that he will seeke to rule ouer you as a king you may see his power is too weake to compasse a kingdome you may see how bitterly hee hath bene scourged scoffed at by the people scorned of the multitude rudely haled and roughly handled by the Souldiers you need not dread him as a man dangerous to the State though he had a mind yet he hath no might to raise vp any tempest of sedition Wherefore ye may now set him at libertie after hee hath beene scourged without any feare of perill and let him goe without any dread of danger But consider heere my soule that although vniust Pilate contrarie to equitie of law testimony of his owne conscience and sentence of his owne mouth had extreamely punished my louing Sauiour and had authorised his basest officers to vse him at their pleasure and to abuse him in their iesting humour And although their taunts were bitter without meane their derisions intollerable without any sparke of modesty and their torments excessiue without measure yet none of them nor all of them could once delay the fury of the hasty executioner nor allay the heat and fiery hatred of the enuious cruell Iewes kindled in their burning breast without cause against my innocent Iesus but although they saw him so deformed so ignominiously disgraced and grieuously afflicted yet it could not satiate no it could not so much as slake the thirst of their bloudy mindes they were so farre transported beyond the limits of reason in their chollericke moode and fretting without measure to see his life prolonged the space of a moment that they exclaimed in their madnesse Crucifie him crucifie him his very breath is odious vnto vs If thou let him goe thou art not Caesars friend Ioh. 19.12 Oh ye peruerse and peeuish nation Oh yee wicked and viperous generation was it not enough to haue stopped your clamorous mouthes to haue mollified your flinty hearts and to haue stayed your bloudy hands when yee sawe my meeke and kinde Sauiour so cruelly scourged currishly scorned and pittifully tormented as though he had bene a man dangerous to your state and a pernitious foe to your countrie But although all those insupportable iniuries and opprobrious indignities were contrarie to all pietie and without any pitty inflicted vpon him when as by the testimonie of Pilate a sterne seuere Iudge he was pronounced to bee innocent and cleare from all offences Ioh. 19.6 yet ye supposed that al those torments were too little and nothing too much vvhich was vniustly done to that innocent Lambe who opened not his mouth once to murmure or mutter against his cruell persecutors Here hast thou cause oh my soule to admire the vnspeakeable mildnesse of my Iesus and to stand amazed at the implacable crueltie of the Iewes When Pilate perceiued that his words could not preuaile to slake the flame of their enuious mindes but rather added more fuell to their boyling furie and that delay of his death did so mad vexe their confused thoghts that they would not be quieted before they had shed his innocent blood then he willing to satisfie their franticke humor and to shew himselfe a friend vnto Caesar presumed against the contradiction and care of his owne conscience to pronounce sentence of death yea of a most vile and shamefull death against the innocent Lambe my louing Lord Iesus Neuerthelesse he would make a fayre shew to the world that he did acquit him in his heart although hee condemned him vvith his mouth And taking water hee washed his hands before the people saying I am innocent from the blood of this iust man looke ye vnto it Mat 27.24 Then all the people cryed out aloud with open mouthes and bloody mindes His blood be vpon vs and our children Mat. 27.25 And indeede at last they found the wofull effect of their bloudie vvish they felt the smart of their bloudie desire though then in the heat of their furie they dreaded no danger nor dreamed on the day of their sorrow wherein their Citie was filled with slaughtered bodies and the channels of their streets streamed with bloud Although my tender hearted Sauiour had fore-told them of their wofull desolation and vvith weeping teares fore-warned them of their dolefull destruction but they stopped their eares and would not heare his voice flattering themselues in their deceitfull securitie and laughed at his vvords in the faire dayes of their prosperity But here cease a while my sorrowfull soule to meditate on the malicious madnesse of the bloud-thirstie Iewes vvhose clamorous voices could not be pacified before the corrupted Iudge cursed Pilate had condemned my deare and innocent Iesus and consider the hainous and hatefull condition of Pilates sinne and view the wofull horrour of his vvretched soule who for feare of Caesar and fauour of the people did contrary to the knowledge of his conscience and custome of law pronounce sentence of death against my poore Iesus who neuer meant hurt nor thought any euill Tell me thou vvicked Iudge how couldest thou pretend any shadow to couer thy sinne where couldst thou think to find a place of refuge for thy guilty soule Didst thou more dread the displeasure of the people then the horrour of a guiltie conscience diddest thou stand in more awe of mortall men then of the Eternall God didst thou more regard to protest thy selfe a friend vnto Caesar vvho although he vvere a great King was but a feeble creature than thou hadst care to discharge thine office to God thine omnipotent Creator Tell me did not thy heart ake and all thy body tremble so soone as wrongfull iudgement had passed out of thy lippes against my innocent Sauiour Wert thou not tormented vvith the sting of thy vvounded conscience Or vvert thou depriued of all thy senses so soone as thou haddest vttered that vvrongfull sentence Thou didst know that the Iewes had deliuered him of enuie Matth. 27.28 and wouldst thou be an instrument to satisfie their wicked malice Thou wert ordained a Iudge to execute Iustice and to giue righteous iudgement wherefore how horrible was thy sinne how wofull was the state of thy guilty soule when thou hadst condemned my innocent Iesus Bitter and sweet vvater doth not flowe out of the selfe-same fountaine yet thou vvith the selfe-same mouth didst iustifie my Sauiour as an innocent person and by and by vvith the selfe-same mouth condemne him as an hainous malefactor How odious
prepared for them from the beginning of the world Oh let my Prayer come before thy presence let the zeale of my heart and lifting vp of my hands towards thy Throne of mercie moue thee to grant the request of my humble petition Amen A Meditation how the Lord Iesus carrying his Crosse on his shoulders is led to Mount Caluarie to be crucified and of those things vvhich happened by the vvay MED XIII Our blessed Sauiour Christ the perfect a Iohn 19.17 gaine Doth b Matth. 27.32 beare the crosse whereon himselfe must die Simon of c Luk. 23.26 Cyrene sometimes they constraine To doe d Mark 15.21 it So saith the truth that cannot lie HE which will come after me let him denie himselfe take vp his Crosse and follow me Matth. 16.24 Runne and make hast oh my soule at the voice of our most sweet Redeemer who bearing his Crosse on his owne shoulders Ioh. 19.16.17 doth inuite thee to carrie thy Crosse if thou desire to follow his steps Oh how sweet how delectable how delightfull is it to carrie the Crosse after my Iesus His happinesse cannot be vttered his blessednesse cannot be imagined which doth follow thee my Lord Iesu in thy blessed pathes he walketh not in darknesse he commeth not neere the shadow of death but shall haue the light of life Come therefore oh my soule let vs follow our Iesus bearing his Crosse on his owne shoulders let vs leaue all and follow him with alacritie let nothing stop our passage let not any thing hinder vs in our course Looke vpon thy Lord thy Creator thy Redeemer Consider his tedious labour his grieuous afflictions his intollerable torments all of them vvithout any meane none of them hauing any moderation let thy vvhole minde be pondering on them let them be the continuall matter of thy daily meditation Let thy heart be wounded with the sword of sorrow and let thine eyes be drowned vvith a flood of teares let thy heauie groanes and sorrowfull sighes beginne in the morning and let them not cease in the euening Oh let the feruencie of thy lamentation demonstrate the burning zeale of thy compassion which thou doest beare to mine afflicted Iesus Mourne vvith true contrition of heart for thine iniquities and vveepe with hearty sinceritie for thy sinnes vvhich caused thy Christ to carrie so heauie a crosse Here is plentifull matter for thy meditation heere vvanteth no motiues to stirre vp in thee a feeling compassion for thou seest how hee is scorned and despised how cruelly how currishly hee is abused by the perfidious Iewes Who is so obdurate in heart oh my most patient Iesus vvho hath his affections so barren of compassion that hee hath no sense of sorrow when he entereth into a serious contemplation of the multitude of thine afflictions and meditateth on the bitternesse of the passions which thou didst suffer to pay the ransome of our sinfull soules and to deliuer them out of the bands of eternall captiuitie For all the night thou vvert wearied with the out-cries of contumelious tongues and tired with the violence of cruell hands hurried and haled from the Garden where thou wert with thy louing Disciples and although thou wert vvilling to goe of thy selfe yet the churlish crew of hard-harted Souldiers vvere so froward that their sturdie hands were alwaies readie to tugge and pull thee forward to vexe thy feeble body and to grieue thy righteous soule For it was their solace to procure thy sorrow it vvas their pleasure to augment thy paine and they thought euery moment a moneth before they did present thee to Annas where thou wert rebuked with taunting checkes buffeted with vngentle blowes on thy tender cheekes and after that thou hadst with exceeding patience endured the bitter tempest of their furie they brought thee from thence to the house of Caiphas there to abide another storme of their malicious crueltie Sometime they raile vpon thee vvith their cursed tongues sometime they thumpe thee with their cruell hands their speeches were full of odious spite their vvords vvere infected vvith malicious venome vvhich they belched against thee my louing Sauiour their deedes were nothing else but deadly cruelty their words sauoured of nothing but barbarous inhumanitie they scoffed and derided thee with bitter iests they defiled thy comely face with their filthie spettle Then vvithout any pittie alas how should they shew any pitty whose hearts were hardned with bloud-thirstie crueltie they bring thee in hast to the Court of King Herod where thou wert flouted at reputed as a sottish foole scorned contemned and derided like a simple Idiot their mirth was Bedlam-madnes their iestes were full of gall and bitternesse Now when they had acted their outragious villanies against thee and executed their diuellish deuises vpon thee my innocent Iesus yet all of them vvere too little to calme the tempest of their hatefull furie but then this cursed crew doth hurrie thee from the vngratious Court of proud Herod to the gracelesse house of Pontius Pilate vvhere thou vvert taunted and checked againe vvith cruell quips and sharply scourged with smarting vvhips stripped naked contrarie to all humanitie and beaten with bitter blowes without any pittie their whips were sharp to teare thy flesh their tongues were as keene as rasors to wound thy soule they pierced thy head with a crowne of thornes putting a feeble reede in thy hands flouted thee vvith the name of a King and bending their knees did worship thee in derision offending thy sacred eares vvith their cursed words and afflicting thy vvounded body vvith their bloudie hands and vvhen thou hadst beene so spitefully scorned bitterly scourged and vilely contemned at last thou wast wrongfully condemned to suffer a most shamefull and dolefull death But oh my sweet Iesu who did afford thee any comfort in thy exceeding sorrowes vvho did approach to cure thy bleeding wounds Alas there was no man by vvhich vvas moued vvith any sorrowfull compassion for thy vndeserued calamitie but euery man was forward to augment thy miserie Now they lay a most huge and heauy crosse vpon thy wounded shoulders the vveight of it doth make thy knees to tremble thy legges to faile and thy whole body to faint And thus thou doest goe forward to the place of execution guarded with a band of armed Souldiers and hemd in on euery side with a rabble of bloudie tormentors multitudes of the base and rude people doe flocke together out of euery quarter they crowd and thrust one another to see thee but alas it was not to afford thee any compassionate pittie but to laugh and reioyce at thy miserie They proclaime out the malice of their heart against thee in their madnesse and raile and reuile thee in the heat of their furie They all striue like Beares and fierce Lyons to approach neere vnto thee oh vvhat opprobrious speeches what hatefull and odious rayling what cursed words what vncharitable deedes did my most humble and patient Iesus suffer by those wicked
Weepe for thy selfe bewaile thy sinnes lament thy transgressions for they indeed were the tyrants that compelled thee to beare so heauy a Crosse they vrged thee to abide the penalty of so bitter a curse Touch my heart oh Lord touch my heart with the sting of a serious and restlesse compunction that I may no longer lye lulled a sleepe in the lap of careles security fetter my feet that I may runne no more in the broad way of iniquitie Mannacle my hands that they may be deteined from cruell and impious actions Snaffle the vnbrideled motions of my minde that it may be restrained from all idle scelerous and wicked cogitations keepe the doore of my lips and hedge in my tongue that it may not run without the bounds of reason Stop the passage of mine eares when they are allured to listen to any loose or lewd discourses Dispell and disperse the thicke clowdes of blindnesse from mine eyes take away the grosse scales that darken my sight so that now I may see the vgly and deformed shape of my sinnes that I may cease to loue them begin to dislike and to loath them which caused my Sauiour to endure the heauy wrath of his Father which lay so heauie vpon his soule and body that the weight of it pressed blood out of his veines mingled vvith water Luke 22.44 so ponderous was the burden of our iniquity so dolorous was the extremity of his bitter agonie for neuer was there sorrow like vnto this sorrow Let my sweetest musicke be continuall mourning let my songs of ioy be turned into wofull lamentations let it be all my pleasant melody to muse on the miserie of my soule and multitude of my sins which made thee discend from the highest heauens and will throw me downe to the lowest hell vvhere the firie lake burneth that shal neuer be extinguished whose flames is so fierce that it cannot be greater by any augmentation neither is it subiect to any diminution If all the torments vvhich bloody Tyrants haue inuented could be inflicted vpon me at one time and my body vvere able to feele the paines of all them at once yet all of them vvould not be so horrible as one sparkle of this terrible fire it needeth no fuell to nourish the flame as it selfe neuer is wasted so nothing iniected into it is euer consumed No tongue is able to expresse the horrible pangs of the damned soules which are tormented in this euerlasting and vnquenchable fire Let the horror of it be fresh in my memory and the meditation imprinted in my thoughts so that my hands may tremble and shake for feare and my whole body quiuer and quake vvith terror of it when any euill imagination is hatched in my heart or any wicked deed should be acted with my hands that I may be terrified from nourishing sinne within my bosome that layd so heauy a Crosse vpon thy shoulders yet vvhen feare hath cast me downe let the gentle hand of thy mercy raise mee vp so that in my last deadly agony I may still lift vp my heart and hands towards the seat of thy mercy and though remembrance of my haynous transgressions do present nothing vnto mee but cause of feare and terrour yet al my vnfained repentance cause me to taste of thy infinite loue and boundles mercy Teach me oh my sweet Sauiour to follow thee with fearefulnes to the place of execution and to take vp my Crosse with alacrity on my shoulders But if thou wilt haue mee to follow thee oh my most gratious Lord then draw mee after thee For vnlesse thy Father and thou doe draw me I am not able to follow thee Iohn 6.44 I see mine owne infirmity I feele the defects of my great imbicility the cup of affliction is bitter vnto my taste if it doe but once touch my lips I am ready to refuse it I will none of it I am loth to feele any paine I couet nothing but wanton pleasure Oh how doe I begin to storme if I be but crossed with an vnkind word much lesse am I able to beare the crosse of a malitious deed How is my minde troubled the temper of my senses distempered if any thing fall out crosse to mine expectation or contrary to my desire so that oftentimes my mouth is filled with cursing my heart with grudging and all my words sauour of nothing else but bitter repining I am willing to be thy disciple my blessed Sauior so long as I may dwell in peace and reape a plentifull haruest of prosperitie but alas I am weary of thy company if I feele but a little blast of aduersitie teach me oh my sweet Iesu and I shal learne if thou be my schoolemaister to know that it is the lot of those which will be trained vp in thy schoole to be vnder the rodde of correction and that none are worthy thy to receiue a Crowne vnlesse they be willing to take vp thy Crosse those that belong vnto sweet spices which send forth alwayes the most odoriferous smell when they are brayed and brused in the morter they are like vnto stones which must be hammered hewed and squared before they can be fit for the building of thy holy Temple yea they are like vnto gold mixed with much drosse and can haue no glory before they be fined and refined seauen times yea seauenty times seauen times in the fire of affliction Arme thou my hart with christian fortitude my minde with constant patience oh thou which art mine omnipotent Redeemer that no torment may be so great no affliction so grieuous no miserie so vnmeasurable but I may couragiously suffer it to publish the glory of thy name and constantly endure it to manifest the fidelitie of thy loue Teach me so to carrie thy Crosse in my heart and let the remembrance of it be so deepely imprinted in my minde that I may daily crucifie my carnall concupiscence wanton vanities and worldly desires Oh let my soule be so rauished with ioy by the sweet meditation of thy mercie and all my senses so well pleased and ioyfully delighted with the odoriferous sent of thy loue that I may seeke nothing thinke of nothing so much or speake of any thing so often as of my crucified CHRIST who onely of his free mercy and gratious bountie died a most vile painefull and ignominious death for mee a most vvretched miserable and desperate sinner that by his pretious bloud and blessed though bitter PASSION I might be made partaker of Euerlasting Saluation Graunt mee oh my sweet CHRIST some taste of it here vpon earth that I may patiently waite for the full fruition of it hereafter in HEAVEN Amen A Meditation declaring the bitter and cruell crucifying of our Lord Iesus Christ performed on Mount Caluarie MED XIIII View here the wounds of Christ vpon the a Luk. 23.33 Crosse His head his hands his feet also his b Ioh. 19.33 side Bleeding amaine Consider eke the losse c Luk.
23.46 Of his deere life What more could he d Ioh. 19.30 abide NOw blessed Iesus and my beloued Sauiour is come vnto Mount Caluarie where he was to make the last period of all his humane miserie by suffering a most bloudie vile and violent death being cruelly nayled to that Crosse which of late lay so heauie vpon his shoulders that his whole body did shake and tremble vnder the burthen Oh blessed Mountaine happy for thy dignitie happy for thy fertilitie because it pleased the Lord Christ to suffer vpon thee But who shall ascend vp to the Hill of the Lord where the Lord Iesus is crucified Truly he that hath innocent hands and a cleane heart He vvhich loueth the Lord Iesus with all his heart with all his soule with all his strength hee shall ascend vp to his Mountaine and shall be crucified vvith the Lord Iesus Hee which hath crucified his flesh and the concupiscence thereof shall be crucified and suffer with his beloued Iesus I desire to be crucified with thee oh my most sweet Iesu I long to suffer on the crosse with thee that I may be crowned by thee but I know that first it is needefull for mee that the world be crucified vnto mee and I vnto the vvorld Gal. 6.14 But now let vs see oh my sorrowfull soule how my innocent Iesus was vsed by the rough-handed and cruell hearted tormentor when he vvas come to the place of execution vvhere malefactors did suffer grieuous punishment for their hainous offences First hauing exiled all compassion and pittie from their heart they lay hold vpon him with their bloudie and polluted hands and then they hastily rob and disroabe him of his garments before a rude multitude of the basest and meanest of the people yea they strip him starke naked that hee might appeare more vile and contemptible in their eyes Here hast thou good cause and iust occasion my perplexed soule to ouer-flowe thy cheekes afresh vvith a flood of teares and to dilate and open thy heart that thy heauie groanes and sorrowfull sighes may haue their free passage when thou seest thy louing Iesus stripped naked by the hands of such dogged and cruell tormentors exposed to the eyes of the pittilesse people and extreame coldnesse and roughnesse of the weather Oh how was the beauty of thy excellent composed body obscured with spots of bloud how was the pure-white colour of thy skin made blacke and blew with bitter blowes my most beautifull Iesu Oh how spitefull and vnappeasable was their indignation how bitter was the miserie how great yea exceeding great was the ignominie of thy grieuous passion my louing Christ my mercifull Iesu For so sharp was the edge of their cruelty so eager was the malice of their hearts and inhumanitie of their hands against thee that thou art layde naked vpon the Crosse vvhen as such extremitie was not vsed but to most wicked vile and abiect persons who for their notorious crimes deserued no pittie such was their damnable impietie But vvhat a spring of bitter teares might arise in the vveeping eyes of thy sad and mourning Mother vvhat sword of sorrow did pierce her tender heart vvhen she saw her deerely-louing and deerely beloued Sonne so roughly disrobed of his cloathes and nakedly exposed to the view of the rude base and common people vvho came not with relenting hearts to shew any signe of sorrow at the execution of such bloudie crueltie but rather to solace themselues and to laugh deride and raile vpon thee in this extreamest miserie Now when those cruell tormentors had speedily turned my innocent Iesus out of his cloathes they layde his naked body vpon the Crosse and first they nailed his innocent hands and after his blessed feet with long strong nailes So that the streames of bloud spouting out of his veines changed the hew of his Crosse into a crimson colour Oh what grieuous paine what horrible tortures did those wicked vvretches procure to my blessed Sauiour Oh vvhat infernall furie had incensed their bloudie mindes what diuellish madnesse enraged their hearts so farre to degenerate from the ciuill nature of men into the sauage nature of beasts Oh spectacle full of sorrow oh sight full of ruth how grieuous vvould that pittifull sight haue beene to mine eyes when the very Meditation of it doth so deepely wound my heart Though I know that the immaculate Lambe was sacrificed on this woodden Altar that he might wash and cleanse my polluted soule with his pretious bloud take away the foule staines of my defiled flesh and by suffering so vile a death on the Crosse to deliuer me from a bitter curse due vnto mee for my great and grieuous sinnes Yet needes must mine eyes haue melted like Ice into teares my heart haue beene consumed with sobs and all my bowels pained with compassion if I had beene a wofull beholder of his dolefull Passion vnlesse mine eyes had beene more drie then a flint my heart more hard then iron and my bowels composed of brasse But indeede vvhat riuers of streaming teares should water my cheeks what heauy groanes and lamentable sighes should sound out of the bottome of my heart How should all mine affections be drowned in the vvaues of afflictions when I contemplate the hidious deformities of my vgly sinnes and seriously meditate on the cruell tyrannie of my trayterous transgressions which indeed were nothing else but cruell hands and a hard hammer to driue the iron-nailes into thy blessed hands and innocent feet and to crash their tender bones into pieces Wound my soule oh my sweet Iesu pierce my heart that it may streame forth blood let nothing but mournfull sighes be pleasant vnto my vveeping eyes let nothing but voices of horror and lamentation be delightfull vnto my dolefull eares so that all my senses may be true mourners to bewaile the crueltie of my sinnes and to shew some tokens of true repentance for the multitude of my transgressions which so pittifully wounded thy sacred body and so grieuously vexed thy righteous soule Crucifie my heart that it may die to wicked cogitations Crucifie my hands that they may haue no power to commit euill actions Crucifie mine eyes that they may want light in taking delight to gaze vpon vvorldly vanities Crucifie mine eares that they may be dull and depriued of hearing when they should listen to fruitlesse and friuolous words vnsauorie speeches lasciuious and wanton discourses Crucifie my tongue that it may haue no motion to vtter any opposite thing to the pure Law of my God or hurtfull to the commoditie of those which are godly and good Crucifie my Taste that it may not be allured with the wanton enticements of delicate meates nor so ouercome with the baytes of pleasant wine that the eyes of my vnderstanding be darke vvith the fumes of gluttony or my soule be polluted or my body defiled with filthie adulterie Crucifie the olde man sinne that hath beene my Tenant so long and hath had his habitation in
sauage cruelty without mercy so their words and speeches were vnciuil void of all modesty Some cry out He saued others let him saue himselfe if he be the Sonne of God the Souldiers disdainfully deride him and scornfully mocke him saying If thou be king of the Iewes saue thy selfe Also they that passe by nod their heads at him reuile him bitterly and blaspheme him saying Ah thou which doest destroy the Temple of God and in three dayes dost build it againe saue thy selfe If thou be the Sonne of God come downe from the Crosse Oh how cruelly was my innocent Sauiour tormented with their vnmercifull hands oh how was his righteous soule woūded with their malicious tongues their words do sauour of Gall and their speech is more bitter then wormwood But so great was their malice so grieuous was their indignation so deadly was their hatred against my louing Iesus that they thought all their cruell deeds were too litle to be inflicted vpon him and that all their words were not halfe bitter enough which their venemous mouthes did spue out against him But as my blessed Redeemer did patiently suffer the extreame tortures of their merciles hands so hee did meekely beare the bitter taunts of their reuiling tongues Oh let the memory of this thy exceeding patience bee so deepely sealed in my minde that my thoughts may stil meditate on thy infinite loue let my teares often flowing out of my eyes be true tokens of my inward sorrow and let my grieuous groanes be as faithfull messengers to declare my true repentance For it was my horrible transgressions and hainous offences my kinde and louing Sauiour that made thee to abide the tyranny of their bloody and murthering hands and to feele the sting of their sharpe and malicious tongues But alas mine eyes are so dry that they cannot shed a teare and my heart so hard that it cannot yeeld a groane vnlesse thou moysten the one with the gratious raine of thy graces and mollifie the other by the vertue of thy spirit Now not onely the irreligious Gentiles who were actors of this bloody Tragedy and the enuious Iewes who were authors and Spectators of all their cruelty did disgorge the bitter choller of their malice against my crucified Iesus but also one of the malefactors hauing no remorse of conscience for his owne offences nor pitty on my Sauiour so grieuously taunted and spightfully scorned of the basest of the people began to raile vpon him without modestie to vse these tearmes against him full of vile indignitie If thou art Christ saue thy selfe and vs Luke 23.39 But his other fellow touched with sorrow for his sinnes and freely confessing that they had both worthily deserued did iustly suffer death for their transgressions began to reprehend him for his blasphemous impietie and to iustifie my Iesus for his blamelesse innocency And when he had rebuked his fellow for such great inhumanity he turned to my Sauiour to implore his mercy that he might be made partaker of the ioyes of his heauenly Kingdome vttering this short and sweet prayer Lord remember me when thou commest into thy Kingdome And hee had scant ended his short petition but my mercifull Sauiour made him this gratious answere Verely I say vnto thee this day thou shalt be with mee in Paradise Luke 23.43 But now let vs consider oh my soule with deuout attention and behold with attentiue deuotion what riches of infinite bounty what large promises of vnmeasurable liberalitie what a blessed inheritance my bountifull redeemer doth promise vnto this poore naked and true though late repenting sinner How might this blessed promise mittigate the sorrowes Oh thou sorrowfull sinner of thy perplexed minde How might it ease the soares of thine afflicted body for as faith bred in thy heart a true contrition and opened thy mouth to make that humble petition so no doubt it sealed such an assurance vnto thy wounded conscience that thou didst stedfastly beleeue his promise and faithfully looke for the performance But how may my speech extend it selfe to the length of thy boundlesse liberalitie my most liberall Redeemer How may my words measure the bredth of thy vnlimited mercy yea how can my thoughts sound the bottomlesse Sea of thy benignitie in thy first words vttered on the Crosse thou doest pray thy Father to forgiue thy cruell tormentors and in thy second words thou doest bountifully giue Paradice vnto a sorrowfull sinner Oh who can worthily estimate the dignitie of the gift who can sufficiently extol the bounty of the giuer although my sweet Iesu thy whole life was the merit of our saluation yet at thy bitter death thou didst pay the full price of our redemption Oh happy theefe that had such a sweet tast of thy mercy Oh blessed soule that wert made partaker of such infinite bounty Oh what great graces excellent vertues were infused into thee that thou didst beleeue my Iesus to be the true Son of God thy Creator whom thou didst see to die the death of a miserable creature As thy faults were intollerable in thy dissolute life so thy faith appeareth admirable at thy sorrowfull death For what but faith was the motiue to moue thee to sue to him to be remembred in his kingdome of eternall felicity who to thy outward eyes appeared nothing else but a spectacle of wofull misery and as thy confidence was great and thy loue much so thy Iesus doth speedily assure thee to enioy a bountifull reward Therefore I pray thee my most bountifull Iesu so to inspire my minde with thy grace and so to kindle thy loue in my brest that I may be contented to be crucified with thee here vpon earth that I may be receiued by thee into thy kingdome of heauen And grant that I may so truly lament for my trespasses and shed such bitter teares for my sins that I may faithfully say with this penitent theefe Lord remember mee when thou shalt come into thy Kingdome For I confesse O Lord I haue beene no better then a Theefe for I haue robbed thee of thy honor I haue bene vntrue vnto thee concerning thy glory My lips are defiled with lying my hands haue wrought the workes of deceipt I haue often beguiled the widdow and defrauded the Orphane I haue sought to make my selfe rich by oppression I haue beene disobedient to my gouernours and would not liue vnder their lawfull subiection Oh Lord remember not my great and grieuous offences let thy mercy blot them out of thy memory that they may not be laid against me when I shall be summoned to appeare before thee Remember me according to the multitude of thy mercies as thou didst this late-repenting malefactor whom thou hast left vnto mee as one rare example of thy infinite mercy that I should not dispaire in regard of thy iustice and that I should not presume to sin in respect of thy mercie Oh let me remember this rare example of thy extraordinary goodnesse so that I may
neither dispaire with the heauy burden of my sinnes nor presume without feare to transgresse the bounds of thy holy law that although I haue runne long the wilde race of vnbrideled iniquitie yet at last I may returne home vnto thee out of the way of impietie vvith this faithfull and true repenting offender and be a companion vvith him in thy Paradice of euerlasting felicitie A Meditation concerning the lamentation of the Virgine MARY beholding her Sonne lifted vp vpon the Crosse standing by it accompanied with Iohn the Euangelist and Mary Magdalene MED XVI The blessed Virgin a Iohn 9.25 standing by the Crosse Of Christ our Lord Behold thy b Ibid. 26. Sonne sayd he Vnto his Mother Oh most grieuous losse That he must die who from all c Luke 23.14 faults was free NOw turne thy thoughts Oh my sorrowfull soule from the blasphemous reproches scornfull derisions and malicious slanders of the wicked Iewes insulting against my innocent IESVS And now thou hast heard how bountifull thy Sauiour was vnto the penitent Theefe that was sorrowfull for his owne iniquity and couragious to iustifie my mercifull Redeemer for his vnspotted innocency Meditate a while on the Lamentation of his blessed Mother whose heart was wounded with sorrow to see her Sonne so cruelly tormented when hee had neuer offended in word nor imagined any euill in thought How sharpe was the sting of dolour to wound her heart how intollerable was the griefe that did trouble her minde when shee saw his body bleeding with so many wounds before her wofull eyes and heard their bitter words and diuelish reproches cast out against him in the audience of her dolefull eares As shee had cause to reioyce at his blessed Birth so now shee had good occasion to mourne for his cruell death For though no doubt she was annointed with oyle of graces aboue her fellowes yet we may not thinke shee vvas quite exempted from the passions of a woman or void of the tender affections of a Mother when shee saw the harmlesse head of her louing and beloued Son bleeding with a Crowne of Thornes his innocent hands and blessed feete fastened to the Crosse with iron nailes Certainely shee knew that his Conception vvas so sanctified by the holy Ghost in her wombe that his most blessed body vvas alwaies free from the infection of impiety and his flesh neuer tainted vvith the corruption of iniquitie But yet shee knew hee did not suffer without sense of his paines and although he was endued with a supernaturall patience yet shee knew that he felt the pangs of his bitter Passion subiect by his humane nature to many infirmities as we are yet euer hauing a pure heart and cleane hands from the spots of sinne vvherewith our soules are polluted our bodies continually infected Wherefore thinke oh my soule that as her afflictions were grieuous so her lamentation vvas great suppose that thou doest see her with her face discolored with palenesse discouering her motherly sorrow to thy outward eies and that thou didst heare her mournefull tongue telling this dolefull tale to thy attentiue eares vvhich should cause thee to be a partner with her in her woe and sigh for thy sinnes which vvere the cause of her sorrow to see her beloued Sonne so cruelly crucified by the Gentiles and so disdainfully derided by the Iewes Thinke I say that thou doest see her vvatering her eyes vvith store of teares vttering these or the like words with her sorrowfull lips to her dearely beloued Son which words should draw out teares from thine eyes and driue out groanes from thy hart which shee pronounced with a dolefull accent in this or the like manner Oh what medicine be it neuer so soueraigne can asswage the rigour of my malady what salue be it neuer so precious can heale the wounds of my bleeding heart vvhat vvords be they neuer so comfortable can cheare vp my dolefull minde when I see thee my beloued Sonne so cruelly tormented and so ignominiously taunted Alas for me poore wretch thy sorrowfull Mother How intollerable is the paine how grieuous is the punishment that is inflicted vpon thee Thy death is not so bitter vnto mee and yet how loath I am to forgoe thee as these cruell torments which I see doe torture thy innocent body and doe greatly augment the sorrow of my perplexed minde As thy blessed life was the cause of my chiefest felicity so will thy bitter death be the beginning of my miserie Who shall afford mee comfort in the time of my calamity who shall giue me counsell who shall be my succour in the time of my necessitie vvhen I am separated from thee How shall I spend the daies with sorrowing and passe through the teadious nights with mourning But thou oh my GOD omnipotent vvhich art his eternall Father vvho canst not shut thine eies of compassion from thine afflicted Sonne comfort mee his sorrowfull Mother Thou seest the wounds of his body thou knowest the sorrowes of my heart and because thou art a Father of mercies and a GOD of all consolation looke downe vpon me out of thy holy Sanctuarie and as thou hast proued me to be thy faithfull Handmaide so let the sweetnesse of thy Fatherly loue temper the bitternesse of my griefe that although I be depriued from the humane societie of my Sonne yet the vvings of thy prouidence may still ouershadow mee and thy omnipotent arme safely protect me But as the Virgine Marie did bewaile the cruell and bloudie death of her innocent Sonne so Marie Magdalene vvith many teares gushing out of her eyes began to lament the wofull case of him her louing Master on this or such like manner Oh my deere Master oh my gracious Lord oh my blessed and bountifull benefactor I cannot liue without thy louing company I cannot abide without thy amiable Societie What tongue though it speake neuer so dolefull can truly relate my sorrow What vvords be they neuer so rhetoricall can ease my inward griefe vvhen I see I shall be separated from so louing and so kinde a Master Oh how tyrannous are the torments wherewith the bloudy tormentors doe torment thine afflicted body How sharpe are the arrowes of their malice vvherewith they vvound thy righteous soule How grieuous is the sight of their cruell deedes vnto mine eyes How odious are their dogged words vnto mine eares Yet my constant loue vnto thee will not giue mee leaue to leaue thee though it be a death vnto mee to see thy calamity so long as mine eyes may behold thee The sight of the bitter pangs of thy Passion doth affright me with horrour The signes of thy approaching death doth confound my senses with continuall terror I see thy head which I annointed with pretious oyntment cruelly pierced with Thornes pittifully bleedihg with many wounds I see thy harmlesse hands pierced with iron nayles and thy innocent feete stained vvith bloud which I bathed with the teares of mine eyes and vviped vvith the
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
offer vnto thee the wine of my true deuotion vvith the Mirrhe of mortification and gall of hearty contrition But as it might be dolefull vnto thee my soule to heare thy louing Iesus cry out Sitio I thirst so let it be ioyfull vnto thee to heare him take his farewel with Consummatum est It is finished Ioh. 19.30 Oh let the Meditation of this word be more sweet vnto me then the hony vvhich Sampson found in the carkasse of the Lyon vvhen he was hungry Iudg. 14 8. and more delectable vnto mee then the vvater vvhich hee found in the Iawbone of the Asse vvhen he vvas thirsty Iudg. 15.19 For now had my blessed Redeemer fulfilled the sacred decrees of the holy Scriptures concerning my saluation and appeased the wrath of his Father kindled against me for my sinnes Now he had cancelled the Obligation of my infinite debt and not vvith siluer and gold but with his owne most pretious blood purchased my Redemption And by his death conquered death hell and the deuill Oh happy death that hath redeemed mee to eternall life Oh glorious victory although my Sauiour obtained it so dearely Therefore let mee not be carelesse to sell that so cheape which my Sauiour hath bought so deare Let mee consecrate my soule and body wholly to him for they are his owne he hath dearely bought them Direct my spirit oh Lord by the leuell of thy perfect word let the meditation of my heart be day and night in thy sacred law that I may offer vp vnto thee daily the calues of my vnfained lippes speaking of thy meruailous kindnesse early in the morning and telling of thy manifold mercies late in the euening send downe a gratious raine of thy holy Spirit into the furrowes of my heart that the memory of thine innumerable benefits may perpetually flourish in my minde and thine euerlasting praises euermore sound in my mouth for thou alone art my Redeemer oh Lord God of my saluation A Meditation how CHRIST gaue vp the Ghost and of the wonders which were seene at his death MED XIX Strange a Mar. 15.38 wonders at our Sauiours death were wrought The graues did b Matt. 27.51 open and the dead came forth The Temple rent in c Luke 23.45 twaine Dumbe creatures sought T' expresse to blinded d Luk. 19.40 Iewes their makers worth LIft vp thine eyes oh my soule and behold how the countenance of thy Sauiour is couered with a deadly palenesse his sight beginneth to faile and his heart to faint yet a little before the departure of his soule and in his greatest pangs hee cryed out with a lowd voyce as if he had felt no paine saying Father into thy hands I commend my spirit and vvhen he had said thus bowing downe his head and closing his eyes he gaue vp the Ghost Luke 23.46 Now so soone as his blessed soule was dissolued from his breathlesse body the vaile of the Temple vvas rent into two peeces from the top the bottome the earth did quake the stones were rent the graues opened and many bodies of the Saints which slept arose out of their graues came into the holy Citie and appeared to many Awake thou now oh my soule lie no longer snorting in the bed of carelesse security vvhat wilt thou say what wilt thou doe oh my soule Thou seest that the earth trembleth quaketh that the stones doe cleaue in pieces and that the beholders are all amazed at the death of the Lord Iesus Oh! why art thou so senselesse oh my soule and as it were dead without motion at the recordation of the death and meditation of the Passion of thy Sauiour Oh let the sinnefull vaile of the Temples of thy head rend into peeces which couereth the eyes of thy vnderstanding let thy earthly body tremble with horror and thy stony heart cleaue in sunder with terror of thine impietie and now arise thou out of the graue of thine iniquitie let thine eyes waste and consume away with weeping and let thy heart melt away with sighing that thou mayest shew some signes of sorrow for thy sinnes and some tokens of true repentance for thy transgressions which caused the bitter Passion and procured the cruell death of thy innocent IESVS and cry out vvith the astonished Centurion Verely this man was righteous Hee was the Sonne of GOD Mat. 17. Lift vp thy hands crie out with a faithfull heart Oh my gratious Lord my sweet Sauiour and louing Redeemer how terrible were my trespasses how haynous were my transgressions that nothing but thy pretious blood could wash out the staines of mine iniquitie and nothing but thy death deliuer me out of the chaines of euerlasting captiuitie What shall I doe to gratulate the greatnes of thy loue how shall I perfectly rellish the goodnesse of thy mercy how shall I throughly tast the sweetnesse of thy compassion For how doth thy loue exceede in greatnesse how doth mercy abound in goodnes and how doth thy compassion excel in sweetnes that thou being the true and naturall Sonne of God shouldst be made man that we being sinnefull men should be made the sons of God yea when vvee were thine enemies vessels of sinne and vassals of Sathan And that thou being man shouldest be made subiect to the same passions to the same affections to the same afflictions that we are yea obnoxious to death to pay our debt but yet thy life was neuer infected with any sinfull action no not so much as affected with any euill cogitation Oh my kinde Iesu Oh thou innocent Lambe Oh my most louing Lord by how much the more I consider thy calamity by how much the more I ruminate thy mercy by so much the more cause I finde to be faithfully affected towards thee for the greatnes of thy loue and to be afflicted with thee for thy grieuous torments Oh let me behold in my serious meditation and see with the eye of mine vnderstanding how thy most sacred body is brused vvith cruell blowes thy tender flesh mangled with bleeding wounds thy venerable head perfored and pierced with a Crowne of pricking thornes thy beautifull forehead spotted and thy comely haire knotted with coniealed blood thy nosthrils offended vvith stinking spittle and thy blessed mouth distasted with gall and vinegar thy most bright eyes obscured with a vaile thy amiable face buffeted with fists and defiled with dust thy chast eares filled with reproaches thy naked body scourged with whips thy vveary shoulders shrinking and thy weake knees failing vnder the heauy burthen of the crosse thy most holy hands pierced thy blessed feet bored with sharpe iron nailes thy blessed side opened and thy heart wounded with a speare Oh let the remembrance of thy grieuous torments my louing Iesu let the memory of thy bleeding wounds and scornefull reproaches wound my heart with vvofull compunction and pierce into my hardened bowels that they may relent vvith tender compassion that I may feele some sense of painefull sorrow for thy
sake seeing thou hast suffered so much for my sinnes But before thou passe any further oh my soule doe thou not let it passe without earnest meditation how that although the hearts of the tormentors of mine afflicted Iesus were so poysoned with impietie and their hands so polluted with cruelty that they grieued his righteous soule vvith their scornes and reproaches killed his innocent body with their tortures yet that the fury of their malicious harts was so restrained and the violence of their cruell hands so repressed that they could not breake one bone of his blessed body as they did of the malefactors which were crucified with him because the sacred scripture had said they should not and therefore their hands were fettered that they could not Exod. 12.46 Num. 9.12 Zach. 12.10 Wherefore let this meditation comfort thy drooping heart oh my soule and consolate thy fainting spirits in the sowrest fits of any worldly misery and in the sorest conflicts of any affliction that can betide thee that no Tyrant be hee neuer so mighty or his heart neuer so malicious can imagine more in his cruell thoughts or act any more with his bloudy hands against thee then the Diuine prouidence hath predestinated and the counsell of the highest hath alwayes determined Let this resolution be as a pretious Balme to heale the wounds of thy sorrow and as a soueraigne Salue to cure thy soares that they may not fester with dispairefull repining or rancor with impatient mourning Let no dread of danger throw downe the Fort of thy hope let no Tempest of persecution shake the foundation of thy Faith and let no waues of affliction quench the flame of thy loue towards thy Sauiour but let the oyle of his sufficient grace so strengthen the sinewes of thy Faith when it waxeth feeble that thy heart neuer faile nor thy courage quaile when thou art molested with any sickenes or affliction of body or moued with any malady of thy mind being faithfully perswaded that no calamity can betide thee without his will nor no danger can come neere thy dwelling without his good pleasure and that no Tyrants although they be neuer so mighty can do but so much and no more against thee then hee in his wisedome knoweth to be profitable for thee For neither the prophane Gentiles nor the superstitious Iewes could doe any more vnto my innocent Iesus then he vvas willing to suffer who came to die for the sinnes of the people they could not do one iot more then was enacted in the highest Court of the Caelestiall Parliament determined by the secret Counsel of the Trinity confirmed by the euerlasting Statutes of the sacred Scriptures Confirme my mind oh Lord with a stedfast perswasion of thy power and comfort my weake nature with a resolute confidence in thy word that in the time of my aduersitie and day of my tribulation yea at the houre of my death I may commend my spirit into thy hands as thou didst thine into the hands of thy heauenly Father Oh what a consolation comfort may it be vnto me in my greatest misery to commend my soule into thy custody for there it shall remain in the safe harbor of eternal tranquility no more subiect to misery no more obnoxious to vanity the ioy that it shall possesse is vnspeakable the felicitie incomparable the continuance of it neuer decaying but alwayes durable without any change or ending Receiue my soule oh my louing Sauiour into thy hands that it may be safe vnder the shadowe of thy wings it is thine owne it came from thee and therefore let it returne vnto thee receiue my gift my bountifull giuer But because oh Lord nothing that is impure may appeare in thy sight neither canst thou behold any vncleane thing with thine eie purge my soule with the fire of thy spirit and wash away the spots of it with thy precious bloud that being beautified with the pure white robe of thy mercy Reu. 12.18 it may confidently approach vnto the Throne of thy Maiesty Oh let the affection of my loue be neuer defectiue towards thee and infuse that into me by the gift of thy grace which I am not able to obtaine by my owne strength captiuate all my sences that they may be obsequious to do thy will and frame all the members of my body to performe thy law that being partaker of thy death by true mortification of my flesh I may also be made partaker vvith thee of thy glorious Resurrection by the viuification of thy blessed Spirit A Meditation how the Lord Iesus was buried and of the lamentation of his Mother and other women for his death MED XX. Within a a Mar. 15.46 Tombe which in a Rocke was wrought Ioseph b Mar. 27.90 enshrines the body of our Lord. Wrapt in a c Luk. 23.53 Mark 15.46 cloath which hee of purpose bought Oh happy man that did such loue afford AS there was a wicked and couetous Iudas oh my soule amongst the faithfull Disciples of thy louing IESVS to betray him to a cruell death so there was a kinde Ioseph found among the Iewes who brought him honourably to his graue Oh who is able to relate the lamentation to expresse the sorrow and vtter the griefe of the Virgin Marie mourning for the death of her deare Sonne and other vvomen vvho did behold him vvith their compassionate eyes vvhen like an innocent Lambe he gaue vp the Ghost and bewailed his departure from them vvith floods of teares Now thinke that thou doest heare the Virgine Marie discouering the inward sorrowes of her heart of her grieued and wounded heart vttered out of her dolefull mouth passionate as she was a tender harted woman and more compassionate as shee vvas a louing Mother vvhen shee saw the vvounded and breathlesse body of her Sonne taken downe from the Crosse Let her sorrowfull words penetrate thine eares and pierce thy heart that thou maist bewaile the debts of thy sinnes as she lamented the death of her Sonne in this or the like manner Oh my most sweet Sonne what is my felicity which I had by thee in thy life Is it any thing else but extreame miserie at thy death how is my chiefest ioy changed into sorrow my mirth into mourning how is my reioycing turned into lamenting my cheerefulnesse turned into heauinesse nothing can mittigate my calamity nothing can ease my malady What hadst thou done oh my most deare Sonne what hainous crime hadst thou committed vvhat odious treason hadst thou perpetrated that thou wert condemned to die such a shamefull and bitter death Thy pure hands were neuer defiled with any euill actions and thy harmlesse heart did neuer harbour any vvicked cogitations thine eyes were neuer bewitched with worldly vanities nor thine eares delighted with lewd discourses thy mouth did vtter forth wisedome and thy tongue spake nothing but the truth thy whole life was a Mirrour of piety thy words deserued no reprehension thy deeds were without all
hands for sorrow at the buriall of my sister I cannot but mourne when I follow my friend to his graue my teares doe testifie my loue my voyce doth vtter words of lamentation my heart is sadde with sorrow and all my sences are disordered with griefe But alas how is the moisture of mine eyes consumed that they cannot yeeld one teare How obdurate is my heart that it will not groane when I think on the deadly pangs of my Sauiour and when I meditate on the grieuous passion and bitter death of my Redeemer who hath beene more beneficiall vnto mee then any louing Father and more kinde then any tender-hearted mother what kindnesse of a Brother or milde affection of a Sister can equall his loue What friend can be so glad for my prosperitie who of mine acquaintance can be so sad for my aduersitie Who can be so constant vnto me in affection Who can be so faithfull vnto me in compassion as my mercifull Sauiour My Parents gaue me my flesh polluted with sinne and defiled with vices I receiue from my Sauiour Memory Will Vnderstanding and Reason yea what is there in me which is good but it commeth from my GOD My Parents haue beene an occasion to throw me downe into hell but my Redeemer did shed his pretious bloud to bring mee into the Kingdome of heauen Therefore why doe I not sigh and lament for the death of my Lord my Sauiour my Redeemer who is my solace in time of sorrow my consolation in my misery and my refuge in the houre of my necessity But oh my most bountifull Iesu father of mercies I mourne with sorrow and lament with teares when death doth rob mee of my receiue them to dwell in thy Caelestiall Citie which is stored with all abundance But who can describe the beauty or demonstrate the glory of this heauenly Hierusalem for it is made of pure golde the foundation of pretious stones the walles of Iasper the gates of pearle In needeth no Sunne to giue light vnto it in the day or any Moone by night for the glorious presence of the Lord doth fill euery place with his shining brighssetne Reuel 21.18.19.20.21.23 What eye hath seene one sparke of the glistering cleerenesse what eare hath heard one title of the greatnesse what heart can conceiue so much as a graine of the goodnes of this eternall Citie Oh happy are the people that shall enter into thy beautifull gates Oh happy are the Citizens that shall dwell within thy pretious walles for they shall liue with the Angels in eternall peace and security and see God in his glorious Maiestie Entertaine me oh Lord into thy gratious seruice and graunt me grace that I may serue thee all the dayes of my life in feare and honour thee with my loue that when I haue serued out my time as thy faithfull seruant here on earth I may be incorporated into this heauenly Citie and admitted into the freedome of this blessed societie Come oh my Lord IESV come vnto vs quickly and receiue vs to dwell with thee eternally Amen FINIS Soli Deo gloria MOST DEVOVT and Diuine MEDITATIONS OF Saint BERNARD Concerning the knowledge of humane Condition Seruing as so many Motiues to MORTIFICATION LONDON Printed by T.S. for Francis Burton dwelling in Paules Church-yard at the signe of the greene Dragon 1614. A Table of the Motiues to MORTIFICATION Mo. 1. OF the similitude of man to God page 1. Mo. 2. Of the miserie of man and of the examination of the last iudgement page 10. Mo. 3. Of the dignity of the soule pag. 20 Mo. 4. Of the reward of the heauenly Countrey the which all Christians ought to endeauour to obtaine page 33 Mo. 5. How a man ought to examine himselfe page 44 Mo. 6. That a man ought to bee diligent and deuout in performing of Diuine exercises page 48 Mo. 7. A consideration of death page 59 Mo. 8. In what manner a man ought to pray deuoutly pag. 63 Mo. 9. Of the instabilitie and wandering of the heart page 66 Mo. 10. That Sinne is not to be excused page 74 Mo. 11. What a great euill it is not to correct or reprehend others page 75 Mo. 12. How euery man ought to consider himselfe page 83 Mo. 13. Of the presence of the Conscience euery where page 85 Mo. 14. Of the three Enemies of Man page 87. Mo. 15. From whence the flesh of Man proceedeth and what it bringeth forth page 93 Mo. 16. Of the short life of man pag. 96 Other Additions A Most zealous and deuout lamentation of blessed Anselmus sometime Arch-bishop of Canterbury for the losse of his Soules virginitie appliable vnto the soule of euery mortified Christian page 111 A Meditation of S. Bernard concerning the Passion and sufferings of Iesus Christ diuided into twenty and one Sections page 139 The Authors deprecation or Petition for himselfe page 236 FINIS O my Father if it be possible let this Cup passe from me He kneeled downe and Prayed but beinge in an agonie he prayed more earnestly and his sweat was like droppes of blood trikling downe to the ground Luke 22.44 Sit ye here whil I goe and Pray yonder Of the similitude of Man to GOD. MOTIVE I. MAny knowe many things False knowledge and know not themselues they pry into others and leaue themselues The ready way how to know God They seeke God by those outward things forsaking their inward things to vvhich God is neerer and more inward Therefore I vvill returne from outward things to inward and from the inward I will ascend to the Superiour that I may know from vvhence I come or whither I goe who I am and from whence I am that so by the knowledge of my selfe I may be the better able to attaine to the knowledge of God For by how much more I profit and goe forward in the knowledge of my selfe by so much the neerer I approach to the knowledge of God Concerning the inward man Three things in vs whereby wee remember behold and desire God I finde three things in my soule by which I remember behold and couet God But these three things are the Memory Vnderstanding Will or Loue. By the Memory I remember him by the Vnderstanding I behold him by the Will I imbrace him When I remember God in my Memory I finde him and in him I am delighted because hee vouchsafeth to giue himselfe to mee By the Vnderstanding I view and contemplate what God is in himselfe what hee is in the Angels what he is in the Saints what hee is in Men what he is in the Creatures In himselfe hee is incomprehensible because he is the beginning and end and the beginning without beginning the end without end By my selfe I vnderstand how incomprehensible God is when as I cannot know and vnderstand my selfe whom he hath made In the Angels he is desirable because they desire to behold him In the Saints hee is delectable because being happy
Let vs glory reioyce and triumph in the blessed Name of our mighty Redeemer and giue all honour iurisdiction dominion and maiestie to our mercifull Sauiour vvhich hath done great meruailous and admirable things in vs and for vs exalt extoll and magnifie his glorious Name together with me and let our tongues tuned with one Harmonicall concord like Golden Trumpets sound forth his meritorious immeasurable still encreasing and neuer-diminishing praises saying wee adore and worship thee oh Christ King of Israel and also of all the Nations Prince and Monarch of Kings Lord of the Earth GOD of the Sabaoth the most powerfull power of GOD omnipotent Wee adore thee being the precious price of our Redemption the all-sufficient Sacrifice of our peace attonement and peaceable reconciliation which alone vvith the inestimable most pleasant and fragrant sweetnesse of thy odoriferous sauour hast moued and induced the Father of eternity which dwelleth and resideth in the highest Heauens to turne his eye of prouidence and compassion towards base vile and contemptible things vpon earth and hast reconciled and pacified him towards the sonnes of wrath Hell and damnation to enter a new couenant of grace with them to forgiue and forget all their rebellious trespasses and treacherous transgressions and to extend the tender bowels of his most desired and euer-vndeserued mercie towards them Wee ioyfully proclaime oh Christ the worthinesse of thy merrit the multitude of thy mercies and magnificence of thy commisseration we sound and eccho forth wee record the sacred memorie of thy eare-delighting and heart-pleasing sweetnesse Wee cleerely offer vnto thee oh Christ the Sacrifice of euerlasting praise and heartie thanksgiuing for the innumerable multitude and immeasurable magnitude of thy goodnesse vvhich thou hast vouchsafed shewed manifested and extended to vs as a wicked seede and gracelesse generation sonnes of wickednesse and heires of hell and damnation SECTION III. VVHen as yet oh gratious Lord we were thy cruell enemies by our treasonable practises and monstrous vngratefull vnkindnesse daily kindling thy consuming wrath against vs and when as deuouring death exercised his rage fury and dominion against all mortall flesh and vpon euery miserable creature to which all the seed of Adam was obnoxious and subiect tainted with the leporous infection of his first deadly transgression thou diddest kindly remember the most infallible vvord of thy infinite mercie when we were ready to be drowned and swallowed vp like proud hard-hearted Pharo in the bloody Sea of our swelling and ouer-flowing iniquities Thou diddest looke from thy holy and high habitation and cast downe the pittifull eye of thy sauing tender and mellow-hearted compassion vpon this vally streaming with riuers of teares showers of ceaselesse weeping and deluge of our ouer-flowing misery Thou sawest the heauie affliction afflicted condition imminent danger nay the instant destruction of thy distressed people and touched with a true-delicious sweetnesse of thy inward loue and bountifull charity did thinke ponder to medicine heale recure the deadly-diseased state and desperate condition of thy forlorne and languishing people Mat. 9.13 1 Tim. 15. moued incited towards them with amiable thoughts of a new perpetuall peace eternall redemption And thou being the onely and dearely beloued Son of God the very true God coeternall substantiall to God the Father the Holy-ghost enhabiting the light to vvhich no man may approach dazeling the eyes of euery mortall creature with the super-excellent lusture and gouerning all things vvith the creating vvord of thy omnipotent power thou hast not despised to subiect thy selfe to the close noysome prison of our base estate vvhere thou mightest tast and also swallow vp our miserie and so restore vs to glory It was enough oh sweet Sauiour to demonstrate thy incomprehensible and vnspeakeable mercie it was too little Oh thou mirrour of mercie to coole the ardent heat of thy burning loue It vvas not sufficient for thee our gratious Redeemer to appoint a Cherubin Seraphin or one of the Angels to consummate and finish the worke of our saluation thou thy selfe being king of kings and God of eternall glory hast vouchsafed to come to vs thy poore vassales and captiue creatures by the commandement of thy supernall Father Psal 40.8.9 Acts. 2.23 Whose vnlimited mercie bottomlesse bounty immutable loue wee now plentifully enioy in thee and hereafter shall ioyfully fully and euerlastingly possesse by thee Thou cam'st vnto vs I say not by changing the place but by yeelding thy presence vnto vs by the flesh Thou cam'st from the regall Throne of thy most high Glorie into an humble lowly and abiect Mayden in her owne eyes although indeede she was most honourable for her chast vertues and of the blood Royall by her Noble birth vvhose life vvas adorned with the pretious Iemme of vndefiled virginitie in vvhose sacred wombe the sole wonderfull and vnspeakeable power of the Holy-Ghost caused and effected thy sanctified and blessed conception and that thou shouldst so be borne in the very nature of true humanitie that the occasion and manner of thy pure Natiuitie should neither violate the Maiestie of Diuinitie in thee nor the integritie of vndefiled Virginitie in thy blessed Virgine-Mother Oh amiable Oh admirable fauour Thou being God of immeasurable glorie infinite power and most magnificent Maiestie hast not disdained nor despised to become a contemptible worme and to put vpon thee the ragged garment of our fraile and miserable nature Thou being God of all didst appeare as a fellow-seruant of seruants vnto all It was too little to satisfie thy louing affection and to quench the thirstie desire of thy loue towards vs to be a kinde Father vnto vs and a gratious Lord but thou hast vouchsafed to be our deere and vvelbeloued brother What minde is not ouer-ioyed with the delectable meditation of thy vvonderfull fauour What hart is not rauished with the sweet sent of thy admirable humilitie And what soule can euer be satisfied with the sweetnesse of thy exceeding mercie When all our obedience towards thee be it neuer so great or our praises be they neuer so many cannot paralel and equall the least iot of thy infinite goodnesse towards vs. SECTION IIII. ANd thou Lord of all things possessor of the highest heauens and sole Commander of the whole earth which hast no neede of any thing because the fowles of the ayre fishes of the Sea beasts of the field are all at thy prudent and prouident disposition yea the greatest worldly Monarch is but thy poore slaue and submissiue Vassall at the beginning of thy birth and first entrance into this transitorie world the sweetest ioyes whereof are soone sowred with sodaine misery and the chiefest treasures liable euery moment to wauering mutability thou diddest not abhorre to taste the bitter gall of pinching necessity and to feele the irksome discommodities of beggarly base and abiect pouertie so ill was thy entertainement so bad was thy welcome and vile vvas thy estimation amongst vngratefull men For as the
Thou didst mildely suffer the temptations and illusions of the Deuill and at last with thy holy word didst put him to a shamefull foyle and forced him like a coward to flie the field Matth. 4.10.11 to make such bickerments more tollerable and easie vnto vs and to instruct vs that whensoeuer Christian warriours shall manage this double-edged sword aright that their common enemie will soone be danted take himselfe to flight and they alwayes obtain a glorious conquest SECTION VII AT length thou camest to the lost sheepe of the house of Israell lifting vp the bright lampe of thy diuine word openly to giue light to the world which was obscured with thicke clouds of sinfull darkenesse that men seeing their sinnes might then sigh for their forepassed iniquities seeke by speedy and true repentance to saue their soules Matth. 5.1.2.3.4.5.6.7 c. And thou also proclaiming the Kingdome of God to all obeying the word didst confirme the verity of thy infallible words with many wonderous and miraculous deeds thou diddest plainely declare the vertue of thy diuinitie and manifest the incomprehensible essence of thy God-head in all things to those which vvere diseased and were affected and grieuously afflicted with many infirmities Luke 5.12.18 Performing all things of thy free mercy without any merits to all nations that by thy gratious words and mercifull workes thou mightest gaine the Saluation of all truly repenting for their sins seeking by thy only mercy to saue their soules But their foolish heart oh Lord was darkened their reason infatuated their vnderstanding blinded they maliciously despised proudly contemned and carelesly reiected thy blessed words behind them neither did they Oh Lord admire no not so much as regard thy wondrous workes which by the Finger of thine owne hand thou hadst powerfully wrought among them except a few Noble Champions which thou diddest chuse among the weake and abiect things of the World that by them thou mightst batter downe strong holds throw downe high Towers that thy inuincible power might appeare in their weaknes so the glory of thy Maiestie might shine the brighter Neither vvere they onely vnthankefull to thee for thy gracious benefits and great kindnesse but they did very spightfully reproach thee oh Lord of Lords and spit out the Gall of their malice against thee plotting in their Diuellish mindes and performing with their desperate hands whatsoeuer their vnbridled lust did command them For thou doing the workes of God which no other hath done how malignant were their words How malicious were their speeches For they sayd in their mad mood and furious folly This man is not of God he casteth out Deuils by the Prince of Deuils he hath the Deuill hee seduceth the people hee is a Glutton and a Drinker of Wine a Friend of Publicanes and sinners Matth. 11.9 Why dost thou weepe oh man why are thy thoughts perplexed and the peace of thy minde disturbed when thou doest feele the sting of venemous tongues or endure the stormy tempest of iniurious words Doest thou not heare what monstrous slanders bitter taunts and opprobrious speeches vvere belched out against the Lord thy God onely for thy cause and thy sinnes yet he did patiently disgest the extreame bitternesse of their cruell malice and did alwayes seeke by gentle mildenesse and workes of mercy to mollifie their hard hearts and to induce them to true repentance If they haue called the Master of the house Belzebub how much more will they call them of his household Mat. 10.25 Luke 11.15 But thou oh righteous and innocent Iesus diddest patiently heare and constantly sustaine their blasphemous words spightfull derisions and taunting speeches although oftentimes they were carried with such a violent streame of raging fury against thee that they assailed thee vvith stones hating nothing so much as thy blessed life and hastning nothing so much as thy cursed death And thou becamest before them as a man vvhich heareth not all and as one that is dumbe hauing no word of reproofe in thy mouth SECTION VIII LAstly they valued thy righteous and precious bloud but at thirtie peeces of siluer betrayed vnto them by thy vnkinde Disciple the sonne of Perdition greedily desiring with extreame hate vvithout any shadow of iust cause to hasten thy cruell death It was not a strange thing or a concealed secret excluded from the search of thy knowledge because the most couert cogitations of euery heart are open vnto thee that one of thine owne Disciples should proue disloyall treacherously conspire against thee and like a Traytour sell thee his gratious Lord kind Master for a small piece of money When as at the Supper where thou didst wash thy Disciples feet thou didst not disdaine to handle wash and wipe with thy most holy hands the cursed feet of that damned Traytor swift to shedde bloud kneeling downe before him Iohn 13.4.5 Oh wonderfull example of humilitie oh patience most worthy of continuall admiration But why dost thou walke with thy out-stretched necke oh earth and ashes Doth Pride still lift thee vp Doth fretting anger euermore molest thee Behold and looke vpon the Lord Iesus the mirror of Humilitie and Meekenesse the Creator of euery Creature the fearefull Iudge of the quicke and the dead bowing his knees before the feet of a man that should traiterously betray him into the hands of his deadly Foes who long thirsted for his innocent bloud loathed his godly life and could neuer quench the raging flame of their furie vntill they had acted the lamentable Tragedy of his most cruell death Learne therefore of him because he is meeke in minde and lowly in heart debase thy high and loftie lookes and let the feeling sence of thy scornfull Pride confound and cast downe thy haughty thoughts and blush at thy furious madnesse and sigh at the inward sight of thy impatient folly This also oh louing Lord was a plaine argument of thy meruailous kindnesse and extraordinary fauour that thou wouldest not publikely detect the mischieuous malice and openly disclose the horrible Treason of thy gracelesse Disciple and odious Traitor but diddest onely in the assembly of his brethren very slightly admonish him to hasten his intented purpose Iohn 13.27 Neuerthelesse neither the sweet streames of thy mercy could quench the burning fire of his fury nor the graces of thy Humility stay the rage of his madnesse but he departing out of the house laboured diligently to bring his wicked designement into act which as yet lay couered in his treacherous heart Iohn 13.30 SECTION IX HOW didst thou fall from Heauen oh cleere-shining Lucifer which didst appeare so bright at thy rising in the morning Thou once wert beautifull with exceeding glory placed in pleasant Paradise where all things were abounding which might breed delight whose happy state did stand still at a stay subiect to no contrary change hauing the Citizens of Heauen for thy louing companions pure Manna of the Diuine Word for thy daily food How art thou now tumbled
downe and consorted vvith the sonnes of darkenesse Why hast thou refused sweet Hony to feed on Gall and wholesome food to cloy thy stomacke with stincking dung At that time oh sweet Christ thy Family was cleared thy Houshold purged when such a leaprous person and deadly diseased creature went out into the world from the company of the Angels societie For then at last were the thirsty soules of that blessed company plentifully filled with sweet flowing streames of thy Diuine Word and vvith the most pleasant liquor of thy true celestiall Nectar which thou art alwayes able and euermore willing to giue vnto thy faithfull Seruants when hee was worthily cast out from thy most holy and blessed Family whom thou didst know to be vnworthy to taste one drop of that liuing water which quencheth the thirst of all sinfull soules for euer when thou of thy free loue dost afford them to drinke of that blessed Fountaine be their thirst neuer so great or the people neuer so many which resort to receiue refreshing by it SECTION X. NOW when thou hadst giuen a new Commaundement to thy louing Disciples that they should knit their hearts together with the true vnion of perfect loue Iohn 13.34 and arme themselues with patience against the approaching day of their fiery triall and also hadst disposed the kingdome of thy heauenly Father to thy faithfull Brethren thou cammest to the place with them well knowne vnto couetous Iudas that Traitour which did betray thee into the hands of the cruell Iewes who were as greedy to buy as he was couetous to sell thy innocent and precious bloud Yet thou diddest not audaciously obiect thy selfe vnto suddaine danger or desperately throw thy selfe into perill but thou wert willing to offer and lay downe thy owne life to deliuer vs poore condemned vassals from the heauy doome of eternall death knowing all things which should come vpon thee Iohn 18.4 Oh vnsearchable profundity of thy infinite loue Oh glorious beames of thy gracious mercy For like a tender-hearted Father thou haddest willingly cast thy selfe into suddaine danger to haue deliuered thy Children from some imminent perill or if thou haddest aduentured thy life to haue rescued thy friends from threatned death this without doubt had beene a deed of true naturall affection and excellent loue But that thou shouldest of thine owne accord offer thy selfe to death to saue thy deadly enemies and willingly shed thy bloud to ransome thy mortall foes This oh sweet Sauiour is a miracle of superadmirable kindenesse beyond the compasse of all vnderstanding SECTION XI VVHen thou wert come to the place where wretched Iudas had bargained to betray thee into the hands of the wicked Iewes thou wert not ashamed to confesse the heauy pangs which thou didst sustaine by thy approaching Passion in the audience of thy Brethren which thou wert willing to endure not for thy owne desert but by thy owne desire for our sakes and our sins saying My Soule is heauy euen vnto death Mat. 26.38 So ponderous was the burden of our iniquities so heauy was the weight of mine yea of all our sins layd vpon thy shoulders And there bowing thy knees on the ground and falling downe with thy face on the earth thou diddest in thy bitter agonie offer vp thy humble petition to God thy Father saying My Father if it be possible let this Cup passe from me Matth. 26.39 Indeed that Cup contained a deepe draught to be taken of thee for the health of our languishing soules more bitter then Colloquintida to the mouth or Gall in the maw And no doubt but the bloody sweat which trickled downe on the earth by drops from thy most holy flesh did plainely declare the sorrowes of thy perplexed minde and the anguish of thy sorrowfull Soule Luke 22.44 Oh powerfull Lord Iesus what meaneth or what is the cause of thy lamentable supplication Didst thou not wholly of thine owne accord offer vp thy selfe for a Sacrifice to thy Father and willingly shed thy bloud to pay the price of our ransome Yes verely oh gracious Lord it was thy exceeding great loue and onely mercy that did moue thee so patiently to vnder-goe the wrath of thy Father that thou mightest deliuer vs condemned sinners from his iust and heauy displeasure that by thy stripes wee might be healed and that by thy free and voluntary death wee might be restored to a second and euerlasting life But we thinke that thou didst willingly taste the bitternesse of our miseries and in thy selfe expresse vnto vs a true passion of our weakenesse for the comfort and consolation of all thy feeling members that no man might dispaire or let goe the Anchor of stedfast Hope when our weake flesh fainteth and our naturall faculties faileth but yet the spirit is ready to abide the painefull pangs of any passion and to suffer the conflicts of any affliction whatsoeuer Truly thou didst expresse the naturall weakenesse of the flesh in thy selfe by those tokens vnto vs that wee might the sooner be prouoked to embrace thee with more loue and gratefully to yeeld thee greater thanks Whereby also we are taught that thou didst truly beare our diseases and infirmities and that thou hast not runne through the thornes of grieuous passions vvithout the sense of painefull afflictions For that voyce seemeth to be the voice of the flesh not of the Spirit by that which thou hast added The Spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is weake Marke 14.38 And thou diddest openly declare that the Spirit was willing to suffer the deadly pangs of thy grieuous passion when thou diddest goe forth of thine owne accord to meete those bloudy minded persons conducted by their damnable General trayterous Iudas in the night time furnished with lanternes torches and weapons seeking without any cause raging vvith malice to destroy thy harmelesse life and cruelly to shed thy innocent blood and there didst openly discouer thy selfe to their eyes and offer vp thy selfe to their bloudy hands least they might thinke themselues beholding to their bloudy guide and that by his craftie pollicie thou hadst beene suddainely and vnwillingly apprehended For thou diddest not repell or put backe that cruell monster comming to kisse thy most holy mouth but diddest gently put thy mouth in which there was found no guile to his mouth abounding with venome and filled with malice who vnder token of loue pretended nothing but deadly hate and with a dissembling kisse to betray thee into the hands of those who were ready armed to kill thee And although desperate Iudas became his owne hangman Mat. 27.5 yet many doe follow his steps and desperately runne to their wilfull wofull destruction Oh innocent Lambe of GOD how couldest thou endure that such a rauenous Wolfe should come neere vnto thee that came so greedily to deuoure thee What fellowship hath light with darkenesse What agreement hast thou with Beliall But this oh Lord was a deed of thy gracious benignitie and an act of thy exceeding
to the quicke with a patheticall compunction and bathe his bleeding wounds with the streaming teares of thy true and zealous repentance Weepe forth showers of teares and melt thou also my soule with the fire of compassion and sigh with hartie contrition and make deepe wounds in thy selfe with a sharpe point of sorrowfull compunction when thou dost meditate of the bitter Passion of this louely and vvorthy person whom thou seest afflicted vvith such terrible torments and vvounded from the crowne of the head to the sole of his feete that with the plentifull streames of his most precious blood he might wash away the multitude of thy sinnes And now my perplexed soule thou hast seene the sorrowes distresses weakenesse and miserie of thy louing Sauiour as hee was the seede of the Woman ordained to breake the head of the Serpent who cloathed with the base garments of our fraile humanity was subiect to all our infirmities the infection of our sinnes onely excepted and seeing him languishing on the Crosse tormented flouted scorned and villainously handled by the barbarous multitude thou hast had cause to groane sigh and sob moued with a sensible pittie and touched with a feeling and vvofull compassion SECTION XVIII BVt now direct thine eyes from his lamentable miserie and seriously contemplate the mighty power of his magnificent Maiestie and then all thy senses vvill be amazed with sodaine feare and thy selfe astonished with wonderfull admiration For what saith the Scripture Now from the sixt houre was there darknesse ouer all the land vntill the ninth And the Sunne was darkened And the vaile of the Temple was rent in twaine from the top to the bottome and the earth did quake and the stones were clouen And the graues did open themselues and many bodies of the Saints which slept arose Matth. 27. What manner of man is hee what kinde of Person Because Heauen and Earth hath such a Sympathie of his Passion The Sunne mourning vvith his darkenesse for his wofull miserie and denying the light of his beames to the cruell tormentors at the execution of their bloodie Tyrannie How powerfull how potent how auaileable vvas his death which opened the Graues raised and reuiued the dead conquering Sunne death hell and the diuell Oh worke of more then admirable wonder Oh honourable conquest and glorious victorie For in the thickest clouds of his darkest miserie there appeared cleere beames of his brightest Maiestie Know my soule know thou my soule this is the Lord our God Iesus Christ thy Sauiour the onely begotten Sonne of God Christ perfect God and perfect man true God true man who alone vnder the Sunne vvas found pure from the spottes of sinne and onely cleare from the staines of iniquitie among the Sonnes of men And behold how hee is sorted in the damnable ranke of the wicked excluded like a loathsome Leaper from the fruition of common societie reputed as an abiect and one of the worst among the basest people cast out from the vvombe of the vnhappy Sinagogue his Mother like an abortiue proiected out of the wombe of a woman How is hee that was so beautifull aboue the Sonnes of men become so deformed and vncomely to the eyes of them that behold him How are the Ornaments of his amiable feature diminished How is his royall dignity disgraced How is he become a subiect of nothing else but of sorrow calamity and a wofull obiect of lamentation and pitty He is wounded for our iniquities he is bruised for our vvicked offences and is made an acceptable Sacrifice of a most sweet smelling sauour in thy sight oh God of eternall glory that thou mightest auert thy indignation from vs and reuerse the sentence of thy heauie displeasure gone out against vs and make vs Co-heires with him for euer in his heauenly habitation Looke downe oh Lord holy Father from thy holy Sanctuarie and from the high Throne of thy infinite Maiestie and behold this holy Sacrifice vvhich our great high Priest doth offer vnto thee thy holy Childe the Lord Iesus for the sinnes of his brethren and let thy wrath be appeased which our iniquities haue most iustly procured against vs remouing farre out of thy sight the multitude of our innumerable transgressions And let his innocent death pay the full summe of our heauy debt Behold the voice of the bloud of our Iesus doth cry vnto thee from the Crosse begging mercy at thy hands for our many misdeeds pardon for all our haynous sins and speaking better things then the bloud of Abell What meaneth this Oh Lord Doth he still hang naked and nailed on the Crosse Are his veines newly lanced will his bleeding wounds neuer bee stanched Shall his side remaine euermore pierced and his skinne alwayes dyed with bloud Did not his Disciples behold him with their eyes ascending aboue the Cloudes really and royally into the Mansion of eternal glory and now hath he not his residence in Heauen sitting at the right hand of thy Omnipotent Maiestie leading Captiuitie Captiue and giuing gifts vnto men Wee know oh Lord and are certainely assured that our blessed Sauiour ruleth and raigneth with thee in euerlasting glory and yet hee remaineth fixed on the Crosse his wounds still streaming out precious bloud to wash away our sinfull blots All times are present with God because his painefull passion with thee is euermore in action and things long past are alwayes present before thee And we daily see him crucified paying the price of our Redemption in our spirituall contemplation diuine Meditations Know thou oh heauenly and louing Father the Coat of thy true Son Ioseph Alas a most cruell Beast deuoured him and hath trodden his Garment vnder feet in his fury and hath stained al the beauty and disgraced all the glory of it with spots of gore-bloud Behold that rauenous beast hath left fiue pittifull rents in it This oh Lord is the Garment which thy innocent Childe left in the hand of the Aegiptian Harlot chusing rather to loose his Cloake then to forgo the precious Iewel of his vnspotted Chastity by polluting his vndefiled body with filthy adultery chusing rather being spoiled of garment of the flesh to descend into the prison of death then to obey that adulterous voice by which it was very well said All these things I will giue thee if thou wilt fall downe worship me Mat. 4.9 As Ioseph did willingly forgo his cloake when he was allured to haue committed folly with his adulterous Mistris And now omnipotent Lord and gracious Father we know that thy Son liueth raigneth ouer all the land of Egipt in euery place of thy vniuersall Monarchy for he is brought out of the prison of death hell into thy glorious Kingdom crowned with the Emperial crown of eternall immortalitie and hauing changed his Garment of the flesh immortalitie flourisheth for euer being receiued of thee with exceeding glory For hee hath subdued and conquered the kingdome of Pharo and with his owne noble valour
my strength What are mine vnited forces to sustaine so heauy a burthen of worldly miseries with such an invincible minde and peaceable patience as thou hast commaunded How can I saile in this troublesome Ocean but I must needs runne against the rockes of wofull Desperation vnlesse thou be my Pilot and guide my sterne It is fond to put any confidence in men It is vaine to put any trust in Princes For although thou hast called them Gods to teach them how high thou hast exalted them and they indeed are truly honorable that remember thee to bee the author of their exaltion yet by and by thou hast giuen them a cooling Carde to quaile and qualifie their haughtie pride telling them plainely that for all that they shall die like men and returne and be turned into dust as vvell as the meanest of the people SECTION XX. ARE my feet oh Christ like vnto the feet of a swift Hart that I should bee able to follow thee so swift a runner through the thornes and pricking Bushes of thy painefull Passion Doe I not walke vpon the Water alwayes ready to sincke with fearefull Peter vnlesse thou put forth thy powerfull hand to succour me Mat. 14.29.31 But heare my voyce oh thou Sonne of Dauid my mercifull Sauiour infuse the precious Quintessence of thy celestiall Graces into my bosome and then lay thy sweet Crosse vpon thy seruant which is the Tree of Life to them which apprehend it then as I hope I shall runne forward cheerfully and I shall carry that Crosse after thee with great willingnes which thy cruell enemies did maliciously impose vpon thee Lay that most hard Crosse I say vpon my shoulders vvhose breadth is Chastity whose length is Eternity whose height is Omnipotency whose depth is vnsearchable Wisedome Naile my hands and my feet vnto it and make thy seruant oh LORD in all things conformable to thy Passion Graunt mee oh Lord to abstaine from the works of the flesh which thou hatest and to doe righteousnesse which thou louest and in both to seeke thy glory Naile my left hand with the naile of Temperancie and my right hand with the naile of Iustice vpon that high Crosse Graunt my minde continually to meditate on thy holy Law and to cast all my cogitations vpon thee and fasten my right foot to the same tree of life with the naile of wisedome Graunt that the vnhappy happinesse of this life sliding away euery moment may not allure mee like an enticing Harlot to yeeld to the wanton inducements of carnall sensualitie and to weaken his vigour by the intemperate abuses of vnlawfull pleasures Neither let pyning cares pensiue thoughts and suddaine vnhappy chances trouble the peace of it or procure any turbulent motions but let my Spirit as well in the Sunneshine dayes of calme prosperitie as in the blustering weather of stormy aduersitie bee fastened to thy Crosse with the nailes of prudent moderation and Christian fortitude that neither in prosperitie I may soare too high with the wings of aspiring pride nor in the aduersitie bee depressed too lowe with the weight of dispairefull care But that there may appeare some similitude of the pricking thornes which pearcing the vaines of thy head made a passage for thy precious bloud to runne downe to the skirts of thy cloathing graunt I pray thee that my minde may bee so deepely wounded with the forcible compunction of healthful repentance that mine eyes may shewre downe plenty of teares to wash away the spots of my defiled Conscience So mollifie the hardenesse of my heart that it may bee pliaable to receiue the impression of tender pitty so that it may still haue a feeling compassion of other mens miserie Let an earnest zeale to emulate and imitate that which is righteous before thee so pricke forward my minde that I may alwayes place thy perfect Law before mine eyes and walke in the way of thy Commaundements and that in the extreamest fits of my greatest sorrow I may turne vnto thee for my consolation and comfort and that dispayring of my owne merit I may bee relieued by thy Mercy I am well pleased that thou put a Spunge by a Reede to my mouth and that thou giue sowre Vineger to my taste It liketh me that thou shouldest teach my reason by thy holy Word that the glorious pride of the World is nothing else but an emptie Spunge which appeareth more in shew then it is in substance and that the sweetest taste of it is more sowre then vinegar which exceedeth in sharpenesse and all the concupiscence of it more bitter then gall or worme-wood Euen so oh heauenly Father let the cup of Babilon be bitter vnto me let not the pleasant colour of the wine allure me to taste of that poysoned liquor neither let the deceitful sweetnes of it ouercome my vnderstanding nor drowne my reason as it hath done theirs which thinke darknes to be light and light to be darkenes bitter to be sweet sweet to be bitter I dare not drinke of the wine tempered with Mirrhe and mixed with gall because thou wouldest not drinke of it Mark 15.23 For thereby appeared the bitternesse of the enuy and malice which thy furious Foes did beare against thee who would afforde thee no humane pitty in thy greatest extreamitie no not so much as to giue thee a cup of sweet water Fashion thy seruant oh Lord like vnto thy quickning death that according to the flesh I may die daily crucifying my carnall lusts alwayes loathing the thing that is euill and that according to the Spirit I may daily be reuiued imbracing and louing the thing that is righteous and good And that I may reioyce to carry in me the perfect Image of thee my Lord and crucified Sauiour expresse also a similitude of that in mee which the vnsaciable crueltie of the euill ones acted against thee after thy cursed and yet most blessed death Let thy liuely and powerfull Word pierce into my side and wound my hart For thy word oh Lord will sooner enter then a double-edged sword and penetrate deeper then the sharpest speare euen to the diuision of my soule and the marrow inclosed in my bones that in steed of bloud and water there may issue forth continuall streames of loue towards thee and thy brethren So that as thou hast not spared to shed thy heart bloud for me I may alwayes be willing to expresse my gratuitie towards thee Lastly wrap my Spirit in the pure linnen cloth of thy righteous garment in which I may safely rest comming out and going into the place of thy holy Tabernacle and wherewith thou mayest hide mee vntill thine anger be appeased and thy heauy displeasure remoued But the third day after the day of labour and punishment earely in the dawning of the Sabbath day raise mee euerlastingly amongst thy children that in my flesh I may see thy brightnes and be filled with the ioy of thy countenance SECTION XXI OH my Sauiour and my God
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
way of truth and to feede their soules with the spirituall food of his coelestiall doctrine Oh most mercifull and blessed Iesus thy words are spirit and life which thou doest speake to thy Disciples and that knew thy Seruant Peter when he said Thou hast the words of eternall life For thy words are pure and sweet to the taste of them that loue thee yea more sweet then honie and the honie-combe They also knew that those who were sent by the chiefe Rulers to lay hands vpon thee were taken with such wonderfull admiration at the gracious words which did proceede out of thy blessed mouth that they were constrained to proclaime thy worthie praises telling them That neuer any man spake so graciously Oh most eloquent Orator streames of sweetnesse doe flow from thy lips Honie and Milke are euer plentifull vnder thy tongue Oh how powerfull how eloquent how wonderfull were the words which my Lord vttered to his Disciples in the end of his sweet Oration Hee exhorteth them to sow the seedes of true loue in their hearts and to shew forth the fruits thereof one to another After hee admonisheth them that they should be constant in their loue and permanent in their Faith towards him their louing Sauiour For hee that is destitute of the former can neuer be possessed of the latter And after those things he fore-telleth them what great dangers they should passe what tribulations troubles afflictions and calamities they should suffer after his departure that being fore-warned they might be better armed Lastly hee powreth forth his prayer vnto his heauenly Father for them that they might not shrinke backe like cowards in the day of their triall nor their Faith faile them in the bitter stormes of affliction but aboue all things oh my most sweet IESVS I am not able to wonder enough at thy earnest Exhortations which thou diddest vse to kindle the sparkes of feruent loue towards thee in the hearts of thy faithfull Disciples thou doest specially aboue all things charge and command thy Disciples that they loue thee and couet after nothing but thee Oh how great is the excellencie of true loue Oh how feruent is the vehemencie of a deuout spirit Oh how forcible is the preheminence of a charitable affection Thou didst commend and leaue loue my beloued Iesus as a most rare and precious Iewell to thy deare Disciples Therefore this is highly to be extolled of vs and chiefely to be desired by vs as our greatest riches and onely treasure Let him oh louing Iesus be abiected out of thy gracious fauour let him haue no taste of thy kindnes that doth not honour thy name and possesse his heart with thy loue Truely many riuers of water haue not beene able to put out the fire nor quench the flame of true loue for loue is as strong as death Verilie if I should giue all my substance were it neuer so great I would regard it as nothing rather then I would want or forgoe my true loue for hee that loueth thee faithfully my most louing Sauiour will leaue all things willingly take vp his Crosse chearefully and follow thy steps constantly Therefore who shall seperate mee from thy loue Oh my most sweet Lord What shall diuert the current of my affections from thee Shall tribulation or anguish shall persecution or hunger But because I can doe nothing without thy grace my gracious IESVS nor performe any thing without thy power set such a deepe stampe of thy loue in my heart that the print of it may neuer be raced out but abide in it for euer yea so wound my heart with thy sweetest loue that all my desires may be turned towards thee and that I may finde no ease but when I thinke vpon thee that I may loue thee with all my heart with all my soule with all my strength that my whole will desires and affections may couet nothing but thee Let all my cogitations be onely occupied in the meditation of thy loue Seperate and remoue from mee all other desires of the flesh oh my sweet Iesus that my whole heart may be solelie conioyned to thee in the day my soule humblie attend vpon thee in the night and that my spirit and bodie may chearefully seeke after thee when I awake earely in the morning for my soule thirsteth after thee oh God which art a liuing fountaine oh when shall I come before thy face when shall I appeare in thy presence And I doubt not oh most mercifull Lord but that I shall be loued of thy Father if I shall loue thee as thou hast taught thy Disciples and that thou and thy Father will come to mee and make your dwelling place with me And what doe I craue more what doe I couet so much as that my Iesus may dwell and remaine in mee Oh how happy were my state how blessed were my condition if I could truelie say my beloued as a bundle of Mirrhe vnto me will remaine betweene my breasts If I could imbrace my beloued Iesus I would hold him fast betwixt mine armes I would neuer let him depart any more from me his presence should be my pleasure in the day his societie should be my solace in the night Kindle my reines oh most louing Iesus with the burning sparkles of thy loue inflame my heart with the fire of an ardent deuotion towards thee so that I may long after thee alone my deare beloued Christ Iesus and euermore search for thee and neuer cease to seeke thee vntill I finde thee which by the vehemencie of thy loue and compassion of thy mercie wert willing to be cruellie crucified for my grieuous transgressions and to dye a shamefull death for my sinnes Ingraue the memorie of this thy great loue so deepe in the Table of my heart that it neither decay by length of daies nor be worne out by the iniquitie of the time A Meditation concerning Iesus his going vp into Mount-Oliuet and of his praying thrice in the Garden MED VI. My a Marke 14.34 soule is heauie euen vnto death Mans sinne doth b Luke 22.44 bloud and water from me draine For sinne I feele my Fathers angry c Marke 14.35 wrath For sinne I drinke this cup d Luke 22.42 of deadly paine IT was the custome of our louing Iesus to ascend vp often vnto the Mount Oliuet which was distant the space of a mile from Ierusalem that he might pray There also was a Towne named Gethsemani where there was a Garden scituated on the Mountaines into the which beloued Iesus was accustomed to enter specially at night time with his Disciples to pray Wherefore after he had ended his glorious and blessed Supper and also his sweet and comfortable exhortations made to his beloued and faithfull Disciples hee resorted towards this place late in the night accompanied with them Here oh my soule behold thy Iesus looke vpon that innocent Lambe which goeth of his owne accord to the slaughter Take a view of his