is frequent in the sacred Scriptures aâ— S. Austin obserued in his booke of thâ— Consent of the Euangelists l. 3. c. 16. For the Apostle writing to the Hebrews sayth They stopped the mouthes of Lyons they were stoned they were hewed they went about in sheepskins in Goate-skins and yet who stopped the mouthâ— of Lyons was but one Daniell and who was stoned was but one Ieremy and vvho was hewed in peces vvas but one Esay Add hereto that S. Mathew and S. Marke do not so expresly say that both the Theeues did vpbraid Christ as we find S. Luke expresly to vvrite Vnus autem de his c. One of the theeues that were hanged blasphemed him For the greater probability of truth we may further say that therâ— caÌ„ be no reason alledged why the same theefe should both blaspheme and praise Christ And whreas some do reply that this theefe who afore did blaspheme did after change his Iudgement and praysed Christ when he heard him say Father forgiue them for they know not what they do is euideÌ„tly repugnant to the Gospell for S. Luke relateth that Christ prayed for his Persecutours to his Father before the wicked Theefe begunne to blaspheme Therefore the iudgements of S. Ambrose and S. Austine are to bâ— imbraced heerin who mantaine that of the two theeues the one did blaspheme the other did prayse and defend Christ Therfore the other thiefe did answere to the thiefe blaspheming thus Neyther dost thou feare God whereas thou art in the same daÌ„nation Luc. 23. This good and happy thiefe partly from the vertue of the Crosse of Christ and partly from diuine light and inspiration which then did begin to shyne to him vndertooke to correct his Brother and to draw him to a more safe mynd iudment The meaning of whose words is this Thou wouldest imitate the blaspheming Iewes but they as yet haue not learned to feare the iudgment of God because they are persuaded they haue ouercome and they do vaunt glory of their Victory when they seeÌ„ Christ nayled to the Crosse and themselfes to be free and at liberty suffering no euill But thou who for thy offences hangest vpon the Crosse and hastest towards death why dost thou not begin to feare God Why heapest thou sinne to sinne And further this happy Thiefe increasing in his good VVorke and seconded vvith the light of the Grace of God confesseth his sinnes and preacheth the Innocency of Christ saying Et nos quidem iustè and vve are iustly to vvit condemned to the Crosse but this man hath done no Euill Luc. 23. Lastly the light of Grace more resplendently shining he addeth Domine memento mei c. Lord remember me when thou shalt come into thy kingdome Certainly the Grace of the Holy Ghost which vvas in the hart of this Thiefe is most wonderfull S. Peter the Apostle denieth Christ the Thiefe nayled to the Crosse confesseth him The disciples going to Emaus say But we did Hope the Thiefe confidently speaketh saying Remember me when thou shalt come into thy kingdome S. Thomas the Apostle denied to belieue in Christ except he saw that Christ had risen froÌ„ death The Thiefe being vpon a Crosse and seing Christ fastened to the Crosse doubteth not â—o acknowledge that after he was to â—e a King But who had taught this â—heefe so high Mysteries He calleth that man Lord whom he did behould â—aked wounded lamenting openly derided and contemned and hanging with him He further sayth that Iesus after his death was to come into his kingdome From which point we vnderstand that the Theefe did not â—reame of any future temporall kingâ—ome of Christ here vpon earth such â—s the Iewes do expect but belieued that Christ after his death was to be an Eternall King in Heauen Who had instructed him in such sublime Sacraments Certainly only the spirit of Truth which did preuent him in the benedictions of sweetnes Christ after his Resurrection said to his Apostles Christ ought to suffer these things and so to enter into his glory But the Theife did foreknow this after a wounderfull manner and did confesse it at that tyme when there appeared no likelyhood in Christ to raigne Kings do reigne vvhen they liue and when they cease to liue they cease to reigne But the Theefe openly affirmed that Christ by death was to come into his Kingdome The vvhich point our Lord did explaine in one of his Parables vvhen he said Luc. 19. A certaine Noble man went into a farre Country to take vnto himselfe a kingdome and to returne This our Lord said being most neare vnto his Passion signifying that by death himselfe was to goe into a far distant Country or Region that is to an other life or vnto Heauen which is most remote from the Earth and to goe to the end to receave a most large and euerlasting kingdome and after to returne at the day of iudgment that he might make retribution either of reward or punishment to all men according as they had deserued in this lyfe Therefore of this kingdome of Christ which presently after his death he was to receaue the wyse Theefe said Remember me when thou shalt come into thy kingdome But was not Christ a king before his death Certainly he was and therefore the Magi cryed out Vbi est qui natus est Rex Iudaeorum Where is he that is borne king of the Iewes Math. 2. And Christ himselfe said to Pilate Thou saist that I am a King For this was I borne and for this came I into the world that I should giue testimony to the Truth Ioan. 18. Neuerthelesse he was a king in this world as a stranger among his Enemies and therefore he was acknowledged as a king only of few but contemned and badly entreated by many And in regard thereof he said in the Parable aboue cited that he was to goe into a far Country to take vnto himselfe a kingdome He said not to seeke or to gaine a Kingdome which did not belong to him but to receaue his owne kingdome and to returne therefore the Theefe wisely said VVhen thou shalt come into thy kingdome To proceede The kingdome of Christ signifieth not in this place any Regall Potency or Soâ—â—raignty For this euen from the beginning he had according to that of the Psalme 2. I am appointed king by him ouer Sion his Holy Hill And in another place He shall rule from sea to sea and from the Riuer euen to the ends of the world Psal 71. And Esay sayth cap. 9 A litle one is horne to vs and a sonne is giuen to vs whose Principality is vpon his shoulder And Ieremy cap. 23. I will rayse vp Dauid a Iust branch and he shall reigne a king and shal be wise and he shall do iudgement and iustice vpon the earth And Zacharias cap. 9. Reioyce greatly O daughter of Sion make iubilation O daughter of Ierusalem Behold thy king will come to thee the iust and Sauiour himselfe poore and
OF THE SEAVEN VVORDES SPOKEN BY CHRIST vpon the Crosse Two Bookes Written in Latin by the most Illustrious Cardinall Bellarmine of the Society of Iesus And translated into English by A. B. Foderunt manus meas pedes meos Psal 21. They haue digged my hands my feet Permissu Superiorum 1638. The Translatour to the Reader GOod Reader in place of a Ceremonious and formall Dedicatory Epistle I send thee these few lines The worke heere translated is one the spirituall Treatises of the most Learned and Vertuous Bellarmine of Blessed Memory being entituled Of the seauen VVords spoken by Christ vpon the Crosse Prize the Contents of those words as thou prizest thy owne soule they being in number few in force and weight many Take them as so many rich Legacies left by our charitable Testatour immediatly before his death to mankind And vvho is he that neglecteth the Legacies of his dying Lord and Friend Most men do much regard ponder the last words of a dying man at that tyme hauing his senses and memory vnperished who during the whole course of his life had gained among others a great name reputation of VVisdome Of what estimate then ought we to make the VVords of Christ vttered in his dying state who wâ—s not only wise but VVisdome it selfe VVho is the VVord it selfe VVho is God himselfe These VVords hereafter following in this Treatise Christ spake being nayled vpon the Tree of the Crosse a Tree infinitly more high as reaching from Earth to Heauen then the highest Cedar in Libanus Tast of the fruits which may be gathered from thence since arbor bona fructus bonos facit Matth. 7. Vpon this Tree death became dead vvhen life thereon did dye This Tree was the Chayre from whence our spiritual Doctour dictated his Precepts to vs Christians It was the Pulpit out of which our Heauenly Ecclesiastes preached to mankind Briefly it was and is the true Ladder of Iacob adumbrated and shadowed by that Ladder spoken of in Genesis by which the soule of Man ascendeth vp to Heauen Thus not enlarging my selfe further and humbly intreating the charitable remembrance of all good Catholiks in their Deuotions I leaue thee to the perusing of what followeth Thine in Christ crucifyed A. B. The Preface of the Authour BEhould now the fourth yeare is passed when as preparing my selfe to my End I retire to a place of quietnes and rest exempt from negotiations and throng of Busines but not exempt from the meditation of the sacred Scriptures and from the writing of such things which to me in tyme of meditation do occur That if I be not able to profit others either by my owne speaches or by composing of any large and voluminous Booke at least that I may be of power to aduance my Brethren in their spirituall Good by some small deuout Treatise Now calling to mind of what subiect I might chiefly make choyce which might dispose me towards dying well might profit my Brethren towards liuing well The death of our Lord presented it selfe to me and that last Sermon of his which consisting of seauen most short but most graue sentences the Redeemer of the World from the Crosse as from a high and eminent Chayre deliuered to all MaÌ„kind Since in that Sermon or in those seauen Words all those Points are contained of which the said Lord thus speaketh Luc. 18. Behould we go vp to Ierusalem and all things shal be consummate which were written by the Prophets of the sonne of Man Those things which the Prophets did foretell of Christ are reduced to foure Heads or branches To wit to his Preaching and Sermons made to the People To his Prayer directed to his Father To the most grieuous Euills which he was to suffer To sublime and admirable Works performed by him All which seuerall Points did admirably shine in the life of Christ For first our Lord did most frequently preach in the Temple in the Synagogues in the fields in desert solitary places in priuate Houses and to conclude euen out of the ship to the People standing vpon the shore Furthermore He spent for the most part whole nights in Prayer to God for thus the Euangelist speaketh Luc. 6. He passed the whole night in Prayer to God Now his admirable and astonishing working of Wonders of which the holy Gospells are very full doth concerne the expelling of the Deuils curing the sicke multiplying of bread and in appeasing or allaying tempests or stormes all sea To conclude the Euills that in recompence of the Good which he had done were perpetrated against him were many not only in contumely of Words but also in stoning of him and in endeauoring to cast him headlong dovvne from a fearefull Precipice But all these seuerall Points were consummated and perfected most truly vpon the Crosse For first He so mouingly persuadingly preached from the Crosse as that many returned from thence knocking their Breasts And further not only the harts of men but euen the stones as it were through a secret compassion were riuen and torne a sunder He in like manner so prayed vpon the Crosse as that the Apostle sayth thereof Heb. 5. Cum clamore valido lachrimis exauditus est pro sua reuerentia With a strong Crye and teares he was heard for his reuerence Now what he suffered vpon the Crosse was of so high a nature in reference to those things which he had suffered through the rest of the life as that they alone may be thought peculiarly to belong to the Passion To conclude He neuer wrought greater Prodigies and signes then when lying vpon the Crosse he was brought to extreme imbecillity and weaknes For at that time he did not only exhibite Miracles from Heauen the which the Iewes had before importunely demaunded of him but also a litle after he wrought the greatest Miracle of all When being dead and buried by his owne proper force and Vertue he returned from Hell and resuming his Body restored it againe to life yea to an immortall life Therfore we may conclude that vpoÌ„ the Crosse all things were truly performed and accomplished which were written by the Prophets of the Sonne of Man But before we descend to write of the particular Words of our Lord I hold it conducing to our purpose to speake some thing of the Crosse it self which was the Chayre or Pulpit of the Preacher the Altar of the Priest sacrifizing the race or place of him that did combat and feight the shop as it were of working miraculous things First then touching the forme of the Crosse the more common Opinion of the Ancients is that it consisted of three seuerall parcels of Wood One long vpon the which the Body of our Lord crucified was laid or extended another ouerthwart in which the haÌ„ds were fastened the third was affixed and ioined to the lower part vpon the which the feet did rest but so nailed thereto that they could not be moued from thence
Christ was a iust and holy man and deliuered ouer to him through the malice of the Chiefe Priests As also those high Priests did know that he was the true Christ which was promised in the Law as S. Thomas teacheth because they could not deny neither did they deny but that he did worke many miracles which the Prophets foretould the true Mesâ—ias was after to doe To conclude the People did know that Christ was condemned without iust cause since Pilate openly cried out saying I find no cause in this Man I am innocent of the Bloud of this iust man And although the Iewes or the Chiefe of them or the People did not know that Christ was the Lord of Glory Yet they might well haue knowne the same had not Malice blinded their Harts For thus S. Iohn speaketh cap. 12. VVhereas he had donne so many miracles before them they belieued not in him because Esay the Prophet said He hath blinded their eyes and hardned their Heart that they may not see with their eyes nor vnderstand with their Heart and be conuerted c. But yet this blinding doth not excuse the man blinded since it is Voluntary though not precedent euen as those who do sinne of malice do labour indeed with some IgnoraÌ„ce which Ignorance doth not excuse them in that it doth not precede or goe before but only accompany the sinne For the VViseman truly sayth Prou. 24. They do erre who worke Euill And the Philosopher accordeth therto teaching that Omnis malus ignorans And vpon this ground it may be truly said of all sinners Non sciunt quid faciunt For it is impossible to desire or will Euill with reference to Euill since the Obiect of the will is not a thing either good or Euil but only that which is good VVherefore those who choose what is euill do euer choose it as it is represented vnder the shew of Good yea vnder the colour of the chiefest good that then can be obtained The reason hereof is the perturbation of the inferiour part of the soule which doth darken reason and causeth it to discerne that seming Good only which is in the thing that is desired For who chooseth to coÌ„mmit Adultery or Theft vvould neuer chuse the same except his mind were bent vpon the Good of the delight or gaine which is in Adultery or Theft as also except he had shut his eyes against the euill of Turpitude or Iniustice vvhich is in Adulterie or Theft Therefore euery sinner is like vnto a man who desiring to cast himselfe dovvne from a great height into a Riuer doth first shut his eyes and then after cast himselfe into the Riuer In like sort vvho doth Euill doth hate the light and laboureth with voluntaâ—y Ignorance vvhich Ignorance doth not excuse in that it is Voluntary But heere it may be demanded if this Ignorance doth not excuse why then doth our Lord say Forgiue them for they know not what they do To this it may be answered that the words of our Lord may be vnderstood chiefly first of them who crucified him whome it is probable to haue beene then ignorant not only of the Diuinity of Christ but also of his Innocency and that they simply performed the worke or charge imposed vpon them Therefore for these Men our Lord did most truly say Father forgiue them for they know not what they do Furthermore if the Words be vnderstood of vs before we had a Being or of many sinners absent which truly were ignorant of what was then done at Ierusalem our Lord with iust reason said They know not what they doe To conclude if the words be vnderstood of those who were present and were not ignorant that Christ was the Messias or an innocent Man then it is to be said that the Charity of Christ was so great as that he was willing to lessen the sinne of his Enemies in such manner as he could For although that Ignorance doth not simply and absolutely excuse yet it seemeth to preteÌ„d some reason though weake of excuse because they had more grieuously sinned if they had wholy wanted all Ignorance And although our Lord was not ignorant that that excuse was not a reall excuse but only a shaddow of an excuse yet it pleased him to alledge it for an excuse that from thence we might be instructed of the good Will and disposition of our Lord towards sinners how desirous he would haue beene to haue taken and alledged a better excuse euen for Caiphas and Pilate if a better and more warrantable could haue been found or pretended Of the first fruite of the first Word spoken vpon the Crosse CHAP. II. VVE haue explicated vnfoulded the construction Sentence of the first Word pronounced by Christ vpon the Crosse Now we will vndertake by way of meditation to gather froÌ„ the said VVord certaine fruits and those most holesome and profitable to vs All. The first then of these fruits is that we are instructed from this first part of the Sermon or preaching of Christ from the Chayre of his Crosse that the Charity of Christ was more ardent fiery then we can either vnderstand or imagine And this is that which the Apostle writing to the Ephesians cap. 3. sayth To know the Charity of Christ surpassing knowledge For the Apostle doth intimate in this place that from the Mistery of the Crosse we are able to learne the greatnes of the Charity of Christ to be so immense and of that measure as that it doth surpasse and transcend our knowledge so as we are not able to comprehend it in our â—hought or cogitation When any of vs is afflicted with any vehement griefe either of the Teeth the Eyes the Head or of any other Member our mind is so busied and fixed in suffering that one paine as that we cannot extend our thought to any other thing or negotiation and therefore we cannot their admit Visâ—tation of friends or entercourse of men for the dispatch of any busines But Christ being crucifyed did weare a Crowne of thornes vpon his Head as most ancient Fathers to wit Tertullian of the Latin Church and Origen of the Greeke do clearely teach and therefore he could not stirre or mooue his Head without dolour and griefe His Hands and Feete were fastened to the Crosse with nayles through the piercing of which our Lord endured most sharpe and intermitted torments His naked Body being tired spent through much whipping and long iourneys and openly exposed to ignominy and cold and with its own weight â—â—larging the wounds of his Hands and feete with an immane and incessant dolour did offer seuerall paines and as it were seuerall Crosses to our Blessed Lord. Yet neuerthelesse O wonderfull Charity and surmounting our apprehension all these his afflictions sleighed by him and not weighed as if he had suffered nothing he was sollicitous and regardfull only of the health and good of his Enemyes and desiring to auert from their heads the
It is written in the history of the life and death of Saint Engelbertus Arch-bishop of Cullen that when he was entrapped by his Enemies in his iourney and slayne by them and he then saying in his Hart Pater ignosce illis O Father pardon them It was reuealed of him that for this one act being in a high manner gratefull to God his soule was not only instantly taken vp by the Angels to Heauen but that being placed in the Quyre of Martyrs obtained the Crowne of Martyrs and after his death was illustrious for many miracles Apud Sur. die 7. Nouemb. O! if Christians did know how easily if themselues would they might be enriched with inestimable Treasure and might be aduanced to high Titles of Honour and glory if so they would suppresse and curbe the perturbations and passions of their mind with a true fortitude would spurne at small Iniuries against them committed they would not be of such a flinty and inexorable disposition to remit or suffer wrongs and offences But they will reply It semeth to be aduerse euen incoÌ„patible with the law right of Nature that a man should suffer himselfe to be betrampled and trodden vpon by other men offered wroÌ„gs and disgraces either in word or deed For we see euen brute Beasts who are carryed only by the instinct of Nature to assault other Beasts their Enemyes with great fiersnes and do labour to kill them In like sort we haue experience in our selfes that if vnexpectedly we meete or fall vpon our Enemy instantly our Choler is inflamed our Bloud begins to rise and boyle and that we haue a desire euen naturally of Reuenge But he is greatly deceaued who thus disputeth and he doth promiscuously confound a iust defence with an iniust reuenge A iust defence is not subiect to reprehension and this iâ— that which euen nature instructeth vs to wit vim vi repellere to repell and withstand force by force but she teacheth vs not to reuenge an iniury receaued No man is forbidden to resist that a wrong be not offered him But to reuenge an Iniury already committed the diuine Law prohibiteth since this belongeth not to any priuate Man but to the publike Magistrate And because God is the King of kings therefore he crieth out sayth Reuenge to me and I will reward Deut. 32. Now that Beasts with a maine fiercenes rush vpon other Beasts their Enemies this procedeth in that Beasts cannot discerne betwene Nature and the Vice or imperfection of Nature but men who are endued with Reason ought to make a distinction betweene Nature or the Person which is created good by God and the Vice or sinne which is euill and proceedeth not from God Therefore a man receauing an Iniury ought to loue the person but to hate the Iniury and not so much to be offended with his Enemy as to communicate and pity him imitating herein Physitians who loue their sicke Patients and therefore endeauour to cure them But do hate their disease and sicknes laboring with all their skill and art to expell it And this is that which our Maister and Physitian of our Soules Christ Iesus did teach when he said Loue your Enemies do good to them that hate you and pray for them that persecute and abuse you Matth. 5. Neither was our Maister Christ like vnto the Scribes Pharisees who sitting vpoÌ„ the Chaire of Moyses did teach but did not answerably thereunto But he sitting in the Chaire of the Holy Crosse did accordingly as he taught and preached For he loued his Enemies and he prayed for them saying Father forgiue them for they know not what they doe Now whereas the Bloud beginneth to rise and boyle in men when they see them of whom they haue receaued an iniurie the reason of this is because such men are Homines animales and haue not yet learned to restraine with the bridle of Reason the motions of the inferiour Part of the Soule which is common to them with Beasts But such men as are Spirituales to wit spirituall and know how not to yeald to their owne Passions but to maister and ouerule them are not offended at their Enemies but pitying theâ—â— do labour by curtesies and beâ—â—â—â—s to reduce them to peare and concord But this many men say is ouer harsh and vngratefull especially to such as being nobly borne are solicitous and so ought to be of their Honour To this I answere that the point here enioyned is easy for the yoake of Christ who imposed this Law to his Disciples and followers is sweet and his burden easy as we read in the Gospell and his Commandements are not heauy as S. Iohn affirmeth Now if they seeme more difficult and burdensome to vs then we expect this falleth out through our owne default in that there is but litle Charity of God in vs or none at all For nothing is difficult to Charity according to that of the Apostle 1. Cor. 13. Charity is patient is benigne suffereth all things belieueth all things hopeth all things heareth all things Neither did Christ alone loue his Enemies though he did in a far more eminent degree then any other for euen in the Law of Nature holy Ioseph the Patriarch did wonderfully loue his Enemies by whom he was sold And in the written Law Dauid did patiently beare his Enemy Saul who sought his death a long tyme. And yet when Dauid had oportunity to kill Saul he euer did forbeare the same Againe in the law of Grace S. Steuen the Protâ—martyr did follow the example of Christ who when he was stoned prayed saying Lord lay not this sinne vnto them Act. 7. In like sort S. Iames who was cast downe from a great height by the Iewes and being most neare to his death cried out O Lord pardon them for they know not what they doe And the Apostle S. Paul speaking of himselfe and of his fellow Apostles thus sayth 1. Cor. 4. We are cursed and we do blesse we are persecuted and we sustaine it we are blasphemed and we beseech To conclude many Martyrs and infinite others following the Example of Christ haue easily fulfilled this Precept But some others do further vrge saying I grant we are to pardon our Enemies but this is to be performed in due tyme to wit vvhen the memory of the receaued iniury is partly forgotten and the mind returneth to it selfe as voyde of Passion But what if it fall out that in the meane tyme thou be snatched out of this life and happen to dye and thou art found without the vestment of Charity and it be said vnto thee How camest thou in hither not hauing a wedding garment Matt. 22. Wilt thou not be then dumbe when thou shalt heare the Sentence of the Lord saying Bind him hand and foot and cast him into vtter darknes there shal be weeping gnashing of teeth Therefore I wish thee to be diligent and attent and to imitate the Example of thy Lord vvho in
riding vpon an Asse and vpon a Coult the foale of an Asse Therefore of this kingdome Christ did not speake in the Parable aboue neither the good thiefe when he said Remember me when thou shalt come into thy kingdome but both did speake of perfect Beatitude by the which a man is exempted and freed from all seruitude and subiection of things created and only is become subiect to God whom to serue is to reigne and he is constituted by God himselfe ouer all his Workes This Kingdome so farre forth as it concerned the Beatitude of the Soule Christ receaued euen from the beginning of his Conception but as it concerned his Body he had it not actually but only by right vntill after his Resurrection For whiles he was a Pilgrime or stranger heer vpon Earth he was subiect to wearines famine thirst iniuries wounds and to death it selfe yet because the glory of the Body was due to him therfore after his death he did enter into his glory as due to him For thus our Lord himselfe speaketh after his resurrection Ought not Christ to haue suffered these things and so to enter into his glory Which glory is called his glory because he is of power to communicate it to others and in this respect he is said to be Rex gloriae Dominus gloriae and Rex Regum And he himselfe saith to his disciples I dispose for you a Kingdome It is in our power to receaue glory or a Kingdom but not to giue and accordingly it is said to vs Matth. 2◠Enter into the ioy of thy Lord and not into thy owne ioy Therefore this is that Kingdome of which the good Thiefe sayd when thou shalt come into thy Kingdome But heer the great Vertues which shine in the prayer of this Holy Thiefe are not to be passed ouer in silence that therby we may the lesse wonder at the answere which Christ our Lord made to him he saith Lord remember me when thou shalt come into thy Kingdome He calleth Christ Lord by which title he acknowledgeth himselfe to be his seruant or rather his redeemed bondslaue and confesseth him to be his Sauiour He adioyneth Remember me which is a word full of hope Fayth Loue Deuotion Humility He sayth not remember me if thou canst because he belieued Christ could doe all things neither saith he if it pleaseth thee because he was confident of Christs charity and goodnes He saith not I desire the consort and participation of thy Kingdome because his Humility would not beare this kind of speach to conclude he desireth nothing in particular but onely saith rmember me which is as much if he had said If thou wilt vouchsafe only to remember me if thou wilt be pleased to turne the Eye of thy Benignity towards me it is sufficient for me because I am assured of thy Power and Wisdome and vpon thy goodnes and Charity I wholy anker and stay my selfe He lastly addeth this when thou shalt come into thy Kingdome to shew that his desire was not fixed vpō any weake and temporary benefit but that it aspired to thinges sublime and eternall Heere it followeth that we consider the Answere of Christ he sayth Amen I say vnto thee this day thou shalt be with me in Paradise That particle Amen is a word graue and solemne with Christ the which he was occustomed to vse when he would affirme any thing earnestly and vehemently S. Austin was not afraid to say that this word Amen was as it were the oath of Christ tract 41. in Ioan. Properly it is no oath since when our Lord said in S. Mathew I say to you not to swere at all And a litle after Let your speach be yea yea no no And that which is ouer and aboue these is of Euill Mat. 5. Novv it is no way probable that our Lord should haue sworne so often as he pronounted Amen since he vsed this word Amen many tymes And in S. Iohn he sayth not only Amen but Amen Amen Therefore S. Austin truly said that Amen was as it were an Oath but he said not that it was an Oath For this word Amen signifieth Truly And when one sayth I say truly to thee he affirmeth earnestly and an earnest affirmation is peculiar to an Oath Therfore Christ with good reason said to the Thiefe Amen I say to thee that is I truly do affirme but do not sweare And indeed there were three emergent Reasons which might cause the Thiefe to wauer and rest doubtfull of the Promise of Christ except he had auerred it with so earnest an asseueration The first may be drawne from the person of the Thiefe who seemed not in any sort worthy of so great a Reward or so great a guift For who would imagine that a Theife should from the Crosse presently passe to a kingdome The second Reason is taken from Christ promising who at that instant seemed to be reduced brought to extremity of want weaknes calamity For the Thiefe might probably thus reason and discourse with himselfe Yf this man during his life tyme was not able to performe any thing in behalfe of his friends shall not he be lesse able being dead The third reason may haue reference to the thing promised For here Paradise is promised but Paradise as then all men tooke notice did belong not to the Soule but to the Body since by the Word Paradise a terrestriall Paradise was vnderstood by the Iewes It had beene more credible to the Thiefe and subiect to his beliefe if our Lord had answered To day thou shalt be with me in the place of repose and refreshment with Abraham Isaac and Iacob For these Reasons therefore did our Lord premise those words Amen Dico tibi Hodie to day Our Lord sayth not In the day of Iudgment when I shall place thee with the lust vpon my right hand Neither sayth he After some yeares of thy being in Purgatory will I bring thee to a place of rest Nor doth he say I will comfort thee after certaine Months or Dayes but he sayth This very day before the sunne shall set thou shalt passe with me from the gibbet of the Crosse to the delights of Paradise A wonderfull Liberality or Bounty of Christ and a wonderfull happines of the sinner With iust reason therefore S. Austin following S. Cyprian herein is of Opinion that this good Thiefe might be reputed a Martyr and therefore escaping Purgatory did passe from this World immediatly to Heauen The Reason why the good Thiefe might be called a Martyr is in that he publikly confessed Christ at such tyme when his Disciples were afraid to speake a word in Honour of him therefore in regard of this his free and ready Confession his death with Christ was reputed with God as if he had suffered for Christ Those words Mecum eris Thou shalt be with me though no other thing should be promised then what these words only import yet had it bene a great benefit and
reward vnto the Thiefe For as S. Austin writeth tract 5. in Ioan. Vbi malè poterat esse â—um illo vbi bene esse poterat sine illo VVhere could the good thiefe be euill being with Christ and where could he be well being without Christ For no small reward and remuneration hath Christ promised to those that follow him when he said Ioan. 12. Yf any man minister to me let him follow me and where I am there also shall my minister be But our Lord promised to the thiefe not only his presence or company but further added that the Thiefe should be in Paradise What the word Paradise in this place may signify notwithstanding the different opinions of some needeth not be disputed of For it is certaine that Christ the same day after his death was with his Body in the Sepulcher with his Soule in Hell for thus much the Creede of our Fayth deliuereth to vs. It is also no lesse certaine that the Name either of Celestiall or Terrestriall Paradise cannot be ascribed either to the Graue or to Hell Not to the Graue because that was a most narrow strait place only fitting to receaue and containe dead Bodies to omit that the Body of Christ the Body of the good Thiefe were not put in one and the same graue Therefore it followeth that if the Graue had beene vnderstood in this place that promise had not bene fulfilled To day thou shalt be with me Neither can the Name of Paradise be aptly applyed to Hell seing Paradise doth signify a garden of delights And certainly in the terrestriall Paradise there were trees bearing fruite and flowers there were also most cleare Waters and an incredible sweetnes of Ayre And in the celestiall Paradise there were and are immortall pleasures an inextinguible Light and the seates of the Blessed But in Hell euen in that place where the soules of the holy Fathers did stay there was no light no sweetnes no delight True it is that those soules were not tormented but rather contrariwise seeing the hope of their future Redemption and the Visitation of Christ to come to them did exhilerate comfort them yet notwithstanding this they were detayned as Captiues in an obscure and darke Prison For thus doth the Apostle expouÌ„ding the Prophet speak Ephes 4. Christ ascending on high led Captiuity captiue And Zachary sayth cap. 9. Thou in the bloud of thy Testament hast let forth thy Prisoners out of the Lake wherein is no Water Where those words thy Prisoners and out of the lake in which there is no water do not intimate any sweetnes of Paradise but the darknes of a Prison Therefore the name of Paradise signifieth no other thing then the Beatitude of the Soule which is placed in the Vision of God for that is the true Paradise of delights not corporall or locall but spirituall and Celestiall And this is the reason why the Theefe beseeching and saying Remember me when thou shalt come into thy kingdome Christ did not answere and say To day thou shalt be with me in my kingdome but in Paradise For Christ himselfe vvas not to be that day in his kingdome that is in perfect felicity of Body and soule but he was to arriue thereto vpon the day of his Resurrection when his Body was to become immortall impassible glorious and not obnoxious or subiâ—ct to any seruitude Neither would Christ haue the good Theefe to be partaker of this kingdome before the common Resurrection of all Bodies and the day of the last Iudgment Notwithstanding our Lord most truly and properly said to him To day thou shalt he with me in Paradise because that very day he was to communicate to the soule of the good thiefe as also to the Soules of all the Saints in Limbo Patrum the glory of the sight of God which himselfe had receaued from his Conception For this glory or felicity is essentiall and it is the supreme Good in the Heauenly Paradise And certainly the propriety of the words of Christ is to be admired For he said not VVe shall be to day in Paradise or to day we will goe into Paradise but To day thou shalt be with me in Paradise as if he would haue said Thou art this day with me vpon the Crosse but thou art not with me in Paradise in which I am according to the supreme portion of the soule but a litle after yea this very day thou shalt be with me not only freed from the Crosse but euen in Paradise Of the first fruite of the second Word CHAP. V. FRom the second Word spoken vpon the Crosse we may gather certaine fruits of great worth The first fruit is the Consideration of the immense mercy liberality of Christ and how behoofull and profitable a thing it is to serue him Christ being oppressed with dolours and paines might not haue heard the Theefe praying to him but Charity made choyce rather to forget the sharpnes of his torments then not to heare a miserable sinner so confessing himselfe to be The same Lord who was altogether silent at the maledictions and exprobrations of the Chiefe Priests and the souldiers would not through his Charity be so to the cryes of a poore and penitent suppliant He was silent to the reproaches vttered against him because he is patient he would not be silent to the confession of the Thiefe because he is mercifull But vvhat shall we may say of the Liberality and Bounty of Christ He vvho serueth temporall Lords doth often take great paines and gaine but litle Certainly we may daily see not few who haue rauelled and spent out many yeares in Princes Courts and yet in their old age they returne home â—lmost Beggars But Christ our Prince â—s truly liberall truly magnificall He â—eceaued nothing from the Thiefe but 〈◊〉 few good Words and a prompt deâ—ire of seruing and following him and â—et behould with how great a reward â—e vvas recompensed For first eueâ—â—hat day all his sinnes were fully pardoned which he had committed duâ—ing the course of his whole life Next he vvas adioyned to the Princes of his People to vvit to the Patriarchs and Prophets To conclude he was taken vp and aduanced to the participation and fruition of Christ his Table of his dignity of his Glory and finally of all his Goods Our Lord said To day thou shalt be with me in Paradise And vvhat our Lord had said he presently performed for he did not defer this his reward to another tyme but that very day Christ enriched the Theefe vvith a great reward an aboundant Reward and a Revvard amassed and heaped together of all the goods of Celestiall Happines Neither did Christ proceede in this manner of munificence only with this Thiefe The Apostles only left their small boates their places of receauing Tole or Tribute and their poore Cottages that they might serue Christ But in recompence of this Christ made them Princes ouer the whole Earth Psal 44. He
of the Apostles The truth also of this point is confirmed by S. Ierome There is also an other literall doubt which here occurreth to be solued How S. Iohn can say that these three women did stand iuxta crucem Domini by side or neare to the Crosse of our Lord seing Marke and Luke do write that they did stand farre of from the Crosse S. Austin reconcileth these seeming different testimonies saying that these holy women might be said to stand aloofe from the Crosse and neare to the Crosse A farr off if their standing be compared to the souldiers and other Ministers who were so neare to the Crosse as that they did touch it Neere to the Crosse they may be said to stand because through their neerenes they might easely heare the voyce and words of Christ the which the common People could not in regard of their greater distance It also may be further said that those three holy Women during the Passion did stand farre of the Crosse as being hindered by the common People and the souldiers but a litle after the Crucifixion was accomplished many departing away those three womeÌ„ with S. Iohn did draw more neere vnto the Crosse But against this may be vrged that supposing this construction how could then the Blessed Virgin and S. Iohn vnderstand that those words of our Lord This is thy Sonne This is thy Mother were spoken of them seing a great company of persons were there present and Christ did not call either the Virgin or the Disciple by their proper name or appellation To this I answere that those three Womon and S. Iohn did stand so neere vnto the Crosse as that our Lord might easily designe and point out with his eyes the persons to whom he did speake especially seing it is certaine he directed those words to such as were his friends and not to strangers Now among those who were his owne friends there was no other man there present to whom he could say This is thy Mother then S. Iohn nor any other VVoman who through death was depriued of her sonne then the B Virgin Therefore he said to his Mother Behould thy Sonne and to his Disciple Behould thy Mother Of which words this is the seÌ„se meaning I now passe out of this VVorld to my Father and because I know thou art my Mother and that thou hast neither parents nor husband nor brethren nor sisters therefore not to leaue thee destitute of all humane comfort and ayde I do commend thee to the charge and care of Iohn my most deare Disciple He shal be to thee in place of a Sonne and thou to him in place of a Mother Which wholsome counsell or command of Christ did greatly please them both and ech of them as is credible accepted thereof with a yealding submission of head and body And S. Iohn speaking of himselfe sayth And from that houre the Disciple tooke her for his owne Ioan. 19. That is he presently obeyed the words of Christ accounting her among those Persons whose charge care and prouision did belong to him and such were his Parents being old Zebedeus and Salome But now here ariseth another literall doubt S. Iohn was one of those who said Ecce nos relinquimus omnia c. Behould we haue left all things and haue followed thee what therefore shall we haue Matt 19. Now among those things which they had forsaken our Lord himselfe rekoneth Father Mother Brethren and sisters House Lands And of this S. Iohn himselfe of his Brother S. Iames S. Mathew thus writeth c. 4. Illi autem relictis retibus patre secuti sunt eum c. And they forthwith left their nets and Father and followed him What did he who left one Mother presently receaue another Mother But the Answere here is obious and facil For the Apostles that they might follow Christ dismissâ—d and parted wâ—th Fathâ—r and Mother so far forth as they might be any hinderance to them for the preaching of the Gospell as also so far forth as might concerne any profit or humane delight to be taken by conuersing with them But the Apostles did not shake of the Care which by force of Iustice they were bound to exhibite vnto their Parents or which touched the direction and instruction of their Children or helpe succour of the needy and distressed And this is the Reason as Doctours generally affirme why a sonne cannot entâ—r â—nto a Religious Order who hath his Father or Mother spent or wasted through old age or so oppressed with pouerty as that they be not able to maintaine their life without the sustentation help of their Sonne In this sence therefore S. Iohn did leaue Father and Mother when they did not stand in neede of his labour and care But he did vndergoe the charge and sollicitude of the Blessed Virgin the Mother at the command of Christ because she was depriued of all humane help and consolation God indeed could easily without mans labour haue prouided by the ministery of his Angels all things which were necessary for maintayning of her life for to Christ himselfe the Angels did minister in the desert yet it was his good pleasure thus to proceed with S. Iohn that so he might leaue this meanes of succour to the Blessed Virgin also thereby honour S Iohn For God sent Elias to prouide and take care of the Widow not that he could not nourish and feede her by the Help of the Crowes as before he had done but that God might thereby more blesse the Widow as S. Austin admonisheth So it pleased our Lord to commit the sollicitude of his Mother to his Disciple thereby to manifest that S. Iohn was more beloued of him then any of the rest of his Disciples For in this mutation change of the Mother is fulfilled that Sentence He who hath left his Father and Mother c. shall receaue an hundred fould and shall possesse life euerlasting Math. 19. For he truly receaued an hundred fould who left his mother being the wyfe of a poore fisher and receaued to his care as Mother the Mother of the Creatour the Lady of the World being full of Grace and blessed among all Women and after to be exalted to the Celestiall Kingdome aboue all the Quyres of Angels Of the first fruit of the third Word CHAP. IX FRom this third Word or sentence seuerall fruits may be gathered if all points thereof be diligently pondered And first is collected and manifested from thence Christs infinite desire of suffering for our Saluation that so our Redemption might be made most full and copious Other men are very wary in their death especially in a violent death being full of dishonour and contumely that their neerest frieÌ„ds be not present thereat for feare that their owne dolour and griefe through their friends sight be augmented But Christ not content with his owne sufferings and those most cruell and attended on with all reproach and
she stood neere vnto the Crosse full of all constancy and spirituall resolution looking without any shew of impatience vpon her Sonne then suffering She did not fall vpon the Earth halfe dead as some do imagine she did not teare the hayre from her Heade she did not after a womanish manner bewaile and crye out but she entertained welcomed with all eauennesse and serenity of mind what was to be tollerated as proceeding from the good pleasure and Will of God She greatly loued the flesh of her sonne she more loued the honour of the Father saluation of the World which two points the Sonne himselfe did more loue then the safety and health of his owne Body Furthermore the assured Fayth of the Resurrection of her Sonne to be after the third day of the which she neuer doubted did so animate her and minister new spirits of Constancy as that she did not â—tand in need of humane Consolation For she knew well that the death of her Sonne was like vnto a most short sleepe according to that of the Prophet I haue slept and haue bene at rest and I haue risen vp because our Lord hath taken me Psal 3. All good pious Christians ought to imitate this Example I meane they ought to loue their Children but not to prefer them in loue before God who is the Father of all and who loueth them better and in a more perfect manner then we know how to loue And first ChristiaÌ„s ought to loue their Sonnes with a manly prudent loue not boulstering or encouraging them when they do euill but bringing them vp in the feare of God and correcting them not only with words but euen with strokes if either they offend God or neglect their studies and learning For this is the will of God reuealed in the Holy Scriptures as Ecclesiasticus speaketh cap. 7. Hast thou children Instruct them and bow them from their childhood And we read of Toby that he taught his Sonne from his infancy to feare God and to abstaine from all sinne And the Apostle Ephes 6. admonisheth Fathers that they do not prouoke their Children to anger but do bring them vp in discipline correction of our Lord that is that they vse them not as seruants but as freemen For those who beare themselues ouer seuerely and austerely towards their Children continually checking or striking them for the least fault do treate them as bondslâ—ues so causing them either to be of a base and dâ—iected disposition or els to fly away from their Parents Now those who are ouer indulgâ—nt do make their Children wicked nourishing bringing them vp not for the kingdome of God but for Hell The true way for the education of Children is that Parents do instruct them in discipline so as they may learne willingly and promptly to obey their Parents and maisters and when they do erre and offend that they do correct them paternally that so the Sonnes may vnderstand themselues to be chastized out of Loue not out of Hate Furthermore if so it shall please God to call any of them to the Clergy or to some religious Order let not the Parents resist so good a resolution for feare they may resist God who is the first Father of all men but let them say with holy Iob. Our Lord gaue and our Lord hath taken away The name of our Lord be blessed To conclude if children be taken from their Parents by vntimely death the which thing did câ—iâ—fly happen to the Blessed Virgin let them consider ponder the iudgments of God who often taketh some out of this World by death to preuent that malice and sinne do not change their good and vertuous mind and so perish eternally Certainely if Parents did sometymes know â—pon what counsell and inducements G d thus worketh they vvould not oâ—ly not bewayle the death of their Câ—â—ldâ—â—n but they would euen reioâ—ce thereaâ— And if the fayth hope of the Râ—surrection did feelingly and liuely worke in vs as it did in our B. Lady we should no more grieue when any of our sonnes or friends do dye before they arriue to old age then when any of them begin to sleep before it be night since the death of a faythfull and pious man is a kind of sleepe as the Apostle admonisheth vs saying 1. Thess 4. I will not haue you ignorant concerning them that sleep that you be not sorrowfull as others are that haue no Hope Heere he mentioneth rather Hope then faith because he speakeâ—h not of euery Resurrection but of a blessed and glorious Resurrection which leadeth to true lyfe and such was the Reâ—urrection of Christ That man therefore who firmely belieueth that there shal be a Resurrection of the flesh and hopeth that his Sonne taken away by immatuâ—e death shall after rise to glory hath no reason of griefe but rather of ioy because the health of his sonnes Soule is placed in great security and safty I heere come to the duty of a Sonne towards Parents the which Christ dying performed in a most full and ample manner toward his Mother It is the duty of children to render mutuall duty to their parents 1. Tim. 5. Now Sonns do render mutuaâ—l duty to their parents when they procure all things necessary for their parents being in age Euen as the Parents haue prouided for their children being yong or not able to get things touching dyet or apparell Christ therefore did commit the charge of his mother growing aged and hauing not any one to take care of her after the death of her Sonne to S. Iohn adopting him as it were for her Sonne saying to her Behould thy Sonne to S. Iohn Behold thy Mother Now heâ—re our Lord accomplished the function of a Sonne most fully towards his Mother and this seuerall wayes For first he assigned to her a Sonne who being of the same age with Christ or rather a yeare yonger was most fitting to vndergo the charge and care of the Mother of our Lord. He furthermore out of the twelue Apostles made choice of him to this incumbency and labour whome our Lord himselfe chiefly loued and of whome he also did know himselfe to be greatly againe beloued therefore he might well repose greater confidence and trust in him touching his diligence towards his Mother Againe our Lord assigned him whome he knew was to liue very many yeares and therefore without any doubt to ouer liue his Mother To conclude our Lord was not wanting in his duty to his Mother euen at that tyme when his thoughts were to be busied touching his owne anxieties and dolours For at that tyme a man might probabâ—y thinke that his cogitations were only fixed vpon the suffering of his corporall dolours and iniuries of his enemies and in tasting the most better cup of his neare approching death so as he could not turne his thoughts to any other affaires Neuertheles his charity towards his mother ouercame him and so litle regarding his
owne state his care was touching the consolation and comfort of his mother neither did the expectation of the promptitude and fidelity of S. Iohn deceaue him for from that houre the disciple tooke her for his owne Ioan. 19. This Prouidence which Christ had towards his Parent ought with greater reason to be performed by other Sons towards their Parents For Christ did lesse owe to his Parent then other men do their Parents Other men are so obliged to their Parents as that they are neuer able to requite it For they owe their life to them for which the Sons cannot make any iust satisfaction Ecclesiasticus saith remember that thou hadst not beene borne but for theÌ„ Eccl. 7. But Chriâ—t and he alone is exempted from this generall rule For he receaued life from his mother I meane a humame lyfe but in lieu heerof he gaue to her three liues an Humane life when with the Father the holy Ghost he created her the lyfe of grace when preuenting her in the Benedictions of his sweetnes he did iustify her in her creation and created her in iustifying of Her he finally gaue to her the lyfe of glory when he did aduance her to eternall glory and exalted her aboue the quyre of Angells Wherefore if Christ who gaue moâ—e to his mother then he in his biâ—th had receaued of her would obserue the law to wit to render mutuall duty to her as his Parent how much more then are other men obliged to performe this duty towards their Parents Add hereto though in honoring of our Parents we performe no more then duty tyeth vs to Neuerthelesse the benignity goodnes of God hath added to it a reward saying in the Law Honour thy Father and thy Mother that thou maist be long liued vpon the Earth Exod. 20. And the Holy Ghost addeth by Ecclesiasticus He that honoreth his Father shall haue ioy in Children and in the day of his Prayer he shal be heard Eccl. 3. Neither hath God only annexed a reward to those who honour their Parents but also hath adioyned a Punishment to such that do not honour them For we read God sayth He that shall curse Father or Mother dying let him dye Matth 15. And Ecclesiasticus addeth He who exasperateth his Mother is accursed of God Eccl. 3 And hence it appeareth that the Malediction and cursing of the Parents against their Children hath a great force in that God coÌ„firmeth the same Of which point no few Examples are extant in Histories of which one most notorious and remarkable is recorded by S. Austin the summe and contents whereof is this In Caesaria a Citty of Capadocia there were ten Children to wit seauen sonnes and three daughters who being accursed by their Mother instantly euen by the haÌ„d of God they were surprized with such a payne and dolour as that all of them were horribly strooken and shaken with a trembling of their Members In which most loathsome state they not brooking the daily sight of their owne Cittizens wandred vp and downe throughout the Roman Empire Two of these at the length were cured in the presence and sight of S. Austin by the Relicks of S. Steuen the Protomartyr Aug. l. 21. de Ciuit. c. 8. Of the fourth fruite of the third Word CHAP. XII THe burden yoake imposed by our Lord vpon S. Iohn that he should sustaine the Care of the B. Virgin his Mother was truly a sweet yoake and an easy burden For who would not most willingly remayne dwell with that mother which did beare nyne Monthes in her Wombe the Word Incarnate and which did cohabitate with him most deuoutely and sweetly for the full space of thirty yeares Or who would not enuy the beloued of our Lord who in the absence of the Sonne of God enioyed the presence of the Mother of the Sonne of God But if I be not deceaued euen we our selfes through the benignity of the Word Incarnate for our sake and through the great loue and charity of him who was crucified also for our sake may obtayne in our prayers that he would say euen to vs Behould thy Mother and to his mother concerning vs Behould thy Sonne Our mercifull Lord is no Niggard of his fauours so long as we do approach to the Throne of his Grace with fayth confidence and a true and sincere Hart. He that is desirous that we should become Coheyres of the kingdome of his Father will not certainly disdaine to make vs Coheyres or Competitours of the Loue of his Mother Neither will the most gracious Virgin hardly or displeasingly brooke the multitude of her Sonnes since she hath a most ample bosome and greatly coueteth that not any of them should perish whom her Sonne hath redeemed with his precious Bloud and Death Let vs therefore come with firme immoueable hope to the Throne of the Grace Fauour of Christ And let vs most suppliantly and euen vvith teares demaund beseech him â—at of euery one of vs he would say to his Mother Behould thy Sonne to euery one of vs he would say of his Mother Behould thy Mother O! how well would it be with vs to be vnder the protection of such a Mother Who would be of power to draw vs from out her Bosome What tribulation could be so potent and strong as to ouercome vs confiding trusting in the Patronage of the Mother of God and of our Mother Neither shall we be the first in the obtayning of so great a Benâ—fit Manâ— haue gone before vs Many I say haue cast themselfes into the armes of her Patronage and defence and yet not any one euer returned back confounded or frustrated of their expectation but all cheerfull and reioycing as securely ankering themselues vpon the assistance of so great a Mother For of her it is written Gen. 2. She shall bruysâ— thy head in peeces And those who trust in her shall fearelesly walke vpon thâ— Adder and Basiliske betrampling vnder their feete the Lyon the Drâ—gon Psal 90. Out of a great multitude let vs heare the testimonies and acknowledgments of some few especially of those who haue confidently reposed themselues in the protection of the B. Virgin the Mother of our Lord and then we shall credibly coniecture them to be of the number of those to whom it is said by our Lord Behould thy Mother and of whom it is said to the Mother Behould thy Sonne Let S. Ephrem the Syrian be the first an ancient Father and of so great celebrity as that as S. Ierome witnesseth his Bookes were publikly read in the Churches after the reading of the Holy Scriptures This Father thus speaketh Intemerata prorsus pura Virgo deipara c. Intemerate and altogeather pure is the Virgin Mother of God Serm. de laud. Deipara And after Tu portus procellis c. Thou art the Hauen of those who are tossed with stormes the Comfort of the World the setter at liberty of those who are in Prison
the Patronesse of Orphans thou art the Redemption of the Captiue the exultation and Comfort of the sicke and the Health of All. And againe Sub alis tuis c. Vnder thy wings keep me and protect me take mercy on me who am contaminated and defiled with dirt And yet more after Non mihi alia â—iducia c. There is no other hope for me O Blessed Virgin All hayle to thee who art the peace the ioy and health of the World To this Father let vs adioyne S Iohn Damascene who was one of the first of those that worshipped the most holy Virgin and placed their Hope in her This Doctour thus writeth Orat. de Natiu B. Virg. O Ioachim Anna Filia Domina c. Receaue the prayer of a sinner yet ardently louing and worshipping thee houlding thee as the hope of his ioy the defendour of his lyfe reducing him into fauour with thy Sonne a firme and earnest pledge of saluatioÌ„ vnloose and dissolue the burden of my sinnes suppresse my temptations gouerne my life piously and holily and procure that thou being my guyde I may come to the celestiall Beatitude I will add to the former two of the Latin Fathers of which S. Anselme shal be one who thus writeth l. de Excell Virg. c 3. Itaque cui saltem ita concessum fuerit c. I do coniecture that it is a great signe to him of obtayning Saluateon who with a sweet cogitation can often thinke of the B. Virgin And after Velocior est nonnumquam salus c. Oftentimes Health is sooner obtained by calling vpon the name of the B. Virgin then by inuocating the name of our Lord Iesus her only Sonne But the reason hereof is not because she is greater or more powrefull then he for he is not grsat and potent by her but she is great and potent by him Why then is health often sooner receaued by the inuocation of her then of her Sonne I will shew my iudgment of this â—oint Her sonne is the Lord and Iudge of all men discerning the merits of euery One. Therefore whyles he is inuocated by his owne name of euery man he presently heareth not and this he doth iustly But the name of his Mother being inuocated and implored if the merits of him that inuocateth do not deserue that he should be heard yet the merits of the Mother do so intercede as that he may be heard But S. Bernard doth after a wonderfull manner describe the pious and indeed motherly affection of the most Blessed Virgin tovvards men deuoted to her as also the extraordinary and filiall piety of such who do acknowledge the Virgin as their Mother and Patronesse Thus this Doctour sayth Serm. 2. super Missus est O quisquis te intelligis c. O thou who perceauest that in the inundation of this VVorld thou art more tossed among the stormes and tempests then thou dost quietly walke vpon the earth do not turne thy Eyes from the brightnes of this starre I meane of Mary the star of the Sea if so thou couetest not to be ouerwhelmed with these stormes Yf thou be tossed with the waues of Pryde if of Ambition if of Detraction if of Emulation turne thy selfe towards this starre and inuocate Mary Yf thou be afflicted with the dreadfulnes of thy owne sinnes if thou be confounded with the guiltines of thy owne Conscience if thou be afraid through feare of thy Iudge if thou beginnest to be absorpt in the Hell of sadnes and in the abisse of Desperation thinke vpon Maâ—y In thy dangers in thy straits in thy necessities meditate vpon Mary inuoke Mary thou following her dost not goe abstray thou praying to her dost not despaire thou thinking of her dost not erre And the same Father in another Booke thus further discoursâ—th Serm de Nat. B. M. siue de aquae ductu Altius intuemini c. Call more deeply into mind with what affection of deuotion he who hath placed all plenitude of goodnes in Mary would haue Mary to be honoured of vs so as if there be any hope in vs if any Grace if any health we are to acknowledge that it proceeds from her And after Tâ—t is ergo medullis c. With all the forces and desires of our Harts let vs worship Mary for this is the will of him who will haue vs to receaue all by the mediation of Mary And againe Filioli haec peccatorum scala c. My Sonnes this meaning the B. Virgin is the Ladder of sinners this is my greatest Confidence this is the cause of all my Hope To these two most holy Fathers I will annexe other two holy men out of the Schoole of Deuines S. Thomas Aquinas in his litle Worke of the salutation of the Angell thus sayth in opusc 8. Benedicta tu in multeribus c. She meaning the Virgin Mary it blessed among all Women bâ—cause she alone hath taken away Malediction hath brought in Benediction and hath opened the Gate of Paradise Therefore the name of Mary which is interpreted the starre of the Sea doth well agree to her for as those who are sayling are directed to the Port or hauen by the starre of the Sea so Christians an directed to Glory by the help of Mary S. Bonauenture most fully discourseth of this subiect thus writing in sua Pharetra l. 1. cap. 5. Sicut O beatissima omnis à te c. O most B. Virgin as of necessity euery one that is in mind auerted from thee and not respected by thee must perish so euery one that is conuerted to thee and by thee regarded cannot possibly be damned The same holy Father in another of his bookes thus writeth of the confidence of S. Francâ—â— â—n the B. Virgin in vita D. Fran. Matrem Domini nostri c. S. Francis did prosecute the Mother of our Lord Iesus Christ with an inutterable Loue in that she made the Lord of Maiesty to become brother to vs and by her we haue obtained Mercy He confiding in her next to Christ made her his Aduocate and in her Honour he did fast most deuoutely from the feast of the Apostles S. Peter and S. Paul vntill the feast of her Assumption To all these Holy Fathers I will range Pope Irnocentius the third who was a great Worshipper of the Mother of God and who not only in his Sermons did much magnify prayse her but also in her Honour did buyld a Monastery And which is more to be admired He stirring the People vp to repose their Hope in the most holy Mother of God as foreknowing the euent of things to come did vtter many things which he after confirmed with his owne happy experience and triall Thus he writeth of the B. Virgin Quis iacet in nocte Culpae c. He who lyeth in the night of Offence and sinne let him behould the Moone let him pray to Mary that she through her Sonne may illuminate his hart with
compunction For who euer did inuocate her in the Night tyme and was not heard of Her Let the Reader peruse those things which we haue written of Innocentius the third in the second booke and nynth Chapter Of the mourning of the Doue Now from all this aboue set downe it is euidently collected That of the signes of Election to Glory a singular deuotion borne to the Mother of God the most B. Virgin is not the last For it should seeeme that he cannot perish eternally of whom it is said to the B. Virgin by Christ Behould thy Sonne So as that man doth not heare with a deafe care what Christ shall say to him Behould thy Mother The End of the first Booke OF THE SEAVEN WORDS OF CHRIST spoken vpon the Crosse THE SECOND BOOKE The fourth Word to wit Deus Deus meus vt quid dereliquisti me my God my God why hast thou forsaken me Matth. 27. is litteraly explaned CHAP. I. IN the former Booke we haue explicated the three first words which our Lord pronounced froÌ„ the chaire of the Crosse about the sixt houre when but a litle before he was nayled to the Crosse We will in this second Booke expound the other foure Words which our sayd Lord after the darknes of three houres from the same Chayre and most neere to his death did with a great and feruerous voice pronounce But it seemeth expedient first briefly to declare what kind of darknes that was how it was occasioned and to what end it was directed The mention of which darknes happened betweene the vttering of the former three Words and the foure other Words heerafter to be discoursed of For thus S. Matthew speaketh cap. 27. From the sixt houre there was darknes made vpoÌ„ the whole earth vntill the nynth houre And about the ninth houre Iesus cryed with a mighty voyce Eli Eli Lamma-sabacthani That is my God my God why hast thou forsaken me That this darknes was occasioned through the defect Eclips of the Sun S. Luke expressely expressely obserueth saying Et obscuratus est sol and the sun was darkned But now three dâ—fficulties are in this place to be discussed and solued for first the Sunn is accustomed to suffer Eclipse of its light in the New moone when the moone is found to be betweene the Sunne and the earth the which could not be at the time of the death of Christ seeing the moone at that tyme was not in coniunction with the Sunne which falleth out in the new moone but was in the opposition which happeneth in the full moone For all that tyme the Pascha or Feast of Easter was celebrated by the Iewes which according to the Law began vpon the foureteenth day of the first Month. Againe admitting that at the PassioÌ„ of Christ the Moone had beene in coniunction with the Sunne yet from hence it followeth not that there could be darknes for the space of three houres that is from the sixt houre to the nynth since the Eclipse of the Sunne cannot continue long especially if it be a full Eclipse and such as may hide the whole Body of the Sunne so as the obscurity of it may be accounted darknes For the moone is more swift in motion then the sunne in regard of the moones proper motion and consequently can darken the sunne but for a very short tyme. For the Moone instantly doth begin to goe backe and leaueth the sunne free that so it may illuminate the Earth with its accustomed light splendour To conclude it can neuer so fall out that through the coniunction of the Moone the sunne should leaue the whole Vniuersall Earth in darknes For the Moone is lesser then the sunne yea then the Earth therfore it cannot by the interposition of its Body so couer the whole Sunne as that the Vniuersall Earth should be left in darknes Now if any heere should obiect say that the Euangelist speaking of the Vniuersall Earth meaneth only of the vniuersall Earth of Palestines and not of the vniuersall Earth absolutely This Obiection may easely be refelled by the testimony of S. Dionysius Areo pagita who in his Epistle to S. Policarpe testifieth that himselfe did see that defection of the sunne and most horrible darknes in the Citty of Heliopolis which is in Egypt And Phlegon a Greeke Historian and a Gentil cited by Origen and Eusebius maketh intention of this Eclips of the sunne saying lib. 2. Quarto anno ducentesima secundae Olympiadis c. In the fourth yeare of the two hundred and second Olympiade a great and notorious defection of the Sunne in comparison of all others which afore had hapned was made for the day at the sixt hower was so turned into darknes and to an obscure night as that the stars in Heauen were then seene Now this Historiographer did not write in Iudaea as all affirme The same Wounder is testifiedâ— by Lucianus the Martyr saying â—erquirite in Annalibus vestris c. Reuolue your Annals and you shall find that the day was interrupted with darknes in the tymes of Pilate the sunne abandoning the Earth These words of S. Lucian are related by Ruffinus in hist. Eccl. Euseb In fine Tertullian Paulus Orosius and all others touching this Eclypse do speake of all the parts coasts of the World and not only of Iudaea But these difficulties may easely be explicated For first where it is said in the beginning that the Eclypse of the sunne is accustomed to be in the New moone only not in the full moone this is true when a Naturall defect of the light of the sunne happeneth But at the death of Christ the defect of the sunne was vniuersall and prodigious which could be wrought only by him who made the sunne the Moone Heauen and Earth For S. Dionysius writeth in the place aboue noted that the Moone was seene by himselfe and by Apollophanes about the midtyme of the day after an vnaccustomed most swift motion to come to the Sunne and lying vnder it there remained after this maÌ„ner vntill the ninth hower and then returned backe towards the Orient to its owne place To that which is added aboue to wit that the defect of the sunnes light could not so remaine for the space of three Howers as that during all that tyme the Earth should be in darknes it may be answered hereto that this is true if we speake of a naturall and vsuall defect of the sunne But this Eclypse of the sunne was not gouerned by the lawes or setled course of Nature but by the Will of the Omnipotent Creatour who as he could bring the moone after a wonderfull manner from the East in a most rapid and swift motion to the sunne and after three howers ended could bring it back to its owne place in the Orient so also was of power to cause that the moone should remaine immoueable vnder the sunne for those three howers and that it should not mooue either more slowly or more
swiftly then the sunne it selfe To conclude where aboue is added that the Eclypse and defect of the sunne could not be obserued seene through out the Vniuersall Earth in regard that the Moone is lesser then the Earth farre more lesse in quantity then the sunne I grant this to be most true with reference to the interposition of the moone only But what the moone could not performe herein the Creatour of the sunne moone performed only in not cooperating with the sunne in illustrating lighning the Earth For things created cannot worke or performe their functions except the Creatour do assist cooperate with them And whereas some men say that darknes might theÌ„ be made throughout the whole Earth through a condensation and thickning of blacke and misty Cloudes this cannot be truly auerred since it is euident from the testimonies of the Ancients that in the tyme of that Eclyps and darknes the stars were seene to appeare and shine in Heauen But thickâ— and misty Cloudes cannot only yea they are accustomed to obscure â—he sunne but also the moone and the stars Now why God would haue this signe of Darknes to happen at the Passion of Christ seuerall Reasons are accustomed to be alledged but two chiefly The first may be to demonstrate the most great excecation and blindnes of the Iewish People which Reason is brought by S Leo Pope and which blindnes of theirs doth yet continue and shall continue according to the Prophecy of Isay who thus speaketh of the beginning of the Church Surge illuminare Ierusalem c. Arise be illuminated Ierusalem because thy light is come and the glory of our Lord is risâ—n vpon thee because loe darknes shall couer the Earth and a myst the People Isa 60. To wit most thicke and palpable darknes shall couer the Land of the Iewes and that darknes which is not so grosse but may easely be dissipated and dispâ—lled shall couer the People of the Gentills The second Cause oâ— Reason of the forsaid darknes at our Sauâ—ours Passion may be to demonstrate the great offâ—nce and sinne of the Iewes as S. Ierome teacheth In former tymes wicked men did persecute molest and trouble yea and kill good men But now men are arriued ro that degree of Impiety as that they dare persecute euen God himselfe inuested with mans flesh and nayle him to a Crosse In former tymes suites and contentions falling out among Cittizens they fell to Words from words to blowâ—s Wounds and murther it selfe But now Vassalls and Bonslâ—uâ—s haue entred into insurrection and â—â—bellion against the King of men and Angels nayling with incredible boldnes his sacred hands and feete with piercing Nayles to the hard wood of the Crosse Therefore the whole World was amazed and through horrour of the fact trembled And the sunne it selfe as vnwilling to lend its light to the furtherance of perpetrating so flagitious a Crime did with draw in its beames couering the whole ayre with blacke and dreadfull darknes But let vs now descend to the words of our Lord Eli Eli lamma sabactani These words are taken from the beginning of the one twentith Psalme where we thus read Deus Deus meus respice in me quare me dereliquisti O God my God haue respect to me why hast thou forsaken me Where those words respice in me vvhich are in the middest of the Verse were added by the Septuagint Interpreters for in the Hebrew Text there are no other words but those which our Lord did speake In this one point the words of the Psalme and of Christ do differ in that the Words of the Psalme are all Hebrew words whereas those spoken by Christ are partly Syriach words which kind of tongue the Iewes did then much vse For those words Talitha cumi id est puella surge and Ephetha that is ad apetite and some others in the Ghospels are Syriake words and not Hebrew But to proceed Our Lord complaineth that he is forsaken of God and he complaineth crying out with a great and vehement voyce Both which Points are to be exâ—lained This dereliction and forsaking of Christ by his Father may be vnderstood in fiue seuerall senses or wayes of all waith but one is true There were fiue coniunctions of God in the Son One naturall and eternall to wit the coniunction of the Person with the Person of the Sonne in Essence Another that is a new coniunction of the Diuine nature with the Humane nature in the Person of the Sonne or which is all one a coniunction of the diuine Person of the Sonne with the humane Nature The third was the Vnion of Grace and of will for Christ being maÌ„ was full of grace and truth Ioan. 1. And the things that do please God he did allwayes as himselfe witnesseth in S. Iohn cap. 8. And the Father more then once said of him This is my beleued Sonne in whome I am well pleased Matth. 3. The fourth coniunction was the Vnion of Glory for the soule of Christ did see God euen from his CoÌ„ception The fifth was the Vnion of Protection of which himselfe speaketh when he saith He that sent me is with me and he hath not left me alone Ioan. 8. Now the first Vnion is altogether inseparable and perpetuall because it is an Vnion in Diuine Essence of which himselfe speaketh I and my Father are onâ— And therefore Christ did not say my Father why hast thou left me For the Father is not called the God of the Sonne till after the Incarnation and by reason of the Incarnation The second Vnion is neuer dissolued neyther can it be dissolued for what God once assumed he neuer did leaue for the Apostle saith He spared not his own Sonn but for vs all deliuered him Rom. 8. And the Apostle Peter Christ suffered for vs And Christ suffering in flesh 1. Pet. 2. and 4. All which sacred testimonies demonstrate that he who was crucifyed was not pure man but the true Sonne of God and our Lord Christ The third Vnion doth in lyke sort euer remaine and euer shall remaine The iust dyed for the vniust as S. Peter speaketh 1. Pet. 3. And the death of Christ would haue profited vs nothing if the Vnion of Grace should be dissolued The fourth Vnion could not be dissolued because the Beatitude of the Souâ—e cannot be lost since it comprehendeth an aggregation and heaping together of all goods For the soule of Christ according to the superiour part was truly Blessed of which Point see S Thomas 3. p. q. 46. art 8. Therefore there remaineth onely the vnion of Protection which for a short tyme was broken that the Oblation of the bloudy Sacrifice should take place for the redemption of mankind True it is that God the Father could haue protected Christ many waies and hindred his Passion for according heerto Christ said in his prayer which he made in the garden Father all things are possible to thee transferre this Chalce from me but
did hang vpon the Crosse naked full of dolours without any comforter Thou O Lord who only didst know and try this teach thy poore Seruants that they may vnderstand how much they are obliged and indebted to thee that at least they may compassionate thee with their teares and learne in this their exile sometimes to want all consolation for thy Loue if so thou shalt thinke it expedient Say to such O my Sonne Neuer during the whole course of my mortall life which was nothing but labour and paine did I suffer greater more vehement straits desolation anxiety then during the space of those three houres And neuer did I tolerate any paines with greater willingnes and promptitude of mind then I did at that tyme. For then by reason of the weight and wearines of my Body my wounds were more inlarged and the sharpnes of my griâ—fe more increased Then euen through the absence of the heate of the sunne the coldnes of the ayre more insufferably augmented the torments of my Body being on ech syde naked Then the very darknes it selfe which did take away from myne eyes the sight of Heauen Earth and all other things forced my soule in a sort more vehemently intensly to thinke vpon the paines and anguishes of my Body so in regard of these aggrauating CircuÌ„stances those three Houres did seeme to me to be three yeares But because the ardour desiâ—es of my Fathers Honour with the which my breast was inflamed and of fulfilling my Obedience to him and of the procuring the health of your soules was so great as that by how much the paines of my Body were increased by so much that fire of my desires was mitigated So as those three Houres in regard of the greatnes of my desire of suffering appeared to be to me but three small moments of Time O most Blessed Lord if the matter standeth thus then are we most vngratefull to whom it seemes painfull to spend but one short houre in meditating of those thy dolours when to thee it was not painfull to hange vpon the Crosse for our Redemption three whole houres in a horrour of darknes in cold and nakednes in extreme thirst and in most bitter and cruell torments But O Louer of mankind tell me whether the vehemâ—ncy of thy dolour was so forcible as to cause thee to desist in hart froÌ„ prayer during thy long silence of those three houers For we being in anguish and tribulation especially if the members of our Body labour with any violent paine caÌ„not without great endeauour apply our mynd to pray But I heare thee say Not so my Sonne for euen in the infirmity of my flesh I disposed my spirit prompt to prayer yea during those three howers in which I spake nothing I was still praying with the mouth of my Hart to my Father for you Neither did I pray only in Hart but euen in woundes and bloud For behould how many wounds there were made in my body so many crying Voyces there were to my Father for you And how many drops of Bloud there were so many tongues they were beseeching and begging Mercy for you at the hands of my foresaid Father and yours But now O Lord thou dost euen confound the impatience of thy Servant who if perhaps wearied out with labour or griefe of Body he do prepare himselfe to Prayer can scarsly lift vp his Soule to God to pray for him or if through thy Grace he be able to raise himselfe to so pious an Exercise yet he is not able to maintaine his attention therin for any long time since his mind is euer reflecting backe to his labour paine Therfore O pittifull Lord take mercy of thy Seruant according to the great Mercy that hauing so great an Example of thy Patience set before his Eyes he may learne to tread thy steps and may at least ouercome his small troubles and molestations in tyme of Prayer Of the third fruite of the fourth Word CHAP. IV. VVHen our Lord crying out vpon the Crosse said My God why hast thou forsaken me he did not so say as if indeed he were ignorant why God had left him for what could he not know who knew all things For answerably hereto S. Peter answered our Lord thus dâ—manding Simon of Iohn louest thou me O Lord sayth he thou knowest all things thou knowest that I loue thee Ioan. 2. And the Apostle S. Paul speaking of Christ addeth In whom is all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge Collos 2. Therfore our Lord did not demaund therby to learne buâ— to couÌ„sell vs to seeke that by seeking and finding we might learne many things profitable or rather necessary vnto vs. Now why God did forsake his Sonne in molestations and most bitter dolours fiue Reasons seeme to occur to me the which I will here produce that I may giue occasion to others of greater sufficiency to find out better Reasons of Christs dereliction 1. The first then may seeme to be the greatnes and multitude of the offences of mankind against God the which the Sonne did vndertake to expiate in his owne Body S. Peter sayth Christ did beare our sinnes in his body vpon the tree that being dead to sinne we might liue to Iustice by whose stripes you are healed 1. Pet 2. Now the Greatnes of the Offâ—nce which Christ did cancell by his Passion is in some respect Infinite to wit in regard of the Person offended who is of infinite dignity and excellency In like sort the Person satisfying who is the Sonne of God is also of infinite Dignity and Excellency and by reason hereof euery payne willingly endured by the Sonne of God though it were only a drop of bloud might be sufficient for the satisfaction This assertion is most true neuerthelesse that mans Redemption might be full and copious and because it was not one Offence but almost innumerable Offences for the Lambe of God vvho taketh away the sinnes of the world did take vpon him not only the first sinne of Adam but all the sinnes of all men therefore it pleased God that his Sonne should tolerate innumerable paines and those most grieuous And this is signified in that dereliction of which the Sonne speaketh to the Father Why hast thou forsaken me 2. Another reason or cause was the greatnes and multitude of the torments of Hell the which to make more knowne and euident to vs the Sonne of God would abate and extinguish the heâ—te of those flames with so mighty a shoure of his own paines How great and dreadfull the fyar of Hell is the Prophet I say teacheth saying that it is altogether intollerable which of you can dwell with deuouring fyre which of you shall dwell with euerlasting heates Isa 33. Therefore let vs render thankes to God with all our Hart and powers of our Soule who would forsake his only begotten Sonne being in most great griefes for a time that he might free vs from euerlasting heates of
himselfe to be a Maister thereof in plaine and direct Words saying Learne of me because I am meeke and humble of Hart. Math. 11. But he neuer more perspicuously and clearely did commend this Vertue vnto vs and withall Patience which cannot be disioyned from Humility then when he said My God my God why hast thou forsaken me For in these words Christ sheweth that through the permission and sufferance of God all his glory and excellency in the sight of men was wholy obscured the which point also that darkenes or Eclyps did demonstrate Now our Lord could â—ot without wonderfull Humility and Patience tollerate so great an obscuration The glory of Christ of which S. Iohn speaketh in the beginning of the Gospell when he sayth We saw the glory of him glory as it were of the only begotten of his Father full of grace and Verity Ioan. 1. was placed in the Power Wisdome Probity Princely Maiesty Beatitude of the soule and in the Diuine Dignity which he had as he was the true and naturall Sonne of God All this glory his Passion did cloud and obscure and the darkning thereof those words do plainly signify My God my God why hast thou forsaken me The passion did obscure his Power because being nayled to the Crosse he seemed to be of no power or ability and therefore the chiefe Priests souldiers and the Thiefe did exprobate to him his impotency and weakenes saying Yf thou be Christ come downe from the Crosse c. And againe He saued others himselfe he cannot saue Now how great Patience how great Humility was required that he who was truly Omnipotent should be wholy silent to such vpbraydings The Passion did darken his Wisdomâ— when before the chiefest of the Priests before Herod before Pilate he answered nothing to many Interrogatories and Questions as if he had bene depriued of iudgment by which his silence it was occasioned that Herod his Company contemned him and cloathed him in a white vestment by way of derision How great Patience how great Humility was heer also required for him to tolerate these indignities who was not only wiser then Salomon but was the very Wisdome of God His probity and Innocency of life the Passion obscured who being crucified vpon the Crosse did hang betweene two thiefes and was reputed a seducer of the People and Vsurper of an other mans kingdome And the splendour of this his Innocency that dereliction of God which himselfe confessed saying Why hast thou forsaken me might well seeme more more to obscure Since God is accustomed to forsake not pious men but such as be wicked Certainly haughty and proud men are very cautelous to speake any thing wherby those who heare them may suspect that they confesse any thing against their owne Worth but humble and patient men of which sort Christ was the King willingly take bould of all occasion of Humility and Patience so as they speake nothing which is false How great Humility how great Patience here againe is required of him to suffer these things of whom the Apostle thus speaketh It was fit that we should haue such a Priest holy innocent impolluted separated from sinners made higher then the Heauens Heb. 7. Furthermore the Passion did so obscure the Regall Maiesty of Christ as that it gaue to him for a goulden diademe a Crovvne of thornes for a Tribunall a gibbet for Princely attendance two Thieues Therefore I say againe How great Humility how great Patience was necessary for him who vvas truly the king of Kings the Lord of Lords and the Prince of the kings of the Earth Now vvhat shall I say of the Beatitude of the soule which Christ truly had from his Conception And the vvhich he was bâ—th of povver and of Will to transfuse into the Body How vehemently did the Passion darken this glory since it made Christ A man of sorrowes and knowing infirmity despised and the most abiect of men Isa 53. and caused him through the acerbity of his sufferings to crye out My God why hast thou forsaken me To conclude the Passion did so ouercloud the dignity of his diuine Person as that he vvho sitteth aboue all not only men but Angels in regard of his Passion said I am a worme and no man A reproach of men and the outcast of the People Psal 21. To this lowest place therefore Christ did descend in his Passion but this his descending was accompanied with great merit and exaltation For what our Lord did often promise in words saying Euery one that humbleth himselfe shal be exalted the same was performed in his Person as the Apostle witnesseth He humbled himselfe made obedient vnto death euen the death of the Crosse for the which thing God hath also exalted him and hath giuen him a Name which is aboue all Names That in the name of Iesus euery knee bow of the Celestials terrestrials and Infernals Phil. 2. Therefore he who was the last is pronounced and declared to be the first and a most short Humiliation resolued into an euâ—râ—aâ—ting Exaltation The which change we also find to haue happened to all the Apostles and to all Saints For S. Paul wâ—iteth that the Apostles were The refuse of the World and the drosse of all meaning most base vile things which are cast out by euery one and betrampled vpon This was the Humility of the Apostles But what was their Exaltation S. Iohn Chrysostome teacheth hom 32. in Ep. ad Rom. and sheweth it when he sayth that the Apostles are now in Heauen and do assist neere to the Throne of Christ where the Cherubims do glorify Christ where the Seraphims do fly that is they haue their place with the chiefest Princes of the kingdome of Heauen from whence they shall neuer fall or depart Certainly if men would attentiuely consider and ruminate how honourable a thing it is to imitate the Humility of the sonne of God heere vpon the Earth and with all would make to themselues some coÌ„iâ—cture how great that exaâ—tation is to the which humility it selfe adâ—anceth them we should find very few proud men But because most men do measure all things by the false yard of the senses of the flesh humane cogitation therefore it is no wonder if Humility can so hardly be found vpon the Earth and that the Multitude of proud men be infinite The fifth Word Sitio I thirst is explicated according to the Letter CHAP. VII THe fifth Word followeth which we read in S. Iohn And indeed it is but one Word to wit Sitio I thirst But that it should be truly according to the present purpose vnderstood it is needfull to adde the words of the Euangelist both going before and after For thus S. Iohn speaketh Postea sciens Iesus c. Afterward Iesus knowing that all things were now consummate that the Scriptures might be fulfilled he sayth I thirst A Vessel therefore stood there full of Vineger they putting a sponge full of Vineger
the House of Annas from the house of Annas to the house of Caiphas from the house of Caiphas to the house of Pilate from the house of Pilate to the house of Herod from the house of Herod backe againe to the house of Pilate which seuerall iourneys contained many Miles Neither did our Lord after his supper the night before tast of any meate or drinke or tooke any repose and sleepe but endured many most grieuous afflictions in the house of Caiphas and then immediatly after all these his pressures followed the most barbarous cruell whipping of him the which was attended on with a most vehement Thirst which Thirst much increased when his whipping was ended After all this succeeded his crowning with thornes and the Iewes mocking him to scorne which new vexation was also accompanied with extremity of thirst so as the same was very much increased Then being euen wasted with so many iourneâ—s and labours he was next burdened with the weight of his Crosse which he bare vnto Mount Caluary That iourney being ended Wyne mingled with gaâ—le was offered to him the which when he began to tast he refused to drinke therof Thus his iourneying to and fro receaued an end but the Thirst which vexed our Lord throughout all his trauayle and labour doubtlesly increased For presently his nayling to the Crosse followed and from hence one may easily conceaue that his Thirst grew greater and more vehement through the defluxion streaming of his most precious bloud as from foure fountaines To conclude during the space of three houres following to wit from the sixt hower to the ninth in that horrible darknes it can hardly be belieued with what fyar or ardour of thirst that most sacred body of our Lord was consumed and wasted And although it was Vinegre which the Ministers of his Passion offered to him yet because it was neither Wyne nor Water but Vinegre that is a sharpe and vngratefull Potion but small in quantity since he was to sucke the same by drops out of a spunge was most neere vnto his death therefore it is lawfull to affirme that our Blessed Redeemer euen from the beginning of his Passion to his death did suffer with wonderfull patience this dolefull and most greuious torment Now of what violence this torment is few make tryall since they may easely find water wherewith to quench their thirst but such as trauell diuers dayes in desert places where small or litle water is to be found do fully take notice how great a torment Thirst is Q. Curtius writeth lib. 7. de gest Alex. that Alexander the great passing with his Army through a long tedious desart his souldiers after much drought and thirst came to a certaine Riuer of which they dranke with such gust and greedmes as that many of them by losing their wynd or breath in drinking did presently dye then he thus concludeth Multòque maior c The number of those by this meanes dying was far greater then euer he lost in any one battayle Therefore the heate of the thirst was so intollerable as that the souldiers had not that coÌ„mand ouer themselues as in tyme of drinking a litle to breath or take their Wind. And thus the greatest part of Alexanders Army was extinct and perished There haue bene some men who through extremity of thirst haue thought water mingled with dirt oyle bloud and other more filthy things to haue byn sweet and pleasant From hence then we may be instructed how bitter the Passion of Christ was and how great Vertue of his Patience appeared therein And it was Gods will that this his Patience should be knowne to vs that by our imitation of it vve might so compassionate suffer with Christ as that vve may be glorified together vvith Christ But it seemes to me that I heare diuers good and pious soules earnestly enquiring how they might arriue to that height as seriously to imitate the Patience of Christ and to say with the Apostle I am fastned to the Crosse with Christ with the holy Martyr S. Ignatius Amor meus crucifixus est My loue is crucifyed This point is not so difficult as many take it to be For it is not necessary for all men to lye vppon the cold ground to discipline scourge their body with whips vntill the drawing of bloud to fast dayly with bread and water to weare continually next to their skin a rough hayre cloath or iron-chayne or to practise other such kinds of mortification for the taming of the body and crucifying It with its vices and concupiscences these actions are laudable and also profitable when they are practised by such whose bodies are able to beare them and this by the aduice and direction of their spirituall Father or Instructour But I in this place couet to shew to the pious Reader a course or way of exercising Patience and of imitating Christ who was most patieÌ„t which course may agree to all men in vvhich nothing is vnaccustomed nothing tasting of nouelty nothing vvhich may seeme to gaine a vulgar praise First then I say that one vvho is zealous of Patience ought vvillingly to be busyed in those labours vvhich he is assured are gratefull and pleasing to the vvill of God according to that of the Apostle Heb. 10. Patience is necessary for you that you doing the VVill of God may receaue the Promise What God vvould haue vs patiently to vndergoe is not hard eyther to learne or to teach First experience and dayly practise telleth vs that vvhat things the Church our Mother commandeth to be done the same though hard and difficult are to be performed obediently and patiently But vvhat doth the Church command vs to vvit the fasts of Lent the Ember-dayes and the vigill of Saints If these be performed in such sort as they ought to be they then cannot be performed vvithout Patience For if a man vpon fasting dayes vvill seeke after delicate and curious meates and at one supper or dinner eate as much meate as at other tymes is vsuall to serue him both for dinner and supper or els vvill preuent the houre of eating before noone and then at night insteed of a small refection or Collation will deuoure so much as may wel to be termed a large and copious supper certainly this Man will not easily suffer honger or thirst neyther will he stand in need of Patience But if he will constantly and seriously determine with himselfe not to anticipate the houre except some disease or other necessity force him and to content himselfe with ordinary and meane dyet imposed as iâ— vvere for pennance and auoyding all full gorging to take it in that measure quantity as may seeme not to exceed one ordinary meale and to giue that to the poore vvhich should be takeÌ„ at another meale if it vvere not a day of fast according to S. Leo saying serm 11. de ieiunio 10. mensis Refectio Pâ—uperis abstinentia
of Carnall Sacrifices ceasing one Oblation of thy Body and Bloud doth fill vp and include all the differences of hoasts Thus he For in this Sacrifice the Priest vvas God and man the Altar the Crosse The sacrifice the LaÌ„be of God the fire of the Holocaust Charity the fruite of the sacrifice the Redemption of the World I say the Priest was God as man then whome not any can be imagined to be greater Thou art a priest for euer according to the Order of Melchisedech Psal 109. And trulâ— according to the Order of Melchisedech for Melchisedech is read in the Scripture so be vvithout Father without mother without genealogy Christ vvas without Father vpon earth without Mother in Heauen without Genealogy For who shall shew his generation He was be gotten before the Day-star and his comming forth from the beginning from the dayes of Eternity Mich. 5. The Altar of this great Sacrifice was as aboue I said the Crosse the vvhich by hovv much it was more vile and base before Christ vvas crucified thereon by so much it was after made more illustrious and more ennobled and in the last day it shall appeare in Heauen more bright and shyning then the sunne For the Church interpreteth that of the Crosse which is said in the Gospell Matth. 24. Then shall the signe of the sonne of man appeare in Heauen In like sort the Church thus singeth This signe shal be in Heauen when our Lord shall come to iudge The which point is also confirmed by S. Chrysostome who further affirmeth that vvhen the sunne shal be obscured and the Moone not giue her light then shall the Crosse be more splendid and radiant then the Sunne Furthermore the Sacrifice shal be the Lambe of God altogether innocent and immaculate of whom Esay thus speaketh cap. 55. Euen as a sheepe to the slaughter shall he be led and as a lambe before his shearer he shal be dumbe and shall not open his mouth And the Forerunner of our Lord sayth Behould the Lambe of God behould who taketh away the sinnes of the World Ioan. 1. And the Apostle S. Peter Not with corruptible things gould or siluer are you redeemed but with the precious bloud of an immaculate and vnspotted Lambe Christ Who also is called in the Apocalyps cap. 13. The Lambe slaine from the beginning of the World Because his Price being foreseene of God did profit those who vvent before the times of Christ The fyar burning the Holocaust and perfecting the Sacrifice is Charity in a high degree being as it were a furnace set on fire vvhich did burne in the hart of the Sonne of God vvhich fire many waters of his Passion vvere not able to extinguish To conclude the fruite of this Sacrifice vvas the expiation of all the sinnes of the Sonnes of Adam and the reconciliation of the whole World For thus S. Iohn speaketh 1. Ioan. 2. He is the propitiation for our sinnes and not for ours only but also for the whole World Which very thing is signified by the words of S Iohn Baptist Agnus Dei Ecce qui tollit peccata mundi But heere ariseth a doubt vvhich is Hovv could Christ be both Priest Sacrifice since it is the function of the Priest to slaughter that vvhich is to be sacrifized But Christ did not slay himselfe neither could he lawfully so doe since then he should haue rather perpetrated sacriledge then offered vp Sacrifice It is true that Christ did not slay himselfe neuerthelesse he truly offered vp sacrifice because willingly and freely he offered himselfe to be slaine for the glory of God and expiation of sinne For neither could the souldiers other Ministers haue euer apprehended and taken him neither could the nayles haue pierced his hands and feete nor death could haue seized vpon him though fastened to the Crosse except himselfe had bene willing thereto Therefore Esay most truly sayrh He was offered because himselfe would And our Lord himselfe sayth Io. 10. I yield my lyfe no man taketh it away from me but I yield my selfe And the Apostle S. Paul most euidently Christ loued vs and deliuered himselfe for vs an oblation and host to God in an odour of sweetnes Eph. 3. Now what euill or sinne or rather atrocity vvas in the Passion of Christ all that belonged to Iudas the Iewes to Pilate and the souldiers for these men did not offer vp Sacrifice but did commit must horrible sacriledge deseruing the name not of Priests but of sacrilegious Persons But vvhat in the same Passion was good religious and pious streamed from Christ who out of the affluency and abundance of his Charity offered himselfe as a Sacrifice to God not in slaying himselfe but in tollerating most patieÌ„tly death to wit the death of the Crosse and this to the end he might appease the wrath of God reconcile the vvorld to God satisfy the diuine Iustice that so mankind should not perish Which point S. Leo expresseth in most few words saying He suffered at the hands of furious men who whiles they were busied about their wickednes they became seruiceable to our Redeemer Fourthly a Great War betweene Christ and the Prince of this world iâ— consummate and finished in the death of Christ of which warre our Lord thus speaketh in Iohn cap. 12. Now is the iudgment of the world now thâ— Prince of this World shal be cast forth And when I shall be exalted from thâ— Earth I will draw all things to mâ— selfe This warre was iudiciall not military It is like to the war of those who contend in Suites and Causes noâ— of souldiers who fight in the field Foâ— the Deuill did contend with the Sonne of God touching the possession of the World that is of mankind The deuill for a long tyme had intruded himselfe into the Possession of the World because he had ouercome the first man and had made him with all his ospring his seruant or bondslaue Therefore S. Paul himselfe calleth the Deuils the Princes and Potentates of this VVorld and the Gouernours of this darknes Eph. 6. And Christ himselfe as aboue we haue shewed calleth the Deuill the Prince of this World The Deuill would not be content to be â—eputed the Prince of the world but also to be accounted a God according to that in the Psalmes The diuels are the Gods of the Gentils Psal 95. For the diuell was commonly adored by the Gentils in engrauen Idols was worshipped with the sacrifice of Rams and Calfes Now on the other syde the Sonne of God as lawful heere of all things did challenge to himselfe the principality of the world Therfore this warre was in the end consummate and ended vpon the Crosse and the seâ—te nâ—â— was giuen in behalfe of our Lord Iesus-Christ because our Lord had most abondantly satisfyed the diuine Iustice vpon the Crosse for the offence of the first Man and of all the faithfull For the Obedience exhibited to God by the Sonne was greater then the
heare that the generall deluge was after to be Noë being the Prophet of God and foretelling this very â—hing not only by word but by causing with such labour the Arke to be made could not easily be induced to belieue any such future inundation to be because they neuer saw any such deluge before therefore the wrath of God desceÌ„ded vpon them suddenly But we knowing that to haue beene already fullfilled which the Prophet Noë did foretell why may we not with facility belieue that a deluge of of fyre shall heerafter come in which all those things shal be destroyed which we now esteeme and prize at so high a rate And yet neuerthelesse there are very few who so belieue these things to be as to withdraw their desire from such matters as are heerafter to perish and to fix their minds where there are true and euerlasting Ioyes But this very Point is prophesied of our Lord himselfe that such men may rest inexcusable who from the accomplishment of things past can not be drawne to belieue that thinges future shal be fulfilled For thus our Lord speaketh Matth. 24. And as in the dayes of Noë so also shall be the coÌ„ming of the Son of man for as they were in the dayes before the floud eating and drinking wedding and giuen to mariage euen vnto that day in which Noë entred into the Arke and knew not till the floud came and ouer tooke them all so also shall the comming of the Sonne of man be VVatch therefore because you know not at what houre the Sonne of man will come And the Apostle S. Peter sayth The day of our Lord shall come as a thiefe in which the Heauens shall passe with great violence but the elements shall be resolued with heate and the earth the works which are in it shal be burned 1. Pet. 3. But men who sleight these thinges say these are farre off and of great distance from vs. Be it that they are farre of from vs yet thy death is not farre of from thee and the houre of it is vncertaine And yet it is certayne that we must giue an account of euery idle word in the particular iudgment which is not farre off And if an account must be rendred of euery idle word what reckoning must he made for false pernicious words for periury blasphemy which is so familiar ordinary to many if of words what account then is to be giuen of deeds of Adulteries of deceits in buying selling of murders and other grieâ—ous sinnes Therefore it followeth that the predictions of the Prophets being allready fullfilled make vs inexcusable except we may certainly belieue that all things which remaine are also fulfilled Neyther it is sufficient to belieue what things Fayth teacheth vs to be practized or to be auoyded except our fayth doth stirre vs vp efficaciously to the practizing or auoyding thereof If an Architect should say Such a house is ruinous and will instantly fall downe and they within the House make shew to belieue the Architect yet wil not come out of the house but suffer themselues to be oppressed with the ruine and fall of the house what credit do these men giue to the words of the Architect Which errour the Apostle chargeth other lyke men with saying Tit. 1. They say they know God but in deeds they deny him And if the Physitian shal command that the sicke Patient drinke no wyne and he is persuaded that the Physitian prescribeth profitably healthfully for him but in the meane tyme he demandeth for wine and is angry if it be not giuen to him what shall we heere say Certainly that the sicke man is eyther depriued of his wit and senses or that he giueth no credit to his Physitians directions O would to God there were not many among Christians who say that they do belieue the future Iudgment of God and diuers other mysteries of Christian fayth but deny them in their deeds and conuersation Of the second fruite of the sixt Word CHAP. XIV ANother fruite may be gathered from the second explication of the words of Christ Consummatum est For we said aboue with S. Chrysostome that the laboursome iourney of the peregrination of Christ himselfe was consuumate and finished in the death of Christ which iourney of his cannot be denyed but to haue beene most painefull aboue all measure yet the asperity of it is recompensed with the shortnes of the tyme with the fruit with the glory and honour proceeding from thence It continued thirty three yeares but how can a labour of thirty three yeares be compared to a repose and rest for all eternity Our Lord did labour with hunger with thirst with many dolours and innumerable iniuries with stripes with wounds with death its self but now he drinketh of a Torrent of pleasure which pleasure shall neuer cease but be interminabâ—e To conclude our Lord is humbled is made the reproach of men and the out-cast of the People Psal 21. but in recompence heerof we read of him thus God hath exalted him and haâ—h giuen him a Name which is aboue all Names that in the Name of IESVS euery knee bow of things in Heauen in Earth vnder the Earth Philip. 2. But now to cast our Eye on the contrary side the perfidious Iewes reioyced til the houre of Christs Passion Iudas being become a slaue to couetousnes reioyced till he had gayned some feâ— peeces of siluer Pilate reioyced till that houre of Christs PassioÌ„ because he lost not thereby the fauour and grace of Augustus and had recouered the friendship of King Herod But now all these haue beene already tormented in Hell for the space of sixteene hundred yeâ—res almost and the smoke of their flames shall arise and ascend vp for all Eternity From hence let all the seruants of the Crosse learne to be humble gentle patient and let them ackowledge how good happy a thing it is for a man to take vp his owne Crosse in this present lyfe and to follow Christ his Captaine neither let them enuy those who seeme in the Eye of this worrld to be happy For the lyfe of Christ of the holy Apostles and the Martyrs is a most true CoÌ„mentary of the words of him who is the Maister of all Maisters Blessed are the poore in spirit for theirs is the Kingdome of Heauen Blessed are the meeke blessed are they that mourne blessed are they that suffer percutioÌ„ for Iustice for theirs is the Kingdome of Heauen Matth. 5 But on the contrary side Woe be to you that are rich because you haue your consolation woe to you that are filled because you shal be hâ—ngry woe to you that now do laugh because you shall mourne and lament Luc. 6 And although not only the words of Christ but also the life and death of Christ I meane not only the Text but the Comment also bâ— vnderstood of few and that this doctrine is banished out of the
the solitude and lonelines of the Turtle the purity of the Doue and the prudence of the Sparrow The solitude of thâ— Turtle chiefly belongeth to Monkes and Hermits who labour nâ—t to communicate with secular men but wholy deuote themselfes to Contemplation and to the prayses of God The Purity of the Doue conioyned with fecundity is necessary for Bishops and Clergy men who negotiate with men and whose function is to beget spirituall Children and to nourish and breed them vp Which men except they do often by Contemplation fly vp to the supernall Countrey as also through Charity to descend downe to the Necessities of men can hardâ—y coople and ioyne purity with fecundity but either as being giuen to Contemplation only they shal become sterill and barren or otherwise being wholy busied in the procreation of Children they shal be contaminated and defiled with terrene dyrt filth And thus while they couet to gaine others perhaps which God forbid they loose themselues Furthermore to both sorts of these men whether they giue themselues ouer to a Contemplation life or to an Actiue the Prudence of the Sparrow may very much aduantage and benefit them There are sparrows which are bred in the Mountaines others about Houses The Mountaine Sparrowes do with an incredible industry auoyd and flie the snares or nets of them that seeke to take them The domesticke sparrowes do make their nests about the caues of howses but they so conuerse and liue nere men as that they loue not the sight of them nor will easely suffer themselfes to be caught by them Euen so the prudence of sparrowes is necessary to all Christians but especially to the Clergy Monks that they may be cauteâ—ous in auoyding the deceites and snares of the Deuill and that they so do conuerse with men as they may profit them but let them auoyde ouermuch saâ—iliarity acquintance with them especially with Women Let them also eschew all Confabulations ouer much tattle as aâ—so immoderate eating and drinking Let them not be spectatours of common Playes and other publick sights except they couet to be ensnared by thâ— Deuill There remaineth the last law or Condition of sacrifices to wit That they be Hoasts not only liuing holy but also well pleasing that is sending vp a most sweet Odour and smell This point the Scripture signifieth when it sayth Gen. 8. Our Lord smelled a sweet sauour As also when it speaketh of our Lord Christ deliuered himselfe for vs an oblation and Hoast to God in an odour of sweetnes Eph 5. Now that an Hoast may send forth a moâ—t gratefull sauour vnto God it is necessary that it be killed and burned This also is performed in a mysticall and reasonable Sacrifice of which we speake with the Apostle to wit when Carnall Concupiscence is truly mortified and burnt away with the fire of Charity For there is nothing which doth mortify a mans Carnall Concupiscence more efficaciously speedily perfectly theÌ„ a sincere Loue of God for it is the King and Lord of all the Affections of the Hart and all of them are gouerned and depend of it whether it be Feare Hope Desire Hate Anger or any other perturbation of the mind Novv loue it selfe doth not giue place except it be to a greater loue And therefore when diuine loue doth inwardly possesse and inflame the hart of man then at the length do carnall Concupiscences giue place and being mortified rest quiet Thereupon fiery desites and most pure Prayers do ascend vp to God like to aromaticall wood in an odour of sweetnes This then is that Sacrifice the vvhich God requireth from vs and the which most promptly and diligently to performe the Apostle exhorteth vs. But because this Oblation is a thing hard â—nd fraught with difficulty therefore S. Paul vseth a most efficacious Argument to perswade vs to it The argumeÌ„t lyeth in these Words I beseech you by the mercy of God that you will exhibit your bodies c. Rom. 12. But which be they and how many are the Mercies by which the Apostle beseecheth vs First is our Creation by the which he made vs to be something vvhereas afore we were nothing The second when he made as his seruants he not hauing any need of vs but only that he might be beneficiall vnto vs. The third when he made vs to his Image and thereby made vs capable of our knowing of him and of his friendship The fourth When he adopted vs his Sonnes through Christ and made vs Coheires with his only begotten Sonne The fifth when he made vs members of his spouse and of his Body of both which he is the Head To conclude The sixt in that he offered himselfe vpon the Crosse an oblation and Hoast to God in an odour of sweetnes that he might redeeme vs from seruitude and wash away all our spots and that he might exhibit to himselfe A glorious Church not hauing any spot or wrinkle Eph. 5. These are the Mercies of God by which the Apostle beseecheth vs. As if he would say Our Lord hath conferred vpon you so great benefits you neither deseruing nor asking them Why then should it be thought greiuous to you if you offer your selfs a liuing holy and well pleasing sacrifice to God Doubtlesly if one would attentiuely ponder and consider these points it would not be thought heauy and burdensome but light and easy yea pleasant to serue so good and bountifull a Lord with your whole hart and strength throughout the whole tyme of your life and to the imitation and example of him to offer your selues as an Hoast or Oblation yea an Holocaust in an odour of sweetnes Of the fourth fruite of the sixt VVord CHAP. XVI THE Fourth Fruite may be taken from the fourth explication of the Word Consummatum est For if it be true as it is infallibly most true that Christ through the iust iudgement of God did transfer and bring vs from the seruitude of the diuell to the future fruition of the Kingdome of Heauen we are then diligently to search not to desist till we fynd what is the cause that so great a number of men make choice rather to deliuâ—r themselues vp againe to the enemy of Mankind that with him they may eternally burn in the fornace of Hellfire rather then to serue Christ being a most benigne Lord yea most happily and vndoubtedly to reigne with him I fynd no other reason heerof then because in the seruice of Christ the beginning is to be taken from the Crosse and that it is most necessarily inâ—umbent vpon vs to crucify the flesh with its vices and concupiscences This bitter Potion or cup of wormewood of its owne nature is most vnpleasing to a sicke Man and often is the cause why he had rather continue in his sicknes then to be cured after this manner Truly if a man were not a Man but a Beast or els a man depriued wholy of his senses and wit it might
in this place corporall life is vnderstood so as the sense is to be this I do now deliuer vp the spirit of my life and therein I cease to breath and to liue But this spirit this life O Father I commend to thee that vvithin a short tyme thou mayst restore it to my Body For to thee nothing is lost but all things do liue to thee who in calling out that vvhich is not makest it be and in calling out that which doth not liue makest it to liue That this is the true meaning of this place may first be gathered out of the 30. Psalme from whence our Lord did take this Prayer For thus Dauid doth there pray Thou wilt bring me out of this snare which they haue hid for me because thou art my Protectour Into thy hands I commend my spirit In vvhich place the Prophet by the spirit most euidently vnderstandeth lyfe for he prayeth to God that he will not suffer him to be slayne by his Enemies but that he will preserue his lyfe Furthermore the same point is deduced as true euen from this place of the Gospell For after our Lord had said Father into thy hands I do commend my spirit the Euangelist did subioyne And saying this he gaue vp the Ghost For to giue vp the Ghost signifieth to cease to draw spirit or wynd which is proper to those Creatures which are liuing the vvhich thing cannot be said of the soule the substantiall forme of the Body but it is said of the ayre which vve breath vvhilst we liue and we do cease to breath vvhen we dye Lastâ—y the foresaid exposition is gathered from those words of the Apostle Hebr. 5. Who in the dayes of his flesh with a strong cry and teares offering prayers and supplications to him that could saue him from death was heard for his reuerence This place some do vnderstand of the prayer which our Lord made in the garden saying Father if it be possible transferre this Chalice from me Mar. 14. But in that place our Lord did not pray with a strong cry neither was he heard neither would he haue beene heard that he should be free exempted from the death For he prayed that the Chalice of his Passion might passe from him thereby to shew a naturall desire of not dying and himselfe to be true man whose nature doth abhorre death But he added Not that which I will but that which thou let thy Will be done Thus we see that the prayer of Christ in the garden cannot be that Prayer of which the Apostle speaketh to the Hebrews Others maintaine that that prayer of Christ mentioned by S. Paul is the same vvhich our Lord made for his Crucifiers vpon the Crosse saying Father forgiue them for they do not know what they doe Luc. 23. But at that time our Lord did not vse any strong crye neither did he pray for himsâ—lfe that he might be saued from death both which two points are euidently expressed by the Apostle to the Hebrews For being vpon the Crosse he prayed for his Crucifiers that that most grieuous and heauy sinne might be pardoned to them Therefore it remaineth that those words of the Apostle be vnderstoode of that last prayer which our Lord made vpon the Crosse saying Father into thy hands I commend my spirit the which prayer he made with a strong crye S. Luke saying And Iesus crying with a loud voice said c. Where vve see that S. Paul and S. Luke do clearely herein agree togeather Furthermore our Lord prayed tâ—at he might be saued from death as S. Paul doth witnesse but the meaning herâ—of cannot beâ— that he should not dye vpon the Crosse for therein he vvas not heard yet S. Paul testifieth that he was heard but the meaning is that he prayed that he might not be vvholy absorpt vp by death but only might tast death and presently returne to life For thus much is implied in those words He offered vp prayers to him that could saue him For our Lord could not be ignorant but that he was to dye especially being then most neare to death but he couered to be safe from death in this sense to wit that he might not be detayned long by death which was nothing else but to pray for a speedy Resurrection in which hiâ— prayer he was fully heard since he did rise most gloriously the third day This explication of the testimony of S. Paul euidently conuinceth that when our Lord said Into thy hands I command my spirit the spirit is taken for Lyfa not for the â—oule For he was not sollicitous of his soule the vvhich he did knovv to be in safety since it was most blessed and did see God face to face euen from its Creation but he was sollicitous and carefull of his Body which he savv vvas to be depriuâ—d of lyfe through death and therefore he prayed that his Body might not long remaine in death the vvhich petition as aboue we said he in a most full manner obtayned The first fruite of the seauenth Word CHAP. XX. NOw according to our former Method I wil gather some fruits from this Last word of Christ from his death presently ensuing And first euen from that thing which seemeth to be most full of infirmity weakenes and simplicity the great Power Wisdome and Charity of God is demonstrated For in that our Lord gaue vp the Ghost crying with a great Voyce his Power and strength is manifestly discerned since from this vve may gather that it vvas in his povver not to dye and that he dyed willingly For those men vvho dye naturally do lose by degrees their force and voyce and in their last agony fight vvith death they are not able to cry out with any great and vehement speach or Voyce Therefore not without cause the Centurion seeing that Iesus after so much profusion of Bloud vvith a great and lovvd voyce dyed said Certainly this was the Sonne of God Mar. 15. Christ is a great Lord vvho euen dying sheweth his â—ower not only by crying out with a great Voyce at his last breathing but also in cleauing the Earth cutting a sunder the stones opening the Monuments and in rending the Veyle of the Temple all vvhich things to haue fallen out euen at the very tyme vvhen Christ dyed the Euangelist witnesseth Furthermore all these strange Euents haue their mistery by which the Wisdome of Christ is manifested For the concussion of the Earth as also the cleauing of the stones did signify that by the Passion and death of Christ men vvere moued and stirred vp to pennance and the harts of the obstinate vvere euen cut a sunder vvhich Effects at that very time to haue happened S. Luke writeth when he sayth that many returning from that spectacle and sight did knock their breasts The opening of the graues sepulchers doth designe the glorious Resurrection of the dead to succeed after that of Christ The tearing or rending of the Veyle
whereby was discouered the Sancta Sanctorum was a signe that through the merits of the death of Christ the Celestiall Sanctuary was to be opened and that all the Saints were after to be admitted to see the face of God Neither only in the signification of these Mysteries did Christ show his Wiâ—dome but also in that he did produce draw life from death in figure whereof Moyses caused water to flow out of a stone And Christ himselfe for the same Cause said he resembled a graine of wheate in that by dying he brought forth much fruite For as a graine of wheate by being corrupted doth bud forth an care of liuing Corne so Christ by dying vpon the Crosse enriched multitudes of NatioÌ„s with the life of Grace S. Peter most manifestly thus speaketh of Christ He swallowing death that we might be made heyres of life euerlasting 1. Pet. 3. As if he would haue said The First man swallovving the forbidden sweet apple condemned all his posterity to death But the second Man swallowing downe the bitter apple of death brought all those to eternâ—â—l life who were borne againe of him To conclude Christ manifested opened his Wisdome in dying because he made the Crosse then the vvhich nothing was before more despicable and contemptible most honourable and glorious so as euen Kings themselfes do account it an honour to signe their Foreheads therevvith Neither is the Crosse made only honourable but also svveet to the louers of Christ Whereupon the Church thus singeth Dulce lignum dulces clauos dulce pondus sustinuit The which very point S. Andrew demonstrated by his ovvne example when behoulding the Crosse vnto vvhich he was to be fastened said Salue Crux preciosa c. All haile O precious Crosse which hath receaued honour and beauty from the members of our Lord Thou art long desired and carefully sought after thou art loued without any intermission and comes prepared to a willing mind I approach to thee with security and ioy that thou exulting mayst receaue me being the disciple of my Maister Iesus Christ who did hang vpon thee Now what shall we speake of Charity The sentence of our Lord is this Greater Charity then this no man hath that a man yield his life for his friends Ioan. 15. This Christ performed vpon the Crosse since no man could against his Will depriue him of life For himselfe thus sayth hereof No man taketh my life from me but I yield it of my selfe Ioan. 10. Therefore as aboue is said no man hath greater Charity then he that yieldeth his life for his frieÌ„ds because nothing can be found more precious and to be beloued then Life it being the foundation of all goods For what doth it proffit a man sayth our Lord if he gaine the whole world and sustaine the domage of his soule that is of his lyfe And from hence it is that all things labour to resist with all their strength yea aboue their strength those who do endeauour to take away their lyfe And we read in Iob Skinne for skinne and all things which a man hath he will giue for his lyfe But these passages are generall vve vvill descend to particulars Christ did ineffably shew by many meanes to all mankind and to euery one of vs his Charity by dying vpon the Crosse First because his life vvas the most precious of all liues as being the lyfe of man vvho vvas God the lyfe of the most potent King of Kings the lyfe of the most wisest of all the Doctours Furthermore he gaue his lyfe for his Enemies for wicked men for vngratefull men Againe he laid dovvne his lyfe that he might deliuer these his Enemies wicked vngratefull men from the burnings and torments of Hell to the which they vvere alreadâ— condemned Lastly he gaue his lyfe that he might make these men to become his Brethren and Coheyres and moâ—â— happily place them in the kingdome of Heauen for all Eternity And is there any man of that flinty or sauage nature who from this tyme vvill not loue Christ Iesus with all his Harts and will not suffer any aduersity for his sake O mercifull God auert and turne such a stony and iron hart not only from our Brethren but from all men whosoeuer either Infidels or Atheists The second fruite of the seauenth Word CHAP. XXI AN other fruite and that most profitable is if we learne to vse frequently that prayer which our Lord taught vs when being ready to goe to his Father he said Into thy hads I commend my spirit But because he was not pressed and vrged with that Necessity with the which we are vrged since he was the Sonne and Holy we but seruants and sinners Therefore our Mother and Mistresse the Church instructeâ—h vs to fâ—equent and often vse it but as it is entire and whole in the Psalme of Dauid and not diuided as our Lord pronounced it In the Psalme it is thus read Into thy hands I commit my spirit Thou hast redeemed me O Lord God of Truth Psal 30. Christ did omit the later port because himselfe was the Redeemer and not the party redeemed but we who are redeemed with his most precious bloud ought not to pretermit this part of the Psalme Christ also prayed to his Father as his only begotten sonne We pray to Christ as our Redeemer therfore we say not Father into thy hands I commend my spirit But into thy haÌ„ds O Lord I commend my spirit thou hast redeemed me O Lord God of Truth According to which manner of speach S. Steuen the first Martyr being ready to dye said Lord Iesus receaue my spirit Act. 7. Furthermore our Mother the holy Church teacheth vs to say this Prayer at three seuerall tymes First euery day at the Complyme as those vvell knovv vvho read the Canonicall Howers Againe when we approach to the most holy Eucharist after those words are said Domine non sum dignus the Priest first for himselfe and after for the Communicants doth say In manus tuas commendo spiritum meum Lastly at our departure out of this lyfe all the faithfull are admonished that they say In manus tuas commâ—ndâ— spiritum meum As concerning the Complyme it is not to be doubted but that there is said In manus tuas Domine c. because the Complime is accustomed to be read tovvards the end of the day and as S. Basill speaketh Primis se intendentibus tenebris c. Assoone as darknes commeth because it may so fall out that in the night tyme vnexpectedly death may surprize vs therefore we commend our soule to our Lord that if so sudden death might happen to vs it might not happen to vs vnforseene in Reg. fusius explic q. 37. That at the tyme of receauing the most Blessed Eucharist is said In manus tuas commendo c. the reason is because that action is very dangerous and withall very necessary so as without perill it cannot often be
frequented or intermitted For he that eateth the Body of our Lord vnworthily eateth iudgment to himselfe 1. Cor. 11. That is he eateth condemnation to himselfe And againe He that eateth not the body of our Lord eateth not the bread of lyfe and life it selfe Ioan. 9. Thus vve are brought to straits on ech syde being partly like to those men who suffer extremity of hunger and yet are vncertaine whether that which is brought to them to eate be meate or poyson Therefore with iust reason we say with feare and trembling O Lord I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter into my house except out of thy ineffable goodnes thou wilt make me worthy therefore say the word and my soule shal be healed But because of this I also doubt whether thou wilt vouchsafe to cure my wounds I commend my spirit into thy hands that so in this terrible busines thou mayst be present to my soule which thou hast redeemed with thy precious Bloud Yf men would ponder these things maturely they would not so greedily approach to receaue Priesthood that by daily celebrating they might maintaine their corporal state For such men are not accustomed to be much carefull as they ought to be whether they come with due preparation since their End is rather the meate of the Body then the meate of the Soule There are also many who attend vpon Prelats and Princes who perhaps do not come rightly prepared to this dreadfull table yet they approach to it as drawne through a humane feare least they may displease their Prince or Prelate if at the appointed and accustomed tyme they be not presenâ— among and one of those who are tâ— communicate What â—herefore is to be done It may be it were more profitable to come to that table more rarely Yea but it is more profitable often to frequent that table so it be with reuerence due preparation For by how much one commeth more rarely by so much he is made lesse apt to participate of that Heauenly Table as S. Cyril hath wisely admonished lib. 4. in Ioan c. 17. There now remaineth the tyme of neare approaching or imminent death at what time it is necessary with great feruour of mind frequently and often to repeate and say Into thy haÌ„ds I commend my Spirit thou hast redemed me O Lord God of truth That is the tyme in which the chiefest busines of all is haÌ„dled for if it should so happen that the soule departing out of the Body commeth into the hands of the Deuill there is no hope left of Saluation And contrariwise if it haue its passage to the paternall Hands of God no povver of mans Ghostly Enemy is after to be feared Therefore with an inutterable moaning vvith true and perfect Contrition with a strong fayth and confidence in the infinite mercy of God it is againe and againe to be iterated and repeated Into thy hands O Lord I commend my spirit And because at that instant of tyme those vvho haue led a negligent and carelesse life do suffer no greater temptation then of despayre as if the tyme of Pennance and repeÌ„tance were then past Let such oppose against this temptation the buckler of Fayth since it is written In what day soeuer the sinner shall repent I will not remember his sinnes Ezech. 33. Let them also take the Helmet of Hope which trusteth in the boundles Mercy of God and let them often repeate Into thy hands I commend my spirit neither is that reason which is the foundation of our Hope to be omitted to wit Because thou hast redeemed me O Lord God of Truth For who vvill restore to Christ his innoceÌ„t bloud who vvill repay backe to him the price with which he bought vs For so S. Austin speaketh teaching vs in those words to confide much in our Redemption which is in Iesus Christ which cannot be in vayne and fruitles except our selues do put a barre or hindrance therto through Impenitency or Desperation The third fruite of the seauenth Word CHAP. XXII THe third fruit is placed in that we may learne that death neare approaching we are not much to confide in the Almes-deeds Fastings or the prayers of our kinred friends For there are many vvho during the vvhole course of their lyfe are wholy forgetfull of their soule busiyng their mynds with nothing els but how to leaue their wife children and Kâ—nsfolks rich of great estate But when themselfes come to dye then not before they begin to thinke of their ovvne soule And because they haue distributed and deuided their goods faculties among their forsaid friends they commend the charge of their soules to them that by their meanes their soules might be helped with Almes-deeds Prayers masses and other good workes Christ did not teach vs this by his example since he commended his soule not to his kinsmen but to his Father Neyther doth S. Peter admonish vs that we should commend our soules to our Children or kinsfolkes but to the faythfull Creatour by good deedes 1. Pet. 4. I do not say this as reprehending those who either procure or desire Almes-deedes or sacrifices of the holy masse to be offered vp for them after their death But I much blame those vvho repose too much trust in their Children and kinsfolkes since daily experience teacheth that they quickly forget their dead Ancestours I further reprehend them because in a matter of so great importance they will not prouide for themselues and that they will not giue and performe the Workes of Charity and Almes-deeds by which they may purchase many friends by whose meanes as we read in the Gospell they may be receaued into the Eternall Tabernacles Luc. 16. I also greatly blame them wâ—o do not obey the Prince of the Apostles commanding vs as is aboue said to commend our soules to our faythfull Creatour and to commend them not only in words but also in good Workes Since good works sent before to God are those which efficaciously and truly commend the soules of Christians to God Let vs heare what voyce sounded from Heauen to S. Iohn Apoc. 4. I heard a voyce from Heauen saying to me Write Blessed are the dead which dye in our Lord from hence now sayth the spirit that they rest from their labours for their works follow them Therefore good works performed by our selfes whilst we liue and not to be done after our death by our Children or kinsfolkes are those which certainly do follow vs especially if those works be of their owne nature not onely good but as S. Peter not without mistery hath expressed for thus he speaketh In bene factis commendent animas suas fideli Creatori let them commendent their soules to their faythfull Creatour by good deeds meaning in works well done For there are many who can number many good Works by them done as many Sermons preached many Masses daily celebrated their howers of prayers for many yeares their fast of Lent continued in like
sort for many yeares their Almes-deeds and those not in number few But when these come to the diuine ballacing examination and are precisely to be discussed whether they were well done to wit with right intentions with due attention in fitting tyme and place proceeding from a man gratefull to God O how many things which did appeare to be gaines to the soule will rather be accounted as losses and detriments vnto it And how many things which seemed in mans iudgment to be gould siluer and precious stones built vpon the foundatiō of fayth will be found to be wood straw which the fire will instantly consume The consideration of this point doth not a litle terrify me by how much I draw more neare to my end for as the Apostle speaketh Heb. 8. That which groweth ancient and waxeth old is nigh vnto vtter decay so much the more euidently I see that the admonition and Counsell of S. Iohn Chrysostome is necessary to me who councels vs not to weigh and prize to much our owne good works because if they be good works indeed that is works vvell piously done they are registred by God in his booke of Accounts and there is no danger that they shal be defrauded of their due reward but let vs daily thinke sayth he of our euill bad works and labour vvith a contrite hart and spirit vvith many teares and serious pennance to wash them away For such men vvho performe his aduise herein shall say at the close and end of their life vvith great confidence and Hope Into thy hands I commend my spirit thou hast redeemed me O Lord God of Truth Of the fourth fruite of the seauen VVord CHAP. XXIII THere followeth the fourth fruite which may be gathered from the most happy hearing of the prayer of our Lord that from so comfortable an Euent all of vs may be much animated and encouraged to commend our spirits to God with greater vehemency and ardour of deuotion For the Apostle did most truly write that our Lord Iesus Christ was heard for his reuerence Heb. 5. Our Lord prayed to his Father for a speedy Resurrection of his Body as aboue we haue shewed His prayer was heard so as his Resurrection was no longer delayed then it was needfull to proue that his Body was truly dead For except it could be infallibly demonstrated that his Body did truly depart out of this lyfe both the Resurrection as also the whole Christian Fayth might be doubted of and called into question Therefore our Sauiour was to remaine in the graue for the space at least of fourty houres especially seeing the figure of Ionas the Prophet was to be accomplished which as our Lord himselfe taught in the Ghospell was to premonstrate and foreshew his death But to the end that the Resurrection of Christ might be accelerated hastened so farre forth as it was cōuenient and that it might be more manifestly proued that the prayer of Christ was heard the diuine Prouidēce would that the three dayes and three nights during which tyme Ionas was in the Belly of the Whale should be reduced in the Resurrection of Christ to one entire and whole day and two parts of two dayes which time not properly but by the figure intellectio might be said to contayne three dayes three nights Neither did the Father heare the prayer of Christ only in shortning the tyme of his Resurrection but also in restoring incomparably a better lyfe then before he enioyed Since the lyfe of Christ before his death was mortall but it is restored to him immortall Christ rising againe from the dead now dieth no more death shall no more haue dominion ouer him as the Apostle speaketh Rom. 6. The lyfe of Christ before his death was passible that is subiect to hunger thirst wearines wounds but being restored impassible it stāds not obnoxious to any iniury The Body of Christ was before death Animale but after the resurrection it became spiritale that is so subiect to the spirit as that in a twinkling of an Eye it might be caryed into any place where the spirit it selfe would Novv the reason why the Prayer of Christ was so easily heard is subioyned by the Apostle when he sayth pro sua reuerentia for his reuerence The Greeke word here vsed to wit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth a reuerentiall feare vvhich was most eminent in Christ tovvards his father Therefore Esay describing the guifts of the Holy Ghost which were in the soule of Christ of other guifts thus sayth The spirit of wisdome and Vnderstanding shall rest vpon him the spirit of Counsell and Strength the spirit of Knowledge and Piety but of reuerentiall Feare the said Prophet thus speaketh And the spirit of the Feare of our Lord shall replenish him Isa 11. Novv because the soule of Christ was most full of reuerentiall Feare towards his Father therefore the Father did take most great pleasure in him according to that we read in S. Matthew This is my beloued sonne in whom I am well pleased Matth. 3. 17. And euen as the Sonne did euer reuerence the Father in a most high degree so did the Father euer heare him praying and granted whatsoeuer he desired Novv from hence may we learne that if vve expect euer to be heard by our heauenly Father and to obtaine whatsoeuer we demaund of him we ought to imitate Christ herin in prosecuting our said heauenly Father with supreme Reuerence and in preferring nothing before his honour For so it wil be effected that whatsoeuer we pray for we shall obtaine and peculiarly that in which consisteth the chiefest good of our state I meane that vvhen death shall approach God may receaue our soule passing out of the Body commended vnto him vvhen the roaring Lyon standeth neere vnto vs as being ready for a prey Neither let any man thinke that Reuerence is exhibited to God only in genuflection or in bovving of the knee in vncouering of the Head or in any other worship and honour of such like nature The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or timor reuerentialis doth not signify only this externall honour but it chiefly denotes a great feare of offending of God and an invvard continual horrour of sinne and this not through dread of punishment but through loue of our Celestiall Father He is truly indued with reuerentiall Feare who dare not thinke of offence or sinne especially mortall sinne Blessed is that man sayth Dauid who feareth our Lord He shall haue great delight in his Commandements That is he truly feareth God and in that respect may be called Blessed who with all bent of Will and Endeauour studies to keep all the Commandement of God And from hence it proceeded that that holy widdow Iudith timebat Dominum valde as we reade in her Booke cap. 8. For she being but a yong Woman and of great beauty and very rich lest she should after the death of her husband either giue
or take any occasion of sinning did remaine shut vp with her maids in a secret chamber and wearing a haire-cloath about her body fasting all dayes excepting the feasts of the house of Israel Behould here with what great zeale euen in the old Law which permitted far more liberty then the Ghospell doth a yoÌ„g rich and beautifull Woman did take heed of Carnall sinnes for no other reason then that she greatly feared our Lord. The sacred Scripture doth mention and commend the same thing in Holy Iob. For he made a couenant with his eyes that he would not so much as thinke of a Virgin that is he vvould not look vpon a Virgin to preuent therby that no vnchast thought might creep into his mind And why did Iob so warily and diligently auoid such allurements Because he greatly feared our Lord for thus it there followeth For what part should God from aboue haue in me that is if an vncleane cogitation should in any sort defile my mind I should not be Gods portion nor God should be my Portion There were no end if I should insist in examples of Saints during the tyme of the New Testament This therefore is the Feare wherewith the Saints were endued of which if our selfes were full there were nothing the which we could not most easily obtaine of our Heauenly Father The last fruite of the seauenth Word CHAP. XXIV THere remaineth the last fruite which is gathered from the consideration of the Obedience of Christ manifested in his last words and in death it selfe For wheras the Apostle sayth He humbled himselfe made obedient vnto death euen the death of the Crosse Philip. 2. This was chiefly performed when our Lord pronouncing those Words Father into thy hands I commend my spirit did presently giue vp the Ghost But it will be conuenient to repeaâ—e ponder more deeply what may be said of the ObedieÌ„ce of Christ that so we may gather a most precious fruâ—te from the tree of the holy Crosse Therefore Christ our Maâ—ster and Lord of all Vertues did exhibit such Obedience to God his Father that a greater cannot be conceaued or imagined First the Obedience of Christ tooke its beginning from his Conception and continued without intermission euen to his death Thus the whole life of our Lord Iesus Christ was but one Act or Course of a continuated and vnintterrupted Obedience Truly the soule of Christ euen in the first moment of its Creation had the vse of freewill and withall was replenished with Grace and Wisdome and therefore euen from that first momeÌ„t Christ being as yet inclosed in the wombe of his mother began to exercise Obedience Where we read in the 39. Psalme in which it is said in the Person of Christ In the head of the booke it is written of me that I should do thy will my God I would and thy law in the middest of my Hart. That in the head of the booke signifieth no other thing but in the summe of the diuine Scripture that is throughout the whole Scripture it is chiefly preached of me that I am peculiarly chosen and sent to this end that I should do thy Will I my God will I haue most willingly accepted thereof and thy law thaâ— is thy commandement I haue placed in the middest of my hart that I might euer thinke thereof and might most diligently performe and execute it And hither also those words of our said Lord haue reference My meate is to do tho will of him that sent me to perfect his worke Ioan. 4. For as meate is not taken once or twice through a mans life but is taken daily with pleasure so our Lord himself did continually and with a willing mind practice all Obedience to his Father And hereupon he said I descended from Heauen not to doe my owne will but the will of him that sent me Ioan. 6. And more clearely in another place He that sent me is with me and he hath not left me alone because the things that please him I do alwayes Ioan. 8. And because Obedience is the most excellent Sacrifice of all Sacrifices according to the iudgment of Samuel therefore it followeth that how many works Christ did all the tyme that he liued as Pilgrime vpon the Earth so many Sacrifices did he offer vp and those most gratefull to God This therefore is the first Prerogatâ—ue of the Obedience of Christ to wit in that it endured from his Conception to the end of his life Furthermore the Obedience of Christ was not determinable to any one kind of worke as we commonly see it is among men but it was extended to all those things vvhich it should please God his Father to command him And from hence so great variety is seene in the life of Christ our Lord as that one vvhile he would stay in the desert neither eating nor drinking perhaps not sleeping but liuing with beasts as S. Marke notâ—th c. 1. At another tyme he vvas in the frequency sight of men eating and drinking Then he remained obscure and secret at home and that for no few yeares At an other tyme appearing excellent for wisdome and Eloquence working most great and stupendious Miracles Novv with great authority casting buyers and sellers out of the Temple At an other tyme latent as it were weake declining from the multitude and company of men All which things require and exact a mâ—nd free from all proper free will For neither would our Lord haue said Math. 16. He that will come after me let him deny himselfe that is let him renounce his proper will and proper iudgment Neither except Christ himselfe had performed it before he would haue persuaded his disciples to the perfection of Obedience when he said Luc. 14. If any man commeth to me and hateth not hiâ— Father and mother and wife chilsdren and brethren and sisters yea and his owne life besides he cannot be my Disciple Thus according hereto did Christ himselfe forsake all things which are accustomed to be so ardently beloued yea his owne life the which he was so prepared to lose as if he did hate it This is the true roote and Mother of Obedience vvhich shyned most admirably in Christ our Lord. And who want this shall hardly euer come to the revvard of Obedience For how is it possible that one should promptly obey an other mans Will who is wholy deuoted to his ovvne will and his owne iudgment This is the Cause why the Celestiall Orbes do not resist or withstaÌ„d the Angels mouing them vvhether they be caried towards the East or West because they haue not any peculiar and proper propension either to one part or to the other And the same reason is why the Angels themselfes stand at a becke obedient vnto God as holy Dauid singeth in the 102. Psalme To wit because they haue no proper Will repugnant and refractary to the will of God but being most happely conioyned vvith God they are one
of this point shewing in his â— Booke of Confessions how difficult a matter it is to cast of the yoake of Concupiscence from ones selfe who for diuers yeares hath beene enthralled to the law of the flesh as on the contrary how pleasant and easy it is to beare the yoke of our Lord before the soule hath bene defiled or ensnared with Vice Furthermore how great againe is it to merit in euery worke in the sight of God For he who doth nothing out of his owne proper will but from Obedience to his Prelate and superiour this man in euery worke performed by him sacrifizeth to God a most gratefull Sacrifice because as Samuel speaketh Obedience is better then Sacrifice 1. Reg. 15. And S. Gregory giueth a reason of this disparity saying By bloudy Sacrifices the flesh of an other by Obedience the proper will is immolated and offered vp l. 35. mor. cap. 10. Adde hereto as a thing most admirable that if so be the Prelate should fortune to sinne in commaunding the subiect sinneth not but meriteth in obeying so that that which is commanded be not a manifest and euident sinne The Prophet Ieremy doth adde He shall sit solitary and hould his peace What signifieth here he shall sit but that he shall remaine quiet because he shall find the rest of his soule For whosoeuer abandoneth his ovvne will deuoting himselfe wholy to fulfill the will of God coueteth nothing seeketh after nothing is ambitious of nothing but remaynes free from all Cares and sitteth with Mary Magdalen at our Lords feete hearing his word Luc. 10. And indeed he sitteth truly solitary both because he doth conuerse with those who are one Hart and one Soule as also in that he affecteth no maÌ„ with a priuate and peculiar Loue but loueth all in Christ and for Christ And hence it is thaâ— he is quiet as not contending with any one or hauing any peculiar negotiation or busines with others And the reason of so great a tranquility and quietnes is because he hath lifted himselfe aboue himselfe that is he hath transcended and passed from the Order of men to the Order of Angels There are many men who do cast themselfes vnder themselfs and descend to the Order of Beasts To wit those men vvho euen breath nothing but earthly matters and prize nothing but what is gratefull to the flesh and senses of the Body And these are Couetous men lasciuious and euen enslaued to good cheere felowship and drunkennes There are others vvho liue the life of men and after a certaine manner remaine in themselues such are Philosophers vvho either search the secrets of Natuâ—e or deliuer precepts touching manners To conclude there are some others who do lift themselfs aboue themselfs and this not vvithout a peculiar priuiledge and assistance of God leading not an humane but Angelicall life These are those who renouncing all things vvhich the vvorld affords and denying their ovvne will can say vvith the Apostle Our conuersation is in Heauen Phil. 3. For the Angels are not defiled wiâ—h any filth of sinne and they do euer contemplate the face of the Father which is in Heauen and omitting all other affayres they are wholy busied and intent in executing the Commandements of God according to that of the 102. Psalme Blesse our Lord all yee his Angels doing his word that feare the Voyce of his words This is the felicity of a Regular life the which if it do seriously imitate the purity and Obedience of the Angels will doubtlesly participate of their Glory in Heauen especially if they follow Christ their Captaine and mayster Who humbled himselfe made obedient vnto death euen the death of the Crosse Phil. 2. And when as he was the Sonne of God learned obedience from those things he suffered Heb. 5. That is he experimentally learned that true Obedience was tryed by Patience And thus he did not only teach Obedience by his owne Example but withall taught the principles and foundation of true and perfect Obedience vvhich are Humility and Patience For who freely and willingly obeyeth his superiour commanding honourable and pleasing things to be done may be much doubted of whether the vertue of Obedience or some other Allectiue draweth him to obey But he who vvith all alacrity and therefulnes of mynd obeyeth in thingâ— vile and laborious where Humility and Patience are necessary declareth that as a true Disciple of Christ he hath learned perfect Obedience S. Gregory notably sheweth the difference betvvene true and forged Obedience vvho thus speaketh l. 35. mor. c. 10. Quia nonnunquam nobis c. Because sometymes things pleasing to this world at other tymes things displeasing are commanded to be done therefore we are chiefly to knowe that sometimes Obedience if it haue nothing of it selfe in it is no obedience And sometymes except it hath something of it selfe it is lesse For example when pleasing things of this world are commanded when the higher and more worthy place is commanded to be taken he who obeyeth these Commands euacuateth and frustrateth in himselfe the vertue of Obedience if out of a secret desire he affecteth them For he suffereth not himselfe to be gouerned by Obedience who in vndertaking the prosperous things of his life serueth his owne humour of Ambition Againe When aduerse and distastfull matters are commanded when it is commanded to receaue obloquies and contumelies except the mind of it selfe doth desire these things the merit of obedience is lessened because he descendeth vnwillingly to such things as are abiect and vile in this life For Obedience suffereth detriment when no desires of any part do accompany the mind prepared to receaue disgraces or contumelies Therefore Obedience touching things aduerse and displeasant ought to haue something of it selfe and againe touching things prosperous and gracefull it ought to haue nothing of it selfe And Obedience when the subiect of it is a thing displeasing is so much the more glorious and worthy by how much the desire of him that obeyeth is more firmly conioyned to the diuine will As on the contrary where the subiect is pleasant and sweet Obedience is so much the more true by how much the mind is estranged from all vayne and humane complacency But the weight of this Vertue of Obedience we may more clearely ballance if we call to mind the memorable Acts of two men now reigning in Heauen Moyses when he fed sheep in the desert was called by our Lord speaking to him by the ministery of an Angell in the fiery Bush that he should gouerne ouer all the multitude of the Israelits Exod. 3. But because he was humble and lowly in himselfe he was afraid of the profered glory of so great a gouerment saying I beseech thee O Lord I am not eloquent from yesterday and the day before and since thou hast spoken to thy seruant I haue more impediment and slownes of tongue c. I beseech thee O Lord send whom thou wilt send Behould heere how Moyses discourseth and debateth with the Authour of the Tongue and acknowledged himselfe to be of imperfect speach that thereby he might auoyde the power of so great a soueraignty and gouernment In like sort S. Paul was admonished from Heauen as himselfe testifieth in his 2. Epistle to the Galathians that he ought to ascend to Ierusalem Who meeting with the Prophet Agabus in his iourney was aduertized how great aduersity and trouble did expect and wayte for him in Ierusalem For it is thus written Agabus tooke Paules girdle binding his owne hands and feete he said Thus the man whose girdle this is so shall the Iewes bind in Ierusalem Act. 22. But S. Paul instantly answered I am ready not only to be bound but to dye also in Ierusalem for the name of Iesus Thus S. Paul through a command of diuine Reuelation going towards Ierusalem knoweth afore hand what vexations were there to afflict him neuertheles he willingly desireth them He heareth of troubles of which he might well be afraid yet he coueteth with all endeauour oo aspire to them Thus Moyses hath no part of his owne desire touching his command and therefore he partly laboureth against the coommand thereby to eschew his gouernment ouer the Israelites But S. Paul is drawne to vndergoe aduersities out of his owne desire who foreseeing imminent euills boyleth in deuotion of spirit to sustaine farre greater The former man was willing to decline the glory of present Power though God commanded him to accept thereof This later God preparing for him asperity and molestations thirsteth after more violent afflictions yea euen death it selfe Now from the immoueable Vertue of these two worthy Captaines leading vs the way we may be instructed that if we desire earnestly to gaine the palme and reward of Obedience we must play the souldiers in performing things prosperous only by coÌ„mand though with some reluctation of our owne Nature but things aduerse distastfull to execute euen out of our owne deuotion and Zeale Thus farre S. Gregory Which doctrine Christ our Lord Maister euen from his owne example most cleerly approued For when he knew the multitude would come and take him that they might make him a King we read That he fled into the mouÌ„taine himselfe alone But wheÌ„ he saw that the Iewes the souldiers with Iudas were to come to appreheÌ„d him draw him to punishmeÌ„t then according to the command which he receaued from his Father he of his owne accord did presently meete them and suffered himselfe to be taken and bound Therefore Christ not in words did vaunt of Obedience but in workes and in earnest exhibited Obedience vnto his Father grounded in true Patience and Humility Vpon this example of the most noble vertue of Obedience all those ought to haue their eyes fixed who aspire to the high reward due for a voluntary abnegation of ones proper Will and imitation of Christ. THE TABLE The first Booke THe first VVords explicated literally pag. 14. The second VVords explicated pag. 47. The third VVord explicated pag. 89. The second Booke THe fourth VVord explicated literally pag. 131. The fifth VVord explicated pag. 193. The sixt VVord explicated pag. 238. The seauenth VVord explicated p. 292. FINIS