Linguistic DNA - Concept Modelling Demonstrator

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A21061	A treatise of patience. Written by Father Francis Arias, of the Society of Iesus, in his second part of the Imitatio[n] of Christ our Lord. Translated into English	Arias, Francisco.; Tobie, Matthew, Sir, 1577-1655.	1630 (1630)	STC 743; ESTC S115340	63,854	238

but he conserued them in being and life and he gaue them holy inspirations and all the actioÌ„s which he performed and all the wordes which he vttered were ordayned to make them doe penance that they might not be lost and damned but become saued soules in heauen At that time did he endure the society and the sinnes of that miserable Iudas with vnspeakable Patience Our Lord perceiued well the malice and ingratitude of his hart the thefts which he committed vpon the almes which was deliuered to his care that trechery wherwith he knew he would sell him ouer to his enemies and yet did he not cast him out of his company nor did he depriue him of the dignity and authority of his Apostolate wherof he had made himselfe so vnworthy nor spake he any word of affront to him nor shewed him any offended or vntoward countenance but he affoarded him al those common benefits and fauours which be imparted to the rest of his Apostles By these examples of Patience which our Lord gaue vs in the time of his life and course of his preaching he taught and perswaded vs to haue Patience whereby wee are to suffer all the crosses and contradictions of this life and all the persecutioÌ„s oppressions and iniuries of meÌ„ not giuing place nor so much as entry into our harts to ill will or hatred against any man nor for complaints or murmuring either against God or maÌ„ nor yet to any inordinate grief but suffering them with a moderate firme coÌ„stant minde which swarues not from the rectitude and rule of vertue and is desirous that in all thinges the will of God may be fulfilled So saith Saint Cyprian most excellently describing the example of the Patience of Christ our Lord by these wordes What glory is so great as that a man may become like God in the exercise of Patience enduring the inconueniences of this life and the iniuries of men as God doth long endure the offences which sinners commit against him Which Patience Iesus-Christ our Lord did teach vs as he was man not onely by word but by deed also For he said he came into the world to worke the will of his father And amongst those other admirable vertues whereby he discouered to vs the power of his diuinity one was the Patience whereby he imitated his eternall Father and so all those thinges which he did from the time when he was borne with mortall flesh into this world did carry the seale and stampe of Patience vpon them For he tooke on him as hath been said the waight of all the sinnes of men that he might pay by suffering for them He was tempted by the enemy and yet he did him noe hurt for it but was onely content to ouercome him He endured the horrible wickednes of Iudas with a Patience so large as lasted till the end of his life He endured the Iewes who were incredulous vngratefull proud rebellious and contrary both to his doctrine and to his example And he indured them in such sorte as to heape benefits vpon them and to treate them with meekenes and to receiue such of them to his fauour and friendship as would be conuerted to him What greater Patience and what greater clemency can be conceiued then by meanes of shedding his blood to purchase and to impart a life of grace and glory to them who through hatred and by most wicked meanes tooke a course to spill that very blood And since wee are the members and disciples of Christ our Lord who is the way of saluation and life it selfe it will become vs to follow his example These ar the wordes of Saint Cyprian THE III. CHAPTER How Christ our Lord endured the company of the wicked and of the example of Patience which he gaue vs thereby ONe of the thinges which good men finde most difficulty to endure in this life is the society and conuersation of wicked men whilest they continue in their wickednes For in regard that they abhorre sinne so much and haue such feeling of the offences which are committed against God and of the losse and damnation of soules for them to see those offences before their eyes and to obserue their neighbours to lie vnder the wrath of God condemned and lost according to the state of present iustice yet not feeling their own misery by reason of the great blindenes and obstinacy wherein they are and to see withall that they can prouide no remedy for this so great mischiefe nor giue any impediment to these offences against God and to this losse of soules they receiue I say herby intollerable paine and carry their hearts euen traÌ„spersed from side to side with the sword of sorrow and haue extreame desires to depart out of the society conuersation of such sinners and to be still remayning farr from theÌ„ And in regard this misery happens sometimes to good men because sometimes the wicked are such persons as whose company they cannot leaue because they are either sonnes or parents or brothers or husband or wife or their gouernours or seruaunts of the same Lord or subiects of the same Prelate their paine grief doth extreamly increase vpoÌ„ this occasion Now how vehemeÌ„t this torment is for good men to endure and how great desire they haue for as much as may concerne themselues to depart out of their company Christ our Lord himself did oÌ„ce declare in waightie wordes Matt. 17. Marc 9. When he desceÌ„ded from the MouÌ„t Thabor he came to those troopes of people which were expecting him and he found his disciples much afflicted and confounded in that men had brought one to them who was both a possessed a lunaticke person whom they were not able to cure And by occasion thereof the Scribes and Pharisees who were present reproached them as wanting vertue from heauen to send deuills out and they affirmed that their Master did it in the power of Belzebub Saint Marke signifies thus much by saying that Christ our Lord fouÌ„d the Scribes in debate and argument with his disciples And then our Lord said to them O you incredulous and rebellious generation how long shall I remaine conuerse amongst you how long shall I expect you and endure your obstinacy malice By these wordes did Christ our Lord declare the trouble which the wickednes and conuersation with vitious persons who would not be conuerted and hindered the conuersion of others did put him to and that he felt that paine more then death it selfe So saith Saint Chrisostome Our Lord signified by this that he euen desired death and that his Passion was not to be troublesom or grieuous to him but that the thing whereof he was most sensible and which afflicted him most was to conuerse with rebellious sinners who made resistance to the truth and vpon whom he sawe that the fruite both of his life and death would be lost Now as this was an immense torment to Christ our Lord so is it very

house to Mount Caluary which consisted of one thousand eight hundred and seauenty two paces And because our Lord would worke no miracle in carrying the waight of that Crosse but giue leaue that nature might suffer as much as possibly it could therefore when he had dispatched a good part of the way he grew to faint and fall downe vnder the burden And the prime men of the Iewes conceiuing that there might be danger least he should dy amoÌ„gst them in the way gaue him Simon Cyrenaeus for a companion who might helpe him to beare the Crosse so the assistence which they affoarded him grew not froÌ„ clemency in them but from a desire to impose greater torments vpon him by his dying not there in the way but on the Crosse it selfe The sorrowes and torments of that way being past and he being theÌ„ arriued at Mount Caluary they began to giue him new torments One was that they stript him by taking his owne cloathes away so to put him naked vpoÌ„ the Crosse Now this was a most painfull thing to our Lord because his cloathes stucke fast to his wouÌ„ds by the meanes of baked and congealed blood and whensoeuer they tooke them off with violence they still opened the wounds againe they flead his body and renewed all his former paines To this was added that other torment which the cold ayre caused for that penetrated into his body vpon the opening of his flesh made him all quake and tremble through the much cold he felt and this torment lasted till he expired The other torments which followed vpon his nakednes were these The soldiers tooke that most holy body with extreame fury and spred it forcibly vpon the Crosse applying his backe to the wood and extending his armes and feet at length they beganne to nayle one of his haÌ„ds and the nayle being great and not very sharpe it carryed before it through the hole both of the skinne and of the flesh Then tooke they the other hand and because the body and the nerues were shruÌ„ke vp together through the cold they were faine to draw out the hand with violence to make it reach that hole which they had already made They also tooke his sacred feet and they furiously stretched them forth to nayle them And there be holy men who deliuer that for the nayling of his haÌ„ds they gaue six twenty strokes with the hammer and for the nayling of his feet six thirty that through the violence wherewith they drue his hands and feet to nayle them downe the ioynts of his sacred body were dissolued the bones displaced in such sorte as that they might be numbred one by one O how great sharpe were these torments to that most delicate body how did they euen parte his bowels and euen pearce his hearte Our Lord did very litterally performe that which the Psalme 21. had said They haue boared through my hands and feet and they haue fastened them with nailes to the Crosse and by reason that the parts of my body were so extended one from another and all the substantiall humour thereof so consumed all my bones might be numbred As soon as his most sacred body was nailed they raised the Crosse vp on high and they suffered it to fall with great force together with his most sacred body which was fastened to it vpon a hoale made in a stone which was there prouided for that purpose This was another incomparable torment for then all the parts of his body did euen open their ioynts and his bowels did all quiuer and the hoales of his hands and feet did spred abroad and beganne to streame forth blood like so many springes It is past expression to shew the greatnes of the tormeÌ„ts which those blessed armes endured being nayled and so strictly extended and those sacred feet which sustained the waight of his whole body that diuine head which now had no resting place but vpon thornes and the paines which all those parts of his body felt euery one of them being out of the true place and those finally which were felt by that blessed soule of his which carried vpon it the immense weight of all those torments together continuing after that manner that soule being grown a very sea of woe for the space of three houres till expiring he laid it in the hands of his eternall father THE V. CHAPTER Of the Patience desire and loue wherwith Christ our Lord indured all those torments for the example and edification of our soules AL these immense sorrowes and torments did Christ our Lord endure with a Patience which was vnspeakeable and indeed only worthy of himselfe He complained not of his enemies who treated him with so extreame cruelty nay he defeÌ„ded not himselfe against them nor was he angry with them nor did he shew them any couÌ„tenance of disgust nor did he speake any one word which might doe them any affront or offer them any threate or put them to any paine Nor did he so much as wish theÌ„ any hurt but did both wish and speake benignely mildly to theÌ„ And he conserued in his most dear heart a great loue towardes them all wherewith for as much as they would be capable therof he loued them giuing them holy inspirations and offering them diuine succours and praying for them wishing that they would profit thereby and cooperate with them and be conuerted to him and so be saued And he was euer ready to pardon them and to receiue them to his grace glory if they would be conuerted to him In this manner did Christ our Lord carry himself towards those enemies of his who tormented him and with this loue and with this Patience did he treate them And he suffered those paines and torments in such sorte as that he did greatly desire and delight in them and he imbraced them with the extreame gust of his hart reioyced in the interiour part of of his soule with vnspeakeable gladnes ioy that he had them to suffer And so when they laid the Crosse vpon his backe and when they nailed him to it he intertayned it with so much appetite and gust as cannot be expressed Great is the contentmeÌ„t and affection wherewith a mother embraces a most beloued soÌ„ne when shee findes him deliuered out of a long and dangerous captiuity and sees him returne safe and sound into her house But incomparably much greater was the contentment and gust wherewith Christ our Lord embraced the Crosse For already there were passed three and thirty yeares since he had begunne to desire and loue it with an immense desire and loue that so he might worke the saluation of the world thereupon and then perceiuing that his so long and vehement desire was to be satisfied it cannot be expressed how great gust he had when they laid and strecht him vpoÌ„ that Crosse And therfore embracing it with those bowells of his most tender loue he would say to

which bleyes not when his throate is cut so went he in sufferance and silence as he was carryed to death and as an innocent and still lambe which is sileÌ„t quiet whilest they sheere him so our most blessed Lord did in quiet silence and repose endure that fierce outrage wherewith his enemies tormented him and that most cruell fury wherewith they put him to death By these and other testimonies did Christ our Lord declare the immense loue and most ardent desire which he had to suffer the torments and death which he endured for man yea yet to endure greater torments to suffer more deathes if his enemies had power to giue him more wheereupon wee may inferre the vnspeakeable Patience and ioy wherewith he suffered them Wee must ponder and continually meditate with a very profound and deep consideration vpon these examples of Patience which shine in the life and Passion of Christ our Lord and thereby we must be animated to suffer endure with true Patience all those euills of punishment which may happeÌ„ to vs in this life how great or tedious soeuer they may be For therefore saith Saint Efrem the afflictions and tribulations of this life seem grieuous and intolerable to vs because wee consider not the Passion and death of Christ our Lord. Let vs therefore allwaies carry before our eyes imprint in our hearts this death and Passion of his and all those examples which he gaue vs therin of Patience and let vs imitate him by suffering all the contradictions and penalties of this life with a good will And since it becomes a soldier to follow his captaine with much labour and with offering himselfe to troubles and wounds and dangers of death though he be but a mortall man who cannot giue him strength wherewith to fight nor can raise him from death if he should by in the combat nor can giue him who conquers any other reward then some teÌ„porall thing of small value how much more is it reasonable that wee follow and imitate Christ our Lord Sauiour by suffering with Patience Since he giues strength to them who follow him wherewith to suffer and coÌ„forts wherewith to do it cheerfully and deliuers them who imitate him from eternall death and and bestowes the most excellent reward vpoÌ„ them of eternall life For as the Apostle saith it is a word most faithfull true worthy of all estimation that if wee dy with Christ our Lord that is to say if wee dy to our sinnes and ill desires abhorring and mortifying them as Christ our Lord died to his corporall life we shall lead a most glorious and blessed life together with him And if we suffer the sad and painfull things of this world and euen death it selfe with Patience for the loue of Christ our Lord and in imitation of him wee shall reigne with him for euer in his celestiall Kingdome THE VI. CHAPTER Of the Patience wherewith wee ought to suffer the losse of temporall goods and of the example which Christ our Lord gaue vs herein THough any one of the paines torments which were suffered by Christ our Lord may serue for a sufficient motiue to animate vs to endure all the afflictions and tribulations of this life with Patience yet that kind of paine endured by him which carries most reseÌ„blaÌ„ce to the Crosse which most vsually is to be suffered by vs doth vse to comfort induce vs best to suffer it and for this reason wee will treat of some particular Crosses for which we may finde particular examples of Patience in the Passion of Christ our Lord. One of the ills of punishment which happens ordinarily to men is the losse of their estate temporall goods which befalles them sometimes because they are robbed sometimes they loose them by meanes of fier and shipwrackes sometimes by vniust suites in lawe sometimes they are coosened of them sometimes they are put to preiudice by the intemperate seasons of the yeare By what way or meanes soeuer we growe to loose our temporall goods wee must eudure it with Patience accepting it at the hand of God and conforming our selues to his holy will The particular example which must comfort vs in this afflictioÌ„ and giue vs heart to beare it with Patience is to see that Christ our Lord was vniustly stript of all his cloathes in his most sacred PassioÌ„ by those most base soldiers who crucified him He liued poore in this world and because he loued and extreamely delighted in pouerty he possessed no temporall goods at all Those things which he receiued by way of almes to sustaine his Apostles to deuide amongst the poore he had already bestowed There remained no more to him but his cloathes and of those they stript him and left him naked that nakednes was accoÌ„panyed with great cold and great shame which he suffered by remayning in that sorte till he dyed From others who are executed meÌ„ take not their cloathes till they be dead but from our most blessed Lord they tooke his whilest yet he was aliue and he was pleased to eÌ„dure this being dispoiled of his cloathes and this paine and shame in remaining naked that he might suffer for vs and withall might giue vs an example of Patience Let vs therefore animate our selues by this example of Christ our Lord to suffer any want or losse of temporall goods and let vs say thus in our owne hearts Since Christ the Kinge of glory and the vniuersall Lord of the whole world would needes for loue of me and for my saluation endure pouerty and the want of temporall goods was content that they should strip him of all his cloathes and expose him naked to the ayre and put him to the shame of appearing so to the whole people most iust it is that I for loue of him and for the saluatioÌ„ of mine owne soule should endure this want of meanes and this losse or wrong whereby I am depriued of the temporall goods which once I had And let vs consider for the better exercise of our Patience that whatsoeuer preiudice or temporall losse wee haue doth come to vs from the hand of God and for the good of our soules This did Christ our Lord discouer to vs by another example and testimony of the holy Ghospell Matt. 8. Luc. 5. Mar. 8. He went into the country of the Gerasens where he found two men tormented with diuells He cast the diuells out and so cured the men by the power of his word The diuells besought him that since he had cast theÌ„ out of those men he would giue them leaue to enter into a great heard of swine which was feeding in those fields hard by and which belonged to the inhabitaÌ„ts of that Citty Our Lord gaue them leaue to doe it and instantly they possessed those swine which might arriue to the number of two thousand they carried them with extreame fury into the sea where they were drowned Hereby wee are

comforted in this kinde of tribulation and be encouraged to beare it with Patience resoluing to take it at the hand of God and resigning themselues to his diuine will to the end that he may doe and dispose of them as shall be most pleasing to himself And let them remaine firmly perswaded in their very hearts that so long as they conserue a hatred against sinne and a firme resolution to comply with the commaundments of God and that chiefly for the loue of him and through an effectuall desire and will to please God in those thinges which he hath ordained although they be much afflicted withall and loue without any comfort or sensible feeling of deuotion yet in truth they are the friends of God they are in the state of grace they walke on towards saluation eternall life they are pleasing to God by their good workes and he will neuer abaÌ„don or forsake them For thus hath he promised to such as with loue perseuer in his seruice saying to euery one of theÌ„ as he said Iosue 1. and Heb. 13. I will not forsake thee nor take my hand off from thy defence THE XII CHAPTER Of the necessity and fruite of Patience and how it is a signe of the elect and predestinated of God BY many waies did Christ our Lord declare the great fruites and merits of Patience in his holy Ghospell First by hauing ordained that tribulations and aduersities should be the way to heaueÌ„ which cannot be well borne and without disaduaÌ„tage to the soule but by the vertue of Patience This ordination of his did he discouer to vs in that himself being come into this world to saue it and to restore man to the grace glory of the eternall Father which man had lost by sinne he was pleased that his most holy life should be assaulted and exercised from the first instant of his birth to the last when he expired vpon the crosse by many persecutions aduersities of many kindes And this is that which was signified by SimeoÌ„ Luc. 2. when taking the infant Iesus into his armes he said to the Virgin This infant shall be set vp for a signe which shall be contradicted Christ our Lord was the signe of mans reconciliation to God and of the pardon of sinne and of eternal life for Christ our Lord wrought all this And as a cause is a signe of the effect so Christ our Lord was the signe of all the good which came to man and of that mercy and loue which God shewed him but yet withall he was a signe contradicted by the diuell and by the world A signe he was against which al the louers of the world and all maligne spirits did by their meanes dart forth the arrowes of persecutioÌ„s of iniuries of torments and contradictions both in word deed This is that way which Christ our Lord chose for himselfe in this world and since all the elect and predestinated of God are to be like Christ our Lord as Saint Paul Ro. 8. declareth saying They whom God elected and approued from al eternity he ordained that they should be like his sonne who is the perfect image of the eternall Father it followeth that they all must walke in the way of tribulations and aduersities as Christ our Lord did to the end that being partakers of his Passion they may also partake the honour of the sonnes of God the glory of being kings in heauen This is explicated by Saint Gregory in these words He asketh what is the reason why God afflicts and abases them in this life imposing contempt and paine vpon them whom he hath elected from all eternity to become so very high and glorious in the Kingdome of heauen And he answeres his owne question thus Because God sees that he is to recompence and reward men with such immense and eternall benedictions in heauen for this very cause doth he afflict them coÌ„cerning these inferiour things of the earth depriuing them of things of small value and inflicting paines vpon them which last not long Since therefore it is so certainly true that a man can not beare the aduersities of this life to the profit of his soule and with the fruite of vertue and the merit of eternall glory but by fortifying his heart through the the vertue of Patience it followes that Patience is that thing which carries men on with security and certeinty through the right way to heauen which is that of tribulations and that consequently the same Patience is the marke of such as are elected and predestinated by Almighty God For all men both good and bad haue aduersities tribulations in this lâ—â€¦ though some more then others and therefore the onely hauing them is no signe of predestination but the suffering theÌ„ with Patience that indeed is the signe which distinguishes them who are elected and predestinated froÌ„ such others as are not so This did holy Iudith lib. Iud. c. â— confesse saying that all they who haue bene pleasing to God haue passed faithfully through many tribulations He saith not that they only had tribulations but that they perseuered faithful therein to God and obedient to his diuine will which signifies that they exercised true Patience in their tribulations This very ordination did our Lord discouer also in that being able to cast all those damned spirits into the bottomles abisse of hell and to keepe them shut vp there till the end of the world without giuing then power to goe once out from thence yet he doth not so but allowes them liberty to goe forth to remaine in the aire amongst men though yet withall for as much as concernes themselues they carry the very paine of hell about them Of this wee haue a testimony in the Ghospell For Christ our Lord being in the company of the Gerasens Luc. 8. and hauing cast a legion of diuels out of a certaine man they besought him not to cast them into hell which he graunted so he gaue them liberty to possesse a heard of swine which they drowned And that liberty which our Lord gaue to those diuels to remaine here amoÌ„gst meÌ„ he allowes to innumerable others he doth it to the eÌ„d that they may assault meÌ„ with seuerall temptations that so they may exercise Patience and humility by suffering their attempts and by ouercoming the persecution of the diuells So saith Saint Chrysostome The diuells desired of Christ our Lord that he would not cast them downe into that bottome that is out of the world into that darkenes and Abisse of Hell as the diuells had deserued and our Lord forbore to cast theÌ„ downe and suffered them to remaine in this world to the end that vertuous men might not loose those crownes of glory which they were to gaine by resisting those diuells and by fighting with them and ouercoming their temptations Since therefore for the suffering of the persecutions vexations of diuells resisting their temptations and continuing in combate against

to heare his diuine word He was pleased to feed fiue thousand meÌ„ with fiue loaues of bread and before he would allow them this Regalo he made them stay till towards might when his disciples sayd Lord the houre of eating is come and gone let these troupes diuide theÌ„selues amongst these neighbouring villages that so they may haue meanes to eate When already they had exercised their Patience by suffering hunger he vouchsaffed to shew them so great a mercy as it was to refresh them with a plentifull and sweet food whereby their bodies were sustained and he also made faith and confidence encrease in their soules So saith Saint Chrysostome Those troupes of people declared their faith by suffering hunger and expecting till the euening In this sorte doth God impart illustrious fauours to such as coÌ„serue and exercise Patience in their aduersities and troubles to whom he is pleased to vouchsaffe particular fauours mercies he sends crosses and tribulations that so exercising PatieÌ„ce therein they may grow more capable and be more worthy of the especiall gifts and graces which he will impart So saith Saint Isidorus Then are the eyes of our Lord behoulding iust persons with greater piety and mercy when they are afflicted and persecuted by the wicked and then doth he prouide greater blessings for them and more eminent rewards of glory when once they are tried by some tribulation which they suffer with Patience Let not therefore any man coÌ„ceiue that when he is afflicted he is forgotten by Almighty God nor that he hath lost the vertue and grace he had when he is abased and persecuted by men Let him not permit the diuell to deceiue him who would faine perswade him to this errour but let him be very confident that God hath then a more particular care of him and loues him more and comunicates more gifts more singular fauours to him and that then he growes vp more in vertue augments his merits both of grace and glory Thus saith Saint Chrysostome Let vs not conceiue it to be a signe as if God did forsake or forget or esteem vs little because he sends vs aduersities or troubles but rather let vs hould it for a most certaine tokeÌ„ that he hath particular care of vs and that then he is to shew vs greater mercies when he afflicts and tries vs. For if we haue committed many and very grieuous sinnes wee may free our selues from them by Patience and thanksgiuing in tribulatioÌ„ which grows from a contrite heart And supposing that we should not be liable to those many grieuous sinnes yet by suffering tribulation with a thankefull minde we shall obtaine most abundant grace at the hand of God For so good he is so liberall in doing vs good that when he sends vs any aduersity he giues vs matter to exercise more vertue that he may shew vs more mercy This is deliuered to vs by Saint Chrysostome And this so excellent and admirable effect of Patience which is exercised in tribulations Christ our Lord declared when he said Io. 15. I am the true vine For as much as concernes the nature of man which I haue taken I resemble some very fruitfull and perfect vine which yeelds most excellent fruite My celestiall father is the husband man it is he who planted this vine of my humanity and who cultiuates the same he it is who made mee man and who placed in mee the immense fullnes of grace and glory which I haue he who workes all that fruite in mee which either I doe or shall herafter yeeld Euery braÌ„ch that is euery man who being vnited to me by faith shall not yet yeeld the fruite of a good life my father will cut off from me either whilest he is to liue by letting him fall into errours whereby he will loose his faith or els when he comes to dy by despoyling him of those supernaturall giftes through which he was once vnited to mee and also of power to doe penance and so to be saued And euery branch that is to say euery true faithfull man who is vnited to mee through faith quickened by charity who shall produce the fruit of good works my father will purge by celestial doctrine and by inspirations and interiour gifts and by aduersities also and tribulations that suffering them with Patience and charity he may yeeld both faire and most abundant fruite of holy actions most pleasing to God and full of profit to soules which shall deserue most pretious gifts of grace be crowned with that most sublime reward of eternall glory THE XIIII CHAPTER Of the meanes whereby the vertue of Patience may be obtained which is that wee be watchfull to consider the fruite thereof and the examples whereby wee haue been taught it by Christ our Lord. NOt only did Christ our Lord instruct vs by his example concerning the necessity which wee haue of Patience and the effects and merits thereof but he also taught vs the meanes wherby wee are to obtaine it and of this wee are going now to speake And because wee treated thereof abundantly in another booke we will heer content our selues to declare briefly some examples whereby Christ our Lord hath instructed vs. The first meanes towardes the receiuing and suffering with Patience all the euills of punishmeÌ„t which may happen to vs in this life is that we be prepared and armed with the particular knowledge and consideration thereof It would not faile to be matter of most grieuous affliction paine to the disciples of Christ our Lord euen the greatest which they euer felt in this world that their Master must suffer such a death therfore our most blessed Lord did arme them for it long before announcing his Passion to them many times At the first he tould them of it thus in couert termes Io. 2 dissolus this Temple and I will build it againe in three dayes and Io. 3. As Moyses lifted vp the serpent in the the desere so must the sonne of man be raised up on high After this he spake of it in a more distinct and cleer manner saying once Matt. 16. I must goe to Ierusalem to suffer and dy and another time Matt. 20. Luc. 18. Behould wee ascend to Ierusalem and the sonne of man is to be deliuered ouer to the Gentiles and he is to be scorned and scourged and spit vpon and crucified In this manner did he giue them notice of his Passion a long time before that so they might be prouided and prepared to endure it and that when it should be present to them they might not be scandalized nor troubled nor dismaied thereby but might endure it with Patience So saith Saint Hierome Our Lord spake often of his PassioÌ„ to his disciples prouiding them against the temptation to the end that they might not be scandalized when the persecutioÌ„ should arriue and should see the ignominy of the Crosse He also aduertised them a long time before Matt. 23.

from his Conception and Birth and of the example of Patience which he gaue vs therein THe sonne of God as soon as he was borne into the world did instantly suffer paine and sorrow He instantly felt the paine of cold for he was born in winter and in an open vndefended place And for as much as the body of the infant Iesus was extreamely tender delicate in regard that he was of a most perfect pure complexion he felt the iniuries and incoÌ„modities of the season more then euer any other infant did how delicate soeuer he might be Vpon the arriuall of the seauenth day he felt the grief and tormeÌ„t of Circumcision which was extreame For if they who were growen men did feele it much because the paine in it selfe was great as also for that they had reason wherewith to vnderstand it how much more must the infant Iesus feele that paine who with being of so delicate constitution had also the vse of reason in perfection And this paine of his was increased in him because the Virgin who was present there and sawe the blood and teares which the infant shed did all melt with grief and hauing her heart full of a most dolorous compassion would be sure to sigh and shed mournfull teares And her most blessed sonne obseruing the sorrow of his most sacred mother whom he incomparably loued and of whose sorrow he well knew how great it was had much pitty of her and that pitty caused a greater wound of sorrow in his soule then the knife had made in his body This sorrow for the Circumcision was followed at the end of little more then thirty daies by his banishment into Aegypt whither the way was very long and very painfull and tooke vp the toyle of many dayes and the banishment lasted many yeares Another immense sorrow â—hich Christ our Lord endured and which began in him from the instant of his Conception and continued till his expiring vpon the Crosse was that which was caused in him by all the sinnes of the whole world for they al were preseÌ„t to him both those which had bene coÌ„mitted from the beginning of the world till that time and those which then were in committing and those also which would be committed euentill the very end of the world Now the man who loues God and his neighbours in great measure is much afflicted by offences committed against God and by the losse of soules and so much more as a maÌ„ loues God and his neighbours so much more is the offeÌ„ce of God and the losse of soules intollerable to him So saith Saint Peter â— ep 2. c. that the sinnes of the Inhabitants of Sodom did grieuously tormeÌ„t the soule of holy Lot day and night Since therfore Christ our Lord did supremely loue the glory of the eternall Father and the saluation of soules he hauing allwayes present to him so many sinnes whereby the eternall Father was affronted and soules destroyed and condemned that most sacred soule became a very sea of immense sorrowe which tormented it euer day night without either cessation or moderation Another most greiuous tormeÌ„t which Christ our Lord was pleased to suffer for vs was to be tempted by the diuell in the desart For to be tempted is to be prouoked and solicited to sin which is a thing most vgly and to be abhorred And this was not onely a vast affront to him by meanes whereof he exercised Humility as we haue declared elswhere but it was also an excessiue grief to him by occasion whereof he exercised Patience For if some most chast virgin who were a great louer of purity and a great detester of all dishonesty being seen alone by some filthy person being solicited by his speech to coÌ„mit vncleannes would feele more offence and paine therby then if they should beate her with cudgells or dragg her by the haire through the streetes much more would Christ our Lord who did supremely loue the will and glory of his eternall Father and who deeply detested all kinde of sinne finde it for an incomparable kinde of torment and feele it more then many of the torments of his very Passion to see himself solicited and prouoked by the diuell to affront his Father and to commit so wicked and so abhominable a thing as sinne is This torment was accompanyed by another which was to be carryed by the diuell from the desart to the pinacle of the Temple and from thence to the top of the mountaine Which whether it were that he were taken vp carryed in the ayre as some of the Saints vnderstaÌ„d it or that the diuel guided him like one who would lead another by the hand as other holy writers haue conceaued the diuell being so wicked and so deformed a creature and Christ our Lord seeing so cleerly that malice and deformity of his and yet to be so long so neer him and to be touched or carryed by him must needes be of so excessiue paine to him as to equall many torments of his Passion And so doth Saint Gregory compare it saying when wee heare them tell that Christ our Lord being true God and man was carryed by the diuell to the Citty of Ierusalem it causeth horrour and amazemeÌ„t in such as heare it But yet it is no wonder that he should suffer himselfe to be carryed by the deuill who is the head of wickednes since he was pleased to be crucified by the members of the same diuel This is the saying of S. Gregory whereby he signifies that the tormeÌ„t to haue bene carryed by that infernall beast the diuell imports a kind of a resemblance to that other torment of his hauing bene crucified by sinners and so doubtles it was a most greiuous affliction to the soule of Christ our Lord. All those crosses and contradictions which Christ our Lord suffered through the whole course of his preaching the iniury of ill wordes the deeds of persecution which were cast vpoÌ„ him the slaunders false testimonies the attempt to breake his necke downe the hill in Nazareth and to stone him many times in Ierusalem belong to the vertue of Humility in as much as they carryed disgrace and contempt with them but for him to haue made choice and to haue imbraced them in regard that they were painfull and dolorous to his heart and to indure them as such belonges to the vertue of Patience And Christ our Lord indured them with so extreeme Patience that whereas he might most iustly haue taken veÌ„geance of his enemies for euery one of those paines in particuler and might instaÌ„tly haue deliuered them ouer to the furie of hell there to suffer that torment which they deserued or els might haue annihilated them by taking off his hand of protection and preseruation from them yet he would not doe them any hurt at all not gaue he to them by way of answere any word which might be so seuere or sharpe as might occasion the least disgust to them

grieuous to be endured by vertuous men But that which they are to doe for suffering it with that Patience which is fit and for gathering from thence that fruite of merits which God desires is this To distinguish on the one side by the vse of reason between that which is the fault of others and the losse of soules and the offence of God and that on the other side which is their owne affliction and paine and then to be afflicted for those sinnes for asmuch as they imply the offence of God and withal to be sory for the losse which soules receiue thereby and to make instant prayer to God for them and as for the paine and torment which results thereby vpon them selues to accept it at the hands of almighty God and willingly to be content to suffer it during all that time which God shal thinke fit not to take them out of that company and conuersation of the wicked By this meanes that company of the wicked will be a diuine Purgatory to them which may cleÌ„se their soules both from sinnes and the punishments due thereunto and a way of exercising chatity and humility and patience which ar of so great worth and merit and so very acceptable in the sight of God And to animate them to suffer this punishment with this Patience they are to consider those exaÌ„ples of Christ our Lord wherof wee haue spoken which are the immense and continuall tormeÌ„t which he felt in behoulding all the sinnes of mankinde and that which he felt in being carryed by the diuell to Ierusalem and to the Mount that which he receiued by his conuersation with the Iewes who continued rebellious in their infidelity and that particularly which he receiued by keeping Iudas in his company and in the Colledge of his Apostles For to this end it was that he chose that miserable creature for an Apostle as well knowing how wicked he was to be and for this after he was peruerted did he continue him in his owne company and he tolerated him to the end that by this example they might seriouslie endeauour to endure those wicked and peruerse people with Patience whom they might chauÌ„ce to haue in their neighbourhood their house their family and their society So doth Saint Augustine aduise vs saying Christ our Lord had one amongst his Apostles who was wicked and he serued himselfe well of that wickednes First by complying with that eternall ordination of God concerning his Passion and secondly to giue an example to the world of the Patience wherwith they were to endure wicked men Let vs therefore animate our felues by these exaÌ„ples of Christ our God and Sauiour to suffer with a good will and a constant minde whatsoeuer troubles contradictions and crosses may grow to vs by our neighbours our domesticks and our familiar freinds Let vs consider and ponder well what Christ our Lord endured at the hands of sinners for the loue of vs and how he hath endured our very selues dissembling our sinnes when we deserued hell for committing theÌ„ bestowing benefits on vs when wee committed offences against him imparting mercies to vs when wee did him wronges cryinge out and drawing vs to him and conuerting vs by his grace when we had departed from him and were fled out of his house and were making warre against his Law This Patience of Christ our Lord wherwith as God he endures all sinners hath endured our selues and as man endured those wicked people with whom he coÌ„uerst in this world must induce and strengthen vs much in the way of sufferance Great saith Saint Ambrose is the Patience of God in not instaÌ„tlie punishing sinners but in suffering them for sometime till they may be conuerted And in another place If our Lord our God and Sauiour Iesus Christ who with one single word could haue cast his enemies into the most profound pit of hell did yet endure them with Patience why should not miserable men who are full of sinnes endure theÌ„ also with Patience wheÌ„ in this life they receiue paine and trouble from other men by whose meanes they are corrected and punished by Almighty God for their sinnes This is the discourse of Saint Ambrose Let vs therefore giue this glory to God that for his loue wee may endure all euills of punishment Let vs yeeld this honour a d giue this gust to Christ our Sauiour in that to imitate him wee may haue occasion to suffer all the iniuries and contradictions of men Let vs bestow this benefit vpon our owne soules in wiping away our sinnes by exercising this vertue of Patience and let vs fill it full of comforts and merits For as Ecclesiasticus chap. 1. saith the Patient man suffers onely during a time which is limited and afterward for his hauing suffered Almighty God giues him true ioy which springes froÌ„ that grace which at the present he receiues and from that hope of glory wherewith he is to be indowed afterward THE IV. CHAPTER Of the euils of paine which Christ our Lord suffered in his Passion and of the example of Patience which he gaue vs by suffering them with so great good will THe chief examples of Patience which Christ our Lord gaue vs were of his most sacred Passion by reason of the many and various kindes of sorrowes and tormentes which he suffered therein with vnspeakeable Patience and wee will declare these torments and the Patience wherwith he suffered them for the edification of our soules and particularly that wee may learne to suffer all the miseries of this life with Patience When they apprehended our Lord he giuing them leaue to put the malice and fury of their wrathed harts in execution the torments were many and very grieuous which they gaue him with their hands and feet by cudgells and irons and other instruments which they had and vsed throughout that whole way till they came to the house of Annas For if after they had imployed vpon his person so many and most cruell kindes of torment through all that night and so much of the next day till they nailed him fast to the crosse they yet were not satisfied at all but after they had crucified him they did yet coÌ„tinue to persecute him with their viperous tongues and after they had fetched all the blood out of his vaines together with his life they would needes open his side and fetch the blood forth from his very heart what is to be thought that they would doe in that furious onset when first they began to exercise their cruelty vpon him and to streame out their deadly poison against him which had lyen for so long time horded vp in their malitious heartes In the house of Caiphas the High Priest wheÌ„ Christ our Lord had confessed who he was and when all the Iudges had condemned him as a blasphemous persoÌ„ and worthy death the soldiers Ministers of iustice together with the seruaÌ„ts of the Priests in whose power he was

it in this manner in the interiour part of his hart O most happy Crosse how long is it since I haue loued desired thee it is now three and thirty yeares since I liue enamoured of thee and I all enkindled with the flames of this desire and loue to see myselfe conioyned to thee O thou most pretious wood wherupon the iust price for sinne shall be payed and the diuine iustice shall remaine fully satisfied and my Father shall be perfectly glorified and man shall be saued freed from sinne and death and eternall damnation shal make his entry into the Kingdome of heauen O with how good a will I suffer my selfe to be nayled to thee and will so continue vpon thee till I leaue to liue And because the affection and desire which Christ our Lord had to suffer was the cause of that vnspeakable Patience wherewith he endured all the sorrowes and torments of the Crosse let vs coÌ„sider the testimonies of the Ghospel wherin he declared the fraÌ„ke will desire which he had to suffer and wherwith he offered himselfe to his Passion and death He discouered this his pleasure in that he manifested and declared many times and in particular manner to his disciples how he was to suffer in Ierusalem and the torments kinde of death which he was to suffer Once he said thus to them Matt. 16. It is fit that I goe to Ierusalem and that I suffer many torments at the hands of the Scribes and Pharisees and chief Priests and that I be put to death by them And Saint Peter perswading him not to endure it he reproued him in sharpe manner for seeking to hinder his Passion It is cleer that since he knew so long before what he was to suffer he might haue auoided it and fled from it if he would and since he did not so it is plaine he had an affection and desire to suffer it Another time going vp to Ierusalem some few dayes before that Easter when he suffered he said thus to them Matt. 20. Behould we are going vp to Ierusalem and the son of man is to be deliuered vp to the Princes of the Priests to the Scribes who will condemne him to death and will deliuer him ouer to the Gentiles to the end that he may be scorned scourged and crucified by them As if he had said Behould how without being carryed or compelled we goe in a most voluntary manner to Ierusalem where those thinges which concerne my Passion and death are to be accomplished to the end that you may vnderstaÌ„d how willingly I offer my selfe to that Passion and death whereby I am to saue the world He also discouered the great affection and desire which he had to suffer by his going to that garden which was so notorious a place and where he knew his enemies would seeke and finde him out as also in that being there and knowing that his enemies came to apprehend him he went not thence to some other place where they might not finde him but he went by that very way where they were cominge towards him he went to meet them and animated his disciples to goe with him saying Matt. 26. Rise vp and let vs goe for he who will betray mee is neer at hand So saith Saint Ierome when he declares these words Our Lord weÌ„t to encounter his persecutors without any feare at all of his Passion and he voluntarily deliuered himself to them that they might depriue him of his life and he said to his disciples Rise vp and let vs goe as if he had said let not our enemies finde vs heer like fearfull men but let vs goe with good courage to receiue them and let them see the confidence and cheerfullnes wherewith we offer our selues to death Being gone forth to meet his enemies and already standing before them and they hauing many lights wherby they looked vpoÌ„ him he being well knowen to them and especially to Iudas yet was it not in their power to know him then because he gaue them not that power not concurred with that faculty of their minde wherby they were to haue knowen him till such time as he discouered himselfe to them by saying It is I declaring thereby how truly it was in his owne haÌ„d not to be takeÌ„ or so much as touched by theÌ„ vnles he would himselfe So saith Saint Chrysostome Our Lord staÌ„ding in the middest of his enemies did blinde their eyes this he did to make them know that not onely they could not haue apprehended him but not so much as haue seen him if himselfe had not giuen theÌ„ power to doe it He also declared thus much by making them returne and fall backward to the ground like dead men and that with one onely word discouering cleerly thereby how easy a thing it had bene for him to defend himselfe from them to take away both their strength and life if he had bene pleased He had formerly bene in feare in the garden to declare the weakenes of mans nature and by the immense loue which he bore to man he ouercame all that naturall feare and he being ouercome by that very loue and by the extreame desire which he had to suffer for the saluation of mankinde weÌ„t forth to receiue his enemies as if they had bene his most beloued frieÌ„ds And first hauing made it plaine that they could not once haue touched him nor so much as haue knowen him if he had not bene so pleased he then gaue theÌ„ leaue and power to doe what they would to him And this he declared by saying This is your houre and the power of darcknes This is that hower wherein liberty is giuen you to the end that you and the Princes of darcknes by your meanes may execute both his power his cruell wil vpon my person This affection wherewith Christ our Lord offered himselfe to the torments of death and this inuincible Patience wherewith he endured them had bene prophecied by Esai 53. chap. in these words He offered himselfe to death because he would The same Prophet had said The eternall Father had layd all our sinnes vpon Christ our Lord to the end that he might satisfy for them all and all those sinnes might be destroyed consumed by the vertue of his Passion And instantly he declares the manner how he layd them vpon him which was not by forcing or constraining him to suffer but by infusing an immense charity into him and by inspiring mouing his heart thereby to the end that voluntarily and freely with extreame readines and gladnes he might offer himselfe to death And declaring the Patience wherewith he suffered that death he saith As a sheepe he opened not his mouth So great was the Patience the desire and loue wherewith he endured the torments which he tooke vpoÌ„ him for the discharge of our sinnes that he opned not his mouth either to defend himself or complaine of others Like a quiet sheepe

meanes of her sinne did Adam sinne and so haue wee all done after him Such a kinde of refreshinge was allowed to Christ our Lord against his paine and torment of thirst which was to encrease the same paine and torment So saith Saint Cyrill In stead of some wholesome drinke which might refresh him they gaue him a bitter and hurtfull drinke and that curtesy which they would seeme to vse in giuing him somewhat to take was conuerted into cruelty by giuing him so vile a thing And this did Saint Luke chap. 23. signify saying that the soldiers putting a scorne vpon our Lord did offer him vineger The Psalme recounts the iniury and affliction which hereby they put vpoÌ„ Christ our Lord amongst the rest of his torments saying Psal 68. They gaue mee gall in steed of meate and in my thirst they gaue mee vineger to drinke That is to say they were so farre from hauing compassion of me in my miseries so great was the cruelty which they vsed towards me that when I came with my Crosse vpon my backe to the place of torment in steed of some aromaticall wine such as they vsed to giue dying men for their comfort they gaue mee wine corrupted and mingled with gall and mirrhe which being so very thicke was become as a most bitter and most hurtful meate And being afterward nayled vpon the very Crosse hauing my blood exhausted and I being totmented with thirst and declaring the thirst I had they gaue mee vinagre mingled with gal to drinke This was the torment of thirst which Christ our Lord suffered vpon this Crosse and thus was he content to be abandoned and by meanes of this and the rest which he endured there all faithfull ChristiaÌ„s are to comfort theÌ„selues in their corporall infirmities and must be animated to endure them with Patience to imitate our Lord thereby and conforme themselues to his holy wil. So saith Saint Gregory To the end that sicke persons may conserue the vertue of Patience in their sicknesses they must coÌ„tinually consider the paines which our God and our Redeemer did suffer at the hands of his owne creatures how many affronts how many buffets how many spittings how many scourges and how many thornes he endured for our saluation and particularly how to bestow the sweetnes of heauen vpon vs he tooke when he was most thirsty the bitternes of gall for himselfe This is the saying of Saint Gregory Besides this Christ our Lord declared by many examples and testimonies of the holy Ghospell how great blessings are contained in corporall infirmities and how great fruites are gathered from thence by such as endure them with Patience By this meanes of sicknesse he drew many to his Faith and to his grace and to the obedience of his Ghospell and he cured them so of many sinnes For when they found themselues sicke they went in search after health of the body and then belieuing and doing penance for their sinnes they obtained also health for their soules So doth the holy Euangelists informe vs often For speaking of those woemen who with great deuotion faith followed Christ our Lord Saint Luke saith chap. 8. Our Lord going to preach amongst those Citties and townes diuers woemen followed him whom he had deliuered from impure spirits cured of their infirmities Some of these were Marie Magdalen and Ioanna the wife of Chusa a lawyer of Herods and Susanna and many others And they following our Lord did supply him out of their meanes with necessaries for the sustentation of his life By these words the holy Euangelist giues vs to vnderstaÌ„d that their hauing bene sicke and cured by our Lord was the way to make them beleeue in him to follow him both in body and soule And of the womaÌ„ who was sicke of a bloody fluxe Matth. 9. Marc. 5. and had found no remedy by her Physitians S. Matthew declares the same and that her infirmity had made her looke for remedy in Christ our Lord to be beleeue and confide in him with so liuely faith that shee obtained health both in body and soule And the same thing happened to the paralitike Mat. 9. Mar. 2. for whom the roofe of the house was taken of that he might be brought before our Lord for his infirmity was the cause why he made himselfe be carryed presented to him and that he would beleeue in him with sorrow for his sinnes and so obtaine pardon thereof The same also happened to innumerable other sicke persons whose sicknesses were the cause why they sought out Christ our Lord and gaue eare to his word and beleeued in him and amended their liues and obtained true cure of their soules A great blessing of God is this kinde of corporal infirmity since it is the roote and occasion of so high a good as it is for man to know his sinnes and to be sory for them and to obtaine a cleane and healthfull soule and eternall happines afterward Saint Gregory aduises sicke persons to consider this well that so they may vnderstand the great benefit of sicknesse and thus he saith Let sicke persons consider how profitable the sicknes of the body is for the health of the soule how great a gift of God it is For it makes a man enter into himselfe and knowe his weakenes and his sinnes and the miseries to which he is subiect It makes him feare God and reforme his life that so by meanes of penance he may be made cleane from his former sinnes and may be bridled and fortified towards the not coÌ„mitting others afterward Saint Gregory Nazianzen relates how being one day present with Eudoxius a holy man who was sicke and interpreting at the request of the sicke man the seauenty second Psalme wherein the holy Ghost declares how God is wont to visit his seruants in this life with the scourges of sicknesses and other afflictions that holy man whom some coÌ„ceiue to haue bene Saint Basill lift vp his eyes to heauen and exclamed saying I giue thee thankes Ã´ celestiall Father and Creatour of mankinde for that thou doest vs good against our wills that is thou sendest vs infirmities other miseries which wee would not haue whereby yet thou doest good to our soules by exercising this exteriour man which is the body thou clensest the interiour man which is the minde and thou carriest vs on towards eternall happines by aduersities and contradictions to our gust And Saint Gregory addes further that the Saint spoke those words as reioycing and delighting in his sicknesse This diuine effect of sicknesse is thus declared in holy scripture by the mouth of the wise man Prou. 20. The signe of the hurt and the secret woundes of the belly doe cure mens euills His meaning is that both the exteriour hurts of the body which are not very grieuous and those also which are deep and dangerous and doe pierce euen into the most inward parte of the bowells doe clense the soule

in him deuotion wherewith to confesse praise follow him Vpon which wee may inferre that they were already good men and in the fauour of God and so this is prooued to be that effect of sicknesse which wee are now declaringe Namely that it disposes such as are good to receiue new giftes from God and to better them and perfect them by their growing in vertue and by making theÌ„ increase in merits both of grace and glory The blessed Euagrius Bishop of Antioch and disciple of Saint Macharius relates that going one day in company of other seruants of God to visit that most holy man Iohn a Moncke of Aegypt and a great Prophet and much reuerenced by the Emperour Theodosius as being one of the greatest Saints of that time one of those coÌ„sorts of his fell sicke of a violent burning feauer and besought the Saint to cure him But the Saint made him answere in these words Thou desirest to driue that from thee which it imports thee for the good of thy soule to keepe For know that as bodies are washed and clensed with salt-peter and other thinges of that nature and doe so become more beautifull and more pleasing to the eye so are soules more clensed by corporall sicknesse made more beautifull and acceptable to the eyes of God Thus said this Saint And this is the effect which is produced by sicknesse in good men Namely that the soule growes thereby in purity and grace and in all those vertues whereby they are to please and serue God And let vs now cast our eyes vpoÌ„ some other examples which may declare to vs how sicknesse makes men become instruments of the glory of God that so his power and goodnes may shine more in them When Christ our Lord was curing the maÌ„ who was borne blind his disciples asked him 10.9 what sinne it was which had caused blindnes in that man whether it were of him or of his parents Christ our Lord made them this answere That it was neither for his nor his pareÌ„ts sinne but to the end that the workes of God might be manifested in him His meaning was that neither the actuall sinne of him nor of his parents was the cause of his being borne blinde nor was that blindnes imposed on him in punishment of any sinne which either his parents or himselfe had committed but he was borne blinde by the good will of God to the end that by giuing him sight the world might growe to see those workes which were proper to the diuinity namely the working of Miracles by his proper vertue which might testify and declare that he who wrought them was true God By these wordes did Christ our Lord discouer his vnspeakeable goodnes and liberality and most sweet prouidence which sometimes permittes small inconueniences to arriue to the body thereby to bestow great benedictions vpon the soule and to honour his seruants after an extraordinary manner making theÌ„ admirable instruments of his glory as he proceeded with this blinde man whoÌ„ he made blinde to the end that deliuering him by this miracle it might grow publike that himselfe was the true God and Sauiour of the world and that as such he might be beleeued and obeyed and glorified both by that blinde maÌ„ who receiued the benefit and by all those others also who would profit by the notice thereof And so by imparting a great blessing to the soule of that blinde man by the light of faith grace which he gaue he declared the glory of his diuinity Let vs produce another example of the same nature When Lazarus was fallen sicke his sisters sent a messenger to our Lord 10.11 who said looke heer O Lord for he whom thou louest is sicke Now in that Lazarus was sicke being so good a man and so much beloued by Christ our Lord wee are taught that sicknesse is a great gift which God not onely bestowes vpon sinners for their coÌ„uersion but also vpon iust and holy men for the bettering of their soules and for their encrease in grace and merit and therefore when God sends sicknesse it should be receiued with a right good will Saint Augustine saith he who loues God loues that which God loues and therefore it is that he loues corporall sicknesse which is the worke and gift of God O how full it is of all reason that a man who is the seruant of God should receiue that sicknesse which God sends him with a great good will and a cheerfull heart If a man being sicke God should giue him health he would receiue it very readily and with much ioy and thanksgiuing and yet certainly ought he to receiue that sicknesse wherewith God visits him with greater affection and thankesgiuing as being a most profitable gift of God This is deliuered by Saint Augustine And although it be true that for the point of not sinning through impatience it suffices to endure and beare the infirmity without desiring to be quit of it by vnlawfull meanes as wee declared before yet to gaine and merit much more therby and to obtaine greater giftes and graces from God a man as Saint Augustine faith must receiue it with much contentment and with a very affectuous manner of thankesgiuing And it is fit that wee proceed after this manner in regard that sicknesse is of much greater profit to many seruants of God then health would be and it is a great gift of God towards all giues them meanes of much spirituall good and for this reason doth God giue it to whom he loues as he did to Lazarus whom he loued much Our Lord hauing receiued this message from the two fisters said to them who brought it This sicknesse is not to death but for the glory of God and to the end that the sonne of God may be glorified by occasioÌ„ therof His meaning was that that infirmity was not to end in death because though the man were to dy yet he was not to continue dead but shortly to returne to this present life and so it was not ordained for his death but for the glory of God And the particular glory of God to which it was ordained was that the son of God might be glorified by occasioÌ„ of that sicknesse death which followed thereupon he giuing life to the dead man perfect health to him who at that time was sicke so he was knoweÌ„ by meanes of that worke with faith and obedieÌ„ce to be the true God and Sauiour of the world By these examples did Christ our Lord discouer to vs how the sicknesse of his seruants might turne to his glory which happens sometimes by his freeing them from their infirmities and from the dangers paines therof of by such particular and extraordinary meanes of his diuine prouidence as greatly serue to manifest the loue and care which he hath of them and inuite all such as knowe thereof to praise and loue confide in his goodnes more and more At other times

those Saints For to suffer so grieuous sicknesses and so bitter paines so many yeares with so inuincible Patience for the obtaining of spirituall inuisible benedictions doth incomparably exceed all the naturall power and strength of man And so wee see by experience that men who are voyd of the Faith of Christ our Lord caÌ„ not beare such sicknesses and paines with true Patience but they faint and faile of courage therein and they fall into great sorrowes and other disorders against reason and some goe so farre as to despaire Silicius Italicus a most worthy man amongst the Gentiles and of great wisedome and authority who had bene Proconsul in Asia and Consul in Rome had a grieuous sicknes and was subiect therein to much paine and not being able to endure it and being seauenty and fiue yeares old he killed himselfe And as Cato Vticensis who went for so wise a man not being able to endure the affront of being held to be ouercome by Caesar killed himselfe to be free from that affront So did Silius Italicus kill himselfe to be freed from the paine of his sicknesse which he was not able to endure The Gentiles who through their owne fault were not assisted by supernatural fauours from God for the suffering of such paines with Patience were subiect to this great weakenes and impuissance in suffering them And euen amongst Christians they who are not in the grace of Christ suffer sicknesses and paines with great difficulty and when they chance to be very great men doe by occasion thereof commit many sinnes and fall into much disorder against the vertue of PatieÌ„ce Whereas wee see that Saints and the seruants of Christ our Lord endure most grieuous sicknesses and intollerable most tedious paines with so great Patience that they loue them and reioyce in them and thanke God for them And al the power of the sicknesse and the fiercenes of the paine can not make them coÌ„mit any little errour against vertue as we haue proued by so many examples It is therefore a most clear and certaine truth that these men are greatly assisted and strengthened by Almighty God as true faithfull soules and seruants of his and that they are exalted by supernaturall fauours both to doe and suffer those things which all the power and strength of humane nature can by no meanes doe or suffer For certainly Patience wheÌ„ a man is in some great aduersity is a gift of God as the Psalmist saith Psal 61. Patience comes to mee from our Lord. And S. Augustine thus declares the reason and root of this truth Amongst wicked people so much more couragious is any of them towards the enduring the inconueniences of this life as there aboundes in him more couetousnes and concupiscence and loue of the world in regard wherof he endures theÌ„ amongst iust persons so much the more couragious is any such man to suffer paines and tormeÌ„ts as he hath the greater charity and loue of God in him for whose sake he suffers them The loue of the world hath his roote in free will being assisted carryed on by the gust and delight which men take in thinges of the world and the charity and loue of God is infused by God himselfe and so the Patience of iust meÌ„ is a gift giuen by God which was communicated to them by charity whereby they exercise true Patience The second fruite which wee must gather from heÌ„ce is a great courage and heart for the enduring of any sicknes or afflictions which it may please God to send vs as also a firme confidence that wee shall be able to endure them by Gods grace with true Patience and to the great benefit of our soules We know well indeed that wee are not able to endure them by the only strength of mans nature but by the fauour and helpe of God and that God is ready to impart those helpes and fauours in great abundance with much liberality and that in fine he will bestow them vpon vs as he hath done to all his Saints and true seruants For so the eternall God who is truth it selfe hath promised and so hath Christ our Lord merited for vs. And as the truth of God caÌ„not faile nor the merits of Christ our Lord be diminished so it is certaine that succour cannot be wanting to vs on the parte of God if wee be disposed to profit by it Because as S. Paule saith 1. Cor. 10. God is faithfull and true in the accomplishment of his promises and will not permit vs to be tempted with any affliction or teÌ„ptation which may be too heauy for vs to beare and maister being assisted with that grace and fauour from heauen which he is ready to giue vs for that purpose But rather he will take care that in the time of the temptation or tribulation things shal succeed in such sorte either by encreasing our streÌ„gth or by diminishing our Crosse as that wee may be able to endure it yea and to ouercome it at good ease and reape much fruite and merit by it This is deliuered by Saint Paule And since after the example of Christ our Lord and of his Saints wee are resolued to make the right vse of these helpes from God and to serue our selues of these fauours and to doe on our parte what wee can wee may be confident assured if we still rely vpon that succour from heauen that wee shall endure sicknesses and all other Crosses with Patience And that those thinges which it is impossible or at least very hard for our naturall weaknes to endure will be made easy and sweet to vs by these helpes from heauen namely by the gifts of grace and those diuine consolations which God will impart to vs to the end that wee may suffer them not onely with Patience but euen with ioy also as the Saints did Not onely must this hope encourage vs to suffer but it must greatly comfort vs therein Saint Saint Basil declared it by these words In the time of our tribulation wee must not seeke for helpe at the hands of our owne streÌ„gth or power or riches or authority or humane glory but at the haÌ„ds of God who giues it to all such as seeke it And with this confidence in God be glad if thou be sicke for whoÌ„ God loues he corrects and betters by sicknesse and if thou be poore be glad for God hath prepared eternall blessings for thee and if thou suffer any affroÌ„t for Christ our Lord esteem thy selfe happy therein for that affront will be changed into that glory which the Angells enioy Let vs therefore resolue our selues not to make our first recourse in our tribulations to humane helpe and let vs not rely theron but haue recourse to God with prayers sighes and teares Let vs place our confidence in him and expect that from him for he it is who can saue vs. This is the saying of Saint Basil And by this very reason of hope doth

them the vertue of Patience is so necessary it followes that it is the fruite and effect of Patience to conserue the soule in such sorte as that it may receiue no hurt from temptatioÌ„s and assaults of the diuell and to encrease their merits in heauen by the victory ouer those temptations and thereby to manifest by an experimentall way who are truly iust and elect of God So doth the holy scripture declare to vs in many places It saith in Ecclesiasticus c. 27. As the furnace of fier tries the pots of the potter so doth temptation and tribulation try iust men The meaning is that as the hot burning furnace doth examine and declare which vessells are good and fitly tempered and which indeed are they which being cast into the fier are not cracht or broken therby but remaine hard and whole and fit for the vse of man and as it doth also shew which other of them are ill made for they cracke and breake in the hot furnace so doth temptation and tribulation whether it be offered by diuels or by men declare and shew who are iust and holy And these are they who through the euills and temptations which they endure are not broken or ouercome by impatieÌ„ce or other sinnes but through the vertue of Patience perseuer firme and constant in the practise of vertue and the keeping of the lawe of God THE XIII CHAPTER How pleasing the vertue of Patience is to God and of the great fauours which he affoardes them who suffer with Patience ANother way whereby Christ our Lord declared the fruit and merit of Patience is the particular fauours extraordinary benefits which he vouchsafed to to men who suffered aduersity with PatieÌ„ce Christ our Lord came to the Piscina of Hierusalem and amongst so many sicke persons as he found there he imparted only to one of them who had remained there sicke eight thirty yeares so great a fauour and so illustrious a benefit as it was both to cure his body and to iustify his soule And the cause why our Lord bestowed this blessing rather vpon him then any of the rest was because he endured his sicknesse with more Patience then others As is plaine in that he hauing bene sicke so many yeares made no coÌ„plaint but answered so meekly to what was asked Saint Chrysostome obserues this and saith Christ our Lord Io. 5. did not aske the sicke man if he had any desire to be cured as if he had doubted of his will but only for the manifesting of his Patience who hauing been eight and thirty yeares and daily hoping for health which he could not finde did yet neuerthelesse continue without going away and despaired not being there to teach vs also that the reasoÌ„ why he cured rather him then others was his great Patience Let vs declare another exaÌ„ple to the same purpose Christ our Lord Io. 9. cured a man who was borne blinde and for the constancy where with he confessed the same Lord and defended his truth the Pharisees did persecute and affront him both by word and deed and they cast him as an excommunicate persoÌ„ out of the Sinagogue The good man obeyed this vniust comandment endured that wroÌ„g with Patience and Christ our Lord who knew it al seeing the afflictioÌ„ wherein his faithfull seruant was the Patience wherewith he bore it sought him out of set purpose and spake to him after this manner with great affability loue Doest thou beleeue in the sonne of God which was as much as to say Wilt thou beleeue that he who cured thee is the true soÌ„ne of God And euen as he was speaking these wordes he did withall infuse a most excellent clear light into the most inward part of his soule to make him know and beleeue that he who had cured him was not onely a Prophet and a Saint as already he had confessed him to be but also the true and naturall sonne of God for the question did import so much And so he beleeued and asked Who is he O Lord And that Lord answered him thus It is euen he who is speaking with thee Then instantly he fell prostrate adored him This so admirable fauour to seeke him and comfort him and honour him and communicate so great light of faith grace to him did God vouchsaffe to this maÌ„ for his hauing been so faithfull in confessing him and so patient in suffering that wrong which they had done him in regard of Christ our Lord. So saith Saint Chrysostome they who with Patience suffer the iniuries which are imposed on them for mainteining the truth of Christ our Lord these men are greatly fauoured and honoured by him as wee see by the example of the blinde man whom the Iewes cast out of the TeÌ„ple for the Lord of the very teÌ„ple sought him out he receiued him with great loue and as a soldier who had fought valiantly he crowned him with a crowne of inestimable worth and beauty such as was the eminent grace pawne of heauen which he bestowed vpon him So great account as this doth Christ our Lord make of a faithfull and patient man and so much doth he esteem him that omitting many others he seekes him out with care he comforts him by his words he ioyes his heart by his presence he honours him by his fauours and he aduances him by his gifts This doth Saint Thomas obserue in these words The EuaÌ„gelist by relating that Christ our Lord sought out the blinde man whom he had cured giues vs to vnderstand that he was diligent in harkening him out because he found more faith and vertue in him then in others whereby wee may inferre that he more esteems one iust person theÌ„ ten thousand sinners This wee are tould by S. Thomas And though it be no exaggeration at all to say that God doth more loue one iust man theÌ„ the whole world of sinners put together since absolutely speaking he onely loues such as are iust with the loue of grace yet considering how greatly God esteems the saluation euen of sinners and the care he hath to conuert them to say that God more loues to saue fauour one iust man then many thousand of sinners is no sleight expressioÌ„ but doth greatly discouer the particular prouideÌ„ce and care which God carries towards iust persons and it giues matter also of much confidence to them who serue him that through his goodnes they are to be greatly fauoured and assisted by him towards their saluation Christ our Lord did also discouer the value and fruite of Patience in this that when he would vouchsaffe any great vnusual benefits to any he first disposed and prepared them by the exercise of Patience He was pleased Matt. 15. to feed foure thousand men with seauen loaues of bread and before he would impart this benefit to them he made them stay three daies in the patient sufferance of hunger the paines of being in a desert and continuing

penalties also which he had incurred thereby so to saue him in the eÌ„d This doth he coÌ„fesse by saying thus Tob. 3. Iust art thou Ã´ Lord and all thy iudgments are very iust for if we haue been deliuered into the hands of our enemies to be made captiues and to be destroyed and killed by theÌ„ and to become the very scorne of all nations it is because we haue sinned against thee in not keeping thy comaundments nor conuersing with a pure hart in thy presence And further confessing the great mercy wherewith God punished them for their sinnes he saith Tob. 13. Our Lord punishes vs for our sinnes and the same Lord shall saue vs for his mercies sake After this manner by the knowledge of our sinnes and of the punishment which we deserue for the same wee are to embrace all those aduersities which God may send vs in this life with much Patience yea and wee must praise and thanke him for them Another and a very efficacious meanes whereby wee must helpe our selues to suffer all tribulation with Patience is instantly to resort to Almighty God in any affliction of ours whether it be great or small beseeching him with our whole hearts that he will giue vs strength to beare it well and to conforme our selues entirely to his most holy will And although it be lawfull to desire of God that he will take the tribulation from vs so that yet wee still resigne our selues to his good pleasure that so he may doe that which shall most import our saluation yet this is not necessary but our better suite is to be that he will helpe vs to endure it and ouercome it When Saint Peter with the leaue of Christ our Lord begaÌ„ to walke vpon the water Matt. 14. and when he found that a stiffe winde was risen he grew troubled and distrustfull and began to sincke and our Lord to deliuer him out of that great danger of drowing did not cause the winde to cease as Saint Iohn Chrysostome obserues but stretched forth his hand and laid hold on him therewith and made him walke vpon the water till he brought him backe to the ship Now this must wee beg of God in our troubles namly that he will take vs by the haÌ„d and that he will vouchsaffe vs his helpe and fauour that so our afflictions may doe vs no hurt but that suffering them with Patience they may yeeld great fruite to our soules and be of much glory to Almighty God This is that which Dauid Psal 117. begged of God in his tribulations and that which he desired and begged he also obtained as himselfe affirmed saying In my tribulation I called vpon my Lord and my God and cryed out to him in the most internall part of my heart and he of his infinite mercy heard my voice from that holy temple of his which is heauen and he accepted my prayer and imparted that fauour which I desired Besides these meanes there is yet another which is very effectuall towards the obtaining of Patience and it is to ponder profoundly well how all the contradictions and punishments which happen to vs in this life be ordained by the prouideÌ„ce of God and are sent vs by his holy hand for our good And besides those other testimonies whereby wee haue proued this truth elswhere Christ our Lord declared it in his holy Ghospell saying thus Matt. 10. Feare not for all the haires of your heads are numbred The meaninge is that God hath so particular care and prouidence ouer you that he hath counted euen all the haires of your heads and knowes the number of them all and there is nothing done euen concerning any of them which he ordaines not for the good of that man who puts his confidence in him Now if Almighty God conserue the memory and care of so light and triuiall thinges as are the haires of our head which serue but for the ornament of men and which although they be cut off doe not put the parties to any paine and this so faâ—â€¦e as that euen one of them must not be cut or lost without his pleasure how much more tender care will he take of the life and saluation of that man who puts his trust in him and of all those principall thinges which belong to him that he may conserue and cherish and ordaine them for the good of his soule and not permit that he be put to the least preiudice without his pleasure and that whatsoeuer happens to him in order to his temporall affaires may proue to the good and remedy of his soule and for the doing all that which is fit for the carrying him on to the end of eternall felicity for which he was created This is the nature of Patience whereof wee haue spoken and these are the most excellent effects and fruiâ—s thereof These are the meanes whereby it is to be obtained and these are the examples whereby wee haue been taught it by Christ our Lord. Let vs therfore procure to obtaine it and moreouer to exercise it towards the whole world complying with that which the Apostle saith thus to Timothy ep 1. c. 6. Embrace and exercise Patience diligeÌ„tly And that also which he saith to the Thessal ep 1. c. 5. be patient and suffer at the hands of all men By this most pretious vertue of Patience wee shall obtaine and conserue all the gifts of God and become superiours to all our enemies For Patience will fortify vs in the confession of our Faith against tirants giuing vs strength to endure all their torments Patience conserues the supernaturall loue of God and of our neighbour for it giues vs courage to resist all those thinges which are contrary to charity Patience conserues and giues perfection to wisedome taking away those impediments of anger and sorrow which obscure the soule Patience builds vp abstinence and temperance inabling a man to suffer hunger and thirst and to bring sensual appetites into subiection Patience defends iustice encreases humility conserues peace and purity of heart and giues perseuerance in all vertue And so it fulfilles that whereof Saint Iames chap. 1. saith that it makes the worke perfect because it giues perfection and completenes to all the vertues O blessed Patience happy are they who possesse thee For thou art the vertue which giuest perseuerance in all good things and which openest the way to heauen where wee may see with perfect charity delight with supreme loue in that infinite beauty of God and possesse for euer those giftes of glory which he hath prouided for them who continue in his seruice according to that which our Lord promised saying He who perseuers to the end shall be saued FINIS

of miseries be moderated and subdued in such sorte as that it may doe no harme to the same soule by putting it into disorder and by making it swarue from the right line of reason This is that Patience which is necessary for vs and to which wee are bound by expresse commaundment whereby a man is secured from coÌ„mitting either mortall or veniall sinne in such occasions But other degrees of Patience there are of greater perfection which belong to Counsaile and not to commaundment whereof wee shall speake afterward Saint Gregory the Great describes this Patience which is necessary for vs after this manner Patience consists in suffering those euills of punishment which happen to vs by the will of others with a moderate and equall minde and in that a man dispose not himself to hurt that other maÌ„ from whom it comes and that receiuing the scourges of paine and sorrow and other tribulatioÌ„s at the hand of God he complaine not murmure not against him And declaring elswhere how it is not necessary for this Patience to which wee are bound by precept to quench intirely that sorrow and grief which a mind receiues through the euills of punishment but to moderate it in such sorte as that it may not be inordinate and hurtfull he saith thus Some thinke that true constancy and wisdome consists in not feeling those scourges and contradictions which come to vs in this life from the hand of God and others haue too excessiue sence thereof and are too much afflicted and dismaied therby but the true vertue of Patience and true wisdome teaches vs to hold the meane between those two Extremes In such sorte as that a Christian must neither be of a stupid heart because this necessary vertue of Patience coÌ„sists not in that a man feele no sorrow for his aduersity nor yet that on the other side he should feele so much dismay griefe as to make him passe beyond the bounds of reason For if he exceed therein he offends against the vertue of Patience And because it happenes sometimes that some when a crosse arriues or when a wrong is offered doe by the helpe of God beare it well at that time and yet remembring it afterward fall either into sorrow or into rage with impatience against him who offended them the same Saint pronounces thus He is the possessor of true Patience who at the time when he receiues the hurt doth beare it without inordinate grief and when afterward he happenes to remeÌ„ber it reioyces and is glad that he eÌ„dured it And the end which a faithfull Christian is to hould in the sufferaÌ„ce of these punishments and in vsing this moderation and in putting this restraint vpon griefe must be to conforme himselfe to the good pleasure of God and to will that which God wills For the will of God is that a maÌ„ should vnder goe that euill of punishment by whatsoeuer way it come to him whether it be by meanes of diuells or men or other creatures For by whatsoeuer meanes it comes God is the first Author the first cause from whence it proceeds and so his pleasure is that men suffer and accept well thereof as growinge to them froÌ„ his hand This is Saint Paules aduice Heb. 10. when he speakes thus to his faithfull children Because you are encountred with so many crosses which assault the streÌ„gth of your hearts you haue need of Patience whereby you may in all thinges performe the will of God and yeeld entire obedience to his comaundments And complying after this manner with his heauenly will you shall obtaine those most high and eternall benedictions which the Diuine Maiestie hath promised to such as keepe his lawe Now by reason that mans weaknes after the fall of Adam is so great it is a matter of much difficulty for him to suffer all those euils of punishmeÌ„t which happen to him in this life with such strength of minde as that he transgresse not the bounds of reason and the lawe of God And if wee consider man in his naturall force not onely is this hard for him but wholly impossible For though as Saint Thomas saith well a man for the enioying of temporall blessings endure eueÌ„ by the streÌ„gth of nature many grieuous thinges because the naturall loue which he carries to himself helpes him on and with the greater naturall loue he ouer comes another loue which is lesse yet to obtaine spirituall and eternall blessings wherein consists our saluation which is the true end of vertue he is not able to endure theÌ„ For a naturall loue is not able to produce this effect but a loue supernaturall and grace from heauen is necessary for the enduring thereof And so wee see that the Philosophers and wise meÌ„ of the world who by the strayning vpon the force of nature did professe to obtaine the true vertue of Patience were able indeed to reach but to the shadow and apparaÌ„ce thereof as Saint Cyprian notes in these wordes I finde not O my brethren that amongst all the wayes of spirit which are taught vs by our holy Religion any one of them is more vsefull towards the obtayning of the Kingdome of heauen then this of perfect Patience This was professed by the Philosophers but as the wisdome which they professed was for the most part not sollid and true so neither was their Patience because no man can be truly wise or patient who knowes not the wisdome and Patience of God by way of faith This is the discourse of S. Cyprian Now therfore since the weaknes of man is so great in suffering crosses with Patience and that he is in so great necessity thereof for liuing well in this world and for the obreyning of heauen in the next it pleased Christ our Lord to prouide vs with two very principall and efficacious remedies for the strengthening of our weakenes and for the exalting of our nature in such sorte as that it might obtayne this diuine vertue and the perfection thereof with much facility One of these meanes is the example of his most holy life passion wherby we may be animated to beare crosses with Patience and the other are those supernaturall helpes and succours of grace which he deserued for vs by his sufferings Let vs therefore goe declaring the chief examples of his life whereby he moues and perswades vs to suffer all the aduersities paines torments contradictions which may happen to vs in this world with true Patience To the end that considering them at good leasure and with true feeling and spirit wee may stirre our selues vp to an effectuall purpose and desire to beare Crosses And so also by a liuely faith of those so holy and blessed Mysteries by the the meanes of humble and deuont prayer we shall obtaine all those succours of grace which are needfull for the bearing theÌ„ with perfect Patience THE II. CHAPTER Of the euils or incoÌ„ueniences of payne which Christ our Lord beganne to suffer euen

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