Consider thirdly corrected or chastised I will let him goe Pilate thought to deliuer our Lord but corrected not because he deserued it but in fauour of the raging people that they might be satisfied with his stripes Thou seest first that the people could not be satisfied but with the bloud of Christ both because euill men are delighted onely in sinnes which drawe bloud from our Sauiour and also because iust men haue no sweetnes but through the bloud of our Lord nor any reioycing Galat. 6. but in the Crosse of our Lord Iesus Christ Consider fourthly that Pilate intended a good work when he purposed to set Christ free but not pure but mingled with much euill to wit with beating and whipping Christ And thou doest imitate him as oft as thou attemptest any good thing mixed with sinne when thou giuest almes out of money euill gotten or goest to the Church that thou mayest seeme religious or doest any other thing not with a true intention Consider fiftly when Pilate thoght of the deliuering of our Lord after this manner then hee remembred a more milde way For he sawe the people assembled together that according to their custome one of the prisoners should be giuen vnto them whome they should choose out of many which the President should propound vnto them of what crime soeuer they were accused and that in remembrance of the people of Israell which about that time of Pasch were deliuered out of the bondage of Egypt When he remembred this Custome he resolued to name Christ alone whome he knewe to be well liked of many for his noble acts and hated onely of the Priestes and Pharisees with a Murderer a Captayne of the seditious and a hatefull man making no doubt but that they would choose Christ before that most wicked man Thou seest first that the Author of life is compared with a turbulent murtherer thou art angry if neuer so little be detracted from thy honor and tytles Thou seest secondly the holy custome of deliuering a prisoner in remembrance and fauour of the benefite of their deliuerie out of the bondage of Aegipt Thou being so often deliuered from the snares of the Deuill and from the bonds of sinne succour and helpe also thy neighbours in memorie of this benefite that by thy labour and help they may be freed from the bonds of their debtes sinnes miseries and of all other euils And as he was sitting in place of iudgement Mat. 27. his wife sent vnto him saying haue thou nothing to doe with that iust man for I haue suffered many things this day in my sleepe for him COnsider first when the people were sent away to deliberate whom they would choose Pilate sate in iudgement and receiued this message from his wife Hil. cā 33 In Mat. Chr. ho. 8 in Mat. Am. lib. 1 in Luc. Hierō in Mat. Augu. ser 121. de tē Ori. tract 35. in Mat Au. Epist ad Philip. Cip. se de Pasc Dō Gre. li. 33 Mor. c. 21 Rab. citatur in Cathena diui Thom. Ber. ser 1. de Pasc admonished either by her good Angell according to the opinion of Hilarius Chrisostome Ambrose Hierome Augustine and Origen or else by a wicked spirit who perceiuing his owne power by little and little to be weakened and that his iudgement was at hand and that the holy Fathers in Lymbo did exult for their speedy deliuerance indeuored to hinder the death of Christ according to the doctrine of Ignatius Ciprian Gregorie Rabanus and Bernard Thou learnest here the innocency of Christ witnessed by the very Angels either good or bad And if this vision came by the helpe of the deuill thou maist see the malice of men whome when the Deuill hath once incited to euil he cannot call backe from sinne For the malice of concupiscence and the force of sinne is so great that it cannot be taken away but by the help of God alone Therefore the Priestes which were prouoked by enuy were not warned but Pilate whom the disease of concupiscence had not yet stirred vp Labour thou with all thy strength to subdue the force of thy concupiscence Consider secondly the Epithetō of Christ that iust man for he is truely our Iustice perfectly iust in himselfe without sinne alwaies doing most iust workes by which he satisfied his Fathers wrath for vs and left an example for vs to imitate Consider thirdly haue thou nothing to doe with that iust man that is meddle not with his businesse let there be no dealings betweene thee and that iust man Learne that this iust man doth not appertain to wicked men and that onely good men are partakers of his iustice Doe thou pray this iust man to vouchsafe to admitte thee into his commerce and society that thy wares from his wares that is thy good workes from his merites may bring much profite to the saluation of thy soule But the chiefe priests elders stirred vp the multitude perswaded the people that they shold demaund Barrabas and destroy Iesus Mat. 27. and when the multitude were come vp Mar. 15 they began to pray Pilate that hee would doe as he did alwaies vnto them Luc. 23. And the President answering said to thē which of the two will ye haue dismissed Ioan. 18. They all cryed out together not him but Barrabas take away him and dismisse vnto vs Barabas And Pilate answering againe said to them What then shal I do with Iesus who is called Christ but they cryed out againe let him be crucified crucifie him crucifie him but Pilate said vnto them the third time for what euill hath this man done I finde no cause of death in him therefore I will correct him dismisse him but they vrged with many cryes desiring that he should be crucified and their voyces increased and they cryed more let him be crucified COnsider first that the people inclyning to Christ were ledd by the Priests to demaund Barabbas and to destroy Christ That thou maist knowe first that one speach of wicked men doth more hurt then many exhortations of Saints can profite For that which Christ had builded with great labour in three yeares is heere ouerthrown in a moment Beware therfore of the speach of euill men especially of heretiques whose words creepe like a canker Thou seest secondly that the authority of Superiours is of great force either to good or euill If therefore thou hast any of Christs sheep vnder thy charge vse thy authority to the glory of God Consider 2. the ingratitude of the people which esteemed so great a Benefactor lesse then a Theefe and chose him to the Crosse Thou learnest first to contemne the applause of the world which hath so cruell an end They cryed a little before Blessed is hee which commeth in the name of our Lord and now in other words Not this man but Let him be crucified Secondly thou seest the blinde iudgment of the world which contemning the highest good
chooseth the worst things hateth a benefactor and imbraceth an enemy Take thou heed least for a small gaine or humane fauour thou dost betray Christ against thine own cōscience least the same happen to thee which fell vnto the Iewes to whom in stead of the Messias which they expected so many yeares at last reiected condemned came Barrabas which signifieth the sonne of the Father a Murtherer a Rayser of sedition a Deuill by whose will they are ruled that they which refused to heare Christ comming in the name of his Father might heare Antechrist speaking in the name of his Father the Deuill Consider 3. the fearfull speach of Pilate What shall I doe with Iesus the wicked Iudge seeketh the allowance of the people Bende thou thy minde in all thy iudgments and actions not to the will or manners of the people but to the Commaundements of God Consider fourthly For what euill hath hee done the innocency of Christ so often repeated That thou mayst euer remember that Christ dyed not for his owne sinnes but for thine this worde shall condemne all sinners at the last Iudgement Why will our Lord say haue yee forsaken mee and fled vnto the Deuill For what euill haue I done What haue you found in my manners Doctrine that is not pure and agreeable to reason What euill haue yee had from me or what good haue you found in the seruice of the Deuill Doe thou now meditate vpō these thinges and perseuere in the faith of Christ Consider lastly howe these clamours did wound the heart of Christ and how hee was more grieued for this so great and heynous a sinne of his beloued people then for the torment of the Crosse Doe thou comfort him with thy deuoute prayer and forsaking the Deuill and his pompes yeild thy selfe wholy a slaue and seruant vnto Christ The 24. Meditation of the whipping of our Lord. Then Pilate apprehended him and whipped him Then the Soldiours of the President taking Iesus carryed him into the Pretors court and they gathered together all the company vnto him COnsider first that the spouse of thy soule that hee might betroth himselfe vnto thee was diuers waies mocked spit vpon pulled and beaten but nowe hee is come to woundes and bloud that hee which gaue vnto thee his honors liberty and other corporall goods and suffered himselfe to bee spoyled of all these for thy sake might now in like manner plentifully shed his bloud and powre out his bowels that hee might see what liberality thou wilt vse towards him againe Consider secondly two causes why Pilate vsed this whipping The one was that by the sight of the body of Christ torne with so many stripes hee might somewhat pacifie the fury of the Iewes and stay them from the desire of the Crosse The other was that if neuerthelesse they persisted in their fury this whipping should goe before his crucifying For by the lawes of the Romanes such as were to be crucified were first whipped But the true cause of the whipping of Christ according to the will of his Father Luc. 23. was first that thou which wert sicke in euery part of thy body mightest bee wholy cured by the woundes of his whole body Secondly that he might receiue thee wholy who gaue himselfe wholy for thee Thirdly that thou shouldest open the bowels of thy loue towards him who by these stripes opened his body to thee Consider thirdly that Pilate deliuered Christ to the Pretorian Soldiours who assembled their whole band which was the tenth part of a Legion to wit Sixe hundred sixty sixe Soldiours by whom hee was carried into the court of the Pretor that is into a more spacious roome forsaken of all friends was exposed vnto the prey like a Lambe in the midst of Wolues Enter thou into this Court mark attentiuely the cruell wantonnes of the Soldiours and the modesty of Christ in all these miseryes his cleare and amiable countenance and his incredible patience First they despoyled him of all his cloathes set him naked amōgst them Consider the shamefastnes of thy most chast Lord set naked before so great a company of men and keepe the clothes which hee put off to couer thy nakednes Then they tyed his holy body to a piller with his armes stretched vp that his whole body might bee subiect to stripes Then euery one made a whip either with roddes brought thither of purpose or else of cordes for this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which wee call a whip as Euthemius noteth Cap. 67. in Mat. is a scourge wouen with little cordes or leather thongs and euery one fell to worke Pray thou thy Lord that this his nakednesse may couer thy soule with his heauenly grace and vertues and these his bonds free thee from sinnes and this his being alone amongst his cruell enemyes may deliuer thee from the handes of thy enemyes Secondly of the whipping it selfe COnsider first how cruell it was By the auncient Law the Iewes were forbidden to giue any man aboue forty stripes this being added for the cause of the Commaundement Least thy brother should depart before thine eyes fowly torne with so many stripes Deut. 25. But the Gentiles who were neither tyed by the Iewes Law nor moued with any commiseration exceeded this number so farre St. Gert. lib. 4 diuinam insumationū Cap. 35. as it was reuealed vnto some Saints that hee receiued to the number of 5. thousand 4. hundred stripes which will not seem improbable if these few things be diligently cōsidered 1. The Law of beating by which it was decreed that the guilty person should bee stricken by euery one of the Soldiours a Free-man with staues and a Bond-man with whippes By which Law thou dost learn that thy Lord Christ was beaten with whips like a Bond-slaue that hee might restore thee to liberty and that hee was beaten by Sixe hundred and threescore Soldiours according to the will of euery one Secondly the cause of the Lawe of this whipping of thē which were cōdemned to the punishment of the Crosse to wit that the body of him that was to bee crucified should bee so disfigured that the nakednes should not moue the beholders to any dishonest thoughtes when they should see nothing pleasing or beautiful but al things torne and full of commiseration Thirdly the purpose of Pilate who hoped to spare his life by this so great cruelty vsed against him Hee would therefore that this correction should bee most sharpe by which hee might pacifie the desire of reuenge in his most cruell and inhumane enemies Fourthly the hatred of the Priestes whome to please the Soldiours vsed all extremityes against Christ Fiftly the great care and hast which the Priests vsed in the carrying of the Crosse of Christ least Christ should dye before hee was crucified Which doth plainly shew that he was beaten with so many stripes that hee could not long continue Consider secondly the māner obserued in this whipping For
Christ But Iesus said COnsider first what thy Lord in these great paines of the Crosse did doe say or thinke when as amongst all those torments he found no comfort neither outwardly by men nor inwardly in his owne soule Yf he moued his body the woundes of the nayles tormented him if his head the thorns ranne in deeper and pricked him if he stirred not at all his torment was intollerable ouer his whole wearied body Thinke thou yppon these things in all thy labours and afflictions which thou sufferest for thy Lord. Hee reproued no man although he were slaundered diuers wayes But because the mouth speaketh from the aboundance of the hart his wordes euen vppon the Crosse were directed to thy profite and saluation and doe declare most manyfestly that he prayed to his Father incessantly for thee when by reason of his torments he was not able to vtter one word Consider secondly his swan-like song and note the last words of thy Lord which he spake to thee at the poynt of death For euen as the voyce of the Serpent hyssing out of the Tree of the knowledge of good and euill instilled the poyson of sinne so the last wordes of Christ from the Tree of the Crosse were very effectuall for our saluation and full of burning feruour as proceeding from the depth of infinite charitie Hee spake with a loud voyce and weeping teares with great affectiō and deepe sighes in fewe words but with many teares mixed with bloud streaming downe from his head His teares watered his prayers Heb. 5 and his bloud adorned them his eyes pierced his Fathers eares his sighes moued his heart Doe thou listen to these wordes marke them diligently and gather the fruite thereof For by these seauen wordes the wordes and formes of the seauen Sacraments are sanctified the seauen guiftes of the holy Ghost are obtained and the seauen deadly sinnes are driuen away Consider thirdly but Iesus said First whilst the Iewes were busie in crucifying tormenting mocking him Iesus as if he had not marked these thinges yea rather that he migh render good for euill said Secondly hee who hetherto in his owne cause to the admiration of all men held his peace and could not be brought to speake but being adiudged and had also abstayned from the most iust defence of himselfe now in the middest of his torments is not silent in thy most vniust cause but being not intreated intreateth yea and intreateth with most effectuall wordes Iesus said who the Sonne of God To whome to God the Father Where vpon the Crosse When being ready to dye and his vitall spirits being spent How not sitting nor lying easily but vpright vpon his feete with his hands lift vp and spread abroad like Moses in former times Ezo 17. and all bleeding For whome for sinners who were carelesse of their owne saluation for Christ and his frtends pray for sinners Heb. 5. before sinners pray for themselues What he craueth mercy offring his prayers and supplications appealing from this cruell sentence of the Iewes his bloud be vpon vs and vpon our children to a better sentence and full of mercy and desiring that this cruell sentence might be made frustrate Before whome openly in the hearing of his enemies to teach them mercy sweetnesse and in the presence of his Mother and of his friends both because they should bee witnesses of his pardoning them also that they should neuer pray for the reuenge of this sinne O excellent speach of highest merite and worthy to be imitated by all men full of labour charity mercy and piety Haue confidence then in Christ and pray him who by speaking first for sinners before he spake for his Mother left to vs a testimonye how much he esteemeth the saluation of sinners that hee will vouchsafe to haue continuall care of thee now in Heauen Luc. 23 Father forgiue them PAuse vpon euery word Father he doth not say Lord which is a name of seuerity and iustice but Father which is a name of mercy and of the newe Testamēt giuen vnto vs in this place by the bloud merites of Christ that euen as he would be our Brother so we should haue all one father in Heauen He saith therefore O Father knowe me thy Sonne the Father will denye nothing to his sonne I came into the world to this end that thou shouldest receiue thine enemies for thy children Heare me then praying for them For euen as the prayers of the Priestes in the Church shall hereafter be very effectuall which shall conclude in my name in these wordes through Christ our Lord so I doe now pray vnto thee my Father thorough me thy onely begotten Sonne Therefore as thou louest mee thy Son so receiue these my prayers For I ascended this crosse haue suffred all these stripes that I might obtaine mercy and pardon for them If therefore thou doest reiect the prayers of thy sonne and not hear thy sonne thou shalt impose a greater torment on mee then the Crosse it selfe which I suffer that I might take away a greater euill that is that I might turne away thy wrath from them Spare therfore the great dolors of thy Son least he seeme to haue indured them in vaine Thou giuest reward to others labours I desire onely this reward for my paines that thou wilt forgiue these men Forgiue heer our Lord doth the office of a Priest for he prayeth for the sinnes of the people and he cryeth Heb. 5. not only as a Priest but as a sacrifice desiring not a free pardon but offering a full satisfaction His wounds crye his bloud cryeth his spittings his paines and all his members crye Forgiue accept of these torments for their sinnes I haue paied their debtes I giue my bloud for the pryce my paines for the ransom my life in satisfaction my body soule for a sacrifice Be thou therfore merciful for this is a copious redemption A hard thing is required to wit that the Father should forget the death of his onely begotten Sonne and of such and so gteat a Sonne but the Sonne beggeth and hee beggeth with his bloud Secondly hee asketh it not conditionally as he praied for himselfe in the Garden If it bee possible if thou wilt if it may bee done but absolutely Forgiue Both that thou mayest learne to pray to God for pardon of thy sinnes and for his diuine grace without any cōdition because that hath alwayes relation to Gods honour And also that thou shouldest freely forgiue thy neighbours faultes without any condition Thirdly hee prayeth to haue them forgiuē presently and not to bee deferred till after his death For hee would not leaue this life till peace was made with God Parents when they are dying doe often leaue vnto their children small store of goods and those intangled with many difficulties charges debts and contentions But Christ before his death payed all debts with his owne bloud took away all difficulties and charges
application of them to thy selfe Thy dinner indeed is ready but thou must goe to the table and put the meate in thy mouth thy medicine is made but it is kept in the shop of the Church inclosed in seauen boxes to wit in the seauen Sacraments the price is payed for thee but not yet applyed vnto thee Doe not thou thinke that onely Faith as some Heretiques would haue thee belieue is sufficient for thee thou must goe with thy feete to dinner thou must take thy meate and medicine with thy handes thou must put them into thy mouth and receiue them into thy stomache that is thou must frequent the Sacraments and be diligent in the exercise of vertues that that which was effected giuen for all mankinde may bee accepted for thee applied to thee and profite thee Pray thou our Lord that hee who spent and consummated all his dayes with infinite merits of good works will neuer suffer thee to spend and passe away thy dayes idly and in vaine The 4◠Meditation of the seauenth worde of our Lord on the Crosse And crying againe Mat. 27. Mar. 15. Luc. 23. he saide with a loude voyce COnsider first that as often as Christ spake for himselfe vnto his Father hee cryed with a loude voyce but when he spake to others or for others hee vsed a lower voyce to teach thee First that thou must alwayes deale with God with great affection To others thou openest thy griefes with teares but when thou speakest with God thou art so drye that thou hast scarce any feeling of deuotiō Secondly what grieuous paines the Son of God suffered who with the violence thereof was forced to crye out Consider secondly that Christ for diuers causes cryed out in his prayers when hee was ready to dye Ioan. 11. First to shew that he was Lord of life and death hauing power to yeeld vp his soule and to take it againe at his owne will and pleasure Therfore hee called for death as Nazianzen saith which durst not come In Christo patiente except it had been called Secondly to mooue God the Father to mercy For seeing all mankinde being oppressed with grieuous sinnes was farre off from God hee who carryed the person of all men ought to cal vpon God with a loude voyce being so farre absent Doe thou therefore knock at our Lords eares not so much with loudnes of voice as with affection of hart Thirdly that this voice being sent through the whole world might moue mens hearts and that hearing of the death of God for their sinnes they might be penitent for their offences For at this voyce the Earth was shaken the Rockes were cleft in sunder and the Monuments were opened that thy stony heart might also be broken by the force of this worde of God Not without cause did Marke say his voyce being sent forth that thou shouldst vnderstand that being sent into the world it worketh still in the heartes of men Fourthly that Hell should tremble at this voyce and euen as at the crye of our Lord calling Lazarus the soule of Lazarus returned without delay into his body so now euery one there should prepare himselfe to receiue their Lord being ready instantly to come vnto them The holy Fathers therefore in Limbo reioyced at this voyce and the Deuils in Hell trembled Fiftly to teach thee how to meditate on death not remisly or negligently as of a thing little pertaining to thee nor slowly and dully as of a thing a farre off but often and earnestly of a thing most certaine and at hand so much the more feruently because it is the onely gate to saluation Consider thirdly that in the ninth houre our Lord brake forth into this clamor in the houre I say of prayer and of the euening Sacrifice For then the true hoast was sacrificed vpon the Crosse and being cutt into two partes that is into body and soule was immolated to God the Father by the high Priest with a loud voyce and great labour Ioyne thou thy prayers with Christ his prayer that with his voice they may pierce the Fathers eares Luc. 23. O Father into thy handes I commend my spirit COnsider first that Christ prayed not vnto his Father vppon the Crosse but in the wordes of the Scripture First because hee knewe that these wordes were most acceptable to his Father beeing written by the holy Ghost to teach vs to pray Secondly to teach thee to worship God not according to thy owne fashion vnderstanding but in such manner as the Church indued with the holy Ghost hath appointed thee Consider secondly that Christ vsed this word Father onely twise vpō the Crosse in his first in his last prayer but in his middle that is in his fourth prayer hee called him not Father but God First that thou shouldest like a Son willingly accept that punishment which thy Father sendeth and in thy punishment confesse thy own basenes who art not worthy to bee called the son of God and like a poore creature call vpon God thy Creator for tribulation and aduersity doe teach good men their owne fraile estate and vnworthines and thereby perswade or rather inforce them to mend their liues that in the end hauing ouercome all aduersities thou shouldest take courage reioyce as a Son For probation worketh hope Rom. 5. which confoundeth not Secondly because the beginnings of Gods word doe most sweetly affect the minde the progresse is hard to sensuality but the fruites which are gathered are most pleasaunt The booke was in the mouth of Iohn sweete as hony Apoc. 10. but being deuoured it made his belly bitter Thirdly because in his first prayer when hee prayed for sinners hee was to gaine authority to his prayer through the loue of a Sonne for none but a sonne could bee heard for so great wickednes In the middle he complained as a man And in this last hauing fulfilled his embassage he desires as a Son to bee called home to his Father Consider thirdly that Christ made this petition to his Father not for feare of iudgment for now his Father had committed all iudgement to him nor for feare of the Deuill whose forces hee had already broken nor for feare of the paines of Hell which now hee came to take from good men and to carry away the spoyles of Hell But first to teach thee neuer to remit or slacke thy inuincible spirit from prayer Secondly that thou shouldest knowe with what confidence he went vnto his Father For hee sayeth not anxiously after the māner of a suppliant I pray thee Father but as it were of mine owne right and authority I commend my spirit Consider fourthly marke euery word of this last prayer which before had bin made by the holy Ghost to this purpose Psal 32. and is now recited by the Son to the Father with addition onely of this word Father Father First I haue remained thy Son in all these so great
cares and cogitations and pray vnto Christ very earnestly for his grace that we may obtaine wholsome fruite by this meditation Secondly that first of all wee read the Euangelicall text of that Meditation then th◠meditation it selfe either in whole or in part Thirdly that we lay aside the booke and repeat in our memory what wee haue read and consider what affections may bee stirred vp thereby and labouring to excite and moue them in our selues Fourthly that we breake forth into some speach and prayer vnto God through that affection which is now stirred vp in vs and that we either praise or admire God or pray for the forgiuenes of our sins or for some other benefite or to bee briefe that we speake those thinges which our minde so moued shall dictate vnto vs. It will profit vs also to begin first at the beginning of these Meditations both because we shall better vnderstand the History of the Passion and also that by little and little we may proceed from the lesser to the greater Also to the end that these Meditations may bee more gratefull and profitable I haue incerted nothing which is not sound and approued because the vncertainty shall not diminish the authority nor be a hindrance to deuotiō For nothing is affirmed in this History but what the Scriptures say or the Fathers confirme or traditiō vndoubtedly deliuereth The documents thēselues which are ioyned to these meditations are for the most part taken out of the auncient Fathers or out of the later Writers which haue written best of the māner of meditating vpon the Passion of our Lord. I haue drawen out some Meditations of purpose somwhat long especially such as are either of great force to mooue our affections or may bee vsed seuerally for Sermons as namely those of the seauen words which our Lord spake vpon the Crosse For I was desirous in this Booke not onely to set foorth the manner of contemplation but also to helpe the Preachers themselues that they may teach the people profitably and stirre vp their mindes with diuers Meditations And I haue thought good to dedicate this my labour to you my best beloued brethren fellowes as to those whose peculiar institute is to honour and receiue the blessed body of Christ our Lord in the most holy Eucharist and to defend the honour thereof against the blasphemyes of wicked Heritikes that comming to Christ his most Holy table you may according to the Cōmandement of our Lord repeate in your memory his Passion Death and Buriall and make your bodyes sitt Sepulchers for the body of our Lord with your mindes render vnto him praise and thankesgiuings and to be short being inflamed with the loue of him who gaue himselfe wholy for you you may likewise imploy your selues wholy in his seruice and the helpe of your neighbours To conclude I pray you that in recompence of this my Labour yee will vouchsafe to offer vp your prayers to our Blessed Sauiour for mee that by his grace I may bee partaker of those benefites which by his Death and Passion hee hath purchased for vs. Farwell Your Seruant in Christ Francis Costerus ✚ IHS Of the Passion of our Lord. The first Meditation of his going out of the house from supper The Hymne being said Iesus went foorth beyond the torrent Cedron according to his custome Mat. 26. Mar. 14. Luc. 22. Ioan. 18. and his disciples followed him CHRIST beganne his passion first from prayer Secondly from his going out of the place of supper both because hee would not be apprehended as an eater drinker but as one praying vnto God and the patrone of man-kinde and also because his Host with whom he supped should sustaine no dammage by his passion which ought to profite all men and to hurt none Thirdly 2 Reg. 15. he went beyond the torrent Cedron by which way in old time Dauid fled from his sonne Absolon A torrent in the holy Scriptures signifieth the incōmodious things of this life as in this place My soule hath passed the torrent Psal 125 all which calamities being very great our Sauiour ouercame with exceeding constancy of minde Fourthly he went into the Mount Oliuet Mount signifieth excellency and Oliue Charity Heere do thou consider that Christ beganne his passion with great earnest and feruent prayer with much cōstancy of mind and exceeding charitie in which vertues he was well exercised as appeareth by these wordes according to his custome He inuiteth thee likewise to the same vertues when he caried his Apostles with him For except thou beest diligent in prayer except thou auoydest the perils of euil occasions except thou makest a resolute purpose except thou beest enflamed with the loue of God and to bee briefe except thou doest diligently vse vertues thou shalt neuer ouercome thy temptations Follow then our Lord with his Apostles and pray him that he neuer leaue nor forsake thee Then he said to his Disciples all yee shall suffer scandall in me in this night Mat. 26. For it is written I will strike the Shepheard and the Sheepe of the flocke shal be scattered Mar. 14. but after I shall rise againe I will goe before you into Galilee CHrist in his passion tooke the beginning of his griefes from his Disciples who seeking to saue themselues by flight did all either wauer in faith or openly deny our Lord Consider euery word All First not one shall stand for me yee Secondly whome I haue bestowed so many benefites vpon loued so dearely shall suffer scandall that is shall sinne being estranged from me and none of you in this time of my passion shall bee free from sinne yee shall suffer scandal but I will not giue it in me of whose wordes and deedes after the sight of so many miracles ye can iustly take no manner of offence in this night that is by and by or in the night of ignorance Now call thy wits vnto thee and marke whether these same things may not happen vnto thee I say vnto thee on whome God hath bestow'd so many good things at whose counsailes deedes neuerthelesse thou takest offence for that trouble of thy vicious minde in aduersity is referred vnto Christ our lord who either sendeth them or at the least permitteth them But such kinde of scandall riseth alwaies in the night that is from thy blindnesse for if thou wouldest all at once looke vpon the benefites receaued at Gods hands the rewards prepared for thee and the euills which thou hast committed thou wouldest resolue in thy minde neuer to be moued with any aduersity Consider heere the cause of thy offence and scandall I say thine owne euil and troubled will and pray vnto God that he will lighten thy darknesse because thou hast neuer any iust cause of anger discontent Christ promiseth that he will goe before them into Galilee in which promise hee declareth his owne goodnes who neuer foretelleth any afflictions without hope of
men are made drunk with the heat of the loue of God throgh the mediatiō merite of the passiō of Christ In this place wee may call to minde the quallities of excellent wine when men drinke plentifully therof for by wine the inward partes of man are warmed it maketh men merry it causeth sleep it lifteth vp the heart it maketh men eloquēt it is drūken with ease and pleasure Apply all these things to the passiō of our Lord which Christ begā with great charity sustained with cheerfulnes as one besides himselfe became foolishnes to the Gentiles scandall to the Iewes and so his charity was not onely diminished by his paines as in men it often hapneth but rather inflamed euen as stones by rubbing wax hotte And to be briefe our Lord was laid asleep in death If thou when thou sufferest any thing for Christs sake dost feele the like affections in thy selfe be thou assured that the passion of Christ shall bring much profit vnto thee Consider thirdly the forsaking his owne will in so hard a case and offer thyselfe ready for all thinges and desire of God to graunt thee a will indifferent in all occasions Mat. 26. Mar. 14. Luc. 22. And when he was risen from his prayers hee came to his disciples and found them sleeping and hee said to Peter Simon sleepest thou couldest thou not watch one houre with mee COnsider first Christ was troubled his disciples slept the Church suffereth and wee grieue not thereat Thou also how slack art thou oftentimes in the seruice of God how earnest in thy priuate busines Consider secondly that after a short prayer our Lord rose presently vp as if for griefe of minde hee could not stay long in one place desirous to haue some comfort sometimes of his Father and sometimes from his disciples Euery word spoken vnto Peter hath force Simon hee saith not Peter which newe name signifieth constancy but Simon his auntient name So in euery Christian may bee found a new name of the sons of God with which being indued they sinne not and a name of nature by which they are accounted frayle men and subiect to many vices Doest thou sleepe Peter is reprehended not for any great fault but because he slept and belieue thou that God valueth much the least faultes which thou dost commit Couldest thou not he teacheth vs to labour be diligent in doing good works though they be hard seeing that temptations infirmity of nature and such like which wee pretend for excuses shall not excuse vs. Our hower he toucheth the shortnesse of time wherein wee must labour And where he saith watch he sheweth the easinesse of the seruice of God in which is onely required of thee that thou shalt watch that is that thou beest watchfull in all thy actions to wit that in all thy sences thou beest careful and watchfull least the Deuill creepe into thy minde with me that is not alone but hauing me for thy guide Heere examine thy conscience what hetherto thou hast done for Christ and what labours thou hast taken for the world and now at the least referre all things to the glory of God which thou doest for the world and pray him that hee will be thy guide in thy spirituall warfare Why doe you sleepe watch and pray Mat. 26. Mar. 14. Luc. 22. least ye enter into tēptation the spirit truely is ready but the flesh is weake COnsider first the sharpe reprehension of the disciples after the admonition of Peter for thou shalt not therfore be excused because thou doest offend in imitatiō of thy Superior Consider secondly that thou must watch pray for except thou doest worke with God God with thee thou shalt doe nothing Consider thirdly what that spirit is which is said to be ready and how the flesh is weake First the spirite that is the will of a good man is ready doth often apprehend very notable thinges Secondly the holy Spirit is prompt ready but men being allured by the pleasures of the flesh doe not alwaies follow and obey it Thirdly the euill spirit is alwaies busie and ready to hurt but we are weake to make resistance These things may worthily moue thee to watch and pray for it is a matter of great moment not to bee deiected in time of aduersity Pray vnto Christ to giue thee not only a ready and willing desire but also power to effect and to graunt vnto thee whatsoeuer he commandeth command what he will The fift Meditation of the second third prayer of Christ He went away again the second time prayed the same speach saying Mat. 26. Mar. 14. Luc 22. Abba father all things are possible vnto thee if thou wilt transferre this cup from me but yet not mine but thy will be done CHRIST acknowledgeth that he hath not yet obtained that which he prayed for therefore he prayeth the second time because thou shalt not be grieued if thou art not heard by by which art neither so worthy a persō nor so earnest a prayer Marke euery word of this prayer Abba pater that is Father father which repititiō is a signe of a most vehement calling to him which is farre off God truly is farre off from sinners wherefore wee must say with Dauid Out of the depth I haue cryed vnto thee O Lord O lord heare my voyce And because Christ in this place did represent the person of all sinners which hee had now taken vpon him knowe thou that our heauēly Father is a louing Father of all sinners that whensoeuer thou shalt fall into sin thou shalt not be dismayed therewith And he doth not a little comfort vs when he addeth all things are possible vnto thee for nothing is impossible or hard vnto God this word if thou wilt doth expres that God can easily helpe vs and that he needeth not to work or labor because by his will only he can doe al things And the reason why he will not when we pray vnto him is because through his continuall loue towards vs he guideth al things to our saluatiō Now ioyne these three together Father which word importeth the loue of God All thinges are possible whereby is declared his omnipotency if thou wilt by which thou seest the easinesse to performe it thereby thou shalt take great cōfort of thy sorrowes It is the surest way in all prayer to lay aside our owne will for God wil guid thee much better according to his wil when thou dost not interpose thine owne iudgment sences Pray therfore vnto God that he will direct thee like vnto a plough Oxe without thine own will And he came againe found them sleeping Mat. 26. Mar. 14. for their eyes were very heauy and they knewe not what to answeare him and leauing them he went away again COnsider first how often Christ doth visite his Disciples wherby he sheweth the passing griefe of his minde who receiued no
after his bloud Consider thirdly this tytle of Iudas who was called Iudas that is he which a little before was knowne to the Disciples and to good people when by the commandement of Christ he distributed the almes whē he wrought myracles when he followed Christ he is now renowned amongst knaues and famous amongst theeues Be thou carefull to celebrate thy name in Heauen rather then in the world or in hell Cōsider fourthly what a grief it was to Christ to see him who was one of the principall of the Church to become chiefe amōg knaues do thou take heede least by the like change of thy selfe thou giuest him cause of sorrowe by falling from being the sonne of God to be a slaue vnto the Deuill and pray with all thy heart that it neuer happē vnto thee The eight Meditation of the falling of the Iewes to the earth Iesus therefore knowing all things which should come vpon him went forward and said whome seeke yee they answeared him Iesus of Nazareth CHRIST went forward to meet them that he might teach thee first that he was not ignorant of the practizes of the wicked Secondly that he made hast to die of his own free wil Thirdly that he is ready to receiue a sinner if he wil reclaime himselfe Wherefore stirre vp thy selfe to the loue of Christ and offer thy selfe wholy vnto him who yeilded himselfe cheerefully into his enemies hands for thy sake whom seeke yee as if he should say cōsider I pray ye whom ye seeke a iust innocēt man who hath vsed to doe euery man good to hurt no man who for your saluation descended down from heauen who at last shall come to be iudge ouer all creatures Doe thou consider these things whensoeuer thou shalt be tēpted to offend God Heb. 10. For as the blessed Apostle St. Paul saith By sinning the son of God is trodden vpon ignominiously vsed Iesus of Nazareth they knew not that he was present for they did not say we seeke thee but Iesus of Nazareth Note that for thee Iesus is sought for to be put to death that is a Sauiour and of Nazareth that is flourishing and adorned with all vertue for none else by his death could deliuer thee from the flames of hell fire Therefore in all thy necessity thou must seeke for him and pray him that thou maiest not seeke him to his shame and death but to thine owne saluation and in seeking thou maist finde him and hauing found him thou maiest alwaies keepe him Ioan. 18. Iesus answeared them I am he and Iudas who betrayed him stood with them Therefore as he said vnto them I am he they went backward and fell vpon the ground COnsider first the power of Christ ouerthrowing a whole company by his worde onely His wrath therefore is to bee feared when hee shall come to Iudge which shewed so great power being ready to suffer Learne hereby to esteeme much the worde of God which bringeth saluatiō to the belieuer perditiō to the incredulous Cōsider secondly the miserable change of Iudas who a little before sate at our Lords table with the Apostles is now ouerthrown amongst the wicked For neither shall the dignity of thy order or religiō excuse thee nor the goodnes of others defēd thee nor the piety of thy former life profite thee whensoeuer thou shalt forsake Christ and follow his enemies and sinne Consider thirdly that one and the same word is a comfort to the good and a terror to the wicked This word I am he did comfort the Apostles sayling on the sea Mat. 26. Ioan. 18 prouoked the Pharisees to watch and heere ouerthrewe the armed men Thou therefore if thou beest good land wilt receiue the word of God with plentifull fruit but if thou beest naught thou wilt take hurt by the best seede Consider fourthly the difference betweene the ruine of wicked men and the fall of the iust the wicked man falleth back not vpon his face because when he suddenly goeth out of this life he falleth shamefully vpon thinges which he seeth not and vnto punishments which he was ignorant of For to fall vpon the face is to acknowledge our sins in this life by pennance to lament them D. Greg. lib. 31. Mora ca 18. ho. 9. in Ezechielem The wicked man falleth backward because he becommeth worse by that which should amend him that euen against his will he shal be compelled to looke vp to heauen Do thou admire the goodnesse of Christ who by so many meanes sought the saluation of his enemies and pray him that he will so strike thy heart with his word that falling vpō thy face thou maiest by humility reconcile the Maiesty of God who is offended with thy sinnes Therefore hee asked them againe whom seeke yee they say vnto him Iesus of Nazareth he saith vnto them I haue told you that I am hee If therefore yee seeke mee suffer these men to goe away that the Speech may bee fulfilled which saide Because whome thou gauest vnto mee I haue not lost any of them COnsider first the malice of the wicked which is pacified neither with sweetnes nor punnishment For the blindnesse of indurate malice doth increase as in these men who being taught admonished who Christ was did not yet acknowledge him For they answered not wee seeke thee but speaking as it were of another they saide Iesus of Nazareth Consider secondly the great care which Christ had of his people of whome in so great perils he was more careful thē of himselfe This is the perfect loue of our neighbors to helpe them though it be to our own losse Thirdly if in so great aduersity he had care of a few Apostles wil he not now being free frō all perils quiet be careful in heauen for his only beloued spouse the whole Church Yes verily he is carefull desirous to helpe euery particular mēber thereof This place is full of comfort to cōsider that our Lord thinketh on thee Consider fourthly how our Lord doth glory in this that hee had not lost any any of his Disciples In like manner how much cause of ioy maiest thou conceaue if no man be the worse by thy words example or negligence but thou hast rather gayned and preserued many Lastly pray thou vnto Christ that hee will neuer cease to haue care ouer thee The ninth Meditation of the kisse of Iudas Mat. 26. Mar. 14. And the Traytor had giuen them a signe saying whome soeuer I shall kisse that is he hold him and carie him warily THe great name of an Apostle wherewith Iudas was honoured is now turned into the name of a Traytor and so this name Iudas which amongst the ancient Israelites was most honourable is become through detestation of that sinne almost ignominious amongst Christians This is the fruite of sinne that good men auoyd all conuersation with the wicked Consider the carefull diligence of this traytor
sword 2. Doest thou thinke that I cannot aske my Father Ioan. 18 and hee will giue me more then twelue legions of Angels 3. The cup which my Father hath giuen vnto me wilt thou not that I shall drinke it Fourthly Ioan. 18. how then shall the Scriptures be fulfilled because so it must be done COnsider first suffer now that is it is enough proceede no further with thy sword and defence He doth not reprehend the fact of Peter but he saith it is enough that thou in thy defence and in thy wrath maiest keepe a meane according to that Bee angry and sinne not Secondly consider these foure reasons by which he admonished Peter not to goe about to hinder his passion Thou maist learne heereby the willingnesse of Christ to suffer who vsed so many reasons that he might be permitted to suffer But thou doest auoyd all troubles for Christs sake seekest out all reasons that thou maist suffer nothing Thirdly which shal take the sword that is they which by their own authority shall vse the sword not receiuing it from God deserue by the law to be put to death and although they escape the sword of men in this world yet they shall perish with that sword which keepeth the entry into Paradise Learne to leaue all reuenge vnto God Fourthly consider the great multitude of Angells which are alwaies ready to helpe good men that thou maist learne to trust in God which hath assigned so many Angells to haue care ouer thee For Helizeus had experience in him selfe of that which Christ heere affirmeth of him selfe 4 Reg. 6. Consider fiftly the Cup which my Father hath giuen vnto me He calleth his passion a cup thereby diminishing rather then increasing the greatnes therof that thou shouldest not lightly cōplaine of the grieuousnes of thy miseries He acknowledgeth that his father gaue it him because thou shalt not ascribe thy afflictions to men or to deuills but to God alone which blessed Iob who was vexed both by deuills men Iob. 1. Our Lord hath giuen our Lord hath taken away know that God doth not leaue to be a father when hee doth afflict but rather sheweth himselfe to be a Father when he chastiseth Sixtly cōsider that the Scriptures are fulfilled by the passiō of Christ are likewise fulfilled by thy passions For through many tribulations we must enter into the kingdome of God Giue thankes to Christ who with so ready so prepared a minde came to his passiō for thy sake Stirre vp his loue in thee pray him that he wil stir vp in thee a desire to suffer for his name and that in all things which shall happen vnto thee thou maist finde out the reasons that it was iust which thou didst suffer And when he had touched his eare he healed it Luc. 22. COnsider first with what great benignity Christ cured the Eare of this malepert Soldiour and cruell enemy whome he foresawe would be neuer the better for such a benefit that thou maist learne to be readier to mercy then to seuerity and to doe good for euill though thy aduersary deserue it not Secondly the force of the touch of our Sauiours hand that thereby thou maist know the vertue of the body of Christ For if the onely touch of his hand did restore his enimies eare will not his whole body receiued in the Eucharist cure both the body soule of his friend Thirdly that Christ being ready to suffer did heale the eare for this is one of the chiefe fruites of the passion of our Lord to make our soules capeable of the word of God to cure them through Faith and Sacraments Therefore God would admonish his enemies by this his last miracle before his death to open their eares to heare the word of God and by hearing to lay aside all malice To be briefe admire the bounty of God pray him that he will shewe thee the like mercy for thy innumerable sinnes The eleuenth Meditation of the captiuity of our Lord. In that howre Iesus said vnto the multitude to those Mat. 26. Mar. 14. which came to him the chiefe Priests the Magistrates of the people and the elders yee went forth as to a thiefe with swords and staues to apprehēd me I was daily with you in the Temple I sate teaching you did not hold me Luc. 22. nor stretch your hands against me But this is your houre the power of darkenes And all this was done that the scriptures of the Prophets might be fulfilled COnsider first what accoūt was made of thy Lord to wit as of a thiefe for the suppressing of whome there needed so great an army Secondly how he shewed that he was no thiefe as he which had hurt no man nor lyen hid like a thiefe but had done good and had taught nothing in secret but alwaies publiquely and called those men for witnesses thereof whome he saw stand ready to be the officers for his death therfore he admonisheth them to call to remembrāce the doctrine which he had taught thē to change their mindes for they should finde nothing in it but holy learned wholesome counsaile Consider thirdly by what words he gaue his aduersaries power to rage against him without which they could haue done nothing and euery word hath his force this is as if he said you care onely for the present respect not the time to come which is the property of sinners not of iust men houre all present time is short all the pleasure of sinners passeth like an houre also al the afflictiō of the iust passeth away your this this short time is granted vnto you to doe euery thing either for your saluatiō or damnation I say this precious time which after this life will not remaine and the power of darknes that is to say a darke power both because they deserue it through the darknesse of their sinnes also because they which vse it are carryed to the darknes of Hell also because darknes remaineth in the power of the wicked and to conclude because power was giuen to the Deuils the princes of darknesse to doe all mischiefe vnto Christ Consider therfore the multitude of the paines of Christ and their greatnes when it was permitted to wicked Spirits being practised most ready in doing hurte to persecute Christ by these his most willing ministers Admire heere also this most willing permission of Christ giue him thanks offer thy selfe ready to indure al labours and torments for his sake pray him that thy power may not bee in darknesse but that all thy actions may be perfected with the light of faith and of his diuine grace Then came the company and Tribune Mat. 26. Mar. 14. Luc. 22. the Ministers of the Iewes laid hands vpon Iesus and so they held bound him COnsider first the wonderful insolency of these men in taking thy Lord thinke of
the greatnes of their enuy whereby they desired to doe all mischiefe vnto Christ and that our lord had giuen them power to satisfie their desires Acts. 22 The Apostle Paul was taken with great cruelty pulled out of the Tēple by force presētly beaten with their fistes almost killed with stripes but it was nothing to this cruelty which surpassed all cruelty Consider the antient predictions of this his captiuity Many clogs compassed me about they tooke me as a Lyon prepared for his prey Psal 11 Psal 16. casting me downe they compassed me now about they compassed me like Bees and they burned like fire in the thornes being pushed I was ouerthrowne that I fell Secondly marke the words of the Euangelists a cōpany the tribune the Ministers not a few but the whole army laboured for this captiuity euery one went about some thing they came they leaped with great violence as blessed Gregory Nazianzene affirmeth Laid hands on him not onely apprehending him but grieuously beating him They held him as St. Leo saith In Christo patiēte ser 7. de pas domini they pulled him hither thither and they bound him O how many cords were pulled not by one but by many both because he should not escape and also because being seene in such habit he might be iudged worthy of death by all men These bands were due vnto thee for thy sinnes except thou beest partaker of them thou shalt bee bound with euerlasting chaynes in hell Suffer then with thy lord who was so cruelly bound for thy cause and endeauour to be thankefull and pray him that by this his captiuity hee will deliuer thee free frō al the power of the Deuill and from all bonds of euill desires which according to the Deuills will might drawe thee into any sinne restore thee to spirituall liberty that being deliuered out of the hand of thy enemie thou maist serue him Mat. 26. Mar. 14. Then all his Disciples leauing him fled but a certaine young man did followe him cloathed in linnen vpon the bare and they layd hold of him but he leauing his linnen fled away naked from them COnsider first that heere are two things declared whereby thou maist vnderstād the great fury cruelty which was vsed in taking Christ and carying him away One was the flight of his most deare Disciples who were stroken into so great a feare that although they burned in loue with him yet euery one of them fledd away The other that a young man in one of the next houses being moued with the tumult rose out of his bed couered onely with linnen came foorth to see what was done in the streete whome they thinking to bee one of his Disciples would haue apprehended but he leauing his linnen fled away naked whereby thou maist gather what a clamor they made as if their prey were now taken and how much they raged and desired to hurt all them which belonged vnto Christ Consider secondly that Christ was forsaken by all his friends and followers and cruelly carryed away by the hands of the wicked Learne heereby not to trust in men which oftentimes in this life and euer in death doe forsake all men and pray thy Lord that he neuer forsake thee although thou beest forsaken of al men especially in the houre of thy death when thou must goe into a strange countrye without the company of any man with thee The twelfe Meditation of the acts in Annas house and his sending to Caiphas And they brought Iesus first to Annas Ioan. 7. for he was father in law to Caiphas who was the high Priest of that yeare And Caiphas was he which gaue counsaile to the Iewes Because it is necessary that one man dye for the people COnsider first that Christ was brought to Annas either because he should be caried to his father in law Caiphas an old man which should succeede the next yeare in the high priesthood and dwellling in the way to the high Priests house or else for the traytor to whome as Saint Cyrill saith Annas was appointed by the Priestes to pay the reward of his treason Lib. 11. in Ioan. cap. 37. for the taking of our Lord. Behold thou the affections of euery man the cruell ioy of this most wicked Annas tryumphing that at the last his enemy was taken the flattering congratulations of the Soldiours the couetousnesse of Iudas hauing now receiued his money the modesty of Christ and his cheerefull minde to suffer for thee Consider secondly that mention is here made of the counsaile which Caiphas gaue for the putting of Christ to death that it may be shewed that he prosecuted his death who first gaue the counsell of his death Secondly that thou maist learn that al things which our Lord suffered in his passion did not happen vnto him so much by humane counsaile as by the will of God For those words of the death of our Lord although Caiphas vttered them out of a wicked minde yet he spake them by the instinct of the holy Ghost who vseth to apply the words of the wicked for the profit of the iust that he might teach thee that God the Father inioyned God the Son tooke vpon him this cruell passion only for the loue of mākinde that thou again mightst be caried into the loue of God with all thy heart minde Thirdly that thou maist know that God neuer forgetteth sinnes past though perhappes they are out of thy minde For all things are kept in memory and an account shall be demanded at the houre of death And Annas sent him bound to Caiphas the high Priest Ioan. 18 Mat. 26. where the Scribes and Seniours were assembled COnsider first that Christ suffered many wrongs in the house of Annas for this word hee sent him signifieth that he did not lightly suffer him to goe away but that he made some stay But search out with thy selfe what those things were For blessed Cyrill saith that the blowe was giuen him in the house of Caiphas and many affirme that this word he sent should be taken in the Hebrue for this word he had sent Consider secondly what this word signifieth bound to wit that either he was newly bound or else that his former bōds were not loosed that he might bee accounted condemned as guilty worthy of bonds by the iudgmēt of this graue mā But as the wicked Priest did take no compassion vpon him that was bound so neither doest thou take any pittie vpon thy poore afflicted Neighbour nor yet vpon thy owne soule which is grieuously tyed with the bondes of sinnes Consider thirdly this wearisome iourney in which thy Lord was cruelly drawne with with cordes and whipped on with stripes whether soeuer it pleased the wicked people to earye him He walked indeede the hard waies that he might make the way to Heauē easie and plaine for thee and that thou mightest goe in the way of the Cōmaundements
of God without trouble CoÌ„sider fourthly and enter with thy Lord into the counsaile of the wicked Behold heere many Calues and fatte Bulls compassing the most innoceÌ„t Lamb Psal 21. the Scribes the Doctors of the Lawe the Elders the Magistrates of the people the Pharises the religious people of the Iewes being Gluttons insolent and cruell Consent not thou to their counsaile nor their deedes but take the poore out of the hand of the mighty that God also may haue mercy vpon thee in the day of thy trouble And Simon Peter followed Iesus a farre off Ioan. 18. and another disciple and that disciple was known to the high Priest entred with Iesus into the high Priests court but Peter stood at the gate without Therefore the other disciple who was known to the high Priest went forth spake to the porter brought in Peter euen into the Court of the high Priest Mat. 26. being come in Mar. 14. the fire burning in the midest of the Court and they sitting round about it Luc. 22. Peter was in the midst of theÌ„ sate with the ministers at the fire that he might see the end and warme him selfe COnsider first whether these flying Apostles went being amazed with so great fury of the Soldiours now wauering and doubtfull in their beleefe of the diuinity of Christ For who would beleeue that God should euer suffer such things especially if according to the receiued opinion of the Iewes he thought that vertue shold be rewarded with temporall goods Behold Peter following a far off and louing more then the rest tooke some courage vnto him so as he doubted not to thrust himselfe into the coÌ„pany of the Ministers but yet fearefully and inconstantly hoping that hee should not be knowne Consider secondly the other Disciple either Saint Iohn as the common opinion is the vnseperable companion of Peter or else some secret Christian a rich Citizen who by reason of some acquaintance with the high Priest did enter into the house whilest Peter as a poore and vnknowne man stayed without doores For poore men are not admitted to come into the houses of great men and if at any time they are permitted it is accounted a great fauour to bee placed amongst their slaues Bee not thou delighted with such a Court neither thrust thy selfe into the company of wicked men If necessity enforce thee depart assoone as thou canst least thy innocency be defiled with the familiarity of wicked meÌ„ Consider thirdly that Peter came not in directly but through the fauour of a friend and of a woman Seeke thou therefore no honour by fauour or by the loue of women nor yet by any vicious or fraudulent meanes least according to the example of Peter thou mayest expect a most certain assured downfall Also if thou chancest to get honour lawfully and art entred into the Bishops Pallace the direct way doe not ioyne thy selfe with the wicked nor followe their examples but enter into thine owne heart and set our Lord alwaies before thine eyes who hath called thee to that estate Desire these thinges of Christ and pray vnto him to drawe thee after him and not to forsake thee for euer The 13. Meditation of the blow in the house of Chayphas Then the high Priest asked Iesus of his Disciples and of his Doctrine Iesus said to him Ioan. 18 I haue spoken openly to the world I alwaies taught in the Synagogue and in the Temple whether all the Iewes assemble and in secret I haue spoken nothing Why ask you mee Aske them which heard me what I haue said vnto them behold these know what I haue spoken COnsider first that when hitherto they had obsereued nothing in all the life of Christ worthy of death nor yet of bonds the high Priest began with certaine fraudulent interrogations to draw something out of his answers which might bee obiected as a crime vnto him For the offence of Christ was not the cause of these bondes but the enuy of the Iewes of which enuy the Scripture in the booke of Wisdome numbreth fourteen causes Because hee is vnpr fitable for vs c. Secondly hee asked him of his Doctrine whether it differed nor from Moses and of his Disciples with what minde hee had chosen them what Doctrine he had taught them and what mindes they carried to the Lawe Heere inquire thou the Doctrine of Christ that thou mayst follow it and of his Disciples that thou mayest immitate their manners Thirdly Christ answeared boldly nothing fearing the high Priest nor that assembly of Noble-men that thou shouldest not bee afrayd in Gods cause But hee held his peace concerning his Disciples both because he could not commend them and accuse them hee would not that thou shouldest neuer hurt any manns fame praise if thou canst but if thou cansâ— not yet detract not and also because the question of his Disciples was mixed with the question of his Doctrine the answeare whereunto satisfied the high Priest Consider fourthly the purity of the doctrine of Christ which our Lord propounded to bee examined by his enemies I haue spoken openly Which is a signe of the purity of his Doctrine To the world no man is barred from the hearing thereof Nothing in secrâ—t nothing impure which neede to hate or flye the light For those things which I said in priuate I would haue published to all men preached in all places Consider fiftly that it was accounted a fault in the high Priest to be ignorant of those thinges which Christ had taught so openly In the same manner many great and learned men will not goe to Sermons either because they will not be pricked in conscience or else because they are so ouerwhelmed with worldly cares that they esteeme all things coÌ„cerning their soules vnnecessary Doe thou meditate continually vppon the wordes of our Lord and pray him that hee will alwaies put thee in minde of his wordes When hee had spoken this Ioan. 18. one of the seruants gaue a blowe to Iesus saying doest thou answere the high Priest so COnsider first that this blowe was giuen both because these very Seruantes were secretly pricked which being sent to apprehend Iesus returned home saying Neuer did man speake so Ioan. 18. And also of flattery because it seemed not to be reuerently spoken to the high Priest Why doe you aske me Proud and high minded men desire to bee dealt honorably withall and will loose none of their titles yet they violate the name of God with many oathes periuries blasphemies Learne thou hereby that there are many ready to reuenge the wronges of rich and mighty men but no man wil defend the cause of Christ and of the poore Consider secondly the iniquity of this Iudgment where euery one had power to hurt freely with applause and allowance of the Iudges Thirdly that this blowe was of great cruelty because particuler mention is made thereof aboue all other being
was yet speaking the Cocke crowed againe Mat. 26. Mar. 14. And our Lord turned and beheld Peter And Peter remembred himselfe of the word of our Lord Luc. 22. as hee had said that before the Cocke crowe twise thou shalt deny me thrise and Peter going out of doores wept bitterly COnsider first that when Peter was come againe to the fire he beganne to speake more freely with the seruants to the end that he might take away all suspition from himselfe For by his speach hee was iudged to bee a Galilaean Thou therefore who art the seruant of Christ take heede of familiarity with the wicked Let thy communication bee of Heauenly things as thou maiest perceiue the Apostles speaches were in the Acts of the Apostles and by their Epistles For he which is delighted with the vaine speaches of secular men will easily be drawn to imitate their māners and to be warmed with their fire and intrapped with their delights Secondly Peter was knowne by his speach to bee the Disciple of Christ and a Galilaean Doe thou likewise so gouerne thy selfe that all men euen by thy outward cōuersatiō may know thee to be the follower of Christ and a Galilaean that is one flying from the worldly to a spirituall life and aspiring to Heauen Consider thirdly the benignity of Christ towards his seruants He being oppressed with so many miseries did as it were forget himselfe and take care of his Disciple He restrayned him from sinning any deeper and caused him after his third deniall to stay beholding him not with the eyes of his body for that he could not doe being in an vpper chamber and compassed round about with officers but turning to him with the inward beames of his mercy with which he touched his heart illuminated and mollified it For the beholding of Christ doth illuminate the Conscience that sinnes may be knowne euen as the beames of the Sunne doe lighten a Chamber Consider fourthly the order of his Conuersion First the Cocke crowed Secondly our Lord beheld him Thirdly Peter remembred the word of Iesus Fourthly he went foorth Fiftly he wept bitterly If Christ looke not vpon thee the Cocke crowes in vaine Doe thou therefore giue eare vnto the Preachers and Admonishers as vnto Cockes and pray that our Lord will turne vnto thee Obserue the wordes which thou hearest Flye all occasions of euill and doe Pennaunce Heere thou being a most grieuous sinner maiest haue great hope of pardon seeing that the mercy of our Lord gaue so free pardon for this grieuous sinne that Christ neuer obiected it vnto Peter But thou who hast offended with Peter goe not about to excuse thy selfe with Adam but weep with Peter who as St. Clement witnesseth did all his whole life time after the first crowing of the Cock rise vp to his prayers and slept no more that night The 15. Meditation of the false witnesses in the house of Caiphas BVt the chiefe Priests and all the counsaile sought false witnes against Iesus Mat. 26. Mar. 14. that they might put him to death and they did not finde it wheras many false witnesses were come in For many spake false witnesse and their testimonies were not conuenient But at last came two false witnesses and rising vp they gaue false witnesse against him for we heard him speaking I will destroy this Temple of God made with hands and after three dayes I will build another not made with hands and their testimony was not conuenient COnsider first when the high Priest could drawe nothing worthy of death from the wordes of Christ then he asked the standers by who had beene often at his Sermons and euery one spake that which they thought might helpe to condemne him and were very earnest and desirous to finde out some capitall crime according to that saying They searched for iniquities searching they fainted in their seaarch Psal 69 they inuented counsailes which they could not establish Consider secondly the purity of the life of thy Lord which was so great that it was hard to frame such a lye of him as might carrye any colour of truth euen by the testimonie of his aduersaries themselues Learne thou first to accuse no man vniustly For a Detractor and false witnesse are bound to restitution of good name Secondly to auoyd all lyes For a Lyar cannot please euen the wicked Thirdly according to the example of Christ to liue in such order that the very enimies of Faith may finde nothing in thy life to obiect against thee but considering thee by thy good workes may glorifie God our Father Fourthly neuer to seeke out reasons against thy conscience to excuse thy sinne Ioan. 18. For those testimonies are false and not conuenient whereby God is not deceiued nor thy Conscience pacified Consider thirdly these two false witnesses standing vp amongst the rest whose testimonies are especially related either because they were of greater moment that by them thou mightest knowe the vanities of the others or else because they contayne the mysterie of the death of our Lord which was then in handling But they were not conuenient First because the witnesses could not agree together the one saying I will destroy and the other I can destroy Secondly because our Lord had spoke no word of destroying and building againe Ioan. 12. but he said dissolue and I will raise speaking of his death and resurrection Thirdly because he had hurt no man if he had restored in three dayes that which he had destroyed Fourthly because it seemed not to be beyond his power who had raysed Lazarus from death after he had been dead foure daies Fiftly because such kinde of braging words seemed rather worthy of laughter and contempt then of death Learn thou first not to wrest the words of Christ to a contrary sence Secondly not to relate any thing otherwise then it was done Thirdly neuer to iudge euill of the minde or intention of others when their words or deedes may be well interpreted Do thou also suffer together with thy Lord Christ for whose death and destruction so many men tooke so great paines and pray vnto him that thou maiest be instructed in the true vnderstanding of the Scriptures and that hee will neuer suffer thee to fall into haeresie And the high Priest rising vp in the middest of them Mat. 26. Mar. 14. asked Iesus saying Doest thou answere nothing to those thinges which these men obiect against thee and whereof they beare witnes against thee but Iesus held his peace and answered nothing Againe the high Priest said I adiure thee by the liuing God that thou dost tell vs if thou art Christ the Sonne of our blessed God COnsider first when nothing was found worthy of accusation which might seeme as a fault to bee obiected before Pilate the Gentile President the high Priest being angry inuented certaine questions to the end that hee might gather some thinges from his answers His owne conscience informed him that nothing
of any moment was alleaged Yet he vrged those things which hee knew to be false Consider secondly that Christ helde his peace both because hee knewe that his conscience did answer all those things and also because he would not avoyd death by his eloquence Hee teacheth the first to contemne all iniuries and lyes to suffer them patiētly partly because thogh perhaps thou art not guilty of those thinges which are obiected against thee yet thou hast offended God in many thinges whereof no man accuseth thee and partly because thou art neuer the worse because other men thinke thee to bee euill For euery one is such as hee appeareth to bee in the sight of our Lord. Secondly not to thinke them worthy of an answer which do offer wrong because their owne conscience doth reproue them Cōsider thirdly what our Lord did when hee held his peace For this saith hee That they should loue mee Psal 108. they did detract from mee but I did pray Hee prayed then that the fruite of his Passion might passe vnto thee Therfore in euery trouble of thy minde conuert thy selfe vnto Christ For it cannot bee that hee remembring this vniust accusation can be vnmercifull vnto thee in thy troubles false accusations Consider fourthly that the high Priest euill interpreting this silence of our Lord did vse adiuration in these words I adiure thee or as the Greek text is I coniure thee which worde is vsed in the coniuration of Deuils Marke heere whom thy Lord is accounted to bee to wit one obsessed of a deuill And the high Priest by his coniuration demanded two things First whether he bee Christ that is to say the Messias promised in the Law Secondly whether hee be the Sonne of God For therefore was hee put to death because he was Christ and therefore hee redeemed man-kinde by his death because he was the Sonne of God that is to say of equall Maiesty with God the Father Iesus said vnto him thou hast said Mat. 26. Mar. 14. I am but I say vnto you hereafter yee shall see the Sonne of man sitting at the right hand of the power of God and cōming in the cloudes of Heauen COnsider first that Christ being admired by the name of the liuing God did holde his peace no longer both because hee would not seeme to auoide death by holding his peace and also that thou shouldest alwayes reuerence the name of God Thou hast said That is so it is as thou hast spoken and as thy conscience doth witnes vnto thy selfe Consider secondly that hee maketh mention of the Iudgment to come in the wordes of Daniel First that hee might take away the iealousie of his affecting a Kingdome because hee sought not an earthly but a heauenly and eternall Kingdome Secondly that they should abstaine from this euill iudgment for feare of the Iudgment to come Learne first in all thy actions to remember thy last end Secondly in all accusations to haue patience because power shall be giuen thee to Iudge thy accusers and those which haue afflicted thee Thirdly alwayes but especially at the end of thy life to confesse a truth euen though it be great losse both to thy body and goods And pray thy Lord that hee will strike thy flesh with wholsome feare and inflame thy hart through the Meditatiō of his Passion The 16. Meditation of the first condemnatiō of Christ and of his mocking Then the chiefe Priest rent his garments Mat. 26. Mar. 14. saying Hee hath blasphemed what neede wee witnesses any further beholde yee haue now heard the blasphemy what thinke yee they answering said he is guilty of death IF in any great matter there happened any grieuous euill as without doubt blasphemy is then the Iewes did cut or teare their garments and by that signe did shew the grieuousnes of the matter which should cut the heart with griefe and bee reuenged euen with the losse of honour and goods But the high Priest was forbidden to cut his garments by this Lawe The high Priest shall not vncouer his head hee Leuit. 21 shall not cut his garments Neuerthelesse this vnlearned Priest being ignorant of the Lawe did cut his garment and by cutting it made an end of the Priesthood of the Iewes Learne thou to be moued with the iniuries offered vnto God though it bee to thine owne losse hinderance Cōsider first what opinion the Iewes had of thy Lord. He was first accounted an Imposter or Inchanter wherupon Iudas said Carry him warily least in wrapping your eyes with his iugling he slippe from you Secondly iniurious vnto men doest thou so saith hee answere the high Priest Thirdly obsessed by a Deuill in the exorcisme and coniuration of the high Priest Fourthly blasphemous against God Fiftly a false Prophet in the Officers scoffing and mocking him Behold with what Titles thy Lord was honoured in this his passion Consider secondly with what minde Christ heard this generall voice of the people He is guilty of death and euen of that people whose dead hee had raised whose sicke he had healed and whose profite hee had procured Admire the malice of wicked men and the gentlenes of Christ who being nothing mooued with this sentence of death offered himself ready to dye for them which killed him Pray therfore that by this sentence of his death thou mayst be deliuered from the sentence of eternall death And the men Luc. 22. Mat. 26. Mar. 14 which helde Iesus mocked him beating him and they spet in his face beate him with blowes they couered him struck his face asked him saying Prophesie vnto vs O Christ who is hee that struck thee COnsider first that Christ in the coūsel was not only tyed with bondes but also held by the hands of many who after the sentence of death pronoūced did handle him most cruelly as a cōdemned man against whom they could not sinne The deuil increased their cruelty who because he had obserued no sinne in him in his whole life desired by these tormēts to moue him to some impatience Cōsider secondly that then they raged most against Christ when hee confessed himselfe to be the Son of God For then thou must expect most temptations both by men and deuils when by the amendment of their life and manners thou shalt shew thy selfe to bee the Sonne of God Consider thirdly there were fower kinde of mockings First they beat him with their fists and handes about the head face and necke Secondly they spit their filthy fleame in his face Thirdly they couered his face which by the sweet aspect therof seemed to hinder and stay their fury and wickednes Fourthly they vsed reproachfull words prophesie as if they should say thou art not a true but a false Prophet Take thou heede of these kinde of illusions For first thou doest strike Christ when thou hurtest thy neighbour thou dost strike his head with blowes when secretly thou doest hurt thy superiours his face
vouchsafe to answere Christ their Lord What will they doe at the latter iudgement when they shall haue him for their Iudge whome they iudged vnworthy of their answer Thinke thou hereof as often as thou shalt be admonished by God in thy conscience and thou dost reiect his inspiratiō Cōsider fourthly that our lord being asked whether he was Christ did answere out of Dauids Psalme of the sitting of the right hand of his Father Psal 109. which Psalme he alleaged to them another time that by that argument which otherwise they could not solue they might knowe that the Messias was the Sonne of God Mat. 22. which they did easily vnderstand for they inferred vpon his answere Art thou then the Sonne of God Admire the goodnes of God which ceased not to admonish and to withdrawe them from this grieuous sinne wherein they should sinne not against man onely but against him who was the Sonne of God Pray thou vnto Christ that the reuerence respect of him may moue thee that whensoeuer thou shalt sinne thou mayest thinke of that saying To thee alone haue I sinned Psal 50. and I haue done euill before thee For it is God who is offended not man alone But they said what neede wee testimony any further Luc. 22. Mat. 26. Mar. 14. for wee our selues haue heard from his owne mouth And all the multitude of them rising and binding Iesus brought him bound to Pilate the President COnsider first from an excellent answeare an euill conclusion because hee is Christ and the Sonne of God therefore hee must be offered to Pilate to dye Thou oftentimes concludest in like manner God is mercifull therefore let vs sinne more freely Consider secondly out of St. Chrysostome Hom. 85. in Mat. that the Iewes would not put Christ to death secretly but openly that the glory which he had gotten by his miracles might be taken away by the publique shame and ignominy of his death and that he might generally be esteemed a wicked man in all places But God permitted it vpon a far different reason First that hee which should dye for all men should be put to death not secretly by the Iewes onely but openly by the Gentiles also before all men Secondly that this death which seemed to bee infamous and full of ignominy should sanctifie all Nations and should bee glorious for euer throghout the whole world Galat. 6. Doe thou with the Apostle Paul Glory in nothing else but in the Crosse of our Lord Iesus Christ Ser. 8. de Pasc Dō Cōsider thirdly out of St. Leo that after Iesus was offered being boūd with hard knottes beaten with many boxes blowes defiled with spittings condemned before-hand with clamours To the end that amongst so many fore-iudgments wherby euery one desired to haue him dy Pilate should not dare to discharge him Follow thou thy Lord in this iourney as neare as thou canst and offer him vp for thy selfe not to Pilate the President but to God the Father desire him that hee who was once adiudged to dye for thy sinnes may by his death deliuer thee from all euils The 18. Meditation of the death of Iudas Then Iudas who had betrayed him seeing that hee was condemned Mat. 27. repenting himselfe brought againe the thirty peeces of siluer to the high Priestes and to the Elders saying I haue sinned betraying iust bloud But they said what is that to vs Looke you to it COnsider first that Iudas hearing of the condemnation of Christ by the high Priests being led by repentance either good through the greatnes of his offence or false through the shame whereby hee thought he should neuer be able to indure the reproaches which would insue brought againe the money This also was permitted by God whereby the innocency of Christ might be manifested to all men least the Iewes by this argument might confirme the death of our Lord to be iust because his inward disciple who knew all secrets had deliuered him vp to them to dye But Iudas betrayed our Lord not that Christ shold dye but because hee would haue the money hoping that as at diuers times before so at this time also our Lord might escape Learne first the innocency of our Lord which the Traytor himselfe confessed openly with most earnest wordes and by throwing downe of the money Secondly the bitter torments of our Lord which moued the very Traytor to repētance Thirdly the quallityes of the Deuill who bewitcheth our eyes before the sinne bee cōmitted least we should fee the foulnesse thereof but after the sinne hee openeth the same that wee should dispaire Cōsider secondly the answere of the Priests What is that to vs Peter after his sinne cōmitted went out from the cōpany of the wicked and obtained pardon Iudas contrariwise came to the wicked fell into desperation Learn hereby that they which offend the Maiesty of God because they may haue the fauour of other men are after forsaken by them that alwaies after this life when euery one shall beare his owne burthen and often times also euen in this life Consider thirdly the grieuous burthen of an euill conscience which feared neither shame nor death Doe thou lamenting for thy sinnes say with Iudas I haue sinned betraying iust bloud that is to say I haue through my sinnes cast oftentimes from my selfe the passion of Christ which was giuē me for my soules health But trusting in the mercy of Christ dispaire not but in thy prayer adde this O Lord restore it thou vnto me that it may profite my soule Consider fourthly that it is manifest by the answer of the Priests that Christ dyed not for any fault committed by himselfe but of meere malice enuy For this What is that to vs is as much to say it skilleth not whether hee dye iustly or vniustly so hee dye Consider fiftly Looke thou to that that euill men giue onely matter of dispaire Learne hereby first the disposition of wicked superiours who care not how their subiects liue so as they may inioy their owne profite and pleasure Learne secondly to suffer with the afflicted and to comfort them at least with good wordes if otherwise thou art not able Learne thirdly in thy afflictions not to repaire to euery one but to seeke out those whome God hath appointed to be the guiders of thy soule are commended for their life and wisdome And casting downe the peeces of siluer in the Temple Mat. 27. Act. 21. hee went aside and going away he hanged himselfe in a halter being hanged hee brake in the midst and all his bowels were scattered COnsider first that the fact of Iudas which exceeded all measure of reuenge deserued no other Iudge or executioner then Iudas himselfe For if hee had bin put to death by another De Leo ser 3. de Pasc Dō he might haue hoped for pardon But hanging himselfe hee cōmitted a new sinne of murther desperation Behold how
thy Lord and let thy chiefest care bee to be better esteemed of God then of men Consider thirdly that that thing happened to the Iewes which they feared For they did not eate the mysticall Pasch because Christ the true Pasch tooke it away by his death and that which they did eate they celebrated with polluted minds hatefull vnto God Be thou therefore carefull not so much for the outward beauty cleannes as for the inward purity of thy mind that thou maist receiue the true Pasch of our Lord in the Eucharist praying vnto God that thou mayst be pure in hart wherby thou maist often eate worthily this holy Pasch Ioan. 18. Then Pilate went foorth vnto them said what accusation do you bring against this man they āswered him if he were not a malefactor we would not haue deliuered him to thee Then said Pilate to them take ye him and according to your Law iudge him The Iewes said to him It is not lawfull for vs to kill any man that the speach of Iesus might be fulfilled signifying what death he should dye COnsider 1. The humanity of Pilate who might haue interpreted their refusing to come into his house as to an vnclean person as a contempt of him yet he yeilded to their religion being better then thou many other Christians who being contemned yeild contempt againe by no intreaty will yeild in any poynt or tytle of honour Consider 2. The proud answere of the Iewes by which they abused the outward face of Religion to the death of an innocent We say they being Priests making conscience to breake the least commandement of the law would neuer haue deliuered this man vnto you except for many causes he had beene most worthy of death So great was the innocency of our Lord that without compulsion they would not haue come to accuse him Consider thirdly Pilates answere more wise then the answer of the Priests For many times secular men haue more goodnesse then Priests The Gentile seemed to be not a little offended that hee should bee required to put him to death without hearing or cōuicting him as if hee should say If your Law permit this yet the Lawe of the Romanes doth not But the Iewes had no consideration of this iust scandall whome thou doest immitate so oft as thou doest giue cause of scandall whom thou doest immitate so oft as thou giuest cause of scandall or reproach to the weake or to Heretiques Remember the word of our Lord It is better that a mil-stone should be hanged about his necke Mat. 18. and he throwne into the bottome of the Sea then one of those little ones should be scandalized Consider fourthly the other answere of the Iewes saying it is not lawfull for vs to kill any man Act. 7. that is to say vpon the Crosse Ioan. 8. For they stoned Stephen and they prepared to stone the Adulteresse For our Lord must be put to death not with stones hut vpon the Crosse and not by the Iewes but by the Gentiles which is shewed by that which followeth that the speach of Iesus might be fulfilled who had foretold them both Giue thankes therefore vnto thy Lord that he passed from the Iewes to the Gentiles and pray him that he which by the handes of the Gentiles would vndergoe the Crosse suffer death will accept for thee the vnbloudy sacrifice which in remembrance of his Passion is offered in the Church of the Gentiles world without end Then they beganne to accuse him Luc. 23. saying We haue found this man subuerting our people and forbidding to giue tribute vnto Caesar and saying that hee is Christ our King THey began saith hee as the beginning of many accusations which should follow We haue found wee haue not heard of others but wee our selues haue seene Consider 1. three accusations al which depended vpō one He doth affirme say they that hee is the Messias King of the Iewes promised to our fore-Fathers and thereby draweth the people vnto him and he cōmaundeth neither to obey Caesar Ioan. 6. nor to pay tribute vnto him Lying plainly who knew that our Lord did shun a Kingdome did teach obedience did pay tribute Mat. 27. Mar. 22. and did answeare that it should bee payed Hereby thou mayest learn how enuy maketh a mā blinde so as hee cannot perceiue the ignominy reproach that hee doth vnto himselfe For by these words they proued thēselues lyars before Pilate who could not bee ignorant of Christ his answer to the Herodyans Render vnto Caesar those thinges which are Caesars Mat. 22 Auoyd thou therefore all perturbation of minde which doth both much hinder the seeing of the truth weaken thy reputation Consider secondly wherof Christ was accused First that hee did subuert the people His office is to mooue the people to turne them vp and down to subdue the flesh which ruled the spirit vnto the spirit to place poore and base Fisher-men aboue Kinges and after his life to throw the proude rich men downe into Hell and to lift poor Lazarus into Abrahams bosome Secondly that hee forbad to giue tribute vnto Caesar Our Lord doth forbid to pay tribute vnto the Deuill who is called Prince of this world and requireth no small tribute of the actions of men whome hee would haue to attempt or execute nothing without some mixture of sin Christ contrariwise commandeth to this tribute vnto God that thou shalt refer all thy actions to his glory Thirdly that he is a King the Messias Thy Lord is truly a King and the Messias who gouerneth and feedeth all his people both with his body and holy spirit Yeilde thou thy selfe vnder the gouernment of this King fight against his enemies and follow him thy Captaine in all thinges The 20. Meditation of the examination of Pilate Ioan. 18 Then Pilate went againe into the Pallace and called Iesus and Iesus stoode before the President Mar. 27. And Pilate asked him art thou King of the Iewes Iesus answered doest thou speake this of thy selfe or haue others tolde it thee of me Pilate answered am I a Iew thy people and thy Priests haue deliuered thee to me what hast thou done COnsider first Pilate dealt with Christ not afore the multitude but priuately in his house of whome saith St. Chrysostome hee had conceiued a great opinion Hom. 85. in Ioan. Thou in like manner if thou wilt deale with Christ auoide company much busines enter into the chamber of thy heart that thou mayest more clearly heare our Lord speaking Consider secondly that the Lord of all creatures standeth as guilty before the Gentile President to whom he must render account of his life Liue thou so that thou needest not blush to render an account of all the actions before any man Consider 3. the question of Pilate Art thnu King of the Iewes That is to say can it bee that thou being so poore and
thee so thou oughtest religiously to meditate worship and imbrace those spittings whips reproaches which haue brought aboundance of so great goods vnto thee For our Lord knoweth his owne attyre and he will more easily receiue thee comming in such garments then in worldly pompe and brauery And hee had rather haue thee to pray and worship him in this poor array then in all thy braue attyre Consider secondly that this sack of the body of Christ which came down from Heauen Ioan. 1 full of grace and truth is now opened and torne in all partes breathing out of his holy bowels a wonderfull sauour so sharpe that it driueth away Deuils Mat. 24. so peircing that it entreth into stony hearts and so sweete that it draweth the Eagles from all partes of the world For where the body shall bee Mat. 24. thither also will the Eagles be gathered Purge thou the nostrils of thy heart purge thou the filth of thy vices that being stirred vp with the sweetnes of the sauour of God Thou mayst runne into the sweet sauour of these oyntments Cant. 1 And pray vnto our Lord to drawe thee after him with his sweetnes to instill into thy heart the loue of his Passion that thou mayest contemne the world in respect therof And he said behold the man by this worde Pilate endeauoured to mooue some commiseration shewing first the bitternes of his punnishment as if hee had said knowe that hee is a man and not a beast if hee haue committed any fault he hath paid wel for it therfore ô meÌ„ take pitty vpon a man it is the part of beasts not to spare the conquered And again behold he is a man a most miserable man whom ye haue accused as King of the Iewes there is no cause why yee should be afraid of this King whome through the great deformity of his body cruell tormeÌ„ts yee can scarce knowe to be a man Doe thou apply these words profitably vnto thy selfe in this maÌ„ner 1. Behold the man he is set before thee to imitate in this habite in these gestures and in this shape of body and minde Abraham was proposed to our Auncestours for an example of life Isa 51 Marke the Rock saith Isaias out of which yee were cut Heere a man is proposed vnto thee of whom our Heauenly Father saith Heare him and the Sonne of God Learne yee of mee Mat. 27. for I am meeke and humble of heart Looke therefore not vpon other mens manners but vpon this mans vpon this face of Christ who although hee be God whose vertues and deedes thou canst not attayne vnto yet he is true man indued with the same frayle and humane nature like thee and other men Thy first Father Adam made thee of a man like to foolish Beastes Psal 84. If thou wilt returne to the auncient dignity of humane nature ioyne thyselfe with this man Secondly beholde the man to whome thou maist flye in all thy necessities these spittings are suffered for thee this bloud is shedd for thee and all these euills are indured for thy sake both that thou shouldest take away thy sinnes and cure thy wounds by these medicines and also that thou shouldest pay them to the eternall Father for thy infinite depts Thirdly behold the man marke what thy sinnes haue brought vnto this man thy pride hath caused these irrisions and this contempt thy couetousnesse this nakednes thy drunkennesse this effusion of bloud thy lust these thornes and thy sloath these bonds O man behold this man but who art thou and what is he thou a man like a worme he a man and God Oh how great glory is due vnto him and how much shame vnto thee yet what is he become for thy sake and what sufferest or doest thou for him Psal 21 he is made a worme and no man a scorne of men and an abiect of the people And this because he would carry thee vp to God But thou being carefull of nothing lesse then of exalting his glory applyest thy selfe about thine own honor wealth and commoditie The 27. Meditation of the third accusation of our Lord before Pilate Ioan. 16 Then wheÌ„ the high Priests and the Ministers sawe him they cryed saying crucifie him crucifie him COnsider first the people holding their peace and inclyning to coÌ„miseration the Priestes and their ministers and flatterers were not pacified That thou maist knowe first that no man is moued more hardly to repent his sinnes then he which sinneth of set purpose and malice For they which fall thorough weakenesse and ignorance are sooner recalled and deserue pardon but they which wittingly and willingly are euill are rather hardned indurate theÌ„ any way ameÌ„ded by admonitions 2. That the enimies of Christ and of his Church are neuer the better for being vsed geÌ„tly curteously For these kind of meÌ„ are to be subdued by thretnings terrors constancy not by sufferance Consider 2. That euen as these wicked men did vpon the sight of the bloud of Christ thirst after his death like dogges vpon the sight of the bloud of a wilde Beast So thou oughtest to be inflamed with the loue of the passion of our Lord by the contemplation of his paines Psal 38. that the fire of Deuotion may be inkindled in thy meditations Consider thirdly how the words of these wicked people did pierce the bowells of thy Lord crucifie him crucifie him of which he foretold in the Prophet I haue left my house I haue put away my inheritance Hiere 12 I haue giuen my beloued soule into the hands of her enemies my inheritance is made vnto me like a Lyon in the woâ—d Sâ—ffer with thy Lord and lament thy sinnes which continually send foorth the same cryes and are bloud-suckers instantly crying Pro. 30 Bring Bring Pilate said vnto them take yee him and crucifie him Ioan. 19. for I finde no cause in him COnsider first that Pilate being moued with disdaine answered somewhat sharply vnto the Iewes Admire thou thy own coldnesse who art a Christian knowest the dignity of Christ and the greatnesse of his paines and doest confesse that thou wert the cause thereof and yet art not moued neither with commiseration towards Christ nor with disdaine against thy selfe Learne iustly to be angry at them which goe about to incite thee and others vnto sinne that is to say at the Deuill and his ministers Say vnto him if thou wilt offend the goodnesse of God I finde no cause in him but of loue reuerence and thankesgiuing Consider 2. Though Pilate was loath to pronounce the senteÌ„ce of death aganst our Lord yet he did not hinder his death but wold put it ouer to other meÌ„ WhoÌ„ thou doest imitate as often as thou leauest to the will of others that mischife which thou thy selfe darest not coÌ„mit Consider 3. That this wicked PresideÌ„t after all this grieuous punishment found no cause in him either of
them that hate him Consider fourthly that the place day and houre of the condemning of Christ is distinctly noted first to declare the greatnesse of the sinne when the onely begotten Sonne of the true God was condemned to dye on the Crosse Secondly to signifie the mysterye which is contayned in the same It was the day of the Paraseene that is the sixt day in which man was created in which man was to bee redeemed in which the true Lamb was to be immolated and in which the typicall Lamb was slaine About the sixt houre that is a little before noone in which houre the typicall Lambe was prepared to be sacrificed and men doe commonly pamper and cherish their bodies The place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is strowed with stones and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is high because Christ was condēned by men more hard and more proud then the very stones and did receiue this sentence of death for thy pride and for the hardnes and blindenes of thy heart Pray vnto thy Lord to lighten thy blindenes to mollifie thy hardnes and to suppresse thy pride And Pilate said to them behold your king Ioan. 19 and they cryed away with him away with him crucifie him COnsider first that Pilate preuailing nothing by other reasons began to prouoke them to mercy by laughter as if he should lay behold your great King whō yee accuse of aspiring for he which scarce looketh like a man how can he hope to be a King or else that he spake these words to make them deny their Messias and to submit themselues to the bōdage of the Romanes which was hatefull vnto them For yet there remained a little sparke of pietye in his minde that thou mayst learne how hardly our Lord forsaketh vs. Consider secondly the three names giuen to Christ in this time of his passion by Pilate and the Iewes A man a king the sonne of God Mat. 2. which three names the Sages acknowledged by their offerings For saluation could not be giuen vnto vs except God and man should suffer who by his Passion tooke away the kingdome of the world from the deuill Consider thirdly the word full of comfort behold your king by which word the conditions of our King are shewed vnto vs who is not a sowre hard and importunate exactor oppressing vs with labours and leading vs with great burthens and imposing a grieuous yoake vpon vs but louing and gentle bestowing on vs through his aboundant charity his owne labours dolours bloud and life and that bloud by which alone all the filth of our sinnes is washed away who caryeth also our sinnes beareth our burthens briefely who refresheth vs with his body and bloud and lifteth vp his sweet yoake vpon our shoulders Osea 11 To this King thou hast giuen thy name in baptisme thou hast begun to fight vnder his banner behold therefore diligētly his armour and obserue the manner of his fighting with his enemy For thou must vse the same weapons fight in the same māner and if thou dost desire to be rewarded with the like Honours thou must striue for the victory by humility contempt Charity and other vertues Cōsider fourthly the vnbridled rage of the Iewes who reiected the King of glory together with his Kingdome Away with him Luc. 19. away with him say they we will not haue him reigne ouer vs. But do thou take this king of the Iewes reiected by the Iewes and giuen to the Gentiles Cant. 3 and bring him into the house of thy Mother and into the chamber of her that bare thee Make him thy King and not the World nor the Deuill nor thy Belly nor Mammon And say not now Behold your King but beholde our King yea my King who hath loued me and giuen himselfe for me And beware that thou doest not againe by any sinne crucifie this King whome thou hast once admitted least hee complain of thee saying Yee all yee people Mala. 3 Galat. 2. Psal 118. doe nayle me But rather being fastened thy selfe vnto the Crosse with Christ pray him that hee will fasten thy flesh with his feare Pilate said vnto them shall I crucifie your King The Priests answered wee haue no King but Caesar COnsider first in this question of Pilate howe vnworthy a thing it was that the Messias who was promised to Man-kinde from the beginning of the world and expected so many ages and at last thorough the mercy of the eternall Father sent for the saluation of the Iewes should come to such and so miserable a death and as an vnworthy accursed person should bee demaunded to the horrible punishment of the Crosse Do thou look vpō thy selfe mark whether perhaps thou art not in the same error Thou knowest that thou wert borne into this world to this end that at the last thou shouldest enioy God in euerlasting and heauenly felicitie Thou knowest that all the whole world was made and framed by God for thy sake and that for the same cause the very Son of God discended down from Heauen was borne of the Virgin Mary and consecrated all his labours yea his Passion and Death vnto thee But thou hauing no consideration of all this doest by thy sinnes driue away God from thee when thou oughtest to imbrace him thou shuttest vp heauen neglectest wholy thy saluation Consider secondly the franticke choise of the Priests They refuse the Messias sent by God as if it were in them to choose a Messias according to their owne will and pleasure not rather to receiue the Messias whome God gaue vnto them O intollerable madnes of mē who will make to themselues a God according to their owne will or deuise a newe Religion or frame the manner of seruing God out of the holy Scriptures wrested and interpreted according to their owne fantasies Wherefore they are truely called Haeretiques that is choosers It is Gods office to appoint Religion and the manner how to serue him and not ours to choose Consider thirdly the nature of enuy which seeketh the hurt of another though it bee to his owne losse The Romane gouernment was very grieuous and hatefull vnto them and yet the Priests both for themselues and for the whole people preferred it before the sweete yoake of Christ Learne first to lay aside all euill affections of thy minde least thou fall into more grieuous sinnes Secondly not to esteeme so much of outward Nobility or power that thou shalt therefore breake the least Commaundement of God or swarue one iote from truth and iustice For Nobility power and authority are of no estimation except the same be vnder Christ and for Christ from whom all power proceedeth both in Heauen and Earth and vnto whom all Honour and power is due Consider fourthly that this foolish election of the Iewes is cōfirmed by God Mat. 22 Mat. 24. Psal 78 for they haue beene both deptiued of their Messias nowe so many yeares and also giuen
into bondage to strange Kinges who burned their Citty and ouerthrew their Temple leauing not one stone vpon another Did eate Iacob made his place desolate disperced them amongst the Gentiles oppressed them with grieuous seruitude that they should bee a reproach to their neighbours a mocking stocke illusion to them which were round about them Doe thou desire nothing of God but to bee guided by him and to take from thee the grieuous yoake of that tyrant the Deuill The 30. Meditation of the condemnation of Christ Mat. â—7 And Pilate seeing that he profited nothing but that the tumult was made greater taking water washed his handes before the people saying I am innocent of the bloud of this iust man Looke yee to it PIlate who was a HeatheÌ„ being mooued with the touch of conscience and reason and desirous to dismisse Christ vncoÌ„demned the Iewes beginne to mutiny Consider therefore first how much that afflicted the minde of Christ that a Heathen being a stranger froÌ„ the knowledge of God and from the Sacraments should bee carefull for his deliuery and they vpon whome God had bestowed the knowledge of himselfe and honored them with many Sacraments should so tumultuously labour to haue the sentence of death pronouÌ„ced against him Learne not to maruaile if some thinges happen vnto thee contrary to equity and reason Consider secondly that the wicked doe mutiny For euen as Hell is replenished with tumult and horror so all thinges which are suggested by the Deuill are referred to tumulte and perturbation either outwardly amongst the Citizens or else inwardly in mens minds Consider thirdly the ceremony of Pilate who washed his hands with water but did not wash away the guilt of conscience for sinnes are not purged with outward water but with teares Doe thou apply this water of teares to thy sinnes already past but doe not vse them to the end thou mayest sinne more freely For as all sinnes committed may bee cleansed by teares and pennaunce so there is nothing which can giue libertie to sinne Consider fourthly the wordes of Pilate I am innocent Hee thinketh himselfe innocent because hee condemned him against his will But he cannot bee innocent Lib 3. ad Auari ca. 80 which sendeth Iesus to the Crosse with the same lippes by which hee had pronounced him innocent before Thou learnest also that they are like vnto those Iewes which will neuer take any warnings nor bee mooued with any reasons And they immitate the sinne of Pilate first which sinne against their owne conscience at the request of others Secondly which vnder any pretence excuse themselues and lay the blame vpoÌ„ others Thirdly which couer the wickednes of their minde with any colour of good But see that thou doest vse this word of Pilate more warily to thine owne benefite O Lord let me bee innocent by the bloud of this iust man For seeing hee only is iust and our true Iustice nothing can bring mee innocency of my soule but by the bloud of this iust man shed for iustice for the remission of sinnes And the whole people answered Mat. 27 saying His bloud bee vpon vs and vpon our Children COnsider first the blinde fury of enuy They doe not deny him to bee iust but whatsoeuer hee bee they demaund him to be crucified and that they may giue courage to the fearefull President and hasten the death of this iust man they binde themselues their posterity to most greiuous miseries This worde wounded the heart of Christ our Lord by which the people of God who should haue been deliuered by this bloud desired the reuenge thereof to light vpon themselues Consider secondly how great folly it is to wish for that euill wherof thou knowest not the greatnes For if euery sinne deserueth a great grieuous punishment for the eschewing whereof this bloud was shed oh what a Hell is due for that sinne by which this bloud was shed They are like vnto these bloudy Iewes first who nothing esteeming the future paines of hell the greatnes whereof they knowe not coÌ„tinue in offending God with their sins 2. Which vndertake difficult matters without consideration 3. Which load theÌ„selues with other meÌ„s sins not weighing what will follow Consider 3. The bouÌ„ty goodnes of God who as according to the desire and request of Pilate he spared the Gentiles so he dealt lesse seuearely with the Iewes theÌ„ they required for he receiued euen many of them into fauour and grace brought many thousaÌ„ds of ther posterity into faith saluatioÌ„ Do thou take heed least thou through thy sinnes be guilty of the body bloud of out Lord but pray that his bloud may be vpon thee and thy children for thy saluation and the remission of thy sinnes Then Pilate willing to satisfie the people adiudged Mar. 15 Luc. 23 Mar. 27. Ioan. 19 that their petition should be done and he dismissed vnto them him which was sent to prison for murther and sedition Barrabas whome they demaunded but Iesus being whipped he deliuered to their will that hee should bee crucified COnsider first that the Priestes sinned in the death of Christ of enuy the people through the perswasion of the Elders Pilate to satisfie the people None was free from sinne for the first sinned of malice the second of ignorance the third of fraylty For Christ vnderwent the punishment of the Crosse for all sortes of sinners whatsoeuer Consider secondly the manner of his coÌ„demnation neuer vsed before for First omitting all crimes for which he ought to be coÌ„demned he was pronounced iust by the iudge himselfe I am innocent saith he from the bloud of this iust man as if hee should say who is not coÌ„demned for his faultes but for his iustice Secondly a guilty person loaden with most grieuous crimes is let goe that the iust man may be condemned for our Lord dyed to this end that he might by his death deliuer all sinners from eternall death Thirdly hee was not onely adiudged after the accustomed manner to the Crosse but also to be tortured vpon the Crosse according to the will of the Iewes For these are the words he deliuered him to their will that he should bee crucified For he would be deliuered wholly to the will of the wicked that thou shouldst yeild thy selfe entyrely to his will Pray therefore vnto thy Lord not to deliuer thee to the will of thy enemies but that through this most vniust seÌ„tence of his death he will deliuer thee froÌ„ the iust iudgement of euerlasting death The 31. Meditation of the carrying of the Crosse And the Soldiours tooke Iesus Ioan. 19 Mat. 27. Mar. 15. pulling off his scarlet garmeÌ„t they cloathed him in his own vestments brought him foorth that they might crucifie him COnsider first that thy Lord whome Pilate seemed hitherto a little to fauour is now destitute of al humane ayde deliuered vp to the executioners least thou shouldest bee forsaken of God deliuered vp
the children of this earthly Hierusalem conuert themselues to the faith of Christ Consider secondly whereas in former times the barren were accursed now the barren in Christ are blessed For there is giuen to Eunuches that is to them which liue chaste and single in the Church Isa 56. a name better then from sonnes and daughters Consider thirdly that in all troubles of this life wee must say vnto the mountaines fall vppon vs and to the hills couer vs that is to say we must haue recourse to the helpe of Saints who in the Scriptures are called by the names of mountaines and hilles as in Isaias Isa 2. the house of our Lord shall be a prepared mountaine that is to say Christ the head of the Church in the toppe of the mountaines and he shall be eleuated aboue the hills exceeding in dignitie and worthynes all Saints great and lesse Consider fourthly although these predictions of our Lord pertaine cheifly to the ouerthrowing of Hierusalem yet they may and ought to be referred also to all sinners who by their sinnes were cause of the death of our Lord and yet are not made partakers of his merits nor returned into Gods fauour by his death For they which now liue securely and whome no danger will make to refraine from sinnes shall then runne into the dennes and Caues of the earth Isa 2. Osea 11. Apoc. 6. as the Prophets haue forespoken From the face of God sitting on the throne and from the wrath of the Lambe For there shall come a great day of wrath on them and who shall be able to stand The countenance of the Iudge shall be terrible to the wicked and his sentence intollerable Then the barren shall bee called blessed that is they whome the world accounted vnprofitable and the wombes which haue not brought foorth that is which haue not followed the concupiscence of the flesh but haue subdued the vices of their belly and throat the pappes which haue not giuen sucke that is the humble and such as are not high minded Pray thou thy Lord that thou maiest not feare the face of his fury in the day of wrath and last reuenge whilst time serueth bee reconcyled vnto Christ For if they doe these thinges in greene wood Luc. 23 what shall bee done in the drye Consider first Christ is the wood euer greene and flourishing delectable to behold moderating the great heate with the shadowe of his thicke leaues bringing foorth fruit pleasant both to the taste and smell delighting the earth with the singing of birds For by his diuine nature and by the inward grace of the Holy Ghost hee doth not onely exceede all beauty but also preserue chearish and comfort all creatures Thou also art wood but dead without the sappe of Grace barren without the fruite of charitie naked and vnprofitable without the leaues of good workes Consider secondly who they are which doe these things in the greene Wood that is which gaue these torments and death vnto Christ thy Lord. First Rom. 8 God the Father who spared not his owne sonne but deliuered him vp for vs al. Secondly the Deuill who prouoked his sernants to put Christ to death Thirdly the Iewes and other ministers of his death But all these did not concord in the passion of Christ to one end For God the Father punished his Sonne for the loue of thy saluation Gen. 22 and like Abraham carrying the sword of iustice in his hand against his sonne and the fire of Charitie towardes thee hee layed the wood vpon his sonnes shoulders to be carryed by him for the burning of the holocauste The Deuill greiuing at the conuersion of many indeauored to hinder the course of his preaching to intangle the Iewes in the most grieuous sinne of innocent death and to ouercome the patience of Christ by his torments And the Iewes being moued by enuie could not indure to be admonished to amend their liues by the wordes and example of Christ Consider thirdly the argument of our Lord If they doe these things in greene wood what shall be done in the drye First if I suffer this for other mens sins what shalt thou suffer for thine owne Secōdly if the Father doe so grieuously afflict his innocent and obedient Son what will he do against his wicked and disobedient serūat Thirdly if the deuills could by their officers doe these things in another kingdom against the sonne of God what will they bee able to doe in hell in their owne kingdome against their owne bond-slaues Fourthly if by the permissiō of God wicked men raged thus against the onely begotten Sonne of God for the sinnes of men why shall any man meruaile that God will permit men to vexe and molest men when their sinnes deserue it Pray thou thy Lord to ingraft thee into himselfe being the green wood and that neuer more punishment bee exacted of thee then that which he himselfe suffered for thee The 33. Meditation of the crucifying of our Lord. And they came into the place which is called Golgotha which is a place of Caluaria Luc. 23. Mar. 27. Mar. 15. and they gaue him wine to drinke mixt mith gall and when he had tasted hee would not drinke and it was the third houre COnsider first the ascending of this hill howe painfull it was vnto thy Lord how hee inforced his tender and consumed body that it should not faile to procure thy saluation but that in the mountaine nearer vnto heauen he might stande before God the Father and offer Holocaust as a sauor of sweetnes for thy sinnes Follow thou the Lord ascending his hill as neare as thou canst and stand by him in this hill euen vntill death Consider secondly how the executioners made ready the Crosse how they bored the holes for the nailes and prepared nayles hammers and ropes thy Lord behoulding them with his eyes Doe thou also behold them and lament and beware because thou doest prepare a Crosse for thy Lord as often as by thy sinnes thou deseruest a place in hel for thy soule which is created to his owne likenes Consider thirdly that according to the custome of such as were put to death they offered a cup to Christ but much differing from that was vsed to be giuen to others The drinke was mixed with wine Myrre gall and vineger for St. Mathew vseth in stead of wine this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vineger that none of his sences should want his paine and punishment His cruell enemies compasse him round about troubled his sight their cruell wordes vpbraydings and blasphemies tormented his hearing the stench of the of the place and of the filth which couered his face offended his smelling his touching suffered most grieuous paines all ouer his body and because no sence should bee without his tormēt this most bitter drinke was giuen him to afflict his tast Is it not reason then thinkest thou that thou shouldest suffer some affliction or trouble
they call for helpe and neuer forsake them as long as they liue Consider secondly that hee chose to dy amongst theeues rather thē amongst other sinners First that whereas theft is a most grieuous sin which both offendeth God whose image it taketh away and also hurteth our neighbour whom it depriueth both of goods and life he might signifie that there is no offence so great which is not cleansed by this his death nor any man so wicked which may not obtaine remission of sinnes Secondly because euery sinner is a thiefe and a robber which by his sinne killeth his owne soule taketh away honour frō God defileth his creatures and depriueth the Church of a liuely member that is of himselfe whome hee hath bereaued of spiritual life Consider 3. that the good theefe as well as the bad suffered the punishment and death of the crosse with Christ but the one turned his punishment to the benefit of his own saluation and the other to the hurt and losse of his soule That thou shouldest vnderstand that Christ is alwayes present both to good bad in their afflictions and doth send them troubles and miseries to this end that they should remember themselues and lift vp their eyes and hearts vnto him Doe thou then pray vnto God that in all thy tribulations thou mayest haue recourse only to his diuine help and not bee ouer carefull to vse other meanes The 34. Meditation of the Title of the Crosse And Pilate wrote the title of his cause vpon his Crosse Mat. 27. Mar. 15. Luc. 23. Ioan. 19 and the superscription was ouer his head and it was written in Hebrue Greeke Latine COnsider first that Pilate set vp the Title of the cause of his death and vsed the words following First that thy Lord might bee thought worthy of this death as a traytor arrogating the name of a King vnto himselfe and that Pilate might be cleared before Caesar of the cryme of not condemning his competitor of the kingdome Secondly to bee reuenged of the Iewes who had threatned to complaine of him for hee mocked them that hee had crucified their king and that king also whome their auncestors had fore-tolde so many ages before and had expected with so great affection and desire These were the causes that mooued Pilate to make that tytle And Christ also our Lord ordained this tytle for himselfe but for farre other reason drawne from the mysterie of our saluation First that thou shouldest knowe that hee suffered this death of the Crosse not as a guilty person but as a Sauiour adorned with all vertues that he might rule thy soule and that thou shouldest submit thy selfe to be wholy gouerned by him who being nayled both hand and foote cannot hurt his beloued people but offereth thē all saluation from his open woundes Secondly to let thee vnderstand what merchandize are offered to thee to be solde out of this shop of his Crosse For all houses and shops haue commonly their signes Heere then thou mayst finde all saluation in Iesus all flowers of vertue in Nazareth and all security in the King Runne thou hither in all thy necessityes Isa 55. and buy and take what thou list without money or any other exchāge for this marchant requireth nothing of thee but thy company and thy loue Thirdly that thou mayest know by the Table set before the house what doctrine and Artes are read taught in this schoole For Schoole maisters vse to write before their gates what things are taught within their houses Heere thou mayest learne to bee saued to follow all vertues to rule thy selfe to conquer thy enemyes to gouerne wisely others that be vnder thy charge Our Mr. Christ doth now teach from the chayre of his Crosse euen as hee taught being an Infant in the manger of the Stable But thou perhaps desirest an easier chaire But such doctrine is not taught hut out of such a chaire for there is no way to saluation but by the crosse and by many tribulations and the habits of vertues are obtained by painfull actions If thou wilt rule thy selfe perfectly and subdue thy enemies the world the flesh and the Deuill thou shalt not seeke after the ease of thy body but thou shalt bee seuere against thy body and pull it out of the power of the Deuill by fasting watching workes of humility contempt tribulations according to the example of this Maister Neither shalt thou bee able to gouern others rightly if thou relyest onely vpon thy power and authority except according to this lesson of Christ thy teacher thou doest out of the very bowels of thy charitie apply thy selfe wholy and all thinges in thee to the profite and good of thy subiects Fourthly that by this tytle thou mayest feele of what force the sign of the Crosse is which thou makest with thy handes For it is not a iugling tricke or a flye flappe as the blaspheming enemies of the crosse doe tearme it But it is the vertue power of Christ for the safety of all beleeuers that thou being signed therewith mayst be knowne by thy badge to bee the seruant of the Messias thy King and be a terror to the Deuil and haue entraunce into the house of Christ and that all thy actions may tend to the glory of God and to thy owne saluation Consider secondly that this Tytle was written in diuers languages First because it concernes all men to knowe this King and therefore it was set in a high place that thou mayest beholde it a farre off stand still read vnderstand and follow this King forsaking all other maisters whom thou hast hitherto serued Secondly because the crucified Messias is to bee knowne and praised in all Languages Cōsider thirdly the māner of the writing A part of this Tytle being preserued with great deuotiō of Christians at Rome in the Church of the Holy Crosse in Hierusalem doth declare vnto vs First that the Title was of wood Secondly not written with a pen but grauen with iron Thirdly that the Hebrue was first then the Greeke and lastly the Latine Fourthly that the Greeke and Latine was written like the Hebrue from the right hand to the left SVNERAZANEI ALL which thinges are not without their mysteries For first these three languages onely were set vpon the Crosse which were most vsuall at that time and so continue vntill this day the Hebrue for the Iewes the Greek for the East Church and the Latine for the West For seeing that all Learning is written in these tongues the Scriptures in Hebrue Philosophie Rethoricke in Greek and Latine Christ taught vs hereby that there is neither any diuine knowledge nor humane learning and eloquence of any force except it bee sanctified by the bloud of Christ and referred to the glory of him crucified And therefore the holy Church vseth these languages onely in her diuine seruice as the most common and those that are consecrated with the bloud of our Lord. Secondly the
tytle was ingrauen because it should last for euer and in wood because by the wood he shall alwayes raigne ouer them whome the wood had ouerthrown Thirdly the Hebrue was first in order which the rest doe imitate For our saluation is from the Iewes to whose diuine Scriptures all humane wisdome is to bee directed Fourthly they are written from the left hand to the right to signifie that if thou desirest to be exalted by wisdom with Christ thou must humble thy selfe and not be proud in thy owne conceipt For knowledge puffeth vp 1 Corr. Iac. 3.8 wisedome without Christ is earthly carnall and diabolicall Fiftly the Greeke is before the Latine for first the Grecians and then the Latines were conuerted to the faith and leauing the manners and customs of their fore-fathers followed that doctrine which God gaue to the Iewes in the Hebrewe language that thou shouldest not rely vpon thine owne wisdome but follow them with thy whole heart whome thou knowest to be the seruants of God Pray our Lord to ingraue this tytle in thy heart Iesus of Nazareth King of the Iewes Ioan. 19. COnsider first and marke euery word of this tytle Iesus a Sauiour which name our Lord receiued when hee first shedd his bloud for thee For then seeking thy saluation he gaue part of his bloud as a pledge that he would aftewrards giue it all for thee He then receiued at thy hands circumcision which was the signe of a sinner euen as it is the signe of a theefe to bee boared through the eares that the eternall Father omitting thee a sinner might satisfie his wrath vpon his sonne This name vntill that day was obscure and of small reputation but being fastened to the Crosse it became so glorious that In the name of Iesus euery knee is bowed Phil. 2. Of Nazareth not of Bethlehem although he were borne in Bethlehem First because there was a greater myracle and benefite wrought in Nazareth by the incarnation and conception of our Lord then by his Natiuity in Bethlehem Secondly because Nazareth signifieth flourishing and Christ is an oderiferous flower hanging on the Crosse which rendreth vnto vs the wholesome fruite of grace and glory King who being crowned with a Diadem cloathed with bloud like a purple roabe raigneth vpright and fast tyed by the feete ready to help thee with his hands boared through because he would not keepe his guiftes but bestowe them plentifully vppon thee and with his armes spread that he may imbrace thee when thou commest He did not write Bishop or Priest although he did the office of a Priest but King both because hee once by himselfe immolated the bloudy sacrifice Heb. 10 Ezo 19 1 Pet. 2 by which he did consummate the sanctified and raigneth for euer and euer and also because it is a priestly kingdome a kingly priesthood where Christ being God is king doing all things in power and Christ being man is Priest obtaining all things by sacrifice Of the Iewes sent first to the Iewes not to the gentiles For I am not sent saith our Lord but to the sheepe which perished of the house of Israel Mat. 15 Rom. 15. and the gentiles doe honour God for his mercie that thou maist thanke God that the Messias was taken from the Iewes and offered vnto thee and showe thy selfe in praysing God a true Iewe not by carnall birth but by spirituall circumcision of thy vices and true confession of thy sinnes Consider secondly the true cause of the Crosse was to saue thee to adorne thee with vertues and to gouerne thee sweetly Pray thy Lord to suffer none to rule in thee but only himselfe Therefore many of the Iewes reade this title for the place where Iesus was crucified was neare the Cittie Therefore the Priests said to Pilate doe not write King of the Iewes but that he said I am King of the Iewes Pilate answered what I haue written I haue written COnsider first that many Iewes did see and reade these holy words but they vnderstood them not and therefore scorned them that thou maist learne that none scoffe at diuine things the holy Ceremonies of the Church the Doctrine life of Saints but only they which vnderstand them not Therefore because it is written He shall mocke the mockers Pro. 1. and I will laugh in your distruction do thou take heede and refrayne from these blasphemous scoffings Secondly because the name of Iesus was to be highly honoured and this tytle to be celebrated ouer the whole world and the Crosse it selfe to be imprinted in kings foreheads therefore it was conuenient to haue it first laughed at and scorned For euen as a brasen vessell doth shine brightest after it hath beene fowled and rubbed with dyrt and clay so he shall be most glorious which hath suffered most shame and vexation for Christ Yeelde not then to thy afflictions nor be dismayed since there is so great glory prouided for thee Consider secondly that Christ was crucified not farre from the Cittie for though hee bee throwne out by the inhabitants of the Cittie and of this world yet because it is proper alwaies to him to spare and to be mercifull he goeth not farre but stayeth hard by knocking continually at the gates of our heart to trye if he may be let in Consider thirdly that the wicked cannot indure the very name of the kingdome of Christ because the Crosse of Christ is distastefull to sinners who choose rather to haue a delicate king then one nayled to the Crosse This was the cause as St. Damascene testifieth why the Iewes crucified Christ with his face turned from the Cittie Lib. 4. Act. 11. Cap. 13 and looking towards the gentiles because neither they nor their children should euer receiue him for their Messias Giue thou thankes vnto Christ that he would behold the gentiles from his Crosse thinke vppon thee and bring thee to the knowledge of him Pray him neuer to turne his eyes from thee Consider fourthly Pilates answere Hee indeede set on this tytle but moued thereunto by the instinct of God Therefore that ought not to be vndone which by God had beene done for the glorie of the Crosse and the kingdome of Christ which is his Church wil stand continue though thou shouldest forsake it For if thou wilt refuse this King and his kingdome another shall be called and receiue the Crowne Remember the holy Oyntment and consecrated Oyle in thy baptisme and conformation by which was imprinted in thee the tytle and signe of the Crosse that the marke and badge of Christ might remaine in thee as oyle doth penetract is not easily washed off and that the writing made vppon thee by the finger of God Apoc. 3. might alwaies be imprinted in thy soule Pray then our Lord to ingraue in thee his new name and the name of his holy Citty and write thee also in the booke of euerlasting life The 35. Meditation of the first word of
and made a peace and reconciliation with his Father Hee sayeth therefore O Father forgiue and that by and by For the time of hauing mercy on him commeth Pâ—al 101. for the time commeth to wit the houre of sacrifice the day of satisfaction the time of forgiuenes the last instant of my life in which being presently to yeeld vp my breath I now propound my last petitioÌ„ and intreat onely this O Father forgiue them Fourthly hee saith not forgiue the sinnes already committed but onely forgiue euen those euills which they shall hereafter coÌ„mit against mee their irrisions their blasphemies the bitternes of the vineger my death and the wound in my side that thou also shouldst quickly forgiue thy enemies and remit all thinges keeping no rancor at all in thy heart Fiftly hee sayth not I forgiue both because the offence against his Father grieued him more thâ—â— his own torments and also because being intentiue vpon the happines which should redound to all the world by this his Passion hee seemed to esteem all the euils which the Iewes did vnto him rather as a benefite then any hurt Like as a man hauing a grieuous vlcer in his side if his enemy thinking to kill him should wound him in that place whereby the vlcer should be opened and the corruption let out would bee glad of that wound which was the cause of his cure So desirous was our Lord of thy saluation that hee reioyced at those his paines which were the cause of so great good vnto thee Them Note first that hee sayeth not these wicked Crucifiers these Hangmen these aduersaries and enemies both because thou shouldest refraine from all euill wordes and reproaches and also because thy Lord reputeth no man his enemy who payed the price of his death for all men and offereth saluation to euery one louing dearly euen these very Iewes his executioners Rom. 11. not for their owne euill workes but for their Fathers sakes who were holy and iust men and therefore speaking of his stripes Zach. 13. I was whipped saith hee in the house of them that loued mee Not by them that loued me but the Sonnes of them that loued mee that good might be done vnto the Children for their holy Fathers sakes Secondly them in the plurall number not onely those which conspire now against my death but also to all those who at any time by their sinnes haue giuen cause of this my Passion For thou shalt not bee excluded from this prayer whose sinnes haue been cause of our Lords death and thou mayst haue hope of pardon if thou wilt ioyne thy prayer with the prayer of Christ For if the prayer of Christ did profite them which neuer required it doubtlesse it will profite thee requiring it of him and praying together with him For they knowe not what they doe Luc. 23. COnsider first that Christ to whome all iudgement is giuen and whome his enemyes had offended did not take vpon him the office of a Iudge or an accuser but rather of a defender patrone The Iewes sought how to accuse him and found nothing worthy of accusation in him Our innocent Lord that was offended seeketh how to excuse the offence and the malice of the offence was such that nothing could be alleadged for the extenuating therof but onely ignorance And yet this ignorance being voluntary could no more excuse the Iewes then him who wittingly and willingly hideth his eyes because he will not see him whom he striketh or killeth If Christ then in the midst of his torments mittigateth the sinnes of his torturers will hee not now before his Father excuse their sinnes who call vpon his name with faith deuotion and sorrow for their sinnes Consider secondly that the Father answered not his Sonne by worde and yet Christ was heard for his reuerence Heb. 5 For God when he denyed his Sonnes request answered in the garden by an Angell but when hee graunted it hee answered not in worde but in deede Ioan. 19. For first hee restrained all creatures froÌ„ rising against his enemies in reuenge of his death all which would haue fought for their creator if this prayer of Christ had not stayed them Secondly hee reduced one of the Theeues vnto pennance Thirdly at the death of his Sonne he changed the minde of the Centurion and others Fourthly vpon the solemnity of Penticost hee conuerted sometimes three somtimes fiue thousand of the same Iewes vnto his faith Therefore God the Father not by outward words but by inward consent answered his Sonne in this manner O my Sonne I grant that which thou requirest laying aside all wrath I open the fountaines of mercy and I offer grace and pardon of sinnes Iustice and adoption of children as wel vnto these who haue afflicted thee as also vnto all the Nations of the world for euer and euer so as they will admit mercy offer'd vnto them For I will compell none against their will but I giue power to all to returne into grace and fauour with mee if they will and to be made the Sonnes of God and to come into my inheritance in Heauen so as they will be partakers of the merit of this my Passion through faith and the Sacraments Doe thou cry out now with great affliction great are thy mercyes therfore we giue thankes to thee our Lord God And pray him to bestow the guift of wisdome vpon thee that thou mayst know and admire his bounty and goodnes and driuing away all enuy to giue vnto thee the vertue of charity that thou mayst bee inflamed with the loue of thy neighbour The 36. Meditation of the diuision of his Garments Ioan. 19 Then the Soldiours when they had crucified him tooke his garments and made foure partes to euery Soldiour a part and his coate And the coat was without seame wouen all ouer COnsider first the pouerty of Christ thy Lord hee had not change or many suites of apparrell nor the same of silke and other costly matter but his garments were fewe and poore to defend him only from the cold and to couer his nakednes And by tradition it is deliuered as Euchemius witnesseth that his coate without seame was the worke of the mother of God In Mat. 27 which she did weaue with her owne hands for her sonne when he was a little infant which grew miraculously as our Lord grewe and was not worne nor torne out in all that long time the like whereof is rehearsed in holy Scripture to haue happened to the children of Israell that thou mayest learne by the example of thy Lord to forsake all curiositie and superfluity as well in apparrell as in other things Consider secondly the liberality of thy spouse he had already giuen his body shedde his bloud and spent his youthfull yeares for thee and now he giueth a fewe poore garments leauing nothing for himselfe but nayles thornes spittings and bloud clodded on his body Behold the riches of thy
spouse who hath no place to rest his head but on the thorny pillowes of his crowne Doe thou aske him where he feedeth where he will rest at noone Cant. 1. in this heate of his charity and esteeming this ignominious pouerty of the Crosse to bee the greatest riches runne naked to him that is naked Consider secondly the scoffing of the Soldiours in this diuision of his garmēts and casting of lotts when euery one catched a peece for himselfe as of the attyre of the King of the Iewes Doe thou also runne and gather vp at least the hemme of his garment that is to say esteeme highly of all those things which any way appertayne to the passion of Christ as his Sacraments his wordes his Church and his iustifications Consider fourthly that the foure executioners of Christ cut his vestment into foure partes that the foure Euangelists should sowe vp our Lords coate in the foure corners of the world to whome be thou also an ayde and helper and by thy holy life and doctrine ioyne together the Church of Christ which is cut and diuided by many Haeresies Couer the poore of Christ with thy garments and pray our Lord Psal 10. that hee beeing now cloathed with light as with a garment will by the light of his grace cloath thy nakednes and with mercy adorne thy soule Then they said amongst themselues Ioan. 19 Mat. 24. Psal 21. Luc. 23 Mat. 16. let vs not cut but let vs cast lotts for it whose it shall be that the Scriptures might be fulfilled saying they parted my garments among them and for my coat they did cast lotts Therfore diuiding his garments they cast lotts vpon them which part euery one should take COnsider first the consultation of the Soldiours about the diuiding casting of lotts for his garments The counsaile was good let vs not cut it but the aduice was wicked let vs cast lotts whose it shall be Thou learnest first that God is present at the coūsaile of the wicked that hee may restrayne their malice as he infatuated the counsaile of Achitophell Secondly 2 Reg. 17 that the effect of our Lords prayer did heere appeare when the garment without seame remained whole whereby is signified that the Church shall neuer be diuided by any malice of man but that it shall continue to the end of the world whole and entyre vnder one visible head Mat. 16. neither shall the gates of hell preuaile against it For although the outward garments of our Lord may be diuided that is to say diuers companies and societies of men may be distinguished by diuers lawes fashions and customes yet the coat without seame being next to the body of our Lord to wit the Catholique Church wouen all all ouer throughout spread ouer the vniuersall world and orderly distinguished with seuerall offices in seuerall members agreeing in the Communion of Saints wouen as it were with diuers threedes shall neuer loose his wholenesse and integritie There shall fall from it certaine small boughes or branches like withered leaues from trees but the Coate of our Lord shall be purged and not violated thereby Take thou heede least thou fall from this vnseamed Coate of Christ but remaine in it as an excellent peece of workemanship and because this Coate was begun to be wouen in the wombe of the Virgin Mother for there the Sonne of God ioyned humane nature to himselfe and espoused the Church doe thou commend it to the same mother by whose prayers and helpe it may remaine vntouched and vncorrupt Consider secondly their twise casting of lotts for his garments to wit First for the partes of his garments and afterwards for his Coate without seame Whereby is declared First that Christ himselfe and all things belonging vnto him were subiect to the will scoffings of wicked men Secondly that wicked men doe obtaine the coate of Christ that is to say the cure of soules and also part of his garments that is the externall goods of the Church not worthily but by chance and fortune and possesse them by other meanes then by the will of our Lord the true owner of them for they thinking of nothing lesse then of him crucified deuide take away his goods himselfe looking vpon them and holding his peace Thirdly that according to St. Ambrose the partes of the garments of our Lord Lib. 10 in Luc. ca. 23 that is to say his diuine guifts and graces are distributed and giuen to euery one by lott that is to say by the secret councell of God and not by our owne election but the Coate that is Faith is giuen whole to euery man If perhaps thou beest a Cleargie man called into the seruice of our Lord gather vnder the crosse of our Lord that part of his inheritance which is giuē vnto thee Take heede of seeking many partes and benefices vse that part before him crucified which thou hast receiued for he beholdeth thee and obserueth howe thou doest administer his goods Consider thirdly that the Prophets long before did prophesie of this casting of lots for his garments that thou mayest learne First that this casting of lottes for his garmentes was a matter of great moment which so many ages before Holy men Kinges fore-saw lamented Secondly of what thinges the auncient Prophets and Holy men did frame their meditations euen before the comming of the Messias to wit of the pouerty nakednes reproaches of our Lord that thou being exercised in the same thoughtes and cogitations mightest bee incyted to compassion and imitation Consider fourthly that these Vestments and holy Reliques of our Lord were permitted to remain in the custody of wicked men that thou mayst know first that all men which are called to holy offices are not Holy men and acceptable to God secondly that holynes is offered to all men in this life Pray thou vnto God to impart some of his Sanctitie vnto thee and suffer it neuer to be taken from thee And the Soldiours did these thinges and sitting kept him Ioan. 19 Mat. 27. Luc. 23. and the people stood beholding COnsider 1. And truly the Soldiours did these things as if hee should say Christ praying in the torments of the Crosse his Mother suffering the sword of sorrow his friends weeping a farre off the Soldiours did these thinges Whilst the Church suffereth persecutions whilst the poore perish with hunger whilst the iust man is punished the wicked play and are merry they cast lots and dice they are idle and spend their time in vanities neither is there any man which suffereth vpon the contrition of Ioseph And what doest thou thy selfe Amos. 6. whilest Christ and his Church is afflicted Consider secondly that Christ is kept more carefully then the Theeues least his disciples or any others should free him frō his punishment But as it was then so now also the feruour of Catholiques is too colde to aduenture any danger for the name of Christ Doe thou
with all care keepe Christ in thy heart and conserue his grace Consider 3. the people stood beholding for so it is to bee read for expecting some of them scoffing some marking euery thing Doe thou draw neare and standing on thy feete ready to fulfill the will and commaundement of thy Lord beholde and constantly looke vppon him fastened to the Crosse Do not sleightly passe ouer all his members all his paines all his reproaches but beholde him with a constant view and doe not rest in the outward forme onely but rather meditate on those things which lye hidden within For vnder these wounds spittings and thornes lurketh the hidden Manna which no man knoweth but hee which receiueth it Stand then before this table of the Crosse like a little dog before his maisters table expecting and obseruing the gesture of him that sitteth and catching euery thing that is cast from the table Doe not imitate the people curiously beholding Christ going to the church for vanity onely and hearing diuine seruice carelesly But rather imitate the Virgin Mother Luc. 2 Who let no worde passe which shee did not keepe Luc. 2 obseruing it in her heart And pray thy Lord to cast large guifts vnto thee from his Crosse The 37. Meditation of his mocking vpon the Crosse And they that passed by blasphemed him Mat. 27. Mar. 15. shaking their heads and saying Vah thou that destroyest the Temple of God and in three dayes doest build it againe saue thy selfe If thou beest the Sonne of God come downe from the Crosse COnsider first that Christ our Lord was mocked vpon the Crosse by 4. sortes of people by those which passed by by the Priests Seniors by the Soldiours and by the Theeues that is by all sortes of men Iewes and Gentiles Priests and lay persons Senate and the people the executioners of Iustice and those that were condemned by iustice For wee deride and mocke Christ by all kindes of sinnes contemning his promises dispising his threatnings reiecting his benefits breaking his CoÌ„mandements and neglecting his councells Consider secoÌ„dly the difference between the wordes of Christ and the wordes of the Iewes the words of our Sauiour and the words of the world Hee being carefull prayeth with teares they being carelesse mocke him whilest hee is praying For the custom of the wicked is to scoffe at all things and therfore in the Scripture they are called irrisores mockers Pro. 1. to whome God doth threaten mocking againe when that shall happen to them which they feared Haue compassion heere vppon the spouse of thy soule who in the last houre of death receiued no comfort but mockings from which they ought then especially to haue abstained when he was ready to die in the middest of his torments Consider thirdly they blasphemed Who passed by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which may bee interpreted Walking that he may be said to haue beene mocked either by trauellers or else by such as walked vp and downe by the Crosse Heereby are noted light and vnconstant men who carelesly say their diuine and holy office who sleightly runne ouer their prayers who in the Church at the time of Masse and of Sermons haue wandering thoughtes whose mindes doe not rest onely on God but are carryed wandering vp and downe after sundry delights and pleasures of the world Consider fourthly what these men did First they passed by irreuerently Secondly they shaked their heads Thirdly by these very gestures they did blaspheme for they signified hereby that he was worthy of all reproach that he might to be taken from amongst them and that his doctrine and life was to be contemned and despised Fourthly Isaias according to the exposition of St. Hierome fore-shewed two other kindes of mockinges Ouer whome did yee play ouer whome did ye gape Isa 57. and put forth your tongue Therefore they vpbrayded him with open mouth and stretched out tongue And euen as Stage-players in the Theaters vse to make many sportes before the Princes which are placed in high roomes to behold them so these mocking actors vsed many kindes of scornefull behauiours before this king of the Iewes Consider fiftly what wordes they spake First they falsifie his wordes scoffe at his preaching and prophesies and wrest his holy wordes to an euill sence Secondly they â—est at his myracles if thou hast wrought true myracles shewe now thy power and saue thy selfe Thirdly they offer wrong against his person whome they denie to be the sonne of God Doe thou beleeue the wordes of God admire his myracles preserue thy minde free from all error in faith receiue Christ the sonne of God and neuer forsake or passe by him For they which in this life passing by Christ doe blaspheme him shall in the next world passe by heauen and fall into hell In like manner with them did the chiefe Priestes and the Scribes Luc. 13. and Seniors deride him and mocking they said one to another hee saued others himselfe he cannot saue if he be the king of Israel let him now descend from the Crosse that wee may see and beleeue him hee trusted in God let him deliuer him now if he will for he said that I am the sonne of God COnsider first that the Priestes religious men and Magistrates did contrary to the dignitie of their order insult ouer a crucified man and that they were the leaders or captaines of the people in these irrisions For St. Luke saith thus the Princes derided him with them So great a desire they had to obscure the glory of our Lord and that there should neuer after be any mention made of him that all sortes of people thought him vnworthy of commiseration euen in the middest of his torments being ready to yeelde vpp his ghost and had contemptuously reiected him as accursed and as the shame and scorne of the people to be mocked both by the noble and vulgar people But there is no councell against God who chaunged this great ignominy of the people into greater glory Consider secondly that Christ was blasphemed more grieuously by no kinde of people then by the Priests For they prouoked one another mutually to scorne him and also abused the wordes of the Scriptures which were fore-spoken of these blasphemies by the Prophet Psal 21. which they recyted by turnes like the verses of a psalme Sap. 6 Thou seest therefore that the faults of superiors are most grieuous who also shall suffer mighty torments for their sinnes Consider thirdly and marke their wordes First they vpbraide him with his good deedes done to the people and scoffe at his myracles Secondly they laugh at his royall dignity Thirdly they obiect against him his trust in God Fourthly they contemne the the maiestie of the Sonne of God and maliciously mocke at the things which should bring honour vnto Christ The Magi did adore him in the stable with guifts as God Mat. 2. King and man and these men after so many myracles shewed vnto
them to mocke and deride the sonne of God the king of kings and man trusting in God Consider 4. their euill collections First if hee haue saued others he ought to saue himselfe also 2. If hee be the king of Israell he ought to descend down from the Crosse Thirdly if he trust in God as the Sonne of God God will deliuer him But first he did not therefore saue himselfe because he would saue others by his death Secondly he did not therefore descend downe from the Wood because the King of Israell should raigne from the Wood. Thirdly God did not therefore deliuer his Son because he trusted not to be deliuered by him from the Crosse but by the Crosse to be exalted aboue al creatures and to place thee in glory with him Consider fiftly that euill men giue councell to descend the deuill being the author who said If thou art the Sonne of God throwe thy selfe downe Whereby thou mayest learne that all those descend from the height of perfection which cast away the Crosse from them Doe thou pray deuoutly vnto Christ to rule and guide thee from his Crosse that is from his throne of mercy and also to take thee vpp with him vnto the Crosse The Soldiers also mocked him comming and offering Vinegar saying Luc. 23. if thou art King of the Iewes saue thy selfe COnsider first the great contempt wherewith our Lord was mocked by these base tormentors both in words and deedes First they mocked him vsing wanton and scurrile gestures towards him Secondly they came nearer to him being naked and looked more curiously vpon him according to that of the Psalmist Psal 21 But they considered and looked on mee Thirdly they offered him vineger like Cup-bearers offering a cup to their King Fourthly in their wordes they allude to the tytle of the Crosse King of the Iewes they say he is a rediculous King which cannot saue himselfe vppon whome dependeth all the safety of his subiects Consider secondly that wicked men do acknowledge no other commoditie or saffetie but only in this life but good men desire and seeke after the saluation of their soules as a thing which is common to them with the Angels respecting lesse the safetie of their bodies which the beasts doe inioy as well as they Consider thirdly the infinite loue of Christ thy Lord and spouse of thy soule towards thee who hauing once ascended the Crosse for thy sake could neuer be moued to come downe from thence neither by torments nor by mockings nor by the sorowe of his mother standing by him nor by the teares of Iohn his kinsman nor by the tears of Marie Magdalen nor by any sorrowe of his friends although he knewe that thereby he might easily end all their troubles Doe not thou therfore when thou hast vndertaken any thing for the loue of thy spouse and for his honor leaue it off for any cause although the world frowne thereat although thy flesh be repugnant although thy mother shewe thee her breasts wherewith shee gaue thee sucke and although thy olde Father lye in the gate passe thou on and tread vppon thy Father for it is piety to bee cruell in this cause Pray vnto God to giue thee this constancy of minde and setting before thine eyes him that was crucified take courage before him and in his presence determine of all thy busines The 38. Meditation of the second worde of Christ And the same thing did the Theeues Mat. 27. Mat. 13. which were crucified with him vpbraide vnto him and one of the theeues which were hanged blasphemed him saying If thou art Christ saue thy selfe and vs but the other answering blamed him saying Neither doest thou feare God which art in the same condemnation Wee indeede suffer iustly for wee receiue worthy punishment for our facts but this man hath done no euill COnsider first the ignominy offered to our Lord in this place either by one theefe according to St. Epiphanius Haere 66 8. lib. 3. de conâ— EuaÌ„ c. 16. â—â—oÌ„ 7. ad Phil. and St. Augustine or else in the beginning by both acording to St. Chrysostome but the one repeÌ„ting the other perseuering For they were most wicked and infamous men and did worthily suffer the accursed death of the Crosse But it did much more afflict our Sauiours heart that hee for whome and with whom hee did shed his bloud should presently bee carryed headlong into Hell Learne hereby that commonly hee which liueth ill dyeth ill as he liued ill except he be changed by Gods speciall grace For a sinner is stricken with his iudgement Aug. ser 3 de num that dying he forgetteth himselfe who liuing was forgetfull of God Consider secondly the wordes of the euill Theefe If thou art Christ saue thy selfe and vs First he wanted faith who desired a miracle that hee might beleeue Secondly he desired temporall life and safety after the manner of all sinners who haue no care of their euerlasting life to come Thirdly he spake this perhaps to please the Iewes which stood by but it profited him nothing to get their fauour because the world euer giueth a false reward to her followers Fourthly hee once vttered this rayling speach but being rebuked he held his peace being better then thy selfe who art neither amended by good admonition nor well pleased with him that aduiseth thee Consider thirdly the mercy of Christ in the good Theefe whose heart hee did not onely instruct by outward signes but also did mollifie it by inward grace so as he profited more in three houres by hearing him teach from the chayre of the Crosse then the Apostles did in three yeares by following our Lord continually and seeing his miracles For so great is the force of the crosse of our Lord that it doth nor onely mooue the sence but also giueth vnderstanding to the hearing and addeth affection to the vnderstanding Therfore this good theefe being depriued of all outward thinges and hauing his body stretched vpon the Crosse gaue openly all that was left vnto him to wit hee consecrated his heart and tongue vnto Christ For hee beleeued with his heart to iustice Rom. 10 and with his mouth hee confessed to saluation being made a teacher from the chayre of the Crosse openly confessing Christ and freely reproouing the vices of the standers by Consider fourthly the wordes of the good Theefe First with great charity hee rebuked his companion when he sinned before hee craued any thing for himselfe of our Lord and hee putteth him in minde of his iminent death for sinners ought to be repressed with the feare of Hell when they will not be moued with Gods benefites Neither doest thou feare God a bolde worde but worthy of a Martyr None of these saith hee feare God and darest thou imitate them being now presently to goe before God thy Iudge Secondly he confesseth his sinne and receiueth the punishment of the Crosse in satisfaction For it is a signe of a good man to
cōfesse his own faults to extenuate the sinnes of other men if hee can Thirdly hee declareth the innocency of Christ But this man hath done no euill which saying is true only in Christ and in his most holy Mother for hee hath done no sinne neither is their any fraude in his mouth But because he did no sinne therfore hee ought to beare the sinnes of all men and suffer the punishment thereof in his body The good Theefe teacheth vs heere that we should not complaine in aduersities but confesse our sinnes and giue glory to God openly and conuert our soules earnestly vnto God Doe thou imitate this theefe for death is at thy gates or at least lyeth in waite for thee And pray our Lord to strike his sauing feare into thy heart And hee said to Iesus O Lord remember mee when thou shalt come into thy Kingdome Luc. 23 COnsider first that this good Theefe fulfilled the partes of iustice First hee declyned from the euill which he reprehended in his companion and then hee did good turning vnto Christ Secondly according to the doctrine of Micheas Michea 6. Hee exercised Iudgment greuously accusing his sinne hee loued mercy admonishing his companion to conuertion and hee walked carefully with God of whome deuoutly and humbly he craued pardon Cōsider secondly the seuerall fruites of the crosse and affliction according to the seuerall dispositions of men The wicked are not amended but rather blaspheme the good confesse their fault and come nearer vnto God Doe not maruaile then if our Lord grant prosperity in this world to the wicked and affliction to the good which hee doth mercifully for these causes both because the wicked should not offend more deepely by their impatience the good be ioyned more firmely vnto God also that the wicked may haue some reward in this life seeing they are to bee depriued of euerlasting life that eternall reward may be reserued for the good Consider thirdly euery worde of the theefe O Lord a worde of reuerence feare subiection I submit and promise my selfe to bee thy seruant and bondslaue hee doth not say O my Lord For hee speaketh to the Lord creator and possessor of all creatures Remember mee a modest humble petition I aske not a Kingdom nor any honous but only that thou wilt remember mee knowing that thou canst not remēber me not help me I dare desire this remembrance though I am a sinner 1. Because thou hast admitted other sinners praying vnto thee 2. Because thou hast done so many so great thinges in fauour of sinners 3. Because I a sinner hauing giuen ouer my will of sinning doe now beleeue in thee with my whole heart doe intirely loue thee and with my mouth doe openly confesse thee 4. Because I ask nothing but remembrance and pray for nothing but mercy 5. Because it is reason that hee bee partaker of thy rest and glory whome thou hast vouchsafed to be a companion with thee in thy labours torments and death When thou shalt come into thy kingdome I acknowledg thee to bee a King but thy kingdom is not of this world I knowe that the Angells expect thee at thy death and a whole Army of Seruants who shall not carry thee as they did Lazarus but shall attend and followe the comming of thy owne will and power Admire thou the saith of this Theefe who alone when all others blasphemed did beleeue and detest thine owne infidelity who when the whole world belieueth doest scarcely beleeue and pray Christ to increase thy faith and bring thee into his kingdome with this theefe And Iesus saide to him Amen I say to thee Luc. 23. this day thou shalt bee with mee in Paradise COnsider first that Christ answered nothing to the theefe blaspeming that thou mightest learne to pacifie thy anger with the vertue of mildnes and that hee approued the counsel of the other who thought it requisite in necessitie to haue recourse vnto Christ that thou mayest obtaine the guift of councell Consider secondly that Christ as a Priest of the newe Testament did forgiue sinnes and as a Iudge doth assigne merite and rewardes For to the iust Theefe hee promiseth glory and to the vniust to whom he appointeth no crowne of Iustice hee declareth by his silence that the fire of Hell was prepared For Christ giueth glory but the paines of hell are not giuen by Christ but rather proceed frō our sinnes according as the Apostle faith Who shall render to euery one according to his workes Rom. 2. to those truely who according to patience in good worke seeke glory and honour incorruption life euerlasting But to those which are of contention and which doe not yeeld vnto the truth but beleeue iniquity wrath indignation That is it shall be rendred not so much by the will of Christ as through the malice merite of sinne Consider thirdly the benignity of this King of the Iewes 1. Hee doth not reiect a man infamous for theft who beholdeth not the outward opinion of men but the inward disposition of the heart 2. Hee presently heareth him confessing and forgiueth his sinnes 3. He giueth more thē was asked Remēbrance only was craued glory is promised and the same to be rendred by by euen the very same day Consider 4. the words of our Lord Amen this is a worde of confirmation for that thou mayst giue credit to my words I affirme it by that worde which I neuer vse but in affirming great and serious thinges and I promise it to thee openly before all these witnesses I say I the truth who cannot lye whose promise is effectuall I the Lord of the Kingdome dispose of mine owne and of no bodyes else To thee not to all least they might take occasion to deferre their pēnance to the end of their life but to thee alone lamenting earnestly cōfessing thy sins making satisfactiō for them by this thy punishment that if perhaps any sinner at the last instant of his death will conuert himselfe hee may by thy example conceiue hope of pardon For before we sinne wee ought to set before our eyes the innumerable sinners standing before the Crosse of our Lord and yet obtaining no pardon least our Lord perhaps leaue vs and wee perish amongst them for hee who hath promised pardon to the penitent hath not promised repentance to the sinner But after our sinne wee must remember the Theefe least wee dispaire This day presently after thy death that thou mayest acknowledge the vertue of the Crosse For euen as a Conquerour carryeth his noble spoyles in tryumph to shewe the greatnes of his victory so Christ hauing gotten the victory ouer the Deuill tooke this notable prey from him and carryed away the spoyle and lead this Theefe with him into triumph who had before been a most faithfull slaue to the Deuill With mee that thou which hast beene partner with mee in my paines mayest not be depriued of
my Crowne and that thou mayst not seeme to haue suffred as a theefe but to haue triumphed as a Martyr with mee Thus Christ conuerted the punishment of the Theefe into Martyrdome so as he which was brought as a Theefe vnto the Crosse did by this his notable and publike confession receiue the Crowne of his testimony Aug. lib. 4 deami eius originie cap. 9. as a Martyr with Christ the Prince of Martyrs Thou shalt bee to remaine for euer In the ioyes shall bee so great that thou shalt not cōprehend them but they shall receiue thee entring into thē they shall fill thee within and cōpasse thee without according to that saying Enter into the ioyes of thy Lord. Mat. 25. Paradise hee saith not an earthly Paradise wherwith the soules and spirits of the blessed are not delighted but the contemplation of the diuine nature in which is a full satiety and delight of the minde He calleth it not a Kingdome as the theefe had requested but Paradise which name he had neuer vsed before First because by this key of Dauid to wit the Crosse of our Lord the gate of Paradise is opened vnto vs with the wood of the knowledge of good and euill being violated by sinne had locked vp Secondly because after forty dayes he was to ascend into his heauenly mansion the place of the blessed Behold heer the liberall guift of Christ thy Lord bee of good courage for hee which promised a kingdome to the penitent theefe on the Crosse will render no lesse reward to thee for thy labours spent all thy life time in his seruice But because Paradise is not promised by the crucified but onely to him that was crucified doe thou if thou wilt bee a partner in this Paradise crucifie thy flesh with the vices and concupiscences thereof and pray the spouse of thy soule to call thee to Heauen with these words at the houre of thy death The 39. Meditation of the third worde on the Crosse And there stood by the Crosse of Iesus Ioan. 19. his Mother and his mothers sister Mary of Cleophas and Mary Magdalene COnsider first that when the Apostles fledde the women followed our Lord euen vnto the Crosse And his Mother is first named both because she was more feruent then the others and remained more cōstant also because it was strange that a mother could indure so great torments especially of such a Sonne and lastly that thou mayest learne hereby that it is not comely for womens modestie to bee present at the death of guilty persons and yet that it is very glorious for them to stay with the Mother of our Lord before the crosse of Christ and to set that alwayes before the eyes of their soule Cōsider secondly why the Mother of our Lord would bee present at his execution surely not of curiosity or lightnes but First that shee who loued such a Son so dearly and had followed him in all places might not forsake him at his death Secondly to be ready to doe him any seruice or to giue him any comfort which lay in her power Thirdly that shee might beholde not onely the death of her sonne but also the manner of the redemption of man by the cōtemplation wherof she might inflame her zeale of the loue of God Consider thirdly why Christ would haue his Mother present at this spectacle First that she should be a witnesse that hee had payed the price for the sinnes of all mankinde Secondly that shee might see the feruor of his loue towards vs thereupon vndertake to be our Patrone Thirdly that the Queen of all Saints should not be depriued of the crowne due vnto Martyrs but that shee should suffer the most noble martyrdome of all others For other Martyrs suffered their own torments inflicted vpon thē by the hands of the executioners But the Mother of our Lord suffred the torments of her son being deriued vnto her from the body of her son as Simeon prophesied of her Luc. 2. And thine owne soule shall a sword pierce Fourthly that the presence of his mother might increase the matter of his paine For the Euangelist did not without cause say His Mother signifying therby the mutuall affections of them both Admire thou here two great lights obscured Christ the greater light the sonne of Iustice Which illuminateth euery man comming into this world Ioan. 1. and the lesser light Mary faire as the Moone The Sunne is made black saith the Apostle as a sacke of haire-cloath Apoc. 6. and the Moone is made all like bloud the mother bleeding with the bloud of her sonne Consider fourthly that shee sate not idly nor lay downe as halfe dead nor ran vp and downe amazedly but she stood First for reuerence vnto her Sonne whome shee saw hanging straight vppon the Crosse for thy sake Secondly as one ready to obey and doe any seruice Thirdly constant and of a good courage with an assured faith of the redemption of man and of the resurrection of her Sonne Fourthly as prepared herselfe ro goe vp to the crosse and if need were to suffer death for sinners Consider fiftly that a fewe others stood by the crosse with the Mother of our Lord a Virgin a Widdow and a Sinner being sorrowful and destitute of all comfort that thou mayest learne First that our Lord crucified on the Crosse was giuen vs by God the Father to bee a comforte to the afflicted a Patrone to Widdowes Orphanes and a preseruer and protector of Virgins Secondly that Christ did communicate the feeling of the griefe of his Passion especially to those whom he loued most dearely Marke therefore whether thou beest mooued with this passion or not for thereby thou mayest vnderstand how much hee loueth thee Consider sixtly There stood by the Crosse of Iesus Fewe doe stand by the crosse of Christ Some onely walke by it and lightly passe ouer the mysteryes of Christ others stand a farre off looking so vpon it as if the mysteries of the Crosse did not appertaine vnto them others stand by the Crosse of the Theeues who suffer the troubles of their pride their ryot their couetousnes of their other vices Neare the crosse of Christ no sinners are tollerated no light behauiour is committed nor no pleasures are sought after Heere is whatsoeuer the world abhorreth pouerty subduing of the flesh contempt and reproach and all thinges are wanting which the world desireth and esteemeth Come thou to the Mother of Christ as neare the Crosse as thou canst because this way onely leadeth those that weepe and mourne vnto Heauen whilst others laughing iesting and blaspheming fall downe into Hell And pray the virgin Mother to assist thee at the houre of thy death and to comfort thee in thy troubles who with such constancy did suffer the sorrowes of her Sonne Therefore when Iesus sawe his Mother and the Disciple whome hee loued Ioan. 19 standing hee said to his Mother woman behold thy
Sonne COnsider first the good order in our Lords wordes first hee prayed his Father for the saluation of sinners next hee gaue spirituall goodes to the Thiefe and assigned him Paradise lastly hee giueth temporal cōfort to his dearly beloued Mother That thou shouldest learne first why Christ came into the world and dyed vpon the Crosse to wit to saue sinners of which number thou art one 1 Tim. 1. Secondly that thou shouldest be carefull of the saluation perfection of thy neighbours before thou applyest thy minde to worldly things Consider secondly that he who from his childhood had followed Christ and had dedicated his youthfull yeares vnto our Lord stood by his Crosse when all the rest hid themselues and did receiue for his reward the cōmendatiō of constancy and the keeping of the Virgine Mother that thou from thy infancy shouldst honor Christ and his mother and shouldst suffer the yoake of our Lord euen frō thy youth Consider 3. with what eyes the most louing Son beheld his most deare mother with what countenance she beheld him againe Loue and pitty lifted vpp the Mothers eyes to her Son and presently griefe plenty of teares cast them downe againe Thinke thou with thy selfe what the heart of the Son spake to the heart of the Mother what the heart of the Mother answered to the Sonne Haue compassion on them both to their speaches ioyne thy petitions Consider fourthly that Iohn called not himselfe by his owne name but the Disciple whom Iesus loued that thou shouldest alwayes set before thine eyes the benefites wherewith our Lord hath preuented thee and declared his singuler loue towards thee Consider fiftly that our Lord both by his countenance wordes made his last will and testament for his Mother and his friends For beholding his Mother his Disciple hee gaue vnto them himselfe and all that belonged vnto him his crowne of thornes his nayles his spittings his bloud his contempt of the world his mockings and shames that wee should not abhorre these ensignes of Christ but thinke there are great treasures hidden in them and seeke them by all diligence labour and that his Mother might bee moued by them to take compassion vppon vs and that wee being signified in Iohn should vse them in our prayers to God and to the virgin his Mother and should beseech them by these spittings by these nayles and by this bloud Also by his wordes hee bequeathed his Disciple to his Mother and his Mother to his Disciple and to all vs. Consider sixtly euery word of this testament Woman he sayth not Mother but Woman first because hee would not giue occasion to his enemies to mocke her Secondly because he would not afflict his Mothers heart with a name of loue Thirdly that he might shewe that this was she of whome God spake long before I will put enmity betweene thee and the woman Gen. 3. she shall bruize thy head for now the body of Christ taken of the Virgine and giuen by the Virgine to subdue the power of the Deuill did bruize the head of the Serpent Fourthly that we might knowe the constancy of his Mother to whome the prophesie of Salomon agreed who shall finde a valiant woman Behold Pro. 31. it is not saith he an equall change to take the Sonne of man for the Son of God or the Son of a Fisher-man for the Sonne of so great a King but the guifte ought to be free both because it was of necessity and because it came from the Sonne and also because in him all man-kinde was commended Son I haue hitherto loued this Iohn and in him all Christians I haue counted them my children I haue prouided for them as for children and I haue fed them with my flesh bloud Therfore ô my Mother doe thou account them as thy children for my sake Thy so loue them as if thou hadst borne them in thy wombe This recommending of the Son was of great force with the Mother Be thou therefore confident in the benignity of this Virgin and flye vnto her as vnto thy mother in all thy necessityes Ioan. 19. Then hee said to his Disciple beholde thy Mother and from that houre the Disciple tooke her as his owne COnsider first that Iohn who for the loue of Christ had forsaken both Father and Mother had heere a far more worthy mother giuen vnto him for so our Lord had said Hee shall receiue an hundred folde Consider secondly Mat. 19. that virginity and all chastity is cōmended by our Lord and that the wantonnes of the flesh is repressed through the passion of Christ and the help of the Mother of God Consider thirdly the piety of Christ towards his Mother that through the grace of Christ thou mayest obtaine the guift of piety towards God and thy Parents Consider fourthly the wordes of our Lord. Beholde a great benefite that God and man should both haue one parent Mother whom thou mayst reuerence loue and defend to whome thou mayest flye in whome thou mayest haue hope who shall be a Mediator betweene me and you my Children by whome I will accept your prayers Thy she is not onely patrone of all man-kinde but of thee also as she that loueth thee and gaue her onely begotten Sonne to dye for thee suffering him to be crucified whipped mocked and slaine for thee Consider filtly that Iohn beeing poore who had forsaken all and vowed pouerty with the rest of the Apostles and had left himselfe nothing receiued this newe Mother not into his houses lands or possessions but into his dutifull care seruice and protection Therfore he tooke care for her that she should want nothing Au lib. 18 de ciuit dei cap. 4. prouiding sufficiently for her out of the almes of Christians Pray thou our Lord to commaund his Mother to bee also thy Mother that thou mayest defend her honour increase her glory and standing with her by the Crosse mayest receiue the guiftes and benefites of the Crosse The 40. Meditation of the fourth word on the Crosse Mat. 27. Mar. 15. And from the sixt houre darknesse was made ouer the whole earth vntill the ninth houre and the Sunne was darkned Luc. 23. COnsider first that in the Passion of thy Lord the Sunne was darkened and the vniuersal world was compassed with darknes whereof as St. Cyprian witnesseth Amos had prophesied The Sunne shall set at noone day Lib. 2. ad Quirinú Cap 23. Amos. 8. Hiere 15. and the day of light shall bee darkened and Hieremias The Sunne did sett before him when it was midday First that euen as when the maister of a family dyeth all the house is hanged with blacke to moue sorrow lamentation so thou when the lightes of Heauen mourne and darknes ouerwhelmeth the earth shouldest also morne and lament for the passion of our Lord. Secondly to declare that Christ the true Sunne dyeth of whose brightnes the light of this our
naturall affectiō First that he is forsaken through no demerite of his owne Are saith he the words of my offences far from my saluation that is Psal 21. doe my sinnes hinder my saluation and thy helpe but I haue committed no sinne Secondly of the vnworthines of the cause that thou mightest saith hee redeeme a poor seruant thou hast deliuered thy Sonne to his enemies Hast thou forsaken hee sheweth that hee receiued no helpe nor comfort from the vnion of his Diuinity and that all the time of his Passion hee was left as man to his owne power Hee sayeth not doest thou forsake but hast thou forsaken not onely in this passion but in all my life thou hast not assisted mee in my labours Amongst the Prophets many thinges were spoken hereof Psal 87 I am poore in labors from my youth An vnworthy thing I haue a rich Father but hee giueth his riches plentifully amongst wicked men For of thy hidden thinges Psal 16. that is of riches which vse to bee hidden Their belly is filled but I thy Sonne am left in the meane time poore and beggerly from my child-hood am inforced to great labours Thou hast remoued farre from mee my friend and my neighbour who might comfort mee in my troubles Thy fury is setled ouer me Psal 87 and thou hast brought all thy floods vpon mee thou hast oppressed and drowned mee in calamities Mee thy Sonne whome thou hast begotten frō all eternity whom aboue all creatures thou oughtest to holde most deare In these thinges beholde the iust cause of complaint in Christ together with the most ardent loue of his Father towards thee who because hee would heare thy complaint refused to heare the cōplaints of his Son whom hee would haue not onely to knowe but also really to feele affliction and misery both that hee might take compassion vpon thy infirmityes and also bestow on thee the guift of knowledge how to vse all things to thine owne saluation Mat. 27. Mar. 15 But some standing there and hearing said Beholde this man calleth Helias COnsider first that the Romane Soldiours according to St. Hierome being ignorant of the Hebrue tongue for Eli is Hebrue and Lammasabactani Syriack and hauing heard many times among the Iewes with whome they cōuersed mention made of Helias were deceiued by the meer sound of the words and thought that our Lord had called vpon Elias Learne thou not to vse nor interpret rashly the wordes of God which thou vnderstandest not Consider secondly that all those three houres of the eclipse euery man stood amazed without motion and without speach but assoone as the light returned the wicked also returned to their irrisions that thou mayest learne First that the impiety of wicked men may bee restrained for a time but cannot be quite taken away without the speciall fauour of God Secondly to obserue diligently and feare the miracles and thratenings of God For euen as God by this darknes did foreshew vnto the Iewes the iminent darknes wherin for euer they shall remaine except they repent so by his threatning signes by comets thunder earthquakes pestilence famine and other strange thinges and euents he foresheweth the calamity and mischiefe to come Consider thirdly whereas heretofore the Iewes required a signe to bee giuen them from Heauen heere they hauing a signe are made neuer the better That thou mayest knowe that they would not haue beleeued as they promised if hee should discend from the Crosse because the desires of the wicked are not directed to their saluation but to vanity and mocking Consider fourthly what comfort is brought frō the world to wit mocking and contempt for how can they comfort others which want true comfort of minde themselues Consider fiftly that these wordes were spoken by them which stood by and heard that thou mayest learne First the idle men which are not occupied in their own affaires doe nothing but carp and scoffe at the wordes and deedes of others Secondly that such wrest Gods wordes to an euill sence which onely heare them and doe not imploy their time to the study of vertue Consider sixtly that the wicked knowe no difference betweene Helias Eli and the honour which is due vnto God and which is due vnto creatures Therefore some leauing God seeke help of his creatures to which they vse to flye in all their necessities others giue more honor to men then to God himselfe others thinke those thinges to bee done to creatures which by them are referred vnto God as the reuerence worship done to Images Saints obediēce to their Pastors c. But doe thou better interpret the wordes of Christ pray him to informe thy soule with his diuine guift of knowledg The 41. Meditation of the fift worde of Christ on the Crosse Afterwards Iesus knowing that all thinges were now consummate Ioan. 19. that the Scripture might bee fulfilled hee saide I thirst COnsider first that our Lord in all these torments of the Crosse did neuerthelesse in his minde reuolue the Scriptures and diligently view them all least perhaps there might bee somthing in them vnfulfilled for thy saluation that thou likewise being alwayes attentiue to the will of God and to the cōmandements of thy Superiours mayst neuer ouer-flip any thing belonging to thy office duty Consider secondly that Christ neuer spake nor did any thing rashly but referred all thinges to this end that the Scripture might bee fulfilled Blessed art thou if thou doest nothing but of obedience which giueth a great ornament to the dooer and deserueth an admirable recompence for the worke Consider thirdly that this thirst was most grieuous which the kingly prophet Dauid foresawe so many ages before which grewe both from the labours and torments of the Crosse and frō the continuall streams of bloud and from his fasting all the day and night before Mark the wordes of the Psalmist Psal 21. My strength is dryed like an earthen pott and my tongue hath cleaued vnto my iawes and thou hast brought mee into the dust of death that is thou hast made mee like to dry ashes Consider fourthly why the Scriptures that spake of this thirst were fulfilled last after all the rest to wit First that the first sinne cōmitted in the wood by intemperāce which infected all mankinde might as the greatest prouoker of all the rest be last of all washed away and abolished vpon the wood of the Crosse Secondly because this thirst proceeced from the decaying of his strength and from the losse of all naturall moisture that our Lord might declare vnto vs that hee had with a liberall hand bestowed all his benefits vpon vs. Consider fiftly why being inwrapped compassed with so many torments paines on euery side he complained onely of thirst First to show that he did truly and sharply feele the torments of the Crosse for Christ vseth not to complaine lightly but onely in matter of great moment Secondly to commend
to thee as a sponge fastened to the reede of the Crosse full of grace and truth out of which thou maist sucke sweete water he will communicate vnto thee the guift of vnderstanding whereby thou maist vnderstand and be partaker of the delihgts of thy spouse And he said let be Mar. 15 Mat. 27. let vs see whether Helias come to take him downe and the others said let be let vs see whether Helias come to deliuer him COnsider first the words of the executioners One of them reaching him vineger which being dronke by the crucified person hastneth his death saith let be let vs see whether Helias come that is Helias shall not come for I will preuent him by this deadly cup and rid this man out of the way Others by the same words perswaded him to stay the cuppe that they might see by experience whether Helias would come and so reproue him as a false Prophet of vanity in calling vpon shadowes those which were dead Learn thou heere first what those executioners thought of our Lord beeing euen then ready to dye that thou mayest esteeme better of him in thy soule Secondly that he departed out of this world with great thirst and carryed that thirst of thy saluation into heauen with him where with an ardent though not troublesome desire hee worketh the meanes of thy saluation Thirdly that this cold and piercing cuppe of vineger brought death vnto our Lord for through sinne death entring into the world killed all and spared not the very Sonne of God for whom it was necessary to taste of death that he might ouerthrowe death Resolue thou therefore to flye sinne least hauing gotten power to kill thy body it creepe farther and kill thy soule also Consider secondly two kindes of men for some without faith doe by their sinnes deride the patience of God 1 Pet. 3 Where say they is his promise or his comming Others haue faith but preuent the sting of conscience with hast of sinning Whose feete runne to euill Take thou heede of both and pray vnto God not to forsake thee in the houre of death to bee mocked by the Deuill The 42. Meditation of the sixt word of our Lord on the Crosse Ioan. 19. When Iesus had taken the vineger he said COnsider 1. that this word aboue all the rest brought admirable comfort to all sinners For hitherto all that hee said pertayned for the most part to the executioners to the Thiefe to his Mother c but this he speaketh to vs all declaring that now our debts are payed and all things perfected which seeme necessary to our saluation Consider secondly who he is which saith it is coÌ„summate to wit Christ God and man for as man he offereth this payment and as God he receiueth it For euen as he that draweth wine and hee for whome it is drawne saith there is good measure we ought to credit them so we ought to beleeue Christ our Lord saying all thinges are consummate Consider thirdly where he spake it as first vpon the Altar of the Crosse in which the price was payed vnto God Secondly in a high and eminent place that like vnto a cryer he might publish these newe tydings vnto the world Listen thou vnto it and be assured that the price is paid Consider fourthly when he spake it which was when he had drunke the vineger and was now ready to dye that thou shouldest knowe that he being nothing moued with our ingratitude did confirme his last will and testament vnto vs which shall neuer bee infringed by any wickednesse of man but whosoeuer will be partaker of this bloud it shall remaine whole and holy vnto him Consider fiftly why he spake it namely for our comfort who knowe the offence of sinne to bee so great that no creature was able to redeeme the same Our Lord therefore affirmeth that the enorinity of our offences is not so great nor the number of our sinnes so many nor our debts so infinite but that he hath fully satisfied for all Pray thou vnto him to comfort thee at thy death with this word least thou beest affrayd to appeare before God thy creditor thorough the greatnesse of thy debts It is consummate COnsider first he said not this or that is consummate but absolutely it is consummate that thou maist knowe that by this passion of Christ all things are consummate and made perfect in Heauen and in earth as well those things which portain to God as those which belong to man For euen as sinne violated all things so the bloud of Christ restored all thinges againe that thou maist learn to seeke all things in the passion of Christ and with the Apostle to glory in nothing but in the Crosse of our Lord Iesus Christ Gal. 6. Consider secondly how those things which belong to God are consummate by Christ For first he perfectly obserued all the commaun-of God the Father and neuer transgressed any of them no not in thought Secondly he carefully fulfilled all thinges committed to him in charge by the holy Scriptures neither did one lot or tytle passe which was not fulfilled Mat. 5. For he had receiued froÌ„ his Father a double charge one deliuered in Heauen to himselfe another committed to writing and communicated to vs. Thirdly he ended all figures ceremonies and shadowes of the old Testament and commaunded all things to cease which signified the death of the Messias and the future mysteries of the Church Fourthly whatsoeuer was imperfect in the old sacrifices hee perfected and fulfilled in one sacrifice of the Crosse Fiftly by this his death he repayred the ruines of Heauen which were opened by the sinnes of Lucifer â—oan 1. and gaue power to men to bee made the sonnes of God to those which belieue in his name and after this life spent in the seruice of God to replenish againe the seates of those Angels whom their wickednesse and sinne had throwne downe into hell Behold how thy Lord ready to goe to his Father doth glory that he hath left nothing in this world vnconsummate but that he hath executed all things to the full which hee was commaunded I would thou also at the houre of thy death according to the example of thy Lord couldest glory that thou hast left nothing imperfect in thy selfe Saint Paul said I haue fought a good fight I haue consummate my course 2 Tim. 4 I haue kept the faith And Saint Peter in the name of the Apostles Behold we haue left all things and haue followed thee Mat. 19. what therefore shall we haue What wilt thou say when thou art ready to dye who hast violated Gods commandements and hast receiued thy good in this life What canst thou offer vnto God for the reward of eternal glory Thinke earnestly of these thinges that thou mayst diligently execute the Commaundements of our Lord. CoÌ„sider thirdly that by Christ his Passion all thinges likewise are consummate which belong to vs. 1.
Sinne receiued his end as Daniel foreshewed All debts are payed Dan. 9. the price of all the sinnes of the whole world is fully numbred to God the Father 2. To the faithfull all their goods are gotten that nothing is wanting to vs in any grace 1 Cor. 2. 3. He hath perfected his Church a new Common wealth and a chosen vineyard for whereas indeede it was begun to bee planted from the beginning of the world but for want of good manuring did not prosper Christ by his Passion prepared al things necessary for it he instituted a Sacrifice Sacraments he ordained Pastors he made new lawes he diuided offices to euery one hee sent the holy Ghost into the harts of the faithfull to be short he perfected it in such manner as he had spoken before Hiere 31 I will consūmate my new Testament vpon the house of Israell vpon the house of Iuda Hee began to write this Testament many ages past which now with this worde as with the subscriptiō of his hand with his bloud and passion as with his seale is signed by him 4. He fulfilled the desire of the Saints heaped aboūdantly his guifts vpō all the faithfull whom he would haue consummated into one ioyned together in perfect charity replenished with the 7. guifts of the holy Ghost Ioan. 17 Do thou therfore who hast receiued so many benefites frō thy spouse neuer leaue to doe his will because his will is thy sanctification 2 Thes 1. and bee thou carefull to keepe whole vnuiolate the white garment and grace of the holy Ghost which thou didest receiue in the Sacraments Consider 4. that many things are consummate by this passion of Christ euen in wicked men First the hate of the Iewes which could not further bee extended 2. The malice of the Deuils who could doe no more against Christ 3. The Kingdome of the Deuil the Prince of this world was ended his forces broken his spoyles taken away he himselfe bound in hel with a chain neuer to be feared more but to be laughed at euen by little children Apoc. 11. Feare not then the assaults of the deuill who can only counsel threaten but cannot compell nor hurt Cōsider 5. that Christ himselfe is also consummate for vs as the Apostle saith Beeing consummate Heb. 5. he was made to all that obey him cause of eternall saluation 1. His bloud is consummate all which he powred out of his veines for thy sake his strength is consūmate which hee exhausted for thee all his goods are consummate both within without which he offred for thee 2. His paines are consūmate an end is come of all his euils glory only remaineth Therefore in this sence It is consummate is a worde of reioycing that his labours are ouercome Now saith he all thinges are perfect Winter is done Cant. 1. the shower is past and gone there is an end of all euils the begining of good For his very Sepulcher shall presently after his death bee glorious Isa 35. Be thou carefull whilst thou liuest that thy death may end all euills open the way to good Thirdly this mortall life is consummate O Father saith hee I now leaue the world and come vnto thee This word one day shal also be spoken vnto thee It is cōsummate thy life must be ended thou must leaue all thinges which thou hast thy riches thy honours thy parents thy wife thy children and thy friends For I haue seene an end of all consummation and wee Psal 118 who brought nothing into this world 2 Tim. 6. without doubt cannot carry away any thing Therefore if with Christ thou hast nothing but troubles and crosses if all thinges in the world be bitter and sower vnto thee the voice of Christ calling thee will not be vnwelcome It is consummate because the houre of thy redemptiō draweth nigh Mat. 24. Eccle. 4. But O how bitter is the remembrance of death to a man hauing peace in his substance It is Consummate COnsider first that Christ had spoken somthing before of his consūmation as in Luke Behold we goe vp to Hierusalem Luc. 18. and all thinges shall bee consummate which are written by the Prophets of the Sonne of man Hee gaue also some beginning to this cōsummation when hee saide in his last supper Ioan. 15 I haue consummate the worke which thou gauest mee that I should doe But in the altar of the Crosse all thinges are consūmate neither could any thing bee consūmate before his passion on the Crosse because without shedding of bloud there is no remission of sinnes Heb. 9. and a testament is not confirmed but by the death of the testator Consider secondly the manner of his consummation to wit the notable constancy of thy Lord and his inuincible courage First hee perfected all thinges alone I haue trodden saith he the presse alone Isa 6. and amongst the people there was not a man with mee that thou shouldst neuer giue ouer the study of piety deuotion though thou wert forsaken of all men For God seeth and helpeth thy endeauours who because he would not be wanting to thee in thy labours denyed his helpe and assistance to his Sonne Secondly hee submitted all his members filled them with torments that thou shouldst spare no labor for the seruice of thy spouse Thirdly hee perseuered euen to the end of his worke Thou oftentimes conceiuest a good worke but thou doest seldome begin it and more seldome proceed in it and scarce euer bring it to an end Pray our Lord to graunt thee the guift of fortitude that thou neuer faint in the study of vertues Consider thirdly with what liberality hee inuiteth thee to those thinges which hee hath consummated by these his labors My Bulles saith hee and my Fowles are killed Mat. 22. come to the marriage For in this passion First Sap. 17. All spirituall daintyes are found for euery man his tast and necessity as the Scripture reciteth concerning Manna Secondly it is the medicine of all diseases Thirdly it is the payment of all debts Do thou therefore inioy this liberality of Christ and being wholy melted into his loue desire to know nothing else but Iesus Christ and him crucified ◠Cor. 2. Consider fourthly that by this word It is consummate God the Father is asked by Christ whether any thing bee wanting to our perfect saluation and that also all creatures yea euen our enemies are as it were iudicially cyted to consider what is wanting and to speake it before the death of Christ For our Lord professeth that hee will pay to the full if there be any punishment yet remaining Behold the liberall mind of thy Lord. Pray him then that laying aside all couetousnes thou mayest bee indued with this bountiful liberality Cōsider fiftly that these great riches of Christ are so prouided for thee that thou oughtest to make
their departure Doe thou likewise for whose sake the Son of God suffred death come neare vnto the Crosse behold all thinges diligently with the eyes of thy soule and let thy speach bee often times thereof Consider secondly that crying he bowed his sacred head first because hee would call thee both by his voyce and becke to learne the profite of the Crosse and to receaue the merites and benefites of the same Secondly to speake in thy eare to communicate his secretes vnto thee to teach thee his commandements and counsailes Thirdly to signifie his consent to all thy petitions and prayers which depend vpon this his holy passion Fourthly that thou mightest the better viewe his head and marke euery thing diligently his thornes his spittinges his bloud his eyes now shutt to thy sinnes his mouth silent from reuenge his face pale with death Consider thirdly that the Euangelists wrote this death of our Lord in diuers words Iohn saith he deliuered vp his spirite Mathewe he sent foorth his spirit Marke and Luke hee breathed out that thou shouldest knowe that Chriâ—t died not like vnto other men but in a singular and peculiar manner neither did he against his will or by compulsion but of his owne free accord render vp his spirite This word hee deliuered signifieth first that he gaue his spirite into his Fathers hands to be kept three dayes and that from thence all merites all vertues all iustice and grace should bee gathered for man-kinde Secondly that as he had already giuen his body to the executioners so now also hee would deliuer his soule for vs because nothing should be wanting to our felicity and happinesse He had giuen his garments he had giuen his honour he had giuen his body hee had giuen his bloud and now there remained nothing but to giue his soule that according to the prophesie of Isaias Isa 9. the whole Sonne might be giuen 3. That he deliuered vp the full price of our redemption For hitherto something was wanting and he had payed as it were but in part but now he made an absolute and full payment that thou maist knowe that now thou art not thine owne man but Christs who hath bought and redeemed thy members with his thy powers with his thy honours and riches with his thy body with his and thy soule with his If thou doest consider these things rightly thou shalt learne first not to abuse thy selfe thy goods to thy owne pleasures nor to spend them according to the will of the Deuill no nor yet to vse them as thine owne but to referre all to the honour of Christ to whome all thinges belong and appertayne Secondly seeing thou hast gotten Christian liberty and art deliuered out of the power of the Deuill neuer to yeilde to him againe For hee hath no right to thee whome Christ hath so dearely redeemed with his bloud Do thou giue thankes vnto thy Lord and offer vp thy selfe and all that thou hast freely vnto him He breathed foorth Mar. 15. Luc. 23 COnsider first that by this word is signified that Christ breathed foorth his last spirite by which spirite and holy breathing first hee purged the ayre being infected with deuils by vertue wherof the Deuills also are driuen away in exorcismes and exsafflations Therefore as the earth is sanctified by the holy body of our Lord and the element of water and all lyquors by the holy bloud and water yssuing from his side so by the diuine spirite of Christ the ayre is sanctified that it may the more profitably carry and inspire into our sences the word of God and his holy mysteries Secondly hee coÌ„municated vnto this world his inward guifts and graces not onely through the holy wounds of his body but also by his mouth Consider secondly that Christ for many causes would suffer not onely paine and torments but also death First to offer vp himselfe by his death as a sacrifice and Holocaust vnro God Secondly to redeeme eternall death due vnto thee through this his death of infinit value Thirdly to confirme by his death all his Sacraments and the newe Testament Fourthly that by this his death as by the death of the high Priest according to the old figure Num. 15. he might recall thee into thy heauenly countrey Fiftly to let thee knowe that thou oughtest to bee his who dyed for thee and not to submitt thy selfe to the Deuill who suffered neither death nor wound for thy saluation Sixtly that thou shouldest account thy selfe dead to the world with Christ and mortifie thy vices and affections For if saith the Apostle one dyed for all 2 Cor. 5. therefore all are dead Consider thirdly that Christ dyed in his flourishing age being three and thirty yeares old when his sences were freshest his heat greatest and his strength best to indure labour First because he was willing to bestowe all his most flourishing things vpon thee to preserue the heate of his loue in thee and with great forces to prepare many benefites for thee Secondly that thou shouldest not prolong the change of thy life till thy withered and decayed old age but consecrate thy youthfull yeares strength vnto Christ Consider fourthly that our Lord was nayled to the Crosse in the sixt houre and in the nynth houre when the day began to growe to an end hee dyed First because he which in the precedent ages had beene immolated in the figures of the sacrifices did in this fourth age of the world dye truly for vs. Secondly that thou who hitherto perhapps hast spent the rest of thy life vnprofitably and wickedly mayest at the least in the end of thy life flye to the death of our Lord. A great comfort is heere giuen vnto sinners who languishing either with age with sicknes or in minde are not able by exacting grieuous punishment of themselues to satisfie for their sinnes may haue the paines bloud and death of Christ to offer for their offences Giue thankes vnto God and dispise not so great a treasure Ioan. 19 Hee sent forth his spirit COnsider that heere also mention is made of the liberty freedome of Christ to dye For euen as in former times Noe sent the Doue out of the Arke Gen. 8 which after a few dayes returned bringing in her mouth a boughe with greene leaues So Christ sent foorth his spirit to returne againe after three dayes with an army of flourishing Saints Emisit saieth hee hee sent forth and not Amisit he lost that thou shouldest not loose thy spirit amoÌ„gst the wicked Consider secondly how the Deuills expected this spirite being ready to come foorth that by the coÌ„mon law of all it might bee ioyned to other soules in Hell For the Euangelist seemeth to signifie so much when hee said the Deuill went from him for a time as though at this time of his death hee would returne againe But because the Prince of this world had nothing in Christ Luc. 4. hee was
and Mary Mother of Iames the lesse and of Ioseph and Salome Mother of the sonnes of Zebedee and many other which came together to Hierusalem COnsider first the goodnesse of God who conuerteth the euill intentions of men to their owne profite They came to behold to mocke and to blaspheme but changing sodainly their mindes they returned sorrowfull and striking their breasts Haue thou confidence that thy good workes through his goodnes shall turne to thy saluation since their euill acts through his mercy were profitable vnto them Consider secondly that whilest the Romane soldiours praised Christ the Iewes were silent because hereafter the Gentiles should gouern the Church of Christ and the Iewes should holde their peace Consider thirdly that they stroke their breasts because hee that will drawe the fruite of the Passion vnto himselfe must vndergoe some pennance For euen as ashes beeing moistened with some liquor doe make a greater quantity then if beeing drye they were powred into the water so hee who like vnto Christ suffereth some labour and pennance shall reape the greater profite by his Passion Consider fourthly that these Iewes did know the dignity of Christ the greatnes of their owne sin but yet they would not confesse it in their words For there are many which feele indeed the prick of conscience but beeing hindered either by pride or malice they refuse to confesse their sinnes CoÌ„sider fiftly that his friends and acquaintance stood a farr off and those women which had serued our Lord in Galilee That thou shouldest knowe First that Christ rewardeth almes with this benefite that they shall perseuere euen vnto the Crosse Tob. 4. For Almes addeth confidence and suffereth not the soule to goe into darknes SecoÌ„dly by what meanes Christ rewardeth his friendes in this world to wit that through many tribulations they should enter into the Kingdome of God But they stand farre off for that which they suffer is very small Actor 14. if it bee compared to the Passion of Christ Pray thou vnto Christ to sign thee with his Crosse and to ioyne thee to the nuÌ„ber of his friends The 47. Meditation of the opening of Christs side Ioan. 19. Then the Iewes because it was the Paraseeue that the bodyes might not remaine vpon the Crosse on the Sabaoth for that was a great Saboth day intreated Pilate that their leggs might bee broken and they might bee taken away The Soldiers therfore came and indeed they brake the legges of the first and of the other which was crucified with him COnsider first that by the commandement of the Law such as were hanged on the tree Deut. 21 were woÌ„t to bee buryed at night when as such as were put to death by any other meanes were as vnworthy of buriall either couered with stones or left to bee deuoured by beasts First because God the soueraigne Law-maker knewe that his Sonne should dye that death Secondly because God in his mercy would not that guilty persons should bee punished twice for one and the same fault For because euery one was accursed which hanged on the Tree hee ordained that at least after their death they should haue the honor of buriall Thirdly that all such as suffer the Crosse that is the punishment of Christ in this life may be assured that there is great glory reserued for theÌ„ with Christ in the next life Consider secondly that the Iewes were not moued by this Lawe but by the solemnity of the next day for wicked men doe often times many thinges well not because they desire to obey God and to serue his honour but to preserue their owne fame and estimation CoÌ„sider thirdly that the dead bodyes ought not to bee left on the Crosse on the Sabaoth day that thou shouldst neuer carry a dead soule about thee but at the least on the Holy dayes thou shouldest purge it from all sinne and wickednes But thou notwithstaÌ„ding dost not onely carry a dead soule but also doest defile it more vpon Holy dayes consecrated to the seruice of God then vpon any other dayes Consider fourthly that the Iewes vnder pretence of seruing God desired another matter to wit that they might take away the life of Christ whom they knewe not to bee yet dead with more grieuous torments that thou maist learn First that the impiety of wicked men who maliciously are seperated from God is daily increased according to the Apostle But euill men and seducers shall prosper to the worse 1 Tim. 3 Secondly how cruell the enemy of man-kinde will bee in his owne kingdome against wicked men which rageth so much in anothers kingdome by his Ministers Doe thou therefore take heed of his tiraÌ„ny wherein there is neither measure nor end CoÌ„sider fiftly that the good and the euill Theefe did not both suffer one punishment For the one wiped away his sinnes by his paines and obtained glory to himselfe the other changed his temporall punishment with the euerlasting torment of Hell Learn hereby what reward the world and the Deuill doe giue to their seruantes to witt grieuous paines and euerlasting torments in Hell For this Theefe who to please the Iewes blasphemed against Christ was as much tormented by them as if hee had praised him See that thou adhere vnto Christ and according to the example of the good Theefe receiue all thy torments in full satisfaction for thy sinnes and pray vnto God to afflict thee here and not to punish thee euerlastingly But when they came to Iesus and sawe him already dead they did not breake his legges but one of the Soldiers with a speare opened his side and presently issued forth bloud and water COnsider first that the Soldiours assoon as they had receiued coÌ„mandement from the President made hast to the Crosse and diligently obserued whether there was as yet any signe of life in Christ for if they had perceiued any they would haue inflicted the same torment vpon him Consider secondly what manner of wound this was For the Scripture saith not hee stroke his side or hee wounded his side Tract 120 â—n loan but hee opened his side as St. Augustine noteth that the cruelty of the wound might bee signified thereby Ioan. 20 which opened his side so much that St. Thomas was bidden by our Lord to put his hand into it CoÌ„sider thirdly why our Lord would receiue this wound being now dead for vs. First that hee might shew that by his death hee abated nothing of his loue towards vs and offered himselfe ready to suffer againe and againe for vs if it were thought necessary for our saluation Secondly that according to St. Ciprian Ser. de duplici martirio hee might power out all the moisture remaining in his body and all the bloud residing in his heart and reserue nothing to himselfe Thirdly that hee might ingraue the signe of thy loue in his heart neuer blot thee out againe Fourthly that as out of the side of Adam sleeping Eua was