innocent blood and so eagerly desired to haue him put to a shamefull death that they cried out in a rage and exclaimed in their fury Set Barrabas at libertie and crucifie Iesus But when Pilate perceiued that nothing could calme the storme of their rage and represse the violence of their madnesse but effusion of his innocent blood then he commanded that my harmelesse Iesus should be cruelly scourged thinking that the streames of bloud running downe from his sacred body would haue allaide the heat of their malice quenched the flame of their fury But alas it was his life that they onely sought nothing but his innocent death could satisfie their bloody mindes yea nothing but cruell death could tame their bruitish rage Matth. 26. But stay here my soule that thou mayest reuiew againe thy innocent Iesus accused vniustly reuiled malitiously spitefully scorned and cruelly scourged by the commaundement of Pilate they crowned his head scornefully with pricking Thornes and did teare his tender flesh with their cruell whips Oh my most louing Lord oh my most mercifull Iesus mollifie my hard hart that it may be wholy dissolued into streames of sorrow with the memory of thy bitter scourging and that my soule may be wounded so that it may send forth deepe groanes at the meditation of thine afflictions Grant me oh my most mercifull LORD that my thoughts and affections may be so seriously affected vvith the remembrance of thy tedious Passion that my senses may be made partakers of thy grieuous paines for I my selfe most louing Lord am nothing able to performe that indeed which I doe desire and conceiue in my minde I doe often times purpose with my selfe to meditate on thy Passion and to thinke seriously vpon thine affliction and to ruminate in my secret thoughts what ignominious crueltie was acted against thee vvhen thou didst finish the worke of my redemption But alas my senses are replenished with such stupiditie and dulnesse that I am not touched vvith any sensible compassion because my vnderstanding is distempered with vaine and fond cogitations and my heart is become so hard that it is vnapt to conceiue any tender affection while I meditate vpon the grieuous paines and muse on the great afflictions which thou didst sustaine and patiently endure to satisfie the vvrath of thy Father due vnto me for my sinnes I cannot taste the sweetnesse I cannot relish the goodnesse of thy passion because the matter is tedious to my corrupted thoghts and vnpleasant to my carnall desires For so vnconstant and instable is my heart so mutable and variable are the motions of my minde that they are both soone distracted alienated and diuorced from that heauenly meditation by swarms of idle fantasies foolish cogitations But from whence oh Lord doe these noysome vveeds grow vp in my hart how is it that they finde such a fertile soile in my minde truly because my heart is not planted vvith thy loue nor my mind furnished with thy graces For I can neuer haue my fill of those things vvherein I take too much delight my minde cannot be drawne from their societie because they haue wonne my fauor haue gotten my loue Wherefore oh my most mercifull Iesus because I loue thee so little and dote vpon worldly vanities so much my hart slideth away from thee mine affections are diuerted from thee and I know oh Lord how prone ready I am to consent to euery wicked motion and how impotent and feeble I am to go about any good action Therfore I pray thee not to correct me in thy wrath nor to proceed against mee with seuerity of thy Iustice but to haue pitty on me a most miserable sinner and to confirme my vnconstant hart with a stedfast delight in thy loue to establish my wandring minde according to the multitude of thy mercies so that no pleasure be it neuer so sweet may be able to allure me to leaue thy blessed loue nor any tribulation be it neuer so bitter constraine me to forsake thy happy seruice driue all idle cares out of my minde purge all corrupt thoughts out of my hart and draw me wholy vnto thee that I may remember with a deuout compassion call to minde with a serious meditation how many what great grieuous torments what scornefull derisions thou didst suffer in thy most pretious body by the commaundement of Pontius Pilate who contrary to the equitie of thy cause and testimony of his owne conscience Ioh. 19.4 commaunded thee to be scourged without all pitty when as he himselfe with his owne words had iustified thy innocency Oh vvhat a flood of teares should streame from mine eyes what groanes and sorrowfull sighes should arise from the depth of my heart how should all my senses be ouer-whelmed with a sea of sorrow when I meditate on the flinty hearts and cruell hands of those tormentors who scourged my louing Redeemer My heart cannot conceiue the outrage of their tyranny my tongue is too weake to expresse their barbarous inhumanitie Who vvere as eager to lay violent hands vpon my poore Iesus as rauenous Wolues are greedy to deuoure a tender Lambe or hungry Lyons to ceaze vpon their prey They make haste to vnbinde his armes and to vntie his hands but it was not done to release him of his cruell bands or to afford him any little ease but that they might strip him of his garments to scourge his naked body with their tormenting whips and to make his veines spout out bloud with their cruell stripes Ah ruthfull spectacle to pittifull eyes and able to haue made a deepe impression of tender compassion in their hearts if they had not beene more heard then Marble What sauage thoughts raigned in their murdering mindes What monstrous indignitie was done vnto my louing Redeemer to be stripped of his garments and to stand naked before such vile and base vassals who cloathed the Heauens with exceeding glory and adorned the earth with admirable beauty Now when they had stripped him of his cloathes they bound him to a pillar to endure their cruell stripes hauing banished pitty from their hearts and imbraced cruelty with their hands somtime they lash him on the backe sometime they scourge him on the brest Now they let their smarting whips flie on his shoulders anon they strike him on his armes they suffer no part of his body to bee free from blowes and they grieue his righteous soule with bitter words whilest yet they are executing their cruell deeds But what Tygers heart harboured in their brest oh my innocent Sauiour which robbed them of grace and they disrobed thee of thy cloathes What hellish fury armed their hands which bound thee to a pillar and scourged thy blessed body how exceeding execrable is their sauage crueltie How rare and admirable is thy silent patience It was I it was I oh my most sweet Iesu which deserued to bee scourged with the whips of euerlasting torments And thou my most mercifull Sauiour
wholy depresse thee which art willingly tumbled into the filthy Mire of infernall stincke and hellish sauours bee thou ouerwhelmed vvith the horrible darkenesse of comfortles and in consolable sorrow which hast wittingly cast thy selfe downe into a gulfe of such beastly and luxurious pleasures Wallow thou in the whirepoole of bitternesse which hast sported and delighted thy selfe in the puddle of lasciuious filthines Oh yee horrible terrour terrible sorrow vncomfortable mourning muster your selues against mee assault ouerwhelme vexe couer trample vpon me It is iust it is iust my wicked deeds haue deserued it I haue with impudent boldnesse disdained and contemned your forces and with shamefull sensuality haue procured your displeasure yea rather I haue prouoked God and not you and now with lamentable repentance I desire you to poure your full measure of vengeance vpon me Torment and torture the guilty that my soueraigne Lord may be auenged whom I haue so highly offended Let the vitious Fornicatour feele before hand the Torments of Hell which hee hath deserued let him taste before hand that which hee hath prepared let him haue some smacke of those tormenting pangs and passions which hee shall abide and suffer hereafter Extend and augment thou immoderate and vnsatiable sinner thy sorrowfull and dolefull repentance vvhich hast so farre enlarged the leprous vncleannesse of thy odious and detestable vices Tumble thy selfe and throw thy selfe againe into the vvhirle poole of ceaslesse sorrow bitternesse and dolefull distresses vvhich hast so oft throwne downe thy selfe into the filthy pit of thy lustfull desires and carnall pleasures Consolation securitie delightfull pleasure and ioy doe yee now no more approach neere vnto mee I hate and loath your delectable company vnlesse pardon of my sinne shall reconcile and restore you Let heauy pensiuenesse and bitter mourning bee still at hand like cruell Tormentors and bloudy executioners to vexe mee in my growing youth and to trouble mee in my vvearisome age VVould to God vvould to God it may be so I vvish pray desire it may be so If I bee not vvorthy to list vp my eyes towards HEAVEN when I put vp my humble supplication truly I am not vnworthy to obscure them and to put out their light vvith the streames and fountaine of teares and lamentable vveeping If my minde bee confounded with great shamefulnes of my guiltie Conscience that it cannot pray and craue for mercy it is meet that it should bee ouerwhelmed with the tempest of exceeding sorrow and dolefull sadnesse If it feare to come in the sight of God grieuously offended it is iust that the vnsufferable torments prepared for rebellious sinners should alwayes appeare and be presented before it Therefore let my heart thinke and thinke againe what hainous treason it hath committed what endles torments it hath deserued Let my vnderstanding descend into itselfe make a priuie search in euery corner before it goe downe into the land of darkenes which death obscureth with his grosse and mistie vapours and meditate who doth attend and wait there for my wicked soule let it behold and view see and be troubled What is it oh God what is it which I behold in the Land of misery and darkenesse Horror Horror What is it which I doe view where no order but wofull confusion inhabiteth Woful are the out-cries of some howling out with lamentable voyces Wofull is the noyse of others gnashing their teeth tortured with intollerable torments Lamentable is the sight of the confused multitude sobbing and sighing out woe woe How many and how many woes Woe for that fire which burneth with brimstone whose flame is neuer extinguished and wofull is that obscure and darke Dungeon where there dwelleth euerlasting darkenesse With what terrible roaring doe I see you oh Wormes tossed and turned about liuing in that flaming fire which continualy burneth What direfull and greedy desire doth inflame you to returne out of it whom yet that fire of fires cannot so burne as that euer yee shall be consumed Oh yee Deuils burning together with them roaring vvith burning and raging with fury wherefore are yee so terrible and cruell to them which are tumbled and rowled vp and downe among you Oh torments intollerable Oh extreame sentence of Iustice insupportable shall no meane no remedy no end mittigate or asswage you Are these the things oh great and powerfull God which are prepared for filthy Fornicators and wicked contemners of thee of which I am one I I am verily one of those Oh my soule tremble thou with terrour faint and faile thou my vnderstanding with quaking feare and thou oh my heart cut and wound thy selfe with immoderate sorrow Whither doe yee hale and tog maye cruell tormentors while you execute your fury and wrath against mee for my great and grieuous offences Whither dost thou deliuer mee oh my sinne Whither dost thou deliuer me oh my God whither dost thou deliuer me If I haue effected by my hainous and detestable rebellions that I should be thy guilty offendor could I also bring it to passe that I should not bee thy Creature If I haue robbed my selfe of my chastitie haue I also robbed thee of thy Mercy Oh Lord Lord if I haue lost that for vvant whereof thou mayest condemne mee a grieuous offender hast thou also lost that whereby thou art wont to saue a penitent sinner Doe not Oh LORD doe not so narrowly attend to my vvickednesse that thou forget thy vvonted goodnesse Where is it true oh true GOD vvhere is As I liue I will not the death of a sinner but rather that he be conuerted and liue Oh Lord thou vvhich doest not lye Lord what is I will not the death of a sinner If thou doest burie in Hell a sinner which crieth vnto thee or is it to throw a sinner into the Lake of neuer-ceasing Torments I will not the death of a sinner Or is this I will that a sinner be conuerted and liue I am a sinner oh Lord I am a sinner If therefore thou wilt not the death of a sinner what doth compell thee which thou wouldest not that thou deliuerest mee to death and destruction If thou vvilt that a sinner be conuerted and liue vvhat doth let thee to performe that which thou willest namely that I be conuerted liue and be saued If the enormitie of my sinne doth constraine mee to doe that vvhich thou hatest doth it also hinder thee to doe that vvhich thou desirest when as thou art a God omnipotent Farre be it oh God farre be it oh Lord my God that the wickednesse of a repenting and lamenting Sinner should preuaile more then the sentence the Omnipotent Remember oh iust holy and mercifull God that thou art mercifull and also my Creator and Recreator Therefore good Lord remember not thy Iustice against thy sinner but remember thy vvonted clemencie towards thy poore creature Remember not thy anger against a guiltie offender but be mindfull of thy accustomed commiseration and mercie towards a miserable sinner
Repentance arme me with strong confidence in thy mercie against desperation AMEN A Meditation how Iesus was sent vnto Pilate MED XI Like an offender Iesus Christ is a Mat. 27.2 bound And b Mark 15.1 sent to Pilate Pilate doth confesse That Christ is c Math. 27.24 guiltles Nothing could be found To proue that Christ their d Luk. 23.14 law did ere transgresse NOw let vs returne from weeping Peter to meditate vpon my louing Iesus who remained all night in the house of Cayphas where hee was scorned with opprobrious words and buffeted and beaten with cruell blowes no man spake in his cause no man pleaded his case hee sustained their iniuries with meekenesse hee did beare their intollerable reproches with mildnesse Now in the morning my innocent Iesus was brought before the high Priest and others who sat in counsell to examine him as a pernicious traytor not worthie to liue but worthie of a most cruell death And after they had reuiled him with proud words and haled him too and fro with cruell hands they cried out in their madnes and roared out in their furie he is worthie of death let him be led bound vnto Pilate that hee may pronounce iudgment against him to die a most shamefull cruell death Oh how was my sweet Sauiour molested for my sake how was his soule afflicted for my sinnes I was the cause that thou vvert conuented before the counsell of the high Priest and my sinnes did send thee to Pilate Oh let mee weepe in the morning when I awake out of sleepe and make my bed to swimme with teares when I lie downe to rest because I haue beene delighted with that as my chiefest felicitie which caused thee to abide the bitternesse of all their crueltie and vvill be the cause of mine owne endlesse miserie vnlesse my wounds be healed and my sores salued with the pretious balme of thy sauing mercie Teach me oh Lord to suffer any affliction for thy sake with alacritie and to sustaine the malice of persecution with cheerefull humility which shal be by Sathan raised against me or by his instruments inflicted vpon me for thy cause Let the patterne of thy perfect humilitie be alwayes placed before mine eyes let the memorie of thy patience neuer depart out of my minde Oh ye vvicked Iewes Oh ye false accusers oh ye lying caluminators oh ye periured wretches How maliciously how vniustly how spitefully how impudently doe yee accuse my Lord ye raile vpon him as if hee were a most damnable traytor ye reuile and curse him as if hee had complotted some horrible treason or inuented some notable mischiefe when as his hands were neuer stained with any euill action nor his heart tainted with any wicked cogitation his words were nothing but verity and truth and there was no guile to be found in his mouth who alone is good the author of goodnesse and the fountaine of euerlasting happines Tell me ye deceitfull and spitefull accusers what euill hath he done what vvicked deed hath he committed Enquire of them vvhom hee deliuered from the vncleane spirits vvherewith they were miserably tormented aske the blinde vvhom hee had made to see demand of the deafe whom he made to heare aske the Leapers whom he clensed and the dead persons whom hee reuiued let them answere your false accusations and ouerthrow the forged testimonies of your criminall obiections Are ye so vvilfull that ye will not acknowledge his mercy are ye so blinde that ye cannot see his miracles If an vngodly man can performe such mercifull deedes then you may iustly accuse him as a vvicked doer and condemne him as a dangerous malefactor Thou seest my soule vvhat cause thou hast to vvater thy cheekes vvith continuall teares and to ouerwhelme thy hart in deepe streams of vvofull sorrow vvhen thou dost thinke vpon the afflictions of thy blessed Sauiour and meditate on the cursed torments executed by the cruell Iewes against thy innocent Iesus Was there euer any Traitor so execrable to men for his bloodie deeds or any vile wretch so odious for his vitious life vvhich sustained so many opprobrious vvords scornfull derisions bitter taunts and grieuous torments as the furious Iewes inflicted vpon my mercifull Iesus Oh my blessed Sauiour and louing Redeemer what did moue thee to sustaine such a heauie burthen of afflictions what was the cause that thou didst submit thy selfe to so many miseries I know my most gratious Lord it did flow from the fountaine of thy vnmeasurable loue in tendring the wofull estate of me a most wretched sinner and because thou vvert moued with the bowels of compassion towards mee a most forlorne and miserable creature Thy exceeding loue vvas the cause of thy admirable humilitie and thy vnspeakeable mercie the soueraigne medicine to cure my miserie Therefore grant me my humble and lowly Iesus vvhich am thy poore and most vnworthy seruant that I may suffer any contempt vvith humilitie for thy cause endure any vile reproach vvith alacritie for thy sake esteeming it my chiefest honour to be scorned for thy loue and accounting my selfe most happie vvhen I suffer any persecution for thy holy name Possesse my heart vvith true humilitie that my thoughts may not thirst after vaine glorie nor mine affections hunt after worldly honour For I know oh Lord that thou doest resist the proud and that thou giuest grace to the humble Iames. 4.6 Pro. 15.25 and I know oh Lord that hee vvhich desireth to ascend to the place of euerlasting glorie must ascend vnto it by the steps of humility Therefore thou vvhich art onely able teach mee that I may be truly humbled so that my minde may not swell vvith pride in time of my prosperitie nor any ambitious thoughts find any harbour in my heart in the time of my peaceable tranquility that I may sing vvith the sweet singer Dauid It is good for mee that thou hast humbled me And that I may more easily learne to leuell my thoughts by the rule of humility inflame my heart vvith thy loue for if my heart be incensed and kindled with thy loue my desires will be ready to performe thy wil and I shall be chearefull to walke in thy vvayes vvhich doest teach mee to be lowly in minde and humble in heart A Meditation how Pilate caused Iesus to be scourged and hovv aftervvard he pronounced sentence of death against him MED XII Though Pilates mouth did Iesus a Luke 21.4.14 iustifie And Pilates b Mat. 27.19 wife the like did testifie Yet c Mat. 15.15 scourg'd he is therewith not pleas'd they crie His bloud on d Mat. 27.25 vs and ours him crucifie VVHen Pilate had strictly examined my innocent Iesus and could finde no cause why the cruell Iewes should so grieuously accuse him but knew that they had deliuered him for enuie and did spite him for malice he was vvilling to haue set Iesus at liberty but the furious Iewes did so greedily thirst after his
Weepe for thy selfe bewaile thy sinnes lament thy transgressions for they indeed were the tyrants that compelled thee to beare so heauy a Crosse they vrged thee to abide the penalty of so bitter a curse Touch my heart oh Lord touch my heart with the sting of a serious and restlesse compunction that I may no longer lye lulled a sleepe in the lap of careles security fetter my feet that I may runne no more in the broad way of iniquitie Mannacle my hands that they may be deteined from cruell and impious actions Snaffle the vnbrideled motions of my minde that it may be restrained from all idle scelerous and wicked cogitations keepe the doore of my lips and hedge in my tongue that it may not run without the bounds of reason Stop the passage of mine eares when they are allured to listen to any loose or lewd discourses Dispell and disperse the thicke clowdes of blindnesse from mine eyes take away the grosse scales that darken my sight so that now I may see the vgly and deformed shape of my sinnes that I may cease to loue them begin to dislike and to loath them which caused my Sauiour to endure the heauy wrath of his Father which lay so heauie vpon his soule and body that the weight of it pressed blood out of his veines mingled vvith water Luke 22.44 so ponderous was the burden of our iniquity so dolorous was the extremity of his bitter agonie for neuer was there sorrow like vnto this sorrow Let my sweetest musicke be continuall mourning let my songs of ioy be turned into wofull lamentations let it be all my pleasant melody to muse on the miserie of my soule and multitude of my sins which made thee discend from the highest heauens and will throw me downe to the lowest hell vvhere the firie lake burneth that shal neuer be extinguished whose flames is so fierce that it cannot be greater by any augmentation neither is it subiect to any diminution If all the torments vvhich bloody Tyrants haue inuented could be inflicted vpon me at one time and my body vvere able to feele the paines of all them at once yet all of them vvould not be so horrible as one sparkle of this terrible fire it needeth no fuell to nourish the flame as it selfe neuer is wasted so nothing iniected into it is euer consumed No tongue is able to expresse the horrible pangs of the damned soules which are tormented in this euerlasting and vnquenchable fire Let the horror of it be fresh in my memory and the meditation imprinted in my thoughts so that my hands may tremble and shake for feare and my whole body quiuer and quake vvith terror of it when any euill imagination is hatched in my heart or any wicked deed should be acted with my hands that I may be terrified from nourishing sinne within my bosome that layd so heauy a Crosse vpon thy shoulders yet vvhen feare hath cast me downe let the gentle hand of thy mercy raise mee vp so that in my last deadly agony I may still lift vp my heart and hands towards the seat of thy mercy and though remembrance of my haynous transgressions do present nothing vnto mee but cause of feare and terrour yet al my vnfained repentance cause me to taste of thy infinite loue and boundles mercy Teach me oh my sweet Sauiour to follow thee with fearefulnes to the place of execution and to take vp my Crosse with alacrity on my shoulders But if thou wilt haue mee to follow thee oh my most gratious Lord then draw mee after thee For vnlesse thy Father and thou doe draw me I am not able to follow thee Iohn 6.44 I see mine owne infirmity I feele the defects of my great imbicility the cup of affliction is bitter vnto my taste if it doe but once touch my lips I am ready to refuse it I will none of it I am loth to feele any paine I couet nothing but wanton pleasure Oh how doe I begin to storme if I be but crossed with an vnkind word much lesse am I able to beare the crosse of a malitious deed How is my minde troubled the temper of my senses distempered if any thing fall out crosse to mine expectation or contrary to my desire so that oftentimes my mouth is filled with cursing my heart with grudging and all my words sauour of nothing else but bitter repining I am willing to be thy disciple my blessed Sauior so long as I may dwell in peace and reape a plentifull haruest of prosperitie but alas I am weary of thy company if I feele but a little blast of aduersitie teach me oh my sweet Iesu and I shal learne if thou be my schoolemaister to know that it is the lot of those which will be trained vp in thy schoole to be vnder the rodde of correction and that none are worthy thy to receiue a Crowne vnlesse they be willing to take vp thy Crosse those that belong vnto sweet spices which send forth alwayes the most odoriferous smell when they are brayed and brused in the morter they are like vnto stones which must be hammered hewed and squared before they can be fit for the building of thy holy Temple yea they are like vnto gold mixed with much drosse and can haue no glory before they be fined and refined seauen times yea seauenty times seauen times in the fire of affliction Arme thou my hart with christian fortitude my minde with constant patience oh thou which art mine omnipotent Redeemer that no torment may be so great no affliction so grieuous no miserie so vnmeasurable but I may couragiously suffer it to publish the glory of thy name and constantly endure it to manifest the fidelitie of thy loue Teach me so to carrie thy Crosse in my heart and let the remembrance of it be so deepely imprinted in my minde that I may daily crucifie my carnall concupiscence wanton vanities and worldly desires Oh let my soule be so rauished with ioy by the sweet meditation of thy mercie and all my senses so well pleased and ioyfully delighted with the odoriferous sent of thy loue that I may seeke nothing thinke of nothing so much or speake of any thing so often as of my crucified CHRIST who onely of his free mercy and gratious bountie died a most vile painefull and ignominious death for mee a most vvretched miserable and desperate sinner that by his pretious bloud and blessed though bitter PASSION I might be made partaker of Euerlasting Saluation Graunt mee oh my sweet CHRIST some taste of it here vpon earth that I may patiently waite for the full fruition of it hereafter in HEAVEN Amen A Meditation declaring the bitter and cruell crucifying of our Lord Iesus Christ performed on Mount Caluarie MED XIIII View here the wounds of Christ vpon the a Luk. 23.33 Crosse His head his hands his feet also his b Ioh. 19.33 side Bleeding amaine Consider eke the losse c Luk.
vouchsafe to die for the loue of me Wherefore haue the sparks of my loue lien so long couered in the embers Or rather why are they almost extinguished Oh what seuere punishment should I take of my selfe for my monstrous ingratitude How is my tongue able to vtter one word yea one sillable of a word to excuse the coldnesse of my loue How may I blush nay how may my face be confounded with shame vvhich am so vvayward and vnwilling to suffer any little affliction for thy sake who endured so many extreame torments for my sinne I lie on feather-beds couered vvarme vvith cloathes and thou didst lie naked nailed to a woodden Crosse and that in the time of colde weather vvhen others doe vvarme themselues at a fire If my head begin to ake I lay it downe vpon a soft pillow to ease my paine lessen my griefe But thou oh my louing Lord hast not so much as a bolster of straw vvhereon thou mightest lay thy dying head pierced with sharpe thornes and bleeding vvith many wounds When I am sicke my friends about mee bestirre themselues to ease my diseased body and to reuiue my fainting spirits But alas my sweet Sauiour there vvas none about thee at the houre of thy pittifull and painefull death vvhich vvould proffer thee any kinde deede no not so much as a comfortable word They offer thee bitter vvine mixed with mirrhe and mingled with Gall. But although thy thirst was great caused by the extremitie of thy paines and immoderate effusion of thy blood yet vvhen thou hadst tasted of it thou didst refuse to drinke of their bitter potion How hard were their harts yea how dead without any feeling of common compassion that could giue vnto my sweet Sauiour no better then such a bitter Potion Such was the succour that they would afford thee at the houre of thy death This was the best Cordiall they would giue thee a little before the parting of thy breath What iust occasion hadst thou my mercifull Redeemer yea what admirable patience hadst thou that thou didst not bitterly inueigh against the bloudie Gentiles and vnbeleeuing Iewes who were so maliciously madded and bloudily minded against thee that all vvhich they sought and all which they wrought was to augment thy sorrow But whilst their hearts were inflamed with malice against thee and their hands labouring to crucifie thee thou wert so farre from accusing them for their sauadge cruelty that thou didst pray vnto thy heauenly Father that hee would remit and forgiue their iniquity saying Father pardon them because they know not what they doe Luk. 23.34 And this oh my sweet Christ vvas the first vvords vvhich thou spakest vpon thy bitter Crosse Indeede they knew thee not for their eyes were blinded that they could not see and their hearts were hardned that they could not vnderstand Heere maist thou meditate oh my soule with exceeding comfort vpon the wonderfull patience admirable mercy sweet words of thy louing Sauiour who was not so much grieued with paine of his owne afflictions as hee was earnest to pray for the remission of their sinnes Hee did not once open his mouth to make any iust Apologie for his owne innocencie nor to denounce any deserued malediction No not one bitter vvord against them for their dogged cruelty But in the extremest pangs of his bitter Passion his tender heart was moued vvith pittifull compassion towards them he opened the fountaine of his mercy that the sweet streames of his Benediction might flow vpon them Hee blessed them that cursed him hee shewed them a true token of his entire loue for their cruell hate he prayed for them as if they had been his dearest friends when indeed they were his deadly foes How should my feeble tongue like a trumpet oh my bountifull Iesu sound forth the wonderfull worthinesse of thy surmounting mercy How should mine vnable and barren hart conceiue the dignitie of thine vncomparable meeknesse How should the weake sight of my darke vnderstanding pierce into the hidden mysteries of thy gratious mildnesse vvhich surpasseth all vnderstanding How affable and ineffable is the sweetnesse of thy charitable prayer how bottomlesse is the depth of thy clemencie how vnexhaustible is the treasure of thy benignitie How large and spacious yea how infinit are the bounds of thy mercie For with what tranquility of minde with what piety and pittie of heart with what sweet milde and perswasiue words didst thou sue for their pardon vvho now were breathing out nothing else but curses against thee vvith their malicious tongues and euen now acting the extremity of their Tyrannie against thee with their bloudie hands Thou wert not discouraged by their iniuries thou wert not hardned with their reproches thou didst not rebuke them for their euill words thou didst not check them for their wicked deeds thou didst seeke to salue their soares who gaue thee deadly wounds thou diddest make intercession for their life who cruelly put thee to death thou wert full of pitty towards them whose hearts were empty of all compassion towards thee Oh with what wonderfull mildnes of mind with what great deuotion of spirit in what abundance of loue didst thou cry Father forgiue them Oh wonderfull worke of thy worthy mercy oh rare and memorable example of exceeding pitty oh perfect patterne of excellent charity oh let me poore wretched sinner taste the sweetnes of this hony reuiue my dying heart with this cordiall compassion relieue my sicke soule with this comfortable confection Cry out so for me my sweet Lord and kinde Mediator commend my wofull case and pleade my cause vnto thy Father saying Father forgiue him For in truth I know not what I do loue of the world hath blinded mine eyes desire of carnall pleasures is rooted in my heart and all manner of wanton vanities are rife in my minde I runne headlong in the broad way of destruction I cannot finde the narrow path which leadeth to Saluation Open mine eyes oh Lord that I may see to walke in thy wayes and direct my feet that I may tread in thy pathes Teach mee to follow the patterne of thy excellent patience so that I may not wish well onely to my dearest friends which dearely loue mee but also pray for my cruell enemies who deadly hate mee But alas how soone am I displeased how long is it before I will forgiue if I be once offended I am prone with enuious Cain to stain my hands with horrible murder I long for a day with rough Esau wherein I may slay my innocent brother I oftentimes fall out with my friend for a crosse word so that oftentimes in requitall I seeke to doe him a mischieuous deed I thinke my selfe the worse when I see him Oh how doe I disdaine to speake vnto him Teach mee to learne this hard lesson of patience purge the seed of malice out of my mind mellow the ground of my heart vvith the deaw of thy graces that it may not onely be
tender to giue my beloued poore Friends but that it may also be pliable to forgiue my hatefull Foes seeing that thou wert not so much touched with the sense of thy owne afflictions and no doubt the paines of them were most grieuous vnto thee as thou wert mooued with zeale to pray for thy bloody enemies when they made a prey of thy garments and cast lots for thy vnseamed vesture Ioh. 19.24 Now though Pilate gaue wrongfull iudgement against thee to take away thy innocent life yet he seemed to honour thee at the houre of thy death when hee wrote on the Crosse Iesus of Nazareth King of the Iewes Matt. 27.37 Mar. 15.26 Luk. 23.38 Iohn 19.19 It pleased him to intitle thee a King by name but alas hee had no such conceit of thee in his secret thoughts But indeed thou wert worthy of a far more honorable Title being not onely King of the Iewes but also of the Gentiles Yea Creator and Gouernor of euery creature Neuerthelesse thou didst not clothe thy selfe with the vesture of our Humanitie that thou shouldst be honoured with any worldly dignity It was thy chiefest honor to do the will of thy heauenly Father Ioh. 14.31 thou camest not to depriue Herod of his Kingdome nor to gather any forces to deliuer the Iewes as they fondly dreamed of their Messias vainely expected at the comming of their King Thou camest to deliuer the people from the Captiuity of their sinnes and by shedding thy pretious blood to saue their soules Graunt me oh my sweet Sauiour that I may set open the dore of my heart that thou mayest enter which art the true King of glory and that I may stil desire althogh I am vnable to shew my selfe a louing and loyall subiect to receiue thee Send thy holy spirit as a Harbenger before thee to giue mee warning of thy comming and then I shall be prepared to entertaine my gratious Soueraigne with humility of minde and tokens of sincere loue I long oh my King for thy comming for I am assured if thou vouchsafe to enter into my cottage thou wilt bestow such a royall gift vpon mee that I shall beginne to disdaine the pompe of the vvorld and account nothing so deare vnto mee as thy loue Oh would my louing Sauiour would imbrace mee betweene his blessed armes Oh I vvish to liue I long to die betwixt thy louing imbracements thy armes vvere stretched out on the Crosse as if thou wert ready to receiue any penitent sinner refuse not to receiue me a wretched sinner who wounded with the horror of my sinnes doe come vnto thee as my Physition who is only able and willing to heale my wounds Let thy pretious blood stoppe the bloody issue of my sinnes thy mercy and nothing but thy mercy can cure my malady that one and that alone is all my remedy Graunt mee oh my sweet Iesu that I may bee able to say vvith thine Apostle I am crucified with thee Crucifie my wanton flesh with the nayles of thy feare mortifie my rebellious thoghts with dread of thy Iustice and Meditation of thy iudgements Let it be the ioy of my hart let it be the daily exercise of my minde let it be the obiect of all my thoughts to thinke on my Lord Iesus and him crucified I cannot wonder enough thogh I neuer cease to wonder at thee my Iesu my Sauiour and my Redeemer yet let me neuer cease to maruaile at the wonderfull worke of thy Passion which thou didst so patiently suffer that by thy innocent death thou mightest cancell the obligation of our infinite debt affixe it to thy Crosse that thou mightest deliuer vs poore and miserable wretches from the danger of the curse which was gone out against vs Oh how can my meditations attaine to the length of thy admirable loue how can my cogitations measure the bredth of thy clemency how should my deepest imaginations diue into the depth of thy mercy My eye is too dimme to perceiue the beauty my eare is too dull to heare the greatnesse my hart is too grosse to conceiue the goodnes my taste is too weake to rellish the sweetnes my tongue is too feeble to declare the worthines of thy loue no words be they neuer so many can expresse the quantity no eloquence be it neuer so excellent can relate the quality Oh with what humility of minde with what exceeding patience with what kinde and tender affections didst thou suffer the extreamest pangs of thy bitter afflictions How is my minde amazed with the bright beames of thy loue How are all my thoughts confounded with the greatnes of thy clemency How is my soule rauished with the goodnes of thy mercy What did mooue thee oh my sweet Sauiour but thy vnspeakeable loue what did induce thee but thy incomparable mercy to pay so deere a price for my Redemption Oh let the remembrance of thy infinite bounty neuer depart out of my minde Let all my affections be inflamed with the fire of thy loue Let the sweetnesse and greatnesse of thy mercies be my chiefest Meditations Mortifie my disobedient cogitations with thy feare and crucifie my rebellious actions on thy Crosse that although sinne must dwell and remaine in mee yet it may not raigne and rule ouer mee A Meditation concerning the derisions and scornefull speeches vttered to the Lord IESVS when hee was nayled on the Crosse by the Iewes and one of the Theeues which were crucified with him and of the second words he spake on the crosse MED XV. Twixt a Mat. 27.38 Mark 15.27 Theeues Christ suffered For no fault he shed His pretious bloud The b Mark 23.4 Iohn 19.6 Sunne thereat asham'd c Mar. 15.33 Matth. 27.45 and 27.52 Ore-uaild his face The graues gaue vp their dead With wonders more that cannot here be nam'd NOw ruminate oh my sorrowful and lamenting soule what scornefull speeches vvhat spitefull derisions and bitter reproaches were breathed out of the mouthes of the enuious Iewes against my patient and silent Iesus after they had nailed his pure hands blessed feet to the Crosse Call home all thy wandring cogitations that they may be soly and wholy intentiue to this heauenly and diuine meditation Let streames of teares gush out of my melting eyes let them penetrate into my bosome that they may mollifie my stony heart so that it may be so deepely wounded with sorrowfull compassion as if I had beene an eye-witnesse of his painefull Passion when his innocent hands and blessed feet streamed forth pretious blood yet the streames of it could not quench the fire of their malice they could not calme the rage of their stormy minds nor breed any one thought of pitty in their cruel hearts It was not sufficient for them to torment him with their bloody hands but now at his vndeserued death they raile and reuile him with their blasphemous mouthes for as their hearts were stony not apt to take any print of compassion and their hands filled with
sauage cruelty without mercy so their words and speeches were vnciuil void of all modesty Some cry out He saued others let him saue himselfe if he be the Sonne of God the Souldiers disdainfully deride him and scornfully mocke him saying If thou be king of the Iewes saue thy selfe Also they that passe by nod their heads at him reuile him bitterly and blaspheme him saying Ah thou which doest destroy the Temple of God and in three dayes dost build it againe saue thy selfe If thou be the Sonne of God come downe from the Crosse Oh how cruelly was my innocent Sauiour tormented with their vnmercifull hands oh how was his righteous soule woūded with their malicious tongues their words do sauour of Gall and their speech is more bitter then wormwood But so great was their malice so grieuous was their indignation so deadly was their hatred against my louing Iesus that they thought all their cruell deeds were too litle to be inflicted vpon him and that all their words were not halfe bitter enough which their venemous mouthes did spue out against him But as my blessed Redeemer did patiently suffer the extreame tortures of their merciles hands so hee did meekely beare the bitter taunts of their reuiling tongues Oh let the memory of this thy exceeding patience bee so deepely sealed in my minde that my thoughts may stil meditate on thy infinite loue let my teares often flowing out of my eyes be true tokens of my inward sorrow and let my grieuous groanes be as faithfull messengers to declare my true repentance For it was my horrible transgressions and hainous offences my kinde and louing Sauiour that made thee to abide the tyranny of their bloody and murthering hands and to feele the sting of their sharpe and malicious tongues But alas mine eyes are so dry that they cannot shed a teare and my heart so hard that it cannot yeeld a groane vnlesse thou moysten the one with the gratious raine of thy graces and mollifie the other by the vertue of thy spirit Now not onely the irreligious Gentiles who were actors of this bloody Tragedy and the enuious Iewes who were authors and Spectators of all their cruelty did disgorge the bitter choller of their malice against my crucified Iesus but also one of the malefactors hauing no remorse of conscience for his owne offences nor pitty on my Sauiour so grieuously taunted and spightfully scorned of the basest of the people began to raile vpon him without modestie to vse these tearmes against him full of vile indignitie If thou art Christ saue thy selfe and vs Luke 23.39 But his other fellow touched with sorrow for his sinnes and freely confessing that they had both worthily deserued did iustly suffer death for their transgressions began to reprehend him for his blasphemous impietie and to iustifie my Iesus for his blamelesse innocency And when he had rebuked his fellow for such great inhumanity he turned to my Sauiour to implore his mercy that he might be made partaker of the ioyes of his heauenly Kingdome vttering this short and sweet prayer Lord remember me when thou commest into thy Kingdome And hee had scant ended his short petition but my mercifull Sauiour made him this gratious answere Verely I say vnto thee this day thou shalt be with mee in Paradise Luke 23.43 But now let vs consider oh my soule with deuout attention and behold with attentiue deuotion what riches of infinite bounty what large promises of vnmeasurable liberalitie what a blessed inheritance my bountifull redeemer doth promise vnto this poore naked and true though late repenting sinner How might this blessed promise mittigate the sorrowes Oh thou sorrowfull sinner of thy perplexed minde How might it ease the soares of thine afflicted body for as faith bred in thy heart a true contrition and opened thy mouth to make that humble petition so no doubt it sealed such an assurance vnto thy wounded conscience that thou didst stedfastly beleeue his promise and faithfully looke for the performance But how may my speech extend it selfe to the length of thy boundlesse liberalitie my most liberall Redeemer How may my words measure the bredth of thy vnlimited mercy yea how can my thoughts sound the bottomlesse Sea of thy benignitie in thy first words vttered on the Crosse thou doest pray thy Father to forgiue thy cruell tormentors and in thy second words thou doest bountifully giue Paradice vnto a sorrowfull sinner Oh who can worthily estimate the dignitie of the gift who can sufficiently extol the bounty of the giuer although my sweet Iesu thy whole life was the merit of our saluation yet at thy bitter death thou didst pay the full price of our redemption Oh happy theefe that had such a sweet tast of thy mercy Oh blessed soule that wert made partaker of such infinite bounty Oh what great graces excellent vertues were infused into thee that thou didst beleeue my Iesus to be the true Son of God thy Creator whom thou didst see to die the death of a miserable creature As thy faults were intollerable in thy dissolute life so thy faith appeareth admirable at thy sorrowfull death For what but faith was the motiue to moue thee to sue to him to be remembred in his kingdome of eternall felicity who to thy outward eyes appeared nothing else but a spectacle of wofull misery and as thy confidence was great and thy loue much so thy Iesus doth speedily assure thee to enioy a bountifull reward Therefore I pray thee my most bountifull Iesu so to inspire my minde with thy grace and so to kindle thy loue in my brest that I may be contented to be crucified with thee here vpon earth that I may be receiued by thee into thy kingdome of heauen And grant that I may so truly lament for my trespasses and shed such bitter teares for my sins that I may faithfully say with this penitent theefe Lord remember mee when thou shalt come into thy Kingdome For I confesse O Lord I haue beene no better then a Theefe for I haue robbed thee of thy honor I haue bene vntrue vnto thee concerning thy glory My lips are defiled with lying my hands haue wrought the workes of deceipt I haue often beguiled the widdow and defrauded the Orphane I haue sought to make my selfe rich by oppression I haue beene disobedient to my gouernours and would not liue vnder their lawfull subiection Oh Lord remember not my great and grieuous offences let thy mercy blot them out of thy memory that they may not be laid against me when I shall be summoned to appeare before thee Remember me according to the multitude of thy mercies as thou didst this late-repenting malefactor whom thou hast left vnto mee as one rare example of thy infinite mercy that I should not dispaire in regard of thy iustice and that I should not presume to sin in respect of thy mercie Oh let me remember this rare example of thy extraordinary goodnesse so that I may
exception Oh how bitter was the malice how horrible was the enuie how blinde were the eyes how bloody were the hearts of the cruell Iewes to crucifie my deare Sonne my innocent Iesus how dolefull is it to mine eyes and dolorous to my heart to behold thy bright eyes obscured with deadly darknesse thy blessed hand depriued of action and thy beautifull feete senslesse vvithout any motion to see thy cheerefull countenance couered with an ashy palenesse thy skinne blacke and blew with blowes and thy flesh mangled with wounds This spectacle is so wofull that I can no longer behold thee with mine eyes and the waues of sorrow doe ouerflow my heart so fast that they stop my words and stay the current of my mournfull speech Now as Marie Magdalene did behold the blessed body of my Sauiour with his mourning Mother so she did not cease to lament his death who had beene so kinde a Master vnto her in his life What a plentifull streame of teares ran downe her cheekes What a spring of sorrow arose in her heart How did her sorrowfull sighes second her heauie sobs How did her dolefull sobs preuent her lamentable sighes Thinke thou doest see her kisse his senslesse hands thinke thou doest see her kisse his breathlesse feet speaking vnto her louing Master with her trembling voice being dead as if he did heare her and were aliue bathing them with her teares and giuing a little ease to her sore diseased heart by vttering these or the like words with her feeble lips Mary Magdalens lamentation for the losse of her Master Alas my sweet Master alas my most louing Lord the staffe of my stay the onely ioy of my heart the sole comfort of my perplexed spirit Alas for me how comfortlesse doest thou leaue mee how sorrowfull shall I bee by being without thee To whom shall I haue recourse for comfort in the straightnesse of my sorrow To whom shall I goe for succour in time of my trouble How lamentable is the view of thy vvounded head vnto mine eies How grieuous is the view of thy sacred hands and feet vnto my sight pierced with iron-nailes and depriued of sense which I so carefully annoynted bathing them with the teares of mine eies and drying them with the haires of my head Ioh. 11.2 and 12.3 Mat. 26.7 But now alas in stead of odoriferous oyntment they are mangled with wounds and spotted with blood Oh wretched woman oh miserable creature because I am depriued of such a louing and welbeloued Master Where shall I find one who will loue me so deerely and regard me so entierly Thou art hee which diddest often vouchsafe to come into my cottage and to sit downe at my Table and didst vouchsafe to honour my poore house with thy gratious presence when alas I was not able to afford thee any such entertainement as might in any sort requite thy kindenesse or recompence thy loue Iohn 11.28 Oh my most sweet Iesu thou didst defend me from the Pharisie who disdained me for my trespasses and loathed me for my sinnes Thou didst kindely excuse mee speaking in my cause and pleading my case when my sister began to be angry with me and to conceiue displeasure against mee Thou didst commend me when I did annoynt thee with a pretious oyntment washing thy feete with my teares and wiping them with my haire thou didst mittigate my sorrow thou didst remit my sins thou didst kindely aske for mee when I was not present with thee and commanded my sister to call me vnto thee Oh what great and how many demonstrations of thy loue how many tokens of thy kindnesse how many signes of thy charity how many arguments of thy mercie Oh my most sweet Lord hast thou shewed vnto mee vvhat a rich treasure of thy bounty hast thou conferred vpon mee When thou didst see my mourning for the death of my Brother thou didst comfort mee in my sorrow thou didst asswage my griefe thou didst weepe with me such was thy kinde affection towards my louing brother such was thy tender compassion towards mee his sorrowfull sister and thou didst not onely shed teares as signes of thy loue but thou didst raise my dead brother out of his graue for my consolation and restored him to life againe for my comfort Iohn 11.35 Ibidem 43. As nothing was more sweet and pleasant vnto me then to enioy thy blessed company so nothing can be more sowre and sharpe vnto me then want of thy comfortable societie But alas sorrowfull words are too weake a medicine to cure my maladie and although I haue cause to say much yet extreamity of griefe vvill suffer mee to say no more Now thou hast heard oh my soule the lamentation of a tender Mother deploring the death of her Sonne and also the pittifull mourning of a faithfull seruant bewayling the want of him who was her louing Master and bountifull benefactor canst thou be so stonie-hearted that thou art moued with no feeling compassion Is thy heart so hard that it cannot giue a groane Are thine eyes so dry that they vvill not yeeld a teare at the meditation of the death and buriall of thy Sauiour who died for thy sinnes and was slaine for thine iniquities I flie vnto thee my most mercifull Lord that thou maist mollifie and moysten my hard and dry heart with plentifull showres of thy graces turne my head into a spring of water and change mine eyes into a fountaine of teares I know not how to excuse my selfe because I haue beene so vnthankfull for thy benefits so forgetfull of thy mercies and so vnkinde vnto thee for thy loue What shall I say but woe and alas for me a most wretched and wicked sinner Who can measure the quantity of mine infelicitie Who can describe the horrour of my miserie Who can quiet the troubles of my minde Who can pacifie my troubled conscience because my hard heart hath not beene touched with any compunction nor my bowels moued with any compassion when I did think on thy cruell death and meditate on thy bitter Passion Oh wretched man that I am oh miserable creature for when others doe mourne at the meditation of thy Passion shed teares and send forth sighes at the remembrance of thy death my hart is so ouer-growne with hardnesse that it cannot be touched with sorrow and mine eyes are so dry without moisture that they vvill not send forth a teare Oh why doe I not sigh sob and weepe in my Meditation of the bitter Passion of my Sauiour my gratious and bountifull benefactor who did abide so many painefull torments and reproachfull taunts for my sinnes and suffered a most shamefull and cruell death on the Crosse for my transgressions How can I excuse the coldnesse of my loue How should I cleare my vnthankfull minde If Death take away my Father or depriue me of my Mother I water my cheekes vvith teares and vvearie my heart vvith groaning I can weepe for the death of a Brother and wring my
braue garments the Wormes shall be spread vnder thee and the Wormes shall be thy couering For the Iustice of God can iudge and determine no other thing but that which our works do deserue For hee which loueth the world more then God a place of pleasure The marks of a wicked worldling more then the House of Prayer gluttony more then abstinency letchery more then chastity followeth the Deuill and shall goe with him to euerlasting punishment What mourning do you thinke there shall be then what lamentation what sorrow and sadnesse when the wicked shal be separated from the fellowship of the righteous and from the sight of God and shall be deliuered into the power of the Deuils and shall goe with them into euerlasting fire and shall be there with them alwayes without end in perpetuall mourning and lamentation Because being banished farre from the blessed Countrey of Paradise they shall be tormented in the place of neuer-ceasing torments neuer to see the light any more neuer to obtaine any releasement or refreshing but by thousands of thousands of yeeres to be tormented in Hell neuer to be deliuered from thence where the tormentors are neuer tyred nor wearied neither hee vvhich is tormented euer dyeth For the fire there so consumeth that it alwaies preserueth The torments are so acted that they are alwaies renewed The quality of the paine shall be fitted to the quality of the offence But euery one shall endure paine of torment according to the quality of the fault and they that are guilty of the same sinne shall be sorted and ioyned to their like to be tormented No other thing shall be heard there but weeping and mourning groaning and howling lamentation and gnashing of teeth And nothing shall be seene there but Wormes and the terrible faces of the tormentors and most hidious monsters of the Diuels Cruell Wormes shall bite the innermost parts of the heart heere shall be paine there feares sighing astonishment and horrible terrour And they being miserable and wretched shall burne in euerlasting fire for euer The condition of the damned after death of the body and besides they shall be tormented in the flesh by fire in the spirit by the Worme of conscience there shall be intollerable griefe horrible feare incomparable stinke death both of soule and body without hope of pardon or mercie Neuerthelesse they shall so dye as they may alwayes liue and shall so liue as they may alwaies die The difference of a repenting and an obstinate sinner So the soule of a sinner is tormented in hell for his sinnes or being conuerted from her sinnes is placed in Paradise Now therefore let vs choose one of the two either alwaies to be tormented vvith the vvicked or to liue in ioy with the righteous For good and euill life and death are set before vs that vvee may put forth our hand to which vvee vvill If torments cannot terrifie vs at least let rewards allure vs. Of the reward of the heauenly Countrey the which all Christians ought to endeauour to obtaine MOTIVE IIII. IT is a reward to see God to liue with God to liue of God to be with GOD to be in God vvhich vvill be all things in all To haue GOD vvhich is the chiefest good where the chiefest good is there is the chiefest felicitie chiefest pleasure true libertie perfect charitie eternall securitie and secure eternitie there is true ioy full knowledge all beauty and all beatitude There is peace pietie goodnesse light vertue honesty ioyes mirth sweetnesse euerlasting life glory praise rest loue and sweet concord The exceeding ioyes of the righteous So the man shall be blessed with GOD in whose conscience sinne hath not beene found Hee shall see God at his desire he shall haue him at his pleasure hee shall enioy him to his euerlasting delight He shall flourish in eternity hee shall be glorious in truth hee shall shine in glory he shall reioyce in goodnesse so hee shall haue eternity of continuance so hee shall haue facilitie of knowledge and wisedome and felicity of rest and quietnesse For he shall be a Citizen of that Holy Citie of which the Citizens are Angels God the Father the Temple his Sonne the glorie and brightnesse the Holy Ghost the loue and charity Oh heauenly Citie A description of the celestiall Citie secure Mansion fertile and ample Countrey thou containest all which delighteth the people liue vvithout mourning the Inhabitants are quiet and peaceable persons hauing no want or necessity How glorious things are spoken of thee oh Citie of God! So that the Habitation of all vvhich reioyce is in thee All reioyce with mirth and exceeding ioy All are delighted and made ioyfull by God vvhose lookes are beautifull face faire and comely speech sweet and delectable hee is delightfull to be seene pleasant to be drunke sweet to be enioyed He pleaseth by himselfe alone he both sufficeth of himselfe for desert and also sufficeth of himselfe for reward neither is any thing sought without him because it is wholly found in him whatsoeuer is desired Iâ— God is all good It is alwaies pleasing and delightfull to behold him alwaies to be delighted in him and alwaies to enioy him In him the vnderstanding is clarified and the affection is purified to know and loue the truth And this is the sole and whole good of man namely to know and loue his Creator Therefore vvhat madnesse of vices doth moue vs to thirst after the bitter Wormewood of this World to follow the shipwracke of this sliding life To suffer calamitie to endure the Dominion of a vvicked Tirannie and not rather to flye and flocke together to the felicitie of the Saints to the societie of the Angels to the solemnitie of supernall and heauenly ioy and to the pleasantnesse of a contemplatiue life that vvee may enter into the Dominions of the LORD and see the superaboundant riches of his goodnesse There we shall be freed from toyling cares and shall see how sweet the Lord is and how great the multitude is of his exceeding sweetnesse We shall see the beautie of his glorie The happy estate of the iust in heauen the brightnesse of his Saints and honour of his Royall Maiestie We shall know the power of the Father the vvisedome of the Sonne the most liberall clemencie of the Holy Ghost and so vvee shall haue knowledge of the most high Trinitie Now vve see bodies by the bodie also we see the Images of bodies by the Spirit but then vvee shall see the Trinitie vvith the pure sight of the minde Oh happie vision to see God in himselfe to see him in vs and to see vs in him In which vision with happy pleasure and pleasant happinesse wee shall haue all whatsoeuer wee shall desire desiring nothing else besides and wee shall loue vvhatsoeuer wee shall see blessed with the loue blessed with the sweetnesse of the loue and pleasantnesse of the contemplation This shall be
It is true that my conscience doth merit damnation and that my repentance doth not suffice for satisfaction But it is certaine that thy exceeding mercie doth surpasse all my vile iniquitie Therefore good Sauiour spare that of which thou art the Saluation yea thou that desirest not the death of a sinner Spare oh spare my sinfull soule for it being vtterly dismayed flieth from thy terrifying Iustice to thy comforting mercie that because the reward of her virginitie being corrupted oh heart-wounding sorrow is vnrecouerable the punishment of hatefull Fornication to her repenting at least may not be vneuitable because it is not a thing impossible to thy omnipotencie neither vnseemely to thy Iustice nor vnaccustomable to thy mercie Both because thou art good and because thy infinite mercie endureth for euer Which art blessed vvorld without end Amen A Meditation of S. Bernard concerning the Passion of Iesus Christ Diuided into twentie and one Sections SECTION I. LEt vs vvho are true Christians graced with so noble a name so high a stile and so glorious a title honour and celebrate with true sorrowfull relenting repenting harts the Funerall Obsequies of our noble Lord Iesus of Nazareth that meeke spotlesse innocent and harmelesse Lambe who did not so much as open his mouth being vnder the hand of the Shearer malitiously accused odiously reuiled innocently and wrongfully condemned of the furious and bloody Iewes extreamely tortured spitefully disdained shamefully spetted vpon and lastly cruelly crucified by the barbarous and brutish Gentiles It is an exployt full of honour full of renowne it is most healthfull and wholsome for our sickly soules that we Christians dayned worthie of such a gracious and honourable Name should reuerently adore louingly embrace valiantly imitate the weake infirmities scornefull disgraces base pouerty painefull labours sore and sorrowfull agonies the deadly pangs of the bitter Passion of our louing Redeemer and sweet Sauiour Christ Iesus the righteous For these are the powerfull instruments and most strong weapons by which the omnipotent vertue and the infinite inuestigable and vnsearchable wisedome of God hath mightily and wonderfully effected and wrought the restauration and renouation of the decayed World the eternall Saluation of vs men yea of vs most miserable and wretched men and the endlesse and vtter destruction of Hell Death and the Diuell Heb. 2.14 Luke 1.71 And in the working of this great worke and admirable misterie of our Saluation the Lord Christ was made lesser then the Angels that he might make vs equall with the Angels hee descended from his Throne of glory that hee might deliuer vs from ignominie Heb. 2 9. Hee being Lord of Lords tooke vpon him the shape of a seruant that he might make vs honourable hee willingly dispossessed himselfe of all his Royalties that he might eternally possesse vs with the euerlasting treasure and full inheritance of his heauenly Kingdome 2 Cor. 8.9 And who is hee if hee could tast his infinite kindnesse but alas who is able to sound the bottomlesse depth of this more then meruailous yea miraculous loue but vvould willingly forsake his goodly earthly possessions leaue all his worldly honours and dignities subiect euery moment to decay and vanity as soone gone as they are gotten disroabe the stout Bride of her gay and gorgious apparell and strip her naked from all her borrowed feathers cloath himselfe vvith the sackcloath of lowly humility cut off his curled lockes and sprinkle his head with ashes that he might truly humble prostrate and debase himselfe cast downe his high lookes curbe his proud aspiring and vntamed thoughts for Christ Iesus his meeke and mercifull Sauiour vvho came downe from Heauen out of the bosome of his Father being coeternall and coequall with him in euerlasting glorie leauing the ioyfull societie of blessed Angels aboue to conuerse here below amongst cursed men nay to abide and patiently to beare the curses and bitter taunts of blasphemous and fiery-minded men SECTION II. THis Lord Christ was tyrannically tortured cruelly crucified for our yea rather for my sins and hath sweetned his bitter crosse to all that zealously loue him faithfully beleeue in him Hee died a most shamefull cruell cursed death on the Crosse that he might deliuer vs from the curse of the condemning and killing Law and taken vs out of the iawes of the deuouring Lyon redeemed vs from Hell from infernall fire and euerlasting perdition Hee shed yea powred out his most precious blood spouting out the same from all the vaines of his pierced and martyred body that with his precious and soueraigne Balme he might salue all our deadly wounds and saue our dying soules He died and by his death killed death that we might liue eternally in him and by him And who may not amazedly admire the incomparable loue of so milde so mercifull and so potent a Sauiour Who cannot at least who ought not with rauished affections to loue and like ioyfull Simeon with both armes to imbrace so magnificent but for vs sinfull men and for our sakes made so humble and lowly and yet a most powerfull Redeemer The dulcet taste of vvhose loue doth farre exceede the Hony and the Hony-combe in sweetnesse And although the least drop of it be sufficient to fill all and euery part of an hungry soule yet it hath in it such a sauourie relish and an appetite procuring quality that the more the desirous soule eateth the more it coueteth the more it feedeth the more eagerly it longeth and thirsteth after it Why should we not patiently suffer and constantly endure whatsoeuer the inueterate malice of the Diuell can imagine against vs or the furious madnesse of vvicked men his wilfull Ministers can lay or impose vpon vs for Christ Iesus his cause for the honouring of his truly and honourable name and for our constant profession of a true Christian Faith Christ passed through the ignominie shame contempt of the Crosse to supernall dignity infinite Maiestie and endlesse glory all power authority was giuen vnto him for the aduancement of his euerlasting dominion both in heauen aboue and in earth beneath by God his heauenly Father all the Angels Gods heauenly Heraulds with ioyfull humility melodious Harmony and with continuall laud and thankes-giuing doe worship and adore his incomprehensible exceeding-glorious and eternall Maiestie and at the honourable name of Iesus let euerie knee be bowed of things in Heauen aboue and things in the darkest Caues of Hell belowe Where is thy glory oh Christian Where is thy reioycing Where is thy boasting not in Nobilitie honour and riches but in the glorious name of thy crucified Lord thy eternall God and euerlasting Sauiour and in the gratious gracefull and sweet name of Christ which is a name aboue all names farre surpassing all Noble honourable and glorious earthly titles and the highest stile of vvorldly Maiestie And whosoeuer is blessed in this name shall be truly blessed here vpon earth and afterward shall be eternally happy in Heauen
Let vs glory reioyce and triumph in the blessed Name of our mighty Redeemer and giue all honour iurisdiction dominion and maiestie to our mercifull Sauiour vvhich hath done great meruailous and admirable things in vs and for vs exalt extoll and magnifie his glorious Name together with me and let our tongues tuned with one Harmonicall concord like Golden Trumpets sound forth his meritorious immeasurable still encreasing and neuer-diminishing praises saying wee adore and worship thee oh Christ King of Israel and also of all the Nations Prince and Monarch of Kings Lord of the Earth GOD of the Sabaoth the most powerfull power of GOD omnipotent Wee adore thee being the precious price of our Redemption the all-sufficient Sacrifice of our peace attonement and peaceable reconciliation which alone vvith the inestimable most pleasant and fragrant sweetnesse of thy odoriferous sauour hast moued and induced the Father of eternity which dwelleth and resideth in the highest Heauens to turne his eye of prouidence and compassion towards base vile and contemptible things vpon earth and hast reconciled and pacified him towards the sonnes of wrath Hell and damnation to enter a new couenant of grace with them to forgiue and forget all their rebellious trespasses and treacherous transgressions and to extend the tender bowels of his most desired and euer-vndeserued mercie towards them Wee ioyfully proclaime oh Christ the worthinesse of thy merrit the multitude of thy mercies and magnificence of thy commisseration we sound and eccho forth wee record the sacred memorie of thy eare-delighting and heart-pleasing sweetnesse Wee cleerely offer vnto thee oh Christ the Sacrifice of euerlasting praise and heartie thanksgiuing for the innumerable multitude and immeasurable magnitude of thy goodnesse vvhich thou hast vouchsafed shewed manifested and extended to vs as a wicked seede and gracelesse generation sonnes of wickednesse and heires of hell and damnation SECTION III. VVHen as yet oh gratious Lord we were thy cruell enemies by our treasonable practises and monstrous vngratefull vnkindnesse daily kindling thy consuming wrath against vs and when as deuouring death exercised his rage fury and dominion against all mortall flesh and vpon euery miserable creature to which all the seed of Adam was obnoxious and subiect tainted with the leporous infection of his first deadly transgression thou diddest kindly remember the most infallible vvord of thy infinite mercie when we were ready to be drowned and swallowed vp like proud hard-hearted Pharo in the bloody Sea of our swelling and ouer-flowing iniquities Thou diddest looke from thy holy and high habitation and cast downe the pittifull eye of thy sauing tender and mellow-hearted compassion vpon this vally streaming with riuers of teares showers of ceaselesse weeping and deluge of our ouer-flowing misery Thou sawest the heauie affliction afflicted condition imminent danger nay the instant destruction of thy distressed people and touched with a true-delicious sweetnesse of thy inward loue and bountifull charity did thinke ponder to medicine heale recure the deadly-diseased state and desperate condition of thy forlorne and languishing people Mat. 9.13 1 Tim. 15. moued incited towards them with amiable thoughts of a new perpetuall peace eternall redemption And thou being the onely and dearely beloued Son of God the very true God coeternall substantiall to God the Father the Holy-ghost enhabiting the light to vvhich no man may approach dazeling the eyes of euery mortall creature with the super-excellent lusture and gouerning all things vvith the creating vvord of thy omnipotent power thou hast not despised to subiect thy selfe to the close noysome prison of our base estate vvhere thou mightest tast and also swallow vp our miserie and so restore vs to glory It was enough oh sweet Sauiour to demonstrate thy incomprehensible and vnspeakeable mercie it was too little Oh thou mirrour of mercie to coole the ardent heat of thy burning loue It vvas not sufficient for thee our gratious Redeemer to appoint a Cherubin Seraphin or one of the Angels to consummate and finish the worke of our saluation thou thy selfe being king of kings and God of eternall glory hast vouchsafed to come to vs thy poore vassales and captiue creatures by the commandement of thy supernall Father Psal 40.8.9 Acts. 2.23 Whose vnlimited mercie bottomlesse bounty immutable loue wee now plentifully enioy in thee and hereafter shall ioyfully fully and euerlastingly possesse by thee Thou cam'st vnto vs I say not by changing the place but by yeelding thy presence vnto vs by the flesh Thou cam'st from the regall Throne of thy most high Glorie into an humble lowly and abiect Mayden in her owne eyes although indeede she was most honourable for her chast vertues and of the blood Royall by her Noble birth vvhose life vvas adorned with the pretious Iemme of vndefiled virginitie in vvhose sacred wombe the sole wonderfull and vnspeakeable power of the Holy-Ghost caused and effected thy sanctified and blessed conception and that thou shouldst so be borne in the very nature of true humanitie that the occasion and manner of thy pure Natiuitie should neither violate the Maiestie of Diuinitie in thee nor the integritie of vndefiled Virginitie in thy blessed Virgine-Mother Oh amiable Oh admirable fauour Thou being God of immeasurable glorie infinite power and most magnificent Maiestie hast not disdained nor despised to become a contemptible worme and to put vpon thee the ragged garment of our fraile and miserable nature Thou being God of all didst appeare as a fellow-seruant of seruants vnto all It was too little to satisfie thy louing affection and to quench the thirstie desire of thy loue towards vs to be a kinde Father vnto vs and a gratious Lord but thou hast vouchsafed to be our deere and vvelbeloued brother What minde is not ouer-ioyed with the delectable meditation of thy vvonderfull fauour What hart is not rauished with the sweet sent of thy admirable humilitie And what soule can euer be satisfied with the sweetnesse of thy exceeding mercie When all our obedience towards thee be it neuer so great or our praises be they neuer so many cannot paralel and equall the least iot of thy infinite goodnesse towards vs. SECTION IIII. ANd thou Lord of all things possessor of the highest heauens and sole Commander of the whole earth which hast no neede of any thing because the fowles of the ayre fishes of the Sea beasts of the field are all at thy prudent and prouident disposition yea the greatest worldly Monarch is but thy poore slaue and submissiue Vassall at the beginning of thy birth and first entrance into this transitorie world the sweetest ioyes whereof are soone sowred with sodaine misery and the chiefest treasures liable euery moment to wauering mutability thou diddest not abhorre to taste the bitter gall of pinching necessity and to feele the irksome discommodities of beggarly base and abiect pouertie so ill was thy entertainement so bad was thy welcome and vile vvas thy estimation amongst vngratefull men For as the
downe and consorted vvith the sonnes of darkenesse Why hast thou refused sweet Hony to feed on Gall and wholesome food to cloy thy stomacke with stincking dung At that time oh sweet Christ thy Family was cleared thy Houshold purged when such a leaprous person and deadly diseased creature went out into the world from the company of the Angels societie For then at last were the thirsty soules of that blessed company plentifully filled with sweet flowing streames of thy Diuine Word and vvith the most pleasant liquor of thy true celestiall Nectar which thou art alwayes able and euermore willing to giue vnto thy faithfull Seruants when hee was worthily cast out from thy most holy and blessed Family whom thou didst know to be vnworthy to taste one drop of that liuing water which quencheth the thirst of all sinfull soules for euer when thou of thy free loue dost afford them to drinke of that blessed Fountaine be their thirst neuer so great or the people neuer so many which resort to receiue refreshing by it SECTION X. NOW when thou hadst giuen a new Commaundement to thy louing Disciples that they should knit their hearts together with the true vnion of perfect loue Iohn 13.34 and arme themselues with patience against the approaching day of their fiery triall and also hadst disposed the kingdome of thy heauenly Father to thy faithfull Brethren thou cammest to the place with them well knowne vnto couetous Iudas that Traitour which did betray thee into the hands of the cruell Iewes who were as greedy to buy as he was couetous to sell thy innocent and precious bloud Yet thou diddest not audaciously obiect thy selfe vnto suddaine danger or desperately throw thy selfe into perill but thou wert willing to offer and lay downe thy owne life to deliuer vs poore condemned vassals from the heauy doome of eternall death knowing all things which should come vpon thee Iohn 18.4 Oh vnsearchable profundity of thy infinite loue Oh glorious beames of thy gracious mercy For like a tender-hearted Father thou haddest willingly cast thy selfe into suddaine danger to haue deliuered thy Children from some imminent perill or if thou haddest aduentured thy life to haue rescued thy friends from threatned death this without doubt had beene a deed of true naturall affection and excellent loue But that thou shouldest of thine owne accord offer thy selfe to death to saue thy deadly enemies and willingly shed thy bloud to ransome thy mortall foes This oh sweet Sauiour is a miracle of superadmirable kindenesse beyond the compasse of all vnderstanding SECTION XI VVHen thou wert come to the place where wretched Iudas had bargained to betray thee into the hands of the wicked Iewes thou wert not ashamed to confesse the heauy pangs which thou didst sustaine by thy approaching Passion in the audience of thy Brethren which thou wert willing to endure not for thy owne desert but by thy owne desire for our sakes and our sins saying My Soule is heauy euen vnto death Mat. 26.38 So ponderous was the burden of our iniquities so heauy was the weight of mine yea of all our sins layd vpon thy shoulders And there bowing thy knees on the ground and falling downe with thy face on the earth thou diddest in thy bitter agonie offer vp thy humble petition to God thy Father saying My Father if it be possible let this Cup passe from me Matth. 26.39 Indeed that Cup contained a deepe draught to be taken of thee for the health of our languishing soules more bitter then Colloquintida to the mouth or Gall in the maw And no doubt but the bloody sweat which trickled downe on the earth by drops from thy most holy flesh did plainely declare the sorrowes of thy perplexed minde and the anguish of thy sorrowfull Soule Luke 22.44 Oh powerfull Lord Iesus what meaneth or what is the cause of thy lamentable supplication Didst thou not wholly of thine owne accord offer vp thy selfe for a Sacrifice to thy Father and willingly shed thy bloud to pay the price of our ransome Yes verely oh gracious Lord it was thy exceeding great loue and onely mercy that did moue thee so patiently to vnder-goe the wrath of thy Father that thou mightest deliuer vs condemned sinners from his iust and heauy displeasure that by thy stripes wee might be healed and that by thy free and voluntary death wee might be restored to a second and euerlasting life But we thinke that thou didst willingly taste the bitternesse of our miseries and in thy selfe expresse vnto vs a true passion of our weakenesse for the comfort and consolation of all thy feeling members that no man might dispaire or let goe the Anchor of stedfast Hope when our weake flesh fainteth and our naturall faculties faileth but yet the spirit is ready to abide the painefull pangs of any passion and to suffer the conflicts of any affliction whatsoeuer Truly thou didst expresse the naturall weakenesse of the flesh in thy selfe by those tokens vnto vs that wee might the sooner be prouoked to embrace thee with more loue and gratefully to yeeld thee greater thanks Whereby also we are taught that thou didst truly beare our diseases and infirmities and that thou hast not runne through the thornes of grieuous passions vvithout the sense of painefull afflictions For that voyce seemeth to be the voice of the flesh not of the Spirit by that which thou hast added The Spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is weake Marke 14.38 And thou diddest openly declare that the Spirit was willing to suffer the deadly pangs of thy grieuous passion when thou diddest goe forth of thine owne accord to meete those bloudy minded persons conducted by their damnable General trayterous Iudas in the night time furnished with lanternes torches and weapons seeking without any cause raging vvith malice to destroy thy harmelesse life and cruelly to shed thy innocent blood and there didst openly discouer thy selfe to their eyes and offer vp thy selfe to their bloudy hands least they might thinke themselues beholding to their bloudy guide and that by his craftie pollicie thou hadst beene suddainely and vnwillingly apprehended For thou diddest not repell or put backe that cruell monster comming to kisse thy most holy mouth but diddest gently put thy mouth in which there was found no guile to his mouth abounding with venome and filled with malice who vnder token of loue pretended nothing but deadly hate and with a dissembling kisse to betray thee into the hands of those who were ready armed to kill thee And although desperate Iudas became his owne hangman Mat. 27.5 yet many doe follow his steps and desperately runne to their wilfull wofull destruction Oh innocent Lambe of GOD how couldest thou endure that such a rauenous Wolfe should come neere vnto thee that came so greedily to deuoure thee What fellowship hath light with darkenesse What agreement hast thou with Beliall But this oh Lord was a deed of thy gracious benignitie and an act of thy exceeding
so separate the vnderstanding from the loue of the world nothing doth so fortifie the minde against temptations The profitable fruits of deuout meditation nothing doth so stirre vp man and further him to euery good worke and labour as the Grace and benefit of diuine meditation and heauenly contemplation In what manner a man ought to pray deuoutly MOTIVE VIII HAue mercy vpon mee oh God because I offend there most where I ought to amend my sinnes For while I pray often in the place of prayer I doe not marke what I say I pray truly with the mouth but my minde wandering abroad I am depriued of the fruit of prayer With my body I am within but with my heart I am without And therefore I loose that I say For it profiteth little to sing or pray with the voyce onely without the deuotion of the hart Therefore it is great foolishnesse yea rather great madnesse vvhen wee doe presume to speake with the Lord of Maiestie in prayer It is presumption to pray without hearty and true deuotion and being without vnderstanding doe turne our minde from him and turne our heart I know not to what fooleries and toyes It is also great madnesse and grieuously to be punished when most vile and base dust doth disdaine to heare the Creatour of the whole world speaking to it But it is an vnspeakeable grace of the Diuine goodnesse which doth daily behold vs vnhappy vvretches turning away our eares hardning our hearts and neuerthelesse cryeth out to vs saying Returne yee Transgressors vvith your heart attend and see because I am God God speaketh to me in a Psalme neither yet when I say a Psalme doe I consider whose Psalme it is Wherefore I doe great iniurie to God when I pray to him to heare my prayer which I doe not heare my selfe who doe vtter the same I intreat him that he attend to mee The prayer of the wicked is turned into abhomination but I neither attend to my selfe nor to him but that which is farre worse by thinking filthy and vnprofitable things within my heart I bring an horrible stinke before his sight Of the instabilitie and wandering of the heart MOTIVE IX The heart of man is tossed to and fro in the stream of euill cogitations NOthing is more vnconstant instable and fugitiue in mee then my heart the which so often as it leaueth me floweth and fleeteth away by euill cogitations so often it offendeth God My heart great heart wandering vnstable while it is led by his owne will cannot remaine constant in it selfe but being more moueable then any moueable thing is distracted and drawne through infinite things and runneth vp downe hither and thither through innumerable matters And vvhile it seeketh rest and content by diuers things it cannot finde the same but continueth in the labour and turmoyle of miserie voyd of rest and contentment and seeketh here and there where it may rest and findeth nothing which may suffice it vntill it doth returne to him backe againe who gaue it It is ledde from cogitation to cogitation and it is altered and changed by diuers imployments and affections that at least it may be filled with varietie and change of those things with whose qualitie it cannot any way possibly be satisfied So the heart is troubled with it's owne illusions and fantasies The heart reuolting from God can finde no rest vntill it returne to God All that we haue is Gods owne yet hee saith giue mee thy heart the Diuine grace being remoued and substracted And when it is returned to it selfe and discusseth and examineth that vvhich it thought it findeth nothing because it was not a worke but an vnsauoury and vnseasonable thought which compoundeth and frameth many things of little or nothing at all And lastly imagination deceiueth it which the illusion of the Deuill formeth and shapeth God commaundeth me that I giue him my heart and because I am not obedient and subiect to God commanding I am rebellious and contrary to my selfe Whereby I cannot be brought in subiection to my selfe vntill I shall be subiect to him and serue my selfe with an euill will which would not serue him with a good will Therefore my heart plotteth endeauoureth and goeth about more things in one moment then all men are able to performe in a yeere I am not vnited with God and therefore I am diuided in my selfe I cannot be truly vnited with him but by loue neither be subiect to him but by humility neither can I be truly humble but by truth It is expedient therefore that I examine my selfe in Truth and know how vile how fraile how vnconstant and slipperie I am Afterwards when I shal know all my wants and miseries it is needfull that I cleaue vnto him by whom I am and without whom I am nothing and can doe nothing and because I haue departed from the Lord by sinning I cannot returne vnto him but by true confession Therefore I must now confesse in truth and sinceritie because I haue neuer confessed my sinnes in that measure and manner in which I haue sinned neither haue I remembred all eyther because of the antiquitie or multitude of them But if I haue confessed them I haue not sincerely confessed them but haue flattered the flesh in my confession and haue dealt falsely in casting vp the sum of my great and grieuous transgressions And it is a cursed dissimulation to make but a slight and counterfeit confession of our rebellions towards GOD and of our injurious and vncharitable actions towards men and onely to pare the outside of sinne away and as it were to wash our hands with a little water not to pluck vp sinne by the rootes that it may neuer afterwards grow vp in our hearts Our Confession must bee true and sincere For confession is not profitable but in the Truth and puritie of the heart that there may be three which may beare vs witnesse in Heauen The Father and the Sonne and the holy Ghost And as men haue beene beholders of our manifolde transgressions so let vs make them witnesses of our humble repentance and hartie contrition And although we must and ought to acknowledge GOD alone to bee All-sufficient to graunt vs free pardon and absolution yet wee should not refuse to shew forth manifest testimonies to men of our true and sincere Humiliation To vvhich the Apostle Saint Iames doth counsell and perswade vs saying Confesse your sinnes one to another For it is very conuenient that vvee vvhich haue beene stubborne and rebellious by sinning against GOD should be humble also towards men whom vve haue offended eyther by the euill example of our wicked life or else by our wrongfull dealing and false deeds For it is most healthfull to the soule that a man repent in heart and acknowledge his fault with his mouth so that God which is present in Mercy and Grace may pricke his heart by compunction and bitter repentance
and afterward may bee also present and ready to giue him full pardon of his sinnes But if a sinner doe truely repent and yet by some accidentall necessitie bee preuented that he cannot make any acknowledgement to such men as he hath offended we must confidently beleeue that whatsoeuer is defectiue in him concerning such acknowledgement is fulfilled by Christ who hath made a full satisfaction For GOD accepteth that as done which a man hath beene willing although not able to performe That Sinne is not to be excused MOTIVE X. IN the account of my sinnes where I should haue amended I haue augmented my sinnes and added sinnes to sinnes When I haue beene accused of them I haue eyther by some meanes excused them An vnrelenting sinner will either cunningly excuse or flatly deny his sinne or wholy denied them or that which is worst I haue maintained and defended them and haue answered impatiently when indeed there is no sinne with which I am not or may not be polluted It is iust therefore all occasion being remooued that I promise amendment howsoeuer or of whatsoeuer I am accused to the end that I may be deliuered from sinne committed or to be committed What a great euill it is not to correct or reprehend others MOTIVE XI I Greatly dreading the multitude of my owne iniquities haue beene afrayd to reprehend the transgressions of others By silence we make our selues guiltie of other mens sinnes when wee ought to admonish or correct them and therfore haue beene the Author of death because I haue not expelled the poyson which I might haue purged by crying out vnto them I haue stormed against others and haue beene incensed with furie when they haue reprehended me for my vices and I haue hated them whom I ought to haue loued I desired that those things might not be which did hurt or displease me Neuerthelesse I did know that in their owne Nature they vvere good and made of a good Maker and therefore they did hurt mee because I was euill and did vse them euilly For nothing is contrary or hurtfull to my selfe Good things are made euill by abuse but I my selfe For that is with mee and in mee vvhatsoeuer is able to hurt mee and I my selfe am a burthen to my selfe I wished also that God might not know my sinnes or that hee would not or could not punish them and so I would haue God to be foolish vniust and impotent Which if hee were hee were not a God There is no Pride aboue my Pride therefore the words of my transgressions are farre from my saluation Pride and God cannot dwell together For Pride is suspected and hatefull to GOD neither can it be that it may returne into fauour vvith him They lodge in diuers Innes neither doe they dwell together in one and the same minde vvhich might not dwell together in HEAVEN Shee was borne in Heauen but being as it were vnmindefull by what way shee fell from thence shee hath not beene able to returne thither afterward When as the Ayre hath beene at sometime troubled with Raine or else with too much colde or heat I murmured wickedly against God For all things which we receiued for the vse of life wee reuert or rather peruert to the vse of wickednesse Wherefore it is iust that vvee which haue sinned in all things be smitten and wounded in all things Oftentime in singing diuine Psalmes God more respecteth a true mourning heart then a sweet melodious voyce I was more delighted with the tune of my voyce then in the compunction of my heart But God to whom nothing is hidden vvhich is wickedly committed doeth not so much require the sweetnesse of the voyce as the purity of the heart For while the Singer doth tickle delight the people with melodious voyces he mooueth God to wrath with his euill conditions I haue oftentimes extorted of my Gouernours and Rulers license to speake or to doe something by ouermu h importunitie or by crafty subtilty not considering miserable wretch that hee couseneth and deceiueth himselfe vvhich laboureth priuily or secretly that the Magistrate or Minister may enioyne him that vvhich may best sort and most please his corrupt desire I haue often coueted and desired a Needle or a Knife or some base thing and I haue not beene touched with any sense of sorrow for my couetous desire because I did not esteeme it a sinne by reason of the basenesse of the matter Concupiscence is not to be iudged by the estimation of the thing but by the corruption of the desire But there is no great difference what substance so euer be desired base or precious if the affection be equally corrupted For the Knife is not in fault but the couetous desire of the Knife is to be condemned Neither is Gold in fault but the greedie desire of Gold is vitious and sinfull In my labour I haue not laboured so much as I should or so much as I could In silence also I haue beene idle which is a most great sinne For in silence no man ought to be so idle that in the same leasure he thinketh not on the profit of his Neighbour nor so busied that he require not the Meditation and contemplation of God For hee doth not profit himselfe much which doeth not profit another when he may I haue boasted my selfe of my Vices thinking that to be a signe of Vertue which was a criminall Trespasse Of Vertues also I haue made Vices For Iustice while it exceedeth due mediocritie and measure ingendreth the Vice of all bad and hatefull cruelty and too much pittie bringeth forth the dissolution and ouerthrow of discipline and necessarie correction so oftentimes that is vice which is supposed to be vertue Vices are taken or rather mistaken for vertues So carelesse remisnesse is supposed to be gentle mildnesse and the vice of sloathfulnesse doth imitate the vertue of quietnesse I fained my selfe to be that vvhich I was not or that I would not do that which I would said one thing vvith my mouth and willed another thing in my heart and so vnder the skin of a Sheepe I shrowded the conscience indeede of a subtill Foxe * Notes of a deceitfull Conscience For indeede a luke-warme conuersation and a more naturall and corrupt cogitation ioyned vvith a fained confession a short compunction obedience vvithout deuotion prayer vvithout earnest intention reading vvithout edifying speech without carefull circumspection are properties of a Fox-like and crafty conscience Oh how hard are these things to mee which I speake because I smite wound my selfe by speaking them notwithstanding because I doe not denie my selfe to be a sinner but doe acknowledge my sinne peraduenture the acknowledgement of my faults shall be the obtaining of my pardon with GOD a mercifull and pittifull Iudge The confession of sinnes is a ready way to obtaine remission Therefore I will declare my miserie if peraduenture his kindnesse and pittie may