shew the horrour of thy offence power was made desolate Oh stony heart be not so obstinate let teares drop from thine eyes to recompence the bloud pouring from his wounds sigh bitterly with him that praied earnestlye for thee What is this sinne sayest thou that inforceth such a sacrifice That which maketh all men in the world flie from their saluation and runne after theyr owne concupiscences without anie feare that which leadeth men downe to hell that which blindeth the vnderstanding that which maketh men like vnto foolish beastes for as beastes incline themselues to earthly pleasures so sinners betroth themselues to worldly desires that which maketh men seeke onely those things which are of the flesh that which maketh men esteem their belly for their God Sinners are compared to hogs by their detracting for as the hogge deuoureth doung so detracting sinfull men other mens sinnes and filthines For lecherie they are compared vnto a horse for folly and slownesse to an asse for their solicitude worldlie care to an oxe for their curious cōuersations to an ape for their inconsiderate boldnes to a lyon for their crueltie to a beare for their vanitie to libards for their crafte to a foxe Sinne is the trangression of the laws of God and the disobedience of his commandements Sinne is the contrarie to nature sinne draweth vs from the soueraigne good to make vs subiect to brittle fraile and mutable pleasures Sinne diuideth vs from God To conclude as the Ethnike witnesseth the sinner is onely miserable Sinne depriueth man of eternall beatitude banisheth him from heauen confineth him with hell despoileth him of graces exileth him from paradice Briefely it maketh him the most miserable amongest miserable Sinne peruerteth the order of nature impugneth our reason vigeth our sensualitie sin blindeth the spirite darkneth the vnderstanding ordained to contemplate spirituall things Sinne soileth and infecteth the solue depriueth it of her nuptiall garment and maketh it filthie and loathsome according to that of the Prophet Denigrata est super carbones facies eius Sinne after it hath blinded the vnderstanding hardeneth the heart and maketh obstinate in iniquitie whence commeth the habitude of sinne which is the extremitie of sinne and as Philosophers conclude another nature Hee that sinneth whatsoeuer he be either king in his diadem prince in his purple poore in his miserie he is the slaue of sinne who therefore by sinne is giuen ouer as a praie to vices looseth his libertie and cannot resist his vnhappines See sinner see what horror what confusion Look with what foes you are inuironed that you may knowe the greatnes of your deliuerance you are vncurable by sinne Christ healeth you you are separated from God from the Angels from the Patriarkes Prophets Apostles and Martyrs by sin and Iesus restoreth you you are impouerished by sinne and hee inricheth you you are made abhominable and hee blesseth you O if you knewe howe abiecte wretched a sinfull soule is you woulde resist it saieth a father euen vnto the death Waries plagues famine the whips of God sicknesse dishonours and aduersity the tooles of his correction howe light trifles are these in comparison of loathsome sinne Tyrannies iniuries oppressions the fury of the fire the danger of water the contagion of aire the trembling of the earth finally all the complements of euils which persecute man proceed from sinne so that rightlye it maye bee sayde all that which the wretched suffer their sinnes haue deserued it Oh the horrour of sinne oh the terrible issues thereof wretched men take heede and looke about you let your haires stand vpright for verie fright and let your bloud flie to your heart to comfort it in the extremity of your thoughts no punishment can satisfie for it no death can recompence for it but the flames of hell eternall in theyr extremitie extreame in their eternitie Oh harde hearted soules solde and quite giuen ouer to your owne sensualities beholde the issues of your euill liues beholde your martirdomes for crucifying Christ if you reconcile not weep with him you shall haue perpetuall darknesse without light you shall be depriued of Gods presence a greater tormēt to the damned than may be expressed fire shall burne you vnquenchably darknes shall blind you vnseparably conscience shal accuse you incessantly deuills shall persecute you eternally cries cursinges and blasphemies shall hant you continually desolation and discomfort shall detaine you perpetually Finally without remorse in life there is no redemption after death O Iesus my son how rich art thou in compassiō thou onely healest these wounds recouerest these harmes It is thou onely that canst dull the sting of this death thy bloud onely satisfieth for these defaults Ah deare Lord thou art worthie of teares thou deseruest remorse thou hast purchased compassion Oh woful spectacle for men to weepe at for angels to sigh at Oh sacrifice for sinne O attonement for offences oh seale of redemption O contemplation to extort teares to behold innocencie martired with so many and grieuous wounds Oh libertie taken prisoner oh truth accused oh innocencie whipped oh iustice condemned oh glorie discruciate oh life dead and crucified oh highnesse of charitie oh basenesse of humilitie oh greatnes of mercie oh excesse of bountie Thou hast wept for all art bewailed of none thou hast borne many hurts to cure a few hearts thou hast bene a corrosiue to thy mother to be a cordiall to men but men weepe thee not they passe by wagging their heads at my woe hiding their faces least they shuld be inforced to bewaile thee Theyr hearts are become adamants loathing to spende teares themselues they grieue to grace my teares by hearkning to them Ah heauenly father let me consume with sorrow till I see him let my life passe like a tale that is told let my soul that mourneth within me giue a libel of diuorce to this flesh that I in spirit may seeke him out who in the flesh did glorifie me Thou that rainedst vppon the earth fortie daies to reuenge thee on the rebellious open the cloudes of thy compassion ouer mee that they weeping on mee and I with them I may be drowned in them innocencie may be quickned by me All Iudah Israel mourned for Iosiaz shall teares want to bewaile Iesus See my sonne I will beare thy crosse on my shoulders imprint thy passisions in my heart I will beat so long vpon my breast that the eccho therof shall pearce all eares I will sigh so long till the furnace of my charitie steame out my hart and the winged chast affections of my soul soare heauens search earth finde my sonne or forsake my soule Ah my son no Absolon a sinner but Iesus a sauiour The root of my hope is waxed olde and the stocke thereof is dead in the ground When shal these closed eies open to warme him as his sonne When shall thy breath quicken and cheere my
houle and lament a Sauior is departed from you a iust king hath suffered Let your faces bee swolne with weeping for I wil water my couch with teares Let the voice of my mourning bee heard in your streetes for the noise of tribulation is harbored in my heart Weepe discomfortable teares and I wil mingle my drinke with weeping with weeping conduct that Lord to the graue who weepingly bewailed and be wailingly wept ouer your Citie Inforce your selues to weepe whilest my eyes faile me thorough weeping powre your teares on his heart whilest I feede on teares daie and night I will powr all my teares into his wounds he will put all your teares into his bottell Let your teares run like a riuer let my teares be seas to suck them vp only assist me in my strong weeping and teares and he will wipe awaie all your teares Why claime I partners in my griefe who haue no partners in my loue No creatute loued thee deerer in thy life shal I seeke associats in bewailing thee Ah my son could ought but death depart thee and mee Nay coulde there be one step betwixt mee and death who onelye in death maye now seeke thee O Iesu my Father my Sonne see heere an indissoluble Enigma I a Virgine had thee a Sonne thou a son hadst mee a spouse my sonne is my father and I am the daughter of my sonne I will then weepe for thee as my father sigh for thee as thy daghter die for thee as thy spouse and grieue for thee as thy mother as thou art wonderfully mine so will I weepe such a labyrinth of teares as no mortall mourner shalbe able to tract them I will dissolue my relenting yelding passions with all their fruites to lament thee as a sonne I will put on the roabes of dissolution to mourne for thee as my spouse I wil gather ingrosse al griefe to weep for thee as my father beginning where I end and ending where I began I will make my tears famous in their continuance and my loue more inflamed by thinking on thee I coniure you ye daughters of Ierusalem to looke on me but weepe no more with me I lament a sonne lost to teach you to weepe for the sorowes of your children to come but if the entrailes of your pittie springs of compassion must needes breake out weepe you onely his harmes in life let me bewaile the losse of him by death my confident minde and firme constancie when the world was disturbed at his passion made me peremptorie when the earth trembled I was not troubled whē the pilets of heauen were shaken I sounded not they sell I stood now am I drowned in the sea of bitternes his eie of compassion the pilot in those seas hath lefte mee the helme of my hope is broken the sunne of my comfort is eclipsed hee hath past the brierie thornie paths the scourges hath registred his patience on his backe the nailes haue tied his triumphs our sinnes his bodie to the crosse I niurie hath spit her venom Infamie hath doone his worst Iustice hath ransackt his right wayle this yee daughters of Ierusalem for your children shall wring for it I onely exclaim on death death hath triumphed ouer life til glory ouercome death the holie one hath perished fished seeth no corruption one daies one houres one minutes want of that I loue maks euery day an age euerie houre a million of ages euerie minute an eternitie of sorrow for that I want O you that passe this waie beholde this bodie you that looke on these wounds see these lims tell me Is not beautie oppressed Maiestie imbased Innocencie martired Come neere and iudge if anie griefe may bee compared with mine The fairer children we haue the dearer we loue them and shuld I who bare the mirrour of all beautie in my wombe cease to weep for him You men of Israel that beholde this bee not amazed at my griefe my loue was extreame my griefe must not be extenuate the grace was great to beare Christ the courage is as great to bewaile him his beautie was infinite and shall my moanes bee definite These thornes which martyrize his beautious browes this bloud which bedeweth his bloudlesse face these woundes that disgrace his blessed bodie this humilitie in so great mighty a monarch ' are prickes and spurs to egge you vnto repentance springes to washe you from your wickednesse gates to bring you to glory all these are but stinges to stir you to loue God mirrors in which you see his beautie books in which you reade his wisedome and preachers which teach you the waie to heauen Oh thou paschall lambe whose bloud hath bin sprinkled on the timber of the cross Oh thou by whō men are deliuered frō y e thraldom of Egipt the captiuity of the prince of this world whose death killed their death whose sacrifice satisfied for their sinnes Whose bloud deliuereth them from the chastising Angell whose meeknes pacifieth the ire of the father and whose innocencie deserueth for them true securitie and iustice Thou booke which the Prophet sawe written both within and with out why striue not men by theyr sighs to breath life into thee And why should not my cries of compassion recall thy spirit Ahlas my God sinne hath gotten the vpper hand these Iewes are amazed thy mother vnable their zeale cold my power small the vnbeleeuing are many and penitents haue too fewe teares to bewaile thee yet while teares yeeld me anie tribute sighes vouch safe me anie succour tongue affoord me anie words I will weep for thee sigh for thee and talke of thee desiring rather to surfet in wordes than to shroude my zeale and rather die in bewailing thee to much than liue to lament thee too little O thou glasse of grace who hath bespotted thee who hath brought thee into the shadow of death Ah deare soule what northwind of sin hath blowen hether al this tempest meeknesse could not offend patience did not insult innocencie was faultlesse the vvolfe shoulde haue suffered not the lambe the guiltie not the guiltlesse Oh the immeasurable reach of thy mercie I haue spied the insearchable bent of the same thou hast lefte life to reuiue them that loath thee suffred death for such as detracted from thee borne mans infirmities and satisfied his sinnes O grace beyond all conceit O marucilous mysterie Thou diedst for man man declineth from thee thou sufferedst for his sinnes he sigheth not for thy death O men swift footed to run to wickednes haue you no affects to bewaile him who suffered for your defects Wil you not weep for the prophet that died for your profit Haue you no teares to spend for him whose life is spent for you O ingratefull O iniurious drawe neere and behold a mother bewailing your ingratitude a son dead for your redemption and though you lament him not for the plentious consolations
and find thee so vngratefull for my passion Behold man whom you crucified beholde God and man whome you woulde not beleeue beholde the woundes which you inflicted acknowledge the sides which you wounded all which were opened for you but you will not enter I gaue my selfe for you that I might redeeme you from all iniquitie I suffered with entire loue to winne your entire loue beeing God I became man beeing the fountaine of all plentie I suffered hunger I the wel spring thirsted I the light was darkned I the rest of al was wearied for all false witnes outfaced veritie I the iudge of the liuing the dead was iudged by a mortall creature Iustice was condemned by the vniust discipline was beaten the cluster of grapes was crowned with thorns vertue was weakned health wounded and life made death my heart for sooke me in torments for you they wounded my hands and feet so that al my bones were broke asunder euen in that weaknesse I dyed for you being wicked Why therefore fasten you me to a more greuous crosse of your sins thā that wheron I was crucified The crosse of your crimes is more irksome vnto mee than the crosse whereon I lately suffered Taking compassion on you I willingly ascended Oh then weepe for me because I suffered for you Thou that runnest after delight surfetest in pleasure desirest ease come to this schoole and learn thy lesson let my grace draw thee from disgrace my sufferance from thy sensualitie my charity frō thine vncleanesse Beholde the law is satisfied in my bloud and your infirmities are couered by my crosse I a man praide to me a God Iaiudge wept ouer you being condemned to ease your temptation I was tempted for you yet for all these dolorous deserts you yeelde me no teares of true sorrow I was spit vpon to wash you I was couered to the end that the vale of sin and ignorance shuld be taken from your hearts my head was wounded to the end that your head Adam should be restored to health I was buffeted with fists mocked with wordes to the end that you should applaud me with your lips lifte vp your hands vnto me and worship me both in deeds and wordes thus louing you and washing you from your sinnes disdaine not to bee reconciled to me in repētance Heare the three things figured in my passion my head was bowed downe in signe of remission of sinnes water issued from my sides in token of the cleansing of your faults bloud in signe of the redemption of your punishment Oh let the effects of these signes force you I am a medicine to the sicke a rule to the depraued a dwelling place to the desolate and a light for the darkned Oh come vnto me you hard harted for to be turned from me is to fall to be conuerted to me is to rise to be grounded in me is to florish ô turn vnto me whom no man loseth except deceiued no man seeketh vnmonished and no man findeth vnpurged I am the first that come to you and the last that go from you I being iust came vnto you sinners that of sinners I might make you iust I beeing holy came to the vnhallowed to the end I might make you whole I being humble came vnto you being proud that I might make you humble I came not for the iust sake but to correct the reprobate I came not for the strong but to heale the weake I came not for the resolued but to strengthen the doubtfull my melodie is the amendment of sinners my triumph the constancie of martirs my desire the immortalitie of y t faithful Thus sat ◠blessed mother somtime personating her son to persuade more mouingly sometime soliciting the assistance by great motiues to bewaile him earnestly somtime weeping while sorow stopt her speech sometime perswading whilest charitie quickned her tongue somtime bemoning hir while she beheld hir dead sonne sometime recomforting Marie that fate weeping at her feet so that those that disdained hir fortune were amazed at her constancie for though shee bewayled like a naturall mother yet indured she like a confident martyr therfore sayth Chrisostome she was vexed with an intollerable agonie of griefe because shee was touched with an vnspeakable affection of loue whereby being vnited to God we seeme to be conuerted made one with him Oh my soule consider a while whilest the solitarie maide sitteth ouer her sonne what she is that bewaileth him This is the blessed amongest women that was salu ted by the Angell with Auc as being deliuered ave from al curse This is that Marie that by interpretation beeing the sea retaineth sixe qualities of the same Of the sea it is said that it is the collection of al waters either sower or sweet the head and hosterie of all flouds a helpe in necessities a refuge in perills an ease in trauels a gaine to laborers of her it is said Let al the waters vnder heauen be drawn into one place which gathering of waters is the accomplishment of natures the sea is the head and hostery of flouds the head by the flux of waters the hosterie by the refluxe so the blessed virgine is the mediation and head of grace whatsoeuer good we receiue it floweth from the fruit of her wombe Thirdly y e sea is a help in necessitie Fourthly as y e sea is a refuge in perills when in her maine bodie we escape shipwrack so the immaculate maid bringing forth the fulnesse of our redemption deliuereth vs from the shipwracke of our soules So testifieth Bernard of Marie Quia aperit sinum pietatis uniuersis Fiftly the sea is a helpe to shorten the waie of the traueller so in this great sea of this world this holy maiden directeth vs and shortneth our waie by the staire of her humilitie Sixtly it is a gaine to labourers making thē rich by trafique so he that trafiqueth with this blessed maide in meditation imitateth her in deuotion accompanyeth her in sorrow shall receiue the gaine of his labour and the fruites of immortalitie This is she of whom Ambrose speaketh in his booke of virginitie Virgo erat She was a virgin not onely in bodie but in minde for no circumuention of decit could adulterate hir sincere affect in hart humble in words graue in mind wise in speech sparing in readings studious This is the rose without prickles the flower of the rose in the prime for as the spring is the cause of gladnes so was her fruit the cause or redemption This is she whose humility hath raised vs whose virginitie hath inriched vs whose deuotion hath releeued vs. O how wonderfull was the fruitfulnes of this virgine sayth Bonauenture which no sooner receiueth salutatiō but conceiueth saluation Before the virgin saith Oditius conceiued Christ it was winter but after she had conceiued the word of God it became Summer Finally thorough the vapour of the
Philosopher is dead in his owne bodie and liueth in anothers then how commeth it to passe my sonne if this reason doo holde that I liue not in thee who loue thee so dearly If it be true that ther are two tearms in all motions the one from whence the thing parteth the other whether it is resorted why is it not this lyfe that hath lefte thee incorporated in my bodie and my life which should forsake my bodie possessed of thine Our loues are in the highest degree perfect why haue not then these causes their effects Why liuest thou not my sonne Why moue not these handes with mine Why stirres not this hart with mine Why open not these eyes with mine Why speakes not this mouth with mine Oh my God except it bee imperfection of my bodie I know nothing can withdrawe thy lyfe from me By it I liue by thy spirit my spirit breatheth only my life is not in thy body because it is vnworthie to expresse it vnworthie to animate thy heart open thine eyes quicken thy handes and tongue and thy life is not in mine because my bodie is vnable to contain it yet a sparke of thy spirit is my loue and a beame of this loue is my desire which by kisses I breath into thy lippes which though it actually worke not in thee yet by effectuall wil I wish it in thee What I can giue of my life I lauishly haue spent on thee my life liueth in my bodie though my body liue not til thy bodie inioy life the life of my bodie is liuelesse onely my charitie which is in me taken from thee who art the tree ' of life and fountaine of charity maketh my bodie liuing in spight of my will and inforceth all my senses through vehemencie of my spirit to worke theyr offices in a liuelesse body and a hartlesse creature which liueth onelie by thee and cannot liue but in thee so if I liue I liue forcibly till thou liue And to verefie this philosophie in that I loue thee truly I leaue my selfe to liue in thee onely by the liuing charity which is in me my handes imbrace thee as they doo mine eies bewaile thee with teares and euerie other parte worketh as thou wouldest Ah Lord now see I the reason of my deadlie lyfe and thy wounding death thou the hope of the disconsolate art crucified thou the fountaine of life art troubled how can my life then bee fruitfull who was ingraffed by thee Or thy death bee but wounding when thou the fountayne by whom I liue art dried vp by death If of contraries there growe a contrarie reason why shoulde I feare The wicked sayth Iob shall neuer departe out of darknesse the flame shall drie vp their branches with the blasts of Gods mouth shall they bee taken awaie What then shall become of the godly If the wicked dwell in darknesse they shall inioye light If the flame dry vp their branches the children of the righteous shall bee like Oliue branches if the godlesse be blasted by Gods mouth the innocent shall bee blessed with his benefites Then what shoulde I feare And what not hope Thou knowest me ô Lord my father how I have conceiued in ' innocencie and hated the workes of darknesse thou knowest my sonne hath suffered in innocencie let therefore the fruit of my wombe florish let thy promises be accomplished in Iacob thy couenant in Israel Though death hath blasted the branch by a winter of others sinne let the spring of thy mercie comfort the roote and animate the bowes so shall thy terrors and promises be accoÌ„mplished in both sortes The waight of their shames shall weigh downe the euill the workes of the iust shall preuaile before thy mercie seate There are two teares O Lorde wherewith thou art pleased the one of ioy and praise the other of sorow and lamentation I wepte the teares of ioye when thou blessedst my wombe I weepe the tears of sorow because the hope of my daies is decaid Quicken him O Lord and incourage mee and as I receiued him with delight nourished him with care wept for him with ioy and lost him with griefe so let mee recouer him with coÌ„fort who wept for him through discontent losse and behold him in his resurrection and triumph in his ascention that pleasing In either sort of teares I maye praise thee for both sortes of mercie O my bodie thou hast passed the wildernesse of woe no rocke hath beene so kinde to yeeld thee an eccho my only breast by often beating on hath ecchoed my stripes so that in my self I haue had the cause of complaint report Oh my soule thou hast been sifted by incessant sorrow all thy intellectual powers discurfiue parts haue beene plagued by themselues and supposing their weale lost they intertaine no hope to come Thus plagued in bodie and distressed in soule sate poore Marie a holy and happie virgin enacting hir griefe with her armes when she had ouerforced both her tongue and eies with compassion briefely her paine impatience beeing so great as her wordes could not expresse it hir desires so importunat as they exceeded all her delightes The image of her griefe before her and the domage of her losse within her shee sownded on the senselesse earth and being conueied to her oratorie by the holy assistance the sacred bodie of Christ was bound vp and borne to the sepulchre FINIS Chrisost. in Genes Bernard Homil 2. de virgin Ieremy 9. 1 Reg 30 Chri hoâ—de Io Baptist Hier. in 44 Ezechiel Greg Nissen de nat Dom Bernard super missus hortum condusum c Bernard Granaten li. meditationuÌ„ 2. Reg. 1 salme 102 em 14 â—salme 50 Enigma inextricabil-Maria est virgo mater sponsa filia Benedictus in vita Marie Bernard in Medit. Granatensis lib de vita Christi Ambrose in Math. sech 2 Prouerb 6 â—â—â—aeseos â—enes 37 â—id 6 â—â— 14 AnimaÌ„ nullus potest occidere Math 10 Ierem. 107 Ierem. 59 Esay 38 Ambrose â—ust 〈…〉 Ambrose Hicrome Ad Tu. 20 â—â—gust 〈◊〉 5 â—â—gust in â—â—dam serâ—â—em de Iudicij Innocentius Hiero. super Matth. â—â—gust lib. â—â—put Bernard Bernard Libro de natura rerum Anselmus Gen 1 Anselme Cant 4 Psalm 1 Hier. de nomimbus Sibil Erichea Et breuis egressus Maria de virginis aluo Exaita est nouatua 2 Reg. 6 Albumazar li. 6 in inter Cic Famil 6 Gregorie Barnard Bernar. li. de disp prec Deut. 32 Libro de logostileos Iohn 20 Apoc 20 Iohn 8 Americus Card in prol suo lib Math 8 Phil. 2 1 Reg. 2 Rom 1i Iohn 1 Luke 4 Mirabantur ludei quomodo literas seisset Marke 20 Anselme Amb. hom 1. lib. 1 1 Dionisius August in Psalm 38 August in Psalm 10 August in Psalm 41 Iob i August li 12 de ciuitate Dei Phil 30 Rom 8 Numquid potest Athiops mutare pellem suain aui paidus varietate 〈◊〉 Ambrose li. de paâ—ad ho. 32 quest 133 art 1 â—â—ay â—9 Plato in Gorgia Abissus abissum inuocat Psalm 41 Ex frequentatione actu um genetatur habitus Arist Categ Rom. 6 Iohn 8 Quicquid patimur peccata nostra merueâ—â—â—t Granaten Paral. 15 Bernard 4 Reg. â— Eccles. 21 〈◊〉 4 1. b 5 4. Reg 13 Arist. libro Phil. 1 2 Corint 12 Ieremy 6 Marke 11 2 Pet 5 Psal 〈◊〉 Iesâ—â— 9 Phil. 23 Cant 8 Bernard 〈◊〉 4 Col 1 Eccle. 27 Zach 16 Iob 81 Tul Offi. 1 Greg. libro â— Dialog August Arist Polit 1