to whom he had gyuen in coÌ„maundmeÌ„t to trouble and punisshe the people of the world saynge Nolite nocere terre et mari neque arboribus quoadusque signemus seruos dei nostri in frontibus eorum Noy nat nor hurte the erth nor the see ne yet the trees vnto suche tyme we haue marked the seruauntes of our lorde god in theyr forheedes that is with the signe of the crosse and that we do by the meditation of the passion of Christe In figure herof the aungell that dyd kyl and sley the fyrst gotten both of man and of beest thoroughout all Egipte dyd spare and saue hermles the Iues whose houses or postes of theyr doores were sprynkeled with the blode of the lambe Also saynt Gregory in his second boke of his Dialogê sheweth y t when one certen malicious person purposing to poison saint Benedict dyd gyue vnto hym wyne mixted with poyson he made the signe of the crosse and anone the cuppe brake in to pecys and so escaped the peryll of deth thoroughe the vertue of the crosse ¶ The .xiiii. profit Orthodoxorum speificat timiditatem IT also gyueth great hope and truste vnto faythfull people And herunto saynt Barnarde expounynge these wordes of the canticle In foraminibus petre sayth thus I shall speke these thynges I shall sure abyde and rest in the hooles of the stone that is in the woundes of my sauiour for I haue set my feet surevpon that stone though the worlde frowne and be troubled with me and the flesshe or sensualitie stryue agaynst me and also the deuyll ley in await of me I shall nat fall for I haue set my fete and affection or loue vpon a sure stone I haue offendyd in a greuouse and dampnable synne my soule therby shall be troubled or vexed but it shal nat be vtterly cast downe by dispaire for I shal remembre the wouÌ„des of my sauyour Iesu for he was wounded for my synnes Also saint Austin sayeth Longius opened the side and herte of my sauiour Iesu for me that I myght entre therein And I haue entred therin and do rest there surely quietly The nayles and the spere do call crye vnto me that I may be truely reconsiled vnto Christe yf that I wyll loue hym ¶ The .xv. profite Peccatorum aduocat viuacitatem THis meditacion induceth and bryngeth to man the grace of god whiche is the lyfe of the soule and therefore saynte Bernard sayeth As ofte as that person that deuoutely remeÌ„breth the passion of Christe breâ—â—eth receyueth brethe agayne so ofte he receyueth a new gyft of grace and grace is the life of the soule Phisiciens don say that whan a sicke man wepyth it is a signe token of lyfe So whan a synner wepyth for coÌ„passion of the passion of our lorde it is a signe of the lyfe of grace and quickenes of the soule And therfore sayeth the prophete Hieremy in his lamentacions Spiritus oris nostri xâ—s dominus captus est in pecatis nostris cui dicimus In vmbra tua viuemus Our lorde Christe the spirite of our mouthe that is to saye the spirite whereby our soule liueth lyke as the body liueth by the ayre or brethe receiued at the mouthe This spirite Christe I say giuynge lyfe vnto the soule is taken in our synnes that is he suffred payne dethe for our synnes We shall lyue in his shadow that is we shal haue the lyfe of grace thrughe the deuout feruent remembraunce of that his dethe and passion And so Christe by his blessid passion doeth gyue the lyfe of nature the lyfe of grace the lyfe of glory Fyrste I say he giueth the lyfe of nature for dede men after his passion resurrection dyd ryse vnto lyfe agayne appered vnto many in Hierusalem Secondly he giueth the lyfe of grace for many after his passion were conuerted vnto the faythe And he gyueth also the lyfe of glory as it well appered in the thefe to whom he sayd whaÌ„ he was fast nayled on the crosse Hodie mecuÌ„ eris iÌ„ paradiso This day shalt thou be with me in glory Also hereunto speketh saynt Bernarde sayenge The tree of the crosse yf there be any man that wyll gader it by feruent meditacion doeth burgyn and brynge furth lyfe it fructifieth ioy gladnes it droppeth oile of confort it sweteth the balme of spiritual gracê This tree of life is no wilde vnfruitfull tree to them y t wyll gader it Also saint Austin sayth The blood of the phisicien is shed to make a medecin for the mad sicke soule The soule spouse of Christe sayth in the canticles Sub vmbra illiê° queÌ„ desideraui sedi et fructê° eius dulcis gutturi meo I haue sittten restyd vnder y e shadow of him in whom is all my desyre confort his fruit is swete pleasauÌ„t vnto my taste For who so euer doeth sauourly taste of the fruit of the crosse all carnall pleasure shal be vnsauoury to hym ¶ The .xvi. profite Quassatorum mitigat aduersitatem THis meditacion of the passion of Christ doeth mitigate swage all tribulacions doeth giue pacience in all aduersities so maketh vs quiet Herunto speketh saint Paule sayng Recogitate euÌ„ qui taleÌ„ sustinuit a pâ—toÌ„ribê° coÌ„tradictioneÌ„ aduersê° semetipsuÌ„ vt non fatige mini animis vestris deficieÌ„tes RemeÌ„bre hym that suffred great contradiction of synners against him selfe that is suche rebukes slaunderous wordes at last moost painefull deth that ye by suche remembrauÌ„ce shuld nat faynt in your myndes whan ye suffre aduersities As yf he shulde saye ye can nat faynte or be ouercom in your tribulacions yf ye haue the deuout remembraunce of his paines passion And this approueth saint Austin sayenge There is nothynge so harde or painfull but y t it may be easely borne yf the passion of Christe be quicke ferueÌ„t in our myndes And this is y e reason herof for the lesse passion or payne is nat perceyued or at leest it is nat regarded where as y e more greuous payn or passion is felt or doeth occupy the minde of man And therefore Auicenna sayeth that suche persones as be in feruent agues or axes doeth nat fele or perceiue the apostume And so the passion of Christe yf it be ferueÌ„tly remembred it putteth away all worldly tribulacion For lyke as wyne thoughe it be sumwhat stronge sharpe of it selfe yf it be myxte with suger and other spyces or be put in the potecarye spiced bagge so go thrugh it it is made moost dulce pleasant So the tribulacioÌ„s of this worlde yf they be ioyned mixte with the remembraunce of the passion of Christe they be moche pleasant confortable to the soule And therfore our lorde sayeth vnto his spouse the soule in his canticles Dabo tibi poculum ex vino condito I shall gyue to the Ipocras for
lofte or chamber that is in the soule of man eleuate and lyfte vp by feruent deuocion and great by longanimitie broode by the brede of charitie and strawed by the diuersitie of vertues And whan all thynges were prepared in this chambre Iesus dyd entre with his disciples to whom the Pascall lambe rosted was brought furthe And grace sayde or blyssyng made by our lorde they eat it with the iuse of wylde letuâ—e And note that in this soleÌ„pnitie of Pasce there were toure thynges that is the Pascall lambe pure wheat brede without leuyn wyne and the iuse of wylde letuse to signifie that no man might cum worthely to eat of the true lambe the body of Christe without bytternes and compunction of herte for theyr synnes This refection also doeth signifie theternall refection of glory that shal be in the ende of the worlde Than Iesus rysynge from supper his disciples syttynge and eatynge he sayd I haue with a great desyre desyred to eat this Pascall lambe with you before my passion This worde desyre twyse spoken doeth signifie a mynde of two desyres One was y t the olde testament shuld be finished and the new shuld be begun And this was moost his desyre For all the dayes of his lyfe he ranne after vs with a moost feruent desyre of our helthe And we â–ª yf we can nat at sumtyme haue good myndes and desires at the leest let vs haue a wyl to haue y t good desyre accordynge to the sayenge of Dauid Concupiuit anima mea deside rare iustificationes tuas My soule hath couetyd or desyred to desyre thy iustificacions After this Christe toke bread and wyne and gyuynge thankes to god blyssed them and so conuerted the bread into his owne body the wyne into his bloode and gaue it vnto them sayenge take and eat this is my bodye drynke of my bloode And here he shewed his great desyre y t was to cum that is to shede his bloode for our redemption that after the immolacion offeryng of the figuratiue and Pascall lambe shulde folow the oblacion of the very true lambe Iesus Christe And so the olde figures ceassed and all thynges were made new whan that Christ conuertyd and turned bread and wyne into his precyouse body and bloode And here note that in the boke called Exodus there were determined many thynges that were requyred to the eatynge of the figuratiue Pascall lambe whiche also spiritually be requyred to theatynge of the verye true lambe our sauiour Iesus Fyrst it shulde be eaten onely of them that be circumcidyd so shulde we be circumcidyd by the cuttynge away of our olde synfull conuersacion and lyfe Secondely it shulde be eaten with the iuse of wylde letuse signifienge that we shulde haue bytter contricion for our synnes Thyrdly with pure whete breade without leuyn betokenynge the puritie of our conscience without leuyn of fynne Fourthly theyr clothes shulde be gyrded vp signifienge oure chastitie of body soule Fyftely they shulde haue shoes vppon theyr fete betokenynge that our affections shulde be separate from all erthely thynges In a signe also or token herof our lord fyrst wasshed the fete of his disciples before that he gaue to them his body and blood Sixtely they shuld haue staues in theyr handes notynge therby that we shulde diligently kepe our selfe These syxe foresayd condicions ben requyred in vs as concernynge the auoidaunce of vyce and synne And in lyke maner syxe thynges ben requyred in vs yf we wyll worthely receyue the sacrament of the aulter as concernynge the operacion of good werkes and gettynge of vertues Fyrst that it be eaten in one house that is in the vnitie of the chyrche that we be nat diuided from the chyrche by any scisme or heresye Secondly that we take or eat it with our neighbours as many as shall be sufficient to eate it signifienge the loue and concorde with our neighbours Thyrdely that it be nat eaten raw that is withoute the fyre of loue ne yet sodden with water of carnall pleasures but rosted with the fyre of feruent deuocion Fourthly it shulde be eaten hastely betokenyng our feruent desyre and delectacion folowynge Fyftely it shulde be eaten all hole bothe hed fete and the inwarde partes signifieng that we shulde be incorporate vnto Christe with a hole and true fayth beleuynge the diuinitie of Christe whiche is the hed also his humanitie body flesshe whiche is as the fote and also his soule whiche is as the inwarde parte Syxtely they shulde breke no bone of the Paschall lambe signifienge the symple veneracion worshyppynge of this sacrament nat dyuydyng the godhed from the manhode nor the flesshe from the blood for vnder euery parte of the hooste consecrate there is hole Christe bothe god man soule body and blood Wherfore who so euer receiueth the sacrameÌ„t of the aulter vnder the forme of bread only he receyueth hole Christe god and man soule flesshe and blood ¶ A prayer O Lorde Iesu Christe whiche in the euyn tyde made thy last supper with thy disciples in a greate and large chaumbre strawed and made redye for the and there fedde theym with thy moost sacrate body and bloode make my herte I beseche the a great large chambre prepared for the. Enlarge in it trew fayth hope and charitie Magnifie or make it great with longanimitie pacience mekenes and straw it with all maner of vertues Graunt me lorde that my herte contrite and thus prepared may take and receyue the after my pore maner whom heuyn and erthe are nat able to take and conteyne that by thy grace inhabytance in me I may thynke and performe in dede all thynges pleasyng to the and declyne or auoyde all vyce and synne by perfyte hace of them and so continuynge vnto the ende I may worthely receiue thy preciouse body and blood in the sacrament of the aulter AMEN ¶ The .x. and last particle of this fyrst parte Of the wasshynge of his disciples fete WHan this supper was done and the Paschall lambe eaten and whan the deuyll had put into the herte wyll of Iudas to betraye Christe nat dyrecâ—y mouynge his wyll as the soule moueth the bodye but onely indyrectly by suggestion mouynge and perswadynge hym to betray Christe and he consented thereunto And here note that the deuyll can nat put euyll thoughtes into y e hert of man but onely offre them vnto man which yf the man receyue theym and that appere to the deuyll by sum outewarde sygne or token than the deuyll bloweth at this coole to kynâ—â—e and make the fyre burne that is he ceasseth nat to perswade and moue that man to consent vnto that synne And so it apperech that the deuyll can nat cast a man downe and ouercum hym except the man cast hym selfe fyrste downe and rendre his armour vnto his enemy that is excepte he consent to the suggestyon and mocion of the deuyll This supper I saye done and the Paschall
to hym his dieat Seconly he wyl cast hym in a sweat Thyrdly if these be not sufficyent he wyll let hym blode to correcte the euyll humors And fourthly he wyl gyue hym a pocyon to auoyde all the euyll mater that is the cause of his sekenes So our lorde Christe that he myght cure vs from the infirmitie and seakenes of synne he fyrste kepte a dyeat for he fasted .xl. dayes Secondly he swet blode for vs. Thyrdly he was let blode in all the partes of his bodye when as he shedde his blode without weyght or mesure so that his bodye hangynge vpon the crosse was as drye as a fyrebrand Fourthly and last not content with all the other medicynes he toke a most bitter pocyon when for to cure oure synfull sekenes he toke vinegre and tasted therof and therfore he sayd conueniently Consummatum est All thynges be fulfylled that I shulde suffer for the helthe of man And thus after that he had suffred in all the membres of his bodye the sharpe dartes of moste bytter paynes and passyon he myghte well say the wordes of the prophet Repleuit me amaritudine inebriauit me absinthio He hath fulfylled me with bitternes he hath made me dronke with wormewod and so in his passyon he dranke a bytter pocyon and that to cure vs. ¶ A Lesson OF this article we maye take this lesson that in the ende of euery good werke that we do whiche hath diuerse actes and partes we shulde gather them togyther as it ware in a soÌ„me and so offer that good werke to god and so comonlye we vse in all the seruyce of the churche for euer in the ende we conclude with a collecte whiche is so called for asmoche as in that prayer all the office or seruice said before is as it ware virtually gadred and conteyned in that orison or collect as in a summe And so this worde Consummatum est is as it were the collecte of the hole passion of Christ vnto his death And a man to conforme hym selfe to this article shuld remembre breuely as it were in a summe all the forsayde artycles of Chrystes passion and so gyue thankes to all myghtie god for them and pray as foloweth ¶ A prayer O Iesu whiche offeryng the consummacion of thy hole passion as it ware in a â—ume â—o god thy father for we dyd say Consummatum est it is ended â–ª grant to me that I may dewly consummate and ende all the good werkes and paynes that it shall please thy grace to werke in me and by me and so ended to offre them with due thankes vnto god the father by the. Amen ¶ Of the yeldyng vp of his soule or of the death of Christe The. lxii article THe .lxii. article is the death of Christe for when Christe had sayde It is ended then he criynge agayne with a greate voyce sayd or no necessite but for our example 〈…〉 tuas coÌ„mendo spiritum meum Father I commend my spirite in to thy handes This was the .vii. and last worde that he spake vpon the crosse And by this sayng he wolde declare vnto vs that the soules of holy sayntes be in y e handes of god after theyr departyng from the bodye wher as before y t tyme all the soules ware in the hande power of hell And by this his commendacion he commendeth to his father all his electe people for we be his membres as saynt Paule sayth Omnes vnum sumus in Christo iesu We be all one in Christe iesu Which in the dayes of his mortalitie offerynge prayers to his father with a greate crye and teares was hard for his reuerence And this worde sayd and prayer made he bowed downe his heade and so gaue vp his spirite In criyng weapyng and praing As the glose sayth we that be erthly or made of y e erth do dye or giue vp our spirite with out any voyce or at most a softe or small voyce But Christ y t camme from heuen he at his death exalted his voyce and cried with a great and lowde voyce He that is not moued with this voyce is more heuy than the erth more harde than y e stone and more close and stynkyng than dead menes graues for all these ware broken moued and open by this voyce And note here that amonge al the paynes that Chryst suffered this payne of death was most sharpe and paynefull for as the Philosopher sayth Death is the moste terrible of all terrible or fearefull thynges and that is for the naturall inclinacion that the soule hathe to the bodye But there is a more speciall cause in Christe for as Damasten sayth His godhed was vnit and knyt bothe to the soule and also to the bodye and therfore that separatioÌ„ of his soule from his body was most paynfull to hym Chryste enclined and bowed downe his heade to shewe vnto vs. iiii thynges that is Fyrste the greuouse and heuy burden that was laid vpon him A man that is ouercharged or oppressyd with a heuy burden is wonte to stowpe and bowe downe his heade But Christe was oppressid with the heuy burden of our synnes as sait Petre sayth Peccata nostra ipse pertulit in corpore suo super lignum Christe bare our synnes in his bodye vpon a tree that is the crosse Also Christe sayth by the prophet Conuolute sunt iniquitates et imposite collo meo The iniquites or synnes be folden or lappid vp to gether and laid vpon my necke and therfore no meruel though he bowid downe his heade to shew vnto vs what heuy burden he bare Secondely he enclined his heade to shewe his pouertie for Iesus the son of god at his death was so pore that he had no place where to reste his head and therfore he bowyd it downe Thyrdly to shewe to vs that meaknes is the way to glorie euerlastyng Herunto Hugo sayth We shall returne vnto the heuenly cuntre by the waye of meakenes And the wiseman sayth Viam sapientie monstrabo tibi c. I shall shewe to the the way of wisdom and I shall lead the by the pathes of equitie which when thou arte ones entred in to thy feet shall not letted nor thou runnyng shal haue any let or obstacle This waye is the vertu of meakenes for as Christ sayth Qui sehumiliat exaltabitur He y t meaketh hym selfe shal be exalted as y e ê“phet sayth Non habitabit in medio domus mee qui facit suê‘biam The prowde person shall not dwell in my house Forthly Chryste enclyned his heade to gyue thankes to his father for the victorie he had for by his death he distroyed death And hereunto saynt Paule sayth Absorpta est mors in victoria Death is destroyed by the victorie and triumphe of Chryst And in the same place Deo gracias qui fe cit nos vincere in domino nostro iesu Christo Thankes be to god that hath
weapyng and sorowe Whan thou dyd hang Christe vpon the crosse thou knewest nat what dammage thou prepared for thy selfe in hel After these complaynyng voyces of these most cruell tormentoures of hell there was a greate multitude of sayntes weapynge for ioy that sayde Welcome our redemer welcome our sauyour whom we daylye and of long tyme with great desire haue loked for and taried thy cummyng Thou haste now descendyd vnto helles for vs forsake vs nat whaÌ„ thou shalt returne agayne to heuyns O deuote soule Consider here howe tho holie fathers dyd ioy in the cummyng of Christ how they ware replenished with great gladnes al sorow and displeasure vtterly excludyd And so they stode in songes and praysyngê byfore god sayng Blessyd be he that is com in y e name of god our lord god hath shyned to vs. Thou art our god our sauiour thou hast dryuen away al derknes from vs and thou hast loused our bondes y u hast broken y e brason gates the iren barres thou iÌ„ thy great strenght deliuers y e bond prisoners and y u leades thy electe people froÌ„ prison w t great ioy Therfore now we laude and worship the for euermore and so they fell al prostrate worshypped him Than answeryng to them our lord Iesu sayd Aten dite popule meus legem meam O my people attende my lawe Peace be to you and eternall ioy I am your lord god y t brought you out of Egipte And many other thynges we may suppose that Christe spake to them of the which the gospell maketh no mencion Also he said take hede and se for I am your god which hath create redemyd and sauyd you It is written of me in the hede or begynnynge of the boke that I shulde do the wyll and pleasure of my father And for your health I haue descendyd I haue ben poore and in greate laboures from my yong age entendyng to the saluacion of your soules They that shulde haue ben my chylderne ware made straungers to me and haue made false lies vpon me My frendes and negboures thought euyll agaynst me All that saw me dyd mocke me I was scourged all the day and my betyng was in the mornyng They haue diggyd my handes and my feet and they haue nombred all my bonys They put gall in to my meate they gaue me vinegre to drynke I haue sleapte and slumberyd or dyed vpon the crosse and my bodye reasteth in hope of my restrreccion and so furth of diuers other thynges which the prophetes wrote vpon hym As saynt Bonauenture sayth In his meditacions of the lyfe of Christ And then al the holy soules answeryd blessed be y e name of thy maiesty for euermore and all the erth myght be replenyshed with thy maiestie and glorie Amen Amen For thou art made to vs a refuge and a comforter for euermore If thou had nat healpyd vs our soules shuld haue abiden in hell eternally But thou our lord god hast remembred vs and hast redemyd vs with thy preciouse blode thou hast shewyd vnto vs thy face which the aungelles in heuyn desire to beholde All the world myght worshyp the our lord god and prayse thy holie name now and euer Amen In such laudes praysynges songes and ioyenges stode the holy soules in limbo patrum nygh vnto the tyme of Christes resurrection and there was also with them a great cumpaigney of auÌ„gelles ioyeng and praysyng god with them And after this our lord toke those holy soules froÌ„ hel w t great ioy and w t great glory goyng byfore them brought them and put them in Paradise of pleasures And there a lytyll while abydyng with them and with Enoch and Hely which ther knowyng hym dyd worshyppe hym and prayse hym And then our sauiour sayd to them It is time that I go and reyse my bodie I will go and take it agayne And all the holy fathers fallyng doune prostrate sayd go ye our lord and gloriouse kyng and retourne shortly agayne if it shal so please you for we gretly desire to se your gloriouse bodye A prayer O Good Iesu thy vnspekable pitie and charitie was nat yet saciate and content with thy death but that thou wold visite the clausures of hell and redeme thy people there beyng in captiuite therfore thy moste blessyd and gloriouse soule knyt to thy godhed descendyd vnto the helles delyueryng thy elect people from y e derknes and shadowe of death I beseach the O merciful Iesu that thy grace and mercy myght descende vpon the soules of our parentes bretherne sisterne and all our kynsfolkes also vpon the soulys of our familiar aquayntance benefactoures and al other that we be bounde to pray for and of al christen soulys that thou wold delyuer them from y e paynes that they haue deseruyd for theyr synnes and that thou wold bryng them to eternall glorie Amen ¶ Of the resurrection of our Lorde The .iiii. Chaptre OUr Lord cummyng with an honorable multitude of auÌ„gelles very early on the Sonday in the mornyng and reysyng his moste holy bodye from his sepulcre dyd cum furth of the same by his owne power vertue it beyng closse or shut sealid as the Iues left it And hereof saynt Austen sayth Our sauiour Iesus after his beatynges and scornynges after the drynke of vinegre and gall after the paynes of the crosse and his woundes and at laste after his death and descendyng to hell in a new fleshe and body but yet the same he arose from death the secreat and hyd lyfe and health reseruyd in death dyd rise and cum agayne more beautiouse and gloriouse after his death Then was the age of Christe renuyd as is in the Egle. Then the Lion dyd reyse his whelp Then the byrd called Fenix dyd lyue agayne Then the potter after that his pottes ware broken of the same erth made a newe pot after his owne pleasure Then Ionas cam out of the Whallys belye with out hurte Then was the candelstike coueryd with golde Then that is at this resurrection the tabernacle of Dauid that was fallen was reysed vp agayne Then the son shone Which byfore was in a cloude Then was the whete grayne or corne quickned which cast in to the erth was deed Then the Hart toke his hornes agayn Then Sampson toke the gates of the citie and went vnto the hyll Then Ioseph brought out of prison was ordeyned and made the lorde of al Egipt Then the sacke that is the body of Christ cut and rent in his passion was now clad with glorie and ioy Wherfore this paschal solempnite is very greate and solempne In the which Christ arisyng from death dothe nat now die or is nat now deed and death hereafter shall neuer haue dominion or power ouer hym For god his father hath clothed hym with the stole of iÌ„mortalytie and glory
difficultie vnto all goodnes and vertue therfore it is necessary that these profiters haue the dominion or ladishippe ouer theyr owne passions and that by reason so that they gyue no place vnto temptacions And through this stryfe or wrastlyng whan reason hath the dominion ouer sensualitie vertues be generate and gotten The state of contemplatiue and perfite persons is signified by Mary Salome which was the mother of Iames the more and of Iohan the euangelist This woman asked of Christ his kyngdome for her sonnys So perfite and contemplatiue ê‘sons ar chefely occupied about the kyngdom of god for they haue in them selfe the kyngdom of god and here do partely taste therof And hereunto Salome is called by interpretacion peacefull For there is no peace to man in this lyfe but in contemplacion And hereunto accordeth the thyrd interpretacion of this name Maria that is illuminate and therfore it may be sayd to euery contemplatiue person Surge illuminate Hierusalem quia venit lumen tuum Arise thou perfite soule and receyue lyght for thy lyght cummyth And also iche one of these thre Maries had theyr oyntmentes as ye may se in Ludolphe de Vita xâ—i 2. parte But if any person moue this question why our blessyd Ladie dyd nat go to visite Christes sepulcre as the thre other Maries dyd Herunto we may assigne thre causes Fyrst for the mother of Christe myght nat se the sepulcre of her son without great sorâ—â— and specially beyng so lately buried Second cause for she had weapt so moche the Friday and Saterday before and brought her selfe so lowe that she myght nat susteyne and suffre that laboure And hereunto sayth saynt Bernard The blessyd virgyn Marie was so feble weake that she was brought home from the crosse as halfe deed Third cause for y e forsayd women thought that the bodie of Christe was then liyng in his sepulcre and therfore they wold haue anoynted as of old custom haue ben vsed his bodie to preserue it frome corruption where as this gloriouse virgyn knewe that it shuld neuer corropte and that he was risen from death to life immortall or els shortly shuld rise And therfore she went nat with them But she sat in a secret place alone very feble and weake in all the powers of her bodie for she had greatly tormentyd her selfe with great sorowe watche and abstinence from that tyme y t she hard say that her onely and dere belouyd son was taken and scourged and afterwarde when she se hym crucified smytyng and knockyng with her delicate handes vpon her tendre breste And thus I say very feble sat alone in contemplacion and prayer and also weapyng for those misteries and paynes that her son had suffred And as she was thus in prayer and swete teares of deuotion sodenly her son Iesus cam and apperyd to her in most white clothes of glorie and in the newnes of his resurrection beautiouse and gloriouse with a glad and louely chere comfortyng his desolate and heuy mother And therwith she knelyng downe worshipped hym and then risyng vp with teares and vnspeakable ioy embraced hym and then all the bitternes of her sorowe was torned in to ioy and comforth After this they both setyng to gether our Ladie besily and curiously be held hym in his face handes and feet and in al his bodie whither he had the printes and sygnes of his woundes searchynge and askyng whether all his paynes and sorowe were clene paste and gon from hym And he sayd yea my worshipful mother all my sorowes and paynes be now past and gon and shall neuer retorne agayne to me O with how great ioy thynke you was then that blessyd Lady repleat When she se and beheld her son immortall and impassible and nat onely that he shuld liue euermore but also that he had the perpetuall dominion ouer heuen and erth and all creatures in them And so they louyngly and pleasantly commynyg and talkyng to gether made a great ioyfull pasch or solempne feast And though of this fyrst aperyng vnto his mother there be nothyng written in the gospels yet we do godly beleaue that Iesus fyrst appered vnto his mother Mary For so it was conuenyent as doctours don say that he shuld so do and that he shuld fyrste conforth and glad his mother by his resurrection which louyd hym aboue all other persones Also bycause she had more sorow of his death than any other had it was seamyng and worthy that he shuld fyrst comforthe her And the church of Rome dothe seame to approue this same for fyrste in the mornynge of Ester daye she maketh a solempne stacion at the churche of our Lady called our Lady the more Maria maior Mary the more Herby notyng that Christ dyd fyrst appere vnto his mother And where the euangelist sayth that Christe dyd fyrste appere vnto Mary Magdalen is to be vnderstondyd of these apperynges wherby he wold proue his resurrection For he apperyd fyrst of al vnto his mother nat for that he wolde therby proue his resurreccion but for to comforth and glad her with his presence and do his dutie and honour her as his mother A prayer O Mary the mother of god most graciouse virgyn comfortar of al desolate persons callyng and criyng vnto the I beseche the for that gret ioy wherby thou was coÌ„forted when thou knowest that thy son Iesus Christe was risen y e thyrd day from death vnto lyfe immortall impassible that thou wold be a comfortar of my soule that what tyme I shall arise both in body and soule at the last day of iudgement and there appere before that same son of thyn Iesus Christ and there to rendre myne accompte of al my thoughtes wordes and deades it wold please thy motherly pitie to healpe me that by the o blessyd mother and vigyn I myght escape the sentence of eternall dampnacion and graciously to cum to the euerlastynge ioy and glorie with all the electe and chosen people of god Amen ¶ How Iesu apperyd to Mary Magdalen The syxte Chapitre MAry Magdalen ful of bitternes sorow burning in loue and nat knowyng what she shuld do for w tout her maister Christ she myght nat lyue and wher he was buried she fonde hym nat and where to search for him she knew nat Wherfore of great feruore constancy she stode as if she had ben amaised for the vehemence of her loue wold nother suffre her to sit ne yet to lye therfore she stode without in the garden byfore the holy sepulcre weapyng lamentyng for her lorde Her hert was so feruently kyndled in loue she was moued with so great pytie drawen with so myghty and strong bondes of charitie that forgotten her owne infirmitie and frayltie she was nat withdrawen and letted frome the visitynge of Christes sepulcre for the darknes of the mournyng nor yet for the crueltie of the Iues but rather she abode there weapyng and searchyng for her lorde She wold
nat departe thoughe the disciples went from thens for she was so kindled in the fyre of loue she was so burned with a ferueÌ„t desyre she was so wounded with inpacient loue y t nothyng was pleasant to her but onely weapyng So that she myght well saye the wordes of the prophete Dauid Fuerunt mihi lacrime mee panes die ac nocte My teares ware to me my breade or meate bothe by the nyght and the day whan it was sayd to me dayly where is thy god She had lost her mayster whom she loued so syngulerly that besydes hym she could loue no body nor trust to them She was so drowned in his loue he was so moche in her mynde that in a maner she was inseÌ„sible to al other thyngê Whyles she thus weapt for the absence of Christes body she oftymes inclyned and bowed downe her body lokyng in to the sepulcre where as the body was leyd she had lost y e lyfe of her soule therfore she thought it better for her to dye than to lyue for she peraduenture deynge myght fynd hym whome she myght nat fynde lyuyng And thus weapyng I say she loked oftymes into y e graue for as saynt Gregorie sayth It is nat sufficient for a louer to loke ones for the feruour of loue encreaseth the desyre of searchyng or lokyng And at last whan she so loked she dyd se with her bodely yen .ii. Angels sittyng in whyt garmeÌ„tê which sayd to her why dost thou weap thou hast no cause to weape but rather to ioye of Christes Resurrection he is nat here he is arysen Than she supposyng that they ware men and nat Angels sayd to them shewyng the cause of her weapyng they haue takeÌ„ away my lorde and I knowe nat where they haue put hym for she se the stone takeÌ„ away and therfore she thought that somme other body had stollen the body of Christ and borne it to somme other place And whan Mary Magdalen dyd thus contynue in her sorowe and weapynge and nothynge regardynge the Angels her mooste louynge mayster Christe coulde absente hym selfe no lengar from her Than she turned her selfe about that she myght se Iesus for byfore that her backe was towarde hym and that was to signifie y e doutfulnes of her soule for she belyued nat that he was rysen from death vnto lyfe therfore her backe was towarde the face of our lorde But yet for asmoche as she loued hym thoughe she douted of his Resurrection therfore she dyd se hym and dyd nat knowe hym She se hym but nat in his glorious forme or body for as yet she dyd nat belyue that he was rysen And so he appered to her after that maner in his body as he was in her mynde and soule And than Iesus sayd to her Mulier quid ploras quem queris woman why weapest thou whome dost thou seach he doth nat aske this of any ignorance but y t hearyng her answer he myght more conueniently instructe her in the fayth And as saynt Gregory sayth He asked the cause of her sorowe to kyndle and augment or encrease her loue and desyre that whaÌ„ she shuld name hym whom she loued her loue shuld be more ferueÌ„t towardes hym And note here that Iesus appered to her in the likenes of a gardiner that very conueniently For he was to her a spiritual gardyner for he labored to plucke out the thornes and weades of infidelite and vices and to sow and plante in the garden of her soule the grene seades of fayth and vertue by the vertue of his feruent loue Suche office suche operation suche exercise and suche interpretacion of her name is conuenient for begynners or penitentes For it is coÌ„uenient that a penitent vse hym selfe as a gardyner that is that he pull out by the rootes al vices and plante in his soule vertues and also that he haue contricion accordyng to the fyrst interpretacion of this name Maria As we shewed in the chapitre next byfore this And than this blyssed woman as in a maner dronke in loue answered to Iesus as to a gardyner Domine si tu sustulisti eum dicito mihi êªc Syr if thou hast takeÌ„ hym away tell me wher he is that I may go and take hym A meruelous boldnes of this womaÌ„ for she was nat afrayd of y e syght of a deed body and wold also attempte to beare a deed cors the which far passed her power But she thought that she could do it for there is nothyng to hard to a louyng soule And than our lorde Iesus hauyng coÌ„passion of her great sorowe and willyng no lenger to suffre her to weape called her by her proper name Bifore that he called her by a coÌ„meÌ„ name sayng mulier womaÌ„ thaÌ„ she knewe hiÌ„ nat but now whaÌ„ he said Maria furthwith she was turned both hert soule as she was byfore turned iÌ„ body as a good shepe knew y e voice of her and so she reuyued sayd to hym with vnspekable ioy O Raboni O mayster for so she was wont to call hym byfore his passion y u art he whome I saught and anon she ranne to hym and fallynge downe to his feet with great loue and deuocion wold haue embrased them and kyssed them as she was wont to do byfore by an vnperfyte affection to his manhode but our lorde as a spirituall gardyner willyng to plante true fayth in her hert and to lyft vp her soule to his godhed and heuenly thynges sayd to her Noli me tangere touche nat me in that erthly maner with thy bodely handes whome as yet thou hast nat touched with true fayth of hert And so he enstructe her in the true fayth of his godhed and resurrection Let vs now lerne of this Mary to loue Iesus to trust in hym to seache hym without ceasyng to feare none aduersities to receyue no consolacion or coÌ„forth but in Iesus to despise al thynges but Iesus A prayer O Moste swete mayster o moste swete Iesu howe good art thou to them that be clene in hert howe swete art y u to them that loue the. O howe happy ar they that seache the and fynde the howe blyssed ar they that trust in the It is truth that thou louyst all them that loue the thou neuer forsakest them that trust in the lo lord this Mary thy true louer of a good siple mynd she saught the and truly she fouÌ„d the she was not forsaken of the but she had more of the than she looked for I beseach the lorde graunt me to loue the to seache the and to trust in the y t I may deserue to fynde the and to be loued of the and neuer to be forsaken of the. Amen ¶ Howe Iesus appered to his disciples Thomas beyng also present The .vii. Chapitre THe .viii. day of his Resurection our lorde Iesus appered to his disciples Thomas beyng preseÌ„t with them For the fyrst day of his
shulde loue bodily or carnall pleasures but that as Christ hauyng a mortall body dyd by coÌ„tinual penaunce subdue his body coÌ„tempne all carnall worldly pleasures and was euer ioyned to god by loue so in lyke maner shuld mortal man mortifye his body by continuall penaunce dispise all vayne pleasures and euer erecte or lyfte vp his soule to god and heuenly thynges O the meruaylous blyndnes of man made of two substaunces that is the soule and the body and all thoughe the soule without comparison be moche more noble than the body yet he wyl spend and occupy all his tyme in a maner aboute the prouisyon of his body or in suche thynges as the flesshe desireth and in nothynge regarde his soule as yf he had none or that it were of no value For he wyll neyther fede nor norysshe it nor yet laboure to quiete or rest it in the loue of god thoughe he myght so do with moche more ease swetnes and also pleasure without comparison than to content and saciat the body For god is prest and redy to euery man ye he offereth hym selfe to man yf man he wyl receyue hym Ecce sto ad ostium et pulso c. Behold he sayth I stande at thy dore that is thy herte or soule and knocke yf any person wyl here my voyce and open the dore of his soule vnto me I shall entre therin and suppe with hym and he with me Se thou vnkynde man howe our lorde offereth hymselfe vnto the and requyreth none other pryce of the but the deth of his sonne with thyne obedient herte therfore gladly receyue hym to thy spirituall coÌ„forte All corporall and temporall thynges fle frome man and forsake hym and thoughe with great study anguysshe and payne he labour to get and kepe them yet he shal neuer haue y e ful possession of them to his quietnes excepte he wolde say that he hath the ful possession of them the whiche holly and fully contempneth and dispiseth them all for that person is saciate and contente with the wante of them But wyll ye se a more meruaylous blyndnes of this wretched man The soule of man which is made to thymage of god and the whiche shall neuer be saciate and content but only with god that same soule nat constrayned though partely enclyned and moued by the flesshe wylfully subdeweth her selfe vnto the flesshe redy to fulfyl the vayne pleasures and desyres of the flesshe But she coÌ„tempneth or dispiseth to subdue her self to god though she be continually moued therunto by dayly exhortatyon or preachynge continuall receyuynge of his benefytes and graces and also by inwarde inspirations Ye more ouer she wyll nat do the wyl of god in his owne gyftes that he gyueth to her Truely yf the soule were nat worse or more bestial than any brut beste she wolde loue god aboue all thynges vnto whose ymage she is made And so lytell or nothynge regarde all creatures in comparison of god Wherfore thou soule yf thou wylt loue the flesshe or the body loue none other but the flesshe and the body of Christe whiche was offered for the and for the helth of mankynde on the auter of the crosse Therfore dayly remembre in thy herte his passion For it so remembred in the soule of man is continually offered and presented to the syght of the father omnipotent for our consolation and comforte It is comenly sayd that if any man kyl or slee another man yf that mansleer come afterwarde in the presence of that deed corps or body so that he se it it wyl incontinent blede or voyde at the wounde fresshe blode So yf we wolde beholde with the deuoute eyen of our soule the blode and passion of Christe whom we haue slayne or were the occasyon of his deth nat onely by our original synne but also by our manyfolde actuall synnes we shuld fele or perceyue by spiritual grace of deuotion in our soules howe that by our compassion of his passion his blode flowethe plentuously out of his body and is offered and presented vnto his father for our saluacion and sanctification For yf the nayles that persed his handes and feet were sanctified and called holy by the tochyng of his blessed meÌ„bres how moche more then shulde our reasonable thoughtes whiche cleue fast to Christe crucifyed by continual or ofte remembraunce of his passion be called holy O most delectable passion O most meruaylous deth Meruaylous Ye what may be more meruaylous for this deth doth gyue life it cureth our woundê it maketh blode whyte that is it purifieth and clenseth our soule from the blode of synne Great bitternes and sorowe is ofte times tourned to moche swetenes pleasure The openyng of the syde of Christ ioyneth his herte to our herte The sonne hyd frome vs by the clowdes whan the clowdes be gone and paste it shineth more clerely The fyre quenched is shortlyer or soner kyndeled maketh the greater flame The ignominious and shamfull deth of Christe glorifieth both hym and vs. Christe thristyng vpon the crosse doth inebriate and saciate vs with the drynke and liquore of grace Christe hangyng naked on the crosse clotheth y e ryghtuous persones with the garmentes of vertue His handes nayled to the crosse dothe vnknytte or loose oure handes his feete nayled dothe make vs ronne to vertue Christe yeldynge his spyryte in to the handes of his father dothe inspyre and gyue lyfe of grace And he also spred abrode vpon the crosse doth call vs to heuenly thinges O the wonderfull passyon of Christe the whiche doth alyenate and chaunge the herte and mynde of hym that hath remembraunce and compassion of it For it nat only maketh hym angelical but also diuine and godly For he that coÌ„tinueth by meditation in the tormentes and passion of Christ seeth nat hym selfe bycause he alwayes and onely beholdeth his sauiour Christe crucified This person wolde bere the crosse of Christe with hym and he also bereth in his herte hym which susteynethe both heuen and erthe with whome he may easely susteyne and beare all heuy burdens and paynes This persone also that thus continueth in the mediation of Christe crucifyed wolde be crowned with thornes with Christe and for Christe and he is crowned with the sure hope and truste of the crowne of glory He wolde hynge naked on the crosse with Christe and so shake for colde and he is heated in his soule with the feruent fyre of loue He wolde taste of the bitter and sharpe vynacre and gall with Christe and he drynkethe the wyne of vnspeakable swetenes He wolde be mocked and scorned withe Christe on the crosse and he is honoured of aungelles He wolde be dispysed and forsaken with Christe and our lady hath chosen hym to her sonne He wolde be heuy with Christe and he is conforted He wolde be tormented and scourged with Christe and he is relyued with great ioy gladnes He wold hynge with Christe on the crosse and Christe most swetely doth
stopped and restrayned the floode of her teares there rose and sprang maruailously greater abundauÌ„ce of teares For when she considered of what glorie and dignitie he was that wolde suffer so vyle and shamfull deth for our redemption then her sorowe was renewed in her and her soule so relented for deuout compuÌ„ction that moche more plentye of teares departed from her and moche more ye may see in the sayde boke if it please you ✚ ¶ A prayer O Lorde Iesu Christ the sonne of the liuynge god for thyn vnspeakable pitye and the moste excellent lyfe of the moste holy mother Marie and for the merites of saynt Francisce and of al thy sayntes graunt we beseche the vnto vs most wretched synners vnworthy any of thy benefites that we myght loue the alone and euer be burnynge or feruente in thy loue and that we might continually magnifie the werke of our redemption that we myght euer desyre thy honour and dayly bere and remembre in our herte the benefyte of thy passion that we myght knowe and consydre our miserye and continually desire to be dispised aud rebuked for thy loue so that nothynge shulde comforth vs and abide in our hertê but thy deth and passion and nothynge displease or trouble vs but our owne synne and wretchednes Amen ¶ Of the meane and maner of the remembraunce of the passion of Christe The second particle HOwe I shall shewe vnto yowe howe we shulde vse and exercise our self in the passion of Christe In the whiche vii tymes in the day at the leeste euery christiane shuld exercise hym selfe accordyngly to the sentence or mynde of saynt Barnard sayng The coÌ„tinual or dayly lesson of a christi ane shulde be the remembraunce of the passion of Christe For there is nothynge that so moche kyndeleth the hert of man as the manheed of Christ and the ofte and deuout remembraunce of his passion Howe this may be we shall perceyue it in this maner That is this who so euer wyll ê“fite in the meditation of Christê passion let hym ordre hym selfe as if Christe were put to all the paynes of his deth and passion in his presence and so let hym considre depely diligeÌ„tly and with deliberation al the poyntes of his passion therunto fixe his hole mynde perseuerantly leuynge and settynge a parte all other cures and busines with drawinge hym selfe with as great diligeÌ„ce as he can from all superfluouse meatê and drynkes and from all dilycates from al fyne garmentes and softe beddes from all vayne sportes lyghtnes from vayne ioy and from all vayne and ydle speche For all these and suche other lyke ben clene contrarie to the frutefull remeÌ„braunce of Christes passion as we shall she we more clerly herafter And therfore it is necessarie that if a man wyll profyt herein that he thynke hym selfe as yf he were presente at the passyon of Christe and so ordre and behaue hym self in his speche in his sight in his sorowyng and in al his other outwarde actes as if he sawe before his face Christe hyngynge on the crosse If a man thus order hym selfe Christe crucifyed shal be spiritually with hym and in his presence as he thynketh in his owne mynde and so shall gladly behold his dedes and thoughtes and also gratiously accepte his vowes and promysses But take hede that this remembraunce be nat soone lost and shortly put away specially whan deuotion and tyme wyl serue with conuenient oportunitye and se that this remeÌ„braunce be with a faythful and herty maner and with a mournyng coÌ„passion For suerly yf this most swete and pleasaunt tree of the crosse be nat affectuously louyngly chewed with the teethe of feruent deuotion the sauour therof though in it selfe it be very delicious shal neuer moue the. And if thou can nat wepe with Chryst that wepte for the and sorowe with hym that sorowed for the at the leest thou ought to ioy in hym and to render thankes to hym with a deuout herte for his manifold benefytes gyuen to the without any thyng deseruynge And if thou felest thy selfe noder moued vnto compassion nor yet to gyue thankes with a feruent desyre vnto god for his benefites but rather depressed with an hard herte in the sayd remeÌ„braunce neuer the lesse with that same hard herte ronne vnto the holsome remembraunce of Christes passion and gyue suche thankes to god as thou may for that tyme. And that which thou can nat haue nor felyst nat in thy selfe committe in to the handes of his most mercifull goodnes And if yet thou continue in thy stubbernes and harde herte for perauenture thy herte is tourned in to the hardnes of a Dyamant whiche can neuer be broken but with the hote blode of a gote as Plinius sayth in his naturall historie here I offer shewe vnto the the greate copie and plentie of blode of the gote and also of a lambe incontaminate vnspotted or vndefyled Iesu Christe which is very hote and burnynge with an incomparable feruent loue and charitye whiche thorough the strength of his heet hath broken and dissolued that harde and Dyamant wall of enmitie which the synne of our fyrst parentes and also our actuall synnes hath made and put bytwyxte god and man Wasshe or drowne thy selfe in the copiouse blode of this gote and lambe O thou Adamant herte and lye in it that thou may be made warme thou so heated or made warme may be molifyed or made softe and so molified may shed plentiously ryuers of teares Moyses smote twyse on the stone and brought suche plentye of water so smyte thy harde stony hert twyse that is with the inwarde hertye remembraunce of Christe passyon and withe the outwarde laboure of thy bodye as exexercysynge thy selfe in lyftynge vp thy handes or thy syght vnto the crucifixe in ofte knockynge on thy breste in deuoute genuflexions knelynges or peyne takynges or in exercysyng thy self in takyng disciplines or scurgyngê or in other lyke outwarde exercise and so coÌ„tinue vnto thou haue goten the grace of teares Wherby thy reasonable soule shal drynke the waters of deuotion And thy sensual or bestly bodye by thexperieÌ„ce therof shal be humbled and subdued vnto the reasonable soule ¶ The thirde particle howe we shulde fele in our selfe the passion of Christ and this ê‘ticle is deuided in to .v. chapitres firste is howe we shulde fele the passion of Christe in our vnderstandynge and reason SAynt Poule sayth Hoc sentite invobis quod et in Christo Iesu Fele and perceiue in your selfe that Christ Iesu â—elt that ye myght sucke drawe watres frome the fountayns of our sauiour For who so euer exercise them selfe faythfully in this passion they shal sucke drawe from thens al maner of graces as we said afore For suerly this exercise hath his diuers degrees wherby we may come to the perfeccion of all sanctitye or holynes Wherfore we ought accordyngly to thadmonicion of saint Poule fele in our selfe y
and to the signe of the crosse of the whiche the deuyll is afrayd and by it he is chased away lyke as the dogge is afrayd and fleith away whan he seith a staffe lyfted vp And no meruayll for thorowe the vertue of the passion of Christe the whiche he suffered on the crosse the deuyll was smyten downe and ouercome Herunto speaketh the prophet Esay saynge A voce domini pauebit Assur virga percussus Assur smyten with the rodde of god shall feare the voyce of god Assure is asmoche to say by interpretation as Negotiator a marchaunt that laboureth in many places or labours and it signifieth the deuyll the whiche laboryng and ronnynge about the worlde searcheth whome he myght deuoure he is neuer idle but for as moche as he was ons smyten with the rodde of the crosse in the passion of Christe Therfore he is greatly afrayd whan so euer he seeth the signe of the crosse made of that persone that faythfully calleth on the father on the sonne and on the holy gost saynge In nomine patris et filij et spiritus sancti Moreouer lyke as a knyght or any other valiant man ouercome in battel wolde be ashamed to abyde in that chambre or place where as his falle or vaynquesshynge were paynted so the deuyll ouercome thorowe the passion of Christe wyll in no meanys abyde in that soule where as he seeth the passion of Christe lyuely paynted by diligent remembraunce therof ¶ The .v. profit Erroneorum reuocat pusilla nimitatem THe meditation of the passion of Christe doth call agayne those that bene in erroure For Christe hath made a caller or a lewer of his owne bodye dyed made reed with his owne precious blode to call agayne his hawkes the whiche hath flowen away from the hande of the noble man that is the soule of them that haue forsaken Christe by synne or erroure Of whom the prophet Osee sayth Effraim quasi auis auolauit Effraim hath taken his flyght lyke vnto a wylde hawke Effraim is asmoche to say by interpretation as fat or encreased and it signifieth those persons that be encreased and made fatte in worldly and carnall pleasures or in folowynge of theyr owne frowarde wylles and sensuall reasons Suche persons haue taken theyr flyght from the loue of god and if they wyll nat retourne and come agayne to the voyce of the caller or preacher or at the shewynge of his lewer that is at the remembraunce of the passion of Christe he wyll dimysse them leaue them to the rauynous faucououre of hell to the deuyll It is wryten by the prophete Hyeremye that our lorde sayth thus Reuertere ad me et ego suscipiam te Thoughe thou haste done neuer so many synnes or folowed all hereses yet retourne to me and I shall receyue the. Also our lorde saythe by the prophete Esay Reuertere ad me ê™ redemi te Retourne to me thou synner or erroneous persone for I haue redemed the and bought the agayne with my precious blode and passion Take hede vnto this callynge and obey therunto for I assure you it is moche perilous and daungerous to withstand it And it apereth wel by the wordes of our lorde spoken by the wyse man saynge Vocaui et renuistis extendi manum meam et non erat qui aspiceret ego quoque in interitu vestro ridebo I haue called you and ye refused to come to me I haue extendyd my hand with greate gyftes and benefites I haue shewed vnto you my lewer shed my precious blode for you and ye wolde nat regarde these thyngê and therfore I shal be glad ioyful of your ê‘dicion ¶ The .vi. profit Flagiciorum dibilitat pronitatem THis meditation of the passion of Christe doth enfeble make weyke and subdue our pronitie and redynes vnto vice And therfore saynt Austen sayth Whan so euer my foule cogitation doth moue me then I ruÌ„ne to the woundes of Christ Whan the flesshe or the sensualytie therof doth oppresse me I ryse agayne thoroughe the remembraunce of the woundes of my lorde god If the fyer of carnal coÌ„cupisceÌ„ce enflame my meÌ„bres it is quenchyd by the remembraunce of the sonne of god Also Origene sayth Suche is the vertue of the crosse that if it be in the syght of man and faythfully holden and kepte in his herte so that feruently and deuoutly that man beholde and remembre the deth and passion of Christe there shall no concupiscence no carnall motion no furie or angre nor any enuy ouercome that persone but sodenly at the presence and syght of that passion all vice and synne shal be chased and dryuen away ¶ The .vii. profit Gaudiorum donat vbertatem IT gyueth vnto man great plentie of spirituall ioy Herevnto speaketh the prophet Esay saynge Haurietis aquas in gaudio de fontibus saluatoris Ye shall drawe from the profound and depe misterie of the pitie and mercy of god waters that is abundaunce of teares in ioy of deuotion from the wellys and fountayns that is from the woundes of our sauiour Christe the which at one tyme dyd shed furth blode in great abundaunce but now dayly and coÌ„tinually they bryng furth the incessable waters of grace Wherfore the deuout soule restynge in this meditation sayth in the canticles Sub vmbra illius quem desideraueram sedi et fructus eius duicis gutturi meo I haue sitten rested me vnder the shadowe of hym whom I desired and his frute is pleasaunt to my mouth and tastynge And therfore Celestine sayth those holy sayntes and seruauntes of god bene dyed in the blode of the most holy that shed his blode for them when they be crucified with Christe crucified that is when they haue compassion of his sorowfull paynes of deth and ioy in his loue and with his ioyfull loue drynkynge his blode and eatynge his flesshe embrasynge or halsynge with great pleasure his crosse and paynfull deth lyekynge and suckyng his woundes entryng in to his most louyng herte that was opened with a spere and naylynge them selfe fast to hym vnseparably with the nayles of true and faythfull loue These persons I say ben dyed colored with the blode of Christ ¶ The .viii. profit Horrorum vitat perpetuitatem THis meditation of the passion of Christe oft remembred doth deliuer vs from the paynes of hel And herunto saint Paule sayth Expolians principatus et potestates glosa 〈◊〉 inferni Our sauiour Christ spoilynge the principates and powers of hel of theyr pray that is of Adam Noe Abraham and all other ryghtuous persons brought them to heuen with greate power And therfore who so wyll nat occupy his mynde with the meditation of the passion of Christe it is to be feared of his dampnation For as saynt Gregory sayth The worde of god and specyally of the passion of Christe is the meate and foode of y e soule and as a quasye or seke stomake casteth vp the meat that it receyueth so
thy drynke that is wyne made pleasaunt with spices And this signifieth y e wine of worldly tribulacioÌ„ or aduersitie whaÌ„ it is ioyned mixte with the meditacion of y e passion of Christe Also we rede in y e boke of y e Machabeis how that kyng Antiochus whan he shuld fight against the Iues he shewed vnto his Olephantes put in theyr sight the blood that is the red colour licour of the grape of y e molbery to thintent y t those Olephantes shulde be prouoked to fight to be the more quicke in bataile In lyke maner the knightê of Christe accordyng to thexample of these Olephantê shuld be animate quickened to suffre paciently all tribulacioÌ„s aduersities whan so euer they here se or remembre the blood passion of Christe whiche was pressed out of his body at his passion as y e wyne is pressed out of the grape Moreouer the prophet Hieremy sayeth Dabis eis scutum cordis laborem tuum Thou good lorde shal gyue vnto them a buckeler or a shelde for theyr hert or soule y t is thy labour passion or deth This buckler or shelde receiueth without any perill vnto y e soule al maner of dartes specially .iii. maner of dartes that is losse of goodes infirmities of the body and contumeliouse or rebukyng worde with this buckeler that is with the feruent meditacion of y e labour paine or passion of Christe a man ouercuÌ„meth almighty god in paciently suffryng his corrections louyng visitatioÌ„s He also ouercuÌ„meth the deuyll in auoidyng his snares temptacioÌ„s And thyrdly he ouercuÌ„meth him selfe in resistyng all carnall mocioÌ„s passioÌ„s of yre or wrath in paciently suffering all infirmities of the body And thus the remembraunce of the passion of Christ doth mitigate thaduersities troubles of suche as be troubled therwith And as ye se y t a litle floode or ryuer doeth lose his name whaÌ„ he is entred into y e see or into a greater water so I like maner al labours paines passioÌ„s coÌ„pared to y e labours paines passion of Christe lese theyr name be nat to be called paines ¶ The .xviii. profite RectoruÌ„ confirmat stabilitatem THe meditacion of y e passion of Christe maketh rightuouse good men stable in faith in good werkes We rede that there is a certayn welle in Englande of this nature that yf a tree be put therin continue there any long space or tyme it is tourned into a stone So spiritually if a christian continue longe in this welle y t is in the remeÌ„brauÌ„ce of the wouÌ„des dethe of christe he shal be tourned into a stone that is he shal be constant stable in all vertue goodnes for thaÌ„ he shal abide fastened with christe vnto y e crosse by pacience Herunto sayth saint Bonauenture O meruelous deth passion of Christe whiche doeth allienate seclude the remembrer from dethe spuÌ„all also eternall nat only that but also it maketh him angelicall nothyng els to consider thynke but Iesu Christe crucified He wyl bere his crosse with Christe so he bereth in his hert Iesu Christe who coÌ„teineth in his haÌ„de power bothe heuyn erthe And so for y e loue of Christ he shal bere most easely suffre pacieÌ„tly al troubles paines He wold be crowned with thornes with Christe for christ christ shal crowne hym with the crowne of glory and so as ye may perceyue suche a feruent meditacion of the passion of Christe doeth greatly stable vs in goodnes ¶ The .xviii. profite Supernovum Placat displicentiam THis meditacion doeth strongly swage pacify y e wrath displeasure of god al his saintê Herunto saith saint Bernard The remeÌ„brauÌ„ce of y e labours paines of my sauiour Iesu doeth erect streÌ„gth me in al aduersities it doth represse me and kepe me iÌ„ al ê“sperites it also gydeth or ledeth me by a sure way in this lyfe where as is now ioy now sorow now pleasur now payne c. This meditacion putteth away all peryls It reconsileth me to y e high iudge of y e worlde whyles it declareth vnto me hym to be very meke mylde here in erthe to whose maiesty all auÌ„gels in heuen do reuerence haue him in reuerent feare Also the same saint entraytyng these wordes of Iob. VtinaÌ„ appeÌ„deren tur petaÌ„ mea quibê° iraÌ„ merui â–ª c saieth thus Good lorde behold y e face of thy son christe whiche was obedient to thy wyll vnto his dethe good lorde let neuer y e printes of his wouÌ„des depart froÌ„ thy sight remeÌ„brauÌ„ce CoÌ„sider good lord what satisfaction he hath done for our synnes to reconsyle vs vnto the. I wold that thou god lorde wold wey and pondre our synnes in a balance with the paynes that thy innocent sonne Iesus suffered for them And then good lorde it shulde well appere that his paynes excedeth our synnes so that thou rather shewe thy mercy vnto vs for the merytes of his passyon then to kepe our synnes in thy remembraunce to reuenge and punysshe them ¶ The .xix profit Terrenorum pessundat vanitatem IT also maketh man to contempne and set at nought the worlde with all the pleasures therof And therfore saynt Paule sayde Mihi mundus crucifixus est et ego mundo The worlde is crucified to me and I to the worlde as if he sayd I dispise the worlde and the worlde dispiseth me Auicen reciteth how that a certen man by stronge ymaginacion that he had ymaginynge him selfe to be a leprouse man therby he was made a leprouse man So in lyke maner yf a man feruently deuoutly coÌ„tinue in the remeÌ„brauÌ„ce of the passion of Christe he may so haue a great sorow in his hert true coÌ„passion of y e passion of Christe so suffre payn with hym so consequently al Worldly pleasure shall be bytter paynfull vnto hym Herunto sayeth saynt Bonauenture Who so feruently remeÌ„breth the passion of Christe he desyreth to be crucified with Christe Iesu he reputeth thynketh hym selfe to be in seruitude bondage misery he doth sygh sorow is in continuall heuynes vnto y e tyme he be all to wasshed or drowned in the blood of Christe so traÌ„sfourmed into his lord crucified yf he be nat kept in the blood of his sauiour he thynketh him selfe no man yea worse thaÌ„ a beast yf he be nat clad with the passion of Christe Therefore who so euer doeth ofte and feruently remembre the passion of Christe he shall lytle regarde the vanities of this worlde and set them at nought ¶ The .xx. profite Viatorum gubernat prosperitateÌ„ THe meditacion of the passyon of Christe doeth gouerne direct men lyuyng in this worlde vnto the lyfe of eternall felicitie For the passion of Christe is the kynges hygh waye the right compendiouse waye to cum to the
iudgementes for he was nat affrayde to do his moost abhominable synnes in the presence sight of god Cum ye all the creatures of god let vs vtterly distroy this person that is holly fully gyueÌ„ to do iniury vnto our lord O thou erthe why doest thou bere vp so wicked a person Thou water why doest y u nat drowne hym Thou ayre why doest y u nat withdraw thy selfe from him Thou fyre why doest thou nat burne hym Thou wylde and rauenous beest why doest thou nat deuoure hym Thou stone why doest thou nat stone hym to dethe O thou hell why doest thou nat swalow vp this moost vnkynde and wretched creature And so furth we might imagin of all the creatures of god and meue them to reuenge the iniury of theyr creatour and maker All this well considered than we shall thynke or saye Alas wretche that I am what shall I do for I haue armed and prouoked agaynst me all thyngê To whom shal I go To whom shall I make my mone I haue done contrary to all thynges I haue contempned and offended my lorde god I haue prouoked his aungels I haue dishonoured his saintes I haue in many wayes displeased my neyghbours And shortly to say the truthe I haue offended all the creatures of god in that that I haue done iniury and contempned god the creatour and maker of them all To whome shal I go for socour that hath made my selfe enemy to god and to all his creatures I know I knowe what I shall do I shall entre into the woundes of my lorde god I shall transfourme my selfe or take vpon me his paynes sorowes and rebukes knowynge for a surety that no creature shall be displeasant or heuy vnto me yf they perceyue that I bere the pryntes of the woundes and sorowes of my lorde Iesu in my soule and body And good brother let vs reduce all these to .iii. poyntes that is to thonour of god to the passion of Christe and to our owne direction and good order that bothe in soule and body Nothynge wyllyng non other desyryng but Iesu Christe and that crucified as saynt Paule sayd Yet in all these thynges so order we our fere that we euer trust in the infinite goodnes of god For his infinite mercy farre excedeth all our malice and iniquity This godly fere is the occasion and begynnynge of humilitie and reuerence of a meruelous ascencion vnto god and of contemplacion For by this feare man is specyally led and brought vnto the superabundaunce of grace wherby he may auoyd all euill and get goodnes and may liue modestly with good maners continently temperatly chastly These .iii. fruites of the holy goost that is modestia that is gentyll behauour in wordes and dedes Continence that is to absteyne from thynges vnlawfull And chastity that is rightely to vse thynges lawfull These thre fruites I say accorde and perteyne to y e gyft of fere Wherfore I may call this fere a Paradise of delites from whence doeth procede abundaunce of all swetenes and pleasure There man is inebriate with a pure swetenes and with a meruelous gladnes he is as it were allienate from hym selfe With an hygh feruent deuocion he slepeth and slumbereth in our lorde And thus to haue the spirite of the fere of god â–ª is to be conuerted into god to do well and with all the desyre and affection of the herte to dispyse all vayn and transitory thynges And therfore to this gyfte of feare correspondeth the fyrst beatitude that is the pouerty of spirite For as saint Austine sayeth The feare of god perteineth to meke men Of the which it is wryten Beati pauperes spiritu Blessed be the pore in spirite that is meke persones For sithe it apperteineth to the feare of god to giue due reuerence vnto god and to be subdued vnto hym that thyng that foloweth of this subiection perteineth to the gyft of feare And in that that a man subdueth hymselfe to god he doeth nat labour to be magnified for any thyng in hym selfe or for that he doeth to any other persone nor yet wyll be magnified therefore but referreth all to god For otherwise he shulde do contrary vnto the perfite subiection vnto god And therfore the prophet Dauid saieth Hii in curribus hii in equis nos autem in nomine domini dei nostri inuocabimus These men do trust or reioice in theyr chariots other reioice in theyr horses But we reioice in y e name of our lorde god And therfore it soloweth y t the gift offere is finally giuen to man for this intent that the holy goost therewith enterynge into the soule shulde giue to vs the vertue of mekenes whiche cureth our wounde of pryde so that the meke person may therby ascende vnto glory of heuyn whiche the proude aungell lost by his pryde And this is it that we sayd before that by the great mekenes and reuerence that our sauiour Iesu had towarde the high maiesty of god the father in his moost blessyd passion men beholdynge remembrynge the same shulde be prouoked vnto lyke mekenes reuerence and honour towardes god accordynge to theyr power as theyr frailtie wolde suffre them that thereby they myght be made apte to repare the order of the thronys ¶ Example of this gyfte of the feare of god The seuenth Chapitre ANd that this gyfte of feare is ofte tymes gyuen vnto suche persones as do feruently remembre the passion of Christe we haue example of the blessed woman of whome we spake before Maria de Ogines It is wryten in the foresayd boke of thistories of Vincent that this blessed woman Marie had the chaste and louynge feare of god and that without doubt thrugh the ofte and feruent remembraunce of the passion of Christe as we shewed before And this godly feare was in her herte as an ornamente of her brest or a stomacher wherwith she represseth her hert froÌ„ all vaine thoughtes It was in her mouthe as a brydell to restrayne her tongue This feare of god was in his werke as a pricke or brod to dryue her to labour and kepe her from slouthe and sluggysshnes And in all thynges it was to her as a squyre or rule to order her that she shuld nat excede a due meane This godly fere was in her as a beâ—ome to make clene her herte from all doublenes her mouthe from all falshed and her werkes from all vanitie By the which spirite of feare at length she conceiued so great loue vnto pouertie y t scarcely she wolde kepe or reteyne to her vse those thynges that were very necessary for her And for the loue that she had vnto pouerty she was fully purposed in her mynde to haue departed from her frendes and gone into a straunge cuntrey and there as a vile abiecte person to haue beggyd her lyuynge from dore to dore for goddê sake And for the same purpose she had prepared a
vertuouse but also with them that appered nat so vertuouse yet towardes hyr selfe she was meruelously vndiscrete moche abiectynge and dispisynge hyr selfe and as it semed to hyr company punysshynge hyr selfe sumtyme aboue measure But certeynly so moche the more she was dyscrete to hyr selfe for as moche as she dyd nat presume to do any thynge vnto hyr selfe but as she was famylyarely taughtâ—of the holy goost For she durst nat absteyne one hole day from her refection except that she were most surely rauysshed rapte vp aboue hyr selfe and from all hyr sensys And yet sumtyme whan she was rapte she dyd attempte and proue to take hyr refection to auoide thoccasion and murmure of other persons that were in hyr company but in no meanes she myght receyue it into hyr stomack and for payne therof she was sumtyme almoost ouercum And therfore afterwarde she had that lyberty to absteyne whan she wold and non occasion taken therof nor any man durst aske of her why she dyd so Also oftentymes whan the preest lyfted vp the blessyd sacrament of the body of our lorde aboue his hed she se bytwyxte the handes of the preest the forme and shap of a moost fayre chylde Also she se a great multitude of aungels descendyng from heuyn with a great lyght And after the vsynge or receyuynge of the sacrament she se in spirite our lorde remaynynge in the soule of the preste and lyghtenynge it with a meruelouse clerenes Or els yf the preest receyuyd the body of our lorde vnworthely she se than our lord departed from that soule with indignacion leuynge it in a great darkenes and voyde of all goodnes ¶ The gyfte of strengthe is gyuen to man by the feruent remembraunce of Christes passion The .xii. Chapitre BY the deuoute and ofte remembraunce of the passion of our lorde is also gyuen vnto man the gyft of gostly strength agaynste our spyrytuall enemies and the multitude of temptacions And by this gyfte inordinate feare is put away Hardy and inordynate boldnes is reduced to a due measure and all aduersities ben strongly borne suffred For who so euer be crucified with Christe thrugh the feruent remembraunce of his blessyd passion â–ª is animated and strengthed to entrepryse great and harde thynges to contempne and set at nought all worldly pleasures to suffre paciently and gladly all tribulacions and to expugne or ouercum all vyces That faythefull seruaunt whiche doethâ—feruently remembre his lordes passion and to whom his lorde hathe gyuen many graces that person I say doeth consydre and se the meruelouse and incomprehensible strengthe of Christe in his interprysyng great battels in his sufferaunce and in the vanquesshynge or subduynge of the deuyll I say in his entreprysynge of great and harde thynges for he faught great and terryble battelles for the saluacion of his enemy vnkynde man Also the meruelouse strengthe of Christe doeth appere in his pacience where as he suffred most obprobriouse sharpe and greuouse tourmentes and that of his creatures And thyrdely his incomprehensible strengthe was shewed in subduynge so myghty and strong a lorde or rather I may saye a tyraunte the deuyll that vsurped the dominion ouer all the worlde whome our lorde by the dethe of the crosse strongely dyd ouercum and so by his dethe destrued the autor and cause of deth These thynges well considered it is no maruell yf the faythefull knyght of Christe and folower of his lorde moued by these examples of Christe entrepryse and goâ— aboute to do great and harde thynges And the more harde vyle or paynefull the thynges be the more gladly diligently and more feruently wyll he attempte them And that specyally yf it be to the laude and honour of god and the helthe conforte of soules For than there can be nothyng to harde to vyle nor to paynfull for hym to do or suffre for god whiche dyd so great thynges for hym so vyle a wretche Yea also he thynketh all thynges though they be neuer so paynefull to be swete pleasaunt delectable commendable and moche to be desyred yf thereby he may be assimulate or made lyke vnto the moost shamefull and paynefull dethe of Christe his lorde god Those thynges this faythfull seruant doeth more gladly in those he occupieth hym selfe more aiudiously those thynges he sercheth and oft remembreth those he desyreth to fulfyll with a feruent mynde nat grudgynge nor sayenge why put you me to this vyle offyce to this shame to this labour and payne But rather thynkynge why shal I nat do these thynges with a glad mynde Nor he doeth nat repute or thynke hym selfe to be of any reputacion for that he serueth god but he thynketh it a greate thynge that it wolde please almighty god of his onely goodnes to accept vnto his seruyce so vyle vnworthy and moost myserable wretche as he is Wherefore in all these thynges his herte is onely pleased in that that he may be conformable to his lorde god and that he doeth folow hym in sufferaunce of troubles as moche as he may for hys frailtie And that he suffreth he knowledgeth it to be for his synnes And all his ioye is that his lorde is honoured by his glad pacience and sufferaunce of tribulacions This faythfull seruaunte hathe so strongly subdued and tyed his appetyte vnder the yocke and captiuitie of ryght reason that it shall nat haue his wanton pleasure in any carnall or worldly desyre nor yet in any vayne or vnprofytable thynge Also he kepeth his herte with all diligence as a castell of greate strengthe so that he wyll nat suffre any synfull thought to rest therein nor yet any vayne or vnfruitfull imaginacions to wandre therein He is euer thynkynge or considerynge those thynges that ben spyrytuall and godly or inducyng vnto god with great ioye he desyreth those thinges feruently laboureth to bryng them to effect But for as moche as in this lyfe euermore or for the moost parte the chaffe is myxt with the corne therfore this faythfull seruant taketh the rydell or wyndose of discrecion in his hande and so wyndeth and purgeth the chaffe from the corne in the doore of his herte He taketh into his hande the burnynge and sharpe swerde to kepe diligently his herte as the paradyse of god so that what so euer in his herte desyreth to eate of the tree of lyfe that is all suche thoughtes as be godlye spirituall and lyuely suche he diligentely doeth cheryssh and nourysshe And yf any thoughte do onely loke vnto the fruyte forboden that is to any thynge contrary to the commaundementes or pleasure of god suche thoughtes he wyll shortely expell frome his herte so that they shall haue no pleasaunt abydynge there The dysceytfull serpent shall haue none entraunce into that herte Ne yet the flatterynge persuacion of the woman And yf peraduenture he perceyue any suche appere in his herte anon he wyll remoue it wyth indignacion and sharpe rebukes for there onely bene nourysshed manly godlye
it to that person whiche is inebriate and drowned in the blood of Christe yf he se his hert enclyned to any other thyng thaÌ„ to Christe crucified Therfore suche a ê‘son disdeyneth to vse any other potion or drynk with pleasure but the blood of Christ whiche hath wasshed hym clene greatly beautified made hym like vnto Christ He knoweth that thrugh the openyng of the syde or hert of Christe his soule is maryed vnto Christe and therfore he wyll euer stande nygh vnto that wounde touchynge felynge his spouse wounded for his loue so he feruently desyreth that he myght be wounded in his herte and therfore he oft tymes layeth his herte vnto those woundes by continuall remembraunce of them and also ioyneth byndeth hym selfe vnto his spouse wouÌ„ded with the indissoluble and continuall or sure bonde of charitie for the wouÌ„des of Christ be as a cellar of wynes new broched whereby our soules may be inebriate or made drunke in charitie And hereunto it is wrytten in the canticles Introduxit me â—ex in cellam vinariam ordinauit in me charitatem The kynge hathe brought me into his wyne cellar that is into the feruent loue remembraunce of his woundes He hathe made me drunke in his loue and charitie Also it is sayd Canticorum 1. Introduxit me rex in cellaria sua The kynge hathe brought me into his cellers There shall we sucke hony out of the stone and drynke the moost purest blood of y e grape Christe crucified is this stone also this grape whereof we all may plenteously drynke And therefore he sayeth to his louers Bibite amici et inebriamini Cum drynke frendes hereof at your wyll and be drunke thereof my moost dere frendes Also the spouse Christe sayeth to his spousesse oure soule Vulnerasti cor meum soror mea sponsa vulnerasti cor meum Thou haste wounded my hert for thy loue my syster my spouse thou haste wounded my hert And she agayne wounded with his loue sayeth in lyke maner Vulnerata charitate ego sum ideoque filis Ierusalem nunciate dilecto quia amore langueo I am wouÌ„ded with charitie and therfore ye doughters of Ierusalem shew vnto my dere beloued spouse Christe that I languysshe and am sycke for loue And so the wounded spouses is ioyned to Christe crucified her wounded spouse and wounde is coupled to wouÌ„de that is loue to loue And than also the columbyne blood of the spouse that is of Christe whiche is symple as the downe by the whiche bloode our soule the spousesse of god receyueth hyr spirituall syght This blood I say doeth flow into the wouÌ„des of the spousesse whiche is so wounded by compassion that she hathe of hyr spouse Christ crucified that in a maner she fainteth swowneth for sorow and mylteth or waxeth sycke for the loue of his spouse and so than she swetely resteth in our sauiuor Iesu where she redeth and seeth vnderstandeth and fyndeth what she is of what meryte or dignitye in the loue and fauour of god for whose loue the sonne of god wolde suffre so great and greuouse tourmentes Hereunto speaketh saynte Bernarde O good Iesu thou haste made thy body as a glasse vnto my soule That whiche thou dyd suare openly I suffred pryuely That whiche thou suffred of the ministers of Cayphas openly I suffred of the ministers of wickednes of Sathanas inwardely Thy face was couered and also smyten or buffeted in the house of the prince of prestes and that was to put away the confusion of our ignoraunce and spirituall blyndenes We were sumtyme darknes that was before our baptisme but nowe we walke in the lyght that was set or hanged vp on height vppon the aulter or candelstycke of the crosse and from thence shyneth very bryght vnto our conforte And so Christe by his passion doeth illuminate or lyghten our reason vnderstandynge This is the ointement wherewith as saynt IohnÌ„ sayeth our iyen shulde be anointed that we myght se clerely This is also the rodde wherewith Ionathas toke of the hony and ate thereof and so his iyen were lyghtenyd This is more ouer the gall of the fysshe wherwith Thobie anointed his iyen and so receyued his syght agayne And so Longyne beynge blynde and wasshed with the blood of Christe receyued his syght and was also conuerted to the faythe And so ye may perceyue howe the passion of Christe doeth illuminate our vnderstandyng and gyueth knowledge to meke persons faythfully and deuoutly remeÌ„bryng his passion And this is thrugh the gyft of vnderstandyng to know god by his creatures or in comparyng hym to his creatures as we sayd before And also to be illuminat or lyghtened by the wrytynges and saynges of prophetes in the maner of contemplacion or knowledge of those thynges that be wryten of our lord Iesu Christe whereby man begynneth to retourne to his owne selfe for by this gyfte of vnderstandynge he recouereth his spirituall syght wherby he may se and know his owne honour and dignitie so retourne to his lorde god and se hym as it is possible for man in this lyfe And therefore to this gyfte correspondeth the .vi. beatitude that is Beati mundo corde quoniam ipsi deum videbunt Blessyd be the pure clene in hert for they shall se god And saynt Austen sayeth that the syxt operacion or gyft of the holy goost that is the gyfte of vnderstandynge is conuenient and accordyng to them that be pure in hert For they so clensed made pure may knowe se that whiche the corporall iye or syght can nat se And here note that there be two maners of clennes of the herte One is as a disposicion to the syght of god which is a clensyng of the wyll or affecte from all mordinate affections and this clennes is made or goten by the gyftes and vertues that perteyn to the wyll comonly called Vis anime appetitiua The desyrouse power of the soule There is an other clennes of the hert which is as a complete perfyce clennes whereby god is sene And this is the clennes of the mynde or vnderstandynge purified clensed from all fantasyes errours so that the soule so purified perceyueth the more clerely truely those thynges that be wryten or spoken of god nat onely perceyueth them by corporall fantasies ne yet vnderstandeth them as the peruerse and obstinate heretykes done declare them And this clennes is opteyned or goten by the gyfte of vnderstandyng wherunto correspondeth as I sayd before the .vi. beatitude that is Blessyd be the clene in herte for they shall se god And faythe or fidelitie one of the fruytes of the spyryt accordeth also hereunto And as ye se that the fruite of the tree is the last thynge and moost delectable or pleasaunt that we haue of the fruitfull tree so be the fruites of y e holy goost the most pleasaunt delectable thynges that cummeth to man by
no wyse man wolde gladlye or lyghtely lese that thynge whiche he bought so derely with his owne preciouse blood yf he might with any iustice or ryghtfully kepe it And so considerynge these she conceyueth in hyr selfe a hope and trust of forgiuenes And thaÌ„ she maketh hyr supplicacion prayer to god for his fauour grace promyseth to make amendes for hyr offences synnes as farre as it is possible for hyr to do ThaÌ„ she beholdeth considereth his house that our Salomon hathe made that is hyr owne body soule how hyr soule is made to that intent that it shulde be the house temple of the holy goost Also she coÌ„sidereth how gloryous goodly this house was made that is to thimage similitude of god And how vylely shamefully she hath defoiled it by hyr owne synne And so she beginneth to haue wonder maruell of the great mercy of god that so mercyfully wolde spare the synfull soule Secondly she beholdeth y e meates of his table or borde that is she coÌ„sidereth how mercifully he doeth nouryssh fede synners with his benefites though indede they be nat worthy to haue the bread that they eate Thyrdly our synfull Saba considereth his ministers seruantes that is she seeth how all creatures were create and made of god for to do seruyce vnto man and how they contynue they obedience and seruyce vnto man though man be inobedient vnto his lorde god creatour maker and so for his inobedience and synne vnworthy the seruice of any creature Fourthely she considereth theyr vestures and garmentes that is how mercyfully our lorde hytherto hath hyd and couered the priuy sinnes of our synfull soule though all thynges ben open to his syght and knowledge Fyftely she seynge his buttlers doeth consyder howe benignely our lorde god doeth byrle and gyue to vs the wyne of contricion and deuocion And therefore the prophete Dauid sayeth Potasti nos vino compunctionis Thou haste gyuen vs to drynke the wyne of compunction and sorow for our synnes Syxtely she beholdeth the oblacions that our Salomon doeth dayly offre that is how Christ offred hym selfe freely vpon the aulter of the crosse for our synnes and how the same body and bloode is dayly offered in the chyrche for our spirituall conforte And this oblacion excedeth all the other benefites of god gyuen to man And thus our quene Saba our synnefull soule hauynge the iyen of hyr wysdome in hyr hede Christe that is beholdynge and depely considerynge all the premisses she faynted and hyr spyryte fayled hyr She had no spyryte that is of synne iniquitie for that hath now lefte hyr And bicause now the holy spirite of god hath entred into that soule the wycked and vnclene spirite is expelled and put away And now finally as Salomon gaue to the quene of Saba many great precyouse gyftes so our kyng that hath wrought our saluacion in the myddest of the erth doeth gyue vnto the soule depely remeÌ„bryng the premisses great treasures of knowledge wysdom of vertue grace that moche more thaÌ„ she deserueth or asketh For whan a man inwardly considereth how he y t was most myghty of power was so dispiteously troden vnder fote for our synnes He that was most wyse was deluded mocked as a fole He that was best and all full of goodnes was replenisshed with the bytternes of sorow And he that was moost rightuouse to be coÌ„dempned to the moost shamefull dethe Whan a man I say coÌ„sidereth all these thynges anon the mynde aryseth into a greate meruell admiracion of y e worthynes noblenes of god wonderynge meruelynge of the great benignitie charitie of god towardes vs moost wretched and vnworthy seruauntes And than begynneth the mynde with a ferueâ—ent desyre and burnynge loue to be kyndled towardes our lorde god And the spirituall taste of our affection in a meruelouse maner is made moche pleasant and swete and our appetyte is wonderfully refresshed And so all our inwarde man is in a maner alienate lyfte vp from hymself and quietly doeth rest in our lorde Iesu O a meruelouse thynge and neuer herde or sene before that is that vnspeakable swetenes shuld be founde in the moost bytternes The moost bytter bytternes of our dere beloued sauioure Iesu is meruelously turned in our louynge mynde into a swetenes y t can nat be expressed rauysshyng and takynge into it the hole spirite of man so that that swetenes ones tasted all carnall and worldly pleasure waxeth all vnsauory and is excluded And in this swetenes is the speculacion or wysdom of the person contemplatynge beholdynge our lordes passion made perfite For herin he ioyneth putteth to gydre the hyghe inenarrable swetenes that he feleth in the consideracion beholdyng of that infinite goodnes of god that it wolde please hym to suffre so vyle a dethe for vs with that inestimable bytternes that he felte or feleth in hauynge compassion of the paynes sorowes of his lorde Iesu crucified And note here that that bytternes of compassion of Christes passion doeth gader in vnyt the mynde of man And thadmiracion or wonderful consideracion of the great goodnes of god in the same passion doeth eleuate lyft vp the mynd so vnit and gadred in offre it holly vnto god And for asmoche as therin is founde perceyued an vnspekable bytternes with an vnspekable swetenes therfore the mynd of the person that beholdeth considereth this wondereth at it so is alienated from hym selfe rauisshed aboue hym selfe lyke as yf he were all drunke he falleth vnto his lorde god where than the soule melted with loue thrughe the beholdynge of thinestimable charitie loue of god is made as moost pure golde purified in the hore furneys And in the consideracion of y e most excellent benignitie goodnes of god the soule is anointed made fat with the moost pleasant oyle of grace It also obumbrate shadowed with that 〈◊〉 of iustice is made moost shynynge The soule also clensed and gadred in with that great bytternes is abstract withdraweÌ„ from all bytternes sorow That soule beholden receyued of god all good is made all godly so at last it is absorpt and rauysshed with an vnspekable ioye meruelouse swetenes And the spousesse doeth reste swetely with hyr spouse and amonges those pleasaunte and swete enbracynges she may than sucke and drynke of the fountaynes of our sauiour the lyuely waters and true wysdome And here note that it perteyneth to this gyfte of wysdom nat onely to beholde consyder godly heuenly thynges but also to rule and order the actes and operacions of man In the whiche direction and order fyrst it aperteyneth to auoyde all euyll vyce that be contrary vnto trew wysdome And therfore the feare of god is called the begynnyng of wysdom for asmuche as it causeth a man to auoyde all euyll and synne The last thynge perteynynge
dere beloued spouse Iesu Christe This was hyr continuall confort in all hyr troubles She lerned by experience in this worlde that whiche Christe sayd in his gospell Nisi manducaueritis carnem filii hominis et biberitis eius saguineÌ„ non habebitis vitam in vobis That is Except y t ye eat the flessh of the sonne of a vyrgyn drynke his blood ye shal nat haue lyfe in you Nor this sayenge was sene to hyr very harde or vnreasonable as it was to the Iues but rather very swete pleasaunt For in this holy MaÌ„na she founde all pleasure all delectable sauour tast by y e receyuyng therof nat onely in hyr soule but also it was to hyr mouthe as swete as hony And nat only she had this great confort in the receyuyng of this most blyssed sacrameÌ„t but also in the syght therof And therfore after the tyme that y e preest had sayd maâ—se she desyred hym to leue the chaleys bare vncouered vpon the auter to thintent that she seynge it myght haue more perfyte mynde of the blood and passion of Christe Many other exaÌ„ples ye may se in the forsayd boke of this blessed womaÌ„ ¶ The .vi. particle Of the settynge of our lorde vpon the asse and vpon hyr foole or colte MAny misteries prophecies were spoken writen by the holy prophetes which were fulfylled by our sauiour Iesu Christe One of them we shall shewe vnto you in this chapitre how it was fulfylled in Christ Whan y e tyme drew nigh that our sauiour Iesus had determyned to redeme the worlde with his precyouse bloode that was the feast of Pasche at whiche feaste the Paschall lambe shulde be offered accordynge to thordinauÌ„ce of god our sauiour Iesu as the very true lambe signified by the other laÌ„be wold also voluntarily approche cum nigh vnto y e place of his passion where as he wolde be offred for the redemption of man In that dede shewynge that he was moost redy to obey vnto the wyll of his father and to meke hym to the most shamefull moost painefull dethe for our saluacion And what tyme it pleased his goodnes to take this iourney we may mekely byleue that our lady moued of hyr motherly affection wold haue withdrawen hym reteyned hym from that iourney And in lyke maner his disciples as we may suppose persuaded hym to the same but he had other wyse disposed for all our saluacion Wherfore in goyng towardê Hierusalem he went by the mount of Oliuet to signifie y t onely of pitie mercy nat of necessitie he cam to his passioÌ„ This mount as saint Hierom sayeth is called the mouÌ„t of Oliuet for asmoche as there dyd grow many Oliues of the which is made bothe creme oile by y t oile y e light of y e lampe is norisshed And so it may be called y e mount of oile creme of light that to signifie the .iii. effectes of Christes passioÌ„ y e is In y e oile is signified mercy forgyuenes In creme is signified y e vnction of grace And by the light is noted y e lyght of eternall glory And these effectes we haue by y e merites of Christes passion FroÌ„ this mount he sent .ii. of his apostles signifieng the .ii. generall coÌ„mauÌ„dementes of loue wherby all mankynde is absolued from syn y t is thou shalt loue thy lorde god with all thy herte c. The seconde is y u shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe By these .ii. preceptes yf they beÌ„ truely kept all syn is expelled all iustice is performed And he sayd vnto his .ii. apostles go vnto y t castell that is against you that is before your face at y e fote of y e mount of Sion He sayd y t that castell was against them or contrary to theÌ„ that was true for there they suffred moche coÌ„tradiction many rebukes also betynges as it is wryten in thactes of thapostles And there ye shall fynde an asse tyed hyr foole or colt with hyr the which colt was neuer ryden lawse theÌ„ bryng theÌ„ to me Spiritually this castell signifieth y e world The disciples signifieth the preachers For the worlde is euer contrary to y e prechers The worlde loueth foloweth ryches honours vayne pleasures CoÌ„trary the prechers do preche pouerty abiection penauÌ„ce The asse for hir folisshnes signifieth y e people of y e Iues. And y e colte y t was wilde wanton signifieth y e gentiles for theyr ê“nitie to syn custom of y e same The asse is a beest vnclene rude folyssh weike in hyr former partê though she be strong behynd These bestes were bouÌ„de So was all mankynde before y e cummynge of Christ bounde in the euyll custom of syn whiche bonde is mooste stronge of all other For where as other bondes whan they be olde they putrifie and so cum to noughte but this bonde of synne the longer it continueth the stronger it is There was neuer man that sat vppon this colte for the gentyles were neuer subdued to any reasonable law gyuen by god Lawse them by your godlye and heuenly doctrine from theyr errours synnes and brynge them to me enformed in true faythe vertuouse maners that they lawsed from the bondes of theyr synnes myght folow me in godly lyuynge And whan our lorde shuld haue rydden vpon this asse or hyr colte his disciples cast or put theyr garmentes vpon these beestes signifienge that our sauiour Iesu wolde nat reste or sytte vppon the naked soule excepte it fyrste be clad and coueryd with the doctryne and vertuouse maners of thexaposles Morally by this asse may be signified our body whiche is dull or rude folysshe vnclene weake before y t is to spirituall and heuenly thynges and stronge behynde that is to temporall and vayne thynges And by the colte may be signified our carnall affection and vayn desyre And these bestes ben tyed with inordinate pleasures But we must lawse them by the feare of god and prepare them with morall vertues and worthy fruites of penaunce that our lorde may rest syt vpon them so that eche one of vs myght say with the Prophete Vt iumentuÌ„ factus sum apud te I am made as a beest vnto the redy to bere y e therefore lay vppon vs what bourden it shall please the and we shall bere it And contrary wyse let vs here what saynte Paule sayth to vs Empti estis precio magno portate Christum in corpore vestro Ye be bought with a great and dere pryce therefore bere Christe in 〈◊〉 bodies paciently sufferynge his visitacion in authynges By those that brought this asse hyr colt vnto Christ may be signified those penitentes whiche do offre brynge theyr bodies to god by due mortificacion and theyr soules by true contricion As the bodye is signified by the asse so may the synfull soule be signified by the colte
had done I suppose hyr virginall hert wolde haue broken for sorow But bycause she knew it nat they wēt quietly to supper At the whiche supper Iudas set hym bytwyxte Iesus and his mother Mary for a token or sygne that shortely by his treason he wold diuide them a sunder And at this supper Christ declared ordinately the misteries of his passion And in his preachynge whan he beholdynge Iudas remembred his falsnes and dampnacion Christe waxed very pale For as saynte Thomas sayeth Amonges all the passions of the soule heuynes doeth moost noy and hurte the body and altre the body And whan supper was done the vyrgyn Mary sayd to hyr sonne Iesus My swete sonne I wolde speke with the secretely And than she sayd O my confort and my lyght say to me the trouth why wast thou so pale at supper what ment thy wepyng and depe syghynges My herte was almoost broken thereby And than Iesus sayd to his mother O my blessed mother thou remēbrest for what cause I was incarnate and made man in thy wombe therfore sith thou woldest knowe the cause of my heuynes this is it The tyme is cum and the houre is at hande that I shall be departed from the by my moost bytter passion that I shall suffre for the redemption of man Therfore whan I actually remēbre this it causeth suche heuynes in me Than whan the vyrgyn Mary herd for a certeinty that the deathe of hyr sonne was so nyghe at hande Ah good lorde how moche dyd she sorow What wepynges sobbynges and syghynges had she Euery motherly hert may imagyn And than after hyr wepynges she wyllyng to moue hyr sonne to sum other maner way of redemption for the saluacion of man said My dere sonne I knowe that thy heuenly father hathe decreed with his mercy to redeme mankynde but all thynges be possible to thy father and to the. Wherfore yf it wolde please thy father the thou myght redeme mankynde by an other way than by thy passion Sithe therfore thou maist so do I beseche the it may so be Hereunto Iesus aunswered O my moost swete mother I knowe thy loue and charitie towardes me but good mother I must nedes more obey to god my father of whome I haue my godhed than to the of whome onely I haue my manhoode This same wednysday Mary Magdalene sent a messanger vnto Hierusalem to here and knowe what was there spoken of Iesu And this messanger sayde that it was decreed by the councell of the Phariseis that Iesus shulde dye and how that they wold crucifie hym And than the virgyn Mary with Mary Magdalene and Martha cam vnto Iesu and sayd O moost pitiouse confortour go nat into Hierusalem for they haue concluded agaynste the they wyll slee the. Abyde here we shall prepare the Paschall lambe for the. Hereunto Iesus sayde O my deare mother O Magdalene O Martha The tyme determyned by my father is cum that I shulde redeme mankynde It is necessary that my fathers wyll be fulfyllyd Than the virgyn Mary sayd to hym O my moost dere belouyd sonne O my lyfe light of myne iyen yf thou wylte nedes go into Hierusalem and dye suffre me to dye with the or els before the. Iesus aunswered sayd O my moost kynde mother all my disciples shall forsake me and the faythe shall perysshe and cease in them for the tyme of my passion therfore it is necessarye that thou abyde with theym bothe to confyrme them in faythe and also to conforte them O my swete mother I thanke the with all my herte for all thy benefytes and kyndenes that thou haste done to me Here frendes loke vppon hyr motherly herte and consydre what heuynes and sorow she had herynge these wordes of hyr dere sonne Iesus Erly on the thursday in the mornyng they bothe kneled downe and kyssynge to gyther toke theyr leue with many teares wepynges And as saynt Austen sayeth Libro de verbis domini Whan they went to gyther the virgyn mary sayd O my moost swete sonne I shall no more here the. O ioy full of the pleasure of paradyse I shal no more touche the. O thou consolacion of the worlde I wyll neuer leue the. Yf thou go I wyll go Yf thou stande I wyll stande And than Iesus aunswered with a wepynge and mournynge voice O my dere mother why doest thou trouble me with thy wepynge sithe the heuynes that I haue for my passion is sufficient for me So ofte doeth the swerde of sorow perce my herte as ofte as I se the wepe or any teare fall frō thyne iyen Wherefore I beseche the moost naturall and louynge mother to go with my welbelouyd Magdalene into hyr house to whō I commende the and so with great sorow departed And at this moost heuy departynge she sayd vnto Iudas O Iudas I commende my moost dere beloued son vnto the. Yf thou here any thynge contrary to hym shew hym of it that he may be the more ware And herof sayeth saynt Bernarde O blyssed vyrgyn Mary thou dyd nat know that thou commended thy moost innocent sonne to a foxe moost false and subtile Thy moost mekest lambe to a wolfe Thy sonne very truthe to a crafty lyer And so the sorowfull mother departed from hyr sonne seynge that it wolde be non otherwyse O what suppose you sayd than Magdalene Martha and other women there presente vnto our lady Let euery man thynke as his deuocion seruyth hym I thynke they myght say as it is wryten in the Canticles O moost goodly of all women whyther is thy moost dere beloued gone Where hathe he hyd hym selfe We wyll go serche hym with the. And the sorowfull vyrgyn myghte aunswere My conforte my lyfe my sonne doeth go in a strayt and harde way byset rounde about with his enemies c. ¶ The .ix. particle Of the supper or maundie of our lorde WHan the tyme of the miseracions and mercies of our lorde was cum in the whiche he had disposed to saue his people to redeme theym nat with corruptyble golde or syluer but with his owne preciouse blood before he shoulde departe frome his disciples by his corporall dethe he wolde make vnto them a supper for a signe memoriall of thynges past and also to fulfyll the misteries that were to be fulfylled Therefore our lorde Iesus required of his disciples where and in what place he wolde haue the Paschall lambe prepared for hym and them He sente Peter and Iohn̄ to one of his louers in the mounte of Syon where as was a goodly and a great chambre strewed and made redy for hym and there they prepared the Paschall lambe for hym By Peter is signified good operacion or actyue lyfe And by Iohn̄ is noted deuoute contemplacion These .ii. prepare the Pascall lambe that is they dispose a man duely and reuerētly to receyue the holy body of our lorde signified by the Paschall lambe They prepare this spirituall lambe in a greate
vyne Who is he that doeth nat se and consyder the bondes wherewith this oure vyne tree was bounde He was bounde with seuen bondes The fyrste sayeth saynt Bernarde I trow was his obedience whereby he was obedient to his father vnto the death of the crosse He dyd also obey to his mother Marie and to his father putatiue Ioseph As saynt Luke sayth Venit Nazareth et erat subditus illis Iesus came to Nazareth with mary and Ioseph and was obedient to them He was also obedient vnto the emperour paynge tribute vnto hym The second bonde was the wombe of the virgyn Marie Hereunto the churche syngeth of our lady in a certen respond whom the heuens coulde nat take thou virgyn hath conteyned hym in thy wombe The thyrde bonde was his cradell bondes or the cryb wherin he was layde as saynt Luke sayth The .iiii. bonde was this bonde wherwith he was bounde whan he was taken O howe rughe and harde were these bondes of these moste cruell Iues wherwith they bonde that most mylde lambe Iesus Christe O good Iesu I considre and se with the eyen of my soule the swete lorde bounde with moost harde ropes and drawen as a thefe to the house of the prynce of preestes I se this good lorde and I abhorre it and also moche meruayle thereat and so meruaylynge I shulde faynte and also dye for sorowe but that manifestly I knowe that thou was fyrste bounde in thy herte with the bondes of loue and charitie whiche louyngly dyd drawe the to suffer gladely these outwarde bondes The fyrste bonde was that wherwith he was fastyned to the pyllar whan he was scourged of the whiche we shall speake hereafter The syxte bonde was the crowne of thornes wherewith his heed was faste bounde as we shall declare hereafter The seuenthe bonde were the nayles that nayled his handes and feete faste vnto the crosse Or elles we may saye after saynte Birgitte in her reuelations that this seuenthe bonde was that corde and rope wherwith they drewe his arme and his feete so that all the ioyntes of his body were dissolued for fyrste they nayled his ryghte hande and then they drewe the left hand with a rope vnto the hoole that was made before for that hande And in lyke maner they drewe his feete so that al his veynes and synewes brast and all his ioyntes loosed so that a man myght nombre all his bones as the prophet Dauid sayth And this payne was so great greuous that the lyfe myght nat continue with it in any other man but Christe preserued his lyfe vnto suche tyme it pleased hym to yelde vp his spirit into y e handes of his father therfore he said Potestatē habeo ponēdi āam meā nemo tollit eā a me I haue power to gyue vp my soule at my pleasure Also no man may take my life frō me but I shall forsake it at my wyll and at my wyll take it agayne Our sauyour Iesu thus taken and bounden al his disciples forsakynge hym for feare fledde from hym as we shall declare in the nexte article ¶ Here foloweth .iii. lessons THe first lesson is our lord wolde be bounde bycause that he wold loose the bōdes of our synnes Secondly he wold be bounde for that he wolde bynde vs to hym with the bonde of charite He is the same bonde of charitie wherwith our soule is bounden to god He is signifyed by the reed coorde or lyne whiche Raab tyed in the wyndowe of hyr house for a sure signe or token that she and al hyrs shulde be saued at the destruction of Hiericho So surely euery faythfull soule corrupte by the olde synne of Adam and so signifyed by Raab that is comonly noted for a comen woman yf this soule be regenerate by the fayth of Christ and haue this reed corde tyed in the wyndowe of hyr inwarde house by the whiche the lyght of god entrethe in to hyr soule without doubte suche a soule hath a sure token of hyr health for suche a soule is so tyed vnto god and god vnto hyr that she can nat lyghtly be separat from god This is also the corde or rope wherwith our lord was tyed vnto the pillar whiche without doubte was reed for it was made reed with the holy blode of Christ This is also that lyne or corde wherwith Paule was so surely fastened to Christe that nothyng myght depart hym from Christ Nother tribulation ne anguish nor hungre nor nakednes persecution nor swerde and shortly to speake no creature myght departe hym from the charite of Christ The thyrde lesson is that we shuld so bynde all our membres and specyally our tonge with the cordes of the preceptes of god that she shulde nat be loosed vnto any thynge contrarie to the wyll of god or his commaundementes ¶ A prayer O Iesu whiche wold be bounde with the handes of wycked men I beseche the loose the bondes of my synnes and so bynde me to the with the bondes of thy preceptes that neuer the membres of my body nor the powers of my soule be loosed and at lybertie to do any thynge contrarie to thy wyll Amen ¶ Of the fleynge or departynge away of the disciples of Christe The .vii. article THe .vii. article is of the departyng awaye or fleyng of the disciples of Christe Of the whiche it is wryten in the gospel thus Tunc omnes relicto eo fugerunt Whan Iesus was taken then all his disciples lefte hym and fled from hym This fleynge and departyng was no lytell payne to Christe And therfore this article is nombred with the other articles of his passion for specyally he was sory for this maner of departynge And of this departynge speaketh Iob in the person of Christ sayenge Fratres mei elongauerunt a me et no ti mei quasi aliem recesserunt a me My bretherne haue gone farre from me and myne aquayntance or knowen disciples as straungers hath forsaken me And in a token or remembraunce of this forsakyng the aulters on shire thursday be bared for all theyr ornamentes be taken awaye and the aulter lefte naked and bare Christ is this aulter and the apostles be the ornamentes whiche fled from Christ and left hym alone in the hādes of his enemies Our lorde was heuy and sory of this departyng of his discyples nat for hym selfe but for them that they were so sclaundered in hym Of this sorowe saynt Ierome saythe It is nat to be beleued that this departynge was without greate anguysshe and heuynes of the herte of Christe and also it was nat without greate mornynge and wepynge of the apostles For I can nat thynke that after they se that cruell compeigney take and bynde our sauiour Iesu theyr most louynge maister but that they wept and said with greate sorowe O moost benygne maystre more swete or pleasaunte than all hoony It is moche sorowfull to vs to se the so cruelly entreated of the
for me wolde be spoyled of thy clothes and syt naked before y e crosse make me to be spoyled or naked from all worldly thynges that be hynderaunce to my saluacyon that I naked myght folowe thy naked crosse Amen ¶ Howe Christ was layde or spred vpon the Crosse The .xlvi. article THe .xlvi. article is the extensyon of Christe vpon the crosse for after they had taken his clothes frome hym and the crosse was made redy they with greate fury toke Christe from his mother Marie not without her great sorowe wepynge sobbyng they cast hym very harde naked as he was vpon the harde crosse lyeng vpon the erth and so cruelly they spred hym abrode vpon the crosse and drewe out his armes and legges as a cloth is stretched drawen out vpon tenters in somoche they drewe hym so that all his meÌ„bres and ioyntes were in a maner out of theyr proper places Of this speaketh the prophet sayng Funes extenderunt in laqueum These moste cruell tormentours haue extended theyr ropes to make a snare for me And in an other psalme Funes peccatorum circumplexi sunt me The roopes of synners haue compassed me aboute and that so sharplye that all his bones myght be nombred and therfore the same prophet sayth of these tormentours in the persone of Christe Dinumerauerunt omnia ossa mea They haue nombred all my bones for they dyd prepare the crosse without aduysemeÌ„t or any mesure takynge of the length and brede of Christes body or els they dyd it of pure malice that is to make the holes so far distance to put Christ to the more payne And when Iesus wyllingly prepared hym selfe to lye downe vpon y e crosse those most wicked and cruell tormentours toke hym by the armes violently and cast his most holye and tender bodye vpon the harde crosse in so moche that therby the crowne of thornes was thurste more fast and farther in to his hed and so put hym to extreme payne O thou christen soule beholde the face of thy sauyoure Christe but howe can thou lyft vp thyne eyne vnto his face to beholde his tormentes without teares And howe can thou thynke in thy herte of his most greuous paynes without sorowe and syghyng And consider what tribulation and sorowe he founde when he saught the. And herby ye may perceyue that this extension doth conueniently make a specyall article for therby Christe suffred a great and greuous payne And therfore the churche doth say and synge in a certen hympne Flecte ramos arbor alta tensa laxa viscera c. O thou high tre of the crosse bowe downe thy branches lawce the bowels that be stretched vpon the. c. This extension or stretchynge forth of the bodie of Christe doth also shewe and declare vnto vs the great effusyon of the goodnes of Christe towardes vs whiche procedeth from his highe and infinite charitie that he hathe to vs. By this extension of his armes and membres vppon the crosse he doth shewe y t he loued vs asmoche as he might gyuynge to vs to gette our loue all that he was in hym self and all that he myght do And that whiche he coulde not expresse by worde for his charitie in vnspeakeable he dyd expresse it with this signe and token of his bodye that is in this extensyon and stretchynge oute of his bodye vpon the crosse And hereunto saynte Bernarde sayth Verylye oure sauyour Iesus is a large and a liberall dispenser stewarde or prouysoure whiche hath gyuen to vs his owne flesshe to oure meate and his blode to oure drynke his soule for the pryce of oure redemption hys woundes for oure remedye agaynste temptacyons hys armes for oure refuge and comforth his crosse for oure shelde his herte for a token of loue to vs his water to bathe and wasshe vs his swette for a medicine to vs his nayles for our sauce his crowne of thornes to our ournament his wordes to our instruccyon both his lyfe and deth to our example These be the .xii. fruytes of the tre of lyfe of whiche saynt Iohan speaketh in his apocalipse These also be signifyed by the .xii. breades or looues that were dayly sette vpon the table in the temple of god called mensa propositionis ¶ A Lesson OF this article we may take this lesson that we shuld extend and streche forthe all our membres and partes of our body in to the obsequy and seruyce of Christe that is our handes and armes to good werkes our fete in goynge to good and godlye places our kneys to knele in prayer and all our senses to holy exercyse of theyr actes and operacyons so that we may say with the prophet Omnia ossa mea dicent domine quis similis tui Al my bones shall say O lorde who is lyke to the there is none so louynge to vs as thou arte therfore we aught to serue the with all the partes of our bodie And herunto saynt Paule exhorteth vs saynge Obsecro vos vt exhibeatis corpora vestra hostiam viueÌ„tem sanctam c. I beseche you that ye so order your bodies that they may be a quicke or lyuynge hoste holye pleasaunt to god and a reasonable obsequie that all thynges be done reasonably Of this extencyon we may take example in the strynges of a harpe or lute whiche wyll make no sowne good and pleasaunt except they be extended and writhed vp And a man to conforme hym selfe vnto this article he may extende all his membres and specyally his armes in the maner of a crosse and that outher standyng or lyenge as his deuocyon moueth hym and also extende all the powers of his saule to the laude and prayse of god and pray as foloweth or in lyke maner ¶ A prayer O Iesu whiche for me wold be extended vpon the crosse that so cruelly that all thy bones myght be nombred make me to extende all my membres and powers both of soule and bodye vnto thy laude and praysynge Amen ¶ Howe Christ was crucifyed The .xlvii. article THe .xlvii. article is the crucifienge of Christ for our sauiour Iesus wold not onely be extended vpon the crosse but also wolde be fastened and nayled to the crosse to commende vnto vs his indissoluble charitie wherby he dyd stablysshe our helth Therfore after that those cruell tormentours had so stretched Christe vpon the crosse that the veynes and synnouse were greatly and aboue mesure extended and also the ioyntes of the boâ—es out of order then dyd they crucify hym and nayle hym fast to the crosse bothe his handes and fete and that with great harde and grosse nayles whiche were so blunte and grosse that they bracke both skyn and flesshe synnouse and vaynes and also put the ioyntes of the bones out of order And the cause why he wolde be crucifyed is this for asmoche as our firste parent Adam extendynge his handes to the tre that was forbodden to hym and with his fete going
the breakynge of the golden calfe to turne away the wrath of his father from vs that he shulde not destroye vs. And truely our sauiour Iesus stode in coÌ„fraccyon in breakyng â–ª for thoughe he were brosed and broken in all his bodye yet he dyd not fall downe in soule and mynde but stode stedfastly in perseuerance of good wyll O blessed Iesu in what state do I se the O most swete and amiable Iesu who hath put the to so bitter cruell and odiouse deth O onely sauiour of our olde rotten wouÌ„des who hath brought the not onely to most paynfull but also to suffer moste shameful woundes O most dulce and swete vyne tree O good Iesu is this the fruyte that thy vyneyarde dothe brynge forthe to the whiche thou translated out of Egipte in to a moste pleasaunt and fruytefull soyle and grounde and hathe most paciently taried vnto this day of thy mariage and loked that it shulde haue brought to the swete grapes but it broughte forth thornes for it hath crowned the with thornes these Iues thy vyneyarde haue coÌ„passed the about with the thornes of theyr synnes Beholde to what bitternes and sharpnes this vyne is turned not nowe thy vineyarde but rather a straunger to the for it denyed the cryenge and sayenge Non habemus regem nisi cesarem We haue no kynge but the emperour Therfore these cursed and cruell tylmen haue caste the out of the vyneyarde of the cytye of Hierusalem or els out of theyr compaigney and there haue slayne the not sodenly or out of hande but with a longe tormeÌ„t and payne of the crosse and haue gyuen to the many greuouse woundes with whippynges beatynges scourgynges and at last naylynge the handes and fete to the crosse where as thou suffred .xxvi. strokes with the hamer vpon thy handes and .xxxvi. vp on thy fete in dryuynge in the nayles ¶ A Lesson OF this article we may lerne howe to put and hyde all oure troubles aduersities temptacyons infirmities our synnes and al our paynes dewe for synne in this most swete wound of the first hande of our sauiour Iesu wherwith he toke deth al our miserie and nayled it fast to the crosse In that maner dyd saynt Austen sayng When any fylthy cogitacyons doth inpugne me I runne to the woundes of Christe and I am helped when the flesshe oppresseth me I ryse thorowe the remeÌ„braunce of the woundes of my lorde god when the deuyll doth lye in a wayte of me I flye to the woundes of our lorde and he flyeth from me If carnall concupiscence do moue my bodye that fier of carnall pleasure is extincte by the remeÌ„braunce of the passion of my lord god And this in all myne aduersities and temptacyons I fynde none so sure remedy as the woundes of Christ in these I slepe surely in these I reste without fere and thoughe saynte Austen speake here indifferently of all the woundes of Christe yet properlye we may say that this sure remedye is founde in the wound of this firste or lefte hand of Christe Also it apperteyneth to this wounde that we shulde auoyde all euyll werkes for the loue of god crucifyed for vs. And a man to conforme hym selfe to this article may ofte kysse this wounde of Christe and ofte remeÌ„ber the forsayde woundes of saynt Austen And pray thus ¶ A prayer O Iesu whiche for me most wretched wold haue thy left hand digged or boored with a nayle and fastened to the crosse graunt to me that I may euer put and hyde al myne aduersities and temptacyons in the moste swete wound of that left hand and that I may fynde in it a sure and holsome remedye agaynste all maner of tribulacyons Amen ¶ The boorynge or naylynge of the seconde or ryght hande The .xlix. article THe .xlix. article is the naylynge of Christes seconde or ryghte hande wherwith as saynte Hierome sayth he founde lyfe that was lost and perisshed And here by lyfe may be taken and vnderstanded all thynges that perteyne to our helth and saluacyon as afore by deth were vnderstanded synne and all that folowed of synne This lyfe our sauiour Iesus hath gyuen to vs with his second hande And of this gyfte he hathe writen to vs a sure preuilege or dede of gyft writen I saye with his precyous blode not in paper or parchment but in his ryghte hande whiche also he hath sealed for a perpetuall remeÌ„braunce with a sharp nayle persynge his hande as it were with a seale And herunto sayth saynt Peter Maxima et preciosa vobis promissa donauit deus c. Almightie god hath gyuen to you most good and precyous promysses and therby ye may be made lyke vnto god and felowes or partakers of his diuine and godlye nature ¶ A Lesson OF this article we may lerne howe to hyde all our good werkes that our lorde worketh in vs in this wounde of this second hande attributyng them not to ourselfe as that we shuld be the chefe werkers of them but gyuyng all to the goodnes and grace of god praynge and desyrynge his grace that all our negligences and inperfeccyons may be restored performed and fulfylled by this most swete wounde And thus dyd saynte Austen saynge What so euer I want in my selfe as of my selfe I vsurp and take it to me of the bowelles of my lorde Iesus for frome thens floweth mercy plentuously nor there wanteth no hooles or ryuers wherby that mercy myght haue recours to me And therfore I shall euermore prayse the mercyes of our lorde for the woundes of Iesu Christe be full of mercye full of pitie full of swetenes and charitie by these hooles and riuers it is leâ—ull for me to taste howe swete and pleasaunt my lorde my god is And thoughe this is spoken generally of all the woundes of Christe yet specyallye it apperteyneth to the wounde of this seconde or ryght hand And a man to conforme hym self to this article shuld oftymes kysse the wounde of the ryght hande of the crucifix and ofte reuolue in his mynde the forsayde wordes of saynte Austen and praye as foloweth ¶ A prayer O Iesu whiche for me a wretche wolde haue thy ryght hande persed thorowe with a nayle and so fastened to the crosse graunt to me that I may hyde in the most swete wounde of thy ryght hande with thankes al my good werkes that it shal please thy goodnes to worke in me and that all my negligeâ—ces and imperfeccyons may therby be performed and supplyed Amen ¶ The naylynge of the first foote or lefte fote of Christ The .l. article THe .l. article is the naylynge of the first or lefte foote of Christe By feete in scripture ar taken and vnderstanded our affeccyons and desyres with the whiche oure soule goeth which for the more parte be in vs senistrall that is of the left parte euyll or imperfite but in Christe they all be on the ryght syde good and perfyte and therfore Christ by the
wounde of his first or left fote that dyd cure and heale oure euyll cogitacyons affeccyons Scripture speakyng of our olde and corrupt man sayth Cuncta cogitatio cordis humani prona est ad malum omni tempore All the cogitacyon and desyre of mannes herte is prone and redy to euyll at all tymes But nowe of man renewed and healed by Christe may be veryfyed this sayenge of the wyseman Desiderium iustorum omne bonum The desyre of iuste men is all good Of these iust men also speaketh the prophet Ezechiell saynge Pedes eorum pedes recti The feete of them be ryght feete for the affeccyons and desyres of good men be not croked frowarde or turned to euyll and that is by the efficacitye and vertue of this wounde of the first or lefte foote of Christe ¶ A Lesson OF this article we may take this lesson that as ofte as we be impugned with euyll cogitacyons affeccyons or vayne desyres we shulde forthwith flye vnto the wounde of this foote of Christ for from thens as from a most pure and holsom foūteyn there floweth to vs an holsom medicine wherwith all the fylthe of our cogitacyons all our corrupte affeccyons and desyres and breuely all our euyl and synne is wasshed and so purified and healed This perceyued wele saynt Austen in hym self when he sayde in his contemplation those wordes that be writen in the lesson of the .xlviii. article A man to conforme hym selfe to this article shulde oftymes kysse the wounde of the lefte foote of Christ with the remembraunce of this lesson and pray as foloweth ¶ A prayer O Iesu which for me wolde haue thy moste holye feete persed with a great grosse hard nayle and so to be fastened vnto the crosse graunt to me y t when so euer I am impugned or troubled with euyl cogitations sinistrall affeccyons and desyres I may runne to the wounde of thy left foote and there to fynde and receyue holsome medicynes for my saluacyon Amen ¶ The naylynge of the seconde or ryght foote of Christ The .li. article THe .li. article is the nailyng of the right foot of Christ By the wounde of this foote our good desyres which of them selfe be feble and imperfyte be strengthed and made perfit For as saynt Paule sayth We be not sufficyent of ourselfe as of our awne vertue to thynke any good thynge but our sufficiencye therin is of god wherfore thoughe our cogitacyons wylles affeccyons desyres be somtyme good of theyr owne kynde and nature yet they be of no value or merit in the syght of god excepte they be dyed or put in the blode of the feet of Christe therfore the prophet sayth Vt intinguatur pes tu us in sauguine Thy foot or affeccyon must he dyed and put in the blode of Christe or els all is without fruyte of eternall rewarde And herunto sayth the glose vpon these wordes Foderunt manus meas et pedes meos They haue delued or digged my handes and my feete he sayth not Transfixerunt or vulnerauerunt They hath nayled or wounded but foderunt they haue delued or digged for the erth that is delued is apte to brynge forth fruyte So Christ digged in his handes and fete brought to vs the fruyt of lyfe and no meruell for he ranne after vs all the dayes of his lyfe with great thyrst and moste feruent desyre of our health ▪ ¶ A Lesson IN this article we lerne how to offre and to put al our good thoughtes wylles affeccyons and desyres into the frutfull wound of the ryght foote of Christ and that with great thankes ioynynge our desyres vnto his desyres at all tymes as it ware by a louynge kysse that therby they myghte be performed and so myght brynge forth good fruyte So Mary Magdalene dyd kysse the feet of Iesu and therby she receyued so plentuouse frute that all her affeccyon and loue were turned in to teares of contricyon compassion and deuocyon and if at somtyme we can not haue good desyres at the lest let vs haue a wyll to haue good desyres as Dauyd sayth My soule hath coueted to desyre thy iustificacyons at all tymes and if we so do then god shall accepte our wyll for a dede A man to conforme hym selfe to this article may oftymes kysse the wounde of the righte foote of the crucifix with the remembraunce of this lesson and then pray thus ¶ A prayer O Iesu whiche dyd make a founteyne of thy grace sprynge to vs from the holsom and most swete woūde of thy right foote graunt to me that I may fasten and ioyne all my good desyres to that same thy wounde with a louely kysse and to make them conformable and agreynge to thy holy desyres Amen ¶ Howe the crosse with Christe vpon it was raysed vp The .lii. article THe .lii. article is the areyryng vp or lyftyng vp of Christ vpon the crosse for after some doctours Christe was nayled to the crosse the crosse lyeng vpon the erth and after that he was nayled therunto they lyfted hym vp with the crosse and this lyftyng vp and puttynge of the crosse in to the stamp or fote that was fixed in the erth was one of the most greuous paynes of Christ and that was bycause all the weyght of his bodye dyd rest vpon hys handes and fete nayled and therfore when they had areysed vp the crosse and put it downe with violence in to the stampe or foote it dyd so shake the bodye that it rent the woundes of his handes feet in so moche that greate plenty or ryuers of blode dyd flowe or runne out of those woundes and founteynes of our sauiour O blessed Iesu howe swetly and pleasantly was thou conuersant with men Howe greate gyftes dyd thou gyue to men and that in most abundance howe harde and sharpe paynes haste thou suffred for them thou haste suffred harde wordes harder strokes and beatynges and most harde tormentes of the crosse and that in euery parte of thy bodye Man was seake in his heade that is in his intention that is when he dyd any thynge for an euyll intent whiche intention is as it were the heade of the soule Man was also seake in hys handes when he dyd euyll werkes or imperfyte he was also seke in his fete when he had vnclene affeccyons and desyres he was seake in his herte for he had euyl and vayne cocitacyons he was also seake in his hole bodye for he lyued a worldly lyfe after the pleasures of the worlde and of the bodye And for these causes good Iesu thou wolde be wounded first in the heade that thou myght cure all our euyll and peruerse intencyons thou wold be woūded in thy hādes to heale al our sinful remisse operations In thy fete to purge all our vnclene worldly affeccyons thou wolde be wounded in thy hert to clense all our euyll and vayne cogitacyons And also thou wolde be scourged and wounded
teares for he wepte Thyrde he offred his prayers for them with great sheddynge of teares and also a myghtye or great voyce or crye Of this prayer saynt Bernarde sayth Christ scourged with whippes crowned with thornes crucifyed and nayled with greate grosse nayles fylled with rebukes forgettynge all these sorowes sayde Father forgyue them Frome this charitable lorde cometh great mercy to our bodyes and moche more to our soules O good Iesu howe moche is thy mercye stablysshed vpon wicked men And howe greate is the multitude of the swetenes of thy mercy for thou shalte make vs that feruently desire the to drinke of the plentuous ryuer of thy swetenes and pleasure Also the same saynte Bernarde sayth who and of what kynde is that person which in all his tribulations and tormentes wolde not ones open hys mouthe to compleyne or to excuse hym selfe to threat or to curse his cruell aduersaryes and aboue all this at last he opened hys mouthe and spake for his enemyes a blessed worde suche a word as hathe not ben harde frome the begynnynge of the worlde that is Father forgyue them O my soule haste thou euer sene any man so myld so pacyent so charytable Consider what quietnes pacyence and charitie was hyd in that most swete brest and hart he wolde not shewe his iniuries he regarded not his paynes he wolde not speake of his rebukes but he had compassyon of theym of whome he suffred these thynges he cured theym that wounded hym he procured life for them that slewe hym and said Father forgyue them O my soule hyde or put vp this most swete worde of Christ in the treasor of thy hert that as oâ—te as thy enemyes be cruell agaynst the thou mayst remembre the abundance of this swetenes of blessed Iesu and so to lay or put this worde and prayer of Iesu as a shelde for thy defence agaynst the assaultes of thyne enemyes thy spouse and lorde Iesus doth praye for his crucifyers shalt not thou pray for thy detractours let vs yet repete this prayer father sayth Iesus forgyue them what name is this father It is a name of naturall loue Chylderne when they wolde haue any thynge or greatly desyre a thyng they be wont to name theyr father to reduce vnto his mynde the naturall loue that fathers haue vnto theyr chylderne that therby they myght the more shortly haue theyr desyre So our sauyour Iesus pitious and mercifull pacyence and of moche compassion good and louynge to all persons though he knewe that he was euer harde in his peticyons to his father yet to shewe vnto vs with howe great affeccyon and desyre we shulde pray for our enemyes in his prayer he put that name of loue Father as if he shulde say I beseche the for thy fatherly loue in whiche loue we be one to here my prayer and to forgyue them that crucifye me Knowe the loue of thy sonne that thou mayst forgyue myne enemyes Also saynt Hierome sayth Al these illusyons and scornes or mockynges ware done to Christe by the mocyon of the deules whiche an one as Christ was crucifyed they beganne to perceyue and feele the vertue of the crosse and so thought that they shulde lese theyr greate power and therfore they laboured instantelye that Christe shulde descende downe from the crosse But Iesus knowynge theyr falshed and crafte wolde continue vpon the crosse vnto his death that therby he myghte destroye death and subdue the deuyll O moste gentyll Iesu howe greate was here thy pacyence ¶ A Lesson OF this article we may lerne that when we be in depe contemplation in good operation or els in religion we shuld not descende or leaue them for any rebukynges mockynges or scornynges of any persons but continue and pacyently beare suche despysynges for the loue of Christe as Christ for our loue dyd pacyently beare all the forsayd rebukes and for our example wolde not descende from the crosse but there continued vnto his deth and this was figured in the boke of iudges where as the vyne tre sayd vnto the other trees that wolde haue had the vyne to come to them and to haue ben theyr kynge Nunquid possum de serere vinum meum quod letificat deum et homines c. It is conuenient for me to forsake my wyne that conforteth both god men and come to you to be your kynge Nay I wyll not In lyke maner sayd the olyue tree and the figge tree So our very true vyne tree that sayth Ego sum vitis vera I am a true vyne tree wold not leaue the fruyte of his passion that gladdeth both god angel and man and come of the crosse to be promoted amongê y e Iues. ¶ A prayer O Iesu whiche for me crucifyed wolde be mocked and despysed with many rebukefull wordes and yet wolde so charitably pray for thy crucifiers make me that I neuer descend from my religyon or any good werke for no suggestion of the deuyll or despysynges of man but that I may continually perseuer in thy loue and that I may for thy loue forgyue all them that do or saye any euyll to me or agaynste me and that I maye euermore praye hertely for them Amen ¶ Howe the thefe of the lefte hande rebuked Christe The .lvii. article THe .lvii. article is the rebukynge that the thefe spake to Christe for one of the theues that were hanged with Christ that is he on the left syde of Christ began to rebuke Christ sayng Si tu es xpÌ„s salua temetipsum et nos If thou be Christe the sonne of god saue thy selfe and also vs. This was the .viii. mockynge of the whiche we spake in the last article and this was more rebuke to Christe than the other thre declared in the laste article bycause so vyle a persone wretched and condempned to deth and furthwith shulde suffer deth for his owne synnes and myslyuynge wold thus so shamefully rebuke the auctor of lyfe And therfore this rebuke is coÌ„ueniently made a special article But the other thefe hering hym speake so loudly dyd sharply blame hym saynge Neque tu times deum qui in eadem dampnatione es c. Dost not thou feare god that arte condempned to deth as well as he is and we be worthely and iustlye condempned to deth for we suffer worthy paines for our sinnes but he neuer dyd euyll Of this saynge saynt Austen merueylynge sayth who taught this thefe to say thus but he the sonne of god that hange by hym Christe was hanged nyghe to this thefe but he was more nyghe in his herte and therfore he turned hym selfe to Iesus and sayd Memento mei domine dum veneris in regnum tuum Remember me lorde when thou shalte come in to thy kyngdome and then Iesus spake his seconde worde vpon the crosse sayng Amen dico tibi Hodie mecum eris in paradiso Trulye I saye to the this daye thou shalte be with me in
his mother This thyrde worde or sentence of Christe Mulier ecce filius tuus woman beholde thy sonne this I say was a worde of great dilygence loue and pitie for as moche as Christe beyng in so great anguisshe and sorowes of death wolde yet remembre his moste heuy and sorowfull mother and prouyde her of a sonne or minyster to attende vpon her to her comforth And herin he taught vs to haue compassyon of the afflyccyon of our parentes and to prouyde for them in theyr necessities O swete lorde Iesu thy crosse and passion doth torment the greuously but the compassyon of the mothers sorowe is no lesse payne to the and no meruell O good chylde if thou sorowe if thou suffer and haue compassyon of the heuynes of thy mother of her separation from the of her commendation to a straunger And here doctours done say and specyally Bonauenture that the sorowe that Christe had in the compassyon of his mother was more intense and more greuous to hym then the sorowe of hys awne payne and passyon THe mother of Iesu stode by the crosse She stode for she neuer fell by synne she stode to the great glory and prayse of al women where as his discyples that shulde haue ben men of gostly strengthe vertue dyd flye awaye and leaue theyr maister alone She onely abode with hym constantly in all his greuous panges and paynes wherin was fulfylled the prophecy of Esaye sayenge in the persone of Chryst complaynynge Torcular calcaui solus et de gentibus non est vir mecum I onely haue troden in the prease of the crosse there was nat one man with me hauyng compassyon vpon me but my mother alone she had compassyon and stode by me And nat onely she stode bycause she dyd nat flye but also for that in so great heuynesse of herte she dyd nothynge vnseamyngly or vnreligyously but ordred her selfe in most godlye behauour without any misorder in cryenge or cursynge and suche other lyke thoughe she suffred in her herte all those paynes that her sonne Iesus suffred in his bodye outwardlye And as we sayd before here she felte and suffred all the panges that she escaped at the byrth of her sonne Iesus Of these .ii. birthes or chyldynges speaketh the prophet saynge Antequam parturierat peperit masculum Before Mary the mother of Iesus hadde any panges or thrawes she brought forth her sonne so that she had her sonne without sorowe then it foloweth in the prophet Nun quid parturiet terra vna die aut parietur gens simul Shall the erth brynge forth with payne all her fruyte in one day or all the people shal be brought forth or borne in one day Note wel these saynges Firste the prophet spake of the birth of Christe which was without sorowe or payne to his mother and with great ioy But nowe at her seconde chyldynge where as at the passyon of her sonne Iesus she brought forth all the electe chylderne of god at one birth she had great panges and manyfolde sorowes And here note that this blessed mother of mercy dyd helpe or assist the father of mercyes in this moste hyghe werke of mercye and so with Christe dyd regenerate and redeme al mankynde and this generation was to the great sorowe and payne of them both and herunto Albert sayth though Marye dyd beare her sonne Iesus in greate ioye and without all payne yet after warde whan she dyd regenerate al the faithful people in faith that was with moch sorowe and of this it appereth that Christ dyd communicate vnto his mother this hygh werke of our redemption for she suffred with hym his passyon in her soule as we sayd before And note me well here for I do not say that our blessed lady dyd redeme vs bycause Christ of hym selfe was insufficient for to say so it ware heresye But I say it pleased our sauyour Christ to haue his mother present at his passyon and there to suffer with hym in soule as he suffred in bodye that so consequently as he is called the father of mercy so she myght be honored and called the mother of mercy and also for other considerations as foloweth First that our redemption might reanswere vnto the first condempnation for in our firste losse and perdicyon both Adam and Eue dyd syn notwithstandynge if Adam had not synned we had not ben condempned and therfore the onely synne of Adam was the cause of our perdicyon but for asmoche as Eue dyd persuade moue and counsell Adam to synne therfore we say that we ware dampned by oure firste mother Eue so in lyke maner though we be redemed by the passyon of Christ yet for as moche as oure blessed lady was consentynge to that passyon and also sufferyde it in her soule we may saye that she redemed vs with Christe Secondlye that as Christe redemyng vs by his passion was made our father by the whiche passyon the sacrament of baptysme wherin we be regenerate taketh his efficacitie and vertue so our blessed ladye myght be called our mother bycause she suffered in her soule the same passion of Christe Thirdly that after Christ we al shulde honoure the gloriouse virgyn as our modre Fourthly for the encrease of her merite And fiftly that y e passion of Christ shuld be more bitter paynful to him thorough the presence of his modre by whom he sheweth his most hyghe charitie vnto vs. She stode also for all other departed from the stablenes of fayth but she onely and therfore it is sayde of her thus O good lorde thou haste stablished thy testament vpon the heede of Marie al waye virgin for after the death of thy son thy fayth onely remayned perfetely in the reason of the same virgyn ¶ Of the sorowe and compassyon of our ladye AS the great clerke Alberte sayth vpon these wordes of Luke Tuam ipsius animam pertransibit gladius The swerde of sorowe shal passe thorowe thyn awne soule It is the more true exposition and sentence when this pronowne deriuatyue tuam is resolued in to his primityue tui so that this is the true sentence of the forsayd wordes of Luke the swerde of sorowe that is the payne of the passyon and deth of thy sonne O vyrgyne Mary which he suffred in his bodye shall perse and passe thorowe the soule of thyne awne selfe Marie So that the sorowes whiche thou felt not at the birth of thy sonne so that therby thou dyd not knowe thy selfe a mother at his deth thou shalt fele them in moste paynfull and sorowfull maner so that thou shalte knowe thy self then to haue had a chylde and to be a mother Our sauiour Iesus her sonne was to Marie his mother as her awne herte and therfore when he was borne of her she felte as if halfe her herte had bene borne and departed from her body And as that thynge whiche is halfe without and halfe within if that parte that is outwarde be
loue and seruice his hart was also openyd for the effusion of the price of our redemption As ye shall see in the next article ¶ Here folow .iii. lessons THe fyrste lesson of this article is that we shulde dye with Christe that is from the worlde and synne if we wyll lyue with hym in glorie eternall And here vnto saynt Paule sayth Si commortui sumus cum Christo et conuiuemus If we dye with Christe we shall lyue with Christe And in an other place Mortui enim estis et vita vestra abscondita est cum Christo in deo ⧠✚ ☞ Ye be deade fromme the worlde and all vayne or transitorie thynges and your lyfe is hyd with Christ in god The second lesson is that it is very good and profitable to say deuotely those .x. psalmes coÌ„monly called the psalmes of the passion which Christ sayd in his prayer hangyng vpon y e crosse for without doute who so reades or sayes them deuoutly shal finde great conforthe Thyrdlie euery christian at his death shulde vse and keape the forsaid .v. thynges that Christ dyd at his death he dyd pray crie weape commendyd his soule to his father and gaue vp his spirite So we at our death shulde pray crye to our lorde for his helpe at leste in hert wepe for our synnes by trewe contricion commend our soule to god and to gyue vp our spirit that is with a good will to dye and so to conforme our wyll to the will of god A man to conforme hym selfe to this article may ofte remembre these lessons with y e premisses sayd in this article and pray as foloweth ¶ A Lesson O Blissed Iesu which for me dyeng vpon y e crosse dyd commend thy soule to thy father graunt to me that I may spiritually so dye to the and with the in this life that it wold please the at the houre of my death to haue my wretched soule recoÌ„mendyd to the which liues and reignys with god the father and the holy ghost world without ende Amen ¶ The openyng of Christes side and hert with a spere the .lxiii. Article THe .lxiii. Article is the openynge or wondyng of Christes hert with a spere For at y e death of Christ there ware shewed many miracles as y e derknes of the soÌ„ne y e cuttyng of y e veyle in y e temple y e rentyng or breakyng of the stonys the openyng of the monumentes or grauys the conuersion of the noble man and capiteyn Centurio the conuersion of the thefe of many other that seyng these great thynges that ware done knocked vpon there brestes in sygne or token of penaunce and returned homewardes his moste heuy mother there abidyng with a fewe women with her The Iues then bicause it was the sabboth euyn that the bodyes shulde not remayne vpon the crosse on the saboth day for that sabboth day was an high day and festfull with them they I say besought Pilate that theyr legges myght be broken and so taken downe of the crosse then camme the sawgyours and brake the legges of both the theuys And when they camme to Iesus and saw that he was deed alredie they brake not his legges for as the legges of the paschall lambe ware not broken no more ware the legges of Christ that is the true lambe of god and in that was the scripture fulfylled that saith os non comminuetis ex eo He shall not breake a bone of hym But there cam one of the sawgiours with a spere and dyd thrust Christ in to the side and forthwith there came out blode and watre This sawgior was called Longius and he was blinde or at lest his sight was but weke and what tyme he had thrust Christ to the hert with his spere y e blode runnyng downe by the speare vnto his handes he not knowing the vertue therof touched or rubbed his yen with his blody haÌ„des and so had his syght clerely gyuen to hym Also of this blode and watre all the sacramentes of y e churche haue theyr efficacitie vertue and strenght as by theyr meritoriouse cause As the mayster of the sentence sayth and all doctours And though at that tyme the deed bodye of Christ could feale no payne yet y e Iues did this thing of a great malice and to the great rebuke of Christ for they ware not â—aciate and content with the obprobries rebukes and paynes that they put hym to in his lyfe but that also they wolde put hym to more and so persew hym after his death And for that cause this wondyng of Christes syde is taken here for a speciall article of Christes passion for all y e cruelties shames and despites that be done to y e deed corpes or corse be acompted as if they ware done to the persones lyuyng As somtyme the bodyes of deed persones be drawen hangyd headyd quarteryd or burned for the correction and punishment of suche defawtes as those persones dyd in ther liues And though Christ that tyme deed felt not that wounde of his syde yet the blessyd virgyn his mother felt it for that spere then dyd perse her most sorowfull soule as saynt Bernard sayth truly O blessid mother than the swerde of sorow did perse thy soule when that cruell spere openyd thy son syde after his death His soule then was not present with his bodye But thy soule myght not be departed from it for y e soule is rather there where it louyth than where it gyuith life so not without great cause we say that thou art more than a martyr for the effecte of compassion in the dyd exceade the fealyng of all bodilye paynes ¶ Of the miracles that ware done at this tyme we shall speake in the begynnyâ—g of the thyrd parte of this myrrour boke or treatesse OF this wounde of the side of our lorde the deuote and holy saynt Bernard saith thus O good Iesu thy side was wouÌ„ded and openid that we myght haue entrance or a way to cumme to the. Thy hert was wouÌ„ded that we absolued from al outward trobles and busines myght reste and abyde therin It was also wounded that by that visible wounde we myght see the inuisible wounde of thy loue for who so euer feruently louith he is wounded with loue And how myght his burnyng loue be more clerelie and openly declared to vs but in that y t he wold not onely haue his bodie outwardly woundyd but also haue his hart wounded with a spere therfore this bodely wounde doth shewe to vs his spiritual wounde of loue Arise therfore thou spouse of Chryst as a doue buyidyng thy nest and restyng place in the deapnes of this hole or wounde there watche coÌ„tinually as a sparow fynding thy nest there hyd thy birdes of chaste loue with the turtyll Ioyne or put thy mouth to that wounde that thou may sucke or drawe the watre of helth from y e fouÌ„tayns of our sauiour This is y e wel that
spryngeth in y e myddest of paradise whiche doth make frutefull the deuoute hertes and plentiously doth watre all the world This is the doore that was made in the side of the arke of Noe by the which dyd entre all tho bestes men that ware sauyd from the vnyuersall flode Studie and laboure therfore with all thy diligence to haue a recourse vnto the holes of this stone and vnto the caue or den in this stony wall both now in this life and also at thy death there to rest and hide thy selfe that thou myght escape the daunger of the wode lion the deuyl and also that thou myght fynde there plentiouse pasture and fode to thy eternall comforth ¶ And here note that Christ dyd shedde his blode .v. tymes this day for vs. Fyrst in his prayer when he swet blode Second in his scourgyng Thyrd in his crownyng with thornys Fourth in his naylyng to the crosse and. Fyfth in the openyng of his syde as ye haue herde before ¶ Here folow .ii. Lessons FYrste lesson of this article is this that whan we be deade with Christe from the worlde and from all synne then also we shuld be wounded in our hert with the spere of charitie so that we myght say with y e spouse in her canticles Vulnerata charitate ego sum I am wounded with y e spere of charitie Saynt Austen also desired to be wounded with this spere sayng I besech the my lord and kyng my most swete Iesu for thy moste holye wondes which thou suffered vpon the crosse for our health from y e which that most preciouse blode ran out wherwith we be redemyd I besech the I saye to wounde this my synfull soule for the which it pleasyd the to dye Wounde it I besech the with the fiery dart of thy most myghtie loue and charitie Nayle fast my hert to the with the nayle or dart of thy loue that my soule may say vnto the I am wounded with charitie and so sore wounded that from this wounde of thy loue there myght runne the full riuers of teares both nyght and day both of coÌ„tricion compassion and deuocion Smyte I beseach the good Iesu this moste hard flynt my soule with the myghty and sharpe spear of thy loue that it may myghtilie entre in to y e inwardnes or deapnes of my hard hart The second lesson is that we shuld receyue the sacramentes of the churche with that intent and deuocion as if they cam then from the syde and hert of our lorde for that wounde of his syde was as the doore wherby y e sacramentes of the churche com from Christ to vs. For as of the syde of our fyrst Adam sleapynge his wyfe Eua was formed and made so of y e syde of our second Adam that is Christ sleapyng by death vpon the crosse was formed the churche the spouse of Christ By this wouÌ„de as by a dore of loue saynt Austen dyd entre when he sayde Longyne hath openyd to me the syde of Christ with a spear and I haue entred therin and there I surely and quietly reast The nayles and the spear crie to me that I am truly reconsiled to Christ if I loue hym ¶ A prayer O Iesu which for me wold haue y e syde of thy deed bodie openyd from whens cam plentye of blode and watre for our health comforth wounde I beseach the my hert with the spear of thy charitie y t I may worthely receyue thy sacrameÌ„tes which flowed out of that thy most holie syde Amen ¶ How the bodie of Christ was taken downe of the crosse the .lxiiii. Article THe .lxiiii. article is the takyng downe of Christes bodie from the crosse For after that our sauiour Iesus had gyuen vp his spirite vpon y e crosse that was about the ix houre of the day the bodie of Christ hang styll vpon the crosse vnto euensong tyme and there abode and taried our blessid ladie and other .iii. women sittyng by the crosse and not knowyng what to doo they wold haue taken downe the bodye and haue buried it but they had no strenght therunto nor yet such instrumentes as ware necessarie for that purpose And to departe leuyng the bodie vpon the crosse they durste not and there to tary or abide y e nyght drawyng nygh they myght not Behold and considre thou deuote soule in what proplexitie they be in and haue compassion on them with all thy herte And as they sat thus in troble and heuines there cam Ioseph of y e citie of Aromathya somtyme called Ramatha where as Helchana and Anna the parentes of the prophet Samuell dwellyd This Ioseph was a riche man and of noble blode and also he was a senatour and had great office in y e courte of the emperour a good man in hym selfe and in y e syght of god iuste to his neyghbour a disciple of Christ but secreate for feare of the Iues he had a truste to come to the kyngdome of god for he dyd in no thyng consent to the cowncell and those maliciouse actes of the Iues. And as saynt Hierom sayth y e fyrst psalme was made of hym Beatus vir c. This holie Ioseph strenghthed thorow theffusion of Christes blode all feare set a part went boldly vnto Pilate not fearyng the malice of the Iues nor yet the powre of Pilate and asked of hym the bodie of Iesu for a great treasure for he preferryd that bodye aboue all erthly treasures though they be neuer so preciouse Pilate meruelyd that Iesus was so soon deed and called to hym a capten of an hundreth men and asked of hym if Iesus ware deed and whan he knew the treuth by that capteyn he gaue the bodie to Ioseph And then Ioseph bought a fayre lynyn clothe for to wrap Christê bodie therin And so Ioseph came not now as a secreat and preuy disciple of Christ but an open disciple of Iesu And also there cam with hym Nichodemus which bifore tyme cam priuely vnto Iesus in the nyght for feare of the Iues but now all feare set a parte he cam with Ioseph and brought with hym of myrre and aloes about an huÌ„dreth pownde weight to anoynt and dresse the bodie of Christ before his buriyng And when they cam nyghe to the place where Christ hang they kneled down and dyd worship our lorde And our ladie perceyuyng that they cam to take downe her soÌ„nys bodie as risyng froÌ„ death her spirit began to quicken and so our ladie receyuyd them at theyr coÌ„myng reuerently And furthwith they prepared them selfe to take down the bodye and our ladie healped as moch as she myght One drewe the nayles out of his handes an other susteyned the bodie that it shulde not fall downe our Lady standyng lifted vp her armes on heyght redy to receyue the body when it shuld com downe and as shortly as she myght touche hym she drew his heade and his handes vpon her sorowfull breste embrasyng and ofte
they wold nat be noted as confounded O blynd malyciouse people In all theyr euyll deades agaynst Christe they go to the Iudge Pylate that theyr iniquitie and synne shuld seme as iustice bycause it is doon by auctoritie And they called hym Domine that is lorde but they wold neuer obey to hym with theyr good wyl It is the propertie of maliciouse and froward persons to prayse hym byfore his face whom they hate in theyr hertes and that is to brynge theyr purpose to passe Then Pylate sayd to them Habetis custodiam Ite custodite sicut scitis Ye haue there the watche men take them and goo and make the sepulcre as sure as ye can As if he shulde say after Rabanus It myght be sufficient to you that I haue coÌ„sentyd vnto the death of this innocent from hens fourth do what ye wyll your errour shall reste vpon your selfe And then they went and made the sepulcre sure with watch men and sealyd the stone This was doon for .ii. causes Fyrst to shew the folishenes of the Iues. And herunto saynt Hillarie sayth The feare that the Iues had of the steylynge of Christis body the watche men and the sealyng of the stone be a testimonie and a witnes of y e infidelitie and folyshues of the Iues. Was it not a great folishnes of them to watche and seale his sepulcre that a lytil before that tyme commauÌ„ded a deed man to rise out of his sepulcre the which was .iiii. dayes buried Secondly this was doon for the more sure testimony of the truthe that is of the resurrection of Christ And herof Crisostome sayth Considre and note well here how the Iues agaynste theyr owne myndes doo labour to shewe and proue the truth agaynst them selfe For this theyr acte is a manifeste and sure proue of y e resurrection of Christ And thus we may proue it The sepulcre was sealed and surely keapte w t saugioures ergo there culd be no crafte or deceyte If theyr ware no deceyte ergo Christ is surely risen for there is the sepulcre the body is gon ¶ Here folow .iii. lessons FYrst Lesson is that we shuld be the folowers of Ioseph in that that when the bodye of Christe is receyued of vs and wrapped as we sayd before then we shuld lay it or put it in a new sepulcre cut out or hewen out of a stone that is we shuld put it in our soule deckyd and beautised with the ymage of god renewed and stablisshed in Christ which is the sure stone so that we may say that is wrytten in the canticles Tenui eum nec dimittam I haue hym I holde hym and I wyll not leaue hym The seconde Lesson is this that as our lorde was tormentyd crucified deed lamentyd or mournyd and also buryed so we shuld lament hym by compassion and compunction Thyrd lesson is for riche men which by the example of Ioseph ought to couer the nakydnes of Christ in the poore men and so bury Christ in the sepulcre of his herte by charitable werkes doyng to the poore people ¶ A prayer O Iesu which for me at the houre of complen wold be buryed in a sepulcre lamentyd and keapte graunt to me that thou my lord god may be buryed in the sepulcre of my hert and there lamentyd and keapt that I buried with the may deserue to com to the glory of thy resurrection Amen ¶ Here endyth the seconde parte of this Glasse or Myrour ¶ Here foloweth the thyrd parte that is the conclusion of this Myrrour Which is diuided in to .xi. Chaptres ¶ Fyrst we shall declare vnto you certen Myracles specially x. that were done som of them at the death of our lorde and som of them after his death The fyrst Chapitre ¶ Of the fyrste Myracle THe fyrst Myracle was theclipse or derknes of the son and of this the euangeliste saith thus A sexta autem hora tenebre facte sunt super vniuersam terram vsque ad horam nonam From the sexte houre vnto the .ix. houre of the daye there was derknes ouer all the worlde or erthe And this derkenes or eclipse was nat naturall but onely by miracle And that we may proue by .iiii. reasons Firste by reason of the long enduryng of the same for the eclipse of the son naturally may neuer endure by .iii. coÌ„tinual houres as this was Second reason is bicause it was so vniuersal for naturally there can be no eclipse of the son ouer all the erth for the mone that lettyth the lyght of the son from vs for the tyme of the eclipse is not of so great quantitie as is the son nor yet as the erth and therfore it can nat take away y e lyght of the son from all partes of the erth but this derknes or eclipse was ouer all the erth ergo it was nat naturall Thyrd reason is for the age of the mone the mone at that tyme was encreasyd .xiiii. dayes and so it was almost at the full mone But it is impossible that there shuld any eclipse of the son naturally in the opposicion of the mone or it beyng at the ful for then the mone is in the Est when y e son is in the West And also euery naturall eclipse of the son is the coniuncion or chaunge of the mone Forth reason is this for in this eclipse the mone at nyght turnyd and mouyd toward the Eest and the son towardes the Weste which can neuer be naturally ergo this eclipse was by miracle But for what cause god wolde shewe this miracle then doctoures done assigne .v. causes Fyrst for the compassion of the elementes which myght nat beare or suffre to see the iniurie that was done to there creatour and maker Secondly to shewe that Christ was the gouernar of all creatures And here vnto saynt Gregory sayth This wondre or miracle was shewed that it shulde be knowen that he which suffred death was the gouernar of all thynges Thyrdly It was to shewe the blyndnes of maÌ„nys reason and here vnto Simon de Cassia sayth Derknes was brought ouer all the world to shewe y e ignorance of all the world for the world wold nat knowe the son of god Forthly for the obstinacie of the Iues. For as the same Simon saith the Iues suffred horrible derkenes for they blynded in theyr hertes by malice condempned the son of god Fystly for the coÌ„templacion of many secreat misteries And therfore saith y e same Simon This darknes besides that y t it shewed outwardly it also mouyd the mindê of men to considre higher thinges for our lord wold meruelously compasse y e ien of men with thycke derknes that theyr syght shuld not be wanderyng about outwarde thynges but that they shuld entre in to theyr owne hertes there coÌ„sidre deaply such thynges as waxe don to the son of god and in the son of god and so he turnyd the day in to
the nyght y t they myght more diligently cōsidre the heuenly mysteries ¶ Of the seconde Myracle THe seconde Myracle was cuttyng or rentyng of the vayle of y e temple which was immediatly after the death of Christ Of the which Mathew sayth thus Ecce velum templi scissum est in duas partes a summo vsque deorsum Behold the vale of the temple was rent in to .ii. partes fro the top vnto the bottom This vayle deuidyd the part of the temple that was called holye from that part which was called holiest of all as we myght say in our church it deuided the body of the church from the quere And this veyle was rent for many causes Fyrst for the contamination or as we say suspension of that holiest place of all other For where before no man myght entre in to it but the highe byshop ons in the yere now it was made open and so was gyuen to the power of the Romanys to be contaminate and defoiled by them Secondly for to signifie the reuelacion and declaring of misteries For as Origen sayth In the passion of our lord when the veyle was rent the secreat misteries was poblished and opened which vnto that tyme was reasonably hydde and couered Thyrdly for the separacion dispersion and diuision of the Iues. And hervnto saynt Hillary saith therfore the veyle of y e temple is rent for that after this the people of the Iues shuld be deuided in partes and shortly after they ware disperpled ouer all the worlde Also the honour and glorie of the temple with the custodye of aungelles ware taken away Iosephus saith that there ware stirrynges mouinges and voyces hard in the temple saiyng cryenge Let vs departe from this place Fourthly to sygnifie y e openyng of heuyn which vnto that tyme was shut And herto saynt Hierom saith The veyle of the temple was rent that is heuyn is openyd Fyftly to signifie the curaciō of our synnes Herunto Theophilus sayth The body of Christ is y e temple whose veyle and garment is his fleshe and this veyle or fleshe was rent for y e curing of our sinnes Or thus Our fleshe or bodie is the veyle of our temple that is our soule the vertue and poure of this fleshe was rent in Christes passion from the toppe vnto the bottom that is from Adam the fyrst man vnto the laste man that shal be in the ende of the worlde for Adam was made hole by the passion of Christ and his fleshe is not now vnder the curse of god or of the lawe and after the general resurrection we all shal be honored with incorrupcion inmortalitye ¶ The thyrd Myracle THe thyrd Myracle was the erth quake and therfore the euangelist saith Et terra mota est And the erth was mouyd or dyd quake And that was for .iii. causes Fyrst to shewe that it was not worthy to receyue in to it this lorde And therfore Hillarius sayth the erth dyd quake for he was not able to take this deed body in to it Seconde cause is for the malyce of the Iues. Herunto Symon de Cassia saith It was cōuenient that the erthe shulde quake when the maker of the erth dyd suffre death in his corporall bodie The erth dyd quake at the gyuyng of the law to make them afraied to whom he gaue the law and which shuld breake the law The erth dyd also quake at the death of Christ that his vniust death shuld be knowen or felt thorowe out all the world Thyrd cause was to instructe the myndes of all faithful people that they shuld feare god and know and beleaue that the iuste person suffred death for the vniuste the godly for the wicked the holy person for synners and the son of god suffred death in his mortal bodie for the redempcion of man ¶ The forth Myracle THe Fourth Myracle was the rentynge or breakynge of the stonys For the euangelist sayth Et petre scisse sunt And the stonys ware rent or broken And that was for iiii causes Fyrste for therby was verified the sayng of the prophet Zachary Scindetur mons oliuarum ex media parte sui ad orientem et occidentem The mount of Oliuete shal be rent or broken for the myd parte of it from the Este to the West Second cause is to signifie the great vertue of the worde of god And here vnto saynt Hillary sayth The worde of god and the powre of his eterne vertue doth diuide and breake all strong hard or myghty thynges Thyrd cause was to confoūd the Iues. For as Simon de Cassia sayth The breakyng and rentyng of stones is na open crye and an accusacion of the insensible thynges agaynste the Iues that the gyuer of life and maker of all thynges is vniustly dampned The Iues dyd crie with lowde voice crucifie hym but now the stonys on theyr maner dyd crye by theyr partes broken as by theyr open lippys that the Iues did wrong and so wher as the reasonable men wold not answere for the truthe in this false condempnacion of Iesu the stonys rent or broken in theyr maner spake The .iiii. cause was to enflame the hertes of synners For as the same Symon sayth The stonys rent or broken in theyr maner dyd prouoke the hard hartes of men that they shuld be broken by contricion and also remembre hym that suffred such paynes and passyon for them ¶ The .v. Myracle THe .v. Myracle was the openyng of the sepulcres or graues And therfore theuangelist sayth Et monumenta aperta sunt And y e supulcres or graues ware openid And this was for .iii. causes Fyrst to shew that the prison of hell was openyd for as saynt Hillary sayth Then was the clausures of death openyd Secondly for the example of our resurrection For this was a token or signe that deed men shuld rise agayne accordyng to the sayng of the prophet Ego aperiam tumulos vestros I shall open your grauys Thyrdly for our spirituall instruccion For hereby we be lerned that we shuld open the sepulcres of our conscience by true and playne confession that the carion and filthynes of our synnes may be seen and cast out And here note that the myracle before the death of Christ was shewed aboue in the heuyns For by fore his death Christe was in a maner onely knowen in heuyn But the myracles after his death ware shewed and done in the erth for then began the knowlege of Christ to be spred abrode vpon the erth ¶ The .vi. Myracle THe .vi. Myracle was the risyng agayne of deed men And therfore theuangelist sayth Et multa corpora sanctotum qui dormierant surrexerunt c. And the bodyes of many sayntes which ware deed arose and cam out of theyr graues after Christes resurrection and cam into the holy citie of Hierusalem and apperyd to many This testimony of the risyng of deed
And in this solempnitie we haue example of our resurrection the hope and trust of the heuenly cuntre is offred to vs the clausures of hell ben destroyd and the gates of heuyn be openyd to vs. Therfore this is the day that our lorde hath made Ioy we and be glad therin For this day Christ hath taken away the burnyng swearde and openyd the gates of paradyse which no man myght cum before vnto that Christ cam thyther with the holy thefe sayng to y e auÌ„gelles Open ye to me the gates of iustyce and I entred in to them shall prayse god This is the day in the which the sinagoge is deed or endid and the church borne or begun This is the day in y e which we syng Alleluya that is we laude and prayse god Prayse we therfore frendes our lord god in our lyfe and in our speach with herte and mouth with our voyces and good maners for so will our lord god haue Alleluya that is his praysynges song to hym that there be no discorde in the prayse that his lite and wordes agrey in one O blessyd Alleluya or praysyngê of god that is song in heuyn where as is the temple of god and legions of auÌ„gelies There is the most hyghe concorde of the praysers There is no repugnaunce in the membres agaynst the spirit There is no stryuyng for couetise wherby shuld perish y e victorie of charitie Let vs here syng Alleluya diligently that there we myght syng it surely here in hope ther in the very presence of god here in the way there in our heuenly contre let vs here syng nat for that we haue the delectacion of quietnes but for the solace of our labour as we se that men goyng or rydyng by the way be wonte to syng to comforte theyr labour to quicken them in theyr iorney and to go forward merely And herunto saint Bede sayth O my soule arise with Christe from thy filthy sepulcre or custom of syn Areise vp thy hert vnto the hope and trust of thy resurreccion and eternall lefe Let vs now dye from syn in this present life for y e loue of god that after our resurrection we may lyue in the life to com for if we mortifie our body nowe for the loue of Christe then we shall reygne with him in euerlastyng ioy Let vs so enforce ourselfe to be present and to honoure god in these feastes in the cumpaigney of mortall men that we may deserue to be present at the eternall feastes with auÌ„gelles For what shuld it profite vs to keape these feastes temporally if we be excludyd from those eternal feastes For these present solemnities ben but a shadowe of the feastes to cum therfore we keape these feastes reuerently and yerely that we myght cum to those feastes that be continuall When any feast is here keapt at his day assigned our mynd shuld be referryd and occupied with the desire of that same feast that is in heuen continually eternall Therfore our hertes thorow the frequentacion and vse of spiritual ioy in these temporall feastê shuld be kyndled and wax feruent to the desire of eternal ioyes and so we shuld vse our meditacions here in the shadow of ioy that in very truth we may here after haue the fruicion of the true and euerlastyng ioy Amen All this is taken of saynt Gregory A prayer O Lord Iesu Christe our eterne and onely swetnes which breakyng the bondes of death hath glorified thy bodye and hath risen from deathe in glorie vnspekable I pray the and I beseach the for thy gloriouse and florishyng resurrection to graunt to me that I risyng from vices and y e death of soule may euer florishe in vertues and so walke in the newnes of good lyfe that I may sauer and folowe those thynges that be aboue and heuenly and nat tho thynges that be erthly and transitorie Also good lord by the vertue of thy clernes purge my soule from the derknes of syn that by the same vertue at the day of generall resurrection my bodye may arise vnto glory that I may ioy both in soule and body eternally with the in thy glory Amen ¶ Now Christ apperyd to his mother Mary the .v. Chapitre THe same houre that Christe rose the thre Maries that is Mary Magdalene Mary Iocobe and Mary Salome desirynge licence of our Ladie of great deuocion and loue they had to our sauioure Christ began to go with swete oyntmentes vnto the sepulcre of Christ to anoynt his bodye And our Lady remayned at home continuyng in weapyng and prayers And very conueniently these thre women ware called by one name for they ware of one wyll and mynde and lyke desire towardes Christe There be thre states of men that shal be sauyd and iche one of these dothe seke Christe and without these thre states there is no man sauyd that is begynners profiters and perfite persones or elles penitentes actiue and contemplatyue persones which thre states be signified by the thre Maries which sought our lord and that we may take by thre interpritacions of this worde Maria. The state of begynners or penitentes is noted by Mary Magdalene which was a famouse and knowen synner and afterwarde very penitent And thought somtyme by her may be signified the contemplatiue life as in the .x. chapitre of Luke Yet at this tyme she may signifie to vs the state of penitentes for the euangelist sayth of her that Christ cast out .vii. deuylles that is al vices froÌ„ her And also in the gospell of Luke she is knowen to be the capteyn and example of all true penitentes And for this cause she is conueniently called Maria that is a better see or elles after the Hebreus Maria commyth of Mara that is interpreted bitter And hereunto the olde woman Ruth sayde Non vocetis me Noemy pulchramised vocate me Mara c. Call nat me fayre but call me bitter for our Lord hath fulfylled me with bitternes And this was verefied in Mary Magdalen when byfore the feet of our Lorde she washed with her teares the spottes of her synnes So Petre beyng penitent weapt bitterly And so to euery penitent soule may be sayd the wordes of the prophet Magna velut mare contricio tua O thou penitent soule thy contricion is great and bitter as the see The state of profiters or of actiue persons is sygnified in Mary Iacoby that was the mother of Iames the selfe Iacobus is asmoche to say by iÌ„terpretacion as a supplanter or a wrestlar for it apperteyneth to actiue persons and profiters to supplante or to subdue vice also to wrestle and laboure in the spirituall exercise of vertues And herunto is also conuenient the second interpretacion of this name Maria which after y e Sire tonge or speach is called Domina A lady For sith these profiters and actiue persons be in continual datel for the pronitie that they haue to vice and the
Resurrection he appered to his disciples what tyme Thomas was there absent And whan Thomas was comme to theyr compaigney the disciples sayd to hym Vidimus dominum we haue sene our lorde and oure mayster and than Thomas sayd excepte I see the sygnes or the pryntes of the nayles in his handes and put my fynger in the holes and also put my hande into his syde I wyl nat belyue These wordes ware nat spoken of any malyce but rather of ignorance and of a great sorowe heuynes for that he had nat sene our lorde and therfore his louyng and godly maister Iesus wold nat leaue his louyng discyple in that blyndnes and heuynes but for to comforth hym and for to reforme his fayth it pleased hym to appere agayne Therfore whan his discyples ware gadred to gyther in y e mount of Syon where as he kept his mauÌ„dy or supper and also Thomas beyng with them the good shepherd and herdman Iesus diligent to comforth his lytell small flock cam vnto them the gates dores and wyndowes beyng shyt and so stode in the myddest of them that he myght be sene of them all and sayd to them Pax vobis Peace be to you And note here that there can neuer be peace in a comynalty except the prelate be in the myddest so that he be nat enclyned more to one part than to the other A pillar can neuer susteyne and bear vp the house if it be set nygh to y e wal and nat in the myddest and therfore the erth which is set in y e myddest of the world is vnmoueable to signifie that euery prelate or herde shulde nat be moued by any parcialite more to one persone than to an other Our lorde Iesus dyd oftymes shewe peace vnto his disciples dyd also coÌ„mend it and perswade them to haue it for without peace we can nat haue god the prophete to witnes whaÌ„ he sayth In pace factus est locus eius His place and abydyng is in peace Than Iesus said to Thomas Infer digitum tuuÌ„ huc et vide manus meas Put in thy fynger here se my haÌ„des put forth thy hande and thurst it in to my syde and be nat vnfaythfull but belyue Than Thomas toyched the signes of Christes wouÌ„des so byleued nat onely with his hert but also confessed it with his mouthe and sayd Dominus meus et deus meus Thou art my lorde after thy humanite for thou hast redemed me with thy preciouse blode thou art my god in thy diuinite for thou hast create me I doute in nothynge nowe but I am sure that thou art rysen from death to lyfe Than Iesus said to hym Quia vidisti me Thoma cre didisti beati qui non viderunt et crediderunt Thomas thou dost belyue bycause thou hast sene me blyssed be they that belyue and haue not sene In these wordes is not only affirmed the fayth of Thomas but also our fayth is moche commended and blessed and the errour of the heretikes confounded which sayd y t Christ had no true body And here se the goodnes and mercy of oure lorde howe that he wolde appere and shewe hym selfe with his woundes to saue one soule Also note here that the infinite wysdome and goodnes of god suffred Thomas to doute that the resurrection of Christ shuld be prouyd by euident and manyfest argumeÌ„tê or signes therfore Thomas douted y t we shuld not dout Herunto sayth saynt Gregory It was not of chaunce but of the ordynauÌ„ce of god that y e welbeloued disciple of Christ Thomas was absent whan Christ dyd fyrst appere that he hearyng of his resurrection shulde dowte he so dowtyng shuld feale and touche the places of the woundes of Christ and so fealyng shuld beleaue and that to expell al dowtfulnes from our hertes And so in fealynge or puttynge in his hande into the syde of Christe he cured in vs the woundes of our infidelite Also the incredulite or doutfulnes of Thomas dyd more profyt vs vnto oure faythe that the prompte and redy beleaue of the other disciples for by his dowtyng and fealyng our mynd is stablyshed in fayth all dowtes set a parte Mary Magdalen dyd lesse profyt to me by her swyft redy fayth than Thomas by his longe dowtyng for he touched the pryntes of his woundes and vtterly expelled from my soule the wounde of doutfulnes Our lorde of his great goodnes reserued the pryntes or signes of his woundes in his body after his resurrection Not for that he could not cure theÌ„ for he y t destroyed the power of death myght also haue cured put away those signes of death if it had pleased hym but he wold reserue them for dyuers causes Fyrst to confirme our fayth as ye se in Thomas Secondly for to shewe to his father whan he wyl pray for vs. And thyrdly to shewe them at the day of dome to the daÌ„pned people to theyr confusion And these tokens of his woundes ware in no thynge to the deformitie of his glorious body but rather as Crisostom sayth to his great beautie for they shone more bryght than the sonne And as saynt Austen sayth the tokens of the wouÌ„des that holy sayntes haue suffred here for Christe shall in heuen appere in theyr bodyes not to theyr deformite but to theyr glory as a starre in the firmament as a presiouse stone in a rynge as a flowre in the medowe ond as the red colour in a rose which be to the fairnes and beauty of these thynges and so be tho pryntes of theyr woundes in theyr bodyes to theyr glory and dignitie O thou louyng soule behold now thy lorde and consydre his wonte goodnes meaknes and feruent loue howe he sheweth his woundes to Thomas and to his other disciples to put away all blyndnes ignorauÌ„ce froÌ„ theyr soules for theyr profyt and oures also Our lorde stode there with them a lytel whyle speakyng comfortable wordes of y e kyngdom of glory And his disciples stode with hym iÌ„ great gladnes hearyng his godly wordes beholdyng his face full of fauour beauty and glory Beholde them howe they stande about hym And stande thou reuereÌ„tly with ioy beholdyng them a far of if paraduenture our lord moued of pytie and mercy wyl cause the to be called thoughe thou of thy selfe be not worthy that compaygny At last Iesus sayd vnto them that they shuld goo into Galile and there he wold appere vnto them accordyng vnto his promisse And so he blessed them and departed froÌ„ them And they remayned in great comforth but yet moche desyrous to se hym agayne A prayer O Lorde Iesu Christe which shewed vnto Thomas y t douted of thy resurrection the places of the nayles and the spear hathe reuoked hym from errour by the puttynge in of his fynger into the holes of thy haÌ„des and of his hande into thy syde grauÌ„t to me that I hauyng euer the
Fyrst in the lykenes of a douue and that was at the baptisme of Christ In the lykenes al so of a clowde whan Christ was transfygured in the mounte And in lyknes of fyre vpon the disciples on Wytsonday Fyrste signe I say wherby we may knowe or coniecture the presence of the holy ghost by his grace is the abouÌ„idaunce of teares and that is noted by the apperyng of y e holy ghost in y e lykenes of a clowd For as the south wynd blowyng the clowdes be resolued into ruyne so by the coÌ„myng of the holy ghost our hertes relent into teares The seconde signe is the forgeuyng of iniuries or wronges done agaynst vs and therfore the holy ghost appered in the lykenes of a doue that wanteth his gall Thyrd signe is the desyre of heuenly thynges and therfore the holy ghost appered in y e lyknes of fyre whiche euer ascendeth vp ward so the holy ghost makethe our hertes assende vpwarde by desyre of heuenly thynges which thynges if thou desyre thou muste forsake and despyâ—e all vayne pleasures of the fleshe or of the worlde And herunto saynt Gregory sayth If we put awaye the pleasures of the fleshe we shall shortly fynde that thyng whiche is pleasant to the spirite Also spirituall persons or carnall may be knowen by the wordes of the Apostle sayng Qui secundum carnem sunt que carnis sunt sapiunt êªc they that be carnall loue carnal pleasures and spiritual ê‘sons loue spirituall and heuenly desyres But than specially a man is knowen to be spirituall if he as sone as shortly and asmoch wyl auoyde that place and compaigney where he maye be hurted or hyndred in spirite as he wyll do y t place where he may be hurted in body Also if he as gladly wyll heare speake of spiritual thynges as of the profytes of the body Thyrdly if he be as diligent to procure for his soule as the carnall man for his body A prayer O Iesu the gyuer of all gyftes whiche sent the holy ghost vnto thy disciples in the lykenes of fyre I praye and beseache the O moste mercyfull lorde that I thoughe moste vnworthy myght receyue to my perpetuall helth by thy grace those gyftes whiche thy disciples receyued of thy onely beautiouse goodnes and sende vpon vs good lorde thy seruantes y e spirite of thy charite and loue and peace whiche myght vysite and comforth our hertes â–ª purge them from vyces lyghten them with vertues bynd vs in the bondes of peace and loue illuminate vs with the lyght of thy knowlege and inflame vs with the fyre of thy charite forgyue vs our synnes and bryng vs to lyfe euerlastyng Amen Of the Assumpcion and prayse of our glorious Lady The .x. Chapitre AFter the sendyng of the holy vpon the disciples the blyssed virgyn the mother of Iesus aslong as she lyued dyd remayne in the mount of Syon O ye christians I beseache you if ye haue any pitie or compassion in you consyder what sorowe she had how she was cruciate with loue how she burned iÌ„ great desyre whaÌ„ she remeÌ„bred and reuolued in her mynde al such thynges as she had hard seen and knoweÌ„ of her most swete son Iesus And nowe to speake of her assumpcion this is the true and vndoutfull sentence We beleaue that she was assumpte and exalted aboue all the ordres of aungels though we were sumtyme ignorant whether she was assumpte in soule onely or els both in body and soule But the church nowe meakly and godly beleuith that she is assumpte both in soule and body And as we beleaue aungels ware present to honoure her both at her death buriyng and also assumpcion and all the court of heuyn dyd greatly ioy therof For it is to be beleauyd y t all the court of heuyn with theyr cumpaigneys in ordre cam gloriously to mete the mother of god and compassed her all about with a meruealouse lyght and so brought her vp with great praysynges and spirituall longes vnto the trone which was prepared and ordeyned for her byfore the creacion of the worlde And no doute therof all that blessyd cumpaigney of heuenly Hierusalem then reioysed w t an vnspeakable gladnes then was comforted with an in estimable charitie and then ioyed with a meruealouse gratulacion and reioysyng for that feast of this blessyd virgyns assumpcion which is but ones in the yere celebrate with vs is to them a continual feast and ioy And nat without cause for as saynt Hierom sayth our lorde Iesu the sauiour of all cam with great glory and met with his mother and with greate ioy to all the court of heuyn dyd set her in a gloriouse trone nygh vnto hym selfe O thou gloriouse Lady what may I say more Who so laboreth to considre and declare the inmensitie and hudghnes of thy grace and glory his tonge faileth his wit wanteth and his reason can nat com therto For as all sayntes in heuyn by thy glorification be inestimably beautified and gladded so al creatures vpon erth be vnspeakably exalted by the same glorificacion For as god by his power creatynge and makyng al creatures is the father and lord ouer al so our blessyd Lady by her merites repayryng all thynges is the mother and Lady of all And as almyghtie god the father dyd generate of his owne godlie substance his eterne son by whome he hath gyuen lyfe and begynnyng to all thynges so blessyd Mary conceyuyd and bare hym of her owne body which restored all thynges vnto the beautie and fayrnes of theyr fyrste condicion And as there is no thyng made or hath his beyng but by the son of god so ther is no thynge condempned forsaken or put to etarnall dampnacion but that person whome Christe absolueth frome her sauiour or whome she dothe nat fauoure or defende Who is he that considerynge these thynges with a ryght sense or wit and a pure hert may fully know or perceyue thexcellency of this Lady by whom the world is erecte and raysed vp with vnspeakable grace from so great a fall and decay Therfore we leauyng tho thynges that can nat be searched and knowen by our naturall reason let vs labour to opteyn by prayers that we may deserue to get that in holsom and fruyteful effecte which we can nat perceiue by our vnder standyng Hereby we may perceiue that it is vnpossible that any person shuld be dampned that is truly turned to her and whome she fauoreth and beholdeth She is the mother of Christe that is our iustifier and also she is the mother of them that shal be iustified She is the mother of the sauiour and of them that shal be sauyd How therfore may we despeire seth our health or our dampnacion dependeth of the wyl of our good brother pitiful mother Shall our good brother suffre his bretherne to perishe eternally whom he hath redemyd so derely Or may our pitifull mother suffre her chyldren to be dampned whose reademar she bare in