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
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
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
our gloriacion or reioicynge our hope and gladnes but in one Christe most high and true goodnes and in the moost preciouse treasure of his passion from the whiche all the sacramentes of the Christe receiue theyr vertue efficacitie which be to vs as a moost holsum medicyn agaynst all our spirituall sekenes Also this moost blessyd passion is to vs as a key that openeth to vs the secretes of holy scripture whiche openeth no maÌ„ may than shyt it and whan it shitteth no man may than open it Without Christ crucified this key of his passion it is impossible to vnderstande holy scripture And this key feruently imprynted in our mynde all thynges be manifest as yf they were in the clere lyght For who so euer desyreth to cum or attayne vnto the knowledge of the godhed he must ascende therunto by the manhode and passion of Christe as by the kynges high waye for by it he shall ascende by lyttle and lyttle vnto higher thynges as I shall shew vnto you more playnly hereafter For no man may attayne to the high knowledge of the godhed and to the great swetenes and pleasure therein conteined excepte he be fyrste drawen vp with a feruent and godly affection of faythe and loue by the bytternes of the humanitie of Christe that he suffered in his passion as ye shall perceiue hereafter And the more that any man presumeth to ascende without this passion the more deper shal he fall For this is the onely way by the whiche we shulde ascende This is the onely yate or entraunce vnto our mooste desyred ende And briefely to speake who so euer desyreth to haue eternall helthe and the highe crowne of glorye or wolde ascende to the perfection and highe toure of vertues or wolde optayne knowledge and wysdome or by pacyence to stande strongely and euynly as well in aduersytie as in prosperytie or to walke the sure waye or elles desyreth to taste of the bytternes of the passion of Christe and drynke the mooste pleasaunt drynke of his consolacion he must bere Iesu Christe I say Iesu Christe crucified in his soule and bodye by continuall remembrance of his passion and pacyent sufferaunce of all aduersities bothe corporall and spirituall and also absteyne frome all other delectacion and consolacion For surely carnall consolacion and the contemplacyon of Christes passion do neuer well accorde in one persone for they be as contrarye bothe in name and in effecte Nor the flesshe or sensualitie can haue pleasure in that thyng that deliteth the spirite For as saynte Paule sayeth they be aduersaries at continuall warre But halas there be many that whan they can nat fynde or get heuenly or spirituall consolacion anon they searche and laboure for carnall or worldly conforte and so they shytte theyr soules from the consolacion of god and they rightuously want it For it is very delicate and nat gyuen vnto suche persones as wyll receiue any vaine consolacion For yf the mynde or soule haue any thynge wherein it hathe pleasure outwardely it shall remayne without inwarde pleasure And contrary wyse yf the spirituall delectacion be ones perfectly tasted all carnall pleasure is made vnsauoury to that soule Wherefore yf thou woldest haue spirituall conforte laboure nat therefore with a double affection or desyre for so thou makest thy selfe vnworthy to receiue that godly and spirituall conforte And hereunto sayeth saynte Bernarde He is vnworthy the heuenly benediction and conforte that laboureth therefore with a double affection or desyre He laboureth with a double affection that purposeth yf he can nat get spirituall conforte to laboure for vayne and transitorye pleasures or conforte And so therefore he is vnworthy to receyue spirituall delectacion An example or fygure hereof we rede in scrypture how that after the chylderen of Israell had ones tasted of the corne and fruytes of the lande of promission the foode of aungels called Manna and gyuen to them by god was taken from them By this Manna whiche was very delycate and had in it selfe all delectacion and pleasaunte taste of all maner of meates is signified the swetenes and conforte of Christe whiche is taken frome religiouse persones and from all Christians after that they begyn to eate of the fruytes of the erthe that is after that they gyue them selfe to worldly and erthely delectacions or pleasures And therefore the true seruaunt of god ought to say with the prophete Dauid Renuit consolari anima mea scilicet exterius That is my soule hathe refused all outwarde and vayne consolacion And it foloweth Memor fui dei et delectatus sum I remembred god and I had great delectacion therein in all the powers of my soule And hereunto sayeth one deuout Doctour The vnderstandyng of man is neuer drawen perfitely vnto the contemplacion of heuenly thynges excepte the body be fyrst strongely drawen from all superfluouse thynges and all his pleasures And hereunto accordeth saynt Gregory sayenge If we cut and take away from the body that whiche is to it pleasaunte we shall shortely fynde that is delectable to the spyryte And that shall well appere in them that conforme theyr lyfe vnto our sauyoure Iesu Christe whose lyfe was all bytter and paynefull from the begynnyng vnto his dethe And therefore our lorde dyd nat gyue vnto the Iues Manna but in the deserte or wildernes where as was no delectable meate to be had for theyr refresshynge and conforte And so in lyke maner the swetenes of grace and the taste of spirituall delectacion is nat felt or perceyued but of them y t transpose put them selfe into the deserte of theyr herte that is to repute theÌ„ selfe forsaken of all creatures that they shulde nat fele or receyue any worldly or vaine delectacions And therefore it is wrytten by the prophete Pinguescent speciosa deserti et exultatione colles accingentur The pleasaunt places of y e deserte shall waxe fat the hilles shal be compassed with ioye y t is to say those speciouse pleasant places of desert y t is those ê‘sons that make theÌ„ selfe deserte forsaken of the world so that the world cum nat tyll them that is moue them to any carnall worldly or vain pleasure delectacioÌ„ those persons I say waxe fat in godly deuocion consolacion those hilles y t is the hertes of them y t be fyxed in god be coÌ„passed set about with great ioye of heuenly confortes And y t we shuld cum vnto this deserte our lorde moueth vs in y e gospell sayenge Venite seorsum in desertuÌ„ locuÌ„ et requiescite pusilluÌ„ Cum ye into the desert or wildernes and rest a lytle that is leue ye the pleasures of the worlde and forsake them and rest a lytle that is feruently and deuoutely remembre our lordes payne and passion ye shal fynde rest confort to your soules For as our lorde sayeth in an other place In mundo pressuram
felyng with Christ in hauyng compassion of Christ of his neighbour with Christ Also it hath one sauory knowledge with Christe in duely honouryng god one zele and feruent desyre to the saluacion of mannes soule with Christe and so that soule is in a maner transfourmed into Christ thrugh this gifte of pitie whiche as we sayd before is profitable to all thynges It couetyth thonour of god it expelleth sorowes and troubles from mannes soule it feruently they steth and desyreth the fruite and profite of soules it laboureth that the blood of Christe might take effecte in other persones and it kyndeleth the soule in feruent loue to god and his neighbour Wherefore dere beloued frendes let vs approche hereunto and labour diligently for this gyfte For doubtles this one amonge all other and peraduenture before all other gyftes doeth moost please god I pray you therfore let vs labour to do the wyll and pleasure of god and let vs draw or sucke out of his woundes and syde this gifte of pitie Let vs be all one in our lorde Iesu Christe crucified and let vs requyre se or desyre non other thyng in our neighbour but Iesus Christe crucified So louyng our neighbour that with him we runne at all tymes into the woundes of Christe Nat beholdynge or louynge hym as fayre beautifull stronge or wyse or any other suche lyke vaine and transitory thynges whiche may hinder or withdraw our soule from the loue of god but onely beholdynge and louynge our neighbour as redemyd and bought by the precyouse blood and dethe of our lorde as anointed wasshed with his blood and applied or put to the woundes of Christ by receiuyng the fruit of them Let it nat be sene or thought hard and painefull to vs to suffre great paines or yf nede shulde requyre moost shamefull dethe for our neighbour for whoÌ„ Christ the onely sonne of god suffred moost greuous paynes and the moost shamefull dethe of the crosse Let vs all couet and desire for the profite and helthe of soules all maner of rebukes and dispisynges all afflictions and tourmentes and also to suffre moost vile or shamfull dethe Let euery man be to vs as our owne hert for whom the hert of Christ was perced with a spere Let vs multiply our preachynges and exhortacions good examples prayers fastynges knelynges watche labours also suffre mockes or scornes for the helthe of soules Let this be our office and dayly excercise our glory and ioye and our consolacion euer to offre sum thyng to almighty god for the profite of soules Let nat the ryuer fountaine of teares cease from our iyen for our owne synnes and also for the synnes of other Let vs be content to be saciat and fulfylled with suche wepynges and sorowes in this vale of myserye and teares Let our synnes and also the synnes of our ueighbours hynge euer in our syght nat to iudge or condempne our neighbours but to lament and wepe for them at all tymes nat onely let them be in our syght but also let them entre perce the ynner partes of our hertes Let vs at all tymes and in all places haue our sauyour Christe crucified in our presence Let vs alwayes be feruent and deuout in all honour due to god in the reuerence of holy scrypture and in the loue and compassion of our neyghbours In the whiche thre consysteth the gyfte of pitie This ordre and ascencion in our soule doeth molifie all our hert and sprede it abrood and make it apte to receyue the spyryte of pitie whiche doeth quyet vs set vs in great pleasure and fauour of Christe where as we shall fynde spirituall foode bothe within outwarde that is our moost tendre louer our lorde Iesu Christe the rest or our soules the rewarde of our good dedes that we do thrugh this gyfte of pitie And to this gyfte of pitie doeth corresponde the seconde beatitude Beati mites Blessed the mylde And hereunto saynt Austin sayeth Pitie accordeth and is conuenient vnto mylde persons And as concernynge the fruites of the holy goost these .ii. that is goodnes and benignitie ben directly attributed appropriate vnto this gyfte of pitie but the thyrde y t is called Mansuetudo that is myldenes or geÌ„tilnes perteineth to this gyfte of pitie indyrectly for it taketh away the lettes impedimentes of the actes of pitie And the spirite of pitie is gyuen to man for that his hert shuld be moued kyndled vnto beâ—ignitie so that man vsyng duely this gyfte shuld cum to the same eternall possession heritage y t he wold haue other men cum to And this is it that we sayd before y t by the great compassion pitie mercy y t our sauiour Iesu Christ shewed vpon vs vnto vs on y e crosse we shuld be styred moued kyndled to lyke werkes of pitie accordyng to our power habilitie vnto our neighbour y t thereby we myght be made apt to the restauracion of thorder of archauÌ„gels ¶ Example of this gifte of the spirite of pitie Cha. ix OF this gyfte of pitie we haue example in the forsayd blessed woman Maria de Ogines in the sayde boke of the histories of Vincent Where as it is writen that nat only she auoyded all maner of euyll by the gyfte of the feare of god but also by the spyryte of pytye whiche she had withoute doubte by the ofte and feruente remembraunce of the passyon of Christe she was made very feruente and prone or redye to all goodnes She laboured and enforced hyr selfe as farre as hyr power wolde stretche to fulfyll all the werkes of mercy of a great and aboundaunte pytye that was in hyr And aboue all other werkes of pitie she had a feruent desyre to vysyte the sycke and to assyste them in theyr infirmities and also to be present at the deathe and sepulture or buryenge of the ded folkes where she very oft tymes receyued from god great spyrytuall conforte and also thrughe the reuelacion of god knewe many secrete and heuenly mysteryes And this well appered in this history folowynge Vppon a certayne day whan one of the systers of Ogines laboured in the extreme panges of dethe this blessyd woman Maria beynge in hyr celle se in spyryte a great multitude of deuylles about the bed of the sycke syster And as the couent dyd say coÌ„mendacions for the soule of the sayd sycke syster whoÌ„ they thought to haue be ded this holy Mary in a maner forgettynge hyr mylde grauitie sad shamfastnes ran with hast vnto the bed of the sicke systerâ— stryuynge with those wicked spirites nat only dyd resist theÌ„ with hyr feruent prayers but also dyd chase dryue theÌ„ away with hyr mantell or pall as a man wolde chase away the flyes And whan these wycked spyrytes dyd terrybly resyst hyr and alledgyd reasons for them y t this soule shuld perteyn to them than she nat content with theyr importunitie cryed and
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
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
our lord Iesu in the begynnyng of his passion after his last supper did wyllyngly take so great heauines that he his selfe sayd vnto his disciples Tristis est anima mea vsque ad mortem My soule is heuy vnto the death And this heuines he toke vpon hym that by it which he suffred īnocently he myght take frome vs that euerlastyng heuines which we had deseruyd for our synnes and also that he myght gyue to vs eternal ioy and gladnes Also we by our synnes deseruyd to be perpetually subdued vnder y e power and thraldom of the dyuell and so to be committed to the eternall prison of hell But our lorde in his blessyd passion suffred hym selfe to be taken prisonar that he by his sufferyng innocently that captiuitie myght therby delyuer vs from the power and captiuitie of the dyuell and also preserue vs from that most darke prison of hell and restore vs vnto the libertie of the childerne of god Moreouer we by our synnes deseruyd to be perpetually associate and accōpanyed with the dyuels and other dampned soulys Agaynst this our sauiour Iesu wold be associat with theuys and wold be accompted as one of thē that he myght bye vs from the cumpaygnie of dampned soulys and from the feloweshyp of dyuels and so to make vs the chyldern of god and felowes of aūgells He to whom al the glorie of heuyn doth serue and which only of hym selfe is all beautie and glorie wold suffre shamys rebukes and mockynges that he myght redeme vs from confusion and etarnall derision of dyuels and theyr rebukes and also that he myght reuoke and bryng vs agayne to the glorie of heuyn which we lost by our synne He that onely hath power to louce and bynde of his great mercy wold be bounde for vs that he myght louce vs from the bondes of our synnes and from al the paynes y t we deseruyd by our synnes And at last he suffred death innocently that by his death he myght destroy our eternall death and also gyue to vs eternall lyfe in glory And thus ye may vnder stonde of all other paynes of Christe For vniuersally to speake ther was no thyng vayne no thyng vnprofitable ī al his passion but euery payne that he suffred was ordenyd to take away from vs sum perpetuall euyll that we had deseruyd by our synnes and to merite and gyue to vs sum eternal goodnes that we had lost by our synne And therfore saynt Austen sayth Christ suffreth to my profit he is heuy for me he soroweth to my cōforth And the cause of these is this for he hath louyd vs eternally and hath desired to be louyd of vs agayne for loue can nat be recompensyd but by loue And hereunto also saynt Bernard sayth Myght nat our creatoure and maker repare his creature agayne or redeme hym without that gret difficulty hard paynes of his passion Yes he myght haue done it without payne if it had so pleased hym But he wold rather do it with his great iniurie and payne to wyn the loue of man and to gyue hym many and great causes of loue For this great difficultie and greuouse paynes that he suffred for our redemption shuld moue that person to gyue hym thankes which lityll regardyd the werke of his creasion bicause it was done so easly What thynke you sayd the vnkynd man of his creacion I was create and made lyghtly and frely without any payne or labour of my creatour and maker he onely spake the worde and I was creat as al other thynges ware So the wicked vnkyndnes of man lytyll regardyng the werke of his creasion shewed there matter of vnkyndnes where he shulde haue taken cause of loue But now the mouth of those wicked men be stopped For now it is more clere than the lyght what payne and labour thy lord god had o vnkynd man for thy redempcion Of a lorde he becam a seruant where he was riche he was made poore he beyng god toke vpon hym a mortall body and the son of god despised nat for the to be made y e son of man Remembre therfore thou vnkynd man though thou were made of nought yet thou wart nat redemyd of nought In .vi. dayes god made all the worlde and the o thou man amonges them all But .xxxiii. yere he labored continually with great paynes to werke thy health and saluacion What laboure had he in soueryng the incommodities of our nature as hunger thyrst heat colde and suche other What temptacions of the deuyll what slaunders rebukes despisynges mockynges beatynges with many greuouse paynes and at last most paynefull and shamefull death Therfore thou man be no more vnkynd but loue and thanke god and haue compassion of thy creatoure redemar and sauiour Amen ¶ How Christe descendyd vnto the helles The thyrd Chapitre AFter that our sauiour Iesus had gyuen vp his spirit and so was deed furthwith his soule vnit and knyt or ioyned vnto the godhed descendyd vnto the helles vnto the holy fathers that were there in prison and there stode with them Of this descension Damascen sayth thus The soule of Christe ioyned to his godhed descendyd vnto the helles that as he had bifore comforted them that were in the world aboue the erth so he myght shyne and comforte them that sat in darknes and in the shadowe of death He descendyd to comforte the holy faythers to glad them and to glorifie them For as shortly as he presentyd hym selfe to them they dyd se his godhed and so then they ware in paradise that is they had the clere syght of the godhed which is ioy and lyfe eternall Of this descension also saynt Austen in a certen sermon sayth thus Anon as Christe had gyuen vp his spirit his soule knyt to his godhed discendyd to y e deapnes of helles And whan he was cum to y t place of derkenes as a victoriouse captayne shynyng and terrible tho wicked hell houndes and legions of derknes beholdyng hym begane to enquire and say From whens cam this person so strong so terrible so shinyng and gloriouse That worlde which hath bene euer subdued to vs dyd neuer sende to vs such a deed person He neuer sent to vs suche gestes before this tyme. What is he that so boldly entreth in to our iurisdiction And nat onely he doth nat fear our tormentes but moreouer he dothe louce other frome our bondes Beholde and see howe they whiche ware wonte to weape and more ouer vnder oure tormentes nowe they rebuke vs and vpbrayde vs of theyr deliueraunce and saluacion And nat onely they in nothynge feare vs but moreouer they threten vs. There was neuer deed men so proud stubbourne borne agayst vs as these be Nor neuer myght any persones in captiuitie be so glad and ioyfull as these be O thou Lucifer our captayne why wold y u bryng this person vnto our place All thy myrth is paste all thy ioy is turned in to
remembraunce of thy woundes and passion may expeÌ„d and put in my fynger and hand that is what so euer good werk or discreacion be in me I may put it in and expende it all holl in thy seruice to thy honour And that I may confesse with Thomas that thou art my lorde whiche hath bought me with thy preciouse blode and my god which hath creat made me And that whiche thou sayd byfore of our fayth that blyssed be they whiche haue not sene and yet beleaue I may haue experieÌ„ce therof in my selfe and that by thy grace I may be founde blyssed in thy syght Amen ¶ Of the Ascencion of our lorde The .viii. Chapitre OVr lorde Iesus knowyng that the tyme was come that he shulde departe from this worlde vnto his father he wold shewe that not onely he loued his chosen people in this lyfe or whan he was mortall but also y t he loued them vnto the ende or for euer more and therfore he said to them Vado parare vobis locum I go to prepare a place for you in heuyn yet byfore that he went he wold coÌ„fort them and take his leaue of them And therfore he appered to them in the mownt of Syon in that place where as he made his supper byfore his passion for as they ware sittyng and eatyng in that place with our blyssed lady and other frendes of our lorde he appered to them and dyd eate with them byfore his Ascencion as wel for a signe or tokeÌ„ of his special loue to his disciples as to ê“ue his resurrection And after y t they had eaten he brought them all forth not with hande but with his worde and byddyng and so they went from Hierusalem vnto Bethany and than he had them go vnto the mownt of Oliuete there they shuld se hym ascende and so he departed and vanished froÌ„ theyr syght And at y e mownt of Oliuete he appered to them agayne And than some of his disciples sayd to hym Domine si in tempore hoc restitues regnum Israel Shalt thou lorde restore at this tyme the kyngdome of Israel that is wyll thou now delyuer the Iues from the subiection of the Romays c. our lorde answered It apê‘teyneth not to you to knowe tho secreat tymes or thinges that my father hath in his onely power And so after that Christ had spoken certen thynges to theyr instruction and also comforthe he kyssed ych one of them for as saynt Ambrose sayeth he left to them y e token of peace that is he kyssed them and so byddyng them fare wel he lyfted vp his handes to offre them all to his father and blyssed them gyuynge them grace and strenght to defend them from theyr enemyes and also to werk good and godly werkes and so he asceÌ„ded And thaÌ„ his mother and his disciples seyng hym eleuate and lyfted vp in to heuen fell downe prostrate and worshypped hym And for his departyng they could not refrayne them selfe from weapyng and yet they had great ioy and comforth in that they se hym so gloriously ascende And than there came and met hym all the ordres of Angels reuerently and in ordre by dyuers compaygnyes and ordres there was not one but that he cam and dyd his deutye to his lorde god And inclynyng to hym with all reuerence they wayted vpon hym with Hympnes and songes of ioy vnspeakable For as the prophete Dauid sayth Ascendlt deus in iubilo Christ god and man ascended in great songes of ioy which is to be referred not onely to the great ioy of the Angels but also to the ioy of the holy soules redeamed by the passion of Christ and asceÌ„dyng with hym with a wonderfull ioye It folowed in the psalme Et do minus in voce tube And our lord asceÌ„ded in the voyce of the truÌ„pe And this is to be referred to the sowne and voyce of the prechyng of the apostles whiche preachyng was than enioyned and commaundyd to them our lorde sayng to them Euntes in munduÌ„ vniuersum predicate euangelium omni creature Go ye through out all the world and preache my gospell to euery nacion Whan thus both the angelles and blessed soules dyd syng our lorde ioynyng his handes to gyther deuotely and lyftyng them vp streyght byfore his brest ascendyd with a cloude vnder his feet And so al the blyssed soules reuerently ascendyd with hym Nowe for asmoche as all the actes of our redempcion ware complete in the ascencion of Christ therfore that day is worthely acompted as a hyghe and a great ioyfull day For it is the moste solempne feast of our sauiour Iesus for that day he began to sit on the ryght hand of his father in his humanite and so toke rest of all the labour and payne that he suffred in this worlde It is also the propre feast of al blessed spirites in heuyn for than began theyr ruyne and decay to be repayred It is also the feast of patriarches and prophetes and of all holy soules for that day they fyrst entred into the kyngdome of glorie It is morouer the feast of our lady for asmoche as than she saw her sonne Iesus very god and man ascend vp vnto heuen with great glory in the same fleshe and body that he toke of her Yet that day is properly our feast for than our nature was fyrste exalted aboue the heuyns and so man that byfore was lost was that daye brought agayne by our sauiour Iesus vnto the kyngdome of heuyn and vnto the compaigney of angelles Therfore let vs now ascende in hert and mynde that whan tyme shall come that we be called from this worlde we may ascende in soule and after the generall resurrection ascende both in soule and body Christ dyd ascende and withdrawe from vs his corporall â—sence to prouoke our affection and loue and that we shulde desyre to be with hym with all our herte And therfore as the Apostle sayth Quae sursum sunt queramus quae sursum sunt sapiamus Let vs serch and labour to knowe tho thynges that be in heuyn and to tast or loue the same Let vs flye all worldly and vayne desyres let no thyng transytory please vs or content vs whiche haue our father aboue in heuyn And though we be here in body and also vse these temporal thyngê for the fraylty and infirmitie of our body yet let vs go to god by our loue and desyre as we reade of a certeyn deuote knyght whiche with great deuocion went vnto Hierusalem to visite al the holy places where as our lorde suffred his passion or dyd ony notable thyng in his lyfe and whan he had with feruent deuocion visited all tho places at last he cam vnto the mouÌ„t of Oliuete vnto the place from whens our lorde ascended where after that he had deuotely prayed he sayd with teares O good lorde I haue delygently saught the in many places here in erth and where now to
seache the I knowe not but in heueÌ„ coÌ„mauÌ„de therfore swete Iesu my soule to departe fro my body that I may fynde the in heuen where as thou syttes on the ryght hande of thy father in great glory And with these wordes he yelded vp his spirit without any sorowe A prayer O Iesu our crowne and glory whiche rysyng from death dyd ascende vnto the ryght hande of thy father drawe my soule vnto the that I myght feruently seache and desyre y e onely grauÌ„t to me I beseache the that I maye with all my desyre and studye come to that place to the whiche as I stedfastly belyue thou hast ascended And that I beyng here in body may be with the in loue and desyre that my hert may be there where as thou art my loue and treasure moste to be louyd and desyred Drawe me after the that by thy grace I asceÌ„dyng from vertue to vertue may deserue to se the my lorde god in the heuenly Syon Amen ¶ Of the sendyng of the holy ghost The .ix. Chapitre THe L. day after y e Resurrection of Christ and the .x. day after the Ascension that is on wytsonday whan the discyples of Christe were gadred to gether in the place of mount Syon where as he made his supper both men women to the nombre of C.xx or there about there contynuyng in prayer and abydyng the comyng of the holy ghost acordyng to promysse of Christ about the thyrd houre of that same daye there cam sodenly from heuen a wonderfull noyse or sounde as if it had bene the commynge of a great wynde and it fylled all the house and there appered vnto them clouen tonges or dyuyded as they had ben fyre And here note that the gyftes of the holy ghost be not gyuen but to them whiche be gadred to gyther by vnite or one assent in vertue and lyfted vp by desyre vnto heueÌ„ly thynges Also the .vii. gyftes of the holy ghost be conueniently signified or shewed by fyre Fyrst for the holy ghost doth purge lyke as fyre doth and that is by the gyft of feare Secondly as the fyre doth melt so doth the holy ghost by the gyft of pytie Thyrdly he beautyfieth and maketh fayre by the gyfte of science or knowlege Fourthly he strenghtheth by the gyft of strenght Fyftly he lyfteth vp the soule by the gyft of councell Syxtly he doth illumyne or lyghten the soule by the gyft of vnderstandyng And seuently he doth make swete and pleasant by the gyfte of wysdom And all that compaigny ware fylled with the holy ghost and so began to speake dyuers speaches or langages that is whan they spake ony thyng to the glory of god euery nacion ê‘ceyued that speache as theyr owne speache for so it sounded to them and so they spake after the mocion of the holy ghost and as he gaue to theÌ„ vtterauÌ„ce whiche dyuydeth and gyueth his grace to euery person after his wyll and pleasure where he wyl whaÌ„ he wyll asmoche as it pleaseth hym by what maner he wyll and to whome he wyll Peraduenture thou wyll aske this question Syth the ways and operacions of god the holy ghost be vnserchable and can nat be perceyued howe may I knowe that the holy ghost is in me Surely I may greatly coniecture his presence in me by the good mocions of my hert Also I may aduerte and consydre the power of his â—tue in me by that I auoyde all carnall vyces and subdewe al inordinate affections Also I may perceyue his wysdom in me by the ofte discussion of my conscience and rebukyng of my selfe for my synnes Also I may suppose his goodnes and myldnes to rest in me by the amendement of my maners and lyuyng And also by the reformacion renouation of my spirite I may coniecture the same Let euery man looke well in his owne hert If he loue his neyghbour it is a signe that the spirite of god is in hym Also if he loue peace and vnite and that in al the membres of Christes churche through out al the worlde And note here that these signes be taken dyuersly in dyuers degrees of persons For the holy doth inspire he doth enhabite doth replenishe or fulfyll he doth inspire or come to the begynners he doth inhabite the profyters and he doth fulfyll the perfyt ê‘sons The signes or tokens of the holy ghost wherby he is perceyued to inspire the begynners ben iii. after saynt Bernard Fyrst is contricion or sorowe for the synnes paste For the holy ghost hateth the fylth y e syn and wyll not inhabite nor come to that ê‘son that is subdewed to syn Seconde signe is a firme and a sure purpose to beware and auoyde al synne here after and this purpose is nat had without the grace of y e holy ghost assistyng and helâ—yng our infirmite and frayltie Thyrd signe is a diligent redines to do good For the loue of god which is the holy ghost is neuer ydle but always redy to do good There be also .iii. tokens wherby we may coniecture that the holy ghost doth inhabite the profiters that goo forward in vertue Fyrst is the deligent true and ofte examination of his conscience nat onely of mortall synnes but also of veniall synnes for as the grace of the holy ghost is contrary to mortall synne so is the feruour of charite whiche also coÌ„meth of the holy ghost contrary to veniall syn and expelleth it out of the soule that in nothynge he shuld desplease the holy ghost and hynder the soule from the ê“fytyng in vertue The second to keÌ„ is the mynyshyng or subdewyng of the inordinate concupiscence for the more that charite is encresed in the soule of the ê“fyter the more is his soule remoued from the loue of temporall thynges Thyrd signe is the diligent keapyng of the coÌ„maundementes of god which can nat be had without true loue There be also .iii. other signes by the whiche we may coniecture that the holy ghost doth fulfyl the perfyte persoÌ„s Fyrst is the manifestacion or shewyng of the godly truthe For sytghe the holy ghost is the spirit of truth it is his propertie to teache and shewe all truthe necessarie for man and therfore wher he fulfylleth there he sheweth all godly truthe necessarie for that soule Second signe is whan a person feareth nothyng but god for perfyt charite putteth a way all seruile or worldly feare And therfore saynt Paule sayth Vbi spiritus domini ibi libertas where as is the spirite of god there is libertie and no vayne feare For liberty can nat stande with y t seruile feare Thyrd signe is whan a maÌ„ of the vehemeÌ„t loue that he hath to god desireth to be desolued and departed from this myserable lyfe and to be with Christ Besyde all these tokens there be other thre wherby a man may coÌ„iecture y t he hath the holy ghost And for this cause the holy ghost appered in .iii. similitudes or lykenes
principates y t be the .vii. order of aungels For as the prophet sayth Factê° est principatus super humerum eius His principalitie kyngdom is made vpon his sholder that is in that he bare the crosse suffred the paines dethe of the crosse he gat his kyngdom so bought it for vs that is the kyngedome of heuyn Also in the passion of Christe apereth the releuacion of archangels that be the .viii. order For by the passyon of Christe we were sufficiently releuyd deliuered a pena et culpa that is both from synne froÌ„ payn due for synne But now yf we synne actually after our baptisme it is conuenient y t we suffre payne temporall for our synne though thrugh the vertue of y e sacramentes of the chyrch theternall payn be coÌ„muted into temporall payne And therfore our lorde sayeth Date eleemosinaÌ„ ecce oiÌ„a muÌ„da suÌ„t vobis Gyue almose and all thynges shal be clensed in you In this passion also shineth the reuelacion and manifest doctryne teachynge of aungels that be called the nynthe order For all the hyd secretes of scripture all the secret misteries of god were reueled made open by the passion of Christe openynge of his herte with the spere And in token hereof at the passion of Christe the veile of the temple was broken or diuided into two partes that all the thyngê that before were secret hyd in the inner sacrate temple might be open and manifestly sene And thus by these forsayd conformities whiche the passion of Christe hath with the orders of aungels it is done most conueniently y t nat onely Christe shuld redeme mankynde but also that he shulde mooste ordinately order dispose repare the ruyne fall of aungels For by the great loue charity which he had in the crosse he kindled the fyre of loue in the hertes of his electe people towardes god and theyr neyghbours that suche as folowed and duely executed that feruent loue were made and yet be made apte to repare the moste hyghe ordre called Seraphin By the true knowledge expressed in that blessed passyon were his electe people illuminate to the hyghe contemplacyon of the knowledge of god and hyghe misteryes that so they may be apte to the reparacyon of the seconde ordre called Cherubym Agayne for his great meaknes and reuerence that Christ had in his blyssed passion towardes the hyghe maiestie of god his electe people were prouoked to lyke meaknes and reuerence and due honoure to be rendred to the hyghe maiestie of god as farâ—e fourthe as theyr frayle nature wolde serue them and so to be apte to y e reparcyon of thordre called Thrones Morouer thorough the example of his great pacyence and obedience vnto the dethe of the crosse for the whiche he was exalted of god as we sayde before he prouoked his electe people to ouercome all vices and concupiscence by labour abstinence and affliccions and to subdue all inordinate appetites vnto reason that no vayne or inordinate thynge shulde haue any domynacyon in them that so they myght be made apte to the reparation of the ordre called Dominationes And so who so euer humbleth hymselfe shal be exalted And so truely to passe ouer all the residue of thordres of aungelles our sauiour Christe in his blyssed passion gaue example vnto his seruauntes to resist and ouercome the suggestyons and temptacyons of the deuyll that they myght be apte to the reparacion of the Potestates Also he gaue vnto them exaÌ„ple of good conuersacion and vertuous operacions that they myght ascend to the ordre of Vertues He gaue them also example so to directe and gouerne theyr outwarde senses and inwarde mocyons and all other thynges that be vnder theyr cure that they might ascend vnto the Principates Morouer he gaue them example so to releue and comforthe the nede and necessities of other persons that be in nede that they myght ascende vnto the ArchauÌ„gelles And lest he gaue them example so to instruct and teache the ignorant that they myght be apte to ascende vnto the ordre of AuÌ„gelles ¶ In the passion of Christe is also conteyned the beatitude of men Chaptre .iii. IT may be declayrede that the true beatytude and blysse or ioye of men is conteyned in the passion of Christe by the same reasons wherby we haue nowe declared that the beautye and perfeccyon of aungelles done shyne in the sayde passyon For to that cleare knoweledge of treuthe whiche appeared in that blissed passion as we sayd afore in thorder of Cherubin correspondeth y e open clere vision of y e godhed y t thelect people of god shall haue in heuyn to saciate beatitie the reasonable or intellectable power of the soule Secondly to y t profouÌ„de mekenes reuerence wherby we sayd that the passion of Christe hathe the perfection of the order of the thrones correspondeth the surety of blysse wherewith the wrathfull power of y e soule comonly called Vis irascibilis is saciate For on whom shall rest continue y e spirite glory of god but vpon the meke person Thyrdely to that excellent charitie y t was shewed at the passion of Christe correspondeth theternall fruicion loue of the deitie wherwith y e wyll reasonable appetite of man shal be fulfilled and this for the beatitude of the soule Now for the .iiii. dowries of the glorified body Fyrst to that high dignitie of presidencie y t our lorde had by his sufferauÌ„ce obedieÌ„ce vnto y e deth for y e which he was exalted to hygh dignity correspondeth in y e glorified body agility wherby he may do what he will Secondly to y t great power streÌ„gth wherby our sauiour ouercam dethe correspondeth impassibilitie that is y t the glorified body shall suffre no payne Thyrdly to that mighty operacion of vertue whereby he drew all thynges to him self correspondeth subtility wherby the glorified body may penetrate all thynges Fourthly to that noblenes or principality for y e whiche the prophet said of Christe Factê° est pricipatê° suê‘ humeruÌ„ eiê° His principalitie or noblenes is made vpoÌ„ his shulder also of this noblenes or clerenes is sayd in the gospell where as christ said to his father Pater clarifica filiuÌ„ tuuÌ„ Father clarify thy son or make knoweÌ„ the noblenes of thy son To this noblenes I say correspoÌ„deth y e fourth dowry of thy glorified body called clerenes for thaÌ„ our bodies shal be clere shyne as y e son so sayeth our lorde in y e gospel TuÌ„c iusti fulgebuÌ„t sicut sol iÌ„ regno patris eoruÌ„ Than after y e generall resurrectioÌ„ y e rightuouse meÌ„ shal be clere shyne as y e son in y e kyngedom of theyr father Furthermore to the office ê‘fectioÌ„ of archaugels auÌ„gels which as we said before were shewed in y e passioÌ„ of criste correspoÌ„deth the beauty or accideÌ„tall glory called iÌ„
called vppon Christe vppon the blood of Christe that he shed for mannes saluacion continually with a feruent mynde remembred the dethe of Christe that he suffred for vs. And yet these woode raungynge fendes nat ceasyng of theyr importunity but euer busy to deuour this soule by many craftye and deceytfull reasons than this blessyd woman Maris conceyuynge in hyr soule a great trust and confidence in god by the grace of the holy gooste For as Paule sayth where as is the spyryte of god there is lyberty great confidence she I say hauyng great trust in god sayd with a free spirite great boldenes Good lorde I wyll be pledge surety for this soule And thaÌ„ furthwith the daÌ„pned spirites fled vtterly auoyded and the good auÌ„gels cam and toke the soule And so this blessyd woman gyuyng thankes to god went to hyr owne cell prayed for y e sayd soule And afterward as she was iÌ„ deuout prayer in y e day of y e feest of saint Peter Paule for y e sayd soule saint Peter appered to hyr and shewed vnto hyr how the soule of the foresayd woman was in greuouse paynes of purgatorye for as moche as she in hyr lyfe had moche inordinat loue to y e world to the pleasures therof though at her dethe she had very contricion therof And than this blessed woman moued of pitie as she was alwayes full of pitie and specyally towardes the soules in purgatory dyd praye moche feruently and deuoutely for that soule And nat content with hyr onely and owne prayers requyred instantly and opteyned the prayers of many other deuout persons and also caused many masses to be sayd for the sayde soule vnto the tyme she was delyuered from payne and taken vnto ioye and glory eternall Many other examples of hyr pitie and compassion ye may rede in the sayde .xxxi. booke of the hystoryes of Vincent ¶ The gyfte of science or knowledge is opteyned by the feruent remembraunce of the passyon of Chryste The .x. Chapitre THe gyfte also of scyence and kuowledge of spyrytuall and godly thynges is gyuen to man by the continuall and deuoute remembraunce of the passion of Christe thorughe the whiche gyfte man may duely and iustly lyue in this wretched worlde where as flourysshe many frowarde and wycked persons And yet that man that hath this gyft shall lyue godly though he be amonges them for he shall contynue in his faythe and defende it and haue true compunction in his herte He shall absteyne from euyll and wysely admynystre or vse these temporall goodes He shall dyrecte and ordre all his werkes to ryght reason and applye his wyll to the wyll of god Or we may saye that this gyfte of scyence doeth teache vs to beholde as in a moost pure glasse all maner of contemplacion and all maner of pacyence And that is yf we take this gyfte knowledge as a science or knowledge of these inferior thynges in that that they be helpynge and inducynge to the contemplacion and knowledge of spyrytuall and heuenly thynges As be the knowledge of our synnes that we haue done of the benefytes that we haue receyued of god and of the paynes that we haue deserued for our synnes For the fyrste that is for the knowledge of oure synnes it is sayde by the prophete Arguet te malicia tua auersio tua increpabit te scito c. Thy malyce and synne shall reproue the and thy tournynge frome god shall rebuke the therefore know thou and dilygently consyder that it is bytter and paynefull to the to haue forsaken thy lorde god and to wante his feare in the. This maner of science is a very true knowledge and moche necessarye for vs that is to knowe our selfe and so to meke dispise or set lytle by our selfe Of the seconde maner of knowledge that is of the benefites of god I say vnto you that amonges all the benefites that we receiuyd or dayly receyue the greatest benefite of all other is the benefite of our redemption in the which our lorde hath shewed vnto vs a sure argument or ê“fe of his infinit and inestimable loue that was whan he suffred the moost shamefull and paynefull dethe for vs his enemies This argumente or profe doeth engendre and greatly encrease in vs a knowledge moche pleasaunte and also necessarye for vs. Of the whiche knowledge saynt Paule sayeth Non enim iudicaui me aliquid seire inter vos nisi Iesum Christum et huÌ„c crucisixum I haue iudged thoughte in my selfe that I haue non other knowledge amonges you but the knowledge of Iesu Christe crucified The thyrd maner of knowledge that is of the paynes due for our synnes is also necessary for vs the profe or argument thereof that is the knowledge of the paynes of hell or of purgatory hath ben reueled and shewed to many holy sayntes And those paynes of hell ben conteined in these two verses folowynge Sitis esuries â—rigus ignis fetor et horror Tenebre desperantes victi vermesque rodentes That is Thyrste hunger colde fyre stynche and vgsomnes or lothesomnes Darkenes desperacion subiection and gnastynge or gnawynge wormes These thre maner of sciences with many other we may moost specially fynde get in the meditacion of the passion of our lorde And moost of all we shall get moche knowledge yf ye diligeÌ„tly serche the fygures of the olde law correspondynge or signifienge this sayd passion of our lorde For there is innumerable treasure hyd vnder those fygures whiche may be founde with diligent serche In y e which fygures be hyd a meruelouse swetenes of deuocion all maner of scyence and sacietie or full contentacion of the soule for this lyfe For he that is crucified with Christe by the continuall feruent meditacion of his passion shall se how these fygures the scripture of god do shyne in the sayd passion and so by the gyfte of science he shall be eleuate and lyfted vp vnto a meruelouse swetenes of deuocion and vnto an high perfection of contemplacion and that on this maner For fyrste to suche a person that feruently remembreth this passion and depely sercheth these figures shall appere how that the moost hygh goodnes of god the father hath ordryd all thynges muche diligently vnto our profite Secondly it shal appere how the onely sonne of god the father our lord Iesus Christe muche godly and faithfully hath shewed vnto vs all thynges necessary vnto our helthe saluacion Nat onely by his wordes but also by his examples Thirdly it shall appere how the passion of our sauiour Iesu was figured signified from the begynnyng of the world as it clerely appereth in holy scripture What inwarde ioye pleasure shall this be thynke you to that person that feareth these thinges knoweth them All these great and meruelouse thynges were done for vs. And to declare vnto you how all these thynges do figure and signifie our sauiour Iesus
passion of our sauioure Iesu Christe that by the feruent remembrance of the sayd passion he myght entre into these most depe treasures of the goodnes of god vnto the tyme that soule or mynde be depely entred into Christe crucified and in a maner absorpte drowned thrugh or in the feruent loue of Christe crucified And than that soule shall receiue the gyfte of science know how to order his werkes accordyngly vnto right reason and applie hym selfe vnto the conformitie of Christe And this is it that we sayd in the begynnynge of this chapiter that the gyfte of science moueth a man to lyue iustly truely in this wretched worlde where as flourysshe many froward and wicked persones and amonges them to defende his faithe and to haue true compunction in his hert The spirite of science or knowledge is for that intent gyuen vnto man that that spirite enterynge into the herte or soule of man shulde instruct hym in thynges necessary for his saluacion and shulde moue hym to true compunction sorow for his offences that man shulde know that what so euer payne or tribulacion he hath it is for his synnes and if he be pacient for his great profite And what so euer goodnes he hathe it is of the mercy and grace of god And so thereby he shulde lerne to be euer subiect to god and to praise hym in all werkes neuer to murmure against hym but in all thynges and at all tymes to shew mekenes and pacience and euer confesse god to be iust and true in all his werkes and so folow thexample of Christe which is the myrroure of pacience and also the rewarde eternall of the true and meke pacieâ—t Moreouer by the true compunction of herte whiche springeth of mekenes thrugh thoperacion and help of this godly science is swaged the wrathe indignacion of the mynde And contrary wayes wrathe doeth ouercum and spiritually slee the vnwise person that wanteth this gyfte of scyence As whan in aduersitie he is moued or styred and also blynded by the vice of impacience in so muche that he doeth nat know that suche paines and tribulacions as he suffereth cummeth to hym by his owne demerites and synnes Or els whan he is lyfted vp in prosperitie he is so blinded by pryde that he will nat know how that all the goodnes that he hath cummeth of god And lyke as we se in daily experience that after rayne cummeth fayre wedder so after the vertue of true compunction and sorowe for our synnes foloweth the rewarde of consolacion For who so euer wyll freely punyssh hym selfe in this lyfe for the loue of god he shall fynde hereafter a true ioye and gladnes without ende And therfore our sauiour sayth Beaâ—i qui lugent quoniam consolabuntur Blessed be they that wepe and mourne in this lyfe for the loue of god for they shall be conforted And this is the thyrde beatitude whiche correspondeth to the gyfte of science For as saynt Austin sayeth science is accordynge to mourners Right iudgement of creatures or to iudge truely of creatures perteineth vnto the gyfte of science For oftymes men thrugh thoccasion of creatures turne them selfe from god and so commyt greuouse synne as the wyse man sayeth Creature facte sunt in odium muscipulam pedibus insipientium Creatures made of maÌ„ to the seruice of god thrugh the synne of man ben made to the hatred of man and as a trap or a snare to the fete of vnwise men for asmuche as suche men wantynge right iudgemente and knowledge of the creatures do put theyr full confidence and trust in them whiche they shulde haue put in god and so consequently they do synne and lese the true infinite goodnes And this great damage of man is made knowen to man by the right iudgement of creatures whiche he hath by this gyfte of science And therefore coâ—ueniâ—â—tly is the beatitude of mournynge assigned to reaunswere vnto the gyfte of science Whiche graunt vnto vs that moost tender calfe that hynge vpon the crosse for vs. Amen ¶ An example of this gyfte of the spirite of science Chapitre .xi. OF this gifte of discrecion and of science we may haue example in the foresayde blessed woman Maria de Ogines Of whoÌ„ it is wryten in y e histories of Vincent as foloweth For asmuche as to this blessed woman in auoidyng all euill by the spirite of the feare of god in doynge good by the spirite of pitie was also necessary a warenes a circumspection of discretion therefore almighty god the father of light and knowledge whose vnction and spirite teacheth vs in all thynges necessary dyd illuminate lyghten his doughter Marie with the spirite of godly science And that without doubt was thrugh her continuall and feruent remeÌ„braunce of Christes passion God I sayde gaue to her the gyfte of knowlege that thereby she might know what was to be done and whaÌ„ and what was to be auoided and that all her sacrâ—fices and paines taken for god she might order with discrecion For oftymes vice wyll shew hym selfe to be vertue and euyll oftymes is taken vnder the colour of goodnes And whan we wold auoide one vice oftimes we fall into the contrary vice and therfore this spirite of godly knowledge is necessary for vs. Sumtyme this blessed woman whan she was made one spirite with god was ioyned vnto hym with the glew of feruent loue to hyr great pleasure and swetenes If she herde of the cummynge of straungers to speke with her she wold I say sumtyme with great violence withdrawe her selfe from that great pleasure of contemplacion from the swete halsynges of her spouse Christ lesse that she shuld slaundre those straungers I say she wolde withdraw her mynde from that contemplacion with so great vehemence of sorow that sumtyme she voyded or spytted pure blood that in great quantitie to her great payne and affliction Wyllyng rather so to punisshe her selfe with that great martyrdom than to trouble or vnquyet the peace and quyetnes of her systeren and bretheren and specyally of pylgrymes or strauÌ„gers Yet suÌ„tyme whan she knew thrughe the reuelacion of the holy goost the cummynge of sum straungers a good tyme before they cam she wolde go pryuely into the feldes or woodes nygh vnto her cell and there wolde she hyde her selfe that vnneth or scarcely hyr owne company myght fynde her all thoughe they searched for hyr all the daye And sumtyme contrarye wayes whan she was in slepe yf there cam to hyr pore and symple persons for theyr necessitie or conforte she was sodaynly awaked and compellyd to ryse onely by thoperacion and mouynge of the holy goost whiche than sayd vnto hyr Spede the there is one that abydeth for the to speke with the nat for any curiositie but for very necessitie Moreouer though this blessyd woman with a meruelouse discrecion kept alwayes peace with hyr neighbours and nat onely with them that were good
and vertuouse thoughtes And therefore suche a persone that is thus puryfyed in soule and bodye may trewly order hym selfe to the contemplacyon of god For he neuer lyfteth vppe his syght or iyes vnto vayne thynges Ne hys eares to heare noysome or vnprofytable thynges Nor hys nose to smell swete odours nor smelles Nor hys mouthe to taste delycate thynges Ne yet hys touchynge to feele softe thynges and that inordynately But with all dylygence he kepeth hym selfe bothe inwardely and outwardly so that nowe he shoulde nat be called a seruaunte or bounde but rather a lorde and free For he hathe domynyon ouer hym selfe by subdewynge of all inordynate and sensuall appetytes as muche as a man may haue lordeshyppe ouer hym selfe in thys lyfe And so I say suche a persone for his puritie is mooste apte to receyue the godlye influencys and spyrytuall illustracions For the sonne of Iustyce doeth inhabyte suche a pure and clene soule shynynge in euery corner thereof and lyghtenynge the inwarde partes of the same That is the thre powers of the soule so that he may do all thynges necessarye for his saluacion by the power of the father almyghty He knoweth all thynges by the wysdome of the sonne our sauyoure Christe Iesus and wyll all goodthynges by the goodnes of the hooly gooste These be the thre mansyons or tabernacles that god maketh in the soule of the iuste and pure persone for there he fyndeth nothynge that shulde let or resyste contrarye to hym And so our lorde doeth shyne so longe in that soule vnto suche tyme that soule thorughe that bryghte lyghte and clearenes be absorpte and in a maner as it were drowned or swalowed vppe into god And than the soule so rauysshed and lyfted vp aboue it selfe doeth entre in to the godlye clowde after thys maner cryenge and sayenge thus Et nox illumininatio mea in delitiis meis This nyghte or clowde is my lyghte to my great conforte and pleasure And thus ye may se that the soule by the gyfte or spyryte of strengthe is lyfted vp aboue all feare of perylles of our enemies it feareth nothynge but synne that displeaseth god it is nat subdued to any passion and is redy to excercyse all werkes of strengthe It is nat ouercum by any conflyete or battell in temptacion And all this is opteyned and gotten by the continuall and feruent remembraunce of Christes passion And here vnto saynt Paule sayeth Confortamini in domino et in potentia virtutis eius Ye be conforted in our lorde and in the power of his vertue that is in his passion where as his great power and vertue was shewed Also the prophet Dauid sayeth Ipse dabit virtutem et fortitudineÌ„ plebi sue He shal giue vertue power strength to his people And by his power we haue the vyctorye oure ouer enemies as saynt Paule sayeth Deo gratias qui fecit nos vincere per dominum nostrum Iesum Christum Thankes and praysynges be to god that hath gyuen to vs the vyctory ouer all our enemies by the merytes of our lorde Iesus Christe And in an other place saint Paule sayeth thus Induâ—te vos armatura dei vt possitis stare aduersus inâ—idias diaboli Put vpon you the armoure of god that ye may stande strongly agaynst the disceites and pryuy assautes of the deuyll These be the armours of god and also vnder hym our armoure Let vs take his crowne of thorne for our salet or helmet For our swerde the nayles of his handes For our spurres the nayles that persed his fete For our Iacke or haubergyn the betynges of his body with scourges For our sheld the crosse as our lorde bare it to the mounte of Caluary For our horse the same crosse as Christe dyd hynge and dye thereon With this armoure we shall ouercum the deuyll for thereunto we shall haue strength thrugh the feruent meditacion of the passion of Christe To this gyfte of goostly strength correspondeth the fourthe beatitude that is Beati qui esuriunt et sitiunt iustitiam Blessed be they that hunger and thyrste iustice For as saynt Austyn sayeth Strengthe is conuenient to them that hunger and thyrst iustice for they labour diligently desyrynge to haue ioye and pleasure in and of thynges that be very good and also labourynge to tourne theyr loue from all worldly and vayne thynges And this conueniency doeth also appere in that that this gyfte of strengthe consysteth and standeth in harde thinges of great difficulty as we sayde before It is a greate and an harde thynge that a man shuld nat only do vertuouse werkes which comonly beÌ„ called the werkes of iustice but also that he shulde do them with a feruent and in a maner an insaciable desyre of iustyce whiche is signified by this hungre and thyrst of iustice To this gyfte also of goostly strength correspondeth and accordeth amonges the fruites of the spyryte these two fruites Pacience whiche concerneth the sufferaunce of euyll or payne And longanimitie whiche consysteth in the taryenge or continuall abydynge for the good promyses of god that is eternall glory the rewarde of vertuouse werkes And so this spyryte of strength is gyuen to man that it shulde aryse and lyfte vp the tedyouse wery soule whiche was almoost deiect cast downe by the dayly sufferaunce of euyll and paynes and for beholdynge or abydynge of the good promyses of god And this gyfte so doeth lyfte vp this soule that it opteynynge his formar vertue and strength doeth put away all suche dulnes werynes and also waxeth stronge to the desyre of inwarde swetenes and so consequently to the desyre of eternall pleasure Also this spyryte of strength doeth cause in mannes soule the hunger desyre of iustice so that the soule here in this lyfe feruently desyryng the werkes of iustice may herafter be full saciate with consolacion eternall for his rewarde And to this we sayd before that by thexample of the mekenes pacience of Christe in his passion for the whiche he was exalted and had a name aboue aboue all names as saynt Paule sayeth Men shuld be prouoked and moued to the folowynge of Christe in corporall paynes and afflictions In subduynge all vyce inordinate concupiscencys or desyres In hungerynge thrystynge the werkes of iustice and in hauynge dominion ouer all his appetytes and rewlyng them by ryght reason that they so doynge may be made apte to the reparacion of thorder of the dominacions aungels or heuenly spyrytes so called ¶ Example of this spyryte of strengthe The .xiii. Chapytre VIncent in his hystories sheweth an example of this gyfte of strengthe of the blessed woman Maria de Ogines thus sayenge For as moche as it but lytle auayleth to auoyde euyll by the spyryte of feare and to do good by the spirite of pitie thyrdely by the spyryte of knowledge to haue discrecioÌ„ in all thynges except also by y e spirite of strength we resyst all
prophete sayeth that it is preclarus that is moche worthy and noble For besyde the premisses it bryngeth a man to the kyngedom of heuens ¶ Example of this spyryte and gyfte of councell The .xv. Chapitre OF this gyfte of godly councell whiche is gyuen to suche as feruently remembre the passion of Christe we may se an example in the forsayd blessed woman Maria de Ogines in the forsayd histories of Vincent whiche speakynge of this holy woman sayeth thus She endued with the spirite of councell wold do nothyng hedlynges nothynge inordinately but she dyd all thynges diligently wysely discretely and with great deliberacion And all though she was inwardely vysyted with the familiar councell of the holy goost and also sufficiently instruct in the holy scripture of god and all by the feruente and continuall remembraunce of the passion of Christe yet for thabundaunt mekenes that was in hyr and that she wolde nat trust to moche to hyr owne wyt and so seme wise in hyr owne sight she vtterly forsoke hyr owne wyll and reason and dysdayned nat to submyt hyr wyll freely gladly to the wyll and councell of other takynge and folowyng theyr mynde and councell This nat withstandynge many of hyr famylyar frendes the whiche had ofte experience of hyr godly wysdom wolde take no great thynge vpon them without hyr councell And that she coulde nat know by mannes wyt or reason after hyr deuout and feruent prayer she had the knowledge thereof by the inspiracion of god One tyme whan one of hyr dere spirituall frendes whiche had a competent pore lyuynge wherewith he was well content so moche the better content for that he lyued quyetly from the turmoiles troubles of the world abstracte and separate from the cumpany of worldly people and all worldly pompe or vanitie This person I say so content and seruyng god in mekenes and deuoute spyryte ▪ was desyred of a noble and great man to be with hym as his maister instructour and councellour he shulde haue all thynges plenteously at his pleasure as meate drynke rayment horse and seruauntes This person after this large offre made asked councel of this blessed womā Mary what he shulde do Than she in no thynge presumynge of hyr owne wyt made hyr herty prayer to god secretely and after hyr deuoute prayers she aunswered to hym and sayde I sawe a great horse prepared for you whiche went or ranne streight way towardes hell I dyd also se a greate company of deuylles ioyenge and shewynge great gladnes thereof Therefore after my councell forsake that offre and continue in that callyng that god hathe called you vnto lesse by suche ambicion worldly pompe ye gyue occasion to the deuyll to drawe you further vnto youre eterne perdicion ¶ By the feruent remembraunce of the passion of Christe the gyfte of vnderstandynge is gyuen to man The .xvi. Chapytre THere is also gyuen vnto man thrughe the feruent and continuall remembraunce of the passion of our lorde the gyfte and spyryte of vnderstandynge wherby we know god nat effēcially as he is in him selfe but by collacion comparyson vnto his creatures as by his effectes operacions creatures as it were by sygnes and tokens Also by this gyfte we receyue a lyght and knowledge of those thynges which we se or here of the scripture of god And this knowledge is contrary to that brute sensuall knowledge wherby man onely knoweth and cleueth fast to these outwarde and vayne thynges nothynge regardyng consyderynge or knowynge his owne honour dignitie for he onely consyderyth these visyble and transitory thynges and wyll nat serche to rede or know inwarde thynges that is what he is nat in substaunce but in grace What is his lyuynge vycyouse or vertuouse How great he is in merytes or in the fauour of god where he is that is in this exyle vale of mysery All these thynges considereth the spirituall person and that by the feruent meditacion of Christes passion For he that is crucified with Christ Iesu by the remembraunce of his most blessed passion ▪ doeth ascende vnto the clerenes of knowledge by the spyryte of vnderstandynge on this maner Whan a man doeth feruently and deuoutly remembre and consyder how that the sonne of god wolde suffre so greate paynes for to redeme hym anone he consydereth of what dignitie and noblenes his soule is that it is of an excellēt great dignitie seynge that the sonne of god wolde suffre so shamefull a dethe for the redemption therof And by this consideracion he is animated and moued to consyder and thynke of hyghe and noble thynges For whan he depely considereth that that mooste precyouse blood of Iesu Christe was shed to wasshe his soule from the fylthynes of synne and also that by that moost blessed passion the ruyne and fall of aungels shulde be repared restored with mankynde anon he dysdayneth to remēbre or ones to thynke of these vyle and transitorye thynges but rather he is prouoked moued to beholde and consydre spirituall and heuenly thynges And yf he consydre or beholde these visible thynges it is for that intent that therby he wolde ascende to the cōsideracion of heuenly thynges so that his cōuersacion is principally in heuyn And thā also for asmoche as he seeth Christe crucified and so subdued vnto manyfolde tribulacions and paynes he in this consideracion onely wyllynge to please god recounteth and thynketh all tribulaciōs and paynes to be very lyght and easy for hym to beare Remembrynge also how moche Christe loued hym that wolde be so cruelly and shamefully entreated and slayne for his redemption he feruentely kyndeled in the loue of Christe laboureth to entre in that moost blyssed syde and hert of Christe whiche he knew was opened with a spere for his loue His soule is burnyng in loue as a fyre And therefore with all his herte he desyreth to be crucified with Christe Hereunto he sygheth and wepyth and feruently desyreth that he myghte be all wasshed or drowned in that passion and so hoolly to be transfourmed into his lorde god crucified He reputeth and thinketh hym selfe to be in bondage and mysery except he be preserued and kept by the blood of his redemer He iudgeth hym selfe to be rather more lyke a beeste than a man except he be clad with his lordes passion It is abhominacion to hym to be negligent in the consideracion and remembraunce of so noble a benefite as is the mercyful werke of our redemption and therfore he is euer or at leest hath a wyll to be euer occupied in the meditacion of the sayd passion For as he wold euer continue in the fauoure of god whiche he gate by that passion and redemption so he wold haue euer in his hert and mynde the passion of Christe the pryce of our redemption He reputeth Christe crucified as his lyfe and all his confort or pleasure and therfore he wolde be euer conuersaunt with hym O what sorow what heuynes is
the vertue and operacion of the holy gooste And so the spirite of vnderstaâ—dynge cummynge to the soule of man thrugh the deuout and ofte remembraunce of Christes passion clenseth it and purifieth the inwarde and spirituall syght of man whiche was derked and blynded by the synne of our fyrst parent Adam and also doth cure and heale it with the knowledge of the worde of god as it were with an holsum ointement and doeth make it so pure and lyghtsum that it is apte to receyue or to beholde the clearenes of the deytie Clennes doeth sprynge of the gyfte of vnderstandynge And this clennes bryngeth in the vision or syght of god and therfore Christe sayeth Blessyd be the clene in herte for they shall se And therfore we sayd before that by the truth expressed declared in the moost blessyd passion of Christe men be illuminate thrugh the feruent remeÌ„brauÌ„ce of the sayd passion vnto the knowledge of the heuenly and godly truthes that so they may be made apte vnto the reparacion of thorder of Cherubyn For man in his fyrst creacion was so made of god that yf he had nat synned he shulde euer haue ben presente in the contemplacion of his creatoure and maker that man so seynge his lorde god shulde euer haue louyd hym and so louynge hym shulde euer haue cleued fast vnto hym And in so cleuyng fast to hym whiche is immortall he also shuld haue had lyfe euerlastyngly But man for his inobedience was cast from the face fauour of god And by his synne he was blynded with ignorauÌ„ce And he was put from that inward light of coÌ„templacion bycause he inclined his mynde gaue it to erthly desyres And the more depely he gaue hym selfe to the desyre of these vaine transitory thynges the more he forgat the swetenes of heuenly desyres whose taste and knowledge he had lost by his syn And so he was exiled banisshed from Paradise for his synfull conscience and wandred about here in this vale of misery by inordinate concupiscence And also the hert of man whiche fyrste fyxed in the loue of god was than stable permaneÌ„t in louyng onely one thynge that is god was at all tymes one after that it began to slyde vnto vayne worldly desyres it was diuided into as many thinges as thoo thinges that he desyred were dyuers many And so it foloweth consequently that y t mynde which can nat or wyll nat loue y t one thyng y t is very good one in it selfe y t mynde I say can neuer be stable For y e mynde nat fyndyng the ende of his desyre his purpose in those thynges y t he loueth so euer labouryng in vayne desyryng that thyng which he can nat opteyn can neuer rest stably quietly And herof foloweth continuall mouyng without stabilitie labour without rest runnyng without any ende of his runnyng And so the hert is euer vnquyet vnto the tyme it cleue fast by loue vnto one thyng in the which his desyre shall be saciate fully content with pleasure and also he shall haue a sure confidence and trust that that thynge whiche he so loueth shall neuer be taken from hym this shal be by our lorde Iesu Christe whiche is the way truthe and lyfe eternall And therfore he sayth Cum exaltatus fuero a terra omnia traham ad meipsum Whan I shal be exalted vpon the crosse I shall draw all my elect people to my self And this his eternall father promysed vnto hym by the prophet sayenge Ab oriente adducam semen tuum c. That is I shall brynge thy sede and faythfull chyldren or seruantes from the Eest by one parte of the crosse And I shall gader to the from the west by an other arme or parte of the crosse And I shall say vnto Northe Gyue to my sonne his seruauntes by the thyrde parte of the crosse And I shall saye to the Southe parte of the worlde Let nat my sonnes seruantes to cum to hym by the fourthe arme or parte of the crosse Brynge my sonnes or chyldren from farre cuntreys and my doughters from thextreme and vtttermoost partes of the erthe ¶ Example of this gyfte or spyryte of vnderstandynge The .xvii. Chapytre OF this spirite of vnderstandyng whiche is oft tymes gyuen to those that deuoutly remeÌ„bre the passion of Christ we haue example in the sayd hystoryes of Vincent of the ofte named holy woman Maria de Ogines Of whome he sayeth thus â–ª This blessyd doughter of Hierusalem adourned by the feruent remeÌ„braunce of Christes passion with manyfolde vertues illustrate or lyghtenyd with the foresayd gyftes of the holy goost and also hyr herte purified clensed with the gyfte of vnderstandyng she was conuersant in with heuenly thynges For she vtterly excludynge from hyr hert all vayne transitory sensuall faÌ„tasies gat into hyr mynde vniforme vnuariable heuenly imaginacioÌ„s And the more she apê“ched drew nigh vnto thimmutable maiesty of god the more purely these heuenly imaginacions shone in hyr soule And whaÌ„ hyr spirit so purified was kyndled burnynge in the fyre of feruent loue of god she asceÌ„ded into heuen by contemplacion as the fume or smoke of insence or other swete spices doth ascende so walkyng in heuen as it were from place to place euer ascendynge sought about to fynde hym whom she loued god omnipotent And so serchynge she was suÌ„tyme coÌ„forted with y e lilies of vyrgins Now refresshed with thodiferouse swete smellyng roses of the holy martyrs And suÌ„tyme she is venerably or worshipfully receiued of thonorable cuÌ„pany of the apâ—â—les sumtyme she is associate to the cuÌ„pany of aungels Whan she had thus ascendyd froÌ„ degree to degree walked with ioyouse glad mynde thrughe many places of heuenly paradise whan she was a lytle past all these cuÌ„panies she fouÌ„de hym whoÌ„ hyr hert moost feruently desyred there she perfitely restyd And whan she was in this quietnes it pleased our lorde to shew vnto hyr the boke of lyfe wherin whan she loked she perceyued many thynges by the spirite of vnderstandyng whiche afterward whaÌ„ she was cum to hyr selfe she shewed by the spirit of prophecy And so vpoÌ„ a tyme whan the heretikes called Albigenses were greatly multiplied thre yeres before that the people were marked with the signe of the crosse to go fyght against them she sayd that she se many crosses descende from heuen vppon a great multitude of people whiche people moued of god feruent zele that they had to our sauiour crucified intendyng to reuenge the great dishonour of god don by those heretykes cam froÌ„ farre cuntreys And whan they cam to a place called Mons gaudii the mount of ioy there were many of theym slayne by the heretikes And than this blyssed woman though she were in a farre cuntrey from y t place yet she se holy aungels makynge great ioye bearynge the soules of those
holy martyrs that were slayne in that battell vnto heuyn without any other purgatorye And so this blessyd woman seynge this conceyued so feruent desyre to go vnto that place y t no thynge shulde haue withholde hyr frome that iourney yf she myght haue gone without slaunder of hyr neighbours And whaÌ„ we with smylynge countenaunce asked of hyr what she wold do if she were there she answered sayd Though I can nat fight yet at leest I wolde there honour glorifie my lorde god there confesse his name where as those wicked heretikes hath blasphemyd hym and denyed hym Other examples ye may se in the sayd histories Ca. xlii ¶ The gyfte of wysdome is gyuen to man by the deuout remembraunce of Christes passion The .xviii. Chapitre THere is also gyuen to man by the deuout and ofte remembraunce of Christes passion the spyryte or gyfte of godly wysdom Wherwith god is knowen absolutely without respecte vnto his creatures or els by experience As whan we taste of the swetenes of god And therefore Sapientia is nat onely called a knowledge but it is a sauoury knowlege thrughe the taste of vertues And this gyfte is gyuen to man agaynste all chyldely or vayne knowledge or pleasure so that hereby a man lerneth to dispise all wantonnes and mylke of temporall delectacion or pleasure and all suche folysshnes begynneth to sauour heuenly thynges and to pondre them as thynges very pleasant true and stable or permanent And erthly thynges he reputeth as vayne transitory and also hereby he iudgeth the truthe of euery thyng as it is in dede intermedleth no more than nedeth And of this wysdom saynt Paule sayeth Impleamini cognitione voluntatis dei in omni sapientia et intellectu spirituali I praye sayeth saynt Paule y t ye may be replenisshed fulfilled with the knowledge of y e wyll of god in all wisdom spirituall vnderstandyng And saynt Bernarde sayeth that there be .iii. maners of wysdom One is the wysdom of the hert An other is y e wisdom of y e mouth And the thyrde is of the outwarde werke or dede The wysdom of the hert standeth in the wepynge sorowyng for our synnes past in dispisyng of all wordly pleasures or profites in the desyre of heuenly thynges eternall glory The wysdom of the mouth coÌ„sisteth in y e confession of our synnes in the laude praysynges of god in thediâ—ienge of our neighbour by godly speche exhortacion The wysdom of outwarde werkes standeth in this y t a man lyue be conuersant with other men paciently obediently innocently or continently so that faithfull true obedience do mortifie subdue his owne proper wyl Meke contineÌ„ce do cut away all carnall worldly coÌ„cupiscence And glad pacience do sustayn beare manly strongly all corporall worldly aduersitie Of the wysdom of the herte we may declare vnto you a figure or example wrytten in the thyrde boke of the kynges that is how the quene Saba hearyng the great fame of Salomon cam from y e extreme partes of the erthe to here his wysdom she cam to hym with a great cumpany And kynge Salomon taughte hyr in all thynges that requyred of hym And so she seynge and considerynge the wysdom his house that he had builded his ministers and seruauntes thorder of them theyr rayment his buttelers and thostes or oblacions that he dayly offred she I say consideryng all these hyr spirite in a maner failed hyr for great maruell and wonder she had therof Morally or spiritually by this quene Saba is vnderstond our synfull soule which heryng of the fame of Salomon that is by inwarde inspiracion or outwarde prechynge or redynge perceyuynge thinfinite goodnes loue and mercy of our peacefull Salomon Christe by the whiche mercy loue he hath preuented our synfull soule with his grace reconsyled it to his heueÌ„ly father And where our soule by our fyrst parentes was condempned vnto eternall dethe he hathe restored called it agayne vnto lyfe Our quene Saba and synfull soule I say perceyuyng this great fame is incited moued to cum with all hyr hert and mynde with a great and muche cumpany that is with many sighynges sobbynges great desyres vnto our true Salomon Christ from thextreme partes of the erthe that is froÌ„ synne that is very farre from god As the prophete Dauid sayth Longe a peccato â—ibus salus Helth or saluacion that is Christe is farre from synners And therfore synne is called thextreme part of the erthe for asmuche as it separateth maketh man farre from god yea nothynge so moche also bycause synne comonly doeth inhabit the soules of erthly worldly people This synfull quene I say cam fro farre to here the wysdom of our Salomon Christ And his wysdom is this that we shulde be 〈◊〉 sory for our synnes dyspyse the worlde with all his pleasures couet or desyre heuenly thynges that all thynges shuld sauour vnto vs that is that we shuld iudge take euery thyng as it is in it selfe after ryght reason Also our Salomon Christ doth teche vnto vs that yf we wyll auoyde eternall tourmentes paynes we must feare the iustice of god remembre oftymes the surety of dethe and the vncertaynty of the hour of dethe to be asshamed to cum to euerlastyng infamy and rebuke Also he techeth vs to haue discrecion in our elections actes debes that is to preferre spirituall thynges before corporall eternall before temporall heuenly before erthly honest thynges before vyle vnhonest thynges This is the wysdom of our Salomon Christe this is farre from the wysdom of the worlde And therfore saint Paule sayeth Vbi sapiens 〈◊〉 vbi scriba c. Where is the wyse man of the worlde where is the scrybe and lerned man Where is the buylder purchaser of this worlde Hath nat god also shewed declared the wysdom of this world to be a folysshnes Surely that wysdom may wel be called a folysshnes wherby the worlde is loued god dispised Worldly honours ben coueted desyred good maners lost distroyed wherby ryches is goteÌ„ but good coÌ„science is lost blynded But now let vs se how this trew wysdom of the hert may be goten by the remeÌ„brauÌ„ce of Christes passion For who so euer be crucified with Christ thrugh y e deuout continuall remeÌ„brance of his passion he may asceÌ„de vnto high conteÌ„placion by the gyft of wysdoÌ„ on this maner folowyng thistory exaÌ„ple of quene Saba First our quene Saba our synfull soule doth here y e fame of y e wysdoÌ„ goodnes of Christ our Salomon whan she remeÌ„breth how y e son of god was incarnat becum maÌ„ also suffred manifold paines was offred vpon y e crosse for our sinnes how y t he suffred most greuouse paines shamefull dethe for our redemption And therfore she thynketh that
to wysdom or the ende of wysdom is to reduce all thynges to a due order and ende and this perteyneth to peace For as saynte Austyn sayeth Peace is a tranquilitie of order that is whan all thynges ben brought to a quyet due order And therfore conueniently correspondeth to this gyft of wysdom the .vii. beatitude that Christe speaketh of sayenge Beati pacifici quoniam filii dei vocabuÌ„tur Blessed be the peacefull that make peace for they shall be called the chylderen of god And saynt Austyn sayeth wysdome is agreynge and acordynge to the peacefull In whom is no contrary mouyng or rebellyng but his mouinges ben subdued obedient to reason Sapientia is called a sauory scieÌ„ce so he hath his name a sapore of y e sapour sauour or taste as whan the mynde is touched with the taste of inwarde swetenes he doeth gader in hym selfe all hole by desyre to rest therin lesse yf y e mynde shuld wandre in y e coÌ„sideracioÌ„ of outward thingê it shuld shortly be dissolued by inordinat plesure of y e body or of y e world therfore he gadreth hym self all inward for within he hath that thynge in whome is all his delectacion and pleasure And therefore the spyryte of wysdom whan he toucheth the herte with his swetenes he tempereth outwardly the feruour hete of concupiscence so the concupiscence subdued he maketh peace inwardly to thintent that the mynd of man so hoolly gadred into that inwarde ioye myght fully and perfitely be refourmed vnto thymage of god And therfore it is wryten Blessed be the peacefull for they shall be called the chylderen of god And that for as muche as they haue the similitude of the naturall and onely sonne of god As saint Paule sayth Quos presciuit conformes fieri imaginis filii sui Our lorde hath predestinate and knowen before his chyldren here in erthe to be coÌ„forme or made lyke vnto thymage of his naturall sonne whiche is called Sapientia generata The eternally begotten wysdome of the father And so herby ye may perceyue that those persons whiche receyue the gyfte of wysdom by the deuout and continuall meditacion of Christes passion attayne to be the chyldren of god And this is it that we sayd before that the great charitie of god that apered in the passion of Christ shulde kyndle the fyre of loue to wardes god theyr neighbours in the hertes of all them that deuoutly remembre the same passioÌ„ that thereby they myght be made apte vnto the reparacion of the order of aungelles called Seraphin ¶ Here foloweth an example of this spirite of wysdom The .xix. Chapytre EXample of this spyryte or gyfte of wysdome we rede in the hystoryes of Vincente whiche wrytynge the lyfe of the ofte named Maris de Ogines sayeth in this maner Hyr herte thrughe the remembraunce of Christes passion was inwardely fulfylled with the spyryte of wysdome whereby hyr wordes were very swete confortable and all hyr werkes were made fatte or pleasant with a meruelouse swetenes of the spirituall vnction or ointement She was meke in herte mylde in hyr countenaunce swete in hyr wordes pleasaunt in all hyr werkes and drunken in charitie One tyme whan she had lyen thre days coÌ„tinually in hyr bed there restynge mooste swetely with hyr spouse Iesus Christe hyr ioye and sweatenes was so vehemente that she knewe nat how the tyme passed and so she supposed that she had scarcely lyen the tenthe parte of one quarter of an houre She had many meâ—uelouse and dyuers affections vnto our lord Sumtyme she was very hungery for god and sumtyme meruelouse thyrsty and drye for god And the more she had hym or felte hym the more her desyre dyd encrease And whan he wolde departe from hyr than she was sorowfull than she cryed and desyred hym to remayne and continue with hyr sumtyme she wolde enbrace and hold hym fast in her armes that he shuld nat departe from her and with many teares beseched hym that he wolde shew hym selfe more ofte tymes to hyr Sumtyme by thre days or more as it was sene to hyr he appered to hyr as a lytle chylde lyenge betwyxt hyr brestys whom she enbraced and halsed and hyd hym that he shulde nat be sene of other persons and so she lay kyssyng and playenge with hym as with a chylde Sumtyme he appered as a mylde lambe layeng his hed in her lappe Sumtyme our sauioure appered to hyr as a dowue to conforte hyr Sumtyme she se hym as a shepe or a wedder with a bright sterre in his forehed goynge about the chyrche to vysyte and conforte his seruauntes as she thought And in dyuerse solempne festes of our lorde he appered in dyuerse maners accordyngly vnto the feest As on ChristeÌ„masse day he appered to hyr as a chyld suckyng his mothers brestes or lyenge in y e cradell and than hyr affections was ordered to hym as to a chylde and so accordynge to dyuers apparicions she had dyuerse affections and so thrughout all the festes of the yere In the feeste of the Purificacion of our lady comonly called Candylmas day she se our blyssed lady offre hyr sonne in the Temple and how Simeon toke hym in his armes And in this vision she had no lesse ioye than yf she had ben present at the sayd oblacion whan it was actually don in the Temple of Ierusalem And in the procession of this same feest whan hyr candell was extyncte and without lyght by a long space of tyme sodeynly there cam a great and most clere lyght from heuen dyd light hyr taper or candell On good fryday he appered to hyr as crucifyed and hangynge vpon the crosse but very seldome he appered to hyr on this maner bicause she coulde nat beholde it hyr sorow was so great that she was ofte thereby in peryll of dethe And whan any solempne feest by the course of the yere drew nygh suÌ„tyme viii dayes before that feest she felt in hyr soule a great ioy And so she had diuersities of affections accordynge to the diuersitie of feestes after the course of the yere She se also sumtyme as it were bryght beames cummynge from thymage of the crucifixe dyrectly vnto hyr and so entred into hyr hert And in all these thyngê she had great delectacion pleasure hyr spirit was meruelously coÌ„forted therwith This blessed woman also was moche wery of this miserable life also was in a maner coÌ„tinually sicke for y e ferueÌ„t loue that she had to god coÌ„tinuall desire to be in his presence with him in eternall felicitie But yet in al these desires werynes of this exyle or worlde she had one singuler speciall confort remedie to refressh hyr in this vale of misery vnto suche tyme she might cum vnto that she moost desyred that is she had the heuenly Manna aungels food the sacrament of the auter the very body blood of hyr
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
not wyllynge to differ hys deth and also fearynge lesse that Pylate shulde reuoke his sentence bycause he shewed hym selfe to haue a good wyll to delyuer Christ from deth therfore they constrayned a straunge man that passed by them called Symon Cireneus to beare the crosse after Iesus Not moued as the glose sayth of any pitye or mercye towardes Christ but that he myght the soner come to his death And also that it myght appere that Iesus was not god seynge that he was so feble weyke a man that he was not able to beare that crosse as sayth saynt Austen And this Symon was not a Iue or of the chylderne of Israell but a pylgryme a straunger of the Sirenys that is a cytye in the countrie of Libia And in this man was veryfyed the saynge of the prophet Dauid Popu lus queÌ„ non cognoui seruiuit mihi The people that I haue not knowen hath done seruice to me And though the iues put this labour that is to beare the crosse after Iesus vnto this Symon as to a vyle person despysed amongê them yet it was not done without great misterie for as the glose sayth Beholde and note here that no Iue or Ebrewe but a straunger a gentyle is subdued to the obprobry and crosse of Christe to shewe that the plentuousnes of grace of the sacramentes or misteries of the lawe shulde departe from the Iues vnto the gentyles Symon is as moche to say by interpretation as obedient and Cireneus is interpreted here 's that is an heyre And therfore by this man may be well noted all good christians conuerted frome the erroure of gentilitie vnto Christe whiche somtyme ware as pylgryms or straungers vnto the lawe and preceptes of god but by theyr faith and obedyence vnto the coÌ„maundemeÌ„tes of god they were made of the housholde of god and his heyres and also coenheritours with Christe And thus bearynge his crosse they brought hym to Golgotha c. as in the nexte article ¶ A Lesson IN this article we christians maye lerne to beare the crosse after Iesus for as the glose sayth Firste Christe beareth the crosse for he suffred first afterwarde it was put to Symon Cireneus to beare it after Christ for we ought to folowe the steppes of Christ for Symon dyd folowe we and not go before Christ And herunto our lord sayth in the gospell Si quis vult venire post me tollat crucem suam quotidie et sequatur me If any man wyll come after me lette hym take his owne crosse dayly and folowe me And here be noted thre thynges necessary for hym that wyl folowe Christ Fyrst that he beare it voluntarylye and not compelled agaynst his wyll and therfore he sayth If any man wyll come after me notynge therby that it muste be of his owne wyll Seconde that he beare his owne propre crosse and therfore he sayth let hym take his owne crosse Thyrde that it be done for the glorie of god and not for vayne glorie and therfore he sayth and folowe me do it to my honour and for my loue And by this crosse here is noted the purpose of godly and vertuouse lyfe so that the hole lyfe of a christiane whiche lyueth after the gospell of Christ may be called a crosse and a martirdome And this crosse is to be dayly borne after Christe and for the loue of Christe Fyrste in our hert by remeÌ„braunce and compassion In our mouth by ofte and deuoute thankes And in our bodie by discreate chastysyng and subduynge of the same that so we myght reanswere gyue thankes vnto our sauiour in hert worde and dede Herby ye may se that loue without this crosse nor yet this crosse without loue may deserue any laude or prayse in thought worde nor dede But that crosse is hyghely to be praysed whiche is ioyned with loue whiche loue also the same crosse doth brynge in In this state was saynt Paule whiche sayd of hymselfe Christo con fixus sum cruci I am fastened to the crosse for the loue of Christ In this crosse fyrst our flesshe or body is fastened with the nayles of feare and hexunto the prophet Dauid sayth CoÌ„fige timore tuâ—o carnes meas Fasten or nayle faste my flesshe with thy feare Secondly our spirite muste be fastened with the nayles of loue And thyrdly our outwarde senses with the nayles of disciplyne and rigour or payne And herunto the wyse man sayth Verba sapien cium quasi stimuli et quasi claui in altum confixi The wordes of wyse men be as pryckes or broddes and as nayles fastened in the profunditie of our senses Fourthly our handes must be nayled with the nayles of laboure And therfore the wyse man sayth Quodcunque potest manus tua instanter operare Werke diligently what so euer good thy handes may werke Herby it doth clerely appere that that person sheweth hym selfe manifestly to haue no true loue whiche wyll not prepare and gyue hym selfe to harde and paynfull thynges for his louer O howe gladlye ought the christians to take and beare his crosse syth he is taught and moued therunto by nature and also by crafte Naturally the byrdes when they flye in the ayre they vse the signe of the crosse for theyr hed and theyr tayle and theyr winges abrode make a crosse and so in theyr flyenge they take theyr crosse In lyke maner a man swymmynge takes his crosse The shyppe goyng vpon the see maketh the signe of the crosse Also a man to conforme hym selfe to this article shuld remeÌ„ber with how great charitie Christ bare his crosse for vs and of what heuynes it was to hym seynge that all the synnes of the worlde was put vpon his crosse whiche all this swete and mylde lambe whome he went to be offered dyd beare vpon his shoulders Also a man may ymagyne in hym selfe as if he bare the crosse of Christe with hym as Symon Cireneus dyd and so pray thus ¶ A prayer O Iesu whiche for me a wretche wolde beare thy heuy crosse vpon thyne owne shulders make me wilfully and gladlye to take the crosse of penance and streyter lyfe and to beare it daylye after the and for thy loue Amen ¶ Howe Christ was led vnto Golgoltha that is the mount of Caluarie The .xliiii. article THe .xliiii. article is the ledynge of Christe vnto Golgotha there to be crucifyed for after that they had layde the crosse vpon Christes shulders and there tyed it fast As saynt Iohan sayth Eduxerunt eum They led hym out of the citie Fyrste to fulfyll the fygures of the lawe For it was commaunded in the lawe that the calfe and the gote whiche were oâ—red in the moste solempne sacrifice for the expiation and purifyeng of the people that they shulde be buryed without the castelles or the habitacyons of men So Christe whiche is the sacrifice for the expiation and redeÌ„ption of all man kynde shulde suffer deth
without the castels or cities And also he wolde suffer without y e citie to declare shewe vnto vs howe y t the vertue of his passion shuld not be included within the coostes or bouÌ„des of the Iues but that it shuld be knowen to be a comon sacrifice for all the worlde And thyrdly to signifye and shewe to vs that who so wolde haue the effecte and vertue of this passion he muste go forth or go from the worlde at lest in desire affeccyon or loue that is that he haue no inordinate loue to the worlde the gooddes or pleasure therof Wherfore let vs folowe Christe and go vnto hym frome our carnall frendes and worldlye conuersacyon bearynge with hym and for his loue rebukes and sharp paynes And herunto saynt Bernarde sayth Christe suffred his passyon and deth without the citye therfore let vs go to hym from the cytye that is by the contempte of worldlye conuersacyon and that may be done by .iii. maner of wayes In affeccyon or loue that we loue not inordinatly the world In effect dede that we vtterly forsake the worlde both in wyll and also bodye And thyrdlye by profytynge that we desyre and labour to be made one spirite with god For as saynt Gregorie sayth The more that a man is separate from the loue of the worlde the more nygh he is to god This ledyng aboue al the other .viii. of which we spake in the .viii. article was most paynfull and shamefull to Christe and that for many causes and therfore conueniently it maketh a specyall article Fyrst by reason of his rebuke and shame for it was moche shamefull to be led vnto hangynge Secondly for that he was copled and ioyned or led with .ii. theues and mischeuous persons and that was done to his more confusyon shame that the people shulde thynke there was no difference bytwixte Christe and them Thyrdly for the greate noumber of people that se hym and folowed hym and that not onely of men but also of women as the euangelist sayth But they all dyd not folowe hym of one intent and one mynde for some were moche ioyfull of that syght as the moste parte of the Iues. And it is no small payne to a man to behold and se other men and specially his enemyes gladde and ioyfull of his affliccyon and rebuke There were also some that dyd wepe and were sorye for that syght as the blessed woman And also this was moche paynfull to Christ to se his frendes louers in sorowe and heuynes for hym Saint Bernarde describeth this ledynge and procession in this maner folowynge When Christ sayth he was broughte forthe to be ledde vnto his passion there was gathered about hym a greate multitude of people as ye comonly se when theues and murderars be had to hangynge Some went saughynge and some cast clay or durte vpon his most blessed hed and face If Christe loked before hym he sawe them cast durte vpon hym If he loked aboue hym he sawe the heuy tre of the crosse lyenge vpon his necke and greuously oppressed hym If he loke behynd hym he sawe his mother with a great nomber of men and women wepynge and lamentynge for hym And as some doctours do say his most sorowefull mother wolde haue come to hym to haue helpen hym and myght not be suffred the whiche her swete Iesus seynge and consederynge her great heuynes fell downe for sorowe and werynes vnder the crosse And that seynge his moste louynge mother for sorowe she fell to the erth as deade And in the remembraunce of this swonyng there was afterwarde a chapell buylded by the faythful people in the same place in the honor of our lady whiche is called sancta Maria de Spaâ—mo and after this Iesus turnynge hym selfe to the women that wepte sayd Filie Hierusalem nolite flere super me sed super vosipsas flete et super filios vestros O ye doughters of Hierusalem wepe not vpon me for I take these paynes and deth with my good wyll for it is the wyll and ordinaunce of god my father that I shulde thus dye and also for the great profet y t shall come therof to mankynde for by my deth I wyll ouercome euerlastynge deth but wepe for the cause of my passyon and dethe that is the synnes of the people which cause me to suffer deth by the order of iustice And thus to wepe it is necessarie for you and therfore it foloweth Sed super vosipsas flete et super filios vestros But weape for your selfes and for your chylderne Herin Christ doth not rebuke theyr affeccyon and compassyon that they had to hym but he doth teche them an order howe to wepe that is firste to wepe for them selfe and theyrs for it is a vayne thyng and of no profyt to wepe for the passyon of Christ and therwith to despyse hym with our euyl dedes and lyuyng Also he byddes them that wepe for hym to consider what paynes be lyke to fal vpon them selfe And therfore they shuld wepe for them self and for theyr childern and therfore Christe saythe Quoniam ecce venient dies in quibus dicent beate steriles c. For the dayes shall come sayth Christ when they shall say Blessed and happy be the baren and tho that brought forthe no fruyte and those pappes or teates be happye that neuer gaue sucke or mylke then they shall begynne to saye to the mowntes Fal vpon vs and to the hylles Couer vs. And thsi he spake for the tyme of the seage of Hierusalem by the emperours Vaspasyan and Titus his son for then the Iues were in great distresse as it appereth by the histories of Iosephus and Egesippus or els we may say that Christe spake this for the extreme and last day of iudgement And the cause or reason of both these he addeth and sayth Quia si in viridi ligno faciunt in arido quid fiet For sithe so greuous paynes and shamefull despites be done to me whiche am a grene tree florisshyng and quicke in the roote of my diuinitie in the charitie of my manhode in the branches of my vertues in the leeses of good wordes and the fruyte of my good dedes if I say they do these thynges to me that is condempne me to the shamefull deth of the crosse without all iustice what shall they do to the drie tree or stocke that is to the synner whiche wanteth the moisture of grace the fruyte of iustice the grenisse or florisshynge of the conscience what payne thynke you be they worthy to haue O Iesu thou grene tre O our hed O thou glorie of all meake persons O thou cedre of clenlynes Palme of pacyence Olyue of mercy Vyne of gladnes shewe to vs what was done to the And he answering saith this grene tre is pilled or the barke pulled of it is shred lopte it is cut downe and cast vpon the erth Marke this well frendes sith he that came
in all thy hole bodie to amende all our carnall life and worldly conuersacyon But wherfore good Iesu wolde thou be lefte vp on hight Herunto saynt Austen answering saith that was he bycause he wolde also purge the ayre from the power of the deuyls and from the infeccyon oâ— our synnes And in lyke maner he clensed the erth by his blode that ranne from his body vnto the erth Of this exaltacyon and lyftynge vp Christe sayd before Si exaltatus fuero a terra omnia traham ad meipsum If I be exalted or lyfted vp aboue the erth I shall drawe to me all thynges that is all my electe and chosen people also he drewe to hym of all nacyons or of all kynde of people who is he that hearyng these thynges wyll not haue a sure hope and truste to haue remission and forgiuenes of his synnes and that specyally when he remeÌ„breth and beholdeth the desposicyon of Christes bodie hyngynge vpon the crosse he hath his hed enclyned downe redy to kysse the his armes abrode redy to halfe the his handes open redy to gyue his hert open to loue the his fete nayled faste to abyde and continue with the his body all spred abrode redy to gyue hym selfe holly and all to gether to the. ¶ A Lesson OF this article we may take this lesson that we remembring the paynes and passion of our lorde shulde be exalted from the erthe that is from erthly affeccyons or worldly conuersation at lest for that tyme of our remembrance and thoughe it be not gyuen to all persons to be bodylye eleuate or lyfted vp from the erth as ware Mary Magdalene saynte Austen mother called Monica saynte Birgite with diuers other yet let vs enforce our selfe with the grace of god to be eleuate in mynde that so we maye be drawen frome the erthe vp to Christe hyngynge vpon the crosse so that we may be of the noumber of them of whome he spake saynge And I be exalted frome the erthe I shall drawe to me all my electe people And a man to conforme hym selfe to this article maye of his deuocyon rayse vp his herte and mynde vnto Christe as if he sawe hym visibly hangynge vpon the crosse Also he may somtyme shewe that deuocyon in the outwarde gesture and behauiour of his bodye and pray thus ¶ A prayer O Iesu whiche for me wolde be lefted vp on the crosse and so wolde be exalted from the erth make me I besech the to be eleuate from all erthly affeccyons and to be conuersant in mynde in heuenlye thynges Amen ¶ Howe .ii. theues were crucified with Christ The .liii. article THe .liii. article is the crucifyenge of .ii. theues with Christe whiche without was done to his great rebuke and shame as saynt Crisostom sayth And also to make men beleue that Christe was culpable in suche thynges as the Iues dyd accuse hym in and so worthely to suffer death O the wicked and cursed iniquitie of the Iues in this dede for they crucified Christ as a thefe and with hym as the euangeliste sayth Crucifixerunt duos latrones vnum a dextris et alium a finistris They crucified .ii. theues one of the ryghte hande of Christ and the other of his lefte hande This vilanye our lorde suffred wyllynge to be crucifyed with theues to shewe that he suffred passion and deth for synners and herin was fulfylled the saynge of the prophet Et cum sceleratis reputaâ—us est He is accompted with theues or reputed to be as one of the wicked persons he was rekened or accoÌ„pted with wicked men in his deth that by his resurreccyon he might reuyue and quicken them as saynt Ambrose sayth â–ª and so our lorde was crucifyed bytwixt .ii. theues as the capteyne and mayster of them and the worste or moste mischeuous of them and also that he seynge or hearynge theyr paynes and heuynes myghte be more troubled and vexed therby in his passyon By these .ii. theues may be signifyed those persons that be crucifyed with Christe for to do penance for theyr synnes in religion and that by ê“rofession made vnto the same but some of them vtterly leaue or forsake theyr religion by apostasie of whom is well veryfyed the sayng of saynt Paule Nomen dei per vos blasphematur inter gentes The name and religion of god is blasphemed by such apostatays amonges the worldly people and that neuer so moch as in these dayes our lorde amende it and these persons be noted by that theâ—e that hang of the lefte hande of Christe and dyd blaspheme Christ The other that kepe theyr professyon and paciently bere theyr crosse of penance be signified by the other theâ—e that hang on the right hande of Christe and confessed Christe and desyred hym of his mercy ¶ A Lesson OF this article we maye lerne howe we shulde be crucified with Christe bitwixt two theues For as Iesus was crucified and .ii. theues with hym so morally our spirite noted by Christ shuld be crucifyed bitwixt .ii. theues y t is the flesshe the worlde The flesshe is to be crucifyed as the thefe on the right syde And herunto saynt Paule sayth Qui Christi sunt carnem suam crucifixerunt cum viciis They that be verye true christians haue crucified and subdued theyr flesshe and sensualitie with all vyces The worlde is to be crucified as the thefe on the left hand And therfore saynt Paule sayth Nichi mundus crucifixus est et ego mundo The worlde is crucifyed to me and I to the worlde These theues thus crucified in vs our spirite is crucified with Christe in the myddle so that it maye saye with saynte Paule Christo confixus sum cruci viuo autem iam non ego viuit vero in me Christus I am crucifyed with Christe I lyue not nowe with myne own lyfe for Christ liueth in me and in his life I do liue And here note that the left thefe was crucified but not saued for he continued in his infidelitie So the worlde though he be crucifyed yet he is not saued for he remayneth in his miserie and wretchednes The flesshe is crucified and saued with the spirite for after the generall resurreccyon it shal be glorified with the soule And therfore Christe sayde to the ryghte thefe Hodie mecum eris in paradiso This day thou shal be with me in glorie And farthermore note here that the crosse wherupon our flesshe is crucifyed is the rigor of discipline or sharpnes of penaunce and this crosse hath .iiii. branches or partes that is watche abstinence harde or sharpe wearynge clothes and sharpe or rebukynge wordes The crosse vpon the whiche the worlde is crucified is the pouertie of spirite and this crosse hath also .iiii. armes that is the contempte of worldlye glorie the contempte of mony of our countrie and of our kynsfolke The crosse of the spirite is the feruour of deuocyon and his .iiii. armes be these hope feare loue
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
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
her virginall wombe Nay suerly if we wyll forsake our syn and cum faythfully to them Therfore let vs wretches ioy with y e holy spirites and soules in heuen and with al creatures as moch as we may and let vs study and labour to laude and prayse so gloriouse so mercifull a mother and virgyne as far as our infirme frayle nature wyl suffre The assumpcion of this gloriouse virgyn was figured in the old lawe when as the arke of god was translate in to the house of kynge Dauid At which tyme kynge Dauid dyd harpe and daunce before the arke of god and so brought it in to his house with great ioy It was also figured in the mother of Salomon for whom he made a trone next vnto his trone and set her therin sayng aske of me what thou wilt It is nat conuenient or seamyng for me to deny it to the. Also it was figured by the woman which saynt Iohan speaketh of in his reuelacions sayng Signum magnum apparuit in celo Mulier amicta sole et luna sub pedibus eius c. A great signe apperyd in heuyn A woman clad or coueryd with the son and the mone vnder her feet and a crowne of .xii. sterres vpon her heade This woman signifieth our Lady which when she was assumpte vnto heuyn was clade or compassyd about with the son that is with the glorie of the diuinitie of Christe The mone was vnder her feet for she despised the world and worldly thynges signified by the mutable mone She had a crowne of .xii. sterres vpon her heed for the .xii. apostles ware present at her death or elles It signifieth her vnspeakeable glory For these consideracions all men shulde crie and call vnto our lady Mary shuld name Mary shulde loue her aboue all other creatures Both yong and olde man and woman euery profession shulde diligently call vpon Mary When by our syn we haue offendyd god the highe kynge of glorie when we haue lost the cumpaigney of all holie aungelles and sayntes in heuyn when also we be greuouse and moch paynfull to our selfe know nat what to do and whether to go for helpe then this onely remedy haue we wretched synners that we may lifte vp our ien of our soule and body vnto the o mercifull mother Mary for counsell and healpe Therfore o pitifull Lady intend to vs that we may receyue that profitte and effecte for the which our Lord god was made man in thy most chaste wombe and so liuyd here amonges men and at last suffred death for the health and saluacion of man To the blessyd Mary we commende vs procure for vs and defend vs that we do nat perish euerlastyngly Amen A prayer O Lord the gyuer of ioy the graunter of solace the diligent releuer of the desolate person the chaser away of all heuines and sorowe which haste gladdyd make ioyfull the most blessed virgyn Mary thy mother the glasse of thy maiestie the solace of aūgelles the ymage of thy goodnes the begynner of our helth thou hast gladdyd her I say w t manyfold ioyes both ī heuen and in erth I beseach the graunt to me thy suppliant that I which presume to com trustely and faythfully to her as to the well and fountayne of ioy in all my sorowes trobles may by her merites and prayers feale and receyue the effecte of her prayers and comforth in this present life and finally to cum to that ineffable ioy to y e which she assūpte ioyeth with y e eternally in heuyns Amen ¶ Of the last iudgement and of the cummyng of the Iudge to the same the .xi. Chapiter WE reade in scripture of .ii. cōmynges of Christe Fyrst is past that was when he cam to be cum man and in our nature of his manhod suffred death for y e redempcion of man Seconde shal be when he shall com to iudge all man kynd And the condycions of the iudge in this commynge be contrary vnto his condycions in his fyrst commyng for then he cam in great meaknes with the cōpaignye and felowshyp of very poore people his apostles and in his propre infirmitie and feblenes But contrarywyse to y e iudgement he shall cum in great power and maiestie with the compaigney of angelles and in his great dignitie as a iudge Herunto Beda sayth He that fyrst cam in the forme and meakenes of a seruant to be iudged and also condempned shall here after com to iudge the worlde in the great maiestie of his deitie And that shal be manifestly and openly nat hid in a mortal body as byfore that tho persons that contempned hym in his humilitie and mortalitie shuld now know hym in his power and maiestie And then he shall syt vpon the seet of his maiestie And there shall all people be gadred byfore him as byfore theyr iudge And he shal separate and diuide them a sondre as the herd man diuideth the shepe from y e gootes In the day tyme he keapeth them to gedre in y e pasture but in the euyntyde he doth seuer them a sondre So in this present life both the good persons and also y e euyll ben fedde to gedre in the church militante but in the euyntyde of death or of the worlde Christe shall seauer the good from the euyll as shepe fro the gootes In the shepe is vnderstand the innocency of good men for theyr simplicitie myldnes and fruytfulnes And in the gootes is noted the frowardnes of euyll men for theyr filthynes stynche stubbernes and barennes And Christe shall set the shepe or good men on his ryght syde and the gootes on his lefte syde that by the same orderyng in the ryght or left syde euery person may knowe to whom mercy shal be shewyd and to whom eternall payne remayneth And the good men be conueniently set on the ryght hand for they at theyr death ware founde on the ryght part that is hauynge charitie and good workes And the euyll men also be conueniētly set on the left hande for they wolde nat folow the ryght parte by doyng of good werkes for y e loue of god Tho be on the lefte part which here loue temporall vayne thynges Tho be on the ryght parte which here loue eternall thynges And then shall Christe recounte and remembre the werkes of mercy vnto the good men on the ryght hande whiche they dyd to Christe in his membres and so shal say thus Venite benedicti patris mei c. Com ye belssyd chylderne of my father possesse and receyue ye the kyngdom prepared for you byfore the begynnyng of the world I was hungry and ye fedde me I was thristy and ye gaue me drynke I was without lodgyng and ye harbored me I was seake and ye dyd visite me I was in prison and ye cam to me I was naked and ye clothed me Then the good and iuste persones as fliynge theyr owne commendacions and