application of them to thy selfe Thy dinner indeed is ready but thou must goe to the table and put the meate in thy mouth thy medicine is made but it is kept in the shop of the Church inclosed in seauen boxes to wit in the seauen Sacraments the price is payed for thee but not yet applyed vnto thee Doe not thou thinke that onely Faith as some Heretiques would haue thee belieue is sufficient for thee thou must goe with thy feete to dinner thou must take thy meate and medicine with thy handes thou must put them into thy mouth and receiue them into thy stomache that is thou must frequent the Sacraments and be diligent in the exercise of vertues that that which was effected giuen for all mankinde may bee accepted for thee applied to thee and profite thee Pray thou our Lord that hee who spent and consummated all his dayes with infinite merits of good works will neuer suffer thee to spend and passe away thy dayes idly and in vaine The 4◠Meditation of the seauenth worde of our Lord on the Crosse And crying againe Mat. 27. Mar. 15. Luc. 23. he saide with a loude voyce COnsider first that as often as Christ spake for himselfe vnto his Father hee cryed with a loude voyce but when he spake to others or for others hee vsed a lower voyce to teach thee First that thou must alwayes deale with God with great affection To others thou openest thy griefes with teares but when thou speakest with God thou art so drye that thou hast scarce any feeling of deuotiō Secondly what grieuous paines the Son of God suffered who with the violence thereof was forced to crye out Consider secondly that Christ for diuers causes cryed out in his prayers when hee was ready to dye Ioan. 11. First to shew that he was Lord of life and death hauing power to yeeld vp his soule and to take it againe at his owne will and pleasure Therfore hee called for death as Nazianzen saith which durst not come In Christo patiente except it had been called Secondly to mooue God the Father to mercy For seeing all mankinde being oppressed with grieuous sinnes was farre off from God hee who carryed the person of all men ought to cal vpon God with a loude voyce being so farre absent Doe thou therefore knock at our Lords eares not so much with loudnes of voice as with affection of hart Thirdly that this voice being sent through the whole world might moue mens hearts and that hearing of the death of God for their sinnes they might be penitent for their offences For at this voyce the Earth was shaken the Rockes were cleft in sunder and the Monuments were opened that thy stony heart might also be broken by the force of this worde of God Not without cause did Marke say his voyce being sent forth that thou shouldst vnderstand that being sent into the world it worketh still in the heartes of men Fourthly that Hell should tremble at this voyce and euen as at the crye of our Lord calling Lazarus the soule of Lazarus returned without delay into his body so now euery one there should prepare himselfe to receiue their Lord being ready instantly to come vnto them The holy Fathers therefore in Limbo reioyced at this voyce and the Deuils in Hell trembled Fiftly to teach thee how to meditate on death not remisly or negligently as of a thing little pertaining to thee nor slowly and dully as of a thing a farre off but often and earnestly of a thing most certaine and at hand so much the more feruently because it is the onely gate to saluation Consider thirdly that in the ninth houre our Lord brake forth into this clamor in the houre I say of prayer and of the euening Sacrifice For then the true hoast was sacrificed vpon the Crosse and being cutt into two partes that is into body and soule was immolated to God the Father by the high Priest with a loud voyce and great labour Ioyne thou thy prayers with Christ his prayer that with his voice they may pierce the Fathers eares Luc. 23. O Father into thy handes I commend my spirit COnsider first that Christ prayed not vnto his Father vppon the Crosse but in the wordes of the Scripture First because hee knewe that these wordes were most acceptable to his Father beeing written by the holy Ghost to teach vs to pray Secondly to teach thee to worship God not according to thy owne fashion vnderstanding but in such manner as the Church indued with the holy Ghost hath appointed thee Consider secondly that Christ vsed this word Father onely twise vpō the Crosse in his first in his last prayer but in his middle that is in his fourth prayer hee called him not Father but God First that thou shouldest like a Son willingly accept that punishment which thy Father sendeth and in thy punishment confesse thy own basenes who art not worthy to bee called the son of God and like a poore creature call vpon God thy Creator for tribulation and aduersity doe teach good men their owne fraile estate and vnworthines and thereby perswade or rather inforce them to mend their liues that in the end hauing ouercome all aduersities thou shouldest take courage reioyce as a Son For probation worketh hope Rom. 5. which confoundeth not Secondly because the beginnings of Gods word doe most sweetly affect the minde the progresse is hard to sensuality but the fruites which are gathered are most pleasaunt The booke was in the mouth of Iohn sweete as hony Apoc. 10. but being deuoured it made his belly bitter Thirdly because in his first prayer when hee prayed for sinners hee was to gaine authority to his prayer through the loue of a Sonne for none but a sonne could bee heard for so great wickednes In the middle he complained as a man And in this last hauing fulfilled his embassage he desires as a Son to bee called home to his Father Consider thirdly that Christ made this petition to his Father not for feare of iudgment for now his Father had committed all iudgement to him nor for feare of the Deuill whose forces hee had already broken nor for feare of the paines of Hell which now hee came to take from good men and to carry away the spoyles of Hell But first to teach thee neuer to remit or slacke thy inuincible spirit from prayer Secondly that thou shouldest knowe with what confidence he went vnto his Father For hee sayeth not anxiously after the māner of a suppliant I pray thee Father but as it were of mine owne right and authority I commend my spirit Consider fourthly marke euery word of this last prayer which before had bin made by the holy Ghost to this purpose Psal 32. and is now recited by the Son to the Father with addition onely of this word Father Father First I haue remained thy Son in all these so great
examination of the Iudge who will demaund an accompt of euery idle worde and will reach euen vnto the diuision of the soule and the spirit and will search out the cogitations intentions of the heart Thirdly of our basenes who both offend the iustice of God with our dayly sinnes liue full of concupisence imperfections do not enter into the inward cogitations of our hearts Heb. 4. And if I be simple saith Iob â—uen this my soule shall not knowe Iob. 6. To this diffidence the Passion of Christ giueth help and remedy and lifteth vp the hart of a sinner to confidence and hope For first as the glory of eternall life requireth great cleannes so the Passion blood of Christ washeth away all our iniquities it causeth our soules to be more bright then the Sunne it maketh vs the sonnes of God it giueth vs right vnto euerlasting life that now we goe not into a strange but into our owne inheritance Secondly the iudgement of Christ is very strict but the merits of the Passion of Christ can wel beare the seuerity therof because the satisfaction is greater then the debt and our sinnes being in number infinite his merits are in value infinite and to be briefe he shall be our Iudge which was our Aduocat Mediator and Redeemer who that he might giue vs heauen payd the price thereof for vs that is to say his bloud which he shed for our sinnes being not ignorant of the value and dignity of that which he shed with so great paine and labour Thirdly our basenes is very great being able to doe nothing of our selues but his grace being communicated vnto vs through the merite of his Passion addeth an admirable splendor and brightnes to our soules remitteth all our sinnes giueth vs strength nnd power to worke and addeth such dignity to our workes as to bee able to merit euerlasting life Therefore our hope will be much confirmed if we consider that all the wealth of Christ all his merits all his fastings labours paines and to be briefe all that euer he did or suffered is ours no lesse then the goods of the husband belong vnto the wife which she may vse for the payment of her debtes and her other necessities The sixt is the Loue of God Loue of God And first the nobility beauty of the thing beloued stirreth vp the affection of Loue euen as we are enflamed with the desire of vertues and sciences through their beauty and excellency Secondly Loue when we see our selues first beloued And to increase this Loue it auayleth much First if wee see the loue of our Louer prooued not onely by wordâ—s but also by great benefites Secondly if hee procured these benefites for vs by his owne great labour and discommodity Tâ—irdly if we often repelled him and did him iniuries and yet his loue was not diminished thereby Fourthly if by all his labours troubles he desireth nothing but to bee beloued againe All these hath Christ done for vs in his Passion First hee loued vs in deede and truth and gaue vs all good thinges Secondly hee to his great discoÌ„modity became poore that hee might inrich vs and tooke vpon him selfe all euills that hee might replenish vs with all goodnes Thirdly being so often repelled by vs hee abated nothing of his Loue. Fourthly hee requireth nothing of vs but our Loue. Loue saith hee and it is enough Moreouer that thou mayest loue thou must obserue the Lawes and conditions of a Louer which Christ expressed in this his Passion The first is that we alwayes thinke of that which we Loue and this by the example of Christ himselfe who because hee would neuer forget vs ingraued vs in his owne handes Secondly that we speake often of it for Out of the aboundance of the heart the mouth speaketh Mat. 12. and this also by the example of Christ who on the very Crosse spake to his Father of vs and prayed vnto him for vs. Thirdly that we feare nothing more then to offend him whome wee loue as Christ hath taught vs who referred his Passion and all that hee had to this end that hee might induce vs to loue him Fourthly that we bestow all our labours and indeauours to helpe our freind for Christ laboured not for himselfe but for vs. Fiftly that we should desire to bee alwayes with our friend for The delight of Christ is to bee with the sonnes of men who hath sought vs in Sea and Land in the Ayer in Hell that hauing found vs hee might ioyne vs with him in euerlasting blisse and communicate his Diuinity vnto vs. The seauenth and last maÌ„ner of meditating vpon the Passion proceedeth from Admiration Admiration This Admiration is commonly prouoked by some newe strange and incredible accident Now there are fower thinges which shew the Passion of our Sauiour Christ to bee exceeding admirable First because hee suffered whose Maiesty cannot suffer who is the glory and ioy of Saintes whose dignity is infinite whose life is eternall whose Power is incomprehensible Secondly because hee suffered for them by whom he was punished base men enemyes and vngratefull persons Thirdly because hee suffered so many tormeÌ„ts as neuer any mortall man indured aswell if you consider the torments themselues as also his ignominyes his irrisions his pouerty and other miseryes of his life Fourthly because when hee redeemed Man-kinde by his Passion he vsed admirable meanes for the fulfilling thereof For first with the great weakenes of his body hee ioyned great power wherewith hee beat downe and ouerthrewe the Deuill the Prince of this world Secondly hee ioyned perfect Iustice with perfect Mercy for taking compassion vpon man hee suffered the rigour of Gods Iustice vpon himselfe Thirdly his excellent Wisdome shined foorth in that which to men seemed exceeding folly For the Crosse of Christ to the Iewes is a scandall 1 Cor. 2. and to the Gentiles folly Great wisdome also it was First to ouercome his most subtill enemy by Art and suffering and to cast him downe with the same weapons by which he had ouercome Secondly to deliuer vs by such a kinde of punishment in which he might lay vp for vs a medicine for all diseases and set before our eyes an example of all vertues and kindle the flames of Loue in vs. For nothing doth so much incite vs either to the imitation of Christ or to the loue of God as this bitter Passion of our Lord. And thus much shall suffice to haue spoken of affections Now that wee may vse these Meditations with fruit profit for the saluation of our soules these few thinges ought to bee obserued First that wee come not vnprepared to meditate but as the wise man aduiseth vs Let vs prepare our soule before prayer Eccl. 18. Which preparation consisteth in this that laying away all will to sinne wee commit our selues wholy into the handes of God and put out of our minde all externall
comfort by his prayer though hee prayed with great affection nor yet could be refreshed by the presence of his Disciples euen as sicke folkes are wont to turne this way and that way to ease their wearines Consider secondly that Christ was neuer so troubled with any occasions no not now whē he was ready to suffer but that he alwaies thought vpon thy saluatiō Yea euen now when he is in Heauen hee hath his eyes alwayes bent fauorably towards thee Cōsider thirdly how little man can doe without Christ how soone he falleth a sleepe how soone hee fainteth if Iesus depart neuer so little from him Consider fourthly what it is to haue our eyes heauy that is when wee are not so apt ready to meditate on diuine and heauenly thinges by reason of earthly cares which hinder the mind As the immoderate desire of honor riches ambition the vanities of this world such like affections of the minde Therfore thou must pray vnto God to take from thee that slouthfulnes heauines and accōmodate thee to his owne will Cōsider fiftly how much ashamed the Apostles were who being admonished now the second time could not yet contain themselues frō sleepe wherfore amongst themselues they did carefully both accuse and excuse their own infirmity Note also this they did not knowe what they should answere vnto him For if the Apostles themselues being men excelling others in sanctity holines of life in a matter of no great fault wherein they might haue aleaged their owne frailty were so sorrowfull knew not to answere what answer wilt thou giue to Almighty God when thou shalt be cyted before him for matters of great moment and many grieuous sinnes shall be obiected against thee which thou hast committed not only by frailty but also craftily maliciously Consider sixtly that our Lord did not complaine that hee was left alone in prayer and labor Because thou shouldest resolue not to be grieued if at any time thou beest inforced to take great paines whilst others bee idle And pray vnto our Lord that hee will stirre thee vp when thou art slouthfull And hee prayed the third time Mat. 26. prayed the same speach saying O my Father if this cup cannot passe from me but that I mmst drinke thereof thy will be done COnsider first that Christ runneth againe to his Father and crauing still one and the same thing is not heard This prayer comprehendeth the wonderfull submission of Christ yeelding himselfe and all that he had into the hands of his Father taking it in no euil part that he was not hard Learne thou hereby not to be troubled in thy minde when things succeed not according to thy desire when thou hast done thy best endeauours Consider secondly the great necessity that Christ should suffer For the eternall Father would neuer haue suffered his sonne to haue prayed so often vnto him if thy saluatiō might haue been gottē by any other meanes Consider thirdly this māner of speaking if it cannot passe except I drinke it for hee would be vnderstood that all the benefit of our Lords passiō should passe vnto vs who are the mēbers of his body but as it were drawne through our mouth that is through Christ who is our head Moreouer as a potiō is bitter vnsauory to the tast yet very profitable for the mēbers of the body So the dolours of Christ were bitter vnto him and profitable vnto vs. And the passiō of Christ passeth vnto vs partly because his merit is cōmunicated and imparted vnto vs and partly because our tribulatiōs labors are sanctified Therfore so often as thou shalt suffer any aduersity so oftē do thou think that thou doest participate with the passiō of Christ And pray him to mittigate thy miseryes through his dolours which hee indured The sixt Meditation of his agony bloody sweate And there appeared vnto him an Angel frō heauen cōforting him Luc. 22. COnsider first that though in Christ the diuine nature was ioyned with humaine nature into the same person yet in this time of his passion hee tooke no comfort at all from thence Consider secondly how great and grieuous those torments were that man was not sufficient to mittigate them but that it was necessary for an Angel to come from Heauen Cōsider thirdly what was the cause why Christ wold be comforted by an Angell to wit because he wold know to suffer with vs when we are afflicted and teach vs not to haue recourse to fraile vain delights such as are cōmonly drawn from creatures but vnto spirituall angelicall heauenly things Cōsider fourthly that God neuer forsaketh them that trust in him For although he doe not alwaies free vs from our troubles yet he doth euer giue vs his grace and strength that we may be able to beare them Consider fiftly that Angells are alwaies present at our prayers therefore thou must be carefull and diligent to worship them being present in a religious and comely manner and pray vnto God according to the Psalme in the fight of Angells I will sing vnto thee Epiph in an corato Haeresi 69. Consider sixtly how the Angell did comfort Christ for he did it not by any inward comfort or grace because Christ admitted no comfort in all the time of his passion but vsed some outward wordes wherin hee propounded vnto him both the absolute necessity of such bitter paines and the great profite that shall come thereby and also the resolute will of his Father the oracles of the Prophets c. Consider seuenthly whether there bee any thing wherein thou maiest comfort and confirme Christ and incourage him to doe something for thy sake which will be effected if he shall see thee behaue thy selfe well wisely to imploy the tallent which he hath deliuered vnto thee and that thou doest indure thy labours couragiously For then hee will behold thee louingly exalt thee to higher honour In the meane time do thou pray vnto Christ to comfort and instruct thee not onely in outward words but especially in inward vertue and wisdome Luc. 22. And being in an agony hee prayed longer THis agony was a certain inward striuing not of the flesh against the spirit but of nature against Death and in all this bitter time Christ was to fight in three seuerall cōflicts and he was superiour in euery one First with nature abhorring to dye so cruell a death Secondly with the iustice of his Father exacting grieuous punishment Thirdly with the most cruell enemy of man-kinde But hee began with the battel against nature that thou mayest knowe how to behaue thy selfe in thy cōflict for thy saluation that is that first of all thou must indeauour to subdue thy inclination to restraine thy desires which being ouercome thou shalt finde God pacified and the Deuill will flye from thee Consider first with what contention with how great labour Christ thy Captaine doth fight and
Christ But Iesus said COnsider first what thy Lord in these great paines of the Crosse did doe say or thinke when as amongst all those torments he found no comfort neither outwardly by men nor inwardly in his owne soule Yf he moued his body the woundes of the nayles tormented him if his head the thorns ranne in deeper and pricked him if he stirred not at all his torment was intollerable ouer his whole wearied body Thinke thou yppon these things in all thy labours and afflictions which thou sufferest for thy Lord. Hee reproued no man although he were slaundered diuers wayes But because the mouth speaketh from the aboundance of the hart his wordes euen vppon the Crosse were directed to thy profite and saluation and doe declare most manyfestly that he prayed to his Father incessantly for thee when by reason of his torments he was not able to vtter one word Consider secondly his swan-like song and note the last words of thy Lord which he spake to thee at the poynt of death For euen as the voyce of the Serpent hyssing out of the Tree of the knowledge of good and euill instilled the poyson of sinne so the last wordes of Christ from the Tree of the Crosse were very effectuall for our saluation and full of burning feruour as proceeding from the depth of infinite charitie Hee spake with a loud voyce and weeping teares with great affectiō and deepe sighes in fewe words but with many teares mixed with bloud streaming downe from his head His teares watered his prayers Heb. 5 and his bloud adorned them his eyes pierced his Fathers eares his sighes moued his heart Doe thou listen to these wordes marke them diligently and gather the fruite thereof For by these seauen wordes the wordes and formes of the seauen Sacraments are sanctified the seauen guiftes of the holy Ghost are obtained and the seauen deadly sinnes are driuen away Consider thirdly but Iesus said First whilst the Iewes were busie in crucifying tormenting mocking him Iesus as if he had not marked these thinges yea rather that he migh render good for euill said Secondly hee who hetherto in his owne cause to the admiration of all men held his peace and could not be brought to speake but being adiudged and had also abstayned from the most iust defence of himselfe now in the middest of his torments is not silent in thy most vniust cause but being not intreated intreateth yea and intreateth with most effectuall wordes Iesus said who the Sonne of God To whome to God the Father Where vpon the Crosse When being ready to dye and his vitall spirits being spent How not sitting nor lying easily but vpright vpon his feete with his hands lift vp and spread abroad like Moses in former times Ezo 17. and all bleeding For whome for sinners who were carelesse of their owne saluation for Christ and his frtends pray for sinners Heb. 5. before sinners pray for themselues What he craueth mercy offring his prayers and supplications appealing from this cruell sentence of the Iewes his bloud be vpon vs and vpon our children to a better sentence and full of mercy and desiring that this cruell sentence might be made frustrate Before whome openly in the hearing of his enemies to teach them mercy sweetnesse and in the presence of his Mother and of his friends both because they should bee witnesses of his pardoning them also that they should neuer pray for the reuenge of this sinne O excellent speach of highest merite and worthy to be imitated by all men full of labour charity mercy and piety Haue confidence then in Christ and pray him who by speaking first for sinners before he spake for his Mother left to vs a testimonye how much he esteemeth the saluation of sinners that hee will vouchsafe to haue continuall care of thee now in Heauen Luc. 23 Father forgiue them PAuse vpon euery word Father he doth not say Lord which is a name of seuerity and iustice but Father which is a name of mercy and of the newe Testamēt giuen vnto vs in this place by the bloud merites of Christ that euen as he would be our Brother so we should haue all one father in Heauen He saith therefore O Father knowe me thy Sonne the Father will denye nothing to his sonne I came into the world to this end that thou shouldest receiue thine enemies for thy children Heare me then praying for them For euen as the prayers of the Priestes in the Church shall hereafter be very effectuall which shall conclude in my name in these wordes through Christ our Lord so I doe now pray vnto thee my Father thorough me thy onely begotten Sonne Therefore as thou louest mee thy Son so receiue these my prayers For I ascended this crosse haue suffred all these stripes that I might obtaine mercy and pardon for them If therefore thou doest reiect the prayers of thy sonne and not hear thy sonne thou shalt impose a greater torment on mee then the Crosse it selfe which I suffer that I might take away a greater euill that is that I might turne away thy wrath from them Spare therfore the great dolors of thy Son least he seeme to haue indured them in vaine Thou giuest reward to others labours I desire onely this reward for my paines that thou wilt forgiue these men Forgiue heer our Lord doth the office of a Priest for he prayeth for the sinnes of the people and he cryeth Heb. 5. not only as a Priest but as a sacrifice desiring not a free pardon but offering a full satisfaction His wounds crye his bloud cryeth his spittings his paines and all his members crye Forgiue accept of these torments for their sinnes I haue paied their debtes I giue my bloud for the pryce my paines for the ransom my life in satisfaction my body soule for a sacrifice Be thou therfore merciful for this is a copious redemption A hard thing is required to wit that the Father should forget the death of his onely begotten Sonne and of such and so gteat a Sonne but the Sonne beggeth and hee beggeth with his bloud Secondly hee asketh it not conditionally as he praied for himselfe in the Garden If it bee possible if thou wilt if it may bee done but absolutely Forgiue Both that thou mayest learne to pray to God for pardon of thy sinnes and for his diuine grace without any cōdition because that hath alwayes relation to Gods honour And also that thou shouldest freely forgiue thy neighbours faultes without any condition Thirdly hee prayeth to haue them forgiuē presently and not to bee deferred till after his death For hee would not leaue this life till peace was made with God Parents when they are dying doe often leaue vnto their children small store of goods and those intangled with many difficulties charges debts and contentions But Christ before his death payed all debts with his owne bloud took away all difficulties and charges
torments I haue remitted nothing of my deuotion loue to thee Secondly I thy Sonne am returned to thee from this hard embassage from this bloudy battell I carry away the victory and I bring the spoyles What reward wilt thou giue me what glory wilt thou prepare for mee what triumph wilt thou assigne mee The Roman Emperors triumphed with the victorious Army Poore Lazarus Luc. 16. which was denyed cruÌ„mes from the rich mans table was carryed in a triumphant Chariot that is in Angels hands into Abrahams bosome What glory then wilt thou giue to me thy Sonne I am more honorable because I am thy Son I haue labored more then the rest for I haue spent my bloud I haue vndergone more danger for I haue fought alone with the enemy I haue indured more want for a drop of water hath been denyed mee I haue ouercome more strange enemyes for I haue subdued the Prince of this world broken his forces and thrust him out of possession and to bee briefe I haue taken more noble spoyles hauing deliuered so many thousand soules from the bondage of the Deuill and subdued all the whole world vnto thy gouerment What then wilt thou prepare for so great a conqueror Into thy handes First as sacrifices are offered into the handes of God so I as high Priest doe offer my soule as a most fatt sacrifice into thy handes Secondly hitherto the soules which departed out of this world went not into the handes of God but into Abrahams bosome in the places belowe but now I desire first to be receiued into thy handes and my Disciples hereafter to bee receiued also Thirdly this my spirit which is now descending into Hell to deliuer the Fathers shall not want the diuinity but euen as the diuine nature took the humane nature into the same person so it shall remain both with the body in the sepulcher with the spirit in Hell Fourthly I commend it to thy hands that thou shouldest endowe it with glory adorne it with rewardes I commend or as the Greeke text saieth I will commend that is euen now I will send it to thee First hitherto neither this body nor my soule hath seemed to bee greatly commended vnto thee because both the body hath remained in the hands of enemies and my soule being sorrowfull euen vnto death was alwaies in my own hands subiect to many miseries Psal 118. and death it selfe Hitherto thou hast seemed to haue care only of thy bondslaues and to neglect thy Sonne for thou hast deliuered vp thy Sonne to redeeme thy seruant doe thou now at last receiue my spirit coÌ„mended vnto thee Secondly I commend that is I leaue it with thee to haue it againe after three dayes Thirdly no man taketh it from mee for I am not compelled to dye against my will but I willingly yeild it and deliuer it to thy custody My spirit hee saith not my soule which beastes possesse aswell as men but my spirit because the sensual man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 perceiueth not those thinges which are of the spirit of God In Christ the spirit 1 Cor. 2. that is the higher part had as it were conuerted the soule into it selfe so as the inferiour man desired nor coueted nothing but according to the rule of reason Pray thou vnto God the Father that hee will receiue thy soule alwayes commended with the spirit of his Sonne Into thy handes I commend my spirit COnsider first that though the spirit of Christ needed not to be commended to the Father yet it was coÌ„mended to him that all faithfull and holy men should knowe that they are coÌ„mended vnto God by this prayer of Christ For God calleth those by the name of Spirit which are indued with his spirit That saieth hee which is borne of the spirit Ioan. 3. is spirit euen as they which are ruled by the spirit of the Deuill are called the spirits of Deuils Doe thou looke into thy selfe what spirit raigneth in thee 1 Tim. 4 whether of Christ or of the Deuils And againe whether thy soule hath changed the spirit into it selfe so as thou seemest little different from a brute beast or whether the spirit of our Lord hath thy soule wholy subiect and obedient vnto it Heb 4. For the worde of God being liuely and powerfull reacheth euen to the diuision of the soule and of the spirit And therefore in the houre of death diligent inquiry shal be made what the spirit hath done and what the soule and they onely shall bee commended vnto God Rom. 8. which haue wrought by the spirit of God Consider 2. if Christ commended vs to God the Father then wee ought to bee carefull to commend our soules vnto him in good workes Therefore let vs prouide First that what the grace of the holy Ghost hath wrought in our soules Pet. 4 may be preserued framed perfited as it were by his diuine hands Secondly that our spirite bee often conuersant in Heauen and adhere not too much to any worldly things For saith St. Augustine if our mindes be there wee shall haue rest heere Ser. 175. de temp Thirdly that God will holde vs in his handes according to that Sap. 3. Ioan. â—0 The soules of the iust are in the handes of God neither can any man take theÌ„ out of his handes Fourthly that our spirits when they goe out of this world may bee deliuered to the handes of God to be crowned and be commended to his keeping till the future resurrection of our bodyes Consider thirdly that the Church of God which is directed and guided by the spirit of Christ is so commended to God the Father by this prayer of her spouse That the gates of Hell cannot preuaile against her Mat. 16. Therefore doe thou neuer seperate thy selfe from her except thou wouldest fall into thy enemies handes but defend the life and safety of thy soule by the spirit faith grace and Sacraments of the same Consider fourthly that there is coÌ„mended vnto thee by his prayer First the guift of the feare of God and next diligent deuotion against the vice of slouth For if Christ the Son of God did with such earnest prayer commend his spirit to his Father it behooueth thee not onely to pray but also to worke thine owne saluation with feare and trembling Phil. 2. Pray then vnto our Lord to take care of thy soule and to bestow rather heauenly guifts vpon thy spirit then earthly benefites vppon thy body The 44. Meditation of the death of Christ Luc. 23. Ioan. 19. And saying this bowing his head gaue vp the ghost COnsider first in what manner the Spouse of thy soule ended his life The standers by vse to obserue the countenaunce gesture and words of those which are to dye mothers also vse to marke the eyes and countenaunce of their children when they goe farre from them and to remember often in their minds the manner of
their departure Doe thou likewise for whose sake the Son of God suffred death come neare vnto the Crosse behold all thinges diligently with the eyes of thy soule and let thy speach bee often times thereof Consider secondly that crying he bowed his sacred head first because hee would call thee both by his voyce and becke to learne the profite of the Crosse and to receaue the merites and benefites of the same Secondly to speake in thy eare to communicate his secretes vnto thee to teach thee his commandements and counsailes Thirdly to signifie his consent to all thy petitions and prayers which depend vpon this his holy passion Fourthly that thou mightest the better viewe his head and marke euery thing diligently his thornes his spittinges his bloud his eyes now shutt to thy sinnes his mouth silent from reuenge his face pale with death Consider thirdly that the Euangelists wrote this death of our Lord in diuers words Iohn saith he deliuered vp his spirite Mathewe he sent foorth his spirit Marke and Luke hee breathed out that thou shouldest knowe that Chriâ—t died not like vnto other men but in a singular and peculiar manner neither did he against his will or by compulsion but of his owne free accord render vp his spirite This word hee deliuered signifieth first that he gaue his spirite into his Fathers hands to be kept three dayes and that from thence all merites all vertues all iustice and grace should bee gathered for man-kinde Secondly that as he had already giuen his body to the executioners so now also hee would deliuer his soule for vs because nothing should be wanting to our felicity and happinesse He had giuen his garments he had giuen his honour he had giuen his body hee had giuen his bloud and now there remained nothing but to giue his soule that according to the prophesie of Isaias Isa 9. the whole Sonne might be giuen 3. That he deliuered vp the full price of our redemption For hitherto something was wanting and he had payed as it were but in part but now he made an absolute and full payment that thou maist knowe that now thou art not thine owne man but Christs who hath bought and redeemed thy members with his thy powers with his thy honours and riches with his thy body with his and thy soule with his If thou doest consider these things rightly thou shalt learne first not to abuse thy selfe thy goods to thy owne pleasures nor to spend them according to the will of the Deuill no nor yet to vse them as thine owne but to referre all to the honour of Christ to whome all thinges belong and appertayne Secondly seeing thou hast gotten Christian liberty and art deliuered out of the power of the Deuill neuer to yeilde to him againe For hee hath no right to thee whome Christ hath so dearely redeemed with his bloud Do thou giue thankes vnto thy Lord and offer vp thy selfe and all that thou hast freely vnto him He breathed foorth Mar. 15. Luc. 23 COnsider first that by this word is signified that Christ breathed foorth his last spirite by which spirite and holy breathing first hee purged the ayre being infected with deuils by vertue wherof the Deuills also are driuen away in exorcismes and exsafflations Therefore as the earth is sanctified by the holy body of our Lord and the element of water and all lyquors by the holy bloud and water yssuing from his side so by the diuine spirite of Christ the ayre is sanctified that it may the more profitably carry and inspire into our sences the word of God and his holy mysteries Secondly hee coÌ„municated vnto this world his inward guifts and graces not onely through the holy wounds of his body but also by his mouth Consider secondly that Christ for many causes would suffer not onely paine and torments but also death First to offer vp himselfe by his death as a sacrifice and Holocaust vnro God Secondly to redeeme eternall death due vnto thee through this his death of infinit value Thirdly to confirme by his death all his Sacraments and the newe Testament Fourthly that by this his death as by the death of the high Priest according to the old figure Num. 15. he might recall thee into thy heauenly countrey Fiftly to let thee knowe that thou oughtest to bee his who dyed for thee and not to submitt thy selfe to the Deuill who suffered neither death nor wound for thy saluation Sixtly that thou shouldest account thy selfe dead to the world with Christ and mortifie thy vices and affections For if saith the Apostle one dyed for all 2 Cor. 5. therefore all are dead Consider thirdly that Christ dyed in his flourishing age being three and thirty yeares old when his sences were freshest his heat greatest and his strength best to indure labour First because he was willing to bestowe all his most flourishing things vpon thee to preserue the heate of his loue in thee and with great forces to prepare many benefites for thee Secondly that thou shouldest not prolong the change of thy life till thy withered and decayed old age but consecrate thy youthfull yeares strength vnto Christ Consider fourthly that our Lord was nayled to the Crosse in the sixt houre and in the nynth houre when the day began to growe to an end hee dyed First because he which in the precedent ages had beene immolated in the figures of the sacrifices did in this fourth age of the world dye truly for vs. Secondly that thou who hitherto perhapps hast spent the rest of thy life vnprofitably and wickedly mayest at the least in the end of thy life flye to the death of our Lord. A great comfort is heere giuen vnto sinners who languishing either with age with sicknes or in minde are not able by exacting grieuous punishment of themselues to satisfie for their sinnes may haue the paines bloud and death of Christ to offer for their offences Giue thankes vnto God and dispise not so great a treasure Ioan. 19 Hee sent forth his spirit COnsider that heere also mention is made of the liberty freedome of Christ to dye For euen as in former times Noe sent the Doue out of the Arke Gen. 8 which after a few dayes returned bringing in her mouth a boughe with greene leaues So Christ sent foorth his spirit to returne againe after three dayes with an army of flourishing Saints Emisit saieth hee hee sent forth and not Amisit he lost that thou shouldest not loose thy spirit amoÌ„gst the wicked Consider secondly how the Deuills expected this spirite being ready to come foorth that by the coÌ„mon law of all it might bee ioyned to other soules in Hell For the Euangelist seemeth to signifie so much when hee said the Deuill went from him for a time as though at this time of his death hee would returne againe But because the Prince of this world had nothing in Christ Luc. 4. hee was