dere beloued spouse Iesu Christe This was hyr continuall confort in all hyr troubles She lerned by experience in this worlde that whiche Christe sayd in his gospell Nisi manducaueritis carnem filii hominis et biberitis eius saguineÌ„ non habebitis vitam in vobis That is Except y t ye eat the flessh of the sonne of a vyrgyn drynke his blood ye shal nat haue lyfe in you Nor this sayenge was sene to hyr very harde or vnreasonable as it was to the Iues but rather very swete pleasaunt For in this holy MaÌ„na she founde all pleasure all delectable sauour tast by y e receyuyng therof nat onely in hyr soule but also it was to hyr mouthe as swete as hony And nat only she had this great confort in the receyuyng of this most blyssed sacrameÌ„t but also in the syght therof And therfore after the tyme that y e preest had sayd maâ—se she desyred hym to leue the chaleys bare vncouered vpon the auter to thintent that she seynge it myght haue more perfyte mynde of the blood and passion of Christe Many other exaÌ„ples ye may se in the forsayd boke of this blessed womaÌ„ ¶ The .vi. particle Of the settynge of our lorde vpon the asse and vpon hyr foole or colte MAny misteries prophecies were spoken writen by the holy prophetes which were fulfylled by our sauiour Iesu Christe One of them we shall shewe vnto you in this chapitre how it was fulfylled in Christ Whan y e tyme drew nigh that our sauiour Iesus had determyned to redeme the worlde with his precyouse bloode that was the feast of Pasche at whiche feaste the Paschall lambe shulde be offered accordynge to thordinauÌ„ce of god our sauiour Iesu as the very true lambe signified by the other laÌ„be wold also voluntarily approche cum nigh vnto y e place of his passion where as he wolde be offred for the redemption of man In that dede shewynge that he was moost redy to obey vnto the wyll of his father and to meke hym to the most shamefull moost painefull dethe for our saluacion And what tyme it pleased his goodnes to take this iourney we may mekely byleue that our lady moued of hyr motherly affection wold haue withdrawen hym reteyned hym from that iourney And in lyke maner his disciples as we may suppose persuaded hym to the same but he had other wyse disposed for all our saluacion Wherfore in goyng towardê Hierusalem he went by the mount of Oliuet to signifie y t onely of pitie mercy nat of necessitie he cam to his passioÌ„ This mount as saint Hierom sayeth is called the mouÌ„t of Oliuet for asmoche as there dyd grow many Oliues of the which is made bothe creme oile by y t oile y e light of y e lampe is norisshed And so it may be called y e mount of oile creme of light that to signifie the .iii. effectes of Christes passioÌ„ y e is In y e oile is signified mercy forgyuenes In creme is signified y e vnction of grace And by the light is noted y e lyght of eternall glory And these effectes we haue by y e merites of Christes passion FroÌ„ this mount he sent .ii. of his apostles signifieng the .ii. generall coÌ„mauÌ„dementes of loue wherby all mankynde is absolued from syn y t is thou shalt loue thy lorde god with all thy herte c. The seconde is y u shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe By these .ii. preceptes yf they beÌ„ truely kept all syn is expelled all iustice is performed And he sayd vnto his .ii. apostles go vnto y t castell that is against you that is before your face at y e fote of y e mount of Sion He sayd y t that castell was against them or contrary to theÌ„ that was true for there they suffred moche coÌ„tradiction many rebukes also betynges as it is wryten in thactes of thapostles And there ye shall fynde an asse tyed hyr foole or colt with hyr the which colt was neuer ryden lawse theÌ„ bryng theÌ„ to me Spiritually this castell signifieth y e world The disciples signifieth the preachers For the worlde is euer contrary to y e prechers The worlde loueth foloweth ryches honours vayne pleasures CoÌ„trary the prechers do preche pouerty abiection penauÌ„ce The asse for hir folisshnes signifieth y e people of y e Iues. And y e colte y t was wilde wanton signifieth y e gentiles for theyr ê“nitie to syn custom of y e same The asse is a beest vnclene rude folyssh weike in hyr former partê though she be strong behynd These bestes were bouÌ„de So was all mankynde before y e cummynge of Christ bounde in the euyll custom of syn whiche bonde is mooste stronge of all other For where as other bondes whan they be olde they putrifie and so cum to noughte but this bonde of synne the longer it continueth the stronger it is There was neuer man that sat vppon this colte for the gentyles were neuer subdued to any reasonable law gyuen by god Lawse them by your godlye and heuenly doctrine from theyr errours synnes and brynge them to me enformed in true faythe vertuouse maners that they lawsed from the bondes of theyr synnes myght folow me in godly lyuynge And whan our lorde shuld haue rydden vpon this asse or hyr colte his disciples cast or put theyr garmentes vpon these beestes signifienge that our sauiour Iesu wolde nat reste or sytte vppon the naked soule excepte it fyrste be clad and coueryd with the doctryne and vertuouse maners of thexaposles Morally by this asse may be signified our body whiche is dull or rude folysshe vnclene weake before y t is to spirituall and heuenly thynges and stronge behynde that is to temporall and vayne thynges And by the colte may be signified our carnall affection and vayn desyre And these bestes ben tyed with inordinate pleasures But we must lawse them by the feare of god and prepare them with morall vertues and worthy fruites of penaunce that our lorde may rest syt vpon them so that eche one of vs myght say with the Prophete Vt iumentuÌ„ factus sum apud te I am made as a beest vnto the redy to bere y e therefore lay vppon vs what bourden it shall please the and we shall bere it And contrary wyse let vs here what saynte Paule sayth to vs Empti estis precio magno portate Christum in corpore vestro Ye be bought with a great and dere pryce therefore bere Christe in 〈◊〉 bodies paciently sufferynge his visitacion in authynges By those that brought this asse hyr colt vnto Christ may be signified those penitentes whiche do offre brynge theyr bodies to god by due mortificacion and theyr soules by true contricion As the bodye is signified by the asse so may the synfull soule be signified by the colte
of Christes passion they shall be so frutyfull that they shall bryng ioye to the aungels in heuyn meryte to the good persones lyuynge in erthe forgyuenes to the synners and great refresshyng and conforte to the soules in purgatorye And this is bycause Christe reputeth and accompteth all thynges done to any of his seruauntes whether it be good or euyll as done to hym selfe And therefore he sayeth in the gospell Quod vni ex minimis meis fecistis mihi fecistis What so euer ye haue done to one of the leest of myne ye haue done it to me And in an other place he sayd to his disciples Qui vos recipit me recipit et qui vos spernit me spernit He that receiueth you receiueth me and he that dispiseth you dispiseth me And so our sauiour Christ taketh all our paines and tribulacions committed to hym as I sayd before as his owne and oâ—â—rech them to his father as his owne with lyke effect and fruite as is sayd before Therefore euery good and faythfull person ought moche to ioye in his tribulacions and paynes For what so euer he suffre Christe doeth confesse that he suffreth the same in hym and with hym ¶ A prayer O Lorde Iesus Christe sonne of the lyuynge god whiche at mydnyght thy passion drawynge nygh wolde take vpon the feare heuynes for me moost wretchyd synner graunt me continually faythfully to referre all my tribubulacions heuynes paines vnto the the god of my hert y t thou wolde vouchesafe to bere them with me in the vnion of thy passion and heuynes That so by the merites of thy moost holy passion they myght be made to me fruitfull and profitable Amen ¶ Of the blody swet of Christe The seconde article THe seconde artycle is the flowynge of the bloode of Christe into the erthe by the maner of swet or of the blody swet of Christe flowynge from his bodye into the erthe For the seconde tyme that Christ prayed for anguysshe he swet blood and the aungell descendynge from heuyn aâ—â—ered to hym and conforted hym It foloweth therfore in thâ— gospell Factus in agonia prolixius orabat et factus est sudor eius sicut gutte sanguinis decurrentis in terram Christe was in a great agony and therfore he prolonged his prayer And in this prayer for his great agony his swet was as droppes of bloode runnynge downe from his body into the erthe Here do our doctours say that whan our lorde Iesus Christe dyd so prolong his prayer his most holy hert was greatly enflamed so coÌ„sequently all his hole body most holy most innocent In so moche that thrughe that greate feruour of prayer and his excessyue loue and moost feruent desyre that he had to suffre and to dye for our helth And of the other parte thrugh the vehement angwyssh and agony that he had in his manhode in the remembraunce of his moost greuouse paynes and shamefull dethe that he shulde suffre and thrugh the stronge reluctacion and stryuynge of sensualitie naturally abhorrynge that dethe and therfore myghtely fyghtynge agaynst it for these causes I say the poorys of his body were open and so flowed out the blood for his swet That vehement angwysshe and excessyue loue constreyned the bloode to cum out of the vaynes agaynst nature as Bede sayeth in so moche that many droppes of blood ranne downe by his clothes and fell vpon the erthe The loue of god in the herte of Christe dyd ouercum in that agony his natural feare and the feare of his manhode and so the bloode of Christe so quyckened and conforted by this loue was styrred and moued as yf it wolde haue cum all furthe of the body at that tyme thrugh that excessyue loue as yf he wolde nat or might nat haue abyden the tyme of his dethe appointed whan all that blood shulde be vtterly sheddyd And so I say thrughe this vehement loue the droppes of blood dyd issue and fall from the vaynes of his body And as the inwarde cause of swet after naturall phisiciens is the naturall hete dissoluynge that is hote and moyst in the bodye so the supernaturall cause of this bloody swet myght be the feruent hete and burnynge of his excessyue loue redowndyng from the herte of Christe into al his hole body there dissoluynge the vaporouse moisture Phisiciens also say that it is possible that a man may swet naturally thrugh the vehemeÌ„ce of loue In lyke maner as our doctours say Christe swet blood aboue nature thrugh his vehement feruour of charitie for thaÌ„ the more he approched to his dethe the more he burned in loue for the feruente desyre of our helthe O how bytter and paynefull was this dethe of Christe in it selfe sythe the onely imaginacion therof dyd so greatly chaunge thorder of nature for it drew from all the partes of his bodye droppes of bloode as yf he had swet whiche blody swet shulde signifie and note to vs the helthe of his misticall body that is the catholicall chyrch Hereto sayth saint Bernarde By the erthe moisted with the bloody swet of Christ is signified that erthely men shulde be redemyd by the bloode of Christe By the whiche blood also he shulde reduce vnto lyfe all the worlde ded in synne Woo be to that wretchyd hert that wyll nat be moisted and made softe with this blood or swet Beholde thou wretche the great tribulacion of this most mylde gentyll louynge herte in what angwyssh it was whan all his bodye on euery parte swet blood O thou my stony herte quake and tremble and breke in pecys and moyst thyne iyen with blody teres for as thou mayst se thy creatour and maker is all wet in bloode for the and that with suche plenty that it ranne downe vpon the erthe And surely his body outwardly wolde neuer haue bene so wet with bloode yf his herte inwardly had nat ben broken with sorowe and heuynesse Therefore the prophete sayeth in the persone of Christe Contritum est cor meum in meipso My herte is broken within me The herte of our mooste louynge Iesus thus inwardly broken or cut the outwarde skynne also was broken so that his blood myght abundantly flow out vpon the erthe And this bloody swette was very naturall and true bloode of the moost purest body of Christe But as we sayd before it was nat shed naturally for it is agaynst nature to swet blood ⸪ ⸫ ¶ Doctrines or holsom lessons IN this artycle we may take thre holsum and profytable lessons Fyrste by the apparicion of the aungell c. We be enfourmed that the holy aungelles of god do assyst vs and also conforte vs in our prayers Hereunto sayeth the prophete Dauyd Preuenerunt principes coniuncti psallentibus The prynces or holy aungelles do preuent them that prayse god or praye to hym with theyr helpe and also be ioyned vnto them in theyr praysynges And in an other place he sayeth In
and to the signe of the crosse of the whiche the deuyll is afrayd and by it he is chased away lyke as the dogge is afrayd and fleith away whan he seith a staffe lyfted vp And no meruayll for thorowe the vertue of the passion of Christe the whiche he suffered on the crosse the deuyll was smyten downe and ouercome Herunto speaketh the prophet Esay saynge A voce domini pauebit Assur virga percussus Assur smyten with the rodde of god shall feare the voyce of god Assure is asmoche to say by interpretation as Negotiator a marchaunt that laboureth in many places or labours and it signifieth the deuyll the whiche laboryng and ronnynge about the worlde searcheth whome he myght deuoure he is neuer idle but for as moche as he was ons smyten with the rodde of the crosse in the passion of Christe Therfore he is greatly afrayd whan so euer he seeth the signe of the crosse made of that persone that faythfully calleth on the father on the sonne and on the holy gost saynge In nomine patris et filij et spiritus sancti Moreouer lyke as a knyght or any other valiant man ouercome in battel wolde be ashamed to abyde in that chambre or place where as his falle or vaynquesshynge were paynted so the deuyll ouercome thorowe the passion of Christe wyll in no meanys abyde in that soule where as he seeth the passion of Christe lyuely paynted by diligent remembraunce therof ¶ The .v. profit Erroneorum reuocat pusilla nimitatem THe meditation of the passion of Christe doth call agayne those that bene in erroure For Christe hath made a caller or a lewer of his owne bodye dyed made reed with his owne precious blode to call agayne his hawkes the whiche hath flowen away from the hande of the noble man that is the soule of them that haue forsaken Christe by synne or erroure Of whom the prophet Osee sayth Effraim quasi auis auolauit Effraim hath taken his flyght lyke vnto a wylde hawke Effraim is asmoche to say by interpretation as fat or encreased and it signifieth those persons that be encreased and made fatte in worldly and carnall pleasures or in folowynge of theyr owne frowarde wylles and sensuall reasons Suche persons haue taken theyr flyght from the loue of god and if they wyll nat retourne and come agayne to the voyce of the caller or preacher or at the shewynge of his lewer that is at the remembraunce of the passion of Christe he wyll dimysse them leaue them to the rauynous faucououre of hell to the deuyll It is wryten by the prophete Hyeremye that our lorde sayth thus Reuertere ad me et ego suscipiam te Thoughe thou haste done neuer so many synnes or folowed all hereses yet retourne to me and I shall receyue the. Also our lorde saythe by the prophete Esay Reuertere ad me ê™ redemi te Retourne to me thou synner or erroneous persone for I haue redemed the and bought the agayne with my precious blode and passion Take hede vnto this callynge and obey therunto for I assure you it is moche perilous and daungerous to withstand it And it apereth wel by the wordes of our lorde spoken by the wyse man saynge Vocaui et renuistis extendi manum meam et non erat qui aspiceret ego quoque in interitu vestro ridebo I haue called you and ye refused to come to me I haue extendyd my hand with greate gyftes and benefites I haue shewed vnto you my lewer shed my precious blode for you and ye wolde nat regarde these thyngê and therfore I shal be glad ioyful of your ê‘dicion ¶ The .vi. profit Flagiciorum dibilitat pronitatem THis meditation of the passion of Christe doth enfeble make weyke and subdue our pronitie and redynes vnto vice And therfore saynt Austen sayth Whan so euer my foule cogitation doth moue me then I ruÌ„ne to the woundes of Christ Whan the flesshe or the sensualytie therof doth oppresse me I ryse agayne thoroughe the remembraunce of the woundes of my lorde god If the fyer of carnal coÌ„cupisceÌ„ce enflame my meÌ„bres it is quenchyd by the remembraunce of the sonne of god Also Origene sayth Suche is the vertue of the crosse that if it be in the syght of man and faythfully holden and kepte in his herte so that feruently and deuoutly that man beholde and remembre the deth and passion of Christe there shall no concupiscence no carnall motion no furie or angre nor any enuy ouercome that persone but sodenly at the presence and syght of that passion all vice and synne shal be chased and dryuen away ¶ The .vii. profit Gaudiorum donat vbertatem IT gyueth vnto man great plentie of spirituall ioy Herevnto speaketh the prophet Esay saynge Haurietis aquas in gaudio de fontibus saluatoris Ye shall drawe from the profound and depe misterie of the pitie and mercy of god waters that is abundaunce of teares in ioy of deuotion from the wellys and fountayns that is from the woundes of our sauiour Christe the which at one tyme dyd shed furth blode in great abundaunce but now dayly and coÌ„tinually they bryng furth the incessable waters of grace Wherfore the deuout soule restynge in this meditation sayth in the canticles Sub vmbra illius quem desideraueram sedi et fructus eius duicis gutturi meo I haue sitten rested me vnder the shadowe of hym whom I desired and his frute is pleasaunt to my mouth and tastynge And therfore Celestine sayth those holy sayntes and seruauntes of god bene dyed in the blode of the most holy that shed his blode for them when they be crucified with Christe crucified that is when they haue compassion of his sorowfull paynes of deth and ioy in his loue and with his ioyfull loue drynkynge his blode and eatynge his flesshe embrasynge or halsynge with great pleasure his crosse and paynfull deth lyekynge and suckyng his woundes entryng in to his most louyng herte that was opened with a spere and naylynge them selfe fast to hym vnseparably with the nayles of true and faythfull loue These persons I say ben dyed colored with the blode of Christ ¶ The .viii. profit Horrorum vitat perpetuitatem THis meditation of the passion of Christe oft remembred doth deliuer vs from the paynes of hel And herunto saint Paule sayth Expolians principatus et potestates glosa 〈◊〉 inferni Our sauiour Christ spoilynge the principates and powers of hel of theyr pray that is of Adam Noe Abraham and all other ryghtuous persons brought them to heuen with greate power And therfore who so wyll nat occupy his mynde with the meditation of the passion of Christe it is to be feared of his dampnation For as saynt Gregory sayth The worde of god and specyally of the passion of Christe is the meate and foode of y e soule and as a quasye or seke stomake casteth vp the meat that it receyueth so
had done I suppose hyr virginall hert wolde haue broken for sorow But bycause she knew it nat they wēt quietly to supper At the whiche supper Iudas set hym bytwyxte Iesus and his mother Mary for a token or sygne that shortely by his treason he wold diuide them a sunder And at this supper Christ declared ordinately the misteries of his passion And in his preachynge whan he beholdynge Iudas remembred his falsnes and dampnacion Christe waxed very pale For as saynte Thomas sayeth Amonges all the passions of the soule heuynes doeth moost noy and hurte the body and altre the body And whan supper was done the vyrgyn Mary sayd to hyr sonne Iesus My swete sonne I wolde speke with the secretely And than she sayd O my confort and my lyght say to me the trouth why wast thou so pale at supper what ment thy wepyng and depe syghynges My herte was almoost broken thereby And than Iesus sayd to his mother O my blessed mother thou remēbrest for what cause I was incarnate and made man in thy wombe therfore sith thou woldest knowe the cause of my heuynes this is it The tyme is cum and the houre is at hande that I shall be departed from the by my moost bytter passion that I shall suffre for the redemption of man Therfore whan I actually remēbre this it causeth suche heuynes in me Than whan the vyrgyn Mary herd for a certeinty that the deathe of hyr sonne was so nyghe at hande Ah good lorde how moche dyd she sorow What wepynges sobbynges and syghynges had she Euery motherly hert may imagyn And than after hyr wepynges she wyllyng to moue hyr sonne to sum other maner way of redemption for the saluacion of man said My dere sonne I knowe that thy heuenly father hathe decreed with his mercy to redeme mankynde but all thynges be possible to thy father and to the. Wherfore yf it wolde please thy father the thou myght redeme mankynde by an other way than by thy passion Sithe therfore thou maist so do I beseche the it may so be Hereunto Iesus aunswered O my moost swete mother I knowe thy loue and charitie towardes me but good mother I must nedes more obey to god my father of whome I haue my godhed than to the of whome onely I haue my manhoode This same wednysday Mary Magdalene sent a messanger vnto Hierusalem to here and knowe what was there spoken of Iesu And this messanger sayde that it was decreed by the councell of the Phariseis that Iesus shulde dye and how that they wold crucifie hym And than the virgyn Mary with Mary Magdalene and Martha cam vnto Iesu and sayd O moost pitiouse confortour go nat into Hierusalem for they haue concluded agaynste the they wyll slee the. Abyde here we shall prepare the Paschall lambe for the. Hereunto Iesus sayde O my deare mother O Magdalene O Martha The tyme determyned by my father is cum that I shulde redeme mankynde It is necessary that my fathers wyll be fulfyllyd Than the virgyn Mary sayd to hym O my moost dere belouyd sonne O my lyfe light of myne iyen yf thou wylte nedes go into Hierusalem and dye suffre me to dye with the or els before the. Iesus aunswered sayd O my moost kynde mother all my disciples shall forsake me and the faythe shall perysshe and cease in them for the tyme of my passion therfore it is necessarye that thou abyde with theym bothe to confyrme them in faythe and also to conforte them O my swete mother I thanke the with all my herte for all thy benefytes and kyndenes that thou haste done to me Here frendes loke vppon hyr motherly herte and consydre what heuynes and sorow she had herynge these wordes of hyr dere sonne Iesus Erly on the thursday in the mornyng they bothe kneled downe and kyssynge to gyther toke theyr leue with many teares wepynges And as saynt Austen sayeth Libro de verbis domini Whan they went to gyther the virgyn mary sayd O my moost swete sonne I shall no more here the. O ioy full of the pleasure of paradyse I shal no more touche the. O thou consolacion of the worlde I wyll neuer leue the. Yf thou go I wyll go Yf thou stande I wyll stande And than Iesus aunswered with a wepynge and mournynge voice O my dere mother why doest thou trouble me with thy wepynge sithe the heuynes that I haue for my passion is sufficient for me So ofte doeth the swerde of sorow perce my herte as ofte as I se the wepe or any teare fall frō thyne iyen Wherefore I beseche the moost naturall and louynge mother to go with my welbelouyd Magdalene into hyr house to whō I commende the and so with great sorow departed And at this moost heuy departynge she sayd vnto Iudas O Iudas I commende my moost dere beloued son vnto the. Yf thou here any thynge contrary to hym shew hym of it that he may be the more ware And herof sayeth saynt Bernarde O blyssed vyrgyn Mary thou dyd nat know that thou commended thy moost innocent sonne to a foxe moost false and subtile Thy moost mekest lambe to a wolfe Thy sonne very truthe to a crafty lyer And so the sorowfull mother departed from hyr sonne seynge that it wolde be non otherwyse O what suppose you sayd than Magdalene Martha and other women there presente vnto our lady Let euery man thynke as his deuocion seruyth hym I thynke they myght say as it is wryten in the Canticles O moost goodly of all women whyther is thy moost dere beloued gone Where hathe he hyd hym selfe We wyll go serche hym with the. And the sorowfull vyrgyn myghte aunswere My conforte my lyfe my sonne doeth go in a strayt and harde way byset rounde about with his enemies c. ¶ The .ix. particle Of the supper or maundie of our lorde WHan the tyme of the miseracions and mercies of our lorde was cum in the whiche he had disposed to saue his people to redeme theym nat with corruptyble golde or syluer but with his owne preciouse blood before he shoulde departe frome his disciples by his corporall dethe he wolde make vnto them a supper for a signe memoriall of thynges past and also to fulfyll the misteries that were to be fulfylled Therefore our lorde Iesus required of his disciples where and in what place he wolde haue the Paschall lambe prepared for hym and them He sente Peter and Iohn̄ to one of his louers in the mounte of Syon where as was a goodly and a great chambre strewed and made redy for hym and there they prepared the Paschall lambe for hym By Peter is signified good operacion or actyue lyfe And by Iohn̄ is noted deuoute contemplacion These .ii. prepare the Pascall lambe that is they dispose a man duely and reuerētly to receyue the holy body of our lorde signified by the Paschall lambe They prepare this spirituall lambe in a greate
conspectu angelorum psallam tibi I shall synge to the or prayse the lorde in the syghte or cumpaignie of aungelles The seconde lesson In that that oure lorde in his age went vnto prayer also continued longer tyme in the same we be instructe in all oure trouble or necessytye to runne vnto prayer And the more that oure necessytye is the more to continue our prayer The thyrde doctrine is taken of this pryncypall article is this that in our prayer we shuld be so feruent and intent thereunto that thrugh the vehemence of our intencion and feruour of our deuocion we shuld swet as it were bloode by conformynge our selfe to the passion of Christe by the feruour of our loue vnto god Hereunto sayeth the glose Ad Romanos 8. That that charitie whiche is in vs by the grace of the holy goost that same doeth mourne that same charitie doeth pray for vs. And agaynst this charitie he that gaue it can nat shyt his eares Moreouer that charitie doeth mourne and pray vnto it droppe blood And that is whan deuocion is so feruently kyndeled in the herte that for the loue of god yf nede requyred he wolde nat be afrayd to shed his blood And therefore pray ye deuoutly and hertely in the maner folowyng or in any other lyke maner after your deuocion ¶ A prayer O Lorde Iesu Christe sonne of the lyuynge god whiche in thy long prayer wolde be conforted of the aungell and in thy agony swet meruelously droppes of blood graūt to me by the vertue of thy prayer that thy hooly aungell myghte euer assyst me in my prayer and conforte me that I restynge in the swete remembraunce of thy moost bytter passion myght deuoutly swet the droppes of teares for thy bloode in thy syghte and knowledge Amen ¶ Of the vendition or sellynge of our lorde The thyrde article ⧠THe thyrde article is the sellynge of our lorde Whiche sellynge though it began and was promysed before the other two articles that we haue spoken of as whā Iudas went to the prynces of the preestes sayenge to them What wyll ye giue to me and I shal gyue hym in to your handes Whiche was done vpon the wednysday as we sayd before in the fyrst part of this boke At whiche tyme this contracte was than begun promysed As saynt Luke sayeth Pacti sunt ei pecuniam dare et ipse Iudas spopondit The Iues dyd couenaunde and promise to gyue hym money and Iudas promised to fulfyll his sayenge Though I say this sellynge was begun vppon the wednysdaye yet it was nat perfourmed vnto the tyme that Iudas went from our lorde and his apostles after supper vppon the thurseday in the night vnto the prynces of the Iues and there receyued his money that is thyrty pennys of syluer and so was that sellynge perfourmed and this article appered in effecte And it is conuenient that this sellynge be numbred amonges the poyntes of Christes passion for therby he suffered great dispisynge What is nat a great rebuke dispisynge to Christe that he whiche is moost noble and good and of infinite goodnes in whom be all treasures of wysdom knowledge hyd whiche is also lorde of all lordes and kynge aboue all kynges to be estemed and solde for so vyle a pryce Also the sorow of Christe was moche encreased in that that he was solde so vilely of his owne disciple of one of those twelue whom he dyd chose singulerly amonges all the world to be his apostels and messangers And of this the prophet greatly complaineth in the person of Christe sayenge Si inimicus meus maledixisset mihi sustinuissem vtique Yf myne enemye had dyspysed me I shulde quietely haue suffered and borne it And in an other psalme Etenim homo pacis mee in quo speraui qui edebat panes meos magnificauit super me supplantationem O or truely the man of my peace that pretendyd loue and peace to me in whom I trusted for he kept all the mony that we had for the necessities of me myn apostles and also for to releue the pore people whiche eat my bread meat sat at the meat with me This man and pretense frende I say hathe magnyfyed agaynste me his supplantacion his pryuye and mooste craftye treason He craftely and deceytefully hathe trayterously betrayed me and solde me O vnwyse and moost wretchyd and vnhappy marchaunt who hath lerned or taughte the suche marchaundyse that thou shouldest put the pryce of thy marchaundyse to the wyll of the byers that the byer shulde make the pryce thereof Whan a thynge is folde yf it be thoughte precyouse or of any greate valoure the marchaunte that sellyth it wyll nat put the pryce of the same in the arbytremente or wyll of the byer that he shulde make the pryce at his pleasure But yf the seller or marchaunt set lytle or nought by the thyng that he selleth than he regardeth nat yf the byer make the pryce And so dyd Iudas whan he solde our sauioure Iesu Christe For he sayd to the Iues Quid vultis mihi dare et ego eum vobis tradam What wyll ye gyue to me and I shall betray hym and gyue hym into your handes and power As yf he sayd Make what pryce ye wyll and I shall fulfyll your wyll O moost wycked crueltie O moost craftye wyckednes The creature sellyth his creatoure and maker The dyscyple his mayster the seruaunte his lorde the famylyar his moost dere frende There be many now a dayes lyke vnto Iudas which wyl sell forsake iustice for temporall lucre so they sell god that is very iustice So do all they that commyt symony which sell the grace of god or y e sacramentes of the chyrche or els spirituall thynges for temporall thinges As thoo prelates iudges that sell the true iust sentēce that is whiche wyll nat gyue the iust true sentence without rewardes Also thoo religiouse persons prestes y t wyll nat pray say masse or ministre the sacramentes without money All these with suche other be lyke vnto Iudas say with hym though nat in wordes yet in dedes what wyl ye gyue to me I shal betray Christ gyue hym to you Of these maner of persons it is wryten by the Prophete Micheas Principes eius in muneribus iudicabant et sacerdotes eius in mercede docebant The prynces and iudges dyd iudge for gyftes the prestes taught for rewardes And note that the syn of simony is nat onely in the seller but also in the byer or receyuer And so nat onely Iudas dyd synne in the sellyng of Christe but also the Iues in byeng of hym That person doeth bye Christe of me which gyuyng to me any temporall thyng taketh Christ frō me As yf a flaterer wold falsly cōmende praise me where as I am nat worthy by the whiche laude and prayse my hert is exalted in pryde he taketh Christ fro
The Myrrour or Glasse of Christes Passion ⧠⧠⧠HH The Preface ¶ To the honorable lorde Husey My lorde accordyngly vnto your desyre I haue traÌ„slated your boke put it into our natyue mother tongue as my simple wit and power lernyng wold suffer me And though it be nat so well done as I surely knowe many other myght can haue done it if it wolde haue pleased your lordship to haue deâ—yred theÌ„ and if also it wold haue lyked them to haue taken that labour yet I trust I haue so done that it may be comforth to the readers hearers or at the leste I haue gyuen occasion to ordre to amend and performe that I rudely and barbarously set forward Surely my lorde the chyefe cause of this my labour was for that I thought this boke shulde be moche profytable to the readers and edefyeng to all that wolde diligently hear it And to say the treuth I know no thynge more comfortable to man For amonges all the exercyses that helpe the spirite to obteyne the loue of god and specially to hym y t wolde begyn vse a spiritual lyfe no thynge is thought always more frutful thaÌ„ the continnal meditacion of the passion of our lorde god Iesus Christ for the exercyses of all other spirituall meditacions may be reduced and brought vnto this As by an example If a man desyre to bewayll and weape for his vices and synnes for his vnkyndnes and vilenes if he couit to purge amend his negligence defautes he shall fynde none more vehement and redy meane to pricke hym forwarde to his intent than to remembre the most innoceÌ„t death and passion of his redeamer that is to consyder what bitter paynes he suffred for man to spare and kepe man from payne eternall wherafter Iustice he shulde haue rather dampned man for his synnes And here man may see both the Iustice and also the mercy of god Man may coÌ„syder in hym selfe the great mercy of god in that god wold forgyue and ê‘don hym of his synnes He may also perceiue the iustice of god in his owne synnes whiche god dyd correcte punysshe accordyng to iustice in hym selfe bycause he wold nat suffre theÌ„ vnpunished And thus in this meditacion man may fynde how to weape and mourne for his synnes for the which the son of god was bet wouÌ„dyd and crucified and all that god suffred to cure man of his synnes kepe hym from eternall payne Here may also man bewayle his owne vnkyndnes consyderyng how vnkyndly he rendreth to so faythfull a louer so many yuell dedes contrary to goddes pleasure and also dayly contemptes and despysynges for his tendre loue and kyndnes and for his manyfolde gyftes which man dayly receyueth of hym Morouer this coÌ„templacion of the death of Christ indureth man both to hope and to fear wherby he may be releaued of two temptacyons â—or if the enormitie of his synnes moue any man to dispaire he hathe here in this exercise wherby to put away his synnes and to make satisfactioÌ„ for them he hath here wherof to redeme hiÌ„selfe y t is y e blode deth of his lorde god therfore he nede nat to feare his synnes if he so ordre hym selfe y t he dye with Christ dye I say from synne and ryse in a new lyfe And on the other parte it man be vexed by presumpcion or vayne lyghtnes and myrth without the fear of god he hath here how to abate his vayne myrth coÌ„syderyng how that heueÌ„ was shyt from the moste holy frendes of god by many yeres ye aboue .iiii. thousand yeres and how that the glory of god was denyed to maÌ„ or at the least differred by so many yeres vnto the tyme that our lorde and sauiour Iesus whiche neuer dyd synne suffred death for our synne so that no maÌ„ may come to that glory but by payne thus shall mannes vayne myrth be put downe If peraduenture man be dull and slouthfull to all goodnes where shall he haue a more spedy remedy to pricke forwarde his dulnes than to coÌ„sydre how his lorde god moste pure innocent man suffred so greuouse paynes for hym Some man wold peraduenture exercise him selfe in his owne knowlege and so to come to meknes But I pray you where shall he haue a better occasion therunto thaÌ„ to ponder and way the difformite and great difference of his owne study and labour and shortly the ordre of his hole lyfe and of the labour lyfe of Iesus Christ that is remembre man howe coÌ„trarie thy lyfe is to his wyl pÌ„ceptes how vnlike to his vertues how farre froÌ„ his ensaÌ„ples remeÌ„bre maÌ„ how frayle thou art redy to fal how vnstable in all thy good purposes how vnredy or rather loth to folowe thy lorde howe vnapte to all goodnes As euery man may dayly se in hym selfe Forthermore if maÌ„ wold be enflamed to loue god where may he haue better help than by this exercise for if it be natural to rendre loue for loue and the loue of god was neuer more openly shewed to man than in his redemption that is in the passion and death of our redeamer Christ Iesus it is than manifest that by this remembraunce of his passion a man is moste strongly excited and moued to loue god And if man desyre to be pricked forward in that loue let hym remembre the benefites of god which be as signes tokens of his loue And these benefites most euidently appere in his passion as ye shall more clerely se in this boke At last if man desyre that all his lyfe be continuall and perpetuall prayer and that he wold haue his herte euer lyfted vp to god and his deuotion or feruour euer renewed he shal neuer get it more easly than by the remembraunce of the lyfe and passion of his lorde god for there he may haue in euery worde acte behauiour and paine that Christ spake dyd vsed and suffred how to be compuncte and sory in hert how to be conforted in spirite For in the consyderation of them now he may wepe by compassion Now by gyuyng thankes he may haue swete affections Nowe he may desyre to be confourmed vnto hym and to his wyl Now he may labour and wysshe to be holly transfourmed into hym Thus may man go from one exercise vnto an other to auoyde tediousnes and so euer to be iÌ„ prayer And shortly to coÌ„clude there is no kynde of spirituall exercise but that it may be founde in the lyfe passion of Christ or els by moste pleantuouse fruyte it may be reduced and applied to it And this shall better appere in the fyrst parte of this boke the thyrde ê‘tycle Nowe my lorde I haue shewed what was the pryncypall cause mouyng me to accoÌ„plysh your desyre and if I may perceyue that ye or ony other take profyt therby I shall gyue prayses to god from whom all goodnes commeth and I beseache iour lorship to pray
shulde loue bodily or carnall pleasures but that as Christ hauyng a mortall body dyd by coÌ„tinual penaunce subdue his body coÌ„tempne all carnall worldly pleasures and was euer ioyned to god by loue so in lyke maner shuld mortal man mortifye his body by continuall penaunce dispise all vayne pleasures and euer erecte or lyfte vp his soule to god and heuenly thynges O the meruaylous blyndnes of man made of two substaunces that is the soule and the body and all thoughe the soule without comparison be moche more noble than the body yet he wyl spend and occupy all his tyme in a maner aboute the prouisyon of his body or in suche thynges as the flesshe desireth and in nothynge regarde his soule as yf he had none or that it were of no value For he wyll neyther fede nor norysshe it nor yet laboure to quiete or rest it in the loue of god thoughe he myght so do with moche more ease swetnes and also pleasure without comparison than to content and saciat the body For god is prest and redy to euery man ye he offereth hym selfe to man yf man he wyl receyue hym Ecce sto ad ostium et pulso c. Behold he sayth I stande at thy dore that is thy herte or soule and knocke yf any person wyl here my voyce and open the dore of his soule vnto me I shall entre therin and suppe with hym and he with me Se thou vnkynde man howe our lorde offereth hymselfe vnto the and requyreth none other pryce of the but the deth of his sonne with thyne obedient herte therfore gladly receyue hym to thy spirituall coÌ„forte All corporall and temporall thynges fle frome man and forsake hym and thoughe with great study anguysshe and payne he labour to get and kepe them yet he shal neuer haue y e ful possession of them to his quietnes excepte he wolde say that he hath the ful possession of them the whiche holly and fully contempneth and dispiseth them all for that person is saciate and contente with the wante of them But wyll ye se a more meruaylous blyndnes of this wretched man The soule of man which is made to thymage of god and the whiche shall neuer be saciate and content but only with god that same soule nat constrayned though partely enclyned and moued by the flesshe wylfully subdeweth her selfe vnto the flesshe redy to fulfyl the vayne pleasures and desyres of the flesshe But she coÌ„tempneth or dispiseth to subdue her self to god though she be continually moued therunto by dayly exhortatyon or preachynge continuall receyuynge of his benefytes and graces and also by inwarde inspirations Ye more ouer she wyll nat do the wyl of god in his owne gyftes that he gyueth to her Truely yf the soule were nat worse or more bestial than any brut beste she wolde loue god aboue all thynges vnto whose ymage she is made And so lytell or nothynge regarde all creatures in comparison of god Wherfore thou soule yf thou wylt loue the flesshe or the body loue none other but the flesshe and the body of Christe whiche was offered for the and for the helth of mankynde on the auter of the crosse Therfore dayly remembre in thy herte his passion For it so remembred in the soule of man is continually offered and presented to the syght of the father omnipotent for our consolation and comforte It is comenly sayd that if any man kyl or slee another man yf that mansleer come afterwarde in the presence of that deed corps or body so that he se it it wyl incontinent blede or voyde at the wounde fresshe blode So yf we wolde beholde with the deuoute eyen of our soule the blode and passion of Christe whom we haue slayne or were the occasyon of his deth nat onely by our original synne but also by our manyfolde actuall synnes we shuld fele or perceyue by spiritual grace of deuotion in our soules howe that by our compassion of his passion his blode flowethe plentuously out of his body and is offered and presented vnto his father for our saluacion and sanctification For yf the nayles that persed his handes and feet were sanctified and called holy by the tochyng of his blessed meÌ„bres how moche more then shulde our reasonable thoughtes whiche cleue fast to Christe crucifyed by continual or ofte remembraunce of his passion be called holy O most delectable passion O most meruaylous deth Meruaylous Ye what may be more meruaylous for this deth doth gyue life it cureth our woundê it maketh blode whyte that is it purifieth and clenseth our soule from the blode of synne Great bitternes and sorowe is ofte times tourned to moche swetenes pleasure The openyng of the syde of Christ ioyneth his herte to our herte The sonne hyd frome vs by the clowdes whan the clowdes be gone and paste it shineth more clerely The fyre quenched is shortlyer or soner kyndeled maketh the greater flame The ignominious and shamfull deth of Christe glorifieth both hym and vs. Christe thristyng vpon the crosse doth inebriate and saciate vs with the drynke and liquore of grace Christe hangyng naked on the crosse clotheth y e ryghtuous persones with the garmentes of vertue His handes nayled to the crosse dothe vnknytte or loose oure handes his feete nayled dothe make vs ronne to vertue Christe yeldynge his spyryte in to the handes of his father dothe inspyre and gyue lyfe of grace And he also spred abrode vpon the crosse doth call vs to heuenly thinges O the wonderfull passyon of Christe the whiche doth alyenate and chaunge the herte and mynde of hym that hath remembraunce and compassion of it For it nat only maketh hym angelical but also diuine and godly For he that coÌ„tinueth by meditation in the tormentes and passion of Christ seeth nat hym selfe bycause he alwayes and onely beholdeth his sauiour Christe crucified This person wolde bere the crosse of Christe with hym and he also bereth in his herte hym which susteynethe both heuen and erthe with whome he may easely susteyne and beare all heuy burdens and paynes This persone also that thus continueth in the mediation of Christe crucifyed wolde be crowned with thornes with Christe and for Christe and he is crowned with the sure hope and truste of the crowne of glory He wolde hynge naked on the crosse with Christe and so shake for colde and he is heated in his soule with the feruent fyre of loue He wolde taste of the bitter and sharpe vynacre and gall with Christe and he drynkethe the wyne of vnspeakable swetenes He wolde be mocked and scorned withe Christe on the crosse and he is honoured of aungelles He wolde be dispysed and forsaken with Christe and our lady hath chosen hym to her sonne He wolde be heuy with Christe and he is conforted He wolde be tormented and scourged with Christe and he is relyued with great ioy gladnes He wold hynge with Christe on the crosse and Christe most swetely doth
thy drynke that is wyne made pleasaunt with spices And this signifieth y e wine of worldly tribulacioÌ„ or aduersitie whaÌ„ it is ioyned mixte with the meditacion of y e passion of Christe Also we rede in y e boke of y e Machabeis how that kyng Antiochus whan he shuld fight against the Iues he shewed vnto his Olephantes put in theyr sight the blood that is the red colour licour of the grape of y e molbery to thintent y t those Olephantes shulde be prouoked to fight to be the more quicke in bataile In lyke maner the knightê of Christe accordyng to thexample of these Olephantê shuld be animate quickened to suffre paciently all tribulacioÌ„s aduersities whan so euer they here se or remembre the blood passion of Christe whiche was pressed out of his body at his passion as y e wyne is pressed out of the grape Moreouer the prophet Hieremy sayeth Dabis eis scutum cordis laborem tuum Thou good lorde shal gyue vnto them a buckeler or a shelde for theyr hert or soule y t is thy labour passion or deth This buckler or shelde receiueth without any perill vnto y e soule al maner of dartes specially .iii. maner of dartes that is losse of goodes infirmities of the body and contumeliouse or rebukyng worde with this buckeler that is with the feruent meditacion of y e labour paine or passion of Christe a man ouercuÌ„meth almighty god in paciently suffryng his corrections louyng visitatioÌ„s He also ouercuÌ„meth the deuyll in auoidyng his snares temptacioÌ„s And thyrdly he ouercuÌ„meth him selfe in resistyng all carnall mocioÌ„s passioÌ„s of yre or wrath in paciently suffering all infirmities of the body And thus the remembraunce of the passion of Christ doth mitigate thaduersities troubles of suche as be troubled therwith And as ye se y t a litle floode or ryuer doeth lose his name whaÌ„ he is entred into y e see or into a greater water so I like maner al labours paines passioÌ„s coÌ„pared to y e labours paines passion of Christe lese theyr name be nat to be called paines ¶ The .xviii. profite RectoruÌ„ confirmat stabilitatem THe meditacion of y e passion of Christe maketh rightuouse good men stable in faith in good werkes We rede that there is a certayn welle in Englande of this nature that yf a tree be put therin continue there any long space or tyme it is tourned into a stone So spiritually if a christian continue longe in this welle y t is in the remeÌ„brauÌ„ce of the wouÌ„des dethe of christe he shal be tourned into a stone that is he shal be constant stable in all vertue goodnes for thaÌ„ he shal abide fastened with christe vnto y e crosse by pacience Herunto sayth saint Bonauenture O meruelous deth passion of Christe whiche doeth allienate seclude the remembrer from dethe spuÌ„all also eternall nat only that but also it maketh him angelicall nothyng els to consider thynke but Iesu Christe crucified He wyl bere his crosse with Christe so he bereth in his hert Iesu Christe who coÌ„teineth in his haÌ„de power bothe heuyn erthe And so for y e loue of Christ he shal bere most easely suffre pacieÌ„tly al troubles paines He wold be crowned with thornes with Christe for christ christ shal crowne hym with the crowne of glory and so as ye may perceyue suche a feruent meditacion of the passion of Christe doeth greatly stable vs in goodnes ¶ The .xviii. profite Supernovum Placat displicentiam THis meditacion doeth strongly swage pacify y e wrath displeasure of god al his saintê Herunto saith saint Bernard The remeÌ„brauÌ„ce of y e labours paines of my sauiour Iesu doeth erect streÌ„gth me in al aduersities it doth represse me and kepe me iÌ„ al ê“sperites it also gydeth or ledeth me by a sure way in this lyfe where as is now ioy now sorow now pleasur now payne c. This meditacion putteth away all peryls It reconsileth me to y e high iudge of y e worlde whyles it declareth vnto me hym to be very meke mylde here in erthe to whose maiesty all auÌ„gels in heuen do reuerence haue him in reuerent feare Also the same saint entraytyng these wordes of Iob. VtinaÌ„ appeÌ„deren tur petaÌ„ mea quibê° iraÌ„ merui â–ª c saieth thus Good lorde behold y e face of thy son christe whiche was obedient to thy wyll vnto his dethe good lorde let neuer y e printes of his wouÌ„des depart froÌ„ thy sight remeÌ„brauÌ„ce CoÌ„sider good lord what satisfaction he hath done for our synnes to reconsyle vs vnto the. I wold that thou god lorde wold wey and pondre our synnes in a balance with the paynes that thy innocent sonne Iesus suffered for them And then good lorde it shulde well appere that his paynes excedeth our synnes so that thou rather shewe thy mercy vnto vs for the merytes of his passyon then to kepe our synnes in thy remembraunce to reuenge and punysshe them ¶ The .xix profit Terrenorum pessundat vanitatem IT also maketh man to contempne and set at nought the worlde with all the pleasures therof And therfore saynt Paule sayde Mihi mundus crucifixus est et ego mundo The worlde is crucified to me and I to the worlde as if he sayd I dispise the worlde and the worlde dispiseth me Auicen reciteth how that a certen man by stronge ymaginacion that he had ymaginynge him selfe to be a leprouse man therby he was made a leprouse man So in lyke maner yf a man feruently deuoutly coÌ„tinue in the remeÌ„brauÌ„ce of the passion of Christe he may so haue a great sorow in his hert true coÌ„passion of y e passion of Christe so suffre payn with hym so consequently al Worldly pleasure shall be bytter paynfull vnto hym Herunto sayeth saynt Bonauenture Who so feruently remeÌ„breth the passion of Christe he desyreth to be crucified with Christe Iesu he reputeth thynketh hym selfe to be in seruitude bondage misery he doth sygh sorow is in continuall heuynes vnto y e tyme he be all to wasshed or drowned in the blood of Christe so traÌ„sfourmed into his lord crucified yf he be nat kept in the blood of his sauiour he thynketh him selfe no man yea worse thaÌ„ a beast yf he be nat clad with the passion of Christe Therefore who so euer doeth ofte and feruently remembre the passion of Christe he shall lytle regarde the vanities of this worlde and set them at nought ¶ The .xx. profite Viatorum gubernat prosperitateÌ„ THe meditacion of the passyon of Christe doeth gouerne direct men lyuyng in this worlde vnto the lyfe of eternall felicitie For the passion of Christe is the kynges hygh waye the right compendiouse waye to cum to the
latin Aureola a circle or a litle crowne which is a special ioy of y e soule giueÌ„ to maÌ„ for sum excelleÌ„t act don iÌ„ this life it is only giueÌ„ to martirs for their martirdoÌ„ to virgins for virginite kept for y e loue of god to doctors or prechers for theyr tethyng y e truthe of god And thus it apereth manifestly how y t in the blessyd passioÌ„ of Christe doth shine as in a most pure glas all the beatitude of man all the plentiousnes of grace glorye All glory I say that is bothe thessenciall glory of the soule that consisteth in the vision tencion or surety fruicion of the deity that ben called the .iii. dowries of the soule And also the consubstanciall glory that is the .iiii. dowries of the body also the accidentall glory Wherfore sithe in Christes passion is thexcellent manifestacion or declaracion of his most high power moost high wisdom most high goodnes therfore this passioÌ„ is to all y e seruauÌ„tes of god a mater cause of moost excellent ioy gladnes And therfore though men ioy consideryng them selfe to be redemed by this glorious passion haue great profite therby also aungels ioye knowynge theyr ruine repared by the same passion consideryng this thynge as to theyr owne ioye profite Yet I beleue so it is that both aungels men do more ioye be glad without comparison referryng all these thynges to god and hoolly or all to gyder extendynge theyr cogitacions myndes to the glory of god than they dyd considerynge theyr owne glory profite that they haue by the sayd passion Moreouer as here appereth the most high inestimable charite shewing of the goodnes of god outwardely to the great confort of aungell man so I beleue so it is that bothe auÌ„gell man in theyr moost excellent full maner don shew their loue with great ioy gladnes glorifieng and praysyng and louyng god for that excellent gifte eternally without ende in glory ¶ In this passion also doeth shyne the vertues theologicall the giftes of the holy goost the beatitudes of the gospell also the fruites of the spirite The .iiii. Chapiter FYrst in this passion appere the vertues theologicall For this passion of our lorde is y e streÌ„gth fouÌ„dacioÌ„ of all christen faith It is therection reysynge vp of our hope also it is thinflamacion kyndelynge of our loue charity for here he dyd offre hym selfe for vs. SecoÌ„dly in this passion don shine as in a glasse the giftes of the holy goost the gift of wisdom vnderstandyng y e gyft of couÌ„cell strength of science of pitie also of the feare of god of the whiche we shall speke herafter in dyuerse singuler chapiters Thirdly in this passion don appere y e .viii. beatitudê for this passion is theyr fouÌ„tayn begynnyng theyr allectiue exemplar Who may be called so pore in spirite as Christ y t hyng naked vpoÌ„ the crosse Who may be named so mylde as Christ the which as a milde laÌ„be was led vnto the deth whaÌ„ he was scourged bet buffeted scorned falsly slauÌ„dered wolde nat ones open his mouthe to contrary them Who was so mournyng as he Whiche with teres and a loude mournynge voice prayed for his enemies and he for his reuerence as saynt Paule sayeth was herde of god But than he more mourned our synnes than his owne payne as we shall shew hereafter He had more compassion of vs than of hym selfe Who fardermore do so moche hunger and thurst iustice as Christe whiche by the payne of the crosse dyd satisfye for our synnes and so dyd reconsile vs vnto his father hungeryng and thyr stynge the helthe and saluacion of our soules And in token herof he sayd hangynge vpon the crosse Sitio I thyrste and desyre the helth of mannes soule Who also was so mercifull as Christe the very true samaritane the which where as the preest and Leuite passed by the wounded men nat regardynge hym wasshed his woundes with wyne and anointed them with oile byndyng vp his woundes and layeng the wounded man vpon his bâ—est that is vpon his owne body suffryng deth for our sinnes so led him vnto thostry of holy chirch c. And where I pray you was there so muche puritie and clennes of herte as in Christe which as an innocent lambe was offred vpon the crosse for vs wasshyng and clensynge our vnclene synfull hertes with his precyous blood And who also was so peaceful as Christe whiche was our peace and corner stone ioynynge into one people of god the Iues and the Gentiles whiche also by his passion dyd pacify vs vnto god in his bloode Moreouer who so verely suffered persecucion for iustice as Christe which for his iustice that he preached and shewed vnto the Iues was crucified truely he myght well be called blessed for the worldly and deuelysshe people cursed hym or spake euyll of hym and made many false lyes and slaunders of hym These be the .viii. beatitudes the whiche Christe taught in the gospell and gaue vs example in his owne persone how we shuld fulfyll them Fourthely in the passion of Christe don clerely appere the .xii. fruites of the spirite Of the which saint Paule sayth Fructus spiritus est charitas gaudium c. The fruites of the spirite ben these charitie ioye peace pacieÌ„ce loÌ„ganimitie goodnes benignitie mildenes or gentilnes fayth For in this passion restyth the foundacion and strength of our faith as concernynge his obiecte or subiect It foloweth in the wordes of saint Paule continence good maners and chastitie All these do manifestly shyne in this passion dethe and crosse of Christe as we shall declare more at large hereafter And therefore it conueniently foloweth in saynt Paule Qui christi sunt carnem suam crufixerunt cuÌ„ viciis et concupiscentiis Who so be the childeren of Christe they do cruâ—isy and subdue theyr bodies and also all vices and inordinate concupiscence This sayd saynt Paule to shewe manifestly vnto vs that these .xii. fruites do hange vpon the moost holy tree of the crosse suche persones do take gader them there whiche conforme them self vnto Christe crucified For by vertuouse operacions in folowynge the lyfe and pacience of our sauiour Iesu Christe men be made vertuouse for suche beholde the lyfe and dethe of our lorde with diligence remembre it by ofte and feruent meditacion and also haue pleasure therein and folow it as theyr frailtie wyll suffre them And so they be made apte to the reparacion of thorder of vertues as we sayd before and shall say more hereafter ¶ By the passion of Christe we haue the efficacitie and vertue of all spirituall goodnes The fyfte Chapiter BY the fruitfull and gloryouse passion of Christ there is ministred vnto vs habundantly the matter of all spirituall goodes For where is or shulde be
bag wherein she wold put suche thynges as she shulde receiue of almose a lytle cup wherwith to drynke water or els potage yf she had any gyuen to her also she prepared for her werynge olde clothes and patched garmentes so wolde haue performed these thyngê in dede ne had ben the great instance of her frendes the whiche with many teares and diligent desyres might scarcely withholde her from that purpose Nat withstandyng her good wyll dyd appere in the premisses for she dyd that she might Also she continued in this loue of pouerty which appered in that that she cut hir table clothes or napkyns and also her shetes and gaue the one parte to the pore reseruynge the residue for her selfe And nat only by this feare of god she contempned all worldly riches but also she dispised all worldly honour and glory and all vayne praise of man and that for the great swetenes and pleasure that she had in heuenly thynges And nat onely she wold nat admyt or loke towardes these vanities but also she refused them with abhominacion of herte vtterly abhorred them The loue of Christ was so feruent in her herte that nothynge els was pleasaunt or sauory to her but Christe And moche more ye may se of her mekenes and pouerty in the sayd boke of Vincent historiall ¶ The gyfte of pitie is also gyuen to man by the feruent remembraunce of Christes passion The .viii. Chapitre THe gyfte of pitie is gyuen to man by the continuall and feruent meditacion of the passion of Christe wherwith a man ordereth behaueth hym selfe iustly and deuoutly in the due honoure and worshyppynge of god in due reuerence and intreatynge of holy scripture and in the loue due confortynge of his neighboure In the whiche thre thynges consisteth standeth the gyfte of pitie Whiche pitie as saint Paule sayeth is profitable to all thynges specially against the hardnes and malice of the herte For that persone whiche is crucified with Christe thrugh the feruent remembraunce of his most blessed passion is kyndled with this gifte of pitie vnto the high compassion benignitie and mercy of his neighbour and that on this maner Whan a persone deuoutly and feruently beholdeth in his remembraunce the compassion and mercy that our sauiour Iesu Christe shewed vnto mankinde and specially at his dethe passion as we declared before in the gyfte of feare anon he is moued and kyndeled and his herte is opened towarde his neighboure bought redemyd with the bloode of Christe as we all be I say this man thus considerynge is so kyndeled vnto the loue of his neighboure and that for the loue of his lorde god that he is redy to gyue all that he hathe and hym selfe also with glad mynde for the helthe and saluacion of his neighbour for he considereth that his lorde god suffred dethe with moost greuouse paynes for his sayd neighbour And moreouer as he hath compassion vpon his sauiour Christe hangynge vpon the crosse and that with all his hert so he hath as great inwarde sorowe in his hert vppon his neighbour whiche by his synfull lyuynge forsaketh the conforte that he myght haue by Christes woundes and passion and so in his maner dispiseth the blood and dethe of Christe I say he hath inwardly as great compassion of this person as he wolde haue vpon hym selfe Fyrst he is wounded and greued in his herte for the contempt of his lord god Secondly for the hurt and damage of his neighbour whiche hath forsaken lyfe glory euerlastynge and hathe chosen voluntarily or wylfully eternall dethe dampnacion This good man seeth considereth the contempt of god the blood of Christe dispised and the moost noble creature made to the ymage of god wylfully to go to eternall paynes and therfore his herte melteth thrugh pitie and is relented or resolued by compassion And in like maner as he hath compassion of the hurt of his neighbour so by the same gyfte of pitie he hathe great reioice and gladnes in his soule of the goodnes and spirituall profite of other persons whan he ê‘ceiueth that they order theÌ„ selfe to receiue the fruite profite of the wouÌ„des of Christe with whom he entreth into the same wouÌ„des is made one with theÌ„ He ioyeth with them that be ioyfull of any goodnes He is sory with theÌ„ that be sorowfull for theyr hurt damage He reputeth euery one of his neighbours as hym selfe seynge consideryng y t bothe he his neighbours be create made of our lord god marked dignified with his image redemyd bought with the same blood of Christe ordered to cum to one the same glory And most specially he openeth his hert vnto his neighbour by this gift of pitie for that he seeth considereth his lorde god to be crucified for all people therfore he seeth coÌ„sidereth his lorde god in all people â–ª He requireth sercheth his sauiour crucified in all his neibours He beholdeth him in theÌ„ all after his pore maner He is all giueÌ„ to his neighbour for he is hoolly fully gyueÌ„ to his sauiour crucified O what ioye is it vnto his hert whaÌ„ he seeth his neighbour do due honor vnto his sauiour crucified He hath non enuy therat he is nat displeased therwith he doth nat detract hym or speke euyll of hym he wyll nat let hym nor hynder hym from y t honour by signe worde or dede nor giue hym any occasion to withdraw him from y t honour but hoolly he desireth his neighbours ê“fite abhorreth his hurte or peryll reputyng acceptynge bothe his neighbours hurt or profite as his owne profite or hurt And y t is specially for the loue y t he hath to our lord Iesu Christ the which for the great loue that he had vnto the helthe of mannes soules to the honour of his father he suffred most paynfull shamefull deth of the crosse Wherfore the zele thonour of god the compassion of Christe the inflamacion or kyndelynge of his owne hert hereunto be moost properly to be attended beholden in y e wouÌ„des of Christ for there they be had goteÌ„ And by this gifte of pitie y e hert of man is in a meruelous maner eleuate lifte vp vnto his lorde god For whan a man doeth enforce hym selfe asmuche as he may to conforme hym selfe vnto the pitie and compassion that Christe god and man had and shewed vnto vs whan he suffered the dethe of the crosse than that soule pleaseth god singulerly in so muche that Christe wyll take that soule so comformable to his godly pitie vnto his singuler loue and fauoure vnto his swete enbracynges halsynges kepe y t soule as his dere beloued spouse induce and brynge that soule to perceiue his swete consolacions suche a soule our sauioure loueth asmuche as she loueth hym that soule our lorde draweth to hym for as muche as that soule hath one
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
foueas habent et volucres celi nidos filius autem hominis non habet vbi caput suum reclinet The foxes haue theyr caues or dennes the byrdes of the ayre haue theyr nestys but the son of a vyrgyn hath nat where to hyde or laye his hede He was pore in his natiuitie or byrthe Porer in his lyfe or processe of his lyfe And moost pore vpon the crosse at his deth At his byrthe he was fedde with the vyrgyns mylke and lapped in vyle or pore clothes In the processe of his lyfe he had pore clothynge But oft tymes he wanted meat drynke for his necessary sustenaunce But at his dethe thou shalt fynde hym naked and in extreme thyrste or dryenes excepte thou say that he had vynegre myxte with bytter myrre and gall to quenche his thyrste These thynges well consydered the soule of the person beholdynge and depely remembrynge them is shortely and easely persuaded and moued to folow our sauiour Iesu in lyke thynges so that he may now gladly withdraw him selfe from all worldly honours and desyres of the same from all possession of temporall goodes from all corporall consolacion and pleasure desyrynge with his lorde god all vylenes abiection and derision and to suffre payn in all his hole body that thereby he myght in sum thynge be made conformable to his lord god and so do to hym sum thankfull seruice His appetite and desyre is nat now to please men but rather for the loue and honour of his lorde god to be mocked scorned despised and to be rather hated of them than honoured And therefore all vayne prayse and laudes gyuen to hym ben abhominacion as stynkynge caryon vnto hym for he onely requyreth and desyreth the laudes and prayses of god Vnto that is all his study labour payne That he desyreth with an vnsaciable thyrst In all thynges he onely desyreth thonour of god Nothynge lokynge to hym â—elfe nor regardynge any thynge perteynynge to hym selfe ne yet wyll be bounde to do any thyng but all to gyder with hert and mynde lokynge vnto heuen where as is moost his pleasure And also he desyreth that by his rebukes his lorde god myght be honoured greatly and continually desyrynge thrughe this gyfte of councell bothe to be pore and also despysed and abiecte for the loue of god for as muche as he perceiued bothe these to be in his lorde god crucified And truely he wolde now and euer be naked with Christe vpon the crosse beynge very heuy or sory y t he shuld haue any thynge that myght helpe the pore or els that perteyneth to thonour of god Therfore he forsakynge all superfluitie vseth as few thynges as his necessitie wyll suffre hym so that his pleasure is moche more set to despyse and cast awaye rychesse than to get or multyply it And to speke of corporall delectacions consolacions and pleasures we may truely say that from al these and also from all other consolacion that is nat in god of god or for god he vtterly refuseth them as moche as it is possyble for hym euer askynge and desyrynge to be saciate and fulfylled with bytternes sorow and payne or affliction with his lorde and mayster Christe Wherfore what so euer he perceyued to be pleasaunt vnto his bodye or yet vnto his herte by the whiche he may nat be made conformable vnto the moost blessed woundes and passion of Christe that thynge he abhorreth withdrawynge hym selfe from all thynges thrugh this gyfte of councell wherein he seeth any peryll or daunger lyke to cum to hym And therfore he doeth all thynges with greate deliberacion And also thrughe the sayde gyfte of couÌ„cell he applyeth hym selfe to do all tho thynges wherby thonour of god y e charitie of his neighbour the helth of soules may be in any thynge encreased And for these causes he is ofte tymes solitarie depely considerynge the passion of Christe therin lerchynge the hygh honours of god theternall ryches and heuenly pleasures that the deuout soule therin restynge may haue great ioye Also thereby the bytter soule for the compassion of Christes passion is made swete and pleasaunte And the mynde eleuate and lyfted aboue it selfe is made dronken or is drowned in loue And â—o the soule full of pleasure and lenyng vpon hyr dere beloued restyth hoolly in hyr lorde god And this is it that we sayd before how thrugh the spyryte of councell we auoide all perylles and dauÌ„gers make our selfes sure in the holes of the stone that is in the woundes of Christe to entrepryse great herde and paynefull thynges and also to excercyse the werkes of supererogacioÌ„ as is to loue our enemies and to forgiue them for Christe to gyue all our goodes to pore people for the loue of Christe to the which werkes don by the spiryte of couÌ„cell correspondeth the fyfte beatitude of the whiche Christe sayeth Beati misericordes quoniam ipsi misericordiam consequentur Blessed be y e mercyfull for they shall haue mercy For as saynt Austyn sayeth Councell is accordynge to mercyfull persones for there is but one remedy or meane to be delyuered from all the perylles of this worlde and that is this to forgyue and to gyue Councell is properly and specially to be taken of these thynges that be to cum and that be profytable vnto our ende that is to do the werkes of mercy whiche moost of all corresponde or accorde to the gyfte of councell And therefore saynte Paule sayeth Pietas ad omnia vtilis est Pytye and mercye is profytable to all thynges And thus ye may perceyue that the beatitude of mercye correspondeth to the gyfte of councell Nat that this gyfte of councell doeth produce and brynge furthe the werkes of mercye as his effecte and operacion but that it dyrecteth and orderyth the doer and werker For the spyryte of councell is specially gyuen to man to that intent that he shulde lerne therby to forgyue freely and gladly and also to shew mercy vnto those persons that haue offeÌ„dyd agaynst hym knowynge that yf he so do he shall fynde lyke mercy in our lorde in forgyuynge his synnes done agaynst god as our lorde sayeth in the gospell And this is it that we spake before that men consyderyng and beholdynge the vnspekeable pitie mercy of our lorde that he shewed whan he prayed for them that put him to dethe shulde be moued and styrred to lyke pitie and mercy so made apte to the restauracion of the order of aungelles called vertues O sayeth the prophete Dauid in the persone of Christe Calix-meus inebrians quam peclarus est That is as the glose of saynte Austyn sayeth the cuppe of the blood of our lorde whiche inebritynge the mynde and makynge it dronken in god doeth so cure and heale it that it maketh it forget all vayne delectacion pleasure This dronkennes maketh men sobre This fulnes and plenteousnes maketh men empty and voyde of euyll maners and vyces And therfore the
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
lofte or chamber that is in the soule of man eleuate and lyfte vp by feruent deuocion and great by longanimitie broode by the brede of charitie and strawed by the diuersitie of vertues And whan all thynges were prepared in this chambre Iesus dyd entre with his disciples to whom the Pascall lambe rosted was brought furthe And grace sayde or blyssyng made by our lorde they eat it with the iuse of wylde letuâ—e And note that in this soleÌ„pnitie of Pasce there were toure thynges that is the Pascall lambe pure wheat brede without leuyn wyne and the iuse of wylde letuse to signifie that no man might cum worthely to eat of the true lambe the body of Christe without bytternes and compunction of herte for theyr synnes This refection also doeth signifie theternall refection of glory that shal be in the ende of the worlde Than Iesus rysynge from supper his disciples syttynge and eatynge he sayd I haue with a great desyre desyred to eat this Pascall lambe with you before my passion This worde desyre twyse spoken doeth signifie a mynde of two desyres One was y t the olde testament shuld be finished and the new shuld be begun And this was moost his desyre For all the dayes of his lyfe he ranne after vs with a moost feruent desyre of our helthe And we â–ª yf we can nat at sumtyme haue good myndes and desires at the leest let vs haue a wyl to haue y t good desyre accordynge to the sayenge of Dauid Concupiuit anima mea deside rare iustificationes tuas My soule hath couetyd or desyred to desyre thy iustificacions After this Christe toke bread and wyne and gyuynge thankes to god blyssed them and so conuerted the bread into his owne body the wyne into his bloode and gaue it vnto them sayenge take and eat this is my bodye drynke of my bloode And here he shewed his great desyre y t was to cum that is to shede his bloode for our redemption that after the immolacion offeryng of the figuratiue and Pascall lambe shulde folow the oblacion of the very true lambe Iesus Christe And so the olde figures ceassed and all thynges were made new whan that Christ conuertyd and turned bread and wyne into his precyouse body and bloode And here note that in the boke called Exodus there were determined many thynges that were requyred to the eatynge of the figuratiue Pascall lambe whiche also spiritually be requyred to theatynge of the verye true lambe our sauiour Iesus Fyrst it shulde be eaten onely of them that be circumcidyd so shulde we be circumcidyd by the cuttynge away of our olde synfull conuersacion and lyfe Secondely it shulde be eaten with the iuse of wylde letuse signifienge that we shulde haue bytter contricion for our synnes Thyrdly with pure whete breade without leuyn betokenynge the puritie of our conscience without leuyn of fynne Fourthly theyr clothes shulde be gyrded vp signifienge oure chastitie of body soule Fyftely they shulde haue shoes vppon theyr fete betokenynge that our affections shulde be separate from all erthely thynges In a signe also or token herof our lord fyrst wasshed the fete of his disciples before that he gaue to them his body and blood Sixtely they shuld haue staues in theyr handes notynge therby that we shulde diligently kepe our selfe These syxe foresayd condicions ben requyred in vs as concernynge the auoidaunce of vyce and synne And in lyke maner syxe thynges ben requyred in vs yf we wyll worthely receyue the sacrament of the aulter as concernynge the operacion of good werkes and gettynge of vertues Fyrst that it be eaten in one house that is in the vnitie of the chyrche that we be nat diuided from the chyrche by any scisme or heresye Secondly that we take or eat it with our neighbours as many as shall be sufficient to eate it signifienge the loue and concorde with our neighbours Thyrdely that it be nat eaten raw that is withoute the fyre of loue ne yet sodden with water of carnall pleasures but rosted with the fyre of feruent deuocion Fourthly it shulde be eaten hastely betokenyng our feruent desyre and delectacion folowynge Fyftely it shulde be eaten all hole bothe hed fete and the inwarde partes signifieng that we shulde be incorporate vnto Christe with a hole and true fayth beleuynge the diuinitie of Christe whiche is the hed also his humanitie body flesshe whiche is as the fote and also his soule whiche is as the inwarde parte Syxtely they shulde breke no bone of the Paschall lambe signifienge the symple veneracion worshyppynge of this sacrament nat dyuydyng the godhed from the manhode nor the flesshe from the blood for vnder euery parte of the hooste consecrate there is hole Christe bothe god man soule body and blood Wherfore who so euer receiueth the sacrameÌ„t of the aulter vnder the forme of bread only he receyueth hole Christe god and man soule flesshe and blood ¶ A prayer O Lorde Iesu Christe whiche in the euyn tyde made thy last supper with thy disciples in a greate and large chaumbre strawed and made redye for the and there fedde theym with thy moost sacrate body and bloode make my herte I beseche the a great large chambre prepared for the. Enlarge in it trew fayth hope and charitie Magnifie or make it great with longanimitie pacience mekenes and straw it with all maner of vertues Graunt me lorde that my herte contrite and thus prepared may take and receyue the after my pore maner whom heuyn and erthe are nat able to take and conteyne that by thy grace inhabytance in me I may thynke and performe in dede all thynges pleasyng to the and declyne or auoyde all vyce and synne by perfyte hace of them and so continuynge vnto the ende I may worthely receiue thy preciouse body and blood in the sacrament of the aulter AMEN ¶ The .x. and last particle of this fyrst parte Of the wasshynge of his disciples fete WHan this supper was done and the Paschall lambe eaten and whan the deuyll had put into the herte wyll of Iudas to betraye Christe nat dyrecâ—y mouynge his wyll as the soule moueth the bodye but onely indyrectly by suggestion mouynge and perswadynge hym to betray Christe and he consented thereunto And here note that the deuyll can nat put euyll thoughtes into y e hert of man but onely offre them vnto man which yf the man receyue theym and that appere to the deuyll by sum outewarde sygne or token than the deuyll bloweth at this coole to kynâ—â—e and make the fyre burne that is he ceasseth nat to perswade and moue that man to consent vnto that synne And so it apperech that the deuyll can nat cast a man downe and ouercum hym except the man cast hym selfe fyrste downe and rendre his armour vnto his enemy that is excepte he consent to the suggestyon and mocion of the deuyll This supper I saye done and the Paschall
lambe eaten whan the deuyll had moued Iudas to betraye Christe and he consented to the same than Iesus knowynge as god that his father had gyuen and taken into his handes and power all thynges also his enemy and traytour Iudas and the Iues his persuers yet to shew and declare his great pytie to leue to vs an example of his perfyte mekenes he wolde nat fulfyll or take vppon hym the power or myghte of god or offyce of a lorde but rather the offyce and roume of a seruaunte He dyd meke hym selfe to be a seruaunt for he cam to do seruice and nat to receyue the seruyce of other And therefore he arose frome his supper of the Paschall lambe wyllynge than to wasshe the fete of his dyscyples there beynge and so causyng water to be brought vnto hym he put of his outwarde garmentes gyrdyd hym selfe with a lynen clothe Than he put the water into a basen with his owne handes and so charitably so honestly and so seruiceably prepared he cam to wasshe his disciples fete that were defoiled with the claye and durte of the erthe for they wente bare foâ—ed And so he wasshed theyr fete wyped them with the clothe wherwith he was gyrte and thus he fulfylled the office of mekenes And whan he came to Petre he wolde nat suffre hym to wasshe his fete but sayd thou â—halâ—e neuer wasshe my fete And Iesus sayde Yf I wasshe nat thy fete thou shalte haue no parte of my blysse with me Than Petre fearynge this sentence sayd â–ª Wasshe good lorde nat onely my fete but also my handes and my hed And Iesus sayd He that is wasshed he nedeth no more to wasshe but his fete for than he is all clene What this signifieth ye shall know afterwarde It foloweth in the gospell of Iohn Ye be now clene for I haue wasshed you but ye all be nat clene This he spake for Iudas that shuld betray hym that same nyghte and therefore he was nat clene There be two thynges specially whereby a man is made clene from synne that is almose dede and charitie Iudas had nat the fyrst for he was a thefe and toke vnto his owne vse suche thynges as shulde haue be gyuen to the pore Also he betrayed his innocent maister contrarye vnto charitie and so Iudas was nat clene O thou chrystyan consyder here dylygentely euery poynte of this wasshynge for they be full of mekenes and loue Beholde what is done for it is very deuoute Here the hyghe maiestie of god and mekenes of the maister dyd enclyne bow hym selfe downe to the fete of pore fysshers He knelyd on his knees and bowed his hede before his disciples syttynge and so wasshed theyr fete with his owne handes dyd also drye them and kysse them all Beholde here the exemplar of all myldenes and mekenes the creatoure and maker of all creatures the fearefull iudge of bothe quycke and deade knelynge here before the fete nat onely of his louynge disciples but also before the fete of the false traytoure Iudas O thou man lerne here of thy lorde for he is bothe meke in herte and gentyll in his conuersacion Be thou confounded of thy hyghe mynde Arte thou nat asshamed of thy pryde and impacience He that is syttynge aboue the high order of auÌ„gels called Cherubyn wassheth the fete of his enemy traytour and thou erthe dust asshes cley exaltest thy selfe thynkest great thynges of thy selfe Consider diligently how our lorde inciteth moueth vs by his examples also by his wordes vnto mekenes Therfore after that he wasshed his disciples fete shewyng thereâ—â— to vs an example of great mekenes he sayd to vs Exempâ—um dedi vobis vt quemadmodum ego feci vobis ita et vos faciatis I haue gyuen to you an example that as I haue done to you so ye shulde do And also he sayde in an other place Discite a me quia mitis sum et humilis corde Lerne of me for I am mylde in conuersacion and meke in herte And in this he kept a conuenient maner of teachynge For as saynt Luke sayeth Cepit lesus facere et docere Iesus began fyrste to lyue and do well and after that he dyd teache other to do the same Spiritually by this outwarde wasshynge of the fete oure lorde dyd note the inwarde clennes of our spirituall fete which be our loue and aâ—â—ections For these spirituall fete do bere vs where so euer we go froÌ„ our selfe or without vs. And as our bodyly fete hath ofte tymes nede of wasshynge so oure spirituall fete For thoughe we be hoolly clene wasshed by the sacrament of Baptym in so moche that yf we kepe that innocency and clennes that we by that sacrament receyue vnto our dethe we be sure to go to heuyn without any other wasshyng Yet for asmoche as there is very few or non that kepe that puritie of theyr baptysme after that they cum to the yeres of discrecion but y t oftymes they fall in one thyng or other that thrughe the fraile condicion of our mortall nature so that they defoile theyr fete with worldly vayne or carnall affectioÌ„s therfore it is necessary y t they oft wassh theyr fete with coÌ„fession teres of coÌ„tricion For who so euer after his baptym do fall to syn be nat wasshed with y e water of penauÌ„ce he shall haue no parte with Iesu in his glory By this wasshyng of y e fete our lord also doeth note the clennes of our spirituall fete whiche specially is required in the receiuing of the blessed body of our lord And therfore he dyd wasshe the fete of his disciples before he gaue to them his gloriouse body blood to signifie y t spirituall clennes is requyred in the due receyuynge of the sacrament of the aulter ¶ A prayer O Mylde Iesu and the exemplar of very mekenes whiche wasshed the fete of thy disciples I aske and also beseche the lorde purge clense thou myne affections that I so purified in bothe fete kyndled with a double charitie that is with the loue of god and of my neighboure I might surely cum to the my puryfyer and clenser Kepe me clene good lorde vnto the ende of my dayes and clense me frome all spottes of synnes that all my negligencys and also synnes forgotten myne enemyes confounded and rebuked might go fro me at the houre of my dethe whiche specially wyll lye in awayte of me at that houre Directe and order my fete lorde in to the waye of peace that I delyuered from the handes and power of all myne enemies myght blesse prayse the with all they electe seruantes world without ende AMEN ¶ Here endeth the Proheme or fyrste part of this treatyse And here begynneth the seconde parte called the execucion THexecucion of this glasse shal be asentenciouse declaracion of our lordes passion approbate taken of many holy doctours As of saynte Hierom sayntes Augustine Bernarde
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
inwardly sory to be lad with the handes of his enemies so cruelly with so great a cumpany of armed men with suche and so many rebukes and reprouynges bothe in worde and in dede as those mooste cruell Iues dyd vnto Christe at that tyme ledynge That ledyng was also paynfull to his body For though he wente wylfully with them yet they drewe hym with a rope they thrust hym droue hym forwarde and oft tymes they thrust hym downe and ranne ouer hym and so drewe hym thorughe the vale of Iosaphat from the flood or ryuer of Cedron vp towardes Hierusalem ledynge hym with great haste and violence he goynge bare foted and therefore they greuously hurted wounded his moost holy fete in that stony and moost harde waye In so moche that the steppys of his moost hooly fete were dyed and wet with blood For cruelly those Iues whose fete were swyfte redy to shed the innocent blood those Iues I say moost cruelly thrusted hym from the one parte of the waye vnto the other parte or syde But wherfore dyd Christe suffre all these paynes and rebukes but onely to cure the woundes of our fete whiche haue gone to do many a synfull dede and specially the woundes of our spirituall fete and inordinate affections Christe ranne thrugh thornes and breres sechynge for his shepe that was lost He sought hym by the brood stretys and narow lanes and so the watchemen of the citie founde hym they smote hym they wounded hym and toke from hym his pall and garmentes So that it may be well verified of Christ that is wryten in the fyrst boke of Paralipomenon Ex omni parte angustie me premunt Anguyssh troubles paynes oppresse me on euery part Sum doctours don say that what tyme the Iues led Christe towardes Hierusalem thy came by the ryuer water of Cedron the ministres and the people went ouer the brydge but they drew Christe boūden thrugh the water so that the watre entred into his mouthe body At whiche tyme what for the coldnes of the water and also for his longe prayenge in the garden or orcharde all his body was so colde that all his tethe dyd quyuer and shake in his hed for colde Herein were fulfylled the sayenges of Dauid Saluum me fac deus quoniam intrauerunt aque vsque ad animam meam Saue me my lorde god for the waters haue entred into me And in an other Psalme De torrente in via bibet propterea exaltabit caput He shall drynke of the ryuer in the way and therfore he shall exalte his hed And whan they cam to Hierusalem they dyd nat brynge hym in by the same gate that he wente furthe at whan he went to Bethany but by an other gate called the golden gate And it was so called bycause all the golde that was gyuen to Salomon was brought in by that gate and all other thynges y t were of great valour By this gate also was brought in all suche sacrifices as were offered in the temple And for as moche as Christ whan he entred into this worlde he cam in by the golden gate that is by the virgyns wombe it was conuenient that whan he shulde departe from this worlde vnto his father by his dethe and passion that he shulde goo to his dethe by this golden gate And the Iues brought hym in by this gate bicause there sat at that tyme many Scribes and Phariseis for the more suretie that the comon people shulde nat take Christe from them And one doctoure sayeth that in that golden gate were grauen painted the ymages of Patriarches Prophetes in stone werke And at the entryng of Christe by this gate all thoo ymages dyd reuerently inclyne to Christe as to theyr creatour and maker Also this same doctoure sayeth that the multitude of the prestes and scribes went with a great compaigney vnto the forsayd gate cryenge and sayenge Beholde the these is taken the deulisshe person the deceyuer of the people the breaker of the lawe and so they cast durte and clay agaynst hym Also it is sayd that from the place where as they toke and bounde hym vnto the house or palace of Annas ware .iii. M. passys saue .xv. And here note that Christ this day in the processe of his passyon was .ix. tymes led from place to place as we may playnly se in the gospelles Fyrste as soone as he was taken and bounde he was led vnto the house of Annas Secondly from Annas vnto Caiphas Thirdly from Caiphas vnto Pylate Fourthly from pilate vnto Herode Fyftly from Herode vnto pylate agayne Sextly the soudiours led him in to the courte of the comen haulle motehaule or iudgement house where as they mocked hym and put a crowne of thornes vpon his heed Seuenthly Pilate led hym from that place out vnto the Iues cladde in an olde purpure garment and the crowne of thornes vpon his heed Eyghtly Pilate led hym from the motehaule vnto a place called Lichostratos where as he iudged hym to be crucified Neyntly they led hym from thense vnto the mownte of Caluarie where as they dyd crucifie Christe ¶ Here foloweth a lesson IN diuers contreis it is a laudable custome amonges faith full christianes that on good frydaye they go aboute from the mornynge vnto the .ix. houre of the day that is from .vi. of the clocke vnto .iii. of the clocke at after noone and visyte .ix. churches in the remembraunce that Christe that day was .ix. tymes led from place to place as we sayd before And nowe for a lesson they that so visite .ix. churches I wolde they remembred what Christe suffred in euery place Fyrste what he suffred whan he was ledde to the house of Annas and also what he suffred there Secondly what he suffred in Caiphas house and so furth of al other as ye shall se declared herafter in diuerses articles And also that a man myght conforme hym selfe to this article he shulde remembre how obprobriously and shamefully Christe was led lyke a thefe and a rober and in this consideration he shulde haue a full purpose that he wyll with the helpe and grace of god be applyable to all vertue and also to suffre or to do all thynges that shal be to the wyll and pleasure of god And let hym pray as foloweth or in lyke maner Spiritus tuus bonus deducet me in terram rectam Thy good spirite shall guyde and lede me in to a ryghtful contrey Or thus Deduc me domine in semita mandatorum tuorum Leade me good lorde in the pathe of thy cōmaundmentes or any other prayer as god shal put in to your mynde ¶ A prayer O Iesu whiche bounde as a thefe and an euyl doer wolde be led by the armed handes of wicked men from place to place with great rebuke and shame graunt to me that grace that I neuer be led vnto any synne throughe the persuasion
as the Iues ben gathered togyther and I spaketh nothynge in priuye corners therfore inquere of them that harde me for they can tell what I haue sayde and taught and here our lorde dyd so moderate his answere that nother he wolde hyde the treuthe nor yet be sene to defende hym self gyuynge to vs a fourme and a maner howe to answere moderately vnto our aduersaries so that we nother hyde the treuth nor yet prouoke or moue them agaynst vs with our wordê Then one of the mynysters smote Chryste vpon the cheke sayenge Sic respondes pontifici Is this a good answere vnto the bishop This stroke was so myghtye and greate that the sownde therof was herde ouer all the palace and it was so strongly gyuen that the prynte of his fyngurs remayned in Christes cheke whiche prynte we may well se and perceyue in the image of his face that he gaue to the blessed woman called Veronica This image was lately in Rome and it shulde seame that he myghte not gyue â—o sore a stroke with his bare hande and therfore it is moche lykly that he smote Christ with his gawntlette sayng Is this a good answere vnto a bisshop this he spake with great arrogance and prowdly without ony reuerence vnto Christ and this he dyd to please and flatter the bysshop Of this stroke saint Ambrose saith That it was so paynfull that it had ben sufficyent for mannes redemption It was so vehement that therby all his teeth in his hed were moued or lowsed and also his nose and his mouth gusshed out of blode Our lorde wolde abuÌ„dantly and plentuously satisfye for our synnes And therfore he most hygh in noblenes was smyten of a vyle wretche god was smyten of a synner the lord of his seruant the creature of his creature the gouerner of the hole worlde of a vyle porcyon of the same worlde the moste mercyful redemer was smyten of hym whom he came to redeme if he wolde receyue it This coÌ„tumely with many other that foloweth our lord suffred for vs with al pacieÌ„ce mildnes so that with great myldnes he answered to hym that smote hym Si male locutus sum testimonium perhibe de malo c. If I haue spoken euell beare witnes agaynst me of that euyll But if I haue answered well truly and conueniently wherfore dost thou smyte me This answere of Christ as saint Austen sayth was not spoken of any impacyence but gentely and swetely he dyd reproue that seruaunt and called vnto his mynde his vnkyndnes And herunto saynt Barnarde sayth O merueylous greate vnkyndnes this same Malchus whom our lorde but a lytyl byfore dyd cure and heale his ryght heare the whiche Peter dyd smyte of He nowe was bolde to smyte so cruelly his lorde god and curer O good Iesu in what compaigney arte thou nowe howe moch was thy pacyence Howe great was theyr crueltye and inpacyence But wyll they nyll they thy pacyence ouercometh theyr malyce thy loue theyr enuy and thy pitye theyr crueltye And thus ye may se that this smytyng is coÌ„ueniently noÌ„bred amongê the articles of Christes passyon also therin was fulfylled the sayng of y e ê“phet Dabit ê‘cutieÌ„ti se maxillaÌ„ he shall offer his cheke to the smyter And an other prophet saith Percutient maxillam iudicis Israel they shall smyte the cheke of the iudge of Israell This stroke was fygured in Michea whiche was smyten vpon the cheke bycause he sayde the treuthe vnto Achab the kynge of Israell as it is writen in the thyrde boke of the kynges ¶ Here foloweth a lesson OF this article we may take this lesson sythe that Christe wolde be buffeted and smyten for vs it is coÌ„uenient that we stoppe our mouthes that we speake no thyng contrary the honour of god and also that we excite and moue our selfe to speake and do that is good And in all iniuries and contumelies done vnto vs that we haue pacyence by the example of Christe whiche dyd vouchsafe to gyue vs specyally in this poynte an example of great pacyence And also a man to conforme hym selfe vnto this article may to remember the great stroke of Christe gyfe hym selfe a moderate clappe or stroke for all his lyes euyll and vayne wordes and then pray on this maner ¶ A prayer O Iesu whiche wolde be smytten for me moste vnworthy of the vyle minister and seruant of Annas grauÌ„t to me I beseche the thy grace that I may stoppe my mouthe from all euyll and vayne speache and that I neuer cease frome thy laude and praysynges Amen ¶ Howe Iesus was presented vnto Cayphas The .xii. article THe .xii. article of the presentacyon of Christe vnto Cayphas whan our lorde had taken that great stroke in the house of Annas shortly after Annas sent Christ bound as gyltye and worthy death and therunto condempned by hym he sent hym I say vnto Caiphas gyuyng thankes vnto the ministres that it wolde so please them to brynge Christe first vnto hym Annas I say sent Christe to Cayphas for he was the chiefe bishop for that yere and so to him it apperteyneth principally to entreat of the condemnacyon and death of Christ and for the same cause there were gathered a great companye of preestes and scribes in the forsayde house of Cayphas to counsell herin In this house of Caiphas Christe dyd abyde vnto the moornynge at the whiche tyme he was ledde vnto Pylate And in this house he suffred .iii. thynges that were moche paynfull to hym that is the false witneshyng the crafty adiuracyon and the most dispitefull confutacyon as it shall appere in the articles folowyng And here note that this presentacyon was more greuous vnto Christ than the first that was to Annas for this Cayphas was the cheyfe bysshop for that yere And also he was more crafty and more malicyous than Annas and that well appereth by the interpretacyon of his name Cayphas is as moche to say by interpretacyon as a crafty or wyly searcher for he more craftely dyd searche for false witneshes agaynst Christe whan he coulde fynde no conuenient testimonye agaynst hym then he malicyously and craftely by hym self toke occasyon in our lordes wordes of his dampnacyon as we shall declare hereafter in the xiiii article O how payneful is it to a good man to be presented before suche a iudge so craftie so captious so malicyous and replete with all enuy It is sayd that from the house of Annas vnto Cayphas house were an hundreth neynty .iiii. passes by the whiche space about .xxx. tymes they condemned hym and spued or spyt vpon hym bisydes many other tormeÌ„tes paynes ¶ Here folowe .ii. lesson OF this article we may note .ii. lessons The firste that the seruantes of god shuld not be moche afrayd to be presented before euyll and wicked iudges For the more wicked the iudge is the more grace therby commeth to the seruauntes of god Exemples herof we haue in the glorious
sene naked and so moche the more ashamed then all other chast virgyns be in how moch that his honesty and chastitye excelled without comparison the clennes of all other virgyns And whan Iesus was thus naked Pylate toke hym to the saugiours to be scourged as ye shall se in the next article And note here that one doctor sayth that Christ was thryes scourged Fyrste with roddes bycause he dyd trouble and moue the people and there he had .xl. strokes saue one accordynge to the commaundement of the lawe Secondly with rushys of the see whiche be more sharp than thornes and this beatynge was bycause he had preached and taught a newe doctrine And here he was scourged as Heliodore was by the angelles of whome we rede in the seconde boke of the Machabeis Thyrdlye they scourged hym with whyppes ¶ A Lesson OF this article we may take this lesson that as Christe had his garmentes pulled of his bdye and was stryped naked so shulde we put of our olde synfull cote and lyfe and make open and naked our coÌ„science before god and his minister our curate by pure and playne confession of all our synnes auoyde all cloke and colour of excusacyon for al thynges ben open and naked before the syght of god And a man to conforme hym selfe vnto this article shulde remember howe miserably and with howe moch iniurie and shame Christe was strypt naked and his clothes violentlye pulled of hym And praye thus ¶ A prayer O Iesu whiche for me wold haue thy clothes pulled violentlye of thy backe and wolde be strypt naked to be scourged graunt to me that I may caste of from me myne olde synfull cote or lyfe with al his operations by true pure and playne confession of all my synnes and that I neuer apere in thy syght naked from vertues Amen ¶ Howe Christe was scourged The .xxxi. article THe .xxxi. article is the scourgynge of Christe For when Iesus was so strypt naked Pylate delyuered hym to the saugiours The gospell sayth Apprehendit illum Pilatus et flagellauit Pylate toke Christe and scourged hym that is Pliate made hym to be scourged of his saugiours that the Iues as saynt Austen sayth sacyate and content with those his paynes and rebukes shulde desyre no more his death And so he that dyd lowse them that were bounde our sauiour Iesus was bounde fast to a pyllar whiche was so great and thycke that his armes his handes myght nat compas it And therfore the saugiours corrupt by mony drewe out his armes with harde cordes that all the vaynes of his armes appered out to the extremitie And then those saugiours called in all theyr compaigney and our sauiour Iesus so bounde and naked they bette so cruelly with roddes knotted whyppes and thorny rushes of the see that they dyd teare the flesh and drewe it away so that his bones ware sene bare and also greate gobettes and pecys of the flesshe hange vpon the scourges and whyppes There stode naked before all the people the most louely yonge man eligant and sham fast beautious aboue all other men speakynge not one worde but as meake as a lambe dyd suffer pacyently the harde sharppe and paynfull beatynges of those most vyle cruell tormentours That most innocent and tender flesshe most pure and most fayre the floure of all mankynde was replete and full of strokes blomes woundes and brosers he was wounded thorow out all his moste holye bodye so that fro the toppe of the hed vnto the sole of his foote there was none hole skynne That noble and precyous blode of his ranne from euery parte of his bodye the cruell tormentours added plage vpon plage and heped wounde vppon wounde brosynge vpon brosynge blode vpon blode vnto the tyme that both the cruell tormentours and also the beholders were wery of smiâ—ynge and seynge and so he was commaunded to be lowsed from the pyllar And here sayth saynte Barnarde that the tormentours dyd on s lowse Iesus and bounde hym agayne turnynge his backe to the pyllar and bounde his handes aboue his heed that they myght scourge hym vpon bely breste and also his face and so they spared no place of his most tender bodye whose crueltye coÌ„syderynge some of the pagans there standynge and beholdynge this sorowfull scourgynge ranne to our lorde and bracke the ropes and so dyd lowse hym and those cruell tormeÌ„tours not saciate with that scourgyng pulled the heyre of his most blessed berde and also of his heed wherin was fulfylled the prophecye of Esay Corpus meum dedi percutientibus et genas meas vellentibus which auctoritie we declared before in the .xvi. article ¶ But howe many plages or woundes our sauyour Iesus had at this scourgynge it can not be knowen but by reuelacyon for they were in a maner innumerable forsythe scripture sayth Pro mensura peccati erit plagarum modus After the measure of the synne shal be the measure of the beatynges or plages and Christe was scourged for our synnes whiche be innumerable therfore his plages and woundes muste be innumerable And that noted the prophet whan he sayde of Christe A planta pedis vsque ad verticem capitis non est in eo sanitas Frome the toppe of his hed vnto the sole of his fote there was no hoole parte in hym As saynte Hierom sayth Christe wolde be scourged that therby he might deliuer vs from perpetual scourgyngê As a louynge mother seynge the father beatynge her sonne wyl runne bytwixt the rodde her sonne with her armes spred abrode and receyue the strokes to defende her sonne from that beatynge so dyd Christe for vs and therin was verifyed the saynge of the prophet that he spake of Christe sayenge Disciplina pacis nostre super eum et liuore eius sanati sumus The disciplyne of our peace dyd lyght vpon hym that is the beatynges which we deserued for our synnes and were not punysshed for them but lyued in peace and pleasure these beatynges I say dyd fall vpon Christ and so by his woundes we were made hole And after that Iesus was thus scurged they mocked hym in many thynges as it shal appere in diuers articles folowynge ¶ A Lesson OF this article we may take this lesson that we shuld gladly suffer y e scourges of god so that euery one of vs might say truely with the prophet Ego in flagella paratus sum I am prepared and redy to receyue beatynges And that is conuenient For syth the onely sonne of god was redye to receyue vpon his owne bodye beatynges and scourgynges for our synnes and that at the obedience of god his father moche more then shulde we that be but the adoptyue chylderne of god be redy to suffer gladly the scourges of our father in heuen whiche he by hym selfe or by his ministres doth mercyfully sende to vs for our amendement ¶ A prayer O Iesu whiche wolde for me be bounde to a
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
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
kyssyng his wondes wherwith she culde not be saciate and what tyme the bodie was taken downe this blessed Lady toke his heade and his shulders in to her lappe and Mary Maglene toke his feet remembryng what grace and comforth she founde by them and all the residue that stode about greatly lamentyd and morned his death ¶ The lamentacion and mournyng of our Lady SAynt Bernard speakyng of this lamentacion of our Lady sayth She lifted vp her handes on height embrasynge and kyssynge the body of her sonne but her sonne dyd not embrase her agayne for his armes ware to stiffe or starke therunto And then that blessid virgyn seyng she culd haue none other solace dyd kysse with a great and faruent desire his woundes and the blode that ran from his woundes In so moch that the face of this sorowfull Lady was made all blodie with the blode of her sonne slayne which thyng in it selfe was very pitifull and moch lamentable to behold that is that so noble a bodie shuld be so shamefully entreated as though it had ben the most vile carion and yet in truth that bodie myght neuer fall to corrupcion for the godhed was continually ioyned therunto which keapte it from al corrupcion And for this cause this article is nowmbred among the articles of Christes passion though this bodye when it was deed felt no payne but yet this blessid virgyn at this time suffred the payne for she was there present with other deuote women And then Ioseph meakly desired our Lady that she wolde suffre y e body of her sōne to be anoynted and wrapped in the lynen clothes and so to be buried but she refusyd to be so shortly departed from her sonne when they wold haue buried hym she wold haue retayned hym and so there was a godly and a pitiouse cōtencion bitwixt them And at last though not gladly yet reuerently she suffred them to take the bodie at theyr pleasure Then this blessid virgyn weapt without comforth and so such aboundaūce of teares flowed from her ien that it myght be supposed ▪ that all her bodie ware turned to watre She washed her face with tearis and also the deed bodie of her sonne specially his woundes and also the stone vpon the which the bodie was layd when it as washed And it is sayd that her teares don yet appere and may be seen vpon y t same stone which is in the entraūce of the churche of the holy sepulcre She washed and dried his blody woūdes and kyssed them and oftymes she beheld his most holie face his woūdes and his heade and there she see the prickynges of the thornys and how the heare was pulled from his berde and also his heade she beheld his face I say how it was defoyled with blode and the spittynges of the Iues and so she culd not be saciat with seyng and weapyng her sorow myght be perceiued but it culd not be declared as it was but she felt it to the extremitie ¶ Here folow .iii. lessons THe fyrst lesson of this article is that the faythfull people receyuynge the bodie of our lorde in the sacrament of the aulcer be compared to them that toke hym of the crosse and it is more to take him in the sacrament of the aulter than downe from the crosse for they that toke hym of the crosse toke hym onely in there armes and handes but we receyue hym in to our mowthes and hertes And as they dyd weappe that bodye in a fayre lynon cloth so shulde we receyue hym in to a pure hert and clene conscience The secōd lesson is that when we be com to that perfection that we be deed to the world and to all synnes so that our bodie be deed as saynt Paule sayth of Abraham and Sara then we may sumwhat release of the rigor of our penaunce and crosse so our lorde wold not discend from his crosse in the tyme of his lyfe but when he was deed he suffred his body to be taken downe The thyrd lesson is that we shuld gladly take Christ of the crosse with Ioseph Aslong as the synner continueth in synne as moch as is in hym he byndeth Christe and nayleth hym fast to the crosse For our synnes ar the cause why Christ was crucified But as shortly as we be turned by true penaūce vnto christ we lowce him take him of the crosse and receyue hym bytwyxt our armes and hādys as Ioseph dyd And as ye see that he which hath an other man bitwixt his armes may doo with hym what it shall please hym if the other man resiste not so the penitent synner embrasing Christ in his armes of loue may doo with Christe and get of hym what so euer he requireth to his soules health For Christ wyll not resiste the penitēt For he is more redy to giue grace than the other is to receyue it And a man to conforme hym selfe to this article shuld ofte remembre these lessons and pray thus ¶ A prayer O Iesu which for me a wretched synner after thy death wold haue thy bodie taken downe from the crosse by Ioseph and Nicodemus and so be anoynted and dressed with swete oyntmētes and spices wold be wrapped in fayre lynen clothes graūt to me worthely to receyue thy blessed very leuyng bodie in the sacrament of the aulter as if I shuld take hym of the crosse and so to anoynte hym with the oyntmentes of vertues that I may continually keape hym in a pure hert and chaste bodie Amen ¶ Of the buriyng of Christes bodie the .lxv. Article THe .lxv. and the laste article is the buriynge of the bodie of Christ For after it was taken of the crosse and dressyd with spices and swete oyntmentes and also wrapped in fayre lynen clothes as we sayd before then they went aboute to bury hym And the time passing Ioseph meakely desired our Lady that she wold suffre the bodie to be buried before that the saboth day shuld entre for then it shuld be vnlawfull for them to doo any such labour or busynes And then our lady very gently and discreatly ordred hyre selfe to them and so crossyng and blessing that body though with great sorow yet reuerētly she suffred them to take the body and bury it And as the Euangelist sayth Erat in loco vbi crucifixus est ortus et in orto monumentum nouum c. In the place where Iesus was crucified there was a garden aud in that garden a new sepulcre or graue cut or hewen out of a rocke of stone and it apperteyned to the same Ioseph And in this new tumbe they buryed the bodie of Iesu And here sayth Simon de Cassia that Christ praynge dyed and after his death he was put in a garden that by his prayer and death there myght sprynge to vs the plantes of vertues of his inuisible garden and that therby we myght deserue to entre the garden of heuenly pleasures moch more pleasaunt than that
sygnifie a thyng in the misticall body of our sauiour Christe that is that the bonys of this misticall body which be the perfite men shuld nat be broken or ouercum by iÌ„pacience in any tribulacion or aduersite but that they shulde continue and abyde vnsuperable redy to suffre all thynges vnto the death And though sumtyme they be ouercum in body that ther body is taken and put to prison and paynes yet in mynde and good maners they be neuer ouercum nor broken And therefore they brake nat Christes legges But one of the sawgiours with a speare dyd thrust Christ to the hert and furth with there cam out watre and blode This man was claled Longius and he dyd thus for the pleasure of the Iues which wold be certified of his death This Longyne was then a cruell and a wicked man but afterward he was conuerted and dyed an holy martyr It is sayd that his syght was very feble and as the blode ran downe by the speare from the hert of Christe by chaunche it toched his yen and furthwith he had his syght clerly and so he beleauyd in Christe lefte his sawgiourshyppe and enstructe by the apostles in the fayth of Christ he leuyd an holie monasticall lyue by the space of .xxxviii. yeares in the citie of Cesary in the county of Capadoce and after that he had coÌ„uerted moche peopâ—e to the fayth of Christ by his holie word and good example at last he was put to death for the fayth of Christe And that watre and blode cam out of the syde of Christe it was done for .iii. causes Fyrst for the multiplicacion of myracles It was a boue nature and a very myracle that pure and very blode and pure and very watre shuld com out of any deed bodie And note here that this blod and watre cam not myxte to gether but fyrst very pure blod and after that very pure watre As Symon de Cassia sayth Secondly it was done for the vertue of the sacramentes For of this wounde they had theyr efficacitie and vertue And herunto saynt Austen sayth super Iohannem the euangelist vsed here a very good and a discreat terme sayng Aperuit latus eius Non percussit nec vulnerauit Saynt Iohan sayth that the sawgiour with his spear dyd open the syde of Christ he doth nat say that he smote or wondyd it but opened it that he myght shew that that wounde was as the dore of lyfe from whens all sacramentes haue theyr vertue as we sayd in the .lxiii. article with out the which sacramentes no man may entre in to y e eterne life specially if they may be had Thyrdly this was done to enflame our loue And herunto saynt Austen sayth One of the sawgioures dyd open Christes syde with a speare that by y t open wounde we myght se and know the loue that Christ had in his hert to vs and so therby loue hym the more strongly and faythfully ¶ The .ix. Myracle THe .ix. Myracle was the buriyng of Christ for it was a meruelouse rare and a thyng neuer hard or seen that a person so vilely and rebukfully hangyd vpon the crosse as Christ was shuld be so honorally buryed of great and deuote persons as he was Of this buriyng saynt Iohan sayth Post hec rogauit Pilatum Ioseph ab Aromathia c. After that Christ was deed Ioseph of Aromathy desired Pylate to graunt and gyue to hym the bodie of Iesu This peticion he made for iiii cauâ—es Fyrst for as Crisostome sayth Ioseph supposed that the malice of y e Iues that they had agaynst Christ had ben endyd seyng that they had crucified hym and therfore he went boldly to Pylate and asked y e body Secondly bycause of his familiarytie that he had with Christ for he was the disciple of Christ thoughe then it was nat openly knowen Thyrdly Ioseph was a good man and therfore he fearyd nat to do a good dede Of his goodnes Symon de Casia sayth We may nat iustly reproue this Ioseph in any thyng whome so seriously the euangelist Luke commendith sayng Ecce vir nomine Ioseph qui erat de curio vir bonus et iustus Hic non consenserat consilio et actibus eorum c. Behold saith Luke a man called Ioseph which was a noble man worldly for he was of the ordre of the court or of the councell of the emperour a good man to god iuste to his neighboures This Ioseph dyd nat consent to the counsell and actes or deades of y e Iues agaynst Christ he dwellyd in Aromathy a citie of Iurie and he trusted also and wayted for the kyngdom of god Som sayth he was decurio bycause he was a captayne ouer .x. men And this office agreith to a mistery for he keapt the .x. commaundementes of god and thus for his goodnes he was bolde to aske of Pylate the body of Iesus Forthly it was for his dignytie for as we sayd before he was a noble man and riche and well accept with Pylate and therfore he went the more boldly to Pylate where as a poore mean man durst nat be so bolde And therfore we may say that it was done of the prouision of god that Ioseph shuld haue that riches and noblenes wherby he myght the more honorably burye the body of our sauiour Iesu c. Of this we spake in the .lxiiii. artycle ¶ The .x. Myracle THe .x. Myracle or meruell was the watche keapyng of the sepulcre for y e Iues desyred of Pylate that they myght haue sawgiours to watch and keape the sepulcre which was a rare and a meruelouse thyng that he which was put to so vile and shamefull death shuld be keapt and watched And note that I do nat take a Myracle here properly and in his most propre significacion but largely as euery rare and vn wonte thyng y t is meruelouse may be called so a myracle And of this maruell we spake sufficiently in the .lxv. article of the second parte Of other myracles that ware shewed that tyme ye shal se hereafter in the treates of Bernardyne of the .xii. merulouse frutes of the tree of life and of the wonderouse misteries of the most holye crosse Also ye haue lyke myracles in the fyrst parte of this boke in the fyrst chapiter of the .v. particle c. ¶ Why Christ wold suffre so many and such greiuouse paynes for vs. Capi. ii HEre sum doctours assygne diuerse reasons as it ware by a manere of recapitulation or rehersynge of suche thynges as haue ben spoken byfore of the passion of our lord sayng that Christ suffred so many and so greuouse paynes for vs for that that he wold by euery one of them take from vs som euyll and gyue to vs som good thyng Which thyng is to be diligently attendyd and strongly also continually to be infixed and prynted in our hert We deseruyd by our synnes eternall heuines agaynst the which
weapyng and sorowe Whan thou dyd hang Christe vpon the crosse thou knewest nat what dammage thou prepared for thy selfe in hel After these complaynyng voyces of these most cruell tormentoures of hell there was a greate multitude of sayntes weapynge for ioy that sayde Welcome our redemer welcome our sauyour whom we daylye and of long tyme with great desire haue loked for and taried thy cummyng Thou haste now descendyd vnto helles for vs forsake vs nat whaÌ„ thou shalt returne agayne to heuyns O deuote soule Consider here howe tho holie fathers dyd ioy in the cummyng of Christ how they ware replenished with great gladnes al sorow and displeasure vtterly excludyd And so they stode in songes and praysyngê byfore god sayng Blessyd be he that is com in y e name of god our lord god hath shyned to vs. Thou art our god our sauiour thou hast dryuen away al derknes from vs and thou hast loused our bondes y u hast broken y e brason gates the iren barres thou iÌ„ thy great strenght deliuers y e bond prisoners and y u leades thy electe people froÌ„ prison w t great ioy Therfore now we laude and worship the for euermore and so they fell al prostrate worshypped him Than answeryng to them our lord Iesu sayd Aten dite popule meus legem meam O my people attende my lawe Peace be to you and eternall ioy I am your lord god y t brought you out of Egipte And many other thynges we may suppose that Christe spake to them of the which the gospell maketh no mencion Also he said take hede and se for I am your god which hath create redemyd and sauyd you It is written of me in the hede or begynnynge of the boke that I shulde do the wyll and pleasure of my father And for your health I haue descendyd I haue ben poore and in greate laboures from my yong age entendyng to the saluacion of your soules They that shulde haue ben my chylderne ware made straungers to me and haue made false lies vpon me My frendes and negboures thought euyll agaynst me All that saw me dyd mocke me I was scourged all the day and my betyng was in the mornyng They haue diggyd my handes and my feet and they haue nombred all my bonys They put gall in to my meate they gaue me vinegre to drynke I haue sleapte and slumberyd or dyed vpon the crosse and my bodye reasteth in hope of my restrreccion and so furth of diuers other thynges which the prophetes wrote vpon hym As saynt Bonauenture sayth In his meditacions of the lyfe of Christ And then al the holy soules answeryd blessed be y e name of thy maiesty for euermore and all the erth myght be replenyshed with thy maiestie and glorie Amen Amen For thou art made to vs a refuge and a comforter for euermore If thou had nat healpyd vs our soules shuld haue abiden in hell eternally But thou our lord god hast remembred vs and hast redemyd vs with thy preciouse blode thou hast shewyd vnto vs thy face which the aungelles in heuyn desire to beholde All the world myght worshyp the our lord god and prayse thy holie name now and euer Amen In such laudes praysynges songes and ioyenges stode the holy soules in limbo patrum nygh vnto the tyme of Christes resurrection and there was also with them a great cumpaigney of auÌ„gelles ioyeng and praysyng god with them And after this our lord toke those holy soules froÌ„ hel w t great ioy and w t great glory goyng byfore them brought them and put them in Paradise of pleasures And there a lytyll while abydyng with them and with Enoch and Hely which ther knowyng hym dyd worshyppe hym and prayse hym And then our sauiour sayd to them It is time that I go and reyse my bodie I will go and take it agayne And all the holy fathers fallyng doune prostrate sayd go ye our lord and gloriouse kyng and retourne shortly agayne if it shal so please you for we gretly desire to se your gloriouse bodye A prayer O Good Iesu thy vnspekable pitie and charitie was nat yet saciate and content with thy death but that thou wold visite the clausures of hell and redeme thy people there beyng in captiuite therfore thy moste blessyd and gloriouse soule knyt to thy godhed descendyd vnto the helles delyueryng thy elect people from y e derknes and shadowe of death I beseach the O merciful Iesu that thy grace and mercy myght descende vpon the soules of our parentes bretherne sisterne and all our kynsfolkes also vpon the soulys of our familiar aquayntance benefactoures and al other that we be bounde to pray for and of al christen soulys that thou wold delyuer them from y e paynes that they haue deseruyd for theyr synnes and that thou wold bryng them to eternall glorie Amen ¶ Of the resurrection of our Lorde The .iiii. Chaptre OUr Lord cummyng with an honorable multitude of auÌ„gelles very early on the Sonday in the mornyng and reysyng his moste holy bodye from his sepulcre dyd cum furth of the same by his owne power vertue it beyng closse or shut sealid as the Iues left it And hereof saynt Austen sayth Our sauiour Iesus after his beatynges and scornynges after the drynke of vinegre and gall after the paynes of the crosse and his woundes and at laste after his death and descendyng to hell in a new fleshe and body but yet the same he arose from death the secreat and hyd lyfe and health reseruyd in death dyd rise and cum agayne more beautiouse and gloriouse after his death Then was the age of Christe renuyd as is in the Egle. Then the Lion dyd reyse his whelp Then the byrd called Fenix dyd lyue agayne Then the potter after that his pottes ware broken of the same erth made a newe pot after his owne pleasure Then Ionas cam out of the Whallys belye with out hurte Then was the candelstike coueryd with golde Then that is at this resurrection the tabernacle of Dauid that was fallen was reysed vp agayne Then the son shone Which byfore was in a cloude Then was the whete grayne or corne quickned which cast in to the erth was deed Then the Hart toke his hornes agayn Then Sampson toke the gates of the citie and went vnto the hyll Then Ioseph brought out of prison was ordeyned and made the lorde of al Egipt Then the sacke that is the body of Christ cut and rent in his passion was now clad with glorie and ioy Wherfore this paschal solempnite is very greate and solempne In the which Christ arisyng from death dothe nat now die or is nat now deed and death hereafter shall neuer haue dominion or power ouer hym For god his father hath clothed hym with the stole of iÌ„mortalytie and glory
but that also the deuotion of the remeÌ„berer be enflamed by loue in his wyl And suerly yf our vnderstandynge do his diligence in the remembraunce of the said passion it shall shortly moue our affection And so the passion of our lord shall nat onely in our cogitacions be remeÌ„bred but also it shal inflame your wyl by compassion pitye Wherunto we be admonysshed by our lord saynge Pone me vt signaculum super cor tuum Put me sayth our lord as a seale vpon thy herte A seale as ye knowe if it be iÌ„prynted in to wax it leaueth in it his image So our lord wolde that his passion shuld be so imprinted in our hertes nat onely be ofte remembraunce but also by deuoute compassion that the prynt and image therof abyde in our affection and feruent desyre so that as Iesus Christe was made reed and blody on the crosse so our deuocion in vs may be made reed and feruent by the vertue of compassion And hereunto we be counselled by the wordes of Moyses saing Sumes de sanguine vituli et pones super coâ—nua altaris That thou shal take of the blode of the calf signifieng the blode of Christe and thou shal put it vpon the corners of the aulter that is vpon thy thoughtê affections with feruent remembrauÌ„ce of the blode of Christe And so we shal fulfyll the admonition of saynt Paule saynge as I sayde before Hoc sentite in vobis quod et in Christo Iesu Feale in your self that Christe Iesu felt And thus we may feele hym in our soule .ii. maner of wayes First by the bitter affection of compassion and that is when we remembre the passion of Christe with so great compassion that it bringeth forth of vs most bytter teares so y t suche a deuoute soule may say with the wise man O mors quam amara est me moria tua O deth howe bitter and sorowfull is thy remeÌ„braunce and specially the remembrauÌ„ce of the deth of Christe Secondly we may feele hym in our hertes or soules by the moste swete and pleasaunt affection of deuotion and that is when we remembre most inwardly depely the great loue and charite of Christ that wolde suffer so greuous paynes and shamefull dethe for so vyle wretches and vnkynde as we be And so this deuout remeÌ„brauÌ„ce bringeth forth of vs most swete teares of deuotion So that we may say that is writen in the boke of Iudith Fontes aquarum ob dulcorati sunt That is the bitter fountayns ben made swete and delectable A figure herof we rede in scripture where as our lord commaunded to Moyses to put a tree that was both longe and bitter in to the water that was so bitter that no man culde drynk therof and so therby the waters were made swet and delectable What is signified by this water but the passion of our lord which is so bitter and paynful that no man may taste therof And by this long and bitter tree is signified the longe and continual remembraunce Whiche if it be ioyned and put to the passion of our lord it shal make it swete and pleasaunt so that the more we taste of it by deuout remeÌ„braunce the more delectable it shal be to vs. And therfore our holy mother the churche sayth in a certen hympne Dulce lignum dulces clauos dulce pondus sustinet That is The swete tree of the crosse susteyneth and bereth a swete burden nayled fast with swete nayles For that whiche was most bitter and paynfull to our sauiour Iesu in his passion somtyme is moste delectable and comfortable to vs in our deuoute meditations These two maners of teares that is bitter and swete sprynge out of this deuout affection of the passion of our lorde And hereunto speaketh saynt Barnarde as we sayd a fore In the remeÌ„braunce of the paynes that my sauiour Iesu sufferd for me I drynke somtyme a draught of holsome bitternes And somtyme agayne I receyue the pleasaunt vnction or oyntment of deuoute consolation ¶ Howe we shuld fele Christes passion in our actes and dedes The thyrde Chapitre THyrdly we shulde fele the paynes of Christe in our effectes and outward operations That lyke as the deuout remembraunce of Christes passion enflameth our affection and loue inwardly so it myght appere be shewed outwardly in our warkes and lyuing Hereunto we be couÌ„seled by the wyse men sayng Prepara foris opus tuum That is to say Suche deuotion as thou haste inwardly conceyued by affection and loue let it be shewed outwardly in thy dedes For as saynt Gregore sayth the dede outwardly done is a sufficient argumeÌ„t or proue of the inwarde loue So by the inwarde loue of man is shewed or knowen his inwarde compassion Also it is writen in the seconde boke of the kynges Omnia que habes in corde tuo fac quoniam dominus tecum est As if he shulde say what so euer good thynge thou hast conceyued in thy hert shewe it outwarde in thy dedes Also it is writen in Exodo Fac secundum exemplar quod tibi monstratum est in monte Performe in thy lyuynge that goodnes whiche thou receyued of god in thy soule And therfore our lorde sayth to vs in his gospel Si quis vult venire post me abneget semetipsum et tollat crucem suam quotidie If any man wyll be my disciple and cum after me let hym denye hym selfe that is forsake his owne wyl and pleasure and take his own crosse that is put his owne body to payne and that dayly For we must coÌ„tinue in penaunce and so folowe Christe in our lyuyng outwardly and nat onely inwardly and hereto saith saint Paule Ostentionem caritatis vestre ostendite in faciem ecclesie That is shewe your good wyl and charitie openly in the face of the churche that is in our werkes in our dedes And saynt Peter sayth Christus passus est pro nobis relinquens exemplum vt s equamini eum Christ hath suffered paynes and deth for vs gyuynge vs example to folowe hym he doth nat say that we shulde haue a wyll desyre only to folowe hym but he sayth playnly that Christe hath left vnto vs an example that we shulde folowe hym in our dedes in sufferynge paynes as he dyd And then it myght be truely sayd of vs that we fele in our selfe that Christe felte whan he suffere lyke paynes as Christe suffred so that by suche sharpe penaunce and harde laboures our bodyes be subdued and our blode minysshed And so the sayng of scripture may be verifyed in vs Effudit sanguinem belli in pace He hath shed the blode of battell in the tyme of peace They do shed the blode of battell in the tyme of peace which by sharp penaunce great bodyly labours so subdue theyr bodyes that theyr blode is moche minisshed and theyr face made pale Suche maner of exercises of the
body done for god is reputed as a martirdome and therby somwhat we reanswere vnto the passion of our lord Herunto speaketh saynt Barnard sayng this dayly penaūce and affliction of the body is a certayne kynde of very martirdome and effusion of blode it is a litel more gentyl and nat so hugsome as is tormētes and deth by the swerd or other lyke but it is more paynfull for the cōtinuance therof the other is sone done but this lasteth long This is necessarie profitable for vnperfite persons that be weyke in spirite and nat stronge in fayth and therfore dare nat auenture to suffer martyrdome and deth for Christe but they be content to supply it by this martyrdome that is dayly and continuall penaunce whiche by the continuaunce is more paynfull And thus the deuoute persones do fele in them selfe by theyr outwarde penaunce the passyon of our lord As whan by sharp penaunce they subdue theyr bodies ouer come vyce and all sensuall passions and so continue in this crosse of penaunce with Christe ¶ How we shulde fele Christes passion in our pouertie and other necessites The fourth Chapitre FOurthly we shulde fele the paynes of Christe in our penury pouertie and other necessities so that remēbrynge the passion of Christe we shulde gladly suffer all pouertie and penurie and neuer to desyre that thynge that is pleasaunt to the bodye for the pleasure therof or takyng any thinge more then very necessitie requyreth saynge with holy Iob Donec deficiam non recedam ab innocentia mea As longe as I lyue I shall nat forsake myn innocencie And though we be in a maner consumed and lost thoroughe hunger and penurye so that we may say with the prophet Dauid Defecit in dolore vita mea My lyfe is consumed thorough sorowe my bodye and my herte also And surely this maner of penurie and necessitie nat onely of meate and drynke but also of all thynges that may be delectable to man is accōpted to good men in this lyfe as a kynde of martyrdome By whiche necessityes if we strongly and gladly bere them for god we satisfye partly to our lord for his passion And herunto speketh saynt Barnard saynge Wylfull pouertie is a certen kynde of martyrdome Almyghty god descendyng from thinestimable riches of heuen and cōmynge in to this worlde wolde nat any of these ryches of this world but cam in so great pouertie that anon as he was borne for his credell he was layde in to a crybbe in a vyle stable with out the towne for his mother culde haue no lodgyng in the cytie Of his pouertie also appereth by his answere that he made to one the whiche sayd that he wold folowe hym where so euer he went And our lord answered and sayd Vulpes foueas habent et volucres celi nidos filius autem hominis non habet vbi caput suum recli net Foxis haue cauys or dennys and byrdes of the ayre haue nestes but the sonne of the virgine hath no place wherin to hyde or reste his heed In this necessitie was thapostle Paule as it appereth by his wordes saynge I was in many labours ofte in pryson bette and scourged aboue good ordre very ofte in peryll of dethe in perylles of flodes in perylles of theues in perylles of gentyles in daungers within the cytye in great daūgers also in wyldernes and also in the see in perylles of the false Iues. I was also in labour great miserie in great watch in hūger and thrist in moche abstinēce in cold in nakednes These and many mo dyd thapostle suffer And the mo y t we paciently suffer of these or such lyke the more shal we fele the passion of Christ in our self ¶ How we shuld fele Christes passion in our rebukes and dispisynges The .v. Chap FYftly we ought to fele the passion of Christ in our rebukes and reproues that is with most profoūd mekenes we shulde vtterly dispyse our selfe and thynke our selfe the warst of all other sayng euer in our hertes with mournynge I am gyltye of Christes deth for I am the cause of his deth He suffered for me and I in no thynge reanswere to his benefytes And therfore it is conuenient that we somwhat recompense with a contrite and meke spirite that whiche we can nat or do nat in our warkes or dedes outwarde that as Christe dyd meke hym selfe for vs vnto the deth yea to the most vyle and shamfull deth of the crosse so we shulde meke our selfe as gyltie and culpable for his deth These maner of wayes we shulde fele that Christe suffred for vs for these maner of wayes we were in hym Fyrste we were in his vnderstandyng eternally before the begynnynge of the worlde and so in his mynde that he wyll neuer forget vs. And therfore he sayth by his prophete Esaye Nunquid potest obliuisci mater infantem suum vt non misereatur filio vteri sui Et si illa oblita fuerit ego tamen non obliuiscar tui May a naturall mother sayth our lorde by the prophet forget her yonge chylde borne of her owne body and so forget hym that she wyl nat haue any pitie of hym as he myght say Nay And though it so be that she forget hym yet I assure the I wyl neuer forget the. Secondly we were in Christe nat onely in his vnderstandynge or mynde but also in his affection and loue And this appereth wel by his owne wordes spoken by the prophet Hieremy where as he sayth thus In charitate perpetua dilexi te ideo attraxi te miserans tui I haue sayth our lorde loued the in a perpetual charitie and therfore hauyng great compassion on the I haue drawen the to me Thyrdly we were in hym that is in theffecte of his werkes for all that god wrought in this worlde was to the helpe of man And what so euer Christe dyd or suffered in this world was nat for his owne profit but all was for the comforth of man And herunto saynt Barnarde after that he had recoūted or noumbred all the labours and paynes that Christe suffered in this lyfe sayde Who is he that knoweth whether the fruite and profyt of all these labours and paynes redounde or come to my profyt or nat And he answereth and sayth It is all done and gyuen to my profit and comforth For it coulde be gyuen to none other Nat to aungell for he had no nede therof Nat to the deuyll for he myght take no profit therof for he shall neuer ryse from dampnation Also our sauiour toke nat of hym the nature and similitude of aungell nor yet the similitude of the deuyl but he toke the nature of man and that to redeme man Fourthly we were in Christe that is in his pouertie and penurie for all the payne pouertie and miserie that he suffred was for vs. And herunto speaketh saynt Paule sayng Christus cum diues esset factus est