compassion Howbeit the paines of our Sauiour Christe are not thus ended there be yet others without all cōparison farre greater than these to witt the paines of his blessed sowle For all these paines aboue-named doe for the most parte appertaine to the paines of the crosse wherein his bodie suffered outwardly but besides this visible Crosse The inuisible crosse of our sauiour wherewith his sowle was tormēted there was yet an other inuisible crosse wherein his most holie sowle was crucified within his bodie hauinge also foure armes and foure nailes which were foure dolorous considerations and these were a farre greater tormente vnto him than theverie outwarde crosse For first of all there were represented vnto him al the sinnes of the worlde that were present past and to come for all which he suffered and that so distinctlie as if they had bene the sinnes but of one man alone Now to him that bare such a passinge great loue and zeale vnto the honour of his father what an vnspekeable greife was it to beholde such an infinite nomber of abhominations and offences committed against so highe a maiestie For it is certaine that the sinnes of one man alone were able to tormente him more than al the tormētes of the crosse The which beinge so what a passinge greate greife woulde the sinnes of all men and of all worldes cause vnto him Suerly there is no vnderstandinge able to comprehende the passinge greatnes of this greife Secondly there was also represented vnto him the ingratitude and damnation of many men and espetially of many wicked Christiās which woulde neuer acknowledge this singuler benefite nor endeuour to profite and helpe thē selues with this so great and so costlye a remedie as he there prepared for them This was also a farre greater tormente vnto him than the tormente of the crosse For it is a greater paine vnto a labourer to be denied his daie wages and the fruite of his labour than the very labour it selfe albeit it were verie great And for this cause our Sauiour complained by his Prophete Esaie of this iniurie vnto his father sayeinge I saiede In vaine haue I trauailed In vaine Esa 49.4 and without cause haue I wasted my strengthe And he complained of this ingratitude not onely to his father but also euen vnto men them selues by S. Bernarde sayeinge O man S. Bernarde consider what cruell tormentes I suffer for thy sake There is no paine that tormenteth me so extremelie as thy ingratitude dothe I calle vnto thee that doe suffer deathe for thee Beholde the paines that doe torment me Beholde the nailes that doe pearse throughe my handes and fette Beholde the shamefull reproches and despites where with they dishonour me And although the paine which I suffer out wardly be so passinge great yet is the paine farre greater which I suffer in wardly when I see thee so ingratefull and vnkinde to wardes me for the same In like maner there was represented vnto him the horrible sinne of that miserable people of Iewrie and the terrible punishement that was prepared for them within a shorte time after which vndoutedlie was a greater greife and tormente vnto him than the cuppe of his bitter passion For if the Prophete Ieremie signified that the sinne which the Iewes committed in goinge about to kille him greiued him much more than his owne very deathe what a greife woulde it be to our sauiour who had without all comparison farre greater charitie and grace than the Prophete Ieremie There were moreouer represented vnto him the greifes and dolefull sworde of sorowe which pearsed the harte of his blessed mother Luc. 2.35 when she sawe him suffer betwene two theiues vpon a crosse the which vndoutedlie was so great a greife and paine vnto him as the loue was great which he bare vnto her which loue was inestimable forsomuch as next vnto the loue of God he loued her most of all creatures Now these fowre considerations and greifes were as it were fowre armes of an other inwarde crosse wherewith his blessed sowle was likewise crucified within his holie bodic So that our sauiour suffered that daie the paines and tormentes of two crosses th' one visible and tho'other inuisible Vpon th' one crosse his bodie suffered outwardly and vpon th' other his sowle suffered much more inwardly Now how passinge great the greife was which proceided of these foure considerations there is no vnderstandinge able to comprehende it and yet we maie coniecture somewhat thereof by that outwarde shewe of his blouddie sweate in the garden Whosoeuer then shall attentiuelie consider all these causes shall clearlie see how passinge great the paines and tormentes of our Sauiour were which is the intente of this first maner of meditatinge vpon his most bitter passion Howbeit this must not be the finall ende of this exercise but rather it must be vsed as a meane to come to other endes to witt to vnderstande hereby what a passinge great loue he bare vnto thee that woulde suffer so much for thee and what a great benefite he did vnto thee in byeinge thee with so deare a price and how much thou art bounde to doe for him who hath done and suffered so much for thee and aboue all this how greatlie thou oughtest to abhorre thy sinnes and be greiued with them sith they were the cause of his so lōge and painfull martirdome Nowe for these foure endes whereof we will intreat in the chapters followinge serueth this maner of contemplation Whereby it appeareth that this first maner of meditatinge by waie of takinge compassion of the bitter paines of our Sauiour is as it were a meane or a ladder vnto all the others And for this verie cause S. Bonauenture made great accompte of this maner of meditation vpon the passion because it is sensiblie seene that this maner of meditation openeth the waie vnto all the other maners of meditatinge vpon the same And the same holie father saiethe that for this purpose it shal be a great helpe also for vs to take some discipline which maie cause some smarte and doe no hurte to the bodie that so by the feelinge of that so litle paine of whippinge and scourginge our selues we maie the better lift vp our spirite to consider somewhat of the passinge great paines and tormentes which the most tender bodie of our sweite Sauiour suffered for our sakes How in the Passions of our Sauiour Christe appeareth verie manifestlie what a greyuous thinge sinne is in the sighte of almightie God § II. THE seconde point that we haue to consider in the passion of our Sauiour is the greiousnes of our sinnes whereby to moue our hartes to be sorowfull for them and to abhorre them Wherefore we must vnderstande that as all the holie learned fathers doe affirme our sinnes were the very cause why the sonne of almightie God suffered such greiuous paines tormentes and crewell death as he suffered in this worlde For it is certaine that if there
all this but that the holie Ghost intended by all these metaphors to expresse vnto vs the coÌ„tinuall exercise and coÌ„sideration wherewith the iust man is alwaies occupied in searchinge the worckes and wonders of almightie God And for this verie cause Psalm 1. Eccles 31. emonge the praises of the iust maÌ„ this is put for one of the most principall that his exercise is to meditate vpon the lawe of our lord daie and night and that he is alwaies coÌ„uersaÌ„t in the secrecie of parables geuing vs hereby to vnderstand that all his trade and coÌ„uersatioÌ„ must be in searching and meditating vpoÌ„ the secretes and woÌ„derfull worckes of almightie God And euen for this verie cawse also Ezech. 1. were those misticall beastes of Ezechiel represented vnto vs with so manie eies to signifie vnto vs that the iust man staÌ„deth in greater neede of the continuall consideration and sight of spirituall thinges then of a nomber of other exercises By this therefore we see plainlie what great neede we haue of this holie exercise and consequentlie how blyndelie and fowlie they are deceaued that either despise or make little accompt of the holie exercise of praier and meditation not considering that this is openlie to gaynesaie and contemne that thing which the holie Ghost hath with so great instancie commended vnto vs. I wishe that such persons would reade those fiue bookes of coÌ„sideration which S. Barnard wrote vnto EVGENIVS the Pope And there shall they perceaue of how great importance this holie exercise is towardes the obteyning of all vertues Now for this cause manie Catholike and religeous persons vnderstanding what great and inestimable fruit ensueth of this godlie meditation haue gone abowt to exercise them selues ordinarilie therein and haue appointed euerie daie certein speciall times and howeres for the same Howbeit oftentymes they waxe colde and geue ouer this holie exercise by reason of two difficulties they finde in it Two difficulties in the exercise of praier and meditation The one is the want of matter and of consideratioÌ„s wherein they maie occupie there cogitation at that time And th' other is the want of feruencie and deuotion which is verie requisite to accompanie this holie exercise in case we mind to haue anie fruit and commoditie thereby In steed whereof they find manie times great drynes of hart and withall a great combate of diuers and sondrie thowghtes The ordre and diuisioÌ„ of the contentes of this booke For remedie of which two inconueniences I haue ordeined this present booke which is deuided into two principall partes The first part for remedie of the first inconuenience treateth of the matter of praier The firste parte of this booke or meditation wherein are conteined fowertience meditations seruing for all the seuen daies of the weike both in the morninge and euening And these meditations do conteine the principall places and misteries of our faith and especially the consideration of those misteries that are of most force and power to brydle our hartes and to incline them to the loue and feare of God and to the abhorring of sinne In like maner there are sett out the fiue partes of this exercise which be Preparation readinge meditation thankes geuing and petition which is done to this end that a man maie haue great varietie of matters wherein to occupie his hart wherewith to procure and stirre vp the tast of deuotion and withall wherewith to illuminat and instruct his vnderstanding with diuers coÌ„siderations and instructions Besides this there is also treated therein of six kindes of thinges that are to be considered in euerie one of the pointes of the PassioÌ„ of our Sauiour that both they and all the rest maie minister vnto vs more plentifull matter for meditation These three thinges are sett forthe in the first part of this worcke for remedie of the first inconuenience The seconde parte of this booke The second part for remedie of the seconde inconuenience treateth of those thinges that do helpe vs vnto deuotion and likewise of those that doe hinder vs from the same It treateth also of the most common temptations that are wont to molest deuout persons Moreouer there are geuen certein aduices to be a direction vnto vs that we erre not in this waie These fowre articles are sett out in the seconde part of this booke The thirde parte of this booke After these I haue added the third parte in which is treated of the vertue of praier and of her two companions fasting and almes deedes to the intent that when a man seeth that in all the booke there is treated of praier and of the paines he owâ—â—ht to take for the same he maie vnderstand how well his labour is employed which is bestowed in obteining of a thinge of so great and wonderfull profitt Peraduenture the Christian reader wil be offended with the length of the meditations which we haue here sett fourth for the seuen daies of the weike Howbeit for this I haue manie answeres The first is considering that in these meditations is treated of the principall places and misteries of our faith the consideration whereof is of so great importance for the due orderinge and reforming of our liffe it behoueth me therefore to enlarge my style in these matters espetiallie by reason of the great fruit and commodetie that maie ensue vnto vs by the same For in this booke our meaning is not onelie to geue matter of meditation but much more to showe the ende of meditation which is the feare of God and amendment of our liffe The ende of meditation is the feare of God and amendemente of our life For the procuring whereof one of the thinges that most helpeth vs is the profound and long consideration of the misteries that are treated in these meditations For certeinlie these fourtene meditatioÌ„s be as it were so manie sermons in which is laide as it were a certein batterie to mans hart to cawse it to yeald so much as is possible and to surrender it selfe vp into the handes of his rightefull and true souereine Lorde This was the cheifest cause that moued me to make the meditations so longe Besides this I see not why the ghest that is inuited should complaine that the table is to full furnished with manie dishes sith we bynd him not as by waie of constraint to make an ende of them all but onely emonge so manie sundrie thinges to make his choice of that which serueth best for his purpose Moreouer that there might be the lesse occasion of complaint I haue putt the somme of each meditation at the beginninge thereof to the intent that such as minde not to passe anie further might there haue such thinges breiflie abridged as be necessarie for the time they intend to bestowe in this holie exercise THE ENDE OF THE PROLOGE THE FIRST PARTE WHICH TREATETH OF the matter of consideration THE FIRST CHAPTER Wherein is treated of the great profitt and necessitie of
he ryseth notwithstandinge that goinge is a thinge so naturall and so customably vsed Now if the habilities which be so naturall and so much exercised doe so much decaye when they be not vsed what will the supernaturall habilities doe which are but as it were certain proppes and staies adioyned vnto vs Charitie and all other vertues will quicklie be lost vnlesse we exercise our selues verie often in them to supplie the defectes of nature And if charitie with all other vertues infused be in like maner to be reckened in this accompt in what case then shall we be if we doe but verie seldome or neuer exercise our selues in them For if that thinge that is euen naturall will be lost for waÌ„t of exercise how much more will that be lost that is supernaturall And if that thinge maie be lost that is fast riueted euen in our verie bowels what shall that doe that is but as it were onely fastened vnto vs with litle pinnes Againe if it be true that all amitie and fryndshipe is both preserued and increased by meanes of familiaritie and communication and by the wante thereof is vtterlie quenched and lost according as Aristotle affirmeth what shall then become of those persons that haue no maner of communication with almightie God at all And what can we hope of them that do neuer speake with him nor he with them nor so much as thinke consider or treate of anie heauenlie matters Thow seist then deare Christian brother of how great importance the exercise of consideration and communication with almightie God is vnto vs for the preseruation of this vertue of charitie HOW CONSIDERATION helpethe Deuâ—tion and all other vertues affectiue § IIII. AND consideration is no lesse behouefull to be had for all such vertues as are called affectiue that is apperteining to the affection whereof we haue made mention before Emonge which vertues what Deuotion is Summa S. Thomae 22. q. 82. art 1. one of the most principal is deuotion which is a certein heauenlie habilitie and gifte that inclineth our will to desier all such thinges with great affection and earnestnes as appertein to the seruice of almightie God which is one of the thinges that man hath most neede of in this state of nature corrupted For we see by experience that men do sinne not so much for want of vnderstanding as for wante of will I meane hereby that they sinne not so much for wante of knowledge what is good as for that they are vnwillinge to doe the thinge they knowe to be good And this vnwillingnes proceadeth not of the nature of vertue which of it selfe is most sweete delectable and verie agreable to the nature of man but of the corruption of man Now considering that this defect of our will is the verie cheefe and principall impediment we haue Our owne will is the principall impedimeÌ„te that hinderethe vs from vertue to hinder vs from vertue and goodnes our principal care must be to seeke a remedie for the curinge of this defecte For which purpose one of the thinges that helpeth vs most is deuotion For deuotion is none other thing but a heauenly refreshing and a blast or inspiration of the holie Ghost that breakethe and makethe his waye throwgh all these difficulties Note what a wonder full effecte deuotion workethe in a man shakith of this heauines cureth this lothsomnes of our will and causeth vs to haue a tast and sauour in that thinge that was otherwise vnsauorie and thereby maketh vs verie prompte agile and quick vnto all goodnes And this wonderfull effecte of deuotion the seruantes of God do dailie trye and perceiue by experience in them selues at what time they haue some great and singuler deuotion For then they finde them selues more willinge and lustie vnto all labour and paines then they be at other times And then it seemeth that the youth of their soules reioyceth and is renewed and then they trye by experience in them selues the trueth of those wordes of the prophett Psal 102. where he saith They that trust in our lord shall change their strength they shall take winges as it were of an Eagle they shall ronne and not be wearie Esa 40. they shall goe and not fainte Deuotion hath also an other propertie which is to be as it were a certein founteine Deuotion is a continual springe of holie desiers and perpetuall springe of good and holie desires For which cause in the holie scriptures it is commonlie called an oyntment Cant. 1. 4. which is compounded of manie sundrie sortes of odoriferus spyces and thereby yeldeth out from it manie sweete odors Now the verie like operation hath deuotion also for the time it endureth in our hartes for so much as it wholie spreadeth it selfe abroad into a thowsand sundrie kindes of holie purposes and desiers the which the more they increase and are dilated the more doth the stenches of our appetite decrease and diminish which are the euill desiers that procede from the same For like as the euill sauore in a sickmans chamber is not so much perceaued when there is a litle frankencence or some other odoriferus thinge burnt therein euen so the sauour of our euill desires is not so much perceaued so long as the most sweete sauore of this pretious oyntment continueth within vs. And for so much as it is certeine that all the corruption of our life commeth of the corruption and steÌ„che of our appetite and of the euill desires that procead from the same it shal be our part therefore to vse great diligence in procuring this heauenlie oyntment of deuotion which is of verie great force and efficacie to diminishe and consume this pestilent corruption And in like maner as consideration serueth in all the premisses euen so doth it also serue and further all the other vertues before mentioned which are the feare of God the sorowe for our sinnes the contempt of our selues wherein consisteth the vertue of humilitie No good affection can be in the will vnlesse it procede of some consideration of the vnderstanding Summa S. Thomae 22. q. 82. art 3. and thankes geuinge vnto almightie God for his benefites For as we haue said before there can be no good affection in the will vnles it procede of some consideration of the vnderstanding For how can a man haue sorrowe and contrition for his sinnes but by considering the filthenes and multitude of them the losse we receaue by them the hatred almightie God conceaueth against them and with all how polluted and corrupted the soule remaineth by reason of them Aganie how can a man stirre vp his harte vnto the feare of God but by consideringe the highenes of his maiestie the greatnes of his iustice the profoundnes of his iudgementes the multitude of his owne sinnes with other the like thinges How can a man humble and despise him felfe with all his harte vnles he consider the great nomber
abide to take so littell labour as he should bestowe in preparinge him selfe for the receauinge of this most holie Sacrament he will rather want the benefit of so great and inestimable diuyne treasure which is of greater valewe then all that euer almightie God hath created The fower-the cause This heauenlie bridegrome desired also to be loued of his spouse with a passinge great loue and therefore he ordeined this diuine misticall morsell consecrated with such wordes that whosoeuer receaueth it worthelie is forthwith towched and striken with this loue O wonderfull misterie worthie to be engraued euen in the innermost parte of our hartes Tell me o thou vngratefull man if a prince should beare such a great affection and loue towardes a seelie wenche that were his bond slaue that he coulde finde in his hart to take her for his spouse and make her quene and ladie of all he is Lord of how great woulde we saie that the loue of that prince had bene that woulde doe such a deede And if peraduenture after the mariage solemnized this slaue should showe her selfe coldlie affected towardes the prince her husbande and he vnderstandinge the same woulde as a man forlorne goe to seeke with all diligence for some pretious morsell and geue it her to eate whereby to winne her loue vnto him how passinge great would we saie that the loue of that prince were that should be thus affected towardes her Now therefore O kinge of glorie what meaneth this that thou for the entiere loue thou bearest vnto me hast vouchesafed not onely to take my soule to be thy spouse beinge as she was the verie bonde slaue of thine ennemie the deuill but seinge her also all this notwithstandinge verie coldlie affected towardes thee hast ordeined for her this misticall and diuine morsell which thou hast transformed with such wordes that it hath vertu in it to transforme such soules into thee as shall feede thereon and make them to burne with liuelie flames of loue There is no one thinge that declareth the affection of loue more euidentlie then when a man hath a desire to be beloued Considering therefore that thou hast bene so greatlie desirous of our loue that thou hast sowght it with such strange inuentions who shall from hence forth stand in dowte of thy loue we be certayne that if we loue God God will loue vs agayne Certayne I am o may most louinge and mercifull Lord that if I loue thee thou also louest me And certayne I am also that I neede not to seeke anie inuentions to allure thy hart to loue me as thou hast sowght toi allure my harte to loue thee That most sweet bridegrome would also be absent from his spouse The fifte cause and yet because loue cannot abide to be absente from the beloued he would depart in such wise that he might not altogether departe from her and he would so goe awaie that he might also remaine with her wherefore consideringe that it was not expedient for our Sauiour to tarrie here still and the spouse mighte not as then goe from hence with him he deuised a meane that althowgh he went his waie and his spouse remained still behinde yet should they neuer be seperated and set a sonder For this cause therefore he instituted this diuine sacrament that by meanes thereof the soules might be vnited and incorporated spirituallie with Christ and that with such a stronge bonde of loue that of them two there should be made one thinge For like as of meate and of him that eateth the meate there is made one same thinge euen so likewise after a certeine maner is there made of the soule and of Christ sauinge that as Sainct Augustine saith Christ is not changed into our soules S. August but our soules be changed into him not by nature but by loue conformetie and likenes of life Moreouer our Sauiours will and pleasure was to assure his spouse The sixte cause and to geue her a pledge of that blessed inheritance of eternall glorie that she being fortified with the hope of this felicitie An assured hope to enioye the felicitie in the kingedome of heauē maketh a mā to despise all worldelie thinges might passe chearfullie throwghe all the trowbles aduersities afflictions and persecutions of this life For trulie there is no one thinge that causeth vs so muche to despise all thinges that are to be had in this life as a assured hope of that blessednes and felicitie we shall enioye in the life to come According as our Sauiour signified vnto vs in those wordes he spake to his disciples before his passion Ioan. 14. If ye loued me said he ye would be right glad of my departure because I goe to the father As thowgh he had said it is a great felicitie to goe to the father For althowgh the waie to goe to him be throwgh whippes thornes nailes crosses and all other tribulations and martirdomes of this life Yet all that notwithstanding it is a thinge of inestimable gaine and cōfort to goe vnto him Wherefore to the intent that his spouse might haue a verie firme and assured hope of this felicetie he left her here in pledge this inestimable diuine treasure which is of as great vallue as al that is there hoped for that she should not mistrust but that almightie God will geue himselfe vnto her in glorie where she shall liue whollie in spirite seinge he denieth not himselfe vnto her in this vale of teares where she liueth in fleshe Our Sauiour purposed also The seuenthe cause at the houre of his death to make his testament and to leaue vnto his spouse some notable legacie to be as a releife and comforte for her at all times and so he left her this most blessed sacrament wherein Christe himselfe is trewlie and reallie presente which was the most pretious and most profitable bequest that he could possible leaue vnto her 4. Reg. 2. Elias when he woulde depart awaie from the earth left his clooke to his disciple Elizeus as one that had none other riches whereof to make him his heire But our most sweete louinge sauiour and master when he woulde ascende into heauen left here vnto vs the clooke of his sacred bodie in this most holie sacrament appointing vs here to be his heires as by the right of children of this so great and inestimable diuine treasure With that mantell Elizeus passed the waters of the floude Iourdan and was neither drowned nor wetshod and with the vertue and grace of this most blessed sacrament the faithfull do passe the waters of the vanities and tribulations of this life without sinne and without danger To conclude The eighte cause our Sauiour intended to leaue vnto our soules sufficient prouision and foode wherewith they might liue forso much as the soule hath no lesse nede of her proper sustenance The soule hathe as greate neede of spirituall foode as the bodie hathe of
ponnished with whippes and scourges Certainlie I doe beleue that all the orders of angells were wholie amased and astonished when they behelde this so strange and wonderfull sight and that they adored and acknowledged the vnspekeable goodnes of almightie God which was verie manifestlie discouered vnto them in this acte Luc. 2. Wherefore if they filled the aier with highe lawdes and praises vpon the daie of his natiuitie when as yet they had seene nothinge els but onelie the swadlinge clowtes and the manger where he was layde What did they now trow ye when they behelde him so villainouslie ād most cruellie whipped and scourged at the pillar Consider thou therefore o my sowle vnto whom this busines apperteyneth much more than to the angelles Consider I saye how much more oughtest thou to be inwardly moued in thy verie hart with this so wonderfull and most pietifull dolefull sight of thy sweite sauiour and to acknowledge vnto him much more humble thanckes and prayses for his so passinge great loue shewed hereby vnto thee Goe now therefore and enter with thy spirite into Pilates concistorie and carrie with thee great store of teares in a readines which in that place shal be verie nedefull to bewaile such thinges as there thou shalt both heare and see Consider on the one side with what rudenes those cruell and blouddie tormentors doe strippe our Sauiour of his garmentes and see on th' other syde with what humilitie he suffereth himselfe to be stripped by them neuer so much as once openinge his mowthe or answeringe one worde to so manie despitefull scoffes and blasphemous speaches as they vttered there against him Consider also what hast they make to bynde that holie bodie to a pillar that beinge fast bounde they might fetche theire full strookes more at pleasure and stryke him where and how they list Consider how the Lorde of angelles standeth there post alone emonge so manie cruell tormentors hauinge on his parte neither frynde nor acquaintance to entreate or defende him from iniurie no not so muche as eies to take compassion vpon him Marcke now with what furious crueltie they beginne to discharge theire whippes and scourges vpon his most tender fleshe and how they laie on lasshes vpon lasshes strookes vpon strookes and woundes vpon woundes There mightest thou see that sacred bodie swollen with wheales all blacke and blewe the skinne rented and torne the blowde gusshinge out and streaminge downe on euerie side throwghout all partes of his bodie But aboue all this what a pittiefull sight was it to beholde that so greate and deepe open wounde that was geuen him vpon the shoulders where chieflie all theire lashes and strookes did light Verelie I am perswaded that that wounde was so large and deepe that if they had laid on a little longer they had discouered the white bones betwene the blouddie fleshe and made an ende of his holie life at the pillar before he had come to the Crosse To be short they so strooke and rente that most amyable and bewtifull bodie they so boude him and laid on such loode of strypes and lasshes vpon him they so tormented and filled his blessed bodie with most cruell strookes and woundes that he had now cleane lost the forme ād shape he had before yea and to saie further they so fowlie disfigured him that he scarselye seemed to haue the shape of a man Consider now o my soule in what a dolefull plight that goodlie and bashefull yonge man stoode there beinge as he was in that pittiefull case so euill intreated so reprochefullie vsed and set out so nakedlie to the vtter shame of the worlde Beholde how that most tender and bewtifull fleshe yea euen the flower of all fleshe is there most cruellie rente and torne in all partes of it The lawe of Moyses cōmaunded that malefactors shoulde be beaten with whippes Deut. 25 and that accordinge to the qualitie of theire offences so shoulde the nomber of the lasshes be Howbeit with this condition that they shoulde neuer passe fowertie lasshes to the ende saieth the lawe that thy brother fall not downe before thee fowlie torne and mangled seeminge to the lawe maker that to exceede this nōber was a kinde of punishement so cruell that it coulde not stande with the lawes of brotherlie loue But against thee o good Iesus that diddest neuer breake the lawe of iustice were broken all the lawes of mercie yea and that in such sorte that in steede of fowertie lasshes they gaue thee fiue thowsande and aboue as manie holie fathers do testifie If then a bodie woulde seeme so fowlie beraied beinge scourged not passinge with fowertie strypes in what plight was thy bodie my sweete Lorde and sauiour beinge scourged with aboue fiue thowsande strypes O ioye of the angelles and glorie of the sainctes who hath thus disfigured thee Who hath thus defiled thee with so manie spottes beinge the verie glasse of innocencie The loue and mercie of our Sauiour towardes vs moued him to suffer suche cruell paynes Certaine it is o Lorde that they were not thy sinnes but myne not thy robberies but myne that haue thus euill intreated thee It was euen loue and mercie that compassed thee abowte and caused thee to take vpon thee this so heauie a burden Loue was the cause why thou diddest bestowe vpon me all thy benefittes and mercie moued thee to take vpon thee all my miseries Wherefore if loue and mercie haue caused thee to enter into these so cruell and terrible conflictes Who can now stande in dowte of thy loue If the greatest testimonie of loue be to suffer paines for the beloued what els are each one of thy paines but a seuerall testimonie of thy loue What ' els are all these woundes of thyne but as it were certeine heauenlie voyces Eche one of our sauiours paynes be a seuerall testimonie of his loue towardes vs. that doe all preache and proclaime vnto me thy loue all require me to loue thee againe And if the testimonies be so manie as the strypes and blowes were that thou sufferedst for my sake who can then put anie dowte in the proofe beinge as it is so playnelie auowched ād proued by so manie witnesses What meaneth then this incredulitie of myne that is not yet conuinced with so manifolde and so great argumentes S. Iohn the Euangelist wondered at the incredulitie of the Iewes Ioan. 12. for that our Lorde wrowght so manye miracles emonge them for confirmation of his doctrine and they neuerthelesse woulde not beleue in him O holie Euangeliste wonder no more at the incredulitie of the Iewes but rather at myne Forsomuch as to suffer paines is no lesse argument to cause me to beleue the loue of Christe than is the worckinge of miracles to cause me to beleue in Christe If then it be a greate wonder that after so manie miracles wrowghte by our sauiour Christe his wordes are not yet beleued how muche more wonderfull is it that hauinge suffered for our
tounge how is it that thou arte become domme What harte is not broken What hardnes is not mollified What eies can absteine from teares and lamentation beholdinge such a pittiefull and dolefull sight as this is O my most sweere sauiour and redeemer when I open myne eies and doe beholde this dolorous Image which is here set before me how is it that my harte doth not euen cleaue and rente in sunder for verie anguishe and griefe I see the most tender head of my Lorde and sauiour pearced with crewell thornes at whose presence the powers of heauen do tremble and quake I see his diuine face spitted vpon and buffeted I see the lighte of his goodlie brighte forehead obscured I see his cleare eies dimmed or rather blinded with showers of bloude I see the streames of bloude tricklinge downe from his head which faulle ouer ouer his eies and stayne the bewtie of his diuine face How happeneth it o Lord that the cruell whippinges thou diddest suffer before and the death that ensueth and the great quantitie of bloude that was so cruellie shed did not suffice but that the sharpe thornes also shoulde now perforce let out the bloude of thy head which the whippes and scourges before had pardoned If thou diddest receaue those reproches and buffettes to make satisfaction by them for such blowes and buffettes as I through my sinnes haue laid vpoÌ„ thee haddest thou not receaued enowghe of them all the nighte before If thy death alone was sufficiente to redeeme vs what neded so manie kindes of most shamefull villanies and reproches To what ende were all these newe inuentions and strange deuises of contemptes and mockeries Who hath euer harde or red of such a kinde of crowne or of such maner of tormentes Out of what harte came this newe inuention into the worlde that one punnishement shoulde serue in such wise as both to tormente a man and withall to dishonor him Were not those cruell tormentes sufficiente that had bene vsed in all former ages but that they must also inuent these newe and strange punnishementes at the time of thy most bitter passion I see well ô Lorde that these so manifolde iniuries were not necessarie for my redemption for euen one onelye droppe of thy most pretious bloude was sufficient for the same The causes why out sauiour woulde suffer so manyfolde paynes and iniuries for our redemption howbeit it was verie conueniente that they shoulde be so manie and so greate that thou mightest thereby declare vnto me the greatnes of thy loue and by meanes of them lincke me vnto thee with chaynes and fetters of perpetuall bonde and dewtie and confounde the gaye braueries and fonde showes of my pride and vanities and teache me thereby to despise the pompe and glorie of the worlde Wherefore ô my soule that thou maist conceaue and haue somme feelinge of this so dolefull passage set first before thyne eies the former shape of this Lorde and withall the excellencie of his vertues and then incontinentlie tourne thy selfe and beholde him in such pitiefull forte as he is here represented vnto vs. Consider therefore the greatnes of his former beawtie the modestie of his eies the sweetenes of his wordes his awthoritie his meeknes his mylde behauiour and that goodlie countenance of his so full of grauitie and reuerence Beholde how humble he was towardes his disciples how faire spoken towardes his ennemies How stowte towardes the prowde How sweete towardes the meike and how mercifull towardes all sortes of persons Consider how mylde he hath alwaies bene in sufferinge how wise in answeringe how pittiefull in his iudgemeÌ„tes how mercifull in receauinge sinners and how free and bountiefull in perdoninge theire offences When thou hast thus beholden our Sauiour and delighted thy selfe with beholdinge such a perfect forme tourne thyne eies and beholde him in this pitiefull plighte wherein he is here set out to the worlde clad in most scornefull wise with an olde purple garmente holdinge a reede in his hande in steede of a royall scepter Beholde that horrible and paynefull diademe of thorne on his head those hollowe and wanne eies and that dead countenance Beholde that strange forme of his wholie disfigured and begored with bloude and defyled with the spittle which they had besmered all ouer his face Beholde him in all partes both inwardelie and outwardelie his harte pearced with sorrowes his bodie full of woundes forsaken of his owne disciples persecuted of the Iewes scorned of the souldiers contemned of the Busshoppes baselie reiected of the wicked kinge accused vniustely and vtterlie destitute of the fauour of all men And thinke vpon this not as a thinge past but as a thinge presente not as thowghe it were an other mans payne but as thowghe it were thyne owne Imagine thy selfe to be in the place of him that suffereth and thinke with thy selfe what a terrible paine it woulde be vnto thee if in so sensible and tender a parte as the head is they shoulde fasten a noÌ„ber of thornes yea and those verie sharpe which shoulde pearce euen to the sculle But what speake I of thornes If it were but one onelie pricke of a pynne thou couldest hardlie abyde the paine of it And therefore thou maist well thinke what a sore greuous paine that most tender and delicate head of our sauiour felte at that time with this strange kinde of tormente Wherefore o brightnes of the glorie of the father who hath thus cruelly delte with thee O vnspotted glasse of the maiestie of almightie God who hath thus wholie bespotted thee O Riuer that flowest out of the paradice of delightes and with thy streames reioycest the Citie of God who hath troubled these so cleare and sweete waters It is my sinnes o Lorde that haue so troubled them Our synnes were the onelie cause of all our sauiours paynes and my iniquities haue made them so muddie Alas poore wretche and miserable caityffe that I am Woo is me how haue my sinnes bespotted myne owne soule seinge the sinnes of others haue here so fowlye bespotted and troubled the verie cleare fountaine of all bewtie My sinnes ô Lorde are the thornes that pricke thee my folies are the purple that scorne thee my hipochresie aÌ„d fayned holines are the ceremonies wherewith they despise thee my gaie garmentes and vanities are the crowne wherewith they crowne thee So that I ô Lorde am thy tormentor and I am the verie cause of thy paines and greiffes 2. Paâ—â—l 29. The kinge Ezechias purified the temple that had bene prophaned by wicked persons and commaunded that all the filthe that was therein shoulde be cast into the riuer of Cedron I O Lorde am this liuely temple that is prophaned by the diuells and defyled with infinite sinnes and thou art the cleare riuer of Cedron that doest with thy ronninge streames susteine all the bewtie of heauen In this riuer o Lorde are all my sinnes drowned In this riuer are my iniquities washed awaie in somuch
longe and whereas it chaungeth it selfe euerie houre it beareth a countenaunce as thoughe it continued alwaies firme and stable in one same state Doest thou perceaue saieth S. Ierome when thou wast made an infant S. Ierome Canst thou tell when thou wast made a striplinge or when thou camest to mans state or when thou begannest to waxe an olde man Good Lorde what a wonder is this that euerie daie we die and euerie daie we alter and chaunge and yet for all this we perswade our selues verie fondelie that we shall liue here for euermore Vpon this affiance were those prowde and sumptuous buildinges of the Magarēces built of whom a certaine Philosopher saieth that they builded as thoughe they shoulde liue for euer The cause why manie be so carefull to prouide for this worlde and so careles and negligent to prepare them selues to dye and they liued as though they should dye the next daye Whereof I praie you commeth so great forgetfulnes of almightie God so great couetousnes so great vanitie so great carefulnes in purchasinge and heapinge together of landes and riches and so great negligēce in preparinge our selues to die but that we beleue and perswade our selues that our life shal be verie longe and endure a great time This false imagination maketh vs to beleue that we haue time enough for all thinges for the worlde for pleasures for vanities for vices and for many other vaine and curious exercises and that yet after all this we shall haue time enough also before we dye to prouyde our accompte redie and to make our attonemente with almightie God Insomuch that like as we make our accompt of a piece of clothe when it lieth vpon a table before vs appointinge one piece for one purpose and an other piece for an other euen so doe we make an accompt of our liues as thoughe we our selues had the seignorie and gouernement of times and might dispose both of them and of our lyfe at our owne wil and pleasure This fonde deceit growethe of a secreat perswasion and affiance that euerie man hath within himselfe grownded not vpon anie reason or true foundation but onely vpon selfe loue The which as it hateth and abhorreth death exceadinglie so will it in no case haue any remembrance of it nor be perswaded that it will come so soone to his howse as to other mens And all this is for auoydinge of the great paine and griefe which he woulde conceaue if he beleued it in verie deede we can easelie be persuaded that others will dye within a shorte tyme but we will not beleue but that we our selues shall liue verie lōge And hereof it commeth that he is easilie induced to beleue that other folkes shall die within a short space For as he is not greatly in loue with thē so is not the knowledge of that trueth so sowere and vnlikinge vnto him but that he can easelie beleue it But as towchinge himselfe he maketh an other maner of accompt For as he loueth himselfe exciedingly so is he verie lothe to beleue a thinge that maie be occasion of so greate paine and griefe vnto him as the same woulde be But we see daylie that such persons are oftentymes fowly deceyued and that their dreames tourne cleane contrarie to their fonde imaginations For as towchinge others of whose liues they had smalle hope that they shoulde haue anie longe continuance they liue a longer time than they euer imagined they coulde haue done And they themselues that thought to liue and remaine here a longe while doe leade the daunce and depart owt of this worlde before thē So that it fareth with thē as with younge sea men that beginne to saile in the Sea who when they come forth of the hauen mowth it seemeth vnto them that the lande and howses doe depart awaie from them which is nothinge so but contrariewise it is they themselues that moue and depart awaie and the lande remaineth still in his olde place Of the miseries of mans lyfe § VII ALTHOVGH our lyfe be subiect to all these miseries before rehearsed yet if that litle time of lyfe were wholie lyfe indeede it were somewhat but the greatest miserie of all is that the lyfe which a man hath to liue whether it be shorte or longe is altogether subiect to such a nomber of miseries and calamities both of bodie and minde as it maie more trulie be tearmed deathe than lyfe Wherefore accordinge as a Poët saied verie well Not to liue but to passe the lyfe well is lyfe So that although this lyfe be verie sparynge ād shorte in all other thinges yet in troubles and miseries it is verie plentifull and longe Vndoutedlye our life is but shorte respectinge the lyfe it selfe and if we respect the time of enioyenge it it is yet much shorter but if we consider how insufficient it is towardes the atteyninge of wisedome it is litle or nothinge at all Howbeit although it be indeede verie shorte for all good thinges yet in one thinge onely I fynde it longe that is in bearinge of paine and miserie O daungerous straite in which the lesse time thou hast to passe the more perill and daunger thou hast in the passage Certainlie if we had eies to consider our selues and to see our owne case we shoulde alwaies goe weepinge and lamentinge our owne state as men condemned by the iust iudgement of almightie God to suffer such great miseries But that our miserie might be yet more increased on euerie side this miserie is added to all the rest that beinge in miserable case we liue like men in a frensie and doe neither feele nor vnderstande our owne miserie and wretchednes Heralitus Domocritus Those two Philosophers Heraclitus and Democritus although they were infidels perceyued the same better than we doe of whom it is reported that the one passed his lyfe alwaies weepinge and the other alwaies laughinge forsomuch as they sawe clearly that all our lyfe was nothinge els but mere vanitie and miserie If thou dowte of this tell me I praie thee what meane all these carkes and cares wherein men doe liue What a nomber of infinite sorowes griefes anguishes feares passions suspitions malices with other the like tribulations and afflictions is the soule of man subiect vnto Vnto all which passions man is so prone that manie times he is in a passion without anie cause and feareth where there is no cause at all to feare and when there is no other man to vexe and tormente him outwardlie he then vexeth and tormenteth himselfe inwardly as holie Iob confessed in these wordes when he sayde why hast thou ô Lorde sett me against thee Iob. 7. I am become ircksome and burdensome euen to myne owne selfe Of the externall miseries of the bodie Now as towchinge the externall miseries of the bodie who is able to nomber them How great labour and paine must we take to gaine a piece of bread whereby to sustein our liues
neuer gaue sucke After this sorte shall the miserable damned wretches curse and banne all creatures and cheiflie them that were the cause of their damnation And so we read in the liues of the holie fathers of a blessed holie man that sawe by reuelation a verie deepe well full of great and horrible flames of fire and in the middest of them were the father and the sonne both of them manicled together and cursinge one an other with great furious rage and despite The father saied vnto his sonne Cursed be thou my sonne For I to leaue thee wealthie and riche became an vsurer and for vsurie am I nowe here in hell damned And the sonne saied likewise vnto his father Cursed be thou my father for that imagininge to enriche me hast bene the cause of my damnation in that thou diddest leaue me euill gotten landes and goodes and I for the wrongefull keepinge of them and not makinge dewe restitution to the righte owners am here now alas damned euerlastinglie The euill disposition of the will of the daÌ„ned againste the glorie of God and of his Sainctes Aboue all this how great shall the paines and tormentes of the malitious and euil disposed will of the damned be There shal be in the will a continuall and outragious malitious enuie against the glorie of almightie God and his electe which shal be euermore bytinge and gnawinge at their entrailes no lesse than the worme of conscience whereof we spake before Psal 111.10 Of this paine saieth the Psalme The sinner shall see and be angrie he shall gnashe with his teeth and consume And the desire of the wicked shall perishe The malice â—nd hatred of the daÌ„ned againste almightie God They shall haue also such a great abhorringe and hatred against almightie God because he deteyneth and punisheth theÌ„ in that place that like as a madde dogge stroken with a speare tourneth againe in great furie to byte and gnawe it euen so woulde the damned persons if they might possibly teare and rente almightie God in peeces because they knowe that it is he that pricketh them with his terrible speare and that it is he that striketh and tormenteth them from aboue with the dreadfull sworde of his iustice The greate obstinacie of the daÌ„ned in their wickednes They haue also a verie great obstinacie in wickednes for they are not sorie either because they are wicked or because they haue bene wicked but rather they wishe that they had bene worse And if they be sorie for their wicked lyfe it is not for anie loue they beare vnto almightie God but for the loue of them selues that so they might haue escaped these horrible tormentes if they had liued otherwise The perpetual desperation of the daÌ„ned Besides this they haue also a perpetuall desperation For they thinke so euill of almightie God and of his mercie that they haue no maner of hope therein that euer he can perdoÌ„ them and also for that they knowe for certayne that their most grieuous paines and tormentes shall neuer haue anie mitigation or ende This is the cause of their so horrible blasphemies and of their dispitefull raylinges against almightie God For as they haue no hope in him so doe they seike to be reuenged of him as much as they can with their outragious and malitious raylinge tonges Of the paine wich is tearmed by the diuins Poena damni that is the paine of losse of almightie God § III. VHO woulde thinke that after all these paines here before rehearsed there were yet more to be suffered And yet neuerthelesse it is certaine that all these paines in comparison of that which we haue now to speake of are as it were nothinge Consider then what a wounderfull payne this is like to be seinge that such horrible tormentes as we haue before mentioned maie be termed nothinge if they be compared with this tormente For all the paines that we haue hitherto spoken of appertaine for the most parte to the paine of the sense But besides all these there is yet an other paine called the paine of losse which we touched before the which without all comparison is farre greater than all the other as it maie wel appeare by this reason For paine is nothinge els but onely a priuation of some good thinge that was either had or in hope to be had Now the greater this good thinge is the greater paine and greife we haue when it is lost To loose almightie God is the greatest losse for that he is an infinite good thinge As it appeareth plainly in the losse of temporall thinges the which the greater they are in vallewe the greater is the greife that they cause Now then consideringe that almightie God is an infinite good thinge and the greatest of all good thinges it followeth necessarily that the wantinge of him shal be an infinite miserie and the greatest of all miseries Almightie God is the centre of the reasonable sowle S. Chrisostome Besides this almightie God is the center of the reasonable sowle and the place where it hath his perfect rest And thereof it commeth that the separation of the sowle from almightie God is the most grieuous and painfull separation of all that maie possibly be deuised And therfore S. Chrisostome saieth That if a thousande fiers of hell were ioyned together in one they shoulde neuer be so great a paine to the sowle as it is to the sowle to be separated in this wise for euer from almightie God It is not possible for anie man to expresse by wordes the exceydinge greatnes of this greife That seperation that is wont to happen in time of warre when the suckinge babes are taken from their mothers breastes is nothinge in comparison of the perpetuall diuision and separation which shal be from the fruition and separation which shal be from the fruition of almightie God And that thou mayst vnderstande somewhat hereof consider what a horrible kinde of death that was which certaine tyrantes caused some of the martirs to be put vnto They caused two toppes or greate boughes of two great trees to be bowed downe violentlie to the grownde and at the two endes of them they commaunded the feete of the holie Martyr that shoulde suffer death to be bounde this done they commaunded that the two bowghes shoulde sodeÌ„ly be losed with all violence that when they shoulde recoyle and mounte vp againe to their naturall places they shoulde hoyse vp the bodie on highe and so rente and teare it a sonder in the aier each one of the bowghes carienge with it that parte of the bodie that was bounde vnto it Now if this crewell separation of the partes of a mans bodie one from an other seeme so great a tormente what a torment thinke ye shall that be when the sowle shal be separated from almightie God which is not a parte but the whole of our sowle espetially seinge the separation and tormente must endure not onely
had bene no sinne to be the meane and occasion of his sufferinge it had not bene neidfull for him to haue suffered as he did It is not agreed emonge the learned diuines whether the sonne of God shoulde haue bene incarnate Summa S. Thomae 3. q. 1. artic 2. 3. quaest 46. artic 1. 2. If man had not sinned Christe had not suffered anie paines or deathe in case man had not sinned for some doe affirme it and some doe denie it but this is holden for a most certaine treuthe that in case man had not sinned the sonne of God shoulde not haue died Whereby it appeareth that our sinnes were the verie cause that moued him to suffer all these miseries and that our sinnes were they that threwe him into this prison and that our sinnes were they that nayled him vpon the crosse And thinke not because they were not thy sinnes alone which were the cause hereof that thou art therefore worthy of the lesse punishemente for accordinge to the lawes of iustice he deserueth no lesse punishemente that killeth an innocente beinge accompanied with manie in committinge the facte than if he alone had killed him So that by this rule thou feest what great reason thou hast to moue thee to abhorre thy sinnes and to be earnestly sorie for them by callinge to minde that they were the tormentours which in verie deede crucified the sonne of almightie God and caused him to suffer so great paines and tormentes This is a greater cause to moue a man to abhorre sinne and to be sorie for the same than all other losses and miseries that ensewe of sinne yea althoughe we shoulde recken emonge our losses the depriuation of the euerlastinge glorie and felicitie which is lost by a deadlie sinne and the euerlastinge horrible paynes which be purchased by the same Now acordinge vnto this doctrine when thou shalt be occupied in meditatinge vpon the holie passion and shalt see how the enemies doe apprehende our Sauiour and how they accuse him and buffette him and how they spette vpon him and whippe him c. thinke for certaine that thou art in verie deede in companie with them and that thou hast ioyned with them in this conspiracie against our Sauiour So that thou mayst treulie saie that thy sinnes doe accuse him that thy dissolute behaueour bindeth him that thy anger and mallice whippeth him that thy presumption and rashenes buffeteth him that thy pride crowneth him with thornes that thy fonde braueries and vanities doe clothe him with purple that thy pleasures and delightes geue him to drincke galle and vineger and to be shorte that thy disobedience nayleth his handes and feete vpon the crosse Forsomuch as the paines which thou deseruest by these thy sinnes he vowchsaffed of his infinite charitie to suffer for thee For it is certaine that the tormentors shoulde neuer haue had power to tormente him as they did in case thy sinnes had not geuen them force and strengthe to doe the same This is one verie profitable waie of meditatinge vpon the holie passion for all kinde of persons but it is much more requisite for such as doe but newlie beginne to enter into the seruice of almightie God and doe endeuour to cleanse the sinnes of their former dissolute lyfe with the holic exercises of Penance Of the passing great benefite of our Redemption § III. THERDLY we ought to consider in the holie passion the greatnes of the benefite which our Sauiour hath done vnto vs in redeeminge vs by this meane And althoughe there be infinite thinges to be saide in this matter yet at this presente I will doe no more but onely note breifly three principall pointes which are to be considered in this most excellent benefite of our Redemption Firste what our Sauiour hath bestowed vpon vs by the same redemption Secondlie what meane he vsed in geuinge it vnto vs. And therdlie with what passinge great loue he gaue it vnto vs. How passinge great that is which our Sauiour hath bestowed vpon vs by this benefite of our redemption there is no tonge able to expresse Howbeit we maie conceiue somewhat thereof by two waies The first waye is by consideringe all the euills and miseries whereinto mankinde incurred throughe the sinne of the first man Adam for all these miseries were sufficientlie remedied by our Sauiour Iesus Christe who bestowed vpon vs all such benefites as were contrary vnto these miseries forsomuch as it is euident that he was geuen vnto vs to be a vniuersall reparer of all the euilles and miseries of the worlde Now he that were able to recken how manie the miseries are whereinto the worlde hath fallen by the sinne of the first man Adam might also vnderstande how many the benefites are that came vnto vs by the seconde Adam to witt by our Sauiour Christe which benefites be vndoutedlie innumerable The seconde waie is by consideringe not all the miseries which our first father Adam brought vnto vs but all the benefites which came vnto vs by our Sauiour Christe Forsomuch as we are made partakers of all those benefittes by meanes of communicatinge his spirite vnto vs For all such as are made partakers of the spirite of Christe are made partakers also of the vertues and merites of Christe Wherefore the Apostle saithe Galat. 3.27 that all such as haue receiued the Sacramente of Baptisme haue put on Christe Geuinge vs thereby to vnderstande that they all are made partakers of Christe and are adorned with his vertues and merites and that so beinge clothed with this liuerey they seeme in the sighte of the heauenly father to be such after a sorte in their degree as his owne verie sonne seemeth before him And therefore for good cause dothe Ecclesiasticus alledge this wonderfull title of the sonne of God in his praier Eccl. 36.14 sayeinge haue mercie ô Lorde vpō thy people Israell whom thou hast made equal and like to thy firste begotten sonne What dignitie what glorie can be greater than this Now accordinge hereunto he that coulde recken how many the vertues and merites of our Sauiour Christe haue bene might likewise vnderstande how manie the benefites haue bene that are come vnto vs by him Forsomuch as we are made partakers of them all by the meane of his passion To conclude by him is geuen vnto vs remission of our sinnes grace glorie libertie peace saluation redemption sanctification iustice satisfaction sacramentes merites doctrine and all other thinges which he had and were behouefull for our saluation And by reason of this his so bountiefull communicatinge he is called in the holie Scriptures the father the bridegroome and the vniuersall head of the Catholike Churche because whatsoeuer the father hath appertaineth to his children and whatsoeuer the bridegrome hath he imparteth to his spowse and whatsoeuer the head hath the members are made partakers of the same These are the benefites which our Sauiour Christe hath bestowed vpon vs. But by what meane hath he
this time the feare and terrour of the wicked shal be so great that as the Prophet Esaie saieth Esa 2.19 they shall seike the cliftes of stones and the hollowe places of the rockes to hide them selues therein for the great feare they shall haue of oure Lorde and of the glorie of his maiestie when he commeth to iudge the worlde To conclude this feare shal be so great Apoc. 20. that as S. Iohn saieth both the heauens and the earthe shall flye from the presence of the iudge and shall finde no place where to hide them selues Now ô ye heauens why doe ye flye awaie What haue ye done Why are ye afraide And if by the heauens be vnderstode the blessed spirites that are in heauen O ye blessed spirites that were created and confirmed in grace At the daye of generall Iudgmente euen the blessed spirites shal be afrayde to see so greate maiestie and indignation in Christe the iudge why doe ye flye awaie What haue ye done Why are ye afrayde Vndowbtedly they are not afrayde for anie daunger that is towardes themselues but they be afrayde to beholde in the iudge such a great maiestie and indignation the greatnes whereof shal be able to stryke all the heauens with terrour and admiration When the Sea is outragious and tempestious euen he that standeth safe vpon the shore is in a kinde of feare and admiration When the father goeth like a lion about his howse in punishinge his bond slaue his innocent sonne is also afraide although he knowe right well that his fathers rage is not bent against him but against the slaue Now what shall the wicked doe at this time when euen the iust shal be so greatly afrayd If the heauens flye for feare what shall the earthe doe And if those that be wholly spirite doe tremble and quake what shall they doe that haue bene wholly fleashe Esa 64. And if as the Prophet saieth the mountaines shall melt in this daie before the face of almightie God What stonie harde hartes then haue we that for all this be nothinge at all moued The holie crosse shall come before Christe the Iudge at the daye of generall iudgemente and be a witnes againste the wicked Math. 24.30 Before the Iudge there shall come that royall standarde of the crosse to be a witnes of the redemption and remedie which almightie God sent to the worlde and that the worlde woulde not receiue it And so the holie crosse shall there iustifie the cause of almightie God and leaue the wicked voide of al maner of comforte and excuse Then shall all nations of the earthe saieth our Sauiour weepe and lament and they all shall stryke and beare vpon their brestes O how great cause shall they then haue to weepe and waile They shall weepe because at that tyme they can neither doe penanceÌ„ nor flye from the iustice of almightie God nor appeale from his sentence They shall bewaile their sinnes past their shame present and the tormentes that are to come They shall bewaile their miserable happe their vnfortunat birthe and their cursed ende For these and manie other causes they shall weepe and waile verie bitterlie and as persons whollie dismayed and fettered in all partes and without all maner of comforte and remedie they shall wringe their handes and stryke theÌ„ selues vpon their brestes Our sauiour Christe the Iudge shall make a seperatioÌ„ betwene the good and the wicked Math. 25. Then shall the Iudge make a diuision betwene the euill and the good and place the goates at his left hande and the sheepe at his right hande O how happie and blessed shall those persons be that shal be though worthie to haue a place emonge those elected sheepe O Lorde I most humblie beseeche thee let me haue tribulation here in this worlde Punishe me here cutte me in peeces here burne me here so that I maie there be placed at thy right hande Then shall the generall iudgement beginne to be solemnised and the causes of each one shal be throughlie scanned and examined Accordinge as the Prophet Daniell writeth in these wordes Daniel 7.9 I stode saieth he attentiuely and I sawe certaine seates set in their places and the auncient of yeares sat downe whose garmente was white as snowe and the heare of his head like the pure wolle The throne wherein he sat was like flames of fier and the wheeles thereof like burninge fire And a riuer of raginge fire issued and came forthe from before him Thowsande thousandes were attendant to serue him and tenne hundered thousande thowsandes stode waitinge before him c. I behelde all this in the vision of the night and I sawe one comminge in the cloudes who seemed to be the sonne of man Hetherto are the wordes of the Prophet Daniell Wherevnto S. Iohn addeth and saieth Apoc. 20.12 I sawe all the dead both great and smalle standinge before this throne and there the bokes were opened and an other boke opened which is the boke of lyfe and the dead were iudged accordinge to the contentes in those bokes accordinge to their workes Beholde here deare Christian brother the measure whereby thou shalt be iudged Beholde here the taxe and prices whereby all thinges that thou doest shal be valued and esteemed and not by the fonde iudgement of the worlde which hath the false and counterfeit weightes of Canaan in their handes Osâ—â— 12. in whose ballance vertue and vice are iudged to be of smalle weight and accompte In these bokes are written all our whole lyfe and that with such care and diligence that a worde hath no soner passed thy mowth but it is foorthwith noted and set in his proper register But of what thinges trowe ye will the Iudge require an accompte of vs Of what thinges we must giue an accompte Iob. 31.4 O Lorde saieth Iob thou hast nombered all the steppes of my lyfe Certainly there shall not be somuch as one idle worde nor one onely thowghte whereof an accompte will not be required in that iudgement Yea Math. 12.36 and not onely of those thinges that we either thinke or doe but also of those that we leaue vndone of such thinges I meane as we are bownde to doe If thou saie at the daie of Iudgment ô Lorde I haue not sworne the Iudge will answere that thy sonne or thy seruant hath sworne whom thy dutie was to haue chastised and corrected And we shall geue an accompte not onely of our euill workes but also euen of our good workes with what intention and after what maner we did them Finally as S. Gregorie saieth S. Gregorie Math. 12.36 An accompte shall there be required of vs of euerie point and moment of our lyfe how and after what sorte we haue spente them Consideringe therefore that such a strait accoÌ„pte shal be required of vs how happeneth it that we that beleue this as a most certaine truthe doe neuerthelesse liue with such securitie and
negligence as we doe Wherein doe we put our affiance Wherewithall doe we perswade and flatter our selues in the middest of so manie dreadfull perilles and daungers How commeth this to passe that those persones that haue most cause to feare this dreadfull daye doe least feare it and those that haue least cause to feare it doe liue in greatest feare thereof Iob. 2. vers 3. Holie Iob was a iust man for so almightie God witnessed of him with his owne mouthe and yet for all this he liued in so great feare and dread of his accompte at the daye of Iudgment that he saiede What shall I doe Iob. 31.14 when almightie God commeth to iudge and when he beginneth to question with me what answere shall I make vnto him Suerlie these be wordes that procede from a verie sore afflicted and troubled harte What shall I doe saieth he As if he had saiede One care I haue that troubleth me continually One naile I carrie alwaies fixed in my hart that will not suffer me to take any rest What shal I doe Whither shall I goe What answere shall I make when almightie God shall enter into iudgemente with me But ô holie and blessed man Iob why art thou thus afrayd Why art thou thus troubled ād vexed Iob. 29.15.16 Art not thou he that saiede I haue bene a father vnto the poore an eie vnto the blinde and feete vnto the lame Art not thou he that saied Iob. 27.6 that In all thy lyfe time thy hart neuer reproued thee of anie wicked deede Now beinge a man of so greate innocencie why ô holie Iob art thou thus afrayde Trulie the cause is for that this holie man knewe right well that almightie God looked not with fleashlie eies and that he iudged not accordinge to the iudgemēte of men in whose eies often times that thinge shyneth verie gaye and bright which in the sight of almightie God is verie abhominable Thou art ô holie Iob verie iust indede yea euen for this cause thou arte verie iust becauthou liuest in so great feare This feare of this holie man Iob my deare brethern condemneth our false securitie These wordes of his ouerthrowe our vaine confidence For which of vs hath at anie time in respecte of this care of our dreadfull accompte at the daye of Iudgment once refrained from his dynner or supper or broken his sleepe Whereas those deuout godlie persons that thinke herevpon as they ought to thinke doe oftentimes loose their sleepe and their appetite to their meate yea and sometimes more than that also We reade in the liues of the auncient holie fathers that whā one of those holie mē sawe one of his scholers laughinge he reprehended him for it and saiede What knowinge as thou doest that thou must yeeld an accompte to almightie God before heauen and earthe art thou that notwithstādinge so bolde as to laughe This holie father thought that that mā which looked earnestly for this dreadfull accompt coulde hardly laughe Now as touchinge accusors and witnesses there shall not want in this behalfe For our owne verie consciences shal be witnesses and crie out against vs All creatures which we haue abused shal be witnesses against vs And aboue all our Lorde him selfe whom we haue offended shal be also a witnes against vs As he himselfe hath signified by one of his Prophetes sayeinge Malach 3.5 I wil be a swifte witnes against inchaunters adulterers periured persons and against those that seeke cauels to defeit the labourer of his daie wages and against them that doe euill intreat the widowe and Orphan and oppresse pilgrimes and straungers For they doe not feare me saieth our Lorde The diuell shall accuse the wicked at the daye of iudgmēte Neither shall there want accusors against the wicked For the diuell himselfe shal be a sufficient accusor who as S. Augustine writeth shall alledge verie exactly before the iudge his right and title and shall saie vnto him O most iust and righteous iudge thou canst not of iustice but geue sentence and adiudge these wicked traitors to be myne forsomuch as they haue bene alwaies myne and haue in all thinges fulfilled my will Thyne they were I graunt because thou diddest create them and make them after thy Image and likenes and redeime them with thy bloude But they haue defaced thy Image and put on myne They haue refused thyne obedience and embraced myne They haue dispised thy commaundementes and obserued myne They haue liued with my spirite They haue imitated my workes They haue walked in my steppes And in each thinge haue followed my counsels Consider how much more they haue bene myne than thyne as appeareth herein that notwithstandinge I gaue them nothinge I promised them nothinge nor laid my shoulders on the Crosse for them yet haue they alwaies obeied my commaundementes and not thyne If I commaunded them to sweare and forsweare to robbe and to kill to commit adulterie fornication simonie and vsurie and to denie thy holie name all this they did willingly and with great facilitie If I commaunded them to bestowe their landes their goodes their lyfe and their sowle for a point of honour and estimation which I perswaded them in anie wise to mainteine or for a false delighte whereunto I inuited them they did forthwith verie willinglie hazarde all this for my sake But for thee that art their God their creator and their redeemer that gauest thē their lādes their goodes their healthe and lyfe that hast offered vnto thē thy grace and promised them thy glorie and aboue all this hast suffered most cruell deathe vpon the crosse for them they neuer toke the least paine and labour in the worlde How oftentimes hast thou come to their doores in great pouertie nakednes and full of sores And what almes haddest thou of them but a waiewarde answere and shuttinge their doores in a great furie and anger vpon thee they beinge then more carefull to feede their hawkes their dogges and their horses and to clothe their walles with hanginges of tapessarie silke and golde than to relieue clothe and helpe thee Wherefore seinge thou art a most Iust Iudge and knowest that this is most certainlie true the verie order of iustice requireth that they shoulde be now punnished for their iniuries and contemptes done to so great a maiestie Now this accusation beinge founde most true Christe the iudge wil pronounce that terrible sentence against the wicked Math. 25. sayeinge Depart ye cursed into the euerlastinge fier which is prepared for Satan and his angels for I was hongrie and ye gaue me not to eate I was thirstie and ye gaue me not to drinke c. And then shall the good goe to lyfe euerlastinge and the wicked to fyer euerlastinge Now who is able to expresse what an intollerable anguishe and griefe it wil be to the damned persons when they shall heare those most terrible wordes pronoūced against them There shall they crye out to the mountaines to