in this place corporall life is vnderstood so as the sense is to be this I do now deliuer vp the spirit of my life and therein I cease to breath and to liue But this spirit this life O Father I commend to thee that vvithin a short tyme thou mayst restore it to my Body For to thee nothing is lost but all things do liue to thee who in calling out that vvhich is not makest it be and in calling out that which doth not liue makest it to liue That this is the true meaning of this place may first be gathered out of the 30. Psalme from whence our Lord did take this Prayer For thus Dauid doth there pray Thou wilt bring me out of this snare which they haue hid for me because thou art my Protectour Into thy hands I commend my spirit In vvhich place the Prophet by the spirit most euidently vnderstandeth lyfe for he prayeth to God that he will not suffer him to be slayne by his Enemies but that he will preserue his lyfe Furthermore the same point is deduced as true euen from this place of the Gospell For after our Lord had said Father into thy hands I do commend my spirit the Euangelist did subioyne And saying this he gaue vp the Ghost For to giue vp the Ghost signifieth to cease to draw spirit or wynd which is proper to those Creatures which are liuing the vvhich thing cannot be said of the soule the substantiall forme of the Body but it is said of the ayre which vve breath vvhilst we liue and we do cease to breath vvhen we dye Lastâ—y the foresaid exposition is gathered from those words of the Apostle Hebr. 5. Who in the dayes of his flesh with a strong cry and teares offering prayers and supplications to him that could saue him from death was heard for his reuerence This place some do vnderstand of the prayer which our Lord made in the garden saying Father if it be possible transferre this Chalice from me Mar. 14. But in that place our Lord did not pray with a strong cry neither was he heard neither would he haue beene heard that he should be free exempted from the death For he prayed that the Chalice of his Passion might passe from him thereby to shew a naturall desire of not dying and himselfe to be true man whose nature doth abhorre death But he added Not that which I will but that which thou let thy Will be done Thus we see that the prayer of Christ in the garden cannot be that Prayer of which the Apostle speaketh to the Hebrews Others maintaine that that prayer of Christ mentioned by S. Paul is the same vvhich our Lord made for his Crucifiers vpon the Crosse saying Father forgiue them for they do not know what they doe Luc. 23. But at that time our Lord did not vse any strong crye neither did he pray for himsâ—lfe that he might be saued from death both which two points are euidently expressed by the Apostle to the Hebrews For being vpon the Crosse he prayed for his Crucifiers that that most grieuous and heauy sinne might be pardoned to them Therefore it remaineth that those words of the Apostle be vnderstoode of that last prayer which our Lord made vpon the Crosse saying Father into thy hands I commend my spirit the which prayer he made with a strong crye S. Luke saying And Iesus crying with a loud voice said c. Where vve see that S. Paul and S. Luke do clearely herein agree togeather Furthermore our Lord prayed tâ—at he might be saued from death as S. Paul doth witnesse but the meaning herâ—of cannot beâ— that he should not dye vpon the Crosse for therein he vvas not heard yet S. Paul testifieth that he was heard but the meaning is that he prayed that he might not be vvholy absorpt vp by death but only might tast death and presently returne to life For thus much is implied in those words He offered vp prayers to him that could saue him For our Lord could not be ignorant but that he was to dye especially being then most neare to death but he couered to be safe from death in this sense to wit that he might not be detayned long by death which was nothing else but to pray for a speedy Resurrection in which hiâ— prayer he was fully heard since he did rise most gloriously the third day This explication of the testimony of S. Paul euidently conuinceth that when our Lord said Into thy hands I command my spirit the spirit is taken for Lyfa not for the â—oule For he was not sollicitous of his soule the vvhich he did knovv to be in safety since it was most blessed and did see God face to face euen from its Creation but he was sollicitous and carefull of his Body which he savv vvas to be depriuâ—d of lyfe through death and therefore he prayed that his Body might not long remaine in death the vvhich petition as aboue we said he in a most full manner obtayned The first fruite of the seauenth Word CHAP. XX. NOw according to our former Method I wil gather some fruits from this Last word of Christ from his death presently ensuing And first euen from that thing which seemeth to be most full of infirmity weakenes and simplicity the great Power Wisdome and Charity of God is demonstrated For in that our Lord gaue vp the Ghost crying with a great Voyce his Power and strength is manifestly discerned since from this vve may gather that it vvas in his povver not to dye and that he dyed willingly For those men vvho dye naturally do lose by degrees their force and voyce and in their last agony fight vvith death they are not able to cry out with any great and vehement speach or Voyce Therefore not without cause the Centurion seeing that Iesus after so much profusion of Bloud vvith a great and lovvd voyce dyed said Certainly this was the Sonne of God Mar. 15. Christ is a great Lord vvho euen dying sheweth his â—ower not only by crying out with a great Voyce at his last breathing but also in cleauing the Earth cutting a sunder the stones opening the Monuments and in rending the Veyle of the Temple all vvhich things to haue fallen out euen at the very tyme vvhen Christ dyed the Euangelist witnesseth Furthermore all these strange Euents haue their mistery by which the Wisdome of Christ is manifested For the concussion of the Earth as also the cleauing of the stones did signify that by the Passion and death of Christ men vvere moued and stirred vp to pennance and the harts of the obstinate vvere euen cut a sunder vvhich Effects at that very time to haue happened S. Luke writeth when he sayth that many returning from that spectacle and sight did knock their breasts The opening of the graues sepulchers doth designe the glorious Resurrection of the dead to succeed after that of Christ The tearing or rending of the Veyle
from their owne Vices they suffer from a guilty and selfe tormenting Conscience Certainly the most wise Salomon who was thought and reputed most happy if any man could so be could not deny but that he suffered his Crosse when he said Vidi in omnibus c. I saw in all things Vanity and affliction of mynd And a litle after I haue beene weary of my lyfe seing all things vnder the sunne to be euill and â—ll things Vanity and affliction of spirit Eccl 3 And Ecclesiasticus also cap. 40. a man very wise hath deliuered this generall Sentence Great Busines and trauell is created to all men and an heauy yoke vpon the children of Adam S. Austin sayth Inter omnes tribulationes c. Among all Tribulations not any is greater then the Conscience of a mans sinnes in Psal 45. S. Chrysostome in his 3. Homily vpon Lazarus teacheth that the wicked do not want their Crosses For if he be poore Pouerty is to him a Crosse if Pouerty be absent then his owne vnbridled CoÌ„cupiscence doth afflict him more vehemently Yf he keep his bed for any disease he lyeth vpon a Crosse if he be free from diseases and infirmities of the Body then is he inflamed with anger which also is a Crosse But S. Cyprian demonstrateth that euery man euen from his natiuity is borne to his Crosse and to tribulation and that he doth fortell presage the same by his weeping as soone as he is borne For thus that Father writeth serm de patientia Vnusquisque nostrum c. Euery one of vs when he is borne receaued into the World taketh his beginning from teares And although as yet he be ignorant of all things he knoweth no other thing euen at his first birth and natiuity then to weepe through a naturall prouidence he bewaileth the anxieties and labours of a mortall life and the poore ignorant soule presently in the beginning doth protest and foretell with lamentation and crying the stormes of the world into the which he is ready to enter and suffer Thus S. Cyprian Since then these things are so certaine who can deny but that the Crosse is common both to good and euill men It yet remaineth to make it euideÌ„t that the Crosse of vertuous men is â—â—ort light and profitable and continually the Crosse of the wicked heauy barren and continuall And touching the Crosse of Godly men That it is short it cannot be denied seing it cannot be extended beyond the terme or tyme of this lyfe For iust men dying Now sayth the spirit they rest from their labours Apoc. 14. And that God shall wype away all teares from their Eyes Apoc. 21. That this present lyfe is most short though whiles it is flowing avvay it seemes long and tedious the sacred Scripture doth not obscurely signify when it sayth Iob. 14. Breues dies hominis sunt c The dayes of man are short and man borne of a Woman liuing a short tyme. And yet more What is your lyfe It is a vapour appearing a litle while and after it shall vanish away The Apostle who may be thought to haue suffered a most heauy Crosse and this for a long time to wit from his youth vnto his old age yet doth thus speake hereof 2. Cor. 4. Our tribulation which is momentarie and light worketh aboue measure exceedingly an eternall weight of glory in vs. Where he compareth his tribulation suffered aboue thirty yeares to an indiuisible moment of time and he styles it but a small tribulation to wit to be hungry to be thirsty to be naked to be stroken and buffeted to suffer a daily persecution to be thrice beateÌ„ with roddes by the Romanes fiue times to be whipped by the Iewes to be once stoned to suffer shipwrack thrice To conclude to be conuersant in many labours to be much in prison subiect aboue measure to stroks and wounds and to be often at the pit-brimme of death Now what Tribulations are to be accounted heauy if these of the Apostle be truly light and easy But what If I should add auer that the Crosse of lust men it not only light but sweet and pleasant in regard of the superabundant coÌ„solation of the Holy Ghost accompaning it Christ himselfe thus pronounceth of his yoake which may be said to be a Crosse Matth 11. My yoake is sweete and my burden light And in another place You shall weepe and lament but the world shall reioyce you shal be made sorrowfull but your sorrow shal be turned into ioy and your ioy no man shall take from you Ioan. 16. And the Apostle crieth out I am replenished with all Consolation I do exceedingly abound in ioy in all our Tribulation 2. Cor. 7. To conclude that the Crosse of the Iust is not only short and light but also fruitfull and most profitable it cannot be denied since our Lord plainly thus speakâ—th in S. Mathew cap. 5. Blessed are they that suffer persecution for Iustice for theirs is the kingdome of Heauen And the Apostle in his Epistle to the Romans cap. 8. bursteth out saying The Passions of this tyme are not condigne to the glory so come that shal be reuealed in vs. With whome agreeth his Coâ—postle S. Peter when he sayth Communicating with the Passions of Christ be glad that in the reuelation also of his glory you may be glad reioycing 1. Pet. 6. Now that the Crosse of the wicked is most tedious most heauy and depriued of all reward or fruit is easily demonstrated Certainly the Crosse of the wicked Theefe ended not with his temporall life but continueth euen to this day in Hell and shall continue for all Eternity for the worme of the Wicked in Hell shall not dye and their fire shall not be extinguished And the Crosse of the Rich Glutton which consisted in heaping together of Riches the which our Lord most truly compared to thornes was not ended in his death as the Crosse of Lazarus the poore beggar was but accompanying him euen to Hell doth burne and torment him and forceth him to say I would to God that a drop of Water might coole my tongue because I am tormented in this flame Thus we see that the Crosse of the wicked neuer findeth end And in this very time and life how heauy and sharpe their Crosse is the words of them whom the Booke of Wisdome introduceth as lamenting do fully witnesse Sap. 5. We are wearied out in the way of iniquity and perdition haue walked hard wayes What Are not Ambition Couetousnes Luxury hard wayes Are not those hard wayes which inseparably attend vpon Vice to wit Anger Dissentions Enuy Are not the workes which spring from these that is to say treacheries reproaches contumelies Wounds and death it selfe hard wayes Certainly these are of that vvorking Nature at that not seldome they force men as being desperate to become their owne Parricides and Butchers and thus by flying from one Crosse they fall vpon an other farre more insupportable and
whereby was discouered the Sancta Sanctorum was a signe that through the merits of the death of Christ the Celestiall Sanctuary was to be opened and that all the Saints were after to be admitted to see the face of God Neither only in the signification of these Mysteries did Christ show his Wiâ—dome but also in that he did produce draw life from death in figure whereof Moyses caused water to flow out of a stone And Christ himselfe for the same Cause said he resembled a graine of wheate in that by dying he brought forth much fruite For as a graine of wheate by being corrupted doth bud forth an care of liuing Corne so Christ by dying vpon the Crosse enriched multitudes of NatioÌ„s with the life of Grace S. Peter most manifestly thus speaketh of Christ He swallowing death that we might be made heyres of life euerlasting 1. Pet. 3. As if he would haue said The First man swallovving the forbidden sweet apple condemned all his posterity to death But the second Man swallowing downe the bitter apple of death brought all those to eternâ—â—l life who were borne againe of him To conclude Christ manifested opened his Wisdome in dying because he made the Crosse then the vvhich nothing was before more despicable and contemptible most honourable and glorious so as euen Kings themselfes do account it an honour to signe their Foreheads therevvith Neither is the Crosse made only honourable but also svveet to the louers of Christ Whereupon the Church thus singeth Dulce lignum dulces clauos dulce pondus sustinuit The which very point S. Andrew demonstrated by his ovvne example when behoulding the Crosse vnto vvhich he was to be fastened said Salue Crux preciosa c. All haile O precious Crosse which hath receaued honour and beauty from the members of our Lord Thou art long desired and carefully sought after thou art loued without any intermission and comes prepared to a willing mind I approach to thee with security and ioy that thou exulting mayst receaue me being the disciple of my Maister Iesus Christ who did hang vpon thee Now what shall we speake of Charity The sentence of our Lord is this Greater Charity then this no man hath that a man yield his life for his friends Ioan. 15. This Christ performed vpon the Crosse since no man could against his Will depriue him of life For himselfe thus sayth hereof No man taketh my life from me but I yield it of my selfe Ioan. 10. Therefore as aboue is said no man hath greater Charity then he that yieldeth his life for his frieÌ„ds because nothing can be found more precious and to be beloued then Life it being the foundation of all goods For what doth it proffit a man sayth our Lord if he gaine the whole world and sustaine the domage of his soule that is of his lyfe And from hence it is that all things labour to resist with all their strength yea aboue their strength those who do endeauour to take away their lyfe And we read in Iob Skinne for skinne and all things which a man hath he will giue for his lyfe But these passages are generall vve vvill descend to particulars Christ did ineffably shew by many meanes to all mankind and to euery one of vs his Charity by dying vpon the Crosse First because his life vvas the most precious of all liues as being the lyfe of man vvho vvas God the lyfe of the most potent King of Kings the lyfe of the most wisest of all the Doctours Furthermore he gaue his lyfe for his Enemies for wicked men for vngratefull men Againe he laid dovvne his lyfe that he might deliuer these his Enemies wicked vngratefull men from the burnings and torments of Hell to the which they vvere alreadâ— condemned Lastly he gaue his lyfe that he might make these men to become his Brethren and Coheyres and moâ—â— happily place them in the kingdome of Heauen for all Eternity And is there any man of that flinty or sauage nature who from this tyme vvill not loue Christ Iesus with all his Harts and will not suffer any aduersity for his sake O mercifull God auert and turne such a stony and iron hart not only from our Brethren but from all men whosoeuer either Infidels or Atheists The second fruite of the seauenth Word CHAP. XXI AN other fruite and that most profitable is if we learne to vse frequently that prayer which our Lord taught vs when being ready to goe to his Father he said Into thy hads I commend my spirit But because he was not pressed and vrged with that Necessity with the which we are vrged since he was the Sonne and Holy we but seruants and sinners Therefore our Mother and Mistresse the Church instructeâ—h vs to fâ—equent and often vse it but as it is entire and whole in the Psalme of Dauid and not diuided as our Lord pronounced it In the Psalme it is thus read Into thy hands I commit my spirit Thou hast redeemed me O Lord God of Truth Psal 30. Christ did omit the later port because himselfe was the Redeemer and not the party redeemed but we who are redeemed with his most precious bloud ought not to pretermit this part of the Psalme Christ also prayed to his Father as his only begotten sonne We pray to Christ as our Redeemer therfore we say not Father into thy hands I commend my spirit But into thy haÌ„ds O Lord I commend my spirit thou hast redeemed me O Lord God of Truth According to which manner of speach S. Steuen the first Martyr being ready to dye said Lord Iesus receaue my spirit Act. 7. Furthermore our Mother the holy Church teacheth vs to say this Prayer at three seuerall tymes First euery day at the Complyme as those vvell knovv vvho read the Canonicall Howers Againe when we approach to the most holy Eucharist after those words are said Domine non sum dignus the Priest first for himselfe and after for the Communicants doth say In manus tuas commendo spiritum meum Lastly at our departure out of this lyfe all the faithfull are admonished that they say In manus tuas commâ—ndâ— spiritum meum As concerning the Complyme it is not to be doubted but that there is said In manus tuas Domine c. because the Complime is accustomed to be read tovvards the end of the day and as S. Basill speaketh Primis se intendentibus tenebris c. Assoone as darknes commeth because it may so fall out that in the night tyme vnexpectedly death may surprize vs therefore we commend our soule to our Lord that if so sudden death might happen to vs it might not happen to vs vnforseene in Reg. fusius explic q. 37. That at the tyme of receauing the most Blessed Eucharist is said In manus tuas commendo c. the reason is because that action is very dangerous and withall very necessary so as without perill it cannot often be
OF THE SEAVEN VVORDES SPOKEN BY CHRIST vpon the Crosse Two Bookes Written in Latin by the most Illustrious Cardinall Bellarmine of the Society of Iesus And translated into English by A. B. Foderunt manus meas pedes meos Psal 21. They haue digged my hands my feet Permissu Superiorum 1638. The Translatour to the Reader GOod Reader in place of a Ceremonious and formall Dedicatory Epistle I send thee these few lines The worke heere translated is one the spirituall Treatises of the most Learned and Vertuous Bellarmine of Blessed Memory being entituled Of the seauen VVords spoken by Christ vpon the Crosse Prize the Contents of those words as thou prizest thy owne soule they being in number few in force and weight many Take them as so many rich Legacies left by our charitable Testatour immediatly before his death to mankind And vvho is he that neglecteth the Legacies of his dying Lord and Friend Most men do much regard ponder the last words of a dying man at that tyme hauing his senses and memory vnperished who during the whole course of his life had gained among others a great name reputation of VVisdome Of what estimate then ought we to make the VVords of Christ vttered in his dying state who wâ—s not only wise but VVisdome it selfe VVho is the VVord it selfe VVho is God himselfe These VVords hereafter following in this Treatise Christ spake being nayled vpon the Tree of the Crosse a Tree infinitly more high as reaching from Earth to Heauen then the highest Cedar in Libanus Tast of the fruits which may be gathered from thence since arbor bona fructus bonos facit Matth. 7. Vpon this Tree death became dead vvhen life thereon did dye This Tree was the Chayre from whence our spiritual Doctour dictated his Precepts to vs Christians It was the Pulpit out of which our Heauenly Ecclesiastes preached to mankind Briefly it was and is the true Ladder of Iacob adumbrated and shadowed by that Ladder spoken of in Genesis by which the soule of Man ascendeth vp to Heauen Thus not enlarging my selfe further and humbly intreating the charitable remembrance of all good Catholiks in their Deuotions I leaue thee to the perusing of what followeth Thine in Christ crucifyed A. B. The Preface of the Authour BEhould now the fourth yeare is passed when as preparing my selfe to my End I retire to a place of quietnes and rest exempt from negotiations and throng of Busines but not exempt from the meditation of the sacred Scriptures and from the writing of such things which to me in tyme of meditation do occur That if I be not able to profit others either by my owne speaches or by composing of any large and voluminous Booke at least that I may be of power to aduance my Brethren in their spirituall Good by some small deuout Treatise Now calling to mind of what subiect I might chiefly make choyce which might dispose me towards dying well might profit my Brethren towards liuing well The death of our Lord presented it selfe to me and that last Sermon of his which consisting of seauen most short but most graue sentences the Redeemer of the World from the Crosse as from a high and eminent Chayre deliuered to all MaÌ„kind Since in that Sermon or in those seauen Words all those Points are contained of which the said Lord thus speaketh Luc. 18. Behould we go vp to Ierusalem and all things shal be consummate which were written by the Prophets of the sonne of Man Those things which the Prophets did foretell of Christ are reduced to foure Heads or branches To wit to his Preaching and Sermons made to the People To his Prayer directed to his Father To the most grieuous Euills which he was to suffer To sublime and admirable Works performed by him All which seuerall Points did admirably shine in the life of Christ For first our Lord did most frequently preach in the Temple in the Synagogues in the fields in desert solitary places in priuate Houses and to conclude euen out of the ship to the People standing vpon the shore Furthermore He spent for the most part whole nights in Prayer to God for thus the Euangelist speaketh Luc. 6. He passed the whole night in Prayer to God Now his admirable and astonishing working of Wonders of which the holy Gospells are very full doth concerne the expelling of the Deuils curing the sicke multiplying of bread and in appeasing or allaying tempests or stormes all sea To conclude the Euills that in recompence of the Good which he had done were perpetrated against him were many not only in contumely of Words but also in stoning of him and in endeauoring to cast him headlong dovvne from a fearefull Precipice But all these seuerall Points were consummated and perfected most truly vpon the Crosse For first He so mouingly persuadingly preached from the Crosse as that many returned from thence knocking their Breasts And further not only the harts of men but euen the stones as it were through a secret compassion were riuen and torne a sunder He in like manner so prayed vpon the Crosse as that the Apostle sayth thereof Heb. 5. Cum clamore valido lachrimis exauditus est pro sua reuerentia With a strong Crye and teares he was heard for his reuerence Now what he suffered vpon the Crosse was of so high a nature in reference to those things which he had suffered through the rest of the life as that they alone may be thought peculiarly to belong to the Passion To conclude He neuer wrought greater Prodigies and signes then when lying vpon the Crosse he was brought to extreme imbecillity and weaknes For at that time he did not only exhibite Miracles from Heauen the which the Iewes had before importunely demaunded of him but also a litle after he wrought the greatest Miracle of all When being dead and buried by his owne proper force and Vertue he returned from Hell and resuming his Body restored it againe to life yea to an immortall life Therfore we may conclude that vpoÌ„ the Crosse all things were truly performed and accomplished which were written by the Prophets of the Sonne of Man But before we descend to write of the particular Words of our Lord I hold it conducing to our purpose to speake some thing of the Crosse it self which was the Chayre or Pulpit of the Preacher the Altar of the Priest sacrifizing the race or place of him that did combat and feight the shop as it were of working miraculous things First then touching the forme of the Crosse the more common Opinion of the Ancients is that it consisted of three seuerall parcels of Wood One long vpon the which the Body of our Lord crucified was laid or extended another ouerthwart in which the haÌ„ds were fastened the third was affixed and ioined to the lower part vpon the which the feet did rest but so nailed thereto that they could not be moued from thence
is frequent in the sacred Scriptures aâ— S. Austin obserued in his booke of thâ— Consent of the Euangelists l. 3. c. 16. For the Apostle writing to the Hebrews sayth They stopped the mouthes of Lyons they were stoned they were hewed they went about in sheepskins in Goate-skins and yet who stopped the mouthâ— of Lyons was but one Daniell and who was stoned was but one Ieremy and vvho was hewed in peces vvas but one Esay Add hereto that S. Mathew and S. Marke do not so expresly say that both the Theeues did vpbraid Christ as we find S. Luke expresly to vvrite Vnus autem de his c. One of the theeues that were hanged blasphemed him For the greater probability of truth we may further say that therâ— caÌ„ be no reason alledged why the same theefe should both blaspheme and praise Christ And whreas some do reply that this theefe who afore did blaspheme did after change his Iudgement and praysed Christ when he heard him say Father forgiue them for they know not what they do is euideÌ„tly repugnant to the Gospell for S. Luke relateth that Christ prayed for his Persecutours to his Father before the wicked Theefe begunne to blaspheme Therefore the iudgements of S. Ambrose and S. Austine are to bâ— imbraced heerin who mantaine that of the two theeues the one did blaspheme the other did prayse and defend Christ Therfore the other thiefe did answere to the thiefe blaspheming thus Neyther dost thou feare God whereas thou art in the same daÌ„nation Luc. 23. This good and happy thiefe partly from the vertue of the Crosse of Christ and partly from diuine light and inspiration which then did begin to shyne to him vndertooke to correct his Brother and to draw him to a more safe mynd iudment The meaning of whose words is this Thou wouldest imitate the blaspheming Iewes but they as yet haue not learned to feare the iudgment of God because they are persuaded they haue ouercome and they do vaunt glory of their Victory when they seeÌ„ Christ nayled to the Crosse and themselfes to be free and at liberty suffering no euill But thou who for thy offences hangest vpon the Crosse and hastest towards death why dost thou not begin to feare God Why heapest thou sinne to sinne And further this happy Thiefe increasing in his good VVorke and seconded vvith the light of the Grace of God confesseth his sinnes and preacheth the Innocency of Christ saying Et nos quidem iustè and vve are iustly to vvit condemned to the Crosse but this man hath done no Euill Luc. 23. Lastly the light of Grace more resplendently shining he addeth Domine memento mei c. Lord remember me when thou shalt come into thy kingdome Certainly the Grace of the Holy Ghost which vvas in the hart of this Thiefe is most wonderfull S. Peter the Apostle denieth Christ the Thiefe nayled to the Crosse confesseth him The disciples going to Emaus say But we did Hope the Thiefe confidently speaketh saying Remember me when thou shalt come into thy kingdome S. Thomas the Apostle denied to belieue in Christ except he saw that Christ had risen froÌ„ death The Thiefe being vpon a Crosse and seing Christ fastened to the Crosse doubteth not â—o acknowledge that after he was to â—e a King But who had taught this â—heefe so high Mysteries He calleth that man Lord whom he did behould â—aked wounded lamenting openly derided and contemned and hanging with him He further sayth that Iesus after his death was to come into his kingdome From which point we vnderstand that the Theefe did not â—reame of any future temporall kingâ—ome of Christ here vpon earth such â—s the Iewes do expect but belieued that Christ after his death was to be an Eternall King in Heauen Who had instructed him in such sublime Sacraments Certainly only the spirit of Truth which did preuent him in the benedictions of sweetnes Christ after his Resurrection said to his Apostles Christ ought to suffer these things and so to enter into his glory But the Theife did foreknow this after a wounderfull manner and did confesse it at that tyme when there appeared no likelyhood in Christ to raigne Kings do reigne vvhen they liue and when they cease to liue they cease to reigne But the Theefe openly affirmed that Christ by death was to come into his Kingdome The vvhich point our Lord did explaine in one of his Parables vvhen he said Luc. 19. A certaine Noble man went into a farre Country to take vnto himselfe a kingdome and to returne This our Lord said being most neare vnto his Passion signifying that by death himselfe was to goe into a far distant Country or Region that is to an other life or vnto Heauen which is most remote from the Earth and to goe to the end to receave a most large and euerlasting kingdome and after to returne at the day of iudgment that he might make retribution either of reward or punishment to all men according as they had deserued in this lyfe Therefore of this kingdome of Christ which presently after his death he was to receaue the wyse Theefe said Remember me when thou shalt come into thy kingdome But was not Christ a king before his death Certainly he was and therefore the Magi cryed out Vbi est qui natus est Rex Iudaeorum Where is he that is borne king of the Iewes Math. 2. And Christ himselfe said to Pilate Thou saist that I am a King For this was I borne and for this came I into the world that I should giue testimony to the Truth Ioan. 18. Neuerthelesse he was a king in this world as a stranger among his Enemies and therefore he was acknowledged as a king only of few but contemned and badly entreated by many And in regard thereof he said in the Parable aboue cited that he was to goe into a far Country to take vnto himselfe a kingdome He said not to seeke or to gaine a Kingdome which did not belong to him but to receaue his owne kingdome and to returne therefore the Theefe wisely said VVhen thou shalt come into thy kingdome To proceede The kingdome of Christ signifieth not in this place any Regall Potency or Soâ—â—raignty For this euen from the beginning he had according to that of the Psalme 2. I am appointed king by him ouer Sion his Holy Hill And in another place He shall rule from sea to sea and from the Riuer euen to the ends of the world Psal 71. And Esay sayth cap. 9 A litle one is horne to vs and a sonne is giuen to vs whose Principality is vpon his shoulder And Ieremy cap. 23. I will rayse vp Dauid a Iust branch and he shall reigne a king and shal be wise and he shall do iudgement and iustice vpon the earth And Zacharias cap. 9. Reioyce greatly O daughter of Sion make iubilation O daughter of Ierusalem Behold thy king will come to thee the iust and Sauiour himselfe poore and
his death he entred into the ioy of his Lord. From this then we may learne that no man ought to despaire of his Saluation seing this poore man who came into the Vineyard almost at the last hower receaued the revvard vvith those who came at the first Contrariwise the other Thiefe that humane infirmity might more appeare tooke no correption or admonishment from that notable Charity of Christ who prayed for his Crucifiers in so louing a manner neither from his owne proper punishment nor from the counsell and example of his fellow nor from the vnaccustomed darknes and cleauing of the stones nor from the Example of those who after Christ was dead returned back beating knocking their Breasts All vvhich things did fall out after the Conuersion of the good Thiefe that from thence we might be instructed that the one Thiefe without these helps could be conuerted the other with all the samâ— could not or rather would not But thou wilt heere demaund why God did inspire and giue the grace of Conuersion to the one Thiefe and did not inspire it to the other I answere that sufficient Grace vvas not wanting to either And if the one of them did perish he perished through his owne fault if the other vvas conuerted he was conuerted through the Grace of God but not without the cooperation of his owne free will But thou will reply Why did not God giue to both the Theeues that efficacious Grace which is not refused and reiected euen of hard and stony Harts This belongeth to the secrets of God the which it becommeth vs to admire but not to search into since it is sâ—fficient for vs to know that there is no Iniquity with God as the Apostle speaketh and that the Iudgments of God may be secret but iniust they cannot be as S. Austin teacheth It behoueth vs rather to learne from this proceeding of God not to deferre or prolong our Conuersion till the end of our Life Since though it happen to one man to find the Grace of God at the last hovver yet to another it falleth out to find Iudgment And iâ— any man will reuolue or looke ouer Histories and obserue the daily euents and chances he shall certainly find them to be very few vvho haue fortunatly and happily passed out of this World if so they liued wickedly throughout the vvhole course of their life but rather after their life negligently led haue bene sent to euerlasting Punishment As on the contrary most few can be numbred who haue liued piously and saintly and yet haue perished vnhappily and miserably but many may be rekoned who after a vertuous and godly life haue arriued to sempiternall ioyes Certainly they are ouer bold and ouer rash who in a matter so much importing to wit life Euerlasting or torments euerlasting dare defer to remaine in deadly and mortall sinne but one day since they may be receaued and depriued of this present life euery moment and that after death there is no more place left for Pennance and no Redemption in Hell Of the third fruite of the second Word CHAP. VII THe third fruit of the same Sentence of our Lord may be gathered from that if one will consider that ther were three Persons crucified in the same place at the same houre One that was Innocent to wit Christ an other Penitent the good Thiefe the third obstinate and obdurate in his sinnes the bad Thiefe Or otherwise we may say There were three Persons crucified at one time Christ who was euer excelleÌ„tly good One Thiefe euer notoriously wicked Another Thiefe who was sometimes wicked sometymes holy From this now vve may inferre that no man in this life can liue without his Crosse and that those labour in vaine vvho hope and endeauour to auoyde the same but those are wise who receaue their Crosse from â—he hand of our Lord do suffer the same euen till death not only patiâ—ntly but also resignedly and â—â—llingly That all good and Vertuous men are to haue their Crosses appeareth from those words of our Lord Math. 16. Yf any man will come after me let him deny himselfe and take vp his Crosse and follow me And in another place He that doth not beare his Crosse and come after me cannot be my Disciple Luc. 14. The which point the Apostle clearely teacheth saying 2. Tim 3. All who will liue godly in Christ Iesus shall suffer persecution To whom are concordant the holy Fathers both Latin and Greeke For greater breuity I will insist only in two S. Austin who writeth Vita ista c. This life is a litle Tribulation Yf it be not a tribulation it is not a peregrination but if it be a peregrination either thou litle louest thy Country or without doubt thou sufferest Tribulation in Psal 137. And the same Father in another place Si putas te c. If thou be persuaded that as yet thou hast suffered no tribulation then thou hast not begun to be a Christian in Psal 11. S. Iohn Chrysostome thus accordeth with the former Father A Christiani vita c. Tribulation is an indissoluble bond from the life of a Christian hom 67. ad Pop. And againe Non potest dicere c. Thou canst not alledge any one who is exempt from tribulation because he is Iust. hom 29. in Ep. ad Heb. To conclude the force of Reason manifestly euicteth this point Things coÌ„trary without a mutuall concertation and fight cannot stand togeather Fier and Water so long as they remayne in seuerall remote places rest quiet and without iarring But when they meet together then instantly the Water begins to euaporate and send forth smoke to leape as it were and to make a noyse vntill either the water be spent and consumed or the fire extinguished Ecclesiasticus sayth cap. 33. Contra malum bonum est contra mortem vira Sic contra virum iustum Peccator Against Euill is good against death Lyfe so also against â—â—iust man is a sinner Iust men are like to fire they shyne they burne they ascend high whatsoeuer they do they do it efficaciously vigorously and sparkily Buâ— the Iniust resemble Water they are could they â—â—de vpon the earth causing in euery place dirt filth What vvonder then is it if all good men do suffer persecution at the hands of the Wicked But because euen to the consummation of the World the wheate and the Darnell shall grow in the same fiâ—ld the chaffe and the Corne in the same Barne good and bad Fish in the same Net that is Vertuous wicked men not only in the same World but euen in the same Church therefore it cannot be otherwise but that vertuous and holy men shall receaue from the wicked and impious Iniuries and Tribulations But neither the wicked do liue in this world voyde and exempt from the Crosse For although they do not suffer persecution from the Iust yet they do suffer from other wicked men they suffer
contumely would haue his owne Mother and his Disciple whom he loued to be present and to stand neere to the Crosse that so the griefe of the Compassion of his owne friends might giue an increase to the griefe of his Passion Christ being vpon the Crosse resembled as it were foure fountaines of Bloud abundantly streaming For his will and pleasure was that his owne Bl. Mother his beloued disciple Mary the sister of his Mother and Mary Magdalene who most ardently aboue all other VVomen loued him should be present at his death that from them foure fouÌ„taines of teares should burst out so as he should be almost no more troubled at the effusion of his owne bloud then he was at that copious showre of teares which the griefe of them then present did extort and force from their eyes and Haâ—ts It seemes to me that I heare Christ saying The sorrowes of death haue compassed me Psal 17. For that sword foretold of good old Simeon which should pierce the soule of my most innocent Mother with incredible griefe and anxiety doth euen wound my hart But o bitter death doest thou separate not only the soule from the body but also the mother from such a Sonne Therefore dolour would not suffer me to say Mother but VVoman behould thy Sonne God so loued the World that for the redeeming therof he was content to giue his only begotten Sonne and the Sonne so loued the Father as that for his honour he was ready to shed powre out his owne most precious bloud And not being content only with the dolour of his Passion he added thereto the dolour of Compassion that so he might become a most abundant satisfaction for our sinnes Therefore from hence it appeareth that both the Father and the Sonne do commend their Charity to vs after an ineffable manner that thereby we may not perish but that we may obtaine life euerlasting And yet mans hart doth hitherto resist so great a Charity maketh choyce rather to try the wrath and indignation of the Omnipotent liuing God then once to tast the sweetnes of Mercy to yield to the Charity of diuine Loue. Verily we are most vngratefull worthy of all punishment that since Christ loued vs with such an ardeÌ„t affection as that he was content to suffer for vs much more then necessity vrged From whereas one drop of his bloud was sufficient for our Redemption he neuerthelesse would spend it all and suffer innumerable other punâ—shments besides And yet notwithstanding all this we are loath and forbearing for his loue and for our owne health and good of our soule to endure and suffer euen so much as is but needefull The cause or source of so great a sluggines and madnes is in that we do not ponder and meditate on the Passion and Charity of Christ with that serious introuersioÌ„ of mind with whâ—ch we â—ught and that we do not appoint or designe times and places soâ—ting to so great a busines but only read or heare the passion of Christ briefly negligently and cursorily Therefore the holy Prophet admonisheth vs saying Thren 1. Behould see if there be any griefe like to my griefe And the Apostle sayth Thinke vpon him who endured of sinners such contradiction against himselfe that you be not wearied fainting in your minds Hebr. 12. But the tyme shall hereafter come when fruitlesly and in vaine we shall repent our selfs of so great ingratitude towards God and of supine negligence of our owne Saluation There are many who at the last day repenting and sighing for anguish of spirit shall say The sunne of Iustice hath not shined to vs. Sap. 5. Neither shall they first then begin thus to lament but before the day of IudgmeÌ„t I meane that as soone as they shall shut and close the eyes of their body by death the eyes of their soule shal be opened to them and then they shall see those things the which when time and oportunity was they would not once behould Of the second fruite of the third Word CHAP. X. AN other fruit growing from the roote of this VVord may be taken from the Consideration of the mistery of the three Women which stoode neere vnto the Crosse of our Lord. For Mary Magdalene did beare the person of the Penitents therin of those who did begin to serue God In Mary of Cleophas may be figured the state of those who do go on forward and profit in Vertue In Mary the Mother of Christ and a Virgin may be personated the state of those vvho are Perfect with whom we may deseruedly ioyne S. Iohn who was a Virgin and was vvithin a short tyme to become Perfect if at that present he were not All these and only these are found to stand neere vnto the Crosse of our Lord for those who liue in state of sinne and neuer thinke of doing any pennance for their wicked liues stand far off from the Crosse which is the scale or ladder to Heauen Furthermore all those not without cause stand neere vnto the Crosse who need the ayde of him that was crucified for such as be Penitents and Beginners in the way of Iustice do wage Warre with Vices and Concupiscences and stand greatly in need of the assistance of Christ our Captaine that they may be encouraged to fight whiles they behould him combatâ—ing with the Old Serpent and not descending from the Crosse vntill most happily he had triumphed ouer him For thus doth the Apostle speake to the Collossians cap. 2. He spoyled the Principalities and Powers leading them confidently in open shew and triumphing ouer them in himselfe And a litle before Fastening to the Crosse the hand-writing of the Decree which was against vs. Those who do profit in the way of our Lord signified by Mary of Cleophas who was a Woman maried and brought forth sonnes which were called â—he Brethren of Christ do also need the help of the Crosse lest otherwise the cares and anxieties of this world with the which they are necessarily entangled do choke the good seede or that they labouring by night do catch nothing Therefore such Persons ought to goe on forward in spirituall profit and to behould Christ vpon the Crosse who not satisfying himselfe with those good works being many and great which before he had done would by the meanes of the Crosse proceed to works of a higher Nature from whence he would not descend till he had ouercome and put to fight his Enemy For nothing is more deadly or domageable to those who are in progresse of Vertue then to become wearie in their course and to cease to goe forward since as S. Bernard sayth Ep. ad Garinum In via Virtutis non progredi regredi est In the way of Vertue not to goe forward is to goe backward who putteth the example of the Lader of Iacob vpon which all do ascend or descend but not any doe stand still To conclude those who are in state of Perfection liuing
she stood neere vnto the Crosse full of all constancy and spirituall resolution looking without any shew of impatience vpon her Sonne then suffering She did not fall vpon the Earth halfe dead as some do imagine she did not teare the hayre from her Heade she did not after a womanish manner bewaile and crye out but she entertained welcomed with all eauennesse and serenity of mind what was to be tollerated as proceeding from the good pleasure and Will of God She greatly loued the flesh of her sonne she more loued the honour of the Father saluation of the World which two points the Sonne himselfe did more loue then the safety and health of his owne Body Furthermore the assured Fayth of the Resurrection of her Sonne to be after the third day of the which she neuer doubted did so animate her and minister new spirits of Constancy as that she did not â—tand in need of humane Consolation For she knew well that the death of her Sonne was like vnto a most short sleepe according to that of the Prophet I haue slept and haue bene at rest and I haue risen vp because our Lord hath taken me Psal 3. All good pious Christians ought to imitate this Example I meane they ought to loue their Children but not to prefer them in loue before God who is the Father of all and who loueth them better and in a more perfect manner then we know how to loue And first ChristiaÌ„s ought to loue their Sonnes with a manly prudent loue not boulstering or encouraging them when they do euill but bringing them vp in the feare of God and correcting them not only with words but euen with strokes if either they offend God or neglect their studies and learning For this is the will of God reuealed in the Holy Scriptures as Ecclesiasticus speaketh cap. 7. Hast thou children Instruct them and bow them from their childhood And we read of Toby that he taught his Sonne from his infancy to feare God and to abstaine from all sinne And the Apostle Ephes 6. admonisheth Fathers that they do not prouoke their Children to anger but do bring them vp in discipline correction of our Lord that is that they vse them not as seruants but as freemen For those who beare themselues ouer seuerely and austerely towards their Children continually checking or striking them for the least fault do treate them as bondslâ—ues so causing them either to be of a base and dâ—iected disposition or els to fly away from their Parents Now those who are ouer indulgâ—nt do make their Children wicked nourishing bringing them vp not for the kingdome of God but for Hell The true way for the education of Children is that Parents do instruct them in discipline so as they may learne willingly and promptly to obey their Parents and maisters and when they do erre and offend that they do correct them paternally that so the Sonnes may vnderstand themselues to be chastized out of Loue not out of Hate Furthermore if so it shall please God to call any of them to the Clergy or to some religious Order let not the Parents resist so good a resolution for feare they may resist God who is the first Father of all men but let them say with holy Iob. Our Lord gaue and our Lord hath taken away The name of our Lord be blessed To conclude if children be taken from their Parents by vntimely death the which thing did câ—iâ—fly happen to the Blessed Virgin let them consider ponder the iudgments of God who often taketh some out of this World by death to preuent that malice and sinne do not change their good and vertuous mind and so perish eternally Certainely if Parents did sometymes know â—pon what counsell and inducements G d thus worketh they vvould not oâ—ly not bewayle the death of their Câ—â—ldâ—â—n but they would euen reioâ—ce thereaâ— And if the fayth hope of the Râ—surrection did feelingly and liuely worke in vs as it did in our B. Lady we should no more grieue when any of our sonnes or friends do dye before they arriue to old age then when any of them begin to sleep before it be night since the death of a faythfull and pious man is a kind of sleepe as the Apostle admonisheth vs saying 1. Thess 4. I will not haue you ignorant concerning them that sleep that you be not sorrowfull as others are that haue no Hope Heere he mentioneth rather Hope then faith because he speakeâ—h not of euery Resurrection but of a blessed and glorious Resurrection which leadeth to true lyfe and such was the Reâ—urrection of Christ That man therefore who firmely belieueth that there shal be a Resurrection of the flesh and hopeth that his Sonne taken away by immatuâ—e death shall after rise to glory hath no reason of griefe but rather of ioy because the health of his sonnes Soule is placed in great security and safty I heere come to the duty of a Sonne towards Parents the which Christ dying performed in a most full and ample manner toward his Mother It is the duty of children to render mutuall duty to their parents 1. Tim. 5. Now Sonns do render mutuaâ—l duty to their parents when they procure all things necessary for their parents being in age Euen as the Parents haue prouided for their children being yong or not able to get things touching dyet or apparell Christ therefore did commit the charge of his mother growing aged and hauing not any one to take care of her after the death of her Sonne to S. Iohn adopting him as it were for her Sonne saying to her Behould thy Sonne to S. Iohn Behold thy Mother Now heâ—re our Lord accomplished the function of a Sonne most fully towards his Mother and this seuerall wayes For first he assigned to her a Sonne who being of the same age with Christ or rather a yeare yonger was most fitting to vndergo the charge and care of the Mother of our Lord. He furthermore out of the twelue Apostles made choice of him to this incumbency and labour whome our Lord himselfe chiefly loued and of whome he also did know himselfe to be greatly againe beloued therefore he might well repose greater confidence and trust in him touching his diligence towards his Mother Againe our Lord assigned him whome he knew was to liue very many yeares and therefore without any doubt to ouer liue his Mother To conclude our Lord was not wanting in his duty to his Mother euen at that tyme when his thoughts were to be busied touching his owne anxieties and dolours For at that tyme a man might probabâ—y thinke that his cogitations were only fixed vpon the suffering of his corporall dolours and iniuries of his enemies and in tasting the most better cup of his neare approching death so as he could not turne his thoughts to any other affaires Neuertheles his charity towards his mother ouercame him and so litle regarding his
compunction For who euer did inuocate her in the Night tyme and was not heard of Her Let the Reader peruse those things which we haue written of Innocentius the third in the second booke and nynth Chapter Of the mourning of the Doue Now from all this aboue set downe it is euidently collected That of the signes of Election to Glory a singular deuotion borne to the Mother of God the most B. Virgin is not the last For it should seeeme that he cannot perish eternally of whom it is said to the B. Virgin by Christ Behould thy Sonne So as that man doth not heare with a deafe care what Christ shall say to him Behould thy Mother The End of the first Booke OF THE SEAVEN WORDS OF CHRIST spoken vpon the Crosse THE SECOND BOOKE The fourth Word to wit Deus Deus meus vt quid dereliquisti me my God my God why hast thou forsaken me Matth. 27. is litteraly explaned CHAP. I. IN the former Booke we haue explicated the three first words which our Lord pronounced froÌ„ the chaire of the Crosse about the sixt houre when but a litle before he was nayled to the Crosse We will in this second Booke expound the other foure Words which our sayd Lord after the darknes of three houres from the same Chayre and most neere to his death did with a great and feruerous voice pronounce But it seemeth expedient first briefly to declare what kind of darknes that was how it was occasioned and to what end it was directed The mention of which darknes happened betweene the vttering of the former three Words and the foure other Words heerafter to be discoursed of For thus S. Matthew speaketh cap. 27. From the sixt houre there was darknes made vpoÌ„ the whole earth vntill the nynth houre And about the ninth houre Iesus cryed with a mighty voyce Eli Eli Lamma-sabacthani That is my God my God why hast thou forsaken me That this darknes was occasioned through the defect Eclips of the Sun S. Luke expressely expressely obserueth saying Et obscuratus est sol and the sun was darkned But now three dâ—fficulties are in this place to be discussed and solued for first the Sunn is accustomed to suffer Eclipse of its light in the New moone when the moone is found to be betweene the Sunne and the earth the which could not be at the time of the death of Christ seeing the moone at that tyme was not in coniunction with the Sunne which falleth out in the new moone but was in the opposition which happeneth in the full moone For all that tyme the Pascha or Feast of Easter was celebrated by the Iewes which according to the Law began vpon the foureteenth day of the first Month. Againe admitting that at the PassioÌ„ of Christ the Moone had beene in coniunction with the Sunne yet from hence it followeth not that there could be darknes for the space of three houres that is from the sixt houre to the nynth since the Eclipse of the Sunne cannot continue long especially if it be a full Eclipse and such as may hide the whole Body of the Sunne so as the obscurity of it may be accounted darknes For the moone is more swift in motion then the sunne in regard of the moones proper motion and consequently can darken the sunne but for a very short tyme. For the Moone instantly doth begin to goe backe and leaueth the sunne free that so it may illuminate the Earth with its accustomed light splendour To conclude it can neuer so fall out that through the coniunction of the Moone the sunne should leaue the whole Vniuersall Earth in darknes For the Moone is lesser then the sunne yea then the Earth therfore it cannot by the interposition of its Body so couer the whole Sunne as that the Vniuersall Earth should be left in darknes Now if any heere should obiect say that the Euangelist speaking of the Vniuersall Earth meaneth only of the vniuersall Earth of Palestines and not of the vniuersall Earth absolutely This Obiection may easely be refelled by the testimony of S. Dionysius Areo pagita who in his Epistle to S. Policarpe testifieth that himselfe did see that defection of the sunne and most horrible darknes in the Citty of Heliopolis which is in Egypt And Phlegon a Greeke Historian and a Gentil cited by Origen and Eusebius maketh intention of this Eclips of the sunne saying lib. 2. Quarto anno ducentesima secundae Olympiadis c. In the fourth yeare of the two hundred and second Olympiade a great and notorious defection of the Sunne in comparison of all others which afore had hapned was made for the day at the sixt hower was so turned into darknes and to an obscure night as that the stars in Heauen were then seene Now this Historiographer did not write in Iudaea as all affirme The same Wounder is testifiedâ— by Lucianus the Martyr saying â—erquirite in Annalibus vestris c. Reuolue your Annals and you shall find that the day was interrupted with darknes in the tymes of Pilate the sunne abandoning the Earth These words of S. Lucian are related by Ruffinus in hist. Eccl. Euseb In fine Tertullian Paulus Orosius and all others touching this Eclypse do speake of all the parts coasts of the World and not only of Iudaea But these difficulties may easely be explicated For first where it is said in the beginning that the Eclypse of the sunne is accustomed to be in the New moone only not in the full moone this is true when a Naturall defect of the light of the sunne happeneth But at the death of Christ the defect of the sunne was vniuersall and prodigious which could be wrought only by him who made the sunne the Moone Heauen and Earth For S. Dionysius writeth in the place aboue noted that the Moone was seene by himselfe and by Apollophanes about the midtyme of the day after an vnaccustomed most swift motion to come to the Sunne and lying vnder it there remained after this maÌ„ner vntill the ninth hower and then returned backe towards the Orient to its owne place To that which is added aboue to wit that the defect of the sunnes light could not so remaine for the space of three Howers as that during all that tyme the Earth should be in darknes it may be answered hereto that this is true if we speake of a naturall and vsuall defect of the sunne But this Eclypse of the sunne was not gouerned by the lawes or setled course of Nature but by the Will of the Omnipotent Creatour who as he could bring the moone after a wonderfull manner from the East in a most rapid and swift motion to the sunne and after three howers ended could bring it back to its owne place in the Orient so also was of power to cause that the moone should remaine immoueable vnder the sunne for those three howers and that it should not mooue either more slowly or more
naturally be because at that time being the Pascha of the Iewes the moone was found to be opposite to the Sunne and therfore it fâ—llovveth that that Eclypse vvas vvrought vvithout any interposition of the moone or that through an vnvsuall and an astonishing Miracle the moone did moue as much in fevv houres as at other times it vvas to moue in fourteene dayes and againe that vvith the like miracle it returned backe vvith so great svviftnes that in the space of ree houres it performed its motion of fourteene dayes Novv those cuâ—nts vvhich proceed from the Celestiall Orbes cannot be accoÌ„plished but by God since the povver of the diueâ—s is limited vnder the moone and therefore the Apostle calleth the diuell The Prince of the Power of this ayre Eph. 2. The Eclypse could not be occasioned after the second manner because as vve haue said aboue a thick and grosse cloude is not of force to take from vs the sight of the Sunne except vvith all it take from vs the sight of the Starres But it is euident from the testimony of Phlegon that the Sunne vvanting its light at the Passion of Christ starres vvere seene in Heauen after the same manner as they are seen in the night Touching the third maÌ„ner it is indisputrbly most true and acknovvledged that the beames of the Sunne could not be dravvne backe or extinguished but only by the Power of God who created the sunne From all this it then followeth that this second Verity is no lesse irrefragable and certaine then the first neither can it be impugned with lesse temerity and want of Iudgment then the first 3. The third Verity is that that daâ—knes of which we in this place do speake was occasioned by reason of the Crucifixion and Passion of Christ and did proceed from the diuine Prouidence This Truth taketh its demoÌ„stration from the tyme this darknes continued in the Ayre for it continued as long as Christ our Lord did hang aliue vpon the Crosse that is from the sixt hower vntill the ninth This is witnessed by all those who haue made meÌ„tion of this defection of the sunne Neither can it be ascribed to chance that this darknes full of Miracles could casually happen to be at the Passion of Christ since Miracles are not wrought by chance but by diuine Prouidence Neither hath there bene any Authour that I know that euer would attempt to ascribe this so wonderfull an Eclyps to any other cause For those who did know Christ did confesse this Miracle to be wrought for his sake and such as did not acknowledge Christ remayned astonished at it confessing their ignorance of the cause thereof 4. The fourth Verity is that this so prodigious a darknes could intimate and signify no other thing but that the Sentence of Caiphas and Pilate was most iniust and that Iesus was the true proper Sonne of God and the true Messias promised to the Iewes For this was the chiefest and most vrging cause why the Iewes thirsted after and plotted the death of Christ For in the Councell of the High Priest Scribes Pharisyes when the high Priest discerned that the testimonies produced against Christ preuayled not nor proued any thing he rose vp and said Matth. 26. Adiuro te per Deum viuum c. I adiure thee by the liuing God that thou tell vs if thou be Christ the Sonne of God But Christ consâ—nâ—ing thereto and confessing himselfe so to be the high Priest rent his garments saying He hath blasphemed what need we any further witnes Behould you haue heard the blasphemy what thinke you And they answering said He is guilty of death And againe in the presence of Pilate who coueted to free our Lord from death the High Priests and Ministers said we haue a law and according to the law he ought to dye because he had made himselfe the Sonne of Cod. Ioan. 19. This therefore was the chiefest cause why our Sauiour was condemned to the Crosse Which very Point was prophesied by Daniel saying occidetur Christus c. Christ shall he slaine and it shall not be his People that shall deny him Dan. 9. And this was the maine motiue why God at the Passion of Christ did power downe such dreadfull darknes vpoÌ„ the world that thereby it might be most abundantly witnessed the High Priests to haue erred the People to haue erred Pilate to haue erred Herod to haue erred and him who hanged vpon the Crosse to be the true Sonne of God and the Messias who was promised The truth whereof the Centurion obseruing the Heauenly signes wounders testifyed in those words Verè filius Dei erat iste Indeed this was the Sonne of God Matt. 27. And againe Inded this man was iust Luc. 23. For the Centurion did know that those celestiall and astonishing Prodigies were as it were the Voyce of God retracting and condemning the Sentence of Caiphas and Pilate and affirming that that man contrary to all Iustice was deliuered ouer to death seing he was the Authour of Life the true Sonne of God and Christ promised in the Law For what other thing could that Darknes being accoÌ„pained with the cleauing of the stones renting of the veyle of the Sanctuary import but that God was auerted from a People before his that he was highly offended in that the People did not know the tyme of their Visitation Luc. 19. Certainly if the Iewes did maturely consider these things and withall obserue that they are euen from that tyme dispersed and scattered among many Nations not hauing any King or High Priest or Altars or Sacrifices or diuine Miracles or the Answers of Prophets among them they would clerrely perceaue themselues to be abandoned and forsaken by God and which is far more miserable to be deliuered ouer into a reprobate sense and that to be accomplished and fulfilled in them which Esay did prophecy when he introduced our Lord thus speaking Goe and thou shalt tell this People Heare you that heare and vnderstand not and see a Vision and know it not Blind the hart of this People and make their eares heauy and shut their eyes lest perhaps they might see with their Eyes and heare with their eares and vnderstand with their Hart and be conuerted and I heale them Isa 6. Of the fifth fruite of the fourth Word CHAP. VI. IN the first three words or Sentences Christ our Maister did recommend vnto vs three notable Vertues Charity to our Enemies Mercy to the Miserable and Piety or duty to our Parents In the foure following Words he exhorts vs to foure Vertues not more worthy then the former but to vs no lesse necessarie to wit Humility Patience Perseuerance and Obedience Touâ—hing Humility It may be truly called the Vertue of Christ since there is no mention made thereof in the Writings of the Wisemen of this World for Christ throughout the whole course of his life did really in his actions practise this Vertue and furthermore professeth
But before we discourse of the Necessity of Patience it is needfull that we distinguish betweene true and false Patience Well then that is true Patience which commandeth vs to suffer the Euill of payne or punishment to the end we may not be forced to suffer the Euill of Fault or sinne Such was the patieÌ„ce of the Martyrs who made choyce rather to vndergoe the torments of their Persecutours then to yeald vnto an abnegation of their Fayth in Christ and to suffer the losse of all their temporall goods then â—o exhibite worship and honour to false Gods But counterfaite and false Patience is that which persuadeth a man to suffer all Euills and Inconueniences thereby to giue satisfaction to the Law of Concupiscence and to loose euerlasting Goods for the conseruation of temporall and momentary Such is the Patience of the Martyrs of the Deuill so to style them who easily endure hunger thirst cold heate the losse of their reputation and good name and which is more to be admired the losse of the Kingdome of Heauen that so they may increase and heape together Riches may glut and satisfy their owne Carnality and aspire to certaine steps and degrees of Honour Now this is incident and peculiar to true Patience to perfect and conserue all Vertues And this is that which S. Iames euen preacheth in the prayse of Patience saying cap. 1. Patience hath a perfect worke that you may be perfect and entire failing in nothing For other Vertues in regard of their difficulty except they be supported and gouerned with Patience cannot subsist or continue long but when they are accompained with Patience they easely commaund and ouer-rule all opposition and resistance whatsoeuer For Patience doth conuert and maketh crooked things straight and rough wayes plaine Isa 42. And this is so indisputably true that S. Cyprian thus discourseth of Charity the Queene of Vertues Serm. de Patientia Charitas fraternitatis c. Charity is the bond of fraternity the foundation of Peace the knitting togeather of Vnity It is greater then Fayth or Hope It euer goeth before martyrdome It shall euer remaine in vs with God in the Heauenly kingdome Yet spoyle and depriue it of Patience it becomes desolate and endures not take from it the vertue of sustaining and tolerating and then you do pull it quite vp by the roote The which very point I meane the necessity of Patience the same S. Cyprian more easily proueth to be in Chastity Iustice and Peace with our neighbours for thus he heerof discourseth Let thy Patience be strong immoueable in thy hart let not thy sanctifyed Body and Temple of the Holy Ghost be polluted with adultery neither let thy Innocency deuoted to Iustice be contaminated with any contagion of deceyt nor after thou hast receaued the most reuerend Eucharist let thy hand be dishonoured with the sword or imbrued in bloud Ibid. Thus this Doctour who intimateth from a contrary sense that Chastity without the support of Patience is not able to resist Adultery nor Iustice can be voide of fraud nor the taking of the Eucharist can free a man from Homicide This which S. Iames aboue teacheth touching the vertue of Patience is also taught in other words by the Prophet Dauid by Christ himselfe and by the Apostle Dauids wordes are these Psal 9. The patience of the poore shall neuer perish Beacuse it is a perfect worke and in this respect its reward shall not consume or wast away Patience also is said not to perish because it is recompenced for all eternity in regard of its fruite after this manner we are accustomed to say that the labours of a Husbandman doe perish when they beare no fruite and not perish when they beare fruite Now the word Poore is heer added because in this place it signifyeth one that is humble who acknowledgeth himselfe to be poore and that he cannot eyther doe or suffer any thing without the concurrency and ayde of God and thus is this point expounded by S Austin lib. de patient cap. 15. Neither only the poore but the rich and such as do abound with affluency of temporall wealth may haue the vertue of patience so that they do not confide and trust in their riches but in God of whome as being truly poore in all diuine guifts they pray for Patience and obtaine it This said point our Lord himselfe signifyed when he sayd in the Ghospell Luc. 21. In your patience you shall possesse your soules For he onely doth truly enioy his soule that is his lyfe of which no man can be bereaued who will tollerate patiently all afflictions yea the very death of the body so that he sinneth not against God For although by dying he may seeme to loose lyfe yet he looseth it not but keeps and reserues it for all Eternity Since the death of the iust is not death but a sleep and a very short sleep But those who are impatient that so they loose not the lyfe of the Body feare not to sinne eyther by apostating and denying of Christ worshipping of Idols by becomming a prey to sensuality or by perpetrating any wickednes whatsoeuer these men seeme indeed for the time to preserue lyfe but they loose eternall lyfe both of Body and soule And as it is said of those who are truly patient Not one hayre of your head shall perish Luc. 25. So to the impatient it may be said not one member of your Body shal be free froÌ„ the incendious heats and burning of Hell To conclude this forsaid point the Apostle confirmeth saying Heb. 10 Patience is necessary for you that doing the will of God you may receaue the Promise Where we see that the Apostle plainly pronounceth that Patience is wholy necessary to vs that thereby we may alwayes do the Will of God and by doing it may receaue the Promise that is the Crowne of Glory which God hath promised for them that loue him and keep his Commandements Iac. 1. For we read Yf any loue me he will keep my Words He that loueth me not keepeth not my Words Ioan. 14. Thus vve obserue the whole Scripture cohering and agreing in it selfe to preach to all the faithfull the necessity of Patience And this is the Cause why Christ going out of this life would testify to all men his inuisible most bitter and most long suffering of thirst that we being moued with so great an Example should be inflamed to keep Patience in all our Afflictions That this thirst of Christ was a most vehement paine we haue aboue shewed in the explication of the word Sitio That it continued for a long tyme it may be easily made euident And that we may begin from the scourging of Christ when Christ was whipped he was then already spent and wearied through prolixity of Prayer through his Agony effusion of bloud in the garden Also he was much tired with iourneys which that night and the day following he made As from the Garden to
should be wanting thereto and that he might leaue after him a most admirable Example of Perseuerance Truly it is an easy matter to perseuer and continue in sweet places and in doing pleasing Actions but to persâ—uer and constantly to remaine long in labour and dolour is most difficult But if we did know what induced Christ to perseuer vpon the Crosse perhaps our selfes would learne to beare our Crosse perseuerantly yea if it were lawfull to hang vpon it euen vntill death If a man do cast his eyes only vpon the Crosse the Instrument of so lamentable a death being but seene it cannot but beget an horrour in his hart But if he looke vp with the eyes not so much of his body as of his soule towards him who commandeth vs to beare the Crosse and towards the place whither the Crosse leadeth and to the fruit or benefit which the said Crosse produceth then it is not a thing hard or vngratefull but easy pleasant to perseuer in kissing of the Crosse and perseuerantly to hang vpon the Crosse What therefore moued Christ so incessantly without complaining to hang vpon the Crosse euen vntill death The first cause heerof was che loue towards his Father The cup which my Father hath giuen me sayth he wilt not thou that I do drinke it Ioan. 18. Christ did loue his Father with an ineffable loue and with the lyke loue was beloued of him Therefore when Christ did see that cup to be prepared for him by his most good louing Father he could not in any sort suspect but that it was giuen to him for a most happy end and to him most glorious Was it then any strange thing if he did drinke vp all the cup most willingly Furthermore the Father made a mariadge for his Sonne and espoused to him the Church but then bespotted and wrinkled the which neuerthelesse if he would diligently wash in the hoate bath of his bloud he should easily make it to be glorious Not hauing eyther spot or wrinkle Ephes 5 Therefore Christ loued his spouse giuen to him by his Fatherâ— in regard whereof it was not painefull to him to wash away all her spots with his bloud that so she might appeare beautifull and glorious For iâ— Iacob for the loue of Rachel laboured seauen yeares in looking vnto the flooke and sheep of Laban so as he was almost consumed away with heate and frost and want of sleep and if those so many yeares seemed to him but a few dayes in respect of the greatnes of his loue Gen 2. I say if Iacob litle prized the labour and toyle of seaâ—en yeares for one Rachel what wonder then is iâ— if the Sonne of God would perseuer continue three houres vpon the Crosse for his Spouse the Church which was to beâ—ome mother of many thousand holy Sonnes of God To conclude Christ did not respect only the loue of his Father and of his Spouse when he was ready to drinke the cup of his Passion but also he had a regard to that most eminent glory and greatnes of Ioy neuer to be ended â—o the which he was to ascend by the meanes and instrumeÌ„t of the Crosse according to that sentence of his Apostle Philip. 1. He humbled himselfe made obedient to death euen the death of the Crosse For the which thing God also hath exalted him and hath giuen him a Name which is aboue all Names that in the Name of Iesus euery knee shall bow of things in Heauen in earth and vnder the Earth We may adioyne to the Example of Christ the Example of the Apostles Saint Paul reckoning the Crosses of himselfe and of the other Apostpostles thus contesteth Rom. 8. Who then shall separate vs from the Charity of Christ Tribulation or distresse or Famine or Nakednes or Danger or Persecution or the Sword As it is written for we are killed for thy sake all the day we are esteemed as sheepe for the slaughter And then the Apostle answereth But in all these things we haue ouercome because of him that hath loued vs. Thus the Apostles during their continuing in their punishments had not their eyes so much fixed vpon the punishments as vpon the loue of God who loued vs and gaue his Sonne for vs. In like sort they had respect to Christ himselfe Who loued vs gaue himselfe for vs. The same Apostle writing to the Corinthians sayth I am replenished with consolation I do exceedingly abound in ioy in all our Tribulation 2. Cor. 7. But from whence commeth so great coÌ„soâ—ation from whence so great ioy as that it almost taketh away the sense and feeling of Tribulation The Apostle answereth to this demaund in an other place saying Because that our tribulation which is momentary and light worketh aboue measure exceedingly an eternall weight of glory in vs 2. Cor. 4. Therefore the Contemplation of eternall glory which he did place before the eyes of his mynd was the cause why tribulation did appeare to him to be but momentary and light Has cogitationes c. sayth S. Cyprian VVhat persecution can ouercome these thoughts what torments are able to daunt them l. de mart To all this may be referred the Example of S. Andrew who beheld the Crosse whereupon he hanged two daies not as an vnpleasant Crosse but saluted it as a friend And when the People endeauoured to take him off from thence he would not in any case suffer them but continued hanging thereupon till death Neither was this man imprudent and foolish but most wyse and full of the Holy Ghost Now from these examples of Christ and his Apostles all Christians may learne how they ought to beare themselues when they cannot descend from their Crosse that is when they cannot be freed of their Tribulation without sinne In the number of these are first Regular Persons whose life being tyed to the vowes of Pouerty Chastity and Obedience is reputed like vnto Martyrdome In like sort married Persons when through diuine Prouidence the husband hath gotten a harsh cholerick vnquiet and almost intollerable wyfe or the wyfe hath a husband of a fierce rough disposition and such was the husband of S. Monica as S. Austin witnesseth Againe those that are slaues condemned to perpetuall prison or to the Gallyes In like sort sicke Persons who labour with some incurable disease And poore men vvho cannot aspire to riches but by stealth and thieuery All these and such others in like case if they desire to suffer their Crosse with spirituall ioy and great reward let them not looke vpon the Crosse but vpon him who hath layed the Crosse vpon their shoulders But he doubtlesly was God who is our most louing Father and without whose Prouidence nothing in this world is done Now the pleasure and will of God is best ought to be most gratefull vnto vs. Furthermore all men ought to say with Christ The Cup which my Father hath giuen me will thou not that I should drinke And with the
frequented or intermitted For he that eateth the Body of our Lord vnworthily eateth iudgment to himselfe 1. Cor. 11. That is he eateth condemnation to himselfe And againe He that eateth not the body of our Lord eateth not the bread of lyfe and life it selfe Ioan. 9. Thus vve are brought to straits on ech syde being partly like to those men who suffer extremity of hunger and yet are vncertaine whether that which is brought to them to eate be meate or poyson Therefore with iust reason we say with feare and trembling O Lord I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter into my house except out of thy ineffable goodnes thou wilt make me worthy therefore say the word and my soule shal be healed But because of this I also doubt whether thou wilt vouchsafe to cure my wounds I commend my spirit into thy hands that so in this terrible busines thou mayst be present to my soule which thou hast redeemed with thy precious Bloud Yf men would ponder these things maturely they would not so greedily approach to receaue Priesthood that by daily celebrating they might maintaine their corporal state For such men are not accustomed to be much carefull as they ought to be whether they come with due preparation since their End is rather the meate of the Body then the meate of the Soule There are also many who attend vpon Prelats and Princes who perhaps do not come rightly prepared to this dreadfull table yet they approach to it as drawne through a humane feare least they may displease their Prince or Prelate if at the appointed and accustomed tyme they be not presenâ— among and one of those who are tâ— communicate What â—herefore is to be done It may be it were more profitable to come to that table more rarely Yea but it is more profitable often to frequent that table so it be with reuerence due preparation For by how much one commeth more rarely by so much he is made lesse apt to participate of that Heauenly Table as S. Cyril hath wisely admonished lib. 4. in Ioan c. 17. There now remaineth the tyme of neare approaching or imminent death at what time it is necessary with great feruour of mind frequently and often to repeate and say Into thy haÌ„ds I commend my Spirit thou hast redemed me O Lord God of truth That is the tyme in which the chiefest busines of all is haÌ„dled for if it should so happen that the soule departing out of the Body commeth into the hands of the Deuill there is no hope left of Saluation And contrariwise if it haue its passage to the paternall Hands of God no povver of mans Ghostly Enemy is after to be feared Therefore with an inutterable moaning vvith true and perfect Contrition with a strong fayth and confidence in the infinite mercy of God it is againe and againe to be iterated and repeated Into thy hands O Lord I commend my spirit And because at that instant of tyme those vvho haue led a negligent and carelesse life do suffer no greater temptation then of despayre as if the tyme of Pennance and repeÌ„tance were then past Let such oppose against this temptation the buckler of Fayth since it is written In what day soeuer the sinner shall repent I will not remember his sinnes Ezech. 33. Let them also take the Helmet of Hope which trusteth in the boundles Mercy of God and let them often repeate Into thy hands I commend my spirit neither is that reason which is the foundation of our Hope to be omitted to wit Because thou hast redeemed me O Lord God of Truth For who vvill restore to Christ his innoceÌ„t bloud who vvill repay backe to him the price with which he bought vs For so S. Austin speaketh teaching vs in those words to confide much in our Redemption which is in Iesus Christ which cannot be in vayne and fruitles except our selues do put a barre or hindrance therto through Impenitency or Desperation The third fruite of the seauenth Word CHAP. XXII THe third fruit is placed in that we may learne that death neare approaching we are not much to confide in the Almes-deeds Fastings or the prayers of our kinred friends For there are many vvho during the vvhole course of their lyfe are wholy forgetfull of their soule busiyng their mynds with nothing els but how to leaue their wife children and Kâ—nsfolks rich of great estate But when themselfes come to dye then not before they begin to thinke of their ovvne soule And because they haue distributed and deuided their goods faculties among their forsaid friends they commend the charge of their soules to them that by their meanes their soules might be helped with Almes-deeds Prayers masses and other good workes Christ did not teach vs this by his example since he commended his soule not to his kinsmen but to his Father Neyther doth S. Peter admonish vs that we should commend our soules to our Children or kinsfolkes but to the faythfull Creatour by good deedes 1. Pet. 4. I do not say this as reprehending those who either procure or desire Almes-deedes or sacrifices of the holy masse to be offered vp for them after their death But I much blame those vvho repose too much trust in their Children and kinsfolkes since daily experience teacheth that they quickly forget their dead Ancestours I further reprehend them because in a matter of so great importance they will not prouide for themselues and that they will not giue and performe the Workes of Charity and Almes-deeds by which they may purchase many friends by whose meanes as we read in the Gospell they may be receaued into the Eternall Tabernacles Luc. 16. I also greatly blame them wâ—o do not obey the Prince of the Apostles commanding vs as is aboue said to commend our soules to our faythfull Creatour and to commend them not only in words but also in good Workes Since good works sent before to God are those which efficaciously and truly commend the soules of Christians to God Let vs heare what voyce sounded from Heauen to S. Iohn Apoc. 4. I heard a voyce from Heauen saying to me Write Blessed are the dead which dye in our Lord from hence now sayth the spirit that they rest from their labours for their works follow them Therefore good works performed by our selfes whilst we liue and not to be done after our death by our Children or kinsfolkes are those which certainly do follow vs especially if those works be of their owne nature not onely good but as S. Peter not without mistery hath expressed for thus he speaketh In bene factis commendent animas suas fideli Creatori let them commendent their soules to their faythfull Creatour by good deeds meaning in works well done For there are many who can number many good Works by them done as many Sermons preached many Masses daily celebrated their howers of prayers for many yeares their fast of Lent continued in like
sort for many yeares their Almes-deeds and those not in number few But when these come to the diuine ballacing examination and are precisely to be discussed whether they were well done to wit with right intentions with due attention in fitting tyme and place proceeding from a man gratefull to God O how many things which did appeare to be gaines to the soule will rather be accounted as losses and detriments vnto it And how many things which seemed in mans iudgment to be gould siluer and precious stones built vpon the foundatiō of fayth will be found to be wood straw which the fire will instantly consume The consideration of this point doth not a litle terrify me by how much I draw more neare to my end for as the Apostle speaketh Heb. 8. That which groweth ancient and waxeth old is nigh vnto vtter decay so much the more euidently I see that the admonition and Counsell of S. Iohn Chrysostome is necessary to me who councels vs not to weigh and prize to much our owne good works because if they be good works indeed that is works vvell piously done they are registred by God in his booke of Accounts and there is no danger that they shal be defrauded of their due reward but let vs daily thinke sayth he of our euill bad works and labour vvith a contrite hart and spirit vvith many teares and serious pennance to wash them away For such men vvho performe his aduise herein shall say at the close and end of their life vvith great confidence and Hope Into thy hands I commend my spirit thou hast redeemed me O Lord God of Truth Of the fourth fruite of the seauen VVord CHAP. XXIII THere followeth the fourth fruite which may be gathered from the most happy hearing of the prayer of our Lord that from so comfortable an Euent all of vs may be much animated and encouraged to commend our spirits to God with greater vehemency and ardour of deuotion For the Apostle did most truly write that our Lord Iesus Christ was heard for his reuerence Heb. 5. Our Lord prayed to his Father for a speedy Resurrection of his Body as aboue we haue shewed His prayer was heard so as his Resurrection was no longer delayed then it was needfull to proue that his Body was truly dead For except it could be infallibly demonstrated that his Body did truly depart out of this lyfe both the Resurrection as also the whole Christian Fayth might be doubted of and called into question Therefore our Sauiour was to remaine in the graue for the space at least of fourty houres especially seeing the figure of Ionas the Prophet was to be accomplished which as our Lord himselfe taught in the Ghospell was to premonstrate and foreshew his death But to the end that the Resurrection of Christ might be accelerated hastened so farre forth as it was cōuenient and that it might be more manifestly proued that the prayer of Christ was heard the diuine Prouidēce would that the three dayes and three nights during which tyme Ionas was in the Belly of the Whale should be reduced in the Resurrection of Christ to one entire and whole day and two parts of two dayes which time not properly but by the figure intellectio might be said to contayne three dayes three nights Neither did the Father heare the prayer of Christ only in shortning the tyme of his Resurrection but also in restoring incomparably a better lyfe then before he enioyed Since the lyfe of Christ before his death was mortall but it is restored to him immortall Christ rising againe from the dead now dieth no more death shall no more haue dominion ouer him as the Apostle speaketh Rom. 6. The lyfe of Christ before his death was passible that is subiect to hunger thirst wearines wounds but being restored impassible it stāds not obnoxious to any iniury The Body of Christ was before death Animale but after the resurrection it became spiritale that is so subiect to the spirit as that in a twinkling of an Eye it might be caryed into any place where the spirit it selfe would Novv the reason why the Prayer of Christ was so easily heard is subioyned by the Apostle when he sayth pro sua reuerentia for his reuerence The Greeke word here vsed to wit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth a reuerentiall feare vvhich was most eminent in Christ tovvards his father Therefore Esay describing the guifts of the Holy Ghost which were in the soule of Christ of other guifts thus sayth The spirit of wisdome and Vnderstanding shall rest vpon him the spirit of Counsell and Strength the spirit of Knowledge and Piety but of reuerentiall Feare the said Prophet thus speaketh And the spirit of the Feare of our Lord shall replenish him Isa 11. Novv because the soule of Christ was most full of reuerentiall Feare towards his Father therefore the Father did take most great pleasure in him according to that we read in S. Matthew This is my beloued sonne in whom I am well pleased Matth. 3. 17. And euen as the Sonne did euer reuerence the Father in a most high degree so did the Father euer heare him praying and granted whatsoeuer he desired Novv from hence may we learne that if vve expect euer to be heard by our heauenly Father and to obtaine whatsoeuer we demaund of him we ought to imitate Christ herin in prosecuting our said heauenly Father with supreme Reuerence and in preferring nothing before his honour For so it wil be effected that whatsoeuer we pray for we shall obtaine and peculiarly that in which consisteth the chiefest good of our state I meane that vvhen death shall approach God may receaue our soule passing out of the Body commended vnto him vvhen the roaring Lyon standeth neere vnto vs as being ready for a prey Neither let any man thinke that Reuerence is exhibited to God only in genuflection or in bovving of the knee in vncouering of the Head or in any other worship and honour of such like nature The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or timor reuerentialis doth not signify only this externall honour but it chiefly denotes a great feare of offending of God and an invvard continual horrour of sinne and this not through dread of punishment but through loue of our Celestiall Father He is truly indued with reuerentiall Feare who dare not thinke of offence or sinne especially mortall sinne Blessed is that man sayth Dauid who feareth our Lord He shall haue great delight in his Commandements That is he truly feareth God and in that respect may be called Blessed who with all bent of Will and Endeauour studies to keep all the Commandement of God And from hence it proceeded that that holy widdow Iudith timebat Dominum valde as we reade in her Booke cap. 8. For she being but a yong Woman and of great beauty and very rich lest she should after the death of her husband either giue
dreadfull But let vs see if the Crosse of the wicked do bring forth any gayne or fruit Doubtlesly it cannot produce any thing that is good since Thornes do not bring forth grapes nor Thisles figs. The yoake of our Lord maketh a man quiet and reposed according to his owne Words Take vp my yoake vpon you and you shall find rest vnto your Soules Matth. 11. But the yoake of the Deuiâ—l which is contrary to the yoake of Christ what can it engender but sollicitude and anxiety And which ballanceth all other respects the Crosse of Christ is a degree or step to euerlasting Happines Ought not Christ to haue suffered these things and so to enter into his glory Luc. 24. Whereas the Crosse of the Deuill affordeth a passage to eternall punishment Goe you into euerlasting fire which was prepared for the Deuill and his Angels Matth. 25. Such men who are carefull of their soules health let them not couet to descend downe from their Crosse if so they be crucified with Christ as the Euill Theefe laboured to doe but rather let them with the good thiefe adhere cleaue willingly to the syde of Christ and let them pray to God that they may obtaine Patience but not a descending from the Crosse For thus suffering together with Christ they shall reigne together with him Si compatimur conglorificabimur Rom. 8. But they who suffer the Crosse of the diâ—â—ll if they wil be carefull of their owne good let them labour in all hast speed to change their Crosse Let them change the fiue yoake of Oxen for one yoake of Christ The fiue yoake of Oxen seeme to signify the labours and molestations which the wicked vndergo thereby to satisfy the pleasure of the fiue Senses But these fiue yoakes are changed for that one sweet and light yoake of Christ when a man doth turne those labours which before he suffered for the committing of sinne through the grace of God into labours and workes of Pennance Happy is that soule which knoweth how to crucify his flesh froÌ„ all vice and concupiscence and what riches or charges he hath heererofore wasted in nourishing and feeding his sensuality so much to bestow after in Almes deeds and what time he hath lost in attending or visiting great Persons or in affecting of Ambition to redeeme the same tyme by spending so much in Prayer reading of deuout Bookes and in seeking the fauour of God and of the Princes of the Heauenly Court for by this meanes thâ— Crosse of the euill Theefe may be chaÌ„ged for the Crosse of Christ I meane a Crosse which is grieuous and barraine for a Crosse which is light and fruitfull Most wisely as S. Austin relateth did a noble Commander in the wars discourse with his fellow souldier touching the commutation change of his Crosse his words are these Dic quaeso te c I pray thee tell me where do we intend to arriue by all these our labours VVhat end do we proiect in our thoughts or seeke after To what end do we thus warre and play the souldiers Can there be any greater hope for vs in the Court then to become the Emperours frieÌ„ds But what is there which is not fragile vncertaine and full of dangers and by how many dangers do men there ascend to greater dangers And how long shall this our state continue If I wil be a friend of God behould I am so made at this instant Thus much S. Austin recordeth Lib. 8. Confess c. 6. Heare we may see how wisely this worthy souldier in accounting the labours spent in seeking the fauour of the Emperour to be most troublesome and painfull and often vnprofitable did proceed and in endeauouring to change them into labours more sweet more short and more profitable for the purchasing of the friendship and loue of God And thus accordingly these two happy Souldiers did presently turne the Current of their life for both of them abandoning their secufar Warfare began to be spirituall souldiers only to God And which did more redouble their ioy was that both of them had wyues who hearing of this vnexpected chaÌ„ge of their Husbands did themselues most willingly and chearefully dedicate their Chastity to God The third Word to wit Ecce mater tua Ecce filius tuus Behould thy Mother Behould thy Sonne Ioan. 19. is litterally explicated CHAP. VIII THe last Sentence of those three which belong to the Charity of our Neighbour is this Ecce mater tua Ecce filius tuus Behould thy Mother Behould thy Sonne But before we descend to these VVords certaine precedent words of the Euangelist are to be explicated for thus S. Iohn speaketh There stood by side the Crosse of Iesus his mother and his mothers sister Mary of Cleophas and Mary Magdalen VVhen Iesus therefore had seene his mother and the disciple standing whom he loued he sayth to his mother VVoman behould thy sonne After he sayth to the disciple Behould thy Mother And from that hower the disciple tooke her for his owne Ioan. 19. Of the three women which stood neere to the Crosse of our Lord two were most eminent and wâ—ll knowne to wit Mary the Mother of God and Mary Magdalene Touching Mary of Cleophas there is some question or doubt The common opinion is that Mary of Cleophas was German-sister to the B Virgin Mother of God borne of S. Anne by a second husband to which two Maries some do adde a third sister called Mary Salome But this last Opinion is wholy to be reiâ—cted since it is not credible that three sisters should be called by one the same name Againe the constant sentence of learned and pious men is that S. Anne was the mother only of the Blessed Virgin neither is there any mention of Mary Salome in the Gospells For where S. Marke writeth Mary Magdalene Mary of Iames and Salome bought spices The word Salome is not of the second Case as if it signifiâ—d Mary of Salome as before it is said Mary of Iames but it is of the first Case and of the feminime Gender as appeareth from the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To conclude Salome was the wife of Zebedeus and mother of S. Iames and S. Iohn the Apostles as appeareth out of S. Mathew and S. Marke as Mary of Iames or Cleophas was the wyfe of Cleophas and mother of S. Iames the yongar and of S. Iude or Thaddaeus Therefore the truth of this point is that Mary of Cleophas was called the sister of Mary the mother of God because Cleophas was the Brother of S. Ioseph spouse to the B. Virgin Mary for the wyues of two Brethren may rightly be called sisters betweene themselues In which respect also S. Iames the yonger is called the Brother of our Lord to wit the sisters Sonne as aboue we said of S. Ioseph This History Eusebius Caesariensis recordeth and produceth a faythfull and most credible Authour Egesippus who liued in the later end of the dayes