Sonne COnsider first the good order in our Lords wordes first hee prayed his Father for the saluation of sinners next hee gaue spirituall goodes to the Thiefe and assigned him Paradise lastly hee giueth temporal cōfort to his dearly beloued Mother That thou shouldest learne first why Christ came into the world and dyed vpon the Crosse to wit to saue sinners of which number thou art one 1 Tim. 1. Secondly that thou shouldest be carefull of the saluation perfection of thy neighbours before thou applyest thy minde to worldly things Consider secondly that he who from his childhood had followed Christ and had dedicated his youthfull yeares vnto our Lord stood by his Crosse when all the rest hid themselues and did receiue for his reward the cōmendatiō of constancy and the keeping of the Virgine Mother that thou from thy infancy shouldst honor Christ and his mother and shouldst suffer the yoake of our Lord euen frō thy youth Consider 3. with what eyes the most louing Son beheld his most deare mother with what countenance she beheld him againe Loue and pitty lifted vpp the Mothers eyes to her Son and presently griefe plenty of teares cast them downe againe Thinke thou with thy selfe what the heart of the Son spake to the heart of the Mother what the heart of the Mother answered to the Sonne Haue compassion on them both to their speaches ioyne thy petitions Consider fourthly that Iohn called not himselfe by his owne name but the Disciple whom Iesus loued that thou shouldest alwayes set before thine eyes the benefites wherewith our Lord hath preuented thee and declared his singuler loue towards thee Consider fiftly that our Lord both by his countenance wordes made his last will and testament for his Mother and his friends For beholding his Mother his Disciple hee gaue vnto them himselfe and all that belonged vnto him his crowne of thornes his nayles his spittings his bloud his contempt of the world his mockings and shames that wee should not abhorre these ensignes of Christ but thinke there are great treasures hidden in them and seeke them by all diligence labour and that his Mother might bee moued by them to take compassion vppon vs and that wee being signified in Iohn should vse them in our prayers to God and to the virgin his Mother and should beseech them by these spittings by these nayles and by this bloud Also by his wordes hee bequeathed his Disciple to his Mother and his Mother to his Disciple and to all vs. Consider sixtly euery word of this testament Woman he sayth not Mother but Woman first because hee would not giue occasion to his enemies to mocke her Secondly because he would not afflict his Mothers heart with a name of loue Thirdly that he might shewe that this was she of whome God spake long before I will put enmity betweene thee and the woman Gen. 3. she shall bruize thy head for now the body of Christ taken of the Virgine and giuen by the Virgine to subdue the power of the Deuill did bruize the head of the Serpent Fourthly that we might knowe the constancy of his Mother to whome the prophesie of Salomon agreed who shall finde a valiant woman Behold Pro. 31. it is not saith he an equall change to take the Sonne of man for the Son of God or the Son of a Fisher-man for the Sonne of so great a King but the guifte ought to be free both because it was of necessity and because it came from the Sonne and also because in him all man-kinde was commended Son I haue hitherto loued this Iohn and in him all Christians I haue counted them my children I haue prouided for them as for children and I haue fed them with my flesh bloud Therfore ô my Mother doe thou account them as thy children for my sake Thy so loue them as if thou hadst borne them in thy wombe This recommending of the Son was of great force with the Mother Be thou therefore confident in the benignity of this Virgin and flye vnto her as vnto thy mother in all thy necessityes Ioan. 19. Then hee said to his Disciple beholde thy Mother and from that houre the Disciple tooke her as his owne COnsider first that Iohn who for the loue of Christ had forsaken both Father and Mother had heere a far more worthy mother giuen vnto him for so our Lord had said Hee shall receiue an hundred folde Consider secondly Mat. 19. that virginity and all chastity is cōmended by our Lord and that the wantonnes of the flesh is repressed through the passion of Christ and the help of the Mother of God Consider thirdly the piety of Christ towards his Mother that through the grace of Christ thou mayest obtaine the guift of piety towards God and thy Parents Consider fourthly the wordes of our Lord. Beholde a great benefite that God and man should both haue one parent Mother whom thou mayst reuerence loue and defend to whome thou mayest flye in whome thou mayest haue hope who shall be a Mediator betweene me and you my Children by whome I will accept your prayers Thy she is not onely patrone of all man-kinde but of thee also as she that loueth thee and gaue her onely begotten Sonne to dye for thee suffering him to be crucified whipped mocked and slaine for thee Consider filtly that Iohn beeing poore who had forsaken all and vowed pouerty with the rest of the Apostles and had left himselfe nothing receiued this newe Mother not into his houses lands or possessions but into his dutifull care seruice and protection Therfore he tooke care for her that she should want nothing Au lib. 18 de ciuit dei cap. 4. prouiding sufficiently for her out of the almes of Christians Pray thou our Lord to commaund his Mother to bee also thy Mother that thou mayest defend her honour increase her glory and standing with her by the Crosse mayest receiue the guiftes and benefites of the Crosse The 40. Meditation of the fourth word on the Crosse Mat. 27. Mar. 15. And from the sixt houre darknesse was made ouer the whole earth vntill the ninth houre and the Sunne was darkned Luc. 23. COnsider first that in the Passion of thy Lord the Sunne was darkened and the vniuersal world was compassed with darknes whereof as St. Cyprian witnesseth Amos had prophesied The Sunne shall set at noone day Lib. 2. ad Quirinú Cap 23. Amos. 8. Hiere 15. and the day of light shall bee darkened and Hieremias The Sunne did sett before him when it was midday First that euen as when the maister of a family dyeth all the house is hanged with blacke to moue sorrow lamentation so thou when the lightes of Heauen mourne and darknes ouerwhelmeth the earth shouldest also morne and lament for the passion of our Lord. Secondly to declare that Christ the true Sunne dyeth of whose brightnes the light of this our
bouÌ„d by Christ the Conquerour with most straite chaynes carryed into Hell to bee condemned to eternall prison Consider 3. the glorious company of Angels which did not so much carry as followe the soule of Christ descending vnto Hell Consider 4. that by Christ his comming to Hell those fearfull darke places were indued with a new light that the holy Fathers came flying to meet him and to giue him thankes for themselues and for their vngratefull children that theÌ„ they were all clothed in a new garment and admitted to beholde the diuine nature and that Hell was filled with blessed soules before Heauen the seate of the blessed Consider fiftly what thy Lord did heere these three dayes Hee beganne to exercise the power which hee receiued from his Father both in Heauen and Earth in the lowest part of the world First hee inflicted worthy punishment vpon the Deuill with the rest of his enemies whome hee had ouercome with great wisdome power Secondly hee made new lawes to Hell and prouided that none of the Saints should euer bee carryed thither againe Thirdly hee stopped the mouth of that stinking place and shut it so close that none of that deadly sauour should breath vnto mortall men Fourthly he brought saluation promised so many yeares before to the holy Fathers 1 Pet. 3 and preached to those Spirites which were in prison That is brought tydings of peace euen vnto theÌ„ who being punished by the deluge other miseryes for their incredulitie sin were seriously coÌ„uerted before their death Pray thou our Lord that at the time of thy death hee will subdue the Deuill and bring to thee true peace and comfort The 45. Meditation of the signes in the death of Christ And behold the vaile of the Temple was slut in two peeces Mat. 27. Mat. 15. Luc. 23. euen from the top to the bottome COnsider first that when Christ sent foorth his spirit with a loude cry all creatures reioycing with their Creator for his noble victory ouer his enemy made great noyses shoutings for ioy in like manner as we vse to shewe publike ioy by discharging great gunns and ordinance of warre Consider secondly that by this noyse all thinges were opened the Tabernacle the Earth and the stones were resolued Lib. de in carnatione verbi and as St. Athanasius saith the very Mountaines were cleft in sunder 1. Because the sacke of grace being opened by so many woundes did by our Lords death poore out his guiftes most aboundantly and inuited all men to open the vessels of their hearts Looke thou therfore to thy selfe withdrawe not thy selfe out of this holy shower 2. Because all creatures shewed themselues ready to bee reuenged vpon the wicked and offered euen their bowels vnto God Consider thirdly that the vaile of the Temple was rent 1. Because by this death of our Lord all the mysteries of the olde Testament shadowed and couered so diuersly vntill this time did now at last the vaile being taken away shine most cleerly and were manifested and fulfilled by the 7. wounds of Christ of his handes feete side head and whippings of his whole body and that the Temple it selfe and all the legall Sacrifices remained prophane and destitute of all holynes and sanctity 2. Because now was opened the way into Sancta sanctorum that is the kingdome of Heauen 3. To signifie that the Temple it selfe for the Synagogue lamented the death of Christ detested the great blasphemy of the Iewes and to shew her griefe and anger cutt her vaile or garments 4. That thou remembring the death of thy spouse shouldest remooue the vaile of all excuses from thy heart and open thy inward thoughtes to our Lord without any vaile or colour hiding nothing from the Priest in confession nor couering thy sinnes with the pretence of piety For most certainly the vaile of thy body shall shortly be broken by approaching death and thy wickednesse shall bee reuealed to the whole world And the Earth was moued and the Rockâ—s were cleft a sunder Mat. 27. COnsider first that at the death of our Lord the earth was mooued and trembled 1. For the horror of so great a sinne 2. Because the Prince of the world who was wont to shake the earth with seditions and wickednes was with great violence throwne headlong into Hell 3. Because God of infinite Maiesty entred into the bowels of the earth at whose comming into the Mount Syna the mountaine it selfe as it were honoring him trembled and smoâ—ked Ex 19.20 4. Because by the death of our Lord all the earthly heartes of men were to be moued and carried out of their places vnto Christ 5. Because the new Law of the Gospell was to bee brought into the world If thou therefore when the whole Earth shaketh art nothing mooued by the death of Christ thou art more drye and colde then the earth it selfe Consider secondly the Rocks were cleft Ephe. 2. 1 Cor. 10. 1. Because Christ the corner stone who was also signified in the old rocke was now cut a sunder his soule being pulled from his body and his body beeing torne with diuers woundes 2. Because mens heartes being more hard then the very stones were to bee molified in the bloud of Christ the true Goate prefigured in the typicall Goate euen as the hardnes of an Adamant is said to bee molified and made soft by the bloud of a Goate Consider 2. that the state of sinners is fitly declared by stones For euen as the earth is colde filthy base and without the labour industry of men becoÌ„meth barren beareth nothing but weeds as a stone is likewise hard heauy troublesome so sinners polluted with diuers crimes are grieuous and troublesome to all men yea euen to themselues Pray thou our Lord to open thy heart to bring forth fountaines of teares to dissolue it into very dust that it may bee framed according to the will of God and drinke in the liquour of his diuine grace Mat. 27. And the Monuments were opened many bodyes of Saints which had slept rose and going out of the monuments after his resurrection entred into the holy Citty and appeared to many COnsider first that by this signe being the greatest of all other is signified First that Christ thy Lord opening by his death the gates of Hel did set at liberty the holy Fathers there imprisoned and brake hell-gates so as neuer any Saint hereafter should bee detained there Secondly that by the same death the stinking closets of our heartes are to bee opened that all the stinche of sinne and death may vapour out and bee dispersed Thirdly that the bodyes of the iust should rise againe liue for euer Consider secondly that though the Sepulchers were opened yet the Saints did not rise before Christ who is the first begotten of the dead for as the Apostle saith Our Lord was deliuered vp or slaine Col. 1. Rom.
first his breast was fast tyed to a piller and they cruelly rent his backe according to that Vpon my backe haue sinners builded Psal 128 or according to the Hebrues Haue Ploughmen ploughed that is to say haue most cruelly torne it And when that part was cut with stripes then our Lord was vntyed that the fore-part of his body his breast his belly his thighes might bee as cruelly vsed according to the Prophet From the sole of his foote to the crowne of his head there was no wholenes in him And that this was so thou mayst knowe by this when Pilate shortly after bringing foorth Christ vnto the people saide Behold the man Hee did not shew his backe couered with Purple but his breast and his fore-part for them to behold Doe thou with the eies of thy soule beholde the cruelty of the Soldiours and the amiable patience of Christ Listen with thy eares to the wordes laughters and scoffings of these deryding Soldiours which they vttered blasphemously whilest they were whipping tormenting and binding the body of Christ Admire the deepe silence of Christ in all these stripes who complained of no paines neither in crye nor sighe To bee briefe doe thou inwardly feele the paynes of these stripes which peirced euen to the very bones and bowels Gather vp the bloud which dropped downe vpon the ground apply it to thy sinnes and wounds pray thy Lord that he will not suffer it to be shedd so plentifully for thee in vaine Thirdly after his whipping COnsider first the tormentors were wearyed the whippes and rodds fayled and Christ being spent with paines and losse of bloud was scaÌ„t able to stand vpoÌ„ his feet Spare not thou thy selfe but spend thy youthfull yeares and strength in the seruice of thy Lord. Consider secondly how thy Lord crept vp and downe to gather vp his scattered cloathes and put them on not without great paine which cleaued to his wounds and were spotted with bloud and hurt his soares Doe thou gather together the Church being the vestment of Christ and spare no labour to gayne soules which are washed with that bloud Wash the wounded body of Christ with thy teares and anoynt it with the oyle of Charity and Deuotion and omitt nothing which thou thinkest may helpe towards the cure of this body and of the members thereof Consider thirdly that Christ our Lord did drinke his bloud thus plentifully vnto thee in this his whipping in his coronation following in the third houre in which same houre after his ascensioÌ„ into Heauen he sent downe the holy Ghost into the hearts of his Apostles of his whole Church That thou mayest learne first that the bloud of Christ was plentifully shed that the grace of the holy Ghost might plentifully bee communicated vnto thee Secondly that at the same time when the effusion of this bloud is remembred renewed in the Church by the Sacrifice of the Masse thou being present shouldest with open heart plentifully receiue the fruit of this bloud the grace of the holy Ghost and diuers other guiftes The Meditation hereof stirreth vp admiration increaseth confidence in kindleth loue mooueth compassion bringeth sorrowe for sinnes exhorteth to labour and melteth the soule in giuing thankes The 25. Meditation of the Crowning of our Lord. Then they vncloathing him put a scarlet Garment about him Mat. 27 Mar. 15 Ioan. 19 and weauing a Crowne of thornes they put it vpon his head and a Reede in his right hand COnsider first that those Torturers deuised a new kinde of torment which might both afflicte and also make him to be mocked That hee which called himselfe King of the Iewes might bee cloathed in royall ornaments Consider secondly in this place foure kindes of mockings First they pull oft al his clothes which a little before he had put on renewing the griefe of his wounds to which the cloath cleaued and stripping his holy and virginall body naked not without shame and confusion Secondly they put on a scarlet garment that his purple bloud shed all ouer his body and the purple garment put vpon him might shewe foorth a royall ornament Thirdly in stead of a Dyademe they set vpon his head a Crowne wouen of many bushie thorns which saith Tertullian did teare deface the Temples of our Lord. Li. de corona militis Fourthly they gaue him a Reede in his hand in stead of a Scepter O thou Christian behold thy King behold the tryumph of his coronation Consider thirdly that the great benefites which our Lord prepared for vs are signified by these illusions For first the taking off of his garments whereby our Lords body deformed with so many wouÌ„ds spotted with bloud spittle dirt loathsome to behold was vncouered signifieth the foulenesse of thy soule defiled with the spottes of so many sinnes which foule spottes Christ by his passion remoued from thee vpon himselfe that he might cleanse thee from all filth Secondly by the scarlet Garment is signified our nature which is bloudy and guilty of death which Christ assuming to the vnity of his person did Sanctifie and also thy sinnes Isa 1. being as redde as a Worme which Christ tooke away by his Passion and also the members of the Church the body of Christ which being in this world diuersly afflicted are couered with this garment of Christ that they shall not faint but increase in merites For nothing doth fo much comfort the afflictions of a Christian man nothing doth so much aduance piety as the earnest meditation of Christ Thirdly his Crowne of thornes is thy barren and sharpe pricking sinnes sprung through concupiscence out of the cursed earth of thy body Fourthly â—our Lord holdeth a Reede in his hand whereby is signified that by thinges accounted base in the world as his Crosse Passion and Humility hee winneth the Kingdome of the whole world and vpholdeth all fraile vaine and scrupulous men by his Passion and right hand Doe thou pray our Lord to make thee partaker of all these thinges and remember that it is vndecent for dainty and delicate members to lye vnder a head full of thornes And they came vnto him Mat. 27. Mâ—r 15. Ioan. 19 and bending their knee they adored and mocked him and they began to salute him saying Haile King of the Iewes COnsider first foure other kinde of irrisions First They came vnto him as seruants vse to come vnto their King asking him in mockage if he wanted anything Whome thou doest imitate being a Christian onely in name and indeede a bondslaue vnto the Deuill confessing Christ in wordes but in thy deedes denying him Secondly they adored bending their knee or as Saint Marke saith their knees none of them bending both their knees but euery man one His adoration is fraudulent that kneeleth on the ground with one knee and holds the other vpright vpon which his body may rest WhoÌ„ thâ—u dost imitate when in thy outward gesture thou adorest God in thy minde
death or stripes Doe thou inquire the cause in the opened bowells of Christ to wit his burning loue which cutt brake asunder this sacke of his body poured foorth his bloud so pleÌ„tifully What will the holy Angels do which were astonished in the natiuity of this Lord at the wonderfull loue which caused almighty God to take vpon him a frayle and infants body How will they be amazed both at this loue of God which for man was coÌ„tent to be esteemed a worm rather then a man to be the scorn of men and the outcast of the people the scum and laughing stocke of all men also at the raging malice of the Iewes who would neuer bee satisfied with the paines and punishment of their Messias which so many ages before was expected promised vnto them and likewise at the hardnes of thine owne heart which is not softened and melted with this burning charity of thy Creator Admire thou these thinges and pray thy Lord to inflame thy heart with the loue of him Ioan. 19 The Iewes answered him we haue a Lawe and according to the lawe he ought to dye because hee made himselfe the Sonne of God COnsider first the proud answere of the Iewes we haue a Lawe They belieued in the lawe which they had in writing and did not fulfill it in worke Those men doe imitate them first which boast of the word of God and continually obiect the same and are wholy in the commendation of faith when in the mean time they do nothing worthy neither of faith nor of the holy Scriptures nor yet of a Christian man Secondly they which place all piety in outward ceremonies onely and not in the worship of God in brotherly charity Consider 2. That according to the Lawe Christ ought to dye For the whole lawe of Moses and of the Prophets foreshewed the death of Christ for all the sacrifices of the old Law were shadowes of the sacrifice of the Crosse and all the Prophets referred their prophesies to the death of the Messias Therefore the Iewes said true but not according to their owne intention whose meaning was that the sinne and blasphemy of Christ deserued death by the Lawe that thou maiest learne that God turneth to thy good those things which are badly spoken or done by the wicked and also that thou shouldest drawe goodnes euen out of wicked men Consider third-the cause of his death Because hee made himselfe the Sonne of God A most true cause of death First if thou doest consider God the Father for the Son of God being made man made man the Sonne of God assuming humane nature into one person of the Sonne of God For wee should neuer haue come into grace with the eternall Father but by the death of that man who was the true and very Sonne of God Secondly if thou consider the Iewes because hee liued the life of the Sonne of God For therefore their enuy was exasperated to the death of Christ because his most Holy life reprehended their wicked behauiours Take thou heede that neuer any other fault bee noted in thee but onely that thou art the sonne of God For if thou doest suffer for that cause thou art happy and the faithfull Disciple of Christ And because the Sonne of God did vndergoe this death to make thee the Sonne of God pray him that hee will lighten thy soule with his Grace and exalt thee to bee the Sonne of God and after this life by communicating his Diuinity vnto thee he will number thee amongst the Sonnes of God and graunt thee thy portion among his Saints which shall bee called the sonnes of God The 28. Meditation of the second examination of Christ made by Pilate When Pilate heard that speach hee feared more Ioan. 19 and entred againe into the Pallace and said vnto him whence art thou but Iesus gaue him no answere COnsider first that Pilate being an Ethnicke and possessed with the error of the Gentiles feared least Christ was the Son of some God as perhaps of Iupiter or Maâ—s For so the Poets faine of Romulus and Remus and of diuers others and Christ his modesty in answering and his grauity of manners confirmed this opinion Hee feared therfore the indignation of the God his Father whose Sonne hee had so vniustly whipped The Gentile feared the vaine wrath of the Gentile God and feared not the grieuousnes of his sin neither did the Iewes feare the most iust wrath of the true God Thou likewise doest feare sometimes shadowes dreames and childish fancies and art not affraid of the Deuill who is alwayes at thine elbowe when thou sinnest nor the district iudgment of Christ whome thou doest offend nor Hell mouth gaping for thee Consider secondly Whence art thou Euill men neither knowe God the giuer of all good thinges nor from whence any good commeth to them The Oxe knoweth his Keeper and the Asse the manger of his Lord. Hennes Cattes and Hogges when meat is cast vnto them lift vp their heades and looke vpon them that cast the same And man who hath receiued so many benefites froÌ„ God doth neither thanke nor knowe God Consider thirdly that Christ made no answere First because it was not necessary seeing hee had manifested his innocency before and also satisfied this question saying My Kingdome is not of this world I was borne for this and for this I came into the World c. For our Lord spake but seldome and necessary thinges and as St. Chrysostome saith least hee might seeme proude by his continuall silence Hom. 87. in Mat. Secondly least by his answeares hee might bee thought desirous to escape and to auoyde death which he might easily haue done if either hee himselfe or any other for him had seriously defended his cause Thirdly least hee should giue holy thinges vnto Dogs For at this time Pilate by his great sinne of whipping him had made himselfe vnworthy of an answere at Gods handes Fourthly because an Heathen man could not vnderstand the answere of that which the Angells cannot conceiue For from whence is that Person which with his Maiesty filleth both Heauen Earth which alwayes springing in the bosome of the Father Isa 53 is alwayes borne and perfect whose generation noe man can declare Thou therefore pondering in thy minde the Maiesty of thy Lord and seeing him before this wicked President thus fowly torn deformed with so many stripes and couered with so many spittings filth and torments admire and aske him whence art thou Art thou hee whose Father is God whose Seruants are the Angels and whose Kingdome is Heauen For if wee may Iudge of a man according to his habite thou seemest to bee a Worme rather theÌ„ a Man brought forth of the durte rather then comming from Heauen Then Pilate said vnto him Doest thou not speake vnto mee Ioan. 19 doest thou not knowe that I haue power to crucifie thee and power to dismisse thee COnsider first the
Sun no lesse dependeth then the light of the other starres depend vpon the brightnes of the Sunne Thirdly that thou shouldest knowe the greatnes of this sinne from which the Sunne abhorring did as it were turne away his face and withdraw his light and shewed himselfe ready to reuenge and offered to his Lord and creator to perish for his death Thou learnest hereby that euery mortall sinne is so grieuous that it were better the Sunne and starres should perish then that the maiesty of God should bee offended by one sinne For by euery mortall sinne God is put to death whose death cannot bee recōpenced with the perishing of all creatures Fourthly that thou mayst know that Christ suffred this death for the great and thicke darknes of sinners and of the Iewes that this darknes being driuen away throgh the death of our Lord there might a nowe light of faith diuine wisedome be restored vnto the world as at the 9. houre the light appeared againe Fiftly that thou mayst vnderstand that the fruite of our Lords death consisteth in the cōtempt of the splendor fauour of the world for they which are crucified with Christ reioyce not in Honors Nobility but in obscurity neglect contempt Consider 2. the manner of this Eclipse with St. Dionisius Areopagita being an eye witnes Epist 7. ad policarpū 11. ad Apolloph hath described 1. The Moone being at the full and opposite to the Sun returned from midnight to noone 2. It returned not by his ordinary motion from the West but by a contrary motion to himselfe from the East Thirdly the Sunne it selfe lost his light in it selfe Fourthly not in one only part of the earth as in other Eclipses but ouer the whole world this darknesse of the Sunne was seene in like manner as of the Moone eclipsed and depriued of her light by the shadowe of the earth falling vppon her Fiftly this eclipse continued three whole houres which vsually lasteth but a small time All these thinges are not voide of their reasons and considerations Christ is the Sonne of Iustice the Moone is the world and foolish sinners Eccles 27 For a foole is changed like the Moone Therfore our Lord dyed when the world being opposite to God did shine in glory riches and wisdome The world also came to this eclipse that is to the death of our Lord to which not onely by other sinnes but also by this seeking of the death of Christ it had giuen cause But because the maiesty of Christ is not subiect to humane power hee could neuer haue beene obscured put to death by the power of man except hee had bin deliuered to death by the diuine will of God Therfore the Sunne is truly obscured and Christ is truly slaine both by the malice of the world by his Fathers wrath For our Lord was like vnto him which standeth between two men a fighting and receiueth both their swordes into his owne body The world fighteth with God and our Lord receiueth in his body both the wrath of God and the fury of men Thy wrath saith hee hath passed through me Psal 87. and thy terrors haue troubled me Therfore when the Sun of Iustice was eclipsed the Earth was couered with darknes both because by this grieuous sinne there was newe matter giuen of lamentation and reuenge and also because by the death of our Lord all power ouer men was taken away from the Prince of the world and in stead thereof he was bound in chaynes of fire and condemned to the darke prison of Hell But whereas the Moone by a contrary motion came from the East to the Sunne in the South thereby is signified that the Iewes without all consideration of equity and iustice hastened the death of Christ contrary to Law contrary to the right of nature and contrary to their owne conscience and did violently suppresse all good motions in themselues To bee briefe the Sunne was eclipsed three houres because our Lord lay hid three whole dayes partly in torments and in the handes of the Iewes and partly in the Sepulcher Pray thou vnto Christ to preserue the true light of faith and grace in thy soule About the nynth houre Iesus cryed out with a loude voyce saying Eli Eli Mat. 27. Mar. 15. lammasa bactani which is interpreted My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee COnsider first why thy Lord at the end of his life made this crye Certainly not to escape the paines like vnto vs who crye out assoone as wee feele any paine for now the end of his paine approached nor to bee reuenged on the Iewes for this his death for the bloud of Christ speaketh better then the bloud of Abell But first that hee who by the space of three houres being couered with darknes had giuen no signe of life neither by worde nor groane might be knowne to bee still aliue Doe thou consider with thy selfe what hee did all the time of his silence in the midst of his torments surely hee prayed without ceasing vnto God for thee in that admirable lyturgie and sacrifice and hee rehearsed the holy wordes of the Psalmes for thy saluation speaking some with a loude voyce that he might be heard of the standers by Secondly least by the continuall silence of Christ and his admirable patience and constancy of minde hee might erroneously be thought to be but a vision and no man and not to haue felt any paine at all For hee did truly suffer feele paines but the loue of thee restrained him from complaining Thirdly to teach thee in all thy miseries to crye only and with all affection to almighty God Fourthly that thou shouldest learne by this loud voyce to obtaine of God the Father through Christ the fruite of his Passion Fiftly that thou shouldst earnestly pōder with thy selfe what thinges how great for whome and by whome our Lord suffered For our Lord saith St. Epiphanius spake these thinges in the Syriack tongue Haere 69 that all the standers by might vnderstand him Consider secondly and marke the wordes O God hee sayeth not Father First because hee was ashamed representing the person of all sinners to call him Father that thou setting aside all pride shouldest learne humility Secondly least he should seem as a Sonne to complaine of his Father but rather as a naturall man of his affliction My that is though thou art the God of all creatures yet thou art peculiarly my God for many respectes both because thou wouldest haue humane nature assumed into the person of the Son and mee to be exalted aboue al creatures and because thou with thy owne handes didst frame this body in the Virgins wombe and also because I haue euer loued and obserued thee sincerely without any vice The repetition My God my God sheweth the great affection of this speach Why hee asketh not the cause least the perfection of his obedience shold be diminished but hee complaineth out of a
their departure Doe thou likewise for whose sake the Son of God suffred death come neare vnto the Crosse behold all thinges diligently with the eyes of thy soule and let thy speach bee often times thereof Consider secondly that crying he bowed his sacred head first because hee would call thee both by his voyce and becke to learne the profite of the Crosse and to receaue the merites and benefites of the same Secondly to speake in thy eare to communicate his secretes vnto thee to teach thee his commandements and counsailes Thirdly to signifie his consent to all thy petitions and prayers which depend vpon this his holy passion Fourthly that thou mightest the better viewe his head and marke euery thing diligently his thornes his spittinges his bloud his eyes now shutt to thy sinnes his mouth silent from reuenge his face pale with death Consider thirdly that the Euangelists wrote this death of our Lord in diuers words Iohn saith he deliuered vp his spirite Mathewe he sent foorth his spirit Marke and Luke hee breathed out that thou shouldest knowe that Chriâ—t died not like vnto other men but in a singular and peculiar manner neither did he against his will or by compulsion but of his owne free accord render vp his spirite This word hee deliuered signifieth first that he gaue his spirite into his Fathers hands to be kept three dayes and that from thence all merites all vertues all iustice and grace should bee gathered for man-kinde Secondly that as he had already giuen his body to the executioners so now also hee would deliuer his soule for vs because nothing should be wanting to our felicity and happinesse He had giuen his garments he had giuen his honour he had giuen his body hee had giuen his bloud and now there remained nothing but to giue his soule that according to the prophesie of Isaias Isa 9. the whole Sonne might be giuen 3. That he deliuered vp the full price of our redemption For hitherto something was wanting and he had payed as it were but in part but now he made an absolute and full payment that thou maist knowe that now thou art not thine owne man but Christs who hath bought and redeemed thy members with his thy powers with his thy honours and riches with his thy body with his and thy soule with his If thou doest consider these things rightly thou shalt learne first not to abuse thy selfe thy goods to thy owne pleasures nor to spend them according to the will of the Deuill no nor yet to vse them as thine owne but to referre all to the honour of Christ to whome all thinges belong and appertayne Secondly seeing thou hast gotten Christian liberty and art deliuered out of the power of the Deuill neuer to yeilde to him againe For hee hath no right to thee whome Christ hath so dearely redeemed with his bloud Do thou giue thankes vnto thy Lord and offer vp thy selfe and all that thou hast freely vnto him He breathed foorth Mar. 15. Luc. 23 COnsider first that by this word is signified that Christ breathed foorth his last spirite by which spirite and holy breathing first hee purged the ayre being infected with deuils by vertue wherof the Deuills also are driuen away in exorcismes and exsafflations Therefore as the earth is sanctified by the holy body of our Lord and the element of water and all lyquors by the holy bloud and water yssuing from his side so by the diuine spirite of Christ the ayre is sanctified that it may the more profitably carry and inspire into our sences the word of God and his holy mysteries Secondly hee coÌ„municated vnto this world his inward guifts and graces not onely through the holy wounds of his body but also by his mouth Consider secondly that Christ for many causes would suffer not onely paine and torments but also death First to offer vp himselfe by his death as a sacrifice and Holocaust vnro God Secondly to redeeme eternall death due vnto thee through this his death of infinit value Thirdly to confirme by his death all his Sacraments and the newe Testament Fourthly that by this his death as by the death of the high Priest according to the old figure Num. 15. he might recall thee into thy heauenly countrey Fiftly to let thee knowe that thou oughtest to bee his who dyed for thee and not to submitt thy selfe to the Deuill who suffered neither death nor wound for thy saluation Sixtly that thou shouldest account thy selfe dead to the world with Christ and mortifie thy vices and affections For if saith the Apostle one dyed for all 2 Cor. 5. therefore all are dead Consider thirdly that Christ dyed in his flourishing age being three and thirty yeares old when his sences were freshest his heat greatest and his strength best to indure labour First because he was willing to bestowe all his most flourishing things vpon thee to preserue the heate of his loue in thee and with great forces to prepare many benefites for thee Secondly that thou shouldest not prolong the change of thy life till thy withered and decayed old age but consecrate thy youthfull yeares strength vnto Christ Consider fourthly that our Lord was nayled to the Crosse in the sixt houre and in the nynth houre when the day began to growe to an end hee dyed First because he which in the precedent ages had beene immolated in the figures of the sacrifices did in this fourth age of the world dye truly for vs. Secondly that thou who hitherto perhapps hast spent the rest of thy life vnprofitably and wickedly mayest at the least in the end of thy life flye to the death of our Lord. A great comfort is heere giuen vnto sinners who languishing either with age with sicknes or in minde are not able by exacting grieuous punishment of themselues to satisfie for their sinnes may haue the paines bloud and death of Christ to offer for their offences Giue thankes vnto God and dispise not so great a treasure Ioan. 19 Hee sent forth his spirit COnsider that heere also mention is made of the liberty freedome of Christ to dye For euen as in former times Noe sent the Doue out of the Arke Gen. 8 which after a few dayes returned bringing in her mouth a boughe with greene leaues So Christ sent foorth his spirit to returne againe after three dayes with an army of flourishing Saints Emisit saieth hee hee sent forth and not Amisit he lost that thou shouldest not loose thy spirit amoÌ„gst the wicked Consider secondly how the Deuills expected this spirite being ready to come foorth that by the coÌ„mon law of all it might bee ioyned to other soules in Hell For the Euangelist seemeth to signifie so much when hee said the Deuill went from him for a time as though at this time of his death hee would returne againe But because the Prince of this world had nothing in Christ Luc. 4. hee was