they take from me they geue vnto thee forsomuch as thou enclosest him within thee whom I haue had enclosed in my bowelles My verie bones woulde reioyce if they might see them selues laied vp there and certainly there shoulde my life be laied also My harte and my soule will I burie there for that maie I doe but as for my bodie burie thou it there also ô Lorde I beseeche thee for that I maie not doe without thee O death why arte thou so cruell as to seperate me from him in whose life my whole life consisteth Thou arte sometimes more cruel in pardoninge thā in killinge Suerly thou haddest shewed thy selfe verie pittiefull towardes me if thou haddest taken vs both together But now alas thou hast bene cruell in killinge the sonne but farre more cruell in sparinge the mother Such wordes as these woulde the blessed virgin speake priuelie in her harte and the like might those holie Maries that accōpanied her speake also All that were present wepte very tenderly with her Those holie Matrones wepte those noble Gentilmen wepte heauen and earthe wepte Yea all creatures accompanied the teares of the blessed virgin Marie The holie Euangelist also wepte verie lamentablie The lamētation of S. Iohn the Euangelist and embracinge the blessed bodie of his maister sayd O my good Lorde and maister who shall be my teacher from henceforthe To whom shall I resorte to be resolued in my dowtes Vpon whose brest shall I rest my selfe Who shall imparte to me the secretes of heauen O what a straenge chaunge and alteration is this The last eueninge thou sufferedst me to rest vpon thy holie brest and gauest me the Ioyes of life and now doe I recompence that great benefit with holdinge thee dead on my brest Is this the face which I sawe transfigured vpon the mownte Thabor Is this that figure wich was more cleare than the sonne at noone daie Lykewise that holie sinner Marie Magdalen wepte full bitterlie also The lamētation of S. Marie Magdalene and embracinge the feete of our Sauiour said O light of myne eies and redeemer of my soule if I shall see my selfe ouercharged with sinnes who shall receaue me Who shall cure my woundes Who shall answere for me Who shall defende me agaynste the Pharisees O how farre otherwise helde I these feete and washed them whē thou receauedst me lyinge prostrate at them O my sweete hart roote and most entierly beloued who coulde bringe to passe that I might now die with thee O life of my soule how can I saie that I loue thee seinge I see thee here dead before myne eies and yet doe remaine aliue After the like maner did all that holie companie weepe and lamente The buriall of our Sauiours bodie in the sepulchre wateringe and wasshinge his holie bodie with there teares Now when the hower of his buriall was come they wynde his holie bodie in a cleane lynnen clothe They bynde his face with a napkin And layinge his bodie vpon a beere doe carie it to the place of his buriall and there they laye in that most pretious treasure The sepulchre was couered with a stone and the harte of the blessed mother with a darke clowde of heauines and sorowe There is she once agayne bereued of her sonne There beginneth she a freshe to lamente her solitarines There she seeth her selfe dispossessed of all her treasure And there her harte remainethe buried where her treasure was left A DECLARATION WHY THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARIE AND all iust persones are afflicted in this present transitorie life with diuers aduersities and tribulations § III. O Heauenly father sith of thy infinit goodnes and mercie thou wouldest that thy blessed sonne shoulde thus suffer for our synnes why wouldest thou that this holie virgin his blessed mother shoulde suffer also who neither deserued death for the sinnes of others forsomuche as thy sonnes death suffised for thē neither yet for her owne seinge she neuer committed anie maner of synne in all her whole life How easelie might this her tribulation haue bene tempered if at that time she had bene forthe of the cittie of Ierusalem where if she had bene absent she shoulde not haue seene with her eies the cruell death of her onelie and dearlie beloued sonne neither haue so greatelie augmented her sorrowe and griefe with the sighte of the present obiecte and with beholdinge him sufferinge his so manifolde and cruell tormentes vpon the crosse O wonderfull dispensation and counsell of almightie God! Thy will was ô Lorde that the blessed virgin shoulde suffer not for the redemption of the worlde but because there is nothinge in the worlde more acceptable vnto thee than to suffer for the loue of thee Emonge all thinges created there is nothinge more pretious than in heauen the glorious loue of the blessed Sainctes Note that nothinge is more precious in earthe thā the loue of God tryed in iust persons with sufferinge affliction and tribulation for Gods sake and in earthe the troubled and afflicted loue of iust persons I meane than the loue of iust persons that is tried with aduersitie affliction and tribulation In the howse of almightie God there is no greater honor than to suffer for the loue of God Emonge all the good workes and seruices that our Sauiour did vnto thee in this worlde this was that which thou hast appoynted and accepted for the most cheefe and principal worke to be the meane of our reparatiō ād redēption This was the iewel and pretious stone that emonge all the riches of vertues which that riche marchant laide before thee liked thee best for the which thou gauest vnto him whatsoeuer he demaunded which was the redemption of the worlde Now then if this iewell be of so great valewe and estimation in the sighte of almightie God it were not meete that such a riche piece as this is shoulde be wantinge in our blessed Ladie who was of all perfect women the most perfecte and most acceptable in the sight of almightie God Moreouer The most manifest and perfect shewe and proufe of trewe vertue is to suffer tribulatiōs for the loue of God there is no worke in this worlde that maketh a more manifest and perfect◠shewe of true vertue than to suffer for the loue of God For the proufe and tryall of true loue is to haue true patience for the beloued And there is no triall and proufe so farre from all suspition as this is And like as almightie God him selfe did neuer discouer the greatnes of his loue vnto men so clearelie and perfectly thoughe his other benefittes which he bestowed vpon thē were verie great vntill he came to suffer for thē euen so shall they neuer discouer their loue towardes him fully and perfectly be there other seruices they doe vnto him neuer so manie and great vntill they come to suffer tribulations for his sake Rom. 5. Patience is the proufe of trewe vertue if it be exercised it sufferinge for
that thou dost O sweete Iesus what meaneth this so great abasinge of thy diuine maiestie O my sowle what wouldest thou haue thowght if thou haddest bene there presente and haddest seene euen almightie God himselfe kneelinge before the feete of men yea before the feete of Iudas O Cruell Iudas why doth not this so great humilitie mollifye thy stonie hart how is it that it causeth not euen thy verie bowells to burst and ryue in sunder considering this so great and wonderfull meekenes Is it possible thou traytor that thou hast conspired to betraye this most meeke and gentle lābe Is it possible that thou shouldest not feele some remorse of conscience in beholdinge this example O ye whyte and bewtifull handes how cowld ye vouchsaffe to towch such lothsome and abhominable feete O most pure and cleane handes why disdayned ye not to washe those verie feete that were all to be durted in fowle waies whiles they trauayled to shee l your bloude Beholde here o ye blessed spirites what your creator doth Come ye and beholde euen from the heauens and ye shall see euen the almightie him selfe kneelinge before the feete of men and tell me if euer he vsed the like kynde of courtesie with you O Lord I haue harde thy wordes and I was afraide I haue considered thy workes and was wholie amased O ye blessed Apostles why quake and tremble ye not at the wonderfull sight of this so great humilitie Peter what dost thou what Wilt thou condescende that this Lorde of maiestie shall washe thy feete Seint Peter when he behelde our sauiour kneeling before him woundered exceadingly yea he was altogether astonied thereat and begāne to saie in this wise What meaneth this o Lord. what wilt thou washe my feete art not thou the sonne of the liuinge God art not thou the creator of the worlde the bewtie of the heauens the paradice of the angells the redeemer of men the brightnes of the glorie of the father the fountaine of the wisedome of God which dwellest in the highest And wilt thou all this notwithstanding washe my feete what wilt thou being a Lord of so greate maiestie and glorie take such a vile and base office vpon thee wilt thou I saie thus abase thy selfe that hast laid the foundation of the earthe and bewtefied the same with so manie wonders that hast enclosed the wyde worlde within thy hand that mouest the heauens rulest the earthe diuidest the waters ordeinest the tymes disposest the causes bewtifiest the angells directest men and gouernest all thinges with thy wisedome Is it seemelie that thou shoudest washe my feete myne I saie who am but a mortall man a litle clode of earth and asshes a vessell of corruption a creature full freight with vanitie and ignorance full of infinite miseries and which exceedeth all miserie full of sinnes and yet all this notwithstandinge wilt thou o Lorde washe my feete what wilt thou beinge the Lord of all thinges abase thy selfe vnder me that am inferiour to them all verelie the highnes of thy maiestie and the profunditie of my miseries do as it were enforce me that I cannot consent to such a deede Leaue therefore o my Lord leaue I praie thee this base office for thy seruantes laie downe the towell and put on thy apparell againe and sit in thy seate and washe not my feete Beware that the heauens be not ashamed of it when they shall see how by this ceremonie thou dost set them benethe the earthe For by doing this seruyle office those verie handes into whose power the father hath committed the heauens and all other thinges should be abased vnder the feete of men Take heede that all naturall creatures be not verie much agrieued or rather in great disdaine to see them selues thus subiected vnder anie other feete then thyne Take hede also least the dawghter of kinge Sawle despise thee not 2. Reg. 6. when she shall see thee girded abowt with this towell after the maner of a seruant and saie that she will not take him for her spowse and much lesse for her God whom she seeth to attende vpon so base and vile an office Such wordes or the like spake Saint Peter as a man that had not as yet anie tast or feelinge of thinges apperteininge vnto almightie God and as one that vnderstode not what great glorie laie hidde in this worke which showed to the eie so base and vyle But our sauiour who knewe it right well and was with all desirous to leaue vnto vs for a memorie at that tyme such a wounderfull example of humilitie satisfied the simplicitie of his disciple and went forwarde afterwardes in the good worcke he had begonne The greate carefulnes of our Sauiour to make vs humble Here we haue to note with all diligence what a great and earnest care our sauiour had to make vs humble in that beinge now at the gate and entrie into his most greuons and bitter passion wherein he knewe he should geue vs such greate and wonderfull examples of humilitie as might suffice to astonishe both heauen and earth he thowght all that not enowgh but would furthermore adde this notable example also besides all the rest whereby this vertue of humilitie might the better be commended vnto vs. A commendation of the vertue of humilie O wonderfull vertue how great must thy riches be seinge thou art thus commended to vs how can thy treasures be but notoriouslie knowen seinge thou art by so manie waies set out vnto vs O humilitie that arte preached and tawght in all the whole life of our Sauiour Christ songe Luc. 1. and praised by the mouth of his owne most blessed mother O most bewtifull flower emonge vertues O diuine adamant that drawest vnto the euen the creator of all thinges Whosoeuer he be that bannisheth the awaie shal be bannished awaye from almightie God yea thowgh he be in the highest place of heauen And whosoeuer he be that embraseth thee shal be embrased of almightie God yea althowgh he be euen the greatest sinner in the world Great are thy graces and merueilous are thy effectes Thou pleasest men thou contentest the angelles thou confoundest the diuelles and byndest the handes of the creator thou art the foundation of vertues the deathe of vices the glasse of virgins and the habitation of the most blessed trinitie Who so gathereth without thee disparseth who so buildeth and not vpon thee pulleth downe And who so heapeth vertues together without thee the dust carieth them quite awaie before the face of the wynde Without thee Math. 25. the virgin is shut out of the gates of heauen Luc. 7. and with thee euen the publike sinner is receaued at the feete of Christ Embrace this vertue of humilitie O ye virgins that hereby your virginitie maie be availeable vnto you Ye that be religious persons see that you seeke earnestlie also for this vertu for without it your religion is but vaine and to no purpose And ye
of the laietie seeke no lesse for this vertue then the religious doe that by the same ye maie be deliuered from the snares of this sinfull world Of the wipinge of the Apostles feete with the towell This beinge done consider also how after our sauiour had wasshed there feete he wyped them cleane with that sacred towell wherewith he was girded And lyft vp the eies of thy soule somewhat higher and there shalt thou see represented the misterie of our redemption The misterie of our redemptiō is represented in the washinge and wypinge of the Apostles feete Consider how that faier towell receaued into it all the fylthe and vncleannes of those feete which were altogether verie foule and filthie And as the feete were made cleane and faire so the towell contrariewise after he had wyped their feete with it was whollie bespotted and defyled Now what is more filthie then a man conceaued in synne and what is more cleane and bewtifull than our Sauiour Christ conceued of the holie Ghoste My welbe loued is whyte Cantic 5. and well coulored saieth the spowse and chosen out emonge thowsandes This most sweete and louinge Lord then that was so faier and so cleane was content to receaue into him selfe all the spottes and filthynes of our soules to witt the paines which our synnes deserued and that he might leaue our soules cleane and free from them he himselfe remained as yee see him vpon the crosse all bespotted and defyled with the same In so much that the verie angells were as it were astonied and suerlie not without good cause to see their Lord and creator so beraied with this so strange fowlenes And therefore they demaunded by the prophet Esaie sainge wherefore dost thou ô Lord weare garmentes dyed with the colour of bloud Esa 63. all bespotted and beraied like vnto them that stampe grappes in the winepresse Now if this bloude and these fowle spottes be of others to witt of our sinnes tell me o kinge of glorie were it not more meete that men themselues should suffer according to there owne desertes then that thou O most innocente Lorde shouldest be thus defyled and tormented for there sakes had it not bene more decent that this filthines should haue remained vpon his owne donghill and not vpon thee the mirrour of all bewtie What a wōderfull pietie and cōpassion was it that moued thee to haue such a feruent desyre of the cleannes of my soule that thou wouldest with so great charge and losse of thine owne bewtie bestowe it vpon me what man aliue would take a fyne to well wrought with golde and wype therewith a fowle sluttishe dishe espetiallie such a dishe as were greatdlie broken and rente in manie places Blessed art thou o my most mercifull and louinge Lord. All the angells praise thee o God for euermore For that it hath pleased thee to become as it were an outcast of the worlde takinge vpon thee all oure filthines and miseries which are the paines dew vnto vs for our sinnes to deliuer vs quite and make vs free from them After this consider those wordes wherewith our sauiour made an ende of this historie sainge I haue geueu you an example that ye shoulde doe euen as I haue done to you which wordes are to be referred not onelie to this matter and example of humilitie but euen also to all the other workes and life of our sauiour Christ For so much as his whole life is a most perfet pattern of all vertues espetiallie of that vertu which in this place is represented vnto vs The life of Christe is a most perfet patterne of all vertues and especiallie of humilitie to witt humilitie as the blessed martir Sainct Ciprian declareth more at large in these wordes It was cheiflie saith he a worke of great patience and humilitie that so high and excellent a maiestie woulde vouchsafe to come downe from heauen vnto the earth and clothe himselfe with our claie S. Cyprian and that he woulde dissemble the glorie of his immortalitie and become mortall to the end that being him selfe innocent and faulltes he might be punnished for such as were giltie The Lord would be baptised of his seruante he that came to pardon sinnes would be wasshed with the water of sinners he that feedeth all creatures fasted fourtie daies in the wildernes and in the end suffered honger which he did to this end that all such as had a hongrie appetite after godes worde and longed after his grace might be satisfied and furnished with the same he fowght with the diuell that tempted him and contentinge him selfe with the victorie offered his ennemie no further harme but by worde onelie His disciples he neuer despised as a Lord doth his seruantes but enterteined them with great charitie and beneuolence yea he vsed them louingly as brethern Neither is it to be merueyled at that he thus behaued him selfe towardes his disciples being as they were obedient seinge he could suffer that arrant traitor Iudas so patienlie and beare with him euen till the end and suffer him being his ennemie to eate together with him at his owne table and knowinge full well whereabowte he went woulde neuer discouer him but was content to receaue a kisse of him euen of him I saie that had soulde him with such a traiterous peace Moreouer with what great patience did he beare with Iewes vntill that present howre how painfully did he labour to moue those vnbeleuinge hartes with his preachinge to embrace the faith what great trauaille tooke he to allure those vngratefull men vnto him with good workes how meekly answered he to such as contraried him in his speach with what clemencie bare he with the prowde with what a wounderfull humilitie yelded he to the furious rage of his ennemies and persecutors How traueiled he euen vntill the verie howre of his most bitter passion to recouer them that had bene the murderers of the Prophetes and heynous rebelles against almightie God In like maner at the verie howre of his passion before they came to the sheadinge of his most cruell death how great were the opprobrious iniuries they offered vnto him How patientlie gaue he them the hearinge thereof How great were the mockes and tauntes he sufred How patientlie did he beare the vile spittinge of those infernall mouthes that had him selfe not longe before with the spittell of his owne mowthe restored a blynd man to his perfet sight How suffered he their whippinges whose seruantes are wont in his name with mightie power to whippe the verie diuelles how was he crowned with thornes that crowneth his martirs with euerlastinge garlandes How was he smitten on the face with the palmes of mens handes that geueth the palme of victorie vnto such as be conquerors How was he spoyled of his earthlie garmētes that apparaileth the sainctes with the garmentes of immortalitie How was he profered most bitter gaull that geueth vs the bread of heauen How was he offered vyneger
floudes commaunde the florishinge springe to retourne againe At this tyme of the resurrection of our Sauiour the holie virgin had withdrawen her selfe into her oratorie expectinge there the comminge of this newe lighte She cried inwardly in her harte and called like a pittiefull liones the therde daie vnto her dead sonne Psalm 56. sayenge Arise vp my glorie arise my harpe and my vyole Retourne ô triumphant conqueror vnto the worlde Gather together ô good pastor thy dispersed flocke Geue eare ô my deare sonne vnto the clamours of thy heauie aÌ„d afflicted mother And seinge by these clamours thou wast moued to descende downe from heauen into the earthe let the same moue the now also to ascende vp againe from hell into the worlde In the middest of these clamours and cries of the blessed virgin beholde that poore cotage of hers was sodainly brightened all ouer with a heauenly lighte and her sonne being now gloriouslie rysen againe from deathe to lyfe presenteth him selfe to the sight of his holie mother The morninge sterre appeareth not so beautifull the brighte sonne at noone daie shineth not so cleare as did that face full of all graces and that vnspotted glasse of diuine glorie in the eies of his holie mother She beholdeth the bodie of her sweete sonne rysen vp agayne from death and glorified all the disfigures of the former deformitie beinge cleane wyped awaie the comely grace of those diuine eies retourned and his former beautie was restored againe and increased She also beholdeth those gappes of his woundes which as they were before verie swoordes of sorrowe to her heauie and tender harte so are they now become fountaines of loue Whom she sawe before to suffer betwene two thieues she seeth now accompanied with Sainctes and Angells Whom she sawe before to commende her from the crosse vnto his disciple she seeth now stretchinge forthe his louinge armes and geuinge vnto her the sweete kisse of peace Whom she helde before dead in her armes she seeth now rysen vp againe before her eies The blessed mother now holdethe him and will not leaue him she embracethe him she desireth and prayeth him most instantly not to departe awaie from her Heretofore she was made speecheles for sorrowe and knewe not what to saye But now she is become speecheles for verie ioye and cannot vtter her inwarde gladnes vnto him Now what tongue can tell or what vnderstandinge is able to comprehende the exceedinge ioye that this blessed virgin conceyued inwardlie in her minde We cannot vnderstande the thinges that doe exceede our capacitie vnlesse we compare them to other lesse thinges and frame by them as it were a ladder to ascende by degries from the lower vnto the higher and so make a coniecture of the one by the other Now that we maye vnderstande somewhat of this her exceedinge ioye consider what a greate ioye the Patriarke Iacob felte when after he had bewailed his dearly beloued sonne Iosephe with so great abundance of teares supposinge him to be dead tydinges were browghte him that he was aliue and Lorde ouer all the lande of Egipt The holie scripture saieth Genes 45. that when these newes were tolde him he coÌ„ceyued so great ioye and astonishement therewith that as a man newlie awaked out of a heauie sliepe he coulde not call his wittes perfectlie together nor yet beleue the newes that his sonnes had tolde him no more than if it had bene a verie dreame But afterwardes when he was fullie resolued that it was true the holie scripture saith that his spirite reuyued againe and that he spake these wordes folowinge It is enoughe for me if my sonne Ioseph be yet a liue I will goe and see him before I die Now then tell me I praye you if Iacob that had eleuen other sonnes in his howse conceyued yet so great a ioye in his harte to vnderstande that euen one onely whom he supposed to be dead was yet aliue what an exceedinge great ioye conceyued the blessed virgin who hauinge no more but one sonne and that one such a sonne as our blessed Sauiour was so notable and so dearly beloued as he was vnto her after she had seene him with her eies bothe dead aÌ„d buried sawe him now againe rysen vp from deathe and withall glorified and made Lorde not onely of all the lande of Egipt but also of all thinges created Is there anie vnderstandinge able to comprehende this Vndowtedly her ioye was inwardelie so great that her harte had not bene able to susteine the force thereof had it not receyued some supernaturall streÌ„gth and comforte by speciall miracle of almightie God for that ende O blessed virgin this benefit alone maie suffice thee It is enoughe for thee that thy deare sonne is aliue and that thou hast him in thy presence and seest him before thy death so as now there remayneth nothinge els for thee to desire O Lorde how well knowest thou how to comforte them that suffer for thy sake The former paine of thy blessed mother seemeth not now to be great beinge compared with this passinge great ioye If thou ô Lorde doest comforte such as suffer for thee after this sorte blessed and happie are their persecutions and troubles seinge they shal be thus rewarded In like maner we haue to consider how our Sauiour appeared vnto his disciples and especially to S. Marie Magdalen whereof presently we doe not intreat because we woulde not make this meditation ouer longe The ende of the first seuen meditations for the seuen daies of the weke in the morninges HERE BEGINNE THE OTHER SEVEN MEDITATIONS FOR THE SAME SEVEN daies in the nightes And althowghe these Meditations be placed in the seconde place yet are they first to be vsed in the order of exercise Forsomuche as with them they must first beginne who are but newlie conuerted to the seruice of almightie God Accipite spiritum sanctum quorum remiseritis peccata remittuntur eis et quorum retinueritis detenta sunt Johan 20. vers 22. Multi 〈…〉 consiâ—â—tes et 〈◊〉 actâ—s suos Act. 19. vers 18. OF SYNNES MONDAIE NIGHTE THIS daie after thou hast made the signe of the Crosse and prepared thy selfe hereunto thou must atteÌ„de to the knowledge of thy selfe aÌ„d thou must vse diligence to call to minde thy sinnes and offences And this is the waie to obteine trewe humilitie of harte and repentance which are the two first gates and foundations of a Christian life For the better performance whereof Of the multitude of the synnes of thy former life thou must thinke firs t of all vpon the multitude of the sinnes of thy former lyfe and espetially vpon those offences that thou diddest coÌ„mit at what time thou haddest least knowledge of almightie God For if thou canst well vewe and examyne them thou shalt finde that they haue exceeded in nomber the verie heares of thy heade and that thou diddest liue at that time like an heathen that knoweth not what God is This done ronne ouer
before the generall daie of iudgemente Secondly consider what fearefull and terrible signes shall goe before this daie For as our Sauiour saieth Before the comminge of this daie there shal be signes in the Sonne in the Moone and in the Sterres and in all creatures both of heauen and earthe For they shall all haue as it were a certayne feelinge and vnderstandinge of their ende Luc. 21.25 before they come to their ende in deede And shall tremble and quake and beginne to falle before they falle in deede But as for men they shall saieth he goe vp and downe drie and withered Luc. 21.26 in great anguishe and feare of death hearinge the terrible roringes of the Sea and seinge the great outragious stormes and tempestes that shall then be stirringe And by those dreadfull signes they shall coniecture what great calamities and miseries are threatened to the worlde And in this wise shall they goe wholy amased and astonied their faces pale and wāne theyr hartes dead before deathe come and as persons condemned before the sentence be geuen For they shall measure the perilles and daungers to come by the greate feare and terrour they be presentelie in And euerie one shal be so throughlie occupied with his owne affaires that none shall thinke of others no not so much as the father of the sonne or the sonne of the father No man shall haue to doe for anie other man because no man shal be sufficient for himselfe alone The Sibilles doe affirme that at that time the beastes shall goe bellowinge and roringe throughe the feildes and cities and that the trees shall sweate bloude and that the Sea shall cast vp the fisshes on the drie grounde But if this seeme incredible to anie man let him consider that there is much more spoken in the gospell For it is a greater matter for men to be dried vp Luc. 21. than for the sea to be dried vp And it is a greater matter that the vertues of the heauens shoulde be moued than that all creatures in the earthe shoulde be altered Thirdlie consider that vniuersall floude of fier Of the cōminge of the floude of fier before the Iudge and of the dreadfull sownde of the trompette at the generall Iudgment Nahum 1. that shall come before the iudge and that dreadfull sownde of the trompett which the Archangell shall blowe to sommon and calle all the generatiōs of the worlde to assemble together in one place and to be present at their generall and vniuersall iudgemente And aboue all this consider with what a dreadfull maiestie the Iudge shall come Whos 's comminge is described by the Prophet Nahum in these wordes Our Lorde shall come like a tempest and furious whyrlewinde and the clowdes are the dust of his feete He shal take indignation against the Sea and it shall waxe drie and all the riuers of the earthe shal be dried vp The hill Basan and Carmelus shal be withered and the floure of the mounte Libanus shall fade and falle awaye The mountaines shall qwake before him and the hilles shall melte The earth shall tremble at his presence and the worlde and all the inhabitantes thereof Who shall stande before the face of his indignation And who shall abide the fearcenes of his furie His wrathe shal be poured out like a fire and the verie rockes shall become dust before him Of the straite accompte that shall then be required of euerie mā Iob. 4. Iob. 31. After this consider what a strait accompte shal be there required of euerie man Verelie saieth Iob no man can be iustified if he be compared with almightie God and if he contende with him in iudgment of a thousande thinges that he shall charge him withall he shall not be able to answere vnto one Now then what shall euerie wicked person thinke at that tyme when almightie God shall enter with him in this examination How almightie God shall then accuse the wicked within their owne consciences ād shal there within his owne cōsciēce saie thus vnto him Come hither thou wicked and naughtie man What hast thou seene in me that thou shouldest thus despise me and goe to myne enemies syde I haue raised thee from the dust of the earthe and created thee after myne owne image and likenes I haue geuen thee vertue and strengthe wherewith thou mightest haue obteined my glorie But thou despisinge the benefites and commaundementes of lyfe which I haue geuen thee wouldest rather followe the lies of the deceiuer than the holesome counsell of thy Lorde and creator To deliuer thee from this foule falle I went downe from heauen into earth where I suffered the greast paynes tormentes and reproches that euer were suffered in the worlde For thee haue I fasted for thee haue I traueyled from place to place for thee haue I watched laboured and sweate droppes of bloude for thee haue I suffered persecutions scourginges blasphemies reproches buffettinges dishonours tormentes and euen deathe it selfe vpon the crosse To be shorte for thee I was borne in much pouertie for thee I liued in great paine for thee I died with intollerable tormentes and greifes Witnes hereof are this crosse and nailes which thou here now seest Witnes hereof are these woundes both of my handes and feete which are here to be seene in my bodie Witnes hereof are heauen and earthe before whom I suffered Witnes hereof are the sonne and moone which were eclipsed at the same howre Now what hast thou done with this thy sowle which I with the sheedinge of myne owne bloude purchased to be mine In whose seruice hast thou emploied that which I bought so dearly O foolishe wicked and adulterous generation why wouldest thou rather serue thy enemie with paine than me thy creator and redeemer with ioye Be yee astonied ô ye heauens at this straunge case and let your gates falle downe at the straungnes hereof Ierem. 2. For two abhominations hath my people committed They haue forsaken me that am the fountaine of liuely water and refused me for an other Barrabas I called yow verie oftentimes and ye woulde not answere me I knocked at your gates and ye woulde not awake I stretched out my handes on the crosse and ye woulde not beholde them Ye haue despised my counsels with all my promises and threatninges Wherefore speake ye now ô ye Angels be you iudges betwene me and my viniarde what coulde I haue done more for it than I haue done Now what answere can the wicked make hereunto Let the wicked prouide what answere to make here vnto now whiles they haue tyme in this worlde Such as be scoffers at holie and diuine thinges Such as be mockers of vertue Such as be despisers of simplicitie Such as make more accompte of the lawes and statutes of the worlde than of the lawes of almightie God Such as haue bene deaffe to heare the callinges of God vnsensible to vnderstande his inspirations rebellious against his commaundementes obdurate and
of the horrible roringes and noyces of it which shal be so extremelie outragious that they shal be hearde manie myles of In what a pittiefull case then I praie you shall men be in these daies How shall they be astonied confounded yea vtterlie bereued of their senses of their speach and of their tast of all thinges Luc. 21. Our Sauiour saieth that at this time the people shal be in great anguishe and distres and that men shall goe as thoughe they were withered and dried vp and had no lyfe in them by reason of the great feare of those thinges that shall happen to the worlde Then shall they saie one to an other What meaneth this What doe these terrible prognostications signifie What will the worlde at the length bringe forthe that it now swelleth and rageth in such furious wise What shall the ende be of all these so great tossinges and alterations of all thinges Now after this sort shall men goe vp and downe sore afraide and dismaide their hartes failinge them and carienge their armes a crosse and one of them lokinge pittiefullie vpon an other And they shal be in so great dread and feare beholdinge one an other to be so farre chaunged and disfigured that euen that alone were enoughe to dismaie thē although there were nothinge els to be feared All occupations and trades of the worlde shall then ceasse euerie where and so shall in like maner all studie and desire of purchasinge and gayninge For the greatnes of the feare shal holde mens hartes so throughly occupied that they shall not onely forget these thinges but they shall also forget euen to eate and drinke and to doe suche thinges as are necessarie for the maintenance and sustentation of their liues Their cheifest care shal be where to seike out sure and safe places to defende them selues from earthquakes and from the tempesteous stormes of the aier and from the inundations of the Sea And so men shall goe to hyde themselues in the caues and dennes of wylde beastes And the wylde beastes shall seike likewise to saue them selues in the lodgynges and howses of men And so all thinges shal be tossed and turmoiled vpside downe and be full of terror and confusion The present calamities shall afflicte them verie sore but the greate dread and feare of those that are to come shall vexe them worse because they knowe not what the ende shal be of such dolefull and lamentable beginninges I wāte wordes to declare this matter as it were requisite to be declared And all that is saied is much lesse then that which shal be in deede We see euen now by experience when anie outragious tempest riseth in the Sea or when anie stormy whirlwinde or earthquake happeneth vpon the lande how wonderfullie men are dismaide how they tremble and be astonied and how bothe their strengthe and wittes doe faile them Now then when the heauen the earthe the Sea and the aier shal be whollie distempered and disordered when in all regions and elementes in the worlde there shal be peculiare stormes and tempestes when the Sonne shall threaten with mourninge the Moone with bloud and the Sterres with their fallinges who shal be able to eate Who shal be able to sleepe Who shal be able to take so muche as one minute of rest beinge compassed on each side with so manie outragious stormes and tempestes O how miserable and vnhappie is the state and condition of the wicked who are threatened with all these fearefull prognostications And contrariewise how blessed is the state of the good and Godlie vnto whom all these thinges are fauours comfortes and good tidinges of the happie prosperitie so neare at hande approchinge then vnto them How ioyefully shall they then singe with the Prophet God is our refuge Psalm 45. and our strengthe and therefore we will not feare thoughe the whole earthe be tossed and tormoyled and the mountaines be remoued and falle into the bothome of the Sea Luc. 21.30.31 Like as you vnderstande saieth our Sauiour when the figge tree and all other trees beginne to blossome and to bringe fourthe their frute that then the springe time draweth neare at hande euen so when ye shall see these thinges come to passe then maie ye perceiue that the kingedome of God is at hande Then maie ye open your eies and lift vp your head because the daie of your redemtion approcheth How ioyefull shall the good and vertuous then be How well shall they thinke all their trauels and labours employed And contrariewise how woefull and sorowfull shall the wicked be and how sore shall they then condemne all the steppes and waies of their sinfull liues Of the ende of the worlde and of the resurrection of the dead § III. AFTER all these signes shall the comminge of the Iudge approche neare at hande before whom there shall goe an vniuersall floude of fire There shal be an vniuersall floude of fyer before the comminge of the Iudge which shall burne and consume to ashes all the glorie of the worlde This fire shal be to the wicked a beginninge of their paine to the good a beginninge of their glorie and vnto them that haue not made full satisfaction it shal be a purgatorie for their offences Then shall all the glorie of the worlde haue an ende Then shall the mouinges of the heauens the course of the planettes and the generation of thinges ceasse Then shall the varietie of times with all other thinges that depende of the heauens haue an ende And so S. Iohn writeth in the Apocalippes Apoc. 10. That he sawe a mightie Angell clothed with a bright cloude His face was like the sonne he had a rainbow for a crowne on his head his feete were like pillers of fier of the which one he sette on the Sea and th' other vpon the lande And he saieth that this Angell lifted vp his arme towardes heauē and sware by him that liueth euerlastinglie worlde without ende that from thenceforthe there shoulde be no more time That is to saie that there shoulde be no mouinge of the heauens nor of anie other thinge that is gouerned by them And which is more than all this no place of penance nor anie time to merite or demerite for the lyfe to come After this fyre there shall come as the Apostle saieth an Archangell with great power 2. Thes 4. and maiestie and he shall sownde a trompette to wit At doomes daye an Archangell with the sounde of a trompette shall sommon all nations to come to the generall iudgmente a great and terrible voyce whose sounde shal be hearde ouer all the partes of the worlde and with this trompette he shall summon all nations to come to the generall iudgemente This is that fearfull voyce whereof S. Ierome speaketh sayeinge Whether I eate or drinke or whatsoeuer I doe me seemeth alwaies that I heare that voyce soundinge in mine eares which shall saie rise vp all yee that are
the whole earthe yea and which is more meruailous that there be some starres emonge them of such notable greatnes that they be nyntie times greater then all the whole earthe when a man hearethe these thinges and lifteth vp his eies to heauen and seeth in the same such a multitude of starres and so manie voyde spaces where manie more starres might be set how can he but wonder How can he but be astonied and in a maner besides himselfe consideringe the passinge greatnes of that place and much more of that mightie Soueraine Lorde that created it of nothinge The goodlie bewtie of the heauens Then as towchinge the goodlie bewtie of that place it is a thinge that can not be expressed with wordes For if almightie God hath created thinges so wonderfull and so bewtifull in this vale of teares and place of bannishement what wonderfull bewtifull thinges hath he created trowe ye in that place which is the seate of his glorie the throne of his mightie power the pallace of his maiestie the howse of his electe and the paradise of all delightes After thou hast considered the excellencie of the place The fruition of the companie of the blessed inhabitantes in heauen Apoc. 7.9 The number of the electe The nomber of the Angelles in heauen consider also the great worthines of those blessed inhahitantes that dwell in it whose nomber holines riches and bewtie are greater than anie man can imagin S. Iohn saieth that the nomber of the electe is so great that no man is able to counte them S. Dionysius saithe that the nomber of the Angels is so great that they exceede without comparison all corporall and materiall thinges in the earthe S. Thomas agreinge with this opinion saithe that like as the greatnes of the heauēs exceedethe the greatnes of the earthe without anie proportion euen so doth the multitude of those glorious spirites exceede the multitude of all corporall and materiall thinges that are in this worlde with the like aduantage and proportion Now what thinge can be imagined more wonderful than this Certainlie this is such a matter that if it were well considered it were able to astonishe all men Againe if euerie one of the Angels yea thoughe it be the verie leaste Angell emonge them all be more goodlie and bewtifull to beholde than all this visible worlde what a glorious sighte shall it then be to beholde such a nomber of bewtifull Angels and to see the perfections and offices that euerie one of them hath in that highe and supreme cittie There the Angels goe as it were in ambassages Angels The Archangels are occupied in their ministerie Archāgels Principalities Powers Dominations Vertues Thrones Cherubins Seraphins The Principalities triumphe The Powers reioyce The dominations gouerne The Vertues shyne The Thrones glister The Cherubins geue light The Seraphins burne with loue And all of that heauenlie cowert doe singe lawdes and prayses vnto almightie God Now if the companie and conuersation of good and vertuous persons be so sweite and amiable a thinge what a blessed thinge shall it be to conuerse and kepe companie with so so manie good and blessed Sainctes as be there to speake with the Apostles to be conuersant with the Prophetes to communicate with the Martirs and to dwell and haue a perpetuall familiaritie with all the electe Now if it shall be so greate a glorie to enioye the companie of the good The vision of almightie God what shall it be to enioye the companie and presence of him whom the morninge starres doe praise at whose excellente bewtie the Sonne and moone doe wonder before whose maiestie the Angels bowe downe and at whose presence men doe meruailouslie reioyce What a glorie shall it be to beholde that vniuersall goodnes in whom are all good thinges That greater worlde in whom all worldes are conteyned What a ioye shall it be to see him who beinge one is all thinges and yet beinge one and most simple in himselfe comprehendeth the perfections of all things If to heare and see kinge Salomō were thought so great a matter that the Quene of Saba saied of him 3. Reg. 10. Blessed are they that stand before thy presence and enioye thy wisedome what a thinge shall it be to beholde that most highe Salomon that euerlastinge wisedome that infinite greatnes that inestimable bewtie that exceedinge goodnes and to enioye the same for euermore This is the essentiall glorie of the Sainctes This is the last ende and center of all our desires The glorie of the Sainctes bodies in heauen After this consider the glorie of the bodies in which there shal be no parte but shal be glorified For there euerie one of the members and senses shall haue his particuler glorie and obiect wherein to take delighte There the bodies of the Sainctes shal be endued with those fower singuler qualities and dowries The fower dowries of glorified bodies to witt with subtilitie swiftnes impassibilitie and clearenes And this clearenes shal be so great that euerie one of the Sainctes bodies shall shyne like the sonne in the kingdome of their father Now if this sonne that standeth in the middest of the firmamente beinge but one be sufficient to geue lighte and comfort to all this worlde what a lighte shall so manie sonnes and lampes make as shall shyne so brightlie in that place altogether The perfecte fruitiō of all good thinges in heauen To conclude in this glorie all good thinges shal be fownde wholye together and all euill thinges shal be bannished from thence There shal be healthe without infirmitie libertie without bondage bewtie without deformitie immortalitie without corruption aboundance without necessitie quietnes without vexation securitie without feare knowledge without error fulnes without lothsomenes ioye without heauines and honour without contradiction There as S. Augustine saieth shal be true glorie S. Augustine For there shall non be praised either by error or flatterie There shal be true honour For there it shall neither be denied to suche as deserue it nor geuen to suche as deserue it not There shal be true peace For there shall no man be molested neither by him selfe nor by others The rewarde of vertue shal be euen he that gaue the vertue and hathe promised himselfe for a rewarde of the same who is the greatest and best of all thinges to witt almightie God He shal be the ende of our desires He shall there be seene without ceassinge loued without lothsomenes and praised without wearines There the place is large bewtifull bright and secure The companie verie good and delightfull The time alwaies after one sorte not distincted into eueninge and morninge but continued with a simple eternitie There shal be a perpetuall springe which throughe the freshnes and sweite breathinge of the holie Ghost shall florishe for euermore There shall all reioyce all shall singe and geue continuall praise to the cheife geuer of all thinges throughe whose bountifull
nor decaye neither shall their bodies euer decaye or waxe olde For he that causeth the heauens to be alwaies freshe and newe after so manie thowsande yeares as haue passed since they were created shall also cause the flower of the glorie of the Sainctes alwaies to be liuelie and florishinge and neuer to wither or decaye in anie one poynte Of the fourthe ioye that the sowle shall haue in the kingdome of heauen which is the enioyinge of the glorie of the bodie § IIII. The bodies of the Sainctes shall also be glorified in heauen THE cleare vision of the diuine maiestie is as hathe bene declared the essential glorie of the blessed sowles in heauen Howbeit our most iust iudge and bountifull father thinkethe it not enoughe to glorifie the sowles onely but for the honour of them extendethe his magnificence and liberalitie yet further euen to glorifie their bodies also geuinge thus a rowme and place vnto beastes in his royall and euerlastinge heauēlie pallace O louer of men O honorer of the good and vertuous What hath this rottē and stinckinge fleashe of ours which like a beast followeth alwaies his appetites to doe with the sanctuarie of heauen What shall this fleashe which shoulde rather be tied vp in a stable emonge beastes be placed emonge the Angels in heauen Let dust ô Lorde continewe with dust for it is not seemely that earthe shoulde be placed aboue the heauens But he that saiede vnto Abraham I will honour and multiplie Ismael Gen. 17.20 notwithstandinge he is the sonne of a bondslaue because he appertaineth vnto thee will also shewe this fauour to the bodies of the Sainctes for the nighe kinred that is betwene the sowles and thē It is our Lordes pleasure also that he that hath holpen to beare the burthen Note here the reason why the Sainctes bodies shall as well be glorified in heauen as their sowles shall likewise be partaker in the diuision of the glorie and that like as the sowle by conformynge it selfe in this lyfe vnto the will of God commeth afterwardes to be made partaker of the glorie of God euen so the bodie which contrarie to his nature was conformable and obedient vnto the will of the sowle shall also be made partaker of the glorie of the same sowle And thus shall the iust be glorious both in bodie and sowle And as the Prophet saieth Esa 61.7 They shall possesse in their countrey dowble riches Whereby is vnderstoode the glorie of the sowles and the glorie of the bodies The glorie of the senses The eies Now what shall I saie of the glorie of the senses Eache one of them shall there haue his owne proper delighte and glorie The eies shal be renewed and made more cleare than the lighte of the sonne They shall see those roiall pallaces those glorious bodies and those bewtifull feildes with other infinit goodlie thinges that are there to be seene The eares The eares shall alwaies heare that wounderfull musicke which is so exceedinge sweite and pleasant that one onely fownde of it were able to bringe all the hartes of this worlde a-sleepe The sense of smellinge shall also be recreated with most sweite and pleasant sauours The smellinge not of such vaporous thinges as we haue here but of such as be proportionable to the glorie that is there The taste In like maner the taste shal be satisfied with incredible sweitenes and delightes not for sustentation of lyfe but for accomplishemente of all glorie Now what an exceedinge ioye shall the blessed sowle conceyue at that time when for the mortification and diligente lookinge vnto the senses which continued so shorte a time she seeth her selfe so wholie drowned in that most deepe fountaine of glorie without findinge anie bothom or ende of so manie and of such passinge great ioyes O labours and paines well employed O seruices well rewarded O treasure not so much to be spoken of as to be wisshed and desired and to be purchased with a thowsande liues if we had so manie to geue for the same Of the fyfte ioye in the kingdome of heauen which is the euerlastinge continuance of the glorie and felicitie of the the Sainctes § V. BVT now let vs see for how longe time this great glorie and felicitie is to be enioyed This is a pointe that were able alone to cause vs euen to crie out and desire that all maner of tribulations afflictions paynes and labours might rayne and powre down vpon vs as thicke as hayle so that we might serue and please almightie God in this transitorie lyfe who is to bestowe so great and inestimable benefites vpon vs in the euerlastinge lyfe to come This rewarde of so great glorie and felicitie in the kingdome of heauen shal endure so manie thowsande yeares as be starres in the firmament yea and a greate deale longer It shall endure so manie hundered thowsande milliōs of yeares as haue fallen droppes of water vpon the earthe yea and a greate deale longer yea to conclude it shal endure so longe as almightie God him selfe shall endure which shal be euerlastingelie worlde without ende Psal 145. For it is written thus Our Lorde shall raigne for euer and euer And in an other place Psal 144. Thy raigne is the raigne of all worldes and thy dominion endurethe from generation to generation Wherefore ô father of mercies and God of all consolation I humbly beseech thee by the bowels of thy mercie that I maie not be depriued of this supreme glorie and felicitie O Lorde my God that hast vowchsaffed to create me after thyne owne image and likenes and to make me capable of thy selfe fill this harte of mine which thow hast created with thy selfe sith thow hast created it for thy selfe Psal 141. Let my portion ô my almightie God be in the lande of the liuinge O Lorde I beseech thee geue me not in this transitorie lyfe either rest or riches but reserue all in store for me for the euerlastinge lyfe to come Num. 32.6 I desire not to enherite with the children of Ruben in the lande of Galaad and to lose my right and title of the lande of promise Psalm 26. One thinge onely ô Lorde haue I demaunded of thee and this will I alwaies require that I maie dwell in the howse of our Lorde all the daies of my lyfe SONDAIE NIGHTE OF THE BENEFITES OF ALMIGHTIE GOD. 〈…〉 THIS DAIE WHEN THOV HAST MADE THE SIGNE OF the Crosse and prepared thy selfe hereunto thou hast to meditate vpon the benefites of almightie God that in so doinge thou mayst geue him thankes for them and enkendle in thy selfe a more feruente loue of him who hath shewed himselfe so bountiefull towardes thee and withall procure thereby more greife and sorowe for the sinnes and offences that thou hast committed against such a louinge benefactor AND albeit the benefites of almightie God towardes vs be innumerable yet they all maie be reduced to
forthe the hande of thy bountifull goodnes they are replenished and satisfied with all such thinges as they stande in neide of But if thou ô Lorde turne thy face awaye from them they shall forthwith be disapointed and vtterly faile and returne againe to the same dust whereof they were made Whereby it appeareth that like as all the mouinge and order of a clocke dependeth of the wheeles that doe drawe it and make it to goe insomuch that if they shoulde staie immediatly all the whole frame and mouinge of the clocke woulde staie also euen so all the worckmanshippe of this great frame of the worlde dependeth wholie of the prouidence of almightie God in such sort that if his diuine prouidence shoulde faile all the rest woulde faile out of hande withall But how manie benetfites trowest thou are conteyned in this one benefite Euerie minute and momente of our lyfe dependeth of the prouidence of almightie God Trewlie euerie minute and momente of an howre that thou liuest are partes of this benefite For thou couldest not liue nor haue anie beinge so much as one minute if almightie God shoulde withdrawe his prouidence and turne his eie awaie neuer so litle from thee All creatures in the worlde are parte of this benefite For we see that they all doe serue to this ende Insomuch as the heauen is thyne the earthe is thyne yea the Sonne the Moone the starres the sea the fishes the birdes the trees the liuinge beastes and to be short all thinges in the worlde be thyne forsomuch as they all are appointed to doe thee seruice This is that benefite which the Prophet wondered so much at when he saiede Psal 8. What is man ô Lorde that thou shouldest be mindfull of him and what is the sonne of man that thou doest so visite him Thou hast made him not much inferior to the Angels Thou hast crowned him with glorie and honour and hast made him Lorde ouer all the workes of thy handes Thou hast put all thinges vnder his feite sheepe oxen and all the beastes of the feilde the birdes of the aier and the fishes of the sea that walke ouer the pathes of the Sea O Lorde our God how wonderfull is thy name ouer all the earthe Almightie God hath appointed al creatures visible and inuisible to serue man And almightie God hath vowchsaffed not onely to appointe all visible creatures for the seruice and behoofe of man but hath also of his great mercie appointed the invisible creatures to witt those most noble and excellēt vnderstādinges that be alwaies in his presence ād beholde his diuine face For as S. Paule saiethe Hebr. 1.14 They be all officers in this great howse and familie of almightie God Vnto the Angels is committed the defence and safegarde of men vnto whom is committed the defence and safegarde of mē Finallie he hath employed all the whole worlde to doe thee seruice to the intēt that thou shouldest in like maner imploie thy selfe in his seruice And his will is that there shoulde be no one creature either vnder the heauen or aboue exempted from seruinge and helpinge thee And this hath he done that there shoulde be nothinge within thee that shoulde not likewise be employed in seruinge of him And althoughe peraduenture thou runnest slightlie ouer all these thinges yet oughtest thou not so to passe ouer the benefites that almightie God hath done vnto thee in deliueringe thee from infinite mishappes and calamities which we see doe daily happen to other men Thou seest how one is troubled with the palsey an other is blinde an other lame This worlde is a maine sea of infinite trowbles calamities and miseries an other broken legged an other sore vexed with the stone and others with the strangurie gowte fistula or with other like terrible diseases and miseries For to saie the verie trueth this worlde is nothinge els but a mayne sea of infinite troubles calamities and miseries and scarcelie canst thou finde anie one howse in all this lande of Egipte free from sighinge mourninge greife and sorowe And now tell me I praye thee who hath graunted vnto thee this bulle and patēte of exēptiō to be quitte ād free from these so greiuous calamities and miseries Who hath geuen thee so great a priuiledge that emonge such a nomber of diseased and wounded persons thou shouldest be free and sounde and emonge such a nomber that doe dailie falle thou shouldest yet stande vprighte vpon thy feete Arte not thou a man as all others a sinner as all others and the sonne of Adam as all others If then all these euills and miseries doe come either on the behalfe of nature or els of synne and the verie same causes are in thee how is it that the verie same effectes are not also in thee Who hath suspended the effectes from their causes Who hath staied the streames of the waters that thou shouldest not perishe with others in this common floude but onely the verie grace of God Wherefore if thou cast this accompte aright All the miseries of this worlde are benefites vnto vs. thou shalt finde that all the miseries of this worlde are benefites vnto thee and that for euerie one of them in particuler thou owest a speciall thankefulnes and loue vnto almightie God So that by the benefite before alledged thou mayste perceiue that all the good thinges in the worlde are benefites bestowed vpon thee forsomuch as they all doe serue for thy conseruation and now also by this mayst thou vnsterstande that all the miseries and euilles in the worlde are likewise benefites vnto thee in that our Lorde hath deliuered thee from them all Of the benefite of Redemption § III. LET vs come now vnto the inestimable benefite of our redemption although it shoulde be much better to adore this misterie with an holie sylence than to speake of it in such grosse and base wise as we must doe with our mortall tōge Thou diddest lose throwghe sinne that first innocencie and grace wherein thou wast created and almightie God might with good equitie and iustice haue lefte thee in that miserable state as he left the deuil and non shoulde haue bene able to haue reproued him therefore And yet he woulde not so doe but rather contrariewise chaunginge his anger into mercie it pleased him of his infinite goodnes to bestowe greatest benefites at that time whē he was most prouoked to wrathe with greatest offences And whereas he might haue repayred this losse of innocēcie by sendinge some Angel Summa S. Thomae 3. quaest 1. artic 2. 3. quaest 46. artic 1. 2. Our Lorde came himselfe in person to redeeme vs and that in great humilitie and pouertie or Archangell or by some other meanes he woulde not so doe but vowchsaffed to come euē him selfe in person And whereas he might haue come with great maiestie and glorie he abased him selfe so farre as to come in great humilitie ād pouertie And this he
is manifest that fayth is the first beginninge and foundation of all the Christian life For fayth maketh vs to beleue that almightie God is our creator our gouernour our redeemer our sanctifier our glorifier to be short our beginninge and our last ende Fayth is that which teacheth vs Fayth bridlethe maÌ„s harte and causeth him to liue in the feare of God that there is an other lyfe after this and that there shal be a generall iudgement of all our workes and that we shall receiue either euerlastinge glorie for the good or els euerlastinge paine for the euill And it is cleare that the fayth and beliefe men haue in these thinges brideleth their hartes and causeth them to stande in awe and to liue in the feare of God For if fayth were not emonge vs as a meane to brydle and directe vs herein what trow ye would become of the lyfe of man And therefore the Prophet saied That the iust man liueth by fayth Rom. 1. Heb. 10. Galat. 3. Abac 2.4 not that fayth alone is sufficient to geue vs lyfe but because faith by meanes of the representatioÌ„ and consideration of those thinges that it teacheth vs prouoketh vs to refraine from sinne and wickednes and to followe vertue and goodnes Ephes 6.16 And this is the cause why the Apostel willeth vs to take faythe as a sheild against all the fyrie dartes of the enemie For certainlie there is no better sheild against the dartes of sinne than to calle those thinges to minde that fayth hath reuealed vnto vs against the same Wherefore that this fayth maye worke this effect in vs it is verie requisite that we doe sometimes ponder and consider in our myndes with good attention and deuotion such thinges as our fayth teacheth vs. Vnlesse we poÌ„dre and coÌ„sider the mysteries of our faythe our faythe is as it were a lettâ—e clovp and sealed For if we doe not so it seemeth that our fayth shal be vnto vs as it were a letter closed vp and sealed in which althowgh there come notable important newes of verie great sorowe or ioye yet it moueth vs not at all neither to the one nor to the other no more than if we had receyued no letter at all And the reason is because we haue not opened the letter nor considered what thinges are conteined in it Now what thinge coulde be said more aptlie or more to the purpose towchinge the fayth of the wicked and dissolute Christians For suerlie there can not be thinges of greater terrour and ioye than those are which our fayth declareth vnto vs. But the wicked Christians because they doe neuer open this letter to see what thinges be conteined in it I meane hereby because they doe neuer thinke and meditate vpon these misteries of our Christian faythe or if they thinke vpon them they passe them ouer verie lightlie and in great hast they cause not in them this manner of motion and alteration to witt of ioye or of feare Wherefore it behoueth vs sometimes to open this letter of our faythe I meane the mysteries thereof and to reade the same very leisurlie and to consider with good attention what thinges are tawght vs in the same the which is done by meanes of the exercise of consideration For it is consideration that openeth that which is locked and vnfoldeth that which is folded together and maketh that cleare vnto vs which is otherwise darke and obscure And so by illuminatinge our vnderstandinge with the greatnes of the mysteries of our fayth it inclineth our will so farfourth as appertaineth to the office of consideration to conforme our lyfe to the same This office of consideration almightie God figured verie notablie in the lawe what was signified by the cleaÌ„ beaste in the lawe Leuit. 11. Deuter. 14. when emonge the conditions that were required in the cleane beast he assigned this for one that the beast should chewe the cudde to witt the meate that it bad eaten before Now it is certain that it was litle to the purpose whether the beast were cleane or vncleane and suerlie almightie God made litle accompt of that But his meaninge was to represent vnto vs in that cleane beast the condition office and exercise of those beastes that be spirituallie cleane to witt of the iust and righteous persons that are not content onelie to eate such thinges as appertain vnto amightie God in beleeuinge them by fayth but after they haue eaten them they doe also chewe them by meanes of coÌ„sideration in searchinge and ponderinge the mysteries which they beleue And after they haue vnderstode the meaninge and excellencie of them they distribute and deuide this meate vnto all the spirituall members of the sowle for the sustentation and reparinge of the same Insomuch that if we marke this matter well A notable similitude we shall finde that it fareth in this case as in the seede of a tree which althowghe it doe virtuallie conteine within it the substance of the tree yet hath it neide of the vertue and influence of heauen and of the benefite and moysture of the earthe to cause the vertue that is inclosed in the seede to come forthe to light and to growe vp by litle and litle and waxe a tree Euen so in like maner we saie that althoughe fayth be the first seede and originall of all our weale yet must it neides be holpen with this benefite of consideration that by the same and by meanes of charitie the greine and fruitfull tree of good lyfe which is virtuallie conteined therein maie growe and come to light HOW CONSIDERATION HELPETH HOPE § II. Summa S. Thomae 22. quaest 17. art 5. quaest 18. artic 1. CONSIDERATION helpeth also no lesse the vertue of hope This hope is an affection of our will that hath his motive and roote in the vnderstandinge As the Apostle signifieth plainlie vnto vs saienge All thinges that are written Rom. 15.4 are written for our instruction that throughe patience and consolation which the scriptures geue vnto vs we may haue hope and affiance in almightie God For vndowtedlie the holie scripture is the fountaine The holie scripture is the founteyne of comfort from wheÌ„ce the iust man gathereth the water of comfort wherewith he strengtheneth him selfe to put his hope and trust in God For first of all he seeth in the holie scriptures the greatnes of the workes and merites of our Sauiour Iesus Christ The workes and merites of our Sauiour Christe are the principall staye and fouÌ„dation of our hope in God which are the principall staie and foundation of our hope There he seeth likewise in a thowsande places the greatnes of the goodnes sweetenes and maiestie of almightie God liuelye expressed and set out to the eie and withall the mercifull louinge prouidence he hath ouer them that be his the gentlenes and benignitie wherewith he receyueth them that come vnto him and the faythfull promises and pledges he
awake them out of theire heauie and drowsie sleepe Note also of what importance the saluation of mankinde is sith it is able to make him to sweate droppes of bloude by whose power the heauens are susteined And consider on the other side how little accompt men them selues make of theire owne saluation sith at such time as almightie God him selfe is so carefull and watchfull for them they are in a deepe heauie sleepe and vtterlie careles thereof Assuredlie nothinge could more liuely expresse both the one and the other than the consideration of these two pointes being so strange as they are For if almightie of others howe happeneth it that the verie persons them selues to whom euen the charge and traueille of the affaires apperteineth together with the profit commoditie losse and damage of the same do liue with such carelesnes and negligence therin By this same care of our Sauiour and carelesnes of his disciples thou maist vnderstand how trewlie this Lorde is our father and how he hath indeede towardes vs the verie bowelles and hart of a true and louinge father How often times chaunceth it trowe ye that the daughter sleepeth verie sowndlie and quietlie when her father watcheth all the night carckinge and carynge for her releefe and prouision And euen so doth this our most louinge and mercifull father for vs whiles we be soheauie a sleepe and are vtterlie careles of our owne saluation as by this example is liuelie set out before our eies in that he continueth all the night watchinge and sweatinge and in great agonie to take order for the redēption he intended to bestowe vpon vs. HOW OVR SAVIOVR WAS APPREHENDED Non est seruus maior domino suo si me persecuti to sunt et vos persequentur Johan 15.20 § II. Of Iudas pressinge before all the rest to apprehende our Sauiour CONSIDER moreouer how when our sauiour had finished his praier Iudas that counterfait and false friende of his came thither with that hellishe cōpanie where renouncinge the office of an Apostle he became now the verie principall ringeleader and Captayne of Sathans armie Consider howe without all shame he pressed and set himselfe euen the verie formost before all the rest of his malicious rowte and comminge to his good maister solde him with a kisse of most treyterous and deceitfull fryndeshippe It is certaynelie a great miserie that a man should be solde for money but yet it is much more miserable if he be solde of his friendes and of such as to whom he hathe bene greatelie beneficiall before Now our sweete Sauiour Christ is solde of him whom he had made not onelie his disciple but also his Apostle yea he is solde of him by deceite ád plaine treason he is solde of him to most cruel merchantes that couete you may be sure nothing els of him but onelie his bloud and life to satisfie theire greadie honger But for what price trow ye is he sold the basenes and smalnes of the pryce increaseth the greatnes and malice of the iniurie Tell me O Iudas thou nowghtie traitor at what price doest thou set the Lord of all creatures At thirtie pence O what a vile and slender pryce is this for a Lorde of such maiestie Certeinlie a verie beast in the shambles is commonlie solde for more And doest thou o traitor sell for so smalle a pryce almightie God him selfe He settethe not thee at so smalle a pryce forsomuch as he byeth thee with his owne most pretious bloude O what a great price and estimation was that of man and how base an estimation and pryce was this of God God is solde for thirtie pence and man is bought euen with the verie pretiouse bloud of almightie God him selfe At the same tyme our sauiour said vnto them that came to laie handes vpon him Luc. 22. Math. 26. Ye become out as it were ageinst a theife with swordes and speeres and I satte daylie emonge you teachinge in the temple and ye neuer laid handes vpon me but this is your howre and the power of darkenes This is suerlie a misterie of great admiration For what thinge is more to be wondered at then to see the verie sonne of almightie God to take vpon him the Image and shape not onelie of a sinner but euen also of a condemned person Our sauiour was giuen vp to the power of the diuelles from the tyme of his apprehension vntill his deathe vpon the crosse Iob 2. This sayethe he is yowr howre and the power of darkenes The which wordes geue vs to vnderstande that from that time that most innocent lambe was geuen vp into the power of the princes of darckenes which are the diuells to the intent that by meanes of theire members and cruell ministers they might execute vpon him all the furious tormentes and cruelties they could deuise And like as holie Iob was by the permission of almightie God geuen vp into the power of Sathan that he might vse vpon him all the crueltie he woulde this onelie excepted that he should not bereiue him of his life euen so was there power geuen to the princes of darknes without anie exception either of life or death that they might fullie extende vpon that sacred humanitie all theire surie and rage to the vttermost they cowld Hereof rose those despightfull tauntes those slaunderous and reprochfull wordes such as the like were neuer harde before that tyme wherewith the diuell pretended to satisfie his vnsatiable rancre and malice to reuenge his iniuries and to cast that blested soule downe into some kinde of impatiencie if it had bene possible Almightie God saith the Prophet Zacharie shewed Iesus the highe preist vnto me Zach. 3. apparelled with a spotted garmente and Sathan stoode at his right hande readie prepared to speake against him But our Sauiour answered for his parte sayinge I did alwaies set God before myne eies Psalm 15. who standeth at my right hande that I be not remoued Consider then now o my soule how much that highe and diuine maiestie abased himselfe for thy sake sithence he vowchesaffed to come to the last extremitie of all miseries which is to be geuen vp to the power of deuilles And because this was the paine that was due to thy synnes it pleased him to put euen himself to this paine that thou mightest remaine quite and free from the same Psalm 8. O holie Prophet why doest thou wonder to see almightie God become inferior to his angells thou hast now farre greater cause to wonder to see him geuen vp into the power of deuilles Vndowtedlie both the heauens and the earthe trembled and quaked at this so passinge great humilitie and charitie of our Sauiour So soone as these wordes were spoken foorthwith all that hellishe rowte and malitiouse rable of raueninge wolues assaulted this most meeke and innocent lambe and some verie furiouslye haled him this waie and some that waie eache one to the vttermost of his power O how
vngentlie did they handle him How vncourteouslie spake they vnto him How manie blowes and buffettes gaue they him What a vile clamorous cryinge and showtinge made they ouer him euen as conquerors vse to doe when they haue obteined there praie They laye holde vpon those holie handes which not longe before had wrought so manie wonderfull myracles and doe bynde them verie harde and fast with certaine roughe and knottie cordes and that in such sorte that they gawle the skinne of his armes and make the verie bloude to springe out Our sauiour beinge thus bounde they leade him openlie throwgh the highe common streates with great despite and ignominie O what a strange and wonderfull sight is this Consider now with thy selfe what thou wouldest thinke if thou knewest some man of great awthoritie and worthines and shouldest see him led opēlie by the officers throwghe the commō streetes with an haulter tyed about his necke his handes manicled and fast bounde in a great hurlye burlye and concourse of people with great classhinge and noise of men of armes and souldiars gardinge him Imagine I saie with thy selfe what thou wouldest thinke in this case and then lift vp thine eies and beholde this Lorde worthie of so greate reuerence and honor that had wrought such wonders in that lande that had preached such diuine sermons emonge them whom all the sicke and impotent persons did honor and reuerence and besought to haue remedie for all there diseases and greiffes Consider now how they leade him as one depryued of all awthoritie and put to open shame partlie goinge and partlie haled forwardes and enforced to hasten his pase not in such wise as became a man of his grauitie and personage but as it liked the outragious furie of his vnmercifull ennemies and the desire they had to pleasure the Pharasies who had so great a lōginge to haue that praie within there grypes Consider our sauiour well how he goeth in this dolefull waie abandoned of his owne disciples accompanied with his ennemies his pase hastened and disordered his breathe in a maner gone his colour changed his face chafed and inflamed by reason of his so quicke and hastie passage And yet in all this euill entreatinge of his person beholde the modest behahauiour of his countenāce the comelye grauitie of his eies and that diuine resemblance which in the middest of all the discourtesies in the worlde coulde neuer be obscured Ascende also yet a little higher and consider diligentlie what he is whom thou seest thus led and caried awaye with such great contumelie and dishonor This is he that is the worde of the father the euerlastinge wisedome the infinite vertu the cheefe goodnes the perfet felicitie the true glorie and the cleare fountaine of all beawtie Consider then how for thy saluation and redemption vertu is here tyed with bandes innocēcie apprehēded wisdome flowted and lawghed to scorne honor contemned glorie tormented and the cleare welspringe of all bewtie trowbled with weepinge and sorrowe If Helie the preist felt such an inward greiffe 1. Reg. 4. when the Arcke of the testament was taken that beinge astonished therewith he fell from the seate wherevpon he sat and brake his necke and forthwith gaue vp the Ghost How owght a Christian soule to be greiued when he seeth the arcke of all the treasures of the wisedome of almightie God led and taken in the possession of such vnmercifull and cruell ennemies Psalm 68. The heauens and earthe praise him therefore and all that is in them for he hath harde the cries of the poore and hath not despised the sorowfull bewailinges of his afflicted that were in captiuitie but was content to be taken captiue him selfe to deliuer them out of theire thraldome and to set them at libertie OF THOSE THAT DOE SPIRITVALLIE BYNDE THE HANdes of our Sauiour Christ § III. VHEREFORE o most gentle and sweet sauiour sithence it was thy blessed will and pleasure to be bownde to the intent thou mightest by thy bandes loose vs and deliuer vs from our captiuetie I most hūblie beseach thee euē by the bowells of thy tēder mercie that caused thee to abase thy selfe after this sort that thou wilt not suffer me to cōmit anie such great wickednes as to bynde thy hādes as the Iewes did For it is not the Iewes onely that doe binde thy handes but whosoeuer maketh resistance against thy holie inspirations and will not goe whither thou wilt gwyde and conduct him but refuseth to accept that grace which thou doest most mercifully offer vnto him who so giueth anie scādale to his neighbour bindethe Chrides handes That man likewise bindeth thy handes that geueth anie scandalous offence vnto his neighbour and by his euill exāple and nowghtie cownsell withdraweth him from his godlie purposes and so hindereth the good worke that thou diddest beginne to worke in him The mistrustfull and incredulous persons also doe binde O Lorde the handes of thy liberalitie and clemencie For like as confidence openeth the handes of thy grace euenso doth incredulitie and mistrustfulnes close thē vp and binde thē accordinge to the sayinge of the Euangelist Math. 13. that thou couldest not doe manie vertues and miracles in thy countrie by reason of the incredulitie of the inhabitantes therein Moreouer the vngratefull and negligent persons do binde thy handes o Lorde and doe put an impediment to let the workinge of thy grace the one because they render not thankes vnto thee for the grace The vngratefull and negligente persones doe bynde Christes handes they haue receaued and the other because they will not vse the grace that is geuen vnto them but doe kepe it idell and vnoccupied without takinge anie benefite or commoditie of the same Last of all those that become vainglorious and prowde by reason of the graces thou hast geuen them doe also most strongelie binde thy handes For by this offence they make themselues altogether vnworthie of thy grace wherefore it is not reason that thou shouldest continewe to be beneficiall vnto such persons as take occasion thereof to become more vaine neither is it semelie that thou shouldest bestowe the treasures of thy grace vpon such a one as yeeldeth not to thee againe the tribute of glorie but doth rather like a traitor and robber waxe insolent and vauntinge with the same and vsurpeth to himselfe the right and prerogatiue of glorie that apperteineth vnto thee alone I might saie also O Lord that those talkers and pratlers that kepe not secret such consolations and spiritual fealinges as thou geuest them doe likwise binde thy handes for like as wise and discrete men will not communicate theire secretes anie more vnto them whom they haue fownde vnfaithfull in publishinge them abroade euen so doest thou also manie times leaue to make those persons partakers of thy secretes who without anie cause doe publishe and reueale thē to others and take occasion thereby to make them selues more vaine I H S WENSDAIE IN THE
Image of the glorie of the father What moued thee to vse this dispitefull kinde of most villeynous reproche vnto him Psal 44.3 who is the most bewtifull emonge all the sonnes of men How our Sauiour was led to the howse of bishoppe Caiphas But this was not the last iniurie our Sauiour suffered that night For from the howse of Annas they leade him to the howse of the Bisshoppe Caiphas whither reason woulde that thou shouldest goe with him to kepe him companie and there shalt thou see the sonne of iustice darkened with an Eclipse and that diuine countenance defiled most vnreuerentlie with spittell 1. Pet. 1.12 which the Angells desire to beholde For when our Sauiour was coniured in the name of the father to tell them what he was he answered treulie vnto their demaunde as it was meete he shoulde but those wicked men that were so vtterlie vnworthie to heare such a highe and excellēt answere beinge blinded with the brightnes of so great light assaulted him like mad dogges and disgorged vpon him all their malice and furie There each one to the vttermost of his power geuethe him buffettes and strokes There they spitte vpon that diuine face with theire diuelishe mowthes There they hoodwinke his eies and strike him on the face scoffinge and Iestinge at him sayeinge Areede A woūderfull example of humilitie and patience in our Sauiour who hath smitten thee O meruailous humilitie and patience of the sonne of almightie God O beawtie of the angells Was that a face to spit vpon Men vse commōlie when they are prouoked to spit to tourne awaie theire face towardes the fowlest corner of the howse and is there not to be fownde in all that pallace a fowler place to spit in than thy face O sweete Lorde O earthe and asshes why doest thou not humble thy selfe at this so wounderfull example How is it that there shoulde yet remayne in the worlde anie token of pryde after this so great and meruailous example of humilitie Almightie God holdeth his peace whilest he is spitted vpon and buffetted the angelles and all creatures holde theire handes and reuenge not the iniuries done vnto theire creator beholdinge him thus contemned and reuyled with most dispitefull reproche and villanie and yet thou beinge a poore seelie miserable worme turmoilest the worlde vp side downe with malicious chydinge brawlinge and fightinge in case thou be but touched in anie smalle poynte apperteyninge tō thy estimatiō Why wonderest thou ô man to see Almightie God thus beaten and euill entreated in the worlde sith the verie cause of his comminge was to cure the pryde of the worlde If the sharpenes of the medecine doe cause thee to wonder consider the greatnes of the wounde and thou shalt see that such a wounde required so sharpe a medecine as this was espetiallie consideringe that all this notwithstandinge the wounde is not yet whole Thou wonderest to see how almightie God hath humbled himselfe And I wonder to see thee for all this example so prowde and insolent in all thy talke dealinges and behauiour seinge almightie God hath so humbled himselfe to teache thee to be hūble Thou wonderest to see almightie God thus to abase himselfe vnder the dust of the earthe and I wonder to see that dust and earthe for all this aduaunceth it selfe aboue the heauens and woulde be honoured aboue almightie God himselfe How is it then that this so wonderfull example sufficeth not to subdue the pryde of the worlde The humilitie of Christ was sufficient to ouercome the harte of God to procure his fauour and to make him become gentle and mylde towardes vs. And shall it not suffice to ouercome thy harte and to make it humble and meike The angell saied to the Patriarcke Iacob Gen. 32.28 Thou shalt no more be called Iacob but Israell shal be thy name For seinge thou hast bene mightie against God how much more shalt thou be mightie against men If then the humilitie and meikenes of our Sauiour Christ preuailed against the furie and wrathe of almightie God why doth it not preuaile against our pride If it were able to pacifie and appease so mightie a hart as the hart of almightie God beinge then angrie with vs why doth it not alter and mollifie our stubborne hartes Suerly I am at my wittes ende and verie much astonished yea it passeth my reason to consider how this so great patience ouercommeth not thy anger how this passinge great abasinge aswageth not thy pride how these violent buffettes beate not downe thy presumption and how this deepe sylence emonge so manie iniuries is not of force to make thee leaue of thy quarrelinges and troublesome sewtes in lawe wherewith thou vexest and turmoylest thy neighboures about the vile mucke and transitorie pelfe of this worlde It is a meruailous great wonder to see how almightie God would by meanes of these so terrible iniuries ouerthrowe the kingdome of our pride and it is also greatlie to be meruailed at that notwithstandinge all this there remaineth yet a freshe liuelie memorie of Amelec vnder the heauens 4 Reg. 15. and that to this daie the relikes of this wicked generation doe for all that remayne and continewe Now therefore ô sweete Iesus I beseech thee to cure in me with the example of thy great humilitie the follie of my vaine arrogancie and pryde And forsomuch as the greatnes of thy woundes doe geue me playnlie to vnderstand that I haue great neede of a helper let it euidently appeare by the operation of thy grace and remedie in me that I doe now presentlie enioye the benefit of the same OF THE VEXATIONS AND TROVBLES OVR SAVIOVR SVFfered the night before his Passion and of the denyall of S. Peter § II. CONSIDER after this what troubles our sauiour suffered in that dolefull night when the souldiars that had him in custodie mocked and lawghed him to scorne as S. Luke saieth Luc. 22.63 and vsed as a mean to passe awaie the sleepines of the night to scoffe and ieste at the Lorde of maiestie Consider now ô my sowle how thy sweete spowse is set here as a marcke to receiue all the strokes and buffettes they could geue him O cruell night O vnquiet night in which thou O good Iesus tookest no rest at all neither did the souldiars repose them selues but accompted it euen a pastyme and recreation to vexe and torment thee The night was ordeined for this ende that all creatures shoulde therein take theire rest and that the senses and members that are wearied with the toyles and labours of the daie might be refresshed and relieued but these wicked men vse it now as a fit tyme to tormente all thy members and senses strykinge thy bodie afflictinge thy sowle bindinge thy handes buffettinge thy cheekes spittinge in thy face and lugginge thee by the eares that at such time as all members are wonte to take theire rest all thy members might be in great paine and
trouble O how farre do these mattins differre from those which the orders of angells sounge at the same time in heauen vnto thee There they synge Holie Holie but here these caitifes crie out put him to death put him to death crucifie him crucifie him O ye angelles of Paradise that heard both these voices what thowghte ye when ye sawe him so despitefullie contemned in earthe whom ye honoure with so greate reuerence in heauen What thowght ye wheÌ„ ye sawe almightie God himselfe suffer such despites euen for theire sakes who did all this villanie vnto him Who hath euer heard of such a kinde of charitie that one woulde suffer death to deliuer the verie same persons from death that were the procurers of his death Assuredlie the malice of man coulde not anie further extende it selfe in committinge a more wicked deede than thus to presume to laie handes vpon almightie God him selfe neither coulde the goodnes and mercie of almightie God appeare more plainlie in anie thinge than in this that he was content to suffer such a cruell death for that verie creature that conspired his deathe The painfull greifes and turmoyles of this troublesome night were increased farre the more by the denyall of S. Peter For he Of the deniall of S. Peter who was so familiare a frende of our Sauiour he whom our Sauiour chose to see the glorie of his transfiguration and he who aboue all the rest of his Apostles was honoured aÌ„d chosen by our Sauiour Christ promised S. Peter in Math. 16. vers 18. that he woulde buylde his Church vpon him And in Luke 22. vers 32. he was bid after he shoulde repent his denyall to confirme his brethren And in Iohn 21. vers 17. Christ after his resurrection made S. Peter pastor of all his sheepe to haue the pincipalitie and cheife rule of the whole Christian Churche this verie cheife Apostle I saie first before all others not once but three seuerall tymes together euen in the verie presence of his Lorde and master sweareth and forsweareth that he knoweth him not and that he wist not who he is O Peter is he that standeth there by thee so wicked a man that thou accomptest it so great a shame onelie to haue knowen him Consider that this is a condemnation of him by thee before he be condemned by the high preistes sithence by this deniall thou geuest the worlde to vnderstande that he is such a maner of man that euen thou thy selfe doest accompt it as a greate reproche and dishonour vnto thee euer to haue knowen him Now what greater iniurie coulde be done than this Our Sauiour then hearinge this deniall turned backe and behelde Peter and cast his eies vpon that shepe which there was lost from him O looke of wounderfull vertue O silent looke but yet full of misterie and signification Peter vnderstode right well the langwage and voice of that looke and althowgh the crowinge of the Cocke was not able to awake his spirites yet was this able as indeede it did For the eies of our Sauiour Christe doe not onelie speake but also worke as it plainlie appeared by the teares of Peter which albeit they gushed from the eies of Peter yet did they much more proceide from the looke and eies of Christe Wherefore when thou shalt at anie time awake againe out of thy sinfull lyfe and with greife and sorowe call thy sinnes to minde wherein thou hast offended almightie God thou must vnderstande that this benefit proceideth from the mercifull eies of our Lorde which doe then looke vpon thee The Cockes had alreadie crowed but Peter remembred not himselfe because our sauiour had not as yet looked vpon him But when our Sauiour Christ looked vpon him then he remembred him selfe and repented and bewailed his offence For the eies of Christ doe open our eies and those are the eies that doe awake such as are a-sleepe The holie Euangelistes S. Mathew and S. Luke saye that Peter went out forthwith Math. 26.75 Luc. 23.62 Peter after his deniall of Christe wente forthewith out of the place and wepte bitterlie and wept bitterlie to geue thee to vnderstande that it is not enowghe for thee to be sorie and bewaile thyne offence but that it is requisite also to auoyde and eschewe the verie place and occasions of sinne For otherwise to lamente and be sorie alwaies for thy sinnes and alwaies to reiterate and commit the same sinnes againe is to prouoke alwaies the wrathe and anger of almightie God against thee And note well and diligentlie this poynt espetiallie A disciple of Christ must not be ashamed nor afearde openlic to confesse Christ and his Catholike religion that the principall sinne that Peter had committed was for that he shronke backe and feared to be accompted one of Christe his disciples and in this his doinge he is saied to haue denied Christe Now if this be to denie Christe how manie Christians trowe ye maye ye now finde in the worlde that doe after this sorte denie Christ Alas how manie be there at this daye that refuse to confesse their synnes to communicate to praye to talke of God and of spirituall matters to vse conuersation with suche as be good and vertuous and to suffer iniuries and trowbles because the worlde shoulde not the lesse estieme them or haue them in contempte for the same And what is this els but euen to be ashamed to appeare to the worlde to be a disciple of Christe and a keper of his commaundementes And what is this els but to denye Christe as S. Peter denied him when he was ashamed to be accompted his disciple What other thinge maie those that behaue them selues after this sorte hope and looke for at the dreadfull daie of Iudgment but that punnishement and sentence threatened by our sauiour Christe himselfe sayeinge He that is ashamed to be accompted my disciple before men Luc. 9. 12. Math. 10. Marc. 8.2 Tim. 2. the sonne of the virgin wil be ashamed to acknowledge him as one of his when he shall come in his maiestie and in the maiestie of the father and his holie Angelles HOW OVR SAVIOVR WAS BROWGHT BEFORE KINGE Herode and mocked and accompted for a foole by him and his cowertiers Si mundus vos odit scitote quia me priorem vobis odio habuit Johan 19.28 Aâ—tâ— Reges et praesides stabitis propter me in testimonium illis Marc. 13.9 VHEN this painfull and troublesome night was ended they led our Sauiour forthewith to the howse of Pilate the president And Pilate vnderstandinge that he was borne in Galilee sent him vnto Herode that was kinge of that countrie who tooke him for a foole and as such a one caused him to be appareiled in a white garmente and so returned him backe to Pilate againe Whereby it appeareth that our Sauiour was taken in this worlde not onelie for a malefactor but also for a verie foole O misterie worthie of great reuerence The
sakes aboue fiue thowsande strypes we beleue not yet that he loueth vs. But what shall we saie if to all these strookes and woundes which he receaued for vs at the pillar we adde moreouer all the other paines and trauaylles of his whole life all which proceeded of loue What browght thee downe o Lorde from heauen vnto the earthe but onelie loue What thinge pulled thee out of thy fathers bosome and lay de thee in thy mothers wombe What thinge caused thee to take the garmente of our fraile nature vpon thee and to become partaker of our miseries but onelie loue What thinge placed thee in an oxe staulle and swaddeled thee in a manger and chased thee into strange coūtreis but onelie loue What thinge made thee to carrie the yooke of our mortalitie for the space of so manie yeares but onely loue What thinge made thee to sweate to traueill to watche to continewe wakinge all the longe nighte and to passe ouer bothe sea and lande seakinge after lost soules but onely loue What thinge bounde Sampson hande and foote shaued his heare Iudic. 16. spoyled him of all his force and caused him to be mocked and scorned of his ennemies but onelie the loue of his spouse Dalida And what thinge hath bounde thee our true Sampson and shaued thee and spoyled thee of thy force and strengthe and geuen thee into thyne ennemies handes to be so reprochefullie lawghed spitted and scoffed at but onelie the loue that thou bearest vnto thy spouse the Catholicke Churche and vnto each one of our sowles Finallie what thinge hath brought thee to be crucified vpon the tree of the crosse there to stande so cruellie tormented from toppe to toe thy handes nailed thy syde opened thy members racked one from an other thy bodie all of a goore bloude thy vaines exhausted and voide of bloude thy lippes pale and wanne thy tonge bitter to be shorte all thy bodie wholie rente and torne What thinge coulde haue wrought such a most cruell fowle mangelinge and boucherie of thee as this was but onely loue O passinge great loue o gratious loue o loue seemelie for the great vnspekeable mercie and infinite goodnes of him who is infinitlie good and louinge yea wholie loue Hauinge therefore so great and so manie testimonies of thy loue o my sweete Lorde and sauiour as these be how can I but beleue that thou louest me Sith it is most certeine that thou hast not changed that most charitable louinge harte beinge now in heauen which thou haddest when thou diddest walke here vpon the earthe Thou art not like that cuppe bearer of kinge Pharao Genesis 40. who when he sawe him selfe in prosperitie forgat his poore friendes that he had left in prison but rather the prosperitie and glorie that thou doest now enioye in heauen moueth thee to haue greater pittie and compassion vpon thy children whom thou hast lefte here in earthe Now then sith it is certaine that thou louest me so much as I see verie euidentlie thou doest why doe not I loue thee againe why doe not I put my whole trust and affyance in thee why doe not I esteime my selfe verie happie and riche hauinge euen almightie God him selfe so constante and louinge a frynde vnto me It is vndowtedlie a great wonder that anie thinge in this life dothe make me carefull and heauie hauinge on my syde so riche and so mightie a louer throwghe whose handes all thinges doe passe I H S THVRSDAIE MORNINGE THIS daie when thou hast made the signe of the Crosse and prepared thy selfe hereunto thou hast to meditate and consider How our Sauiour was crowned with thornes how Pilate said of him to the people ECCE HOMO Beholde the man and how he bare the Crosse vpon his shoulders Christus passus est pro nobis vobis relinquens exemplum vt sequamini vestigia eius 1 pet 2.21 The text of the holie Euangelistes VHEN our Sauiour had bene thus whipped ād scourged Math. 25. Marc. 15. the souldiars of the president tooke him into the common haull and there gathered about him the whole bande And they stripped him and put vpon him a purple roobe and platted a crowne of thornes and put it on his head and a reede in his right hande And they bowed theire knees before him and mocked him sayeinge Haill o kinge of the Iewes and spitted vpon him and tooke the reede that he helde in his hande and smoote him on the head therewith Ioan. 19. Then Pilate went forthe againe and said vnto them Beholde I bringe him forthe to you that ye maie knowe that I finde no faulte in him at all Then came Iesus forthe wearinge a crowne of thornes and a purple garmente And Pilate said to them Beholde the man Then when the highe preistes and officers sawe him they cried sayeinge Crucifie him Crucifie him Pilate said vnto them Take ye him and crucifie him For I finde no faulte in him The Iewes answered and sayed we haue a lawe and by our lawe he owght to die because he made him selfe the sonne of God Then when Pilate haerde that worde he was the more afraied and wente againe into the common hall and said vnto Iesus Whence art thou But Iesus gaue him no answere Then said Pilate vnto him Speakest thou not vnto me knowest thou not that I haue power to crucifie thee and haue power to loose thee Iesus answered Thou couldest haue no power at all against me except it were geuen thee from aboue Therefore he that deliuered me vnto thee hath the greater sinne From thenceforthe Pilate late sowght to loose him But the Iewes cried out requiringe to haue him crucified and theire cries preuailed And Pilate determined to accomplishe theire requeste And he let loose vnto them him Luc. 23. that for an insurrection and murder was cast into prison whom they desired and deliuered Iesus vnto them to doe with him what they woulde And they tooke Iesus Ioan. 19. and led him awaie And he bare his Crosse and came into a place that was called Caluarie Luc. 23. And there folowed him a great multitude of people and of women which bewayled and lamented him But Iesus turned backe vnto them and said Daughters of Ieruzalem weepe not for me but weepe for your selues and for your children For beholde the daies will come when men shall saie Blessed are the barren and the wombes that neuer bare and the pappes that neuer gaue sucke Then shall they beginne to saie to the mountaines falle vpon vs and to the hilles Couer vs. For if they do these thinges to the greene tree what shal be done to the drye I H S MEDITATIONS VPON THESE POYNTES OF THE TEXT COME forthe O yee dawghters of Sion and beholde kinge Salomon with the crowne wherewith his mother crowned him at the daie of his espousels and vpon the daie of the ioyefulnes of his harte O my sowle what doest thou O my harte what thinkest thou O my
they crucified him and with him two theues one at the right hande and the other at the lefte And so was the scripture fulfilled that saieth And he was reckoned emōge the wicked And Pilate wrote also a title and put it vpon the Crosse And it was written Iesus of Nazareth kinge of the Iewes This title manie of the Iewes did reade For the place where Iesus was crucified was neare to the citie and it was written in Hebrewe Greeke and Lattin Then said the highe preistes of the Iewes to Pilate write not the kinge of the Iewes but that he saied I am kinge of the Iewes Pilate answered what I haue written I haue written Then the souldiars when they had crucified Iesus tooke his garmentes and made fowre partes to euerie souldiar a parte And they tooke his coate also which was without anie seame wouen frō the toppe throwghout Therefore they saied one to an other Let vs not deuide it but cast lottes for it whose it shal be This was done that the scripture might be fulfilled Psalm 21. that saieth They parted my garmentes emonge them and vpon my coate they cast lottes So the souldiars did these thinges indeede And they that passed by Math. 27. reuyled him wagginge theire heades and sayeinge Fye on thee thou that destroiest the tēple and buildest it in three daies saue thy selfe If thou be the sonne of God come downe from the crosse Likewise also the highe preistes mockinge him with the Scribes and elders and Pharisies saied He saued others but he cannot saue him selfe If he be the kinge of Israell let him now come downe from the Crosse and we will beleue him He trusteth in God Let him deliuer him now if he will haue him For he saied I am the sonne of God The verie same wordes also did the theeues who were crucified with him cast in his teethe But Iesus saide Father pardon them for they knowe not what they doe And one of the malefactors Luc. 23. that was crucified with him blasphemed sayeinge If thou be Christe saue thy selfe and vs. But the other answered and rebuked him sayenge Neither doest thou feare God beinge in the selfe same cōdemnation We are iustlye punnished for we receaue accordinge to our doinges But this man hath done nothinge amisse And he saied vnto Iesus Lord remember me when thou commest into thy kingdome Then Iesus saied vnto him Verelie I saie vnto thee This daie shalt thou be with me in paradise There stoode by the Crosse of Iesus Ioan. 19. his mother and his mothers sister Marie the wife of Cleophas and Marie Magdalene And when Iesus sawe his mother and the disciple whom he loued standinge by he saied vnto his mother Woman beholde thy sonne Then he saied to the disciple beholde thy mother And from that howre the disciple tooke her for his mother Math. 27. Abowte the ninthe howre Iesus cried with a lowde voice sayenge Eli Eli Lamasabacthani that is My God my God why hast thou forsaken me And some of them that stoode there when they harde it saied This man called Elias Some other saied let vs see if Elias will come and saue him Afterwardes Iesus knowinge that all thinges were fulfilled Ioan. 19. that the scripture might be accomplished saied I am a thirst And there was set a vessell full of vinegar and they filled a sponge with vinegar and put it abowt an hisope stalke and put it to his mouthe Now when Iesus had receaued of the vinegar he saied It is finished And he cried againe with a lowde voice Luc. 23. Matth. 27. and saied Father into thine handes I commende my spirite And from the sixte hower there was darkenes ouer all the earthe vntill the ninthe hower And the veile of the temple was rent in two partes from the toppe to the bothom And the earthe quaked and the stones were clouen And the graues opened them selues and manie bodies of the Sainctes which slepte arose And there were manie of his fryendes and acquaintance and women beholdinge him a farre of Emonge whom was Marie Magdalene and Marie the mother of Iames the yonger and of Iosephe and Salome who had folowed him out of Galilee ministringe vnto him with manie other women that came in his companie to Ierusalem MEDITATIONS VPON THESE POYNTES OF THE TEXT VE are now come o my soule to the holie mounte Caluarie and we be nowe arriued at the toppe of the misterie of our redemption O how wonderfull is this place Verelie this is the howse of God the gate of heauen the lande of promise and the place of saluation Here is planted the tree of life Here is placed that misticall ladder that Iacob sawe Genes 28. which ioyneth heauen with the earthe whereby the angells doe descende vnto men and men doe ascende vnto almightie God This is o my soule the place of praier Here oughtest thou to adore and blesse our Lorde and geue him most humble and hartie thanckes for this his most highe and excellent benefit sayenge thus vnto him We worshippe and adore thee ô Lord Iesus Christ and we blesse thy holie name forsomuch as thou hast by meanes of this holie Crosse redeemed the worlde Thankes be geuen vnto thee O most mercifull Sauiour for that thou hast thus loued vs and wass hed awaie our sinnes with thy most pretious bloude and hast offered thy selfe for vs vpon the same Crosse to the ende that with the most sweete sauour of this noble sacrifice enkendeled with the fier of thy most feruent loue thou mightest satisfie and appease the wrathe of almightie God Blessed be thou therefore for euermore which art the Sauiour of the worlde the reconciler of mankinde the reparer of Angelles the restorer of the heauens the triumphant conqueror of hell the vanquisher of the diuell the awthor of life the destroier of deathe and the redeemer of them Luc. 1. that were in darckenes and in the shadowe of deathe All yee therefore that be a thirst Esay 55. come vnto the waters and yee that haue neither golde nor siluer come and receaue all these pretious treasures freely without payinge anie thinge Yee that desier the water of life this is that misticall rocke that Moyses strooke with his rodde in the wildernes Exod. 17. out of which there sprange water in great abondance to satisfie the thirst of his afflicted people Yee that desiere peace and amitie with alinightie God knowe yee that this is also that rocke Genes 35. that the patriarke Iacob annointed with oyle and erected vp for a title of peace and amitie betwene almightie God and men Yee that are desirous of wyne to cure your woundes Num. 13. this is that cluster of grapes that was browght out of the lande of promise into this vale of teares which is now crusshed and pressed vpon the presse of the Crosse for the remedie and redresse of our offences Yee that desire the oyle of the grace
of God knowe yee likewise 4. Reg 4. that this is that pretious vessell of the widowe of Elizeus full of oyle wherewith we must all paie our dettes And albeit the vessell seeme verie little to serue so manie yet looke not to the quantitie but to the vertue thereof which is certeinlie so great that so longe as there be vessels to fille so longe will the vayne of this sacred licour alwaies ronne and neuer ceasse A CONTEMPLATION VPON the misterie of the Crosse § I. AWAKE I praie thee now o my soule and beginne to contemplate vpon the misterie of this holie Crosse by the fruite whereof the hurte of that poisoned fruite is repared which the forbidden tree caused vnto vs throwgh the offence of the first man Adam As the bridegrome hath signified to his spouse in the canticles When he saied cantic 8. I haue raised thee vp my spouse from vnder the tree because vnder an other tree thy mother was corrupted when she was deceaued by the auncient serpente Consider then how when our Sauiour came to this place his cruell ennemies to make his deathe the more reprochefull stripped him of all his apparell euen to his innermost garment which was wholie wouen throwghout without anie seame Beholde now here with what meekenes this most innocent lambe suffereth himselfe to be thus stripped of all his garmentes without openinge his mowthe or speakinge so much as one worde against them that handeled him with such villanie But shewed himselfe rather verie willinge and readie to be spoiled of his garmentes and to remaine naked to the shame of the worlde to the intent that the nakednes of such as had throwgh sinne lost the garmente of innocencie and grace receaued might be be couered after a better sorte Genes 3. than with the leaues of the figtree Some holie fathers reporte that the tormentors in pluckinge of our Sauiours garmentes toke of his crowne of thorne which then stucke fast on his head and that afterwardes when they had stripped him starcke naked they set it on agayne and fastened the sharpe thornes to the brayne panne afreshe and so made newe holes and woūdes therein which was an exciedinge great griefe and payne vnto him And vndowtedlie it is to be thought that they woulde vse this kinde of crueltie against him forsomuch as we are well assured that they vsed manie others and those verie strange in all the proces of his passion especially consideringe that the holie Euangelist sayeth Lucae 23. that they did vnto him whatsoeuer they woulde Agayne by reason of his garment that stucke fast to the woundes of his scourginges and bloude which was now congealed vnto the same at what tyme they pluckt it of from his bodie as those caitiffes were farre from all pietie and mercie they haled it of with such furious haste and force that they loosed and renewed all the soores of his whippinges in such ruefull wise that his blessed bodie was in all partes open and as it were flaine and became all one greate wounde out of which distilled bloude on all partes Consider now here o my soule The nakednes of our Sauiour vpon the crosse the excellencie of the goodnes and mercie of almightie God which sheweth it selfe so euidentlye in this misterie Consider how he that clotheth the heauens with cloudes and adorneth the feildes with flowers and bewtie is here spoiled of all his garmentes Consider how the bewtie of the Angells is here defiled how the height of the heauēs is here browght lowe how the maiestie and omnipotencie of almightie God is here abased and put euen to open shame and reproche Beholde how that roiall bloude distillinge out from his brayne trickeleth downe all alonge by the heare of his head and by his sacred bearde insomoche as it watereth and dyeth the verie grownde vnder him Consider what extreme colde that holie tender bodie of his suffered standinge as he stode all rente and spoyled not onelie of his garmentes but also euen of his verie skynne hauinge withall so manie gappes and wyde holes of open soores and deepe woundes throughout all his blessed bodie For if S. Peter Ioan. 18. notwithstandinge he was both clothed and shodde felt colde the night before how farre greater smarte and colde did that most tender bodie of our sauiour abyde beinge so naked and full of soore bruses and woundes as it was Whereby it appeareth that albeit our Sauiour in all the whole cowerce of his life gaue vnto vs so wounderfull examples of nakednes Our Sauiour Christ was a most perfit patterne of pouertie vnto vs vpon the crosse and pouertie yet at his deathe he gaue himselfe vnto vs as a most perfit patterne and spectacle of this vertue Forsomuch as at that tyme he was in such a poore case that he had no place wherevpon to rest his head And to geue vs to vnderstand that he had taken nothinge of the worlde he died naked vpon the crosse and had nothinge of the worlde to cleaue vnto him Accordinge to this example S. Francis was a perfit folower of the pouertie of our Sauiour Christ we reade of the blessed holie father S. Francis who was such a perfit and trewe folower of this pouertie of our Sauiour Christe that at what time he shoulde geue vp the ghost he stripped him selfe starcke naked of all he had vpō him and threwe himselfe from his bed vpon the bare grounde and beinge thus naked he embraced the earthe to imitate herein as a faithfull seruante the nakednes and pouertie of his Lorde and Sauiour Awake therefore o my soule awake now I praye thee and learne thou also hereby to imitate our Sauiour Christ poore and naked Learne to despise all such thinges as this transitorie worlde maye geue vnto thee that thou maist be worthie to embrace our Lorde naked with naked armes and be vnited vnto him by loue which ought also to be naked without mixture of anie other strange loue HOW OVR SAVIOVR WAS NAILED VPON THE CROSSE § II. CONSIDER after this how our Sauiour was nailed vpō the Crosse and how passinge great griefe and tormente he suffered at that time when those great and square nailes were driuen in and pearced through the most sensible and tender partes of his most blessed bodie which was of all bodies most tēder and delicate And consider also what an extreme grieffe it was to the blessed virgin when she sawe with her eies and hearde with her eares the mightie and cruell harde strokes which were so often and so thicke laied on and iterated one after an other vpon his diuine members For certainlie those hammers and nailes as they passed throwghe the handes of the sonne so did they also pearce the verie harte of his most tender and louinge mother Consider moreouer how they lifted vp the Crosse on highe and how when they went about to ramme it in the hole which they had made for that purpose such was the crueltie
Sauiour into that place of hell which is commonly called by the Learned diuines Limbus Patrum Of the Resurrection of his holie bodie Of his appearinge first to our blessed Ladie and afterwardes to S. Marie Magdalene and to the disciples The text of the holie Euangelistes VPON the Sondaie next ensuinge after this Fridaie of the Passion Ioan. 20. verie earlie in the morninge before the breake of the daie Marie Magdalen came to the sepulcher and sawe the stone remoued from the tombe and perceaued that the bodie was not there The which when she fownde not she stoode without the sepulcher in the garden weepinge And as she wepte she bowed her selfe downe into the sepulcher and sawe two Angells in white sittinge the one at the head and the other at the feete of the place where the bodie of Iesus was laid And they said vnto her Woman why weepest thou She made answere and sayd They haue taken awaie my Lorde and I knowe not where they haue laid him When she had thus said she turned her selfe backe and sawe Iesus standinge and knewe not that is was Iesus Iesus sayd vnto her Woman why weepest thou Whom seekest thou She supposinge that he had bene the gardener of that garden sayd vnto him Sir if thou hast taken him awaie tell me where thou hast laid him and I will take him awaie Then sayd Iesus vnto her Marie And she sayd vnto him Maister Iesus sayd vnto her Towche me not but goe and tell my brethern that I ascende to my father and your father to my God and your God Marie Magdalen came forthwith awaye and tolde these thinges vnto the Disciples sayenge I haue seene our Lorde and he tolde me these and these thinges that I shoulde tell them vnto you The same daie late in the eueninge when the doores were shut where the disciples were assembled for feare of the Iewes Iesus came and stoode in the middes of them and sayed vnto them Peace be with you And when he had so said he shewed vnto them his handes and his syde Then were the disciples glad when they had seene our Lorde Then sayd Iesus againe vnto them Peace be with you As my father sent me so sende I you And when he had sayd those wordes he breathed vpon them and sayd Receaue the holie Ghost Whose synnes so euer ye shall forgeue they be forgeuē vnto them and whose synnes so euer ye shall reteyne they are reteyned At that tyme Thomas one of the twelue who was also called Didimus was not with the disciples whē Iesus came The other disciples therefore whē he came saied vnto him We haue seene our Lorde But he sayd vnto them Except I see in his handes the prynte of the nailes and put my fynger into the holes of them and put my hande into his syde I will not beleeue it And eight daies after his Disciples were againe within and Thomas with them Then came Iesus againe when the doores were shutt and standinge in the middes of them sayd Peace be with you And after he sayd vnto Thomas Put thy finger here and see my handes and bringe hither thy hande and put it into my syde and be no more incredulous but faithfull Thomas answered and sayd My Lorde and my God And Iesus sayd vnto him Thomas because thou hast seene thou beleuest Blessed are they that haue not seene and haue beleued Manie other signes did Iesus worke also in the presence of his disciples which are not written in this booke but these thinges are written that ye might beleeue that Iesus Christ is the sonne of God and that beleuinge ye might haue life by him MEDITATIONS VPON THESE POYNTES OF THE TEXT THIS is the daie that our Lorde hath made Psalm 117. let vs reioyce and be merie in it why the daye of Christes resurrectiō is speciallie called our Lordes daye Our Lorde who is the maker of all times hath made euerie daie but this daie especiallie he is sayd to haue made forsomuche as on this daye he finished the most excellente of all his workes to wit the worke of our redemption Now as this worke is called by waye of excellencie the worke of God by reason that it farre passeth all his other workes euen so also this daie is called the daie of God for that vpon this daie he finished this worke which was the most excellente of all his workes It is also sayd that our Lorde made this daye because whatsoeuer was done in it was done onely by his owne hande In other feastes and mysteries of our Sauiour there is euer some thinge that we haue done our selues because there is alwaies in them some thinge of payne which payne grewe of our sinne and therefore there is some thinge belonginge vnto vs. But this daye is not a daie of trauell nor of paine but a puttinge awaie and bannishement of all paine and a fulfillinge of all glorie The ioyefull daye of Christes Resurrection and therefore it is whollie and purelie the daie of God Who is he then that will not reioyce vpon such a daye as this is This daie all the humanitie of Christ reioyced The blessed mother of Christ reioyced the disciples of Christ reioyced heauen and earthe reioyced yea hell it selfe had his part of this ioye This daie the sonne shyned more clearly than it did anie other daie because it was meete that it shoulde serue our Lorde with his light on this daie of his reioycinge as it had serued him before with his darkenes on the daie of his Passion The heauens which before in the daie of his passion became darke because they woulde not see their creator naked doe now on this daie shyne with a singuler clearnes to see him how he cōmeth fourthe as a conqueror out of the sepulchre Let the heauens therefore reioyce and thou ô earthe take part of this ioye because this daie there shyneth a greater brightnes out of the sepulchre than from the very sonne it selfe that geueth light in the heauens A certaine holie Father geuen muche to comtemplation sayth that euerie Sondaie morninge when he rose to mattins he tooke so great ioye by callinge to minde the misterie of this daie that it seemed to him that all creatures both of heauen and earthe did singe at that howre with lowde voices and saye In thy resurrection ô Christ Alleluia The heauens and earthe reioyce Alleluia Now to vnderstande somewhat of the misterie of this daye consider first of all howe our Sauiour hauinge finished that painfull iourneye of his passion as he ascended with passinge great charitie vpon the crosse for our sakes euen so did he descende downe into hell with the like loue and charitie to finishe the worke of our reparation For as he tooke death as a meane to deliuer vs from death euen so did he likewise goe downe to hell vsinge that as a meane to deliuer such as be his from hell Now therefore let vs consider how this noble
vnto so highe a maiestie Is this the thanckfulnes that thou yeeldest for his so manifolde and so great benefits Is this the recōpence that thou makest vnto him for the pretious bloude which he hath shed for thee vpon the crosse Is this the repaiment for those lashes and buffettes which he suffered for thy sake O miserable and wretched creature that thou art Wretched vndowtedlie in consideration of that thou hast lost and more wretched in respect of the sinnes thou hast committed but most wretched and miserable if thou be so blynded that euen yet for all this thou perceaue not thyne owne perdition and damnation Consider moreouer what a wonderfull hatred almightie God beareth against sinne and what great punnishementes he hath sent to the worlde for the same that hereby thou mayest more clearlie vnderstande how great and how abhominable the wickednes thereof is as it shal be declared hereafter When thou hast considered all these thinges aforesayd the next poynte is we must thinke verie basele of our selues that thou thinke of thy selfe as basely as thou canst possibly Thinke that thow art no better than a verie waueringe reede which is blowen vp and downe with euerie light blast of wynde without weight without strengthe without firmenes without staie and without anie maner of beinge Ioan. 11. Thinke that thou art a Lazarus that hath lyen dead fowre daies together and that thou art a stinckinge and abhominable carcas so full of wormes and of so vyle a stentche and sauour that as manie as passe by thee doe stoppe their noses and shutte their eies that they maye not beholde thee Thinke with thy selfe that thou doest stincke in this wise in the sight of almightie God and of his holie angels And esteeme thy selfe as vnworthy to lift vp thy eies towardes heauen vnworthy that the earthe shoulde beare thee vnworthie that anie creature shoulde serue thee vnworthie of the verie breade that thou eatest and vnworthie euen of the light and aier that thou receauest And if thou be vnworthie hereof consider how much more vnworthie thou art to speake and talke with almightie God Luc. 15. Luc. 18. yea and farre more vnworthie of the comfortes and consolations of the holie Ghost and of the cheryshinges and delightes of the children of God Accompte thy selfe for one of the most poore and miserable creatures of all the worlde and that none doth so much abuse the benefites of almightie God Marc. 11. as thou doest Thinke that if almightie God had wrought in Tire and Sidon that is in other verie greate sinners those thinges which he hath wrought in thee they woulde haue done penance ere this euen in sackclothe and ashes Acknowledge thy selfe to be farre more wicked than thou canst imagin and that notwithstandinge thou doest sincke verie deepe into this myer and howsoeuer thou imaginest thy selfe to be at the verie bottome yet maist thou fynde euerie daye how to sincke deeper and deeper therein Crie out therefore earnestlie vnto almightie God and saie vnto him O Lorde I haue nothinge I am worthe nothinge I am nothinge and nothinge can I doe without thee Luc. 7. Cast thy selfe downe prostrate with the publike sinner at our Sauiours feete and coueringe thy face for verie shame and cōfusion looke with what shame a womā will appeare before her husbande when she hath committed treason and adulterie against him with the verie same presente thy selfe before that heauenlie spouse against whom thou hast committed so manie and so shamefull adulteries And with great sorrowe and repentance of hart desire him to pardon thy synnes and offences and that it maye please him of his infinite pittie and mercie to receiue thee againe into his howse THE FIRST TREATISE OF THE CONSIDERATION OF SYNnes Wherein this former meditation is declared more at lardge THE first table after shipwracke as S Ierome witnesseth is penance This is the first steppe of this ascendynge and the first stone of this spirituall buildinge Now to obteine this vertue of pennance besides the grace of God whose gifte true penance is it helpeth verie much to consider the multitude of our sinnes aswell present as past and withall the greiuousnes and malice of them For of this consideration proceedeth the compunction and repentance for synnes And out of this consideration proceedeth not onely the vertue of pennance but also manye other vertues yea and those verie excellent For hereof commeth the knowledge of our selues of which pointe we minde to treat in the meditation nexte followinge Of this cōsideration also commeth the contempt of our selues the feare of God the abhorringe of sinne with diuers and sundrie other like affections wherein consisteth a verie great parte of perfection Now that this exercise maie be the more profitable vnto thee thou must applie and direct the same vnto all these endes and labour to sucke all these sweite fruites out of the bitter roote of this consideration But because towardes the obteyninge of such fruites it is nedefull to haue the grace of God which is principallie geuen to such as be humble and deuoute it shal be requisite for thee to desire of our Lorde this gifte of humilitie and deuotion to the ende that recollectinge thy selfe in the inwarde parte of thy harte Esa 38. thou mayest imitate that holie kinge who said I will recite before thoe ô Lorde all the yeares of my life in the bitternes of my harte OF THE MVLTITVDE OF THE SINNES THAT THOV HAST committed in thy former life § I. NOW if thou wilte knowe the nomber of thy synnes that thou hast committed in tymes past ronneouer briefly all the commaundementes and deadly sinnes and vndowtedly thou shalt finde that there is scarsely a commaundemente that thou hast not broken nor a deadly synne wherein thou hast not offended Of breakinge the commaundementes The first commaundemente is to honor almightie God who as S. Augustine saieth is honored with those thre Theologicall vertues FAITH HOPE AND CHARITIE Faythe Now what maner of Faith had he that hath liued so loosely as if he had beleued that all those thinges which his faith teacheth him had bene starke lyes What Hope had he Hope that neither remembred the life to come neither knewe what it was to call vpon almightie God in his troubles and aduersities nor yet how to put his assured trust Charitie and affiance in him What Charitie had he that hath more loued a pointe of honor more accompted of the chaffe of his worldly lucre and commoditie and more regarded the filthines of his pleasures and delites than almightie God him selfe syth that for euerie one of these thinges he hath contemned and offended almightie God Of reuerence vnto almightie God What reuerence hath he borne to that most highe and diuine maiestie that hath bene accustomed to rente that name of so great reuerence and to teare it in peeces in swearinge Of swerynge and forswerynge and forsweringe by it
this worlde And espetially remember thy kynsfolke thy companions and familiars and some of the worshipfull and famous personages of great estimation in this worlde whom death hath assaulted and snatched awaie in diuers ages and vtterlie beguyled and defeyted them of all their fonde designementes and hopes I knowe a certaine man that hath made a memoriall of all such notable personages as he hath knowen in this worlde in all kinde of estates which are now dead and sometimes he reedeth their names or calleth them to minde and in reheresall of euerie one of them he doth breifly represente before his eies the whole tragedie of their lyues the mockeries and deceites of this worlde and withall the conclusion and ende of all worldly thinges Whereby he vnderstandeth what good cause the Apostle had to saie That the figure of this worlde passeth awaie 1. Cor. 7.31 In which wordes he geueth vs to vnderstande how litle grownde and staie the affaires of this lyfe haue seinge he woulde not calle them verie thinges indeede but onely figures or shewes of thinges which haue no beinge but onely an apparance whereby also they are the more deceitefull Thirdly consider how fraile and bryckle this lyfe is and thou shalt finde Of the frayletie and brycklenes of this lyfe that there is no vessell of glasse so fraile as it is Insomuche as a lytle distemperature of the aier or of the sonne the drinkinge of a cuppe of colde water yea the verie breathe of a sicke man is able to spoyle vs of oure lyfe as we see by dailie experience of manie persones whom the least occasion of all these that we haue here reheresed hath bene able to ende their liues and that euen in the most florishinge tyme of all their age Fourthly consider how mutable and variable this lyfe is Of the mutabilitie of this lyfe and how it neuer continueth in one selfe same staie For which purpose thou must consider the great and often alterations and chaunges of our bodies which neuer continewe in one same state and disposition Consider likewise how farre greater the chaunges and mutations of our mindes are which doe euer ebbe and flowe like the Sea ād be cōtinuallie altered and tossed with diuers wyndes and surges of passions that doe disquiet and trouble vs euerie howre Fynally consider how great the mutation in the whole man is who is subiecte to all the alterations of fortune which neuer continueth in one same beinge but alwaies turneth her wheele and rowleth vp and downe from one place to another And aboue all this consider how continuall the mouinge of our life is seinge it neuer resteth daie nor night but goeth alwaies shorteninge from time to time and consumeth it selfe like as a garment doth with vse and approcheth euerie howre nearer and nearer vnto death Now by this reckenynge what els is our life but as it were a candle that is alwaies wastinge and consuminge Our lyfe wastethe awaye lyke a burninge candle and the more it bourneth and geueth light the more it consumeth and wasteth awaie What els is our life but as it were a flowre that buddeth in the morninge and fadeth awaie at noone daie and at eueninge is cleane dried vp This verie comparison maketh the Prophet in the Psalme where he saieth Psal 89. The morninge of our infancie passeth awaie like an herbe it blosommeth in the morninge and sodeinlie fadeth awaie and at eueninge it decaieth and waxeth harde and withereth awaie Fiftly consider how deceitfull our life is which peraduenture is the worst propertie it hath Of the deceytefulnes of this lyfe For by this meane it deceaueth vs in that beinge in verie deede filthy it seemeth vnto vs beawtifull and beinge but shorte euerie man thinketh his owne lyfe wil be longe and beinge so miserable as it is in deede yet it seemeth so amiable that to mainteine the same men will not sticke to ronne through all daungers trauells and losses be they neuer so great yea they will not spare to doe suche thinges for it as whereby they are assured to be damned for euer and euer in hell fier and to loose lyfe euerlastinge Sixtly consider how besides this that our lyfe is so short as hathe bene saied yet that litle time we haue to liue is also subiecte vnto diuers and sundrye miseries as well of the minde How that litle tyme we haue to lyue is also subiecte to many miseries both of bodie and mynde as of the bodie insomuche as all the same beinge dewlie considered and layed together is nothinge els but a vale of teares and a maine Sea of infinite miseries S. Ierome declareth of Zerxes that most mightie kinge who threwe downe mountaines and dryed vp the Seas that on a tyme he went vp to the toppe of a highe hill to take a vewe of his huge armie which he had gathered together of infinite nombers of people And after that he had well vewed and considered them it is said that he wepte and beinge demaunded the cause of his weepinge he answered and saied I weepe because I consider that within these hundred yeares there shall not one of all this huge Armie which I see here present before me be lefte aliue Wherevpon S. Ierome saieth these wordes O that we might saieth he ascende vp to the toppe of some towre that were so highe that we might see from thence all the whole earth vnderneath our feete From thence shouldest thou see the ruins and miseries of all the worlde Thou shouldest see nations destroied by nations and kingdoms by kingdoms Thou shouldest see some hanged and others murdered some drowned in the Sea others taken prisoners In one place thou shouldest see mariages and myrthe in an other dolefull mourninge and lamentation In one place thou shouldest see some borne into this worlde and caried to the Church to be christened in an other place thou shouldest see some others die and caried to the Church to be buried Some thou shouldest see exceadinge wealthie and flowinge in greate abundance of landes and riches and others againe in great pouertie and begginge from dore to dore To be short thou shouldest see not onelie the huge armie of Zerzes but also all the men women and children of the worlde that be now aliue within these fewe yeres to ende theire liues and not to be seene anye more in this worlde Consider also all the diseases and calamities that maie happen to mens bodies Of the diseases and calamities that happē to mens bodies and of the afflictions and cares of the mynde and withall all the afflictions and cares of the minde Consider likewise the daungers and perilles that be incident aswell to all estates as also to all the ages of men and thou shalt see verie euidentlye the manifolde miseries of this lyfe By the seinge whereof thou shalt perceaue how smalle a thinge all that is that the worlde is able to geue thee and this consideration maye cause thee more
easily to despise and contemne the same and all that thou mayste hope to receaue from it After all these manifolde miseries and calamities there succeedeth the last miserie Of deathe that is death which is aswell to the bodie as to the soule of all terrible thinges the verie last and most terrible For the bodie shall in a momente be spoyled of al that it hathe And of the soule there shall then be made a resolute determination what shall become of it for euer and euer THE SECOND TREATISE CONTEYNINGE A CONSIDERAtion of the miseries of mans lyfe wherein the former meditation is declared more at lardge HOW great the miseries are that the nature of mankinde is subiect vnto by reason of synne there is no tongue able to expresse And therefore S. Gregorie said verie well Our two first parentes onelie Adam and Eue vnderstoode perfectelie the miseries wherein mankinde remayneth throughe synne that onely our two first parentes Adam and Eue who knewe by experience the noble condition and state wherein almightie God created mā vnderstode perfectly the miseries of man Because they by callinge to minde the felicitie and prosperous estate of that lyfe which they had once enioyed sawe more clearly the miseries of the bannishement wherein they remained through sinne But the children of these our two miserable parentes as they neuer knewe what thinge prosperitie and good happe was but were alwaies fostered and brought vp in miserie so they knowe not what thinge miserie is because they neuer knewe what prosperitie was Yea manie of them are as it were persones in a mere frensie so farre voide of sense as they woulde if it were possible continewe perpetuallye in this lyfe and make this place of bannissement their countrey and this prison their dwellinge howse because they vnderstand not the miseries thereof Wherefore like as they that are accustomed to dwell in places of vnsauorie ād stinckinge aier doe feele no payne nor trouble of it by reason of the custome and vse they haue thereof euen so these miserable persones vnderstande not the miseries of this lyfe because they are so enured and accustomed to liue in them Now that thou mayst not likewise falle into this foule deceit nor into other greater inconueniences that are wont to followe hereof Consider I praie thee with good attention the multitude of these miseries and before all other consider and weighe the miseries that are in the first beginninge and birth of man and afterwardes the conditions of the lyfe he liueth Of the originall and byrthe of man To beginne this matter therefore at the verie original Consider first of what matter mans bodie is compounded For by the worthines or basenes of the matter oftentimes the condition of the worcke is knowen The holie scripture saieth Genes 2. that almightie God created man of the slyme or dyrte of the earth Now of all the elementes earthe is the most base and inferior and emonge all the partes of the earthe slyme is the most base and vile Whereby it maie appeare that almightie God created man of the most vile and basest thinge of the worlde Insomuch as euen the Kinges the Emperors and the popes be they neuer so highe famous and royal are euē slyme and dyrte of the earthe And this thinge vnderstoode the Egiptians right well of whom it is written that when they celebrated yearly the feast of their natiuitie they caried in their handes certaine hearbes that growe in myrie and slymie diches to signifie thereby the likenes and affinitie that men haue with weedes and slymye dyrte which is the common father both to weedes and to men Wherefore if the matter of which we are made Slymye dyrte is the common father bothe to weedes and to men be so base and vyle whereof art thou so prowde thou dust and asshes Whereof art thou so loftye thou stinckinge weede and dyrtie slyme Now as concerninge the maner and workmanshippe wherewith the worke of this matter is wrought it is not to be committed to writinge neither yet to be considered vpon but to be passed ouer with sylence and closinge vp our eies that we beholde not so filthie a thinge as it is If men knewe how to be ashamed of a thinge which they ought of reason to be ashamed of suerlie they woulde be ashamed of nothinge more than to consider the maner how they were conceaued Concerninge which point I will towche one thinge onely and that is that whereas our mercifull Lorde and Sauiour came into this worlde to take vpon him all our miseries for to dischardge vs of thē onely this was the thinge that he woulde in no wise take vpon him And whereas he disdained not to be buffeted and spitted vpon and to be reputed for the basest of all men onely this he thought was vnsiemely and not meete for his maiestie to witt if he shoulde haue bene conceiued in such maner and order as men are Now as towchinge the substance and foode wherewith mens bodies are nourished before they be borne into this worlde it is not so cleane a thinge as that it ought once to be named No more ought a nomber of other vncleane thinges that are daylie seene at the tyme of our birthe Of the byrthe of a man and of his first entrie into this worlde Let vs now come to the birthe of a man and first entrie into the worlde Tell me I praie thee what thinge is more miserable than to see a woman in her trauell when she bringeth forthe her childe O what sharpe agonies and bitter panges dothe she feele What painfull tossinges and throwes doth she make What daungerous grypes and quames is she in What pittiefull skrykes and growninges dothe she vtter I omitt here to speake of manie monstruous straunge and ouerthwart birthes For if I shoulde make reheresall of them I shoulde neuer make an ende And yet all this notwithstandinge when the seelie creature commeth into the worlde it commeth God wotte weepinge and cryenge poore naked weake and miserable it is vtterlye destitute and in necessitie of all thinges and vnable to doe anie thinge Other liuinge thinges are borne with showes vpon their feete and apparell vpon their backe some with wolle others with scales others with feathers others with leather others with shells insomuche as the verie trees come forthe couered with a rynde or barke yea and sometimes for failinge they be dowble barked onelie man is borne starcke naked without anie other kinde of garment in the worlde but onely a skynne which is all riueled fowle and lothsome to beholde wherein he commeth lapped at the time of his birthe With these ornamentes creepeth he into the worlde who after his comminge groweth vnto such fonde ambition and pryde that a whole worlde is scarselie able to satisfie him Moreouer other liuinge thinges at the verye houre of their comminge into this worlde are able immediatlie to seeke for such thinges as they stand in neede of and haue
to sleepe the thirde parte of the daie and night which is eight whole howres although there be a great sorte The thirde parte of our lyfe is consumed in sleepe that doe not content them selues therewith it followeth by this accompte that the thirde parte of our lyfe is consumed in sleepe and so consequently that duringe that time we doe not liue So that hereby thou mayst perceaue what a great parte of our short lyfe is spent in sleepe euerie daie This accompte therefore beinge thus made which vndowtedly is a very true accompt how muche is that that remaineth of a mans verie lyfe in deede euen of suche I meane as liue longest Certainlie that philosopher had verie great reason to doe as he did who beinge demaunded what he thought of the lyfe of a man tourned him selfe about before them that made the demaunde and sodeinly departed out of their sight Geuinge them thereby to vnderstand that our lyfe is no more but onely a tourne about and of shorte continuance Our lyfe is no more but as it were the shotinge of a sterre that passeth at a tryce and flassheth quickly awaie and within a litle while after euen that verie signe that was left behinde vanisheth owt of sight also For within verie fewe daies after a man is departed owt of this lyfe the verie remembrance of him dieth with his lyfe be the personage neuer so great or honorable To conclude this lyfe seemed so shorte to manie of the auncient wisemen that one of them tearmed it a dreame and an other not contented therewith called it the dreame of a shadowe seeminge to him that it was ouermuch to calle it the dreame of a true thinge in deede beinge as he thought it none other than a dreame of a vaine and friuolous thinge To compare this smalle remanente of our lyfe with the lyfe euerlastinge that is to come Eccles 18. Againe if we compare this smalle remanent of the lyfe that we here liue with the life to come how muche lesse will it yet appeare Ecclesiasticus saieth verie well If the numbre of a mans dayes be an hundred yeares it is muche Now what is all this beinge compared with the lyfe euerlastinge but as it were a droppe of water compared with all the whole Sea And the reason hereof is euident For if a sterre which is farre greater than all the whole earthe beinge compared with the rest of heauen seemeth so smalle a thinge how smalle shall this present lyfe which is so shorte seeme to be beinge compared with the lyfe to come that shall neuer haue ende And if as the astronomers affirme all the whole earthe in comparison of heauen be but as it were a litle pinnes point because the inestimable greatnes of the heauens causeth it to seeme so smalle a thinge what shall this litle puffe of our short lyfe seeme to be if it be compared with lyfe euerlastinge which is infinite Vndowtedly it will seeme nothinge at all For if a thowsande yeares in the sighte of almightie God Psal 49. be no more but as it were yesterdaie which is now past and gone what shall the lyfe of one hundered yeares seeme to be in his sight but onely a verie nothinge And thus it seemeth vnto the damned persones when they make comparison betwene this lyfe which they haue left behinde them with the eternitie of the tormentes which they shall suffer for euermore As they themselues doe confesse in the booke of wisedome in theyse woordes Sap. 5. What hath our pride auayled vs and the pompe of our riches All these thinges are past awaie as it were a shadowe that flieth and as one that rideth swyftelie in post or as the shippe that passeth by the waters and leaueth no signe where it hath gone or as an arrowe shotte at a certaine marke which so sone as the aier hath once opened and made him his waie forthwith it closeth vp againe and it is not knowen which waie it went Euen so it fareth with vs. For at that verie instant when we are borne we beginne to decaie and we leaue no memorie or signe of vertue behinde vs. Consider then how shorte all the time of this transitorie lyfe shall seeme there to all those miserable damned wretches seinge they doe playnelie confesse that they liued not at all but that so sone as they were borne forth with they beganne to fade and vanishe awaie Now if this be so what greater follie or madnes can be imagined than that a man for the enioyinge of this short dreame of so vaine pleasures and delightes shoulde goe to suffer euerlastinge damnation and tormentes in hell fier for euer and euer It is a mere follie to make so greate prouision for this shorte lyfe and not to prouide for the euerlastinge lyfe to come Furthermore if the time and space of this lyfe be so shorte and the lyfe to come so longe to witt euerlastinge what a mere follie is it to take so great labour and paines to prouide so manie thinges for this lyfe beinge so shorte and not to make anie prouision at all for the lyfe to come which is so longe that it shall neuer haue ende What a fonde parte were it for a man that mynded to liue in Spayne to spende and consume all he hath in byenge rootes and buildinge howses in the Indees and to make no prouision for the countrie whereunto he goethe to dwell and make his abode Now how muche more foolishe and madde are they that spende all their goodes and substance in makinge prouision for this present lyfe where they shall liue so shorte a time and make no prouision at all for the euerlastinge lyfe to come where they must dwell and make their abode for euermore Espetially consideringe that they haue so good meanes for their prouision there by transportinge all their goodes thither by the handes of the poore As the Wiseman witnesseth Eccles 11. sayeinge Throwe thy bread vpon the ronninge waters for a longe time after shalt thou finde it againe Of the vncertaintie of our lyfe § III. BVT althoughe our lyfe endure but a shorte space yet if this shorte space were so certaine Esay 38. that we might be assured thereof as kinge Ezechias was vnto whom almightie God graunted fyftiene yeares of lyfe our miserie were the more tollerable But trulie it is not so For as our lyfe is verie short euen so that verie tyme we haue to liue how shorte or longe so euer it be is also vncertain and doutfull For as the Wise man saieth Eccles 9. Man knoweth not the daie of his ende but lyke as fisshes when they thinke them selues in most saftie are taken with the hooke and as birdes are cawghte in a snare when they thinke nothing lesse euen so death assaulteth men in an euill season when they thinke least of it Trulie that is a verie wise and approued sentence which is commonlie saied A notable
man ought to direct vnto two principal endes emonge others the one to the knowledge and contempt of the glorie of this worlde and the other to the knowledge and contempte of our selues For this consideration serueth verie well both for the one and the other But wilt thou vnderstande in worde what the glorie of this worlde is Marke and consider with attention the state and condition of mans lyfe and thereby shalte thou perceyue what the glorie of this lyfe is Tell me I praie thee can the glorie of man be more longe or more stable than the lyfe of man It is most certaine that it can not For this glorie is an accident which is grownded vpon this lyfe as vpon his subiecte or foundation and therefore when the foundation and subiecte faileth the accidentes must needes faile withall The riches pleasures and delites of this lyfe cannot contynewe anie longer than the lyfe it selfe And for this verie cause no riches no pleasures not delightes can coÌ„tinewe any loÌ„ger tyme with a man than vntill his graue Forsomuch as then faileth the foundation wherevpon all these thinges are built and haue their staie which foundation is our lyfe Now tell me then if this lyfe be such as thou hast now hearde described vnto thee to witt shorte vncertain fraile inconstante deceitfull and miserable how longe can the buildinge endure that shal be framed vpon this foundation How longe can the accidentes continewe that shal be grounded vpon so weake a substance When thou hast considered this point well with thy selfe thou must needes saye that they shall endure no longer than the foundation and substance it selfe endureth and thou must needes confesse that manie times they endure not so longe as we see by dailie experience in the goodes of fortune which with manie men haue an ende before their lyfe endeth Now if that sayeinge of the Poët Pindarus be true to witt That this lyfe is no more but a dreame of a shadowe What thinkest thou then is the glorie of this world which is of shorter continuance than our lyfe What accompt wouldest thou make of a goodly buildinge in case it stood vpon a false foundation What accompte wouldest thou make of an image of waxe very richlie and curiouslie wrought in case it were set against the sonne where it is certayne that so soone as the waxe shoulde be molten forthwith the forme of the image woulde vtterlie be defaced and leese his beautie Whie doe we make so litle accompt of the beautie of a flowre but because it groweth vpon so weake a subiect For so soone as it is nypt of from the stalke incontinentlie it looseth his faire glosse and beautie It is not possible to haue beautie of anie firme continuance in a matter so fraile and corruptible It followeth therefore that the glorie of man is such as the lyfe of man is For although glory doe continewe after the ende of our lyfe yet what shall that glorie auayle him that hath no sence nor feelinge thereof What dothe it auayle Homere now whilest thou so highelie praisest and commendest his Iliades Vndoutedly no more but as S. Ierome saieth speakinge of Aristotle Woo be vnto thee Aristotle that art praised where thou art not to witt here in the worlde and art tormented where thou art indeede to witt in hell Other inestimable commodities mayest thou gather owt of this consideration For if thou doe consider all theise miseries with good attention thine eies shal be opened forthwith and thou shalt wonder at the great blindnes of men yea the verie straungenes of it shall cause thee to saie to thy selfe Good Lorde what cause is there why this miserable lignage of Adam shoulde waxe prowde From whence commeth such puffinge and arrogancie of minde such hawtie and loftie courages so great contempt of others such estimation of our selues and so great forgetfulnes of almightie God What cause hast thou to be prowde thou dust and asshes Why doest thou magnifie and aduaunce thy selfe thou seely wretche of the earthe Why doest thou not holde downe thy peacockes taile beholdinge thy fowle feete to witt the vylenes of thy state and condition What cause hast thou to seeke so carefullie for the glorie of this worlde seinge it is myngled with so manie miseries What thinge is there so sweete but that it maie be made bitter with the mixture of so manie sower and bitter sawces Moreouer if this lyfe be a vale of teares a prison of guiltie persons and a bannishement of them that be comdemned how canst thou settle so greate vanitie so great pompe and pride of the worlde such gaye ornamentes and statelie furniture of houses and families in the place of teares How canst thou imagine to make this a place of pastymes and pleasures of feastes and bankettes How canst thou be so diligente to heape so greidelie together for the prouision of this worlde and be so forgetfull of the worlde to come as if thou were borne onely to liue here in earth with brute beastes and haddest no parte in heauen with the Angels Suerlie I must neides saie that thou art very much wedded to miserie and that thou camest out of a meruaylous miserable stocke if so manie argumentes of the miseries of this worlde be not able to open thine eies and make thee to discerne so grosse and so palpable a blindenes I H S WENSDAIE NIGHTE OF THE HOWER OF DEATHE O mors quam amara est memoria tua homini pacem habenti in substâ—â—â— suis. Eclesi 4â— 1 Gens absque consilio est et sine prudentia vtinam saperent et intelligerent ac nouissima prouiderent Deuter. 32. 28. THIS DAIE WHEN THOV HAST MADE THE SIGNE OF the Crosse and prepared thy selfe hereunto thou hast to meditate vpon the houre of deathe which is one of the most profitable consideratioÌ„s that a Christian man may haue as well for the obteyninge of true wisedome and eschewinge of sinne as also to moue him to begynne to prepare him selfe in time for the howre of death BVT to the intent that this consideration maie be proffitable vnto thee it shall behoue thee to make thy petition vnto almightie God beseachinge him to graunte thee some feelinge of such thinges as are woÌ„t to passe in this last conflicte that thou maiest dispose of thy landes and goodes accordinglie and direct thy lyfe in such sorte as at that time thou wouldest wishe thou haddest done Now therefore that thou maiest haue the better feelinge in this matter thinke vpon it not as thou wouldest of a thinge that were to come but as it were euen now present and thinke vpon it not as of a thinge that apperteyneth to others but as of a thinge that belongeth properlie to thine owne selfe makinge this accompte that thou lyest now verie sicklie and weake in thy bed aÌ„d in such a daungerous case that thou art vtterly forsaken of thy phisitions and that they are all perswaded that thou wilt die within fewe howers Consider
callinge to minde his wicked and synfull lyfe and how gladly he wishethe at that time that he had taken a better waie and what an awstere kinde of lyfe he woulde then determine to leade if he might haue time to doe the same and how fayne he woulde then enforce himselfe to call vpon almightie God and to desier him of helpe and succour Howbeit the verie paine greife and continuall increasinge of his syckenes and death will scarcely permitte him so to doe Consider then also those last accidentes and panges of the sicknes Of the pāges of deathe which be as it were the messingers of death how fearfull and terrible they be How at that time the sicke mans breast panteth his voyce waxeth hoarce his feete begynne to die his knees waxe colde and stiffe his nostrels ronne out his eies sincke into his head his countenāce looketh pale and wanne his tonge faultereth and is not able to doe his office finally by reason of the hast of the departure awaye of the sowle out of the bodie all his senses are sore vexed and troubled and they doe vtterlie leese their force and vertue But aboue all the sowle is then in most payne Of the greate payne ād agonie the sowle abideth at her departure out of the bodie and suffereth greatest greifes and troubles For at that time she is in a verie great conflicte and agonie partely for her departure from the bodie and partely for feare of her dreadfull accompte which is then to be made Because she is naturally lothe to departe from the bodie and she liketh well her lodginge and is in verie great dread to come to her accompt before almightie God Now when the sowle is thus departed out of the fleashe yet there remayne two voiages for thee to make with him the one to accompanie the bodie vntill it be layed in his graue the other to followe the sowle vntill her cause be determined And thou hast to consider diligentlie what shall become of eache one of these two partes Of the funeralles ād buryenge of the bodie Consider now in what plight the bodie is after the sowle hath forsaken it and what a worthie garment they prouide to winde it in and what haste his friendes and executors doe make to get him quickly rydde awaye out of the howse Consider also the funerals with all the other circumstances that are wonte to happen therein The often ringinge of the belles the goinge aboute of the belman cryinge vnto the people to praye for his sowle the questionynge in the streates one of an other who is dead the diriges and dolefull seruice of the Churche the accompanyinge of his corps to the Churche and mourninge of his wife children kynsfolke seruātes and friendes for him and finally all th' other particulars that are then wont to happen vntill the bodie be laide and lefte in the graue where it shall lye buried vntill it be raysed agayne by the terrible sownde of the trompet at the generall daie of iudgement And such is the great chaunge and alteration in worldlie affaires that it maie so come to passe as a time maie happen when some buildinge maie be made neare vnto thy graue be it neuer so gaie and sumptuous and that they maie digge for some earthe out of the same to make morter for a walle and so shall thy seelie bodie beinge now changed into earth become afterwardes an earthen walle although it be at this present the most noble bodie and most delicately cherished of all bodies in the worlde And how manie bodies of Kinges and Emperors trowest thou haue come already to this promotion Now when thou hast left the bodie in the graue what becōmethe of the sowle after it is departed out of the bodie goe from thence forthwith and followe after the sowle and cōsider what waie it taketh through that newe region whither it goeth what shall euerlastinglie become of it for euer and euer and what iudgement it shall haue Imagin that thou arte now present at this iudgemēt and that thou seest all the whole cowert of heauen to expecte the ende of this sentence Eccles 12. vers 14. Iob. 14.13 Iob. 31.14.23 where the sowle shal giue a particular accōpte and be chardged and dischardged of all that he hath receaued euen to the valewe of a pinnes poynte yea Math. 12.36 Math. 19.17 Rom. 2.6 1. Co. 4.4 1. Cor. 9.27 2. Cor. 5.10 Ephes 6.8 Philip. 2.12 Haeb. 9.27 1. Peter 4.18 2. Pet. 1.10 Apoc. 2.23 Apoc. 14.7.13 and as our Sauiour himselfe affirmeth of euerie idell worde There an accompt shal be required of his life of his lādes ād riches of his howseholde ād familie of the inspiratiōs of almightie God of the meanes and opportunitie he hath had to leade a vertuous and godlie lyfe and aboue all he shal be streitelie examined what estimation he hath made of the most pretious bloude of our sauiour Christe and of the vse of his Sacramentes And there shall euerie man be iudged accordinge to the accompt he shall make of the giftes and graces he hath receaued of almightie God THE THIRDE TREATISE WHEREIN IS TREATED OF THE consideration of death Where the former meditation is declared more at lardge THE consideration of death is verie profitable for manie purposes and espetially for three First for the obteyninge of true wisedome that is to knowe how a man ought to gouerne and frame his lyfe For as the Philosophers doe saie in thinges that are ordeined to anie ende The consideration of death causeth a man to gouerne and frame his life the rule and measure whereby to directe them is to be taken of the same ende and therefore when men doe either builde or Saile or doe anie thinge they haue alwaies their eie fixed vpon the ende which they pretende and accordinge to the same doe frame and direct all the rest of their doinges Now consideringe that emonge the endes and tearmes of our lyfe death is one of them whither we goe all to take our rest he that will endeuour to direct his lyfe in good order let him fixe his eies vpon this marke and accordinge to the same let him dispose and directe all his affaires Let him consider how poore and naked he must depart out of this worlde and what a strait iudgement he must passe at the hower of his death and how he shall lie in his graue all betroden and quyte forgotten of all men and accordinge to this ende let him consider how to frame and direct the whole order and course of his lyfe By this rule a certaine Philosopher gouerned and directed his lyfe that saied Naked came I out of my mothers wombe Iob. 2. and naked must I retourne againe to my graue To what purpose then shoulde I lose my time in purchasinge and heapinge together landes and riches seing nakednes shal be my ende For want of consideration of this our ende doe growe all our errours and
deceites Hereof commeth our presumption our pride For wante of consideration of our death doe growe all our fonde errours and deceites our couetousnes our pleasures our nicenes and delicatenes and the vaine castelles and towres of winde which we builde vpon sande For if we woulde consider in what case we shal be after a fewe daies whan we are once lodged in that poore selie cottage of our graue we shoulde be more humble and more temperat in our lyfe How cowlde he possiblye haue anie sparcke of presumption that woulde consider that he shal be there dust and asshes How cowlde he finde in his harte to make a God of his belly that woulde consider that he shall become there wormes meate Who coulde euer be perswaded to occupie his brayne in such loftie and phantasticall thoughtes and deuices if he did but consider and wayghe how fraile and weake the foundation is wherevpon all his fonde designementes are grownded Who woulde endaunger the losse and destruction of himselfe in seekinge for riches both by lande and Sea if he considered that at his death he shoulde carie no more with him but a poore windinge sheete To conclude all the workes of our lyfe woulde be dewlie corrected and framed in good order if we woulde measure and square them out by this rule The lyfe of a wise mā is a contynuall thinkinge of deathe For this cause the Philosophers saied that the lyfe of a Wiseman was nothinge els but onely a continuall cogitation and thinkinge of death forsomuch as this consideration teacheth a mā what thinge is somewhat and what is nothinge what he ought to followe and what to eschewe according to the ende whereunto he must certaynelye arriue It is written of those Philosophers called Brackmanni that they were so much geuen to thinke vpon their ende that they had their graues alwaies open before the gates of their howses to the intent that both at their entrie and goinge forth by them they might alwaies be mindefull of this iourney and passage of death Almightie God saied vnto the Prophet Ieremie Ierem. 18. that he shoulde goe downe into a howse where earth was wroughte for that he woulde there speake with him Almightie God coulde haue spokē with his Prophet in anie other place but he chose to speake with him in that place to geue vs to vnderstande that the howse of earthe which is our graue is the schoole of true wisedome where almightie God is wonte to teach those that be his There he teacheth thē how great is the vanitie of this worlde There he sheweth vnto thē the miserie of our fleashe ād the shortnes of this life And aboue al there he teacheth them to knowe themselues which is one of the most highest pointes of Philosophie that maie be learned Wherefore ô thou man discend downe with thy spirite into this howse and there shalt thou see To knowe a mans selfe is one of the highest pointes of philosophie who thou art whereof thou art come where thou shalt rest and wherein the bewtie of thy fleashe and glorie of this worlde do ende so shalt thou learne to despise all those thinges that the worlde hath in reuerence for wante of dewe knowledge how to consider it Because the worlde considereth no more but onely the paynted face of Iezabel that shyned verie bewtifully and gaylie at the windowe 4. Reg. 9. 3. Reg. 21. It considereth not the miserable extreme partes of her which after that her bodie was deuoured with dogges almightie God woulde haue to remaine whole that thereby we might see that the worlde is an other maner of thinge in deede than it appeareth in outwarde shewe and that we shoulde in such wise consider the face of it as to be mindefull also of the extreme greifes and sorrowes wherein the glorie of it endeth Secondlye this consideration is a great helpe to cause vs to eschewe and forsake sinne accordinge as Ecclesiasticus witnesseth sayeinge Eccles 7. Remember the last ende and thou shalt neuer sinne It is a great matter not to sinne and a great remedie also for the same is for a man to remember that he must die S. Iohn Climacus S. Iohn Climacus writeth of a certaine monke that beinge sore tempted with the bewtie of a woman whom he had seene abroade in the worlde and vnderstandinge that she was deade went to the graue where she was buried and rubbed a napkin in the stinkinge bodie of the dead woman And he vsed alwaies afterwardes whensoeuer the deuill troubled him with anie euill thought of her to take the stinkinge napkin and to put it to his nose and saie to him selfe Beholde here thou miserable wretche the thinge thou louest and beholde here what ende the delightes and beawties of the worlde haue This was a great remedie to ouercome this synne And the deepe consideration of death is of no lesse importance than it S. Gregorie as S. Gregorie saieth There is nothinge that doth so mortifie the appetites of this our peruerse fleash as to consider in what plight the same shal be after it is deade The same holie father rehearseth a like storie of an other monke who hauinge his table readie prouided to goe to dinner to eate somewhat for the refresshinge of his weake and wearie bodie chaunced sodenly to haue a remembrance of death which cogitation euen as though it had bene a constable or other lyke officer there readie to attache him put him in such a terrour and feare that it caused him to refraine from his meate Consider therefore how much the remembrance of the dreadfull accōpte that we must make at the houre of our deathe is able to worke in the harte of a iust man seinge it caused this holie monke to abstaine from a thinge that is so lawfull and necessarie to be done Certainlie this is one of the most wonderfull thinges in all the worlde that men knowinge so assuredlie Math. 12.36 Hebr. 9.27 1. Pet. 4.18 Apoc. 14.7.13 that at the verie howre of their death a particular accompt shal be required of them of all their whole life yea and of euerie idell worde will notwithstandinge ronne headlonge with such facilitie into sinne If a waiefaringe man hauinge but one farthinge in his purse shoulde enter into an inne and placinge him selfe downe at the table shoulde require of the host to bringe in Partridges Capons Phesauntes and all other delicates that maie be founde in the howse and shoulde suppe with verie great pleasure and contentation neuer remembringe that at the last there must come a time of accompt who woulde not take this fellowe either for a iester or for a verie foole Now what greater folie or madnes can be deuised than for men to geue them selues so looselye to all kindes of vices and to sleepe so sowndlie in them without euer remembringe that shortly after at their departinge out of their Inne there shall be required of them a verie strayt and
sowle in a merueilous great conflict and agonie not so much for her departure as for feare of the howere of her dreadfull accompt approchinge so neare vnto her Then is the time of tremblinge and quakinge yea euen of such as be most stowte and couragious The blessed holie father Hilarion S. HilarioÌ„ as he was passinge out of this worlde beganne to tremble and feare and was lothe to die howbeit the holie man encouraged himselfe sayienge Goe forth my sowle goe foorth out of this bodie whereof shouldest thou be afraid It is threescore and tenne yeares that thou hast serued Christ and art thou yet afraide of death Now if this holie man were afraid of his passing out of this worlde who serued Christ so manie yeares what shall he doe who peraduenture hath offended him so manie yeares Whither shall he goe Whom shall he call vpon What counsell shall he take O that men vnderstode how great this perplexitie and anguishe is at this dreadfull howre Imagin now I beseach thee in what a dolefull case the harte of the Patriarke Isacke was Genes 22. when his father held him bounde handes and feete and had laide him vpon the woode to sacrifice him when he sawe his fathers glisteringe sworde ouer his heade and vnderneth him the flames of fiere burninge and the seruantes that might haue succoured him stayinge at the foote of the hill and he himselfe bownde handes and feete in such sort that he cowlde neither flie nor defende himselfe in what plight trowe yee was the harte of this blessed younge man when he sawe himselfe in so narrowe a strayte In what greate perplexitie the sowle of the wicked man is at the hower of deathe And surelie in farre greater perplexitie is the sowle of the wicked man at this dreadfull hower because he can tourne his eies on no syde where he shall not see occasions of great terrour and feare If he looke vpwarde he seeth the terrible sworde of the iustice of almightie God threateninge him If he looke downwarde he seeth the graue opeÌ„ euer gapinge and tarienge for him If he looke within himselfe he seeth his owne conscience gnawinge and bytinge him If he looke about him there be Angels and deuils on both sides of him watchinge and expectinge the ende of the sentence whether of them shall haue the praie If he looke backwarde he seeth his dolefull wyfe his littell younge children his poore seruantes his kinsfolke his freindes his companions his acquaintance his howse his landes and the goodes of this lyfe to remaine all behinde and are not able to succoure him in this his great distresse forsomuch as he must depart all alone out of this lyfe and they all must remaine still here To conclude if after all this he take a vewe of him selfe and consider what he is inwardelie he shal be wonderfully amased and afraide to see himselfe in such a daungerous and terrible state insomuch as if it were possible he woulde flie awaie euen from himselfe Nowe alas to depart from the bodie is a thinge intollerable To continewe still therein is a thinge impossible And to differre his departure anie longer will not be graunted All the time past seemeth vnto him but as a blast of wynde and that which is to come appeareth as it is in deede infinite Now what shall the miserable sowle doe beinge thus compassed and enuironed about with so manie straites O how fonde and blynde are the sonnes of Adam that wil not prouide in time for this terrible passage HOW FILTHIE AND LOTH-some the bodie is after it is dead And of the burâ—inge of it in the graue Eccle. 3â— 23 Eccle. â—â— â—◠§ VII LAST of all when this great conflict is ended the sowle is violently taken awaie from the bodie and departeth from her auncient habitation the bodie remayninge vtterly spoyled of all the beawtie and qualities it had Now let vs consider what lotte each one of theise two partes must haue First consider in what case the bodie is In what case the bodie is after the sowle is departed out of it after the sowle is departed out of it What thinge is more esteimed than the bodie of a prince whiles he is a liue And what thinge is more contemptible and more vyle than the verie same bodie when it is dead Where is then that former pryncely maiestie become Where is that royall behauiour and glorious magnificence Where is that highe authoritie and soueraintie Where is that terrour and feare at the beholdinge of his presence Where is that cappinge and kneelinge and speakinge vnto him with such reuerence and subiection How quicklie is all this gaye pompe vtterly ouerthrowen and come to nothinge as if it had bene but a mere dreame or a plaie on a stage that is dispatched in an howre Then out of hande the wyndinge sheet â—s prouided and brought forth The richest man in this worlde shall haue no more with him of all his gooddes at the hower of his deathe but onelie a wyndinge sheete Psal 48.17.18 which is the â—ichest iewell he maie take with him out of this lyfe And this is the greatest recompence that the richest man in this worlde shall haue of all his goodes at that hower I wâ—she this pointe were well considered by eâ—erie couetous man and by those that make their money their God whose blindnes and follie the Prophet reprehendeth in theise wordes Be not afraide when a man waxeth riche and when thou seest the glorie of his howse verie much multiplied and increased for when he dieth he shall not carie his goodes awaye with him neither shall his glorie goe downe with him Of the buriall of the bodye Then doe they make a hole in the earthe of seuen or eight foote longe and no longer though it be for Alexander the great whom the whole worlde coulde not holde and with that smalle rowme onelie must his bodie be contence There they appoint him his howse for euer There he taketh vp his perpetuall lodginge vntill the last daye of generall Iudgment in companie with other dead bodies There the wormes crawle out to geue him his interteinment To be short there they let him downe in a poore white sheete his face beinge couered with a napkin and his handes and feete fast bownde which trewlie needeth not for he is then suer enough for breakinge out of prison neither shall he be able to defende himselfe against anie man There the earthe reâ—eyueth him into her lappe There the bones of dead men kisse and welcome him There the dust of his auncesters embraceth him and inuiâ—e him to that table and howse which is appointed for all men liuinge And the last honour that the worlde can doe vnto him at that time is to cast a litle earth vpon him and to couer him well therewith that the people maie not feele his stinckinge sauour aÌ„d beholde his dishonour And the greatest pleasure that his verie deare and
spetiall friendes can doe then vnto him besides prayinge for his sowle is to honour him with castinge a handfull of earthe vpon him And therefore the faithfull people are wont to vse this ceremonie towardes the dead that almightie God maye dispose others to doe the same vnto them whē they shal be in the like case Now what greater confession and acknowledginge of our miserie can we diuise than to see how men doe preuent before hande that they may not want after their death so smalle a benefite as this is O greidie couetousenes of the lyuinge and great pouertie of the dead Why shoulde a man desire and gape after so manie thinges for this presente lyfe beinge so shorte as it is seinge so litle will content him at the howre of his death Then the graue maker taketh the spade and pykeaxe into his hande and beginneth to tumble downe bones vpon bones and to tread downe the earth verie harde vpon him Insomuch that the fairest face in all the worlde the best trimmed and most charily kepte from wynde and sonne shall lye there and be stamped vpon by the rude graue maker who will not sticke to laie him on the face and rappe him on the sculle yea and to batter downe his eies and nose flatte to his face that they maie lye well and euen with the earth And the fyne dapperde gentleman who whiles he liued might in no wise abide the wynde to blowe vpon him no nor so much as a litle heare or moore to falle vpon his garmentes but in all hast it must be brusshed of with great curiositie here they laie and hurle vpon him a donghill of filthines and dirte And that sweete mynion gentleman also that was wont forsooth to goe perfumed with Amber and other odoriferous smelles must be contented here to lye couered all ouer with earthe and fowle crawlinge wormes and maggottes This is the ende of all the gaie braueries and of all the pompe and glorie of the worlde In this plight doe all his freindes nowe leaue him lyenge in that strait lodginge in that earthe of obliuion and in that darcke prison where he shall remaine accompanied with perpetuall solitarines vntill the generall daye of Iudgment O worlde what is become of thy glorie O yee my howses landes and riches where is your power O my wyfe my children my freindes and kinsfolke where haue ye now left me How happeneth it that yee my olde freindes and companions doe so quickly forsake me and leaue me here in the earthe thus solitarie alone How chaunceth it that the wheele of my so great prosperitie and felicitie is so quickly ouerturned and defaced They that sawe Quene Iezabell when she was by the iust iudgement of God eaten with dogges 4. Reg. 9. when they sawe that there remained nothinge els of her bewtie but onelie her sculle and the extreme partes of her feete and handes those I saie that had knowen her before in so greate flourishinge and royall estate and sawe her at that time in such a miserable plight wonderinge at that so great alteration and chaunge demaunded and saied Haeccine est illa Iezabel Is this that Iezabell 4. Reg. 9.37 And as manie as passed by that waie and behelde her thus eaten with dogges repeted the same exclamation merueylinge at so great a chaunge and saied Is this that Iezabell Is this that great Quene and Ladie of Israëll Is this she that was so mightie that she vsurped and seased the landes and goodes of her subiectes by sheedinge of their bloude Is death able to bringe the mightie and puissaunte Princes to such a base and miserable calamitie Now therefore my deare brother goe downe I praie thee with thy spirit into the graues and Sepulchers of such Princes and great noble personages as thou hast either harde of or knowen in this worlde and consider what a horrible and deformed forme of their bodies is there to be seene And thou shalt see that thou hast good cause to make the like exclamation and to vse the same wordes and saie Is this that Iezabell Is this that amiable face which I knewe so faire and liuelie Are these those eies that were so cleare and brighte to beholde Is this that pleasaunt rowlinge tongue that talked so eloquently and made such goodlie discourses Is this that fyne and neyte bodie that was so trimlie pollished and adorned Is this the ende of the maiestie of Princes scepters and roiall crownes Is this the ende of the glorie of the worlde O how often times saieth a Wise man hath it bene my chaunce to enter into the sepulchres of some dead bodies where wonderinge or rather beinge greatlie astonied at the sight that I sawe I fixed mine eies aduisedlie vpon the shape of the dead corps I sette the bones in order I ioyned the handes together and sette the lippes in their proper places and spake thus secretlie to my selfe Beholde these feete that haue trauayled such crooked pathes and waies These handes also that haue committed so manie wicked actes These eies that haue behelde so manie vanities This mouth that hath eaten and deuoured so manie delicate and superfluous meates Beholde this sculle of his head that hath built so manie vaine castels and towers in the aier This dust and filthie skinne for whose pleasure and delight he hath committed so many sinnes and wickednes and for which cause the sowle of this bodie doth and shall perhappes suffer euerlastinge horrible tormentes in hell fier This done I departed out of that place wholy astonied and amased and meitinge with certain persons both men and women yonge and olde I behelde them likewise and considered that both they and I shoulde shortelie appeare in the like vglie forme and sieme as vyle and lothsome to beholde as those dead bodies are now presentelie Wherefore what a fonde wicked wretche am I to liue in suche wise as I doe To what ende is my purchasinge ād heapinge together of lādes and riches ād my buildinge of such sumptuous howses seinge I shall shortly be here so poore and naked To what ende are my gaie braueries and gorgious ornamentes in my apparell and furniture of howsholde stuffe seinge I shall shortly be here so filthie and lothsome to beholde To what ende are my delicate disshes my sugered sawces and deyntie fare seinge I shall shortly be here meate for the wormes and maggottes of the earthe Of the waie that the sowle taketh after it is departed out of the bodie And of the dreadfull iudgment and sentence that shal be geuen vpon it at that time § VIII Note that there be two iudgemētes one is at the hower of euerie mās deathe which is called the particular iudgemente And the other is at doomesdaye which shal be the vniuersall iudgmente of all mankinde together S. Bernarde LET vs now leaue the bodie lyinge thus buried in the graue and let vs see what waie the sowle taketh throughe that newe worlde which is
as it were an other hemespherie where it findeth a new heauen a newe earthe an other kinde of lyfe and an other maner of vnderstandinge and knowledge The sowle then after it is departed out of the bodie entereth into this newe region where those that by liuinge neuer entered a place full of feare and terrour and of shadowes of death But now what shall this new straunger doe in this so straunge a countrey vnlesse it be so that he hath deserued in this lyfe to haue the garde and defence of Angells for this time O my sowle saieth S. Bernarde what a terrible daie shal that be when thou shalt enter all alone into that vnknowen region where those hellishe monsters that are so horrible and vglie to beholde shall encounter and assault thee in the waie Who will then take thy part Who will then defende thee Who will then deliuer thee from those rampinge lions which beinge raginge madde for honger do lie there in waite to deuour thee At the hower of deathe the sowle müst rendre a particular accompte vnto almightie God of all thinges aÌ„d then it shal be iudged what shall become of her for euermore and this is termed her particular iudgemeÌ„t Math. 12.36 1. Peter 4.18 Vndoubtedlie this is a verie fearfull waie but the iudgment that shall then so solemnlie be geuen is farre more terrible Who is able to declare how strait the decision of this particular iudgement shal be How righteous the iudge How busie and solicitous the deuills our accusers How fewe intercessors on our syde What a particuler examination shal be made of euerie point of our accompte And what a longe proces shal be drawen of all our whole lyfe And as our Sauiour affirmeth we must then render an accompte of euerie idell worde Wherefore if the iust man as S. Peter saieth shal hardly be saued where shall the sinner and wicked man shewe them selues It is a thinge trulie verie worthie to be noted that whereas a man woulde thinke that those thinges that we haue most loued and for which we haue taken most paines shoulde most helpe vs in this greate distres it falleth out quite contrarie For they shall not onely not helpe vs but also be an occasion at that tyme of more paine and griefe vnto vs. 2. Reg. 14. 2. Reg. 18. The thinge that AbsoloÌ„ loued aÌ„d esteemed aboue all thinges was his goodlie heare of his head And that verie heare almightie God ordeined by his iust iudgement to be the cause of his death The thinges that we loue most in this lyfe shall make our accompte more dowtefull and be greater greife vnto vs at the hower of our deathe Now the verie same iudgement is prepared for all wicked persons at that howre that those thinges that euerie man most loued in this lyfe and for which he committed most haynous offences against almightie God the verie same thinges shall make his accompt more doutfull and be occasion of greater torment vnto him There shall our children whom we sought to enriche not passinge whether it were by right or wronge accuse vs. There shall the nawghtie harlotte for whose wanton loue we haue broken the lawes and commaundementes of almightie God pleade against vs. There shall our landes our goodes our offices our dignities our pleasures and delightes which were our idolles be our hangmen and tormente vs most cruellie There shall almightie God geue iudgement vpon all the gods of Egipt ordeyninge the matter in such sorte that those verie thinges wherein we haue put all our glorie shall at that tyme be the cause of our ruine Now if the seueritie of the dreadfull sentence of almightie God be answerable to our sinnes who shal be able to abyde it One of those auncient holie fathers that liued in the wildernes was wont to saie that of thre thinges he liued continually in greate feare The first was when his sowle shoulde departe out of his bodie The seconde when it shoulde be presented before the iudgment seat of almightie God The thirde when the sentence of his cause should be geuen and pronounced But now which is most terrible of all what if almightie God shall geue this most terrible sentence ageinst thee that thou shalt be damned for euer and euer to the horrible tormentes of hell fier there to continewe infinite millions of yeares and worlde without ende In what a terrible strait shalt thou then be What sorowe What greife What anguishe shalt thou then feele Againe what ioye and triumphes will the deuills thyne enemies make at that tyme Then shall that sentence of the Prophet be fulfilled sayeinge Ierem. Lam. 2. vers 16. All thine enemies shall open their mouthes vpon thee they shall laughe thee to scorne and gnashe their teath at thee and saie we will deuour him this is the daie we haue so longe loked for we haue found him we haue espied him But thou ô sweite Iesus Psalm 12. Illuminat the eies of my sowle I beseeche thee that I steipe not in death that myne enemie maie neuer saie I haue preuailed against him Amen THVRSDAIE NIGHTE OF THE GENERALL DAYE OF IVDGEMENT Oâ—â—â—â— nor â—â—â—festari Oportâ—t aâ—â—e Tribunal Christi est Refâ—â—â—â—Vnusquâ—â—◠〈◊〉 Coâ—â—â—â—◠〈◊〉 gâ—ffâ—t finiâ—â—â— sinâ— inâ—â—â— sciâ—utes ingo timoteâ—â— domini hominibâ—s sundâ—â—â— 2. Corinth 5.10 Si Justiâ— vix saluabitur impius et peccâ—â—â—Vâ—â— pâ—rrâ—â—â— 1. petr 4. â—â— THIS DAIE WHEN THOV HAST MADE THE SIGNE OF the Crosse and prepared thy selfe hereunto thou hast to meditate vpon the daie of the generall iudgement that by meanes of this consideration those two principall effectes maye be stirred vp in thy sowle which euerie faithfull Christian ought to haue to wit the feare of God and the abhorringe of sinne CONSIDER first what a terrible daie that shal be Of the dreadfulnes and terrour of the generall iudgemente in which the causes of all the children of Adam shal be througlie examyned the proces of all our liues diligently perused and a generall definitiue sentence geuen what shall become of vs all for euermore That daie shall comprise in it all the daies of all the ages and times both present past and to come For vpon that daie the worlde shall reÌ„dre an accompte of all these times And then shall almightie God power out the anger and indignation which he hath gathered together in all ages How violentlie shall the maine floude of gods wrathe and indignation breake out at that daie which conteineth in it so manie floudes of anger and wrathe as there haue bene sinnes committed since the beginninge of the worlde vntill that daie And therefore the Prophet had good cause to saie That daie shal be a daie of anger Soph. 1.15 a daie of calamitie and miserie a daie of obscuritie and darckenes a daie of cloudes and tempestious stormes a daie of the trompette and alarom against the stronge cities and against the highe towers Of the dreadfull signes that shall goe
vnthankfull for all his chastisementes and benefites What can they saie What answere will those persons make that haue liued in such sorte as if they had beleeued that there were no God And such as haue made none accompte of anie other lawe but onely how to procure their owne worldly interest and commoditie What will ye doe saieth the Prophet Esaie in the daie of the visitation and calamitie Esa 10. that shall come vpon you from afarre Vnto whom will ye flye for succour and helpe What shall the glorie and aboundance of your landes and riches at that tyme auaile you but that yee maie be caried awaye prisoners into hell and there falle emonge the deade After all this consider the terrible sentence which the Iudge shall thunder out against the wicked And that dreadfull sayeinge Of the terrible sentēce that the iudge shall then giue againste all the wicked which shall make the eares of all that shall heare it to glowe and tingle His lippes saieth the Prophet Esaie are full of indignation and his tonge is like a consuminge fier What fier shal burne so hoat as those wordes Esa 30. Departe from me ye cursed into the euerlastinge fier Math. 25. This is the most terrible sayeinge that can be saied to a creature For by this departure and separation is vnderstode the paine which the diuines calle Penam damni that is the losse of all losses Which is a vniuersall spoile of all thinges and a depriuation of that cheiffest goodnes to witt of almightie God in whom all good thinges doe consist Now whither shall those cursed wicked persons goe ô Lorde that shall depart from thee In what hauen shall they arriue What master shall they serue Ierem. 17. Whosoeuer they be that shall departe from thee shal be written in earthe because they haue forsaken the vaine ād springe of the water of lyfe which is almightie God The greatest punnishement that the Romaines vsed to put a Citizen vnto for certein greiuous offences was to bannishe him out of the noble cittie of Rome and to cōfine him into some Ilande aparte emonge some Barbarous natiō Now if it were thought so great a punnishement to be bannished out of the cittie of Rome what a punnishement shall this be to be bannished out of the companie of almightie God and of all his electe Yea and to be bannished for euer and euer into the companie of Satan and of those Barbarous helhowndes Depart from me saieth Christ ye cursed Math. 25. As if he shoulde saie I haue inuited you with my blessinge and ye would not come now therefore take ye my curse to your despite The wicked man saieth the Prophet loued maledictiō Psal 108.18 and it came vpon him and he refused the blessinge that almightie God offered vnto him and therefore it shal be kept farre enoughe from him Math. 21.19 Our Sauiour Christ cursed the figtree Marc. 11.14 and immediatle not onelie the leaues but euen also the bodie and routes of the tree withered awaie so as it neuer brought frute anie more In like maner shall those miserable damned persons be accursed and vtterlie depriued of all hope of saluation and of all frute and merite for euermore But whither doest thou sende them ô Lorde Vnto euerlastinge fyer O what a bedde is this for delicate and tender persons Esa 33.14 Which of you saieth the Prophet is able to dwell in the burninge fyer Which of you is able to continewe in the euerlastinge flames What greater curse and malediction can there be than this What calamitie what sentence what aduersitie maie be compared with the onely shadowe of this Esa 34. This is that terrible and fearfull fier which the Prophet Esaie settethe forthe in these wordes The streames thereof shal be turned into meltinge pitche and the dust of the earthe into sulphure and brimstone and the verie earthe of it shal be whollie burninge pitche It shall not be quenched nighte nor daie The smooke of it shall goe vp euermore It shall be desolat from generation to generation No man shall euer passe throughe it THE FOVRTHE TREATISE OF THE CONSIDERATION OF the generall daie of iudgemente wherein the former meditation is declared more at lardge GREAT are the effectes vndoubtedlie which the feare of God worketh in the sowle Who so feareth God saieth Ecclesiasticus it shall goe well with him at his last ende Eccles 1.13 and on the daie of his death he shal be blessed Eccles 25.13 And in an other place he saieth How great is that man that hath atteined vnto wisedome and knowledge but be he neuer so great he is no greater than he that feareth God For the feare of God hath placed his seate aboue all thinges Blessed is that man to whom it is geuen to feare our Lorde He that hath this feare with whom shall we compare him For the feare of God is the beginninge of his loue All these be the wordes of Ecclesiasticus Whereby it appeareth plainly The feare of God is the beginnynge of the loue of God that the feare of God is the beginninge of all goodnes sithence it is the beginninge of his loue And it is not onely the beginninge but also the keie and preseruation of all good thinges As S. Bernarde witnesseth sayeinge I knowe this for a most certaine truth S. Bernarde that there is no thinge of so great force and efficacie to kepe vs in the grace of God as to liue at all times in the feare of him and to eschewe alwaies all maner of prowde and presumptuouse thoughtes Now to obteine this so pretious a Iewell it auayleth very muche to occupie our minde in the consideratiō and continuall remēbrance of the iudgemēte of almightie God The consideration and continual remēbraunce of the iudgementes of almightie God will helpe vs to obteine the feare of God and aboue all other thinges in the cōsideratiō of that supreme and final general iudgemēt that shal be geuē in the ende of the worlde This iudgement is the most dreadfull thinge of all that the holie scriptures declare vnto vs. For the thinges that are there signified vnto vs of this daie are so terrible that were it not that almightie God himselfe reported them they woulde seime altogether incredible And therefore our Sauiour after he had preached and set out certaine of thē to his disciples the greatnes of thē was such that they seemed to exceide the cōmon credulitie and faith of men in regarde whereof he ended the matter with this affirmatiō Marc. 13. sayeinge Verily verily I saie vnto you that the worlde shall not ende before all these thinges be fulfilled For heauen and earthe shall faile but my worde shall neuer faile It is written in the Actes of the Apostles Act. 24. that when S. Paule preached before the president of Iudea of the terrible thinges of this daie the same president beganne to tremble and
quake at the wordes which the Apostle spake notwithstandinge that he was an infidell and had no beleefe at all in this misterie Whereby it maie appeare what terrible thinges those were that the Apostle then spake of sith the onelie sownde of them was able to cause such a great feare and tremblinge in a man that did not beleeue them Now the Christian that belieueth them and holdeth them for a matter of faith what a liuelie sense and feelinge shoulde he haue in these thinges when he heareth readeth or considereth them And let no man thinke to excuse him selfe pretendinge innocencie and sayeinge that these threatninges are not spoken vnto him but to vniust and wicked persons S. Ierome For S. Ierome was a iust man and yet for all that he saiede That so often as he remembred the daie of iudgment both his hart and bodie trembled for verie feare The Prophet Dauid also was a iust man yea he was a man accordinge to Gods owne hart and yet for all this he had so great a feare of the accompt of this daie that he saiede in a certain Psalme Psal 142. O Lorde enter not into iudgmente with thy seruaunt for in thy sight no man lyuinge shal be iustified The holie man Iob likewise was a most innocent and iust man and yet for all that he liued in such exceedinge feare all the daies of his lyfe that he reporteth thus of himselfe Iob. 31.23 and saieth Like as he that saileth in the middes of a stormye tempest is in great feare when he seeth the furious raginge waues comminge vpon him euen so haue I trembled alwaies before the maiestie of almightie God and my feare hath bene so passinge great that I was not able to abide the heauie burthen thereof But aboue all these the Apostle S. Paule was a verie iust man and yet for all that he saide thus of himselfe 1. Cor. 4.4 I feele no remorse of conscience of any thinge that I haue done amisse and yet I accompte not my selfe safe and secure forsomuche as our Lorde is he that shal be my iudge As if he had sayed in expresse wordes Manie times it maie happen that in our owne sight we finde our selues to be without blemishe in our workes and yet in the sight of almightie God we be farre otherwise For that which lieth hidden from the eies of men is not hidde from the eies of almightie God Vnto a rude and vnskilfull painter the worke that he hath drawen seemeth to be verie perfect but a conninge and skilfull painter will finde manie defectes worthie to be noted in it Now how farre greater defectes and imperfections shall the most highe goodnes and wisedome of almightie God finde in a creature so euill inclined as man is Iob. 15.16 Who as Iob saieth drincketh sinne and iniquitie as it were water Againe if the swoorde of almightie God did finde so much to be pared of in heauen how much more shall it finde in earthe which bringeth forthe nothinge els but brambles and bryers And who is he that hath all the corners of his sowle so pure and cleane but that he shall haue neide to saie with the Prophet Psal 18.13 Ab occultis meis munda me Domine Cleanse me ô Lorde from my secrete synnes Wherefore it behoueth all men to liue in greate feare and dreade of this daye of iudgmente be their lyfe neuer so iust seinge the daie is so dreadfull our lyfe so faultie and the Iudge so iust and aboue all seinge his iudgementes be so secrete and profounde that no man knowethe what lotte shall falle vnto him But as our sauiour saieth Math. 24.40 Two shal be in the feilde the one shal be taken and th' other forsaken Two in one bedde the one shal be taken and th' other forsaken Note here against the presumptuous securitie and assurance of saluatiō tawght by the Heretickes Two grindinge in one mille the one shal be taken and th' other forsaken In which wordes we be geuen to vnderstande that of such persons as are all of one same state and maner of lyfe some shal be caried vp to heauen and some throwen downe into the bottomles pitt of hell insomuch as by this and manie other places of the holie scriptures it playnlie appeareth that no man can accompte him selfe secure and assured to be saued Psalm 18. vers 13.14 Eccles 9.1 Eccles 12.14 Eccles 5.5 Iob. 31.14.23 Daniell 4.24 Math. 12.36 Math. 19.17 Ioan. 8.31 Ioan. 15.7.14 Rom. 2.13 Rom. 8.17 1. Cor. 4.4 1. Cor. 9.27 1. Cor. 10.12 1. Cor. 13.2.13 2. Cor. 5.10.11 Galat. 5.24 Philip. 2.12 Iac. 2 14.17.24 1. Pet. 1.16 1. Pet. 2.21 2. Pet. 1.10 1. Ioan. 2.3.5.6 1. Ioan. 3.7.24 1. Ioan. 4.12 1. Ioan. 5.3 Apoc. 3.11 Apoc. 14.7 so longe as he liueth in this frayle and transitorie lyfe How rigorous the daie of Iudgement shal be § I. TO cōsider wel of the greatnes of this iudgement thou must first presuppose that there is no tonge in the worlde able to expresse the least parte of the troubles that shal be vpon this daie And therefore the Prophet Ioell beinge desirous to speake of the greatnes thereof fownde his wittes and senses so weake and confounded that he beganne to stutte and stammer like a childe and to saie Ioell 1.15 A a a what a daie shall that be The like maner of speache vsed the Prophet Ieremie Ierem. 1.6 when almightie God woulde sende him to preach to signifie that he was an infante and altogether vnable to discharge so great an embassie as he was appointed by almightie God to doe And the same maner doth the Prophet Ioel vse euen at this time to geue vs to vnderstande that there is no tonge in the worlde that will not stutte and stammer like a childe when it shall goe about to signifie what thinges shall happen vpon this dreadfull daie Vpon this daie almightie God will reduce all such filthines as the wicked haue caused in the worlde through their wicked workes to his first dewe forme and comelines And as their filthie and wicked actes haue bene manie and great euen so must the purifyenge of them be proportionable to the actes committed And so shall the worlde be so much bewtified by the punishement of the wicked as it hath bene defiled and disfigured throughe their offences When a man hath by reason of some great falle put his arme out of ioynte the more it is out of iointe the more griefe and paine must he afterwardes abide before it can be set in iointe againe and brought to his dewe proper place Now whereas the wicked haue disordered all thinges in this worlde and set them out of iointe and wrenched them out of their naturall places when that heauenly reformer shall come to restore the worlde by punnishemēt of so manie disorders how great shall the punnishement be where so manie and so great disorders haue bene This dreadfull daie
is called not onely the daie of Anger but also the daie of our Lorde as the Prophet Ioel tearmeth it Ioel. 1.15 why the daye of iudgemente is called the daye of our Lorde Geauinge vs thereby to vnderstāde that all other daies haue bene the daies of men in which they haue fulfilled their owne willes against the wil of god but this daie is called the daie of our Lorde because vpō this daie our Lorde will doe his will against the will of men Thou doest now sweare and forsweare and blaspheme and almightie God in this meane while holdeth his peace and sayeth nothinge vnto it but be thou well assured the daie shall come when almightie God will breake of his lōge silence of so manie daies and of so manie iniuries ād will answere for his owne honour There be but two dayes the one is the daye of our Lorde and the other is the daye of men 2. Paral. 18. So that there be no more but two daies in the worlde the one is the daie of our Lorde and the other the daie of men Man whiles his daie endureth maye doe whatsoeuer he listeth and almightie God will holde his peace and as it were wincke at all his doinges Vpon this daie the Kinge Sedechias maie commaunde the Prophet of God to be cast into a well and breade to be geuen vnto him by vnces He maie vse and abuse the Prophet at his pleasure and at all those iniuries almightie God will holde his peace But after this daie there will come an other daie and almightie God will take kinge Sedechias and depriue him of his kingedome he will destroie Ierusalem and bringe kinge Sedechias in fetters before the kinge of Babilon and there shall all his sonnes and friendes be murdered before his face There shall he commaunde his eies which were preserued to see so manie miseries to be plucked out of his head which done he shall cause him to be caried in fetters to Babilon and confyne him into a prison there to remaine all the daies of his lyfe So that as man hath libertie to doe vpon his daie whatsoeuer he listeth without anie restraint or impediment at all euen so will almightie God haue free libertie to doe vpon his daie whatsoeuer his will and pleasure shal be and no man shal be able to let or disturbe him Of the signes that shall goe before the daie of the generall Iudgemente § II. FINALLIE if thou desire to vnderstande what maner of daie this shal be consider what signes shall goe before it For by the signes thou shalt perceiue what the thinge shal be that is signified as by the eueninge and Vigile thou mayste vnderstande what the feast of the daie shal be First of all when that daie shal be no man knoweth Marc. 13. no not the Angels in heauen nor yet the sonne himselfe to reueile it to anie other but the father onely Howbeit certaine signes shall goe before it whereby men maie prognosticate not onely of the nearnes of the daie but also of the greatnes and dreadfulnes thereof Math. 24.7 For as our Sauiour saieth Before the comminge of this daie there shal be great warres and troubles in the worlde Nation shall rise against nation and kingdome against kindome And there shal be great earthquakes in manie places and pestilence and famine and terrible thinges appearinge in the aier and other great signes and wonders And which is more dreadfull than all this there shall come that great horrible persecution so oftentimes mentioned in the holie Scriptures The horrible persecution of Antichrist The Iewes shall receiue and worship Antichrist for their Messias as appeareth in Iohn 5. vers 43. ād 1. Iohn 2. vers 22. which shal be executed by the most crewell persecutor that euer the Catholike Churche hath had to witt by Antichrist who shall impugne the Catholike Churche most malitiouslie not onelie with most crewell warres and horrible tormentes but also with apparant and feyned miracles Consider now therefore with thy selfe as the blessed holie Pope S. Gregorie saieth what a terrible time that of Antichrist shal be when the godlie martir shall offer his bodie to the tormentor and the tormentor shall worke miracles before his face Math. 24. vers 21.22 Marc. 13. vers 19.20 To conclude the tribulation of these daies as our Sauiour saieth shal be so great as the like was neuer since the beginninge of the worlde Antichristes raigne and persecutiō shall not continewe but three yeares and a halfe as appeareth in Daniell 7. vers 25. Daniell 12. vers 7. 11. Apoc. 11. vers 2. 3. Apoc. 13. vers 5. Ezech. 32. nor neuer shal be insomuche that if almightie God of his great mercie did not prouide to shorten these daies all fleashe shoulde not be saued But for the electes sake the daies of Antichrist shal be shortened After these signes as this daie of the generall iudgment draweth nearer and nearer there shall appeare other signes more dreadfull than these in the Sonne in the Moone and in the Sterres Of which dreadfull signes our Lorde spake by his Prophet Ezechiel sayeinge I will cause the sterres of heauen to be darckened ouer thee and I will couer the Sonne with a clowde and the Moone shall not shewe fourthe her lighte And I will cause all the lightes of heauen to mourne and lamente ouer thee And I will sende darcknes ouer all the lande Now when these great signes and alterations shall appeare in the heauens what maie we looke for vpon the earthe which is wholly gouerned by the heauens We see in a common weale that when the heades that gouerne it are in anie tumulte all the other members and partes thereof are also in a like tumulte and vprore and the whole common-weale is tossed and tormoyled with armes and dissention Now if all this bodie of the worlde be gouerned by the vertues and influences of the heauens in case both the heauens and this bodie be altered and out of their naturall order in what ruthfull case thē shall all the members and partes be that depende of them The aier shal be full of lighteninges whyrlewindes and blasinge sterres The earthe shal be full of wyde yawninge cleiftes fearfull tremblinges and quakinges And these earthquakes as it is thought shal be so great and violent that they shal be able to ouerthrowe not onely the sumptuous pallaces highe towers and stronge Castels but euen the verie mountaines and rockes them selues shal be also shaken and ouerwhelmed by them and quite remoued out of their places But most of all other elementes the Sea shall at that tyme shewe greatest rage and furie and the waues thereof shal be so highe and so furious that it shall seeme that they will vtterlie ouerwhelme all the whole earthe Such as dwell by the Sea side shal be in great dread and terror by reason of the great rysinge of waters and such as dwell further of shal be wounderfullie afraide
this time the feare and terrour of the wicked shal be so great that as the Prophet Esaie saieth Esa 2.19 they shall seike the cliftes of stones and the hollowe places of the rockes to hide them selues therein for the great feare they shall haue of oure Lorde and of the glorie of his maiestie when he commeth to iudge the worlde To conclude this feare shal be so great Apoc. 20. that as S. Iohn saieth both the heauens and the earthe shall flye from the presence of the iudge and shall finde no place where to hide them selues Now ô ye heauens why doe ye flye awaie What haue ye done Why are ye afraide And if by the heauens be vnderstode the blessed spirites that are in heauen O ye blessed spirites that were created and confirmed in grace At the daye of generall Iudgmente euen the blessed spirites shal be afrayde to see so greate maiestie and indignation in Christe the iudge why doe ye flye awaie What haue ye done Why are ye afrayde Vndowbtedly they are not afrayde for anie daunger that is towardes themselues but they be afrayde to beholde in the iudge such a great maiestie and indignation the greatnes whereof shal be able to stryke all the heauens with terrour and admiration When the Sea is outragious and tempestious euen he that standeth safe vpon the shore is in a kinde of feare and admiration When the father goeth like a lion about his howse in punishinge his bond slaue his innocent sonne is also afraide although he knowe right well that his fathers rage is not bent against him but against the slaue Now what shall the wicked doe at this time when euen the iust shal be so greatly afrayd If the heauens flye for feare what shall the earthe doe And if those that be wholly spirite doe tremble and quake what shall they doe that haue bene wholly fleashe Esa 64. And if as the Prophet saieth the mountaines shall melt in this daie before the face of almightie God What stonie harde hartes then haue we that for all this be nothinge at all moued The holie crosse shall come before Christe the Iudge at the daye of generall iudgemente and be a witnes againste the wicked Math. 24.30 Before the Iudge there shall come that royall standarde of the crosse to be a witnes of the redemption and remedie which almightie God sent to the worlde and that the worlde woulde not receiue it And so the holie crosse shall there iustifie the cause of almightie God and leaue the wicked voide of al maner of comforte and excuse Then shall all nations of the earthe saieth our Sauiour weepe and lament and they all shall stryke and beare vpon their brestes O how great cause shall they then haue to weepe and waile They shall weepe because at that tyme they can neither doe penanceÌ„ nor flye from the iustice of almightie God nor appeale from his sentence They shall bewaile their sinnes past their shame present and the tormentes that are to come They shall bewaile their miserable happe their vnfortunat birthe and their cursed ende For these and manie other causes they shall weepe and waile verie bitterlie and as persons whollie dismayed and fettered in all partes and without all maner of comforte and remedie they shall wringe their handes and stryke theÌ„ selues vpon their brestes Our sauiour Christe the Iudge shall make a seperatioÌ„ betwene the good and the wicked Math. 25. Then shall the Iudge make a diuision betwene the euill and the good and place the goates at his left hande and the sheepe at his right hande O how happie and blessed shall those persons be that shal be though worthie to haue a place emonge those elected sheepe O Lorde I most humblie beseeche thee let me haue tribulation here in this worlde Punishe me here cutte me in peeces here burne me here so that I maie there be placed at thy right hande Then shall the generall iudgement beginne to be solemnised and the causes of each one shal be throughlie scanned and examined Accordinge as the Prophet Daniell writeth in these wordes Daniel 7.9 I stode saieth he attentiuely and I sawe certaine seates set in their places and the auncient of yeares sat downe whose garmente was white as snowe and the heare of his head like the pure wolle The throne wherein he sat was like flames of fier and the wheeles thereof like burninge fire And a riuer of raginge fire issued and came forthe from before him Thowsande thousandes were attendant to serue him and tenne hundered thousande thowsandes stode waitinge before him c. I behelde all this in the vision of the night and I sawe one comminge in the cloudes who seemed to be the sonne of man Hetherto are the wordes of the Prophet Daniell Wherevnto S. Iohn addeth and saieth Apoc. 20.12 I sawe all the dead both great and smalle standinge before this throne and there the bokes were opened and an other boke opened which is the boke of lyfe and the dead were iudged accordinge to the contentes in those bokes accordinge to their workes Beholde here deare Christian brother the measure whereby thou shalt be iudged Beholde here the taxe and prices whereby all thinges that thou doest shal be valued and esteemed and not by the fonde iudgement of the worlde which hath the false and counterfeit weightes of Canaan in their handes Osâ—â— 12. in whose ballance vertue and vice are iudged to be of smalle weight and accompte In these bokes are written all our whole lyfe and that with such care and diligence that a worde hath no soner passed thy mowth but it is foorthwith noted and set in his proper register But of what thinges trowe ye will the Iudge require an accompte of vs Of what thinges we must giue an accompte Iob. 31.4 O Lorde saieth Iob thou hast nombered all the steppes of my lyfe Certainly there shall not be somuch as one idle worde nor one onely thowghte whereof an accompte will not be required in that iudgement Yea Math. 12.36 and not onely of those thinges that we either thinke or doe but also of those that we leaue vndone of such thinges I meane as we are bownde to doe If thou saie at the daie of Iudgment ô Lorde I haue not sworne the Iudge will answere that thy sonne or thy seruant hath sworne whom thy dutie was to haue chastised and corrected And we shall geue an accompte not onely of our euill workes but also euen of our good workes with what intention and after what maner we did them Finally as S. Gregorie saieth S. Gregorie Math. 12.36 An accompte shall there be required of vs of euerie point and moment of our lyfe how and after what sorte we haue spente them Consideringe therefore that such a strait accoÌ„pte shal be required of vs how happeneth it that we that beleue this as a most certaine truthe doe neuerthelesse liue with such securitie and
negligence as we doe Wherein doe we put our affiance Wherewithall doe we perswade and flatter our selues in the middest of so manie dreadfull perilles and daungers How commeth this to passe that those persones that haue most cause to feare this dreadfull daye doe least feare it and those that haue least cause to feare it doe liue in greatest feare thereof Iob. 2. vers 3. Holie Iob was a iust man for so almightie God witnessed of him with his owne mouthe and yet for all this he liued in so great feare and dread of his accompte at the daye of Iudgment that he saiede What shall I doe Iob. 31.14 when almightie God commeth to iudge and when he beginneth to question with me what answere shall I make vnto him Suerlie these be wordes that procede from a verie sore afflicted and troubled harte What shall I doe saieth he As if he had saiede One care I haue that troubleth me continually One naile I carrie alwaies fixed in my hart that will not suffer me to take any rest What shal I doe Whither shall I goe What answere shall I make when almightie God shall enter into iudgemente with me But ô holie and blessed man Iob why art thou thus afrayd Why art thou thus troubled ād vexed Iob. 29.15.16 Art not thou he that saiede I haue bene a father vnto the poore an eie vnto the blinde and feete vnto the lame Art not thou he that saied Iob. 27.6 that In all thy lyfe time thy hart neuer reproued thee of anie wicked deede Now beinge a man of so greate innocencie why ô holie Iob art thou thus afrayde Trulie the cause is for that this holie man knewe right well that almightie God looked not with fleashlie eies and that he iudged not accordinge to the iudgemēte of men in whose eies often times that thinge shyneth verie gaye and bright which in the sight of almightie God is verie abhominable Thou art ô holie Iob verie iust indede yea euen for this cause thou arte verie iust becauthou liuest in so great feare This feare of this holie man Iob my deare brethern condemneth our false securitie These wordes of his ouerthrowe our vaine confidence For which of vs hath at anie time in respecte of this care of our dreadfull accompte at the daye of Iudgment once refrained from his dynner or supper or broken his sleepe Whereas those deuout godlie persons that thinke herevpon as they ought to thinke doe oftentimes loose their sleepe and their appetite to their meate yea and sometimes more than that also We reade in the liues of the auncient holie fathers that whā one of those holie mē sawe one of his scholers laughinge he reprehended him for it and saiede What knowinge as thou doest that thou must yeeld an accompte to almightie God before heauen and earthe art thou that notwithstādinge so bolde as to laughe This holie father thought that that mā which looked earnestly for this dreadfull accompt coulde hardly laughe Now as touchinge accusors and witnesses there shall not want in this behalfe For our owne verie consciences shal be witnesses and crie out against vs All creatures which we haue abused shal be witnesses against vs And aboue all our Lorde him selfe whom we haue offended shal be also a witnes against vs As he himselfe hath signified by one of his Prophetes sayeinge Malach 3.5 I wil be a swifte witnes against inchaunters adulterers periured persons and against those that seeke cauels to defeit the labourer of his daie wages and against them that doe euill intreat the widowe and Orphan and oppresse pilgrimes and straungers For they doe not feare me saieth our Lorde The diuell shall accuse the wicked at the daye of iudgmēte Neither shall there want accusors against the wicked For the diuell himselfe shal be a sufficient accusor who as S. Augustine writeth shall alledge verie exactly before the iudge his right and title and shall saie vnto him O most iust and righteous iudge thou canst not of iustice but geue sentence and adiudge these wicked traitors to be myne forsomuch as they haue bene alwaies myne and haue in all thinges fulfilled my will Thyne they were I graunt because thou diddest create them and make them after thy Image and likenes and redeime them with thy bloude But they haue defaced thy Image and put on myne They haue refused thyne obedience and embraced myne They haue dispised thy commaundementes and obserued myne They haue liued with my spirite They haue imitated my workes They haue walked in my steppes And in each thinge haue followed my counsels Consider how much more they haue bene myne than thyne as appeareth herein that notwithstandinge I gaue them nothinge I promised them nothinge nor laid my shoulders on the Crosse for them yet haue they alwaies obeied my commaundementes and not thyne If I commaunded them to sweare and forsweare to robbe and to kill to commit adulterie fornication simonie and vsurie and to denie thy holie name all this they did willingly and with great facilitie If I commaunded them to bestowe their landes their goodes their lyfe and their sowle for a point of honour and estimation which I perswaded them in anie wise to mainteine or for a false delighte whereunto I inuited them they did forthwith verie willinglie hazarde all this for my sake But for thee that art their God their creator and their redeemer that gauest thē their lādes their goodes their healthe and lyfe that hast offered vnto thē thy grace and promised them thy glorie and aboue all this hast suffered most cruell deathe vpon the crosse for them they neuer toke the least paine and labour in the worlde How oftentimes hast thou come to their doores in great pouertie nakednes and full of sores And what almes haddest thou of them but a waiewarde answere and shuttinge their doores in a great furie and anger vpon thee they beinge then more carefull to feede their hawkes their dogges and their horses and to clothe their walles with hanginges of tapessarie silke and golde than to relieue clothe and helpe thee Wherefore seinge thou art a most Iust Iudge and knowest that this is most certainlie true the verie order of iustice requireth that they shoulde be now punnished for their iniuries and contemptes done to so great a maiestie Now this accusation beinge founde most true Christe the iudge wil pronounce that terrible sentence against the wicked Math. 25. sayeinge Depart ye cursed into the euerlastinge fier which is prepared for Satan and his angels for I was hongrie and ye gaue me not to eate I was thirstie and ye gaue me not to drinke c. And then shall the good goe to lyfe euerlastinge and the wicked to fyer euerlastinge Now who is able to expresse what an intollerable anguishe and griefe it wil be to the damned persons when they shall heare those most terrible wordes pronoūced against them There shall they crye out to the mountaines to
she that was more afflicted in this worlde thā anie other mere creature is now seene there exalted aboue al creatures enioyinge for euer that cheifeste goodnes and sayeinge Cant. 3.4 I haue founde him whom my sowle loueth I will holde him and will not let him goe And if this be so great a ioye The sacred humanitie of Christe what a ioye shall that be to beholde the most sacred humanitie of our sauiour Christ and the glorie and bewtie of that bodie which was so fowlie disfigured for our sakes vpon the crosse S. Bernarde It shal be vndowtedlie as S. Bernarde saithe a thinge full of all sweitnes and delighte when men shall there see and beholde a man the creator of men and Lorde of all thinges created We are wonte to esteime it for a singular honour to our whole familie to see some one of our kinred to be made a Cardinall or a Pope Now how farre greater honour shall this be vnto vs to see that Lorde who is of our fleashe and bloude sittinge at the righte hande of the father and made kinge both of heauen and earthe With what a passinge great ioye shall men stande emonge the Angels It shal be a greate ioye to men in heauen to see the Lorde and creator of all thinges to be not an Angell but a man when they shall see that the Lorde of the whole howse and the vniuersall creator of all thinges is not an Angell but a man For if the members doe accompte that to be an honour vnto them that is done to their head by reason of the great vnion that is betwene them and it what shall it be there where there is suche a strayte vnion betwene the mēbers and the head What shall it be els but that euerie one of the sainctes shall accompte the glorie of their Lorde as their owne peculiar glorie This ioye shal be so passinge great that no wordes are able to expresse it accordinge to the worthines thereof Now who shal be so happie as to be thowghte worthie to enioye so great a blysse and felicitie Cant. 8. O that thou were as my brother suckinge the brestes of my mother that I mighte finde thee without and kisse thee with the lippes of deuotion and embrace thee with the armes of loue O most sweete louinge Lorde When shall this ioyefull daie come When shall I appeare before thy face When shall I be filled with thy excellente bewtie When shall I see that countenance of thyne wherevpon the Angels are desirous to beholde Of the thirde ioye that the sowle shall haue in the kingdome of heauen which is the enioyinge of the cleare vision of almightie God § III. In the cleare vision of almightie God consistethe the essentiall glorie of the Sianctes NOW what a ioye shall it be aboue all this to haue a cleare sighte of that diuine face in the sighte of whō consisteth the essentiall glorie of the Sainctes All the thinges we haue hitherto spoken of are certainly great motiues towardes the accomplishemente of glorie but they all are litle in comparison of the cleare vision of almightie God Of Issachar it is written That he sawe that rest was good Gen. 49.15 and that the lande was best and therefore he put his shoulders to labour and made him selfe subiecte to tribute The rest and glorie of the Sainctes is good but the lande that bringeth forthe this rest is best in the superlatiue degrie For this lande is the face and bewtie of almightie God of the vision and beholdinge of whom proceedeth the rest and glorie of the Sainctes This cleare vision of almightie God is the thinge that of it selfe alone is able to geue perfecte rest vnto our sowles The harte of man can neuer be fullie satisfied and filled but onelie with the vision of almightie God For all the sweetnes and pleasantnes of creatures well maie it geue delighte to the harte of man but it can neuer wholye satisfie and fill it Now if all these good thinges before reheresed shall so much delighte vs how much then shall that good thinge delighte vs that conteineth in it selfe the perfection and somme of all good thinges And if the onely sighte and beholdinge of creatures be so glorious what a glorie shall it be to beholde that diuine face that most brighte lighte and that most excellente bewtie of almightie God in whom all bewties doe shyne What a glorious sighte shall it be to beholde that essence so wonderfull so simple and so communicable and with one sighte to beholde in the same the misterie of the most blessed Trinitie The glorie of the father the wisedome of the sonne and the goodnes and loue of the holie Ghost There shall we see God and in God bothe our selues S. Fulgentius and all thinges S. Fulgentius saithe that like as he that hath a glasse before him seeth the glasse and him selfe in the glasse and all other thinges that are before the glasse euen so when we shall haue that vnspotted glasse of the maiestie of almightie God present before vs we shall see him and our selues in him and withal whatsoeuer is without him accordinge to the knowledge greater or lesse that we shall haue of him The vnderstandinge There shall the appetite of our vnderstandinge rest and shall not desire to knowe anie thinge els because it shall haue before it all that can be knowen There shall the appetite of our will rest in louinge that vniuersall good thinge in whom are all good thinges The will and out of whom there be no more good thinges to be enioyed There shall our desire rest The desire and be fullie satisfied with the morsel of that supreme ioye which shal in such wise fill the mouthe of our harte that there shal be nothinge els for it to desire There shall those three Theologicall vertues How faithe hope and charitie shal be rewarded in heauen to witt Faithe Hope and Charitie wherewith almightie God is here honored be perfectly rewarded when vnto faithe shal be there geuen for a rewarde the cleare vision of almightie God vnto hope the possession of him and vnto charitie imperfect charitie in all her perfection There shall the electe see loue enioye and prayse almightie God There shall they be filled without gluttinge and be hōgrie without necessitie There is the place where that songe is alwayes songe that S. Iohn hearde in his reuelations which songe he tearmeth Apoc. 14.3 Quasi canticum nouum As it were a newe songe For that althowghe the songe be alwayes after one maner forsomuche as it is one cōmon prayse answerable to one common glorie which all that blessed companie enioyeth yet is it alwaies newe as concerninge the taste and delighte it hath For loke what taste it had at the beginninge the same verie tast also shall it haue for euer and euer without ende The ioye of the Sainctes in heauen shall neuer diminishe
ingratitude for his manifolde benefites With this kinde of complaynte the Prophet Esaie beginneth the first wordes of his prophecie callinge heauen and earthe to witnes against the ingratitude and vnthankfulnes of the wicked Hearken saieth he ô heauen and thou earthe geue eare vnto my wordes for our Lorde hath spoken it I haue nourished children and exalted them and they haue despised me The oxe knoweth his owner and the Asse his masters maunger but Israell hath not knowen me neither woulde my people vnderstande me Now what thinge is more straunge than that men shoulde not acknowledge that thinge which the verie bruite beastes doe acknowledge And as S. Ierome saieth vpon this place S. Ierome The Prophete woulde not compare men with other lyuinge beastes that are more quicke of sense Ingrateful and vnthankefull persons are more brutishe than the most brutishe beastes that are as with the dogge that for a litle peece of bread defendeth his masters howse but euen with the Oxe and Asse which are more heauie and rude geauinge vs hereby to vnderstande that ingratefull and vnthankefull persons are not to be likened to euerie kinde of beastes but that they be much more brutishe thā the most brutishe beastes that are Now what punishement trowe ye doth so great beastlines deserue Almightie God hath prepared many punishements for ingratefull persons The ordinarie punishemente of ingraful persons but the most iust and ordinarie punishement is to spoile them of all those benefites they haue receyued because they woulde not geue thākes to the geuer of them as of duetie they ought to haue done S. Bernarde For as S. Bernarde saiethe Ingratitude is as it were a burninge winde that drieth vp the riuer of Gods mercie the fountain of his clemencie and the flowinge streame of his grace Now as vnthankfulnes is the cause of so great euils The consideration of Gods benefites moueth vs to loue God euen so contrariewise thankefulnes is the beginninge of verie great graces and especially of three The first is the loue God For as Aristotle saieth goodnes is amiable of it selfe and euerie man is naturallie most inclined to loue his owne proper weale Seinge therefore that men be naturally such louers of them selues and of their owne proper commoditie when they see plainlie that all that they haue cōmeth of the gracious goodnes of that cheifest benefactor forthewith they be moued to loue and wishe well vnto him whom they perceiue and acknowledge to haue bestowed so great benefites vpon them And hereof it commeth that emonge the considerations that doe most helpe vs to attayne vnto the loue of God one of the most principall is the consideration of the benefites of almightie God For euerie one of these benefites is as it were a fyerbrande that quickeneth and enkendeleth more and more the flame of this loue and so consequently to consider many of these benefites is to ioyne manie fyerbrandes together whereby the flame of this fyer is enkendeled more and more in vs. This consideration helpeth also to stirre vp a desire in a man to serue almightie God when he considereth the great bownden duetie The consideration of Gods benefites stirreth vp a desire in a man to serue God that he oweth vnto him vnto whō he is so much indetted For if the verie birdes ād bruite beastes be moued herewith to answere vnto the voice of him that calleth them and doe obeye as though they were reasonable creatures vnto all such thinges as are commaunded them how much greater prouocations haue we to doe the like vnto almightie God that haue receiued farre more than they and be able to vnderstande farre better then they what greate and inestimable benefites we haue receyued of God This consideration is also profitable to stirre and prouoke in our sowles a sorowe and repentance for our synnes The consideration of Gods benefites stirreth vp a sorowe ād repentaunce in vs for our synnes For when a man considereth and weigheth deepely on the one syde the multitude of benefites he hath receyued of almightie God and on the other syde the great nomber of offences he hath committed against him how can he chuse but be ashamed of him selfe How can it be but that he must needes be confounded and discerne muche better the blacke by comparinge it with the white I meane hereby he shall much better discerne the greatnes of his owne wickednes by cōparinge the same with the greatnes of Gods passinge great goodnes who hathe continued so longe time in doinge good vnto him that contrariewise hath continued euermore for his parte in heapinge synne vpon synne against almightie God For these three endes therefore owght a man to cōsider the benefites of almightie God and withall in the consideration of them to geue him most humble thankes for the same So that when he setteth him selfe to meditate vpon the benefites of almightie God he must then be carefull to haue his recourses vnto these three poyntes in their due places applyenge his harte sometimes to loue him who hath bene so greately beneficiall vnto him some times to desire to serue him sometimes agayne to be sorowfull and repentant for his sinnes yea and sometimes also to offer vnto him sacrifice of praise and thankes geuinge for his so manifolde benefittes These sacrifices are signified by those calues of our lippes Osea 14.3 which the Prophet woulde haue vs to offer vnto almightie God for the benefites that we haue receyued of him True it is that the benefites of almightie God be innumerable but we will treate here onely of fiue kindes of benefittes which are of all others the most cheife and principall and whereunto all the other maie be reduced These fiue are the benefites of creation conseruation redemption vocation and finally the particuler and secrete benefites that euerie particuler person maie recognise and acknowledge in him selfe And it is not required of a man to thinke vpon all these benefites at one time but it shall suffice to thinke vpon one or twoe or three of them and to consider and pondre them well and diligentlie in his minde The exercises of meditation are not to be vsed as a taske but to be taken moderatlie as a daylie foode for the sowle For the exercises of meditation are not to be taken in lumpes as a taske that must be fullie wrought and finished within a certaine time but as a daily foode and sustenance which the more moderatly and temperatlie it is taken and the better it is digested the more profitable and holsome it is to a man Of the benefite of creation § I. TO beginne now with the benefite of creation that thou mayst the better vnderstāde somewhat of the greatnes of this benefite thou shalt doe well to consider firste verie deepely with thy selfe what thou wast before thou were created This is one of the principall aduises that the masters of the spirituall lyfe doe vse to geue in this behalfe as
general confession Confiteor Deo c. or the psalme Miserere mei Deus Psal 50. or some other like praiers Wherein good heede must be taken that these praiers be not saide in post hast but with as great quietnes attention feelinge and repentance of harte as we can Howbeit a man ought not to staie ouer longe in this consideration of his sinnes as some persons doe that both beginne and ende herewith yea and passe all their whole lyfe therein For albeit this consideration of our synnes be alwaies good and at the beginninge very necessary yet it is meete that it be taken with such moderation as that it occupie not that time which shoulde be bestowed about other better matters Neither is it needefull in this exercise for a man to consider very particularly his sinnes and namely such as the remēbraūce whereof maie moue him to some euill cogitations But it is sufficient to make as it were a bundell of them all and to drowne them in the bothomles Sea of the infinite goodnes and mercie of almightie God with good hope to receiue pardon and remedie of them from the same we may prepare our selues vnto prayer by consideringe the maiestie and greatnes of almightie God We maie also prepare our selues vnto prayer by consideringe the maiestie and greatnes of that Lorde vnto whom we goe to speake in praier For this consideration will teach vs with what great reuerence and humilitie and with how great attention it behooueth such a miserable creature as man is to speake vnto a lorde of so great maiestie as almightie God is concerninge a matter of so great importance as is his owne saluatiō But that thou mayst vnderstande somewhat of the maiestie of almightie God thou must consider that the heauens the earthe and all that is created is no more before the maiestie of almightie God Sap. II. than a litle emyte or as the Wise man saieth a grayne of weight in the balance Now if all creatures be no more than an emite before him what shalt thou then seeme to be before him that arte so smalle a parte of the whole This consideration of the maiestie and greatnes of almightie God is as it were a profounde reuerence that the sowle maketh within it selfe before the throne of that supreme maiestie at what tyme she entereth into his pallace to speake with him Math. 26.39 Our Sauiour Christe gaue vs an example with what humilitie and reuerence we oughte to praye vnto almightie God Gen. 18.27 It is verie good to consider before hande for what purpose and ende we goe to praye vnto almightie God With this maner of humilitie and reuerence the Sonne of God taught vs to praie when makinge his praier he cast him selfe prostrate vpon the grounde geuinge vs thereby to vnderstande how humble and lowly a man ought to be and how much he ought to consider of his owne basenes and vilenes whensoeuer he goeth about to speake vnto almightie God With this spirite and humble reuerence a man maie repete those wordes of the holie Patriarke where he saithe I will speake to my Lorde althoughe I be but duste and ashes But aboue all this it shall helpe vs verie much in this preparation to consider well what we goe about to doe when we settle our selues to prayer For if we doe well consider it we goe to praie for none other purpose but to receiue the spirite of almightie God and the influencies of his grace and the ioye of charitie and deuotion wherewith we see how the sowles of iust persons are replenished at the ende of their longe and deuoute praiers Now this beinge so thou mayst perceiue hereby with how great humilitie and reuerence and with how great attention and deuotion thou oughtest to come when thou doest open the mouthe of thy sowle to receiue almightie God Consider with what great and feruente deuotion the holie Apostles were enflamed Act. 1. at what tyme they expected and looked for the comminge of the holie Ghost and by that mayest thou vnderstāde how thou oughtest to prepare thy selfe when thou goest aboute to looke for and receyue the same holie Ghost albeit it be not in such plentifull and abundante wise as the Apostles was Hereby thou seest how close shutte thou oughtest to haue the gates of thy vnderstandinge and will at the time of prayer from all the cares and thoughtes of the worlde and how open they oughte then to be vnto almightie God alone that in case he come to enter therein he returne not backe againe findinge the gates shutte against him or the lodginge taken vp and pestered with other ghestes Now with this preparation and spirite mayest thou presente thy selfe in prayer before the face of our Lorde Luc. 14. as that sicke man of the dropsie did who stoode before him expectinge from his mercifull hande to be restored vnto his healthe Math. 8. or as that leperous person did who kneeled downe at his feete and saied hūbly vnto him Marc. 1.40 O Lorde if thou wilte thou canst make me cleane Consider that in like maner as a litle hongrie dogge standeth before his masters table fauninge verie earnestelie vpon him with his eies and all his whole bodie lookinge euer for some litle peice of breade to come from his table and after the same sorte oughtest thou to presente thy selfe before the riche table of the Lorde of heauen confessinge thy selfe to be vnworthie of the whole abundaunce of his mercies and desiringe him most humblie to bestowe some litle portion thereof vpon thee for thy reliefe With this lowlie spirite mayst thou saie the Psalme Psal 122. Ad te leuaui oculos meos qui habitas in caelis c. The which albeit it be but shorte yet is it verie fitt and conueniente to stirre vp and enkendle this foresaid affection in preparinge thy selfe vnto prayer This maner of preparation of th' other thou mayst gentle reader vse at thy libertie but the first seemeth to be more conuenient for the night when a man ought to examine his conscience and desire pardon and forgeuenes of almightie God of all such defectes and offences as he hath offended him in that daie And the second maner of preparation is most fitt for the morninge when he riseth before the daie breake to desire then of almightie God the assistance and succour of his grace whereby he maie the better bestowe that daie in his seruice But because to knowe how to praie as a man ought To knowe how to praye as a man oughte is a speciall gifte of God is a very spetiall gifte of almightie God and a worke of the holie Ghost therefore desire him most humblie both in th' one preparation and th' other to instructe thee how to doe thy duetie herein and to geue thee grace that thou mayst speake vnto him in thy prayer with such attention and deuotion with such recollection and closenes of mynde and with
haue treated heretofore in the meditation for Satturdaie at nighte And then for these and other infinite benefites as well publike as secrete we must geue him as manie hūble and hartie thankes as we can and calle vpō all creatures both of heauen and earthe to helpe vs herein And with this spirite we maie sometimes saie that Canticle Dan. 3. Psal 102. Benedicite omnia opera Domini Domino or els the Psalme Benedic anima mea Domino omnia quae intra me sunt c. OF PETITION CAP. IX NOW it remaineth that we doe treate of the last parte of all which is petition which containeth in it two partes in the one parte we make petition vnto almightie God for our neighboures and in th' other for our selues The first parte maie be continued with thankes geuinge desiringe that all creatures maie serue and praise our Lorde who is so worthie to be praised and serued for that he is so mercifull and bountifull vnto all his creatures we must praye for the conuersion of all nations and people vnto God For all the Gouernours of the Catholike Church And with this affection and desire of the glorie of almightie God let him praie first and principally for all the vniuersall worlde that all nations and people maie knowe and serue so mightie a Lorde Then for all the Catholike Churche and for all the gouernours in the same As for example we must praye for the Pope and for all the Cardinals Archebishops Bishops and for all other inferiour Prelates Pastors and Curates that they maie be carefull of their duetie in directinge all the faithfull in the knowledge and seruice of their Creator For all the members of the Catholike Churche Likewise let him praie for all the members of the Catholike Churche For the iust persons that it maie please almightie God to continewe them in their vertuouse lyfe For sinners that it maie please him to perdon them And for the sowles departed our of this worlde For the sowles departed and remayninge in the greiuous paynes of Purgatorie that it maie please him to deliuer them out of the greiuous paines of Purgatory and bringe them to the rest of lyfe euerlastinge Let him praie also for his parentes and for his godfathers and godmothers and for his ghostlie father and for all his kinsfolke freindes and benefactours and for all that be in tribulation and captiuitie and for all prisoners and sicke persons vnto whom he maie without anie distraction or intermission of his praier doe the workes of mercie in recommendinge them vnto almightie God who created them and referringe the necessities of all men into those handes which were stretched vpon the crosse for all men what thinges we must demaunde for our selues After this he maie desire such thinges for him selfe as he perceiueth him selfe to stande in neide of accordinge to the particuler necessities and miseries that he feeleth in his sowle and espetiallie when he desireth helpe ād remedie of almightie God against such vices and passions as doe most trouble and moleste him and to graunt him such vertues as be most needefull for him This kinde of petition emonge other commodities hath this withall that it reneweth dailie in the sowle good purposes and desires of vertues and moueth it to be the more earnest in doinge that thinge which he hath so often times and so hartelie desired and it maketh him to be the more ashamed of him selfe when he doth it not by callinge to minde with how great desire and instancie he hath desired our Lorde to graunte him grace to doe it And of this minde is S. Chrisostome S. Chrisostome where he saiethe thus Such as praie earnestlie in verie deede will not suffer their harte to committe anie thinge that is vnseemlie for such an exercise but haue euer their eie vpon almightie God with whom a litle before they talked and were conuersant And so by that cogitation they put a waie from them all the suggestions of the diuell when they thinke and consider what a haynous matter it were that he who had a litle before talked with almightie God and desired of him chastitie and holines with all other vertues shoulde immediatly runne to his enemies syde and open the gate of his sowle to receiue in filthie and dishonest delightes and suffer the diuell to place him selfe in that harte where a litle before the holie Ghost made his abode But it is verie much to be lamented that there be some persons that thinke to excuse them selues by sayinge that they knowe not what thinge to desire of almighie God Suerly this is no sufficiente excuse For what beast is so insensible but that he knoweth some maner of waie how to signifie the neide he standeth in What sicke man is there that can not saie here it greiueth me Consider therefore ô man thy selfe Consider I saie with what vices and passions thou art most troubled and molested If with couetousnes if with anger if with detraction if with vaine glorie if with stubbornnes of thine owne will if with losenes of tonge if with lightnes of harte if with the loue of honour estimation and delightes if with inconstancie in such good purposes as thou intendest if with selfe loue or anie other the like passions and pestilences of the minde and discouer all these woundes plainly one by one vnto that heauenly phisition that he maie heale and cure them with the oyntment of his grace we must praye to obteyne vertues After that thou hast demaunded remedie against thy vices desire him then to graunt thee all such vertues as be most behouefull for thy saluation And because this is a principall parte of this exercise of prayer wherein often tymes is spente all the tyme thereof with verie great taste and profite I thinke it good to note here vnto the deuoute reader those principall vertues which be as it were the pillers of the spirituall lyfe that thou mayst alwaies longe and sighe for them and alwaies desire them verie instātlie of our Lorde in thy praier Of the most necessary vertues that are to be demaunded in Petition § I. FIRST thou must desire of our Lorde these fowre vertues which be as it were the foundation of all the spirituall lyfe the which vertues we must alwaies haue before our eies because they be alwaies necessarie in all the steppes of our lyfe These vertues be a comelie composition of the inwarde and outwarde man discretion and attention in all such thinges as we shall either doe or saie that euerie thinge maie be directed accordinge to the iudgemēt and order of reason and withall to brydle our tonge and to take a dewe accompte of it and to vse rigour and austerite in the gouernment of our person Now emonge these vertues we haue put the comelie composition of the inwarde and outwarde man in the first place because it is the beginninge that disposeth vnto all the others The composition of
of his manifolde busines and affaires haue but litle time to bestowe in praier and meditation Luc. 21. yet let him not omitte to offer vp his myte with the poore widowe in the temple For if he faile not of his dewtie herein through his owne negligence almightie God who prouideth for all creatures accordinge to their nature and necessitie will prouide for him also accordinge vnto his necessitie The seuenthe aduise that we must not receyue the visitations of our Lorde in vaine § VII AGREABLE vnto this foresayde aduise we will geue an other very like vnto it which is that when our sowle is visited either in praier or out of praier we must not suffer anie of our Lordes speciall visitations to passe in vayne with anie spetiall visitation of our Lorde we suffer it not to passe awaie in vaine but take the commoditie and benefite of that occasion that is offered vnto vs. For certaine it is that with this winde a man shall saile more in one howre than without it in manie daies For as S. Peeter tooke more abundance of fishe at that one draughte when our Sauiour commaunded him to cast in his nette Ioan. 21.6 than he had done in all the whole night before euen so doth it happen vnto vs oftentimes in this heauenly fisshinge in case we knowe how to helpe our selues by takinge benefite of the oportunities and occasions that be offered vnto vs therein And therefore for good cause are we aduised by Ecclesiasticus sayeinge Eccles 14.14 Omitte not to enioye the good daie that God sendeth thee and suffer not the least parte of his good gifte to passe awaie without takinge benefite thereof Opportunitie is of great force and helpeth much in all thinges and more in this exercise of prayer than in any other For herein it seemeth as it were Ioan. 5. that the Angell descendeth to moue the water of the fisheponde and to geue it vertue to heale Or els to speake more plainlie to this purpose it is as it were the descendinge of almightie God to drawe at the plowghe with a man and to helpe him in his labour whose helpe is more profitable and auailable than all the industrie and diligence in the worlde The mariner when he seeth that the time serueth him well to get out of the hauen forthwith he draweth vp his ankers and hoyseth vp his saile and staieth not anie longer for feare of losinge that good opportunetie which the time offereth vnto him The like ought all spirituall persones to doe when they receyue anie visitations from our Lorde in their praier and meditation and their diligence shoulde be so much the greater by how much this exercise of meditation is greater and this diuine blast more necessarie for praier than that for nauigation And so we reade that the blessed holie religious father S. Francis did S. Francis of whom S. Bonauenture writeth that he had such a spetiall care of this poynt that in case our Lorde did visite him with anie spetiall visitation while he was traueylinge by the waye he caused his companions to goe before and he staied alone behinde vntill he had made an ende of chewinge and digestinge that sweit morsell that was there sente vnto him from heauen Whosoeuer they be that doe not well obserue this poynte How such be punished as make no accompte of our Lordes speciall visitations in prayer are wont commonly to be chasticed with this punishement that they finde not almighie God when they seike him because he founde not them when he sought for them These be the principall aduises that are to be obserued in the exercise of meditation and in euerie of the other partes that doe accompanie the same in case we minde fullie to accomplishe this busines and not to leaue it in the midde waie Now it shall doe well that we make hast to proceede forwardes to treat of the rest and so to bringe this first parte to an ende which perhappes hath bene longer than is requisite OF SIXE POYNTES THAT ARE TO BE MEDITATED VPON in the holie Passion of our Sauiour Iesus Christ THE LAST CHAPITER FORSOMVCH as the most holie Passion of our Sauiour Iesus Christe is the principall matter of meditation it is meete that sithence we haue hitherto treated of meditation in generall we doe now treat particulerly how we ought to meditate vpon the holie passion of our Sauiour Christ to the intent that we maie knowe how to behaue our selues in this matter But here we must first presuppose that emonge all the deuotions in the worlde there is none more secure none more profitable or more vniuersall for all kinde of persons than the remembrance of the holie passion of our Sauiour Christe Albertus Magnus saiethe Note what great proffit enseweth by meditation vpon the holie Passion That it is more profitable for a man to meditate euerie daie a litle vpon the holie passion of our Sauiour Christe than to fast with bread and water all the Fridaies in the yeare and to discipline and scourge him selfe vntill he shead bloude and to saie all the whole Psalter from one ende thereof to an other At the least wise this is verie certaine that this holie exercise is a passinge great helpe to directe the sowle in all vertue and goodnes For consideringe that our Sauiour Christe is as he him selfe saieth Ioan. 14.6 The waie the trueth and the lyfe there is none other exercise more fitte and cōueniente to directe vs to goe vnto God to knowe God and to enioye God than to fixe alwaies our eies vpon our Sauiour Christe For though Christe be vnto vs the waie the treuth ād the lyfe in all thinges wheresoeuer we cōsider him yet is he most espetially so vnto vs whē we beholde him vpon the Crosse And therefore S. Bernarde saide verie diuoutly S. Bernarde well maie I ô Lorde compasse about heauen and earthe yet shall I not finde the but vpon thee crosse There thou liest there thou sleipest at noone daie But leauinge now this matter for an other place I will onely treat at this presente after what sorte we ought to behaue our selues whē we meditate vpon the holie passion of our Sauiour Christe For there be some simple persons that seeke nothinge els in this holie exercise but onely to shee l a fewe teares in takinge compassion vpon the bitter paines and sorowes of our Sauiour and so doe staie them selues in this pointe alone without passinge anie further And albeit this takinge compassion of our Sauiours paines be verie good and necessarie forsomuch as it is the foundation of all the rest as hereafter shal be declared yet this is not the onely fruite that maie be gathered of this holie tree but there be others farre greater than this forsomuch as out of the meditatiō of the holie passion doth all the profite of the spirituall lyfe proceede Sixe thinges to be considered in the passion of our Sauiour
Wherefore we must vnderstande that there be sixe thinges emonge manie others that maye be considered in the holie Passion of our Sauiour To witt The greatnes of his paines The greiuousnes of our sinnes The excellencie of the benefite The magnificencie of the goodnes of almightie God The multitude of the vertues of our Sauiour Christe which doe verie brightelie shine in his holie passion And the conueniencie of this meane whereby almightie God vouchsafed to worke our redemption These sixe pointes ought we to consider for sixe effectes wherein consisteth all the profite of the spirituall lyfe For we must consider the greatnes of the paines of our Sauiour Christe that we maie take compassion of them We must consider the greatnes of our owne sinnes that we maie abhorre them We must consider the greatnes of the benefite of his passion that we maie geue him thankes for it We must consider the excellencie of the goodnes of almightie God which in this holie passion of our Sauiour is discouered vnto vs that we maie verie hartely loue the same passinge great goodnes We must consider the multitude of the vertues of our Sauiour Christe which doe likewise shine verie brightlie in his passion that we maie be prouoked thereby to imitate them And we must consider the conueniencie of the misterie of his holie passion that we maie be brought thereby in admiratiō of the wisedome of almightie God and be the more confirmed in the faith of this holie misterie Of these sixe pointes we intende nowe to treate and of each one of them in his due place and order Of the passinge great paines and tormentes which our Sauiour Iesus Christe suffered in his most bitter Passion § I. FIRST we must consider the passinge great paines of our Sauiour Christe to prouoke our selues by that consideration to take compassion of them as reason it is that the members shoulde take compassion of their head Wherefore it is to be noted that the paines which our Sauiour suffered in his bitter passion were as the holie fathers saie the greatest that euer were suffered Summa S. Thomae 3. q. 46. artic 6. or euer shal be suffered in this worlde This shall appeare manifestlie to be true if we doe consider fiue principalle causes from whence the passinge greatnes of these paines proceeded The first cause was the passinge greatnes of his charitie which made him desirous to redeeme mankinde most abundantly and to satisfie most perfectly for the iniuries and offences committed against the diuine maiestie And because the greater paines he shoulde suffer the more perfectly he shoulde accomplishe both the one and the other and he wanted not the forces of grace to beare as great a burthen as he woulde therefore he woulde that his paines shoulde be passinge great that so likewise the satisfaction which he shoulde make for our dette and the worke of our redemption might be also passinge great The seconde cause which followeth hereof was that he suffered his payes without anie maner of ease or consolation For accordinge to the reason before mentioned he shutte vp from him selfe all the gates whereby anie maner of consolation might come vnto him either from heauen or from earthe insomuche that he was contente to be forsaken not onely of his disciples and freindes but also of his owne father yea and of him selfe also to the intent that so beinge destitute of all companie he might be burninge in the furnace of his most grieuous paines and tormentes without all maner of refresshinge of anie ease or consolation whatsoeuer that by anie meanes might come vnto him And therefore he saied in the Psalme Psal 87. I am become as a man destitute of all helpe I am left emonge the dead notwithstandinge that I alone am he that emonge the deade by righte am free from sinne and from deathe And in an other Psalme he saithe Psal 68. I am plunged in the bottome of waters and of myre and I finde no place where to staie my feete This is that forsakinge which our Sauiour signified vpon the crosse when he saiede Math. 27.46 My God My God why hast thou forsakē me Psal 21.1 For at that time his holie humanitie was forsakē in the middest of the furious streame of his paines and tormentes and was left destitute of all thinges that might either withstande or mitigate the force and vehemēcie of them Leuit. 16. This was figured in the lawe by those two beastes that were offered for the sinnes of the people of the which the one was killed and offered vp in sacrifice and the other departed awaye and was sent into the wildernes leauinge her companion alone in the tormentes The like was done in this heauenlie sacrifice where God and man was offered for the sinnes of the worlde and the one of the two natures to witt the humanitie was sacrificed and did suffer but the other nature to witt the diuinitie departed awaye leauinge her sister and companion all alone to suffer the tormentes For albeit that as concerninge the bonde of vnion the diuine nature neuer forsooke the humane nature which it had once taken yet as touchinge the consolation and ease of the paines and tormentes in the inferior parte it did wholy forsake the same And therefore we see that the Martirs when they went to suffer death shewed them selues verie courageous mearie and ioyefull as we reade of S. Agnes S. Agatha S. Laurence and of many others but our Sauiour beinge the verie fountaine of grace and of strēgthe through whose vertue the Martirs had such force and courage to be able to doe that which they did trēbled and sweated euen verie droppes of bloude when he wēt to suffer paynes and tormentes for vs. For in the martirs the vertue of charitie which redoūded into the inferior forces of the sowle caused them to haue verie great courage and ioye But in our Sauiour Christ both these and all other influences were by spetiall miracle suspended that so he might drincke the cuppe of his most bitter paines pure and without mixture of anie maner of ease or consolation The therde cause of his so grieuous paynes was the tendernes of his complexion For whereas his holie bodie was formed miraculously by the holie Ghost and the thinges that are done by miracle be more perfecte than those that be done by nature S. Chrisostome vpō S. Iohn 2. as S. Chrisostome declareth speakinge of the wyne which was turned into water at the mariage it followeth that our Sauiours bodie was the most best cōplexioned and most tender of all bodies that euer were or shal be insomuch as a holie father saiethe That if there had bene no externall violence done vnto our Sauiours bodie it woulde haue endured a verie great nomber of yeares by reason of the perfection and tendernes of the composition thereof And not onely the composition of his bodie but also the matter thereof was very tender forsomuch as the matter of
it was wholly most pure virgins fleshe taken of the most pure and virginall bowels of our blessed Lady S. Bonauenture without anie other kinde of mixture And for this cause as S. Bonauenture saiethe his bodie was the more tender and of a more perfecte sense in feelinge The fourthe cause of his so greiuouse paynes was the very kinde of death which he suffered with all the circumstances that happened in all the continuance of his passion forsomuch as each one of them if they be well considered was a kinde of martirdome by it selfe And that thou mayst more clearly perceiue the same Twelue most greiuous paynes which our Sauiour suffered in his passion beginne euen from the first entrie of his passion vntill the ende of it and thou shalt finde emonge others twelue most greyuous paynes which our Sauiour there suffered the which I wil rehearce here very breiflie notwithstandinge that in euerie one of them there is verie much to be said and considered The first was the agonie in the garden and that wonderfull bloudie sweate which trickled drowne througheout all the partes of his bodie vnto the earthe which was the most newe and most straungest thinge of all that euer hath happened in the worlde The seconde was to be solde for so base a price of his owne Apostle and disciple vnto so cruell enemies The therde was to be so often times caried throughe the common streetes bounde and manicled as if he had bene a verie theyfe The fourthe was the punishement with whippinge and scourginge which besides that the lashes were verie crewellie laid on him and verie manie in nomber it is not a punishement for a man of any credite or honestie but for bondeslaues vagabondes and men of most vyle and base condition The fifte was that most cruell inuention of the crowne of thornes wherein were ioyned together both most greiuous shame and dishonour and withall most greiuous paine and tormente The sixte was those so manifolde blasphemies and sundrie kindes of most villeynous mockeries iniuries and reproches which were ioyned with the tormentes as to spette so often times in his face as though he had bene a blasphemer to geue him buffettes and blowes as if he had bene a vagabonde to apparell him some times in white garmentes and some times in redde as if he had bene a foole to hoodwinke his eies and to ieste at him sayeinge Areede who hath smitten thee Leuit. 22.46 as if he had bene a verie dissarde to clothe him with a purple garment to set a reide in his hande to kneele on one knee before him to smyte him on the head with a reid as if he had bene a counterfait kinge and besides all this to proclaime him throughe the common streetes as a malefactour Who euer sawe so many kindes of reprochefull iniuries heaped together vpon one man The seuenthe was that wonderfull contēpte and despite which was done vnto him beinge the sonne of almightie God when they compared him with Barrabas and made lesse accompte of him than of Barrabas Insomuch as that Lorde by whom all thinges were created and in whom all thinges doe liue and are preserued was accompted more vnprofitable and more vnwourthy to lyue than Barrabas an infamous malefactour The eight was in that they enforced him to carie vpon his shoulders which were all to rēte and breused the verie same instrument of the crosse whereupon he shoulde suffer deathe The tormentors them selues which are commonlie the ministers of crueltie doe vse to hyde the eies of them that are to be beheadded that they maie not see the instrument that shall bereue them of their lyfe but here they doe not onely not vse this kinde of humanitic towardes our Sauiour but they laie the same instrument of his deathe euen vpon his owne shoulders to the intente that his harte might first suffer the tormente of the crosse inwardlie before that his bodie shoulde proue it outwardlie The ninthe was the very martirdome of the crosse which is a most cruell kinde of torment for it is not a speydie kinde of deathe as to be hanged or beheadded but very longe and lingeringe and the woundes be in the most sensible partes of the bodie to witt in the feete and handes which are most full of vaines and sinowes which be the iustrumentes of feelinge Moreouer his paines were increased with the poyze and weight of his owne bodie which alwaies tended and swayed dounwarde and so it euer rented and enlarged his woundes and augmented the greife of his tormentes continually and this caused his martirdome to become so extremely greiuous that althoughe he had no deadlie wounde yet by reason of the passinge greatnes of his paines his most holie sowle departed out of his most precious bodie The tenthe was that whereas our Sauiour was thus tormented vpon the crosse and there became a verie Sea of paines and tormentes yea whereas he was in such a dolefull case that if we shoulde see a verie dogge in the streete so pittiefullie tormented it were able to breake our hartes yet all this notwithstandinge his cruell enemies were so farre of from takinge anie pittie or compassion vpon him that euen at that verie time they mocked and scoffed at him and wagged their heades sayeinge Fye on thee that destroiest the temple of God Math. 27. and within three daies buildest it againe The eleuenthe was to haue his most innocent mother present before his eies at all these martirdomes knowinge so well as he did what a passinge great greife it was vnto her most innocent harte The twelfthe was such a crueltie as the like was neuer seene to witt that whereas his most holie bodie was all voide of bloude and all the fountains of his veines emptied and his bowels dried vp by reason of the great abundance of bloude which he had shead when he requested a litle water they did not onely not graunt it vnto him but in steede thereof they gaue him to drincke Easell and Galle Now what thinge coulde be more cruellie done than this True it is that that riche couetous man Luc. 16. which was tormented in hell had a droppe of water denied him when he required it but yet he had no galle geuen vnto him But here they doe not onelie denie the sonne of almightie God the thinge that he desired but besides that they increase his most greiuouse paines with an other newe kinde of tormente Euerie one of these pointes beinge considered seuerally by it selfe will minister sufficient matter of verie great greife and sorowe to anie good Christian harte And therefore whosoeuer is desirous to haue an earnest and inwarde compassion of the paines of our Sauiour let him goe throughe euerie one of them and make a station at eche of them and be he neuer so harde harted it is not almost possible but that in some one or other of them he shall sinde verie vehement motions to prouoke him vnto greife and
for the same ende As for example If we will examine whether a medicine be conuenient for a disease we must consider the accidentes of the disease and the proprieties and vertues of the medicine and when we haue seene what proportion there is betwene the one and the other we maie then iudge whether the medicine be conueniente for the same disease or not And euen in like maner is it in this case for whereas it is euidente vnto vs that the passion and bloud of our Sauiour Iesus Christe is a generall medicine for all the miseries and necessities of man if we will trye the conueniencie of this medicine we must make a longe comparison betwene the medicine and the desease and in case we be able to searche and examine well both th' one and th' other we shall certainlie finde that this medicine is so fitte and conuenient for the curinge of this disease and of all the braunches and accidentes of the same as if the medicine had bene onelie instituted for the curinge of each defecte in the disease the which vndoutedlie is a matter able to bringe a man that shoulde consider of it attentiuely into a great astonishement and admiration If thou be not fullie perswaded herein tell me then I praie thee what satisfaction coulde be offered more sufficiente for payment of the common debtes of mankinde than the most pretious bloude which the sonne of almightie God shead for vs vpon the Crosse To cure also the woundes of our pride couetousenes ingratitude pleasures delightes and the loue of our selues with all other euils which proceed thereof what thinge coulde be more conuenient than God vpon a crosse Likewise to geue vs knowledge of the goodnes and mercie of almightie God to enkendle vs more in the loue of him to strengthen more our confidence and to awake more our forgetfulnes and vnthankefulnes what thinge coulde be more conuenient than God vpon a crosse Moreouer to enriche a man with merites to exalte him vnto greater honour to enkendle his spirite in deuotion to comforte him in his tribulations to succoure him in his temptations to helpe him in his labours to encourage him vnto great enterprises and finally to geue a perfecte example of all vertues what thinge coulde be more conueniente than Iesus Christe vpon the crosse And to comprehende all in one worde if the Euangelicall lyfe be well considered it is nothinge els but onely a continuall crosse and so consequentlie what thinge coulde be more conueniente to direct a kinde of lyfe which is altogether a crosse than an other crosse And if thou be yet desirous to vnderstande this conueniencie more euidentlie consider attentiuelie what thinge a Christian lyfe is for the leadinge of a Christian lyfe is the ende of all the traueills and paines of our Sauiour Christe Note well this poynte and the same consideration will declare verie plainlie vnto thee what conueniencie there is betwene this meane and this ende A Christian lyfe takinge it in his full perfection is not such a kinde of lyfe as the Christians vse to liue at this daie in the worlde what a Christian lyfe is but such a lyfe as our Sauiour Christe liued and such a lyfe as his disciples liued whose paines labours and miseries were so great that one of them saieth thus of them 1. Cor. 4.9 We are become a spectacle vnto God vnto Angels and vnto men For truelie so great are our paines and miseries and in such wise are we reuyled and persecuted of the worlde that as though we were wilde beastes baited at a stake we are spetially looked vpon not onely of men and of Angels but also of almightie God him selfe And afterwardes he saiethe thus Vntil this presente houre we doe susteine hunger thirste nakednes and blowes and haue not somuch as a denne wherein to hyde our selues We goe from place to place and we gaine the bread that we eate with our owne handes They curse vs and we blesse them They persecute vs and we suffer them They blaspheme vs and we praie for them To conclude in such wise are we turmoyled and contemned of the worlde as if we were the very dust and dirte that they tread vndernethe their feete And as thoughe we were most wicked and abhominable men the worlde is fullie persuaded that nothinge can be more acceptable vnto almightie God than to procure our deathe and condemnation This is my dear brother a Christian lyfe This verie Christian lyfe did the Prophetes liue and so did also the Martirs the Cōfessors and those blessed holie Mounkes that liued in the primitiue Church in the wildernes To be shorte this Christian lyfe did all the Saintes liue And this Christian lyfe the Apostle describeth verie plainlie in his Epistle to the Hebrewes in these wordes Heb. 11. The saintes were mocked scourged apprehended imprisoned stoned sawed in peices tempted and put to death with the sworde They went in this worlde apparailed in sheepes and goates skinnes very poore needie and afflicted of whom the worlde was not worthie They liued in wildernes and in solitarie places aparte from the companie of men and had none other habitation but the dennes and cliftes of the earthe This is indeede the perfection of the Christian lyfe which the gospell teacheth vs and which our Sauiour Christe came to bringe into the worlde This Christian lyfe if it be well considered is a continuall crosse and death of the whole man to the intent that after he is thus mortified ād annihilated he maie be able and desposed to be transformed into God For like as there can not be generation without corruption forsomuch as that thinge which is must perishe to the ende that that maye be made which is not euen so this spirituall regeneration and transformation of man into God can not be made vnlesse the olde man doe first die that so by death and corruption of the olde man he maie be transformed into God Whereupon it plainlie enseweth that all the Euangelicall lyfe is nothinge els as we haue saiede but death and a crosse And thererefore what thinge can be more conuenient to directe such a kinde of lyfe as is altogether a continuall crosse than an other crosse And if there be nothinge more apte and conueniente to ingender a fier than an other fier and if euerie thinge be most apte to ingender a thinge like vnto it selfe what thinge can be more proportionable and conueniente to ingender a crosse than an other crosse Vndoubtedly so it is and therefore there is nothinge of greater force to encourage and strengthen at this daye all holie Catholike men and women to suffer paines vniustice wronges pouertie subiection discipline honger thirste colde nakednes and to be shorte all the troubles calamities afflictions persecutions imprisonmentes tormentes and miseries of this worlde and all the austerite of the Euangelicall lyfe than to fixe their eies vpon the crosse Our of this schoole of the crosse came the
farre the one exceedeth the other Now if a man to escape that tormente woulde not sticke to put him selfe to all daungers labours and paines be they neuer so great what then ought all we to doe to escape this most horrible extreme tormente of hell fyer Consider also what a terrible kinde of tormente that was which Phalaris that cruell Tyrante inuented of whom it is written that he vsed when he woulde put men to death to cause them to be inclosed within the bellie of a bull made of mettall and then caused a fier to be made vndernethe it and this cruell maner of punnishemente he deuised that the miserable man by the heate of the yron shoulde burne within the same by litle and litle and not be able to escape nor defende him selfe nor haue anie other remedie but onely to burne and rore and tumble and tosse him selfe within that strait place vntill he were dead What harte can heare of this crueltie but that his fleashe will tremble and quake onely in thinkinge of it Wherefore tell me now ô thou Christian what is all this in comparison of that most greiuous and horrible tormente which we here treate of but onely a meere dreame or shadowe Now if the verie imagination and thinkinge of these horrible paines of hell doe make vs afraide what shal it be not to thinke of them onelie but euen to suffer them in verie deede Certainlie it is so horrible a matter to suffer paines and tormentes euerlastinglye that althoughe there were but one alone emonge all the children of Adam that shoulde suffer in hell in this wise it were enoughe to make vs all to tremble and quake There was but one emonge Christes disciples that shoulde sell his master and yet when Christ saied One of yow shall betraie me Math. 26.21 all beganne to be afraide and waxe sad for that the matter was of so great importance Now then why doe not we much more tremble and quake knowinge certainlie Eccles 1.15 Math. 7.14 Esa 5.14 That the nomber of fooles is infinite and that the waie vnto life euerlastinge is verie narrowe ād strait ād that hel hath enlardged her mouthe without anie limitte to receiue the multitudes that goe into it If we beleeue not this If a Christian did cōsider the euerlastinge continuance of the horrible paynes of hell it woulde make him loke better to the dewe framinge of his lyfe where is our faith If we doe beleeue and confesse it where is our iudgemēmente and reason And if we haue both iudgement and reason why doe we not publishe and preache this matter in the open streates and market places Why goe we not into the desertes as manie of the Sainctes haue done there to doe penance for our synnes and to liue an austere lyfe emonge beastes that we maie escape these most horrible and euerlastinge tormentes How is it that we can sleepe in the night Yea how happeneth it that we be not quite out of our wittes when we doe thinke attentiuelie and consider of so straunge a perill as this is seinge lesse daungers than these haue bene able not onelie to frighte and bestraught men out of their wittes but also to bereue them of their liues This is the greatest payne that the miserable damned persons haue in hell to vnderstande that almightie God and their most greiuous tormentes shal be of one lyke continuance and therefore their miserie can haue no comfort because their paine hath no ende If the damned persons coulde be perswaded that after a hundered thowsande millions of yeares their paynes shoulde haue an ende euē that persuasion alone woulde be a great comfort vnto them For then all their tormētes albeit it were verie lōge woulde yet at the lengthe come to an ende S. Gregorie But assured they are that their paines shall haue no ende at all For as S. Gregorie saieth There the wicked haue death without anie death an ende without anie ende and a defecte without anie defecte For their death alwaies liueth their ende alwaies beginneth and their defecte neuer faileth And for this cause the Prophet saieth Psal 48.15 They are in hell as it were sheepe and death feideth vpon them The herbe that is there fed vpon is not wholie plucked vp because the roote is aliue which is the beginninge of lyfe and this causeth the herbe to springe againe that it maie still be fed vpon And therefore the pasture of those feildes is immortall forsomuch as it is alwaies eaten and alwaies reuyueth againe Now after this sorte shall death feede vpon the damned persons and as death cannot dye so shall it neuer be filled with this kinde of foode nor euer be wearie in doinge this office neither shall it euer make an ende of deuowringe this morsell For that death shall euermore haue somewhat in them to deuoure and they shall euermore minister somewhat vnto death to be deuoured so as the damned in hell shall suffer their most horrible paines and tormentes for euer and euer without anie ende SATTVRDAIE NIGHTE OF THE EVERLASTINGE GLORIE AND FELICITIE OF THE KINGDOME OF HEAVEN Corinth 2.9 THIS DAIE WHEN THOV HAST MADE THE SIGNE OF the Crosse and prepared thy selfe hereunto thou hast to meditate vpon the felicitie of eternall glorie in the kingedome of heauen THIS consideration is so profitable that if it were holpen with the lighte of a liuely faithe it were able to make all the bitter paines and labours which we shoulde take for the attaininge thereof to become sweite and pleasant For if the loue of landes and riches doe cause the paines and labours that be taken for them to seime sweite and pleasant If the loue of childrē also doe cause women to wishe for the paines of childebearinge what woulde the loue of this most excellent and passinge great felicitie doe in comparison whereof all other felicities are of non accompt If it be saied of the patriarke Iacob Genes 29.20 that his seuen years seruice feemed but shorte vnto him in respecte of the great loue he bare to Rachel what woulde the loue of that infinite bewtie worke in our hartes what woulde that euerlastinge mariage cause vs to doe if it were considered with the eies of a liuely faieth Fiue pointes to be considered in this meditation Wherefore that thou mayst vnderstande somewhat of this felicitie thou hast to consider emonge other thinges these fiue pointes that are in it to witt The excellencie and greatenes of the place The fruition of the companie of those blessed inhabitantes The vision of almightie God The glorie of the Sainctes bodies And finallie the perfect fruition of all good thinges that are there First of all therefore consider the excellencie of the place The excellencie and greatnes of the heauēs and especially the greatnes thereof which is surelye very wonderfull For when a man readeth in certaine graue awthors that euerie one of the starres of heauen is greater than all