This is the Opinion of the two most ancient Fathers S. Iustinus S. Irenaeus Who clearely shew that both his feete did rest vpon the Wood that the one foote was not lying vpon the other From which posture of our Lords Body it followeth that there were foure nayles of Christ and not only three as many do imagine who out of that conceit do paint Christ our Lord so vpon the Crosse as if he had the one foot vpon the other But Gregorius Turonensis l. de glo mart c. 6. most euidently impugneth this and fortifieth his Opinion from ancient Pictures of Christ crucified And I my selfe did see at Paris in the Kings Library certaine most ancient Manuscripts of the Gospells in diuers places wherof Christ was painted Crucified but euer with foure Nayles Furthermore the long Wood did somwhat appeare aboue that parcell of Wood which was ouerthwart as S. Austin and S. Gregory Nyssenus do write And this seemeth also to be gathered from the words of the Apostle who writing to the Ephesians c. 3. thus sayth That you may be able to comprehend with all the Saintes what is the breadth and length and height and depth to wit of the Crosse of Christ By which wordes he clearly describeth the figure of the Crosse which hath foure extremities to wit Latitude in the ouerthwart or traÌ„suerse Wood Longitude in the long Wood Altitude in that part of the loÌ„g Wood which appeared aboue the ouerthwart and Profundity in that part of the long Wood which was stucke into the ground Our Lord did not vndergoe this kind of Torment by chance or vnwillingly but made speciall choice and election of it euen from all Eternity as S. Austin teacheth from that Apostolicall testimony of the Acts c. 2. Him by the determinate counsell and prescience of God being deliuered by the hands of wicked men you haue crucified slaine And accordingly Christ himselfe in the beginning of his preaching said to Nicodemus Ioan. 3. As Moyses exalted the serpent in the desert so must the Sonne of Man be exalted that euery one which belieueth in him perish not but may haue life euerlasting In like sort our Lord often speaking to his disciples of his Crosse did counsell them to imitation saying Matt. 16. He that will come after me let him deny himselfe and take vp his Crosse and follow me Why our Lord did choose this kind of punishment he only knoweth who chose it Notwithstanding there are not wanting some Misteries therof the which the holy Fathers haue left to vs in Writing Saint Irenaeus writeth that the two armes of the Crosse do agree vnder one Title in the which was written Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudeorum that we might vnderstand thereby the two People to wit the Iewes and the Gentils which before vvere deuided in the end were to be ioyned togeather into one Body vnder one Head which is Christ S. Gregory Nyssene writeth that part of the Crosse vvhich looketh towards Heauen to signify that by the Crosse as by a key Heauen is opened to man and that part of it which declineth towards the Center of the World to denote that Hel was spoiled by Christ when he descended thither The two armes of the Crosse which are stretched towards the East and West to shaddow that the repurging of the whole World was after to be performed by the Bloud of Christ But S. Ierome S. Austin and S. Bernard do teach that the chiefe Mistery of the Crosse is briefly touched in those vvords of the Apostle Quae sit latitudo longitudo sublimitas profundum Since say these Fathers that first the Attributs of God are signified in these Word to wit Power in height In depth wisdome in Latitude goodnes in Longitude Eternity Againe the Vertues of Christ suffering are adumbrated and Typically figured therein As in Latitude Charity in Longitude Patience in Altitude Obedience in Profundity Humility Lastly the Vertues vvhich are necessary to those who are saued by Christ are also here signified In depth Faith in height Hope in breadth Charity in length Perseuerance From the which we are to be instructed that Charity vvhich deseruedly is called the Queene of Vertue euery where hath place in God in Christ and in vs. But touching other Vertues some of them are in God others in Christ and others in vs. And therefore it is lesse to be admired if in those last Words of Christ which vve now vndertake to explaine Charity do obtaine the first Place First therefore we will explicate the three first Words or Sentences which were spoken by Christ about the sixt houre before the Sunne was obscured and darknes couered the whole Earth Next we will discourse of the then defect of the Sunne That done we vvill explaine vnfould the rest of the Words of our Lord which were spoken about the ninth houre as S. Mathew writeth to wit when the darknes did departâ— and the death of Christ drew neare or rather was euen at hand OF THE THREE FIRST WORDS spoken by Christ vpon the Crosse THE FISRT BOOKE The first Word to wit Father forgiue them for they know not what they do is literally explicated CHAP. I. CHrist Iesus being the Word of his Eternall Father and of whom the Father himselfe thus clearely speaketh Ipsum audite heare him Matth. 17. and vvho of himselfe manifestly pronounceth One is your Maister Christ Math. 23 to the end that he might fully performe the office taken vpon him not only liuing neuer ceased from teaching but euen dying from the Chaire of his Crosse â—reached and deliuered certaine fevv vvords but those most fiery most proâ—â—â—able and most efficacious and such as are truly vvorthy to be imprinted in the depth of the Hart of all Christians that there they being reserued meditated on might ansvverably in their actions be put in executioÌ„ The first SenteÌ„ce is this Luc. 23. Father forgiue them for they know not what they do Which sentence as being truly new vnaccustomed the Holy Ghost would haue it foretould by the Prophet Esay c. 53. in these words He hath prayed for the Transgressours Now hovv diuinely S. Paul said 1. Cor. 13. Charity seeketh not her owne may easely be euicted euen from the order of these Sentences of our Lord since of these Sentences three of them belong to the good of others Other three to a peculiar and proper Good and one of them is promiscuous or common Thus the first care sollicitude of our Lord vvas touching others the last touching himselfe Novv so far forth as concernes the three first Sentences vvhich belong to others the first is directed to our Lords Enemies the second to his friends the last to those of his kinred and affinity The reason of this Order or Method is this Charity first relieueth and helpeth such as be in want And those who at that tyme suffered most spirituall waÌ„t were his Enemies and we also as being the disciples of so great a Maister vvere
owne state his care was touching the consolation and comfort of his mother neither did the expectation of the promptitude and fidelity of S. Iohn deceaue him for from that houre the disciple tooke her for his owne Ioan. 19. This Prouidence which Christ had towards his Parent ought with greater reason to be performed by other Sons towards their Parents For Christ did lesse owe to his Parent then other men do their Parents Other men are so obliged to their Parents as that they are neuer able to requite it For they owe their life to them for which the Sons cannot make any iust satisfaction Ecclesiasticus saith remember that thou hadst not beene borne but for theÌ„ Eccl. 7. But Chriâ—t and he alone is exempted from this generall rule For he receaued life from his mother I meane a humame lyfe but in lieu heerof he gaue to her three liues an Humane life when with the Father the holy Ghost he created her the lyfe of grace when preuenting her in the Benedictions of his sweetnes he did iustify her in her creation and created her in iustifying of Her he finally gaue to her the lyfe of glory when he did aduance her to eternall glory and exalted her aboue the quyre of Angells Wherefore if Christ who gaue moâ—e to his mother then he in his biâ—th had receaued of her would obserue the law to wit to render mutuall duty to her as his Parent how much more then are other men obliged to performe this duty towards their Parents Add hereto though in honoring of our Parents we performe no more then duty tyeth vs to Neuerthelesse the benignity goodnes of God hath added to it a reward saying in the Law Honour thy Father and thy Mother that thou maist be long liued vpon the Earth Exod. 20. And the Holy Ghost addeth by Ecclesiasticus He that honoreth his Father shall haue ioy in Children and in the day of his Prayer he shal be heard Eccl. 3. Neither hath God only annexed a reward to those who honour their Parents but also hath adioyned a Punishment to such that do not honour them For we read God sayth He that shall curse Father or Mother dying let him dye Matth 15. And Ecclesiasticus addeth He who exasperateth his Mother is accursed of God Eccl. 3 And hence it appeareth that the Malediction and cursing of the Parents against their Children hath a great force in that God coÌ„firmeth the same Of which point no few Examples are extant in Histories of which one most notorious and remarkable is recorded by S. Austin the summe and contents whereof is this In Caesaria a Citty of Capadocia there were ten Children to wit seauen sonnes and three daughters who being accursed by their Mother instantly euen by the haÌ„d of God they were surprized with such a payne and dolour as that all of them were horribly strooken and shaken with a trembling of their Members In which most loathsome state they not brooking the daily sight of their owne Cittizens wandred vp and downe throughout the Roman Empire Two of these at the length were cured in the presence and sight of S. Austin by the Relicks of S. Steuen the Protomartyr Aug. l. 21. de Ciuit. c. 8. Of the fourth fruite of the third Word CHAP. XII THe burden yoake imposed by our Lord vpon S. Iohn that he should sustaine the Care of the B. Virgin his Mother was truly a sweet yoake and an easy burden For who would not most willingly remayne dwell with that mother which did beare nyne Monthes in her Wombe the Word Incarnate and which did cohabitate with him most deuoutely and sweetly for the full space of thirty yeares Or who would not enuy the beloued of our Lord who in the absence of the Sonne of God enioyed the presence of the Mother of the Sonne of God But if I be not deceaued euen we our selfes through the benignity of the Word Incarnate for our sake and through the great loue and charity of him who was crucified also for our sake may obtayne in our prayers that he would say euen to vs Behould thy Mother and to his mother concerning vs Behould thy Sonne Our mercifull Lord is no Niggard of his fauours so long as we do approach to the Throne of his Grace with fayth confidence and a true and sincere Hart. He that is desirous that we should become Coheyres of the kingdome of his Father will not certainly disdaine to make vs Coheyres or Competitours of the Loue of his Mother Neither will the most gracious Virgin hardly or displeasingly brooke the multitude of her Sonnes since she hath a most ample bosome and greatly coueteth that not any of them should perish whom her Sonne hath redeemed with his precious Bloud and Death Let vs therefore come with firme immoueable hope to the Throne of the Grace Fauour of Christ And let vs most suppliantly and euen vvith teares demaund beseech him â—at of euery one of vs he would say to his Mother Behould thy Sonne to euery one of vs he would say of his Mother Behould thy Mother O! how well would it be with vs to be vnder the protection of such a Mother Who would be of power to draw vs from out her Bosome What tribulation could be so potent and strong as to ouercome vs confiding trusting in the Patronage of the Mother of God and of our Mother Neither shall we be the first in the obtayning of so great a Benâ—fit Manâ— haue gone before vs Many I say haue cast themselfes into the armes of her Patronage and defence and yet not any one euer returned back confounded or frustrated of their expectation but all cheerfull and reioycing as securely ankering themselues vpon the assistance of so great a Mother For of her it is written Gen. 2. She shall bruysâ— thy head in peeces And those who trust in her shall fearelesly walke vpon thâ— Adder and Basiliske betrampling vnder their feete the Lyon the Drâ—gon Psal 90. Out of a great multitude let vs heare the testimonies and acknowledgments of some few especially of those who haue confidently reposed themselues in the protection of the B. Virgin the Mother of our Lord and then we shall credibly coniecture them to be of the number of those to whom it is said by our Lord Behould thy Mother and of whom it is said to the Mother Behould thy Sonne Let S. Ephrem the Syrian be the first an ancient Father and of so great celebrity as that as S. Ierome witnesseth his Bookes were publikly read in the Churches after the reading of the Holy Scriptures This Father thus speaketh Intemerata prorsus pura Virgo deipara c. Intemerate and altogeather pure is the Virgin Mother of God Serm. de laud. Deipara And after Tu portus procellis c. Thou art the Hauen of those who are tossed with stormes the Comfort of the World the setter at liberty of those who are in Prison
impendent danger cried to his Father Father forgiue them VVhat would he haue donne if those flagitious men had iniustly suffered persocution and not exercised it I meane if those men had beene friends or of his kidred or Sonnes and not Enemies Traitours most wicked Patricides Truly most mercifull Iesus thy Charity hath ouercome our Vnderstanding for I behould thy hart tossed to and fro among the stormes of so many iniuries and griefes as a rocke beaten vpon with waues on ech side to remaine immoueable For thou lookest vpon thy Enemies who after so many mortall wounds by them inflicted vpon thee did deride thy Patience and reioyced at their owne perpetrated iniuries against thee Thou lookest vpon them I say not as an Enemy vpon his cruell Enâ—mies but as a Father vpon his be wayling SoÌ„nes or as a Physitian vpon his sicke and languishing Patients Therefore thou art not offended at them but thou takest pitty of them commends them to thy most powerfull Father to be cured and made whole For this is the force and Vertue of true Charity to wit to haue peace with all men to repute not any for Enemies but to liue peaceably with those who hate peace And this is that which in the Canticles is verified of the Vertue of perfect Charity Cant. 8. Many waters cannot quench Charity nor flouds shall ouerwhelme it These many VVaters are many Passions which the Spirituals of wickednes as so many hellish stormes by the Iewes and Gentills as by cloudes full of hate haue showred downe vpon Christ and notwithstanding this deluge of VVaters that is of paines and vexations could not extinguish the fier of Charity which did burne in the breast of Christ Therefore the Charity of Christ did as it were swim aboue that inundation of many waters burning said Father forgiue them Neither only were those many VVaters not able to extinguish the Charity of Christ but also the following flouds of Persecution could not ouerwhelme drowne the Charity of the members of Christ And therefore a litle after Christian Charity euen boyling in the breast of S. Steuen could not be extinguished by the shower of stones cast at him but increased its heat crying O Lord lay not this sinne vnto them Act. 7. And after this the perfect and inuincible Charity of Christ being dilated and spread in the Harts of many thousands of Martyrs and Confessours did so fight and striue against the flouds both of inuisible and visible Persecutours as that it may be truly pronounced Neuer to the end of the world shall the flouds of Persecution put out or extinguish the fyer of Charity And that we may ascend from the Humanity of Christ to his Diuinity Great was the Charity of Christ as being man towards his Crucifiers But the Charity of Christ as God and of the Father and of the Holy Ghost towards men was and euen to the consummation of the world shal be far greater I meane towards such men who with God himselfe did wage emnity and malice and who if it had layn in their power would haue detruded and thrust him out of Heauen and haue killed him Who therefore but in thought can conceaue the Charity of God towards vngratefull and wicked men God spared not the Angels sinning neither gaue he them place of Repentance Yet he patiently tolerateth men who are sinners Blasphemers reuolting to the Deuill the Enemy of God And which is more he doth not only tolerate them but in the meane tyme doth maintaine and nourish them yea sustayneth and supporteth them For as the Apostle speaketh in him we liue and moue and be Act. 17. Neither doth our mercifull Lord only nourish feed and sustayne his Enemies but withall euen heapeth benefits vpoÌ„ them graceth them with wit furnish them with riches aduanceth them to honours placeth them in the Throne of Regall Soueraignty euer expecting in the meane time their returne from the Way of iniquity and perdition But to forbeare to wander in that large field of discourse which manifesteth the Charity of God towardes wicked men and Enemies of his diuine Maiesty we will heare consider only the benefit and fauour of Christ Do we not lead God so loued the world that he gaue his only begotten Sonne Ioan. 3. The world is an Enemy to God For in malignâ— positus est as S. Iohn sayth and He who loueth the World the Charity of the Father is not in him 1. Ioan. 2. Againe as S. Iames contesteth cap. 4. The friendship of the world is the Enemy of God And againe Whosotuer wil be a friend of this world is made an Enemy of God Therefore God louing the world did loue his Enemy thereby to make it his friend For to that end God did send his SoÌ„ne into the world who is Princeps pacis that by him the world might be reconciled to God And therefore at the byrth of Christ the Angels did sing Glory in the highest to God in earth Peace to men Therefore God loued the world his Enemy that through Christ he might procure reconciliation and atonement with it and that it being reconciled might auoyde the punishment due to his Enemy The world did not admit or receaue Christ It did augment its offence It became rebellious against the Mediatour God inspired into the Mediatour that he should render good for euill and that he should pray for his Persecutours He prayed and was heard for his reuerence Heb. 5. The Patience of God expected that the world through the preaching of the Apostles do pennance and those who performed pennance receaued pardon but such who would not repent after loÌ„g patience of God were exterminated by the iust iudgment of God Therefore we truly learne from the first word of Christ the Charity of Christ surpassing knowledge We also learne the Charity of God the Father surpassing knowledge Who so loued the world that he gaue his only begotten Sonne that euery one who belieueth in him perish not but may haue life euerlasting Ioan. 5. Of another fruite of the same first Word spoken by Christ vpon the Crosse CHAP. III. AN other fruite and that very healhfull to all tasting the same is if men will learne to pardon easily Iniuries offered vnto them and by this meanes to make friends of Enemies Now for the persuading hereto the Example of Christ and God ought to be a most forcible argument and inducement for if Christ did pardon his Crucifiers and prayed for them why should not a Christian man do the like Yf God the Creatour of all in whose power it is as being Lord Iudge to take present reuenge vpon sinners doth neuerthelesse expect that a sinner should returne to Pennance and doth inuite him to peace and reconciliation and stands prepared to pardon all those who haue offended his Maiesty Why should not a Creature be ready and willing to performe the same Adde hereto that the pardonning and remitting of an Iniury wanteth not a great Reward
a single and vnmaried life especially if they be Virgins as the B. Virgin the Mother of Christ and S. Iohn the Disciple of Christ and beloued of him aboue other in regard of his Virginity were these perfect Persons I say stand in great necessity of the aide and supportance of Christ crucified since such as are placed in a more eminent high degree ought greatly to feare the blasts of Pryde except they be founded and rooted lowly in Humility For although Christ did often shew himselfe to be a Maister of Humility as where he said Learne of me because I am meeke and humble of Hart Math. 11. As also in teaching vs To sit in the lowest place where he repeateth so often who so exalteth himselfe shal be humbled and who humbleth himselfe shal be exalted Luc. 18. Yet he neuer manifested himselfe to be a Maister of Humility in a more high degree then when he was seated in the Chayre of his Crosse Which point the Apostle will declared in those words He humbled himselfe made obedieÌ„t vnto death euen the death of the Crosse Phil. 2. For what greater humility could be imagined theÌ„ that he who was omnipotent should suffer himselfe to be bound nayled to the Crosse Or that he in whom are all the treasures of Wisdome and knowledge of God should be content to be reputed as one mâ—d or distracted by Herod and his army and through scorne to be cloathed with a whyte garment Or lastly that he who sitteth vpon the Cherubims should brooke himselfe to be crucified in the middst of theeues Truly who will seriously glasse himselfe in the mirrour of the Crosse will proue ouer indocible if he do not learne and confesse that as yet he is most farre from obtayning true Humility howsoeuer he may be thought to haue made some progresse aduancemeÌ„t therin Of the third fruite of the third Word CHAP. XI IN this third place we learne from the Chayre of the Crosse and from the words of Christ spoken to his Mother and his Disciple what is the duty of God Parents towards their Sâ—â—nes and reciprocally of good sonnes towards their Parents We will begin with the first Good Parents ought to loue their Sonnes yet to restraine and proportion their loue to them as that it may be no impediment to the Loue of the Parents towards God And this is that vvhich our Sauiour teacheth in the Gospell He that loueth his Sonne or his daughter more then me is not worthy of me Math. 10. This Precept the B. Virgin most precisely obserued For she stayed neere to the Crosse with great Griefe and with great Constancy Her Griefe did witnesse the extremity of her loue towards her Sonne hanging vpon the Crosse her Constancy did testify her great obseruance and duty towards God reigning in Heauen She did behould her innocent sonne with great anxiety and care of mind whom she so dearely loued suffering most bitter dolours and paines yet did she not labour either in words or action to hinder those his afflictions though she could because she did well know that her Sonne was to vndergoe all those torments by the defined Counsell prouidence of God the Father Loue is the Measure of Griefe therefore the Mother did much lament to behould her sonne to be so cruciated and afflicted since she loued him much And how could it otherwise be but that the Virgin the mother of Christ should most ardently loue her sonne since she was well priuy that her sonne did exceede all the sonnes of men in euery degree of Prayse and that her sonne was in a more strict bond to her and did more nearely belong to her then any other sonnes do belong vnto their Mothers The reason why Women do loue their sonnes is accustomed to be twofold The one is in that they bare and brought their sonnes forth into the World The other in that the sonnes become famous for their deportment and good deserts For otherwise there are not Mothers wanting who do but litle loue or rather hate their sonns if either they be of any deformity in body or do proue wicked or vngratefull and vnnaturali towards their Parents Now the B. Virgin the mother of Christ loued her Sonne for both these respects in a more intense and high degree then any other Mother euer loued her sonne For first Other women alone do not generate children but in the generation of them they haue their husband for their Companion in that Act. But the Blessed Virgin alone did generate her sonne Since a Virgin did beget and a Virgin did bring forth And as Christ our Lord in his diuine generation had a Father without a Mother so in his humane generation he had a Mother without a Father And although it may be truly said that Christ was conceaued of the Holy Ghost yet the Holy Ghost is not the Father of Christ but the Effectour and maker of the Body of Christ Neither did the Holy Ghost frame the body of Christ of his owne proper substanee which peculiarly belongeth to a Father but he formed it of the most pure bloud of the Virgin Therefore the most Holy Virgin alone without the company of a Father did beget and bring forth her Sonne And she alone doth challenge her Sonne as whole to herselfe and thereupon did more loue him then any other Mother euer loued her Ospring Novv so far forth as belongeth to the second Reason The sonne of the Blessed Virgin was and is specious and beautifull aboue the sonnes of men and doth excell both men and Angels in all manner of prayse Therefore it followeth that the Blessed Virgin who loued her Sonne aboue all others did also condole and deplore his death passion more then all others This point is so vndeniable as that S. Bernard is not afraid to say that the Griefe of the B. Virgin conceaued touching the Passion of her SoÌ„ne might be called the Martyrdome of her Hart according to that of S. Simeon Thy owne soule shall a sword pierce And because the martyrdome of the Hart seemeth more intollerable then the martyrdome of the Body S. Anselme writeth that the dolours of the B. Virgin were more sharpe and insufferable then any corporall martyrdome Certainly our Sauiour when praying in the garden of Gethsemani he suffered his hart to be martyred and strongly apprehending all the paines and torments which the next day he was to vndergoe and withall giuing as it were the reines and liberty to griefe and feare began so vehemently to be cruciated and afflicted as that a bloudy sweat distilled from his whole Body The which is not read to haue fallen out in his corporall Passion Therfore the B Virgin doubtlesly suffered most bitter paine and acerbity of affliction through the sword of Dolour penetrating her soule And yet in that she was most willing that the honour and glory of God should ouer weigh the loue which she did beare to the flesh of Christ therefore
not that which I will but that which thou Marc. 14. And to S. Peter Christ saith Thinketh thou that I cannot aske my Father and he will giue me presently more then twelue legions of Angels againe Christ might as God haue protected his flesh that it should not suffer and therefore he saith Ioan. 10. No man taketh my lyfe from me but I yield it vp of myselfe The which Esay prophecyed when he said cap. 53. He wat offered because himselfe would To cōclude the blessed foule of Christ could haue trasmitted and powred into its body the guift of impassibility and incorruption but it pleased the Father it pleased the Word it pleased the Holy Ghost to suffer for the execution of the common Decree that mans force should for a tyme preuaile against Christ For this was that houre of which our Lord spake to those who came to take him This is your houre and the power of darknes Luc. 22. In this manner therefore God did leaue his Sonne when he suffered that the humane flesh of his Sonne should suffer most bitter griefes without consolation Furthermore Christ crying with a great voice did manifest this dereliction that all men thereby should acknowledge the greatnes of the pryce of the Redemption of man kind for till that very houre he suffered all things with such incredible patience and indifferency of mynd as if he had wanted all sense and feeling for fynding himselfe agrieued and wronged by the Iewes he did not charge Pilate who prononced sentence against him nor the souldiers who nayled him to the Crosse He did not lament he did not bewayle or shew any signe of dolour Therefore when he was approching neere to his death to the end that mankind should vnderstand and particularly that we his seruants should not be vngratefull for so great a fauour and that we should magnify the pryce and worth of our Redemption he was willing that the dolours of his Passion should publikely and openly be knowne Wherefore those words My God why hast thou forsaken me are not words of accusation or indignation or complaint but as I haue said they are words declaring with most iust reason and in a most fit tyme the greatnes of Christ his Passion Of the first fruyte of the fourth Word CHAP. II. VVE haue briefly expounded those things which belong to the fourth Word according to the History Now we will gather some fruits from the tree of the Crosse First that consideration doth present it selfe vnto vs to wit that Christ would drinke vp the whole Chalice of his Passion euen to the last drop He was to remaine vpon the Crosse three houres from the sixt houre to the ninth He remained full three whole houres and aboue for before the sixt houre he was nayled to the Crosse and after the ninth houre he gaue vp the Ghost This point may be made euident by this Reason the Eclyps of the Sunne began in the sixt houre as three Euangelists do teach Matthew Marke and Luke And Marke in expresse wordes sayth when it was the sixt houre there was made darknes vntil the ninth houre The first tree VVord◠of our Lord were spoken vpon the Crosse before the beginning of the darknes the other foure were vttered after darknes and therefore after the ninth houre Furthermore S. Marke explicateth this point more cleerly when he saith And it was the third houre and they crucifyed him c. And then after he subioyneth And when it was the sixt houre there was made darknes cap. 14. Now where he saith our Lord was crucifyed in the third houre he signifyeth that the third houre was not then complete when our Lord was crucifyed and consequently that the sixt houre was not as then begun For S. Marke numbreth three principall houres which are accustomed to containe three ordinary houres And according to this acceptance and construction the Houshoulder called the workmen to his vineyard at the first the third the sixt the ninth and eleauenth houre Matth. 20. And we doe number the Canonicall houres to wit the first the third the sixt the ninth and the Vespers which is the eleauenth houre Therefore in S. Marke our Lord is said to be crucifyed at the third houre because as then the sixt houre was not come From hence then it followeth that our Lord would drinke the chalice of his Passion in a most full and copious manner thereby to teach vs to loue better the cup of Pennance labour and not to loue and affect the cup of secular consolations and delights We by the law of the flesh and the world do desire and vvish for little Pennance and great Indulgence small labour and much consolation short Prayer and long chatting or discourse But certainly vve knovv not vvhat vve desire since the Apostle admonisheth vs euery one shall receaue his reward according to his labour 1. Cor. 3. And He shal not be crowned except he striue lawfully 2. Tim. 2. Euerlasting felicity is doubtlesly worth euerlasting labour but because if euerlasting labour had beene absolutly necessary thereto we should neuer haue attained to euerlasting felicity therefore our mercyfull Lord was content that onely in this life which flyeth away like a shadow we should labour according to our strength in good workes and in obsequy and obedience towards him And therefore those men are without hart or courage without vnderstanding without iudgment and are rather infants and children who consume and wast this short tyme in idlenes and which is farre more detestable in grieuously offending and prouoking Gods wrath and indignation against them For if Christ ought to suffer and so to enter into his glory how then can we enter into the glory of another only by disporting and spending the tyme in pampering and solacing of our flesh If the Ghospell vvere very intricate and obscure and could not be vnderstood vvithout great paines and fatigation of mynd perhaps we might shadow our negligence by some Excuse but the Ghospell is cleerly expounded as it were explained frō the example of his lyfe who first gaue promulgated the gospell so as to the very blynd it cannot lye hidden or concealed Neither haue vve it explicated only by Christ himselfe but there are so many cleare Commētaries of it which do lay open the sense as there are Apostles Martyrs Confessours Virgins and finally Saints vvhose prayses and triumphes vve celebrate almost euery day since all these vvith an vnanimous cōsent cry out that not by pleasure good fellovvship and humane delights but by matribulations we must enter into the Kingdome of Heauen Act. 14. Of the second fruite of the fourth Word CHAP. III. ANother fruit may be gathered frō the consideration of the silence of Christ in those three houres which was from the sixt houre to the ninth O my soule vvhat did thy Lord in those three houres Horrour darknes did inuolue the vniuersall World And thy Lord did not repose himselfe vpon a sof bed but
sort for many yeares their Almes-deeds and those not in number few But when these come to the diuine ballacing examination and are precisely to be discussed whether they were well done to wit with right intentions with due attention in fitting tyme and place proceeding from a man gratefull to God O how many things which did appeare to be gaines to the soule will rather be accounted as losses and detriments vnto it And how many things which seemed in mans iudgment to be gould siluer and precious stones built vpon the foundatiō of fayth will be found to be wood straw which the fire will instantly consume The consideration of this point doth not a litle terrify me by how much I draw more neare to my end for as the Apostle speaketh Heb. 8. That which groweth ancient and waxeth old is nigh vnto vtter decay so much the more euidently I see that the admonition and Counsell of S. Iohn Chrysostome is necessary to me who councels vs not to weigh and prize to much our owne good works because if they be good works indeed that is works vvell piously done they are registred by God in his booke of Accounts and there is no danger that they shal be defrauded of their due reward but let vs daily thinke sayth he of our euill bad works and labour vvith a contrite hart and spirit vvith many teares and serious pennance to wash them away For such men vvho performe his aduise herein shall say at the close and end of their life vvith great confidence and Hope Into thy hands I commend my spirit thou hast redeemed me O Lord God of Truth Of the fourth fruite of the seauen VVord CHAP. XXIII THere followeth the fourth fruite which may be gathered from the most happy hearing of the prayer of our Lord that from so comfortable an Euent all of vs may be much animated and encouraged to commend our spirits to God with greater vehemency and ardour of deuotion For the Apostle did most truly write that our Lord Iesus Christ was heard for his reuerence Heb. 5. Our Lord prayed to his Father for a speedy Resurrection of his Body as aboue we haue shewed His prayer was heard so as his Resurrection was no longer delayed then it was needfull to proue that his Body was truly dead For except it could be infallibly demonstrated that his Body did truly depart out of this lyfe both the Resurrection as also the whole Christian Fayth might be doubted of and called into question Therefore our Sauiour was to remaine in the graue for the space at least of fourty houres especially seeing the figure of Ionas the Prophet was to be accomplished which as our Lord himselfe taught in the Ghospell was to premonstrate and foreshew his death But to the end that the Resurrection of Christ might be accelerated hastened so farre forth as it was cōuenient and that it might be more manifestly proued that the prayer of Christ was heard the diuine Prouidēce would that the three dayes and three nights during which tyme Ionas was in the Belly of the Whale should be reduced in the Resurrection of Christ to one entire and whole day and two parts of two dayes which time not properly but by the figure intellectio might be said to contayne three dayes three nights Neither did the Father heare the prayer of Christ only in shortning the tyme of his Resurrection but also in restoring incomparably a better lyfe then before he enioyed Since the lyfe of Christ before his death was mortall but it is restored to him immortall Christ rising againe from the dead now dieth no more death shall no more haue dominion ouer him as the Apostle speaketh Rom. 6. The lyfe of Christ before his death was passible that is subiect to hunger thirst wearines wounds but being restored impassible it stāds not obnoxious to any iniury The Body of Christ was before death Animale but after the resurrection it became spiritale that is so subiect to the spirit as that in a twinkling of an Eye it might be caryed into any place where the spirit it selfe would Novv the reason why the Prayer of Christ was so easily heard is subioyned by the Apostle when he sayth pro sua reuerentia for his reuerence The Greeke word here vsed to wit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth a reuerentiall feare vvhich was most eminent in Christ tovvards his father Therefore Esay describing the guifts of the Holy Ghost which were in the soule of Christ of other guifts thus sayth The spirit of wisdome and Vnderstanding shall rest vpon him the spirit of Counsell and Strength the spirit of Knowledge and Piety but of reuerentiall Feare the said Prophet thus speaketh And the spirit of the Feare of our Lord shall replenish him Isa 11. Novv because the soule of Christ was most full of reuerentiall Feare towards his Father therefore the Father did take most great pleasure in him according to that we read in S. Matthew This is my beloued sonne in whom I am well pleased Matth. 3. 17. And euen as the Sonne did euer reuerence the Father in a most high degree so did the Father euer heare him praying and granted whatsoeuer he desired Novv from hence may we learne that if vve expect euer to be heard by our heauenly Father and to obtaine whatsoeuer we demaund of him we ought to imitate Christ herin in prosecuting our said heauenly Father with supreme Reuerence and in preferring nothing before his honour For so it wil be effected that whatsoeuer we pray for we shall obtaine and peculiarly that in which consisteth the chiefest good of our state I meane that vvhen death shall approach God may receaue our soule passing out of the Body commended vnto him vvhen the roaring Lyon standeth neere vnto vs as being ready for a prey Neither let any man thinke that Reuerence is exhibited to God only in genuflection or in bovving of the knee in vncouering of the Head or in any other worship and honour of such like nature The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or timor reuerentialis doth not signify only this externall honour but it chiefly denotes a great feare of offending of God and an invvard continual horrour of sinne and this not through dread of punishment but through loue of our Celestiall Father He is truly indued with reuerentiall Feare who dare not thinke of offence or sinne especially mortall sinne Blessed is that man sayth Dauid who feareth our Lord He shall haue great delight in his Commandements That is he truly feareth God and in that respect may be called Blessed who with all bent of Will and Endeauour studies to keep all the Commandement of God And from hence it proceeded that that holy widdow Iudith timebat Dominum valde as we reade in her Booke cap. 8. For she being but a yong Woman and of great beauty and very rich lest she should after the death of her husband either giue
or take any occasion of sinning did remaine shut vp with her maids in a secret chamber and wearing a haire-cloath about her body fasting all dayes excepting the feasts of the house of Israel Behould here with what great zeale euen in the old Law which permitted far more liberty then the Ghospell doth a yoÌ„g rich and beautifull Woman did take heed of Carnall sinnes for no other reason then that she greatly feared our Lord. The sacred Scripture doth mention and commend the same thing in Holy Iob. For he made a couenant with his eyes that he would not so much as thinke of a Virgin that is he vvould not look vpon a Virgin to preuent therby that no vnchast thought might creep into his mind And why did Iob so warily and diligently auoid such allurements Because he greatly feared our Lord for thus it there followeth For what part should God from aboue haue in me that is if an vncleane cogitation should in any sort defile my mind I should not be Gods portion nor God should be my Portion There were no end if I should insist in examples of Saints during the tyme of the New Testament This therefore is the Feare wherewith the Saints were endued of which if our selfes were full there were nothing the which we could not most easily obtaine of our Heauenly Father The last fruite of the seauenth Word CHAP. XXIV THere remaineth the last fruite which is gathered from the consideration of the Obedience of Christ manifested in his last words and in death it selfe For wheras the Apostle sayth He humbled himselfe made obedient vnto death euen the death of the Crosse Philip. 2. This was chiefly performed when our Lord pronouncing those Words Father into thy hands I commend my spirit did presently giue vp the Ghost But it will be conuenient to repeaâ—e ponder more deeply what may be said of the ObedieÌ„ce of Christ that so we may gather a most precious fruâ—te from the tree of the holy Crosse Therefore Christ our Maâ—ster and Lord of all Vertues did exhibit such Obedience to God his Father that a greater cannot be conceaued or imagined First the Obedience of Christ tooke its beginning from his Conception and continued without intermission euen to his death Thus the whole life of our Lord Iesus Christ was but one Act or Course of a continuated and vnintterrupted Obedience Truly the soule of Christ euen in the first moment of its Creation had the vse of freewill and withall was replenished with Grace and Wisdome and therefore euen from that first momeÌ„t Christ being as yet inclosed in the wombe of his mother began to exercise Obedience Where we read in the 39. Psalme in which it is said in the Person of Christ In the head of the booke it is written of me that I should do thy will my God I would and thy law in the middest of my Hart. That in the head of the booke signifieth no other thing but in the summe of the diuine Scripture that is throughout the whole Scripture it is chiefly preached of me that I am peculiarly chosen and sent to this end that I should do thy Will I my God will I haue most willingly accepted thereof and thy law thaâ— is thy commandement I haue placed in the middest of my hart that I might euer thinke thereof and might most diligently performe and execute it And hither also those words of our said Lord haue reference My meate is to do tho will of him that sent me to perfect his worke Ioan. 4. For as meate is not taken once or twice through a mans life but is taken daily with pleasure so our Lord himself did continually and with a willing mind practice all Obedience to his Father And hereupon he said I descended from Heauen not to doe my owne will but the will of him that sent me Ioan. 6. And more clearely in another place He that sent me is with me and he hath not left me alone because the things that please him I do alwayes Ioan. 8. And because Obedience is the most excellent Sacrifice of all Sacrifices according to the iudgment of Samuel therefore it followeth that how many works Christ did all the tyme that he liued as Pilgrime vpon the Earth so many Sacrifices did he offer vp and those most gratefull to God This therefore is the first Prerogatâ—ue of the Obedience of Christ to wit in that it endured from his Conception to the end of his life Furthermore the Obedience of Christ was not determinable to any one kind of worke as we commonly see it is among men but it was extended to all those things vvhich it should please God his Father to command him And from hence so great variety is seene in the life of Christ our Lord as that one vvhile he would stay in the desert neither eating nor drinking perhaps not sleeping but liuing with beasts as S. Marke notâ—th c. 1. At another tyme he vvas in the frequency sight of men eating and drinking Then he remained obscure and secret at home and that for no few yeares At an other tyme appearing excellent for wisdome and Eloquence working most great and stupendious Miracles Novv with great authority casting buyers and sellers out of the Temple At an other tyme latent as it were weake declining from the multitude and company of men All which things require and exact a mâ—nd free from all proper free will For neither would our Lord haue said Math. 16. He that will come after me let him deny himselfe that is let him renounce his proper will and proper iudgment Neither except Christ himselfe had performed it before he would haue persuaded his disciples to the perfection of Obedience when he said Luc. 14. If any man commeth to me and hateth not hiâ— Father and mother and wife chilsdren and brethren and sisters yea and his owne life besides he cannot be my Disciple Thus according hereto did Christ himselfe forsake all things which are accustomed to be so ardently beloued yea his owne life the which he was so prepared to lose as if he did hate it This is the true roote and Mother of Obedience vvhich shyned most admirably in Christ our Lord. And who want this shall hardly euer come to the revvard of Obedience For how is it possible that one should promptly obey an other mans Will who is wholy deuoted to his ovvne will and his owne iudgment This is the Cause why the Celestiall Orbes do not resist or withstaÌ„d the Angels mouing them vvhether they be caried towards the East or West because they haue not any peculiar and proper propension either to one part or to the other And the same reason is why the Angels themselfes stand at a becke obedient vnto God as holy Dauid singeth in the 102. Psalme To wit because they haue no proper Will repugnant and refractary to the will of God but being most happely conioyned vvith God they are one
also subiected to their power the Deuill Serpents all kind of diseases Matth. 10. A man hath giuen to the poore for the honour and loue he beareth to Christ 〈◊〉 litle bread or but some old cloaths oâ— ragges and yet in recompence hereof he shall heare Christ say at the day of Iudgment I was hungry and you gaue me to eate I was naked and you couered me Therefore take and possesse an euerlasting kingdome Matth. 25. To conclude that I may pretermit all other points of this Nature Heare and take notice of the incredible bounty and liberality of our Lord but we must remember He was God who thus promised Euery one that hath forsaken house or Brethren or sisters or Father or Wyfe or Children or Lands for my names sake shall receaue an hundred fould and shall possesse life euerlasting Matt. 19. S. Hierome and other holy Doctours do explicate this promise in this sort To wit that who sha l suffer losse of any temporalâ— matter for Christ in this present life shall receaue a double reward and incomparably greater â—heÌ„ the thing which is left for Christ For first he shall receaue spirituall ioy being a spirituall guift in this life vvhich is an hundred fould greater more precious then is that which is left for the loue of Christ So as a man of a cleare and perfect Iudgment would sooner make choyce to retaine and keep that spirituall good to himselfe then to change it for an hundred houses LaÌ„ds or other such like things Againe as if this reward vvere but small and not to be much prized that happy Marchant or Negotiatour shall receaue in the world to come eternall Life by vvhich word is signified an immense abundance or boundles heaping togeather of all goods But this is the vnlimited liberality of Christ our supreme Lord towards those who are not afraid or delay to bynd themselues seriously to his Seruice Are not then such men euen distracted and depriued of their Wits who abandoning Christ make themselues thral Vassals to Mammon Epicurisme and Luxurie But some men will contest against what we heere teach and auer as neuer hauing tasted of the Riches of Christ saying All which is hitherto spoken are but naked Words since we daily see many seruants of Christ to be poore abiect contemptible and in state deplorable This Hundred fould which is here so greatly magnified vve see not To this I answere It is so indeed for a Carnall man neuer seeth that HuÌ„dred fould promised by Christ because his eyes are not capable of such a sight neither doth this man at any time tast that solid and true ioy which a pure Conscience and Seraphicall Charity towards God is accustomed to tast But here I will produce an Example from the which Carnality and Sensuality may in some sort make a coÌ„iecture of spirituall delights and riches We read in the Booke of Examples distinct 3. exempl 26. of the most famous men of the Cistercian Order that one Arnulphus noble by byrth and of great riches leauing the World and abandoning from him all temporall cares became a Monke of the forsaid Order vnder the famous Abbot S. Bernard This man God did exercise and trye with diuers most sharp scourges of many corporall Infirmities especially tovvards the later end of his life But at one time when his paines began to seize vpon him with greater violence then vsually afore he cryed out with a great voyce and said Vera sunt omnia qua dixisti Domine Iesu O Lord Iesu c. all those things are true which thou hast said And when as those who were about him demaunded why he spake these Words he replied Dominus in Euangelio suo dicit Qui reliquerit diuitias c. Our Lord hath said in his Gospell He who hath left his riches and all other things for Christ shall receaue an hundred fould in this life and afterwards life euerlasting Ego vim huius promissionis nunc demum intelligo c. I now at length do see and acknowledge the truth and force of this promise and do confesse that now I do receaue an hundred fould of all things or goods which I haue left For the great bitternes of these my paynes is so pleasant and gratefull to me through my hope of Gods good mercy of which these dolours are a pledge as that I would not haue wanted this Hope and Comfort for so much riches of the world though a hundred tymes doubled as I haue left and forsaken For certainly the spirituall ioy which now is but in hope and expectation doth a hundred thousand times exceed al worldly ioy which now actually and in possession is Thus far the forsaid Arnulphus his words And I would desire the Reader maturely to weigh and consider of them and then let him iudge how much is to be esteemed and pryaed a certaine and firme hope infused by God of the present obtayning of eternall Beatitude and Felicity Of the second fruite of the second Word CHAP. VI. ANother fruite of the former second Word or Sentence is an acknowledgment of the power of the Grace of God and of the imbecillity and weaknes of mans Will From the knowledge whereof we may learne that it is a chiefe matter greatly to confide in the help of God and greatly to distrust in our owne proper force and strength Dost thou couet to know the power of the Grace of God Behould the good Thiefe This man was a notorious sinner continuing in that most wicked state till he came to suffer punishment vpon a Crosse that is almost till the instant of his death And in so great a perill of Eternall damnation there vvas not any who would relieue him either with counsell or with other help or ease For although he was placed neare to our Sauiour yet he did heare the High Priests and the Pharisees affirming him to be a Seducer ambitious and to affect the kingdome of another man He heard his fellow Thiefe vpbrayding Christ with the same men There was not any man in all that Presence who would speake one word in defence of Christ neither did Christ himselfe seeke to refute those blasphemies and maledictions Yet notwithstanding all this through the most gracious admirable fauour of God wheÌ„ the Thiefe seemed to haue no helpe for his Saluation and being thus most neere to Hell and most distant from eternall life he being in a moment illustrated and enlightned from aboue and loathing his former vvickednes confesseth Christ to be innocent and to be the king of the future World And thus being made as it were a Preacher he reprehendeth his fellow persuadeth him to repentance and in the eye of them all doth deuoutely and humbly commend himselfe to Christ To conclude he did so beare himselfe herein as that his penall torments vpon the Crosse inflicted iustly vpon him for his offence was accepted and taken for his paines due in Purgatory and thus instantly vpon
she stood neere vnto the Crosse full of all constancy and spirituall resolution looking without any shew of impatience vpon her Sonne then suffering She did not fall vpon the Earth halfe dead as some do imagine she did not teare the hayre from her Heade she did not after a womanish manner bewaile and crye out but she entertained welcomed with all eauennesse and serenity of mind what was to be tollerated as proceeding from the good pleasure and Will of God She greatly loued the flesh of her sonne she more loued the honour of the Father saluation of the World which two points the Sonne himselfe did more loue then the safety and health of his owne Body Furthermore the assured Fayth of the Resurrection of her Sonne to be after the third day of the which she neuer doubted did so animate her and minister new spirits of Constancy as that she did not â—tand in need of humane Consolation For she knew well that the death of her Sonne was like vnto a most short sleepe according to that of the Prophet I haue slept and haue bene at rest and I haue risen vp because our Lord hath taken me Psal 3. All good pious Christians ought to imitate this Example I meane they ought to loue their Children but not to prefer them in loue before God who is the Father of all and who loueth them better and in a more perfect manner then we know how to loue And first ChristiaÌ„s ought to loue their Sonnes with a manly prudent loue not boulstering or encouraging them when they do euill but bringing them vp in the feare of God and correcting them not only with words but euen with strokes if either they offend God or neglect their studies and learning For this is the will of God reuealed in the Holy Scriptures as Ecclesiasticus speaketh cap. 7. Hast thou children Instruct them and bow them from their childhood And we read of Toby that he taught his Sonne from his infancy to feare God and to abstaine from all sinne And the Apostle Ephes 6. admonisheth Fathers that they do not prouoke their Children to anger but do bring them vp in discipline correction of our Lord that is that they vse them not as seruants but as freemen For those who beare themselues ouer seuerely and austerely towards their Children continually checking or striking them for the least fault do treate them as bondslâ—ues so causing them either to be of a base and dâ—iected disposition or els to fly away from their Parents Now those who are ouer indulgâ—nt do make their Children wicked nourishing bringing them vp not for the kingdome of God but for Hell The true way for the education of Children is that Parents do instruct them in discipline so as they may learne willingly and promptly to obey their Parents and maisters and when they do erre and offend that they do correct them paternally that so the Sonnes may vnderstand themselues to be chastized out of Loue not out of Hate Furthermore if so it shall please God to call any of them to the Clergy or to some religious Order let not the Parents resist so good a resolution for feare they may resist God who is the first Father of all men but let them say with holy Iob. Our Lord gaue and our Lord hath taken away The name of our Lord be blessed To conclude if children be taken from their Parents by vntimely death the which thing did câ—iâ—fly happen to the Blessed Virgin let them consider ponder the iudgments of God who often taketh some out of this World by death to preuent that malice and sinne do not change their good and vertuous mind and so perish eternally Certainely if Parents did sometymes know â—pon what counsell and inducements G d thus worketh they vvould not oâ—ly not bewayle the death of their Câ—â—ldâ—â—n but they would euen reioâ—ce thereaâ— And if the fayth hope of the Râ—surrection did feelingly and liuely worke in vs as it did in our B. Lady we should no more grieue when any of our sonnes or friends do dye before they arriue to old age then when any of them begin to sleep before it be night since the death of a faythfull and pious man is a kind of sleepe as the Apostle admonisheth vs saying 1. Thess 4. I will not haue you ignorant concerning them that sleep that you be not sorrowfull as others are that haue no Hope Heere he mentioneth rather Hope then faith because he speakeâ—h not of euery Resurrection but of a blessed and glorious Resurrection which leadeth to true lyfe and such was the Reâ—urrection of Christ That man therefore who firmely belieueth that there shal be a Resurrection of the flesh and hopeth that his Sonne taken away by immatuâ—e death shall after rise to glory hath no reason of griefe but rather of ioy because the health of his sonnes Soule is placed in great security and safty I heere come to the duty of a Sonne towards Parents the which Christ dying performed in a most full and ample manner toward his Mother It is the duty of children to render mutuall duty to their parents 1. Tim. 5. Now Sonns do render mutuaâ—l duty to their parents when they procure all things necessary for their parents being in age Euen as the Parents haue prouided for their children being yong or not able to get things touching dyet or apparell Christ therefore did commit the charge of his mother growing aged and hauing not any one to take care of her after the death of her Sonne to S. Iohn adopting him as it were for her Sonne saying to her Behould thy Sonne to S. Iohn Behold thy Mother Now heâ—re our Lord accomplished the function of a Sonne most fully towards his Mother and this seuerall wayes For first he assigned to her a Sonne who being of the same age with Christ or rather a yeare yonger was most fitting to vndergo the charge and care of the Mother of our Lord. He furthermore out of the twelue Apostles made choice of him to this incumbency and labour whome our Lord himselfe chiefly loued and of whome he also did know himselfe to be greatly againe beloued therefore he might well repose greater confidence and trust in him touching his diligence towards his Mother Againe our Lord assigned him whome he knew was to liue very many yeares and therefore without any doubt to ouer liue his Mother To conclude our Lord was not wanting in his duty to his Mother euen at that tyme when his thoughts were to be busied touching his owne anxieties and dolours For at that tyme a man might probabâ—y thinke that his cogitations were only fixed vpon the suffering of his corporall dolours and iniuries of his enemies and in tasting the most better cup of his neare approching death so as he could not turne his thoughts to any other affaires Neuertheles his charity towards his mother ouercame him and so litle regarding his
the Patronesse of Orphans thou art the Redemption of the Captiue the exultation and Comfort of the sicke and the Health of All. And againe Sub alis tuis c. Vnder thy wings keep me and protect me take mercy on me who am contaminated and defiled with dirt And yet more after Non mihi alia â—iducia c. There is no other hope for me O Blessed Virgin All hayle to thee who art the peace the ioy and health of the World To this Father let vs adioyne S Iohn Damascene who was one of the first of those that worshipped the most holy Virgin and placed their Hope in her This Doctour thus writeth Orat. de Natiu B. Virg. O Ioachim Anna Filia Domina c. Receaue the prayer of a sinner yet ardently louing and worshipping thee houlding thee as the hope of his ioy the defendour of his lyfe reducing him into fauour with thy Sonne a firme and earnest pledge of saluatioÌ„ vnloose and dissolue the burden of my sinnes suppresse my temptations gouerne my life piously and holily and procure that thou being my guyde I may come to the celestiall Beatitude I will add to the former two of the Latin Fathers of which S. Anselme shal be one who thus writeth l. de Excell Virg. c 3. Itaque cui saltem ita concessum fuerit c. I do coniecture that it is a great signe to him of obtayning Saluateon who with a sweet cogitation can often thinke of the B. Virgin And after Velocior est nonnumquam salus c. Oftentimes Health is sooner obtained by calling vpon the name of the B. Virgin then by inuocating the name of our Lord Iesus her only Sonne But the reason hereof is not because she is greater or more powrefull then he for he is not grsat and potent by her but she is great and potent by him Why then is health often sooner receaued by the inuocation of her then of her Sonne I will shew my iudgment of this â—oint Her sonne is the Lord and Iudge of all men discerning the merits of euery One. Therefore whyles he is inuocated by his owne name of euery man he presently heareth not and this he doth iustly But the name of his Mother being inuocated and implored if the merits of him that inuocateth do not deserue that he should be heard yet the merits of the Mother do so intercede as that he may be heard But S. Bernard doth after a wonderfull manner describe the pious and indeed motherly affection of the most Blessed Virgin tovvards men deuoted to her as also the extraordinary and filiall piety of such who do acknowledge the Virgin as their Mother and Patronesse Thus this Doctour sayth Serm. 2. super Missus est O quisquis te intelligis c. O thou who perceauest that in the inundation of this VVorld thou art more tossed among the stormes and tempests then thou dost quietly walke vpon the earth do not turne thy Eyes from the brightnes of this starre I meane of Mary the star of the Sea if so thou couetest not to be ouerwhelmed with these stormes Yf thou be tossed with the waues of Pryde if of Ambition if of Detraction if of Emulation turne thy selfe towards this starre and inuocate Mary Yf thou be afflicted with the dreadfulnes of thy owne sinnes if thou be confounded with the guiltines of thy owne Conscience if thou be afraid through feare of thy Iudge if thou beginnest to be absorpt in the Hell of sadnes and in the abisse of Desperation thinke vpon Maâ—y In thy dangers in thy straits in thy necessities meditate vpon Mary inuoke Mary thou following her dost not goe abstray thou praying to her dost not despaire thou thinking of her dost not erre And the same Father in another Booke thus further discoursâ—th Serm de Nat. B. M. siue de aquae ductu Altius intuemini c. Call more deeply into mind with what affection of deuotion he who hath placed all plenitude of goodnes in Mary would haue Mary to be honoured of vs so as if there be any hope in vs if any Grace if any health we are to acknowledge that it proceeds from her And after Tâ—t is ergo medullis c. With all the forces and desires of our Harts let vs worship Mary for this is the will of him who will haue vs to receaue all by the mediation of Mary And againe Filioli haec peccatorum scala c. My Sonnes this meaning the B. Virgin is the Ladder of sinners this is my greatest Confidence this is the cause of all my Hope To these two most holy Fathers I will annexe other two holy men out of the Schoole of Deuines S. Thomas Aquinas in his litle Worke of the salutation of the Angell thus sayth in opusc 8. Benedicta tu in multeribus c. She meaning the Virgin Mary it blessed among all Women bâ—cause she alone hath taken away Malediction hath brought in Benediction and hath opened the Gate of Paradise Therefore the name of Mary which is interpreted the starre of the Sea doth well agree to her for as those who are sayling are directed to the Port or hauen by the starre of the Sea so Christians an directed to Glory by the help of Mary S. Bonauenture most fully discourseth of this subiect thus writing in sua Pharetra l. 1. cap. 5. Sicut O beatissima omnis à te c. O most B. Virgin as of necessity euery one that is in mind auerted from thee and not respected by thee must perish so euery one that is conuerted to thee and by thee regarded cannot possibly be damned The same holy Father in another of his bookes thus writeth of the confidence of S. Francâ—â— â—n the B. Virgin in vita D. Fran. Matrem Domini nostri c. S. Francis did prosecute the Mother of our Lord Iesus Christ with an inutterable Loue in that she made the Lord of Maiesty to become brother to vs and by her we haue obtained Mercy He confiding in her next to Christ made her his Aduocate and in her Honour he did fast most deuoutely from the feast of the Apostles S. Peter and S. Paul vntill the feast of her Assumption To all these Holy Fathers I will range Pope Irnocentius the third who was a great Worshipper of the Mother of God and who not only in his Sermons did much magnify prayse her but also in her Honour did buyld a Monastery And which is more to be admired He stirring the People vp to repose their Hope in the most holy Mother of God as foreknowing the euent of things to come did vtter many things which he after confirmed with his owne happy experience and triall Thus he writeth of the B. Virgin Quis iacet in nocte Culpae c. He who lyeth in the night of Offence and sinne let him behould the Moone let him pray to Mary that she through her Sonne may illuminate his hart with
fire In like manner let vs render all due thankes and gratefull aâ—knowledgment to the laÌ„be of God who had rather be left of God vnder the killing sword then that he would leaue vs vnder the teeth of the deuouring and infernall beast who is euer feeding and yet is neuer with feeding satisfyed 3. The third cause is the greatnes of the price of the diuine grace which is that precious pearle the which Christ the most wise merchant with sale of all he had did buy and restore to vs The grace of Christ which was giuen to vs in Adam which through the sinne of Adam we lost was so precious a Pearle or Margarite as that it did wonderfully adorne vs and made vs most aceptable to God and was a pledge of eternall felicity There was not any who could recouer this Pearle being the summe of our riches and taken from vs by the subtilty of the SerpeÌ„t but only the sonne of God who through his Wisdome ouercommeth the malice of the deuil but this with most great inconuenience to himselfe by being exposed to many labours and paines Thus did the Piety and Charity of the Sonne ouercome who committed himselfe willingly to a most laboursome iourney and most wearisome peregrination thereby to redeeme the Pearle for vs. 4. The fourth Cause was the most eminent greatnes of the Kingdome of Heauen to the which the Sonne of God opened a way and passage for vs by his immense labours and paines of which point the Church of God with a gratefull remembrance thus speaketh Tu deuicto mortis aculeo aperuisti credentibus regna caelorum Thou the sting of death being ouercome hast opened to the faythfull the kingdome of Heauen And that he might ouercome the sting of death it was needfull that he should striue and fight in a most cruell War with death in which War the Father did forsake him that with greater glory he might triumph 5. The fifth Cause was the immense Loue with the which the Sonne did affect his Father for the Sonne did wish couet that in the redemption of the World and abolition of sinne he might satisfy the Honour of his eternall Father most copiously and most abundantly But this could not be effected except the Father had forsaken his Sonne that is except the Father had suffered him to endure all those torments which could be excogitated by the Deuill and tolerated by man Therefore now if it be demaunded why God did as it were abandon his Sonne suffering all Extremities vpon the Crosse it may be answered that this was done to the end that the greatnes of sinne the greatnes of Hel the greatnes of diuine Grace the greatnes of Eternall life and the greatnes of the Charity of the Sonne of God towards his Father might more copiously and manifestly appeare From the consideration of which reasons another Question takâ—th its solution That is why God to many Martyrs did temper the Cup of their Passions and death with so great abundance of spirituall consolation as that those Martyrs had rather drinke the Cup of their sufferings with the mixture of those internall Comforts then without those comforts to want the Cup of their Passions and Tribulations And yet contrarywise he suffered his most beloued Sonne to drinke vp euen to the dregs as I may say his most bitter Cup without any Consolation whatsoeuer The reason of the disparity of Gods proceeding herin is in that in the holy Martyrs not any of the former Causes did take place which in the Passion of Christ we haue aboue mentioned Of the fourth Fruite of the fourth Word CHAP. V. ANother fruite may be added to the former not so much proceeding from the fourth VVord as froÌ„ the circumstance of the tyme in which it was spoken to wit of the horrible darknes which immediatly went before the pronouncing of the said word Since such darknes is most strong to illuminate and enlighten the Iewish nation as also to confirme the ChristiaÌ„s themselues in true fayth if so they wil diligently apply their mynd to the force of the demonstration which we will heere set downe The demonstration necessarily resulteth out of foure Truths The first Truth is that when Christ was crucifyd the Sunne was so wholy obscured that the starres vvere then seene in the Heauens as they are accustomed to be seene in the night This truth is warraÌ„ted and confirmed by fyue witnesses most worthy of credit and beliefe who being of seuerall nations liuing at seuerall tymes and in seuerall places when they wrote their bookes could not write what in those tymes happened out of any secret conuention or mutuall agreement among themselues The first is S. Matthew an Hebrew who did write in Iewry was one of those that saw the Sunne obscured And certainely this man being graue and wise would neuer haue written this in Iewry and as it is credible euen in the Citty of Ierusalem if it had not beene most true since otherwise in setting downe thinges vvhich all men did knovv to be false he might deseruedly be reprehended and derided of all the inhabitants of Ierusalem and of all Iewry The second vvitnes is S. Marke vvho vvrote at Rome and he also savv the Eclyps because then he vvas in Iewry with other disciples of our Lord when it happened The third is S. Luke who vvas a Grecian and vvrote in Greece and he in like sort was an cy-vvitnes of the Eclyps at Antioch in his own Country For vvheras Dionysius Areopagita did see the Eclyps at Heliopolis in Egypt S. Luke might more easily see it at Antioch as being more neere to Ierusalem then Heliopolis vvas The fourth and fifth vvitnesses are S. Dionysius and Apollophanes both Grecians at that tyme Gentils vvho in expresse vvords do testify that the Eclips vvas seene by them vvith a stupendious admiration These are those fiue vvitnesses vvho do vvarrant the truth of that Eclyps euen from their eyes and sight thereof To these vve may adioine the Annalls of the ancient Romans as also Phlegon the Historiographer to Adrian the Emperour as aboue vve noted in the first Chapter Therefore this first Truth cannot be denyed eyther by Ievves or Pagans vvithout notorious temerity and â—ashnes For as concerning Christians this verity belongeth to the Catholike sayth 2. Another Truth is that the forsaid Eclyps couâ—d not be effected but by the omipotency of God and therefore that it proceeded not in any sort from the diuels or from men seconded vvith the ayde of diuels but only from the speciall Prouidence and vvill of God the Creatour and Gouernour of the vvorld This verity is thus demonstrated The Sunne cannot faile in its light but by one of these three vvayes â—yther by interposition of the moone betvveene the Sunne and the Earth or through a most thicke and mighty grosse cloude or through the retraction vvith dravving or extinction of the bâ—amee of the Sunne After the first manner that interposition could not
whereby was discouered the Sancta Sanctorum was a signe that through the merits of the death of Christ the Celestiall Sanctuary was to be opened and that all the Saints were after to be admitted to see the face of God Neither only in the signification of these Mysteries did Christ show his Wiâ—dome but also in that he did produce draw life from death in figure whereof Moyses caused water to flow out of a stone And Christ himselfe for the same Cause said he resembled a graine of wheate in that by dying he brought forth much fruite For as a graine of wheate by being corrupted doth bud forth an care of liuing Corne so Christ by dying vpon the Crosse enriched multitudes of NatioÌ„s with the life of Grace S. Peter most manifestly thus speaketh of Christ He swallowing death that we might be made heyres of life euerlasting 1. Pet. 3. As if he would haue said The First man swallovving the forbidden sweet apple condemned all his posterity to death But the second Man swallowing downe the bitter apple of death brought all those to eternâ—â—l life who were borne againe of him To conclude Christ manifested opened his Wisdome in dying because he made the Crosse then the vvhich nothing was before more despicable and contemptible most honourable and glorious so as euen Kings themselfes do account it an honour to signe their Foreheads therevvith Neither is the Crosse made only honourable but also svveet to the louers of Christ Whereupon the Church thus singeth Dulce lignum dulces clauos dulce pondus sustinuit The which very point S. Andrew demonstrated by his ovvne example when behoulding the Crosse vnto vvhich he was to be fastened said Salue Crux preciosa c. All haile O precious Crosse which hath receaued honour and beauty from the members of our Lord Thou art long desired and carefully sought after thou art loued without any intermission and comes prepared to a willing mind I approach to thee with security and ioy that thou exulting mayst receaue me being the disciple of my Maister Iesus Christ who did hang vpon thee Now what shall we speake of Charity The sentence of our Lord is this Greater Charity then this no man hath that a man yield his life for his friends Ioan. 15. This Christ performed vpon the Crosse since no man could against his Will depriue him of life For himselfe thus sayth hereof No man taketh my life from me but I yield it of my selfe Ioan. 10. Therefore as aboue is said no man hath greater Charity then he that yieldeth his life for his frieÌ„ds because nothing can be found more precious and to be beloued then Life it being the foundation of all goods For what doth it proffit a man sayth our Lord if he gaine the whole world and sustaine the domage of his soule that is of his lyfe And from hence it is that all things labour to resist with all their strength yea aboue their strength those who do endeauour to take away their lyfe And we read in Iob Skinne for skinne and all things which a man hath he will giue for his lyfe But these passages are generall vve vvill descend to particulars Christ did ineffably shew by many meanes to all mankind and to euery one of vs his Charity by dying vpon the Crosse First because his life vvas the most precious of all liues as being the lyfe of man vvho vvas God the lyfe of the most potent King of Kings the lyfe of the most wisest of all the Doctours Furthermore he gaue his lyfe for his Enemies for wicked men for vngratefull men Againe he laid dovvne his lyfe that he might deliuer these his Enemies wicked vngratefull men from the burnings and torments of Hell to the which they vvere alreadâ— condemned Lastly he gaue his lyfe that he might make these men to become his Brethren and Coheyres and moâ—â— happily place them in the kingdome of Heauen for all Eternity And is there any man of that flinty or sauage nature who from this tyme vvill not loue Christ Iesus with all his Harts and will not suffer any aduersity for his sake O mercifull God auert and turne such a stony and iron hart not only from our Brethren but from all men whosoeuer either Infidels or Atheists The second fruite of the seauenth Word CHAP. XXI AN other fruite and that most profitable is if we learne to vse frequently that prayer which our Lord taught vs when being ready to goe to his Father he said Into thy hads I commend my spirit But because he was not pressed and vrged with that Necessity with the which we are vrged since he was the Sonne and Holy we but seruants and sinners Therefore our Mother and Mistresse the Church instructeâ—h vs to fâ—equent and often vse it but as it is entire and whole in the Psalme of Dauid and not diuided as our Lord pronounced it In the Psalme it is thus read Into thy hands I commit my spirit Thou hast redeemed me O Lord God of Truth Psal 30. Christ did omit the later port because himselfe was the Redeemer and not the party redeemed but we who are redeemed with his most precious bloud ought not to pretermit this part of the Psalme Christ also prayed to his Father as his only begotten sonne We pray to Christ as our Redeemer therfore we say not Father into thy hands I commend my spirit But into thy haÌ„ds O Lord I commend my spirit thou hast redeemed me O Lord God of Truth According to which manner of speach S. Steuen the first Martyr being ready to dye said Lord Iesus receaue my spirit Act. 7. Furthermore our Mother the holy Church teacheth vs to say this Prayer at three seuerall tymes First euery day at the Complyme as those vvell knovv vvho read the Canonicall Howers Againe when we approach to the most holy Eucharist after those words are said Domine non sum dignus the Priest first for himselfe and after for the Communicants doth say In manus tuas commendo spiritum meum Lastly at our departure out of this lyfe all the faithfull are admonished that they say In manus tuas commâ—ndâ— spiritum meum As concerning the Complyme it is not to be doubted but that there is said In manus tuas Domine c. because the Complime is accustomed to be read tovvards the end of the day and as S. Basill speaketh Primis se intendentibus tenebris c. Assoone as darknes commeth because it may so fall out that in the night tyme vnexpectedly death may surprize vs therefore we commend our soule to our Lord that if so sudden death might happen to vs it might not happen to vs vnforseene in Reg. fusius explic q. 37. That at the tyme of receauing the most Blessed Eucharist is said In manus tuas commendo c. the reason is because that action is very dangerous and withall very necessary so as without perill it cannot often be
frequented or intermitted For he that eateth the Body of our Lord vnworthily eateth iudgment to himselfe 1. Cor. 11. That is he eateth condemnation to himselfe And againe He that eateth not the body of our Lord eateth not the bread of lyfe and life it selfe Ioan. 9. Thus vve are brought to straits on ech syde being partly like to those men who suffer extremity of hunger and yet are vncertaine whether that which is brought to them to eate be meate or poyson Therefore with iust reason we say with feare and trembling O Lord I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter into my house except out of thy ineffable goodnes thou wilt make me worthy therefore say the word and my soule shal be healed But because of this I also doubt whether thou wilt vouchsafe to cure my wounds I commend my spirit into thy hands that so in this terrible busines thou mayst be present to my soule which thou hast redeemed with thy precious Bloud Yf men would ponder these things maturely they would not so greedily approach to receaue Priesthood that by daily celebrating they might maintaine their corporal state For such men are not accustomed to be much carefull as they ought to be whether they come with due preparation since their End is rather the meate of the Body then the meate of the Soule There are also many who attend vpon Prelats and Princes who perhaps do not come rightly prepared to this dreadfull table yet they approach to it as drawne through a humane feare least they may displease their Prince or Prelate if at the appointed and accustomed tyme they be not presenâ— among and one of those who are tâ— communicate What â—herefore is to be done It may be it were more profitable to come to that table more rarely Yea but it is more profitable often to frequent that table so it be with reuerence due preparation For by how much one commeth more rarely by so much he is made lesse apt to participate of that Heauenly Table as S. Cyril hath wisely admonished lib. 4. in Ioan c. 17. There now remaineth the tyme of neare approaching or imminent death at what time it is necessary with great feruour of mind frequently and often to repeate and say Into thy haÌ„ds I commend my Spirit thou hast redemed me O Lord God of truth That is the tyme in which the chiefest busines of all is haÌ„dled for if it should so happen that the soule departing out of the Body commeth into the hands of the Deuill there is no hope left of Saluation And contrariwise if it haue its passage to the paternall Hands of God no povver of mans Ghostly Enemy is after to be feared Therefore with an inutterable moaning vvith true and perfect Contrition with a strong fayth and confidence in the infinite mercy of God it is againe and againe to be iterated and repeated Into thy hands O Lord I commend my spirit And because at that instant of tyme those vvho haue led a negligent and carelesse life do suffer no greater temptation then of despayre as if the tyme of Pennance and repeÌ„tance were then past Let such oppose against this temptation the buckler of Fayth since it is written In what day soeuer the sinner shall repent I will not remember his sinnes Ezech. 33. Let them also take the Helmet of Hope which trusteth in the boundles Mercy of God and let them often repeate Into thy hands I commend my spirit neither is that reason which is the foundation of our Hope to be omitted to wit Because thou hast redeemed me O Lord God of Truth For who vvill restore to Christ his innoceÌ„t bloud who vvill repay backe to him the price with which he bought vs For so S. Austin speaketh teaching vs in those words to confide much in our Redemption which is in Iesus Christ which cannot be in vayne and fruitles except our selues do put a barre or hindrance therto through Impenitency or Desperation The third fruite of the seauenth Word CHAP. XXII THe third fruit is placed in that we may learne that death neare approaching we are not much to confide in the Almes-deeds Fastings or the prayers of our kinred friends For there are many vvho during the vvhole course of their lyfe are wholy forgetfull of their soule busiyng their mynds with nothing els but how to leaue their wife children and Kâ—nsfolks rich of great estate But when themselfes come to dye then not before they begin to thinke of their ovvne soule And because they haue distributed and deuided their goods faculties among their forsaid friends they commend the charge of their soules to them that by their meanes their soules might be helped with Almes-deeds Prayers masses and other good workes Christ did not teach vs this by his example since he commended his soule not to his kinsmen but to his Father Neyther doth S. Peter admonish vs that we should commend our soules to our Children or kinsfolkes but to the faythfull Creatour by good deedes 1. Pet. 4. I do not say this as reprehending those who either procure or desire Almes-deedes or sacrifices of the holy masse to be offered vp for them after their death But I much blame those vvho repose too much trust in their Children and kinsfolkes since daily experience teacheth that they quickly forget their dead Ancestours I further reprehend them because in a matter of so great importance they will not prouide for themselues and that they will not giue and performe the Workes of Charity and Almes-deeds by which they may purchase many friends by whose meanes as we read in the Gospell they may be receaued into the Eternall Tabernacles Luc. 16. I also greatly blame them wâ—o do not obey the Prince of the Apostles commanding vs as is aboue said to commend our soules to our faythfull Creatour and to commend them not only in words but also in good Workes Since good works sent before to God are those which efficaciously and truly commend the soules of Christians to God Let vs heare what voyce sounded from Heauen to S. Iohn Apoc. 4. I heard a voyce from Heauen saying to me Write Blessed are the dead which dye in our Lord from hence now sayth the spirit that they rest from their labours for their works follow them Therefore good works performed by our selfes whilst we liue and not to be done after our death by our Children or kinsfolkes are those which certainly do follow vs especially if those works be of their owne nature not onely good but as S. Peter not without mistery hath expressed for thus he speaketh In bene factis commendent animas suas fideli Creatori let them commendent their soules to their faythfull Creatour by good deeds meaning in works well done For there are many who can number many good Works by them done as many Sermons preached many Masses daily celebrated their howers of prayers for many yeares their fast of Lent continued in like