Or what woman having ten groates if she loose one groate doth she not light a candle and sweepe the house and seeke diligeÌ„tly till she finds and when she hath found it calleth together her frends and neigbours saying reioyâ—e with me becavse I have found the groate which I had lost So I say to you there shall be ioy before the angels of God vpon one synner that doth penaÌ„ce The effect of this parable is the same with the former but moreover puteth vs in mind how much we must endeavour to recover ourselves or another begging light of Allmightie God and bestiring ourselves in the search of our falts and causes of them Also that as a peece of money hath the stampe of the Prince whose coyne it is so vpon man the image of God is printed in consideration wherof we ought to use all diligence that it be not lost and so soyled and bemired or when it is lost that it be found out againe and brought to its former lustre Christ also as S. Chrysologus discourseth is the full expression of the deitie the price of our redemption he was foretold and figured in the old law and yet hidden the Synagog of ehe Ievves had him and through their obstinate darknes they did not see him we following the candle which our mother the Church holdeth forth vnto vs aÌ„d walking in the light of our Saviours coutenance shall find the groate which is our Saviour and reioyce with him in the coÌ„ panie of his Angels Amen In fiâ—e we must be towards our Saviour as sheepe obedient tractable fearefull and wary of the wolfe having recourse to him for help and assistance towards others meeke and harmelesse moâ—e ready to suffer then to contend aÌ„d esteeme of our soules as our chiefest substance which once lost or impayred as it cost our Saviour infinite paynes and labour so must we spare no labour to conserve or recover it The prodigall Child I. Acertayne man had two sonnes and the yonger of them sayed to his Father Father give me the portion of substance which belongeth to me and he devided out the substance And not many dayes after the yonger Sonne gathering all things together went from home into a farre country and there he wasted his substance living riotously But after he had spent all there fell a sore famin in the counâ—rey and he Began to need And he went and cleaved to one of the cittizens of the countrey and he sent him to his farme to feed swine aÌ„d he would fayne have filled his belly with the huskes and no body gave vnto him In our paternall house of God so long as we be dutifull we have three fountaines of wealth and delight allâ—ayes open to vs so that nothing can be wanting towards our happines These are expressed in the words with which the loving father did indeavour to appease the elder brother complayning of his debauched brothers intertaynement at his retâ—rne Sonne thou art allwayes with me and all my things are thyne for what greater prefermeÌ„t then to be sonnes of God What greater pleasure then to be allwayes with him VVhat greater wealth then to have all that God hath to vse it according to reason VVhat doth most commonly put vs by this felicitie A greatâ— conceite of ourselves and of our abilitie to governe ourselves and an itching desire of disordered libertie give me the portion of substance He that had all confines himself to a portion O blindnes But give it me who now have yeares and wit enough why should I be allwayes kept vnder It belongeth to me to order myself and that which is myne The eye of my Father is now a troble to me who see well enough what is to be done I vvill go see the world and travell into farre countreyes vvhere I may enioy the portion of my substance for what auayleth it me to say that all things are mine if I cannot vse them but as another will youth and age have different wayes And thus not thinking any thing good or safe which was not at his owne dispose not many dayes after gathering all things together he went from home into a farre countrey Farre indeed he goeth who indeavours to fly from God and from all rationall courses but what found he Famin want slaverie beastly life vnsatiable desires II. And returning to himself he sayed how many of my fathers hirelings have abundance of bread and I here perish with famin I will rise and go to my Father and say to him Father y have synned against heaven and before thee I am not now worthy to be called thy sonne make me as one of thy hirelings and rising vp he came to his Father A happy returne wheÌ„ leaving of gazing vpon other folks actions by which most commonly we take no good we looke home vpon ourselves he saw by it that he lay wallowing in beastly pleasures feeding and delighting the hogs that is the dâ—vells but himself voyde of contentmeÌ„t all worldly things being but husks and of no solide substance or â—ut timent therfore he sayth he will rise froÌ„ that dirty kind of life aÌ„d froÌ„ want of sustenance and go to his Father with whome there is abundance of bread for all sorts and doth not delay his rising and going knowing that he hath a father to deale with who though I be vnworthy to be received into favour will vpon repentance have compassion of me and if not restore me to my former state which I deserve not yet will give me sufficient to mayntaine me eâ—erlastingly Father I have synned against heaven This is the chief thing to be considered in our offenses that they are against God against that infinite power and goodnes to whome all subiection is due and all respect Then we must consider him as our Father our benefactour him by whome we receive our life aÌ„d meaÌ„s by whome weare protected aÌ„d coÌ„served all which deserved in way of gratitude quite other coâ—rses theÌ„ we have takeÌ„e Againe that we have offended beâ—ore him in his sight vnder his all seeing eye aÌ„d have not coÌ„sidered it aÌ„d it is I who have done this I who am but a worme of the earth not able to move hand or foote without him and yet have vsed his owne creatures against him and the strength and abilitie which I had from him I have turned to offend him I am not worthy of any thing but of punishment but thy mercyes are greate to which I betake myself vpon my knees as to my Father The Prodigall Child II. PART I. ANd when he was yet farre of his father saw him and was moved with pitty and running to him fell vpon his neck and kissed him And his Sonne sayed to him Father I have synned against heaven and before thee I am not now worthy to be called thy Sonne This is the mercyfull proceeding of God towards vs he casts his compassionaâ—e eye vpon vs though we be yet farre of from
Then open the eares of thy soule and harken hovv our Saviour cryes out with a lowd voyce O my God my God wherfore hast thou forsaken me Dive into the anguish of his soule from the beginning of his passion to the end he being as a man forsaken not only of men but of God that is left comfortles to beare the burthen of all these griefes with out any refreshing from the divine person with which his humane nature was conjoyned without diverting his thoughts or his imagination from it by other means When did the like ever happen to man Say with him O my God my God wherfore this but for me to satisfie for my vaine worldly comforts To teach me to want them and to contemâ—e them to teach me courage in occasions of distast and derelictions and not to complayne seeing he would not have complayned neither first of his sorrovv vnto deaâ—h nor novv of being forsaken but to persuade me of this truth that he suffered as a man indeed forsaken O my God forsake me not though I cannot say but that I have deserved to be forsaken II. Some that stood by and heard him sayed this man calleth vpon Elias let vs see whether Elias comes to deliver him As if he had need or expected help Hovv ordinarie it is for people to mistake or misconstrue words and actions and agayne thinke with what kind of coÌ„tempt they sayed this man and les vs see whether any comes to save him or to take him downe Prepare thyself for the like incounters and call vpon him in the dayes of this tribulation call with a lowdâ— voyce that is with fervour of affection and acknovvledgement of thy necessities III. Consider also the goodnes of God who in our extremities of corporall paine or spirituall derelictions doth not forbid vs to aske why though we cannot but knovv that we have deserved it if we knovv ourselves and God But the question must be as our Saviours with a loving respect and submission with resignation to the very last Heare him speaking to thee Sonne I came dovvne from heaven to save thee c. as in Thom. Kemp. l. 3. c. 18. And ansvvèr him as there Of the words of out Saviour vpon the Crosse. V. PART Preamble as in the former I. IEsus knovving that all things were novv consummated that the Scripture might be fullfilled he sayed I trist And certainly naturally he had greate thirst for the toyle of his journies to and fro might procure it his watching his sadnes the effusion of so much blood his attention to what was sayed aâ—d done by others and what was to be done or sayed by himself and it is fitting that we should compassionate him in it and animate ourselves to suffer that which may hapsen to vs in that Kind Yet if we reflect how once he begged water of the Samaritan and sayed to his Apostles my food is to doe my Fathers will we shall find there was another cause of thirst to wit he thirsted to accomplish his Fathers will to accomplish the Prophecies which were of him that not one tittle mightremayne vnfulfilled He thirsted the salvation of thy soule and that all might be paâ—takers of the living waters of his merits and grace He did thirst after thee that thou mightest learne to thirst after him and his heavenly giftâ— without which all is drougth and bitternes II. A vesseltherfore of vineger stood there full of vineger and they putting a spunge full about hissope offered it to his mouth reaching it to him with a reed This the tormentours did to proloÌ„g his life in payne that he might not faynt avvay as before they offered him the mingled wine which we have reason to lament but much more the hardnes of haâ—t even of beleeving Christians who for the vpshot of all the sorrovves which our Saviour hath suffered either continue in thier wonted synns or offer him vineger to drinke that is Actions as sovver as vineger lukevvarme without life or vigour halfe dead with tepiditie and dulnes and niggardnes tovvards him And like spunges drink vp worldly contentment which soone turne sourâ— and are as hard as flint in respect of that which is spirituall or like reeds wavering and changeable and weake Take heede that this manner of proceeding dry not the fountaine of his graces and bring the life of thy soule to a bitter end III. O Iesu give me the wholsome thirst of which thy prophet speakes saying My God earâ—â—y doe I awake to thee my soule hath thirsted after thee and my flesh very many wayes that neither soule nor body may desire any thing but thee and the accomplishing of thy blessed will in both that hating the thirst which hithertâ— I have laboured in vayne to satisfie in the world I may taste thy living waters c. Of the words of our Saviour vpon the Crosse and of his death VI. PART I. VVHen therfore Iesus had taken the vineger he sayed it is consummated and againâ— crying out with a lowde voyce he sayd Father into thy hands I commend my spirit and saying so bowing downe his head he gave vp the Ghost Novv indeed the Sunne is ecclypsed at noone day our Saviour being taken avvay by a cruell death in the prime of his yeares and middle of the vsual course of men in this world He would notwithstanding see all things before fullfilled that he might justly say to every one of vs what could you expect I should doe more for you I have given myself body and soule for you and all the labours and paynes that I have taken in them Consummatum e st See what you will doe for me II. O loving Father into what better hands can I commend both body and soule then after thy sonnes example into thyne To thee I doe bow downe my head acknovvledging thy soveraignitie over me and over all things created Thou art lord of life and death accordig to thy will and best knovvledge dispose of me Thy hands did frame me into them I render myself to be ordered as thou pleasest I confesse some times my spirit doth rise against that which doth not suite with it but it is when I doe not coÌ„sider rightly that all cometh from thee to whom all ought to be subject In manus tuas commendo spiritum â—eum III. With hovv different a note doe those cry out at the latter houre who are overtaken with death before they have done all that they ought to doe tovvards God and thier neighbour the good and the bad the diligent and the flouthfull Whatsoever thy hand can doe doe it instantly for neither worke nor counsell nor wisdoms nor knowledge is after death whether thou hastenes Sayth the Wiseman Begg of our Saviour that he will assiste thee living and dying that having passed this life and vale of miserie thou mayest enjoy him the more perfectly in the other world Of the things which happened after our Saviours death I. ANd
and vnconceivable obedience to thy heavenly father O that I had never offended rather then such indignities should be offered thee O give me grace that I may never offend thee for to offend thee is yet a greater indignitie Sonnes of men how long and to what end heavy harted Wherfore doe yee love vanitie and seeke after that which will deceive yee Here is matter of love worth your longing and truth worth your seeking Christ suffering and so entring into his glorie Our Saviour appeares to the two disciples travelling II. PART I. ANd they drew nigh to the towne whether they went and he made as though he would have gone further and they constrayned him saying stay with vs because it is towards evening and the day is farre spent And he went in with them They were courteous and charitable as to a stranger He is no stranger to thee see with what affection thou wilt invite him Consider thy necessitie hovv neere the nighr thou travellest and how neere thy end He deserves he expect to be invited and in a manner forced by our earnestnes that we may grovv in esteeme of him and thevv it O hovv many wayes doe we rather give him occasion not to come in to vs O slovvnes and dulnes that cannot compasse so happy companie vnles he stay for vs Manâ— mobiscum Domine II. And while he sat at table with them he tooks bread and blessed and brake it and did reach it to them and thier eyes 〈◊〉 opened and they knew him and he vanished out of 〈◊〉 sight See the effect of Christ his staying with vs and of devoutly communicating with due thanks giving and blessing of God for his so greate benefit and consideration of the passion of our Saviour Be not hasty to depart when thou hast received him stay and ponder his greatnes his goodnes his familiarnes with vs his wisdome his povver c. This is the way to have thy eyes more and more opened and to increase in his knovvledge and love This vayle of mortalitie and the Sacramentall shapes will not afford thee a cleere sight but fayth and submission must supply and love proportionable It is better to sit in a corner with him then with multitudes of those to whom nature doth more incline vs. III. And they sayed one to the other was not our hart burning in vs while he spake to vs in the way and opened to vs the Scriptures And rising the same howre they returned to Hierusalem and told the things that were done in the way and how they knew him in the breaking of bread The means to become fervant is meditation and pious discourse often also to reflect vpon our former courses hovv we have gone aâ—tray and to be punctuall in observing our times and hovvers of reading and hearing spirituall things and of other devout practises with hovv little fervour alas Doe I think or speake of these things after so much handling of them Hovv cold is my hart even at the times when it hath cause of most heate Our repiditie and negligence is much to be lamented and commiserated that we come to our Saviour with no more affection c. Th. à Kemp. lib. 4. cap. 1. n. 2. Our Saviour appeares to his disciples when they were together I. VVHen it was Late that day and the doores were shut where the disciples were gathered together for feare of the Iewes Iesus came and stood in the midst and sayth to them Peace be to you and shewed them his hands and side The disciples therfore were glad when they saw our lord It seemes alwayes late when Iesus delayes his coming Yet we ought not to despayre specially if we forgo not our recollection and doe intertayne ourselves in holy desires of seeing him Veni Domine noli tardare Come to forgive come to comfort the closest secrets of my hart shall be allvvayes open to thee and allvvayes ready no feare shall shut the doorevpoÌ„ thee take thy standing in the midst and full possession of me for thou bringest peace and complete ioy O blessed hands and side pearced for my sake what obiect can be compared with this VVhere can I dvvell with more content II. He sayed to them againe Peace be to you as my Father sent me I also send you then he breathed vpon them and sayed receive the holy Ghost whose synns you shall forgive they are forgiven and whose you shall retayne they are retayned VVhat doth this repetition of peace betoken but that as he had with his presence quieted thier minds so did he commend quiet and peace among themselves to the end that while some did rejoyce that they had beleeved others lament that they had fayled one should not immoderately extoll himself above the other or think of himself the beâ—â—er Secondly that the peace which he did give them did not consist in an idle rest or present quieâ— from troble and payne but as his Father sent him to suffer and take paynes and with the like love to them as his Father had notwithstanding his sufferings to him Where we must not forget to prepare ourselves with a pure conscience that we may act and suffer with merit of the revvard promised and to that end make vse of the power given to the Apostles and thier successours for the remission of our synnes that they be no hinderance to ourselves nor to the good intended by our good God III. They yet not beleeving and marvelling for ioy he sayed have you here any thing to be eaten and they offerd him a peace of fish broyled and a hony combe and when he had eaten before them taking the remaynder he gave it them His eating was not for need of it but by that which he could doe to confirme his resurrection besides that the â—â—sh broyled signified our Saviour himself who ought to be our continuall food He vouchsafed to hide himself in the sorrovves of mankind and be caught in the net of death broyled vpon the crosse but he that was thus broyled in his passion became a hony combe in his resurrection and ioyned these tvvo together in his refection because he receiveth those into his mysticall body in eternall rest who suffering here for God find svveetnes in it in regard of the love which they beare him Thou hast this food in the blessed Sacrament feed on it with svveetnes of hart and love for it contayneth all sort of delight He appeareth againe to his disciples Thomas being present I. THomas one of the twelve wae not with them when Iesus came the other disciples sayed to him we have seen our Lord But he sayed vnlesse I see in his hands the dint of the nayles and put my finger into the place of the nayles and put my hand into his side I will not beleeve S. Jhon Chrisostome As to be easy of beleefe is a signe of weaknes so to be over curious in searching is dulnes and
his dayly inspirations and inward and outward assistances he gives vs himself for our spirituall sâ—stenance Parents oft-times put out their Children to others to be nursed and mayntayned I sayth he doe not so but doe feed you with my owne flesh and set myself before you desiring that all of you should be noble and assured of your furture inheritance for seeing here I give you myself much more shall I doe it in the life to come I would be your brother by taking your flesh and blood vpon me the selfsame flesh and blood by which I became of kin vnto you I doe give you Approch therâ—fore with greate reverence to his heavenly table retyre thyself from the multitude prepare thy eares to heare his word and thy tongue to receive the touch of his sacred flesh that thou may heare and speake perfectly of those things which belong to thy salvation and spirituall profit Say with S Peeter thou art Christ the Sonne of the living God and be in this confession constant buylding thy faith vpon the rock which cannot fayle and against which the gates of hell shall not prevayle Tou must beware of curious and vnprofitable searching into this most profound Sacrament if thou wilt not be sunk into the depth of doubtfullnes The Transfiguration of our Lord. I. ANd after six dayes Iesus taketh vnto him Peeter and Iames and Ihon his brother and bringing them vnto a high mountaine a part he was transfigured before them and his face did shine like the Sunne and his garments became like snow And there appeared to them Moyses and Elias talking with him He had lately spoken to them of his passion aÌ„d though with all he told them of his rising the third day yet to confirme them in the confidence of his divine power and nature and that those miseries were not to be perpetuall or without greate fruite of glorie he shewes them part of the future happynes which he was to inioy and those also who should follow his example and doctrine Moyses led the Children of Israel out of their captivitie in Aegypt through the red sea and the desert and fed them from heaven with manâ—a and provided at times other necessaries Elias was taken vp to heaven in a firy chariot both figures of what our Saviour was in a better and spirituall way to doâ— for vs by the sea of his sacred Blood shed for vs to deliver vs from the captivitie of synne and of the divell and bring vs through the desert of this world to eternall rest in heaven and of these things they discoursed with him teaching vs to record often the benefits and the glorie to which we are ordayned by them II. And Peeter answering sayed to Iesus Lord it is good for vs to be here if thou wilâ— let vs make here three tabernacles one for thee and one for Moyses and one for Elias He had a tast of one drop of sweetnes and loathed all other sweetnes what if he had tasted that greate masse of sweetnes which thou hast layed vp in store for those who feare thee and as yet is hidden Yet he was taxed for what he sayed another Evangelist recording he knew not what he sayed because not having yet perfectly discovered the truth he desired to plaâ—t his tabernacle here on earth wherâ—as all good people know that they are here strangers and pilgrimes and yet he had easyly pardon because so much good as he saw could not be but very desirable No man is worthy of heavenly consolation vnlesse he hath diligently exercised himself in holy compunction III. And as he was yet speaking behold a light cloud over-shadowed them and lo a voyce out of the cloud saying This is my beloved Sonne in whom I am well pleased heare yee him and the disciples hearing it fell vpon their faces and were sore afrayde The voyce from heaven instructs vs in two things first that our Saviour is truly the eternall Sonne of God secondly that to please God we must heare him and follow that which he teacheth vs which is in effect that by the Crosse we must go to glorie and by no other way which though it troble vs and deiect vs according to sense yet the neerer we keepe ourselves to our Saviour the leffe we shall feare it for so it is sayed immediatly And Iesus came and touched them and sayed to them rise and feare not Stay a while my soule attend the divine promise and thou shalt have abundance of all good in heaven This is the way to be the beloved Sonne of God IV. And they lâ—fting vp their eyes saw no body but only Iesus and as they went downe from the mount he commanded them saying Tell the vision to no body till the sonne of man be risen from the dead To teach vs that we must not rashly and out of season speake of the favours which we receive froÌ„ God but in the closset of our hart be thankfull for them At that time as S Ihon Chrisostome advertiseth the more strong the things were which were sayed of him the lesse credit they found with many specially proceeding from a few of his owne disciples whome they might account partiall to their Maister Happy soules who coming downe from prayer can have their minds and intentions to recollected as to see none but Iesus only their minds being lifted vp above all earthly allurements c. He casteth out a divell which his disciples could not I. ANd when he was come to the multitude there came to him a manâ— falling downs vpon his knees before him saying Lord have mercy vpon my sonne for he is lâ—natick and sore vexed â—for he falleth often into the fire and often into the water and I offered him to thy disciples and they could not cure him And he asked him hoâ— long is it since this hath chanced to him And he sayed from his infancie We are borne sonnes of wrath and from our first father we are infected with a disease much like to the falling sicknes aÌ„d though the falls of our soules are neither so sudaine not so against our will as those of the body yet we have so greate an inclination from our youth to fall that even those who converse most familiarly with our Saviour and indeavour to follow him neerest cannot easyly avoyde the effects of it It casts vs to the ground while we hunt after earthly things not without damage to our soule It makes vs for the time dumb and deafe to holy admonitions It tormenteth vs and trobleth vs so that we lye wallowing and turning ourselves every way rather then to that which we ought and it is none of the least evills that the very name and first aspect of vertue seemes harsh vnto vs as our Saviour did to this man for when he had seen him imediately the spirit trobled him and being throwen to the ground he tumbled foming Iesus answered and