sakes aboue fiue thowsande strypes we beleue not yet that he loueth vs. But what shall we saie if to all these strookes and woundes which he receaued for vs at the pillar we adde moreouer all the other paines and trauaylles of his whole life all which proceeded of loue What browght thee downe o Lorde from heauen vnto the earthe but onelie loue What thinge pulled thee out of thy fathers bosome and lay de thee in thy mothers wombe What thinge caused thee to take the garmente of our fraile nature vpon thee and to become partaker of our miseries but onelie loue What thinge placed thee in an oxe staulle and swaddeled thee in a manger and chased thee into strange coūtreis but onelie loue What thinge made thee to carrie the yooke of our mortalitie for the space of so manie yeares but onely loue What thinge made thee to sweate to traueill to watche to continewe wakinge all the longe nighte and to passe ouer bothe sea and lande seakinge after lost soules but onely loue What thinge bounde Sampson hande and foote shaued his heare Iudic. 16. spoyled him of all his force and caused him to be mocked and scorned of his ennemies but onelie the loue of his spouse Dalida And what thinge hath bounde thee our true Sampson and shaued thee and spoyled thee of thy force and strengthe and geuen thee into thyne ennemies handes to be so reprochefullie lawghed spitted and scoffed at but onelie the loue that thou bearest vnto thy spouse the Catholicke Churche and vnto each one of our sowles Finallie what thinge hath brought thee to be crucified vpon the tree of the crosse there to stande so cruellie tormented from toppe to toe thy handes nailed thy syde opened thy members racked one from an other thy bodie all of a goore bloude thy vaines exhausted and voide of bloude thy lippes pale and wanne thy tonge bitter to be shorte all thy bodie wholie rente and torne What thinge coulde haue wrought such a most cruell fowle mangelinge and boucherie of thee as this was but onely loue O passinge great loue o gratious loue o loue seemelie for the great vnspekeable mercie and infinite goodnes of him who is infinitlie good and louinge yea wholie loue Hauinge therefore so great and so manie testimonies of thy loue o my sweete Lorde and sauiour as these be how can I but beleue that thou louest me Sith it is most certeine that thou hast not changed that most charitable louinge harte beinge now in heauen which thou haddest when thou diddest walke here vpon the earthe Thou art not like that cuppe bearer of kinge Pharao Genesis 40. who when he sawe him selfe in prosperitie forgat his poore friendes that he had left in prison but rather the prosperitie and glorie that thou doest now enioye in heauen moueth thee to haue greater pittie and compassion vpon thy children whom thou hast lefte here in earthe Now then sith it is certaine that thou louest me so much as I see verie euidentlie thou doest why doe not I loue thee againe why doe not I put my whole trust and affyance in thee why doe not I esteime my selfe verie happie and riche hauinge euen almightie God him selfe so constante and louinge a frynde vnto me It is vndowtedlie a great wonder that anie thinge in this life dothe make me carefull and heauie hauinge on my syde so riche and so mightie a louer throwghe whose handes all thinges doe passe I H S THVRSDAIE MORNINGE THIS daie when thou hast made the signe of the Crosse and prepared thy selfe hereunto thou hast to meditate and consider How our Sauiour was crowned with thornes how Pilate said of him to the people ECCE HOMO Beholde the man and how he bare the Crosse vpon his shoulders Christus passus est pro nobis vobis relinquens exemplum vt sequamini vestigia eius 1 pet 2.21 The text of the holie Euangelistes VHEN our Sauiour had bene thus whipped ād scourged Math. 25. Marc. 15. the souldiars of the president tooke him into the common haull and there gathered about him the whole bande And they stripped him and put vpon him a purple roobe and platted a crowne of thornes and put it on his head and a reede in his right hande And they bowed theire knees before him and mocked him sayeinge Haill o kinge of the Iewes and spitted vpon him and tooke the reede that he helde in his hande and smoote him on the head therewith Ioan. 19. Then Pilate went forthe againe and said vnto them Beholde I bringe him forthe to you that ye maie knowe that I finde no faulte in him at all Then came Iesus forthe wearinge a crowne of thornes and a purple garmente And Pilate said to them Beholde the man Then when the highe preistes and officers sawe him they cried sayeinge Crucifie him Crucifie him Pilate said vnto them Take ye him and crucifie him For I finde no faulte in him The Iewes answered and sayed we haue a lawe and by our lawe he owght to die because he made him selfe the sonne of God Then when Pilate haerde that worde he was the more afraied and wente againe into the common hall and said vnto Iesus Whence art thou But Iesus gaue him no answere Then said Pilate vnto him Speakest thou not vnto me knowest thou not that I haue power to crucifie thee and haue power to loose thee Iesus answered Thou couldest haue no power at all against me except it were geuen thee from aboue Therefore he that deliuered me vnto thee hath the greater sinne From thenceforthe Pilate late sowght to loose him But the Iewes cried out requiringe to haue him crucified and theire cries preuailed And Pilate determined to accomplishe theire requeste And he let loose vnto them him Luc. 23. that for an insurrection and murder was cast into prison whom they desired and deliuered Iesus vnto them to doe with him what they woulde And they tooke Iesus Ioan. 19. and led him awaie And he bare his Crosse and came into a place that was called Caluarie Luc. 23. And there folowed him a great multitude of people and of women which bewayled and lamented him But Iesus turned backe vnto them and said Daughters of Ieruzalem weepe not for me but weepe for your selues and for your children For beholde the daies will come when men shall saie Blessed are the barren and the wombes that neuer bare and the pappes that neuer gaue sucke Then shall they beginne to saie to the mountaines falle vpon vs and to the hilles Couer vs. For if they do these thinges to the greene tree what shal be done to the drye I H S MEDITATIONS VPON THESE POYNTES OF THE TEXT COME forthe O yee dawghters of Sion and beholde kinge Salomon with the crowne wherewith his mother crowned him at the daie of his espousels and vpon the daie of the ioyefulnes of his harte O my sowle what doest thou O my harte what thinkest thou O my
with the spowse in the Canticles If a man geue all his substance for charitie he will contemne it as nothing Forsomuch therefore as verie reason would that euerie one should serue them that serue our most mercifull and louinge lord it seemeth vnto me that it is my boundē deutie also to do you some seruice in this your spirituall iourney at the least with this little volume which treateth of prayer and meditation c. that the holie and deuout exercises of your Reuerences maie be holpen somewhat by the same the which I trust in our lord shal be al waies furthered and procede prosperouslie both with it and without it And althowghe this be a dett which I owe vnto you yet do I for this dett craue of you a grace and this is that your Reuerences will most humblie beseach our lord that it maie please him of his infinite mercie and goodnes to graunt his fauour and assistance to this booke that the profitt of them that shall reade it maie be answerable to the paines of him that made it and to the good hart wherewith he offereth it vnto them THE PROLOGE AND ARGVMENT OF THIS BOOKE PRAIER what payer is to define it properlie is a petitiō we make vnto almightie God for such thinges as are apperteining to our saluation Howbeit praier is also taken in an other more large sence An other definition of prayer to wit for euerie lifting vp of our hart vnto god And according to this definition both meditation and contemplation and euerie other good thowght maie be also called a praier And in this sence we do now vse this vorde becaus the principal matter of this booke is of meditation and consideration of thinges apperteyning to almightie God and of the principall misteries of the Catholike faith The verie thinge that moued me to treat of this matter was for that I vnderstode The want of consideratiō is one of the principall cawses of all the euilles in the world Ieremie 12. that one of the principall cawses of all the euilles that be in the world is the want of consideration According as the Prophett Ieremie signified when he said All the earth is destroied with desolation becawse there is none that thinketh with attention vpon the thinges apperteyning vnto God whereby it appeareth that the verie cawse or our euills is not somuch the want of faith as the want of due consideration of the misteries of our faith For trewlie if there were no want in this behalfe the misteries of our faithe be of so great vertue The consideratiō of the misteries of our fayth is a greate bridle to with hold vs from synne and efficacie that if the verie least misterie of them were considered with attention and deuotion euen the same would be a great brydle and redresse of our liffe For who would euer goe about to committ anie sinne if he considered that almightie God died for sinne and that he punyshethe sinne with perpetuall bannishement out of the kingdome of heauen and with euerlasting paines and tormentes in the horrible fyer of hell Whereby ye maie see that although the misteries of our faith be of verie great force to encline our hartes vnto goodnes yet because there be verie manie Christians that haue no due consideration of the thinges they beleue therefore they worke not such effecte in there hartes as such misteries being well weied and considered were able to worke For like as the phisitions affirme that if we will haue a medecine to helpe a sicke man it is necessarie it be first wrowght and digested in the stomak with naturall heat because otherwise it shall not be anie profitt to him at all euen so also if we will haue the misteries of our faith to be profitable and healthfull vnto our soules it is requisite they be first wrought and digested in our hartes with the heate of deuotion and meditation because otherwise they shall profit vs verie littell And for want hereof we see that manie Christians which are verie whole and sownd in matters of faith be yet in there liues verie licentious and dissolute The cawse whie manie Christianes that are sounde in matters of faythe be yet verie dissolute in theire liues And the reason is because they do not consider and weigh the holie misteries which they beleue and so they keepe there faith as it were fast locked in a corner of a chest or as a sword in the scabarde or as a medecine in the potticaries shoppe and vse not the benefitt thereof for such purposes as it serueth They beleue generallie and as it were in a fardel or grosse sōme all such thinges as the Catholike Church beleueth They beleue that there shal be a iudgment that there shal be paines for the wicked and glorie for the good Verye few Christians doe set thē selues to cōsider the misteries of our faithe but how manie Christians shall ye finde that do consider after what sort this iudgment these paines and this glorie shal be with other the like circumstances Now this is the cawse why the holie scripture so earnestlie commendeth vnto vs the continuall consideration and meditation of the lawe of God and of the misteries thereof which is indeede the studie of true wisedome Consider I pray you how instantlie Moses that great prophett and frynde of God commendeth this vnto vs saying Deuteron 5. Prynte these my wordes in your hartes and carie them bound as it were for a signe in your handes and teach them to your children that they may thinke vpon them When thou shalt be sitting in thy howse or trauaylinge in the waie when thou shalt lie doune to slepe or rise vp in the morning thinke and meditate vpon them and write them on the thresholdes and gates of thy howse that thou maist alwaies haue them before thine eies with what more effectuall wordes could he commend vnto vs the continuall meditation and consideration of heauenlie thinges then with these Prouerb 1.3 And no lesse doth Salomon commend the same holie exercise vnto vs in his Prouerbes where he exhorteth vs to carie the lawe of God alwaies as it were a chayne of gold about our neckes and at night to goe to bed with it and in the morninge so sone as we awake to beginne immediatlie to exercise our selues in the same Blessed is that man that is so occupied And so doth Ecclesiasticus tearme him Ecclesiast 14. when he saieth Blessed is the man that dwelleth in the house of wisedome and meditateth vpon the lawe and commandementes of God and exerciseth him selfe in iustice and reasoneth of holie thinges by his vnderstanding Blessed is he that considereth her waies in his hart and vnderstandeth her secretes He shall looke in at her windowes and hearkē at her doores He shall abide beside her howse and fasten a stake in her walles He shall pytch his tent besides her Now what other thinge maie we inferre of
of those tormentinge raginge ministers that at the verie time of rearinge it vp and placinge it therein they let it falle furiouslie from them with a iumpe into the hoole with all the weight thereof and so all his blessed bodie was sore shaken and iogged vp and downe in the aier and thereby his woundes were wydened and enlarged and his paines and grieffes more encreased Now therefore o my sweete Sauiour and redeemer what harte is so stonie harde that will not ryue in sunder for verie sorrowe and griefe sith the verie stones them selues were ryuen the same daie consideringe the extreme paine that thou sufferedest on the Crosse The sorrowes of deathe ô Lorde Psalm 17. Psalm 68. haue compassed thee about and the waues of the Sea haue ouer whelmed thee Thou art myred in the depthe of the bothomles goulfes and fyndest nothinge wherevpon to staie thy selfe Thy father ô Lorde hath forsaken thee what hope maist thou haue of men Thy ennemies make outcries against thee thy fryendes breake thy harte thy soule is afflicted and for the loue thou bearest to me thou wilt not admit any maner of comforte Vndowtedlie ô Lorde my sinnes were verie greate and haynous and that doth thy penance well declare I see thee ô my kinge fastened to a tree and there is nothinge to susteine thy bodie but onelie three iron nailes wherevpon thy sacred fleas he hangeth without anie other staie or comforte When the weight and swaie of thy bodie staieth vpon thy feete then are the woundes of thy feete the more torne and enlarged with the nailes wherewith they are pearced Againe when the weight of thy bodie staieth vpon thy handes then are the woundes of thy handes the more rente and enlarged also with the poyce of thy bodie One of thy members cannot succour an other but with equall preiudice either of the one or of the other Now as touchinge thy holie head beinge thus tormented and weakened with the sharpe crowne of thornes what pillowe hath it to rest vpon O how well might thy armes ô most excellent virgin be here employed to supplie this office But alas thine armes maye not serue at this present but onely the armes of the Crosse Vpon them must our Sauiour staie his sacred head when he will rest and yet so that the ease he taketh thereof is nothinge els but a further driuinge in of the thornes and fasteninge of the same deeper into the braine Besides all this I see those foure principall woundes as it were foure fountaines alwaies distillinge out bloude I see the grownde all besprinckled and bedewed rounde about with bloude I see that most pretious licour all betrampled and shed vpon the earthe which crieth much better then did the bloude of Abell Genesis 4. Heb. 12. For his bloude cryed for vengeance ageinst the murderer but this most pretious bloude of thine O sweete Iesus craueth pardon for synners OF THE COMPASSION THE SONNEHAD VPON HIS mother and the mother vpon her sonne hanginge vpon the Crosse § III. THE sorowes of the sonne were much increased by reason of the presence of his most blessed mother wherewith his dolefull harte was no lesse crucified within than his holie bodie without Two crosses be here prepared for thee ô good Iesus this daie The one for thy bodie and the other for thy soule The one is of passion and the other of compassion The one pearcethe thy most blessed bodie with nailes of iron th' other pearceth thy most holie soule with nailes of sorowe Who is able to declare ô sweete Iesus what an vnspekeable greife it was vnto thee when thou diddest cōsider the greate anguishes of the blessed soule of thy holie mother which thou knewest so certeinlie was crucified with thee on the crosse Luc. 2. When thou sawest her pittiefull harte pearced and thrust throughe with the knife of heauines and sorrowe When thou diddest open thy blouddie eies and beheldest her diuine face whollie ouercast with palenes and wannes of death When thou sawest those most grieuous paynes and anguishes of her minde which was not resolued with deathe and yet abode greater paines then the verie paines of deathe it selfe When thou beheldest those riuers of teares which gusshed out from her most pure eies and hardest those so lamentable deepe sighes and sobbes which burst out of her sacred brest beinge enforced with the vehemencie of her most grieuous heauines and sorowe Certeinlie ô Lorde it can not be expressed with wordes how muche this inuisible crosse tormented thy most pittiefull harte And who is able to declare also o most blessed mother the greatnes of the sorrowes and anguishes of thy dolefull harte When thou sawest him dye with such grieuous tormentes whom thou sawest borne with so great ioye When thou sawest him scorned and blasphemed of men whom there thou sawest praised of the angells When thou sawest that holie bodie which thou haddest handeled with so great reuerence and browght vp with such motherlie tendernes and cheres hinges so cuill entreated and tormented by most wicked persons When thou beheldest that diuine mouthe of his which thou haddest nourished with the milke of heauen distempered with the bitter tast of gaulle and vynegar When thou diddest also beholde that diuine head which thou haddest so often times laied and rested on thy virgines brest all to begored now with bloude and crowned with thornes O how often diddest thou lift vp thyne eies on highe to beholde that diuine shape that had so often times reioysed thy soule in beholdinge the same And how often agayne did thyne eyes turne aside from him because the tendernes of thy harte coulde not abide to see that dolefull sighte What tonge is able to expresse the greatnes of this sorrowe If the soules that loue our Sauiour Christe truelie and vnfaynedly when they meditate vpon these sorowes beinge now past haue such a tender compassion vpon him what diddest thou then o most blessed virgin beinge his mother yea and more than a mother when thou sawest presentlie with thine eies such a sonne suffer such a most cruell and painfull passion If those women that accompanied our sauiour when he went with his Crosse towardes his death beinge neither of kinne nor of acquaintance vnto him did weape and lamente to see him goe after such a pittiefull sorte How great then was the abondance of teares that fell from thine eies O blessed mother when thou sawest him who was so deerelie beloued vnto thee not onelie carryenge the Crosse on his shoulders but nailed also fast vnto it and hoysed vp alofte vpon the same And albeit these thy griefes and sorrowes were so great yet diddest not thou ô blessed virgin refuse the companie of the Crosse neither wouldest thou turne thy backe but stoodest there euen harde and fast by the same and not fallinge downe in sowndes nor yet ouerthrowen to the grounde but like a stronge pillar standinge vpright vpon thy feete Genes 3. beholdinge with inestimable sorrowe and
floudes commaunde the florishinge springe to retourne againe At this tyme of the resurrection of our Sauiour the holie virgin had withdrawen her selfe into her oratorie expectinge there the comminge of this newe lighte She cried inwardly in her harte and called like a pittiefull liones the therde daie vnto her dead sonne Psalm 56. sayenge Arise vp my glorie arise my harpe and my vyole Retourne ô triumphant conqueror vnto the worlde Gather together ô good pastor thy dispersed flocke Geue eare ô my deare sonne vnto the clamours of thy heauie aÌ„d afflicted mother And seinge by these clamours thou wast moued to descende downe from heauen into the earthe let the same moue the now also to ascende vp againe from hell into the worlde In the middest of these clamours and cries of the blessed virgin beholde that poore cotage of hers was sodainly brightened all ouer with a heauenly lighte and her sonne being now gloriouslie rysen againe from deathe to lyfe presenteth him selfe to the sight of his holie mother The morninge sterre appeareth not so beautifull the brighte sonne at noone daie shineth not so cleare as did that face full of all graces and that vnspotted glasse of diuine glorie in the eies of his holie mother She beholdeth the bodie of her sweete sonne rysen vp agayne from death and glorified all the disfigures of the former deformitie beinge cleane wyped awaie the comely grace of those diuine eies retourned and his former beautie was restored againe and increased She also beholdeth those gappes of his woundes which as they were before verie swoordes of sorrowe to her heauie and tender harte so are they now become fountaines of loue Whom she sawe before to suffer betwene two thieues she seeth now accompanied with Sainctes and Angells Whom she sawe before to commende her from the crosse vnto his disciple she seeth now stretchinge forthe his louinge armes and geuinge vnto her the sweete kisse of peace Whom she helde before dead in her armes she seeth now rysen vp againe before her eies The blessed mother now holdethe him and will not leaue him she embracethe him she desireth and prayeth him most instantly not to departe awaie from her Heretofore she was made speecheles for sorrowe and knewe not what to saye But now she is become speecheles for verie ioye and cannot vtter her inwarde gladnes vnto him Now what tongue can tell or what vnderstandinge is able to comprehende the exceedinge ioye that this blessed virgin conceyued inwardlie in her minde We cannot vnderstande the thinges that doe exceede our capacitie vnlesse we compare them to other lesse thinges and frame by them as it were a ladder to ascende by degries from the lower vnto the higher and so make a coniecture of the one by the other Now that we maye vnderstande somewhat of this her exceedinge ioye consider what a greate ioye the Patriarke Iacob felte when after he had bewailed his dearly beloued sonne Iosephe with so great abundance of teares supposinge him to be dead tydinges were browghte him that he was aliue and Lorde ouer all the lande of Egipt The holie scripture saieth Genes 45. that when these newes were tolde him he coÌ„ceyued so great ioye and astonishement therewith that as a man newlie awaked out of a heauie sliepe he coulde not call his wittes perfectlie together nor yet beleue the newes that his sonnes had tolde him no more than if it had bene a verie dreame But afterwardes when he was fullie resolued that it was true the holie scripture saith that his spirite reuyued againe and that he spake these wordes folowinge It is enoughe for me if my sonne Ioseph be yet a liue I will goe and see him before I die Now then tell me I praye you if Iacob that had eleuen other sonnes in his howse conceyued yet so great a ioye in his harte to vnderstande that euen one onely whom he supposed to be dead was yet aliue what an exceedinge great ioye conceyued the blessed virgin who hauinge no more but one sonne and that one such a sonne as our blessed Sauiour was so notable and so dearly beloued as he was vnto her after she had seene him with her eies bothe dead aÌ„d buried sawe him now againe rysen vp from deathe and withall glorified and made Lorde not onely of all the lande of Egipt but also of all thinges created Is there anie vnderstandinge able to comprehende this Vndowtedly her ioye was inwardelie so great that her harte had not bene able to susteine the force thereof had it not receyued some supernaturall streÌ„gth and comforte by speciall miracle of almightie God for that ende O blessed virgin this benefit alone maie suffice thee It is enoughe for thee that thy deare sonne is aliue and that thou hast him in thy presence and seest him before thy death so as now there remayneth nothinge els for thee to desire O Lorde how well knowest thou how to comforte them that suffer for thy sake The former paine of thy blessed mother seemeth not now to be great beinge compared with this passinge great ioye If thou ô Lorde doest comforte such as suffer for thee after this sorte blessed and happie are their persecutions and troubles seinge they shal be thus rewarded In like maner we haue to consider how our Sauiour appeared vnto his disciples and especially to S. Marie Magdalen whereof presently we doe not intreat because we woulde not make this meditation ouer longe The ende of the first seuen meditations for the seuen daies of the weke in the morninges HERE BEGINNE THE OTHER SEVEN MEDITATIONS FOR THE SAME SEVEN daies in the nightes And althowghe these Meditations be placed in the seconde place yet are they first to be vsed in the order of exercise Forsomuche as with them they must first beginne who are but newlie conuerted to the seruice of almightie God Accipite spiritum sanctum quorum remiseritis peccata remittuntur eis et quorum retinueritis detenta sunt Johan 20. vers 22. Multi 〈…〉 consiâ—â—tes et 〈◊〉 actâ—s suos Act. 19. vers 18. OF SYNNES MONDAIE NIGHTE THIS daie after thou hast made the signe of the Crosse and prepared thy selfe hereunto thou must atteÌ„de to the knowledge of thy selfe aÌ„d thou must vse diligence to call to minde thy sinnes and offences And this is the waie to obteine trewe humilitie of harte and repentance which are the two first gates and foundations of a Christian life For the better performance whereof Of the multitude of the synnes of thy former life thou must thinke firs t of all vpon the multitude of the sinnes of thy former lyfe and espetially vpon those offences that thou diddest coÌ„mit at what time thou haddest least knowledge of almightie God For if thou canst well vewe and examyne them thou shalt finde that they haue exceeded in nomber the verie heares of thy heade and that thou diddest liue at that time like an heathen that knoweth not what God is This done ronne ouer
with inwarde quietnes and simplicite and desire him of his grace that he maie be able to proceid in his prayer and meditation without such great trouble and daunger vnto him And in case it shall please our Lorde to graunte him this quietnes of mynde he shall feele a more inwarde hartie deuotion thereby than he was wont to feele with the disquietnes of his minde and it shall endure much longer After this sorte maie a man continewe in prayer and meditation a longe time together without feelinge anie heauines or greife but that man can not so doe that shall meditate after the other enforced maner before specified And for this cause we must take diligent heede that if at anie time there doe arise in the sowle verie feruent motions of sensible deuotion or excessiue sobbinges and sighinges we suffer not our selues to be caried awaie with thē but we must temper them with great moderation and dissemble them as much as we can and withall endeuour to kepe and continewe that consideration and thoughte within vs which caused those feruent motions I meane hereby that we must remoue awaie from vs those stormes and alterations of the fleashe to wit these vehemēt sobbinges and sighinges and enioye in our sowle with quietnes the light and deuotion which almightie God hath then sent vnto vs. And after this sorte we shall continewe in our exercise a longer time and our consolation shall take deeper roote inwardly in our sowles and shall not geue any outwarde shewe thereof with weepinge sobbinge and other externall signes which can hardlie be auoyded without great paine in case a man doe once accustome him selfe verie much vnto such sensible motiōs and feruours which the stronger and mightier they shewe outwardly the more doe they quenche the light inwardly and be an impedimente vnto vs that we can not proceede forwarde in our prayer ād meditation True it is that at the first beginninge of nouices in spirituall exercises such feruours can verie hardlie be eschewed For then the great wonder that a man hath of the newnes and profoundnes of diuine thinges maketh him to enter into so great an admiration and astonishmente that he can not refraine him selfe from this feruencie But after that with the vse of dailie meditation of diuine thinges the newnes of them ceaseth then is his harte quieted and although he loue almightie God with greater vehemencie yet hath he not such sensible feruour and disquietnes in his loue And so we see that the newe wyne and the potte of water when it beginneth first to trye the vnwonted heat of the fier it boyleth so forceablie that it bubbleth vp and runneth ouer the brimme but after that it hath boyled a certaine space it seetheth then much better and is much hoatter and yet with lesse noyce and vehemencie That man which was lame from his mothers wombe whom S. Peter healed as it is declared in the actes of the Apostles so soone as he perceyued him selfe to be whole and perfetlie cured of his former lamenes Act. 3.8 the holie Scripture saiethe that he walked and leaped and praised almightie God This man was not contented onely to goe but as one that had bene so longe time as it were bounde hande and feite and findinge by experience his newe libertie he then stretched forthe his limmes to the vttermost he coulde and leaped and skipped with great ioye and admiration Howbeit it is to be thought that afterwardes he woulde walke more quietly and not leape and skippe all his life time but as then the great ioye he had of his newe and vnaccustomed health woulde not suffer him to be in quiet The fourthe aduise which followeth of the foresaide aduises And here it is declared what maner of attention we ought to haue in our exercise of prayer and meditation § IIII. OF all these aduises aforesaiede we maie gather what maner of attention we ought to haue in praier For in this exercise it is cheiflie expediente for vs to haue our harte not heauie nor dulle but liuely attente and lifted vp on highe In figure whereof we reade that the Angell saiede to the Prophet Ezechiel Ezech. 2.1 that he shoulde arise and stande vpon his feite when the Angell woulde talke with him and declare vnto him the diuine misteries In like maner we reade that those two Cherubins which Salomon placed at the two sides of the Arke of the testament stode with their winges lifted vp on highe 3. Reg. 6. and stretched abroade as if they woulde flye to signifie what a great attention and liftinge vp of the spirite a man ought to haue at such tyme as he presenteth himselfe before almightie God to speake and stande before him But as it is necessarie on the one side to be in prayer with such an attention and close recollection of the mynde euen so on th' other side it behoueth that this attention be qualified with temperance and moderation that it be neither preiudiciall to our healthe nor anie impediment to deuotion For some there be that doe wearie their heads with ouermuch violence whiles they labour to be attente vnto those thinges that they meditate vpon And others againe there be that to avoide this inconuenience are in their meditation verie slacke and negligente and verie easie to be caried awaie with euerie winde Now to eschewe these two extremities it is expediente that we vse such a meane that we doe neither with ouer much attention wearie our head nor with carelesnes or negligēce suffer our thoughtes to goe wāderinge whither so euer they wil. So that like as we vse commonlie to saie vnto him that rydeth vpon a kickinge flinginge horse that he must take good heede how he holdeth the reines of his bridle and kepe a meane therein that is he must holde them neither to harde nor to slacke that the horse neither turne backewarde nor runne to headlonge forwarde Out attention must proceed with moderation and not with violence Prou. 30.33 euen so must we endeuour that our attention maye proceede in our prayers with moderation and not with violence and with a temperate carefulnes and diligence and not with excessiue labour and traueill Of both these poyntes we be aduertised in the holie Scripture For of the one Salomon saiethe Who so squiseth ouermuch the pappes to get out milke shall wringe out bloude And of the other poynte the Prophete Esaie saieth Esa 66.10.11 Reioyce with her all ye that mourne for her that ye maie sucke and be satisfied with the breastes of her consolation Howbeit in case we feyle of the meane and doe leane vnto anie of these two extremeties Of the two extremeties it is lesse hurt to haue ouermuch attention in our prayers than no care or regarde of our attention therein it is lesse hurte to leane vnto ouermuch attention than vnto carelesnes and neglectinge of our attention For a man is prouoked to carelesnes and negligence by his
compassion Howbeit the paines of our Sauiour Christe are not thus ended there be yet others without all cōparison farre greater than these to witt the paines of his blessed sowle For all these paines aboue-named doe for the most parte appertaine to the paines of the crosse wherein his bodie suffered outwardly but besides this visible Crosse The inuisible crosse of our sauiour wherewith his sowle was tormēted there was yet an other inuisible crosse wherein his most holie sowle was crucified within his bodie hauinge also foure armes and foure nailes which were foure dolorous considerations and these were a farre greater tormente vnto him than theverie outwarde crosse For first of all there were represented vnto him al the sinnes of the worlde that were present past and to come for all which he suffered and that so distinctlie as if they had bene the sinnes but of one man alone Now to him that bare such a passinge great loue and zeale vnto the honour of his father what an vnspekeable greife was it to beholde such an infinite nomber of abhominations and offences committed against so highe a maiestie For it is certaine that the sinnes of one man alone were able to tormente him more than al the tormētes of the crosse The which beinge so what a passinge greate greife woulde the sinnes of all men and of all worldes cause vnto him Suerly there is no vnderstandinge able to comprehende the passinge greatnes of this greife Secondly there was also represented vnto him the ingratitude and damnation of many men and espetially of many wicked Christiās which woulde neuer acknowledge this singuler benefite nor endeuour to profite and helpe thē selues with this so great and so costlye a remedie as he there prepared for them This was also a farre greater tormente vnto him than the tormente of the crosse For it is a greater paine vnto a labourer to be denied his daie wages and the fruite of his labour than the very labour it selfe albeit it were verie great And for this cause our Sauiour complained by his Prophete Esaie of this iniurie vnto his father sayeinge I saiede In vaine haue I trauailed In vaine Esa 49.4 and without cause haue I wasted my strengthe And he complained of this ingratitude not onely to his father but also euen vnto men them selues by S. Bernarde sayeinge O man S. Bernarde consider what cruell tormentes I suffer for thy sake There is no paine that tormenteth me so extremelie as thy ingratitude dothe I calle vnto thee that doe suffer deathe for thee Beholde the paines that doe torment me Beholde the nailes that doe pearse throughe my handes and fette Beholde the shamefull reproches and despites where with they dishonour me And although the paine which I suffer out wardly be so passinge great yet is the paine farre greater which I suffer in wardly when I see thee so ingratefull and vnkinde to wardes me for the same In like maner there was represented vnto him the horrible sinne of that miserable people of Iewrie and the terrible punishement that was prepared for them within a shorte time after which vndoutedlie was a greater greife and tormente vnto him than the cuppe of his bitter passion For if the Prophete Ieremie signified that the sinne which the Iewes committed in goinge about to kille him greiued him much more than his owne very deathe what a greife woulde it be to our sauiour who had without all comparison farre greater charitie and grace than the Prophete Ieremie There were moreouer represented vnto him the greifes and dolefull sworde of sorowe which pearsed the harte of his blessed mother Luc. 2.35 when she sawe him suffer betwene two theiues vpon a crosse the which vndoutedlie was so great a greife and paine vnto him as the loue was great which he bare vnto her which loue was inestimable forsomuch as next vnto the loue of God he loued her most of all creatures Now these fowre considerations and greifes were as it were fowre armes of an other inwarde crosse wherewith his blessed sowle was likewise crucified within his holie bodic So that our sauiour suffered that daie the paines and tormentes of two crosses th' one visible and tho'other inuisible Vpon th' one crosse his bodie suffered outwardly and vpon th' other his sowle suffered much more inwardly Now how passinge great the greife was which proceided of these foure considerations there is no vnderstandinge able to comprehende it and yet we maie coniecture somewhat thereof by that outwarde shewe of his blouddie sweate in the garden Whosoeuer then shall attentiuelie consider all these causes shall clearlie see how passinge great the paines and tormentes of our Sauiour were which is the intente of this first maner of meditatinge vpon his most bitter passion Howbeit this must not be the finall ende of this exercise but rather it must be vsed as a meane to come to other endes to witt to vnderstande hereby what a passinge great loue he bare vnto thee that woulde suffer so much for thee and what a great benefite he did vnto thee in byeinge thee with so deare a price and how much thou art bounde to doe for him who hath done and suffered so much for thee and aboue all this how greatlie thou oughtest to abhorre thy sinnes and be greiued with them sith they were the cause of his so lōge and painfull martirdome Nowe for these foure endes whereof we will intreat in the chapters followinge serueth this maner of contemplation Whereby it appeareth that this first maner of meditatinge by waie of takinge compassion of the bitter paines of our Sauiour is as it were a meane or a ladder vnto all the others And for this verie cause S. Bonauenture made great accompte of this maner of meditation vpon the passion because it is sensiblie seene that this maner of meditation openeth the waie vnto all the other maners of meditatinge vpon the same And the same holie father saiethe that for this purpose it shal be a great helpe also for vs to take some discipline which maie cause some smarte and doe no hurte to the bodie that so by the feelinge of that so litle paine of whippinge and scourginge our selues we maie the better lift vp our spirite to consider somewhat of the passinge great paines and tormentes which the most tender bodie of our sweite Sauiour suffered for our sakes How in the Passions of our Sauiour Christe appeareth verie manifestlie what a greyuous thinge sinne is in the sighte of almightie God § II. THE seconde point that we haue to consider in the passion of our Sauiour is the greiousnes of our sinnes whereby to moue our hartes to be sorowfull for them and to abhorre them Wherefore we must vnderstande that as all the holie learned fathers doe affirme our sinnes were the very cause why the sonne of almightie God suffered such greiuous paines tormentes and crewell death as he suffered in this worlde For it is certaine that if there
is manifest that fayth is the first beginninge and foundation of all the Christian life For fayth maketh vs to beleue that almightie God is our creator our gouernour our redeemer our sanctifier our glorifier to be short our beginninge and our last ende Fayth is that which teacheth vs Fayth bridlethe maÌ„s harte and causeth him to liue in the feare of God that there is an other lyfe after this and that there shal be a generall iudgement of all our workes and that we shall receiue either euerlastinge glorie for the good or els euerlastinge paine for the euill And it is cleare that the fayth and beliefe men haue in these thinges brideleth their hartes and causeth them to stande in awe and to liue in the feare of God For if fayth were not emonge vs as a meane to brydle and directe vs herein what trow ye would become of the lyfe of man And therefore the Prophet saied That the iust man liueth by fayth Rom. 1. Heb. 10. Galat. 3. Abac 2.4 not that fayth alone is sufficient to geue vs lyfe but because faith by meanes of the representatioÌ„ and consideration of those thinges that it teacheth vs prouoketh vs to refraine from sinne and wickednes and to followe vertue and goodnes Ephes 6.16 And this is the cause why the Apostel willeth vs to take faythe as a sheild against all the fyrie dartes of the enemie For certainlie there is no better sheild against the dartes of sinne than to calle those thinges to minde that fayth hath reuealed vnto vs against the same Wherefore that this fayth maye worke this effect in vs it is verie requisite that we doe sometimes ponder and consider in our myndes with good attention and deuotion such thinges as our fayth teacheth vs. Vnlesse we poÌ„dre and coÌ„sider the mysteries of our faythe our faythe is as it were a lettâ—e clovp and sealed For if we doe not so it seemeth that our fayth shal be vnto vs as it were a letter closed vp and sealed in which althowgh there come notable important newes of verie great sorowe or ioye yet it moueth vs not at all neither to the one nor to the other no more than if we had receyued no letter at all And the reason is because we haue not opened the letter nor considered what thinges are conteined in it Now what thinge coulde be said more aptlie or more to the purpose towchinge the fayth of the wicked and dissolute Christians For suerlie there can not be thinges of greater terrour and ioye than those are which our fayth declareth vnto vs. But the wicked Christians because they doe neuer open this letter to see what thinges be conteined in it I meane hereby because they doe neuer thinke and meditate vpon these misteries of our Christian faythe or if they thinke vpon them they passe them ouer verie lightlie and in great hast they cause not in them this manner of motion and alteration to witt of ioye or of feare Wherefore it behoueth vs sometimes to open this letter of our faythe I meane the mysteries thereof and to reade the same very leisurlie and to consider with good attention what thinges are tawght vs in the same the which is done by meanes of the exercise of consideration For it is consideration that openeth that which is locked and vnfoldeth that which is folded together and maketh that cleare vnto vs which is otherwise darke and obscure And so by illuminatinge our vnderstandinge with the greatnes of the mysteries of our fayth it inclineth our will so farfourth as appertaineth to the office of consideration to conforme our lyfe to the same This office of consideration almightie God figured verie notablie in the lawe what was signified by the cleaÌ„ beaste in the lawe Leuit. 11. Deuter. 14. when emonge the conditions that were required in the cleane beast he assigned this for one that the beast should chewe the cudde to witt the meate that it bad eaten before Now it is certain that it was litle to the purpose whether the beast were cleane or vncleane and suerlie almightie God made litle accompt of that But his meaninge was to represent vnto vs in that cleane beast the condition office and exercise of those beastes that be spirituallie cleane to witt of the iust and righteous persons that are not content onelie to eate such thinges as appertain vnto amightie God in beleeuinge them by fayth but after they haue eaten them they doe also chewe them by meanes of coÌ„sideration in searchinge and ponderinge the mysteries which they beleue And after they haue vnderstode the meaninge and excellencie of them they distribute and deuide this meate vnto all the spirituall members of the sowle for the sustentation and reparinge of the same Insomuch that if we marke this matter well A notable similitude we shall finde that it fareth in this case as in the seede of a tree which althowghe it doe virtuallie conteine within it the substance of the tree yet hath it neide of the vertue and influence of heauen and of the benefite and moysture of the earthe to cause the vertue that is inclosed in the seede to come forthe to light and to growe vp by litle and litle and waxe a tree Euen so in like maner we saie that althoughe fayth be the first seede and originall of all our weale yet must it neides be holpen with this benefite of consideration that by the same and by meanes of charitie the greine and fruitfull tree of good lyfe which is virtuallie conteined therein maie growe and come to light HOW CONSIDERATION HELPETH HOPE § II. Summa S. Thomae 22. quaest 17. art 5. quaest 18. artic 1. CONSIDERATION helpeth also no lesse the vertue of hope This hope is an affection of our will that hath his motive and roote in the vnderstandinge As the Apostle signifieth plainlie vnto vs saienge All thinges that are written Rom. 15.4 are written for our instruction that throughe patience and consolation which the scriptures geue vnto vs we may haue hope and affiance in almightie God For vndowtedlie the holie scripture is the fountaine The holie scripture is the founteyne of comfort from wheÌ„ce the iust man gathereth the water of comfort wherewith he strengtheneth him selfe to put his hope and trust in God For first of all he seeth in the holie scriptures the greatnes of the workes and merites of our Sauiour Iesus Christ The workes and merites of our Sauiour Christe are the principall staye and fouÌ„dation of our hope in God which are the principall staie and foundation of our hope There he seeth likewise in a thowsande places the greatnes of the goodnes sweetenes and maiestie of almightie God liuelye expressed and set out to the eie and withall the mercifull louinge prouidence he hath ouer them that be his the gentlenes and benignitie wherewith he receyueth them that come vnto him and the faythfull promises and pledges he
hath geuen vnto them whereby they are verie well assured that he will neuer forsake them that repose their hope and trust in him There he seeth that there is no one thinge more often repeted in the Psalmes more commonly promised in the Prophetes more euidentlie declared in the histories from the beginninge of the worlde than the louinge fauours graces and benefites that our Lorde continuallie bestoweth vpon such as be his seruantes and how he hath most mercifullie holpen and defended them in all their calamities and distresses How he helped Abraham in all his iourneis Iacob in his daungers Ioseph in his bannishement Dauid in his persecutiōs Iob in his aduersities Tobias in his blindnes Iudith in her enterprise Hester in her petition The noble Machabees in their battels and triumphes and to be short as manie as with humble and religious hartes committed them selues vnto him These and other the like examples doe strēgthen and encourage our hart in labours and aduersities and cause it to hope and trust assuredlie in God Now what doth consideration worke in all this Forsothe it taketh this medicine into her handes and applieth it to the weake and diseased member that hath neede of it The fruit of consideration I mean hereby that consideration bringeth all these thinges into our remembrance and representeth them to our hart it searcheth and weygheth the greatnes of these louinge pledges and mercies of almightie God and with them animateth and encourageth the afflicted person that he be not dismaide but rather fortifieth him with a stronge hope and enduceth him also to put his trust in that most mercifull and louinge Lorde who neuer failed anie one man that had recourse vnto him with all his harte By this therefore thou seest Christian reader how consideration is the minister and seruante of hope and how it serueth her and representeth vnto her all such thinges as maie strengthen and encourage her But that man that considereth not anye of these thinges and hath no eies to see anie parte of them wherewith can he possiblie strengthen and fortifie this vertue of hope in him selfe that it may be profitable vnto him in his labours and aduersities HOW CONSIDERATION HELPETH CHARITIE § III. Charitie of all vertues is the most excellente AFTER Hope foloweth Charitie whose dewe praises can not be vttered in fewe wordes For Charitie is the most excellent vertue of all vertues as well Theologicall as Cardinall Charitie is the lyfe and sowle of them all 1. Cor. 13.2.13 and charitie is also the accomplishement of all the lawe For as the Apostle saieth Rom. 13.10 He that loueth that is he that is in perfect charitie hath fulfilled the lawe This is the vertue that maketh the yoke of God sweete and his burthen light Accordinge to the measure of our charitie we shal haue like measure of glorie in heauen 1. Cor. 13.2.3 This is the measure whereby the portion of glorie that shal be geuen vnto vs in the lyfe to come must be measured This is that vertue that is likinge and acceptable vnto almightie God and for whose sake all such thinges are verie acceptable vnto him as be indede acceptable vnto him For trewlie without charitie neither fayth nor prophecie nor martirdome be of anie value in the sighte of God Charitie is the fountaine and originall of all other vertues 1. Cor. 13.4 To conclude Charitie is the fountaine and originall of all other vertues by reason of the preeminencie and soueraintie it hathe to commaunde them and to make them to doe their offices As the same Apostle confirmeth saienge Charitie is patient and benigne Charitie is not enuious it doth no hurt to anie man it is not proude nor ambitious neither doth it seeke her owne commoditie Charitie is not angrie it thinketh no euill it reioyceth not at wickednes and it is verie glad of the truthe Charitie suffereth all thinges it beleeueth all thinges trusteth all thinges and beareth all thinges Now althowghe it be true that all vertues and good workes doe helpe vs towardes the obteyninge of this most excellent and precious iewell yet of all others consideration helpeth vs most specially Our will is a blinde power and must be guyded by our vnderstandinge For certain it is that our will is a blinde power that can not steppe one foote vnles the vnderstandinge doe goe before and illuminate and teache it what thinge it owght to desire and withall how much it owght to will and desire the same It is also certain as Aristotle saieth that each good thinge is amiable in it selfe and that euerie thinge doth naturallie loue his owne proper weale And therefore that oure will maie be inclined to loue almightie God it is requisite that the vnderstandinge doe goe before it we be prouoked to loue God bothe in regarde of his diuine perfectiōs and in regarde of his wōderful loue ād benefittes towardes vs. to examin and trie and so consequently to declare vnto the wil how amiable almightie God is both in respecte of him selfe to witt in regarde of his diuine perfections as also in respecte of vs to wit in regarde of his wonderfull loue and mercies shewed towardes vs that is the vnderstandinge must weigh the greatnes and excellencie of his bountie and goodnes of his benignitie of his mercie of his bewtie of his sweetnes of his meeknes of his liberalitie of his noblenes and of all other his perfections which are innumerable Besides this the vnderstandinge hath to consider how louinge and mercifull almightie God hath bene towardes vs how much he hath loued vs how much he hath done and suffered for our sakes euen from the maunger vntill his verie death vpon the crosse how manie greate blessinges and benefites he hath prepared for vs for the time to come how manie he doth presentlie bestowe vpon vs from how manie greate euils and miseries he hath deliuered vs with how great patience he hath suffered vs and how gentlie and louinglie he hath delt with vs with all his other benefites which be also innumerable Summa S. Thomae 1.2 q. 27. art 2. 22. q. 82. art 3. And thus by consideringe and ponderinge verie much in the consideration of these thinges our harte shall by litle and litle be enkendeled and inflamed in the loue of suche a mercifull and bountifull louinge Lorde For if the verie wylde and sauage beastes doe loue theire well willers and benefactors and if giftes as it is commonlie saied doe breake the hard and stonie rockes and if that man that findeth benefites findeth withall as the Philosopher saieth Chaynes whereby to take and bynde mens hartes what hart is there then so stonie harde or sauage that consideringe the passinge bountifull goodnes and greatnes of all these inestimable benefites is not enkendeled and inflamed in the loue of our most louinge and mercifull Lorde that hath bestowed them vpon vs Adde also hereunto that when a man considereth these thinges attētiuelie
vertues and holie desires which there do beginne to growe and bud out And this is that thinge that Ecclesiasticus signified by other wordes when he said They that feare our lord wil prepare their hartes Ecclesiast 2. and sainctifie their sowies before him The which is principally done in the exercise of deuoute praier For there it is where the sowle presenteth her selfe most familiarly before almightie God as S. Barnard saith And there it is where by approching nere vnto the euerlastinge light S. Bernarde she seeth more cleerely her owne defectes and so bewaileth and accuseth them and seiketh remedie for them desiering our lorde of his grace and fully purposing an amendment on her part and thus by litle and litle she sainctifieth and amendeth her life Thow seest now good Christian reader what a great helpe this exercise of consideration is towardes the obteyning of those most highe and excellente vertues which are as we haue said peculiar to a Christian man HOW CONSIDERATION helpethe towardes the obteyninge of the foure Cardinall vertues which be Prudence Iustice Fortitude and Temperance § VI. MOREOVER consideration helpeth also after a sorte towardes the obteyninge of the other foure vertues called Cardinal vertues Note here the woÌ„derfull effectes of coÌ„sideration declared by S. Bernarde which be PRVDENCE IVSTICE FORTITVDE AND TEMPERANCE as S. Barnard plainlie affirmerh in his booke of consideration by these wordes First of all consideration purifieth and clenseth the verie fountaine from whence it proceadeth which is the soule Besides that it gouerneth our naturall passions it directeth our workes it correcteth our faultes it frameth our maners it beutifieth and directeth oure life to be short it geueth knowledge to a man of thinges bothe diuine and humaine It is consideration that distinguisheth thinges confounded it recollecteth those that be scattered abroade it searcheth secretes it seà keth for truthes and trieth and examinethe such thinges as are in deede but apparant and counterfait It is consideration that disposeth for the time to come and thinketh of the time past prouiding for the one and bewailing the other that so nothing maie remaine with out correction and due chasticement It is consideration that in the middest of prosperitie foreseeth aduersitie and therefore is not dismaide when it commeth for that it hath preuented the same before hand with considâ—ration Of which two thinges the one apperteineth to Prudence and the other to Fortitude It is consideration that sitteth doune as a iudge to geue sentence betwâ—ne pleasure and necessitie and appointeth to euerie of them their boundes and limites geauing to necessitie that which is sufficient and taking from pleasure that which is superfiuus and in so doinge it maketh and formethe the vertue of temperance whereunto this office apperteineth Thus farre be the wordes of S. Barnard whereby thou maist perceiue how great and general a helpe consideration is towardes the obteining of these vertues HOW CONSIDERATION HELPETHE TO RESISTE VYCES § VII AND consideration doth not onelie helpe to obteine vertues but also to resist the vices that be contrarie vnto them For what kinde of temptation is there against which a man doth not feight with the weapons of praier and consideration For althowghe it be most necessarie to vse other weapons for this purpose as fastinge takinge of discipline by scourginge our selues almes dedes austerite and affliction of bodie and to eschewe the occasions of euilles with other like thinges yet at a sodain what other weapon can be deuised more readie and as it were euer at hande then praier and consideration With what other weapons doth the iust man feight and ouercome in these battailes then with them If he be assaulted with the cogitation of carnall pleasure and delite he hydeth him selfe wholie in the holes of the rocke that is in the pretious woundes of our sauiour Christ crucified If he be assaulted with anger and desire of reuenge he thinketh vpon the wonderfull patieÌ„ce and meekenes of our Sauiour Christ and vpon those sweete wordes he spake when he desired pardon on the Crosse for those verie persons that crucified him If he be entysed with glotonie and delicious fare if he be allured with the desire to lye in a soft bed and to lead a delicate and wanton life he lifteth vp his eies and considereth the bitter gaulle and vineger which that fountaine of life our sweete Sauiour Christ drancke vpon the crosse and also the hard bed of the crosse whereupon he died and the paynefull and austere trowblesome life which he led for our sakes When he beginneth to be puffed vp with pride he considereth the greatnes of our Sauiour Christes humilitie When he is moued with couetousnes he considereth the extremitie of the pouertie of our sauiour Christ When sleepe and slouthfulnes maketh him to become heauie and dull he considereth the paynefull watchinges and traueiles that our sauiour endured for vs in his prayers When he is weried with the trowblesome laboures and paines of this present life he considereth the greatnes of the heauenlie treasures and glorious delites which he shall receue in the life to come When he is tempted with the fickle pleasures and delightes of this miserable worlde he considereth the euerlastingnes and bitternes of the horrible paines and tormentes of hell fier When he is molested and weried with the exercises of pennance he thinketh vpon the vertuous examples of the Martirs of the Apostles of the Prophetes and of the auncient holie religious Monckes and with the consideration of that which is past he causeth all that he doth presently to seeme litle vnto him And when it so happeneth that with all these defensiues he can not well susteine the weight of his burthen he addeth then vnto the diligence of consideration the voice of praier calling and cryenge with great anguishe of minde vpon almightie God who be you well assured will neuer forsake them that call vpon him but promeseth that he will geue eare vnto them and hath geuen vs verie manifest and sundrie examples that he neuer forsaked them that called vpon him with all their hartes This is that which the prophet Dauid affirmeth in a thowsand places he did when he sawe him selfe compassed about with the snares of his ennemies and with tribulations and afflictions saying I presented my prayer before him Psalm 141. and I impartid vnto him my tribulation HOW CONSIDERATION helpeth vs to atchieue and accomplishe all workes of vertue that be awstere and full of hardnes and difficultie § VIII AND consideration helpeth vs not onely in ouercomming the temptation of vices but also in euerie vertuous worke that is hard and full of difficultie vnto vs. For when takinge of discipline which is whippinge our rebellious fleshe for our synnes the wearinge of heare clothe the goinge barefore the fastinge with bread and water the rysinge to praier at midnight and the labours troubles and persecutions of this life be ircksome vnto vs if then we intende like
principall vertue of a Christian man is not to make anie accompte of the iudgementes and reputations of the worlde Our sauiour Christe is a good exaÌ„ple vnto vs not to make anie accoÌ„pte of the iudgementes and estimations of the worlde Wherefore thou hast here good Christian brother an occasion geuen thee whereby to learne this heauenlie philosophie and by this example to comforte thy selfe whensoeuer thou shalt see thy selfe to be vniustlie despised mocked and persecuted of the worlde For the worlde cannot doe thee anie iniurie nor beare false witnes against thee but it hath done the like vnto our Sauiour Christe before He was accompted as a malefactor and stirrer of sedition and for such a one they accused him before the iudges Luc. 23.2 and accordinglie demaunded sentence of deathe vpon him He was taken to be a nigromancer and as one possessed with a deuill Luc. 11.15 and so they saied That in the power of Bel-Zebâ—b he cast out diuelles Math. 9.34 He was taken for a glutton and great eater and so they reported him sayeinge Beholde this man is a glutton Math. 9.34 and a drincker of wyne He was taken for a man of euill behauiour Math. 11.19 Ioan. 8.48 Marc. 2.7 and as one that kepte euill companie sayeinge That he kept companie with publicans and sinners and that he did eate with them He was taken as one that was come of a wicked generation and of a nawghtie race and so they tearmed him sayeinge Thou art a Samaritane and art possessed with a deuill He was taken for an hereticke and blasphemer and so they said that he made him selfe God and forgaue synnes as God There wanted nothinge els but after all this to accompt our Sauiour as a foole and so is he now taken And that not of euerie common person but euen of the rufflinge nobilitie and gentilmen ye and of the chieffest counsellors magistrates and officers in kinge Herodes cowert And so they apparell our Sauiour like a foole that he might be also taken of all men for such a one O wounderfull humilitie of our sweete sauiour Christe O example of all vertu A singuler coÌ„fort for al troubled and persecuted Catholickes O comfort of all troubled and persecuted Catholickes Wherefore o thou Christian that art persecuted by Turckes Moores or heretickes for thy publicke zealous profession of the Catholike religion be of good comfort as a trewe Christian ought to be in bearinge patientlie and willinglie thy crosse in this worlde as a faithfull disciple of our Sauiour Christe And to the intent thou maist make the lesse accompte of the iudgmentes and estimations of the worlde and verie euidentlie perceiue how foolishe and franticke the worlde is in his sayeinges doinges opinions and iugmentes fixe thyne eyes vpon this liuelie purtraiture of all vertues looke vpon this generall comforte of all miseries and beholde here how the wisedome of almightie God is holden for follie vertu for vice truthe for blasphemie temperance for glottonie the peace maker of the worlde for a seditious disturber of the worlde the reformer of the lawe for a breaker of the lawe and the Iustifier of sinners for a sinner and a follower of sinners In all these goinges and comminges and in all these demaundes and answeres made before the Iudges consider diligentlie and note the constancie and modestie of our sauiour the grauitie of his countenance and the integritie of his minde which was neuer ouercome nor once dismaied for all these great conflictes And when he sawe him selfe in the presence of so many officers and Iudges sittinge in theire Iudgmente seates when he sawe him selfe in the middest of so manie iniurious villanies and furious blowes and in such a confusion of outcries and clamowrs thundered out vehementlie by the accusers and conspirers of his death when he sawe him selfe in such a thronge of outragious and cruell ennemies his death and Crosse standinge as it were presente before his face when our sauiour I saie sawe himselfe thus tossed and turmoyled vp and downe with so manye tempesteous waues and blusteringe stormes of all aduersitie and persecution it was wonderfull to beholde his constancie his patience and his temperance insomoche as what so euer he did or spake made a plaine demoÌ„stration of a noble harte and couragious minde in him There came no one bitter or sharpe worde out of his mowthe He neuer yeelded or submitted himselfe so much as to frame anie maner of supplication or intreatie to his ennemies for his life neither shed he anie one teare or made anie lamentation vnto them in that behalfe But in all pointes and respectes he obserued such a comelie grauitie and maiestie as was seemelie for the dignitie of so highe and worthie a personage What sylence kept he emonge so manie and those so false accusations How circumspecte was he in his wordes when so euer he spake How wiselie behaued he him selfe in all his answeres To conclude such was the forme and showe of his countenance and minde in these his trowbles that euen that alone with out anie further testimonie might haue suffised to iustefie his cause if the grossenes of theire wicked and malitious vnderstandinges had bene able to conceaue the highnes and excellencie of such a proofe OF THE CREWELL SCOVRGINGE AND WHIPPINGE OF oùr Sauiour at the pillar Communicantes Christi passionibus gaudete vt et in reuelatione gloriae eius gaudeatis exultantes 2. Petr. 4.13 § III. AFTER all these iniuries consider what scourginges and whippinges our sauiour suffered at the pillar For when the Iudge perceaued that he was not able to pacifie the furious rage of those his most cruell ennemies he determined to punnishe our sauiour with such a seuere kinde of punnishement as might suffice to satisfie the malicious outrage of such cruell hartes that they beinge contented therewith shoulde cease and seeke no more after his deathe This is one of the greatest and most wonderfull sightes that euer was seene in the worlde Who woulde euer haue thowght that whippes and lasshes shoulde haue bene laide vpon the shoulders of almightie God The Prophet Dauid sayeth Psalm 90. that the place of thy habitation o Lorde is most highe and that there shall none euell approche neere vnto thee he saieth that there shall no whippe be felt in thy tabernaele Now what thinge is farther from the highe maiestie and glorie of almightie God than to be villaynously whipped and scourged This is suerlie a ponnishement rather for bondslaues and thieues yea it was accompted generallie so vyle and infamous that in case the offendor were a Citezin of Rome though his offence were neuer so haynous he was thereby quitte and exempted from that most slauishe and villeynous kinde of ponnishement All which notwithstanding beholde here howe the Lorde of the heauens the creator of the worlde the glorie of the angells the wisedome power and glorie of the liuinge God vowchesafeth for our sakes to be
tounge how is it that thou arte become domme What harte is not broken What hardnes is not mollified What eies can absteine from teares and lamentation beholdinge such a pittiefull and dolefull sight as this is O my most sweere sauiour and redeemer when I open myne eies and doe beholde this dolorous Image which is here set before me how is it that my harte doth not euen cleaue and rente in sunder for verie anguishe and griefe I see the most tender head of my Lorde and sauiour pearced with crewell thornes at whose presence the powers of heauen do tremble and quake I see his diuine face spitted vpon and buffeted I see the lighte of his goodlie brighte forehead obscured I see his cleare eies dimmed or rather blinded with showers of bloude I see the streames of bloude tricklinge downe from his head which faulle ouer ouer his eies and stayne the bewtie of his diuine face How happeneth it o Lord that the cruell whippinges thou diddest suffer before and the death that ensueth and the great quantitie of bloude that was so cruellie shed did not suffice but that the sharpe thornes also shoulde now perforce let out the bloude of thy head which the whippes and scourges before had pardoned If thou diddest receaue those reproches and buffettes to make satisfaction by them for such blowes and buffettes as I through my sinnes haue laid vpoÌ„ thee haddest thou not receaued enowghe of them all the nighte before If thy death alone was sufficiente to redeeme vs what neded so manie kindes of most shamefull villanies and reproches To what ende were all these newe inuentions and strange deuises of contemptes and mockeries Who hath euer harde or red of such a kinde of crowne or of such maner of tormentes Out of what harte came this newe inuention into the worlde that one punnishement shoulde serue in such wise as both to tormente a man and withall to dishonor him Were not those cruell tormentes sufficiente that had bene vsed in all former ages but that they must also inuent these newe and strange punnishementes at the time of thy most bitter passion I see well ô Lorde that these so manifolde iniuries were not necessarie for my redemption for euen one onelye droppe of thy most pretious bloude was sufficient for the same The causes why out sauiour woulde suffer so manyfolde paynes and iniuries for our redemption howbeit it was verie conueniente that they shoulde be so manie and so greate that thou mightest thereby declare vnto me the greatnes of thy loue and by meanes of them lincke me vnto thee with chaynes and fetters of perpetuall bonde and dewtie and confounde the gaye braueries and fonde showes of my pride and vanities and teache me thereby to despise the pompe and glorie of the worlde Wherefore ô my soule that thou maist conceaue and haue somme feelinge of this so dolefull passage set first before thyne eies the former shape of this Lorde and withall the excellencie of his vertues and then incontinentlie tourne thy selfe and beholde him in such pitiefull forte as he is here represented vnto vs. Consider therefore the greatnes of his former beawtie the modestie of his eies the sweetenes of his wordes his awthoritie his meeknes his mylde behauiour and that goodlie countenance of his so full of grauitie and reuerence Beholde how humble he was towardes his disciples how faire spoken towardes his ennemies How stowte towardes the prowde How sweete towardes the meike and how mercifull towardes all sortes of persons Consider how mylde he hath alwaies bene in sufferinge how wise in answeringe how pittiefull in his iudgemeÌ„tes how mercifull in receauinge sinners and how free and bountiefull in perdoninge theire offences When thou hast thus beholden our Sauiour and delighted thy selfe with beholdinge such a perfect forme tourne thyne eies and beholde him in this pitiefull plighte wherein he is here set out to the worlde clad in most scornefull wise with an olde purple garmente holdinge a reede in his hande in steede of a royall scepter Beholde that horrible and paynefull diademe of thorne on his head those hollowe and wanne eies and that dead countenance Beholde that strange forme of his wholie disfigured and begored with bloude and defyled with the spittle which they had besmered all ouer his face Beholde him in all partes both inwardelie and outwardelie his harte pearced with sorrowes his bodie full of woundes forsaken of his owne disciples persecuted of the Iewes scorned of the souldiers contemned of the Busshoppes baselie reiected of the wicked kinge accused vniustely and vtterlie destitute of the fauour of all men And thinke vpon this not as a thinge past but as a thinge presente not as thowghe it were an other mans payne but as thowghe it were thyne owne Imagine thy selfe to be in the place of him that suffereth and thinke with thy selfe what a terrible paine it woulde be vnto thee if in so sensible and tender a parte as the head is they shoulde fasten a noÌ„ber of thornes yea and those verie sharpe which shoulde pearce euen to the sculle But what speake I of thornes If it were but one onelie pricke of a pynne thou couldest hardlie abyde the paine of it And therefore thou maist well thinke what a sore greuous paine that most tender and delicate head of our sauiour felte at that time with this strange kinde of tormente Wherefore o brightnes of the glorie of the father who hath thus cruelly delte with thee O vnspotted glasse of the maiestie of almightie God who hath thus wholie bespotted thee O Riuer that flowest out of the paradice of delightes and with thy streames reioycest the Citie of God who hath troubled these so cleare and sweete waters It is my sinnes o Lorde that haue so troubled them Our synnes were the onelie cause of all our sauiours paynes and my iniquities haue made them so muddie Alas poore wretche and miserable caityffe that I am Woo is me how haue my sinnes bespotted myne owne soule seinge the sinnes of others haue here so fowlye bespotted and troubled the verie cleare fountaine of all bewtie My sinnes ô Lorde are the thornes that pricke thee my folies are the purple that scorne thee my hipochresie aÌ„d fayned holines are the ceremonies wherewith they despise thee my gaie garmentes and vanities are the crowne wherewith they crowne thee So that I ô Lorde am thy tormentor and I am the verie cause of thy paines and greiffes 2. Paâ—â—l 29. The kinge Ezechias purified the temple that had bene prophaned by wicked persons and commaunded that all the filthe that was therein shoulde be cast into the riuer of Cedron I O Lorde am this liuely temple that is prophaned by the diuells and defyled with infinite sinnes and thou art the cleare riuer of Cedron that doest with thy ronninge streames susteine all the bewtie of heauen In this riuer o Lorde are all my sinnes drowned In this riuer are my iniquities washed awaie in somuch
as by the merite of that vnspekeable charitie and humilitie with which thou hast humbled thy selfe to take vpon thee all my sinnes thou hast not onelie deliuered me from them but also made me partaker of thy graces and treasures For in takinge vpon thee my deathe thou hast geuen me thy life in takinge vpon thee my fleshe thou hast geuen me thy spirite and in takinge vpon thee my sinnes thou hast geuen me thy grace So that ô my mercifull redeemer all thy paines Our sauiours paynes are our treasures and riches are my treasures and riches thy purple clotheth me thy crowne honoreth me thy strookes bewtifie me thy sorowes comforte me thy angwishes susteine me thy woundes heale me thy bloude enricheth me and thy loue makethe me dronke And what wonder is it if thy loue make me dronke seinge the loue thou barest towardes me was able to make thee also dronken and to leaue thee like an other Noe to appeare dishonored and naked Geness to the open sighte of the worlde The purple of bourninge loue causeth thee to susteyne the purple of shame and reproche the earnest zeale thou hast of my profit and furtherance causeth thee to be contente to holde this reede in thy hande And the compassion thou hast of my losse and damnation moueth thee to beare this dolorous crowne of ignominie vpon thy head OF THOSE WORDES OF THE GOSPELL ECCE HOMO Beholde the man Opprobrium hominum et abiectio plebis psalm 21.7 J◠〈◊〉 presturam habâ—bitis sed 〈◊〉 ego 〈…〉 Johan â—6 33 § II. VHEN they had thus crowned and scorned our Sauiour the Iudge tooke him by the hande in such euill plight as he was and leadinge him out to the sighte of the furious people said these wordes vnto them ECCE HOMO Beholde the man Whiche is as much as if he had saied If for enuie yee seeke his deathe beholde him here in what a pitiefull and dolefull case he is A man vndowtedlye not to be enuied but to be pittied If you were afrayed least he shoulde haue become a kinge beholde him here so wholie disfigured that scarcelye he seemeth to be a man Of these handes so faste and stronglie bounde what cause is there why ye shoulde feare Of a man in this wise so sore whipped and scourged what woulde ye require more By this maist thou vnderstande ô my soule in what a lamentable case our Sauiour was at his goinge out of the iudgement haulle seinge that euen the Iudge himselfe verelie belieued that the pittiefull case in which he was mighte haue suffised to mollifie and breake the vnmercifull cruell hartes of his ennemies Whereby thou maist well perceaue what a dangerous and vnseemelie thinge it is for a Christian not to haue compassion of the most grieuous and bitter paines and sorowes of our sauiour who so loueth Christ taketh greefe and compassioÌ„ of his bitter paynes and sorowes seinge they were so great that they were able as the Iudge was perswaded to mollifie those most sauage and cruell stonye hartes of the Iewes Where loue is there is also sorrowe How can he then saie that he loueth our Sauiour Christe that beholdinge him tormeÌ„ted in this most pittiefull and dolefull plighte hath no coÌ„passion of him And if it be so wicked a thinge not to haue compassion of our Sauiour Christ what a heynous matter is it to encrease his paines and martirdomes and to adde thereunto sorowe vpon sorowe Suerlie there coulde not be anie greater crueltie in all the worlde than after that the Iudge had shewed our sauiour Christ vnto them so pittiefullye berayed for his ennemies to answere with such cruell wordes Crucifige Crucifige Crucifie him Crucifie him Now if this was so great a crueltie in the Iewes what a crueltie is that in a Christian who in his deedes and workes saieth euen as much as the Iewes did althowgh he expresse it not in wordes Heb. 6. The wycked Christians doe as it were crucifie Christ againe by theire euill and synnefull workes For dothe not S. Pawle saie That he that sinneth crucifieth the sonne of God againe Forsomuch as towchinge his parte he doth a thinge whereby he woulde binde him to dye againe if his former death had not bene sufficient How is it then ô Christian that thou hast thy harte and handes readie bent to crucifie our Lorde and redeemer so often tymes in this wise with thy sinnes Thou owghtest to consider that like as the Iudge presented that so pittiefull forme to the Iewes supposinge there was none other more effectuall meane to withdrawe them from theire furie than that dolefull sight euen so the heauenlye father presenteth that same dolefull sighte daily vnto all sinners meaninge thereby that in verie dede there is none other more effectuall meane to withdrawe them from sinne than to set before them this so pittiefull a forme Make acompte therefore that euen now the heauenlie father laieth also the same pittiefull forme of his most deere and onelie begotten sonne before thy face and that he saieth vnto thee ECCE HOMO Beholde the man As thowghe he shoulde saie Beholde this man in what a dolorous case he standeth and remember withall that he is God almightie and that he standeth in this most dolefull and lamentable plighte as here thou seest him not for anie other cause but for the verie sinnes of the worlde See into what plighte God is browght by the sinnes of man Consider how necessarie it was to satisfie for sinne And consider also How abhominable a thinge synne is in the sighte of God how abhominable and horrible a thinge sinne is in the sight of almightie God seinge it so disfigured his owne onelie sonne to destroye it Consider moreouer what a sore reuenge almightie God will take of a sinner for such sinnes as he himselfe committeth sithe he hath so sharpelie punnished his owne most dearlie beloued and innocent sonne for the sinnes of others Last of all consider the rigour of the iustice of almightie God and the fowle stayninge malice of sinne which appeareth so dreadfullie euen in the verie face of Christ the sonne of God Now what thinge coulde possiblie be done of greater efficacie both to cause men to feare God and also to abhorre synne It seemeth hereby that almightie God hath showed him selfe towardes man as a good louinge mother is wont to doe towardes her wicked dawghter that seeketh lewde meanes to plaie the harlot For when neither wordes nor punnishement be able to diswade her from her wicked diuelish purpose she tourneth her rage against her owne selfe she beateth her owne face and teareth her heare and when she is thus disfigured she setteth her self before her dawghter that thereby she maie vnderstande the greatnes of her offence and that at the least for verie pittie and compassion of her mother she maie be moued to leaue her wicked purpose Now it seemeth that almightie God hath vsed the verie same remedie here
and weightie burthen his knees tremblinge vnder him his bodie crowchinge vnder the crosse his modest eies and face all blouddye with that dolorous garlande of thorne vpon his heade and besides all this annoyed with those most shamefull opprobrious exclamations and outcries which they gaue out in the waye against him But now in the meane tyme o my soule withdrawe thyne eies a little while from this cruell sight The sorowfull tydinges hereof to the blessed virgin Marie and hye thee with quicke speede with heauines of harte and greate store of teares trickelinge downe by thy checkes towardes the howse of the blessed virgine Marie And when thou art come thither cast thy selfe downe at her feete and speake these wordes in most dolefull and lamentable wise vnto her O Ladye of angells and Quene of heauen O gate of paradice and aduocate of the worlde O refuge of sinners and health of the iust O ioye of the Sainctes and teacher of vertues O mirrour of cleannes O patterne of patience and example of all perfection Woe is me O blessed ladie woe is me why am I preserued aliue to see this present howre How can I liue hauinge now seene with myne eies that dolefull sight which I haue seene What neede more wordes Alas deere virgine and most blessed mother I haue left thy onely begotten sonne my sweete Lorde and Sauiour in the cruell handes of his malitious ennemies with a crosse vpon his shoulders where vpon he shal be crucified Now what vnderstandinge is able to comprehende how deepely these sorowfull newes pearced the most tender harte of that most blessed virgin Here her sowle beganne to waxe fainte Her face and all the partes of her vnspotted maydenlie bodie were couered all ouer with a deadlie sweate which might haue sufficed to ende her life sauinge that by diuine dispensation she was reserued for greater angwishes and so consequentlie for a greater crowne and rewarde in the kingdome of heauen Now the holie virgin walkethe towardes her sweete sonne and the great desire she hath to see him restoreth vnto her againe the force and strengthe which sorrowe and greife had taken awaie She hearethe a farre of the classhinge of armour the trowpes of the people and those most shamefull exclamations and outcries which in most dispitefull wise were thundered by his outragious cruell enemies against him And incontinentlie she seethe the glisteringe speares and halbardes which were holden vp a loft She fyndethe in the waye the droppes and traces of bloude whereby she might easelie tracke him which waie he had gone and she needeth none other gwide to conducte her vnto him She approcheth nearer and nearer vnto her deerlie beloued sonne she openeth her eies which were verie sore dymmed with sorowfull weapinge to proue whether she might see him whom her soule so exceadinglie loued O what a strange combatte was there now of feare and loue in the dolorous harte of the most blessed virgin Marie In one respecte she had a desiere to see him and in an other she was vnwillinge to see him thus miserablie and most cruelly disfigured At the lengthe when she was come where she might see him indeede then those two lightes of heauen doe beholde one an other and theire hartes embrace sweetly together by meanes of theire eies How beit the sight of one an other in this dolefull wise was a verie great corsie to bothe theire afflicted soules Theire tongues were dōme so that neither of them both for a while spake one worde but the naturall affection of that most sweete sonne spake priuely to the heauie hart of the most blessed virgin and saied vnto her Why commest thou hither my doue my beloued and my deere mother Thy sorowe increaseth myne and thy tormentes do augment my paines and be a great torment vnto me Departe my deere mother departe I beseach thee and retourn home againe to thy howse For it is not seemelie for thy virginall shamefastnes and puretie to be here in the companie of murderers and theeues And if it woulde please thee so to doe it woulde certeinly asswage both thy sorrowe and myne And I will remaine here to be sacrificed for the worlde For this office apperteineth not to thee but vnto me and thy innocencie deserueth not this torment Genes 8. Retourne therefore my doue to the arcke vntill such time as the waters of the floude doe cease forsomuch as here thou shalt finde no place where thou mayst rest thy feete There mayst thou attende to thy accustomed diuout praier and contemplation And there by liftinge vp thy soule in godlie meditations aboue thy selfe thou shalt passe ouer more easely this thy dolefull sorowe and greiffe Now this beinge saide the sorowfull heauie harte of the holie mother made answere to her sonne and saied vnto him Why doest thou commaunde me to doe thus my deere sonne Why wouldest thou haue me to depart awaie from this place Thou knowest o my Lord God that in thy presence each thinge is lawfull vnto me and that there is non other Oratorie but where thou arte How can I then departe awaie from thee vnles I shoulde departe from my selfe This griefe and sorrowe so possesseth my harte that trewlie I can not thinke vpon anie other thinge I can goe no whither without thee neither can I seeke or receaue comfort of any other but of thee Vpon thee is fixed all my whole harte Within thee haue I made my habitation And my life whollie dependeth of thee Seinge therefore thou hast vowchesaffed for the space of nine monethes to inhabite within my bowels and to take my bodie for thy dwellinge place why maye not I for these three daies take thy bowels for my habitation If thou wilt thus receaue me within thee when thou art crucified then shall I be crucified with thee and when thou arte buried then shall I be buried also together with thee With thee woulde I drinke of the gaule and vineger With thee woulde I suffer vpon the crosse And with thee woulde I yeelde vp my ghost Such wordes as these spake the blessed virgin in her dolefull harte as she went And after this sort she passed ouer that painfull and ircksome waie vntill she came to the place of the Sacrifice I H S FRIDAIE MORNINGE THIS daie when thou hast made the signe of the crosse and prepared thy selfe hereunto thou hast to meditate vpon the misterie of the crosse And vpon these seuen wordes which our Sauiour spake beinge crucified on the same Vere filius dei erat iste Math. 27.54 Peccata nostra ipse pertulit in corpore suo super lignum ut peccatis mortui iustitiae viveremus pet 2.24 The text of the holie Euangelistes THEY came saieth the holie Euangelist to the place called Golgotha Math. 27. that is to saie the place of dead mens skulles And they gaue him vinegar to drinke mingled with gaule And when he had tasted thereof he woulde not drincke It was then three a clocke And
bene tenne yeares bedridden or lyen in fetters in harde prison or in continuall necessitie trouble and dissension within his owne howse and famylie what comfort shall he finde in thee for so longe a combatte and tribulation Answer ô Lorde I beseache thee vnto this demande forsomuch as thou arte the worde and the wisedome of the father Tell me whether thou be the vniuersall comforter in all miseries be they neuer so longe Or els whether we neede to seeke anie other comforter for them Verelie ô Lorde we haue no neede of anie other comfortor but onely thee For vndowtedlie the crosse whereon thou diddest suffer was not a martirdome of one daie onely but it continued all thy whole life Our sauiour had his crosse and passion verie liuelie represented daylye before his eyes from the verie first hower of his conception vntill his deathe For euen from the verie first hower and instant of thy most holie conception there was represented vnto thee both the crosse and withall all the cruell bitter paines and tormentes that thou shouldest suffer vpon the same and so thou haddest them all continuallie verie liuelie set before thyne eyes all the daies thou diddest liue here on earth For like as all thinges both past and to come were present before the eies of thy diuine vnderstandinge euen so also were all the martirdomes and instrumentes of thy passion There were the crosse the nailles the scourges the thornes the cruell speare with all other thy most bitter paines and tormentes at all tymes as liuely present before thy sight as when thou sawest them with thy eies the verie same frydaie that thou wast crucified on the Crosse We though we suffer neuer so greate and extreme paines yet we haue alwaies some tyme of ease either by meanes of phisicke or other comforte but thy paine was alwaies in a maner continuall or at the least it did verie often times torment thee in thy sowle duringe the tyme thou diddest liue here in this worlde And albeit this consideration of thy bitter tormentes and passion had not tormented thee yet was the verie zeale of thy fathers honor and desire of the saluation of our soules a continual torment vnto thee which vndowtedlie did eate and rente thy pittiefull louinge harte and was a more cruell martirdome vnto thee than the verie death it selfe Wherevnto was also added the obstinate malice which thou sawest in that rebellious people the Iewes and with all the stubbornnes and ingratitude of all other sinners for whose remedie and redemption thou wast sent which woulde not helpe themselues with the benefite thereof nor yet acknowledge the tyme of theire visitation This was the cause of those pittiefull teares Lâ—c. 19. thou diddest sheide vpon Ierusalem and hereof rose the complainte thou madest by thy Prophet Esaie sayenge In vaine haue I traueyled Esa 49. and in vaine haue I consumed my strengthe Wherefore O my soule thou hast here with whom thou maist keepe coÌ„panie and take comforte in thy longe paines and troubles For althoughe the last paines and tormentes of the holie bodie of our Sauiour were shorte yet were the greifes and paines of his pittiefull harte and soule verie longe and continuall SATTVRDAIE MORNINGE THIS daie after thou hast made the signe of the Crosse and prepared thy selfe herevnto thou hast to meditate vpon the pearcinge of our Sauiours syde with a speare Of his takinge downe from the Crosse And withall of the pittiefull bewaylinge and lamentation of our blessed Ladie And of our Sauiours buriall I H S Factus est omnibus obtemperantibus sibi causa salutis aeternae Hebr. 5.9 The text of the holie Euangelistes THEN the Iewes because it was the feaste of Easter that the bodies shoulde not remaine vpon the Crosse on the Sabboth daie Ioan. 19. for that daye of the Sabboth was verie sollemme emonge them besoughte Pilate that there legges might be broken and that they might be taken downe from the Crosse Then came the souldiars and brake the legges of the first and of the other that was crucified with Iesus But when they came to Iesus and sawe that he was alredie dead they brake not his legges But one of the souldiars with a speare pearced his syde and forthwith there issued out bloude and water And he that sawe it bare witnes and his witnes is true And when the eueninge was come Marc. 15. there came a certeine worshipfull knight Math. 17. called Ioseph of Arimathia Luc. 23. one that loked for the kingedome of God and entered boldlie vnto Pilate and demaunded the bodie of Iesus And Pilate merueiled if he were alreadie dead and called vnto him the Centurion and asked of him whether he had bene anie while dead And when he vnderstoode the truthe of the Centurion he gaue the bodie to Ioseph There came also with him Ioan. 19. one called Nicodemus who was wonte to resorte to Iesus by night and he brought with him of Myrre and Aloes mingeled together about a hundred powndes Marc. 15. And Ioseph bought a lynnen clothe and tooke him downe from the crosse and wrapped him in that lynnen with those sweete sauours accordinge to the custome which the Iewes obserue in the buriall of the dead And in that place where Iesus was crucified Ioan. 19. there was a garden and in the gardeÌ„ a newe sepulchre wherein was neuer man yet layed There they layd Iesus by reason of the Passeouer of the Iewes for the sepulchre was neare And Marie Magdalene Luc 23. and Marie the Mother of Ioseph marked the place where they layd him MEDITATIONS VPON THESE POYNTES OF THE TEXT HETHERTO ô my soule thou hast celebrated the death and grieuous paines of the sonne It is now tyme for thee to beginne to celebrate and bewaile the grieuous sorrowes of the mother Wherefore sit downe a while at the feete of the prophet Ieremie Ierem. 1. and takinge the wordes out of his mowthe and sighinge deeplie with a bitter and sorrowfull harte saie thus vnto her How happeneth it ô most innocent virgin that thou arte now alone How is it ô ladie of the worlde that thou arte become a widowe What haue they set so sore a penaltie vpon thee without hauinge committed anie offence at all O most holie virgin I woulde gladly comfort thee and I knowe not how I woulde gladly ease some parte of thy great greifes and anguishes and I knowe not which waie O Quene of heauen if the cause of thy sorrowes were the sorrowes of thy blessed sonne and not thine owne for that thou diddest loue him more then thy selfe his sorrowes are now ended forsomuch as his bodie suffereth no more and his soule is now altogether glorious Cease therefore I beseach thee the multitude of thy sorrowfull sighes and bewailinges seinge the cause of thy sorowe is alreadie ceased and gonne When he wepte thou diddest weepe also reason it is therefore that thou shouldest reioyce with him now that he
reioyceth Cantic 7. Shut vp the springes of thy most pure eies more cleare than the waters of Esebon and now sore troubled and dymmed with the showers of so manie teares Genes 8. The wrath and anger of almightie God is now pacified with the sacrifice of the true Noe. Cease therefore the floude of thy most holie eies and let the earthe be cleared agayne with new brightnes The doue is now departed out of the arke and when she retourneth she will bringe with her signes of the mercie and clemencie of almightie God Reioyce therefore ô blessed virgin and comforte thy selfe with this hope and cease now I praie thee these thy mournefull sobbinges and sighes Thy owne deerelie beloued sonne him selfe putteth thy dolefull mourninge and teares to sylence and inuiteth thee to a newe ioye in his Canticles sayeinge Cant. 2. The winter is now past the showers and tempesteous stormes are ceased the flowers do appeare in our lande Rise vp therefore my welbeloued my darlinge and my turtle done that abidest in the holes of the rocke and in the cleiftes of the walle That is to saie in the strookes and woundes of my bodie Leaue now this habitation and come and dwell with me I see well ô blessed Ladie that none of all these thinges are able to comforte thee because thy sorrowe and greife is not hereby taken awaie but onely changed One martirdome I see is ended and an other now beginneth The tormentes of thy harte are renewed continuallie and thowgh some goe awaie yet others do succede with newe kindes of tormentes that by such changes the torment of the Passion maie be dowbled vnto thee Hetherto thou hast lamented his paines and sorrowes now thou lamentest his death Hetherto thou hast lamented his passion now thou lamentest thyne owne solitarines Hetherto thou hast lamented his greifes and troubles and now thou mournest for his absence One waue is past and an other commeth on to ouerwhelme thee So that the ende of his paine is a beginninge of thyne And as though this thy paine were to litle I see that these cruell tormentors prepare yet an other paine for thee no lesse then this Close vp thine eies therefore ô blessed Ladie close them vp out of hande I beseach thee and loke not vpon that longe terrible speare which goeth with greate violence in the aier to strike the place wherevnto it is leuelled Now hast thou ô holie virgin thy desire fulfilled For now arte thou become a buckler to thy sonne forsomuch as this blowe striketh not him but thee Thou diddest desire the nailes and thornes and they were ordeyned for his bodie but the pearcinge speare was reserued for thee O yee cruell ministers O yee hartes of iron Were the paines and tormentes to litle trowe yee which his bodie suffered beinge aliue that yee woulde not pardon it euen after it was dead What furie and rancor of enmitie is there so outragious but that it is pacified when it seeth his enemie dead before him Lifte vp your cruell eies a litle ô you vnmercifull and cruell ministers and beholde our sauiour Beholde I saie his deadlie face his dymme eies his fallinge countenance his pale and wanne colour and shadow of death For though you be more harde than either iron or the Adamante stone yea though ye be more hard than your owne selues yet it maie be that in beholdinge him your furie and malice wil be appeased Wherefore are ye not contented with the woundes yee haue geuen to the sonne but that ye will wounde his blessed mother also Her ye doe wounde with that speare vnto her ye geue the strooke and against her sorowfull hart threateneth the sharpe poynt of that cruell lawnce Now commeth the wicked minister with a longe sharpe speare in his hande and pearceth the verie naked syde of our sauiour with great furie The crosse shaked in the aier with the mightie force of the strooke and from thence issued water and bloude wherewith are wasshed the sinnes of the worlde O riuer that ronnest out of paradise and waterest with thy streames all the face of the earthe O wounde of the pretious syde of my sweete Sauiour made rather with his feruent loue towardes mankinde than with the sharpe iron of the cruell speare O gate of heauen ô windowe of paradise ô place of refuge ô tower of strength ô sanctuarie of iust persons ô sepulchre of pilgrimes ô neist of cleane doues ô florishinge bed of the spouse of Salomon Alhaile ô wounde of the pretious syde of our Sauiour that woundest the hartes of deuout persons O strooke that strikest the soules of the iust O rose of inspekeable bewtie O rubie of inestimable price O entrance into the harte of my sweete Sauiour Iesus Christ O witnes of his loue and pledge of euerlastinge life Throwghe thee doe all liuinge thinges enter into the Arcke of the true Noë to be preserued from the floude Vnto thee doe all such as are tempted repair In thee doe all those that are heauie and sad finde comforte Ioan. 4. by thee are the sicke persons cured throwgh thee doe sinners enter into heauen and in thee doe all banished persones and pilgrimes sleepe sweetelie and take theire rest O furnace of loue O howse of peace O treasure of the Catholicke Church O veyne of liuely water that springest vp euen vnto life euerlastinge Open ô most louinge Lorde I beseache thee this gate vnto me receaue my harte into this most delitefull habitation geue me passadge through the same vnto the tender bowells of thy loue let me drinke of this sweite fountaine let me be wasshed with this holie water let me be made dronke with this most pretious licour Let my soule sleepe in this sacred breste Here let it forget all the cares of the worlde here let it sleepe here let it eate here let it singe sweitly with the Prophet sayeinge Psalm 131. This is my resting place for euer and euer here will I dwell for this place haue I chosen for my habitation HOW OVR SAVIOVR CHRIST WAS TAKEN DOWNE from the Crosse and of the pittiefull lamentation and bewailinge of the blessed virgin Marie Semper mortificationem Jesu in corpore nostro circumferentes vt et vita Jesu manifestetur in corporibus nostris 2. Corinth 4.10 § II. AFTER this consider how the holie bodie of our Sauiour was taken downe from the crosse and how the blessed virgin receaued it in her armes Now the verie same daie in the eueninge there came those two holie men Ioseph and Nicodemus who reared vp theire ladders vnto the crosse and tooke downe the blessed bodie of our Sauiour into theire armes The holie virgin then perceiuinge that the torment of the crosse was now ended and that the sacred bodie of our Sauiour was comminge towardes the earthe she settethe her selfe in a readines to geue him a secure hauen in her lappe and to receyue him from the armes of the crosse into her owne
they take from me they geue vnto thee forsomuch as thou enclosest him within thee whom I haue had enclosed in my bowelles My verie bones woulde reioyce if they might see them selues laied vp there and certainly there shoulde my life be laied also My harte and my soule will I burie there for that maie I doe but as for my bodie burie thou it there also ô Lorde I beseeche thee for that I maie not doe without thee O death why arte thou so cruell as to seperate me from him in whose life my whole life consisteth Thou arte sometimes more cruel in pardoninge thā in killinge Suerly thou haddest shewed thy selfe verie pittiefull towardes me if thou haddest taken vs both together But now alas thou hast bene cruell in killinge the sonne but farre more cruell in sparinge the mother Such wordes as these woulde the blessed virgin speake priuelie in her harte and the like might those holie Maries that accōpanied her speake also All that were present wepte very tenderly with her Those holie Matrones wepte those noble Gentilmen wepte heauen and earthe wepte Yea all creatures accompanied the teares of the blessed virgin Marie The holie Euangelist also wepte verie lamentablie The lamētation of S. Iohn the Euangelist and embracinge the blessed bodie of his maister sayd O my good Lorde and maister who shall be my teacher from henceforthe To whom shall I resorte to be resolued in my dowtes Vpon whose brest shall I rest my selfe Who shall imparte to me the secretes of heauen O what a straenge chaunge and alteration is this The last eueninge thou sufferedst me to rest vpon thy holie brest and gauest me the Ioyes of life and now doe I recompence that great benefit with holdinge thee dead on my brest Is this the face which I sawe transfigured vpon the mownte Thabor Is this that figure wich was more cleare than the sonne at noone daie Lykewise that holie sinner Marie Magdalen wepte full bitterlie also The lamētation of S. Marie Magdalene and embracinge the feete of our Sauiour said O light of myne eies and redeemer of my soule if I shall see my selfe ouercharged with sinnes who shall receaue me Who shall cure my woundes Who shall answere for me Who shall defende me agaynste the Pharisees O how farre otherwise helde I these feete and washed them whē thou receauedst me lyinge prostrate at them O my sweete hart roote and most entierly beloued who coulde bringe to passe that I might now die with thee O life of my soule how can I saie that I loue thee seinge I see thee here dead before myne eies and yet doe remaine aliue After the like maner did all that holie companie weepe and lamente The buriall of our Sauiours bodie in the sepulchre wateringe and wasshinge his holie bodie with there teares Now when the hower of his buriall was come they wynde his holie bodie in a cleane lynnen clothe They bynde his face with a napkin And layinge his bodie vpon a beere doe carie it to the place of his buriall and there they laye in that most pretious treasure The sepulchre was couered with a stone and the harte of the blessed mother with a darke clowde of heauines and sorowe There is she once agayne bereued of her sonne There beginneth she a freshe to lamente her solitarines There she seeth her selfe dispossessed of all her treasure And there her harte remainethe buried where her treasure was left A DECLARATION WHY THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARIE AND all iust persones are afflicted in this present transitorie life with diuers aduersities and tribulations § III. O Heauenly father sith of thy infinit goodnes and mercie thou wouldest that thy blessed sonne shoulde thus suffer for our synnes why wouldest thou that this holie virgin his blessed mother shoulde suffer also who neither deserued death for the sinnes of others forsomuche as thy sonnes death suffised for thē neither yet for her owne seinge she neuer committed anie maner of synne in all her whole life How easelie might this her tribulation haue bene tempered if at that time she had bene forthe of the cittie of Ierusalem where if she had bene absent she shoulde not haue seene with her eies the cruell death of her onelie and dearlie beloued sonne neither haue so greatelie augmented her sorrowe and griefe with the sighte of the present obiecte and with beholdinge him sufferinge his so manifolde and cruell tormentes vpon the crosse O wonderfull dispensation and counsell of almightie God! Thy will was ô Lorde that the blessed virgin shoulde suffer not for the redemption of the worlde but because there is nothinge in the worlde more acceptable vnto thee than to suffer for the loue of thee Emonge all thinges created there is nothinge more pretious than in heauen the glorious loue of the blessed Sainctes Note that nothinge is more precious in earthe thā the loue of God tryed in iust persons with sufferinge affliction and tribulation for Gods sake and in earthe the troubled and afflicted loue of iust persons I meane than the loue of iust persons that is tried with aduersitie affliction and tribulation In the howse of almightie God there is no greater honor than to suffer for the loue of God Emonge all the good workes and seruices that our Sauiour did vnto thee in this worlde this was that which thou hast appoynted and accepted for the most cheefe and principal worke to be the meane of our reparatiō ād redēption This was the iewel and pretious stone that emonge all the riches of vertues which that riche marchant laide before thee liked thee best for the which thou gauest vnto him whatsoeuer he demaunded which was the redemption of the worlde Now then if this iewell be of so great valewe and estimation in the sighte of almightie God it were not meete that such a riche piece as this is shoulde be wantinge in our blessed Ladie who was of all perfect women the most perfecte and most acceptable in the sight of almightie God Moreouer The most manifest and perfect shewe and proufe of trewe vertue is to suffer tribulatiōs for the loue of God there is no worke in this worlde that maketh a more manifest and perfect◠shewe of true vertue than to suffer for the loue of God For the proufe and tryall of true loue is to haue true patience for the beloued And there is no triall and proufe so farre from all suspition as this is And like as almightie God him selfe did neuer discouer the greatnes of his loue vnto men so clearelie and perfectly thoughe his other benefittes which he bestowed vpon thē were verie great vntill he came to suffer for thē euen so shall they neuer discouer their loue towardes him fully and perfectly be there other seruices they doe vnto him neuer so manie and great vntill they come to suffer tribulations for his sake Rom. 5. Patience is the proufe of trewe vertue if it be exercised it sufferinge for
them all and make an euerlastinge diuision The deeper rootes the toothe hath in the iawe the greater greife it causeth at what tyme it is plucked out Now the harte of a wicked man beinge so fast rooted in the loue of the thinges of this lyfe The more we be in loue with worldelie thinges the more griefe it wil be vnto vs to departe from them at the hower of our deathe S. Augustine it cannot be but that it must needes be a very great greife vnto him when he seeth the howre is now come wherein he must depart from thē all At that time those thinges whereunto he beareth most affection shall wounde his hart most greiuously and that thinge which was wont to be a comfort vnto him in his trouble shal be then a most cruell torment in vexinge him S. Augustine declareth that at what time he determined to seperat him selfe from the worlde and from all the pleasures and delightes thereof it seemed vnto him that they all represented themselues liuely vnto him and saied What wilt thou leaue vs for euer and wilt thou neuer haue any more to doe with vs Consider now then with thy selfe what a greife it wil be to a carnall harte when those thinges that he hath most loued doe represent themselues at that hower vnto him ād when he seeth that he shal be spoyled of them all in such wise that he shal be enforced to saie Now shall this worlde haue no more to doe with me neither this aier nor this sonne nor this element Now shall I haue no longer conuersation and comfort of my children my wife my howse my landes my goodes my pleasures and delightes Of all thinges I am now left naked and bare Now will death spoile me of them all Now is my olde age at an ende now is the nomber of my daies fulfilled now shall I die vnto all maner of thinges and they all vnto me Wherefore ô thou worlde I bid thee farrewell yee my landes my goodes and riches I bid you farewell my friendes my acquintance my kinsfolke my deare wife and my louinge children I bid you all farewell For now shall we neuer see one an other anie more in this mortall fleash There is yet an other separation after this more terrible and dreadfull then this is to witt betwene the sowle and the bodie which haue kept cōpanie so longe time together and haue bene such hartie friendes The deuill had spoyled the holie man Iob of all maner of thinges sauinge onely of his lyfe and it seemed vnto him that in comparison of the spoile thereof all the rest were of none accompt and therefore he saied Skinne for skinne and all that a man hath he will geue for his lyfe This is the thinge that naturally is most loued Iob. 2.4 and the separation whereof causeth most greife If the seperation of one waifaringe man from an other when they haue trauayled in iourney together anie time doe cause such greife and solitarines what a griefe shall it be when two such entier friendes and companions as the sowle and the bodie haue bene are seperated the one from the other which haue traueyled together from their mothers wombe vntill that verie houre and haue had so manie knottes and bondes of friendshippe betwene them What a greife will it be when the spirite shall saie vnto the fleash I must now remaine all alone without thee And the fleash shall likewise make answere vnto the spirite sayeinge and in what case then shall I be without thee seinge all the beinge I haue I haue receiued of thee Of the horror and lothsomenes of our Graue § II. AFTER this it commeth naturally to a mans minde to thinke what shall become of his bodie when his sowle is departed out of it And in thinkinge hereupon he seeth that the best happe his bodie maie haue can be no better than to be laide in a little graue of earthe The basenes of which conditiō maketh him to be as it were astonnied For cōsideringe on the one side what great estimation he hath made of his bodie in tymes past and seinge on the other side what a base and vyle place that is wherein it must now be laide he cannot but wonder excedinglie at it He considereth and waygheth with himselfe that the lodginge which they will prepare for him in the earth shal be strait and narrowe that it shal be also obscure stinkinge full of wormes maggottes bones and dead mens skulles and withall so horrible that it shal be verie ircksome to thē that be aliue onely to looke vpon it And when he seeth that his bodie which he was wont to make so much of his bellie which he esteimed for his God his mowth for whose delightes the lande and sea coulde scarselie serue and his fleash for which golde and silke was wont to be wouen with great curiositie and a soft bed prepared to laie it in must now be laide in such a filthie and miserable donghill where it shal be troden vpon and eaten with fowle wormes and maggottes and within fewe daies be of as owglie a forme as a dead Carrion that lyeth in the feildes insomuch that the waiefaringe man will stoppe his nose and ronne awaie in great hast to auoid the stinkinge sauour of it when I saie he considereth all this and seeth that in steede of his soft bed he must lie there vpon the harde grownde ād in steede of his pretious and gorgious apparell he must haue there but onely a seely poore windinge sheite and in steede of his sweete odoriferous parfumes and muskes filthie rottonnes and horrible stenches and in steede of his multitude of delicate dishes and waitinge seruinge men he must haue there such an infinite nomber of crawling wormes and fylthie maggottes feedinge vpon him he cannot chuse if he haue anie sense or Iudgment remaininge in him but merueill to see vnto how base a condition such a noble creature is now come and to consider with whom he must now keepe companie there euē fellowe and fellowe like who in his life tyme had no fellowe nor equal It is not the part of wise men to wonder at thinges and the customable seinge of thinges euerie daie taketh awaye from them be they neuer so greate all admiration and wounder And yet all this notwithstandinge the great Wiseman wondered at this miserie though it be a matter whereof we haue dailie experience when he saide If man and beast doe die both after one sort Eccles 2.3 what auaileth me that I haue trauailed so much in seekinge for wisedome If it were so that the bodie in this separation shoulde ende in some thinge that were of anie price or proffit it woulde be some kinde of comfort vnto vs. But this is a thinge to be wondered at that so excellent a creature shall ende in the most dishonorable and lothsome thinge in the worlde This is that great miserie whereat the holie man Iob wondered and
sowle in a merueilous great conflict and agonie not so much for her departure as for feare of the howere of her dreadfull accompt approchinge so neare vnto her Then is the time of tremblinge and quakinge yea euen of such as be most stowte and couragious The blessed holie father Hilarion S. HilarioÌ„ as he was passinge out of this worlde beganne to tremble and feare and was lothe to die howbeit the holie man encouraged himselfe sayienge Goe forth my sowle goe foorth out of this bodie whereof shouldest thou be afraid It is threescore and tenne yeares that thou hast serued Christ and art thou yet afraide of death Now if this holie man were afraid of his passing out of this worlde who serued Christ so manie yeares what shall he doe who peraduenture hath offended him so manie yeares Whither shall he goe Whom shall he call vpon What counsell shall he take O that men vnderstode how great this perplexitie and anguishe is at this dreadfull howre Imagin now I beseach thee in what a dolefull case the harte of the Patriarke Isacke was Genes 22. when his father held him bounde handes and feete and had laide him vpon the woode to sacrifice him when he sawe his fathers glisteringe sworde ouer his heade and vnderneth him the flames of fiere burninge and the seruantes that might haue succoured him stayinge at the foote of the hill and he himselfe bownde handes and feete in such sort that he cowlde neither flie nor defende himselfe in what plight trowe yee was the harte of this blessed younge man when he sawe himselfe in so narrowe a strayte In what greate perplexitie the sowle of the wicked man is at the hower of deathe And surelie in farre greater perplexitie is the sowle of the wicked man at this dreadfull hower because he can tourne his eies on no syde where he shall not see occasions of great terrour and feare If he looke vpwarde he seeth the terrible sworde of the iustice of almightie God threateninge him If he looke downwarde he seeth the graue opeÌ„ euer gapinge and tarienge for him If he looke within himselfe he seeth his owne conscience gnawinge and bytinge him If he looke about him there be Angels and deuils on both sides of him watchinge and expectinge the ende of the sentence whether of them shall haue the praie If he looke backwarde he seeth his dolefull wyfe his littell younge children his poore seruantes his kinsfolke his freindes his companions his acquaintance his howse his landes and the goodes of this lyfe to remaine all behinde and are not able to succoure him in this his great distresse forsomuch as he must depart all alone out of this lyfe and they all must remaine still here To conclude if after all this he take a vewe of him selfe and consider what he is inwardelie he shal be wonderfully amased and afraide to see himselfe in such a daungerous and terrible state insomuch as if it were possible he woulde flie awaie euen from himselfe Nowe alas to depart from the bodie is a thinge intollerable To continewe still therein is a thinge impossible And to differre his departure anie longer will not be graunted All the time past seemeth vnto him but as a blast of wynde and that which is to come appeareth as it is in deede infinite Now what shall the miserable sowle doe beinge thus compassed and enuironed about with so manie straites O how fonde and blynde are the sonnes of Adam that wil not prouide in time for this terrible passage HOW FILTHIE AND LOTH-some the bodie is after it is dead And of the burâ—inge of it in the graue Eccle. 3â— 23 Eccle. â—â— â—◠§ VII LAST of all when this great conflict is ended the sowle is violently taken awaie from the bodie and departeth from her auncient habitation the bodie remayninge vtterly spoyled of all the beawtie and qualities it had Now let vs consider what lotte each one of theise two partes must haue First consider in what case the bodie is In what case the bodie is after the sowle is departed out of it after the sowle is departed out of it What thinge is more esteimed than the bodie of a prince whiles he is a liue And what thinge is more contemptible and more vyle than the verie same bodie when it is dead Where is then that former pryncely maiestie become Where is that royall behauiour and glorious magnificence Where is that highe authoritie and soueraintie Where is that terrour and feare at the beholdinge of his presence Where is that cappinge and kneelinge and speakinge vnto him with such reuerence and subiection How quicklie is all this gaye pompe vtterly ouerthrowen and come to nothinge as if it had bene but a mere dreame or a plaie on a stage that is dispatched in an howre Then out of hande the wyndinge sheet â—s prouided and brought forth The richest man in this worlde shall haue no more with him of all his gooddes at the hower of his deathe but onelie a wyndinge sheete Psal 48.17.18 which is the â—ichest iewell he maie take with him out of this lyfe And this is the greatest recompence that the richest man in this worlde shall haue of all his goodes at that hower I wâ—she this pointe were well considered by eâ—erie couetous man and by those that make their money their God whose blindnes and follie the Prophet reprehendeth in theise wordes Be not afraide when a man waxeth riche and when thou seest the glorie of his howse verie much multiplied and increased for when he dieth he shall not carie his goodes awaye with him neither shall his glorie goe downe with him Of the buriall of the bodye Then doe they make a hole in the earthe of seuen or eight foote longe and no longer though it be for Alexander the great whom the whole worlde coulde not holde and with that smalle rowme onelie must his bodie be contence There they appoint him his howse for euer There he taketh vp his perpetuall lodginge vntill the last daye of generall Iudgment in companie with other dead bodies There the wormes crawle out to geue him his interteinment To be short there they let him downe in a poore white sheete his face beinge couered with a napkin and his handes and feete fast bownde which trewlie needeth not for he is then suer enough for breakinge out of prison neither shall he be able to defende himselfe against anie man There the earthe reâ—eyueth him into her lappe There the bones of dead men kisse and welcome him There the dust of his auncesters embraceth him and inuiâ—e him to that table and howse which is appointed for all men liuinge And the last honour that the worlde can doe vnto him at that time is to cast a litle earth vpon him and to couer him well therewith that the people maie not feele his stinckinge sauour aÌ„d beholde his dishonour And the greatest pleasure that his verie deare and
respecte of the workes of iustice that we haue done but accordinge to his great mercie he hath saued vs. O how wonderfull desirous was our most gracious Lorde that we shoulde vnderstande his mercie when by the Prophet Esaie he spake those so notable wordes Esa 43.22 Thou hast not called vpō me ô Iacob ād thou ô Israel hast not trauayled in my seruice Thou hast not offered vnto me thy rāmes in a whole burnte sacrifice neither hast thou glorified me with thy sacrifices c. And yet for all this thou hast made me to serue in thy synnes and hast put me to paines with thyne iniquitie It is I It is I that doe pardon thy synnes for mine owne sake and that will neuer be mindefull of them Put me in minde and let vs enter into iudgemente and shewe if thou haue any thinge where with to iustifie thy selfe Wherefore ô most mercifull and sweite Lorde what thinge is there in me wherewith I maie recompence thee for this so great a benefite If I shoulde liue all the liues of the children of Adam and all the daies and yeares of the worlde If I were able to sustein all the trauels and paines of all the men that either be hath bene or shall be all this were as nothinge to recompence the verie least of the greifes and paines that thou hast suffered for me Consideringe therefore that I can by no meanes possible discharge this inestimable great dett let me paie thee ô my almightie God if it be thy blessed will with the continuall remembrance of the same I beseech thee ô Lorde euen by the bowels of thy infinite charitie that thou wilt wounde my harte with thy woūdes and make my sowle droncke with thy most pretious bloud in such sorte that whither so euer I shall turne my selfe I maie alwaies see thee crucified and wheresoeuer I shall cast mine eies all thinges maie seeme vnto me to shyne with thy pretious bloude Let this be all my consolation to be alwaies crucified with thee and let this be all my affliction to thinke vpon anie other thinge besides thee Consider ô my almightie God the great price wherewith thou hast bowghte me and suffer not so pretious a treasure to be shed in vaine for me And graunte me ô most mercifull Lorde that I be not as a childe that is borne before his time whom his mother bringeth forthe with exceidinge great trauell and paine and yet he enioyeth not the commoditie and fruit of lyfe Of the fourthe benefite to witt of Vocation § IIII. AFTER this thinke vpon the benefite of Vocation or callinge of almightie God without which all the other benefites tende to the greater damnation of a man Two callinges of God one vnto faithe and an other vnto grace But here it is to be noted that there be two kindes of callinges of almightie God one vnto faith by meanes of the Sacrament of Baptisme and an other vnto grace after that a man hath lost the first innocencie which he had by baptisme Consider now what a great benefite the first callinge of thee was by meanes of the Sacrament of holie Baptisme The first callinge is by Baptisme whereby thou wast clensed from originall sinne deliuered from the power of the deuill made the sonne of almightie God and an inheritour of his kingedome There he toke thy sowle to be is spowse and adorned it with such ornamentes as were conuenient for such a state to witt with the grace vertues and giftes of the holie Ghost and with other iewells and giftes that are farre more pretious than those that were geuen to Rebecca Gen. 24. whē she was takē to be the spowse of Isaac Now what hast thou done whereby to deserue so great a benefite as this is How many thowsandes not onely of men but also of nations and whole countreys are there that by the iust iudgemente of almightie God doe not obteine this inestimable great benefite What had become of thee if thou haddest bene borne emonge those infidels and wanted this knowledge of the true liuinge God and worshipped stockes and stones for God as the infidels doe How much art thou bounde to almightie God that emonge such an infinite nomber of lost and damned sowles it pleased him that thou shouldest be one of the nomber of them that shoulde be saued yea and be borne in the lappe of the Catholike Churche and be nourished there with the milke of the Apostles and with the pretious bloude of our sweete Sauiour Iesus Christe The seconde callinge Now if after the grace of this firste callinge thou hast throughe thyne owne default and synfull lyfe lost the innocencie which thou receiuedst in the Sacramente of Baptisme in case it hath pleased our Lorde all that notwithstandinge to call thee the seconde time yea and verie manie and oftē times how much art thou then bounde vnto him for this so passinge great benefite How manie benefites are conteyned in this benefite One benefite it was to expecte and tarrie for thy conuersion so longe time to geue thee space to doe penance and to suffer thee so longe to contynewe in that state of synne and wickednes and not to cutte downe the vnfruitfull and vnprofitable tree that occupied such a rowme in the earthe and receiued the influencies of heauen altogether in vaine An other benefite it was to suffer thee to committe so many and so heynous enormous synnes and not to cast thee downe therefore into the most horrible bothomles pitt of hell fier where perhappes manie others are now there tormented euen for lesse offences than thyne An other benefite it was to fende thee so many good inspirations and holie purposes euen in the middest of thy verie synnes and wicked life and to persiste in callinge thee so longe a time whereas thou in the meane season diddest nothinge els but offende him verie greiuouslie that called thee An other benefite it was also to bringe thy greate stubbornes and longe obstinate resistance at the lengthe to an ende and to calle thee with such a mightie and lowde voice that thereby thou mightest rise from death to lyfe and come forthe as it were an other Lazarus Ioan. 2. out of the darcke and obscure graue of thy wicked and synnefull lyfe and not with thy handes and feete bownde but losed and sett at free libertie out of the stinckinge prison and thraldome of the enemie of mankinde But aboue all this what a benefite was it to graunt thee then not onelie pardon for thy sinnes past but also grace from that time forwardes not to retourne vnto them againe geuinge thee moreouer all such other ornamentes Luc. 15. as were geuen to the penitente prodigall sonne when he was receiued into grace and fauour againe by meanes of which ornamentes and graces thow mightest liue as the childe of God and contemne and laughe at the malice of the deuill and triumphe ouer the worlde and take a sweete tast of the thinges
it was wholly most pure virgins fleshe taken of the most pure and virginall bowels of our blessed Lady S. Bonauenture without anie other kinde of mixture And for this cause as S. Bonauenture saiethe his bodie was the more tender and of a more perfecte sense in feelinge The fourthe cause of his so greiuouse paynes was the very kinde of death which he suffered with all the circumstances that happened in all the continuance of his passion forsomuch as each one of them if they be well considered was a kinde of martirdome by it selfe And that thou mayst more clearly perceiue the same Twelue most greiuous paynes which our Sauiour suffered in his passion beginne euen from the first entrie of his passion vntill the ende of it and thou shalt finde emonge others twelue most greyuous paynes which our Sauiour there suffered the which I wil rehearce here very breiflie notwithstandinge that in euerie one of them there is verie much to be said and considered The first was the agonie in the garden and that wonderfull bloudie sweate which trickled drowne througheout all the partes of his bodie vnto the earthe which was the most newe and most straungest thinge of all that euer hath happened in the worlde The seconde was to be solde for so base a price of his owne Apostle and disciple vnto so cruell enemies The therde was to be so often times caried throughe the common streetes bounde and manicled as if he had bene a verie theyfe The fourthe was the punishement with whippinge and scourginge which besides that the lashes were verie crewellie laid on him and verie manie in nomber it is not a punishement for a man of any credite or honestie but for bondeslaues vagabondes and men of most vyle and base condition The fifte was that most cruell inuention of the crowne of thornes wherein were ioyned together both most greiuous shame and dishonour and withall most greiuous paine and tormente The sixte was those so manifolde blasphemies and sundrie kindes of most villeynous mockeries iniuries and reproches which were ioyned with the tormentes as to spette so often times in his face as though he had bene a blasphemer to geue him buffettes and blowes as if he had bene a vagabonde to apparell him some times in white garmentes and some times in redde as if he had bene a foole to hoodwinke his eies and to ieste at him sayeinge Areede who hath smitten thee Leuit. 22.46 as if he had bene a verie dissarde to clothe him with a purple garment to set a reide in his hande to kneele on one knee before him to smyte him on the head with a reid as if he had bene a counterfait kinge and besides all this to proclaime him throughe the common streetes as a malefactour Who euer sawe so many kindes of reprochefull iniuries heaped together vpon one man The seuenthe was that wonderfull contēpte and despite which was done vnto him beinge the sonne of almightie God when they compared him with Barrabas and made lesse accompte of him than of Barrabas Insomuch as that Lorde by whom all thinges were created and in whom all thinges doe liue and are preserued was accompted more vnprofitable and more vnwourthy to lyue than Barrabas an infamous malefactour The eight was in that they enforced him to carie vpon his shoulders which were all to rēte and breused the verie same instrument of the crosse whereupon he shoulde suffer deathe The tormentors them selues which are commonlie the ministers of crueltie doe vse to hyde the eies of them that are to be beheadded that they maie not see the instrument that shall bereue them of their lyfe but here they doe not onely not vse this kinde of humanitic towardes our Sauiour but they laie the same instrument of his deathe euen vpon his owne shoulders to the intente that his harte might first suffer the tormente of the crosse inwardlie before that his bodie shoulde proue it outwardlie The ninthe was the very martirdome of the crosse which is a most cruell kinde of torment for it is not a speydie kinde of deathe as to be hanged or beheadded but very longe and lingeringe and the woundes be in the most sensible partes of the bodie to witt in the feete and handes which are most full of vaines and sinowes which be the iustrumentes of feelinge Moreouer his paines were increased with the poyze and weight of his owne bodie which alwaies tended and swayed dounwarde and so it euer rented and enlarged his woundes and augmented the greife of his tormentes continually and this caused his martirdome to become so extremely greiuous that althoughe he had no deadlie wounde yet by reason of the passinge greatnes of his paines his most holie sowle departed out of his most precious bodie The tenthe was that whereas our Sauiour was thus tormented vpon the crosse and there became a verie Sea of paines and tormentes yea whereas he was in such a dolefull case that if we shoulde see a verie dogge in the streete so pittiefullie tormented it were able to breake our hartes yet all this notwithstandinge his cruell enemies were so farre of from takinge anie pittie or compassion vpon him that euen at that verie time they mocked and scoffed at him and wagged their heades sayeinge Fye on thee that destroiest the temple of God Math. 27. and within three daies buildest it againe The eleuenthe was to haue his most innocent mother present before his eies at all these martirdomes knowinge so well as he did what a passinge great greife it was vnto her most innocent harte The twelfthe was such a crueltie as the like was neuer seene to witt that whereas his most holie bodie was all voide of bloude and all the fountains of his veines emptied and his bowels dried vp by reason of the great abundance of bloude which he had shead when he requested a litle water they did not onely not graunt it vnto him but in steede thereof they gaue him to drincke Easell and Galle Now what thinge coulde be more cruellie done than this True it is that that riche couetous man Luc. 16. which was tormented in hell had a droppe of water denied him when he required it but yet he had no galle geuen vnto him But here they doe not onelie denie the sonne of almightie God the thinge that he desired but besides that they increase his most greiuouse paines with an other newe kinde of tormente Euerie one of these pointes beinge considered seuerally by it selfe will minister sufficient matter of verie great greife and sorowe to anie good Christian harte And therefore whosoeuer is desirous to haue an earnest and inwarde compassion of the paines of our Sauiour let him goe throughe euerie one of them and make a station at eche of them and be he neuer so harde harted it is not almost possible but that in some one or other of them he shall sinde verie vehement motions to prouoke him vnto greife and