deformities And so shalt thou be encouraged with more diligence to bestirre thée to worke according to this examplar and paterne showed vnto thée in this mount of most â—igh perfection as it was sayde vnto Moyses Because in this imitation conforming of thy life after the example of Christ consisteth the greatest merite thou canst haue in this life and the greatest rewarde prepared for thée in the life to come A declaration of the fyfth manner of meditation which is in thankesgeuing The fifth manner of meditation vpon the holy passion is by way of thankesgiuing whiche we are bounde often to do For if we ought of very duetie because we woulde not fall into the vice of ingratitude whiche so muche displeaseth God and no lesse hurteth vs to call ofâ—en times to our remembrance suche other benefites as we â—aue receyued at Gods hande â—nd to thanke his infinite goodnesse and liberalitie for the â—ame How muche more ought â—e so to do for the benefite of â—ur redemption the whiche so much more passeth all other beâ—efites as it hath by our redéeâ—er with more deare coste and â—rice and for our greater proâ—ite bene purchased A great matter it was that â—e gaue vs a soule and body with all our members and senâ—es and muche it is to be estéemed that for our conseruation and benefite he hath created the heauens and the earth with so many and diuers creatures as we sée in it But what should it haue profited vs to be borne into the world if we had not bene redéemed Of what estimation or valour might our creation haue bene thought if our redemption had lacked For by the first we receiued but our being by this seconde we haue receiued our wel béeing The first thing cost our creator but litle for that he created vs and al the world with his onely word and in a short time but as for the seconde who is able to declare how dearly and with how great expence our redéemer purchased and bought it Séeing that with the trauels and sweat of thrée and thirtie yeres finally with tormentes and death vpon the Crosse he gaue vs life and repaired the worlde which in sixe dayes he had made Nowe if it séeme to thée that thou art litle bound to him for that whiche cost him litle yet thou canst not denie but that thou art muche in his debt and very greatly bounde vnto him for that thing he payed so dearly for Thou shalt do then right as the wise man giueth thée counsell not to forget the grace and benefites thou haste receiued of such a benefactour that hath giuen his life for thée Consider if thou haddest receyued of anye man the like benefite how gretly shouldest thou haue remained bounde howe highly wouldest thou haue praysed him howe wouldest thou haue endeuoured thy selfe to haue serued him And therefore thou mayst perswade with thy selfe how greatly thou art bounde to God thy Creator and Redéemer for if thou mightest possibly be bound to any other man whiche had deliuered thée from a corporall death howe muche more oughtest thou to be bounde to him that hath deliuered thée from the spirituall death of the soule And if thou wouldest acknowledge thy selfe muche beholden to a man that had suffered a little for thée then remember howe muche more thou owest to him that is both God and man who hath suffered suche paynes and tormentes for thée and not onely tormentes but also moste bitter and shamefull death through which thy sinnes were cancelled and rased oute of remembraunce the might of the diuell was broken to péeces peace and reconciliation was made with God the gates of heauen opened besides other innumerable giftes giuen thée And séeing thou canst not better recompence this so great debte then to knowe to loue and to be thankfull to thy benefactour why then remember to offer to him the often sacrifice of prayse and thankesgiuing as the holy king prophet Dauid exhorteth and encourageth thée to do styrring vp thy soule with those words wherewith he lifted vp his owne hart and soule vnto God saying O my soule blesse the Lord and all the powers within me prayse ye his holy name O my soule blesse thy Lorde and forget not how great benefites he hath bestowed vpon thée But yet chiefly remember the greatest of all the rest which is to haue deliuered thy life froÌ„ eternal death and to crowne thée with mercy in his glory if the fault be not in thy selfe As verily it shal not be whensoeuer thou shalt declare thy selfe thankfull for his giftes receiued And that shalte thou do in exercising thy selfe to giue prayse and thankes to the giuer therof And think it therfore thy duetie as often as in this maner thou art disposed to meditate vpon the blessed passion to remember and endeuour by all meanes earnestly to giue thanks and prayse for that entier louing charitie of thy Sauiour that woulde redéeme thée with his owne blood and for that incomparable patience of his by the which he suffered all those sorrowes iniuries mockes and scornes as thou shalt call to thy minde béeing after this sorte occupied in thy meditation And albeit that the giuing of thanks which in this litle treatise is set in the ende of euery prayer may helpe and serue thée to that effect yet neuerthelesse it shal further thée muche that in thy discourse of meditation thou deuise of thy selfe newe prayses and thankes giuing sayinge sometimes Thanks be to thée O my God for thy excéeding charitie Blessed mayest thou be in thy patience that wouldest suffer suche tormentes for me O most innocent Lamb praysed and blessed be thy méekenesse Let thy Angels in my behalf blesse thée that wouldest so muche humble thy selfe And at an other time saye When shall I be able O my Lord to recompeÌ„ce these and other so great paynes and sorowes shames and reproches which thou hast suffred for me Let euery spirite and creature confesse thy mercies and be thankfull therefore And so vsing suche other lyke words of prayses according as thy deuotion shall moue thée A declaration of the sixt manner of meditation which is by way of admiration The sixt maner is according to our former diuision in order of admiration which thy soule shall féele to be very great if thou knowe once howe to exercise thy selfe well in that sort of consideration And séeing that the Prophet Dauid vsed as he affirmeth of him selfe to consider and meditate in his minde the maruellous works of God so is it good reason that thou do exercise thy selfe in the meditation of his most holy passion and death which is the moste marueilous worke amongst all that he hath wrought And who will not maruell when he considereth that suche a one did suffer who is the only refuge and protection of al those that do suffer And that he is sadde and heauy for sorowe who is the mirth and comforte of Angels And that he is despised and scorned who is
is to be séene by those wordes whiche that iuste mâ—n Iob spake That euen as the maryner feareth when he seeth the swelling waues of the seas so he feared God And this feare doth ofteÌ„ grow to a man when he remembreth the latter day because he knoweth that to be true whiche is spoken by the Prophet Dauid that no man liuing shall be iustified before God Nowe if the iuste shall scarsly be saued as Saint Peter sayth howe shall the sinner do whiche remembreth howe greatly and howe many wayes he hath offended God for the whiche he hath deserued to be condemned not once but many times Therfore good brother when thou shalt find thy selfe to stand in like feare and dispayre one of the best remedies that thou canst haue to comfort thy selfe and pull vp thy hart againe is to remember and bethinke thy selfe what thy moste mercyfull Sauiour hath done and suffred for thée The very same remedie the prophet Dauid signified that he founde when he sayde My soule is troubled within me self and therfore will I remember me of thée in the lande of Iordan and Hermon and in the litle hill In which wordes he teacheth vs that the remedie a man may haue féeling himself sorowfull sad and troubled in spirit for the remembraunce of his sins or for any other thing is to remember him self agayne what Christe did for vs in his life which is signified by the land of Iordan and Hermon where he was baptised preached and was conuersant And likewise to call to minde that whiche he suffered which is noted by the litle hill that is to say at Caluarie where he was crucified When therefore thou shalte sée thy selfe troubled in minde sorrowfull sad and afflicted considering the bottomlesse pitte of thy sinnes of thy blindnesse passed and of the myserie present wherein thou findest thy selfe turne then thy consideration to thinke vpon the déepnesse of the mercy of thy moste gracious Lorde who for thée and thy saluation came downe from heauen and was made man and for thy sake was crucified and died Consider therfore the plentyfull redemption he hath lefte for thée and that if thou haue offended muche he hath muche satisfied for thée if thou be willing diligent to know how by his satisfaction to helpe thy self If the multitude of the sinnes thou hast committed do feare thée bicause thou hast thereby iustly deserued to be coÌ„demned comforte thy selfe in thinking howe he hath fully satisfied the iustice of God because thou shuldest participate of his mercies If thou faynt dispaire or els miscrust thy owne pouertie and the small good seruice thou hast done towards god remember thy selfe of the great riches and merites he hath lefte thée by meanes of his passion in the which thou mayest chiefly beholde and put all thy trust But yet so that thou fayle not to endeuour thy selfe to the vttermost of thy power to serue and please him And remember also howe that Lorde which in time to come shall be thy iudge is at this present thy aduocate to god the Father eternall to whom he showeth those his fiue blessed wounds with the markes and signes wherewith it was his pleasure to be séene after his resurrection because his heauenly father should thereby be inclined to haue mercy vpon vs and to vs they should be a testimony of the loue he bare vs. Whiche both the one and the other shall giue thée great occasion holdefast of hope and comfort Moreouer consider the number of Sacraments he hath left thée in this Churche as strong effectuous medicins and salues for all the wounds sores infirmities which thou canst haue Remember also that euen as the Apostle sayth better and lowder crieth the blood whiche Christ shed then the blood of Abel Because the blood of Abel asked vengeance agaynst his brother that shed it but the precious blood of Christe asketh mercy and pardon for them that shed it and also for al them that trust in it Sée therefore howe great hope and ioy thou mayest receiue in vsing of this kinde of meditation vpon the holy passion And the order thou oughtest to obserue herein is that when thou art disposed to meditate vpon that which thy Redéemer hath suffered then assuredly accounte and thinke all was done for thy sake and that the plentifull fruite benefite which by meanes of his passion and death he hath purchased was for thée and to thy behoue and he would that thou shuldest be partaker thereof if the fault be not in thy selfe So that thou mayest assuredly beléeue that his tormentes be thine that his teares and sorowes are thine the infinite price of his blood-shedding to be thine and finally that all his death and passion is thine For as we haue said for thée he suffred and he gratiously would thou shouldest be partaker of the fruite thereof so to vnderstand what precious treasure thou hast layde vp in him Whiche consideration shall so ease thée of thy payne and feare and giue thée so great hope and gladnesse that it shall cause thée to saye with Saint Paule God forbidde that I shoulde reioyce or glory in any thing els but in the Crosse of my Lorde Iesu Christ And worthily for in it thou hast an infinite treasure by meanes whereof thou hast obtayned saluation and reconciliation betwéene God and thée and thy sinnes be forgiuen thée thou art receiued for the sonne of god the gate of heauen is opened vnto thée and with it and by it all goodnesse in one heape is cast vnto thée Sée then what cause thou hast to reioyce and leape for gladnesse considering this But here I must not forget to aduise thée that when after this sort thou hast meditate vpon this holy mysterie thou must remember that this hope and ioye which thou shalt féele in finding thy selfe so enriched and full of spirituall treasures they cause thée not to wax colde negligent and slouthful in good workes but rather that therby thou be stirred pricked forward in feruent and earnest loue of God and to serue him Aswell to shew thy selfe as good reason is thankfull to thy benefactor as also lest he take away agayne from thée the same his giftes and riches as it hath happened to others for their vnthankfulnesse and negligence And thus much touching this maner of meditation A declaration of the eight maner of meditation by the way of loue The eight kinde and sorte of meditation vpon the passion is by way of loue whiche we haue placed here lastly because according to the mind of Saint Paule Like as the ende of the commaundementes is charitie or loue procéeding from a pure heart So also the principall purpose and ende of meditation vpon this holy mysterie and others is that the soule may remayne inflamed in the loue of God According to that which the holy prophet Dauid vnderstoode when he sayd In my meditation the fyre shall be kindled that is to say my soule shall be inflamed with
it is written that the whip shal not come neare to his tabernacle diddest willingly consent to be bounde naked to a piller and so sharply to be whipped and beaten as if thou haddst bene some vile slaue and vagabound willing to pay with so sharp stripes of thy virgin fleshe for the vayne and superfluous delightes that I thy vile slaue haue pampered my fleshe withall agaynst thy will and pleasure And séeing thou hast vouchsafed to defende me with thy shoulders suffring them to be sharply whipped I beséech thy infinit clemencie to kéepe far from me the scourge of thy wrath the which I know to haue deserued for the multitude of my sinnes And let this thy discipline teach me hereafter and cause me to shake off all delicatenesse and pleasures in pampering of my fleshe by chastening and mortifying of it by due penaunce because it may not rebel any more agaynst thée and hinder me to attende vpon thy seruice as I am bound Amen Spinea serta caput pangunt illudit amictus Purpureus turbis ecce homo praetor ait Of the crowning of Christ with thornes Matter for meditation 1 Howe those tormentors béeing wéerie of beating that blessed body did loose him from the piller and howe our most patient Lorde did humbly gather vp his garmentes whiche they had caste and scattered on the grounde with the whiche he couered agayne his moste sacred body béeing all bloody sore and full of payne 2 Consider howe that hauing yet scantly put on his clothes the souldiers of Pilat were busie to honor him in scorne with royall ensignes because they sayde he had made him selfe a king they clothed him with a red purple cape or mantell and crowned his head with a garlande of moste sharpe pricking thornes and they put a réede in his hande in stead of a scepter with which they strake him and kneling before him in mocking they saluted him 3 Then also beholde howe Pilate brought foorth in the sight of all the people the king of heauen euen as he was so mocked and yll handled thinking that their obstinate furie might be so pacified when they should sée him in that case worthy of pitie and compassion But it nothing suffised them but rather they cried the more crucifie him ¶ The prayer WHat thanks may I render to thée O my God that thou being the true king of heauen of earth and so worshipped and reuerenced of the Angels them selues diddest not refuse to beare that shamefull and painfull ensignes of a faygned King with which thou waste scorned and mocked of moste vile men neither yet diddest grudge to appeare openlye in the sight of all the people with that painefull sharpe pricking crowne of thorne wherewith thou wast crowned of thē whom thou contrariwise desiredst to crowne with glory And who would not maruell at their obstinate malice in that they could finde out so many inuentions the more to put thée to shame paine and torment but more cause of maruell is in thy burning charitie Lord which the waters of so great tribulations and persecutions were not able to quenche no nor in one poynt to coole And euen as thou wast neuer satisfyed nor couldest thinke in thy self to haue loued vs inough so thou couldest neuer fully satisfye thy selfe in suffering for them whom thou louedst Let thy bountifull goodnesse therefore bée honoured and thanked of the Angels of all creatures the which I doe also adore and worship and desire that I maye alwayes so doe with all reuerence humbly beséeching thée that thou wylte cause mée to knowe thy highnesse almyghtie maiestie that I maye with truth and vnfaynedly continually honour that same to giue me grace that I may wyth the eyes of my soule beholde that lamentable spectacle and sight whiche Pilate shewed to the Iewes in saying beholde the man That my hart being therby made tender and mollyfied I maye haue the more compassion and pitie of thée and wyth more earnest desire loue thée embrace thée And also to reioyce in my selfe to be reuiled and dispised in the world for thy sake according to thine example hoping afterwardes through thy mercye to be crowned of thée in heauen Amen Insons damnatur tandem portare iubetur Proh dolor ipse suae pondera saeua crucis Howe Christ caried the Crosse to be crucified and the poynts to meditate thereon 1 Howe Pilate beyng weryed with the importune calling and cryinges on of the Iewes did iudge Christ the author and giuer of life to death whose iudgement he willingly accepted for the great desire he had to worke our saluation 2 Consyder with howe great humilitie he did beare that heauye trée of the Crosse vppon his shoulders Which for that it was so huge and great made hym often tymes to fall to the grounde and so to renewe his gréeuous paines 3 Consider also that being not well able to goe for his weakenesse and mightie burthen they tooke the crosse of his shoulders and caused Cirineus to beare it And howe hée turned himselfe to comfort and admonishe the deuout women who with great compassion followed hym wéeping Where you maye call to mynde what sorrowe his blessed mother suffered when shée sawe this lamentable sight ¶ The prayer WHo woulde not bée amased O moste swéete Iesu of the bottomlesse fountain of thy passing humilitie that beeing the iudge of the liuing and the dead to whome by thy heauenlye father all iudgement was committed wouldest submitte thy selfe to bée iudged of a mortall man being an vniust and prophane person thou being most innocent and cleare from al sin and to accepte with great obedience méekenes the sentence of death which malefactours deserue that by death they might obtaine life I render vnto thée infinite thankes as wel for this incomparable charitie as also for that good will and readinesse with the which as it were an other Isaac thou cariedst on thy backe the wood wherewith thou shouldest be sacrificed in the fire of thy most burning charity willing thereby to make satisfaction to the iustice of thine eternal father for our sinnes which thou barest on the crosse And séeyng that in accepting the sentence of death which Pylate pronounced against thée thou deseruedst that the sentence of eternall death shoulde be reuoked whiche was pronounced against me therfore I humbly beséech thée of thy mercie to defend kéepe mée that I deserue not to léese this so great priuiledge of grace to incurre by my sinfulnes into the same sentence of damnation from the which for thy part thou hast deliuered mée Geue mée also the grace and strength to bée alwayes able to followe thée in bearing of my crosse according as thou haste commaunded vs that is to say the trauels tribulation which it shall please thée to lay vppon me in this life The which for good cause maye be easie and light vnto me considering the paine and trouble thou diddest féele in bearing so willingly for my loue thy crosse Amen