seache the I knowe not but in heueÌ„ coÌ„mauÌ„de therfore swete Iesu my soule to departe fro my body that I may fynde the in heuen where as thou syttes on the ryght hande of thy father in great glory And with these wordes he yelded vp his spirit without any sorowe A prayer O Iesu our crowne and glory whiche rysyng from death dyd ascende vnto the ryght hande of thy father drawe my soule vnto the that I myght feruently seache and desyre y e onely grauÌ„t to me I beseache the that I maye with all my desyre and studye come to that place to the whiche as I stedfastly belyue thou hast ascended And that I beyng here in body may be with the in loue and desyre that my hert may be there where as thou art my loue and treasure moste to be louyd and desyred Drawe me after the that by thy grace I asceÌ„dyng from vertue to vertue may deserue to se the my lorde god in the heuenly Syon Amen ¶ Of the sendyng of the holy ghost The .ix. Chapitre THe L. day after y e Resurrection of Christ and the .x. day after the Ascension that is on wytsonday whan the discyples of Christe were gadred to gether in the place of mount Syon where as he made his supper both men women to the nombre of C.xx or there about there contynuyng in prayer and abydyng the comyng of the holy ghost acordyng to promysse of Christ about the thyrd houre of that same daye there cam sodenly from heuen a wonderfull noyse or sounde as if it had bene the commynge of a great wynde and it fylled all the house and there appered vnto them clouen tonges or dyuyded as they had ben fyre And here note that the gyftes of the holy ghost be not gyuen but to them whiche be gadred to gyther by vnite or one assent in vertue and lyfted vp by desyre vnto heueÌ„ly thynges Also the .vii. gyftes of the holy ghost be conueniently signified or shewed by fyre Fyrst for the holy ghost doth purge lyke as fyre doth and that is by the gyft of feare Secondly as the fyre doth melt so doth the holy ghost by the gyft of pytie Thyrdly he beautyfieth and maketh fayre by the gyfte of science or knowlege Fourthly he strenghtheth by the gyft of strenght Fyftly he lyfteth vp the soule by the gyft of councell Syxtly he doth illumyne or lyghten the soule by the gyft of vnderstandyng And seuently he doth make swete and pleasant by the gyfte of wysdom And all that compaigny ware fylled with the holy ghost and so began to speake dyuers speaches or langages that is whan they spake ony thyng to the glory of god euery nacion ê‘ceyued that speache as theyr owne speache for so it sounded to them and so they spake after the mocion of the holy ghost and as he gaue to theÌ„ vtterauÌ„ce whiche dyuydeth and gyueth his grace to euery person after his wyll and pleasure where he wyl whaÌ„ he wyll asmoche as it pleaseth hym by what maner he wyll and to whome he wyll Peraduenture thou wyll aske this question Syth the ways and operacions of god the holy ghost be vnserchable and can nat be perceyued howe may I knowe that the holy ghost is in me Surely I may greatly coniecture his presence in me by the good mocions of my hert Also I may aduerte and consydre the power of his â—tue in me by that I auoyde all carnall vyces and subdewe al inordinate affections Also I may perceyue his wysdom in me by the ofte discussion of my conscience and rebukyng of my selfe for my synnes Also I may suppose his goodnes and myldnes to rest in me by the amendement of my maners and lyuyng And also by the reformacion renouation of my spirite I may coniecture the same Let euery man looke well in his owne hert If he loue his neyghbour it is a signe that the spirite of god is in hym Also if he loue peace and vnite and that in al the membres of Christes churche through out al the worlde And note here that these signes be taken dyuersly in dyuers degrees of persons For the holy doth inspire he doth enhabite doth replenishe or fulfyll he doth inspire or come to the begynners he doth inhabite the profyters and he doth fulfyll the perfyt ê‘sons The signes or tokens of the holy ghost wherby he is perceyued to inspire the begynners ben iii. after saynt Bernard Fyrst is contricion or sorowe for the synnes paste For the holy ghost hateth the fylth y e syn and wyll not inhabite nor come to that ê‘son that is subdewed to syn Seconde signe is a firme and a sure purpose to beware and auoyde al synne here after and this purpose is nat had without the grace of y e holy ghost assistyng and helâ—yng our infirmite and frayltie Thyrd signe is a diligent redines to do good For the loue of god which is the holy ghost is neuer ydle but always redy to do good There be also .iii. tokens wherby we may coniecture that the holy ghost doth inhabite the profiters that goo forward in vertue Fyrst is the deligent true and ofte examination of his conscience nat onely of mortall synnes but also of veniall synnes for as the grace of the holy ghost is contrary to mortall synne so is the feruour of charite whiche also coÌ„meth of the holy ghost contrary to veniall syn and expelleth it out of the soule that in nothynge he shuld desplease the holy ghost and hynder the soule from the ê“fytyng in vertue The second to keÌ„ is the mynyshyng or subdewyng of the inordinate concupiscence for the more that charite is encresed in the soule of the ê“fyter the more is his soule remoued from the loue of temporall thynges Thyrd signe is the diligent keapyng of the coÌ„maundementes of god which can nat be had without true loue There be also .iii. other signes by the whiche we may coniecture that the holy ghost doth fulfyl the perfyte persoÌ„s Fyrst is the manifestacion or shewyng of the godly truthe For sytghe the holy ghost is the spirit of truth it is his propertie to teache and shewe all truthe necessarie for man and therfore wher he fulfylleth there he sheweth all godly truthe necessarie for that soule Second signe is whan a person feareth nothyng but god for perfyt charite putteth a way all seruile or worldly feare And therfore saynt Paule sayth Vbi spiritus domini ibi libertas where as is the spirite of god there is libertie and no vayne feare For liberty can nat stande with y t seruile feare Thyrd signe is whan a maÌ„ of the vehemeÌ„t loue that he hath to god desireth to be desolued and departed from this myserable lyfe and to be with Christ Besyde all these tokens there be other thre wherby a man may coÌ„iecture y t he hath the holy ghost And for this cause the holy ghost appered in .iii. similitudes or lykenes
prophete sayeth that it is preclarus that is moche worthy and noble For besyde the premisses it bryngeth a man to the kyngedom of heuens ¶ Example of this spyryte and gyfte of councell The .xv. Chapitre OF this gyfte of godly councell whiche is gyuen to suche as feruently remembre the passion of Christe we may se an example in the forsayd blessed woman Maria de Ogines in the forsayd histories of Vincent whiche speakynge of this holy woman sayeth thus She endued with the spirite of councell wold do nothyng hedlynges nothynge inordinately but she dyd all thynges diligently wysely discretely and with great deliberacion And all though she was inwardely vysyted with the familiar councell of the holy goost and also sufficiently instruct in the holy scripture of god and all by the feruente and continuall remembraunce of the passion of Christe yet for thabundaunt mekenes that was in hyr and that she wolde nat trust to moche to hyr owne wyt and so seme wise in hyr owne sight she vtterly forsoke hyr owne wyll and reason and dysdayned nat to submyt hyr wyll freely gladly to the wyll and councell of other takynge and folowyng theyr mynde and councell This nat withstandynge many of hyr famylyar frendes the whiche had ofte experience of hyr godly wysdom wolde take no great thynge vpon them without hyr councell And that she coulde nat know by mannes wyt or reason after hyr deuout and feruent prayer she had the knowledge thereof by the inspiracion of god One tyme whan one of hyr dere spirituall frendes whiche had a competent pore lyuynge wherewith he was well content so moche the better content for that he lyued quyetly from the turmoiles troubles of the world abstracte and separate from the cumpany of worldly people and all worldly pompe or vanitie This person I say so content and seruyng god in mekenes and deuoute spyryte ▪ was desyred of a noble and great man to be with hym as his maister instructour and councellour he shulde haue all thynges plenteously at his pleasure as meate drynke rayment horse and seruauntes This person after this large offre made asked councel of this blessed womā Mary what he shulde do Than she in no thynge presumynge of hyr owne wyt made hyr herty prayer to god secretely and after hyr deuoute prayers she aunswered to hym and sayde I sawe a great horse prepared for you whiche went or ranne streight way towardes hell I dyd also se a greate company of deuylles ioyenge and shewynge great gladnes thereof Therefore after my councell forsake that offre and continue in that callyng that god hathe called you vnto lesse by suche ambicion worldly pompe ye gyue occasion to the deuyll to drawe you further vnto youre eterne perdicion ¶ By the feruent remembraunce of the passion of Christe the gyfte of vnderstandynge is gyuen to man The .xvi. Chapytre THere is also gyuen vnto man thrughe the feruent and continuall remembraunce of the passion of our lorde the gyfte and spyryte of vnderstandynge wherby we know god nat effēcially as he is in him selfe but by collacion comparyson vnto his creatures as by his effectes operacions creatures as it were by sygnes and tokens Also by this gyfte we receyue a lyght and knowledge of those thynges which we se or here of the scripture of god And this knowledge is contrary to that brute sensuall knowledge wherby man onely knoweth and cleueth fast to these outwarde and vayne thynges nothynge regardyng consyderynge or knowynge his owne honour dignitie for he onely consyderyth these visyble and transitory thynges and wyll nat serche to rede or know inwarde thynges that is what he is nat in substaunce but in grace What is his lyuynge vycyouse or vertuouse How great he is in merytes or in the fauour of god where he is that is in this exyle vale of mysery All these thynges considereth the spirituall person and that by the feruent meditacion of Christes passion For he that is crucified with Christ Iesu by the remembraunce of his most blessed passion ▪ doeth ascende vnto the clerenes of knowledge by the spyryte of vnderstandynge on this maner Whan a man doeth feruently and deuoutly remembre and consyder how that the sonne of god wolde suffre so greate paynes for to redeme hym anone he consydereth of what dignitie and noblenes his soule is that it is of an excellēt great dignitie seynge that the sonne of god wolde suffre so shamefull a dethe for the redemption therof And by this consideracion he is animated and moued to consyder and thynke of hyghe and noble thynges For whan he depely considereth that that mooste precyouse blood of Iesu Christe was shed to wasshe his soule from the fylthynes of synne and also that by that moost blessed passion the ruyne and fall of aungels shulde be repared restored with mankynde anon he dysdayneth to remēbre or ones to thynke of these vyle and transitorye thynges but rather he is prouoked moued to beholde and consydre spirituall and heuenly thynges And yf he consydre or beholde these visible thynges it is for that intent that therby he wolde ascende to the cōsideracion of heuenly thynges so that his cōuersacion is principally in heuyn And thā also for asmoche as he seeth Christe crucified and so subdued vnto manyfolde tribulacions and paynes he in this consideracion onely wyllynge to please god recounteth and thynketh all tribulaciōs and paynes to be very lyght and easy for hym to beare Remembrynge also how moche Christe loued hym that wolde be so cruelly and shamefully entreated and slayne for his redemption he feruentely kyndeled in the loue of Christe laboureth to entre in that moost blyssed syde and hert of Christe whiche he knew was opened with a spere for his loue His soule is burnyng in loue as a fyre And therefore with all his herte he desyreth to be crucified with Christe Hereunto he sygheth and wepyth and feruently desyreth that he myghte be all wasshed or drowned in that passion and so hoolly to be transfourmed into his lorde god crucified He reputeth and thinketh hym selfe to be in bondage and mysery except he be preserued and kept by the blood of his redemer He iudgeth hym selfe to be rather more lyke a beeste than a man except he be clad with his lordes passion It is abhominacion to hym to be negligent in the consideracion and remembraunce of so noble a benefite as is the mercyful werke of our redemption and therfore he is euer or at leest hath a wyll to be euer occupied in the meditacion of the sayd passion For as he wold euer continue in the fauoure of god whiche he gate by that passion and redemption so he wold haue euer in his hert and mynde the passion of Christe the pryce of our redemption He reputeth Christe crucified as his lyfe and all his confort or pleasure and therfore he wolde be euer conuersaunt with hym O what sorow what heuynes is
sene naked and so moche the more ashamed then all other chast virgyns be in how moch that his honesty and chastitye excelled without comparison the clennes of all other virgyns And whan Iesus was thus naked Pylate toke hym to the saugiours to be scourged as ye shall se in the next article And note here that one doctor sayth that Christ was thryes scourged Fyrste with roddes bycause he dyd trouble and moue the people and there he had .xl. strokes saue one accordynge to the commaundement of the lawe Secondly with rushys of the see whiche be more sharp than thornes and this beatynge was bycause he had preached and taught a newe doctrine And here he was scourged as Heliodore was by the angelles of whome we rede in the seconde boke of the Machabeis Thyrdlye they scourged hym with whyppes ¶ A Lesson OF this article we may take this lesson that as Christe had his garmentes pulled of his bdye and was stryped naked so shulde we put of our olde synfull cote and lyfe and make open and naked our coÌ„science before god and his minister our curate by pure and playne confession of all our synnes auoyde all cloke and colour of excusacyon for al thynges ben open and naked before the syght of god And a man to conforme hym selfe vnto this article shulde remember howe miserably and with howe moch iniurie and shame Christe was strypt naked and his clothes violentlye pulled of hym And praye thus ¶ A prayer O Iesu whiche for me wold haue thy clothes pulled violentlye of thy backe and wolde be strypt naked to be scourged graunt to me that I may caste of from me myne olde synfull cote or lyfe with al his operations by true pure and playne confession of all my synnes and that I neuer apere in thy syght naked from vertues Amen ¶ Howe Christe was scourged The .xxxi. article THe .xxxi. article is the scourgynge of Christe For when Iesus was so strypt naked Pylate delyuered hym to the saugiours The gospell sayth Apprehendit illum Pilatus et flagellauit Pylate toke Christe and scourged hym that is Pliate made hym to be scourged of his saugiours that the Iues as saynt Austen sayth sacyate and content with those his paynes and rebukes shulde desyre no more his death And so he that dyd lowse them that were bounde our sauiour Iesus was bounde fast to a pyllar whiche was so great and thycke that his armes his handes myght nat compas it And therfore the saugiours corrupt by mony drewe out his armes with harde cordes that all the vaynes of his armes appered out to the extremitie And then those saugiours called in all theyr compaigney and our sauiour Iesus so bounde and naked they bette so cruelly with roddes knotted whyppes and thorny rushes of the see that they dyd teare the flesh and drewe it away so that his bones ware sene bare and also greate gobettes and pecys of the flesshe hange vpon the scourges and whyppes There stode naked before all the people the most louely yonge man eligant and sham fast beautious aboue all other men speakynge not one worde but as meake as a lambe dyd suffer pacyently the harde sharppe and paynfull beatynges of those most vyle cruell tormentours That most innocent and tender flesshe most pure and most fayre the floure of all mankynde was replete and full of strokes blomes woundes and brosers he was wounded thorow out all his moste holye bodye so that fro the toppe of the hed vnto the sole of his foote there was none hole skynne That noble and precyous blode of his ranne from euery parte of his bodye the cruell tormentours added plage vpon plage and heped wounde vppon wounde brosynge vpon brosynge blode vpon blode vnto the tyme that both the cruell tormentours and also the beholders were wery of smiâ—ynge and seynge and so he was commaunded to be lowsed from the pyllar And here sayth saynte Barnarde that the tormentours dyd on s lowse Iesus and bounde hym agayne turnynge his backe to the pyllar and bounde his handes aboue his heed that they myght scourge hym vpon bely breste and also his face and so they spared no place of his most tender bodye whose crueltye coÌ„syderynge some of the pagans there standynge and beholdynge this sorowfull scourgynge ranne to our lorde and bracke the ropes and so dyd lowse hym and those cruell tormeÌ„tours not saciate with that scourgyng pulled the heyre of his most blessed berde and also of his heed wherin was fulfylled the prophecye of Esay Corpus meum dedi percutientibus et genas meas vellentibus which auctoritie we declared before in the .xvi. article ¶ But howe many plages or woundes our sauyour Iesus had at this scourgynge it can not be knowen but by reuelacyon for they were in a maner innumerable forsythe scripture sayth Pro mensura peccati erit plagarum modus After the measure of the synne shal be the measure of the beatynges or plages and Christe was scourged for our synnes whiche be innumerable therfore his plages and woundes muste be innumerable And that noted the prophet whan he sayde of Christe A planta pedis vsque ad verticem capitis non est in eo sanitas Frome the toppe of his hed vnto the sole of his fote there was no hoole parte in hym As saynte Hierom sayth Christe wolde be scourged that therby he might deliuer vs from perpetual scourgyngê As a louynge mother seynge the father beatynge her sonne wyl runne bytwixt the rodde her sonne with her armes spred abrode and receyue the strokes to defende her sonne from that beatynge so dyd Christe for vs and therin was verifyed the saynge of the prophet that he spake of Christe sayenge Disciplina pacis nostre super eum et liuore eius sanati sumus The disciplyne of our peace dyd lyght vpon hym that is the beatynges which we deserued for our synnes and were not punysshed for them but lyued in peace and pleasure these beatynges I say dyd fall vpon Christ and so by his woundes we were made hole And after that Iesus was thus scurged they mocked hym in many thynges as it shal appere in diuers articles folowynge ¶ A Lesson OF this article we may take this lesson that we shuld gladly suffer y e scourges of god so that euery one of vs might say truely with the prophet Ego in flagella paratus sum I am prepared and redy to receyue beatynges And that is conuenient For syth the onely sonne of god was redye to receyue vpon his owne bodye beatynges and scourgynges for our synnes and that at the obedience of god his father moche more then shulde we that be but the adoptyue chylderne of god be redy to suffer gladly the scourges of our father in heuen whiche he by hym selfe or by his ministres doth mercyfully sende to vs for our amendement ¶ A prayer O Iesu whiche wolde for me be bounde to a
Resurrection he appered to his disciples what tyme Thomas was there absent And whan Thomas was comme to theyr compaigney the disciples sayd to hym Vidimus dominum we haue sene our lorde and oure mayster and than Thomas sayd excepte I see the sygnes or the pryntes of the nayles in his handes and put my fynger in the holes and also put my hande into his syde I wyl nat belyue These wordes ware nat spoken of any malyce but rather of ignorance and of a great sorowe heuynes for that he had nat sene our lorde and therfore his louyng and godly maister Iesus wold nat leaue his louyng discyple in that blyndnes and heuynes but for to comforth hym and for to reforme his fayth it pleased hym to appere agayne Therfore whan his discyples ware gadred to gyther in y e mount of Syon where as he kept his mauÌ„dy or supper and also Thomas beyng with them the good shepherd and herdman Iesus diligent to comforth his lytell small flock cam vnto them the gates dores and wyndowes beyng shyt and so stode in the myddest of them that he myght be sene of them all and sayd to them Pax vobis Peace be to you And note here that there can neuer be peace in a comynalty except the prelate be in the myddest so that he be nat enclyned more to one part than to the other A pillar can neuer susteyne and bear vp the house if it be set nygh to y e wal and nat in the myddest and therfore the erth which is set in y e myddest of the world is vnmoueable to signifie that euery prelate or herde shulde nat be moued by any parcialite more to one persone than to an other Our lorde Iesus dyd oftymes shewe peace vnto his disciples dyd also coÌ„mend it and perswade them to haue it for without peace we can nat haue god the prophete to witnes whaÌ„ he sayth In pace factus est locus eius His place and abydyng is in peace Than Iesus said to Thomas Infer digitum tuuÌ„ huc et vide manus meas Put in thy fynger here se my haÌ„des put forth thy hande and thurst it in to my syde and be nat vnfaythfull but belyue Than Thomas toyched the signes of Christes wouÌ„des so byleued nat onely with his hert but also confessed it with his mouthe and sayd Dominus meus et deus meus Thou art my lorde after thy humanite for thou hast redemed me with thy preciouse blode thou art my god in thy diuinite for thou hast create me I doute in nothynge nowe but I am sure that thou art rysen from death to lyfe Than Iesus said to hym Quia vidisti me Thoma cre didisti beati qui non viderunt et crediderunt Thomas thou dost belyue bycause thou hast sene me blyssed be they that belyue and haue not sene In these wordes is not only affirmed the fayth of Thomas but also our fayth is moche commended and blessed and the errour of the heretikes confounded which sayd y t Christ had no true body And here se the goodnes and mercy of oure lorde howe that he wolde appere and shewe hym selfe with his woundes to saue one soule Also note here that the infinite wysdome and goodnes of god suffred Thomas to doute that the resurrection of Christ shuld be prouyd by euident and manyfest argumeÌ„tê or signes therfore Thomas douted y t we shuld not dout Herunto sayth saynt Gregory It was not of chaunce but of the ordynauÌ„ce of god that y e welbeloued disciple of Christ Thomas was absent whan Christ dyd fyrst appere that he hearyng of his resurrection shulde dowte he so dowtyng shuld feale and touche the places of the woundes of Christ and so fealyng shuld beleaue and that to expell al dowtfulnes from our hertes And so in fealynge or puttynge in his hande into the syde of Christe he cured in vs the woundes of our infidelite Also the incredulite or doutfulnes of Thomas dyd more profyt vs vnto oure faythe that the prompte and redy beleaue of the other disciples for by his dowtyng and fealyng our mynd is stablyshed in fayth all dowtes set a parte Mary Magdalen dyd lesse profyt to me by her swyft redy fayth than Thomas by his longe dowtyng for he touched the pryntes of his woundes and vtterly expelled from my soule the wounde of doutfulnes Our lorde of his great goodnes reserued the pryntes or signes of his woundes in his body after his resurrection Not for that he could not cure theÌ„ for he y t destroyed the power of death myght also haue cured put away those signes of death if it had pleased hym but he wold reserue them for dyuers causes Fyrst to confirme our fayth as ye se in Thomas Secondly for to shewe to his father whan he wyl pray for vs. And thyrdly to shewe them at the day of dome to the daÌ„pned people to theyr confusion And these tokens of his woundes ware in no thynge to the deformitie of his glorious body but rather as Crisostom sayth to his great beautie for they shone more bryght than the sonne And as saynt Austen sayth the tokens of the wouÌ„des that holy sayntes haue suffred here for Christe shall in heuen appere in theyr bodyes not to theyr deformite but to theyr glory as a starre in the firmament as a presiouse stone in a rynge as a flowre in the medowe ond as the red colour in a rose which be to the fairnes and beauty of these thynges and so be tho pryntes of theyr woundes in theyr bodyes to theyr glory and dignitie O thou louyng soule behold now thy lorde and consydre his wonte goodnes meaknes and feruent loue howe he sheweth his woundes to Thomas and to his other disciples to put away all blyndnes ignorauÌ„ce froÌ„ theyr soules for theyr profyt and oures also Our lorde stode there with them a lytel whyle speakyng comfortable wordes of y e kyngdom of glory And his disciples stode with hym iÌ„ great gladnes hearyng his godly wordes beholdyng his face full of fauour beauty and glory Beholde them howe they stande about hym And stande thou reuereÌ„tly with ioy beholdyng them a far of if paraduenture our lord moued of pytie and mercy wyl cause the to be called thoughe thou of thy selfe be not worthy that compaygny At last Iesus sayd vnto them that they shuld goo into Galile and there he wold appere vnto them accordyng vnto his promisse And so he blessed them and departed froÌ„ them And they remayned in great comforth but yet moche desyrous to se hym agayne A prayer O Lorde Iesu Christe which shewed vnto Thomas y t douted of thy resurrection the places of the nayles and the spear hathe reuoked hym from errour by the puttynge in of his fynger into the holes of thy haÌ„des and of his hande into thy syde grauÌ„t to me that I hauyng euer the
remembraunce of thy woundes and passion may expeÌ„d and put in my fynger and hand that is what so euer good werk or discreacion be in me I may put it in and expende it all holl in thy seruice to thy honour And that I may confesse with Thomas that thou art my lorde whiche hath bought me with thy preciouse blode and my god which hath creat made me And that whiche thou sayd byfore of our fayth that blyssed be they whiche haue not sene and yet beleaue I may haue experieÌ„ce therof in my selfe and that by thy grace I may be founde blyssed in thy syght Amen ¶ Of the Ascencion of our lorde The .viii. Chapitre OVr lorde Iesus knowyng that the tyme was come that he shulde departe from this worlde vnto his father he wold shewe that not onely he loued his chosen people in this lyfe or whan he was mortall but also y t he loued them vnto the ende or for euer more and therfore he said to them Vado parare vobis locum I go to prepare a place for you in heuyn yet byfore that he went he wold coÌ„fort them and take his leaue of them And therfore he appered to them in the mownt of Syon in that place where as he made his supper byfore his passion for as they ware sittyng and eatyng in that place with our blyssed lady and other frendes of our lorde he appered to them and dyd eate with them byfore his Ascencion as wel for a signe or tokeÌ„ of his special loue to his disciples as to ê“ue his resurrection And after y t they had eaten he brought them all forth not with hande but with his worde and byddyng and so they went from Hierusalem vnto Bethany and than he had them go vnto the mownt of Oliuete there they shuld se hym ascende and so he departed and vanished froÌ„ theyr syght And at y e mownt of Oliuete he appered to them agayne And than some of his disciples sayd to hym Domine si in tempore hoc restitues regnum Israel Shalt thou lorde restore at this tyme the kyngdome of Israel that is wyll thou now delyuer the Iues from the subiection of the Romays c. our lorde answered It apê‘teyneth not to you to knowe tho secreat tymes or thinges that my father hath in his onely power And so after that Christ had spoken certen thynges to theyr instruction and also comforthe he kyssed ych one of them for as saynt Ambrose sayeth he left to them y e token of peace that is he kyssed them and so byddyng them fare wel he lyfted vp his handes to offre them all to his father and blyssed them gyuynge them grace and strenght to defend them from theyr enemyes and also to werk good and godly werkes and so he asceÌ„ded And thaÌ„ his mother and his disciples seyng hym eleuate and lyfted vp in to heuen fell downe prostrate and worshypped hym And for his departyng they could not refrayne them selfe from weapyng and yet they had great ioy and comforth in that they se hym so gloriously ascende And than there came and met hym all the ordres of Angels reuerently and in ordre by dyuers compaygnyes and ordres there was not one but that he cam and dyd his deutye to his lorde god And inclynyng to hym with all reuerence they wayted vpon hym with Hympnes and songes of ioy vnspeakable For as the prophete Dauid sayth Ascendlt deus in iubilo Christ god and man ascended in great songes of ioy which is to be referred not onely to the great ioy of the Angels but also to the ioy of the holy soules redeamed by the passion of Christ and asceÌ„dyng with hym with a wonderfull ioye It folowed in the psalme Et do minus in voce tube And our lord asceÌ„ded in the voyce of the truÌ„pe And this is to be referred to the sowne and voyce of the prechyng of the apostles whiche preachyng was than enioyned and commaundyd to them our lorde sayng to them Euntes in munduÌ„ vniuersum predicate euangelium omni creature Go ye through out all the world and preache my gospell to euery nacion Whan thus both the angelles and blessed soules dyd syng our lorde ioynyng his handes to gyther deuotely and lyftyng them vp streyght byfore his brest ascendyd with a cloude vnder his feet And so al the blyssed soules reuerently ascendyd with hym Nowe for asmoche as all the actes of our redempcion ware complete in the ascencion of Christ therfore that day is worthely acompted as a hyghe and a great ioyfull day For it is the moste solempne feast of our sauiour Iesus for that day he began to sit on the ryght hand of his father in his humanite and so toke rest of all the labour and payne that he suffred in this worlde It is also the propre feast of al blessed spirites in heuyn for than began theyr ruyne and decay to be repayred It is also the feast of patriarches and prophetes and of all holy soules for that day they fyrst entred into the kyngdome of glorie It is morouer the feast of our lady for asmoche as than she saw her sonne Iesus very god and man ascend vp vnto heuen with great glory in the same fleshe and body that he toke of her Yet that day is properly our feast for than our nature was fyrste exalted aboue the heuyns and so man that byfore was lost was that daye brought agayne by our sauiour Iesus vnto the kyngdome of heuyn and vnto the compaigney of angelles Therfore let vs now ascende in hert and mynde that whan tyme shall come that we be called from this worlde we may ascende in soule and after the generall resurrection ascende both in soule and body Christ dyd ascende and withdrawe from vs his corporall â—sence to prouoke our affection and loue and that we shulde desyre to be with hym with all our herte And therfore as the Apostle sayth Quae sursum sunt queramus quae sursum sunt sapiamus Let vs serch and labour to knowe tho thynges that be in heuyn and to tast or loue the same Let vs flye all worldly and vayne desyres let no thyng transytory please vs or content vs whiche haue our father aboue in heuyn And though we be here in body and also vse these temporal thyngê for the fraylty and infirmitie of our body yet let vs go to god by our loue and desyre as we reade of a certeyn deuote knyght whiche with great deuocion went vnto Hierusalem to visite al the holy places where as our lorde suffred his passion or dyd ony notable thyng in his lyfe and whan he had with feruent deuocion visited all tho places at last he cam vnto the mouÌ„t of Oliuete vnto the place from whens our lorde ascended where after that he had deuotely prayed he sayd with teares O good lorde I haue delygently saught the in many places here in erth and where now to