as he did imbrace Iudas that is as a frind and not an enimie as good and not euill as sent vs from God not from men The praier O My Sauiour IESVS Chist by that loue which moued thee to imbrace so kindlie and to kisse so sweetlie the traitour Iudas graunt me grace that I with like alacratie and readines of mind imbrace whatsoeuer crosse it shall please thee to laie vppon me as thy gift sent me for my great good with most sweete and tender loue and that I alwaies render good for euill to those that offend me for thy holy names sake Amen In the end doe as before in the first meditation The third mysterie HOw Christ was so manie times bound and lead thorough the streetes of Ierusalem as a theefe where yet he had wrought so manie miracles Nether do we read that euer such iniuries were vsed to such a personage Heere thou must consider diligentlie this affaire the persons and that which they doe as iff thou were present at it and think what thou wouldest haue donne yf knowing Christ to be the sonne of God thou hadst seene him so misused with thine owne eyes Poincts of meditaton 1. THe great loue that onlie held our Sauiour bound 2. The great paine that he felt being so straitlie bound 3. The shame to be so lead like a theefe in that place where he had wrought so manie and wounderous miracles and where the sundaie before he was receaued with so great honour 4. His iuincible patience in so many vp braidings and outrages 5. The ingratitude of the Iewes whoe had receaued so many benifits of Christ Poincts of confusion for vs. 1. THat my sinnes did bind him more straitlie then those bonds 2. That I doe not let my selfe be bound with so excessiue loue of his that caused him to be bound so hardlie for me and that yet I suffer my self to be bound with the loue of this world and the vanities thereof 3. That so oftentimss I haue ben ashamed to doe well against the promise that I made when I was baptized 4. That I cannot endure as much as the byting of a flea for his loue and yet doe suffer so much for my flesh and for the world 5. That I am forgetfull of so great a benifit and so singular loue The petition TO request grace that we maie be alwaies ioined with his diuine maiestie by holy loue by those his bonds paines outrages and aboue all by his most vnspeakeable loue The praier MY Sauiour IESVS Christ I beseeche thee by those hard bonds with which thou wast bound by those paines which then thou didst suffer in thy most holy hands by that grieuous reproach which was donne to thee in taking thee as a theefe and aboue all by that inflamed loue which alone did bind thee I beseeche thee I say by all these things to bestow this grace vppon me that I be so bound with thy diuine maiesty thorough holy and feruent loue that nothing maie separate me from thee in somuch that I may be able to saie with the Apostle S. Paul Rom. 8. Whoe shall separate me from the charitie of Christ tribulation or distresse or famine or nakednes or danger or persecution or the sword I am sure that neither death nor life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers neither things present nor things to come neither might nor height nor depth nor other creature shall be able to separate me from the charitie of God which is in Christ IESVS our Lord. In the end yow must conclude as before bath ben said The fourth mysterie THe lasshes that our Sauiour had at the pillar which were without number most painfull cruell and onlie fit for such as were infamous persons Some say that he receaued six thousand six hundred sixtie and six stripes which neuertheles according to the lawe should not haue passed the number of fortie Nether was there so great crueltie vsed towards the two thieues nor is it written that to such a man like things haue ben donne by any people were they neuer so barbarous Poincts of meditation 1. THink heere that thou seest thy Sauiour full of sorow and shame and that he saith to thee these words All this doe I suffer willinglie for thy sake 2. That he saith to thee behold to what point thy vanitie thy sinnes and thy pride haue brought me 3. The loue that alone held him so fast bound to the pillar 4. The shame that he had and the paines that he suftered of those infamous people 5. The wounderfull patience and mildnes of Christ and the vnaccustomed crueltie of those wicked catchpoll and purseuants Poincts of confusion for vs. 1. THat we be so little aunswerable to so passing great loue 2. That we be so little sory for the same feeling neuertheles griefe inough and that soone also for the lest things of this world 3. That our sensualitie and worldlie pleasures were those that did bind him to the pillar and whippe him and that yet we be so sensuall 4. That we be ashamed to doe well and to speake of God where Christ was not ashamed to be bound and to be cruellie whipt at the pillar all naked 5. That so manie times we haue scourged with our sinnes him whoe is now so glorious in heauen and yet we make so little accoumpt hereof The petition TO seeke for grace that we maie be able to take all scourges as from Gods hands and to stand strong in them as our Sauiour Christ stoode at the pillar The praier I Humble praie thee o my Lord IESVS Christ by those thy most cruell stripes by those grieuous paines by that pretious bloud which then thou didst shed in so great abundance and aboue all by that most inward loue which moued thee to suffer these things to giue me grace that I take all aduersities as from thy holy hands beare them with that strength of mind as thou didst beare those so manie and so grieuous stripes that thy holy name be praised and glorified foreuer and euer Amen Pater noster Aue Maria. The fift mysterie OF the inuention of the Crowne a torment that at the same time caused greate paine and dishonour which it seemeth the diule himself could not haue found nether doe we read that euer there was vsed so great crueltie Think to be present at this action and consider the fowr things before named Poincts of meditation 1. THe great paine that Christ felt at that time 2. How great the loue was that moued him thereunto 3. That he was wounderfullie ashamed it being a thing verie dishonorable as thou thy self also wouldest haue bene 4. That all this was donne by those people vppon whome he had bestowed so many benifits 5. With how great humilitie patience mildnes modestie and ioy of heart he supported all this for loue of vs. Poincts of confusion for vs. 1. THat our pride did crowne him then and doth yet also crowne him oftentimes with thornes 2.
of the passion of our Sauiour Christ we haue to consider fower things 1. That he that suffereth is the sonne of God equal to the father of whome nothing can be thought more greate nor better nor more excellent 2. That that which he suffereth is a thing most grieuous and painful and for the most part so shameful that it is able to make anie one amazed whosoeuer he be that doth wel consider it 3. That he suffereth for me whoe ought to esteeme mie selfe the most vile and most vngrateful creature that is vppon the earth 4. That he suffereth not for anie necessitie of his owne nether because he did foresee anie good in me that might deserue it but onlie of his owne charitie of his owne pittie and of his owne mercie It is also verie profitable to think with our selues that whilest Christ suffered the paine of which we doe meditate he had a most swete remembrance and compassion of vs for whose sake he offered vp vnto his eternal father all that which he then did endure And therefore it is verie behoueful that we also with an humble and pitiful hart offer the same as a most sweete sacrifice to the diuine maiestie The first misterie of the agoine of Christ in the garden HEere we must first praie our Lord that he giue vs grace to meditate this misterie so worthilie as we ought Secondlie we must ponder the place the persons and the fact of this misterie Thirdlie we must ponder with greate attention those fouer poincts before mentioned to wit whoe suffereth what he suffereth for whome and to what end and in what sort And these three things heere noted we must also obserue in all the meditations that folowe The poincts to be considered of AFter we haue reade the historie in S. Matthew chap. 26. vers 36. and in S. Luke chap. 22. vers 39. and those that folowe we must cōsider 1. the greate loue of our Lord IESVS Christ towards vs whoe for our sakes did sweate bloud to heale our infirmities vouchsafed to drink so bitter a chalice that we might with him drink a most sweete cup in the glorie of heauen 2. We must consider the grieuous paines and bitter angwishes and the agonie neuer seene nor heard of before which he endured 3. The great humilitie and reuerence with which he did praie his eternall father shewing him his bloud and the most wonderful and dollourous spectacle that euer was or shall be seene in this wide woorld 4. The manner of his praier and the most perfect resignation of him selfe into the hands of his father not willing that anie other thing should be donne of him then that which was the pure and right will of God 5. His perseuerance in praier in the like manner and that as he found him self in greater agonie he praied the longer For this he was comforted and strengthened by an Angel heard of his father and went verie couragiouslie to meete his enimies Here folow fiue poincts to moue vs to confusion and shame of our selues 1. THat for the loue of God we haue not yet shed as much as one droppe of bloud no nor resisted the least temptation 2. That we be so farre of from suffering for his loue so diligent to beridde our selues of whatsoeuer passion of our bodie and so negligent to mortifie the passions of the sowle 3. That we haue so little care of our saluation of which Christ our Sauiour was so careful 4. That we be so slowe to haue recourse to God in our tribulations and afflictions so faint-harted and so litel resigned to the wil of God 5. That we be so impatient in praying and that so soone we leaue of for euerie litle thing which causeth in vs distraction paine and vexation The petition that we maie make to God WHen we haue considered the foresaid poincts and giuen thankes to our Lord for his passing greate loue we maie request him grace to haue alwaies recourse to his helpe in our tribulations vsing the self same manner of praying that our Sauiour IESVS Christ did vse The praier O Mie Lord IESVS Christ I beseeche thee by that sorow griefe which thou didst feele in the garden by that bloud which thou diddest sweate by that feruent and inflamed praier which thou didst make and aboue al this by that infinite loue which induced thee to al these things which al I offer now for euer to thie eternal father that thou wilt vouchsafe to graunt me the gift of praier and that I make speede to thee in al mie afflictions that I hope onlie in thee and saie alwaies father if it be possible let this chalice passe from me if not not mine but thie most holy wil be donne What we must doe when meditation is ended WE must craue pardon of God for the negligence vsed in praier and meditation saying to this end one Pater noster and one Aue Maria and we must oftentimes in the daie think of those poincts and things which we haue meditated The second misterie how Iudas one of his disciples sold and betraied him THe historie of this we may reade in S. Matthew chap. 26. vers 14. and 47. in S. Mark 14.10 in S. Luke 22.3 and in S. Iohn 18.3 And heere we must obserue diligentlie in the manner of our meditatiō those things which ar set doune in the beginning of the former meditatiō and maie not be omitted in these that folowe Poincts of meditation 1. THe onlie sonne of God is sold Of whome Of one of his disciples vppon whome he had bestowed so many and great benifits a little before giuen him to eate his owne body and bloud For how little price for thirtie peeces of syluer To whome To his most cruell enimies In what manner with a kisse a token of frindshippe At what time At the feast of pasche when all the Iewes were accustomed to goe to Ierusalem 2. The great loue with which he so kindlie imbraced his traitour and the care he had to saue him 3. The readinesse with which he went forth to encounter his enimies 4. The mildnes with which he did speake to them and call Iudas his frind 5. The patience in suffering him self to be bound strooken and illuded of such sort of people thinking our selues to be present Poincts of confusion for vs. 1. THat wee seeke not to kisse but rather to bite those that doe vs any displeasure yea somtimes to doe worse then bite them 2. That so many times we haue betraied Christ for lesse price then Iudas did 3. That we take so grieuouslie the tribulations which God doth send vs. 4. That we speake so roughlie and be so hard to our neighbours 5. That we shew so great impatience in our euills be they neuer so little and doe so little accustome our sowle to suffer for Christ knowing neuertheles how much he hath suffered for vs. The petition TO demaund grace at Gods hands that we may imbrace tribulations
if we doe vnite and ioine our woorkes with those of Christ they become no lesse noble and worthie then doth brasse when it is melted with golde which brasse is by this meane chaunged frō his owne basenes into the excellencie and worthines of golde It is then a good thing to ioine our woorks with those of Christ that by the value price of his ours be also receaued and esteemed For as the Iuie tree can not of it selfe mount vp on highe but leaning to some other tree it climmeth as highe as the same tree groweth so likewise in a certaine maner doth the basenes of our woorkes ascend mount vp on highe if they leane vppon this tree of life which is our Lord Iesus Christ And euen as a droppe of water is of it self nought els but water but cast into a greate vessel of wine getteth an other kind of being more excellent and noble so our woorkes which be in them selues but of smal value when they be ioined with the woorkes of Christ become more worthie and of greater price by reason of that grace which they receaue from the same Iesus Christ It is therefore a thing verie cōuenient and behofefull that in like sort as men ar called Christians of Christ so in all theire actiōs in their woords in theire thoughts and in all other things they procure and seeke to imitate and follow Christ And so when they speake conuerse with others eate praie or doe anie thing els whatsoeuer they ought to doe it in that sorte in which they maie think that Christ did such things By which practise it wil come to passe as a certaine Doctor saith that theire life and behauiour wil become noble and renued no otherwise thē a noble bird when he is chaunged from a filthie and ill fauouring place into a good and pure ayre Whence it commeth that Christians doe so little remember Christ and thinke vppon him CHAP. II. THis proceedeth chiefelie of the little loue we beare to Christ because as our Sauiour saith Matth. 6.21 where thy treasure is that is the thing which thou doest loue there is thy hart also to wit all thy thought and care for the nature of true loue is to transforme and chaunge him that loueth into the thing beloued And therefore S. Austen saith that our soule is more where it doth loue then where it doth giue life in so much that with greate reason Dalila said to Sampson Iudic. 16.15 How doest thou saie that thou doest loue me if thy hart be not with me which is as much as if she had saide Thou doest endeauour thy selfe O Sampson to perswade me that thou deest more affect and loue me then all other woomen but how can this be true seeing thou doest nether thinke of me nor remember me nor trust me For the signe of one that loueth trulie sincerlie is to desire ernestlie to become one thing with that which he loueth And therfore he that loueth hath all his powers that is his memorie his vnderstanding his will his imagination and whatsoeuer els wholie imploied in that thing which he loueth in so much that S. Denys of Areopagus saith that loue is a certaine alienatiō of it self which commeth of this that a mā is altogether trāsformed into the thing beloued of him And as a man that is inamoured and cast awaie in some vaine and lasciuious loue 2. Reg. 13. as we reade that Amnon was for his sister Thamar doth nether eate nor drink nor sleepe nor repose being alwaies bent and occupied in this thought because the wound of his inward affection doeth not suffer him to take anie rest nether is he fitte to thinke of anie other thinge nor doth feare what soeuer labour so the loue of God which proceedeth frō a more noble beginning and tendeth to a more excellent end when it is true loue in deede thinketh nothing els esteemeth nothing els desireth nothing els nor seeketh nothing els but God and so accounteth of all trauail and difficultie as of nothing onlie for his loue It is then a thing most euident that it proceedeth of little loue that we thinke so little of our Sauiour Iesus Christ Now if anie one should demaunde whence it commeth that Christians doe soe little loue our Sauiour Christ the aunswere might be that the reason is this which our Sauiour vttered in the ghosple Io. 3.19 when he said The light is come into the world and men haue loued the darknes rather then the light And that which he said in another place Math. 6.24 that No man can serue two masters such as is God and the world the spirite and the flesh heauenlie things and earthlie things A man maie likewise aunswere that which to the like purpose that learned and godlie man Thaulerus awnswered in this pretie question propounded vnto him to wit whence it proceedeth that almightie God being within vs more neere vnto vs then we be to our selues we yet feele him not To this he aunswereth verie wel and yeeldeth the reason in this manner saying that it proceedeth of this Because the grace of God doth not woorke in vs. But whie doth not the grace of God woorke in vs Because we desire not the same with al our hart Wherfore doe we not desire the same with al our hart Because we doe not loue the same with al our hart And whie doe we not loue the same with al our hart Because we know it not But whie doe we not know it Because we know not our selues And what is the reason whie we doe not knowe our selues Because we are negligent in considering our owne life Wherfore doe we not consider our owne life Because the eye of our vnderstanding is blinded But wherfore is the eye of our vnder standing blinded Because it is ful of dust and filthines that is of disordinate loue and delight of creatures of the world of our flesh and of our selues Behold then heere the reason verie manifest and euident And therfore our Sauiour said Luc. 14.26 If anie man come to mé and hateth not his father and mother and wife and children and brethren and sisters yea and his owne life besides he can not be my disciple to make vs vnderstand that no man can trulie loue God and think of him as he ought to doe if first he doe not abandone al disordinate loue of him selfe of his owne sensualitie and whatsoeuer creature For as a little dust is sufficient to hinder vs that with oureyes we behold not the heauens so a little disordinate loue is sufficient to hinder vs that we haue no tast of almightie God Luc. 14.33 Heerehēce it is that our Sauiour said Euerie one of you that forsaketh not al that he possesseth that is al disordinate loue and affection can not be my disciple Certaine aduises wherby to meditate the passion of our Sauiour Iesus Christ with more fruite CHAP. III. 1. THe first
is that the gift of praier and to think wel vppon the passion of our Sauiour and the benifit of our redemption is a gift of God and so it behoueth vs to desire the same and to demaund it continuallie with al our hart forasmuch as it is writen Aske Luc. 11.9 and it shal be giuen you 2. The second is that a man ought aboue al other things to be exceeding humble for how can it be that with a proude and loftie hart a man should euer meditate wel the life and passion of him whoe being God was made man and taughte vs to be huble with his woords with his woorkes with his example in his birth in his life and in his death These misteries can not be vnderstoode without supernatural light which is not giuen but to such as be hūble Wherfore our Sauiour said in the Ghosple Matt. 11.25 I confesse to thee O father Lord of beauen and earth because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent of this worlde and hast reuealed them to litle ones that is to the humble And so for want of this humilitie there be verie fewe that haue anie tast of these misteries He then that wil meditate these holy misteries profit him self by the same must humble him self exceedingly and euen from the bottom of his heart esteeme himself altogether vnworthy 3. The third is that it is also necessarie to haue our cōscience voide and cleane from al sinne for how can he with sinne meditate the death and passion of Christ whoe ought to vnderstand that Christ died to giue death to sinne And therfore it is a verie profitable thing that a man first demaund pardō at Gods hands for all his sinnes and stedfastlie purpose with him selfe that he wil rather die then euer anie more offend his diuine maiestie and this as often as he goeth to meditate these holie misteries 4. The fourth is that à great impedimēt let also is too much loue and too much anxietie or carefulnes of woorldlie thinges the which how litle that they be hinder vs verie much from seeing God no otherwise then whatsoeuer little impediment that is put before our eyes doth let vs that we can not behold the heauens And he that with such thoughts doth make his praier is as one that eateth garlike and afterward goeth to negotiate with some greate Prince It was not without greate cause therfore that our Sauiour did so often make his praier in a mountaine being solitarie and alone 5. The fift is that if we earnestlie desire to tast the mysteries of the life and passion of Christ it is verie expedient to exercise our selues in mental praier because to praie with our mouth and to haue our hart distracted is of smal profit and it is as if one should eate al the flesh of a capon and afterward send the bones to anie great personage Therfore Christ our Sauiour warneth vs in the ghosple saying God is a spirite Io. 4.24 and they that adore him must adore in spirite and veritie 6. The sixt is that because mental praier is one of the most hard tedious things that we can doe which is the cause that there be manie that giue them selues to the woorkes of mercie and to sundrie mortifications but fewe that imploie them selues in mental praier therfore we haue greate necessitie of much patience of much strength of minde of greate hope in God and of perseuerance for that by the help of God and by dooing what lieth in vs we maie obteine all things And for so much as this treasure is inestimable make account to sel al that thou hast and to buy it and enioie it for euer 7. The seuenth is that to make our mental praier wel it is a verie good thing to vnderstand and know the impediments that maie hinder vs and to consider them oftentimes thereby the better to auoide them and they be these that folowe 1. The litle account that we make of venial sinnes which neuertheles amongst other things doe depriue vs of that perfect puritie of mind which we ought to haue 2. To much trouble vnquietnes of conscience for venial sinnes 3. Superfluous scruples which hold our minde alwaies vnquiet 4. Bitternes or tediousnes of hart which proceedeth somtimes of anger somtimes also of rancour because our hart is as it were a vessel of gall which we must emptie and voide if we wil fill it with honie 5. Sensual consolations for many there be that desire to enioie God but they wil not leaue nor forbeare the good morsels of the world and yet spiritual consolation is not giuen but to such as for the loue of God be afflicted and heauie and not to those that haue comfort and ioie in the world So the ghosple teacheth vs Matt. 5.5 that Blessed ar they that mourne for they shal be comforted 6. The disordinate care of temporal affaires and necessaires the remedie whereof is first to shake of from vs al disordinate affectiō that we bere to creatures Loue not and thou shalt not be afflicted An other remedie is to cast al our care vppon God and to relie vppon him with a stedfast faith for when thou hast done what lieth in thee to doe God wil take ordre for the rest seeing he hath commaunded vs Matt. 6.33 that our chiefest care be to think vppon him to serue him alwaies 7. Ouermuch diligence and tendernes in gouerning our owne bodie 8. The vice of curiositie in desiring to know other mens dooings and to haue our things too neat and fine 9. To leaue of and not continue our ordinarie custome and time of praier without iust cause for that the cōtinuing of praier although the time be not long is of greate frute and profitte 10. Delicious dainties and superfluitie in eating and drinking which hinder vs verie much from eleuating and lifting vp our mind to God 11. Too excessiue abstinence or indisposition of bodie 12. Ouergreat affection to anie creature or anie thing els because our mind is alwaies in that Matt. 6.21 which we most loue and where our treasure is there is also our hart 8. The eighth is that we must wel vnderstand those things that further vs to make our mental praier wel to th' end that we obserue them with all diligence Such be the things that ensue 1. A great and carefull desire of mental praier because the loue of th' end which we seeke moueth vs to woorke and maketh al paines to seeme but light in somuch that we ought to desire mental praier euen as one that is hungrie desireth bread and as he that is couetous longeth after treasures and as a man caried away with affection towards her whome he desireth for his spouse as the scripture saith 2. Strength and diligence to ouercome the impediments and difficulties of this exercise 3. The garde and custodie of our hart which being the principal instrument of this musicke