that bloody sweat did most euidently expresse the sorrowes of thy hart which al the time of thy prayer trickled downe droppe by droppe vppon the ground O my Lord Iesus whence comes this thy sorrowfull supplication didst thou not voluntarily offer thy selfe a sacrifice vnto thy father euen so Lord. But we suppose that thou tooke this vpon thee for the comfort of thy weake and disconsolate members least peraduenture some should despaire if at any time the fraile flesh seeme to murmure when the spirit is ready to repell any tentation Surely thou didst it to this end that we might haue continuall motiues of loue thankfulnes towards thee hauing expressed the naturall infirmity of our flesh by these tokens in thee By which we are taught that thou hast truely borne our infirmities hast passed the pricking thornes of thy passions not without a sensible feeling of them For that voice seemed not to be the voice of the spirit but of the flesh in that thou addest the spirit is truely ready but the flesh is weake That the spirit was ready to thy passion thou euidently demonstrated when thou ran of thine owne accord to meet thy betraier such men as were giuen to shed blood attending him seeking to take away thy life with lanternes and Torches and weapons vpon the Night and least they should receiue any notice by the Captaine of this impiety thou manifested thy selfe for thou turnedst not away from that cruell Beast comming to kisse thy most holy mouth but affably gaue thy mouth wherein was neuer deceipt found vnto his mouth which abounded with all malice O Innocent lambe of God what hast thou to doe with that wolfe what concord betwixt thee and Belial but this was O Lord thy great mercy to exhibit all such things as might any way mollifie the pertinacie of a depraued heart for as one not al together vnmindfull of ancient friendshippe thou admonished him saying my friend to what end camest thou and willing as it seemes to wound the heart of this impious Traitour with the horror of his sinne thou said Iudas doest thou betray the sonne of man with a kisse and behold the Philistins are vpon thee Sampson Neither didst thou driue them from thee intending to smite them at the houre of thy apprehension with thy right hand no not in defence of thy selfe that the foolish presumption of man may know that they can doe nothing against thee but so much onely as is permitted by thee But who can heare without weeping how they laid their murdering hands vpon thee tying thy innocent hands with cords sweet Iesus who like a most meek lambe speaking nothing was carried after the manner of a theefe contumeliously to the slaughter Neither ceasedst thou then O Christ to shew thy mercy vpon thy Enemies to diffuse the honiecombe of thy sweetnesse vpon them reprouing the zeale of thy defendor and withholding him from hurting such as haled thee Their furie was cursed because wilfull being neither moued by the maiesty of thy miracles nor the greatnes of thy benefits Thou wast brought before a counsell of wicked head-priests consulting against thee and confessing the truth as was seemelie thou wast adiudged to death for thy blasphemie O louing Lord how many vnworthy things hast thou suffered of thine owne Nation men of polluted lips beslubbring with their spittle thy amiable countenance on which the Angels haue desired to looke replenishing the whole Courts of heauen with ioy and vnto which all the rich men in the world shall make intercession beating it with their sacrilegious hands and blindfolding thee in derision and being Lord of all creatures buffetted thee as a seruant most contemptuous of all others But let vs now come to their deliuering vp of thy soule to be swallowed vp by vncircumcised flesh They lead thee bound before Pilate requiring that thou maist be crucified which knewest no sinne that a murderer might bee let loose vnto them lesse esteeming of a lambe then a wolfe of gold then clay O vnworthy and vnhappy merchandise neither was that wicked Pilate ignorant how all these things were done through enuie against thee yet for all that he proceeded rashly in iudgement against thee filling thy soule with much bitternesse without a cause He suffered thee to be mocked commanding thee to stand in the sight of thy mockers nor spared he to teare thy pure virgin-skinne with most sharpe scourgings cruelly inflicting stripes vpon stripes and wounds vpon wounds O thou deere child of God what hast thou committed that should deserue so great bitternesse so great reproch Surely nothing It is I it is I wicked man that I am that was the cause of thy death I O Lord haue eaten the sower grape and thy teeth are on edge paying for that which thou neuer tooke And yet the impiety of the trecherous Iewes is not satisfied with all these indignities done against thee but thou art now at last deliuered ouer into the hands of vncircumcised souldiers to be put to a most shamefull death It seemed but a little matter for those sacrilegious miscreants to crucifie thee but they must also vex thy soule with reproches For what saith the Scripture of them Then all the people gathered together and taking his owne garments from him they put vpon him a purple coate and they cloathed him with a skarlet robe and winding a crowne of thornes they put it vpon his head and a reede in his right hand and bowing vnto him they mocked him saying Haile King of the Iewes and they buffetted him and spit vpon him and taking the reede in their hands they smote him on the Head and after they had mocked him they put his owne garments vpon him to crucifie him bearing his owne crosse and they led him to Golgotha giuing him wine to drinke mixed with mirrhe and gall and when he had tasted of it he would not drinke then they crucified him and two theeues with him the one of the right hand and the other of the left and Iesus in the middest And Iesus said Father forgiue them for they know not what they doe Afterwards Iesus knowing that all things might be done that the Scripture might be fulfilled said I thirst and one amongst them running tooke a spunge and filled it with vinegar and put it vpon a reede and gaue him it to drinke assoone as he had receiued the vinegar he said It is finished and crying with a loud voice he said Father into thy hands I commend my spirit and bowing downe his head he gaue vp the ghost Then one of the Souldiers opened his side with a speare and presently their issued out water and blood for the redemption of man Awake O my soule shake of the dust of sinne and fixe thy contemplation vpon this memorable patterne of Humanitie whom thou seest presented vnto thee in this glasse of Gods word Behold O my soule who it is that cometh in vnto thee hauing the image of a
penurie may taxe vs of excesse that liue in Epicureal riot consuming our daies in security and carelesse prophanation of God and his sacred ministers neither vsing reuerence to them nor him for in contemning them wee contemne him as he the father of verity hath spoken O deere christian we haue too long dallied with sinne too long delaied the time of our conuersion Turne turne from thy euill waies least thou be cut downe in his fury the vials of his wrath haue beene long in diffusing but so much longer the stroke is delaied so much it returnes more violent O let vs relinquish earths vanitie and plant our affections vpon heauens beauty why should we loue such things as breede lothing hauing bitternesse in their tast and producing no fruits but the distastfull weedes of repentance Who so is bewitched or captiuated with the pie-coloured vanities of this world deserues a pie colord coate to describe the foole in his follies Learne to be wise in spirituall affaires that the commerce which thou hast had with the factors of vanity may be now disualued hauing reference to the maine price of thy redemption working out thy saluation with feare and trembling Thou seest the race thou must of necessity run not the race of lasciuious prodigals whose exorbitance makes their house die in infamy nor the race of the Auaricious Miser that treasures vp vengeance for himselfe and his posterity making the issue of his loines the heires of shame nor the race of adulterers that wast their estate in the brothels of licentious delights but the christian race making thy beginning a hopefull proeme of a successiue end thy end a happy concluder of so faire beginnings Runne thus and thou shalt obtaine not a temporall reward but the crowne of eternitie that God who reclaimed thee from thy sinne may be glorified in thy members consecrated to holinesse and integrity Meditate of this contemplate this exercise the faculties of thy soule in these and the like spirituall meditations so shall the deceipts of Sathan be diuerted the gracious operations of Gods spirit renewed and the promises of God to thee performed in supernall Syon A SERMON of Saint Barnard vpon the passion of the Lord. LEt vs celebrate deere christians with diuine honours Iesus of Nazareth by the Iewes innocently condemned by the Gentiles crucified Let vs that are Christians worshippe with all reuerence embrace with all feruentnesse and imitate with all faithfulnesse as it is meet comfortable and glorious the infirmities of our Sauiour for these sufferings be those instruments by which the omnipotent power and inscrutable wisdome of God hath wrought wonderfully and powerfully the restauration of the whole world For Christ our Lord hath so wrought for vs that he became lesse then Angels to make vs equall vnto Angels And who will not humble himselfe for Christs sake Christ our Lord was crucified for our sinnes and hath sweetened the bitternesse of the Crosse to such as loue his Crosse. He died and destroied death that through him we might liue and who will not loue Christ our Lord who will thinke much to suffer for Christ Christ by the ignonimie of his Crosse passed to the glorie of heauenly excellence and all power in heauen and in earth is giuen vnto him by God his father for his reuerence All the Angels of God doe worshippe him and in the Name of Iesus let euery knee bow of things heauenly earthly or whatsoeuer is vnder the earth wherein O Christian canst thou glory saue in the Name of our Lord God crucified and in the name of Christ which is aboue all names in which whosoeuer is blessed shall be blessed vpon earth Glorie in the Name of the Sonne your redeemer and ascribe honour to your Sauiour who hath done great things for vs and magnifie his name with me saying we worship thee O Christ thou king of Israell and of all Nations King of Kings Lord of the whole earth God of Sabboath the most sure strength of the omnipotent God We worshippe thee that art the precious price of our redemption the peace offring who alone by the inestimable sweetenesse of thy perfumes hast moued thy father whose dwelling is on high to behold the things which are on earth appeasing his indignation conceiued against vs. We declare thy mercies O Christ and we vtter the remembrance of thy sweetenesse in aboundance We offer vnto thee O Christ the sacrifice of praise for the multitude of thy goodnesse showen vnto vs of a depraued seede wicked and rebellious children For when wee were thy enemies O Lord and death had entred vpon all flesh to which all the seede of Adam became subiect by the condition of our originall sinne thou remembredst thy mercie and lookedst downe from thy high habitation vpon this vale of teares and miserie Thou sawest the affliction of thy people and being inwardly touched with the sweetenesse of charitie thou conferredst the thoughts of peace and redemption vpon vs and when thou was the sonne of God very God coeternall and consubstantiall with God the father God the holy Ghost inhabiting an inaccessible light and supporting all things with the word of thy strength thou disdainedst not to bow downe thy maiesty to this fraile prison of our mortality whereby thou mightest both tast swallow down our miserie and aduance vs to thy glory It had beene but little to thy charity to finish the worke of our saluation by deputing the consummation thereof to some Cherubin or Seraphin or one of thy Angels but thou vouchsafedst thy self to come vnto vs being commanded by thy father whose exceeding charity we haue tried in thee Thou camest I say not by changing thy place but by exhibiting thy presence vnto vs by taking vpon thee our flesh Thou camest from the royall throne of supreme glory into the wombe of a Virgin humble and abiect in her owne eyes sealed with the religious vow of virgins continence in whose sacred wombe the ineffable power alone of the holy spirit made thee to be conceiued and to be borne in the Nature of true humanity so as the occasion of thy birth did neither impaire in thee the power of thy maiestie nor in thy mother the purenesse of her virginitie O amiable and admirable humility that being God of infinite glorie became as a contemptible worme of miserie Thou being God of all became a seruant vnto all It seemed too little in thy sight to be our Lord and father but thou vouchsafest likewise to be our brother and thou Lord of the whole earth standing in neede of nothing from the beginning of thy Natiuitie refusedst not to tast the inconueniences of pouertie For as the Scripture saith thou hadst not when thou wast borne anie place in an Inne nor cradle which might receaue thee in thy tender infancie but in the base crib of a filthy stable Thou which containest the whole earth in thy selfe art wrapped vp in swathling clouts and placed in a desperable repose Hence is
surely could not I attaine to the measure of that I owe thee sith that which I owe and that which is possible for mee to giue is thy gift without which I haue nothing to giue Thou art to be loued O my Lord with all my heart with all my soule with all my strength and thy imitable footsteps are to be followed by me because thou vouchsafedst to die for me and how can this be done in me but by thee let my soule cleaue vnto thee because all my power dependeth on thee And now O Lord my redeemer I worship thee as the true God I put my trust in thee I hope in thee and with my vtmost desires doe I sigh after thee helpe my many imperfections I incline my selfe wholly vnto the glorious signals of thy passion wherein thou hast perfected my saluation In thy name O Christ doe I reuerence the royall Banner of thy victorious Crosse. O Christ with all humility doe I adore and glorifie the remembrance of thy thornie crowne thy red-skarlet nailes besmeared with blood thy lance drenched in thy sacred side thy wounds thy blood thy death thy buriall thy glorious and victorious resurrection and glorification For the breath of life breatheth to mee in all these by these liuely and redolent odors raise my spirit O Lord from the death of sinne By the power of these preserue me from the subtilties of Sathan that the yoke of thy commandements may be vnto me easie and the burden of thy Crosse which thou commandest me to beare after thee may be light for what is my strength that according to thy commandement I might be able with an inuincible spirit to sustaine so manifold afflictions in the world Are my feete like Hindes feete that like a swift courser I may be able to runne ouer the thornes and difficulties of thy passions but heare my voice and lay thy corsse softly vpon thy feruant that crosse which is the wood of life to them that lay hold vpon it my hope is I shall runne swiftlie and shall carrie as constantlie the crosse which is giuen me of my enemies to follow thee Lay I say that most diuine crosse vpon my shoulders the breadth whereof is charitie the length eternitie the height omnipotencie and the depth inscrutable wisdome replenished with maiestie Naile my feete and my hands vnto it and conforme thy seruant O Lord whollie vnto thy passion Grant vnto me O Lord that I may abstaine from all the workes of the flesh which thou hatest and doe those workes of righteousnesse which thou louest and in both to seeke thy glorie I suppose it verie expedient that my left hand bee nailed vnto the crosse with the nayle of temperance my right hand with the naile of vprightnesse Grant that my soule may continually meditate vpon thy law fixing all her cogitations vpon thee and fasten thou my right foote to the same wood of life with the naile of wisdome Grant that the seeming felicity of this transitory life may not enfeeble the operation of my spirit with a sinister sensualitie nor that it be troubled with this present liues infelicity but that both my right hand and left may be fixed vnto the crosse with the naile of fortitude and that some appearance of the thornes which were platted vpon thy head may be resembled in me giue vnto my heart I beseech thee the wholsome compunction of repentance compassion of anothers miserie the pricke of feruent zeale which may be founde vpright before thee and to turne vnto thee in my affliction whilest my head is crowned with this threefold wreath of thornes I desire thee also to reach a spunge vnto my mouth by a reede and to minister the bitternesse of gall vnto my tast I desire also that by thy Scriptures thou wouldest illuminate my reason that I may tast and see how this flourishing world is as an empty spunge and all the concupiscenses there of more bitter then vinegar So my father may that Babilonian Cuppe diffused vpon the whole earth seeme bitter vnto me not able with her fruitlesse flourish to seduce me nor with her false sweetenesse to inebriate me as shee doth those who call darknesse light and light darkenesse that which is bitter sweete and what is sweete bitter Thy wine mixed with mirrh and gall is suspicious vnto me forasmuch as thou wouldest not drinke of it because it imploied the bitternesse of enuie and impiety of such as crucified thee Fashion thy seruant O Lord after thy liuely death so working in me that I may die in the flesh but liue in the righteousnesse of the spirit But that I may reioice in the carrying of the whole image of Christ crucified expresse in me a similitude of that which the insatiate malice of the wicked Iewes exercised against thee after thy death let thy quicke and effectuall word more piercing then the sharpest lance reaching euen vnto the diuision of my soule wound my heart and produce out of it as from my right side in stead of blood and water a loue O Lord vnto thee and to thy brethren finally wrappe my spirit in the pure syndon of my originall stole of innocencie that I may rest there going out and going in into the place of thy admirable Tabernacle hiding me till thy furie be ouerpast but in the third day after the day of my labour the day of punishment early in the first sabbath raise me thy vnworthy seruant and place mee perpetually among thy children that in my flesh I may see thy glorie and be satisfied with the light of thy countenance O my Sauiour and my God let the time come let it come I beseech thee that what I now beleeue I may behold with reuealed eyes what I now hope for I may at last obtaine that what I now desire vehemently I may embrace really may kisse louingly being plunged in the bottomlesse sea of mercie O my Sauiour and my God But blesse thou my Sauiour O my soule and magnifie his name O how good sweet art thou O Lord Iesus vnto the soule that seeketh thee O Iesus the redeemer of the lost the sauiour of the redeemed the hope of the banished the strength of the wearied refreshing to the distressed comfort to the desolate a sweete repose and a comfortable to the sorrowfull soule running O Lord speedily after thee till shee oreget thee the crowne of triumph the chiefest marchandise and the ioy of all the heauenly Citizens an euer-flowing fountaine of all spirituall graces the onely child of God and the great God Let all things which are in Heauen aboue or in earth below praise thee Great art thou and great is thy name O thou immortall glorie of the high God and the pure maiestie of the light eternall O life that quicknest all things O light that enlightenest all things O light that illuminatest euerie light and conseruest by thy eternall splendor Thousands and ten thousands of lights haue shined before the Throne
and prouide a repose in time for thy poore vessell least vanquished and oppressed with violence of Billowes and extremity of aduerse waues shee be enforced to split loosing both thy selfe and thy fraight spread not thy sailes too broad for the windes thy violent affections are most forced when thy sayles thy ambitious thoughts are most extended Ballace it light least it sinke with her Burden It is better to loose the fraight then the Merchant and the Phylosopher Mymus chused rather to lose his gold then himselfe Enter not thy Barke with any prophane man if his company doe not ruinate thee it may well depraue thee and when Bias came into any shippe or vessell with a wicked man where he was in danger of shipwrack he would neuer suffer the prophane man to pray saying take heede least the Gods heare thee for then wee can expect for no mercie But aboue all let the sterne the principall Organs and faculties of the soule bee euer with all vigilancie attended wisely gouernened and industriouslie employed Thou art to saile by Syrens those three daughters of Achelous and Callyope a naturall euitation of that which is good a naturall inclination to that which is euill and a naturall deprauation of the will reiect the pernicious embraces of sinne and impietie stop thine eares to the Syrens melodie and reduce thy thoughts to that retired harbour of tranquilitie a sincere and secure conscience it is a Christians brasen wall it makes vs secure of things past it aduertiseth vs of things present and prepareth it selfe for things to come No Monument so glorious no statue so specious for what will curious Sepulchers auaile vs when infamie perpetuates the memorie of vs. Vita mortuorum in Memoria viuentium posita est And vertue liueth after death The Ancient Patriarchs returned to the sepulchers of their Auncestours but that had beene but little if their vertues had not equalled their auncestors Desirest thou to haue the excellencie of this painted world the beautie of this earthlie Theatre charactred and displaied to thee in her colors Thou shalt see in her many seeming flourishes of happinesse many faire promises of a continuated eminence but shee failes in her performance her fruits are but flowers and her haruest soone tipe and soone rotten Sodoms apples were faire to the eye touch them they turne to dust Painted Sepulchers shew much beautie and seeme as if they would outliue time yet continuance defaceth them remaining memorable in nothing saue that they were once memorable Starres fixed shine the brightest fix thy thoughts vpon the morning Sun of righteousnesse and like the Sun thou shalt shine more bright at thy setting then at thy rising at thy death then thy birth let thy mind be established on that which can suffice it no terrestriall respect of earths vanitie but an expectance of heauens eternitie to receaue that Crowne for which it was created and not the wages of sinne for which shee was not ordained Thou hast many difficulties to passe in this wildernesse ere thou can see the Land of promise Thou must thirst hunger and wander thirst but for the well of life hunger but for the staffe of spirituall Bread wander but at last with the good Shunamite to returne from the mountaines of Gilboa to the vale of Bethlem the poole of Bethesda to the vale of Bethlem where thou may repose to the poole of Bethesda where thou may take repast yet must thou not murmure in this long peregrination Thou art but as thy forefathers haue beene if afflicted so was thy master Christ if tempted so was he if persecuted behold the whole Colledge of those blessed Apostles making their whole life a persecution a very martyrdome to propagate their masters glorie and to performe that worke for which they were sent Thou must not make profit of thy profession with Magus nor make sale of thy conscience with Demas nor sell thy Sauiour with Iudas Thou art inuested with Christs owne Garment endewed with more especiall priuiledges and prerogatiues then many of thy brethren boast not of that thou hast receaued he that did giue them thee can take them from thee and make thee naked that was once garnished with such singular ornaments bestowing them on others that shall better vse them since whilst thou hadst them thou didst abuse them Enuie not anothers gifts but rather thanke God for his ample benefits extended vpon thy brother that pernicious vice of enuie is the corrupter of many singular vertues and to describe her more perspicuously heare the ancient fathers how they decypher this vniuersall contagion of the world Enuie consumes all vertues by enuie was Christ crucified the historie whereof is mentioned vnto thee enuie and malice aboue all other vices inebriate the soule Where there is enuie there can be no Brotherly loue Who enuieth loueth not the law of the Diuell is in him because the diuell by enuie fell Therefore enuie is knowne by this that shee is neuer in charitie For by enuie was Christ crucified and consequently who enuieth his brother crucifieth Christ. Aug Enuie alwaies followeth vertue he is a valiant man that can conquer enuie with humility Hier Hee is sure an enuious man that taketh pleasure in seeing another mans dammage or punishment Ambros the error of enuie doth not onely inuade the Synagogues of the impious but the cels of the religious Euseb. Enuie manifesteth that we haue not the loue of God in vs. Effrem It is a rare thing to want enuie in prosperitie Iosephus where the good man profiteth there the enuious repineth as the Poet saith Inuidus alterius c. Isidorus Here thou feest enuie dismasked who euer with Ctesyphon kicketh against the Moles heeles there is no vertue can passe vncensured no exquisite worke vnreproued necesse est quôd Momum aut Mimum habet qui vertutem amat But run thou a religious course inclining neither on the right hand nor on the left on the right hand thou may be too precise in being too regular on the left hand insuccessiue being too sinister The Goulden mediocritie is as good a way and as secure as the Phylosophers Galaxia their milke way here is true consolation in spirit for the righteous bee glad and reioyce in it walke in this way and the suggestions of Satan shall not seduce thee for thou art in the way that leadeth vnto life not intangled in the Brakes of this world but expecting the glorious possession of those Ioyes aboue Continue in perfect charity with thy brother it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the fulfilling and perfecting of the Law it reconciles vs vnto God appeaseth his indignation conceiued against vs and assures vs of the performance of his promise made vnto vs in his sonne By the loue of God is the loue to our Neighbour ingendred by the loue to our Neighbour is the loue of God nourished here is a mutuall and reciprocall loue a threefold Cord is hardly broken But thou obiectest thou hast felt
grace so faire an inside for vertue is depictured the best when hee is garnished the least Thus thus consider what thou art and whom thou resemblest not one vndeseruing because of thy wants for the exquisitest deseruings are for most part the vnworthiliest recompenced But the verie Idea of imparaleld goodnesse Vertue her selfe shee is naked so art thou harborlesse so art thou in her selfe deseruing yet desertlesly esteemed and so art thou your fortunes seeme equall doe but match her in the mindes proprieties and thy reward shal be by so much more eminent in regard thy estate was here depressed I will yet draw nerer thee thou art here placed in a desolate forrest farre remoued from any either internall or externall comfort saue that continuall feast a sincere conscience Thou art without friends and no desert more solitarie no forrest greater then to be depriued of friends and in this vncouth promontorie there bee many sauage Beasts which seeke to pray vpon thee or at least to triumph ouer thee and wouldst thou not willingly retire thy selfe and purchase thy owne safety by a sequestred life or if not Semel mori melius est quam semper moriendo viuere Alasse deere christian pilgrim thou art in this state this desert is the world replenished with sauage beasts with which thou art enuironed some lyon like contemne thee for thy pouerty others deride thee without remorse had to thy deiected fortunes But all triumph ouer thee being made as Heluius pertinax was entitled Pila fortunae fortunes ball tossed into euery hazard subiected to euery calumnie being indeed made the very stale of disgrace yet in all these occurrents if thou make right vse of thy pouertie thou remaines free from any perturbation whatsoeuer their pride makes the more humble their ambition worketh in thee mortification their contemning thee breedeth in thee a contempt of the world relinquishing the garish obiects of vanitie to reape the haruest of heauens glorie I will now descend and that briefly to the discourse of such as conceiued more entire ioy and rest in their soules by abandoning the world giuing their goods vnto the poore nay such as voluntarilie became poore that they might follow Christ then if they had possessed the inestimable treasures of the whole Earth The reason that induced me hereunto was forasmuch as I know examples be of more force then precepts the exact and as it were liuely description thereof imprints in our mindes an ardent desire of imitating such whose wel disposed liues made their ends glorious Reade but the sacred ordinances and lawes of God Thou shalt see the Apostles contemning all priuate respects whatsoeuer to tast the sweetenesse of the inestable loue of Christ here thou shalt see one called from the receipt of custome a place of profit to follow him who had as little appearance of externall happinesse as might be streight thou shalt behold another conuerted from an Arch-persecutour of Christians one that flourished in the height of honour and was chosen for a patron of infidelitie despise honour and her superficiall flourishes and consecrate himselfe to the supportance of truth here another euen now a Rabbi a great Doctor of the Law and one in especiall esteeme with the multitude for Christs sake become contemptible to tast the sweetenesse of Christs loue in it selfe inexplicable Zacheus for this loue willingly became poore duiding his goods to the poore and making restitution for what he had iniuriously taken for this loue and for this incomparable sweetenesse did the stones wherewith blessed Stephen was stoned seeme sweete vnto him for this did Saint Laurence tast the Torments of the Gridiron with especiall sweetnesse this moued Andrew to goe pleasantly vnto the Crosse that hee might hasten vnto the diuine sweetnes for this Bartholomew willingly sustained death Iohn drunke poison Peter as one made drunk with the apprehension of that supernal sweetenesse cried out let vs build here three Tabernacles let vs soiorne here let vs remaine here since we need nothing that is necessary for our comfort so long as we abide here O then deere christian if the surueigh of these glorious professors preuaile any thing with thee to distast the bitter and vnsauory affections of this transitory life make vse of thine owne pouerty thou hast no reason to stand all the day idle but to haue recourse to the spirituall vineyard It is hard for a rich man to enter into the kingdome of heauen for why he must take leaue of his friends and fauorites of his reuenewes and possessions there be many things oppose themselues to his intended resolution But thou that carriest all thy prefserments about with thee hauing nothing at home but bare wals appendices of ruine thou that canst not yeeld nature her necessaries being made a very spectacle to triumphing fortune one as exposed to the inconueniences of times occurrents so depriued of those externall Blessings by which we onely seeme to be and haue our wellbeing art rid of these maine impediments which vse to hinder the worldling from the prosecution of such affaires as might yeeld more perfect and accomplished content then all the semblances of fortune and prosperous successe O how hard hath the abandoning of the world seemed to such as haue planted their affections already vpon this terrestriall foundation They could willingly serue Christ if they might reserue likewise some retired howers of seruice deuotion to Mammon but wholly to giue vp their interest in earth and earthly possessions neuer more to call themselues masters of their ample and commodious inheritances O it is an hard lesson such a bitter potion had neede of some sweete pill to season it Thou now seest the high roade-way that leades thee to a port of secure rest hold on deere pilgrim and faint not in thy Iourney thou art now towards a rich inheritance and shalt possesse those true essentiall and reall ioyes which with such feruencie thou hast desired But yet ere I leaue thee in this Harbour let me expostulate the cause with thee aske thee why thou art deiected why so sorrowfull thou sustainest disgrace and art called impudent Beggar Beggar alasse what is that who is not doe we not euen the best of vs beg from day to day for our diurnall sustenance included in that particle Giue vs this day our daily bread but thou art impudent with farre more impudence are we branded that are euer begging yet neuer satisfied nay more presuming to haue what we neede without asking and for thee poore soule necessitie pleades thy cause excusable Egenti viro pudor nequaquam est vitilis A shamefast Beggar neuer gained by his profession Grieue not thy selfe then at the strange language of the hard harted miser his owne words shall condemne him when he appeares as of necessitie he must before the Tribunall of Gods iudgement it s not then the awfull regard of his authoritie for he is then degraded nor the aboundance of his wealth for of that hee
it that thy mother tooke thee from amongst the brute beasts Take comfort take comfort ye that liue in pouertie because God liues with you in your pouertie hee lies not in delicious beds nor is hee found in the waies of such as liue in their delights To what end dost thou reioice O rich man being but clay wallowing in thy gorgeous and trim bed since the King of Kings chused rather to honour the straw beds of the poore with his humble repose Why dost thou disdaine hard straw when a tender infant in whose hand are all things preferred the hard litter of beasts before thy silkes and fethers But this thy tender and weake infancie O Christ was not secure from the sword of the persecutors for whilest thou yet suckt hanging at thy mothers brest an Angell appeared vnto Ioseph in his sleepe saying Arise and take the child and flie into Aegipt and abide there till I shall tell thee for it will come to passe that Herod will seeke the child to kill it c. Now from this time O good Iesus thou beginnest to suffer sharpe things for thou sufferedst not only this vexation in thine owne infancie but the death of those little ones many thousands whereof by the cruelty of Herod were put to death being rest from their mothers brests Hauing past thine infancie thou gauest vnto vs an example of professing the truth with all humility for thou satest not with the counsell of vanitie but in the midst of Doctors questioning and hearing them although thou wast the Lord of knowledge and the wisedome of God thy Father But thou wast likewise an example of obedience vnto vs when as thou being Gouernour of the whole world subiected thy selfe humblely vnto the will of thy parents When the grouth of a stronger age came so as thou wast to apply thy selfe to more weightie affaires thou wentest forth to finish the saluation of thy people as a mighty Giant to run the race of all our misery And that thou mightest in humane resemblance frame thy selfe like vnto thy brethren thou the innocent lambe of God neuer defiled with the lest staine of sinne camest vnto thy seruant baptizing penitent sinners as if thou hadst beene a sinner desiring that thou mightest bee baptized but hee baptized not thee in the water but the water in thee sanctifying them that they might sanctifie vs by thy sanctifying spirit working in vs. From Baptisme by the strength of thy spirit thou wentest into the desert giuing vs an example of solitary life in thee Thou sufferedst patiently solitarines and fasting for the space of 40. daies bitternesse of hunger temptations and illusions to the end thou mightest make all these things more tollerable vnto vs. At last thou camest to the lost sheepe of Israell shewing openly the lampe of thy diuine word to illuminate all the world declaring thy kingdome to all such as obeyed thy word and followed thy precepts confirming with signes and shewing the power of thy diuinity to all that were sicke doing all things to all men freely which might conduce to the saluation of sinners to the end thou mightst profit all But the fooles heart is darkened O Lord and he hath throwne thy commandements behind him neuer harkening vnto all those wonderfull workes which thou hast wrought amongst them except a few very noble and stout champions which thou hast elected out of the weake and abiect things of the world that by them thou mightst wonderfully discomfit the strong and mighty Neither haue they alone bin vnthankefull vnto thee for thy benefits but O Lord of Lords they haue reproched thee and done vnto thee whatsoeuer it liked them for what said they when thou didst those workes of God which none else could doe This man is not of God in the Prince of diuels he throwes out diuels he hath a diuell he seduceth the people hee is a glutton and a bibber of wine a friend of Publicanes and sinners Why weepest thou why sighest thou O man when thou art iniuriously reproched dost thou not heare how many rebukes fell vpon thy Lord and Sauiour for thy sake If they call the master of the household Belzebub how much more his household seruants But O good Iesus whilest they spake these and the like blasphemies stoning thee sometimes with stones thou sufferedst all things patiently and thou becamest as if thou hadst not heard hauing no rebukes in thy mouth Lastly they set thy iust and vndefiled blood betraied by thy disciple a sonne of perdition at the price of thirtie pieces of filuer that they might take away thy life without a cause Albeit the trechery of that wicked betraier was not hid from thee when in the supper where thou washedst thy Disciples feete kneeling downe on thy knees before him thou vouchsafedst to handle wash and wipe his cursed feete swift to sheede blood with thy most holy hands Wherefore then O thou dust ashes art thou yet so proud doth pride yet lift thee vp doth impatience yet vox thee Behold thy Iesus the creator of all things the fearefull Iudge of the quick and the dead the very parerne of humility and mercie kneeling before the feete of a man and that man a traitour Learne because hee is meeke and humble in heart and bee ashamed of thy pride and blush at thy patience This was also O Lord an especiall token of thy mildnesse when thou wouldest not discouer that disloyall wretch in the middest of his brethren nor publiquely confound him onely bidding him doe that hee would doe quickely In all these his malice ceased not towards thee but going forth hee perfects his mischeeuous purpose O Lucifer how fellest thou from heauen that shined before so brightly in heauen thou that once appearedst glorious in the delicious borders of Paradise fellow Cittizen with the Angels in Heauen and a guest at the table of the diuine word how art thou now reckoned among the children of darkenesse thou that wast nourished with spices wherefore doest thou embrace filthines Now is thy familie O Christ purified when hee went into the world leauing the Angelicall society which in heauen remained Now is that happy companie made drunke with the plentifull inundation of thy diuine oracles hauing casten him out whom thou knewest to bee vnworthy of the infusion of so pure a liquor When thou hadst giuen a commandement of charity and wholsome patience and hadst disposed of thy Fathers Kingdome vnto thy brethren thou wentest aside with them towards the place knowne to thy Betrayer knowing all things that would come vpon thee There thou wast not ashamed to confesse in the hearing of thy Apostles the sadnes of thy soule by the imminencie of thy passion which voluntarily thou assumedst as also other things which then thou sufferedst saying Now is my soule heauie euen vnto death Also kneeling vpon the ground thou fellest flat vpon thy face praying in thine agony and saying O Father if it be possible let this cuppe passe from me And
King and yet reproched by his most despicable seruants treading vpon Crownes and yet his Crowne is a vexation vnto him wounding his beautifull head with a thousand pricks hee is clothed with roiall purple but in it hee is rather despised then honoured hee caries a Scepter in his hand but with it his reuerend head is wounded they worshippe him with bended knees and call him King but presently they besmere his amiable face with spitting dishonouring his cheekes and venerable aspect with their fists See O my soule how this man is afflicted and contemned of all sides Hee bowes himselfe vnder the burthen of his Crosse bearing that ignominie which was proper vnto thee where being brought vnto the place of execution his thirst is quenched with mirrhe and vineger vpon the Crosse saying Father pardon c. What kinde of man is this who in all his sufferings doth not once open his mouth or vtter one word of complaint or excuse or of threat or of curse against those reuiling doggs but concludes with such mild wordes of blessing as haue not bin heard before O my soule when hast thou seene any one more mercifull what can be more curteous then this man Behold him with more attention how worthy he is of admiration and most tender compassion Looke at him naked and torne with whips betwixt two theeues ignominiously nailed vpon the Crosse quenching his thirst with vinegar and after his death wounded in the side with a speare sending out plentifull riuers of blood from those woundes in his handes feete and side O my eies abound with teares and O my soule bee thou dissolued with the fire of compassion in condoling so mercifull a man whom thou seest amidst so great biternesse to bee afflicted with sorrowes And now O my soule thou hast seene his infirmicies and thou dost pitty him now thou hast looked vpon his maiesty and thou dost admire him for what saith the Scripture From the sixth hower vnto the ninth hower there was darkenesse vpon the whole earth and the Sunne was darkened and the vaile of the Temple rent asunder from the toppe euen to the bottom and there was an Earth-quake and the rockes cloue and the graues opened and many bodies of the Saints which were dead arose Who is this with whom both Heauen and Earth doe suffer and whose death doth raise men from death Know O my soule know that this is the Lord God Iesus Christ thy Sauiour the onely begotten sonne of God very God very man who of all men vnder the Sunne was onely found to be without sinne and behold how hee is accompted amongst the wicked and esteemed as one of the Lepars or as an abortiue birth throwne from his mothers wombe So is hee throwne from the wombe of his Mother the vnhappy Synagogue Hee that was the fairest amongst the children of men how deformed is hee made hee was wounded for our iniquities and broken for our sinnes he was made a burnt Sacrifice of sweete incense vnto thee O Father of eternall glorie to pacifie thy wrath conceaued against vs and to place vs in the celestiall mansions of glorie Behold O holy Father from thy Sanctuarie and from thy high habitation behold this our holy sacrifice which our Head-priest offereth vnto thee thy holy Sonne and our Lord Iesus offering himselfe vp for our sinnes and mercifully doe away the multitude of our transgressions Behold the voice of the blood of our Iesus crieth vnto thee from the Crosse. For what O Lord what is it that hangeth thereon hee hangeth euen now because things past are as things present before thee Take knowledge O Father vnto the coat of thy true sonne Ioseph Behold a sauage beast hath deuoured him and trampled vppon his garment in his furie staining his bewtie with the effusion of his blood behold he hath made pittifull rents in it This O Lord is the garment which thy inocent son left in the hands of that Aegiptian harlot thinking it better to lose his coate then his honour and chusing rather to be spoiled of the garment of his flesh and to descend into the prison of death then for the glorie of the world to harken vnto the voice of the Adultresse to that voice I say where it was said vnto him All this will I giue thee if thou wilt fall downe before me and worship me which was as if he shold haue slept with the Adultresse And now O my Lord we know that this thy sonne liueth and is Gouernour ouer all Aegypt and in euerie place of thy dominion for hee is aduanced from the prison of death and of Hell to thy Empire and attaining a Crowne of immortallity hath changed the garment of his flesh to reflourish within the immortality of the spirit where thou hast receiued him with much honour For hee hath subiected the empire of Pharoh vnto him and hath triumphantly ascended Heauen by his owne proper maiesty behold he is crowned with glorie and honour when hee sitteth at the right hand of thy maiesty mediating for vs for hee is our flesh and our brother Behold O Lord the face of thy Christ who became obedient vnto thee euen vnto death nor let the scars of his woundes euer depart from thy sight that thou maiest remember the satisfaction thou hast receiued for our sinnes I would O Lord thou wouldst but weigh our sins in a balance by which we haue deserued thy wrath and the calamity which thy sonne suffred to appease thy wrath Surely more forcible and more worthy would the cause appeare to show thy mercie vpon vs then by reason of our sinnes to powre downe the viols of thy Ire vpon vs. Let euery tongue O father giue thankes vnto thee for the exceeding aboundance of thy loue in not sparing thy onely begotten Sonne but giuing him ouer vnto death for vs that we might haue him as a faithfull Aduocate before thee in Heauen for vs. And thou O Lord Iesus most mighty most zealous of mans saluation what thanks shall I giue vnto thee that I may giue thankes worthie being but dust and the workemanship of thy hands for what couldest thou doe for my saluation and hast not done it from the sole of thy foot to the crowne of thy head thou hast plunged thy selfe wholly into the waters of thy passion that thou mightest draw me wholly from them and these passions haue entred euen vnto thy soule For thou subiectedst thy soule to death and desolation to preserue my soule from death and perdition and behold thou hast bound me in a double bond vnto thee First in that thou hast giuen thy life for mee and secondlie because my soule was giuen by thee twice vnto me once in my creation and once in my recreation wherefore I haue nothing that is fitter to giue thee then my soule which I had of thee for if I should in recompence of thy mercy giue vnto thee the Heauen the earth and all the excellency thereof yet
of thy maiestie from the beginning O eternall substantiall and inaccessible cleere and delectable streame of that fountaine hid from the eies of all mortall men whose beginning is without beginning whose bottome is without bottome whose periodde is without period whose circuit is incircumscrutable whose puritie is imperturbable The heart of the Almightie hath sent thee O my soule out of his impenetrable Abysse O life from thee haue wee in all fullnesse receiued life from thy light haue wee receiued light thou that art eternall hast made vs eternall thou that art boundlesse hast made vs boundlesse making vs in all things equall to thy selfe For thou that art the most plentifull fountaine of euery perfect gift hast vouchsafed to conuay the precious Riuer of thy seauen fould graces into our hearts to enrich vs with thy secret treasures and with the sweetenesse thereof to allay the saltnesse of this sea that is of our infirmities O thou Spring of the oile of gladnesse thou riuer of pure wine thou torrent of entire zeale the holie Spirit our comforter beeing sent vnto the world by the Father and thee to both he is equall in dignity of essence filleth all things contayneth al things being spirit of the spirit of thy Father one of both as the indiuiduall communion vniting both a soulder vniting a coniunction indissoluing and that peace which passeth all vnderstanding This is the well of thy comforts O Lord by which thou daily supportest and with pleasant obiects most abundantly refreshest that delicate and glorious City Hierusalem is aboue where those glorious and flamie Organs doe incessantly sing Hymnes in the voice of exultation and feasting with the desired tunes whereof the hungry iawes of thy people in the daies of this their pilgrimation craue dayly to bee refreshed Suffer O Father the little dogges to feede on the crums which fall from their masters table Send out your dewe O Heauens from aboue and let the cloudes raine vpon the righteous him O Lord whom thou hast made zelous of thy lawes Purge we beseech thee O Lord with the sallatorie of thy word the religious first fruits of thy people being a testimonie of our solemne celebration of this time renew illuminate inflame inspire confirme and vnite the hearts of all beleeuers vnto thee that they may bee one tast one and with all vnanimitie require apprehend see and glorifie thee our only God in Sion Let glorie thankes honour and power be attributed to the indiuiduall Trinity for euermore Amen Quaedam sententiae eaeque vere Aureolae ad humanae mentis intimam deuotionem inflammandam excerptae Qui de se humiliter sentit haec legat CHristus qui pro nobis passionem sustulit in fructus passionis nos promouebit vt sicut spinarum coronâ tempora eius figebantur gaudiorum mercede mentes nostrae illustrentur Hic viximus in dolore illic afficiemur Honore Honore dei qui mundano Honori maxime aduersatur ille enim a christianis qui sub vexillo suo meruerunt possidetur Hic autem ab Ethnicis qui eorum famam auxerunt petitur O quam incundum est in domo tua domine habitare vbi nullo metu nulla cupiditate nullo motu distrahimur videntes vero faciem tuam meridiana luce multo clariorem laeitia vultus tuisatiamur Hic dilectus est meus quem quaerit mens mea quaeret nec desistet donec cum quaerendo inueniet A MOST DEVOVT MEDITATION of Saint Barnard entreating of the miserie of man and examination of the last Iudgement TOuching the outward man I descend from those parents who ere I was borne made me forlorne Sinners beget sinners in their sinne nourishing them from sinne vnto sinne miserable man hath brought his miserable issue to light from my parents I haue nothing but miserie and sinne and this corruptible body which I carrie about with me And to them I hasten who are departed hence by the death of their Bodies whose Sepulchers when I behold I finde nothing in them but dust and wormes filthines and horror what I am haue they been and what they are I shall be What am I miserable man engendred of liquid humour at the time of my conception I was conceiued of humane seed which seede afterwards growing thicke by encreasing little by little became flesh whence weeping and shriking I was exposed to the exile of this world and behold now I die being full of iniquities and abhominations Euen now shall I bee presented before a fearefull Iudge that will take an exact accompt of all my workes Woe is me wretch that I am when that day shall come and those bookes shall be opened wherein all my actions and cogitations shal be reiected in the presence of God O then shall I stand fearefull before the Lord in iudgement hanging downe my head and confessing my shame remembring the offences I haue committed and the sinceritie of a pure conscience which I haue defiled and when it shall be said of me behold the man and his workes then shall I set before mine eyes all my sinnes and transgressions for it will come to passe by a certaine diuine instinct that all our workes both good and euill shall come vnto our remembrance and by the piercing sight of the minde shall be apprehended by a wonderfull quickenesse to the end knowledge might accuse or excuse conscience and so all vniuersally and euery one distinctly might together be iudged each man shall giue accompt what he hath done of all to all how ended how begunne for what we are now ashamed to confesse priuately shal be then manifested publikely and what we now seeke to shadow by dissembling shall be discussed by the fire of reuenge euer burning Swift flaming fire shall scorch with boundlesse rage and by how much longer God hath expected our amendment by so much more seuerely will he punish vs because we were negligent Why therefore doe we so greatly desire this life wherein the longer we liue the more we offend for by how much our life is longer by so much bee our offences more For daily are euils encreased but goodnes diminished daily is man changed by prosperitie and aduersitie yet knoweth not he when he shall die for as a glittering starre coasting swiftly in heauen suddenly vanisheth or as a sparke of fire is quickely extinguished and turnes to ashes so soone the dissolutiō of mans life for whilest man soiorneth willingly and ioifully in this world promiseth himselfe to liue long disposing many of his affairs for succeeding times suddenly is he surprised by death vnawares is his soule taken frō his body yet with great feare and vnmeasurable griefe is his soule separated frō his body For the Angels come to take it and bring it before the Tribunall seat of that fearefull Iudge where remembring his euill works nay his most impious workes which he hath committed night or day he trembleth seeking to flie from them and to take truce with them saying