houle and lament a Sauior is departed from you a iust king hath suffered Let your faces bee swolne with weeping for I wil water my couch with teares Let the voice of my mourning bee heard in your streetes for the noise of tribulation is harbored in my heart Weepe discomfortable teares and I wil mingle my drinke with weeping with weeping conduct that Lord to the graue who weepingly bewailed and be wailingly wept ouer your Citie Inforce your selues to weepe whilest my eyes faile me thorough weeping powre your teares on his heart whilest I feede on teares daie and night I will powr all my teares into his wounds he will put all your teares into his bottell Let your teares run like a riuer let my teares be seas to suck them vp only assist me in my strong weeping and teares and he will wipe awaie all your teares Why claime I partners in my griefe who haue no partners in my loue No creatute loued thee deerer in thy life shal I seeke associats in bewailing thee Ah my son could ought but death depart thee and mee Nay coulde there be one step betwixt mee and death who onelye in death maye now seeke thee O Iesu my Father my Sonne see heere an indissoluble Enigma I a Virgine had thee a Sonne thou a son hadst mee a spouse my sonne is my father and I am the daughter of my sonne I will then weepe for thee as my father sigh for thee as thy daghter die for thee as thy spouse and grieue for thee as thy mother as thou art wonderfully mine so will I weepe such a labyrinth of teares as no mortall mourner shalbe able to tract them I will dissolue my relenting yelding passions with all their fruites to lament thee as a sonne I will put on the roabes of dissolution to mourne for thee as my spouse I wil gather ingrosse al griefe to weep for thee as my father beginning where I end and ending where I began I will make my tears famous in their continuance and my loue more inflamed by thinking on thee I coniure you ye daughters of Ierusalem to looke on me but weepe no more with me I lament a sonne lost to teach you to weepe for the sorowes of your children to come but if the entrailes of your pittie springs of compassion must needes breake out weepe you onely his harmes in life let me bewaile the losse of him by death my confident minde and firme constancie when the world was disturbed at his passion made me peremptorie when the earth trembled I was not troubled whē the pilets of heauen were shaken I sounded not they sell I stood now am I drowned in the sea of bitternes his eie of compassion the pilot in those seas hath lefte mee the helme of my hope is broken the sunne of my comfort is eclipsed hee hath past the brierie thornie paths the scourges hath registred his patience on his backe the nailes haue tied his triumphs our sinnes his bodie to the crosse I niurie hath spit her venom Infamie hath doone his worst Iustice hath ransackt his right wayle this yee daughters of Ierusalem for your children shall wring for it I onely exclaim on death death hath triumphed ouer life til glory ouercome death the holie one hath perished fished seeth no corruption one daies one houres one minutes want of that I loue maks euery day an age euerie houre a million of ages euerie minute an eternitie of sorrow for that I want O you that passe this waie beholde this bodie you that looke on these wounds see these lims tell me Is not beautie oppressed Maiestie imbased Innocencie martired Come neere and iudge if anie griefe may bee compared with mine The fairer children we haue the dearer we loue them and shuld I who bare the mirrour of all beautie in my wombe cease to weep for him You men of Israel that beholde this bee not amazed at my griefe my loue was extreame my griefe must not be extenuate the grace was great to beare Christ the courage is as great to bewaile him his beautie was infinite and shall my moanes bee definite These thornes which martyrize his beautious browes this bloud which bedeweth his bloudlesse face these woundes that disgrace his blessed bodie this humilitie in so great mighty a monarch ' are prickes and spurs to egge you vnto repentance springes to washe you from your wickednesse gates to bring you to glory all these are but stinges to stir you to loue God mirrors in which you see his beautie books in which you reade his wisedome and preachers which teach you the waie to heauen Oh thou paschall lambe whose bloud hath bin sprinkled on the timber of the cross Oh thou by whō men are deliuered frō y e thraldom of Egipt the captiuity of the prince of this world whose death killed their death whose sacrifice satisfied for their sinnes Whose bloud deliuereth them from the chastising Angell whose meeknes pacifieth the ire of the father and whose innocencie deserueth for them true securitie and iustice Thou booke which the Prophet sawe written both within and with out why striue not men by theyr sighs to breath life into thee And why should not my cries of compassion recall thy spirit Ahlas my God sinne hath gotten the vpper hand these Iewes are amazed thy mother vnable their zeale cold my power small the vnbeleeuing are many and penitents haue too fewe teares to bewaile thee yet while teares yeeld me anie tribute sighes vouch safe me anie succour tongue affoord me anie words I will weep for thee sigh for thee and talke of thee desiring rather to surfet in wordes than to shroude my zeale and rather die in bewailing thee to much than liue to lament thee too little O thou glasse of grace who hath bespotted thee who hath brought thee into the shadow of death Ah deare soule what northwind of sin hath blowen hether al this tempest meeknesse could not offend patience did not insult innocencie was faultlesse the vvolfe shoulde haue suffered not the lambe the guiltie not the guiltlesse Oh the immeasurable reach of thy mercie I haue spied the insearchable bent of the same thou hast lefte life to reuiue them that loath thee suffred death for such as detracted from thee borne mans infirmities and satisfied his sinnes O grace beyond all conceit O marucilous mysterie Thou diedst for man man declineth from thee thou sufferedst for his sinnes he sigheth not for thy death O men swift footed to run to wickednes haue you no affects to bewaile him who suffered for your defects Wil you not weep for the prophet that died for your profit Haue you no teares to spend for him whose life is spent for you O ingratefull O iniurious drawe neere and behold a mother bewailing your ingratitude a son dead for your redemption and though you lament him not for the plentious consolations
you haue reiceiued by him yet grieue for him for my plentious griefe sake who haue lost all my ioye for your generall comfort Beholde these lippes are closed which were wont to vtter oracles of comfort those eyes are shut which neuer behelde your infirmities without flouds of compassion the handes are maymed which were liberallye opened to all good workes the feete are wounded that brought you tidinges of peace eache parte of him is thus mangled to amende you hurt to heale you galled to doo you good pearced to worke your profite And haue you no one teare to tender for his kindness Ah ingratefull that yee are and more insensible than beastes more cruell than tygers more harde than stones the Sunne put on mourning garmentes when my sonne suffered and shall not the swoorde of afflictions pearce your entrayles to beholde this tragedie The vaile of the Temple rent from the top to the bottome and will you not rent your heartes with ruth to regard his rent bodie The earth trembled for feare and wil you not weep for pittie Stones breake in sunder and shal not your stonie harts wax tender The dead for sooke their graues to grieue for him and shal not the liuing despise their delights to lament him Ah iust Abel thy bloud cryeth for reuenge and hath pearced heauen but it is dispersed and despised on earth Ah holy Ioseph thy bloudie coate hath broached a spring of remorse in Iacobs eies though thy brethren lament thee not The chosen Israelites mourn for their Sampson though the Philistians afflicte thee Oh men the Saints in heauen blesse this bodie you sinners on earth will not bewaile it the heauens shew his greatnes yet men on earth acknowledge not his goodnes the starres declare his diuinitie men decline not to see his dead humanitie the flowers of the fields testifie his beautie but the wormes of the earth sorrowe not his obscuritie O you race of Adam he that created all things without trauell gouerned them without care sustained them without thought and possessed them without necessity now lieth heere dead trauelled by sorrow and death blinde to make you see senselesse to make you feel subiect to make you soueraignes and shall he haue so much care of you you so little compassion of him Oh you hardned in heart blinded in vnderstanding surfeted in sensualitie wil not then your stony harts otherwise suffer ye to weepe come gather teares from the wel-head of his benefits that you may assist me to bewail him he hath drawen you from your bannishment to your blessing from obscuritie to life frō death to eternitie What he punished in the angells he pittied in you what he persecuted in himselfe he hath pacifid for you In the old law whosoeuer had falne into the vncleannes of leprosie was thus cured and thus cleansed the priest taking two sparrows when he had slain the one dismissed the other anointing the sick of the leprosie with the bloud of the dead one hee thereby recured the sicke purged the vncleannes And what figure is this ô ye sonnes of vanitie but the tipe of your owne imperfections you are spiritually falne into the leprosie of sin this noble sacrifice this sacred priest hath taken two sparrows his bodie and soule to cleanse you of your leprosie his bodie hath hee suffered to die to bee rent to bee torne to bee whipte for you his soule hee hath dismissed and by the bloud issuing from his wounds he hath clensd your leprosy ratified his couenāt shut you in the arms of mercye shuted you with your wedding garmēts Oh then though his sufferance touch not your harts let his benefites turne them weep weepe on him that praieth for you as your priest praieth in you as your head and must bee intreated by you as your God Behold your phisition whom desire of gold hath not drawen to you but intirenes of mercye hath prouoked to assuage your miserie Beholde that Christ that hath vnited you to God reconciled you with his bloud vrged compassion for you with his tears your sins haue separated you from him his death hath alied you to him O hard hearted men cannot this moue you thē harkē to further motiues and let them amend you God in the first lawe appointed a free citie of refuge for the afflicted and priuiledge for the offenders whereto whosoeuer had grace to approch before he were apprehended hee was assured of safetie and defended from iustice In this new law this Christ oh true tipe of charitie hath made these cities in himselfe established this priuiledge in his body and walled the same with his wounds Hether ô you sinners repaire heere shall you haue mercy for teares life for repentance remission of sinnes for confession of sinne Oh contrite sinner dwell in these cities let your memorie inhabite them thy meditation imbrace them thy pittie bewaile them Thinke on these woundes they wil heale thee forsake them death will follow thee forget them mercie will denie thee Abuse not the priuiledge of wounds death and passion least thou bewaile too late the horror of hell death and damnation Will none weep with me Will no reasons wound you Are teares so scant for mercies so plentifull Come come and learne what tears be that you may know their benefites The sinners teares are Gods mirrours their penitent sighs his incense God heareth praiers but beholdeth tears praiers moue God to heare tears compell him to haue mercie Silent teares are speaking aduocats It was not Maries anointing with sweet balme Maries drying with faire haire Maries attention with humble heart but Maries teares they wrought my compassion Oh come weepe then if not weepe yet consider Proude man see here the patterne of humilitie humble learne heere whereof to releeue thee irefull learne here the benefite of sufferance patient receiue here the crown of durance couetous learne heere to affect pouertie poor receue here how thou hast Christ thy companion the only sonne of God hath made many sons of God hee hath bought him brothers with his bloud approued them and beeing approued redeemed them beeing solde honoured them by suffering dishonours and giuen thē life by suffring death Let him therefore be wholy infixed in your hearts who wholy was crucified for you on the crosse O men loose not these blessings forget not these bounties This Christ subiected himselfe to the power of death that he might deliuer you from the yoake and power of the deuill hee tooke seruitude vpon him that hee might giue you the libertie of eternal life hear what he crieth in your soules and respect his summons O man see what I suffer for thee there is no griefe like to mine I cry vnto thee who died for thee Behold the paines wherwith I am afflicted see the nailes wherwith I am pearced and although the exterior griefe be so great yet the inward sorowes are more vehement when I behold
though nature cannot mâ—â—e you to sighs which is affecteâ—â—y her obiects let mee winne you by reasons to ratifie your remorse If your friends come from far countries to visite you you imbrace them if they giue you giftes you thanke them if they counsell you you consent vnto them What then will you returne your sauiour my sonne for his curtesies Hee comming into the worlde hath shewed you three principall signes of loue mercie and pietie First hee condescended to your mortalitie Secondly hee prouided messengers of your saluation Thirdly he gaue you precepts and admonishmentes of your welfare He came from heauen to comfort you on earth hee suffered on earth to carrie you to heauen he became the lowlyest amongst men to make you the highest among creatures hee hath visited you with his graces giuing ease to your labour comfort to your afflictions salue to your infirmities he hath presented you with gifts not golde and siluer which are corruptible not pomp honor which seduce the senses not securitie and vanitie which corrupt the heart but he hath broken his bodie on the crosse for you hee hath broken his bodie in the Sacrament for you he hath giuen you the cup of attonement his ' precious bloud hee hath made you one with God by being generally condemned by the world he hath counselled you to rise from sins to make your bodies vessels of the holy Ghost to sanctifie your soules in the bloud of his testament being made approued iust therefore you ought to loue him wholy to whoÌ„ you owe al what you are wholy If you see an earthly king before you you fal before his throne you humble your selfe before his iudgment you subscribe to his law and obey his ordinances why despise you then the king of heauens to whom princes stoope and whom the wind and sea obeyeth to whom all knees both in heauen earth and hel are bowed If you respect works hee made heauen and earth if the manner of nothing if the purpose for vngratefull man who being lord of all by him will not acknowledge his due homage to him if you dispose your affections by the wisdom of your gouernors who more wiser than Iesus Where the Psalmist sayth Great is the Lord our God mightie his vertue and his wisdom is beyond number And again God is the God of sciences our thoughts are prepared vnto him Who therefore is so wise mightie as her that by wisdom discouereth al things and by power punisheth all offences How much wisedome and seuetitie is in this Iudge Who discouereth the thoughts of the hart knoweth whereunto our imaginations are intended measureth the waight of our sinnes and how iniquities are chained together Fnally all are of him by him and in him If wonders drawe your affections who were wonderfull looke on his birth it is wonderfull aboue nature without man of a sole virgine looke on his name it is wonderfull Iesus by interpretation a sauior Yet more woÌ„ders a fraile man and a strong God a poore mans sonne and the prince of peace borne in time and the perpetuall father of succeeding ages Yet three more wonders First in those things which were spoken of him SecoÌ„dly in those things which were spoken by him Thirdly in those which were forespoken of him by the Patriarks and Prophets Iacob prophesied his comming long before The scepter shall not bee taken from Iudah Balaam called him the starre out of Iacob they called him the flower and the branch on which flower the holy Ghost should haue his resting place And is not this admirable Wil you more wonder Hear Elizabeth prophesie hear Zacharie prophesie the shephearde prophesie the Sages prophesie Yet more wonders In his infansy his answeres were admirable all testifie of him maruell at his answere applaud his prudence Will you more wonders The people maruelled at him saying He hath done all things wel hee hath made the deafe heare and the dombe speake Loue him therefore as your Lorde honour him as your king who is admirable in his conception admirable in his birth admirable in his preachings admirable in his passion admirable in his death admirable in his charitie And to this loue O remorselesse lookers on adde teares for no man can truelye loue that is not affected to see his beloued afflicted Come come and weepe bitterly with mee for you haue much cause of lamentation If loue can diuorce you from ingratitude come and weep of pure loue for my son hath therefore suffered because he loued if in iustice come mollifie your hearts behold an innocent reprochfully crucified if consanguinitie can affect you behold your father which hath begotten and chosen you before all eternities reckned amongst theeues rent by bloudthirstie men scourged by the guiltie if you be abashed to see God so mightily brused bewail your deadly sins the causes of his detriment if you wonder at his humilitie blame your pride if you admire his patience condemn your wrath As the member that feeleth no griefe is sayde to bee dead and the disease which is insensible is alwayes vncurable so vnlesse you partake in passion with Christ lament to see him crucified sorrowe to beholde his woundes you are no liuing members but dead ones no true sonnes of his but bastardes if you suffer wyth him you shall raigne with him if you associate him in his passions you shall partake wyth him in his consolations The Philosophers write that the Harpie is a birde hauing a mans 〈◊〉 so fell cruell and furious that beeing pressed and assaulted with hunger she inuadeth killeth a man whome when shee hath deuoured and whose bodie when she hath torne beeing assailed wyth thirst she flyeth to the water to drinke where beholdin◠〈◊〉 owne face and remembring the similitude of him whome shee slew shee is confounded with so much griefe that shee dieth for dolour Oh carelesse worldlings except ther be lesse remorse in you than in this creature looke into the spring of your consciences lodge in your memorie howe much you haue crucified this Christ with your sinnes slain him by your offeÌ„ces though you die not through extremitie of grief yet let fall some teares to bewayle him tenderly Oh let not sinne take hold of you idlenesse preuent you or pride consound you for trees that haue broadest leaues doo soonest loose them men that haue proudest thoughts are soonest deceiued by them Foolish that thou art canst thou bewaile thy dead father that begot thee thy sick sonne that delights thee thy lost riches that maintained thee wilt not thou weepe for Iesus that redeemed thee Canst thou grieue to see thy flockes perish thy houses burnned thy wise slaine thy daughters defloured and wilt thou not weepe to see thy God who gaue these confounded with tormeÌ„ts thy comforter that created these suffer on the crosse thy Iesus that lightneth thee cloathed with death Oh let not your gronings be hidden from him praie
with Iob that thou mayest a little bewaile thy dolours push forth thy teares of griefe and make them flowe in abundaunce for laughlng thou descendest to hel but murning thou ascendest to heauen Wilt thou haue Christ dwel with thee mourn Wilt thou haue Christe dwell in thee mourne Wilt thou haue sinne mortified in thee mourn Wilt thou haue grace plentyfull in thee mourne O remember that Peter after hee had bewayled his apostasie found greater grace by his teares than hee lost by his deniall Looke on Dauid the adulterer hee weepeth and is restored Look on Agar the desolate she weepeth and is comforted Looke on weeping Anne she recouereth her barrennesse Looke on mourning and weeping Iob hee ouercommeth his temptations mourning Ieremie prophesieth the mourning Publicane is iustifyed and mourning Ioseph is deliuered Oh teares of great worth working great thinges with GOD. By teares Marie obtayned the pardon of her sinnes by teares shee obtained the resurrection of her deade brother for her teares sake the Angelles came and comforted her for her teares sake our Sauiour first appeared and shewed himselfe vnto her Great is the vertue and power of teares which tie the handes of the omnipotent ouercome the inuincible appease the wrath and indignation of the Iudge and doth change and conuert it into mercie Hee that standeth on a profound and deepe pit sayeth the Philosopher seeth the stars at noonstead where hee that standeth on the face of the earth seeth not one starre in so great a light In like maner he that is placed in the deapth of humilitie teares sighs and tribulation sigheth to heauen and summoneth God by his cries but hee that standeth in the light of this worlde and in the brightnesse of worldlye lasciuiousnesse can see no star or retaine anie grace Shall I teach you how to bewaile Christ First loue him for loue vniteth things together drawing all mans interest from himself and placing it in another when thou art conuerted into Christ then mayest thou truely bewaile him For the losse of things then neerest touch vs when they are best knowee vnto vs. Those that are one in affection are one in passiō one in desires one in teares one in loue one in sorrow one in minde one in martyrdome mockers martyr Christ penitents weep for him blasphemeis crucifie him the sorrowfull are comforted by him O men learne and vnderstand this our Lord suffered of will not of necessitie and hee indured of commiseration we in condition his voluntarie passion therefore is our necessarie consolation that being afflicted as hee was we may be confident as he was Will you know the hunger and thirst of this aduocate Ahlasse hee scarce found one theese on the gallowes whome hee might taft his Apostles are fled from him and hid them in the throng Peter that promised to perseuer till death hath denied him Wherevpon then shall hee feed if all soules flie him Nay howe can hee hope orf loue where none weep for him Oh man thou art made iust by the iustice of God Thou art saued gtatis and not by thy graces thou hast none to flie to but to him in necessities thou hast no life but it proceedeth from him vnder the Sunne thou hast nothing but watching sleeping eating drinking hunger thirst growth weaknes infancy childhood youth age and all these hee gaue thee Aboue the Sunne thou hast inuisible faith inuisible hope inuisible charitie inuisible bountie inuisible feare in holynesse which he willingly offereth thee Oh then giue him teares for his treasures a small interest for so great riches Oh yee sinful race of men what are you but a sacke of necessities Ahlasse what necessities are these Not to knowe anothers heart to thinke ill oftentimes of a faithfull friend to thinke well oftentimes of a dissembling enemie O hard necessitie yet another harder Thou knowest not what thou shalt be tomorow O greatest miserie yet another harder Thou must needes die O harde necessitie not to wyll that which thou canst not escape In this confusion what canst thou man Whether art thou carried How art thou bannished Crie and crie out vnhappie man that I am who shall deliuer mee from these Who shall aunswere thee Who shall helpe thee Not ambition for it is blinde not lust for it hastens death not wrath for it subdueth reason not the infirmities of the world for they are all fraile It must be humble Iesus then that must heal these imperfectious recouer these necessities determine these daungers to whom thou no sooner canst offer teares but he sodainly sendeth remedies Oh what hart can bee so hardned What mind so obdurate What soul so sensles that beholding a prince in his owne kingdome amongst his owne subiects massacred by his owne sonne wil not grieue at it by how much reason then ō you bond slaues of sinne should you be sorrowfull that see a prince not slaughtered in his owne kingdome but vniustly murthred in the world not among his subiectes but his brethien not by his sonnes onely but sonnes seruants and liegemen nay which is more not for his owne offence his owne default his owne errour but for their sinnes onely who persecute him onely Oh wonderful charitie Christ spreadeth his armes to imbrace those that spit at him openeth his woūds to intertain those that will enter offereth his bloud to ran some them that shedde it giueth his flesh to bee eaten to those that mangled it he praieth for theyr offences that fastned him to the crosse he made their sinnes his sinne that hee might make his iustice their iustice Oh if there be anie kindnesse in thee man thinke on these benefits looke looke about thee consider the waight of thy offences which stops the Fathers cares though the sonne crieth Make Christ sweat water and bloud for verie agonie in bearing them make heauen and earth and all creatures breake out in miracles to beholde them Iob vppon the deuils request was lefte to him to bee tempted and after his long patience receiued blessinges two folde but our Lord was whipte and no man helped him foulely spit vppon and no man succoured him lewdly buffetted and no man regarded him crowned with thornes and no man pittied him nailed to the crosse and no man deliuered him hee cryed My God my God why hast thou forsaken me and was not succored Why oh good Iesu whence came these thinges For what cause sufferedst thou all this To what end are all these torments Why cryed the Iewes Crucifie crucifie Why wert thou poured out like water Why were all thy bones dispearsed Why became thy heart like melting wax Why cleaued thy tong to thy roof Why diuided they thy garments cast lots on thy vesture O Christ the sonne of God if thou wouldest not thou shuldest not haue suffred shew vs therfore the fruit of this thy passion It was thy sinne O sinner that caused this it was thy disobedience to God that was punished in Gods sonne to