et gaudeum That is to say hys maners be so swéet pleasauÌ„t that the coÌ„uersacioÌ„ of him hath no bitternes yea his coÌ„pany hath no loathsomnes ne wearines in it but all gladnes and ioye Here peraduenture you wil say vnto me how may I loue that I sée not if I might sée him with all the coÌ„ditioÌ„s ye speak of I could with al my hart loue him Ah good sister that time is not come yet you must as I said now for the time prepare your self in cleannesse of bodie and soule against the tyme so that when that tyme commeth you may be able and worthie to sée him or els you shall be excluded from him with the vnwise virgins of whom the gospel telleth that they were shut out from his presence with great shame coÌ„fusioÌ„ bicause they had not suffitiently prepared theÌ„selues Therfore good sister for this time be not negligent to prepare your selfe with all good workes that theÌ„ you may be admitted to com vnto his presence from the which to be excluded it shall be a more gréeuous payne theÌ„ any paine of hell For as Chrisostome sayth Si decem mille geheÌ„nas quis duerit nihil tale est quale ab illa beata visione exadere that is to saye if â—ne would rehearse vnto mée tenne thousand hels yet all that should not be so great paines as it is to be excluded from the blessed sighte of the face of Christ. The seuenth consideration THe seueÌ„th coÌ„sideratioÌ„ is this wher now it appeareth vnto you that if you will giue your loue fréelie there is non so worthy to haue it as Iesu the sonne of the virgin Mary I will further shewe vnto you that if you will not fréely giue it but you will looke peraduenture to haue some thing agayne yet there is none so well worthie to haue it as he is for if an other will giue more for it then he I will not be agaynst it take your aduantage But sure I am there is none other to whome your loue is so deare and of so greate price as it is vnto him nor any that will come nigh vnto that that he hath giuen or wil giue If his benifits and kyndnesse shewed towardes you wherof I speak somewhat before were by you well pondered they be no small benifites and especially the loue of so great a prince and that he would thus loue you anâ— preferre you before so many innumerable creatures of his and that when there was in you no loue and when you could not skill of loue yea and that that more is when you were enimie vnto him yet he loued you and so wonderfully that for your loue and to washe you from sin and to deliuer your soule from the extreame perrill he shead his most precious bloud anâ— suffered the most shamefull the most cruel and the most painefull death of the crosse his head to be perced with thornes his handes and féete to bée thorough holed with nayles his side to be launced with a speare and all his most tender bodie to be torne and rent with whippes scourges Beléeue this for a very truth good sister that for your sake he suffered all as if there had bene no moe in all the world but onely your selfe which I will declare more largely vnto you in the next consideration following Beléeue it in the meane tyme certainely for so it is in déede and if you belieue it not you doe a great iniurie and shewe a full vnkindenesse vnto him that thus muche hath done for you And if this beliefe truly settle in your harte it is to me a meruaile if you can content your heart without the loue of him of him I say that thus déerely hath loued you and doeth loue you still For what other louer will â—â—e thus much for your loue What creature in all the world will die for â—our sake what one person wil depart with one drop of his hart bloud for your sake wheÌ„ theÌ„ the son of God the prince of heaueÌ„ the Lord of Angels hath done this for your sake which thing no other creature wil do what frost could haue vngeled your harte that it may not releÌ„t against so great an heat of loue if he so exceleÌ„t in all noblenesse should haue giuen you but one fauourable countenance from the heauens aboue it had bene a more precious benifit then euer you could recompence by your loue againe It were impossible for your loue to recompence that one thing But nowe much rather when he hath descended into this wretched worlde for your sake and here hath become man and hath endured all miserie pertaining vnto man saue onely sinne and ignoraunce and finally hath suffered this great horrible death for your loue how shall you euer now recompence this by any loue or seruice to be done for your pittie And he hath not onely don al this for your sake but also hath prepared for you after this transitory lyfe a rewarde aboue in heauen so great that neuer mortal eye saw the lyke nor any tonge can expresse nor yet any hart can think Ah sister wheÌ„ your wretched soule shall hence departe which can not be verie longe héere who shall giue you refreshing the space of one hour Good therfore it is that you looke vnto your selfe vppon him bestow your loue that which hitherto hath done most for you best hath deserued it beyond all other and yet after this life he wil giue for it a rewarde so inestimable that it shall neuer fayle you The eight consideration THe eight coÌ„sideration is this that albeit there are many other which also are beloued of christ Iesu yet the loue that he sheweth to them nothing minisheth his loue towards you as if there were no moe beloued of him in all the kinde of maÌ„ This may euidently be shewed vnto you by this exaÌ„ple folowing If before any Image of our sauior were disposed set in a long rowe many glasses some great and some litlle some high and some lowe a conuenient distance from the Image so that euerie of them myght receiue a presentmeÌ„t of the Image it is no doubt but in euerie of these glasses should appeare the verie likenesse of the same Image I will not say but this lykenesse should be longer in the great glasses then in the lesse and clearer in the better clensed glasses and in them that were nigh vnto the Image then in the other that were not so well clensed much farther of But as to the likenesse it selfe it shall be as full and as whole in euerie one glasse as though there were but one Now to my purpose if you consider lykewise that all the good soules that be scourged from deadly sinne be in the maner of glasses set in an order to receiue the loue of our sauiour Christ iesu Such soules as by true pennaunce doing by sighing by wéeping by praying by watching by fasting by other lyke be the better scoured
then they would forgo it they gaue no force of the losse of all this world beside theyr owne life also So deare and precious was that loue to them that all the honors pleasures and possessions of this life they recompted as verie trifles in comparisō of that And what be you in comparison of thē but naughty wretched and miserable where then they which be now glorious saincts aboue in heauen so much haue valued and so greatly estéemed this most excelēt loue and you may haue the same loue for yours that is so naughtie and so little worth what should you doe of your parte howe muche should you enfore your selfe not onely to obtayn this loue but studiouslie to kéepe it sithens that you haue it once and for nothing to departe therefro He of his goodnesse doeth not repell any creature from hys loue but permitteth them assuredly that if any draw nigh vnto him by loue he will loue them agayne and giue his most precyous loue for theirs he sayeth Ego diligentes me diligo That is to say I loue them that loue mée And in an other place En qui venit ad me nō equam foras That is to say what person so euer commeth vnto me I wil not cast him away Sister if you consider this déeply it should moue you to fall downe vpon your knées with all your hart and mynde say vnto your Spouse in this maner O my blessed Sauiour Lord Iesu thou askest my loue thou desirest to haue my harte and for my loue thou wilt giue me thy loue agayne O my swéete Lorde what is this for thée to desire which arte so excelent if my poore harte were of so much value as all the hartes of men and weomen that euer were if they were put togither in one if it were as precious noble as there is price and noblenesse in all the orders of Angels if furthermore it did contayne in it all bodelie and spirituall treasure that is within the compasse of heauen or without yet it were but a little gift to giue vnto so great a lord for his most delicate precious loue to be had of him againe much rather my loue and hart as it is now naughtie wretched and miserable so is it but a small gift and of little value Neuerthelesse such as it is sithens it is thy pleasure to haue it thy goodnesse doeth aske it of mée saying Prebe mihi cor tuum That is to say giue me thy harte I fréely gyue it vnto thée and I most humbly beséech thy goodnesse and mercy to accept it and so to order me by thy grace that I may receiue into it the loue of nothing contrarie to thy pleasure but that I alwayes may kéepe the fyre of thy loue auoyding from it all other contrarie loue that may in anie wyse displease thée The finall conclusion of all NOw thē good Sister I trust that these considerations if you oftē read them with good deliberation and truelie imprint them in your remembraunce they will somewhat inflame your harte with the loue of Christ Iesu and that loue once established in you all the other points and ceremonies of your religion shall bée easie vnto you and no whit painefull you shall then comfortriblie doe euerie thing that to good religion appertayneth without any great wearynesse Neuerthelesse if it so fortune that you at any tyme begin to féele any dulnesse of mynde quicken it again by the meditatiō of death which I send you here before or els by some effectuall prayer earnestly calling for helpe succour vpon the most swéete Iesu thinking as it is in deed that is your necessitie that no where els you can haue any helpe but of him And if you will vse these short prayers following for euerie day in the wéeke one I thinke it shall be vnto you profitable For thus you may in your hart shortly pray what companie so euer you be amongest The Prayers be these O blessed Iesu make me to loue thée intierlie O blessed Iesu I would fayne but without thy helpe I can not O blessed Iesu let me déeply consider the greatnesse of thy loue towards mée O blessed Iesu giue vnto mée grace hartilie to thanke thée for thy benifites O blessed Iesu giue me good will to serue thée and to suffer O swéete Iesu giue me a natural remembraunce of thy passion O swéete Iesu possesse my hart holde and kéepe it onelie to thée THese short praiers if you wil often saye and with all the power of your soule harte they shall merueylouslie kindle in you this loue so that it shal be alway◠feruent and quicke the which is my especiall desire to knowe in you For nothyng may be to my comfort more then to heare of your furtheraunce and profiting in God in good religion the which our blessed Lorde graunte you for hys great mercie Amen FINIS ¶ A Sermon verie fruitfull godly and learned vpon thvs sētēce of the Prophet Ezechiell Lamentationes Carmen et vae very aptely applyed vnto the passion of Christ Preached vpon a good Friday by the same Iohn Fissher Bishop of Rochester THe Prophet Ezechyell telleth that hée sawe a booke spread before him the which was written both within and without there was written also in it Lamentationes Carmen et vae that is to say lamentation songe woe This was a wonderfull booke and much to be merueiled vpon Much comfortable knowledge and swéetnesse this Prophette gate by this booke as he saith in the Chapter next ensuing factum est in ore meo sicut mell dulce thys booke was in my mouthe as swéete as honye This booke to our purpose may bée taken vnto vs the Crucifixe the which doubtlesse is a merueylous booke as wée shall shewe héereafter In the which if wée doe exercise our admiration wée shall come to wonderfull knowledge Meruayling was the cause why that the Philosophers came to so greate knowledge as they had They behelde and sawe many wonderfull thynges and effectes in thys worlde as the marueylous earthquakes Thūders lightnings Snow Rayne Frostes blasinng Starres the Eclipses of the Sunne and of the Moone and suche other effectes And those marueylous wonders moued them to search for the causes of the same And so by dyligent searche and inquisition they came to great knowledge and cunning which cunnyng men call Philosophie naturall But there is an other higher Philosophie which is aboue nature which is also gottē with marueyling And this is the verye Philosophie of Christian people And doubtlesse amongest all other things concerning a christian man it is a thyng muche marueylous and most wonderfull that the sonne of God for the loue that he had vnto the soule of man woulde suffer hym selfe to bée crucified and so to take vpon him that most vyllanous death vpon the Crosse. Of thys the Prophet Abacuck sayeth Admiramini et obstupescite quia opus factum est in
¶ A spirituall consolation written by Iohn Fyssher Bishoppe of Rochester to hys sister Elizabeth at suche tyme as hée was prisoner in the Tower of London Uery necessary and commodious for all those that mynde to leade a vertuous lyfe Also to admonishe them to be at all tymes prepared to dye and séemeth to bée spoken in the person of one that was sodainly preuēted by death 2. Corinthians vj. Beholde now is the acceptable tyme ▪ now is the day of saluation Mathew xxiiij VVatch therefore for ye knowe not what houre your Lorde doeth come ¶ A spirituall consolacyon vvritten by Iohn Fyssher Bishop of Rochester to his sister Elizabeth SIster Elizabeth nothing doth more help effectuallye to get a good and a vertuous lyfe Then if a soule when it is dull and vnlustie without deuotion neyther disposed to prayer nor to any other good worke may be sturred or quickened agayne by fruiteful meditacion I haue therfore deuised vnto you this meditation that followeth Praying you for my sake and for the weale of your owne soule to reade it at suche tymes as you shall feele your selfe most heauie and slouthfull to doe any good worke It is a maner of lamentacion and sorowfull complaynyng made in the person of one that was hastily preuented by death as I assure you euery creature may be none other suretie we haue liuing in this worlde héere But if you will haue any profite by reading of it thrée things you must do in any wise First when you shall reade this meditation deuise in your mynde as nigh as you can all the conditions of a man or woman sodaynlye taken and rauyshed by death and thynke◠wyth your selfe that yée were in the same condition so hastily taken and that incontinent you must néedes dye and your soule depart hence leaue your mortall bodie neuer to returne again for to make any amendes or to doe any release to your soule after this houre Seconly that yée neuer reade thys meditation but alone by your selfe in secrete maner where you maye be most attentyue therevnto And when ye haue the best leasure without any let of other thoughtes or buzinesse For if you otherwyse behaue your selfe in the reading of it it shall anon lose the vertue and quicknesse in stirring and mouing of your soule when you woulde ratherest haue it sturred Thirdly that when you intende to read it you must afore lifte vp your minde to almightie God and beséech him that by the helpe and succour of his grace the readyng thereof may fruitfully worke in your soule a good and vertuous life according to hys pleasure and say Deus in adiutorium meum intende Domine adiuvandum me festina Gloria patri c. Laus tibi domine rex eternae glorie Amen Alas alas I am vnworthily takē all sodaynly death hath assayled me the paynes of his stroake be so sore and gréeuous that I may not longe endure thē my last home I perceiue well is come I must now leaue thys mortall bodie I must nowe departe hence out of this world neuer to returne againe into it But whether I shall goe or where I shall become or what lodgyng I shall haue thys night or in what company I shal fal or in what countrey I shall be receiued or in what maner I shall be entreated God knoweth for I knowe not What if I shall be dampned in the perpetuall prysō of hell where be paynes endelesse and without number Gréeuous it shall be to them that be dampned for euer for they shall be as men in moste extreame paynes of death euer wishing and desiryng death and yet neuer shall they dye It should be nowe vnto mée muche wearie one yeare continually to lye vpon a bed were it neuer so soft how weary then shall it be to lye in the most painefull fyre so many thousād of yeares without number And to be in that most horrible company of diuils most terrible to beholde full of malice and crueltie O wretched and miserable creature that I am I might so haue liued and so ordered my lyfe by the helpe and grace of my Lorde Christ Iesu that this houre might haue bene vnto mée much ioyous greatly desired Many blessed holy Sayncts were full ioyous and desirous of this houre for they knewe well that by death their soules shuld be trāslated into a new life To the life of all ioye and endlesse pleasure frō the streightes and bōdage of this corruptible body into a very libertie and true fréedom mong the company of heauen frō the miseries gréeuāces of this wretched world to be aboue with God in comfort inestimable that can not be spoken ne thought They were assured of the promises of almightie god which had so promised to all them that bée hys faithfull seruauntes And sure I am that if I had truly faithfully serued him vnto thys houre my soule had bene partner of these promises But vnhappie vngracious creature that I am I haue bene negligent in hys seruice and therefore now my harte doeth waste in sorowes séeing the nighnesse of death and considering my great slouth negligence I thought full little thus sodainly to haue bene trapped But alas now death hath preuented me and hath vnwarily attached mée sodainly oppressed mée with his mightie power so that I know not whither I may turne mee for succour nor where I may séeke now for helpe ne what thing I may doe to get any remedy If I myght haue leasure and space to repent mée and amende my lyfe not compelled with this sodayne stroake but of my owne frée will and libertie and partly for the loue of God putting asyde all slouth negligence I might then safely dye without any dread I might then be glad to departe hence and leaue my manifold miseries encombraūces of this world But how may I think that my repentance or mine amendement commeth now of myne own frée will sith I was before thys stroake so colde and dull in the seruice of my Lord god Or howe may I thinke that I doe this more rather for his loue then for feare of his punyshement when if I had truelye loued hym I should more quickely and more diligently haue serued him héeretofore Mée séemeth now that I caste away my slouth and neglygence compelled by force Euen as a Merchaunt that is compelled by a greate tempest in the sea to cast his merchandice out of the Shippe it is not to bée supposed that hée would cast away his ryches of hys owne frée will not compelled by the storme And euen so lykewyse doe I if thys tempeste of death were not now raysed vppon mée it is full like that I would not haue cast from me my slouth and negligence O woulde to God that I might nowe haue some farther respet and some longer tyme to amend my self of my frée will and libertie O if I might entreat death to spare me for a season but that will not bée death
repentance takeÌ„ in tyme might haue eased them of all their paines This I heard and read full often but full little héede or regarde I gaue thervnto I well perceyued it in my selfe but all to late I dread me I woulde that nowe by the example of me all other might beware and avoyde by the gracious helpe of God these daungers that I now am in and prepare them selues against the houre of death better theÌ„ I haue prepared me Alas what auayleth mee nowe anye delicacie of meates and drinkes which my wretched bodie insaciablâ— dyd deuoure What auayleth my vanitie or pryde that I had in my selfe eyther of apparel or of any other thing 〈…〉 vnto me what auayleth 〈…〉 and vncleane delightes and lustes of the stincking flesh wherein was appearance of much pleasure but in very déede none other then the Sowe hath waultering hir self in the myerie puddle Now these pleasures be gon my body is nothing better my soule is much the worse and nothyng remayneth but sorow and displeasure and that a thousand fold more theÌ„ euer I had any pleasure before O lewde bodie naughtie which hast brought me to this vtter discomfort O dyrtie corruption O sachell full of dunge now must I goe to make answere for thy lewdenesse thy lewdenesse I say for it all commeth of thée My soule had nothing néede of such things as was thy desire what néede my soule that is immortall eyther cloathyng or meate or drink what néede it any corruptible gold or siluer what néed it any houses or beddes or any other things that appertayneth to these For thée O corruptible body which lyke a rotten wall dayly néedeth repratiâ—ns and botching vp with meate and drinke and defence of cloathyng against colde and heate was all thys studie and diligence taken and yet now wilte thou forsake mée at my most néede when accompt and reckoning of all our misdéedes must be gyuen before the throne of the Iudge most terrible Now thou wilt refuse me and leaue mée to the ieoperdie of all this matter O alas many yeares of deliberation suffice not before so great a Iudge to make answer which shall examyne me of euerie idle word that euer passed my mouth O then howe many idle wordes how many euill thoughtes howe many déedes haue I to make answere for such as we set but at lyght full greatlye shall be weyed in the presence of hys most high maiestie O alas what may I doe to get some helpe at thys most daungerous houre Wher may I séeke for succour Where may I resorte for any comforte My body forsaketh me my pleasures be vanyshed away as the smoke my goods will not goe wyth mée All these worldly things I must leaue behinde mée if any comforte shall be either it muste bee in the prayers of my friendes or in myne own good déeds that I haue done before But as for my good déedes that shoulde be auayleable in the sight of God alas they bée fewe or none that I can thynke to bee auayleable they must bee donne pryncipallye and purely for his loue But my déedes when of their kynde they were good yet did I linger them by my folly For eyther I did them for the pleasure of men or to auoyde the shame of the world or els for my owne affection or els for dreade of punishment So that seldome I dyd any good déed in that puritie and streaightnesse that it ought of ryght to haue bene done And my misdéedes my lewde déedes that be shamefull and abhominable be without number not one day of all my lyfe no not one houre I trow was so truely expended to the pleasure of God but many déeds words and thoughtes miscaped me in my lyfe Alas little trust then may I haue vppon my déedes And as for the prayers of my friendes suche as I shall leaue behynde mée of them manye peraduenture bée in the same néede that I am in So that where theyr owne prayers myght profytte them selues they can not so profitte an other And many of them will bee full neglygente and some forgetfull of mée And no meruaile for who shoulde haue béene more friendly vnto mée then myne owne selfe Therefore I that was most bounden to haue done for my selfe forget my owne weale in my lyfe tyme no meruaile therefore if other doo forget me after my departing hence Other friendes there be by whose prayers soules may be holpen as by the blessed and holy saincts aboue in heauen which verely will be myndfulll of such as in earth here haue deuoutly honored them before But alas I had special deuotion but to a fewe yet them I haue so faintly honored and to them so coldly sued for fauour that I am ashamed to aske ayde or helpe of them At thys tyme in déede I had more effectually ment to haue honored them more diligently to haue commended my wretched soule vnto their prayers and so to haue made them my special friendes but nowe death hath preuented me so that no other hope remayneth but onely in the mercye of my Lord God to whose mercy I doe now offer my self beséeching him not to looke vppon my desertes but vppoÌ„ his infinite goodnesse and abundaunt pietie Alas my dutie had bene much better to haue remembred this terrible houre I should haue had this dauÌ„ger euer before my eyes I shoulde haue prouided therefore so that now I might haue bene in a more readynesse against the comming of death which I knew assuredly would come at the last albeit I knew not when where or by what maner but well I knewe euery houre and moment was to him indifferent and in his libertie And yet my madnesse euer to be sorowed Notwithstanding thys vncertaintie of his comming and the vncertaintie of the tyme thereof I made no certayne nor sure prouision against this houre Full often I tooke great studie and care to prouyde for litle dauÌ„gers only bicause I thought they might hap and yet happed they neuer a deale And but tryfles they were in comparisoÌ„ of this how much rather should I haue taken study and care for this so great a dauÌ„ger which I knew wel must necessarily fall vnto mée once For thys can not be eschued in no wyse and vppon thys I ought to haue made good prouision For in this hangeth all our wealth for if a man dye well he shall after his death nothing want that he would desire but his appetite shall be saciate in euerie poynte at the full And if he dye amisse no prouysion shall auayle him that euer he made before This prouision therefore is most effectually to bée studied sithens this alone may profit without other and without thys none can auayle O yée that haue tyme and space to make your prouisioÌ„ agaynst the houre of death defarre not from day to day lyke as I haue done For I often did thinke and purpose with my self that at some leasure I would haue prouided neuerthelesse for euery tryfelous
buzinesse I put it aside and delayed thys prouysion alway to an other tyme and promysed with my selfe that at suche a tyme I would not fayle but doe it but when that came an other buzinesse arose and so I deferred it agayne vnto an other tyme And so alas from time to tyme that now death in the mean tyme hath preuented mée my purpose was good but it lacked execution My will was strayghte but it was not effectuall my mynde well intended but no fruite came therof All for bicause I delayed so often and neuer put it in effect that that I had purposed And therefore delay it not as I haue done but before all other buzinesse put this first in suertie which oughte to bée chiéefe and princypall buzinesse Neyther buildyng of Colleges nor makyng of Sermons nor giuing of almes neyther yet anye other manner of buzynesse shall helpe you without this Therefore first and before all things prepare for thys delaye not in any wyse for if you doe you shall be deceyued as I am now I read of manye I haue hearde of manye I haue knowne many that were disappoynted as I am nowe And euer I thought and sayde intended that I would make sure and not be deceiued by the sodayn comming of death Yet neuerthelesse I am now deceyued and am taken sléeping vnprepared and that when I least wéened of his comming and euen when I reckoned my selfe to be in most healthe and when I was most buzie and in the middest of my matters Therfore delaye not you any farther nor put your trust ouer much in your friends Trust your selfe while ye haue space and libertie and doe for your self now while you may I would aduyse you to doe that thing that I by the grace of my Lord God would put in execution if his pleasure were to sende me longer lyfe Recounte your selfe as dead thinke that your soules were in pryson of Purgatorie that there they must abyde till that the Raunsom for them be truly payde eyther by long sufferance of payne there or els by suffrages done héere in earth by some of your speciall friendes Be yâ—u your owne friend doe you these suffrages for your owne soule whether they be praiers or almes déedes or any other penitentiall paynefulnesse If you will not effectually and hartely doe these thinges for your own soule looke you neuer that other will doe them for you and in dooyng them in your own persons they shal be more auayleable to you a thousaÌ„d folde then if they were done by any other If you followe this counsayle and doe thereafter you be gracious and blessed and if you doe not you shall doubtlesse repent your follyes but to late ¶ The wayes to perfcet Religion made by Iohn Fyssher Byshop of Rochester being Prysoner in the Tower of London SIster Elizabeth gladlye I would wryte vnto you some thing that myght be to the health of your soule and furtheraunce of it in holye Relygion But well I knowe that without some feruor in the loue of Christ Relygion can not bée to you sauerie nor anye worke of goodnesse can bée delectable but euerie vertuous déede shall séeme laboryous and paynefull For loue maketh euerie worke appeare easie and pleasaunt though it bée ryghte displeasaunt of if selfe And contrariwyse ryght easie labour appeareth gréeuous and paynefull when the soule of the person that doeth the déede hath no desyre ne loue in doing of it This thing may wel appear by the lyfe of hunters the which out of doubt is more laborious and painfull then is the lyfe of relygious persons and yet nothing sustayneth them in theyr labour and paynes but the earnest loue and hartie desire to fynde theyr game Regard no lesse my writing good sister though to my purpose I vse the example of hunters for all true christian soules be called Hunters and their office and duetie is to séeke and hunt for to fynde Christ Iesu And therefore scripture in many places exhorteth vs to séeke after him assureth that he will be found of them that dyligently séeke after him Inuenietur ab hijs qui querunt eum That is to say he will be founde of them that séeke hym well happy are all those that can fynde him or can haue any sent of him in this life here For that sent as Saint Paule saith is the sent of the verie lyfe And the deuout soules where they féele thys sent they runne after hym a pace Curremus in odorem vnguentorum tuoruÌ„ That is to say we shall runne after the sent of thy swéete oyntmentes Séeyng then all deuoute soules maye bée called Hunters I will farther prosecute the comparysoÌ„ made before betwéene the lyfe of the Hunters and the lyfe of the relygious persons after this maner A comparison betvveene the lyfe of Hunters and the lyfe of religious persons WHat lyfe is more paynefull and laborious of it self then is the life of Hunters which most early in the mornyng breake their sléepe and ryse when other doe take their rest and ease and in his labour he may vse no playne high wayes and the softe grasse but he must treade vppon the fallowes runne ouer the hedges créepe thorowe the thicke bushes and crye all the long day vppon his dogges and so continue without meate or drinke vntill the verie night dryue him home these labours be vnto him pleasaunt and ioyous for the desire loue that he hath to sée the poore Hare chased with dogges Uerely verely if hée were compelled to take vppon hym such labours and not for thys cause he would soone be wearie of theÌ„ thinking them full tedious vnto him neither would he ryse out of his bed so soone ne faste so longe ne endure these other labours vnlesse he had a verie loue therin For the earnest desire of his mynd is so fixed vppon his game that all these payns be thought to him but verie pleasures â–ª And therfore I may well say that loue is the principall thyng that maketh anye worke easie though the worke bée right painfull of it selfe that without loue no labour can be comfortable to the dooer The loue of this game deliteth him so muche that he careth for no worldlye honour but is content with full simple and homely aray Also the goodes of the world hée séeketh not for nor studieth howe to attayne them For the loue and desire of his game so greatly occupyeth his mynde and harte The pleasures also of his flesh he forgetteth by wearinesse and wasting of hys bodie in earnest labour All his mynde all his soule is buzied to knowe where the poore Hare may be founde Of that is his thought and of that is his communication and all his delight is to heare and speake of that matter euerie other matter but this is tedious for him to giue eare vnto in all other things he is dull and vnlustie in this onely quicke and sturryng for thys also to be done there is no office
so humble ne so vyle that he refuseth not to serue hys owne dogges hym selfe to bathe theyr féete and to annoynte them where they be sore yea and to clense their stinkyng Cannell where they shall lye and rest them Surely if religious persōs had so earnest a mynde and desire to the seruice of Christ as haue these Hunters to sée a corse at a Hare their lyfe should be vnto them a verie ioye and pleasure For what other be the paynes of religiō but these that I haue spokē of That is to say much fasting crying and comming to the quire forsakyng of worldly honours worldly riches and fleshly pleasures and communication of the world humble seruice obedyence to his soueraigne charytable dealyng to his sister which payns in euerie pointe the Hunter taketh and sustayneth more largely for the loue that he hath to his game then doeth many religious persons for the loue of christ For albeit the relygious person ryseth at mydnight which is painefull to hyr in verie déede yet shée went before that to hyr bedde at a conuenyent houre and also commeth after to hyr bedde agayne But the Hunter ryseth early and so continueth foorth all the long day no more returning to his bed vntill the verie night and yet peraduenture he was late vp the night before and full oftē vp all the long nightes And though the religious woman fall vntill it be noone the which must be to hir paynfull the Hūter yet taketh more payn which fasteth vntill the verye night forgetting both meate and drink for the pleasure of his game The religious woman singeth all the forenoone in the quier and that also is laborious vnto hir but yet the hunter singeth not but he cryeth halloweth shooteh all the long day hath more greater pains The religious woman taketh much labour in comming to the quyer and sitting there so long a season but yet no doubt of it more labour taketh the Hunter in running ouer the fallow and leaping ouer the hedges créeping thorow the bushes then that can bée And would to God that in other thyngs that is to say touching worldly honours worldly ryches worldly pleasures would to God that the relygious persōs many of them might profite as much in myndfulnesse in séeking of Christ as the Hunter doeth in séeking of his game yet all theyr comforte were to common and speak of Christ as the Hunters hath all their ioye to speake of the poore Hare and of their huntyng And furthermore would to God the religious persons would content them selues with the humble seruice done to their soueraigne and with charitable behauiour vnto their sisters and with as good a harte and mynde as the Hunters acquit thē to serue their heūds I wisse it is a thing much more reasonable to loue and serue reasonable creatures made to the Image of almightie God rather then to loue and serue dogges which be vnreasonable creatures And rather our dutie were to speake of Christ and of things belonging to his honour then of the vaine worldly matters which be but very trifles in déede And also wyth more attentyue mynde we shoulde séeke after our sauiour Christ Iesu to knowe our very comforte in him wherein resteth the great merite of our soules Then the Hunters should séeke after the Hare which whē they haue gottē they haue no great gaines thereby But as I sayde the cause why that so many religious persons so diligently pursue not the wayes of religion as doe the hunters is the want of the obseruation of their game which is nothing els but the lack of loue For verely as I thinke the earnest loue and hartie desire of game maketh all labours and paynes pleasaunte and ioyous vnto the Hunter And if there were in religious persons as great fauour and loue to the seruice of God as be in Hunters to their game all their lyfe should bée a verie Paradise and heauenly ioye in this worlde And contrariwise without this feruor of loue it can not bée but painfull wearie and tedious to them My purpose therefore deare sister is to minister vnto you some cōmon considerations which if you wil often resorte vnto by due remembraunce so by diligent prayer call vppon almightie God for hys loue you shall now by his grace attain it The first consideration THe first consideration may be this First consider by your owne mynde and reason that almightie God of his owne singular goodnesse frée will dyd create you and make you of naught whervnto he was not bounde by any necessitie nor drawen by any commoditie that might ryse vppon him by your creation No other thing moued him but his verie goodnesse and speciall fauor that he bare vnto you long or euer he did make you This good sister take for a very truth firmly beleue it for so it is in verye déede innumerable creatures more then euer were made or euer shall be made hee myght haue made if it had bene so pleasing vnto him For how many suppose you maryed men and maryed weomen haue bene and shall be héereafter in thys world that neuer had ne neuer shall haue any children yet they full gladly would haue had and by possibilitie of nature might haue had many if it had so pleased almightie God to haue made and to haue giuen vnto them children But all those be lefte vnmade and amongest them he myght haue lefte you also vnmade and neuer haue put his hande to the making of you if he had so would Neuerthelesse as I sayde it pleased his goodnes herein to prefer you of his special fauour that he bear vnto you leauing vnmade other moe innumerable electing you appointing you to be made refusing setting apart all thē which wold peraduēture haue cōsidered his speciall grace fauour more louingly thē you hitherto haue don And wold haue studied more for his plesure and seruice then euer you did and you occupie the roome and place that some of them might haue occupyed by lyke fauour as almightie God hath shewed vnto you Ah deare sister howe much should this one consideration moue you to the earnest loue of thys our so gracyous a Lorde that thus hath appoynted and chosen you to bée his creature before so many other where hée might haue taken any of them at his pleasure repelled you and left you as naught without any maner of being The second consideration THe second consideration is this where there is manye maner of beings some creatures haue a goodly béeyng some haue an vngoodly being It is a more goodly beinge Margarite of a precious stone then of a peble stone of the fayre bright golde then of rustie yron of a goodly Fesaund then of a venemous Serpent of a prettie Faune then of a foule Toade of a reasonable soule then of an vnreasonable beast And it is not to be doubted but almightie God might haue giuen to any of them what being so euer he
and clensed from the spottes and mallice of deadly sinne they bée the brighter glasses and more cléerly receyue this loue such also be néere vnto our Sauior for nothing putteth vs farre from him but onely sinne And therefore they that haue more diligently scoured their soules from the rust of sinne be néerer vnto him then the other that so haue not done Such soules also as of their parte enforce them selues to a great loue and to a more ample feruor they doe inlarge the capacitie of their soules to receyue a more large abundaunce of loue agayne those that lesse enforce them haue a lesse capacitie in receyuing and therfore so much the lesse they receyue of this loue Euen as a man that openeth his bosome wyde and enlargeth it is more able to receiue a greater thing into it then hée that doeth not But yet as I haue sayde before of the glasses euery one of the soules receyue as full and as whole a loue of Iesu Christ as though there were no moe soules in all the world but that one alone for the loue of Christ Iesus infinite And therfore wheÌ„ innumerable of soules haue euerie one of them receyued as much the loue of Christ Iesu as to euerie one of them is possible yet hath he still in him self loue suffitieÌ„t for infinite moe this his loue therby is not in any point diminished nor lessened though it be deuided vnto many be the number of them neuer so great None of them that be beloued receiue the lesse bicause of the multitude of his fellowes nor if he had no moe but him selfe he shoulde not thereby haue any more abundance of loue to his parte but according to the cleÌ„sing and capacitie of his soule nighnesse vnto Christ his parte in loue shall be the lesse or more Wherefore good sister I pray you bée you dylygent to scoure your soule cleane and to enforce your soule on your parte feruently to loue your spouse Christ Iesu and drawe nygh vnto hym with entiere deuotion then vndoubtedly you shall be partener to the more plentuous aboundaunce of his loue notwithstanding any other multitude which beside is beloued of him for he neuerthelesse is as studious of you and as mindfull as ferueÌ„ly careth for your weale as though ther wer no mo beloued of him but you alone in all thys world The ninth Consideration THe ninth coÌ„sideratioÌ„ is this wher peraduenture you would obiect to me again say Brother if it bée thus as you say that my Lord Iesu loueth me so much and is so mindfull of me and so feruently enteÌ„deth my weale what néede me to care whatsoeuer I doe he will not cast me away he wil not forsake me nor suffer mée to perish Good sister without doubt as I haue said our sauior Christ Iesu is in loue towards you he is myndfull more louing towards you then I can expresse And sure you may be that hée will neuer cast you away ne forsake you if you before cast not your selfe away ne forsake your selfe But if you giue any place to sinne in your soule and suffer it to enter vpon you verely then you forsake your self and cast your selfe awaye and willinglie destroye your selfe that is your déede not hys for he neuer forsaketh any creature vnlesse they before haue forsakeÌ„ them selues And if they will forsake them selues were they neuer in so great fauour with hym before they then incontinently lose his fauour the which thing well appeareth in his first spirituall creatures the noble Angelles Lucifer and hys compâ—nie which were created in excelent brightnesse and were muche in the fauour of almightie God they presumptuously offeÌ„ded him in pride for the which not onely they lost hys fauour but also their merueylous brightnesse became incoÌ„tinently horrible foule and were expelled out of the glorious kingdom of heauen that they were in and throwen into perpetuall darkenesse into the pryson of hell The first man Adam also who was created in singular honour and was put into Paradise a place full of gladnesse there to liue in comfort of all pleasure the which was done to him for a singular loue that almightie God had towardes him yet anon as hâ— fell to sinne he was in lyke maner expelled out from that pleasure and sent into this miserable world to endure miserie and payne If those noble creatures which were lift vp into so great fauour with almightie God so lightly by their misdemeanor in sin lost his gracious fauour let none other creature thinke but if they admit any sinne to their soule they shal be likewyse excluded out of his fauor For sinne is so odible vnto almightie God that not the dearest friends that euer he had in all the worlde but if there were founde in their soules any deadly sin after death they should neuer be receiued into the ioy of heauen Not the blessed Mary Magdalen for all hir loue towardes him nor yet his owne blessed mother that bare him into this world if one deadly sin were fouÌ„d in their soules they shuld incontinent be throwen into the darke dungeon of hell Wherfore good sister say not if his loue be so muche vppon you and he so desirouslie entendeth your profite that you may doe what you list you néed not to care what you doe But contrariwise the more that he loueth you the more you shoulde take héede vnto your self and beware that you offend him not for so did the blessed Mary Magdalen of whome I spake before Shée notwithstandyng the great loue that both our sauiour had to hir and shée vnto him agayne for the which also hyr sinnes were forgiuen hyr yet after his death shée fled from the companie of men lyued in the wildernesse farre from any worldly comforte in great wayling fasting and prayer such other painefulnesse of hir body was nothing the lesse diligent to kéepe hir selfe warely from sinne for the great loue that our lord sauiour had to hir but for that the more studiously she did auoid eschu euery thing wherby she might run into any displeasure against him The tenth consideration THe tenth consideration is this it were wel done and much it shuld farther this cause if you truly esteme of how little value your loue is how vaine how light howe triflelous a thing it is how few ther be that would much regarde it or set muche pryce thereby for fewe there be or none to whom it may doe any profit or auail Contrariwise you should consider the loue of your spouse the swéet Iesu how exceleÌ„t it is how sure how fast howe constantly abiding how many haue much specially regarded it Martirs innumerable both men and women for his loue haue shead theyr bloud and haue endured euery kind of martirdom were it neuer so cruell were it neuer so terrible No paine no tormentrie might compell them to forsake his loue so desirous were they of his loue that rather
earth all that is in them His power is infinit most to be dreade Omnipotens rex et metuendus nimis His wisedome is incomprehensible O altitudo diuitiarum sapientiae et scientiae dei His greatnesse passeth all measure Magnus dominus et laudabilis nimis et magnitudinis eius non est finis Shortly to saye when a man hathe spoken or thought all that can be to the prayse of his excellencie yet he dooth farre passe and surmount all that as the Scripture sayth Glorificantes dominū quantum cūque poteritis super valebit ad huc et admirabilis magnificentia illius Now then O thou sinfull creature maruell at his excellent worthines that was thus crucified And maruell also at thy naughtinesse for whose loue he was thus crucified Thus I say dyd the holy sainct Francis Quis es tu et quis sum ego domine Who arte thou my Lord so excellent and who am I for whome thou wouldest endure all this payne O Christen soule often beholde this booke and saye with this holy man Quis es tu et quis sum ego Marueyle that his inestimable goodnesse would thus dye for so myserable a vanitie And so maruelinge thou shalt profyt in a gracious knowledge of Christ and thy heart shall taste maruelous swéetenesse and be replenished with a deuoute sauour of his most excelent goodnesse But you maruell peraduenture why I call the crucifix a booke I will now tell you the consideracion why A booke hath boardes leaues lynes wrytinges letters booth small and great Fyrst I saye that a booke hath two boardes the two boardes of this booke is the two partes of the crosse for when the booke is opened spread the leaues be cowched vpon the boardes And so the blessed body of Christ was spred vpon the crosse The leaues of this booke be the armes the handes legges and féete with the other members of his most precious and blessed body Neuer anye Parchement skynne was more strayghtlye stratched by strength vpon the tentors then was this blessed body vpon the crosse These lorells that crucifyed him drewe by vyolence his moste precious armes with ropes vnto either braunche of the crosse that the sinowes burst in sonder and so nayled his handes fast with spykinge nayles of yron vnto the crosse After they stretched his féete lykewyse vnto an other hole beneath in the crosse and there nayled them with the third nayle thorough bothe his féete And so they reared vp this body a loft against the sunne euen as a parchment skinne is sette foorth before the heat of the Sun for to drye It was set vp a loft to the entent that all the worlde might looke vpon this booke This booke was written with in and without Fyrst within was wrytten but one worde neuerthelesse this one word compryseth in it as sayth saint Paule the whole treasure of al cunning and wisdome partayning vnto God In quo sunt omnes thesauri sapientiae dei in whome are all the treasure of the wisedome of god Of this worde Saint Iohn speaketh saying In principio erat verbum the word was in the begynning before all creatures thys worde is the second person in the godhead the sonne of God which by the holie Ghost was written in the inward syde of thys parchment For the Godheade of Christe was couered and hidde vnder the lykenesse of man The holy Ghost was the penne of almyghtie God the father He set hys most mightie word vnto the body of Christ within the wombe of the Uyrgine Marye and so this booke was written within For as Sainct Paule sayeth si cognouissent nunquam dominum gloriae crucifixissent That is to saye if they had knowne the sonne of God whiche was and is the Lorde of euerlasting glorie they woulde neuer haue crucified hym They sawe his manhood which was in outwarde sight but they sawe not hys Godheade whych was couered within the same The Godhead was the inward syde and the manhoode was the outwarde syde Furthermore when a booke is spread you sée that in the leaues are many lynes drawen And many letters some read some blacke and some blewe so in this booke the moste blessed bodie of Christ was drawne many lynes for it was all to scourged with whippes so that euery where the print of the cordes of the scourges was left behynd that in euery place from the necke downward vnto the soles of his féete so that there was no margent lefte in all thys booke there was no voyd place but euery where it was eyther drawne with lynes or els wryttē with letters for these scourges fylled not onely his moste precyous bodie with lynes drawne euerie where but also left many small Letters some blacke some blewe some reade For the bloud by the vyolence of the schourges sprunge out in euery place And for bycause no parte of thys booke shoulde bée vnwritten hys head also was pearsed with sharpe thornes These cruell Iewes put vpon hys heade a Crowne of thornes and pressed it downe vpon the same as harde as they myght presse it by vyolence beatyng it downe with a strong Réede Et Arundine percuciebant caput eius And hys blessed heade so Crowned they dyd beate it downe with a gadde or a harde Réede Thus you perceyue that this booke was full of lynes and small Letters whyche were of dyuers coulers as I sayde some black some blewe some reade some blewyshe that is to saye full of stroakes and lasshes where by the skynne was toarne and rente in a thousande places Besides these small letters yet was there also greate Capytall Letters precyouslie illumyned with Roset colour Roset is a reade colour lyke vnto the coulour of a Rose which colour that most precyous bloude whiche issued out of his hands and féete doeth represent vnto vs with this most precious blud was illumined the fyue great Capital letters in this wonderful booke I mean by these capital letters the great woūds of his body in his handes and in hys féete and in his side These fyue great woundes were ingraued with sharpe vyolēt pennes that is to say the sharpe nayles and the speare And they doe represent vnto vs the fyue capytall Letters of thys booke Thus then you maye perceyue what bée the boardes of this booke and what be the leaues howe it is written within and without howe it is lyned and leathered and what bée the Letters as well the small as the great Now wée shall heare what maner of wryting is contayned in thys booke But first héere let vs make our prayer for grace beséechyng almyghtie God to gyue vnto our hartes the gracyous lyght of his beames whereby wée may the more clearely perceiue the writings of this booke and that they may bring foorth some good fruite to our soules health Now you shall heare what wrytings be contayned in thys booke in the booke which Ezechiel did sée was written thrée maner of
for very payne it myght haue brast O thou sinfull creature If thou can not sorrow come learne of thys blessed woman to sorrow for thy sin Thinke that thy sinne was the cause and occasion of all this payne and sorrow that thy Lorde and sauiour dyd suffer on the Crosse. And not onely she giueth the example of sorrowe but his blessed mother abundantly thē sorowed at his death Sainct Iohn sorrowed Sainct Peter sorrowed and wepte bitterly All the Apostles were in sorrow But wherevnto speake I of reasonable creatures the vnreasonable and the vnsensible creatures shewes a maner of sorrowe The earth quaked The mighty stones brast in sunder The monuments opened the dead courses issued out of theyr monuments All these were moued with compassion And onely thou wretched sinner for whose cause he suffred all this paine and gréeuance hast no pitie nor compassion vpon him Alas howe great is thy hardnesse Howe obstinate is thy harte that will suffer no pittie to enter in to it Uerely thou arte more harder then are the stones for they were moued by his passyon so myghtely that they brake in sunder Petrae scissae sunt When then the harde stones and all the other vnreasonable creatures were thus moued and stirred to take some compassyon of the paynfull death of Christ and yet felt no profite by his death Thou much rather shouldest be moued for whose loue he dyd endure all this gréeuous pains Looke thou therfore vpō this booke thou shalt here fynde great cause matter of sorrow Fourthly if thou canst not sorrowe yet thou maiest here learne to hate Thou maiste learne to hate sinne which was cause of all this trouble It is not for nought that the scripture sayth Quasi a facie colubri fuge peccatū dentes leonis dentes eius interficientis animas hominum Flée from sinne euen as thou wouldest flée from the face of an Adder for as the téeth of the Lion deuoureth the body of man so death doth sleay their soules Sinne is so odious and so great an iniury to god that it was necessary for the recompence of this iniury that the sonne of god should suffer this most paineful death of the crosse Sinne so prouoked almightie god the father so déeply to displeasure wrath to take vengance vpon sinners that without the sacrifice of his owne sonne in the gybbet of the crosse he wold not be appeased ne recōciled vnto sinners againe Sinne so deadly wounded blotted the soule of man that with out shedding of the most precious bloud of our sauiour Christ Iesu no lyfe could be restored vnto sinners nor the soules might be washed from the fowle abhominable corruption of sinne Sinne so debarreth and shutteth frō sinners the gates of heauen that they might not haue béene opened but only by the merit of this moste bytter passion suffering this most painfull torments on the crosse Sinne set the gates of hell so wyde open brought all this world into that daunger and thraldome of the diuell that all we should haue béene deuowred of the pyt of hell vnlesse we had béene raūsomed with this most precious treasure that was shed for vs on the crosse-O sinful creature hast thou not great cause to hate sinne that hath brought thée into that miserable cōdicion that by thy sinne thou hast done and committed high iniurie against almighty god and hast prouoked him to vengeaunce That by thy sinne thou hast thus mortally wounded thyne owne soule That by sin thou haste brought thy selfe into the daunger of the dyuill and be dampned in hell perpetually That by thy sinne thou hast shut the gates of heauē against thy selfe Alas man where canst thou fynde greater occasion of hatred If thy neyghbour doe vnto thée but a lyght iniurie thou canst anon hate him yea and so hate him that thou wilt say thou mayest not finde in thy harte to loue him Sinne hathe done vnto thée all these great iniuries and yet thou loueste sinne and canste not hate it Alas what madnesse is this Ioab sayde vnto Kyng Dauid dilegis odientes te et odio habes diligentis te Thou loueste them that hate thée and thou hatest them that loue thée The same worde may well be sayde vnto euery sinner that followeth the course of sinne And lykewyse vyce doeth procure the dystruction of sinners and yet the sinners doe follow after them Our sauiour with all grace vertue procureth the saluation of sinners but him they will not heare nor take any wayes after his counsayle And this is nothing els but an extreame madnesse for they should contrarywyse loue our sauiour that so louingly for theyr weale indured the gréeuous paynes of the Crosse and hate the diuill and sinne which was the very cause of death By thys then you may perceyue that in this booke ye may fynde matter inough of lamentation sith you may read in this booke so much cause of dread of shame of sorrow and of hatred And this is the first wryting wherof we promised for to speake The secōd writing that I said was also writtē in this booke was Carmē that is to say Songe Surely if eyther loue or hope or ioye or comfort wil make a soule to sing here he may take great occasion to sing Fyrst here is great matter of loue and so great that if any person will eyther gyue hys loue fréely or els for some certayne pryce sell it hée that died on the crosse is best worthy to haue it If thou search in heauen in earth one person vpon whom thou maist best bestowe thy loue Thou shalt fynde none comparable vnto Christ Iesus so wyse so myghty so gentle so kynde so amyable far passing all other and there to he is much desirous of thy loue for when Moyses had rehearsed the great benifites which almightie God had giuen vnto man he sayth Et nunc audi quid dominus deus tuus requirat a te nisi vt diligas eū Now here what thy Lord God dooth require of thy parte truely but that thou loue him So now if thou wylt fréely giue thy loue thou canst not more wysely nor better bestow it then vpon him which is so excelent and hath all the condicions aboue saide and there to also is so desirous to haue thy loue And if thou wylt sel thy loue I trow there is none that wyl giue vnto thée more liberally for the same than he hath done Where shalt thou finde him that wyll shedde one droppe of bloud out of his harte for thy sake Where shalte thou finde hym that will giue hys owne soule and lyfe for thy loue There can no more bée asked of any man then that Maiorem charitatem nemo habet nisi vt animam suam ponat quis pro amicis suis. No man can shewe greater charitie then for to put hys owne life in ieopardie for his friendes But thou peraduenture wilt say Syr if he had done this
the meanes of helpe he is deliuered from the same is not this his deliuerance from this open shame a comforte vnto hym yes doubtlesse The noble woman Susanna as the Prophet Daniell telleth all be it she was giltlesse yet for because she woulde not assent to the wretched desyre of two lewde priestes she was by them wrongfully accused and put to great shame for they wrongfully slaundered hir that she had taken an other man besides hir husband and that she had committed adulterye Neuerthelesse when the matter was tryed by the goodnes of almightye God and she was clearelye discharged from this terrible occasion and clearely deliuered froÌ„ this shame it was a great comfort vnto hir The blessed Magdalen which by hir wretched liuing had deserud great shaÌ„e yet when she came to our sauiour Christ and wept at his féete and so by his great mercy was excused of hir shame hir hart was set at a great rest in great coÌ„forte The woman of whom the gospel telleth that was taken in aduoutery by hir enimies so brought before our sauiour Christ there in his presence before al his people hir shamfull dealing was published who may think but that she was sore accoÌ„bred with that open shame but yet wheÌ„ our souiour had confounded hir enimies and deliuered hir from that shame she was restored to much ease and comfort of hyr hart Why tel I this Truly to the intent that we may sée great matter of coÌ„fort in the Crosse for we sinners haue deserued great shame for our abhominable sinne surelye so great that if we verely knew the greatnes of the shame that we haue deserued we might neuer sustaine the remembraunce therof And yet that moste inestimable goodnesse of Christ by that horyble shame that he suffered on the Crosse deliuered vs from euerlasting shame He toke ther vpon hys back all the burthen of our sinne There wanted no circumstances of horryble shame for then the death of the Crosse was the most shamefull maner of death that was put to any villaine It was theÌ„ the most vilanous death to be haÌ„ged on the gebbit of the Crosse. And this was done in no secret place but high vppon an open mountaine that all the people might behoulde and looke vppon hym And he was haÌ„ged ther naked betwéen two théeues as though he were a prince and captaine of misdoers And against the feast of Easter when the most number of people did assemble vnto the temple of the Iewes nigh vnto the Citie of Ierusalem that all the people might commodiouslye resort to gase vppon this cruell spectacle This thing was done also in the open day for from the midst of the day he thus did hang aliue on the Crosse by the space of thrée howres and more And al the strangers as they passed foreby did wonder vpon him The souldiers opprobryously rebuked him The priests with wordes of derision and mockerye assaulted him The théeues that honge besides him blasphemed him Finally al his enimes reioyced in their victorye against him Alas what creature mighte be more shamefully intreated then was our sauiour christ Iesus hanging thus on the Crosse. A troth it is now the Crosse is made honorable by his death but then as I said it was more shameful then anie gibbet or gallows or any other instrument of death And moreouer and besides that he was hanged on the same with the most dispight and villany thâ—â— could be thought or deuised for any creature to be put vnto O thou christian soule Christ Iesus the sonne of God tooke vpon him al this shame for thy loue to the entent that if thou wilt amend thy life and forsake thy sin and do true penance thou shalt by his shame be deliuered froÌ„ al shame His shame shall hide thy sins Hée was there naked and spoyled of all his cloathes to the intent that thou shouldest be couered vnder his mantle fro thy shame And therfore by the prophet Ezechiell he saith ExpaÌ„di amittum meum super 〈◊〉 et operui ignominiam tuam I did spred my mantle vpon thée and so couered thée from shame Let euery persoÌ„ héere think with them selues what déedes they haue done worthie of great shame which if they had come to light and bene openlye knowne thei should haue bene blotted with opeÌ„ infamye here in this lyfe and with out the special mercy of god in the day of iudgement they shoulde thereof haue an open shame before all the world and fyfally in hell an euerlasting shame But from al those shames by the gracious mantle of Christ many bée couered Hée hath mercifully spred his mantle ouer them and kept them from those importable shames Of this couering also the Prophet Dauid sayth Beati quorum tecta sunt peccata Blessed are those whose sinnes be couered O thou sinfull creature if thou mightst see what shame thou hast deserued for thy sinne thou shouldest recken this a singular comfort But thou séest not the abhominacion of thy sin and therfore thou perceyuest not what shame thou hast deserued Why doeth a common brothel take no shame of hir abhomination what is the cause why that shée regardeth hyr infamye no more Truely as far as I can iudge the cause is for that al the light of honestie is queÌ„ched in hyr shée is so blynded with hyr wretched pleasure that shée is paste all shame and hath not left in hir one sparke of the light of honestye where by shée may value estéeme the horriblenesse of hir offences Shée reputeth more a litle spote in hir kyrchefe or in hir face theÌ„ a thousaÌ„d blots of deadly sin in hir soule But if she had any honesty within hir hart to think how foule abhominable hir lif were surely she wold be much ashamd of hir self Thamar the daughter of King Dauid wheÌ„ hir brother Amon wold haue oprest hir she sayde Noli facere hanc stulticiam ego enim ferre non potero opprobrium meum O my brother saide she doe not this folly for this reproch that ye inforce to do vnto me is greater then I may suffer This woman had some light of honestye within her brest whereby she was moued to resist and to withstande this shamefull déede batwéene hir and hir brother A Romane woman also whose name was Lucretia whom by force againste hir wil in the absence of hir husband one maÌ„ called Sextus Tarquinius had abused hir albeit the thinge was 〈◊〉 yet she was there of so muche asâ—amed in hir owne mind that she might not beare the shame But when hir husband came home she tooke a knife and in his preseÌ„ce slew hir selfe This noble woman had the light of honesty in hir soule she sawe how abhominable a thing it was to commit adultery But a brothell hath in hir no spark of honesty wherby she can take any shame nor she doth not consider the foule abhomynacion of hir wretched life and therefore she is