worthie to be compared vnto it Oh most sweet Iesu how pleasant how sweet art thou if wee might haue a true taste of thy exceeding sweetnesse In this thy wonderfull Sacrament thou dost feed vs with corporall bread but after a spirituall manner What therefore can I want to satisfie my what may I wish to augment my ioy if I haue my Iesus present with me Though now I see thee darkely through a glasse yet hereafter I shall see thee face to face I cannot satisfie my minde oh my most bountifull Iesus with admiration of thy vnmeasurable liberalitie I cannot wonder enough at the exceeding largenesse of thy bountie What greater gifts couldest thou haue bestowed vpon vs what more excellent benefits couldest thou haue deriued vnto vs For in this thy blessed Testament thou hast bequeathed great and precious Legacies to all thy Brethren that faithfullie loue thee and constantlie beleeue in thee In verie deede thou hast left them a rich inheritance wee cannot estimate the price we can make no true account of the greatnesse Some at their death leaue to their heires Cities and townes great possessions and store of monie some build them sumptuous houses and erect statelie Sepulchers that their name might remaine among men and their memorie continue vpon earth But thy bountie my most kinde and louing Iesus doth farre exceed and surmount them all for thou hast left thy owne selfe vnto vs that wee should haue a continuall spectacle of thy most holy Passion in our mindes and often thinke vpon thy innocent death in our repenting hearts And in thy blessed Sacrament which is so highly to be honoured of vs and most reuerently to be celebrated by vs thou dost giue thy selfe for food to be receiued of vs by faith which may nourish vs to euerlasting life and deliuer vs from the doome of eternall death Oh my most bountifull Lord oh exceeding admirable and incomparable loue of my louing Sauiour my beloued Iesus But how odious is mine ingratitude my kinde and louing Iesus how great and grieuous is my forgetfulnesse that I doe not continuallie remember the pangs of thy Passion and euermore meditate on the paines of thy bitter death when I participate thy wonderfull Sacrament and celebrate thy blessed Supper seeing by thy death thou hast merited for me euerlasting life and by thy Passion hast purchased for mee eternall redemption Why doe I not remember that thou wert wrongfully accused scornefully derided spitefully reuiled cruelly scourged and crucified as a hainous malefactor and put to a shamefull death as a wicked doer and how patientlie thou didst endure the bitter paines of the crosse to deliuer mee a most wretched sinner from the curse of eternall death iustly pronounced against mee and readie to be inflicted vpon mee if thy obedience had not appeased the wrath of thy heauenlie Father and thy gracious mercy salued the wounds of my misery Oh my drie head why doest thou not draw water with ioy out of the fountaines of thy Sauiour for he is a Well of liuing water Oh teares why doe yee not streame forth in great abundance with exceeding ioy and exultation while I call to minde the exceeding sweetnesse of mine euerlasting libertie and meditate vpon the greatnesse and goodnesse of my eternall Redemption in this most sacred holie and wonderfull Sacrament represented vnto me Why doe not my spirits faint with exceeding ioy and why is not my minde rauished with excessiue mirth when I consider the immeasurable greatnesse of thy loue and the incomprehensible largenesse of thy bountie whereby thou hast beene moued to giue vs thy selfe for euerlasting meate to nourish vs to eternall life Haue mercie vpon mee oh my most mercifull Lord because by reason of the imbecillitie of my dull vnderstanding and by the hardnes and drinesse of my heart I am notable to relish the goodnesse nor taste the sweetnesse of the wholesome fruit of thy holie and blessed Sacrament yet I most vilde wretch presume to come to thy Table and to receiue this holy foode though most vnworthie of so great a mercie But woe bee vnto my conscience and horror vnto my wounded soule because I haue approached vnto thy holie Table and taken of thy sanctified meat with polluted hands and vnwashed feete and yet I haue not blushed for shame nor bewailed the follie of my intollerable Presumption For I consider my most sweet IESVS that in this thy most glorious Supper before thou diddest institute the most blessed Sacrament as a memoriall vnto vs of thy bloudie Passion thou the true Christall-glasse of Humilitie taking the shape of a Seruant didst wash the feete of thy Disciples saying moreouer vnto Peter If I shall not wash thee thou shalt haue no part with mee Shall it not therefore bee my great presumption and shall I not incurre the danger of a most grieuous offence against thee if I would haue any part with thee when I approach vnto thy holy Table with vnwashed feete and participate thy blessed Sacrament with defiled hands I know therefore my gratious Lord who and what a one I ought to be when I come to such an excellent Sacrament I know my louing Lord that I should first wash my feete heart and hands and purge all my corrupted affections before I should presume to receiue thy pure and holie Sacrament I know my good and gracious Iesus that it is needfull for mee euery night to wash my Bed and water my Couch with my teares Yea and to wash my feet with teares of true compunction and with streames of sorrow flowing from the inward deuotion of a relenting and repenting heart But woe be vnto me most vnhappie wretch because that I a most vilde creature doe not feare to approach vnto such an excellent Maiestie infected from the crowne of my head to the sole of my foote with sores and loathsome diseases and being a most wicked sinner wholie ouer-spread with corruption and stained with filthie pollution doe not blush to come into thy presence but presume to intrude my selfe into thy blessed societie and to sit downe at thy holie Table which art a diuine Spirit alwaies pure from the spots of sinne and staines of iniquitie I come vnto thee my meeke and louing Iesus puffed vp with pride and lifted vp with rebellious thoughts and I presume to eate with impure hands and vnwashed feet Notwithstanding my most mercifull IESVS I know that thy clemencie is farre greater then mine indignitie and thy mercie farre exceeding my miserie And therefore confident in thy great benignitie and relying whollie vpon thy immeasurable mercie I am bold to receiue thee and being infected with so manie dangerous and deadlie diseases I come vnto thee being a skilfull and louing Phisitian that I may be cured from my grieuous maladies by thy soueraigne medicines For by how much the more weake I am and by how much the greater the maladie is which doth afflict me by so much the more I stand in need of thy helpe
sweet and louing Iesus But first of all kisse his blessed feete and bathe them as Mary did with the teares of true repentance sighing and groaning with sense of thy sinnes that the comfort of his mercie may be extended vnto thee when such welcome tokens of thy loue are bestowed vpon him Prostrate thy selfe oh my Soule on the earth that thou maist cease to be wretched Imbrace the feete of thy IESV pacifie them with thy teares who spared not to poure forth bloud out of his feet hands heart and side to clense thy pollution and to wash away thy sinnes so that after thy sorrowfull contrition thou maist heare him pronounce vnto thee the ioyfull word of saluation saying Thy sinnes are forgiuen thee And now my Soule after wee haue fallen downe before the Lord in true humilitie and haue powred out before him the teares of an vnfained contrition let vs arise with a comfortable heart to kisse his blessed hands And then doe we kisse his gracious hands with a reuerent and lowly heart when our mouthes are filled with his worthy praises for his bountifull benefits freely bestowed vpon vs proclaiming his wonderfull mercie and disclaiming our vnworthie merit whose hand hath raised vs vp out of the mire and hath aduanced vs to euerlasting honor Lastly after wee haue reuerently kissed his hands wee may more boldlie approach to kisse his blessed mouth to behold the glorie of our Creator that the bright beames of his countenance may illuminate our obscure vnderstanding and that his sweet breath may so inspire our soules that all our cogitations may be consonable and our actions conformable to his most holy will Shew vs the light of thy countenance oh my louing Iesus and then our hearts shall be filled with gladnesse and wee shall be satisfied with the abundance of thine euerlasting goodnesse for to see the beautie of thy face is our chiefest felicitie and to be banished from thy face is our endlesse miserie Therefore kisse the Sonne lest he be angry for if his wrath be kindled yea but a little blessed are all they that trust in him Psal 2.12 Thou hast heard oh my soule how traiterous Iudas betrayed my innocent Iesus consider the crueltie of the one wonder at the mildenesse of the other Oh that all treacherous persons and bloudie minded Traitors might haue a view of desperate Iudas strangling himselfe with an Halter that the horror of his cursed death vpon earth and the terror of his continuall paines in hell might stay the rage of their furious mindes and manacle their bloudie hands For although desperate Iudas was so tormented with horror of a guiltie conscience that hee could haue no peace in his fearefull thoughts nor chuse but crie in his tormenting miseries depriued of all hope of comfortable mercie I haue sinned in betraying the innocent bloud Matth. 27.4 and could finde no other medicine to cure his desperate maladie but the helpe of an halter being his owne Hang-man to shorten his woefull dayes vpon earth that hee might make the more haste to abide euerlasting torments in hell yet there are manie whose hearts are so sore infected with his venemous humour and their thoughts so poisoned with greedie desires of vnlawfull gaine that they make no conscience to betray their Prince and Countrie to prooue disobedient and cruell to their naturall Parents and faithlesse to their dearest friends yea to sell Heauen their soules and themselues for a base piece of money but woefull is their inheritance which buy Hell for their purchase Yet let mee not so bitterly inueigh against the monstrous fact of cursed Iudas that I forget the mildenesse of my mercifull IESVS who did not rate and reuile him calling him in name as hee was indeede a damnable Traitor saluting his Master with a kisse as a token of his loue but alas it was onely to betray him My patient Sauiour Iesus called him by the name of a friend Mat. 26.50 whom hee knew to be a deadly foe that the mildnesse of the name might haue bred remorse in his heart but that the Diuell had taken full possession in his minde and ruled powerfully ouer his thoughts But why did my louing Sauiour vse such affable words to such a detestable Traitor It was to teach mee to represse mine affections from raging furie when any of his wicked brood lie in waite to take away my life and secretly seeke to contriue my death Teach mee my Iesu to imitate thy patience when my curtesie is rewarded with crueltie when supposed friends proue faithlesse and when my kindnesse is recompenced with bad words and rewarded with worse deedes Thou hast willed vs to blesse them that curse vs and to pray for our persecutors Mat. 5.44 But our flesh is wayward and it cannot away with this doctrine wherefore I beseech thee my gracious Lord to lend me thy helping hand it is thine owne worke to conforme my minde to thy blessed will that I may be made obsequious and obedient to thy sacred Law But now my Soule turne aside thine eies from hatefull Iudas to looke vpon louing Peter who beganne to be touched with the heate of true loue when hee saw his Master attached by the hands of his enemies and did boldlie obiect his owne life vnto danger that hee might deliuer his harmelesse Master out of perill and that hee might performe in deede that which a little before he had professed in word Mat. 26.35 Ioh. 18.10 As his loue was much so his courage was great in the defence of his dearelie beloued Master hee regarded not the multitude that came against him hee respected not how well they were armed his true heart dreaded no danger But so soone as hee saw his dread master Iudasly betraied and cruellie apprehended by his malicious foes he drew out his sword and laid about him and cut off Malchus his eare Thy loue was strong louing Peter although thy strength was feeble to resist so manie so ill-minded and so well armed I cannot but commend thee for thy loue although thy louing Master doth not praise thee for thy deede thou diddest shew a token of thy feruent loue and affection although alas he stood not in neede of thy weake protection my louing Sauiour came to fulfill the will of his Father to suffer death yea to suffer a cruell and shamefull death on the crosse that we might be restored to life be freed and deliuered from the curse It was the feruencie of thy loue that had inflamed thy aged heart with courage thou couldest not hold thy hands when thou diddest see thy beloued Master so violently apprehended so currishly handled and haled to the slaughter For whosoeuer my louing Sauiour hath his heart knit vnto thee with bands of true loue hee dreadeth no danger for thy sake but will be more willing to forgoe his life then to leaue his true loue But thou diddest not desire my louing Iesus nay thou didst not allow that Peter should shew his manhood or
attempt by anie force to rescue thee out of the hands of thy cruell foes thou diddest disclose vnto thy faithfull Disciples the dangerous daies that were to come and tell them of the bitter afflictions which were to ensue and that they should be like Sheepe scattered without a Shepheard But it was not that they should arme their bodies with weapons but their heads and soules with patience So indeed the loue of thy Apostle was full of zeale but yet it was barren void of knowledge who had beene often forewarned that thou shouldest suffer a cruell and shamefull death to fulfill the scripture and do the will of thy Father Wherefore oh my most mercifull Iesus so inflame my heart with thy loue that I may freelie confesse it with my mouth and so performe it with my heart that I may not onely be prepared to loose my libertie but to forgoe my life for the name of my Lord Iesus who is blessed for euer A Meditation how the Lord Iesus taken and bound was led to Annas his house where he was buffeted and how all his Disciples fied from him Iohn 18.13 MED VIII To a Ioh. 18.15 Annas first is Christ in b Io. 18.12.20 fetters lead From thence to c Iohn 18.24 Caiaphas where he beaten is And d Mat. 26.67 Marke 18.22 scourg'd and mockt spit on and almost dead All which h'endur'd to bring vs vnto blisse SO soone as false-hearted Iudas had saluted his faithfull Master Iesus with a deadlie kisse the hard-hearted Souldiers laid violent hands vpon my kinde Sauiour and did cruellie binde him Oh vngentle cords oh cruell hands and cursed hearts that did binde my Lord Iesus Come hither therefore oh my Soule and with inward sorrow of heart and with weeping eies lament with tender compassion for the currishnesse in words and crueltie in deedes vsed against thy mercifull Sauiour which patientlie suffered so manie bitter words and cruell blowes for thee and thy sinnes for it was now the houre of darknesse and they beganne to act with their mercilesse hands that which was conceiued in their malicious mindes reuiling him with blasphemous speeches and afflicting his precious bodie with deadlie blowes And thus they neuer ceased all that night long both with their venemous tongues and villanous hands to torment my meeke and patient Iesus Tell mee my sweet Sauiour vvhat vvere the contumelious words what were the outragious deedes which thou didst suffer of those dogged Souldiers vvhen they had laid their tormenting hands vpon thee For truely the wicked rose vp against thee and the Sinagogue of the mightie they sought thy life and set not God before their eyes They compassed thee about like Bees and burnt with furie against thee like fire among the Thornes Oh let some spectacle of their barbarous crueltie be presented vnto mee that mine eyes may waxe dim with weeping that my heart may be wounded with sorrow all my senses afflicted with mourning for my guiltie conscience doth tell mee that my sinnes were as fewell to kindle their rage and mine iniquities like wood to maintaine the fire of their furie Behold Oh my Soule vvith attentiue deuotion of minde and with store of teares flowing from thine eyes how furiously they rush vpon thy louing Sauiour and how cruelly with their bloudie hands they torture and vexe his blessed body One tuggeth him by his garment another haleth him by the armes one taketh holde of his necke another pulleth him by the haire and least he should get from them they binde him and drag him like an vntamed Bull to the shambles Oh most meeke Lambe Oh most milde sheepe how currishlie how cruelly art thou handled like a wicked theefe Yea was euer any common theefe so inhumanely and shamefully vsed although his life vvas odious and his deedes neuer so desperate Some hale him on this side some thrust him on that side some buffet him on the face others thumpe him on the backe After they haue reuiled and railed against him with most opprobrious words they passe from diuellish words to deadlie blowes so that they neuer cease by word nor deede to grieue and vexe mine innocent Iesus but imployed all the faculties of their minde and all the forces of their bodie to doe him all hurt who neuer meant them any harme I am not able to tell thee my sorrowfull soule one halfe of the odious words nor one moitie of the horrible deedes which those damned wretches vsed against thy harmelesse and louing Sauiour my tongue doth falter for griefe and my speech doth faile mee for sorrow for all of them bitterlie cursing him and cruellie beating him void of all mercie and raging with hellish furie they hale him like a most innocent Lambe to the slaughter And amongst all that cursed crew there was none so soft-hearted that either would pittie the woefull case or speake in the cause of my gracious Lord. Oh how should mine eies haue beene watered with teares and my heart haue beene wounded with sorrow to haue seene my mercifull Iesus so vnmercifullie abused so ignominiouslie and hatefullie misused whiles they hurrie him in their madnesse and hale him in their furie towards Hierusalem who went as an innocent Lambe among a company of deuouring Wolues not once opening his mouth to reproue them for their barbarous crueltie but did willingly sustaine the extremitie of their malice with a patient minde sometime haled by one and sometime thrust forward by another thinking the time long till they might bring him where they would haue him so greedy was their desire to doe a bad deede and they made such post-hast to hasten the death of the Lord of life Oh my most sweet Iesu what hast thou done What hast thou deserued that thou shouldest endure the sting of their malice and abide the tempest of their madnesse Verilie my Lord thou didst neuer offend them in thought but thy exceeding loue did moue thee to suffer all things with patience that thou mightst redeeme mee a most wretched sinner all others that with a contrite hart a broken spirit sue vnto thee for grace hauing an assured hope in thy blessed word and confidently beleeuing in thy gracious promises I am that wofull man which haue beene the occasion of thy torments and the cause of thy grieuous Passion The wicked man hath sinned and the righteous is punished The guilty hath trespassed and the innocent is tormented The vngodly hath offended and the godly man is condemned Oh my most louing Lord I haue eaten a sowre grape and thy teeth are set on edge I haue committed the trespasse and thou hast suffered the punishment Blush therefore oh my soule for shame smite thy heart for sorrow let thine eyes be dissolued into teares and sacrifice thy selfe vpon the Altar of true repentance because thou hast beene so forgetfully vngratefull towards thy louing IESVS for his maruellous kindnesse and so excessiuely vnmindfull of his excellent loue Oh my good Iesu what shall
desperate people whose eyes were more hard then a rocke that they could not yeeld forth one teare for pittie and hearts more vnapt then Adamant to relent with any tender compassion when they saw so wofull and dolefull a spectacle But for all the venemous speeches vttered out of their railing mouthes and for all the brutish deedes done vnto thee my louing Iesus with their cruell hands thou didst not once open thy mouth to contradict them in their raging madnesse or once to blame them in the heat and hate of their greatest furie but didst goe forward vvith meekenesse to the dolefull place of their bloudie execution to suffer the painefull pangues not for thy owne faults but for mine iniquities and that with thy pretious bloud thou mightst make a wholsome Bath to cure the spots and heale the blaines of my sinfull soule Teach me oh my sweet Christ and louing Iesus by thine example so to master mine affections and to direct mine actions that when mine enemies doe insult ouer mee vvith slaunderous vvords and slauish deedes I may vvalke and tread in thy pathes with meekenesse of heart and trace out thy steps with humility of minde hearing their diuellish curses with silence and bearing my heauie Crosse with patience committing my cause vnto the GOD of vengeance who heareth the cries of the silly orphane putteth the teares of the weeping vvidow into his bottle and deliuereth poore captiues out of prison when they call vpon him But tell me oh ye generation of vipers tell me oh ye bloodie-hearted and bloodie-handed Iewes why were ye so bloodie minded against my innocent Iesus vvhat horrible conspiracie had he plotted or practised against you that yee vvere so eager to vndermine his life and so greedie to hasten the bloodie day of his death Is this the honour that you giue to my Sauiour Is this the glorie you vouchsafe my Redeemer Is this the kinde entertainement you afford to your Prophet whom the day before you receiued with such ioy spreading your garments on the ground and couering the earth greene boughes when he entred into Hierusalem Oh most vngratefull vnconstant vngracious and gracelesse people Is your loue so soone changed into deadly hate is your late curtesie conuerted into cruelty were your fauours so quickly turned into frownes Is your honour altered to shame are your plausible speeches changed into bitter curses Doe yee to day lift him vp as high as Heauen and to morrow throw him downe as low as Hell Doe yee blesse him to day and curse him to morrow Doe yee flocke after him to day that your tongues may sing forth his prayses and to morrow doe ye crowd after him to fill his eares with reproches Doe ye to day entertaine him into the Citie as desirous of his life and to morrow doe yee leade him out of the Citie as a malefactor to suffer a shamefull death Did yee but now like him and by and by doe yee lothe him Is the milde complection of your loue altered in a moment into deadly hate What was the cause of your mutabilitie What was the occasion of your instabilitie Were the affections of your hearts so mutable and your vnconstant desires so moneable So soone as you perceiued that my louing Iesus began to bee hated of your enuious magistrates and cruelly handled by their wicked ministers scorned and scoffed at by the Souldiers tanted with proud and malicious words beaten and buffeted with cruell blowes scourged with whips spitted vpon by the scumme of the people disdainfully contemned of the high Priests and lastly condemned by Pilate then yee began to like of their chollericke humors and to play the executioners of their bloudy hate This day ye misuse and abuse him most vilely whom but yesterday yee honoured and exalted so highly Now your malice towards him is without meane and your cruell deeds without moderation The cruell Enuy of the high Priest kindled the fire and yee cast Oyle into it to increase the flame Oh what extreame crueltie what cruell extremitie what ignominious indignitie was done vnto my afflicted Iesus Was not the edge of your malice yet rebated Did the streame of your hatred growe to bee more violent Was there no little corner left for pitty to lodge in your brests Was there no motion of compassion within your bowels Tell me then how could ye be so harsh-harted and hard-handed as to lay so heauy huge a crosse vpon the shoulders of my poore afflicted Christ whose blessed body was disquieted for want of sleepe being cruelly tormented all the night faint with losse of blood and sore with store of cruell blowes Had Enuie so robbed your hearts and dispoiled all your sences of common humanitie that you were now so poore that yee were not able to bestow vpon him so much as one mite of mercie What infernall Phrensie vvhat Tyrannous impietie what execrable Tyranny can be compared to this Iewish crueltie But alas was there not one amongst so many vvhich vvas so kinde-harted as to lend a helping hand to ease the weary shoulders of my Sauiour Christ when his knees bended and his legs trembled vnder the burden of his heauy Crosse Oh let the lamentable relation of their furious ferocitie to my Iesus be so odious vnto our eares that it neuer finde any harbour in our hearts Behold oh my sorrowfull soule the monstrous Atrocitie of the stiffe-necked Iewes and the miraculous mildnesse of thy lowly Iesus Consider his humble obedience view his obedient humility vvho was euer truly obedient euen vnto death and euer was willing to offer vp his life as a sure pledge of his infinite loue towards his beloued Behold thou seest how mine afflicted Lord wounded with the teeth of Enuie and pierced with the darts of malice grudgeth not at the paine nor refuseth the tedious labour to carry the heauy burthen on his feeble necke contrary to all humanity and without any pitty so spitefully imposed vpon him But how should my sinnefull tongue divulgate the incomparable merite of thy admirable patience my most kinde sweet and humble Iesu How should my vnworthy vvords vtter the worthines of thy vnspeakeable humility which wert willing to vndergo the burden of so heauy a Crosse to deliuer me a most wretched sinner from a bitter curse when the vigor of thy naturall faculties was decayed thy humane strength weakened and thy whole body wearied with the grieuous paines torments afflictions which the wicked Iewes not fleshy but flinty-hearted without any mercy of theirs and merit of thine did cruelly heape vpon thee Oh let my hart be deeply wounded with ceaselesse compunction Let mine eyes be darkened with continuall weeping Yea let all my sences be afflicted with mourning that my sorrowes may be great because my sinnes are so grieuous For they indeed were the Tyrannicall tormentors that layd so heauy a Crosse on thy tyred shoulders who out of the abundance of thy infinite loue taking pitty on my wretched miserie didst willingly
vouchsafe to die for the loue of me Wherefore haue the sparks of my loue lien so long couered in the embers Or rather why are they almost extinguished Oh what seuere punishment should I take of my selfe for my monstrous ingratitude How is my tongue able to vtter one word yea one sillable of a word to excuse the coldnesse of my loue How may I blush nay how may my face be confounded with shame vvhich am so vvayward and vnwilling to suffer any little affliction for thy sake who endured so many extreame torments for my sinne I lie on feather-beds couered vvarme vvith cloathes and thou didst lie naked nailed to a woodden Crosse and that in the time of colde weather vvhen others doe vvarme themselues at a fire If my head begin to ake I lay it downe vpon a soft pillow to ease my paine lessen my griefe But thou oh my louing Lord hast not so much as a bolster of straw vvhereon thou mightest lay thy dying head pierced with sharpe thornes and bleeding vvith many wounds When I am sicke my friends about mee bestirre themselues to ease my diseased body and to reuiue my fainting spirits But alas my sweet Sauiour there vvas none about thee at the houre of thy pittifull and painefull death vvhich vvould proffer thee any kinde deede no not so much as a comfortable word They offer thee bitter vvine mixed with mirrhe and mingled with Gall. But although thy thirst was great caused by the extremitie of thy paines and immoderate effusion of thy blood yet vvhen thou hadst tasted of it thou didst refuse to drinke of their bitter potion How hard were their harts yea how dead without any feeling of common compassion that could giue vnto my sweet Sauiour no better then such a bitter Potion Such was the succour that they would afford thee at the houre of thy death This was the best Cordiall they would giue thee a little before the parting of thy breath What iust occasion hadst thou my mercifull Redeemer yea what admirable patience hadst thou that thou didst not bitterly inueigh against the bloudie Gentiles and vnbeleeuing Iewes who were so maliciously madded and bloudily minded against thee that all vvhich they sought and all which they wrought was to augment thy sorrow But whilst their hearts were inflamed with malice against thee and their hands labouring to crucifie thee thou wert so farre from accusing them for their sauadge cruelty that thou didst pray vnto thy heauenly Father that hee would remit and forgiue their iniquity saying Father pardon them because they know not what they doe Luk. 23.34 And this oh my sweet Christ vvas the first vvords vvhich thou spakest vpon thy bitter Crosse Indeede they knew thee not for their eyes were blinded that they could not see and their hearts were hardned that they could not vnderstand Heere maist thou meditate oh my soule with exceeding comfort vpon the wonderfull patience admirable mercy sweet words of thy louing Sauiour who was not so much grieued with paine of his owne afflictions as hee was earnest to pray for the remission of their sinnes Hee did not once open his mouth to make any iust Apologie for his owne innocencie nor to denounce any deserued malediction No not one bitter vvord against them for their dogged cruelty But in the extremest pangs of his bitter Passion his tender heart was moued vvith pittifull compassion towards them he opened the fountaine of his mercy that the sweet streames of his Benediction might flow vpon them Hee blessed them that cursed him hee shewed them a true token of his entire loue for their cruell hate he prayed for them as if they had been his dearest friends when indeed they were his deadly foes How should my feeble tongue like a trumpet oh my bountifull Iesu sound forth the wonderfull worthinesse of thy surmounting mercy How should mine vnable and barren hart conceiue the dignitie of thine vncomparable meeknesse How should the weake sight of my darke vnderstanding pierce into the hidden mysteries of thy gratious mildnesse vvhich surpasseth all vnderstanding How affable and ineffable is the sweetnesse of thy charitable prayer how bottomlesse is the depth of thy clemencie how vnexhaustible is the treasure of thy benignitie How large and spacious yea how infinit are the bounds of thy mercie For with what tranquility of minde with what piety and pittie of heart with what sweet milde and perswasiue words didst thou sue for their pardon vvho now were breathing out nothing else but curses against thee vvith their malicious tongues and euen now acting the extremity of their Tyrannie against thee with their bloudie hands Thou wert not discouraged by their iniuries thou wert not hardned with their reproches thou didst not rebuke them for their euill words thou didst not check them for their wicked deeds thou didst seeke to salue their soares who gaue thee deadly wounds thou diddest make intercession for their life who cruelly put thee to death thou wert full of pitty towards them whose hearts were empty of all compassion towards thee Oh with what wonderfull mildnes of mind with what great deuotion of spirit in what abundance of loue didst thou cry Father forgiue them Oh wonderfull worke of thy worthy mercy oh rare and memorable example of exceeding pitty oh perfect patterne of excellent charity oh let me poore wretched sinner taste the sweetnes of this hony reuiue my dying heart with this cordiall compassion relieue my sicke soule with this comfortable confection Cry out so for me my sweet Lord and kinde Mediator commend my wofull case and pleade my cause vnto thy Father saying Father forgiue him For in truth I know not what I do loue of the world hath blinded mine eyes desire of carnall pleasures is rooted in my heart and all manner of wanton vanities are rife in my minde I runne headlong in the broad way of destruction I cannot finde the narrow path which leadeth to Saluation Open mine eyes oh Lord that I may see to walke in thy wayes and direct my feet that I may tread in thy pathes Teach mee to follow the patterne of thy excellent patience so that I may not wish well onely to my dearest friends which dearely loue mee but also pray for my cruell enemies who deadly hate mee But alas how soone am I displeased how long is it before I will forgiue if I be once offended I am prone with enuious Cain to stain my hands with horrible murder I long for a day with rough Esau wherein I may slay my innocent brother I oftentimes fall out with my friend for a crosse word so that oftentimes in requitall I seeke to doe him a mischieuous deed I thinke my selfe the worse when I see him Oh how doe I disdaine to speake vnto him Teach mee to learne this hard lesson of patience purge the seed of malice out of my mind mellow the ground of my heart vvith the deaw of thy graces that it may not onely be
tender to giue my beloued poore Friends but that it may also be pliable to forgiue my hatefull Foes seeing that thou wert not so much touched with the sense of thy owne afflictions and no doubt the paines of them were most grieuous vnto thee as thou wert mooued with zeale to pray for thy bloody enemies when they made a prey of thy garments and cast lots for thy vnseamed vesture Ioh. 19.24 Now though Pilate gaue wrongfull iudgement against thee to take away thy innocent life yet he seemed to honour thee at the houre of thy death when hee wrote on the Crosse Iesus of Nazareth King of the Iewes Matt. 27.37 Mar. 15.26 Luk. 23.38 Iohn 19.19 It pleased him to intitle thee a King by name but alas hee had no such conceit of thee in his secret thoughts But indeed thou wert worthy of a far more honorable Title being not onely King of the Iewes but also of the Gentiles Yea Creator and Gouernor of euery creature Neuerthelesse thou didst not clothe thy selfe with the vesture of our Humanitie that thou shouldst be honoured with any worldly dignity It was thy chiefest honor to do the will of thy heauenly Father Ioh. 14.31 thou camest not to depriue Herod of his Kingdome nor to gather any forces to deliuer the Iewes as they fondly dreamed of their Messias vainely expected at the comming of their King Thou camest to deliuer the people from the Captiuity of their sinnes and by shedding thy pretious blood to saue their soules Graunt me oh my sweet Sauiour that I may set open the dore of my heart that thou mayest enter which art the true King of glory and that I may stil desire althogh I am vnable to shew my selfe a louing and loyall subiect to receiue thee Send thy holy spirit as a Harbenger before thee to giue mee warning of thy comming and then I shall be prepared to entertaine my gratious Soueraigne with humility of minde and tokens of sincere loue I long oh my King for thy comming for I am assured if thou vouchsafe to enter into my cottage thou wilt bestow such a royall gift vpon mee that I shall beginne to disdaine the pompe of the vvorld and account nothing so deare vnto mee as thy loue Oh would my louing Sauiour would imbrace mee betweene his blessed armes Oh I vvish to liue I long to die betwixt thy louing imbracements thy armes vvere stretched out on the Crosse as if thou wert ready to receiue any penitent sinner refuse not to receiue me a wretched sinner who wounded with the horror of my sinnes doe come vnto thee as my Physition who is only able and willing to heale my wounds Let thy pretious blood stoppe the bloody issue of my sinnes thy mercy and nothing but thy mercy can cure my malady that one and that alone is all my remedy Graunt mee oh my sweet Iesu that I may bee able to say vvith thine Apostle I am crucified with thee Crucifie my wanton flesh with the nayles of thy feare mortifie my rebellious thoghts with dread of thy Iustice and Meditation of thy iudgements Let it be the ioy of my hart let it be the daily exercise of my minde let it be the obiect of all my thoughts to thinke on my Lord Iesus and him crucified I cannot wonder enough thogh I neuer cease to wonder at thee my Iesu my Sauiour and my Redeemer yet let me neuer cease to maruaile at the wonderfull worke of thy Passion which thou didst so patiently suffer that by thy innocent death thou mightest cancell the obligation of our infinite debt affixe it to thy Crosse that thou mightest deliuer vs poore and miserable wretches from the danger of the curse which was gone out against vs Oh how can my meditations attaine to the length of thy admirable loue how can my cogitations measure the bredth of thy clemency how should my deepest imaginations diue into the depth of thy mercy My eye is too dimme to perceiue the beauty my eare is too dull to heare the greatnesse my hart is too grosse to conceiue the goodnes my taste is too weake to rellish the sweetnes my tongue is too feeble to declare the worthines of thy loue no words be they neuer so many can expresse the quantity no eloquence be it neuer so excellent can relate the quality Oh with what humility of minde with what exceeding patience with what kinde and tender affections didst thou suffer the extreamest pangs of thy bitter afflictions How is my minde amazed with the bright beames of thy loue How are all my thoughts confounded with the greatnes of thy clemency How is my soule rauished with the goodnes of thy mercy What did mooue thee oh my sweet Sauiour but thy vnspeakeable loue what did induce thee but thy incomparable mercy to pay so deere a price for my Redemption Oh let the remembrance of thy infinite bounty neuer depart out of my minde Let all my affections be inflamed with the fire of thy loue Let the sweetnesse and greatnesse of thy mercies be my chiefest Meditations Mortifie my disobedient cogitations with thy feare and crucifie my rebellious actions on thy Crosse that although sinne must dwell and remaine in mee yet it may not raigne and rule ouer mee A Meditation concerning the derisions and scornefull speeches vttered to the Lord IESVS when hee was nayled on the Crosse by the Iewes and one of the Theeues which were crucified with him and of the second words he spake on the crosse MED XV. Twixt a Mat. 27.38 Mark 15.27 Theeues Christ suffered For no fault he shed His pretious bloud The b Mark 23.4 Iohn 19.6 Sunne thereat asham'd c Mar. 15.33 Matth. 27.45 and 27.52 Ore-uaild his face The graues gaue vp their dead With wonders more that cannot here be nam'd NOw ruminate oh my sorrowful and lamenting soule what scornefull speeches vvhat spitefull derisions and bitter reproaches were breathed out of the mouthes of the enuious Iewes against my patient and silent Iesus after they had nailed his pure hands blessed feet to the Crosse Call home all thy wandring cogitations that they may be soly and wholy intentiue to this heauenly and diuine meditation Let streames of teares gush out of my melting eyes let them penetrate into my bosome that they may mollifie my stony heart so that it may be so deepely wounded with sorrowfull compassion as if I had beene an eye-witnesse of his painefull Passion when his innocent hands and blessed feet streamed forth pretious blood yet the streames of it could not quench the fire of their malice they could not calme the rage of their stormy minds nor breed any one thought of pitty in their cruel hearts It was not sufficient for them to torment him with their bloody hands but now at his vndeserued death they raile and reuile him with their blasphemous mouthes for as their hearts were stony not apt to take any print of compassion and their hands filled with
downe and consorted vvith the sonnes of darkenesse Why hast thou refused sweet Hony to feed on Gall and wholesome food to cloy thy stomacke with stincking dung At that time oh sweet Christ thy Family was cleared thy Houshold purged when such a leaprous person and deadly diseased creature went out into the world from the company of the Angels societie For then at last were the thirsty soules of that blessed company plentifully filled with sweet flowing streames of thy Diuine Word and vvith the most pleasant liquor of thy true celestiall Nectar which thou art alwayes able and euermore willing to giue vnto thy faithfull Seruants when hee was worthily cast out from thy most holy and blessed Family whom thou didst know to be vnworthy to taste one drop of that liuing water which quencheth the thirst of all sinfull soules for euer when thou of thy free loue dost afford them to drinke of that blessed Fountaine be their thirst neuer so great or the people neuer so many which resort to receiue refreshing by it SECTION X. NOW when thou hadst giuen a new Commaundement to thy louing Disciples that they should knit their hearts together with the true vnion of perfect loue Iohn 13.34 and arme themselues with patience against the approaching day of their fiery triall and also hadst disposed the kingdome of thy heauenly Father to thy faithfull Brethren thou cammest to the place with them well knowne vnto couetous Iudas that Traitour which did betray thee into the hands of the cruell Iewes who were as greedy to buy as he was couetous to sell thy innocent and precious bloud Yet thou diddest not audaciously obiect thy selfe vnto suddaine danger or desperately throw thy selfe into perill but thou wert willing to offer and lay downe thy owne life to deliuer vs poore condemned vassals from the heauy doome of eternall death knowing all things which should come vpon thee Iohn 18.4 Oh vnsearchable profundity of thy infinite loue Oh glorious beames of thy gracious mercy For like a tender-hearted Father thou haddest willingly cast thy selfe into suddaine danger to haue deliuered thy Children from some imminent perill or if thou haddest aduentured thy life to haue rescued thy friends from threatned death this without doubt had beene a deed of true naturall affection and excellent loue But that thou shouldest of thine owne accord offer thy selfe to death to saue thy deadly enemies and willingly shed thy bloud to ransome thy mortall foes This oh sweet Sauiour is a miracle of superadmirable kindenesse beyond the compasse of all vnderstanding SECTION XI VVHen thou wert come to the place where wretched Iudas had bargained to betray thee into the hands of the wicked Iewes thou wert not ashamed to confesse the heauy pangs which thou didst sustaine by thy approaching Passion in the audience of thy Brethren which thou wert willing to endure not for thy owne desert but by thy owne desire for our sakes and our sins saying My Soule is heauy euen vnto death Mat. 26.38 So ponderous was the burden of our iniquities so heauy was the weight of mine yea of all our sins layd vpon thy shoulders And there bowing thy knees on the ground and falling downe with thy face on the earth thou diddest in thy bitter agonie offer vp thy humble petition to God thy Father saying My Father if it be possible let this Cup passe from me Matth. 26.39 Indeed that Cup contained a deepe draught to be taken of thee for the health of our languishing soules more bitter then Colloquintida to the mouth or Gall in the maw And no doubt but the bloody sweat which trickled downe on the earth by drops from thy most holy flesh did plainely declare the sorrowes of thy perplexed minde and the anguish of thy sorrowfull Soule Luke 22.44 Oh powerfull Lord Iesus what meaneth or what is the cause of thy lamentable supplication Didst thou not wholly of thine owne accord offer vp thy selfe for a Sacrifice to thy Father and willingly shed thy bloud to pay the price of our ransome Yes verely oh gracious Lord it was thy exceeding great loue and onely mercy that did moue thee so patiently to vnder-goe the wrath of thy Father that thou mightest deliuer vs condemned sinners from his iust and heauy displeasure that by thy stripes wee might be healed and that by thy free and voluntary death wee might be restored to a second and euerlasting life But we thinke that thou didst willingly taste the bitternesse of our miseries and in thy selfe expresse vnto vs a true passion of our weakenesse for the comfort and consolation of all thy feeling members that no man might dispaire or let goe the Anchor of stedfast Hope when our weake flesh fainteth and our naturall faculties faileth but yet the spirit is ready to abide the painefull pangs of any passion and to suffer the conflicts of any affliction whatsoeuer Truly thou didst expresse the naturall weakenesse of the flesh in thy selfe by those tokens vnto vs that wee might the sooner be prouoked to embrace thee with more loue and gratefully to yeeld thee greater thanks Whereby also we are taught that thou didst truly beare our diseases and infirmities and that thou hast not runne through the thornes of grieuous passions vvithout the sense of painefull afflictions For that voyce seemeth to be the voice of the flesh not of the Spirit by that which thou hast added The Spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is weake Marke 14.38 And thou diddest openly declare that the Spirit was willing to suffer the deadly pangs of thy grieuous passion when thou diddest goe forth of thine owne accord to meete those bloudy minded persons conducted by their damnable General trayterous Iudas in the night time furnished with lanternes torches and weapons seeking without any cause raging vvith malice to destroy thy harmelesse life and cruelly to shed thy innocent blood and there didst openly discouer thy selfe to their eyes and offer vp thy selfe to their bloudy hands least they might thinke themselues beholding to their bloudy guide and that by his craftie pollicie thou hadst beene suddainely and vnwillingly apprehended For thou diddest not repell or put backe that cruell monster comming to kisse thy most holy mouth but diddest gently put thy mouth in which there was found no guile to his mouth abounding with venome and filled with malice who vnder token of loue pretended nothing but deadly hate and with a dissembling kisse to betray thee into the hands of those who were ready armed to kill thee And although desperate Iudas became his owne hangman Mat. 27.5 yet many doe follow his steps and desperately runne to their wilfull wofull destruction Oh innocent Lambe of GOD how couldest thou endure that such a rauenous Wolfe should come neere vnto thee that came so greedily to deuoure thee What fellowship hath light with darkenesse What agreement hast thou with Beliall But this oh Lord was a deed of thy gracious benignitie and an act of thy exceeding
way of truth and to feede their soules with the spirituall food of his coelestiall doctrine Oh most mercifull and blessed Iesus thy words are spirit and life which thou doest speake to thy Disciples and that knew thy Seruant Peter when he said Thou hast the words of eternall life For thy words are pure and sweet to the taste of them that loue thee yea more sweet then honie and the honie-combe They also knew that those who were sent by the chiefe Rulers to lay hands vpon thee were taken with such wonderfull admiration at the gracious words which did proceede out of thy blessed mouth that they were constrained to proclaime thy worthie praises telling them That neuer any man spake so graciously Oh most eloquent Orator streames of sweetnesse doe flow from thy lips Honie and Milke are euer plentifull vnder thy tongue Oh how powerfull how eloquent how wonderfull were the words which my Lord vttered to his Disciples in the end of his sweet Oration Hee exhorteth them to sow the seedes of true loue in their hearts and to shew forth the fruits thereof one to another After hee admonisheth them that they should be constant in their loue and permanent in their Faith towards him their louing Sauiour For hee that is destitute of the former can neuer be possessed of the latter And after those things he fore-telleth them what great dangers they should passe what tribulations troubles afflictions and calamities they should suffer after his departure that being fore-warned they might be better armed Lastly hee powreth forth his prayer vnto his heauenly Father for them that they might not shrinke backe like cowards in the day of their triall nor their Faith faile them in the bitter stormes of affliction but aboue all things oh my most sweet IESVS I am not able to wonder enough at thy earnest Exhortations which thou diddest vse to kindle the sparkes of feruent loue towards thee in the hearts of thy faithfull Disciples thou doest specially aboue all things charge and command thy Disciples that they loue thee and couet after nothing but thee Oh how great is the excellencie of true loue Oh how feruent is the vehemencie of a deuout spirit Oh how forcible is the preheminence of a charitable affection Thou didst commend and leaue loue my beloued Iesus as a most rare and precious Iewell to thy deare Disciples Therefore this is highly to be extolled of vs and chiefely to be desired by vs as our greatest riches and onely treasure Let him oh louing Iesus be abiected out of thy gracious fauour let him haue no taste of thy kindnes that doth not honour thy name and possesse his heart with thy loue Truely many riuers of water haue not beene able to put out the fire nor quench the flame of true loue for loue is as strong as death Verilie if I should giue all my substance were it neuer so great I would regard it as nothing rather then I would want or forgoe my true loue for hee that loueth thee faithfully my most louing Sauiour will leaue all things willingly take vp his Crosse chearefully and follow thy steps constantly Therefore who shall seperate mee from thy loue Oh my most sweet Lord What shall diuert the current of my affections from thee Shall tribulation or anguish shall persecution or hunger But because I can doe nothing without thy grace my gracious IESVS nor performe any thing without thy power set such a deepe stampe of thy loue in my heart that the print of it may neuer be raced out but abide in it for euer yea so wound my heart with thy sweetest loue that all my desires may be turned towards thee and that I may finde no ease but when I thinke vpon thee that I may loue thee with all my heart with all my soule with all my strength that my whole will desires and affections may couet nothing but thee Let all my cogitations be onely occupied in the meditation of thy loue Seperate and remoue from mee all other desires of the flesh oh my sweet Iesus that my whole heart may be solelie conioyned to thee in the day my soule humblie attend vpon thee in the night and that my spirit and bodie may chearefully seeke after thee when I awake earely in the morning for my soule thirsteth after thee oh God which art a liuing fountaine oh when shall I come before thy face when shall I appeare in thy presence And I doubt not oh most mercifull Lord but that I shall be loued of thy Father if I shall loue thee as thou hast taught thy Disciples and that thou and thy Father will come to mee and make your dwelling place with me And what doe I craue more what doe I couet so much as that my Iesus may dwell and remaine in mee Oh how happy were my state how blessed were my condition if I could truelie say my beloued as a bundle of Mirrhe vnto me will remaine betweene my breasts If I could imbrace my beloued Iesus I would hold him fast betwixt mine armes I would neuer let him depart any more from me his presence should be my pleasure in the day his societie should be my solace in the night Kindle my reines oh most louing Iesus with the burning sparkles of thy loue inflame my heart with the fire of an ardent deuotion towards thee so that I may long after thee alone my deare beloued Christ Iesus and euermore search for thee and neuer cease to seeke thee vntill I finde thee which by the vehemencie of thy loue and compassion of thy mercie wert willing to be cruellie crucified for my grieuous transgressions and to dye a shamefull death for my sinnes Ingraue the memorie of this thy great loue so deepe in the Table of my heart that it neither decay by length of daies nor be worne out by the iniquitie of the time A Meditation concerning Iesus his going vp into Mount-Oliuet and of his praying thrice in the Garden MED VI. My a Marke 14.34 soule is heauie euen vnto death Mans sinne doth b Luke 22.44 bloud and water from me draine For sinne I feele my Fathers angry c Marke 14.35 wrath For sinne I drinke this cup d Luke 22.42 of deadly paine IT was the custome of our louing Iesus to ascend vp often vnto the Mount Oliuet which was distant the space of a mile from Ierusalem that he might pray There also was a Towne named Gethsemani where there was a Garden scituated on the Mountaines into the which beloued Iesus was accustomed to enter specially at night time with his Disciples to pray Wherefore after he had ended his glorious and blessed Supper and also his sweet and comfortable exhortations made to his beloued and faithfull Disciples hee resorted towards this place late in the night accompanied with them Here oh my soule behold thy Iesus looke vpon that innocent Lambe which goeth of his owne accord to the slaughter Take a view of his
I render vnto thee for thy great bountie What shall I yeeld vnto thee for thy gracious mercie I haue nothing O Lord thou knowest my pouertie I acknowledge my needy necessitie I haue confessed my most haynous sinnes and grieuous offences before thy face I haue not hidden mine vnrighteousnesse out of thy sight Wherefore oh my most bountifull Lord supply that by thy infinite liberalitie which is wanting by reason of my vile ingratitude And thou which art onely able create a thankfull heart in me thy poore vnworthy seruant that it may euermore be delighted with the remembrance of thy goodnes and still be ioyfull with the sweet meditation of thy mercies But now oh my Soule meditate a while how sodaine feare had quailed the loue of the Disciples of my distressed Sauiour For being terrified with his vnexpected and cruell apprehension and dreading their owne danger they fled away leauing their Lord and beloued Master Mark 14.50 Then thou mightest truely say oh most sweet Iesu They which saw me fled from me I am forgotten as a dead man out of minde And againe Thou hast put my friends my neighbours and acquaintance farre from mee Also that was verified which the Prophet had fore-tolde All my friends haue forsaken mee and they that lay in waite haue preuailed against me He whom I loued hath betrayed mee For so wert thou left alone my louing Iesus and they which were neere vnto thee made hast to be gone and would tarrie no longer with thee Consider further oh my soule the disciples of my Sauiour flying for feare and lamenting with sorrow when they saw their most beloued master traiterously betrayed ignominiously abused and led like an innocent Lambe to the shambles Attend to their sighing and groning to their weeping and moning for loath they were to leaue so louing and so well beloued a Master But why should feare of danger haue bin so violent or dread of death so strong as to pull them from so deare a friend They professed they would remaine constant and that no affliction should abate their courage but their words proued no deedes and all was but vaine presumption self-Selfe-loue of their owne securitie made them forsake their distressed Master in his captiuitie But tell mee bold-hearted Peter why didst thou like a coward forsake thy faithfull Maister Didst thou professe so much and performe so little Was thy manhood so soone quailed when thou was put to thy triall I know thou didst shew some signe of courage and thou beganst to play the man when thy Maister was first apprehended but it was but done in a fit of thine anger and thy heate was soone cooled thy promise great and thy performance little when thou wert in mount Tabor and saw but some beames yea rather some sparkles of the eternall glory of thy blessed Maister then thy senses were so rauished and thy minde so amazed that thou diddest crie out Bonum est esse hic Mat. 17.1 Marke 9.2 Luke 9.28 It is good to be here let vs build three Tabernacles but now thou doest not say Bonum est esse hic It is good to tarry here with my poore disgraced Master Say thou didst loue thy Master well yet it appeareth thou didst loue thy selfe better oh why diddest thou make such a vaine ostentation of thy courage and yet afterwards shew thy selfe such a coward But take heed oh my soule that thou dost not so vehemently inueigh against faint-hearted Peter and the rest of his fearefull fellowes that thou forget thy selfe and passe by thine owne infirmity Wee all loue Christ when our cups may ouerflow with wine and our bellies be filled with the finest wheate but the heate of our loue is quickly cooled if but a small blast of stormie persecution doe bluster against vs. Wee all desire to dwell vvith him as did rauished Peter when his eyes vvere dazeled vvith the beames of his glory appearing vnto him on Mount Tabor But all of vs flye from him or follow him a-loofe-off when wee see him going to Golgotha We dare presume to say with forward Peter Lord if all leaue thee I will not forsake thee Mat. 26.33 Mark 14.29 Iohn 13.37 But alas when wee come to the tryall we are readie to flie and leaue the field at the first alarme Wee could all be content to eate pleasant hony and to feede our selues with sweet milke but our mouthes are filled with murmuring and our hearts with grudging the time is long and the iourney tedious while wee trauell in the wildernes of this world towards heauenly Canaan Exod. 17.2 Alas were the Disciples of my Sauiour so fearefull at the first encounter who had beene so often fore-tolde of that day and had beene so well instructed by their louing Maister to arme themselues against the assaults of affliction Then how can I poore worme boast of my strength and vaunt of my manly courage How should I holde out vnto the end when such stout Souldiers begin to shrinke at the beginning of the battell I know mine owne imbecilitie my powerfull Lord I confesse mine infirmitie I feele my heart quake and I perceiue my courage to quaile so soone as I see but a darke cloud of affliction and stand in dread of euery storme of persecution Strengthen my heart oh Lord with Christian Fortitude that my minde may not be dismayed with feare nor my senses drowned with the streames of immoderate sorrow whensoeuer I must drinke of the bitter waters of affliction for the profession of thy name or feele the pricking thornes of persecution in my sides for the confession of thy truth Teach me to take vp my crosse and to follow thee and that I may not be ashamed of this noble badge of true Christianitie Instruct mee to know that affliction is the lot of thy Children and that thou vvilt haue their Faith tryed in the fiery furnace and graunt mee oh Lord such a plentifull measure of thy quickning grace that although my fraile flesh beginne to tremble and my weake heart to faint at the first assault of danger and I seeke a corner to hide my head in in the time of trouble yet that I may not flye so farre from thee but that I may quickly returne to thee as Peter and Iohn did who loued and were so dearely beloued of thee and as the rest of thy Disciples did after thy glorious resurrection and in the sorrowfull time of calamitie trouble and persecution so mittigate the dolor of my passions that I may endure all extremities with Christian patience knowing that all the afflictions of this world are but momentarie and that the ioyes prepared for the faithfull after this life are innumerable and shall endure eternally Now let vs leaue the sorrowfull Disciples and come to our louing Iesus who being bound was presented to Annas by the wicked Iewes who examined him concerning his Disciples and concerning his doctrine Ioh. 18.19 And although the humilitie of my Sauiour was great and his modestie no
sauage cruelty without mercy so their words and speeches were vnciuil void of all modesty Some cry out He saued others let him saue himselfe if he be the Sonne of God the Souldiers disdainfully deride him and scornfully mocke him saying If thou be king of the Iewes saue thy selfe Also they that passe by nod their heads at him reuile him bitterly and blaspheme him saying Ah thou which doest destroy the Temple of God and in three dayes dost build it againe saue thy selfe If thou be the Sonne of God come downe from the Crosse Oh how cruelly was my innocent Sauiour tormented with their vnmercifull hands oh how was his righteous soule woūded with their malicious tongues their words do sauour of Gall and their speech is more bitter then wormwood But so great was their malice so grieuous was their indignation so deadly was their hatred against my louing Iesus that they thought all their cruell deeds were too litle to be inflicted vpon him and that all their words were not halfe bitter enough which their venemous mouthes did spue out against him But as my blessed Redeemer did patiently suffer the extreame tortures of their merciles hands so hee did meekely beare the bitter taunts of their reuiling tongues Oh let the memory of this thy exceeding patience bee so deepely sealed in my minde that my thoughts may stil meditate on thy infinite loue let my teares often flowing out of my eyes be true tokens of my inward sorrow and let my grieuous groanes be as faithfull messengers to declare my true repentance For it was my horrible transgressions and hainous offences my kinde and louing Sauiour that made thee to abide the tyranny of their bloody and murthering hands and to feele the sting of their sharpe and malicious tongues But alas mine eyes are so dry that they cannot shed a teare and my heart so hard that it cannot yeeld a groane vnlesse thou moysten the one with the gratious raine of thy graces and mollifie the other by the vertue of thy spirit Now not onely the irreligious Gentiles who were actors of this bloody Tragedy and the enuious Iewes who were authors and Spectators of all their cruelty did disgorge the bitter choller of their malice against my crucified Iesus but also one of the malefactors hauing no remorse of conscience for his owne offences nor pitty on my Sauiour so grieuously taunted and spightfully scorned of the basest of the people began to raile vpon him without modestie to vse these tearmes against him full of vile indignitie If thou art Christ saue thy selfe and vs Luke 23.39 But his other fellow touched with sorrow for his sinnes and freely confessing that they had both worthily deserued did iustly suffer death for their transgressions began to reprehend him for his blasphemous impietie and to iustifie my Iesus for his blamelesse innocency And when he had rebuked his fellow for such great inhumanity he turned to my Sauiour to implore his mercy that he might be made partaker of the ioyes of his heauenly Kingdome vttering this short and sweet prayer Lord remember me when thou commest into thy Kingdome And hee had scant ended his short petition but my mercifull Sauiour made him this gratious answere Verely I say vnto thee this day thou shalt be with mee in Paradise Luke 23.43 But now let vs consider oh my soule with deuout attention and behold with attentiue deuotion what riches of infinite bounty what large promises of vnmeasurable liberalitie what a blessed inheritance my bountifull redeemer doth promise vnto this poore naked and true though late repenting sinner How might this blessed promise mittigate the sorrowes Oh thou sorrowfull sinner of thy perplexed minde How might it ease the soares of thine afflicted body for as faith bred in thy heart a true contrition and opened thy mouth to make that humble petition so no doubt it sealed such an assurance vnto thy wounded conscience that thou didst stedfastly beleeue his promise and faithfully looke for the performance But how may my speech extend it selfe to the length of thy boundlesse liberalitie my most liberall Redeemer How may my words measure the bredth of thy vnlimited mercy yea how can my thoughts sound the bottomlesse Sea of thy benignitie in thy first words vttered on the Crosse thou doest pray thy Father to forgiue thy cruell tormentors and in thy second words thou doest bountifully giue Paradice vnto a sorrowfull sinner Oh who can worthily estimate the dignitie of the gift who can sufficiently extol the bounty of the giuer although my sweet Iesu thy whole life was the merit of our saluation yet at thy bitter death thou didst pay the full price of our redemption Oh happy theefe that had such a sweet tast of thy mercy Oh blessed soule that wert made partaker of such infinite bounty Oh what great graces excellent vertues were infused into thee that thou didst beleeue my Iesus to be the true Son of God thy Creator whom thou didst see to die the death of a miserable creature As thy faults were intollerable in thy dissolute life so thy faith appeareth admirable at thy sorrowfull death For what but faith was the motiue to moue thee to sue to him to be remembred in his kingdome of eternall felicity who to thy outward eyes appeared nothing else but a spectacle of wofull misery and as thy confidence was great and thy loue much so thy Iesus doth speedily assure thee to enioy a bountifull reward Therefore I pray thee my most bountifull Iesu so to inspire my minde with thy grace and so to kindle thy loue in my brest that I may be contented to be crucified with thee here vpon earth that I may be receiued by thee into thy kingdome of heauen And grant that I may so truly lament for my trespasses and shed such bitter teares for my sins that I may faithfully say with this penitent theefe Lord remember mee when thou shalt come into thy Kingdome For I confesse O Lord I haue beene no better then a Theefe for I haue robbed thee of thy honor I haue bene vntrue vnto thee concerning thy glory My lips are defiled with lying my hands haue wrought the workes of deceipt I haue often beguiled the widdow and defrauded the Orphane I haue sought to make my selfe rich by oppression I haue beene disobedient to my gouernours and would not liue vnder their lawfull subiection Oh Lord remember not my great and grieuous offences let thy mercy blot them out of thy memory that they may not be laid against me when I shall be summoned to appeare before thee Remember me according to the multitude of thy mercies as thou didst this late-repenting malefactor whom thou hast left vnto mee as one rare example of thy infinite mercy that I should not dispaire in regard of thy iustice and that I should not presume to sin in respect of thy mercie Oh let me remember this rare example of thy extraordinary goodnesse so that I may
offer vnto thee the wine of my true deuotion vvith the Mirrhe of mortification and gall of hearty contrition But as it might be dolefull vnto thee my soule to heare thy louing Iesus cry out Sitio I thirst so let it be ioyfull vnto thee to heare him take his farewel with Consummatum est It is finished Ioh. 19.30 Oh let the Meditation of this word be more sweet vnto me then the hony vvhich Sampson found in the carkasse of the Lyon vvhen he was hungry Iudg. 14 8. and more delectable vnto mee then the vvater vvhich hee found in the Iawbone of the Asse vvhen he vvas thirsty Iudg. 15.19 For now had my blessed Redeemer fulfilled the sacred decrees of the holy Scriptures concerning my saluation and appeased the wrath of his Father kindled against me for my sinnes Now he had cancelled the Obligation of my infinite debt and not vvith siluer and gold but with his owne most pretious blood purchased my Redemption And by his death conquered death hell and the deuill Oh happy death that hath redeemed mee to eternall life Oh glorious victory although my Sauiour obtained it so dearely Therefore let mee not be carelesse to sell that so cheape which my Sauiour hath bought so deare Let mee consecrate my soule and body wholly to him for they are his owne he hath dearely bought them Direct my spirit oh Lord by the leuell of thy perfect word let the meditation of my heart be day and night in thy sacred law that I may offer vp vnto thee daily the calues of my vnfained lippes speaking of thy meruailous kindnesse early in the morning and telling of thy manifold mercies late in the euening send downe a gratious raine of thy holy Spirit into the furrowes of my heart that the memory of thine innumerable benefits may perpetually flourish in my minde and thine euerlasting praises euermore sound in my mouth for thou alone art my Redeemer oh Lord God of my saluation A Meditation how CHRIST gaue vp the Ghost and of the wonders which were seene at his death MED XIX Strange a Mar. 15.38 wonders at our Sauiours death were wrought The graues did b Matt. 27.51 open and the dead came forth The Temple rent in c Luke 23.45 twaine Dumbe creatures sought T' expresse to blinded d Luk. 19.40 Iewes their makers worth LIft vp thine eyes oh my soule and behold how the countenance of thy Sauiour is couered with a deadly palenesse his sight beginneth to faile and his heart to faint yet a little before the departure of his soule and in his greatest pangs hee cryed out with a lowd voyce as if he had felt no paine saying Father into thy hands I commend my spirit and vvhen he had said thus bowing downe his head and closing his eyes he gaue vp the Ghost Luke 23.46 Now so soone as his blessed soule was dissolued from his breathlesse body the vaile of the Temple vvas rent into two peeces from the top the bottome the earth did quake the stones were rent the graues opened and many bodies of the Saints which slept arose out of their graues came into the holy Citie and appeared to many Awake thou now oh my soule lie no longer snorting in the bed of carelesse security vvhat wilt thou say what wilt thou doe oh my soule Thou seest that the earth trembleth quaketh that the stones doe cleaue in pieces and that the beholders are all amazed at the death of the Lord Iesus Oh! why art thou so senselesse oh my soule and as it were dead without motion at the recordation of the death and meditation of the Passion of thy Sauiour Oh let the sinnefull vaile of the Temples of thy head rend into peeces which couereth the eyes of thy vnderstanding let thy earthly body tremble with horror and thy stony heart cleaue in sunder with terror of thine impietie and now arise thou out of the graue of thine iniquitie let thine eyes waste and consume away with weeping and let thy heart melt away with sighing that thou mayest shew some signes of sorrow for thy sinnes and some tokens of true repentance for thy transgressions which caused the bitter Passion and procured the cruell death of thy innocent IESVS and cry out vvith the astonished Centurion Verely this man was righteous Hee was the Sonne of GOD Mat. 17. Lift vp thy hands crie out with a faithfull heart Oh my gratious Lord my sweet Sauiour and louing Redeemer how terrible were my trespasses how haynous were my transgressions that nothing but thy pretious blood could wash out the staines of mine iniquitie and nothing but thy death deliuer me out of the chaines of euerlasting captiuitie What shall I doe to gratulate the greatnes of thy loue how shall I perfectly rellish the goodnesse of thy mercy how shall I throughly tast the sweetnesse of thy compassion For how doth thy loue exceede in greatnesse how doth mercy abound in goodnes and how doth thy compassion excel in sweetnes that thou being the true and naturall Sonne of God shouldst be made man that we being sinnefull men should be made the sons of God yea when vvee were thine enemies vessels of sinne and vassals of Sathan And that thou being man shouldest be made subiect to the same passions to the same affections to the same afflictions that we are yea obnoxious to death to pay our debt but yet thy life was neuer infected with any sinfull action no not so much as affected with any euill cogitation Oh my kinde Iesu Oh thou innocent Lambe Oh my most louing Lord by how much the more I consider thy calamity by how much the more I ruminate thy mercy by so much the more cause I finde to be faithfully affected towards thee for the greatnes of thy loue and to be afflicted with thee for thy grieuous torments Oh let me behold in my serious meditation and see with the eye of mine vnderstanding how thy most sacred body is brused vvith cruell blowes thy tender flesh mangled with bleeding wounds thy venerable head perfored and pierced with a Crowne of pricking thornes thy beautifull forehead spotted and thy comely haire knotted with coniealed blood thy nosthrils offended vvith stinking spittle and thy blessed mouth distasted with gall and vinegar thy most bright eyes obscured with a vaile thy amiable face buffeted with fists and defiled with dust thy chast eares filled with reproaches thy naked body scourged with whips thy vveary shoulders shrinking and thy weake knees failing vnder the heauy burthen of the crosse thy most holy hands pierced thy blessed feet bored with sharpe iron nailes thy blessed side opened and thy heart wounded with a speare Oh let the remembrance of thy grieuous torments my louing Iesu let the memory of thy bleeding wounds and scornefull reproaches wound my heart with vvofull compunction and pierce into my hardened bowels that they may relent vvith tender compassion that I may feele some sense of painefull sorrow for thy
sake seeing thou hast suffered so much for my sinnes But before thou passe any further oh my soule doe thou not let it passe without earnest meditation how that although the hearts of the tormentors of mine afflicted Iesus were so poysoned with impietie and their hands so polluted with cruelty that they grieued his righteous soule vvith their scornes and reproaches killed his innocent body with their tortures yet that the fury of their malicious harts was so restrained and the violence of their cruell hands so repressed that they could not breake one bone of his blessed body as they did of the malefactors which were crucified with him because the sacred scripture had said they should not and therefore their hands were fettered that they could not Exod. 12.46 Num. 9.12 Zach. 12.10 Wherefore let this meditation comfort thy drooping heart oh my soule and consolate thy fainting spirits in the sowrest fits of any worldly misery and in the sorest conflicts of any affliction that can betide thee that no Tyrant be hee neuer so mighty or his heart neuer so malicious can imagine more in his cruell thoughts or act any more with his bloudy hands against thee then the Diuine prouidence hath predestinated and the counsell of the highest hath alwayes determined Let this resolution be as a pretious Balme to heale the wounds of thy sorrow and as a soueraigne Salue to cure thy soares that they may not fester with dispairefull repining or rancor with impatient mourning Let no dread of danger throw downe the Fort of thy hope let no Tempest of persecution shake the foundation of thy Faith and let no waues of affliction quench the flame of thy loue towards thy Sauiour but let the oyle of his sufficient grace so strengthen the sinewes of thy Faith when it waxeth feeble that thy heart neuer faile nor thy courage quaile when thou art molested with any sickenes or affliction of body or moued with any malady of thy mind being faithfully perswaded that no calamity can betide thee without his will nor no danger can come neere thy dwelling without his good pleasure and that no Tyrants although they be neuer so mighty can do but so much and no more against thee then hee in his wisedome knoweth to be profitable for thee For neither the prophane Gentiles nor the superstitious Iewes could doe any more vnto my innocent Iesus then he vvas willing to suffer who came to die for the sinnes of the people they could not do one iot more then was enacted in the highest Court of the Caelestiall Parliament determined by the secret Counsel of the Trinity confirmed by the euerlasting Statutes of the sacred Scriptures Confirme my mind oh Lord with a stedfast perswasion of thy power and comfort my weake nature with a resolute confidence in thy word that in the time of my aduersitie and day of my tribulation yea at the houre of my death I may commend my spirit into thy hands as thou didst thine into the hands of thy heauenly Father Oh what a consolation comfort may it be vnto me in my greatest misery to commend my soule into thy custody for there it shall remain in the safe harbor of eternal tranquility no more subiect to misery no more obnoxious to vanity the ioy that it shall possesse is vnspeakable the felicitie incomparable the continuance of it neuer decaying but alwayes durable without any change or ending Receiue my soule oh my louing Sauiour into thy hands that it may be safe vnder the shadowe of thy wings it is thine owne it came from thee and therefore let it returne vnto thee receiue my gift my bountifull giuer But because oh Lord nothing that is impure may appeare in thy sight neither canst thou behold any vncleane thing with thine eie purge my soule with the fire of thy spirit and wash away the spots of it with thy precious bloud that being beautified with the pure white robe of thy mercy Reu. 12.18 it may confidently approach vnto the Throne of thy Maiesty Oh let the affection of my loue be neuer defectiue towards thee and infuse that into me by the gift of thy grace which I am not able to obtaine by my owne strength captiuate all my sences that they may be obsequious to do thy will and frame all the members of my body to performe thy law that being partaker of thy death by true mortification of my flesh I may also be made partaker vvith thee of thy glorious Resurrection by the viuification of thy blessed Spirit A Meditation how the Lord Iesus was buried and of the lamentation of his Mother and other women for his death MED XX. Within a a Mar. 15.46 Tombe which in a Rocke was wrought Ioseph b Mar. 27.90 enshrines the body of our Lord. Wrapt in a c Luk. 23.53 Mark 15.46 cloath which hee of purpose bought Oh happy man that did such loue afford AS there was a wicked and couetous Iudas oh my soule amongst the faithfull Disciples of thy louing IESVS to betray him to a cruell death so there was a kinde Ioseph found among the Iewes who brought him honourably to his graue Oh who is able to relate the lamentation to expresse the sorrow and vtter the griefe of the Virgin Marie mourning for the death of her deare Sonne and other vvomen vvho did behold him vvith their compassionate eyes vvhen like an innocent Lambe he gaue vp the Ghost and bewailed his departure from them vvith floods of teares Now thinke that thou doest heare the Virgine Marie discouering the inward sorrowes of her heart of her grieued and wounded heart vttered out of her dolefull mouth passionate as she was a tender harted woman and more compassionate as shee vvas a louing Mother vvhen shee saw the vvounded and breathlesse body of her Sonne taken downe from the Crosse Let her sorrowfull words penetrate thine eares and pierce thy heart that thou maist bewaile the debts of thy sinnes as she lamented the death of her Sonne in this or the like manner Oh my most sweet Sonne what is my felicity which I had by thee in thy life Is it any thing else but extreame miserie at thy death how is my chiefest ioy changed into sorrow my mirth into mourning how is my reioycing turned into lamenting my cheerefulnesse turned into heauinesse nothing can mittigate my calamity nothing can ease my malady What hadst thou done oh my most deare Sonne what hainous crime hadst thou committed vvhat odious treason hadst thou perpetrated that thou wert condemned to die such a shamefull and bitter death Thy pure hands were neuer defiled with any euill actions and thy harmlesse heart did neuer harbour any vvicked cogitations thine eyes were neuer bewitched with worldly vanities nor thine eares delighted with lewd discourses thy mouth did vtter forth wisedome and thy tongue spake nothing but the truth thy whole life was a Mirrour of piety thy words deserued no reprehension thy deeds were without all
exception Oh how bitter was the malice how horrible was the enuie how blinde were the eyes how bloody were the hearts of the cruell Iewes to crucifie my deare Sonne my innocent Iesus how dolefull is it to mine eyes and dolorous to my heart to behold thy bright eyes obscured with deadly darknesse thy blessed hand depriued of action and thy beautifull feete senslesse vvithout any motion to see thy cheerefull countenance couered with an ashy palenesse thy skinne blacke and blew with blowes and thy flesh mangled with wounds This spectacle is so wofull that I can no longer behold thee with mine eyes and the waues of sorrow doe ouerflow my heart so fast that they stop my words and stay the current of my mournfull speech Now as Marie Magdalene did behold the blessed body of my Sauiour with his mourning Mother so she did not cease to lament his death who had beene so kinde a Master vnto her in his life What a plentifull streame of teares ran downe her cheekes What a spring of sorrow arose in her heart How did her sorrowfull sighes second her heauie sobs How did her dolefull sobs preuent her lamentable sighes Thinke thou doest see her kisse his senslesse hands thinke thou doest see her kisse his breathlesse feet speaking vnto her louing Master with her trembling voice being dead as if he did heare her and were aliue bathing them with her teares and giuing a little ease to her sore diseased heart by vttering these or the like words with her feeble lips Mary Magdalens lamentation for the losse of her Master Alas my sweet Master alas my most louing Lord the staffe of my stay the onely ioy of my heart the sole comfort of my perplexed spirit Alas for me how comfortlesse doest thou leaue mee how sorrowfull shall I bee by being without thee To whom shall I haue recourse for comfort in the straightnesse of my sorrow To whom shall I goe for succour in time of my trouble How lamentable is the view of thy vvounded head vnto mine eies How grieuous is the view of thy sacred hands and feet vnto my sight pierced with iron-nailes and depriued of sense which I so carefully annoynted bathing them with the teares of mine eies and drying them with the haires of my head Ioh. 11.2 and 12.3 Mat. 26.7 But now alas in stead of odoriferous oyntment they are mangled with wounds and spotted with blood Oh wretched woman oh miserable creature because I am depriued of such a louing and welbeloued Master Where shall I find one who will loue me so deerely and regard me so entierly Thou art hee which diddest often vouchsafe to come into my cottage and to sit downe at my Table and didst vouchsafe to honour my poore house with thy gratious presence when alas I was not able to afford thee any such entertainement as might in any sort requite thy kindenesse or recompence thy loue Iohn 11.28 Oh my most sweet Iesu thou didst defend me from the Pharisie who disdained me for my trespasses and loathed me for my sinnes Thou didst kindely excuse mee speaking in my cause and pleading my case when my sister began to be angry with me and to conceiue displeasure against mee Thou didst commend me when I did annoynt thee with a pretious oyntment washing thy feete with my teares and wiping them with my haire thou didst mittigate my sorrow thou didst remit my sins thou didst kindely aske for mee when I was not present with thee and commanded my sister to call me vnto thee Oh what great and how many demonstrations of thy loue how many tokens of thy kindnesse how many signes of thy charity how many arguments of thy mercie Oh my most sweet Lord hast thou shewed vnto mee vvhat a rich treasure of thy bounty hast thou conferred vpon mee When thou didst see my mourning for the death of my Brother thou didst comfort mee in my sorrow thou didst asswage my griefe thou didst weepe with me such was thy kinde affection towards my louing brother such was thy tender compassion towards mee his sorrowfull sister and thou didst not onely shed teares as signes of thy loue but thou didst raise my dead brother out of his graue for my consolation and restored him to life againe for my comfort Iohn 11.35 Ibidem 43. As nothing was more sweet and pleasant vnto me then to enioy thy blessed company so nothing can be more sowre and sharpe vnto me then want of thy comfortable societie But alas sorrowfull words are too weake a medicine to cure my maladie and although I haue cause to say much yet extreamity of griefe vvill suffer mee to say no more Now thou hast heard oh my soule the lamentation of a tender Mother deploring the death of her Sonne and also the pittifull mourning of a faithfull seruant bewayling the want of him who was her louing Master and bountifull benefactor canst thou be so stonie-hearted that thou art moued with no feeling compassion Is thy heart so hard that it cannot giue a groane Are thine eyes so dry that they vvill not yeeld a teare at the meditation of the death and buriall of thy Sauiour who died for thy sinnes and was slaine for thine iniquities I flie vnto thee my most mercifull Lord that thou maist mollifie and moysten my hard and dry heart with plentifull showres of thy graces turne my head into a spring of water and change mine eyes into a fountaine of teares I know not how to excuse my selfe because I haue beene so vnthankfull for thy benefits so forgetfull of thy mercies and so vnkinde vnto thee for thy loue What shall I say but woe and alas for me a most wretched and wicked sinner Who can measure the quantity of mine infelicitie Who can describe the horrour of my miserie Who can quiet the troubles of my minde Who can pacifie my troubled conscience because my hard heart hath not beene touched with any compunction nor my bowels moued with any compassion when I did think on thy cruell death and meditate on thy bitter Passion Oh wretched man that I am oh miserable creature for when others doe mourne at the meditation of thy Passion shed teares and send forth sighes at the remembrance of thy death my hart is so ouer-growne with hardnesse that it cannot be touched with sorrow and mine eyes are so dry without moisture that they vvill not send forth a teare Oh why doe I not sigh sob and weepe in my Meditation of the bitter Passion of my Sauiour my gratious and bountifull benefactor who did abide so many painefull torments and reproachfull taunts for my sinnes and suffered a most shamefull and cruell death on the Crosse for my transgressions How can I excuse the coldnesse of my loue How should I cleare my vnthankfull minde If Death take away my Father or depriue me of my Mother I water my cheekes vvith teares and vvearie my heart vvith groaning I can weepe for the death of a Brother and wring my
hands for sorrow at the buriall of my sister I cannot but mourne when I follow my friend to his graue my teares doe testifie my loue my voyce doth vtter words of lamentation my heart is sadde with sorrow and all my sences are disordered with griefe But alas how is the moisture of mine eyes consumed that they cannot yeeld one teare How obdurate is my heart that it will not groane when I think on the deadly pangs of my Sauiour and when I meditate on the grieuous passion and bitter death of my Redeemer who hath beene more beneficiall vnto mee then any louing Father and more kinde then any tender-hearted mother what kindnesse of a Brother or milde affection of a Sister can equall his loue What friend can be so glad for my prosperitie who of mine acquaintance can be so sad for my aduersitie Who can be so constant vnto me in affection Who can be so faithfull vnto me in compassion as my mercifull Sauiour My Parents gaue me my flesh polluted with sinne and defiled with vices I receiue from my Sauiour Memory Will Vnderstanding and Reason yea what is there in me which is good but it commeth from my GOD My Parents haue beene an occasion to throw me downe into hell but my Redeemer did shed his pretious bloud to bring mee into the Kingdome of heauen Therefore why doe I not sigh and lament for the death of my Lord my Sauiour my Redeemer who is my solace in time of sorrow my consolation in my misery and my refuge in the houre of my necessity But oh my most bountifull Iesu father of mercies I mourne with sorrow and lament with teares when death doth rob mee of my receiue them to dwell in thy Caelestiall Citie which is stored with all abundance But who can describe the beauty or demonstrate the glory of this heauenly Hierusalem for it is made of pure golde the foundation of pretious stones the walles of Iasper the gates of pearle In needeth no Sunne to giue light vnto it in the day or any Moone by night for the glorious presence of the Lord doth fill euery place with his shining brighssetne Reuel 21.18.19.20.21.23 What eye hath seene one sparke of the glistering cleerenesse what eare hath heard one title of the greatnesse what heart can conceiue so much as a graine of the goodnes of this eternall Citie Oh happy are the people that shall enter into thy beautifull gates Oh happy are the Citizens that shall dwell within thy pretious walles for they shall liue with the Angels in eternall peace and security and see God in his glorious Maiestie Entertaine me oh Lord into thy gratious seruice and graunt me grace that I may serue thee all the dayes of my life in feare and honour thee with my loue that when I haue serued out my time as thy faithfull seruant here on earth I may be incorporated into this heauenly Citie and admitted into the freedome of this blessed societie Come oh my Lord IESV come vnto vs quickly and receiue vs to dwell with thee eternally Amen FINIS Soli Deo gloria MOST DEVOVT and Diuine MEDITATIONS OF Saint BERNARD Concerning the knowledge of humane Condition Seruing as so many Motiues to MORTIFICATION LONDON Printed by T.S. for Francis Burton dwelling in Paules Church-yard at the signe of the greene Dragon 1614. A Table of the Motiues to MORTIFICATION Mo. 1. OF the similitude of man to God page 1. Mo. 2. Of the miserie of man and of the examination of the last iudgement page 10. Mo. 3. Of the dignity of the soule pag. 20 Mo. 4. Of the reward of the heauenly Countrey the which all Christians ought to endeauour to obtaine page 33 Mo. 5. How a man ought to examine himselfe page 44 Mo. 6. That a man ought to bee diligent and deuout in performing of Diuine exercises page 48 Mo. 7. A consideration of death page 59 Mo. 8. In what manner a man ought to pray deuoutly pag. 63 Mo. 9. Of the instabilitie and wandering of the heart page 66 Mo. 10. That Sinne is not to be excused page 74 Mo. 11. What a great euill it is not to correct or reprehend others page 75 Mo. 12. How euery man ought to consider himselfe page 83 Mo. 13. Of the presence of the Conscience euery where page 85 Mo. 14. Of the three Enemies of Man page 87. Mo. 15. From whence the flesh of Man proceedeth and what it bringeth forth page 93 Mo. 16. Of the short life of man pag. 96 Other Additions A Most zealous and deuout lamentation of blessed Anselmus sometime Arch-bishop of Canterbury for the losse of his Soules virginitie appliable vnto the soule of euery mortified Christian page 111 A Meditation of S. Bernard concerning the Passion and sufferings of Iesus Christ diuided into twenty and one Sections page 139 The Authors deprecation or Petition for himselfe page 236 FINIS O my Father if it be possible let this Cup passe from me He kneeled downe and Prayed but beinge in an agonie he prayed more earnestly and his sweat was like droppes of blood trikling downe to the ground Luke 22.44 Sit ye here whil I goe and Pray yonder Of the similitude of Man to GOD. MOTIVE I. MAny knowe many things False knowledge and know not themselues they pry into others and leaue themselues The ready way how to know God They seeke God by those outward things forsaking their inward things to vvhich God is neerer and more inward Therefore I vvill returne from outward things to inward and from the inward I will ascend to the Superiour that I may know from vvhence I come or whither I goe who I am and from whence I am that so by the knowledge of my selfe I may be the better able to attaine to the knowledge of God For by how much more I profit and goe forward in the knowledge of my selfe by so much the neerer I approach to the knowledge of God Concerning the inward man Three things in vs whereby wee remember behold and desire God I finde three things in my soule by which I remember behold and couet God But these three things are the Memory Vnderstanding Will or Loue. By the Memory I remember him by the Vnderstanding I behold him by the Will I imbrace him When I remember God in my Memory I finde him and in him I am delighted because hee vouchsafeth to giue himselfe to mee By the Vnderstanding I view and contemplate what God is in himselfe what hee is in the Angels what he is in the Saints what hee is in Men what he is in the Creatures In himselfe hee is incomprehensible because he is the beginning and end and the beginning without beginning the end without end By my selfe I vnderstand how incomprehensible God is when as I cannot know and vnderstand my selfe whom he hath made In the Angels he is desirable because they desire to behold him In the Saints hee is delectable because being happy
accuser and when it shall be sayd of mee behold the man and his vvorkes then I shall reduce and bring againe before mine eyes all my sinnes and offences For it shall be brought to passe by a certaine diuine power that good and euil works shal be recalled to the remembraunce of euery one and shall be seene in the view of the minde with a wonderfull speede and celeritie that the knowledge of them may accuse or excuse the conscience and that so both euery man seuerally and generally may be iudged together Euery man shall be iudged for his deeds And all the secrets of all men shall appeare and lie open vnto all For that which wee are ashamed At the day of iudgement all things shal be made manifest and blush at to confesse now shall then be manifest and apparant to all And there the reuenging and deuouring fire shall burne and consume whatsoeuer heere wee cloake and flatter by dissembling The swift fire shall rage and raigne euery where hauing gotten free scope and libertie And by how much the longer the Lord doth waite and tarry for our amendement so much the more strictly hee will iudge vs if vvee shall abuse and neglect his patience Why therefore doe vvee so earnestly couet this life in which the longer wee liue the more we sinne For by how much the more the dayes of our life are lengthened Nothing more mutable then humane condition by so much the more our faults and transgressions are augmented For euill things do daily increase but good things decay and are diminished Mans state doth neuer stand at a stay but is continually chaunged by prosperity and aduersitie and hee knoweth not when he shall die For as a blazing starre in the skie runneth swiftly and vanisheth away suddenly The shortnesse of mans life shadowed out by a double similitude or as a sparkle of fire is suddenly extinguished and turned into ashes so wee may see this life quickely ended and suddenly consumed For while man tarrieth willingly and liueth most pleasantly in this World and supposeth that hee shall liue long and purposeth many things to be done in long time hee is suddenly snatched away by death and the Soule is taken from the body before hee beware of it Yet the soule is separated with great feare much paine and bitter griefe from the body For the Angels come to take her that they may bring her before the Tribunall seat of a most fearefull Iudge then shee calling to minde her euill and most wicked workes which shee hath done day and night trembleth and seeketh to shunne and auoyd them and to desire a truce of them saying Graunt me the space yea but of one houre Then her workes as it vvere Our works will follow vs to iudgement speaking together shall answere and say Thou hast made vs wee are thy workes wee vvill goe forward with thee to iudgement Vices also shall accuse her with many and manifolde crimes and shall bring many false testimonies against her although one sufficeth to her damnation The Deuils also shall terrifie her vvith their gastly countenance and horrible aspect they shall persecute her and take holde of her as terribly so also horribly desirous to reteine her vnlesse there be one vvho can deliuer her from them Then the Soule finding the eyes shut the mouth and other sences of the body by which shee was wont to haue passage and to bee delighted in these outward things closed The state of a damned soule shall returne to her selfe and seeing her selfe alone and naked stricken vvith exceeding horrour shee shall faint in her selfe and fall downe vvith desperation And because for the loue of the world and pleasure of the flesh shee forsooke the loue of God shee wretched shall be quite forsaken in the houre of such great necessitie and shall be deliuered to the Deuils to be tormented in Hell So the soule of a sinner in the day wherein hee is ignorant and houre in which hee knoweth not is snatched away of death and is separated from the body and proceedeth forward full of miseries trembling and sorrowing and when shee hath no excuse which shee may alledge for her sinne shee fainteth and faileth with dreadfull feare to appeare before GOD shee is shaken and quaketh with exceeding horrour and is tossed and troubled with manifold tempests of perplexed thoughts and dispairefull cogitations the dissolution and separation of the flesh grieuing her and all being remoued out of her sight shee considereth her selfe and that time to which shee approacheth and after a little while she findeth in that that which can neuer be altered nor reuersed Shee considereth throughly how seuere the eternall Iudge commeth and what straight accounts she must make before the seueritie of such great Iustice For although shee haue escaped all the vvorkes vvhich shee could vnderstand yet for all that comming before a strict and seuere Iudge shee dreadeth those more which shee vnderstandeth not in her selfe Feare increaseth when shee thinketh she could not passe through the way of this life vvithout a fault neither that time which shee hath liued commendably is without offence if it be iudged pitty and mercy excluded For who is able to consider how many and how great euils vvee commit in moments of times Sinnes are of two sorts of commission and omission and what great good things wee neglect to doe For as the commission of an euill thing is sinne so the omission of a good thing is an offence For great is the losse and dammage when wee neither doe nor thinke good things but suffer our heart to wander stagger abroad through vaine and vnprofitable things Neuerthelesse it is a very hard and difficult thing to bridle the heart and keepe it from an vnlawfull cogitation Also it is a thing ouer-hard to execute earthly affaires without sinne Wherefore no man can perfectly comprehend and discerne himselfe But being busied toyled with many thoughts and cogitations he remayneth in some measure vnknowne vnto himselfe that hee knoweth not all those things which he tollerateth Why man is at his death fearfull Wherefore his departure out of the world being instant and pressing him hee is terrified with a more exact feare because although he remembreth that hee hath not omitted those things which he knew yet he dreadeth those things which he knoweth not Of the dignitie of the Soule MOTIVE III. OH Soule sealed with the Image of God adorned with his similitude Excellency of the Soule betrothed to him by Faith endowed with the Spirit redeemed by bloud associated with Angels capable of Beatitude heire of Goodnesse partaker of Reason what hast thou to doe with the flesh of whom thou sufferest so many euils Because of the flesh the sinnes of another are imputed to thee and thy vertues reputed as a stained and filthy clout and thou thy selfe art brought to nothing and reputed as nothing The flesh is no other thing vvith
so separate the vnderstanding from the loue of the world nothing doth so fortifie the minde against temptations The profitable fruits of deuout meditation nothing doth so stirre vp man and further him to euery good worke and labour as the Grace and benefit of diuine meditation and heauenly contemplation In what manner a man ought to pray deuoutly MOTIVE VIII HAue mercy vpon mee oh God because I offend there most where I ought to amend my sinnes For while I pray often in the place of prayer I doe not marke what I say I pray truly with the mouth but my minde wandering abroad I am depriued of the fruit of prayer With my body I am within but with my heart I am without And therefore I loose that I say For it profiteth little to sing or pray with the voyce onely without the deuotion of the hart Therefore it is great foolishnesse yea rather great madnesse vvhen wee doe presume to speake with the Lord of Maiestie in prayer It is presumption to pray without hearty and true deuotion and being without vnderstanding doe turne our minde from him and turne our heart I know not to what fooleries and toyes It is also great madnesse and grieuously to be punished when most vile and base dust doth disdaine to heare the Creatour of the whole world speaking to it But it is an vnspeakeable grace of the Diuine goodnesse which doth daily behold vs vnhappy vvretches turning away our eares hardning our hearts and neuerthelesse cryeth out to vs saying Returne yee Transgressors vvith your heart attend and see because I am God God speaketh to me in a Psalme neither yet when I say a Psalme doe I consider whose Psalme it is Wherefore I doe great iniurie to God when I pray to him to heare my prayer which I doe not heare my selfe who doe vtter the same I intreat him that he attend to mee The prayer of the wicked is turned into abhomination but I neither attend to my selfe nor to him but that which is farre worse by thinking filthy and vnprofitable things within my heart I bring an horrible stinke before his sight Of the instabilitie and wandering of the heart MOTIVE IX The heart of man is tossed to and fro in the stream of euill cogitations NOthing is more vnconstant instable and fugitiue in mee then my heart the which so often as it leaueth me floweth and fleeteth away by euill cogitations so often it offendeth God My heart great heart wandering vnstable while it is led by his owne will cannot remaine constant in it selfe but being more moueable then any moueable thing is distracted and drawne through infinite things and runneth vp downe hither and thither through innumerable matters And vvhile it seeketh rest and content by diuers things it cannot finde the same but continueth in the labour and turmoyle of miserie voyd of rest and contentment and seeketh here and there where it may rest and findeth nothing which may suffice it vntill it doth returne to him backe againe who gaue it It is ledde from cogitation to cogitation and it is altered and changed by diuers imployments and affections that at least it may be filled with varietie and change of those things with whose qualitie it cannot any way possibly be satisfied So the heart is troubled with it's owne illusions and fantasies The heart reuolting from God can finde no rest vntill it returne to God All that we haue is Gods owne yet hee saith giue mee thy heart the Diuine grace being remoued and substracted And when it is returned to it selfe and discusseth and examineth that vvhich it thought it findeth nothing because it was not a worke but an vnsauoury and vnseasonable thought which compoundeth and frameth many things of little or nothing at all And lastly imagination deceiueth it which the illusion of the Deuill formeth and shapeth God commaundeth me that I giue him my heart and because I am not obedient and subiect to God commanding I am rebellious and contrary to my selfe Whereby I cannot be brought in subiection to my selfe vntill I shall be subiect to him and serue my selfe with an euill will which would not serue him with a good will Therefore my heart plotteth endeauoureth and goeth about more things in one moment then all men are able to performe in a yeere I am not vnited with God and therefore I am diuided in my selfe I cannot be truly vnited with him but by loue neither be subiect to him but by humility neither can I be truly humble but by truth It is expedient therefore that I examine my selfe in Truth and know how vile how fraile how vnconstant and slipperie I am Afterwards when I shal know all my wants and miseries it is needfull that I cleaue vnto him by whom I am and without whom I am nothing and can doe nothing and because I haue departed from the Lord by sinning I cannot returne vnto him but by true confession Therefore I must now confesse in truth and sinceritie because I haue neuer confessed my sinnes in that measure and manner in which I haue sinned neither haue I remembred all eyther because of the antiquitie or multitude of them But if I haue confessed them I haue not sincerely confessed them but haue flattered the flesh in my confession and haue dealt falsely in casting vp the sum of my great and grieuous transgressions And it is a cursed dissimulation to make but a slight and counterfeit confession of our rebellions towards GOD and of our injurious and vncharitable actions towards men and onely to pare the outside of sinne away and as it were to wash our hands with a little water not to pluck vp sinne by the rootes that it may neuer afterwards grow vp in our hearts Our Confession must bee true and sincere For confession is not profitable but in the Truth and puritie of the heart that there may be three which may beare vs witnesse in Heauen The Father and the Sonne and the holy Ghost And as men haue beene beholders of our manifolde transgressions so let vs make them witnesses of our humble repentance and hartie contrition And although we must and ought to acknowledge GOD alone to bee All-sufficient to graunt vs free pardon and absolution yet wee should not refuse to shew forth manifest testimonies to men of our true and sincere Humiliation To vvhich the Apostle Saint Iames doth counsell and perswade vs saying Confesse your sinnes one to another For it is very conuenient that vvee vvhich haue beene stubborne and rebellious by sinning against GOD should be humble also towards men whom vve haue offended eyther by the euill example of our wicked life or else by our wrongfull dealing and false deeds For it is most healthfull to the soule that a man repent in heart and acknowledge his fault with his mouth so that God which is present in Mercy and Grace may pricke his heart by compunction and bitter repentance
It is true that my conscience doth merit damnation and that my repentance doth not suffice for satisfaction But it is certaine that thy exceeding mercie doth surpasse all my vile iniquitie Therefore good Sauiour spare that of which thou art the Saluation yea thou that desirest not the death of a sinner Spare oh spare my sinfull soule for it being vtterly dismayed flieth from thy terrifying Iustice to thy comforting mercie that because the reward of her virginitie being corrupted oh heart-wounding sorrow is vnrecouerable the punishment of hatefull Fornication to her repenting at least may not be vneuitable because it is not a thing impossible to thy omnipotencie neither vnseemely to thy Iustice nor vnaccustomable to thy mercie Both because thou art good and because thy infinite mercie endureth for euer Which art blessed vvorld without end Amen A Meditation of S. Bernard concerning the Passion of Iesus Christ Diuided into twentie and one Sections SECTION I. LEt vs vvho are true Christians graced with so noble a name so high a stile and so glorious a title honour and celebrate with true sorrowfull relenting repenting harts the Funerall Obsequies of our noble Lord Iesus of Nazareth that meeke spotlesse innocent and harmelesse Lambe who did not so much as open his mouth being vnder the hand of the Shearer malitiously accused odiously reuiled innocently and wrongfully condemned of the furious and bloody Iewes extreamely tortured spitefully disdained shamefully spetted vpon and lastly cruelly crucified by the barbarous and brutish Gentiles It is an exployt full of honour full of renowne it is most healthfull and wholsome for our sickly soules that we Christians dayned worthie of such a gracious and honourable Name should reuerently adore louingly embrace valiantly imitate the weake infirmities scornefull disgraces base pouerty painefull labours sore and sorrowfull agonies the deadly pangs of the bitter Passion of our louing Redeemer and sweet Sauiour Christ Iesus the righteous For these are the powerfull instruments and most strong weapons by which the omnipotent vertue and the infinite inuestigable and vnsearchable wisedome of God hath mightily and wonderfully effected and wrought the restauration and renouation of the decayed World the eternall Saluation of vs men yea of vs most miserable and wretched men and the endlesse and vtter destruction of Hell Death and the Diuell Heb. 2.14 Luke 1.71 And in the working of this great worke and admirable misterie of our Saluation the Lord Christ was made lesser then the Angels that he might make vs equall with the Angels hee descended from his Throne of glory that hee might deliuer vs from ignominie Heb. 2 9. Hee being Lord of Lords tooke vpon him the shape of a seruant that he might make vs honourable hee willingly dispossessed himselfe of all his Royalties that he might eternally possesse vs with the euerlasting treasure and full inheritance of his heauenly Kingdome 2 Cor. 8.9 And who is hee if hee could tast his infinite kindnesse but alas who is able to sound the bottomlesse depth of this more then meruailous yea miraculous loue but vvould willingly forsake his goodly earthly possessions leaue all his worldly honours and dignities subiect euery moment to decay and vanity as soone gone as they are gotten disroabe the stout Bride of her gay and gorgious apparell and strip her naked from all her borrowed feathers cloath himselfe vvith the sackcloath of lowly humility cut off his curled lockes and sprinkle his head with ashes that he might truly humble prostrate and debase himselfe cast downe his high lookes curbe his proud aspiring and vntamed thoughts for Christ Iesus his meeke and mercifull Sauiour vvho came downe from Heauen out of the bosome of his Father being coeternall and coequall with him in euerlasting glorie leauing the ioyfull societie of blessed Angels aboue to conuerse here below amongst cursed men nay to abide and patiently to beare the curses and bitter taunts of blasphemous and fiery-minded men SECTION II. THis Lord Christ was tyrannically tortured cruelly crucified for our yea rather for my sins and hath sweetned his bitter crosse to all that zealously loue him faithfully beleeue in him Hee died a most shamefull cruell cursed death on the Crosse that he might deliuer vs from the curse of the condemning and killing Law and taken vs out of the iawes of the deuouring Lyon redeemed vs from Hell from infernall fire and euerlasting perdition Hee shed yea powred out his most precious blood spouting out the same from all the vaines of his pierced and martyred body that with his precious and soueraigne Balme he might salue all our deadly wounds and saue our dying soules He died and by his death killed death that we might liue eternally in him and by him And who may not amazedly admire the incomparable loue of so milde so mercifull and so potent a Sauiour Who cannot at least who ought not with rauished affections to loue and like ioyfull Simeon with both armes to imbrace so magnificent but for vs sinfull men and for our sakes made so humble and lowly and yet a most powerfull Redeemer The dulcet taste of vvhose loue doth farre exceede the Hony and the Hony-combe in sweetnesse And although the least drop of it be sufficient to fill all and euery part of an hungry soule yet it hath in it such a sauourie relish and an appetite procuring quality that the more the desirous soule eateth the more it coueteth the more it feedeth the more eagerly it longeth and thirsteth after it Why should we not patiently suffer and constantly endure whatsoeuer the inueterate malice of the Diuell can imagine against vs or the furious madnesse of vvicked men his wilfull Ministers can lay or impose vpon vs for Christ Iesus his cause for the honouring of his truly and honourable name and for our constant profession of a true Christian Faith Christ passed through the ignominie shame contempt of the Crosse to supernall dignity infinite Maiestie and endlesse glory all power authority was giuen vnto him for the aduancement of his euerlasting dominion both in heauen aboue and in earth beneath by God his heauenly Father all the Angels Gods heauenly Heraulds with ioyfull humility melodious Harmony and with continuall laud and thankes-giuing doe worship and adore his incomprehensible exceeding-glorious and eternall Maiestie and at the honourable name of Iesus let euerie knee be bowed of things in Heauen aboue and things in the darkest Caues of Hell belowe Where is thy glory oh Christian Where is thy reioycing Where is thy boasting not in Nobilitie honour and riches but in the glorious name of thy crucified Lord thy eternall God and euerlasting Sauiour and in the gratious gracefull and sweet name of Christ which is a name aboue all names farre surpassing all Noble honourable and glorious earthly titles and the highest stile of vvorldly Maiestie And whosoeuer is blessed in this name shall be truly blessed here vpon earth and afterward shall be eternally happy in Heauen