holy martyrs that were slayne in that battell vnto heuyn without any other purgatorye And so this blessyd woman seynge this conceyued so feruent desyre to go vnto that place y t no thynge shulde haue withholde hyr frome that iourney yf she myght haue gone without slaunder of hyr neighbours And whaÌ„ we with smylynge countenaunce asked of hyr what she wold do if she were there she answered sayd Though I can nat fight yet at leest I wolde there honour glorifie my lorde god there confesse his name where as those wicked heretikes hath blasphemyd hym and denyed hym Other examples ye may se in the sayd histories Ca. xlii ¶ The gyfte of wysdome is gyuen to man by the deuout remembraunce of Christes passion The .xviii. Chapitre THere is also gyuen to man by the deuout and ofte remembraunce of Christes passion the spyryte or gyfte of godly wysdom Wherwith god is knowen absolutely without respecte vnto his creatures or els by experience As whan we taste of the swetenes of god And therefore Sapientia is nat onely called a knowledge but it is a sauoury knowlege thrughe the taste of vertues And this gyfte is gyuen to man agaynste all chyldely or vayne knowledge or pleasure so that hereby a man lerneth to dispise all wantonnes and mylke of temporall delectacion or pleasure and all suche folysshnes begynneth to sauour heuenly thynges and to pondre them as thynges very pleasant true and stable or permanent And erthly thynges he reputeth as vayne transitory and also hereby he iudgeth the truthe of euery thyng as it is in dede intermedleth no more than nedeth And of this wysdom saynt Paule sayeth Impleamini cognitione voluntatis dei in omni sapientia et intellectu spirituali I praye sayeth saynt Paule y t ye may be replenisshed fulfilled with the knowledge of y e wyll of god in all wisdom spirituall vnderstandyng And saynt Bernarde sayeth that there be .iii. maners of wysdom One is the wysdom of the hert An other is y e wisdom of y e mouth And the thyrde is of the outwarde werke or dede The wysdom of the hert standeth in the wepynge sorowyng for our synnes past in dispisyng of all wordly pleasures or profites in the desyre of heuenly thynges eternall glory The wysdom of the mouth coÌ„sisteth in y e confession of our synnes in the laude praysynges of god in thediâ—ienge of our neighbour by godly speche exhortacion The wysdom of outwarde werkes standeth in this y t a man lyue be conuersant with other men paciently obediently innocently or continently so that faithfull true obedience do mortifie subdue his owne proper wyl Meke contineÌ„ce do cut away all carnall worldly coÌ„cupiscence And glad pacience do sustayn beare manly strongly all corporall worldly aduersitie Of the wysdom of the herte we may declare vnto you a figure or example wrytten in the thyrde boke of the kynges that is how the quene Saba hearyng the great fame of Salomon cam from y e extreme partes of the erthe to here his wysdom she cam to hym with a great cumpany And kynge Salomon taughte hyr in all thynges that requyred of hym And so she seynge and considerynge the wysdom his house that he had builded his ministers and seruauntes thorder of them theyr rayment his buttelers and thostes or oblacions that he dayly offred she I say consideryng all these hyr spirite in a maner failed hyr for great maruell and wonder she had therof Morally or spiritually by this quene Saba is vnderstond our synfull soule which heryng of the fame of Salomon that is by inwarde inspiracion or outwarde prechynge or redynge perceyuynge thinfinite goodnes loue and mercy of our peacefull Salomon Christe by the whiche mercy loue he hath preuented our synfull soule with his grace reconsyled it to his heueÌ„ly father And where our soule by our fyrst parentes was condempned vnto eternall dethe he hathe restored called it agayne vnto lyfe Our quene Saba and synfull soule I say perceyuyng this great fame is incited moued to cum with all hyr hert and mynde with a great and muche cumpany that is with many sighynges sobbynges great desyres vnto our true Salomon Christ from thextreme partes of the erthe that is froÌ„ synne that is very farre from god As the prophete Dauid sayth Longe a peccato â—ibus salus Helth or saluacion that is Christe is farre from synners And therfore synne is called thextreme part of the erthe for asmuche as it separateth maketh man farre from god yea nothynge so moche also bycause synne comonly doeth inhabit the soules of erthly worldly people This synfull quene I say cam fro farre to here the wysdom of our Salomon Christ And his wysdom is this that we shulde be 〈◊〉 sory for our synnes dyspyse the worlde with all his pleasures couet or desyre heuenly thynges that all thynges shuld sauour vnto vs that is that we shuld iudge take euery thyng as it is in it selfe after ryght reason Also our Salomon Christ doth teche vnto vs that yf we wyll auoyde eternall tourmentes paynes we must feare the iustice of god remembre oftymes the surety of dethe and the vncertaynty of the hour of dethe to be asshamed to cum to euerlastyng infamy and rebuke Also he techeth vs to haue discrecion in our elections actes debes that is to preferre spirituall thynges before corporall eternall before temporall heuenly before erthly honest thynges before vyle vnhonest thynges This is the wysdom of our Salomon Christe this is farre from the wysdom of the worlde And therfore saint Paule sayeth Vbi sapiens 〈◊〉 vbi scriba c. Where is the wyse man of the worlde where is the scrybe and lerned man Where is the buylder purchaser of this worlde Hath nat god also shewed declared the wysdom of this world to be a folysshnes Surely that wysdom may wel be called a folysshnes wherby the worlde is loued god dispised Worldly honours ben coueted desyred good maners lost distroyed wherby ryches is goteÌ„ but good coÌ„science is lost blynded But now let vs se how this trew wysdom of the hert may be goten by the remeÌ„brauÌ„ce of Christes passion For who so euer be crucified with Christ thrugh y e deuout continuall remeÌ„brance of his passion he may asceÌ„de vnto high conteÌ„placion by the gyft of wysdoÌ„ on this maner folowyng thistory exaÌ„ple of quene Saba First our quene Saba our synfull soule doth here y e fame of y e wysdoÌ„ goodnes of Christ our Salomon whan she remeÌ„breth how y e son of god was incarnat becum maÌ„ also suffred manifold paines was offred vpon y e crosse for our sinnes how y t he suffred most greuouse paines shamefull dethe for our redemption And therfore she thynketh that
embrace and halse hym He wolde be pale in face and inclyne his heed downe for feblenes with Christe and Christe cōfortably lyftynge vp his heed doth most swetly kysse hym And therfore saynt Barnarde sayth O good Iesu we beleue and so it is that who so bereth thy crosse he bereth thy glory And he that bereth thy glory he bereth the. And hym y t bereth the thou bereth vpon thy sholdre Thy sholdre is stronge and very hygh for it recheth vnto the fete of the father in heuen aboue all the orders of aungels aboue all principates potestates vertues Thither thou reducest or bryngest agayne the wanderynge shepe that dyd erre from the flocke that is mankynde the whiche by his synne was put out of Paradyse Good lorde I may compasse go about and serche both heauen and erth the see and the lande no where shal I fynde the but in the crosse There thou slepest there thou fedest there thou restest in the hete of the day In this crosse my soule is lyfted vp from the erth and there it gathereth the swete apples vpon the tree of lyfe In this crosse the soule cleuynge fast to her lorde god doth swetely synge and say Susceptor meus es tu gloria mea et exaltans caput meum Thou arte my defēdour my glory and thou exalteth vp my heed that is my soule from the consideration of all vayne transitory thynges vnto the meditacion of thyn vnspeakable goodnes shewed vnto man vpon the crosse O most amyable deth O moste delectable deth of the most noble body of our lorde Iesu Christe from whome I wolde neuer be seperate but in hym to make thre tabernacles one in his handes another in his fete and the thirde in the woūde of his syde There I wyll rest and slepe eate and drynke rede and pray and there I wyll perfourme all my besynes that I haue to do There I shall speake vnto his herte and optayne of hym what so euer is nedeful for me Thus doynge I may folow y e steppes of his most swete mother Marie whose soule y e swerde of sorowe dyd thyrle perse at the deth of her sone If I be thus woūded with Christe I may from hensforth suerly speke to her moue her in al my necessites and she wyl nat denye me bycause she seeth me crucified with her sonne Christe ¶ Here foloweth an example of this exhortation WE may take an example of this exhortation to remēbre the passion of Christ in the boke called Speculum hystoriale Vincentij of certayne singuler persones whiche had this special grace We rede there that in the partes of the Dioces called Leodin̄ a noble deuout preest called Iacobus de Vitriaco the whiche afterwarde was the bysshop of Tusculane and cardinall and this holy man se there diuerse women of so meruaylous affection and so feruent in the loue of god through the continuall remēbraunce of the passion of Christe that by that feruent loue and desyre they were so seke that by many yeres they coulde nat ryse out of theyr beddes but very seldome hauynge none other cause of sekenes or disease but onely the said feruent loue For their hertes by y e continuall remembraunce of the infinite charite of god shewed in the passion of Christe were so relented by that meditation that the more that they were cōforted in soule the more seke weyke they were in theyr bodyes saynge cryeng in herte though for shame they durst nat speke in wordes the sayng of the spouse in the canticles Fulcite me floribus stipate me malis quia amore langueo Comforte me with flowres strength me with apples or other frutes for I am seke or languysshe for loue And in some of these women a meruaylous thyng it myght be perceyued sensibly howe that whan theyr soule in a maner melted throughe the vehemence of loue theyr chekes and the coloure of them sensibly fayded and fel away In other of them throughe the swete consolations that they receyued in theyr soules there redoūded in to their mouthes a pleasaunt taste as if it had ben of hony or other swete meat and that they felte sensibly And so it retresshed them both corporally and spiritually and this taste also moued them to swete teares and preserued or kepte theyr hertes in deuotion Some of them also receyued so great grace of wepynge in deuotion that as ofte as god was in theyr herte by remembraunce of his goodnes so ofte the ryuers of teares flowed from theyr eyen by inward deuotion so that the steppes or pryntes of the teares dyd afterwarde appere in theyr chekes thorough the custome of wepynge And here note a meruaylous thyng that the wepyng or teares dyd nat hurt their brayne or heed as it doth comenly in al other persones but rather in them it comforted theyr myndes with a full plentuous deuotion It made swete or pleasaūt theyr spirites with a swete vnction of grace It meruaylously refresshed their bodyes and it gladded al y e hole cōgregation of y e seruaūtes of god there ¶ More ouer we rede in the same boke of an holy and deuoute woman called Maria de Ogines of whome the forsayde mayster Iacobus de Vitriaco beynge in great feruoure of deuotion cryed with a lowde voyce vnto almyghty god sayng O lord god thou arte very good to them that trusteth in the thou arte faythfull to thy seruauntes that truste and abyde thy promisses Thy hand mayde good lord hath dispised and forsaken for thy loue thonour of the worlde with all the pleasures of the same and thou accordyngly vnto thy promisse in scripture hath rendred and gyuen to her an hundreth tymes more in this worlde and also euerlastyng lyfe in the kyngdome of glorye The fyrst fruites or begynnynge of her loue to the was the remembraunce of thy crosse passion and deth For on a certayne day when she preuented with thy grace and mercyfully visited by the considered the great benefites whiche thou of thyn vnspeakable goodnes shewed vnto man kynde in workynge our redemption she founde or opteyned so great grace of compunction and suche abundaunce or copye of teares in thy crosse and passion that we myght haue traced or folowed her thorowe the churche by her teares that fel on y e groūde from her And of a longe tyme after that she had this swete visitation and grace of teares she myght neyther see nor beholde the ymage of the crucifix nor yet speke or here other speke of the passion of Christe but forthwith she fel in swowne Wherfore that she might somwhat tempre and abate that great passion and sorowe and restrayne thaboundaunce of her wepynge she lefte the consideration of thumanite or manheed of Christe and tourned her mynde holly to the meditation of the maiestye and godheed of Christe that in his eternitye and inpassibilytye she myght fynde some consolation and comforth But where she thought and laboured to haue
bag wherein she wold put suche thynges as she shulde receiue of almose a lytle cup wherwith to drynke water or els potage yf she had any gyuen to her also she prepared for her werynge olde clothes and patched garmentes so wolde haue performed these thyngê in dede ne had ben the great instance of her frendes the whiche with many teares and diligent desyres might scarcely withholde her from that purpose Nat withstandyng her good wyll dyd appere in the premisses for she dyd that she might Also she continued in this loue of pouerty which appered in that that she cut hir table clothes or napkyns and also her shetes and gaue the one parte to the pore reseruynge the residue for her selfe And nat only by this feare of god she contempned all worldly riches but also she dispised all worldly honour and glory and all vayne praise of man and that for the great swetenes and pleasure that she had in heuenly thynges And nat onely she wold nat admyt or loke towardes these vanities but also she refused them with abhominacion of herte vtterly abhorred them The loue of Christ was so feruent in her herte that nothynge els was pleasaunt or sauory to her but Christe And moche more ye may se of her mekenes and pouerty in the sayd boke of Vincent historiall ¶ The gyfte of pitie is also gyuen to man by the feruent remembraunce of Christes passion The .viii. Chapitre THe gyfte of pitie is gyuen to man by the continuall and feruent meditacion of the passion of Christe wherwith a man ordereth behaueth hym selfe iustly and deuoutly in the due honoure and worshyppynge of god in due reuerence and intreatynge of holy scripture and in the loue due confortynge of his neighboure In the whiche thre thynges consisteth standeth the gyfte of pitie Whiche pitie as saint Paule sayeth is profitable to all thynges specially against the hardnes and malice of the herte For that persone whiche is crucified with Christe thrugh the feruent remembraunce of his most blessed passion is kyndled with this gifte of pitie vnto the high compassion benignitie and mercy of his neighbour and that on this maner Whan a persone deuoutly and feruently beholdeth in his remembraunce the compassion and mercy that our sauiour Iesu Christe shewed vnto mankinde and specially at his dethe passion as we declared before in the gyfte of feare anon he is moued and kyndeled and his herte is opened towarde his neighboure bought redemyd with the bloode of Christe as we all be I say this man thus considerynge is so kyndeled vnto the loue of his neighboure and that for the loue of his lorde god that he is redy to gyue all that he hathe and hym selfe also with glad mynde for the helthe and saluacion of his neighbour for he considereth that his lorde god suffred dethe with moost greuouse paynes for his sayd neighbour And moreouer as he hath compassion vpon his sauiour Christe hangynge vpon the crosse and that with all his hert so he hath as great inwarde sorowe in his hert vppon his neighbour whiche by his synfull lyuynge forsaketh the conforte that he myght haue by Christes woundes and passion and so in his maner dispiseth the blood and dethe of Christe I say he hath inwardly as great compassion of this person as he wolde haue vpon hym selfe Fyrst he is wounded and greued in his herte for the contempt of his lord god Secondly for the hurt and damage of his neighbour whiche hath forsaken lyfe glory euerlastynge and hathe chosen voluntarily or wylfully eternall dethe dampnacion This good man seeth considereth the contempt of god the blood of Christe dispised and the moost noble creature made to the ymage of god wylfully to go to eternall paynes and therfore his herte melteth thrugh pitie and is relented or resolued by compassion And in like maner as he hath compassion of the hurt of his neighbour so by the same gyfte of pitie he hathe great reioice and gladnes in his soule of the goodnes and spirituall profite of other persons whan he ê‘ceiueth that they order theÌ„ selfe to receiue the fruite profite of the wouÌ„des of Christe with whom he entreth into the same wouÌ„des is made one with theÌ„ He ioyeth with them that be ioyfull of any goodnes He is sory with theÌ„ that be sorowfull for theyr hurt damage He reputeth euery one of his neighbours as hym selfe seynge consideryng y t bothe he his neighbours be create made of our lord god marked dignified with his image redemyd bought with the same blood of Christe ordered to cum to one the same glory And most specially he openeth his hert vnto his neighbour by this gift of pitie for that he seeth considereth his lorde god to be crucified for all people therfore he seeth coÌ„sidereth his lorde god in all people â–ª He requireth sercheth his sauiour crucified in all his neibours He beholdeth him in theÌ„ all after his pore maner He is all giueÌ„ to his neighbour for he is hoolly fully gyueÌ„ to his sauiour crucified O what ioye is it vnto his hert whaÌ„ he seeth his neighbour do due honor vnto his sauiour crucified He hath non enuy therat he is nat displeased therwith he doth nat detract hym or speke euyll of hym he wyll nat let hym nor hynder hym from y t honour by signe worde or dede nor giue hym any occasion to withdraw him from y t honour but hoolly he desireth his neighbours ê“fite abhorreth his hurte or peryll reputyng acceptynge bothe his neighbours hurt or profite as his owne profite or hurt And y t is specially for the loue y t he hath to our lord Iesu Christ the which for the great loue that he had vnto the helthe of mannes soules to the honour of his father he suffred most paynfull shamefull deth of the crosse Wherfore the zele thonour of god the compassion of Christe the inflamacion or kyndelynge of his owne hert hereunto be moost properly to be attended beholden in y e wouÌ„des of Christ for there they be had goteÌ„ And by this gifte of pitie y e hert of man is in a meruelous maner eleuate lifte vp vnto his lorde god For whan a man doeth enforce hym selfe asmuche as he may to conforme hym selfe vnto the pitie and compassion that Christe god and man had and shewed vnto vs whan he suffered the dethe of the crosse than that soule pleaseth god singulerly in so muche that Christe wyll take that soule so comformable to his godly pitie vnto his singuler loue and fauoure vnto his swete enbracynges halsynges kepe y t soule as his dere beloued spouse induce and brynge that soule to perceiue his swete consolacions suche a soule our sauioure loueth asmuche as she loueth hym that soule our lorde draweth to hym for as muche as that soule hath one
felyng with Christ in hauyng compassion of Christ of his neighbour with Christ Also it hath one sauory knowledge with Christe in duely honouryng god one zele and feruent desyre to the saluacion of mannes soule with Christe and so that soule is in a maner transfourmed into Christ thrugh this gifte of pitie whiche as we sayd before is profitable to all thynges It couetyth thonour of god it expelleth sorowes and troubles from mannes soule it feruently they steth and desyreth the fruite and profite of soules it laboureth that the blood of Christe might take effecte in other persones and it kyndeleth the soule in feruent loue to god and his neighbour Wherefore dere beloued frendes let vs approche hereunto and labour diligently for this gyfte For doubtles this one amonge all other and peraduenture before all other gyftes doeth moost please god I pray you therfore let vs labour to do the wyll and pleasure of god and let vs draw or sucke out of his woundes and syde this gifte of pitie Let vs be all one in our lorde Iesu Christe crucified and let vs requyre se or desyre non other thyng in our neighbour but Iesus Christe crucified So louyng our neighbour that with him we runne at all tymes into the woundes of Christe Nat beholdynge or louynge hym as fayre beautifull stronge or wyse or any other suche lyke vaine and transitory thynges whiche may hinder or withdraw our soule from the loue of god but onely beholdynge and louynge our neighbour as redemyd and bought by the precyouse blood and dethe of our lorde as anointed wasshed with his blood and applied or put to the woundes of Christ by receiuyng the fruit of them Let it nat be sene or thought hard and painefull to vs to suffre great paines or yf nede shulde requyre moost shamefull dethe for our neighbour for whoÌ„ Christ the onely sonne of god suffred moost greuous paynes and the moost shamefull dethe of the crosse Let vs all couet and desire for the profite and helthe of soules all maner of rebukes and dispisynges all afflictions and tourmentes and also to suffre moost vile or shamfull dethe Let euery man be to vs as our owne hert for whom the hert of Christ was perced with a spere Let vs multiply our preachynges and exhortacions good examples prayers fastynges knelynges watche labours also suffre mockes or scornes for the helthe of soules Let this be our office and dayly excercise our glory and ioye and our consolacion euer to offre sum thyng to almighty god for the profite of soules Let nat the ryuer fountaine of teares cease from our iyen for our owne synnes and also for the synnes of other Let vs be content to be saciat and fulfylled with suche wepynges and sorowes in this vale of myserye and teares Let our synnes and also the synnes of our ueighbours hynge euer in our syght nat to iudge or condempne our neighbours but to lament and wepe for them at all tymes nat onely let them be in our syght but also let them entre perce the ynner partes of our hertes Let vs at all tymes and in all places haue our sauyour Christe crucified in our presence Let vs alwayes be feruent and deuout in all honour due to god in the reuerence of holy scrypture and in the loue and compassion of our neyghbours In the whiche thre consysteth the gyfte of pitie This ordre and ascencion in our soule doeth molifie all our hert and sprede it abrood and make it apte to receyue the spyryte of pitie whiche doeth quyet vs set vs in great pleasure and fauour of Christe where as we shall fynde spirituall foode bothe within outwarde that is our moost tendre louer our lorde Iesu Christe the rest or our soules the rewarde of our good dedes that we do thrugh this gyfte of pitie And to this gyfte of pitie doeth corresponde the seconde beatitude Beati mites Blessed the mylde And hereunto saynt Austin sayeth Pitie accordeth and is conuenient vnto mylde persons And as concernynge the fruites of the holy goost these .ii. that is goodnes and benignitie ben directly attributed appropriate vnto this gyfte of pitie but the thyrde y t is called Mansuetudo that is myldenes or geÌ„tilnes perteineth to this gyfte of pitie indyrectly for it taketh away the lettes impedimentes of the actes of pitie And the spirite of pitie is gyuen to man for that his hert shuld be moued kyndled vnto beâ—ignitie so that man vsyng duely this gyfte shuld cum to the same eternall possession heritage y t he wold haue other men cum to And this is it that we sayd before y t by the great compassion pitie mercy y t our sauiour Iesu Christ shewed vpon vs vnto vs on y e crosse we shuld be styred moued kyndled to lyke werkes of pitie accordyng to our power habilitie vnto our neighbour y t thereby we myght be made apt to the restauracion of thorder of archauÌ„gels ¶ Example of this gifte of the spirite of pitie Cha. ix OF this gyfte of pitie we haue example in the forsayd blessed woman Maria de Ogines in the sayde boke of the histories of Vincent Where as it is writen that nat only she auoyded all maner of euyll by the gyfte of the feare of god but also by the spyryte of pytye whiche she had withoute doubte by the ofte and feruente remembraunce of the passyon of Christe she was made very feruente and prone or redye to all goodnes She laboured and enforced hyr selfe as farre as hyr power wolde stretche to fulfyll all the werkes of mercy of a great and aboundaunte pytye that was in hyr And aboue all other werkes of pitie she had a feruent desyre to vysyte the sycke and to assyste them in theyr infirmities and also to be present at the deathe and sepulture or buryenge of the ded folkes where she very oft tymes receyued from god great spyrytuall conforte and also thrughe the reuelacion of god knewe many secrete and heuenly mysteryes And this well appered in this history folowynge Vppon a certayne day whan one of the systers of Ogines laboured in the extreme panges of dethe this blessyd woman Maria beynge in hyr celle se in spyryte a great multitude of deuylles about the bed of the sycke syster And as the couent dyd say coÌ„mendacions for the soule of the sayd sycke syster whoÌ„ they thought to haue be ded this holy Mary in a maner forgettynge hyr mylde grauitie sad shamfastnes ran with hast vnto the bed of the sicke systerâ— stryuynge with those wicked spirites nat only dyd resist theÌ„ with hyr feruent prayers but also dyd chase dryue theÌ„ away with hyr mantell or pall as a man wolde chase away the flyes And whan these wycked spyrytes dyd terrybly resyst hyr and alledgyd reasons for them y t this soule shuld perteyn to them than she nat content with theyr importunitie cryed and
it to that person whiche is inebriate and drowned in the blood of Christe yf he se his hert enclyned to any other thyng thaÌ„ to Christe crucified Therfore suche a ê‘son disdeyneth to vse any other potion or drynk with pleasure but the blood of Christ whiche hath wasshed hym clene greatly beautified made hym like vnto Christ He knoweth that thrugh the openyng of the syde or hert of Christe his soule is maryed vnto Christe and therfore he wyll euer stande nygh vnto that wounde touchynge felynge his spouse wounded for his loue so he feruently desyreth that he myght be wounded in his herte and therfore he oft tymes layeth his herte vnto those woundes by continuall remembraunce of them and also ioyneth byndeth hym selfe vnto his spouse wouÌ„ded with the indissoluble and continuall or sure bonde of charitie for the wouÌ„des of Christ be as a cellar of wynes new broched whereby our soules may be inebriate or made drunke in charitie And hereunto it is wrytten in the canticles Introduxit me â—ex in cellam vinariam ordinauit in me charitatem The kynge hathe brought me into his wyne cellar that is into the feruent loue remembraunce of his woundes He hathe made me drunke in his loue and charitie Also it is sayd Canticorum 1. Introduxit me rex in cellaria sua The kynge hathe brought me into his cellers There shall we sucke hony out of the stone and drynke the moost purest blood of y e grape Christe crucified is this stone also this grape whereof we all may plenteously drynke And therefore he sayeth to his louers Bibite amici et inebriamini Cum drynke frendes hereof at your wyll and be drunke thereof my moost dere frendes Also the spouse Christe sayeth to his spousesse oure soule Vulnerasti cor meum soror mea sponsa vulnerasti cor meum Thou haste wounded my hert for thy loue my syster my spouse thou haste wounded my hert And she agayne wounded with his loue sayeth in lyke maner Vulnerata charitate ego sum ideoque filis Ierusalem nunciate dilecto quia amore langueo I am wouÌ„ded with charitie and therfore ye doughters of Ierusalem shew vnto my dere beloued spouse Christe that I languysshe and am sycke for loue And so the wounded spouses is ioyned to Christe crucified her wounded spouse and wounde is coupled to wouÌ„de that is loue to loue And than also the columbyne blood of the spouse that is of Christe whiche is symple as the downe by the whiche bloode our soule the spousesse of god receyueth hyr spirituall syght This blood I say doeth flow into the wouÌ„des of the spousesse whiche is so wounded by compassion that she hathe of hyr spouse Christ crucified that in a maner she fainteth swowneth for sorow and mylteth or waxeth sycke for the loue of his spouse and so than she swetely resteth in our sauiuor Iesu where she redeth and seeth vnderstandeth and fyndeth what she is of what meryte or dignitye in the loue and fauour of god for whose loue the sonne of god wolde suffre so great and greuouse tourmentes Hereunto speaketh saynte Bernarde O good Iesu thou haste made thy body as a glasse vnto my soule That whiche thou dyd suare openly I suffred pryuely That whiche thou suffred of the ministers of Cayphas openly I suffred of the ministers of wickednes of Sathanas inwardely Thy face was couered and also smyten or buffeted in the house of the prince of prestes and that was to put away the confusion of our ignoraunce and spirituall blyndenes We were sumtyme darknes that was before our baptisme but nowe we walke in the lyght that was set or hanged vp on height vppon the aulter or candelstycke of the crosse and from thence shyneth very bryght vnto our conforte And so Christe by his passion doeth illuminate or lyghten our reason vnderstandynge This is the ointement wherewith as saynt IohnÌ„ sayeth our iyen shulde be anointed that we myght se clerely This is also the rodde wherewith Ionathas toke of the hony and ate thereof and so his iyen were lyghtenyd This is more ouer the gall of the fysshe wherwith Thobie anointed his iyen and so receyued his syght agayne And so Longyne beynge blynde and wasshed with the blood of Christe receyued his syght and was also conuerted to the faythe And so ye may perceyue howe the passion of Christe doeth illuminate our vnderstandyng and gyueth knowledge to meke persons faythfully and deuoutly remeÌ„bryng his passion And this is thrugh the gyft of vnderstandyng to know god by his creatures or in comparyng hym to his creatures as we sayd before And also to be illuminat or lyghtened by the wrytynges and saynges of prophetes in the maner of contemplacion or knowledge of those thynges that be wryten of our lord Iesu Christe whereby man begynneth to retourne to his owne selfe for by this gyfte of vnderstandynge he recouereth his spirituall syght wherby he may se and know his owne honour and dignitie so retourne to his lorde god and se hym as it is possible for man in this lyfe And therefore to this gyfte correspondeth the .vi. beatitude that is Beati mundo corde quoniam ipsi deum videbunt Blessyd be the pure clene in hert for they shall se god And saynt Austen sayeth that the syxt operacion or gyft of the holy goost that is the gyfte of vnderstandynge is conuenient and accordyng to them that be pure in hert For they so clensed made pure may knowe se that whiche the corporall iye or syght can nat se And here note that there be two maners of clennes of the herte One is as a disposicion to the syght of god which is a clensyng of the wyll or affecte from all mordinate affections and this clennes is made or goten by the gyftes and vertues that perteyn to the wyll comonly called Vis anime appetitiua The desyrouse power of the soule There is an other clennes of the hert which is as a complete perfyce clennes whereby god is sene And this is the clennes of the mynde or vnderstandynge purified clensed from all fantasyes errours so that the soule so purified perceyueth the more clerely truely those thynges that be wryten or spoken of god nat onely perceyueth them by corporall fantasies ne yet vnderstandeth them as the peruerse and obstinate heretykes done declare them And this clennes is opteyned or goten by the gyfte of vnderstandyng wherunto correspondeth as I sayd before the .vi. beatitude that is Blessyd be the clene in herte for they shall se god And faythe or fidelitie one of the fruytes of the spyryt accordeth also hereunto And as ye se that the fruite of the tree is the last thynge and moost delectable or pleasaunt that we haue of the fruitfull tree so be the fruites of y e holy goost the most pleasaunt delectable thynges that cummeth to man by
shulde loue bodily or carnall pleasures but that as Christ hauyng a mortall body dyd by coÌ„tinual penaunce subdue his body coÌ„tempne all carnall worldly pleasures and was euer ioyned to god by loue so in lyke maner shuld mortal man mortifye his body by continuall penaunce dispise all vayne pleasures and euer erecte or lyfte vp his soule to god and heuenly thynges O the meruaylous blyndnes of man made of two substaunces that is the soule and the body and all thoughe the soule without comparison be moche more noble than the body yet he wyl spend and occupy all his tyme in a maner aboute the prouisyon of his body or in suche thynges as the flesshe desireth and in nothynge regarde his soule as yf he had none or that it were of no value For he wyll neyther fede nor norysshe it nor yet laboure to quiete or rest it in the loue of god thoughe he myght so do with moche more ease swetnes and also pleasure without comparison than to content and saciat the body For god is prest and redy to euery man ye he offereth hym selfe to man yf man he wyl receyue hym Ecce sto ad ostium et pulso c. Behold he sayth I stande at thy dore that is thy herte or soule and knocke yf any person wyl here my voyce and open the dore of his soule vnto me I shall entre therin and suppe with hym and he with me Se thou vnkynde man howe our lorde offereth hymselfe vnto the and requyreth none other pryce of the but the deth of his sonne with thyne obedient herte therfore gladly receyue hym to thy spirituall coÌ„forte All corporall and temporall thynges fle frome man and forsake hym and thoughe with great study anguysshe and payne he labour to get and kepe them yet he shal neuer haue y e ful possession of them to his quietnes excepte he wolde say that he hath the ful possession of them the whiche holly and fully contempneth and dispiseth them all for that person is saciate and contente with the wante of them But wyll ye se a more meruaylous blyndnes of this wretched man The soule of man which is made to thymage of god and the whiche shall neuer be saciate and content but only with god that same soule nat constrayned though partely enclyned and moued by the flesshe wylfully subdeweth her selfe vnto the flesshe redy to fulfyl the vayne pleasures and desyres of the flesshe But she coÌ„tempneth or dispiseth to subdue her self to god though she be continually moued therunto by dayly exhortatyon or preachynge continuall receyuynge of his benefytes and graces and also by inwarde inspirations Ye more ouer she wyll nat do the wyl of god in his owne gyftes that he gyueth to her Truely yf the soule were nat worse or more bestial than any brut beste she wolde loue god aboue all thynges vnto whose ymage she is made And so lytell or nothynge regarde all creatures in comparison of god Wherfore thou soule yf thou wylt loue the flesshe or the body loue none other but the flesshe and the body of Christe whiche was offered for the and for the helth of mankynde on the auter of the crosse Therfore dayly remembre in thy herte his passion For it so remembred in the soule of man is continually offered and presented to the syght of the father omnipotent for our consolation and comforte It is comenly sayd that if any man kyl or slee another man yf that mansleer come afterwarde in the presence of that deed corps or body so that he se it it wyl incontinent blede or voyde at the wounde fresshe blode So yf we wolde beholde with the deuoute eyen of our soule the blode and passion of Christe whom we haue slayne or were the occasyon of his deth nat onely by our original synne but also by our manyfolde actuall synnes we shuld fele or perceyue by spiritual grace of deuotion in our soules howe that by our compassion of his passion his blode flowethe plentuously out of his body and is offered and presented vnto his father for our saluacion and sanctification For yf the nayles that persed his handes and feet were sanctified and called holy by the tochyng of his blessed meÌ„bres how moche more then shulde our reasonable thoughtes whiche cleue fast to Christe crucifyed by continual or ofte remembraunce of his passion be called holy O most delectable passion O most meruaylous deth Meruaylous Ye what may be more meruaylous for this deth doth gyue life it cureth our woundê it maketh blode whyte that is it purifieth and clenseth our soule from the blode of synne Great bitternes and sorowe is ofte times tourned to moche swetenes pleasure The openyng of the syde of Christ ioyneth his herte to our herte The sonne hyd frome vs by the clowdes whan the clowdes be gone and paste it shineth more clerely The fyre quenched is shortlyer or soner kyndeled maketh the greater flame The ignominious and shamfull deth of Christe glorifieth both hym and vs. Christe thristyng vpon the crosse doth inebriate and saciate vs with the drynke and liquore of grace Christe hangyng naked on the crosse clotheth y e ryghtuous persones with the garmentes of vertue His handes nayled to the crosse dothe vnknytte or loose oure handes his feete nayled dothe make vs ronne to vertue Christe yeldynge his spyryte in to the handes of his father dothe inspyre and gyue lyfe of grace And he also spred abrode vpon the crosse doth call vs to heuenly thinges O the wonderfull passyon of Christe the whiche doth alyenate and chaunge the herte and mynde of hym that hath remembraunce and compassion of it For it nat only maketh hym angelical but also diuine and godly For he that coÌ„tinueth by meditation in the tormentes and passion of Christ seeth nat hym selfe bycause he alwayes and onely beholdeth his sauiour Christe crucified This person wolde bere the crosse of Christe with hym and he also bereth in his herte hym which susteynethe both heuen and erthe with whome he may easely susteyne and beare all heuy burdens and paynes This persone also that thus continueth in the mediation of Christe crucifyed wolde be crowned with thornes with Christe and for Christe and he is crowned with the sure hope and truste of the crowne of glory He wolde hynge naked on the crosse with Christe and so shake for colde and he is heated in his soule with the feruent fyre of loue He wolde taste of the bitter and sharpe vynacre and gall with Christe and he drynkethe the wyne of vnspeakable swetenes He wolde be mocked and scorned withe Christe on the crosse and he is honoured of aungelles He wolde be dispysed and forsaken with Christe and our lady hath chosen hym to her sonne He wolde be heuy with Christe and he is conforted He wolde be tormented and scourged with Christe and he is relyued with great ioy gladnes He wold hynge with Christe on the crosse and Christe most swetely doth
treasure that is with thabundauÌ„t remeÌ„brauÌ„ce of the passion of Christ through the plentuousnes therof they speake wordes of swetnes and comforth and ioy in a great iustice for they haue the great plentuousnes of graces And herunto the prophet Esay sayth Gaudete super eam gaudâ—o vniuersi qui lugebatis super eam et vt sugatis et repleamini ab vberibus consolationis eius c. All ye that in tyme past mourned or wept in the coÌ„sideration of the passion of Christ ioy now therof in coÌ„siderynge the great profites that cometh therof sucke them that is depely and inwardly considre them that ye may be replenisshed with the teates or pappes of his consolations And also ye shall mylke those pappys that ye may abouÌ„de in all spirituall pleasure by the consideration of his great glorie In the remembrauÌ„ce of the passion of Christe when we considre his most greuous paynes and how y t we were the cause of them thorowe our vnkyndnes and synnes then we sucke out of it sorowe and heuynes And when we considre what profit comethe therof vnto mankynde then we suck out of it great comforth and ioy And these two be the teetes or pappys of the whiche the prophet Esay speaketh and of the whiche the faythfull people sucke great comforth in receyuynge the sacrament of the bodye of our lorde From these pappys whan they be sucked cometh the mylke of chastitie and puritie of lyfe and also the swetnes of all vertue And when they be milked with our handes that is when nat only we considre the passion of Christe as is before sayd but also in our lyung and werkes we coÌ„forme our self therunto and werke therafter Then we mylke and drawe them and so shal we flowe in thaboundaunce of spirituall pleasures thorough the consolation of the holy gost We myght also here for our purpose bryng in the saynge of our lorde in the gospell where as he sayth Gaudium erit angelis dei in celo super vno peccatore penitentiam agente quam super nonaginta nouem iustis There is more ioy in heuen vnto the aungelles of god vpon one sinner conuerted from synne and doyng true penaunce then of nynety and nyne iust and ryghtuous men that nede no penaunce Who is this one synner but our sauiour Iesu Christe whiche thoughe he were no synner in dede yet he was reputed as the most great sinner and so he wold be reputed and taken for he came to beare our synnes and to do penaunce and to suffer for all our synnes ¶ How we may coÌ„sidre Christes passion to resolue or relent our hertes in to Christe and his passion Chaptre v. FYftly we shulde coÌ„sidre the most blessed passion of our sauiour Christe to resolue and relent our hertes in to our sauiour Christe and in to his passion And that by a perfite transformynge of our selfes in to hym And that is done whan nat only we do folowe that passion haue coÌ„passion therof do meruayll therof and ioy therof But also in a maner the hole man is conuerted in to our lord and sauiour Iesus Christe crucified so that in a maner at all tymes and in all places Christe crucified is present with hym And ferthermore that person is then in his mynde abstract and withdrawen from all thynges and eleuate or lyfted vp aboue all pure creatures and holly conuerted in to his lorde god crucified for vs. But this conuersion and relentynge of our hertes in to Christ crucified can nat coÌ„ueniently be except there be a congruitie or a conuenient proporcion taken of some similitude bytwixt our hertes and the sacrament of the aulter receyued of vs sacramentally or elles spiritually with the remeÌ„braunce of the passion of our lorde crucified for vs. For as the philosopher sayth that nothynge noryssheth but that whiche is lyke vnto the thyng norysshed Wherfore sith this heuenly and spiritual foode that is the bodye of our lorde doth moche norysshe it folowethe that it must be moche lyke vnto the person norysshed The digestion or norysshyng is then whan the meate is altered and conuerted in to the thyng norisshed And therfore for that the materiall and corporall foode or meate is coÌ„uerted in to that bodye that is fedde it foloweth that the digestion must be both of the meat and of the drynke Herunto it is writen in the first boke of the kyngê Digere paulisper vinum quo mades Digest that wyne that thou hast dronke But in this spirituall meate for asmoche as it is nat tourned in to vs but coÌ„trarie wyse we be coÌ„uerted in to it it foloweth that the digestion must be in vs vnto the similitude of this heuenly and holsome meate And this similitude or congruite of this spirituall meate vnto the person fed standeth in .v. thynges that is in our digestion or conuersion in to this heuenly meate in the similitude of ymage in the coÌ„formitie of nature in the fayrnes or good ordre of our coÌ„uersation and in the takynge of our miserie by paynes in a maner vntollerable And these .v. bene more largely declared by the great clerke and noble doctor called Albertus Magnus in his boke de Eucharistia that he wrote of the sacrament in a chapitre of these same .v. thynges ¶ How we may considre Christes passion to rest our selfes swetely therin Chaptre .vi. SExtly we shulde considre this most blessed passion to reste our selfe moste swetely therin And that is whan our herte as we in the last coÌ„sideration sayd relented coÌ„uerted and transformed in to our lorde crucified doth nat yet cease but with a feruent desyre remembreth the sayd passion entryng mekely and deuoutly in to that hyghe and depe treasure of Christes passion as farre as is possible for man meltynge and relentyng thoroughe loue and feruent deuotion in a maner fayntyng or faylyng in our selfe and restyng in our lorde Christe Iesu crucified for vs. And then in how moche the more we faynt or fayle from our selfe so moche the more we rest and cleue vnto our dearebeloued lord crucified for vs. So that these .ii. that is this rest or cleuyng to our lorde and this feruent deuotion of loue do augment and encrease them selfe in them selfe for the one helpeth the other For as we sayd before the more that our nature is oppressed ouercome and doth languysshe or waxe seke for loue the more it approcheth and draweth nygh vnto her dearebelouyd and the more grace we receyue our inwarde man that is our soule is dayly visited with newe visitations and reformed vnto the ymage of god vnto the tyme that it holly faylynge in it selfe be absorpte and taken in to that feruent chymney of loue of the passion of our moste beloued Iesu and there to rest swetely as the spousesse swetely restynge in the armes or bosome of her dearebeloued spouse the whiche sayth thus in his canticles Adiuro vos filie sion ne euigilare faciatis dilectam donec ipsa velit
to whom he had gyuen in coÌ„maundmeÌ„t to trouble and punisshe the people of the world saynge Nolite nocere terre et mari neque arboribus quoadusque signemus seruos dei nostri in frontibus eorum Noy nat nor hurte the erth nor the see ne yet the trees vnto suche tyme we haue marked the seruauntes of our lorde god in theyr forheedes that is with the signe of the crosse and that we do by the meditation of the passion of Christe In figure herof the aungell that dyd kyl and sley the fyrst gotten both of man and of beest thoroughout all Egipte dyd spare and saue hermles the Iues whose houses or postes of theyr doores were sprynkeled with the blode of the lambe Also saynt Gregory in his second boke of his Dialogê sheweth y t when one certen malicious person purposing to poison saint Benedict dyd gyue vnto hym wyne mixted with poyson he made the signe of the crosse and anone the cuppe brake in to pecys and so escaped the peryll of deth thoroughe the vertue of the crosse ¶ The .xiiii. profit Orthodoxorum speificat timiditatem IT also gyueth great hope and truste vnto faythfull people And herunto saynt Barnarde expounynge these wordes of the canticle In foraminibus petre sayth thus I shall speke these thynges I shall sure abyde and rest in the hooles of the stone that is in the woundes of my sauiour for I haue set my feet surevpon that stone though the worlde frowne and be troubled with me and the flesshe or sensualitie stryue agaynst me and also the deuyll ley in await of me I shall nat fall for I haue set my fete and affection or loue vpon a sure stone I haue offendyd in a greuouse and dampnable synne my soule therby shall be troubled or vexed but it shal nat be vtterly cast downe by dispaire for I shal remembre the wouÌ„des of my sauyour Iesu for he was wounded for my synnes Also saint Austin sayeth Longius opened the side and herte of my sauiour Iesu for me that I myght entre therein And I haue entred therin and do rest there surely quietly The nayles and the spere do call crye vnto me that I may be truely reconsiled vnto Christe yf that I wyll loue hym ¶ The .xv. profite Peccatorum aduocat viuacitatem THis meditacion induceth and bryngeth to man the grace of god whiche is the lyfe of the soule and therefore saynte Bernard sayeth As ofte as that person that deuoutely remeÌ„breth the passion of Christe breâ—â—eth receyueth brethe agayne so ofte he receyueth a new gyft of grace and grace is the life of the soule Phisiciens don say that whan a sicke man wepyth it is a signe token of lyfe So whan a synner wepyth for coÌ„passion of the passion of our lorde it is a signe of the lyfe of grace and quickenes of the soule And therfore sayeth the prophete Hieremy in his lamentacions Spiritus oris nostri xâ—s dominus captus est in pecatis nostris cui dicimus In vmbra tua viuemus Our lorde Christe the spirite of our mouthe that is to saye the spirite whereby our soule liueth lyke as the body liueth by the ayre or brethe receiued at the mouthe This spirite Christe I say giuynge lyfe vnto the soule is taken in our synnes that is he suffred payne dethe for our synnes We shall lyue in his shadow that is we shal haue the lyfe of grace thrughe the deuout feruent remembraunce of that his dethe and passion And so Christe by his blessid passion doeth gyue the lyfe of nature the lyfe of grace the lyfe of glory Fyrste I say he giueth the lyfe of nature for dede men after his passion resurrection dyd ryse vnto lyfe agayne appered vnto many in Hierusalem Secondly he giueth the lyfe of grace for many after his passion were conuerted vnto the faythe And he gyueth also the lyfe of glory as it well appered in the thefe to whom he sayd whaÌ„ he was fast nayled on the crosse Hodie mecuÌ„ eris iÌ„ paradiso This day shalt thou be with me in glory Also hereunto speketh saynt Bernarde sayenge The tree of the crosse yf there be any man that wyll gader it by feruent meditacion doeth burgyn and brynge furth lyfe it fructifieth ioy gladnes it droppeth oile of confort it sweteth the balme of spiritual gracê This tree of life is no wilde vnfruitfull tree to them y t wyll gader it Also saint Austin sayth The blood of the phisicien is shed to make a medecin for the mad sicke soule The soule spouse of Christe sayth in the canticles Sub vmbra illiê° queÌ„ desideraui sedi et fructê° eius dulcis gutturi meo I haue sittten restyd vnder y e shadow of him in whom is all my desyre confort his fruit is swete pleasauÌ„t vnto my taste For who so euer doeth sauourly taste of the fruit of the crosse all carnall pleasure shal be vnsauoury to hym ¶ The .xvi. profite Quassatorum mitigat aduersitatem THis meditacion of the passion of Christ doeth mitigate swage all tribulacions doeth giue pacience in all aduersities so maketh vs quiet Herunto speketh saint Paule sayng Recogitate euÌ„ qui taleÌ„ sustinuit a pâ—toÌ„ribê° coÌ„tradictioneÌ„ aduersê° semetipsuÌ„ vt non fatige mini animis vestris deficieÌ„tes RemeÌ„bre hym that suffred great contradiction of synners against him selfe that is suche rebukes slaunderous wordes at last moost painefull deth that ye by suche remembrauÌ„ce shuld nat faynt in your myndes whan ye suffre aduersities As yf he shulde saye ye can nat faynte or be ouercom in your tribulacions yf ye haue the deuout remembraunce of his paines passion And this approueth saint Austin sayenge There is nothynge so harde or painfull but y t it may be easely borne yf the passion of Christe be quicke ferueÌ„t in our myndes And this is y e reason herof for the lesse passion or payne is nat perceyued or at leest it is nat regarded where as y e more greuous payn or passion is felt or doeth occupy the minde of man And therefore Auicenna sayeth that suche persones as be in feruent agues or axes doeth nat fele or perceiue the apostume And so the passion of Christe yf it be ferueÌ„tly remembred it putteth away all worldly tribulacion For lyke as wyne thoughe it be sumwhat stronge sharpe of it selfe yf it be myxte with suger and other spyces or be put in the potecarye spiced bagge so go thrugh it it is made moost dulce pleasant So the tribulacioÌ„s of this worlde yf they be ioyned mixte with the remembraunce of the passion of Christe they be moche pleasant confortable to the soule And therfore our lorde sayeth vnto his spouse the soule in his canticles Dabo tibi poculum ex vino condito I shall gyue to the Ipocras for
principates y t be the .vii. order of aungels For as the prophet sayth Factê° est principatus super humerum eius His principalitie kyngdom is made vpon his sholder that is in that he bare the crosse suffred the paines dethe of the crosse he gat his kyngdom so bought it for vs that is the kyngedome of heuyn Also in the passion of Christe apereth the releuacion of archangels that be the .viii. order For by the passyon of Christe we were sufficiently releuyd deliuered a pena et culpa that is both from synne froÌ„ payn due for synne But now yf we synne actually after our baptisme it is conuenient y t we suffre payne temporall for our synne though thrugh the vertue of y e sacramentes of the chyrch theternall payn be coÌ„muted into temporall payne And therfore our lorde sayeth Date eleemosinaÌ„ ecce oiÌ„a muÌ„da suÌ„t vobis Gyue almose and all thynges shal be clensed in you In this passion also shineth the reuelacion and manifest doctryne teachynge of aungels that be called the nynthe order For all the hyd secretes of scripture all the secret misteries of god were reueled made open by the passion of Christe openynge of his herte with the spere And in token hereof at the passion of Christe the veile of the temple was broken or diuided into two partes that all the thyngê that before were secret hyd in the inner sacrate temple might be open and manifestly sene And thus by these forsayd conformities whiche the passion of Christe hath with the orders of aungels it is done most conueniently y t nat onely Christe shuld redeme mankynde but also that he shulde mooste ordinately order dispose repare the ruyne fall of aungels For by the great loue charity which he had in the crosse he kindled the fyre of loue in the hertes of his electe people towardes god and theyr neyghbours that suche as folowed and duely executed that feruent loue were made and yet be made apte to repare the moste hyghe ordre called Seraphin By the true knowledge expressed in that blessed passyon were his electe people illuminate to the hyghe contemplacyon of the knowledge of god and hyghe misteryes that so they may be apte to the reparacyon of the seconde ordre called Cherubym Agayne for his great meaknes and reuerence that Christ had in his blyssed passion towardes the hyghe maiestie of god his electe people were prouoked to lyke meaknes and reuerence and due honoure to be rendred to the hyghe maiestie of god as farâ—e fourthe as theyr frayle nature wolde serue them and so to be apte to y e reparcyon of thordre called Thrones Morouer thorough the example of his great pacyence and obedience vnto the dethe of the crosse for the whiche he was exalted of god as we sayde before he prouoked his electe people to ouercome all vices and concupiscence by labour abstinence and affliccions and to subdue all inordinate appetites vnto reason that no vayne or inordinate thynge shulde haue any domynacyon in them that so they myght be made apte to the reparation of the ordre called Dominationes And so who so euer humbleth hymselfe shal be exalted And so truely to passe ouer all the residue of thordres of aungelles our sauiour Christe in his blyssed passion gaue example vnto his seruauntes to resist and ouercome the suggestyons and temptacyons of the deuyll that they myght be apte to the reparacion of the Potestates Also he gaue vnto them exaÌ„ple of good conuersacion and vertuous operacions that they myght ascend to the ordre of Vertues He gaue them also example so to directe and gouerne theyr outwarde senses and inwarde mocyons and all other thynges that be vnder theyr cure that they might ascend vnto the Principates Morouer he gaue them example so to releue and comforthe the nede and necessities of other persons that be in nede that they myght ascende vnto the ArchauÌ„gelles And lest he gaue them example so to instruct and teache the ignorant that they myght be apte to ascende vnto the ordre of AuÌ„gelles ¶ In the passion of Christe is also conteyned the beatitude of men Chaptre .iii. IT may be declayrede that the true beatytude and blysse or ioye of men is conteyned in the passion of Christe by the same reasons wherby we haue nowe declared that the beautye and perfeccyon of aungelles done shyne in the sayde passyon For to that cleare knoweledge of treuthe whiche appeared in that blissed passion as we sayd afore in thorder of Cherubin correspondeth y e open clere vision of y e godhed y t thelect people of god shall haue in heuyn to saciate beatitie the reasonable or intellectable power of the soule Secondly to y t profouÌ„de mekenes reuerence wherby we sayd that the passion of Christe hathe the perfection of the order of the thrones correspondeth the surety of blysse wherewith the wrathfull power of y e soule comonly called Vis irascibilis is saciate For on whom shall rest continue y e spirite glory of god but vpon the meke person Thyrdely to that excellent charitie y t was shewed at the passion of Christe correspondeth theternall fruicion loue of the deitie wherwith y e wyll reasonable appetite of man shal be fulfilled and this for the beatitude of the soule Now for the .iiii. dowries of the glorified body Fyrst to that high dignitie of presidencie y t our lorde had by his sufferauÌ„ce obedieÌ„ce vnto y e deth for y e which he was exalted to hygh dignity correspondeth in y e glorified body agility wherby he may do what he will Secondly to y t great power streÌ„gth wherby our sauiour ouercam dethe correspondeth impassibilitie that is y t the glorified body shall suffre no payne Thyrdly to that mighty operacion of vertue whereby he drew all thynges to him self correspondeth subtility wherby the glorified body may penetrate all thynges Fourthly to that noblenes or principality for y e whiche the prophet said of Christe Factê° est pricipatê° suê‘ humeruÌ„ eiê° His principalitie or noblenes is made vpoÌ„ his shulder also of this noblenes or clerenes is sayd in the gospell where as christ said to his father Pater clarifica filiuÌ„ tuuÌ„ Father clarify thy son or make knoweÌ„ the noblenes of thy son To this noblenes I say correspoÌ„deth y e fourth dowry of thy glorified body called clerenes for thaÌ„ our bodies shal be clere shyne as y e son so sayeth our lorde in y e gospel TuÌ„c iusti fulgebuÌ„t sicut sol iÌ„ regno patris eoruÌ„ Than after y e generall resurrectioÌ„ y e rightuouse meÌ„ shal be clere shyne as y e son in y e kyngedom of theyr father Furthermore to the office ê‘fectioÌ„ of archaugels auÌ„gels which as we said before were shewed in y e passioÌ„ of criste correspoÌ„deth the beauty or accideÌ„tall glory called iÌ„
called vppon Christe vppon the blood of Christe that he shed for mannes saluacion continually with a feruent mynde remembred the dethe of Christe that he suffred for vs. And yet these woode raungynge fendes nat ceasyng of theyr importunity but euer busy to deuour this soule by many craftye and deceytfull reasons than this blessyd woman Maris conceyuynge in hyr soule a great trust and confidence in god by the grace of the holy gooste For as Paule sayth where as is the spyryte of god there is lyberty great confidence she I say hauyng great trust in god sayd with a free spirite great boldenes Good lorde I wyll be pledge surety for this soule And thaÌ„ furthwith the daÌ„pned spirites fled vtterly auoyded and the good auÌ„gels cam and toke the soule And so this blessyd woman gyuyng thankes to god went to hyr owne cell prayed for y e sayd soule And afterward as she was iÌ„ deuout prayer in y e day of y e feest of saint Peter Paule for y e sayd soule saint Peter appered to hyr and shewed vnto hyr how the soule of the foresayd woman was in greuouse paynes of purgatorye for as moche as she in hyr lyfe had moche inordinat loue to y e world to the pleasures therof though at her dethe she had very contricion therof And than this blessed woman moued of pitie as she was alwayes full of pitie and specyally towardes the soules in purgatory dyd praye moche feruently and deuoutely for that soule And nat content with hyr onely and owne prayers requyred instantly and opteyned the prayers of many other deuout persons and also caused many masses to be sayd for the sayde soule vnto the tyme she was delyuered from payne and taken vnto ioye and glory eternall Many other examples of hyr pitie and compassion ye may rede in the sayde .xxxi. booke of the hystoryes of Vincent ¶ The gyfte of science or knowledge is opteyned by the feruent remembraunce of the passyon of Chryste The .x. Chapitre THe gyfte also of scyence and kuowledge of spyrytuall and godly thynges is gyuen to man by the continuall and deuoute remembraunce of the passion of Christe thorughe the whiche gyfte man may duely and iustly lyue in this wretched worlde where as flourysshe many frowarde and wycked persons And yet that man that hath this gyft shall lyue godly though he be amonges them for he shall contynue in his faythe and defende it and haue true compunction in his herte He shall absteyne from euyll and wysely admynystre or vse these temporall goodes He shall dyrecte and ordre all his werkes to ryght reason and applye his wyll to the wyll of god Or we may saye that this gyfte of scyence doeth teache vs to beholde as in a moost pure glasse all maner of contemplacion and all maner of pacyence And that is yf we take this gyfte knowledge as a science or knowledge of these inferior thynges in that that they be helpynge and inducynge to the contemplacion and knowledge of spyrytuall and heuenly thynges As be the knowledge of our synnes that we haue done of the benefytes that we haue receyued of god and of the paynes that we haue deserued for our synnes For the fyrste that is for the knowledge of oure synnes it is sayde by the prophete Arguet te malicia tua auersio tua increpabit te scito c. Thy malyce and synne shall reproue the and thy tournynge frome god shall rebuke the therefore know thou and dilygently consyder that it is bytter and paynefull to the to haue forsaken thy lorde god and to wante his feare in the. This maner of science is a very true knowledge and moche necessarye for vs that is to knowe our selfe and so to meke dispise or set lytle by our selfe Of the seconde maner of knowledge that is of the benefites of god I say vnto you that amonges all the benefites that we receiuyd or dayly receyue the greatest benefite of all other is the benefite of our redemption in the which our lorde hath shewed vnto vs a sure argument or ê“fe of his infinit and inestimable loue that was whan he suffred the moost shamefull and paynefull dethe for vs his enemies This argumente or profe doeth engendre and greatly encrease in vs a knowledge moche pleasaunte and also necessarye for vs. Of the whiche knowledge saynt Paule sayeth Non enim iudicaui me aliquid seire inter vos nisi Iesum Christum et huÌ„c crucisixum I haue iudged thoughte in my selfe that I haue non other knowledge amonges you but the knowledge of Iesu Christe crucified The thyrd maner of knowledge that is of the paynes due for our synnes is also necessary for vs the profe or argument thereof that is the knowledge of the paynes of hell or of purgatory hath ben reueled and shewed to many holy sayntes And those paynes of hell ben conteined in these two verses folowynge Sitis esuries â—rigus ignis fetor et horror Tenebre desperantes victi vermesque rodentes That is Thyrste hunger colde fyre stynche and vgsomnes or lothesomnes Darkenes desperacion subiection and gnastynge or gnawynge wormes These thre maner of sciences with many other we may moost specially fynde get in the meditacion of the passion of our lorde And moost of all we shall get moche knowledge yf ye diligeÌ„tly serche the fygures of the olde law correspondynge or signifienge this sayd passion of our lorde For there is innumerable treasure hyd vnder those fygures whiche may be founde with diligent serche In y e which fygures be hyd a meruelouse swetenes of deuocion all maner of scyence and sacietie or full contentacion of the soule for this lyfe For he that is crucified with Christe by the continuall feruent meditacion of his passion shall se how these fygures the scripture of god do shyne in the sayd passion and so by the gyfte of science he shall be eleuate and lyfted vp vnto a meruelouse swetenes of deuocion and vnto an high perfection of contemplacion and that on this maner For fyrste to suche a person that feruently remembreth this passion and depely sercheth these figures shall appere how that the moost hygh goodnes of god the father hath ordryd all thynges muche diligently vnto our profite Secondly it shal appere how the onely sonne of god the father our lord Iesus Christe muche godly and faithfully hath shewed vnto vs all thynges necessary vnto our helthe saluacion Nat onely by his wordes but also by his examples Thirdly it shall appere how the passion of our sauiour Iesu was figured signified from the begynnyng of the world as it clerely appereth in holy scripture What inwarde ioye pleasure shall this be thynke you to that person that feareth these thinges knoweth them All these great and meruelouse thynges were done for vs. And to declare vnto you how all these thynges do figure and signifie our sauiour Iesus
passion of our sauioure Iesu Christe that by the feruent remembrance of the sayd passion he myght entre into these most depe treasures of the goodnes of god vnto the tyme that soule or mynde be depely entred into Christe crucified and in a maner absorpte drowned thrugh or in the feruent loue of Christe crucified And than that soule shall receiue the gyfte of science know how to order his werkes accordyngly vnto right reason and applie hym selfe vnto the conformitie of Christe And this is it that we sayd in the begynnynge of this chapiter that the gyfte of science moueth a man to lyue iustly truely in this wretched worlde where as flourysshe many froward and wicked persones and amonges them to defende his faithe and to haue true compunction in his hert The spirite of science or knowledge is for that intent gyuen vnto man that that spirite enterynge into the herte or soule of man shulde instruct hym in thynges necessary for his saluacion and shulde moue hym to true compunction sorow for his offences that man shulde know that what so euer payne or tribulacion he hath it is for his synnes and if he be pacient for his great profite And what so euer goodnes he hathe it is of the mercy and grace of god And so thereby he shulde lerne to be euer subiect to god and to praise hym in all werkes neuer to murmure against hym but in all thynges and at all tymes to shew mekenes and pacience and euer confesse god to be iust and true in all his werkes and so folow thexample of Christe which is the myrroure of pacience and also the rewarde eternall of the true and meke pacieâ—t Moreouer by the true compunction of herte whiche springeth of mekenes thrugh thoperacion and help of this godly science is swaged the wrathe indignacion of the mynde And contrary wayes wrathe doeth ouercum and spiritually slee the vnwise person that wanteth this gyfte of scyence As whan in aduersitie he is moued or styred and also blynded by the vice of impacience in so muche that he doeth nat know that suche paines and tribulacions as he suffereth cummeth to hym by his owne demerites and synnes Or els whan he is lyfted vp in prosperitie he is so blinded by pryde that he will nat know how that all the goodnes that he hath cummeth of god And lyke as we se in daily experience that after rayne cummeth fayre wedder so after the vertue of true compunction and sorowe for our synnes foloweth the rewarde of consolacion For who so euer wyll freely punyssh hym selfe in this lyfe for the loue of god he shall fynde hereafter a true ioye and gladnes without ende And therfore our sauiour sayth Beaâ—i qui lugent quoniam consolabuntur Blessed be they that wepe and mourne in this lyfe for the loue of god for they shall be conforted And this is the thyrde beatitude whiche correspondeth to the gyfte of science For as saynt Austin sayeth science is accordynge to mourners Right iudgement of creatures or to iudge truely of creatures perteineth vnto the gyfte of science For oftymes men thrugh thoccasion of creatures turne them selfe from god and so commyt greuouse synne as the wyse man sayeth Creature facte sunt in odium muscipulam pedibus insipientium Creatures made of maÌ„ to the seruice of god thrugh the synne of man ben made to the hatred of man and as a trap or a snare to the fete of vnwise men for asmuche as suche men wantynge right iudgemente and knowledge of the creatures do put theyr full confidence and trust in them whiche they shulde haue put in god and so consequently they do synne and lese the true infinite goodnes And this great damage of man is made knowen to man by the right iudgement of creatures whiche he hath by this gyfte of science And therefore coâ—ueniâ—â—tly is the beatitude of mournynge assigned to reaunswere vnto the gyfte of science Whiche graunt vnto vs that moost tender calfe that hynge vpon the crosse for vs. Amen ¶ An example of this gyfte of the spirite of science Chapitre .xi. OF this gifte of discrecion and of science we may haue example in the foresayde blessed woman Maria de Ogines Of whoÌ„ it is wryten in y e histories of Vincent as foloweth For asmuche as to this blessed woman in auoidyng all euill by the spirite of the feare of god in doynge good by the spirite of pitie was also necessary a warenes a circumspection of discretion therefore almighty god the father of light and knowledge whose vnction and spirite teacheth vs in all thynges necessary dyd illuminate lyghten his doughter Marie with the spirite of godly science And that without doubt was thrugh her continuall and feruent remeÌ„braunce of Christes passion God I sayde gaue to her the gyfte of knowlege that thereby she might know what was to be done and whaÌ„ and what was to be auoided and that all her sacrâ—fices and paines taken for god she might order with discrecion For oftymes vice wyll shew hym selfe to be vertue and euyll oftymes is taken vnder the colour of goodnes And whan we wold auoide one vice oftimes we fall into the contrary vice and therfore this spirite of godly knowledge is necessary for vs. Sumtyme this blessed woman whan she was made one spirite with god was ioyned vnto hym with the glew of feruent loue to hyr great pleasure and swetenes If she herde of the cummynge of straungers to speke with her she wold I say sumtyme with great violence withdrawe her selfe from that great pleasure of contemplacion from the swete halsynges of her spouse Christ lesse that she shuld slaundre those straungers I say she wolde withdraw her mynde from that contemplacion with so great vehemence of sorow that sumtyme she voyded or spytted pure blood that in great quantitie to her great payne and affliction Wyllyng rather so to punisshe her selfe with that great martyrdom than to trouble or vnquyet the peace and quyetnes of her systeren and bretheren and specyally of pylgrymes or strauÌ„gers Yet suÌ„tyme whan she knew thrughe the reuelacion of the holy goost the cummynge of sum straungers a good tyme before they cam she wolde go pryuely into the feldes or woodes nygh vnto her cell and there wolde she hyde her selfe that vnneth or scarcely hyr owne company myght fynde her all thoughe they searched for hyr all the daye And sumtyme contrarye wayes whan she was in slepe yf there cam to hyr pore and symple persons for theyr necessitie or conforte she was sodaynly awaked and compellyd to ryse onely by thoperacion and mouynge of the holy goost whiche than sayd vnto hyr Spede the there is one that abydeth for the to speke with the nat for any curiositie but for very necessitie Moreouer though this blessyd woman with a meruelouse discrecion kept alwayes peace with hyr neighbours and nat onely with them that were good
foueas habent et volucres celi nidos filius autem hominis non habet vbi caput suum reclinet The foxes haue theyr caues or dennes the byrdes of the ayre haue theyr nestys but the son of a vyrgyn hath nat where to hyde or laye his hede He was pore in his natiuitie or byrthe Porer in his lyfe or processe of his lyfe And moost pore vpon the crosse at his deth At his byrthe he was fedde with the vyrgyns mylke and lapped in vyle or pore clothes In the processe of his lyfe he had pore clothynge But oft tymes he wanted meat drynke for his necessary sustenaunce But at his dethe thou shalt fynde hym naked and in extreme thyrste or dryenes excepte thou say that he had vynegre myxte with bytter myrre and gall to quenche his thyrste These thynges well consydered the soule of the person beholdynge and depely remembrynge them is shortely and easely persuaded and moued to folow our sauiour Iesu in lyke thynges so that he may now gladly withdraw him selfe from all worldly honours and desyres of the same from all possession of temporall goodes from all corporall consolacion and pleasure desyrynge with his lorde god all vylenes abiection and derision and to suffre payn in all his hole body that thereby he myght in sum thynge be made conformable to his lord god and so do to hym sum thankfull seruice His appetite and desyre is nat now to please men but rather for the loue and honour of his lorde god to be mocked scorned despised and to be rather hated of them than honoured And therefore all vayne prayse and laudes gyuen to hym ben abhominacion as stynkynge caryon vnto hym for he onely requyreth and desyreth the laudes and prayses of god Vnto that is all his study labour payne That he desyreth with an vnsaciable thyrst In all thynges he onely desyreth thonour of god Nothynge lokynge to hym â—elfe nor regardynge any thynge perteynynge to hym selfe ne yet wyll be bounde to do any thyng but all to gyder with hert and mynde lokynge vnto heuen where as is moost his pleasure And also he desyreth that by his rebukes his lorde god myght be honoured greatly and continually desyrynge thrughe this gyfte of councell bothe to be pore and also despysed and abiecte for the loue of god for as muche as he perceiued bothe these to be in his lorde god crucified And truely he wolde now and euer be naked with Christe vpon the crosse beynge very heuy or sory y t he shuld haue any thynge that myght helpe the pore or els that perteyneth to thonour of god Therfore he forsakynge all superfluitie vseth as few thynges as his necessitie wyll suffre hym so that his pleasure is moche more set to despyse and cast awaye rychesse than to get or multyply it And to speke of corporall delectacions consolacions and pleasures we may truely say that from al these and also from all other consolacion that is nat in god of god or for god he vtterly refuseth them as moche as it is possyble for hym euer askynge and desyrynge to be saciate and fulfylled with bytternes sorow and payne or affliction with his lorde and mayster Christe Wherfore what so euer he perceyued to be pleasaunt vnto his bodye or yet vnto his herte by the whiche he may nat be made conformable vnto the moost blessed woundes and passion of Christe that thynge he abhorreth withdrawynge hym selfe from all thynges thrugh this gyfte of councell wherein he seeth any peryll or daunger lyke to cum to hym And therfore he doeth all thynges with greate deliberacion And also thrughe the sayde gyfte of couÌ„cell he applyeth hym selfe to do all tho thynges wherby thonour of god y e charitie of his neighbour the helth of soules may be in any thynge encreased And for these causes he is ofte tymes solitarie depely considerynge the passion of Christe therin lerchynge the hygh honours of god theternall ryches and heuenly pleasures that the deuout soule therin restynge may haue great ioye Also thereby the bytter soule for the compassion of Christes passion is made swete and pleasaunte And the mynde eleuate and lyfted aboue it selfe is made dronken or is drowned in loue And â—o the soule full of pleasure and lenyng vpon hyr dere beloued restyth hoolly in hyr lorde god And this is it that we sayd before how thrugh the spyryte of councell we auoide all perylles and dauÌ„gers make our selfes sure in the holes of the stone that is in the woundes of Christe to entrepryse great herde and paynefull thynges and also to excercyse the werkes of supererogacioÌ„ as is to loue our enemies and to forgiue them for Christe to gyue all our goodes to pore people for the loue of Christe to the which werkes don by the spiryte of couÌ„cell correspondeth the fyfte beatitude of the whiche Christe sayeth Beati misericordes quoniam ipsi misericordiam consequentur Blessed be y e mercyfull for they shall haue mercy For as saynt Austyn sayeth Councell is accordynge to mercyfull persones for there is but one remedy or meane to be delyuered from all the perylles of this worlde and that is this to forgyue and to gyue Councell is properly and specially to be taken of these thynges that be to cum and that be profytable vnto our ende that is to do the werkes of mercy whiche moost of all corresponde or accorde to the gyfte of councell And therefore saynte Paule sayeth Pietas ad omnia vtilis est Pytye and mercye is profytable to all thynges And thus ye may perceyue that the beatitude of mercye correspondeth to the gyfte of councell Nat that this gyfte of councell doeth produce and brynge furthe the werkes of mercye as his effecte and operacion but that it dyrecteth and orderyth the doer and werker For the spyryte of councell is specially gyuen to man to that intent that he shulde lerne therby to forgyue freely and gladly and also to shew mercy vnto those persons that haue offeÌ„dyd agaynst hym knowynge that yf he so do he shall fynde lyke mercy in our lorde in forgyuynge his synnes done agaynst god as our lorde sayeth in the gospell And this is it that we spake before that men consyderyng and beholdynge the vnspekeable pitie mercy of our lorde that he shewed whan he prayed for them that put him to dethe shulde be moued and styrred to lyke pitie and mercy so made apte to the restauracion of the order of aungelles called vertues O sayeth the prophete Dauid in the persone of Christe Calix-meus inebrians quam peclarus est That is as the glose of saynte Austyn sayeth the cuppe of the blood of our lorde whiche inebritynge the mynde and makynge it dronken in god doeth so cure and heale it that it maketh it forget all vayne delectacion pleasure This dronkennes maketh men sobre This fulnes and plenteousnes maketh men empty and voyde of euyll maners and vyces And therfore the
prophete sayeth that it is preclarus that is moche worthy and noble For besyde the premisses it bryngeth a man to the kyngedom of heuens ¶ Example of this spyryte and gyfte of councell The .xv. Chapitre OF this gyfte of godly councell whiche is gyuen to suche as feruently remembre the passion of Christe we may se an example in the forsayd blessed woman Maria de Ogines in the forsayd histories of Vincent whiche speakynge of this holy woman sayeth thus She endued with the spirite of councell wold do nothyng hedlynges nothynge inordinately but she dyd all thynges diligently wysely discretely and with great deliberacion And all though she was inwardely vysyted with the familiar councell of the holy goost and also sufficiently instruct in the holy scripture of god and all by the feruente and continuall remembraunce of the passion of Christe yet for thabundaunt mekenes that was in hyr and that she wolde nat trust to moche to hyr owne wyt and so seme wise in hyr owne sight she vtterly forsoke hyr owne wyll and reason and dysdayned nat to submyt hyr wyll freely gladly to the wyll and councell of other takynge and folowyng theyr mynde and councell This nat withstandynge many of hyr famylyar frendes the whiche had ofte experience of hyr godly wysdom wolde take no great thynge vpon them without hyr councell And that she coulde nat know by mannes wyt or reason after hyr deuout and feruent prayer she had the knowledge thereof by the inspiracion of god One tyme whan one of hyr dere spirituall frendes whiche had a competent pore lyuynge wherewith he was well content so moche the better content for that he lyued quyetly from the turmoiles troubles of the world abstracte and separate from the cumpany of worldly people and all worldly pompe or vanitie This person I say so content and seruyng god in mekenes and deuoute spyryte ▪ was desyred of a noble and great man to be with hym as his maister instructour and councellour he shulde haue all thynges plenteously at his pleasure as meate drynke rayment horse and seruauntes This person after this large offre made asked councel of this blessed womā Mary what he shulde do Than she in no thynge presumynge of hyr owne wyt made hyr herty prayer to god secretely and after hyr deuoute prayers she aunswered to hym and sayde I sawe a great horse prepared for you whiche went or ranne streight way towardes hell I dyd also se a greate company of deuylles ioyenge and shewynge great gladnes thereof Therefore after my councell forsake that offre and continue in that callyng that god hathe called you vnto lesse by suche ambicion worldly pompe ye gyue occasion to the deuyll to drawe you further vnto youre eterne perdicion ¶ By the feruent remembraunce of the passion of Christe the gyfte of vnderstandynge is gyuen to man The .xvi. Chapytre THere is also gyuen vnto man thrughe the feruent and continuall remembraunce of the passion of our lorde the gyfte and spyryte of vnderstandynge wherby we know god nat effēcially as he is in him selfe but by collacion comparyson vnto his creatures as by his effectes operacions creatures as it were by sygnes and tokens Also by this gyfte we receyue a lyght and knowledge of those thynges which we se or here of the scripture of god And this knowledge is contrary to that brute sensuall knowledge wherby man onely knoweth and cleueth fast to these outwarde and vayne thynges nothynge regardyng consyderynge or knowynge his owne honour dignitie for he onely consyderyth these visyble and transitory thynges and wyll nat serche to rede or know inwarde thynges that is what he is nat in substaunce but in grace What is his lyuynge vycyouse or vertuouse How great he is in merytes or in the fauour of god where he is that is in this exyle vale of mysery All these thynges considereth the spirituall person and that by the feruent meditacion of Christes passion For he that is crucified with Christ Iesu by the remembraunce of his most blessed passion ▪ doeth ascende vnto the clerenes of knowledge by the spyryte of vnderstandynge on this maner Whan a man doeth feruently and deuoutly remembre and consyder how that the sonne of god wolde suffre so greate paynes for to redeme hym anone he consydereth of what dignitie and noblenes his soule is that it is of an excellēt great dignitie seynge that the sonne of god wolde suffre so shamefull a dethe for the redemption therof And by this consideracion he is animated and moued to consyder and thynke of hyghe and noble thynges For whan he depely considereth that that mooste precyouse blood of Iesu Christe was shed to wasshe his soule from the fylthynes of synne and also that by that moost blessed passion the ruyne and fall of aungels shulde be repared restored with mankynde anon he dysdayneth to remēbre or ones to thynke of these vyle and transitorye thynges but rather he is prouoked moued to beholde and consydre spirituall and heuenly thynges And yf he consydre or beholde these visible thynges it is for that intent that therby he wolde ascende to the cōsideracion of heuenly thynges so that his cōuersacion is principally in heuyn And thā also for asmoche as he seeth Christe crucified and so subdued vnto manyfolde tribulacions and paynes he in this consideracion onely wyllynge to please god recounteth and thynketh all tribulaciōs and paynes to be very lyght and easy for hym to beare Remembrynge also how moche Christe loued hym that wolde be so cruelly and shamefully entreated and slayne for his redemption he feruentely kyndeled in the loue of Christe laboureth to entre in that moost blyssed syde and hert of Christe whiche he knew was opened with a spere for his loue His soule is burnyng in loue as a fyre And therefore with all his herte he desyreth to be crucified with Christe Hereunto he sygheth and wepyth and feruently desyreth that he myghte be all wasshed or drowned in that passion and so hoolly to be transfourmed into his lorde god crucified He reputeth and thinketh hym selfe to be in bondage and mysery except he be preserued and kept by the blood of his redemer He iudgeth hym selfe to be rather more lyke a beeste than a man except he be clad with his lordes passion It is abhominacion to hym to be negligent in the consideracion and remembraunce of so noble a benefite as is the mercyful werke of our redemption and therfore he is euer or at leest hath a wyll to be euer occupied in the meditacion of the sayd passion For as he wold euer continue in the fauoure of god whiche he gate by that passion and redemption so he wold haue euer in his hert and mynde the passion of Christe the pryce of our redemption He reputeth Christe crucified as his lyfe and all his confort or pleasure and therfore he wolde be euer conuersaunt with hym O what sorow what heuynes is
no wyse man wolde gladlye or lyghtely lese that thynge whiche he bought so derely with his owne preciouse blood yf he might with any iustice or ryghtfully kepe it And so considerynge these she conceyueth in hyr selfe a hope and trust of forgiuenes And thaÌ„ she maketh hyr supplicacion prayer to god for his fauour grace promyseth to make amendes for hyr offences synnes as farre as it is possible for hyr to do ThaÌ„ she beholdeth considereth his house that our Salomon hathe made that is hyr owne body soule how hyr soule is made to that intent that it shulde be the house temple of the holy goost Also she coÌ„sidereth how gloryous goodly this house was made that is to thimage similitude of god And how vylely shamefully she hath defoiled it by hyr owne synne And so she beginneth to haue wonder maruell of the great mercy of god that so mercyfully wolde spare the synfull soule Secondly she beholdeth y e meates of his table or borde that is she coÌ„sidereth how mercifully he doeth nouryssh fede synners with his benefites though indede they be nat worthy to haue the bread that they eate Thyrdly our synfull Saba considereth his ministers seruantes that is she seeth how all creatures were create and made of god for to do seruyce vnto man and how they contynue they obedience and seruyce vnto man though man be inobedient vnto his lorde god creatour maker and so for his inobedience and synne vnworthy the seruice of any creature Fourthely she considereth theyr vestures and garmentes that is how mercyfully our lorde hytherto hath hyd and couered the priuy sinnes of our synfull soule though all thynges ben open to his syght and knowledge Fyftely she seynge his buttlers doeth consyder howe benignely our lorde god doeth byrle and gyue to vs the wyne of contricion and deuocion And therefore the prophete Dauid sayeth Potasti nos vino compunctionis Thou haste gyuen vs to drynke the wyne of compunction and sorow for our synnes Syxtely she beholdeth the oblacions that our Salomon doeth dayly offre that is how Christ offred hym selfe freely vpon the aulter of the crosse for our synnes and how the same body and bloode is dayly offered in the chyrche for our spirituall conforte And this oblacion excedeth all the other benefites of god gyuen to man And thus our quene Saba our synnefull soule hauynge the iyen of hyr wysdome in hyr hede Christe that is beholdynge and depely considerynge all the premisses she faynted and hyr spyryte fayled hyr She had no spyryte that is of synne iniquitie for that hath now lefte hyr And bicause now the holy spirite of god hath entred into that soule the wycked and vnclene spirite is expelled and put away And now finally as Salomon gaue to the quene of Saba many great precyouse gyftes so our kyng that hath wrought our saluacion in the myddest of the erth doeth gyue vnto the soule depely remeÌ„bryng the premisses great treasures of knowledge wysdom of vertue grace that moche more thaÌ„ she deserueth or asketh For whan a man inwardly considereth how he y t was most myghty of power was so dispiteously troden vnder fote for our synnes He that was most wyse was deluded mocked as a fole He that was best and all full of goodnes was replenisshed with the bytternes of sorow And he that was moost rightuouse to be coÌ„dempned to the moost shamefull dethe Whan a man I say coÌ„sidereth all these thynges anon the mynde aryseth into a greate meruell admiracion of y e worthynes noblenes of god wonderynge meruelynge of the great benignitie charitie of god towardes vs moost wretched and vnworthy seruauntes And than begynneth the mynde with a ferueâ—ent desyre and burnynge loue to be kyndled towardes our lorde god And the spirituall taste of our affection in a meruelouse maner is made moche pleasant and swete and our appetyte is wonderfully refresshed And so all our inwarde man is in a maner alienate lyfte vp from hymself and quietly doeth rest in our lorde Iesu O a meruelouse thynge and neuer herde or sene before that is that vnspeakable swetenes shuld be founde in the moost bytternes The moost bytter bytternes of our dere beloued sauioure Iesu is meruelously turned in our louynge mynde into a swetenes y t can nat be expressed rauysshyng and takynge into it the hole spirite of man so that that swetenes ones tasted all carnall and worldly pleasure waxeth all vnsauory and is excluded And in this swetenes is the speculacion or wysdom of the person contemplatynge beholdynge our lordes passion made perfite For herin he ioyneth putteth to gydre the hyghe inenarrable swetenes that he feleth in the consideracion beholdyng of that infinite goodnes of god that it wolde please hym to suffre so vyle a dethe for vs with that inestimable bytternes that he felte or feleth in hauynge compassion of the paynes sorowes of his lorde Iesu crucified And note here that that bytternes of compassion of Christes passion doeth gader in vnyt the mynde of man And thadmiracion or wonderful consideracion of the great goodnes of god in the same passion doeth eleuate lyft vp the mynd so vnit and gadred in offre it holly vnto god And for asmoche as therin is founde perceyued an vnspekable bytternes with an vnspekable swetenes therfore the mynd of the person that beholdeth considereth this wondereth at it so is alienated from hym selfe rauisshed aboue hym selfe lyke as yf he were all drunke he falleth vnto his lorde god where than the soule melted with loue thrughe the beholdynge of thinestimable charitie loue of god is made as moost pure golde purified in the hore furneys And in the consideracion of y e most excellent benignitie goodnes of god the soule is anointed made fat with the moost pleasant oyle of grace It also obumbrate shadowed with that 〈◊〉 of iustice is made moost shynynge The soule also clensed and gadred in with that great bytternes is abstract withdraweÌ„ from all bytternes sorow That soule beholden receyued of god all good is made all godly so at last it is absorpt and rauysshed with an vnspekable ioye meruelouse swetenes And the spousesse doeth reste swetely with hyr spouse and amonges those pleasaunte and swete enbracynges she may than sucke and drynke of the fountaynes of our sauiour the lyuely waters and true wysdome And here note that it perteyneth to this gyfte of wysdom nat onely to beholde consyder godly heuenly thynges but also to rule and order the actes and operacions of man In the whiche direction and order fyrst it aperteyneth to auoyde all euyll vyce that be contrary vnto trew wysdome And therfore the feare of god is called the begynnyng of wysdom for asmuche as it causeth a man to auoyde all euyll and synne The last thynge perteynynge
dere beloued spouse Iesu Christe This was hyr continuall confort in all hyr troubles She lerned by experience in this worlde that whiche Christe sayd in his gospell Nisi manducaueritis carnem filii hominis et biberitis eius saguineÌ„ non habebitis vitam in vobis That is Except y t ye eat the flessh of the sonne of a vyrgyn drynke his blood ye shal nat haue lyfe in you Nor this sayenge was sene to hyr very harde or vnreasonable as it was to the Iues but rather very swete pleasaunt For in this holy MaÌ„na she founde all pleasure all delectable sauour tast by y e receyuyng therof nat onely in hyr soule but also it was to hyr mouthe as swete as hony And nat only she had this great confort in the receyuyng of this most blyssed sacrameÌ„t but also in the syght therof And therfore after the tyme that y e preest had sayd maâ—se she desyred hym to leue the chaleys bare vncouered vpon the auter to thintent that she seynge it myght haue more perfyte mynde of the blood and passion of Christe Many other exaÌ„ples ye may se in the forsayd boke of this blessed womaÌ„ ¶ The .vi. particle Of the settynge of our lorde vpon the asse and vpon hyr foole or colte MAny misteries prophecies were spoken writen by the holy prophetes which were fulfylled by our sauiour Iesu Christe One of them we shall shewe vnto you in this chapitre how it was fulfylled in Christ Whan y e tyme drew nigh that our sauiour Iesus had determyned to redeme the worlde with his precyouse bloode that was the feast of Pasche at whiche feaste the Paschall lambe shulde be offered accordynge to thordinauÌ„ce of god our sauiour Iesu as the very true lambe signified by the other laÌ„be wold also voluntarily approche cum nigh vnto y e place of his passion where as he wolde be offred for the redemption of man In that dede shewynge that he was moost redy to obey vnto the wyll of his father and to meke hym to the most shamefull moost painefull dethe for our saluacion And what tyme it pleased his goodnes to take this iourney we may mekely byleue that our lady moued of hyr motherly affection wold haue withdrawen hym reteyned hym from that iourney And in lyke maner his disciples as we may suppose persuaded hym to the same but he had other wyse disposed for all our saluacion Wherfore in goyng towardê Hierusalem he went by the mount of Oliuet to signifie y t onely of pitie mercy nat of necessitie he cam to his passioÌ„ This mount as saint Hierom sayeth is called the mouÌ„t of Oliuet for asmoche as there dyd grow many Oliues of the which is made bothe creme oile by y t oile y e light of y e lampe is norisshed And so it may be called y e mount of oile creme of light that to signifie the .iii. effectes of Christes passioÌ„ y e is In y e oile is signified mercy forgyuenes In creme is signified y e vnction of grace And by the light is noted y e lyght of eternall glory And these effectes we haue by y e merites of Christes passion FroÌ„ this mount he sent .ii. of his apostles signifieng the .ii. generall coÌ„mauÌ„dementes of loue wherby all mankynde is absolued from syn y t is thou shalt loue thy lorde god with all thy herte c. The seconde is y u shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe By these .ii. preceptes yf they beÌ„ truely kept all syn is expelled all iustice is performed And he sayd vnto his .ii. apostles go vnto y t castell that is against you that is before your face at y e fote of y e mount of Sion He sayd y t that castell was against them or contrary to theÌ„ that was true for there they suffred moche coÌ„tradiction many rebukes also betynges as it is wryten in thactes of thapostles And there ye shall fynde an asse tyed hyr foole or colt with hyr the which colt was neuer ryden lawse theÌ„ bryng theÌ„ to me Spiritually this castell signifieth y e world The disciples signifieth the preachers For the worlde is euer contrary to y e prechers The worlde loueth foloweth ryches honours vayne pleasures CoÌ„trary the prechers do preche pouerty abiection penauÌ„ce The asse for hir folisshnes signifieth y e people of y e Iues. And y e colte y t was wilde wanton signifieth y e gentiles for theyr ê“nitie to syn custom of y e same The asse is a beest vnclene rude folyssh weike in hyr former partê though she be strong behynd These bestes were bouÌ„de So was all mankynde before y e cummynge of Christ bounde in the euyll custom of syn whiche bonde is mooste stronge of all other For where as other bondes whan they be olde they putrifie and so cum to noughte but this bonde of synne the longer it continueth the stronger it is There was neuer man that sat vppon this colte for the gentyles were neuer subdued to any reasonable law gyuen by god Lawse them by your godlye and heuenly doctrine from theyr errours synnes and brynge them to me enformed in true faythe vertuouse maners that they lawsed from the bondes of theyr synnes myght folow me in godly lyuynge And whan our lorde shuld haue rydden vpon this asse or hyr colte his disciples cast or put theyr garmentes vpon these beestes signifienge that our sauiour Iesu wolde nat reste or sytte vppon the naked soule excepte it fyrste be clad and coueryd with the doctryne and vertuouse maners of thexaposles Morally by this asse may be signified our body whiche is dull or rude folysshe vnclene weake before y t is to spirituall and heuenly thynges and stronge behynde that is to temporall and vayne thynges And by the colte may be signified our carnall affection and vayn desyre And these bestes ben tyed with inordinate pleasures But we must lawse them by the feare of god and prepare them with morall vertues and worthy fruites of penaunce that our lorde may rest syt vpon them so that eche one of vs myght say with the Prophete Vt iumentuÌ„ factus sum apud te I am made as a beest vnto the redy to bere y e therefore lay vppon vs what bourden it shall please the and we shall bere it And contrary wyse let vs here what saynte Paule sayth to vs Empti estis precio magno portate Christum in corpore vestro Ye be bought with a great and dere pryce therefore bere Christe in 〈◊〉 bodies paciently sufferynge his visitacion in authynges By those that brought this asse hyr colt vnto Christ may be signified those penitentes whiche do offre brynge theyr bodies to god by due mortificacion and theyr soules by true contricion As the bodye is signified by the asse so may the synfull soule be signified by the colte
to be dispysed a person cursed and reproued of god and therfore as the gospell sayth Ceperunt quidam conspuere eum Some be ganne to spytte vpon hym and that in his most amiable face as Mathewe sayth This spyttynge was done and suffred of Christe for many causes Fyrst to note theyr great vnkyndnes as Symon de Cassia saythe Our lorde dyd spytte on the erth and made clay and therwith anoynted the eyen of hym that was borne blynde so gaue to hym hys syght which he had not by nature And nowe the Iues to shewe theyr vnkyndnesse dyd defoyle the face of our lorde with theyr soule spyttynges Secondely they spyte in his face to his great shame and despection for it was the propertie of the Iues to spytte in the face of hym whom they dispysed and reputed as a vyle and abiect persone O abhominable maner of the Iues whiche abhorred not to defoyle that most amiable and louly face the whiche angelles haue great desyre to beholde whichens ful of grace fauour and desired of all good people for it is y e lyfe conforth helth of al y t be holdeth it not only they dyd spyt in his face but also they coght and retched so cast y e foule stynkyng flegme into his fayre face Therfore Mathew saith ExpueruÌ„t that is they retching coughyng dyd spyt it into his face And Marchus saith ConspueruÌ„t that is not only one ê‘son but many togither dyd spue in his face in somoch that y t most blessed amiable face was made so abhominable to behold as if it had ben full of lepre and y t was thorough theyr spittyngê scratchyngê betayngê â–ª as we shall declare in the next article And so was fulfylled in christ y e ê“phecie of Esay sayng of christ Non erat ei species c. There was nother beautye nor fauour in his face we se him we might not se his face it was so couered w t blode spyttyngê we reputed hym as a lepre and smyten of god as y e most wretched but he was wouÌ„ded for our iniquites oppressed for our sinnes not for his owne And herunto saint Barnard saith O good Iesu these moste wretched cruell Iues haue w t theyr stynkyng spuyngê defoyled thy face so beautious amiable y t angelles desire to behold it which fulfylleth all heuyns w t ioye gladnes which both rich pore in y e worlde do worship yet good lord thy wretched creatours dyd smyte y e and dispise y e as a vyle seruant thou beyng the lorde of all creatours ¶ Here foloweth a lesson OF this article we may take this doctrine that we oughte diligently to be warre that we neuer spytte in the face of god as the Iues dyd which we do when we defoyle our soule coÌ„scyence with ony fylthy thoughtes or dedes for Christ doth rest in the soule and conscience in the whiche his face or ymage is hole and perfyt And therfore who so euer defoyleth his conscience with deedly synne he spytteth in the face of Christ saint Hierom sayth that our lorde Iesus wolde suffer pacyently suche spyttynges in his face that therby he myght wasshe our conscyence whiche is as the face of our soule And that a man myghte conforme hym selfe to this article he shulde forme and ymagyne in his mynde Christe horribly in his face deformed and defoyled with the spyttynges of the Iues and then he shulde thanke hym with all his herte for his great pacyence and so glorifye Christ for that rebuke and shame Also we shulde remember howe ofte we haue defoyled the most beautifull face of Christ in our conscyence by mortall synne Also howe oftentymes we haue receyued vnworthelye the blessed bodye of our lorde and defoyled it with our fylthy spotyll and then praye thus ¶ A prayer O Iesu whiche wolde suffer thy most fayre and amyable face to be defoyled for my loue wich the fylthy spyttynges of the Iues graunt to me that I neuer defyle the face of thy ymage in my soule by my synfull actes or fylthy cogitacyons Amen ¶ Of the smytynge of Christe in the face The .xviii. article THe .xviii. article is the smytynge of Christe in the face Of the whiche saynte Mathewe sayth thus Et palmes ei in faciem dederuÌ„t And they smote hym in the face with the palme of theyr handes as the hande whan it is closed it is called the fyste so whan it is open and spredde abrode it is called the palme As papias and Isydore saythe So nowe they smote Christe with theyr open handes vppon the face And this smytynge maketh a specyall article of the passyone of Chryste for asmoche as a manne dothe suffer more payne by suche smytynge in the face then by smytynge in the necke for in the face of man ar all y e sences or wittes and also the face is moche tenâ—er and soone hurte And therfore it is very lyke that by suche swytynge in the face the blode ranne out from his noose and also from his mouth though it be not writen by the euangelistes For as Symon de Cassya sayth That the euangelistes dyd omitte many thynges declarynge the bytternes of Christes passyon whiche yet we meakly beleue and that was bycause the euangelistes wrote onely for the truthe of the historie to be had and not pryncypally to excite and moue the effecte of compassyon in vs. O what enorme and greuous synne of the most wicked Iues was this y t they wolde so cruelly smyte so pleasaunt a face But as saynt Hierom saith He wolde pacyently suffer so to be smyten with theyr palmes that we with our handes and lyppes that is with our workes and wordes myght laude and prayse hym Also we may say that he is smytten in the face whiche is rebuked and reuyled to his owne face And in this maner also was Christ smyten in the face for he suffred many rebukes contumelies and dispysynges openly to his owne face spoken And of the prophet Esay in the person of Christe Faciem meam non auerti â–ª ab increpantibus et conspuentibus in me I haue not turned my face frome theym that reuyled and rebuked me and spytted vpon me for the Iues dyd not onlye smyte Christ vpon the face but also they reuyled hym to hys face with many opprobrious and blasphemous wordes which all the euangelistes do not expresse But yet Lucas touchethe them in a generaltie sayenge Et multa alia blasphemantes dicebant in eum The Iues blasphemyng Christ spake many other opprobrious wordes to hym ¶ Here foloweth .ii. lessons THe firste lesson is that we shuld be ware that we smyte not Christe in the face with our palmes He smyteth Christe in the face with his palme as saynte Austen sayeth Whiche doethe hurtte and offende the integryty and the perfeccyon of the ymage of god in his soule and
therfore a man fallynge from grace by mortall synne doth smyte Christe as it were in the face with his hande and euyll worke for therby he offendeth and hurteth y e integritie ê‘feccyon of the image of god in his soule The .ii. is as christ our god dyd neuer auerte and turne away his face from such rebukes blasphemies dispysynges persecucyons and spyttynges but rather gladlye and pacyently dyd offer his face to them for our loue so shulde we in tyme conuenient not refuse but rather gladlye suffer lyke thynges for the loue of Christe And then let vs worshyppe hym and pray we as foloweth ¶ A prayer O Iesu whiche wolde suffer for my loue thy most louely face to be smyten with the handes of the moste wycked Iues graunt to me that I may euer kepe the face of thyne ymage pure and vndefoyled in my soule that it neuer be spotted or hurte by the synfull handes and workes of my iniquityes or sinnes AmeÌ„ ¶ Of the couerynge and blyndfyldynge of Christes face The .xix. article THe .xix. article is the couerynge of Christes face for as the Gospel saith Velauerunt faciem eius They couered his face who so euer couereth the face of an other person he hydeth that face from hym and so the Iues hydd the face of god from them And this couerynge yet continueth vnto this daye vpon the hertes of the Iues for they wyll not se and knowe god as they shulde do O mad blyndnes and blynde madnes of these vnhappy Iues that most pleasaunt face whiche the holye patriarches and prophetys and theyr formar fathers greatly desyred to come and with contynuall and longe syghenges desyred to se it but these wycked Iues when they had it present and myght haue sene it they wolde not but couered it and hyde it from them Moyses desyred to se this face whan he sayd Ostende mihi faciem tuam Lorde shewe to me thy face Also Dauid sayd shewe to vs thy face and we shal be safe Psal lxxix Also in the canticles it is writen shewe to me thy face for it is very fayre All the fathers also in Limbo patrum dyd crye and say Come and shewe to vs thy face lorde that syttest aboue Cherubyn And at laste He that was thus desyred of all good men came and shewed his face to the Iues and they as most wretched couered his face not for that he shuld not se theyr synnes but to hyde hys face from them selfe as Bede sayethe for theyr soore and blynde ey ene myghte not beholde the face of Moyses Excepte that it were fyrste couered but this person Chryste is moche more of dignity then Moyses And therfore his face is moche more glorious and shinynge then Moyses face was though Christes glory were al inwardly and outwardly couered with a clowde of a mortall bodye yet there was a lytyll sparke of glorye shynynge in his face that dyd so glymer and beat in the eyes of the Iues that they could or wold not pacyently beholde his face but couered it and hydâ—d it from them selfe signifyenge therby though they so dyd not intende that no infidele and synfull person turned from god myghte se and beholde the face of Christe for it is hyd from them A figure of this couerynge and blyndfyldyng we may take in Sampson which for the loue he had vnto the synful woman Dalida he lost his strength he was taken of his enemyes his eyen were putte out and also he was fatigate and weryed with manifolde illusyons and scornes So our stronge Sampson Christ Iesus was serued in lyke maner as it appereth in the articles of his passyon and al that was for y e loue of our synfull soule to whom he spake by the prophet Thou hast done fornicacyon with many strauÌ„ge louers yet returne come agayne to me and I shal receyue the. ¶ A lesson OF this article we may lerne this lesson that we ought to be wele ware that we neuer blyndfylde Christe or couer his face But alas many Christyans nowe a dayes do couer Christê face whiche do synne priuily thynkynge that god doth not se them Also they do couer Christes face whiche seeth all thynges that do chaunge gyue or sell craftelye that thynge whiche ys euyll or nought for a good thynge Also they couer Christes face which do derke or couer the Image of god in theyr soules with the cloke of wylfull ignorans or synne And therfore saynte Hierom sayth that Christ wold haue his face couered bycause that he wolde take awaye the couer and cloke of ignorance and synne from our hertes ¶ A prayer O Iesu whiche dyd suffer for my loue thy most gracyous face the whiche angelles desyre to behold to be couered of the wicked Iues to thy great rebuke I beseche the make thy face to shyne vpon me thy most wretched seruant that thy godly ymage in me be neuer derked or couered and that mercyfully thou wold take away the cloke of synne and the derknes of ignorance from my herte with the lyghte of thy heuenlye grace Amen ¶ Of the mockynge of Christ when they bad hym prophicye who is this that smyteth the. The .xx. article THe .xx. article is the scornful questyon of the Iues vnto Christ For when they had couered his face they smote hym on the heed saynge Arede or prophicye vnto vs Christe who is he that smyteth the nowe But in what parte they then dyd smyte hym the euangelistes spake diuersly For Marcus sayth that then they smote hym with theyr fystes in the necke But Mathew and Luke say that they smote hym vppon the face wyth the palmes of theyr handes Therfore we may say coÌ„ueniently that after they had couered his face euery man smote hym as he wold and so some smote hym in the necke some in the face and some on the chekes and so smytynge they sayde Arede or prophicye to vs thou Christ who smote the nowe And this they spake to mocke and scorne hym as the glose sayth bycause he wolde be taken as a prophet amonge his apostles and comen people and whom the people also toke for a great prophet But the Iues nowe bycause he wolde not saye who smote hym they toke hym for a false prophet Our sauyour Iesus wolde not answere to theyr folisshe and mad questyon bycause he knewe that they mocked hym and so surely it had ben but a folysshenes to answere vnto theyr madnes Saynt Hierom sayth that they ware without mercy and full of crueltie and therfore they dyd all the euyll and derysyon that they coulde do to hym Some smote hym of an euyll frowarde wyl and some to please y e great prynces whiche were moste cruell and full of malice And as saynt Hierome saith this payne and passyon that he suffred that nyght shall neuer be manyfestly hollye knowen vnto y e day of iudgemeÌ„t for froÌ„ the beginnyng of the nyght vnto the mornyng
remembraunce in our mynde puttyng vpon our hed a crowne of thornes that is not to differ but spedely to take vpon vs with a pure conscience an hard and paynfull lyfe as in abstinence watche labour and other werkes of penaunce for god as Christe wolde beare vpon hys hed the thornes of our synnes for our loue ¶ Second is that we shuld labour to be crowned with the thornes of temptations For euery temptacyon that doth impugne vs is as a thorne prickynge the hed of our soule whiche temptation if a man ouercome he prepareth and byeth a precyous gemme to his crowne and as many temptacyons as he ouercummeth so many precyous stones he addeth to his owne crowne of glorie And therfore the spouse sayth in his canticles Sicut lilium inter spinas sic amica mea inter filias As the lylye florissheth among the thornes so doth my faithfull frende amonge the doughters of thys worlde by pacyence meaknes and charitie ¶ A prayer O Iesu whiche for me wold be crowned with thornes make me so worthely to be compuncte by the thornes of penance that I may deserue to be crowned of y e in thy heuenly kyngdom ¶ Howe the saugiours put a rede in Christes ryght hande The .xxxiiii. article THe .xxxiiii. article is the puttyng of a rede in Christes ryght hande for his regall sceptre signifyenge therby that his kyngdome whiche he vsurped callynge hym selfe a kyng was voide and weyke as a rede but they dyd not remember that Christe sayde My kyngdome is not of this worlde that is transitorie and this was the thyrde acte of theyr scornfull illusyon These .iii. that is a purpull robe a crowne or a deademe and a sceptre be the ornamentes of a kyng the whiche thre these cruell saugiours gaue vnto Christe to his greate contumelie and illusyon and therby they wolde shewe that Christe was a false treytour agaynste the emperour bycause he wolde haue vsurped and taken vpon hym as they sayde to be a kynge agaynst the ordynaunce of the emperour But that they dyd to the coÌ„fusion and rebuke of Christ he turned it to his owne glorie excellency herunto saynt Hierom saith Christe helde the rede in his hand to write the sacrilege of the Iues and to shewe hym selfe to be that person that shuld write his elect people in the boke of lyfe And saynt Hillary saith Therfore oure lorde wold hold the rede in his right hand that therby he might shewe that he wyll kepe maynteyne his seruantes though they be frayle weyke and he wyll replenyssh them with al goodnes ¶ A Lesson OF this article we may take this lesson that we shulde diligently remember that we of our selfe be frayle weyke and voyd of all goodnes except we be susteyned maynteyned with the ryght hand of god euyn like as a rede which is in it self voyd and weyke or shortly broken but holden in the hande of Christe it is strengthed ¶ A prayer O Iesu whiche wolde haue a rede to be put in thy ryght hand scornfullye for a royall sceptre I beseche the so to strength myne imbecillitie and fraylty with the ryght hande of thy power that thy kyngdome maye be continually confirmed and stablisshed in me Amen ¶ Howe the saugiours scornfully saluted Christe The .xxxv. article THe .xxv. article is the scornful worshippyng salutynge of Christe for after that the saugiours hadde arayed Christe with the ornamentes of a kynge they kneled downe before hym and mocked hym saynge Aue rex iudeorum Hayle kyng of the Iues as if they shuld say thou wold haue ben a kynge but thou mightest not And here sayth Bede They worshypped hym scornfullye as god bycause he sayde falslye hym selfe to be god as they thought Also they saluted hym scornfully as a kynge bycause he sayde hym selfe to be a kynge and this they dyd that theyr illusyon myght reanswere to the accusacyon of the Iues for the Iues accused Christ in both these .ii. Also these saugiours dyd these thynges to Christe of a detestable dampnable mynde for they crowned hym with sharp thornes and afterwarde scornfully worshypped saluted hym and that to the great confusyon of Christ And therfore sayth Symon de Cassia The ministers of Pylate to aggrauate and multiplye the vylenes shame put vpon christ dyd knele before hym and besydes that that they mocked hym after the maner of chyldren they illuded hym with great threttes so that nothyng wanted to the despysyng and the shame of christ and in the remembrance of this despisyng vpon good Friday we do not knele downe when we pray for the Iues and though the gentyles dyd thus mocke Christe yet it is imputed to the Iues for they were the autours and the cause of this illusion After this scornfull salutacyon they smote hym as ye shall se in the nexte article This fourthe acte of the mockynge of Christe was figured in Noe when he slepte in his tabernacle his sonne Cham dyd laughe hym to scorne Noe dothe signyfye Christe whome the Iues his owne chyldren dyd mocke and scorne Also it is figured in Heliseus the prophete whiche ascendynge vnto the hyll of Bethell the chyldren that dyd se hym dyd say and crye mockynge hym Ascende calue ascende calue Ascende or come vp thou balde man ascende thou balde man And of this mockyng speketh the ê“phet Dauid sayng Omnes videntes me de riserunt me Al that se me dyd mocke me also y e ê“phet Esay saith BlasphemaueruÌ„t sanctum Israel They haue blasphemed the holy of Israell that is the Messias and sauiour of the worlde ¶ A Lesson OF this article we may lerne this lesson that we shulde be ware y t we do not falsly worship or salute Christ which we do as Bede sayth when we beleue in hym but yet we despise hym with our euyl and froward dedes when we confesse Christ with our mouth and denye hym in our dedes as sait Paule saith Also they falsly worshyp or salute Christe whiche when they pray or be in the seruice of god occupye theyr mynde wylfullye with any thyng contrarie to the honour of god Also they which in the churche she we signes of greate deuocyon and afterwarde do greuous iniuries to Christe in hys membres ¶ A prayer O Iesu whiche for me wolde be scornfully worshypped and saluted of the saugiours knelyng and saynge Haile kyng of the Iues graunte to me that I may worshyp the my verye lorde and god in spirite and treuth and reuerentlye to salute the the onelye kynge of all kynges Amen ¶ Howe the saugiours smote Christe with theyr handes The .xxxvi. article THe .xxxvi. article is the smytynge of Christe for these saugiours wyllynge to mocke Christe aswell in dedes as in signes and wordes Dabantei alapas they smote hym with theyr palmes or handes that was to shewe in dede that y e honor which they had done to hym before was onely to
wounde of his first or left fote that dyd cure and heale oure euyll cogitacyons affeccyons Scripture speakyng of our olde and corrupt man sayth Cuncta cogitatio cordis humani prona est ad malum omni tempore All the cogitacyon and desyre of mannes herte is prone and redy to euyll at all tymes But nowe of man renewed and healed by Christe may be veryfyed this sayenge of the wyseman Desiderium iustorum omne bonum The desyre of iuste men is all good Of these iust men also speaketh the prophet Ezechiell saynge Pedes eorum pedes recti The feete of them be ryght feete for the affeccyons and desyres of good men be not croked frowarde or turned to euyll and that is by the efficacitye and vertue of this wounde of the first or lefte foote of Christe ¶ A Lesson OF this article we may take this lesson that as ofte as we be impugned with euyll cogitacyons affeccyons or vayne desyres we shulde forthwith flye vnto the wounde of this foote of Christ for from thens as from a most pure and holsom foūteyn there floweth to vs an holsom medicine wherwith all the fylthe of our cogitacyons all our corrupte affeccyons and desyres and breuely all our euyl and synne is wasshed and so purified and healed This perceyued wele saynt Austen in hym self when he sayde in his contemplation those wordes that be writen in the lesson of the .xlviii. article A man to conforme hym selfe to this article shulde oftymes kysse the wounde of the lefte foote of Christ with the remembraunce of this lesson and pray as foloweth ¶ A prayer O Iesu which for me wolde haue thy moste holye feete persed with a great grosse hard nayle and so to be fastened vnto the crosse graunt to me y t when so euer I am impugned or troubled with euyl cogitations sinistrall affeccyons and desyres I may runne to the wounde of thy left foote and there to fynde and receyue holsome medicynes for my saluacyon Amen ¶ The naylynge of the seconde or ryght foote of Christ The .li. article THe .li. article is the nailyng of the right foot of Christ By the wounde of this foote our good desyres which of them selfe be feble and imperfyte be strengthed and made perfit For as saynt Paule sayth We be not sufficyent of ourselfe as of our awne vertue to thynke any good thynge but our sufficiencye therin is of god wherfore thoughe our cogitacyons wylles affeccyons desyres be somtyme good of theyr owne kynde and nature yet they be of no value or merit in the syght of god excepte they be dyed or put in the blode of the feet of Christe therfore the prophet sayth Vt intinguatur pes tu us in sauguine Thy foot or affeccyon must he dyed and put in the blode of Christe or els all is without fruyte of eternall rewarde And herunto sayth the glose vpon these wordes Foderunt manus meas et pedes meos They haue delued or digged my handes and my feete he sayth not Transfixerunt or vulnerauerunt They hath nayled or wounded but foderunt they haue delued or digged for the erth that is delued is apte to brynge forth fruyte So Christ digged in his handes and fete brought to vs the fruyt of lyfe and no meruell for he ranne after vs all the dayes of his lyfe with great thyrst and moste feruent desyre of our health ▪ ¶ A Lesson IN this article we lerne how to offre and to put al our good thoughtes wylles affeccyons and desyres into the frutfull wound of the ryght foote of Christ and that with great thankes ioynynge our desyres vnto his desyres at all tymes as it ware by a louynge kysse that therby they myghte be performed and so myght brynge forth good fruyte So Mary Magdalene dyd kysse the feet of Iesu and therby she receyued so plentuouse frute that all her affeccyon and loue were turned in to teares of contricyon compassion and deuocyon and if at somtyme we can not haue good desyres at the lest let vs haue a wyll to haue good desyres as Dauyd sayth My soule hath coueted to desyre thy iustificacyons at all tymes and if we so do then god shall accepte our wyll for a dede A man to conforme hym selfe to this article may oftymes kysse the wounde of the righte foote of the crucifix with the remembraunce of this lesson and then pray thus ¶ A prayer O Iesu whiche dyd make a founteyne of thy grace sprynge to vs from the holsom and most swete woūde of thy right foote graunt to me that I may fasten and ioyne all my good desyres to that same thy wounde with a louely kysse and to make them conformable and agreynge to thy holy desyres Amen ¶ Howe the crosse with Christe vpon it was raysed vp The .lii. article THe .lii. article is the areyryng vp or lyftyng vp of Christ vpon the crosse for after some doctours Christe was nayled to the crosse the crosse lyeng vpon the erth and after that he was nayled therunto they lyfted hym vp with the crosse and this lyftyng vp and puttynge of the crosse in to the stamp or fote that was fixed in the erth was one of the most greuous paynes of Christ and that was bycause all the weyght of his bodye dyd rest vpon hys handes and fete nayled and therfore when they had areysed vp the crosse and put it downe with violence in to the stampe or foote it dyd so shake the bodye that it rent the woundes of his handes feet in so moche that greate plenty or ryuers of blode dyd flowe or runne out of those woundes and founteynes of our sauiour O blessed Iesu howe swetly and pleasantly was thou conuersant with men Howe greate gyftes dyd thou gyue to men and that in most abundance howe harde and sharpe paynes haste thou suffred for them thou haste suffred harde wordes harder strokes and beatynges and most harde tormentes of the crosse and that in euery parte of thy bodye Man was seake in his heade that is in his intention that is when he dyd any thynge for an euyll intent whiche intention is as it were the heade of the soule Man was also seake in hys handes when he dyd euyll werkes or imperfyte he was also seke in his fete when he had vnclene affeccyons and desyres he was seake in his herte for he had euyl and vayne cocitacyons he was also seake in his hole bodye for he lyued a worldly lyfe after the pleasures of the worlde and of the bodye And for these causes good Iesu thou wolde be wounded first in the heade that thou myght cure all our euyll and peruerse intencyons thou wold be woūded in thy hādes to heale al our sinful remisse operations In thy fete to purge all our vnclene worldly affeccyons thou wolde be wounded in thy hert to clense all our euyll and vayne cogitacyons And also thou wolde be scourged and wounded
spryngeth in y e myddest of paradise whiche doth make frutefull the deuoute hertes and plentiously doth watre all the world This is the doore that was made in the side of the arke of Noe by the which dyd entre all tho bestes men that ware sauyd from the vnyuersall flode Studie and laboure therfore with all thy diligence to haue a recourse vnto the holes of this stone and vnto the caue or den in this stony wall both now in this life and also at thy death there to rest and hide thy selfe that thou myght escape the daunger of the wode lion the deuyl and also that thou myght fynde there plentiouse pasture and fode to thy eternall comforth ¶ And here note that Christ dyd shedde his blode .v. tymes this day for vs. Fyrst in his prayer when he swet blode Second in his scourgyng Thyrd in his crownyng with thornys Fourth in his naylyng to the crosse and. Fyfth in the openyng of his syde as ye haue herde before ¶ Here folow .ii. Lessons FYrste lesson of this article is this that whan we be deade with Christe from the worlde and from all synne then also we shuld be wounded in our hert with the spere of charitie so that we myght say with y e spouse in her canticles Vulnerata charitate ego sum I am wounded with y e spere of charitie Saynt Austen also desired to be wounded with this spere sayng I besech the my lord and kyng my most swete Iesu for thy moste holye wondes which thou suffered vpon the crosse for our health from y e which that most preciouse blode ran out wherwith we be redemyd I besech the I saye to wounde this my synfull soule for the which it pleasyd the to dye Wounde it I besech the with the fiery dart of thy most myghtie loue and charitie Nayle fast my hert to the with the nayle or dart of thy loue that my soule may say vnto the I am wounded with charitie and so sore wounded that from this wounde of thy loue there myght runne the full riuers of teares both nyght and day both of coÌ„tricion compassion and deuocion Smyte I beseach the good Iesu this moste hard flynt my soule with the myghty and sharpe spear of thy loue that it may myghtilie entre in to y e inwardnes or deapnes of my hard hart The second lesson is that we shuld receyue the sacramentes of the churche with that intent and deuocion as if they cam then from the syde and hert of our lorde for that wounde of his syde was as the doore wherby y e sacramentes of the churche com from Christ to vs. For as of the syde of our fyrst Adam sleapynge his wyfe Eua was formed and made so of y e syde of our second Adam that is Christ sleapyng by death vpon the crosse was formed the churche the spouse of Christ By this wouÌ„de as by a dore of loue saynt Austen dyd entre when he sayde Longyne hath openyd to me the syde of Christ with a spear and I haue entred therin and there I surely and quietly reast The nayles and the spear crie to me that I am truly reconsiled to Christ if I loue hym ¶ A prayer O Iesu which for me wold haue y e syde of thy deed bodie openyd from whens cam plentye of blode and watre for our health comforth wounde I beseach the my hert with the spear of thy charitie y t I may worthely receyue thy sacrameÌ„tes which flowed out of that thy most holie syde Amen ¶ How the bodie of Christ was taken downe of the crosse the .lxiiii. Article THe .lxiiii. article is the takyng downe of Christes bodie from the crosse For after that our sauiour Iesus had gyuen vp his spirite vpon y e crosse that was about the ix houre of the day the bodie of Christ hang styll vpon the crosse vnto euensong tyme and there abode and taried our blessid ladie and other .iii. women sittyng by the crosse and not knowyng what to doo they wold haue taken downe the bodye and haue buried it but they had no strenght therunto nor yet such instrumentes as ware necessarie for that purpose And to departe leuyng the bodie vpon the crosse they durste not and there to tary or abide y e nyght drawyng nygh they myght not Behold and considre thou deuote soule in what proplexitie they be in and haue compassion on them with all thy herte And as they sat thus in troble and heuines there cam Ioseph of y e citie of Aromathya somtyme called Ramatha where as Helchana and Anna the parentes of the prophet Samuell dwellyd This Ioseph was a riche man and of noble blode and also he was a senatour and had great office in y e courte of the emperour a good man in hym selfe and in y e syght of god iuste to his neyghbour a disciple of Christ but secreate for feare of the Iues he had a truste to come to the kyngdome of god for he dyd in no thyng consent to the cowncell and those maliciouse actes of the Iues. And as saynt Hierom sayth y e fyrst psalme was made of hym Beatus vir c. This holie Ioseph strenghthed thorow theffusion of Christes blode all feare set a part went boldly vnto Pilate not fearyng the malice of the Iues nor yet the powre of Pilate and asked of hym the bodie of Iesu for a great treasure for he preferryd that bodye aboue all erthly treasures though they be neuer so preciouse Pilate meruelyd that Iesus was so soon deed and called to hym a capten of an hundreth men and asked of hym if Iesus ware deed and whan he knew the treuth by that capteyn he gaue the bodie to Ioseph And then Ioseph bought a fayre lynyn clothe for to wrap Christê bodie therin And so Ioseph came not now as a secreat and preuy disciple of Christ but an open disciple of Iesu And also there cam with hym Nichodemus which bifore tyme cam priuely vnto Iesus in the nyght for feare of the Iues but now all feare set a parte he cam with Ioseph and brought with hym of myrre and aloes about an huÌ„dreth pownde weight to anoynt and dresse the bodie of Christ before his buriyng And when they cam nyghe to the place where Christ hang they kneled down and dyd worship our lorde And our ladie perceyuyng that they cam to take downe her soÌ„nys bodie as risyng froÌ„ death her spirit began to quicken and so our ladie receyuyd them at theyr coÌ„myng reuerently And furthwith they prepared them selfe to take down the bodye and our ladie healped as moch as she myght One drewe the nayles out of his handes an other susteyned the bodie that it shulde not fall downe our Lady standyng lifted vp her armes on heyght redy to receyue the body when it shuld com downe and as shortly as she myght touche hym she drew his heade and his handes vpon her sorowfull breste embrasyng and ofte
kyssyng his wondes wherwith she culde not be saciate and what tyme the bodie was taken downe this blessed Lady toke his heade and his shulders in to her lappe and Mary Maglene toke his feet remembryng what grace and comforth she founde by them and all the residue that stode about greatly lamentyd and morned his death ¶ The lamentacion and mournyng of our Lady SAynt Bernard speakyng of this lamentacion of our Lady sayth She lifted vp her handes on height embrasynge and kyssynge the body of her sonne but her sonne dyd not embrase her agayne for his armes ware to stiffe or starke therunto And then that blessid virgyn seyng she culd haue none other solace dyd kysse with a great and faruent desire his woundes and the blode that ran from his woundes In so moch that the face of this sorowfull Lady was made all blodie with the blode of her sonne slayne which thyng in it selfe was very pitifull and moch lamentable to behold that is that so noble a bodie shuld be so shamefully entreated as though it had ben the most vile carion and yet in truth that bodie myght neuer fall to corrupcion for the godhed was continually ioyned therunto which keapte it from al corrupcion And for this cause this article is nowmbred among the articles of Christes passion though this bodye when it was deed felt no payne but yet this blessid virgyn at this time suffred the payne for she was there present with other deuote women And then Ioseph meakly desired our Lady that she wolde suffre y e body of her sōne to be anoynted and wrapped in the lynen clothes and so to be buried but she refusyd to be so shortly departed from her sonne when they wold haue buried hym she wold haue retayned hym and so there was a godly and a pitiouse cōtencion bitwixt them And at last though not gladly yet reuerently she suffred them to take the bodie at theyr pleasure Then this blessid virgyn weapt without comforth and so such aboundaūce of teares flowed from her ien that it myght be supposed ▪ that all her bodie ware turned to watre She washed her face with tearis and also the deed bodie of her sonne specially his woundes and also the stone vpon the which the bodie was layd when it as washed And it is sayd that her teares don yet appere and may be seen vpon y t same stone which is in the entraūce of the churche of the holy sepulcre She washed and dried his blody woūdes and kyssed them and oftymes she beheld his most holie face his woūdes and his heade and there she see the prickynges of the thornys and how the heare was pulled from his berde and also his heade she beheld his face I say how it was defoyled with blode and the spittynges of the Iues and so she culd not be saciat with seyng and weapyng her sorow myght be perceiued but it culd not be declared as it was but she felt it to the extremitie ¶ Here folow .iii. lessons THe fyrst lesson of this article is that the faythfull people receyuynge the bodie of our lorde in the sacrament of the aulcer be compared to them that toke hym of the crosse and it is more to take him in the sacrament of the aulter than downe from the crosse for they that toke hym of the crosse toke hym onely in there armes and handes but we receyue hym in to our mowthes and hertes And as they dyd weappe that bodye in a fayre lynon cloth so shulde we receyue hym in to a pure hert and clene conscience The secōd lesson is that when we be com to that perfection that we be deed to the world and to all synnes so that our bodie be deed as saynt Paule sayth of Abraham and Sara then we may sumwhat release of the rigor of our penaunce and crosse so our lorde wold not discend from his crosse in the tyme of his lyfe but when he was deed he suffred his body to be taken downe The thyrd lesson is that we shuld gladly take Christ of the crosse with Ioseph Aslong as the synner continueth in synne as moch as is in hym he byndeth Christe and nayleth hym fast to the crosse For our synnes ar the cause why Christ was crucified But as shortly as we be turned by true penaūce vnto christ we lowce him take him of the crosse and receyue hym bytwyxt our armes and hādys as Ioseph dyd And as ye see that he which hath an other man bitwixt his armes may doo with hym what it shall please hym if the other man resiste not so the penitent synner embrasing Christ in his armes of loue may doo with Christe and get of hym what so euer he requireth to his soules health For Christ wyll not resiste the penitēt For he is more redy to giue grace than the other is to receyue it And a man to conforme hym selfe to this article shuld ofte remembre these lessons and pray thus ¶ A prayer O Iesu which for me a wretched synner after thy death wold haue thy bodie taken downe from the crosse by Ioseph and Nicodemus and so be anoynted and dressed with swete oyntmētes and spices wold be wrapped in fayre lynen clothes graūt to me worthely to receyue thy blessed very leuyng bodie in the sacrament of the aulter as if I shuld take hym of the crosse and so to anoynte hym with the oyntmentes of vertues that I may continually keape hym in a pure hert and chaste bodie Amen ¶ Of the buriyng of Christes bodie the .lxv. Article THe .lxv. and the laste article is the buriynge of the bodie of Christ For after it was taken of the crosse and dressyd with spices and swete oyntmentes and also wrapped in fayre lynen clothes as we sayd before then they went aboute to bury hym And the time passing Ioseph meakely desired our Lady that she wold suffre the bodie to be buried before that the saboth day shuld entre for then it shuld be vnlawfull for them to doo any such labour or busynes And then our lady very gently and discreatly ordred hyre selfe to them and so crossyng and blessing that body though with great sorow yet reuerētly she suffred them to take the body and bury it And as the Euangelist sayth Erat in loco vbi crucifixus est ortus et in orto monumentum nouum c. In the place where Iesus was crucified there was a garden aud in that garden a new sepulcre or graue cut or hewen out of a rocke of stone and it apperteyned to the same Ioseph And in this new tumbe they buryed the bodie of Iesu And here sayth Simon de Cassia that Christ praynge dyed and after his death he was put in a garden that by his prayer and death there myght sprynge to vs the plantes of vertues of his inuisible garden and that therby we myght deserue to entre the garden of heuenly pleasures moch more pleasaunt than that
our lord Iesu in the begynnyng of his passion after his last supper did wyllyngly take so great heauines that he his selfe sayd vnto his disciples Tristis est anima mea vsque ad mortem My soule is heuy vnto the death And this heuines he toke vpon hym that by it which he suffred īnocently he myght take frome vs that euerlastyng heuines which we had deseruyd for our synnes and also that he myght gyue to vs eternal ioy and gladnes Also we by our synnes deseruyd to be perpetually subdued vnder y e power and thraldom of the dyuell and so to be committed to the eternall prison of hell But our lorde in his blessyd passion suffred hym selfe to be taken prisonar that he by his sufferyng innocently that captiuitie myght therby delyuer vs from the power and captiuitie of the dyuell and also preserue vs from that most darke prison of hell and restore vs vnto the libertie of the childerne of god Moreouer we by our synnes deseruyd to be perpetually associate and accōpanyed with the dyuels and other dampned soulys Agaynst this our sauiour Iesu wold be associat with theuys and wold be accompted as one of thē that he myght bye vs from the cumpaygnie of dampned soulys and from the feloweshyp of dyuels and so to make vs the chyldern of god and felowes of aūgells He to whom al the glorie of heuyn doth serue and which only of hym selfe is all beautie and glorie wold suffre shamys rebukes and mockynges that he myght redeme vs from confusion and etarnall derision of dyuels and theyr rebukes and also that he myght reuoke and bryng vs agayne to the glorie of heuyn which we lost by our synne He that onely hath power to louce and bynde of his great mercy wold be bounde for vs that he myght louce vs from the bondes of our synnes and from al the paynes y t we deseruyd by our synnes And at last he suffred death innocently that by his death he myght destroy our eternall death and also gyue to vs eternall lyfe in glory And thus ye may vnder stonde of all other paynes of Christe For vniuersally to speake ther was no thyng vayne no thyng vnprofitable ī al his passion but euery payne that he suffred was ordenyd to take away from vs sum perpetuall euyll that we had deseruyd by our synnes and to merite and gyue to vs sum eternal goodnes that we had lost by our synne And therfore saynt Austen sayth Christ suffreth to my profit he is heuy for me he soroweth to my cōforth And the cause of these is this for he hath louyd vs eternally and hath desired to be louyd of vs agayne for loue can nat be recompensyd but by loue And hereunto also saynt Bernard sayth Myght nat our creatoure and maker repare his creature agayne or redeme hym without that gret difficulty hard paynes of his passion Yes he myght haue done it without payne if it had so pleased hym But he wold rather do it with his great iniurie and payne to wyn the loue of man and to gyue hym many and great causes of loue For this great difficultie and greuouse paynes that he suffred for our redemption shuld moue that person to gyue hym thankes which lityll regardyd the werke of his creasion bicause it was done so easly What thynke you sayd the vnkynd man of his creacion I was create and made lyghtly and frely without any payne or labour of my creatour and maker he onely spake the worde and I was creat as al other thynges ware So the wicked vnkyndnes of man lytyll regardyng the werke of his creasion shewed there matter of vnkyndnes where he shulde haue taken cause of loue But now the mouth of those wicked men be stopped For now it is more clere than the lyght what payne and labour thy lord god had o vnkynd man for thy redempcion Of a lorde he becam a seruant where he was riche he was made poore he beyng god toke vpon hym a mortall body and the son of god despised nat for the to be made y e son of man Remembre therfore thou vnkynd man though thou were made of nought yet thou wart nat redemyd of nought In .vi. dayes god made all the worlde and the o thou man amonges them all But .xxxiii. yere he labored continually with great paynes to werke thy health and saluacion What laboure had he in soueryng the incommodities of our nature as hunger thyrst heat colde and suche other What temptacions of the deuyll what slaunders rebukes despisynges mockynges beatynges with many greuouse paynes and at last most paynefull and shamefull death Therfore thou man be no more vnkynd but loue and thanke god and haue compassion of thy creatoure redemar and sauiour Amen ¶ How Christe descendyd vnto the helles The thyrd Chapitre AFter that our sauiour Iesus had gyuen vp his spirit and so was deed furthwith his soule vnit and knyt or ioyned vnto the godhed descendyd vnto the helles vnto the holy fathers that were there in prison and there stode with them Of this descension Damascen sayth thus The soule of Christe ioyned to his godhed descendyd vnto the helles that as he had bifore comforted them that were in the world aboue the erth so he myght shyne and comforte them that sat in darknes and in the shadowe of death He descendyd to comforte the holy faythers to glad them and to glorifie them For as shortly as he presentyd hym selfe to them they dyd se his godhed and so then they ware in paradise that is they had the clere syght of the godhed which is ioy and lyfe eternall Of this descension also saynt Austen in a certen sermon sayth thus Anon as Christe had gyuen vp his spirit his soule knyt to his godhed discendyd to y e deapnes of helles And whan he was cum to y t place of derkenes as a victoriouse captayne shynyng and terrible tho wicked hell houndes and legions of derknes beholdyng hym begane to enquire and say From whens cam this person so strong so terrible so shinyng and gloriouse That worlde which hath bene euer subdued to vs dyd neuer sende to vs such a deed person He neuer sent to vs suche gestes before this tyme. What is he that so boldly entreth in to our iurisdiction And nat onely he doth nat fear our tormentes but moreouer he dothe louce other frome our bondes Beholde and see howe they whiche ware wonte to weape and more ouer vnder oure tormentes nowe they rebuke vs and vpbrayde vs of theyr deliueraunce and saluacion And nat onely they in nothynge feare vs but moreouer they threten vs. There was neuer deed men so proud stubbourne borne agayst vs as these be Nor neuer myght any persones in captiuitie be so glad and ioyfull as these be O thou Lucifer our captayne why wold y u bryng this person vnto our place All thy myrth is paste all thy ioy is turned in to
nat departe thoughe the disciples went from thens for she was so kindled in the fyre of loue she was so burned with a ferueÌ„t desyre she was so wounded with inpacient loue y t nothyng was pleasant to her but onely weapyng So that she myght well saye the wordes of the prophete Dauid Fuerunt mihi lacrime mee panes die ac nocte My teares ware to me my breade or meate bothe by the nyght and the day whan it was sayd to me dayly where is thy god She had lost her mayster whom she loued so syngulerly that besydes hym she could loue no body nor trust to them She was so drowned in his loue he was so moche in her mynde that in a maner she was inseÌ„sible to al other thyngê Whyles she thus weapt for the absence of Christes body she oftymes inclyned and bowed downe her body lokyng in to the sepulcre where as the body was leyd she had lost y e lyfe of her soule therfore she thought it better for her to dye than to lyue for she peraduenture deynge myght fynd hym whome she myght nat fynde lyuyng And thus weapyng I say she loked oftymes into y e graue for as saynt Gregorie sayth It is nat sufficient for a louer to loke ones for the feruour of loue encreaseth the desyre of searchyng or lokyng And at last whan she so loked she dyd se with her bodely yen .ii. Angels sittyng in whyt garmeÌ„tê which sayd to her why dost thou weap thou hast no cause to weape but rather to ioye of Christes Resurrection he is nat here he is arysen Than she supposyng that they ware men and nat Angels sayd to them shewyng the cause of her weapyng they haue takeÌ„ away my lorde and I knowe nat where they haue put hym for she se the stone takeÌ„ away and therfore she thought that somme other body had stollen the body of Christ and borne it to somme other place And whan Mary Magdalen dyd thus contynue in her sorowe and weapynge and nothynge regardynge the Angels her mooste louynge mayster Christe coulde absente hym selfe no lengar from her Than she turned her selfe about that she myght se Iesus for byfore that her backe was towarde hym and that was to signifie y e doutfulnes of her soule for she belyued nat that he was rysen from death vnto lyfe therfore her backe was towarde the face of our lorde But yet for asmoche as she loued hym thoughe she douted of his Resurrection therfore she dyd se hym and dyd nat knowe hym She se hym but nat in his glorious forme or body for as yet she dyd nat belyue that he was rysen And so he appered to her after that maner in his body as he was in her mynde and soule And than Iesus sayd to her Mulier quid ploras quem queris woman why weapest thou whome dost thou seach he doth nat aske this of any ignorance but y t hearyng her answer he myght more conueniently instructe her in the fayth And as saynt Gregory sayth He asked the cause of her sorowe to kyndle and augment or encrease her loue and desyre that whaÌ„ she shuld name hym whom she loued her loue shuld be more ferueÌ„t towardes hym And note here that Iesus appered to her in the likenes of a gardiner that very conueniently For he was to her a spiritual gardyner for he labored to plucke out the thornes and weades of infidelite and vices and to sow and plante in the garden of her soule the grene seades of fayth and vertue by the vertue of his feruent loue Suche office suche operation suche exercise and suche interpretacion of her name is conuenient for begynners or penitentes For it is coÌ„uenient that a penitent vse hym selfe as a gardyner that is that he pull out by the rootes al vices and plante in his soule vertues and also that he haue contricion accordyng to the fyrst interpretacion of this name Maria As we shewed in the chapitre next byfore this And than this blyssed woman as in a maner dronke in loue answered to Iesus as to a gardyner Domine si tu sustulisti eum dicito mihi êªc Syr if thou hast takeÌ„ hym away tell me wher he is that I may go and take hym A meruelous boldnes of this womaÌ„ for she was nat afrayd of y e syght of a deed body and wold also attempte to beare a deed cors the which far passed her power But she thought that she could do it for there is nothyng to hard to a louyng soule And than our lorde Iesus hauyng coÌ„passion of her great sorowe and willyng no lenger to suffre her to weape called her by her proper name Bifore that he called her by a coÌ„meÌ„ name sayng mulier womaÌ„ thaÌ„ she knewe hiÌ„ nat but now whaÌ„ he said Maria furthwith she was turned both hert soule as she was byfore turned iÌ„ body as a good shepe knew y e voice of her and so she reuyued sayd to hym with vnspekable ioy O Raboni O mayster for so she was wont to call hym byfore his passion y u art he whome I saught and anon she ranne to hym and fallynge downe to his feet with great loue and deuocion wold haue embrased them and kyssed them as she was wont to do byfore by an vnperfyte affection to his manhode but our lorde as a spirituall gardyner willyng to plante true fayth in her hert and to lyft vp her soule to his godhed and heuenly thynges sayd to her Noli me tangere touche nat me in that erthly maner with thy bodely handes whome as yet thou hast nat touched with true fayth of hert And so he enstructe her in the true fayth of his godhed and resurrection Let vs now lerne of this Mary to loue Iesus to trust in hym to seache hym without ceasyng to feare none aduersities to receyue no consolacion or coÌ„forth but in Iesus to despise al thynges but Iesus A prayer O Moste swete mayster o moste swete Iesu howe good art thou to them that be clene in hert howe swete art y u to them that loue the. O howe happy ar they that seache the and fynde the howe blyssed ar they that trust in the It is truth that thou louyst all them that loue the thou neuer forsakest them that trust in the lo lord this Mary thy true louer of a good siple mynd she saught the and truly she fouÌ„d the she was not forsaken of the but she had more of the than she looked for I beseach the lorde graunt me to loue the to seache the and to trust in the y t I may deserue to fynde the and to be loued of the and neuer to be forsaken of the. Amen ¶ Howe Iesus appered to his disciples Thomas beyng also present The .vii. Chapitre THe .viii. day of his Resurection our lorde Iesus appered to his disciples Thomas beyng preseÌ„t with them For the fyrst day of his
Resurrection he appered to his disciples what tyme Thomas was there absent And whan Thomas was comme to theyr compaigney the disciples sayd to hym Vidimus dominum we haue sene our lorde and oure mayster and than Thomas sayd excepte I see the sygnes or the pryntes of the nayles in his handes and put my fynger in the holes and also put my hande into his syde I wyl nat belyue These wordes ware nat spoken of any malyce but rather of ignorance and of a great sorowe heuynes for that he had nat sene our lorde and therfore his louyng and godly maister Iesus wold nat leaue his louyng discyple in that blyndnes and heuynes but for to comforth hym and for to reforme his fayth it pleased hym to appere agayne Therfore whan his discyples ware gadred to gyther in y e mount of Syon where as he kept his mauÌ„dy or supper and also Thomas beyng with them the good shepherd and herdman Iesus diligent to comforth his lytell small flock cam vnto them the gates dores and wyndowes beyng shyt and so stode in the myddest of them that he myght be sene of them all and sayd to them Pax vobis Peace be to you And note here that there can neuer be peace in a comynalty except the prelate be in the myddest so that he be nat enclyned more to one part than to the other A pillar can neuer susteyne and bear vp the house if it be set nygh to y e wal and nat in the myddest and therfore the erth which is set in y e myddest of the world is vnmoueable to signifie that euery prelate or herde shulde nat be moued by any parcialite more to one persone than to an other Our lorde Iesus dyd oftymes shewe peace vnto his disciples dyd also coÌ„mend it and perswade them to haue it for without peace we can nat haue god the prophete to witnes whaÌ„ he sayth In pace factus est locus eius His place and abydyng is in peace Than Iesus said to Thomas Infer digitum tuuÌ„ huc et vide manus meas Put in thy fynger here se my haÌ„des put forth thy hande and thurst it in to my syde and be nat vnfaythfull but belyue Than Thomas toyched the signes of Christes wouÌ„des so byleued nat onely with his hert but also confessed it with his mouthe and sayd Dominus meus et deus meus Thou art my lorde after thy humanite for thou hast redemed me with thy preciouse blode thou art my god in thy diuinite for thou hast create me I doute in nothynge nowe but I am sure that thou art rysen from death to lyfe Than Iesus said to hym Quia vidisti me Thoma cre didisti beati qui non viderunt et crediderunt Thomas thou dost belyue bycause thou hast sene me blyssed be they that belyue and haue not sene In these wordes is not only affirmed the fayth of Thomas but also our fayth is moche commended and blessed and the errour of the heretikes confounded which sayd y t Christ had no true body And here se the goodnes and mercy of oure lorde howe that he wolde appere and shewe hym selfe with his woundes to saue one soule Also note here that the infinite wysdome and goodnes of god suffred Thomas to doute that the resurrection of Christ shuld be prouyd by euident and manyfest argumeÌ„tê or signes therfore Thomas douted y t we shuld not dout Herunto sayth saynt Gregory It was not of chaunce but of the ordynauÌ„ce of god that y e welbeloued disciple of Christ Thomas was absent whan Christ dyd fyrst appere that he hearyng of his resurrection shulde dowte he so dowtyng shuld feale and touche the places of the woundes of Christ and so fealyng shuld beleaue and that to expell al dowtfulnes from our hertes And so in fealynge or puttynge in his hande into the syde of Christe he cured in vs the woundes of our infidelite Also the incredulite or doutfulnes of Thomas dyd more profyt vs vnto oure faythe that the prompte and redy beleaue of the other disciples for by his dowtyng and fealyng our mynd is stablyshed in fayth all dowtes set a parte Mary Magdalen dyd lesse profyt to me by her swyft redy fayth than Thomas by his longe dowtyng for he touched the pryntes of his woundes and vtterly expelled from my soule the wounde of doutfulnes Our lorde of his great goodnes reserued the pryntes or signes of his woundes in his body after his resurrection Not for that he could not cure theÌ„ for he y t destroyed the power of death myght also haue cured put away those signes of death if it had pleased hym but he wold reserue them for dyuers causes Fyrst to confirme our fayth as ye se in Thomas Secondly for to shewe to his father whan he wyl pray for vs. And thyrdly to shewe them at the day of dome to the daÌ„pned people to theyr confusion And these tokens of his woundes ware in no thynge to the deformitie of his glorious body but rather as Crisostom sayth to his great beautie for they shone more bryght than the sonne And as saynt Austen sayth the tokens of the wouÌ„des that holy sayntes haue suffred here for Christe shall in heuen appere in theyr bodyes not to theyr deformite but to theyr glory as a starre in the firmament as a presiouse stone in a rynge as a flowre in the medowe ond as the red colour in a rose which be to the fairnes and beauty of these thynges and so be tho pryntes of theyr woundes in theyr bodyes to theyr glory and dignitie O thou louyng soule behold now thy lorde and consydre his wonte goodnes meaknes and feruent loue howe he sheweth his woundes to Thomas and to his other disciples to put away all blyndnes ignorauÌ„ce froÌ„ theyr soules for theyr profyt and oures also Our lorde stode there with them a lytel whyle speakyng comfortable wordes of y e kyngdom of glory And his disciples stode with hym iÌ„ great gladnes hearyng his godly wordes beholdyng his face full of fauour beauty and glory Beholde them howe they stande about hym And stande thou reuereÌ„tly with ioy beholdyng them a far of if paraduenture our lord moued of pytie and mercy wyl cause the to be called thoughe thou of thy selfe be not worthy that compaygny At last Iesus sayd vnto them that they shuld goo into Galile and there he wold appere vnto them accordyng vnto his promisse And so he blessed them and departed froÌ„ them And they remayned in great comforth but yet moche desyrous to se hym agayne A prayer O Lorde Iesu Christe which shewed vnto Thomas y t douted of thy resurrection the places of the nayles and the spear hathe reuoked hym from errour by the puttynge in of his fynger into the holes of thy haÌ„des and of his hande into thy syde grauÌ„t to me that I hauyng euer the
seache the I knowe not but in heueÌ„ coÌ„mauÌ„de therfore swete Iesu my soule to departe fro my body that I may fynde the in heuen where as thou syttes on the ryght hande of thy father in great glory And with these wordes he yelded vp his spirit without any sorowe A prayer O Iesu our crowne and glory whiche rysyng from death dyd ascende vnto the ryght hande of thy father drawe my soule vnto the that I myght feruently seache and desyre y e onely grauÌ„t to me I beseache the that I maye with all my desyre and studye come to that place to the whiche as I stedfastly belyue thou hast ascended And that I beyng here in body may be with the in loue and desyre that my hert may be there where as thou art my loue and treasure moste to be louyd and desyred Drawe me after the that by thy grace I asceÌ„dyng from vertue to vertue may deserue to se the my lorde god in the heuenly Syon Amen ¶ Of the sendyng of the holy ghost The .ix. Chapitre THe L. day after y e Resurrection of Christ and the .x. day after the Ascension that is on wytsonday whan the discyples of Christe were gadred to gether in the place of mount Syon where as he made his supper both men women to the nombre of C.xx or there about there contynuyng in prayer and abydyng the comyng of the holy ghost acordyng to promysse of Christ about the thyrd houre of that same daye there cam sodenly from heuen a wonderfull noyse or sounde as if it had bene the commynge of a great wynde and it fylled all the house and there appered vnto them clouen tonges or dyuyded as they had ben fyre And here note that the gyftes of the holy ghost be not gyuen but to them whiche be gadred to gyther by vnite or one assent in vertue and lyfted vp by desyre vnto heueÌ„ly thynges Also the .vii. gyftes of the holy ghost be conueniently signified or shewed by fyre Fyrst for the holy ghost doth purge lyke as fyre doth and that is by the gyft of feare Secondly as the fyre doth melt so doth the holy ghost by the gyft of pytie Thyrdly he beautyfieth and maketh fayre by the gyfte of science or knowlege Fourthly he strenghtheth by the gyft of strenght Fyftly he lyfteth vp the soule by the gyft of councell Syxtly he doth illumyne or lyghten the soule by the gyft of vnderstandyng And seuently he doth make swete and pleasant by the gyfte of wysdom And all that compaigny ware fylled with the holy ghost and so began to speake dyuers speaches or langages that is whan they spake ony thyng to the glory of god euery nacion ê‘ceyued that speache as theyr owne speache for so it sounded to them and so they spake after the mocion of the holy ghost and as he gaue to theÌ„ vtterauÌ„ce whiche dyuydeth and gyueth his grace to euery person after his wyll and pleasure where he wyl whaÌ„ he wyll asmoche as it pleaseth hym by what maner he wyll and to whome he wyll Peraduenture thou wyll aske this question Syth the ways and operacions of god the holy ghost be vnserchable and can nat be perceyued howe may I knowe that the holy ghost is in me Surely I may greatly coniecture his presence in me by the good mocions of my hert Also I may aduerte and consydre the power of his â—tue in me by that I auoyde all carnall vyces and subdewe al inordinate affections Also I may perceyue his wysdom in me by the ofte discussion of my conscience and rebukyng of my selfe for my synnes Also I may suppose his goodnes and myldnes to rest in me by the amendement of my maners and lyuyng And also by the reformacion renouation of my spirite I may coniecture the same Let euery man looke well in his owne hert If he loue his neyghbour it is a signe that the spirite of god is in hym Also if he loue peace and vnite and that in al the membres of Christes churche through out al the worlde And note here that these signes be taken dyuersly in dyuers degrees of persons For the holy doth inspire he doth enhabite doth replenishe or fulfyll he doth inspire or come to the begynners he doth inhabite the profyters and he doth fulfyll the perfyt ê‘sons The signes or tokens of the holy ghost wherby he is perceyued to inspire the begynners ben iii. after saynt Bernard Fyrst is contricion or sorowe for the synnes paste For the holy ghost hateth the fylth y e syn and wyll not inhabite nor come to that ê‘son that is subdewed to syn Seconde signe is a firme and a sure purpose to beware and auoyde al synne here after and this purpose is nat had without the grace of y e holy ghost assistyng and helâ—yng our infirmite and frayltie Thyrd signe is a diligent redines to do good For the loue of god which is the holy ghost is neuer ydle but always redy to do good There be also .iii. tokens wherby we may coniecture that the holy ghost doth inhabite the profiters that goo forward in vertue Fyrst is the deligent true and ofte examination of his conscience nat onely of mortall synnes but also of veniall synnes for as the grace of the holy ghost is contrary to mortall synne so is the feruour of charite whiche also coÌ„meth of the holy ghost contrary to veniall syn and expelleth it out of the soule that in nothynge he shuld desplease the holy ghost and hynder the soule from the ê“fytyng in vertue The second to keÌ„ is the mynyshyng or subdewyng of the inordinate concupiscence for the more that charite is encresed in the soule of the ê“fyter the more is his soule remoued from the loue of temporall thynges Thyrd signe is the diligent keapyng of the coÌ„maundementes of god which can nat be had without true loue There be also .iii. other signes by the whiche we may coniecture that the holy ghost doth fulfyl the perfyte persoÌ„s Fyrst is the manifestacion or shewyng of the godly truthe For sytghe the holy ghost is the spirit of truth it is his propertie to teache and shewe all truthe necessarie for man and therfore wher he fulfylleth there he sheweth all godly truthe necessarie for that soule Second signe is whan a person feareth nothyng but god for perfyt charite putteth a way all seruile or worldly feare And therfore saynt Paule sayth Vbi spiritus domini ibi libertas where as is the spirite of god there is libertie and no vayne feare For liberty can nat stande with y t seruile feare Thyrd signe is whan a maÌ„ of the vehemeÌ„t loue that he hath to god desireth to be desolued and departed from this myserable lyfe and to be with Christ Besyde all these tokens there be other thre wherby a man may coÌ„iecture y t he hath the holy ghost And for this cause the holy ghost appered in .iii. similitudes or lykenes
Fyrst in the lykenes of a douue and that was at the baptisme of Christ In the lykenes al so of a clowde whan Christ was transfygured in the mounte And in lyknes of fyre vpon the disciples on Wytsonday Fyrste signe I say wherby we may knowe or coniecture the presence of the holy ghost by his grace is the abouÌ„idaunce of teares and that is noted by the apperyng of y e holy ghost in y e lykenes of a clowd For as the south wynd blowyng the clowdes be resolued into ruyne so by the coÌ„myng of the holy ghost our hertes relent into teares The seconde signe is the forgeuyng of iniuries or wronges done agaynst vs and therfore the holy ghost appered in the lykenes of a doue that wanteth his gall Thyrd signe is the desyre of heuenly thynges and therfore the holy ghost appered in y e lyknes of fyre whiche euer ascendeth vp ward so the holy ghost makethe our hertes assende vpwarde by desyre of heuenly thynges which thynges if thou desyre thou muste forsake and despyâ—e all vayne pleasures of the fleshe or of the worlde And herunto saynt Gregory sayth If we put awaye the pleasures of the fleshe we shall shortly fynde that thyng whiche is pleasant to the spirite Also spirituall persons or carnall may be knowen by the wordes of the Apostle sayng Qui secundum carnem sunt que carnis sunt sapiunt êªc they that be carnall loue carnal pleasures and spiritual ê‘sons loue spirituall and heuenly desyres But than specially a man is knowen to be spirituall if he as sone as shortly and asmoch wyl auoyde that place and compaigney where he maye be hurted or hyndred in spirite as he wyll do y t place where he may be hurted in body Also if he as gladly wyll heare speake of spiritual thynges as of the profytes of the body Thyrdly if he be as diligent to procure for his soule as the carnall man for his body A prayer O Iesu the gyuer of all gyftes whiche sent the holy ghost vnto thy disciples in the lykenes of fyre I praye and beseache the O moste mercyfull lorde that I thoughe moste vnworthy myght receyue to my perpetuall helth by thy grace those gyftes whiche thy disciples receyued of thy onely beautiouse goodnes and sende vpon vs good lorde thy seruantes y e spirite of thy charite and loue and peace whiche myght vysite and comforth our hertes â–ª purge them from vyces lyghten them with vertues bynd vs in the bondes of peace and loue illuminate vs with the lyght of thy knowlege and inflame vs with the fyre of thy charite forgyue vs our synnes and bryng vs to lyfe euerlastyng Amen Of the Assumpcion and prayse of our glorious Lady The .x. Chapitre AFter the sendyng of the holy vpon the disciples the blyssed virgyn the mother of Iesus aslong as she lyued dyd remayne in the mount of Syon O ye christians I beseache you if ye haue any pitie or compassion in you consyder what sorowe she had how she was cruciate with loue how she burned iÌ„ great desyre whaÌ„ she remeÌ„bred and reuolued in her mynde al such thynges as she had hard seen and knoweÌ„ of her most swete son Iesus And nowe to speake of her assumpcion this is the true and vndoutfull sentence We beleaue that she was assumpte and exalted aboue all the ordres of aungels though we were sumtyme ignorant whether she was assumpte in soule onely or els both in body and soule But the church nowe meakly and godly beleuith that she is assumpte both in soule and body And as we beleaue aungels ware present to honoure her both at her death buriyng and also assumpcion and all the court of heuyn dyd greatly ioy therof For it is to be beleauyd y t all the court of heuyn with theyr cumpaigneys in ordre cam gloriously to mete the mother of god and compassed her all about with a meruealouse lyght and so brought her vp with great praysynges and spirituall longes vnto the trone which was prepared and ordeyned for her byfore the creacion of the worlde And no doute therof all that blessyd cumpaigney of heuenly Hierusalem then reioysed w t an vnspeakable gladnes then was comforted with an in estimable charitie and then ioyed with a meruealouse gratulacion and reioysyng for that feast of this blessyd virgyns assumpcion which is but ones in the yere celebrate with vs is to them a continual feast and ioy And nat without cause for as saynt Hierom sayth our lorde Iesu the sauiour of all cam with great glory and met with his mother and with greate ioy to all the court of heuyn dyd set her in a gloriouse trone nygh vnto hym selfe O thou gloriouse Lady what may I say more Who so laboreth to considre and declare the inmensitie and hudghnes of thy grace and glory his tonge faileth his wit wanteth and his reason can nat com therto For as all sayntes in heuyn by thy glorification be inestimably beautified and gladded so al creatures vpon erth be vnspeakably exalted by the same glorificacion For as god by his power creatynge and makyng al creatures is the father and lord ouer al so our blessyd Lady by her merites repayryng all thynges is the mother and Lady of all And as almyghtie god the father dyd generate of his owne godlie substance his eterne son by whome he hath gyuen lyfe and begynnyng to all thynges so blessyd Mary conceyuyd and bare hym of her owne body which restored all thynges vnto the beautie and fayrnes of theyr fyrste condicion And as there is no thyng made or hath his beyng but by the son of god so ther is no thynge condempned forsaken or put to etarnall dampnacion but that person whome Christe absolueth frome her sauiour or whome she dothe nat fauoure or defende Who is he that considerynge these thynges with a ryght sense or wit and a pure hert may fully know or perceyue thexcellency of this Lady by whom the world is erecte and raysed vp with vnspeakable grace from so great a fall and decay Therfore we leauyng tho thynges that can nat be searched and knowen by our naturall reason let vs labour to opteyn by prayers that we may deserue to get that in holsom and fruyteful effecte which we can nat perceiue by our vnder standyng Hereby we may perceiue that it is vnpossible that any person shuld be dampned that is truly turned to her and whome she fauoreth and beholdeth She is the mother of Christe that is our iustifier and also she is the mother of them that shal be iustified She is the mother of the sauiour and of them that shal be sauyd How therfore may we despeire seth our health or our dampnacion dependeth of the wyl of our good brother pitiful mother Shall our good brother suffre his bretherne to perishe eternally whom he hath redemyd so derely Or may our pitifull mother suffre her chyldren to be dampned whose reademar she bare in
gyuen to vs the victorie ouer death by our lorde Iesu Christe And note here after summe doctours that the same houre that our fyrste adam dyd synne our seconde adam Chryste gaue vp his spirite and so the same houre that the fyrste adam by his synne subdewed hym selfe and al his posteritie to death the same houre this second adam by his death distroyed death eternall so that none of his electe chylderne shal be subdued there vnto And the same houre that paradise was shyt frome our fyrste adam the same houre Christe openyd paradyse to vs. ¶ A compassion and a contemplacion of the death of Christe SAynt Bernard entreatynge this artycle sayth on this maner I am sory and haue coÌ„passion vpon y e my lorde kyng mayster and father yea my good brother and most belouyd Iesu more amyable and to belouyd aboue all women whose arowe or dart hath not turne backward thyne arowes ben very sharpe thy doctrine is valiant and myghtie thy sermon and worde is quicke and leuely of moche efficacitie and vertue more persynge than any two edged swerd entryng thorough euen to the deuidyng a sonder the soule the spirite Also thy shyld neuer declined from the batell for thou haste crowned vs with the shylde of thy grace and of thy good wyll The spear of thy prayers neuer turned bac void for y u prayed for thy enemies y t they shuld not perish How more then dost thou praye for thy fryndes and saruauntes Thou art stronger than the lion yea thou art y e lion of the tribue or stocke of Iuda that haste ouercumme the raumpyng lion that runnyth all ouer searchyng whom he myght deuoure Thou art more swyfte than the egle For thou as a giant had great ioy to runne in the waye to fulfyll the misterie of thy incarnation vnto the tyme y t thou as an egle dyd prouoke thy byrdes to flye Thou spred the wynges of thyne armes abrode vpon y e crosse and fliyng ouer vs thou toke vs lefted vs vp and bare vs vpon thy sholders with greate strenght vnto thy holie habitacle vnto the houshold of thy father where for the fedyng of thy shepe and draÌ„me that was loste and by thy passion founde agayne thou madest a great feast and ioyfull to thy fryndes and neyghboures thy holy aungels makyng to them greate ioy for the conuersion of a penitent synner And though thou be suche a myghtie and noble ê‘son yet thou wast condempned vnto the most shamefull death and so thy spirite commendyd in to the handes of thy father and thy heade enclined and bowed downe thou gaue vp thy spirite O all ye that desyre to ioy in our lorde cumme I beseach you and sorowe with me Take hede and behold our myghtye and strong Dauid how he is all to rent with wheppys behold hym whom we most desire and whom the aungelles desire to behold how he is slayn in our batell Wher is thy red rosy colour where is thy beautie where shall thou fynde fayrnes in thy broused bodye Behold our dayes haue decayed and fayled the dayes I say of our most benigne Iesu which onely is the day without all derknes And his bones haue waxed drye as a fier brande he is cut downe as the grasse and his hart hath wydred away he was lyfted vpon the crosse and very greuously hurt and broused And though he was thus shamefully and vilenously arayed outwardly yet he kepte his beautie and fayrnes in wardly Therfore faynt not for hym in thy trobles for the Iues and gentylles that see this person hangyng vpon the crosse which in hym selfe was more beautyouse than all the chylderne of men they I say onely beholdyng outward thynges see hym hauyng nother beautie ne yet fairnes for his face was more lyke to a lepre than a clene man and all the disposicion of his bodie was then very deforme and foule to beholde yet of that deformytie of our redemar dyd essew and flew out the price of our beautie of our inwarde beautie I mean In parte we haue shewed vnto you now the deformitie blaknes or fowlnes of the bodie of moste amyable Iesu but his inward beautie there is no man that can declare for in him restith and inhabiteth the hole diuinitie or godhed let vs therfore be contented to be deformed in our bodie outwardly with our sauiour Iesu shamefully deformed let vs conforme our selfe in our bodye to the body of our true vine Christ that he myght reforme the body of our mortalitie vnto the bodie of his clernes and glorification O death most to be belouyd O passion of Christ most to be desired O meruelouse misteries what is more meruelouse thaÌ„ that death shuld gyue lyfe wondes shuld cure and heale blode shuld purifie and that sorowe shuld enflame and kyndle loue The openyng of his syde doth cople ioyne hert vnto hert Also what is more meruelouse than that the sonne in the eclipse or darked by clowdes shuld shyne more clere and bryght the fier extincte doth more enflame and kyndle the hert the shameful passion doth glorifie and make gloriouse thirst or drines maketh one dronke Nakydnes doth cloth with the garmentes of vertue the handes fast nayled doth louce vs his feet nayled done make vs to ruÌ„ne Christ yeldyng his spirit doth gyue to vs lyfe he diyng vpon the tree doth call vs to heuen the sonne of god is lead to death he is smiten buffetid and beat that is our victorie he is crowned with thornys that cam to breake the thornys of our synnes he was bownd that lowseth them that be bounde he was hanged vpon a tree that reyseth them that be fallen downe the well of lyfe hath vinegre offeryd to hym for his drynke health is wounded lyfe dieth pitie is scourged for the synner wisdom is mocked lyke a fole treuth is slayne as a lier Iustice is dapned for a wicked person mercy is vexed for an infidell swetnes is made dronke with gall life is deade for the deed man All this is the sayng of faynt Austen By the premisses ye may perceyue that Christe suffred death he iuste and ryghtuouse for vs vnryghtuouse he suffred death for vniuste persons by vniuste persones with vniuste persons for vniuste causes and vnder vniuste iudges and also with vniuste paynes and tormentes Beholde therfore thou deuote soule in to the face of thy sauiour Christ and see in hym how he dyd beare and suffre the payne of the crosse that thou shuld folow hym in bearyng the crosse his bodie was naked for our example that we shuld make our confession openly or plainly and nakedly to our gostlyfather without all clokyng or hydyng and excusyng of our synnes his armes was spred abrode vpon the crosse redy to embrace the in a token that he wyl gladly receyue the vnto his grace if thou forsake thy synne he was fast nailed both in handes and feet that thou shuld perseuer and continue in his
loue and seruice his hart was also openyd for the effusion of the price of our redemption As ye shall see in the next article ¶ Here folow .iii. lessons THe fyrste lesson of this article is that we shulde dye with Christe that is from the worlde and synne if we wyll lyue with hym in glorie eternall And here vnto saynt Paule sayth Si commortui sumus cum Christo et conuiuemus If we dye with Christe we shall lyue with Christe And in an other place Mortui enim estis et vita vestra abscondita est cum Christo in deo ⧠✚ ☞ Ye be deade fromme the worlde and all vayne or transitorie thynges and your lyfe is hyd with Christ in god The second lesson is that it is very good and profitable to say deuotely those .x. psalmes coÌ„monly called the psalmes of the passion which Christ sayd in his prayer hangyng vpon y e crosse for without doute who so reades or sayes them deuoutly shal finde great conforthe Thyrdlie euery christian at his death shulde vse and keape the forsaid .v. thynges that Christ dyd at his death he dyd pray crie weape commendyd his soule to his father and gaue vp his spirite So we at our death shulde pray crye to our lorde for his helpe at leste in hert wepe for our synnes by trewe contricion commend our soule to god and to gyue vp our spirit that is with a good will to dye and so to conforme our wyll to the will of god A man to conforme hym selfe to this article may ofte remembre these lessons with y e premisses sayd in this article and pray as foloweth ¶ A Lesson O Blissed Iesu which for me dyeng vpon y e crosse dyd commend thy soule to thy father graunt to me that I may spiritually so dye to the and with the in this life that it wold please the at the houre of my death to haue my wretched soule recoÌ„mendyd to the which liues and reignys with god the father and the holy ghost world without ende Amen ¶ The openyng of Christes side and hert with a spere the .lxiii. Article THe .lxiii. Article is the openynge or wondyng of Christes hert with a spere For at y e death of Christ there ware shewed many miracles as y e derknes of the soÌ„ne y e cuttyng of y e veyle in y e temple y e rentyng or breakyng of the stonys the openyng of the monumentes or grauys the conuersion of the noble man and capiteyn Centurio the conuersion of the thefe of many other that seyng these great thynges that ware done knocked vpon there brestes in sygne or token of penaunce and returned homewardes his moste heuy mother there abidyng with a fewe women with her The Iues then bicause it was the sabboth euyn that the bodyes shulde not remayne vpon the crosse on the saboth day for that sabboth day was an high day and festfull with them they I say besought Pilate that theyr legges myght be broken and so taken downe of the crosse then camme the sawgyours and brake the legges of both the theuys And when they camme to Iesus and saw that he was deed alredie they brake not his legges for as the legges of the paschall lambe ware not broken no more ware the legges of Christ that is the true lambe of god and in that was the scripture fulfylled that saith os non comminuetis ex eo He shall not breake a bone of hym But there cam one of the sawgiours with a spere and dyd thrust Christ in to the side and forthwith there came out blode and watre This sawgior was called Longius and he was blinde or at lest his sight was but weke and what tyme he had thrust Christ to the hert with his spere y e blode runnyng downe by the speare vnto his handes he not knowing the vertue therof touched or rubbed his yen with his blody haÌ„des and so had his syght clerely gyuen to hym Also of this blode and watre all the sacramentes of y e churche haue theyr efficacitie vertue and strenght as by theyr meritoriouse cause As the mayster of the sentence sayth and all doctours And though at that tyme the deed bodye of Christ could feale no payne yet y e Iues did this thing of a great malice and to the great rebuke of Christ for they ware not â—aciate and content with the obprobries rebukes and paynes that they put hym to in his lyfe but that also they wolde put hym to more and so persew hym after his death And for that cause this wondyng of Christes syde is taken here for a speciall article of Christes passion for all y e cruelties shames and despites that be done to y e deed corpes or corse be acompted as if they ware done to the persones lyuyng As somtyme the bodyes of deed persones be drawen hangyd headyd quarteryd or burned for the correction and punishment of suche defawtes as those persones dyd in ther liues And though Christ that tyme deed felt not that wounde of his syde yet the blessyd virgyn his mother felt it for that spere then dyd perse her most sorowfull soule as saynt Bernard sayth truly O blessid mother than the swerde of sorow did perse thy soule when that cruell spere openyd thy son syde after his death His soule then was not present with his bodye But thy soule myght not be departed from it for y e soule is rather there where it louyth than where it gyuith life so not without great cause we say that thou art more than a martyr for the effecte of compassion in the dyd exceade the fealyng of all bodilye paynes ¶ Of the miracles that ware done at this tyme we shall speake in the begynnyâ—g of the thyrd parte of this myrrour boke or treatesse OF this wounde of the side of our lorde the deuote and holy saynt Bernard saith thus O good Iesu thy side was wouÌ„ded and openid that we myght haue entrance or a way to cumme to the. Thy hert was wouÌ„ded that we absolued from al outward trobles and busines myght reste and abyde therin It was also wounded that by that visible wounde we myght see the inuisible wounde of thy loue for who so euer feruently louith he is wounded with loue And how myght his burnyng loue be more clerelie and openly declared to vs but in that y t he wold not onely haue his bodie outwardly woundyd but also haue his hart wounded with a spere therfore this bodely wounde doth shewe to vs his spiritual wounde of loue Arise therfore thou spouse of Chryst as a doue buyidyng thy nest and restyng place in the deapnes of this hole or wounde there watche coÌ„tinually as a sparow fynding thy nest there hyd thy birdes of chaste loue with the turtyll Ioyne or put thy mouth to that wounde that thou may sucke or drawe the watre of helth from y e fouÌ„tayns of our sauiour This is y e wel that