sort for many yeares their Almes-deeds and those not in number few But when these come to the diuine ballacing examination and are precisely to be discussed whether they were well done to wit with right intentions with due attention in fitting tyme and place proceeding from a man gratefull to God O how many things which did appeare to be gaines to the soule will rather be accounted as losses and detriments vnto it And how many things which seemed in mans iudgment to be gould siluer and precious stones built vpon the foundatiō of fayth will be found to be wood straw which the fire will instantly consume The consideration of this point doth not a litle terrify me by how much I draw more neare to my end for as the Apostle speaketh Heb. 8. That which groweth ancient and waxeth old is nigh vnto vtter decay so much the more euidently I see that the admonition and Counsell of S. Iohn Chrysostome is necessary to me who councels vs not to weigh and prize to much our owne good works because if they be good works indeed that is works vvell piously done they are registred by God in his booke of Accounts and there is no danger that they shal be defrauded of their due reward but let vs daily thinke sayth he of our euill bad works and labour vvith a contrite hart and spirit vvith many teares and serious pennance to wash them away For such men vvho performe his aduise herein shall say at the close and end of their life vvith great confidence and Hope Into thy hands I commend my spirit thou hast redeemed me O Lord God of Truth Of the fourth fruite of the seauen VVord CHAP. XXIII THere followeth the fourth fruite which may be gathered from the most happy hearing of the prayer of our Lord that from so comfortable an Euent all of vs may be much animated and encouraged to commend our spirits to God with greater vehemency and ardour of deuotion For the Apostle did most truly write that our Lord Iesus Christ was heard for his reuerence Heb. 5. Our Lord prayed to his Father for a speedy Resurrection of his Body as aboue we haue shewed His prayer was heard so as his Resurrection was no longer delayed then it was needfull to proue that his Body was truly dead For except it could be infallibly demonstrated that his Body did truly depart out of this lyfe both the Resurrection as also the whole Christian Fayth might be doubted of and called into question Therefore our Sauiour was to remaine in the graue for the space at least of fourty houres especially seeing the figure of Ionas the Prophet was to be accomplished which as our Lord himselfe taught in the Ghospell was to premonstrate and foreshew his death But to the end that the Resurrection of Christ might be accelerated hastened so farre forth as it was cōuenient and that it might be more manifestly proued that the prayer of Christ was heard the diuine Prouidēce would that the three dayes and three nights during which tyme Ionas was in the Belly of the Whale should be reduced in the Resurrection of Christ to one entire and whole day and two parts of two dayes which time not properly but by the figure intellectio might be said to contayne three dayes three nights Neither did the Father heare the prayer of Christ only in shortning the tyme of his Resurrection but also in restoring incomparably a better lyfe then before he enioyed Since the lyfe of Christ before his death was mortall but it is restored to him immortall Christ rising againe from the dead now dieth no more death shall no more haue dominion ouer him as the Apostle speaketh Rom. 6. The lyfe of Christ before his death was passible that is subiect to hunger thirst wearines wounds but being restored impassible it stāds not obnoxious to any iniury The Body of Christ was before death Animale but after the resurrection it became spiritale that is so subiect to the spirit as that in a twinkling of an Eye it might be caryed into any place where the spirit it selfe would Novv the reason why the Prayer of Christ was so easily heard is subioyned by the Apostle when he sayth pro sua reuerentia for his reuerence The Greeke word here vsed to wit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth a reuerentiall feare vvhich was most eminent in Christ tovvards his father Therefore Esay describing the guifts of the Holy Ghost which were in the soule of Christ of other guifts thus sayth The spirit of wisdome and Vnderstanding shall rest vpon him the spirit of Counsell and Strength the spirit of Knowledge and Piety but of reuerentiall Feare the said Prophet thus speaketh And the spirit of the Feare of our Lord shall replenish him Isa 11. Novv because the soule of Christ was most full of reuerentiall Feare towards his Father therefore the Father did take most great pleasure in him according to that we read in S. Matthew This is my beloued sonne in whom I am well pleased Matth. 3. 17. And euen as the Sonne did euer reuerence the Father in a most high degree so did the Father euer heare him praying and granted whatsoeuer he desired Novv from hence may we learne that if vve expect euer to be heard by our heauenly Father and to obtaine whatsoeuer we demaund of him we ought to imitate Christ herin in prosecuting our said heauenly Father with supreme Reuerence and in preferring nothing before his honour For so it wil be effected that whatsoeuer we pray for we shall obtaine and peculiarly that in which consisteth the chiefest good of our state I meane that vvhen death shall approach God may receaue our soule passing out of the Body commended vnto him vvhen the roaring Lyon standeth neere vnto vs as being ready for a prey Neither let any man thinke that Reuerence is exhibited to God only in genuflection or in bovving of the knee in vncouering of the Head or in any other worship and honour of such like nature The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or timor reuerentialis doth not signify only this externall honour but it chiefly denotes a great feare of offending of God and an invvard continual horrour of sinne and this not through dread of punishment but through loue of our Celestiall Father He is truly indued with reuerentiall Feare who dare not thinke of offence or sinne especially mortall sinne Blessed is that man sayth Dauid who feareth our Lord He shall haue great delight in his Commandements That is he truly feareth God and in that respect may be called Blessed who with all bent of Will and Endeauour studies to keep all the Commandement of God And from hence it proceeded that that holy widdow Iudith timebat Dominum valde as we reade in her Booke cap. 8. For she being but a yong Woman and of great beauty and very rich lest she should after the death of her husband either giue
It is written in the history of the life and death of Saint Engelbertus Arch-bishop of Cullen that when he was entrapped by his Enemies in his iourney and slayne by them and he then saying in his Hart Pater ignosce illis O Father pardon them It was reuealed of him that for this one act being in a high manner gratefull to God his soule was not only instantly taken vp by the Angels to Heauen but that being placed in the Quyre of Martyrs obtained the Crowne of Martyrs and after his death was illustrious for many miracles Apud Sur. die 7. Nouemb. O! if Christians did know how easily if themselues would they might be enriched with inestimable Treasure and might be aduanced to high Titles of Honour and glory if so they would suppresse and curbe the perturbations and passions of their mind with a true fortitude would spurne at small Iniuries against them committed they would not be of such a flinty and inexorable disposition to remit or suffer wrongs and offences But they will reply It semeth to be aduerse euen incoÌ„patible with the law right of Nature that a man should suffer himselfe to be betrampled and trodden vpon by other men offered wroÌ„gs and disgraces either in word or deed For we see euen brute Beasts who are carryed only by the instinct of Nature to assault other Beasts their Enemyes with great fiersnes and do labour to kill them In like sort we haue experience in our selfes that if vnexpectedly we meete or fall vpon our Enemy instantly our Choler is inflamed our Bloud begins to rise and boyle and that we haue a desire euen naturally of Reuenge But he is greatly deceaued who thus disputeth and he doth promiscuously confound a iust defence with an iniust reuenge A iust defence is not subiect to reprehension and this iâ— that which euen nature instructeth vs to wit vim vi repellere to repell and withstand force by force but she teacheth vs not to reuenge an iniury receaued No man is forbidden to resist that a wrong be not offered him But to reuenge an Iniury already committed the diuine Law prohibiteth since this belongeth not to any priuate Man but to the publike Magistrate And because God is the King of kings therefore he crieth out sayth Reuenge to me and I will reward Deut. 32. Now that Beasts with a maine fiercenes rush vpon other Beasts their Enemies this procedeth in that Beasts cannot discerne betwene Nature and the Vice or imperfection of Nature but men who are endued with Reason ought to make a distinction betweene Nature or the Person which is created good by God and the Vice or sinne which is euill and proceedeth not from God Therefore a man receauing an Iniury ought to loue the person but to hate the Iniury and not so much to be offended with his Enemy as to communicate and pity him imitating herein Physitians who loue their sicke Patients and therefore endeauour to cure them But do hate their disease and sicknes laboring with all their skill and art to expell it And this is that which our Maister and Physitian of our Soules Christ Iesus did teach when he said Loue your Enemies do good to them that hate you and pray for them that persecute and abuse you Matth. 5. Neither was our Maister Christ like vnto the Scribes Pharisees who sitting vpoÌ„ the Chaire of Moyses did teach but did not answerably thereunto But he sitting in the Chaire of the Holy Crosse did accordingly as he taught and preached For he loued his Enemies and he prayed for them saying Father forgiue them for they know not what they doe Now whereas the Bloud beginneth to rise and boyle in men when they see them of whom they haue receaued an iniurie the reason of this is because such men are Homines animales and haue not yet learned to restraine with the bridle of Reason the motions of the inferiour Part of the Soule which is common to them with Beasts But such men as are Spirituales to wit spirituall and know how not to yeald to their owne Passions but to maister and ouerule them are not offended at their Enemies but pitying theâ—â— do labour by curtesies and beâ—â—â—â—s to reduce them to peare and concord But this many men say is ouer harsh and vngratefull especially to such as being nobly borne are solicitous and so ought to be of their Honour To this I answere that the point here enioyned is easy for the yoake of Christ who imposed this Law to his Disciples and followers is sweet and his burden easy as we read in the Gospell and his Commandements are not heauy as S. Iohn affirmeth Now if they seeme more difficult and burdensome to vs then we expect this falleth out through our owne default in that there is but litle Charity of God in vs or none at all For nothing is difficult to Charity according to that of the Apostle 1. Cor. 13. Charity is patient is benigne suffereth all things belieueth all things hopeth all things heareth all things Neither did Christ alone loue his Enemies though he did in a far more eminent degree then any other for euen in the Law of Nature holy Ioseph the Patriarch did wonderfully loue his Enemies by whom he was sold And in the written Law Dauid did patiently beare his Enemy Saul who sought his death a long tyme. And yet when Dauid had oportunity to kill Saul he euer did forbeare the same Againe in the law of Grace S. Steuen the Protâ—martyr did follow the example of Christ who when he was stoned prayed saying Lord lay not this sinne vnto them Act. 7. In like sort S. Iames who was cast downe from a great height by the Iewes and being most neare to his death cried out O Lord pardon them for they know not what they doe And the Apostle S. Paul speaking of himselfe and of his fellow Apostles thus sayth 1. Cor. 4. We are cursed and we do blesse we are persecuted and we sustaine it we are blasphemed and we beseech To conclude many Martyrs and infinite others following the Example of Christ haue easily fulfilled this Precept But some others do further vrge saying I grant we are to pardon our Enemies but this is to be performed in due tyme to wit vvhen the memory of the receaued iniury is partly forgotten and the mind returneth to it selfe as voyde of Passion But what if it fall out that in the meane tyme thou be snatched out of this life and happen to dye and thou art found without the vestment of Charity and it be said vnto thee How camest thou in hither not hauing a wedding garment Matt. 22. Wilt thou not be then dumbe when thou shalt heare the Sentence of the Lord saying Bind him hand and foot and cast him into vtter darknes there shal be weeping gnashing of teeth Therefore I wish thee to be diligent and attent and to imitate the Example of thy Lord vvho in
also subiected to their power the Deuill Serpents all kind of diseases Matth. 10. A man hath giuen to the poore for the honour and loue he beareth to Christ 〈◊〉 litle bread or but some old cloaths oâ— ragges and yet in recompence hereof he shall heare Christ say at the day of Iudgment I was hungry and you gaue me to eate I was naked and you couered me Therefore take and possesse an euerlasting kingdome Matth. 25. To conclude that I may pretermit all other points of this Nature Heare and take notice of the incredible bounty and liberality of our Lord but we must remember He was God who thus promised Euery one that hath forsaken house or Brethren or sisters or Father or Wyfe or Children or Lands for my names sake shall receaue an hundred fould and shall possesse life euerlasting Matt. 19. S. Hierome and other holy Doctours do explicate this promise in this sort To wit that who sha l suffer losse of any temporalâ— matter for Christ in this present life shall receaue a double reward and incomparably greater â—heÌ„ the thing which is left for Christ For first he shall receaue spirituall ioy being a spirituall guift in this life vvhich is an hundred fould greater more precious then is that which is left for the loue of Christ So as a man of a cleare and perfect Iudgment would sooner make choyce to retaine and keep that spirituall good to himselfe then to change it for an hundred houses LaÌ„ds or other such like things Againe as if this reward vvere but small and not to be much prized that happy Marchant or Negotiatour shall receaue in the world to come eternall Life by vvhich word is signified an immense abundance or boundles heaping togeather of all goods But this is the vnlimited liberality of Christ our supreme Lord towards those who are not afraid or delay to bynd themselues seriously to his Seruice Are not then such men euen distracted and depriued of their Wits who abandoning Christ make themselues thral Vassals to Mammon Epicurisme and Luxurie But some men will contest against what we heere teach and auer as neuer hauing tasted of the Riches of Christ saying All which is hitherto spoken are but naked Words since we daily see many seruants of Christ to be poore abiect contemptible and in state deplorable This Hundred fould which is here so greatly magnified vve see not To this I answere It is so indeed for a Carnall man neuer seeth that HuÌ„dred fould promised by Christ because his eyes are not capable of such a sight neither doth this man at any time tast that solid and true ioy which a pure Conscience and Seraphicall Charity towards God is accustomed to tast But here I will produce an Example from the which Carnality and Sensuality may in some sort make a coÌ„iecture of spirituall delights and riches We read in the Booke of Examples distinct 3. exempl 26. of the most famous men of the Cistercian Order that one Arnulphus noble by byrth and of great riches leauing the World and abandoning from him all temporall cares became a Monke of the forsaid Order vnder the famous Abbot S. Bernard This man God did exercise and trye with diuers most sharp scourges of many corporall Infirmities especially tovvards the later end of his life But at one time when his paines began to seize vpon him with greater violence then vsually afore he cryed out with a great voyce and said Vera sunt omnia qua dixisti Domine Iesu O Lord Iesu c. all those things are true which thou hast said And when as those who were about him demaunded why he spake these Words he replied Dominus in Euangelio suo dicit Qui reliquerit diuitias c. Our Lord hath said in his Gospell He who hath left his riches and all other things for Christ shall receaue an hundred fould in this life and afterwards life euerlasting Ego vim huius promissionis nunc demum intelligo c. I now at length do see and acknowledge the truth and force of this promise and do confesse that now I do receaue an hundred fould of all things or goods which I haue left For the great bitternes of these my paynes is so pleasant and gratefull to me through my hope of Gods good mercy of which these dolours are a pledge as that I would not haue wanted this Hope and Comfort for so much riches of the world though a hundred tymes doubled as I haue left and forsaken For certainly the spirituall ioy which now is but in hope and expectation doth a hundred thousand times exceed al worldly ioy which now actually and in possession is Thus far the forsaid Arnulphus his words And I would desire the Reader maturely to weigh and consider of them and then let him iudge how much is to be esteemed and pryaed a certaine and firme hope infused by God of the present obtayning of eternall Beatitude and Felicity Of the second fruite of the second Word CHAP. VI. ANother fruite of the former second Word or Sentence is an acknowledgment of the power of the Grace of God and of the imbecillity and weaknes of mans Will From the knowledge whereof we may learne that it is a chiefe matter greatly to confide in the help of God and greatly to distrust in our owne proper force and strength Dost thou couet to know the power of the Grace of God Behould the good Thiefe This man was a notorious sinner continuing in that most wicked state till he came to suffer punishment vpon a Crosse that is almost till the instant of his death And in so great a perill of Eternall damnation there vvas not any who would relieue him either with counsell or with other help or ease For although he was placed neare to our Sauiour yet he did heare the High Priests and the Pharisees affirming him to be a Seducer ambitious and to affect the kingdome of another man He heard his fellow Thiefe vpbrayding Christ with the same men There was not any man in all that Presence who would speake one word in defence of Christ neither did Christ himselfe seeke to refute those blasphemies and maledictions Yet notwithstanding all this through the most gracious admirable fauour of God wheÌ„ the Thiefe seemed to haue no helpe for his Saluation and being thus most neere to Hell and most distant from eternall life he being in a moment illustrated and enlightned from aboue and loathing his former vvickednes confesseth Christ to be innocent and to be the king of the future World And thus being made as it were a Preacher he reprehendeth his fellow persuadeth him to repentance and in the eye of them all doth deuoutely and humbly commend himselfe to Christ To conclude he did so beare himselfe herein as that his penall torments vpon the Crosse inflicted iustly vpon him for his offence was accepted and taken for his paines due in Purgatory and thus instantly vpon
contumely would haue his owne Mother and his Disciple whom he loued to be present and to stand neere to the Crosse that so the griefe of the Compassion of his owne friends might giue an increase to the griefe of his Passion Christ being vpon the Crosse resembled as it were foure fountaines of Bloud abundantly streaming For his will and pleasure was that his owne Bl. Mother his beloued disciple Mary the sister of his Mother and Mary Magdalene who most ardently aboue all other VVomen loued him should be present at his death that from them foure fouÌ„taines of teares should burst out so as he should be almost no more troubled at the effusion of his owne bloud then he was at that copious showre of teares which the griefe of them then present did extort and force from their eyes and Haâ—ts It seemes to me that I heare Christ saying The sorrowes of death haue compassed me Psal 17. For that sword foretold of good old Simeon which should pierce the soule of my most innocent Mother with incredible griefe and anxiety doth euen wound my hart But o bitter death doest thou separate not only the soule from the body but also the mother from such a Sonne Therefore dolour would not suffer me to say Mother but VVoman behould thy Sonne God so loued the World that for the redeeming therof he was content to giue his only begotten Sonne and the Sonne so loued the Father as that for his honour he was ready to shed powre out his owne most precious bloud And not being content only with the dolour of his Passion he added thereto the dolour of Compassion that so he might become a most abundant satisfaction for our sinnes Therefore from hence it appeareth that both the Father and the Sonne do commend their Charity to vs after an ineffable manner that thereby we may not perish but that we may obtaine life euerlasting And yet mans hart doth hitherto resist so great a Charity maketh choyce rather to try the wrath and indignation of the Omnipotent liuing God then once to tast the sweetnes of Mercy to yield to the Charity of diuine Loue. Verily we are most vngratefull worthy of all punishment that since Christ loued vs with such an ardeÌ„t affection as that he was content to suffer for vs much more then necessity vrged From whereas one drop of his bloud was sufficient for our Redemption he neuerthelesse would spend it all and suffer innumerable other punâ—shments besides And yet notwithstanding all this we are loath and forbearing for his loue and for our owne health and good of our soule to endure and suffer euen so much as is but needefull The cause or source of so great a sluggines and madnes is in that we do not ponder and meditate on the Passion and Charity of Christ with that serious introuersioÌ„ of mind with whâ—ch we â—ught and that we do not appoint or designe times and places soâ—ting to so great a busines but only read or heare the passion of Christ briefly negligently and cursorily Therefore the holy Prophet admonisheth vs saying Thren 1. Behould see if there be any griefe like to my griefe And the Apostle sayth Thinke vpon him who endured of sinners such contradiction against himselfe that you be not wearied fainting in your minds Hebr. 12. But the tyme shall hereafter come when fruitlesly and in vaine we shall repent our selfs of so great ingratitude towards God and of supine negligence of our owne Saluation There are many who at the last day repenting and sighing for anguish of spirit shall say The sunne of Iustice hath not shined to vs. Sap. 5. Neither shall they first then begin thus to lament but before the day of IudgmeÌ„t I meane that as soone as they shall shut and close the eyes of their body by death the eyes of their soule shal be opened to them and then they shall see those things the which when time and oportunity was they would not once behould Of the second fruite of the third Word CHAP. X. AN other fruit growing from the roote of this VVord may be taken from the Consideration of the mistery of the three Women which stoode neere vnto the Crosse of our Lord. For Mary Magdalene did beare the person of the Penitents therin of those who did begin to serue God In Mary of Cleophas may be figured the state of those who do go on forward and profit in Vertue In Mary the Mother of Christ and a Virgin may be personated the state of those vvho are Perfect with whom we may deseruedly ioyne S. Iohn who was a Virgin and was vvithin a short tyme to become Perfect if at that present he were not All these and only these are found to stand neere vnto the Crosse of our Lord for those who liue in state of sinne and neuer thinke of doing any pennance for their wicked liues stand far off from the Crosse which is the scale or ladder to Heauen Furthermore all those not without cause stand neere vnto the Crosse who need the ayde of him that was crucified for such as be Penitents and Beginners in the way of Iustice do wage Warre with Vices and Concupiscences and stand greatly in need of the assistance of Christ our Captaine that they may be encouraged to fight whiles they behould him combatâ—ing with the Old Serpent and not descending from the Crosse vntill most happily he had triumphed ouer him For thus doth the Apostle speake to the Collossians cap. 2. He spoyled the Principalities and Powers leading them confidently in open shew and triumphing ouer them in himselfe And a litle before Fastening to the Crosse the hand-writing of the Decree which was against vs. Those who do profit in the way of our Lord signified by Mary of Cleophas who was a Woman maried and brought forth sonnes which were called â—he Brethren of Christ do also need the help of the Crosse lest otherwise the cares and anxieties of this world with the which they are necessarily entangled do choke the good seede or that they labouring by night do catch nothing Therefore such Persons ought to goe on forward in spirituall profit and to behould Christ vpon the Crosse who not satisfying himselfe with those good works being many and great which before he had done would by the meanes of the Crosse proceed to works of a higher Nature from whence he would not descend till he had ouercome and put to fight his Enemy For nothing is more deadly or domageable to those who are in progresse of Vertue then to become wearie in their course and to cease to goe forward since as S. Bernard sayth Ep. ad Garinum In via Virtutis non progredi regredi est In the way of Vertue not to goe forward is to goe backward who putteth the example of the Lader of Iacob vpon which all do ascend or descend but not any doe stand still To conclude those who are in state of Perfection liuing
a single and vnmaried life especially if they be Virgins as the B. Virgin the Mother of Christ and S. Iohn the Disciple of Christ and beloued of him aboue other in regard of his Virginity were these perfect Persons I say stand in great necessity of the aide and supportance of Christ crucified since such as are placed in a more eminent high degree ought greatly to feare the blasts of Pryde except they be founded and rooted lowly in Humility For although Christ did often shew himselfe to be a Maister of Humility as where he said Learne of me because I am meeke and humble of Hart Math. 11. As also in teaching vs To sit in the lowest place where he repeateth so often who so exalteth himselfe shal be humbled and who humbleth himselfe shal be exalted Luc. 18. Yet he neuer manifested himselfe to be a Maister of Humility in a more high degree then when he was seated in the Chayre of his Crosse Which point the Apostle will declared in those words He humbled himselfe made obedieÌ„t vnto death euen the death of the Crosse Phil. 2. For what greater humility could be imagined theÌ„ that he who was omnipotent should suffer himselfe to be bound nayled to the Crosse Or that he in whom are all the treasures of Wisdome and knowledge of God should be content to be reputed as one mâ—d or distracted by Herod and his army and through scorne to be cloathed with a whyte garment Or lastly that he who sitteth vpon the Cherubims should brooke himselfe to be crucified in the middst of theeues Truly who will seriously glasse himselfe in the mirrour of the Crosse will proue ouer indocible if he do not learne and confesse that as yet he is most farre from obtayning true Humility howsoeuer he may be thought to haue made some progresse aduancemeÌ„t therin Of the third fruite of the third Word CHAP. XI IN this third place we learne from the Chayre of the Crosse and from the words of Christ spoken to his Mother and his Disciple what is the duty of God Parents towards their Sâ—â—nes and reciprocally of good sonnes towards their Parents We will begin with the first Good Parents ought to loue their Sonnes yet to restraine and proportion their loue to them as that it may be no impediment to the Loue of the Parents towards God And this is that vvhich our Sauiour teacheth in the Gospell He that loueth his Sonne or his daughter more then me is not worthy of me Math. 10. This Precept the B. Virgin most precisely obserued For she stayed neere to the Crosse with great Griefe and with great Constancy Her Griefe did witnesse the extremity of her loue towards her Sonne hanging vpon the Crosse her Constancy did testify her great obseruance and duty towards God reigning in Heauen She did behould her innocent sonne with great anxiety and care of mind whom she so dearely loued suffering most bitter dolours and paines yet did she not labour either in words or action to hinder those his afflictions though she could because she did well know that her Sonne was to vndergoe all those torments by the defined Counsell prouidence of God the Father Loue is the Measure of Griefe therefore the Mother did much lament to behould her sonne to be so cruciated and afflicted since she loued him much And how could it otherwise be but that the Virgin the mother of Christ should most ardently loue her sonne since she was well priuy that her sonne did exceede all the sonnes of men in euery degree of Prayse and that her sonne was in a more strict bond to her and did more nearely belong to her then any other sonnes do belong vnto their Mothers The reason why Women do loue their sonnes is accustomed to be twofold The one is in that they bare and brought their sonnes forth into the World The other in that the sonnes become famous for their deportment and good deserts For otherwise there are not Mothers wanting who do but litle loue or rather hate their sonns if either they be of any deformity in body or do proue wicked or vngratefull and vnnaturali towards their Parents Now the B. Virgin the mother of Christ loued her Sonne for both these respects in a more intense and high degree then any other Mother euer loued her sonne For first Other women alone do not generate children but in the generation of them they haue their husband for their Companion in that Act. But the Blessed Virgin alone did generate her sonne Since a Virgin did beget and a Virgin did bring forth And as Christ our Lord in his diuine generation had a Father without a Mother so in his humane generation he had a Mother without a Father And although it may be truly said that Christ was conceaued of the Holy Ghost yet the Holy Ghost is not the Father of Christ but the Effectour and maker of the Body of Christ Neither did the Holy Ghost frame the body of Christ of his owne proper substanee which peculiarly belongeth to a Father but he formed it of the most pure bloud of the Virgin Therefore the most Holy Virgin alone without the company of a Father did beget and bring forth her Sonne And she alone doth challenge her Sonne as whole to herselfe and thereupon did more loue him then any other Mother euer loued her Ospring Novv so far forth as belongeth to the second Reason The sonne of the Blessed Virgin was and is specious and beautifull aboue the sonnes of men and doth excell both men and Angels in all manner of prayse Therefore it followeth that the Blessed Virgin who loued her Sonne aboue all others did also condole and deplore his death passion more then all others This point is so vndeniable as that S. Bernard is not afraid to say that the Griefe of the B. Virgin conceaued touching the Passion of her SoÌ„ne might be called the Martyrdome of her Hart according to that of S. Simeon Thy owne soule shall a sword pierce And because the martyrdome of the Hart seemeth more intollerable then the martyrdome of the Body S. Anselme writeth that the dolours of the B. Virgin were more sharpe and insufferable then any corporall martyrdome Certainly our Sauiour when praying in the garden of Gethsemani he suffered his hart to be martyred and strongly apprehending all the paines and torments which the next day he was to vndergoe and withall giuing as it were the reines and liberty to griefe and feare began so vehemently to be cruciated and afflicted as that a bloudy sweat distilled from his whole Body The which is not read to haue fallen out in his corporall Passion Therfore the B Virgin doubtlesly suffered most bitter paine and acerbity of affliction through the sword of Dolour penetrating her soule And yet in that she was most willing that the honour and glory of God should ouer weigh the loue which she did beare to the flesh of Christ therefore
owne state his care was touching the consolation and comfort of his mother neither did the expectation of the promptitude and fidelity of S. Iohn deceaue him for from that houre the disciple tooke her for his owne Ioan. 19. This Prouidence which Christ had towards his Parent ought with greater reason to be performed by other Sons towards their Parents For Christ did lesse owe to his Parent then other men do their Parents Other men are so obliged to their Parents as that they are neuer able to requite it For they owe their life to them for which the Sons cannot make any iust satisfaction Ecclesiasticus saith remember that thou hadst not beene borne but for theÌ„ Eccl. 7. But Chriâ—t and he alone is exempted from this generall rule For he receaued life from his mother I meane a humame lyfe but in lieu heerof he gaue to her three liues an Humane life when with the Father the holy Ghost he created her the lyfe of grace when preuenting her in the Benedictions of his sweetnes he did iustify her in her creation and created her in iustifying of Her he finally gaue to her the lyfe of glory when he did aduance her to eternall glory and exalted her aboue the quyre of Angells Wherefore if Christ who gaue moâ—e to his mother then he in his biâ—th had receaued of her would obserue the law to wit to render mutuall duty to her as his Parent how much more then are other men obliged to performe this duty towards their Parents Add hereto though in honoring of our Parents we performe no more then duty tyeth vs to Neuerthelesse the benignity goodnes of God hath added to it a reward saying in the Law Honour thy Father and thy Mother that thou maist be long liued vpon the Earth Exod. 20. And the Holy Ghost addeth by Ecclesiasticus He that honoreth his Father shall haue ioy in Children and in the day of his Prayer he shal be heard Eccl. 3. Neither hath God only annexed a reward to those who honour their Parents but also hath adioyned a Punishment to such that do not honour them For we read God sayth He that shall curse Father or Mother dying let him dye Matth 15. And Ecclesiasticus addeth He who exasperateth his Mother is accursed of God Eccl. 3 And hence it appeareth that the Malediction and cursing of the Parents against their Children hath a great force in that God coÌ„firmeth the same Of which point no few Examples are extant in Histories of which one most notorious and remarkable is recorded by S. Austin the summe and contents whereof is this In Caesaria a Citty of Capadocia there were ten Children to wit seauen sonnes and three daughters who being accursed by their Mother instantly euen by the haÌ„d of God they were surprized with such a payne and dolour as that all of them were horribly strooken and shaken with a trembling of their Members In which most loathsome state they not brooking the daily sight of their owne Cittizens wandred vp and downe throughout the Roman Empire Two of these at the length were cured in the presence and sight of S. Austin by the Relicks of S. Steuen the Protomartyr Aug. l. 21. de Ciuit. c. 8. Of the fourth fruite of the third Word CHAP. XII THe burden yoake imposed by our Lord vpon S. Iohn that he should sustaine the Care of the B. Virgin his Mother was truly a sweet yoake and an easy burden For who would not most willingly remayne dwell with that mother which did beare nyne Monthes in her Wombe the Word Incarnate and which did cohabitate with him most deuoutely and sweetly for the full space of thirty yeares Or who would not enuy the beloued of our Lord who in the absence of the Sonne of God enioyed the presence of the Mother of the Sonne of God But if I be not deceaued euen we our selfes through the benignity of the Word Incarnate for our sake and through the great loue and charity of him who was crucified also for our sake may obtayne in our prayers that he would say euen to vs Behould thy Mother and to his mother concerning vs Behould thy Sonne Our mercifull Lord is no Niggard of his fauours so long as we do approach to the Throne of his Grace with fayth confidence and a true and sincere Hart. He that is desirous that we should become Coheyres of the kingdome of his Father will not certainly disdaine to make vs Coheyres or Competitours of the Loue of his Mother Neither will the most gracious Virgin hardly or displeasingly brooke the multitude of her Sonnes since she hath a most ample bosome and greatly coueteth that not any of them should perish whom her Sonne hath redeemed with his precious Bloud and Death Let vs therefore come with firme immoueable hope to the Throne of the Grace Fauour of Christ And let vs most suppliantly and euen vvith teares demaund beseech him â—at of euery one of vs he would say to his Mother Behould thy Sonne to euery one of vs he would say of his Mother Behould thy Mother O! how well would it be with vs to be vnder the protection of such a Mother Who would be of power to draw vs from out her Bosome What tribulation could be so potent and strong as to ouercome vs confiding trusting in the Patronage of the Mother of God and of our Mother Neither shall we be the first in the obtayning of so great a Benâ—fit Manâ— haue gone before vs Many I say haue cast themselfes into the armes of her Patronage and defence and yet not any one euer returned back confounded or frustrated of their expectation but all cheerfull and reioycing as securely ankering themselues vpon the assistance of so great a Mother For of her it is written Gen. 2. She shall bruysâ— thy head in peeces And those who trust in her shall fearelesly walke vpon thâ— Adder and Basiliske betrampling vnder their feete the Lyon the Drâ—gon Psal 90. Out of a great multitude let vs heare the testimonies and acknowledgments of some few especially of those who haue confidently reposed themselues in the protection of the B. Virgin the Mother of our Lord and then we shall credibly coniecture them to be of the number of those to whom it is said by our Lord Behould thy Mother and of whom it is said to the Mother Behould thy Sonne Let S. Ephrem the Syrian be the first an ancient Father and of so great celebrity as that as S. Ierome witnesseth his Bookes were publikly read in the Churches after the reading of the Holy Scriptures This Father thus speaketh Intemerata prorsus pura Virgo deipara c. Intemerate and altogeather pure is the Virgin Mother of God Serm. de laud. Deipara And after Tu portus procellis c. Thou art the Hauen of those who are tossed with stormes the Comfort of the World the setter at liberty of those who are in Prison
fire In like manner let vs render all due thankes and gratefull aâ—knowledgment to the laÌ„be of God who had rather be left of God vnder the killing sword then that he would leaue vs vnder the teeth of the deuouring and infernall beast who is euer feeding and yet is neuer with feeding satisfyed 3. The third cause is the greatnes of the price of the diuine grace which is that precious pearle the which Christ the most wise merchant with sale of all he had did buy and restore to vs The grace of Christ which was giuen to vs in Adam which through the sinne of Adam we lost was so precious a Pearle or Margarite as that it did wonderfully adorne vs and made vs most aceptable to God and was a pledge of eternall felicity There was not any who could recouer this Pearle being the summe of our riches and taken from vs by the subtilty of the SerpeÌ„t but only the sonne of God who through his Wisdome ouercommeth the malice of the deuil but this with most great inconuenience to himselfe by being exposed to many labours and paines Thus did the Piety and Charity of the Sonne ouercome who committed himselfe willingly to a most laboursome iourney and most wearisome peregrination thereby to redeeme the Pearle for vs. 4. The fourth Cause was the most eminent greatnes of the Kingdome of Heauen to the which the Sonne of God opened a way and passage for vs by his immense labours and paines of which point the Church of God with a gratefull remembrance thus speaketh Tu deuicto mortis aculeo aperuisti credentibus regna caelorum Thou the sting of death being ouercome hast opened to the faythfull the kingdome of Heauen And that he might ouercome the sting of death it was needfull that he should striue and fight in a most cruell War with death in which War the Father did forsake him that with greater glory he might triumph 5. The fifth Cause was the immense Loue with the which the Sonne did affect his Father for the Sonne did wish couet that in the redemption of the World and abolition of sinne he might satisfy the Honour of his eternall Father most copiously and most abundantly But this could not be effected except the Father had forsaken his Sonne that is except the Father had suffered him to endure all those torments which could be excogitated by the Deuill and tolerated by man Therefore now if it be demaunded why God did as it were abandon his Sonne suffering all Extremities vpon the Crosse it may be answered that this was done to the end that the greatnes of sinne the greatnes of Hel the greatnes of diuine Grace the greatnes of Eternall life and the greatnes of the Charity of the Sonne of God towards his Father might more copiously and manifestly appeare From the consideration of which reasons another Question takâ—th its solution That is why God to many Martyrs did temper the Cup of their Passions and death with so great abundance of spirituall consolation as that those Martyrs had rather drinke the Cup of their sufferings with the mixture of those internall Comforts then without those comforts to want the Cup of their Passions and Tribulations And yet contrarywise he suffered his most beloued Sonne to drinke vp euen to the dregs as I may say his most bitter Cup without any Consolation whatsoeuer The reason of the disparity of Gods proceeding herin is in that in the holy Martyrs not any of the former Causes did take place which in the Passion of Christ we haue aboue mentioned Of the fourth Fruite of the fourth Word CHAP. V. ANother fruite may be added to the former not so much proceeding from the fourth VVord as froÌ„ the circumstance of the tyme in which it was spoken to wit of the horrible darknes which immediatly went before the pronouncing of the said word Since such darknes is most strong to illuminate and enlighten the Iewish nation as also to confirme the ChristiaÌ„s themselues in true fayth if so they wil diligently apply their mynd to the force of the demonstration which we will heere set downe The demonstration necessarily resulteth out of foure Truths The first Truth is that when Christ was crucifyd the Sunne was so wholy obscured that the starres vvere then seene in the Heauens as they are accustomed to be seene in the night This truth is warraÌ„ted and confirmed by fyue witnesses most worthy of credit and beliefe who being of seuerall nations liuing at seuerall tymes and in seuerall places when they wrote their bookes could not write what in those tymes happened out of any secret conuention or mutuall agreement among themselues The first is S. Matthew an Hebrew who did write in Iewry was one of those that saw the Sunne obscured And certainely this man being graue and wise would neuer haue written this in Iewry and as it is credible euen in the Citty of Ierusalem if it had not beene most true since otherwise in setting downe thinges vvhich all men did knovv to be false he might deseruedly be reprehended and derided of all the inhabitants of Ierusalem and of all Iewry The second vvitnes is S. Marke vvho vvrote at Rome and he also savv the Eclyps because then he vvas in Iewry with other disciples of our Lord when it happened The third is S. Luke who vvas a Grecian and vvrote in Greece and he in like sort was an cy-vvitnes of the Eclyps at Antioch in his own Country For vvheras Dionysius Areopagita did see the Eclyps at Heliopolis in Egypt S. Luke might more easily see it at Antioch as being more neere to Ierusalem then Heliopolis vvas The fourth and fifth vvitnesses are S. Dionysius and Apollophanes both Grecians at that tyme Gentils vvho in expresse vvords do testify that the Eclips vvas seene by them vvith a stupendious admiration These are those fiue vvitnesses vvho do vvarrant the truth of that Eclyps euen from their eyes and sight thereof To these vve may adioine the Annalls of the ancient Romans as also Phlegon the Historiographer to Adrian the Emperour as aboue vve noted in the first Chapter Therefore this first Truth cannot be denyed eyther by Ievves or Pagans vvithout notorious temerity and â—ashnes For as concerning Christians this verity belongeth to the Catholike sayth 2. Another Truth is that the forsaid Eclyps couâ—d not be effected but by the omipotency of God and therefore that it proceeded not in any sort from the diuels or from men seconded vvith the ayde of diuels but only from the speciall Prouidence and vvill of God the Creatour and Gouernour of the vvorld This verity is thus demonstrated The Sunne cannot faile in its light but by one of these three vvayes â—yther by interposition of the moone betvveene the Sunne and the Earth or through a most thicke and mighty grosse cloude or through the retraction vvith dravving or extinction of the bâ—amee of the Sunne After the first manner that interposition could not
the solitude and lonelines of the Turtle the purity of the Doue and the prudence of the Sparrow The solitude of thâ— Turtle chiefly belongeth to Monkes and Hermits who labour nâ—t to communicate with secular men but wholy deuote themselfes to Contemplation and to the prayses of God The Purity of the Doue conioyned with fecundity is necessary for Bishops and Clergy men who negotiate with men and whose function is to beget spirituall Children and to nourish and breed them vp Which men except they do often by Contemplation fly vp to the supernall Countrey as also through Charity to descend downe to the Necessities of men can hardâ—y coople and ioyne purity with fecundity but either as being giuen to Contemplation only they shal become sterill and barren or otherwise being wholy busied in the procreation of Children they shal be contaminated and defiled with terrene dyrt filth And thus while they couet to gaine others perhaps which God forbid they loose themselues Furthermore to both sorts of these men whether they giue themselues ouer to a Contemplation life or to an Actiue the Prudence of the Sparrow may very much aduantage and benefit them There are sparrows which are bred in the Mountaines others about Houses The Mountaine Sparrowes do with an incredible industry auoyd and flie the snares or nets of them that seeke to take them The domesticke sparrowes do make their nests about the caues of howses but they so conuerse and liue nere men as that they loue not the sight of them nor will easely suffer themselfes to be caught by them Euen so the prudence of sparrowes is necessary to all Christians but especially to the Clergy Monks that they may be cauteâ—ous in auoyding the deceites and snares of the Deuill and that they so do conuerse with men as they may profit them but let them auoyde ouermuch saâ—iliarity acquintance with them especially with Women Let them also eschew all Confabulations ouer much tattle as aâ—so immoderate eating and drinking Let them not be spectatours of common Playes and other publick sights except they couet to be ensnared by thâ— Deuill There remaineth the last law or Condition of sacrifices to wit That they be Hoasts not only liuing holy but also well pleasing that is sending vp a most sweet Odour and smell This point the Scripture signifieth when it sayth Gen. 8. Our Lord smelled a sweet sauour As also when it speaketh of our Lord Christ deliuered himselfe for vs an oblation and Hoast to God in an odour of sweetnes Eph 5. Now that an Hoast may send forth a moâ—t gratefull sauour vnto God it is necessary that it be killed and burned This also is performed in a mysticall and reasonable Sacrifice of which we speake with the Apostle to wit when Carnall Concupiscence is truly mortified and burnt away with the fire of Charity For there is nothing which doth mortify a mans Carnall Concupiscence more efficaciously speedily perfectly theÌ„ a sincere Loue of God for it is the King and Lord of all the Affections of the Hart and all of them are gouerned and depend of it whether it be Feare Hope Desire Hate Anger or any other perturbation of the mind Novv loue it selfe doth not giue place except it be to a greater loue And therefore when diuine loue doth inwardly possesse and inflame the hart of man then at the length do carnall Concupiscences giue place and being mortified rest quiet Thereupon fiery desites and most pure Prayers do ascend vp to God like to aromaticall wood in an odour of sweetnes This then is that Sacrifice the vvhich God requireth from vs and the which most promptly and diligently to performe the Apostle exhorteth vs. But because this Oblation is a thing hard â—nd fraught with difficulty therefore S. Paul vseth a most efficacious Argument to perswade vs to it The argumeÌ„t lyeth in these Words I beseech you by the mercy of God that you will exhibit your bodies c. Rom. 12. But which be they and how many are the Mercies by which the Apostle beseecheth vs First is our Creation by the which he made vs to be something vvhereas afore we were nothing The second when he made as his seruants he not hauing any need of vs but only that he might be beneficiall vnto vs. The third when he made vs to his Image and thereby made vs capable of our knowing of him and of his friendship The fourth When he adopted vs his Sonnes through Christ and made vs Coheires with his only begotten Sonne The fifth when he made vs members of his spouse and of his Body of both which he is the Head To conclude The sixt in that he offered himselfe vpon the Crosse an oblation and Hoast to God in an odour of sweetnes that he might redeeme vs from seruitude and wash away all our spots and that he might exhibit to himselfe A glorious Church not hauing any spot or wrinkle Eph. 5. These are the Mercies of God by which the Apostle beseecheth vs. As if he would say Our Lord hath conferred vpon you so great benefits you neither deseruing nor asking them Why then should it be thought greiuous to you if you offer your selfs a liuing holy and well pleasing sacrifice to God Doubtlesly if one would attentiuely ponder and consider these points it would not be thought heauy and burdensome but light and easy yea pleasant to serue so good and bountifull a Lord with your whole hart and strength throughout the whole tyme of your life and to the imitation and example of him to offer your selues as an Hoast or Oblation yea an Holocaust in an odour of sweetnes Of the fourth fruite of the sixt VVord CHAP. XVI THE Fourth Fruite may be taken from the fourth explication of the Word Consummatum est For if it be true as it is infallibly most true that Christ through the iust iudgement of God did transfer and bring vs from the seruitude of the diuell to the future fruition of the Kingdome of Heauen we are then diligently to search not to desist till we fynd what is the cause that so great a number of men make choice rather to deliuâ—r themselues vp againe to the enemy of Mankind that with him they may eternally burn in the fornace of Hellfire rather then to serue Christ being a most benigne Lord yea most happily and vndoubtedly to reigne with him I fynd no other reason heerof then because in the seruice of Christ the beginning is to be taken from the Crosse and that it is most necessarily inâ—umbent vpon vs to crucify the flesh with its vices and concupiscences This bitter Potion or cup of wormewood of its owne nature is most vnpleasing to a sicke Man and often is the cause why he had rather continue in his sicknes then to be cured after this manner Truly if a man were not a Man but a Beast or els a man depriued wholy of his senses and wit it might
be more pardonable for him to seeke to be gouerned only by sensuality and corporall delights but seeing man is partakâ—r of reason he vnderstandeth or ought to vnderstaÌ„d that he who commaÌ„deth the flesh to be crucifyed with its vices coÌ„cupiscences is not ready only to command but also to help yea to preuent with the ayde of his grace and so to direct that the skillfull Physitian â—ay know how to temper this bitter cup as that it may he taken drunke vp wâ—thout any fastidious difficulty Furthermore if euery one of vs were the first to whome it was sayd Take vp the Crosse follow me Math. 16. Perhaps we might distrust of our our owne force and not be willing to touch the Crosse as fearing we could not be able to support it But seing many before vs not only men of full age but euen children and â—ong virgins haue with great fortitude taken vp the Crosse of Christ and haue borne it constantly and haue crucifiâ—d their flesh with their vices and concupiscences why should we be afrayd why should we be disanimated dismayed thereat S. Austin being ouerborne in iudgement with this argumeÌ„t did maister ouerrule his carnall concupiscence which for a long tyme he thought impossible to conquer For he proposed to himselfe before the eyes of his mynd many both men and Women recorded in history as most continent and chast and then in the secret of his soule he said to himselfe Cur non poteris c. Why art thou not able to performe what these men and women haue performed They were not able through their owne force but through the assistance of their Lord God Lib. 8 Confess c. 11. And vvhat is here spoken of the Concupiscence of the flesh the same may be said of the Concupiscence of the Eyes which is couetousnes or auarice and of Pryde of lyfe since there is no Vice which may not be crucified and mortified through the help and ayde of God Neither is there any danger of the want of Gods good concurrency therin seing as S. Leo sayth Iustè inst at praecepto c. He may iustly command that which he furthereth with his owne assistance Serm. 16. de pass Dom. They truly are miserable I may well say mad and foolish who when it is in their povver to vndergoe the sweet light yoake of Christ therby find in this life rest to the Soule and in the next reigne with the same Christ rather will subiect themselues to the yoake of Oxen at the command of the Deuill and to be thrall to flesh and sensuality and finally to be tormented in Hell with their Lord the Deuill for all Eternity Of the fifth fruite of the sixt Word CHAP. XVII THe fifth fruit is to be collected out of the foresaid Words Consummatum est as they do signify the edification building of the Câ—urch to be consummate and perfected vpon the Crosse that the Church it selfe did proceed from the syde of Christ dying as another Eue from the rib of Adâ—m sleeping This Mistery teacheth vs that we reuerence the Crosse that vve honour the Crosse that we prosecute the Crosse with all loue and affection For who is he that loueth not the place from whence his mother came out Certainly all good Catholikes are woÌ„derfully affected towards the most sacred House of Loreto because in it the B. Virgin Mother of God was borne and because in it also Iesus Christ our Lord and God was borne not out but in the Virginall Wombe For thus the Angel speaketh to Ioseph That which is borne in her is of the Holy Ghost Matth. 1. And herevpon the Church it selfe being mindfull of her owne birth or Natiuity doth paint and place the Crosse in euery place on the fore-front of Churches in houses neither doth she minister any Sacrament without the signe of the Crosse nor doth she sanctify or blesse any Creature without the Crosse But we then especially do manifest our great loue to the Crosse when we patiently suffer aduersity for the loue of him who was nayled and dyed vpon the Crosse For this is to glory in the Crosse to wit â—o do that which the Apostles did They went from the sight of the Councell reioycing because they were accounted worthy to suffer reproach for the Name of Iesus Act. 5. And the Apostle S. Paul explicateth what it is to glory in the Crosse when he saith Rom. 5. VVe glory in tribulations knowing that tribulations worketh Patience Patience Probation and probation Hope And Hope confoundeth not because the Charity of God it powred forth in our Harts by the Holy Ghost which is giuen vs. And from hence it is that S. Paul writing to the Galathians thus concludeth cap. 6. God forbid that I should glory sauing in the Crosse of our Lord Iesus Christ by whom the world is crucified to me and I to the World This is the triumph of the Crosse if the world with all its delights be as it were deade to a Christian soule louing Christ crucified and the Christian soule it selfe become deade to â—â—e world louing tribulation and conâ—â—mpt which the World hateth and â—osecuting with contemptâ— carnall â—easures and temporall glory which â—e vvorld much loueth and admireth â—nd thus it is brought to passe that â—e seruant of God is consummated â—â—rfected so as it may be said of him â—so Consummatus est Of the sixt fruite of the sixt Word CHAP. XVIII THe last fruite remayning is to be gathered from the Example of the Perseuerance of our Lord vpon the Crosse since from that word Consummatum est we gather that our Lord had consummated and finished the whole Worke of his Passion euen from the beginning to the End so as nothing more thereto could be desired or wished The works of God sayth Moyses are perfect Deut. 32. And euen as the Father did perfect in the sixt day the vvorke of mans Creation and vpon the seauenth did rest So the Sonne in the sixt day did consummate the worke of mans Redemption and vpon the seauenth did also rest In vayne did the Iewes cry out before the Crosse If he be the king of Israell let him now come downe from the Crosse But S. Bernard sayth more aptly Serm. 1. de Resurrect Immò quia Rex Israel est c. Yea because he is the King of Israel let him not loose the title of his Kingdome And a litle after Non tibi dabit occasionem c. Christ will not giue occasion of depriuing thee of perseuerance which alone is crowned He will not cause the tongues to be silent of Preachers perswading and comforting the faint harted and weake and saying to euery of them Looke thou doest not forsake thy Place or Station the which doubtlesly would follow if they might reply Christ hath forsaken his Place Christ therefore perseuered vpon the Crosse till che end of his life that he might so consummate and perfect his owne Worke as that nothing