sygnifie a thyng in the misticall body of our sauiour Christe that is that the bonys of this misticall body which be the perfite men shuld nat be broken or ouercum by iÌ„pacience in any tribulacion or aduersite but that they shulde continue and abyde vnsuperable redy to suffre all thynges vnto the death And though sumtyme they be ouercum in body that ther body is taken and put to prison and paynes yet in mynde and good maners they be neuer ouercum nor broken And therefore they brake nat Christes legges But one of the sawgiours with a speare dyd thrust Christ to the hert and furth with there cam out watre and blode This man was claled Longius and he dyd thus for the pleasure of the Iues which wold be certified of his death This Longyne was then a cruell and a wicked man but afterward he was conuerted and dyed an holy martyr It is sayd that his syght was very feble and as the blode ran downe by the speare from the hert of Christe by chaunche it toched his yen and furthwith he had his syght clerly and so he beleauyd in Christe lefte his sawgiourshyppe and enstructe by the apostles in the fayth of Christ he leuyd an holie monasticall lyue by the space of .xxxviii. yeares in the citie of Cesary in the county of Capadoce and after that he had coÌ„uerted moche peopâ—e to the fayth of Christ by his holie word and good example at last he was put to death for the fayth of Christe And that watre and blode cam out of the syde of Christe it was done for .iii. causes Fyrst for the multiplicacion of myracles It was a boue nature and a very myracle that pure and very blode and pure and very watre shuld com out of any deed bodie And note here that this blod and watre cam not myxte to gether but fyrst very pure blod and after that very pure watre As Symon de Cassia sayth Secondly it was done for the vertue of the sacramentes For of this wounde they had theyr efficacitie and vertue And herunto saynt Austen sayth super Iohannem the euangelist vsed here a very good and a discreat terme sayng Aperuit latus eius Non percussit nec vulnerauit Saynt Iohan sayth that the sawgiour with his spear dyd open the syde of Christ he doth nat say that he smote or wondyd it but opened it that he myght shew that that wounde was as the dore of lyfe from whens all sacramentes haue theyr vertue as we sayd in the .lxiii. article with out the which sacramentes no man may entre in to y e eterne life specially if they may be had Thyrdly this was done to enflame our loue And herunto saynt Austen sayth One of the sawgioures dyd open Christes syde with a speare that by y t open wounde we myght se and know the loue that Christ had in his hert to vs and so therby loue hym the more strongly and faythfully ¶ The .ix. Myracle THe .ix. Myracle was the buriyng of Christ for it was a meruelouse rare and a thyng neuer hard or seen that a person so vilely and rebukfully hangyd vpon the crosse as Christ was shuld be so honorally buryed of great and deuote persons as he was Of this buriyng saynt Iohan sayth Post hec rogauit Pilatum Ioseph ab Aromathia c. After that Christ was deed Ioseph of Aromathy desired Pylate to graunt and gyue to hym the bodie of Iesu This peticion he made for iiii cauâ—es Fyrst for as Crisostome sayth Ioseph supposed that the malice of y e Iues that they had agaynst Christ had ben endyd seyng that they had crucified hym and therfore he went boldly to Pylate and asked y e body Secondly bycause of his familiarytie that he had with Christ for he was the disciple of Christ thoughe then it was nat openly knowen Thyrdly Ioseph was a good man and therfore he fearyd nat to do a good dede Of his goodnes Symon de Casia sayth We may nat iustly reproue this Ioseph in any thyng whome so seriously the euangelist Luke commendith sayng Ecce vir nomine Ioseph qui erat de curio vir bonus et iustus Hic non consenserat consilio et actibus eorum c. Behold saith Luke a man called Ioseph which was a noble man worldly for he was of the ordre of the court or of the councell of the emperour a good man to god iuste to his neighboures This Ioseph dyd nat consent to the counsell and actes or deades of y e Iues agaynst Christ he dwellyd in Aromathy a citie of Iurie and he trusted also and wayted for the kyngdom of god Som sayth he was decurio bycause he was a captayne ouer .x. men And this office agreith to a mistery for he keapt the .x. commaundementes of god and thus for his goodnes he was bolde to aske of Pylate the body of Iesus Forthly it was for his dignytie for as we sayd before he was a noble man and riche and well accept with Pylate and therfore he went the more boldly to Pylate where as a poore mean man durst nat be so bolde And therfore we may say that it was done of the prouision of god that Ioseph shuld haue that riches and noblenes wherby he myght the more honorably burye the body of our sauiour Iesu c. Of this we spake in the .lxiiii. artycle ¶ The .x. Myracle THe .x. Myracle or meruell was the watche keapyng of the sepulcre for y e Iues desyred of Pylate that they myght haue sawgiours to watch and keape the sepulcre which was a rare and a meruelouse thyng that he which was put to so vile and shamefull death shuld be keapt and watched And note that I do nat take a Myracle here properly and in his most propre significacion but largely as euery rare and vn wonte thyng y t is meruelouse may be called so a myracle And of this maruell we spake sufficiently in the .lxv. article of the second parte Of other myracles that ware shewed that tyme ye shal se hereafter in the treates of Bernardyne of the .xii. merulouse frutes of the tree of life and of the wonderouse misteries of the most holye crosse Also ye haue lyke myracles in the fyrst parte of this boke in the fyrst chapiter of the .v. particle c. ¶ Why Christ wold suffre so many and such greiuouse paynes for vs. Capi. ii HEre sum doctours assygne diuerse reasons as it ware by a manere of recapitulation or rehersynge of suche thynges as haue ben spoken byfore of the passion of our lord sayng that Christ suffred so many and so greuouse paynes for vs for that that he wold by euery one of them take from vs som euyll and gyue to vs som good thyng Which thyng is to be diligently attendyd and strongly also continually to be infixed and prynted in our hert We deseruyd by our synnes eternall heuines agaynst the which
and also to loue them with hert and continually that doth suche wronges vnto vs and to do good to them whiche all our sauiour Christe fulfylled here in this lyfe leauynge example vnto vs to folowe his steppes whiche steppes and examples the more narowe and paynfull or strayt they be in this lyfe the more they shal be ampliate coÌ„fortable ioyful in this lyfe to come And therfore the prophet Dauid sayth In tribulatione dilatasti mihi In tyme of tribulation thou hast opened and spred abrode to me thy consolations and comfortes And therfore the holy seruauntes of god whan they perceyue them selfe to abounde in the prosperities of this worlde then they be very ferefull suspectynge leste that they shuld receyue here in this lyfe the frute and reward of theyr labours fearyng leste that the iustice of god shulde se in them any priuy or lorkynge wounde of synne For the whiche of the ryghtuousnes of god they ought to be dampned And therfore he rewardynge theyr good dedes here in this lyfe with temporall pleasures wyl expel them from y e true inward eternal pleasures ¶ How we may coÌ„sidre the passion of Christ with a mynde to haue compassion therof The .ii.. Chaptre SEcondly we shulde considre the passion of our lord to haue compassion therof that is to say we shulde ofte remeÌ„bre in our hertes his beatynges and woundes mockes and rebukes and euery ymaginyng in ourself what deiection coÌ„tempt sorowe and affliction he suffred in his herte and in his bodye as we sayd before O how then the swetnes and pleasure of aungelles Iesus Christ was replenisshed with great bitternes and sorowe of payne O howe moche that payne dyd greue hym but moche more our vnkyndnes And aboue al dyd greue hym the trouble and affliction of his mother whom he so teÌ„derly dyd loue and agayn was so derely loued of her that for compassion of his payn and dethe she was in a maner as deed or semed to dye In remeÌ„braunce herof we haue great matter and cause to wepe for our synnes were the cause of his passion and deth and also of her compassion and great dolore or heuynes Wherfore to haue coÌ„passion of Christes passion let vs depely and inwardly coÌ„sidre that we were the occasyon of the deth of the onely sone of god we were false tratours vnto hym and so deserued deth but he of his inestimable charitie wolde suffer that shamful deth to deliuer vs from eternall dethe Let this charite his scourginges wouÌ„des mockes rebukes and deth perse the inward depnes of our hert let there be nothynge in vs but that it be anoynted with this coÌ„passion and also be wrapped with sorowe and heuynes for that deth and so we shuld dayly mourne as the louing mother mourneth the deth of her onely and teÌ„derly belouyd sone O how moch ought we to loue hym and to be kynd to hym which suffred so shamful a deth for our redeÌ„ption Therfore let vs studye and labour in all that we may to be associate and ioyned to hym with a most feruent loue For the more feruently we loue hym the more shall we haue compassion of his passion and so this feruent loue and compassion shall so moche encrease to gether and be augmented that they shall brynge vs to the perfection of loue and to the fruition of our louer Wherfore let vs be sory with hym trustynge verely and that without any doubte that if we be founde here to be partakers of his sorowe in sorowynge for his deth and passion we shal be made his felowes and companyons or partakers of his ioy and consolation For surely he that wolde nat hyde his resurrection from Marie Magdalene that with sorowe sought hym he wyll nat denye his glorie to vs that religiously and deuoutly do mourne with hym for his passion And therfore saynt Paule sayth Si tamen compatimur vt et simul glorificemur If we here suffer with Christe we shal be glorified with Christe Also our sauiour Christ saith Beati qui persecutionem patiuntur propter iusticiam quoniam ipsorum est regnum celorum Blessyd be they that suffer persecution for iustice that is for Christe for they shall haue the kyngdome of heuen And contrarie wyse saynt Austen sayth If thou be excepte from passion and payne that is if thou suffer nat here some payne thou shal be exempte from the nombre of the chylderne of god For as saynt Paule sayth Quem dominus diligit corrigit castigat flagellat autem â—â—ominem filium quem recipit Whom our lorde loueth hym he doth chastyse he correcth euery one of them whom he receyueth to his mercy and fauoure Therfore if ye be nat vnder correction as all the chyldern of god be ye be nat the childerne of god but of the deuyll Hereby ye may perceyue that good lyfe doth nat stand principally in good fare or wel liuynge but rather in paciently sufferyng wronges for Christe though it be a comen prouerbe that he liueth well that feadeth well Sed mentita est iniquitas sibi but carnall men speke carnally and so deceyue them selfe with lyes for as Gerson sayth the more that sensual nature is oppressed and ouercome for god the more grace we receyue our inward man is dayly reformed vnto thimage of god with newe visitations of grace And therfore I may say that man is conformed vnit and incorporate to god by werynge that moste noble and precious garment of payne and passion whiche our sauiour Iesus lorde and maker of all creatures dyd were and suffer in his owne bodye in this lyfe Hereunto sayth saynt Gregore The torment and payne that our lorde suffered gloryfyeth hym bothe inwardelye and outwardelye In vs also it compelleth hym to come to grace that wolde nat come It teacheth and enformeth the ignorant it kepeth vertue it defendeth from sekenes of synne it quyckeneth the dull person it meketh the proude persone it crowneth and rewardeth thinnocent and it stirreth or moueth man to suffer gladly dethe wherby he may come to euerlastynge lyfe Prayses and thankes be to god the father whiche hath gyuen vnto vs the victorie thorowe the deth and passion of his sonne Iesu Christe Amen ¶ Howe we may consydre the passion of Christ with a mynde to meruayl therof The .iii. Chap THyrdly we shulde considre the passion of Christe to meruayl therof It is a wonderous thyng to consydre who suffered what he suffered and for whome he suffered Fyrst I say it is a meruaylous thynge to consydre who suffered It was the sonne of god theternall and onely sonne of god very god and man all good all myghty all wyse the kynge of glorie And what dyd he suffer to be layd and to abyde as an infirme and frayle chylde .ix. monethes in his mothers wombe to be poorly borne to be chased and dryuen in to a straunge couÌ„tre he sufferd hongre thrist heat colde penurie pouertie tempestes stormes persecutions lyenge in
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
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
the vertue and operacion of the holy gooste And so the spirite of vnderstaâ—dynge cummynge to the soule of man thrugh the deuout and ofte remembraunce of Christes passion clenseth it and purifieth the inwarde and spirituall syght of man whiche was derked and blynded by the synne of our fyrst parent Adam and also doth cure and heale it with the knowledge of the worde of god as it were with an holsum ointement and doeth make it so pure and lyghtsum that it is apte to receyue or to beholde the clearenes of the deytie Clennes doeth sprynge of the gyfte of vnderstandynge And this clennes bryngeth in the vision or syght of god and therfore Christe sayeth Blessyd be the clene in herte for they shall se And therfore we sayd before that by the truth expressed declared in the moost blessyd passion of Christe men be illuminate thrugh the feruent remeÌ„brauÌ„ce of the sayd passion vnto the knowledge of the heuenly and godly truthes that so they may be made apte vnto the reparacion of thorder of Cherubyn For man in his fyrst creacion was so made of god that yf he had nat synned he shulde euer haue ben presente in the contemplacion of his creatoure and maker that man so seynge his lorde god shulde euer haue louyd hym and so louynge hym shulde euer haue cleued fast vnto hym And in so cleuyng fast to hym whiche is immortall he also shuld haue had lyfe euerlastyngly But man for his inobedience was cast from the face fauour of god And by his synne he was blynded with ignorauÌ„ce And he was put from that inward light of coÌ„templacion bycause he inclined his mynde gaue it to erthly desyres And the more depely he gaue hym selfe to the desyre of these vaine transitory thynges the more he forgat the swetenes of heuenly desyres whose taste and knowledge he had lost by his syn And so he was exiled banisshed from Paradise for his synfull conscience and wandred about here in this vale of misery by inordinate concupiscence And also the hert of man whiche fyrste fyxed in the loue of god was than stable permaneÌ„t in louyng onely one thynge that is god was at all tymes one after that it began to slyde vnto vayne worldly desyres it was diuided into as many thinges as thoo thinges that he desyred were dyuers many And so it foloweth consequently that y t mynde which can nat or wyll nat loue y t one thyng y t is very good one in it selfe y t mynde I say can neuer be stable For y e mynde nat fyndyng the ende of his desyre his purpose in those thynges y t he loueth so euer labouryng in vayne desyryng that thyng which he can nat opteyn can neuer rest stably quietly And herof foloweth continuall mouyng without stabilitie labour without rest runnyng without any ende of his runnyng And so the hert is euer vnquyet vnto the tyme it cleue fast by loue vnto one thyng in the which his desyre shall be saciate fully content with pleasure and also he shall haue a sure confidence and trust that that thynge whiche he so loueth shall neuer be taken from hym this shal be by our lorde Iesu Christe whiche is the way truthe and lyfe eternall And therfore he sayth Cum exaltatus fuero a terra omnia traham ad meipsum Whan I shal be exalted vpon the crosse I shall draw all my elect people to my self And this his eternall father promysed vnto hym by the prophet sayenge Ab oriente adducam semen tuum c. That is I shall brynge thy sede and faythfull chyldren or seruantes from the Eest by one parte of the crosse And I shall gader to the from the west by an other arme or parte of the crosse And I shall say vnto Northe Gyue to my sonne his seruauntes by the thyrde parte of the crosse And I shall saye to the Southe parte of the worlde Let nat my sonnes seruantes to cum to hym by the fourthe arme or parte of the crosse Brynge my sonnes or chyldren from farre cuntreys and my doughters from thextreme and vtttermoost partes of the erthe ¶ Example of this gyfte or spyryte of vnderstandynge The .xvii. Chapytre OF this spirite of vnderstandyng whiche is oft tymes gyuen to those that deuoutly remeÌ„bre the passion of Christ we haue example in the sayd hystoryes of Vincent of the ofte named holy woman Maria de Ogines Of whome he sayeth thus â–ª This blessyd doughter of Hierusalem adourned by the feruent remeÌ„braunce of Christes passion with manyfolde vertues illustrate or lyghtenyd with the foresayd gyftes of the holy goost and also hyr herte purified clensed with the gyfte of vnderstandyng she was conuersant in with heuenly thynges For she vtterly excludynge from hyr hert all vayne transitory sensuall faÌ„tasies gat into hyr mynde vniforme vnuariable heuenly imaginacioÌ„s And the more she apê“ched drew nigh vnto thimmutable maiesty of god the more purely these heuenly imaginacions shone in hyr soule And whaÌ„ hyr spirit so purified was kyndled burnynge in the fyre of feruent loue of god she asceÌ„ded into heuen by contemplacion as the fume or smoke of insence or other swete spices doth ascende so walkyng in heuen as it were from place to place euer ascendynge sought about to fynde hym whom she loued god omnipotent And so serchynge she was suÌ„tyme coÌ„forted with y e lilies of vyrgins Now refresshed with thodiferouse swete smellyng roses of the holy martyrs And suÌ„tyme she is venerably or worshipfully receiued of thonorable cuÌ„pany of the apâ—â—les sumtyme she is associate to the cuÌ„pany of aungels Whan she had thus ascendyd froÌ„ degree to degree walked with ioyouse glad mynde thrughe many places of heuenly paradise whan she was a lytle past all these cuÌ„panies she fouÌ„de hym whoÌ„ hyr hert moost feruently desyred there she perfitely restyd And whan she was in this quietnes it pleased our lorde to shew vnto hyr the boke of lyfe wherin whan she loked she perceyued many thynges by the spirite of vnderstandyng whiche afterward whaÌ„ she was cum to hyr selfe she shewed by the spirit of prophecy And so vpoÌ„ a tyme whan the heretikes called Albigenses were greatly multiplied thre yeres before that the people were marked with the signe of the crosse to go fyght against them she sayd that she se many crosses descende from heuen vppon a great multitude of people whiche people moued of god feruent zele that they had to our sauiour crucified intendyng to reuenge the great dishonour of god don by those heretykes cam froÌ„ farre cuntreys And whan they cam to a place called Mons gaudii the mount of ioy there were many of theym slayne by the heretikes And than this blyssed woman though she were in a farre cuntrey from y t place yet she se holy aungels makynge great ioye bearynge the soules of those
not wyllynge to differ hys deth and also fearynge lesse that Pylate shulde reuoke his sentence bycause he shewed hym selfe to haue a good wyll to delyuer Christ from deth therfore they constrayned a straunge man that passed by them called Symon Cireneus to beare the crosse after Iesus Not moued as the glose sayth of any pitye or mercye towardes Christ but that he myght the soner come to his death And also that it myght appere that Iesus was not god seynge that he was so feble weyke a man that he was not able to beare that crosse as sayth saynt Austen And this Symon was not a Iue or of the chylderne of Israell but a pylgryme a straunger of the Sirenys that is a cytye in the countrie of Libia And in this man was veryfyed the saynge of the prophet Dauid Popu lus queÌ„ non cognoui seruiuit mihi The people that I haue not knowen hath done seruice to me And though the iues put this labour that is to beare the crosse after Iesus vnto this Symon as to a vyle person despysed amongê them yet it was not done without great misterie for as the glose sayth Beholde and note here that no Iue or Ebrewe but a straunger a gentyle is subdued to the obprobry and crosse of Christe to shewe that the plentuousnes of grace of the sacramentes or misteries of the lawe shulde departe from the Iues vnto the gentyles Symon is as moche to say by interpretation as obedient and Cireneus is interpreted here 's that is an heyre And therfore by this man may be well noted all good christians conuerted frome the erroure of gentilitie vnto Christe whiche somtyme ware as pylgryms or straungers vnto the lawe and preceptes of god but by theyr faith and obedyence vnto the coÌ„maundemeÌ„tes of god they were made of the housholde of god and his heyres and also coenheritours with Christe And thus bearynge his crosse they brought hym to Golgotha c. as in the nexte article ¶ A Lesson IN this article we christians maye lerne to beare the crosse after Iesus for as the glose sayth Firste Christe beareth the crosse for he suffred first afterwarde it was put to Symon Cireneus to beare it after Christ for we ought to folowe the steppes of Christ for Symon dyd folowe we and not go before Christ And herunto our lord sayth in the gospell Si quis vult venire post me tollat crucem suam quotidie et sequatur me If any man wyll come after me lette hym take his owne crosse dayly and folowe me And here be noted thre thynges necessary for hym that wyl folowe Christ Fyrst that he beare it voluntarylye and not compelled agaynst his wyll and therfore he sayth If any man wyll come after me notynge therby that it muste be of his owne wyll Seconde that he beare his owne propre crosse and therfore he sayth let hym take his owne crosse Thyrde that it be done for the glorie of god and not for vayne glorie and therfore he sayth and folowe me do it to my honour and for my loue And by this crosse here is noted the purpose of godly and vertuouse lyfe so that the hole lyfe of a christiane whiche lyueth after the gospell of Christ may be called a crosse and a martirdome And this crosse is to be dayly borne after Christe and for the loue of Christe Fyrste in our hert by remeÌ„braunce and compassion In our mouth by ofte and deuoute thankes And in our bodie by discreate chastysyng and subduynge of the same that so we myght reanswere gyue thankes vnto our sauiour in hert worde and dede Herby ye may se that loue without this crosse nor yet this crosse without loue may deserue any laude or prayse in thought worde nor dede But that crosse is hyghely to be praysed whiche is ioyned with loue whiche loue also the same crosse doth brynge in In this state was saynt Paule whiche sayd of hymselfe Christo con fixus sum cruci I am fastened to the crosse for the loue of Christ In this crosse fyrst our flesshe or body is fastened with the nayles of feare and hexunto the prophet Dauid sayth CoÌ„fige timore tuâ—o carnes meas Fasten or nayle faste my flesshe with thy feare Secondly our spirite muste be fastened with the nayles of loue And thyrdly our outwarde senses with the nayles of disciplyne and rigour or payne And herunto the wyse man sayth Verba sapien cium quasi stimuli et quasi claui in altum confixi The wordes of wyse men be as pryckes or broddes and as nayles fastened in the profunditie of our senses Fourthly our handes must be nayled with the nayles of laboure And therfore the wyse man sayth Quodcunque potest manus tua instanter operare Werke diligently what so euer good thy handes may werke Herby it doth clerely appere that that person sheweth hym selfe manifestly to haue no true loue whiche wyll not prepare and gyue hym selfe to harde and paynfull thynges for his louer O howe gladlye ought the christians to take and beare his crosse syth he is taught and moued therunto by nature and also by crafte Naturally the byrdes when they flye in the ayre they vse the signe of the crosse for theyr hed and theyr tayle and theyr winges abrode make a crosse and so in theyr flyenge they take theyr crosse In lyke maner a man swymmynge takes his crosse The shyppe goyng vpon the see maketh the signe of the crosse Also a man to conforme hym selfe to this article shuld remeÌ„ber with how great charitie Christ bare his crosse for vs and of what heuynes it was to hym seynge that all the synnes of the worlde was put vpon his crosse whiche all this swete and mylde lambe whome he went to be offered dyd beare vpon his shoulders Also a man may ymagyne in hym selfe as if he bare the crosse of Christe with hym as Symon Cireneus dyd and so pray thus ¶ A prayer O Iesu whiche for me a wretche wolde beare thy heuy crosse vpon thyne owne shulders make me wilfully and gladlye to take the crosse of penance and streyter lyfe and to beare it daylye after the and for thy loue Amen ¶ Howe Christ was led vnto Golgoltha that is the mount of Caluarie The .xliiii. article THe .xliiii. article is the ledynge of Christe vnto Golgotha there to be crucifyed for after that they had layde the crosse vpon Christes shulders and there tyed it fast As saynt Iohan sayth Eduxerunt eum They led hym out of the citie Fyrste to fulfyll the fygures of the lawe For it was commaunded in the lawe that the calfe and the gote whiche were oâ—red in the moste solempne sacrifice for the expiation and purifyeng of the people that they shulde be buryed without the castelles or the habitacyons of men So Christe whiche is the sacrifice for the expiation and redeÌ„ption of all man kynde shulde suffer deth
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
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
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
The Myrrour or Glasse of Christes Passion ⧠⧠⧠HH The Preface ¶ To the honorable lorde Husey My lorde accordyngly vnto your desyre I haue traÌ„slated your boke put it into our natyue mother tongue as my simple wit and power lernyng wold suffer me And though it be nat so well done as I surely knowe many other myght can haue done it if it wolde haue pleased your lordship to haue deâ—yred theÌ„ and if also it wold haue lyked them to haue taken that labour yet I trust I haue so done that it may be comforth to the readers hearers or at the leste I haue gyuen occasion to ordre to amend and performe that I rudely and barbarously set forward Surely my lorde the chyefe cause of this my labour was for that I thought this boke shulde be moche profytable to the readers and edefyeng to all that wolde diligently hear it And to say the treuth I know no thynge more comfortable to man For amonges all the exercyses that helpe the spirite to obteyne the loue of god and specially to hym y t wolde begyn vse a spiritual lyfe no thynge is thought always more frutful thaÌ„ the continnal meditacion of the passion of our lorde god Iesus Christ for the exercyses of all other spirituall meditacions may be reduced and brought vnto this As by an example If a man desyre to bewayll and weape for his vices and synnes for his vnkyndnes and vilenes if he couit to purge amend his negligence defautes he shall fynde none more vehement and redy meane to pricke hym forwarde to his intent than to remembre the most innoceÌ„t death and passion of his redeamer that is to consyder what bitter paynes he suffred for man to spare and kepe man from payne eternall wherafter Iustice he shulde haue rather dampned man for his synnes And here man may see both the Iustice and also the mercy of god Man may coÌ„syder in hym selfe the great mercy of god in that god wold forgyue and ê‘don hym of his synnes He may also perceiue the iustice of god in his owne synnes whiche god dyd correcte punysshe accordyng to iustice in hym selfe bycause he wold nat suffre theÌ„ vnpunished And thus in this meditacion man may fynde how to weape and mourne for his synnes for the which the son of god was bet wouÌ„dyd and crucified and all that god suffred to cure man of his synnes kepe hym from eternall payne Here may also man bewayle his owne vnkyndnes consyderyng how vnkyndly he rendreth to so faythfull a louer so many yuell dedes contrary to goddes pleasure and also dayly contemptes and despysynges for his tendre loue and kyndnes and for his manyfolde gyftes which man dayly receyueth of hym Morouer this coÌ„templacion of the death of Christ indureth man both to hope and to fear wherby he may be releaued of two temptacyons â—or if the enormitie of his synnes moue any man to dispaire he hathe here in this exercise wherby to put away his synnes and to make satisfactioÌ„ for them he hath here wherof to redeme hiÌ„selfe y t is y e blode deth of his lorde god therfore he nede nat to feare his synnes if he so ordre hym selfe y t he dye with Christ dye I say from synne and ryse in a new lyfe And on the other parte it man be vexed by presumpcion or vayne lyghtnes and myrth without the fear of god he hath here how to abate his vayne myrth coÌ„syderyng how that heueÌ„ was shyt from the moste holy frendes of god by many yeres ye aboue .iiii. thousand yeres and how that the glory of god was denyed to maÌ„ or at the least differred by so many yeres vnto the tyme that our lorde and sauiour Iesus whiche neuer dyd synne suffred death for our synne so that no maÌ„ may come to that glory but by payne thus shall mannes vayne myrth be put downe If peraduenture man be dull and slouthfull to all goodnes where shall he haue a more spedy remedy to pricke forwarde his dulnes than to coÌ„sydre how his lorde god moste pure innocent man suffred so greuouse paynes for hym Some man wold peraduenture exercise him selfe in his owne knowlege and so to come to meknes But I pray you where shall he haue a better occasion therunto thaÌ„ to ponder and way the difformite and great difference of his owne study and labour and shortly the ordre of his hole lyfe and of the labour lyfe of Iesus Christ that is remembre man howe coÌ„trarie thy lyfe is to his wyl pÌ„ceptes how vnlike to his vertues how farre froÌ„ his ensaÌ„ples remeÌ„bre maÌ„ how frayle thou art redy to fal how vnstable in all thy good purposes how vnredy or rather loth to folowe thy lorde howe vnapte to all goodnes As euery man may dayly se in hym selfe Forthermore if maÌ„ wold be enflamed to loue god where may he haue better help than by this exercise for if it be natural to rendre loue for loue and the loue of god was neuer more openly shewed to man than in his redemption that is in the passion and death of our redeamer Christ Iesus it is than manifest that by this remembraunce of his passion a man is moste strongly excited and moued to loue god And if man desyre to be pricked forward in that loue let hym remembre the benefites of god which be as signes tokens of his loue And these benefites most euidently appere in his passion as ye shall more clerely se in this boke At last if man desyre that all his lyfe be continuall and perpetuall prayer and that he wold haue his herte euer lyfted vp to god and his deuotion or feruour euer renewed he shal neuer get it more easly than by the remembraunce of the lyfe and passion of his lorde god for there he may haue in euery worde acte behauiour and paine that Christ spake dyd vsed and suffred how to be compuncte and sory in hert how to be conforted in spirite For in the consyderation of them now he may wepe by compassion Now by gyuyng thankes he may haue swete affections Nowe he may desyre to be confourmed vnto hym and to his wyl Now he may labour and wysshe to be holly transfourmed into hym Thus may man go from one exercise vnto an other to auoyde tediousnes and so euer to be iÌ„ prayer And shortly to coÌ„clude there is no kynde of spirituall exercise but that it may be founde in the lyfe passion of Christ or els by moste pleantuouse fruyte it may be reduced and applied to it And this shall better appere in the fyrst parte of this boke the thyrde ê‘tycle Nowe my lorde I haue shewed what was the pryncypall cause mouyng me to accoÌ„plysh your desyre and if I may perceyue that ye or ony other take profyt therby I shall gyue prayses to god from whom all goodnes commeth and I beseache iour lorship to pray
that soule is seke that forgetteth the worde of god herde of the preacher But as that person is in peryll of dethe that can nat receyue or kepe his meate so he is in peryll of eternall dethe that doth nat remeÌ„bre and lyue accordyngly to the spiritual food of the soule Also saynt Barnarde sayth It may be thought that that person shal be eternally dampned by the ryghtuous iudgmeÌ„t of god that in this tyme of grace is vnkynde vnto Christes passion and therfore vnworthy the frute therof ¶ The .ix. profit Ingeniorum illuminat ceciâ—atem IT is also an oyntment to oynt the blynde yen of our soule â–ª and herunto sayth IohnÌ„ in his Apocalipse Collirio â—â—â—unge oculos tuos vt videas Anoynte the yene of thy soule with the blode of Christe that thou myghtest se And saynt Barnarde sayth There is nothynge of so great efficacitie and vertue to purge and quycken the syght of our soule as is the continuall and diligent remeÌ„braunce of the woundes and passion of Christ And therfore sayd saynt Paule Non iudicaui me scire aliquid inter vos nisi Iesum Christum et hunc crucifixum I iudged thoght my selfe to knowe nothynge but Iesus Christe crucifyed So saynt Laurence by the signe of y e crosse dyd gyue syght vnto them that were blynde and so coÌ„uerted them vnto the light of the faith ¶ The meditation of the passion of Christe doth gyue vnto the remembrer thre maner of knowledges Fyrst is the knowledge of god for therby we knowe what mercy and charitie he hath to vs Secondly therby we knowe ourselfe for by it we se manifestlie of what dignytie and howe precious our soules be in the syght of god sithe that our sauiour Iesu god and man wolde put hym selfe to the deth for to redeme our soules The thyrde knowledge is of synne for therby we knowe moste manifestlie howe moche god the father dyd hate synne syth for the destruction therof he wolde nat spare his natural and onely sonne but gaue hym to the dethe for to destroy synne ¶ The .x. profit Iustorum letificat mortalitatem IT maketh a man redy and glade to dye And therfore saint Paule bearynge the signes and tokens of the woundes of our lorde Iesu Christe in his bodye sayde Cupio dissolui et esse cum Christo mihi viuire Christus est et mori lucrum I couit to be dissolued and separate from this bodye and so to be with Christ I lyue here in Christe and for to magnifie Christe and to dye it shuld be great auauntage and profit to me So saynt Andrew went gladly to the dethe of the crosse saynge Hayle holy crosse take me from the compaigney of mortal men and rendre or gyue me to my maister Christe that he by the myght receyue me that by the bought and redemed me Also I rede how that a certen pagane and tyrante meruaylynge how that the Christians myght suffer so great tormentes and paynes and why they went so gladly vnto the deth It was answered to hym by the brother of saynt Victor howe that they haue the remembraunce of the passion of Christe imprinted in theyr hert and therfore remeÌ„bryng what he suffred for them they with great gladnes suffer all paynes deth for his name and loue And the iudge heryng this answere commauÌ„ded to put hym to deth and after that his bodye to be opened and his hert drawen out and so to be kut and deuided and therin they founde the forme and shappe of the crosse and the crucifix most subtilie and curiously made of synewes and vaynes ¶ The .xi. profit Lesorum reconsiliat contrarietatem THe meditation of the passion of Christ reconsileth enemis and induceth a man to the loue of god and of his neghbor And so our lorde sayde in the gospell Si exaltatus â—ueâ—o a terra omnia traham ad meipsum If I be exalted from the erth signifienge therby his crucifieng I shall drawe all thynges vnto me by my loue Also saynt Paule sayth Pacificans per sanguinem crucis siue que in terris siue que in celis sunt He dyd reconsile and pacifie by his blode that he shedde on the crosse both those thyngê that were in erth and those that were in heuens He that feruently remeÌ„breth the passion of Christe is all drawen in to the loue of god and in to the loue of his neighbor And therfore saynt Barnard saith O swete Iesu the cuppe of passion that thou dranke for vs doth cause the to be loued of vs aboue all thyngê There is nothynge that moueth vs so moche to the loue of god as the passion of Christe in the whiche he more laboured and suffred more payne and had more contradiction then in the creation of all the worlde For in his passion and the acte of our redemption some dyd contrarie hym in his wordes some dyd ley in a wayt to take hym with a defaut in his actes dedes some dyd scorne mocke hym in his tormentes and paynes and some dyd rebuke hym on the crosse at his dethe Wherfore who so euer feruently doth remembre this passion of Christ is drawen and reuysshed vnto the loue of Christe god man and so coÌ„sequently he is drawen vnto the loue of his neighbor for y e one can nat be had without y e other ¶ The .xii. profit Meritorum recompensat exiguitatem IT also encreaseth our merites herunto speaketh saynt Austen saynge What so euer grace of merites or goodnes that I want I do vsurpe and take it vnto my comforth of the woundes of my sauiour Iesu Christe for great mercy flowethe from hym nor theyr wanteth no conduites by the whiche they may flowe vnto me Those pyâ—pes and conduites ben the woundes of my sauiour Christe whiche be full of mercy ful of pitie swetnes and charitie And hereof we may perceyue fyrst that this meditation suppleyth in vs that grace and those good meritorious dedes whiche other wyse we be negligent to laboure for ¶ Secondely it may appere that there is no penaunce that may be compared to this inwarde and feruente meditation And therfore sayth that greate lerned doctor Albertus Magnus that this meditation is more profitable than that a man shulde fast one hole yere in breade and water or that euery day by one hole yere he shulde say one hole Dauid psalter or if he shulde discipline and scourge hym selfe euery day vnto the effusion of his blode And no meruayll for without the passion of Christe all our actes and dedes ben vnprofitable as sayth the mayster of the sentence Distinc 16. libro tertio ¶ The .xiii. profit NocumeÌ„torum fugat inopinabilitatem THis meditation of the passion of Christe doth preserue a man from many perylles that may come sodenly before we haue any consideration or knowledge of them Herunto it is writen in the Apocalipse that our lorde coÌ„maunded by his aungell to certen aungelles
thy drynke that is wyne made pleasaunt with spices And this signifieth y e wine of worldly tribulacioÌ„ or aduersitie whaÌ„ it is ioyned mixte with the meditacion of y e passion of Christe Also we rede in y e boke of y e Machabeis how that kyng Antiochus whan he shuld fight against the Iues he shewed vnto his Olephantes put in theyr sight the blood that is the red colour licour of the grape of y e molbery to thintent y t those Olephantes shulde be prouoked to fight to be the more quicke in bataile In lyke maner the knightê of Christe accordyng to thexample of these Olephantê shuld be animate quickened to suffre paciently all tribulacioÌ„s aduersities whan so euer they here se or remembre the blood passion of Christe whiche was pressed out of his body at his passion as y e wyne is pressed out of the grape Moreouer the prophet Hieremy sayeth Dabis eis scutum cordis laborem tuum Thou good lorde shal gyue vnto them a buckeler or a shelde for theyr hert or soule y t is thy labour passion or deth This buckler or shelde receiueth without any perill vnto y e soule al maner of dartes specially .iii. maner of dartes that is losse of goodes infirmities of the body and contumeliouse or rebukyng worde with this buckeler that is with the feruent meditacion of y e labour paine or passion of Christe a man ouercuÌ„meth almighty god in paciently suffryng his corrections louyng visitatioÌ„s He also ouercuÌ„meth the deuyll in auoidyng his snares temptacioÌ„s And thyrdly he ouercuÌ„meth him selfe in resistyng all carnall mocioÌ„s passioÌ„s of yre or wrath in paciently suffering all infirmities of the body And thus the remembraunce of the passion of Christ doth mitigate thaduersities troubles of suche as be troubled therwith And as ye se y t a litle floode or ryuer doeth lose his name whaÌ„ he is entred into y e see or into a greater water so I like maner al labours paines passioÌ„s coÌ„pared to y e labours paines passion of Christe lese theyr name be nat to be called paines ¶ The .xviii. profite RectoruÌ„ confirmat stabilitatem THe meditacion of y e passion of Christe maketh rightuouse good men stable in faith in good werkes We rede that there is a certayn welle in Englande of this nature that yf a tree be put therin continue there any long space or tyme it is tourned into a stone So spiritually if a christian continue longe in this welle y t is in the remeÌ„brauÌ„ce of the wouÌ„des dethe of christe he shal be tourned into a stone that is he shal be constant stable in all vertue goodnes for thaÌ„ he shal abide fastened with christe vnto y e crosse by pacience Herunto sayth saint Bonauenture O meruelous deth passion of Christe whiche doeth allienate seclude the remembrer from dethe spuÌ„all also eternall nat only that but also it maketh him angelicall nothyng els to consider thynke but Iesu Christe crucified He wyl bere his crosse with Christe so he bereth in his hert Iesu Christe who coÌ„teineth in his haÌ„de power bothe heuyn erthe And so for y e loue of Christ he shal bere most easely suffre pacieÌ„tly al troubles paines He wold be crowned with thornes with Christe for christ christ shal crowne hym with the crowne of glory and so as ye may perceyue suche a feruent meditacion of the passion of Christe doeth greatly stable vs in goodnes ¶ The .xviii. profite Supernovum Placat displicentiam THis meditacion doeth strongly swage pacify y e wrath displeasure of god al his saintê Herunto saith saint Bernard The remeÌ„brauÌ„ce of y e labours paines of my sauiour Iesu doeth erect streÌ„gth me in al aduersities it doth represse me and kepe me iÌ„ al ê“sperites it also gydeth or ledeth me by a sure way in this lyfe where as is now ioy now sorow now pleasur now payne c. This meditacion putteth away all peryls It reconsileth me to y e high iudge of y e worlde whyles it declareth vnto me hym to be very meke mylde here in erthe to whose maiesty all auÌ„gels in heuen do reuerence haue him in reuerent feare Also the same saint entraytyng these wordes of Iob. VtinaÌ„ appeÌ„deren tur petaÌ„ mea quibê° iraÌ„ merui â–ª c saieth thus Good lorde behold y e face of thy son christe whiche was obedient to thy wyll vnto his dethe good lorde let neuer y e printes of his wouÌ„des depart froÌ„ thy sight remeÌ„brauÌ„ce CoÌ„sider good lord what satisfaction he hath done for our synnes to reconsyle vs vnto the. I wold that thou god lorde wold wey and pondre our synnes in a balance with the paynes that thy innocent sonne Iesus suffered for them And then good lorde it shulde well appere that his paynes excedeth our synnes so that thou rather shewe thy mercy vnto vs for the merytes of his passyon then to kepe our synnes in thy remembraunce to reuenge and punysshe them ¶ The .xix profit Terrenorum pessundat vanitatem IT also maketh man to contempne and set at nought the worlde with all the pleasures therof And therfore saynt Paule sayde Mihi mundus crucifixus est et ego mundo The worlde is crucified to me and I to the worlde as if he sayd I dispise the worlde and the worlde dispiseth me Auicen reciteth how that a certen man by stronge ymaginacion that he had ymaginynge him selfe to be a leprouse man therby he was made a leprouse man So in lyke maner yf a man feruently deuoutly coÌ„tinue in the remeÌ„brauÌ„ce of the passion of Christe he may so haue a great sorow in his hert true coÌ„passion of y e passion of Christe so suffre payn with hym so consequently al Worldly pleasure shall be bytter paynfull vnto hym Herunto sayeth saynt Bonauenture Who so feruently remeÌ„breth the passion of Christe he desyreth to be crucified with Christe Iesu he reputeth thynketh hym selfe to be in seruitude bondage misery he doth sygh sorow is in continuall heuynes vnto y e tyme he be all to wasshed or drowned in the blood of Christe so traÌ„sfourmed into his lord crucified yf he be nat kept in the blood of his sauiour he thynketh him selfe no man yea worse thaÌ„ a beast yf he be nat clad with the passion of Christe Therefore who so euer doeth ofte and feruently remembre the passion of Christe he shall lytle regarde the vanities of this worlde and set them at nought ¶ The .xx. profite Viatorum gubernat prosperitateÌ„ THe meditacion of the passyon of Christe doeth gouerne direct men lyuyng in this worlde vnto the lyfe of eternall felicitie For the passion of Christe is the kynges hygh waye the right compendiouse waye to cum to the
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
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
to wysdom or the ende of wysdom is to reduce all thynges to a due order and ende and this perteyneth to peace For as saynte Austyn sayeth Peace is a tranquilitie of order that is whan all thynges ben brought to a quyet due order And therfore conueniently correspondeth to this gyft of wysdom the .vii. beatitude that Christe speaketh of sayenge Beati pacifici quoniam filii dei vocabuÌ„tur Blessed be the peacefull that make peace for they shall be called the chylderen of god And saynt Austyn sayeth wysdome is agreynge and acordynge to the peacefull In whom is no contrary mouyng or rebellyng but his mouinges ben subdued obedient to reason Sapientia is called a sauory scieÌ„ce so he hath his name a sapore of y e sapour sauour or taste as whan the mynde is touched with the taste of inwarde swetenes he doeth gader in hym selfe all hole by desyre to rest therin lesse yf y e mynde shuld wandre in y e coÌ„sideracioÌ„ of outward thingê it shuld shortly be dissolued by inordinat plesure of y e body or of y e world therfore he gadreth hym self all inward for within he hath that thynge in whome is all his delectacion and pleasure And therefore the spyryte of wysdom whan he toucheth the herte with his swetenes he tempereth outwardly the feruour hete of concupiscence so the concupiscence subdued he maketh peace inwardly to thintent that the mynd of man so hoolly gadred into that inwarde ioye myght fully and perfitely be refourmed vnto thymage of god And therfore it is wryten Blessed be the peacefull for they shall be called the chylderen of god And that for as muche as they haue the similitude of the naturall and onely sonne of god As saint Paule sayth Quos presciuit conformes fieri imaginis filii sui Our lorde hath predestinate and knowen before his chyldren here in erthe to be coÌ„forme or made lyke vnto thymage of his naturall sonne whiche is called Sapientia generata The eternally begotten wysdome of the father And so herby ye may perceyue that those persons whiche receyue the gyfte of wysdom by the deuout and continuall meditacion of Christes passion attayne to be the chyldren of god And this is it that we sayd before that the great charitie of god that apered in the passion of Christ shulde kyndle the fyre of loue to wardes god theyr neighbours in the hertes of all them that deuoutly remembre the same passioÌ„ that thereby they myght be made apte vnto the reparacion of the order of aungelles called Seraphin ¶ Here foloweth an example of this spirite of wysdom The .xix. Chapytre EXample of this spyryte or gyfte of wysdome we rede in the hystoryes of Vincente whiche wrytynge the lyfe of the ofte named Maris de Ogines sayeth in this maner Hyr herte thrughe the remembraunce of Christes passion was inwardely fulfylled with the spyryte of wysdome whereby hyr wordes were very swete confortable and all hyr werkes were made fatte or pleasant with a meruelouse swetenes of the spirituall vnction or ointement She was meke in herte mylde in hyr countenaunce swete in hyr wordes pleasaunt in all hyr werkes and drunken in charitie One tyme whan she had lyen thre days coÌ„tinually in hyr bed there restynge mooste swetely with hyr spouse Iesus Christe hyr ioye and sweatenes was so vehemente that she knewe nat how the tyme passed and so she supposed that she had scarcely lyen the tenthe parte of one quarter of an houre She had many meâ—uelouse and dyuers affections vnto our lord Sumtyme she was very hungery for god and sumtyme meruelouse thyrsty and drye for god And the more she had hym or felte hym the more her desyre dyd encrease And whan he wolde departe from hyr than she was sorowfull than she cryed and desyred hym to remayne and continue with hyr sumtyme she wolde enbrace and hold hym fast in her armes that he shuld nat departe from her and with many teares beseched hym that he wolde shew hym selfe more ofte tymes to hyr Sumtyme by thre days or more as it was sene to hyr he appered to hyr as a lytle chylde lyenge betwyxt hyr brestys whom she enbraced and halsed and hyd hym that he shulde nat be sene of other persons and so she lay kyssyng and playenge with hym as with a chylde Sumtyme he appered as a mylde lambe layeng his hed in her lappe Sumtyme our sauioure appered to hyr as a dowue to conforte hyr Sumtyme she se hym as a shepe or a wedder with a bright sterre in his forehed goynge about the chyrche to vysyte and conforte his seruauntes as she thought And in dyuerse solempne festes of our lorde he appered in dyuerse maners accordyngly vnto the feest As on ChristeÌ„masse day he appered to hyr as a chyld suckyng his mothers brestes or lyenge in y e cradell and than hyr affections was ordered to hym as to a chylde and so accordynge to dyuers apparicions she had dyuerse affections and so thrughout all the festes of the yere In the feeste of the Purificacion of our lady comonly called Candylmas day she se our blyssed lady offre hyr sonne in the Temple and how Simeon toke hym in his armes And in this vision she had no lesse ioye than yf she had ben present at the sayd oblacion whan it was actually don in the Temple of Ierusalem And in the procession of this same feest whan hyr candell was extyncte and without lyght by a long space of tyme sodeynly there cam a great and most clere lyght from heuen dyd light hyr taper or candell On good fryday he appered to hyr as crucifyed and hangynge vpon the crosse but very seldome he appered to hyr on this maner bicause she coulde nat beholde it hyr sorow was so great that she was ofte thereby in peryll of dethe And whan any solempne feest by the course of the yere drew nygh suÌ„tyme viii dayes before that feest she felt in hyr soule a great ioy And so she had diuersities of affections accordynge to the diuersitie of feestes after the course of the yere She se also sumtyme as it were bryght beames cummynge from thymage of the crucifixe dyrectly vnto hyr and so entred into hyr hert And in all these thyngê she had great delectacion pleasure hyr spirit was meruelously coÌ„forted therwith This blessed woman also was moche wery of this miserable life also was in a maner coÌ„tinually sicke for y e ferueÌ„t loue that she had to god coÌ„tinuall desire to be in his presence with him in eternall felicitie But yet in al these desires werynes of this exyle or worlde she had one singuler speciall confort remedie to refressh hyr in this vale of misery vnto suche tyme she might cum vnto that she moost desyred that is she had the heuenly Manna aungels food the sacrament of the auter the very body blood of hyr
of Christes passion they shall be so frutyfull that they shall bryng ioye to the aungels in heuyn meryte to the good persones lyuynge in erthe forgyuenes to the synners and great refresshyng and conforte to the soules in purgatorye And this is bycause Christe reputeth and accompteth all thynges done to any of his seruauntes whether it be good or euyll as done to hym selfe And therefore he sayeth in the gospell Quod vni ex minimis meis fecistis mihi fecistis What so euer ye haue done to one of the leest of myne ye haue done it to me And in an other place he sayd to his disciples Qui vos recipit me recipit et qui vos spernit me spernit He that receiueth you receiueth me and he that dispiseth you dispiseth me And so our sauiour Christ taketh all our paines and tribulacions committed to hym as I sayd before as his owne and oâ—â—rech them to his father as his owne with lyke effect and fruite as is sayd before Therefore euery good and faythfull person ought moche to ioye in his tribulacions and paynes For what so euer he suffre Christe doeth confesse that he suffreth the same in hym and with hym ¶ A prayer O Lorde Iesus Christe sonne of the lyuynge god whiche at mydnyght thy passion drawynge nygh wolde take vpon the feare heuynes for me moost wretchyd synner graunt me continually faythfully to referre all my tribubulacions heuynes paines vnto the the god of my hert y t thou wolde vouchesafe to bere them with me in the vnion of thy passion and heuynes That so by the merites of thy moost holy passion they myght be made to me fruitfull and profitable Amen ¶ Of the blody swet of Christe The seconde article THe seconde artycle is the flowynge of the bloode of Christe into the erthe by the maner of swet or of the blody swet of Christe flowynge from his bodye into the erthe For the seconde tyme that Christ prayed for anguysshe he swet blood and the aungell descendynge from heuyn aâ—â—ered to hym and conforted hym It foloweth therfore in thâ— gospell Factus in agonia prolixius orabat et factus est sudor eius sicut gutte sanguinis decurrentis in terram Christe was in a great agony and therfore he prolonged his prayer And in this prayer for his great agony his swet was as droppes of bloode runnynge downe from his body into the erthe Here do our doctours say that whan our lorde Iesus Christe dyd so prolong his prayer his most holy hert was greatly enflamed so coÌ„sequently all his hole body most holy most innocent In so moche that thrughe that greate feruour of prayer and his excessyue loue and moost feruent desyre that he had to suffre and to dye for our helth And of the other parte thrugh the vehement angwyssh and agony that he had in his manhode in the remembraunce of his moost greuouse paynes and shamefull dethe that he shulde suffre and thrugh the stronge reluctacion and stryuynge of sensualitie naturally abhorrynge that dethe and therfore myghtely fyghtynge agaynst it for these causes I say the poorys of his body were open and so flowed out the blood for his swet That vehement angwysshe and excessyue loue constreyned the bloode to cum out of the vaynes agaynst nature as Bede sayeth in so moche that many droppes of blood ranne downe by his clothes and fell vpon the erthe The loue of god in the herte of Christe dyd ouercum in that agony his natural feare and the feare of his manhode and so the bloode of Christe so quyckened and conforted by this loue was styrred and moued as yf it wolde haue cum all furthe of the body at that tyme thrugh that excessyue loue as yf he wolde nat or might nat haue abyden the tyme of his dethe appointed whan all that blood shulde be vtterly sheddyd And so I say thrughe this vehement loue the droppes of blood dyd issue and fall from the vaynes of his body And as the inwarde cause of swet after naturall phisiciens is the naturall hete dissoluynge that is hote and moyst in the bodye so the supernaturall cause of this bloody swet myght be the feruent hete and burnynge of his excessyue loue redowndyng from the herte of Christe into al his hole body there dissoluynge the vaporouse moisture Phisiciens also say that it is possible that a man may swet naturally thrugh the vehemeÌ„ce of loue In lyke maner as our doctours say Christe swet blood aboue nature thrugh his vehement feruour of charitie for thaÌ„ the more he approched to his dethe the more he burned in loue for the feruente desyre of our helthe O how bytter and paynefull was this dethe of Christe in it selfe sythe the onely imaginacion therof dyd so greatly chaunge thorder of nature for it drew from all the partes of his bodye droppes of bloode as yf he had swet whiche blody swet shulde signifie and note to vs the helthe of his misticall body that is the catholicall chyrch Hereto sayth saint Bernarde By the erthe moisted with the bloody swet of Christ is signified that erthely men shulde be redemyd by the bloode of Christe By the whiche blood also he shulde reduce vnto lyfe all the worlde ded in synne Woo be to that wretchyd hert that wyll nat be moisted and made softe with this blood or swet Beholde thou wretche the great tribulacion of this most mylde gentyll louynge herte in what angwyssh it was whan all his bodye on euery parte swet blood O thou my stony herte quake and tremble and breke in pecys and moyst thyne iyen with blody teres for as thou mayst se thy creatour and maker is all wet in bloode for the and that with suche plenty that it ranne downe vpon the erthe And surely his body outwardly wolde neuer haue bene so wet with bloode yf his herte inwardly had nat ben broken with sorowe and heuynesse Therefore the prophete sayeth in the persone of Christe Contritum est cor meum in meipso My herte is broken within me The herte of our mooste louynge Iesus thus inwardly broken or cut the outwarde skynne also was broken so that his blood myght abundantly flow out vpon the erthe And this bloody swette was very naturall and true bloode of the moost purest body of Christe But as we sayd before it was nat shed naturally for it is agaynst nature to swet blood ⸪ ⸫ ¶ Doctrines or holsom lessons IN this artycle we may take thre holsum and profytable lessons Fyrste by the apparicion of the aungell c. We be enfourmed that the holy aungelles of god do assyst vs and also conforte vs in our prayers Hereunto sayeth the prophete Dauyd Preuenerunt principes coniuncti psallentibus The prynces or holy aungelles do preuent them that prayse god or praye to hym with theyr helpe and also be ioyned vnto them in theyr praysynges And in an other place he sayeth In
his feete when they were made all redde with blode The sandalles haue a reed hole aboue wrought with red sylke and the glouys haue an vche or a redde precyous stone or otherwyse wrought with red to signifye the woundes of Christ in his handes and feete These be the ornamentes of a bisshop whan he doth consecrate any thyng Also many of these the preest doth vse at his masse to signify that he shuld haue in his vnderstandynge the meditacyon of Christes passion in his memorie the remembraunce therof The compassion ther of in his affection and wyll so that as he is lyke to Christ in his vestmentes so he may be lyke in his herte and mynde and also lyuynge for who so euer hath these outwarde tokens of Christes passion nothyng fealyng inwardly by meditacyon and compassyon doth not serue or loue Christ but rather mocke hym with Herode which in that white garmeÌ„t sent hym to Pilate agayne As it shall appere in the nexte article ¶ A Lesson OF this article we may lerne this lesson all they that wyll lyue godly innocently after the example of our newe man Christ shal be mocked be had as folys of other persons y t lyue after the old synful maner But for al this the true spirituall seruantes of god shulde not be troubled but rather ioyfull for the newe man our sauiour Christ clad in a white garmeÌ„t which signifyeth to vs christians his innoceÌ„tie was mocked 〈◊〉 of the chylderne of this worlde to whome that white garmente was a signe of folisshenes Also a man in his garmentes or arayment shuld onely loke for profyt and his necessitie and nothyng for vanitie or curiositie for our sauyour was reputed as a fole for his aray And that a man myghte conforme hym selfe to this article he shulde thanke god that it wold please hym to gyue to vs the garment of innocentie for the derision that he suffred of his whyte cote And a man shulde also oftymes thynke howe oft he hath defoyled by his sinnes that white vestment of innocentie whiche our lorde gaue to vs at our baptisme and pray thus ¶ A prayer O Iesu which wold be for me clad in a white garment mocked as a fole of Herode and his seruaÌ„tes grauÌ„t me warely to declyne or auoyde the wisdome of this worlde whiche in thy syght is but a folisshenes and with a pure hert to come to the whiche arte the very true wisdome Amen ¶ Howe Christ was sent agayne to Pylate The .xxviii. THe .xxviii. article is the sendyng agayn of Christ from Herode vnto Pilate for Herode when he fond no cause of deth in christ he dispysed mocked hym sent hym agayn to Pilate in a white cote and in this it apereth that he dyd coÌ„sent vnto y e deth of Christ for sith Christe was sent to Herode as one of his iurisdiction vnder his power when he se no cause worthy deth ê“ued of Christ he shulde haue absolued hym deliuered hym from y e handes of the Iues and not to haue sent agayn vnto a strauÌ„ge iuge y e which had no power ouer hym And so Herode offeÌ„ded in that y t he sent Christ agayne vnto Pylate which seÌ„dyng agayne is coÌ„ueniently taken for a speciall article for therby Christ had a newe payne labour Also for that he returned agayne to Pylate clad in a white cote to his greate shame rebuke Thyrdly by cause also he brought w t hym Herodes consent of his owne deth whiche appered both in signe or token and also in dede In signe bycause he was sent in a folys cote In dede that is in the coÌ„federation of theyr frendshyp for that same day Herode Pylate by this sendynge of Christe were made frendes where as before they were enemyes which frendshyp of Herode Pylate was a figure sygne that the Iues and gentyles shulde agre to gether in the persecucyon of christians Or els we may take this frendshyp for a good signe saynge that the Iues gentiles which before y e deth of Christ were enemies by his deth were made frendes agreynge in one faythe of Iesu Christe For he is the peace or corner stone that ioyneth the two diuerse peoples in one And whan Pylate se that Herode sente Christe agayne vnto hym he was very sorye therof And so cast in his mynde howe he myghte delyuer Christe frome deth And therfore he called togyther the prynces of the preestes the greate men of the Iues and the comen people and goynge forth to them sayde ye haue broughte and presented to me this man c. As in the nexte article ¶ A Lesson OF this article we may take this lesson that the nature of goodnes hathe suche strengthe and vertue that it agreithe euyll persones and maketh theym frendes and specyallye in the persecucyon of goodnes and therfore the euyll persons may be well signifyed by the foxes that Sampson toke and tyed theyr tayles togyther to distroye the corne and fruyte of his aduersaries So euyll persons ben confedered and tyed togyther to persue good men and so Herode and Pylate the Iues and the gentiles agreed to gyther against our lord and his sonne Christ And herto sayth Theophilus The deuyll in al places coÌ„ioyneth and agreeth enemyes to conspyre the deth of Christe Therfore the iuâ—te person shulde not be afrayd thoughe he se euyll persons copled agaynst hym for that is a signe y t there is some goodnes in hym and therby also he is coÌ„formed made lyke vnto Christ agaynst whom all euyl persons agreed in one and also those persons as were enemyes before Also a man to conforme hym selfe to this article shuld remember what payne it was to Christe to be so shamfully led from one iudge to an other and if a man haue any hatred in his herte agaynst any persone let hym forgyue it with all his hert and that for the loue of Christ the whiche for vs in his blessed passyon wolde also agree wycked persones and make them frendes and praye thus ¶ A prayer O Iesu whiche for me wolde be sent agayne from Herode vnto Pylate and therby wolde make them frendes graunt me that I feere not the frenshyp of wicked men agaynste me but rather that I may so profyte by theyr exercyse that I maye deserue to be conformed and made lyke vnto the. Amen ¶ Howe Christ was forsaken of the Iues and Barrabas by them was delyuered The .xxix. article THe .xxix. article is the reprouing or forsakyng of Christ for whan Christ was brought agayn to Pilate he called together the princes of the preestê the great men of the Iues the comen people and goyng forth vnto theym sayd Obtulisti mihi huÌ„c hoiem quasi auerteÌ„tem populum c. Ye haue â—sented this man vnto me as a subuerter of the people and behold said Pylate I examynyng hym afore you can not fynde hym gylty in any
pyllar and greuously scourged graunt to me that I may pacientlye and gladly beare the scourges of thy fatherly correccyon and neuer to scourge the agayne with my synnes Amen ¶ Howe they put an olde purpur cote vpon Christe The .xxxii. article THe .xxxii. article is the puttynge on of an olde purpull cote for after that Christe was scourged and lowsed from the pyllar they ledde hym so naked and scourged aboute the house to gather vp his clothes which were cast about the house in diuers places by those cruel tormentours and when he hadde founde them and wolde haue put them vpon hym those most wicked saugiours sayd to Pylate Syr this lewde felowe called hym selfe a kynge therfore if it please you we shall aray hym lyke vnto a kynge and so moche scornfullye they brought before hym al the ornamentes coÌ„uenient for a kyng and then these wretches called in all theyr compaigney that they myght mocke Christe asmoche as any of them wolde before that they wolde put hym vnto the deth Pylate paraduenture commaundynge or at leste sufferynge that it shulde so be and that he dyd to mitigate and swage the furie and malicyous mynd of the Iues. Or els as Crisostom sayth The saugiours dyd thus to please the Iues of whom they receyued money Fyrste they put vpon hym a robe of purpull a kynges garment but it was olde to the more confusyon of Christe this garment was conuenient for the bodie of Christe so scurged for it was of red coloure and all his bodye was red with his owne blode And herin was fulfylled the question that the prophet moued in the persons of the angelles saynge Quare rubrum est indumeÌ„tum tuum et vestimen ta tua sicut calcantium in torculari Why is thy clothyng red and thy garmentes as of them that treyd in the presse to the whiche Christe answereth by the same prophet saynge Torcular calcaui solus I alone haue troden in the presse I alone haue suffred the pressure and payne of the crosse of scourgynges and beatynges for the synne of Adam and all mankynde and therfore my bodye whiche is as the garment of my godhed is all red Also this purpull vestment was moche conuenient to Christe for purpull colour is made of the blode or lyquor of a certen fysshe of the see that is called in latyn Murex or conchilium some men call it a Whelke it is a shell fysshe Our sauyour Christe was cladde on good Fryday with .iii. maner of garmentes that is a whyte garment a scarlet robe and a purpull robe to signify that who so euer wylbe of the houshold of Christ he must were the whyte garment of innocentie the reed or scarlet of charitie and obedyence and the purpull of penaunce ¶ A Lesson IN this article we may take this lesson that we shulde hyde and couer our synnes with the werkes of charitie for like as Christ scourged and wounded for our synnes wold be couered and clad with a robe of purpull so we shulde couer and hyde our blody werkes that is our synnes with the purple of florisshynge charitie For as saynte Iames sayth Charitie couereth and hydeth the multitude of synnes Or els by the purpull may be noted the remembraunce of the passyon of Christ Herunto it is writen in the canticles of the spouse of god that is the faythfull soule Come capitis eius sicut purpura regis The heyre of her hed be as the purpull of a kynge for the cogitations of our mynde whiche be signifyed by the heyre of oure hed shuld be diligently and continually occupyed in the remembraunce of the paâ—syon of Christ or els aboute other werkes of charitie And a man to conforme hym selfe to this article and to the .vii. other folowynge shulde diligently remember the acte of euery article with the circumstances of the same And praye thus or in lyke maner ¶ A prayer O Iesu whiche for me wolde be clad in an olde purpull robe to thy dispysynge graunte me continuallye to haue in my mynde or to be clad with the remembraunce of thy passyon and to hyde and couer my synnes with the purpul of charitie Amen ¶ Howe Christ was crowned with thornes The .xxxiii. article THe .xxxiii. article is the puttynge of the crowne of thornes vpon the hed of Christe A kynge shulde haue a deademe or a crowne and for this crowne the saugiours writhed a crowne of thornes thurst it harde vpon his hed as a man shuld put a garlande vpon an other mannes hed And this crowne was of the sharpe russhes of the see whiche hath sharp corners and prickes more sharpe and persynge than thornes This crowne they put vpon his hed with the prickes dounwarde vnto his hed not so moche to hurte hym as to mocke hym therwith though they dyd both mocke hym and also moste greuously payne and hurte hym and herunto sayth saynt Barnarde That godlye hed of Christ was persed vnto the brayne with those thornes in so moche that the blode that ranne from his hed dyd wasshe his forhed chekes all his face and necke In this crowne was .lxxvii. sharp thornes of these thornes it was spoken to Adam Terra spinas et tribulos germinabit tibi The erth shall bryng forth or burgen to the thornes and breers for the erth of our bodye doth burgen and brynge forth many synnes whiche with theyr prickes dothe prycke and wounde our conscience as thornes the bodye Christ toke these thorne and bare them as a crowne of victorie These warryours that haue ouercome theyr enemyes are wonte to beare or weare the armoure of theyr aduersaries subdued in a signe or token of victorie and do greatly reioyse therin So Christe the lambe of god whiche hath ouercome the deuyll and taken away the synnes of the worlde and wolde weare a crowne of thornes vpon his hed in token of his victorie For as I sayd before these thornes were our frute and the badge of our armes therfore Christe wolde weare them It is moche pleasaunt and also desyrous to euery louyng soule to se our kyng with this crowne And herunto the spousesse in her canticles callethe all faythfull soules sayng Egredimini filie sion et videte regem salomonem in diademate c. O ye doughters of syon or faithful soules come forth and se your true kynge Salomon Iesus Christ in his diademe or crowne with the whiche his mother the sinagoge of theÌ„ Iues hath crowned hym or els spiritually his mother charitie hath thus crowned hym For as saynt Barnarde saythe Thy loue O blessed Iesu and our iniquitie made the to be scourged and crowned and nayled to the crosse A figure of this crownyng we rede that Abraham se a shepe or a wether fastned by his hornes amonge the thornes in the whiche visyon he spyrytuallye dyd se Christe crowned with thornes ¶ Here folowe .ii. Lessons THe firste lesson of this article is that we euer bere our synnes by
and sorowe hope is the parte that is vpwarde feare is downwarde loue of the ryght syde and sorowe of the lefte parte the roote wherof all these do sprynge is charitye And herunto sayth the apostle In caritate radicati vt possitis comprehendere c. Be ye founded in charitie that ye maye comprehende and clerely se with all sayntes what is the length the brede the hyghte and the depenes In these wordes as saynte Austen sayth and also the glose ordinarye is playnly expressed the figure of the crosse and the misterie therof And a man to conforme hym selfe to this article shulde ofte remember howe Christ dyd hyng bitwixt .ii. theues and remeÌ„bre therwith this lesson pray thus ¶ A prayer O Iesu whiche for me a wretche wolde be crucified bitwyxt ii theues and wolde be reputed as one of them graunte that my spirite may be crucifyed bitwixt the flessh and the world that I may reste quietely in the in the middle the extremes that is the flesshe and the worlde crucified to me Amen ¶ Howe the saugiours diuided Christes garmentes The .liiii. article THe .liiii. article is the diuision of Christes garmentes for when the saugiours had crucified Christe they toke his garmentes deuyded them in to .iiii. partes to euery saugiour one parte for there were iiii hangmen and besydes those .iiii. partes Christ had an other cote that was hole vnsewed or without any seame for it was wouen or knytte Of this cote the saugiours or hang men sayd Non scindamus eam sed sottiamur de ea cuius sit We wyll not cut this cote but cast lottes who shall haue it and herin was fulfylled the scripture whiche sayth Diuiserunt sibi vestimenta mea et super vestem meam miserunt sortem The hangmen deuyded to them selfe my garmentes and they cast lottes vpon my garment This was a great abiection and vilanie to Christ as Crisostom saith for they dyd not so to the theues This thyng is onely done to vyle abiecte and condempned persons that haue nothynge but his garmentes And Theophylus sayth they dyd this to the rebuke and shame of Christ and of a wantones as yf they shulde say scornfully bicause he called hym selfe a kynge we wyll haue iche one of vs some of his royall or kynges roobes O meruelous pacyence and dispensacyon of the mercy of Christ whiche is the very lambe of god a shepe or a lambe doth bothe fede and cloth them that clyp hym and sley hym he feades them with his flesshe and body and clotheth them with his flees So our true lambe Iesu Christe dyd cloth those saugiours with his garmentes and also he feades vs daylye in the sacrament of the aulter with his precyous bodye flesshe and blode ¶ A Lesson OF this article we may note that charitie which after saynt Austen is signifyed by the cote without seames can not be deuyded and yet that same charitie doth knytte vertues togyther And also by that same cote is signifyed one holye catholical and vniuersall churche whiche gathereth all faythfull people in to one fayth which churche faith No man ought to deuyde by any scisme or heresye Of this churche speaketh the spouse in his canticles Vna est columba mea vna est perfecta mea My douue that is my spousesse symple as the douue is one my perfecte spousesse is but one and so theyr is but one churche as theyr is but one god one fayth and one baptisme ¶ A prayer O Iesu whiche for me wolde haue thy garmentes deuyded amonges thy crucifiers and wolde haue them cast lottes for thy vnsewed cote that was wouen or knyt and without seames graunt to me to take parte with thy saintes and to folowe theyr examples in the kepynge of thy commaundementes and that I maye euer keape thy charitie in me Amen ¶ Of the writynge of the title aboue Christes heade The .lv. article THe .lv. article is the superscription or wrytynge of the title for Pylate at the desyre of the Iues wrote a title expressynge the cause of Christes deth and this was it Iesus nazarenus rex iudeorum Iesus of Nazareth kynge of the Iues as if he shuld say Iesus of Nazareth was crucifyed bycause he is the kynge of the Iues. And this title was writen thus to separate the cause of his deth from the causes of the other .ii. that were crucifyed with hym and that for theyr euyll dedes and lyfe The Iues intended by this title as Theophilus sayth scornfully to rebuke the person of Christ which as they sayd made hym selfe a kyng so that the people passynge by and redynge this title shuld haue no compassion vpon hym but rather rebuke hym as a tyrante that wolde haue vsurped the kyngdome But Pylate wrote not as they wolde haue had hym to write that is that he made hym selfe the kynge of Iues but he wrote playnly that Iesus is the kynge of Iues. And herunto saynt Hierome sayth the Iues of enuy and to scorne Christe dyd speake for the writyngâ—of the title but the vertue and secreate power of god dyd ordre it otherwyse in the herte of Pylate thoughe he were ignorant and wyâ—t not what he dyd as the glose sayth For it was god that procured suche a title to be put aboue Christes heed that therby the Iues myghte knowe that Iesus was theyr kynge and that they culd not auoyde though they slewe hym for that purpose y t they wolde not knowe hym for theyr kynge that notwithstandynge it appered by the title that he was theyr kynge for his kyngdom or dignitie was not lost or hyndred by the deth of the crosse but rather confirmed stablysshed and the more strengthed as Bede saythe Also by this title Pylate commended Christe in .iii. thynges thoughe Pylate dyd not so intende for the deth of Christe was firste the cause of the remission of our synnes and that is noted in this worde Iesus a sauiour Secondly the deth of Christ is the cause meritorious of our grace that we haue aâ—d that is noted in this worde Nazarenus that is as moche to saye as florisshynge for by grace we florisshe in all vertues Thyrdly by the deth of Christe we be made enheritours of the kyngdome of god noted in these wordes Rex iudeorum The kyng of Iues that is of all faithfull people that truely confesse god and by this kyng we all shal be kynges in glorie And when many of the Iues had red this title and perceyued that it was to theyr infamy sclaunder sayd to Pylate Noli scribere râ—x iudeorum sed quia ipse dixit rex sum iudeorum wryte not thus the kynge of Iues but that he sayd I am the kyng of the Iues then Pylate sayd Quod scripsi scripsi That I haue writen I haue writen as if he shuld say It is true that I haue writen and therfore I wyl not chauÌ„ge it I wyll not
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
And in this solempnitie we haue example of our resurrection the hope and trust of the heuenly cuntre is offred to vs the clausures of hell ben destroyd and the gates of heuyn be openyd to vs. Therfore this is the day that our lorde hath made Ioy we and be glad therin For this day Christ hath taken away the burnyng swearde and openyd the gates of paradyse which no man myght cum before vnto that Christ cam thyther with the holy thefe sayng to y e auÌ„gelles Open ye to me the gates of iustyce and I entred in to them shall prayse god This is the day in the which the sinagoge is deed or endid and the church borne or begun This is the day in y e which we syng Alleluya that is we laude and prayse god Prayse we therfore frendes our lord god in our lyfe and in our speach with herte and mouth with our voyces and good maners for so will our lord god haue Alleluya that is his praysynges song to hym that there be no discorde in the prayse that his lite and wordes agrey in one O blessyd Alleluya or praysyngê of god that is song in heuyn where as is the temple of god and legions of auÌ„gelies There is the most hyghe concorde of the praysers There is no repugnaunce in the membres agaynst the spirit There is no stryuyng for couetise wherby shuld perish y e victorie of charitie Let vs here syng Alleluya diligently that there we myght syng it surely here in hope ther in the very presence of god here in the way there in our heuenly contre let vs here syng nat for that we haue the delectacion of quietnes but for the solace of our labour as we se that men goyng or rydyng by the way be wonte to syng to comforte theyr labour to quicken them in theyr iorney and to go forward merely And herunto saint Bede sayth O my soule arise with Christe from thy filthy sepulcre or custom of syn Areise vp thy hert vnto the hope and trust of thy resurreccion and eternall lefe Let vs now dye from syn in this present life for y e loue of god that after our resurrection we may lyue in the life to com for if we mortifie our body nowe for the loue of Christe then we shall reygne with him in euerlastyng ioy Let vs so enforce ourselfe to be present and to honoure god in these feastes in the cumpaigney of mortall men that we may deserue to be present at the eternall feastes with auÌ„gelles For what shuld it profite vs to keape these feastes temporally if we be excludyd from those eternal feastes For these present solemnities ben but a shadowe of the feastes to cum therfore we keape these feastes reuerently and yerely that we myght cum to those feastes that be continuall When any feast is here keapt at his day assigned our mynd shuld be referryd and occupied with the desire of that same feast that is in heuen continually eternall Therfore our hertes thorow the frequentacion and vse of spiritual ioy in these temporall feastê shuld be kyndled and wax feruent to the desire of eternal ioyes and so we shuld vse our meditacions here in the shadow of ioy that in very truth we may here after haue the fruicion of the true and euerlastyng ioy Amen All this is taken of saynt Gregory A prayer O Lord Iesu Christe our eterne and onely swetnes which breakyng the bondes of death hath glorified thy bodye and hath risen from deathe in glorie vnspekable I pray the and I beseach the for thy gloriouse and florishyng resurrection to graunt to me that I risyng from vices and y e death of soule may euer florishe in vertues and so walke in the newnes of good lyfe that I may sauer and folowe those thynges that be aboue and heuenly and nat tho thynges that be erthly and transitorie Also good lord by the vertue of thy clernes purge my soule from the derknes of syn that by the same vertue at the day of generall resurrection my bodye may arise vnto glory that I may ioy both in soule and body eternally with the in thy glory Amen ¶ Now Christ apperyd to his mother Mary the .v. Chapitre THe same houre that Christe rose the thre Maries that is Mary Magdalene Mary Iocobe and Mary Salome desirynge licence of our Ladie of great deuocion and loue they had to our sauioure Christ began to go with swete oyntmentes vnto the sepulcre of Christ to anoynt his bodye And our Lady remayned at home continuyng in weapyng and prayers And very conueniently these thre women ware called by one name for they ware of one wyll and mynde and lyke desire towardes Christe There be thre states of men that shal be sauyd and iche one of these dothe seke Christe and without these thre states there is no man sauyd that is begynners profiters and perfite persones or elles penitentes actiue and contemplatyue persones which thre states be signified by the thre Maries which sought our lord and that we may take by thre interpritacions of this worde Maria. The state of begynners or penitentes is noted by Mary Magdalene which was a famouse and knowen synner and afterwarde very penitent And thought somtyme by her may be signified the contemplatiue life as in the .x. chapitre of Luke Yet at this tyme she may signifie to vs the state of penitentes for the euangelist sayth of her that Christ cast out .vii. deuylles that is al vices froÌ„ her And also in the gospell of Luke she is knowen to be the capteyn and example of all true penitentes And for this cause she is conueniently called Maria that is a better see or elles after the Hebreus Maria commyth of Mara that is interpreted bitter And hereunto the olde woman Ruth sayde Non vocetis me Noemy pulchramised vocate me Mara c. Call nat me fayre but call me bitter for our Lord hath fulfylled me with bitternes And this was verefied in Mary Magdalen when byfore the feet of our Lorde she washed with her teares the spottes of her synnes So Petre beyng penitent weapt bitterly And so to euery penitent soule may be sayd the wordes of the prophet Magna velut mare contricio tua O thou penitent soule thy contricion is great and bitter as the see The state of profiters or of actiue persons is sygnified in Mary Iacoby that was the mother of Iames the selfe Iacobus is asmoche to say by iÌ„terpretacion as a supplanter or a wrestlar for it apperteyneth to actiue persons and profiters to supplante or to subdue vice also to wrestle and laboure in the spirituall exercise of vertues And herunto is also conuenient the second interpretacion of this name Maria which after y e Sire tonge or speach is called Domina A lady For sith these profiters and actiue persons be in continual datel for the pronitie that they haue to vice and the
difficultie vnto all goodnes and vertue therfore it is necessary that these profiters haue the dominion or ladishippe ouer theyr owne passions and that by reason so that they gyue no place vnto temptacions And through this stryfe or wrastlyng whan reason hath the dominion ouer sensualitie vertues be generate and gotten The state of contemplatiue and perfite persons is signified by Mary Salome which was the mother of Iames the more and of Iohan the euangelist This woman asked of Christ his kyngdome for her sonnys So perfite and contemplatiue ê‘sons ar chefely occupied about the kyngdom of god for they haue in them selfe the kyngdom of god and here do partely taste therof And hereunto Salome is called by interpretacion peacefull For there is no peace to man in this lyfe but in contemplacion And hereunto accordeth the thyrd interpretacion of this name Maria that is illuminate and therfore it may be sayd to euery contemplatiue person Surge illuminate Hierusalem quia venit lumen tuum Arise thou perfite soule and receyue lyght for thy lyght cummyth And also iche one of these thre Maries had theyr oyntmentes as ye may se in Ludolphe de Vita xâ—i 2. parte But if any person moue this question why our blessyd Ladie dyd nat go to visite Christes sepulcre as the thre other Maries dyd Herunto we may assigne thre causes Fyrst for the mother of Christe myght nat se the sepulcre of her son without great sorâ—â— and specially beyng so lately buried Second cause for she had weapt so moche the Friday and Saterday before and brought her selfe so lowe that she myght nat susteyne and suffre that laboure And hereunto sayth saynt Bernard The blessyd virgyn Marie was so feble weake that she was brought home from the crosse as halfe deed Third cause for y e forsayd women thought that the bodie of Christe was then liyng in his sepulcre and therfore they wold haue anoynted as of old custom haue ben vsed his bodie to preserue it frome corruption where as this gloriouse virgyn knewe that it shuld neuer corropte and that he was risen from death to life immortall or els shortly shuld rise And therfore she went nat with them But she sat in a secret place alone very feble and weake in all the powers of her bodie for she had greatly tormentyd her selfe with great sorowe watche and abstinence from that tyme y t she hard say that her onely and dere belouyd son was taken and scourged and afterwarde when she se hym crucified smytyng and knockyng with her delicate handes vpon her tendre breste And thus I say very feble sat alone in contemplacion and prayer and also weapyng for those misteries and paynes that her son had suffred And as she was thus in prayer and swete teares of deuotion sodenly her son Iesus cam and apperyd to her in most white clothes of glorie and in the newnes of his resurrection beautiouse and gloriouse with a glad and louely chere comfortyng his desolate and heuy mother And therwith she knelyng downe worshipped hym and then risyng vp with teares and vnspeakable ioy embraced hym and then all the bitternes of her sorowe was torned in to ioy and comforth After this they both setyng to gether our Ladie besily and curiously be held hym in his face handes and feet and in al his bodie whither he had the printes and sygnes of his woundes searchynge and askyng whether all his paynes and sorowe were clene paste and gon from hym And he sayd yea my worshipful mother all my sorowes and paynes be now past and gon and shall neuer retorne agayne to me O with how great ioy thynke you was then that blessyd Lady repleat When she se and beheld her son immortall and impassible and nat onely that he shuld liue euermore but also that he had the perpetuall dominion ouer heuen and erth and all creatures in them And so they louyngly and pleasantly commynyg and talkyng to gether made a great ioyfull pasch or solempne feast And though of this fyrst aperyng vnto his mother there be nothyng written in the gospels yet we do godly beleaue that Iesus fyrst appered vnto his mother Mary For so it was conuenyent as doctours don say that he shuld so do and that he shuld fyrste conforth and glad his mother by his resurrection which louyd hym aboue all other persones Also bycause she had more sorow of his death than any other had it was seamyng and worthy that he shuld fyrst comforthe her And the church of Rome dothe seame to approue this same for fyrste in the mornynge of Ester daye she maketh a solempne stacion at the churche of our Lady called our Lady the more Maria maior Mary the more Herby notyng that Christ dyd fyrst appere vnto his mother And where the euangelist sayth that Christe dyd fyrste appere vnto Mary Magdalen is to be vnderstondyd of these apperynges wherby he wold proue his resurrection For he apperyd fyrst of al vnto his mother nat for that he wolde therby proue his resurreccion but for to comforth and glad her with his presence and do his dutie and honour her as his mother A prayer O Mary the mother of god most graciouse virgyn comfortar of al desolate persons callyng and criyng vnto the I beseche the for that gret ioy wherby thou was coÌ„forted when thou knowest that thy son Iesus Christe was risen y e thyrd day from death vnto lyfe immortall impassible that thou wold be a comfortar of my soule that what tyme I shall arise both in body and soule at the last day of iudgement and there appere before that same son of thyn Iesus Christ and there to rendre myne accompte of al my thoughtes wordes and deades it wold please thy motherly pitie to healpe me that by the o blessyd mother and vigyn I myght escape the sentence of eternall dampnacion and graciously to cum to the euerlastynge ioy and glorie with all the electe and chosen people of god Amen ¶ How Iesu apperyd to Mary Magdalen The syxte Chapitre MAry Magdalen ful of bitternes sorow burning in loue and nat knowyng what she shuld do for w tout her maister Christ she myght nat lyue and wher he was buried she fonde hym nat and where to search for him she knew nat Wherfore of great feruore constancy she stode as if she had ben amaised for the vehemence of her loue wold nother suffre her to sit ne yet to lye therfore she stode without in the garden byfore the holy sepulcre weapyng lamentyng for her lorde Her hert was so feruently kyndled in loue she was moued with so great pytie drawen with so myghty and strong bondes of charitie that forgotten her owne infirmitie and frayltie she was nat withdrawen and letted frome the visitynge of Christes sepulcre for the darknes of the mournyng nor yet for the crueltie of the Iues but rather she abode there weapyng and searchyng for her lorde She wold
remembraunce of thy woundes and passion may expeÌ„d and put in my fynger and hand that is what so euer good werk or discreacion be in me I may put it in and expende it all holl in thy seruice to thy honour And that I may confesse with Thomas that thou art my lorde whiche hath bought me with thy preciouse blode and my god which hath creat made me And that whiche thou sayd byfore of our fayth that blyssed be they whiche haue not sene and yet beleaue I may haue experieÌ„ce therof in my selfe and that by thy grace I may be founde blyssed in thy syght Amen ¶ Of the Ascencion of our lorde The .viii. Chapitre OVr lorde Iesus knowyng that the tyme was come that he shulde departe from this worlde vnto his father he wold shewe that not onely he loued his chosen people in this lyfe or whan he was mortall but also y t he loued them vnto the ende or for euer more and therfore he said to them Vado parare vobis locum I go to prepare a place for you in heuyn yet byfore that he went he wold coÌ„fort them and take his leaue of them And therfore he appered to them in the mownt of Syon in that place where as he made his supper byfore his passion for as they ware sittyng and eatyng in that place with our blyssed lady and other frendes of our lorde he appered to them and dyd eate with them byfore his Ascencion as wel for a signe or tokeÌ„ of his special loue to his disciples as to ê“ue his resurrection And after y t they had eaten he brought them all forth not with hande but with his worde and byddyng and so they went from Hierusalem vnto Bethany and than he had them go vnto the mownt of Oliuete there they shuld se hym ascende and so he departed and vanished froÌ„ theyr syght And at y e mownt of Oliuete he appered to them agayne And than some of his disciples sayd to hym Domine si in tempore hoc restitues regnum Israel Shalt thou lorde restore at this tyme the kyngdome of Israel that is wyll thou now delyuer the Iues from the subiection of the Romays c. our lorde answered It apê‘teyneth not to you to knowe tho secreat tymes or thinges that my father hath in his onely power And so after that Christ had spoken certen thynges to theyr instruction and also comforthe he kyssed ych one of them for as saynt Ambrose sayeth he left to them y e token of peace that is he kyssed them and so byddyng them fare wel he lyfted vp his handes to offre them all to his father and blyssed them gyuynge them grace and strenght to defend them from theyr enemyes and also to werk good and godly werkes and so he asceÌ„ded And thaÌ„ his mother and his disciples seyng hym eleuate and lyfted vp in to heuen fell downe prostrate and worshypped hym And for his departyng they could not refrayne them selfe from weapyng and yet they had great ioy and comforth in that they se hym so gloriously ascende And than there came and met hym all the ordres of Angels reuerently and in ordre by dyuers compaygnyes and ordres there was not one but that he cam and dyd his deutye to his lorde god And inclynyng to hym with all reuerence they wayted vpon hym with Hympnes and songes of ioy vnspeakable For as the prophete Dauid sayth Ascendlt deus in iubilo Christ god and man ascended in great songes of ioy which is to be referred not onely to the great ioy of the Angels but also to the ioy of the holy soules redeamed by the passion of Christ and asceÌ„dyng with hym with a wonderfull ioye It folowed in the psalme Et do minus in voce tube And our lord asceÌ„ded in the voyce of the truÌ„pe And this is to be referred to the sowne and voyce of the prechyng of the apostles whiche preachyng was than enioyned and commaundyd to them our lorde sayng to them Euntes in munduÌ„ vniuersum predicate euangelium omni creature Go ye through out all the world and preache my gospell to euery nacion Whan thus both the angelles and blessed soules dyd syng our lorde ioynyng his handes to gyther deuotely and lyftyng them vp streyght byfore his brest ascendyd with a cloude vnder his feet And so al the blyssed soules reuerently ascendyd with hym Nowe for asmoche as all the actes of our redempcion ware complete in the ascencion of Christ therfore that day is worthely acompted as a hyghe and a great ioyfull day For it is the moste solempne feast of our sauiour Iesus for that day he began to sit on the ryght hand of his father in his humanite and so toke rest of all the labour and payne that he suffred in this worlde It is also the propre feast of al blessed spirites in heuyn for than began theyr ruyne and decay to be repayred It is also the feast of patriarches and prophetes and of all holy soules for that day they fyrst entred into the kyngdome of glorie It is morouer the feast of our lady for asmoche as than she saw her sonne Iesus very god and man ascend vp vnto heuen with great glory in the same fleshe and body that he toke of her Yet that day is properly our feast for than our nature was fyrste exalted aboue the heuyns and so man that byfore was lost was that daye brought agayne by our sauiour Iesus vnto the kyngdome of heuyn and vnto the compaigney of angelles Therfore let vs now ascende in hert and mynde that whan tyme shall come that we be called from this worlde we may ascende in soule and after the generall resurrection ascende both in soule and body Christ dyd ascende and withdrawe from vs his corporall â—sence to prouoke our affection and loue and that we shulde desyre to be with hym with all our herte And therfore as the Apostle sayth Quae sursum sunt queramus quae sursum sunt sapiamus Let vs serch and labour to knowe tho thynges that be in heuyn and to tast or loue the same Let vs flye all worldly and vayne desyres let no thyng transytory please vs or content vs whiche haue our father aboue in heuyn And though we be here in body and also vse these temporal thyngê for the fraylty and infirmitie of our body yet let vs go to god by our loue and desyre as we reade of a certeyn deuote knyght whiche with great deuocion went vnto Hierusalem to visite al the holy places where as our lorde suffred his passion or dyd ony notable thyng in his lyfe and whan he had with feruent deuocion visited all tho places at last he cam vnto the mouÌ„t of Oliuete vnto the place from whens our lorde ascended where after that he had deuotely prayed he sayd with teares O good lorde I haue delygently saught the in many places here in erth and where now to