and clensed from the spottes and mallice of deadly sinne they bée the brighter glasses and more cléerly receyue this loue such also be néere vnto our Sauior for nothing putteth vs farre from him but onely sinne And therefore they that haue more diligently scoured their soules from the rust of sinne be néerer vnto him then the other that so haue not done Such soules also as of their parte enforce them selues to a great loue and to a more ample feruor they doe inlarge the capacitie of their soules to receyue a more large abundaunce of loue agayne those that lesse enforce them haue a lesse capacitie in receyuing and therfore so much the lesse they receyue of this loue Euen as a man that openeth his bosome wyde and enlargeth it is more able to receiue a greater thing into it then hée that doeth not But yet as I haue sayde before of the glasses euery one of the soules receyue as full and as whole a loue of Iesu Christ as though there were no moe soules in all the world but that one alone for the loue of Christ Iesus infinite And therfore wheÌ„ innumerable of soules haue euerie one of them receyued as much the loue of Christ Iesu as to euerie one of them is possible yet hath he still in him self loue suffitieÌ„t for infinite moe this his loue therby is not in any point diminished nor lessened though it be deuided vnto many be the number of them neuer so great None of them that be beloued receiue the lesse bicause of the multitude of his fellowes nor if he had no moe but him selfe he shoulde not thereby haue any more abundance of loue to his parte but according to the cleÌ„sing and capacitie of his soule nighnesse vnto Christ his parte in loue shall be the lesse or more Wherefore good sister I pray you bée you dylygent to scoure your soule cleane and to enforce your soule on your parte feruently to loue your spouse Christ Iesu and drawe nygh vnto hym with entiere deuotion then vndoubtedly you shall be partener to the more plentuous aboundaunce of his loue notwithstanding any other multitude which beside is beloued of him for he neuerthelesse is as studious of you and as mindfull as ferueÌ„ly careth for your weale as though ther wer no mo beloued of him but you alone in all thys world The ninth Consideration THe ninth coÌ„sideratioÌ„ is this wher peraduenture you would obiect to me again say Brother if it bée thus as you say that my Lord Iesu loueth me so much and is so mindfull of me and so feruently enteÌ„deth my weale what néede me to care whatsoeuer I doe he will not cast me away he wil not forsake me nor suffer mée to perish Good sister without doubt as I haue said our sauior Christ Iesu is in loue towards you he is myndfull more louing towards you then I can expresse And sure you may be that hée will neuer cast you away ne forsake you if you before cast not your selfe away ne forsake your selfe But if you giue any place to sinne in your soule and suffer it to enter vpon you verely then you forsake your self and cast your selfe awaye and willinglie destroye your selfe that is your déede not hys for he neuer forsaketh any creature vnlesse they before haue forsakeÌ„ them selues And if they will forsake them selues were they neuer in so great fauour with hym before they then incontinently lose his fauour the which thing well appeareth in his first spirituall creatures the noble Angelles Lucifer and hys compâ—nie which were created in excelent brightnesse and were muche in the fauour of almightie God they presumptuously offeÌ„ded him in pride for the which not onely they lost hys fauour but also their merueylous brightnesse became incoÌ„tinently horrible foule and were expelled out of the glorious kingdom of heauen that they were in and throwen into perpetuall darkenesse into the pryson of hell The first man Adam also who was created in singular honour and was put into Paradise a place full of gladnesse there to liue in comfort of all pleasure the which was done to him for a singular loue that almightie God had towardes him yet anon as hâ— fell to sinne he was in lyke maner expelled out from that pleasure and sent into this miserable world to endure miserie and payne If those noble creatures which were lift vp into so great fauour with almightie God so lightly by their misdemeanor in sin lost his gracious fauour let none other creature thinke but if they admit any sinne to their soule they shal be likewyse excluded out of his fauor For sinne is so odible vnto almightie God that not the dearest friends that euer he had in all the worlde but if there were founde in their soules any deadly sin after death they should neuer be receiued into the ioy of heauen Not the blessed Mary Magdalen for all hir loue towardes him nor yet his owne blessed mother that bare him into this world if one deadly sin were fouÌ„d in their soules they shuld incontinent be throwen into the darke dungeon of hell Wherfore good sister say not if his loue be so muche vppon you and he so desirouslie entendeth your profite that you may doe what you list you néed not to care what you doe But contrariwise the more that he loueth you the more you shoulde take héede vnto your self and beware that you offend him not for so did the blessed Mary Magdalen of whome I spake before Shée notwithstandyng the great loue that both our sauiour had to hir and shée vnto him agayne for the which also hyr sinnes were forgiuen hyr yet after his death shée fled from the companie of men lyued in the wildernesse farre from any worldly comforte in great wayling fasting and prayer such other painefulnesse of hir body was nothing the lesse diligent to kéepe hir selfe warely from sinne for the great loue that our lord sauiour had to hir but for that the more studiously she did auoid eschu euery thing wherby she might run into any displeasure against him The tenth consideration THe tenth consideration is this it were wel done and much it shuld farther this cause if you truly esteme of how little value your loue is how vaine how light howe triflelous a thing it is how few ther be that would much regarde it or set muche pryce thereby for fewe there be or none to whom it may doe any profit or auail Contrariwise you should consider the loue of your spouse the swéet Iesu how exceleÌ„t it is how sure how fast howe constantly abiding how many haue much specially regarded it Martirs innumerable both men and women for his loue haue shead theyr bloud and haue endured euery kind of martirdom were it neuer so cruell were it neuer so terrible No paine no tormentrie might compell them to forsake his loue so desirous were they of his loue that rather
then they would forgo it they gaue no force of the losse of all this world beside theyr owne life also So deare and precious was that loue to them that all the honors pleasures and possessions of this life they recompted as verie trifles in comparisō of that And what be you in comparison of thē but naughty wretched and miserable where then they which be now glorious saincts aboue in heauen so much haue valued and so greatly estéemed this most excelēt loue and you may haue the same loue for yours that is so naughtie and so little worth what should you doe of your parte howe muche should you enfore your selfe not onely to obtayn this loue but studiouslie to kéepe it sithens that you haue it once and for nothing to departe therefro He of his goodnesse doeth not repell any creature from hys loue but permitteth them assuredly that if any draw nigh vnto him by loue he will loue them agayne and giue his most precyous loue for theirs he sayeth Ego diligentes me diligo That is to say I loue them that loue mée And in an other place En qui venit ad me nō equam foras That is to say what person so euer commeth vnto me I wil not cast him away Sister if you consider this déeply it should moue you to fall downe vpon your knées with all your hart and mynde say vnto your Spouse in this maner O my blessed Sauiour Lord Iesu thou askest my loue thou desirest to haue my harte and for my loue thou wilt giue me thy loue agayne O my swéete Lorde what is this for thée to desire which arte so excelent if my poore harte were of so much value as all the hartes of men and weomen that euer were if they were put togither in one if it were as precious noble as there is price and noblenesse in all the orders of Angels if furthermore it did contayne in it all bodelie and spirituall treasure that is within the compasse of heauen or without yet it were but a little gift to giue vnto so great a lord for his most delicate precious loue to be had of him againe much rather my loue and hart as it is now naughtie wretched and miserable so is it but a small gift and of little value Neuerthelesse such as it is sithens it is thy pleasure to haue it thy goodnesse doeth aske it of mée saying Prebe mihi cor tuum That is to say giue me thy harte I fréely gyue it vnto thée and I most humbly beséech thy goodnesse and mercy to accept it and so to order me by thy grace that I may receiue into it the loue of nothing contrarie to thy pleasure but that I alwayes may kéepe the fyre of thy loue auoyding from it all other contrarie loue that may in anie wyse displease thée The finall conclusion of all NOw thē good Sister I trust that these considerations if you oftē read them with good deliberation and truelie imprint them in your remembraunce they will somewhat inflame your harte with the loue of Christ Iesu and that loue once established in you all the other points and ceremonies of your religion shall bée easie vnto you and no whit painefull you shall then comfortriblie doe euerie thing that to good religion appertayneth without any great wearynesse Neuerthelesse if it so fortune that you at any tyme begin to féele any dulnesse of mynde quicken it again by the meditatiō of death which I send you here before or els by some effectuall prayer earnestly calling for helpe succour vpon the most swéete Iesu thinking as it is in deed that is your necessitie that no where els you can haue any helpe but of him And if you will vse these short prayers following for euerie day in the wéeke one I thinke it shall be vnto you profitable For thus you may in your hart shortly pray what companie so euer you be amongest The Prayers be these O blessed Iesu make me to loue thée intierlie O blessed Iesu I would fayne but without thy helpe I can not O blessed Iesu let me déeply consider the greatnesse of thy loue towards mée O blessed Iesu giue vnto mée grace hartilie to thanke thée for thy benifites O blessed Iesu giue me good will to serue thée and to suffer O swéete Iesu giue me a natural remembraunce of thy passion O swéete Iesu possesse my hart holde and kéepe it onelie to thée THese short praiers if you wil often saye and with all the power of your soule harte they shall merueylouslie kindle in you this loue so that it shal be alway◠feruent and quicke the which is my especiall desire to knowe in you For nothyng may be to my comfort more then to heare of your furtheraunce and profiting in God in good religion the which our blessed Lorde graunte you for hys great mercie Amen FINIS ¶ A Sermon verie fruitfull godly and learned vpon thvs sētēce of the Prophet Ezechiell Lamentationes Carmen et vae very aptely applyed vnto the passion of Christ Preached vpon a good Friday by the same Iohn Fissher Bishop of Rochester THe Prophet Ezechyell telleth that hée sawe a booke spread before him the which was written both within and without there was written also in it Lamentationes Carmen et vae that is to say lamentation songe woe This was a wonderfull booke and much to be merueiled vpon Much comfortable knowledge and swéetnesse this Prophette gate by this booke as he saith in the Chapter next ensuing factum est in ore meo sicut mell dulce thys booke was in my mouthe as swéete as honye This booke to our purpose may bée taken vnto vs the Crucifixe the which doubtlesse is a merueylous booke as wée shall shewe héereafter In the which if wée doe exercise our admiration wée shall come to wonderfull knowledge Meruayling was the cause why that the Philosophers came to so greate knowledge as they had They behelde and sawe many wonderfull thynges and effectes in thys worlde as the marueylous earthquakes Thūders lightnings Snow Rayne Frostes blasinng Starres the Eclipses of the Sunne and of the Moone and suche other effectes And those marueylous wonders moued them to search for the causes of the same And so by dyligent searche and inquisition they came to great knowledge and cunning which cunnyng men call Philosophie naturall But there is an other higher Philosophie which is aboue nature which is also gottē with marueyling And this is the verye Philosophie of Christian people And doubtlesse amongest all other things concerning a christian man it is a thyng muche marueylous and most wonderfull that the sonne of God for the loue that he had vnto the soule of man woulde suffer hym selfe to bée crucified and so to take vpon him that most vyllanous death vpon the Crosse. Of thys the Prophet Abacuck sayeth Admiramini et obstupescite quia opus factum est in
for very payne it myght haue brast O thou sinfull creature If thou can not sorrow come learne of thys blessed woman to sorrow for thy sin Thinke that thy sinne was the cause and occasion of all this payne and sorrow that thy Lorde and sauiour dyd suffer on the Crosse. And not onely she giueth the example of sorrowe but his blessed mother abundantly thē sorowed at his death Sainct Iohn sorrowed Sainct Peter sorrowed and wepte bitterly All the Apostles were in sorrow But wherevnto speake I of reasonable creatures the vnreasonable and the vnsensible creatures shewes a maner of sorrowe The earth quaked The mighty stones brast in sunder The monuments opened the dead courses issued out of theyr monuments All these were moued with compassion And onely thou wretched sinner for whose cause he suffred all this paine and gréeuance hast no pitie nor compassion vpon him Alas howe great is thy hardnesse Howe obstinate is thy harte that will suffer no pittie to enter in to it Uerely thou arte more harder then are the stones for they were moued by his passyon so myghtely that they brake in sunder Petrae scissae sunt When then the harde stones and all the other vnreasonable creatures were thus moued and stirred to take some compassyon of the paynfull death of Christ and yet felt no profite by his death Thou much rather shouldest be moued for whose loue he dyd endure all this gréeuous pains Looke thou therfore vpō this booke thou shalt here fynde great cause matter of sorrow Fourthly if thou canst not sorrowe yet thou maiest here learne to hate Thou maiste learne to hate sinne which was cause of all this trouble It is not for nought that the scripture sayth Quasi a facie colubri fuge peccatū dentes leonis dentes eius interficientis animas hominum Flée from sinne euen as thou wouldest flée from the face of an Adder for as the téeth of the Lion deuoureth the body of man so death doth sleay their soules Sinne is so odious and so great an iniury to god that it was necessary for the recompence of this iniury that the sonne of god should suffer this most paineful death of the crosse Sinne so prouoked almightie god the father so déeply to displeasure wrath to take vengance vpon sinners that without the sacrifice of his owne sonne in the gybbet of the crosse he wold not be appeased ne recōciled vnto sinners againe Sinne so deadly wounded blotted the soule of man that with out shedding of the most precious bloud of our sauiour Christ Iesu no lyfe could be restored vnto sinners nor the soules might be washed from the fowle abhominable corruption of sinne Sinne so debarreth and shutteth frō sinners the gates of heauen that they might not haue béene opened but only by the merit of this moste bytter passion suffering this most painfull torments on the crosse Sinne set the gates of hell so wyde open brought all this world into that daunger and thraldome of the diuell that all we should haue béene deuowred of the pyt of hell vnlesse we had béene raūsomed with this most precious treasure that was shed for vs on the crosse-O sinful creature hast thou not great cause to hate sinne that hath brought thée into that miserable cōdicion that by thy sinne thou hast done and committed high iniurie against almighty god and hast prouoked him to vengeaunce That by thy sinne thou hast thus mortally wounded thyne owne soule That by sin thou haste brought thy selfe into the daunger of the dyuill and be dampned in hell perpetually That by thy sinne thou hast shut the gates of heauē against thy selfe Alas man where canst thou fynde greater occasion of hatred If thy neyghbour doe vnto thée but a lyght iniurie thou canst anon hate him yea and so hate him that thou wilt say thou mayest not finde in thy harte to loue him Sinne hathe done vnto thée all these great iniuries and yet thou loueste sinne and canste not hate it Alas what madnesse is this Ioab sayde vnto Kyng Dauid dilegis odientes te et odio habes diligentis te Thou loueste them that hate thée and thou hatest them that loue thée The same worde may well be sayde vnto euery sinner that followeth the course of sinne And lykewyse vyce doeth procure the dystruction of sinners and yet the sinners doe follow after them Our sauiour with all grace vertue procureth the saluation of sinners but him they will not heare nor take any wayes after his counsayle And this is nothing els but an extreame madnesse for they should contrarywyse loue our sauiour that so louingly for theyr weale indured the gréeuous paynes of the Crosse and hate the diuill and sinne which was the very cause of death By thys then you may perceyue that in this booke ye may fynde matter inough of lamentation sith you may read in this booke so much cause of dread of shame of sorrow and of hatred And this is the first wryting wherof we promised for to speake The secōd writing that I said was also writtē in this booke was Carmē that is to say Songe Surely if eyther loue or hope or ioye or comfort wil make a soule to sing here he may take great occasion to sing Fyrst here is great matter of loue and so great that if any person will eyther gyue hys loue fréely or els for some certayne pryce sell it hée that died on the crosse is best worthy to haue it If thou search in heauen in earth one person vpon whom thou maist best bestowe thy loue Thou shalt fynde none comparable vnto Christ Iesus so wyse so myghty so gentle so kynde so amyable far passing all other and there to he is much desirous of thy loue for when Moyses had rehearsed the great benifites which almightie God had giuen vnto man he sayth Et nunc audi quid dominus deus tuus requirat a te nisi vt diligas eū Now here what thy Lord God dooth require of thy parte truely but that thou loue him So now if thou wylt fréely giue thy loue thou canst not more wysely nor better bestow it then vpon him which is so excelent and hath all the condicions aboue saide and there to also is so desirous to haue thy loue And if thou wylt sel thy loue I trow there is none that wyl giue vnto thée more liberally for the same than he hath done Where shalt thou finde him that wyll shedde one droppe of bloud out of his harte for thy sake Where shalte thou finde hym that will giue hys owne soule and lyfe for thy loue There can no more bée asked of any man then that Maiorem charitatem nemo habet nisi vt animam suam ponat quis pro amicis suis. No man can shewe greater charitie then for to put hys owne life in ieopardie for his friendes But thou peraduenture wilt say Syr if he had done this
cōmeth not of a singular loue shewed vnto you by your lord god before all them And shall not this cōsideration pearce your harte and moue you muche to loue him againe The fifth consideration THe fifth consideration is this Peraduenture after that thus by your repentance askyng mercy you were taken to this grace of your God yet far more gréeuously and farre more vnkindly you fell againe to sinnne and kepte not the purpose and promyse that before you did make but more without shame and dread of hys hyghnesse tooke your libertie in your sinfull wayes abusing his gentlenes presuming vppō hys mercie not regarding any benifite or kindenesse shewed by his most excelent goodnesse vnto you before so defiling your soule by innumerable wayes and makyng it filthie more vngoodly then is the Sowe that waltereth hir self in the foule myrie puddle and more pestilently stinketh in the sight of God then is the stinking carion of a dead dogge being rotten and lying in a ditch yet neuertheles for all these misbehauiors your Lord God of his farre passing goodnes hath called you agayne from your sinfull life and hath graciously stirred your soule to forsake your sin to leue this wretched worlde to enter the holy relygion Wherby after the sentence of holy doctors your soule is made as cleane as it was at your baptisme and restored agayne to the puritie and cleanenesse of your first innocencie And not onely that but also hée hath appointed you to be of the number of them that be assigned for hys best beloued spouses And what hygh point of singular fauour is this How many weomen farre better then you be lefte behinde in this worlde not called to this high dignitie nor admitted to thys most speciall grace When the noble Kinge Asuerus as it is written in the scripture commaunded many fayre yong maydens to be chosen out and to be séene vnto with all things that might make them fayr◠and beautifull and pleasaunt to his sight to the intent that they at all tymes when it should like him to appoynte any of them to come to his presence and to be his spouse they might be the more readie This thing no doubt of it was to them that were thus chosē a comfort that they were preferred before other and also euerie one of them might lyue in hope to come to the kings presēce haue some likelihood to be accepted for his spouse in so much that all other but they were excluded In like maner it is with religious women All they by the gracious calling of the great king of heuen be gathered into Gods religion and disseuered from thother seculer women that be of the world there a season to abide vntill they be sufficiently prepared by the holy sacraments and the holy obseruacions of religiō to come to his gracious highnesse presence and to be brought into his secret chamber aboue in heauen there to abide with him in endles ioy and blisse Blessed is that religious woman that so doth prepare her selfe for this litle time that héere she shal tarry by prayer by meditation by contemplatiō by teares of devocion by harty loue burning desyre that after this transitory life she may be admitted to the most excellēt honor not with shame rebuke be repelled therfro whē the day shal com The sixt consideration THe sixt consideration that you call wel to your remembrāce who it is that doth thus exhorte you for to loue verely he is the person that if eyther you wil fréely giue your loue or els sell your loue he is most worthie to haue it aboue all other First if ye were of that mynd to giue your loue frée it were good yet there to bestow it that you shoulde choose suche a one as both in goodlinesse of person as also in prowesse wisdom and good gentil maners may be worthie your loue For if there be any deformitie in him whō you would loue it is an impediment and great let for to loue hym But in our sauiour Christ the sonne of God is no deformitie for hee is all goodlye and surmounteth all other in goodlynesse And therefore of hym the Prophet Dauid affyrmeth in thys maner Speciosus forma pre filijs hominum that is to say he is goodly before the chyldren of men And of truth much goodlie must he néedes be that hath made so many goodly creatures Behold the Rose the Lillie the Uyolet beholde the Pecockes the Feasaunt the Popingaye Behold all the other creatures of this world All these were of his making all there beautie and goodlinesse of hym they receyued it Wherfore this goodlinesse discribeth that he him self must néedes of necessitie be verie goodly beautifull And for that in the booke of Canticles the Spouse discribeth his goodlinesse saying Dilectus meus candidus et rubicūdus electus ex millibus That is to saye hée that I loue is whyte and redde chosen out amōgest thousands And this beautie and goodlines is not mortal it can not fade ne perish as doeth the goodlinesse of other men which lyke a flower to day is fresh and lustie and to morrowe with a little sicknesse is withered and vanisheth away And yet it is sensible to the goodlinesse of mans nature for the which also he is more naturallie to bée beloued of many For lykenesse is the grounde of loue lyke alway doeth couet like and the néerer in lykenesse that any person bée the sooner they may bée knit togither in loue The same lykenes he hath you haue like body and lyke soule touching his māhood your soule is also like vnto him in his godhead For after the Image similitude of it your soule is made Furthermore of his might and power you may bée likewise a certayne season He made this world by the onely commaundement of his mouth and gaue to the herbes and all other creatures their vertue might that they haue And may also by his power saue dampne creatures eyther to lifte them vp in bodie and soule into heauen aboue or els to throw them downe into euer during payns of hell If ye doubt of his wisdom behold all this world and cōsider how euery creature is set with an other and euery of them by him selfe how the heauens are apparelled with starres the ayre with Foules the water with Fishes the earth with herbes trées beastes how the starres be clad with light the Foules with feathers the fish with scales the beastes with heare herbes trées with leaues and flower with sent wherin doth wel appear a great merueilous wisdō of him that made thē Finally his good gentil maner is all full of pleasure cōfort so kinde so friendly so liberall beneficious so pittious and mercifull so readie in all oportunities so mindfull circumspect so dulcet swéet in communicatiō For as scripture saith Non licet amaritudinem conuersatio vel tedium cōuetas illius Sed letitiam
et gaudeum That is to say hys maners be so swéet pleasauÌ„t that the coÌ„uersacioÌ„ of him hath no bitternes yea his coÌ„pany hath no loathsomnes ne wearines in it but all gladnes and ioye Here peraduenture you wil say vnto me how may I loue that I sée not if I might sée him with all the coÌ„ditioÌ„s ye speak of I could with al my hart loue him Ah good sister that time is not come yet you must as I said now for the time prepare your self in cleannesse of bodie and soule against the tyme so that when that tyme commeth you may be able and worthie to sée him or els you shall be excluded from him with the vnwise virgins of whom the gospel telleth that they were shut out from his presence with great shame coÌ„fusioÌ„ bicause they had not suffitiently prepared theÌ„selues Therfore good sister for this time be not negligent to prepare your selfe with all good workes that theÌ„ you may be admitted to com vnto his presence from the which to be excluded it shall be a more gréeuous payne theÌ„ any paine of hell For as Chrisostome sayth Si decem mille geheÌ„nas quis duerit nihil tale est quale ab illa beata visione exadere that is to saye if â—ne would rehearse vnto mée tenne thousand hels yet all that should not be so great paines as it is to be excluded from the blessed sighte of the face of Christ. The seuenth consideration THe seueÌ„th coÌ„sideratioÌ„ is this wher now it appeareth vnto you that if you will giue your loue fréelie there is non so worthy to haue it as Iesu the sonne of the virgin Mary I will further shewe vnto you that if you will not fréely giue it but you will looke peraduenture to haue some thing agayne yet there is none so well worthie to haue it as he is for if an other will giue more for it then he I will not be agaynst it take your aduantage But sure I am there is none other to whome your loue is so deare and of so greate price as it is vnto him nor any that will come nigh vnto that that he hath giuen or wil giue If his benifits and kyndnesse shewed towardes you wherof I speak somewhat before were by you well pondered they be no small benifites and especially the loue of so great a prince and that he would thus loue you anâ— preferre you before so many innumerable creatures of his and that when there was in you no loue and when you could not skill of loue yea and that that more is when you were enimie vnto him yet he loued you and so wonderfully that for your loue and to washe you from sin and to deliuer your soule from the extreame perrill he shead his most precious bloud anâ— suffered the most shamefull the most cruel and the most painefull death of the crosse his head to be perced with thornes his handes and féete to bée thorough holed with nayles his side to be launced with a speare and all his most tender bodie to be torne and rent with whippes scourges Beléeue this for a very truth good sister that for your sake he suffered all as if there had bene no moe in all the world but onely your selfe which I will declare more largely vnto you in the next consideration following Beléeue it in the meane tyme certainely for so it is in déede and if you belieue it not you doe a great iniurie and shewe a full vnkindenesse vnto him that thus muche hath done for you And if this beliefe truly settle in your harte it is to me a meruaile if you can content your heart without the loue of him of him I say that thus déerely hath loued you and doeth loue you still For what other louer will â—â—e thus much for your loue What creature in all the world will die for â—our sake what one person wil depart with one drop of his hart bloud for your sake wheÌ„ theÌ„ the son of God the prince of heaueÌ„ the Lord of Angels hath done this for your sake which thing no other creature wil do what frost could haue vngeled your harte that it may not releÌ„t against so great an heat of loue if he so exceleÌ„t in all noblenesse should haue giuen you but one fauourable countenance from the heauens aboue it had bene a more precious benifit then euer you could recompence by your loue againe It were impossible for your loue to recompence that one thing But nowe much rather when he hath descended into this wretched worlde for your sake and here hath become man and hath endured all miserie pertaining vnto man saue onely sinne and ignoraunce and finally hath suffered this great horrible death for your loue how shall you euer now recompence this by any loue or seruice to be done for your pittie And he hath not onely don al this for your sake but also hath prepared for you after this transitory lyfe a rewarde aboue in heauen so great that neuer mortal eye saw the lyke nor any tonge can expresse nor yet any hart can think Ah sister wheÌ„ your wretched soule shall hence departe which can not be verie longe héere who shall giue you refreshing the space of one hour Good therfore it is that you looke vnto your selfe vppon him bestow your loue that which hitherto hath done most for you best hath deserued it beyond all other and yet after this life he wil giue for it a rewarde so inestimable that it shall neuer fayle you The eight consideration THe eight coÌ„sideration is this that albeit there are many other which also are beloued of christ Iesu yet the loue that he sheweth to them nothing minisheth his loue towards you as if there were no moe beloued of him in all the kinde of maÌ„ This may euidently be shewed vnto you by this exaÌ„ple folowing If before any Image of our sauior were disposed set in a long rowe many glasses some great and some litlle some high and some lowe a conuenient distance from the Image so that euerie of them myght receiue a presentmeÌ„t of the Image it is no doubt but in euerie of these glasses should appeare the verie likenesse of the same Image I will not say but this lykenesse should be longer in the great glasses then in the lesse and clearer in the better clensed glasses and in them that were nigh vnto the Image then in the other that were not so well clensed much farther of But as to the likenesse it selfe it shall be as full and as whole in euerie one glasse as though there were but one Now to my purpose if you consider lykewise that all the good soules that be scourged from deadly sinne be in the maner of glasses set in an order to receiue the loue of our sauiour Christ iesu Such soules as by true pennaunce doing by sighing by wéeping by praying by watching by fasting by other lyke be the better scoured
¶ A spirituall consolation written by Iohn Fyssher Bishoppe of Rochester to hys sister Elizabeth at suche tyme as hée was prisoner in the Tower of London Uery necessary and commodious for all those that mynde to leade a vertuous lyfe Also to admonishe them to be at all tymes prepared to dye and séemeth to bée spoken in the person of one that was sodainly preuēted by death 2. Corinthians vj. Beholde now is the acceptable tyme ▪ now is the day of saluation Mathew xxiiij VVatch therefore for ye knowe not what houre your Lorde doeth come ¶ A spirituall consolacyon vvritten by Iohn Fyssher Bishop of Rochester to his sister Elizabeth SIster Elizabeth nothing doth more help effectuallye to get a good and a vertuous lyfe Then if a soule when it is dull and vnlustie without deuotion neyther disposed to prayer nor to any other good worke may be sturred or quickened agayne by fruiteful meditacion I haue therfore deuised vnto you this meditation that followeth Praying you for my sake and for the weale of your owne soule to reade it at suche tymes as you shall feele your selfe most heauie and slouthfull to doe any good worke It is a maner of lamentacion and sorowfull complaynyng made in the person of one that was hastily preuented by death as I assure you euery creature may be none other suretie we haue liuing in this worlde héere But if you will haue any profite by reading of it thrée things you must do in any wise First when you shall reade this meditation deuise in your mynde as nigh as you can all the conditions of a man or woman sodaynlye taken and rauyshed by death and thynke◠wyth your selfe that yée were in the same condition so hastily taken and that incontinent you must néedes dye and your soule depart hence leaue your mortall bodie neuer to returne again for to make any amendes or to doe any release to your soule after this houre Seconly that yée neuer reade thys meditation but alone by your selfe in secrete maner where you maye be most attentyue therevnto And when ye haue the best leasure without any let of other thoughtes or buzinesse For if you otherwyse behaue your selfe in the reading of it it shall anon lose the vertue and quicknesse in stirring and mouing of your soule when you woulde ratherest haue it sturred Thirdly that when you intende to read it you must afore lifte vp your minde to almightie God and beséech him that by the helpe and succour of his grace the readyng thereof may fruitfully worke in your soule a good and vertuous life according to hys pleasure and say Deus in adiutorium meum intende Domine adiuvandum me festina Gloria patri c. Laus tibi domine rex eternae glorie Amen Alas alas I am vnworthily takē all sodaynly death hath assayled me the paynes of his stroake be so sore and gréeuous that I may not longe endure thē my last home I perceiue well is come I must now leaue thys mortall bodie I must nowe departe hence out of this world neuer to returne againe into it But whether I shall goe or where I shall become or what lodgyng I shall haue thys night or in what company I shal fal or in what countrey I shall be receiued or in what maner I shall be entreated God knoweth for I knowe not What if I shall be dampned in the perpetuall prysō of hell where be paynes endelesse and without number Gréeuous it shall be to them that be dampned for euer for they shall be as men in moste extreame paynes of death euer wishing and desiryng death and yet neuer shall they dye It should be nowe vnto mée muche wearie one yeare continually to lye vpon a bed were it neuer so soft how weary then shall it be to lye in the most painefull fyre so many thousād of yeares without number And to be in that most horrible company of diuils most terrible to beholde full of malice and crueltie O wretched and miserable creature that I am I might so haue liued and so ordered my lyfe by the helpe and grace of my Lorde Christ Iesu that this houre might haue bene vnto mée much ioyous greatly desired Many blessed holy Sayncts were full ioyous and desirous of this houre for they knewe well that by death their soules shuld be trāslated into a new life To the life of all ioye and endlesse pleasure frō the streightes and bōdage of this corruptible body into a very libertie and true fréedom mong the company of heauen frō the miseries gréeuāces of this wretched world to be aboue with God in comfort inestimable that can not be spoken ne thought They were assured of the promises of almightie god which had so promised to all them that bée hys faithfull seruauntes And sure I am that if I had truly faithfully serued him vnto thys houre my soule had bene partner of these promises But vnhappie vngracious creature that I am I haue bene negligent in hys seruice and therefore now my harte doeth waste in sorowes séeing the nighnesse of death and considering my great slouth negligence I thought full little thus sodainly to haue bene trapped But alas now death hath preuented me and hath vnwarily attached mée sodainly oppressed mée with his mightie power so that I know not whither I may turne mee for succour nor where I may séeke now for helpe ne what thing I may doe to get any remedy If I myght haue leasure and space to repent mée and amende my lyfe not compelled with this sodayne stroake but of my owne frée will and libertie and partly for the loue of God putting asyde all slouth negligence I might then safely dye without any dread I might then be glad to departe hence and leaue my manifold miseries encombraūces of this world But how may I think that my repentance or mine amendement commeth now of myne own frée will sith I was before thys stroake so colde and dull in the seruice of my Lord god Or howe may I thinke that I doe this more rather for his loue then for feare of his punyshement when if I had truelye loued hym I should more quickely and more diligently haue serued him héeretofore Mée séemeth now that I caste away my slouth and neglygence compelled by force Euen as a Merchaunt that is compelled by a greate tempest in the sea to cast his merchandice out of the Shippe it is not to bée supposed that hée would cast away his ryches of hys owne frée will not compelled by the storme And euen so lykewyse doe I if thys tempeste of death were not now raysed vppon mée it is full like that I would not haue cast from me my slouth and negligence O woulde to God that I might nowe haue some farther respet and some longer tyme to amend my self of my frée will and libertie O if I might entreat death to spare me for a season but that will not bée death
the meanes of helpe he is deliuered from the same is not this his deliuerance from this open shame a comforte vnto hym yes doubtlesse The noble woman Susanna as the Prophet Daniell telleth all be it she was giltlesse yet for because she woulde not assent to the wretched desyre of two lewde priestes she was by them wrongfully accused and put to great shame for they wrongfully slaundered hir that she had taken an other man besides hir husband and that she had committed adulterye Neuerthelesse when the matter was tryed by the goodnes of almightye God and she was clearelye discharged from this terrible occasion and clearely deliuered froÌ„ this shame it was a great comfort vnto hir The blessed Magdalen which by hir wretched liuing had deserud great shaÌ„e yet when she came to our sauiour Christ and wept at his féete and so by his great mercy was excused of hir shame hir hart was set at a great rest in great coÌ„forte The woman of whom the gospel telleth that was taken in aduoutery by hir enimies so brought before our sauiour Christ there in his presence before al his people hir shamfull dealing was published who may think but that she was sore accoÌ„bred with that open shame but yet wheÌ„ our souiour had confounded hir enimies and deliuered hir from that shame she was restored to much ease and comfort of hyr hart Why tel I this Truly to the intent that we may sée great matter of coÌ„fort in the Crosse for we sinners haue deserued great shame for our abhominable sinne surelye so great that if we verely knew the greatnes of the shame that we haue deserued we might neuer sustaine the remembraunce therof And yet that moste inestimable goodnesse of Christ by that horyble shame that he suffered on the Crosse deliuered vs from euerlasting shame He toke ther vpon hys back all the burthen of our sinne There wanted no circumstances of horryble shame for then the death of the Crosse was the most shamefull maner of death that was put to any villaine It was theÌ„ the most vilanous death to be haÌ„ged on the gebbit of the Crosse. And this was done in no secret place but high vppon an open mountaine that all the people might behoulde and looke vppon hym And he was haÌ„ged ther naked betwéen two théeues as though he were a prince and captaine of misdoers And against the feast of Easter when the most number of people did assemble vnto the temple of the Iewes nigh vnto the Citie of Ierusalem that all the people might commodiouslye resort to gase vppon this cruell spectacle This thing was done also in the open day for from the midst of the day he thus did hang aliue on the Crosse by the space of thrée howres and more And al the strangers as they passed foreby did wonder vpon him The souldiers opprobryously rebuked him The priests with wordes of derision and mockerye assaulted him The théeues that honge besides him blasphemed him Finally al his enimes reioyced in their victorye against him Alas what creature mighte be more shamefully intreated then was our sauiour christ Iesus hanging thus on the Crosse. A troth it is now the Crosse is made honorable by his death but then as I said it was more shameful then anie gibbet or gallows or any other instrument of death And moreouer and besides that he was hanged on the same with the most dispight and villany thâ—â— could be thought or deuised for any creature to be put vnto O thou christian soule Christ Iesus the sonne of God tooke vpon him al this shame for thy loue to the entent that if thou wilt amend thy life and forsake thy sin and do true penance thou shalt by his shame be deliuered froÌ„ al shame His shame shall hide thy sins Hée was there naked and spoyled of all his cloathes to the intent that thou shouldest be couered vnder his mantle fro thy shame And therfore by the prophet Ezechiell he saith ExpaÌ„di amittum meum super 〈◊〉 et operui ignominiam tuam I did spred my mantle vpon thée and so couered thée from shame Let euery persoÌ„ héere think with them selues what déedes they haue done worthie of great shame which if they had come to light and bene openlye knowne thei should haue bene blotted with opeÌ„ infamye here in this lyfe and with out the special mercy of god in the day of iudgement they shoulde thereof haue an open shame before all the world and fyfally in hell an euerlasting shame But from al those shames by the gracious mantle of Christ many bée couered Hée hath mercifully spred his mantle ouer them and kept them from those importable shames Of this couering also the Prophet Dauid sayth Beati quorum tecta sunt peccata Blessed are those whose sinnes be couered O thou sinfull creature if thou mightst see what shame thou hast deserued for thy sinne thou shouldest recken this a singular comfort But thou séest not the abhominacion of thy sin and therfore thou perceyuest not what shame thou hast deserued Why doeth a common brothel take no shame of hir abhomination what is the cause why that shée regardeth hyr infamye no more Truely as far as I can iudge the cause is for that al the light of honestie is queÌ„ched in hyr shée is so blynded with hyr wretched pleasure that shée is paste all shame and hath not left in hir one sparke of the light of honestye where by shée may value estéeme the horriblenesse of hir offences Shée reputeth more a litle spote in hir kyrchefe or in hir face theÌ„ a thousaÌ„d blots of deadly sin in hir soule But if she had any honesty within hir hart to think how foule abhominable hir lif were surely she wold be much ashamd of hir self Thamar the daughter of King Dauid wheÌ„ hir brother Amon wold haue oprest hir she sayde Noli facere hanc stulticiam ego enim ferre non potero opprobrium meum O my brother saide she doe not this folly for this reproch that ye inforce to do vnto me is greater then I may suffer This woman had some light of honestye within her brest whereby she was moued to resist and to withstande this shamefull déede batwéene hir and hir brother A Romane woman also whose name was Lucretia whom by force againste hir wil in the absence of hir husband one maÌ„ called Sextus Tarquinius had abused hir albeit the thinge was 〈◊〉 yet she was there of so muche asâ—amed in hir owne mind that she might not beare the shame But when hir husband came home she tooke a knife and in his preseÌ„ce slew hir selfe This noble woman had the light of honesty in hir soule she sawe how abhominable a thing it was to commit adultery But a brothell hath in hir no spark of honesty wherby she can take any shame nor she doth not consider the foule abhomynacion of hir wretched life and therefore she is
shamles And in like maner euery sinner that lacketh the light of faith neither considereth the greatnes of his sinne nor the presence of almightye God which looketh vpon the same He regardeth nothing the blessed Angels the which doth behold theâ— abhominable conscience to their great discomfort nor the deuilles his mortal enimies which be ful ioyous of his shameful demainer If the sinner clearely considered al these thinges as they be matter in very déed he would be doubtlesse greatly ashamed of him selfe and in a great discomforte Neuerthelesse a penitent soule that is sore prest and wrong with vtter shame lyke as was the womeÌ„ of whoÌ„ I spake before I meane Susanna and Mary Magdalen the woman that was apprehended in aduoutry I say such a soule being holdeÌ„ in such distresse of shame and coÌ„sidering that by the approbrious and shamefull death which our sauiour did suffer on the Crosse. He that deliuered all true peniteÌ„t sinners from the shame which he deserued for their sinne and that he there by tooke all their sinne in hys owne necke hath great cause as me séemeth to take a wonderful comforte in the most blessed Crosse. So that here also as I said is great matter cause of very comfort of solace incomparable Wherefore to conclude my tale as touching this second writing if eyther loue or hope or ioy or comfort wil make vs sing Here in thys booke of the Crucifixe is great occasion of song If thou first truly lament with Christ thou shalt after ioyfully sing with him and eche of these shal induce other hatred of sinne shall bring into thy harte the loue of Christ dreade shall bring in hope sorow shal bring in ioy And shame here taken for thy sin shal bringe into thy soule perpetuall comfort And thus much I haue sayde for the second writing The thyrde wrytinge that is written in this booke I sayde is ve that is to say wo ve betokeneth in scriptures euerlasting dampnation And doubtlesse this woe may such sinners here reade that neither wil lament nor sing with Christ on the Crosse as hée said vnto the Iews Cecinimus vobis et non saltastis lamentauimus vobis et non planxistis that is to saye we sunge vnto you and you sorrowed not And soone after the Gospell telleth that he reprochfully spake vnto the cities to the whiche he had shewed many great myracles And they for all that did no maner of pennaunce for theyr sinne to such there he tirribly threatneth saying Vae tibi Corozaine Vae tibi Bethsaida wo shal be to thée Bethsaida by thys we maye learne that such whiche will not stir in them selues these affections aboue rehearsed whereby they may lament or els singe with Christ on the Crosse they shall come to euerlasting woe I say who that will not stir in theyr hartes dreade shame sorrowe and hatred of theyr sinne and so truely lament with Iesu eyther els quicken in theyr hartes loue hope reioysing and comfort and so singe with Iesu doubtlesse they shall come to the wo of euerlasting dampnation which woe is the thirde writinge that as we sayde before is written on the Crosse. Behold O thou christian soule the extreme paines that our sauiour suffered on the crosse for thy sinne And if thou wilte not by such aflictions as I now haue rehearsed enforce thy selfe to be made parteiner of the same paines in this lyfe thou shalte in the life to come endure like manner of paines and that euerlastingly where he suffered them on the Crosse for a time Let vs therefore déepely consider what paines he did endure suffer on the crosse The first when he was crucified he was spoyled and made naked of al his clothes And so violently throwne downe vppon the hard tymber and his handes féete cruelly digged in with nailes as he sayeth in the 21. Psalme Foderunt manus meas et pedes meos they haue digged my handes and my féete this he suffered for thy sinne O sinfull creature and if thou wilt not amend thy life be times thou shalt be spoyled of all thy clothes and so cast downe into hell vpon a more painefull couch then was the Crosse. The Prophet Esay saith vnto such a sinner Subtus te seruatur timea et opera mentum tuum verinis The mothes that shall teare and gnaw thy body shall lie vnder thée acd the burninge wormes and serpents shal sprale aboue thée dig away part of thy body O think what an horrible paine it were for to lye in a bed full of snakes adders and todes créepinge and sprawling and byting and pinching thée on euery parte The seconde when our sauiour was reared vp aloft on the Crosse that same hanging there was very paynefull vnto him O what payne was it vnto that most delicate and tender bodye of hys to hange so longe in that tormentrye But where he did hange here but for a time if thou amende not thy life thou shâ—â—â— hang in the gibbet of hell for euermore For be thou well assured that if thou shalt suffer for thine owne sinne in hell thou shalte suffer a more gréeuous tormentry then he dyd that without seasing For as it is sayd in the Apocalipses fumus tormentorum ascendet in secula seculorum the smoke of the tormentries of that place shall ascende by innumerable worlds that is to say without ende The tormentes which he suffered on the Crosse was the nayles the thornes the rops the schourges the speare But the torments that thou shalt suffer shal a thousande folde passe them Looke howe far the mallice and wit of the diuils passeth the mallice and witte of the Iewes so farre excéede the engynes which the diuilles haue coÌ„ceiued and forged for the dampned soules to be tormented Aboue them that the Iewes maliciously deuysed agaynst our sauiour Christ. The thyrd our sauiour endured an extreme heate feruour when he for the great afflictioÌ„ 〈◊〉 agony whiche he did suffer was coÌ„strained for that gréeuous anguish to sweat water blud But this heat is nothing to the heat of the burnyng fyre of hell which neuer shall be quenched Ignis ille non extinguetur As the gospell sayth that fyre shall neuer be quenched The Prophet Esay sayeth Quis ex vobis poterit habitare cum ardoribus sempiternis which of you may continually inhabite with the heates that neuer shal cease O sinfull creature thinke with thy self the largenes of these two wordes Euer and neuer thinke with thy self howe paynefull it shall be euer to be in that brenning fyre and neuer to be released of thy payne If thou shouldest be compelled to lye but one sennight vpon a softe featherbed I suppose thou wouldest be weary thereof But how weary shalt thou be euer to lye stewing and brenning without ceasing The fourth our sauiour Christ endured also colde not onely for his nakednesse but also when his naturall heate by death lefte his bodye