better bee verified in Christ than in any other seeing that from the first instant that he tooke humane flesh vpon him he saw the deuine essence and knew as much as hee dooth now in glorie vvhich is not so in other men seeing they are long a bringing vp and vvaxe old very timely The sonne of God vvas also an Hebrue of the tribe of Iuda a vvhich vvas the most honourable stocke of all the tribes and hee vvas of Nazareth vvhich vvas a holy land and he vvas also the most honourable of all his kindred Thirdly the sonne of God vvas best beloued of his father because of him and of no other he said in his baptisme Hic est filius meus dilectus as if hee vvould say This is only my lawful child in him only am I vvel pleased this only is my heire him onely I doe tender and loue in him I delight and take great contentment Fourthly the son of God vvas a very thicke mud vvall a close hedge vvhich put himselfe betwixt God and the people vvhen he suffered himselfe to bee crucified vpon the crosse vpon the vvhich as strong battelments they discharged all the sinnes vvhich vvere in the vvorld and all the wrath vvhich God had O glorious hedge O happie vvall O strong vvounds such vvast thou O redeemer of my soule seeing thou diddest permit and consent to put thy selfe a mediator betwixt God man to the end they should vnlode and put vpon thee all the sins of the vvorld and all the vengeance vvhich God vvas to take for them S. Gregory vpon Ezechiell sayth The sonne of God only vvas the man he sought for this vvas the vvall he required this vvas the mediator he asked for this is the pacifier of the old quarrell and of Gods vvrath this is the reformer of new grace and this is the ouerthrower of the old sinne S. Ierome vpon this place sayth The man vvhich God sought by Ezechiel who else was hee but the son of the liuing God and our redeemer Who like vnto an vnexpugnable wall did put himselfe boldly betwixt God and vs saying Pater ignosce illis Father forgiue them By which words he did not like that our sinnes should come into the sight of God neither suffered he Gods wrath and vengeance to descend vpon vs. Origen vpon S. Marke sayth That whē the two chiefe captaines of the synagogue Moses and Aaron perceiued that the Lord began to poure his wrath and anger vpon the people they went immediatly vnto the tabernacle the one to pray and the other to doe sacrifice to be a mean betwixt God and them because that otherwise God would haue poured out his anger vpon them the Synagogue haue receiued great hurt and detriment That which happened vnto those two holy men in the desart happened vnto Christ on the mount of Caluarie who seeing the elements to be troubled and the dead to rise againe to reuenge his death and punish that nation he made himselfe a mediator and a stikeler betwixt God and them and praied Paterignosce illis as if hee would say Pardon them my father pardon them for if thou wilt not pardon them it will bee a greater griefe vnto me to see them lost then my passion which causeth mee to die What would become of the Iewes then if Christ had not said vnto his father father forgiue them and what should betide vs now if he should not say Pater parce illis Spare them father S. Barnard saith in a sermon That this word of Ignosce illis Forgiue them is of such a deepe consideration that it should neuer be out of a sinners mouth nor blotted out of his memory because that the sonne of God did shew his mercy more vnto vs in two things thē in al the rest that is in the pardon which he got vs of his father and in the bloud which he shed for vs on the crosse Anselmus reasoning with Christ sayth What doest thou crie for what doest thou aske what doest thou intreat for what wilt thou what seekest thou what saiest thou to thy father O good Iesus what saiest thou I intreat O my father that thou wouldest forgiue them because they know not what they do and that thou wouldest load my flesh with thy anger and I intreat that there remaine nothing vnteconciled vnto thee because that my redemption would seem vnperfect and insufficient if there should remaine in any a fault to bee redeemed and in thy selfe any anger to punish vs. O what an enflamed charity what a wonderfull example what incredible patience what entire loue thou diddest shew vs O sweet Iesus in this speech of Father forgiue them the which thou diddest vtter not for an ease to thy griefe but in fauour of thy persecutors O what infinite goodnesse what vnspeakable clemencie what strange charitie doth shine this day in thee O my Iesus and sauiour seeing thou doest loose those which bind thee pleadest for those which diffame thee entreatest for those which accuse thee excusest those which blame thee and pardonest also those which will kill thee What meaneth this O good Iesus what meaneth this doest thou pray for them at the very instant which they blaspheme thee mocke thee and laugh thee to scorne They haue pierced thee with a speare and yet doest thou giue them an acquittance and a release of the blow What mortall man can praise himselfe or bost to haue done that which thou hast done that is to craue pardon for murderers before they haue confessed their fault and seeke to release them before they haue repented They will not returne into the citie before thou hast yeelded vp the ghost and wilt not thou die before thou hast first pardoned them Who euer saw or heard any thing like vnto this to wit that pardon should proceed first out of his blessed bowels before the blood should end to issue out of his tender vaines Doest thou not remember to aske a sepulchre for thy body and doest thou remember to aske forgiuenesse and mercie for those which crucified thee O sweet Iesus O my soules glorie who but thou could haue the breath going out of his body and Ignosce illis Pardon them in his mouth To defend thy selfe couldest not thou open thy mouth and to excuse thy enemies couldst not thou keepe it shut S. Chrisostome sayth The sonne of God onely was he who on the altar of the crosse inspeaking these words Father forgiue them coupled ioined and handfasted together pittie and cruelty the offence and mercie anger and patience hatred and loue killing and pardoning With as great reason sayth Hilarius we can now say Vbi sunt irae tuae antiquae as the Prophet Dauid said Vbi sunt misericordiae tuae antiquae seeing we bee certaine that from the houre that the son of God died vpō the crosse we may cal him Pater misericordiarū as the Synagogue called him Deus vltionū The God of reuenge No man ought to distrust Christs
them the Centurion immeadiately there said Vere hic erat filius dei Truly this was the sonne of God and the good theefe also said Domine memento mei Lord remember me In whose power saith Fulgentiusâ— but onely in the vertue and power of the praier of Paterignosce illis within a short space after that Christ had so praied did some strike their breasts and some say This man was iust By the merite of this holy praier the Apostles conuerted three thousand men in one day and fiue thousand another day by reason that the sonne of God had gotten pardon for the excommunicated synagogue glorious S. steuen was baptized holy Paul conuerted and the good Matthew called to be an Apostle O what a difference there is betwixt the praier which Christ made in the garden that which he made vpon the crosse in the one heeswet blood and in the other he shed teares in the one he praied that the bitter challice might passe and in the other pardon for the synagogue and that which Iesus praied for himselfe was denied him that which hee praied for others was graunted him In so much that his blessed father had more pitie on the sinnes of that people than on the flesh of his owne sonne O great goodnest O infinit charity The Sonne of God is in the garden alone hee is prostrate on the ground giuing vp his ghost and yet ready for a new combat his blood issueth from all the pores of his body he praieth thrise for himselfe and thou wilt not heare him and when he praieth for his enemies doest thou heare him at the first word Why dost thou not graunt him his request seeing that when hee praied vpon the crosse for his enemies he called thee nothing but Father but when he praied in the garden alone for himselfe he called thee My Father which is a sweet word and a word of a gentle and courteous sonne What would become of vs saith S. Ierome if Christ should not in his glory aboue repeat that word vnto his father Pater ignosce illis Father forgiue them Christ said once only Father forgiue mine enemies and he repeateth it a thousand thousand times in heanen for his Christians for euen as wee neuer cease from sinning so the sonne of God neuer ceaseth to pray for vs. Saint Steuen did not see Christ sitting by his father but on foote and the reason was because that at that instant when S. Steuen fell downe on his knees to pray for his enemies Christ rose immediatly also to pray and make intercession for them so that that praier which Saint Steuen made here vpon earth our sweet Iesus presented presently vnto his father in heauen It is deeply here to be weyed that Christ did not say Lord forgiue them but Father forgiue them because this word Lord is a fearefull word but this word Father is a word of ioy and therefore when one man calleth another Father it seemeth that hee doth bind him to answere him friendly and not to deny him any thing that he demandeth Wee shall find often in holy scripture that when God was angry with the Hebrewes hee said alwaies Ego Dominus qui loquor vobis I am the Lord which speake vnto you but when he would as it were flatter them and make much of them he alwaies said vnto them Ego ero illis in patrem I will be a father vnto them that is that hee would deale with them like a pitifull father and not like a rigorous Lord. In so much that this word Pater Father breedeth loue and this word Lord bringeth feare Alwaies when the sonne of God made any great praier or asked any great fauour at his fathers hands hee began his petition with Father O iust father O holy father making reckoning that by calling him father nothing should be denied him which was his sonne If Iesus Christ should haue begun his praier with Lord as he began it with Father it would haue seemed that he had called vpon Gods iustice power not vpon his wil mercy therfore in saying Father he intreated him that hee would not iudge as a Lord of iustice but like a father of mercy O depth of all goodnes O bowels full of charity what els didst thou meane when thou begannest thy petition with Father but that thou wouldest giue him to thy enemies for a father who is thine owne proper father what goodnes in all the world can be equall vnto thine or what like charity can be found seeing thou art the plaintife the party offended yet thou gauest him vnto thy enemies for a mercifull father whom thou shouldst haue giuen for a rigorous iudge Then let vs conclude that when the sonne said vnto his father Pater ignosce illis that at one time he praied vnto him that hee would forgiue them their sinnes that at the same time hee would vouchsafe to take them for his children CHAP. VI. How Christ praied for his enemies on the crosse more heartilie then hee did in the garden for himselfe seeing the one praier was made with condition and the other not SVpra dorsum meum fabricauerunt peccatores prolongauerunt iniquitatem suam These are the wordes of King Dauid in the 128 Psalme spoken in the name and person of the sonne of God and they are as if he should say I know not O mother the Synagogue what I haue done against thee nor wherin I haue offended thee yet thou hast gainsaid mee from my childhood thou hast persecuted mee from my manhood thou hast defamed mee euer since I began to preach vnto thee and in the sweetest time of al my life thou hast crucified mee But this is nothing O mother Synagogue this is nothing in comparison of that that thou diddest lay all thy sinnes vpon my shoulders which neuer had lost their innocency nor neuer done vnto thee any iniury Supra dorsum meum And sinners haue built vpon my backe seeing that Adam hath cast his disobedience vpon me Eue her gluttony Cain her sonne his murder king Dauid his adultery the Tyrant Roboam his Idolatrie and all the Synagogue her malice Is it not true that sinners haue built vpon my backe seeing that I must be punished and pay for all the offences that the sinfull Iewes committed The Iewes would willingly haue loaden Christ on both his shoulders that is they would haue cast vpon him both the paine and the offence but good Iesus tooke vpon him the punishment like a redeemer but charged not himselfe with the guilt of sinne like an offender S. Augustine vpon S. Iohn saith That the sonne of God doth not complaine that they burdened both his shoulders but only one seeing he saith Supra dorsum Vpon my backe although his enemies would haue ouercharged and wearied them both by killing his humanitie and darkening his diuinitie by blotting his fame and credite and hindering his doctrine but our mighty redeemer suffered them onely to lay
the punishment on him and take his life from him Basil sayth That sinners build vpon one shoulder only when they haue no other goodnesse in them but the bare name of Christians only and iust men build vpon both his shoulders when they are at one time both Christians and vertuous men Thou must know brother that in the law of Christ it is not sufficieÌ„t that a man be called a Christian vnlesse he be also such a one indeed Sinners build vpon one of Christs shoulders onely when they serue God in wish and desire onely and serue the world with all their might and power which is a mean rather to condemne them then to saue them for in the Church of God there are many condemned by good wishes desires but not one by good workes Christ complaineth that cursed Heretikes doe build vpon one shoulder when they confesse only his humanitie take away his diuinity which is great wickednesse falshood for he is as true a God as he is a man and as true man as he is true God Christs complaint of the Synagogue doeth not end here but hee saith further Et prolong auerunt iniquitatem suam as if he would say Thou was not content O ingrateful Synagogue to impute thy offence vnto mee and lay all the punishment due for it vpon my backe but thou hast also prolonged thy naughtinesse and perseuered in thine infidelity heaping sinne vpon sinne malice vpon malice enuie vpon enuie and idolatry vnto idolatry When did the forsaken Iewes prolong their iniquitie but when at the foot of the crosse they were nothing forrie to haue crucified Christ but were grieued to see him rise againe S. Barnard sayth that Christ had great reason to say that the Iewes had prolonged their iniquitie because that at the time of his passion for the better reuengement vnto their malicious hearts and the more to torment Christs blessed members they would haue been glad that day had been longer and that Christs life had continued a longer time The hatred which those wicked Iewes bate vnto Christ was so great that sometimes they desired nothing more then to see him yeeld vp the ghost and sometime they were neuer satisfied and full in doing him iniury insomuch that if they did crucifie him with their haÌ„ds they did also crucifie him much more with their hearts Wee should haue great compassion vpon the Iewish nation which doe prolong their iniquity vntill the end of the world for as the Apostle sayth the Synagogue shall neuer be all lightened vntill all the Gentiles bee conuerted It may be said not only of the Hebrewes but also of many Christians that Prolong auerunt iniquitatem suam who in stead of amending themselues goe on euery day empairing themselues so that they are like vnto those which are sick of the dropsie who the more they drinke the more they thirst so they the more they sinne the greater lust they haue to sinne And as Christ with great reason said that the Hebrewes did prolong their iniquitie against him with the like reason may they say of Christ that towards them he prolonged his mercy seeing he was as hastie in procuring their pardon as they were in causing his passion What shold become of me O sweet Iesus what should become of me saith Anselmus if as euery day I adde naughtinesse to naughtinesse and so prolong my iniquitie thou diddest not adde goodnes vnto goodnesse and so prolong mee thy misericordiam O sweet Iesus and my soules delight of whom may it so truly be said as of thee that thou hast prolonged thy mercy seeing that thou wast vpon the crosse as it were gaping for death and yet pardoning thy enemies And although I doe euery day prolong my iniquity and thou euery moment prolong thy mercy notwithstanding thy mercy exceedeth my iniquitie for otherwise my sorrowfull soule should long agoe haue knowne what thy rigorous iustice had beene Cyprian saith vpon the passion of our Lord that hee hath much more prolonged his mercy seeing hee said not in his praier Father forgiue them if thou wilt but absolutely that hee would forgiue them and that not by the rigour of iustice due vnto them but by the sole mercy of him which made the petition Behold then O my soule behold that with greater deuotion affection the sonne of God praied for thee vpon the crosse than hee did for himselfe in the garden seeing that he said there Father if thou wilt let that chalice passe but on the crosse he said not If thou wilt but Father forgiue them In so much that it seemeth that hee left the care of his passion vnto the will of his father but the pardon of his enemies hee desired presently to be giuen What meaneth this O sweet Iesus what meaneth this It seemeth that thou doest put it in consultation whether thou shalt die or not saying vnto him Father if thou wilt and doest thou not giue thy father leaue to thinke whether he shall pardon that wicked people or not but that he should there presently forgiue them The sonne of God saith vnto his father as Gregory reports Father forgiue them and not If thou wilt because we should vnderstand that when wee forgiue and be reconciled vnto our enemies we should doe it so sincerely and heartily and with such good wil that we should neuer turne our face from them nor neuer deny them our communication I will not saith Hugo call that a Christian forgiuing when we forgiue our enemy vnder condition neuer to speake vnto him nor goe by his gate nor dwell where hee hath to doe for our redeemer excepted no condition in the pardon of his passion It is also deepely to bee weighed that the sonne of God did not say vpon the crosse Father forgiue him but Father forgiue them That is he asked forgiuenesse not for one in particular but for all the whole world in generall Whereof it is inferred that seeing hee praied for all that there was sinne in all When Christ said Pardon them and not pardon him he gaue cause of great hope vnto all sinners that they should bee pardoned by him seeing hee forgot not to redeeme any nor to pardon any man nor leaue out any man not spoken for of his father but made all men partakers of his passion As the sonne of God said vnto his father Pardon them so if he had said Pardon him he would haue put all the church in an vproâ—e and hurliburly and al the world in a confusion and doubt in knowing who were condemned and who pardoned Rabanus vpon S. Matthew sayth That when the Maker hanged vpon the crosse if hee had said Pardon him as he said Pardon them then we should not haue known whether hee had pardoned Iudas which sold him or Herod which scorned him or Pilat which condemned him or S. Peter which denied him or Caiphas which blasphemed him And he saith further that the cause why Christ said vnto his father Pardon
greater the sighs of the faithful the tears which issued out of his mothers eies or the bloud which gushed out of Christ vains or the blasphemies which the wicked Iewes vttered with their mouth but yet our holy meek Iesus did first pardō the iniuries before he was mindful of the tears O good Iesus O redeemer of my soule saith Anselmus as thou dost say Father forgiue thē why dost thou not say dry the eies of my sorrowfull mother stanch the bloud of my tender vains heal the woūds of my gētle flesh haue pity cōpassion of these faithfull women which here weep for my sake as thou didst say in thy last supper saith Ciprian Mandatū nouū do vobis I giue you a new cōmandemēt so maist thou now say vpō the crosse I giue you a new exāple seeing that neuer any before thee hath taught vs so perfect a maner how to loue nor so liuely an exāple how to pardon it was a strange a new kind of goodnes which Iesus vsed in asking pardon first for those which crucified him rather then for those which followed him for his mother which accompanied him for without comparison the griefe which he had to see the souls of his enemies perish was farre greater vnto him thē to see his mothers eies run downe with tears Let no man thē wonder nor maruel that our good Iesus did remēber himself first of the people which murdered him before his mother which bare him because he came not into the world to drie mēs eies frō weeping but to sauesoules from perishing Secōdly the son of God shewed his mercy in asking pardon for his enemies with kind sweet words that is not by calling him God or Lord or creator but only father which is a word answerable vnto mercy pity contrariwise this word God or Lord doth alwaies signifie iustice Whē Christ said Father forgiue them hee would haue said Lord forgiue them or my God forgiue them it would haue seemed that he would haue had the pardon according vnto the rigor of iustice the which if he had required or his father granted there is no doubt at al but before the son of God should haue yeelded vp his ghost the ground would haue opened swallowed thē vp Whē the son of God would ask any great thing of his father he began his praier alwaies with Father as whē he said I confesse vnto thee O father whē he said Father into thy hands I cōmend my spirit What meaneth this O redecmer of my soule what meaneth this Is thy pity so great towards vs and thy mercy so abundant that thou doest pray for thy enemies with the same wordes as thou doest pray for thy own affairs S. Chrysost vpon S. Mathew noteth That the excōmunicated Iews did alwaies change their stile maner of speech whē they spake vnto Christ for once they said Benedictus qui venit in nomine domini anone after they said Vah qui destruis tēplū but as for the son of God as his mind was sincere clear inwardly so his words were holy outwardly were not think you his words holy his thoughts pure cleare whē he said vnto his Father Father forgiue them seeing hee praied with his tongue pardoned with his heart S. Barnard crieth out O sweet Iesus O redeemer of my soule what couldest thou haue said or what shouldest thou haue done more for thy enemies thā pardon them with all thy heart make intercession for thē with such sweet louing words Thirdly Christ shewed his goodnes mercie in asking pardon in the presence of such as were there that is in the presence of his sorrowful mother of his welbeloued disciple his deer friend Mary Magdalen his cousins and kindred shewing that as all men were by him redeemed so also all should be by him pardoned Vbertinus to this purpose saith O good Iesus in the death which thou didst suffer and in the pardon which thou diddest giue to thy enemies thou diddest not only helpe thy selfe there with thy tongue but also with thy heart seeing thou didst entreat thy father with thy tongue that he would haue pity on them and diddest also beseech thy mother with thy heart that she would forgiue them Rabanus vpon S. Matthew saith That it was not without a high mystery hidden sacrament that the son of God when he died would haue his mother his kindred there the reason was because they should all be witnesses of his pardon as they were of his passion for our holy Lord had a greater desire that his bloud should benefite his enemies than that his kindred should entreat at his death for him Wherfore O good Iesus saith Anselmus wherfore didst thou bring thy mother all thy family to the foot of the crosse but only because as thou didst suffer in thy flesh so they should also fuffer in their hearts as thou didst forgiue thē thy death they should also forgiue thē their iniuries wrongs done by thē Bonauenture saith that as the son of God said father forgiue thē opēly so he said mother forgine thē insecret in so much that as the hangmē did martirize the sonne so the son martirized the mother leauing her bound to weep his death but not licensed to reuēge it O my Iesus O my soules health I beseech thee that as thou didst get pardon of thy father and mother for thy enemies so thou wouldst get me pardon for my sinnes saying Father forgiue mother forgiue him seeing I am hateful vnto thy father by reason of the sins which I commit against him vngratefull vnto thy mother for the benefites which I haue receiued of her O happy holy day in which thou didst die seeing that on that day the Father forgaue his iniury the son pardoned his death the mother pardoned her martyrdome Saint Iohn pardoned his reproch and perill Mary Magdalen her anguish and distresse and the good theefe was pardoned of his sinne How was it possible that the Father should not forgiue the world of their sinnes seeing that on one day in one houre and at one time they said Father forgiue them the son by letting his bloud streame from his vaines the mother by suffering her tears flow from her eies and the sadde familie by piercing the heauen with their sighes Because saith Ciprian the office of the son of God was to put together that which was broken and reconcile those which disagreed hee would not depart out of this world before hee had made an attonement betwixt his friendes and his foes beseeching his father to forgiue thē cōmanding his mother not to accuse thē The sorrowful mother had great reason to challenge the Iews for the life which they took frō her son and also the father for the wrongful death which they put him to therefore our most merciful redeemer besought of his father that he wold not cōdemn thē into
Christ and how he beleeued and of that which the Prophet Ieremy speaketh to this purpose TOnde capillum tuum proijce sume indirectum planctum quiae perijt fides ablata est de ore eorum said God vnto the Prophet Ieremy in the 7. chap as if hee would say O Ieremy my friend and Prophet poule the haire of thy head and then cast it vnder thy feet and weepe and bewaile the Synagogue because now there is no truth in her mouth and the faith of her Commonwealth is vtterly lost Men did neuer poule their heads in holy scripture nor rent their garments nor shed many tears but for very great disasters or pitifull accidents as for the death of Iobs childreÌ„ with all the losse of all his goods for what cause holy Iob shaued his hair rent his garmeÌ„ts cried out with loud cries It is much here to be noted and also necessary to bee known that seeing the scripture saith that the soule which committeth the sin that the selfesame shal endure the punishment why God coÌ„manded Ieremy to weepe with his eies and poule his hair for the sins which others haue committed If Israel do offend fall into the sin of idolatry how is the good Prophet Ieremy to be blamed why is he commanded to poule his hair for it cast it vnder feet Hath not euery man think you inoughto do to weep for his own sins without weeping for other mens sorrows Hugo de sancto victore answereth vnto this doubt vpon those words Defecerunt prae lachrimis oculi mei Thren 1. and saith that there is nothing more natural vnto good meÌ„ theÌ„ to weep for the sins of the wicked The charity of the good is so great the carelesnes ossinners so idle that the iust meÌ„ dofirst weepe for the sins of the wicked then they do weep for theÌ„selues O how many sinners do we see in these daies sporting laughing in the world for whose sins the iust do weep and giue themselues discipline O that it would please the God of heaueÌ„ that the heart of him who sinneth would receiue such griefe as the iust in seeing him sinne I sweare by the law of a good man that none would go to rest at night with sinne nor rise in the morning without grace Is there any day saith Cyrillus vpoÌ„ Leuit. in which a good maÌ„ doth not better himself or any moment wherin he doth not merit considering that he doth imitate the good in that which they do weep for the wicked in that they commit King Dauid did weepe for the death of his deare sonne Absolon and not only because hee was his son but because he saw him die in that euil estate The son of God wept ouer the city of Ierusalem not only because they would there kil him but because they wold neuer ameÌ„d theÌ„ of their wickednes The Prophet Ieremy did weepe very much for the captiuity of his people not so much because they were in captiuity in BabiloÌ„ as because they would not neither for that punishmeÌ„t or any thing else leaue their idolatry the great captain Iosua with all the nobles of Israel wept not because of his own life which was not long but because they saw how ingrateful the synagogue was to god The Prophet Samuel wept when king Saule came froÌ„ the conquest of Amelech not so much because God had depriued him of a kingdome but because hee had falne into such a great sinne Saint Augustine in his Confessions saith thus We do not see good men so much occupied in any thing as in drawing euill men to good life and when they can neither by entreaty nor threatning conuert them then they betake themselues to weep bitterly for them When Ieremy said Defecerunt prae lachrimis oculi mei and when Dauid said Exitus aquarum c. what else would they say but that the eies of the one of them were failed for weeping for the paines which the people endured and that the eies of the other were made a sea of teares for the great wickednesse which he saw in Israel Anselmus in his meditations saith thus O sweet Iesus O my good Lord if good men should not aid me with their holy praiers if holy men should not helpe me to weepe for my grieuous offences what would become of mee wicked and wretched creature O what infinit charity O what vnspeakable mercy saith Ierome vpon Ieremy had our Lord vpon the wicked Synagogue and alwaies hath vpon euery sinfull soule considering that he commanded the Prophet Ieremy to weep for the sins committed by her as though they were his own Wherfore thinkest thou doth our Lord command holy iust men to weepe for our sinnes but because he knoweth better then we our selues that if we haue power to fall into sins yet that we cannot lift ourselues out of them without his grace license Who then is able to obtaine vs this grace but he who is in state of grace It is to be noted that in Ieremies weeping our Lord commanded him first to poule his he are then cast it and tread it vnder his feet and that then hee should weepe ouer them of all which things there is none which wanteth a secrete and a mystery What other things are the superfluou heares in the head but the vaine and light cogitations which are in the mind When he saith That the oftner our heare is pouled and shaued the more they encrease grow what meaneth hee else but that filthy and vnclean thoughts the more they are suppressed and kept vnder the faster they grow vpon vs What doth he else mean when he commandeth Ieremy not to pul vp his hear by the root but only poule it but only that if we be able to resist vncleane thoughts yet wee are not able wholly to subdue them and pull them vp The roots of the heare remaine alwaies in the head and the rootes of vaine desires continue alwaies in the soule if our Lord dooth permit this it is because wee should haue matter wherevpon to exercise our selfe in and occasion to merit the more Then we do pâ—â—â— vp our euill cogitations wheÌ„ we throw them out of our hearts then we spurn theÌ„ with our feet when we return no more to thinke vpon them and then we weepe with all our heart when we repent that euer wee consented vnto them O how happy should I be if I could shaue the superfluous thoughts of my heart could kick at the disordinate desires of my mind could weepe the times which I haue euilly spent for in the latter day wee shall giue as strait an account of the times which we haue euilly spent as of the offences which we haue committed Speaking more particularly seeing that God coÌ„manded the Prophet Ieremy to poul his head as if he had ben a simple man kicke at that which he had pouled weep many tears it is conuenient now that
the bowels of his mercy The holy Prophet dooth in this open a high mystery vnto vs whereby hee giueth vs to vnderstand how entirely our Lord dooth loue vs seeing that hee doth visite vs vvith the bowels of his mercy There bee many vvhich haue this word Mercy in their mouth but not in their hands and those bee such as are faire in speech but cruell in deedes and such vse sweet speech to take men and flattery to kill them Others there bee which haue mercy in their handes and nor in their tongues the which are rough in words but mild and gentle in deeds and those offer blowes but strike not they feare but kill not Only our sweet Iesus hath mercy pity in his mouth seeing hee dooth so much commend it vnto vs and in his deedes seeing hee dooth vse it so much and also in his bowels because hee dooth loue vs so much S. Barnard sayth vnto this purpose Our Lord would not place mercy in the eies least they should make him blind hee would not place it in the eares for feare they should make him deaffe hee would not place it in the handes for feare it should bee lost hee would not put it to keepe in the body for feare least it should grow old neither yet in the tongue for feare hee should be dumbe But our good Iesus put it to keepe in his heart to bestow it vpon those whom hee loueth and keepeth it within his bowels because that all that which is loued with the heart is kept within the heart O good Iesus O the life of my soule I beseech thee by the bowels of thy mercy that thou wouldest take pity on my sinfull soule and seeing I haue no other Lord in my bowels but thy selfe on whom wouldest thou better bestow the mercy which thou hast within thine than vpon mee Thou diddest speake with the bowels of thy mercy vnto the good theefe when thou wast not content onely to say Amen Truly I say but thou diddest adde tibi to thee letting vs vnderstand that thou diddest speake vnto him alone and promise Paradise vnto him alone and vnto no other Vbertinus sayth That if when Christ said Amen dico hee had not added tibi his mother who brought forth his humanity and the other theefe which had lost his liberty might haue thought that hee had spoken vnto them I say if hee had not turned himselfe vnto the good theefe and said tibi What meaneth this O good Iesus what meaneth this doest thou speake vnto the theefe and forget thy mother Doest thou not speake vnto thy mother who bare thee nine months in her bowels and doest thou speake vnto the theefe who had knowne thee but three houres Doest thou promise presently Paradise vnto the theefe which spake but three words and doest thou make no reckoning of thy mother who bought thee with her teares Doest thou bestow thy precious bloud first vpon a theefe which knew not how to do any thing else but shed bloud by the high waies before thou doest bestow it vpon thy mother Would it not bee reason to pay thy mother now with the bloud that runneth from thy side for the milke which thou diddest sucke of her breast What more heroicall and diuine exchange could there bee made in the world betwixt the sonne and the mother the mother and the sonne than bloud for milke and milke for bloud If thou doest looke O good Iesus that shee should speake vnto thee as the theefe did doest thou not see that for wearines she cannot helpe thee for griefe she cannot looke vpon thee for feare shee cannot comfort thee and for being astonied shee cannot speake vnto thee I beseech thee Per viscera misericordia that thou wouldest say Amen dico vobis as thou doest say Amen dico tibi For by that means thou shouldest comfort thy mother satisfie the theefe vanquishe Hell helpe the world and withall I should haue hope to be pardoned If thou doest die for all and not for one why doest thou not say Verely I say vnto you as thou doest say Truly I say vnto thee O sweet Iesus and loue of my soule seeing that vpon my knees and my face bathed in teares I say vnto thee Tibi soli peccaui I haue sinned vnto thee alone doe not I deserue to heare from thy mouth these words Amen dico tibi Truly I say vnto thee Anselmus sayth That it was too timely to giue Paradise vnto his mother and the other theefe had not deserued it and the great Centurion was not yet become a Christian and the Iewes were hardened in their hearts and therefore it was not without cause that he said vnto the theef Amen dico tibi and not Amen dico vobis It was a great word which God spake vnto the first man that is dominamini piscibus maris volatilibus cali but that which hee spake vnto the good theefe was farre greater because it is far better to be companions vnto the Angels in heauen than kings ouer beasts vpon earth It was a great word that God spake vnto Noe that is I found thee iust in my sight but this which hee spake vnto the theefe was far greater because it is better to be iust receiue the reward of being iust thā to be simply iust That was a fauourable speech which hee vsed vnto king Dauid I haue found a man according vnto my heart but this which he spake vnto the good theefe was farre more fauourable because that Dauid was but neere vnto his heart but the theefe was in his heart And it did appear easily that Dauid was but neer Gods heart seeing hee did sinne afterward and it doth well appeare that hee had the theefe within his heart seeing hee suffered him to sinne nor steale no more That was a fauorable speech which God vsed vnto Abraham that is Num celare potero qua gesturus sum Abraham But that which was vsed towards the theefe was more fauourable because the greatest secret that God reuealed vnto Abraham was that the son of God should come into the world but hee did not onely reueale but also shew this vnto the good theef Christ did trust the good theef better thā he did trust Abraham because he was the first sinner who saw the redemption of the world with his eies he was hee vpon whome the bloud of Christ was first bestowed The precious bloud of the sonne of God was then otherwise shed towards the theefe who was vpon the crosse than towards his mother who was by the crosse because it dropped downe vpon the garment of his sorrowfull mother but it went to the soule of the theefe to saue him therevpon the holy theef went immediately to Paradise but his sorrowful mother staied weeping on the Mount of Caluary O holy bloud O heauenly blame why doest thou take such pity on the theefe doest deferre to giue thy mother the kingdome of heauen which thou doest giue presently vnto
those words that he had forsaken him and that hee will defend him no more with his holy hand and yet in this lamentable speech Christ vsed great clemency toward Iudas for when hee said Doe speedily that which thou wilt do it was to say deliuer me quickly and die thou quickly for how much the older thou doest grow in yeares by so much the more thou wilt grow in offences God of his mercy keep vs from this licence or permission for it is a great signe that this man is already foreseene to be damned whome our Lord doth permit to beginne to be naught presently Our Lord doth neuer giue this licence to a Christian religious soule but when the flesh doth moue him or sensuality disquiet him he taketh away the occasions of falling and giues him new desires to strengthen him with Woe be vnto him vnto whome our Lord sayth as he did to Iudas Quod facis fac cito that is that hee may doe that which sensuality doth lead him vnto accomplish that which the diuell persuadeth for the greatest malediction that God doth put vpon any man is to suffer to put that in execution which sensuality requireth Remigius sayth That the diuell is so great a friend vnto his friends and hath so great care of pleasing thē that they haue no sooner thought of a sinne but he doth presently lay open the way to commit it Damascen sayth also That when a man desireth to be worser than he is the diuell is by and by so busie that he doth agree that which did disagree and ioine that vvhich was farre asunder openeth that which vvas shut lighteneth that which vvas darke maketh that easie vvhich vvas most hard and giueth that that vvas not to be hoped for This being true as true it is vvhat vvill not a naughty man doe vvhat vvill hee not venter on yea and vvhat vvill hee not attaine vnto hauing so good a tutor and helpe as the diuell If a good man vvould doe any good vvorke hee findeth a thousand stumbling blockes to hinder him and contrariwise if a naughty man vvill commit any naughty fact hee shall find as many helpes for the performance of it and the reason is because our Lord doth seeme to forget his because they should merit the more but the diuell doth alwaies fauour his because he vvill incite them to sinne Wee haue spoken all this by reason of the gaule and vineger vvhich the Iewes gaue Christ for it is a vvonder to thinke vvith vvhat speed they sought it out vvhat diligence they vsed in giuing him it for surely if the Scripture did not assure vs of it it would seeme but a dreame to say that they should haue all thinges so readily at hand as they gaue him Is it not a thing much to be vvondered at that the Iewes being out of the towne and in open field as soone as he had said Sitio that they should presently haue at that place soure vineger bitter mirrhe poisoned gaule vnsauory isope and a spunge to drinke it in and a reed to reach it him If a man should haue gone into the towne to seeke all these sixe things hee would haue been sixe houres a getting them For he must haue gone to the butchery for the gaule to the Apothecary for the mirrhe to another place for the vineger to a shop for the spunge to a garden for Isope and to the riuer for a reed But vvhen Christ said vpon the crosse I am a thirst they did not stay sixe houres to seek these things but they did reach them him presently all at once kept and hidden ready for him for if his soule vvould not haue forsaken him vvith the torment of the nailes shee vvould haue forsaken him by the force of that drinke The same leaue that Christ gaue Iudas it seemeth that he gaue it also vnto the Iewes that is that they should doe by him vvhat they vvould and how they vvould and as speedily as they vvould vvhich liberty they vsed vvith the aduantage seeing that in short space they vvatched him with their eies dogged him vvith their feet laid hold on him with their hands blasphemed him vvith their tongues hated him vvith their hearts and ended his life vvith their drinkes The naughty Iewes vvent to the Mount of Caluary and there vvent also old Ioseph and Nichodemus but their intentions were farre different the one from the other the holy men carried pinsers vvith them to pull out the nailes ladders to take him downe from the crosse ointments to annoint him vvith a sheet to wind him in and a shrowd to bury him in Non sic impij non sic The wicked did not go so but to go their stacions on good Friday and meditate on the Mount of Caluary they carried vnder their clokes in one pot the vineger in another bladder the gaule in a boxe the mirrhe in a cloth the Isope in one hand the spunge in another the reed Tel me I pray thee what inward minds these wicked Iewes had seeing they did shew such outward shewes of their pilgrimages Of these bitter trauails and vnsauoury liquors we may gather certaine lessons worthy to be knowne and profitable to be kept in memory We must aboue al things take heed that we doe not offer vnto our Lord any liquor which is not pure cleare and cleane or mixed for here vpon earth men refuse mixed liquors because they doe corrupt the stomacke Cibus simplex est vtilissimus homini compositus autēperniciosus sayth Pliny as if hee would say The body is best maintained with vncompound meats because that compound meats are dangerous for the body The like condition is to bee obserued in the soule the which doth detest dissembled manners abhorre doubling in conditions for being as she is a most simple iustice she cannot endure to bee furred with malice Hilarius sayth I will say that he doth offer vnto Christ his vnderstanding mingled with vineger who occupieth his thought more on another thā God I wil say that he doth offer his memory mixed with mirrhe who troubleth his memory with nothing but how he may lead his life without disquietnesse I will say that hee doth offer his will mingled with gaule who forgetteth his creature and serueth worldly things hee dooth offer his heart vnto Christ mingled with bitter Isope who at the same time will liue at ease and yet serue our Lord he doth offer vnto Christ a good worke put vpon a reed who dooth it for no other end but for vaineglory and he offereth Christ his life soken with a spunge who doth all that he doth of hypocrisie Finally we say that those do offer vnto Christ drinks of bitternesse who in beliefe are Christians and in workes Pagans CHAP. XVI That the church of Christ hath great abundance of spirituall waters which are his grace and the gifts of the holyghost and of the fire which Christ came to put in the world which is
the secōd to make vs clean of al that which we haue already sinned O what small need Christ hath to bee so many times annointed nor by the church helped for from the first instant of his incarnation was annointed not only the altar of his most holy humanity to enioy presētly the diuine essence but also all the members of his holy body were annointed because they might neuer sinne nor neuer be seperated from God The figure of annointing the altar with all the furniture was spoke of none but of Christ nor fulfilled in none but in Christ alone because it doth easily appeare that as the holyghost left no part in his soule nor body which he did not sanctifie and make holy so there was no power in his soule nor body which to our benefite hee did not imploy Wee may better say of Christ than of Moyses hee dooth annoint the altar Cum omni suppellectile seeing that with his feet hee visited the altars of the Temples with his hands cured the sick with his tongue preached to the people and with his heart forgaue sinners The end of the fift word which Christ our redeemer spake vpon the altar of the Crosse These foure chapters are all which the Author left made vpon the seuenth word which Christ spake vpon the crosse that is In manus tuus c. For whilest that he was a making it it pleased our Lord to take him out of this life CHAP. I. How God is the only and true comforter and how hee was Deus vltionum to the Synagogue and is to the church Pater misericordiarum BEnedictus deus pater domini nostri Iesu Christi pater misericordiarum deus totius consolationis qui consolatur nos in omni tribulatione nostra These are the words of the Apostle speaking of the goodnes and mercy of our Lord God as if hee should say Blessed and praised bee the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ who is the father of all mercies and God of all comfort and who is the true consolation of all our tribulations With a high stile and lofty wordes the Apostle doth extoll the greatnesse and power of God in calling him Father and Father of mercies and God and the God of consolations and aboue all that he keepeth them not for himself only but doth succour vs with them in all our tribulations O how happy is the Apostle who vttereth these words and how blessed wee Christians for whom hee spake them and how blessed is Christ by whose merits they were spoken What grauer sentences or sweeter words could bee spoken seeing that by them he maketh himselfe of God our Father of a iudge our aduocate of a Lord our brother of a reuenger mercifull of him which was cruell gentle meek of him which could not be spoken with most affable and of one which was inuisible treatable Thou maist haue pitty on me and I haue pitty on thee and I can comfort thee thou canst comfort me but to haue pitty on all who can doe it but only the father of mercies and comfort all men who is able to doe it but only the father of all consolations If I be sicke one may cure me if I be naked another can cloth me if I be sad a freind can somewhat comfort mee but tell mee I pray thee who is able to helpe mee in all tribulation and distresse but only our Lord who doth cōfort vs in all our tribulations Who sayth by the Psalme Cum ipso sum in tribulatione of whom speaketh the Apostle Quod consolatur nos in omni tribulatione of who was he euer called whom he did not helpe The father of our Lord Iesus Christ is he who in calling vpon him doth open in speaking to him doth answer who being demanded any iust thing doth graunt it By peeces by patches and by crownes men can giue vs of their pleasures and the world his delights onely hee who is the God of all comfort can comfort vs in our distresses and succour vs in our necessities It is much to be noted that the Apostle doth not say the God of consolation but the Lord of all consolation whereof wee may inferre that all comfort which dooth not come of him is dissolute or fained or imperfect Wee should haue great pitty on those men which say Let vs go sport our selues at the water let vs goe walke in a garden who seeme rather to play the Idolaters then to recreate themselues seeing they put all their felicity and case in seeing a greene meddow in the running of the riuer in flourishing trees and to sit in a banketting house Seneca in an Epistle sayth Let no man thinke that consolation dooth consist in that which wee see with our eies or heare with our eares or touch with our hands or smel with our nose but only in that which the heart desireth for no man can bee at rest if his heart haue not contentment With variety of meats the tast is recreated the sight reioiceth in faire sights the hearing is delighted with sweet musick the smell is pleased with aromaticall perfumes and the feeling ioieth in soft thinges but what shall the poole heart doe which neither taketh tast in meats nor pleasure in musicke nor delight in that which it seeth nor contentment in that which it smelleth what other thing saith the church when she sayth Sursum corde but that we should lift vp our hearts vnto God seeing that there is no perfect consolation for them below in the world Al wicked men would bid God much good doe it him with his glory if they could find any perfect case vpon earth for their hearts but because they cannot find it bee he neuer so bad hee sighteth to goe to heauen We say all this because the Apostle saying that hee is the God of all consolation how can any man haue any consolation in this life vnlesse hee giue it him who is the God of all consolation How great soeuer a lord Hector was in Troy how great soeuer Alexander was in Asia and how mighty soeuer Caesar was in Rome notwithstanding Christ was greater in his church because all those Princes were such ouer their cities only but the sonne of God is the God of all consolations What greater pleasure then to giue pleasure to whom thou louest what greater contentment then to giue contentment to whome thou likest Our Lord kept this treasure for himselfe alone and reserued this segniory for himself that is Quod sit deus totius consolationis and therevpon it is that if he will not shew that which hee can doe and impart among vs that which he hath no iust mā should liue cōtētedly nor any Angell happily If as one is lord of many possessions and inheritances he were also of many pleasures and consolations what would wee not giue for them what would wee not bestow to attaine vnto them and vnto what would we not put our selues to take them
All mortal men go after their pleasures and hunt for delight but alasse they seeke them in the house of the God of trauels which is the world and forsake the Lord of consolations which is God and therefore they goe astray in that which they seeke and goe discomforted in that which they desire Barnard in a sermon sayth O what a great comfort it is to the good that they haue him for their God and Lord who is the God and Lord of all consolations for it is not to be beleeued that being the God of al comforts that he doth not impart some of them vnto his and especially seeing that hee doth not discomfort those which offend him who will not beleeue but hee will comfort those which serue him When the Apostle sayth that our God is the God of all consolations and not onely that but also the father of mercies we haue great cause to loue him and to be thankfull vnto him seeing that not long before hee called himselfe the God of reuenge as now he dooth call himselfe the Father of mercies S. Ambrose sayth What greater news could we hear or what could he giue vs for a greater reward then for our Lord to giue himselfe vnto vs for our father his sonne for our brother the holy-ghost for our maister his church for our mother the Sacraments for a medicine his death for a pardon his bloud for our redemption Isichius vpon Leuiticus sayth Marke the depth of the Scripture and thou shalt see that when he speaketh of mercies it doth not call God Deus misericordiarum The God of mercy but Pater misericordiarum the Father of mercies and when it talketh of iustice it doth not call him Pater vltionum but Deus vltionum The God of reuenge because it is the office of God to punish and the duty of the father to pardon The Prophets did oft vse this word Deus God and helped themselues little with this word Pater Father and Christ contrariwise did oft benefite himselfe with this word Pater Father and sildome with this name Deus God giuing vs thereby to vnderstand that the time of iustice was now ended and that the time of mercy was come Isidorus De summo bono sayth O eternall goodnesse and depth of all vvisedome vvhy should I distrust in thy great clemency being that thou art my Father and Father of all mercy Let the Pagans distrust in thee who beleeue thee not let the vvicked distrust in thee vvho serue thee not for I vvill hope in thee vvith those vvhich serue thee and loue thee For although I cannot wholly serue thee I labour as much as I can not to offend thee Anselmus vpon the Apostle sayth After I heard thee say O my good Iesus Pater ignosce illis and the Apostle say Pater misericordiarum Although my naughty life make mee afraid yet thy great mercy commeth immediately to my mind for the same day that thou diddest make thy selfe man thou diddest change thy name from the God of Reuenge into the Father of Mercies O glorious and happy chaunge that is the changing the name of God into the name of Father and the name of a Reuenger into the name of a Defender the name of Iustice into the name of Mercy the name of a Creator into the name of a Redeemer all which thou diddest chaunge vvhen thou wast made man and diddest suffer on the crosse for mee Saint Augustine vpon the Apostles vvordes sayth Tell mee O good Iesus tell mee O great Redeemer after thou haddest chaunged the name of Deus vltionum into the name of Pater misericordiarum what diddest thou see so hard that thou diddest not bring to passe or vvhat sinne diddest thou see so enormious that thou diddest not pardon In calling thy selfe the Father of mercies thou diddest forgiue Matthew his exchanges Mary Magdalene her vanities the Samaritane her Adulteries the good theefe his theft and the fisher-man Peter his denying of thee the Apostles forsaking of thee and thy enemies putting thee to death Irenaeus sayth Seeing that the time of Deus vltionum is past and that the time of Pater misericordiarum is come haue mercy on mee O great God of Israel haue mercy on mee and when shall this bee but vvhen thou vvilt giue me strength to serue and praise thee and endue mee vvith grace to saue mee O Father of mercies O the God of all consolation vvhen shall my soule heare for her selfe Pater ignosce illi as the vvicked Synagogue did heare thee say Father forgiue them What doth it auaile mee that thou hast pardoned those vvhich did then put thee to death if thou doe not also now forgiue vs vvhich most vvickedly offend thee Children for children sinners for sinners there is as great reason that thou shouldest pardon those of thy holy church as those of the Synagogue for if they vvere children of the God of reuenge vvho did put thee to death then they are also children of the Father of mercies who do offend thee now Saint Augustine in his Confessions sayth O Father of mercies and God of all comfort if it bee true that I vvas vvith those vvhich tooke thy life from thee vpon the crosse vvhy shouldest thou not as well forgiue mee my fault as thou diddest then theirs Vnto thee O eternall Father I say Mea culpa and vnto thee O holy sonne I confesse my offence in that that if I vvas not vvith Iudas vvhen hee sold thee yet I vvas vvith the vvicked and vngratefull Iewes vvhen they did crucifie thee for if they did fasten thee on the crosse vvith nailes I did there crucifie thee vvith my sinnes Anselmus in his Meditations sayth O good Iesus O the blisse of my soule vvho carried thee to the crosse but the loue which thou haddest to redeeme vs And what tormented thee but thy dolours And what tooke thy life from thee but my sinnes And by whom haue I life but by thy merits O Father of mercies if it be true that for my demerits thou diddest lose thy life and that by thy great merits I recouered my soule dost thou not thinke that thou hast much in my faults to pardon in my soule to redresse and amend Barnard sayth O creator of all things O redeemer of all sinnes vnto thee O my God I offer my selfe and before thee O my Lord I present my selfe not such a one as thou diddest leaue mee when thou diddest create mee but such as one as thou foundest mee when thou redeemedst mee What a one diddest thou leaue mee but made to thy image and semblance and what a one diddest thou find mee but with my innocency lost and loaden with sinne O father of mercies pardon mee seeing that I am a worke of thy owne hands pardon me seeing that I am one of thy children and seeing I say vnto thee vpon my knees Tibi soli peccaui it is reason that thou answer me O my God with Miscriatur tui CHAP. II. Of the
was a most wicked and naughtie king but onely that God had made him a king Thereupon Saint Ambrose saith and that very well that according vnto the example of Dauid thou oughtest not to looke vnto the malice with the which thy enemy entreateth thee but vnto the vnction wherewith he is made a Christian and whether he be a christian or not thou art not the iudge of this busines but he who is thy God and his who is to punish the iniury which thou hast done vnto him in him the reuengement which thou hast taken on thee Comming then vnto our purpose The words which Dauid spake vnto Saul that is Let our Lord be a iudge betwixt me and thee the Sonne of God may say vnto the Synagogue and vnto all her children and that hee alone shall bee the iudge betwixt them as well of all the good which Christ did vnto the Synagogue as of the hurt he hath receiued by her Which of all the Angels if he would come downe vnto vs which of the dead if hee could rise againe what man were hee neuer so wise were able to number the multitude of benefits which were ceiued by him and the incredible torments which they gaue him Let our Lord bee a iudge betwixt me and thee O Synagogue for no other can be how much more greater my loue was with the which I redeemed thee than the torments which in my passion thou gauest me and that how thy hatred was far greater than all the cruelties thou vsedst towards me Therefore I call thee into iudgement O Synagogue before God not to the end that he should chastise thee but onely to iudge betwixt mee thee how that there is no worke of pity and mercy which I left vndone for thee and how there was no cruelty of torment which thou didst not assay against mee Speaking then more particularly of the pardō which the sonne of God gaue the Hebrewes it were reason to shew what they did to deserue it and what mooued Christ to giue it for by so much the more excellent bountifull is the pardon by how much the lesser the occasions were to giue it The Iewes did Christ fiue notorious iniuries at the time of his death the least of all which if it had bene throughly punished had deserued not onely not to be pardoned but also condemned into eternall fire For saith Hilarius what punishment worthy of their desert can be giuen vnto them who take away life from him which is the giuer of life The first wrong which they did vnto Christ was that they crucified him through malice not finding any fault in him at al which appeareth plainly by that that they did let goe Barrabas the manslaier and condemned the sonne of God iudging him to bee an honester man who killed those which liued thē that great Prophet which raised vp those which were dead Christ was a giuer of alms and Barrabas was a theefe Christ was quiet and a peacemaker and Barrabas a sower of sedition Christ a great preacher and Barrabas a great robber and assailer of men by the high way Christ a maister of all good men and Barrabas a captain of all scandalous men and yet notwithstanding all this they condemned Christ to be put immediately to death and sent Barrabas home vnto his house O how wicked a demād made you O yee Iews and peruerse petition in asking that he may liue which killeth those which are aliue and that hee should die who raiseth to life those which were dead Who is there in your citie who can heale the sicke and diseased or raise the dead vnto life if this Prophet die So great was the hatred which they bare vnto the son of God that to heare him once named they were much troubled in Barrabas name they much reioiced which they shewed manifestly when they cried al with one voice that Pilate should deliuer them Barrabas and crucifie Christ O what a happy man should I bee if my loue towards thee were so great as their hatred was towards thee for by that meanes as they tooke a wrong course in chusing Barrabas for themselues so I should doe aright in making choise of thee for my selfe It had not ben to haue beene maruelled at if they had erred in their choise if Pilat had giuen thē their choise betwixt two theeues or two mankillers or other two strangers vnto them but giuing thē the choise betwixt an assailing theefe and a most holy Prophet and they presently to chuse the wicked one vse iniustice against the good one it could not bee but they did it through great want of wisedome and greater abundance of malice The second iniury was that if they had put the sonne of God to death in some mean village it would not haue ben so great an infamy and reproch vnto him but the excommunicated Iewes the better to reuenge themselues vpon Christ and to put him to the greater shame put him to death in the great city of Ierusalem where he was very well known by his preaching allied vnto many honorable Persons by consanguinity What wrong like vnto this was euer done vnto any man or what reproch comparable vnto this that is to lead him to bee crucified at the Mount of Caluary through the same streets which he was wont to passe through to the Tēple to preach Seneca sayth That it is a greater griefe then death it selfe to a man that is shamefast and of a valiant courage to see himselfe troden downe where he hath ben honored and contumeliously handled where he hath been highly esteemed for he feeleth the present torment and griefe he greeueth and perceiueth that which his enemies speake Because the son of God was mighty in doing miracles faire and amiable in his countenance profitable in his doctrine and a friend vnto the weale publicke hee was beloued of all and enuied of many by reason whereof he greeued much at the open dishonour they did him and that publickly they tooke his life from him What griefe could hee be free from seeing himselfe carried openly and condemned vnto the death of the crosse that his friends accompanied him weeping and his enemies scorning mocking him The third was that although they could haue put him to death secretly in his chāber or in some darke night yet they neuer ment once to do it but they brought him forth at one of the clocke they condemned him at three they crucified him at six they murdered him at nine It was not for want of diligēce but through abundance of malice that they chose that houre because thē the sunne sheweth his beames most brightest most people passe through the streets Chrisostome vpon S. Matthew sayth That the Iews would not put Christ to death in the morning because all men were not vp nor in the night because all were at their rest nor yet late in the euening because many had withdrawn thēselues to their
euerlasting damnatioÌ„ obtained with his mother that she shold not challeÌ„ge hisdeath before any iustice But what iustice could she ask of those malefactors seeing they had been already pardoned of her sonne Anselmus saith That wheÌ„ Iesus gaue vp the ghost vpon the crosse he left no death for his mother to reueÌ„ge nor iniury to forgiue but only a bitter passion to weep and bewaile which shold be great inough to rend her bowels in sunder dry vp the tears of hir eies The 4. goodnes which Christ shewed the Iews was in that he gaue pardoÌ„ to his enemies which did not demaÌ„d it yeelded that vnto his crucifiers which they wold not haue For how is it possible for those men to seek for pardon which will not acknowledge themselues culpable And how should they acknowledge theÌ„selues culpable which cast al the fault vpoÌ„ him which deserued it not The Iews were so fleshed in the bloud of Christ so far out of their wits that they did not not only procure ask pardoÌ„ for their offeÌ„ce but rather hindered it put it froÌ„ theÌ„ when it was offered theÌ„ taking delight in the hurt which they did vnto Christ griefe that they were not able to do him more When they led the innocent lambe to be crucified for very ioy they said O thou which doest destroy the Temple of God And when Pilat would haue deferred his crucifying with great enuy they said If thou let this man goe thou art not a friend vnto Caesar in so much that if they did shew themselues grieued and sorrie it was not for that they thought themselues culpable of any crime but because they had deferred and prolonged Christs life so long time The wickednesse of the Iewes was not content in not hauing pardon of God for their offences but they demaunded openly vengeance for them when they said vnto Pilat Let his blood fall vpon vs and vpon our children and therefore by these dreadfull words they desire to be punished of God and at no time pardoned at his hands O wicked Synagogue O impious saying Let his blood be vpon vs. Tell me I pray thee why doest thou desire that the blood of Christ which hee shed for to redeeme thee be â—urned to condemne thee The sonne of God appealeth from these words which they speake and he will not stand vnto that agreement which the Iewes made with Pilat hee will not agree that his blood should be shed against them but for them and therefore as they said Let his blood fall vpon vs so contrariwise he said Father forgiue them O wicked Synagogue O vnfortunate Iewish nation saith Remigius who hath led you vnto such great folly and madnesse that you should more esteeme of the blood of kine which your priests shed in the Temple than of the blood which Christ shed in the mount of Caluarie Saint Ierome saith On the altar of the crosse the Prophecie of Simeon was fulfilled who said that Christs comming into the world was to some mens good and to others hurt seeing that wee doe pray that the blood which hee sheddeth should be in the remission of our sinnes and the Iewes doe intreat that it turne vnto their condemnation and vpon their children It is much to be noted that wee see it often times fall out that one enemy hurteth not another and that a good Christian doth pardon another of his offence when hee repenteth wee see it also by experience likewise we see it fulfilled that a perfit man doth loue his enemy but yet wee neuer saw that euer any but Christ pardoned him which would not be pardoned And how would they be pardoned who pardoned Barrabas and condemned the sonne of God What contrition of their sinnes haue they who desired of Pilat that the curse of God should light vpon them and vpon their children O infinite goodnesse O vnspeakable charity did they say pardy with king Dauid Tibi soli peccaui To thee alone haue I sinned or with the thiefe Domine memento mei Lord remember me to the end that he should say God be mercifull vnto you Misereatur vestri What wit is able to conceiue or what heart able to acknowledge such great mercy when thou saidst Forgiue them in stead of their sanguis eius His blood light vpon vs O my good Iesus O my soules health who is hee who dare say that hee hath enemies now seeing that thou doest make cleane the vncleane settest those at libertie which will not be free loosest those which wil be bound vnburdenest those which will bee burdened and aboue all giuest pardon vnto those which will not be pardoned If thou doest pardon that people which would not be pardoned wilt thou not with a better will pardon him who hath repented him of his sinnes and whome it grieueth with all his heart to haue offended thee Saint Augustine vpon S. Iohn saith Will not he who meant to meete them who came to apprehend him in the garden of Gethsemani come out to receiue and embrace those who goe to serue him Will not he who defended the adulterous woman from outrage and pardoned the wicked people not beeing thereunto asked pardon and defend that sinner whome hee seeth amended and hath beene of him with many teares thereunto entreated CHAP. X. How it is meet for vs to conforme our wills vnto Christs will to the end that we may know how to loue him and serue him COr tuum numquid est rectum cum corde meo sicut cor meum est rectum cum corde tuo Wee reade in the fourth booke of the Kings that a certaine king of Israel called Iehu going from Samaria to kill the children of Achab and the priestes of Baal met on the way with Ionadab vnto whome he spake these words Tell me I pray thee Ionadab is thy heart and mind so faithfull and vpright with mine as my heart is with thine Ionadab answered him vnto these words Know thou O king Iehu that my heart is conformable vnto thine Iehu replied and said Seeing it is true that thy heart is agreeing vnto mine giue me thy hand and come to me into this charriot where we will talke and communicate of things profitable for vs both This is a wonderfull figure worthy of great attention and consideration seeing that our Lord doeth teach vs by it the great good turnes which hee doth vnto vs and that which in recompence thereof wee are to doe vnto him againe Who is that king Iehu who taketh his iourney from Iudea vnto Samaria to kill and to take vengeance vpon the wicked men which were there but onely the sonne of God who came downe from heauen aboue to destroy our sinnes Assure mee saith Saint Augustine that there be no sinners in the world and I will assure thee that there be no naughty men in the world for as in heauen there is no sinne remitted nor any wicked man there suffered and as contrariwise there is nothing but
and vs as if he would say If thou bee the Christ which the Iewes hope for deliuer thy selfe from death and quite vs from paine Cyprian vpon the passion of our Lord sayth O that that is a wicked word and a detestable praier which thou O naughty theefe doest vtter with thy mouth when thou doest persuade the son of God to come downe from the crosse for if he do suffer die it is for nothing that toucheth him but for that which toucheth thee and is most expedient for me Why dost thou aske him that hee would saue thee and also himselfe seeing that he suffereth of his owne accord dieth for thy naughtinesse The beginning of this naughty theeues perdition was when he said if thou be the sonne of God and not thou art the son of God in which words it seemed that hee doubted whether hee were the sonne of God or not and so hee doubted in his faith and made a scruple whether he were the redeemer of the world or not and so hee fell into infidelitie which is the highest wickednesse of all other Cyrillus vpon S. Iohn saith That the good theefe said not If thou be Christ neither did S. Peter say I beleeue if thou bee Christ but the one said faithfully Lord remember me and the other likewise said I beleeue because thou art the sonne of God insomuch that no man can be lightened or pardoned which maketh any doubt at all in the faith of Christ The Apostle saith in his canonicall Epistle if any man want wisedome let him aske it of God not doubting in faith as if he would say If any man haue need of any great matter let him take heed that he do not aske it with a faith that is luke warme for if our Lord do not grant vs that which we aske him it is rather because wee know not how to ask him than because hee hath not a desire to giue it Damascen sayth If he who asketh be not a Pagan and that which he asketh bee not vniust and hee who asketh be holy and the place where he asketh be also sacred and he for whoÌ„ he asketh be needy why should he doubt to obtaine it considering that of himselfe hee is so mercifull O good Iesus O my soules pleasure giue me thy grace that I may say vvith the blind man in Ieremie O sonne of Dauid haue mercy vpon mee and keepe mee from saying vvith the naughty theefe if thou be Christ saue thy self and me too seeing that like a true Christian I confesse thy mighty power and call for thy great mercy Christostome saith The naughty theese thought that as Pilate had condemned him for a robber by the high way so he had executed iustice vpon Christ for stirring the people to sedition and that Christ did no lesse esteeme of his life than hee did abhorre death vvherein certainly he vvas much deceiued for he did not so earnestly desire to liue as Christ did desire to die The Iews persuaded Christ that hee should come downe from the crosse and this naughty theefe did also persuade him that hee vvould slie from the crosse that vvhich the sonne of God did not loue to hear of nor would not do for if he had forsaken the crosse all the vvorld should haue beene crucified S. Barnard sayth I doe not desire thee my good Iesus that thou come down froÌ„ the crosse nor that thou slie from the crosse but that thou vvouldest put me there with thee because it would be more reasonable that they should giue sentence vpon me for thee than that they should giue sentence vpon thee for me It may bee gathered of all that which wee haue spoken what great courage we haue need of to begin any good worke and a far greater to finish it for our enemies are ready alwaies about to deceiue vs the flesh to mooue vs men to hinder vs and the world to trouble vs. CHAP. VIII Of the great charity which the good theefe had towards the naughty theefe in correcting him of euill doing and in aduising him of the good which he lost COmmendat deus omnem charitatem suam in nobis saith the Apostle writing vnto the Romanes in the fift chap. as if he would say The God and Lord which I preach vnto you O Romanes dooth commend nothing more vnto you than charity in louing your neighbours with all your heart the which loue you must shew them not so much because they loue you as because they serue God Holy Paule did preach and teach vs many things whereof some were to make vs afeard some to giue vs counsell some to teach vs some to comfort vs as this matter which we now handle the which being wel looked into and read with attention we shal find that hee giueth vs as much as hee hath and loueth vs as much as he ought For the better vnderstaÌ„ding of this speech we must suppose that the loue of God charity and grace go alwaies coupled together in so much that no man can haue heauenly loue without heauenly charity no man can haue heauenly charity but he must haue heaueÌ„ly grace he who hath heauenly grace cannot faile but goe to glory Damascen sayth That Loue and Charitie and Grace are only one gift and the greatest which came from heaueÌ„ is called Grace because it is giuen without any price and it is called Charity because it is high and it is called Loue because it doth ioine and vnite vs with God in so much that when he recommendeth his Charity vnto vs he trusteth his Loue with vs. WheÌ„ our Lord doth commend vs his Loue as a thing left to keepe with vs if we marke it well what else is it but a token whereby we should marke with what Loue he loueth vs and with what Charity he entreateth vs O happy pledge O luckie trust when our Lord credited vs with his eternall Loue his infinite Grace and vnspeakable Charity the which vertues he gaue vs because we should not liue ingratefully with them and that in our death we should buy heauen with theÌ„ When our Lord doth giue vs charge to keepe his Charity what else is that but to doe vs the fauour to giue it vs If he would not haue giuen it vs hee knew well where to keepe it without giâ—ing it vs to pledge but hee saith that hee dooth commend it vnto vs to keepe and not giue it vs because wee should bee very carefull in keeping it and fearefull to lose it because we cannot be saued without it Bede vpon the Apostle sayth One friend can giue to another his iewels of siluer and gold but he cannot giue him the loue which hee hath in his heart for although he can shew it yet hee cannot passe it vnto him but the sonne of God did not onely shew vs his loue but did also giue it vs. He did shew vs his great loue when hee tooke mans flesh vpon him and he doth giue vs his sweet
put mee to death on the Mount of Caluary and on the Mount of Caluary they kill thee at high noone daies they execute mee and at the same houre they execute thee thou art as neere the end of thy life as I am neere to death and therfore Lord remember me thus as wee depart both together out of this world so also we may both together goe into heauen What reason doth permit it or what iustice doth suffer O my good Lord that thou shouldest take me for thy companion to suffer on the crosse with thee and when thou doest go into heauen to leaue mee here behind thee Seeing thou wilt depart out of this world to death and that through such a narrow passage and long way whom canst thou take with thee better than the theefe which was thy fellow vpon the tree It is necessary that thy poore mother liue thou hast left thy Iohn thy cousin to his owne custodie Peter thy Disciple hath denied thee Iudas thy steward hath sold thee all the Iewes haue beene vngratefull vnto thee and therfore seeing that thou doest see no body neere thee who doth confesse and acknowledge thee but my selfe alone who am here alone with thee Lord remember mee and either giue mee somewhat in thy Testament or take mee with thee to Paradise O holy Nazarean and blessed Prophet seeing that thou diddest heare Ionas out of the Whales belly Daniel out of the lake of Babilonia Ioseph out of the dungeon of Egypt Ieremy out of the darke well and diddest heare Dauid when he said Tibi soli peccaui I haue sinned vnto thee only why doest thou not heare-mee when I crie Lord remember mee Domine memento mei Behold O my good Lord behold O my good companion now my eies doe breake now my last houre is come now my sight faileth mee and my speech is troubled and my soule is pulled out of my body and therefore in this narrow passing and doubtfull way vnto whome should I say better than vnto thee Lord remember me yea and all the whole Psalme of Miserere Iosue was a theefe seeing he stole grapes fron Chanaan Dauid was a theefe seeing hee stole the bottle of water from Saul Rachael was a theefe seeing she stole the idols from her father Ionathas was a theefe seeing hee stole hony from the hiue Iosaba was a theefe seeing he stole the infant Ionas and yet thou diddest not command any one of all these to bee hanged nor send them from thy houseuf this be so and if thou diddest forgiue those which stole thy goods wilt thou not forgiue mee poore theefe who turne for thy honours sake and keepe thee company in this place Seeing that of old time thou art accustomed to forgiue very famous theeues and dissemble very notorious thefts why doest thou not forgiue me among them and absolue me of my sinnes If thou wilt haue tears for the thefts which I haue done thou seest that they run downe my cheekes if thou doest content thy selfe to see bloud thou seest that there is no drop left in mee if thou wilt haue mee whip my selfe I am already bowelled if thou wilt haue mee repent I say vnto thee Soli peccaui if thou wilt haue mee make entire satisfaction how canst thou haue me to do it not hauing halfe an houre to liue Lord Iesus remember mee and bee my surety vnto thy father in the other world and put mee with thy chosen flocke write mee in thy booke and place mee in thy glory seeing that the faith of which thou art doth flourish onely in thy mother and remaineth in my heart Remember mee O good Iesus and if thou wilt depart out of this sorrowfull life into the other before mee I beseech thee leaue mee the step of thy foor to tread in and a path-way to follow thee for if I acknowledge thee for my God and receaue thee for my God and beleeue in thee for my God being as thou art dismembred and crucified shall not I serue thee and praise thee farre better when I shall see thee glorified Darest thou trust me with thy crosse because I should worship it and with thy body because I should accompany thee and with thy mother to comfort her and with thy honour to defend it and with thy church to augment it and with thy faith to maintaine it and wilt thou not put thy glory into my hands that I may alwaies praise thee in it When they condemned thee to bee crucified and brought mee to bee executed I heard thee say there before Pilate That thy kingdome was not of this world and then seeing thou art a king and hast a kingdome remember mee and take me with thee and I will tell thy father what thou hast suffered to serue him and all the fauours which thou hast done for me Now that the good theefe hath made his praier vnto God and recommended himselfe vnto him it is reason now that the naughty theefe haue license to speake which is my naughty and peruerse heart because the theefe which hanged on the left hand of God did blaspheme Christ but once but thou my soule doest blaspheme him euery day Remember mee O sweet Iesus and haue mercy on mee O my soules glory to the end that the shedding of thy pretious bloud be not euilly bestowed in mee for at the time when thou diddest shed it thou diddest not feeele so grieuously the vvant of it in thy bodie as thou diddest feele the vngratefulnesse of the whole world And when is thy precious bloud vnthankfully shed for mee but when I yeeld vnto that which my Sensuality demâ—ndeth of mee and not vnto that which thy Gospell counselleth mee What is all that worth which I would if thou wilt not If thou goest to seeke out theeues and if thou doest hunt after sinners why doest thou seeke for any more than for mee because there is no theefe who hath committed greater robberies than I nor any sinners who hath done more greeuous sins than I O patient and benigue Lord if the wickednesse of my heart and the offences which I haue committed in secret were knowne notoriously vnto the iudges of the world as they are knowne vnto thee I should many yeares agoe haue beene hanged and in the other world condemned I will not say with the Prophet Dauid Where be thy old mercies seeing that I see them enter euery day into my gates because I doe not make more hast to sinne than thou to pardon mee The pardon which thou diddest giue vnto the good theefe doth giue vs also great hope to obtaine pardon at thy hands for he being come to the gibbet condemned for his offence went away sanctified with thy Grace If thou do giue theeues and robbers kingdomes what wilt thou do and giue vnto theÌ„ whom thou doest loue and are chosen of thy father If thou diddest giue the kingdome of heauen to a rouer and a theese for speaking one onely word vnto thee and seruing thee one
heauen Origen vpon Exodus sayth That because the old law was a shadow of the new and that all those which were of the Synagogue were sad and terrified therefore they did vse so many kinds of instruments such diuerse sorts of musicke because that by theÌ„ they might forget the sorrow sadnesse which they were in But when the fulnesse of time came in the which God sent his sonne into the world hee brought mirth with him he brought pleasure with him hee brought the ioies of heauen with him where they doe nothing else but laugh and reioice as we doe nothing else but mourne and weepe Did not trow you our ioyfull Isaac come laughing into the world seeing that when hee was borne the Angels did sing Gloria in excelsis Deo Glory bee to God on high Damascen sayth That if the words which God spake and the works which he did be weighed with grauity they doe all giue vs ioy comfort and put vs in a great confidence of our saluation and take away the distrust of damnation because hee spake and did much more in the fauour of clemency than hee did in the rigour of iustice And because wee may not seeme to speake at randome it is reason that wee bring forth some few sentences which hee vttered in the fauour of mercy and pittie Christ to the Hebrewes said If any man shal keepe my vvord hee shall not die for euer that is His soule shall neuer perish Si quis sermonem meum seruauerit non morietur in aeternum It is reason that wee marke who spake these words vvhy hee spake them and vnto whom hee spake them Hee who spake them was our laughing Isaac and the cause vvhy hee spâ—ke them vvas because he vvould make the vvorld reâ—oice vvith such good news yet for a recompence for this good newes they rewarded him very badly seeing that because he said in Pilates house that there vvas another world that his kingdome was not of this vvorld they clothed him with purple in Herods house as if he had been a foole He spake these vvords vnto the cursed Iewes when they called him a Samaritane which vvas as much as to call him an Hererike when they said that hee had a diuell which was as much to say that hee was a Nigromancer Doest thou not think my good brother that our merry Isaac vvas full of â—â—ughter vvheÌ„ he answered so sweetly vnto such outragious blasphemie O sweet answere O heauenly speech vvho but thou did promise vs another life after that this vvas ended Doest thou not think that our Isaac is full of laughter seeing that vvhen the Iewes doe goe about to stone him hee puttâ—th himselfe betwixt God and our faults to the end that they may charge all the blowes vpon his backe Did not hee laugh trow you vvhen as hee had cast the Diuell out of them yet they called him a man possessed vvith a Deuill When the sonne of God said that his yoke vvas sweet hee did let vs vnderstand thereby plainly that his holy lavv vvaâ— a cheerefull lavv a gracious lavv and a loifull lavv and so truly it is because all good men keepe it cheerefully and all naughty men breake it vvith vveeping Secondly the figure aboue named saith that Isaac vvas very rich and that hee had many flockes of sheepe and many heards of kine and a great number of bondslâ—ues both men and vvomen To say the truth the sonne of God had neither sheepe nor kine nor bondmen but hee fâ—â—d that vvhich was signified by them because his comming into the world was not to possesse sheepe and kine nor to be wealthy in them but his comming was to redeeme our soules and to bee a mediator for our sins When the Prophet said thou hast made all thinges subiect vnder his feet sheepe and oxen he spake it not only in respect of sheepe which went in the stubble or of kine which fed in pastures but in respect of sinners soules which were in their bodies the which he did so much esteeme and for the which he did so much that although his father did put them vnder his feet yet our good Isaac did put them vpon his head By Isaacs sheepe the good people of Israel were vnderstood which came vnto the knowledge of Christ such were Lazarus Nicodemus Ioseph Zacheus the good thiefe and many others all which were of the number of the elect By Isaacs oxen and kine which are of the greater sort of beasts all the Gentiles from whome all wee which are Christians doe descend for euen as a cow is greater than a sheepe euen so the holy mother the church is greater thaÌ„ the Synagogue These are the kine which the sonne of God came to seeke these are the sheep which our Isaac came to keepe for of the other flocke and heard which old Isaac had our redeemer of the world neuer had calse nor lambe The figure sayth also that Isaac had a great family and many bondwomen which serued him at table many men which gathered in his wealth Our Isaac was a poore man in this kind of bondmen and women as hee was of beards and flockes of cattell and sheepe for his pouerty was so great that no man would liue with him nor dwell in his house Christ had another manner of family than Isaac had his family was noble aboundant and holy because there resorted vnto it the powers of heaueÌ„ the fathers which were departed the iust which reioiced in his comming and all the good men of the world What should become of the iust man sayth Anselmus if he had not the sonne of God for his guide and captain What meaneth he when he sayth Vbiduo vel tres congregati fuerint in nomine meâ— ibi ego sum But that wheresoeuer or howsoeuer two or three iust men bee in Christs name that he will be there in the middest of them O what great difference there is betwixt old Isaacs family and our Christs family because that in Isaacs family they call those of his house youths seruants and men bond slaues but in our blessed Iesus family hee calleth his his friends companions and brothers O high mystery and diuine Sacrament why doth Iesus call all his friends saying Amicimeiestis and another time Brothers saying Dic fratribus meis but onely to let vs vnderstand that hee had redeemed them with his precious bloud and iustified them with his diuine grace Who would not be glad O good Iesus who would not bee glad to loue thee serue thee and follow thee seeing that thou art so courteous in thy words and so gratefull in thy deeds Who would not be glad to dwell in thy house and who would not be willingly one of thy family seeing that thou doest call strangers thy acquaintance thy enemies thy friends thy seruants thy companions and vngratefull men thy brothers Who did euer take such great care of his family as thou didst O good Iesus seeing that
deepe wounds S. Barnard vpon the Canticles saith Note well that Christ doth not say thou hast brokē my head but thou hast pierced my heart to let vs thereby vnderstand that all the offences which we commit against him and also all the seruices which wee doe for him doe reach vntill his heart as hee doth loue vs with the heart Anselmus to this purpose sayth Our Lord doth iest with no man nor will not bee iested at by any man and therevpon he loueth vs with all his heart if we be in state of grace and hateth vs with his heart if we bee in his disgrace By reason whereof there is no offence which we doe commit against his Maiesty vvhich goeth not to his heart nor there is no seruice which we do to him but he doth keepe it in his heart Origen sayth The cause why the bridegroome doth complaine vpon the bride and not the bride against the bridegroome is because the soule hath no cause to complaine vpon God and God hath scarse no cause to bee pleased with the soule The bridegroome complaineth that the bride woundeth him in the heart because that one heart cannot be hurt but of another heart because that that cannot be called a fault but that which doth determinatly proceed from the will Then thy heart doth pierce and wound Christs heart when reason doth teach thee that thou shouldest not sinne and yet notwithstanding thy will dooth determine to sinne whereof God dooth not so much hold himselfe iniuried of that which thou doest as of the heart and will with the which thou doest it Thou doest so many times wound Christ as thou doest consent vnto sinne and therefore hee sayth that thou hast wounded his heart because his iniuries and offences proceeded from thy heart It is much to bee noted that hee sayth not thou hast killed my heart but thou hast wounded my heart for seeing that we see some die only because his heart is moued stirred it should be greater reason that they should die hauing their heart wounded If a griefe of the heart be hardly cured how shall that heart bee healed which is wounded If it be so that all the wounds in the heart are mortall and not to bee cured why doth Christ say that his louer had wounded his heart not confesse that he had killed him By this is knowne the difference betwixt offending God and offending man for a man dieth with euery wound because he will neuer forgiue and pardon but holy Iesus doth not complaine that they kill him but onely that they wound him Giuing vs therby to vnderstand that at the same instant when a soule doth repent her of her offences he doth hold himselfe satisfied for that fault What should become of vs if Christ should say that wee doe kill him as hee sayth that we doe wound him What other thing were it to take Christs life away but to sinne without hope of mercy God speaking with the Angell sayth Interfecisti cor meum and speaking with man sayth onely Vulnerasti cor meum because the sinne of the Angell had no remission but the sinne of man obtaineth euery day pardon O good Iesus O creator of my soule how much are wee bound vnto thee in saying that we doe wound thee and not that wee doe kill thee because that by this high speech thou doest let vs vnderstand that the wounds which we giue thee in the heart and the offences which wee commit against thee are as easily cured as they are easily amended Let no man despaire let no man be discomforted in thinking that he shall not bee pardoned and that there is no remedy for his offences seeing that the son of God doth confesse that wee haue not wholly slaine him but only wounded him of which wounds hee then beginneth to be cured when wee begin to amend O infinite goodnesse O great charity of thine O my good Iesus tell mee I pray thee what diddest thou see in my sinfull soule that thou shouldest trust the weapons in her hands which shee may wound thee with and also the medicines with the which shee may cure thee what are the weapons with the which she doth wound thee but the faults which shee dooth commit against thee And what is the medicine with the which shee dooth cure thee but only the amendment of her owne life Christ saith further that the weapō with the which the bride did wound him was one of her eies which she had in her head and with one of her haires which hanged at her throat so that her eies serued her for arrowes and her hair for bindings Origen vpon this place sayth O how tender the heart is which is wounded with the only sight of an eie and what small force and strength he hath who is bound with a hair The heart which is touched of our Lord although he be stronger then Sampson and lighter then Asael yet in louing of God and tasting of Gods holy loue it is easily taken and suffereth himselfe to be bound without resistance We haue two eies in our head to see with and wee haue two eies in our soules to loue with whereof the one is the eie of loue and the other is the eie of feare and when our Lord sayth that wee looke vpon him with one eie hee sayth that sometimes wee serue him with feare and sometimes with loue Men of high perfection doe looke vpon him with the eie of loue and men of lesser perfection with the eie of feare and the difference is that with the sight of the one there is no alteration at all and with the sight of the other she is presently delighted What can there be in the world more sweeter to the tast or wherin our soule may receiue greater recreation thā to fix all our intention to behold and look vpon God and serue him with all our heart When do we look vpon him with one eie only but whē for loue we serue him and not for fear What can Christ speake more tenderly vnto our soule or what more sweeter words can his holy mouth vtter vnto the soule than to say that she had wounded him with one eie and tied him fast with one haire O infinite loue of thine my Creator and Redeemer tell me I pray thee if thou be so easily satisfied with a soule that doth but once behold thee what wilt thou doe by her which doth behold thee euery day and serue thee all her life time S. Barnard sayth He doth bind God with one haire who thinketh on God and nothing else and hee doth wound him with the sight of one eie who loueth him and no other so that it lieth in our owne hands to serue Christ and attaine vnto his blisse and felicitie Trino vni laus FINIS
goodnesse and mercie although he haue ben neuer so great a sinner so as he liue and die a Christian for seeing he pardoned those which would not bee pardoned hee will much rather pardon those which aske for pardon S. Barnard as if hee were in a maze sayth thus vnto Christ O good sauiour O my soules delight if thou wilt pardon thy death why doest thou pardon it before thou bee dead they tooke thy life from thee to the end that thou shouldest forget such a greeuous iniury done vnto thee and make no reckoning to be reuenged It is a tollerable thing to forgiue the iniury done vnto thy self but why doest thou forgiue the iniury done vnto thy sorrowfull mother and thy blessed father not calling the parties offended vnto it Thy mouth is now ready to receiue vineger thy person to be mocked thy side to bee pierced thy bodie to bee buried and yet doest thou make intercession for that wicked people Doest thou entreat for those which crucifie thee and doest thou not remember those which weepe by thee Now that thou hast pitie on the offences of the synagogue why hast thou not also compassion of the tears of thy blessed mother S. Cyprian vpon the passion of our Lord sayth All things end with thee and all forsake thee O sweer Iesus vpon the altar of the crosse sauing only thy patience with the which thou did dest suffer thy torments and thy charitie with the which thou diddest forgiue thy enemies seeing thou doest pray for those which crucifie thee entreat for those which blaspheme thee hold thy peace against those which spit on thee excuse those which accuse thee and pardon those which pardon not thee O my redeemer what a pitifull heart hast thou that considering how the Iewes themselues gaue thee licence to take reuengement on them saying Sanguis eius super nos His bloud vpon vs yet thou diddest not only not vse this libertie giuen thee but forsookest it there pardoned thy iniury O how contrary these two speeches are Sanguis eius sit super nos Let his bloud fall vpon vs and Ignosce illis Pardon them seeing that by the first the Iewes craue punishment of God and in the last Christ asketh pardon of his father for them in so much that the bloud of Christ which they asked to bee against them the son of God asketh that it may be for them What hast thou to do O good sauiour what hast thou to do with the Iews sayth Vbertinus and hangmen and torturers They goe about to condemne thee and thou to saue them they to accuse thee and thou to excuse them they to carry thee to Pilate to bee condemned and thou to thy father that they may be pardoned they to say crucifige crucifige crucifie him crucifie him and thou to say Ignosce ignosce Pardon them Pardon them At what time the son of God hanging vpon the crosse praied on one side vnto his father and on the other side the Hebrews praied Pilate there was a great conflict betwixt Gods iustice and mercie for iustice willed the praier of Sanguis eius Let his bloud fall vpon vs to be heard and contrary mercy forbad it and would haue Pater ignosce illis but in the end mercie had the vpper hand and reuengement had no part therein Whose heart saith Bonauenture would not bleed and who would not loue thee O good Iesus to see thee say to thy father my father forgiue them and not my father examine them and to see that thou doest forgiue theÌ„ without asking yeeldest vnto them without entreaty and pardonest them without amendment It is such a high mysterie sayth S. Augustine and a hidden Sacrament to see the sonne of God release iniurie with mercie and clemencie and not punish their crime with reuenge and that the praier of Ignosce illis Forgiue them preuailed against that of Sanguis eius His bloud light vpon vs that although it may well be rehearsed yet it cannot bee well comprehended and vnderstood CHAP. IIII. Of many high qualities and conditions which the praier of Father forgiue them had in it and how it is meet for vs to follow it in our praiers CVm clamore valido lachrimis efferens preces supplicatienes exauditus est pro sua reuerentâ—â— sayth the Apostle in his Epistle to the Hebrewes chap. 5. as if hee would say When the sonne of God was crucified vpon the tree of the crosse hee made many requests vnto his father with many supplications entreated him praying vnto him with a loud voice and pouring down many tears before him This praier was well heard of the eternall father and very acceptable vnto his diuine clemencie partly because hee who praied was a person worthy of great reuerence and partly because the praier which he made was founded vpon great pitie and mercie It appeareth well that he which praied was of an excellent and perfect condition and hee very mighty vnto whom he praied and that which hee praied of great merit and the manner which hee obserued in praier a perfect platforme of praier seeing that the Apostle in this place laieth down such high conditions of this praier which Christ made vpon the crosse Whereof although much be spoken yet there remaineth much more not spoken of First then he saith that Christ praied once on the crosse because he saith Cum clamore with a crie and with a high and loud voice because he saith valido strong and that with tears Cum lachrimis and that hee praied and offered his praier at the same time vnto his father and that the quality of the praier was to entreat and beseech preces supplicationes and that his praier was heard of his father at that very instant when hee made it because hee sayth exanditus est pro sua reuerentia The condition and qualitie of the praier which the sonne of God made vpon the crosse which the Apostle toucheth here is very great and worthy to bee marked and obserued with great heed and followed with great diligence for if we faile in any one of these conditions we are said rather to crie out then to pray Theophilus vpon the Apostle sayth That when the Apostle saith that the sonne of God praied with a loud voice vpon the crosse hee meaneth that hee offered and directed his praier with all his heart and with all his will vnto God only and vnto no other For to say the truth hee is said to pray aloud whose mind is not distracted and drawne into many thoughts When the Apostle saith that Christ praied aloud on the crosse and with a strong voice he letteth vs vnderstand with what a feruent desire and great deuotion he praied for there is nothing requested aloud and by crying out which is not either through abundance of loue or ouermuch griefe Both together forced Christ to crie out vpon the crosse that is the great loue he bare vnto his friends and the ouermuch paine