sword 2. Doest thou thinke that I cannot aske my Father Ioan. 18 and hee will giue me more then twelue legions of Angels 3. The cup which my Father hath giuen vnto me wilt thou not that I shall drinke it Fourthly Ioan. 18. how then shall the Scriptures be fulfilled because so it must be done COnsider first suffer now that is it is enough proceede no further with thy sword and defence He doth not reprehend the fact of Peter but he saith it is enough that thou in thy defence and in thy wrath maiest keepe a meane according to that Bee angry and sinne not Secondly consider these foure reasons by which he admonished Peter not to goe about to hinder his passion Thou maist learne heereby the willingnesse of Christ to suffer who vsed so many reasons that he might be permitted to suffer But thou doest auoyd all troubles for Christs sake seekest out all reasons that thou maist suffer nothing Thirdly which shal take the sword that is they which by their own authority shall vse the sword not receiuing it from God deserue by the law to be put to death and although they escape the sword of men in this world yet they shall perish with that sword which keepeth the entry into Paradise Learne to leaue all reuenge vnto God Fourthly consider the great multitude of Angells which are alwaies ready to helpe good men that thou maist learne to trust in God which hath assigned so many Angells to haue care ouer thee For Helizeus had experience in him selfe of that which Christ heere affirmeth of him selfe 4 Reg. 6. Consider fiftly the Cup which my Father hath giuen vnto me He calleth his passion a cup thereby diminishing rather then increasing the greatnes therof that thou shouldest not lightly cōplaine of the grieuousnes of thy miseries He acknowledgeth that his father gaue it him because thou shalt not ascribe thy afflictions to men or to deuills but to God alone which blessed Iob who was vexed both by deuills men Iob. 1. Our Lord hath giuen our Lord hath taken away know that God doth not leaue to be a father when hee doth afflict but rather sheweth himselfe to be a Father when he chastiseth Sixtly cōsider that the Scriptures are fulfilled by the passiō of Christ are likewise fulfilled by thy passions For through many tribulations we must enter into the kingdome of God Giue thankes to Christ who with so ready so prepared a minde came to his passiō for thy sake Stirre vp his loue in thee pray him that he wil stir vp in thee a desire to suffer for his name and that in all things which shall happen vnto thee thou maist finde out the reasons that it was iust which thou didst suffer And when he had touched his eare he healed it Luc. 22. COnsider first with what great benignity Christ cured the Eare of this malepert Soldiour and cruell enemy whome he foresawe would be neuer the better for such a benefit that thou maist learne to be readier to mercy then to seuerity and to doe good for euill though thy aduersary deserue it not Secondly the force of the touch of our Sauiours hand that thereby thou maist know the vertue of the body of Christ For if the onely touch of his hand did restore his enimies eare will not his whole body receiued in the Eucharist cure both the body soule of his friend Thirdly that Christ being ready to suffer did heale the eare for this is one of the chiefe fruites of the passion of our Lord to make our soules capeable of the word of God to cure them through Faith and Sacraments Therefore God would admonish his enemies by this his last miracle before his death to open their eares to heare the word of God and by hearing to lay aside all malice To be briefe admire the bounty of God pray him that he will shewe thee the like mercy for thy innumerable sinnes The eleuenth Meditation of the captiuity of our Lord. In that howre Iesus said vnto the multitude to those Mat. 26. Mar. 14. which came to him the chiefe Priests the Magistrates of the people and the elders yee went forth as to a thiefe with swords and staues to apprehēd me I was daily with you in the Temple I sate teaching you did not hold me Luc. 22. nor stretch your hands against me But this is your houre the power of darkenes And all this was done that the scriptures of the Prophets might be fulfilled COnsider first what accoūt was made of thy Lord to wit as of a thiefe for the suppressing of whome there needed so great an army Secondly how he shewed that he was no thiefe as he which had hurt no man nor lyen hid like a thiefe but had done good and had taught nothing in secret but alwaies publiquely and called those men for witnesses thereof whome he saw stand ready to be the officers for his death therfore he admonisheth them to call to remembrāce the doctrine which he had taught thē to change their mindes for they should finde nothing in it but holy learned wholesome counsaile Consider thirdly by what words he gaue his aduersaries power to rage against him without which they could haue done nothing and euery word hath his force this is as if he said you care onely for the present respect not the time to come which is the property of sinners not of iust men houre all present time is short all the pleasure of sinners passeth like an houre also al the afflictiō of the iust passeth away your this this short time is granted vnto you to doe euery thing either for your saluatiō or damnation I say this precious time which after this life will not remaine and the power of darknes that is to say a darke power both because they deserue it through the darknesse of their sinnes also because they which vse it are carryed to the darknes of Hell also because darknes remaineth in the power of the wicked and to conclude because power was giuen to the Deuils the princes of darknesse to doe all mischiefe vnto Christ Consider therfore the multitude of the paines of Christ and their greatnes when it was permitted to wicked Spirits being practised most ready in doing hurte to persecute Christ by these his most willing ministers Admire heere also this most willing permission of Christ giue him thanks offer thy selfe ready to indure al labours and torments for his sake pray him that thy power may not bee in darknesse but that all thy actions may be perfected with the light of faith and of his diuine grace Then came the company and Tribune Mat. 26. Mar. 14. Luc. 22. the Ministers of the Iewes laid hands vpon Iesus and so they held bound him COnsider first the wonderful insolency of these men in taking thy Lord thinke of
was yet speaking the Cocke crowed againe Mat. 26. Mar. 14. And our Lord turned and beheld Peter And Peter remembred himselfe of the word of our Lord Luc. 22. as hee had said that before the Cocke crowe twise thou shalt deny me thrise and Peter going out of doores wept bitterly COnsider first that when Peter was come againe to the fire he beganne to speake more freely with the seruants to the end that he might take away all suspition from himselfe For by his speach hee was iudged to bee a Galilaean Thou therefore who art the seruant of Christ take heede of familiarity with the wicked Let thy communication bee of Heauenly things as thou maiest perceiue the Apostles speaches were in the Acts of the Apostles and by their Epistles For he which is delighted with the vaine speaches of secular men will easily be drawn to imitate their māners and to be warmed with their fire and intrapped with their delights Secondly Peter was knowne by his speach to bee the Disciple of Christ and a Galilaean Doe thou likewise so gouerne thy selfe that all men euen by thy outward cōuersatiō may know thee to be the follower of Christ and a Galilaean that is one flying from the worldly to a spirituall life and aspiring to Heauen Consider thirdly the benignity of Christ towards his seruants He being oppressed with so many miseries did as it were forget himselfe and take care of his Disciple He restrayned him from sinning any deeper and caused him after his third deniall to stay beholding him not with the eyes of his body for that he could not doe being in an vpper chamber and compassed round about with officers but turning to him with the inward beames of his mercy with which he touched his heart illuminated and mollified it For the beholding of Christ doth illuminate the Conscience that sinnes may be knowne euen as the beames of the Sunne doe lighten a Chamber Consider fourthly the order of his Conuersion First the Cocke crowed Secondly our Lord beheld him Thirdly Peter remembred the word of Iesus Fourthly he went foorth Fiftly he wept bitterly If Christ looke not vpon thee the Cocke crowes in vaine Doe thou therefore giue eare vnto the Preachers and Admonishers as vnto Cockes and pray that our Lord will turne vnto thee Obserue the wordes which thou hearest Flye all occasions of euill and doe Pennaunce Heere thou being a most grieuous sinner maiest haue great hope of pardon seeing that the mercy of our Lord gaue so free pardon for this grieuous sinne that Christ neuer obiected it vnto Peter But thou who hast offended with Peter goe not about to excuse thy selfe with Adam but weep with Peter who as St. Clement witnesseth did all his whole life time after the first crowing of the Cock rise vp to his prayers and slept no more that night The 15. Meditation of the false witnesses in the house of Caiphas BVt the chiefe Priests and all the counsaile sought false witnes against Iesus Mat. 26. Mar. 14. that they might put him to death and they did not finde it wheras many false witnesses were come in For many spake false witnesse and their testimonies were not conuenient But at last came two false witnesses and rising vp they gaue false witnesse against him for we heard him speaking I will destroy this Temple of God made with hands and after three dayes I will build another not made with hands and their testimony was not conuenient COnsider first when the high Priest could drawe nothing worthy of death from the wordes of Christ then he asked the standers by who had beene often at his Sermons and euery one spake that which they thought might helpe to condemne him and were very earnest and desirous to finde out some capitall crime according to that saying They searched for iniquities searching they fainted in their seaarch Psal 69 they inuented counsailes which they could not establish Consider secondly the purity of the life of thy Lord which was so great that it was hard to frame such a lye of him as might carrye any colour of truth euen by the testimonie of his aduersaries themselues Learne thou first to accuse no man vniustly For a Detractor and false witnesse are bound to restitution of good name Secondly to auoyd all lyes For a Lyar cannot please euen the wicked Thirdly according to the example of Christ to liue in such order that the very enimies of Faith may finde nothing in thy life to obiect against thee but considering thee by thy good workes may glorifie God our Father Fourthly neuer to seeke out reasons against thy conscience to excuse thy sinne Ioan. 18. For those testimonies are false and not conuenient whereby God is not deceiued nor thy Conscience pacified Consider thirdly these two false witnesses standing vp amongst the rest whose testimonies are especially related either because they were of greater moment that by them thou mightest knowe the vanities of the others or else because they contayne the mysterie of the death of our Lord which was then in handling But they were not conuenient First because the witnesses could not agree together the one saying I will destroy and the other I can destroy Secondly because our Lord had spoke no word of destroying and building againe Ioan. 12. but he said dissolue and I will raise speaking of his death and resurrection Thirdly because he had hurt no man if he had restored in three dayes that which he had destroyed Fourthly because it seemed not to be beyond his power who had raysed Lazarus from death after he had been dead foure daies Fiftly because such kinde of braging words seemed rather worthy of laughter and contempt then of death Learn thou first not to wrest the words of Christ to a contrary sence Secondly not to relate any thing otherwise then it was done Thirdly neuer to iudge euill of the minde or intention of others when their words or deedes may be well interpreted Do thou also suffer together with thy Lord Christ for whose death and destruction so many men tooke so great paines and pray vnto him that thou maiest be instructed in the true vnderstanding of the Scriptures and that hee will neuer suffer thee to fall into haeresie And the high Priest rising vp in the middest of them Mat. 26. Mar. 14. asked Iesus saying Doest thou answere nothing to those thinges which these men obiect against thee and whereof they beare witnes against thee but Iesus held his peace and answered nothing Againe the high Priest said I adiure thee by the liuing God that thou dost tell vs if thou art Christ the Sonne of our blessed God COnsider first when nothing was found worthy of accusation which might seeme as a fault to bee obiected before Pilate the Gentile President the high Priest being angry inuented certaine questions to the end that hee might gather some thinges from his answers His owne conscience informed him that nothing
application of them to thy selfe Thy dinner indeed is ready but thou must goe to the table and put the meate in thy mouth thy medicine is made but it is kept in the shop of the Church inclosed in seauen boxes to wit in the seauen Sacraments the price is payed for thee but not yet applyed vnto thee Doe not thou thinke that onely Faith as some Heretiques would haue thee belieue is sufficient for thee thou must goe with thy feete to dinner thou must take thy meate and medicine with thy handes thou must put them into thy mouth and receiue them into thy stomache that is thou must frequent the Sacraments and be diligent in the exercise of vertues that that which was effected giuen for all mankinde may bee accepted for thee applied to thee and profite thee Pray thou our Lord that hee who spent and consummated all his dayes with infinite merits of good works will neuer suffer thee to spend and passe away thy dayes idly and in vaine The 4◠Meditation of the seauenth worde of our Lord on the Crosse And crying againe Mat. 27. Mar. 15. Luc. 23. he saide with a loude voyce COnsider first that as often as Christ spake for himselfe vnto his Father hee cryed with a loude voyce but when he spake to others or for others hee vsed a lower voyce to teach thee First that thou must alwayes deale with God with great affection To others thou openest thy griefes with teares but when thou speakest with God thou art so drye that thou hast scarce any feeling of deuotiō Secondly what grieuous paines the Son of God suffered who with the violence thereof was forced to crye out Consider secondly that Christ for diuers causes cryed out in his prayers when hee was ready to dye Ioan. 11. First to shew that he was Lord of life and death hauing power to yeeld vp his soule and to take it againe at his owne will and pleasure Therfore hee called for death as Nazianzen saith which durst not come In Christo patiente except it had been called Secondly to mooue God the Father to mercy For seeing all mankinde being oppressed with grieuous sinnes was farre off from God hee who carryed the person of all men ought to cal vpon God with a loude voyce being so farre absent Doe thou therefore knock at our Lords eares not so much with loudnes of voice as with affection of hart Thirdly that this voice being sent through the whole world might moue mens hearts and that hearing of the death of God for their sinnes they might be penitent for their offences For at this voyce the Earth was shaken the Rockes were cleft in sunder and the Monuments were opened that thy stony heart might also be broken by the force of this worde of God Not without cause did Marke say his voyce being sent forth that thou shouldst vnderstand that being sent into the world it worketh still in the heartes of men Fourthly that Hell should tremble at this voyce and euen as at the crye of our Lord calling Lazarus the soule of Lazarus returned without delay into his body so now euery one there should prepare himselfe to receiue their Lord being ready instantly to come vnto them The holy Fathers therefore in Limbo reioyced at this voyce and the Deuils in Hell trembled Fiftly to teach thee how to meditate on death not remisly or negligently as of a thing little pertaining to thee nor slowly and dully as of a thing a farre off but often and earnestly of a thing most certaine and at hand so much the more feruently because it is the onely gate to saluation Consider thirdly that in the ninth houre our Lord brake forth into this clamor in the houre I say of prayer and of the euening Sacrifice For then the true hoast was sacrificed vpon the Crosse and being cutt into two partes that is into body and soule was immolated to God the Father by the high Priest with a loud voyce and great labour Ioyne thou thy prayers with Christ his prayer that with his voice they may pierce the Fathers eares Luc. 23. O Father into thy handes I commend my spirit COnsider first that Christ prayed not vnto his Father vppon the Crosse but in the wordes of the Scripture First because hee knewe that these wordes were most acceptable to his Father beeing written by the holy Ghost to teach vs to pray Secondly to teach thee to worship God not according to thy owne fashion vnderstanding but in such manner as the Church indued with the holy Ghost hath appointed thee Consider secondly that Christ vsed this word Father onely twise vpō the Crosse in his first in his last prayer but in his middle that is in his fourth prayer hee called him not Father but God First that thou shouldest like a Son willingly accept that punishment which thy Father sendeth and in thy punishment confesse thy own basenes who art not worthy to bee called the son of God and like a poore creature call vpon God thy Creator for tribulation and aduersity doe teach good men their owne fraile estate and vnworthines and thereby perswade or rather inforce them to mend their liues that in the end hauing ouercome all aduersities thou shouldest take courage reioyce as a Son For probation worketh hope Rom. 5. which confoundeth not Secondly because the beginnings of Gods word doe most sweetly affect the minde the progresse is hard to sensuality but the fruites which are gathered are most pleasaunt The booke was in the mouth of Iohn sweete as hony Apoc. 10. but being deuoured it made his belly bitter Thirdly because in his first prayer when hee prayed for sinners hee was to gaine authority to his prayer through the loue of a Sonne for none but a sonne could bee heard for so great wickednes In the middle he complained as a man And in this last hauing fulfilled his embassage he desires as a Son to bee called home to his Father Consider thirdly that Christ made this petition to his Father not for feare of iudgment for now his Father had committed all iudgement to him nor for feare of the Deuill whose forces hee had already broken nor for feare of the paines of Hell which now hee came to take from good men and to carry away the spoyles of Hell But first to teach thee neuer to remit or slacke thy inuincible spirit from prayer Secondly that thou shouldest knowe with what confidence he went vnto his Father For hee sayeth not anxiously after the māner of a suppliant I pray thee Father but as it were of mine owne right and authority I commend my spirit Consider fourthly marke euery word of this last prayer which before had bin made by the holy Ghost to this purpose Psal 32. and is now recited by the Son to the Father with addition onely of this word Father Father First I haue remained thy Son in all these so great
tytle was ingrauen because it should last for euer and in wood because by the wood he shall alwayes raigne ouer them whome the wood had ouerthrown Thirdly the Hebrue was first in order which the rest doe imitate For our saluation is from the Iewes to whose diuine Scriptures all humane wisdome is to bee directed Fourthly they are written from the left hand to the right to signifie that if thou desirest to be exalted by wisdom with Christ thou must humble thy selfe and not be proud in thy owne conceipt For knowledge puffeth vp 1 Corr. Iac. 3.8 wisedome without Christ is earthly carnall and diabolicall Fiftly the Greeke is before the Latine for first the Grecians and then the Latines were conuerted to the faith and leauing the manners and customs of their fore-fathers followed that doctrine which God gaue to the Iewes in the Hebrewe language that thou shouldest not rely vpon thine owne wisdome but follow them with thy whole heart whome thou knowest to be the seruants of God Pray our Lord to ingraue this tytle in thy heart Iesus of Nazareth King of the Iewes Ioan. 19. COnsider first and marke euery word of this tytle Iesus a Sauiour which name our Lord receiued when hee first shedd his bloud for thee For then seeking thy saluation he gaue part of his bloud as a pledge that he would aftewrards giue it all for thee He then receiued at thy hands circumcision which was the signe of a sinner euen as it is the signe of a theefe to bee boared through the eares that the eternall Father omitting thee a sinner might satisfie his wrath vpon his sonne This name vntill that day was obscure and of small reputation but being fastened to the Crosse it became so glorious that In the name of Iesus euery knee is bowed Phil. 2. Of Nazareth not of Bethlehem although he were borne in Bethlehem First because there was a greater myracle and benefite wrought in Nazareth by the incarnation and conception of our Lord then by his Natiuity in Bethlehem Secondly because Nazareth signifieth flourishing and Christ is an oderiferous flower hanging on the Crosse which rendreth vnto vs the wholesome fruite of grace and glory King who being crowned with a Diadem cloathed with bloud like a purple roabe raigneth vpright and fast tyed by the feete ready to help thee with his hands boared through because he would not keepe his guiftes but bestowe them plentifully vppon thee and with his armes spread that he may imbrace thee when thou commest He did not write Bishop or Priest although he did the office of a Priest but King both because hee once by himselfe immolated the bloudy sacrifice Heb. 10 Ezo 19 1 Pet. 2 by which he did consummate the sanctified and raigneth for euer and euer and also because it is a priestly kingdome a kingly priesthood where Christ being God is king doing all things in power and Christ being man is Priest obtaining all things by sacrifice Of the Iewes sent first to the Iewes not to the gentiles For I am not sent saith our Lord but to the sheepe which perished of the house of Israel Mat. 15 Rom. 15. and the gentiles doe honour God for his mercie that thou maist thanke God that the Messias was taken from the Iewes and offered vnto thee and showe thy selfe in praysing God a true Iewe not by carnall birth but by spirituall circumcision of thy vices and true confession of thy sinnes Consider secondly the true cause of the Crosse was to saue thee to adorne thee with vertues and to gouerne thee sweetly Pray thy Lord to suffer none to rule in thee but only himselfe Therefore many of the Iewes reade this title for the place where Iesus was crucified was neare the Cittie Therefore the Priests said to Pilate doe not write King of the Iewes but that he said I am King of the Iewes Pilate answered what I haue written I haue written COnsider first that many Iewes did see and reade these holy words but they vnderstood them not and therefore scorned them that thou maist learne that none scoffe at diuine things the holy Ceremonies of the Church the Doctrine life of Saints but only they which vnderstand them not Therefore because it is written He shall mocke the mockers Pro. 1. and I will laugh in your distruction do thou take heede and refrayne from these blasphemous scoffings Secondly because the name of Iesus was to be highly honoured and this tytle to be celebrated ouer the whole world and the Crosse it selfe to be imprinted in kings foreheads therefore it was conuenient to haue it first laughed at and scorned For euen as a brasen vessell doth shine brightest after it hath beene fowled and rubbed with dyrt and clay so he shall be most glorious which hath suffered most shame and vexation for Christ Yeelde not then to thy afflictions nor be dismayed since there is so great glory prouided for thee Consider secondly that Christ was crucified not farre from the Cittie for though hee bee throwne out by the inhabitants of the Cittie and of this world yet because it is proper alwaies to him to spare and to be mercifull he goeth not farre but stayeth hard by knocking continually at the gates of our heart to trye if he may be let in Consider thirdly that the wicked cannot indure the very name of the kingdome of Christ because the Crosse of Christ is distastefull to sinners who choose rather to haue a delicate king then one nayled to the Crosse This was the cause as St. Damascene testifieth why the Iewes crucified Christ with his face turned from the Cittie Lib. 4. Act. 11. Cap. 13 and looking towards the gentiles because neither they nor their children should euer receiue him for their Messias Giue thou thankes vnto Christ that he would behold the gentiles from his Crosse thinke vppon thee and bring thee to the knowledge of him Pray him neuer to turne his eyes from thee Consider fourthly Pilates answere Hee indeede set on this tytle but moued thereunto by the instinct of God Therefore that ought not to be vndone which by God had beene done for the glorie of the Crosse and the kingdome of Christ which is his Church wil stand continue though thou shouldest forsake it For if thou wilt refuse this King and his kingdome another shall be called and receiue the Crowne Remember the holy Oyntment and consecrated Oyle in thy baptisme and conformation by which was imprinted in thee the tytle and signe of the Crosse that the marke and badge of Christ might remaine in thee as oyle doth penetract is not easily washed off and that the writing made vppon thee by the finger of God Apoc. 3. might alwaies be imprinted in thy soule Pray then our Lord to ingraue in thee his new name and the name of his holy Citty and write thee also in the booke of euerlasting life The 35. Meditation of the first word of
Christ But Iesus said COnsider first what thy Lord in these great paines of the Crosse did doe say or thinke when as amongst all those torments he found no comfort neither outwardly by men nor inwardly in his owne soule Yf he moued his body the woundes of the nayles tormented him if his head the thorns ranne in deeper and pricked him if he stirred not at all his torment was intollerable ouer his whole wearied body Thinke thou yppon these things in all thy labours and afflictions which thou sufferest for thy Lord. Hee reproued no man although he were slaundered diuers wayes But because the mouth speaketh from the aboundance of the hart his wordes euen vppon the Crosse were directed to thy profite and saluation and doe declare most manyfestly that he prayed to his Father incessantly for thee when by reason of his torments he was not able to vtter one word Consider secondly his swan-like song and note the last words of thy Lord which he spake to thee at the poynt of death For euen as the voyce of the Serpent hyssing out of the Tree of the knowledge of good and euill instilled the poyson of sinne so the last wordes of Christ from the Tree of the Crosse were very effectuall for our saluation and full of burning feruour as proceeding from the depth of infinite charitie Hee spake with a loud voyce and weeping teares with great affectiō and deepe sighes in fewe words but with many teares mixed with bloud streaming downe from his head His teares watered his prayers Heb. 5 and his bloud adorned them his eyes pierced his Fathers eares his sighes moued his heart Doe thou listen to these wordes marke them diligently and gather the fruite thereof For by these seauen wordes the wordes and formes of the seauen Sacraments are sanctified the seauen guiftes of the holy Ghost are obtained and the seauen deadly sinnes are driuen away Consider thirdly but Iesus said First whilst the Iewes were busie in crucifying tormenting mocking him Iesus as if he had not marked these thinges yea rather that he migh render good for euill said Secondly hee who hetherto in his owne cause to the admiration of all men held his peace and could not be brought to speake but being adiudged and had also abstayned from the most iust defence of himselfe now in the middest of his torments is not silent in thy most vniust cause but being not intreated intreateth yea and intreateth with most effectuall wordes Iesus said who the Sonne of God To whome to God the Father Where vpon the Crosse When being ready to dye and his vitall spirits being spent How not sitting nor lying easily but vpright vpon his feete with his hands lift vp and spread abroad like Moses in former times Ezo 17. and all bleeding For whome for sinners who were carelesse of their owne saluation for Christ and his frtends pray for sinners Heb. 5. before sinners pray for themselues What he craueth mercy offring his prayers and supplications appealing from this cruell sentence of the Iewes his bloud be vpon vs and vpon our children to a better sentence and full of mercy and desiring that this cruell sentence might be made frustrate Before whome openly in the hearing of his enemies to teach them mercy sweetnesse and in the presence of his Mother and of his friends both because they should bee witnesses of his pardoning them also that they should neuer pray for the reuenge of this sinne O excellent speach of highest merite and worthy to be imitated by all men full of labour charity mercy and piety Haue confidence then in Christ and pray him who by speaking first for sinners before he spake for his Mother left to vs a testimonye how much he esteemeth the saluation of sinners that hee will vouchsafe to haue continuall care of thee now in Heauen Luc. 23 Father forgiue them PAuse vpon euery word Father he doth not say Lord which is a name of seuerity and iustice but Father which is a name of mercy and of the newe Testamēt giuen vnto vs in this place by the bloud merites of Christ that euen as he would be our Brother so we should haue all one father in Heauen He saith therefore O Father knowe me thy Sonne the Father will denye nothing to his sonne I came into the world to this end that thou shouldest receiue thine enemies for thy children Heare me then praying for them For euen as the prayers of the Priestes in the Church shall hereafter be very effectuall which shall conclude in my name in these wordes through Christ our Lord so I doe now pray vnto thee my Father thorough me thy onely begotten Sonne Therefore as thou louest mee thy Son so receiue these my prayers For I ascended this crosse haue suffred all these stripes that I might obtaine mercy and pardon for them If therefore thou doest reiect the prayers of thy sonne and not hear thy sonne thou shalt impose a greater torment on mee then the Crosse it selfe which I suffer that I might take away a greater euill that is that I might turne away thy wrath from them Spare therfore the great dolors of thy Son least he seeme to haue indured them in vaine Thou giuest reward to others labours I desire onely this reward for my paines that thou wilt forgiue these men Forgiue heer our Lord doth the office of a Priest for he prayeth for the sinnes of the people and he cryeth Heb. 5. not only as a Priest but as a sacrifice desiring not a free pardon but offering a full satisfaction His wounds crye his bloud cryeth his spittings his paines and all his members crye Forgiue accept of these torments for their sinnes I haue paied their debtes I giue my bloud for the pryce my paines for the ransom my life in satisfaction my body soule for a sacrifice Be thou therfore merciful for this is a copious redemption A hard thing is required to wit that the Father should forget the death of his onely begotten Sonne and of such and so gteat a Sonne but the Sonne beggeth and hee beggeth with his bloud Secondly hee asketh it not conditionally as he praied for himselfe in the Garden If it bee possible if thou wilt if it may bee done but absolutely Forgiue Both that thou mayest learne to pray to God for pardon of thy sinnes and for his diuine grace without any cōdition because that hath alwayes relation to Gods honour And also that thou shouldest freely forgiue thy neighbours faultes without any condition Thirdly hee prayeth to haue them forgiuē presently and not to bee deferred till after his death For hee would not leaue this life till peace was made with God Parents when they are dying doe often leaue vnto their children small store of goods and those intangled with many difficulties charges debts and contentions But Christ before his death payed all debts with his owne bloud took away all difficulties and charges
and made a peace and reconciliation with his Father Hee sayeth therefore O Father forgiue and that by and by For the time of hauing mercy on him commeth Pâ—al 101. for the time commeth to wit the houre of sacrifice the day of satisfaction the time of forgiuenes the last instant of my life in which being presently to yeeld vp my breath I now propound my last petitioÌ„ and intreat onely this O Father forgiue them Fourthly hee saith not forgiue the sinnes already committed but onely forgiue euen those euills which they shall hereafter coÌ„mit against mee their irrisions their blasphemies the bitternes of the vineger my death and the wound in my side that thou also shouldst quickly forgiue thy enemies and remit all thinges keeping no rancor at all in thy heart Fiftly hee sayth not I forgiue both because the offence against his Father grieued him more thâ—â— his own torments and also because being intentiue vpon the happines which should redound to all the world by this his Passion hee seemed to esteem all the euils which the Iewes did vnto him rather as a benefite then any hurt Like as a man hauing a grieuous vlcer in his side if his enemy thinking to kill him should wound him in that place whereby the vlcer should be opened and the corruption let out would bee glad of that wound which was the cause of his cure So desirous was our Lord of thy saluation that hee reioyced at those his paines which were the cause of so great good vnto thee Them Note first that hee sayeth not these wicked Crucifiers these Hangmen these aduersaries and enemies both because thou shouldest refraine from all euill wordes and reproaches and also because thy Lord reputeth no man his enemy who payed the price of his death for all men and offereth saluation to euery one louing dearly euen these very Iewes his executioners Rom. 11. not for their owne euill workes but for their Fathers sakes who were holy and iust men and therefore speaking of his stripes Zach. 13. I was whipped saith hee in the house of them that loued mee Not by them that loued me but the Sonnes of them that loued mee that good might be done vnto the Children for their holy Fathers sakes Secondly them in the plurall number not onely those which conspire now against my death but also to all those who at any time by their sinnes haue giuen cause of this my Passion For thou shalt not bee excluded from this prayer whose sinnes haue been cause of our Lords death and thou mayst haue hope of pardon if thou wilt ioyne thy prayer with the prayer of Christ For if the prayer of Christ did profite them which neuer required it doubtlesse it will profite thee requiring it of him and praying together with him For they knowe not what they doe Luc. 23. COnsider first that Christ to whome all iudgement is giuen and whome his enemyes had offended did not take vpon him the office of a Iudge or an accuser but rather of a defender patrone The Iewes sought how to accuse him and found nothing worthy of accusation in him Our innocent Lord that was offended seeketh how to excuse the offence and the malice of the offence was such that nothing could be alleadged for the extenuating therof but onely ignorance And yet this ignorance being voluntary could no more excuse the Iewes then him who wittingly and willingly hideth his eyes because he will not see him whom he striketh or killeth If Christ then in the midst of his torments mittigateth the sinnes of his torturers will hee not now before his Father excuse their sinnes who call vpon his name with faith deuotion and sorrow for their sinnes Consider secondly that the Father answered not his Sonne by worde and yet Christ was heard for his reuerence Heb. 5 For God when he denyed his Sonnes request answered in the garden by an Angell but when hee graunted it hee answered not in worde but in deede Ioan. 19. For first hee restrained all creatures froÌ„ rising against his enemies in reuenge of his death all which would haue fought for their creator if this prayer of Christ had not stayed them Secondly hee reduced one of the Theeues vnto pennance Thirdly at the death of his Sonne he changed the minde of the Centurion and others Fourthly vpon the solemnity of Penticost hee conuerted sometimes three somtimes fiue thousand of the same Iewes vnto his faith Therefore God the Father not by outward words but by inward consent answered his Sonne in this manner O my Sonne I grant that which thou requirest laying aside all wrath I open the fountaines of mercy and I offer grace and pardon of sinnes Iustice and adoption of children as wel vnto these who haue afflicted thee as also vnto all the Nations of the world for euer and euer so as they will admit mercy offer'd vnto them For I will compell none against their will but I giue power to all to returne into grace and fauour with mee if they will and to be made the Sonnes of God and to come into my inheritance in Heauen so as they will be partakers of the merit of this my Passion through faith and the Sacraments Doe thou cry out now with great affliction great are thy mercyes therfore we giue thankes to thee our Lord God And pray him to bestow the guift of wisdome vpon thee that thou mayst know and admire his bounty and goodnes and driuing away all enuy to giue vnto thee the vertue of charity that thou mayst bee inflamed with the loue of thy neighbour The 36. Meditation of the diuision of his Garments Ioan. 19 Then the Soldiours when they had crucified him tooke his garments and made foure partes to euery Soldiour a part and his coate And the coat was without seame wouen all ouer COnsider first the pouerty of Christ thy Lord hee had not change or many suites of apparrell nor the same of silke and other costly matter but his garments were fewe and poore to defend him only from the cold and to couer his nakednes And by tradition it is deliuered as Euchemius witnesseth that his coate without seame was the worke of the mother of God In Mat. 27 which she did weaue with her owne hands for her sonne when he was a little infant which grew miraculously as our Lord grewe and was not worne nor torne out in all that long time the like whereof is rehearsed in holy Scripture to haue happened to the children of Israell that thou mayest learne by the example of thy Lord to forsake all curiositie and superfluity as well in apparrell as in other things Consider secondly the liberality of thy spouse he had already giuen his body shedde his bloud and spent his youthfull yeares for thee and now he giueth a fewe poore garments leauing nothing for himselfe but nayles thornes spittings and bloud clodded on his body Behold the riches of thy