remembraunce of thy woundes and passion may expeÌ„d and put in my fynger and hand that is what so euer good werk or discreacion be in me I may put it in and expende it all holl in thy seruice to thy honour And that I may confesse with Thomas that thou art my lorde whiche hath bought me with thy preciouse blode and my god which hath creat made me And that whiche thou sayd byfore of our fayth that blyssed be they whiche haue not sene and yet beleaue I may haue experieÌ„ce therof in my selfe and that by thy grace I may be founde blyssed in thy syght Amen ¶ Of the Ascencion of our lorde The .viii. Chapitre OVr lorde Iesus knowyng that the tyme was come that he shulde departe from this worlde vnto his father he wold shewe that not onely he loued his chosen people in this lyfe or whan he was mortall but also y t he loued them vnto the ende or for euer more and therfore he said to them Vado parare vobis locum I go to prepare a place for you in heuyn yet byfore that he went he wold coÌ„fort them and take his leaue of them And therfore he appered to them in the mownt of Syon in that place where as he made his supper byfore his passion for as they ware sittyng and eatyng in that place with our blyssed lady and other frendes of our lorde he appered to them and dyd eate with them byfore his Ascencion as wel for a signe or tokeÌ„ of his special loue to his disciples as to ê“ue his resurrection And after y t they had eaten he brought them all forth not with hande but with his worde and byddyng and so they went from Hierusalem vnto Bethany and than he had them go vnto the mownt of Oliuete there they shuld se hym ascende and so he departed and vanished froÌ„ theyr syght And at y e mownt of Oliuete he appered to them agayne And than some of his disciples sayd to hym Domine si in tempore hoc restitues regnum Israel Shalt thou lorde restore at this tyme the kyngdome of Israel that is wyll thou now delyuer the Iues from the subiection of the Romays c. our lorde answered It apê‘teyneth not to you to knowe tho secreat tymes or thinges that my father hath in his onely power And so after that Christ had spoken certen thynges to theyr instruction and also comforthe he kyssed ych one of them for as saynt Ambrose sayeth he left to them y e token of peace that is he kyssed them and so byddyng them fare wel he lyfted vp his handes to offre them all to his father and blyssed them gyuynge them grace and strenght to defend them from theyr enemyes and also to werk good and godly werkes and so he asceÌ„ded And thaÌ„ his mother and his disciples seyng hym eleuate and lyfted vp in to heuen fell downe prostrate and worshypped hym And for his departyng they could not refrayne them selfe from weapyng and yet they had great ioy and comforth in that they se hym so gloriously ascende And than there came and met hym all the ordres of Angels reuerently and in ordre by dyuers compaygnyes and ordres there was not one but that he cam and dyd his deutye to his lorde god And inclynyng to hym with all reuerence they wayted vpon hym with Hympnes and songes of ioy vnspeakable For as the prophete Dauid sayth Ascendlt deus in iubilo Christ god and man ascended in great songes of ioy which is to be referred not onely to the great ioy of the Angels but also to the ioy of the holy soules redeamed by the passion of Christ and asceÌ„dyng with hym with a wonderfull ioye It folowed in the psalme Et do minus in voce tube And our lord asceÌ„ded in the voyce of the truÌ„pe And this is to be referred to the sowne and voyce of the prechyng of the apostles whiche preachyng was than enioyned and commaundyd to them our lorde sayng to them Euntes in munduÌ„ vniuersum predicate euangelium omni creature Go ye through out all the world and preache my gospell to euery nacion Whan thus both the angelles and blessed soules dyd syng our lorde ioynyng his handes to gyther deuotely and lyftyng them vp streyght byfore his brest ascendyd with a cloude vnder his feet And so al the blyssed soules reuerently ascendyd with hym Nowe for asmoche as all the actes of our redempcion ware complete in the ascencion of Christ therfore that day is worthely acompted as a hyghe and a great ioyfull day For it is the moste solempne feast of our sauiour Iesus for that day he began to sit on the ryght hand of his father in his humanite and so toke rest of all the labour and payne that he suffred in this worlde It is also the propre feast of al blessed spirites in heuyn for than began theyr ruyne and decay to be repayred It is also the feast of patriarches and prophetes and of all holy soules for that day they fyrst entred into the kyngdome of glorie It is morouer the feast of our lady for asmoche as than she saw her sonne Iesus very god and man ascend vp vnto heuen with great glory in the same fleshe and body that he toke of her Yet that day is properly our feast for than our nature was fyrste exalted aboue the heuyns and so man that byfore was lost was that daye brought agayne by our sauiour Iesus vnto the kyngdome of heuyn and vnto the compaigney of angelles Therfore let vs now ascende in hert and mynde that whan tyme shall come that we be called from this worlde we may ascende in soule and after the generall resurrection ascende both in soule and body Christ dyd ascende and withdrawe from vs his corporall â—sence to prouoke our affection and loue and that we shulde desyre to be with hym with all our herte And therfore as the Apostle sayth Quae sursum sunt queramus quae sursum sunt sapiamus Let vs serch and labour to knowe tho thynges that be in heuyn and to tast or loue the same Let vs flye all worldly and vayne desyres let no thyng transytory please vs or content vs whiche haue our father aboue in heuyn And though we be here in body and also vse these temporal thyngê for the fraylty and infirmitie of our body yet let vs go to god by our loue and desyre as we reade of a certeyn deuote knyght whiche with great deuocion went vnto Hierusalem to visite al the holy places where as our lorde suffred his passion or dyd ony notable thyng in his lyfe and whan he had with feruent deuocion visited all tho places at last he cam vnto the mouÌ„t of Oliuete vnto the place from whens our lorde ascended where after that he had deuotely prayed he sayd with teares O good lorde I haue delygently saught the in many places here in erth and where now to
embrace and halse hym He wolde be pale in face and inclyne his heed downe for feblenes with Christe and Christe cōfortably lyftynge vp his heed doth most swetly kysse hym And therfore saynt Barnarde sayth O good Iesu we beleue and so it is that who so bereth thy crosse he bereth thy glory And he that bereth thy glory he bereth the. And hym y t bereth the thou bereth vpon thy sholdre Thy sholdre is stronge and very hygh for it recheth vnto the fete of the father in heuen aboue all the orders of aungels aboue all principates potestates vertues Thither thou reducest or bryngest agayne the wanderynge shepe that dyd erre from the flocke that is mankynde the whiche by his synne was put out of Paradyse Good lorde I may compasse go about and serche both heauen and erth the see and the lande no where shal I fynde the but in the crosse There thou slepest there thou fedest there thou restest in the hete of the day In this crosse my soule is lyfted vp from the erth and there it gathereth the swete apples vpon the tree of lyfe In this crosse the soule cleuynge fast to her lorde god doth swetely synge and say Susceptor meus es tu gloria mea et exaltans caput meum Thou arte my defēdour my glory and thou exalteth vp my heed that is my soule from the consideration of all vayne transitory thynges vnto the meditacion of thyn vnspeakable goodnes shewed vnto man vpon the crosse O most amyable deth O moste delectable deth of the most noble body of our lorde Iesu Christe from whome I wolde neuer be seperate but in hym to make thre tabernacles one in his handes another in his fete and the thirde in the woūde of his syde There I wyll rest and slepe eate and drynke rede and pray and there I wyll perfourme all my besynes that I haue to do There I shall speake vnto his herte and optayne of hym what so euer is nedeful for me Thus doynge I may folow y e steppes of his most swete mother Marie whose soule y e swerde of sorowe dyd thyrle perse at the deth of her sone If I be thus woūded with Christe I may from hensforth suerly speke to her moue her in al my necessites and she wyl nat denye me bycause she seeth me crucified with her sonne Christe ¶ Here foloweth an example of this exhortation WE may take an example of this exhortation to remēbre the passion of Christ in the boke called Speculum hystoriale Vincentij of certayne singuler persones whiche had this special grace We rede there that in the partes of the Dioces called Leodin̄ a noble deuout preest called Iacobus de Vitriaco the whiche afterwarde was the bysshop of Tusculane and cardinall and this holy man se there diuerse women of so meruaylous affection and so feruent in the loue of god through the continuall remēbraunce of the passion of Christe that by that feruent loue and desyre they were so seke that by many yeres they coulde nat ryse out of theyr beddes but very seldome hauynge none other cause of sekenes or disease but onely the said feruent loue For their hertes by y e continuall remembraunce of the infinite charite of god shewed in the passion of Christe were so relented by that meditation that the more that they were cōforted in soule the more seke weyke they were in theyr bodyes saynge cryeng in herte though for shame they durst nat speke in wordes the sayng of the spouse in the canticles Fulcite me floribus stipate me malis quia amore langueo Comforte me with flowres strength me with apples or other frutes for I am seke or languysshe for loue And in some of these women a meruaylous thyng it myght be perceyued sensibly howe that whan theyr soule in a maner melted throughe the vehemence of loue theyr chekes and the coloure of them sensibly fayded and fel away In other of them throughe the swete consolations that they receyued in theyr soules there redoūded in to their mouthes a pleasaunt taste as if it had ben of hony or other swete meat and that they felte sensibly And so it retresshed them both corporally and spiritually and this taste also moued them to swete teares and preserued or kepte theyr hertes in deuotion Some of them also receyued so great grace of wepynge in deuotion that as ofte as god was in theyr herte by remembraunce of his goodnes so ofte the ryuers of teares flowed from theyr eyen by inward deuotion so that the steppes or pryntes of the teares dyd afterwarde appere in theyr chekes thorough the custome of wepynge And here note a meruaylous thyng that the wepyng or teares dyd nat hurt their brayne or heed as it doth comenly in al other persones but rather in them it comforted theyr myndes with a full plentuous deuotion It made swete or pleasaūt theyr spirites with a swete vnction of grace It meruaylously refresshed their bodyes and it gladded al y e hole cōgregation of y e seruaūtes of god there ¶ More ouer we rede in the same boke of an holy and deuoute woman called Maria de Ogines of whome the forsayde mayster Iacobus de Vitriaco beynge in great feruoure of deuotion cryed with a lowde voyce vnto almyghty god sayng O lord god thou arte very good to them that trusteth in the thou arte faythfull to thy seruauntes that truste and abyde thy promisses Thy hand mayde good lord hath dispised and forsaken for thy loue thonour of the worlde with all the pleasures of the same and thou accordyngly vnto thy promisse in scripture hath rendred and gyuen to her an hundreth tymes more in this worlde and also euerlastyng lyfe in the kyngdome of glorye The fyrst fruites or begynnynge of her loue to the was the remembraunce of thy crosse passion and deth For on a certayne day when she preuented with thy grace and mercyfully visited by the considered the great benefites whiche thou of thyn vnspeakable goodnes shewed vnto man kynde in workynge our redemption she founde or opteyned so great grace of compunction and suche abundaunce or copye of teares in thy crosse and passion that we myght haue traced or folowed her thorowe the churche by her teares that fel on y e groūde from her And of a longe tyme after that she had this swete visitation and grace of teares she myght neyther see nor beholde the ymage of the crucifix nor yet speke or here other speke of the passion of Christe but forthwith she fel in swowne Wherfore that she might somwhat tempre and abate that great passion and sorowe and restrayne thaboundaunce of her wepynge she lefte the consideration of thumanite or manheed of Christe and tourned her mynde holly to the meditation of the maiestye and godheed of Christe that in his eternitye and inpassibilytye she myght fynde some consolation and comforth But where she thought and laboured to haue
felyng with Christ in hauyng compassion of Christ of his neighbour with Christ Also it hath one sauory knowledge with Christe in duely honouryng god one zele and feruent desyre to the saluacion of mannes soule with Christe and so that soule is in a maner transfourmed into Christ thrugh this gifte of pitie whiche as we sayd before is profitable to all thynges It couetyth thonour of god it expelleth sorowes and troubles from mannes soule it feruently they steth and desyreth the fruite and profite of soules it laboureth that the blood of Christe might take effecte in other persones and it kyndeleth the soule in feruent loue to god and his neighbour Wherefore dere beloued frendes let vs approche hereunto and labour diligently for this gyfte For doubtles this one amonge all other and peraduenture before all other gyftes doeth moost please god I pray you therfore let vs labour to do the wyll and pleasure of god and let vs draw or sucke out of his woundes and syde this gifte of pitie Let vs be all one in our lorde Iesu Christe crucified and let vs requyre se or desyre non other thyng in our neighbour but Iesus Christe crucified So louyng our neighbour that with him we runne at all tymes into the woundes of Christe Nat beholdynge or louynge hym as fayre beautifull stronge or wyse or any other suche lyke vaine and transitory thynges whiche may hinder or withdraw our soule from the loue of god but onely beholdynge and louynge our neighbour as redemyd and bought by the precyouse blood and dethe of our lorde as anointed wasshed with his blood and applied or put to the woundes of Christ by receiuyng the fruit of them Let it nat be sene or thought hard and painefull to vs to suffre great paines or yf nede shulde requyre moost shamefull dethe for our neighbour for whoÌ„ Christ the onely sonne of god suffred moost greuous paynes and the moost shamefull dethe of the crosse Let vs all couet and desire for the profite and helthe of soules all maner of rebukes and dispisynges all afflictions and tourmentes and also to suffre moost vile or shamfull dethe Let euery man be to vs as our owne hert for whom the hert of Christ was perced with a spere Let vs multiply our preachynges and exhortacions good examples prayers fastynges knelynges watche labours also suffre mockes or scornes for the helthe of soules Let this be our office and dayly excercise our glory and ioye and our consolacion euer to offre sum thyng to almighty god for the profite of soules Let nat the ryuer fountaine of teares cease from our iyen for our owne synnes and also for the synnes of other Let vs be content to be saciat and fulfylled with suche wepynges and sorowes in this vale of myserye and teares Let our synnes and also the synnes of our ueighbours hynge euer in our syght nat to iudge or condempne our neighbours but to lament and wepe for them at all tymes nat onely let them be in our syght but also let them entre perce the ynner partes of our hertes Let vs at all tymes and in all places haue our sauyour Christe crucified in our presence Let vs alwayes be feruent and deuout in all honour due to god in the reuerence of holy scrypture and in the loue and compassion of our neyghbours In the whiche thre consysteth the gyfte of pitie This ordre and ascencion in our soule doeth molifie all our hert and sprede it abrood and make it apte to receyue the spyryte of pitie whiche doeth quyet vs set vs in great pleasure and fauour of Christe where as we shall fynde spirituall foode bothe within outwarde that is our moost tendre louer our lorde Iesu Christe the rest or our soules the rewarde of our good dedes that we do thrugh this gyfte of pitie And to this gyfte of pitie doeth corresponde the seconde beatitude Beati mites Blessed the mylde And hereunto saynt Austin sayeth Pitie accordeth and is conuenient vnto mylde persons And as concernynge the fruites of the holy goost these .ii. that is goodnes and benignitie ben directly attributed appropriate vnto this gyfte of pitie but the thyrde y t is called Mansuetudo that is myldenes or geÌ„tilnes perteineth to this gyfte of pitie indyrectly for it taketh away the lettes impedimentes of the actes of pitie And the spirite of pitie is gyuen to man for that his hert shuld be moued kyndled vnto beâ—ignitie so that man vsyng duely this gyfte shuld cum to the same eternall possession heritage y t he wold haue other men cum to And this is it that we sayd before y t by the great compassion pitie mercy y t our sauiour Iesu Christ shewed vpon vs vnto vs on y e crosse we shuld be styred moued kyndled to lyke werkes of pitie accordyng to our power habilitie vnto our neighbour y t thereby we myght be made apt to the restauracion of thorder of archauÌ„gels ¶ Example of this gifte of the spirite of pitie Cha. ix OF this gyfte of pitie we haue example in the forsayd blessed woman Maria de Ogines in the sayde boke of the histories of Vincent Where as it is writen that nat only she auoyded all maner of euyll by the gyfte of the feare of god but also by the spyryte of pytye whiche she had withoute doubte by the ofte and feruente remembraunce of the passyon of Christe she was made very feruente and prone or redye to all goodnes She laboured and enforced hyr selfe as farre as hyr power wolde stretche to fulfyll all the werkes of mercy of a great and aboundaunte pytye that was in hyr And aboue all other werkes of pitie she had a feruent desyre to vysyte the sycke and to assyste them in theyr infirmities and also to be present at the deathe and sepulture or buryenge of the ded folkes where she very oft tymes receyued from god great spyrytuall conforte and also thrughe the reuelacion of god knewe many secrete and heuenly mysteryes And this well appered in this history folowynge Vppon a certayne day whan one of the systers of Ogines laboured in the extreme panges of dethe this blessyd woman Maria beynge in hyr celle se in spyryte a great multitude of deuylles about the bed of the sycke syster And as the couent dyd say coÌ„mendacions for the soule of the sayd sycke syster whoÌ„ they thought to haue be ded this holy Mary in a maner forgettynge hyr mylde grauitie sad shamfastnes ran with hast vnto the bed of the sicke systerâ— stryuynge with those wicked spirites nat only dyd resist theÌ„ with hyr feruent prayers but also dyd chase dryue theÌ„ away with hyr mantell or pall as a man wolde chase away the flyes And whan these wycked spyrytes dyd terrybly resyst hyr and alledgyd reasons for them y t this soule shuld perteyn to them than she nat content with theyr importunitie cryed and
passion of our sauioure Iesu Christe that by the feruent remembrance of the sayd passion he myght entre into these most depe treasures of the goodnes of god vnto the tyme that soule or mynde be depely entred into Christe crucified and in a maner absorpte drowned thrugh or in the feruent loue of Christe crucified And than that soule shall receiue the gyfte of science know how to order his werkes accordyngly vnto right reason and applie hym selfe vnto the conformitie of Christe And this is it that we sayd in the begynnynge of this chapiter that the gyfte of science moueth a man to lyue iustly truely in this wretched worlde where as flourysshe many froward and wicked persones and amonges them to defende his faithe and to haue true compunction in his hert The spirite of science or knowledge is for that intent gyuen vnto man that that spirite enterynge into the herte or soule of man shulde instruct hym in thynges necessary for his saluacion and shulde moue hym to true compunction sorow for his offences that man shulde know that what so euer payne or tribulacion he hath it is for his synnes and if he be pacient for his great profite And what so euer goodnes he hathe it is of the mercy and grace of god And so thereby he shulde lerne to be euer subiect to god and to praise hym in all werkes neuer to murmure against hym but in all thynges and at all tymes to shew mekenes and pacience and euer confesse god to be iust and true in all his werkes and so folow thexample of Christe which is the myrroure of pacience and also the rewarde eternall of the true and meke pacieâ—t Moreouer by the true compunction of herte whiche springeth of mekenes thrugh thoperacion and help of this godly science is swaged the wrathe indignacion of the mynde And contrary wayes wrathe doeth ouercum and spiritually slee the vnwise person that wanteth this gyfte of scyence As whan in aduersitie he is moued or styred and also blynded by the vice of impacience in so muche that he doeth nat know that suche paines and tribulacions as he suffereth cummeth to hym by his owne demerites and synnes Or els whan he is lyfted vp in prosperitie he is so blinded by pryde that he will nat know how that all the goodnes that he hath cummeth of god And lyke as we se in daily experience that after rayne cummeth fayre wedder so after the vertue of true compunction and sorowe for our synnes foloweth the rewarde of consolacion For who so euer wyll freely punyssh hym selfe in this lyfe for the loue of god he shall fynde hereafter a true ioye and gladnes without ende And therfore our sauiour sayth Beaâ—i qui lugent quoniam consolabuntur Blessed be they that wepe and mourne in this lyfe for the loue of god for they shall be conforted And this is the thyrde beatitude whiche correspondeth to the gyfte of science For as saynt Austin sayeth science is accordynge to mourners Right iudgement of creatures or to iudge truely of creatures perteineth vnto the gyfte of science For oftymes men thrugh thoccasion of creatures turne them selfe from god and so commyt greuouse synne as the wyse man sayeth Creature facte sunt in odium muscipulam pedibus insipientium Creatures made of maÌ„ to the seruice of god thrugh the synne of man ben made to the hatred of man and as a trap or a snare to the fete of vnwise men for asmuche as suche men wantynge right iudgemente and knowledge of the creatures do put theyr full confidence and trust in them whiche they shulde haue put in god and so consequently they do synne and lese the true infinite goodnes And this great damage of man is made knowen to man by the right iudgement of creatures whiche he hath by this gyfte of science And therefore coâ—ueniâ—â—tly is the beatitude of mournynge assigned to reaunswere vnto the gyfte of science Whiche graunt vnto vs that moost tender calfe that hynge vpon the crosse for vs. Amen ¶ An example of this gyfte of the spirite of science Chapitre .xi. OF this gifte of discrecion and of science we may haue example in the foresayde blessed woman Maria de Ogines Of whoÌ„ it is wryten in y e histories of Vincent as foloweth For asmuche as to this blessed woman in auoidyng all euill by the spirite of the feare of god in doynge good by the spirite of pitie was also necessary a warenes a circumspection of discretion therefore almighty god the father of light and knowledge whose vnction and spirite teacheth vs in all thynges necessary dyd illuminate lyghten his doughter Marie with the spirite of godly science And that without doubt was thrugh her continuall and feruent remeÌ„braunce of Christes passion God I sayde gaue to her the gyfte of knowlege that thereby she might know what was to be done and whaÌ„ and what was to be auoided and that all her sacrâ—fices and paines taken for god she might order with discrecion For oftymes vice wyll shew hym selfe to be vertue and euyll oftymes is taken vnder the colour of goodnes And whan we wold auoide one vice oftimes we fall into the contrary vice and therfore this spirite of godly knowledge is necessary for vs. Sumtyme this blessed woman whan she was made one spirite with god was ioyned vnto hym with the glew of feruent loue to hyr great pleasure and swetenes If she herde of the cummynge of straungers to speke with her she wold I say sumtyme with great violence withdrawe her selfe from that great pleasure of contemplacion from the swete halsynges of her spouse Christ lesse that she shuld slaundre those straungers I say she wolde withdraw her mynde from that contemplacion with so great vehemence of sorow that sumtyme she voyded or spytted pure blood that in great quantitie to her great payne and affliction Wyllyng rather so to punisshe her selfe with that great martyrdom than to trouble or vnquyet the peace and quyetnes of her systeren and bretheren and specyally of pylgrymes or strauÌ„gers Yet suÌ„tyme whan she knew thrughe the reuelacion of the holy goost the cummynge of sum straungers a good tyme before they cam she wolde go pryuely into the feldes or woodes nygh vnto her cell and there wolde she hyde her selfe that vnneth or scarcely hyr owne company myght fynde her all thoughe they searched for hyr all the daye And sumtyme contrarye wayes whan she was in slepe yf there cam to hyr pore and symple persons for theyr necessitie or conforte she was sodaynly awaked and compellyd to ryse onely by thoperacion and mouynge of the holy goost whiche than sayd vnto hyr Spede the there is one that abydeth for the to speke with the nat for any curiositie but for very necessitie Moreouer though this blessyd woman with a meruelouse discrecion kept alwayes peace with hyr neighbours and nat onely with them that were good
to wysdom or the ende of wysdom is to reduce all thynges to a due order and ende and this perteyneth to peace For as saynte Austyn sayeth Peace is a tranquilitie of order that is whan all thynges ben brought to a quyet due order And therfore conueniently correspondeth to this gyft of wysdom the .vii. beatitude that Christe speaketh of sayenge Beati pacifici quoniam filii dei vocabuÌ„tur Blessed be the peacefull that make peace for they shall be called the chylderen of god And saynt Austyn sayeth wysdome is agreynge and acordynge to the peacefull In whom is no contrary mouyng or rebellyng but his mouinges ben subdued obedient to reason Sapientia is called a sauory scieÌ„ce so he hath his name a sapore of y e sapour sauour or taste as whan the mynde is touched with the taste of inwarde swetenes he doeth gader in hym selfe all hole by desyre to rest therin lesse yf y e mynde shuld wandre in y e coÌ„sideracioÌ„ of outward thingê it shuld shortly be dissolued by inordinat plesure of y e body or of y e world therfore he gadreth hym self all inward for within he hath that thynge in whome is all his delectacion and pleasure And therefore the spyryte of wysdom whan he toucheth the herte with his swetenes he tempereth outwardly the feruour hete of concupiscence so the concupiscence subdued he maketh peace inwardly to thintent that the mynd of man so hoolly gadred into that inwarde ioye myght fully and perfitely be refourmed vnto thymage of god And therfore it is wryten Blessed be the peacefull for they shall be called the chylderen of god And that for as muche as they haue the similitude of the naturall and onely sonne of god As saint Paule sayth Quos presciuit conformes fieri imaginis filii sui Our lorde hath predestinate and knowen before his chyldren here in erthe to be coÌ„forme or made lyke vnto thymage of his naturall sonne whiche is called Sapientia generata The eternally begotten wysdome of the father And so herby ye may perceyue that those persons whiche receyue the gyfte of wysdom by the deuout and continuall meditacion of Christes passion attayne to be the chyldren of god And this is it that we sayd before that the great charitie of god that apered in the passion of Christ shulde kyndle the fyre of loue to wardes god theyr neighbours in the hertes of all them that deuoutly remembre the same passioÌ„ that thereby they myght be made apte vnto the reparacion of the order of aungelles called Seraphin ¶ Here foloweth an example of this spirite of wysdom The .xix. Chapytre EXample of this spyryte or gyfte of wysdome we rede in the hystoryes of Vincente whiche wrytynge the lyfe of the ofte named Maris de Ogines sayeth in this maner Hyr herte thrughe the remembraunce of Christes passion was inwardely fulfylled with the spyryte of wysdome whereby hyr wordes were very swete confortable and all hyr werkes were made fatte or pleasant with a meruelouse swetenes of the spirituall vnction or ointement She was meke in herte mylde in hyr countenaunce swete in hyr wordes pleasaunt in all hyr werkes and drunken in charitie One tyme whan she had lyen thre days coÌ„tinually in hyr bed there restynge mooste swetely with hyr spouse Iesus Christe hyr ioye and sweatenes was so vehemente that she knewe nat how the tyme passed and so she supposed that she had scarcely lyen the tenthe parte of one quarter of an houre She had many meâ—uelouse and dyuers affections vnto our lord Sumtyme she was very hungery for god and sumtyme meruelouse thyrsty and drye for god And the more she had hym or felte hym the more her desyre dyd encrease And whan he wolde departe from hyr than she was sorowfull than she cryed and desyred hym to remayne and continue with hyr sumtyme she wolde enbrace and hold hym fast in her armes that he shuld nat departe from her and with many teares beseched hym that he wolde shew hym selfe more ofte tymes to hyr Sumtyme by thre days or more as it was sene to hyr he appered to hyr as a lytle chylde lyenge betwyxt hyr brestys whom she enbraced and halsed and hyd hym that he shulde nat be sene of other persons and so she lay kyssyng and playenge with hym as with a chylde Sumtyme he appered as a mylde lambe layeng his hed in her lappe Sumtyme our sauioure appered to hyr as a dowue to conforte hyr Sumtyme she se hym as a shepe or a wedder with a bright sterre in his forehed goynge about the chyrche to vysyte and conforte his seruauntes as she thought And in dyuerse solempne festes of our lorde he appered in dyuerse maners accordyngly vnto the feest As on ChristeÌ„masse day he appered to hyr as a chyld suckyng his mothers brestes or lyenge in y e cradell and than hyr affections was ordered to hym as to a chylde and so accordynge to dyuers apparicions she had dyuerse affections and so thrughout all the festes of the yere In the feeste of the Purificacion of our lady comonly called Candylmas day she se our blyssed lady offre hyr sonne in the Temple and how Simeon toke hym in his armes And in this vision she had no lesse ioye than yf she had ben present at the sayd oblacion whan it was actually don in the Temple of Ierusalem And in the procession of this same feest whan hyr candell was extyncte and without lyght by a long space of tyme sodeynly there cam a great and most clere lyght from heuen dyd light hyr taper or candell On good fryday he appered to hyr as crucifyed and hangynge vpon the crosse but very seldome he appered to hyr on this maner bicause she coulde nat beholde it hyr sorow was so great that she was ofte thereby in peryll of dethe And whan any solempne feest by the course of the yere drew nygh suÌ„tyme viii dayes before that feest she felt in hyr soule a great ioy And so she had diuersities of affections accordynge to the diuersitie of feestes after the course of the yere She se also sumtyme as it were bryght beames cummynge from thymage of the crucifixe dyrectly vnto hyr and so entred into hyr hert And in all these thyngê she had great delectacion pleasure hyr spirit was meruelously coÌ„forted therwith This blessed woman also was moche wery of this miserable life also was in a maner coÌ„tinually sicke for y e ferueÌ„t loue that she had to god coÌ„tinuall desire to be in his presence with him in eternall felicitie But yet in al these desires werynes of this exyle or worlde she had one singuler speciall confort remedie to refressh hyr in this vale of misery vnto suche tyme she might cum vnto that she moost desyred that is she had the heuenly Manna aungels food the sacrament of the auter the very body blood of hyr
to hym his dieat Seconly he wyl cast hym in a sweat Thyrdly if these be not sufficyent he wyll let hym blode to correcte the euyll humors And fourthly he wyl gyue hym a pocyon to auoyde all the euyll mater that is the cause of his sekenes So our lorde Christe that he myght cure vs from the infirmitie and seakenes of synne he fyrste kepte a dyeat for he fasted .xl. dayes Secondly he swet blode for vs. Thyrdly he was let blode in all the partes of his bodye when as he shedde his blode without weyght or mesure so that his bodye hangynge vpon the crosse was as drye as a fyrebrand Fourthly and last not content with all the other medicynes he toke a most bitter pocyon when for to cure oure synfull sekenes he toke vinegre and tasted therof and therfore he sayd conueniently Consummatum est All thynges be fulfylled that I shulde suffer for the helthe of man And thus after that he had suffred in all the membres of his bodye the sharpe dartes of moste bytter paynes and passyon he myghte well say the wordes of the prophet Repleuit me amaritudine inebriauit me absinthio He hath fulfylled me with bitternes he hath made me dronke with wormewod and so in his passyon he dranke a bytter pocyon and that to cure vs. ¶ A Lesson OF this article we maye take this lesson that in the ende of euery good werke that we do whiche hath diuerse actes and partes we shulde gather them togyther as it ware in a soÌ„me and so offer that good werke to god and so comonlye we vse in all the seruyce of the churche for euer in the ende we conclude with a collecte whiche is so called for asmoche as in that prayer all the office or seruice said before is as it ware virtually gadred and conteyned in that orison or collect as in a summe And so this worde Consummatum est is as it were the collecte of the hole passion of Christ vnto his death And a man to conforme hym selfe to this article shuld remembre breuely as it were in a summe all the forsayde artycles of Chrystes passion and so gyue thankes to all myghtie god for them and pray as foloweth ¶ A prayer O Iesu whiche offeryng the consummacion of thy hole passion as it ware in a â—ume â—o god thy father for we dyd say Consummatum est it is ended â–ª grant to me that I may dewly consummate and ende all the good werkes and paynes that it shall please thy grace to werke in me and by me and so ended to offre them with due thankes vnto god the father by the. Amen ¶ Of the yeldyng vp of his soule or of the death of Christe The. lxii article THe .lxii. article is the death of Christe for when Christe had sayde It is ended then he criynge agayne with a greate voyce sayd or no necessite but for our example 〈…〉 tuas coÌ„mendo spiritum meum Father I commend my spirite in to thy handes This was the .vii. and last worde that he spake vpon the crosse And by this sayng he wolde declare vnto vs that the soules of holy sayntes be in y e handes of god after theyr departyng from the bodye wher as before y t tyme all the soules ware in the hande power of hell And by this his commendacion he commendeth to his father all his electe people for we be his membres as saynt Paule sayth Omnes vnum sumus in Christo iesu We be all one in Christe iesu Which in the dayes of his mortalitie offerynge prayers to his father with a greate crye and teares was hard for his reuerence And this worde sayd and prayer made he bowed downe his heade and so gaue vp his spirite In criyng weapyng and praing As the glose sayth we that be erthly or made of y e erth do dye or giue vp our spirite with out any voyce or at most a softe or small voyce But Christ y t camme from heuen he at his death exalted his voyce and cried with a great and lowde voyce He that is not moued with this voyce is more heuy than the erth more harde than y e stone and more close and stynkyng than dead menes graues for all these ware broken moued and open by this voyce And note here that amonge al the paynes that Chryst suffered this payne of death was most sharpe and paynefull for as the Philosopher sayth Death is the moste terrible of all terrible or fearefull thynges and that is for the naturall inclinacion that the soule hathe to the bodye But there is a more speciall cause in Christe for as Damasten sayth His godhed was vnit and knyt bothe to the soule and also to the bodye and therfore that separatioÌ„ of his soule from his body was most paynfull to hym Chryste enclined and bowed downe his heade to shewe vnto vs. iiii thynges that is Fyrste the greuouse and heuy burden that was laid vpon him A man that is ouercharged or oppressyd with a heuy burden is wonte to stowpe and bowe downe his heade But Christe was oppressid with the heuy burden of our synnes as sait Petre sayth Peccata nostra ipse pertulit in corpore suo super lignum Christe bare our synnes in his bodye vpon a tree that is the crosse Also Christe sayth by the prophet Conuolute sunt iniquitates et imposite collo meo The iniquites or synnes be folden or lappid vp to gether and laid vpon my necke and therfore no meruel though he bowid downe his heade to shew vnto vs what heuy burden he bare Secondely he enclined his heade to shewe his pouertie for Iesus the son of god at his death was so pore that he had no place where to reste his head and therfore he bowyd it downe Thyrdly to shewe to vs that meaknes is the way to glorie euerlastyng Herunto Hugo sayth We shall returne vnto the heuenly cuntre by the waye of meakenes And the wiseman sayth Viam sapientie monstrabo tibi c. I shall shewe to the the way of wisdom and I shall lead the by the pathes of equitie which when thou arte ones entred in to thy feet shall not letted nor thou runnyng shal haue any let or obstacle This waye is the vertu of meakenes for as Christ sayth Qui sehumiliat exaltabitur He y t meaketh hym selfe shal be exalted as y e ê“phet sayth Non habitabit in medio domus mee qui facit suê‘biam The prowde person shall not dwell in my house Forthly Chryste enclyned his heade to gyue thankes to his father for the victorie he had for by his death he distroyed death And hereunto saynt Paule sayth Absorpta est mors in victoria Death is destroyed by the victorie and triumphe of Chryst And in the same place Deo gracias qui fe cit nos vincere in domino nostro iesu Christo Thankes be to god that hath