O My soule; O weake, O wret­ched soul; feeble to all goodnesse able to any euill: retire thy selfe a while from the tiring trauailes of this life; lay downe the loade, both of heauie cares and light con­ceits, with which thou art extreamlie clogged. Re­moue the vaile from thine eyes, wherewith thou hast [Page] bin caried blindfold, with­out any true either sight or guide; in all thy endeuours, in all thy desires; in danger to step into euery pit of ha­bituall 1 sinne, wherein it is fearefull to continue, and out of which it will be hard to arise.

Gather together, O my soule, gather thy scattered thoughts to-gether, from ranging after the light and loose pleasures of this life; 2 much more esteemed, of those who hunt after them, then of those who haue thē: being like vnto certaine ap­ples which growe in Iudaea, faire in shew, but turning in touch to a filthie fume. Withdraw thy selfe into thy [Page 3] selfe, euen into the most se­cret closet of thy consci­ence; shut out all things but onely God, who both fil­leth and encloseth al things. Consider before him, the nobilitie, both of thy state, and of thy end; and examine diligently, how answerable thy workes are, vnto the worthienesse of them both. Say now to the world, as Ia­cob once saide to his Father in law Laban: these many yeeres haue I serued thee, and with exceeding both studie and paines followed thine affaires: it is now time to breake from thy bon­dage, for else wilt thou send me emptie handed away.

Certainely, if I doe dili­gently [Page] examine my actions, if I weigh my wayes, if I trie the footestepps that I haue troden; I shall find, that the whole time of my life hath beene, either sinful, or else 3 vnfruitefull: and if I haue done any thing that seemed good, it hath beene in such sort, either counterfeit, or corrupt, or some wayes vn­perfect, that it was noe bet­ter then a beautiefull sinne. 4 For, wherein haue I spent my childhood? wherein my youth? wherein all the days of my life that are past? how haue I imployed my world­ly estate? how my health? how my naturall forces and abilities? how haue I busied both the powers of my soul, [Page 4] and the parts of my body, which thou hast giuen vnto me? the one to know, and the other to serue thee? How? but either in idlenes, or in euill; either in com­mitting sinne, or in doing nothing.

Therefore, O wretched soule, all the actions of thy life haue been, either hurt­ful, or else vnprofitable; ei­ther depraued with euill, or depriued of good: and if thus, contemptible; if so, damnable. But if they bee 5 vnprofitable, wherefore do I not account them also dā­nable? Is it not true which the truth hath saide, that e­uery tree which bringeth not forth good fruit, shal be [Page] hewen downe and cast into the fire?Mat. 7.19 Mat 11 14 Did not Christ curse the figge tree which did beare leaues & no fruit? Was not the idle & vnpro­fitable seruant condemned, for not imploying and en­creasing his talent?Mat. 25.30 Shal not our carelesse either negli­gence or contempt of the seruice of God, be the grea­test piece of euidence which Sathan will bring against vs at the dreadfull day of iudgement? According whereto sentence is already drawne, against those that shall bee damned; not for committing any actuall e­uil, but onely for omitting, to feede the hungrie,Mat. 25. to cloath the naked, to harbor [Page 5] the stranger, to visite those that were imprisoned or sicke. And doe I then e­steeme it sufficient, that I haue sometimes abstained from euill, if I haue not al­so done that which is good.

No, no, I receiued my life for the seruice of God, and I must be accountable, how euery minute of my time hath beene employed to that end. If it were pos­sible for me not to commit any sinne, it will be suffici­ent to condemne me, euen that I liued; If I were not both alwaies and entirelie busied, in discharging some peece of dutie towardes God▪

And, if all the good [Page] 6 which euer I haue done were laide together, set cleare either from corrup­tion or from defect, yet is it nothing to the bodily be­nefites which I haue recei­ued. In regard whereof I haue beene like an vnprofi­table beast, which eateth more then he doth earne: insomuch as it may be said vnto me, as Abraham saide to the rich glutton tormen­ted in hell flames;Luke 26 Sonne thou hast receiued (the reward of all) thy good in thy life.

What man would en­dure? what man could for­beare that creature, wich is not only vnprofitable, but noysome vnto him? But thou, O gracious God, [Page 6] thou hast not onely endu­red, but expected me; thou doest not forbeare onely, but fauōur and feed me; more vnprofitable then any liuing creature; more noy­some then any dead.

Out vpon me wretched 7 soule, full both of vanity & of ignorance; full of infi­nite miseries, & (which ex­ceedeth all miserie) full of infinite vnsauorie sinnes▪ whereby I am made more vile then any beast, more abhominable thē any dung or carion, worse then any thing which we common­ly cal nought. For nothing can bee, in worth so con­temptible, in filthinesse so intollerable vnto men, as [Page] a sinfull soule is vnto God.

What doe I then? What thinke I? Into what a dumbe dumpe am I driuen? O my God, what shall I say now I am before thee? Be­ing like vnto those who haue immoderately stuffed their stomacke with Oni­ons and Garlicke; whome no man wil heare to speake for the strong stinke of their breath. With what yron eyes, with what flin­tie forehead shall I sustaine the presence of thy Maie­sty, who art both iudge, & party, and witnesse against 8 me? And alas I haue lesse hope to auoid thy presēce, then I haue heart to abide it. Thou diddest follow A­dam [Page 7] through the thicke bushes; Ionas into the bot­tome of the sea; Dauid did not thinke heauen so high, hel so low, the whole world so wide, that it could afford any place, either secret or distant enough to auoide thy pursuit. How then shall I answere thee, whose pre­sence I am so little able, ei­ther to auoide or to abide?

For, besides my original 9 corruption, which is (in power) all sinnes that are; I haue very much, yea alto­gether failed in duty; against thee, against my neighbor, and against my selfe. I haue forgotten thee, I haue con­temned other men, I haue not eyther remembred or [Page] regarded any thing but my selfe.

10 Towardes thee I haue beene vnthankfull for thy benefites, rebellious & stif-necked in yeelding to thy inspirations; vnreuerent & negligent in matters per­taining to thy seruice. which, either I haue lefte vndone, or els haue perfor­med thē, neither with such readinesse, nor pure inten­tion, as thou doest require: intermixing alwaies some regard, ither of estimation or aduantage to my selfe. I haue been more respectiue of ciuilitie, in offending the meanest friend of this life, then of conscience in offen­ding thee; & haue bin more [Page 8] restrained both by shame & by feare, from committing a filthie fact in the viewe of man, then before thy pure and piercing eies. I feared men more thē thee, because I was blind, and did not see thee: I had onely fleshlie eyes, and therfore did I one­ly regard the sight of men; but I was spiritually blind, and therefore obserued not thy diuine presence.

For all the treasure of graces, which thou hast be­stowed vpon me, I haue not returned to thee the tribute of glory; but haue vainely and falsely vsurped to my selfe the prerogatiue of praise, which doth in right pertaine vnto thee. I haue [Page] not been prouoked, to loue thee for thy goodnes, to feare thee for thy iustice, to trust in thee for thy power; My little loue hath appea­red, by the little pains that I haue taken for thy sake; my little feare, by the great and manifold sinnes which I haue committed; my little confidence and trust, by the tempestes of my mind, vpō any troubles that haue hap­pened vnto me; not staying and setling my hope vpon thee. How haue I con­temned, how haue I grieued thee? in suffering thee to cal vpon me in vaine? Neuer answering, neuer accepting thy heauenly motions? Thou hast reuealed thy wil [Page 9] vnto me; yet so often as my will hath encountred ther­with, either by false inter­pretation or flat resistance, my will hath preuailed, and thine hath taken the ouer­throw. Finally, if I make a true account betweene thy law and my obedience, why thē I am the foole, who hath said in his heart;Ps. 14.1. There is no God.

Towardes my neigh­bour, 11 I haue beene hard and seuere, not louing him as thou hast commaunded vs to loue one another, like members of one body, which receiue life of one spirit. I haue had no sence of sorow for his aduersities; and haue beene so far from [Page] [...] [Page 10] [...] [Page] relieuing either his troubles or his wantes, that I haue scarce pittied him, and som­times both by speech and action haue been offensiue and grieuous vnto him. I haue abused my superiors, by flatterie; my inferiors, by contempt: bearing my selfe for the most part, as an Em­met to the one, and as an Elephant to the other. As for my equals, I haue either put my selfe before them, or else prosecuted them with extremitie of disdaine. I haue beene sharper sighted into all mens vices, then in­to their vertues; being easi­ly carried, to aggrauate the one, and extenuate the o­ther: and scarce haue I [Page 10] communicated with any, but some parte of my talke hath beene of other mens liues.

Now, is I put my hande 12 into my owne bosome, oh! how leprous shall I pull it forth againe? What shall I find that my hart hath bin, but a puddle, wherein filthy thoughts, like swine, haue alwaies beene wallowing? What hath my mouth been, but a vent, to breath forth the putrified sauour of my soule? what haue my eyes beene, but the windowes? what my eares, but the dores of destruction and death? My vnderstanding hath beene quicke to represent to my wil, both instruments [Page] and occasions to sinne; my wil hath been as a common Curtezan, embrasing euerie occasion which hath beene offered; my memory hath beene a storehouse of cor­ruption, whereon my wic­ked fantasie hath alwaies fed: all the parts of my bo­die, all the powers of my soule, haue altogether been imployed in sinne; all my life, motion, and being, haue beene a continuall prouo­cation of him, in whome I liue, moue, and do consist. And as many members be­ing vnited, make one whole and entire body; so all my actions laide together, doe forme in mee one body of sinne.

I haue beene too lightlie carried, by the policie and strength of the Diuell a­gainst me; by my own lusts, either raging or tickling within me; by the worlde, outwardly either flattering or else pursuing mee. In which cursed course, I haue had one of those sixe things which thou abhorrest; Swift feete to commit euill: Pro. 6.18. estee­ming alwaies forbidden fruit most faire, forbidden pleasures most sweet, for­bidden waies most secure.

I haue not obserued ey­ther decencie or sincerity in my behauiour, but all my conuersation hath been clo­thed with vanitie. In o­pinion I haue beene obsti­nate, [Page] in iudgement sodaine, in good purposes incon­stant, in will stubberne and stiffe, headlong in euill ac­tions, heauie in good; full of waste wordes, readie to de­rogate from others, and to frame praises to my selfe; apt both to giue and to take offence. In humilitie I haue beene false, in desires violent, in hate implacable, in iesting sharpe; rash in cē­suring, peremptorie in tal­king, fastidious in hearing; haughtie to gouerne, harde to obey; being more readie to interprete then to exe­cute that which hath been commaunded.

I haue burned more then the mountaine AEtna in [Page 12] rhe raging flames of my affections. What vanitie haue I not beene greedy to behold? what haue I seene whereon I haue not feasted my inordinate desire? what haue I desired which I haue not beene eager to effect? How liuely haue I felte the tickling of ambition & vain glory, and of dissimulation seruiceable to them both? in labouring to couer my de­fects, and to make mee to seem other then I am? How greedily haue I pursued the commodities and pleasures of this life? wherein my de­sires haue beene so farre frō being satisfied with thine al­lotment, that the whole world hath seemed too lit­tle [Page] to suffice them. I haue been in some sorte, more proud then Lucifer, more presumptuous then Adam: for they being in a high de­gree of beauty and perfecti­on, had some motiue to thinke well and presume of themselues; but I, being bred (like certaine flies and wormes) onelie of putrisac­tion, being a vessell of most vile filth, haue notwithstan­ding presumed to rebell a­gainst thee. I haue shaken off thine obedience, and as­sumed a licentionsnesse to liue according to my pro­per lustes. I haue affected praise in all my actions, as though I had beene like thee, who onely art to bee [Page 13] praised in all thy workes: and if thou hast either cros­sed my purposes, or not fulfilled my desires, I haue becne stirred to storme against thee, as if thou had­dest beene one of my ser­uantes.

Oftentimes vpon iniu­ries offered vnto mee, part­ly prouoked, and partlie light, a thicke swarme of thoughts haue made tumult within me; here upon, pen­siue and blinde, I sought occasion of reuenge; I mul­tiplied counsailes, I muste­red all malitious conceites; and when I haue had no man present, I formed within my self a set contē­tion. I considered what was [Page] saide or done against me, I framed both action and an­swere thereto; exercising my minde in an idle and▪ i­maginarie reuenge, where­to I wanted both opportu­nity and power. So I haue beene often carried by co­uetousnesse and ambition, to please my self in the vain conceites of riches and ho­nour; alwaies immoderate, and many times impossible. In the vse of meates and of apparrell, vnder the colour of necessitie I haue prose­cuted my pleasure, and that which would haue beene sufficient for the one, was little or nothing to the o­ther. In a worde, I haue not endeauoured, either to [Page 14] abstaine from any pleasure, or to sustain any paine: the most light delightes haue swayed my iudgement; the most trifling troubles haue beene sufficient, not onelie to vexe, but to ouerwhelme mee.

Alas, how swinishly haue 13 I liued? nay, it cannot well be saide, that I haue liued at all; hauing my soule al­waies either buried, partlie in sleepe, and partly in sloath; or else so busied in the cares and considerati­ons of the false, eyther ple­sures or necessities of this life, that I haue euer wanted sometimes mind, sometimes time to thinke vpon thee, and to doe any thing wor­thy [Page] the spirite and dignitie of man. O dead life! O ob­scure light of vnderstāding! wherewith I haue beene carried forth, forgetfull of thinges past, negligent of thinges present, improui­dent of thinges to come. I haue not respected any thing past, but iniuries or losse; nor regarded any thing present, but the con­tentment of my aduerse & peruerse wil; nor proiected for any future thing, but re­uenge or pleasure, or else gaine. I haue beene studi­ous, I haue been industri­ous in this vnprofitable pursuit; wherein my gathe­ringes are of no better rec­koning, then is a building [Page 15] vpon sand; then an image of snow set against the sunne; then a heape of dust, subiect to dissipation by euery winde. Insomuch as I may now iustly complaine with S. Peter; I haue trauailed all day and taken nothing. Luke. 5.

And as for the manner of my sinning against thee, I 14 haue so oft hardned my cō­science, & cast away so far al shame, that I made no more scruple to sin, thē to speake; being carried against thee with such facilitie, yea bold­nes, yea contentment & de­light, that I could not haue done more, if I had expe­cted no other life, if I had feared no iudgement, if I had belieued no God; but [Page] had beene perswaded, that all the pointes of Christian beliefe were meere fables, & not oracled from those di­uine lips, that will not dis­semble, that cannot erre.

Let me bring the best 15 of my actiōs to a true touch. All my deuotion hath been gilded with hypocrisie; I haue rather seemed then beene religious: hauing the voyce of Iacob, & the hands of Esau; in profession one, in practise another. Like vnto the serpent, which often changeth his skinne, but neuer disgorgeth his poyson. I haue entertained many vices vnder the shew and terme of vertues; as vaine science for true wisedome, [Page 16] crueltie for iustice, rashnes for resolution, co­wardize for warines, ob­stinacie for constancie, co­uetousnesse for frugalitie, basenes for humilitie, pride for generositie, lightnes for affabilitie, presumption for hope, vnaduifednesse for zeale, distrust for feare; and generally, wanting eyther iudgement to discerne, or will to embrace the true meane, I haue alwayes run into one of the extreames; neuer endeuouring to re­forme any vice, but onelie to conforme it to some ap­parance of vertue.

And although I haue receiued many good in­structions, 16 yet was I like to [Page] the sea▪ which neither the riuers nor raines that fal in­to it, make any thing the sweeter; or like the leane kine which Pharao saw in his dream,Gen: 41. which, after they had deuoured the fat kine, remained notwithstanding as ill fauoured and leane as they were before. When I haue beene particularlie and plainely reproued for any euill, I woulde, either craftily, if not excuse, yet extenuate it; or else boldely, sometimes denie, somtimes defend it; or else maliciously reproach them who did reproue mee; or if none of these, yet did I ne­uerthākfully accept, & care­fully regard it, or if at times [Page 17] I haue beene touched there­by with some sence of con­science for my sinne, yet haue I not left it; and so by reiterating the same, haue prouoked thy wrath more deepely against me.

If I haue set into any 17 course of deuoute exercises, I haue presētly broken the thred, and intermitted the continuance thereof; soone loathing the very Manna of heauen, the true streames of paradise, and lusting again after the onions of Egypt. And as one that taketh hote coales in his hand, and presently casteth them away, hath no sence of their ef­fects; so I haue so lightlie touched the mysteries of [Page] saluation, that I haue scarce felt from them any heate: they haue beene to mee as meate swallowed downe without chewing, and pas­sing through mee without digestion; so farre eyther from encreasing or maintai­ning strength, that it dooth rather endomage health. I haue wearied my selfe, I haue wasted my time, in go­ing forward and backward, in rising and in falling, in building and pulling down, in rowling (as it is saide) the stone of Sysiphus; in purpo­sing and not pursuing, in attempting, and presentlie shrinking backe. I haue turned my minde (like the weathercocke) vpon the [Page 18] least puffe of euery occasi­on; I haue changed it (like the Camelion) into so many shapes and formes, as acci­dentes haue beene offered vnto mee; not eonsidering how dangerous it is to cō­ceiue good inspirations, & not to bring them to ful ef­fect. I haue worne out my whole age onely in be­ginning; I haue alwaies fai­led almost in the assay.

When I haue setled my 18 selfe to deuotion and pray­er, O good God! how te­dious hath the time seemed, how irkesome hath the ex­ercise been vnto mee? how dul, drowsie and lumpish haue I beene therein? how were my thoughts distrac­ted? [Page] what hast haue I made vntill I had giuen ouer, to attend some other businesse or delight, which was more agreeable to my taste and liking? By this meanes my prayers haue been, like the drinke which was offered to my Sauiour vppon the Crosse; wine mingled with mirrh and gall: and I haue beene as one of Pilates seruantes, who bowed their knees vnto Christ, and sa­luted him King; but there­with smote him, & spat in his face.

When I haue done good 19 vnto any man, I haue not forborne to boast thereof, like vnto the henne, which cackleth at euery egge that [Page 19] she doth lay: insomuch as the thiefe of vaine-glory hath stoln away the accep­tation of that which I haue done. In performing any other good worke, with what coldnes haue I beene carried? with how many eyther errors or defectes hath it beene fraughted? And if it bee true that thou regardest, not so much the action as the intent, how many of my workes haue beene so free from vaine respects, that they shoulde be, I will not say accepta­ble, but tollerable in thy sight? for I find that I haue beene moued to doe them, somtimes at the importuni­tie of other, sometimes for [Page] custom & for maners sake; sometimes for my own par­ticular either estimation, or contentment; neuer sincere­ly for the loue and seruice of thee. I haue neuer ey­ther loued or serued thee alone, because I haue not loued and serued thee for thy selfe.

20 If I haue busied my self in talking or meditating vpon diuine matters, it hath been rather in curious questions, then in pointes eyther ne­cessarie to instruct, or pro­fitable to stirre me. I haue beene more studious to en­quire where hell is, thē how to auoide it: I haue beene more carefull to know whe­ther wee shall know one a­nother [Page 20] in heauen, then ey­ther careful or painful how to come there. I haue beene forward to learn, what thou hast not esteemed necessary to teach; I haue had eares to listen, where thou wouldest not haue a tong to speake. To conclude then as I begā; If I examine my actions, if I weigh my wayes, if I trie the footsteps that I haue troden, I shall not finde any one of them; one is a smal number, and yet I assure my selfe, I shall not find any one, that may bee iustified in thy 21 sight. My beginning was corruption; my cōtinuance hath beene sinne; my ende shall bee death, the reward of sinne.

22 O sinne! the death of the soule, and the very life and soule of death; I would not repell thee when thou diddest present thy felfe vnto mee, and after enter­tainement I am not able to expell thee. O voide of all sparkes of pietie! O worthy to be lamēted with nō other teares, then were shed for the destruction of Ierusalem! miserable is the day of my birth, but more miserable shall bee the day of my death: for then all the delightes of this life, will be turned to a smoake, to a shadow, to a dreame, to nothing; and then will bee the beginning of euer­lasting torments.

My soul is weary of my wicked life; I grieue to liue, and I feare to die. What 23 then shall I do, perplexed sinner, but absolutelie nei­ther, and in a maner both? euen to die so long as I liue: to liue, I say, in lamenting the errours of my life, and to consume all the parts of my life which are to come, in bewailing euerie parte thereof which is past.

I will therefore esteeme both the pleasures and pre­ferments of this present life, my most deceitfull and flat­tering enemies. I will re­ioyce onely, when I can bee sorrowfull for my sinnes: when all dishonours and punishmentes doe runne [Page] vpon mee for the same. I will also take armes against my selfe, and be cruelly se­uere, both in punishing and despising this vile dunghil, the stink whereof I am vn­able to endure. In all things I wil seeke nothing but the honour of God, & the con­tempt and confusion of my selfe. And because I alone am not sufficient to abase and abhorre, my selfe as I haue deserued (because man being in himselfe either sin or no thing; who can descēd to the bottome of his mise­ries, and contemne himselfe as these two require?) I will therefore craue aide of all the creatures in the world, and will desire to be despi­sed [Page 22] by them, for so much as I haue done the like to the Creator of them all. I will pray and prouoke all men to take compassion vpon me, and wil loue them with true affection that shal help me herein

But, it is a greate increase 26 of my mesery, that I am not yet so sharply touched with sorrow, as both my present distresse & imminent daun­gers do vrgently require. It greiueth mee that I am not sufficiently grieued for my sinnes; but do still go on so carelessely affected, draw­ing in the delightes of this Worlde soe securelie; as though I were vtterly ignorant of my owne condition, [Page] as though I had already passed the day of my death, the day of my accoumpte; as though I had already esca­ped the paines of hell, and did euen now raigne with thee in the state of glory.

What dost thou, O vnpro­fitable soule? O sinneful! O sencelesse soule, wherefore art not thou more liuely moued? What presente tast of ioy dost thou enioy? What future either hope or expe­ctaton dost thou either feel or feede? Thy sins do wrap thee in the wrath of God; and thy death, thy iudge­ment, thy torment is at hand.

O condition! O times! And how then sleepest thou, O [Page 23] dull Soule? not dull but dead if thou startest, if thou tremblest not at the sound of these terrours, Drie and withered tree, worthie to be cutte downe and cast in­to that fire, which doth al­wayes burne and neuer cō­sume, where are thy fruits? What haste thou euer brought forth but sharp and sower Sinnes?

PEraduēture thou supposest, that God noteth not the number of thy sinnes. What? hee that numbreth thy haires, will hee not number and note thy sinnes? Consider then, (O willing to deceiue thy selfe) how seuere and rigorous God hath decla­red himself at all times, both by example and also by his word, as well in obseruing, as in punishing offences. This is manifest, by the curse which was cast vpon [Page 25] Adam, and vpon all his po­sterity, and (in a sort) vpon all Creatures, for once vio­lating one commandement; by the drowning of the whole world together: by the reprobation of Esau & of Saul: by the destruction of Chore, Dathan and Abi­ram, and of the whole tribe of Beniamin: by the pu­nishment of Moses and of Dauid: and by the like iudgements vpon many o­ther, whom God had more cause to spare, then he hath to tollerate thee; for lesse & fewer sinnes also then thou hast committed.

Hereupon it is said, that 1 God is a iust, a great, a ter­rible God,Deut, 10. and that it is a [Page] horrible thing to fall into his handesHeb. 10.31. And although Christ came into the world, in al mercy and mildenesse, with infinite loue, with in­estimable liberality, to re­deeme vs; yet in the pointe of taking account for our actions, hee professeth that he is a seuere man, reaping where he sowed not, and gathering where hee cast not abroade; punishing, not onely those, who ey­ther riotously or negligēt­ly mispend his treasures, but those also who idely refuse, both to exercise and en­crease the sameMath. 25.. Hee threateneth damnation al­so, not onelie to those, who worke iniquityMat. [...]3.41., but [Page 26] to those likewise who are not cloathed with righte­ousnesseMat. 22.13.; whom he shall find a sleepeMac. 1▪ 33.35., whom not attending his suddain com­ming with Oyle in their lampesMat 25.12.. He prescribed to the ruler noe other rule, whereby he might be saued, but by keeping the commā­dementsLuc. 18. Mat. 19, 17., He left also in charge to his disciple, to keepe his commaundemenses 10, 14.1 and to teach men to obserue all his commaundementes, whatsoeuerMat: 28.20., otherwise they should bee so far from louing himIo. 14.15,, that they could not know him1. Io. 2..

Further hee hath eyther thretned or warned vs, that whosoeuer shall break one [Page] of the least of his comman­dements, he shall bee called the least in the kingdom of heauenMat. 5 9,; that his creditors must pay the vttermost far­thingMat. 5 6,; That we shall be called to a most strict ac­comptMat, 25., insomuch, as not somuch, as not an idle wordMat. 12.36. as our erroursEccles 15., as our very righteousnes shall es­cape iudgementLuk. 12: that all other respectes set aside euery man shall bee dealte withal euen as he hath doneMat. 16.27.: that the way is so hard, and the Gate so straighte which leadeth vnto life, that fewe shall either find or fol­low the sameMat. 7.

3 But thou wilt say perhaps that there are, if not grea­ter, [Page 27] yet moe sinners besides thy selfe; and those also not of the meanest sort. Ah foole; dooth hee deserue a lesse punishmēt, who kileth an innocent accompanied with others, then hee that murdereth an innocent a­lone, doth a man endure lesse paine if hee burneth with many, then no other doth burne but himselfe? This is indeede the comple­ment of absurditie, to sup­pose that one Sinner shall beare out another: for here­in also might the Diuels re­ceiue some comfort, bee­cause they are manie. But it is rather an agrauating of thy sinnes,Mat.5. [...] that hauing ex­amples [Page] on both sides set be­fore thee, thou haste in thy corrupte choise followed, not the best, but the most, that hauing companie of both sortes offered vnto thee, thou hast ioyned thy self to the great men, rather then to the good; that vn­derstanding both the im­portance, and necessitie of thy daunger, thou diddest weakely want, eyther will to abhorre or indeauour to decline it.

But thou supposest per­aduenture, that thy sinnes are not great, and therefore althoughe they may bee seuerely examined, yet shall they not be so sharpely pu­nished. [Page 28] Sinnes not great? I woulde the greate Iudge would so esteeme them: I would I could rightly say so; I would indeede it were so. And yet a Citty may as well bee taken, at a little hole, as at the large gates: a man may as soone be drowned, in a small riuer, as in the maine Sea, a Souldier may as readily bee slaine, by a round Bullette as by a long Speare, and those sinnes which wee esteeme not great, are alwayes sufficiente enough, and some­times most daungerous in working our destruction.

But howe dare a man ac­counte any Sinne to bee small? Is not euery sinne by [Page] preuarication) an oppro­brious reiecting of God?

And can it bee a small offence to dishonour, to despise so great a Maiestie? & one that is so exceeding both beautiful in himselfe, and beneficiall towardes thee? Consider then O wretched soule, eyther ma­liciously blind, or groslie ignorant, what an intolle­rable iniurie thou offerest vnto God by euery sinne, which wittingly thou do­est commit, and that as wel in regard of him, as also in regarde of thy selfe.

In regard of God eue­ry sinne is extreamely iniu­rious, by reason, partly of the contempt, and partly [Page 29] of the hatred which by that means is occasioned against him.

For, as in euery other e­lection, so whensoeuer with aduisement thou giuest cō­fent 5 vnto sinne, thy vnder­standing entreth into an actuall deliberation, (al­though at al times thou do­est not discerne it) in weigh­ing the sweetenesse of the sinne which thou art about to commit, with the fauour and friendship of Almigh­ty God, which therby thou must assuredly loose. And hauing deliberately exami­ned and ballanced them both, thou reprouest the wisedome of God, and sha­kest off thy obedience to [Page] his order and disposition, preferring before it the law of thy lustes and bearing, thy selfe rebellious against him: thou contemnest that infinite goodnes and grace, which ought of al creaturs to bee affected; and shewest thy selfe vngratefull to his loue, which with all sub­mission thou art bound to embrace.

Now, what greater in­dignitie can bee imagined, then thus vilely to valew the maiestie of God, to which as to their last ende all men ought to referre their actions, as to prefer a vaine point of estimati­on, a trifling delight or ad­uantage before it? and (as [Page 30] God himselfe complaineth by one of his prophets) To dishonour him for a handfull of barley, Eze. 13, 12. and for a peece of bread? Insomuch as the lesse thy sinne seemeth vnto 6 thee, the greater is thy cō­tempt, in forsaking him to pursue it, in reiecting him to enioy it. What like in­iury was euer offered to Christ in this world? That of Iudas in selling him? But Iudas soulde him for thirtie peeces of siluer, and thou many times for a base and beastlie pleasure. That of the Iewes in refusing him, and choosing Barrabas? But they refused they knew not whome; and thou knowest whom thou doest [Page] refuse. Finally, Iudas sould, and the Iewes reiected Christ but once; but thou doest both, so often, as with deliberation thou commit­test any sinne.

And it is not onely a carelesse contempt which a sinner beareth against the maiesty of God, in valuing 7 euery vanity aboue him; but therewith also such a cruell hate, that hee woulde (if hee were able) disarme him of his authority, pul a­way his power, and euen cast him out of his state: se­cretly wishing (howsoeuer hee carrieth his countenāce and speech) that there were no immortality of the soul, no account of our actions, [Page 31] no rewarde, no reuenge; & in a worde, no God to pu­nish sinne, that hee might more boldly bath himselfe in the imaginarie content­ments and pleasures there­of. For which cause there seemeth to be no great dif­ference 8 between an Atheist and a sinner; because, as the one thinketh that there is no God, so the other wish­eth that there were none.

Hereupon God, who ex­actly feeleth the pulse of our heartes, who searcheth the most secret thoughtes, and seeth this traiterous af­fection of sinners against him, declareth them for his enemies in diuers places of the Scripture, and denoun­ceth [Page] 9 open hostilitie against them. As namely, where it is saide, that hee hateth both iniquitie and those that worke it; that all the thoughtes,Psal. 5. & psal. 11. wordes and workes of the wicked, euen their good actions also are abhominable vnto him: in­somuch,Pro. 15. Esd, 1, Psal. 50. as he cānot endure sinners to praise him, or to talke of his testament, or to prophane his name with their vnleauened lips. The Prophet Daeuid saith:Psal. 92. Loe thine enemies (O Lord) Loe thine enemies shall perish; and all the workers of wickednesse shall be destroyed. Also the Lord himselfe thus threate­neth the wicked, thus thū­dreth against them, in these [Page 32] tearmes doth openly defie them. If I whet my glittring sword, Deut, 32.41. and my hand take hold on iudgement, I will execute vengeance on my enemies, and rewarde them that hate me. I will make mine arrowes drunk with bloud, and my sworde shal eate flesh, when I beginne to take vengeance of the enemie.

In regard of thy self thou 10 offerest iniurie vnto God, whensoeuer thou doest sin, in that thou doest thereby deface and mangle his liue­ly image, drawen by him­selfe in the substance of thy soule: thou prophanest his holy Temple, which he had clensed and consecrated for himselfe, and makest the same a dunghill of vnclean [Page] drosse, a very denne of dra­gons and of diuels: thou expellest him out of the iust possession which hee helde ouer thee as a father, and compellest him as a Iudge to iayle thee by iustice: thou dispoylest thy soule of her riches, of her roabes and heauenly attire, thou woundest it euen to the centre, and doest very ab­hominably both deface & defile it. Thou abusest all the giftes and benefites of God to his dishonour, like vngrate & vngracious deb­ters, who oppugn their cre­ditours with their owne goods. For that vnderstan­ding which God gaue thee to meditate vpon his lawe, [Page 33] thou doest conuert or rather peruert to deuise how to transgresse it; the wil which God gaue thee to loue him aboue all thinges, and thy neighbour as thy selfe, thou doest defile with horrible hate; the tongue which hee lent thee to poure forth his praises, thou blottest with blasphemies & vglie othes; those hands which hee fra­med as instrumentes to feed and defend the poore, doe waste their strength in cru­eltie and rapine; thy whole soule and body, all the fa­culties of the one, all the sences and members of the other; thy abilities, thy health, thy strength, thy life, which were appointed [Page] for the holy seruice of God; are wholy imployed to his dishonour-

Hereupon the Scrip­tures conclude,Pro. 13.21 that sinne maketh men miserable; and that they who commit ini­quity hate their own soule.Psal. 10 Because by embracing of 11 sinne the soule looseth; first, the grace of God, with all the vertues and consolati­ons of the holy Ghost, (es­pecially the comfortable gueste of a good consci­ence) which do vsually ey­ther attend or as companie that grace: Secondly, it is cast out of the fauour of God; whereby it looseth, first, his protection and prouidence in matters of [Page 34] this life; secondly, all ex­pectation and right of the ioyes & felicities of the life to come. And vpon the priuation of all this good, it standeth necessarily posses­sed with three contrary e­uils. First, that it is made subiect vnto sinne, with all the impurities and horrors (especially, the sting of a guilty conscience,) which do vsually attend or accom­pany the same. Secondly, that it remaineth in this life in the power and possessiō of the Diuel, who ordereth all the actions thereof, who directeth whatsoeuer it doth. Thirdly, that hauing renounced Christ, and made it selfe a persecuter of him, [Page] defiling and treading vn­der foote his most precious blood, it is engrossed in the booke of perdition, and a­bideth in terrible expecta­tion of iudgement and fire.

And that thou maiest 12 not, O secure soule, eyther maruaile or doubt, that eter­nall punishment should bee inflicted for a temporall offence, consider further, that euery sinne is so infi­nitely both heinous in it selfe, and hatefull vnto God, as it is impossible for any mortall wit, eyther to vtter or vnderstand. The reason hereof consisteth in two pointes; the one drawn from the goodnes of God, the other frō his greatnes.

For the goodnesse of a partie as it doth much in­crease 13 the qualitie of an of­fence offered vnto him, so doth it cause in him an ha­tred of euill, answerable in proportion to it selfe: inso­much as the better any one is, the greater is an offence committed against him, and the more doth he hate and abhorre any euill.

And therefore, as God is in­finitely good, so is any sin against him infinitely euil; so doth hee infinitely both loue vertue and hate vice; and so will hee infinitely in the ende, recompence the one; and punish the o­ther.

And hereby an errour ap­peareth; [Page] wherewith many are possessed, who, because God is mercifull and good, are emboldned to presume to perseuere in their sinne. Assuredly, God is mercifull, and therefore to be praised; God is good, and therfore most worthy to be honou­red and obeyed. If thou doest dishonour so good a God, the more thou shalt extol his goodnes, the more doest thou aggrauate thine own offence; thou doublest thy euill in making his goodnesse the cause there­of. It is the part of iustice to defend the dignity of this goodnes, and not to suffer so high an iniurie to passe vnpunished.

O vnspeakeable good­nes of God, knowne vnto vs by faith, pursued by hope, tasted by loue, possessed by glorie; O insearcha­ble goodnes, which iustifi­eth the law of eternal pu­nishment, for a temporall offence; then which, in the iudgement of man, nothing seemeth more strict, no­thing more rigorous. For, seeing thou O Lord, art a bottomles depth of good­nes, an endlesse Ocean of mercies, as thou art liberall in rewardes, so art thou pit­tifull in reuenge: alwaies thy rewards are greater thē our labours, & thy punish­mentes alwaies lesse then our euill. Thy mercies are [Page] aboue all thy workes; thou fillest all places with thy 14 mercies: not heauen and earth onely, but hell also, which is the place of the ri­gour of thy iustice. For no man dareth affirme, that thou vsest not mercy to­wardes the damned; and that their sinnes are farre a­bove their torments-How then may wee say, that the paines of hell, both endlesse and intollerable, are not onely iust, but fauourable also, in regard of any tem­porall sinne? Thy good­nes, O Lord, is so incompre­hensible, that all the tor­ments of hel are to be estee­med a milde punishment, to him that presumeth to of­fend [Page 37] the same.

Againe, the greatenes of an offence is esteemed, 15 according to the greatnes and worthinesse of the par­tie against whom it is com­mitted; as the same iniurie offered to a peasant, and to a Prince, standeth not in one degree; as principally of offence, so consequent­ly of punishment. Here­upon it followeth, that see­ing God is a God of venge­anceHeb. 8.30., A great God, mightie and terrible Deut. 10.17,, who sitteth vpon the heauens, and presseth the earth with his footEs. 66 1., Whose looke drieth vp the depthes, & whose wrath maketh the mountaines to melt Es. 8 23.. Who with a word [Page] made all thinges, and with the same facilitie doth go­uerne, and is able againe to destroy the same. Who worketh all thinges, and is neuer distracted; who wor­keth alwaies, and is alwayes quiet. Who is in all places and neuer moueth: who both filleth and also inclo­seth all things. who sitteth in his throne of estate, en­uironed with flaming cha­riots, and casting a swift floud of fire from his coun­tenance, whome many mil­lions of Angels doe attend and adoreDā. 3.. whose face is burning, whose lips are full of indignation, whose tong is a deuouring fire, & whose breath is a violent floudEs. 3.27. [Page 38] Before whome the stars are obscure, the angels vnclean, all beautie base, all strength feeble, all knowledge vain, all goodnes eyther imper­fect or euill, all perfec­tions farre more dimme then is the light of a can­dle in the clear sunshine. At whose presence all powers, euen the diuels stoupe and tremble. Vpon whose ver­tue and will all ereatures do depend, receiuing the influence of some beames of his maiesty, wherby they doe both act and consist, & without which they presēt­ly perish: whereupon they doe, (with a reuerence com­posed of ioy and of feare) both honor and serue him, [Page] 16 in accōplishing those acti­ons for which they were created; except onely a sin­ner, who emboldneth him­selfe to rebell against him. In a word; seeing he is who he isExo. 3 an infinite being, in comparison of whome all thinges that are haue no true being; as proceeding and depending altogether of him, who proceedeth & dependeth onely of him­selfe. Who onely knoweth what he is; and the more in­feriout we are vnto his Es­sence, the further wee are from comprehending the same; insomuch as hee that thinketh fully eyther to dis­cribe or praise him, shal in­finitely abase his greatnes [Page 39] by the one, and his glory by the other. Seeing, I say, that the gratnesse of God is infinite; seeing also that euery sinne which adui­sedly we commit, is not on­ly a proude contempt of him, but a malicious blow set vpon his face; It fol­loweth, that the greatnes or guilt of euery such sinne is also infinite; & consequēt­ly, that it deserueth infinite both hatred and reuenge; euen equall to the Maiesty that is offended.

Hereupon is grounded a 17 iustification of many iudge­mentes of God in punish­ing of sinne, which in the shallow sence and censure of man, do seeme, not onelie [Page] strange, but admirable, and almost incredible. As that for one proud thought a­gainst his Maiesty, so ma­ny millions of Angels, cre­ated with exceeding priui­ledges of perfection, were cast out of glory, and irre­uocably condemned to hel fire. That for eating the forbidden fruit, at the pro­uocation of an other, A­dam, with all his posteritie, yea al creatures of the earth were cursed. And although many are deliuered from the guilt of that sinne, yet doth the chasticement ther­of, by many temporall mi­series, beate grieuously v­pon them. Neither would the wrath of God the Fa­ther [Page 40] be satisfied, for the e­ternall punishment of that disobediēce, but by the suf­feringes of his onely sonne. who although he was both innocent, & infinitely belo­ued, yet, when hee had sub­iected himselfe in our flesh to his fatherr iustice, he cea­sed not ro loade him with miseries, to double many heauy blowes vpon him, vntill he laid down his life, and surrendred his soule into his fathers hands.

And that thou mayest 18 (O my soule) most plaine­ly perceiue, the inestimable hatred of the Father against sinne, together with the li­berall loue of the sonne towardes thee, call to thy [Page] consideration, what sharpe and seuere stripes, the one inflicted, the other endu­red; that thou maiest bee prouoked thereby to or­der thy actions, with feare of that iustice, and loue of this mercie: otherwise to assure thy selfe, that thy charge shall receiue in­credible increase, for contemning the one, & abusing the other.

(∴)

ANd, omitting the basenesse of his birth, the mani­folde miseries of [Page 48] his whole life, wherein hee toke vpon him the shape, not onely of a sinner, but of a seruant: consider, (O my soule) the time onely of his death, wherein most espe­cially hee manifested his loue. For as euery naturall motion, groweth more ve­hement towardes the end, so the loue of Christ to­wardes the true Church, his spouse, and consequently towardes euerie soule which is in the state of grace, receiued no increase, because it could not, (for he loued vs alwaies in the same degree, whererin he loueth 1 himselfe. And if he could haue borne greater loue to himeself the same he would [Page] haue borne towards vs) bu [...] did more manifest and de­clare it selfe towardes th [...] end of his life. And as ma­ny kindes of fire, the more water wee cast vpon them, the hotter they burne; so, both the apprehension, and presence of death, were so far eyther frō quenching or frō cooling his loue, that they, gaue a more liuely 2 light to the same. There­fore, as in al the passages of his life, from his cradle to his crosse, so most especial­ly towardes his death, all his doctrine was, the true rule of wisedome; milke for the weake, meate for the strong, medicine for the sicke; not too deepe for the [Page 49] simple, not too shallow for the wise; but as a foorde, wherein the Lambe may wade, and the Elephant swim. Al his actions were, the workes of iustice & of mercy, examples of al ver­tues, but most especially of humility, the foundation of al other vertues, and of loue and pitty, whereof our mi­series stoode most in need. All his ca [...]riage was, euen a pure glasse, wherin we may espie, whatsoeuer is eyther wanting or amisse in our behauiours; euen the book which the Prophet saw,Ezech. 2. written both within and without; within by instruc­tion, without by example of life; wherein we haue, [Page] what to contemplate, what to imitate, what to admire; whereuppon whosoeuer doth, not onely studie, but (like the Prophet) feede, hee shall attaine vnto admira­ble both knowledge and vertue.

When hee entred then 4 the combate of his passion in the garden of Gethseme­nie, accompanied with those three disciples, who (not long before) had seene his glorious transfiguration v­pon mount Thabor; to the end, that seeing in him then so different a change, they might esteeme thereby the inestimable greatenes, both of the seuerity of God, & of his loue: O treasure of hea­uen! [Page 50] O light and life of the world! how was thy glo­rie obscured? thy strength abated? thy courage appal­led? insomuch as thou did­dest acknowledge to thy disciples, that thy soule was heauie vnto the death.

Forthwith thou diddest 5 beginne thy conflict with prayer, giuing example to vs, in all our enterprises to doe the like; teaching vs al­so, after what manner wee ought to pray. For first, in that thou diddest fall pro­strate 6 vpon the grounde, thou diddest therby instruct vs, that with all humility & reuerence we must present our selues before the maie­sty of God; & not with ge­sture, [Page] either so stately, or negligent, as though wee did onely talke with him, & not sue vnto him. Secondly, by thy earnest praying we are instructed, with what attention and feruencie we should beate at heauen gates- Thirdly, by thy of­ten praying, we haue exam­ple of perseuerance; vntil he that doth giue vs courage to continue, shal giue vs al­so grace to obtaine. Lastly, thou hast taught vs to re­nounce our owne will, and resigne our desires to the pleasure of God: whose will whosoeuer doth praise and approue, hee is truely hum­ble. These points, if at all times we endeauour to per­forme, [Page 51] but chiefly in the a­gonies of death, when the flesh panteth, and trēbleth, and strugleth for life, the Angels will assuredly come to comfort vs; and God wil send vs strength to beare, whatsoeuer hee doth not please to remoue.

But wherfore diddest thou 7 pray (O my Sauiour) that if it were possible this cuppe might passe from thee? Did­dest thou not willingly of­fer thy selfe in sacrifice for sinne? O desirously. For no necessity could be cast vpō thee: no necessity of iustice, because thou wert innocēt: no necessity of constraint, because thou wert almigh­ty, and haddest twelue legi­ons [Page] 8 of Angels at thy cōmād. But thou wouldest giue a comfort to the weake mē­bers, that they cast not downe their courage, in a­ny tribulation, whensoeuer the flesh eyther murmureth, or striueth against the spir­rit. Also thou wouldest e­uidently declare, that thou diddest beare the naturall weaknes of our flesh; and that not without a most sharp sence of griefe, thou diddest passe through the thorns of thy passion.

Assuredlie, the paines which our Sauiour in body did endure, were excee­ding great; yet nothing comparable to the tormēts of his soule. In bodilie [Page 52] paines it is possible, that some haue been as deepelie toucded as hee; but in sor­rowe of the soule, in the vnknowne sorrowes of his soule, there was neuer any came neere vnto him. And indeed, the paine of the bo­die, is but the body of pain: the very soule of sorrowe, is the sorrowe of the soule.Pro. 18.1 [...] The spirrit of a man (saith So­lomon) shall sustaine his other infirmities; but a wounded spi­rit who can beare?

To manifest this griefe and sorrowe of his soule one of the Euangelists said:Mat. 26.37. Mar. 14.3 [...] Hee began to waxe sorrowfull and grieuously troubled. Ano­ther; He began to be afraide & in great heauines: Another; [Page] He was in an agony. Luke. 22.44.0.12.27. But most especially hee did expresse it himselselfe, partely by speech,Mat, 26. [...]8 Mar. 14. [...]4. in that he said; now is my soule troubled: now my soule is very heuyeuē vnto the death: but principally by action, in that, when no violence was offred him in body, whē 9 no man touched him, no man stoode neere him; he was inwardly anguished with so great agonie, that, in a colde night, (for which cause afterwarde they kin­dled a fire) in the open aire, and lying vppon the bare earth, all the forces of his body were distracted, the humours disturbed, the powers opened, and he was cast into a bloody sweate. [Page 53] Not a thinne faint sweate; but consisting of greate drops, which issued so plē­teous from euery parte of his body, that they pas­sed through his apparrel, and trickled to the grounde in great aboundance.

O my soule, looke now, both vpon thy Saui­our, and vpon thy selfe: v­pon thy Sauiour, as vpon the true Adam, not cast, but come out of paradise for thy sinnes, and labou­ring in a bloodie sweate, to gette for thee the bread of life; vpon thy selfe, as v­pon one of those, who at that time were his only tor­mentors. For, the executio­ners did not then teare him [Page] with whips, they did not then presse a crowne of thornes vpon his heade; it was not the nailes, not the spear, which the did pierce 10 him: but thy offences did thus afflict him, thy sinnes were the sad burthen, vn­der which so greuouslie he did sweate. For, then were represented vnto him the sinnes of the whole world, both past & to come; which to him, who bare so great loue and zeale to the ho­nour of his father, coulde not but worke vnspeakable griefe. Also hee beheld the ingratitude of many, who woulde not endeauour to make profite of this bene­fite; which was a sharper [Page 54] touch vnto him, then al the tormentes which outward­ly he endured: euen as it is lesse grieuous for a man to take pains for another, thē to know that his paines shall not be regarded.

O my Sauiour, now did­dest thou bend to vndergo thy burthē; now begannest thou to dip thy garmentes in bloud. Thou diddest lay vpon our shoulders a light burthen, and a sweet yoke; but wee laide vpon thee so heauie a loade, that none but thy selfe was able to 11 beare. No element is heauy in his proper place; & ther­fore as one that diueth into the water, feeleth no weight of the water which is aboue [Page] him; so he that is plunged in the depth of his sinnes, hath no sene [...] how heauie they are; because sinne is there in his naturall place: but sinne in thee was out of his place, it was farre a­boue his proper sphere, & therefore lay most grieuou­sly vpon thee: for if a sin­ner that is sanctified is often times so pressed with his- own sins, that he crieth out with holy Dauid, My iniqui­ties are a sore burthen, too heauy for me to beare: Psal. 38. How grie­uous was this sea of sin vnto thee, from whom all sancti­fication doth flow?

O heauenly Father, what is this, that thy Sonne, thy innocent Sonne, thy onely [Page 55] Sonne; thy Son in whom thou art wel pleased, in this humble and heauy manner laboureth before thee? The Fathers hoped in thee, and thou diddest deliuer them; they called vpon thee, and were not confoūded: wher­fore then is thine innocent and onely Sonne, begotten of thy substance, forsaken of thee? wherefore art thou so seuere vnto him? so mer­cifull a Father, to so good and louing a Sonne. Is not thy wrath appeased, with this miserable spectable of him that is so deare vnto thee? this bloody sweate, whereof euery droppe is of greater value then all the Treasures of the [Page] worlde, is it not a suffici­ent satisfaction for our sinnes? a sufficient price for our redemption? O ad, mirable iustice! these were the light skirmishes to the maine battell which did en­sue. Thy eyes, O holie Father, were sixed vppon the Crosse; whereto vntill thy Sonne was fastened, thou wouldest not bee sa­tisfied, thou wouldest not bee appeased. For so thou haddest before ordained, that death which was the curse of sinne, must also bee the punishment of thy Son; that the Diuel who preuai­led by a tree, should likewise by a tree bee subdued.

O sweet Sauiour, what [Page 56] a painefull purchase hast thou made? what a sharpe price hast thou payed for my redemption? how intol­lerable (may I thinke) was 12 the ende of thy sufferinges, whereof the entrance was so admirably straunge? and how cruell were those tor­mentes to bee endured, which were so terrible in being expected? O my soule, let the sight of thy sinnes draw some droppes of teares now from thine eyes, seeing they did drawe so many droppes of bloud from euery part of thy Re­deemers body. Take a lit­tle touch of that griefe, which did lie so heauy v­pon him, whose power su­staineth [Page] the heauens, that it made his soule heauie vnto the death; being so deepe drowned in the nature of man, that he seemed to for­get that hee was God. Ac­cuse thy selfe, (O my soule) nay, condemne thy selfe of sencelesse dulnesse, if thou take not a deepe impression of sorrowe, both for loue to thy Sauiour, and for ha­tred 13 to thy sinnes; the one for enduring for thy sake, the other for requiring so sharpe a remedy. Be not in this point like vnto the dis­ciples that were with Christ who fel into a soūd & secure sleepe, whilest their maister both watched & sweat for their redēptiō; like a louing [Page 57] Father, whoe laboureth of­tentimes to feed his childrē whilst they remaine free, both from trauaile & care. Or if I bee so drousilie af­fected, wake mee, sweete Lord, with thy heauenlie voice; and if that will not serue, pinch mee then with some kind of punishment, that I may watch and pray, least I fall into temptation

And, O good Iesu, by this greiuous agony which 14 seazed vpon thy soule, by this terrour and tremblinge which wholie possessed thy holie fleshe; by all the paines wherein thou wert plunged for mee, detestable sinner, I most humbly bee­seech thee; that in the last [Page] houre of my passage from this life, in that heauie hour, in that dangerous passage, in that cruell combate bee­tweene life and death; whē feares and distresses both innumerable and extreem, will set vpon and beset my soule: giue mee stedfaste strength and confidence in thy mercy. O sweete Lord; in that houre of leauing the world, do not thou leaue mee; in that fearefull con­flict, doe not thou forsake mee; but send thy holy Angel to assist mee, to minis­ter courage and comfort vnto mee. Let not the temp­tations of the euill Spirite preuaile against me: let not his force ouerthrowe, let [Page 58] not his herswasions seduce me. Arme my heart with the power of thy patience, that it be not distépered or distracted with any griefe; but that in all things my de­sires may bee conformable to thy disposition, euen as thou diddest submit thy naturall will, to the pleasure of thy father: assuring my selfe, that the thing cannot perish which is conmitted into thy charge. O my strength, I doe not sue for a sweet death, not for softe paines not for a gentle and fauourable disease; all this I refer to thy pleasure and pittie; dispose herein, not accordinge to my desires, but according to the profit [Page] and necessitie of my soule. I intreat at thy hand such cōstant courage, such faith, such hope, such loue tow­ardes thee, that the frailty of my flesh bee not beaten downe with any feare or force of death: but that I may both safely and sweetly passe, from the societie which in this life we haue with thee by grace, to the societie which thy Saints inioy with thee in glory Amen.

BVt when the son of God did in so high a degree, both loue & va­lme the sonnes of men; that he thought nothing paine­ful to him self, which might be profitable vnto them; how did the sonnes of men againe, either loue or value the Sonne of God? they im­braced euery occasion first to slaunder, and afterwards [Page 53] to flea him: they solde him one to another, for thirtie peeces of siluer.

O malicious iniury! soe mortally to hate the author of life, as noe meanes are thought to meane to bringe him to his death: so vilelie to value the Lord of all creatures, as not many beastes are set at so base a price. O infinite inequality of affec­tion betweene God and man! God came to saue man, and man goeth about to destroy god; god bought man, with the deerest drops of his bloud, & man sould God for thirty peeces of siluer. O good Iesu, the redeemer of those that were lost, the Sauiour of those [Page] [...] [Page 54] [...] [Page] that are redeemed, whe­ther did thy loue descend? Thou cammest into the world, when thou hadst no need, when wee had no merite; to sanctifie it with thy iustice, to inrich it with thy grace, to instruct it with thy doctrine, to con­firme it by thy example, to redeeme it with thy bloud: that as by the pride of one, who being but man, did aspire to be as God, wee were condemned; so by the humilitie of another, who being God, became man. we should be saued. O Christ, if it was thy pitty, which brought thee to this base­nes, it was thy goodnesse; if it were our prayers it was [Page 54] thy gift.

Being sold at this price, to such cruel Merchantes as desired nothing of him but his life, the Traytor Iudas (whose feete a little before he had washed) came vnto him, attended with a bloody band: And how willing hee was to this his passion it did appeare, by his voluntarie presenting himselfe vnto them; and in that hee tur­ned not away his face from the barbarous beast, who offered to kisse him. But, O innocent Lorde, what haddest thou to deale with traytors and tormentors? What courtesie betweene the Lambe and the Wolfe? What commerce betweene [Page] God and Belial? Wherfore wouldest thou apply those lips wherein was found no deceite, to the mouth that flowed with fraude & ma­lice? Thou knewest right 3 well, that mildenesse is a most forceable meanes, ey­ther to mollifie or conuince a malitious purpose: and therefore thou diddest not onely permit him to kisse thee, but diddest also smite his obstinate hart with this soft speech; Friend where­fore commest thou? Doest thou betray the sonne of man with a 4 kisse? But wherefore diddest thou tearm him friend, who had betrayed thee? Euen to testifie, that although the knot of friendship was bro­ken [Page 55] on his part, yet with thee it remained whole and entire; euen to reduce them againe to thy friendship, thou diddest cal him friend. For could he but haue said with Dauid, I haue sinned; he should presētly haue heard, I haue forgiuen thee.

Herewith, Behold Samp­son, the Philistines are vpon thee. Whom, although with thy omnipotent arme thou diddest cast to the ground, not for thy owne defence 5 or escape, but to teach hu­mane presumption, that it is able to doe no more a­gainst thee, then it pleaseth thee to permit; yet did they not thereby cease to assault thee. Neither diddest thou [Page] for this cause cease to shew thy mildenesse and mercie; thy lips were like the lillies; thy fingers did still droppe pure myrrh: thou diddest both represse and reproue the force which was vsed in thy defence; thou did­dest also heale the harme which thy enemies had re­ceiued O cursed crueltie! cursed because obstinate; cruel, because vniust; which neither the power of a mi­racle was able to astonish, nor the kindnesse of a bene­fit could any deale appease: but they proceeded not­withstanding to lay sacrili­geous hands vpon thee, as vpon a malefactor; to bind thy holy hands, which had [Page 56] wrought so many miracles amongst them; with rough and knottie cordes; and (thy disciples eyther forsaking thee, or following all of) to leade thee away in a farre more opprobrious manner, then the Arke of the Testa­ment was taken and carried away,1. Sam. 4.18 by the vncircumci­sed Philistines.

But what folly is this, 6 O ye Iewes; yea, how farre is it beyond all folly, to car­ry him with bands of men, who went to die of his free accord? Into whose braine could it sinke, that he wold breake away, who did vo­luntarily present himselfe vnto you? He that had pow­er to giue life to the dead, [Page] could hee not haue kepte himselfe in life? Hee that de­liuered others from diuels, could hee not haue deliue­red himselfe from you? As­sure your selues, such is the infinite charity wherewith hee goeth to the Crosse, to appease the wrath of his fa­ther, and redeeme the sins of the world, that you shold haue more to doe, to keepe him in life, then you take vpon you to carrie him to his death; hee hath far grea­ter both care and haste to redeeme you, then you can possiblie haue to murther him. His Father hauing giuen, and hee accepted the sentence of death, doe not feare eyther rescue or es­cape; [Page 57] because he goeth ther­to, not driuen by force, but drawn by his obedience & loue. There is no man that feares death, but hee whom death is able to kill; but death had no such power ouer the Sonne of God, who did voluntarily lay downe his soule, euen when he would himselfe. O sence­lesse Iewes; he that is to bu­rie so many figures, to ful­fill so many prophesies, to accomplish so great a busi­nesse, as the redemption of the whole world; how is it possible that he shoulde runne from you?

O good Iesu, what base 7 abuse was here offered vn­to thee? Certainely, if it had [Page] not beene the will of thy fa­ther and of thy selfe, it had beene better that mankind should haue rotted in their owne corruption, then that thou, the infinit vertue, the perfect felicity, the true glory, the eternall worde & wisedome of the Father, shouldest haue been so vile­ly violated by them: but since it was thy pleasure, & because in this worke espe­cially thou wouldest mani­fest thy loue, it is our parte to accept it with a thanke­full minde, and with reue­rence both to loue & praise thee for the same.

8 Let vs list vp our voi­ces then in all places; let all creatures be summoned to [Page 58] giue thankes vnto thee for this exceeding benefite. Lord thou hast pittied the basenesse of our condition; thou diddest descend into our distresse, and therby ex­alt vs to thine owne estate. O admirable dispensation of grace! thou hast powred foorth thy treasures with­out measure vpon vs: thou hast left nothing worth the wondering, after that a cre­ature so vile hy nature, so abhominable by sinne, was by this meanes exalted a­boue the heauens, & ioy­ned vnto thee. What shame could bee added vnto him, who was ioyned to vs? what glory can bee added vnto him, who is ioyned vnto [Page] thee?

Thou wert seated in thy maiesty, enuironed with Angels, hearing the sweet harmony of thy owne praise, doing wonderfull thinges, in heauen, and in earth, and in all deepe pla­ces: wee laye in the mire of our miseries, voide of the poorest comfortes of calamity, eyther helpelesse pitty, or vaine hope. Thou 9 diddest bow the heauens and come downe, not by changing place, but by manifesting thy selfe in thy holy humanity. Thou, who werte admirable in heauen, becammest misera­ble and contemptible vpon earth: thou didst chaunge [Page 59] the name of maiesty, into the name of mercy; thou diddest couer thy self with the sackcloth of our morta­litie, and diddest enter in­to the puddle of perdition, wherein wee did both wil­lingly wallow, and necessa­rily sticke; receiuing not one spot of soile vpon thee. Thou diddest stretch forth thy hand to the worke of thy hands; thou didest draw vs forth; thou diddest clēse, thou diddest cloath, thou diddest comfort, and thou diddest confirm vs. Thou diddest reach forth thy hand by thy blessed birth; thou diddest draw vs forth by thy doctrine; thou did­dest clense vs by thy death; [Page] thou diddest cloath vs by thy resurrection; thou did­dest comfort vs by thy ascē­tion; and thou diddest con­firme vs by sending the ho­ly Ghost. The heauens, the earth, and all creatures praise thee, O Lord, for thou wouldest needes loue vs not ignorant how dee [...]e this loue would cost thee. In al thy works thou woul­dest more bee ours, then thou wouldest bee thine owne; thou hast taken the burthen of our miseries v­pon thee, and laid the bene­fite of thy merites vppon vs. Thou hast heard the cries of the poore, and ca­mest from the high tower of thy strength, into the [Page 60] dungeon of this worlde, to deliuer them from their di­stresse, and to restore them both to the innocency and immortality from which they were fallē. Thou wert solde to redeem vs, thou wert apprehended to dis­charge vs, and thou werte boūd to vnfetter vs: which 10 thou diddest plainely sig­nifie, when thou saidest to those who came to take thee; I said vnto you, Io. 18.2. that I am he; therefore if yet seeke mee, let let these go theirway.

FIrst, they led him before Annas, the father in lawe to Caiphas, the high priest; before whom he re­ceiued a blow on the face, and was notwithstanding so farre, either from reuen­ging, or from reuiling, that hee was readie rather to haue turned the other cheeke. Which patience if thou obseruest (O my soule) together with all his behauiours in the, other passages of his passiō thou shalt therein find a perfecte 1 cure for all thy imperfecti­ons, a straight rule to direct thee in all the carriages of this life, For, as it had been vnprofitable, to know how [Page 62] to walke, if wee had beene still detayned in prison; so had it not bin sufficient for vs to haue bin set free, if we had not receiued directi­ons for our way: if goinge blindfold with ignorance, the first that shoulde haue met vs, might haue caried vs backe to prison againe. To this end, hee hath not onlie pointed out our path, but hath troden euery step before vs; he hath giuen vs instructiones by manie other but none were euer sufficient for example but him selfe. From Annas they ledde him vnto Cai­phas; where innocencie was arrraigned, truth accu­sed, and iustice condemned [Page] And then like mad dogs, more fiercely they assaulte and insult vpon him, some casting on his face the sco­urings of their filthie mouthes; others striuinge who might strike him: and with a wanton and merry malice, aggrauating iniurie with scorne, they couer his eyes, and bidde him aread, 2 who it was that did smite him. And so great pleasure they took in this time both of tormenting his bodie, & vexing his soule, that they woulde not suffer him to take any rest; but vsed this despite for their disport, to passe away the dulnesse of that night.

O gratious countenance [Page 63] which fillest the heauens with glory, which the An­gels with ioy & rauishmēt doe desire to behold; O per­fect image of the Father, how deeply was thy beau­tie, thy maiestitie ouerclouded with disgrace? And couldest thou holde thy handes, O mighty Lord? 3 Why, they were bounde: but couldest thou also hold thy tongue? or were the handes of thine Angels bound? diddest thou not at the least complaine? O infinite humilitie! O sweet Lord is it possible that ther shoulde remaine in the worlde any footstepes of pride: after this admirable example of patience? O [Page] earth and ashes; thy God did with deepe silence in­dure all these indignities, & thou stirrest, thou starest, thou turmoilest thy selfe (good man) and tormentest others, vpon the lest touch of thy reputation Thy god did pray for those who thus blasphemed him; and thou disdaynest to speak or once to looke vpon a man, who hath offered to thee a light disgrace. Thy God would bee esteemed a sinner, when hee was pure from any soile of Sinne; but thou being a detestable sinner, dost strain to bee esteemed righteous. Thy God was abased bee­neath the most vile villains vpon earth; but thou woul­dest [Page 64] bee aduaunced aboue all men; yea, aboue the Angels; yea, God himselfe.

Ah proud flesh, thou canst not swell so high, but vēgeance wil sit aboue thee thou canst not lift vp thy selfe so loftie, but Gods hād will ding thee down. God & 4 pride could not dwell toge­ther in one heauen, much lesse can they harboure in one hearte. Certayne­lie, if thou knewest, O my soule, the value of this high virtue humilitie, thou wouldest abandō the whole world to attaine it. Desirest thou to receiue mercy, humitie wil help thee as it did the Publicā. wilt thou haue thy 5 part in the grace of the Gospel? [Page] The Lord saith, that he was sent to preach it to the pooreLuke 4.8.; It is hid from the wise, and reuealed vnto lit­tle onesMat. 11.21.; Wilt thou haue thy prayers heard? The pray­er of the humble shall pierce the cloudes, and will not depart vn­till the highest regard it Eccle. 35.17,. De­sirest thou glory and long life to enioy it? They are the rewards of humilityPro. 22 4.. Wilt thou liue vnder the protection of God, & par­ticipate of his graces? The Lord preserueth the lowly Psal. 34.17., & giueth grace to the hūble 1, Pet. 5.5.: For as waters do run to the low groundes, so the gra­ces of God doe flow to the humble hearts. In a word, art thou desirous to enter [Page 65] the kingdom of God? thou must then humble thy selfe as a little child (g). For,Mat. 18.4. hea­uen is like a stately pallace, with a low dore, whereinto no man can enter, except he 6 stoupe. But take heede, O my soule, that thou deceiue not thy selfe with the coun­terfeite of humilitie, with the outward shew and sha­dow thereof. It is an easie thing to goe in base attire, to salute submisly, to kisse the hand, to embrace the knee, to cast down the coū­tenance, to speake with a weake broken voice, to sigh often and deepe, to crie and confesse at euerie worde, that thou art a mise­rable sinner: many will [Page] performe these pointes in order, but vppon a verie light disgrace, all their hu­mility is turned into wilde furie. It is but a base pride which is shrowded vnder the signes of humility: and vices do become more vile, whē they are ouercast with a countenance of vertue. 7 Take especiall heed also of the temptations of pride, which of all other are most slie and daungerous, and hardest to be known. Tēp­tations of other vices are somewhat open and plaine; but pride creepeth craftilie, as it were with wollen feet; flattering a man, and per­swading him, that for ma­ny causes much respect is [Page 66] due vnto him. Which a man blinded with self-loue doth easily belieue, and therupon openeth his mouth to draw in that spirite, whereby the glorious Angels were tur­ned into deuils. But he that is truely humble, will say with the Apostle: He that thinketh himselfe to bee some­thing when he is nothing, Gal, 6, 3 de­ceiueth himselfe.

O sweet Sauiour, I molt 8 humbly beseech thee, by all thy mercies, and by all the miseries which thou diddest sustaine, euen for their sakes, who did thus villainously both blas­pheme and tormente thee, cast backe thine eyes vpon me, as thou diddest vpon [Page] Peter, when in these extre­mities hee did forsweare thee; that silent look, which is full of vertue, not only to bee vnderstoode, but also to worke: euen those eyes which doe open our eyes, and caus vs to awake out of the sleep of security: which thou castest vpon vs so of­ten, as we are truely touch­ed with sorrow for our sins. & grant, that this spitting vpon thy face, may quench in meal fierie passions; that these blowes which were dealt vpon thee, may beate downe my presumption & pride. Grant I say, that thy abasement may abate in me al high swelling and raging desires; that thy patience, [Page 67] thy silence, thy humility, which was sufficient to asswage the wrath of thy fa­ther against sinners, may suffice also to asswage and alter, my vaine both an­grie and haughtie affecti­ons. Graunt, O gracious Lord, that, as thou casting vpon mee from thy high heauens, the eyes of thy pit­ty, the streams of thy gra­ces doe flow into my soul; so I, beholding thee with true humilitie and reuerēce from the earth, may readi­ly receiue the beames of that light; euen as the stars, by beholding the Sunne, receiue both light & vertue from it. That these eyes be­ing the conduits, whereby [Page] thy mercies are deriued in­to our soules, I may neuer cease to set thē vpon thee; but as all inferiour thinges depend vpon the influence of the celestiall and superi­or bodies, so my spirite may wholy depend vppon thee, and receiue by that influence, both the light & law of all my life.

This vnquiet night be­ing scarse ended indeede, they led him to Pilate, the Romane president of that prouince; but when Pilate vnderstoode that hee was borne in Galile, which per­tained to the iurisdiction of Herod the Tetrarch, he sent him vnto Herod, who at that time also was abiding at Ie­rusalem. [Page 68] Now, Herod had been desirous of a long sea­son to see Iesus, because of the admirable report which ran of him; whereupon hee was then ioyfull of his cō­ming, hoping to haue seen him wroght some miracles. So he questioned him con­cerning many thinges; but 9 because he enquired vpon vaine curiositie, and with no true entent or ende, Christ aunswered him no­thing; according to that which Saint Iames saith: Ye aske and ye doe not rceceiue, be­cause ye aske an isse. Iam, 4

Hereupon Herod, with all his graue Counsailors, 10 and gallant Courtiers, in­terpreting this silence for [Page] simplicity, did openly con­temne him; and for plaine declaration, not of his innocencie, but of his simplici­tie, they arrayed him in a white garment, & sent him backe again to Pilate. That hee who had beene taken before, for a man of euil be­hauiour; and namely, a glut­ton, a drinker of wine, and a companion of sinnersMat. 11, 19.; a stirrer of seditionLuk, 23.2,; A blasphemerMark. 27.; a sorcererMat, 12, 24,; possessed with a diuellIo: 8.48.; should then also passe for a passing simple man.

O true comfort of all af­flictions, whether by pub­like iniustice, or by priuate iniuries. Learne, O my soule, learne by these exem­plarie [Page 69] instructions of thy master, to make smal accoūt 11 of the iudgements and esti­mations of this world. And leaue off ambitiously to af­fect the vaine breath of hu­mane praise, which is like to an Eccho; a meere sounde without any substance: and in whose voice a man is in that degree, eyther good or bad, wherein he is esteemed a friend or a foe. Christ had 12 professed before, that hee sought not his owne praise; and told them who affected glory, that they sought they knewe not what. To whose glory it was,Io, 8, 50. Mat. 20, 22 that he neither desired nor accep­ted the glorie of the world; looking with no other eye [Page] vpon the glosse therof, then Phisitions doe vpon the vl­cers and diseases of their Patients.

And now, in this height 13 of scorne, in this depth of disgrace, our Sauiour did not once change his cheere, nor cast downe his counte­nance, not let fale any ey­ther intemperate, or sub­misse, or otherwise vnseem­ly worde: but remained like a firme rocke, which re­pelleth and turneth into froath all the waues that beate vpon it. And as the body of a man abideth at a stay, although his shadow be at one time long, and at another time short: so hee retained the same constant [Page 70] courage, both in the sweet gale of the applause of mē, and in the bitter blastes of their opprobrious outrage: expressing still, a modestie in the one, and a grauity in the other. Trees well roo­ted do beare all stormes; the wind tosseth, not the wheat but the chaffe: and vaine eyther honour or infamie moueth no man, who is not eyther light or weake.

Behold also, how vain­ly 14 variable the opinions of men are; constant onely in inconstancie, and persisting in nothing but in change. They who cried, Hosanna in the highect; doe in short time after crie, Let him be crucifi­ed: They who saluted him [Page] for their king, do presētlie professe that they haue no King but Caesar: they who met him with oliue brāches, doe now present him with swordes and staues: they who had spread their gar­ments before him, did now dispoile him of his owne garmentes. Finally, they who did both acknowledge and adore him for the son of God, within few dayes preferred Barrabas before 15 him. Who therefore will esteeme the base breath of this mutable monster for true glorie? Who will cre­dite the iudg [...]ment? who will trust the affection ther­of? who will bee so base, to fawne thereon for a few [Page 71] crummes of credite? Who is so seruile to vndertake all paines to please it? to loose all liberty, rather then to loose the liking thereof? being more carefull in ca­sting what the worlde will say of him, then what God will say to him when the world shall be at an end.

From hence thou mayest 16 draw both diuine and mo­rall comforts, in all the mi­series that eyther malice or vnkindnesse can lay vpon thee. Diuine, for that no greater reproch can be of­fered vnto thee, then was offered, not onely to thy maister, but to thy maker for thy sake: morall, for that thou seest how foolish, yea [Page] how franticke and false the opinions of mē are; prone alwaies to iudge, well of the wicked, and hardly of the good.

Behold here, vertue is ac­counted vice; truth, blas­phemie; & wisedom, follie: behold, the peacemaker of the world, is iudged a sediti­ous person; the fulfiller of the law, a breaker of the law; our Sauior, a sinner; our God a Diuell. O poore ond troubled man, where­fore doest thou weakelie waile for any iniurie or a­buse that is offered vnto thee? God handleth thee no otherwise in this world, then hee handled his onely [Page 72] sonne; who hath begunne to thee this bitter potion, not only taking assay therof, but drinking to thee a full draught: & it is not on­ly a comfort, but a glory, to be a partner and fellow suf­ferer with Christ; who de­lighteth also to see in vs, some representation of him self: dogs do not bark at those whom they know, & with whom they are familiar, but against strangers they vsu­ally barke; not alwaies for any hurt, which they feele or feare, but commonly by nature or vppon euill cu­stome. How then canst thou be a stranger to the world, if it doth not molest thee, if it detracteth not from thee? [Page] How art thou a member of Christ, if thou wilt not par­ticipate with him of the in­iuries and persecutions of this life. How canst thou be accoūted a friend vnto him, if, seeing him so miserablie handled by the world, thou wilt notwithstanding loue and embrace it; thou wilte vouchsafe to be eyther kindly or honorably vsed of it?

Here also wee are further taught, that the busines of Gods glory, & of the health of mens soules, how so­euer base and ignominious it seemeth, must bee reso­lutely both vndertaken and performed by vs; althogh we be princes and poten­tates of the erth: for to serue God, is truely to raigne.

NOw, Pilate percei­uing that it was onely vpon a mad malice, that the [Page 73] Iewes did thus violentlie prosecute Iesus; & suposing that partlie, by respite, and partlie by seuerity, the heat 1 of their hate might bee ap­peased, he determined to lay vpon him so sharp a punishment as might suffice to sa­tissie their cruell desires. Hereupon, he commaunded that Iesus should bee scour­ged a puninishment which for the seuerity, was appointed by Moses for malefac­tors, according to the qua­litie of their offence;Deu. 25.3 yet with limitation, that it should not exceede fortie stripes:Act 22 25 and for the infa­mie therof the Romans did exempte their Cittizens from it. Forthwith the tor­mentours [Page] did strip him out of his garments, and charge vpon him with such bloudy blowes, as if hee had beene the greatest offender, and the basest slaue in the world

Behold now O my soul, what a butchery thy Saui­our hath suffered for thy sake: behold him dispoiled of his garmēts, who clotheth the heauēs with cloudes, a­dorneth the fieldes with flowers, giueth rayment to euery liuing creature; appa­relleth his Saints with righ­teousnes and glory. Behold him torne with whippes, whose seruants were wont in his name to scourge the diuels: hauing no man on his part, eyther with hand to [Page 75] helpe or with heart to pitty him. And where was thy beauty become? Where was 2 then thy glory? O true Sampson, who hath cut the haires of thy strength? who hath bound thy hands and thy feete, and deliuered thee to the power of the Philis­tims? Certainely, it was on­ly the loue of Dalila; onely the loue of thy church that did cause this calamity: the desire which thou haddest to wash her with thy bloud, hath deliuered thee to the power and pleasure of thy enemies.

O ye Saints of God, if e­uer you are rauished & transported from your bodilie sences by contemplation of [Page] heauenly things, let it be at this exceeding goodnesse and loue of Christ, in being thus humbled and tormen­ted for miserable men. This hath made the wise men of the worlde to esteeme the doctrine of the Gospell, not onely folly but extream madnesse. For they esteem 3 it folly when they heare, that riches is in pouerty, ioy in teares, liberty in sub­iection, in humility glory; in mortification peace, in the crosse a Kingdome, in renouncing all thinges, the dominion of all thinges: but when they heare that the diuine 4 substance, most glori­ous most pure, would thus bee abased, and iniuried by [Page 76] men, they esteeme it a point of meere madnes.

O all yee powers of the 5 world, let this astonish you that God would vouchsafe to doe that for men, which they themselues should es­teeme madnesse. And you wise men of this world, you know right well, you haue often both obserued and saide, that maiesty and loue are scarce compatible; that the actions of loue can ney­ther be ruled nor esteemed by wisedome. Lay aside 6 your wisedome then, and looke into his loue: for his loue hath dazeled your worldly wisedome. Hee hath planted a vinyeard in this worlde; and beareth [Page] so great loue towardes it, that he is (as it were) inebri­ated thereby; and put, in a manner, euen from himself. But laugh not (O ye wise men) hereat, as Cham did at the nakednesse of his Fa­ther; least he cast vpon you a cruell curse.

And thou, O my soule, what saiest thou? what thin­kest thou? where are thy teares, O drie soule, to bath those bruses which thy Sa­uiour in loue did suffer to heale thee? where is thy sor­row? where is thy detestati­on of thy sinnes, which were the procurers of all this punishment? For cer­taine 7 it is, that thy sinnes, not onely did then but doe [Page 77] so often tormēt him, as thou doest commit them: euen as the Apostle hath said; Hee that sinneth▪ Heb. 6.6 crucifieth the son of God, and maketh a mocke of him. He that breaketh the law of Christ by wilfull sinne, Heb. 10 trea­deth the sonne of God vnder his feet, polluteth the bloud of the new Testament, and reprocheth the holy Ghost.

Whensoeuer therefore thou art about to consent to 8 any sinne, present vnto thy selfe the forme of thy Saui­our, vnder the hands of the cruell souldiers, wholy im­brued in his own bloud; not desperately raging, not weaklie wailing, but in this mild manner, partly exhor­ting, and partly intreating [Page] thee.

Friend, thou hast often heard how I haue loued thee; If wordes beare no weight to assure thee here­of; behold effects. Behold me desirous, so aboundant­lie to satisfie the iustice of my Father, for thine offē­ces, that I haue shut from my selfe all meanes, eyther of helpe to withstand, or of comfort to mittigate these extremities; which notwithstanding are much lesse thē my loue hath made me de­sirous to suffer for thy sake, in case the iustice of my Father had so required. See here, this my loue regi­stred with my bloud; listen how euery lash, both giueth [Page 78] a liuely testimony thereof, and perswadeth, yea besee­cheth thee with an heauen­ly voice, to loue me againe. But if thou wilt not afforde me this kinde affection, let me at the least (I pray thee,) obtaine so much pitty at thy handes, to forbeare thy sinnes; which do not onely renue, bur very much in­crease my smart. For certain it is, that thy offēces do day­lie torment me; & that these souldiers should neuer haue had any power to touch me, had not thy sinnes en­abled them therevnto.

Sweete Iesus, with re­uerence I kisse thy blessed 10 stripes, and doe thankfullie both acknowledge and [Page] embrace thy loue; most ear­nestly entreating thee, so to kindle, so to enflame thy loue also within me, that it may melt the frozen moi­sture of my hart into teares; both in compassion of thy sufferinges, and in sorrowe for my sinnes which drewe them vpon thee. Oh, how happy am I that haue so lo­uing a Lord? what can I neede? what neede I feare? Oh, how cruell am I, if I will commit any fact, which dooth not onely displease, but dishonour and torment him? What pitty shouldest thou haue in punishing me, if I haue none in offending thee? There was no greater mercy then to cast such [Page 79] loue vppon vs: there is no greater miserie, then not to acknowledge, and in some degree of duty to aunswere the same.

O loue, more strong then 11 death;Cant. 8 6, death subdueth all worldly thinges, and yet thou subduest death; thou triumphest ouer all power, either by resisting, or by enduring. Thou art the bushe which did burne,Exod, 3, but not consume; thou art the most perfect adamant, which wil wearie all armes; which wil breake all hammers before it will yeeld:Rom. 8 Thou madest the apostle say; Nothing shall separate vs from the loue of Christ; in all things we are more the cōquerors, through him who [Page] loueth vs.

12 Death subdueth all worldly thinges; but thou hast subdued him who hath ouercome death, and made him subiect vnto thy yoke. For what drew him downe from heauen, into the mire of miseries? what made him a scorne of men? wherefore did he fast, weepe, labour, and watch? wherfore liued hee both in pouerty and contempt? wherfore endu­red hee both an ignomini­ous and paineful death, but for the loue of our redemp­tion? O inuincible vertue, who hast ouercom the Lord of all thinges, wilt thou not ouercom a weake man? shal my heart onely bee able to [Page 80] resist the force of thy fire? O sweet tyrant, with what soft flatteringes doest thou 13 enforce mē to great attēpts? without any feelyng of difficultie, without any feare of dāger, being carried with delight to that which they desire: which delight in going forward, drowneth all griefe of labour, through which they wrestle. No­thing is therefore so sweet as loue, nothing so strong; nothing maketh men more cruell, nothing more com­passionate. It is strong in obtaining, it is sweet in en­ioying; it maketh men cru­ell to themselues, and com­passionate to him whome they do loue.

14 And it is meet that we should liue in subiection of loue; for whatsoeuer is cō­tained in the Scriptures, ey­ther is loue, or pertaineth vnto loue: and nothing is so precious as a soule that loueth, but only God who giueth loue. Loue is the Queene of all vertues. It is the end of all the comman­dements and counsailes of God. Yea, all creatures are made seruiceable vnto man for this end. It is the soule, life and perfection of other vertues; the stone, which turneth all that it toucheth into gold; the stampe, which maketh all our coine currāt with God. Insomuch as if we loue, we may do what [Page 81] wee will; for whatsoeuer is done in loue, God doth ac­cept. Yea, by louing the good actions of other men, (by reason of the community of the Church) we make them our own. It is a sword to cut in sunder the sinewes of all vices, and a spurre to stirre vs vp to all vertuous atchieuments. It is the cer­taine measure, as well of perfection which the iust haue in this life, as of glory which they shal haue in the life to come. If I haue not loue, (sayeth Saint Paul) I am nothing; for God wil giue vnto euery man, according to the proportion where­in hee offereth himselfe vn­to him by loue. Lastly, it v­niteth [Page] vs vnto God; for loue is a meane, which knit­teth two extreames, the lo­uer and that which is loued, into one. Doe wee loue the earth? wee are earth: doe we loue God? what shall I say? are wee God? assuredly we are combined with God. Yet this vnion is not natu­rall, 15 but spirituall; not trās­forming the nature of man, but chāging his affections, and whole manner of life. that as the shadow follow­eth the bodie, so the will of man adhaereth to the wil of God, louing and hating as he doth prescribe; without any respect vnto himselfe, but onely to the honour of God. For, as iron cast into [Page 82] the fire, taketh the nature of fire, and yet ceaseth not to remaine iron; so he that burneth in the loue of God, is partaker of the puritie and sanctitie of God, & yet abideth still man.

O loue, the roote of all 16 vertues; the daughter of grace, the mother of sanc­titie, the mistresse of truth; the glasse of religion, the ballance of reward, the ma­riage garment, the key of Paradise; the strength of those that fight, the crown of those that conquere; the felicitie of Saintes, the ioy of Angels, the terrour of Diuels. Without thee, faith is dead; hope a vaine presu­ming; holinesse, hypocri­sie; [Page] zeale, furie: with thee a man standeth, in prosperi­ties humble; in aduersities secure; in hard passions strōg; in good workes cheareful; in temptations safe. Are we poore, and able to giue lit­tle? are we eyther ignorant or weake, and able to doe little? let vs loue much, and that will be a supplie vnto both: for he that loueth, is of abilitie to doe much; and hee giueth much who gi­ueth himselfe.

Is it not meete therefore that wee sell all that wee haue to purchase this pearle? can any thing bee too deare to giue? can any thing be too hard to suffer, that wee may obtaine it? Is [Page 83] it a small matter that it is saide; God is loue? Is it a smal matter to dwell in God,1. Io. 4, & to haue God dwell in vs? God is loue: what more pre­cious? He that dwelleth in loue, dwelleth in God; what more secure? And God in him: what more glorious? It is not said, God is humility, God is patience, God is obedi­ence; but God is loue: al other vertues, are the gifts & gra­ces of God; but loue is said to be God himselfe.

O diuine vertue, so often, so greately, but neuer e­nough commended; O sa­cred loue, which alwayes burnest in the bosome of God. I cannot value thee to thy worth, I haue no­thing [Page] in me, that is a fitte price for thee: but I will 17 giue for thee all that I haue; all my delightes, all my de­sires; I will leaue all for his loue, who hath left his king­dome and throane for loue towardes me. And when I shall haue giuen all, I shall thinke that I haue giuen no more thē nothing; for thou wilt more sweetely refresh, more aboundantly satisfie, more assuredly defende me, then all that I am able to giue.

WHen the Soul­diers had thus scourged our Sauioure, they brought him into the com­mon hall, and there againe they stripped him, and put vpon him a purple roab; and pressed vpon his head, (a very sencible and tender part, which the whips be­fore had passed ouer) a crowne of sharp thornes, and put a reede in his hand insteede of a scepter: and scornefully bowing them­selues, saluted him king of [Page] the Iewes, and spat vpon him; and tooke the reede which he held in his hand, and smote him therewith vpon the head. By which 1 actiones, it appeareth that they were more desi­rous to take away his repu­tation, then to take away his life. For they sought but only the ordinary tor­ment of the crosse, to take a­way his life; but to take a-his reputatiō, they ran into al theis & many other strāge inuētions, equaly cōposed of torment & of shame, wherin cruelty seemed pleasant, and mirth conioyned with malice. Manie Heathen 2 people haue obserued this rule, to execute iustice with [Page 86] some shewe of grauitie and griefe: and not with any light eyther iestures or ieastes, to moue suspition, of taking plesure, in taking punishment: not with any extraordinarie seueritie, to giue token of priuate re­uenge. But it was not su­fficient for these sauages, to crucifie Iesus, except 3 they did it, both with de­rision and despight: their malitious mindes, must of necessitie bee satisfied, as wel with his shame, as with his bloud; and that after a very vnusuall manner. For, when was purple beefore that time vsed for dishonor; who euer vntil that day had bin crowned with thornes? [Page] The purple reached but to a scorne, but the thornes went further; for, how ma­nie thornes did pierce his flesh, so many streames of 4 bloud issued from him, It was not by chance & aduenture, that he was cloathed in purple, and therin mocked; but as the holy Ghost made Caiphas to say, It is expedient that one should die: And like­wise Pilate, what I haue writ­ten I haue written; so it made the Souldiers to scorne him in a purple garmēt, in tokē that whatsoeuer they did to his reproach, should follow to his honour and praise. 5 Neithere was it without a mystery that they set vp- his head a crown of thorns. [Page 87] For God had cursed the earth, because of the trans­gression of Adam, to bringe forth thornes and bryars vnto vs; this curse hath our Sauiour taken vpon him; the pointes of these thorns are broken in his flesh. Now are all things blessed, all thinges reconciled; all thinges both healed and hallowed with his bloud.

O my Sauiour, how large lie diddest thou satisfie the lieuetenant Pilate, for remaining one night in his house, by sprinkelinge e­uery parte thereof where­in thou cammest with thy blessed bloude: O cruell Souldiers, doe you knowe eyther, what you doe, or [Page] whome you haue in hand? assure your selues, you see not that which in him appeareth; and yet doth not that nowe appeare in him, which hereafter shall.

For as in vs, that good­nesse which we either pre­sume in our selues, or make shewe to others, is more then that which in truth wee haue; so in the Sonne of God, that which hee hidde of his good­nesse, was more then that which hee shewed to the world.

But as the Souldiers in tormentinge thy Saui­oure, combined sportte with spight: so thou O my [Page 88] soule, so often as thou thin­kest thereon, doe it iointly 7 both with ioy and with griefe: with ioy, for the benefit which thereby thou hast receiued; with griefe, for the miseries which hee did endure: with ioy, for his exceeding loue towardes thee, in that he was rather defirous then content, to endure so base, both insami­es and paines for thy sake; with grief, for the grieuous­nesse of thy sinnes, which prouoked the iustice of GOD to so great seue­rity.

Woe is me, alas, wretch 8 that I am, how doe my sins defile my own soule; seeing they haue so defiled the [Page] pure glasse of the Maiestie of the Father? so troubled the cleere fountaine of all beauty and delight? O Son of iustice! O light of thy Fathers glory! wherefore wert thou contēt, to receiue the filthinesse and deformi­ties of my soule, and to en­dure the paines which my sinnes did de serue?Es 63, 2. Where­fore is thy apparrell red, & thy garmentes like him that trea­deth in the Wine-presse? Were it not fitter that offenders should suffer for their own deserts, then that thou (O innocent Lord) shouldest thus be torne with tormēts for them? had it not beene fitter that this filthinesse should haue remained vp­pon [Page 89] the proper dunghil, thē to be cast vppon thee, the purity of all beautie and glory?

What loue moued thee to haue so great care of me, 9 that thou wert vtterly care­lesse of thy selfe? to bee so desirous of the cleannesse of my soule, that thou woul­dest bee thus defiled to be­stow it on me? O my Saui­our, what am I in respect of thee? What am I to thee, but trouble, torment, infa­mie, death? What art thou to mee, but rest, pleasure, honour, life? If therefore thou louest me, who am so grieuous vnto thee; where­fore do I not loue thee, who art my saluation? where­fore [Page] am I not prouoked to abstaine from sinne, to cast out all vncleane desires, which are so many thorns to thy blessed body? to de­spise the vaine braueries of the world, which were here applied to despise thee? to put my whole affiance in thee, who thus hast loued me, and with chains of per­petuall duety to linke my selfe most strongly to thee?

10 O my redeemer, receiue me thy weake and vnwor­thy seruant, to yeelde vnto thee both obedience and prayse; shut mee not from thee, whom thou hast cre­ated for thy selfe, whom by thy selfe thou hast redee­med. I am thine, O my [Page 90] GOD, I desire to bee thine; I doe and will re­solue to be thine. I will not deliuer the keyes of thy ri­ches to any other then to thy selfe. I will not beare fruit to any but to thee, who hast planted, and doest cō­tinually both water and purge mee. The bran­ches of this vine, which are the faculties of my soule, shall bring foorth flowers vnto thee; namely, good de­sires: they shal bring forth fruite vnto thee; euen my wordes and my workes. Mine eyes shal regard thee, my tongue shal praise thee, 11 my feete shall follow thee, my hands shall serue thee; my vnderstanding shall al­waies [Page] contemplate vppon thee, my memory shal ne­uer let thee goe; my will shall delight onely in thee; my soule shall be enfolded in the flames of thy loue. This is the fruit which thy vine must yeeld; this is the profite which thou doest expect. Enuiron it, O Lord, with fierie walles, shut all the gates thereof; Set the Cherubins to keep the way, that nothing may enter but thy selfe. I pray you all the creatures of this worlde, & if you wil not be entreated, I do adiure you, in the ver­tue of obedience to our common Lord; come not neere, trample not within this garden, touch not a­nie [Page 91] thing that groweth therein: all is the Lordes, I will reserue all to serue him; you shall bee meere strangers vnto me. I aban­don al creaturs for the loue of him, who hath abando­ned his kingdome for loue towardes me. For, to this end I was created; and I can yeeld him no other re­compence for all his suffe­ringes, but to loue onelie, and alwaies to praise him.

Blessed art thou, O most mercifull and mighty Lord, the comfort of my life, the light of my eyes, the porte of my desires. All thy An­gels and Saintes, all thy creatures for euer prayse thee: for that by the me­rite [Page] of thine vnspeakeable charity and humility, which bowed thy backe to vnder­goe the miseries due to vs for our sinnes, thou hast not onelie freede vs from all our 12 euill, but participated thy heauenly graces vnto vs. Thou diddest cast no tra­uell vpon thy selfe, where­of thou diddest not vnbur­then vs. And further, in taking vpon thee our flesh, thou hast giuen vs thy spi­rit; in taking vpon thee our sins, thou hast giuen vs thy righteousnes; in taking vpō thee our death, thou hast gi­uē vs thy life: in taking vpō thee, the punishment which we did deserue, thou hast giuen vs the glory which [Page 92] thou didest possesse; in ma­king thy selfe like vnto vs, thou hast made vs in the sight of thy Farher, after a sort, and in our degree, like vnto thee. By suffe­ring that which wee had deserued, thou hast procu­red vs that which we could not deserue: by suffering that which pertained vnto vs, thou hast cast that vpon vs, which in right pertai­ned onely to thy selfe. So that all thy paines are our preferments, thy dishonor our glorie, thy pouerty our riches, thy miseries our merites, thy sufferings our satisfaction: thy reproches make vs without blame, thy bandes free vs, thy stripes [Page] heale vs, thy sorrows cō­fort vs, thy trauailes refresh vs, thy condemnation iusti­fieth vs, thy death reduceth vs to life.

Now, when Pilate sawe that Iesus was in so pittiful a plight, that he supposed the sight of him sufficient, to breake the bloudy purpo­ses of his enemies; he took him by the hand, and ledde him forth to the people, and said vnto them, Behold the man: What woulde you haue more? If it bee for malice that you are so vio­lent against him, beholde how miserable hee is; if for feare, behold how contēp­tibie: fault hee hath done none. Assuredly, this shew­ing [Page 93] of Iesus doth plainelie 13 shew, that hee was then made a wofull spectacle: So wofull, as Pilate did ve­rily belieue, that the verie sight of him woulde haue moued, the hardest heart of his enemies to relent and say; This is enough; wee desire no more. But they, infatiable in cruelty, impor­tuned Pilate, some with per­swasions, others with con­fused clamours & cries, that hee might bee crucified. They had the Diuels mind, 14 which is not sarisfied but by death. No punishment but death, no death but by the Crosse, coulde satisfie their desires. And among all that multitude, there 15 [Page] was not anie varietie of o­pinion. They all agreed to take away life from the Sonne of GOD; they all agreede that hee should be crucified; they all agreede to preferre Barrabas, who had slain the liuing, before him, who had reuiued the dead. For, it is a proper­ty cf the wicked, in mat­ters of vertue, to disagree one from another; so ma­ny men, so many mindes: but in wickednesse and mis­chiefe, they all iumpe in one iudgement; they alwaies concurre in one desire.

Seeing then (O my soule) thy Sauiour hath founde so little pitty amōg the Iewes, turn thou thine [Page 94] eyes vpon this lamenta­ble forme, and say vnto thy selfe; Beholde the man. Beholde his bountie, bee­holde his loue, behold his distresse. And it thou feelest no compassion of the paines and anguishes 16 whiche hee endured, assure thy self, thou wantest loue: for they who loue, are al­waies sorrowfull for the mi­series of the partie whome they doe affect. If thou fin­dest not within thee, this testimonie of loue, yet ab­horre to ioyne in malice with the barbarous Iewes, in crying against him; let him bee crucified. Which 17 voyce thou doest so often cast forth, as thou consen­test [Page] to any sinne; forsomuch as thou doest a thing, wher­by thou wouldest binde him to die againe, if his sormer death were not suf­ficient.

18 So often therefore as thou art inclinable to any euill, present this mourne­full spectacle before thee, and say to thy selfe; Beholde the man. Which words, al­though they are but fewe, and seem to contain small matter; yet if thou examine them well, they will not onely stay thee from exe­cuting thy euill intentes, but strike thee downe to the earth, a thousand times to kisse it, vpon conscience of thy wicked vnworthines; [Page 95] and to poure forth praises vnto him, both f [...]r those thing [...]s which once hee did endure, and for those which daylie hee dooth for thee. Behold therfore the greatenesse of thy sinnes, by the great sorrows which thy Sauiour did sustaine: be­holde how necessa [...]ie it was to satisfie for sinne; beholde how grieuous the fatisfac­tion was. Consider here­vpon, the rigour of Gods iustice; consider, how abho­minable a thing sinne is vn­to him; coniecture also, what reuenge GOD will take vppon sinners them­selues, who doe not either acknowledge or accept the benefite of their re­demption, [Page] seeing so seuere­ly hee punished his most deere and innocent Sonne for their sinnes.

19 O sweete Christ, graue this thy shape deepe with­in my heart; that continu­ing in the contemplation of these pointes, I may not bee so, both vnthankefull and cruell in affection to­wardes thee; nor yet so, eyther sencelesse or despe­rate in care of my selfe; as to commit that, which is so painefull and ignomini­ous to thee, and to me so daungerous. Remember, O my Lord, what I am to thee, and thou to me; and doe not flie from mee, that I may finde thee. I doe [Page 96] make a long iourney vnto thee, I proceede slowlie, I doe often make stay, often I goe backe: strengthen mee, O Lorde, guide my stumbling steppes, drawe mee after thee with the line of thy loue; be not wearie to expect him, who is not able to hold out pace.

And because my weake­nesse is so greate, that I doe often fale, either in purpose, or in power to resist sinne: cease not (I beseech thee) to present this thy freshe bleeding forme, to the mer­cifull Maiesty of thy father for me. And with that loue wherewith thou diddest not onely suffer, but offer thy bodie, to bee thus dis­honoured [Page] for my sake, vouchsafe alwayes to inter­pose the same between his iustice and mee. And al­though the sight thereof was not sufficient to ap­pease the hatred of thine enemies, yet will it pacifie the wrath of thy Father; be­cause whatsoeuer thou diddest suffer, it was vn­der his obedience, to restore his honour, and to satisfie 20 his Iustice.

O almighty God, behold here the man, whom thou hast appointed to be a me­diatour betweene thee and sinners;Mat. 3.17. euen the man in whome thou art well plea­sed. Behold the man, whose righteousnesse wil answere [Page 97] thy iustice in euerie point; and whose punishments are sufficient to satisfie the pe­naltie of all my sinnes. Be­hold his humilitie, beholde his obedience, beholde his satisfaction. Oh, that his sufferinges were ballanced against my sinnes; certain­ly, they would so far ex­ceed, both in waighte and in worth, that thou shoul­dest in iustice, rather poure foorth thy mercies vppon mee for the one, then hold them still in displeasure for the other. O most iust and mercifull God, let this bru­sed body bee alwaies in thy sight; first fixe thy heauen­ly eyes vpon his merites, then vouchsafe to looke to­wardes [Page] me, and for his sake haue pitty vpon me. And gratiouslie graunt, not one­ly pardon of my iniquities, but participation also of his righteousnesse: that in the puritie thereof, I may bee approued by thee, whē I shal bee proued.

NOw, although Pi­late had openlie declared, both that Christ was inno­cent, and that he had autho­ritie to acquite him; yet gi­uing place, either to the fa­uour or furie of the Iewes, rather then to iustice; he pronounced sentence of death against him, and deliuered him to the pleasure of his enemies- Therefore, O pre­sident, 1 by thine owne iudg­ment, thy iudgement was vniust. For thou gauest sentence of death against him, whome thrice beefore thou [Page] haddest pronounced inno­cent. Certainly, in thee, O president, it was the grea­piece of iniustice that could possibly be committed; but it was a iust sentence in the high president of Heauen, 2 before whom all the sinnes of the world stand in naked view, and who will not suf­fer one of them to passe vn­punished. Therefore, bee­cause the whole worlde was not sufficient to satisfie for anie one sinne, he drew the sworde of his Iustice, and smote therwith this in­nocent Son; who onely was able among al men, both to beare & to break his wrath against sin. But O iust Iudge thou art neuer stirred [Page 100] to wrath but by sinne; thou art neuer greiuously wroth but with greiuous sinne. At this time thou wert grei­uously wroth, and diddest greiuosly smite thine onely Sonne: But in him thou couldest find no greiuous siin; in him thou couldest find no sin at all.

What? diddest thou not onely release offenders, but (as did Annas the high Priest) cause the innocent without cause to bee smit­ten?Io. 18 22. And is it not more a­gainst the law of iustice, to condemne the innocent, thē to discharge and acquit the guiltie? How then may we esteeme it iustice, which doth not only release offenders, [Page] but layeth so seuere a sētence vpon the innocēt?

O light, which haddest decreede this mystery in thy holy counsaile from the beginning, open my vnder standing, breake the misti­nes of my minde, that I may see this worke of Iustice & of mercy, wherein thou art more admirable then in all thy works beside.

3 Assuredly, hee is not vn­iustly charged, who owing nothing from himselfe, vn­dertaketh the debt of ano­ther man: neither doth the Iudge any more wrong, in giuing sentence against a voluntary surety, then hee doth against a principall debtor. It is pitty lo see a [Page 101] man pay that which he ne­uer tooke, but if he will submit himself to be a surety, if in kindnes he will represent the person of the debtor, Iustice must haue her cours against him. It is pittie to see a harmelesse Lambe lye bleeding to death; but if it be appointed for a sacrifice, it is the nature of a sacrifice so to be vsed. And there­fore, although he was with out sinne in himselfe, yet as a surety, as as sacrifice, hee did iustly suffer for the sins of other. Although by innocency he was free, yet by loue hee became intangled in debt. For his owne in­nocency, God was wel pleased in him; but for our im­purities: [Page] hee iustlie gaue way to his wrath against him. He was iustly charged, not with that which he had done, but for that which he did vndertake. we in iustice, shoulde haue beene smitten with these sorrowes: this blow in iustice was bent a­gainst vs: but he in loue stepped betweene the blow and vs, & receiued the full dint thereof vpon himselfe.Esay. 53 4.5.6. He tooke vpon him our infirmities, and bare our sorrowes, he was wounded for our iniquities and broken for our transgressions. The chasticement of our peace was laid vpon him, and with his stripes were we healed. All we as sheepe were gone astray, and turned euery man to his owne [Page 102] way, & the Lord hath laid vpon him the iniquity of vs al. So thē it was his loue, & his fathers iustice, that cast him into 4 these extremities. Loue en­treted that sinners might be saued; & iustice exacted that sin might be punished; to sa­tisfie both which suits, the mean was found, that one vnspotted Innocēt, not sub­iect to death, & yet willing to die; who was without sin, & yet able to make satisfac­tion for sin, should thus cru­elly suffer for all offenders.

This, O Lord, is the na­ture of thy debt; this is the cause of thy condemnati­on. Innocency maketh thee free, but loue hath brought thee vnder charge of our [Page] accounts. In innocencie, thou art purer then the starres, but loue hath plun­ged thee in the depth of our deformities. By the greatnesse of thy loue, our sins haue so iled the beau­tie of thy innocency. And therefore, although Pilate, respecting thy desert, could finde in thee no cause of death; yet wee, respecting thy loue, doe finde so many causes thereof, as there are sinnes in all the world.

Come hither then, & I will, tell you in a worde, the cause of his sentence. It was not for his fault, but it was for his loue; his loue & our faults were the groūd of this iustice. He that lo­ued, [Page 103] both so ardently, and such sinners as wee, was iustly condemned.

O my soule, what a force­able prouocation is this vnto thee, not onely to loue thy Sauiour, but to set­tle thy assurance in him. For, how is it possible, that 5 thou sholdest not loue him, who reiected his own Ma­iesty, and subiected him­selfe to this miserie, to saue thee? O good Iesu, O health of my soule, haue mercy v­pon 6 me, I beseech thee, and helpe me; strike this fire within my hart; let my soule be satiated with thy sacred loue. Thou art (O Lorde) my full felicity, my last end, the marke whereat I aime, [Page] the porte whereto I saile, the terme, the rest of all my desires. Wherefore then doe I not loue thee? wher­fore doe I not desire thee with that ardencie, where­with all creatures doe loue and desire the place of their rest? The fire, and the aire do ouerthrow mountaines, rend vp rockes, shake the whole earth, to breakeforth to their naturall place: and wherefore do not I breake through all impediments? make way through al crea­tures, to come vnto thee? who art the only place both of my refuge and rest? O my desire, O my hope, my sweet solace, my assured strength; wrap my soule in [Page 104] the flames of thy loue, that all carelesse coldnesse may be consumed thereby: pos­sesse it so entirely with that diuine fire, that I may haue no sence of any worldlie thing. Most sweet, louing, beautifull, noble, rich, wise, glorious; and worthy to be both loued and adored; O life of my soule, who didest die to giue me life; who did­dest die to kill death; morti­fie me wholy, euen my wil, and all my euil inclinations, and whatsoeuer is mine, within me. Then reuiue me againe in thy liuely loue, by vniting all the faculties of my soule vnto thee, and ma­king them obedient to thy will.

7 Seeing also thou hast (O my soule) so rich a treasure, & so liberall a distributer of the same, how is it possible, that thou shouldest not rise in hope? Iustice hath foūd a way to strike the inno­cent; and cannot mercy find a meane to saue the guiltie? Assuredly, yes. For it is a greater miracle that God was condemned and cruci­fied, then that man shoulde be acquited and liue. If ther­fore wee haue the greater, we haue no cause to doubt of the lesse Iustice hath ex­ecuted her seuerity vpon the innocent; & mercy will shew her fauour vpon of­fenders. Yea, if it was iustice, that the innocent shoulde [Page 105] be condemned & executed 8 for satisfaction of sinne; it is Iustice also, that the offen­ders for whom hee suffered should be discharged. It is Iustice, I say, that the prin­cipal should be discharged of that debt, which the vo­luntarie suretie hath freelie paid. Therefore, although grace is not due to a sinner, as he is a sinner; yet is it du to him as he is redeemed. It is mercy that a sinner should be saued, in respect of the sinner; but it is iustice, in re­spect of Christ. The iust was handled as a sinner, that sin­ners might bee accepted for Iust. and it is not agreeable to the rules of iustice, that one offence should be twice [Page] punished; that a debt once paide, should be exacted a­gaine. Hee hath ioyned, hee hath vnited himselfe vnto vs: as he cannot bee con­demned again, so cannot we likewise be condemned; ex­cept we breake vnion, and willinglie fall from him.

Further, it cannot bee e­steemed, 9 how acceptable to his Father was, the obedi­ence, patience, humility & loue, wherewith hee offered himself to this opprobrious death; to restore his Fathers honour, and to worke the redemption of mankinde. Seeing therefore his merits are inualuable, and that all are referred to the saluation of our soules, there is no [Page 106] doubt but the same shall be obtained. The Father will not deny him that, for which he did so grieuously afflict him. This is the coue­nant which the Lord hath made with our Noah: the floude of his fury shall ne­uer againe vniuersally in­uolue vs; he wil neuer hold backe his mercy frō those, for whome his sonne dooth intreate mercy.

Lastly, as Adam for ea­ting of one forbidden tree 10 in Paradise, was iustly de­priued of the vse of the rest, whereof before hee was permitted to eate; so when God permitted the diuel, as his Goaler & executioner, to arrest, by his Sergeant [Page] Death, al the sons of Adam; because his issue was attain­ted, & his whole bloud cor­rupted by that offence: but with exception, that if any were innocent and free frō sin, he should not be touch­ed: the Diuell by laying an vniust gripe vpon our Sa­uior, who was without spot of sin, is iustly depriued of the power, which before he had ouer all others. He hath brokē his teeth, he hath left 11 his sting in that vnspotted body; yea, by stinging ano­ther (as often doth the Bee) he hath slaine himself. Hee is now no longer able to enforce; only he suggesteth e­uill aduice, wherby he sedu­ceth some vnhappy soules, [Page 107] and entangleth thē within his nets. But Christ againe, hath giuē vs so large light, both by doctrine & by exā­ple; the supply of his grace also is so sufficiēt; that these corrupt counsails may easi­lie be, discerned by the one, and auoided by the other.

I he sētence of death being once giuen, forthwith the crosse was prepared. & then they brought forth Iesus, & laid that heauy tree vpō his shoulders, which had beene vnmercifully battered with whips before: tormenting him, not only with the sight but with the weight of that which was appointed to be the instrument of his death. Which painefull burthen, [Page] together with the weight of al our sins, he refused not to take vpon him; but procee­ded on his way with incre­dible alacrity, both in loue towardes vs, and in obedi­ence to satisfie his fathers iustice; as a true Isaacke, bea­ring the wood for the sacri­ficing of himselfe. But whi­ther goest thou, O innocent 12 Lord? what hast thou to do vpō the stinking hil Calua­rie? which being a place of cōmon execution, is tainted with the smell of putrified bodies: thou shalt find there no sicke persons to cure, no deuils to cast forth, no tem­ples wherein to teach. True Lord, but there thou shalt find dead to raise, & sinners [Page 108] to forgiue. Thou shalt there find many scattered sculs of executed offenders which expect thy comming; that, as the true Elizeus, thy dead bodie should restore them vnto life.

What meneth this? O good Iesu, what doth it mean? that thou hast not onely made choise of an infamous death, but of an infamous place wherein thou woul­dest dye. Wert thou so ena­mored of malefactors and sinners, that with them, and among them, and for them, and by them, and as one of them thou wouldest be crucrucified? Certainely, thy death containeth soe many mysteries, that it is not e­nough [Page] for vs to say, thou diddest die for our sinnes; but wee are further to consider how thou wouldest die? which was, by the ignomi­nious & cursed death of the crosse: with whome also? euen with malefactors: when? in the principall strength and beauty of thy age: vpon what day? at the great solemnitie of the passeouer: in what place? on the infamous & vnsauory hil Caluarie, onely made glori­ous by thy death.

O glorious Caluarie where the Prince of light did incounter and ouercom the Prince of darkenesse; whereat one instant our life for a time ended life, and [Page 109] our death did for euer dye: I will not hereafter seek my Sauiour in the temple, but vpon thee, for in the temple hee scourged sinners, but vpō thee he died for them; vpon thee hee opened his armes to embrace them.

Therefore, O my soule, accompany him in his pain full passage towardes this place of his combate, and 13 bowe thy selfe also vnder his crosse, not vpon necessitie and by constraint, as did Symon Cireneus; for nothing is more greiuous, then ey­to serue, or to be serued by constraint, but freely, and chearefully; which manner of doing, is better accepted of him, then the thing it [Page] selfe which we doe. For, although he might cōmand vs as slaues, yet wil he haue vs intreated as sonnes. And if thou wilt take a poore aduice, 14 howsoeuer thou seest him eyther burthened or weary, forbeare not to cast thy sinnes vpon him; for woe be vnto thee; if when they naile him to the crosse, they crucifie not also thine offences with him. Feare not that hee will eyther shrinke from them, or shake them off; for he hath mani­festly declared both his courage and his care. His courage appeared, in that hee forbadde the women, which followed him, to weepe for for him; he mani­fested [Page 110] his care, in shewing himselfe more sensible of their calamities, then of his owne.

But stay heare a little, O my soule, and do not runne so fast by so high a mystery. What new thing is this, O my redeemer? Thou woul­dest not speak one word to Herode; thou wouldest not answer Pilate, although thou wert vrged; and with­out 15 request thou turnest thy face, and speakest to those who weep after thee. Doest thou more at the si­lent tears of poore women, then eyther at the entreatie or commaund of powerfull men? O good Iesu, thou doest much esteeme those [Page] that are pittifull; seeing it was thy pleasure, that the tears of these women shold be registred in thy Gospel, and put in one record with thy blood. Herod questi­oned vpon curiositie: Pilat by way of autority: but the daughters of Sion wept for pure pitty. And therefore the words of the one, rea­ched no further then vnto thine eares; but the luke­warme drops of the other; pierced thy heart. Thou takest pitty vpon those, who take pitty vpō others; thou makest more account of the teares of the pittifull, then of the words of the mighty For which cause thou did­dest not onely turne and [Page 111] speake to these weeping women, but thou diddest seem more sensible of their tears, then of thine own tormēts: thou diddest seeme to shew more care and compassion for their miseries, then for thine owne.

O my soule, if thou hast any businesse to negotiate 16 with our Lord, if thou wouldest obtaine any curtesie of him, thou maist here see the best forme of petition and and plea. For, it is better to sue vnto God with force of teares, then with multi­tude of words: a few teares are more regarded of him, then many words. Because wordes are formed by the tongue, but teares proceed [Page] commonly from a heart, Possessed either with griefe or with loue. Vse fewe words then, and weepe, O my soule; for this is the lan­guage of heauen, this is the most stronge voyce to call vpon God. Teares ouer­come the inuincible, ap­pease the omnipotent, and torment the diuell more thē hell fire. When teares cry vnto God, when he is im­portuned by true teares, hee will not delay both to come & to cōfort vs: he wil grow presently familiar with vs.

But, O redeemer of my life, wherefore is it thy pleasure 17 that wee shoulde not weepe for thee? Thou did­dest weepe for thy friende [Page 112] Laaarus, thou diddest also weepe for the stones and walls of Ierusalem, and dost thou not permit vs to weep for thee? doest thou set soe light by the losse of thy life? shall wee so ordinarily esteeme the shedding of thy blood? Or wherefore doest thou consent that we should weep for our selues, and not weep for thee? Are wee of greater value then thou? or can any of vs be ei­ther lesse worthily, or more shamefully & cruelly puni­shed? What shall I say, O the solace of my soul? shal I with reuerence leaue this high & obscure mystery, among many other, to thy diuine iudgmēt? Or dost thou giue [Page] vs to vnderstand, that it suf­ficeth not that wee weepe for thee, if wee doe not ob­serue how wee weepe? be­cause 18 the right weeping consisteth, not in multitude, but in well placing of our teares. Or is it thy pleasure that we should not weepe for thy death, but for the workers of thy death? according to which rule, we haue cause to beewayle, rather those that commit, then those that suffer outrage & wrong. Or wouldest thou signifie vnto vs that our life shold be a long martyrdom a continuall crucifiing of our selues; and that we haue more reason to shewe com­passion for the wicked that [Page 113] liue then for the good whē they dye. For it is betteer to dy thē to liue amōg euil men because in death their is but one bitter morsell to swal­low, but the societie of the wicked is a continuall tor­ment. Or lastlie, diddest thou meane that we should not weepe for thee, in com­parison of our selues? bee­cause our sins are soe great that we haue time little e­noughe to lament them. and as thou art more grie­ued at our sinnes, then at thine owne sufferinges, soe thou takest greater plea­sure that wee let fall teares, for them, then for thee: for if we doe not beewaile our sinnes, it little auaileth vs [Page] that thou hast suffered. First therfore, we must weep for compassion of our selues, and then for thy passion: wee must bewaile our offences first, and then busie our selues in weeping for thy wounds. For, if thou had­dest suffered for thy selfe, it had bene great reason wee should haue wept onely for thee; but seeing thou didest suffer for our Sinnes, it is conuenient that we poure forth teares principally for them.

Howsoeuer it is, forbid vs not, O good Iesu, forbidde vs not, I beeseech thee, to weepe for thee; for if thou doest, with teares wee will intreate thee that wee may [Page 114] weepe. We will intreat thee rather not to weepe for the trayterous cittie Ierusalem, thē not to suffer vs to weep for thee. O Lord of all life, doe not onely permit, but enable vs to weepe; and ac­cept 19 our prayses watered with our teares.

With bended knees of my heart, & swalowed vp in the depth of mine owne vnworthin [...]sse; with al fear and reuerence which can possibly fall into this weak worme, I prostrate my selfe before thee, O Lord Iesu Christ and yeeld vnto thee most humble and heartie thankes for thy exceeding mercy and loue towardes mee. What haue I, O Lord [Page] which I haue not altoge­ther receiued from thee? What am I, eyther present­ly in hope, but onelie by thee? Thou art my Creator, my sanctifier, my glorifier, for thou hast giuen vn­to mee the state both of nature and of grace, & hast also prepared for me the state of glory. And because to this high end many means are required, of thine infinite goodnesse thou art vnto me, as wel the meanes as the end. Thou art my defender, my keeper, my go­uernour; the mercifull scourge of my sinnes; the curer of my infirmities, the instructer of my igno­rances, the directer both of [Page 115] my knowledg and power; thou sustainest, thou stir­rest, thou orderest mee in all my indeauours. Finally, thou art my Lord and my God; euen all the goodnesse that I haue; e­uen all the good that I expect.

WHen he came to mount Caluarie, there was the bloudie banner displaied; there planted hee the tree of life, the fruite whereof expelleth the poi­son which the fruite of the forbiddē tree had wrought. There pitched hee the lad­der,Gen. 8.12 1 which Iacob saw but in a vision, The top whereof reached vp to heauē; wher­vpon not onely the Angels goe vp & downe, with our prayers vnto God, and his mercies vnto vs, but God himself descendeth to man, and man ascendeth vp to God. And first, to make his death the more reproachful they stripped him of all his [Page 117] garments, which the Soul­diers put to diuision and lot. Insomuch as hee, who in all the passages of his life was so pressed with pouer­tie, that hee had not of his own where to rest his head; was now driuen to that na­ked necessitie, that hee had not, in a cold season of the yeare, so much as a figtree leafe to couer his body.

But, although the lawe commanded that malefac­tors should be crucified, yet 2 did it not commaund that they should be crucified naked. Wherefore then, O good Iesu, was this extre­mitie vsed against thee? were the executioners soe coue­tous to enioy thy apparell? [Page] [...] [Page 117] [...] [Page] or were they soe cruell to encrease thy shame? or would [...]st thou testifie thy loue, in shewing vs thy flesh, and not hiding any part of thy body from vs? When Ad [...]m had sinned hee would haue hid himselfe from the pre­sēce of god, because he was naked; But our second Adam, took both this sinne and this shame vpon his naked members, to carrie them to the crosse, and cru­cifie them with him. As­suredly, O my saluation, howsoeuer thy body was naked of apparell, all thy 3 limmes were loaden with our sinnes: euen as thy A­postle Saint Peter hath said: He bare our sinnes in his body [Page 118] on the tree. 1. Pet. 2.24. For who could haue violated thy holy mē­bers, if thy father had not found our offences in them? If he had not foūd this accu­sation against thee, This man receiueth sinners and harboreth malefactors. Diddest thou not knowe, O my redee­mer, that in whose hande the theft is found, hee must be answerable for the same? should not the Father han­dle thee as a Sinner, see­ing hee findeth thee soe charged with sinnes. The Iustice of the Father fin­ding al our Sins vpon thy body, executed vpon thee, and crucified them and thee together.

Hereby thou hast giuen vs example, first, to be mercifull 4 towardes the needy, seeing that for compassion to vs, thou haddest no pit­ty vpon thy selfe; but wert cloathed with our sinnes and our shame, to cloath vs with thy innocency and glory.

5 Secondly, to moderate our desires, in the vaine ei­ther brauaries or abun­dance of worldly thinges, the bellowes of pride and and of presuption, which doe not onely clog, but quench the deuotion of our spirit: euen as a tree by ha­uing many superfluous branches, becommeth lesse fruitfell; and as a lampe, [Page 119] which with a little oyle is cherished, but choaked with much.

Then they strayned his naked body vpon the hard 6 death-bed of the crosse, and fastened it thereunto with blunt and rough nailes, dri­uen through his hands and through his feete: out of which wounds issued foure golden streames, like the foure riuers of the garden Eden, to water and fructi­fie the whole world.

Then they raised him vppe beetweene twoo theeues, and placed him in open view, to be tor­mented with a cruell lin­gering death; the whole [Page] weight of his bodie bea­ring downewardes, nd rending wider the wounds of his handes and feet; which, by concourse of sinewes (the instrumentes of feeling) are the most sensible parts of the whole body. Hauing also to en­counter 7 with the world, and with the diuell, who is the Prince of the world; with death also, and with sinne, which is the cause of death.

Alasse, how farre is the madnesse of the world? how farre is the loue and liberalitie of Christ nowe extended? Was GOD thus angrie against sinne? Woulde no other satis­faction [Page 120] serue? Was the iustice of God so rigorous? Was the redemption of mā 8 so precious? One disobe­dience was sufficient to de­stroy mankind, and were al these workes requisite for their redemption? Truth Lord, for [...]xperiēce teach­eth vs, that it is more easie to ruinate, then to repaire. One firebrand is sufficient to prostrate a whole Citty, which cannot without much both time, and toile, and charge be repaired.

O most righteous and vpright Iudge, how merci­full wert thou towards sin­ners, & how seuere against thine owne Sonne? hee was borne in great basenes; the [Page] 9 world no sooner receiued him, but it persecuted him, and chased him into forrain countries. As his body grew, so encreased the bur­then, both of his labours & wants; vntill in the end he was betrayed to his enemi­es by one of those that were his followers. Is any thing more admirable then this? Liberty was solde, liberali­ty tyed, innocency accused, iustice condemned, and life executed. Is any thing more admirable? The wlsedome of the Father was derided, his power beaten & bound, his beauty defiled, his glo­ry with reproches and re­proofes obscured. Is any thing yet more admirable? [Page 121] God was buffeted, God was scourged, God was nayled to a Crosse, and set vp to the open shew and shame of the worlde; what shall I say? God in his humanity dyed.

Stay now (O my soule) for thou art not able to step any further. Lord, Abac. 1.3 I heard thy wordes and was afraid; I saw thy workes and my bowels were troubled; I was amazed and my lips did shake. Assu­redly, our feeble faculties 10 are farre vnable to compre­hend this mysterie: they cā neuer reach this boundlesse heigth; they can neuer fa­thom this bottomles depth. Wee may coldly speake of it, and drowsely affect it; [Page] but principalities and pow­ers stand astonished at it. Stay here then (O my soul) and lift vppe thy lumpish thoughts after him; euen af­ter the mā of griefe,Cap. 53. as Esay termeth him. Cast off all delight in thinges of this world, & fasten thy desires onely vpon him; that thou maiest with thy naked arms embrace thy naked Saui­our; and bee more neerelie ioined vnto him. That thou maiest with free affection kisse those handes, which were so liberall, as to bee nayled for thee vpon the Crosse.

11 Behold him who was prefigured by the brazen Serpent, the sight of whom [Page 122] cureth the sting of the old Serpent the Diuell: behold the true Moses, stretching forth his bloudy armes to­wards heauen, that his peo­ple may obtaine the victo­rie: beholde the true Ra­chel, trauelling vnto death for thy new birth: behold the second Adam, out of whose bloody side, the Church his Spouse is fashi­oned: beholde the true Sampson, who with his death destroyeth his enemies: be­holde the true Elias, who stretching himselfe vppon thc dead children, restoreth them to life: behold the true Elizeus, who being deade, hath raised vp the worlde to life: beholde the true [Page] Salomon, who hath made a perfect peace between God and man: beholde the true Paschall Lambe, whose blood hath freede vs from the destroyer. He was who­ly giuen for vs, and is who­ly expended for our vse. Behold him from the crown of his heade, to the soles of his feete, and thou shalt finde no parte free from woundes and bloud.

But, O King of glory, what haddest thou deser­ued? what haddest thou done? Pilate could finde in thee no cause of death; nei­ther can I finde any, but onely the aboundance of thy goodnesse and loue. For it was my sinne that hath [Page 123] thus distressed thee; these nailes, these whippes, these streames of bloud, are per­petuall monumentes of my wicked life. Pilate, and Cai­phas, and all the rest, eyther 12 thy Iudges or tormenters, vpon whom we deriue this cursed crueltie, were onelie secondarie and instrumen­tall causes. I was the prin­cipall, I was (in part) the cause of al these causes: I can not shift it to any other, but must say to my selfe, as the Prophet Nathan saide vnto Dauid: Thou art the man: 2. Sam. 12.7 euen thou art he who did thus af­flict him. I had cōmitted the offence, and thou wouldest beare the punishment; I had surfeited, I was diseased, & [Page] 13 thou wouldest take the bit­ter portion. Thou diddest fast for m [...]e in the wilder­nesse, thou diddest sweate for mee in the garden, and thou diddest bleed for mee vppon the Crosse. So the head suffered that cure for the mēbers, which was not necessarie for it selfe; euen as in our naturall bodies, appliances are made often­times to one part, to cure the infirmities of another: Insomuch as I must ac­knowledge my selfe, the o­riginall of all thine angui­shes and paines, the disease which caused thee to die.

Oh then! that I could turne my selfe into teares, that I might wash the [Page 124] woundes, and bath the brui­ses which I haue made. Be­hold, O my God, how I sigh now vnto thee, not so much for griefe, as for want of griefe, for thy grieuous suf­feringes. Oh! that I could in such sorte both honour thee, and abase my selfe, as both of vs are worthy: thou, 14 for thy loue; I, for my diso­bedience. Thou knewest this loue would cost thee thy life; and yet wouldest not thou forbeare to loue me. And seeing thou did­dest die for my disobediēce, 15 it is reason that I shoulde extreamely despise my self, being the very party that hath offeended,

O gracious Lord, what [Page] couldest thou haue done for vs more? What greater te­stimony 16 of thy loue coul­dest thou haue giuen, then in being thus prodigall of thy bloud for thy very ene­mies? then in being so cru­elly tormented for those, who had so cruelly offen­ded thee? Wee were a sort of forlorne sinners, damned so fast as borne: Wee were by nature the Children of wrath; and yet (by the er­rors of our life) continually encreasing wrath, against the day of wrath: whē thou wert moued with mercy to vndertake these tormentes for vs. The Innocent hath suffered for the guilty; the Lord for the seruantes; hee [Page 125] that receiued the iniurie, for those who did it: not for any commodity to himself, nor prouoked by any de­sert of ours; but moued ther­vnto onely by his mercy & loue, wherewith hee hath vouchsafed to visite vs frō on high. Wee were so far from deseruing this mercy and loue, that wee neither desired the same before, nor regarded it when it was done. Certainely, (O my Lord,) I hold my selfe more 17 beholding to thee, for endu­ring these tormentes for my sake, then for all thy other benefites beside. For, as no­thing is more agreeable to thy infinite goodnes, then to bestow benefites, so is [Page] nothing more strange from thine infinite happinesse, then to suffer miseries: whereby it appeareth, that I am more bound vnto thee 18 for the manner of this thy benefite, then I am for the very benefite it selfe.

I worshippe and adore thee (O Lord Iesus Christ) I praise thy holy name, & yeelde vnto thee most hū­ble and earnest thanks, be­cause thou hast so loued vs, as with thy most blessed bloude to wash away our sinnes, and reconcile vs a­gain to thy fathers fauour. Blessed bee thou therefore for euer, who art the recon­ciler, the redeemer, the Sa­uiour of mankind; the van­quisher [Page 126] of hel and of the di­uell; the repairer of life, the destroyer of death. What doth stay our hearts, O Lord, that they runne not vnto thee? is any clog so heauy, is any chaine so strong, that can either hold, or hinder vs from hastening vnto thee? If all the things of this worlde are nothing but a flower; shall so light matters, either breake or slacke our course vnto thee? Can a light straw stay a stone in the aire from fal­ling to his naturall place? and shall the light chaffe of this worlde (for all is no more) stoppe our com­ming vnto thee? who art our last ende, our perfect [Page] felicity, the true rest and center of our soules?

Come vnto him therfore 20 all hungrie and thirsty soules; this is the handfull of meale, and the little oile of the widdow of Sareptha, which will neuer waste;1. Reg. 17 this is the misticall rock which Moses stroke with his rod in the wildernesse,Exod, 17.6 out of which gusheth forth riuers of water of life.Io, 4, 14 All you that dislike your sinnefull birth, come hither and you may be borne again. Come all afflicted consciences, this is the good Samaritan, who will poure oyle and wine into your woundes. Come,Luk. 10.34. all yee that are pres­sed with pouerty, bring [Page 127] hither your emptie vessels; this is the pot of oyle,2. Reg, 4. of the widdow which came to Elizeus; wherewith and by no other meanes you may pay your debtes. Bee not discouraged because it is little, the vertue thereof is great; it will neuer cease running, so long as there be any vessels to fill. Come, all ye that desire to be at peace with God; this is the perfect peace-offering; this is the sweet sacrifice, whose blood crieth not for venge­ance, as the blood of A­bel; but craueth pardon for all offenders. This is the gate, through which wee must passe, if wee goe into heauen: this is the [Page] arke whereinto wee must enter, if wee will bee sa­ued: this is the Pallace of peace; This is my resting place for euer, Psal. 132.14 & euer; here wil I dwel, for I haue delight therin.

AFter they had thus cruelly crucified Iesus, the high priests with the Scribes and Elders, and Pharisies; and after them (so daunge­rous are the euill examples 1 of Great men) the multi­tude which passed by, the Souldiers also that tormē­ted him, and one of the theeues that suffered with him, reuiled and blasphe­med him; rending his repu­tation, and deprauing the doctrine that he had taught. One said, thou that destroyest the Temple and buildest it in three dayes saue thy selfe. Ano­ther bad him come downe [Page 130] from the crosse, and they would belieue in him. Ano­ther cried; Hee saued others, himselfe he cannot saue. Ano­ther; If thou be the son of God, come downe from the crosse. A­nother; Hee trusted in God, let him deliuer him if hee will haue him; for hee said, I am the sonne of God. He that suffered for all, had all against him. And whereas it is so natu­rall for a man to feele com­passion, 2 when others like himself do suffer, that there is none so wicked and wor­thy of death, but men doe pitty him when he is at the point to die: Whereas e­uery good eye will ex­presse griefe, for those that lie in distresse; because there [Page] is no case of humaine cala­mity, which is not incident to our selues. These mi­nisters or rather monsters of hell, did not onely so­lace themselues in the sor­rowes and death of Christ, but vsed al malitious means to obscure his fame, and 3 discredite his doctrine: like men voide of vertue, and in some place of power, who support themselues by sup­pressing others. And if 4 good Iesus could haue lost any other thing, they would also haue endeauored to pul it from him.

Goe too, go too, you ab­ortiue children of the Sy­nagogue, 5 mocke on, good leaue haue you in regard of [Page 131] vs, double your malice in reuiling, if you please; you doe vs a greater pleasure hereby then you perceiue. For, looke bow fast his in­famie doth grow, so fast doth our shame (assure you) decrease. Whatsoeuer could do vs good, he hath impar­ted vnto vs, and hath taken to himselfe whatsoeuer might doe vs harme. But in 6 regarde of your selues, O ye Iewes, it had beene bet­ter your tongues had been torne out of your throates, then they shoulde haue beene thus impiously im­ployed. All this insulting is like the putting of redde hote iron into colde water, a great noyse of extingui­shing [Page] your selues. For, since you haue disauowed the God of your Fathers, and haue saide, you would haue no King but Caesar, since you haue saide, his bloud be vpon vs, and vpon our children; since you haue so maliciou­sly, both persecuted his life, and reproched his death; your walles haue beene throwne downe, your tem­ple burnt, your kingdome ruined; your selues eyther slaine, or captiuated, or chased into straunge coun­tries; where you haue been hated and oppressed, and neuer suffered to knit into one body againe: which curse shall lie vppon you vntil the end of the worlde.

But in regard of thee, 7 O good Iesu, what can bee sufficiently said? To be so afflicted as neuer was any, it is exceeding much; to be despised and despighted in this affliction, what can bee more? In all calamities it is a kinde of comfort to find some compassion. Natural­lie wee desire, if we cannot be deliuered, if wee cannot 8 be eased, yet to bee pittied; to see some who condole our miserie, who wish vs well, who want not the wil but the power to relieue vs. But, these bandogges of Sathan had vtterly exi­led all sence of humanitie; they were so far from pit­ty, that they expressed [Page] great pleasure, in viewing the iniurious cruelty of thē selues, and calamitie of Christ. Againe, a generous heart is more touched with griefe, to see his ene­mies take pleasure at his death, then to endure it: yea, oftentimes a free and noble spirite esteemeth not 9 so much of death as of one spitefull speech. If therfore to liue with infamie bee worse then death, what is it then with infamie to die? Againe, these iniuries and despightes were so much more sencible to the Sonne of God, by how much more then others hee had deser­ued 10 the contrary. For, in all our calamities, it dooth [Page 133] much ease the paine which wee endure, to com­pare it with the fault which wee haue committed. But, because our Sauiour could compare these contempts, not with his fault, not with his innocency onely, but with his innumerable and inestimable deserts; hee did the more grieue at them, or rather at the malice from whence they did proceede. And further, his loue was so great for the saluation of 11 mens soules, that his tor­mentes were not so grie­uous vnto him, as to see that they did his tormen­ters no good. It was worse then death, that his execu­tioners would take no pro­fite [Page] by his death: euen as a louing friend esteemeth lesse his labour for another, then to finde it vnprofita­ble, and not accepted: or as a good mother grieueth more, at the vngrateful and vngracious behauiour of her childe, then at the tra­uailes which she endured at his birth.

But what is this, O yee obstinate Iewes, which you importune the son of God to doe? would you haue him in earnest to come downe from the crosse? No, no: hee loueth it too wel; he was too 12 willing to come vnto it; his patience and his constancy were greater then so. The deuill might as easily haue [Page 134] perswaded him to cast him­self headlong frō the pinacle of the tēple, as you can per­swade him to come downe frō the crosse: he would ne­uer haue gone vp, if it had been conuenient so soon to come down. The crosse and hee were no new acquain­tāce, they had bin affianced together 33. yeers before, & now they haue consūmated the mariage; he hath ioyned therwith, not his hands on­ly, but also his feet. Therfore you are deceiued, O ye 13 Iews, you are altogther blinded with malice: hee is not fastened to the crosse, but he doth embrace it; he stayeth not because he is nailed, but rather because he is enamo­red. [Page] It is not aboue his power to come downe, but it is not a­greeable to his pleasure. His loue to the Crosse was so exceeding great, that if all the Angels had entreated him on their knees if all mē had besought him with teares, he would neuer haue departed from it aliue. Not his bitter drinke, not his nakednesse, not his tormēts, not his death, not your per­swasions, and which is more then all, not your ingrati­tude, coulde either hinder him from going vppe, or cause him to come downe: to saue others, himselfe hee would not saue. Although you tell him, that if he will come down you wil belieue [Page 135] him, yet will he not doe it; because hee knoweth you will not make good your word. O perfidious Iewes, 14 wherfore doe you lie vnto h [...]m, who knoweth your se­crets beter then your selues? you that would not belieue him when he rose from the dead, wold you haue belie­ued if hee had come downe from the Crosse? was it a greater matter to descende from the crosse, then to a­rise out of the graue?

If thou be the son of God come down from the crosse. Nay, be­cause 15 he is the son of God, it is not conuenient he should come down. If he had been one of the thieues, it had lit­tle concerned vs what hee [Page] had done; but beeinge the Sonne of God, what shold haue become vs, miserable wretches, if he had condes­cended to your infamous request? Howe then shoulde the prophesies haue bin ful­filled, the deuill vanquished and the whole world redee­med?

O crucified Iesus, what 16 loue hath ouercome? what goodnesse did guide thee? thou wert neuer intreated to goe vp to the crosse to redeeme vs, but thou woul­dest bee neither perswaded not prouoked to come down from it, vntill thou haddest perfected oure redemption.

O crucified Iesu, on the crosse I loue thee, on the [Page 136] crosse I adore thee, on the crosse I belieue in thee, who vpon the crosse did­dest giue thy selfe to death for me. What hath a man 17 more then riches, honour, and life? all which thou did­dest bestow vpō the crosse to redeeme me For thou, whoe diddest create all things,Io. 1.3. 1, Philip. [...]. diddest hang naked vpon the crosse; thou, whoe diddest thinke it no robbe­ry to bee equall with God, wert sorted with malefac­tors: thou,Io. 1:4. who art the Lord of life, diddest suffer a most opprobrious death. And that I may not loose this exceeding benefite, that thy precious bloud bee not vn­profitably 18 shed for mee, [Page] I prostrate my vnworthy soule, and cry vnto thee; not as the Iewes did, to come down from the crosse; but (which is more) to raise mee vp, and fasten me vnto 19 thee (For they whom thou louest, are knowne by no­thing more, then by impar­ting to them some parte of thy passion) not to saue thy self, but to saue mee.

Saue me (O Lord) from my sinnes, saue mee from the power of my spirituall enemie; saue me from the de­ceipts of the wicked world, saue me from the flattering force of owne appetite, which is both the mightiest and basest Tyrant that can be. Defend the dignitie & [Page 137] glory of my soule, that it be not seruil to my sēsuall lust; that it be not captiuated to the familiarity of the false pleasures of this life: like a blind whelpe, which suc­keth euery thing that is put into the mouth, supposing it to be the teat of the dam.

Deliuer me from variety of desires, from vaine hope, frome vayne feare: a­boue all, deliuer mee from thy wrath, and from thy curse, and from the insepe­rable companion thereof, e­ternall death. Let one small drop of thy bloud distill in­to my soule, that I may present the same vnto thy Fa­ther, in full satisfaction of all my sinnes, Participate vnto [Page] me thy poor vnworthy ser­uant, the full fruit of thy death; here by grace, and hereafter by glory.

And to this ende, giue vnto me both ability, and endeauour, to follow these thy last examples; seeing it is the greatest glory wher­to 20 a Christian can aspire, to draw as neere vnto thee in likenesse of life, as thou diddest vnto vs in likenesse of nature: according as thou diddest commaunde, when thou saidest: I haue giuen you an example, that as I haue done, Io. 13.15 so shoulde yee doe likewise.

Graunt therefore, that I 21 may hold patience & peace, yea loue with all men; not [Page 138] so much by auoiding oc­casions, both of anger, and hate (for that is a meane to couer, but not to cure my imperfections) as by sustai­ning them when they are presented to mee; euen in the presse, and throng of 22 the world, enuironed with Dragons, and treading vp­pon Scorpions: I mean, amiddest the daungerous conuersation with wicked persons, and against all oc­casions which can be offe­red. For, as the tree is not saide immoueable, which stirreth not when no wind bloweth: nor the wood in­combustible, which burneth not when no fire touch it: so a man is not to bee iud­ged [Page] patient, who dooth not fret, fume, and foame, when no prouocation of iniurie is offered.

Therefore, if my friends forsake me, let mee not bee for that cause disquieted; seeing thou werte forsaken for my sake, not onely of thine acquaintance, but of thy Disciples also; yea, for a time of thy heauenly Fa­ther; and in regard of com­forte and ease, of thy owne selfe. If men worke me in­iurie or abuse, either in my estate, or estimation, let mee not therefore breake peace with them; seeing thou did­dest pray for thy malitious and mortal persecuters. E­uen then when they exer­cised [Page 139] vpon thee all cruelti­es 23 & contempts; when they breathed high blastes of blasphemie against thee, which were more painefull to thy heart, then the nailes were to thy hands, and thy feete: Then I say, omitting to comforte thy sorrowfull friends, omitting to cōplain of any thing done vnto thy selfe, thou wert care­ful for the saluation of thine enemies; thou wert more grieued for thine enemies, 24 then for thy friendes; thou wert more sensible of their torments thē of thine own. Noah cursed that sonne, who laughed at his naked­nesse; Elizeus cursed those childrē, who mocked at his [Page] baldenesse: but thou did­dest pray for those, who made thee naked; who sola­ced themselues, not at thy deformitie, but at thy death.

25 When a light iniurie is offered vnto vs, wee must commonly be expected, till time weareth out the im­pression of griefe; wee re­quire also satisfaction, or submission, or at the least acknowledgement of abuse; whereby wee make remis­sion, rather another mans vertue then our owne. but thou, in the middest of thy miseries, in the height of their iniuries, when thou coulde [...]t no [...] stirr [...] any o­ [...] [...] did l [...]bo [...] [...] [Page 140] thou diddest not onely pray for them, as an inter­cessor: 26 Father forgiue them: but also pleade for them, as an aduucate: For they knowe not what they doe. Assuredly, if Pilate coulde haue deliue­red the Iewes to thy will, as hee permitted them to worke their will vpon thee, thou wouldest haue vsed them after a better sort; see­ing the more obstinate they were to take away thy life, the more earnest wert thou to procure their pardon. 27 Considering therefore, that the wil of man is so peeuish and peruerse, I abandon my desires, and resigne my selfe wholy to thy will: for it is more safe for miserable [Page] man to commit himselfe to the will of God, then that God should bee committed to the will of man.

O Lord Iesu, O the sal­uation of my soule, beholde I come vnto thee, as a most poore and vile creature; I approach to the riuers of thy mercy, to the sweete streams of thy grace; to the true Sonne of thy iustice; whose beames are spreade ouer the whole worlde, & powreth large light vnto al those, who doe not shut their eyes against it. Behold I prostrate my vnworthie soule at thy feet; I doe not reuile, but I praise and a­dore thee: I doe not mocke, but I mourne at thy passi­on. [Page 141] O thou who wert pit­tifull to thine enemies, bee not hard to thy suppliants; thou who diddest pray for those who did reproch thee; pray for him (I pray thee) who prayeth vnto thee. Lift vp thy voice to thy Father for me; cease not to entreate him, that hee wil forgiue mee.

I Am further enco­raged (O my redeemer) to craue, not thy prayer only, but also thy pardon, by example of the thiefe whoe dyed with thee. Who, al­though he had spent all the [Page] time of his life, in open out­ragies, yet when he desired thee to be mindfull of him, thou diddest presently re­turne answere: This day shalt thou be with mee in Paradise. O sweete word! O hearte more yeeldable then waxe! truly, O Lord, thy lips are the hony comb; honey and 1 milke doe flowe from thy tonge. Thou diddest pray for sinners on the crosse, to shew thy selfe our aduocate: and thou diddest pardon sinnes, to shewe that thou art our iudge.

What is this? O liberall Lord, howe meruailous are thy mercies towards vs? our petitiones are no sooner made, but forthwith they [Page 144] are graunted; thou giuest more also then wee desire. The thiefe desired thee on­ly 2 to remember him, and thou doest promise him the kingdome of heauen. But whē, O gracious Lord? that present day: with whome? euen with thy selfe. What wouldest thou then deny vs, O the sweetnesse of my soul, if we were to thee such seruants, as thou art vnto vs a Lord? seing thou art both so ready, and so bountefull to open offenders? Which, although it ought not to imbolden vs, to defer our re­pentance vntill the end of 3 our liues, (because this con­uersion of the thiefe, as it was the last worke which [Page] thou didest in this life, so was it not the least) yet it may incourage vs, neuer to think, either our sinnes too great, or our time to short, to ob­taine thy pardon.

Come vnto mee then, all 4 ye that are feeble hearted, and euer thinke you shal be damned; see what a louer of man he is and how desirous of our saluation; see how ea­sie he is to be entreated, how ready to giue his glory at the first demand. He apprehendeth, he seeketh all oc­casions, hee desireth no­thing more then to bestow it vpon vs. If yee will say, you haue done litle seruice, whereby you should hope for soe high a rewarde fear [Page 145] not, it sufficeth that you haue a desire to serue him. 5 This is a property of him that is liberall, and merciful, (For which vertues he is es­pecially commended.) not so much to regarde the works of our bodies, as the willingnes of our minds.

He soe thristeth after the saluation of our soules, that he often accepteth our pur­pose for performance; it sufficeth many times that wee are prepared in will, the rest hee doth supply by his grace. His gratious goodnes 6 both perfecteth that which we haue, & supplieth what­soeuer wee want.

Bee not therefore dismai­ed 7 at his terrible Iustice, [Page] but rather comforted. Let them feare, who are flintie hearted, who will not con­uer [...] and come vnto him; who follow vanities freelie, who doe boldly sinne, and then say, What euill haue I done? Let thē tremble, who are so farre from calling v­pon him, that they wil not know him: it is dreadfull for such to fal into his hāds. But they who are smitten with sorrow for their sins, they who rise, and returne vnto him, let them be con­fident; for hee that hath drawne them will assured­ly 8 receiue them. It is not the thiefe alone who was receiued, but, let al sinners be brought forth, & ther cānot [Page 146] any one be named, were he neuer so greate, who con­uerted to him and was not iustified: He so loueth cō­uerted sinners, that if it were necessarie so to do, he would rather suffer death a­gain, then consent that one of them should be damned.

O happy thiefe, how pleasant were thy paines? how delightfull was thy death vnto thee? being assu­red, that thou shouldest forthwith raigne with him in heauē, who suffered with thee, & for thee vpon earth. The other thiefe demanded of Christ to bee deliuered 9 from the Crosse; but the cō­uerted thief, hauing heard him openly professe, that [Page] his kingdome was of ano­ther worlde, desired no bo­dily benefite, but onely to bee remembred of him, whē hee came into his kingdom. Pilate in his tribunall, the people standing by, and the 10 thiefe in fetters heard these wordes of Iesus alike; but hereupon Pilate contemned him, the multitude moc­ked him, the thiefe onelie did belieue him.

Seeing then, O good Ie­su, thy kingdome (thou hast 11 said) is not of this worlde, what shall I aske? what shal I hope for of thee, that this worlde doth affoord? If I aske honour, riches, crea­dite, quiet, thou maiest send mee for them to the [Page 147] Princes of this worlde; or else aunswere me, as thou diddest the sonnes of Zebe­deus; Mat. 10 38. You aske you know not what. There is another world, whereof thou (& no other) art King; whereby we are giuen to vnderstand, that for all the seruices which we can doe, for al the aduersities which we suffer for thy sake, we are to ex­pect 12 no worldly rewarde. Because thou so esteemest those who loue thee, that to rewarde one of them alone, thou thinkest the whole worlde not to be sufficient: and for no other cause did­dest thou come into this world, and suffer for vs, but to take vs into an other [Page] worlde to raigne with thee. 13 Seeing therefore I esteeme of my selfe, because I am thine; and thou hast saide, thou hast nothing in this world; I dare not be a worldling, for then I shall not bee thine. I will not ey­ther praise or desire the cō­modities of this life, but doe crie vnto thee with the happie thiefe, Lord remem­ber me now thou art in thy king­dome. 14 Remember not my iniquities, remēber not my errours, but remember that I am a fraile and feeble cre­ature; remember that I am the worke of thy hands, re­member that thou gauest mee a spirite to thine own likenes; remēber that thou [Page 148] tookest flesh, like vnto me. Remember al the miseries, which for me thou hast en­dured; remember thy good­nesse, not my euill; not the greatenesse of my sins, but thy grieuous sufferinges. Lord, I desire not with the other thiefe, to bee freede from the crosses, and cala­mities of this life; giue mee rather thy griefe, and so shal 15 I be sure to haue therewith also thy grace. For vnto none hast thou imparted thy loue, vnto whom thou hast not also imparted thy labour; and with none doest thou communicate thy griefe, but thou doest ther­with communicate thy grace.

THOV ART A LILLIE AMIDDEST MANIE THORNES: thou canst not be attained with idle ease. Wee must endure not only labour, but smart, if we wil enioy thee. If wee will haue thy head, it is crow­ned with thorns; if thy hart, it is pierced, with a speare; if thy handes and thy feet, they are strooke through with nailes. THOV ART A LILLIE AMIDDEST THE THORNES.

Now, the neerer Christ 16 drew towardes his death, the heauier was his Fathers hand, the waightier his wrath, the more stripes did bee double vpon him. In the garden of Gethsemanie [Page 149] he cried to his father; Fa­ther, if it be possible let this cup passe from me: but now, fee­ling that which then hee feared; the storm now brea­king vpon him, which did but then begin to appeare; hee cried againe; My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken mee? At both these times, 17 what were eyther his fee­lings, or his feares, what the tormentes of his body, what the anguish of his soule, it is daungerous to define; Wee know them not, wee may be too aduenterous to de­termine of them. But, to be altogether abandoned in these extremities, to haue no comfort affoorded, no care taken; to be bereaued, [Page] not onely of the helpe, but of the pitty of all, which in some degree euery man dooth finde, seemeth to bee the accomplishment of mi­serie. First, hee was depri­ued 18 of all earthly comfort; For of his Disciples, some betrayed, and solde him; o­thers forswore him; all fell away, and fled from him. And as for the people a­mong whome hee liued, working miracles, and do­ing all the good that hee could, it was they who pre­ferred Barabbas before him; it was they, who in the mid­dest of his miserable estate, did most insolently insulte vpon him. It was they who when he cried out, Eli, Eli, [Page 150] did in a barbarous sorte de­ride him, as if he had called for Elias; it was they, who, when with extreame faint­nesse, and paines, when by reason of the large losse of his bloud hee did thirst, not onely denied him a droppe of water,Luk. 16 as Abraham deni­ed to the rich glutton in hel, but gaue him gal to redou­ble his tormente. Second­ly, 19 hee was depriued of all heauenly comforte, which is the true lenitiue in al do­lorous distresse. And this was the cause of his heauie crie; not that his friends, but that his father did then for­sake him; not that earth, but that heauē did not yeeld him any comfort. The hea­uenly [Page] Father did then forsake his innocent, and only 20 sonne, and yet was not the vnion betweene them dis­solued. Hee dissolued not the vnion, but withdrewe his vision; and restrained the influēce of those beams, which might any way re­fresh the passioned powers of his soule.

Many Martyrs haue 21 beene assailed with terrible tormentes, which they did not only quietly, but chere­fully endure. Wil you know the reason? They were not deliuered, indeed, but therewith also, they were not forsaken. For, the grace of God did minister vnto them, such sweet, and secret supply of [Page 151] com­forte, that they tyred their tormentours, in sustaining all extremities, which mer­cilesse tyranny could exe­cute or inuēt. But in Christ, although in regarde of his infinite dignity (for that is it which setteth this sacri­fice at so high a price) the least torment, although on­ly in body might haue suf­ficed 22 for redeeming manie worldes; yet would he not onely suffer greater tor­mentes then can bee con­ceiued; partly to manifest 23 thereby his exceeding loue, in making our redemption so aboundant (for, the lesse he had suffered, the lesse would his loue haue beene esteemed) partly to awake [Page] our regard, and to leaue vs inexcusable if wee loue him not againe: to stirre vs al­so to settle in him our assu­rance, and hope, especially in our tribulations, & most especially when wee suffer 24 for his sake. But further, he excluded all consolation from him; hee receiued no comfort, eyther from hea­uen, or from the earth, ey­ther frō his father, or from himselfe: euen as it is in the Psalme;Psal. 38 I looked aboute me, and there was none to com­forte me. His naked body was left desolate & forlorn, like a weather-beaten tree; the force and furies of hell, tempestuous vpon him; the influence of cōfort restrai­ned [Page 152] from his reliefe. His apostles had forsaken him before; but here he was for­saken of his heauenly Fa­ther, and in a manner of his his owne selfe. O forsa­ken lest, expect not what 25 aunswere thy Father will make, we miserable sinners are able to aunswere to this thy question: thy Father hath forsaken thee, to saue the worlde, which other­wise had perished; to saue those who were both sin­ners and seruāts, he did for­sake his innocent sonne.

O mercifull Father, let e­uery knee bowe, let euerie 26 tongue poure forth praises vnto thee; for that in fa­uour of me, thou hast not [Page] spared thine onely sonne; but diddest fastē vpon him these bitter blowes, to satis­fie thy iustice for my trans­gressions, and that I might haue him a faithfull Aduo­cate before thee in heauen. 7 How much more am I boūd vnto thee, O my God, for this benefit of my redemp­tiō, then for the great work of my creation? Thou did­dest create mee when I was nothing, but thou diddest redeeme mee when I was worse then nothing: thou diddest create mee by thy worde, but thou diddest re­deeme mee with the bloude of thine onely sonne: In my creation I was made to the image of God; but in my re­demption, [Page 153] God was made according to my image: In my creation thou diddest giue vnto me the state of Nature, but in my redemp­tion thou diddest giue vn­to me the state of grace: when thou diddest create mee, thou diddest giue vn­to mee my selfe, but when thou diddest redeeme mee, thou diddest giue thy sonne vnto me: when thou did­dest create me, thou diddest giue me to my selfe; but whē thou diddest redeeme mee, thou diddest take mee vnto 28 thee. O my God, a thou­sand times more I thanke thee for my redemption, thē for all thy other benefites beside: for if I had not been [Page] redeemed, all thy other be­nefites shoulde haue beene to me a burthen, & charge. And I most humbly bee­seech thee, by this thy great 29 goodnesse tow [...]rdes vs, by this obedience of thy sonne towardes thee, to giue vn­to me thy grace, that I may also bee pittifull for the miseries which fall vpon o­thers, and patient in those which are laide vppon my 30 selfe; in which two pointes, the foundation of a Chri­stian life doth consist.

Grant also, that in al the di­stresses of this life, I neuer loose, or let fal my confi­dence in thee: seeing, that when thy sonne had cried in his extremities; My God, [Page 154] my God, why hast thou forsa­ken mee? he presentlie re­sumed his confidence, and saide; Father, into thy handes I commend my spirit. For, ad­uersities 31 and afflictions are sure signes, not alwaies that wee are forsaken of thee, but most often that wee are in thy grace and fauour;Heb. 12. [...] being therby made (though in a low degree) somewhat like to thy beloued sō. who, perceiuing vs to be terrifi­ed by troubles & death, did take thē vpon himselfe, to blesse & sanctifie them, and season thē with some sweet­nes; that we should not on­ly endure, but reioice and triumph, in & for our afflic­tions. Hee hath now made [Page] aduersities, the straight pas­sage and entrance into hea­uen; death is now no more death, but the leader vnto life. The diuine Iustice permitteth not any of our offences to escape without punishiment: seeing there­fore thy children haue ma­ny imperfections, there is no greater comforte vnto them, then to bee scourged in this worlde; there is no greater punishment in this life, then in this life not to bee punished. There is no sacrifice more acceptable vnto thee, then a troubled and afflicted heart; there is no truer token, and lesse to be suspected (bee our other seruices neuer so many and [Page 155] great) both of thy loue to­wardes vs, and of our loue towardes thee, then quie [...]ly to endure the calamities of this life; not as hauing no sence of thy hand, but by subduing our naturall both reason and will to thine o­bedience. If it bee for our offences that we suffer, let vs take it patiently, and re­pent, and then wee suffer with the saued thiefe: If it be without offence, let vs take it patiently, and reioyce, for then wee suffer with Christ himselfe: who hath giuen vs such an example in suffe­ring for vs, that it must needs seeme little, that wee can suffer for him.

Grant also, O gracious 32 [Page] God, that the vinegar and gal whereof thy son tooke a tast, may bee to mee a sea­soning of all the pleasures of this life; that I may bee restrained thereby from running into excesse, and from drowning the life of my soule in bodily delights. For goodly christians they are, who, knowing what a sowre sauce was tempered for Adams apple, will fol­low their appetites with full saile; stuffing their sto­mackes with all kind of de­licates, and in one acte of eating, both consume, and 33 be consumed. I aduise thee, O my soule, yea I doe most strictly charge and enioyn thee, that as thou desirest [Page 156] to succeede in the merites of thy Sauiour, so thou re­fuse not to doe the like, both in his temperance, and in his trauails; seeing it is a­greeable to all lawes, that whosoeuer will enter vpon an inheritance, hee cannot enioy the commodities without the charge. Thy Sauiour woulde leaue that which seemed necessarie, that thou shouldest leaue what is superfluous; for thou shalt finde in thy generall account, that thou hast stolne so much from the poore, as thou hast bestowed superfluouslie v­pon thy selfe. If thou wilte say, thou enioyest not many pleasures, either [Page] to moderate or forsake, see then that thou weane thy 34 will from pursuing them by desire. For in the house of our Lord it is much more esteemed, to ouercome our wil, in that which we desire, then to [...]et light by that which we possesse: beca [...]se the pleasures and contentments of this life, seeme far greater in shew, then in sub­stance they are found.

Lastly, O my God, graunt vnto me thy vnworthy ser­uant, I beseech thee, that at the separation of my mise­rable soule, from the fetters of my flesh, I may spend my last breath with these wordes of my Sauiour, Fa­ther, into thy handes, I com­mende [Page 157] my spirite. Comfort me then with the vertue of his passion; which is, life to the dead, pardon to the wicked, and glorie to the Saintes: that e [...]ding the last minute of my life in the middest of his woundes, in the very depth of his death and bloud, I may confidently commit my soule, & thou receiue it readily into thy hands. Heauenly Father, receiue the sweet soule, which thy sonne hath offered o­bediently vnto thee: Re­ceiue, I say, thy precious son for a ransome, and withall receiue thy seruaut whome hee hath redeemed. For as he died in thine obedience, so died hee also for my re­demption. [Page] I haue nothing to offer vnto thee but his death, nothing but his bloud, and the loue where­with he gaue vs his bloud. His soule he hath commit­ted vnto thee; but vnto vs hee hath giuen his bloude. This is all our treasure, this is our assured trust: where­of we wil not rerurn, so much as one droppe vnto thee, vnlesse it be in exchāge of euerlasting life.

AFter, when Iesus knew that al things were performed, hee cryed with a [Page] greate voyce, and bowed his heade, Io, 19.30 and gaue vp the Ghost. And the sunne was darkened, and the vaile of the Temple rent through the midst, Luc. 23. Math., 27 and the earth did quake, and the stones were cl [...]uen, and the graues did open, and many bodies of the Saintes which slept, arose, and came out of the graues after his resurrection, and appeared vn­to many. When the Centu­rion, and they that were with him, watching Iesus, sawe the earthquake, and the things that were done they feared greatly, and saide: Mar. 15. truly, this man was the Sonne of God.

1 What is this? O gratious God; whoe euer sawe two such contraries combined together? whoe euer sawe [Page 160] such misery ioyned to such might? when was so greate glory accompanied at any time with so great griefe? whoe is hee that is soe hum­bled, and yet so high? whoe is so powerfull, and yet soe poore? Hee that is contem­ned vpon earth, is honou­red in heauen; hee that is fa­stened naked to a crosse, maketh the earth to quake; hee that dyeth, raiseth the dead to life. O sweete Sa­uiour, 2 thou didst now manifestly declare, both whoe thou art, & wherefore thou camest into the world.

The Centurion, and they whoe were with him, did acknowledge thee to bee the Sonne [Page] of God; and the dead whoe were raised to life, did tes­tifie that thou camest to o­uercome death. Wee will make smal reckoning therefore, that the Iewes did scoste at thee, seeing the heauens, the earth, the liuing, and the dead, did witnesse with thee.

And thus likewise, in all the other passages of his life, our Sauiour did so bear and behaue himselfe, that he neuer did, either so high a mericle, but therein his hu­manity did apear, or so meā a work, but h [...]s diuinitie did therein shine. All his acti­ōs participated of both his natures; in euerie thing which hee did or suffered, [Page 161] the glory of the one, was alwaies ioyned with the hu­mility of the other. It was great humility to be concei­ued, but it was greate glory to bee conceiued by the ho­ly Ghost. It was great hu­militie to bee borne, but it was great glory to be born of a virgine; It was greate humilitie to bee borne in a stable, but it was greate glo­ry to bee worshipped of the wise men. It was great hu­militie to lie among beasts, but it was great glory to be honored of the angels: It was greate humilitie for him to bee circumcised, but it was great glory to be named Sauiour▪ It was great humili­tie to bee baptised amonge [Page] siners, but it was great glory that the heauēs opened, that the Father spake vnto him, and that the spirit visibly descended vpon him. Last­ly, it was great humilitie to dye vpon the crosse, but it was great glory that both heauen ann earth, were dis­turbed thereat; that all crea­tures adored his death, ex­cept man only for whome hee dyed. Of the one of these the prophet Esay saith; Hee hath neither forme nor beauty, Cap, 53 2 he is despised and reiec­ted of men, hee is a man of sor­rowes, and hath experi­ence of infirmities: Io. 1, 14. Of the o­ther Saint Iohn speaketh: And we sawe the glory thereof, as the glory of the only begotten [Page 162] sonne of the Father. By the first, our wil is subdued, and our manners corrected; by the second, our vnderstan­ding is enlightened, and our faith confirmed. If therefore this humility of Christ bee offensiue vnto vs, let vs turne our eyes to all the particular circum­stances thereof; and we shal finde it not vnworthy, that with so great Maiesty hee was humbled.

First, the Sunne, behol­ding his Creator naked, drew in his light to couer him with darkenesse; which being vpon the day of the full moone, could not pro­ceed frō an ordinary cause; but, as our Sauiour was be­trayed, 4 [Page] apprehended, scor­ned, reuiled, spat vpon and buffeted in the night, so it was not inconuenient, that the residue of this worke of darkenesse should in darke­nesse be accomplished: euen as he had said to the Iews; this is your very houre, and the power of darkenesse. Luk. 22 52. And when he cried with a great voyce, and yeelded vp his spirite, 5 the earth trembled also, and the rockes did rend; where­of in the land of Iewrie, in the kingdome of Damasco, and in the mountaines of Arabia, mention remaineth vntill this day.

Therefore do not think (O ye Iewes) that as his life doth end, so you haue al­so [Page 163] extinguished his power; 6 hee that hath laid down his life, retaineth power, both in the heauens, and vpon the whole earth: and it is a lesse matter for him to rise againe, then it was to suffer himselfe to die. You can­not say, that these thinges which happened at the ve­ry instant of his death, were done by any ordinary meanes: Wherevpon you must acknowledge, eyther in him diuine Maiesty, or deuelish malice in your selues. O good Iesu, it 7 was a great voice, indeed, wherat the principal pow­ers of Heauen, Earth, and Hell did shake; which did astonish the liuing, and [Page] the deade. As the crie of our sinnes did reach vnto the iustice of thy Father, so did thy voyce reach vn­to his mercy. Thou diddest crie with a great voyce, to call the liuing, and summon the dead; that if any should loose himselfe, if any should not bee conuerted vnto thee, it shoulde not bee, because hee was not cal­led, but because hee would not come.

But woe bee vnto e­uery soule, which is not conuerted, which will not come; woe bee vnto euery soule which is not moued at this mighty voice. O crucified Iesu, haue mercy 8 vpon mee, poore sinner, [Page 164] prostrate before thee, and let my humble voyce enter into thine eares, that thy mighty voyce may sinke in­to my soule. Giue vnto mee a true touch at these thy sufferinges; both [...] compassion (as it is rea­son, that the mēbers should condole with the heade) and also of feare. That my minde bee not more heauy then the earth, which did tremble; that my heart be not more harde then the stones, which did cleaue; and that my soule bee not more sleepie then the dead, which did arise, at the pow­er of thy passion. O greate Redeemer of the worlde, if all creatures did feare [Page] 9 thee, hanging vpon the crosse, what will they doe when thou shalt come to iudgement? If thou werte so potent in thy greatest debility, what wilt thou be in thy greatest glory? If these effectes did accompa­nie the worke of thy mer­cy, and the voyce of thy loue, wherewith thou did­dest call al men to come vn­to thee; what wil the worke of thy iustice doe, and the voyce of thy fury; departe from mee yee cursed into euer­lasting fire? I am much afraid O good Iesu, of the strict accompt wherewith I shal bee charged at that day, what aduantage I haue 10 made of thy bloud, where­of [Page 165] I shall yeelde a slender reckoning, seeing I haue scarse retained it in memo­rie. Because, so much as I do loue and cherish my self, so much doe I forget thee; and [...]s no lesse fault, not to make profite of thy bloud, then it was to shed it. Sweet Sauiour, let thy precious bloude alwayes streame within my soule, that all my thoughts may bee ba­thed therein; let all actions bee to me, either valuable or vile, according as they par­ticipate thereof; let mee be carefull for nothing more, then that I bee not careful for my felfe, in matters of this life; let mee feare thy iustice now, that then I [Page] may bee confident in thy mercies.

Now, in that the vaile, 11 which did hang in the mid­dest of the Temple, did al­so rend from the toppe to the bottome, what [...] the obstinate Iewes pretende, that all their mysteries are not laide open? that all their signes are not verefied? that all their ceremonies are not at an ende? The vaile of the Temple was torne at the death of Christ, and the Temple it selfe was bea­ten downe in shorte time after; and coulde neuer since, nor euer shall bee againe repaired. The transgressors of the law, by killing the giuer of the law, [Page 166] haue discouered the secrets, and finished the ceremo­nies of the lawe. They may still seperate them­selues with the vaile of ma­lice, and of ignorance, but with the vaile of the lawe they cannot. The vaile of the law cannot couer him, who did hang naked bee­cause hee would bee seene. O how happy are we that 12 haue Iesus Christ for our God, whose pleasure is that nothing shoulde bee hid­den. There is no God like our God, who sheweth that which is secrete, and openeth that which is shut; who instructeth vs, what is necessary, & what is need­lesse, eyther to doe, or to [Page] auoide. What desirest thou, O my foule, to see of him, which he hath not manife­sted vnto thee? If thou wilt see his workes, looke vpon the world; if thou wilt see his wil, read the Gospel. He hath not onely shewen thee his flesh, but hath opened also his heart vnto thee. He was borne in a common Inne, that all might make resort vnto him; he suffered vpon an open mount, that all might set their sight vp­pon 13 him. O my Redee­mer, rende from my heart the vaile of carelessenesse and contempt, that I may bende it to beholde the se­crets which thou hast o­pened. Breake also the [Page 167] vaile of grosse dulnesse; for so long as my soule shall be couered therewith, it is im­possible for mee to see thee.

So then, this rending of the vaile is a testimonie vnto vs, that the law is ac­complished▪ and that wee are freed, as from the strict obseruation, so from the se­uere sentence of the same. B [...]t, O good Iesu, O greate redeemer of soules, what 14 greater testimony can wee desire, that death was put to death, by the force of thy death, then that many bodi­es which death had vnder the key of his power, did rise out of their graues? For if they had been still subiect vnto death, they could ne­uer [Page] haue brake from his ar­rest. O glorious death, which tooke life frō death; who woulde euer haue ex­pected, that one death could haue slaine another? Who did euer see before, a mā fast bound, vanquish one that was at liberty? a naked man, one that was apparelled & armed? a wounded man, one that was sounde? a dead mā, one that was in life? Oh! how presētly woldest thou make proofe, of the value of thy blood, and how far the force of thy death did ex­tend; seeing that vpon the crosse thou diddest giue, to the thiefe, glory; and life 15 vnto the dead. What is not he able to do, who giueth [Page 168] glory to the dying, & life to the dead? He wil neuer take away life from those that liue, who came to restore the dead to life.

Finally, as thou diddest manifest thy diuine wor­king, in that the high priest, who consulted against thee, did prophesie that thou shouldest die for the peo­ple; in that Iudas, who be­trayed thee, did acknow­ledge thee to be innocēt; in that Pilate, who condemned thee, declared that he found no faulte in thee: so did­dest thou the like, in that the Centurion, who wat­ched thee, confessed that thou werte the Sonne of GOD. Heereby wee [Page] 16 may plainly see the blinde­nesse of our iudgement, and the weakenes of our power; because that which mā doth purpose for one ende, thou doest oftentimes dispose to another.Exo. 1.10 Whē Pharaoh saide, come, let vs work wisely; thē did his foolishnesse most ap­peare; and when the Iewes supposed to deale most sure against thee, then was their deuise most of al disappoin­ted. For they had procured the Centurion to guarde thee; but thou diddest vse him to confes thee. He con­fessed 17 that thou wert man; (This man:) he cōfessed that thou wert God (was the sonne of God:) he cōfessed that thou wert iust; (This was a iust [Page 169] man.) He confessed thy diui­nity, thy humanity, & thy innocency; which is so high and perfect a confession, that the Angels haue not more to acknowledge, nor men to belieue.

Now, the malice of the executioners was so implaca­ble against Iesus, that this cruell death was not suffici­ent to asswage it; but after he had voluntarily laide down his life and soule for vs, one of them, (violating the lawe of mercy, against him, whoe neuer violated the lawe of Iustice) stroke him into the side with a speare, and forthwith there gushed out water & blood; water to cleanse, and bloud [Page] to cure all our infirmities.

18 O blessed streame, where of one small drop is suffici­ent to satisfie all our thirst; whereof, if one small drop had fallen into hell, all the damned might thereby haue 19 beene saued. Weepe nowe no more, O my soule, but reioyce and sing praises; for now the gates of hel are beaten downe, and the chaines of death are broken in sun­der. Now is the Cherubim, who kept the entrance into paradise with a fiery sword, remoued from his charge; Christ hath receiued the wound of that sword, the water which issued out of his side hath quenched that fire. Nowe is the porte [Page 170] of righteousnes opened; as by man came death, so now by man came life into the world. This is the houre which was so often promi­sed, so many waies prefigu­red, soe long expected, soe much desired. By this worke, the wrath of God is appeased, the heauens are repaired, the earth is renew­ed; our sinnes are cleansed, our enemies vanquished, & our soules deliuered. Al­though this sacrifice was 20 costly to him, yet was it grateful to his Father, & to vs profitable. It is more glorious vnto himself, that hee reigneth in heauen; but it is more helthfull vnto vs, that he did hang vpō the crosse. [Page] To him, this was a day of the fiercenes of gods wrath; but to vs, it was a day of the fulnesse of his fauour: In re­spect of that hee suffered, this was indeed a heauy day, but in respect of that he ob­tayned for vs, it was a day of Saluation. For, it doeth not only free vs from that punishment, which by our sinnes we had incurred, but it doth restore vs to that happy state, whereof wee were disseised by our sinnes. By his death as hee was our sa­crifice, we are acquitted frō destruction: by his death, as he was our high Priest (for he was both our sacrifice & our Priest) wee are aduaun­ced to a most high and hap­py [Page 171] condition. Not the same wherof we were dispossessed 21 by our sinnes, but to a farre more excellent estate. Our sins dispossessed vs of Para­dise, vpon earth, but his death doth intitle vs to the kingdome of heauen. His bloud is not only the bloud of remission, to discharge vs of our Sinnes; but it is also the bloud of the testament, to bequeath vnto vs the in­heritance of heauen.

Haile, holy wound of my Sauiours side; the entrance to his heart, the issue of his [...]oue. Haile, holy riuer of Paradise; the veine of liuing water, the true treasure of the Church. Haile, O win­dow of the heauenly Arke; 22 [Page] whereinto whosoeuer ent [...] reth, shall escape the vni­uersall inundation of God wrath. Open vnto mee thi [...] gate, O Lord, and receiu [...] mee into thy bosome t [...] dwell; euen into the secre [...] closet of thy loue. I ador [...] thee: O my Lord Iesu [...] Christ; the king of glorie the prince of peace, the eternall vertue and wisedo [...] of the Father. I adore thee the ioy of Heauen, th [...] hope of earth, the life an [...] light of all the worlde: th [...] ease of them that labour the comfort of those tha [...] are afflicted, the aduocate [...] sinners, the ioy of the iust, adore thee, the greate redeemer of mankinde, th [...] [Page 172] peace-offering, the accepta­ble sacrifice; who, by expēce of thy bloude, hast inclined thy Father, to looke vpon our miseries, and heare our cryes.

O heire of heauen, O the glory of the blessed, what [...]oue is this which thou [...]earest to the world, that for it, thou shouldest not [...]oue thy selfe? that thou wouldest loose thy life for [...]hose, who hated thee vnto the death? Thy blessed bo­ [...]y was made an Anuile; all thy sences, all thy members were loaden with blowes: no part was left vnsmitten, [...]n working out the saluati­on of thine enemies. Before 23 thy death, thy skinne and [Page] thy flesh were torne with whips, thy head rent with thornes, thy hands and thy feete wounded with nailes: nowe after thy death, thy heart and thy bowels were pierced with a speare. This 24 is a high mysterie, all words forsake vs, it cannot bee ex­pressed so liuely as it should In silence wee may both ad­mire and adore it: but, no [...] our words, not our thoghts can reach vnto it. What wo [...] thy thanks thē can we giue vnto thee (O blessed Saui­our) who wert plunged in this mire of miseries, to draw our soules out of the mire of Sinne? Thou diddes [...] buy our soules, with th [...] price of thy bloud: and if any [Page 172] thing could haue beene 25 more precious, a more pre­cious thing thou wouldest haue giuen for vs. But what quantitie of his bloud did he giue? O my soul, dispute 26 not whether it were little or much, seeing he hath giuen for thee all that he had. Hee hath poured forth his bloud to thee without count, and wilt thou haue a reckoning of it? he gaue it not in that measure, because he would giue no more; but because he had no more to giue.

O most liberal Lord, how prodigall wert thou of thy precious blood? If thou wouldest haue paide for vs according to our worth, if thou haddest esteemed vs [Page] [...] [Page 172] [...] [Page] no better then our merit, it is certaine, that of one drop halfe had beene to much: but to manifest thy loue, and to make our redemp­tion the more aboundant, thou diddest poure forth e­uery 27 droppe vnto vs. One drop of thy blessed blood woulde haue beene a large price for all thinges, in heauen and in earth; and yet wouldest not thou, for our sake, reserue one drop thereof to thy selfe.

28 O most liberal Lord, thou hast bound me to thee in a double debt, both for gi­uing thy soule to death for mee, and for restoring mine to life. For restoring my soule, I haue nothing but [Page 174] the same which I can iustly giue thee; but for giuinge thy sweet soul to death for me, there is nothing in man which can worthily be rendered: the heauen, the earth and all their furniture, are lesse thē nothing in comparisō therof. We can but loue thee, we can but laud thee; & this we cānot do but by thy gift. Helpe me therefore, O louing Lord, that I may be able to loue and laud thee, that I may die to my selfe and to all creatures for loue of thee: that my soule may adhere only vnto thee, vp­on whom her forces do de­pend. I adore thee, O my strength and my redeemer, I repose all my confidence [Page] in thee; all my desires (after my imperfect maner) aspire vnto thee. I bow my soule to thy blessed passion, and with reuerence I salute thy rosie wounds. I adore thy blood, thy death, thy buri­all, thy victorious resurre­ction, thy ascention into glory: by these I am refre­shed; from these I draw the breath of life. O my Saui­our, I desire thee only; I of­fer my self wholy vnto thee. I want nothing I wish no­thing but onely thee; for 29 thou alone art sufficient for mee. Thou art my King, thou art my Lord, my tutor, my gouernour, my father; the paradise of my hart, the nest wherein my soule [Page 175] resteth, the hauen wherein it is saued, the glasse where in it beholdeth it selfe; the staffe whereby it stayeth, the stone whereon it stan­deth, the treasure whereto it trusteth. Who is so liberal as he? who hath giuen him­selfe for so vile a creature? who is so louing as he, who hath not spared himselfe for his very enemies?

O most liberall and lo­uing Lord, whoe despisest none that come vnto thee; 30 but doest rather help him, but dost rather preuēt him; but rather dost accompany him, doest follow him, dost leade him in the way. Re­ceiue my loose, my lost soule, which seeketh after [Page] thee; raise mee, by the ver­tue of thy passion, from the death of sinne: and by the same vertue indue mee with wisdom and strength, that by the one I may pre­uent, and by the other re­sist the attempts of my most daungerous enemies, the flesh, the world, and the di­uell. The flesh, idle and vo­luptuous; the world, vaine and curious; the diuell, sub­till and malicious. Graunt vnto mee, by the same ver­tue, I beseech thee, that the yoake of thy commaunde­ments may be sweete, that the burthen of thy crosse may be light vnto mee; that I may contemne the transi­tory trifles of this worlde; [Page 176] that I may not weakely yeeld eyther to the calami­ties or pleasures of this life; but that with vnmoueable mind, I may beare the one, and forbeare the other.

All this was done against Iesus, vpon the day of the preparation of the passeo­uer. And, because the day following was a high Sab­boath, the Iewes desired of Pilate, that the crucified bo­dies might not remain vpō the crosse; being very scru­pulous in small matters, but of wide and brokē conscien­ces 31 in matters of weight. Against Iesus they made particular suit, that his se­pulchre shoulde bee made sure for three dayes, least [Page] his bodie might be taken a­way; because hee had saide, that within three daies, hee would arise againe to life. So they set a guarde vpon his body, and sealed the stone vpon the mouth of the sepulchre. But, when hee that would not descend from the crosse, did rise out of his graue; when he had broken the chains of death; when he was returned, with Daniel, out of the Lions den; and with Ionas, out of the Whales belly: they corrup­ted the watch to giue forth, that whilst they slept, his disciples came and stole him away and this was the ac­complishment of their ma­lice; this did set them alto­ther [Page 177] without excuse. This is also the nature of sinners in a desperate degree; what­soeuer 32 sinne they are not able by some colour to defend, they will endeauour by any other sin to conceale.

NOw then, secure sinner, summon [...]hy senses a little together, and as Saint Paule in this manner argueth against vs: If God spared not the naturall bran­ches, be not high minded, Rom. 11 but feare, and take heede, least hee spare not thee: Euen so make [Page] 1 thou the like inference a­gainst thy selfe. If God thus seuerely punished his Angels if Adam (who were his immediate workeman­shippe) for one sinne; if his dearely beloued sonne, for the sinnes of others: will hee breake the course of his iustice for thy sake? wil hee priuiledge thee from his ordinarie proceeding, for so many, & so grieuous sinnes, wherein thou hast so long continued? Remem­ber (O my soule) with what price, and from what mi­sery thou art redeemed; re­member of what head, and of what body thou werte made a member. He that in mercy hath redeemed thee, [Page 180] will in truth iudge thee. If 2 a great King should take to wife a woman of base estate, and make her Queen of all his dominions, will he not exact of her, to cast off her old attire, to leaue her former both companie and behauiour, and com­pose her selfe to a courtlie carriage? Therfore since the King of heauen and of earth, by the mystery of his holy incarnatiō, hath espou­sed himselfe vnto thee, and endued thee in his whole e­state: will it be lawfull for thee nothing to change thy life, nothing to alter thy conuersation.

But what needeth it that I reason this matter? It is ex­preslie [Page] 3 oracled by the holy Ghost; that death, bloude, strife, the sworde, oppressi­on, famine, destruction, and punishment are created for the wickedEc. 40: that God wil raine vpō them snares, fire, and brimstone, with tempe­stuous stormesPs. 10: that they shall not stand in iudgment:Ps. 1. that they shall bee scat­tered & consumedPs, 144; that they shall be cast down, & turned into helPs. 36. & Ps. 9: that God shall breake their iawes, & dash their teeth in their mouthesps. 58: that their arme shall be broken, and their sworde turned into their owne bowelsps. 10. & 37.: that they shall perish, & wither from the earth, & that euill shall [Page 182] hunt them to destructiōPs. 140: that they shall be crushed in peecesPs. 2.: that God shall laugh at them in the day of their destruction37: & that the righteous man shall re­ioyce at the reuēge that shal be executed vpon them; and shall also wash his feete in their bloudPs, 58.

If all this batterie will not serue, to make a main breach into our obstinate soules, & cause vs to abhorre sinne more then a serpent; or at the least to conceiue some feare in committing therof, which being wel nourished, may in time drawe vs alto­gether to forsake it: then are wee possessed with the spirite of fury; then are wee [Page] filled with the poison of serpents; then are wee like the deafe Adder (as the princely Prophet saide of wilfull sinners) in stopping our eares against the voyce of the charmer.Ps. 58 Namely, a­gainst the manifold means 4 which God dooth vse for our conuersion; some in­ternall, some externall some of grace, some of nature, some instructing the vnder­standing, some enclining the wil, some continual, and some by times; the chiefest whereof are these that fol­low.

5 First, the law of nature imprinted in our vnderstā­ding, together with the in­clination of our will to fol­low [Page 182] the same: which yeel­deth vnto vs so large a light for our direction in the offices of this life, that Saint Paul accounted it sufficient to condemne the Gentiles,Rom. ca. 2. & 3 who neuer receiued the law written. By this law wee are incited to vertue, and retai­ned from vice, in regard of the naked nature of them both. For such is [...]he grace 6 and beauty of the one, that it is to be embraced; & such is the basenes and defor­mity of the other, that it is to be abhorred, without any particular respect of bene­fit, or preiudice to our selues. But if this wil not serue, thē doe wee receiue from this law three other more force­able [Page] effectes, before sin as a bridle, and after sinne as a whip; feare, shame, and re­morse: feare of iudgement, shame of men, and remorse of conscience.

7 For, the most sencelesse sinners, the most prophane Infidels, as they haue by instinct of nature, a full perswasio [...] of the iustice of God, so are they touched with terrour thereof. Ac­cording whereto the wise man saith, that the consci­ence of the wicked is alwaies feareful.Sap. 17.10. And so likewise God himself hath threatned;Deu. 28 65, 66 that he wold giue to the wicked, a trēbli [...]g heart, that they shal feare both night & day, & haue no assurance of their liues.

And not onely feare, but 8 shame also and vgly infamy do attend vpon sin. For men do beare such a natural, both auersion from euill, & incli­natiō to good, that they ab­hor euen their owne vices in other men; and are for­ward to praise those vertu­es which they will not prac­tise. So was Adam ashamed so soone as hee had sinned;Deut. 28.20 Rom. 6 21. so God threatneth to sende shame vpon the wicked; & so S- Paul hath written; what fruit had ye then of those things, whereof ye are now ashamed.

But the remorse of consci­ence, doth more secretly, yet sharpely and surely adhere 9 vnto sin. Which keeping as it were the watch of our [Page] soules, before the act of sin­ning by barking warneth vs, that enemies are present, to breake vpon vs; and af­ter the act by biting remē­breth vs, that infernall thieues haue dispoiled vs of the treasure of grace, and made vs captiues to their damnable deuotion. This is called by our Sauiour,Mar. 9.44 Reuel. 20 12 the worme which dieth not; & by S. Iohn, the booke where­by wee shall be iudged. And by this remorse it happe­neth, that no sinne is with­out punishment; because, e­uen to sinne is a greate pu­nishment 10 vnto sinners.

The second meanes which God hath vsed, to retire vs from sin▪ are the holy scrip­tures; [Page 184] deliuered vnto vs by himselfe, as liuely registers 11 of that eternall law, which before he had more obscurely written, only in the book of nature. These scriptures are vnto vs as letters of Gods loue, inuiting vs to good, & deterring vs from euil; by propounding many rewards for the one, and pu­nishmentes for the other. Some in this life, (wherof in al ages we may obserue pregnant exāples) but most es­pecially in the life to come; in threatning the torments of hell, and promising the ioies of heauen; endeuoring, to bridle our wantonnes by the one, & to spur on our slothfulnes by the other. Of [Page] which iudgement of God, euen they who groaped in the fogs of infidelity, ob­tained a ful and firme per­swasion, 12 receiuing from the law of nature three prin­ciples cōcerning this point: first, that the soule of man is immortall: secondly, that there is a God; thirdly, that he is iust.

13 A thirde meanes are the particular lawes and cu­stomes of euery well orde­red state; whereby, punish­ments are appointed for vice, according to the qua­lity thereof, & likewise re­wardes and aduancements for vertue. Of which means the Apostle S. Paul hath thus written:Rom: 1.3 Wilt thou then [Page 185] bee without feare of the power? doe well: so shalt thou haue praise of the same: for he is the minister of God for thy wealth. But if thou doest euill, feare; for he beareth not the sworde for naught: for he is the minister of God, to take vengeance of thē that do euill.

Besides the precepts of 14 these three lawes, naturall, diuine and positiue, God al­so in loue hath continually raised vnto vs many guides, to direct vs in the same; not onely in words, filling our eares with godly perswasi­ons; but also by example, representing vertue most liuely to our eyes. So was Iesus Christ as a glorious sunne; so were diuers Saints [Page] in al ages as so many starres; beames of that brightnesse, sparkes of that fire, both to light and to leade vs (aswell by exhortations as also by example) through the dark and dangerous passages of this life.

To these hee hath added 15 many secret meanes; with­out which, all outwarde means would be altogether vnprofitable Namely, his sweete and secrete inspirati­ons, without which all out­ward calling is like musicke to one that is deafe. Also, the manifold giftes and graces of the holy spirite; wherby our soules are both armed against our enemies, and adorned in the sight of [Page 186] God Likewise the continu­al guard of Angels aboute vs; keeping vs from many euils, and assisting all our good endeauors. And gene­rally, his prouidence ouer all his creatures. For, seeing that he feadeth the fowles, and apparrelleth the flow­ers, in how different a de­gree is he more careful ouer men?

Further, hee hath giuen 16 vnto vs the sacraments of the Church, which are con­duites of grace, whereby forces are infused into our soules; to resist vice, and to insist in all the exercises of vertue. The prayers also & supplications of al the faith­full, (by reason of the com­munion 17 [Page] of the Church) doe continually beate at the gate of Gods mercy, as well for vs, as for themselues; & doubtlesse receiue not an emptie answere.

Lastly, all the creatures 18 which God hath appoin­ted for the vse and seruice of man, are so many silent Sermons to exhort vs, so many trumpets to summon vs, to lay down our weapōs of rebellion, and to yeelde our selues seruiceable vnto him: partly, by general ex­ample of their obedience, in subordinating thēselues to the will of their Creator; partly, by euery particular action, wherin they are im­ployed vpon vs. For, if they [Page 187] bring vs any benefite, they admonish vs thereby to bee respectiue towardes their Creator, who hath made them the meanes of impar­ting his goodnes vnto vs: if they crosse vs with any calamity, they admonish vs therby of our disobedience; which, as it first brought in­to the world, diseases, dan­gers, death, labour, losse, & all other kindes of miserie and molestation, so doth it daily renue the same effects.

Go too then (O wretched soule) snort on in the sleepe of thy security; solace thy self stil in thy sweet sins; &, the beter to deceiue thy self, smooth them ouer also with soft and tender termes. Call 19 [Page] pride, decency; surfetting, good fellowshippe; coue­tousnes, honest care; wantō­nes, mirth; lust, youthfulnes. Or with a more flat kind of flatterie, entitle these and o­ther vices with the names of vertue. Call pride, cou­rage; enuie, zeale; cruelty, iustice; ambition, desire of ability to doe good. Or if these colours will not take, perswade thy self, that some 20 counterfaite good qualities are sufficiēt to ouershadow them. Will God be eyther blinded or mocked? Is hee not the same God that hee was frō the beginning? doth he not as much hate sin as e­uer he did? doth he not loue iustice as wel as mercy? Thē [Page 188] assuredly, what account so euer thou now keepest of the actions of thy life, thou shalt one day yeeld as seuere an account of thē, as others haue done before thee. Thou shalt neuer be able to conceale any offence, or to smooth it ouer, or to reas [...] away; but the more thou do­est forget or flatter thy self, with these foolish dreams, the greater will bee the waight of Gods wrath a­gainst thee; both for abu­sing his patience, and con­temning the merciful means which he hath vsed, to withdraw thee from sinne.

These means, the more also they are, the more doe they manifest the nature of [Page] 21 sin; how nothing is more o­dious vnto God, nothing more contrarie to his na­ture. No not the deuil him­selfe. Because God hateth the deuil for no other cause, but onely for sinne: where­of if hee were discharged, hee is of a more noble sub­stance, and endued with 22 many prerogatiues, in a far higher degree of excellen­cie then mortal man. But, in sinne there is no good­nesse, it is altogether com­posed of euil; by contagion whereof other thinges also become euill. And therefore 23 is it most detestable vnto God, as entirely contrary to his nature, and as the cor­ruption of those thinges [Page 189] which he hath created. It is a dreadfull darkenes which no light can illuminate; it is an extreame cold which no heate can abate; and it is a very hatefull thing which the infinite goodnesse of God cannot make tollera­ble. A very hard thing al­so it seemeth to bee, which his infinite power is vnable to doe. Such a thing is sin; wherein notwithstanding wee place all our pleasure; and wherevpon all our en­deauours do busily beat.

The Prophet most truely 24 describeth two principall causes of sin; one, for that the sinner prayseth,Ps, 10. or at the least flattereth himselfe in his desires. Another, for [Page] that the iudgements of God are not in his sight. But, if God hath damned many millions (O my soule) for fewer sinnes then thou hast committed; if infants & in­nocents, if children vn­borne haue not beene spa­red, shall the multitude of thy grieuous sinnes neuer be sentenced? neuer exami­ned? 25 If hee hath taken lon­ger day with thee thē with many others, will he there­fore neuer demand his due? Assuredly, how soeuer thou art desirous to deceiue thy selfe, he is, (as hee hath pro­fessed himselfe) a hard man in exacting our accountes; and hath a heauy hande a­gainst offenders. The lon­ger [Page 190] hee permitteth thy rec­koning to runne, the deeper doest thou diue into his debt; and the more slowlie hee doth strike, the more surely will he set his blow.

And if it be true, that Heauē is like a Citty builded 26 vpon a broade fielde, 2. Esd. 77 and full of all good thinges; the entrance whereof is narrow, and in a dan­gerous place to fall, & there is fire at the right hand, and a deepe water at the left: and there is but one path betweene them, euen betwixt the fire and the water, so that there can but one man goe there. If it bee true (I say) which the scrip­ture saith, that the way to heauen is so hard, & the en­trance so narrow, that fewe [Page] [...] [Page 190] [...] [Page] shall finde it;Mat. 7.15 [...]. Pet. 4.18. that the righ­teous shall scarsely bee sa­ued: how fearefull, how miserable is thy estate (O my soule) who plungest thy selfe in all sorts of pleasure, and wallowest in all kinde both of security and ease; so farre from labouring, that thou doest seldome busie, either thy desires, or thy thoughtes about this pas­sage. Thinkest thou that God is more mercifull then 27 iust? assuredly no. Nothing can be saide in God eyther greater or lesse; because whatsoeuer is in him, is his very selfe. But if thou con­sider these thinges by their effects, it seemeth that the 28 workes of iustice exceede: [Page 191] for, many are called but fewe are chosen.

Wherfore then doest thou not feare? wherefore doest thou not tremble at thine owne condition? being (by reason of thy sinnefull life) in the high hatred of God; and hourely subiect to his irreuocable iudgementes. Whereof the knowledge 29 which hee hath reuealed, shall bee vnto thee like V­rias letters, which hee did beare against himself, in lea­uing the with out excuse: in that thou werte so fully in­structed, both of thy duety, & of thy dāger, and yet did­dest so litle, follow the one, and feare the other. How canst thou not onely admit 30 [Page] any pleasure, but eate or sleepe securely, vntill thou hast disburthened thy cōscience of that putrifaction, which will breede therein immortall wormes? vntill by true repentance thou be reconciled vnto God, and receiued again into his pro­tection? vntil thou be freed from the force of thine e­nemies, and deliuered from that destruction whereinto they do endeauour to draw thee? Many thousand acci­dents whereof thou stan­dest euery minute in daun­ger, may put thee in that case, as will be impossible to ease, and intollerable to endure. And still thou delai­est to strike off delay (not [Page 192] the weakest thred in the di­uels 31 net) in turning frō thy wicked waies, & in making such account of the seuerity of Gods iudgements, as hee by threatning the same would haue thee to doe.

O iust Iudge! who shall deliuer me from thy seuere 32 sentence? how terrible will thine anger execute vppon me? what power is in me to wrastle with thy wrath? how shall I bee able eyther to appease or auoide thy fiery fury? Alasse, if I ex­amine my actions, if I weigh my waies, if I trie the foote­steps that I haue trodē, I shal find that the whole course of my life hath been, a web of vices, a sinke of corrup­tion, [Page] away full of thornes and thystles, euen a fro­ward and willfull disobedi­ence against thee. I haue dishonoured thee, I haue sinned against thee, I haue prouoked thy wrath, and caused thee to open vpon me the cuppe of thy curses. I haue offended the Lord 33 and Creator of all thinges, and therewith also haue in­curred the enmitie of all creatures. And now (mee thinketh) they tumult vpō mee, and are all ready with clamors and curses to flie in my face? crying with full voyce, in this sorte against mee.

34 This is the rebell that hath forsaken our common [Page 193] Lord, and sought meanes to betray, and to crucifie him againe. This is he that hath more regarded the de­ceiptfull showes and alure­ments of the diuell, then ei­ther the benefits or threats of Almighty God. This is he whoe hath fastened his thoughts vpon corruptible creatures; contemning▪ and so much as in him lieth, vt­terly abolishing the power, wisedome, and goodnesse whereby they doe consist. This is he who hath abused vs al; for whereas he should haue vsed vs in the seruice, and for the glory of our Creator, hee hath applied vs to iniury and reproach him; and to serue the will [Page] and pleasure of the diuell. He hath put his confidence in vs: hee hath loued, hee hath desired vs onely for our selues, preferring vs therein before our maker. Neither hath he been con­tent to dishonour God a­lone, but hee hath cast his poyson also vpon many be sides; alluring some, & ani­mating others, to knit with him in his riotous reuolt. Come on therfore, let vs be no longer seruiceable vnto him, but let vs bēd al the forces we haue to destroy him. Let vs fal vpō him by force; let vs lay our selues in await 35 against him; let all the plea­sure which we seeme to do him, bee only to aggrauate his punishment, onely to [Page 194] encrease the charge of his accompt.

Alas miserable wretch, what shall I doe? whither shall I turne me? where may I be either defended or hid? Almighty God I haue dishonored, & all creatures are in his quarrell in armes against me. I cā find nothing that wil take my part, nothing that will pitty me: whatsoeuer I see, whatsoeuer I heare, bring banners against mee. All thinges are violently bent to oppresse mee: yea, my owne conscience perse­cuteth me, and teareth the very entrailes within mee. Distressed and distracted sinner, which way wilt thou turne? whither wilt thou [Page] goe for counsaile? from whence expectest thou any comfort? who is the great Angell of wisedome, whose pitty is equall to his power, who is hee that is called Sa­uiour, that I may runne vn­to him and call vpon his name?

It is euen hee: euen the 36 same Iesus before whose countenāce I quake; euē the same Iudge vnder whose hand I do tremble. Resume then thy confidence, O confused wretch, hope in him, of whome thou art afraide; follow him frō whom thou wouldest flie; neuer despair to repaire vnto Iesus. Three 37 thinges doe most strictly hold thee obliged to him; [Page 195] the multitude of his bene­fites, for which thou art to giue him thankes; the multi­tude of thy sins, for which thou art to pray his pardon; and the multitude of thy in­firmities and necessities, for which thou art continually to craue his supportance & supplie. If feare perswa­deth thee, that it is presumption to approch to so high a Maiestie; answere for thy selfe, that these three obli­gations doe peremptorilie impose that necessity vpon thee.

O sweet necessitie, which constraineth thee to come, 38 to speake, to pray vnto him. O happy hope, how pleasāt is thy power? what loue­ly [Page] looks doest thou cast vp on them whoe open their armes to embrace and hold thee? what vnspeakeable both courage and ioy, dost thou kindle in their hearts, who giue thee entertaine­ment? Goe vnto him then, 39 O distressed soule, necessity driueth, hope draweth thee: go I say, vnto him boldlie, and these two shall excuse 40 thee before him. Presente thy selfe vnto him whome proudly thou hast prouo­ked, if not in innocency, yet in humility; if not with a cleane, yet at least with a broken and contrite heart: and seeing by thy righte­ousnesse thou canst not, en­deauour to be saued by thy [Page 196] repentance. Behold,Can. 5.9. euen now hee knocketh at thy doore; Oh! doe not stay, for then hee will bee gone, and thou shalt not knowe where to find him. Arise, runne, and open vnto him; arise by faith, runne with hope, and open with loue. Cast thy selfe at his feete, with such humility & feare, as is answerable to the state of soe magnificent a King.

Let thy wordes wade in teares, let thy complaints be distinquished with sobs; and call vpon him with im­portunity, whilst opportu­nity doeth last.