1 OVR Blessed Sauiour after he had eaten with his Disciples the Paschall Lābe, & had also feasted them with his sacred bo­die & blood,Ioan. 19 passed ouer the Torrent of Cedron to the mount Oliuet,2. Reg. 15. where was a garden called Geth­semani. Dauid once passed this Torrent of Cedron with an heauie hearte, and weeping eyes, when he fled for feare of his Sonne Absalon, who sought his kingdome and life; & his whole armie seeing him weepe so bitterlie, wept also with him. Our B. Sauiour the Sonne of [Page 2] Dauid passeth the same Torrent, not to fly Iudas (who of a Disciple, whom Christ loued as his owne Sonne, wa [...] become an enemie but to meet him, fo [...] he knew Iudas would come thether, i [...] being Christ his ordinarie place of re­sorr, and retyre: and his Disciples fol­low their Master, as they were wont to doe, and perceauing by his countenāce that he was sad and sorrowfull, they likewise were sad and sorrowed, and wept with him, and for him.

.2 This garden, into which Christ the second Adam entreth, is not like to the garden of Paradise, in which the first A­dam was placed.Gen. 2. That was a garden of pleasure and felicitie, this of sorrowe & miserie: In that the first Adā sinned; in this the second Adam by suffering, beginneth to satisfie for his sinne, and ours also,Rom. 5. who sinned in him. In that the first Adā by his sinne made vs all slaues to sinne, and captiues to the Deuill; in this the second Adam beginneth his Passion, by which he redeemeth vs, and setteth vs at libertie. In that garden was planted the tree of corporall and tem­porall life; In this is Christ the tree of spirituall and eternall life. In that God [Page 3] [...]rought forth of the ground all manner of [...]ces faire to behold: Gen. 2. In this appeareth [...]o Christ the horrid Idea, or pattern of [...]he tree of the Crosse, on which he was [...]o suffer a shamefull death. In that was [...] riuer which watered it, In this were the two running fountaines of Christ his eyes, which watered it with teares, yea as many fountaines as were pores [...]n his bodie, which watered it with his sacred blood: In that, of the strong ribbe of Adam, Eua was framed, and fraile flesh was put in the place of the ribbe. In this the Church was framed of the second Adams ribbe, that is, of his diui­nitie, or fortitude, by which she was so strong, that she ouercame all the as­saultes of the deuill, all the persecutiōs of the Tyrants, and in lieu of this for­titude, Christ tooke to himself our frayltie, which makes him in the gardē so fearfull and sorrowfull.

3 Follow ô my soule, thy sorrowfull Sauiour into this garden, ioyne compa­nie with his Disciples, ioyne thy teares of eyes and thy sorrowe of hearte with theirs. Thou neuer metst with a more sorrowfull companie, and so with them and especiallie with thy sorrowfull Sa­uiour, [Page 4] not to be sad, would argue a [...] hard heart, & an hearte of flinte rath [...] then of flesh.

4 Thou shalt see in this garden of Gethsemani the Sonne of God (whose ma­nour house is in the highest heaue [...] called Caelum Empyreum situated aboue the starres) lying prostrat vpon the ground, oppressed with sorrow, ouer­loaden with thy sinnes, which make him to fall vnder the burden. There thou shalt see the flower of the field not flourishing but flettering and fa­ding,Cant. 2. there thou shalt see the lillie of the vallies (of which the Angells and Saints smelling by cleare vision and fruition of it, are made blessed) withered, and now not keeping, but loosing it's externall beautie: There thou shalt see the powerfull arme of God feeble,Isa 53. Heb. 1. the ioy of the Angels sadde, and the splendour of God the Fathers glorie, obscured and darkned.

5 We can not see an Emperour, who liued in great glorie, driuen to such mi­serie as causeth him to weepe, but we must needs weepe with him: and canst thou, ò my soule abstain from weeping, when thou seest thy Sauiour (who in [Page 5] [...]eauen raigneth with all maiestie, [...]ower, and glorie) now fallen into that distresse, that he weepeth, and not one­ [...]ie weepeth teares at his eyes, but drops of blood at all the pores of his bodie? If euer that commaundement, or Coun­cell of S. Paul:Rom. 12 weepe with those that weepe, be to be fulfilled, now is the time weepe then, ô my soule, with these sor­rowfull wightes Christ & his disciples, especiallie seeing that Christ weepeth not for any sinne he had, but for thy sinnes: It is better to goe to this place of mourning, then to the house of banqueting, Eccles. 7 for happie are they that mourne, especiallie with their Sauiour,Mat. 5. for that they shall be comforted.

6 But, ô my sweet Sauiour, why fallest thou groueling on thy face and on the ground, whose mansion place is aboue the starres? if thou, who supportest heauen and earth, fall on the ground, who shall stād? If thou, who art the ioy & comfort of Angells be comfortlesse, who shall be our cōforter? if thou, who art the strōge arme of God, be so weake who shall hope for strength and cou­rage in afflictions.Isai. 5 [...].

7 But what is it, ô sorrowfull Sauiour, [Page 6] that thus oppresseth thee with griefe that thou cryest,Mat. 26. Mar 14. and not fainedlie, bu [...] trulie, my soule is sorrowfull euen to death that is, so sorrowfull, that this sorrow naturallie would be my death, did I no [...] supernaturallie reserue myself for the death of the crosse? Is it the blasphemies contumelious and reprochefull words, taunts and scoffes, which by fore­sight thou seest thou shalt haue from the Iewes? why, many of thy cōfessours and martyres of both sexes, haue borne them chearfullie. Thy Apostles after thy Resurrection reioyced, because they were accounted worthie to suffer reproch for the name of Iesus? Act. 5. Is it the scourges & lashes of the pillar, the thornes in thy coronation, the nailes, which are to pearse thy hands and feete, and to fasten thee to the Crosse? why, we haue seene thy martyrs endure as great torments with alacritie: many a yong Virgin, an Agnes, a Prisca, an Agatha, a Lucia, haue with great cōsolation endured as great torments. Is it the death of the Crosse that thus affrighteth thee? Why, thy A­postles S. Peter and S. Andrew, and thy kinsman S. Simeon lay with as much contentement on their Crosse, as men [Page 7] wearied on a softe bed of downe; what is it then, sweet Sauiour, that maketh thee to be so fearfull, heauie, Mar 1. and [...]orrowfull? Vouchsafe to tell me, and if I can ease thy minde, euen with death of bodie, I will do it.

8 But behold an Angell commeth to comfort thee: harken vnto him. It is true th' Euangelist affirmeth that an An­gell appeared from heauen strengthning him: Luc. [...]. but he admitted not this strength and comfort of mind for any long time, that so he might suffer the more for vs: and if he would haue admitted any comfort or remission of his sufferances, he could haue let the glorie of his soule enter into his bodie, and so make it impas­sible: He could with his Diuinitie haue armed hīself against all griefes, woūds, torments, and deaths; and whatsoeuer considerations could comfort a sor­rowfull man, (as cōsideration of greater glorie to God, greater glorie to his owne bodie, a more complete redemp­tion for man) were not wanting to him. He could by the cleare vision and fruition of his Diuinitie, wherewith his soule was indued from the first instant of his Conception, haue so exhilarated [Page 8] himself, as that no paines or affliction of this world, yea no torments of Hel [...] should haue been able to afflict him.

9 Why then, ô B. Sauiour, art thou s [...] sorrowfull euen to death, Mat 26. Mar. 14 who hast so ma­ny meanes at hand to comfort thyself [...] he answereth with Iob (whose person was a figure of his person, and whose afflictions prefigured his afflictions) Consolatores onerosi omnes vos estis: Iob. 16. you are all heauie cōforters vnto me; Angells, men, my Diuinitie, the glorie of my soule, and whatsoeuer comfortable motiues, are heauie & vnwelcome cō­forters vnto mee. I will none of your consolations, because I am resolued to suffer paines for man, that he may bee freed from eternall paines, to which by sinne he is subiect: I will be sorrowfull, that he may be ioyfull: I will be heauie at my heart, that he may be lighte hear­ted; I will be sad for a time, that he may be merrie eternallie. Away then all comforters, all comforts and con­solations, and welcome all sorrowes and griefs for the comfort of man: I will want all comfort now, that my Apostles, Disciples, Martyrs and Con­fessours may not want it in their tor­ments: [Page 9] I will want all force now, that [...]ey may be stronger then all the Ty­rants and persecu [...]ours, and all the en­ [...]ines of crueltie, which they can deui­ [...]e. O my soule! what shouldst thou render to this thy louing Sauiour for this his loue? He demaundeth but loue for loue; and what more easie then loue, especiallie when it is prouoked by such loue, and by the loue of thy God and Creatour?

10 His sorrow was so greate that S. Matthew and S. Mark saie,Matt 26 Mar. 14. Luc. 22. he was sorrowfull euen vnto death. S. Luke saith he was in an Agonie. And indeed it must needs be a verie greate sorrow which put him into an Agonie, and made him to sweate blood. For S. Luke saith this his sweate became as drops of blood t [...]ick­ling downe vpon the earth; so that his greife caused not onelie his eyes to shed teares of water, but also his whole bodie to shed teares of blood at all the pores of it. But, ô sweete Ie­sus, if sorrow will permit thee, and I may be so bold as to aske such a que­stion, tell vs what are the causes of this thy so excessiue sorrow, or inspire vs by thy grace to guesse at least what [Page 10] they may bee

11 The first cause is by many and deuout Authours thought to haue bee [...] the bloodie Idea, or foreconceite, whic [...] in the garden represented vnto hi [...] the bloodie tragedie of his Passion, and all the partes and circumstance [...] thereof, and that so liuelie, clearlie, & particularlie, as though he had been now suffering that which afterward he suffered; and this was a principall cause of his faint and bloodie sweate, which he swet to cure vs of our ague of sinne, and to purge vs from all euill and malignant humours of our inordi­nat passions, and affections, and to wash away all the filth of our sinnes. So that whereas our sorrowes and paynes proceed from the bodie to the soule (for when the bodie is distempered, or wounded, the soule suffereth) his sor­row and paine had a contrarie course and began with a strong conceite of the mind, which he voluntarilie ad­mitted, and which was so liuelie, and particular, that it wounded the bodie, and made it bleed at euerie pore so aboundantlie, that as S. Luke affir­meth the droppes trickled downe vpon the earth. Luc. 22.

12 The second cause was because he was to suffer of all kind of persons; to wit, of the Iewes in the Priests, Scribes, and Pharisies; of Princes in the high Preist, Herod, and Pilat; of subiectes in the officers, and seruants of those Prin­ces; of woemen in the maides, which caused Peter to deny him; of his freinds in his Apostles, who fled from him; and in Iudas particularlie, who be­trayed him; and in Peter who denied him; of his foes in the Iewes, and Ro­maines who all conspired against him.

3 Thirldlie he suffered in all partes of his bodie, in his head by the thornes, that crowned him, in his hands and feete by the nailes that fastned him to the Crosse, in his face by buffetts and spittle, in his whole bodie by whippes and scourges, and by extension of it vpon the Crosse.

4 Fourthlie he was to suffer in all his senses; in his eyes by the teares he shed, and the blood, which from his head descended into them, and in the sight of his cruell tormenters, and their clowdie lookes, and of the instruments of their crueltie, yea in the sight of the teares of his weeping mother and Apo­stle [Page 12] S. Iohn, & of the deuout woem [...] in his eares by the blasphemies, scurri [...] lous and reproachfull speeches, and i [...] the mocks, scoffings, and taunts, whic [...] he heard; in his tast by gall and vineger in his smell by the stinking bones o [...] mount Caluerie, in his sense of feeling by all the corporall paines he endu­red.

5 Fiftlie he suffered in all his goods; in his goods of fortune, as in his good name by false accusations, in his ho­nour, by contumelies, mockes, and scoffes, in his garments by beeing de­priued of them: in his goods of body by his cruell paines and torments, in his goods of the mind by griefe and sorrow.

6 Sixtlie he had a most perfect com­plexion of bodie, which was framed miraculouslie by vertue of the holy Ghost;S. Tho. 3. p. q. 46 ar. 6. Ioan. 4. for as that wine which Christ miraculouslie made at the marriage, when he turned water into wine, was, as Fathers and Diuines affirme, the best wine, and the health and sight mi­raculouslie restored, was the best: so Christ his complexion miraculouslie made, was the perfectest, and that made [Page 13] him more sensible of paines then any other man euer was.

7 Seauenthlie: he had a most perfect apprehension of all that was inflicted vpon him, which apprehension made him feele his paines the more, whereas we by reason of our stupiditie and asto­nishment caused by our torments, do not so perfectlie apprehend them, and consequentlie do not so sensiblie feele them.

8 Eightlie: whereas he giueth to his Martyres grace and comfort, which diminisheth their paines, and some­times maketh them not to feele thē at all, yea in the middest of their torments causeth in them a ioy and consolation; he would admit no comfort ether from his Diuinitie, or from the glorie of the vpper part of his soule, but ra­ther he represented to himself all the partes and circumstances of his Pas­sion, as though he then actuallie suffe­red them, that so he might suffer the more for man, and by suffering satis­fie for his sinnes, and by satisfyinge re­deeme him.

9 Ninthlie: the sinnes of all men, which he at once represented to himself were [Page 14] a great cause of his sorrow, for he bea­ring greater charitie to vs, then we do or can do to ourselues, and knowing the mallice of our sinnes, and how highlie they offended God, was more sorrie for them, then a Marie Magda­len for hers, then we can be for ours, and this was the greatest corrosiue to his charitable and tender heart. And therefore though the least praier, one onelie teare shed for vs, had been suf­ficient to redeeme vs by reason of the dignitie, which euen his least workes receaued from the dignitie of his per­son;S. Tho. 3. p.q. 46 ar. 6 ad bid. yet he would suffer so much as the greatnes of his paines and sorrowes might haue a proportion with all the sinnes which by men were euer com­mitted, which are almost innume­rable.

10 Tenthlie: the ingratitude of men who, as he forsaw, would little esteeme all his sufferances, the litle profit that thousands would make of his death and passion, yea which (through their default) they would turne to their greater damnation, was a cause of great sorrow to his heart; and in particular, that the Iewes, of whom he tooke flesh [Page 15] with whom he liued and conuersed [...]3. yeares, amongst whom he had wrought so many miracles, to whom he gaue so good examples, so many hea­uenlie exhortations, should be the Au­thours of his death, and for that, should loose their Cittie and Temple, should be dispersed, as vagabonds ouer all the world, and contemned and despised of all nations, and in fine should be for­saken of God, and reprobated; this (I saie) did greatlie afflict his charitable heart, which desired the saluation of all, and of them particularlie.

O my soule, be sorrowfull for thy sinnes, which haue put thy Sauiour to such sorrow; rue the daie that euer thou wast so vngratefull, as to make him take so vnkindlie thy vnkindnes; and seeing that he weepeth euen blood, and is sorrie euen to death, not for his owne,Mat. 26. Mar. 14. but for thy sinnes, be not thou wan­ting in weeping with him for them; be sorrowfull, with this Prince of the sorrowfull, and mourne with him, who mourneth for thee.

THe aforesaid causes of Christ his sorrow were also the causes of this his Praier in the garden: My Father if it be possible, let this chalice passe from me; and excesse of sorrow made him repeate it three times. O my B. Sauiour, Whereto haue these thy sorrowes brought thee? wouldest not thou suffer death for man, for whom thou wast Incarnat, and hast alreadie suffered so much? If thou shouldest not suffer death also for vs, what would become of vs? for although the least of thy sufferan­ces, of it selfe, had been sufficient to re­deeme the whole World, yet seeing thy Eternall Father will not be satisfied vn­lesse thou suffer death also for vs (so [Page 17] to shew his hatred of sinne, and his loue to man) our Redemption without thy death can not be accomplishd; & so if now thou giue ouer, if here thou stay, thy Incarnation, thy life, and all thou hast hetherto suffered, would not redeeme vs, and we all should be dam­ned, none at all saued.

2 Hence it is that diuers Expositours haue giuen diuers expositions of this praier. The first is this: Let this Cha­lice of my death and passion be trans­ferred, and let it passe from me, that is though I desire to drinke it, and the­refore I call it a Chalice or cuppe, yet it greeueth me, that my cho­sen People the Iewes of whom I tooke flesh, with whom I liued 33.So S. Hier & S. Bede Mat 26. yeares, and amongest whom I wrought many miracles should offer it me, and by offering it me purchase their owne reprobation, and damnation: that greeueth me; & so I would drinke this Chalice, and I would suffer death, but I would not suffer it of the Iewes; so I would suffer death, but one effect of it, which is the Iewes reprobation, I would not haue, if it could be other­wise.

3 Or els I am sad and suffer great sorrowe for my persecutours,So S. Amb & S. Bas. i. 4. Euno. who by tormenting me and putting me to death shall be guiltie of great sacri­ledge, and in this respect I would not suffer of them, though otherwise to obey my fathers commandement, who will haue me die, and to redeeme man, I am willing to die.

4 Or els let this Chalice passe, that is let it not stay or end in mee,S. Hil. in Math. let it come to me, but let it passe to my disciples and Apostles, that as I suffer for them, so they may haue the charitie to suffer for me, and the faith which I haue taught them.

5 Or els let me drinke this Chalice of my death and passion, and let it come, but let it also passe within three daies, that the third daie I maie rise to a glo­rious and euerlasting life of bodie and soule, and my elect after me.

6 Or els I desire to suffer according to the will of my superiour part of my soule, but yet I would not suffer accor­ding to flesh and blood, and the infe­riour part of my soule voluntarilie de­stitute of all aide from my Diuinitie; for so I feare death, as it is, contrarie to [Page 19] nature, but this will I submit to the will of my Eternall Father, and there­fore not this my will, but thy will (ô Eternall Father) be fulfilled.

7 O what a resignation was this? come all the torments (saith he) vpon me, come death, and euen the death of the Crosse, and although according to the inferiour part of my soule I feare them, yet according to my superiour part, they are welcome vnto me, and accor­ding to this will, which is alwaies con­formable to my Fathers will, I am con­tent and resolued to suffer for man my bloodie Passiō, and an 100. times more, if my Eternall Father do but please to commaund or insinuate vnto me. O my B. Sauiour, giue me the grace in imi­tation of this thy resignation, and by vertue of it, to resigne my will in all things to thine, and to accept from thee as willinglie sicknes as health, pouertie as riches, disgrace as honour, death as life, all proceeding from thy will, which I desire may in all things be the rule and square of my will, for in following mine owne will I may sinne, in following thy will, I can neuer sinne, because I can neuer swerue [Page 20] from thee.

8 But now me thinks I heare my sor­rowfull Sauiour, as he reprehended his Apostles for sleeping, whē he watched, praied, & suffered for them, so calling, vpon all Christians in these lamenta­ble words: All yee that passe by the way attend and see if there be sorrow like to my sorrow. Thren. 1. Looke into the heartes of the most sorrowfull wights, that euer were, and see if you can find in them such causes of sorrow as I haue; see if you can find their sorrow so greate as to cause them to weepe blood; many haue wept teares of water at their eyes, none, but I, haue wept teares of blood at all the pores of my body.

9 O Christians, I shed teares of blood for you at all the pores of my bodie, and can not you shed teares of water at your eyes for mee? If you can not weepe for mee, weepe for your selues, and for your sinnes, for they are the greatest cause of my griefs and sor­rowes, and yet these teares of blood, which now I shed for your sinnes, are but a drizeling, to that great shower of blood, which I shall raine from the clowde of my humanitie at the Pil­lar [Page 21] and Crosse.

10 Behold I am he, whom the Prophet Esay longe since called a man of sorrowes, [...]nd knowing by experience infirmitie, Isai. 5 [...]. I [...]m indeed a man of sorrowes, so full of [...]hem, that I seeme to bee nothing but sorrowe: A man indeed but a man of sor­rowes, composed of sorrow: yea I am a Prince of the sorrowfull. Repaire then vnto me all you woefull wights as subiectes to your Prince and king; for as the king surpasseth all his subiectes in Maiestie, power, and authoritie, so I like a Prince and king of the sorrow­full, do surpasse you all in sorrow, as much, as the king doth the subiects in authoritie, and if you will be louing subiectes to your Prince of the sorrow­full, weepe with me with heart, if you cā not with eyes. I am indeed a Prince and king of the blessed and ioyfull in hea­uen, and as God, yea as man according to the vpper parte of my soule, I sur­passe them all in blisse and ioy as much, as the king doth his subiectes in autho­ritie; but according to the inferiour part of my soule I am a man of sorrow, and a Prince of the sorrowfull: weepe then with mee as with the Prince of [Page 22] the sorrowfull, if you will reioyce wit [...] me as with the Prince of the blessed an [...] ioyfull.

11 Nay, mee thinks, I heare this Princ [...] of sorrowes crying vnto me in particu­lar and saying: behold, my beloued, how sorrowfull I am, and what teares euen of blood I shed and euen for thee in particular, and for thy sinnes, which with the sinnes of others are the cause of my sorrow; weepe then with me for companie, and if not for me (whose sufferances notwithstanding should moue euen a marble heart) at least for thy selfe; & be thou confounded not to weepe for thy self, when thou seest me weepe so bitterlie for thee; and be ashamed also not to weepe for me thy God, Creatour, and Sauiour, who weepe euen teares of blood for thee my creature.

12 O my sweet Sauiour, this thy speech so confoundeth me, that I wish my heart were resolued into teares, which ascending to mine eyes, might accōpa­nie thy teares. Louing subiectes can not abstaine from teares when they see their king weepe, and louing children can not hold themselues frō weeping, [Page 23] when they see their Father weepe. [...]ue me then, ô my Soueraigne Prince, [...]e guift of teares, for from thy grace this fountain springeth, make me (ô louing Father) so louing a child, as at least to weepe with thee, whom I now see weeping so bitterlie for mee.

13 O Lord; thou once by thy seruant Moyses, and by the rod thou gauest him, didst strike vpon the rock of Horeb, Exo. 17. and fetchedst out water for all the peo­ple to drinck on, strike, I beseech thee, with the rod of the Crosse, or with an efficacious consideration of thy death suffered on the Crosse my hard and stonie hart, that a Magdalens or Peters teares may gush out of it by myne eyes, to wash away my sinnes, and to accōpanie thy teares not onelie of water but also of blood: that wee­ping and sorrowing heere, I may re­ioyce with thee in heauen,Ps. 125. that sowing in teares, I may reape in ioifullnes.

1 IOAB comming to Amasa saluted him with most kind words saying, God saue thee my brother, 2. Reg. 20. and taking him by the chinne, as if he would haue kissed him, he thrust his sword into his side and killed him. Iudas imitating, or rather surpassing this treacherie of Ioab, commeth with a great multitude, Mat 26. Mar. 14 with swords and clubs sent frō the cheefe Priests, Scribes, and the Ancients of the People: with intention to betray this innocent lambe to these rauenous wolues, and to couer his traiterous intention (which [Page 25] he could not from Christ, who forsaw [...], and tould him of it at his last supper) [...]s also to giue them their watchword for he had giuen them a signe saying: Mar 14 Mat. 26. whomsoeuer I shall kisse, it is he, lay hold on him, and lead him warilie) he saluteth him in these words: Haile Rabbi, and he kissed him.

2 O Traytour! ô vyper! Kissest thou him whom thou betraiest? by thy kisse thou wouldst seeme a friend, but there is venome of Aspes vnder thy lippes. Psa. 139. Thou art one of those hypocrites, and a prin­cipal amongst them, who honour God with lippes, but their heart is farre frō him. Esa. 29. Ma [...]. 15. Woe to them of a double heart, & to wicked lippes, and to the hands that do euill, and to the sinner that goeth on the earth two waies, that is,Eccle. 2. who pretendeth exter­nallie holynes and freindship, but se­cretlie carrieth an euill intention.

3 This kisse, was no kisse to Christ, but an heart breaking, & peraduenture one of his greatest afflictions, because to a kinde heart, nothing is more gree­uous then vnkindnes and ingratitude. For he so loued Iudas, that he made him a Disciple, and an Apostle, and steward of his familie, he trusted him [Page 26] with the purse, made him priuie to a his miracles, his spirituall and Diui [...] lessons, and exhortations; he ha [...] washed his feete that very euening, an [...] had admitted him to his last supper, [...] which he had bestowed on him his s [...] cred bodie and blood, which ha [...] beene enough to haue mollified a ma [...] ble heart: and now after so many benefits, seeing him comming to betray him, and with a kisse also, he could no [...] but be much afflicted, because he could not but take this traiterous kisse mos [...] vnkindlie.

4 Wherefore Dauid who foresaw this, bringeth in Christ much complaining of Iudas his treason, and vngratitude, saying:Psal. 40. For the man also of my peace in whom I hoped, that is in whom I might seeme to haue iust cause to hope, who did eate my breads, being partaker not onelie of my ordinarie repast, but also of the bread of life, which I gaue him at my last supper,Ioan. 6. hath greatlie troden me vnder foote, by betraying me vnto the Iewes, and in another Psalme the same Royall Prophet, not onelie in his owne person, but also in the persons of all those, who haue suffered iniuries of [Page 27] them who haue had cause to be freinds, [...]nd especiallie in the person of Christ, who suffered such ingratitude of Iudas, [...]ayth:Psal. 54. For if myne enemie had spoken euill to [...]ee, I would verilie haue berne it. And if he [...]hat hated me, had spoken great things on me, I would perhaps haue hid myself from [...]im: But, that, thou (Iudas) a man of the [...]ame minde with me (as thou seemedst) my guide and my familiar, which didst take [...]weete meates together w [...]th me, at my last supper, shouldst thus betray me, can not but touch me to the heart.

5 But what saith Iudas to this his so kind hearted Master? Hayle Rabbi, saith he, & there with also kisseth hī. O Hy­pocrite, who hast hony in thy mouth, but gall in thy heart, who speakest faire but meanest ill, whose outside carrieth a faire shew, but the inside is full of rancour and malice, whose outside is like a sepulchre whited and painted, but within thou art nothing but filth and stenche. o Hypocrite, thinkest thou by these faire wordes and flattering kisse to deceaue thy Master, who knoweth euen thy secret and malicious thoughts? But what saist thou, ô B. Sauiour? canst thou [Page 28] endure the sight of this traytour [...] Canst thou endure a kisse from hi [...] fowle and deceitfull lippes? yes (saith he) I can endure this, and the death also of the Crosse for my deadlie ene­mies.Mat. 4. O charitie! ô loue! what canst not thou do? thou canst doe good for euill, render benedictions for male­dictions, when one cheeke is strooken thou canst offer the other, yea thou canst loue deadlie enemies as dearest freinds.

6 But ô swete Sauiour, how seemest thou to be changed? thou neuer spakest with more seueri [...]ie then when thou spakest against hypocrites. Thou pro­nouncedst once many woes against them,Mat. 23. Luc. 12. and thou bidst vs take good heede of the leauen of the Pharisies, which is hypo­crisie: and yet now, ô charitie, thou vouchs afest Iudas the greatest traytour that euer was a kisse, which is the g [...]eatest signe of loue, and therefore the spouse desireth it aboue all things of her beloued saying,Cant. 1. let him kisse me with the kisse of his mouth. And yet now thou salutest the falsest ttaytour, and the most deceiptful hypocrite that euer was, by the title of a freind. Amice [Page 29] ad quid venisti? Freind whereto art thou [...]ie? Osculo filium hominis tradis? Dost [...]u betray the sonne of man with a kiss [...]? [...]ere to art thou come? saith louing Ie­ [...]s. Thinke yet better on the matter, [...]inke whom thou betraiest: The sonne of God, thy louing Master, thy Father, thy greatest benefactour. thinke yet where to thou art come, there is yet time for thee, ô Iudas, to repent. Take time while time is, for tyme will away, refuse not the grace I now offer, & testifie noe lesse, by callīg thee freīd. This very word freind proceeding from my mouth, in which there is no deceit, as there is in thine can it not mollifie thy hard heart? fearest thou to returne to me thy old Master? thy old freind, and yet thy freind? Osculo filium hominis tradis? doest thou betray the sonne of man with a kisse?

7 O Iudas how dost thou abuse the ce­remonies and armes of peace, the co­gnisance and colours of loue and freindship? if thou beest a freind, why comest thou with billes, clubbes, lan­ternes and a troupe of soldiours? If thou beest a foe, why doest thou kisse me? If thou hast mallice, rancour, [Page 30] hatred and treason in thy heart, wh [...] vsest thou a kisse, which is the ord [...] narie signe of loue and freindship? An [...] yet Iudas, though not knowing [...] much, vsed the fittest signe and mark [...] to betray Christ to the Iewes; for b [...] what fitter signe then a kisse coul [...] Christ be manifested, whose heart s [...] burned with loue, that he was readi [...] to dye for the world? by what fitte [...] signe could Christ be bewrayed an [...] betrayed, then by a kisse the signe o [...] freindship, he by his death, beeing the peace maker betwixt God and man?

8 Amice, freind, to what purpose art thou come? I say freind, because on my part our old freindship is constant, and as great as euer, for I am still thy freind, still thy well wisher, and well willer, I still desire thy saluation, and thinke not that I faine as thou doest, I am veri­tie & so can not lye. I who to morrowe will pray for my crucifiers, am now willing to receaue thee to grace, do but repent of what thou hast donne against me, and though now thy treason is proceeded so farre, that if thou wouldst thou canst not saue my life (for thou hast put me into the hands of my cruell [Page 31] enemies) yet do but repent and we [...]re freinds again.

9 O Iudas, the good lessons and exam­ [...]les thou hast had of me, the great mi­ [...]acles I wrought before thine eyes, the [...]onour I did thee in choosing thee for one of my Disciples and Apostles, the [...]oue I shewed thee in admitting thee [...]o my last supper, did they deserue this traiterous kisse at thy hands? Canst thou find in thy hart to betray me, whom thou knowest to be Innocent? me? who so loued thee that euen now I fed thee with my owne body and bloods? me; who am readie to giue my life for thee? mee thy best freind, thy Redeemer and thy Creatour?

10 And couldest thou prize me at so low a rate, as to selle me euen to my ene­mies for thirtie pense? If thou hadst ofered me to my mother, she would haue begged, but she would haue giuen much more for me. Marie Mag­dalen would haue giuen thee all shee had or could procure. And thou, ô my soule, thou ô Christiā wouldst hou not haue giuen more, and euen thy life to saue thy Sauiours life, which was the most precious life, the life of God and [Page 32] man? Thou wouldst, thou wouldst. Bu [...] Iudas was an vnluckie and vnthrifti [...] marchant, who selling Christ, sold him self and saluation to the deuill for euer ô Iudas, do but yet acknowledge thy treason with a contrite heart, and I a [...] readie to receaue thee to mercie, nun quā sera est paenitentia, si seria: no pennan [...] to late, so it be serious. But Iudas wa [...] sunke into the depth, of his mallice, and the Impious (as the wise man saith) whe [...] he shall come into the depth of his sinnes, Pro. 18. contemneth, no reprehension, no sweet [...] persuasions, no threatnings, no alure­ments, no good lessons or exhortations can reclame him.

11 Behold here, ô sinner, the charitie of thy B. Sauiour, his patience and lon­ganimitie, he knew longe before that Iudas would betray him, and at his last supper of the Paschall lābe he tould hī so, for when he tould his Apostles that one of them should betray him, and euerie one asked of him, is it I lord? Iudas also said, Is it I Rabbi? Christ said to him: thou hast sayd. yet Christ all that while expected him to pennance, and when Iudas came to giue him the Trayterous kisse, he called him freind [Page 33] shewing thereby that he was yet readie [...]o receaue him to mercie. But he con­ [...]mning the riches of God his goodnes, and [...]atience, and longanimetie &c according [...]o his hardnes and impenitent heart, [...]eapeth vnto himself wrath in the day of wrath.

12 And thinke o sinner, how God hath expected thee to pennance, and when [...]hou contemnedst his patience and longanimitie, persisting still in sinne, yea heaping sinne vpon sinne, he still patientlie expected thee to pennance. O sinner thanke him daylie for this his expectation, for if he had taken thee awaie in thy sinnes (as he doth many and iustlie also) and had not patientlie expected, to see if thou wouldst thinke of pennance and amendment of thy life, thy parte had beene now with Iu­das and many damned sinners. O thāke him, for thou canst neuer thanke him enough, and do not presume any longer of his mercie, least thou pro­uoke him to do iustice on thee, by leaueinge thee, as he did Iudas and other obstinat sinners.

13 O my soule, looke into thy self and see whether thou hast the charitie to [Page 34] kisse and to do well to thy enemies, [...] loue them that hate thee? see wheth [...] thou canst not espie in lieu of this ch [...] ritie, hatred against thine enemie, [...] desire to be reuenged of him, to off [...] him the combat, or bid him the fie [...] for the lye giuen thee by him? and i [...] thou esprest this euill disposition, ri [...] thyselfe quicklie of it, and according to thy Sauiours example vrge thyself [...] to loue him: he can not be worse to thee, then Iudas was to Christ. And seeīg that Iudas by a kisse hath betraied thy Sauiour; take heede least by the kisses and enticements of the world, flesh, and deuill, thou beest betraied; for as vnder Iudas kisse laie hidde great mallice, so vnder the pleasures and ri­ches and honours, which the world, flesh, and deuill do offer, lyes hidden an intention to ruine thy soule, and by those kisses to bring it to eternal per­dition.

14 And, o yee, who professe yourselues Christians, that is, louers of Christ and Christian Religion, and yet offend him by mortall sinne, thinke you heare Christ saying vnto you, doest thou betray the sonne of man with a kisse? doest thou [Page 35] professe thyselfe one of my louing disci­ [...]es in that thou professest thyselfe a [...]hristiā, & thereby as it were giuest me [...]e kisse, and yet offendest me by mor­ [...]ll sinne? thou seemest a freind by this [...]rofession, and by it thou seemest to [...]oue me and to kisse me, but in heart, as appeareth by thy euill life, thou art [...] traytour, as Iudas was.

15 O all ye, that receaue Christ in the B. Sacrament, and yet are in state of mor­ [...]all sinne, you betray Christ by this kisse, and therefore S. Hierome to a Priest that goeth to the Altar, and receaueth the B. Sacrament in mor­tall sinne speaketh in these words, which S. Tho: of Aquin citeth: Dic Sa­cerdos, dic Clerice, 3. p. q. 8. ar. 2. qualiter eisdem labijs fi­lium Dei oscularis, quibus osculatus es labia meretricis? O Iuda osculo filium hominis tradis? Tell ô Priest, t [...]llô C [...]arcke how with the same lippes thou kisseth the sonne of God, with which thou hast kissed the lippes of an Harlot? O Iudas doest thou be­tray the so [...]ne of man with a kisse.

16 O Bishops and Priests, ô Religious persons, be not to secure in your states of life and vocations. Iudas was a disci­ple and an Apostle, and yet he fell, and [Page 36] so may you. And you liue not i [...] better companie, then he did, [...] vnder a better gouernour then he ha [...] for he liued with the Apostles; th [...] were his dailie cōpanions, and his sup [...] riour was the sonne of God, who w [...] not wanting in giuing him good l [...] sons and instructions. And yet he fe [...] and so may you: wherefore neue [...] thinke yourselues secure, what state o [...] life soeuer, what vocation soeuer yo [...] imbrace, but w [...]th feare and tremblin [...] worke your saluation and walke worthie o [...] the vocation in which you are called, Philip 2. an [...] by good lise and good workes make sure you [...] vocation, and election. For as S. Hierom [...] saith;Ephe. 4 2. Pet 1. Hieron. non est facile stare loco Pauli, tener [...] gradum Petri: It is not easie to stand in the place of Paule, to hold the degree of Peter. The higher your places, and states, or perfections are, the more you are expo­sed to the tempests of tentations, and if yee fall, then, the higher you stood, the greater will be your fall.

1 AFTER that Iudas had giuen his Master the traiterous kisse, the souldiers laid hold on him, knowing by that signe, which Iudas had giuen them, that he was the man they sought for. But Christ asketh them, whom they seeke for? They answered him: Ioan. 18. Iesus of Nazareth. Iesus saith to them: I am he. And Iudas also that betraied him stood with him. As soone therefore as he said to them, I am he, they went backward and fell to the [Page 38] ground. O yee malicious and obstinate Iewes: was not this miracle sufficient to make you desist from laying hands on him? or haue you not iust cause to feare to medle any farther with him? But Christ, though hereby he shewed that it was in his power to free him­self from them, yet asketh them againe whom seeke you? and they answered again: Iesus of Nazareth. Christ answereth I told you that I am he, If therefore you seeke mee, let these goe their waies, and so yeelded himselfe voluntarilie.

2 O B Sauiour, thou, who with those words, I am he, couldst cast them back­wards to the ground, couldest haue helde them there, and not haue per­mitted them to apprehend thee. But he intending to vse his patience, not his power yeelded voluntarilie, and by and by they laied hold on him, and bound him.

3 O indignitie! the seruants bind their lord and Master, the subiects their king, the creatures their Creatour, the bond­slaues their Redeemer, who by his death freed vs all from sinne, the deuill, & hell. And, ô sweet Sauiour, do those chaines and bonds become thee, who [Page 39] art Lord of heauen and earth, and a king of glorie. Breake them, as Samp­son (who was a figure of thee) did his; [...]hou art stronger then he, but it was [...]he chaine and bonde of loue towards man, which bound him, els their chaines and bonds could not haue holden him.

4 These bonds he suffered, first, to free vs from the bonds of our sinnes, for as the wiseman saith,Prou. 5. His owne iniquities take the impious, and he is last bound with the ropes of his sinnes; and indeed our sinnes may be called ropes, because they bind vs hand and foote, hinder vs from doeing good, and from walking freelie in the waie of God his com­mandements. Secondlie he would suffer these bonds, that his disciples and Apostles and their successours should not be ashamed to be bound in chaines and fetters for him, and his Religion; for why should they thinke much to suffer that for their master, which he before had suffered for them? And indeed after this example giue [...] by Christ, not onely his Apostles but thou­sands of Christians of all sexes and ages haue reioyced in bonds and chaines for [Page 40] Christ, and haue esteemed them a garlands and aboue the richest chaine of Gold.

5 S. Paule gloried more in the title o [...] prisoner of Iesus Christ, then in the dignitie of an Apostle,A l Eph. c. 3. & 4. ad Phil. Cyp. l. 3. cp. 25 ad mart. and Doctour o [...] the Gentils. S. Cyprian thus pronoun­ceth of chaines suffered for Christ These chaines which are borne for Christ (saith he) are ornaments, not bonds. which couple not Christians feete to ignominie, but do grace them to glorie; ò feete happilie tied, which are loofed not by the smith, but by Christ. O feete happilie tied to be directed the right way to paradise, o feete tyed in this world for the present, to be set at liber­tie with Christ for euer. S. Chry. hom. 8. in c 4. ad Eph. ‘S. Chrysostome saith that to be chained & fettered for Christ is more glorious then to weare a crowne of Gold beset with pearles and precious stones; and the prisons, by reason of the chaines which the prisoners beare for the loue of Christ, he esteemeth to surpasse all Princes Pallaces, and therefore (saith he) If it were put to my choise whether I would sit at the right hand in heauen, or to be chained in prison, whether I would dwell with the Angells in [Page 41] heauen, or with Paul in prison, I [...]ould make election of the prison. If were asked whether I would be the [...]ngell that loosed Peters chaines, or [...]eter chained with thē, I would choose [...] be Peter. I honour Paul (saith he) [...]ot so much that he was an Apostle & Doctour of the Gentils,Act. 12. not so much [...]or that he was assumpted and taken [...]p to the third heauen, as for that he was bound in prison for Christ,Act 28. and I [...]euerence Paules hands, not so much For that they wrought miracles, and could not be stung by the vipers, as for that they were manicled for Christ. And although this may seeme a para­dox to worldlings, yet (saith he) Si quis erga Dominum insanit (vt ita dicam) si quis ardet, is nouit quae sit vinculorum vir­tus: If any (to say so) doteth on Christ, if any burne with loue towards him, he knoweth what is the vertue of chaines, and how great is their dignitie.’ O happie they who are bound and chained in prison for Christ! their bondage is true libertie, bondage of the bodie, libertie of the soule and spirit, their prisons are princely Pallaces, and their non chaines are more worth then chaines [Page 42] of gold, no bracelets like to th [...] manicles.

6 The souldiers hauing bound Chr [...] led him or rather haled him first to t [...] house of Anna, Ioan. 18. so to honour Anna, because he had beene high priest the yea [...] before, and was father in law to Cayphas. After that Anna had seene him, h [...] sent him bound, as he came to him vnto Cayphas his house. What scur­rilities and indignities the souldier [...] vsed towards him in the waie, what scoffings and mocks, what strokes and blowes he endured of them may easilie be imagined, and how the people in the streets came gazing vpon him, and now, forgetfull of the miracles, by which he restored the lame to perfit vse of their limmes, the deafe to hea­ring, the blind to fight, the dumme to their speech; pointed at him, iested and railed also at him, is easie to con­ceaue, though hard and reprochefull to Christ to suffer; yet all these indig­nities Christ tooke most patientlie and followed the souldiers as an Inno­cent sheepe to the butcherie.

7 Being entred into Cayphas house, Cayphas asked him of his disciples and [Page 43] doctrine: Christ answered that he had [...]poken, and taught openlie to the [...]eople, in the temple and Synagogues; why askest thou me? Io. 18 aske them that haue [...]eard what I haue spoken vnto them, be­ [...]old they know what things I haue sayd. At this his answer, one of the ministers [...]tanding by, gaue him a blow: saying [...]nswerest thou the high Priest so? But our B. Sauiour was resolued to beare all patientlie: he might haue saied to this barbarous fellow, as Paul said to Ananias the high Priest, who com­maunded them that stood by, to smite him on the mouth: God shall strike thee, Act. 25. thou whited wall, but he onely replied to shew what wrong he receiued, If I haue spoken ill, giue testimonie of ill, but if well, why strikest thou me?

8 O Base, ô impudent companion; thinkest thou much that Christ should speake the truth plainlie and boldlie to the high Priest? He is an higher Priest then he,Ps. 109. Heb. 5. and an high Priest accor­ding to the order of Melchisedech, and Cayphas hath the name of a high Priest, & magni nominis vmbram: and the shadow of a great name: But he bought his digni­tie, & hath not the vertues beseeming [Page 44] an high Priest. O barbarous Scullion, ô base companion, strikest thou the sonne of God, thy Creatour, and on the face also, on which the Angells de­light to looke?1 Pet 1. Quid hoc impudentius (saith S. Chrysostome) exhorrescat cae­lum, contremiscat terra de Christi patientia & seruorum impudentia: what more impu­dent thou this? let heauen be astonished With feare, let the earth tremble at Christ his patience, and his seruants impudencie.

9 O earth how doest thou support such a varlet, why doest thou not swallow him vp as thou didst once Chore, Da­than,Nu, 16. Abiron & Hon, for a lesser sinne? for they onelie murmured against Moyses and Aaron, this caitife striketh the Creatour in the face. O yee Angells who carry the sword of the Diuine iu­stice, why do you not reuenge the in­dignitie done to your Lord and Master?

10 O B. Sauiour, let me vse vnto thee the words of thy Roiall Prophet; Bee girded with thy sword vpon thy thigh ó most mightie. Psal. 44. Draw the sword of thy Diuinitie sheathed in thy humane nature, and dispatch this impudent companion. Thou, who with those [Page 45] words, I ame he, strokest to the ground the souldiers, who laid hands on thee, couldst if thou wouldst, strike this im­pudent varlet with sodaine death, as thy Apostle Peter did Ananias and Sa­phira: Act. 5. thou couldst haue stroken him blind,Act. 13. as thy Apostle Paul did Elimas the magitian. Thou couldst haue brought fire from heauen to consume him,4. Reg. as Helias consumed the two Cap­taines, and their fiftie men. Thou couldst haue called beares out of the wildernesse to teare in peeces this im­pudent fellow, and the high Priest also,4. Reg. 2. as Elizeus delt with the fortie two boyes that mocked him.

11 But our sweet Sauiour, as he was more able to reuenge himself then all the aforesaid persons, who had their force from him, so he was more meeke and patient then them all, and so did beare this affront patientlie, to satisfy thereby for our impatience, to giue to the world a rare example of patience, and to teach vs to beare affronts and disgraces for him, who first did beare them for vs. such an impudent fellow as this that smote Christ on the face was sent by Iustina the Arian Empe­resse [Page 46] to strike S. Ambrose, but his arme withered and could not giue the blowe; Valens also the wicked Empe­rour endeuored to write an edict to banish thereby S. Basil, but his arme waxed stupid, and could not write. But our B. Sauiour, who vsed these defences for his seruaunts, would vse none for himself; or peraduenture this barba­rous fellowes arme which strooke Christ, withered as it was lifted vp to strike, but reuiued at the touch of Christ his viuificating flesh.

12 If we consider who strooke & who was thus strooken, we shall find that this blow was the greatest indignitie or disgrace that euer was giuen to man. To giue a blow on the face or on the eare to a simple gentleman is taken for a great dishonour to hī that is strookē, to giue to a knight such a blow is a greater, to a Lord, greater, to an Earle greater, to a duke greater, to the kings sonne, or to the king himself greater; and the greater it is by how much he that giueth the blow is baser. what an indignitie then was this blow giuen by a slaue to Christ the sonne of God, the king of glorie, kinge of heauen [Page 47] and earth, to whom the kings and Em­perours of this world are but vassals? and yet he taketh this patientlie without any angrie word, without any angrie thought.

13 O the litle patience, ô the great pride that we haue. who at euery scornfull word, at the least affront that is offered vs, are readie to draw, readie to reuēge, and to render as bad or worse then we receaue. O my soule looke into thy self and if thou find not patience to suffer wronges, begge it of thy Sauiour, and by vertue of this his patiēce, desire him to giue thee the grace in all thy life to imitate this his patience.

14 They who by oathes take the name of God in vaine, they who by periuries abuse God his name and take it to countenāce a lye, they who blaspheme God his name, do giue him the blow on the face, yea all sinners in some sorte do buffet Christ, because their sinnes are the cause why he suffered this indi­gnitie. when therefore, ô my soule, thou art tempted to sinne, take heed what thou doest, for by sinne thou buffetest thy Sauiour, Redeemer and Creatour in the face, and if thou abhorre this, [Page 48] abhorre all sinne, especiallie if it be mor­tall.

15 But here is not an end of the indi­gnities which Christ suffered for vs. The Euangelist S. Matthew, S. Marke and S. Luke say,Mat. 26. Mat. 14. Luc. 22. that not onelie this im­pudent caitif, but also others began to spitte at him, to buffet him, and S. Mat­thew: saith Then did they spitte in his face and buffeted him, and others smote his face with the palmes of their hands, saying, pro­phecie vnto vs who is he that strooke thee. The like saie S. Marke and S. Luke, so that our B Sauiours face was no doubt swolne with buffets which these mis­creants gaue him, and it was altogether defiled with their spittle.

16 For this I can not but much blame and condemne these barbarous Iewes, but as it was I who by my sinnes gaue him the buffets, so it was I who defiled his face with spittle, because my sinnes were the cause of it. And when I sinned mortally I contemned Christ, and did, as it were, spitte in his face. For this I rue the time that euer I sinned mortallie.

17 And ô you wicked Iewes how enor­mious was this your sinne who reallie and trulie buffeted him and spitte in his [Page 49] face? whē a mā would spitte, he looketh for some corner and the worst place in [...]he chamber, and will not spitte in the place most adorned, & yet these spite­full Iewes spitte in the face of Christ, which heauen and earth reuerence, which the good Angells loue, and which euen the deuills feare. They thought no place more base, lesse to be respected then Christ his face, and therefore on it they bestowed their spittle,Psa. 44. and yet he was speciosus prae filijs hominum, ô ye heauens, ô ye Angells, ô heauen and earth, be ye astonished at this, obstupescite Caeli &c. be astonished, Hier. 2. o heauen, vpon this, and ó gates thereof be you desolate exceedinglie.

18 O how great was my Sauiours loue that made him suffer such indignities for me! loue made him take our hu­mane nature vnto him in vnitie of per­son, that he might suffer for vs in it, loue made him suffer all that he sufferd. o my soule, what shalt thou render vnto him for this his loue? suffer pa­tientlie indignities for him, as he hath suffered for thee, loue him as he hath loued thee, and though thy suffe­rances and thy loue be nothing to his, [Page 50] yet he will be content with them.

19 Others, as the Euangelistes say, di [...] couer his face & blindfold him,Mat. 14. Luc. 22. saying prophecie, who is he that smote thee. O sunn [...] withdraw thy light from these vnwor­thie spectacles; ô yee Angells turne your eyes from this barbarisme. O E­ternall Father permittest thou the splen­dour of thy glorie to be thus defiled,Heb. 1. this obscured? But see their blindnes. They blindfold him, who seeth all the secrets euen of their hearts; and they that couered his face now, shall at the day of iudgment call vpon the mountaines to sall vpon them, Ose 10. Luc, 22. so to couer them from the sight of God, his angrie countenance, which they shall not be able to beare. They that couered his face now, and bid him prophecie who smote him, shall find not onelie at the generall but also at the particular iudgment, that he knew what indignities they offered him, and all the sinnes that euer they committed in thought, word, & deed, and shall punish them for them.

20 All sinners doe imagin God his eyes to be blindfolded, and not to see what sinnes they commit, for if they did thinke seriously & efficaciouslie that [Page 51] they were in God his presence, and that [...]is eyes were open vpon them, they would not be so impudent as to com­mit such sinnes, as they doe before [...]uch maiestie. They say as the fornica­ [...]our or Adulterour doth, who seeth me, Ecc. 23. [...]arknes compasseth me, and the walles couer [...]e, and no man beholdeth me, the Highest will not be mindfull of my sunnes. O blindnes of sinners:Psa. 93. qui finxit oculum non consi­ [...]erat? he that made the eye doth not he [...]imself consider and see? yes, yes, his yes [...]re brighter thē the sunne, beholdinge round [...]bout all the wayes of men and the bottome of the deapth and the hearts of men.

21 And here, ô my soule, consider that all those indignities thy Sauiour suf­fered, not for himself, (for he had no sinne, and so had no need to suffer) but for thee, to satisfie for thy sinnes, and to giue thee example, and this he suffered not onelie patientlie, but vo­luntarilie, fot he could haue stopt their mouthes from blasphemies, reproa­chings, and spitting; and he could haue holden their hands from buffeting and therefore his Prophet Esaie sayth in his name I haue giuen my bodie to the strikers, Isai. 50. and my cheekes to the pluckers (for [Page 52] they not onelie buffeted him, but also plucked the heares of his cheekes) I haue not turned away my face from the re­bukers and spitters; & the Prophet Hie­remie fortelling the same saith: Dabi [...] percutientise maxillam, Thren. 3. saturabitur oppro­brijs, he shall giue his cheeke to him that striketh hī, he shall be filled with reproaches so that he gaue himself to suffer these indignities, he gaue his cheeke to him that stroke it, and consequentlie he suffered all most voluntarilie.

22 Doe thou then, ô my soule, beare these indignities at least when others do [...] lay them on thee, and seeing thou cans [...] not auoid them, if the malicious wil [...] offer them thee, make merit of ne­cessitie, and seeing thou must suffe [...] them, suffer them patientlie. Tho [...] shouldst desire these indignities fo [...] thy Sauiours sake, who voluntarilie suffered them for thee, but at least murmure not when others force them vpon thee, be not impatient, offe [...] not the like to him, that offereth them to thee, seeke no reuenge, do goo [...] for euill, loue them that hate thee, render benedictions for maledictions, and then thou shalt imitate thy Sa­uiour, [Page 53] thou shalt conforme thyself [...]o him, and if thou suffer disgrace for him here on earth, he will honour thee before his father in heauen.

THis deniall added no small griefe to Christ his soule, which was but a litle before sad euen to death. Mat. 26. yea peraduenture it added more greefe thē Iudas traiterous kisse did, because Christ loued S. Peter more then Iudas, and S. Peter had professed more loue to Christ then euer Iudas did, and Iu­das denied Christ onelie in fact,Mat. 26. Peter [Page 54] euen in words and oathes, & not once onelie, but thrice; S. Matthew setteth downe Peters deniall in the words. But Peter sat without in the court, and there came to him one wench saying, thou also wast with Iesus the Gālilean; But he denied before them all saying, I wote not what thou saiest. This was his first de­uiall, & as he went out of the gate another wench saw him, and she saith to them that were there, & this fellow also was with Ie­sus the Nazarite; and againe he denied with an oath, sayinge, that I know not the man. This was his second deniall and a grea­ter sinne then the first, which was not with an oath as this was. And after a litle while they came that stood by, and said to Peter surelie thou also art of them, for euen thy speech doth bewray thee. Then he begā to curse himselfe (as some vse to doe when they say, let me dye presentlie if it be soe) and to sweare that he [...]w not the man. This was his third deniall, and a greater sinne then the former two, be­cause it was ioyned not onelie with an oath,Mar. 14. Luc. 22. Ioa. 18. but also with a curse. The like relation the other three Euangelistes doe make of this S. Peters deniall of his Master.

2 O Peter the foure Euangelistes doe beare witnesse against thee, & doe testi­fie to all the world, that thou hast de­nied thy Master three times, according as he had foretold thee, what canst thou saie for thy selfe? Thou, who pro­misedst a litle before that although all should be scandalised in thy maister, thou wouldst neuer be scandalized, yea though thou shouldst die with him thou wouldest not d [...]nie him. Thou, who deuouredst prisons, and deaths, and toldst thy Master, that thou wast readie to goe with him both to prison and vnto death: doest thou now so quicklie forget these thy great promises? Is thy courage and zele so quicklie coulde? O the incon­stancie of mans heart! more wauering then a reede touched with the winde! O Peter, thou who in the garden of Gethsemanie wast so couragious that euen in the middest of the souldiers, and rheir clubs and swords thou cut­tedst of Malcus eare in defence of thy louing master, doest thou now at the interrogation of a wench denie him, and sweare also that thou knowest not the man? If he for this thy deniall should at the moment of thy particular [Page 56] Iudgement saie to thee,Mat 25. as he said to the foolish virgines, I know thee not, what would become of thee? he told thee heretofore that euerie one that should confesse him before men, Mat. 10. he also will con­fesse him before his father which is in hea­uen. Thou Peter hast sworne that thou knowest him not, canst thou ex­pect that he shall acknowledge thee▪ Thou hast denied him before men, what canst thou expect but that he shall denie thee before his Father and all the Angells in heauen?

13 O Peter tell truth, doest thou not know him? thou hast good cause to know him, who hast followed him so long, & hast beene an eye witnesse of his miracles, good life, and good exam­ples. Thou hast good cause to know him, who hast receiued so many bene­fites at his hands, as his calling thee out of so many thousands, whom he left still in the world, in calling thee to be a disciple and an Apostle, and in shewing so many signes of his loue, euen this night bestowing on thee his sacred bodie and blood, the greatest guift he could bestow on thee.

4 Thou once madst this glorious con­ [...]ession of him,Mat. 16. thou art Christ the sonne [...]f the liuing God; and for this confes­ [...]on he made this noble promise vnto [...]hee. Thou art Peter, and vpon this [...]ocke will I build my church. Thou a Rocke? a Reede rather, who art so [...]asilie shaken. He promised thee also [...]hat he would giue thee the keyes of heauen, [...]o open and shut it to others: and [...]ow shalt thou open Heauen to others, who by this shamefull deniall of him, hast shut it to thy selfe? If thou deniest thy Master at the voice of a mayde seruant, how wilt thou con­fesse him before Kings and Tyrants? If thou Peter the Captaine and head of the Apostles and all Christians (for thou wast promised to be their head) deniest this thy so louing maister,Mat. 16. in whom shall he put his confidence? what may he hope of the constancie of the rest, but that they shall runne away as thou didst, and denie him and for sweare him, as they see their cap­taine hath done, before them? what will the Prelates of the Church, thy successours, doe after this thy so ill example?

5 Thou wouldst needs follow th [...] Master euen to the houses of Anna an [...] Cayphas, presuming to much on th [...] owne forces; but it had beene bette [...] thou hadst runne away with thy fellowes, then to follow him to deni [...] him: for in thus following him tho [...] forsakest him worse then they di [...] and to thy Masters great griefe an [...] dishonour, to thy owne great sinne [...] and the euill example of thy fellowes [...] O Peter what h [...]st thou done? Tho [...] hast denied thy Master to saue a temporall and short life, and hast los [...] (asmuch as in thee lieth) an eternal [...] life. An ill marchant thou art, Peter [...] and much vnaduised.

6 Peter at this time of his denial stood by the fire to warme him, and indeed he was cold and frozen euen at the heart: but he mistooke his fire. He should haue approached to his Master, who is the fire descended from heauen to earth to set all the world on fire with zeale and charitie, and be­cause he approached not to this fire, he had not the heate and zeale to con­fesse his Master: if he had approched to his master, he had neuer denied him.

7 But because Peter approached not [...]o his Master, he approacheth to Pe­ [...]er, and with a glaunce of his eye dis­ [...]olueth the cold ice which had congea­ [...]ed Peters heart. Et conuersus Dominus, [...]espexit Petrum, and our Lo [...]d turning, [...]ooked vpon Peter: And looking vpon [...]im did, as the sunne doth (when he [...]isplaeth his hot beames or rayes [...]n the snow and ice) dissolue and melt [...]eters heart into teares. O Peter [...]appie thou: thy Master turneth [...]owards thee, and vouchsafeth to be­ [...]old thee, who hadst so shamefullie [...]enied him. Speake Peter, for this his [...]ouing looke may imbolden thee to speake. Speake Peter, it is like if thou aske pardon he will giue it thee, for he looketh on thee. But Peter at this looke was so confounded, that he went [...]ut of dores and wept bitterlie, & could not speake for weeping; yet his eyes [...]ending forth a streame of teares, [...]pake better for him then his tongue could haue done, for that teares are the best oratours: and his teares had neuer offended his Maste [...], his tongue had. And no meruaile that Peter who was so frozen before, is now melted [Page 60] into teares, the raye and beame of Christ his eye was so hot, thar it dissol­ued him, and so he may sing that verse.

8 O happie looke of Christ, o hap­pie regard, ô how potent is his eye in drawing; moouing, and alluring But Christ hath three eyes: the one corporall of the bodie, the other spiri­tuall of the soule, the other diuine of his diuinitie, and with all these three eyes he looked on Peter, but the se­cond eye was more potent in moouing then the first, and the third more po­tent then the two others.

9 But Christ, as he is our Father, so he is our Iudge, and he looketh on some with the eye of a Iudge, on some with the eye of a Father: his eye of a Iudge is terrible, and the looke of it is seuere, with this eye he looked vpon the Citie [Page 61] and Tower of Babell, which the chil­ [...]ren of Adam before their dispersion,Gen. 11. [...]nd whilest all spake one language, [...]uilt and intended to reare it vp so [...]ight that the top should reach to heauen; and with this eye God con­founded their tongues that they could [...]ot vnderstand one an other; with this [...]ye God looked on Core, Num. 16. Eccles. 34. Psal. 112. Psal. 39. Dathan and Abiron, and consumed them: with the eye of a Father he looketh vpon th [...] hum­ble, with the same eye he looketh vpon them that feare him: both these eyes Dauid mentioneth saying: the eyes of our Lord vpon the Iust, behold his Fa­therlie eye, but the countenance of our Lord is vpon them that do euill. See the eye of a Iust Iudge.

10 VVith this eye Christ looked not on Peter, for then he would haue sent Peter to hell to receaue iust punish­ment for his denyall,Mat. 9. Mar. 2. Luc. 5. Mar. 1. but he loo­ked vpon him with the mercifull and louing eye of a Father, and so mooued him to pennance; with this eye he saw S. Matthew sitting in a custome house and made him leaue all: with this eye he saw Simon, and Andrew, Iames and Iohn, & they by and by followed him.

11 This looke which Christ vouchsafe [...] S. Peter, as it comforted S. Peter, so it was a tacit check and reprehension vnto him, for Christ looking on Pee­ter, said, as it were tacitlie vnto him: doest thou not know mee Peter? For so thou saidst and swearedst? I know thee well enough and thy thrice denial of mee, and therefore I turne my face and eye to thee. Are thy great pro­mises Peter come to this? Thou saiedst thou wast readie to goe with mee both into Prison and vnto death, and yet thou seest thou hast denied mee. Thou seest what it is to trust to thy owne forces: yet because thou repentest, I pardon all, and I do receaue thee into as great, ot greater grace then euer: for I shall giue thee the grace by which he [...]eafter thou shalt confesse my name before Iewes and Gentils, yea before the Kings and Tyrants of the world. O Peter thou wast vnhappie in de­nying thy Master, but thou wast as happie in weeping so aboundantlie & bitterlie for denying him.

12 Two causes there were of Peters teares and repentance, the first was the glaunce of Christ his eye vpon him, for [Page 63] the eye being a principall organ & the cheefe of the senses, hath great force in moouing, because our affections of loue and anger, ioy and greefe, doe especiallie appeare in the eye, and so euerie mans eye mooueth much, and especiallie the eye of Christ who was the perfectest man, and had the most perfect complexion, w [...]i h giues force and spirit to the eye; and besides the glaunce of Christes corporall eye, he gaue a glaunce on Peter with the eye of his diuinitie, which sent out a ray and beame of preuenient grace, which not ōel [...]e mooued his heart, but melted and consumed it into those aboundant teares which he shed. The second cause or occasion as the crowing of the Cocke, for Christe hauing fore­told Peter,Mat. 26. that in th [...]t night before the Cocke crewe he should denie him thrice: he hearing the cocke crowe, and thereby remembring Christes words, went forth a dores and wept bitterlie. But as the Preachers preaching without God his grace conuerteth no man, so this crowing of the Cocke could not, haue moued Peter to repentance, had not Christ sent from the eye of his diui­nitie [Page 64] a raye of preuenient grace, and by the heate of it, resolued his heart into teares.

14 As Peter now wept at the crow of the Cocke,Clem. Rom. vide Maldo. in c. 26. Matth. so did he euer after remem­ber this so well, that, as Clemens Ro­manus affirmeth, so oft as he heard the cocke crowe, he kneeled downe on his knees and shedded teares aboun­dantlie for this his denial of his Master. To this S. Ambrose alluding in the Hymne ad laudes saith. Hoc ipsa Petra Ec­clesiae canente culpam diluit. When th [...] cocke croweth, the rocke of the Church himself, washeth away his fault.

15 But why o B. Sauiour didst thou permir Peter to fall thus shamefullie, who loued thee so well, and was so well beloued of thee, who was to be head vnder thee of the Church & was to suffer the same Kind of death on the Crosse for thee (though with his feete vpwards) as thou sufferedst for him and all the world? He permitted this for Peters and thousands others grea­ter good; that Peter might see how fraile he is whē he relieth onelie on his owne forces, that he might hereby [Page 65] be humbled when he should remember [...]his his fall, as S. Paul was, who be­ [...]ause he had persecuted the first Chri­ [...]tians, did alwaies,1. Cor. 15. when that came to his mind, esteeme himself an aborte, & not worthie to be called an Apostle; That by Peter who was to be head of the Church, all his successours might learne not to presume too much of their hight state and dignitie, but might, know that without God his speciall grace, they are subiect to falling aswell as others: That Peter when he should come to be head of the Church might take compassion of others falles seeing he himself fel so shamefullie; that when Christians see their Pastours fall by euill life, they be not scandalized at thē seeing that the cheefe Pastour after Christ, tooke such a fall; that no sin­ner should despaire of remission of his sinnes, seeing that Peter, who had de­nied and forsworne his Master, had obtained that grace; that all the world might see how fraile he and the Apo­stles were before the comming of the holy Ghost, how couragious they were after the holy Ghost had inflamed them with zele and charitie, and how they [Page 64] [...] [Page 65] [...] [Page 66] were stronger then all the tormente [...] and deaths that the persecutour could deuise; that Peter might take occa­sion by this fall, to rise to greater grace, z [...]le, and Charitie then euer he had: for as the ball the lower it falleth, the higher it reboundeth, and sometimes reboundeth higher then it fell; so many times the lower sinners fall by sinne, the higher they doe rise by a great repentance, in God his grace & fauour; as King Dauid, S. Peter, S. Paul, S. Matthew, S. Marie Magdalen did, who had neuer beene so great Saints if they had not beene so great sinners; not that sinne by it selfe con­duceth to perfection, but that God manie times taketh greater compassion where he seeth greater sinnes, & there vpon giueth greater grace; that as Iob was and is to this daye an example of patience, and by it hath induced thou­sands to patience, so Peter might be a pattern to all sinners, & induce them by his teares to heartie repentance; lastlie that we might know the force of teares and Contrition, which wash away the foulest sinnes that are, heale the greatest wounds of the soule, re­store [Page 67] vs from spirituall sicknes to spiri­ [...]ual health, yea from the death of mor­ [...]all sinne to the life of grace, which [...]eares, contrarie to the nature of other waters, ascend to heauen and there doe mollifie God his heart, appease his [...]nger, and yet descend also to hell and [...]here do extinguish Hell fire, kill all [...]vice in our soule, and make it bring forth all maner of vertue, which takes away all enmitie betwixt God and vs, and of enemies, makes vs his friends and fauorites.

16 O my soule how often hast thou in fact, though not in words, denied God, disclaimed from Christe? as oft as thou hast committed mortall sinnes. For thou hast beene one of those,Tit. 1. who con­fesse that they know God, but in their workes denie him. And if for feare of losse of life, or goods thou hast denied thy faith, thou hast denied Christ in words, as S. Peter did, and hast seemed with S. Peter not to know Christ nor his religion: Peter denyed his Master at the interrogation of a wench: and how often for a lesser trifle, or for a vaine pleasure of the body, for a litle trash of the world, for a passion of [Page 68] the mind, as of hatred, enuie or anger, hast thou sinned mortallie and denyed Christ.

17 As thou hast denied Christ with Peter, so weepe for thy sinnes with Peter. Christ on his part is not wan­ting, he looketh on thee with the eye of his diuinitie, and from this his eye he sendeth vnto thee, as he did to Pe­ter a raye or beame of his preuenient grace, and not one onely cocke, but as many cocks, as Preachers, or good Counsellers, or good books, do dailie crow & crie vnto thee to doe pēnance. Thou hast denyed Christ with Peter, thou hast gone forth and runne astray with Peter, but thou hast not yet wept bitterlie with Peter. Goe out of ill companie, as Peter did, when he left Cayphas and the rest, which were there assembled against Christ, leaue all occasions of sinnes, and as hereto­fore thou hast taken delight in sinne, so now do thou detest th [...] sinnes, abhorre them, and be sorrie for them.

18 The Iewes lamented their dead, and mourned for them; do thou lament thy soule dead by mortall sinne, all the dayes of thy life, as Peter did; let [Page 69] thyne eyes Weepe, or at least let thy [...]eart weepe and lament so often as [...]hou thinkest on thy sinnes. Thou [...]weepest too easelie for temporal losses, euen of monie, and in vaine also, be­cause weeping will not recouer such losses; weepe then for thy sinnes, which despoile thee of God his grace and his fauour, and euen of the Kingdome of heauen, which are the greatest losses that can be, and which by weeping and teares of contrition are alwayes re­couered.

19 O my soule harken to Hieremie his Counsell which he gaue to the Iewes, and as thou hast sinned with them, so do thou as Hieremie Counselled them shed teares as a Torrent day and night, Hiere. 2. giue no rest to thy self, nether let the aple of thyne eye cease from teares. If S. Peter as oft as he did heare the cocke crowe, did shed teares for his sinnes, do thou all thy life, weepe and be sorrie at least in heart for thine,Esa. 38. and with King Eze­chias recount to God all thy yeares in the bitternes of thy soule. And as Peter after his denial confessed Christe boldlie and publicklie before Iewes and Gentills,Alt. 4. and euen before the Persecutours and [Page 70] Tyrants, vnto death, and euen to the death of the Crosse; so doe thou (ô my soule) confesse Iesus by word and deed, that weeping with Peter thou maist find mercie and grace with Pe­ter, and confessing Christ with Peter, Christ may confesse thee and acknow­ledge thee as he hath done Peter before his Father in Heauen. Matt. 8. Luc. 12.

IT was comaunded by the old law, when any offender was to be whip­ped, that according to the measure of the sinne, Deu. 25. should the measure of the stripes bee: [Page 71] yet soe as that the number of the stripes ex­ [...]e [...]ed not the number of fortie, least thy [...]rother, (saith the law) depart foulie [...]orne before thine eyes. This compassion [...]hat law tooke of the whipped, [...]hough otherwise it was a law of ri­gour and terrour, and with this mo­deration was this law commonlie exe­cuted and put in practise: where fore S. Paul (who was whipped by the Iewes) saith:1. Cor. 11. fiue times I receaued fortie stripes, sauing one. The Iewes gaue him but 39. stripes at a tyme, choosing ra­ther to come short of the number of fortie, then to exceed it.

2 But our B. Sauiour found not this mercie and fauour, and that he might not find it, the Iewes gaue him ouer to the Romanes, who were not bound to this law, and therefore did much exceede this number of fortie, of which excesse the Iewes also were cause, because they cried to Pilat to haue Christ crucified; but he not being willing to crucifie him, or to put him to death, caused him by the Romane soldiers so to be whipped, as his whipping might appease their hatred, and make them to talke noe more of [Page 72] crucifying.Luc. 13. I will, saith Pilat, correct him and let him goe. By which it may easelie be gathered that Pilat gaue order that Christ should receaue many stri­pes aboue fortie, for he knew that otherwise he could not appease the ha­tred of the Iewes. And besides such was our B. Sauiours charitie to vs, that he would fulfill, the first words of that law which saieth:Deut. 25. According to the measure of the sinne shal the measure also of the stripes be: And seeing that he vn­dertooke to satisfie for the sinnes of all mankind, he would suffer so many stripes in number, as might haue some Kind of proportion with the number of our sinnes. For although one stripe of it selfe, in regard of the value which it receaued from Christ his Diuine per­son (the person dignifieth the workes of him that doth them) had been suffi­cient to haue satisfied for all the sinnes of mankind, yet it had not had a pro­portion to the number of our sinnes, & so diuers Authours affirme that he suffe­red many hundres of stripes for vs, & could not with fewer satisfie his owne charitie towards vs, nor the hatred of the Iewes towards himself.

3 O what a spectacle was this whip­ [...]ing to God, to Angells, and to men! [...]ehold, ô Eternall Father, thy Sonne [...]o equall & Consubstantiall vnto thee, [...]nd whoe is not onelie free denizon of Heauen, but also Prince thereof with [...]hee, tyed with a cord to a pillar, and [...]hipped like a slaue. Doth not this [...]ouch thy honour, which is so disho­ [...]orable to thy Sonne? Behold, ô Eter­ [...]all spirit and third person in the Tri­nitie, the body of the Sonne of God which thou framedst of the most pure blood of the Virgin mother, & which therefore was free from all seruilitie of sinne, tyed to a Pillar and whipped as the bodie of a slaue, yea of a male­factour. Canst thou endure thy hand­work and masterpiece so to be disgra­ced? Behold, ô yee Angells, your Prince and Daulphin of Heauen scour­ged as a slaue: can you hold your hands from drawing vpon these caitifs, who so baselie handle your Lord and Ma­ster? O man, behold to what a seruill condition thy sinnes haue brought the Sonne of God, and detest thy sinnes, for which he endureth this indignitie. O Sonne of God who art the strong [Page 74] arme of God thy Father, equall i [...] force and in strength vnto him, as omnipotent as he, why didst thou permit a few soldiers so to ouer maste [...] thee, as to tye thee to the pillar wit [...] a rope?Iud. 15. & 16. If Sampson could be tyed by n [...] cords, but burst them all: why did [...] thou not breake this cord, that s [...] shamefullie tieth thee? But I see wha [...] bond it was that tied thee; it was no [...] any cord or rope of the Iewes or Ro­manes making, which could haue tyed thee, had not the chaine and bond of loue and charitie towards vs, bound thee: had not this chaine of loue to man (for whom thou sufferdst all thou suffredst) tyed thee to this pillar, ne­ther Iewe, nor Gentill, nor all the diuells in Hell, could haue thus tyed thee but as thou wast offered to death because thou wouldst, Isa. 53 So thou wast tied, to this pillar and whipped, because, out of thy loue to man, thou wouldst. O loue, seeing thou wast able to tye the omnipotent, tye me also to this pillar, that I may suffer with my Iesus, if not by passion, at least by compassion.

4 But behold (ô deuout Christian) how thy meeke, patient and louing [Page 75] Sauiour imbraceth the Pillar for loue [...]f thee, although he knew how many [...]d how cruel stripes he should suffer [...] it. Being then tied to the Pillar, and [...]eelding himself to the furie of the [...]oldiers, you may Imagine how cruel­ [...]e his tender and virginall flesh was [...]rne with whippes. This you may, [...]ther by the Soldiers, who were [...]uell and barbarous; by Pilat, who [...]used him to be whipped so, as to sa­ [...]sfie the hatred of the Iewes, which [...]e knew could not be appeased with an [...]rdinarie whipping; by the loue of [...]hrist, which could not be satisfied [...]ithout a great number of stripes some [...]hat proportionate in number to our [...] most innumerable sinnes.

5 Stripes then were heaped on stripes, [...]shes on lashes: and at the first on his bodie appeared many wheales, then blood issued out, as wine doth out of the grape trodden and pressed: then wounds were to be seene in many pla­ [...]es; then no place was left for new [...]ounds, all was one wound; then blood streamed downe in such strea­mes, that, as the contemplatiues doe not without cause imagine, he stood al­most [Page 76] ankle deepe in his owne blood thē the whippes fetch of the flesh, then the ribbes beginne to appeare; at lēgth the whippers were out of breath Christ not out of patience, the whip­pers at length want strength, but no mallice, Christ wanteth not Charitie and as crueltie beganne this whipping so crueltie made an end, because they ceased not for compassion, but to re­serue him for greater torments on th [...] Crosse.

6 There was neuer malefactour so crueltie whipped, as Christ was; wha [...] crueltie thē was it so cruellie to whippe Christ, who euen by Pilats confession was innocent? and who was so farre from doeing any hurt or iniurie to the Iewes or their common wealth, as malefactours vse to doe, that he be­stowed as many benefites on them, as he wrought miracles among them.

7 O my sweet Sauiour, ô innocent Lambe, how cammest thou amongest these rauenous wolues, yea cruell Ty­gres? O Eternall Father! see whether this bodie thus torne with whippes be the coate of thy Sonne or not. Gen. 36. O Virginall Mother see whether this his bodie [Page 77] wherewith his Diuinitie is inuested, be the coate which thou by vertue of the Holy Ghosts shapedst for him out of thy most pure blood; by the coate, which thou madst him,Psal. 44. he was specio­sus forma praefilijs hominū, goodlie of beau­tie aboue the Sonnes of men: By this torne coate which now he weareth, he hath (as the Prophet Esaie foretold) neither beautie nor comelinesse, Isa. 53. but rather seemeth the most abiect of men, a man of sorrowes.

8 O Crueltie of the Iewes and Ro­manes, who haue so disfigured him! and ô great crueltie of vs sinners, who, when we sinned, tyed him to the pillar, and when we heaped sinnes vpon sinnes, we heaped scourges vpon scourges vpon his bodie, because our sinnes were the causes of these his stri­pes, and of all he suffered in his pas­sion.

9 O my soule, if thou shouldst haue seene a greate malefactour thus scour­ged, thou wouldst haue pitied him, though a malefactour, who deserued the punishment: yea if thou shouldst see a dogge or horse thus torne with whipps, thou wouldst not haue endu­red [Page 78] the sight, though he be a brute beast: & canst thou behold thy Sauiour God and man, thy Creatour, thy Re­deemer, thy greatest friend and bene­factour, thus cruellie handled, and for thy sinnes also, and not take com­passion of him? O Christian, no, Chri­stian, if these so cruell and so many stripes laied on thy Sauiours tender flesh, and for thee also, do not mooue thee to compassion. Yea, ô mā, no man, (because deuoid of all humanitie) if this crueltie towards a man, and not a man onelie but God also, doe not wrest compassion from thy heart, and teares from thyne eyes.

10 Blood shed vniustlie, hath a voice to crye for vengeance on them, that shed it. So Abels blood cried for vengeance against Cain, who vnnaturallie shed it, and out of enuie also, because Abels Sacrifices were more respected of God then Cains were: And therefore God told him.Gen. 4. The voice of thy brothers blood crieth to me out of the earth. The blood of the lust shed by the Iewes fell vpon them,Mat. 23. from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zacharie, the Sonne of Barachias, whom they murdered betwixt the Temple and the [Page 79] Altar. Mat. 6. S. Iohn Baptists blood which Herod shed cryed more terriblie against him, then his mouth did, when he told him, that it was not lawfull for him to haue the wife of his brother. But with what a shrill voice did this holie and innocent blood of our Sauiour crye against the Iewes, who shed it? It is true, it cried to God for our Redemption and for mer­cie towards vs. And therefore S. Paul saith,Heb. 12. the sprinkling of this blood speaketh better then Abel, that is, then his blood: But it cried for a great vengeance on the Iewes, that shed it, and on their posteritie also, as we see by the ruine of their Temple, Citie, Kingdome, law and Priesthood; Which miserie they worthilie suffer for their crueltie against Christ their Messias, and for the Curse they gaue to themselues and children, when they said.Mat. 27. His blood be vpon vs and vpon our children.

11 And, ô my Soule, doest not thou heare this bloud crying to thee for compas­sion, it being shed with such paine to Christ, and in such aboundance? doest thou not heare it crying to thee for gra­titude, it being shed for thee? doest thou not heare it crye to thee for [Page 80] Repentance, it being shed for thy sin­nes? Many saie (and experience proo­ueth their saying true) that when the murderer commeth in sight or neere to him, whom he murdered, the woūds of the murdered, will bleed againe: Thou, ô my soule, hast shed the blood of thy Sauiour, and hast in a manner murdered him, because thy sinnes were cause of his death, behold then his wounds receiued by being whipped at the pillar: approach to him, that he may bleed againe in thy heart, by ma­king it bleed for sorrow.

12 Marcus Antonius, when Iulius Cesar was killed in the Senate house by Bru­tus and others, his fellow conspira­tours, carried his wounded bodie, in which appeared 23. wounds, with his pearced and bloodie shirt into the market place, which so mooued the people, that although Iulius Caesar had vsurped Tyrannie ouer the Romanes, yet at this bloodie obiect they were incensed with such furie against Bru­tus and his followers, that if they had not quicklie fled Rome, they had reuenged Cesars death vpon them.

13 Thou, ô Christian, hast had in part [...]epresented vnto thee the cruell stri­ [...]es and scourges, wherewith thy Sa­ [...]iours body, the shirt and garment of [...]is Diuinitie, was pierced thou hast [...]eene this his shirt all gorie blood with stripes, and yet he was no Tyrant, [...]ut a most clement Prince, no vsur­ [...]er (as Iulius Caesar was) but thy law­ [...]ull King by descent from his Eternall [...]ather, King of Heauen and Earth. What compassion then shouldst thou [...]ake on him, seeing him so wounded with stripes that all his bodie seemed but one wound, especiallie he being [...]hus wounded for thee and thy sinnes? How shouldst thou be incensed with a heartie Contrition against all thy sin­nes, which haue thus cruellie handled thy Sauiour, they being the cause of all his sufferances? With what rigour shouldst thou reuenge those his wounds, this his blood shed for thee, vpon thine owne bodie, by austere satisfactions? We reade in the Macha­bies how the blood of the grape and mul­berrie was shewed to the Elephants to stirre vp in them a furie and courage to fight in the battayle: let the blood,1 Maca. 6. [Page 82] ô Christian, of Christ the grape pressed now at the pillar, and more to be pres­sed on the Crosse, mooue thee to make warre by pennance, against the vglie troups of thy sinnes, the causes of Christes so many stripes.

14 Many Saints haue imitated Chri [...] his sufferance of scourges at the pillar [...] S. Thomas of Canterburie our gloriou [...] Martyr and primate of England, when he was not able to lay any more stri­pes on his body by his owne hands, vsed the help of his Chaplin, and cau­sed him to whippe him till the blood issued out from his bodie aboun­dantlie. So S. Charles Boromeus, S. Philip. Nerius, and other Saintes euen of our times, haue done, and doe daylie, so to conforme them selues to Christ whipped for them at the pillar, yet how many are there, who haue ne­uer shed one drop of blood for their sinnes, or for Christ, who yet hath shed flouds of blood for them? how many are there, in whom S. Pau­les words are verified, yon haue not re­sisted vnto blood repugning against sinne? Heb. 12. How many are there who haue not shed any teares for their sinnes, [Page 83] for which Christ hath shed flouds of blood?

15 O my soule, be thou confounded within thyself, when thou conside­rest how much blood Christ hath shed at the pillar for thee, and how litle blood (or none at all) in all thy life thou hast shed for him: and yet one drop of his blood shed for thee is so precious, that it is more worth then all the blood in thy bo­die, then all the blood of the Mar­tyres, that euer were, as being worth the redemption of a thousand worlds. O my soule, if thou wilt not euerie day, by chastising thy bodie, shed some drops of blood fot thy sinnes, at least shed euerie daie teares of sor­row for them: teares of Compassion for Christ his so many stripes suffered and so much blood shed at the Pillar.

AS Pilat had caused Christ to be whipped, and so whipped that he thought thereby to mooue the Iewes to pittie, and not to vrge any more to haue him crucified: So he caused or permitted the Soldiers to crowne him with thornes, thinking that so at least he should stoppe the mouthes of the Iewes from crying, Crucifigatur, crucifigatur, let him be cru­cified, let him be Crucified. But behold here the malice both of the Soldiers, and of the Iewes: For as the Soldiers crowned him with thornes, so the Iewes consented to it, and caused it, as they caused his whipping.

2 As loue is very inuentiue in good, and deuiseth many wayes to please, or pleasure the beloued: So is malice no [...]esse ingenious in inuentions and deuises of paines, torments, and tor­tures, to displease, vexe, and annoy the partie that is hated; wherefore we may gather how great the hatred and malice was of Christ his enemies, which could excogitate and deuise this his coronation with thornes, a crueltie, which neither Dionysius, nor any other the most cruell Tyrants be­fore could deuise.

3 Egre dimini filiae Sion &c. Goe forth ye daughters of Sion; Cant. 3. all deuout soules of the Church, & see King Salomon (Christ Iesus King not only of the Iewes, as he was, but of Gentils also, and more wise then that Salomon was) in the diademe, where with his mother hath crow­ned him. His Eternall Father crowned him with the crowne of his Diuinitie, his Virgin-Mother hath crowned him with the crowne of our humanitie; and his step mother, the Syna­gogue, hath crowned him (ô crueltie, ô malice!) with a crowne of thornes.

4 He would be crowned with thor­nes [Page 86] for diuers reasons. First becaus [...] crownes are graunted for victorie [...] gotten ouer the enemie by force o [...] armes, or dexteritie in fighting: an [...] so Christ by this crowne of thornes, would giue vs to vnderstand for what victorie he was thus crowned, to wit, for his victorie ouer sinne, which none but he, who was God and man could atchieue: because this victorie ouer sinne was to be obtained by a condigne and worthie satisfaction for it, which neither God onelie, nor mā alone could haue made, it consisting by God his ordonance, in suffering corporall death of the body for sinne, which is the spiri­tual death of the Soule. God ōely could not haue made this satisfaction, because he could not suffer; mā onely could not, because though he could suffer, yet his sufferance would not haue beene con­digne, not of sufficient valew: God and man onely, as Christ was, could doe the deed, because as man he could suffer death, as God he could dignifie the sufferance. And therefore Christ would be crowned, not with gold, or laurell, but with thornes, which si­gnifie his victorie ouer our sinnes, the [Page 87] thornes which gall and prick our Sou­ [...]es euen to death, if they be mortall, because they depriue her of grace, which is her spirituall life.

5 Secondlie he would be crowned with thornes to purchase vs thereby [...] garland of roses, and a crowne of glorie in Heauen. Thirdlie he would weare a crowne of sharp and pricking [...]hornes, so to blunt the thornes of our [...]n ordinat passions and concupiseences, [...]hat they should not prick our soule to death. Fourthly by this crowne he would confront the pride of those, who take great pride in frizeling their haires, adorning their heads, more then their state requireth, with roses & pre­cious stones; and erecting by art on their heads castles in the aire, as some woemen doe. Wherefore since Christ his Coronation, many deuout Kings haue refused to weare crownes, especiallie of gold. Our King Ka­nutus thinking it absurd for him, to weare a crowne of gold, when Christ the King of Kings, and Princeps regum terrae, Prince of the Kings of the earth, Apoc. 1 had beene crowned with a crowne of thor­nes, set his crowne of gold on the head [Page 88] of the crucifixe, and would neuer after weare any crowne. Godfrid also the first King of Hierusalem, refused to be crowned with a crowne of gold, and onely admitted a crowne of iron, saying, as the Italian Poet maketh him to speake.

Theodosius the Emperour when he was to enter into the Church vsed alwaies to put of his crowne. S. Lewes King of Fraunce would neuer we are his Royall robes, much lesse his crowne, on a friday, because Christ on that daye had a purple put on him, in derision, was crowned with thornes, and a reed giuen him in his hand for a scepter. Heraclius the Emperour could not enter the gate of Hierusalem with the Crosse on his shoulder, till he had put of his Imperiall ro be. S. Catherin of Sienna when Christ offered her to [Page 89] choose whether shee would haue a [...]rowne of gold or of thornes, made [...]hoise of a crowne of thornes, & she [...]fter that was euer troubled with the [...]eadeach. In memorie of Crhist his [...]rowne of thornes, Priests haue euer worne their shauen crownes.

6 But, ô my soule, doest not thou stand [...]mased to see thy Sauiour the Sonne of God crowned with thornes? O Indig­nitie, o crueltie! He that is crowned in Heauen with starres, yea with the glorie of his Fathers Diuinitie, is now crowned with thornes. O spectacle, at which Heauen and earth, men and Angells, may stand amased. O vngrate­full man.Psal. 8. He crowned thee with glorie and honour, and thou hast crowned him with thornes, to his great payne and no lesse dishonour. O vngratefull Si­nagogue, o vngrateful vineyard! Christ had cultiuated thee so diligentlie, that he said:Isa. 5. VVhat is there that I ought to doe more for my vineyard, & I haue not done it? and I looked that it should yeeld grapes, and it yeelded wild grapes Yea thornes,Gen. [...]. Math. 27. he looked that it should haue yeelded him wine, as Noes vineyard did, and it yeelded him gall.

7 O you Angells, what saie you to thi [...] strange inauguration, and Corona­rion? That head of Christ, which is the cabinet of all God his treasures, the Academie of all sciences, the schoole of all wisedome, the booke of all God his knowledge, written in it by an ab­breuiation of th' Incarnation, that head worthie all diademes, crownes and garlands, is crowned, or rather disgraced then crowned with thornes. O King of Heauen, King of all ioy [...] and blisse, King of all the Blessed and ioyfull in Heauen, thou art now crowned King of sorrowes and disgra­ces, thou art now the Prince of all the Sorrowfull and disgraced, because thou art more sorrowful and disgraced then they all.

8 O what a strange King art thou now become? thy crowne is plated of thor­nes, not of massie Gold, beset, not with pearles, but with sharp pricks, not with rubies but with droppes of blood: thy scepteris a reed, thy Kinglie robe is a ragged purple, rather like a fooles then a Kings coate: thy acclamations, wherewith thou art saluted, at this co­ronation, are mockeries, scoffes, taun­tes, [Page 91] and blasphemies; thy subiects are vngratefull Parricides; thy Courtiers are rayling Soldiers; thy traine and seruants, are executioners; thy chaire of estate is a Crosse, whereon thou sit­test not at ease, but hangest vneasilie; thy cates and ionkets, are gall and vineger.

9 What good Christian after Christ his Coronation with thornes, can be am­bitious of Crownes, Diademes, Mi­tres, and dignities? Who will now fol­low his sensual appetites and pleasures, which cost Christ his head so many prickings? What member of Christ his mysticall body, will hereafter seeke after delicacies, and will not be asha­med (to vse S. Hieromes words) to be delicatum membrum sub spinoso capite, a delicate member vnder a thornie head?

10 They saye that Kings crownes are fuller of cares then pearles, and pre­cious stones, because with their crow­ne they vndertake the gouernment & defence of a whole Kingedome: but howsoeuer it fareth with them, this crowne of thornes could not but be full of paines to Christ, it being full of pricks, whereof euerie one pierced [Page 92] his head to the braine pan and made the blood, which it drew from his head to trickle downe his forehead & face to the noe litle disfiguring of it. O my soule, thy Spouse Christ Iesus knocketh at thy dore crying, open to me my Sister, my loue, C [...]at. 5. my doue, myne immaculate, be­cause my head is full of dew, and my locks o [...] the droppes of the night. Open thy hear [...] vnto me by loue, that I may enter: [...] haue imitated the worldly wooers, who in the night watch at the windowes of their beloued, till their heads be all wet with the night dewes; for I haue watched so long at the windowes of thine vnderstanding and will, knoc­king continuallie by my inspirations, that my head is now full of dew, and my lockes, of the droppes of the night, that is, of the droppes of my blood, which may be called the dew & droppes of the night, because they are shed for thy sinnes, which are the workes of darcknes. Open then thy heart vnto me, by loue and gratitude, who am thus bedewed with my owne blood for the loue of thee, and for remission of thy sinnes. If the carnall louer by suffering the dew of the night to fall o [...] his [Page 93] head for his beloued, sheweth great [...]oue, what loue doth Christ shew to [...]hee, whose head is full of the dew of his blood for thee?

11 O my soule, how much art thou indebted to thy Sauiour for so many painefull pricks on the head, which he endured for thee? What canst thou ren­der him for so many droppes of blood, which the pricks of the thornes drew from his sacred head, of which the least was worth the redemption of a world, yea ten thousand worlds? How many liues (if thou hadst more then one) shouldst thou render to him, euerie droppe of his blood being worth a thousand liues? How many deaths shouldst thou suffer for so many droppes of the blood of his head shed for thee? Seeing that the least droppe shed for thee, the least pricking suf­fered for thee, was more in him, then the sufferance of many deaths could be in thee.

AFTER that the Soldiers had in mockerie, and with no litle crueltie thus crowned this dolefull King Christ Iesus, they were so farre from taking compassion on him, that they made him a laughing stock, and recreated & disported themselues with him, Pilate and the Iewes so permit­ting, and peraduenture being specta­tours of this cruell Comedie. They bowing their knees (sayth S. Matthew) before him, Mat. 27. Mat. 26. mocke him saying Hayle King of [Page 95] the Iewes, and as before they did spitte in [...]s face, and buffeted him, saying: Pro­ [...]ecie vnto vs, o Christ, who is he that [...]ooke thee; so now spitting on him, Mat. 15. they [...]oke a reede and smote his head: To make [...]e thornes wherewith he was crow­ [...]ed, to pierce his head more deeplie [...]d so to augment his paines.

2 O barbarous and cruell Caitifs, who [...]ke delight in crueltie, and make [...]ort of miserie. Doe thou, o deuout [...]hristian, in all humilitie and since­ [...]tie acknowledge thy Sauiour for thy [...]ing, who is not onely thy King,Apo. 1. but [...]ince of all the Kings of the earth, and [...]ie vnto him with the saied humilitie and sinceritie (so to confront this mocking of the Souldiers) Hayle King, not onely of the Iewes, but also of [...]e Gentils, not onely of men but also of Angells, not onely of Earth but also of Heauen.Phil. 2. To thee he all honour and [...]orie, to thee be euerie knee bowed, of [...]e eclestials, terrestrials and infernals, and [...] euerie tongue confesse that our Lord [...]sus Christ, is in the glorie of God the [...]ther.

3 After that Pilat had permitted the [...]uldiers to recreate themselues, and [Page 96] to breake their iestes on Christ, who suf­fered in good earnest, and euen for them also, that thus mocked him; he bringeth him forth, and sheweth him to the Iewes saying Ecce Homo, Ioa. 19. loe the man. Pilat imitateth blurring Pain­ters, who because they can not ex­presse to life, the man whom they paint, they write ouer or vnder the picture, the mans name; for Pilat had so disfigured Christ, that he was forced to say; loe the man, least perad­uenture otherwise he would not haue beene knowne: loe the man: Behold, ó Iewes, how he hath beene torne with whippes, how he is tormented with a crowne continuallie pricking him, how deformed his face is with blood trickling from his head, and with spittle and buffets which he hath su­stained. Let this spectacle mooue you to Compassion, at least so, as to make you laye aside all cogitation of Cruci­fying him, and putting him to death. Loe the man: a man, not a dogge or other brute beast, a man as you are, & so miserable a man, that if you be men, that is, indewed with humanitie, you can not but commiserat him, and take [Page 97] compassion on him; let therefore these miseries, in which you see him plun­ged, mollifie your hearts, and satisfie your furie, and hatred conceiued against him.

4 But whereas the Adamant is broken by blood, their stonie heartes can not be mollified by all the flouds of blood, and miseries which Christ hath suffe­red; nothing but death, and the death also of the Crosse can satisfie their crueltie, and therefore they cry:Mat. 27. Let him be crucified, let him be crucified. Yea they were so impatient, that, as S. Iohn saith, they cryed. Away, Io. 19. Away with him crucifie him. O stonie hearts. O cruell Iewes, no men but sauage beasts, cruell Tygres, rauenous wolues.

5 But although mercilesse Iewes can not be mooued at this so pitifull a spectacle, yet I hope Christians will; and there­fore leauing the Iewes, I will turne my self to all good Christians, and will present to them their dolefull Iesus Christ, in whom they professe to be­leeue, of whom they haue taken their surname. Behold then, ô Christians, looke vpon your Sauiour, loe the man. If you know him not in this miserable [Page 98] state, he is the man, whom the Pro­phet long since foretold saying:Isa. 53. wee haue seene him, there is no beautie in him, nor comelines: wee haue seene him, and there was no sightlines, and we were desirous of him: despised and most abiect of men, a man of sorrowes, and knowing infirmitie, and his looke as it were bidde and despised. Whereupon neither haue we esteemed him. He surelie hath borne our Infirmities, and our sorrowes he hath carried, and we haue thought him, as it were aleper, and stricken of God and humbled.

6 This selfsame man, ô Christians, I propose to your view,Io. 19. Loe the man: A man as you are, no brute beast, how­soeuer deformed, and vnlike a man he seemeth, and so worthie of Compas­sion of men, that are men, that is, in­dewed with humanitie. Loe the man: Were he your enemie, were he the greatest malefactor, yet he should in this miserie deserue compassion of you, in that he is a man. Loe the man: Not a malefactour, but most innocent euen by Pilates Confession, and who hath suffered all this, not for his owne faults, but for your sinnes, you being the onelie delinquents; for as the same [Page 99] Prophet saith,Isa. 53. he surelie hath borne our in­firmities, and our sorrowes he hath carried. And againe, he was wounded for our ini­quities: he was broken for our sinnes: the discipline of our peace vpon him (because these his sorrowes made our peace with God) and with the waile of his stripe we are healed.

7 And can not this man so miserablie handled for your sakes, mooue you to compassion? Loe the man, Io. 19. who hath so well deserued of all men, both Iewes & Gentils, who was borne man for vs (for as for himself) he needed not to be borne man in time, being borne of the wombe of his Fathers Diuinitie from all eternitie, God, as his Father,Psal. 2. and consubstantiall vnto him: who liued in this life 33. yeares fot our ex­ample and instruction, who preached vnto vs the doctrine of saluation, who wrought so many good workes and miracles amongst vs, whose lame he healed, whose blind he restored to sight, whose dumme he caused to speake: and deafe to heare, and dead to liue againe; and who at length for compassion of vs (who were slaues to sinne, the Diuell and damnation) [Page 100] suffred a most cruell & shameful death: and can not this man mooue vs to compassion?

8 Loe the man, whose flesh (to vse Iobs words) is not of brasse, Iob. 6. whose body is not phantasticall, as the Manichees sayd, nor framed of the substance of the Heauens, and so impassible, as Va­lentinus the Heretick auerred, but is composed of flesh and blood, as other mens bodies are, and so sensible of pai­nes also, as theirs are, yea farre more sensible, by reason of his farre more perfect complexion.

9 Loe the man: behold a man, if you respect his nature: no man, but a con­temptible worme, if you respect his externall figure and visage: so he, or Dauid in his name,Psal. 21. said: But I am a worme, and no man: reproch of men and out­cast of the People. A worme because; as a worme is generated of the wood with­out any cooperation of an other worme, so was he borne of his Virgin Mother, without cooperation of man: A worme, because, as the worme eateth and consumeth the wood, of which it was generated: so hee (like vnto the worme, which withered the Iuie tree [Page 101] that couered Ionas) consumed the fi­gures and promises of the old law,Ionae. 3. by fulfilling and abrogating them, de­stroyed their Temple, Priest hood, and law, in which they gloried, and con­sumed the Iewish people, of whom & amongst whom he was borne. A worme: because as out of the substance of wor­mes, are spunne & wouen silkes with which our bodies are clad; so hee out of his owne blood, death, and passion, did weaue for vs a garment of grace and Iustice, by which our soules are clothed. A worme, because as wormes are often times conuerted into flies, and then can flye, whereas before they could onelie creepe; so Christ his body after the resurrection, became glorious and so agill, that it could fly into Heauen, and euen aboue the Heauens. A worme, because, as wormes are not beheaded with a sword, not put to any honourable death, but troden vnder feete contemptiblie, and without any compassion taken on them; so he was put to a most contemptible death of the Crosse, without compassion of any but of his mother, S. Iohn, and a fewe dis­ciples, and deuout woemen.

10 Loe the man: and not whatsoeuer man, but God and Man, God by eter­nall generation of his Father without a Mother, Man by temporall generation of his Virgin Mother without a Father; and yet this God and Man, suffered all the miseries aforesayd, and euen death for vngratefull men, and therefore the Iewes who killed this God and man, were not onelie homicides, but Dei­cides, killers of God, that is of that man, who was also God. Loe the man: who to purchase vs life euerlasting gaue his owne life for vs, which because it was the life of God and man, was more worth then all the liues of all the men on earth, yea then all the liues also of all the Angells in Heauen.

11 On this Mans miseries, as on his sweating blood in the garden, his scour­ges and shedding of blood at the pillar, and on his thornie coronation, on his agonie and death on the crosse, the Iewes tooke no compassion, and no meruaile, they had stonie hearts. But if Christians,Ezech. 11. & 36. to whom God promised new hearts and fleshie hearts, prone to com­passion, be not mooued at this mans Sorrowes, which he suffered also for [Page 103] them, heauen and Earth may stand amazed; and such christians shall not be true christians, but rather cruell Schythians.

12 O my soule! ô deuout Christian, whensoeuer thou perceiuest thy self to be tempted to sinne, looke vpon this Man, this man of Sorrowes, Isa 53. crowned with thornes, disfigured with buffets, blood and spitle, and for thee also, and say to thy self. Loe the man, whom by my sinnes I haue thus deformed and disfigured: Loe the man, who, as he is my loueing Sauiour, so he is my seuere Iudge also; as he is man, so he is God also: and shall I now by sinne offend this not onelie my Sauiour, but my Iudge also; this not onely man but God also? Shal I againe offend this Man, who by my sinnes is alreadie so disfigured, that he could hardly haue beene knowne for a man, had not Pilat sayd, Loe the man. Shall I so easelie as for­merlie I haue done, adde sinnes to sin­nes, which cost my Sauiour so dearlie? This picture drawne by that euill pain­ter Pilat, set before thine eyes, will strike such a terrour into thee, that thou wilt not dare to sinne before it.

Mat. 27. Mar. 15. Luc. 23. Io. 19.PILAT, who at the first, sought to free Christ from death, because he knew that for enuie the Iewes had betrayed him vnto him & saw no cause, as he told the Iewes, why to put him to death; At length partly for the Iewes importunitie, partly for feare of Cesar, whose friend (as the Iewes told him) he can not be, that maketh himself a King as the said Christ made himself, relented and out of humane feare pro­nounced sentence of death, and of the death of the Crosse against him.

2 O the vniustest sentence that euer by any Iudge was pronounced, because it condemned Christ to death, the most innocent that euer was; because it con­demned the Iudges Iudge; because it was without order of law and Iustice, false witnesses being suborned; because it was without authoritie, neither Pi­lat nor any Iudge hauing authoritie to condemne the Innocent, as Christ was, who did not sinne, Isa. 53 1. Pet. 2. neither was guile found in his mouth, which also Pilat confessed; and because Christ being King of Kings and Prince of the Kings of the Earth, Apoc. 1. was subiect to no humane authoritie. And therefore, when Christ said to Pilat, thou shouldst not haue any power against me, vnlesse it were gi­uen from aboue: he meaneth, if it were not permitted from aboue; for if God had not onelie permitted Pilat to con­demne Christ, but also had giuen him Authoritie, Pilat had pronounced a iust sentence, because he had done it by authoritie from God, who may giue authoritie to condemne and kill th' In­nocent, he being Dominus vitae & mortis. Lord of life and death. Pilat then ha­uing pronounced sentence of death [Page 106] vpon the Crosse,Ex plu­tarcho lib. de sera Numi­nis vin­dicta. Gen. 22. decreed also that Christ according to the māner, should carrie his Crosse on his shoulders to mount Caluarie the place of execu­tion.

3 This was long before prefigured in Isaac, whom Abraham according to Gods commaundement was to haue sacrificed. Because Abraham tooke the wood of the Holocaust, on which Isaac was to haue beene sacrificed, and laid it vpon Isaac his sonne, and himself carried in his hands fire and a sword. For so our Isaac Iesus, to fulfill that figure carrieth on his shoulders the wood of the Crosse, on which he was sacrificed, and his Eternall Father carrieth the fire of charitie towards man, for whose re­dēption he was sacrificed, & the sword also of his Diuine iustice, which by his sonnes death (which was a condigne satisfaction for sinne) was satisfied.

4 Now also was fulfilled the prophecie of Isaie. A litle child is borne to vs, in his temporall natiuitie,Isa. 9. and a sonne is giuen to vs, and principalitie is made vpon his shoulders. For whereas other Princes carrie the signe of their Principalitie on there Head (as they doe their crowne) [Page 107] Christ carried his on his shoulders, when he carried his crosse, by which he triumphed ouer the world, deuill, and sinne, though he carried also on his head a crowne of thornes. And then also was fulfilled the Prophecie of the Roiall Prophet Dauid,Psal. 9.6. Iustin. Mart. Dia cum Triph: Tert. li. aduer. Iudaeos & abj. our Lord hath reigned frō the wood, as diuers Fathers al­leadge that verse, for that by the wood of the Crosse, as by a meanes or In­strument, Christ purchassed the King­dome of his church, and vanquished sinne and the Deuill. But although Christ his carrying of the Crosse was glorious and triumphant before God, yet it was disgracefull before the world, the Crosse being,1. Co. 1. Deu 21. Gal. 3. a scandall to the Iewes, and to the Gentils foolishnes, Yea a curse; because cursed is euerie one that hangeth on a tree.

5 The Crosse being layd vpon Christ his weake & sore shoulders, sore with the scourges at the pillar, They gaue him two companions, not for his com­fort, but for his greater disgrace, to wit, two theeues, and Christ went in the midst, as the greatest theefe of the three;Isa. 53. which indignitie the Prophet foretold in these words, And he was re­puted [Page 108] with the wicked. Goe forth, againe, yee daughters of Sion, Cant. 3. all deuout soules & behold your King carrying a crowne of thornes vpon his head, & an heauy Crosse on his shoulders, and take com­passion on this your King so cruellie and contemptiblie handled.

Thinke with what paine aswell as disgrace he carrieth this heauie and lumpish Crosse of wood, fifteene foot long, and in respect of rhe piece of timber that went crosse, eight foot broad, and as thicke as was able to support a mans body. He had not slept the night before, but all that night was hurried and haled from one place to an other, from the garden to Anna, from Anna to Cayphas from Cay­phas to Pilat, from Pilat to Herod, from Herod to Pilat againe, and so he was wearied: he was verie weake by rea­son of the great quantitie of blood he had swet in his agonie in the garden, and had shed [...]e Pillar, and in his coronation with thornes; his bodie was so sore, so wounded with the stri­pes he receaued at the Pillar, that there was no one whole place in his body to lay the Crosse on: and yet on this [Page 109] wearied, weake and sore bodie, was layed the heauie Crosse, and this he was to haue carryed a long waye.

7 O the patience of Christ, vncon­querable! ô the loue of amourous Ie­sus, which onelie (his bodie being so wearied and weakened) could beare so heauie a burden, as was this Crosse, heauie of it self, heauier by the sinnes of all mankind, which he carried with it, according to that of S. Peter,1. Pet. 2. who himself bare our sinnes in his bodie vpon the Crosse. Vnder this heauie burden Christ fainteth, and sometimes falleth: The Iewes push him on, and peraduenture beate him, as they were wonred to beate their beasts, to make him goe on, and they tooke not so much com­passion on him, as they would in the like case, on a brute beast.

8 A Deuout woeman called Veronica taking pitie on him, gaue him an hand­kercher to wipe his face, which swet with faintnes, and for her reward, she receaued the liuelie picture of his face imprinted in it, which picture is called vultus sanctus, and is reserued to this daye in the Church of S. Peter at Rome; diuers other deuout woemen [Page 110] (as that sexe is deuout) bewailed and la­mented him: to whom Christ turning, sayd: Daughters of Hierusalem weepe not vpon mee, Luc. 22. weepe vpon your selues, and vpon your children.

9 O Blessed Sauiour: thou, who are the man of Sorrowes and the most doleful wight that euer was,Isa. 53. doest thou for­bid these deuout woemen to weepe vpon thee? When should they weepe, if not now? For whom should they weepe if not for thee? They see thou sheddest blood for them, and should they not shed teares for thee? What compa­rison betwixt blood and teares? Me­thinks, ô sweet Sauiour, thou shouldst rather haue sayd cleane, contrarie: weepe not for your selues, nor for your children, nor for any temporall aduersitie, that may happen vnto you; but rather weepe for me, in whom all sorrowes haue made their rendeuous, which also I suffer not for myself, but for you, rather weepe for me, whose sorrowes are so great, that they deserue not onelie your teares, but euen the teares of Angells, if their nature would permit them to weepe.

10 O Lord, commaund what els thou [Page 111] wilt, and we are readie to obey, but do not forbid vs to shed teares for thee, which are dewe to thee, who art the man of sorrowes, and necessarie for vs,Isa 53. because in weeping for thee, we weepe for our sinnes, which are the causes of thy sorrowes. Thou badst the Iewes to weepe for Hierusalem,Hier. 3. and to shed teares as a Torrent for her, and wilt thou not haue vs weepe for thee, the King and Lord of Hierusalem? When shall our eyes be wet with teares, if now they be drye? How shall our loue towards thee shew it self better, then by teares? So Marie Magdalen shewed her loue towards thee; So S. Peter shew­ed his. And when should our loue so shew it self, if not now, when shee seeth thee her beloued obiect and chie­fest good, sweating, groning, fainting and falling vnder the Crosse? ô Louer of mankind, sorbid not loue to weepe in this case, it is the hardest commaun­dement thou canst lay vpon her.

11 The friends of Iob coming to visit him, in his afflictions,Iob 2. and lifting vp their eyes a farre of knew him not, his affli­ctions had so changed him, wherefore, crying out they wept, and renting their clo­thes, [Page 112] [...] [Page 113] [...] [Page 112] in signe of their griefe they sprinc­kled dust on their head to wards heauen, and they sate with him on the ground, seuen dayes and seuen nights, and no man spake to him a word, for they saw the paine to be vehement. And shall not wee cry out for thee our Iesus, so changed with afflic­tions, that euen thy Mother could scarcelie now know thee, she hauing borne thee,Psal. 44. goodlie of beautie aboue the sonnes of men, nor if it were possible could thy Eternall Father know thee, of whose glorie thou art the splendour, Hebr. 1. whose liuelie and most beautifull Image thou art, but now so disfigu­red, as thou seemest nothing like him. No comparison betwixt Iesus and Iob, no comparison betwixt thy sorrowes ô Iesus, and the sorrowes of Iob, and therefore no comparison should be betwixt our loue to thee, ô Iesus, and theirs to Iob: and shall they cry out and w [...]epe for him, and shall not we weepe for thee?

12 Wherefore Christ doth not absolutlie forbid the deuout woemen to weepe vpon him, but either biddeth them ra­ther to weepe vpon themselues, and their children, who not long after, by [Page 113] Tytus and Vespasian, were in great numbers to be slaine, or sold, or taken captiues, and their Citie and Temple to be ruined: or els he forbiddeth them to weepe vpon him, as a malefactour led to execution, he being innocent by Pilates Confession: or he forbiddeth them to weepe vpon him, as though he did not suffer voluntarilie & willinglie: For he desired this death, as being or­dained by his Eternall Father for mans redemption: and abstracting from his Fathers ordination, to which freelie he submitted himself, he could haue wrested himself out of his enemies hands, aswell now, as he did a litle be­fore, when in the garden with these few words, I ame he, Ioa. 19. he cast them to the ground. And so he doth not forbid the woemen absolutie to weepe vpon him; for if they would weepe as taking cō­passion on him for the sorrowes he en­dured for them and for the sinnes of all mankind, or would weepe for their owne sinnes, which were the causes of his sorrowes, such weeping could not but haue beene pleasing vnto him, he reioycing with his Angells more for the re­pentance of a sinner, then for nintie nine Iust. Luc. 15.

13 O my soule, do thou walke after Ie­sus to Mount Caluarie, and if thou canst not shed blood for him in the waye, as he doth for thee, shed at least teares for him, walke in spirit euerie day this way after Iesus; it is marked by his steps, yea by his blood, so that thou canst not misse it. O walke this waye religiouslie, & put of thy shooes of all carnall and terrene cogitations, for that this way is more sanctified by Christ his holy steps and blood, then was that, where an Angell appeared to Moyses in a bush.Exod. 3. O walke this way with Iesus, because though the way be hard and painfull, yet it leadeth to Heauen. Christ thy head went this way to Heauen before thee, do thou his member follow, that partaking with him in this way of his sorrowes, thou maist be partaker of his glorie.

14 Walke not, ô my soule, ô good Chri­stian the way of the wicked, which though it seeme broade and pleasant, strawed with the rushes, yea roses of carnall delights, pleasures, and riches, yet it leadeth to perdition, and it is an hard way also, full of the thornes of sinnes and iniquities, beset with the [Page 115] stones of scandals, at which many stumble and fall continuallie: And this here after thou wilt confesse with the wicked themselues, though then it will be to late, for they themselues con­fesse,Sap. 5. that they are wearied in the way of iniquitie and perdition, and haue walked hard waies, but the way of our Lord we haue not knowne; Ibid. Then they wil saie wh [...]t hath pride profited vs? or what commo­ditie hath the vaunting of riches brought to vs? All these things are passed away as a shadow.

15 Wherefore, ô my soule, ô deuout Christian, take vp thy Crosse and fol­low thy Sauiour, thou canst not erre if thou follow him, because he is the way and the truth. All the Saints, all that are saued, haue gonne this way before thee; and so if thou wilt be saued, take vp thy Crosse and follow Christ. For he telleth thee plainly, and thou must beleeue him, for he is truth it self. He that taketh not his Crosse and followeth me, Mat. 10. is not worthie of me: And againe,Luc. 14 he that doth not beare his Crosse, and come after me can not be my disciple.

16 If they that carrie not their Crosse of one aduersitie or other, and that pa­tientlie [Page 116] also, can not come to heauen with Christ: What shall wee say of them, who are enemies to the Crosse, and all sufferances. How many, (to vse S. Paules words) walke, Philip 3. whom often I told you, and now weeping also I tell you, the enemies of the Crosse of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose God is the bellie, and their glorie in confusion, which mind worldly things. These men will suffer nothing for Christ, for their sinnes, to auoid Hell, to gaine Heauen. But they say.Sap. 2. Come therefore and let vs enioy the good things, that are (in this life) and let vs quicklie vse the creature in youth; let vs fill our selues with precious wines, and ointements, and let not the flower of the time passe vs, let vs crowne ourselues with roses b [...]fore they w [...]ther, let there be no medow, which our riote shall not passe. These men (to vse Iobs words) ho [...]d the Timbrel and the harpe, Iob. 2. and reioyce at th [...] sound of the organ, they lead their dayes in wealth. But what is the end of all this? and in a moment they goe downe to Hell.

17 Whosoeuer then looketh to goe to Heauen with Christ he must resolue to cary his crosse with Christ, and not [Page 117] thinke to goe. from the pleasures of the world to the pleasures of Heauen, to winne that goale of Heauen, without running, to purchase that crowne without fighting, to receaue that re­ward without working. Resolue then, ô Christian, to endure patientlie what Crosse God shall lay vpon thee, be it pouertie, sicknes, disgrace or what­soeuer aduersitie.

18 Christ was not his owne chooser, nor did he say, put me to some other death, the Crosse is to imfamous; lay another Crosse on me, this is to heauie; but he tooke patientlie that Crosse which was offered him. And thou, ô Christian, must not choose thy Crosse or affliction: thou must not say: I could endure such a disease, but not this, which I haue, I could be content to loose my goods, but not my honour, but thou must take that Crosse pa­tientlie which God sendeth: nor must thou thinke any to heauie, for if God lay it on thee, he giueth grace and force to beare it. He is faith full, 1 Cor. 10. Phil. 3. which will not suffer thee to be tempted aboue that which thou art able. Rather trusting in God and his grace, say with S. Paul: [Page 118] I can all things in him that strengtheneth me. With his grace, I can beare all Crosses and aduersities. Giue me then, ô my God, grace to beare, and lay what crosse soeuer thou wilt on me.

19 And if, ô Christian, thou couldst be freed from all Crosses, it were some­what: but if thou refuse to carrie a temporall Crosse, thou must carrie an Eternall; if thou refuse to carrie a Crosse with Christ in this world, thou must carrie it with the diuell in Hell. And what follie or rather madnes, to choose rather to suffer an eternall Crosse then a temporall? And with the Diuell rather then with Christ? Seeing that Christ maketh the burden easie, and the carriage of it meritorius by his grace, the Diuell maketh his Crosse deuoide of merite, yea and vnsuppor­table also, by the state of damnation.

20 Christ then hauing patientlie vnder­taken the burden of the Crosse, went on with it as farre as humane force would permit him; diuine force he would not vse. But the lewes per­ceauing him to faint, and to fall also vnder the burden,Mat. 27. Mat. 15. Luc. 23. Compelled one Simon a man of Cyrene coming from the coun­trie, [Page 119] to carrie the Crosse for him; which they did not our of Compassion, but rather out of crueltie, either fearing that he might dye by the way, and so not suffer the death of the Crosse, as they desyred that he should; or els be­cause their cruell hearts were so desi­rous to see him hanged and nailed on the Crosse, that they were impatient of delayes; and so a Gentill was pre­ferred to carrie the Crosse of Christ, to signifie, that the honour to suffer for Christ, was reserued for the Gentils; and that God was to leaue the Iewe, & embrace the Gentils, to forsake the synagogue of the Iewes, & to embrace the Church of the Gentils.

21 O Peter, where wast thou, that thou didst not offer this last seruice to thy Master, to carrie his Crosse for him? thou the night before saidst thow wast readie to goe with him both to Prison and to death? But he peraduenture was hid­den in some corner, and there weeping for the denyall of his Master. Where were you, ô Apostles? would none of you be readie to carry your Masters Crosse, and so to ease him? they were all fled from him, euen at his first ap­prehension. [Page 120] O my soule, wish that thou hadst beene there, that thou mightest haue had the honour to ease thy Master and Sauiour by carrying his Crosse. O how easie would that bur­den haue been vnto thy loue, which maketh all easie?

22 But, ô my sinnes, which lay heauier on my Sauiours shoulders then the crosse! O who will giue water to my head, Hier. 9. and to mine eyes a fountaine of teares, that I may weepe day and night for my sinnes, which wayed so heauie on my sauiours wea­ried and sore shoulders? O what crosse should not I beare for his sake, who carried for mee so heauie a Crosse, and my so heauie sinnes on it? 1. Pet. 2. In all my afflictions and aduersities, which shall ly heauie vpon mee, giue me grace, o Lord, by vertue of this thy bearing of the Crosse, to beare them patientlie and euer to think on this thy heauie Crosse, which thou so patientlie didst carrie for me.

IF thou wouldst (Deuour Christian) spend some time to see a bloodie Tragedie acted onely in representa­tion, and wouldst behold it with com­miseration, how willinglie, and with What compassion shouldst thou be­hold this bloodie Tragedie, which the Sonne of God, thy Lord and Sauiour, acted reallie in his bloodie Passion? This tragedie he began to act in the garden of Gethsemani, now he com­meth to end it on mount Caluarie, and vpon the bedde of the Crosse.

2 A bed not of ease but sorrow, a [Page 122] bedde indeed of sleepe, but of the sleepe of death, and a sleepe of three dayes, which expired, he awaked more fresh and liuelie in his Resurection, then he was before. He was sick of an hot feauer, none other then the loue of mankind, which made him goe to this bedde, and because men vse to put of their clothes, when they goe to bedde, he putteth of his, or rather per­mitteth the soldiers to pull them of violentlie, that they sticking to his sore body, torne before with whippes, his wounds might be renewed and bleed againe for vs. This his bedde was hard, but his loue to vs, made it as soft to him, as the softest bedde of downe: It was narrow and could hold no bed-fellow, because none on this bedde could redeeme man but he: It was narrow because he would suffer alone, that wee might not suffer, It was nar­row and capable of him onelie, be­cause he would lye alone in this bedde of his Passion, that we might lie with him in his bedde of eternall felicitie.

3 O what difference was there be­twixt the bedde of Salomon, and the bedde of Christ? Luc. 11. Who yet was more then [Page 123] Salomon, because Salomon was but a temporall King, Christ an Eternall; He King onely of a part of the world, Christ of Heauen and earth; he King of the Iewes, Christ of Iewes and Gentiles, yea of men and Angells; he was wise, but Christ much more, as who was wisedom it self, and of whom Salomon was taught all he knew; and yet Salomons bed was soft, Christ his bedde hard; Salomons bedde was large, Christ his bedde was narrow; Salomons bedde was easie, Christ his bedde vneasie; Salomons bedde was richlie hanged and adorned, Christ his bedde was all naked, as he himself was. The bedde of Salomon was compassed and garded by threescore valiants all hol­ding swords, and most cunning to battels: Cant. 3. But no guarde, no friends, do stand about Christ his bodie to guarde and deffend him, onely enemies, and cruell executioners do compasse it.

4 O yee Angells, yee Champions and valiants of the court of heauen, and stout soldiers of Christ your King, who euerie one single is able to encounter and to defeat the greatest armie that euer was seene on earth, where are you? [Page 124] why come you not to rescue this your King? why do you not draw the sword of the Diuine Iustice in defence of this your King, whose sword bearers you are? but they knew that this their King was resolued to sleepe to death on this bedde of the Crosse for mans re­demption, and would not awake or rise til the morning of his resurrection. Dauid prayeth, that our Lord would helpe the Iust vpon the bedde of his sor­rowes: Psal. 40. But none come to helpe Iust Ie­sus. His Father could, but he will not, because he will haue him suffer for mankind; he himself could helpe him­self by his Diuinitie, yea by the glorie of his soule, which if he would permit to redound into his bodie, would haue made it impassible, but he would not, that so he might suffer, and by suffering satisfie for our sinnes.

5 O cruell Iewes, ô vngratefull cai­tifs! Christ had laboured three and thirtie yeares in preaching, teaching, and working of miracles, and these labours he vndertooke for your salua­tion; & is this the bedde you prepared for him, to take his rest thereon after his labours? He had but a litle before [Page 125] made a iourney from the garden of Gethsemani to Anna his house, and from Anna his house to Cayphas his house, from thence to Pilat, from Pilat to Herod, from Herod to Pilat againe, from Pilat to mount Caluarie, in which last iourney he carried a heauie & lum­pish Crosse vpon his sore shoulders and weakned and exhausted bodie, and the night before he had not slepte any winke; and is this the bedde you haue prepared for him, to rest his wearie limmes on?

6 Others haue drinke giuen them, when they goe to bedde to make them sleepe and repose; and what drinke (ô hard hearted Iew) doest thou giue to Iesus? S. Matthew sayth that when they had brought him to Golgotha, and mount Caluarie, they gaue him wine to drinke mingled with gall. Mat. 27. In the Prouerbs the wiseman willeth to giue strong drinke to them that be sad, and wine to them that be of a pensiue mind, that they may not re­member their sorrowes: But thou, ó cruell Iew, giuest to thy Saviour, whose heart was full of griefes and sorrowes, wine mingled with gall, not to ease, but to increase his sorrowes, which [Page 126] when he had tasted, he would not drinke, as detesting this thy ingratitude more then the bitter gall.

7 After they had laied him on the hard bedde of the Crosse, they stretched his armes & leggs, and all his body there­on, as the Fuller doth his cloth on the tenter hookes; in so much that out of his flesh and vaines, the blood issued out againe; and least he should, as men wearied vse to do, turne himself for his ease, they nailed him hand and feere vnto it, so that he could not stirre.

8 O my soule, harken what a dolefull noyse the hammers make, which strike in the nailes through his hands and feete so deepe into the wood of the Crosse; see how fast the blood floweth againe from his hands and feete, as from foure fountaines, in which thou maist wash thyself cleane from all filth of sinne. Thinke what grieuous paines thy beloued feeled in this nayling of his hands and feete, which are the most sensible partes, by reason that in them, the sinewes meete, which are the or­gans of feeling. And yet thy beloued would suffer this so painfull nailing of his feete, to satisfie for thy ranginge [Page 127] in the broad way, which leadeth to per­dition, to stay the feete of thy soule from running after vnlawfull plea­sures, to keepe thy feete from stum­bling in the waye of God his commaun­dements; and he would suffer the nailing of his hands, to write thee, o my soule, in them in red letters,Esa. 49. neuer to be forgotten: to satisfie for all thy sinnes committed by thy hands, which as they are the instruments of working, so by thy ill vsage, they are instruments of working euill.

9 O my soule, how dead a sleepe art thou, if the knocking of the hammers, that driue in the nailes into his hands and feete, do not awake thee out of the sleepe of sinne? How drye are thy eyes, if the blood which streameth downe the Crosse from his hands and feete, do not cause teares to flowe from them?Psal. 6. Dauid washed his bedde with tea­res for his owne sinnes; Christ Iesus thy Sauiour washed his bedde of the Crosse with blood for thy sinnes, not for his owne; and canst not thou wash thy bedde at least with teares for thine owne sinnes?

10 O my soule, if thou desire to finde [Page 128] thy spouse,Cant. 1. and to know where he lyeth in the midde day, runne to the Crosse and there thou shall finde him lying, or ra­ther hanging, and at midde day also; and feare not least thy sinnes make him runne from thee, he is nailed to this bedde hands & feete, and more by the loue of thee then by the nailes. O kisse his hands, which haue bestowed so many blessings & benefites on thee, kisse his feete with Marie Magdalen, which haue made so many iourne eyes for thee, and which he permitteth to be nailed for thee, to procure thee con­stancie and perseuerance in the way of vertue; And nayle thy self to Christ & his Crosse by reciprocall loue, and leaue him not, but rather say vnto him, as Iacob sayd to the Angell, with whome he had wrastled till morning: I will not let thee goe, vnlesse thou blesse mee, Gen. 32. and with no lesse a blessing, then the remission of all my finnes.

11 He being thus nayled to the Crosse, is lifted on high into the aire, to san­ctifie it by breathing there his last breath, as he had sanctified the earth by his blood, yea to suffer thereby for vs greater confusion. For he that [Page 129] chose litle Bethlem for his natiuitie, chose great Hierusalem for his Passion, and he that was borne in an obscure stable would suffer an ignominious death on mount Caluarie, and on high in the ayre, in the sight of all Hierusalem, and not onely of Iewes, but also of many nations, who then were come to Hierusalem to celebrat the great feast of the Pasche. Yea this confusion he suffered, to controule our pride, who would haue our sinnes and imperfections hidden, but our perfections, honour and prayse, to be diuulged. And lastlie he would be crucified on a Mount and on high also in the ayre, that all might behold him, and haue recourse vnto him as to the Sauiour of all.

12 The Iewes that were stung by the serpents in the desert, by looking vp to a brasen serpent,Nu. 25. which God com­maunded to be hanged vp in the aire, were cured of all their stinges: and now Christ the wise and good serpent is hanged on high on the Crosse,Ioan. 3. to fulfill that figure, and that we should behold him, and looke vpon him with a liuelie faith, and so be cured of all [Page 130] the stings of sinnes receaued from the infernall serpentes the Diuells. If then, ô Deuout Christian, thou be stung with pride, behold Christ his humilitie in suffering so publicklie the most ignominious death, that then was, to wit,Deu. 21. Gal. 3. he death of the Crosse, which then was a malediction. If thou be stunge with inordinate loue of the world, be­hold his contempt of it, and of all it can afford; if with auarice, behold how poore he dyeth, hownaked, as one who was depriued by the Soldiers euen of his poore clothes, the onelie temporall goods he had: If with impatience, looke vpon his inuincible patience in suffering: If with sloth and ease, see on what an vneasie bedde he lyeth or rather haugeth; if with hatred of thy enemies, behold how he prayes for his crucifiers; if with stubbernes and di­sobedience, behold how he is obedient to his Father vnto death, Phil. 2. euen to the death of the Crosse: If with lust and carnall delights, behold what his flesh suffe­red before at the Pillar, and now on the hard Crosse; If with feare of death, behold how willinglie he dyeth for thee,Io. 10. because, no man taketh a way his life [Page 131] from him, but he yeeldeth it of himself, and he hath power to yeeld it, and he hath power to take it againe. And therefore the Prophet Isaie saith,Esa. 53. he was offered be­cause himself would.

13 Behold, ô Deuout Christian, how he hangeth on high in the aire with his armes and hands extended and readie to imbrace thee, if now at least thou wilt returne vnto him by, heartie pen­nance and sorrow for thy sinnes; be­hold his armes and hands extended, and though nailed, yet fighting for thee. For as all the time that Moyses had his armes and hands extended, and lifted vp, Iosue ouercame Amalec: Exo. 17. So whilest thy Sauiours armes and hands are extended on the Crosse, he fighteth for thee, and ouercommeth thine ene­mies the world, flesh, and Diuell, and thou in him and by him ouercomest. Of this the Prophet Abacue speaketh saying: hornes in his hands, Abac. 3. there is his strength hidde. Because when his hands were nayled to the corners of the Crosse, then he had as it were hornes in his hāds, & there lay hidde his strēgth, by which he ouercame his and our enemies.

14 Hasten to him, ô my soule; this his stretching out of his hands and feete [...]o the corners of the Crosse, argueth that he will impart the grace and fruicts of his Passion to all partes of the world, and will exclude none from receauing saluation by it. Hasten to him, for he extendeth his hands to giue thee on his death bedde a farre greater benediction then Iacob,Gen. 49. on his death bedde, gaue, or could giue to his children. Hasten and harken to him, least he complaine on thee, as he complaines on others, and say; I haue spred forth my hands all the day to all incredulous people. Harken to him,Isa. 65. least he exprobrat vnto thee, as he doth to others, and say, I called and thou refusedst, Rom. 10. Prou. 1. I strerched out my hands, and there was none that regarded. You haue dis­pised all my counsell and haue neglected my reprehensions: I also will laugh in your destruction, and I will scorne when that shall come to you, which you feared. Har­ken to my call (saith he) least hereafter you shall inuocate me, and I will not heare.

15 O my soule! looke vp, and con­templat thy Sauiours fiue wounds, which in his hands, feere, and syde he [Page 133] receaued, to cure thee of the spirituall wounds of thy soule. In these fiue fountaines, thou maist refresh and free thy self of inordinate desires, and thou mayst draw heauenlie water out of them; In these bathes thou maist wash thyself from all filth of sinne; In these fornaces thou maist heare, yea melt thyself with the loue of God; In these castles thou maist defend thyself from all the assaultes of the world, flesh and Diuell; In these Celles thou maist con­template Gods mercie and Iustice, his mercie in s [...]ffring and dying for thee, his Iustice in paying so rich a ransom for thee: In these beddes thou maist sleepe in spirit and forget all the vani­ties and pleasures of the world: in these gardens thou mayst gather the flowers of all vertues; In these Tabernacles thou mayst shelter thyself from all winds and tempests of tentations: In these Cabinets thou mayst finde Christ his treasures: In these holes of the rock Christ Iesus, thou mayst mourne like a doue with thy dolefull Sauiour: In these nestes thou mayst chirpe and sing, lyke an heauenlie bird, the Psalmes, and prayses of God: in these Temples thou [Page 134] maist adore God: In these portes and hauens thou mayst repose securelie from all Tempest,Deu. 19. and ship wracks; In these Cities of refuge, thou mayst saue thy life.

16 O my soule, consider with attention what panges and paines thy beloued suffereth for thee on the Crosse, and harken what he saith: O all you that passe by the way, Thren. 1. attend and see if there be sorrow like to my sorrow. For I haue suf­fered in all the partes of my bodie, in all my senses, of all Kind of persons, friends, foes, Iewes, Gentils, Princes, subiects &c. I haue suffered great pay­nes,See this aboue in the first flower. & I was more sensible of thē, by rea­son of my most perfect complexion, then any other man could be. O be­hold how vneasilie I lye or rather hang on this hard bedde of the Crosse; If I would ease my hands, I shall hurt the more my feete; If I would ease any part, I hurt all the rest of my bodie; nay I am so fast nayled, that I can not stirre to ease any part. O Attend and see whether there be any that euer suffered such paines as I suffer; looke into the afflictions of Iob, Into the torments of [Page 135] the martyrs, yea of the greatest male­factours, and thou shalt finde that their sorrowes were not like to myne, by reason of my most perfect com­plexion, quick apprehension, and be­cause I had no ease from my Diuinitie, nor vpper part of my soule. O attend and consider who it is that suffereth all this, not a beast, but a man as thou art, and so worthy of compassion; not a malefactour, but most innocent, euen by Pilates and Herods confession; not a mortal man onelie but God and man, not a meere stranger vnto thee (though on him, thou shouldst take cōpassion) out thy greatest benefactour, as who hath bestowed on thee all thy guifts of nature and grace, and is readie also to giue vnto thee the guift of glorie; nor an enemie (though in this case he [...]hould be lamented) but thy greatest friend, who hath giuen his life for thee, and not whatsoeuer life, but the life of God and man. O attend, consider who [...]uffereth, and for whom? the King for his subiect, the Lord for his Vassall, [...]he Iudge for the guiltie & condemned, [...]he innocent for the nocent, God for man, the Creatour for his Creature; [Page 136] and if thou render not loue for loue, (though what is thy loue to his) and if thou render not life for life (though what is thy life to his) thy heart is not of soft flesh, but of marble or flinie.

17 And thou, ô Iew, with whom Christ Iesus liued, to whom he prea­ched, whom he teached, for whom he wrought myracles for many yeares together, eleuate thine eyes, if thy guiltie conscience will permitte thee, looke vp,Gen. 4. vnlesse, like as Cains was, thy countenaunce be fallen, and behold this ruefull and dolefull spectacle of Ie­sus Nazarenus, whom thou hast cruci­fyed. And indeed the Iewes behold him, but without all compassion, nay they rather reioyce to see him tormen­ted, and with no litle exprobration and scorne, they bid him descend from the Crosse, and saue himself if he can, who saued so many others:Mat. 27. O mali­cious Iew, he that saued others (as thou hast confessed) could haue des­cended from the Crosse, and saued him­self, but he would not descend to earth, that thou mights ascend to hea­uen if thou wouldst, and he would not [Page 137] saue himself, but would hange to death on the Crosse, to saue thee and all the world.

18 O cruell hearted Iew, if thou wilt not looke on him with compassion, harken at least to what he tacitlie saieth vnto thee.Mich. 6. My People what haue I done to thee? Or what haue I molested thee? An­swer me. I brought thee out of Aegipt, and thou hast brought me out of Hie­rusalem to mount Caluarie:See the like cō­plaint in the seruice of good friday. I planted thee a vineyard, where I cōuersed with thee for thirtie three yeares, & I expe­cted grapes of thee, & thou broughtst out thornes onelie to crowne me. I whipped Aegipt with tenne plagues for thy deliuerie out of captiuitie; thou hast whipped me with cruell rods, and thou hast made thereby so many wounds in my bodie, that all my bo­die seemeth one wound: I led thee through the desert by a clowde in the day, and a pillar of light in the night; thou sentst Iudas with Soldiers, lan­ternes, clubbes, and swords, to appre­hend me in the garden. I bestowed on thee not onelie a sacred Priesthood, but also a Regall crowne and scepter; thou rewardest me with a ragged purple and [Page 138] a crowne of thornes. I was thy first King, and after gaue thee a race of Kings to rule vnder me; thou hast de­nyed me for thy King, and hast pub­licklie auouched that thou hast no King but Cesar. I gaue thee water in the desert out of a rock; thou, when I cried on the Crosse that I was dry, gauest me vineger; I fed thee with sweete Man­na; thou offrest to me bitter myrrhe. I brought thee through the red sea drye footed, and drowned the Aegip­tians that pursued thee; thou brou­ghtst me into the red sea of my Pas­sion, and there drownedst me. I killed all the first begotten of Aegipt, but spared thee, and thine; thou hast slaine me on the Crosse, the first and onelie begotten of my heauenlie Father and Virgin Mother. I gaue miraculouslie limmes to thy lame, health to thy sick, speech to thy dumme, sight to thy blinde, hearing to thy deafe, life to thy dead; thou hast heaped paines and torments on me, and euen death it self.

19 But if Iewes hearts can not be moo­ued at this dolefull spectacle of Christs hanging on the Crosse, at least, ô [Page 139] Christians, as you are partakers of Christ his name, as being of him called Christians, so be you partakers of his passion, by compassion. If Iewes, and Pagans do not compassionat him, no meruaile; they neither professe them­selues his disciples, nor do they be­leeue in him: But if Christians, who professe to beleeue in him, do not com­passionat him hanging on the Crosse, and for them also; then, ô Christians, no Christians, or Christians onely in name and profession, not in affection. And is it possible that a Christian should behold Christ on the Crosse, full of paynes and dolours, and not be mooued? The sunne though insensible puts of his garments of light and ioy, and mourneth in black for his Crea­tour, of whom he receaued his Light, as of a greater sunne;Mat. 27. the stones and rocks breake in sunder: the veile of the Temple is rent in two peeces, from the toppe euen to the bottome, the earthquaked and the graues opened, and many bodies of the Saints, that had slept, rose, as amased at this dolefull spectacle; and can not thy heart, ô Christian, be moued to compassion? ô heart of flint not of flesh. O Christian, [Page 140] no louing Christian, for if thou lo­uedst, thou couldst not but lament.

20 But notwithstanding al this, the Iewes, some laugh at him, some scorne him, some blaspheme him: Onelie his lo­uing Mother and his Disciple S. Iohn, S. Marie Magdalene and some other deuout woemen, and peraduentur one or two secret disciples, do compas­sionat him, and suffer in mind with him: yet Christ hangeth still on the Crosse and patientlie endureth for all: At length desirous also to dye for man, that man might dye to sinne,Mat. 27. Mat. 15. and liue by grace, Crying with a mightie voice he yeelded vp the ghost. He cried with a mightie voice, that all the world, yea heauen and earth might heare and know, that God dyed for man; that all might know that he could haue resisted death, seeing that at the point of death, he cried with so mightie a voice; that all might know that he was more then a man,Mat. 27. Mar. 15. Luc. 23. and no lesse then God and man, as the Centurian confessed saying, indeed this was the Sonne of God, and as all the multitude of them that were present tacitlie also confirmed, because they returned knocking their breasts.

21 S. Iohn the Euangelist saith: bowing his head, he gaue vp the ghost. Io. 20. He held vp his sacred head till now, though to his great paine, but now he bowed downe his head, to yeeld to death: he bowed downe his head, as not ha­uing any place to rest it on: he bowed his head, to adore on the bedde of the Crosse, his Eternall Father, to whom he offered himself a sacrifice for mans redemption, as Iacob adored God, Gen. 47. on his deaths bedde, turning to the bedds head: He bowed his head, to point at Limbus Pa­trum, or Abrahams bosome, whether his soule was to descend to illuminate with cleare vision the holy soules there detained, & to deliuer them; He bowed his head to point at his graue and mo­nument, in which his bodie was to be buried for three dayes; He bowed his head to point at his heart, and to signifie that he dyed of loue to mankind: He bowed his head, to salute his louing Mo­ther, and Disciple S. Iohn, yea Marie Magdalene also, and other deuotes there present: He bowed his head, to in­uire all sinners to the kisse of reconci­liation, which he, on his part, was readie to giue vnto them, and euen to [Page 142] his crucifiers: He bowed his head, to bid adieu to the mercilesse Iew, & vngrat­full world: He bowed his head, to take a nappe of three dayes sleepe of death, and then to rise againe more fresh and liuelie in his resurrection. And thus Christ Iesus, God and man, after he had liued thirtie three yeares amongest the Iewes, and had bestowed as many benefits on them, as he gaue them good lessōs & exāples, as he wrought miracles amongest them, and suffered paines and torments for them, and all the world; died on the Crosse for man, the Creatour for the Creature, the Fa­ther for the children, the Iudge for the guiltie, God for man.

22 But what shall I say? What can I say to this? God is dead for man. O won­der; no mouth, no tongue, no elo­quence can expresse what loue was shewed to man, in that God died for man. If I had as many tongues, as I haue members, and if these tongues were as eloquent, as the tongues of the most eloquent oratours, nay if I could speake with the tongues of all the An­gells in heauen, I could not expresse what loue was she wed to man, in that [Page 143] God died for man; here silence is the best speaker; amazement, astonish­ment, admiration, extasie, are the fittest Oratours. Onelie I will saye: God is dead for man; who for whom? O my soule pause here a while, and thinke seriouslie on this; God is dead for man. If thou shouldest think all thy life time on nothing els but this, that God is dead for man, thou couldst not thinke sufficientlie, thou couldst not admire enough. Can I say any more to mooue man to admiration, to mooue man to loue, to mooue man to gratitude? No; this contayneth all, this infoldeth all implicitlie, onely I can vnfold this, and saye the same more explicitlie: Ie­sus Christ, God and man, the Sonne of God, coequall & consubstantiall vnto him, Creatour of all, depending of none, all depending on him, not obli­ged to man at all, but man infinitlie obliged to him, became man for man, vndertooke mans cause as mans suretie, susteined mans person, as guiltie, and suffered death for man, which not he but man had deserued. O what loue? and yet by man sinne reigneth, the cause of his death; ô Ingratitude! Christ [Page 144] Iesus God and man, sweateth blood in the garden, was torne with whippes at the pillar, crowned with pricking thornes, nayled hands and feete with pearcing nailes, hanged on the Crosse for three howres, and at length died on the Crosse, and why, but for man? Why, but to cancell mans debtes of sinnes, to satisfie for his sinnes past, & to put a barre or bridle to his sinnes to come? And yet man heapeth sinnes vpon sinnes. O senselesse man! Iesus Christ, God and man, endureth in his tēder flesh cruell lashes with whippes, many prickings with thornes, pear­cings with nailes, & other most cruell paines and torments; and yet man walloweth in vnlawfull pleasures of the flesh, and as much, as in him lyeth, Crucyfieth Christ againe, by renewing the sinnes, which were cause of his crucifying. Obstupescite caeli super hoc, & portae eius desolamini vehementer: Hier. 2. Be astonished, ó heauens, vpon this, & ò gates thereof, be ye desolate exceedinglie. O man (who doest this) no man but rather a monster of mankind.

23 But, ô my soule! be thou none of these vngratefull, hard hearted, and [Page 145] senslesse wretches: Let thine eyes be alwaies fixed on Christ crucified, and dying on the Ctosse for thee; let his sa­cred wounds neuer be out of thy sight, as which are so many infallible signes of his loue to thee; let thy heart conti­nuallie suffer with him by compassion; let thy, heart be continuallie linked to him by loue and affection; let thy heart continuallie render thankes vnto him for so great a benefit, as is his death, the price of thy redemption; let thy heart alwaies render loue for his loue she­wed to thee, in dying for thee, euen then, when thou wast his enemie; Let the Crosse be thy bedde, on which thy soule may so repose, as she may be alwaies waking to Christ and his Pas­sion, but dead a sleepe to the world, & all the world can afford: Let the Crosse be thy mannor house, and place of ha­bitation, and do thou saye with Dauid: This is my rest for euer and euer, here will I dwell, because I haue chosen it. Psa. 132. And ra­ther then leaue Christ and his Crosse, nayle thyself to him by the three nayles of faith, hope, and charitie; bind thy­self fast to Christ crucified, haue him continuallie in thy mind and memorie, [Page 146] that, as once he imprinted his wounds in S. Francis his hands, feete and side; so the same wounds and all his dolours, and paynes he suffered, may by conti­nuall meditation be written in thy soule, and engraued in thy heart, and he with them; that he and his death and passion, may be neuer out of thy mouth, neuer out of thy memorie, ne­uer out of thee: But that he may euer liue in thee, and thou in him, and more in him and to him, then in thy self and to thy selfe, that so thou mayst say with the Apostle,Gal. 2. with Christ I am nayled to the Crosse, and I liue, now not I, but Christ liueh in mee: that so dying here to sinne, and liuing to Christ by grace, thou maist liue with him in Heauen by glorie, which he graunt to thee, who died for thee.