The monument of matrones conteining seuen seuerall lamps of virginitie, or distinct treatises; whereof the first fiue concerne praier and meditation: the other two last, precepts and examples, as the woorthie works partlie of men, partlie of women; compiled for the necessarie vse of both sexes out of the sacred Scriptures, and other approoued authors, by Thomas Bentley of Graies Inne student.

The Praier.

O Lord Iesu Christ, Sonne of the liuing God, both with mouth and hartie affection wee glorifie thee, and praise thy name with im∣mortall thanks; for that of thine infinite

good-will towards mankind, thou vouchsafest to be∣come an intercessor for vs vnto thine heauenlie Fa∣ther, for bearing his horrible wrath conceiued against vs through our sinnes, and for offering thy selfe to death to adorne vs with eternall glorie.

Thou wast hanged on the crosse, made a cursse for vs, ouerwhelmed with sorowes too heauie for flesh and bloud to beare. Thou sufferedst the displeasure, which is a consuming fire of GOD. Thou shedst thy bloud from thy whole bodie, at thy death thy members bee∣ing pierced. Oh Christ, oh sweet Iesu, thou shedst thy pretious bloud, I saie, sixe seuerall times from sundrie parts of thy blessed bodie, afore and in thine execution for vs miserable sinners: as namelie, first in thy Cir∣cumcision, which was the beginning of our redemp∣tion: secondlie in thy praier in the garden, which was for the earnest desire of our redemption: thirdlie, in thy whippings: and fourthlie, in thy crowning with thornes, which was for the reward of our redempti∣on, for by thy stripes were we healed: fiftlie, in thy cru∣cifieng and nailing on the crosse, when thy hands and feet were bored through to fasten thee thereon, which was the price of our redemption: sixtlie and lastlie, in the wounding and piercing of thy blessed side, yea of thy verie hart, thou hanging dead on the crosse, which was the true sacrament of our redemption, whereby we are cleansed, purified and washed from all our sinnes. Among these thy diuers torments both afore & in thy execution, thy spirits being resolued through the sense of the infinite anguishes which thou suffe∣redst and enduredst, oh Christ, thou vtteredst diuers words, partlie by reason of intollerable greefe, and partlie of thine vnspeakable goodnes. Oh teach vs by thy wisedome reuerentlie to listen vnto them, and to put them carefullie in the bottome of our minds.

At thy death mankind was seuered into two parts.

Thou the head of the pensiue Church hangedst vpon the crosse redie to yeeld vp the Ghost. Under the crosse stands thy louing mother Marie, a few godlie wo∣men, and Iohn, thy weake disciples moorning, through the rage of the Iewes hide themselues. Nichodemus, and Ioseph of Aramathie, to the great greefe of their minds, are faine to hold their tongs, and to winke at the outragious crueltie of their nation against thee. The gracelesse Iewes, the vngodlie souldiers of Pi∣late and Herode laie hold on thee, mocke thee, blindfold thee, buffet thee, pierce thee, & plaie for thy garments. The epicures and tyrants, the high Priests and their parasits, haue thee in derision, & laugh in their sleeues to see how thy death is conspired, and they may walter in all superstition and wickednesse. All this while the multitude of Ethniks in all quarters of the world ce∣lebrate their filthie and vngodlie feasts, in the great dishonour of thy name.

Thou beholdest this diuersitie of men, which seest all things both in heauen and earth, and beeing in deed humble and meeke in hart, thou powredst out a most charitable praier on this wise: Father forgiue them, for they knowe not what they doo. These be the words of thy priesthood. Thou which art the chiefest Priest, bedewed with thine owne bloud, entring into the holi∣est of holie places, touchest the brest of the Father, and searchest enen his secret counsell. Thou praiest not onlie for thy weake auditors to be strengthned, but al∣so for thy verie enimies, which put thee so shamefullie to death, if they will returne vnto repentance: yea and for all mankind thou praiedst; and namelie, for all and euerie one which should beleeue in thy name.

O most mercifull intercessor, we include our selues in these thy generall praiers, recited before thine ago∣nie, repeated on the crosse, yea vttered from the begin∣ning of the world, and standing at the right hand of thy

Father making intercession for vs, sounded continual∣lie in the eares of God. Worke so, that we be not found in the number of those, into whome sathan hath en∣tred, which blaspheame thee, despise thy benefits, and destroie themselues vtterlie. Increase our faith and knowledge of thee, that the eternall Father through thy sacrifice being pleased, may forgiue all our sinnes, and receiue vs into that companie which is glorious in thine eies.

Under the crosse standeth thy noble but sorowfull mother, hir sister, and other good women, with thy disciple Iohn, whome thou louedst. O blesse vs, and of thy goodnes ioine vs to that companie. In thy mother there shineth a notable light and strength of faith; she beholdeth in thee hir Sonne those sights, than which none could be more greeuous in this world; she sawe the rage of thine enimies, and thine intollerable tor∣ments; yet she beleeued, notwithstanding the gree∣uousnes of thy paine, the shedding of thy pretious bloud, the flight of thy disciples, the crueltie of thine e∣nimies, and the odiousnes of thy death; she beleeued, I saie (O the force of faith!) that thou wast God by na∣ture, and shouldest rise againe and reigne euerlasting∣lie, ouercome death and the diuell, and subdue all thine enimies.

O Sonne of God, kindle within vs we praie thee the like sparks of faith: giue vs grace with thine elect neuer to be ashamed to stand vnder thy crosse. And as thou, euen of an entire good will, mercifullie among thy seruants didst speake vnto, and comfort thy pensiue and moorning mother, so speake vnto vs and thy trou∣bled Church; in miserie comfort hir with thy sweet voice and presence.

Thou commendedst thy mother to thine Apostle. Make vs vnfeignedlie to loue the Church thy sweet and true mother, and grant that euerie of vs may

cherish the same louinglie, and mainteine it to the vt∣termost of our powers. Especiallie guide the Prea∣chers, that they may loue the mother; nourish the v∣nitie of pure doctrine; auoid the seed of heresies, and remooue all stumbling-blockes, all occasions of hinde∣ring of faith and praier in yoong Christians.

At thy sides hang two theeues, punished for their sinnes, according to the lawe and their deserts; where∣of one desperatelie powring out blasphemous spee∣ches, the other godlie requiring thy fauour, he ended his daies. All mankind, Lord, doo likewise hang in mi∣series for their sinnes, whereof some are so captiued in their minds, that at the point of death they scoffe, blas∣pheme, and desperatelie, to their vtter condemnati∣on finish their daies: but giue vs grace, we beseech thee, that we may imitate the example of the gratious theefe, which before his passage out of this life, moued by infallible arguments of thine almightinesse and mercie, required pardon of his offences, and obteined the same according to his request. Giue grace that we may imitate his hartie repentance, his sorowe for sin, his notable faith, his zealous confession, and other good works of his.

We beseech thee mercifull Lord be mindfull of vs. O Lord be mindfull of vs. Thou sittest in the kingdom of thy Father, we are in the miseries of the world: but be thou mindfull of vs. Begin thy kingdome in vs heere in this world, and in euerie combate of our con∣science, especiallie at the point of death pronounce to our hearts this comfortable absolution, This daie shalt thou be with me in Paradise. Shew vnto vs thy pa∣radise, that departing out of this life, we may find rest for our soules. Open to our soules the gates of Para∣dise, place them in the seates of immortalitie, and state of blisse, where thy Father, togither with the blessed companie of Angels and men, sheweth himselfe euen

as he is.

In the meane, while thy combate is not yet finished, thou criedst in most pittifull maner, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Thy diuinitie was not then separated from thy humanitie, which neuer lost that which once it tooke, neither surcessedst, nor dooest thou surcesse at anie time to be equall and one with thine eternall father; but then was the houre of thy humi∣liation, wherein after a woonderfull and vnspeakable maner, thy diuinitie hid it selfe as it were, and would haue this obedience to be showne, and thought not best to destroie the Iewes thine enimies and murthe∣rers. Yea it hid it selfe, that the streames of Gods dis∣pleasure against the sinnes of men should so fall vpon thee O Christ, that they should wrestle with extreame torments, such as for a certeine space thou perceiuedst no comfort, notwithstanding thy diuinitie confirmed thine humane nature, which was to suffer all the pas∣sions. For thy diuinitie could not suffer anie passion at all, & therefore it confirmed the same, that there might be a sufficient satisfaction for the sins of men. For they which haue endured most greeuous torments, could neuer abide these: for if God comfort vs, we may abide the punishment of men, and then it may be said:

Though bodies greefe did feele, Yet had their soules great ioie, And vertuous hope did strengthen so, That paines did naught annoie.

But intollerable is it for a creature to suffer the pu∣nishment of God, and be saued thereby.

Wherefore, O Sonne of God, in displeasure bee mindfull of thy mercie, be thou our protection, that the wrath of thine eternall father doo not destroie vs. E∣uen a little taste of Gods displesure bursteth in peeces all the bones of men like a lion. And therfore by and by after thou vtteredst the like complaint, saieng, I thirst,

thy soule languished through the greatnesse of thy paines. Thy spirits were resolued through thy woon∣derfull greefe of hart. Thy bowels dried awaie, and no moisture abode in them, and therefore trulie didst thou both inwardlie thirst and desire some vertue and com∣fort from thy Father, and outwardlie to haue thy bo∣die refreshed.

O Iesu Christ, which art the fountaine of eternall life, giuing the water which quencheth all thirst, from whose bellie springeth the well of life, suffer vs not to taste such a greeuous thirst, as did that merciles rich glutton in hell, which neuer was quenched, but with the godlie to saie, My soule stucke vnto my iawes, I had no quietnes in my bones, Lord in thy iudgements correct me, not in thy furie, least I come vnto nothing. If thou obseruest iniquities, O Lord; Lord, who shall be able to abide? Thus doo thy Saincts crie, I saie, in their troubles. Wherefore kindle not thy wrath alto∣gither against vs. Cease not to comfort our weake na∣ture striuing against thy iudgements, with the iuice of thy word, and comfortable waterings of thy spirit.

Unto thee did thine eternall Father manifest his presence and comfort for our sakes, when some while after being better quieted thou saiedst, It is finished. Thou gauest thanks to thine eternall father, for hel∣ping thee, whereby the sacrifice of welfare to the elect for euermore was fulfilled. Oh most sacred Priest, im∣print within vs this celestiall conclusion, this notable finishing of thy sacrifice, that vndoubtedlie we may thinke, that by this sacrifice the remission of sinnes and life eternall is purchased for vs.

Afterward, being deliuered from all feares, thou criedst with a great voice, Father into thy hands I com∣mend my spirit. Grant that in our departure out of this world, we may vtter the same words. Make vs to feele the presence of thy father comforting vs, being

pleased through thee, and may know that with our bo∣dies our soules doo not perish: let vs not iest as Epi∣cures doo, saieng: O fugitiue, flattering, pale, curst na∣ked soule, whither goest thou? Thou hast prepared for vs, O Sonne of God, a large and a pleasant place: In thy Fathers house are manie resting places. We feare no torments. Thou hast deliuered vs from the paines of hell. There is no purgatorie. Thy Father embraceth our soules in his mercifull armes, laieth them in Abrahams bosome, replenisheth them with quietnesse, with light and ioie vnspeakable, till our bo∣dies also raised againe, appeare with them in his e∣uerlasting kingdome. In this faith giue vs grace to leaue this world, and to rest with thee for euer and e∣uer,

Amen, Amen.

I haue sinned, I haue sinned, my God my God haue mercie vpon me. God forbid that I should reioice but in the crosse of Christ, whereby the world is crucified to me, and I vn∣to the world.