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God forbid that I should re∣joyce, but in the Crosse of our Lord Iesus Christ, whereby the world is crucified to me, and I unto the world,
WEe adore thee, O Lord Jesu Christ, and blesse thy holy Name, for that
thou hast redeemed the world by this thy Crosse. Wee give thankes to thee, most gracious Saviour, for that thou hast so highly lo∣ved us, and cleansed us by thy bloud from our sinnes: as likewise, for that thou hast offered thy selfe upon the Crosse for us, that with the most sweet smell of this thy most noble Sacrifice, in∣flamed with the fire of thy love, thou mightst recon∣cile GOD to us, and procure our peace with him. Blessed bee thou for ever, O Saviour of the World, O Reconciler of men, repairer of Angels, Restorer of Heaven, Tri∣umpher over Hell, Con∣querour of the Devill,
Authour of life, Destroy∣er of Death, and Redee∣mer of them, who sate in darknesse, and shadow of Death.
O Crosse, thou drawest hearts more powerfully unto thee, than the Adamant doth Iron••: Thou more clearly enlightnest our minds, than the Sunne doth mens eyes: Thou more vehemently infla∣mest our soules, than fire
doth coales. Wherefore, O most holy Crosse, draw mee unto thee powerfully: enlighten mee continually: inflame mee vehemently and vigorously, that my mind and cogitation may never depart from thee: Thou also, my good JESU, illuminate the eyes of my soule, that in this Crosse I may understand how to behold thee: to wit, that I may not onely con∣template those extreme sor∣rowes which thou sufferedst for my sake, and take com∣passion of them: but that I may also know, that the ex∣amples of those many and excellent Vertues, which thou heere exhibitedst, were to mee recommended, that they might by mee be imita∣ted.
Wherefore, O thou Tea∣cher of the World, O thou Physician of our soules, here doe I come to the foot of thy Crosse, she wing my wounds and sores unto thee: heale mee, O my God, and prescribe mee what I should doe. I acknowledge, and confesse, O Lord, that I am vehemently addicted to sensuall affections, and too great a Lover of my selfe, which selfe-love I perceive hindereth much my spiritual profit and proficience. So as, being oft-times ensnared either with my pleasures and delights, or deterred with the labour of fasting, I lose the benefit of pious and de∣vout exercises: with the losse whereof my salvation
likewise is endangered. This sensuality of mine is to mee very tedious, very grievous: for truly it desires at set houres to feast daintily and delicatly, it desires after din∣ners and suppers, to solace it selfe in discourses and de∣lights; likewise, to take the ayre, walke in gardens and arbours, alwayes affecting one recreation or other: but teach thou mee, O Lord, by thy example what I ought to doe. O with what confusi∣on, with what shame doe I conceive my selfe to bee cloathed, so often as I be∣hold, after what sort thou entertainedst that most deli∣cate, and most tender body of thine? In the midst of those anguishes and dolours
of thy most bitter death, thou ministredst to it no other repast nor receit, than that which was confectioned of gall, and vinegar, by those cruell and hatefull Apothe∣caries. And at that time, whose tongue, I pray thee, durst complaine of thy meat, that it was eyther cold or raw, and ill dressed, or too quickly, or slowly di∣shed, upon sight of that Table spread, O Lord, for thee, in that thy so great ne∣cessity? In stead of delights and discourses, which I seeke in my Suppers, and banquets, thou hadst the voyces of them, who with moving, and mowing, and wagging their heads, derided and blasphemed thee, saying,
Hey, thou that destroyest the Temple, and buildest it in three dayes. This was the musick, this the harmony of thy banquet. Likewise, when thou stuckst nailed hand and foot upon the Crosse, this was thy walking into the Garden. For albeit, thou hadst another garden, wher∣to thou retiredst after supper, yet was it not to walke in, but to pray in; not to refresh thee, but to shed thy bloud: not to delight thee, but to grieve, sorrow, and bee in the agony of death. What shall I say more of the rest of those refreshments of thy blessed flesh? My flesh requi∣reth a soft bed, a pretious weed, spacious and specious houses, but tell thou mee, O
my holy Love, what an one might be thy chamber? What thy house? What thy gar∣ment? Thy garment is na∣kednesse, and thy purple the habit of derision. Thy house is to bee conversant in publike assemblies, expo∣sed to the distemperatures of Sunne, and ayre; and if I seeke for any house of thine besides this, it is a stable for beasts. Foxes have their holes, and the Sparrowes of heaven their nests: But thou the Creator and Maker of all things, hast not whereon to lay thine head. O yee cu∣riosities and superfluities, how comes it to passe, that there is any place left for you among Christians? Either let us cease to be Christians,
or let us cast from us all these delights and superfluities: seeing our Lord and Master hath not only cast from him those things which were su∣perfluous, but even those things also which were ne∣cessary.
Now it remaineth, Lord, that I see what a Chamber thou hast. Tell mee, O sweet Lord, where it is that thou lyest, where thou sleepest at noone? I lay mee downe here at thy feet: teach mee, what I ought to doe. For this my sensua∣lity will not well relish a Sermon of thy Crosse. I de∣sire a bed soft and sweet, and if I awake at Prayer time, yet doe I suffer my selfe easily to bee overcome by sloth: I ex∣pect likewise a morning
slumber, that I may get rest for my head. But tell mee, O Lord, what rest thou hadst upon that bed of thy Crosse. When as leaning on the one side, thou wert wearied, how couldst thou rest thee on the other side, that thou mightst bee eased?
May not thine heart here burst? May not all thy sen∣suality here dye? O solace to the poore! O, shame to the rich! O strength to the penitent! O condemnation to the soft and delicate! Neither is JESUS CHRISTS bed for you, nor his glory for you.
O Lord, give mee grace, that after thy example I may subdue and kill my sensuali∣ty; but if not, I beseech thee,
that even this very moment thou wouldst take my life from mee. For it is not reasonable nor tolerable, that thou shouldst bee fed upon the Crosse, both with Gall and Vinegar, and I seek after delights, and most ex∣quisite dainties: Nor that thou shouldst ••ee so poore and naked, and I with such earnestnes hunt a••ter world∣ly riches, and so wretched∣ly love and affect them: Nor that thou shouldst have a Crosse for thy couch, and I seeke a soft bed, a pleasant chamber, and delight of the flesh.
Bee ashamed therefore, O my soule, when thou be∣holdest thy Lord, hanging upon the Crosse: Where
imagine him to bee prea∣ching unto thee, and re∣buking thee after this man∣ner.
I tooke for thee (O man) a Crowne of Thornes: Thou in con∣tempt of mee, wearest a garland made of Flowers. I for thee, stretched out my hands upon the Crosse: wilt thou reach thine forth to pleasures and dal∣liance? I dying, could not quench my thirst so much as with water: wilt thou seeke after precious Wines and Viands? I, both on the Crosse, as likewise all my life long, was full of reproaches, and sorrowes: wilt thou bestow thy time upon honours and pleasures?
I suffered my side to bee opened, that I might make thee even partaker of my heart: wilt thou have thine exposed and opened to vaine and peril∣lous loves?
No fire gives quic∣ker heat to heath, than Christs Crosse to mans heart. No fire works more upon combu∣stible mat∣ter, than the wood of the Crosse on a pliable na∣ture.
Meaning by this Materi∣all wood of the Crosse of Christ, tha•• Spi••ituall Wo••d of Life, Chr••st Jesus ••hanging on the wood of the Crosse.
Delicacy the Devils darling.
Christs confection.
Christs re∣fection.
Christs Musique.
Christs Perambula∣tion.
Christs habit.
Christs house.
Christs repose.
Christs conversati∣on, our imi∣tation.
Christs bed.
Christs c••adle a Cr••bbe, his couch a Crosse.
Christs Sermon upon the Crosse.