Of the seaven last vvordes spoken by Christ vpon the crosse, two bookes. Written in Latin by the most illustrious cardinall Bellarmine, of the Society of Iesus. And translated into English by A.B.

Of the fourth fruite of the seauen VVord. CHAP. XXIII.

THere followeth the fourth fruite, which may be gathered from the most happy hearing of the prayer of our Lord, that from so comfortable an Euent all of vs may be much anima∣ted and encouraged to commend our spirits to God with greater vehemen∣cy and ardour of deuotion. For the A∣postle did most truly write, that our Lord Iesus Christ was heard, for his

reuerence Heb. 5. Our Lord prayed to his Father for a speedy Resurrection of his Body, as aboue we haue shewed. His prayer was heard, so as his Resur∣rection was no longer delayed, then it was needfull to proue, that his Body was truly dead. For except it could be infallibly demonstrated, that his Body did truly depart out of this lyfe, both the Resurrection, as also the whole Christian Fayth might be doubted of, and called into question. Therefore our Sauiour was to remaine in the graue for the space at least of fourty houres; especially seeing the figure of Ionas the Prophet was to be accompli∣shed, which (as our Lord himselfe taught in the Ghospell) was to pre∣monstrate and foreshew his death.

But to the end, that the Resurre∣ction of Christ might be accelerated & hastened so farre forth, as it was cō∣uenient; and that it might be more manifestly proued, that the prayer of Christ was heard, the diuine Prouidēce would, that the three dayes and three nights, during which tyme Ionas was in the Belly of the Whale, should be reduced in the Resurrection of Christ, to one entire and whole day, and two

parts of two dayes; which time not properly (but by the figure intellectio) might be said to contayne three dayes & three nights. Neither did the Fa∣ther heare the prayer of Christ only in shortning the tyme of his Resurre∣ction, but also in restoring incom∣parably a better lyfe, then before he enioyed. Since the lyfe of Christ be∣fore his death, was mortall; but it is restored to him immortall: Christ ri∣sing againe from the dead, now dieth no more; death shall no more haue do∣minion ouer him, as the Apostle spea∣keth. Rom. 6. The lyfe of Christ before his death, was passible, that is, subiect to hunger, thirst, wearines, wounds; but being restored impassible, it stāds not obnoxious to any iniury. The Bo∣dy of Christ was before death Ani∣male; but after the resurrection it be∣came spiritale; that is, so subiect to the spirit, as that in a twinkling of an Eye; it might be caryed into any place, where the spirit it selfe would.

Novv the reason, why the Prayer of Christ was so easily heard, is subioy∣ned by the Apostle, when he sayth, pro sua reuerentia, for his reuerence. The Greeke word here vsed, (to

wit, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉) signifieth a reueren∣tiall feare, vvhich was most eminent in Christ tovvards his father. There∣fore Esay describing the guifts of the Holy Ghost, which were in the soule of Christ, of other guifts thus sayth: The spirit of wisdome and Vnderstan∣ding shall rest vpon him: the spirit of Counsell and Strength: the spirit of Knowledge and Piety; but of reueren∣tiall Feare, the said Prophet thus speaketh: And the spirit of the Feare of our Lord shall replenish him. Isa. 11. Novv because the soule of Christ was most full of reuerentiall Feare towards his Father, therefore the Father did take most great pleasure in him, ac∣cording to that we read in S. Matthew: This is my beloued sonne, in whom I am well pleased. Matth. 3. & 17. And euen as the Sonne did euer reuerence the Father in a most high degree, so did the Father euer heare him praying, and granted whatsoeuer he desired.

Novv from hence may we learne, that, if vve expect euer to be heard by our heauenly Father, and to obtaine whatsoeuer we demaund of him, we ought to imitate Christ herin, in pro∣secuting our said heauenly Father with

supreme Reuerence, and in preferring nothing before his honour. For so it wilbe effected, that whatsoeuer we pray for, we shall obtaine, and pecu∣liarly, that, in which consisteth the chiefest good of our state; I meane, that vvhen death shall approach, God may receaue our soule passing out of the Body, commended vnto him, vvhen the roaring Lyon standeth neere vnto vs, as being ready for a prey. Neither let any man thinke, that Reuerence is exhibited to God only in genufle∣ction, or in bovving of the knee, in vn∣couering of the Head, or in any other worship and honour of such like na∣ture. The word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, or timor reuerentialis, doth not signify only this externall honour, but it chiefly de∣notes a great feare of offending of God, and an invvard & continual hor∣rour of sinne, and this not through dread of punishment, but through loue of our Celestiall Father. He is tru∣ly indued with reuerentiall Feare, who dare not thinke of offence or sinne, es∣pecially mortall sinne: Blessed is that man (sayth Dauid) who feareth our Lord; He shall haue great delight in his Commandements: That is, he truly fea∣reth

God (and in that respect may be called Blessed) who with all bent of Will and Endeauour, studies to keep all the Commandement of God. And from hence it proceeded, that that ho∣ly widdow Iudith, timebat Dominum valde, as we reade in her Booke cap. 8. For she being but a yong Woman, and of great beauty, and very rich, lest she should (after the death of her husband) either giue or take any oc∣casion of sinning, did remaine shut vp with her maids in a secret chamber, and wearing a haire-cloath about her body, fasting all dayes, excepting the feasts of the house of Israel. Behould here with what great zeale euen in the old Law (which permitted far more liberty, then the Ghospell doth) a yōg, rich and beautifull Woman did take heed of Carnall sinnes, for no other reason, then that she greatly feared our Lord.

The sacred Scripture doth men∣tion and commend the same thing in Holy Iob. For he made a couenant with his eyes, that he would not so much as thinke of a Virgin, that is, he vvould not look vpon a Virgin, to pre∣uent therby that no vnchast thought

might creep into his mind. And why did Iob so warily and diligently auoid such allurements? Because he greatly feared our Lord: for thus it there fol∣loweth: For what part should God from aboue haue in me? that is, if an vncleane cogitation should in any sort defile my mind, I should not be Gods portion, nor God should be my Portion. There were no end, if I should insist in exam∣ples of Saints during the tyme of the New Testament. This therefore is the Feare, wherewith the Saints were en∣dued, of which if our selfes were full, there were nothing, the which we could not most easily obtaine of our Heauenly Father.