Sweete thovghtes of Iesvs and Marie, or, Meditations for all the feasts of ovr B. Saviovr and his B. Mother togeither with Meditations for all the Sundayes of the yeare and our Sauiovrs Passion : for the vse of the daughters of Sion : diuided into tvvo partes / by Thomas Carre ...

THE XIII. MEDITATION

Hovv Iesus vvas vvhipped at Pilates.

Cons. 1.

ANd now see Barbarous furie armed with authoritie, Pilat giues him ouer into their hands to be scourged, into the hands of vile, & desperate slaues; what vsage may you easily thinke he had? Marrie they binde him with cordes to a pillar (though he had neuer yet made resistance, no not so much, as in one high word, or di∣stempered looke) they bind him with cords I saie (haueing already stripped him quite naked: I leaue it to your consideration, how much contrary to his virginall bashfullnes) so hard, that they force blood to spring out at his fingers ends; ô God! what a pittifull paine must this needes be in so delicate a complection?

[Affect.] And all this for his too much loue to vs, vngratfull vs! ô my soule, twas our loue that tied him so fast, to loose the tye of our sins, no other cord could haue held him, that was only stronge enough to tye Omnipotencie. And shall not the same cord be stron∣ge enough to tye vs to him? to tye our hands from sinning, so that we may answere our passions, our vnlawfull desi∣res, I cannot, I cannot, the loue of my sweete spouse, hath tyed my hands, I cannot. In fine, shall not this con∣founding manner of suffering, make such and such acts of humiliation, see∣me farre more tollerable, when I con∣sider that the innocent sonne of God indured worse for my loue?

Cons. 2.

See now alas, how vnhuman∣ly they teare his delicate and sacred bodie, not leauing a place whole for a new wound, see how the blood streames downe, nay, the skin falls off; nay, yet more, peeces of his blessed flesh dropp downe; ah pittifull sight! quo nate Dei, quó tua flagrauit charitas? ah sonne of God? how high did thy Charitie flame out! behold your spouse with compas∣sion

in his wedding garment, died in rich scarlet die, nor was it anie meruaile, sith as S. Bonauenture saith, he recea∣ued more then, 5000. woundes; verè vermis erat, & non homo, opprobrium ho∣minum, & abjectio plebis. He was truly a worme, and not a man, the reproche of men, and the scorne of the people.

[Affect.] Looke Angels, looke is this your King; looke Queene of heauen, is this thy child? looke my soule looke, is this thy spouse, that euen now was so diuinely faire? I, I, tis euen he; true said the Prophet; vidimus eum, & repu∣tauimus quasi leprosum: We saw him, we sawe him, and we reputed him as a lea∣prous person. Ah me▪ what cruell hart vsed my loue thus? ah let vs run to im∣brace him: for tis euen he. Lets wash his deformed face with our teares, ò sweete Iesus! ô loueinge Lord! ô deare spouse▪ my sick hart can indure no longer to see thee thus abused.