To the extent possible under law, the Text Creation Partnership has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above, according to the terms of the CC0 1.0 Public Domain Dedication (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/). This waiver does not extend to any page images or other supplementary files associated with this work, which may be protected by copyright or other license restrictions. Please go to http://www.textcreationpartnership.org/ for more information.
COnsider how earnestlie our Blessed Sauiour endeauours to imprint this wholsome lesson in our harts, how deepely he seemes to digg this best foundation of a Spiri∣tuall life. It was not enough to haue giuen vs an example of it in his owne person, but what he had shewen in his practise, he would also preach and presse by precept, saying, you call
me Master and Lord, and you saie wel, for so it is indeede: if then, I beeing Lord and Master, haue (as you haue seene) washed your feete, you also are bound to washe one an∣others feete; that is, to stand proui∣ded in hart at all times, and as occa∣sion is offered, to performe sometime, anie office of Charitie, though neuer so homelie and abiect; and that, to persons of meanest qualitie, far infe∣riour to vs, &c.
[Affect.] See my hart, how thy Sa∣uiour concludes against thy pride (but to thy profitt) by word and deedc; I a Master did it, therefore thou a seruant oughtest to doe it, argues he, I the wis∣dome of heauen who am sent to teach thee all truth; therefore, thou who art nothing but errour and ignorance, oughtest not to feare to stoope! I who am an infinite Maiestie, much more thou who art infinite miserie. I who made thee of a peece of clay, there∣fore thou whose origen; present bee∣ing, and outgate is no other thing but clay, dust and ashes, &c. Yee are therefore to humble yourselues
vrges on our heauenlie Master; yes, for I haue giuen you an example of it, saith he, which I meant to haue ob∣serued, not neglected, that as I had done to you, so you to one another: for surely, the Seruant is not greater then the Lord, nor one sent greater then hee vvho sent him. O powerfull and pres∣sing conclusion, against which I can∣not haue one word to mutter! But ô dreadfull and oppressing confusion, if in practise I proceede not accor∣dinglie!
Consider how our sweete sauiour hauing thus (in his owne person) giuen vs that so necessarie lesson of profound humilitie, begins now to teach his Disciples, and in them all Christians, the accomplishe∣ment of perfection, charitie; saying Mandatum nouum do nobis filioli: my children, I giue you a nevv commande∣ment: That you loue one another, as I haue loued you, and that as I doe giue my life for you, so you loue one another, euen vntill death; yea those also, who doe persecute and iniure you. Marke how he confirmes his learning
by his owne example, giuing vs in testimonie of the greatest and dearest loue, the greatest and dearest guift that euer was giuen; to witt himselfe to eate. Heauen had nothing better. God, could inuent nothing greater. O strange inuention of a louer, so to depart as yet to leaue himselfe to be enioyed by his beloued, who are all faithfull soules!
[Affect.] O my soule, and all yee soules who are touched with the loue of a true louer, was there euer the like seene to this? ah behold, wonder, praise, loue! for loues sake, lets loue him, tis himselfe he hath giuen vs; lets giue our selues to him, tis him∣selfe he hath giuen vs, true God, and true Man. O charitas! ó pietas! (saith S. Augustine) quis vnquam talia audi∣uit? vvho euer heard the like to this?