Of the love of our only Lord and Saviour, Iesus Christ: Both that which he beareth to vs; and that also which we are obliged to beare to him. Declared by the principall mysteries of the life, and death of our Lord; as they are deluiered [sic] to vs in Holy Scripture. With a preface, or introduction to the discourse.

Of our Lords great loue to vs, in permitting that fall of Iudas: and of that vnspeakeable mercy which he shewed otherwise, in the mystery of his apprehension.

CHAP. 59.

BVT novv as God can dravv good out of euill, so doth Christ our Lord, aboun∣dantly expresse his mercy and charity, to man∣kind, by this act of Iustice vpon Iudas, in lea∣uing him to himselfe. For vvho is he, that vvil any longer presume vpon his ovvne strength? Our Lord hath set many burning beacons be∣fore vs, but especialy two, that we may know, and fly the danger, vvhich threatneth vs, on all sides. Out of the old Testament (besides many others) vve haue the example of Salo∣mon,(a) 1.1 a Type of Christ our Lord, A penne of the holy Ghost, A man to vvhome God had said, Aske, & haue, The vvisest and the vvorthiest King of the vvhole vvorld, and withall, a Prophet. And yet this Cedar of Libanus, vvhich might seeme to haue bene made of in∣corruptible vvood; vvas so vvrought into at the roote, by the vvorme of lust, that dovvne it fell, and the fall was great. For he precipita∣ted his soule to vvorship (in the place, of the God of himselfe,* 1.2 and of his Fathers) as many Idolls, as the humours of his cōcubines would

lead him to; and it is more then we know, if euer he rose againe by pennance.

And heere we haue in the new Testa∣ment an(b) 1.3 Apostle; one of the twelue, whom, God had elected out of the whole world, to be his Embassadours; one who had liued neere three yeares, in the sight, and tast of that foun∣taine of sanctity, Christ our Lord; and of that stream of purity & charity, his all-immaculate mother, whom all generations shall call blessed. One who had wrought miracles,* 1.4 and exercised do∣minion ouer the Princes of darknes, by com∣maunding them to depart out of possessed persons; One before whome, the King of glo∣ry had kneeled downe to wash his seate; one who had bene fed with the body of our bles∣sed Lord, which he gaue with his owne sa∣cred hands. This man, this Monster (to shew vvhat a monstrous thing euery liuing man is sure to be, at the instant that he deserues to be forsaken by the omnipotēt mercy of our Lord God) made such hast to hell, as that he suffered not his eyes to sleepe, nor his eye lids to slum∣her, till (hauing entred into a part with those perfidious Ievves) for thirty peeces of siluer he put himselfe vpon betraying, and by a kisse, this Lord of life, into the hands of death.

This Lord(c) 1.5 gaue vvay to this inestimable offence against himself, that it might be a great and lovvd vvarning Peece of meeknes, for as much as he vouchsafed to suffer; & of humility & feare, for as much as Iudas presumed to do. To the end that no priuiledge of fauour, or

possessiō of present vertue, might make any man rely vpō his ovvne strength, which is al but vveakenes.* 1.6 But that, adhering to God by faith, hope, & loue, we might worke our saluatiō with a filiall seare, & a trēbling ioy. For the whole race of mankind, was nothing at all in the way of nature, and to nothing it would in∣stantly all returne, if it vvere not conserued by the omnipotency of God, as by a kind of con∣tinuall nevv creation. And, in the way of grace, vve are all lesse then nothing, and the holyest soule vvhich euer vvas, might instant∣ly plunge it selfe in sinne, if it vvere abando∣ned by Gods grace.

If then we haue our being, both in the state of nature, and of grace, by the particular fauour of our Lord God; it follovves, that the more graces he giues, and the more fauours he shevves to a soule, so much the more, must it be subiect to him. And they are to serue, but as so many bills of debts, vvherby it is bound to find hovv base and beggarly a thing it is of it selfe; and consequently hovv profoundly humble, and gratefull, it must be to our Lord, vvho only knevv hovv to enrich it. For our Lord is a great God, and vve are vveake, vn∣vvorthy thinges, vvho can giue him nothing by vvay of retribution; but only a continu∣all, & faithfull, and humble acknovvledg∣ment, that vve are(d) 1.7 nothing vvorth. And as, through his infinite goodnes, vve may call to mind euen our greatest sinnes vvith much comfort, vvhen once vve haue done true pe∣nance,

for them; so through his infinite great∣nes the soule which receiueth fauours, and vi∣sitations of him, in particular manner; must thinke of them with great apprehension and feare, vnlesse they be intertayned with much humility, and improued by Prayer, and other industry.

The griefe which our Lord IESVS had, for euery single sinne of the whole world was excessiuely great as we haue shewed. How ex∣cessiue therfore must it needs haue been, to see this hideous sinne of this Apostle? And by the measure of his griefe, we may find the measure of his former loue; for loue it was which made him grieue. The thing which might comfort him in that affliction, was to cōsider, what an innumerable number of soules, would take warning by this sinne of Iudas. As soone ther∣fore as that treacherous kisse was giuen, and that our Lords sacred words and inspirations were contemned, by that miserable creature; our Lord IESVS, went on, towards the troope, enquiring whome they sought. And when they told him that it was IESVS of Nazareth,* 1.8 he in∣stantly answered, that he was the man.

But as, on the one side, they saw him a man, so on the other, he then gaue himselfe, Gods truest(e) 1.9 Name, of Ego sum, I am; though they vnderstood it not. But he thought good to let them see, that he had somewhat in him∣selfe of the God. And so resoluing to try all imaginable wayes for the mollifying of their marble harts; and perceauing that the mildnes

which he had vsed with Iudas, succeeded not; he gaue such a Maiesty to those two words as serued to cast them to the ground. We may imagine heerby with what terrour he wil ap∣peare, when he comes as Iudge, who, in his ve∣ry Passion, wherin he meant but only to suf∣fer, could so declare his power. We may also well perceaue heerby, that they were stran∣gely confirmed in malice; since a miracle of that nature, being wrought vpon the per∣sons of themselues had no meanes to make thē rise to pennance. But they rose, by the permis∣sion of God, to continue in their sinne; and to aske our Lord the same questiō a second time; and a second tyme to receaue an Answere, to the same effect. Our Lord(f) 1.10 adding further, by way of commaundement, that they should suffer his Apostles to retire themselues, what∣soeuer they might haue a mind to doe with him.

And it seemes to haue bene impossible for that diuine Lord, to haue cast his thought vpon any creature, to whome he must not be shewing mercy. For when S. Peter, (in dete∣station that they should presume to lay hands vpon his Maister) had picked out one of the busiest of them,* 1.11 and had cut of his right eare; our Lord was so willing to suffer, as to mislike the impedimēt, which his disciple was about to giue. And by a touch of Malchus eare, with his omnipotent hand, he cured that enemy, who came to lead him to the Passion; hauing repressed his friend, who went about to hin∣der

it. And euen as they were binding him, he made no resistance at all; he reproached them not by declaring their sinnes; he vpbraided not the miracles which so aboundantly he had wrought vpon them, or theirs; he framed no quarell against them, but only this action of vnkindnes;* 1.12 That he bauing imployed himselfe so much, vpon instructing, and teaching them, to their good liking, in the Temple; they should now come forth against him with swords, and Clubbes, as they would haue done against some insolēt & bloudy thiese. As if he had said. If you come indeed, to seeke the true Redeemer and Saniour of your soules, you shall find, to your comfort, that I am he. But if you looke for some Traytour, or seditious enemy of God and man, your leuell is ill layed. Though yet, for the glory of God, for the exercise of all vertue, and for the recouery of the world from hell, and sinne, I am content to be mi∣staken for such a one. Yet nothing could induce them to relent. But, as the manner is with men, who when they are desperately resolued to doe a thing which their conscience telleth them, that reason requires them to forbeare; the greater the force of that reason is, which is prest against them, the more eagarly are they inflamed, & euen blinded with rage to worke their will.

As soone therfore as they had appre∣hēded & bound him, with far greater cruelty then any Christian hart knowes how to ima∣gine; it cannot be chosen, but that they would dragge him, more like a dogge then a man. Not(g) 1.13 that he went vnwillingly, but because

the presse must needs be great; and they were also, in bloud, against him; and would all, so desire to be the executioners of some parti∣cular affliction, and affront vpon him; that they could not but hinder one another. And then, if any of them were iustled, if any chan∣ced to st̄ble, or fall; vpon whom would they reuenge themselue, but vpon him, who with patience (which was indeed diuine) permit∣ted himselfe to be carried, in that painefull iourney to the howse of Annas, vnder that cruell cudody, which the accursed Iudas had aduised them to keep him in.

Notes

• (a) 1.1

  Salo∣mon.
• * 1.2

  3. Reg. 11.
• (b) 1.3

  Iudas.
• * 1.4

  Luc. 2.
• (c) 1.5

  The loue of our Lord to vs in the losse of Iudas.
• * 1.6

  2. Cor. 7.
• (d) 1.7

  How we are to entertaine the me∣mory of Gods fa∣uours, & of our owne sinnes.
• * 1.8

  Ioan. 18.
• (e) 1.9

  The Maiesty of our Lord Ie∣sus, euen when he he was mortal, & seemed miserable
• (f) 1.10

  Our Lord had no care of himselfe, but much of his A∣postles. Ibid.
• * 1.11

  Ioan. 18.
• * 1.12

  Luc. 22.
• (g) 1.13

  What soeuer in∣commo∣dity they indured was reué∣ged by the vpō our Lord.