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How our Lord did carry his Crosse; and of the exces∣siue Loue he shewed in bearing the great af∣fronts which were done to him, in his iorney to Mount Caluary.
THEY did therfore then, take of his pur∣ple Robe, and put vpon his backe his owne former cloathes, that so, as he went, the
world might know, for his greater scorne and shame, euen by the first appearance, that it was he. And then they loaded his weake & wounded shoulders, with the Crosse, wher∣on he was to be crucified; which was a point of barbarous and vnwonted cruelty. For wheras men are accustomed, out of meere hu∣manity, to hide the instrument of the execu∣tion, from other criminall persons, they did not only not hide it in the case of Christ our Lord, but they made him carry it, as if he had double deserued death. But the Crosse was so very heauy, and he was growne both therby, and otherwise, so deadly weake, that not be∣ing able to walke vnder it, they constrayned another to assist him.* 1.1
Now when we see that Christ our Lord, who was so enamoured of the Crosse, was yet vnable to fetch strength inough out of his owne weakenes, for the carrying it, we may well imagine that the world went hard with him. And(a) 1.2 withall we must know, once for all, that since his Crosse was not wholy to be carryed by himselfe alone, he will haue all his seruants assist him in it; & imbrace those Crosses which shall come, for the exercise of our patience, & the testimony of our true loue in whatsoeuer forme the good will of God shall be pleased to send them. Whether they be in that of sicknes, or shame, or banishment, or losse of goods, or spirituall desolation, or corporall torments, for the cause of Christ our Lord, or in fine, though it should be death it selfe.
The place to which they led our Lord, and where they meant to crucifie him,* 1.3 was Mount Caluary, without the citty of let usa∣lem. As he was going, his misery seemed so great, and he was so disfigured with durt, and sweate, and bloud, and so weakned with the excesse of affliction (he whome formerly the world had bene so much obliged to) that the obiect wrought vpon many women, who were lesse ill disposed. And as they were fol∣lowing him in the midst of a mighty troope of men, who went to see him put to death, they did bitterly bewayle his misfortune. But our Lord,* 1.4 though in his hart he accepted their compassion of him, in gratefull part; yet(b) 1.5 through his loue to suffer, and to suffer home, for the loue of vs, he refused to take compla∣cence in that pitty of theirs. And he aduised them to transferre their care of him, to a consi∣deration of themselues. Letting them know the calamities which were comming towards them and their posterity; and that if he who was innocency it selfe, were so afflicted for the sinnes of others, how grieuously should men be punished for their owne.
This was then the aduise, which with perfect loue he gaue to them, and in them to vs and all the world;(c) 1.6 instructing vs how to seeke for the comfort of our afflictions, not in the pittifull teares, or moaning tongues, or fawning entertaynements of others; but in the Testimony of a good consciēce, a strong hope in God, and a faithfull obedience to his holy
will.* 1.7 And by his asking, If such things as those were executed in the greene wood (wherby he in∣sinuated himselfe) what would be done to the dry wood? wherby he aymed at them) he doth, with the oracle of his owne inuiolable truth, stop vp the mouths of wicked, and prophane persons. For they say, that the Greene wood (which is Christ our Lord) did suffer all, vpon his owne person, and that, as for them (who are dry wood) they haue nothing to suffer for themselues, but that it sufficeth to beleeue, that he suffered all. But heere our Lord is expresse in shewing, that our sight of his miseries, in the way of punishment, must spurre vs vp to make vs bitterly lament our owne miseries, in the way of sinne; and that the seeing or be∣leeuing of those afflictions endured by him for vs, would not serue our turne, vnlesse we ap∣plyed them to oursoules, by true contrition.
By these externall acts of loue, and by thoughts, when the occasions of acting fayled, did our Lord goe wearing out, that long way betweene Pilits house, and Mount Caluary. Hauing(d) 1.8 the perfidious Priests and Elders on the one side, and the prophane scoffing souldiers on the other. The executioners were close at his heeles; the publique Cryer leading him the way, and proclayming him for a seditious, and a trayterous person in the eares of all that world. The people would be running sometymes before him, and some∣tymes behind, (as the manner is in such cases) shouting out, & reproaching him, euery one
according to his owne fancy, or rather phren∣sy. And they who could not follow him in the streets, would not sayle to place thēselues in the windowes; making vp (like some ken∣nell of wide-mouthed dogs) the full cry of Traytour, Deuill, Sorcerer, Drunkard, Idiot, False prophet, Hypocrite, Blasphemer, and a hundred reproaches more then these, which their immortall malice, would be sure to dart out against him.
And besides, it is very probable, that they would accompany these bitter words with barbarous deeds; for what should hinder them, since they had all power in their hands and such springs of poyson in their harts? They below kicking him on, as they would haue done some mad musled dogge; when through the excesse of weaknes he was scarce able to goe; and they aboue, whilst he was resting, would be casting vncleanesses vpon his sacred head.
Our Lord the while, had his holy eyes cast down, but his hart was raysed; his hands were bound, but his affections were at liberty, and enlarged. He went fulfilling the Prophe∣sies;* 1.9 Sicut homo non audiens, & sicut mutus non a∣periens os suum. Like a man who had not bene able to heare, what they sayd against him; and as farre from speaking to them, as if he had bene wholy dumbe; and as S. Gregory sayth,* 1.10 Qui cogitationes iniquorum nouerat, blasphemantium voces non audiebat. And he who knew euen all their wicked thoughts, would not so much as
seeme to heare their blasphemous words. To confound our great impatience, or (to speake more properly) our want of Faith and loue, when we will not, for the glory of God, and in imitation of his diuine exāple, (who endu∣red so infinitely much for vs) endure the least reproach, or so much as any touch that way, without reply, and perhaps, reuenge.
Luc. 23.
It is the plea∣sure of God that we helpe to beare the crosse of Christ our Lord.
Luc. 23.
Ibid.
Our Lord Ie∣sus had no gust but in suf∣fering for vs.
Whet we are to looke for comfort in affli∣ctions.
Ibid.
Our Lord was cōpassed in on eue∣ry side by great af∣fronts.
Isa. 53.
Greg. in 3. psal. p••e∣nitent.