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 the entyre consummation of our Redemption, which was wrought by Christ our Lord vpon the Crosse; and of the perfection of his diuine vertues expressed there.

CHAP. 75.

OVR Lord IESVS, hauing drunke this vi∣negar, declared, that whatsoeuer had bin prophesied to be accomplished by himselfe, was now fulfilled; and he signified it by say∣ing this word, Consummatum est: All is fulfilled. And as he, who only refresheth and filleth the soule of man with whole flouds of ioy, was already content to be tormented with thirst; so now, for the apparailing of our soules with the life of Grace, he was ready to deuest himselfe of the life of Nature. He had former∣ly complyed with the care which he had of our instruction, and now we haue seeue how he hath accomplished our Redēption, by his Passion. By meanes of this Passion he finished the building of his Church. And since he had formerly layd a note of folly, vpon such a man as should beginne to rayse a building, and not bring it afterward to perfection; our Lord, who was the increated Wisedome of the Eternall Father, must needs be farre from falling into any er∣rour, of the same kind. And indeed it was wholy necessary, that, in his great goodnes to vs, he should not depriue vs of such a diuine example of perseuerance, as now we haue ob∣tayned, by the Cons̄mation of his course of

Passion, vpon the Crosse; since(a) without perseuerance, all our labour is but lost. Our Lord did therfore perseuere, and he did perfect that which he had begun.

If the workes of God, are most truly sayd to be entirely perfect, his Passiō was to be so, in most particular māner; which amōgst these other workes, is said, with a kind of eminen∣cy, to be his worke. Now what sufferance could be more perfect, in the way of humility then for the Lord of life and glory, most wil∣lingly to endure a death of excessiue contume∣ly and shame, at the hands of his Rebellious Sonnes, and most wicked slaues? What more perfect in the way of patience, and purity of hart, then to suffer, without the accesse of any ima∣ginable comfort, as Christ our Lord, vouchsa∣fed to doe? What more perfect, in the way of conformity and obedience, then, without once harkening to the inferiour part of the soule, to range the Superiour, to the will of God; not only with solid patience, but with supreme ioy? What more perfect in the way of Chari∣ty, then to endure the extremity of affront & paine for his mortall enemies? And at the ve∣ry tyme, when those enemies were tormen∣ting him, for him to be protecting them, and negotiating their cause with bitter sighes, in the cares of almighty God? What more(b) per∣fect, in the way of contemplation, then, in such distresse, to be looking at ease so many wayes at once, from the death and contumely of a Crosse, as if it had bin from some tower of

recreation and delight. To haue God himselfe, and all the world so perfectly and cleerly in his eye, and all at once? To be offering euery graine, of all the Passion, in forgiuenes of all the sinnes of the whole world; wherof then, he saw euery one more distinctly and cleerly, thē any man did euer see any one of his own. What more perfect in the way of diligence, in giuing vs direction how to carry our selues, then that, when himself was so deeply woun∣ded by those incomparable torments and af∣fronts, he would furnish vs, with such diuine documents and examples drawne from his owne sacred person. Wherby we may become victorious in all our combats; & find the edge of our afflictions so abated, as that they should neuer cast vs vpon despaire.

What thing is more perfect in the way of corporall sufferance, then so to suffer, as that there may be nothing which suffers not. There is nothing higher then the head, and we haue seene how the head of Christ our Lord did suffer, by that hideous crowne of thornes. There is nothing lower then the feete; and we haue seen how the feete haue suffered by cruel nayles. There is nothing of a man, more wide or large then his hands spread abroad, at the armes end; and we haue also seene, how he suffered by nayles driuen through his hands. Those hands, wherin he said that, he(1) had written vs, and(2) wherby he would draw vs to∣wards himselfe, with diuine pitty, when once he should be exalted vpon the Crosse. In fine, there is no∣thing

more then all; and we haue seene how he hath bene scourged all ouer, & pierc't, and fettered, and spit vpon, and boxt, and buffe∣ted, and bored, and beathen through with Iron, for the pure loue of vs. And euen whilst he was hanging vpon the Crosse in expecta∣tion of death, he vouchsafed still to be affron∣ted, and blasphemed, beyond all morall be∣liefe; and he, the while, euen when vinegar was giuen him to drinke, in that torment of thirst which he endured, did regorge in the deernes of his loue to vs.

He perfected(c) the imperfection of the old law in the law of grace, which he did pro∣mulgate heere. He perfected all the Sacrifices of the old Testament in this Sacrifice of him∣selfe vpon the Crosse; the memory wherof he had already commaunded his Priests to perpe∣tuate, by the dayly oblation of his owne pre∣tious body and bloud vpon their Altars. He perfected all the Prophesies, which were made concerning his owne life and death. He perfected all those figures which had bene de∣liuered of him in the old Testament, for the disposing of the mindes of the faithfull, to∣wards the beliefe of their Messias, who was thē to come.

We haue heere the history of Noe. For as he was made drunke, by the vine which he planted, and had his nakednes discouered by his children; so was our Lord stript naked, more then once, as we haue seene, and that by his children, of whome his Prophet in his

person said; Filios enutriui & exaltaui, ipsi autem spreuerunt me. I tooke care to breed, and bring vp my children, and they tooke pleasure to despise and disho∣nor me. He was also inebriated by the loue which he bare to his people; which, like a vine he planted with miracles; and pruned with Doctrine, and watered with bloud. And that vine inebriated him also, with another kind of wine, the wine of torments, and re∣proach, wherwith he was stuft, and cloyd. By which kind of liquor, although he were not (because he would not be) disgusted, yet we haue heard him by his Prophet thus com∣plaine of this vine, after a most deere, and kil∣ling manner; Expectauit vt faceret vuas, fecit au∣tem labruscas. I expected that my vine, should haue yielded me wine, for the comfort of my hart; but it yielded me nothing but veriuyce, which hath set my teeth on edge. We haue heere a better, then that(1) Brasen serpent, the sight of whome, will cure the bytings of all those serpents, which are our sinnes. We haue heere the true Dauid, who kild that Gyant(2) Golyas (being a figure of the Prince of darkenes) with the fiue stones of his fiue sacred wounds; and he cut of the Gyants head, with the Gyants sword; conque∣ring the Deuill by death, which was his wea∣pon drawne by sinne. The same might be shewed in al the other figures, which were de∣liuered of our Lord in the old Testament, & which were perfected, and fulfilled vpon the Crosse. So that our Lord might iustly say, Consummatum est: The worke of my Passion,

the worke of mans redemption, both in re∣gard of the thing it selfe, and of the manner how it hath bene wrought, and borne, is per∣fect, consummate, and complete.

Notes

• Ioan. 19.
• (a)

  All la∣bour is lost with∣out perse∣uerance. Deut. 23.
• (b)

  The incompa∣rable per∣fection of the worke of the pas∣sion of our Lord.
• (1)

  Isa. 49.
• (2)

  Ioan. 12.
• (c)

  How our Lord Iesus did perfect the figu∣res and sa∣crifices of the old law vpon the Crosse wherof he also fulfil∣led the prophe∣sies. Luc. 22. 1. Cor. 11.
• Genes. 9.
• Isa. 1.
• Isa. 5.
• (1)

  Num. 21.
• (2)

  1. Reg. 17.