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.

A Conclusion of this discourse of the Passion of Christ our Lord; and the vse which we are bound to make thereof: For the greater that the loue and mercy is which he expressed therein, the more excessiue will his rigour be, for our contempt therof.

CHAP. 78.

BVT howsoeuer this water of the foun∣taine of life, were spilt, with strange libe∣rality for our good; yet there fel not one drop, for which we shall not be called to a most strict account, if we be so wretched, as not to saue it from being lost. For we(a) are to vn∣derstand, that it was not any one onely part, which was represented by Christ our Lord v∣pō the Crosse; but they were very many; & it cōcernes vs much, to marke thē all. Not only doth the infinite mercy of God shine bright∣ly in this mistery; wherin we see that his own increated Sonne was content to dy for the sal∣uation of man; but his infinite Iustice also,

doth no lesse appeare; since it would not be satisfied with lesse then the death of such a Sonne.

Not only may we heere discerne, the pit∣ty, which he beareth towards sinners; but he giueth vs also as cleere a prospect, vpon his vnspeakeable detestation of sinne; since for the abolishing therof, he was then to imploy no lesse then the very death of God. And since Christ our Lord, being the increated wise∣dome of the Eternall Father, would needs vn∣dergoe all those torments, for the remission & extirpation of sinne; it is a cleere demonstratiō, that he felt the weight of our sinnes, more heauily, then he did his bitter and opprobri∣ous death; since no wise man would accept to suffer a greater paine, for the excusing of ano∣ther, which were lesse. So that, as by the hu∣mility and charity of God, which is so liuely exprest in the crucifixion of our Lord IESVS, we are obliged to loue him, and to imitate his Humility and his Charity; so by the conside∣ration of that Maiesty of God which we may discerne, and of the high purity of his nature, and his great hate of sinne, we are taught to reuere him, and to tremble, and to carry firme resolutions to serue him with all fidelity, and care; and rather to dy a thousand tymes, then once to presume to offend him in the least de∣gree.

S. Paul declareth to vs, that Deus erat in Christo, mundum reconcilians sibi; The(b) ommpotent God did descend to be vnited to the humanity of Christ

our Lord, that so he might reconcile the whole world to himselfe; and yet neuerthelesse they are few, who will be reconciled to saluation by our blessed Sauiours death; in comparison of the multitudes which are to perish. For so our Lord assured vs saying. The way to heauen is a hard and narrow way, and few will dispose themseues to walke in it; but the way to perdition, is a wide and easy way, and it will be walked in by many.

Now this streight way, was the life and Doctrine of Christ our Lord, according to what himselfe had sayd, Egosum via, veritas, & vita: I am the way, the truth, and the life. So that, it is not the only death of Christ our Lord which saues the world; but that death, must be applyed to vs by such meanes as the wise∣dome of God hath ordayned. This meanes, consisteth in our meeting with God, in the person of IESVS Christ our only Lord. For as God descended downe by him, so by him, we must ascend vp towards God. For this cause, he is said to be medius, & mediator, the middle person, and mediatour betwene God and man; and indeed, the only true medius terminus, wherby we may euer grow to a good conclusion.

The desire of Christ our Lord, is to rayse vs thither, according to his own diuine pro∣mise. But a man is not drawne to spirituall things by force, or by the paces of his feete, or by the knowledge of his head, but by the prayers, and pious affections of his hart, and the reformation of his life, by a faythfull coo∣peration, with the grace of God.

So as, if we meane to reape the benefit of this Passion, we must first(c) belieue, with a supernaturall and vndoubted faith, that it was performed by God and man, for the redemp∣tion of the whole world. We must then re∣flect(d) vpon it, with most cordiall and pro∣found loue; detesting(e) our sinns which were the causes of his suflerance; and resoluing (as I was saying) to dye a thousand deathes rather then to offend him, who was so much offen∣ded by them. We must(f) consider the admi∣rable vertties which he exercised with diuine perfection, vpon the Crosse, and in the whole course of his holy life and death; his humility, his patiēce, his meekenes, his silence, his puri∣ty, his conformity, and his Charity. And we are carefully to consider, that it was in his power, to haue suffered as much as he suffered (if he had bene so disposed,) without letting vs knowne, the māner of it. But he was plea∣sed to doe it, in the eye of the world, to the end that the world might see the patterne of all that vertue, which it was to imitate. And that, as by the substance of his death, he would redeeme vs, so by the circ̄stances & manner of it, he would instruct and oblige vs to his loue.

For this it was, that when the Angell re∣uealed to S. Ioseph, that the Sonne whome the sacred virgin should bring forth was to be cal∣led IESVS, he assigneth, a reason of giuing him that name, the Office which he was to haue, in sauing his people from their sinnes. And as

there are belonging to sinne, a guilt, or fault, and a paine or punishment; so was this IESVS, to deliuer his people from them both, and not to be a Sauiour by halfes, yea, and by the les∣ser halfe, in deliuering them only from the pu∣nishment of hell, as Libertines make thēselues beleeue, but especially to free them, by his grace, and the holy example of his life and death, from committing the very sinnes them∣selues, as was shewed before.

For the application also of this death and passion, to the saluation of our soules, we must be led by this example, to suffer such Crosses with patience, as our Lord, by the hand of his Eternall, and Fatherly prouidence, shall haue appointed vs to imbrace, as the way and mea∣nes of our saluation. Our Lord, in his suffe∣rance vpon the Crosse, did sanctify and facili∣tate all the Crosses which should euer come to mankind. And as it is most true, that to all such, as apply this Passion to their soules by faith and loue, the eternity of their torment in hell, is conuerted by vertue of this suffe∣rance into the temporall paines of voluntary pennance, or else of sickenes, sorrow, pouer∣ty, shame, and the like imposed by our Lord God; or else into the paines of Purgatory (sup∣posing that they haue not satisfied in this life:) and though the temporall Crosses which they indure, are withall, made light therby; so wee be to the world for giuing life to men, who are so vnworthily wicked, as to(g) thinke that Christ our Lord hath suffred all, &

that men haue, in effect, no more to doe, but to belieue that he did suffer it.

How can such people thinke that God is wise, if he should haue committed such a folly? How can they thinke that he is Iust, if he would haue falne into such a partiality? How can they thinke that he is holy, if he should haue exercised such impiety? Nay, how can they thinke that he is merciful, if he should haue acted such a part of cruelty, as it would haue bene, for him, to take his owne very Es∣sence and substance, his owne increated vn∣derstanding, the second person of the most glorious and euer blessed Trinity; and to knit that person, by hypostaticall and indissoluble Vnion, to the body and soule of the sonne of the All-immaculate Virgin Mother, by the o∣uershadowing of the holy Ghost; and to make him lead a life, which, as, on the one side, it was of vnspeakeable sanctity (for which he could not choose but loue him, more then in∣numerable milliōs of worlds;) so on the other, it was loaden with misery of many kinds, and it came, at last, to end in such a death, & Pas∣sion, as we haue heere described; and all this for the sauing of most wicked soules from hel; who, by the account of these men, should still remaine in the seruitude of sinne, and Sathan, whome yet this Lord came to ouercome; and that he should carry and conduct them to hea∣uen, to be coheires with him in that kingdom; notwithstanding that in this world, they had not endeuoured to imitate his holy and paine∣full

life, nor had bene truely carefull to ful∣fill his law; nor had conceaued any cordiall, and fruitefull griefe, for hauing transgressed it; and much lesse had voluntarily imbraced, for his loue, some part of those mortifications, & paynes, and crosses, wherwith his pretious life & death did so abound.

Take heed of such dangerous and impi∣ous opinions as these, and withall, doe not thinke your selfe free from them, by only say∣ing that you are so; vnlesse you beleeue with∣all, in the very bottome of your hart, that vo∣luntary mortification, and pennance, and pa∣tience, and humility, and charity, are vertues wholy necessary for a Christian man. And that the Passion of Christ our Lord, is not to be applyed, but by this meanes. No(h) crea∣ture shall be saued by the Crosse of Christ our Lord, but he who shall loue this Crosse; and no man doth truly loue it, who will not ra∣ther dy then crucify our Lord agayne vpon it, by committing a mortall sinne; and no man doth greatly loue it, who for the loue of our Lord, doth not also abhorre all veniall sinne; and who doth not voluntarily depriue him∣selfe of many commodities, and delights, which euen lawfully he might haue vsed; and who also will not imbrace, not only all such paine and shame, as cannot be auoyded with∣out sinne; but many other contradictions and austerities, to which yet he is not bound, but only by the law of loue. This loue doth worke like fire, in the harts of such as are de∣uoted

to the Crucifixe; & our Saints liues are full of great proofes therof; & how much soe∣uer they pay, they thinke it very little, in com∣parison of the very much they owe.

The blessed Apostle S. Paul hath expres∣sed this truth very plainely & largely, in these few words, Charitas Christi vrget nos; The Charity of Christ doth vrge vs on. As if there, he had sayd, (as he did abundantly else where, to this effect) The loue of Christ our Lord, and the memory of the bitter things which he endured, for his wicked creatures, doth spurre vs on to suffer much for him. I doe not, beate the ayre, but I beate my body, least preaching saluation to others, my selfe may be∣come a reprobate. It is true that we shall raigne to∣geather with Christ; but it must first be true, that we must suffer also with him. It is true, that I am an A∣postle, and more then an Apostle, & that the sonne of God himselfe, came visibly to call me to his seruice; & declared me to be a vessell of election, and that I should carry his name before the Kings and Nations of the world; & that I was rapt vp into the third heauē, wher I was made partaker of such high misteries, at it is ne∣ther lawfull, nor possible for me to vtter; But yet it is true withall, that all they who will pretend to be true Christians, must crucify their flesh with the concupis∣cences therof; and they must put on Christ our Lord, as they would put on a garment; and frame the same Iud∣gement of things which he framed, & liue by the same spirit which liued in him. That is to say, both the in∣ward, and the outward man, must be so composed, as that wheresoeuer he goes, he may carry with him the very odour of the piety if Christ our Lord. And for my

part (saith he) I am euer carrying the mortification of Christ lesus in my very body, that so in this very body of mine, his life may be made manifest to men.

To this effect, spake the B. Apostle in seuerall partes of his Epistles; and he indeed, was a true louer of the Crosse of Christ our Lord; and this loue made him so glory in tribu∣lations, and mortifications, and afflictions, for the loue of the same Crosse, as that he thus, cryed out: Away with glorying in any other thing. The same doth also belong to vs according to our proportion: and if we faile heerof, we must condemne our selues for vngratefull creatures, and procure to mend. As knowing that other∣wise, we doe our best to make our Lord loose the labour, which he tooke for vs. For (as the incomparable S. Austen sayth) to this effect Christ our Lord, to giue vs the example of all vertue, tooke v∣pon him all those painefull, and contumelious things, wherby vertue might be exercised and obtained. He was pleased to be poore, that men might so be drawne to despise those riches, which they loued, to their so great preiudice; for as much as they are instruments wherby they purchase and procure delights, which destroy the soule. He refused to be a tempor all King, that so men might despise places of honor, & cōmaund, which they had, with so great anxiety, desired. He admitted of all kindes of affronts, and shame, to the end that men, who were wont to fly from them, through pride, might vndergoe them with humility. He suffered wrongs, and so great wrongs, as it was, for him, who was most in∣nocent, to be tormented, and condemned, to the death of the Crosse, for a malefactour, to the end that men,

might be able to suffer wrōgs with patiēce. He accepted of grieuous things, being scourged, and crowned with thornes, and he was afflicted many other wayes, to the end that men, who abhorred torments, might imbrace them, when they should be necessary towards vertue. He accepted, and loued the Crosse, which was the most painefull & cōtumelious death of all others; to the end that men might admit of any such kind of death, as God should send. All those things, by the desire wher∣of, we tooke occasion to sinne, namely riches, pleasu∣res, and temporall honors, he brought downe, into a base account, by his abstayning from them, and so he taught vs to despise them. And all those other things, by the flying wherof we faile of vertue, and fall to sinne, namely affliction, contempt, and paine, by his suffering them willingly, and by imbracing them with so ardent loue, he made to be amiable, and easy to be endured. And thus, was the whole life, which Christ our Lord did lead in this world; an example, and a liuing Doctrine, of the actions which we were to performe; and of the vertues which we were to pra∣ctise. This is said by S. Augustine.

Therfore (to conclude this discourse, of the Passion of our B. Lord) we haue(i) seene how painefull it was; with how great loue he endured it; and with how heroicall vertue it was performed. We haue seene the end and ayme he had therin; which was, not only the redeeming of vs from hell, but the recouery of vs from sinne; the inducing vs to fly from all inordinate desire of honour, estate, and vaine delights; & to imbrace (after his exāple, & for his loue) the exercise of all vertue, & the mor∣tification

both of the inward, and outward man. Let vs take heed that we contemne not the treasures of his mercies, least we be consu∣med, by the fiery torrent of his Iustice. Let vs not pretend to make him loose his labour, for auoyding of a little labour of our owne. He is the wisedome it selfe of God, and can tell how to value to a haire, such a huge indigni∣ty as that would be. And of this truth we must be well assured; for it is not only reuealed to vs by way of Faith; but it is written in our harts, by the law it selfe of nature, and rea∣son: That(k) if a mercy be offered & abused, a vengeance will belong to that offence. If the mercy be great, the vengeance will not faile to be great; and if the mercy be infinite, the vengeance also will be infinite.

And though Christ our Lord, be a Lyon; and the roaring of a Lyon is a frighfull thing; yet he is also a Lambe; & we haue seene how he hath bene shorne, and slaine; and this Lābe is not willingly alienated from his loue to vs. But if he be, then laesa patientia vertitur in furorem: The more inuincibly patient he was, the more implacably furious he will be. And, for my part, I doe not heare, in the whole booke of God, any word which strickes with greater terrour, then when it speakes, of the wrath of the Lambe.

The holy Ghospell describing Christ our Lord vpō the Crosse, saith, that they blasphe∣med him as they were passing by. Many blas∣pheme him by their deeds, who doe not so by

their words; but hauing an Aue Rex in their mouthes, they strike him with the Reed in their hands. If we desire insteed of blasphe∣ming to doe him seruice, and so to be happy both in heauen and euen heere; our way will be, not to passe so lightly by his Crosse; but there to behould, & contemplate him at good leasure. For how miserably shall we be out of countenance at the hower of our death, if our conscience may iustly then accuse vs; that we could not so much as find in our harts now & then, to thinke of those bitter things which the Sonne of God, & God, did find in his hart to endure, and that with infinite loue, for our saluation.

Our Lord(l) IESVS, giue vs grace, to know, how very wicked things we are. And this knowledge being once well grounded in vs, and our Lord being desired, that for the loue of his bitter Passion, he will make vs see the loue he bare vs in it; we shall grow to take delight in looking often vpon that book with the eyes of our soule; and so they will be hap∣pily shut vp from the sight and loue of other obiects. We shall then quickly find, that the Crosse is no such cruell thing, as we haue cō∣ceaued; but that it is short and light, and the reward therof remaines for euer. Besides that the memory of her friends, is honorable after∣ward, euen with the enemies therof. Wheras those persecuting Iewes, with Cayphas and Pi∣late, & Herod, & al the libertines of the world, who indeed are the enemies of Christ our

Lord, and of his Crosse as S. Paul affirmeth, howsoeuer they triumphed for a tyme, were soone, either beate downe by disgrace like so many bladders, or blsters; or els blowne vp, by a little tyme out of the estimation of God and man, like so many squibbs. And now they haue found their place in hel where they shall remaine as long as God is God; and so will their successors in sinne, succeed them al∣so in their punishment, from which our Lord deliuer both them and vs.

Notes

• (a)

  The mystery of the Passion & death of Christ our Lord, doth looke ve∣ry many wayes at once.
• 2. Cor. 5.
• (b)

  How Christ our Lord is the Me∣diatour betweene God and man.
• Matt. 7.
• Ioan. 14.
• (c)

  Beliefe of the mistery of the passiō of Christ our Lord.
• (d)

  Consi∣deration.
• (e)

  Dete∣station of sinne.
• (f)

  Refle∣ction vpō the ver∣tues of Christ∣our Lord.
• Matth. 2.
• 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of 〈…〉〈…〉
• (g)

  An vn∣worthy & most wic∣ked er∣••our.
• (h)

  Who are true louers of the Crosse of Christ our Lord.
• 2. Cor. 5.
• 2. Cor. 5.
• 1. Cor. ••.
• 2. Tim. 2.
• Act. 9.
• 2. Cor. 12.
• Galat. 5.
• Rom. 13.
• 1. Cor. 12.
• 2. Cor. 2.
• 2. Cor. 4.
• Rom. 5.
• Galat. 6.
• De vera relig. cap. 16. apud Ariam.
• (i)

  The summe of this whole discourse of the Passion of our B. Lord.
• (k)

  The more good God is to men, the more bit∣terly will they be punished for the contempt of such goodnesse
• Apoc. 6.
• Matt. 27.
• (l)

  Our great in∣gratitude to God will make vs see how very wic∣ked we are other∣wise.
• Philip. 3.