A myrrhine posie of the bitter dolovrs of Christ his passion, and of the seaven vvords he spake on the crosse, composed by Ch. M.

THE NINTH FLOVVER OF THE MYRRHINE POSIE OF OVR BLESSED SAVIOVRS PASSION.

Christ his carrying of his crosse. Mat. 27. Mar. 15. Luc. 23. Io. 19.

PILAT, who at the first, sought to free Christ from death, because he knew that for enuie the Iewes had betrayed him vnto him & saw no cause, as he told the Iewes, why to put him to death; At length partly for the Iewes importunitie, partly for feare of Cesar, whose friend (as the Iewes told him) he can not be, that maketh himself a King as the said Christ made himself, relented and out of humane feare pro∣nounced sentence of death, and of the death of the Crosse against him.

[ 2] O the vniustest sentence that euer by any Iudge was pronounced, because it condemned Christ to death, the most innocent that euer was; because it con∣demned the Iudges Iudge; because it was without order of law and Iustice, false witnesses being suborned; because it was without authoritie, neither Pi∣lat nor any Iudge hauing authoritie to condemne the Innocent, as Christ was, who did not sinne, neither was guile found in his mouth, which also Pilat confessed; and because Christ being King of Kings and Prince of the Kings of the Earth, was subiect to no humane authoritie. And therefore, when Christ said to Pilat, thou shouldst not haue any power against me, vnlesse it were gi∣uen from aboue: he meaneth, if it were not permitted from aboue; for if God had not onelie permitted Pilat to con∣demne Christ, but also had giuen him Authoritie, Pilat had pronounced a iust sentence, because he had done it by authoritie from God, who may giue authoritie to condemne and kill th' In∣nocent, he being Dominus vitae & mortis. Lord of life and death. Pilat then ha∣uing pronounced sentence of death

vpon the Crosse, decreed also that Christ according to the māner, should carrie his Crosse on his shoulders to mount Caluarie the place of execu∣tion.

[ 3] This was long before prefigured in Isaac, whom Abraham according to Gods commaundement was to haue sacrificed. Because Abraham tooke the wood of the Holocaust, on which Isaac was to haue beene sacrificed, and laid it vpon Isaac his sonne, and himself carried in his hands fire and a sword. For so our Isaac Iesus, to fulfill that figure carrieth on his shoulders the wood of the Crosse, on which he was sacrificed, and his Eternall Father carrieth the fire of charitie towards man, for whose re∣dēption he was sacrificed, & the sword also of his Diuine iustice, which by his sonnes death (which was a condigne satisfaction for sinne) was satisfied.

[ 4] Now also was fulfilled the prophecie of Isaie. A litle child is borne to vs, in his temporall natiuitie, and a sonne is giuen to vs, and principalitie is made vpon his shoulders. For whereas other Princes carrie the signe of their Principalitie on there Head (as they doe their crowne)

Christ carried his on his shoulders, when he carried his crosse, by which he triumphed ouer the world, deuill, and sinne, though he carried also on his head a crowne of thornes. And then also was fulfilled the Prophecie of the Roiall Prophet Dauid, our Lord hath reigned frō the wood, as diuers Fathers al∣leadge that verse, for that by the wood of the Crosse, as by a meanes or In∣strument, Christ purchassed the King∣dome of his church, and vanquished sinne and the Deuill. But although Christ his carrying of the Crosse was glorious and triumphant before God, yet it was disgracefull before the world, the Crosse being, a scandall to the Iewes, and to the Gentils foolishnes, Yea a curse; because cursed is euerie one that hangeth on a tree.

[ 5] The Crosse being layd vpon Christ his weake & sore shoulders, sore with the scourges at the pillar, They gaue him two companions, not for his com∣fort, but for his greater disgrace, to wit, two theeues, and Christ went in the midst, as the greatest theefe of the three; which indignitie the Prophet foretold in these words, And he was re∣puted

with the wicked. Goe forth, againe, yee daughters of Sion, all deuout soules & behold your King carrying a crowne of thornes vpon his head, & an heauy Crosse on his shoulders, and take com∣passion on this your King so cruellie and contemptiblie handled.

Thinke with what paine aswell as disgrace he carrieth this heauie and lumpish Crosse of wood, fifteene foot long, and in respect of rhe piece of timber that went crosse, eight foot broad, and as thicke as was able to support a mans body. He had not slept the night before, but all that night was hurried and haled from one place to an other, from the garden to Anna, from Anna to Cayphas from Cay∣phas to Pilat, from Pilat to Herod, from Herod to Pilat againe, and so he was wearied: he was verie weake by rea∣son of the great quantitie of blood he had swet in his agonie in the garden, and had shed ••••••••e Pillar, and in his coronation with thornes; his bodie was so sore, so wounded with the stri∣pes he receaued at the Pillar, that there was no one whole place in his body to lay the Crosse on: and yet on this

wearied, weake and sore bodie, was layed the heauie Crosse, and this he was to haue carryed a long waye.

[ 7] O the patience of Christ, vncon∣querable! ô the loue of amourous Ie∣sus, which onelie (his bodie being so wearied and weakened) could beare so heauie a burden, as was this Crosse, heauie of it self, heauier by the sinnes of all mankind, which he carried with it, according to that of S. Peter, who himself bare our sinnes in his bodie vpon the Crosse. Vnder this heauie burden Christ fainteth, and sometimes falleth: The Iewes push him on, and peraduenture beate him, as they were wonred to beate their beasts, to make him goe on, and they tooke not so much com∣passion on him, as they would in the like case, on a brute beast.

[ 8] A Deuout woeman called Veronica taking pitie on him, gaue him an hand∣kercher to wipe his face, which swet with faintnes, and for her reward, she receaued the liuelie picture of his face imprinted in it, which picture is called vultus sanctus, and is reserued to this daye in the Church of S. Peter at Rome; diuers other deuout woemen

(as that sexe is deuout) bewailed and la∣mented him: to whom Christ turning, sayd: Daughters of Hierusalem weepe not vpon mee, weepe vpon your selues, and vpon your children.

[ 9] O Blessed Sauiour: thou, who are the man of Sorrowes and the most doleful wight that euer was, doest thou for∣bid these deuout woemen to weepe vpon thee? When should they weepe, if not now? For whom should they weepe if not for thee? They see thou sheddest blood for them, and should they not shed teares for thee? What compa∣rison betwixt blood and teares? Me∣thinks, ô sweet Sauiour, thou shouldst rather haue sayd cleane, contrarie: weepe not for your selues, nor for your children, nor for any temporall aduersitie, that may happen vnto you; but rather weepe for me, in whom all sorrowes haue made their rendeuous, which also I suffer not for myself, but for you, rather weepe for me, whose sorrowes are so great, that they deserue not onelie your teares, but euen the teares of Angells, if their nature would permit them to weepe.

[ 10] O Lord, commaund what els thou

wilt, and we are readie to obey, but do not forbid vs to shed teares for thee, which are dewe to thee, who art the man of sorrowes, and necessarie for vs, because in weeping for thee, we weepe for our sinnes, which are the causes of thy sorrowes. Thou badst the Iewes to weepe for Hierusalem, and to shed teares as a Torrent for her, and wilt thou not haue vs weepe for thee, the King and Lord of Hierusalem? When shall our eyes be wet with teares, if now they be drye? How shall our loue towards thee shew it self better, then by teares? So Marie Magdalen shewed her loue towards thee; So S. Peter shew∣ed his. And when should our loue so shew it self, if not now, when shee seeth thee her beloued obiect and chie∣fest good, sweating, groning, fainting and falling vnder the Crosse? ô Louer of mankind, sorbid not loue to weepe in this case, it is the hardest commaun∣dement thou canst lay vpon her.

[ 11] The friends of Iob coming to visit him, in his afflictions, and lifting vp their eyes a farre of knew him not, his affli∣ctions had so changed him, wherefore, crying out they wept, and renting their clo∣thes,

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in signe of their griefe they sprinc∣kled dust on their head to wards heauen, and they sate with him on the ground, seuen dayes and seuen nights, and no man spake to him a word, for they saw the paine to be vehement. And shall not wee cry out for thee our Iesus, so changed with afflic∣tions, that euen thy Mother could scarcelie now know thee, she hauing borne thee, goodlie of beautie aboue the sonnes of men, nor if it were possible could thy Eternall Father know thee, of whose glorie thou art the splendour, whose liuelie and most beautifull Image thou art, but now so disfigu∣red, as thou seemest nothing like him. No comparison betwixt Iesus and Iob, no comparison betwixt thy sorrowes ô Iesus, and the sorrowes of Iob, and therefore no comparison should be betwixt our loue to thee, ô Iesus, and theirs to Iob: and shall they cry out and w••epe for him, and shall not we weepe for thee?

[ 12] Wherefore Christ doth not absolutlie forbid the deuout woemen to weepe vpon him, but either biddeth them ra∣ther to weepe vpon themselues, and their children, who not long after, by

Tytus and Vespasian, were in great numbers to be slaine, or sold, or taken captiues, and their Citie and Temple to be ruined: or els he forbiddeth them to weepe vpon him, as a malefactour led to execution, he being innocent by Pilates Confession: or he forbiddeth them to weepe vpon him, as though he did not suffer voluntarilie & willinglie: For he desired this death, as being or∣dained by his Eternall Father for mans redemption: and abstracting from his Fathers ordination, to which freelie he submitted himself, he could haue wrested himself out of his enemies hands, aswell now, as he did a litle be∣fore, when in the garden with these few words, I ame he, he cast them to the ground. And so he doth not forbid the woemen absolutie to weepe vpon him; for if they would weepe as taking cō∣passion on him for the sorrowes he en∣dured for them and for the sinnes of all mankind, or would weepe for their owne sinnes, which were the causes of his sorrowes, such weeping could not but haue beene pleasing vnto him, he reioycing with his Angells more for the re∣pentance of a sinner, then for nintie nine Iust.

[ 13] O my soule, do thou walke after Ie∣sus to Mount Caluarie, and if thou canst not shed blood for him in the waye, as he doth for thee, shed at least teares for him, walke in spirit euerie day this way after Iesus; it is marked by his steps, yea by his blood, so that thou canst not misse it. O walke this waye religiouslie, & put of thy shooes of all carnall and terrene cogitations, for that this way is more sanctified by Christ his holy steps and blood, then was that, where an Angell appeared to Moyses in a bush. O walke this way with Iesus, because though the way be hard and painfull, yet it leadeth to Heauen. Christ thy head went this way to Heauen before thee, do thou his member follow, that partaking with him in this way of his sorrowes, thou maist be partaker of his glorie.

[ 14] Walke not, ô my soule, ô good Chri∣stian the way of the wicked, which though it seeme broade and pleasant, strawed with the rushes, yea roses of carnall delights, pleasures, and riches, yet it leadeth to perdition, and it is an hard way also, full of the thornes of sinnes and iniquities, beset with the

stones of scandals, at which many stumble and fall continuallie: And this here after thou wilt confesse with the wicked themselues, though then it will be to late, for they themselues con∣fesse, that they are wearied in the way of iniquitie and perdition, and haue walked hard waies, but the way of our Lord we haue not knowne; Then they wil saie wh••t hath pride profited vs? or what commo∣ditie hath the vaunting of riches brought to vs? All these things are passed away as a shadow.

[ 15] Wherefore, ô my soule, ô deuout Christian, take vp thy Crosse and fol∣low thy Sauiour, thou canst not erre if thou follow him, because he is the way and the truth. All the Saints, all that are saued, haue gonne this way before thee; and so if thou wilt be saued, take vp thy Crosse and follow Christ. For he telleth thee plainly, and thou must beleeue him, for he is truth it self. He that taketh not his Crosse and followeth me, is not worthie of me: And againe, he that doth not beare his Crosse, and come after me can not be my disciple.

[ 16] If they that carrie not their Crosse of one aduersitie or other, and that pa∣tientlie

also, can not come to heauen with Christ: What shall wee say of them, who are enemies to the Crosse, and all sufferances. How many, (to vse S. Paules words) walke, whom often I told you, and now weeping also I tell you, the enemies of the Crosse of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose God is the bellie, and their glorie in confusion, which mind worldly things. These men will suffer nothing for Christ, for their sinnes, to auoid Hell, to gaine Heauen. But they say. Come therefore and let vs enioy the good things, that are (in this life) and let vs quicklie vse the creature in youth; let vs fill our selues with precious wines, and ointements, and let not the flower of the time passe vs, let vs crowne ourselues with roses b••fore they w••ther, let there be no medow, which our riote shall not passe. These men (to vse Iobs words) ho••d the Timbrel and the harpe, and reioyce at th•• sound of the organ, they lead their dayes in wealth. But what is the end of all this? and in a moment they goe downe to Hell.

[ 17] Whosoeuer then looketh to goe to Heauen with Christ he must resolue to cary his crosse with Christ, and not

thinke to goe. from the pleasures of the world to the pleasures of Heauen, to winne that goale of Heauen, without running, to purchase that crowne without fighting, to receaue that re∣ward without working. Resolue then, ô Christian, to endure patientlie what Crosse God shall lay vpon thee, be it pouertie, sicknes, disgrace or what∣soeuer aduersitie.

[ 18] Christ was not his owne chooser, nor did he say, put me to some other death, the Crosse is to imfamous; lay another Crosse on me, this is to heauie; but he tooke patientlie that Crosse which was offered him. And thou, ô Christian, must not choose thy Crosse or affliction: thou must not say: I could endure such a disease, but not this, which I haue, I could be content to loose my goods, but not my honour, but thou must take that Crosse pa∣tientlie which God sendeth: nor must thou thinke any to heauie, for if God lay it on thee, he giueth grace and force to beare it. He is faith full, which will not suffer thee to be tempted aboue that which thou art able. Rather trusting in God and his grace, say with S. Paul:

I can all things in him that strengtheneth me. With his grace, I can beare all Crosses and aduersities. Giue me then, ô my God, grace to beare, and lay what crosse soeuer thou wilt on me.

[ 19] And if, ô Christian, thou couldst be freed from all Crosses, it were some∣what: but if thou refuse to carrie a temporall Crosse, thou must carrie an Eternall; if thou refuse to carrie a Crosse with Christ in this world, thou must carrie it with the diuell in Hell. And what follie or rather madnes, to choose rather to suffer an eternall Crosse then a temporall? And with the Diuell rather then with Christ? Seeing that Christ maketh the burden easie, and the carriage of it meritorius by his grace, the Diuell maketh his Crosse deuoide of merite, yea and vnsuppor∣table also, by the state of damnation.

[ 20] Christ then hauing patientlie vnder∣taken the burden of the Crosse, went on with it as farre as humane force would permit him; diuine force he would not vse. But the lewes per∣ceauing him to faint, and to fall also vnder the burden, Compelled one Simon a man of Cyrene coming from the coun∣trie,

to carrie the Crosse for him; which they did not our of Compassion, but rather out of crueltie, either fearing that he might dye by the way, and so not suffer the death of the Crosse, as they desyred that he should; or els be∣cause their cruell hearts were so desi∣rous to see him hanged and nailed on the Crosse, that they were impatient of delayes; and so a Gentill was pre∣ferred to carrie the Crosse of Christ, to signifie, that the honour to suffer for Christ, was reserued for the Gentils; and that God was to leaue the Iewe, & embrace the Gentils, to forsake the synagogue of the Iewes, & to embrace the Church of the Gentils.

[ 21] O Peter, where wast thou, that thou didst not offer this last seruice to thy Master, to carrie his Crosse for him? thou the night before saidst thow wast readie to goe with him both to Prison and to death? But he peraduenture was hid∣den in some corner, and there weeping for the denyall of his Master. Where were you, ô Apostles? would none of you be readie to carry your Masters Crosse, and so to ease him? they were all fled from him, euen at his first ap∣prehension.

O my soule, wish that thou hadst beene there, that thou mightest haue had the honour to ease thy Master and Sauiour by carrying his Crosse. O how easie would that bur∣den haue been vnto thy loue, which maketh all easie?

[ 22] But, ô my sinnes, which lay heauier on my Sauiours shoulders then the crosse! O who will giue water to my head, and to mine eyes a fountaine of teares, that I may weepe day and night for my sinnes, which wayed so heauie on my sauiours wea∣ried and sore shoulders? O what crosse should not I beare for his sake, who carried for mee so heauie a Crosse, and my so heauie sinnes on it? In all my afflictions and aduersities, which shall ly heauie vpon mee, giue me grace, o Lord, by vertue of this thy bearing of the Crosse, to beare them patientlie and euer to think on this thy heauie Crosse, which thou so patientlie didst carrie for me.

Notes

• Mat. 27. Mar. 15. Luc. 23. Io. 19.
• Isa. 53 1. Pet. 2.
• Apoc. 1.
• Ex plu∣tarcho lib. de sera Numi∣nis vin∣dicta. Gen. 22.
• Isa. 9.
• Psal. 9.6. Iustin. Mart. Dia cum Triph: Tert. li. aduer. Iudaeos & abj.
• 1. Co. 1. Deu 21. Gal. 3.
• Isa. 53.
• Cant. 3.
• 1. Pet. 2.
• Luc. 22.
• Isa. 53.
• Isa 53.
• Hier. 3.
• Iob 2.
• Psal. 44.
• Hebr. 1.
• Ioa. 19.
• Luc. 15.
• Exod. 3.
• Sap. 5.
• Ibid.
• Mat. 10.
• Luc. 14
• Philip 3.
• Sap. 2.
• Iob. 2.
• 1 Cor. 10. Phil. 3.
• Mat. 27. Mat. 15. Luc. 23.
• Hier. 9.
• 1. Pet. 2.