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 FOVRTH WORD OR BRANCH,

Deus meus, Deus meus, vt quid dereliquisti me? Mat. 27.

My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

IT seemeth strange that Christ, God and man should complaine that his Eternall Father had left him, seeing that not onely as God, but as man he was vnited and lincked to God by diuers tyes, and vnions, which were neuer dissolued. As God, he was con∣substantiall to his Father, and so linked to him by consubstantialitie, which can not be dissolued, because he and his Father are one, and the same substance. As man he was vnited hypostaticallie, and personallie to the second diuine person, so indissolublie, that death which separated his body from his

soule, could not separate his humane nature from his Diuine person. As man also he was vnited to God (as the Bles∣sed in Heauen are) by cleare vision, which he had from the first instant of his conception, and from which nei∣ther by his Infancie, nor by sleepe, nor by his many occupations in his life time, nor by all the Sorrowes and agonies suffered on the Crosse, he could be distracted. He was also as man so vnited to God by loue and affection, which supposing cleare vi∣sion, can neither in Christ, nor in the Blessed Saincts & Angells be dissolued: because cleare vision of the Diuine Essence and goodnes, doth, as the Di∣uines say, necessitate the will to loue God; and therefore as in all his life, yea in his agonies on the Crosse, and euen in the moment of his death, his soule still retained the cleare vision of God, so it still loued God, and so though dying, he ceased for a time to liue (that is till he rose the third daye to life againe) yet he neuer ceased to loue. Of what forsaking then doth Christ complaine, when he saith, my God, my God, Why hast thou forsaken me?

[ 2] He cōplaineth that God had forsaken him, in withdrawing the assistance of his Diuinitie, by which he might haue hindred all the torments, and euen death, which he suffered; and therefore he saith, my God, my God, by consub∣stantialitie; my God, my God, by Incar∣nation, by which thou art Emanuell and Deus nobiscum, that is God with vs. My God, my God, by cleare vision; my God, my God, by fruition and eternall loue; why hast thou forsaken my hu∣mane nature, and dost not protect it against the crueltie of the Iewes? My God, my God, who hast saued Noe from the Deluge, Abraham frō the Chaldees, Isaac from Abrahams sacrificing sword, the Israelits from Pharao, and the de∣stroying Angell, Iacob from Esau, Ioseph from his Brethren, and his Mistresses false accusations, Dauid from Goliath and Saul, Daniel from the Lions, and the three children from the burning furnace, Susanna from the Adulterours and false Iudges, yong Tobie from the fish, and the euill spirit; why hast thou forsaken me? Why doest not thou assist me? Me, thy naturall Sonne, me the veritie of these figures, me, who

neuer offended thee; me who euer lo∣ued thee, honoured thee, and obeied thee, euen to death.

[ 3] But although he thus complained according to flesh and blood, and the inferiour part of his soule, yet accor∣ding to his superiour part of his soule, he was resolued to die as we haue seene aboue; and this his complayning was not murmuration, but groaning amid so excessiue paynes, not to con∣tradict his Fathers will, to which he was euer resigned, but to shew him∣self a true man, who feareth death; to giue vs courage in sicknes, torments and what soeuer aduersitie, to giue vs example to haue recourse to God, as he had, in all our corporall or spiri∣tuall distresses; to forwarne vs not to thinke much, when we seeme to be left of God in our Aduersities.

[ 4] Thinke, ô my soule, who it is that cryeth, my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? He, to whom his Eternall Father said, this is my w••ll beloued sonne in whom I am w••ll pleased. And marke that he saith not my Father, my Fa∣ther, but my God, my God, because at that time he would not shew himself to

Christ as a Father, that he might be a Father to vs. Dauid complaineth that his Father and Mother had left him, but he comforteth himself, that Domi∣nus autem assumpsit me: Our Lord hath ta∣ken me. And yet he forsooke his onelie Sonne. Dauid saith that he hath not seene the iust forsaken, but now Christ Iesus, Iustice it self, is forsaken. Who would beleeue that such a Father should for∣sake such a Sonne, but that the Sonne himself, who is veritie it selfe, sayeth so?

[ 5] O Eternall Father, how great is thy loue towards sinners, which made thee foresake thy onely begotten Sonne for a time, that he might suffer for vs, and suffering, satisfie for our sinnes. O Eternall Sonne, how great also was thy loue to vs, which made thee wil∣ling to be forsaken of thy Father, that thou mights suffer euen death for vs, and suffering it, redeeme vs. O Sonne of God! Thou sayedst once that thou knewest that thy Fath••r doth alwaies heare thee, but now he doth not, and thou art content that he doth not, that thou mightst suffer, what thou didst, for vs.

[ .6] O what loue can we render for such loue? What gratitude? And yet ô we

vngratefull. Christ crieth, ô my God my God, why hast thou forsaken me? To wit, for the loue of man; & Christ is willing to be forsaken for the loue of man, and yet man heareth not this voice, is not mooued with this loue.

[ 7] We cry out and complaine, if God permit vs to suffer hunger, or thirst, diseases, or sicknesses, plagues or warres; Christ complaineth indeed ac∣cording to the inferiour part of his soule, that he is left of his Father, & per∣mitted to suffer death; but according to the superiour part of his soule he is most willing. he is forsaken of his Fa∣ther euen to death, and beareth it pa∣tientlie; we murmure if our Parents, Brothers, or Sisters, or friends forsake vs in our necessities. O Eternall Father, how seuere art thou to thy owne Sonne for our sakes? Doest thou preferre vs thy adoptiue children, yea thy enemies, before thy owne naturall Sonne, who neuer displeased thee.

[ 8] Who euer heard of one plunged in the Sea, readie to be drowned, & crying for helpe and ayde to a friend, nay to a meere straunger, and not assisted? And yet Christ the Sonne of God plunged

in the waters of his Passion, and readie to be drowned by death, cryeth, not to a straunger, nor a friend onely, but euen to his Eternall Father and cannot be hearde: and why, but for our sakes?

[ 9] O sinner, thou art the cause of this: to draw thee out of the Sea of sinne, in which thou art plunged, the Sonne of God must be permitted to be drowned in the waters of his Passion, O hard hearted sinner, if this loue of God the Father, who would forsake this his Sonne for thee; if the loue of God the Sonne, who was willing to be thus forsaken for thee, do not moue thee to loue God. O vngratefull man, if after this loue thou canst finde in thy heart to loue any but God, or for God.

[ 10] O sweet Iesus, who wouldst be for∣saken of thy Father for a time, that I might not be forsaken; whensoeuer I am tempted to any sinne, forsake me not, but giue me grace to ouer∣come the tentation: Whensoeuer thou sendest me sicknesse, or any other ad∣uersitie, forsake me not, but giue me grace to beare it patientlie; and when I am to die, and to passe from this

life to the next, forsake me not, but assist me in that iourney, and by thy grace bring me to Heauen, where I shall neuer forsake thee, nor be for∣saken of thee.

Notes

• Ioa. 10.
• Gen. 6. & 7.
• Gen. 22. Exo. 11.
• Dan. 6.
• Dan. 13. Tob. 6.
• Phil 2.
• in the 2. Flower pag. 18.
• Mat. 17.
• 2. Pet. 1.
• Psal. 26.
• Ioa. 11.