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Father forgiue them, for they know not what they do. Luc. 23.
THis Prayer proceeded frō the grea∣test charitie that euer was, & no meruaile, for it proceeded from Christ Iesus, who as man, had the most ten∣der and charitable heart of all the men
that euer were; and, as God, he was charitie it self, and loued vs all from all eternitie, & with a loue as great as himself. And this his prayer proceeded also from the loue of his cruell ene∣mies, which is the hardest and purest act of charitie; the hardest, because there is nothing in our enemie, which we respect, to facilitate our loue vnto him; rather there are many things to mooue vs to hatred of him, as his crosse nature, his malice he beareth vs, the iniuries in word or deed he hath done vs; whereas in the loue of our freinds, or benefactors there are some motiues to loue, as their benefits bestowed on vs, their loue (for nothing winneth loue sooner then loue) they beare vs, and the like. And for the same cause the loue of our enemie is an Act of pu∣rest charitie; because we do not loue him for any thing we respect in him, but onelie and purelie for the loue of God and his Diuine goodnes.
And hence it is that before the come∣ing of Chr••st, few could find in their hearts to loue their enemies; and the Iewes commonlie thought that they were not bound to loue their enemies,
but rather might hate them. They found in the old lawe this commaun∣dement of God. Thou shalt loue thy friend as thy self, whence they inferred, that they might hate their enemie: not conside∣ring that in other places of Scripture God commaundeth thē to do good to their enemies: As to bring back their ene∣mies oxe or Asse, if they meete him going astray: not to be glad in their enemies fall, nor to reioyce in his ruine; and if he be hungry to giue him meate, if he thirst to giue him water to drinke. Wherefore our Sa∣uiour correcting the Iewes euill inter∣pretation of the Law, that commaun∣deth to loue our friend, commaundeth expreslie to loue our enemies in these words. But I say vnto you loue your ene∣mies: Wherefore the Patriarches and Prophets, did exercise this loue of their enemies, and so did some others, though not so frequentlie, and in that perfection, as the Apostles, Martyrs, and thousands of Christians did.
[ 3] Dauid loued Absalon, who sought his life and Kingdome; but he, as he was Dauids Enemie, so he was his sonne. Ioseph also loued his brethren, who had sold him into Egypt, but
they, as they were his enemies, so they were his brethren. But after that Christ had giuen the example of louing our enemies, by praying on the Crosse for his enemies, and euen his crucifiers, millions of Christians were mooued to loue their enemies, and to do good for euill.
[ 4] But, ô B. Sauiour, thou knewest that the Iewes, out of enuie had deliuered thee vnto Pilat: Thou knewest that out of malice they caused thee to be scourged at the Pillar, & crowned with thornes; thou knewest that out of hatred they caused thee to be nailed to the Crosse, and to endure the most ignominious death on it: thou knewest that out of spite they did spitte at thee, scorne thee; scoffe at thee, reuile thee, and blas∣pheme thee: and these iniuries they did vnto thee, after millions of graces, fa∣uours and benefites receiued at thy hands; and canst thou find in thy heart to pray for them, yea and to excuse them? O charitable heart, ô charitie it self!
[ 5] Noe, when he vnderstood that Cham had reuealed his nakednes, cursed him and his posteritie: thou prayest for
them that hanged thee all naked on the Crosse; yea thou hangest naked to couer their nakednes, and to cloth them with grace and glorie. O singular charitie! Helias when Ochozias sent Captains ouer fifteen soldiers to ap∣prehend him, called for fire from Hea∣uen, which deuoured them and their fifteen men: thou sendest vp a fierie & charitable prayer to heauen for them, that apprehended thee in the Garden, and after many torments put thee to a cruell death. Elizeus when the children in derision called him bald head, cursed them, and by his curse caused beares to come out of the desert to deuoure them. But thou, ô louing Sauiour, prayest for them, who called thee Sa∣maritan, a Saducer, a blasphemer, and one that in Belzebub prince of the Di∣uells didst cast out Diuells. O patient charitie! ô with what burning charitie was thy heart inflamed, which so many floudes of iniuries could not quenche not coole? True it must be, which the spouse in the Canticles sayd of this thy burning charitie: Many waters (as many as were the iniuries and dolours of thy Passion (cannot quench thy charitie,
neither shall the flouds (of thy blood shed by the Iewes) ouerwhelme it. Thy loue was as strong as death. Yea stronger, because not death it self, to which the Iewes put thee, could ouercome thy loue towards them.
[ 6] But, ô Christian, how litle is thy charitie, which not flouds onely of iniuries, but euen droppes, the lye giuen thee, the least word of reproach, not onely cooleth, but quite extinguisheth it, yea turneth it into deadlie hatred? Christ, thy King & Lord, had such cha∣ritie, as he could not onelie put vp the greatest iniuries, but also prayed for his deadlie enemies; and canst not thou his vassall and seruant, put vp a litle reproach, but thou must draw on him for the lye giuen, thou must needs bid him the field, and nothing, but his blood, can coole thy hatred conceaued against him?
[ 7] Some may say, why should I loue my Enemie, who is so contrarie to me? I answer, because Christ commaundeth; because Christ, and many his seruants haue giuen thee the example, and for many other reasons: For first euerie li∣uing creature loueth his like, & those
of the same Kind? Secondlie they who are ordained to one end, and are of the same profession, as Soldiers, Arti∣ficers, Schollers, do loue one an other; and why should not we loue euen our Enemie, who professeth Christ with vs, and who is ordained to the same end with vs, to wit, life euerlasting? And how absurd should we think it to hate our enemie, with whom per∣chaunce we shall liue hereafter in all blisse and felicitie, yea and charitie also, for euer? Thirdlie, if our enemie were not to beloued for himself, yet he were for Gods sake, who created him, conserueth him, and causeth the rayne to rayne on him; the sunne to shine on him: yet he were for Christ his sake, who dyed for him, and prayed for him on the Crosse. Fourthlie, we should rather compassionat our Ene∣mie then hate him, because his hatred is his greatest miserie, and hurteth him∣self more then vs, when, be hateth. Fiftlie, when a mad man, or a possessed person doth strike vs, we take it pa∣tientlie, because we imagine that it is not so much he, as his Phrenesie or the Diuell, who mooueth him, that stri∣keth
vs. And why should we be angrie and in hatred towards our enemie, seeing that it is not so much he that wrongeth vs, as his phrenesie of pas∣sion, or the Diuell who mooueth him? Sixtlie, if you could not be reuenged of your enemie, nor could giue him a wound, but by first running your∣selfe and your owne bodie through with the sword, you would spare him: Seeing then you can not hurt your ene∣mie in his bodie or riches, but you must first hurt yourselfe in soule and spirituallie; seeing you can not hurt him, but with hurt, yea and damna∣tion of your owne soule, spare your enemies, loue them also, at least for loue of your owne soules. Seuenthlie, our enemies are indeed our greatest friends, and so are most to be beloued; for they obseruing our actions, to take aduantage against vs, do make vs warie, circumspect, and heedie; and they giue vs matter of patience and merit, and therefore the Martyrs re∣ceaued more good of the persecuting Tyrant••, then they did of their egrea∣test friends: And though they perse∣cuted them out of a malicious mind,
yet that euill mind did no hurt to them. Eightlie, why do we hate our enemie but for his hatred of vs? For otherwise we would loue him. Hate then his ha∣tred, and kill his malice, not him; and seeing that malice and hatred is ouer∣come by his contrarie, which is loue and charitie, and good turnes; let vs loue him and do good vnto him; so we shall extinguish his hatred towards vs, and make him of an enemie, a fast friend. Ninthlie, why do we perse∣cute our enemie but to ouercome him? Beare patientlie the wrongs he doth you, and you ouercome him; for if you take them impatientlie, he ouer∣commeth you, and is master of you. Lastlie, let vs herein imitate almightie God; none hateth sinne more then he, yet he loueth the person of the sinner. It is true that God punisheth vs in this life, but not out of hatred of our per∣sons, but out of loue of them, meaning thereby to amend vs, and to induce vs to true repentance: as Physitions giue bitter potions to their patients, not to torment them, but to cure them of their ague; and as Surgeous launce and cut, onelie to heale the wound. It is
true also that God punisheth the dam∣ned in Hell, but not out of hatred of their persons (for those he conserueth and loueth) but out of hatred of their sinnes, and out of Z••ale of Iustice. And although the scripture saith. To God the Impious and impietie are odious alike: Yet that is not sayd, because God ha∣teth the Person of the impious, but be∣cause he punisheth him, and so seemeth to vs to hate him, because we vse often to punish out of hatred of the person whom we punish; wherefore let vs loue the persons of our greatest ene∣mies, and let vs onelie hate their sinnes and seeke to conuert them.
[ 8] O my soule looke into thy selfe and see whether thou findest in thy selfe a sincere loue of thy enemie, whether thou canst pray heartilie for him, whe∣ther from thy heart thou forgiuest him, whether from thy heart thou wishest him well, whether thou beest readie to do good vnto him for the euill he hath done to thee; and if thou find not this loue, seeke by such mo∣tiues as are alleaged to stirre vp in thy heart a loue of him; otherwise how canst thou expect that God shall for∣giue
thee, if thou doest not forgiue others? If thou canst not forgiue others, thou canst not say our Lords Prayer, but against thy self, for in it thou prayest to God to forgiue thee thy debts (that is thy sinnes) as thou for∣giuest thy debters, that is, those that haue sinned against thee. If thou canst not forgiue others, how canst thou expect but that Christ, who hath forgiuen thee many sinnes shall saie vnto thee (as the King in the Ghospell saied to his seruant, to whom he had forgiuen ten thousand talents, who yet would not forgiue his fellowe seruant, who ought him onelie an hundred pence) Thou vngratefull seruant, I forgaue thee all thy debte, because thou be soughtst me; oughtest not thou therefore also, to haue mercie on thy fellowe seruant? Christ the Lord of heauen and earth hath forgiuen thee (ô Christian) many sinnes, which in that they were committed against his Diuine Maiestie, are farre greater in that respect then any sinne thy fellow seruant can commit against thee; shouldst not thou then forgiue him his trespasses against thee, which are lesser? All of vs were borne and conceaued in
sinne and consequentlie in enmitie against him. If therefore he should, as he could reuenge himself of all his enemies, who should be saued?
[ 9] But thou wilt saie, this is not the first time that mine enemie hath offen∣ded me; be it so; yet thou must forgiue, though he haue not onelie offended thee seuen times, but also seuentie times sea∣uen times, for that God, whom thou offendest daylie and howerlie, forgi∣ueth thee daylie and howerlie, if thou be repentant. But thou wilt reply, that he asketh not forgiuenes; be it soe; yet thou must forgiue him on thy part, as God before thou askest him forgi∣uenes doth in effect forgiue thee, be∣cause he preuenteth thee with his grace, by vertue of which thou repen∣test and askest forgiuenes.
[ 10] But Christ not onelie prayeth to his Father to forgiue his enemies, but also vrgeth him by the title of Father; knowing that if God should proceed as a iust Iudge against them, there were no hope of pardon; and to facilitat his request for them, he excuseth them, be∣cause they know not what they doe. And peraduenture some of the most igno∣rant
might be excused, but the cheefe of the Iewes, though they had some ignorance, yet their ignorance could not excuse them from grieuous sinne, because Christ his miracles, which he wrought so many, so great and so fre∣quentlie amongest them, did prooue him sufficientlie to be God, and the promised Mesias, God and man; and his irreprehensible life argued him to be Innocent, as Pilat himself con∣fessed; and so their ignorance was vin∣cible and affected, which could not ex∣cuse them from grieuous sinne. Yet Christ excused them also, because they had at least a vincible ignorāce or affec∣ted; for (as S. Paul saith) if they had knowne Christ perfectlie, they would neuer haue Crucified the Lord of Glorie.
[ 11] O my soule doest thou imitate this charitie? Doest thou excuse the faultes of thy enemies? Or rather doest not thou exaggerat them, and make them greater then they are? If thou hast not this charitie, call for it of Christ thy Sauiour, who is charitie it self, and de∣sire him to giue thee grace to excuse not onely thy enemies sinnes, but all mens sinnes whatsoeuer. And do thou
desire God to forgiue all sinners, be∣cause all do sinne at least out of igno∣rance of euill election. By reason of which the Philosopher saith that omnis peccans est ignorans, euerie one that sin∣neth is ignorant, and when he sinneth knoweth not particularlie what he doth. And so though thou shalt do well to accuse thy self euen of thy least faults, because so thou wilt sooner acknowledge thy faults, and be sorrie for them; yet thou must excuse others, and pray to God for them, because all sinne out of some ignorance, and so know not what they do: So thou shalt the more easilie liue in chariti•• with all, so thou shalt obtaine forgi∣uenes of God for thy owne sinnes, be∣cause he forgiueth thee, as thou for∣giuest others. And neuer let those gol∣den sayings of thy charitable Sauiour, be out of thy minde; Loue your ene∣mies; Do well to them that hate you: Blesse them that curse you; and pray for them that calumniat you: Forgiue, and you shall be forgiuen.
Hodie mecum eris in Paradiso. Luc. 23.
This day thou shalt be with me in Paradise. Luc. 23.
OVR B. Sauiour, as he is Goodnes it selfe, so he is most bountifull and liberall, yea & in a good meaning Prodigall. He can not be trulie pro∣digall, because he can not giue aboue his state and estate, he being King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, yet he may seeme to vs prodigall, and euen an other Prodigall Sonne. For hauing re∣ceaued of his Eternall Father his childs portion, to wit, our humane nature, he went into a farre countrie (as the Prodigall Sonne did) as farre as earth is from Heauen, and there conuersing with Publicans and sinners, he spent
his portion, our humane nature, amon∣gest them by his many afflictions and bloody passion, which he suffered; and with it he bestowed on them also his good instructions, good lessons, good examples, miracles, and holy merites and satisfactions; and whereas his least prayer would haue beene sufficient to haue redeemed vs, he would needs shed his blood for vs; and whereas one droppe of blood would haue sufficed, he bestowed on vs francklie & freelie all his blood, yea his life and death, and all he had and was; so that in a good sence it may be sayd, vt quid perditio haec? Whereto is this wast? for this might haue beene sold for more then three hundred pence and giuen to the poore: that is, this had beene sufficient not onely to re∣deeme man but also the Diuells, the poorest of all creatures, if God would haue so disposed. And yet to shew his loue vnto vs, his hatred of sinne, he would bestow all this vpon vs.
[ 2] And in his guifts how liberall is he, and how profuse doth he seeme to be? He giueth heauen for a momentarie good worke, for a cup of water giuen in his name; for a litle sorrow of contri∣tion he forgiueth all our sinnes, be they
neuer so many; for a temporall paine, endured for his loue, as fasting of one day, wearing of a shirt of haire for a litle time, he pardoneth vs eternall paines, which were due to our sinnes; and for abstaining from a corporall and momentarie pleasure for his sake, he giueth eternall blisse and life euerla∣sting. And to seeke no further for ex∣amples of his bountie, for a short prayer, confession, and acknowled∣gement of him on the Crosse, he gi∣ueth to the conuerted thiefe an hea∣uenlie Paradise, saying: This day thou shalt be with me in Paradise.
[ 3] Paradise in holy Scripture is taken for any place of pleasure: So was that pleasaunt garden called, in which God placed the first man & woeman, Adam and Eue. So the countrie about Iordan is sayd to haue beene like a Paradise, before Sodome and Gomorre were sub∣uerted; so in diuerse other places of Scripture Paradise is takē for a place of pleasure. And because Christ in regard of his soule was that day to descend into Limbus Patrum, where the Saints of the old Testament were detained, and to illuminate them with the cleare
vision of his Diuinitie, in which con∣sisteth happines; that place which be∣fore was a Prison, he made a Paradise and place of heauenlie blisse, and he telleth the good thiefe that he shall be this daye with him in Paradise, that is, shall be partaker with him and his Saints of heauenlie blisse and felicitie.
[ 4] As if he had said: seeing thou con∣fessest me and acknowledgest me for thy God, not whilest I am working miracles, as others before thee haue done, but whilest I am suffering tor∣ments, and indignities; Seeing thou confessest me when thy fellow thiefe blasphemeth me, and when the Iewes crucifie and scoffe at me; Seeing thou confessest me before my cruell ene∣mies the Iewes, when Peter denyed me before a maide Seruant, yea when all my disciples, but Iohn my Euan∣gelist, fled for feare and forsooke mee, I wil graunt thee thy petition; & seeing thou desirest not to be freed from the Crosse or temporall death; seeing thou desi••est no worldlie or temporall be∣nefit, for that thou seest that both I and thou are presentlie to dye, but onelie desirest to be with me, when I
shall come to possesse my Kingdome in the next life, I will graunt thee thy pe∣tition, & will not defferre thee till the generall resurrection, no not one daye. This day thou shalt be with me in Paradise, that is, thou shalt this daye participat with me in soule of my eternall glorie, with the Saints in Limbus Patrum other∣wise called Abrahams bosome.
[ 5] O good God, ô Sauiour, how liberall and bountifull art thou, who giuest a Kingdome, and an eternall Kingdome, a Kingdome of heauen so easilie, and for a momentarie confession. O holie thiefe, who hath preached Christ vnto thee? who hath illuminated thee with this so great light of faith? He acknow∣legeth that Christ the Sunne of Iustice (though now he seemeth to be eclip∣sed) hath illuminated him inwardlie by the light of his grace, outwardlie by his miracles, of which part he had heard, part he then saw on the Crosse; and he had edified him by his rare patience, and so many, and so cruell torments.
[ 6] He acknowledgeth him then for his Lord, saying, remember me Lord, & con∣sequentlie God, for how otherwise
could he be his Lord? He confesseth him to be a King, saying remember me, when thou shalt come to thy Kingdome; and he confesseth him a King of the next life and consequentlie of Heauen, for he saw he had no King∣dome in this life. He confessed him a King, though not sitting in a Royall throne, but hanging on a crosse; though not crowned with a crowne of gold, but of thornes; though not holding in his hand any other Scepter then a reede, though not inuested in a Kinglie robe, but in a ragged purple.
[ 7] O how great was his faith! It see∣meth (as S. Chrisostome saith) greater then the faith of Abraham, because Abraham beleeued him speaking from heauen, and by Angells; he beleeued in Christ hanging on a Crosse; greater then the faith of Isaie, because Isaie be∣leeued in him, after he had seene him sitting vpon an high throne and eleuated, and when Seraphins stood about him. Greater then the faith of Ezechiel, for that he beleeued in God in a vision he had of strange shapes, of a man, a lion, an oxe, and an Eagle, prefiguring the foure Euangelistes; greater then
the faith of Moyses, for that he beleeued in God, appearing in a flame of fire, and in the midst of a bush burning, but not consu∣ming; greater then the faith of the three Kings of the East, for that an vnusuall starre mooued them to seeke and adore Christ. But thou, ô faithfull theefe, be∣leeuest Christ to be God, though han∣ging on a Crosse, though suffering many indignities, torments and deathes.
[ 8] O how great was thy hope holy Thi∣efe, who hopedst to be partaker with Christ in his glorie of heauen (for els thou wouldst not haue desired it) when he was partaker with thee in thy ignominie and torments of the Crosse; who hopedst to receaue of Christ life euerlasting, when he was at the period of his temporall life. O how great was thy charitie and loue towards Christ, who thoughtst more of him then thy tormēts, who chidst thy fellow thiefe for blaspheming him, pronouncedst him innocent before the Princes of the Iewes, & thy self and thy fellow thiefe worthie of the punishment.
[ 9] But how great was Christ his goodnes to this thiefe. How prone
was he to mercie, who euen at the last houre had mercie on him, and for his short confession forgaue him all his sinnes. He is like a vessell full of wa∣ter; for as that being but touched, run∣neth ouer, so Christ is so full of mercie, that if a sinner do but touch him with true repentance (as the theefe did) he ouerfloweth and washeth away the sinners sinnes and all the filth of them.
[ 10] O how great is the force of Con∣trition and true repentance which in a moment made S. Paul of a perse∣cutour, a Preacher; S. Matthew of a Publican an Apostle and Euangelist; S. Marie Magdalen of a publick sinner, a patterne of all true penitents; which made S. Peter of a denyer of his master before a mayde seruant, a confessour of him before the Tyrants of the world; and of a poore Fisher, a Prince of the Apostles; which made a Thiefe an inhabitant of Paradise and Heauen it self.
[ 11] O my soule, art thou thus prone to mercie as thy sweete Sauiour is? Doest thou easilie forgiue them, that haue offended thee? Doest thou not shew thy self too hard and difficile in this
Kind? If thy heart be hard to forgiue, desire God with Dauid to create in thee a cleane heart, cleane from all malice, soft and easie to pardon those, that offend thee; for as thou forgiuest, so shalt thou be forgiuen.
[ 12] And thou, ô Sinner, be thou neuer so great a sinner, haue thou neuer so long cōtinued in sinne, yet do thou not dispaire of mercie; thou seest a thiefe hath found mercie, and euen at the last period of his life. But as thou must not despaire of mercie, so thou must not presume, nor vpon presumption deferre thy conuersion frō sinne. It is true the good thiefe found at the last houre of his life mercie; but the euill thiefe found it not; and though some then do repent, yet thousands more do not; and why mayst not thou be of these? especiallie seeing that ordina∣rilie, as men liue, so they dye; as vpon a sudden no man is a great sinner, so much lesse on a sudden doth a sinner become a Saint. Wise men will not deferre the making of their willes by which they dispose of their temporall goods to the houre of death: much lesse do rhey deferre the disposition of
their soules till that tyme: much lesse will they deferre the managing of the greatest businesse that they haue, to wit, of the eternall saluation or damnation of their soules; much lesse will they expose eternitie in Heauen or Hell, to the chance of a short and vncertein last houre.
[ 13] But thou wilt saye, God hath pro∣mised without setting any time, that he will haue mercie on a sinner, when∣soeuer he repenteth him of his sinnes, and consequentlie, if he repent at the last houre, he will then haue mercie. True he promiseth to pardon thee at all houres, and consequentlie at the last, if thou repent; but he hath not promised to giue thee at the last houre a true repentaunce. True it is, that thou maist haue true repentaunce, but thou maist misse it also. Then, to wit, at the houre of death, thou maist haue it, but with greater difficultie, for then thy memorie faileth; the paines of thy sicknes and especiallie the pangs of death wil trouble thee. Thy children or friends, who then will be more solli∣citous to prouide for their temporall state of body, then for the eternall
state of thy soule, will so distract thee, as thou shalt not be fit to conceaue an act of contrition. Do pennance then when thou art in good health, & when thou art best disposed for it; take time whilest time lasteth, for time will away; repent whilest thou art in good health, that when thou art to dye thou be not to seeke for repentaunce; leaue sinnes before thou art to die, els sinnes shall rather leaue thee, then thou them. Harken what S. Austin saith: Vis te de dubio liberare, vis quod in∣certum est euadere? Age paenitentiam dum sanus es &c. Si vero vis agere paenitentiam quando peccare non po∣tes, peccata te dimiserunt, non tu illa. Wilt thou free thyself from all doubt, wilt thou auoid that which is vncertaine, do pennance when thou art in good health &c. But if thou wilt do pennance when thou canst not sinne, thy sinnes leaue thee, and not thou them.
Mulier ecce filius tuus: deinde dicit dis∣cipulo, ecce Mater tua. Ioa. 19.
Woeman behold thy Sonne; After that he saith to the Disciple, behold thy Mother.
OVR B. Sauiour (as S. Iohn re∣lateth) seeing his Mother and Disciple standing by the Crosse, sayd vpon that occasiō the aforesaid wordes vnto them. He saw then his Mo∣ther, not falling downe on the ground in a sound, but standing with an vpright bodie, with a constant mind; she stood, and so did S. Iohn; they fled not for feare, as the Disciples did; shee stood, and so did S. Iohn; she followed not a loofe of, as Peter did, but stood hard by the Crosse, and so neere, that her Sonne from the Crosse might speake to her; she stood medi∣tating
& considering the grieuousnes, of his paines & torments, the greatnes of his Passion, the excessiuenes of his charitie, who died euen for his cruci∣fiers; she stood considering the great iustice of God, to which satisfaction could not be made but by the death of the Sonne of God; thinking on the filth of sinne, whose staine could not be ta∣ken away, but by the blood of the in∣nocent lamb. She stood considering particularlie his body wounded from head to feete; she considered the torments of his head caused by the pricking thornes; of his hands and feete caused by the pearcing nayles; of all his body stretched on the hard and rough Crosse; and she so deriued Christ his paynes vnto herself, that all he suf∣fered by Passion, she suffered by com∣passion; and then especiallie, the sword of sorrow pearced her heart. O my soule, do thou imitate this Virgin-Mother. Stand constantlie by the Crosse, fixe it in thy memorie, that thou maist often exercise thy self in the meditation of Christ his dolorous Passion.
[ 2] Christ seeing her standing by the Crosse, sayd vnto her, making a signe
vnto S. Iohn, woeman behold thy sonne. That which we prize and esteeme, we keepe vnder locke and key, or commit it to the custodie of a sure and trustie friend: Whereby it appeareth, how highlie Christ esteemed S. Iohn, whom he commended, not to any Angell, but to his sacred Mother, the Queene of Angells. S. Iohn was a Virgin, and so worthilie commended to a Virgin-Mother. He followed Christ to his Passion when th' other Disciples fled: and he was present and a spectatour of Christ his Passion, when they durst not be seene; and he was, the Disciple whom Iesus loued, and aboue the rest: & so was commended at Christ his death to his Sacred Mother before all the rest. Our B. Ladie the Qeene of Virgins loued him also before all the rest, for his virginitie, and so he was espe∣ciallie commended to her,
[ 3] O Happie S. Iohn, who art com∣mended to such a guardian, to her, whom Christ loued aboue th' Angells and next to himself, she being his Mother. Who can be lost vnder the tutelage of such a guardian? What chil∣dren can perish vnder such a Mother?
Christ by these words: Woeman behold thy Sonne, did as it were adopt S. Iohn the Sonne of the B. Virgin; and so she did euer after beare him the tender loue of a mother: and as our B. Sauiour by those words, woeman behold thy Sonne, did adopt as it were S. Iohn her Sonne, and committed him to her Motherlie care; so in him he adopted all those her children who loue her, reuerence her, and who especiallie are virgins, and forsake at least all vnlawfull carnal pleasures. Do thou then, ô my soule, ô Christian, honour this Virgin-Mother, loue her, serue her, commit thy selfe as an adopted child vnto her. How many sodalities are there in the Church of God of those, who dedicate and con∣secrate themselues vnto her seruice? How many religious orders haue chosen her for their speciall and chiefe Patronesse, vnder Christ?
[ 4] She is thy Mother, ô Christian, loue her, honour her, obey her. She is thy Mother: She will then cherish thee, nourish thee, prouide for thee all necessaries for thy soule, yea and for thy body, and temporall state also, as it is expedient for thee: what should
we not hope of such a Mother, who is willing to helpe vs, because she is our Mother; and able also, because she is the Mother of God? And she is more able then all the rest of the Saints and Angells, because the Queene-Mother is more potent with the King her Sonne, then all his Courtiers and subiects. If thou need then any thing, aske of her, and she will not deny thee, because she is thy Mother. If thou offend her (as thou doest so often as thou offendest her Sonne Christ Iesus) aske forgiuenesse, & she will not denie forgiuenesse, because she is thy Mo∣ther. If thou offend againe and againe, aske forgiuenesse, and she will forgiue, because she is a Mother; yea if thou shouldst offend seauentie times seauen times, yet despare not, aske forgiuenesse, and she will forgiue, and demaund forgiuenesse for thee of her Sonne, be∣cause she is a Mother.
[ 5] O happie we, who are children of a Virgin-Mother. O how noble chil∣dren are we, who are children of so noble a Mother, the Mother of God? But we are also so many Benonies vnto her, that is, Sonnes of paine & sorrow,
because we were adopted her children, when she stood by the Crosse; when she suffered the greatest sorrowes that euer Mother did in her bearing chil∣dren, when the sword of sorrow pearced her soule; when she saw before her eyes, her sonne dye, who was the no∣blest Sonne that euer was, being God and man; when she saw him dye, whom she loued more then any other Mother loued her child, because he was more noble, and worthie, then euer any sonne was; because as man he had no Father, and so as man had no other pa∣rent then her, and therefore the loue of a Father and Mother towards their childe, which in others was dispersed, was in her vnited, and so greater in her, then in any other Mother; when she suffered by compassion all that her Sonne suffered by passion.
[ 6] Christ calleth her wo••man, by the name of her sexe, and not Mother, partlie to giue Pastours (as he was the good and chiefest Pastour) to vnder∣stand, that when there is question of their office, or the honour of God, they must not respect either Father, or Mother, Brother or Sister, nor must
they regard carnall affection, but onelie must set God his honour before their eyes: partlie because, if he had called her Mother, he knew he should haue wounded her tender heart too deeplie. Partlie to shew that he had a farre more noble nature, which he receaued of his Eternall Father by eternall ge∣neration, then was that which he re∣ceaued of her by temporall genera∣tion.
[ 7] As Christ commended S. Iohn to our B Lady; so he commendeth her to his tuition and care, saying vnto him: Behold thy Mother. As if he had sayd. I must now depriue my Mother of the comfort and ayd she had by my corpo∣rall and visible presence; I therefore substitute thee in my place; and as I was not wanting to her in care, loue, and obedience, so be thou in steed of me, that is a louing Sonne vnto her: do thou therefore loue her, care for her, obey her, be thou readie to assist her in all offices due from a Sonne to his Mother. I loued her aboue all crea∣tures, euen the Angells, because she was my Mother; do thou loue her and respect her aboue all, but me, and my
Eternall Father and our Eternal Spirit, the Holy Ghost, to whom she is next in dignitie, and as neere to God, as is the Mother to her Sonne; she is my Mother by naturall and temporall generation, she is now made by me thy Mother by affection, and as it were by adoption; in that she is the Mother of God the Creatour, she is Queene Mother of all Creatures, espe∣ciallie men and Angells, but now more especiallie of thee.
[ 8] O what honour is this to thee, ô Holy Apostle? thou and thy Sauiour haue both one Mother. Wherefore this Apostle, tooke her (as he himself auerreth) to his owne, not to his owne house, for he had none, vnlesse bor∣rowed, but to his owne care & charge, to assist her, to honour her, to obey her to serue her, ô S. Iohn, thy Sauiour promised that, Whosoeuer shall leaue house, or Brethren, or Sisters, or Father, or Mother, or wife, or children, or lands for his name sake, shall receaue an hundred fold; and now thou receauest this hundred fold, when thou receauest this Mother of God, this Queene of Heauen and Earth, who is more worth a hundred
fold, yea a hundred thousand fold then were thy netts, and Father, and Mother, and all that thou didst leaue to follow him.
[ 9] O happie Host, who entertainest so honorable a guest: she entertained in the Pallace of her sacred wombe the Sonne of God; thou entertainest the Mother of God, and hast care and charge of her. Abraham was Host to Angells, thou to the Queene of An∣gells; the widow of sarephta receaued the Prophet Elias; the Sunamite lodged the Prophet Elizeus, thou the Pro∣phetesse, who was Queene of all Pro∣phets. Happie wast thou, ô B. Apostle, both in that thou wast commended to her, as a Sonne to his Mother, and in that she was commended to thee, as a Mother to her Sonne; that argued Christ his esteeme of thee whom he commended to his Mother; this argued the great trust and confidence he put in thee, to whose care and charge he commended his Mother; both argued, that thou wast, the Disciple, whom Ie∣sus loued.
[ 10] O Sonne of God, commend me with S. Iohn. to thy sacred Mother; If thou
commend me to her, she will not re∣fuse me; and if she receaue me into her protection, I cannot miscarrie. O Mo∣ther of God commend me to thy Sonne: none can preuaile so much with him, as thou, who art his Mother; and if he be for me, who can stand against me? O Sonne and Mother graunt me the fauour, and do me the Honour, & giue me the grace to loue you, for if I loue you, I shall one day enioy with you, that which eye hath not seene, nor eare hath heard, neither hath it ascended into the heart of man, what things God hath prepared for them, that loue him.
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.
Sitio. Ioan. 19. I thirst.
THIS thirst of our B. Sauiour must needs be very great, which makes him to complaine of it parti∣cularlie, and on it alone, and not on any of his other torments. He com∣plained not of the lashes he endured at the Pillar, nor of the pricking of the thornes in his coronation, nor of the heauines of his Crosse, which he car∣ried to mount Caluarie, nor of the nayles by which he was nayled hands and feete to the Crosse; & on the Cros••e he cōplained not of his head, nor hāds,
nor feete, nor any other part of his bodie, though he hunge so vneasilie that all the parts thereof must needs suffer extreamlie, onely he complai∣neth of his thirst, saying: Sitio, I thirst, which he doth for two causes.
[ 2] The first cause of this complaint was, because, although he suffered ex∣cessiuelie in other partes of his bodie, yet what he suffered in other partes (as in his head hands, and feete) was easilie seene of others, but what he suffered in his tongue by thirst, he onely felt, others could not see; and so that the spectatours of his Passion might know, that he suffered also ex∣tremlie in his tongue by thirst, he com∣plaineth of it particularlie.
[ 3] The second cause of this his com∣plaint was the excessiuenes of his thirst, which peraduenture was so great, that it was the greatest torment he suffered. For as, peraduenture, there is no tor∣ment greater then extreame famine & thirst, so it is likelie his thirst was the greatest of all thirsts. He was afflicted with two thirsts, the one corporall of the tongue, the other spirituall of the soule. And Imagine (ô my soule) how
excessiue his corporall thirst must needs be. The night before he was cruci∣fied, he slept not a winke, nor did he rest at all, but was drawne and haled from the Garden of Gethsemanie to Anna his house, from him to Cayphas, from Cayphas to Pilat, from Pilat to Herod, frō Herod to Pilat backe againe, from Pilat to mount Caluarie, in which last iourney he carried on his weake bodie his heauie Crosse, which must needs cause in him great thirst, no man all that time presenting him with so much as a cuppe of cold water.
[ 4] Besides all this, his euacuation of blood that night and the next morning could not but cause extreame thirst. He swet blood in the Garden at all the pores of his bodie, so aboundantlie, that (as S. Luke saith (the blood tric∣kled downe to the ground; at the pillar also, where he receaued so many and so cruell lashes, he shed a great quan∣titie of blood; In his coronation with thornes no litle quantitie of blood distilled from his sacred head, no litle from his hands and feete, when they were nayled to the Crosse; and on the Crosse from his wounds of his hands
and feete blood ranne continuallie, as from foure running fountaines, in so much that the vaines of his bodie (which like so many running riuers do water mans body) were almost quite emptied, and so all his body was de∣uoide of moisture, which made his mouth drie, and his tongue to cleaue to his mouth for want of moisture, Which could not but cause an extreame thirst. And therefore it is like that there was neuer man that had so much thirst as he, and yet liued. Yet this thirst he would suffer, to teach vs temperance and sobrietie, to satisfie for our too much pleasure, which we take in drin∣king delicious wines, to satisfie for our excesse in drinking & euen for our drunkennesse.
[ 5] O my soule, behold thy Sauiours patience; he was extreamlie thirstie before he was nayled to the Crosse, yet neuer complained; he was extreamlie thirstie on that Crosse, where he han∣ged three houres, that is from six a Clock to Nine; and yet in all that time, he is silent, patient, and com∣plaineth not, whereas many of vs will drinke at all times of the daye and
night also rather then suffer the least thirst that is.
[ 6] O my soule! Doest not thou pitie thy Sauiour so tormented with thirst, that he complaineth of it, and not of any his other Sorrowes? Wouldst thou not willinglie haue giuen him drinke if thou hadst hard him call for it? wouldst thou not as willinglie, at least, haue hazarded thy lyfe to fetch thy thirstie Sauiour drinke, as those three Valiants went to fetch Dauid drinke of the Ci∣sterne of Bethlem? But there is no bodie to giue thy Sauiour drinke. His Mother and louing Disciple, and his conuertite Marie Magdalen hearing him cry, I thirst, would with their blood haue bought him water, if they could. The Iewes could haue giuen him wa∣ter, but they gaue him vineger to in∣crease his torment, not to diminish it. O sweet Sauiour, beggers call, for bread & drinke, and are heard; thou the Lord of all, callest for drinke, and none will giue thee any.
[ 7] But why, ô B. Sauiour, doest thou crie to others for drinke? Is it not thou, who giuest meate and drinke to all liuing creatures? Doest not thou rayne
on the iust and vniust? Are not the Seas, riuers, and fountaines thy Cellars? Why doest thou not then prouide drinke for thy self, who giuest drinke to all liuing creatures. Thou, who by striking the rock, fetchedst out water in the desert for thy People, couldst haue made water issue as well out of the Crosse to quench thy thirst, but thou wouldest suffer this also for vs.
[ 8] O vngratefull Iewes, he fed you in the desert aboundantlie with quales and manna, and gaue you to drinke water out of a rock euen to your fill; and can not you finde in your hearts to giue him so much as one cuppe of wa∣ter? Sampson being thirstie cryed, en siti morior: Behold I dye for thirst, and miraculouslie water flowed out of the Iaw-bone of an Asse to refresh him. The seruant of Abraham wanting water, Rebecca gaue water both to him and his Camels: but you, ô vngratefull Ie∣wes, deny water to Christ the God of Abraham, though he crieth, Sitio, I thirst. When Christ therefore at the last day shall condemne the reprobat, because when he was thirstie in the poore, his members, they gaue him no drinke,
what can you say for your selues? will you say, as they did, when did we see thee a thirst, and did not minister drinke vnto thee? if you do, he will reply to your confusion, when I was a thirst on the Crosse and cried Sitio, I thirst, you denyed me drinke, euen in myne owne person.
[ 9] O yee rich, who abound in all wealth, when the poore demaund of you an almes, be it monie, bread, or drinke deny them not, as the Iewes deny your Sauiour, but thinke you heare him cry Sitio, I thirst; thinke that in relieuing them you relieue him, and in not re∣lieuing them you deny reliefe to him; for he sayd, as long as you did it not to one of these lesser (to wit the poore) neither did you it to me.
[ 10] Besides this corporall thirst, which Christ suffered for vs, he had a spiri∣tuall thirst of his soule, greater then that; which was a vehement desire, by which he thirsted after the honour and glorie of his Eternall Father, after the conuersion of the Iewes and euen those that crucified him, and therefore he desired his Father to forgiue them: He thirsted after the conuersion of all
sinners in generall, yea after the con∣uersion of all sinners in particular, yea (ô my soule) he thirsted after thy con∣uersion, he thirsted also so much after death which was our Redemption, as though he thought euerie moment an houre, till he dyed. Sitio, I thirst; I haue suffered most cruell torments for man, and now, ô Eternall Father, I am readie to dye to obey thee. And though now this my life faileth me, yet so I thirst after mans saluation, that this cuppe and chalice of my Passion, can not extinguish it, but I could be content to hang still on the Crosse in these and greater paines, yea to suffer death againe and againe, if it were ne∣cessarie for my Fathers glorie and mans redemption.
[ 11] O how great was the thirst of this louing Sauiour: he came into this world thirsty, for he was incarnat and became man out of a thirst and vehement desire of our Redemption, and all his life he thirsted for our Saluation, and out of that thirst trauersed the Iewes countrie, preached, and taught in their villages, Townes, Castles, Synagogues, wrought miracles, gaue good instructious and
examples, and now being to goe out of the world he thirsteth, and more now then euer before; [ 10] for this thirst being a vehement desire of our saluation and this desire being grounded in loue (for, that we loue we desire) as at the end of his life according to S. Iohn, he loued vs most, so he then desired most, & thirsted most after our saluation.
[ 11] O sinners harken vnto this cry of Christ, Sitio, I thirst? he was dry cor∣porallie, and so according to flesh and blood he desired corporall drinke; and the Iewes were so cruell that they would not giue it; but he was more dry spirituallie, because he desired more the sinners conuersion then all the wines or waters in the world. O sin∣ners how deafe are you if you heare not this his cry, Sitio, I thirst? How cruell to him, and to your selues, if hearing him crye that he thirsteth after your conuersion, you giue him not this drīke which he so much thirsteth after? And yet how often do sinners, how often doest thou (ô my soule) deny Christ this drinke of thy conuersion which he so much thirsteth after? ô my soule harken to his inspirations by
which he cryeth for the water of thy saluation. O deny him not this drinke, refrigerat his thirst, ô coole him, ô re∣create him with this so much desired drinke, more gratefull to him then the most delicate wines in the world.
[ 12] Priests, Pastours & Preachers should especiallie haue this thirst of the con∣uersion of soules; that should be their drinke which they should thirst after. And yet how many Pastours thirst more after Ecclesiasticall dignities and liuings then after the Good of soules; Contrarie to our B. Sauiour, who con∣temned the riches and honours of the world, and onely thirsted after his Eter∣nall Fathers glorie, and the good of soules: for that he came into the world; for that he liued aboue thirtie three yeares in the world; for that he dyed to the world.
[ 13] O Christians, thirst not after honours, or riches, or carnall pleasures; those things will neuer content you, neuer extinguish your thirst; but the more you haue of them, the more still you shall desire them. Imitate the Royall Prophet Dauid, who saith of himself, Euen as the hart desyreth after the fountains
of water, so doth my soule desire after thee ô God: for as the hart after a course, beinge hot and thirstie, flieth to the fountaines, so a penitent sinner set on an heate with the loue of God, thirsteth after him, after the fountaine of liuing water. O Sinners thirst af••er the waters of contrition; they will extinguish the thirst and drought of your soules cau∣sed by sinne; thirst after the water of grace, to which Christ inuiteth you, saying: Si quis sitit, veniat ad me & bibat: If any man thirst let him come to me and drinke. And what drinke wilt thou giue ô B. Sauiour? He told the Samaritan woeman that he that drinketh of the water which she came to draw should thirst againe, But he that drinketh of the drinke that I will giue him, shall not thirst for euer: But the water that I will giue him, shall become in him a foun∣taine of water springing vp to life euer∣lasting. That is, he who drinketh of the water, which the world offereth, to wit the water of temporall honour, tem∣porall riches, carnall peasures, shall thirst againe; but he that drinketh of the water of grace, and vomiteth it not vp againe by mortall sinne, shall
neuer thirst againe, because this water is a fountaine springing to life euerlasting where we shall neuer thirst againe.
[ 14] O my soule cry to thy Sauiour with the Samatitan woemā, Lord giue me this water, that I may not thirst by the me∣rites of thy corporall & spirituall thirst, I desire thee, ô Lord, to giue me to drinke of thy grace euen to the last mo∣ment of my life, for then I shall drinke of the riuer of thy glorie, which is the Riuer which maketh ioyfull the Citie of God, to wit, heauen, of which the Blessed Angells and Saints in Hea∣uen do drinke their fill of all heauenlie blisse, and felicitie; and this Riuer is the cleare vision whith quencheth and quite extinguisheth their thrist, becau∣se it proposeth vnto thē God his owne selfe, his Diuine essence, his goodnes, wisedome, mercie, and all his Diuine perfections, which being seene clearlie, do extinguish in the Blessed all thirst, all desire of any thing but God, or for God; which so replenisheth them with blisse, and not for a tyme onelie, but for all eternitie, that they cry, sufficit, enough, Lord, enough: for seeing that by cleare vision and fruition they possesse
thee who art all in all, in whom is all pleasure, beautie, bountie, goodnes, perfection, as in the fountaine, they can haue no more, they can desire no more.
[ 15] O sweete Iesus by vertue of the thirst both corporall and spirituall which thou sufferdst on the Crosse for me, admit me to drinke of this water, of this fountayne of all blisse. Thou inui∣test all by thy Prophet Isaie saying: Omnes sitientes venite ad aquas, ò all you that thirst come to the waters. O Lord, I haue heretofore left thee the fountaine of liuing water, and I haue sought for wa∣ter in thy creatures, to extinguish my thirst, and to content my soule, but they were Cisternae dissipatae, broken Ci∣sterns, which did not containe water, which satisfieth, because the more I drinke of those waters, which the crea∣tures afford, the more I thirsted, whe∣refore now I returne to thee, & desire that I may drinke of the liuing water. which the cleare vision affordeth. Thou inuitest me, ô Lord, how then canst thou repelle me? thou hast bought this water for me by the thirst thou sufferedst on the Crosse, how canst
thou deny it? Let me haue it then, ô Lord, let me haue it that water of eter∣nall blisse which onelie can extinguish my thirst: that onelie can satisfie mine infinite apetite; if I haue not that, I haue nothing though I had all the world can afford, because to that the whole world is nothing, it is not a drop to that Sea, and if I haue that I haue all, because I haue thee the Foun∣taine of all blisse, and who art all in all.
THE seuentie weekes of yeares after which Daniell the Prophet tel∣leth that Christ, shall come, and shall be slaine, his People denying him, are con∣summate. The Prophecies that ranne on me, and foretold my Conception, natiuitie in Bethleem, my life, passion
and death, and my sacrificing on the Crosse are consummate; the figures of the old Law, which did prefigurate me are all fulfilled in me, & are consummate: my taske of Preaching to the People imposed on me by my Fathers com∣maundement is finished, performed and consummate: the price of mans Re∣demption, which I was to pay by my death, is now payed, and mans Re∣demption consummate: the malice of the Iewes, the power, which was permitted to Pilat ouer me, are at an end & con∣summate, because they haue done all they can against me; the Deluge of my Passion is ceased; my glasse is almost quite runne out, my thread is almost quite spūne, my life drawes to an end, & I, whose yeares are eternitie, which hath neither biginning nor ending, as I began (as man) to liue, so now as man I dye, and cease to liue, and make an end of a mortall life, to begin within three dayes an Immortall life, which hath no end. consummatum est: it is con∣summate, all things in me or belonging to me, as I am a mortall man, are con∣summate and haue an end in me, and I must end this mortall life with them.
It must be true which Dauid saith; omnis consummationis vidi finem, of all consum∣mation I haue seene the end.
[ 2] O my soule, learne by this thy Sa∣uiours example, to accomplish and fulfill all good purposes & intentions, to consummate and perfect all good wor∣kes begun. To begin well is a small thing vnlesse thou goe forward to the end. Hell is full of good beginners, Heauen onely admitteth those that perseuer to the end. To resist tentations of the world, flesh and Deuill for a while, to do good workes for a time, to fight manfullie against thy Spiri∣tuall enemies for a time, and after to giue ouer, and not to continue to the end, doth litle auaile thee to heauen; for if once thou giue ouer, all that thou hast done is lost, for as God saith by his Prophet: If the Iust man shall turne away himself from his iustice and doe ini∣quitie &c. All his iustices which he had done shall not be remembred.
[ 3] O my soule! If thou wilt worke to the purpose, thou must not onlie lay thy hand on the plough, but thou must goe on with thy worke; if thou wilt get perfection in vertue, thou must not
giue ouer till thou hast gotten it; if thou wilt ouercome the Deuill, world and flesh, thou must not wrastle with them for a time, thou must not strike a blow or two, and then cast away thy weapons; If thou wilt come to heauen, thou must not onlie begin thy iourney, but thou must perseuer, because he that perseuereth shall be saued: other vertues may begin, perseueraunce onely makes an end; other vertues may fight, perseueraunce onely getteth the victorie.
[ 4] They who begin, but do not consum∣mate, are like to those trees which budde, but neuer beare fruit, or if they doe, they are like the figges in could countries which neuer are rype; they are like to those woemē, who conceaue, but neuer bring forth children; their good workes and vertues are lyke to corne, which for a time is greene, but after is blasted; they are like to chic∣kens killed in the shell; they are like to apples, which are rotten before they be ripe. And therefore, ô my soule, fulfill thy good purposes and intentions, perfect and consummate thy good workes, which thou hast
begun: And as thou hast begun to serue God, so continue, as thou hast begun thy iourney to Heauen, so go on till thou comest thether; then all will be Consummate. Tenta∣tions of the world, flesh and De∣uill will cease, difficulties in the way of vertue will be ouercome, aduer∣sities and afflictions will be at an end, all danger of sinning will be past, all thy labours will be ended, and the time of receiuing thy reward will begin. This life will be consummate, and euerlasting life will begin, and neuer haue an end.
OVR Blessed Sauiour finding no rest on earth, no charitie amon∣gest th' vngratfull Iewes, resolueth to returne to Heauen, from whence he was descended; but before commen∣deth his spirit and soule to his Eternall Father. As if he had sayd with the Pro∣digall Sōne: How many of my Fathers seruants in Heauen do abound in all felicitie and are satiated with the Ne∣ctar and Ambrosia not of the false Gods, but of the Blessed in Heauen; and I here perish for famine and thirst. And though I cry that I thirst, yet I can not get so much as a cuppe of water. I will
therefore returne to my Father, who I know will receaue me with all loue, and will not permit me to want. And so leauing the world, I commend my selfe to Heauen; leauing men, and not confiding in them, I commend my soule to God my Father.
[ 2] Yet I will doe as Iacob did, I will diuide my substance, I will send my spirit and soule before, my bodie shall follow three dayes after. Yea I will doe as Noë did, who sayling in that great deluge, sent a doue out of the Arke, to see if the waters were ceased, which returned, carrying a bough of an oliue tree in her mouth; By which Noë ga∣thered that the furious waues of the Deluge were appeased; for so will I, the true Noë, of whom he was a figure (the waues of my Passion not as yet quite allayed) send out of the Arke of my bodie the white doue of my bles∣sed soule, but will commend her to my eternall Father, that she may returne to the Arke of my bodie, with the greene bough of immortalitie, by which my body may be resuscitated to an immortall life, neuer to suffer or dye againe.
[ 3] We vse to commend those things which we esteeme, to sure custodie; and so Christ hauing commended his Sacred Mother to S. Iohn, and him to her, commendeth now his soule the most precious, most Sacred, and most holy of all the soules of men, vnto his Father, in whose hands nothing peris∣heth, all things are conserued.
[ 4] In the old law there were two lambs offered euerie day in sacrifice, the one in the morning, the other in the Eue∣ning. And that was called the morning sacrifice, this the Euening. Christ the∣refore, who is the Lamb of God, that ta∣keth away the sinnes of she world, offered himself to his Eternall Father in the morning, and beginning of his life, in the stable, & on the Altar of the cribbe, for euen then he had vse of reason, and now againe in the euening and end of his life he offereth himself on the Crosse to his Eternall Father, saying: Father into thy hands I commend my spirit.
[ 5] As if he had sayd, Father I commend my Spirit, into the hands of thy charitie, that by it's leauing my body (in which consisteth my death) man may be re∣deemed
I commend my spirit into the hands of thy power, that it may giue life againe to my now dying bodie; commend my spirit into the hands of thy mercie, that it may visite the soules deteined in Limbus; I commend my spirit into the hands of thy will, that, as it hath loued, serued, honoured, & obeyed thee in this life euen to death, so it may euer hereafter loue, and honour thee for all eternitie; and no doubt with his owne soule and spirit he also commen∣ded ours.
[ 6] And as the Euangelist saith, Crying with alowde voice, he thus commended his Spirit, to shew that euen then he had power ouer death, who imme∣diatlie before his death, could cry so Loud; to shew that he desired that Heauen, and Earth, yea and Hell also should know that he gaue his life for mans redemption; to signifie vnto vs that at that time especiallie, at that moment, on which dependeth our making or marring, on which depen∣deth eternitie of saluation or damna∣tion, we should commend our selues ••o God through his Sonnes merites, ••at at that time especiallie we should
commend ourselues to God, with a lowde voice, and crie of heart, that is with strongest faith, with firmest hope, with most ardent loue of God and cha∣ritie, with greatest sorrow for our sin∣nes, with greatest contempt of the world, with greatest desire of Heauen, and of the sight of God, and his An∣gels and Saints, saying with heart and tongue, and if we can not with tongue at least with heart, Father into thy hands I commend my spirit, my soule, my salua∣tion, that I may liue and raigne with thee in all heauenlie blisse, for all eter∣nitie; my soule is thyne by creation and redemption, I receaued it from thee, I render it vnto thee againe, & I beseech thee to receaue it for all eter∣nitie, that it may honour thee, praise thee, blesse thee, and enioy thee for all Eternitie. Amen.
1. Ioa. 4.
Leui. 19.
Exo. 23.
Leui. 19.
Mat. 5.
Mat. 27.
Gen. 9.
4 Reg. 1.
4. Re. 2.
Cant. 8.
Cant. 8.
Prou. 4.
Mat. 6.
Mat. 18.
Mat. 18.
1 Cor. 2.
Mat. 8. Luc. 6.
Apo. 17. & 19.
Luc. 15.
Mat. 26. Mat. 14.
Mat. 10.
Gen. 2.
Gen. 13.
Cant 4. Ecle. 21. 2. Cor. 12 Ap. 2.
Chris. nom. de cruce & latrone.
Esa. 6.
Ezec. 1.
Exod. 3.
Psal. 50.
Ezec. 18.
Lib. 50. Homil. hom. 45. De pae∣nit. Dist. 51. ca. si quis positus.
Luc. 2.
Ioa. 19.
Mat. 18.
Gen. 25.
Luc. 2.
Io. 10.
Io. 19.
'eis Tà ••ldia.
Mat. 19.
Mat. 4.
Gen. 18.
3 Re. 17. 4. Re. 4.
Ioa. 19.
Rom. 8.
2. Cor. 1.
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.
Luc. 22.
2. Reg. 23.
Exo. 17.
Iud. 3.
Gen. 24.
Mat. 25.
Mat. 25.
Phil. 2.
Psal. 41.
Io. 7.
Io. 4.
Ioan.
Ps. 45.
Isa. 53.
Hier. 21.
Dan. 9.
Psa. 118.
Eze. 18.
Luc. 9.
Luc. 15.02.19.
Gen. 32.
Gen. 8.
Ioan 1.
Luc 23.