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 FLOWER OF THE MYRRHINE POSIE OF CHRIST HIS PASSION.

The apprehension of Christ, and carrying to the houses of Anna and Cayphas, where he suffered buffets, & other indignities.

Ioan. 18.

(Book 4)

[ 1] AFTER that Iudas had giuen his Master the traiterous kisse, the souldiers laid hold on him, knowing by that signe, which Iudas had giuen them, that he was the man they sought for. But Christ asketh them, whom they seeke for? They answered him:* 1.1 Iesus of Nazareth. Iesus saith to them: I am he. And Iudas also that betraied him stood with him. As soone therefore as he said to them, I am he, they went backward and fell to the

ground. O yee malicious and obstinate Iewes: was not this miracle sufficient to make you desist from laying hands on him? or haue you not iust cause to feare to medle any farther with him? But Christ, though hereby he shewed that it was in his power to free him∣self from them, yet asketh them againe whom seeke you? and they answered again: Iesus of Nazareth. Christ answereth I told you that I am he, If therefore you seeke mee, let these goe their waies, and so yeelded himselfe voluntarilie.

[ 2] O B Sauiour, thou, who with those words, I am he, couldst cast them back∣wards to the ground, couldest haue helde them there, and not haue per∣mitted them to apprehend thee. But he intending to vse his patience, not his power yeelded voluntarilie, and by and by they laied hold on him, and bound him.

[ 3] O indignitie! the seruants bind their lord and Master, the subiects their king, the creatures their Creatour, the bond∣slaues their Redeemer, who by his death freed vs all from sinne, the deuill, & hell. And, ô sweet Sauiour, do those chaines and bonds become thee, who

art Lord of heauen and earth, and a king of glorie. Breake them, as Samp∣son (who was a figure of thee) did his; ••hou art stronger then he, but it was ••he chaine and bonde of loue towards man, which bound him, els their chaines and bonds could not haue holden him.

[ 4] These bonds he suffered, first, to free vs from the bonds of our sinnes, for as the wiseman saith,* 1.2 His owne iniquities take the impious, and he is last bound with the ropes of his sinnes; and indeed our sinnes may be called ropes, because they bind vs hand and foote, hinder vs from doeing good, and from walking freelie in the waie of God his com∣mandements. Secondlie he would suffer these bonds, that his disciples and Apostles and their successours should not be ashamed to be bound in chaines and fetters for him, and his Religion; for why should they thinke much to suffer that for their master, which he before had suffered for them? And indeed after this example giue•• by Christ, not onely his Apostles but thou∣sands of Christians of all sexes and ages haue reioyced in bonds and chaines for

Christ, and haue esteemed them a garlands and aboue the richest chaine of Gold.

[ 5] S. Paule gloried more in the title o•• prisoner of Iesus Christ, then in the di¦gnitie of an Apostle,* 1.3 and Doctour o•• the Gentils. S. Cyprian thus pronoun∣ceth of chaines suffered for Christ These chaines which are borne for Christ (saith he) are ornaments, not bonds. which couple not Christians feete to ignominie, but do grace them to glorie; ò feete happilie tied, which are loofed not by the smith, but by Christ. O feete happilie tied to be directed the right way to paradise, o feete tyed in this world for the present, to be set at liber∣tie with Christ for euer.* 1.4

S. Chrysostome saith that to be chained & fettered for Christ is more glorious then to weare a crowne of Gold beset with pearles and precious stones; and the prisons, by reason of the chaines which the prisoners beare for the loue of Christ, he esteemeth to surpasse all Princes Pallaces, and therefore (saith he) If it were put to my choise whether I would sit at the right hand in heauen, or to be chained in prison, whether I would dwell with the Angells in

heauen, or with Paul in prison, I ••ould make election of the prison. If were asked whether I would be the ••ngell that loosed Peters chaines, or ••eter chained with thē, I would choose •• be Peter. I honour Paul (saith he) ••ot so much that he was an Apostle & Doctour of the Gentils,* 1.5 not so much ••or that he was assumpted and taken ••p to the third heauen, as for that he was bound in prison for Christ,* 1.6 and I ••euerence Paules hands, not so much For that they wrought miracles, and could not be stung by the vipers, as for that they were manicled for Christ. And although this may seeme a para∣dox to worldlings, yet (saith he) Si quis erga Dominum insanit (vt ita dicam) si quis ardet, is nouit quae sit vinculorum vir∣tus: If any (to say so) doteth on Christ, if any burne with loue towards him, he knoweth what is the vertue of chaines, and how great is their dignitie.

O happie they who are bound and chained in prison for Christ! their bondage is true libertie, bondage of the bodie, libertie of the soule and spirit, their prisons are princely Pallaces, and their non chaines are more worth then chaines

of gold, no bracelets like to th•• manicles.

[ 6] The souldiers hauing bound Chr••¦led him or rather haled him first to t•• house of Anna,* 1.7 so to honour Anna, be¦cause he had beene high priest the yea•• before, and was father in law to Cay¦phas. After that Anna had seene him, h•• sent him bound, as he came to him vnto Cayphas his house. What scur∣rilities and indignities the souldier•• vsed towards him in the waie, what scoffings and mocks, what strokes and blowes he endured of them may easilie be imagined, and how the people in the streets came gazing vpon him, and now, forgetfull of the miracles, by which he restored the lame to perfit vse of their limmes, the deafe to hea∣ring, the blind to fight, the dumme to their speech; pointed at him, iested and railed also at him, is easie to con∣ceaue, though hard and reprochefull to Christ to suffer; yet all these indig∣nities Christ tooke most patientlie and followed the souldiers as an Inno∣cent sheepe to the butcherie.

[ 7] Being entred into Cayphas house, Cayphas asked him of his disciples and

doctrine: Christ answered that he had ••poken, and taught openlie to the ••eople, in the temple and Synagogues; why askest thou me?* 1.8 aske them that haue ••eard what I haue spoken vnto them, be∣••old they know what things I haue sayd. At this his answer, one of the ministers ••tanding by, gaue him a blow: saying ••nswerest thou the high Priest so? But our B. Sauiour was resolued to beare all patientlie: he might haue saied to this barbarous fellow, as Paul said to Ananias the high Priest, who com∣maunded them that stood by, to smite him on the mouth: God shall strike thee,* 1.9 thou whited wall, but he onely replied to shew what wrong he receiued, If I haue spoken ill, giue testimonie of ill, but if well, why strikest thou me?

[ 8] O Base, ô impudent companion; thinkest thou much that Christ should speake the truth plainlie and boldlie to the high Priest? He is an higher Priest then he,* 1.10 and an high Priest accor∣ding to the order of Melchisedech, and Cayphas hath the name of a high Priest, & magni nominis vmbram: and the shadow of a great name: But he bought his digni∣tie, & hath not the vertues beseeming

an high Priest. O barbarous Scullion, ô base companion, strikest thou the sonne of God, thy Creatour, and on the face also, on which the Angells de∣light to looke?* 1.11 Quid hoc impudentius (saith S. Chrysostome) exhorrescat cae∣lum, contremiscat terra de Christi patientia & seruorum impudentia: what more impu∣dent thou this? let heauen be astonished With feare, let the earth tremble at Christ his patience, and his seruants impudencie.

[ 9] O earth how doest thou support such a varlet, why doest thou not swallow him vp as thou didst once Chore, Da∣than,* 1.12 Abiron & Hon, for a lesser sinne? for they onelie murmured against Moyses and Aaron, this caitife striketh the Creatour in the face. O yee Angells who carry the sword of the Diuine iu∣stice, why do you not reuenge the in∣dignitie done to your Lord and Master?

[ 10] O B. Sauiour, let me vse vnto thee the words of thy Roiall Prophet; Bee girded with thy sword vpon thy thigh ó most mightie.* 1.13 Draw the sword of thy Diuinitie sheathed in thy humane nature, and dispatch this impudent companion. Thou, who with those

words, I ame he, strokest to the ground the souldiers, who laid hands on thee, couldst if thou wouldst, strike this im∣pudent varlet with sodaine death, as thy Apostle Peter did Ananias and Sa∣phira:* 1.14 thou couldst haue stroken him blind,* 1.15 as thy Apostle Paul did Elimas the magitian. Thou couldst haue brought fire from heauen to consume him,* 1.16 as Helias consumed the two Cap∣taines, and their fiftie men. Thou couldst haue called beares out of the wildernesse to teare in peeces this im∣pudent fellow, and the high Priest also,* 1.17 as Elizeus delt with the fortie two boyes that mocked him.

[ 11] But our sweet Sauiour, as he was more able to reuenge himself then all the aforesaid persons, who had their force from him, so he was more meeke and patient then them all, and so did beare this affront patientlie, to satisfy thereby for our impatience, to giue to the world a rare example of patience, and to teach vs to beare affronts and disgraces for him, who first did beare them for vs. such an impudent fellow as this that smote Christ on the face was sent by Iustina the Arian Empe∣resse

to strike S. Ambrose, but his arme withered and could not giue the blowe; Valens also the wicked Empe∣rour endeuored to write an edict to banish thereby S. Basil, but his arme waxed stupid, and could not write. But our B. Sauiour, who vsed these defences for his seruaunts, would vse none for himself; or peraduenture this barba∣rous fellowes arme which strooke Christ, withered as it was lifted vp to strike, but reuiued at the touch of Christ his viuificating flesh.

[ 12] If we consider who strooke & who was thus strooken, we shall find that this blow was the greatest indignitie or disgrace that euer was giuen to man. To giue a blow on the face or on the eare to a simple gentleman is taken for a great dishonour to hī that is strookē, to giue to a knight such a blow is a greater, to a Lord, greater, to an Earle greater, to a duke greater, to the kings sonne, or to the king himself greater; and the greater it is by how much he that giueth the blow is baser. what an indignitie then was this blow giuen by a slaue to Christ the sonne of God, the king of glorie, kinge of heauen

and earth, to whom the kings and Em∣perours of this world are but vassals? and yet he taketh this patientlie without any angrie word, without any angrie thought.

[ 13] O the litle patience, ô the great pride that we haue. who at euery scornfull word, at the least affront that is offered vs, are readie to draw, readie to reuēge, and to render as bad or worse then we receaue. O my soule looke into thy self and if thou find not patience to suffer wronges, begge it of thy Sauiour, and by vertue of this his patiēce, desire him to giue thee the grace in all thy life to imitate this his patience.

[ 14] They who by oathes take the name of God in vaine, they who by periuries abuse God his name and take it to countenāce a lye, they who blaspheme God his name, do giue him the blow on the face, yea all sinners in some sorte do buffet Christ, because their sinnes are the cause why he suffered this indi∣gnitie. when therefore, ô my soule, thou art tempted to sinne, take heed what thou doest, for by sinne thou buffetest thy Sauiour, Redeemer and Creatour in the face, and if thou abhorre this,

abhorre all sinne, especiallie if it be mor∣tall.

[ 15] But here is not an end of the indi∣gnities which Christ suffered for vs. The Euangelist S. Matthew, S. Marke and S. Luke say,* 1.18 that not onelie this im∣pudent caitif, but also others began to spitte at him, to buffet him, and S. Mat∣thew: saith Then did they spitte in his face and buffeted him, and others smote his face with the palmes of their hands, saying, pro∣phecie vnto vs who is he that strooke thee. The like saie S. Marke and S. Luke, so that our B Sauiours face was no doubt swolne with buffets which these mis∣creants gaue him, and it was altogether defiled with their spittle.

[ 16] For this I can not but much blame and condemne these barbarous Iewes, but as it was I who by my sinnes gaue him the buffets, so it was I who defiled his face with spittle, because my sinnes were the cause of it. And when I sinned mortally I contemned Christ, and did, as it were, spitte in his face. For this I rue the time that euer I sinned mortallie.

[ 17] And ô you wicked Iewes how enor∣mious was this your sinne who reallie and trulie buffeted him and spitte in his

face? whē a mā would spitte, he looketh for some corner and the worst place in ••he chamber, and will not spitte in the place most adorned, & yet these spite∣full Iewes spitte in the face of Christ, which heauen and earth reuerence, which the good Angells loue, and which euen the deuills feare. They thought no place more base, lesse to be respected then Christ his face, and therefore on it they bestowed their spittle,* 1.19 and yet he was speciosus prae filijs hominum, ô ye heauens, ô ye Angells, ô heauen and earth, be ye astonished at this, obstupescite Caeli &c. be astonished,* 1.20 o heauen, vpon this, and ó gates thereof be you desolate exceedinglie.

[ 18] O how great was my Sauiours loue that made him suffer such indignities for me! loue made him take our hu∣mane nature vnto him in vnitie of per∣son, that he might suffer for vs in it, loue made him suffer all that he sufferd. o my soule, what shalt thou render vnto him for this his loue? suffer pa∣tientlie indignities for him, as he hath suffered for thee, loue him as he hath loued thee, and though thy suffe∣rances and thy loue be nothing to his,

yet he will be content with them.

[ 19] Others, as the Euangelistes say, di•• couer his face & blindfold him,* 1.21 saying prophecie, who is he that smote thee. O sunn•• withdraw thy light from these vnwor∣thie spectacles; ô yee Angells turne your eyes from this barbarisme. O E∣ternall Father permittest thou the splen∣dour of thy glorie to be thus defiled,* 1.22 this obscured? But see their blindnes. They blindfold him, who seeth all the secrets euen of their hearts; and they that couered his face now, shall at the day of iudgment call vpon the mountaines to sall vpon them,* 1.23 so to couer them from the sight of God, his angrie countenance, which they shall not be able to beare. They that couered his face now, and bid him prophecie who smote him, shall find not onelie at the generall but also at the particular iudgment, that he knew what indignities they offered him, and all the sinnes that euer they committed in thought, word, & deed, and shall punish them for them.

[ 20] All sinners doe imagin God his eyes to be blindfolded, and not to see what sinnes they commit, for if they did thinke seriously & efficaciouslie that

they were in God his presence, and that ••is eyes were open vpon them, they would not be so impudent as to com∣mit such sinnes, as they doe before ••uch maiestie. They say as the fornica∣••our or Adulterour doth, who seeth me,* 1.24 ••arknes compasseth me, and the walles couer ••e, and no man beholdeth me, the Highest will not be mindfull of my sunnes. O blindnes of sinners:* 1.25 qui finxit oculum non consi∣••erat? he that made the eye doth not he ••imself consider and see? yes, yes, his yes ••re brighter thē the sunne, beholdinge round ••bout all the wayes of men and the bottome of the deapth and the hearts of men.

[ 21] And here, ô my soule, consider that all those indignities thy Sauiour suf∣fered, not for himself, (for he had no sinne, and so had no need to suffer) but for thee, to satisfie for thy sinnes, and to giue thee example, and this he suffered not onelie patientlie, but vo∣luntarilie, fot he could haue stopt their mouthes from blasphemies, reproa∣chings, and spitting; and he could haue holden their hands from buffeting and therefore his Prophet Esaie sayth in his name I haue giuen my bodie to the strikers,* 1.26 and my cheekes to the pluckers (for

they not onelie buffeted him, but also plucked the heares of his cheekes) I haue not turned away my face from the re∣bukers and spitters; & the Prophet Hie∣remie fortelling the same saith: Dabi•• percutientise maxillam,* 1.27 saturabitur oppro∣brijs, he shall giue his cheeke to him that striketh hī, he shall be filled with reproaches so that he gaue himself to suffer these indignities, he gaue his cheeke to him that stroke it, and consequentlie he suffered all most voluntarilie.

[ 22] Doe thou then, ô my soule, beare these indignities at least when others do•• lay them on thee, and seeing thou cans•• not auoid them, if the malicious wil•• offer them thee, make merit of ne∣cessitie, and seeing thou must suffe•• them, suffer them patientlie. Tho•• shouldst desire these indignities fo•• thy Sauiours sake, who voluntarilie suffered them for thee, but at least murmure not when others force them vpon thee, be not impatient, offe•• not the like to him, that offereth them to thee, seeke no reuenge, do goo•• for euill, loue them that hate thee, render benedictions for maledictions, and then thou shalt imitate thy Sa∣uiour,

thou shalt conforme thyself ••o him, and if thou suffer disgrace for him here on earth, he will honour thee before his father in heauen.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Ioan. 18.
• * 1.2

  Prou. 5.
• * 1.3

  A l Eph. c. 3. & 4. ad Phil. Cyp. l. 3. cp. 25 ad mart.
• * 1.4

  S. Chry. hom. 8. in c 4. ad Eph.
• * 1.5

  Act. 12.
• * 1.6

  Act 28.
• * 1.7

  Ioan. 18.
• * 1.8

  Io. 18
• * 1.9

  Act. 25.
• * 1.10

  Ps. 109. Heb. 5.
• * 1.11

  1 Pet 1.
• * 1.12

  Nu, 16.
• * 1.13

  Psal. 44.
• * 1.14

  Act. 5.
• * 1.15

  Act. 13.
• * 1.16

  4. Reg.
• * 1.17

  4. Reg. 2.
• * 1.18

  Mat. 26. Mat. 14. Luc. 22.
• * 1.19

  Psa. 44.
• * 1.20

  Hier. 2.
• * 1.21

  Mat. 14. Luc. 22.
• * 1.22

  Heb. 1.
• * 1.23

  Ose 10. Luc, 22.
• * 1.24

  Ecc. 23.
• * 1.25

  Psa. 93.
• * 1.26

  Isai. 50.
• * 1.27

  Thren. 3.