Meditations collected and ordered for the vse of the English colledge of Lisbo by the svperiovrs of the same colledge.

THE SECOND MEDITATION. Of his last supper & vvashing of feet.

1. COnsider first, how our B. Sauiour ac∣companied vvith his Apostles, went to Ierusalem; and entred into a house pre∣pared for him, Canaculum grande stratum: A spatious and vvell furnished dining-roome, fit and capable of the great mysteries, vvhich vvere to be vvrought in it: for here he eate his last Paschall supper: here he instituted the most B, Sacrament: here after his resur∣rection he appeared to his Disciples: here came downe the holy Ghost vpon them all: here was sayd the first masse, and raised the first Christian Altar. Entring here, his first vvords were: Desiderio desideraui hoc Pascha manducare vobiscum antequam patiar: vvith desire I haue desired to eate this Pasche with you before I suffer: to shew the long and earnest desire he had to suffer for our redemption: blessed be that breast, vvhere such loue did harbour: vvhen he saw the Paschall Lambe lie rosted on the table before him; ô how did he see himselfe in this figure,

lying on the table of the Crosse before his Eter∣nall Father, the true Lambe, Qui tollit peccata mundi, vvho taketh avvay the sinnes of the vvorld, flead vvith the knife of the diuine iu∣stice, and rosted in the flames of his owne chari∣ty? But harken vnto his most iust and amorous complaint; Amen dico vobis, vnus vestrum me traditurus est: Amen I say to you one of you is about to betray me; ô Iudas how dost thou looke? how dost thou not sinke vnder the table, at such a thunder-bolt? ô how true is it, Pecca∣tor cum in profundum venerit, contemnit? a sinner vvhen he shal come into the depth of sinne, con∣temneth? he stirreth not, but vvith the rest of the most innocent and fearefull Apostles durst aske; Nunquid ego sum Rabbi? ô Iuda tu dixisti; is it I Rabbi? ô Iudas thou hast said. Yea thou art he; but repent, and be sorry; and I vvill yet forgiue thee.

Conclude to prepare in thy soule a Coenacu∣lum grande a great refecterie for thy Sauiour; that is, a free and noble heart; but let it be stra∣tum; cleane from filth and adorned vvith gra∣ces, take heed no Iudas enter, he vvill spoile the quiet & sweetnes of thy heauenly banquet.

2. Consider secondly, how the Paschall sup∣per being ended, and vvith it all the figures and ceremonies of the old law; and our Sauiour in∣tending to ordaine and institute the Sacraments and rites of his new law; to shew the dignity of them before those others; and the different re∣uerence, they required; see the solemnity

wherewith he beginnes: Sciens quia omnia de∣dit ei Pater in manus & quia à Deo exiuit & ad Deum vadit, surgit à caena, & ponit vestimenta sua, & cum accepisset linteum praecinxit se, deinde mittit aquam in peluim & capit lauare pedes dis∣cipulorum &c. Knovving that the Father gaue him all things into his handes, and that he came from God, and goeth to God, he riseth from upper, and laieth a side his garments, and hauing taken a tovvell, girded himselfe, after that he put vva∣ter into a bason, and began to vvash the feete of the disciples &c. Where he hath recommended vnto vs three vertues, most necessary for the vse of these his diuine Sacraments; that is, purity or conscience, humility and charity; the first he signified in the washing his disciples feet, saying; Qui lotus est, to wit from great sinnes, non indi∣get, nisi vt vt pedes lauet, sed mundus est totus, He that is vvashed, needeth not but to vvash his feete but is cleane vvholy. From all vvhat so euer: the other two he practised himselfe in the highest degree. Behold, my soule, the Sonne of God, the Monarch and Master of the vvorld, lying at the feet of poore fishermen, vvashing and vviping them vvith those hands, that had done so many miracles; that made both heauen and earth; and vvith the powers of heauen stand astonished at such a spectacle; againe his burning loue and charity vvould not admit a seruant, a boy to helpe him in this act, all must be done by his owne hands, that belonged to our good and example: Discite à me quia mitis

sum & humilis corde. Learne of me, because I am meeke, and humble of hart.

Conclude neuer to come to the holy Sacra∣ment vvithout some speciall exercise of these three vertues, of purity of conscience, of pro∣found humility and sincere loue, both of God and thy neighbour; then maist thou come con∣fidently ad mensam Domini tui. To the table of thy Lord.

3. Consider thirdly, how the holy & zealous S. Peter seeing his Lord and Master cast him∣selfe at his feet to vvash and vvipe them, all amazed and affrighted, drew backe his legges and cryed out; Domine, Tu mihi lauas pedes? Lord, doest thou vvash my seete? thou my Lord and Master? thou, vvhom lately by the reue∣lation of thy heauenly Father, I haue publikely confessed to be the Sonne of the euer liuing God? Thou to me a poore vvorme, and vile sinner farre too vnworthy to doe the like office to thee? Bee content and yeeld, quoth our Sa∣uiour; Quod facio, nescis modo, scies autem po∣stea: that vvhich I doe thou knovvest not novv, hereafter thovv shalt knovv. No, no deare Lord, vvhat soeuer it be, J care not; Non laua∣bis mihi pedes in aeternum. Thou shalt not vvash my feete for euer. Our Sauiour seeing Peter so hot, and out of humility to forget his obedien∣ce; vvith a gentle yet piercing frowne sayd; Si non lauero te, non habebis partem mecum: If I vash thee not, thou shalt not haue part. vvith me. Where at poore Peter, as one thunder-strooke,

shrinkes vp his shouldyrs, & boweth downe his head vvith, Domine non tantum pedes meos, sed & manus & caput; Lord, not only my feete but allsoe my hands and head; all what thou wilt good Lord, rather then lose or displease thee. A most deuout passage and containing two necessary lessons; the one that our duty and obedience towards our Prelates and Superiours must not be broken or omitted for any pretence or colour of priuate or publike good, no not vertue it sel∣fe; for vve see S. Peters humility could not ex∣cuse him: the second, that vpon the least notice, that vvhat vvee doe offends God, presently vvee surrender our selues and fly back vvithout any more excuses or disputes.

Conclude to learne and practise these tvvo vvholesome lessons, as thou hopest to haue a share vvith Christ: see & marke the daylie occa∣sions thou hast to vse either one or both of them.

4. Consider fourthly, hovv our most hum∣ble Sauiour vvith the bason in his hand, and tovvell about his middle, passing on from S. Pe∣ter to the rest, found in euery one the like ef∣fects of admiration, humility and obedience; vntill he came to the traytour Judas; vvhere be∣sides some dissembling perhaps, and false hear∣ted complements, he found nothing, but a sinke of sinne and treason; a rock of obstinacy & ma∣lice: noe vvaters so chrystall-cleare, as can cleanse him; no bathes so vvarme, as can mol∣lify him, See the Lambe of God, vvith more

humility, doubtles, than ordinary, prostrate at this traytours seet, vvashing, vviping & kissing them, to the astonishment of heauen & earth; and vvith bedeawed eyes speaking thus vnto his benummed soule: ô Iudas, friend, disciple, and Apostle of mine; vvhy vvilt thou persist in thy malice and treason? Quid feci tibi, aut in quo molestus fui? vvhat haue I done to thee, or in what haue I bene trovvblesome? or rather, Quid non feci pro te? vvhat haue I not done for thee? I haue made thee my Apostle; giuen thee power to doe miracles; cast out diuells &c. Et si hac parua sunt, adijciam tibi multò plura: and if these are litle I vvill add far more, onely repent and saue thy soule: feare not, I shall suffer for thee & all the vvorld; but vvhy by thy treason, and dam∣nation? thou heardest vvhat I sayd euen now,; Va homini illi per quem filius hominis tradetur. vvoe be to that man, by vvhom the Sonne of man shall be betrayed. But all in vaine; the Traytour feeles nothing: Daemonium surdum, caecum & mutum. A deafe, blind and dumme deuil.

Conclude to imitate thy sweetest Sauiour; in vvinning thy enemies by sweet and amiable meanes: heare vvhat he sayes: Exemplum ded•• vobis, vt quemadmodum ego feci & vos facitatis: I haue giuen you an example, that as I haue done, soe you doe all soe: next take heed of an obdurate heart: all the deaw of heauen is hardly able to mollifie it: pray to thy Sauiour daylie: Animo irreuerenti & infrunito ne dederis me. Giue me not ouer to a shamelesse and foolish mind.