FASCICVLVS MYRRHAE. OR A brief Treatise of our Lord and saviours Passion. Written by the R. Fa. I. F. of the Society of JESUS.  
 the seal of the Jesuits or Society of Jesus, a sunburst containing a cross over the letters IHS over three nails 
IHS   


Permissu Superiorum. 1633.     

TO THE RIGHT honourable THE LADY Katherine Abergaueny.  
madam,  
HAVING many yeares since, more by prayer then study, gathered this Posy of heavenly flowers, from the Mirrhy high mountain of our saviours Passion, to sweeten chiefly, and delight my own soul, with devout reuiewings, and memories thereof; I haue at length, by the aduise of worthy Friends, adventured, for the good also of others, to publish the same; with an especial desire to increase devotion, by its often perusing, in You, & Yours: To whom therfore, I haue presumed to direct it, as a friend, obliged, and desirous to serve your Honour, and Them, in all he may.  
I. F.   

THE PREFACE TO our SAVIOVRS PASSION.  
THE son of God ( saith a Holy Author) wonderfully graced us in his Jncarnation, by taking therein, the seruil form of our nature vpon himself; blessed us, in his human nativity afterwards; edified us, by his exemplar life; instructed us by his doctrine; comforted us, by his loving promises; confirmed us, by his miraculous actions; enriched us, by his infinite merits; and made himself by his painful, and innocent death, a fountain of Life, and measurelesse graces, gained thereby graciously for vs.  
So as, the sacred mystery of our Redeemers cross, which J purpose briefly to treat of in these ensuing papers, was the chief end of his coming into this world; the high, and hard work of Obedience, on him, by his eternal Father, for us imposed; the painful period of his mortal pilgrimage heer amongst us; the consummation of his charity toward us; the Abyssall depth of his mercy; the effusion of his bounty; and highest reach of his infinite wisdom: wherein for his own glory, and our good, he devised to cirumvent satan in his own craft, weaken him in his power, and vanquish him in his malice: and that also in such a manner, as in this Combat between them, he opposed( saith S. lo) against him, not the majesty of his own nature, but the infirmity of ours, to make the victory thereby become more glorious to himself, and graceful to us also; sithence man therein, formerly vanquished, became victorious, able as the son of God, personally assumed and dignified his nature, to satisfy the utmost rigour of divine Iustice, pacify the wrath of his eternal Father against sinners, make their full peace, & meritoriously obtain abundant graces here, and glory afterwards eternally for them.   

THE I. CHAPTER. Declaring some chief Figures of our saviours Passion.  
WHEN holy Isaac ascended Mount calvary( as great authors haue affirmed) loaden with that wood, on which( as a type of his Redeemer) he was to be bloodily sacrificed: God the Father, seemed even then to delight himself, in beholding an Earthly Parent, ready to do that, to his loving, and beloved child, which was by him afterwards for the salvation of mankind, towards his own eternal son, and in that very place also, graciously intended. But could not haue been performed on him, had he not been first in the briars of human nature, & miseries thereunto belonging( as was the mysterious ram, in place of Jsaac offered) personally entangled.  
The brazen Serpent, erected in the desert, to heal the Israelites looking vpon it, represented him hanging on his cross, who said therof, in his gospel, joan. 3. As Moyses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the son of man be exalted &c. This serpent was of brass, aswell to show our saviours wonderful fortitude, in suffering cruel torments silently, as if he had not felt them; as also to let us understand, that he assumed not the poison of sin, with the servile form of our nature, utterly repugnant to the infinite sanctity, and majesty of his person.  
That huge, and mysterious bunch of Grapes [ number. 13.] hung on a pole between two, to show the fruitfulness of that country which the Israelites were entering into, figured( saith S. Augustin) the son of God hanging on his cross, by Iewes and gentiles differently carried: the Iewes carry him by believing the scriptures, foretelling plainly, and particularly his passion, yet so as they haue their backs towards him, and look not faithfully on him; whereas the gentiles are delighted to behold him, clustered in his gracious perfections, & distilling from his cross, the inebriating juice of heavenly consolations plentifully on them.  
The jewish Temple, was as a public theatre, on which the eternal Father, was delighted to behold his sons bloody sacrifice, in typical manners, diversly and devoutly represented. Their chiefest feasts( as S. Paul in his Epistle, to the Hebrewes themselves, & sundry holy Fathers haue declared them) were in the mysterious sacrifices, & ceremonies of them, types of our Good-friday, shadows of our Sun-shine, and cloudy representations of heavenly Verities, by the son of God in his human life & death, graciously since that time, and clearly revealed: who,[ as in Gen. 3.] was of him mysteriously promised, by receiving the sting of death into his heel( to wit the lowest, and corporal part of our nature) crushed the Serpents head, and vanquished him utterly for vs.   

CHAP. II. Of Gods wonderful Mercy in redeeming vs.  
THe Church in her devout office of Easter-Eue, calleth Adams sin, happy and necessary, which merited such, and so great a Redeemer: not by any dignity, or pleasingnes of the fact itself, hateful to Almighty God, and horribly punished, by him, in Adam himself, and his whole posterity after him: But by a congruous kind of compassion moving him, our most loving, and merciful Lord, rather then to condemn the whole race of mankind guilty of their first Parents transgression, to ordain such a wonderful means, & manner of redeeming us, as might increase his own glory, confounded our adversary, and raise us more, then if we had still persevered in original grace, and never offended him.  
For at the instant of mans fall, love, and wisdom combined themselves, to unite and accord in a wonderful manner, Mercy and Justice, our Creatours two different attributes; so as Mercy afterwards was not more willing, to haue mans pardon granted, thē Iustice was ready to accept, more then a rigorous satisfaction, offered graciously for it.  
Omnipotency gladly yielded, to effect all that, which should be needful, on Gods, and mans part, to make this required satisfaction; which could not be done, but by a person of equal dignity, with him, who had been so by mans fault, injured & offended.  
This infinite worth, no pure Creature by any Created grace whatsoever, could arrive unto; but one of the divine Persons themselves, must necessary, for this high purpose, assume to himself some created Nature( and mans most conveniently) personally making it his own, infinitely thereby to increase the value of human actions and passions, and raise them so, as the utmost rigour of divine Iustice, might become satisfied by them, & more then Grace lost by sin become for us happily regayned.  
majesty yielded to be thus humbled, & invested with the servile form of our nature, & to assume all such infirmities and defects therof, as involved not sin, and were apt to become satisfactory for vs.  
goodness delighted to effuse itself to the utmost in this wonderful work. And Bounty added infinitely more, then was rigorously needful to redeem vs.  
The eternal Word amongst the divine Persons undertook this high work, as chiefly belonging to himself( saith S. Bernard) the bright splendour, and subsisting Image of his eternal Father, to repair the likeness of himself, and the other divine persons in mans nature, miserable by sin obscured and defaced.  
I will( said he) O eternal Father, descend into the earth, to make earthly souls there become heavenly: and by assuming their nature, vilifyed now and debased by sin, into the majesty of my own Person, I will deify in a sort, and infinitely dignify the same more, then if it had never been disgraced. And by how much the more craftily & cruelly, their infernal adversary, emulating their good, and thy glory, hath sought to draw, & separate them from thee: by so much the more nearly, will I unite them to myself, by making their nature, enriched with wonderful graces, the crown as it were of myself, and glory of all Creatures; a fountain of grace, rising in myself; the boundless Ocean of all goodness; a most precious pearl, set in the orb of my own majesty and greatness; a three of life planted in no other soil, then my own person; the true Paradise and joyful mansion of all blessed Creatures.  
The eternal Father graciously assented to his sons motion, of showing mercy to mankind, and loved the world so, as to give him to redeem it. Who in the over greatness of his love graciously resolved, to free us by his own captivity; enrich us by his poverty, ease us by his sufferings, cure us by his wounds, cleanse us by his blood, revive us by his death, and by his own humiliations and disgraces, eternally to honour and highly exalt vs.   

CHAP. III. Of our saviours last Supper.  
THis last supper of Christ was an Ordination of his Testament, before death, full of heavenly Legacies given therein, & promised unto us: or rather a banquet of love( as a devout author calleth it) begun with humility, sweetened with bounty, & concluded with Charity in speeches, gifts, & acts of love wonderfully expressed.  
Humility prostrated him therein, even at Iudas feet, then resolved to betray him.  
Bounty inclined him to bestow therein a gift fully equalling his infinite love towards vs.  
And Charity hastened him to a speedy delivery of himself for us, that the world may know( said he) how I love my Father, and am ready to do, as he hath commanded: arise let us go &c.  
His Apostles were only with him, in this mysterious Supper, as having been peculiarly chosen by him, to be the chief dispensers of those heavenly Legacies, then bequeathed unto them.  
Taking bread, and wine into his powerful hands, he designed them, by his mysterious blessing, to be the future subiects of those wonderful mutations which himself then, & his Priestly Seruants afterwards, were authorised to work in them.  
Looking towards heaven, and humbly thanking his eternal Father, he both shewed the greatness of that blessing, which he was ordaining then for us, and supplied withall our great ingratitude, by his own thankfulness for it.  
His sacramental words then uttered; This is my body &c. This is the Chalice of my blood &c. had not only in his own mouth, an omnipotent kind of force, really to effect, what literally they imported; but they retain still also, the same power, in the mouths of his Priestly seruants, authorised to do, what himself did before them; when his holy will swayed with love, and attended on by an infinite Power, delighted itself, for a farewell out of this world, to communicate( saith S. Thomas) in all profitable, and possible manners unto us, what for us, and from us he had graciously received.  
And as, his divine Father had with an effused bounty, given him to be bloodily sacrificed in human nature for us: so was he, in an equal excess of love and mercy, graciously pleased, in his last Supper, to ordain of himself, a mysterious and unbloody Oblation. Wherein the painful separation of his body & blood, once made on the cross, might daily( even to the worlds end) & triumphantly be represented; and the fruits of his death occasioned thereby, effectually & abundantly be applied unto vs.  
It well became so divine an High Priest, as was the son of God himself, in human nature, to dignify his Church; grace his new Law, and sanctify, as well the ministers, as professors therof, by so divine, and triumphant a sacrifice, one, in the Host, with his bloody oblation, and only different in our manner of offering it.  
In that( for example) he was passable, and mortal: In this, he is immortal and glorious.  
In that, he was to the open view of all people present, nakedly exposed: whereas in this, under the forms of bread, and wine, he is hiddenly, and vndiscernably offered.  
In that, he suffered painful tearings, and torments: In this he cannot be pained, or immediately touched.  
In that, he was at his full breadth and length locally extended: In this, his whole body, is into a punctual & indivisible presence, miraculously contracted:  
In that, his real death was the consummation of his sacrifice: In this, his mysterious, and representative death, only sufficeth.  
In that, he was only hidden in his personal majesty: in this, he is concealed in his humanity also. never greater, then in being so lessened: never more glorious, then in being so obscured: never so gainefully gazed on, as here he is meritoriously believed, to be corporally present, gratefully offered to his eternal Father, & by holy souls sacramentaly received. Who daily eaten, is never carnally devoured. Distant places do not divide him: nor different hosts multiply, or partially contain him: one, & many do equally receive him; and souls best prepared, do questionless receive greatest graces from him: when, as a loving Father, Brother, Spouse, physician, King, and captain, he blesseth, adopteth, embraceth, fecundateth, cureth, crowneth, & conducteth to eternal happiness, with himself, all such, as like obedient children, adopted brethren, chast spouses, penitent patients, loyal subiects, and faithful souldiers, worthily receive him: a heavenly sun to illuminate, a holy fire to inflame, a flowing fountain to cleanse, a food of life to nourish, a hidden Manna to delight, a sovereign Medicine to cure, a powerful Antidote to preserve dark, could, foul, hungry, comfortless, diseased, and distressed souls, devoutly entertaining him.   

CHAP. IV. Of our saviours prayer, and bloody agony in the Garden.  
HE left at his entrance into the garden, eight of his disciples without, that they might not be terrified by the approach of those troops, sent to apprehended him, nor himself seem guarded, with so great a number of constant friends waiting vpon him; those three which he took with him, being witnesses sufficient, to testify his mysterious speeches, and actions there passed, and best prepared, by the wonderful vision, which they had before seen of his glory, against the scandal of his passion approaching.  
He began( saith the evangelist) to be troubled, fearful, and afflicted, having raised indeed, such storms of human passions, and infirmities in himself, to overcome them in his seruants; and to obtain for them, in their painful trials for his sake, contrary virtues.  
He was fearful himself, to make them fearless, & undaunted. He was sad himself, to make them cheerful and comforted. He was troubled himself, to make them quiet, and courageously constant in their torments.  
He prostrated himself groveling on the ground, to express the profound humility of his soul, and heavy load of our offences taken vpon him; kissing the whilst, and embracing( as it were) the earth, in token of that happy peace, which he was purchasing for it.  
Thrice in his prayer, he called his Passion then approaching, a Chalice, by his Father prepared, to quench, no doubt, his ardent heat of love, and thirsting desire, to honour him, & redeem us, by his drinking of it.  
When he cried thrice, Abba Father, if it be possible, let this Chalice pass from me, he lent, as it were, a voice to the sensual, and inferior part of human nature, full of fear, and loathe to suffer such extremities of torments, as were then presented unto it yet still he concluded his prayer, in saying, not my will but thine, o Father, be fulfilled, to show withall, that his own superior, and deliberate Will, was ever with his Fathers, perfectly conformed.  
And as interiorly he had rejected all thoughts which might comfort him in his sufferings: so when his blood, did naturally run, from the exterior partes of his body, to comfort his hart, straightened with grief, terrified, and oppressed; he repelled it back again, with such a violent force, as he would rather open the pores of his body, to let it gush forth through his garments, on the ground, then receive any refreshing from it.  
here he began to tread the winepress alone, and embrued his human stolen all over, as he had foretold by his Prophet. here, as our high Priest, he began to make an Offertory, suitable to his bloody, and painful sacrifice, consumated afterwards. Heer he entred into a straight combat against the intestine, and inward foes of human Nature, as tediousness, Trouble of mind, fear of harms approaching, and the like, to vanquish them for vs.  
As he lay weltering in his blood on the ground, fainting with the loss therof, and half dead, an angel descended from heaven to comfort him in so needful an extremity, by lifting him up( as we may conceive) from the ground wiping his blessed face besmeared with sweat and blood, drying his embrued garments, and yielding such comfortable motives unto him as himself would not think on, to encourage him in his Passion.  
So as we may rightly call this bloody Agony of our saviour, a voluntary taste of that bitter Chalice which he drank up afterwards; a convincing proof, of human Nature, truly by him, and passibly assumed; and a practical means, for him to express the bitter extremity of his ensuing torments: sithence a lively apprehension onely of them, was able to make Fortitude itself to faint, Courage grow feeble, Constancy to shrink, ardent love become cooled, as it were, for a time, and all enflamed desires of ascending his cross, turned into fears, anguishes of mind, and a tedious loathness of dying, to redeem us: Whilst voluntarily, so, and for mysterious ends, he was graciously pleased to loose the bridle to human passions, & not at all( as easily he might haue done) superiourly restrain them.   

CHAP. V. Of our saviours Apprehension, Jniuries sustained in Cayphas house, and S. Peters denying him.  
THE son of God, in the delivery of himself to the jewish souldiers sent to apprehended him, behaved himself in a most divine manner. First by manifesting his wisdom, in foretelling their coming to his sleepy disciples, and that Iudas as a captain, came before them, which exceedingly afflicted him.  
2. His great Fortitude, in going onwards to meet them.  
3. His majesty and greatness, in staying such furious troops, not daring but awfully, & with leave to approach him.  
4. His Omnipotency in casting them backward, half dead on the ground, by the dreadful terror of his great Name( Ego sum, I am he) uttered unto them.  
5. His mansuetude, and mercy, in healing of Malchus ear, wounded before them.  
6. His providence, & Fatherly care, in freeing his disciples from his aduersaries hands before he would deliver himself unto thē.  
7. His gravity and gracious Charity together, in reprehending and letting them know, in how tumultuous and unfitting a manner, they came to apprehended him, who was wont in preaching and doing miracles, to be conversant amongst them.  
And then as God himself in human nature, against whom no created power could prevail without his permission, behold( said he) this is your hour, & the power of darkness, yielding himself so, captive unto them, he resolved with a glad silence and patience, to suffer all sorts of torments and disgraces, which the very devils could devise, and their wicked instruments execute against him.  
They seized on him forthwith as bloodhounds on their prey; bound him with ropes, haled him with outcries towards the city, sparing not in the way, any forcible injuries, and outrages against him, as may be well gathered from those horrible villainies & painful disgraces which in Anna's, and Caiphas houses, they used afterwards unto him.  
Where they blindfolded him with napkins, thrown over his face, willing perchance to be so covered, that his beauty hidden, might be the less spared, & that he might not seem to see, and note for revenge, such as buffeted him the whilst, as pained, and reproached him.  
At whose injuries, and indignities, he was far less troubled, thē at his beloved disciples fault, and fall, in his presence. For careless then of himself, he could not but compassionate, & seek to remedy the distresses of his friend; in so much as he roused himself up, amid his own disgraces, to raise him, & between his buffets, and blindfoldings, he found a means, to cast a look of wonted love, and mercy on him. So as when with his tongue he could not, yet with his eyes he taught him to know the foulness of his fault, and great ingratitude towards him. Viewing his face, he pierced his hart, and filled it with love and sorrow, sovereign medicines, speedily curing sins soarest woundings.  
S. Peter went out, as loathing the place, and detesting the occasion of his horrible sin thrice committed; the usual signs in holy Conuertits of hearty repentance.  
He wept bitterly, as taught by inward graces, to know, that the deep stains of his sins, could not, but with such floods of ardent love, and bitter sorrow, be thoroughly cleansed: His divine Lord so intending by occasion of sin, to sanctify him the more; by contrition to heal him; by his fall to raise him; and by losing graces, more abundantly to restore them.  
He meant to raise a high building, in the soul of this Blessed Apostle, and permitted therfore, that which he had built already therein, to fall, that he might afterwards lay a deeper foundation of humility in him; which before he wanted, when too presumingly he told his master, that although all others should forsake him, he alone would follow, and confess him.  
So husbandmen, seeing their corn grow rank, before it be well rooted, turn in beasts, to haue it eaten to the bare earth and devoured. So Painters dash their works, when they find vnsurely laid, the ground-colours of them.  
And as nature hath wisely, and needfully ordained, that high trees, should haue deep rootings, for the stability of them: so the Author therof, is ever careful, to give his holiest seruants, greatest humility, the necessary, & nourishing roote of all virtues, rather permitting them to fall into sin( as S. Peter did) then to haue any little roote of pride, to grow within them, haply restoring graces lost, with this virtue of humility gained, necessary to confirm them.   

CHAP. VI. Of our saviours examination in Caiphas house, and private Condemnation.  
our Blessed saviour, conuented before the high Priest, and chief Magistrates of the Iewes, for confessing himself to be the son of God, was to the future comfort of his beloved seruants, in their public confessions of him, reviled as a blasphemous person, spit vpon, & as guilty of death solemnly condemned; well pleased in the mean while, and delighted to suffer for that, which was eternally to be so glorious unto him.  
He did not only tell Caiphas, being so deeply conjured by him as he was, that he was the son of God, but withall insinuated in an humble manner, his second coming, and the glory therof; wherein themselves, should with horror and confusion be enforced to aclowledge him; wherein the bright splendour of his face was by their fowle spittings to become increased; his heavenly beauties, by their buffets & blows, to appear more glorious; his future honours eternally to be advanced by his temporal disgraces; and his unjust condemnation, recompensed by his being ordaynd the supreme judge of divels & mortal creatures.  
The Bill of Inditement, framed that night against him, consisted of mistaken, and disagreeing testimonies, easily afterward discovered by the Gentill judge, when he came to examine them. He was particularly strocken on the face by one of the high Priest seruants, as having ouer-roughly answered his master asking him of his doctrine, and disciples. But when our Lord urged to haue the evil of his answer declared, his violent Accuser was put to silence and shamefully confounded; Verity pleading for him, whom he had causelessly strooken, and Innocency excusing him.  
Our saviour spake plainly, as he would haue his seruants to do, in their trials, without returning any contumelious words to their unjust Iudges or Accusers. Humility after the example of their great Lord must arm thē, patience harden them, wisdom guide them charity order them, and perseverance crown them, in holy combats, and painful trials for him.  
The High Priest tore his garments at our saviours confession of his Father, to signify thereby, against his will, that his high Priesthood was ended, and that a more divine person, was there present, to alter that Law, and take this office, more amply vpon him: so as he was with his Priestly ornaments torn off from all power and dignity belonging unto them, instantly despoiled; who had before, by virtue of his Office, prophesied( as Balaam did) foretelling blessings in which himself was to be no sharer, to wit, that it was expedient one man should die, that the whole people might not perish[ John 11.] foolishly hereupon determining, to harm himself that others might be saved; as his whole nation afterwards, by their heinous sin, in crucifying their messiah, & rejecting the doctrine of life preached unto them, made themselves miserable and others blessed, by their faith in him: their poverty( saith the Apostle) was our riches, their ignominy our glory, their ruin our raising, their just reprobation our merciful, and happy election, occasioned by it.   

CHAP. VII. Of our saviours arraignment before Pilate.  
HE was early in the morning haled from Caiphas house, to Pilats tribunal, with theeues and malefactours, there to be arraigned.  
His chief Accusers, were the Princes themselves, and magistrates of the people, stirring up the vulgar sort, by their authority, and example, against him.  
They indicted him of three as capital Crimes, as could be devised, of Sedition, to wit, among the people, of Treason against Caesar, & of Blasphemy towards God.  
Their testimonies( saith the evangelist) agreed not, to prove their accusation; Verity pleading in Christs behalf, whilst himself remained silent; and Innocency protecting him.  
His silence was noted by the Gentill judge, to haue proceeded from a magnanimous wisdom, and a charitable loathnes of contradicting, and disgracing the rulers of his people: and his humble answers to his demands, did both satisfy, and amaze him.  
To that capital question( for example) whether he were a King or no, he boldly answered, Yes: but added withall, that his kingdom was not of this world, so as Caesar needed not to fear him.  
To his other demand likewise, whether or no he were the son of God? he professed himself to haue been sent into this world, to testify this verity; and spake it with such a gravity, and majesty, as it appalled his judge to hear, and see so great a person convented before him, especially after he had been warned from his wife, moved hereunto by a vision which she had seen, not to meddle in his condemnation: the devil even then beginning to fear, that this Innocents sufferings, were ordained, to become for mens sins, happy satisfactions, his reproaches their honours, his thraldom their liberty, his bands their losing, his buffets their blessings, his accusations their clearings, his condemnation their acquitting, his wounds their healings, his agonies their comforts, his death their life his merits finally their riches.  
To free Christ from the sentence of death, Pilate exposed him to disgraces and torments, far more then death itself grievous to his generous Nature; as to rank him with barrabas, sand him to Herod, and deliver him to his souldiers to be whipped and disgraced: H●●●●lfe having so ordained, that the intended favours of this corrupt judge, should prove painful occasions, of redoubling his dishonours & torments, only out of his ardent desire of suffering all he could, plentifully to redeem vs.  
The more frequently, and publicly Pilate testified his innocency to the Iewes, the more also conuinced he them of furious malice, and himself of base fear afterwards in condemning him: for as he was faulty in yielding, so were they more wicked in urging him to commit so cruel an impiety.   

CHAP. VIII. Of our saviours whipping.  
AS the son of God had humbly taken vpon him, the servile form of our nature: so was he graciously pleased therein, to undergo servile punishment for vs.  
Whips due to a sinner( saith the Prophet) are many. Wherefore, he who had taken vpon him, to satisfy for all sinners faults, was contented to haue merciless stripes multiplied on him, & to be painfully torn in all the parts of his natural body, that all his mystical members, might of their sinful sores, be perfectly healed.  
He was made naked before multitudes of people, to satisfy thereby, for our shameless manner of offending him.  
He was tied to a Pillar breast high, and fully exposed to the merciless fury of the souldiers, successively whipping him, to free us from his Fathers heavier stroke, justly deserved by our heinous & innumerable offences.  
blows cruelly laid on, and multiplied, by his bloody executioners, did widen, & increase the number of his wounds: and the continuance of them, did cause streams of blood, and pieces of flesh, torn from the tenderest partes of his body, to fall on the ground together, as lamentable ruins of that goodly temple, then beginning to be defaced & trodden under hangmens feet, to be by him, to whom they were offered, prized the more, to pled more effectually, & serve to obtain heavenly blessings, more abundantly for vs.  
So Balme-trees are wont to be gashed, that their medicinal, and fragrant juice may run more plentifully from them. So clouds do stream, to water barren places; so fields are ploughed, and prepared, that seeds may grow up afterwards fuitfully in them: for holy souls( dear Lord) may be rightly said, to grow in, and from thy wounds, fithence they receive the nourishing moisture of heavenly graces chiefly from them, forces to resist temptations, comforts in their distresses, fortitude in their fears, and boldness in hard trials for thee.  
Thy wounds( gracious Lord) in such as made, or procured them, were signs of horrible hatred, and cruelty; but in thyself gladly suffering them, they were as so many rents, of thy ardent love, breathed through them, fountains of grace, and mouths still open, to ask pardon for our sins, and heavenly graces for us, not by any sound of words, but by streams of blood, powred from them, which spilled on the earth, did not yield as Abels blood is said to haue done, a voice of revenge against the sinful sheeders therof, but a loud & loving cry of mercy gained for them. And in us, by our sins the chief causers of them, these wounds( sweet Redeemer) and painful bloudshedings of thine, ought in all reason to be hart-breakings of sorrow & compassion, motives of gratitude and love towards thee, silent instructions, and vehement persuasions together, gladly in all occasions to suffer any thing for thee.   

CHAP. IX. Of our saviours Crowning with thorns.  
WHat Jsay the Prophet had literally [ cap. 50.] long before uttered of the Iewes, and mysteriously of their king, and messiah, in his passion, to wit, that from the soles of his feet, to the crown of his head, he was filled with wounds, blueness, and swellings; could hardly haue been fulfilled, had not this horrible, & disgraceful torment been devised for him, to which he was drawn by the roman Souldiers, after his cruel whipping, into an inner Court of the Castle, that more freely there, out of the peoples sight, they might exercise their hatred against him; and for a ridiculous novelty, afterwards present him, to the view of the people, as a counterfeit king crwoned, and attired disgracefully by them.  
His crown was of sharp thorns, plaited on his head, & painfully tearing the tender temples therof: a crown indeed of punishment and scorn, as these his enemies intended it: but to him that wore it, far more glorious, then earthly Princes richest diadems.  
For whereas these are bare signs of an earthly sovereignty only, our saviours crown( born as it was by him) served to increase the glory of an heavenly Empire, which for himself then, & us also, he was haply gaining.  
Their Diadems are with pearls, and other material stones exteriorly adorned: but this thorny one of our saviour, was with pieces of torn flesh, and drops of his precious blood, incomparably more enriched. Which after the manner of Egyptian Hierogliphs, containing in them mysterious meanings, imported the supreme dominion, and power of him that wore it, by his humble patience, and charitable sufferings then obtained.  
It was both a trophy( as we may well call it) and an Instrument, of gaining a higher Conquest by him, then all the triumphant victories of worldly entrails put together; sithence in this, sin, hell, death itself, and the author therof, were for us to be haply vanquished.  
It was that painful, yet triumphant diadem, in which the holy Prophet, inviteth the daughters of jerusalem to behold him, to wit, holy souls to enamour themselves on him. It was the crown of our ambition, & pride, cruelly plaited, and often beaten into his head, with vile scorns and reproaches, that by such humiliations, dishonours, & pains he might satisfy for it. whereby he worthily merited to haue his own eternal crown in heaven sit more glorious, and to haue all other Crownes there, thrown at his feet, as having been gained by the merit of his passion.  
The Roman Souldiers plaited this crown on his head, yet his cruel Mother, the jewish synagogue, is said by the Prophet to haue put it on him, because as well this, as his other disgraceful torments, were procured by her, [ Cant. 3.] Go out( said he) O you daughters of zion, and behold your King in the diadem with which his mother crwoned him in the day of his solemnity, and ioy of hart.  
The time of our saviours passion, was a day to him of pain, & sorrow, if his sufferings in themselves be barely considered: but according to the loving motives, and gracious effects of them, it was, no doubt, a day of solemnity, most joyful unto him; his extremest agonyes and torments not nearly matching, in their multiplicity, and intention, the heavenly ardours of his blessed soul, & longings to suffer them. Those compared to these, were as small drops cast into a huge fire, increasing rather then quenching the flaming forces of it: or as a small cruet of vinegar, put into a huge vessel of sweet wine, unable in any sort to alter the colour or taste therof; his ardent love, & goodness, easily overcoming, and sweetening the cruel sharpness, and painful continuance of them.  
For as a stomakefull of sovereign cordials and antidotes, easily rejecteth the strongst poisons received into it, or altering the harmful forces of them, into wholesome & nourishing substance: so the son of God, having strengthened his human hart, with the strange Antidote of patience, & cordial of divine love, towards his eternal Father and us, did easily digest, and delightfully nourish his ever blessed soul, by his bitterest, and deadlyest torments: so as, they were like bullets, forcibly shot, into a strange rampiere, or bulwark, rending the earth,( as the whips and thorns did tear the head and other parts of our saviours body) but not harming the defendants within it; the Superior part of his soul, in all such batteries of his fleshy, and sensitive nature remaining untouched, as one armed with tempered steel, outwardly feeleth the hittings of darts, cast forcibly at him, but feareth not to be wounded inwardly by them.   

CHAAP. X. Of our saviours Purple Garment, and Reedy sceptre.  
AS cruelly the Roman soldiers had crwoned the Son of God, by plaiting sharp thorns on his head: so did they contrive, as a counterfeit King, ridiculously to attire him, with a purple ragged garment, put on his torn back, and a Cane for a sceptre in his hand; scornfully afterwards and painfully to derid him, by bending their knees, spitting on his face, beating the thorns into his head, and doing counterfeit reverences unto him.  
The spouse in the Canticles[ Cant. 5.] telleth us, her beloved was white, and read, in his excelling beautyes: which was not only mysteriously fulfilled of him, by the innocency of his life, and paynefullnes of his sufferings; but literally also by Herods white, and Pilates purple garments put vpon him.  
And whereas with them both, his enemies intended to scorn, and deride him; by the infinite wisdom, and majesty of him, that not casually, but voluntarily, and for high ends, vouchsafed to wear thē( using human malice, to effect his own ordination) they became significant, and mysterious Symbols, the one of his innocency, & immaculate sanctity, and the other of his ardent, and excessive charity, most royally, and richly, in his sufferings appearing.  
For, as cruel Herod's white Garment, had no colour cast on it, to stain the natural purity therof; so was the gracious candour of his soul that wore it, spotless, and undefiled.  
And as Pilats purple weed was so richly, and deeply grayned, as that beautiful colouring, in the raggednes therof vnalteredly remained: so was likewise our saviours charity, so deeply fixed in his soul, & constantly grayned, as in the raggednes, and woundings of his flesh, it most freshly, and gloriously appeared: many waters( as is said of him in the Canticles, Cant. 8.) being not able to extinguish his flames, or alter the deep die of his wonted love towards us, who regarded not so much the iuiuries don unto him, as the causes, and fruits of his suffering them. They put a reedy sceptre in his hand, a contemptible instrument, & sign( as Sampsons Iawe-bone was) of a most triumphant victory, which this our heavenly Champiob, was of his, and our hellish adversary, then actually gaining. Wherein he was to wrest his proud sceptre from him, and deprive him of his tyrannicall, & usurped dominion over souls.  
This hollow reed, in so great a conquerors hand, did fitly express, the emptiness of regal power here on earth, & the brittle pleasures which worldly sceptres bring with them, troublesone cares, impertinent vanities, & most dangerous temptations, to such as glory most in them.  
It represented also sinful souls, empty of heavenly graces & solid virtues, frail, and shaken with all sorts of temptations; who taken into the powerful hand of the son of God, become by his graces, constantly settled, & firmly grown, in heavenly perfection: and worthy then, to be carried, as so many sceptres, and rich trophies into his kingdom, from their infernal aduersaries cruel hands, victoriously snatched.  
Finally, this ridiculous sceptre, merited a most glorious sceptre for him that bore it, and enabled him to bestow afterwards, on his Princely adopted bretheren regal and eternal signs of majesty and greatness, gained for them, by his own scorns, and disgraces.   

CHAP. XI. Of Pilats showing of our saviour.  
behold( said Pilat) the man, showing Christ to the Iewes, so abused by his souldiers, as he had scarcely the discernible form of a man left remaining in him, according to that complaint, which himself long before made by his Prophet saying: J am a worm and no man, the reproach of men, and out-cast of the people; to signify thereby, that his cruel aduersaries, had shewed no human respect, or charity towards him, more then to a worm of the earth, carelessly trampled, and trodden on.  
He would not be pitied himself, that he might purchase pardon and pitty for us more abundantly: and to spare us in all kinds he would in no kind be spared.  
His dearest friends were scandalised, and scattered. His famed by slanderous accusations, was blotted, and obscured. His doctrine belied; his miracles disgraced; his claim of divine majesty, as a blasphemy condemned; his flesh torn; his blood  shed, and trodden under hangmens feet; his lovely beauties defaced; the hair of his head and beard clotted, and glued together with gore blood; his face all over besmeared; finally the delicate proportion of his limbs marred with swellings, rags of his flesh half cut off, and wide gashes made in him; so as no Painters pencil, or human imagination almost can describe him, in a more lamentall case, then that wherein Pilat to the Iewes publicly presented him; to equal then, and afterwards by new defacings, as he could, the spiritual deformities, and festered wounds caused by sin, in mens souls, and consciences.  
The sight of him, so mercilessly abused, availed nothing for moving the Iewes, to any compassion towards him, but rather enraged them the more, and increased their bloody outcries against him; Take him away, Crucify him, as hungry bloud-houndes, most eagerly spend their mouths, and hoatly pursue the chased Deere, emboss't, bleeding and almost spent before them.  
This merciless people, regarded not what our saviour had already suffered, but attended stil utterly to destroy him; so, contrary the whilst to them, in his intentions, and affections, as in goodness he excelled them.  
His mansuetude, he opposed to their malice, his Patience to their fury, his Charity to their hatred, his silence to their out-cries, his readiness to suffer further disgraces and torments, to their greediness in procuring them; & he was in all these kinds victorious against them, as being no more apt, in his goodness, then in his power, to be ore-matched, whose sufferings were as his speeches, and actions. Theandricall, heroical, and fitly beseeming the infinite perfection, and majesty of his person. So as from his silent, wise, and mysterious behaviours in them, the Roman Centurion was moved, in his death, to attribute as well Deity, as Sanctity unto him: and holy souls do draw high lessons, heavenly documents, & happy comforts from them. whereas secular souls puffed up with pride, lulled with ease, & dulled with sensual contentments, coldly conceive the glory of their Redeemers cross, or seldom reflect on those eminent virtues, which he exercised thereon; harbour in their harts, few, and could memories of gratitude: towards him, and never feel any enflamed desires, to imitate his holy poverty, profound humility, wonderful patience, heroical fortitude, & ardent charity towards them.   

CHAP. XII. Of our saviours Condemnation.  
SHall I( said Pilate answering the Iewes in their malicious outcries) crucify your King? A King indeed, born to inherit himself, and to bestow vpon him faithful followers, and seruants, an eternal kingdom. A King who by Angells themselves, for his majesty, was reverenced, for his wisdom extolled, for his goodness beloved, for his power admired, for his sanctity honoured, for his bounty praised, for his victories glorified, & magnified much more for his painful purchase, and humble manner of gaining them.  
A King for the glory, and salvation of mankind, promised to the Patriarkes, foretold by the Prophets, and expected by the Iewes themselves: so as the Deity of his person, the Sanctity of his life, the purity of his doctrine, his miraculous actions to confirm it, the fruits of his coming, the glory of his Kingdom, and other particular verities of him, were in those Scriptures, which they believed, and red daily, plainly contained.  
Yet here they renounced him, and cried, we haue no King but Caesar, a most bloody Tyrant, hater & oppressor of them: resembling in this their foolish, and wicked election the like folly of other sinners, contented to forsake, by sin, their omnipotent creator, dearly loving and desirous by his graces to save them; and adhering to their capital enemy, greedy of nothing, more then eternally to ruin them.  
Some of greatest authority( as it should seem) fearing that Pilate, after such cruel usages, might be inclined to spare him, urged Christs death more roundely, by telling him plainly, that if he spared him, he was not Caesars friend, because he that made himself a king, was an enemy unto him.  
This speech prevailed, for his speedy condemnation. Innocency professed by the judge himself, protected not the son of God. Iustice, was by so great a Magistrate through base fear, utterly neglected; Conscience trodden under foot, Compassion forgotten, and Malice against natural goodness, manifestly prevailed.  
Pilate washed his hands, but not his hart from the heavy guilt of condemning an Innocent. He cleared not himself, by this Ceremony, of his own fault, but shewed theirs who had urged him to it, to haue been much the greater: and by crying out, that he was innocent of the blood of that just man, bidding them to look to it, he gave them a sad occasion, of pronouncing against themselves, and their whole posterity, the heavy doom of reprobation, when for an answer to Pilates warning, they cried out, His blood be on us, and our Children.  
This horrible cry, entred far more dreadfully, then any thunderbolt could haue done from the ears, to the hart of our saviour, grieved therewith, far more, then with all his agonies & torments; So as, he could not forbear, in his said journey to Mount-Caluary, from uttering his grief, to certain devour, women of jerusalem deploring his distress, bidding them, not to weep on him, but on themselves, and their Children, cruelly murdered by their wicked Parents in soul before their nativities, secluded from partaking, in any sort, the happy fruits of his coming, & horribly designed, to be the miserable subiects of his Fathers eternal indignation, in reuenge of his only son murdered most detestably by them.   

CHAP. XIII. Of our saviours bearing his cross to Mount calvary.  
THe son of God, condemned together with two theeues, to be crucified on Mount calvary, had( as the evangelists tell us) the heavy burden of his cross laid on him, fainting under it, through feebleness; so as another was constrained by the souldiers on the way, to carry a part therof with him.  
His cruel Executioners meant to punish him, by burdening him therwith, but himself had therein higher ends, for which their great malice, conveniently served him.  
The Prophet Jsay( for example) had foretold long before, [ cap. 1.] that this new Prince & God with us, should carry his sceptre on his shoulders, which was in carrying his cross, not only a bare sign, but also a chief instrument, of gaining over souls an eternal dominion, mysteriously fulfilled.  
His cross, was that mystical Key of david, by which we was about, to open the four gates of heaven, that from the four winds, and corners of the earth, souls might enter afterwards through them.  
It was, as a miraculous Rod, in heavenly Moyses hand, whereby he was to work wonders, & open the read Sea, for the delivery of his people.  
It was as Dauids staff, with which he combatted against the infernal goliath, and vanquished him for vs.  
It was a mysterious three of life, by eating the fruit whereof, earthly souls, were to become heavenly, cleansed by grace, glorious, and immortal.  
It was that stately engraff, which the spouse in the Canticles ascended, commending the fruits therof, for wholesome and delicious.  
It was as a Throne of majesty, on which the King of glory was to be raised, to draw all harts in the chains of love forcibly unto him.  
It was a Bride-bed whereon this heavenly lover of souls, meant to purify, embrace, and enamour them, on him.  
It was finally, his high tribunal purposely erected( as himself said in the gospel) that the world might be judged by him thereon, the Prince of darkness cast out from his usurped dominion, & a satisfaction more then sufficient offered, to free men from sin, and regayne more then lost graces for them.  
weakness caused by his blood lost, made him to faint under so heavy a burden; yet a loving desire to carry it, made him to haue a part therof still on him imposed. And that he permitted simon Cyrenensis to carry it with him, was a mysterious charity, graciously in him afforded to us also, to share with him in the carriage of his cross, and glory of his Passion.  
It is said, he imprinted on the way to Mount calvary, the form of his face in a clean Towel, sent unto him of charity to wipe it a giuing holy souls thereby to understand, that they should ever carry, a lovely Image of their crucified Lord, framed within them, most beautifully appearing as he was in his passion, defaced most for them.  
His companions were two Theeues, led on the way by their bloody Executioners, and guarded with troops of souldiers going before, and making way for them; unfit attendants on the son of God, in so solemn a Procession.  
In his often faintings under his cross, he was no more spared from stripes and blows then on Mount-Caluary, in his thirst he was pitied, by gaule, and vinegar given unto him, whilst like a loving Nurse he was willing to take bitter potions himself, that his sick children, for their perfect cure might in sweet milk afterwards receive them.  
To ease us, he cared not himself to be diseased; to heal us he was glad himself to be wounded; and by graces to revive us, he was with all sorts of torments, and disgraces willingly butchered, & abused.   

CHAP. XIV. Of his being stripped, and Crucified.  
our saviour, had no sooner ended his painful journey to Mount-Caluary, but his bloody Executioners, were with new torments, ready to entertain him.  
First, by plucking off his garments, with rags of torn flesh, & gore blood, sticking unto them: So that his stripping, was a new whipping, painful unto him.  
Then in his extreme thirst( as I haue said before) they drenched him with gaule, that his sense of tasting might not by the clamminesse, and distaste therof, want a particular torment, to satisfy for our gluttonous excesses; and Dauids prophetical complaint, uttered in our saviours person long before, literally fulfilled saying, [ Psal. 21.] They ministered unto me gaule for food, and in my thirst, they gave me vinegar to drink; the one mysteriously importing the cause, which was Malice; the other the effect, and sharpness of his torments.  
Naked then, & full of wounds they threw him on his cross, and with great nay less fastened him thereunto, that his very formelying thereon, might fitly represent his affections towards us, for whom he was nailed.  
His arms( for example) in this painful posture, were widely opened, as ever ready lovingly to embrace vs. And his feet fast nailed together, shewed him not ready, at any time, to leave vs.  
His hands, bored through the tender palms therof, were like two boles of warm blood, sacrificed by our high Priest, & graciously prepared to cleanse, and sanctify faithful souls afterwards with it.  
And the four streams, flowing from his sacred wounds were as four springs, rising from the depth of this earthly Paradise, to water, cleanse, and make fruitful holy souls, humbly and penitently approaching him.  
The more contemptibly his sacred blood was trampled on the ground by the hangmen, and souldiers, the more was it prized by him, for whose glory it was thus  shed, and highly enhanced in the value therof, for our eternal Redemption.  
Salomons sumptuous Temple, was so built, as no noise of hammers, is said to baue been heard in the raising therof: but it was not without Engines by the Assyrians afterwards, and other forcible devises shaken, and defaced. So the goodly temple of our saviours body, was in his mothers womb, without human cooperation miraculously raised: but in his passion it was not without gashes of whips, rending of thorns, beating of hammers, fastening of nails, and other painful violencyes, lamentably destroyed.  
The posture of our saviours body nailed on his cross, is noted by a grave author, to haue been like a across bow bent, mounted upwards towards heaven, when thereon he was raised. The nut thereof was his hart, from whence darts of love, were continually loosed, and towards his Fathers bosom graciously directed; by whom they were, for what he would ask, lovingly accepted.  
Like unto two propitious, and favourable Planets, boding all good and happiness towards us, the divine Father, & son, mutually then beholded each other: and their reciprocal acts of love, redounded in their gracious effects happily on vs.  
The son of God, as he was man, loved us dearly, and died willingly for us, because his Father had given us, so to be by him redeemed; as he told his disciples after his last supper, expressing the high motive of his ardent love towards them: and the divine Father for his beloved sons sake, with singular love, and wonderful mercy, ever respected vs. So that, as long as the son loveth his Father, we are sure he will love us, by him recommended; and so long likewise, as the Father loveth his son, he will undoubtedly continue his love, first & chiefly begun, for his sake towards us; and adopt us, by the holy merits of our Redeemers life and death, heirs of his heavenly kingdom, sharers likewise of Beatitude eternally with him, according to that of the Apostle: he hath elected us in him, before the beginning of the world.   

CHAP. XV. Of our saviours first Words uttered on the cross, and Prayer for his enemies.  
THis bent Crosse-bow of love and mercy( as I may rightly term our saviour, hanging on his cross, according to my former comparison) was no sooner lifted up towards heaven, but that from the Nut of his hart, was loosed a burning dart of charitable love, towards his enemies, Father forgive them for they know not what they do; excusing so, as he could, and craving pardon for them, actually then busied under his very cross, in blasphemies, derisions, & outrages against him. And what could not so beloved a son, reposing in his Fathers bosom, as he was God, & crucified as he was man, obtain as he listed, powerfully for them?  
Certainly( as great authors haue observed) this out-cry of Charity, made in such circumstances by the son of God, had a happy effect afterwards to save many thousands of that reprobate people, & many of them also, who had concurred to his death, as appeareth by S. Peters speech in Pentecost, unto them. It stayed the subversion of their Temple, & city until forty yeares after his death, and caused jerusalem, whilst it stood, to be the primitive Nursery of innumerable saints, exemplar in their lives, and glorious in their sufferings.  
Some also since, by an overflowing of his gracious mercy, haue been saved in each age, of this reprobate people; and their general conversion before the worlds end, is( as S. Paul telleth us, [ Rom. 4.] by the virtue of our saviours prayer, by him to whom he prayed, mercifully intended.  
Their Hatred could not overcome his love, their Fury his Patience, their Malice his goodness, moving him no otherwise to pitty them in their desperate follies, then loving mothers are contented, to bear with the wayward dispositions of their diseased Children, and wise Phisitians patiently to suffer the frantic fits of their distracted Patients.  
He regarded not( saith S. Augustine) from whom, but for whom he suffered his agonyes, disgraces, and torments.  
In so much as the very Gentills themselves, and immediate Authors of his death, were not by him secluded from the fruits of his passion: sit hence the very captain of the Souldiers that crucified him, was moved interiorly by grace, openly to confess him to haue been the son of God, innocently killed, to the confusion, and shane of his cruel Aduersaries present.  
In whose charitable prayer, we also were mercifully included: and it still serveth to excuse us, in sins committed against him, supposing ever a practical ignorance of their dreadful consequences, and his infinite majesty offended by them.  
It grieved the son of God much, that his coming to save his people, with a particular tenderness of love towards them, should by their own willfulnes and desperate malice prove a fatal, and lamentable occasion, more deeply to condemn them. And it grieved him little less, to fore-see, how careless faithful souls would be afterwards, to accept, and use to their eternal good, those wonderful graces, which so dearly, and painfully he purchased for them.  
These, and the like thoughts, of his beloved Father, gracelessely, and ungratefully offended by men obliged infinitely unto him, were sharper edges of sorrow, & more deeply entred his soul, thē his exterior sufferings; so that whereas he hung only three houres on his cross, his Charity was such, as he could most willingly haue remained so many millions of yeares( had his Father been pleased) thereby to haue more universally redeemed vs.  
And for this cause, the windows, of Salomons mysterious Temple, are said( as a holy author observeth) to haue been larger within, then outwardly they seemed; to signify unto us, that our Redeemers wounds, were interiorly enlarged, multiplied, and continued, according to his enflamed charity, and will of suffering for vs.   

CHAP. XVI. Of Christs second speech on the cross, uttered to his holy Mother and beloved Disciple.  
IT was wisely no doubt by our creator, & conveniently ordained, that the Blessed Virgin should with her son in his sufferings be conjoined: that as our two earthly progenitors, had sinfully concurred to condemn us; so likewise our heavenly new Parents should be graciously combined, to save us: yet in a different manner.  
For as eve our old Mothers fault, procured not our condemnation, but by drawing her husband thereinto, she miserable occasioned it: so Mary( whom for being mother to Christ we may well call our new Parent) wrought not our redemption, by her sufferings, but concurred with her son, haply unto it.  
eve sensually delighted herself, in beholding, plucking, & tasting the forbidden fruit, joying to see her husband likewise eat it; and therfore, to satify in a sort for her sinful contentments, Mary, as a new Mother, was contrarily ordained, to behold the blessed fruit of her womb, fastened to the three of the cross, and with painful torments, killed thereon, to her unspeakable affliction.  
The evangelists do not tell us that this Blessed mother of our heavenly Redeemer, was present at any of her sons torments, except his crucifixion: yet may we probably guess her to haue ben a sad spectator of all such, as were publicly on him inflicted, and in his painful journey to Mount calvary, one, & the chiefest of his doleful attendants: where when other friends stood a far of from him, as he had complained by his Prophet; she under the very arms of his cross, in presence( so nigh as she could) and patience, united herself with him, whilst sorrows sharpest sword, which Simeon had foretold her, entred deeply into her soul, and made her feel therein, by a most aflictiue & tender compassion, her sons bodily woundings, and torments.  
Who the whilst, is not said, to haue fallen into soundings, outcries, and passionate behaviours, as painters under the cross are wont foolishly to express her: but contrarily, that she stood silently, and patiently near him, opening( as it were) her breast, with an heroical fortitude, to the deadlyest strokes, which grief could lay thereon; as being thereunto by her dying divine son supernaturally assisted, to offer, no doubt, mysteriously, that great Sacrifice with him: as S. John was ordained to be there also present, that as an eye-witnesse, he might authentically in his gospel, record the painful order of his Lords sufferings unto vs.  
Christ prayed on his cross, first for his enemies, because they stood in greatest need of his Charity towards them: and next, he cast his eyes and hart on his Mother and Disciple, as on two friends dearest of all others unto him, saying to her, first, as chiefest of the two, and most meriting his compassion: Woman, behold thy son: and then to him: behold thy Mother. He called her not Mother, lest by so naming her he might haue caused his spitghfull aduersaries, vnfittingly to haue abused her: and noting her perchance withall, to haue been that victorious woman contrary to eve, in her graces, and ordained by him( her son) to crush Sathans head, and utterly to vanquish him.  
He commended her therefore as a mother to S. John, that he might in his Lords place, as a loving child honour, and respect her; happy in so gracious an adoption, wherein his dear master was pleased, doubbly to adopt and make him his Brother; not only by his Father, but by his mother also, as a holy Author affirmeth.  
fair Rachael[ Gen. 35.] is said to haue had two sons, the one called joseph, as being the child of her prosperity, and increasing; the other name Benoni by her, the son of her sorrow, because she dyed in his painful birth: so this sacred Virgin may be said to haue had two sons, the first ioy fully for herself and mankind by her conceived; the other in her killing griefs was as Benoni, a son of sorrow, to her graciously bequeathed, who in the ecstasies of his mind, and high graces received( as david in Psalm. 67. mysteriously calleth him) proved a benjamin afterwards amongst the Apostles, graced above the rest, by leaving on his bosom in his last supper, and having had his mother recommended unto him.  
Neither had S. John this happiness alone, but after him also other holy souls were ordained to haue a share in this heavenly adoption, to be honoured in his honour, and blessed in his blessings, not for him alone, but for us also, by our most loving and liberal Lord, graciously prepared; who had nothing so dear, and proper to himself, which he hath not for our good been willing to communicate unto vs.  
His Father( for example) he hath made ours, his merits, his kingdom: and his mother lastly for a heavenly Parent, he bequeathed unto us, who by being united with her son, in his painful purchase of graces for us, merited from him, a gracious power, to perform Motherly offices, and obtain heavenly blessings abundantly, for her devout children, and seruants.   

CHAP. XVII. Of our saviours third speech uttered on the cross, to the good thief.  
THe cross( saith S. Augustine, in Psal. 54.) by the majesty of him, who for his Fathers glory, and mans redemption victoriously ascended it, was not only an instrument of his passion, but a Throne also erected to exercise his Iustice, and mercy differently on it. The two Theeues, amid whom he was crucified, representing the different standings, on his right, and left hand, of the good and bad, to be sentenced finally by him.  
The one of these Theeues, he left to dy, as he had lived: in the other, he was pleased to show the force of his grace, and virtue of his passion. So as his punishment patiently accepted, became for his sins, a speedy purgation. Faith illuminated him, to know the gracious pardoner of them. Hope of mercy animated him to ask the blessings of his kingdom. Charity enflamed, & moved him publicly to confess his divine, and innocent Redeemer, when all his friends seemed to haue forsaken him. zeal moved him, to blame his fellow, for joining with others, wickedly to blaspheme him: and heroical acts of virtue, as he hanged on his cross, were exercised by him. So as from Hell-mouth to heaven gate, he was sudaynely raised; and from being a thief to become a Saint happily converted.  
The fresh breath of our saviours killing wounds did sweetly enter into his soul, from death to revive it: & the first flowings of such fountains newly opened, were effectual to cleanse him with heavenly graces, liberally then bestowed, by the actual purchaser, & painful meriter of them.  
Our saviours body hanging on the cross, was like that Probatica in jerusalem[ joan. 5.] & the waters thereof newly troubled, and stirred in his passion, did fully cure this Theeues leprous soul, by faithful acts of love, and sorrow first entering into thē. So that, his cross became a Pulpit for this new doctor, illuminated from heaven, to preach his Redeemers greatness, and zealously teach others likewise to know him.  
neither dost thou( said he to his fellow) fear God, who art in the same damnation: we for our facts receive worthy punishments, but this just man, what hath he done? And then converting him towards the son of God, with his hart, and face together, he cried fervently, and penitently unto him; Lord remember me, when thou shalt come to thy kingdom. Who as a new born Babe of heaven, was quickly quieted in his cry, and haply contented with Christs answer unto him, promising that which in the humility of his soul he dared not demand for himself, to wit, that he should that very day be in Paradise with him, and joys everlasting: giuing him so, a present possession of his heavenly kingdom, wherein he desired to be only remembered.  
After which promise joyfully heard, faithfully believed, and thankfully accepted, this Blessed man was silent, delighting himself( as we may well conceive) in his eternal happiness so nearly approaching, extoling his Lords merciful bounty, and heartily compassionating him, in his innocent sufferings for him sustained.  
Angells( we may imagine) disenuirone, illuminate, and comfort this dying companion of their Lord, a Holy confessor of him vpon his cross, and a designed citizen of heaven. And such inward consolations, as he would not afford to himself, Christ conferred( no doubt) abundantly unto him, as the first fruit reaped from the Earth, watered with his blood, and offered to his eternal Father, even during the time of his passion.  
From whose happy conversion, in the end of his life, we may comfortably gather, that whilst we are alive, it is never overlate, to ask for mercy, with a contrite hart, of so loving a Redeemer, albeit hereupon no man should presume, until the last cast, to differ his conversion; sithence instead of one so saved, millions haue been damned; graces being not equally at all times offered, to such especially, as by their presumption, do make themselves unworthy to receive them.  
We may profitably also gather two points more. The first is, that exterior graces, are not( albeit alike) to several persons equally effectual; when interior motions, from God, do not in like manner further them. The other is, that temporal punishments, and disgraces often prove to sinners( as they did to this good thief) higher, and happier blessings, then much prosperity, commonly fatning souls for the slaughter, hoarding up for them greater treasures of wrath( according to the fearful phrases of Scripture) and filling fuller the measure of iniquity, to heap eternal punishments accordingly on them, the greatest revenge which God can take of a sinner.   

CHAP. XVIII. Of our saviours mysterious silence on the cross for three houres together.  
IT is, by grave Authors, most probably affirmed, that our saviours three first speached( already declared) were uttered by him, soon after he was lifted on his cross, & the other four not long before he drew near unto the end of his passion; so that for almost three houres together, he was silent in his torments, quietly the whilst tasting the whole bitterness of them, hanging his pained head down, and seeming not to note the horrible blasphemies, outrages, and pitiless usage of his enemies against him, as bidding him; If he were the son of God, to descend from his cross, and they would believe him; and upbraiding, that he had saved others, & therfore now should save himself; gnashing their teeth, shaking their heads, scorning & deriding him.  
heaven being darkened, mourned as it were at this sad spectacle, and the sun miraculously withdrew his beams from the earth, to show mysteriously thereby, that the sun of heaven himself was in his wonted brightness exteriorly Eclipsed, & that a dark night of sin overwhelmed mortal Creatures.  
The three divine Persons had been by mens sin equally offended, and therfore he that satisfied by his painful death for them, patiently remained three houres in his torments.  
He meant to redeem by his passion, holy souls, in the Law of Nature under Moyses, and during his own Law, guilty of sin, & therfore he would haue his pains for three houres continued.  
Holy souls were to haue Nature perfected, grace restored and glory in them consummated by the merit of his passion: & those three sorts of blessings for them he thought cheapely purchased by three houres sufferings. He meant on his cross, to satisfy for all mens sins, in thought word, and dead committed; and therefore he would haue for three houres together his satisfactions prolonged.  
Finally( to omit many other like reasons) his triumphant Church was to be glorified, his patient Church purged, his militant Church sanctified, and all saved souls amongst the three Hierarchyes of Angells haply raised, by his three houres pains, on the cross mysteriously sustained, wherein his blood did cry loudely, his Patience pled effectually, and his Charity beg heartily, pardon for our sins, graces to amend them, & bounty from his Father, as if we never had offended him: and that not in general only, but in particular likewise; so as singly and one by one, we may say with the Apostle, Christ is dead for me, he offered his passion for me, and loved me so dearly, as he could haue been willing, had it been needful to haue dyed singly for me. So 〈◇〉 the whole world; is not more obliged unto him, for his torments, then I am alone, for his will by them to redeem me: and albeit the effects, and graces gained for holy souls, by his death, haue been from time to time, according to his gracious will, & pleasure, differently distributed; yet hath it been my own fault chiefly, that I haue not gotten hitherto a greater share of them eternally to enrich me.  
The pourtrature of our Lord hanging on his cross, silently in torments( fit in the memory or hart of each Christian to be deeply imprinted) is by david in several psalms, and other Prophets thus particularly described: furrows had been by sinners ploughed on his back, and his bones with whips in many places bared. painful swellings, and gore-bloud had marred the proportion of his lims and defaced his beauty. nails had bored, and made wide holes in his hands, and feet, by the weight of his dying body, hanging on them, paynefully enlarged.  
The loss of his blood so often, and plentifully effused, had like a potsherd dried up his body, so as a deadly dust, instead of sweat issued from it.  
His tongue for drought did cleave to his mouth, his eyes for want of spirits languished, so as he had not forces to open them; and according to holy Symeons comparison, he hung on his cross, as a sign to be shot at, yet as lovely then in his agonies, and disgraces, as now he is in his glory and greatness. For these are as his triumphs, and those other his bloody combats, whereby they were purchased. Those the laboursome throws( as it were) and painful pangs in our birth to grace, graciously by him sustained: these his joys, and congratulations after them.   

CHAP. XIX. Of our saviours fourth speech on the cross.  
THe son of God, a little before his death, cried Eloi, Eloi, Lammasabacthani, Father, Father, why hast thou forsaken me? Expressing by this outcry & sad demand, made to his Father, the internal derelictions of his soul, and want of any comfort afforded unto it, for the case of his torments.  
He despaired not of mercy, at this instant, or feared his Fathers Iustice for mens sins taken vpon him( as some haue impiously & blasphemously affirmed) who gave heaven a little before to the penitent thief, and chiefly then merited by his painful sufferings, his Fathers love towards him, whom by the superior acts of his soul, he beatifically still beholded, and confidently a little afterwards recommended his soul unto him.  
But he gave by this mysterious out-cry, holy souls to understand, that his corporal, and inferior part( only capable of torments) had neither immediately from his divine Father, nor mediately from the superior part of his soul, or otherwise, been comforted by any thought, or holpen in the whole course of his passion, but left to itself as distressed and forsaken, that the sufferings therof might be the more intense & effectual satisfactions, for vs. That Martyrs likewise in their conflicts might by the holy merit of them, receive abundant consolations, as since they are known to haue done, when burning-coles haue seemed to them as cool roses to walk on; flaming fires, comfortable refreshings; scalding led, and oil, pleasant bathings; deadly poisons, harmless potions; their exposings to wild beasts, tamings of their fierceness; tearings of their flesh, easy scratches; breaking of bones, and other violent tortures, haue seemed as banquelts pleasing and delightful.  
Their glorious triumphs being indeed no other then Trophies of our saviours victory, bestowings of his gettings, and happy fruits of his sufferings who was feeble himself to strengthen his seruants; fearful, to imboulden them; pained, to ease them; humbled to raise them; left forsaken by his Father, and himself left in the corporal part of his nature, to sweeten martyrdom & hard trials sustained for him afterwards, with heavenly consolations.  
So as they haue ill hartes( saith S. Bernard) who are scandalised at his goodness; and dull heads, who conceive basely of his speeches, uttered by this glad sufferer to his Father, when he had so nearly ended the painful work of Obedience vpon him imposed, by making our eternal peace, and happily redeeming vs.  
In so much, as when he complaineth to haue been left, we are with a due respect of his infinite wisdom, majesty, and dearenes to his Father, unto whom he complained, to consider in which part of his human nature for us assumed, he was so forsaken: in that, to wit, which was so sensibly afflicted by the agonies and torments of his passion. Why likewise he suspended all flowings of superior delights thereinto; To wit for the greater merit( we may well affirm) of the sufferings thereof, as they were for his Fathers glory voluntarily undertaken. And lastly why in his very death, he so lamentably expressed them; To wit, for the reasons aforesaid, and that holy souls awakened by this out-cry of his, might more deeply apprehended the bitterness of them: This our most gracious Redeemer, being delighted in nothing more, then to haue his disgraces and torments, with infinite love by him sustained, thankfully by us acknowledged, frequently remembered, and compassionately deplored.   

CHAP. XX. Of our saviours fifth Word uttered on the cross expressing his thirst.  
sorrows are dry( according to the proverb) especially when corporal pains, do accompany them: both which to cause & increase our saviours drought, were in his Passion intensiuely conjoined.  
The loss also of much blood doth naturally cause extremity of thirst, whilst each emptied vein seeketh to draw moisture unto it: in so much as the learned and devout Bellarmine worthily accounteth Christs ardent droght one of the greatest of his torments; which perchance was the reason why silent in his other pains be particularly lamented that, & david his holy Prophet bemoaned him in it.  
neither was his corporal thirst, more ardet when he cried, J thirst, then was the spiritual drought of his soul, and desire of our salvation, vehement and enflamed, which had a double effect in him; the one, to drink up the bitter cup of his passion, thereby to redeem us; the other to apply the fruits, and graces thereof abundantly unto vs.  
His first spiritual thirst, was ended, when being near his death, he uttered this out-cry; but the other, then chiefly began, when his Passion was performed. In the first, he laboured to gain an infinite treasure of heavenly merits for us; in the later, he longed, with them to enrich vs.  
In the one he sought to obtain the means, in the other he desired by them eternally to exalt us: bounty being the end of his greet Charity towards us, and no other, in itself, then a natural, & delightful effusion of his goodness. So as, the latter thirst of these two chiefly beginning when the other was ended, may be said by this out-cry, to haue been specially expressed.  
From which fountain of our saviours love, and ardent desire of our good, all souls haue been sanctified since, and heavenly graces, plentifully conferred, when we fall, to raise us, when we faint to strengthen us, when we are troubled to quiet us, when we fear to encourage us, when we are afflicted to comfort us, when we waver in temptations to settle us; when we are dead by sin, to revive us; and by abundant graces to make us fervent, and perseverant in his service.  
In which holy thirst of the son of God, they give him, with his cruel Executioners, vinegar instead of wine to drink, who either wilfully contemn, or correspond not as they ought, with his graces. In which horrible cruelty, more to ourselves, then to him, each one is to examine himself, how he hath been faulty, and ungrateful to so gracious, and liberal a Redeemer; whose thirst is best quenched, with the like thirst in ourselves after Sanctity and Iustice, which he is so glad, and desirous to bestow on us, as with a loving out-cry thus in the gospel he inviteth us unto him: He that is thirsty, let him come unto me, and drink, and floods shall flow out of his belly, rising into life everlasting.  
He is ever ready to communicate graces, unto us, as a full and flowing fountain of thē: let us be as ready to receive them. He is never wearied in bestowing them: let us be ever prepared to accept them. He is pleased when we ask them: let us be instant to obtain them; Our importunity in begging them being delightful unto him, and his bounty never exhausted in bestowing them.   

CHAP. XXI. Of our saviours sixth Word on the cross, It is consummated.  
THis speech was to his Father, and us equally uttered. First to make known to him, how perfectly he had in his life, and death, fulfilled that high & hard work of Obedience on him imposed, so as nothing thereunto belonging had ben by him pntermitted, or imperfectly performed. And that we secondly( for whose instruction he spake all things) from his punctual Obedience, in doing and suffering as his Father had commanded him, might learn in like manner, never to fail in a due performance of our services towards him; still proposing so great an Example, as was the son of God before our eyes, to animate, comfort, and confirm us, in all hard attempts, and painful sufferings for him.  
Difficulties did not terrify him, dangers did not discourage him, fear of harms did not cool him. Disgraces did not confounded him, Wounds affright him, Torments dismay him, Labours weary him, or a most painful and opprobrious death, make him fail in his vndertakings for vs. So as, without shameful ingratitude, we cannot shrink, or imperfectly perform any services required, and ordained unto us, by him.  
Our saviour( we must understand) being infinitely wise as he was, did not perform his human actions, or undergo his painful sufferings casually, and at random, either in the substance or circumstances of them; but as his divine Father in his very conception had orderly, clearly, and particularly revealed them. And as Moyses ordained the jewish Sacrifices, and ceremonies according to the example, which on Mount Syna had been shewed him, as fit Types of our heavenly Redeemers sacrifices afterwards, and sufferings: so this great Lord and master of Moyses, did exactly, and holily observe, his divine Fathers ordinations, and commandments in all things, according as his Father had ordained them, by the holy practise of his life, and death, fully declared unto us: the same example indeed, which Moyses had, but by his own example, more lively, mouingly, and practically proposed unto vs.  
In which, that Christian soul is happy, who hath followed it so, as when he cometh to die, he may with great ioy of his hart, and a certain assurance of Beatitude afterwards, use these words of his dying dear Lord Consummatum est, the work, which thou hast given me to be done, hath been fully, and perfectly accomplished by me.  
And this is the difference, between holy saints, and Sinners in their ends. These are terrified, and feel a great horror in themselves, to appear before their judge, whom in their lives they haue frequently, and heinously offended: The other, as they haue faithfully loved and served him here, so dying they long to see him, as victorious combattants to be crwoned, as painful labourers to receive their hire promised, as diligent imployers of their Lords Talents, to be liberally rewarded for multiplying of them; and as obedient children, to be by their divine Father, straightly embraced, blessed, and possessed, of an eternal inheritance, for them prepared.   

CHAP. XXII. Of our saviours last cry, and death.  
THat the world might know the son of God( to use his own words) had power to depose his life, and again to assume it, he would not die as other men naturally do, forceles, fainting, and unable to breath any longer; but he purposely reserved a miraculous kind of strength till his last gasp, that he might thereby make his death singular, and apt by the strange manner thereof, to confounded, or convert his beholders.  
For S. Paul telleth us that he yielded up his ghost, with a strong cry, and tears. His Voice expressed a confidency of love towards his Father, into whose hands he recommended his dying soul: and his tears were  shed to deplore mens ungrateful usages of him, the reprobation of his people for their malice against him, the dangers he was to leave his friends in and the damnation of innumerable souls, for not using as they ought, graces, by his death purchased for them.  
He wept then, as some mildred judge would do, knowing how dreadful a sentence he was to pronounce against some heinous malefactor, to be adiudged by him. He wept then, to scorn his obstinate enemies ever after, and laugh at their destruction, when mildness, used in his first, shall give place to fury in his second coming, Mercy to Iustice, Patience to Reuenge and Silence to dreadful threats( against his adversaries) of horror, and Confusion. So as, according to this high Iudges own words, they shall wish for hills to fall on them and mountains to cover, and hid them from the anger of the lamb towards them.  
Lastly, he wept at his going out of this world to make( saith a holy Father) the end of his painful life, suitable to the beginning therof, wherein children with tears, and cries seem to presage their miseries ensuing. And mysteriously withall to warn us, not to depart this life, so near as we can, without shedding tears of hearty sorrow, and repentance, through the warm Lymbecke of love( as our saviours were) plentifully distilled; because such flowings from our eyes, and hart together, will best cleanse our souls, quench any purging flames feared at that instant, by us; and present them pure, to their great Makers hands, who do happily  shed them, to be by him blessed, embraced, and eternally exalted: Christ having by his death sweetened now that passage; blunted the serpents sting, into the heel of his divine Person( to wit, his corporal nature) voluntarily for that purpose received; dulled the Angells sword in his wounds, and quenched by his blood the flaming thereof, with which, to keep us out of paradise, the gate thereof was formerly guarded.  
So that, as death was to Christ himself, so is it now to his beloved seruants, gladly embracing it, a Port after storms, an eternal rest after labours, and a happy Entrance for them, into the ioy of their Lord, after afflictions here ended. The heavenly Fathers arms since they were first opened to receive the dying soul of his dear son, exalt him after his humiliation, and glorify him after his passion, having never been shut, but widely extended, and ready still to embrace holy souls, recommended unto him by the holy merits of their Redeemers sufferings.   

CHAP. XXIII. Of the Consequences of our saviours death, and opening of his side.  
AT the very dissolution, and parting of our saviours soul and body( wherein his death properly consisted) the air then darckned before became suddenly cleared, to represent the bright sun-shine of heavenly graces, purchased for vs.  
The earth trembled, & rocks tore in sunder, to signify the terror of earthly souls, at his iudgments, and deep contrition which should possess penitent hartes, for sins, by them committed.  
Graues opened, and dead bodies lay in them expecting their own, and representing, of all men, a general Resurrection, newly obtained.  
The curious veil of coloured silks, which covered the face of the inmost Temple, was rent in two from the bottom to the top; to signify, that nothing was now left any longer holy, & mysterious, to that wicked people: and that likewise the Verities of Faith, hidden before, were to be afterwards to the gentiles, openly revealed.  
The captain of the Roman Souldiers, that crucified Christ, was the first next the thief, that haply shared, in our saviours redemption, so far, as to confess his Deity, and say plainly, This man was truly the son of God: grieving himself, and confounding the Iewes present, for their bloody out-rages against him; so as many of them, did beat their breasts, and sadly departed.  
His friends( S. Joseph, Nicodemus, and others) assumed a great boldness with his death, to beg his body of Pilate, honourably to inter it; his fainting having strengthened them, his fears encouraged them, and his death with a new life graciously revived them.  
Our Lords pains, but not his wounds, ended with his death, because he received the greatest of them afterwards, if it may be called a wound, which is more fitly termed by the evangelist to haue been, an opening of his side, from whence blood and water, to cool, and cleanse sinful souls, mysteriously issued.  
This Cleft of our heavenly rock, was widely, and deeply made, that holy souls might easily enter, and hid themselves in it, to contemplate therein, his wounded hart, with human love and divine mercy graciously stored, and inundations of heavenly graces issuing from it.  
It could not be pierced, whilst he was alive, nor the vital blood therein to the last drop( as he intended, for us) effused. Wherefore after his death, he would haue it effected, and that prophesy fulfilled, supper dolorem vulnerum meorum addiderunt, they added above the grief of my wounds; or wounded me when I wanted sense to feel the same, as a holy Author expoundeth it.  
But what he felt not himself, his afflicted Mother smarted in, to behold the body of her gracious son, and Redeemer, by so wide, and deep a gash as the souldiers spear had made therein, more then by any of his other wounds, mangled and defaced.   

CHAP. XXIV. Of our saviours burial.  
THe deposall of our saviours dead body from the cross was a bringing nearer( as it were) of killing grief, to the hart of his Blessed mother, by the neener view, and could touches, of his deformed wounds, lamentably caused; until they were with the sweet mixture of Aloes, and myrrh brought by Nicodemus, embalmed, and his body wrapped in clean linen brought by S. joseph to involve it: mysteriously signifying the clean consciences of holy souls in his Church sacramentally now receiving him.  
After a most ignominious and painful death( according to I say his prediction) his burial was glorious both in the Attendants, and circumstances thereof: His afflicted mother having been the chiefest mourner in this sad Obsequy, accompanied( no doubt) with all his Apostles, and Disciples assembled, to deplore their Lords death, who living had been so graciously dear, and loving unto them.  
His sepulchre was a Rocky Vault, newly made, and covered with a great ston, that in this bed of death and darkness, his body after the painful labours, and sufferings thereof, might for 33. houres together, or thereabout, lie quietly reposed, to be awakened in a new life afterwards, and gloriously raised.  
His Mother, and friends left this precious part of her divine son, and their gracious Lord so entombed, carrying their griefs home with them renewed in the hart of his Mother, especially by sad reflections, on his particular sufferings; that by such afflictions, lovingly by her, and the rest continued, their holy merits, and joys in his Resurrection might be accordingly increased.  
The triumph of our saviours soul began immediately after his death, and victory obtained, by terrifying devils and damned souls, with the glory and power of his presence; and glorifying the souls of his captived friends then ordained to receive( as the first fruit of his passion) their Beatitude from him. Whereas for a surer testimony of his death the triumph of his body was till the third day purposely differred, when his conquering soul returned thereunto( as another jacob to his home) with two troops of Angells, and saints gloriously attended, to repair the ruins thereof, deck it with new bewtyes, and replenish it( for torments sustained) with eternal Delights, and unspeakable Contentments heaped endlessly vpon it.   

THE TABLE OF CHAPTERS.  

Chap. I. DEclaring some chief Figures of our saviours Passion. p. 9.  
Chap. II. Of Gods wonderful Mercy in redeeming vs. pag. 13.  
Chap. III. Of our saviours last Supper. pag. 18.  
Chap. IV. Of our saviours prayer, and bloody agony in the Garden. pag. 25.  
Chap. V. Of our saviours Apprehension, Jniuries sustained in Cayphas house, and S. Peters denying him. pag. 30.  
Chap. VI. Of our saviours examination in Caiphas house, and private Condemnation. pag. 37.  
Chap. VII. Of our saviours arraignment before Pilate. pag. 41.  
Chap. VIII. Of our saviours whipping. pag. 45.  
Chap. IX. Of our saviours Crowning with thorns. pag. 49.  
Chap. X. Of our saviours Purple Garment, and Reedy sceptre. p. 55.  
Chap. XI. Of Pilats showing of our saviour. pag. 60.  
Chap. XII. Of our saviours Condemnation. pag. 64.  
Chap. XIII. Of our saviours bearing his cross to Mount-Caluary. pag. 69.  
Chap. XIV. Of his being stripped, and Crucified. pag. 74.  
Chap. XV. Of our saviours first Words uttered on the cross, and Prayer for his Enemies. pag 79.  
Chap. XVI. Of Christs second speech on the cross, uttered to his holy Mother and beloved Disciple. pag. 85.  
Chap. XVII. Of our saviours third speech uttered on the cross, to the good thief pag. 92.  
Chap. XVIII. Of our saviours mysterious silence on the cross for three houres together. pa. 98.  
Chap. XIX. Of our saviours Fourth speech on the cross. pag. 104.  
Chap. XX. Of our saviours fifth word uttered the cross, expressing his thirst. pag. 109.  
Chap. XXI. Of our saviours sixth Word on his cross, It is consummated. pag. 113.  
Chap. XXII. Of our saviours last cry, and death. pag. 118.  
Chap XXIII. Of the Consequences of our saviours death, & opening of his side. pag. 122.  
Chap. XXIV. Of our saviours burial. pag. 126.   
FINIS.