The vii shedynges of the blood of Ihesu christ.  

jesus nazarenus rexiudeorum   Jesus on a cross   

¶ Here beginneth a contemplation or meditation of the shedding of the blood of our lord Ihesu christ at seven times.  
WE ought oftentimes to remember devoutly many & grievous pains that our lord Ihesu cryst suffered for our redemption/ that our love may be the more fervent to him. And we saying his great love and kindness/ may for his love patiently suffer tribulations & diseases in this world/ lest we for our unkindness be cast from his face in to everlasting pain. ¶ Among his grievous pains he shed his precious blood for our love seven. times the which should often be considered of us. But when we shall consider his pains or when we shall pray/ if we will have comfortable feeling of devotion in our soul. At the beginning of our prayer or contemplation we must withdraw our mind and wits fro all outward things & business as much as we may. And think on that thing that our contemplation or prayer is of. As if thou wilt devoutly remember his circumcision/ thou mayst think as if thou might see afore the our blessed lord Jesus' in his childhood/ that is to say a fair little babe a meek & a sweet lamme so clean/ so pure/ so pleasant to behold & look on his blessed visage/ so amiable his favourable eyen/ so full of grace his Innocent hands & feet/ so pretty & lovesom so fair and white very god & man borne of a virgin pure. And than have pity & compassion in thy heart that so fair & favourable a babe/ so sweet and blessed Innocent that never died amiss/ should suffer so grievous pain as he suffered for thee/ when his tender flesh was cut with a knife made of stone when he was but. viii days old. Take heed how piteously he weepeth in his moders arms for anguish & pain/ and weep with him if thou can. For thou art the cause of his weeping/ for he suffered guiltless such pains for the love of thee/ & so while the matter is fresh in thy mind/ thou mayst begin thy devotion.  
THe second time that our lord & saviour christ Ihesu shed his precious blood for us/ was in the moūre of Olyuete/ where he saying his tedious and horrible pains of his bitter passion drawing near/ for great anguish & pain sweat water & blood. Here mayst thou think as thou sawest him kneeling on the ground holding up his holy hands lifting up his face to heaven with the most piteous cheer & rueful cost tenance that thou canst imagine. Think as thou saw verily his eyen swollen & reed for weeping/ & all his face changed with a marvelous countenance of heaviness. And think as thou sawest & heardest him sob weep & sigh full heavily/ & how mourningly he prayeth to the father of heaven/ how plentifully he weepeth to the father of heaven/ how thick the tears ran down by his cheeks/ how he weepeth his eyen & face washed with tears/ how his body is wete of it/ as it were all bathed with sweet and blood and water. Thou mayst well think he suffered grievous pain inward/ that sweat outward on his body water & blood. And the pains of his passion were grievous sith the thinking thereof caused him to sweet blood & water. For the which pain desire thou as heartily as thou can to weep with him/ for thou art the cause of his grievous pain. And while thou haste this fresh in thy mind say thy devotion.  
THe third time our saviour shed his precious blood for us/ was when he was bound to a pillar & with scarpe scourges was cruelly beaten. Here mayst thou think as thou saw him verily afore the naked bound to a pillar/ & how cruelly & fiercely the cursed tyrants pincheth or smiteth him without mercy with whips & rods/ so that no hole skin is left upon him. Thing as thou sawest the streams of his precious blood running down on every side after the grievous and smart lashes of the whips/ & that thou seest the bare & naked bones/ the flesh rent fro the bones with many & fell strokes of the knotted scourges died with his precious blood. Think also that thou hearest him groan/ quake and tremble for anguish and wonderful pain/ how piteously he casteth his look toward heaven/ and that with the strokes of the scourges a part of his blessed flesh or a drop of his precious blood falleth or droppeth on thy face or on thy clothes/ this pain suffered he for the love of thee/ therefore thou ought to have more pity on him. And with as good devotion as thou can/ lift thy heart & mind to him/ & say thy prayer.  
THe fourth time our blessed lord shed his precious blood for our redemption/ was as he was crowned with a garland of sharp thorns. Here mayst thou think/ as if thou seest him sitting afore the his hands bound behind him/ & the boistous tyrants setting a grievous garland of sharp thorns on his heed/ & pressing it down with so great violence/ that the sharp thorns pierced in to his brain. Take heed and behold his rueful and heavy countenance/ how piteously he shrinketh his neck in to his shoulders for the great anguish of that great & horrible pain/ & how piteously he groaneth for grief of that horrible pain/ how piteously the streams of blood runneth about his heed that is to torn in every side. Behold his blessed visage that sometime was so pleasant/ so gracious/ so amiable is now made so reed with blood & all disfigured with sorrow & heaviness/ his eeres & his nose be stopped with blood. Behold & see how patiently he that was god and man & is/ suffered to be scornfully mocked with ribalds & caitiffs: & his blessed face to be foiled with their loathsome spitting/ and all for the love of man/ therefore man ought to have thereof great compassion.  
THe fifth time our saviour shed his precious blood for us/ was when his clothes were taken fro him after his scourging. Here thou mayst think as thou seest him as afore with a full heavy countenance groaning piteously with many a deep & profound sigh coming from his heart rote. And the tyrants pulling freshly of his clothes that clyved fast with dry blood to his tender body/ for in pulling away his clothes the skin & the flesh rend fro his body that clived so fast to his clothes with dry blood/ by the which he was all to rent/ all to rasshed/ & all to torn & stremed all with blood/ and so he bled new again. I trow this pain was more grievous to him than his scourging. Remember how he shrinketh trembleth & quaketh & stoopeth low down in all his body in pulling of his clothes for the bitter anguish of that grievous pain. Behold how rewfully he is arrayed like no man but more like a thing that were new slain without any skin/ if thou canst not remember the anguish of this pain/ thou mayst pinch thy finger or some other part of thy body/ that by the feeling of thine own little pain thou mayst the better remember the great pain that he suffered for the which thou were cause of.  
THe sixth time that our lord shed his precious blood/ was when his blessed & Innocent hands and feet were nailed to the cross. Here mayst thou think as if thou seest him/ the fierce cruel tyrants & tormentors of our merciful lord hale & pull his blessed arms/ some the one and some the other/ so sore/ that it may seem to the that thou hearest his joints to crack and the sinews to burst in sondre. Than mayst thou think that thou seest him drive that is driver of the great nails in to his holy & sweet hands & feet/ & that thou beholdest the driver of the nails & seest him without any ruth or pity smite in every nail with many mighty/ & that thou seest the blood springe out at every struck/ than seest our lord shrink and quake for hideous pain and smarting of his tender flesh new cut at every stroke. This master thou think first on the one hand and after on that other & also on the feet. Than thou mayst behold with ruth & compassion how piteously & how grievous & hideous pain they spoiled his clothes/ his flesh all to rent and to torn hangeth bleeding on the cross/ having no thing as I suppose to sustain the weight of his body ne to rest him upon but the hard nailed fixed within his tender flesh/ this was to him a double pain/ the which were to him both grievous & hard to suffer the great achings & anguishes both in his arms & hands & feet. Another pain of sore smarting in his hands & feet oppressed hard with the nails fixed in the quick flesh. Both this pains horrible were caused by the weight of his precious body. Beholding also the rivers of blood flowing out of his hands & feet. Thou mayst think also that his limbs quake & tremble for pain/ & that for weariness & anguish of his intolerable pain he sometime shaketh his heed ruefully and heavily/ sometime casteth it upon his right shoulder/ sometime upon his left shoulder/ & sometime lifteth it up full piteously as a man swooning & half deed/ letteth it fall down to his breast. Than mayst thou behold the dole full countenance of his face/ how pale it is. And thou mayst think the among all these pains & sorrows he lytteth up his eyen & looketh upon the in token of love. As who saith I love the so moche that I wilfully suffer this pain for thee/ & am ready to suffer more if it be put to me. And that thou shouldest remember what he hath done for the.  
THe vii time that our merciful saviour shed his precious blood for us/ was when he hanged on the cross & was smitten in to the side with a spear. Here mayst thou think as if thou seest the body of our merciful lord after that he for our trespass hath suffered patiently many outrages & exceeding pains hang deed upon the cross all pale & wan or like to be a be'st newly slain for he spared not his own blood/ but gave it wilfully for our redemption. After that thou hast with pity & compassion beholden well how piteously his visage sometime most beauteous & amiable hangeth inclined down all wan & pale of colour his precious body/ also that exceedeth all other in beauty & fairness hangeth all to rent & torn. Thou mayst behold how the spear runneth through his side with great violence & runneth through his heart/ & thou mayst think how thou heard the sown of the cruel stroke entering in to his side/ & that thou seest blood & water that was ready to run hastily out to wash away thy filth & make the clean/ flowed out at the terrible wound of his side/ and ran part down on the spear & part down on his side. O sweet Ihesu how patiently how meekly sufferest thou so unkindly to be entreated/ so cruelly tormented/ so ruefully arrayed for the love of man. O tender & merciful lord that after that thou hast spent thy blood of thy body to death/ wouldest after thy death for the love of thy servant spend all the precious blood of thy body & heart. After if pity & compassion would suffer the thou mayst look in at the wound of his side & behold how his heart that was free & kind to the is runnen/ torn and smitten through with the spear. And with devout prayer & compassion desire that he suffer thy love never to depart fro him/ but that thou mayst be ready for the love of him patiently to suffer pain and adversity of this wretched world/ for he suffered guiltless meekly & patiently much pain & anguish for the love of the. Because the devout memory of the bitter passion of our saviour expelleth temptation and exciteth many times the devotion of the true lover of our lord. Thou mayst think & imagine on that our merciful redeemer complaineth & not without a cause/ for the great Injury & unkindness of the jews/ & saith to them in this wise O ye mine own/ how may ye find in your hearts so uncourteously to entreat me/ sithen I have chosen you before other/ & brought you fro strange nations and put you in my delectable vineyard. I have create and made you like unto myself/ & ye have laboured to destroy me/ & have caused me guiltless to be put to shameful death on the cross like a thief or a manslayer. I chase and preferred you before people of other nations/ & ye have done to me great villainy & made me objection & derision of people. And I by many miracles in correction of your adversaries of Egypte loosed you from captivity & brought you out of their subjection. And by false accusations & exciting & steering of the people against me/ hath caused me without trespass to be nailed and fastened to a tree/ and guiltless to die. I ministered to you light when it was dark/ that ye might escape safely the danger of your adversaries: & ye came against me with light of lanterns swords & staves as I were a thief/ to take me & put me in many divers pains and dyspyteous death. I fed & nourished you xl year in wilderness with delicate manna/ & for you caused water to run out of the hard stone. And ye caused me to be fed with bitter aysel & gall/ & caused the blood and water to run out of my side. I gave to you laws by Moses' according to reason/ and ye have caused me against reason without trespass to be condemned to cruel death. I by correction of your adversaries led you in to the land of promission/ and put you in to my sweet & delectable vineyard/ where often I gave you the victory of your enemies. And ye not satisfied with derision & mocking me with many grievous & cruel pains that I have suffered/ to lead me to torn & all to rent with strokes to put me upon the cross. I have exalted you above all other people/ & ye have mocked me & caused me to be punished with sinners & trespassers what thing have I done unto you/ or what unkindness have ye found in me that ye entreat me so ungently have not ye found me merciful and gracious to you in your needs. I have chosen you & ye have refused me. I have brought you forth and nourished you as my children/ & ye have despised me. O how unrightwise and unkind these rewards be/ to reward evil for good/ shame & villainy for worship & good and dignity malice and enmity for favour and friendship/ trouble and vexation for peace and tranquillity/ grievous and bitter pain with adversity for pleasure & prosperity/ cruel and shameful death for prosperous life.  
AFter thou hast with devotion behold our blessed saviour & considered well his cruel outrageous pain/ turn the than toward his sorrowful mother/ and behold well her heavy cheer & sorrowful countenance/ and see how piteously the tears run out of her gracious eyen and disdain her beauteous visage how dolefully she sobbed/ how piteously she wringeth her hands with many a sorrowful sighing coming from her heart replete with sorrow and heaviness/ how she falleth often in swooning her tender heart like to be burst for pity & compassion of her child that was and is very god & man/ how she sometime among her swooning and grievous pains with countenance dysconsolate/ casteth up her eyen for pity and love upon her sweet son and blessed child/ and anon for pity & motherly compassion she fell down in swooning in more grievous pain and sorrow than she was before.  
¶ O good lady mother of pity no marvel though thou were heavy and sorrowful to see thy blessed and merciful son suffer guiltless so many grievous pains.  
¶ O blessed lady the mother of mercy how full of sorrow and anguish was thy heart/ to see thy blessed son his heed perished with sharp thorns which thou were wont to lap full tenderly.  
¶ O lovely lady queen of heaven and example of honest how heavy was thy cheer & countenance to see the favourable face of thy blessed child that was & is very god & man foiled with the spitting of rybawdes and caitiffs.  
¶ O sweet lady the flower of chastity/ how deep & how sorrowful were thy sighings to see offered bitter eisell and gall to thy child to drink/ to whom thou were wont to give sweet virgins milk of thy blessed breast  
¶ O gracious lady the perfit mirror of virtue and goodness/ how full of sorrow were thy sobbing to behold the Innocent hands and feet of thy blessed child that never did trespass nailed hard to a tree/ the which thou were wont to dress and wash reverently.  
¶ O benign lady well of mercy and grace/ how copiously died thine eyen shed out floods of bitter tears/ when thou beheldest the blood flowing out of the hands and feet of thy deresone/ the which thou were wont to lap and swadell full moderly.  
¶ O glorious lady the tree of life/ how fearful were thy swounynges and how pytefully were thy wryngynges of thy blessed hands/ when thou beheldest the blessed fruit of thy body all to torn and rent/ hanging deed upon the cross that thou hadst brought forth & nourished tenderly upon thy lap.  
¶ O merciful lady the mother of pity and compassion how grievous was thy piteous & tender heart wounded with the sword of sorrow & compassion/ to see a spear to rive his side/ that had chosen to dwell within thy blessed sides/ and made his holy tabernacle not far from thy heart.  
¶ O blessed lady I know well that thou shouldest have died before him or with him if thou hadst not had steadfast believe & hope that he should live again. Here thou mayst apply thyself to sorrow & mourn with thy careful & heavy lady/ for it beseemeth not well that so glorious & so virtuous a lady wash her face with tears & thou a caitiff & a sinner depart a sinner with dry eyen sith he suffered these pains for love of thee/ it is not according that so noble & prudent a lady sob/ sigh and swoon for thy lords death/ and thou that art subgecte like an unkind servant/ leave him without pity or compassion/ sith he died for the love of the.  
AFter this thou mayst imagine & think that what time the body of our lord & blessed saviour  take down from the cross/ our blessed lady hasteth her toward it with heavy cheer/ & embraceth him in her arms & giveth sorrowful kissings meddled with bitter tears/ & that she beholding his body & bloody wounds weepeth so piteously/ that the sanguyn tears meddled with his precious blood run down on the deed body in mourning & sorrowing the piteous death of her dear son/ saith to him in this wise. A my deer son my lord & sovereign/ my succour & comfort/ my joy & my pleasure & my felicity/ thy sharp torments & Innocent death pierceth my heart with sorrow & heaviness & woundeth it grievously. O ye unkind & hard hearted people/ how might ye for pity punish him that never offended/ how ye might find in your hearts to beat your sovereign master that taught you the way of virtue/ how could ye for pity slay your cunning surgyn the which healed by miracles the blind/ deaf/ and lame/ why would ye slay your wise physician that gave life to the deed. O ye unkind scourges nails spear and thorns/ how durst ye pierce the flesh of your maker & lord. O thou strong & sturdy tree/ for unkindness also I may accuse thee/ why didst thou not leave & put away thy natural styfnes and bow thy branches to favour & ease my deer son all wearied with sore pain and torments.  
¶ O how fortunate be ye chaste virgins chylderles and honest wives & widows also/ that have your children to comfort you & glad you in your sorrow & disease. But alas for sorrow & pite my blessed son that was my joy & comfort that never died offend/ lieth before my face slain causeless/ & I have no more. ¶ O holy angel Gabryell thou saluted me with words of great joy & gladness/ but now my joy & gladness been turned in to great sorrow & heaviness. Thou saidest I should conceive and bring forth the son of god/ & that his kingdom & reign should ever endure/ but behold now and see the blessed fruit that I conceived through thy words cruelly slain. Thou called me full of grace & said/ our lord was with me/ but see now how hard grace I find in the unkind people that hath taken my lord fro me/ & put him to shameful death. Thou callest me also blessed in thy salutation/ but how may I be blessed sith my deer son my lord/ my joy & my bliss is refte fro me with unkind people & rob of his life. Behold cousin Elysabeth how ruefully he is arrayed/ at whose presence thy son Iohn joined in thy womb. ¶ O mine own dear son at thy nativity holy angels song songs of peace mirth & melody. And now again thy death the ungentle people made a noise of great trouble/ sorrow & heaviness/ crying with malicious voices. crucify him/ without ruth or pity. At thy birth also kings of far countries assembled together & led by that light of a star died to the moche worship & reverence/ and now thine own neighbours blind with hateful malice have gathered them against the with deceit and falseness to condemn the to death. ¶ O rightwise simeon/ se how he is unrightfully slain whom thou desirest sore to see or thou shouldest die. Now feel I the sore stroke of the sharp sword of sorrow & heaviness that thou faydest should thrill my heart. Behold blessed baptist how piteously that meek down is put to death on whom thou sawest the holy ghost descend when that thou baptized him in flom jordan. Behold how that immaculate lamb lieth Innocently slain that thou saidest/ should take away sin and wickedness. ¶ O dear son/ how shall I cease of sorrow/ there is no remedy but only in thee/ therefore blessed child sith I am thy mother have pity & compassion on me/ & other turn to life again or take my life fro me for my sorrow sweet son I see none other remedy.  
¶ The holy order of angels I beseech you to help me that glorious angel that is my keeper and counsel be in my keeping as thou thinkest most profitable to my soul and to present my prayer before the throne of the glorious trinity. And I thank the blessed angel which art my keeper to keep me that I may everlastingly love the and thank the in the heveuly city.  
¶ The second order of angels I beseech you that I may have by your prayers & help revelation from the trinity of such things as ye would I should do his pleasure/ and with assistance of his grace to do them.  
¶ The third order of pryncypates I beseech you so to help thy prelate's & princes in governing of the people that they may live in rest/ & truly serve their lord god/ & that at the hour of death ye be present to deliver our souls from danger of the devil/ and bring us to the endless joy of the celestial paradise.  
¶ The fourth order of potestates I beseech you to repress my ghostly enemies/ that they never prevail to hurt me bodily ne ghostly/ & to deliver me fro that falls cautels by the which they intend the destruction of my soul.  
¶ The fifth order of virtues I beseech you for to pray that I may have strength in body & soul to execute the works of that virtue & that my memory & reason may be more apt to receive & understand by your help & prayer. Also the gifts of nature be made more perfit to the use & virtue & to the pleasure of my lord god.  
¶ The sixth order of domination I beseech you that by your help and prayer that my soul may have perfit domination upon my body/ to rule it according to reason and to the will of my lord god/ and that I may have victory in temptation of mine enemy/ and perfit patience in all tribulations.  
¶ The vii order of thrones I beseech you that by your help & prayer I may execute the works of mercy the which pertaineth to the rightwiseness of god & of my neighbour/ & at the hour of death when I shall receive judgement for the deeds of my life/ that by the merits of you I may find my lord god my merciful judge.  
¶ The viii order of cheruphyn I beseech you pray my lord god that I may have the gift of wisdom to know the goodness of my lord god & kindness which he hath showed me. And to know though things which be to his pleasure and that I may do them/ & though things that be to his displeasure that I may have grace to feel them.  
¶ The ix order of seraphins I beseech you to pray for me that I may have the gift of fervent love in my lord god/ and the sweetness of devotion in his service with holy meditation/ that my soul be enflambed with love of the glorious trinity/ and endless joy of his most blessed presence. amen.  
¶ Here endeth a meditation of the vii shedynges of the blood of our lord Ihesu christ.  
imprinted at London in Fleetstreet at the sign of the son/ by wynkind word. The year of our lord god. M. ccccc. ix.   


Wynkyn. de. word.   printer's or publisher's device