§. I. WHO .

2. The first circumstance is , to consider attentiuely , Who is the person that doth that worke , or suffer that payne : that it is Iesus Christ God and man , who being God from all Eternity , without any beginning of his Being , for the saluation of the world came downe from heauen , and was made man in the wombe of the sacred Virgin Mary .

3. And in as much , as he is God , he is the Word of his eternall Father , second Person of the Blessed Trinity ; and as eternall , as great as God , as powerfull as the Father and the holy Ghost , and finally one and the same God , & one and the same Essence with the Father , and the Holy Ghost ; who created all thinges , and doth conserue , and gouerne them , and whome all they serue , and praise ; and the praise which they giue to him , and those which all creaturers can giue , do not come neere by an infinite distance to that which he deserueth , in praise seruice , and loue . And al creaturs togeather in his comparison are not an Ant before him , nor so much as a sand of the sea , in whose presence the highest Seraphims tremble and feare , as also all the rest of the Blessed Spirits .

4. As he is man , he is King , and vniuersall Lord of all that is created , because his eternal Father hath put all into his hands , and all creatures ought to obay him , and be subiect vnto him , and by right and authority he may do wrea them as it pleaseth him , not only with natural but also supernaturall things . That he imparteth al the good included in grace and glory to whome he pleaseth . And all the Angells , and sotiles in heauen , and they who are to go thither must come into glory by his helping hand and by his merits . And that his most holy Humanity only is more worth and more esteemed , and beloued of Almighty God , & hath receaued more riches , and gifts from God , then all creatures togeather , with such and so great excesse , that there is no comparison .

5. That his holy body , is formed , by the worke of the holy Ghost , of the purest bloud of a Virgin , the most holy that euer was , or shall be ; and therefore hath greater beauty and perfection of nature then euer any humane creature had , or shall haue ; and also more deli●ate and tender then any other man ; and he had the complexion of his body more sensible and delicate , then the flesh of a child of foure , or fiue yeares of age .

6. And that his soule being most holy from the instant of his conception , is full of grace and charity , and full of al vertues and giftes of the holy Ghost ; and that in so high a degree , that it exceedeth , without comparison , the graces and vertues of all Angels , and men that euer were , are , or shal be . And that not only for himselfe he hath grace , but also to communicate , as head , to the Angels and men already created , & infinite others who might be created ; for all the grace they haue receaued , and shall receaue heereafter , all do receaue it from the fulnesse and copious abundance of the grace of Christ .

7. And also from the instant of his conception , that most holy Soule of his , is full of so meruailous science , and wisdome , that he knoweth , & can tel perfectly the natures and essence of all things , which are , were , and are to come , and the number and order of them all , and euery one in particuler & distinctly ; he knoweth their properties , conditions , qualities , and inclinations ; he knoweth how many starres be in heauen , and how euery one is called , and how bigge euery one is ; and how many drops of water there be in the sea , & how many sands . He knoweth and can tell all the thoughts and desires of men and Angels , good and bad , as well those that now they haue , as those which they shal haue for euer : all these he sees and knowes more clearly , and distinctly then I can see that which I haue before myne eyes .

8. And aboue all from the said instant of his conception , his soule is full of glory , for from that tyme he saw most clearly the Diuine Essence of God , and did inioy it most perfectly : and all this glory and beauty , this our Lord would of his owne proper will and desire haue to lie hidden , and as it were kept there in the chiefest part of his soule , and for 33 yeares did defraud his most holy body of all this glory which naturally was due vnto it , that therby he might suffer labours and paynes for vs . And that in the inferiour part of his soule he might suffer sorrow , griefe , and the like as he did very much , & he would not vse power and authority which he had ouer all things , nor his maiesty proper to his person , but be borne and liue in pouerty and despect , subiect vnto so many labours , and so great wearines as he suffered in the same manner , as if he had beene a poore sinner .

9. And besides all that is said , euen in this very same pouerty , & humility which he chose , you must consider the dignity of that most sacred Humanity , that verity of working miracles , that he commanded the diuels as his slaues , and they obayed him and feared him ; only with a voice he reuiued the dead , with the touch of his hands he cured al infirmities ; the great authority that he had amongst the people , that he was held for a great Prophet , as neuer the like was seene in Israel ; that the Citties were emptied & great multitudes went after him into the desert , only to heare his doctrine , and held themselues happy who could come so neere , as to kisse the hemme of his garment , for only the touch of it cured all diseases . And being his authority was so great on the one side , yet his humility one the other side was profound , such his plainnesse , sweetnes , & affability which he vsed to those with whome he conuersed , and the facility and charity wherwith he did remedie their infirmities and necessities , and many times not being called , nor inuited , that with this he won the hartes , and gayned the good will of all .

10. All these thinges and many others , which are to be considered concerning the person of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ , it is iust and fit , we should ponder them very seriously , and commit them to memory ; that in what thing soeuer you meditate , that he doth , saith , or suffereth , you may know how to feele it as you ought : pondering who is the person , who doth that worke , or suffer that payne , or speake that word &c. And this is the first circumstance signified by the former word , Who .

§. II. WHAT . 1. THE second circumstance is to consider What he is that suffereth for thee , which is to be noted that it is the doctrine of S. Thomas , and of al the Deuines , that the griefes and paynes our Lord and Sauiour suffered in his Passion , were the greatest which haue beene suffered , or euer shal be suffered in this world , although all the torments of all the Martyrs should be recounted , for many reasons which concurred in the paynes of Christ , which are not necessary heere to be set downe , nor to enlarge this point so much , for it dependeth of the consideration very particulerly of euery thing which our Sauiour suffered , and to consider attentiuely that in euery passage of his Passion , you shall find him suffer something in excesse and extraordinary , and in those also may be found very great griefe , dispect , iniurie , scoffs , and ignominious speaches , and so he suffered in all sortes that a man may suffer ; that is , not only in the body , but also in the soule , that is , in the inferiour part of it , as presently I will declare . 2. He suffered in his face by false testimony , and ignominious titles , with which he was condemned ; in his honour with so many floutes , scoffs , and iniuries ; in his goods , which were his ●oore garments , for he had nothing els ; in his friends , for vnto all of them befell part of his labours ; in all his members , and senses of his body , for in euery one he had particuler torment , from the very sole of the foote , vnto the crowne of his head , and as we say , from top to toe , as is manifest considering euery passage by it selfe . 3. Marke , that to ponder we● what our Lord and Sauiour suffered and felt in his torments and griefe , it is very good counsel● that which S. Bonauenture giueth and other contemplatiue Saints which is , to proue by experience somthing like to that which h● suffered : as to know well what h● suffered being whipped , to make● good discipline that smartet● well , & then to make the compar● son : If I miserable sinner who hau● deserued eternall torments , hard●ned in my sinnes , do feele and grieue so much to be scourged by myne owne hands , and that so easily ; what would so delicate a body as his feele , so innocent , & holy , being whipped , and scourged by the hands of such cruell villaines with all their force , and all his body ouer , in publike before so many people . And to ponder that which our Sauiour did feele in the torments of the Crosse , let them hold their armes spread in the aire , for the space of an houre , or halfe , or a good while , and make comparison : If I feele so much , for standing a while in this fashion , what could my Lord , & Sauiour feele being threo houres vpon the Crosse ; hanging thereon , whilest his hands and feet were pierced with great nayles , all the waight of his body hanging on them ; and so in other paynes which we may suffer , that by these little things , which we feele our selues , we may come to know how to consider , what our Sauiour felt in so great griefs and sorrowes . 4. And besides all this , by all those which he suffered exteriorly in his body , we must ponder much those which he suffered inwardly in his soule , which were far greater ; and those may be reduced to foure , which were , as other foure nayles where with his sacred soule was crucified . 5. The first consideration was , the representation which he had of all the sinnes of men ; for as his blessed soule saw on the one part the Diuinity , and how worthy it was to be beloued , and serued of all creatures , and he loued it with vnmesurable , & incomparable loue , and desired very much the glory of it , and that it might be serued of al creaturs & obeyed : and on the other side he saw clearly al the sinnes of the world , both past , present , and to come , and these being so many , he saw that euery one of them was a great iniury to the Diuinity , and great despect and offence to his diuine Maiesty ; he receiued from hence so perpetuall and continual griefe that he was like a huge sea of griefs , so great and so inward that no tongue can speake them , or vnderstanding thinke or imagine them : so as the loue he had to the Diuinity was vnmeasurable , so was the griefe to see it offended and despised ; in so much that to see one only was ●nough to giue him more griefe , then all that he suffered exteriourly , particulerly the sinne of his disciple who had sold him , and betrayed him , did much afflict him , & the sinne of that vngrateful , and miserable people that procured and giue him his death with so great hatred and enuie . 6. The second conside ration was to see , and know clearly and distinctly the condemnation of so many soules that had already beene lost , and should be vntill the end of the world : for according to the measure of the loue of God , so is the loue of our neighbour , proportionably speaking : and as his blessed soule did loue Almighty God in the highest degree , so he loued , and desyred greatly the saluation of soules , & it grieued him much to see so many dead with sinne , and conde●aned to so terrible & eternal tormentst & particulerly he did feele great and in ward griefe , for the losse of many bad Christians , who knowing the mystery of his Incarnation , & Passion , would not profit themselues of this so deare a remedy , but would chose rather death than life , and the captiuity of Sathan rather , then the liberty of the sonne of God , and the condemnation of Hell , rather then the glory of Heauen . 7. The third consideration was a cleare and distinct representation of all the torments and griefs of his Passion , and of his death , for he had them alwayes as present as when he suffered : and so we must consider that the griefe of his whipping , of the crowne of thornes , and the torment vpon the Crosse , and the scornes of his Passion were not suffered by him were the foure nayles which inwardly passed through , and crucified that most blessed Soule , and gaue him griefs without comparison , more excessiue , then all exteriour paynes and torments . 9. And with this interiour Crosse thou must consider that he was crucified all the dayes of his life , & so thou wilt not meruaile at what is written of him , that he was neuer seene to laugh ; yea it is a thing worthy of great consideration , his fortitude , and magnanimity , that hauing his Soule inwardly so drowned , and runne through with so many sorrowes and griefs , had notwithstanding courage to shew outwardly a good countenance , and to conuerse with all , so mildly , & with so great affability ; and all this he did to worke our Saluation . Let him therefore be euer glorified , loued , and serued of all creatures . Amen .

§. III. FOR WHOME . 1. THE third circumstance is to consider , For Whome our Sauiour suffered all this , for if he had suffered it for one who had deserued it , and would haue beene thankfull for it , it would not haue beene a thing so much to be admyred , or if he had suffered it for persons of great account and dignity , as for Angels , or S●raphims ; but to suffer it for men , creatures of so base condition that by their owne will had lost themselues , and to suffer it generally for all , without excluding any , which if it had beene only for his friends , it had not been so much , but to suffer it for his enemies , and those who actually did offend him , and abhorre him , without excluding euen those , who were tormenting him , accusing , and condemning him to death ; this doth extoll very much the charity of our most benigne Redeemer , that men mad with enuie , are some accusing him , others bringing false witnesse against him , others whipping him , others preparing the crowne of thornes , & the Crosse , the nayles , and the rest of the instruments of his Passion ; and in this very time he loueth them so truly , that he suffereth for them the same torments which they lay vpon him , and wisheth them so much good , that if it were necessary to gayne any one soule of them , he would suffer againe so much more : this is a thing worthy to be considered . 2. And that which importeth much to draw fruite out of this circumstance , euery one must consider , that he suffered these payns for him , as if he suffered for him alone , for it is infallible truth that for euery one in particuler he suffered those paynes and torments ; and so much they profit euery one , and so much his owne is the treasure of Christs merits which he gat with them , as if for him only he had suffered . And so thou oughtest to consider this one thing , which was so indeed , that when Christ suffered he had thee as present in his memorie , as if thou hadst beene there really present , & he had also present before his eyes all thy sinnes , and that he set his eyes vpon thee , and said with great loue and tendernes : For thee , o man , and for thy sinnes I suffer this , and I suffer it willingly for thy saluation and remedy of thy Soule , with great desire that thou profit thy selfe by it : and know certainly that if for thee only it were necessary to suffer all this and much more , I loue thee so dearly , that it is sufficient to suffer for thee alone . And this being so it is most iust , that euery one take to himselfe that which Christ suffered , and make account of it : so did the glorious Apostle S. Paul , when he said : I liue in the sayth of Christ Iesus , who loued me , and dyed for me .

§. IIII FOR WHY . 1. THE fourth circumstance is to consider For Why ; that is , for what cause our Sauour suffered all this . The President who gaue the sentence , after he had very well examined his cause did affirme thrice , that he found no cause at al either to condemne him , or giue him any punishment : and indeed it was so , that he had not any fault , for he was most innocent , not knowing what sinne was , neuer did harme to any , but good to all : so that the cause being well examined , it is found that there was no other of his part , but his bounty and mercy , and those bowels of infinite charity , with which he tooke compassion of the misery of men , who were all condemned to eternall death , and had no possibility to be deliuered from this sentence . And all that he suffered was only to do good vnto men , & to deliuer them from the euills of their offences , and from eternall paynes which they deserued for them , without any necessity profit , or interest of his part . 2. And conformable to this you must consider very well , as you meditate any thing that our Sauiour suffered , that he suffered it of his owne free will , & might haue excused it if he would ; and he would not , but suffer so great payne and torments only for our good . This is the cause which was of his part , for which he suffered , to wit , his bounty , his mercy , his charity and loue : but of our part there were our sinnes , the cause of his suffering . And so when you meditate how they apprehended our Sauiour , accused him , besett him , spit vpon him , whipped and scourged him , with all the rest , consider that thou art the cause of all that , and that they be thy sinnes that accuse him , and abuse him , and giue testimony vnto the processe , that he may be iudged to death , and put vpon the Crosse .

§. V. OF WHOME .

THE fifth circumstance is to consider , Of Whome he suffered ; that is , who be they that inflict those paynes vpon him , and in this we must consider the points following .

1. First , that he suffered of his owne Chosen and Elected people , of whome he in particular was Lord and King ; to whome he had been promised so many yeares since ; whome he brought out of Captiuity of Aegypt with so great myracles , and prodigious wonders ; to whome himselfe gaue the Law written with his finger ; whom he sustayned fourtie yeares with bread from heauen ; to whome he gaue the Land of Promise ; whome he honoured so much as to take flesh of their linage , and came in person to preach vnto them , and teach them . 2. The seçond : that he suffered of them , to whome he had done so great good , and giuen so many benefits , raysing their dead , deliuering their possessed , during their diseased , and conuersing amongest them , with such loue and beneuolence . 3. The third : that he suffered of his cruell enemyes , who for the space of two yeares had sought his life , and to dishonour him , & would haue drunke his bloud , so great was their hatred and detestation towards him ; and to these he committed himselfe willingly , to the end they might vse him at their pleasure . 4. The fourth : that he suffered of most vile & base Vassales , of no account at all , without any shame , measure , or any other respect ; for doubtles they who did torment him , were the publike executioners , who were wont to punish the malefactors ; if it be not , that perhaps the Chiefe Priests did commit this to some base seruants of their owne , that they might torment him with the more cruelty . Of him , that gaue him the buffet , saith S. Iohn the Euangelist , that he was a seruant of the High Priest ; and so we may thinke others were also who tormented him . But howsoeuer , wee see they were base fellowes and slaues , very poore and abiect , for they parted his poore garments in foure parts amongst them . 5. The fifth ; that our Blessed Sauiour suffered of all kind of people , Gentiles , and Iewes , of great and small , of the principall , & of the common sort , all it semeth concurred against him ; and those who six dayes before had done him so great honour , receiuing him with palmes , and crying out that he was King of Israël ; now they perswade themselues , that all his myracles were deuises & craftes , and that he pretended to vsurpe the Kingdome , and now they desire to haue him crucified , and that the thiefe and homicide Barabbas should be set free . 6. The sixt ; that he suffered of his owne Disciples , which was not the least of his payne , to see , that the Disciple whome he had taught so long , and brought vp vnder his wing , and done him so many good turnes , should sell him , & betray him to his enemies : and another Disciple whome he had honoured about the rest , making him Head of the Church , that he should deny him publickly with an oath ; and that all the rest should forsake him and runne away , leauing him in the hands of his enemies . And finally he suffered euen of his owne mother , for although the most Blessed Virgin Mary had no fault at all , but very great merit , in being present at the passion of her sonne ; yet with her presence she did increase greatly his griefe & payne , in so much that he would haue suffered them double , not to haue seene that which his mother suffered : and notwithstanding he would passe all this , that our redemption might be more copious , although so greatly to his cost , and cost of his most Blessed Mother .

§. VI. HOW .

THE sixt circumstance is , How he suffered ; in the which there be three poynts to be considered .

1. The first : that he suffered with exceding great charity ; in so much that although the works he wrought were so excellent and great , and so excessiue the paynes he suffered ; yet we must rather ponder the manner how he suffered them , then what he suffered . For how much soeuer it was he suffered , far greater was his charity by the which he was prepared to suffer much more , if it had been necessary for vs . And this is a circumstance which ought to be very well considered . 2. The second poynt is , that our Lord suffered without any kind of case or comfort , either of heauen or earth , which neuer fell out so to the Martyrs , and others who haue suffered for his sake ; that how much the greater the torments were , and the paynes they suffered , so much the greater was the comfort which from heauen was giuen them , that the greatest torments & paynes were conuerted into recreation and fauour . But our Sauiour , that his payns might be the greater , would willingly be forsaken of his Father , and of all comfort and ease that might mitigate his torments , as himself signified when he said : My God , my God , why hast thou forsaken me ? 3. The third point , is to consider the manner that our Sauiour had , in that which he did , and suffered ; that is , the vertues which he exercised in all his actions ; for if they be considered with attention , in them we shall find most excellent examples of al kind of vertue , and principally most profound humility , that so great a Lord would be so despised and abased ; his patience so admirable amongst so many abuses , & iniuries ; his meeknes , in not contradicting any one , nor defending himselfe , but suffer himselfe to be carried , drawne , and done with whatsoeuer they would , like vnto a lambe ; his silence , which made the Iudge himselfe to admire , that amongst so many and so false calumniations he answered not one only word ; his most perfect obedience by which he fulfilled whatsoeuer his Father had ordayned , although it was so hard and difficulte to fulfill , as to suffer death vpon the Crosse ; his fortitude , by which he offered himselfe into the handes of his enemies , and suffered so many torments without euer complayning , or desiring them to take pitty , or compassion on him ; his perseuerance , by which he brought to an end the worke of our redemption , although they sayd if he would come down from the Crosse they would beleeue in him : but his charity , is that which most doth shine heere , for he suffered not only for his friends , but also for his enimies ; and his mercy , by which he tooke vpon him all the penalties of man , and their miseries , to set them free from them , and abhorring sinne so much , he would take vpon him all the sins of the world , that men might be freed from them ; his true despising of the world , and the prosperities and fauours therof ; and his rigorous austerity of life , with voluntary pouerty : and finally all vertues haue most perfect examples in the life , and Passion of our Sauiour . 4. All this pertayneth to the manner how our Sauiour did , and suffered all these things : and these be the six principal circumstances , which we must consider in all his works . To the which may be added other two , that are of the Time , & Place wherin he suffered . 5. The seauenth circumstance is to consider , Where our Lord suffered , to wi● in Hierusalem , one of the most populous Citties of the world , that his floutinges might be more publike ; und the Citty very Religious and Holy , where Iustice and Truth should haue preuailed more ; and the people vnto whome he had beene most beneficiall ; where he had wrought so many miracles , and preached so many Sermons ; and finally he suffered on the Mount Caluary , which was an infamous and publike place , where malefactours were put to death . 6. The eight circumstance , shall be to consider When he did suffer , to wit , at Easter , the most solemne feast that the Iewes had amongst them ; when people of al the world were come thither to celebrate the Paschal feast , who might carry backe newes how they had seene him die ; and in the time when euery one was busied in feasting and ioy . And so we may consider that our Sauiour being put vpon the Crosse , euery one departed very well content vnto their house , especially the High Priests and Princes of the people , who doubtles inuited one another & feasted with great ioy , that they had fulfilled their desire . And at the time whilest euery one is thus imployed , our Sauiour suffered on the Crosse such cruel griefs and dolorous torments . 7. These be the circumstances which generally may be considered in all the mysteries of Christ our Lord , besides other in particuler which occurre to euery one . But note , that although all these be put downe heere in this order , yet it is not necessary to ponder them all in euery mysterie , but those which are most to the purpose of what is meditated ; or those to which their deuotion doth most incline them , and the particuler affect of him that prayeth doth most draw him vnto . 8. But it will be of great importance to haue them all well considered , and the poynts they contayne very well printed in the memory , that whilst he meditateth anything of those which our Sauiour did , or suffered , presently with facility , and without diuerting himselfe from his meditation , he may consider who is the person which doth or suffereth that , and what affect he had inwardly in his soule when he did that worke exteriorly , and what moued him to do it , and the rest of what we haue sayd before .