SVme tibi aromata , aequalis ponderis , & cum in tenuissimum puluerum contunderis , pones ex eo , in tabernaculo foederis . Said God vnto Moses , in the 30 chapter of Exod . As if he should say ; Now Moses , thou doest know that I haue made thee a tabernacle where thou mayst pray , and haue giuen thee priests with whom thou mayst pray , & appointed thee sacrifices which thou shalt offer vp vnto me . Now I will teach thee how thou shalt offer vp incence vnto me , and with what . Thou shalt take therefore , sweet and odoriferous spices ; as Baulme , Onicha , Galbanum , and pure Frankincense , and of ech of them , the like quantitie and waight , and cast them all into a morter , and pound them verie small , euen into dust ; and then cast them on the coales in a golden censor , because that all the tabernacle may smell sweet with it . Without all doubt this is a wonderfull figure : but yet the accomplishment of it more wonderfull ; seeing that we are taught thereby what we shall offer vnto our Lord , and with what we shall please him , and also with what we shall pacifie him . It seemeth by these words , that our Lord will exclude all offering of vncleane and vnsauoury thinges , to the end that all such things should not be offered in the sanctuary : and thereupon it is , that our Lord did no lesse forbid vs to pollute his temple with vncleane things , than violate it with mans bloud . Agreeing vnto this , the Lord in the old law , did forbid him to be a priest in his temple , who had an vncomely nose , bleard & dropping eies , a crooke backe , club feet , lame hands , a skabby body , or were otherwise deformed and mishapen of any member . The meaning of the giuer of the law was , that all which they should offer vnto him , should be cleane , and the priest which did offer very , sound and perfect ; the reason is , because that our Lord doth not make so great reckoning of the thing which is offered , as he doth of him who doth offer . If as that commandement was obserued in the old law , it should also be kept in the new : it would seeme a verie ridiculous thing , & a Mosaicall ceremonie , because there are many priests in the church of God this day , the which although they be peraduenture lame in their lineaments , yet are good in their works , and holy in their desires . O how little the Lord doth regard , that the minister and priest of his Altar , be straight or crooked , beautifull or not , because that the sacrifices which we offer vp vnto him , are not accepted for the hands which doth offer them , but for the offerer . S. Augustine saith , That that which in the old law was a figure , is now in the Church trueth ; that which vnto them was the letter , is vnto vs the spirit ; that which they did dreame of , we do see ; and that which they did hope for , we hold . In so much , that in the ministers of the old law , we ought not to regard that which the letter doth command , but that which the spirit doth teach . Tell me I pray thee , when God did command in the law that they should offer odoriferous sauours on his altar , and prohibit them to present vnsauourie ones ; had he a nose like a man to smell the good , or head like a man to dislike or greeue at the bad ? It is to be beleeued , that when the giuer of the law did ordaine these things , and when the holy Ghost did write them , that he did leuell at higher matters , & pretend profounder misteries than those which the Mosaicall law did sound , because the true accompt which God doth make of Balme and Frankincense , is nothing els but the acceptance of a pure and cleane heart . Comming then vnto the ministery , it is to be noted , that with many & sundry conditions , God did command in his law that they should offer vnto him those sweet and odoriferous spices ; wherof , if there did want any one condition , al which they did offer was nothing worth . The law did thē command , that those spices should be of a sweet sauour , verie clean and pretious , & not such as the priest would , But such as the law did appoint : that is to say , Baulme , Onicha , Galbanum , and Frankincense : and that of these none should be wanting , nor any added vnto them . God did likewise command in the law , that they should all be measured and waighed so exactly , that there should not be so much as a dram more of the one than of the other . God did also command in the law , that all those aromaticall spices should be pounded very small , and sifted : and then by the hands of the Apothicary , molded and wrought . Insomuch , that if by the hand of the Priest they were to be offred , by the hands of the Apothicary , they should be compounded . The Lord did promise , & giue his credit and word vnto all such as did offer this high kind of oblation , and bestow their money vpon it , to heare them presently in the tabernacle , and yeeld vnto their petitions . What is the holy tabernacle , where God did command those spices to be offered : but our God made man , the sonne of the liuing God ? This is the high hill from whence we looke ; this is the Tower whither we withdraw our selues ; the Temple where we be baptized ; the Tabernacle where we doe saue our selues , and the Sanctuary where we doe reforme our selues . What is the altar of incorruptible wood vpon which that holy incense was offered , but only the crosse , vpon which good Iesus was crucified ? Thou art the altar of incorruptible wood , O my good Iesus ; seeing that in the old law the sacrifices which they did offer , the priest which did offer them , and the ceremonies with which he did offer them , are all at an end : but thy crosse , O my God , shall neuer haue an end . There is great reckoning to be made of the drie tree , on which Christ suffered ; but farre greater of his tender members , with which he did suffer , considering that with the torments of them we were redeemed , & with the loue of Christ pardoned . What were the aromaticall and sweet spices , which were offered by the Priest vpon the altar of the tabernacle ; but the most high workes , which on the mount of Caluary , were done by the son of God ? Without all comparison , the workes which the sonne of God did in the mount of Caluary , were far greater than those which his father did in the captiuitie of Aegypt , because that there he did kill other mens children , but here he did kill his own proper sonne , whose life he did not pardon , because he would pardon our faults . O loue neuer heard of before ! O infinite charitie ! Who did euer heare or see , that for to pardon the seruant , thou shouldst put to death , the sonne ? What clemency did ouercome thee ? what charitie did bind thee ? that freely without any interest of thine , thou shouldest lay the punishment vpon thy selfe , to vnload me of the fault ? Adam did cast the fault vpon Eue , and Eue vpon the Serpent , and the Serpent did cast it vpon all mankind . And thou , O good Iesus , doest thou excuse me , who am culpable , and blame thy selfe being innocent ; and I hauing committed the theft , doest thou yeeld to be punished ? In a farre other maner and means thou didst deliuer me from the power of the diuell , than Moses did the Iewes out of the captiuitie of Aegypt , because that there the bloudy waters did stinke , and the flies which fell , the putrified frogges , the first borne children which were slaine , and the dead cattell . But on the mount of Caluary , what is there that did stincke , or what did not smell very sweetly ? The teares which he dropped , the sighes which he gaue , the bloud which he shed , the side which he opened , the body which suffered , and the loue with which he suffered , were the true spices which God did worke , and the high Baulme , which the eternall father did perfume with . Before that the sonne of God did suffer on the mount of Caluary , it was a dreadfull place to behold , stincking to dwell in : but after that his sacred members were nailed on the crosse , like vnto pretious ointments , and sweete sauours , he did take away the stinke of all sinnes , which doe sauour worse than all the dead bodies . What other things are those foure sweet perfumes , with the which God did command the holy sanctuary to be perfumed withall ; but the will with which the sonne of God did suffer , the cruell death which he did suffer , the great patience which he had , and the infinite great charitie which did moue him ? I confesse that the martyrs did die of their owne will , but they will not denie me , but they died of necessitie , only the son of God was he who died without necessitie , and voluntarily . Vpon those wordes desiderio desideraui , S. Barnard saith , a good Iesus , O the loued of my soule , who among mortall men , doth so much desire to make his life perpetuall , as thou didst desire to loose thine for mine ? What pleasure and ioy wilt thou take aboue in the other world with thy elect , seeing that here vpon earth , thou didst call the day on which thou didst suffer , Aester ? The Lord did also command , that the incense and Galbanum which they should offer vnto him , should be so iustly waighed , that they should put no more of the one than of the other , thereby to let vs vnderstand that the son of God did equally , and indifferently shed his bloud , for the small , and for the great ; for the poore , and for the rich ; for the dead , and for the liuing . Origen vpon the Canticles , saith ; That oftentimes our Lord doth bestow his fauours and graces more or lesse , when he pleaseth , and how he pleaseth , and vnto whom he pleaseth : but in that which toucheth the generall redemption , he made all men equall , seeing he died no more for one than for another . Anselmus in an Epistle saith ; What do I care my brother , that thou art stronger than I , more noble in bloud , more beautifull in body , and more renowned in dignitie , seeing we are by one God created , by one Christ redeemed , and by one holy Ghost gouerned ? What doth it meane , that there should be as much Frankincense as Galbanum , and as much Galbanum as Frankincense ; but that Christ did shed as much bloud for the labouring man , which cutteth stubble , as for the Prince who sitteth in his thron●… ▪ Chrisostome saith , When the sonne of God did impart his pretious bloud , he did better it vpon no man , hindered no man , nor depriued no man of it : but if afterward it had greater force in some , than in other some , it is not through the fault of him who gaue it , but of his who did not well employ it .

What meaneth it , that all these sweete spices should not be offered vp in the holy temple , vntill they were pounded in a morter , and sifted through a siue : but that the mysteries of the passion of Christ , should be searched out with diligence , deeply considered and chewed with meditation ; waighed with charitie , and wrought with many teares ? Origen vpon this place saith , That if Storax and other sweet spices , be not broken , pounded , and cast into the fire , they giue no smell at all : In like manner , if the most high mysteries , and profound sacraments of the passion of the sonne of God , be not well chewed and waighed , little profit and lesse consolation is reaped by them .

The son of God hauing as he hath , his flesh so torne , his bloud so shed abroad , his bones so out of ioint , his sinews so wrested , his haire so cast about , and his friends so scattered ; how wouldst thou tast and contemplat such high mysteries all at once : very well ground and broken , and also very well sifted in the brasen morter of thy heart , should all those holy mysteries be , and in such sort , that by the same steps that blessed Iesus doth go suffering , thou go following and contemplating , for otherwise thou shalt occupie much time , and receiue small pleasure . Vnground doth he offer vp incense , who in hast thinketh on the passion of Christ , and he small & sifted doth offer vp sweet spices , who in those steps and stations which our Lord troad , suffering , doth go after him weeping . Is it much that thou shouldst shed teares from thy eies , seeing that he did shed bloud for thee from his vains ? S. Barnard saith , The sonne of God did not suffer himselfe to be beheaded , nor hanged , nor drowned , nor burnt , because they were all short deaths , but he would be crucified , because that that kind of martyrdome was very long and greeuous : insomuch that as the loue was great with which he did die , so also his pleasure was , that the torment should be great and long which he did suffer . Seeing ( saith Anselmus ) that the son of God did not leaue bone , nor sinew , nor flesh , nor member in all his body , in which he was not tormented , it is reason that thou leaue no mysterie , nor sentence of his passion , on which thou doest not occupie thy vnderstanding , because that he did much more for thee , in suffering it , than thou for him in contemplating on it . Seeing that the sonne of God hath been so prodigall and stout , in shedding his own bloud for thee , why shouldst thou be so sparing in thinking so much as one houre in the day on his passion ? Do not vaunt thy selfe my brother , that thou art a christian , nor glory vainly that thou shalt die for the passion of Christ , for seeing that thou hast no heat nor feruor to thinke on it , it is not to be beleeued that thou wilt haue the heart to die for it . For seeing thou doest not serue thy God and Lord , so much as with thy thoughts , how wilt thou offer the members of thy body to suffer torments in them ?

OMnis aestimatio , siclo sanctuarij ponderabitur , Said God in Leuit. the 27 chapter , as if he should say , All that which is much & of a great value , shal be waighed with the waight of my sanctuary . Such as wil curiously looke into the booke of Leuiticus , shall find in it , that the people of the Iews , had two kinds of waights ; whereof the one was called statera , a ballance or waight , which was the common waight , wherewith all things of the common-wealth were waighed : the other siclum , a sicle , that is a holy waight : and with this they did waigh euerie thing which was offered vp in the temple . Like vnto a man who would keepe an order in his house . When God did ordaine his common-weale , he commanded that there should be a waight and a measure in it : that is , a waight to measure and waigh all prophane things ; and a waight to waigh all holy and diuine things . The sweet perfumes which were waighed in the temple , were of equall waight , in figure of the equall loue and charitie , which were in all priests works , because the loue & charitie , with which he did worke thē was as entire in him , as when he did preach in the temple , & when he did suffer on the tree of the 〈◇〉 ▪ Augustine saith , In thee and in me are of greater a●… ●… r value and waight , the perfumes of our works , because that somtimes we do them with deuotion , and at other times with coldnesse : but in the sonne of God it is not so , but his loue and charitie was ardent to redeeme vs , that neither the time did increase it in him , nor trauell and trouble make it cold . What doth it meane , that of two waights which the synagogue had , the one of them was a holy waight , and the other prophane ; but that in the one they should waigh the workes of his sonne : and in the other all the workes of all the worlde The merites of one holy man may be measured with those of another holy man , and the torments of one martyr , may be measured with the torments of another marytr , because there is no man in heauen , so great , but God can create another , which in life may with him be equall , and also go beyond him . The heire of eternities , doth not enter into this accompt , nor doth not fight vnder this banner : he is not waighed where we are waighed , nor is not measured as we are measured , because it would be a farre easier matter , to measure what the mountains do waigh , than measure that , that his merits do reach vnto . How is it possible that he should be waighed , who all thinges doth waigh ? How is it possible to find a measure for him , who doth measure all things with his wisdome ? Aboue in the resting place of the trinitie , and in the depth of the diuinitie , the sonne of the liuing God , hath his measure and waight , because the merites of him are so high , and the dolours which he suffered for vs , so greeuous ; that there are no dolours of martyrs to compare with him , nor holinesse of Angels to measure him ; which doth it not seeme vnto thee , that the son of God hath in measure and waig●… by himselfe , seeing that he did merite more , eating in the wedding , and with Zaccheus , than the great S. Iohn Baptist , fasting in the wildernesse ? Being graunted that the works which the sonne of God did , as man , had limits and an end : the charitie with which he did them , had no end . And thereupon it is , that if vnto that which he did suffer , there was found a waight , to the loue , with which he did suffer , there was no measure . Thou mightest well O my Iesus , measure and waigh the bloud , which in the mount of Caluary thou didst shed : but who can be able to measure and waigh the loue , with the which thou didst shed it ? Although thy bloud should be waighed by pounds and ounces , who should be able to find waights to waigh thy bowels ?

PErpendiculum extendetur super Hierusalem , said God by the prophet Zacharias , in the first chapter , As if he would say , I will and command , that all my holy City of Hierusalem , be measured with a cord , and be leuelled with a leuell . These words of our Lord are of very great feare vnto the wicked , and of great aduertisement vnto the good , seeing that in publicke place , and with an open crie , God did command it to be cried : that he will sit downe in compt with all , and that he will measure all men , to weet , with the leuell of his life , and with the line of his iustice . If thou be troubled , & tremble when they aske thee an accompt of thy expences , what shall become of thee , when they shall aske it of thy soule ? If thou yeeld vp an euill accompt vnto thy Lord , of the mony which thou hast spent : what wilt thou doe vnto 〈◇〉 Lord , of the benefites receiued ? O good Iesus ; O ●… ue of my soule : what will it be of me , and what 〈◇〉 do before thee , when the life which I lead , shal be ●… ed and prooued with the booke of thy iustice : 〈◇〉 is it possible that he should giue a good accompt , 〈◇〉 neither with his soule , nor with God hath no ●… mpt ? It is reason that we know what is the cord , with which we shal be measured , and what the leuell with which we shal be leuelled : because that thereby we shal see how our Lord doth vs no iniurie in asking vs an accompt of that which we haue receiued . The leuell and the line , with which all the world shal be leuelled and measured , is the crosse ; and he who is ruled & leuelled , is Iesus Christ ; because that he alone and none with him , can know whether we go the way of saluation , or the path of perdition . Euen as the line is cast , to the end that the building may go straight ; and also the leuell is put , because the wall should not be vneuen , so God wil that we direct all our workes to him , and worke them by him . That goeth not by line , which is not done for him ; nor that by leuell , which is not done for his seruice ; by reason whereof , when our Lord doth afterward come to measure and leuell the manner of our life with the leuell of his iustice , as he findeth our building vnleuelled , he throweth it all to the ground . S. Augustine de verbis Domini , saith : The thing which doth most of all deceiue mortal men is , that to giue an excuse to their errors , they will not measure themselues with men which are good , but with others which are naught like themselues : Insomuch that they are contented with being lesse euill than others : not caring at al to be good . One proud man doth measure himselfe with another proud man : one couetous man with another : one angrie man with another , and one glutton with another : and this measure which he maketh , is not to the end to amend himselfe of his errors , but to condemne the other for a greater sinner than himselfe . When the Lord did say by the prophet , Iustificata est Sodoma in conspectu Samariae , did he happily cease from punishing of Sodom , because she was a lesser sinner than Samaria . To compare thy selfe which art a lesser sinner , vnto another who is a greater sinner : by this thou doest not excuse thy selfe from sinne , nor deliuer thy selfe from hell , because it is an infallible rule , that God will neuer forget to reward the good , nor neuer omit to punish the bad . When God did say in the authoritie aboue named , Perpendiculum extendetur super Hierusalem , what other thing would he there say , but that he and none other should giue the line , with the which all should be measured ; and also the rule , with which all should be leuelled ? Seeing that he would create vs , and he would redeeme vs : it is reason that he and none other , should measure and rule vs. It is likewise to be waighed , that God did not say vnto Hierusalem that she should choose the line , with the which she should be measured , but that he the Lord himselfe would send it : to giue vs thereby to vnderstand ●… at of all the thoughts which we conceiue , and of al the works which we do , onely God is the looker on , who most approueth them , and the true Lord who wil pay them . This word perpendiculum extendetur , is also to be waighed , where God doth not tell Hierusalem , that he will send a line out of hand , but in processe of time ; giuing vs by that prophesie to vnderstand , that there was neuer anie euen or right leuell in the world , vntill God did send his precious sonne into the world . To thinke and knowe that the synagogue had no right line or leuel : what greater testimonie can we seeke , than for God to say by the Prophet , Dedi eis legem non bonam , & praecepta in quibus non viuerent . How shall we say that in the building of the synagogue , there was line and leuell , seeing that there it was permitted , to marrie the brothers wife , take vsurie of a stranger , giue a bill of diuorce to his owne wife , Marke how orderly diuine matters do proceed , and the eternall measures , in that that the people did measure the crosse , the crosse did measure Christ , Christ did measure the Gospell , the Gospell doth rule and measure all the world : insomuch that he did first measure himselfe , before he did measure me . When was this prophesie of perpendiculum fulfilled vpon Hierusalem : but when the humanitie of the word was on the crosse , not onely stretched out , but also torne asunder ? O glorious measure ! O happie leuell ! such as thou art , Christ my redeemer ; seeing that with such a rule and measure as thine is , the saints doe suffer themselues to be ruled and measured , and the heauenly Angels are glad to be leuelled . When holy Paul to the Romains did say in the 8 chap. Quos praedestinauit , conformauit fieri , &c. What other thing would he say in these high wordes , but that all those whom God had predestinated , he did predestinat and chose them , that they might be like to the image of his sonne ? What other thing is his perfect & diuine image , but his perfect and his holy life ? He is like vnto the image of his sonne who doth fulfill and keepe his holy gospell ; because it was not the intention of the Apostle that we should imitate Christ , in the image and likenesse of his essence , but in the purenesse and perfection of his life . Of this patterne we should draw all our labours , by this image we should point our soules , with this leuell we should leuell our workes , and with this line we should measure our steps : for otherwise like vnto an vnleuelled building , he will throw all our trauels on the ground . O good Iesus , O the loue of my soule , what will my life seeme before thy life , when it shal be compared with thine . O how filthy my cleannesse shall appeare , how angry my meeknesse , how proud my humilitie , how ambitious my pouertie , how weake my strength , yea and how mercilesse my mercy . O how ridiculous my teares will seeme , how fained my griefe , how cruell my pitie , how niggish my liberalitie , how gluttonous my abstinence , how iniust my iustice , how false all my peace , and how without virginitie all my chastitie . O how cold my praier will seem , how weake my deuotion , how testie my patience , how vnperfect my obedience , how inconstant my perseuerance , how spotted my conscience , and also without fruit all my life . Let it not seeme a hard matter vnto any man , that our life should be leuelled and ruled with the giuer of life ; Seeing that our glorie shal be made like vnto his glory , not because we should make our selues equall vnto him , but because in glorie we may find our selues with him . This being presupposed to be true , as true it is , who shall more enioy Christ in glorie than hee who here was most conformable vnto his life . He who with this holy line and leuell , is not leuelled here on earth , shall haue no glorie aboue with Christ in heauen : for as he was not like vnto him in his maner of liuing , so neither shall he be like vnto him in his maner of raigning .

FEcisti iudicium meum , & causam meā sedens super thropum , qui iudicas iustitiam , saith king Dauid in the 9 Psal . as if he would say . Thou O my great God of Israel art he , who being set in thy royall seate , hast iudged iustice , hast made my iustice , and ended my cause . Many secrets , and many high Sacramentes , the good prophet doth touch in this prophesie ▪ 〈◇〉 therfore it is requisit , that as the words are deep , so they be deeply expounded . In this prophesie it is to be noted , who he is who doth iudge , & this is God ; what the place is where he doth iudge , and this is a throne , in what maner he doth iudge , & he saith fitting ; and what it is that he doth iudge , and he saith iustice ; and of what he doth giue iudgment , and he saith , that of my proper cause . What prince this day of the world , hath wrought such high thinges , being on foote or on horsebacke , as thou O my good Iesus , being set in thy throne ? who hath euer attained so great a victorie fighting , as thou hast done suffering ? What is the throne where thou wast sitting , but the holy and true crosse where thou wast crucified ? O glorious throne , O happy throne , on which thou wast accompanied with theeues , crowned with thornes , empty of bloud , thy pores open , thy sinews stretched , poore of friends , and compassed with enemies .

Seeing then , that in this throne he was iudged and sentenced by Pilat the viceroy , how doth the prophet say , that from thence he iudged all the world ? Likewise , how is it possible , that from thence he did dispatch my fact and cause , seeing that he lost his honor and his life ? Sitting vpon the throne of the crosse , the sonne of God did iudge him who iudged , who was the diuell : iudged that which did iudge , which was the world : iudged of that which did iudge , which was sinne : did iudge that with the which he did iudge , which was tyrannie ; insomuch that Pilat , executing iustice vpon him , he did also iustice vpon our iustice . O how well the prophet said , in saying , fecisti causam meam , and not fecisti causam tuam ; considering that in the throne of the crosse , thou hadst there no cause to go vp , no businesse there to negotiat , vnlesse it were there for me to die , and for my sins there to pay . With great reason they are accustomed to behead homicides , stone runnagates , and hang theeues , and crucifie blasphemers : but thou , O good Iesus , what theft hadst thou done ? what blasphemies hadst thou spoken , seeing that for them thou shouldst be crucified ? On the mount of Caluary , thou didst wel know that thou hadst nothing to doe , seeing that there , there were no blind men to giue sight vnto , no lame men to heale , no diuels to cast out , nor temples to preach in : whereof we may inferre , that if thou didst goe to the mount of Caluary , thou didst go for thy friendes businesse . When didst thou make iudicium meum ; but when to deliuer me from eternall iudgement , thou didst suffer thy selfe to be iudged and condemned by Pilat the tyrant ? when O good Iesus , when didst thou plead my cause , but when thou didst suffer such a great torment and paine , as though thou thy selfe hadst committed the fault ? when didst thou iudge iustice , but when thou didst take away from the diuel his forces , because he should be no longer iudge of my offences ? Fecisti causam meam , when of an ignorant man , thou didst make me wise : of a slaue , a free-man : of a stranger , a neighbour : of a condemned man , a quit : of Gentile , a Christian , and of an enemie , a sonne . Then didst thou take my cause in hand , when in preiudice of thy person , thou didst intend nothing but the sauing of my soule , I say againe in the preiudice of thy person , because that the more thou dids● in me , the more thou didst vndoe thee : didst not tho● vndoe and preiudice thy selfe , and benefit me , when of God thou didst become man , of inuisible , visible : of impassible , passible : of immortall , mortall : of eternal , temporall , and of the Lord of Angels a reproch of men ? O how thou didst plead my cause , seeing that to lift vp me , thou didst pull downe thee , to giue vnto me honour , thou didst take to thee infamie , and to deliuer me , thou didst suffer thy selfe to be taken ; and also to excuse me , didst permit thy selfe to be condemned : insomuch that thou didst plead my cause to thy owne great preiudice : fecisti causam meam on the crosse , where like an aduocate thou didst pray for me , where like a Iudge thou didst pardon me , where like a kinsman thou didst pay for me , where like a brother thou didst answere for me , where like a friend thou didst die for me , and also where like a father thou didst weepe for me . Fecisti causam meam , in the royal throne of thy crosse , when thou didst heare me and the diuell , the diuell and me , and were before thee in iustice , when he said that I was his , and I said that I was not , but thine ; and he to accuse me , did lay open my fault ; and I to excuse my selfe , did lay downe thy bloud , and in the end thou didst make my cause , seeing thou didst expulse him , and admit me . Thou didst plead my cause ; with the father , seeing thou didst obtaine pardon of him . Fecisti causam meam with the Angels : seeing thou didst giue them me for my guard , fecisti causam meam , with the Church ; seeing that in her thou didst incorporat me , thou didst make my cause with the diuell , seeing that out of his hands thou didst deliuer me : and also fecisti causam meam , with sinnes : seeing thou didst forgiue me them : fecisti causam meam , not hauing reason or cause to do it , seeing thou didst create me to thy image , redeeme me with thy bloud , endue me with thy merits , cure me with thy dolours , lighten me with thy doctrin , draw me to thy elect , & reform me with thy sacraments , didst not happily forward my cause , and forget thine own , seeing that from the first moment in which thou wast born , vntil the last instant , in which thou didst die , thou didst neuer go step which was to thine ease : nor neuer worke any heroicall fact , which was not to my profit . O the light of my eies , O the rest of my soule , vpon my knees I beseech thee , and with teares I aske thee , that thou wouldest lighten my vnderstanding , make cleane my heart , guide my tongue , direct my pen , to the end , that as thou , fecisti causam meam , dieng for me , so I may likewise plead thy cause , writing so great a passion , and setting forth and magnifieng such infinite dolours . How shall I be able O my good Iesus to extoll the perils which thou didst see thy selfe in , the dolours which thou didst suffer , the sweares which thou didst passe , the teares which thou didst weepe , the bloud which thou didst shed , the infamie which thou didst endure , the death which thou didst end with : If thou do not reforme and helpe my memorie , make cleane my entrails , amend my customes , and guide my fingers ? O eternall father , O great and infinite goodnesse , seeing that the Carpenters of Moises , durst not labour in the Mosaicall tabernacle , not being first filled with the holy Ghost , how shall I dare , without thy holy loue put my hand in the passion of thy sonne ? If Moses dare not come neere the thornes , but without hose , how shall I dare , without thy holy loue put my hand in the passion of thy sonne , vnlesse I haue my heart cleane ? create then O God a cleane heart in me , and renew a right spirite in my bowels : for then I shal be able to extoll the bloud which thou didst shed out of thy vaines , when thou shalt 〈…〉 ●… ane the spots of my bowels . O thou who wh●… 〈◇〉 burne with a burning yron Esaias tongue , to p●… ●… nto the people : will it not please thee to know th●… ●… y hurt , to contemplat in the passion of thy sonne ? Workes so heroicall as those which thou hast done , O my good Iesus ; a death so strange as this which thou didst suffer ; a loue so excessiue as this which thou didst loue vs with ; a redemption so perfect as this which thou didst end : what heart is able to thinke , what tongue sufficient to rehearse , what handes worthie perfectly to write ? Consider O my good Iesus , and marke that in giuing me light in this which I write , both of vs doe gaine ; and if thou wilt not guide me , both loose : for if the worke doe fall out a right , thine is all the glorie ; if it erre , mine is all the fault ; insomuch that in that case , the readers would leaue off to praise in thee the grace which thou hadst giuen me , and would blame in me , the errour which I had committed . Seeing thou didst giue thy fauour , and grace to Moses , going in the palace : to Dauid keeping sheepe : to S. Paul going on the way , and to S. Peter going a fishing , and to S. Mathew being in the custome house . Why wilt not thou likewise giue it vnto me , who do so heartily demand it , and with so manie teares craue it ? If I doe aske for it , it is to the end with it to serue thee ; and if I desire it , it is to hit a right in this worke , because thou doest know , O my good Iesus , that if I haue any small deuotion , it is in thy blessed and holy passion . Before thy presence , O good Iesus I appeare , and before thy goodnesse I present my selfe ; and to thy omnipotencie I commend my selfe , and also to thy great clemencie , I offer all that which I shall write , and speake of thee in this booke , because no man in trueth can vtter high thinges of thee , nor yet thinke of thee , but being in thee , or neere vnto thee . Let the conclusion of all be , that if thou , O good Iesus , labia me aperies , I am verie ceraine , quod os meum annunciabit laudem tnam : and to the end I may reach vnto this , prostrate on the ground , and my eies bathed in teares , I say , Deus in adiutorium meum intende , Lord make hast to helpe me : for if thou doe giue me thy grace , neither shall I omit to goe aright in this so high a worke , nor to attaine afterward thy eternall glorie .