THE PERORATION, OR SUMMING UP BY PRAYER THE ADMONITION ABOUT THE CONTROVERSY.

1. God of His mercy grant, that this excellent league of love and charity, left by the Saviour of the world to His Church, and commended unto us by the love of Him who loved us, God grant, I say, that, all contentions laid asleep, we may on all parts accord about this league of love, and let men and angels say, Amen.

2. Great differences, acute disputes, have long since been had; in the mean space, merciful Lord, what barrenness of piety is there found! Many are become weary with striving, some even with looking on and beholding them that strive, a third sort in hearing and reading distractions on divers parts; most, which is to be lamented, are slow and frozen in piety.

3. The question about the Sacrament hath now many years been controversed in the Church. The authors of sects and heresies, as the Anabaptists, and Arians, and such like, they are neither orthodox all, nor of this house with us; but this unnatural strife is domestic, which God cease.

4. Now whereas we see no end of contending, and small hope in regard of men, of ever seeing

an end to contention, let us jointly beseech our heavenly Father that in seeking peace we may go one before another, that all being careful to attain Christian unity, and careful of our own salvation, we may glorify our Father in heaven.

5. Let the last necessity find us ready, which will surprise them that are unready. Let our uncertain end strike into us a certain foresight of our end, which, according to the Wise Man, we should remember, and let enmity pass. Future blessedness, attained it may be; for the excellency thereof rightly conceived, it cannot be. In seeking so great a good, the best mean is to observe no mean.

6. To draw to an end, although in regard of the continuance of the before-named blessedness there be no end, let us every one dispose himself unto that day which doth assign to every one his eternal mansion, where there shall be no more night, where there shall need no light of the candle, nay of the sun, where the "Lamb is the Light" in that blessed vision of the Lord Jesus; unto which let us, according to the counsel of the Holy Ghost, proceed by one rule, “Glory to God in the highest, on earth peace, and towards man good-will "."

• Revelation xxi. 23.

Luke ii. 14.

CHAPTER LXX.

GODLY MEDITATIONS UPON THE PASSION OF OUR LORD AND SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST; NECESSARY TO BE USED BEFORE AND AFTER THE HOLY COMMUNION.

AS there is no one thing that more appertaineth

unto our salvation than the Passion of Christ our Redeemer, nor any benefit for which we ought more to give thanks, so there is no subject more worthy of our best and best-disposed meditations to speak of, to confer of, to remember, to meditate of, more consolatory than is the subject of our Saviour Christ's Blessed Passion.

Again, we ought more to give thanks to God for our redemption than for our creation, for these

causes:

The first is, if man be obliged or bound to God, for that of nothing, by His very word, he was created; now by sin to be made less than nothing, and then to be re-made, is much more.

The second is, for that God shewed more love by redeeming man than by creating him; for, before he was created, man did nothing whereby he deserved to be created, but after he was created he

sinned, and deserved that his first being should be destroyed; wherefore, far greater was the benignity and mercy of God in redeeming man than in creating him.

The third is, that the benefit of creation had not profited man, without the benefit of his redemption.

The fourth is, that in the creation God gave man Himself; but in the redemption God gave Himself for man.

The fifth is, that it was a great thing that we were His work, but a greater is it in that we are His price.

Wherefore the devout Christian ought often by contemplation to look up to Christ crucified, especially having a remorse for his sins, as the people did in the wilderness look up to the serpent that was lifted up, when they were stung by serpents.

THE FRUITS OF THIS MEDITATION.

"In

The first is, to receive curing and comfort. all my afflictions," saith St. Augustine, "I find not any more effectual remedy than the wounds of Christ, in which I securely sleep." "Nay, this meditation doth make afflictions sweet," saith St. Gregory, as the wood did that sweetened the bitter waters."

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The second is, it incites to all virtues, and is a remedy against all vices; it incites to humility, patience, prayer, and such like; it averts the mind from all vices, Quando occurrit turpis cogitatio, fugio ad vulnera Christi, saith St. Bernard; nay, quando dæmon insidiatur, fugio ad vulnera Christi, et fugit a me tentator. When any evil thought assaults me, I fly to the wounds of Christ; when the tempter doth assault, I fly to these wounds of Christ, and the tempter flies from me.

The third is, it stirreth men up to praise God, as the people did when they were delivered in the Red Sea; if we have any thankfulness, this should move us to thankfulness.

A COLLOQUY OF THE SOUL WITH CHRIST TOUCHING THE PASSION.

Soul.-Lord, wherefore didst Thou suffer Thyself to be sold?

Christ. That I might deliver thee from servitude.

Lord, why didst Thou pray so much?

That I might appease God's wrath against thee. Lord, why didst Thou suffer fear and trembling? That I might make thee secure, and of good courage.