Chapter 110

How Christ did as it were dissemble those four conditions of his beauty; so to make us beautiful; to which purpose there is a passage of the Prophet Isay declared.

IF we do well consider the conditions, which have been showed to be requisite for the making a man beautiful, (all which, are in the divine word after a most excellent manner) we shall find, that he dissembled, and hide them all; that so being concealed in him, they might grow to be disclosed in us. Most¹ entire, and perfect, and full, is the word of God; which wanteth nothing, nor can it want, and which removeth the want of all things. But yet, though in the bosom of his Father he be so rich; (if thou look upon him, being made man, in the womb, and in the arms of his mother, as also throughout the whole course of his life, and death) thou wilt see, how he wanted both to eat, and drink; yea and a bed whereon to lie, when the Virgin laid him in the manger. For neither was there any bed for him in the stable of Bethleem, nor any other place then that. How often did he want means, to put away both heat, and cold; and nothing he had, if they gave him nothing. And if in his life time, he had not a place where to lay his head (as himself affirmeth) what shall we say, of that extremity of poverty, to which he was subject in his death; at which time, neither had he any thing, whereupom so much as to lay his head. For either he was to have leaned back with it, upon the Cross (and so to endure excessive pain, by the thorns which might prick him so much the deeper) or else he must let it fall, & so remain without a rest; but not without exceeding pain.

O sacred head, whereof the Spouse² saith, That it is of purest gold; as being the head of God; and how much to thy cost, dost thou pay for that resting place, which (in prejudice of the love that we own to thyself) we procure to find upon thy creatures; both³ loving them, and desiring to be beloved, and praised by them; making that to be our lodging, which should be only our high way, whereby we might arrive to repose in thee? Now the reason, why he passeth through such want, and poverty, is declared by S. Paul, who saith, You know well, O brethren, the grace which our Lord Jesus Christ, imparted to us; who being rich, did make himself poor, for us; that so we might grow rich, by his poverty. And the while, thou seest, that the first condition of beauty, which was to be complete, is altogether hidden, and as it were dissembled by him, since to him, there was so much wanting, upon earth, who in heaven, was abundance itself.

If now thou wilt consider, the second condition of the Beautiful word of God, which is to be⁴ the most perfect image of his Father, and proportionable to him, and equal to him; thou wilt find, that on earth, he dissembled this condition, no less than the former. For tell me; what is the Father but Strength, Wisdom, Honour, Beauty, Bounty, joy, and such other excellencies; which all together, do make up, an infinite Good. Well then; do thou place, on the one side, this admirable Original, which is all glorious in itself; & adored by the Angels; and⁵ then call to mind, that passage, (which in reason, aught to pass, yea and pass through, the most internal parts of our very souls) when this beautiful image of the Father, Jesus Christ our Lord, was brought out from the Tribunal of Pilate, most cruelly scourged, and vested with a purple robe; and tormented with that crown; which was of scorn, in their eyes that saw it, and of insufferable pain, in him that felt it. His hands, in the mean time, were bound; and a Cane or Reed, was put into them; His eyes full of tears, and of blood with all; which ran down from his head. His cheeks, pale and won, and full also of blood, and defiled with filthy spittle, which they had darted out upon his face. And under this pain, and shame, was he brought out, to be seem by all the people, and thus it was said, Behold the man. And this was done, to the end, that his shame might increase, in being seen by them; and that, compassion might once grow in their hearts, when they perceived in what case he was; and so, they might give over the persecution, of a man, forasmuch they saw, in such a passion. But⁶ O, with how wicked eyes, did they behold the pains of him, (who yet did feel more pain for their perdition, then for those very pains of his own;) since instead of quenching that fire, of their frantic malice, with the water of the dishonour which they saw him in, it burned, but more, and more, like wildfire which burns in water. They would not hearken to that word, which was said to them, by Pilate, Behold the man; for they cared not for seeing him there; but said, that they would see him upon a Cross.

But thou, at least, O soul which art redeemed by the torments of Christ, do thou hearken, and let all of us hearken to this word, Behold the man; lest otherwise we grow aliens from the redemption of Jesus Christ; if we cannot find in our hearts, to be mindful, and grateful to him in respect of them. When we⁷ bring forth any thing, to the end that it may be seen, we are wont to dress it, the best we can; that so it may enamour the lookers on. And when we bring forth any thing, that we would have to be feared; we set it out, with a show of Arms, & Trophies; and we accompany it with such other things, as may make them tremble, that behold it. And when we make any representation that should move a man to tears; we apparail it in mourning, and we give it all those additions, that may induce men to sorrow. Then tell me, what was the intention of Pilate, in drawing Christ our Lord, into the view of the people? It was certainly, not to make them love him; nor to make them fear him; and therefore they did neither beautify him, nor set him out with Guards & Cavaliers; but he brought him forth, to appease the cruel hearts of the jews, by that spectacle of our Redeemer. And this was not to be done, by the way of love; For well did Pilate know, how cordially, and profoundly they abhorred him; but he had a desire to pacify them, even by the pure force of those excessive torments; which were endured by that delicate body of his, so much to his cost. For this it was, that Pilate did dress Christ, our Lord, with such a dressing of torments; which were both so many, and so great, as might have served to move compassion in all such as saw him, how much soever they did detest him.

It⁸ is therefore to be believed, that he brought him forth, the most afflicted, the most abased, and the most dishonoured, that he could device. Making it his study, how to deform him (as one would study, to beautify, and adorn some gallant bird) that so, he might appease the wrath of such as hated him; since he found by experience, that he could not do it, by other means.

And now tell me, if Christ was brought forth in such a fashion, as might have served to quench the fire of hate, in their hearts that abhorred him; how⁹ mightily, is it reason, that the sight, and show of him, should kindle the fire of love, in their hearts, who know him to be God, and who confess him to be their Redeemer. Isay the¹⁰ Prophet, saw this passage long before, it was brought to effect. And, being in contemplation of our Lord, he said; He¹¹ hath no beauty, nor delicacy; we have seen him, and there was nothing to be seen in him; and we desired to have him despised, and the most abased thing amongst men; a man of grief, and who did even possess the knowledge of torments. His face was, as if it were hidden, and despised; and therefore, we had him in no estimation. It was truly he, that bore our infirmities; and himself did suffer our pains, and we esteemed of him, as some leprous person, and as strooken, by the hand of God, and so dejected. If thou wilt weigh these words of Isay, one by one, thou wilt easily see, how the beauty of Christ, was all concealed, in that day of his affliction, for the beautifying of us.

The¹² Spouse speaking to Christ, doth say in the¹³ Canticles, Thou art fair, thou art sweet O my beloved; and here Isay saith, That he hath neither sweetness, nor beauty; and he, whose face is beheld with such attention and ardent desire by the Angels, is here affirmed, not to be worth the looking on. And he, who at his entrance into the world, was (by commandment of the Father) adored¹⁴ by all the Angels, is now (at his going out of it) despised, by the basest of men. David saith of Christ, That¹⁵ he is exalted, above all the works of the hands of God; and Isay saith, That he is the most abased amongst men. And¹⁶ if this had been yet delivered, by way of comparing him, with some worthy persons; the reproach would not have been so great. But what wilt thou say, if being put in balance with a Barrabas; that robber, that murderer, that seditious man, they hold him better than Christ, who is the giver of life itself, and the maker of all the peace, that is made, between his Father, and the world? And so fare off, he was, from taking away any thing which belonged to others, as that he paid, what he had never taken.

There was no cause, why Christ should suffer any pain; since the cause of pain, is the sin, which came into the world; but yet Isay calleth him here, The very man of grief; which signifieth, that he did strangely abound therein. For although, by experience he knew not what belonged to wicked pleasure; yet was he the man, who knew well, what did belong to rigorous pain, because he felt it. And that, in so full a measure; as that he saith, by the mouth of ●auid, My soul is very full of pain. Christ, is called¹⁷ light, because he did by his admirable words, and works, give joy, and drive darkness, out of the world; but this light, saith Isay, had the countenance thereof, almost all hidden. For if he be looked upon, with the eyes of flesh and blood, I know not who willbe able to recover him, by his countenance, through the excessively ill, that they had treated him before. Which is the less to be marveled at, because although the virgin. (who be blessed for ever (and who was upon that day the most¹⁸ afflicted of women) had brought him forth into the world, and swathed him; and used to behold herself in his face, (as in a most pure, and perfect glass) yet I easily believe, that if she was present, at that spectacle, of so excessive sorrow, she would look, and look again, (with as great attention, as the tears of her eyes, and the bitter grief of her wounded hart, would give her leave) to see, if that were her most blessed Son; who now was grown to be of a complexion, and a fashion, so very different, from that which formerly she had observed in him.

And¹⁹ if they, who saw our Lord, had believed, that he endured all that; not because himself did owe it, but because he loved them, who were true debtors to the justice of God; it might have given some ease, to the pains of Christ; but what shall we be able to say, since Isay telleth us, That they held him, for a man, who was dejected, and strooken, by the hand of God. For they thought, that God abased him so for his sins; and that he deserved all that, and a great deal more; and therefore they desired, that he might be crucified. So that (for as much as concerned his exterior), they took off their eyes, from looking on him. For they did loath the sight, as of a leprous person; and in their hearts they held him for a most wicked man; and worthy both of that misery and more. A strange, and lamentable thing it was, that if they looked towards him they did spit, withal; if they looked not, it was because they had some mighty aversion; as men would have, from the sight of some ugly thing. That which they spoke of him, was most reproachful language, which might afflict him no less, than his very pains; and yet they said, that he had not all which he had deserved, and that therefore he was to be nailed to the Cross.

Footnotes

1. The first condition that any thing must have if it will be beautiful was hidden by Christ jesus our Lord in his sacred passion. ↩

2. Cant 5. ↩

3. How true is this and how truly ought it to be reform. ↩

4. The second condition of the beauty of our Lord was hidden by him, in the passion. ↩

5. If ever thou wilt, lend me thy attention, and thy compassion, I beg it now. ↩

6. Infinite patience and love of our Lord, and inscrutable malice of the wicked jews. ↩

7. A consideration which will pierce the hearts of all such as hauethen● not of flint. ↩

8. No Christian soul can doubt of this. ↩

9. It is more than reason. ↩

10. Isa. 5●. ↩

11. Hear give thine ears, and thy hart to God. ↩

12. Hear see the different christ our Lord, grew to be from himself; and it was all, for our sakes. ↩

13. Cant. 5. ↩

14. Heb. 9 ↩

15. Psalm. 88 ↩

16. Be attentive. ↩

17. The third condition of beauty, was all hidden in christ our Lord, in the time of his sacred passion. ↩

18. The unspeakable grief of our B. Lady; whose holy soul was pierced through with the sword of sorrow according to the prophecy of S●m●ō. ↩

19. Anoother point, which is also highly to be considered. ↩