Chapter 22

Where he prosecutes the treaty of the Mercy of God, which he useth towards us; his Majesty overcoming our enemies, after an admirable manner.

THIS admirable masterpiece of God's hand which driveth treacle out of poison, against the very poison itself; and draweth the destruction of sin, out of the very sin; doth spring, and carry a resemblance to another piece of prowess which the most High hath wrought; not less, but greater, both then that other, and then all the rest. This was, the work of the Incarnation, and Passion. Wherein, God was not pleased to fight, with the weapons of the greatness of his majesty; but, by taking those of our weakness; and apparailing himself with human flesh; which howsoever it were free from all sin, it did yet resemble the flesh of sinners; for as much as it was subject to that pain, and death, which sin had brought into the world. And by this pain, and death, which (without their being his due) he took upon him, he overcame, and destroyed, our sin; and they being destroyed, both pain & death (which entered in by their means) were destroyed also. As¹ if a man should set the body of a tree on fire, by the branches of the same tree; and so should burn up, both the tree, and the branches.

How² greatly, O Lord, is thy glory magnified; and with how much reason, are we to sing, & to praise thee, more than they praised Danid, for going into the field against Goliath; who put the people of God into straits, when there was none that could overcome, yea, or who had the courage to set upon him. But thou, O Lord, our King, & our honour; dissembling (as it were) the weapons of thy Omnipotency, & divine life, which thou hast, as thou art God; didst fight with him, by taking that stafle of the Cross into thy hand; and in thy most holy body, five stones, which were the five wounds, and so thou didst overcome, and kill him. And although the stones were five, yet one of them, had been enough, for the victory. For if thou hadst endured less than what thou didst endure, there would yet have been merit enough, for our Redemption. But³ thy pleasure was, O Lord, that our redemption should be copious, and superaboundant. That so, weak persons might be comforted, & such as were negligent, inflamed; by seeing the excessive love, wherewith thou didst suffer for us, and kill our sins; being figured in the person of Goliath; whom David slew, not with any sword, which he might have carried of his own, but by the very sword of the Giant; and so the victory became more glorious, and the enemy was made subject to more dishonour.

Much⁴ honour had our Lord gained, if with his own weapons of life, and divine Omni potency, he had fought against our sins & death, and had so defeated them. But much more did he gain, in overcoming them, without so much as drawing his sword; Nay, by taking the same sword (that is, the effect of sin, which is pain and death he did in flesh condemn sin; offering his flesh to be made subject to pain, and such hard usage, as if it had been the flesh of a sinner; being indeed, both of a just man, and of God. That so, by this means, as S. Paul saith, The justification of the law, might be fulfiled in us, who walk not according to the flesh, but the spirit. And since the justification of the Law, is fulfiled in us, by our walking according to the spirit; it is plain that these (being such works, as wherewith the Law is fulfiled) are such as it requireth at our hands; and whereby satisfaction is given to it; and so it groweth to be evident, that he spoke falsely, who said, That⁵ all the works, which were done by a just man, were sin.

Christ,⁶ did perfectly overcome sin, both by deserving pardon for such as were passed; and force for the avoiding of such as might be to come; and so he freed our souls from the law of sin. Because we are no longer subject to the command thereof, and he delivered us from the hurt or pain due unto it, since, by giving us grace to suffer pain, we satisfied for that, to which we might be liable in Purgatory; and besides it helpeth us to gain crowns in heaven. He did further also deliver us, from the law of death. For howsoever we be to pass that way, we are not yet to remay ne therein; but (as one who layeth himself down to sleep, and is afterward awaked) our Lord will raise us up, to lead a new life, which never is to dye again. And that life, is to be so happy, as, that it shall reform this base body of ours; and shall conform it to the body of his brightness; and then we shallbe joyful, and entirely secure; and despising our enemies; and triumphing over them, we shall say, O death, where is thy victory; O death where is thy sting? which sting, is sin, in them where death is still in force; whereby it doth wound, as the Bee is wont to do, with her sting; for by sin, death entered into the world.

Both the one, and the other enemy, which were wont to govern, and to wound the world, remain drowned in the blessed blood of Jesus Christ; and slain, by his precious death. And in⁷ their place, succeedeth that everlasting justice, whereby here, the soul is justified; and afterwards shall succeed, the vision of God face to face in heaven; and a life, which shall be eternally blessed, both in body, and soul.

What shall we say to this O Virgin, but that, which S. Paul hath taught us; Thanks be given to God who hath granted us victory, through Jesus Christ. Him thou art to adore, and with a grateful and enamoured heart, say to him, Let all the earth adore thee, and praise thee, and sing a hymn to thy name, And see thou say this often, every day; and especially, when at the Altar, his most holy body, is elevated by the hands of the Priest.

Footnotes

1. A noble consideration, and a l●uely comparison. ↩

2. The infiniteness of our obligation to our Lord jesus. ↩

3. Note. ↩

4. The infinite wisdom, which did accompany, the i● fin mercy of God. ↩

5. This is sa●d by ne'er, but our modern Sectaryes. ↩

6. They who affirm (as our Secta●●s do) that sin doth still remain in the soul of persons who are penitent & pardoned: deprive the passion of our Lord, of the better part of the worth thereof. ↩

7. See here how copious the Redemption is, which our Lord hath purchased for us. ↩