Chapter 85

How loud Christ cried out; and doth ever cry out for us, before the Eternal Father: and with how great speed, his Majesty doth hear the prayers of men; and bestoweth benefits upon them, by means of this outcry of his son.

Thou mayst already see by what is said, how great necessity all men have of the favour of Christ Jesus, to the end that their prayers may be heard, as acceptable in the presence of God. But it is not so with Christ himself; for he hath no need that any other should speak for him. He it is, and he alone, whose voice is heard, in respect of itself. For, as S. Paul¹ saith, he is able to go to his Father himself, to pray for us; he also saith, That Christ in the days of his mortal life, offering prayers to his Father with a loud cry, and with tears, was heard for his reverence. Christ desired his Father, that he would deliver him from death; not suffering him to remain therein, by raising him up, to a life immortal. And as he desired, so was it granted to him. He also offered up tears, and prayers, to his Father many times; which proceeding from a hart which was full of love, are said to have been made, with a loud cry. And although that love which made him cry, was ever all alike in him, (for as much as every tear he shed, and every² pace that he made, was performed with as much love, as when he laid himself down upon the Cross) yet considering the exterior, and the nature of the work itself, which was wrought; so much difference there was, between the offering of his most holy body upon the Cross, and the offering up prayers for us; as there is, between suffering, yea and suffering death, on the one side, and praying, or speaking on the other.

Remember that which God³ said to Cain; The voice of the blood of thy Brother Abel, doth cry out to me, from the earth. And of that also, which S. Paul⁴ said, to us, Christians; You are come to a●hed●ing of blood, which cryeth out better, then that of Abel. For⁵ that of Abel, cried out to the divine justice, demanding vengeance, against Cain who spilt it; but the blood of Christ, which was shed upon the earth, cried out to the divine mercy demanding pardon. The former calleth for anger; the later for pity; the former for indignation; the later for reconciliation; that of Abel asketh vengeance against Cain alone; this other, asketh pardon, for all the wicked men, that ever were, or will ever be; (so fare forth as they shallbe ready to receive it, with⁶ such a disposition as is fit) yea it asketh pardon, even for them which shed it. The blood of Abel, was able to profit no man, because it had no such power, as to pay for the sins of others; but the blood of Christ, did cleanse both the heavens, & the earth, and the sea, as the Church doth sing; and drew out such as were detained in the very pits of Limbus, as the Prophet Zachary affirms.

Without fail, the cry of the blood of Christ, desiring mercy, is a great cry; since it hindered the hearing of that other cry, which was made by the sins of the world, and which demanded vengeance, against the committers thereof. Consider thou, O Virgin, if⁷ that one only sin of Cain, made such a noise, by ask vengeance; what noise, what cries, what shouting out, do all the sins of all men make, demanding the same, and greater vengeance, in the ears of the justice of God. But yet nevertheless; how loud so ever they cry; incomparably more loud, crieth the blood of Christ, in the ears of the divine mercy, demanding pardon. And it makes, that those others are not heard; & that the noise of our sins may be so little, and so low, as that God may be to them, as if he were deaf. For incomparably more acceptable to God, was the voice of Christ; and of his Passion, and death, which demanded pardon; then all the sins of the whole world, are offensive, demanding vengeance. What dost thou think, that⁸ the silence of Christ did procure; and that he made himself as deaf who did not hear, and as a dumb man, who did not open his mouth, when he was accused? Without doubt, since the sins of them, who by their mouth, accused Christ, did make a noise which was full of lies, against him who was not guilty, and when he, in the mean time, would needs hold his peace (who yet, might have answered them, with all justice) it is but due, that the rest of the world, may not be accused of their sins, by the Devils (though of itself, this might be justly done) but that they should be dumb, because they had accused him who was innocent. And that, since he would needs be⁹ deaf (who yet was so well able to answer) it is but reason, that the divine justice (to which Christ offered himself for us) should also make itself as deaf, though we have done things, which require vengeance.

Rejoice therefore, O thou spouse of Christ, and let all sinners rejoice (if indeed they be sorry for having sinned, and if they dispose themselves to take the¹⁰ remedies, which are in the Catholic Church.) For God is deaf, towards the punishment of our sins; but hath his ears wide open, towards the hearing of our prayers, with mercy. Fear not thy accusers, nor those outcries (although thou have given cause thereof) since Christ was accused, and by his silence did strike dumb, the clamour of our sins. It was¹¹ prophesied, that he would be silent, as the lamb is before the shearer. But¹² when most he was silent, and did suffer most in the sight of men; so much greater were the out cries, which he gave to the divine just 〈◊〉, by paying for us. And these out cries were heard as S. Paul¹³ saith) for his reverence; that is, for his great humility; and for the reverence wherewith he humbled himself to his Father, even to death, and that of the Cross; revearing (in as much as he was man) that superexcellent divine Majesty; and losing his life, for the honour of it. He was heard (I say) by his Father; of whom it was written, He¹⁴ regarded the prayer of the humble, and despised not their petition. Now who is so humble, as our Blessed Lord, who said, Learn,¹⁵ of me, for I am me●ke, and humble of hart. And therefore he was heard, as before it was prophesied in his person, Our q Psal. 21. Lord did not remove his face from me; and when I cried out, he heard me. And the same Lord of ours, saith in the Gospel, I give¹⁶ thee thankes, O Father, because thou dost ever hear me.

Now since the Father doth hear him when he prayeth for thee; and that the obtaining of grace, whereby thou mayst be made just (that so thou mayst be heard by God) did cost him so dear; procure to get it, if thou have it not; and if thou have it, employ it in offering up prayers to God; since to such prayers, his ears are open. And as we must hear our Lord, with the Prophet Samuel, when he saith, Speak¹⁷ Lord, for thy servant heareth; so doth our Lord say to us, Speak servant, for thy Lord heareth thee. And as we said long before, that our hearing the voice of God, must not be the only hearing of the sound of the words; but to believe them, and to be pleased in them; & to put them in execution; so the ears of our Lord, are opened by the love of Christ, not only to hear what we say (for so also doth he hear the blasphemies which are spoken of him, and which offend him) but our Lord doth hear our petitions, in such sort, as to perform them. And to the end that thou mayst see, how true it is, that our Lord doth hear the deep sighs that we present to him, harken thou to that, which the ●a●●●e Lord saith by¹⁸ Isaias, Before they call, I will hear them. O blessed be that holding thy peace, O Lord; for both within, and without, didst thou hold thy peace, upon that day of thy Passion. Out wardly, by not cursing, or so much as answering; and inwardly, by not contradicting, but accepting, with great patience, those blows, and cries, and pains, of thy passion. For thereby, thou didst so speak in the ears of God, as that we may be heard even before we speak. Nor is this any great marvel; for¹⁹ as much as (we being yet nothing) thou didst make us; and before we could ask thee any thing, thou didst maintain us, both within, and without the womb of our Mother; and before we knew what it was, that might do us good, thou gavest us the adoption of Sons; and the grace of the Holy Ghost in holy Baptism. And before we had been overthrown by sin, thou didst keep us; and when we were fallen, through our own fault, thou didst raise us up; and thou didst seek us when we sought not thee. And (that which is more) before we were borne, thou hadst already died for us; and prepared heaven for us. It is not therefore any wonder that of whom thou hadst so much care, before they had any of thee, thou have it also, in this particular. And that thou dost give us that, many times, whereof thou seest us to have need, without expecting that we should weary ourselves so much as to ask it; since thou didst weary thyself so much, both in ask, and procuring it for us.

What shall we give thee, O most blessed Jesus, for this silence, which thou didst use before them, who did so hate, and hurt thee. And what shall we give thee, for those loud cries so full of love, which thou gavest for us, before thy Father. O²⁰ that it were pleasing to thy infinite goodness, to do us so great a favour, as that we might be so silent towards the offence of thee; and so willing to suffer that which thou wouldst do with us, as if we were so many dead men. And that we were so full of life, towards the uttering of voices in thy praise; that neither we whom thou hast redeemed, nor the heavens, nor the earth, nor that which is under the earth, nor any of that which is in them all, might ever cease with the very extremity of all our strength, and theirs, to sing thy praises with great joy, and to serve thee, with most ardent love.

Nor dost thou content thyself, O Lord, to open thine ears towards our prayers, so to hear them with attentive speed; but as one that love's another, in all truth of affection, and doth take pleasure to hear him speak, or sing; so thou, O Lord, dost say to the soul, which is redeemed by thy blood, Show²¹ me thy face, let thy voice sound in mine cares; for thy voice is sweet, & thy face is very fair. What is this, O Lord, which thou sayest? That thou desirest to hear us, and that our voice is sweet. How doth our face seem fair in thine eyes, which we (having defiled with many sins committed by us even whilst thou wert looking on) are a shamed to let thee see? Infallibly it is true, that either we merit much in thy sight, or else thou dost love us much. But²² far be it from us, O Lord, far be it from us, that out of thy merciful proceeding, we should draw a reason of being proud. Since that, whereby we please thee, and are acceptable to thee, is thine own grace, which thou didst give us. And besides that, thou dost regale, and thou dost reward thy servants, more abundantly than becomes any merit of theirs. Let glory therefore beg●uen to thee, O Lord, from whom all our good proceedeth; and in whom all our good consisteth; & to us, & in us let confusion be, for our unworthiness and wickedness. Thou art our joy, and thou art that glory, wherein we glory; and this we do not unjustly, but upon great reason. For a high honour it is to be beloved by thee; and so beloved, as that thou wouldst deliver thyself over for our sakes, to the torments of the Cross, from whence all blessings, are derived down upon us.

Footnotes

1. Hebr. 8. ↩

2. What infinite love therefore was that, and what love ought ours to be in answer of it. ↩

3. Gen. 4. ↩

4. Hebr. 12. ↩

5. The difference between the blood of Christ our Lord, and the blood of Abel. ↩

6. Pennance, ↩

7. And thou also who art no virgin, consider of it; for it speaks to all the world. ↩

8. The profound silence of Christ our Lord in his sacred passion. ↩

9. Sic●● mutus, non aperi●●s os suum. ↩

10. Contrition Confession and Satisfaction. ↩

11. Isa. 35. ↩

12. The great profit which we reap, by the silence that Christ our Lord did use in his sacred Passion. ↩

13. Hebr. 5. ↩

14. Psal. 102. ↩

15. Matt. 11. ↩

16. joan. 21. ↩

17. 1. R●g. ●.
    ↩

18. Isa. 65. ↩

19. The inestimable providence and goodness of God, in Christ our Lord. ↩

20. A devout contemplation. ↩

21. Can● ● 2. ↩

22. The true humility which is taught by the doctrine of the holy Catholic Church. ↩