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Chapter 87

Of the many and great benefits which come to men, in that the Eternal Father, doth behold the face of jesus Christ his Son.

BUT some will say, whence cometh so great force, to our looking, and to our weeping, that so instantly it should draw after it, Gods seeing, and that, so, as to forgive us. It is far from coming, from our looking itself. For the thief, deserveth not to be pardoned the gallows, because he knows that he did ill in stealing; and how much (and yet much more) soever, he lamenteth. But this proceedeth from another sight, which is more favourable; and withal, so full of power, that it is the cause and fountain of all our good. This is that, whereof David1 saith, Behold, O God our defendor, behold the face of thy Christ. He twice beseecheth God to behold; to give us thereby to understand, with how much affection, we are to think of this; and how much it importeth us to obtain it. For as the sight of God upon us, doth bring all benedictions to us; so Gods looking upon Christ, doth draw the sight of God to us. Do not think, O Virgin2 that the gracious, and amorous beams of the eyes of God, descend in a right line upon us, when he receiveth us in●o his grace; or even, when already we are in grace, that they descend upon us, as upon a different thing from Christ. For if so thou think, thou art no better than blind. But know, that first they address themselves to Christ, and from thence, to us, by him, and in him. Nor3 will our Lord utter one word, nor cast one countenance of love to any creature of the whole world, if he see it separated from Christ; but for the love of Christ, he so beholdeth all them as to pardon them, who (although they be never so wicked) will behold and lament themselves; & in Christ he also beho●ldeth such persons, for their preservation, and for their increase in the good, which already they have received. Christ being beloved, is the cause that we are received into grace. And if Christ Jesus were not, no creature at all, would be acceptable, or beloved in the sight of God, as was said before.

Know therefore, O Virgin, what necessity thou hast of Christ; and be thou4 internally and profoundly grateful to him. For the good which thou hast, came towards thee, by no other means, then by Christ; and in him is it to be conserved to thee, and augmented by the eternal Father. And this is that, which was figured in the beginning of the world, when the just Abel (that Pastor of sheep) did offer a sacrifice to God out of his flock; which sacrifice was accepted, as the Scriptore saith, For our Lord did look on Abel. and his gifts. And this looking on him, doth import, that Abel was grateful to him, and for that, again, his gifts were grateful. And in testimony that so they were, God sent down visible fire, which consumed the sacrifice. Now this is a figure, of our just, & sovereign Pastor, who saith himself, I5 am the good Pastor; and he is also a Priest; & consequently, as S. Paul6 saith, he is to offer gifts, and sacrifices to God. But what can7 he offer, that shall be worthy of him? Certainly not brute beasts; and much less sinful men; for such do rather serve to provoke the wrath of God, them to obtain his mercy. Nor without cause, did God command in the old law, that the beast which was to be offered, should be male, & not female; and of such an age; & neither too little, nor too great; nor blind, nor lame, nor subject to any of those conditions which are there described; to the end that the thing which was to be offered, for the taking away of sin, might be subject to no imperfection, or fault. Now8 because no man was without sin, this great Priest of ours, had nothing else to offer but himself; making him, that was the Priest, to be also the sacrifice, offering up himself to himself, he being clean, that he might cleanse us, who were defiled; he who was just, to justify us who are sinners; he who was acceptable, and esteemed; to the end that we might be received into favour; Who, in our own respects, were offensive, and unbeloved. And this sacrifice, was of so high value, both in regard of the thing itself, and in respect of him who did offer it, (which is all one) that we, who were separated from God like lost sheep, were brought back, all washed, and sanctified, and made worthy to be offered up to God. Not that we had any thing of our own stock, which was fit to please him; but being bedewed by the blood of this Pastor, and being adorned with the beauty of his grace, and justice, which is bestowed upon us for our Lord's sake; and being incorporated to him, we are cleansed from our sins, and we are beheld by God, and made acceptable to him, as a sacrifice offered up, by this high Priest and pastor.

This did9 S. Peter thus express, Christ died once for us, to the end that he might offer us up to God, being mortified in the flesh, and quickened in the spirit. And so it appears, how our Abel doth offer up an oblation out of his flock, which God beheld; because10 first, he had beheld his most dear son. And as there visible fire came down upon the sacrifice, so also did fire come here, upon the day of Pentecost in the form of tongues. And this happened, after Christ ascended up to heaven, where he might appear, to the face of God for us. To the end that we might understand, that from the cast of the countenance of God, upon the face of Christ, which, as it is said11 of Hesther, is full of grace, came that fire of the holy Ghost, which burned those gifts, which this great Pastor and Bishop offered up to his Father; and they were his disciples, both such as were then present, and such others as were to follow afterward. And as God promised to Noë, that whensoever it should rain much, he was to look upon the bow, which he placed in the clouds, in token of the league which he made with men, not to destroy the earth any more by water; so, much more, God beholding his Son, being laid upon the Cross (having his arms spread abroad, in the form of a bow) doth take the arrows, which he was about to shoot, out of that other rigorous bow of his; and instead of punishing, he doth embrace us; being more overcome to show us mercy by this strong bow, which is Christ, than he was induced by our sins to punish us.

And howsoever we went wand'ring away, with our backs turned towards the light, which is God; and that we would not look upon him, but pass our days in the darkness of sin; yet we are brought back by him, upon his shoulders. And because it is12 he, that bringeth us, our Lord God looketh upon us; and he maketh us also look on him. And he hath so particular care of us, that not for so much as any one moment of time, doth he remove his eyes from us, lest other wise we should undo ourselves. Whence dost thou think, did proceed this amorous word, which God did speak to a sinner, thereby to draw him to repentance, I will13 give thee understanding, and will teach thee the way, wherein thou art to walk; and upon thee, will I place mine eyes; but only from that amorous countenance, wherewith God beholdeth Jesus Christ, who is the wisdom, which teacheth us the true way, wherein we may walk without stumbling; and the true pastor (as he is man) by whom we are beheld; & who (as he is God) beholdeth us. Removing14 the dangers that are before us, wherinto he knoweth that we would fall hereafter; holding us fast, against such as do assault us at the present; and delivering us from them, into which by our fault we have fallen; ever thinking of that which importeth us, though ourselves be full of negligence; remembering our good, when we forget his service, watching over us when we sleep; keeping us close to himself, when we would fain be gone; calling us back, when we fly; giving us imbracementes when we return; being ever the last, in breaking of friendship; and the first who begs the renewing of it, though he were the person offended; and carrying, in all, and throughout all, such a watchful, & amorous eye over us, as ordaineth all things for our good. What shall we say, or what shall we do, for so great favours, but give thankes to this true Pastor? who, to the end that his sheep might not be estranged from the eyes of God; did offer his own face to so many affronts. That his Father seeing him so afflicted, and yet without all fault; might behold such as indeed were faulty, with the eyes of mercy. And to the end, that we might carry this word, engraven both in our hearts, and upon our tongues, Look. O Lord, upon the face of thy Christ. Knowing well, by great experience, that God doth much better, both hear, and see, and incline his care to us, than we do to him.

Footnotes

  1. Psal. 83. ↩

  2. How Almighty God cometh to love mankind. ↩

  3. No creature can obtain the least cast of an eye of ●erev, from God but only for the love of Christ our Lord. ↩

  4. All woe will be to such, as are not so. ↩

  5. joan. 10. ↩

  6. Hebr. 5. ↩

  7. Levit. 22. Deut. 22. ↩

  8. The necessity which we were in, that Christ our Lord should be sacrificed for us. ↩

    1. Pet. ●.
    ↩

  10. Agnus occisus ab origine inu●ds. ↩

  11. Hester. ●wor●. ↩

  12. It is only for the love of Christ, that God beholdeth sinners with mercy. ↩

  13. Psalms. 21. ↩

  14. Note here a lively and dear description, of the innumerable ways whereby Almighty ●od showeth mercy toward us, through Christ our Lord. ↩

Chapter 89 of 115