Quinquagesima Sunday The Gospel Luc. 18 v.31.Wednesday Meditation: A Plaine Path-way To Heaven Thomas Hill 1634


GOSPEL (Luke 18:31-43) 
At that time, Jesus took unto him the twelve and said to them: "Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and all things shall be accomplished which were written by the prophets concerning the Son of man. For he shall be delivered to the Gentiles and shall be mocked and scourged and spit upon. And after they have scourged him, they will put him to death. And the third day he shall rise again." And they understood none of these things, and this word was hid from them: and they understood not the things that were said. Now it came to pass, when he drew nigh to Jericho, that a certain blind man sat by the way side, begging. And when he heard the multitude passing by, he asked what this meant. And they told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by. And he cried out, saying: "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me." And they that went before rebuked him, that he should hold his peace: but he cried out much more: "Son of David, have mercy on me." And Jesus standing, commanded him to be brought unto him. And when he was come near, he asked him, Saying; "What wilt thou that I do to thee?" But he said: "Lord, that I may see." And Jesus said to him: "Receive thy sight: thy faith hath made thee whole." And immediately he saw and followed him, glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.

Consideration For Wednesday

Now let us consider with our self, in the innermost part of our soul, how we requite this unspeakable and stupendous love of Christ;and we will express it by familiar example,that we may the better understand it,and imprint it in our mind (as the nature of examples are) If there should be two very dear and inward friends, and the one of them should chance to commit some heinous capital crime,and hiding himself in some safe place, as he thought, should be betrayed, & in imminent danger to be apprehended;and the other, being innocent, to save his life, should come & change his garments with him,& dismissing him safe, should remain in his place,and be taken ,and condemned to die: if the other that was guilty, seeing his friend ignominiously haled with a cord to die, and fast pinioned ( as the manner is) should not only not be sorry for him, but also load him with ignominious terms, clamors, and vociferation, & incite the hangman to be cruel unto him: and not thus contented,should lay violent hands upon him, and be his hangman himself; and his friend should take all patiently, and,rather then to bring him in question for his life, willingly yield up his own life, in silence: would not all that knew it,admire and be astonished at this ungratefulness and more then barbarous cruelty?

Such are we (o horror to speak it) towards our most loving Friend and Savior Jesus Christ, who took the habit of our humanity, was taken and adjudged to die, and died a most cruel death, being most innocent, for us that were most worthy of eternal death, especially they that put him to death, or any way concurred thereunto.

Yet notwithstanding we sell him, we insult over him, we blaspheme him, we wound him, we crucify him, we pierce his side, even when he is dead. But you will ask; when do we this, or who be they that do it?

They that commit mortal sin, they sell him, when they consent to commit it for some vain worldly delight or pleasure,which they exchange for God, that is to say, for the grace of God, depriving themselves for some vain delight or other, making a far more base bargain then Esau, when he sold his inheritance for a mess of pottage.

They insult over him, when notwithstanding all the good motions of God to the contrary, they go forward in their wicked purpose.

They blaspheme him, when with their sins they scandalize others, and make them think the worse of the Catholic faith and religion, causing thereby, as St Peter saith, the name of God, and as St James saith, the good name of God to be blasphemed.

They whip &wound him, when they swear impiously by his blessed heart,and other parts of his body.

They kill him when they consent unto deadly sin,and therefore it is called deadly sin, because it engender, as St. James saith, death; to wit, not only to themselves, but also unto Christ, as much as lyeth in them, crucifying to themselves Christ as St. Paul saith, again, that is to say:not only by original sin in Adam, but actual sin in themselves; yea and that as many times, as they commit actual sins after they have repented thereof,because so often would Christ die for them again,if his first death had not been sufficient once for all.

And they consummate their consenting unto deadly sin in external act, they pierce the side of Christ after he was dead in them by consenting thereunto  before, and much more by the continuance & custom therein without repentance.

And if they rejoice and be merry,as if they had done no such thing: they are like the brethren of Joseph, who having sold their brother Joseph into Egypt,or consented thereunto, sat down and eat and drank,and made merry, as if they had done a great good deed.

But their joy is no better nor truer then theirs, or of those that rejoice, when they have devoured a poor man in secret, of whom the Prophet Abacuck speaketh, by way of derision or exprobration; but God that seeth it, being never so secret, & suffereth it for a time, will at last, for their abusing his long longanimity and mercy, punish them forever in his fury;how fair a show soever they make for a time.


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