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| REPAIRE to Pilat’s hall, | |
| Which place when thou hast found, | |
| There shalt thou see a pillar stand, | |
| To which thy Lord was bound. | |
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| ’Tis easie to be knowne | 5 |
| To anie Christian eye; | |
| The bloudie whips doe point it out | |
| From all that stand thereby. | |
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| By it there lies a robe | |
| Of purple, and a reed, | 10 |
| Which Pilat’s seruants vs’d t’ abuse, | |
| In sinne’s deriding deed: | |
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| When they pronounced “All haile! | |
| God saue thee!” with a breath, | |
| And by the same cride presently, | 15 |
| “Let Christ be done to death.” | |
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| His person had in scorne, | |
| His doctrine made a iest, | |
| Their mockeries were a martirdome; | |
| No wrongs but him opprest. | 20 |
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| What courage lesse then his | |
| Would haue indur’d like shame, | |
| But would with greefs of such contempt | |
| Haue dide t’ indure the same? | |
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| A little from that place, | 25 |
| Vpon the left-hand side, | |
| There is a curious portlie dore, | |
| Right beautifull and wide. | |
| |
| Leaue that in anie wise, | |
| Forbid thy foot goe thether; | 30 |
| For out thereat did Iudas goe, | |
| Despaire and he together. | |
| |
| But to the right hande turne, | |
| Where is a narrow gate, | |
| Forth which St Peter went to weepe | 35 |
| His poore distrest estate. | |
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| Doe immitate the like, | |
| Goe out at Sorrowe’s dore; | |
| Weepe bitterly as he did weepe, | |
| That wept to sinne no more. | 40 |
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| Keepe wide of Cayphas’ house, | |
| Though couetous thoughts infence: | |
| There bribery haunts, despair was hatcht; | |
| False Iudas came from thence. | |
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| But goe on forward still, | 45 |
| Where Pilat’s pallace stands; | |
| There where he first did false condemne, | |
| Then wash his guiltie hands: | |
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| Confess’d he found no cause, | |
| And yet condemn’d to die, | 50 |
| Fearing an earthly Cæsar more | |
| Then God that rules on hie. | |
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| By this direction then | |
| The way is vnderstood; | |
| No porch, no dore, nor hal to passe, | 55 |
| Vnsprinckled with Christ’s blood. | |
| |
| So shall no errour put | |
| Misguiding steppes betweene; | |
| For euery drop sweet Iesus shed | |
| Is freshly to be seene. | 60 |
| |
| A crowne of piercing thornes | |
| There lies imbru’d in gore; | |
| The garland that thy Sauiour’s head | |
| For thy offences wore. | |
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| Which when thou shalt behold, | 65 |
| Thinke what his loue hath binne, | |
| Whose head was loaden with those briers | |
| T’ vnlade thee of thy sinne: | |
| |
| Whose sacred flesh was torne; | |
| Whose holie skinne was rent; | 70 |
| Whose tortures and extreamest paines | |
| Thy paines in hell preuent. | |
| |
| As God from Babilon | |
| Did turne, when they past cure | |
| Refused helpe; whom he would heale, | 75 |
| Denying health t’ indure: | |
| |
| So from Hierusalem | |
| The soule’s phisition goes, | |
| When they forsook his sauing health, | |
| And vow’d themselues his foes. | 80 |
| |
| Goe with him, happie soule, | |
| From that forsaken towne; | |
| Vpon whose wals lies not a stone, | |
| But ruine must throw downe. | |
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| Follow his feet that goes | 85 |
| For to redeeme thy losse, | |
| And carries all our sinnes with him | |
| To cansel on his crosse. | |
| |
| Behold what multitudes | |
| Doe guard thy God about, | 90 |
| Who bleeding beares his dying tree | |
| Amidst the Iewish rout. | |
| |
| Looke on with liquid eies, | |
| And sigh from sorrowing mind, | |
| To see the death’s-man goe before, | 95 |
| The murdering troupes behind: | |
| |
| Centurion hard at hand, | |
| The theeues vpon the side, | |
| The exclamations, shouts, and cries, | |
| The shame he doth abide. | 100 |
| |
| Then presse amongst the throng, | |
| Thyselfe with sorrowes weed; | |
| Get very neere to Christ, and see | |
| What teares the women shed: | |
| |
| Teares that did turne him backe,— | 105 |
| They were of such a force— | |
| Teares that did purchase daughters’ names | |
| Of father’s kind remorse. | |
| |
| To whom hee said, Weepe not: | |
| For me drop not a teare; | 110 |
| Bewaile your offspring and yourselues, | |
| Greefe’s cause vnseene is neare. | |
| |
| Follow their steps in teares, | |
| And with those women mourne, | |
| But not for Christ; weepe for thyselfe, | 115 |
| And Christ will grace returne. | |
| |
| To Pilat’s bold demands | |
| He yeelded no replie; | |
| Although the iudge importun’d much, | |
| Yet silence did denie. | 120 |
| |
| Vnto his manie words | |
| No answere Christ would make; | |
| Yet to those women did he speake, | |
| For teares’ and weeping’ sake. | |
| |
| Thinke on their force by teares— | 125 |
| Teares that obtained loue— | |
| Where words too weak could not persuade, | |
| How teares had power to moue. | |
| |
| Then looke toward Iesus’ load, | |
| More then he could indure, | 130 |
| And how for helpe to beare the same | |
| A hireling they procure. | |
| |
| Ioine thou vnto the crosse; | |
| Beare it of loue’s desire; | |
| Doe not as Cyranæus did, | 135 |
| That took it vp for hire. | |
| |
| It is a gratefull deed, | |
| If willing vnderta’ne; | |
| But if compulsion set aworke, | |
| The labour’s done in vaine. | 140 |
| |
| The voluntarie death, | |
| That Christ did die for thee, | |
| Giues life to none but such as ioy | |
| Crosse-bearing friends to be. | |
| |
| Vp to Mount Caluerie | 145 |
| If thou desire to goe, | |
| Then take thy crosse, and follow Christ; | |
| Thou canst not misse it so. | |
| |
| When there thou art arriu’d | |
| His glorious wounds to see, | 150 |
| Say, but as faithfull as the theefe, | |
| O Lord, remember me. | |
| |
| Assure thyselfe to haue | |
| A gift, all gifts excelling, | |
| Once sold by sinne, once bought by Christ, | 155 |
| For saints’ eternall dwelling. | |
| |
| By Adam Paradise | |
| Was sinne’s polluted shade: | |
| By Christ the dunghill Golgotha | |
| A Paradise was made. | 160 |
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