THE TWENTY-FOURTH CHAPTER.

Jesus is fearfully Scourged.

From this the lictors and guards of the governor, mad with rage, took Christ, and savagely stripping Him of His garments, who is the maker of heaven and of all creatures, and who hideth the heaven with clouds, and giveth being to all, shamelessly left Him naked before all the people. There He stood, the fairest and most beautiful of men, clad only in His virgin shame and simple innocence. Oh, what a cross was this to His most pure heart, to be compelled to stand so shamefully in His nakedness before those vile wretches; for the more a man hath of true virtue, so much the more full is he of the shame of innocence. Then they bound Him so mercilessly to the pillar, that, as we read, His flesh hid altogether the cords by which He was bound, such was the tenderness and delicacy of His nature. Moreover, 184we find it written, that He was so cruelly bound, that the blood burst forth from His finger-nails. And this they did lest He should slip out of their hands, for they held Him to be a malefactor and an impostor. After this these cruel wild beasts, like savage lions, inhumanly tore Christ’s fair and holy body; for they so scourged it, and ploughed it up with wounds, and mangled it with rods and all the other terrible scourges they could think of in their envious hearts, that He became wholly unlike Himself, His body being all covered with His blood, and with gaping wounds.

Nor was it only His skin that they tore with rods, but they mangled His sacred flesh by inhuman tortures, and so tore it to pieces, that all His body seemed to be left without skin, as those evil-minded ones added wound to wound, and pain to pain, and woe to woe. And when they had so cruelly torn one of His sides, so that nothing could be seen but blood and wounds, as certain doctors affirm, they loosed Him, and then bound Him again with His back to the pillar, His hands at the same time being fastened above His head. After this, they wounded by repeated scourging His sacred belly, which, as it had touched the pillar during the first scourging, was not so grievously hurt, and they tore it in like manner as they had 185torn His back. And the men who did this, peradventure, were fresh torturers. There were four of them, we read, and they vomited their cruelty upon Him, not less than the first had done, We may gather this, and prove it from those words of the prophet: “From the sole of His foot to the top of His head, there is no health in Him.”

Meanwhile, let us think what His torment must have been during all this, when they tore out the cords which had eaten into His flesh, and then again forced them back into His flesh, and inhumanly struck and wounded Him afresh. S.: Bonaventure saith that Christ here received more than five thousand wounds. Of a truth, He was so disfigured and pitiable a sight, that not only His torturers were wearied with striking, but men were also wearied with looking at Him. Nevertheless, our gracious Saviour stood there full of kindness and burning love, patiently suffering all this affliction and punishment for our sins, and with exceeding great desire offering His fair and ruddy Body as a loving sacrifice to His Father in heaven. For never did He suffer so much for our salvation, as not to desire to suffer more for His Father’s glory, and to testify to us the incomprehensible love of His Heart, and to make it known as clearly as He could in very deed. Nothing sound or 186whole was left in His Body, and still all the while His desire of suffering yet greater things remained in Him whole and without distraction. The torturers’ scourges had torn His whole Body, yet in His patience love kept His Heart untouched. The torturers had grown weary of scourging Him, yet was not Christ wearied of desiring to suffer. His Blood, so precious to sinners, flowed down in large streams upon the earth, and His Spirit, in gratitude, was lifted up to His Father in heaven. His sacred Body lay under the scourges of sin, and the prayers of His Heart were carried by the angels to His Father in the heavenly places. His Flesh streamed down with Blood, and His Blood itself flowed down, but His groans and fiery desires, whereby He offered all this affliction to His Father for the sins of all mankind, went up on high. On every side He poured Himself out upon men, but with His whole strength, and with full and worthy reverence and praise, He stretched Himself upwards to the high presence of His Father in heaven. Below poor man, sick and ill, drank in the medicine of life; and above, the Father rejoiced in the patience of His Son. Man received that by which he will be saved for ever, and God the Father that by which He will be praised through all eternity. The Son of God was wounded in His Body, that the 187souls of men might recover salvation. From all His limbs there flowed forth Blood, that He might pour the same, as a health-giving balm, into our wounds. The grape-cluster was hung on the staff, that He might make us certain and sure of the land of promise. The cluster was pressed in the wine-press, that He might make us drunken with His love. The bowl was broken in pieces, that the oil of mercy might begin to flow out. He dyed the tunic of His Body in purple, that as our Bridegroom of singular beauty, He might provoke us to love Him. Grievously did He suffer in His Body, and sorely was He afflicted, that He might make us glad in spirit. He was forsaken of His Father, that we might be taken back into His Father’s grace. His body was damp with His warm Blood, that He might prepare for us a bath, wherein we might be thoroughly washed and cleansed from every stain of sin. His warm Blood boiled over from His sacred Body, that He might cause our cold and hardened hearts to melt in His love. Like water He was poured out, that our spirit might swim in the delights of His grace. Nothing in His whole Body remained whole, that nothing hurtful, nothing foul, nothing that was not whole, might remain in our souls. And although on all sides He was so stricken by more 188than human suffering, that by reason of the excellence and tenderness of His nature and complexion, every blow pierced His Heart; nevertheless, His will was so subject both to God and men, and His burning desire to accomplish to the full all that His Father required of Him, and to redeem man, was so great in Him beyond all measure; in a word, He was so taken prisoner by love, that He could utter no complaint. For He could do nothing but love, and suffer for love.

O my soul! and as many as love God, who have been redeemed by the precious Blood of Christ Jesus, and washed from your sins, come and see, with inward grief, all that God suffered for our sins, all that He underwent for our iniquities. And if this doth not bring compunction to your hearts, nor move them, then account yourselves harder than steel or stone. See how the King of glory was here wounded and disfigured for your crimes. What more do ye require of Him? If this is not enough, He is ready to suffer even more. Think ye that there remained in His Body anything unhurt or sound? Behold! He will gladly accept even death for your sins, and will suffer His Blood to be shed to the very last little drop. Yea! He will let His Heart be pierced for your sakes, that He may throw it open to you, and make known His exceeding love. 189Oh! who can ever find us forgetful of His measureless love? Marvellous indeed it is, that our hearts are not melted at this most burning love! How ever can we cease from praising Him and giving Him thanks, or who can busy himself with any other care, than to return in some poor little way love for love? Why is it hard for us to taste some little drop of myrrh for His sake, Who suffered Himself to be swallowed up whole in a very sea of suffering for our sakes? Or how can it be ever a grievous thing for us to bear in mind His Passion, which it was not grievous for Him to undergo? O sweet Jesus, what tenderness hath overcome Thy Heart, what love hath swallowed it up, that Thou hast willed to suffer so bitter and ignominious a Passion for us wretched sinners? Why didst Thou not spare Thyself altogether, when it would have been enough indeed, so excellent and of such exceeding worth was Thy Passion, to have shed one little drop of Thy precious Blood? Why didst Thou cast Thyself so utterly away, and expose Thyself, and suffer Thyself in so humble a way to be well nigh brought down to nothing? O loving Jesus, Thou hast wished this to show forth Thy out-flowing and utterly measureless love for us, with which, from the beginning, Thou hast loved us. This is why Thou gavest Thyself wholly for us, that in our turn we 190might give ourselves wholly to Thee, and love Thee back again with our whole strength and all our power.

O Almighty Father, who am I, a poor vile man and worthless sinner, that Thou, for my sake, shouldst not spare even Thine Only-Begotten One? How precious, how dear was my soul in Thine eyes, for which Thou gavest so noble a pledge, and which Thou hast redeemed by so precious a treasure? How hast Thou loved me from everlasting, that Thou wouldst rather that Thy Son should be wounded, and wearied, and afflicted, and tortured, and the last spark of His human life put out, than that I should perish? And how could Thy fatherly Heart suffer, O gracious Father, to see Thy beloved Son, God co-eternal and co-equal with Thee, overwhelmed by such more than mortal torments, a spectacle of woe even to His enemies? Thou comest to the help of all who are afflicted and oppressed, Thou hast pity on thieves and robbers, lending them aid even when they suffer for their sins and trespasses; why then wert Thou not by the side of the Son of Thy love? Why didst Thou not comfort Him in His sore distress? Why didst Thou forsake Him, O Father of mercies? Why were not the bowels of Thy fatherly compassion moved for the grievous and intolerable affliction of Thy only-begotten One? Why didst Thou not 191withdraw Him from the hands of the Jews? Why didst Thou not temper His sorrow by pouring sweetness into His Heart, as Thou hast done to Thy holy martyrs in their agony? Of a truth, O most merciful Father, Thou hast done this in Thy divine justice, and wisdom, and goodness, that the resignation and patience of Thy beloved Son might be shown forth more clearly in our eyes, that the power and merit of His Passion might not be lessened, that the salvation of mankind might be vigorously, mightily, and perfectly accomplished, and that, lastly, the debt of the human race might be paid in lavish abundance. It was because Thou wouldst show forth Thy burning love towards us, that Thou didst not spare the very last little drop of the Blood of Thy beloved Son.

Clearly, had not Christ’s Death and Passion been enough to save man, both the Father of heaven and the Holy Ghost would also have taken on them our human nature, and died for man, rather than have suffered him to perish. Moreover, although the Son alone became man, and suffered a bitter death for man, yet the love and tenderness of the Father and the Holy Ghost were not the less shown forth in our regard, for in the Trinity of Persons there is one essence, one love, one operation common to all, one and the same will. The 192adorable and most holy Trinity took counsel together concerning the redemption of the human race, and agreed together in decreeing that man should be redeemed; and because for none of the Three Persons was it so fitting to take our human nature, as for the Son, therefore both by His own free will, and by the will of the Father, and by the persuasion of the Holy Ghost, He came upon earth; He Who was the Almighty Creator, became man, was made a creature, by the cooperation both of the Father and of the Holy Ghost. For Christ was conceived of the Holy Ghost by the cooperation of the Father. He saith Himself: “I work nothing of Myself; but My Father, Who abideth in Me, He it is Who doeth the works.” Now that the love of the Son towards us is the same as that of the Father, and of the Holy Ghost, is clearly enough shown to us by the Father, from the very fact that He delivered His own Son to death for our sakes; and Christ Himself beareth witness to this, when He saith: “For the Father also loveth you.” And of the Holy Ghost the Apostle saith: And the Spirit Himself asketh for us with groanings that cannot be uttered;” that is, inspireth, moveth, and exciteth us to pray, and to give ourselves to virtue. And the Spirit beareth witness to our spirit, that we are the sons of God, so that, in the joy 193of this inward witness we may cry in the same spirit, “Abba, Father!” But what can be more blessed and delightful in this valley of tears, than for man, out of the testimony of the Holy Ghost in his own conscience, to call God his Father? For if we are sons, then are we Christ’s brethren, and joint-heirs with Him.

See then, O my soul! what care the Adorable Trinity hath taken of thee. Behold, how from everlasting God hath loved thee! Consider this, I pray you, O ye cold and hard-hearted children of Adam! ‘Think at how dear a price He hath bought you. The noblest gift that God’s Heart could conceive, the mightiest offering that God’s power could give, this He hath offered for you, nay, daily offereth in the adorable Sacrament. And as of old the Father of Heaven spared not His only-begotten Son, but offered Him to death, and that the most shameful death of the cross, for the sins of men; so even now there is not a moment, when He doth not in like manner offer Him for our sins in the most noble Sacrament of the Eucharist. And as Christ was made obedient unto the Father, even unto death, so to-day, and until the last day, He is obedient, not only to God the Father, but to all who, with faithful hearts, and longing desires, love God, and cleave to Him. But because there was no need that He 194should again suffer death, since His sacred death reacheth unto all sins that have ever been committed, or shall still be committed; nevertheless He ceaseth not to offer daily His Sacred Body, and His noble soul, and His precious Blood, together with all the merits of His Life and Passion, in the worshipful Sacrament of the Altar, for the remission of our sins, and in memory of His Passion and Death. Of a truth He teacheth us by this, that, were it necessary, He is still ready to-day to give His worshipful Body and Blood over to death, for the sake of our salvation. For the same love which Christ then had for us, still endureth in Him, and will endure for ever.

Where then, I ask, is there such a heart of stone, as not to be moved to compunction at all this? Where is the spirit that will not rejoice at love such as this? Where is the heart that will not wholly melt away in the heat of this burning clarity? Where is the man whose understanding will not faint, for exceeding wonder, when he contemplateth God’s measureless love and goodness towards us, when he perceiveth with the eyes of his heart, and searcheth the recesses of his conscience, or weigheth in the balance the mighty benefits which God hath conferred, and daily conferreth upon us poor wretched men; for of a truth they are so 195great, that greater can hardly be? See how Christ’s gracious arms are stretched out to receive us! And His wounds are ever open, ready to pour forth upon all whatever they desire. The banners of His mercy are ever unfolded, so that we may take shelter and lie hidden beneath them, for He is ever ready to receive us. More than this, He loveth us so very much, that by divine drawings, and inspirations, and inward warnings, He asketh for us more than we ask for ourselves, for He is indeed far more ready to give than we to pray.

What need of multiplying words? Of a truth, it is no small sorrow to Him, that His wounds are dried up, and can no longer bleed down mercy upon us, since very few there are, alas! who desire this with their whole hearts. Wherefore, beyond doubt, He will one day prove Himself a stern judge to those who now neglect His loving-kindness and mercy, since He burneth with such love for man, that He confesseth that His delights are to be with the children of men. If, then, with hearts meet and ready, we would suffer Him to accomplish His work and His will within us, beyond all doubt, in His exceeding goodness, He would Himself with all His gifts flow down upon us. For God is a well of living water, ever leaping up, never ceasing to flow, save when 196vessels are wanting to receive it. And by one link of love doth He Himself eagerly desire to be united to man, and to build up within us His own delightful dwelling-place and longed-for temple. Nay, He longeth to be united to man by love, with an exceeding great longing, just as if He had utterly forgotten His power and majesty, and only cared to be made like to man in all things. And how could He have raised us higher, and cast Himself down lower than He hath done? How could He have united us unto His Godhead more closely than He hath actually united us, when He linked together His most high and immortal nature with our mortal humanity, by taking on Him our nature? Nor is this all, for day by day, also, He giveth His most high Godhead, and all that He is, to be our food. How, then, could He have joined Himself to us in a more inward manner, than by His desire to become our food? For nothing is so closely bound up with a man as the food which passeth into his substance.

Moreover, God the Father hath also bestowed something more upon us, when He raised up our human nature in Christ as high as it could be raised, and by lifting it high above all creatures to His own Right Hand, so that our nature, which of old had been cursed, and sentenced to damnation, now became blessed, and hallowed, 197and wonderfully exalted above all the blessed; and what had formerly been the laughing-stock of the demons in hell, is now adored by the angels in heaven. How, then, could God have treated us with greater honour and glory, or shown us more overflowing love? Of a truth, we have obtained, through Christ our Lord and Saviour, far richer salvation and glory than we lost through Adam, our first father. What more can we desire from our sweet Lord? To every man, above all to him who cleaveth unto and loveth Him with his whole heart, He is as greatly and closely attached, as if He had forgotten the heavens and the earth, and all that in them is, and had wholly perished for very love of him. This is why the loving soul crieth out in the Canticle of Canticles: “My Beloved to me, and I to Him.” And so great and measureless is God’s love towards the soul of man, that He seemeth to love none else but him. Yet not even by all these kindnesses and acts of love can God draw us to Himself, or move us, or inflame us with His love; so infected are our hearts with sensual love, and painted over with the likenesses of created things, and so given up to temporal goods and to the blandishments of this world, so greatly also do they pant after honours, and desire to obey and satisfy their nature in its search after pleasure. By these and such 198other like things, we are so held and hindered, that there lieth open to us no approach to God by love. Yea! the heavens and the earth weep for this, because men have fallen so low, that they have left their Creator to love the creature; that they have forsaken the highest and chief good, which is God Himself, to lovingly embrace the earth, and the slime of earth; that they would rather be the slaves of demons, than the sons of God, that they would rather be friends of the world, than lovers of Christ; that, in a word, it is a more pleasant thing for them to be a nest of unclean spirits, than the temple of the Holy Ghost. Ah! ah! let us love Him, I beseech of you, who hath embraced us with such measureless love, and on the other hand, by every means in our power, let us despise him, together with all his counsels and suggestions, who is the relentless murderer of souls, and who is wholly bent upon leading us with him to the place of torment everlasting.