The Grove of Beatitudes, Beatitude 8
The Eighth BEATITUDE Bleſſed are they that ſuffer perſecution for righteouſneſs ſake, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.
EMBLEME VIII. The Vine.
Sterilis niſi falce putetur. 8
So, prun'd, a Chriſtian brings encreaſe.
To branch too far, were to ſurceaſe,
Grow barren, when unprun'd. What harm
(Impair'd) to ſpread a larger arm?
THe Catholick Church, in divers places of Scripture, is called the Vineyard of our Lord; where every good Chriſtian is a flouriſhing and fruitful Vine. And if any Plant or Tree cut or lopt may he ſaid to ſuffer perſecution, much more may the Vine (the Emblem of a Chriſtian). For as the one is prun'd in February, a cold and bluſtring MonethMonth, not impair'd thereby, but enrich'd both in branch and fruit; So is the other in a time as rigorous, when he ſuffers perſecution for righteouſneſs ſake.
Let the Vine dilate it ſelf from year to year in branches, without pruning, how ſoon does it become barren? Such would a man be that never ſuffers loſs of goods, nor feels any grievance or affliction, neither in body (by ſickneſs) nor in worldly ſubſtance, by perſecution or otherwiſe.
For, ſeeing it is certain, that all, who will live piouſly in Chriſt Jeſus, muſt ſuffer perſecution (as S. Paul aſſures us) it follows, that they, who, like a Vine, are never pruned in their branching eſtate, nor otherwiſe afflicted, can hardly be numbred amongſt the vertuous, and devouter ſervants of God.
When I behold a Vine in a ſunny place pruned, and deſpoil'd of its branches, and the reſidue ſupported and orderly nail'd, and fix'd to a wall, it preſents unto me a man perſecuted and depriv'd of branching ſuperfluities, yea, and liberty, whereby he becomes (like a Vine) more fruitful, not wanting the Sun-ſhine of heavenly grace, to render him as plentiful in Merits, as the other in Grapes.
Now if the Vine, to ſecure it ſelf, extend here and there a winding tendrel that claſps about the neighbouring boughs, a devout Chriſtian wants not the like, while, for his ſupport, and conſtant perſeverance, he produceth (like ſo many tendrels) ſeveral acts of Faith, Hope, and Charity.
All which claſp and wind about the Croſs, whereon Chriſt crucified is the Vine of vines. Naked like a Vine in the fall of the leaf, and prun'd in February. Wounded, like a Vine bleeding, and, in Vintage, like Grapes in the Wine-preſs: like a Vine, with branches extended and fix'd to a wall, with his Arms and Feet ſtretch'd forth, and nail'd to the Croſs; where he lay expos'd to the ſcorching beams of moſt ſevere juſtice.
And when I obſerve the many riffs and chincks in the trunck of the Vine, out of which iſſue the branches, I ſeem to behold my Saviours body full of wounds, out of which iſſued forth his moſt precious blood.
But if the Vine have tendrels, to twiſt and wind about what bough or branch ſoever is neighbouring by, what tendrels had our Saviour, but rough and ſharp nails? what ſupport? what to lay hold on, when he cried out, My God, my God, why haſt thou forſaken me? Ah Sinner! it was want of will and deſire in thee to ſuffer with him, that made him complain in this manner. This he foreſeeing (notwithſtanding all he had ſuffered) was cauſe of this heavy and ſad complaint; as if he had ſaid; Father, why haſt thou forſaken me ſo ſoon? If it be thy will, I deſire to live and ſuffer more pains, more injuries, & reproaches for man, who to requite me for all I have endured, will (I foreſee) repine at the leaſt oppreſſion, and be dejected with the leaſt croſs and affliction, which he undergoes for my ſake: Why haſt thou forſaken me ſo ſoon? yet I deſire to ſurvive, and ſuffer more, the more to attract and incite the hearts of men, to love and ſuffer with me, as branches united to me, the Vine, that being pruned by ſuffering with me, they may become fruitful and be glorified with me.
CONSIDERATIONS ON THE VIII. BEATITUDE.
On the wounded Feet of our Bleſſed Saviour.
LAſtly, from our Bleſſed Saviour's ſacred Hands, deſcend to his wounded Feet, and there reade, Bleſſed are they who ſuffer perſecution, &c. Which properly belongs to the Feet, either to fly, as our Lord advis'd, from one City to another, or to ſtay and ſuffer, as he himſelf did, till his hour was come. Wherefore, when any affliction or croſs hapneth unto thee, be aſſured that thy hour is come for thee to ſuffer perſecution, and conſequently to be bleſſed, if thou bear it with patience.
Now ſince it is decreed, and recorded in holy Writ, that all who will live piouſly in Chriſt Jeſus muſt ſuffer perſecution, one way, or other, Conſider in particular what tribulations thou heretofore haſt, or now doſt ſuffer; which, were they far greater then they are, or have been, yet thou mayſt ſay, with the Apoſtle, The paſſions and ſufferings of this time are not worthy of the future glory which ſhall be revealed in us. And therefore we ought to be willing and ready to ſuffer more for his ſake, who, for us, ſuffered ſo much perſecution.
Conſider that in the end of this laſt Beatitude, our Saviour intimates a triple perſecution, proceeding from the Heart, Word, and Deed. You are Bleſſed (ſaith he) when men ſhall revile you and perſecute you, and ſpeak all manner of evil againſt you, or perſecute you by caſting you out of the Synagogue, &c.
Againſt theſe three ſorts of perſecutions a triple patience is neceſſary. The firſt, to forgive them that hate me; The ſecond, to compaſſionate and pity them that revile me; The third, to pray for them that perſecute me by any corporal or temporal affliction.
The better to put this in practiſe, often call to mind our Saviours perſecutions on the Croſs, which began in the hearts of the Jews for whom notwithſtanding he pray'd, Father forgive them. Next it was expreſſed by word in Blaſphemies, whom nevertheleſs he pitied, ſaying, For they know not what they do. Thirdly, his manifold perſecutions caus'd by the Jews, were made too apparent by the many wounds they inflicted, and ignominious death they put him to; All which notwithſtanding, his firſt care on the croſs was to pray for them.
Conſider what King David ſaith, Thy rod and thy ſtaff (O God) have comforted me: That is, the Rod of affliction and perſecution, which (that we may patiently bear it) is accompanied with a ſtaff, to wit, his all-ſtrengthning grace, to ſupport and bear us up, that we may go on with alacrity.
Here be confounded; for that, in light ſufferings and ſlighter afflictions thou haſt been diſmaid, and dejected, though this ſtaff were not wanting to ſupport thee. And ſo out of heart, that thou haſt deſired to be freed from them, before thou hadſt taſted the leaſt drop of Chriſt's bitter cup. Whereby in ſuffering with him, thou mighteſt have taſted and ſeen how ſweet our Lord is in his conſolations, to them who ſuffer perſecution.
Call to mind what God ſaith by his Prophet Zachary, Chap. 11. ver. 7. And I took unto me two ſtaves; one I called Beauty, and the other I called Bands, and I fed the flock. All Chriſtians are his flock, and have all ſtraid. If, to recall, or try us, he with his rod chaſtiſe us, or ſuffer us to be perſecuted to refine and purifie us from the droſs of ſin, it is in our power (aſſiſted by his heavenly grace) to bear all with patience; which if we do perform, the rod of chaſtiſement is called Beautie, becauſe it beautifie and purifies our ſouls. But if we murmur and repine at every croſs and affliction, that falls upon us, and think we deſerve not to be puniſh'd; the other rod is ealled Bands, wherewith we are faſter tied, and more and more entangled in our ſins.
O my ſoul, why droopeſt thou! Chriſt ſuffered for thee, leaving thee an example, that thou mayſt follow his ſteps. It a little wind of perſecution penetrate thy tender heart, remember where thou art, where thou ſaileſt, what thy veſſel is. In a ſtormy and dangerous Sea, where winds bluſter, ſurges riſe, both within, and without; paſſions and perſecutions which diſturb the craſie Ship thy Body, and as much afflict thy Soul the Paſſenger.
Thou art traduc'd or derided. 'Tis a wind: Anger is the billow and thou art in danger. Thou prepareſt to render ſcoff for ſcoff, malediction for malediction, and one revenge for another. Now thou art in danger of ſhipwrack.
Chriſt in the Ship (thy Heart) is aſleep; awake him, and he will relieve thee, and keep it from ſinking. Thy Lord hears and patiently ſuffers, yet thou his ſervant art angry; Thou muſt ſuffer with me, if thou wilt reign with me: The kingdom of heaven ſuffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.
The body of Chriſt, that is to ſay, his Church, ſaith S. Auguſtine, is detain'd in the wine-preſs of perſecutions and oppreſſions. But in this wine-preſs affliction is beneficial. While the Grape is on the Vine, it ſuffers not, it appears ſound and whole, nothing then diſtills from it, untill it be put into the preſs, and there cruſh'd and trampled on. This might ſeem injurious to the grape but not without benefit. Nay, were it not thus handled, it would remain but to it ſelf barren and grateful to none.