The first part discusses the redemptive power of the blood of Christ.

Introduction Craftsmanship (ars) fixes the defects of nature (candle, stairway, ship...). There are three periods in history: ante legem, sub legem, tempus gratie. The law is like a craftsmanship (ars) that corrects the defects of [postlapsarian] nature and a figure of grace. References to the thema: Christ comes in the latest phase of history and the ship connects first with the Virgin Mary (allegory) and then with penance (moral interpretation): “vel navis designat penitentiam que nos de periculis mundi in sero huius temporis potest deducere ad portum salutis” (3K). - Two quaestiones (quaestio), connected with the two interpretations. Access to divine mercy. Christ is the source, yet the Virgin Mary is “quasi singularem imperatircem”. On the cross, Christ entrusted John to his mother, she is the only one who kept the faith, so to her he entrusted the Church (i.e. the ship): “ideo nunc habeas curam de ea cum filio quem tibi committo, ut navis ecclesie tua misericordia gubernetur” (3L). The divine mercy is received in the Church, through the Virgin. Is penance in extremis salvific? Penance needs to be true, that in extremis is risky since free will and deliberate conscience can be absent: “debet esse voluntaria et propter deum”, while there is the risk that it is motivated only by fear of eternal pain (“propter timorem pene”). It is also difficult to change nature (as an Ethiopian or a leopard do not change colour...). Yet, true penance is always salvific, also at the last moment (exemplum of Manasseh, 2 Chronicles 33). During this life, nobody should despair – but for this reason, no one has to postpone repentance. - Divisio  - First part  Necessity to watch (symbolized by the disciples working during the night on the boat) to protect oneself from the persecutor, i.e. the devil. Four vigils during the night symbolize different types of good works connected with different symbolic birds: first, the works of contrition and penance - brief discussion on confession, with the exemplum of the peacock; second, works of sanctification (comparison with the sparrow); third, works of compassion and mercy (associated with the crane); works of devotion (Ego dormio et cor meum vigilat; Ct 5), is the contemplation, exemplified by the nightingale (philomena). - Second part Importance of the presence of Christ, pilot (gubernator) of ship that has to cross the dangerous sea of this world. In the Gospel, he invites to trust him: Confidite, ego sum, nolite timere”. Three types of people need to trust him. incipientes quos informat ne pereant proficientes quis confortat ut compleant perfecti quos conservat ut permaneant [3S] 2.1. The beginners are those who begins the penance by putting the boat on the sea. Yet, as soon as one wants to make penitence, he is assaulted by pirates, symbol of pleasure (“obviat pyrata infernalis vento voluptatis”): depending on his character, they cause bad thoughts, stop him, capture him (3S). Long exemplum of Ulysses and Circe, referring to Boethius. In the moral interpretation, the transformation in beasts is connected with social sins, while Ulysses symbolizes the person who wins through the power of reason and by smelling the flower given to him by the queen of Troy - i.e. Christ which is given to a person by the Virgin Mary - and begins to do penance (3T). 2.2. Those half way are in the middle of the ocean and can be affected by sloth, lose the initial energy and relax too much, thinking that is natural to eat, drink, sleep, and make themselves comfortable – i.e. a relaxation in the ascetic effort. Sloth and laziness are the wind against, which is sent by the devil. Reference to the fable of the sirens mentioned by poets (“de quo in fabulis poetarum recitatur..”; 3V]), first in general, and then in connection with Ulysses “ut recitat Alexander in cincillario poesis” (?). Interpretation: syrens (the devil) want to move someone away from the commitment to navigation; Ulysses closing the ears of his fellows means to control the five senses; the mast of the ship is the Cross (3X). 2.3. The perfect people must be careful, since the perils increase getting close to the port, particularly the storms. Particularly dangerous is the spiritual pride and the poison of vainglory as well as to trust in oneself and in its merits (merit), for instance by recalling the good works done, while instead one has to trust only in Christ. The nautical imagery is prolonged with the story of the sea monster that becomes like a island, on which the sailors land, tying their ship to it and when they kindle a fire to cook, the monster awakes and sinks dragging them with itself. The monster symbolizes the world, due to its instability (instabilitas) and its being covered in mud by sins; the perfecti sometime stop to worry about the world, trust to much in themselves, and are suddenly overwhelmed by it (3Y). - Third part Miracles of Christ and his curative nature (he is compared with plants such as the pomegranate and with gems). In the Gospel, the people is cured by touching his garment. He has a triple garment (symbolism of clothes): 3.1. Purplish (purpurea), symbolo of the blood of his Passion - several biblical references – which can be touched by means of meditation. 3.2. Golden, i.e. the splendour of his virtues, which can be touched through imitation (imitatio). 3.3. The third garment of Christ was the womb of the Virgin Mary, which is ‘multicolour’: “istud vestimentum est stragulatum, vulgariter: gestryffelt” [note the vernacular expression]. Biblical reference: “Stragulatam vestem fecit sibi; bissus et purpura indumentum eius” (Proverbs 31:22). This leads to a Marian ending of the sermon, where each colour of the womb is connected with a virtue: plauenus = patience (which needs to be lined with joy: “istud vestimentum nihil valet nisi infuteratum, illa fuderatura est letitia ut leta sit patientia”; 3Z); candid = virginity; purplish = love (caritas)

The introduction immediately recalls the guilt of the Jews  in killing Christ and their request to be responsible of his blood, saying that us they killed him in the past do they continue to do now: «... Christum dominum denegaverunt coram Pilato et pondus ipsius sanguis super se postulaverunt dicentes: Sanguinis eius super nos et super filios nostros [Matthew 27.25]. Unde Christum occiderunt ipsi corde et lingua, filii vero eorum moderni iudei occidunt corde, ipsum odiendo, idcirco sunt absque deo vero, absque sacerdote etc [thema]» (f. s1v). The interpretation adopted in the sermon is that of the so-called theology of history.

Introduction  Link with previous sermon on faith and virtues. Baptism is salvific only if there is faith. Division First part Three types of faith. The fides formata  needs grace and bears good works, that is expresses itself in love (caritas). Summary of this concept and final exhortation to the soul to consider this precious gift, obtained by the blood of Christ, with reference to the spiritual marriage and the divine adoption that dignify the soul: "Unde anima nostra est terra in qua est germem, id est fides informis, qua infusa pluvia gratie eam facit fructificare operibus bonis, vel sicut lux veniens in domum tenebrosa diversis coloribus depictam colores venustat. Sic ipsa dei gratia animam fide informi et virtutibus adquisitis plenam honestat et vivificat. O igitur ainima Christi precioso sanguine redempta. O mens humana deo per fidem desponsata, o denique virtutibus insignita: considera ipsam divinam charitatem que te cupit salvare. Considera demum divinum donum quod tibi largitur. Item attende tua dignitatem, quia per illud donum effectus es filius dei altissimi et coheres angelorum et collega celestium civium. Agite itaque dignes gratiarum actiones divine nature" (f. d4r) Second part  The salvific true faith is expressed in three actions: "Primam, quia divinam veritatem firmiter credit" (believe in God); "Secundam quia credendo in deum fideliter tendit"; "Tertia quia se fides operibus veram ostendit" (ture faith manifexts itself in good works).(f. d4r) - in the final part of this section, before the final exempla , the sermon underlines the need of love (caritas) as forma of the faith, since without it faith is death like a body without soul, like a piece of coak without fire (f. d5r).