B. LADYE the VIRGIN declared in the Circumcision the name of her Sonne whose excellencies she most perfectly knewe since the time that the Angell reuealed them vnto her and in her hearte she did ruminate and conferre them and therefore on this day she with greate reuerence and deuotion tooke his name in her mouthe sayed his name shall be IESVS O what greate Ioye felt the most sacred VIRGIN when this first time shee pronounced this most sweete name of IESVS and not she only but glorious S. Ioseph and the rest that were present and hearde this name felt a celestiall fragrancye sweetenesse For then began to be fullfilled that which is written in the Canticles Cant. 1.2 Oile powred out is thy name therefore haue young maydes loued thee Vntill this hower this sweetest name made no odour of itselfe because it was locked vp and inclosed now that it manifested itselfe it powred out a most sweete and odoriferous fragrancye cheering comforting and affecting those pure and chaste Soules that either pronounce it or heare it the which are inflamed with the Loue of this our Lord thorough the sweetenesse of his holy name but aboue all our most blessed LADYE the VIRGIN being most pure and vndefiled and knowing best the soueraigne mysteries of this name O with what pleasure repeated this B. LADYE those wordes of her Canticle My Soule doeth magnifye our Lord and my spirit reioiceth in God my IESVS and Sauiour Because he hath regarded the humillitye of his handmaide for beholde from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed because he that is mighty hath donne greate thinges to me and holy is his name O Soueraigne VIRGIN beseeche thy Sonne to imprint in my Hearte that estimation Colloquie and loue of this holy name that he imprinted in thine O most sweete name poure downe vpon me thy Celestiall fragrancye that my weake sicke and miserable Soule may be comforted and healed therewith and may be free from those miseries wherein it is plunged enioying the fruite of her abundant faluation Lastly I may ponder how this blessed Babe accepted the name and office of our Sauiour and ioyed therein offering with greate delight to his eternall Father to stand for the honour of this sweetest name and entirely to fullfill all whatsoeuer it signified for the good of men I thanke thee o good IESVS Colloquie for this will which thou hadst to saue vs accepting the office with the name of Sauiour fullfill it o Lord effectually in mee and seeing thou art IESVS Este mihi IESVS Be to me IESVS be my Sauiour The Second Pointe SEcondly I will consider the causes why this name was giuen him on the eigth day at his Circumcision for albeit the Angell declared it before the Incarnation to the blessed VIRGIN and afterwardes to S. Ioseph yet in the Circumcision it was manifested for twoo principall causes First for the honour of the Childe for his father seeing him so humbled that he bare the likenesse of a Sinner would that he should then be exalted giuing him a name aboue all names which is the name of IESVS that we might vnderstand that not only he hath no Sinne but that he is the Sauiour of Sinners and pardoner of Sinnes This is to moue me to giue infinite thankes to the eternall Father for thus honoring his Sonne when for his Loue he humbleth himselfe whereby he giueth me an assured pledge that if I humble myselfe he will also exalt me Apoc. 2.17 and will giue me a newe name so glorious that none shall knowe how to esteeme it as it ought to be esteemed vntill he receiue it and that God communicateth his greatenesses in glorye Secondly to make manifest that the name and office of Sauiour was to cost him the shedding of blood for without shedding of blood saieth the Apostle there is no remission of Sinnes Heb. 9.22 And therefore our sweete IESVS taking the office of a Redeemer giueth in earnest of the price that he is to pay for our ransome a litle of that blood which he sheddeth in his Circumcision with a determination to pay the whole price entirely in his passion shedding for vs all the blood that he hath True it is that this litle was a sufficient price for all the Sinnes of the Worlde yea if there had beene a thousand other Worldes because it was the blood of God but his Charitye and Liberallity would that the price should be all his blood to which ende he gaue licence to all the instruments that are on Earthe for shedding of blood to drawe out his blood with greiuous Dolour and Contempt to witte the Knife Whippes Thornes Nailes Speare The knife on this daye opened the first fountaine of blood but that was presently closed The other instruments afterward opened others which closed not till all his blood was runne out O sweetest Sauiour Colloquie Isa 12.3 vhose fountaines albeit they are of blood shed with greate dolour yet they are also fountaines of the liuing water of infinite thankes which are to be gathered with greate reioicing and Loue. May my Soule praise thee for this infinite Charitye wherewith thou openest these fountaines commaunding me to approache with alacritye to enioye the price that thou sheddest with such paine O my Soule what hast thou reason to doe for thy owne Saluation when as thy Sauiour doeth so much for it If it cost him his blood is it much that it should cost thee thine Beholde me heere o Lord readye to shed my blood for thy Loue so that thou wilt make me partaker of thine Amen The third Pointe THirdly I will consider the greatenesses of this sweete name the greate proffit that wee reape by it and the manner how we are to make our commodity thereof but before we enter into this consideration I am to beseeche the eternall Father that for the glorye of this most holy name he will be pleased to illuminate me that I may knowe his greatenesse for if as S. 1 Corint 12.3 Paul sayeth no man can duely say IESVS but in the holy Ghoste then can no man worthily ponder and vnderstand what is contained in the name of IESVS if he be not preuented and ayded by the same holy Ghoste This presupposed I will consider how the name of IESVS is a Summarye and memoriall of all the greatenesses that are in Christ our Lord reducing them to three heades for that it is the Summe of all the perfection that agree to him as he is God and of all the graces and Vertues that he hath as he is man and of all the Offices that as hee is God and man hee doeth vnto men So that I may well inferre if he is IESVS then is he infinitely good holy wise omniponent and full of mercye and the very Goodnesse sanctitye and Wisdome of God for all this is needefull to complye with the name of IESVS 1 Corint 1.30 who as S. Paul sayeth is made
shed for them mine are Injurious against this bloud of the Sonne of God which was shed for mee on the Crosse Then this beeing so how Iust a thing were it that God should haue suncke mee into Hell in the Company of the Deuills making mee partaker of their paines seeing I would needes bee so of their Sinnes O God of Vengeance hovv is it that thou hast not reuenged thyselfe on a man so vvicked as I Hovv hast thou suffred mee so long time VVho hath vvithhelde the rigour of thy Iustice that it should not punish him that hath deserued so terrible punishment O my Soule hovv is it that thou doest not feare and tremble considering the dreadefull Iudgement of God against his Angells If vvith so greate seueritye hee punished Creatures so noble vvhy should not so vile and miserable a Creature as thou feare the like Punishment O most povverfull Creator seeing thou hast shevved thyselfe to mee not a God of Vengeance but a Father of Mercye continue tovvardes mee thy Mercye pardonning my Sinnes and deliuering mee from Hell vvhich for them I haue deserued The second Pointe THe second Pointe shall bee to call to Memorie the Sinne of our first Parents Adam and Eua Genes 3.1 D. Th. 2. 2 q. 163. 164. who hauing beene created in Paradise and in Originall Iustice broke the Commandement of God eating the fruite of the Tree that vpon paine of Deathe hee had prohibited them for the which they were cast out of Paradise and incurred the Sentence of Deathe and other innumerable miseries aswell they as all their Offspring 1. Vpon this Veritie of Faithe I may discourse as vpon the forepassed considering First how liberall God was to our first Parents creating them of his meere goodnesse according to his owne Image and Likenesse and placing them in a Paradise of Delightes giuing them his Grace and Originall Iustice subjecting their appetites to reason and the flesh to the Spirit freeing them from mortallity Penalties to which by Nature they were subject and granting them a happye and ease-full Life And all this hee did of his pure Grace and mercie granting it them not onely for themselues but also for their Successors if they had perseuered in his Seruice 2. Secondly I am to ponder how Ingratefull they weere to God and what motiue they haâ—… thereunto for the Serpent comming to tempt Eue 〈…〉 and promising her guilefully that if shee did eatâ—… of the forbidden fruite shee should not dye bâ—… should rather bee as God hauing knowledge oâ—… good and euill shee suffered herselfe to bee bâ—… guiled and eate of the fruite and inuited Adaâ—… thereunto who to please her eate also thereof treading vnder foote the pleasure of God for the pleasure of his VVife without making account neitheâ—… of the benefits that God had donne him nor 〈…〉 the punishments that hee had menaced and threaâ—… ned him with all 3. Then will I ponder how terrible God sheweâ—… himselfe in chastizing them casting them out 〈…〉 Paradise depriuing them for euer of Originall 〈…〉 stice subjecting them to Deathe and to all the mâ—… series of a corruptible Bodye which miseries 〈…〉 wee his Children incurre because wee all sinne 〈…〉 him Ad Rom. 5.12 Ad Eph. 2.3 and for his cause wee are borne the Childreâ—… of VVrathe and Enemies of God and condemâ—… to the same Deathe And that which more affrighteth is that from this Originall Sinne that wâ—… inherite of him proceede as from their roote thâ—… innumerable Sinnes that are in the VVorlde aâ—… the Inundations of miseryes that ouerflowe it whereby I may perceiue how terrible dreadefuâ—… and hideous an euill mortall Sinne is seeing oâ—… onely depriueth of so much good bringeth 〈…〉 much euell so highely prouoketh the wratheâ—… God Apoc. 15.3.4 Colloquie though hee bee much more inclined to merciâ—… then to the rigour of Iustice VVho shall not feare thâ—… o king of the VVorldes VVho shall not abhorre so greâ—… a mischeife as to offend thee O my Soule if thou knevvest vvhat thou didst vvhen thou sinnest like Adam doubtlesse thou vvouldst tremble at the heauye burden vvherevvith thou lodest thy selfe Psal 37. O Sinne hovv heauy art thou to mee Thou depriuest mee of Grace thou robbest mee of Vertues thou chasest mee out of Paradise thou condemnest mee to eternall Deathe thou subiectest mee to temporall Deathe thou takest avvay the life of my Children vvhich are my VVorkes depriuing them of the merit of Glorie thou troublest the kingdome of my Soule and fillest it vvith in innumerable miseries O my God deliuer mee from so greate an euill O my Soule Eccles 21 2. Flye from Sinne as the vviseman counselleth thee more then from Snakes and Serpents for Sinne alone is more cruell and venemous then all they 4. Besides this I am to make comparison of my Sinne with that of Adam like as in the precedent pointe for I wretche beeing tempted by the Diuell suffred myselfe to bee deluded by him not once but often my fleshe hath beene like Eua that hath prouoked mee to Sinne and my Spirit effeminated like Adam to please it hath a thousand times displeased God by breaking his Commaundements and my Pride and Ingratitude hath arriued to that height that I haue often desired to bee as God vsurping to myselfe that which is proper to his Deitye Then if God inflicted such punishment on my first Parents for one Sinne of Disobedience and Pride founded vpon no more then eating one Apple contrarie to the precept of God how greate punishments haue I deserted for so many Disobediences and Prides and for so innumerable offences as I haue committed against him O how lust had it beene that at my first Sinne Deathe should haue swallowed mee or all the miseries of the VVorlde showred downe vpon mee Lastly I will ponder what a long Penance Adam and Eua did for this Sinne of theirs how bitter that morsell was vnto them and how deare it cost them for Adam hauing liued more then nine hundred yeares spent them all in weeping and mourning and suffring a thousand misfortunes which accrewed to him with the estate of his Corruption Sapient 10.2 but in the ende as saithe the diuine VVisdome thorough Penance hee obtained pardon with this example I am to animate myselfe to lament my miseries and to doe Penance for my Sinnes that God may deliuer mee from them imitating in Penance him whome I imitated in Sinne and beseeching our Lord to chastize mee as much as hee will in this life so that hee pardon mee and deliuer mee from the torments of the other The third Pointe THe third Pointe shall bee to call to Memorie some mortall Sinne as Perjurie Carnallitye or such other like for the which many Soules are burning in Hell and that very justly for hauing donne Injurie to the infinite maiestie of God 1. I am then to descende with my Consideration to Hell which is full of Soules among which I shall finde many
that are there burning for one onely Sinne. Some for one Perjurie others for a dishonest Thought consented vnto and others for some other Sinne of VVorde or of Deede And then I will consider how all these condemned Persons were men aswel as I and many of them as I Christians that enjoyed the same Sacraments and Sacrifices and those Sermons and sacred bookes that I enjoye and were perhaps sometime very holye and highly in fauour with God but by litle and litle they grewe carelesse and came to fall into that mortall Sinne and by the Iust Iudgements of God Deathe attached and set vpon them therein and for it they were most justly condemned Iacob 2.10 For as the Apostle S. Iames saieth VVhosoeuer falleth into one onely Sinne breaking a Commaundement is made guilty of all as hee that breaketh manye for hee offendeth the God of Infinite maiestie who commaundeth them all to bee obserued 2. Then am I to make Comparison of this Sinne with many of minne pondering with how much more reason I deserued to bee in Hell as those Soules are for hauing offended God not once but many times and in other kindes of Sinnes without number O hovv iustly had I deserued that Deathe should haue attached mee in committing my first Sinne and that God should haue giuen mee no time of Repentance VVhat moued thee o my God to expect mee more then these I confesse that I deserued to bee in their Companye but seeing thy Maiestie hath vvith so much mercie expected mee I resolue vvith thy grace to bee very truely and intirely penitent 3. I may also consider that it is no lesse a benefit of God to haue preserued mee from Hell detaining mee from descending to euerlasting Torments then if after I had beene descended he had diliuered mee from them For the which I may say that of Dauid I vvill confesse to thee o Lord my Psal 85.12 God vvith all my Hearte vvill glorifie thy name for euer for thy mercie hath beene very greate towardes mee deliuering my Soule from the deepest Hell And to knowe how to esteeme aright of this merced so repaye it as I ought I am to speake to myselfe saying If God should deliuer one of these Soules out of Hell and giue it a time of repentance vvhat rigourous penance vvould it doe hovv thankefull vvould it bee to God and vvith vvhat feruour vvoult it serue him Thou therefore art to doe the like considering that God hath donne thee so singular a fauour as to deliuer thee from the Daunger before thou didst fall into it The fourthe Pointe Of the greatnesse of our Sinnes by the Paines that Christe our Lord suffered for them THE fourth Pointe shall bee both matter of a sweete Colloquie and of a most deuoute consideration to knowe the greatenesse of Sinne and the dreadefullnesse of Gods Iustice by another example much different from the forepassed but no lesse effectuall then they that is by the Chastizements which the diuine Iustice inflicted vpon Christe IESVS our Lorde not for his owne Sinnes but for mine and for those of the whole VVorlde that I may vnderstand how hee will chastize man loden with his owne Sinnes that so chastized him that bore the burthen of other mens Sinnes and how the guiltye Slaue shal bee handled when the innocent Sonne was so terribly punished Calling to minde that dreadefull Sentence which our Redeemer spake to the Daughters of Ierusalem Luc. 23.31 If in the greene vvood they doe these things in the drye vvhat shall bee donne As if hee should say to mee If I bee treated with such rigour being a greene tree and full of fruite with what rigour shallt thou bee treated that arte a drye tree and without any fruite at all Then I am to set before mine eyes Christe IESVS crucified beholding his Heade crownde with thorâ—es his Face spit vpon his Eyes obscured his Armes disioincted his Tongue distasted with gall and vineger his Handes and Feete pierced with nailes his Backe and Shoulders torne with whippes and his Side opened with a Launce and then pondering that hee suffereth all this for my Sinnes I shall drawe sundrye Affections from the inwardest parte of my Hearte sometimes trembling at the rigour of Gods Iustice who as the Prophet Zacharias saide vnsheathed his Sworde against the man that was vnited with him in person Zacha. 13.7 sometimes bewailing my Sinnes which were the cause of these Dolours and sometimes animating myselfe to suffer somewhat in satisfaction of my offences Isai 53. seeing Christe our Lord suffered so much to redeeme them And finally I will beg pardon of him for them alledging to him for a reason all his Troubles and Afflictions saying vnto him in an amorous Colloquie Colloquie O my most svveete Redeemer vvhich descendedst from Heauen and ascendedst this Crosse to redeeme men paying their Sinnes vvith thy Dolours I present myselfe before thy Maiestie grieued that my grieuous Sinnes haue beene the cause of thy terrible paines Vpon mee o Lord these Chastizements had beene vvell imployed for I am hee that sinned and not vpon thee that neuer sinnedst Let that Loue that moued thee to put thyselfe vpon the Crosse for mee moue thee to pardon mee vvhat I haue committed against thee By thy Thornes I beseeche the dravve out of my Soule the thornes of my Sinnes by thy Scourging pardon my Theftes By thy Gall and Vinegre pardon my Gluttonyes By the nailes of thy Handes pardon my Euill VVorkes and by those of thy Feete pardon my Euill Steps Psal 83.10 O eternall Father behoulde the face of thy Sonne and seeing in him thou diddest chastize my Sinnes let thy vvrathe vvith these Chastizings bee appeased and vse tovvardes mee thy mercies Michae 7 19. throvving all my VVickednesse into the bottome of the Sea in Vertue of that Bloud that vvas shed for them Amen This point wee shal prosecute largelie in the fourth parte The third Meditation of the multitude of Sinnes and of the grieuousnesse of them for being so many and contrarye to Reason The first Pointe 1. THE first pointe is to call to minde the multitude of Sinnes that in all my former Life I haue committed to which ende I am to runne thorough all the Ages thereof and thorough all the places where I haue liued and thorough the Offices Occupations and Imployments that I haue had regarding how and wherein I haue faulted in euery one of the seuen Sinnes wee commonly call Mortall and in euery one of the Commaundements of the Lawe of God and of his Churche and in euery one of the Lawes and Rules of my Estate and Office To which ende it will helpe mee to knowe the sortes of Sinnes that may bee committed in these matters as they shal bee put in the first pointes of the eighteenth meditation and of the nine following And this Remembrance of Sinnes must not bee drye but moistened with teares full of Confusion and Shame as was that of the
holy king who saide I will consider before thee all the dayes of my Life with bitternesse of Soule Isaiae 38.15 In hauing called these Sinnes to Remembrance I will make of them in my Praier an humble Confession before God Daniel 9 5. Luc. 18.13 like Daniel accusing myselfe of them all yea of the most principall of them striking my brest as the Publican and saying I accuse myselfe o Lord that I haue sinned before thee in pride presuming vainely of myselfe speaking boasting wordes despising my neighbours and rebelling against thee And in this sorte will I prosecute the Accusation in all the seuen deadely Sinnes and thoroughout all the ten Commaundements 2. After I haue confessed those Sinnes which I knowe Psal 18.13 1. Cor. 4.14 I am to beleeue that there are very many other that I knowe not which Dauid calleth Hidden Sinnes but they are not hidden from God who is to iudge mee and chastize mee for them And this must holde mee carefull and afflicted These Sinnes are hidden to mee for one of three causes either for that I haue alreadye forgotten them or for that they were very subtile as Interiour Prides rashe Iudgements sinister Intentions Negligences and Omissions or for that I committed them with some Ignorance and errour or by the illusion of the Deuill thinking that I did God seruice And thus joyning the Sinnes that I knowe with the Sinnes that I knowe not I may beleeue that they amount to an innumerable multitude and that they are as Dauid saide more then the Haires of my Heade Psal 39.13 In orationâ— eius and as king Manasses saide more then the Sandes of the Sea From whence I shall drawe out greate Admiration at Gods patience in suffering mee For one Injurye or two any one may suffer but so many so reiterated so diuerse and with so greate peruersenesse who can suffer them but God Truely o my God there was neede of such an infinite Patience as thine to suffer such an Infinitie of Injuries as mine but seeing thou hast not beene wearied to suffer mee bee good to mee and pardon mee The second Pointe 1. FRom hence I will mount vp to consider the greuousnesse of these Sinnes by their multitude Matt. 18 6. Apoc. 18 21. making my proffit of some Similitudes vsed in the diuine Scripture For if Sinne bee like a Milstone hanged about the necke wherewith man is throwne into the depth of Hell my Sinnes beeing as many as the Sandes of the Sea or the Haires of the Heade what an Immense burthen will theirs bee with what a furious Violence shall I fall with them into the Profunditye of Hell If God holde mee not who shal bee able to hold mee And what are so many Sinnes Isai 58.6 but an Iron Chaine of innumerable Linkes wherewith I am bounde and chained which is so large that it reacheth to Hell and Sathan standes drawing at it to hale mee vnto him And if the Sinnes of the Angells as saieth S. 2. Petr. 2 4. Peter were Ropes that pulled them from Heauen and drewe them downe into the bottomlesse pit of Hell how much more strong Ropes shall my Sinnes bee beeing twisted with so innumerable Cordes My Soule is also incompassed with this multitude of Sinnes as with an Armye of Dogges Psal 21.13 Lyons Bulles Serpents and other Sauage Beastes that terrifye it with their roarings teare it in peeces with their mouthes and rent it with their clawes like Bees they sting and like VVormes they bite it Matt. 18 23. and gnawe the Conscience Finally I am that euill Seruante that oweth his Lorde ten thousand Talents the debt is so greate that although they should sell all that hee hath both his VVife his Children and himselfe yet all would not suffice to pay the leaste parte thereof Colloquie Then vvhat doest thou o my Soule vvith so greate a burthen of Sinnesâ— If this Armye of sauage beastes made Christ svveate bloud vvith anguish hovv comes it that thou doest not vveepe teares of Bloud of Dolour and Paine O most mercifull Sauiour by that Dolour and Sense that thou hadst of my Sinnes in the Garden of Gethsemani I beseeche thee ayde mee to haue such a feeling of them that I may bee quitte and deliuered of them To this I am to adde another Circumstance that may much aggrauate my Sinnes which is my recidiuation into the same Sinnes after God hath pardoned mee once and many times striuing as it were with God I to sinne and hee to pardon mee and I to retourne againe to Sinne Prou. 26 11. 2. Petr. 2 22. as if I had neuer beene pardoned imitating as saieth the Apostle S. Peter the Dogge that retourneth to his vomite and the Swine that beeing washed walloweth againe in the same mire For the which I deserued that God should vomite mee for euer from himselfe and ouerwhelme me in the filthy Dunghill of Hell leauing mee bound hand and foote in the power of those Infernall Executioners as hee did with the vnthankefull Seruaunt that ought him ten thousand Tasents and after hee was pardoned retourned againe to offend him But yet for all this trusting vpon the Infinite Patience and mercie of God I am againe to retourne vnto him vnfainedly and prostrated at his feete to say vnto him Haue patience with mee o Lord and I with thy ayde will paye thee the whole debt of my Sinnes and if thou pardonest mee this once I will neuer more retourne vnto them The third Pointe THirdly I am to consider the deformitie and vilenesse of these Sinnes in as much as though there were no Hell for them yet they are contrary to naturall Reason for man beeing created to the likenesse of God by Sinne hee is transformed into a Beaste and with the multitude thereof engendreth within himselfe Bestiall manners and Vicious Habits His Appetites preuaile against Reason the Fleshe against the Spirit and the Slaue commaundeth him that by right is the Lorde for the wretched Spirit is made a Slaue to the Fleshe and to her Appetites is basely inthralled to many other Creatures For as Christe our Sauiour saide vvhosoeuer committeth Sinne is the Seruant of Sinne Ioan. 8.34 2. Petr. 2 19. and hee that is vanquished saithe S. Peter is the Seruaunt of him that vanquisheth and as a Slaue is subject to the Conquerour If I bee ambitious I am the Slaue of Honour and of all them that can giue it mee or take it away If I bee Couetous I am the Slaue of VVealthe If a Glouton I am the Slaue of Nicenesse If Luxurious I am the Slaue of Sensuallitie and of those that haue robbed mee of my Hearte and of my Libertye And what greater basenesse can bee then this VVhat more heauy Slauery then that of Sinne frequented by vicious Custome This should moue mee to greate Detestation of my Sinnes to caste of from mee this Seruitude and to restore my Spirit to Libertie reducing myselfe
to the Seruice of my Creatour and Redeemer of whome I am to require that seeing hee bought mee with his bloud 1. Petr. 1 18. 1. Ad Corinth 7.23 to free mee from the Slauerye of Sinne that with this newe Title I might bee his Slaue that hee permitte not that I bee any more the Slaue of my Fleshe nor of my Vices nor of the Deuill his Enemye The fourth Meditation of the grieuousnesse of Sinne by the basenesse of Man that offendeth God and by the nothing that hee hath of os his owne THE ende of this meditation is to knowe the grieuousnesse of doing Injurye to God the Basenesse of him that offendeth him for the more vile the Offendour is so much the greater is his boldenesse and Shamelessnesse in offending the supreame Emperour of Heauen and of Earthe The first Pointe FIrst I am to consider what I am concerning the Bodye Gâ—n 2.7 3.19 pondering that my Originall is Durte and my Ende is Dust my Fleshe is a Flower Isai 40.6 Iacobi 4.14 Iob. 14.1 and soone withereth like Haye my Life is as a Blaste and as a Vapour that soone passeth and it is short and full as Iob saith of many miseries and necessities of Hunger Colde Griefe Infirmitie Pouerties and Daungers of Deathe it hath no Securitye of one onely daye of Life nor of Rest nor of Healthe so that by myne owne Strength it is impossible to free mee from these miseries vnlesse God our Lord with his Protection and Prouidence doe defend and deliuer mee from them Now what greater madnesse can there bee then for a man so needye and miserable to dare to offende his onely Remedier and Protector And what greater dotage can there bee then for the Fleshe beeing but Dust and Ashes a filthy Dunghill a swarme of VVormes and Rottennesse it selfe to presume to injurye the Supreame Spirit of Immense majestie before whome the Povvers and all the other blessed Spirites doe tremble O Earthe Colloquie Eccles 10 9. Isai 45.9 and Ashes hovv art thou so provvde against God! O Vessell of Claye hovv doste thou contradict thy maker O miserable Fleshe if thou so much fearest man that can depriue thee of thy temporall Life vvithout dooing thee any greater harme hovv doest thou not tremble at God that can depriue thee of eternall Life and cast thee into the fier of Hell Retourne into thyselfe and if it vvere but for thyne ovvne Interest cease to offend him that can free thee from so many Euills VVith these considerations I am greately to confounde myselfe and to terrifye myselfe with myseâ—â—â— that haue fallen into such madnesse and haue beene so exceedingly foole-hardye and to beseeche Christe IESVS our Lorde that by his most holy Fleshe hee will pardon this audaciousnesse of mine and reduce it to reason heereafter The second Pointe 1. SEcondly I will consider what I am concerning the Soule pondering that I was created of nothing Psal 38.6 and that of myselfe I am nothing that I am worthe nothing that I can doe nothing that I merite nothing and that presently I shall bee turned into nothing Ioan. 15.5 if God doe not continually preserue mee neither should I bee able to doe any thing if God did not continually aide mee Besides this Psal 50.7 I was conceiued in Sinne and with an Inclination to Sinne thorough the disorder of my Appetites and Passions I liue subject to infinite miseries of ignorances and Errors Inuironned with innumerable Temptations within mee and without mee by Visible and Inuisible Enemies that on all sides doe incompasse mee and thorough the Imbecillitye of my Free-will I haue consented and doe consent vnto them committing many Sinnes by the which I come to bee lesse then nothing for it is a lesse euill not to bee then to sinne and it had beene better for mee not to haue beene Matt. 26 24. then to bee damned 2. And if this bee that which I am much worse is that which I may bee thorough my greate mutabillitie and weakenesse for by the threede I may drawe out the botome and by the interiour motions that I feele to innumerable Sinnes of Infidellities Blasphemies Anger 's and Carnallities I collect and gather that to all these Sinnes I am subject and should fall into them if God should take from mee his hande and by what all the Sinners of the worlde doe and haue donne I may gather what I should haue donne if I had beene left at my Libertie D. Aug. in soliloq c. 15. For as S. Augustine saieth there is no Sinne that one man doth but another man may doe it And therefore I am to Imagine myselfe as a fountaine of all the Sinnes that are in the VVorlde and as a deade stinking dogge whome it is lothsome to beholde or as a Body buried in the graue and full of wormes which lyeth consuming turning into Dust For all which I am to contemne myselfe and to judge myselfe worthy to bee despised of all 3. This then beeing so Colloquie to vvhat farther pointe can my dotage arriue then vvith my ovvne vvill to offende the maiestie of God If I bee nothing of mine ovvne hovv dare I offend him that is beeing itselfe And vvherefore doe I abase myselfe so much as to make myselfe lesse then nothing vnvvorthy of the beeing I haue If I am subiect to so many mishaps as may come to my Soule vvhy doe I not appease him that may deliuer mee from them O God of my Soule haue a regarde to that vvhich thou createdst of nothing dravve it from this nothing vvhich is Sinne and ioyne it to thee that by thee it may haue essence and life of grace and may obtaine the blessed beeing of Glorye Amen The third Pointe THirdly I will consider the littlenesse of my beeing and of all the good that I haue in comparison of God proceeding by Degrees and beholding first what I am in comparison of all men joyned togither and then what I am in comparison of men and Angells and then what all Creatures are in comparison of God before whome as Isaias saithe the nations are Isai 40.17 as if they were not they are as nothing and as a thing voide of beeing they are as a droppe of VVater or of the Dewe of the morning that falleth vpon the grounde and can hardely bee seene Then I alone Sap. 11. what shall I bee before God As the Starres appeare not in the presence of the Sunne and are as if they were not so I how greate good soeuer I haue am as if I were not at all in the presence of God and much lesse then a litle worme in comparison of the whole worlde My Science my Vertue my Power my Discretion my Fortitude my Beautye and all whatsoeuer good I haue or can haue is as nothing in comparison of that which God hath for the which our Sauiour saide with greate reason Luc. 18.19 None is good but onely
That the men of Blood that is men very wicked and cruell shall not liue halfe their dayes And sometimes hee shorteneth them for Sinnes that seeme but light 3. Reg. 13 19. as it happened to the Propher who beeing beguiled by another did eate in the place where God had commaunded him that hee should not eate Out of all this I will extract a firme Resolution so to order the dayes of my Life that God shorten them not for my Sinnes saying with Dauid Psal 101 25. Call mee not backe o Lord in the halfe of my dayes by a sodaine Deathe but remember that thy yeares are eternall and haue compassion of mine that are fewe The second Pointe THE second Propertye of Deathe is that concerning the Day Place Manner it is most secretly hidden from all men manifest onely to God 1. In the which I will ponder first that wee are not able to knowe the Day nor the Hower wherein wee are to dye neither the Place nor the Occasion nor Seas on wherein Deathe may attache vs nor the manner how wee are to dye whither its hal bee with a naturall Deathe by Sickenesse by what kinde of Sicknesse or whither it shal bee with a violent Deathe by Fier or VVater by the handes of men or by Beastes or by some Lightning or by the tile of a houset hat may fall downe vpon vs. This onely wee knowe that Deathe shall come sodainely or Sicknesse and the Occasion thereof and that when a man is most carelesse Luo. 12.39 1. Ad Thes 5.2 Apoc. 16.15 it comes like a Theefe in the night to scale his house and robbe him of his VVealthe So saieth Christ our Lorde shall the Sonne of man come to scale your house which is the bodye and to robbe and sacke the Soule of it and to giue Iudgement thereof 2. Secondly I will consider what endes our Lord had in this plot of his Prouidence that is to say to oblige vs to bee alwayes watchefull Eccles 9.2 fearing this hower prouiding ourselues for it doing penance for our Sinnes before Deathe seaze vpon vs and making haste to merit Ioan. 12.35 and to labour before our light bee ended least the Candle dye sodainely and wee remaine in the Darke This Christe our Lord concluded in his Parables concerning this matter Sometimes hee saide Matt. 25 13. Matt. 24 42. Luc. 12.40 Vigilate qnia nescitis diem noque horam VVatche daily and howerly because you knovve not the daye nor the hovver of your Deathe Other sometimes hee saide VVatche because you knovve not vvhat hovver your Lord vvill come and bee you readye for at vvhat houre you thinke not the Sonne of man vvill come VVith these wordes I will often exhort my selfe saying Girde thy body with the mortification of thy vices and passions and take in thy handes the burning torches of Vertues and good workes and bee allwayes watchefull expecting the comming of Christe for hee shall come when thou leaste thinkest of it and that hower wherein thou are most forgetfull shall bee peraduenture the hower that hee hath assigned and if hee finde thee not well prouided thou wilt bee miserably deceiued 3. Thirdly I will ponder that all sodaine vnexpected Deathes that haue happened and daily doe happen are remembrances of this Veritie giuen mee by our Lord that I may feare and prepare myselfe for Deathe that striketh euery man may likewise strike mee And therefore when I see or heare say That some dye sodainely by the sworde some by the handes of their Enemyes and other some lying downe to sleepe in good healthe slept the last sleepe of Deathe out of all this I am to drawe feare and aduise for that it may possibly happen that such a kinde of Sodaine Deathe shall light vpon mee 4. VVhereupon I am deepely to consider that any mortall Sinne whatsoeuer if I doe not penance for it deserueth that Gods Iustice should chastize mee with this Deathe as Christe our Lord aduertised to the purpose in two like cases that happened in his time the one That Pilate killed sodainely certaine Galileans the other Lue. 13.2 That the Tower of Siloe fell vpon eighteene men thinke you saithe hee that these men were the greatest Sinners of Galiley or Ierusalem Non dico vobu sed nisi poenitentiam habueritis omnes similiter peribitis No I say vnto you for this hath happened that you may vnderstand that vnles you doe Penance you shall all likevvise perishe as if hee should saye VVhen you see any dye sodainely and of a disastrous Deathe bee not vainely secure saying This happened vnto them because they were greate Sinners for verily I say vnto you that what Sinner soeuer hee bee though hee bee not so greate if hee doe not I enance hee is worthy of Punishment and shall perishe as these perished Then if this bee truthe as indeede it is why doe not I tremble to liue one hower in mortall Sinne in what sorte soeuer it bee VVho can secure mee that the Punishment shall not fall vpon mee that I so justly haue deserued VVho hath excepted mee from this generall threatening that Christe our God menaceth to all Sinners Eccles 30 24. O miserable Sinner bee mercifull to thyne owne Soule and endeuour to appease God with Penance before so horrible miserye light sodainely vpon thee The third Pointe THe third Propertye of Deathe is that it happeneth but once according to that of the Apostle S. Paul Ad Heb. 9.27 Statutum est omnibus hominibus semel mori It is appointed to all men to dye once whereupon it ensueth that the hurt and errour of an euill Deathe being the worst of all hurts is irremediable throughout all eternitie as likewise to die a good Deathe is thoroughout all eternitie durable So that if I once dye in mortall Sinne there is no meanes to remedie this hurt For as Salomon saithe If the tree shall fall Eccles 11 3. when it is cut to the South or to the North in vvhat place soeuer it shall fall there shall it be If by Obstinacye in Sinne it falleth to the North of Hell there is no remedye to recouer grace nor to escape from paine But if by perseuerance in Grace it falleth to the South of Heauen there is no feare of returning againe to Sinne nor of the losse of Glorie VVith the liuely consideration of this and of the former Verities I am on the one side to bee astonished at myselfe that beleeuing this with such certainety of Faithe I doe yet liue so carelesse of my Saluation and so forgetfull in a matter that so much importeth mee And on the other side to animate myselfe to procure with greatest speede Penance and Amendement of Life and feruencye therein humbly beseeching our Lorde to cut the tree of my Life in such time place and in such an occasion that it may not fall to the side of Hell but of Heauen And with all I will
life and much more for the good credit or his Gouernment that all may see that hee was both wise and holy in all whatsoeuer hee ordained Psal 82.19 Ierem. 12.1 Abacuc 1.6 1. Cor. 4.5 and permitted So that neither the good may complaine any more then that Vertue was oppressed nor the wicked glorye that Vice was exalted and finally to confounde the rashe Iudgements of those that dared to iudge what they knewe not Hereupon the Apostle counselleth that wee should not iudge before the time vntill our Lord come who also will lighten the hidden things of Darkenesse and will manifest the Counsailes of the hartes The third cause is the glory of Christ IESVS our Lord that hee may not onely discouer himselfe in Heauen to the good but also that in Earthe where his Ignominye was apparent hee may manifest himselfe to the wicked and that those which sawe his Humilliation may see the rewarde thereof And for this cause the place of Iudgement shall bee the Valley of Iosaphat Ioel. 3.2 neere to Ierusalem and the mount of Oliues that in the same place where hee was Iudged condemned and crucified for our Sinnes they may all see him with greate honour to bee the Iudge both of the quicke Actuum 10.42 and the deade and that hee that ascended to Heauen in the fight of a fewe Disciples shall descende as it was tolde by the Angells in the sight of the whole worlde to Iudge them all Actuum 1.11 For these causes the remembrance of Iudgement may moue mee to Ioye Thankefullnesse and Praise glorifying God for his soueraigne Prouidence wherewith hee designed it for so high endes Psal 95.11 8. and wiâ—h â—â—uid inuiting all Crearures to rejoice and clap their handes for Ioye for that our Lord shall come to Iudge the Earthe and shall Iudge all People and all Princes with Iustice and equitye righting wrongs without acception of Persons The second Pointe SEcondly Matt. 24 5. Marc. 13 5. Luc. 21.8 Erunt signa in sole c. Sapien. 5 18. are to bee considered the signes precedent to this Generall Iudgement as Christe our Lord reckoneth them in his Gospell pondering their number and terrour the things which they signifye the effectes which they shall cause in men the manner how they shall come to passe and with all the causes wherefore they come to passe 1. First I am to ponder the number of them for all Creatures as the VViseman saieth shall bee armed to take vengeance on the Enemies of their Creator all the worlde shall fight for him against rashe incoÌ„siderate Sinners And as all haue beene instruments of Gods mercye to doe them greate benefits so then they shall bee instruments of Gods Iustice to doe them greate Dammages and with greate reason for that they abused them to the iniurye of their Creator And although they now dissemble this wrong then they shall manifest it with terrible signes 2. Secondly I will ponder their terriblenesse discoursing of some of them The Sun shall bee obscured the Moone shall bee turned into the colour of Blood The Starres or Comets shall fall from Heauen like Lightening and the powers of Heauen shall bee mooued for they shall make a fearefull noise like a Clocke when it is let loose to strike the hower the Earthe shall dreadefully tremble like Mongibels opening it selfe in many partes the Sea shall bee in a tumult with terrible waues the windes encountring one another shall raize horrible Tempestes Dreadefull thunder claps with fearefull flashes of Lightening shall sounde in the aire Sapiâ—n 5 22. 2 Mach. 5.2 and there shall appeare affrighting visions and horrid monstres much more horrid then in Egipt Ierusalem The wilde and sauage beastes and venemous Serpents shall stray vp and downe running in all partes with horrible howlings roarings and hissings 3. But how terrible soeuer these signes bee they will afflict much more with the terrour of the things which they signifye and which men apprehende Haec autem omnia Initia sunt maloruÌ„ because all these are but as a draught of the dreadefull euills which they expect for the worlde shall bee the very pourtraiture of Hell The darkenesse of the Sun menaceth eternall Darkenesse in chastizement of the darkenesse of the Soule The blood of the Moone is the signe of the Indignation of God which shall take vengeance of them for staining themselues with the blood of Sinnes The falling of the Starres from Heauen is the signe of the most vnhappy fall which they shall take from the Heauen of the Churche to the bottomelesse pit of Hell for they threwe themselues downe headlong from the heigth of Grace to the Depth of Sinne. The furye of the Elements and Beastes prognosticateth the terriblenesse of the Infernall Furyes against them for liuing like Beastes without any order AresceÌ„tibus hominibus prae timore or gouermnent of their Passions 4. From hence it will arise that men shall wither with feare and Astonishment aswell for the euills which they experiment as for those which they expect Prou. 17.22 being seized vpon by the sad Spirit that withereth the bones O what a difference shall there bee in this case betweene those that haue a good and secure and those that haue an euill and vnquiet Conscience for albeeit that all shall feare yet the feare of the good shall bee mixed with greate confidence in Gods mercye And so our Sauiour Christe comforteth them saying Lucae 21.28 VVhen these things begin to come to passe open your eyes and lift vp your heades for they are signes that your redemption is at hande the ende of your labours and the beginning of your rest But the feare of the wicked shall bee full of Desperation Sap. 17.10 Psal 13.5 and greate Impatiencie for as the VViseman saithe an euill Conscience augmenteth their feare and paine And if already saithe Dauid they tremble with feare where they haue nothing to dreade how much more will they tremble where they haue so much to tremble at beginning presently to haue that trembling and gnashing of teethe which they shall euer haue in Hell Pondering all these things and euerye one of them I will exhort myselfe to the feare of God and detestation of my Sinnes saying to myselfe How is it o my Soule that thou fearest not the wrathe of allmighty God who the more mercifull hee is now shall then bee the more rigorous why embracest thou not with loue the Sacraments and signes of his Grace before the terrible signes of his wrathe fall vpon thee If the Pillars of Heauen shall then tremble why doest not thou fortifye thyselfe with a celestiall Life that though thou fearest yet thou maiest not fall O infinite God naile my fleshe vvith thy holy feare Colloquie Psal 118 120. making mee feare thy terrible Iudgements Let my bones bee vvithered vvith sorrovve for hauing offended thee rather then I should bee vvithered vvith an vnproffitable feare Let
For the Corruption whereof it is ingendred which is Sinne never endeth and the liuely apprehension thereof and of the Paine never ceaseth and so that cruell gnawing which it maketh in the Conscience shall never haue an ende Fourthly the Decree of God is eternall and immutable for he is resolved never to revoke the diffinitiue sentence that hee hath giuen nor to deliuer out of Hell him that once entreth therein Quia in inferno nulla est redemptio For in Hell there is no Redemption of Captiues nor ransoming of Prisoners nor any price for them for as much as the blood of Christe passeth not thither D. Tho. 3. p. q. 52. art 6 And if when it was freshe and was shed vpon mount Caluarye it drewe out of Hell none of the Damned neither shall it now deliuee any Finally all the Paines shall bee eternall because the sinnes shall likewise bee so For as much as in Hell there is no pardon of sinnes no true Penance nor satisfaction that may bee accepted neither is the blood of Iesus Christ applyed vnto them From whence it proceedeth that whosoever will dye without doing penance for his sinnes Nota. Ex D. Th. 1.2 q. 87. ar 3. ad 1. cum D. Aug. D. Greg. quos citat Meditat 9. pūcto 4. hee virtually willeth to remaine in them for ever and that his sinnes should bee eternall and therefore hee meriteth that Gods Iustice should chastize him whith paines everlasting And heerevpon it is that allbeeit a sinner dye with true Faithe and Hope yet entring into Hell hee is deprived of them not onely for beeing as is aforesaide vnworthy of them but also for that now there remaineth with him no obiect of Hope neither to obteine pardon of sinnes nor to bee heard in his petitions nor to issue out of myserie nor ever to attaine to any blessednesse Then hovv is it Colloquie o my soule that thovv fearest not this beeing eternall obliged to eternall miseries Hovv is it that thou art not affrighted vvith this fiere this breather this vvorme and this decree of God immutable and sempiternall Consider that yet God vvill alter the sentence if thou vvith penance alterest thy life Attende not till thy sinne bee eternall for then so likevvise shall bee thy punishement The third Pointe THirdly I am to consider the continuation and inuariablenesse of the paines which goeth togither with eternitie Pondering that the painer shall in such sorte for euer endure that they shall bee perpetuall without interruption and inuariable without diminution So that allbeeit they should continue millions of yeares yet shall there not bee one onely day of vacation neither shall the paine cease so much as for an hower or a moment neither shall the substantiall paine bee diminished Luc. 16.24 nor haue any refreshing as is apparent in the riche couetous man to whome Abraham denied so small a refreshing as to haue his tongue touched with the tippe of a finger dipped in water Rather newe accidentall torments shall bee augmented vpon them by the newe entrance of other damned and that change which heere vseth to bee a refreshing if in hell bee any change shall bee there as a newe torment Iob. 24.19 For if the luxurious as it is saide in Iob passe from the ardours of the fier to the waters of snowe it shall bee that the heate may more torment them thorough the warre that it hath with the colde and the colde may cause the greater trembling and gnashing of teethe combating with the heate Finally allthough these torments be so lasting and continuall yet custome in suffring gaineth nothing to bee any cause of their ease rather euery day they are as it were renewed and waxe greene with newe impatience Psalm 73.23 For as the pride of these wretches which abhorre God saieth the Prophet Dauid allwayes encreaseth so likewise encreaseth their wrathe and enuye their impatience furye and rage Then what sayest thou o my soule and what doest thou if thou hast a liuely faithe of such torments how is it that thy spirit failes not to consider such terriblenesse such perpetuitye such continuation such immutabilitye and eternitie If lying in a soft bed thou feelest it equall with death to passe a long night in watching and paine expecting with griefe the refreshing of the day breake how much more shallt thou feele it to bee in an obscure prison in a bed of fier in perpetuall watching and in terrible paine in a night so long and tedious that expecteth no refreshing of day breake because it is eternall Colloquie Psalm 9.2 O Iustice of the allmighty vvho trembleth not in thy presence Deliuer mee o lord from thy ovrathe and chastize mee not in thy furye but proiect mee vvith thy mercye that I fall not into so dreadefull and eternall a miserie Amen The fourth Pointe FOurthly descending to the particular I am to consider the dreadefullnesse of that Place which wee call Hell 1. For first it is a place vnder the earthe obscure and full of darkenesse thicker then that of Egipt where neuer entreth the light of sun moone nor starres And the fier allbeeit it burneth it giueth no light but smoketh and blindeth the sight for our Lord for the wicked diuideth the flame of the fier Psalm 28.7 taking from it the good that it hath and leauing it the euill 2. Item Hell is a most straite Place devoide of those flowery meadowes and spacious Foresss of the Earthe For allbeeit that Hell as Isaias saithe is verie deepe Isai 30.33 large and wide and hath his creekes farre stretdched out yet so manie are the men that shall discende there into that hardely there shall bee for euery one the place of a very narrowe graue and they shall bee crowded togither like brickes in a fiery fornace that they shall not bee able to wrinche 3. Besides this it is a most distemperate place with excessiue heates hauing not so much as a chinke where any winde may enter to refreshe it Apocal. 19.20 20.15 And for this cause S. Iohn in his Apocalyps calleth it allwaies a Lake of fier and brimstone For as Fishes are in a Lake of VVater ouerwhelmed and as it were prisoners without beeing able to get out so shall the Damned bee in that burning lake of terrible fier mingled with Brimstone melted of a most abhominable smell 4. And from hence also it is that Hell is a most stinking Place For the bodies of the Damned shall reake forth an insupportable sweat with an abhominable stinch And finally it shall bee fastned on al sides with eternall boltes that they shall neuer bee able to get out neither by Force nor by subtletye And if by the Dispensation of God any commeth out hee carrieth with him his Torment and returneth presently from whence hee issued but that dispensation shall neuer bee giuen after the day of Iudgement O how soft and sweete would any Dongeon appeare vnto thee if
may ponder discoursing first of the terrible catalogue that Moyses maketh of these maledictions in two chapters of Deuteronomye Deuter. 27.15 28.16 saying vnto the people that if they broke the lawe of God these maledictions should come vpon them and ouertake them Thou shalt bee cursed in the city and in the feelde Cursed shall bee the fruite of thy wombe and of thy flockes God shall sende downe vpon thee famine and pestilence hee shall chastize thee with pouertye burning feuers colde heate corrupt ayre and rottennesse vntill thou perishe The heauen that is aboue thee shall bee of brasse and the earthe that thou treadest shall bee of iron It shall raine dust vpon thy lande and the ashes of heauen shall fall downe vpon thee Hee shall deliuer thee into the handes of thy enemyes and thy deade bodye shall bee foode for the birdes of the aire and for the beastes of the earthe And in this manner hee goeth on with other horrible maledictions which after hee hath reckoned vp as if they were but litle ones hee saieth God shall augment these plagues adding others that are greater And because the curse of God is not onely in worde but in deede there is none of those that infringe his lawe that shall bee able to escape what God shall inflict vpon him An finally all shal bee ouertaken with that last which Christe our Sauiour shall pronounce at the daye of iudgement Mat. 25.41 the terriblenesse whereof hath already beene declared The effects of these maledictions the miserable people of the Iews had experience of in their time and many of them â—ee experiment in ours which with all are aduises for our amendment for that the desire of this diuine Lawgiuer is not to intangle vs in these maledictions but to terrifye vs that wee may keepe his lawe and bee deliuered from them O most iust lavvgiuer Colloquie I confesse that in very greate iustice the heauen should bee to mee of brasse and the earthe of Iron and that I deserue neither the fauour of earthe Prou. 21.13 Iob. 15.16 Psalm 108.18 Ad Gal. 3.13 nor heauen I deserue that thou shouldst stoppe thy eares against my praier beecause I stoopped mine against thy lavve I haue drunke vvickednesse like vvater and therefore it is reason that malediction should enter like vvater into my bovvells But remember o Lord that thou didst subiect thyselfe to the curses vvhich the lavve cast vpon him that dyed orucified to deliuer vs froÌ„ the curses that are menaced by the lavve Applye vnto mee then the fruite of thy deathe pardoning mee the sinnes that against the lavve I haue committed and freeing mee from the maledictions that for them I haue deseruea 2. I may likewise ponder the chastizements that God inflicteth vpon those that breake the ten commaundements of his lawe as they are â—epresented in the ten plagues of Egipt with the which they are many times punished that are rebells to the commaundement of God as Pharao Exod. 8.6.17.24.9.3.23.10.13.22.12.29.14.24 and his vasialls were there comming vpon them frogs flyes gnattes pestilences and grashoppers thunders lightnings and haile and darkenesse exceeding thicke yea and the Angell of God with his sworde drawen entred their houses killing their first begotten and destroying what they loued most vntill at last the sea of tribulations which giueth free passage to the iust drowneth and strangleth them for their sinnes sinking like leade to the bottome of hell where they shall bee melted tormented in that fier euerlasting 3 And that wee may not imagine that these Plagues touched onely the auncients before the comming of Christe when our Lord was called the God of vengeance there is mention also made of them in the Apocalips Apoâ—al 8.2.15.6 16.1 For Gods prouidence which is benigne to the obseruers of his lawe is rigorous against those that infringe it wherefore hee hath in readinesse seuen Angells with seuen terrible trompets and other seuen with seuen cups full of his wrathe and indignation which they powre out vpon the earthe striking sinners with horrible plagues Colloquie O my soule vvhy doest not thou tremble to trespasse that lavve that hath such terrible and zealous reuengers Hovv is it that thou art not terrified vvith the sounde of these trompets Hovv is it that horrour is not caused in thee vvith the horrible vvine of these cups Hovv art thou not affrighted vvith the dreadfulnesse of these plagues O most mercifull IESVS that receiuedst fiue vvoundes on the Crosse and from heade to foote vvast vvounded theron cure vvith thy precious blood the vvoundes of my sinnes that I may bee free from so horrible plagues 4. Lastly Eccl. 23.12 I will ponder some particular chastiz ements that God threateneth in Scripture to such as breake any speciall commaundements that is to say Eccl. 2.3.12 A man that svveareth much shall bee filled vvith iniquitie and plague shall not depart from his hovvse VVherein are set downe two most grieuous hurtes of this vice which are to fill the house of a man with sinnes and punishments with spiritual and corporall woundes and to lay it euen with the foundations Zach. 5.1 as it is manifest by the malediction of the volume which wee put in the beginning of this Meditation Also against him that despiseth his father Prou. 30.17 and mother hee sayeth That the rauens shall pull out his eyes and the Eagles shall eate them for such a one is not worthy of long life but of an infamous deathe and in the other life the infernall crowes and Eagles shall pull out his eyes blinding him with obstinacye eating his bowels with dolour And in this sorte wee may ponder other chastizemets collected from what hath beene declared in the seuen Meditations precedent The third Pointe THirdly I am to consider the benedictions that God powreth out vpon those that obserue his lawe as well corporall as spirituall benedictions and aswell temporall as eternall 1. This I may ponder first running thorough the catalogue that Moyses maketh of them in the same booke of Deuteronomye Deuter. 28.3 saying to his people that if they obserued the lawe of God all these blessings should come vpon theÌ„ ouertak them Thou shalt saithe hee bee blessed in the citie and in the feilde blessed shall bee the fruite of thy woÌ„be of thy lande of thy flockes Blessed shall thy garners bee and what thou shalt take out of them blessed shall bee thy commings in and goings out and all the workes of thy handes Our Lord shall open his most excellent treasures to inriche thee and his heauen that it may raine vpon thee plentifull showers He shall make thee the heade and not the feete thou shallt bee superiour and neuer inferiour and thy enemies shall fall before thee Our Lord shall exalt thee to bee his holy people and all shall respect thee because thou art fauoured by his holy name These and other benedictions Moyses goeth on with
the Prophet answered him Our Lord likewise hath pardoned thy sinne So that if in the examination at night I say vnto God with all my heart It greiueth mee o my God that I haue offended thee because I loue the aboue all things created and would willingly haue lost them all rather then haue sinned and with thy grace I purpose to confesse all my sinnes with a determination neuer more to retourne vnto them at that very instant I remaine iustifyed And if that night I should dye sodainely without beeing able to confesse mee allbeeit I had committed many mortall sinnes I should not bee condemned for them VVhereby is seene the importaunce of this dolour before my going to bed for if I haue sinned mortally and deathe assault mee in my sleepe as hee hath assaulted many with this dolour I shall bee saued and without it I shall bee damned To prouoke mee to this contrition Ex. D. Greg. lib. 25. Moral c. 26. it is very auaileable to compare that of the first pointe with that of the third that is the greate benefits that in this daye God hath donne mee with the sinnes that I haue committed being ashamed of myselfe for hauing offended so good a God and so liberall a benefactour and greeuing that I haue aunswered such benefits with such offences To which ende serue the meditations ofsinnes which wee haueset downe especially the fifth And that which shall bee declared in the 31. Meditation The fifth Pointe THe fifth pointe is to make a very effectuall purpose by Gods grace to amend the day following and not to fall into the like sinnes Psalm 118.106 with that earnestnesse wherewith the Prophet Dauid saieth I haue sworne and determined to keepe thy commaundements eternally not for a day nor for two but thoroughout all my life and all eternitye And that this purpose may bee such besides that which shall bee declared in the meditation following it is necessaryeto haue examined the occasions that I had to fall by reason of such a place or such a person or such a beesinesse and withall to determine to seperate myselfe from this occasion if I can leaue it and if not to resolue to vse greater circumspectnesse and to enter into it with preuention Ad Phil. 2.13 But because our resolutions are very weake and mutable if our Lord with his grace doe not fortifye and establish them I am to beseche him that seeing hee gaue mee such a purpose hee will likewise giue mee grace to accōplish it and so I will conclude with the praier of the Pater noster making a pause with feeling in the three last petitions thereof forming in this manner an amorous colloquy I acknovvledge o my God Colloquie the tvvo debtes vvherevvith I am charged for thy benefits and for my sinnes all that I haue here donne is but litle to satisfie them for that vvhich vvanteth I offer vnto thee the most precious blood of thy Sonne shed vvith infinite loue and thankefullnesse and vvith excessiue dolour and paine For the vvhich I beseeche thee pardon the debtes of my sinnes and ayde mee that I may no more retourne vnto them permitte mee not to fall into the temptations that shall assaile mee but deliuer mee from all euill for the glorie of thy holy name Amen The XXIX Meditation wherein is set downe another forme of praying at three times of the daye making a particular examination of some one vice to pull it vp by the Rootes BEsides the generall care which wee ought to haue to cleanse the soule of all her vices and sinnes it is very conuenient as the holy fathers say Collat. 5. cap. 14. and specially Cassianus to imploie a particular studie to disroote some one vice of those that vse most to indaunger vs for with this so speciall care it shall bee the more easely vanquished this vanquished wee may take hearte to get the victorie of another vntill wee haue vanquished them all As the 7. nations that were enemies to the Israelites were vanquished by litle and litle and by partes To this end our glorious father Ignatius taught vs a forme of making a particular examinatiō of one vice wherein is included another forme of praying very proffitable diuided into three times of the daye to witte morning noone and night the which are much celebrated in sacred scripture by that which Dauid saieth of himselfe In the euening in the morning and at midday Psalm 54.18 Daniel 6.10 I will recount vnto God my miseries hoping that hee will heare mee and deliuer mee from them And of Daniel the scripture saithe That three times a daye hee fell on his knees and adored God making confession before him of his diuine praises and of his owne sinnes According vnto this wee will diuide this forme of praier into three pointes which may serue for the three times aforesaide The first Pointe FIrst in the morning in clothing mee kneeling on my knees like Daniel and putting myselfe in the presence of God I will adore him giuing him thankes for my life quietnesse and sleepe which hee gaue mee the night passed and for the perills from which hee deliuered mee and by the waye I will likewise examine if since I lay downe sleeping or waking any thing that might bee a sinne hath happned vnto mee and with all my hearte to bee sorry therefore 2. Thē will I make an offer vnto our Lord of all things whatsoeuer that I shall doe that daye ordaining them purely to his honour and glorie requiring of him preseueraunce in this pure intention vntill the ende of the daye and of my life and beseeching him to accept my workes in the vnion of those which his onely beegotten Sonne offered vnto him for mee in this life 3 This donne I will make a valiaunt and determinate resolution that day by Gods grace to seperate myselfe from all kinde of sinne after the manner that Dauid did Psalm 100.8 when hee saide that in the morning hee killed all the sinners of the earthe not with a sworde of steele but with a very steeled and couragious resolution to destroye them all so farre forth as they were aduersaries to God desiring that in the citty of my soule there may nothing liue to offend him But particularly I must most resolutely determine to departe from that vice which I desire to disroote frō my hearte conceiuing against it a holy hatred for the hurt that it doth mee 4. That this purpose may bee effectuall it will helpe mee much not to take thinges by the bulke beeing ignoraunt of their difficulties but to prouide for them with the eyes of prudence and in the morning to imagine all the difficulties vexations contempts and occasions of stumbling that probably may bee offered vnto mee that daye considering the quallitie of my person estate and office and the affaires and persons with whome I am to conuerse VVhich hauing considered I will endeuour willingly to accept for the
am likevvise full of ignoraunces and errours in the darkenesse and obscuritie of deathe Thou art my master my light and my guide teache mee illuminate me and guide mee for this vvas the ende of thy comming In these and other like petitions I will spend another while Gene. 32.24 wrestling like Iacob with this angell of the greate counsel with the wrestling of praiers beseeching him not to departe without powring out vpon mee his most copious Benediction The third Pointe FInally I am to make some offers to this our Lord in thankefullnesse for the fauour hee hath donne mee inuiting him seeing hee inuiteth mee Apoca. 3.20 for hereupon hee sayeth in the Apocalips that entring into the soule hee would suppe with her and shee with him for shee suppeth of the celestiall guiftes that this our Lord communicateth vnto her and he suppeth of the feruent affections and purposes that shee offereth vnto him And so in communicating I am to inuite Christe our lord considering what is acceptable vnto him and offering vnto him what is best to his liking 2. And specially I will offer him my hearte for that is the principall thing hee requireth of mee And seeing hee giueth mee his hearte Prouer. 23.26 what is it for mee to giue him mine with a determination to admitte nothing that may bee contrary to his loue nor no thought that may seperate mee from him Ad. Rom. 12.1 I will likewise exhibite to him my bodye as a living host holy and pleasing to his eyes with a desier to carrye euer with mee his Mortification and the signes of his Passion resoluing particularly to mortifye and make a cruell warre against that passion that most hindereth mee to serue him as I ought And besides this it shall bee well that day to inuite Christe in the poore bestowing on them some almes according to my abilitie 3. And if I bee a religious man I may anewe offer vnto him perpetuall obedience to his most holy will most pure chastitie and pouertie of spirit according to my estate And I will allwaies offer somewhat that I may accomplish the same daie endeuouring to spēd it all in thēse exercizes of thankesgiuing and Imitation Cant. 1.12 Ad Gal. 2.20 3. Reg. 19.8 saying as the spouse My beloued shall bee to mee to day a nosegay of mirhe I vvill beare him betvveene my breastes And as the apostle I liue now not I for I haue within mee Christe himselfe who liueth in mee in whose vertue I will goe like another Helias to the mounte of God Oreb ascending from vertue to vertue vntill I clearely and manifestly beeholde him whome in this blessed sacrament I receiue I will conclude with a colloquie to this our Lorde beseeching him that allbeeit the sacramentall species beeing consumed hee departeth as concerning his corporall presence that yet hee would allwaies remaine with mee according to his spirituall presence awaking my memorie that I may allwaies bee mindefull of him illustrating my vnderstanding that I may allwaies thinke and meditate vpon him and inflaming my will that it may allwaies bee vnited with him worlde without ende Amen The XXXVI Meditation of Purgatorie to encourage vs to the workes of Penaunce THe principall ende of this meditation is to encourage those who walke in the purgatiue waie to the exercize of penall workes to pay the paines that they owe for their sinnes and likewise it may be exercized on all soules day in remembraunce of the deade to mooue vs to haue compassion on them and to ayde them The first Pointe First I am to cōsider that God our Lord hath ordained that whosoeuer shall die 2. Machab 12.40 Zachar. 9.11 1. Cor. 3.12 D. Tho. in addit q. 69. 70. Math. 5.26 hauing cōmited mortall or veniall sinne all bee it the fault bee pardoned him yet if he haue not likewise payed the paine correspōdent there vnto hee shall not enter into heauen vntill hee paye it in a prison vnderneathe the earthe deputed to this ende wich is called Purgatorie to the which the soule of the iust is carried by his Angell that hee may there satisfie his whole debt vnto the vttermost farthing 2. Vpon this veritie of our faithe I will ponder first how iust God our lord is and how greate is the righteousnesse of his iustice though it bee mixed with mercie For hee will leaue no sinne without some chastizement and therefore in the Sacrament of penaunce when hee pardoneth a mortall sinne hee chaungeth the eternall into some temporall punishement demonstrating therein his infinite mercy and his iustice His mercie in pardoning the most terrible paine that was perpetuallie to continue and his iustice in requiring satisfaction with another lighter paine that continueth but a while VVith this consideration I will animate my selfe to conforme myselfe to his iustice seeing his mercie is so aboundant towardes me to chaunge millions of yeares in a most terrible fier into a verie fewe of voluntarie penaunce So that all that I am able to suffer in this life is to seeme little or nothing vnto mee in comparison of what I haue deserued and God hath pardoned mee 2. Secōdly I will ponder how this temporall paine if it bee not payed in this life with some very deepe contrition or with some penall workes it must of necessity bee paied in the other aswell for the obseruing the order of the diuine iustice as also because God is so greate a louer of puritie that hee will admitte nothing into heauen but what is very well purged not onely from the sinnes but from the paines which are the Reliques thereof for the glorified church Ad Ephes 5.26 Apocal. 7 14. Colloquie saith S. Paul must neither haue spot nor wrinckle nor any other like deformity and therefore I must labour for such puritie in this life that I may haue nothing to purge in the other O lambe of God in vvhose blood the iust vvashe and make vvhite their soules to bee admitted into thy kingdome graunt mee by the vertue of thy most precious blood so greate compunction for my sinnes that I may likevvise bee free from the paines that my soule beeing loosed out of the prison of this bodie bee not detained in the prison of purgatorie Amen 3. The greiuousnesse of veniall sinne Apoca. 21 27. From hence I will passe to ponder how greate an euill veniall sinne is seeing that therewith it is impossible to bee able to enter into heauen vntill it bee first purified for there as S. Iohn saieth nothing that is polluted may enter And I shall also perceiue how much God abhoreth it when he there detaineth captiues his owne freindes though they bee very holy vntill they bee purified and so much humbleth them that hee giueth them for their prison an obscure place vnder the earthe and neere vnto hell discouering hereby how heauie the burthen is of any sinne whatsoeuer or paine that redoundeth thereof seeing it casteth vs into so profound
consider that God our Lord assoone as Adam and Eua had sinned was willing to reueale vnto them the mysterye of the Incarnation for the Remedye of their Sinne and of the Punishment that therefore they had deserued to demonstrate heerein the greatenesse of his Charitye and mercye towardes men This was resplendent in that comming as a Iudge to take accoumpt of Adam and Eua for their Disobedience and to denounce vnto them the Sentence of Deathe which thereby they had incurred withall as a mercifull Father hee promiseth them not only to make himselfe man for them but also to dye to deliuer them from Deathe pretending heerein that by their Faithe in this Redeemer they should not distrust the Diuine mercye nor of the pardon of their Sinne but that they should forthwith procure it by Penance greiuing to haue offended him that had shewed them so much Loue. So that when God cast our first Parents and all their Posteritye out of the terrestriall Paradise hee then promiseth them him that shall open the Gates of the Celestiall Paradise And when hee chargeth them with Maledictions for Sinne hee offereth them of his meere Grace the Author of all Heauenly Benedictions And when they are vanquished by the Diuell hee assureth them that there shall bee borne of them a man that shall free them from his Tirannye O Father of Mercyes and God of all Consolation Colloquie I humbly thanke thee for that in the middest of thy Wrathe thou art mindefull of thy infinite mercye Abac. 3.2 And when all men by the first Adam deserued to bee accursed thou didst promise vs the second Adam by whome wee should bee blessed Shewe oâ— Lord this thy mercye to mee deliuering mee from the Maledictions which I deserue thorough my Sinnes replenishing mee with the Benedictions which thy Sonne gained by his Merites O Sonne of the euer liuing God Apoc. 13. Lambe that wast slaine from the beginning of the VVorlde for then was published thy Slaughter and true Life was giuen to men that sinned I humbly thanke thee for this fauour that thou diddest vs for the which I beseeche thee to applye vnto mee the fâ—â—ite thereof that beeing free from the Deathe of Sinne I may obtaine by thee Life of Grace Amen I will likewise ponder the Infinite mercye of God in not deferring this promise of our Redemption many Dayes nor yet many Howers but euen the selfe same day that Adam sinned hee came to giue him aduise both of his Transgression of his Remedye for that hee greately desireth that the Sinner allbeeit hee sinne thorough frailtye should not detaine himselfe so much as one day in his Sinne for the greate Hurt that thereof redoundeth vnto him but should presently bee conuerted and doe Penance All this I am to applye to myselfe considering that many times our Lord when I haue sinned in steede of chastizing mee with Iustice preuenteth mee with Inspirations offering mee pardon with mercye For the which I ought humbly to render vnto him many thankes procuring the selfe same day that I sinne to raize vp myselfe presently thorough Penance So that as S. Ephes 4.16 Paul saieth the Sun goe not downe without taking from mee Anger and Pride and euery other Sinne whatsoeuer The Second Pointe SEcondly I am to consider the Conuenience of the Time that God chose to execute the Decree of his Incarnation to the ende to make his infinite Mercye the more eminent Heerevpon I am to beholde in what state the Worlde stood when God came to redeeme it running thorough the Thoughtes Wordes and Deedes of men and comparing them with those of God Isa 55.9 the which as the Prophet Isaias saieth were as different as Heauen and Earthe are distant First I will lift vp my Eyes to Heauen and beholde the most B. TRINITYE in the Throne of his Glorye considering what Thoughtes hee had and what plots hee was then laying to remedye man by the meanes of the Incarnation of the Diuine Worde And as the three Persons of the Deitye when they would create Adam Cant. 1.26 saide Let vs make man to our owne Image and Likenesse so now they sayed Let vs remedye man vhome wee created repairing the Image and Likenesse that wee gaue him O how greate Pleasure had they in this Discourse What Alacritye to beholde the time arriued of executing their Determination And what Ioy had eache Person to prepare themselues for what belonged vnto them in this Worke The Father to sende his Sonne into the Worlde The Sonne to come to vnite his Diuine Person with our nature And the holy Spirit to worke this so soueraigne an Vnion I thanke thee o most blessed TRINITYE Colloquie for that thou hadst pleasure to treate of my Remedye O that I might treate with much Delight of all that belongeth to thy seruice Then will I abase my Eyes to see what then passed in the Worlde considering how it was then arriued to the Abysme of Iniquitye The Gentiles were growen to such a Heigth in their Idolatries that they caused themselues to bee adored as Gods The Iewes were full of Hypocrisies Auarices Ambitions and other innumerable Sinnes The Earthe was wholely drowned with a Deluge of Vncleane-nesses and Carnallities one Waue of Blood as saith the Prophet Oseas ouertaking another Oscae 4.2 All this was God beholding from Heauen for from him nothing is hidden and though this so greate multitude of Sinnes prouoked him to greate furye yet were they no cause to make him deferre his Determination Rather this most mercifull God Abac. 3.2 as saide the Prophet Abacuch when hee had most occasion to shewe his wrathe was then mindefull to doe vs the greatest mercye and in steede of drowning the Worlde againe with another Deluge or burning it with fier like Sodome hee would drowne it with abundance of mercies and burne it with the fier of his Loue giuing it his owne Sonne to remedye it and his Sonne comming to redeeme it Cant. 8.7 O Infinite Charitye whose Flames could not bee quenched with the many Waters of the Riuers of innumerable Sinnes but rather increased with greater Demonstrations of Loue doing the greatest of all fauours to vs that euery day made ourselues more vnworthy thereof I giue thee thankes o most louing and mercifull Lord for this Loue which thou didst shewe vs for the which I beseeche thee though I as a wicked VVretche deserue thy Indignation yet that thou as a good God cease not to fauour mee with the Greatenesse of thy Mercye This Consideration I am likewise to applye to myselfe pondering how it hath many times happened that when I was actually offending God by my Workes then was God doing mee greate Benefits and deuising yet to doe mee greater as to drawe mee out of the Worlde into Religion or such other like for the which I am to giue him many Thankes From hence I may likewise ascende to ponder how much the Infinite Mercye of
Holye Ghoste are perfect hee came withall vpon her with newe fuullnesse of Grace to dispose her to so soueraigne a Worke. The second that the Power of the most high should ouershaâ—owe her preseruing her from sensuall Delight in Conception and forming of her purest blood the Bodye of this Childe as the bird couering her egges with her Wings giueth them Life with her Heate The third Promise was a Giuing a Reason of the other two Because that which was to bee so holily conceiued should bee the Sonne of God not by Adoption as the rest of the Iust but by the Vnion of Humane nature with the Diuine Person so that hee should bee Holy not by Priuiledge but by the Power of his holy Conception O what an exceeding ioye caused these three Promises in the Virgin O most blessed VIRGIN Colloquie if when the Angell entred thou wast already full of Grace how much more fuller shallt thou bee the holy Ghost comming vpon thee with this newe Plenitude If before our Lord were with thee for thy Gouernment Protection and Consolation how much more shall hee bee now the Power of the most High comming to ouershadowe thee now mayest thou o blessed LADYE say with a newe Title Cant. 2.3 I sate vnder the Shadowe of him whome I desired and his fruite is sweete to my Throate Thou art seated vnder the Shadowe of the most High which shall take from thee the sensuall Pleasure in Conceiuing and the fruite of thy Conception shall bee Delectable to God pleasing to the Angells sweete vnto thee and to the Saluation of vs. Much good may doe thee o Purest VIRGIN so greate a fullnesse so happye a Shadowe with Hope of so sweete a fruite And seeing thou hast this day founde so greate Grace with the Holy Spirit beseeche him to come anowe vpon mee and with his Power to ouershadowe mee that beeing seated vnder his louing Protection I may taste the sweete fruites of his Diuine Presence From hence I am to collect that whereas for the Virgin to conceiue the Sonne of God it was necessary that the Holy Ghost should come vpon her from Heauen to accomplish this Worke and that the Power of the most High should ouershadowe her so likewise that I may conceiue in my Soule the Spirit of Saluation Isa 26.8 Ex D Fulgentio lib. de Incar natione cap. 20. whereby I become the adoptiue Sonne of God it is necessary that the Holy Ghost doe inspire mee and that the Power and Omnipotencye of God doe ouershadowe mee tempering the Heate of my sensuall Concupiscences and protecting mee in all Temptations daungers and in this Faithe I am to crye to Heauen saying Colloquie O most Holy Spirit come from on High to my poore Soule sowe in it the seede of thy Diuine inspiration that it may conceiue within itselfe the Spirit of Saluation Psal 16.8 Psa 139.8 O power of the most High protect mee with the Shadowe of thy VVings couer mee with them in the Day of Temptation that the Puttockes of Hell preuaile not against mee and that I loose not through myne owne VVeakenesse what thou hast begun in mee by thy Grace Amen The fourth Pointe TO what had beene saide the Angell added Luc. 1.36 Beholde Elizabeth thy Cosin shee also hath conceiued a Sonne in her olde age and this moneth is the sixt to her that is called barren because there shall not bee impossible with God any worde In these Wordes the Angell pretended three meruailous things the first to reueale to the blessed VIRGIN a thing that would giue her much Content because of the Abundance of her Charitye Rem 12.15 whose Propertye is to weepe with those that weepe and to rejoice with those that rejoice And as the blessed VIRGIN had a feeling of the Barennesse of her Cosin because of the greife that shee receiued thereby so shee rejoiced at the newes of her beeing with Childe because of the greate Ioye that it would giue her The second was to confirme his Embassage with some sensible Token as if hee should say Seeing shee hath conceiued that was olde and barren thou maiest well beleeue that a Virgin shall conceiue for with God nothing is impossible hee can doe the one with as greate facillitye as the other Whereby wee see how it is the Propertye of the good Spirit to chastize the incredulous that require a Signe or a miracle with an affection of Incredulitye as this S. Gabriel himselfe chastized Zaâ—harias Luc. 1.20 because hee asked a signe to bee assured that hee should haue a Sonne himselfe beeing olde and his Wife barren whereas contrarily to those that haue Faithe hee giueth a Signe allbeeit they aske it not as hee did to our blessed LADYE the VIRGIN to chere and to comfort her and by the waye to confirme her more and more in her Faithe From whence I will collect how much it importeth constantly to beleeue the matters of Faithe for to beleeuers our Lord vseth to giue interiourly greater signes of his Truthe Ioan. 15. which hee denyeth to the incredulous Isa 7.9 iuxta 70. according to that of the Prophet Isaâ—as If you beleiue not you shall not vnderstand The third was that the Angell pretended to discouer the fundamentall reason of all that had beene spoken Luc. 1.37 adding that so glorious Worde that to God nothing is impossible which is to say Hee can doe all that hee will can accomplish all that hee promiseth especially those two miraculous things that I haue tolde thee of to witte That the Barren and the Virgin may conceiue bring forth From whence I will collect two other for my spirituall Comfort The first that by the Omnipotencye of God our Lord any Soule whatsoeuer that hath beene long time barren of good Workes how deepe rooted soeuer this Barennesse bee in it may bee altered and become fertile And as barren Elizabeth conceiued Iohn which signifieth Grace so it may conceiue in itselfe the fruites of Grace and of Benediction very gracious and pleasing vnto God And with this Hope I am to cheere and animate myselfe to pretende this happye Fertillitye remembring what is saide by the Prophet Isaias Isa 54.1 Gal. 4.27 and the Apostle S. Paule Reioite thou barren that bearest not breake forth and crye thou that trauailest not for more Children shalt thou haue that wast barren like Sara then shee that was fruitefull like Agar The second is that as our B. LADYE the VIRGIN by Vertue of the Holy Ghoste might conceiue and haue a Sonne which should bee worth a hundred thousand so those which promise and keepe Virginity shall conceiue Spirituall Children which shall bee incomparably more worthe then the Carnall Matt. 19.29 Isa 56.4 our Lord fullfilling vnto them that Promise which hee made them thereof by the Prophet Isaias as was declared in the first Parte and the 20. Meditation The eigth Meditation Of the finall Answere giuen
and of S. Ioseph which was very puntuall and prompt to accomplish this precept though they knewe that the execution thereof would bee very dolorous and painefull to the Childe whome they so much loued yet the will of God was to bee prefered before all which the blessed VIRGIN esteemed so much that if neede had beene she herselfe like another Se hora would haue taken the knife Exod. 4.25 and would haue circumcized the Childe some say that she herselfe did circumcize him some others that S. Ioseph did it but howsoeuer certaine it is they were prepared to put in execution whatsoeuer they should esteeme to be most agreable to the Will of almighty God Secondly I will ponder the Charitye and Deuotion of the blessed VIRGIN who doubtlesse would be present at this spectacle both to cherishe her Sonne to cure him his Wounde being one whome she so much loued as also to gather vp the most precious bloud that he there shed and to keepe that litle peece of fleshe that was cut of for she knewe it to be the blood of God and to be of infinite value O with what deuotion did she kisse it with her mouthe and keepe it in her brest O what Loueacts vsed she with that precious blood and how did she beseeche the eternall Father that for it hee would pardon the Worlde beseeching him if it were possible he would content himselfe with this alone it beeing so Infinitely worthe She likewise directed her speeches to the holy Ghoste whose spouse she was saying vnto him as Sephora saide to Moyses being in an Inne with her Sonne Exod. 4.25 O most holy Ghoste though thou art to me a Spouse of blood desiring that the blood of my Sonne should bee shed bathing therewith his sacred feete yet for all this I will not leaue thee as Sephora left Moyses for I esteeme more thy Will then my owne though it were needefull to shed my owne blood to fullfill it On the other side the blessed VIRGIN was transperced with Compassion and Dolour for the suffering of her Sonne She wept with him to see him weepe and for the cause for which he wept saying O originall Sinne how deare doest thou cost my Sonne O Sinne of the terrestriall Adam how bitter art thou to this caelestiall Adam O most B. Colloquie VIRGIN that I might accompanye thee in this Lamentation bewailing my Sinnes to obtaine the remedye of them by the Vertue of the precious blood of thy Sonne The second Pointe SEcondly I will consider the Heroicall Actes of Vertue which our Sauiour Christ exercized in his Circumcision which in him was not alone an exercize of suffering as in other Children which want the vse of reason but it was a worke of most excellent Vertue First it was Obedience to the Lawe for albeit that as he was God and the supreame Law-giuer he might haue dispensed with himselfe heerein and had sufficient cause therefore being not obliged by the rigour of the Lawe for that he was not conceiued by the worke of man nor with the debt of contracting Originall Sinne yet for all this he would of his owne will obey this painefull and rigorous precept protesting therewithall that he would ohserue all the olde Lawe for as S. Gal. 5.3 Paul sayeth euery man circumciding himselfe is a debter obliged to accomplish the whole lawe how burthensome soeuer it bee and therefore this blessed Childe offered himselfe at that time to vndergoe this heauy burthen Psal 39.9 setting this whole Lawe as himselfe sayeth by the Prophet Dauid in the middest of his hearte to the ende to giue vnto vs a perfect patterne of obedience O my Soule Colloquie why doest not thou offer thyselfe to beare the burthen and sweete yoke of the newe Lawe when thy Sauiour offereth himselfe to beare for thee the most heauy burthen and insupportable yoke of the olde Lawe If he for thy example obeyeth in hard things whereunto he is not obliged why doest thou denye to obey him in those easy things that he hath commaunded thee Pardon o Lord my disobedience and ayde me to followe the example which thou gauest me obferuing thy Lawe in such sorte as thou allwaies obseruedst it The second Vertue was Humillitye for albeit this our Lord could not accoumpt himselfe as a Sinner seeing he neither was nor could be so yet hee would be held so to be subjecting himselfe to Circumcision which was the signe of sinfull Children so that such as sawe him circumcized might haue saide that he was a Sinner which he ordained for the confusion of vs who being sinners will not seeme so to bee but take vpon vs the maske of being righteous Therefore o my Soule seeing thou art humbled by Truthe Ex D. Ber. ser 42. in Cant. be humbled also by Charitye seeing thou knowest thyselfe to be worthy of Humilliation for thy Sinnes desire with thy Lord to be humbled though thou were without Sinne. The third Vertue was Patience for other Children wanting the vse of Reason feare neither Circumcision nor the knife nor the Wounde and till the blowe light vpon them they feele it not but this blessed Childe as a perfect man knewe what was in hande and naturally feared the blowe and the Wounde yet for all this he was as quiet without mouing himselfe as if he had not knowne it And though when he felt the Wounde hee wept like a Childe and greately lamented thorough the delicacye of his Complexion yet in his Hearte he was merry for shedding his blood with such dolour delighting in this Affliction to accomplish the Will of his Father for our good The fourth Vertue was most feruent Charitye shedding that litle blood with so greate Loue that if neede had beene to shed all presently he would haue effected it and if it had beene conuenient to receiue forthwith many other and much greater Woundes he would haue offered himselfe for the Loue of his Father and for our good O Immense Charitye o Inuincible Patience Colloquie o profounde Humillitye and perfect Obedience of my Redeemer Exo. 29.8 Exo. 39.1 O soueraigne Vertues wherewith is weaued the Preistlike garment of our high Preiste IESVS much more precious then Graine or Purple then Hyacinthe and wreathed Holland O high Preiste that on this day didst clothe thyselfe with this garment to offer this sacrifize of the morning and didst afterwardes againe put it on on the Crosse to offer the sacrifize of the euening Inuest me with such another that I may offer vp my bodye Rom. 12.1 and Soule a liuing Host holy and pleasing to thy soueraigne maiestie I am ashamed o Lord Apoc. 3.18 to see myselfe so naked of these foure Vertues let thy grace aide me to Inuest me with them and to couer my nakednesse Amen The third Pointe THirdly I am to consider the spirituall Circumcision that our Lord Christe exacteth of me with the example of this his corporall Circumcision
wherewith he moueth teacheth me to circumcize and cut of all my Superfluities in Pampering Honour Rem 2.28 Colos 2.11 and commodities of the fleshe mortifying my disordinate Vices and Affections to accomplish the Lawe of God yea if neede were therefore to shed my blood for in this manner is the true Spirit obtained Serm. 10. And in this sence saide an holy man as S. Dorotheus reporteth Da sanguinem accipe Spiritum Giue blood and thou shalt receiue Spirit for the perfection of the Spirit is not obtained but with the coste of blood mortifying and circumcizing all the affections of fleshe blood Besides this I am willingly to suffer others to circumcize me and to ayde mee to take away these superfluities whither they doe it with a good intention or with an euill intention to to doe me disgrace suffering them with Patience to circumcize and cut of from me some of my Delicacye my Honour and Commoditye although it be with the shedding of my blood for as S. Heb. 12.1 Paul saide It maketh not much who fighteth against sinne when he commeth not to resist it vnto blood as our Sauiour Christ did Vnto whome I am to say Exo. 4.25 Sponsus sanguinis tu mihi es My beloued thou art to me a Spouse of blood for for thy sake I will suffer with a good will any Circumcision or mortification that may happen though it be to the shedding of my blood for thee To this ende it will helpe me to consider that our Sauiour Christ shed his precious blood in three places and by the handes of three sortes of persons First in Circumcision by the minister of God that did it to a holy ende Secondly in the Garden by himselfe with the consideration of the Afflictions of his Passion which made him to sweate blood Thirdly in the house of Pilate and on mount Caluary by the hande of the Tormentors and ministers of Sathan And all this that I may perswade myselfe that I am likewise to be prepared to shed my blood and to suffer in these three sortes First subjecting myselfe to what the ministers of God shall ordaine although it be to the cutting of and circumcizing what I most loue Secondly I being the Tormentor of myselfe mouing myselfe with such Consideration to workes of Penance and mortification chastizing my fleshe and depriuing myselfe of whatsoeuer hindereth me in the Seruice of God though it greiueth me neuer so much Thirdly suffering those Dolours and Afflictions which happen vnto me by the handes of my enemies though they doe it with a damnable intent O good IESVS Colloquiâ— by that blood which thou shedst vpon these three occasions I beseeche thee encourage my hearte that if neede be it may offer itselfe to shed it blood vpon the like occasions And seeing it hath so much to circumcize which selfe Loue detaineth it from doing circumcize it o Lord by thy owne hande and lay a plot that others may circumcize it that there may remaine in it no superfluous thing that may be displeasing to thy diuine maiestie Of this shedding of blood which happened in the Circumcision there may be made another very deuoute meditation in that forme that shall be set downe in the fourth parte concerning the blood that our Sauiour Christ shed in his passion The XXI Meditation Luc. 2.21 D. Th. 3. p. q. 37. ar 2 Of Imposing vpon our Sauiour the name of IESVS The first Pointe FIrst I am to consider who Imposeth this name vpon the Childe and for what cause and how he accepteth it Pondering how the principall giuer of this name was not the VIRgin nor S. Ioseph nor the Angell but the eternall Father for the excellencye of this Childe is so greate that no Creature neither of Earthe nor of Heauen was able of himselfe to giue him a name befitting him but only his eternall Father who knewe him and knewe the ende wherefore he was Incarnate and what office he was to execute as he was man And for this cause among many names that he might haue giuen him he would haue him called IESVS which is to say a Sauiour For his comming into the Worlde was principally to saue vs and this was his Office And albeit others had this name yet they were but figures and shadowes of this Soueraigne Childe who with full mouthe and thorough his excellencye deserueth to be called IESVS Sauiour and Deliuerer not only of bodyes but also of Soules which he doeth with three admirable excellencyes First for that he deliuereth vs from all kinde of euills of Ignorances and Errours of Sinnes and of Punishments aswell temporall as eternall So that there is no euill so greate from the which this Sauiour is not able to deliuer vs. Secondly for that he not only deliuereth vs from euill but also graunteth vs most excellent good that our Healthe and Saluation might be most abundant and perfect and therefore hee communicateth vnto vs celestiall grace and Wisdome the Vertues and Giftes of the holy Ghoste with abundance of merits to gaine the crowne of glorye vntill we enter euen into the lande of promise not as IESVS the Sonne of Nun Deut. 31.7.20 into the lande that floweth with the milke and honye of temporall Delicacies which recreate the bodye but into the Lande that floweth the milke and honye of eternall Delicacyes which recreate and fill the Soule without ende The third excellencye is in the manner of sauing vs by reason of which this name of IESVS could not agtee with him that was only God nor only man nor to any of all the Angells that are created but only to Christe whose properly it is by reason of his being true God and true man for being man alone he could not saue vs being God alone he might haue saued vs meerely by his mercye but as God and man he saueth vs also with the rigour of Iustice gaining by the Speares pointe and by his owne merits the Saluation signified by his name Isa 63.1 And therefore this our Lord being asked who he was aunswered Ego qui loquor Iustitiam qui propugnator sum adisaluandum I that speake Iustice and am a defendor to saue O most sweete IESVS Colloquie happy may be vnto thee this name so glorious which is giuen thee this daye I reioice that it is not an emptye name nor a name of Shadowe as others haue had it but a name full of truthe and of all perfection Reioice o my Soule with the excellencies of this so soueraigne a Sauiour and say with the Prophet I will ioye in our Lord Abac. 3.18 and will reioice in God my IESVS and my Sauiour for he is my fortitude he will giue me feete like a Stagge to runne away from Sinne and as a Conquerour he will exalt me aboue the Heauens with his Saintas with whome I may praise him with Hymnes and with Psalmes worlde without ende Amen I may likewise ponder how our
the offering that was presented him Secondly I will consider the Spirit wherewith this most blessed Childe offered himselfe in the Temple to his eternall Father Beholde heere might he say o eternall Father thy only begotten Sonne who was made man to obey thee and commeth into the Temple to honour thee heere I present myselfe before thy maiestie and I offer myselfe to thy seruice and to the accomplishment of thy Will Psalm 36.77.51 And for that neither the Deathe of so many first borne as perished in Egipt nor the offering of the first borne of Israel hath beene acceptable vnto thee for the saluation of men I offer myselfe to dye for them that my Deathe and the sacrifize of my blood may appease thy wrathe and deliuer thy people from the seruitude of sinne In this sorte was fullfilled that speeche of S. Paul Qui dilexit nos Ephes 5.2 tradidit semetipsum hostiam oblationem Deo in odorem suauitatis Who loued vs and deliuered himselfe for vs an oblation and host to God in an odour of sweetenesse And it is to bee beleeued that this offering happened in the morning at such time as in the temple was offered the sacrifize of the Lambe Exod. 29.39 Num. 28.4 called the morning Lambe that there might be a correspondence betweene the figure and the figured O how sweete was this offering to the eternall Father how content remained he therewith as one that was desirous thereof for that the offrings of all the other first-borne were of no value but as they were representations of this Thirdly I am to imagine that albeit our Sauiour Christ made this offering for all men yet he made it likewise particularly for mee holding me present in his memorye Hearte And with this consideration in the Temple of my Soule I will present myselfe in spirit before the eternall Father and in companye of the blessed VIRGIN and of the Childe himselfe I will offer him vnto him in Thankesgiuing for hauing giuen him to me for my Redeemer and master beseeching him to accept this offering and for it to reconcile mee to himselfe and to make me partaker of his giftes O soueraigne Father with all the affection of my Hearte I offer vnto thee thy only begotten Sonne Colloquie and though it being I that doe offer him I deserue to be reiected yet the offering being such as it is I hope to be admitted receiue it o Lord in an odour of sweetenesse and for it graunte mee remission of my Sinnes that with a pure Hearte I may appeare in thy presence in the Temple of thy glorye Amen The third Pointe THe same Lawe likewise commaunded that these first-borne should be redeemed for fiue sicles Exod. 13.13 Leuitic 27.6 and so the blessed VIRGIN redeemed her Sonne paying them to the Prieste who tooke them and retourned her Sonne vnto her Vpon this passage I am to consider who maketh this sale of the Childe who it is that buyeth him with what price and for whome and what benefits arize thereof First I will consider how the eternall Father to whome this Childe offered himselfe will not keepe to himselfe that which was giuen him but would a newe giue him to the Worlde and to men and sell him to them for their good demonstrating heerein his infinite Liberallitye and Bountye which is so farre from repenting to haue giuen vs what he once gaue vs that he ratifieth the Donation inuenting newe respectes to giue vs what he hath giuen vs. She that buyeth and redeemeth him is the blessed VIRGIN to bring him vp as her Sonne and yet she also will not detaine him to herselfe but will nourish him for vs and buy him that he may be employed for our good The price is no more but fiue sicles O eternall Father Colloquie how cheape doest thou sell a thing that is so precious why doest thou equall this first-borne in price with the rest if the rest were redeemed for fiue sicles this was to be redeemed for many millions for he is infinitely more worth then all the rest But I now perceiue o Lord that this is to aduise me that although the name of this ransome soundeth sale and price yet he is giuen vs freely and of meere grace that I may incessantly thanke thee for this newe grace for the which mayest thou be glorifyed and praised by all thy Creatures worlde without ende Amen I may also consider the Spirit that is included in the price of these fiue sicles by the which is signified the price wherewith is bought the most precious golde of diuine Wisdome which is Christ Apoc. 3.17 Isa 55.1 in such sorte as it may be bought This price is the mortification of the fiue senses and the actes of the fiue Vertues which dispose vs to obtaine Grace and the perfection thereof that is to say Liuely faithe Feare of God Dolour for Sinnes Confidence in Gods mercye and an effectuall Resolution to obey God and wholely to accomplish his holy will Therefore Colloquie o my Soule if thou desirest to haue Christ to be thine consider that he is not bought with golde nor siluer but with these fiue sicles of the Spirit offer them to the eternall Father and he will giue him vnto thee Fourthly I will ponder the ende wherefore he is redeemed and bought which is to be the Slaue and Seruant of men and to deliuer himselfe for them vnto Deathe O sweete IESVS Colloquie how willingly doest thou suffer thyselfe to be solde and redeemed to vndoe by thy sale that which I by sinning did with my Soule and to redeeme it with thy ransome that it might bee perpetually thine and yet thy Loue stoppeth not heere for thou art readye to be solde againe by a false Disciple and bought by thy enemies to take from thee thy life making an ende of our redemption with thy Deathe Blessed be thy immense Charitye that is neuer satisfied nor wearied in doing vs good O my Soule reioice that the blessed VIRGIN hath bought her Sonne for thee be glad that IESVS is alreadye thine seeing his Father hath giuen him thee for fiue sicles O good IESVS thou art mine by this newe buying but I yeilde myselfe to be thine Cant. 2.16 and with greate Confidence will say My beloued to me and I to him bee it so o Lord that thou leaue not me nor I neuer leaue thee Amen The XXV Meditation Of what happened in the Presentation Luc. 2.25 with Simeon and Anna the Prophetesse The first Pointe IN those dayes there was a man in Hierusalem named Simeon and this man was iust and religious expecting the consolation of Israel and the holy Ghoste was in him and he had receiued an aunswere from the holy Ghoste that he should not see deathe vnlesse he sawe first the Christ of our Lord. Vpon this pointe I will consider first how the holy Ghoste desiring to manifest IESVS Christ newly borne raised vp two