vvil vvoorke great effectes in suche as vse this An other sort of meditating of the passion of our Sauiour by way of reioyesinge AS vve vse most commonlie to contemplate the passion of our redemer vvith compassion to break our hartes vvith contricion and true repentance so may vve to the same effect thinke there of vvith great Ioye and comfort And that for thre respectes to vvitt for the redempcion of mankynde for the reparacion of the dekaye of Angels and for the aduauncement of the honour of God VVho by the death passion and resurrection of his sonne our Sauiour hath not only set vs free from the bondage of Sathan but hath also vnited angels and mankynde in that heauenlie societie And thus to his passing great honor and glorie hath geuen a most expresse demonstracion of his infinite mercie clemencie and loue tovvardes vs. A matter of great loye consolacion and comfort to vs. For eache man accompteth it a great cause of Ioye to be in great fauour of his temporall prince Muche more glad and Ioyfull may vve be that the king of heauen and cōmaunder of the vvorlde doeth so tenderlie loue vs as he did vonchesafe to offer vp him selfe in sacrifice to his father for vs and vvith his precious bloudde to redeme vs. Thus vve may thinke meditate and consider of his most bitter passion vvith great comfort and ioye For if vve deeplie and duelie vveighe the matter our hartes shall melt vvith feruor of desire to reuerence serue and loue him vvhiche so dearlie haith bought vs. Yea vve shal be so caried avvay vvith sincere affection tovvardes him as vve shall cleare forget our olde man and rest onlie so resolued in Christ crucified as vve shall delite in nothing but in him and in doeing that vvhich is his vvil and pleasure to be doen vvhere vpon many good effectes vvil folovve It vvill breed in vs a speciall lothesomenes hatred and disdaine against all filthie vvoorkes vvoordes and thoughtes It vvill chase avvay the coldenes of spirit the tedious slothefulnes of mynde and inflame our deuocion and setle in vs a perfect resolucion of minde and vvill to serue God loue God and honor God vvith all integritie and bring vs to the highe tovvre of perfect contemplacion Of six matters of meditacion to saue vs from relapse or falling again in to sinne after we be reconciled to God EMong many good thoughtes and consideracions that help to preuent sinne good men of experience in spirituall exercises haue noted six speciall meanes The first is often to meditate and thinke of death that there is nothing more certain than that vve must ones die that nothing is more vncertein than the hovvre of deathe Therfore saith holie Scripture Remembre thy ende and thou shalt not sinne for euer VVherby is ment that the memorie of deathe if it be often exercised vvil vvorke in man suche compunction as he shall not dye vvithout perfect repentance And so by a consequence obtein suche remission as his sinne shall not burden him for euer And Seint Augustin sayeth that nothing more vvithdravveth a man from sinne than often to remember that he must dye And Seynt Basil the great being asked vvhat is philosophie ansvvered that the definition of the principal philosophie is nothing else but a meditacion and continuall thinking of deathe An other remedie is to think often of Christ his passion as many good men haue founde by experience Therfore sayeth Seynt Augustin let man be ashamed to svvell vvith pride sithe Christ his creator and redemer vvas so humble as to suffer death for him The third helpe is the remembrance of sinnes comitted and by God forgeuen Therfore vvhen thou art tempted to sinne consider vvith thy selfe vvether thou hast bene culpable of that sinne before or no. If thou hast not bene so then impute it to the grace of God that thou vvast so preserued But if thou hast offended therein before and by the sacrament of pennance God hath forgeuen thee then thinke that he hath doen more for thee than if he had made the lorde of the vvhole vvorlde For Seynt Augustin sayeth that it is a matter of greater importance to Iustifye a sinner than to creat heauen and earth of nevv The fovverth preseruature is often to thynke and meditate of the last Iudgement or day of dome VVher vpon Seynt Ierom vvriteth thus vvhether I sleep or vvake or be other vvayes occupied that voice and crie euer soundeth in my eare Arise you that are dead and come to Iudgement And good reason he had to be carefull therein For as Seynt Barnard sayeth God at that day will call for acompt and reckeninge of euerie time and moment that vve haue spent in earthe The fift mean is to thinke and meditate of the paynes of hell vvhiche are so great and intollerable as one spetk of that fyre as a good man sayed Doeth more greue a sinner than the greuous panges of childebyrth can torment a vvoman if she should trauail a thousand yeres before her deliuerie Yea sayeth seynt Ambrose if all men borne from Adam vvere liuing and preachers and should striue to shovv their best eloquence to describe expressely but one of the least paynes of hell yet could they not doe yt The reason is for that it is infinite and excedeth the capacitie of mannes vvit to comprehend euen as on the contrarie parte faith can not conceiue hope can not reache vnto nor charitie comprehend vvhat and hovv many thinges God hath prepared for them that loue him The sixt remedie is to consider and meditate of the Ioyes of heauen VVhere for taking litle paynes in this lyfe vve are sure of suche felicitye as can not be expressed by tongue nor comprehended in the vnderstanding of man A certein paynim being of great authoritie vnder one of the persecutors of Christians obseruing hovv vvilling Christiā men vvere to endure all tormentes yea and death also for Christ his sake demaunded of a presoner expecting death vvhat great revvarde he looked for to recompence his patience It vvas ansvvered thus suche rewarde is looked for as no tonge can tell nor ear hath heard nor the hart of man can measure Then sayd the pagan if it be so I vvil be of your Religion So he became à Christian and aftervvard a martire If a paynim vvas so touched vvith only ones hearing of those Ioyes hovv ought vve to be moued that haue heard so many testimonies therof by so many denout martyres and confessors Of the miseries and Inconueniences that man doeth fall into by relapse and sinning again after reconciliacion to God VVhen a man hath rightlie professed Christ in the Catholique Churche and aftervvarde falleth again he is in vvorse state than euer he vvas and brought in to extreme miserie For first he hath lost the fruit of his former pennance and of all confession contricion and satisfaction for his sinnes past and forgeuen For as the prophet sayeth if the Iust man diuert from his Iustice all
INSTRVCTIONS for the vse of the beades conteining many matters of meditacion or mentall prayer vvith diuerse good aduises of ghostly counsayle VVhere vnto is added a figure or forme of the beades portrued in a Table Compiled by Iohn Bucke for the benefite of vnlearned And Dedicated to the honorable good Lady ANNE LADY Hungarforde sister to the Duchesse of Ferria Imprinted at LOVAIN in the yere of our Lordre 1589. TO THE RICHT VERtuous Lady ANNE Lady Hungarfoorde his honorable good Maistres Iohn Bucke VVisheth al healthe FOr so muche as man borne in to this vvorlde haithe no long time to liue Here he being as the Wy seman saithe lent not geuen to life And for that vve must render an accompt at the daye of Iudgemēt before that dredefull Iudge vvhiche is voyde of partialitie not onlie of vvoordes and vvoorkes but of eache moment of time spent here yea euen vnto the thoughtes of our hartes euerie one in his vocacion and degree And for my part calling all this to the eyes of my minde seing also all my actions hithertho to be verie base and barrain in his sight vvhiche is the true searcher of al thoughtes I began to think hovv I might employe my selfe in some vvoorke acceptable to so bountifull and benigne a patrone and lorde as haith beside my creacion and redempcion not onlie sanctified me and preserued me from my infancie but also brought me out af that darke Egiptiacal England the verie sea of heresie and placed me vnder so good and graciouse a ladie in vvhom I dailie beholde manie examples of true Religion goldie fear cōstant patience and Christian pietie Therfore finding nothing more agreable to hys diuine pleasure than is the charitable trauail in mouing the deuociō of others to the effectuall seruice of his Diuine Maiestie by prayer and meditacion and considering hovv great cōmoditie a litle direction in prayer may bring to the vnlearned and ignorāt vvhose vveakenesse I vvolde be glad anie vvaye to releue The first parte of this booke I haue thought good to put foorth suche spirituall exercises as I my selfe haue priuatlie vsed vvith great comfort in sayieng the Rosaire Croune or Psalter of our blessed laidie the virgin Marie vpon the beades The secōd part And I haue also set doun sundry meditacions and consideracions to be vsed othervvyse touching asvvel the passion of our Sauiour and our redemption as also the infinite benefites and Graces most plentifullie bestovved vpon euerie Christiā to the ende that in thinking therof a good religiouse mynde may be more diligent and attentiue to note and marke vvhat is sayd more inflamed to deuocion and more moued vvith compunction and sorovve for synnes committed And thies meditations a man muy diuide in to seuen partes according to the dayes of the vveeke to the ende that a thankfull hart Dailie beholding as in a glasse the bountifull guiftes of God maye take occasion to hate synne and to loue God so good a benefactor and patrone And because many vvel disposed parsones vvolde fayne vvalke accordīg to the vvil of their lorde and Creator yet doe they vvander astray by vvant of good instruction rather than vpon malice The thrid parte I haue collected out of deuout authors certein lessons an directiōs shevveing not oulie good meanes to auoyde synne and to frame the vvhole course of lyfe according to hys rule and commaundement vvhiche sayeth Hoe fac viues Doe this and thou shault lyue but also profitable signes and argumentes vvhereby one muy perceiue vvhether he standeth in the state of God his grace and fauor The fovverth parte or no. Lastlie I haue added some rules to knovv from vvhēce cuell thoughtes do proced eand meanes to auoyde them vvith a figure or portrature of the beades conteining your Lady shippes vsuall Meditacion vpon them Thies vvith suche lyke being the sclēder fruit of my barrain vvyt hauing no better crop to put in to the barne I haue published for the benefit of the vnlearned vviche can not skill of curiouse discourses penned by great clerkes And I haue presumed to dedicat this fruit of my poor talent vnto your Ladyship my honorable and most bountifull Maistresse by vvhose example of Christian lyfe and conuersacion I haue bene muche edified and animated as to other Christian exercises so to this vvoork novv here set foorthe VVhiche I hope shall fynde better enterteinment for that it passeth vnder the fauour of your honorable countenance And good reason I haue so to think for to omit other places times and proofes testifyeing your vertues synce your comyng in to thies Countries you haue geuen suche demonstracions of true Religion by the fruits of your good lyfe as for your pittifoll hart and charitable compassion vvith the effect of almoise and vvoorkes of mercie I may vvel compare you to Paula vvhom Seint Ierom so highlie commendeth The tovvne of Louain and other places in time of plague famin vvarre and heresie can testifie your pietie The naked then by you clothed the hungrie then by you fedde the sick of daungerouse diseases than by you visited comforted and releued the dead then by you buried the captiues then by you ransomed yea the simple seduced soules then by your meants reconciled to God and his Churche are suffficient testimonies and prooses of your zeale to vertue and of your perfection in Catholique Religion and vvill plead for you before God and man that as the vvhole course of your lyfe hitherto haith bene accompted among the most honorable in vertue so vvil your temporall ende be in dede aright famouse in all good memorie and your second lyfe in heauen verie gloriouse among holie Confessors for as Seynt Ierom truelie sayeth seldome or neuer dieth that man an euell death vvhich vvillinglie exerciseth the vvoorkes of Charitie And hys reason is for that suche persones haue many intercessors among good and vertuouse poor people and verie vnlike it is and almost impossible that none of theyr prayers shoulde not be herd And thoughe good Madame you haue endured many afflictions and greuous aduersities yet haue you no cause therfore to be discouraged for they are euident signes of the fauor that God beareth tovvard you It is à peculiar propertie of God to punish them vvhom he loueth Examples therof vve haue infinite in holy scripture and othervvhere Holy Iob dyd neuer vvillinglie eat morsel of bread alone vvithout company of some one or other poor and needy persone yet vvere his plagues and afflictiōs so terrible and his diseases so lothesome as vve tede not of any greater VVho vvas more pittifull to the poor and nedie than olde Tobie vvhiche buried the dead fed the hungrie and supplied the vvantes of many visited and comforted his felovves captiues Yet dyd he bear the burden of many heuye crosses And vvhen he dyd stand in most nede of al comfort he lost the vse of his sight But vvith thies and suche examples of Scripture you are vvell acquainted I vvill
nede to fear enioyeng all thinges vve can desyre Thus muche touching the benefites vvhiche God haith geuē vs. Theise thinges euerie good Christian is bovvnd to thynk vpon daily eyther in all or in parte and to endeuour him felfe to be thankefull For ingratitude is a great part of Iniustice And among all Christian exercises none is more easie if vve be vvilling none more nedefull if vve regard our duetie none more profitable if vve look for revvarde than is often to meditate consider and thynke of the great and manisolde benefites vvhiche vve haue receiued of God for vvhat may be the cause vvhy vve fele so great decrease and vvant of guyftes and graces vvhiche in time past vve enioyed but only our ingratitude vvhat other better meā can vve fynde to preserue our selues in the fauour of God than by often callyng to mynde and memorie the benefites of God tovvardes vs This kynde of meditacion is as it vvere a corde to hall and dravv vs to God Nothing more kyndleth in our hartes the loue of God sayeth seynt Augustin than often to vveagh and consider the benignitie of God tovvarde vs. Certein circumstances touching the passion of our Sauiour verie profitable to be often thought vpon to moue contricion and amendement of life A Man may vvith great commoditie meditate vpon the passion of Iesus Christ our Redemer in admiring his vvonderfull great charitie humilitie and patience vvhiche appeareth by fovver circumstances To vvitt if a man consider vvho he vvas that suffered vvhat he suffered by vvhom he suffered and for vvhom he suffered Vnderstand then that he vvhiche suffered vvas the Creator of the vvorlde Lord commaunder and gouernour of all creatures Goodnesse it selfe the sonne of God and God him selfe he suffred banishement hungar thurst colde tentacions I kornes contumelies bondes beatinges vvoundes and villanouse crueltie vvith all despite that the deuill by man could execute against hym Therfore in vveighing of thies tvvo circumstances who and what you may easilie conceiue that the parsone so persecuted vvas so great and the indignities vvhiche he endured vvere so monstruous as you may vvell say and thinke that the Iudge of the vvorlde vvas him selfe arraigned and Iudged Iustice it selfe vvas condemned Innocencie it selfe vvas accused blamed and defamed Glorie it selfe vvas vvith all opprobrie spit at God him selfe openlie to his face blasphemed light extinguished and life vvas slaine The Segnior lorde and maister of heauen and earthe vvas put to death to the most cruell most shamefull and most reprochefull death of the Crosse and so horriblie abused as the verie elementes repined against the fact The sonne loft his light and the earthe trembled vvhith the horror therof Here beholde the meruelous pacience of the sufferer vvhiche in a moment vvith a thought might haue consumed all those vvreches and throvvne them in to the fyre of hell And at vvhose handes did he beare all thies indignities of vvhom did he suffer thies contumclious cruelties for suthe of his ovvn creatures vvhom he had made of naught of his ovvn seruantes and vassailes vvho had there being of him and euerie other good thing else VVhom he had chosen and picked out from the rest of the vvorlde for his ovvn peculiar people vvhom he had higlie aduaunced in the sight of the vvorlde But for vvhome dyd he suffer thies afflictions not for any fault that he him selfe committed but euen for them that thus traiterouslie abused him for them he suffered vvhiche contemne him and all goodnesse he suffered these paynes to deliuer his enemies from payne to pay their ransome and to redeme them from the daunger of sinne from damnacion deathe and hell if they vvolde repent in time and reconcile them selues to him If you deeplie thinke of thies fovver circumstances you shall finde matter enough to vvonder at the marcie clemencie patience longanimitie and charitie of our Redemer and Iust cause shal you see to accuse blame and condemne your selues of ingratitude to fall in to repentance grefe and sorow for your sinnes to seke to reforme your selues and to flee to him for succour to studie vvith all loue and dutie to requite him vvith loue vvhiche for your sakes endured all thies miseries Of thre speciall sortes of meditacion some what hard to exercise but passing profitable THere is one kinde of meditacion vvhiche if you can reache vnto you shall need neither booke nor beade to direct you the vvay to life euerlasting This kynde of meditacion is no more but to imitate and folow our Sauiour his life and conuersacion as a most perfect patern and exemplar of all integritie in vvoorde deed and thought to be charitable obedient humble patient meke and marcifull as he vvas to renounce proprietie and possession of Riches at least in desire as hedyd to be poor and needy at least in mynde and vvill as he vvas To professe and exercise all chastitie or continence as he dyd to reiect all delicate fare svvete odours soft beddes and daintines as he dyd to employ all your trauaill industrie and povvers in profiting others as he dyd for you all yea patientlie to sustein affliction contempt and all persecucion euen death it selfe and death vvithcruell tormēt for truthe sake and for defence of iustice if occasion be offered as he did for the deliuerie of mankynd from damnacion and for testimonie of true Religion This is the most perfect kynde of meditacion consideracion and thinking of God that can be vsed There is an other kinde of meditaciō of great perfection and commoditie and is a good mean to help vs to the formor And that is a continuall compassion and suffering vvith our Sauiour vvhiche suffered so muche for vs As vvhen his afflictions and tormentes haue suche an Impression in our myndes and thoughtes as vvhe haue some sensible feeling therof in mynde and bodie or at least in mynde and affectiō Suche an Impression had the blessed virgin vvho as it vvere felt the stinges of the vvhippes the prickes of the thornes the stampes of the nailes the tormentes of the crosse and the vexaciōs of all his passion vvho so euer can reache to this contemplacion is in an highe degree of perfection There is yet a third speciall kynde of meditacion verie gainfull and cōmodious not so hard as the other too And that is if thou cannest not attayn to the one or thother of the too yet to set dovvn a free resignacion and perfect resolucion of thy vvill hart and mynde vvith all thy povvers as farre as thou cannest to folovv the vertues of our Sauiour and a desire to suffer vvith him and so to transforme thy vvil and mynde in to Iesus Christ crucified as he be neuer or seldome out of thy sight euen as he vvas hanging vpon nailes on the crosse for vs sinfull creatures according to the sayeing of him vvhiche sayd he felt nothing in him selfe but Christ crucified mocked and blasphemed This continuall thinking of Christ vvith a desire to folovv his steppes