true vertue is tryed when Iesus is willingly wanted for the loue of Iesus that is when we indeuour more faithefully to accomplishe his blessed will in the midst of our greatest drinesse in deuotion then to inioy his consolations It is the Giuer not the gift we must prise if we will be true louers It was neuer said by our Sauiour that he is my best seruant who inioys most spirituall consolation but he that doth my will is my brother my sister and mother Let therfor this resolution be our buckler in the absence of Iesus I will alwayes looke vpon the light of faith I will humbly begge Gods grace I will place an vnwearied hope in him I will neuer consent to be separated from his charitie Finally I will rather leaue my selfe to his abismal prouidence and mercy then to myne owne industrie THE SECONDE POINTE. They Marie and Ioseph sought him amongst their kinsfolkes and acquaintance and found him not CONSIDER that B. Marie the Virgine mother of Iesus and Ioseph his putatiue father those two incomparable persons sought Iesus and found him not because they sought him where he was not to be found to witt among their kindred and acquaintance But they persisted in seeking and at length found him in the temple disputing amidst the Doctours whither his heauenly Fathers concernes did call him as he himselfe told them saying Know you not that I must be about those thinges which are my Father's Affection It is not amongst our Parents and kinsfolkes my soule that Iesus is to be found nay contrarily they are to be left to find him Heare daughter and see and incline thyne eare and forgett thy people and thy Fathers house and the Kinge will couet thy beautie It is not among our acquaintance neither for there if we reflect well on it he is rather lost then found But it is in the Temple we shall infallibly finde him among the Doctours and preachers of his holie lawe in the Temple we shall find him really present in the B. Sacrament readie to heare vs and to bestowe heauenly blessings vpon vs THE SECONDE MEDITATION FOR THE SAME DAY I must be about those things which are my Fathers THE FIRST POINTE. CONSIDER that our first dutie ought to be payd to God by attending to the worke wherin we are imployed by him which we are here taught by our B. Sauiours example without any regard to parents desires when they deturne vs from the seruice to which he calls vs. But that being first complyed with we are in the seconde place to returne to the dutie which we owe to our parents following our Sauiours example againe who leauing Ierusalem went downe with them and came to Nazareth Affection If we pretend my soule to be the Disciples and followers of Christ we must learne of him what is required to it And this he teacheth vs as well by his practise here as by his precept els where Vnlesse one hate his father and mother his wife and children brothers and sisters yea and his owne life besides he cannot be my Disciple When therfor respect to parents enters into opposition with Gods will and seruice we ought to hate our Father and mother That is to kill that carnall affection which proues an enemye to God Let vs pay that first dutie my soule to that almightie father of vs all and then we cannot fayle to pay all honour respect and loue to our deare parents to obey them and to be subiect to them in all tendernesse and filiall dutie THE SECONDE POINTE. And he was subiect to them to witt Marie and Ioseph CONSIDER that Iesus as God who was begotten eternally by his heauenly father could neither be subiect to God nor man because to speake with S. Paule he esteemed it noe stealth to be equall to God the Father with whom he was consubstantiall and coeternall nor could he as God-man by any lawe of nature be subiect to any man neither because as such too he was infinitly more worthy more wise and better then all men How was he then subiect to Marie and Ioseph Marrie to giue vs an example of the greatest humilitie and obedience imaginable freely and of his owne accorde he submitted himselfe to them both euen to the exercising of manual labours or what els they pleased to commande Affection O humilitie how great a thinge thou art since we must haue an humbled God to teach it vs Yet as God he could not he takes then man vpon him to performe that great worke so great a thinge it is to become litle Whence holy S. Bernard cryes out Who is he that becomes subiect and to whom God to man nor to Marie alone but to Ioseph too On euery side astonishement on euery side wonders That God should obeye a woman is a humilitie without example That a woman should commande a God is a dignitie not to be paraelled Blush proude duste God humbles himselfe and thou exaltes thy selfe â—od humbles himselfe to men and thou by earnestnesse to haue dominion ouer men preferrest thy selfe euen before thy Authour THE FIRST MEDITATION FOR THE SECONDE SVNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANIE A Mariage was made in Cana a towne of Galilie Io. 2. THE FIRST POINTE. CONSIDER that noe good Christian ought to looke vpon mariage otherwise then with estimation and respect nor should any make nice to honour and countenance the younge maried couple with their presence The state is honorable and ordered by Gods prouidence to fill the emptie seates in heauen with saintes Nay saith S. Paule this is a greate Sacrament In fine our B. Sauiour his Virgine mother and some of his Disciples were inuited to a mariage in Cana a towne of Galilie and they freely daigned to honour it with their presence and with the first miracle that euer Iesus wrought Affection Be we our selues of what state of life so euer my soule let vs not doubt to honour what our Sauiour honours Virgines we know haue made choyse of the better parte following S. Paules counsell which he had from our Lord yet better saith S. Augustine is an humble wife then a proude Virgine If Virgins be more honorable maried women are more necessarie And if those be the greatest ornaments of Gods Church The fruitfulnesse of these peoples the Church with those ornaments Let God be honored in both who wisely distributes his gifts as he pleaseth to one so and to another so as God hath called euery one so let him walke saith the great Apostle THE SECONDE POINTE. CONSIDER that though these carnall mariages are both honorable and laudabile yet are there other mariages in the Church of God which farre out passe them Those were graced with the mother of God these with God himselfe To those Iesus was inuited to these Iesus inuites all that will in those Iesus pleased to be present in these he himselfe is the spouse In those water was turned into wine in these is onely pure wine which begetts Virgines Heare S.
so strucke him O man how doth this action confounde thy pride and discouer thy selfe to thy selfe we easily committ sinne euen in the sight of God but blushe to appeare sinners in the sight of men c. Or if we chance to haue that humilitie and iustice in vs as patïently to suffer reprehension reproche or punishement when we see we are in fault yet are their any to be found who knowes what it meanes to suffer where we either indeede are or at least where we apprehend our selues innocent That euen best Christians are content to leaue to Christ alone THE SECONDE MEDITATION For the same day II. POINT CONSIDER Virgines consider Christians old and young and all that hope to be saued by the blood of Christ what these sacred dropes which fall from our Christ say to our hartes What doe they say vnlesse our harts be of stone but I will and begge by this example without example where noe law obliged noe debt was due your patience your mortification your resignation your obedience your humiliation You call me Abba pater father father and I am so show the dutie of children then by following your fathers footstepps You call me Lord and I am so make good then the dutie of seruantes in accomplishing the will of your Lord. I will obedience c. not will-worshippe not sacryfices of your owne inuention and choyce And this irreuocable will and Conuenant of myne I write downe in letters of myne owne blood that louinge children may neuer forgett it Affect Noe my soule ther was indeed noe connection betwixt an innocent Sauiour and the markes of a sinner noe necessitie for a God to imploy this paynefull and shamfull meanes who had a thousand other ways in his wisdome to haue performed the worke of mans redemption but to teach vs patience with what euer might befall vs seem it neuer so litle sutable to the thoughtes we may haue of our owne innocencie Mortification by suffering some corporall payne be it by our owne or some other hand be it by accident sicknesse or otherwise Obedience whether to our superiours as we are bounde c. Or euen to euery creature for charities sake where there appeares noe other obligation And conceiue we alwayes heare Christ by this example say vnto our hartes what great matter is it c. if you being but durt and askes subiect your selues to man for Gods fake since I who am omnipotent became humbly subiect to man for your sakes O dust learne of me to obey Learne of me ô earth and clay to humble thy selfe and caste thy selfe vnder the feete of all men for my Loue. Consider Yet further that the heauenly dropps of blood which fall from a God speake more powerfully to pious hartes then Malachie to the people of Israel saying dilexi vâ—s I haue loued you That is I haue doe and shall loue you since there is neither tyme past nor tyme to come with God I haue loued you from eternitie and thence I am come in tyme to saue you I doe loue you in tyme present and thence I giue the first dropps of my bloud for you I wil loue you in tyme to come and will powre out my hartes bloud for you in earnest wherof I now lay downe these dropps I haue loued you and so called you by preuenting grace while you thought not of it I doe loue you and so assiste you by cooperating grace I will loue you and so make my subsequent grace accompaignie you to the end and for assurance of this I now pay downe these dropps Affec O how wonderfully thou hast loued vs ô heâuenly Father since for our sakes thou didst not euen spare thyne owne onely sonne How tenderly didst thou loue vs ô dearely beloued sonne of the Almightie who for our sakes didst not refuse that paynefull imployment but dost euen so airely testifie the excesse of thy loue by the loss of thy blood By which deare pledges being partes of the price of my Redemption I apprehende it euen neere at hand Let Israel now say that he is good that his mercy is for euer Let the house of Aaron now say that his mercy is for euer Come le ts loue him le ts loue him we that are redeemed by his bloude because his mercyes are for euer Let our tongues publish his loue and mercy let our hartes loue and prayse him and let our verie bowels pronounce ô Lord who is like to thee Inable vs deare Iesus to vnderstand descerne and reuerence with due honour this admirable misterie of pietie which is manifested in the flesh hath appeared to the Angells is preached to the gentils is beleeued by the world and this day is signed in bloud Venite adoremus THE FIRST MEDITATION FOR THE. Day after new yeares-Day of the name of IESVS I. POINT COnsider That though all the names vsed by men to signifie the Deitie were from all eternitie are in tyme and shall for euer be most worthily blessed praysed and admired by men and Angells yet to vs Christians the name of our Christ IESVS by which he was called this day is by iustest right most deare and praise-worthy For whether we vse the word Elin which signifies God and is interpreted strong Elion which signifies High or Adonai which we interprete Lord or Saddai which may be called Almightie or els Iehouah which the Hebrewes esteemed ineffable none of them intimates so much and so present consolation to vs poore sinners as doth our myld Emmanuel which signifies our God with vs our Iesus a Sauiour who begins euen to powre out his pretious bloode for vs. Affection Be all thy names ô great Lord God praysed preached admired magnified sanctified for euer by men and Angells and all thy creatures in generall whether they signifie strength power Maiestie Omnipotencie immensitie infinitie or what euer els which we can in noe sorte expresse nor euen by imagination conceiue so vastly great so ineffable so inconceiuable is the Lord and Master whom we serue Yet most deare Sauiour Iesus be thy most mellifluous name as neerer to my eyes and interests so alwayes neerer and dearer so my hart Be that sauing and sanctifying name cherished and sanctfied by vs poore miscrable sinners aboue all other names because thou o deare lambe who wast slayne for me is most worthy of glorie and honour and benediction and all that euer my narrow hart is able to deuise c. 2. POINT Consider that all the names we reade intimate either power and Maiestie or grace and mercy according to that of the Royall Prophete I haue heard these thinges Power is Gods and mercy is thyne ô Lord. According to his Maiestie his name is holy and terrible But this new name IESVS which is giuen to him in earth signifies nothing but mildnesse mercy and saluation for the name of IESVS saith your holy Father is a sweete name a delightfull name a name of deare consolation and blessed hope to the sinner Nay it
is presently sent for yea the poorest of men the poore shephards to be spectatours of his pouertie to witt the Lambe is borne and it is but fitting that the shephards should giue their attendance Aff. Obserue obserue diligently ô my soule the wayes of the Lord thy God which are still so contrarie to those of the world When a mother was to be choysen he cast his eyes vpon an humble handmayde When diuine prouidence was to prouide a Pallace in earth for the king of Heauen it was a poore stable When Courtiers are to be sent for the verie first Embasie that Wisdome makes is not to Kinges and Princes but to poore contemptible clownes O strange confusion to the proude Potentates of this world O singular consolation to the humble poore and simple who haue noe commerce with the same while they neither know the world nor the world them nor is worthly of them they are blest with first visites from God and Angells Yes deare Sauiour thou makest well appeare by this first act that thou art sent indeede to preach to the poore Riches doe robbe vs of our soules Learing puffes vs vp with pride Honors quite transport our hartes to vanitie In pouertie and true simplicitie our soule is safe and dayly conuerses with God and his Angells In fine either haue we choysen well in this our religious state c. or wisdome it selfe made a badd choyse 2. POINT Consider what Messenger is sent to call these poore sillie soules who are hardly held companie for other men Noe lesse then an Angell and he too accompaigned with whole multitudes of Angells They were to find the lambe their God lesse then man but they had an Angell before hand to assure them that how euer they found him he was noe lesse then both their God Their simplicitie might haue bene surprised and scandalized by his pouertie whom the world would not know but his heauenly Father acknowledged him for his sonne coequall to himselfe and made one and the same Gloria be sunge to them both by the multitudes of his heauenly Quiresters in the poore shephards hearing assuring them and the world by them of a great ioy in the birth of a sauiour who was Christ their Messias So that they were sent with a lesson taught by an Angell to glorifie and adore their God in the forme of a poore infant swadled in clothes and layed in a manger Aff. O how graciously heauen and earth begin to make acquaintance O poore sillie man how happie thou art wouldst thou but once diligently ponder and konw thyne owne happinesse to see thy hart so courted by a Kinge Who sends out his ministering Angells to call thee to his presence who while he is humble and abiect for thy loue he leaues not to be high to but still mixeth his humilitie and mildnesse with Maiestie He is in appearance a poore child but is in verie deede thy God on high He is lodged amongst beastes but his carole is sung by Quires of Angells Singe with them then mysoule Glorie to thy God to him alone it is due nor will he giue it to another Pay that dutie first to him or noe peace will follow Iustice and peace Otherwise we may crye peace peace as longe as we will we shall neuer inioy it while we remayne in that impietie and iniustice of robbing God of his Glorie Resolution I will then Angellike sing say worke and doe all my actions to Gods honour and glorie c. that I may be partaker of his peace which passes mans vnderstanding c. THE VIII MEDITATION For new-years-day I. POINT CONSIDER that this good newes which the Angells told vs these dayes past of the birth of a sauiour comes home this good new yearesday to our vses and profit being indeede the best new-yeares-gife that Heauen had to giue For if he were borne for vs these dayes past this present day he is giuen to vs. He is ours then by a double title and that too the best imaginable By birth-right nobis natus Borne for vs And by Deed of free gift nobis datus Giuen to vs. Affection O Bountie Bountie Bountie so old for thou louedst me from all eternitie And yet so new for thou louest me in tyme too and by the imensitie of thy gift shewest the imensitie of thy bountie Learne my soule by the greatnesse of this present the greanesse of the price which Heauen putts vpon thee And doe not sell thy selfe to the earth for an vnderualue Learne by this a holy pride know that thou art more worth then any thinge it hath to bestowe Thou wert told by S. Augustine that the kingdome of Heauen being to be sold was iust worth as much as thou art but me thinkes we may add to that rate since the kinge of Heauen is giuen for thee Giue thy selfe and thou shalt haue them both Ah! make-not away this faire inheritance for a messe of potage Change not the chaste loues of a heauenly spouse for the bitter Mandragores of the world The riches of heauen is giuen to thee for thy New yeares gift giue at least the pouertie of the earth backe againe Da teipsum habebis Why dost thou stand vpon the price striue to haue a good answer to this question and I hope you will find your selfe forced to conclude a good bargaine to begin the yeare and say Resolution God is my gift himselfe he freely gaue me Gods gift I am and now but Cod shall haue me 2. POINT Consider that this day our blessed sauiour begins to shew in verie deede he is ours borne for vs giuen to vs since he begins to shed his pretious bloud for vs for the eighth day is come and according to the law he is to be circūcised The lawgiuer is not subiect to the law the sonne of God cannot be lyable to sinne the sonne of a virgine cannot be subiect to corruption innocencie hath nothing to doe with the markes of a sinner And yet the poore innocent lambe without spott which comes to take away the sinnes of the word will be branded with the infamous marke of a sinner not for his owne buth for our sinnes sed omnia propter electos saith S. Bernard Affect O my deare Iesus to what a low degree of humiliation and abiection and euen scandall of thy selfe doth loue leade thee For there will be those who while they too clearely reade the a man by this thy sacred bloud will deney thy diuinitie There will be those who knowing punishement to be still the punishement of sinne that by seeing thy punishement will imagine some cryme in thee There will be those who beholding thee with an impious eye will laugh at a bloodie God how euer to pious eyes it appeares the the greatest misterie and miracle of loue O heauenly father this is thyne onely child in whome thou art so well pleased who is so innocent immaculate vnspotted Is it for the sinnes of thy people thou hast
then he cries out that intrauerunt aquae vsque ad animam meam the waters of bitternesse haue entred into my very soule Affect O my soule how happie were we if we could once haue the true sense and zeale of Gods honour and haue lesse sense and feeling of our owne short and light sufferances though for our owne defaults We see what a lesson our Sauiour giues vs who is able to looke ouer all that reflects vpon himselfe and only eyes his heauenly fathers honour to witt all the waters of tribulation are not able to extinguish the liuely flame of his charitie But we my soule are selfe louers and selfe flatterers and farre too delicate and tender soldiers to liue vnder a Captaine who with a thornie helmet on his head exposeth his naked body to deadly blowes for his fathers honour Whereas wee if we can sleepe at ease in a whole skinne seeme little concerned when we heare and see our Masters name and fame vilified blasphcamed and euen torne in peeces Is this to be followers of Christ He commends his mother to S. Iohn and S. Iohn to his mother 2. Point Consider that though the waters of bitternesse and a sense of inward sorrow had possessed his hart yet did mildnesse filiall care dutie and dearenesse still raigne therein for with blubbered bloodie and dyeing eyes espying his mother and the Disciple whom he loued he said to his mother pointing at S. Iohn behold thy sonne and then to his Disciple behold thy Mother O how heauenly loue is able to liue and raigne amidst our greatest anguishes And where loue liues and raignes what anguish is able to make vs faile of our dutie Affect Obserue my soule the order and dutie of charitie Christs greatest care is his heauenly Fathers honour and consequently he feeles the greatest torment where he findes it violated and thence his first praiers are imployed for pardon for those that violate it and his first pardon is granted to the good theife that acknowledged him with a repentant hart In the next place he paies the honour which hee owes to his parents and the loue which he owes to his friends Mother behold thy sonne Disciple behold thy Mother Thus are vve taught my soule to loue God incomparably aboue all things and to seeke his glorie euen before and aboue the loue of our parents Next vve are to loue and honour those authors of our beeing and lastly to loue our friends and our neighbours as our selues c. Resolution Zeale of Gods glorie c. and loue of our parents THE XXIV MEDITATION Of the sorrovves of Iesus and Marie 1. Point COnsider and ponder well the circumstances of this sonne and this Mother and this standing and if there be anie sense of Christianitie or euen humanitie left our harts cannot misse to melt with pittie The sonne the most louely the most louing the most beautifull child that euer heauen knew the Mother the most gracefull most gratefull most louing and most beloued virgine that euer the earth produced or can produce The sonne innocencie it selfe and the Mother the most innocent Lady that euer the world beheld And that virgine Mother stands neere the Crosse to behold that sonne that man that God dying vpon that most accursed and ignominious wood in all the circumstances of greatest torment and contempt of body and soule imaginable dying I say for her for vs for those that put him to death for all mankind Affect O my soule stand astonished at this saddest spectacle that euer the amayzed heauens beheld and let the same nayles which through the innocent sonns hands peirced the dolorous mothers hart wound thine also The sonne is plentifully powring out for sinners that pure and harmelesse blood which he receiued in that mothers chast wombe without all spott of sinne and she the most innocent and louing and most beloued of all mothers stands to behold it Ah what swords of sorrow doe not pearce her tender hart Well may we conceiue she paies the panges of childbirth with huge vsurie which she felt not in his immaculate natiuitie She now indeede brings forth Iesus the most painefull waie that euer woeman experienced since the child must absolutly dye and the mother hardly escape The sunne is eclipsed the earth quakes the rockes burst in sunder 2. Point COnsideration But while hard and vngratefull and vnnaturall man wil bestow no compassion neither vpon the dying sonns blood nor vpon the dolorous mothers teares the senselesse elements may seeme to turne sensible to mans confusion and acknowledge the master who made them while he litle considers the God that redeemed him euen in the painfull and ignominious act of his redemption The sunne withdrawing its light for three howres space couers his shame the veyle of the temple burstes in peeces the very rockes rend and all the earth is in a commotion to wit saith S. Iohn Chrysostome the creatures could not indure the wrong done to their Creator Affect Ah sonns of men and may I not adde sonns of God too Christians brothers of Christ Spouses of Christ vsque quo graui corde how longe how longe will you remaine heauie harted and appeare lesse sensible then the verie rockes themselues O God vouchsafe I beseech thee in vertue of the pretious blood of thy deare sonne which so plentifully streames downe either to smite this fleshly hart of mine with thy feare and with thy loue or turne this senselesse fleshly hart of mine into a very rocke that that rodd of Moyses may draw waters out of it that these hammers may bruse and burst it a sunder Smite ô Lord smite I beseech thee this hard hart of mine with the pious and powerfull dart of thy loue that I may be sensible at least among the senselesse creatures and testifie that it is my God that 's dying Resolution I vvill continually lament the hardnes and vnsensiblenesse of myne ovvne hart as to any respects of God c. THE XXV MEDITATION My God my God vvhy hast thou forsaken me 1. Point COnsidera And well might all nature stand astonished well might the dumme elements crye out by earthquakes and prodigious signes to stupid man whose crimes had brought the God of nature the true sonne of God to such extreamitie of all kind of torments that the most lamentable and daunting voice that euer was heard vnder the sunne broke out from his mouth My God my God vvhy hast thou forsaken me To witt our eyes were witnesses of greatest exorbitancie and vniuersalitie of torments inflicted vpon him that euer creature suffered but his owne tongue alone was able to expresse his inward sense and sorrow of his soule Affection O eternall God the father of my Lord Iesus Christ dispose graciously and looke downe towards vs not vpon me but vpon the glorious face of thy Christ that coeternall sonne of thine in whom thou hast testified thou wert alwaies well pleased who cryes out to the worlds astonishment that thou hast