now a hart as a Heauen or Paradice since thou art made a Mansion for the God of glorie Doe not doe not my hart gadd abrode and by a degenerous conuersation forgett with whose presence thou art honored thou hast by loue gott Deus tuus omnia Contemne for his loue all other thinges saying Dilectus meus mihi ego illi III. POINT Consider whether a greater commendations could be putt vpon Charitie then by saying God is Charitie A short prayse and yet a great prayse Short in speech great in vnderstanding Yes it is quickly said God is charitie but good God whether are our thoughtes carried by that word God is Charitie By possessing Charitie then wee possesse God but God is all good things therfore by possessing Charitie we possesse all that good is in Heauen and in Earth AFFECTION and RESOL. O short and great commendation indeed sith so great as nothing can be added Since greater or better then God nothing can be imagined by men or Angells Nor is it a humane persuasion we haue for it but an assurance of faith that God is Charitie and vvho remaynes in Charitie remaynes in God and God in him O my soule what an honor and comfort is this amidst all the calumnies and afflictions of the world that by loue thou art able to become Gods Mansion and he thyne And if thy beloued be thyne and thou his what can be wanting to a well borne hart THE XVIII MEDITAT A continuation of the excellences of Charitie I. POINT COnsider that Charitie alone is not vexed at anothers felicitie because she knowes no emulation She alone is not transported with her owne felicitie because she swells not with pride She onely is not stung with a bad conscience because she wrongs no body Amidst contumelies she is secure amongst hatreds friendly amongst braules pleasant amidst deceipts innocent lamenting at iniquities and resuming hart vpon the discouerie of Truth AFFECTION and RESOLVT Who is then so happie as one inioying Charitie What hath the world which can giue so solide and sure a content Yea what hath it that is not brimme full of discontent Wheras the charitable man meets with no vexation no emulation no swelling but contrarily ioy peace patience vnder the shelter of a good conscience are that happie mans share O diuine Charitie how thou fillest the harts which thou dost possesse with delight sweetnes and tranquilitie Ah! they seeme euen to enter into the ioy of their Lord. II. POINT Consider that it is Charitie which makes all the good Angells and all Gods seruants compagnions in the bonde of sanctitie and it ioynes vs and them together amongst our selues and subiects vs to him AFFECTION and RESOLV See how it leagues heauen and earth together and putts vs in mynd what title we haue to it makes Angells and men fellow seruants and euen in a manner equall in honor and chaynes them together in linkes of holy loue which is true sanctitie ô wishfull and deare bonds See what a sweete order it establisheth betwixt man and man making each one loue and honor and deferre to an other without forgetting their due subiection to God to whom incomparably aboue all loue honor and glorie is due III. POINT Consider vvhat a huge great good Charitie is vvhich vvithout our labour makes vvhat is good in others our ovvne Hence it was that the Psalmist holily glories that he is made partaker of all that loue God and keepe his commandements AFFEDTION and RESOLV Ah my soule if thou hast but charitie all 's thyne owne There is no good worke done in heauē or in earth but thou hast a share of it Heauen and earth makes but one great Christiā comon wealth wherof Charitie is the Queene and lodgeth in thy hart What euer prayers fastings austerities almes-deeds sufferances are exercised within the compase of the Catholike Church are partly thyne while thou art rooted in Charitie THE XIX MEDITAT OF SOME MOTIVES of the loue of God I. POINT COnsider that S. Augustins first motiue of the loue of God was that he first loued him The loue wherby God loues vs cannot be comprehended nor changed for he loued vs not onely since the tyme we were reconciled to him by the blood of his son but he euen loued vs before the world was made that we together with his onely begotten son might be his sons before we were yet any thing at all AFFECT and RESOLVT While I yet was not and so was nothing my infinitly good God had thoughts of goodnes for me to rayse me out of that abisse of nothing and make me that something which now I am being made he fell in loue with his owne worke meerely out of the abundance of his owne goodnes without any neede he had of it at all and made vs sons sons and heirs of the heauenly Kingdome we had no title too Ah my soule if we will not begin to loue at least being thus graciously preuented let vs not sticke to pay loue for loue The hart is too hard which though it will not freely giue will not a◠least render what it owes II. POINT Consider that his second motiue was the excessiue greatnes of Gods loue to vs such as we were which went so farre that he spared not his owne onely son but deliuered him to death and the death of the Crosse for all of vs vs who where wicked sinners Remember how much he loued that we may not despaire whom or what kind of creatures he loued that we waxe not proude A son for a seruant an that a most wicked one deliuered vp to death and that à most ignominious one AFFECTION and RESOLV O God I cannot looke vpon that great price that infinitly great price the pretious blood of a son spent for the redemption of a seruant but of a son who was a first begotten an onely begotten and an onely beloued one one to thyne owne hart in whom thou wert intirely pleased one in a word in euery thing equall to thy selfe I cannot I say looke vpon it but with much loue and considence Nor can I reflect vpon the seruant the poore miserable and sinfull seruant vpon which it was spent but with much confusion O God what is man that thou shouldst so putt thy hart vpon him but ô man what is God to thee And yet thy hart departs so easily from him III. POINT Consider that his third motiue was not tha◠he loued vs first and most bu◠euē prepared no other reward for our loue then himselfe What then saith he shal◠our worshipe of God haue noe reward Ah yes but noe other then the verie God himselfe whom we worshipe Seeke nothing of him without him he himselfe wil◠suffice thee AFFECTION and RESOL. Ah! that hart is conuinced to be intolerably greedie and vnsatiable whom God sufficeth not At least Augustin◠noble hart finds all plentie meere want to him which is not his verie God And therfore he petitions for
it nor can he deceiue vs that he vvho exaltes himselfe shall be humbled and be that humbleth himselfe shall be exalted Nay my soule since the same Truth comes to teach vs this lesson in his sacred passion let vs not proue so much contrarie to his blessed designe and our owne aduantage as not to endeuour to learne it with the whole strife of our hartes Howbeit sith he is as well the teacher as giuer of it let vs often say with S. Augustine thou commandest humilitie ô Lord giue vvhat thou commandest and commande vvhat thou vvilt THE II. MEDITATION FOR THE 2. DAY THE FIRST POINTE. COnsider that hence it was that the diuine wisdome or Word of God which was in the begining with God nay was God and therfor could thinke it noe stealth to be coequall coeternall consubstantiall with God the Father exinanited or powred himselfe out and became flesh Et Verbum caro factum est taking vpon him the shape of a seruant Earth is at a losse vpon this abismall humiliation litle kowing as faith S. Augustine what to say to it or what conceipt to make of it Nay the heauenly powers stand amaysed to sea the kinge of Angells become lesse then the Angells yee iust like to one of vs in all thinges saue sinne nay one of vs indeede flesh of our flesh bones of our bones poore man Vnlesse we should yet say further lesse then man Nouissimus virorum the least and last of men a vvorme and not a man with the royall Prophete AFFECTION RESOLVT Ah my poore soule if the gracious inuitations and mylde lessons of Wisdome cannot preuayle to plucke downe our proude harte let at least the abismall example of our humanised God the eternall Word made flesh put before our eyes dissipate and cure that pernicious tumour It is thy verie God that lyes humbled at thy feete my soule it is diuinitie it selfe which lyes as it were infirme before thee that so thy swelling being worne downe thou mightst deiect thy selfe and caste thy selfe prostrate vpon that great God Deus Deorum now for thy example become the last and least of men THE II. POINTE. Consider that if this heauenly designe and resolution be truly admirable farre farre aboue the reach of men and Angells and the execution of it ineffably gracious and euen rauishinge as speaking more sweetnesse and heauēly delightes to humane hartes then they are any way capable to comprehende so that they doe not so much intice as inforce the said hartes to humilitie if there be any sense of man left in man so the admirable circumstances which accompaignie it doe powerfully preach the same lessons to the eyes of the world If then it hath pleased him to build himselfe a cottage of the same claye wherof he made vs he will also haue all the rest suted to it This most humble Loue metamorsised-kinge will haue an humble mother Queene a poore handmayde of our Lord An humble putatiue father Ioseph a carpenter An humble Pallace a poore Rocke or caue An humble chaire of state a manger Humble attendants an oxe and an Asse vvith a fevve sillie shephardes and after that all his life longe poore rude simple fishermen AFFECTION and RESOL. What my soule will be euer able to decrye pride if this doe not And what will be able to imprinte humilitie deepe in the verie bottomes of our hartes if this proue not effectuall His poore abiect and despicable condition in the verie first steppe he made into this world began to publish it His lowlie obscure and hidden life all the tyme of his infancie declared it in his riper yeares he continually preached it the course of his whole life confirmed it and at his death he signed it with his pretious bloude humbling himselfe to death and the death of the crosse the most infamous of all deathes O my soule let vs then being forced by all these pressing and euen oppressing arguments either humble our selues to the ground in all occasions of humiliation or at least confesse to our confusion that we are the most vnworthy and vnsutable seruants to a diuine Master who was in all thinges so incomparably humble THE I. MEDITATION FOR THE THIRD DAY Of the Benefit of a religious vocation THE FIRST POINTE. COnsider that it seemed not enough to that Kinge of glorie First to haue made you a reasonable creature after his owne likenesse and all the other creatures for your vse 2. to haue regenerated you to a new and better life by the holy Sacrament of Baptisme 3. to haue giuen you the knowledge of the Catholike faith hauing culled you out of multitudes that daylie perish but his gracious beneuolence went yet further on with you and by this holie vocation to Religion called you to be his peculiar friend and seruant and Fauourite to haue a more neere and deare conuersation with him and to make it your businesse in earth to singe his prayses and mercyes as the Blessed shall doe for euer and euer in Heauen AFFECTION and RESOL. O the infinite goodnesse of my deare Lord who goes still on in my behalfe heaping benefit vpon benefit and fauours vpon fauours yea fauours of singular preference tender loue and greatest assurance towards the attayning of Beatitude that can be mette with vpon this perilous sea Fauours not granted to all nay scarce to a few among multitudes who daylie suffer shipwracke while thy free grace deare God not my merits hath guided my doubtfull nauigation to a safe harbour Where witnesse S. Bernard who experienced the same one liues more purely falls more rarely riseth more quicklie walkes more cautiously receiues grace more frequently reposeth more securely dyes more confidently and is rewarded more abundantly THE II. POINTE. That this vocation leads to a certaine state Consider that Gods goodnesse by meanes of this holie vocation lendes you not to a certaine indifferencie of seruing him or not seruing him at your owne pleasure and election but he bringes you therby to a setled and permanent state wherin your body is tyed to stabilitie in a certaine place and all your actions are marked out and limited by Rule and constitutions and all these confirmed by the three essential vowes of Religion Pouertie chastitie and obedience according to S. Augustins Rule Which vowes are noe other things then sacred and solemne promises freely deliberatly and with out constrainte made to God in the face of the holy Church of thinges which are better as S. Thomas of Aquine teacheth AFFECTION and RESOL. This my soule was Gods singular goodnesse to vs to winne our hartes by our owne free choyce to renounce that dangerous libertie which might happly haue proued our ruine to imbrace the true libertie of the children of God which is neuer so free or euen truly free indeede but vnder the seruitude of that most pious Kinge of glorie according to that of S. Augustine Libertie is neuer greater then vnder a pious Kinge whom to serue is indeede
and is a fruite which is onely found in the bosome of the Catholike Church None but a virgine mother brings out virgines Obedience directs all secures all confirmes all and makes a fitt tabernacle for God in the harte of man by banishing thence selfe iudgement and selfe will But heauenly charitie as a glorious mother farr outstrips them all giues them all their begining increase and perfection For why indeede my soule did we first enterprise this holy worke but because we loue What could be able to robbe vs of all we haue but loue What did wowe vs to virginall chastitie but the loue of a virgine spouse What could moue men to depriue them selues of beloued libertie and to liue at the dispose of anothers will but the loue of him alone who chused rather to dye thē not to accomplish the will of his heauenly Father Loue then saith your holy Father and doe vvhat thou vvilt THE II. POINTE. That vvithout charitie nothing is done to secure our happie eternitie Consider that if humilitie put the foundation of your spirituall Towre it was by charities guidance and order for as humilitie goes not without charitie so charitie neuer leaues humilitie If pouertie raysed the walls it was with the treasure wherwith charitie furnished her If chastitie adorned it within it was with the pure burning gold which she had of charitie Finally if obedience confirmed and secured the whole worke it was by the force she receiued of charitie vvhich is as stronge as death In a word all is from charitie and all is for charitie AFFECTION RESOLVT He S. Paule knewe this truth my soule as certainly as he affirmes it vndauntedly to wit that not onely the foresaid vertues profit vs nothinge without charitie but euen that tho vve should haue all faith so that vve could remoue mountaines though vve should distribute all our goods to be meate for the poore finally though vve should deliuer our bodies to burne and yet vvant charitie it profits vs nothing Charitie saith holy S. Augustine is that which discernes the sonns of God from the sonns of the Diuell Charitie is that one necessarie thinge which alone sufficeth Charitie in a word is that Euangelicall gemme for which if a man should giue all his substance he shall repute it as nothing Come thē ô come then ô thou holy spirit Deus Charitas and replenish the hartes of thy faithfull and inflame them vvith the fire of thy loue THE FIRST MEDITAT FOR THE 7. DAY That all the vertues are loue THE FIRST POINTE. COnsider that so true it is that nothing is done without charitie that your holy Father makes noe difficultie to teach you that vvithout charitie the rest of the vertues are not indeede reputed vertues nay further that the rest of the vertues are but indeede loue and charitie so or so qualified For what is humilitie but charitie stooping and reputing her selfe nothing What is pouertie but charitie contemning all and stripping herself of all What is chastitie but loue preseruing corruptible man from corruption of bodie and mynde What finally obedience but loue freely and reasonably sacrifycing vp the will of man and making it supple and inclinable to euerie creature AFFECTION and RESOL. Charitie then my soule is that transcendant heauenly vertue without which there is noe true vertue at all It is she which gouernes as Queene giues life vigour and worth to all the other vertues He who loueth not remaynes in death It is she who perfumes them all with the odour and sweeenesse of holy loue since we doe not meerely imbrace them because they are vertues but rather in qualitie of thinges that are desired imbraced and beloued by God To discouer à man truly vertuous we vse not to inquire what he beleeues or what he hopes for but what he loues If earth h'es earthly if Heauen he 's heauenly if God he 's Godlike for as such they become all desirable louing and louelie Let me loue thee then ô Lord let me loue thee and loue all other thinges which I loue and practise for thee and in thee that my beloued may be myne and I wholie his THE II. POINTE. That vve ought incessantly to desire and breath after charitie Consider that if as we haue seene Charitie be all in all our thoughtes ought to be sett vpon the continuall desire of it For what ought we or doe we indeede desire but what euery one proposeth to himselfe for his end and the end of the lavve is loue What ought any Christiā to desire but the accomplishment of the lawe of God and the fulnesse of the lavve is charitie Nor fares it in those heauenly desires as in vaine worldly wishes a million of them puts not one pennie into our purses Wheras by the verie desire of the loue of God we begin to loue God indeed and still the more we desire it the more we loue Yea when this desire waxes stronge and hartie the desire is turned into fire and inflames the couering harte He that desires God vvith his vvhole harte has alreadie him vvhom he loues saith S. Gregorie And S. Augustine a holy desire is the vvhole life of a good Christian AFFECTION and RESOL. But alas my poore soule tho we clearely discerne this desire to be most iust aduantagious and most worthy of a christiā harte yet we somtymes perceiue our selues not to be so happie as euen to haue this desire Let vs then at least say with the Prophete my soule hath desired earnestly to desire thy iustifications at all tymes Let vs not fayle to haue this desire of desiring continually in our harte saying with S. Au. Giue me thy selfe restore me thy selfe for vvhat is not thy verie selfe is verie nothing to me and it will happen with vs as it did with the holie Prophete that in these holy thoughtes and desirs fire will flashe out and so throughly inflame our soule that as the stagge thirsteth after the fountaines of fresh water so shall we vehementlie couet and thirst after our good God that drainlesse fountaine of liuing water which flowes into life euerlastnig THE II. MEDITATION Of vvhom vve are to learne Charitie tovvards one another THE FIRST POINTE. COnsider that we ought to learne this most important lesson this one necessarie thinge of him who doth as well teach it as giue it our Sauiour Iesus who brought downe this sacred fire into earth and his vvill vvas it should burne the hartes of men And indeede neuer did he seeme so peculiarly to make himselfe the Master of any thinge as of this vertue and humilitie This is my precept said that deare master of ours that you loue one another My litle children I giue you a new precept that you loue one another In this all men shall know that you are my Disciples if you haue loue one to another Holy Father I pray c. that they may be one as we also are one I in them and thou in me AFFECTION and RESOL. This is the great commandement indeede my soule this Christs speciall precept Loue one another this the badge by which he will haue all his seruants to be knowne If they loue one another If we come without this wedding garmēt we shall be repulsed If we knocke not hauing this oyle of charitie in our Lampes wherby we may be knowne to men to be Gods Disciples God vvill not knovve vs the dore vvill be shut What thinge more wishfull could we haue desired to haue heard thē by affording mutuall loue and assistance to one another which we haue all such neede of to secure our saluation And yet the most louing and beloued Apostle assures vs It is the precept of our soueraigne Lord and Master doe this faith he and it sufficeth Beare one anothers burden and so you shal accomplish the lavve of Christ THE SECONDE POINTE. Hovv vve ought to exercise Charitie to one another Consider that this ought to be done by his example who gaue the commande of it and afterwards came graciously downe to teach it by his owne practise Thus we are taught by the great Apostle Receiue helpe comfort support and loue one another as Christ receiued assisted supported and loued vs. But how did Christ loue vs c Marrie he loued vs first with a free and disinterested loue which looked vpon noe preceedant merites 2. With a right loue not to receiue any thinge from vs but to discharge the ouer-flowing riches of his mercifull breastes vpon our pouertie 3. With a perseuerant loue for louing his vvho vvere in the vvorld he loued them to the end 4. With a stronge loue euen as stronge as death it selfe he loued vs and deliuered himselfe for vs for vs men and for our saluation AFFECTION and RESOL. If then my soule we hope for any consolation in Christ if any solace of Charitie if any societie of spirit if any bowells of commiseration let vs endeuour to fulfill the B. Apostles ioy by being of one meaning having the same charitie of one mynd agreeing in one That nothing be done by contention nor by vaine glorie but in humilitie each counting others better then themselues In a word let vs receiue comfort support and loue our poore brethren and that too as Christ gaue vs the example with a pure and disinterrested loue because it is his blessed pleasure that so it should be With a right loue not seeking that vvhich is profitable in particular to our selues but that vvhich is profitable to many With a perseuerant loue which is not to end but with the end of our liues Finally with a stronge loue readie to wrastle with obuious difficulties and euen with death it selfe for the good of our brother as our deare Lord gaue vs an example
intend to rayse the building and to charge more waight vpon it by so much deeper we must digge the fundation Now vnto what a vaste highth is the toppe of our Euangelliall Towre to reach Certes euen into the sight of God that great God that immense and dreadfull maiestie How vastly deepe then ought our foundation to be digged AFFECTION and RESOL. Yes my soule it is euen into the sight of this dreadfull Maiestie that we intend that the toppe of our Towre should reach That maiestie which the Angells prayse the Dominations adore the Powers tremble at the Cherubins and Seraphins with dreade singe to Holy Holy Holy for euer Let vs not hazard so hugely important a peece vpon vnsound ground-workes which will proue at length but ruines Nay contrarily let vs digge quite through this loose earth of which we are made exinanite exinanite vsques ad fundamentum in-ea Let vs neuer leaue digging till we meete without owne nothinge till we knowe it certainly till we confesse it ingenuously that is our safest ground to build vpon where we may iustly hope that God will put a hand too and rayse the worke since his custome is to trade vpon nothinge and to worke wonders vpon it All my soule may we be so truly nothing in our owne eyes that he vvho is potent may looke vpon our abiectnesse and doe great thinges in vs. THE II. POINTE. What this foundation humilitie is Consider what humilitie truly is and you will receiue from your holy Father that it is a voluntarie stooping or lovving of the mynde out of a serious consideration of vvhat our almightie maker is and vvhat vve are in relation to him Or againe humilitie is a vertue vvherby a man vvaxeth vile in his ovvne sight by the true Knovvledge he hath of his ovvne miserie Or els from S. Bernard Humilitie is veritie that is the truth of what God is and what is man which being well knowne and pondered it is impossible but that our hartes should bowe downe to the verie ground and keepe vs there with our mouthes in the dust wherof we were made AFFECTION and RESOLV Now my soule if humilitie be nothinge els but a stooping of the harte vpon the knowledge we haue of what God is and what we are let our consideration be continually fixed vpon those two thinges as the sure solide and true ground therof saying with the humble S. Francis O my God Who art thou and who am I Who art thou but an immense inaccessible ineffable incomprehensible Maiestie And who am I but a miserable inconsiderable contemptible abisse of miserie Who art thou but an infinite rich Master who canst neede nothinge that is myne And who am I but a poore needie beggarly seruant who am constrayned to begge breade at thy dore euery day Who art thou but à permanent independant eternall essence or being And who am I as the scriptures teach but a vapor a morning devve a dreame a fantome a fading flovver a pure vanitie a blast of vvinde as had ovve in aword a thinge which neither hath any other thinge more miserably poore or more vainely proude then it selfe Dust and ashes then vvhy art thou proude THE FIRST MEDITAT FOR THE SECONDE DAY Of vvhom vve ought to learne humilitie THE FIRST POINTE. COnsider of whom you ought to learne humilitie and S. Augustine will tell you that he sends you not to publicans and harlots who yet will be preferred before the proude person in the Kingdome of heauen but to the Kinge of heauen himselfe who cryes out as it were in a publick auditorie of all man kinde come vnto me and learne of me But tell me I beseech thee saith he ô thou sonne of God what must I learne of thee by coming to thee that I am mylde and humble in harte Are then all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge which are hidd in thee reduced to this that we must learne this of thee as some great matter of importance that thou art mylde and humble in harte Is it so great a thinge to become litle that vnlesse we learne it of thee who art so great we shall neuer be able to learne it Yes truly saith he euen so it is for the peace and repose of the soule can be noe otherwise attained to then by dissipating that vnrulie swelling which makes a man seeme great in his owne eyes while he appeares vnsound in thyne ôn Lord. AFFECTION and RESOLV We are here called to Christs schoole my soule to learne a a lesson which the world was neuer acquainted with before The great Rabbys of the Lawe looked ouer it to finde the first places in the synagogue The learned Phylosophers vnderstoode it not and thence vanished in their owne wisdome The great Potentates of the earth looked vpon it with scorne and thence they vvere throvvne dovvne from their seates But the wisdome of heauen made himselfe the Master of it and will haue vs to learne of him not to create newe worlds not to make visible and inuisible things not to worke miracles and raise the deade c. which we should haue iudged a strange since an impossible commande but this onely short sweete and easie lesson myldnesse and humilitie of harte For alas without it what would it profite vs to be able to say as some shall say to God did we not prophecie in thy name did we not east our Diuells did we not worke many wonders What would it profit vs I say since we should onely heare with them I knovv you not be gone from me ô you vvorkers of iniquitie THE II. POINTE. Consider that it is noe wonder that the teaching of humilitie was one of his greatest sermons to all mankind in earth since as it may seeme one of his wisdomes cheife designes in coming downe from heauen was to teache the sonnes of earth that necessarie way to heauen according to that none ascends but he vvho descends To witt he had seene one of the brightest of his starrs with huge multitudes of his accursed crue rushe downe to Hell by their proude ambition of ascending and therfor he would reache the earth by descending to ascende aboue the Heauens They lost their right to Heauen by aspiring aboue their places to more then they were and man was to be taught to cure contraries by contraries and to reintitle himselfe to heauen by humbly staying in his place and by remayning what he was by dwelling in his poore naked nothing which alone were it anything he might properly tearme his owne AFFECTION and RESOL. If the verie brightest starrs fall from Heauen where pride can gett noe safe footing what ought we poore wormes to doe in earth but feare and keepe our selues within the compasse of what we are If they fell to Hell by aspiringe to be like to the highest let our firme resolutiō and whole strife be to ascende to heauē by affecting to be equall to or euen lesse then the lowest since Thruth hath said