is vt videam that I may see Say then againe to this little blind world of myne fiat lux let light be made and in that light of thyne we shall discouer light indeede And thou ô sonne of God who art true light illuminating all men coming into this world leaue vs not in darknesse and in the shadowe of death And thou ô holy fire who alwayes burnest and art neuer extinguished burne my reynes and hart that I may serue thee with a chaste body and please thee with a cleane harte II. POINT CONSIDER yet againe without going out of our selues a perfect image of the holy Trinitie For looke but vpon our owne soule and we may obserue in it in the essence of one the same soule three powers or faculties to witt Memorie vnderstanding and Will which haue three distinct operations to witt remembrance knowledge and Loue. Nor is loue ascribed to the Memorie nor knowledge to the will nor remembrance to the vnderstanding So that we find in our soule in some sorte what we beleeue in God distinction of powers diuersitie of operations in vnitie of essence Affection Ah my soule sith the Blessed Trinitie hath marked out the house of thy hart for himselfe yea hath sett vpon it his owne signet or representation let vs neuer proue so disloyall to him as to thrust him out being entred or keepe him out when he pleaseth to knocke by his heauenly inspirations to lodge in his place his and our owne worst enemyes the world the flesh and the Diuell O noe but rather let our memorie be filled with the multitude of his wonders our vnderstanding with his innumerable benefits and our will be wholy inflamed in contemplation of so vnspeakable a graciousnesse THE III. MEDITATION Againe what the holy Trinitie is I. POINT CONSIDERATION Let vs yet further with an humble and Christian curiositie feruour and feare follow faith and draw neerer to the inaccessible light which the holy Trinitie doth inhabit And to approach saith S. Paule we must beleeue that he is and that he is the rewarder of those that seek him But what is he The Father the word and the holy Ghost and these three are one And what is that one He himselfe tells vs by the mouth of Moyses I am who am Say saith he he that is sent me to you That is he is the origine and souâ—se of all beeing in himselfe of himselfe and by himselfe without participation dependance or assistance of any other in absolute plenitude without beginning or end Affection We beleeue ô Lord that thou art and that thou art he indeede who is Thou art thyne owne permanent beeing thou art the rewarder of those that seeke thee Thee therfor will I incessantly seeke thee will I desire thee will I hope for My verie hart hath said to thee thy face will I seeke O my soule what a comfortable inquirie is this where the verie seeking is better then the finding of all thinges besides Where the ayme is a permanent beeing noe transitorie and fading shadowe Where what is sought is the rewarder and the rewarde Ego merces tua magna nimis I am thy exceeding great reward Whose beeing as it neuer had any beginning so shall it neuer haue end II. POINT CONSIDERATION Let vs yet force our selues to find out as farre as faith will leade vs. What he is indeede Who is For it is a thinge of great comfort to be seeking where we shall be sure to find more then we are able to comprehend It is safe to be seeking there where humble ignorance is a most safe knowledge Let him be sought saith S. Augustine in whom all things proue safe to vs. What is he then who is but a substance without begining without end a simple substance without any mixture An inuisible incorporeall ineffable and inestimable substance essence or nature A substance that hath nothing created in it nor is increased by addition of any other thing nor lessened by any substraction A substance finally subsisting without any Authour because it selfe is the Authour of all thinges Affection Why doe we then my soule scatter our thoughts vpon the inquisition of thinges where we meete with nothing but emptinesse vanitie and lyes so that after our long labours we find nothing in our hands for what is there indeede left vs of what we may haue seemed hitherto to haue gathered togeither but hartes full of remorse Why doe we spend our witts vpon perilous knowledges where faith presentes vs with an humble ignorance which is true wisdome Why doe we leaue substance and such substance to pursue Shadowes which the more we pursue them the more they flye vs and in the end vanish Why doe we I say quitte pure and permanent substance and vnhappily suffer our selues to sticke fast in the myre of the depth where there is noe substance Why finally doe we fixe our hartes vpon nothing while the Authour of all thinges is proposed vnto vs For what indeede is our expectation ô my soule is it not our Lord and is not our substance with him THE IV. MEDITATION That he is euerie where I. POINT CONSIDER that this Blessed Trinitie being He who is is indeed euerie where He is euen a sea of Essence or beeing He is euery where I say by the same essence by his power by his Presence and we run we whither we will neuer escape out of that presence of his If I shall ascend into heauen thou art there If I descend into Hell thou art present If I shall take my winges earely and dwell in the extreame parts of the Sea certes thither also shall thy hand conduct me c. Sings the Royall Psalmist Affection Whither shall we flye from him my soule but to him from his sterne iustice to his mylde mercy There alone and noe where els can we be secure from him who is euery where The heauens can afforde vs noe shelter Hell can giue vs noe protection the deepe Abisses cannot hyde vs. In vaine doe we striue to hide our selues with Adam In vaine to flye with Ionas his powerfull hand is able to ouertake vs. Be where we will we are allwayes in his presence See my soule what a blessed necessitie is putt vpon vs of liuing well who liue continually in the presence of so powerfull a Maiestie Le ts humble our selues vnder the powerfull hand of God That the holy Trinitie is euery where and how II. POINT CONSIDER that he is indeede euery where but how He is so diffused through all thinges in the world vniuersally that he is not as a qualitie but as the creating substance therof gouerning it without labour sustayning it with his three fingers or by his power without burthen He is not spredd abrode all ouer by bulke or partes but is all whole euery where as the soule is in the body all in all and all too in euerie part therof He is all in heauen all in earth at one and the same tyme
imployed all her tyme in heauenly contemplations feruent eleuations of harte and inflamed aspirations after her dearely beloued child How often said she with more then a S. Paules feruour that she desired to be dissolued and to be with Christ How often did she adiure the daughters of Sion to stay her with flowers to compasse her about with apples because she languished with loue Tell him saith she that I languish with loue Affection Thus it was my soule that this heauenly hart continually euaporated it selfe out thus while her body was detayned in earth did her soule liue in heauen and thus it is too that euery chaste turtle should behaue herselfe in the absence of her mate sometymes moaning herselfe with holy Dauid saying ay mé why is my seiourning stil prolonged Sometymes with S. Paule Christ is my life and death is my gaine Some tymes againe with the feruent S. Augustine Liue I will not dye I will I desire to be dissolued and to be with Christ That her life wasted away like incense in the flames of loue II. POINT CONSIDER that Blessed Marie hauing as truly conceiued in her hart the sacred fire which her Sonne brought downe as she had conceiued him in her Virginall wombe she continually watched it like a holy Vestall and did not onely keepe it a liue but euen added new fewell to it by euery least action of her life so that that holy flame was increased to such a degree that it was impossible for a humane hart to endure it without wasting away like incense in the thurible to imbalme the world with her heauenly odours Affection Ah my soule comme and behold this heauenly VisioÌ„ See how Moyses his burning bush whom noe fire of concupiscence could euer touch begins to melt away in the fire of loue See our sacred Salamander readie to consume in the flames which she loued wherin she liued wherwith she was â—o deliciously nourished O that this cold luÌ„pe were better acquainted with this deare torment with this fire which burnes so delightfully At least ô thou Blessed Holocauste of Loue preuayle by thy powerfull prayers that the fire of the Holy Ghost may burne my reynes and hart that I may serue him with a chaste body and please him with a cleane hart THE II. MEDITATION For the Assumption That she dyed of Loue. I. POINT COnsider that Marie must dye then because she was a child of Adam because she was the Mother of a God who dyed because a pretious delicious death will doe her the right to deliuer her vpp to her Sonne in glorie nor is glorie to be had but by death she must dye then who brought out life But as loue brought her Iesus downe from heauen and by loue she coÌ„ceiued him so must noe other hand then that of loue which is now growen stronger then deathin her breake the band of mortalitie and restore her to her life her loue her Iesus Affection O death louingly vitall ô loue vitally mortall O death of loue the noblest of all deathes And therfor due to the most noble life that euer was amonst creatures whereof the verie Angells would desire to dye if dye they could Be ah returne returne thou Sunamitesse returne that we may haue the happinesse to looke vpoÌ„ thee to craue thyne assistance in our necessities O Marie thou Mother of grace Mother of mercy protect vs against our enemyes in our life and receiue vs at the houre of our death Amen II. POINT CONSIDER that if loue gaue the blow it was the most noble death that euer creature endured If loue gaue the stroke it was the most deliciously deare and desired that euer humane hart tasted And as this death was most noble and most sweete so was it attended by the most noble compagnie All the Apostles as witnesseth the great Areopagite by Gods Prouidence and power and all the Primitiue Christians about Hierusalem being prefent at it Yea euen Millions of Angells and Christ himselfe Witnesse S. I. Damascene with many others Affection O what a mixture of delight sorrow did possesse those Apostolicall and primitiue hartes Of sorrow to see themselues readie to become Orphants hauing both the Mother and the SoÌ„ne taken from them Of delight to behold that diuin-Phenix melting away vpon her bed of hoe nour amidst the odoriferous flames of Sacred loue readie to flye into their Masters Celestiall imbracements O what Canticles of prayses did not they singe what actions of grace did they not render THE III. MEDITATION That her body was free from corruption I. POINT CONSIDER that though a death of loue or a beloued death could separate the soule from that B. Virgines body which was buried by the Apostles c. in Gethse many yet deathes corruptioÌ„ durst not at all fasteÌ„ vpon that incorruptible body which had brought out life As we deney not saith S. Augustine that the Mother of God was subiect to the Law of death so haue we learnt in the Shoole of Christianitie to priuiledge her from corruption whose grace and sanctitie was such that she singularly merited to lodge God in earth Affection Noe my soule the immaculate body of this incomparable Virgine was not subiect to corruption it was not fitting that that chaste flesh which gaue flesh to clothe our humanised God should be deliuered ouer to the wormes Though death was her gaine yet had corruption bene her losse God would not permitt that holy one who was vncorrupt in her Conception in her childbirth and after her childbirth should meete with corruption in her graue That her body was assumpted vp to heauen by her Sonne II. POINT CONSIDER that scarcely had this sacred Depositum of her immaculate body remayned three dayes in the graue after her vitall death witnesse S. I. Da. till he that rose the third day by his owne power came to rayse his blessed mothers body that her body and soule being vnited againe he might inioy his whole mother and she him in his glorie Saying to her ryse make haste my friend or according to S. Augustine come from Lybanus my spouse come from Libanus come thou shalt be crowned taking her by the right hand saith he and conducting her in pompe and magnificence according to his good pleasure Affection O my soule with what heauenly acclamations with what Angelicall admirations and exaltations was this singular triumph accompaigned While euen the astonished Angells cryed out who is this who comes vp from the desert flowing with delightes and has the confidence to leane vpon her beloued our Kinge Let vs my soule earnestly begge her intercession what cannot she preuayle for whom the God of heauen so much honours THE VI. MEDITATION How inthronised I. POINT CONSIDER whither this best of Sonns could leade this best of Mothers but to the best place that euer creature was capable of euen aboue the Cherubins and Seraphins to the Throne of God S. Augustine is my warantie saying of her Thou didst passe the Angelicall
old heauen and earth God and man conspire togeither to putt vs out of all doubt that our Iesus is the beloued sonne of God the Father in whom he is well pleased And therfor with our whole soule we ioyne with the whole Court of heauen and adore that onely begotten who dyed for vs and esteemed it noe stelth to be equall to his heauenly father THE SECONDE MEDITATION FOR THE SAME SVNDAY And his face did shine as the sunne and his garments became white as snowe Matt. 17. THE FIRST POINTE. CONSIDER that Peter Iames and Iohn vpon the onely aspect of the transcendant splendour and beautie of Iesus his body and garments are so transported with ioy that they take a present resolution to build tabernacles vpon the toppe of Thabor and to remayne there because Peter out of the deepe sense of the heauenly delight which he felt professed freely to that diuine Master of theirs that it is good for them to be there Affection O my soule if litle glimpses of glorie be so delightfull what will the whole light of glorie proue If a litle exteriour glorie of the body be so precious what will the essentiall glorie of both body and soule be experienced If momentes of ioyes were powerfull enough to begett an absolute contempt of all other thinges in those Apostolicall hartes what should not firme hopes of eternities worke in ours If God blesse vs with heauenly gustes at our prayers c. Let vs humble our selues and be thankfull for them as being the seede of glorie But we must not be too greedie of them nor resolue to dwell in them Iesus must passe from Thabor ouer Caluarie before he enter into his owne Kingdome and so must we Christians too THE SECONDE POINTE. He spoke with Moyses and Elias of an excesse CONSIDER that while Peter Iames and Iohn like men are so transported with a smale foretaste of glorie that they wishe noe better then to liue vpon the toppe of that pleasant hill Our deare Lord and Master whose thoughts are alwayes vpon that which tends to the accomplishment of his heauenly fathers will is thinking and discoursing with Moyses and Elias of his paineful death and passion Affection We are but pilgrims in this world my soule not inhabitants We haue noe permanent citie here but we are makeing home to an euerlasting one where we are fellow citizens with the Saints and God's domestikes nor can we follow a surer guide then our Sauiour Iesus His way is through sufferances contradictions ad Crosses in euery kind And is it not our perfection to expresse his life in ours that by suffering with him we may raigne with him Good it is indeede to haue gusts and foretastes of the consolations of God! but farre better to follow the God of consolation amidst his desolations sufferances and abandonnements who ioy being proposed vnto him sustayned the Crosse contemning confusion Say then with S. Teresa aut pati aut mori either let sufer or dye THE FIRST MEDITATION FOR THE THIRD SVNDAY IN LENT And Iesus was casting out a Diuell and he was dumbe Luc. 11. THE FIRST POINTE. CONSIDER that the Diuells dominion was spredd in a manner ouer all the face of the earth Altars were erected Idolls sett vp Idolatrie or the worshippe of the Diuell raigned in euery place so that his pride growen greater then his power he durst attempt vpon the sonne of God as in the first sunday in Lent but in steed of victorie he mett with confusion He was ouerthrowen with the sword of the word of God without any other armes But now Iesus to comply with and exercise the Office of a Sauiour being sent to free the world out of the Diuells tyrannie setts vpon him by his power and authoritie and by absolute commande chaceth him out of the possessed body Affection O blessed fruites of the coming of our Sauiour Iesus Christ Poore man was kept à slaue vnder the Diuells tyrannie nor was there any power in earth to free him but Iesus our Helper in opportunities that is seasonably as he iudges fitting in tribulation in temptation c. came graciously to his ayde he assaults that stronge one forceth him by his flight to acknowledge the power of his Master who begins sake his raigne and abate his pride nor doth he this in his owne person onely but euen leaues the like power in his holie Church He graciously teaches vs by his example how we are to behaue our selues in temptation and shewes vs in what power we ought to subdue that fierce foe Blessed and magnified be he for euer who hath left such power to the sonns of man THE SECONDE POINTE. CONSIDER that though the Diuells taking possession of mans body be not verie comon yet his possession of mans soule is but too ordinarie And how euer we perceiue it but a litle yet it is farre more dangerous and most absolutly true Neuer are we so vnhappie to committ mortall sinne but the Diuell takes full possession of our soules grace departs the holy Ghost is turned out of dores the Diuell becomes our Master and we his miserable seruantes and slaues ouer whom he exercises à tyrannicall dominion We become blind to good walke in darknesse not discouering what is fitting to be done and dumbe too as to the making profession of what we know to be right Affection O my soule this is the possession indeede which we ought most to feare and dispossession which we ought most earnestly to seeke for because we haue left him who is able to throw both body and soule into Hell fire because our strength hath left vs we are sicke of a deade palsie and sore tormented by the Diuell Let vs neuer cease from sighets and sobbs and lamentations while we rcmayne in this sadd captiuitie Gods grace alone is able to deliuer vs. Let vs begge it incessantly like poore lost slaues knowing that there is noe meanes to flye from him but to him from him offended to him appeased saying haue mercy vpon me ô God according to thy great mercy and according to the multitude of thy commiserations because my miserie is exceeding great and needes noe lesse a cure THE SECONDE MEDITATION FOR THE SAME SVNDAY Euery Kingdome deuided against it selfe shall be made desolate and a house shall fall vpon a house Luc. 111. THE FIRST POINTE. CONSIDER that though we had not had truth it selfe which none dare contradicte to assure vs of this so necessarie a lesson yet common experience makes it but too sure to verie ordinarie capacities The internall diuisions and broyles of England France Spayne Italie and Flanders to goe noe further haue oft hazarded their vtter ruine And the vnhappie misintelligences of communities and particular families haue not onely disordered them and depriued them of the blissings of peace and quiete but haue euen exposed them to publicke scandall and desolation it selfe Affection How deare then my soule ought vnanimitie and vnion of harts to be to vs
seruice whether it be in point of receiuing his owne true body or in charitably assisting his owne poore afflicted members For how often haue we obserued our selues to haue quaked with feare wher we mett with noe danger indeede and permitted such fond feares to frustrate our pious designes and resolutions and stifle the seede which was sowen in our hartes from heauen Feare not as longe as thou art imployed about Iesus and him crucified Either will noe danger at all be mett with or none at least be preualent to make vs misse of Iesus And if it be about Iesus that we are imployed if in that name we suffer we ought not so much to apprehend it the sufferance of a Crosse as the assurance of a crowne 2. Point Consider with astonishment the great power which the diuine prouidence giues to Pilate who had indeede noe power ouer Christ but what was giuen from aboue in whose handes the disposall of the body of a God was left Yes of that body which the holy Ghost framed the Virgine mother brought-forth the diuinitie still inseparably inhabited Of that body I say Pilate à sinner an vniust Iudge an infidell hath power to dispose and he giues it to Iosephe Affect O my soule how this Christ this God-man is wholy imployed in the behalfe of man In his life at his death after his death In his life for our instruction at his death for our redemption after his death for our consolation Be we left vnder what power soeuer iust or vniust peaceable or tyrannicall according to our desires or contrarie to our inclinations by our Lord and Masters sweete disposition he that so left vs if we faithfully follow his foot stepps will certainly deliuer vs glorifie vs. Noe vniust Pilates sencence will be able to hinder vs from deliuering vp our soules into the hands of a louing father nor depriue our body of the happie expectation of à glorious resurrection Resolution I will euer admire to see the disposition of the deade body of Christ left in an infidells hands but much more to see his liuing and glorious body and soule left at the dispose of disloyall Christians who beleeue in him and yet crucifie him againe by their dailie crymes THE XXXIV MEDITATION 1. Point COnsider that God being Omniponcie it selfe wanted not power to haue deliuered the body of this deare sonne of his out of the hands of Pilate without his leaue He that was onely free among the deade could easily haue freed himselfe from the deade and haue rysen as gloriously the first day from the Crosse as the third from the graue But the Scriptures were to be fulfilled his sepulcher vvas to be glorious Our Ionas was to remaine three dayes and three nightes in the bowells of the earth And his last lesson after his death as well as his first before he could yet speake was to teach vs by his blessed example an admirable submission obedience abandonnement of himselfe into what hands soeuer Affect O wisdome of heauen how secreete and incomprehensible are thy wayes We are not able my soule to looke into them In thy infancie thou wholy abandonnedst thy selfe vnto thy B. mothers care and custodie In thy youth thou wast subiect to her and Iosephe In thy passion thou wast giuen ouer to the wills of the Iewes remayning obedient till death and the death of the Crosse and now too after thy death thou continuest still at Pilates dispose Let me learne deare Lord by this singular submission of thyne in imitation therof and for thy loue to be willingly subiect to euerie creature neuer desiring to take my selfe out of that order and subiection wherin thy prouidence may haue placed me Ita Domine quoniam sic placitum est coram te Yes sweete Sauiour purely becaus so it is aggreable in thy diuine sight 2. Point Consider that Pilate hauing bene petitioned giues vp the body to Iosephe Iosephs care takes it downe from the Crosse and bestowes à sydon or fine white linen sheete Nicodemus contributes many pounds of oyntments to witt mixed mirre and aloes the body is imbalmed therwith and wound vp in Iosephs syndon according to the iewes rites His mournefull mother Marie bestowes more hartie sorowe and compassion then any tongue can speake or any hart but her owne that is the hart of a mother and such a mother the mother of a God can conceiue who as in that name she farre surpasses all other creatures in dignitie consanguinitie and neerenesse to her sonne so also in loue and consequently in compassion and sorrowe The desolate louing Magdalene and her companions their familiar teares and Ioseph putts the adorable body in his owne new Monument cutt in the side of a rocke and shutts it vp with a great stone Affect Thus my soule haue we at length gott to an end of a wearisome procession Thus haue our sinnes layd the God of heauen and earth in the bosome of the earth Thus haue our hard hartes lodged him in a rocke at whose voyce the very rockes burst in sunder Ah my soule this hard world at his first entrie lodged him in a rocke and a rocke too must receiue him at his going out O deare Master Let it be this rockie hart of myne that may haue the happines to afford thee this last lodging or at least may I be lodged with thee be the rocke neuer so hard that I may truly be according to the Apostles expression consepultus cum Christo buried togeither with Christ neuer to ryse againe but with him in newnesse of life O that my hart as it sympathises too neerely with this Monument in hardnesse had also the rest of its qualities O that it were yet in its primitiue newnesse and puritie O that it had neuer bene prepossessed by any creature But alas alas it fares not so It hath bene too longe and too easely prostituted to the worlds allurements to the Diuells suggestions It hath bene but too too peruious to all approches and remayned onely a rocke to thy holy inspirations to thy heauenly instructions to any true sense of thy excessiue torments and sorrowes A PRAYER BVt ô my deare Lord thou vvho art a hammer brusing rockes bruse this hard hart of myne into true contrition and smite it vvith the rodd of thy Crosse that novv at least though too late alas it may pay dovvne deepest compassion and sorrovve vvith the most desolate Virgine mother flouds of repentant teares vvith those mournefull Maries and finally a most manly courage and resolution plentifull vvorkes of mercy and the pretious oyntements of frequent and feruent prayers vvith the good Ioseph and Nicodemus But ah my dearest Sauiour Christ my true rocke and strength these are indeede the resolutions of my hart but of a vveake and vvauering hart vvhich vvill effect nothing vvithout thy povverfull assistance grant it o Lord for thy pretious blouds sake and let the holes of thy sacred side c. lye alvvaies open to my ayde and
loue and is not the soule wonte to be more where it loues then where it liues Affection Ah my soule how longe shall we be heauie harted loue vanitie and seeke a lye Shall we continue still in a languishing to death rather then breath after life and for life Shall we lodge our hartes in earth while our treasure is in heauen Shall flesh and bloud force the soule from its owne nature and bent and make it liue more where it liues then where it loues O Iesu my Treasure my Loue my Life let it not be so but draw our drowsinesse after thee and we will run in the odour of thy sweete oyntements Giue vs winges deare Lord and we will flye a pace vp after thee and wholie rest and repose in thee How our Sauiour went from the Apostles II. POINT CONSIDER that as our B. Sauiours life in earth was wholy spent in testifying his loue to mankind and in heaping his fauours vpon the same so doth his last moment vpon earth leaue markes of the same goodnesse For the Euangelist represents this good father of ours with his hands lifted vp to heauen for vs and imparting a blessing to vs. To witt the Preist for euer according to the Order of Melchisedech hauing ended all the bloudie Sacryfices in one would not departe from his people till he left a blessing vpon them Affection Depart not my soule from this heauenly contemplation till thou receiuest a blessing from thy good Fathers hand Stay with the Apostles at his sacred feete till he blesse thee with them Vse a holy and humbly confident importunitie when thou apprehendest that Christ is about to withdraw himselfe and leaue thee saying with the good Patriarke Iacob I will not I will not deare Lord let thee goe till thou dost blesse me with a blessing of pardon for my sinns of peace of loue of vnion c. THE VII MEDITATION How the Apostles behaued themselues after their Masters departure I. POINT CONSIDER that when the Apostles had beheld their Master mount vp in the greatnesse of his owne power into the heauens they stoode as thinges quite deade to this world without action or motion saue onely that admiration ioy hope loue which boyled vp in their mournefull-ioyfull hartes fixed their eyes immoueably vpon the cloudes where their deare Master made his passage till two Angells were sent to call them away from that contemplation to act in Hierusalem according to their diuine Masters order and example Affection Learne hence my soule to follow thy Iesus where soeuer he goes be it to his death his Resurrection or his Ascension and where as in body we cannot le ts with the Apostles fasten our eyes and hartes vpon heauen and neuer forsake him saying euer and a none with that feruent Sainte Augustine caelum penetrabo mente my harte shall peirce the heauens and in thought I will be alwayes with thee deare Iesus For ah how sweete it is to be continually sucking delightes from those sacred and sugered breasts of thy consolation II. POINT CONSIDER that there the Apostles stayed Prisoners as it were to loue and delight till two Angells were sent to call them away from that sweete contemplation to act in Hierusalem according to their diuine Masters order and example But noe sooner were they called by those heauenly Messengers but they obeyed came downe from the mountaine turned their contemplations and admirations into adorations and actions returning into Hierusalem with great ioy to prayse blesse preache and magnifie his name in the Temple and euery where and to expect the coming of the holy Ghost according to his gracious promesse Affection It is doubtlesse a deare and laudable delight my soule to flye vp by the winges of holy contemplation to peirce the cloudes with him to strike into that Land of plentie and peace whither he is gone and to repose in him for euer Haue you found the honie of heauenly contemplation feare not to taste and take it downe yet so much onely as sufficeth least perhapps being filled you vomit it vp But doth a voyce from heauen a Superiours commande charitie to a neighbour Gods worke call you from it ah fayle not delay not to follow neuer forgetting that the God of consolation ought to be preferred before Gods consolations his good pleasure and his worke before the delightes and pleasvres he bestowes vpon vs. PREPARATIONS TO RECEIVE THE HOLY GHOST THE FIRST MEDITATION The first disposition The consideration of our owne miserie I. POINT CONSIDER as the first disposition to the receiuing of the holy Ghost our owne nakednesse miserie and nothing for if we conceiue indeede as indeede it is most true that we are nothing we haue nothing we can doe nothing but onely by the assistance and grace of God which is powred forth in our hartes by the holy Ghost which is giuen vs how is it possible that we should not make an earnest application to that good giuer of all best gifts that now that the comfort of Christs visible presence is taken from vs he would bestow vpon vs that other comforting Spirit Affection Looke downe ô thou Almightie giuer of all good giftes and behold the slaue that was redeemed by the wounds which thy Christ my Aduocate layes open before thee to plead for my pouertie Looke vpon thy Christ and take pittie on this languishing christian of thyne for whom he dyed O almighty father looke vpon this poore child of thine who lyes sicke of a palsie and is cruelly tortured send downe speedily that comforting Spirit which thou art about to send least he otherwise perish for whose safetie thy deare sonne spared not his pretious bloud The 2. disposition Humilitie II. POINT CONSIDER and le ts vse as a seconde disposition rysing out of the truth of the former as absolute a desire as we can possibly conceiue not to be knowen nor esteemed by any or at least lets desire to be knowne as we knowe our selues and as God knowes vs that is to be poore miserable sinners not as we deludingly appeare This as being a reall effect of true humilitie is the best harbinger to prepare a place for this heauenly Guest for in whom saith the holy Scripture will the Spirit of God rest but in a hart that is mylde and humble c. Affection Studie to be a louer of truth my soule not of vanitie and lyes which haue alwayes proued emptie shadowes and haue left nothing in our hands Be sincere and iust and striue to keepe iustice betwixt thy selfe and thyne owne harte betwixt what thou appearest to be and what indeede thou art and desire not that esteeme and honour by others ignorance be payd to thy corruption and sinfulnesse Haue frequently in hart and mouth to thee alone ô Lord be honour and glorie to me nothing but shame and confusion Because in thy sight I am a miserable sinner and vnworthy of all respect But thou ô Lord haue mercy THE II. MEDITATION The 3.
and a best beloued spouse to the Holy Ghost O let my soule prayse loue and magnifie her for euer who hath so singular neere and deare relations to all the persons of the B. Trinitie THE II. MEDITATION For the same Day I. POINT CONSIDER That if this day haue brought out a Virgine who is to be a Virgine Mother and that a Mothér of God it hath blessed the world not only with the most excellent and best creature that euer the world yet sawe but euen with the greatest that euer the worlds Creatour yet made amongst men or Angells to whom they crye out with admiration who is this who is this Quaeest ista who riseth as the dawning of the daye as faire as the Moone as choyse as the Sonne c. Affection Let vs my soule ioyne in admiration with the Angells in heauen and say who is this that our desert brings out who and what doe we thinke this child will proue to be a Prophetesse nay more then a Prophetesse more then an Angell more then an Archangell more then a Cherubine or Seraphim A tabernacle which the Almightie hath built with his owne hand for his dearely beloued onely beloued consubstantiall Sonne to inhabite in earth Say my soule all in one word the Virgine Mother of God II. POINT CONSIDER That though the new Testament may seeme to say but little in commendations of our Blessed Ladié yet did it indeede say more then euer was said of anie pure Creature in assuring vs that she is Marie of whom Iesus was borne And though she herselfe be heard to speake but few wordes in the said Scriptures yet in those fewe doth she preache all perfection to witt the knowledge of God and herself Gods omnipotencie who wrought great things in her and her owne littlenesse and abiection in whom such great things were wrought Affection Ah my soule neuer are we so much and so truly commended as when we are praysed for the neere relations we haue to Iesus that is when by his grace we conceiue him in our hart or bring him out by doing his blessed will as we are taught in the Gospell Nor doe we euer by words prayse Christ so much and so fruitfully as when saying litle our light shines so before men that our heauenly father is glorified and when our liues giue testimonie to Christs truth by imitation of his life and Passion Thus let vs striue my soule to prayse Christ thus let vs humbly glorie to be praysed THE I. MEDITATION For the Presentation I. POINT CONSIDER that as this child of miracle and grace this true birde of Paradice was wholy made for heauen so was she to haue noe commerce with earth She that was elected from all eternitie before all others to lodge God as in his liuing temple was tymely to be lodged in the Temple of God She that was prepossessed and replenished by heauenly blessings had noe place left for the world which she euen left before she knew it So that this Celestiall Arke by which all the world was to be saued from the floode where more then Salomon would reside was to be placed in the Sanctuarie of the Temple which Salomon built and this was performed by her pious parents care betwixt 3. and 4. yeares of her Age. Affection Say my soule to this Blessed young Virgine at her entrie into the Temple what S. German sometymes said vpon the same subiect Enter saith he into thyne owne proper inheritance ô thou seale of our Lords Testament thou ayme and end of his designes thou key of hidden Mysteries Enter thou whom all the Prophetes foresaw Enter thou who art the reconcilement of all that are in disgrace the vnion of those that are disvnited the support of such as are readie to fall into ruine c. Enter I say into the Temple thyne owne inheritance and expect with ioy till the holy Ghost thy spouse come downe into the chaste Temple of thy hart II. POINT CONSIDER now ô you Virgines consecrated to God how this most perfect patronesse of Virginitie and all other vertues behaued her selfe in the Temple If you pretend to loue her inindeede fayle not to shew it by the imitation of her heauenly life which was so singularly holy a paterne of all that is holy that the liues of the most holy compared to hers appeared sinfull To witt the sweet odour of this diuine sprigge ascended vp into the sight of God so agreeably that the whole plenitude of grace which was distributed to others by partes ouer flowingly possessed her diuine soule so that saith s. Ambrose it was her cheife studie to offend none to loue all to pay respect and honour to her elders to refuse nothing tò her equalls she had nothing of harsh or displeasant in her lookes nothing of male part in her words nothing of vnhansome in her actions nothing of mincing in her gestures nothing of lightnesse in her gate nothing of petulant in her voyce so that her verie corporall aspect was the picture of her mynde and an expression of her probitie Affection Fixe thyne eyes my soule vpon this Paterne and Patronesse of thyne and learne a true Christian behauiour indeede Looke vpon her I say and in the life of one learne the whole discipline of all holy Virgines Let euery one say to him or herselfe Is it my cheife studie to offend none and to loue all Doe I complie with my elders and equalls after this manner Are my lookes sweetly agreeable my words mylde my actions decent Or rather are not my lookes often harsh and vnpleasant my words malepart and impertinent my actions disedifying Are not my gestures affected my gate nice and light my voyce wanton and dissolute and my whole man in composed Mylde Virgine obteyne by thy intercession that I may imitate thy actions THE II. MEDITATION For the same Day I. POINT CONSIDER with S. Hierome how blessedly she imployed her tyme. This rule saith he she putt downe to her selfe that from the morning to the third houre she wholy imployed her selfe in prayer from the third houre till None she spent in worke knitting or weauing some thing for the vse of the Temple And after None she departed not from prayer till an Angell appeared and brought her meate where she praysed God without intermission She spoke with such a gracefulnesse that God was knowen in her speech In whose prayse least she might at all be interrupted if any chanced to salute her she resaluted them with Deo Gâ—atias Affection O Blessed imployment O Angelicall life in earth O my soule what a deare consolation ought this to be to thy hart to find thy selfe by thyne owne happie choyce gott into a blessed necessitie of practising the same by the example of the Queene of Heauen who began so airely to weaue the actiue and contemplatiue life togeither now praying now working and then praying againe euen till Angells came to feed her Goe on in this happie course my soule
they cannot beleeue we beleeue him to be such indeede THE FIRST MEDITATION FOR PALME SVNDAY They the Apostles putt their garments vpon the Asse and made him Christ sitt theron CONSIDER that the sonne of God consubstantiall with his Almightie father and equall to him in Maiestie and glorie could not by ascending become greater or more glorious since nothing can surpasse or euen in any sort attayne to infinitie But what he could not by ascending he could by descending and humbling himselfe which he did in his birth in all his life in this day of his tryumphe making his entrie into Hierusalem vpon a sillie Asse and therfor God exalted him and gaue him a name surpassing all names a name which brings heauen and earth downe vpon their knees to adore him Affection Behold my soule the Kinge of heauen in the day of his tryumphe mounted vpon a sillie Asse in that royall Citie Ierusalem and obscrue that he seemes to make it his busines in earth to decry pride and exalt humilitie and to leaue vs in this one lesson an example of the ruine of the one and a cure of the other Triumphes are vsed to be made by proud man in coasâ—he on horte with Lions and Elephants By humble Christe vpon a poore asse What more abiect then a sillie asse The onely Christian way then to ascende and tryumphe is to descende To erect our heade into the skeies without the roote humilitie is to seeke ruine not aduancement and grouth of spirit THE SECONDE POINTE. FOR THE SAME SVNDAY CONSIDER that though our Sauiour Iesus-Christ be most iustly admirable adorable and amiable in all circumstances in the glorie of his heauenly father which he is possessed of by the right of his eternall generation in his power of workinge innumerable miracles in his scantlinge of glorie on Mount Tabor c. Yet neuer is he more to be admired adored and loued by poore man nor euer speakes he more tendernesse and edification to his hart then when for his loue and example he makes choyce of that which to the world appeares most ignominious poore and abiect as in this poore entrie of his he did Affection When I looke vpon the multitude of thy miracles greate God I admire and adore thy power When with the whole strife of my hart I essay as I am able to behold thee in thy seate of glorie I feare to be oppressed therwith and am forced to fall downe vpon my face with those celestiall spirits and adore thy Maiestie But when thou dost graciously please to suffer that Maiestie of thyne to appeare in ignominie poore and abiect like one of vs I fall downe vpoÌ„ thee without dreade with a strange confidence with a huge dearenesse saying in my harte what can he deney me whose singular mercy will needs share in my miserie Be ignominie pouertie and abiection alwayes deare to me since deare to him who dyed for me THE SECONDE MEDITATION FOR THE SAME SVNDAY The Apostles brought an Asse and made him sit theron CONSIDER that heauen is not further remoued from the earth then the wayes of the world are distaÌ„t from the wayes of God and mans cogitations from Gods Men thinke their greatnesse will be mistaken vnlesse they testifie it by the magnificence of their garments and their vast traynes of horse and men The sonne of God contrarily comes in the name of our Lord with two or three poore fishermen mounted vpon an Asse in the onely day of his tryumphe and in that abiectnesse finds his glorie and euen in that is ackdowledged to be the true Messias or kinge Affection If our desires be honour and glorie my soule let vs not feare to pursue them so it be by the way which our Sauiour taught vs not by those of the world which leade quite contre and seduce vs. The world seekes honour by high and glorious wayes and the more he pursues it the more it flyes him Christ walkes on in humble and abiecte wayes and it comes to meete him He is saluted with noe Hosannas in Ierusalem till he haue first humbled himselfe to ride vpon an Asse nor will he enter into his birth-right in the heauenly Ierusalem till he haue humbled himselfe to death and that the infamous death of the Crosse Let abiectnesse then my soule be thy honour foolishnesse thy wisdome and the infamie of the Crosse thy glorie THE SECONDE POINTE. He went into the Temple CONSIDER that our B. Sauiour who had taught the Iewes that he sought not his owne glorie doth here verifie the same in effect both to them and vs when presently withdrawing himselfe from the glorious acclammations Hosannas and Benedictus es giuen to him as to their true Messias and Kinge he went to the Temple there to doe his Fathers worke and aduance his glorie by casting out of it all that sold and bought therin and the tables of the bankers and the chaires of them that sold pigeons he ouerthrew saying to them it is written my house shall be called the house of prayer c. Affection Hence we are taught my soule by Christs example to run from the glorie which any one may ascribe to vs tho with neuer so great applause to imploye our selues in glorifying God especially in his owne house See how our sweete Sauiour according to the Psalmists expression is eaten vp with the zeale of that holy house and how being the mildest amonge the sonns of men he takes the whippe into his hands and resolutly without feare of offending driues those vnworthy negotiatours out of his Fathers house Ah my soule what may not they then feare who buy and sell Christs patrimonie in the Church Ah Christians what may not we feare who beleeue that we are not onely in the Temple of God but euen in the reall presence of the God of the Temple and yet seeme rather by our loose behauiour c. to come to affront him then to adore him in his owne house and presence THE FIRST MEDITATION FOR THE SECONDE SVNDAY AFTER EASTER I am the good Pastour Ihon. 10. CONSIDER that as the sonne of God was borne for vs and giuen to vs so he seemes indeede to be all ours and to come home to all our necessities and vses He is not onely the way truth and life by which we are to walke to life euerlasting but looking vpon vs as weake and straying sheepe who often leaue the way forsake truth and are subiect to hazard life by becominge preys to rauinous wolues he graciously proues our Pastour to feede protecte and leade vs by the wayes of truth to those eternally plentifull pastures of his in our owne Lande Affection Let vs my soule truly acknowledge what in verie deede we are To witt the people of his pasture and the sheepe of his hand that sheepe which strayed from the way from truth from life and perished We are indeede weake creatures and daylie subiect to erre in many things and haue litle reason to depende vpon
his hands full and is iustified The Pharisie preaches his owne iustice innocencie and vertues and yet returnes humbled The Publican is so farre from pretending iustice innocencie or vertue that he pleads onely his pouertie and sinfulnesse and relyes wholy on Gods mercy and he returnes home exalted Affection Let vs my soule haue as high conceipts as we will of our owne aduancement in vertue and good actions pride will neuer preuayle with God nay it will insensibly leade vs into confusion God alwayes disperses the proude in the conceipt of his hart and exaltes the humble Those he sends away with emptie handes these he replenishes with good thinges For loe the poore vnderualued despised Publican who found none of his owne iustice but his true pouertie and miserie to pleade his cause returnes iustified while the Pharisie is sent away with confusion THE FIRST MEDITATION FOR THE XI SVNDAY AFTER WHITSVNDAY And they bringe to him Christ one deaf and dumme Matt. 7. THE FIRST POINTE. CONSIDER in this deafe and dumme man cured by our Sauiour in his passing by sidon c. the miserable condition of a poore soule which happens often to be both deafe and dumme too The greatest commerce that poore man hath with heauen is either by speaking or hearing I will speake to our Lord though I be but dust and ashes Abraham speake ô Lord for thy seruantheares Psal When the soule falls then into such a lythergie that it neither lists to speake to God by prayer nor to heare God speake to it by his preachers alas in what a lamentable state it is Affection Ah my soule if thou be'st so vnhappie to fall into so dangerous a desease that thou hast neither list to pray nor gust in prayer nor yet inclination to heare or reade the word of God wherby the soule should be strengthend and nourished fayle not to testifie to thy brethren by sighes and sobbs and teares that thou lyest sicke of the palsie and art sore tormented Procure at least some good soule to goe thy errand for thee and signifie to our mercyfull Sauiour in what a sadd condition thou art as did the good Centurion for his seruant Thus doe and confidently hope for assistance in Gods good tyme. THE SECONDE POINTE They besought him Christ that he would impose his hand vpon him CONSIDER that we are taught by these good people how we ought to behaue our selues towards our distressed brother They did not onely bringe him to our Sauiours presence but they sue for him and preuayle with that God of pittie to touch him with his holie hand and soone after to cure him Affection O my soule how our deare Lord loues that brotherly loue They noe sooner bring this distressed brother of theirs and interceede for him but that mercifull hart is touched with compassion and blesses them and him with the effects of their labours and prayers for his eares were opened and he spoke right Let vs hence learne neuer to feare to leaue the dearest deuotious we haue to afforde offices of brotherly charitie to our afflicted brother What we doe to them in qualitie of brothers of Christ we doe to Christ THE SECONDE MEDITATION FOR THE SAME SVNDAY And taking him from the multitude apart c. THE FIRST POINTE. CONSIDER that Christ tooke the Dumme man apart from the multitude before he perfectly cured him to teach vs that there is noe better way to cure our neighbours or our selues in case of our spirituall deafnesse and dumnesse then to quitt the multitude and to betake vs to some holy retreate There will Christ speake loude enough to be heard by the deafest eares there will he make the tongues of the dumme speake loude enough too to be heard by him there will the cure be absolutly wrought the eares being immediatly opened and the string of the tongue being loosed Affection I will leade her the faithfull soule into the wildernesse and I will speake to her harte The wildernesse my soule where our deafenesse ought to be cured is our chamber or Celle There the world is silent and breakes not our heades with its idle tumults and rumours but leaues God his turne to speake There he breakes through our deafnesse saying not to our eares but to our hartes I not the world am thy saluation and sayes it so that we heare it There it is too that he makes our dumnesse speake vnto him saying O deare Lord thou haste made me to thy selfe and for thy selfe and thence it is that wander where I will I am at vnrest and euen wearied out till I returne to thee Thou hast made my soule capable of thy immensitie and noe lesse thinge then thy selfe can or shall euer saciate that large capacitie Da mihi te redde mihi te For this will I day lie crye Thou art my harts repose Darke night 's my day in thee In solitude my God's A multitude to me THE SECONDE POINTE He doth all thinges well making the deafe to heare and the dumme to speake CONSIDER the exceeding gratitude of those good people for a temporall benefit and that done not to themselues neither but to their neighbour while we hardly take notice of so many spirituall ones done to our selues euery day They though otherwise commanded to tell noe body cannot conteyne themselues but they crye it out to euery body with ioy and wonderment freely publishing that he doth all thinges well making the deafe to heare and the dumme to speake Affection O my Lord my life and my dearest delight what is any man able to say of thee bearing any proportion to the multitude of thy mercys shewed to man shall we therfor be silent ô noe for woe be to them who are silent in thy prayse since euen they who speake most therof may be acounted to be but euen dumbe I am my deare Lord thy redeemed slaue thou haste thundered through my deafenesse and broken my bonds asunder Let my harte and my tongue praise thee and let all my bowells say ô Lord who is like to thee say therfor my soule if I forgett thee let my right hand be forgotten let my tongue cleaue to my iawes if I doe not remember thee and place thee in the begininge of all my ioyes THE FiRST MEDITATION FOR THE XII SVNDAY AFTER WHITSVNDAY Blessed are the eyes which see what you see Luc. 10. THE FIRST POINTE. CONSIDER how great a Blessing it was indeede for a companie of poore fisher men to behold God incarnated fimiliarly to conuerse with him to discourse with him in a friendly manner to sitt at table and eate and drinke with him to be the hearers of the sacred words which streamed from his diuine lipps to be companions of his labours c. To see him in earth a milde Emmanuel whom the Cherubins and Seraphins adore with trembling in heauen Affection Certes my soule this was a great blessing and a thinge ardently breathed after by the Patriarkes and Prophetes who cryed out come
flowres of the field are prouided with feathers to clothe them and fitting nourishment to releiue them much more man then concludes our Sauiour who is the Lord and Master of them all Affection Let a diligent and moderate care my soule be vsed in all thinges but let inordinate care and sollicitude be banished from that Christiā harte which should be wholie free to seeke Christ his iustice and his Kingdome Those other thinges may be sought too but with moderation with iudifferencie without distrust of that great prouidence which doth furnish necessaries for farre lesse cansiderable thinges Let them be sought as thinges to be vsed in the way not to be inioyed not to take vp our thoughtes and ingage our hartes which must be reserued as a place for our Lord and a tabernacle for the God of Iacob THE SECONDE POINTE. For your father knoweth that you neede all these thinges CONSIDER that our Saniour goes still on to breake downe our sollicitude and selfe confidence that our cheife dependance may be of his diuine prouidence not in our owne First by reason of the litle power we haue being not able to adde one inch to our stature secondly because by that strange sollicitude we should be like the heathens who seeke the same thinges Thirdly because therby we forgett our owne happie condition of being children to an almightie Father who knowes that we neede all these thinges Affection To depende vpon our selues my soule is to depende vpon miserie and pouertie and to fayle in our expectation and hope in our Lord and pray to him and thou shalt be fedd in his riches There is noe want to those that loue him We haue a good father who is all-seeing and knowes what we wāt who is all-powerfull and able to giue it Let vs be good children then and intirely confide in his fatherly prouidence he loues vs nor doth he loue and forsake Nay saith that deare father of ours I will not leaue you orphants THE FIRST MEDITATION FOR THE XV. SVNDAY AFTER WHITSVNDAY Iesus went into a citie called Naim c. And behold a deade man was caried forth Luc 7. THE FIRST POINTE. CONSIDER that though God is iustly admirable and ought most iustly to be admired in all his workes yet it happens almost generally by mans stupiditie and dulnesse that he is more admired magnified and praysed for things lesse admirable while greater thinges are past ouer with litle consideration One younge man is here restored to life and the whole multitu de who accompaigned the corps magnified God publishing that a greate prophete was rysen amongst them and that God had visited his people Thousands are daylie restored to the life of the soule by verrue of the Sacramentes of Baptisme and pennance and litle notice is taken of it Affection Aye me my soule we are but litle ones and thence we speake as litle ones we vnderstand as litle ones we thinke as litle ones our thoughtes reach litle further then our eyes are able to see and by them we frame our iudgements not by the light of faith And thence it is that we more magnifie God for some temporall blessing as deliuerie from sicknesse danger or death then for multitudes of mercy which we daylie experience And more admire and loue him vpon the deliuerie of one body from a temporall death then a thousand thousand soules by his grace from an eternall death THE SECONDE POINTE. Behold a deade man was caried forth the onely sonne of his mother CONSIDER that as gray heires length of yeares and frequent infirmities doe daylie and hourely threaten the old man that he cannot liue longe so frequent experience ought to assure vs that young men may and often doe dye soone yea in the verie flowre of their age as did he here being the onely sonne of his mother whose corps was caried forth Wherin all her hopes of a successour fayled and howeuer he might haue fedd himselfe with the expectation of a rich inheritance all that falls to him from his poore mournefull mother mounts to noe more then her comfortlesse teares which fall fruitlessly to the grounde Affection For an old man to promise himselfe longe life is a thinge worthy to be laughed at so farre hath old age robbd him of all rationall hopes And for a younge man be he neuer so younge to giue himselfe assurance of a longe life deserues to be wept at Let noe man thinke he can make a league with death Youth is noe proofe against it Nay it is euen farre more subiect to innumerable dismall occasions therof as daily experience puts vs out of doubt What are we to doe then my soule but to banish all assurance of life from our thoughtes and so to liue as though we were euery houre to dye hearing continually with S. Hierome the trumpet sounding Arise ô yee deade and come to iudgement THE SECONDE MEDITATION FOR THE SAME SVNDAY Behold a deade man was caried forth c. accompaigned with a great multitude c. CONSIDER that a day will come God onely knowes how soone when the soule which now animates this body shall be driuen out and the poore senselesse lumpe shall be left to be brought forth as this young mans was to be accompaigned to the graue by some number of friends who happly may bestowe some fewe teares or smale commendation vpon it before they throw that vselesse and loathsome masse into the ground which some tymes had bene ouerualued at an vniust rate both by our sel-and others as now it too plainely appeares Affection This day my soule will as surely arriue as it is sure that man is but man that is a subiect of corruption and death to witt it is decreed in the supreame Court that men shall once dye That is the immortall soule shall be separated from this body of earth which did ouerloade itt and incline it to earthlinesse This masse of corruption was it which we so pampered so cherished so adorned so admired and loued to heare admired by others And loe now a tender mother will giue noe longer lodging to it tho it be all that 's left of her onely child but brings it forth to be cast into the earth THE SECONDE POINTE. CONSIDER that we reade in the Gospell of three sorts of deade bodyes restored to life by our Sauiour which perfectly represent three kinds of soules deade by sinne That of the Archsynagogues daughter who was truly deade but was not yet caried forth Representing a soule who consented to mortall sinne in thought without any exteriour action That of the widowes onely sonne who was deade and caried forth expressing one who did not onely consent in thought but performed it in effect Finally that of Lazarus who was foure dayes deade and began to be corrupted pointing out the soule which is not onely deade by sinne but euen deade and buried in the badd custome of sinning All which not-withstanding our Sauiour was mercyfull and powerfull enough to
rayse to life Affection Haue we then my soule pleased our selues in thought and consented to what wisdome prohibiteth Hope in gods mercy and by his assistance this death will rather proue a sleepe then death it selfe the Mayde is not deade but she sleepes Or haue we bene vnhappie enough to haue committed in worke what pleased vs in thought all hope is not yet past the deade man is not yet buried God has power enough to say Younge man I say to thee ryse Or are we happly so extreamely miserable as not onely to haue offended in thought and worke but euen to be deade buried and corrupted in a longe and dissolute custome of sinning Enter not yet into despaire neither Lazarus who stunc ke in his graue is raysed to life God neither wants goodnesse nor power to pardon so we haue resolution by his grace to quitte our ill wayes c. Resolution Le ts run ouer our life in the bitternesse of our harte humble our selues vnder the powerfull hand of God and incessantly begge for pardon for what is past and grace for the tyme to come THE FIRST MEDITATION FOR THE XVI SVNDAY AFTER WHITSVNDAY And they the Parisies obserued him Luc. 14. CONSIDER that the Parisies inuited our Sauiour Iesus Chr. to dinner not so much out of respect to him as with a malicious intention to prie into his actions and to obserue his words and comportements to censure him Whence we may gather that it is not the spirite of a Christian but the proude and malicious humour of a Pharisie to leaue the care of our selfe as being in selfe conceipt aboue the pitch of other men to obserue the words and actions of our neighbour which concerne vs not especially those which are the worst or by our malice we turne to the worst Affection Let vs not trouble our selues my soule with what concerns vs not Euery one stands or falls to himselfe Euery one shall be iudged according to his owne not his brothers workes It behoues vs then to haue compassion of him and to pray for him not to censure him Nay rather let vs turne our zeale where it ought to be imployed to weepe vpon our selues and our owne deffaults That poore sinner whom we reprehend is a sainte for any thinge we know in the sight of God THE SECONDE POINTE. CONSIDER that though our B. Sauiour who sees into the hartes of men knew well enough with what a blacke designe he was inuited by the Pharisies yet he disdaygned not for all that to goe among them to doe the worke of his heauenly father by miracles to proue who he was by wisdome to confound their craft and by patience and myldnesse to subdue their malice Affection Let vs neuer my soule cease to doe God's worke and our dutie to glorifie his name vpon the apprehension or euen knowledge we haue that the peruersitie of others may but make an ill vse of it By saying and doing what belonges to vs we saue our owne soules which is our greatest dutie And with all we giue good example and sowe seeds of vertue for others In God's good tyme they will sproute vp and produce wished effects God is a hammer which teares rockes a sunder Let vs neuer fayle to sowe and water leauing the increase to his blessed prouidence THE SECONDE MEDITATION FOR THE SAME SVNDAY When shou are inuited to a mariage sitt not downe in the first place CONSIDER that we are all inuited to the mariage of the Lambe and the way to arriue happily at it is the imitation of his wordes and workes by whose goodnesse we are inuited to it Pride was the great sinne he came to decrye Affecte not saith he the first place but learne of me who am mylde and humble of harte All his life from the crybbe to the Crosse was humble and abiecte He was discribed by his Prophete to be the last of men Finally he humbled himselfe being made obedient euen to death and the death of the Crosse Affection This is the way to heauen my soule which Christ marked out to vs nor is there any other who takes not this way runs quite countre The abiect way of the Crosse is the way to the crowne of glorie Pride can neuer ascende with humbled Christ Our ambitionating of the first place in earth will neuer bring vs euen to the last in heauen O let vs learne then my soule this deare lesson humilitie of him who by word and worke shewed himselfe mylde and humble of harte and we shall infallibly find rest and peace to our soules here belowe and eternall repose with him aboue in glorie THE SECONDE POINTE. Sit downe in the lowest place c. He that humbles himselfe shall be exalted CONSIDER that if we did well ponder our owne miserie we should neede noe other motiue to chuse the lowest place Our owne sinnes we well know but of other mens we are alwayes ignorant We are nothing but by Gods conseruation we haue nothing but by his gift we can doe nothing but by his assistance This alone I say should be sufficent to humble vs and neuer suffer vs to preferre our selues before any Howbeit our good God giues vs yet another motiue which is our owne interest exaltation and true honour And for this we haue the word of Truth that can neuer fayle He that humbles himselfe shall be exalted Affection O my soule that either the knowledge of our owne miserie and nothing or the comforts of Gods sure promises of exaltation and glorie would once make vs effectually imbrace that dea re vertue of Christs humilitie So should we alwayes inioye a calme and permanent peace so should we easily appease our angrie neighbours wroth against vs. So should the holy Ghost repose vpon vs and multiplie his holy grace in vs which in his good tyme he would crowne with exaltation and glorie THE FIRST MEDITATION FOR THE XVII SVNDAY AFTER WHITSVNDAY The Pharisies came to Iesus faying Master which is the greatest commandement of the lawe Matt. 22. THE FIRST POINTE. CONSIDER that the Pharisies come togeither to Iesus which was the true way to their eternall happinesse But as they come Pharisies so they returne Pharisies that is full of pride and presumption They call him Master but it is not to become his true Disciples but to tempt him and to pose him A learned Doctour among them askes him which is the great commandement in the Lawe while yet he is ignorant in the lesser to witt that he who comes to God ought to beleeue that he is which they did not So that they were rather mockers then Masters or euen good schollers Affection Let vs approche to God my soule as S. Paule taught vs with a true harte in fulnesse of faith not as the Pharisies did with pride and presumption Let vs come to him in simplicitie and humilitie of mynde as poore ignorant schollers to learne his blessed will not as greate Masters puffed vp with our owne
vs that the starre will appeare againe and conduct vs to the place where the child is and multiplie our ioyes as well as theirs with a huge increase of ioye gaudio magno valde Where we are to seeke Iesus II. POINT CONSIDER that the kinges find not him who is borne the king of the Iewes in Hierusalem where they sought him and where humanely speaking he was most likely to be found in Hierusalem I say that cherished citie which was preferred beforre all the Tabernacles of Iacob nor in the stately Pallaces of Kinges how euer he was the kinge of kinges and sought by kinges too but in an obscure village but in a poore groate or caue a resort for brute beastes but in a manger vpon a locke of hay betwixt an oxe and an Asse So found they the young kinge of the Iewes lodged Affection My soule is it not true that we often seeke Iesus in magnis mirabilibus supra se in great and wonderfull things which are placed aboue our reach In high contemplations and visions which we are not capable of In thinges most specious and glorious and best suteing with our owne inclinations and fancies Wheras our humble kinge Iesus is both more surely and safely found in pouertie subiection solitude and disiunction from the world in humble lodginges meane clothes poore compaignie and in the totall abandonnement of our selues and iudgementes into the hands and directions of Superiours Thus he exposed himselfe to be found by a graciousnesse which passes the comprehension of man and Angell Thus the good Kinges find him Thus seeke him my soule and we shall not fayle to find him a God to adore a kinge to protect a man to imitate imbrace and loue THE VI. MEDITATION Where or in what compagny Iesus is to be sought I. POINT CONSIDER that they found the child Iesus with Marie his mother saith the Euangelist Had they sought Marie alone without Iesus or not for Iesus they had mistaken their way indeede since that she though his mother is but otherwise his creature while they seeke the Creatour And had they sought him who was borne the king of the iewes without or otherwise then in her companie who was the Queene mother that bore him they would not so happily haue found him But in seeking the one they found both To witt they had alwayes a neere relation Noe sooner was the sonne of God determined to be the redeemour of the world but Marie is looked vpon to be the mother of that sonne and sauiour noe sooner was he conceiued of the Holy Ghost but he was conceiued and found in Maries sacred wombe noe sooner borne but found at her breastes all his life tyme he was found with her and at his death she was not separated from him Affection Let IESVS then my soule be our cheife and last ayme and end since all our actions which haue not him for their end are aymed by the marke he being that souueraigne good which our hartes incessantly seeke after Yet lets not feare withall to make Marie the meanes to haue accesse to him How euer the Kinges misse not of him it is in her armes they find him How euer the Scriptures and Prophetes and Preistes of the Law point them out the way it is by her ministerie and fauour they come to the blessed sight of him It s her priuiledge in shewing him to shew what 's her owne Shew thy selfe then to be a mother Blessed Lady let our prayer by thy meanes be admitted by him who being borne for vs voutchsafed to be thyne Shew vs shew vs thy IESVS that blessed fruite of thy womhe not after his exile onely but euen nowe especially while we liue in this heauie banishment That Iesus ought to be sought with pietie II. POINT CONSIDER that as the Kinges vndertooke their iorney with much diligence and punctualitie and pursued it with great patience and resolution so they conclude it with noe lesse pietie and religiousnesse They haue left their Kingdomes wiues and children with hopes to find a Kinge a Sauiour a God and in the end of their iorney they onely meete with to the eyes of flesh a poore stable a poore manger and a poore mayde with a poore sucking child at her breastes But to the eyes of their pietie with which they looked vppon him they discouer a Kinge a God vnder the forme of a seruant a man and falling downe they adore him Affection O happie Kinges great is your faith which leaues all the world euer after to admire it as we worthily doe this day But ô the goodnesse and mercie and power of God whose free grace it was which wrought in their hartes both the will and performance of this great acte of faith They were not the keepers of the law Prophetes as were the iewes They had not seene and heard the admirable workes and wonders of his life and passion wherby he proued himselfe both God and man as we haue and yet falling downe they adore him O my soule let neuer the excessiue and almost incredible greatnesse of the benefit discredite as it were the bountifull benefactour but by how much more his loue doth exinanite him and make him appeare lesse then himselfe in his life and passion let vs by so much more beleeue blesse loue and adore him for euer because for vs it was that he was so lowe layd for vs the cribbe the manger the hay c. THE VII MEDITATION With what puritie of intention Iesus ought to be sought THE I POINT CONSIDER that the Kinges come not onely out of their countrie accompagned with patience courage and perseuerance to find him and religiousnesse and pietie to beleeue in him but also with puritie of intention that one necessarie thinge without which the best of our actions are spoyled for his owne sake to pay him a debt of souueraigne worshippe due to himselfe alone We came say they not to find ease safetie orriches which we inioyed at home nor to seeke new kingdomes while we left our owne but onely to find the new borne kinge of the iewes to acknowledge him to be the kinge of kinges and our selues and all the kinges of the earth to be his vassals in a word we came to adore him Affection Learne my soule learne neuer to seeke God for any other motiue then himselfe Let vs alwayes seeke him to the end we may adore him that is to cast our selues at his feete acknowedging him to be all and our selues nothing at all Ah while we may doe all our workes for a kinge why will we loose them vpō any lesse worthy obiect While all our loue is but too little for him alone why wil we disperse it vpon creatures Heauen and earth can afford nothing cōtentfull to the good Prophete but God himselfe Such let our resolutions be my soule in all our patience perseuerance and actes of pietie saying with sainte Augustin Thee I will thee I seeke thee I hope for my
middest of dangers temptations and sufferances for it is Iesus crucified that we seeke Affection Ah my soule since the messengers of heauen haue assured vs that our Iesus is risen from his graue I will no longer lye buryed in earth but will rise and goe to that good father of ours Since our Lord and our life liues we will no longer languish and dye but I will seeke him whom my hart loues without feare we will passe the watch which the Iewish world the flesh and the Diuell may sett to keepe vs from our Iesus If happily where we seeke him we find him not wee wil neuer cease to seeke him till we finde him and hold him and locke him vp in our harts That we are to seeke him by S. M. Magdalens example II. POINT CONSIDER that though it be a most Christian practise with S. Marie Magdalen to follow Christ in his life not to forsake him at his death to reioyce with a great ioy in his Resurrection yet it is not enough wee must with her too vse diligence to find him out being risen In his life she is weeping at his feete At his death neerest to the Crosse and last at his graue but her vnwearied loue leaues not off there she rests not She 's vp againe varie earely in the morning whilst it is yet darke to seeke him at his Sepulcher it beeing her absolute resolution and practise continually to seeke till she finde him whom her soule loues Affection Let vs ô my soule put our selues wholy vpon the search of our deare Rabboni by the example of that blessed penitent at all tymes in euerie place let our thoughts as hers were be vpon him ouer night and earely in the morning resolutly and incessantly crying out thee it is I seeke thee I desire thee I hope for to thee my hart hath said I haue sought thy countenance ô Lord thy countenance will I seeke for euer for all that seeke thee as they ought finde thee and who finde thee finde life euerlasting THE V. MEDITATION How we ought to seeke Iesus by the same example THE I. POINT CONSIDER that it is not enough to seeke Iesus vnlesse we seeke him as we ought truth it selfe assuring that some seeke him and finde him not and dye in their sinne That is with diligence with care with cost with vndaunted courage with feruent loue as S. Marie Magdalen sought him Affection O my soule let this dreadfull Doome pronounced by a Iudge who cannot deceiue or be deceiued you shall seeke me and and dye in your sinne spurre on our drowsinesse to seeke Iesus as we ought with the blessed Magdalene that is with a timely diligence with the whole care of our hart as being the only necessarie thing neither weighing what it may cost vs nor fearing what may befalle vs while with feruent loue we looke for Iesus of Nazareth crucified II. POINT CONSIDER that though the Natiuitie of our Sauiour was a day of great Ioy to all the world because a Sauiour was borne to it and our young Emmanuel began to liue amongst vs yet was that Ioy mixt with teares and soone after with blood as being the life of a Godman borne to labour and sufferances And though the daye of the death of Christ was a subiect of greatest comfort to all Christians yet was it clowded with the teares and lamentations of a God dying But this glorious day where in he is resussitated or regenerated to a new life is a day of perfect Ioy without all mixture of sorrow a day of exultation and triumph when our dead Master is risen to a life of immortalitie and glorie Affection Reioyce reioyce my soule in this great priuiledged day of Iubilie with a full Ioy exempt from all mixture of sorrowe This is a day which our Lord peculiarly made representing in some measure the dayes of eternitie which know no night let vs exult and spring with Ioy in it Our young Emmanuel who whilome wept in cloutes is clad with glorie his lately torne shoulders are now armed with impassibilitie his bodie subiect to death indewed with immortalitie There are now no more bloodie sweates noe more whippes crownes of thorne nayles speares crosses to be feared Death hath now no more dominion ouer him Alleluya Alleluya Alleluya THE VI. MEDITATION We must ryse with Christ I. POINT CONSIDER that as we haue endeuored to dye with Christ in his Passion by compassion diligently to seeke him ioyfully to finde him and happily to ryse with him in newnesse of life so must we especially striue to make that new life become a perfect imitation of the life of Christ that that of the great Apostle may be verifyed in vs and by our actions appeare to the eyes of others to Gods glorie I liue I now not I but Iesus Christ liueth in me That is I am moued to what I doe by his grace according to his example and for his loue Affection For this my soule it is that we liue for this we beare the name of Christians that we might imitate what wee worshipp In vaine doe we celebrate the feasts of Christ if we striue not to imitate the life of Christ If we haue hitherto then expressed the image of our earthly father by adhearing to earth let vs now expresse our heauenly father by aspiring to heauen Le ts then shew his impassibilitie by our eauennesse as well in prosperitie as aduersitie his claritie by making the light of our good actions shine before men our agilitie by our prompt obedience and feruent charitie finally our subtilitie by peircing heauen with our harts by feruent prayer II. POINT CONSIDER what kind of life Christ ledd which brought him to this new life this impassible life this life of glorie And we shall finde it was in pouertie humilitie and abiection in his birth In labours in temptations watching fasting prayer from his youth At his death in extreamities contempts thornie crownes infamous Crosses withdrawings of all comforts absolute abandonements by heauen and earth Affection We all pretend my soule to be followers of Christ must we not then resolue to take the same waye he tooke wee ayme at noe lesse then to haue a part of his glorie and can we wisely hope to attayne to it by other meanes then those that wisedome made choice of in his owne person and left vs to imitate Can we iudge it reasonable or decent my soule that while the Master is in labours the seruant should liue at his ease the Master in pouertie and the seruant in plentie the Master in the middest of contumelies and the â—eruant in honours THE VII MEDITATION Of the blessed fruites of Chr. Resurrection That as well our dying as rysing with Christ are Gods giftes I. POINT CONSIDER that if we haue dyed with Christ by compassion sought him with diligence found him with ioy risen with him in newnesse of life and striuen to leade a life conformable in some smale measure to his they are
nothing els then so manie effects of his free grace without which we are not able of our selues to thinke one good thought nothing lesse then so many new obligations heaped vpon vs obligations I saye to imploy the rest of our tyme here belowe without intermission as the Angells their eternitie aboue in ioyfull Alleluya's that is peales of hartie Prayses and thankes-giuing for so great benefits Affection Say my soule with the great S. Augustine Let our Lord be alwayes magnifyed neuer my selfe in no place my selfe how euer I haue profitted to what degree of vertue soeuer I may haue attayned but our Lord alwayes Am I a sinner let him be magnified that I may be called to pennance Doe I confesse my sinnes let him be magnified that he may pardon me Doe I liue a good life let him be magnified that he may guide me Doe I perseuere to the end Let him be magnified that he may glorifie me Be he therefor alwayes magnified Let this alwayes be the iust mans profession and the profession of all those who seeke our Lord. Fruits of Christs Resurrection II. POINT CONSIDER how necessarie this Resurrection was to confirme our staggering faith to erect our daunted hope and to inflame our drooping charitie Wee did hope said the Disciples as who should saye but now we haue cause to doubt and so should we all haue said had not his resurrection bene rendred vndoubted For what did his poore natiuitie speake but a man borne in miserie And what did his death preach but a man dyeing in torment But his glorious Resurrection by sealing the truth of all the Prophecies wonderfully hightens our hopes and inflames vs with the loue of him who through loue of vs gaue waye to death from which he had strength enough in three dayes to raise himselfe Affection Well might our weake faith my soule haue staggered in seeing our God but a day olde in hearing him weepe like another childe in beholdinge him in pouertie and miserie Well might our faith haue been shaken when we sawe a God most ignominiously dye But now seeing him gloriously rise againe how can we doubt of all the rest Nay what may we not iustly hope for from so much goodnesse as would dye for vs and so much power as could rise againe And how is it possible that our harts should not burne with his loue who dyeing for ours makes good the faith of his Deitie by his so powerfull so manifest and glorious a Resurrection THE VIII MEDITATION Other fruites of our Sauiours Resurrection I. POINT CONSIDER as a second fruite of our Sauiours Resurrection a strong and constant hope of the Resurrection of our mortall bodie being first subdued by death Let the pagan Philosofers doubt and dispute as much as they will the resurrection of the dead is the vndoubted faith of the Christians after the resurrection of Christ and by vertue of the same For saith S. Leo If we beleeue in hart what we professe with our mouth in him we are crucified in him we are dead in him we are buried and in him we rise againe Affection Yes yes my soule the Resurrection of my Sauiour hath put this out of doubt Man is risen in him and therefore we shall also rise and we confidently professe with holy Iob that we know our Redeemer liueth and in the last day we shall rise out of the earth and we shall be compassed againe with our skinnes and in our flesh we shall see God whom we our selues shall see and our eyes shall behold and no other This hope is 〈◊〉 vp in our bosome II. POINT CONSIDER as the third fruite of this ioyfull and glorious day our Blessed Sauiours triumph and raigne ouer all the world happily beginning at Hierusalem and extending it selfe to the vttermost confines of the same thereby making his words I haue ouercome the world appeare in effect For if the world had malice enough to haue razed his name out of the hartes of men by his death vpon an infamous Crosse he contrarily had goodnes and power enough by the same death to imprint his memorie much deeper in their mindes to abolish Idolatrie the worshipp of false Gods and true Diuells and in their places to establish the worshippe of one true God ouer all the face of the earth all which at this day with much ioy to true Christian hartes we see effected Affection Reioyce my soule to see that Gods goodnes hath turned the malice of men to the aduantage of his owne glorie and their Saluation What excesse of ioy ought it not afforde to a true Christian hart to see the faith of a God-man infamously dyeing vpon a Crosse willingly imbraced all the world ouer To see that Crosse erected in triumph in euerie place To see regall and imperiall Crownes fall at the feete of it To see Idolles fall and Diuells flye at the verie signe of it Finally to see Iesus of Nazareth crucified acknowledged imbraced magnified adored in euerie corner of the earth THE IX MEDITATION I. POINT CONSIDER how our blessed Sauiour appeares a true louer of man not only in his life and at his death but euen after his Resurrection also And still becomes all to all that he might gaine all In the garden he appeares a Gardener to S. Marie To the Disciples fishing at sea as a passinger desiring fish To the two Disciples walking to Emmaus as a Pilgrime who accompaigned them to witt whether we seeke him with Magdalen or we follow our ordinarie imployments according to our state and calling with the Apostles or wee walke betwixt feares and hopes with the two Disciples Iesus sorsakes vs not for Iesus also himselfe approching went with them saith S. Luke Affection Ah my deare Lord to what excesse doth not thy loue goe into what posture doth it not put it selfe to gaine mans loue For him he dyes for him he riseth from death he walkes with him he talkes with him he eates with him he suffers his perfidious hand to sound his deare wounds Ah my euer dearest Rabboni how iustly may we saie with one of thy great Saintes Thou bestowest great blessings vpon vs euen caressest vs least we might waxe wearied in the waye Thou correctest whippest and smitest vs least we might wander out of the waye whether therefore thou dost caresse vs least we might faint in the waye or thou dost chastice vs least we might stray from the waye thou deare Lord art alwayes our Refuge II. POINT CONSIDER with whom it is that Iesus doth willingly walke in the waye of this our pilgrimage with whom he doth comfortably discourse and you shall finde by the example of the two Disciples goeing to Emmaus that it is with such as seriously conferre together or meditate vpon those deare passages of the life and death of our sweete Sauiour According to that of the Psalmist in my Meditation the fire begins to burne vp Affection Let vs. then my soule euer hence-forth make it our
disinteressed loue for by that meanes the God of loue or God-loue Deus est Charitas the holy Ghost is sent into our hartes The 4. fruite of Christs Ascension The taking possession of our inheritance II. POINT CONSIDER that if he be gone and gone to his father and our Father that cōmon father of all of vs it is but to take and keepe possession of that common inheritance which being his owne by birth-right he purchaced for vs his coheires at a huge rate at the price of his owne pretious bloud for we haue heard himselfe say by S. Iohn let not your hart be troubled I goe to prepare you a place Affection O thrice happie Christians yea thrice and a thousand tymes happie I say did we duely ponder and rightly value our owne happines Christ was borne for vs he was giuen to vs he laboured thirtie three yeares in our behalfe he spent his pretious bloud vpon the purchace of his fathers and our fathers yea his owne heauenly Kingdome for vs and now for a happie conclusion of all he is gone to take possession of what he has purchaced for vs. Be not troubled then my soule but reioyce with a greater ioy then euer he is gone to prepare vs a place a permanent place a place of ineffable delight of eternall abode in the bosome of his father and our father We are not seruants but friends but children but coheirs with Christ We are not now pilgrimes we are gott home in him We are citizens with the Saintes and God's Domestikes THE IV. MEDITATION The 5. fruite of Christs Ascension The opening of Heauen Gates I. POINT CONSIDER that if Iesus be gone it is still to be a Iesus to vs still to aduance the worke of our redemption Heauen gates were shutt against man euer since Adams disobedience and he hauing first past the gates of death to breake vp the brazen gates of Hell is gone with with power to command the potentates of that Celestiall Citie to open them saying Lift vp your Gates ô you princes and be you lifted vp ô eternall gates and the Kinge of glorie shall enter in That strong and mightie Lord is at hand who returnes from battell with victorie Affection Take courage then my soule the passage is layd open according to Micheas his Prophesie He ascended laying open the way before them Le ts but follow our Capitaine and the place is ours Heauen is ours He hath shewed vs the way Howbeit we must walke as he walked in humilitie meeknesse obedience chastitie pouertie patience c. Nor must we imagine that malice can ascende with the Authour of goodnesse nor luxurie and lust with the Sonne of a Virgine nor vice finally with the God of vertues The 6. fruite of Christs Ascension He goes our Aduocate into Heauen and sends another into the Earth II. POINT CONSIDER that he is gone indeede for while they all looked on saith S. Luke a cloud has taken him from the Apostles eyes But he is gone vpon a most honorable and profitable imployment for man He 's gone to carie vp man to heauen and to send downe God into the Earth establishing as it were a good intelligence by a mutuall embasie betwixt heauen and Earth Man to God in heauen as Aduocate to plead for man and God to man in earth to teach him all truth to inculcate to him againe and againe what Christ had alreadie taught to inflame our hartes with the holy fire which Christ brought downe into the earth c. Affection Yes my soule he is gone to carie vp that man Christ to be Mediatour betwixt God and man and to pleade the cause of man at Gods Tribunal My sinnes are many and great great I say and many but my Mediatour is infinite I am able to pleade nothing but guiltie dread Lord guiltie But my Aduocate hath wounds to shew and bloud which cryes lowder then the bloud of Abel and claymes mercy as hauing payd more then my malice was able to contract As often as that bloud lookes redd from the side of that sonne who is sett at thy right hand I beseech thee that the spotts of my corruption may be washed away THE V. MEDITATION The 7. fruite of Christs Ascension The presenting of freed Captiues to his Father I. POINT CONSIDER that our most Blessed Sauiour came downe from heauen to to wage warre against the world the flesh and the Diuell and now he returnes with victorie ouer them all and bringes backe the spoyles to the Court of Heauen in tryumphe leading Captiuitie it selfe captiue that is the captiue soules deteyned in Lymbo Patrum which he wrested out of a stronge hand and offers them to his heauenly Father as the first fruites of his longe and painefull labours and part of the purchace of the pretious bloud he had plentifully spent Affection O what tongue of man or Angell is able to expresse or what hart to conceiue how gratefull this returne and tryumph was to heauen how agreable this present was in the Almighties sight and how all the heauenly Israell reioyced to see our heauenly litle Dauid returned with such victorie so ample spoyles If the Conuersion of one poore sinner my soule cause such ioy among the Angells what accesse of ioy must the securitie of so many Saintes who are to be their fellow citizens for euer cause in those heauenly hartes The 8. fruite of Christs Ascension The raysing our affections from the Earth II. POINT CONSIDER that our Blessed Sauiour is ascended to heauen from which he descended to carrie vp our hartes thither from whence they were fallen by sinne and to waine our affections from earth and make them wholye Spirituall according to that of the diuine Apostle if you be rysen with Christ seeke the thinges that are aboue where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God mynde the thinges which are aboue not the thinges which are vpon the earth Affection O Deare Iesus since as well thy descention as thy Ascension yea all the mysteries of thy blessed life and Passion turne all to our vtilitie and vse grant that we may make a right vse of them and wholie turne our hartes from earth to thee that though our bodies be imprisoned in it for a time yet in harte and affection we may alwayes liue aboue with thee that we may truly say with S. Paule our conuersation is in heauen THE VI. MEDITATION I. POINT CONSIDER finally that since Iesus our deare Lord and Master is returned to heauen as we are assured by faithfull witnesses who deliuer by the mouth of S. Iohn noe other thinge then what they saw with their eyes what they looked vpon and what their hands had handled of the WORD of life there is indeede nothinge left vs in earth worthie to lodge a Christian hart vpon He is our true life and what liuing is there without life He 's our treasure and where should our hartes be but where our treasure is He is our crucified
of thy holy Spirit Ah my soule what doe the heauens seeme to make of vs what rate putt they vpon vs while we vnderualue our selues The holy Trinitie may seeme to be whâ—llâ— imployed to saue vs while we are b … 〈…〉 … ll our selues away for moments of â—â—â—nsitorie pleasures for vanities for lyes Our thoughtes are languishing after the hope of I know not what delightes which the world promiseth while our dearest delight ought to be to receiue in hand more then we are able to conceiue Ah my soule what dearer delight could euer mans hart wish for then to be deliciously oppressed with heauenly plentie II. POINT CONSIDER the vnspeakable honour conferred vpon man by the presence of the holy Ghost He receiues saith S. Basil a Propheticall Apostolicall and Angelicall dignitie being before but earth and ashes abiection and rottennes Yea saith he by vertue of this presence euerie holy soule becomes a God Ego dixi Dij estis I haue said you are Gods and all sonns of the highest For who adheares to God which is is done by loue in the Holy Ghost is one Spirit with him Affection Good Iesu what is man that thou dost so magnifie him or what is the sonne of man that thou dost so place thy hart vpon him What did Gods mercy discouer in our miserie my poore soule that he should honour it with a dignitie due the Prophetes Apostles Angells yea euen rayse it to a certaine vnion with himselfe For this it was that Iesus-Christ while he was yet in this world prayd so ardently to his heauenly Father I pray saith he that they his Apostles c. all may be one as thou ô heauenly Father in me and I in thee that they also in vs may be one by participation by charitie by grace by glorie O vnspeakablely deare vnion ô more then most Blessed Communion betwixt God and man THE VII MEDITATION To what end the holy Ghost comes I. POINT CONSIDER that the holy Ghost comes vnto vs to purge illuminate and perfect our soules and to reforme them to the image and likenes of God to which they were made thereby to make them partakers of himselfe He being the diuine sanctitie in this life and disposing them to a more neere and noble likenes thereof in the life to come to which euery cause striues to produce effects like to it selfe it followes then that the holy Ghost endeauours to make the soule which it doth inhabit which is the soueraigne perfection and dignity of a reasonable creature feruent spirituall holy and diuine Affection Why doe we then my soule remayne in our wonted languishments why doe we still liue in league with our accustumed imperfections making reflection what they are and how often we haue had the light to know them and resolution to amend them our luke-warmenesse in Gods seruice our impuritie of harte our ingratitude to God for his innumerable giftes and graces c. Why doe we why doe we alas resiste the designes of the holy Ghost His aymes are to purge our hartes and we remayne in our impurities To illuminate vs and we affect darknesse more then light we feare to know his will least we might be oblidged to doe it To burne our hartes and we persiste in our coldnesse To render vs spirituall holy diuine and we continue indeuoute carnall and earthly Alas my soule is not all this too too true II. POINT CONSIDER that the holy Ghost comes to be the Soule of our Soule and to furnish vs with all things necessarie to the perfection of our spirituall life euen as the soule of our bodie giues force to the great diuersitie of the functions and actions of the senses and faculties of the said soule as farre as is necessarie to our naturall life for what want wee which this Spirit brings not If light and knowledge of truth He is truth it-selfe If strength He is power itselfe If heate He is a consuming fire Are we sicke he is the Phisitian and the Phisicke Is the cause of our eternall reconcilement to be pleaded before the dreadfull Tribunall of Gods Maiestie He is our Aduocate Are we oppressed with temptations and tribulations he is our comforter our Deus omnia our God who is to vs all things Affection It is not it is not from this body of ours that the same body hath life motion action and vigour but from the soule without which it remaynes an vnprofitable bulke of corruption Nor is it from the soule that the soule liues remembers vnderstands wills but from God who is the life of the soule Nor doth it euer liue vnderstand or will any thing profitably but by his grace diffused into our hartes by the holy Ghost Come then oh come then thou holy Spirit and be our light our truth our fortitude our fire our salue our Phisitian and cure Proue our second Aduocate to the heauenly Father togeither with that deare Lord of ours who both merited thy sending and graciously sent thee Proue our comforter in our tribulations temptations c. Proue finally our God and our all THE VIII MEDITATION Of the aduantages or fruites of the Holy Ghosts Coming I. POINT CONSIDER what huge aduantages we receiue by the coming of the holy Ghost adn we shall finde that thereby we are taken into the participation of all the blessings and riches in some measure which our Blessed Sauiour possessed in plentitude and fulnesse The Spirit of wisdome and vnderstanding the Spirit of Counsell and fortitude the Spirit of science and pietie and the Spirit of the feare of our Lord. These are the seauen lightes or seauen Lampes by which the faithfull are enlightned wisedome is a light by which we know Superiour things Vnderstanding a light by which we discerne interior things Science a light wherby we know inferiour things Counsell a light by which dangers are discouered Fortitude is giuen to repulse and master them as Pietie to mollifie the hardnesse and Feare to subdue the pride of our hartes Affection Blessed be the Father of our Lord Iesus-Christ who mercifully sent his Sonne to saue vs sinners Blessed be his only begotten Sonne who spent his most pretious blood and life vpon the worke of Mans Redemption And blessed be the holy Ghost whose infinite loue plentifully bestowed those good giftes vpon vs which were purchased for vs by Christs merits whereby we haue light and strength to walke and without which like sensuall men not knowing what belongeth to Spirit we had wandred in darknesse without either the true knowledge of God or ourselues had quaked with feare through want of Fortitude where there was nothing indeede to be feared and for want of Councell had not feared him whom we ought to feare who can throw the bodie and soule into Hell fire II. POINT CONSIDER the excessiue loue of God to Man in the distribution of these gifts The verie same which were giuen in their full extent to that flower of the field which
thing but God can dispose man worthily to receaue God What euer is good in our hart is his gift as well as the hart it selfe It can indeede wish well and moue towards God but it is from him and by him and in him Thou must then ô God preuent dispose purifie beautifie worke all in vs because thou dost loue vs and thou dost loue vs because thou hast loued vs from all eternitie Affection What haue we then to doe deare Sauiour when we are to receaue thee but to run out before vnto thee by an humble acknowledgement of our owne insufficiencie and with frequent and feruent prayers to begge of thy goodnes to inable vs. How this great worke is to be performed we truly know not yet this we know that if the holy Ghost descend vpon vs and the vertue of the highest ouershade vs our harts will be made an agreable habitacle to thy Maiestie Cleanse vs then ô Lord and we shall be cleane and pure as thou commandest but giue ô Lord what thou commandest and command what thou wilt II. POINT CONSIDER that though none but God can dispose man worthily to receaue God yet will not God worke without our consent and cooperation to witt he disposeth euery thinge sweetly according to the nature of things he will not therfore force mans free will nor worke without it but will haue it to run with him following that Doe thou draw me and we both will run And that of S. Aug. Vnlesse thou wert an operator or woker God would not be a cooperator Hence it is said conuert yourselues to me and I will turne towards you Draw neere to God and he will draw neere to you In vaine doe we hope any thing shall be done vnlesse we contribute our owne endeuours to Gods preuenting and cooperating grace which yet runs before all or endeuours the will being prepared by our Lord. Affection O great God sith it is thy blessed will to admitt vs as Coadiutours to vse S. Paules expression in this great worke while thou needst not ours or any helpe to performe all that thou wilt in heauen and earth I resolue by the assistance of thy grace to omitt nothing which my pouertie may be able to performe I will first labour to remoue what might be noysome by ouercoming such and such imperfections to which I find my selfe more inclyned and then I will striue to adorne my soule with the vertues which I know to be most agreeable in thy sight confessing ingenuously that hauing done all we can we are but poore and vnprofitable Seruants THE IX MEDITATION The best preparation a good life I. POINT CONSIDER that properly speaking what is to be done on our parte is punctually to complie with our dutie And what is the dutie of a Christian but to liue Christianly that is to imitate him whom we worshippe Iesus Christ to endeuour continually to expresse his life in ours according to euery ones state and measure dayly to meditate his holy law of loue and faithfully to keepe his commandements To such he willingly comes with such he takes vp his Mansion Affection To haue the singular happinesse to feede of Christ my soule we must by all reason follow Christ To liue of Christ we must liue in Christ and according to Christ we must leade the life of Christ A life full of affabilitie mildnesse simplicitie humility and charitie to our heauenly Father and all our Christian brethren especially those who by one and the same holy profession are lincked togeither in vnion of hartes and designes It is not the solicitous and frightfull discussion of our hartes fuller of feare then loue one halfe houre before the tyme that will proue the best preparation to receiue so great a Maiestie Heare S. Augustine He that is not worthy dayly to receiue will not be worthy a yeare hence But a constant practise of vertue all the weeke long and a perseuerant resolution to subdue our vicious inclinations and neuer to desiste till we haue prepared in our hartes a place for our deare Lord a cleane tabernacle for the God of Iacob The necessarie preparation The state of grace II. POINT CONSIDER that the immediate and absolutely necessarie preparation is if we will not turne our souueraigne foode into poyson and eate our owne damnation to be in the state of grace that is that our consciences are neither certainly guiltie of mortall sinne nor reasonably doubtfull of the same nor that we liue in the neerest or absolute occasions therof To which we must adde if we haue the hartes of true Christians if great aduancement in vertue be our ayme if we desire not onely to haue life but to haue it more abundantly the freeing of our selues of the fantomes and fumes of mortall sinne affection to veniall sinne with our best endeuours to procure in our hartes a hunger and thirst of this sacred foode For this bread saith S. Augustine requires hunger in the interiour man Affection Alas my soule if we should euer haue bene or should be so vnhappie as to dare to approche this dreadfull table wanting the first we should but industriously labour more desparatly to loose our selues and for want of that wedding garment to be cast out into vtter darknesse A pittifull spectacle to God and Angells to see death drunke out of the fountaine of life To see poyson drawen out of that sweeter then honie combe And by wanting the second howeuer we remayne a liue we doe but languish Our sparing sowing can but hope for a poore croppe The heauenly operation is too much stratened in such narrow hartes God is not delighted where he finds so little delight Is it possible my soule that where we meete with so good measure and pressed downe and shaken togeither and runing ouer we should so sparingly measure backe againe That where God giues himselfe wholy man should render himselfe by halfes THE X. MEDITATION Not Solicitude but loue disposeth c. I. POINT CONSIDER and putt downe for certaine that vse we what care we will what solicitous examination and squeesing of cōscience we can possibly imploye yet shall we neuer appeare agreeable in our heauenly spouses sight neuer be gratefull to the God of vertues vnlesse we come adorned with his vertues especially those which he sent from heauen to witt faith hope and Charitie Heare S. Benard how much soeuer you purge your selues how much soeuer you torture and torment your selues the God of vertues will not come vnto you vnlesse you be adorned with the vertues Affection It is not by force of armes my soule by frightes and immoderate feares that this Blessed Guest ought to be receiued But firme Faith alone which with Zacheus clymes vp a loft ouer lookes all visible thinges and fixes vpon inuisible thinges can find him out Hope confidently opens the dores and charitie giues him a gratefull entertaynement louingly imbraces him and deliciously feastes with him and on him And humbly and chastly dares
from prayer to worke from worke againe to prayer and though the Angells of God come not to thee the God of Angells will not fayle to feede thee with thousands of deare delightes thy prayer shall be without intermission the odours of their sweetnesse shall flow from thy mouth and â—eo Gratias vpon all occasions shall continue alwayes II. POINT REPRESENT her yet further to your thoughtes out of S. Hieromes and S. Ambroses expressions of her â—he was at all tymes saith S. Hierome either reading Meditating or praying Againe in watching she was the first saith the one in speaking she was the last saith the other and most studious in reading especially the holy Scriptures concerning the coming of â—hrist which the frequently redd and imbraced In so much that when her body reposed her hart watched and euen often in her sleepe repeated what she had read or awaking from sleepe continued the same Affection Let vs by this blessed example ô my soule wholy applie our selues to read to Meditate to pray By reading we shall learne to know what we ought to doe by meditating and pondering the same we shall imprint it in our soules and inflame our hartes to the practice thereof and by prayer obteyne force to performe what we know and desire But let this reading be the word of God which will proue a light to our feete a cordiall to our hart sweeter then the honie combe Let our Meditation be his holy Law and his diuine grace our prayer And of all the Scriptures let that be most frequently in our hands mouthes and hartes which most relate to Christs coming life and Passion that we may indeede be sett vpon no other knowledge but Iesus-Christ and him crucified And in that blessed peace that verie peace le ts sleepe and repose Happie will that rest proue when our eyes are shutt with the sweet memorie of Christ and his Law in our mouth and harts THE III. MEDITATION For the Presentation I. POINT CONSIDER that allthough this blessed young Virgine was possessed and prepossessed with all the blessings of heauen and replenished with the plenitude of grace yet was not gtace idle in her or she idle in grace Grace is not giuen to worke all alone but graciously and freely to gayne our will and in it and with it to worke all So that this Blessed Virgine notwithstanding all these huge aduantages and prerogatiues of grace testified to s. Elizabeth a holy Nun that she prepared a place in her hart for God with labour continuall prayer ardent desire profound deuotion many teares and much affliction Affection Thus it is my soule that by her imitation we ought to prepare our hartes for heauen Without preuenting grace indeede we ryse in vaine it is in vaine to ryse before the light or rat he without it we should neuer ryse at all None comes to Christ vnlesse drawen by his heauenly father Yet in vaine too should the light shine if hauing light we did not walke in it If we were so drawen as we followed it not we should neuer arriue He that made vs without vs will not saue vs without vs. All our Talents are his free gifts t is true but we must negotiate with them and improue them We aske because we will we seeke because we will we knocke because we will and we are saued because we will and yet Gods grace workes both the will and performance Le ts adde then our carefull concurrence to his sweete drawghtes and be blessed for euer with that blessed amongst all women II. POINT CONSIDER that this Blessed Virgigins prayer in particular though otherwise full of grace was for grace Grace to be able to complie with those two great Christian duties The loue of God aboue all thinges and of our neighbour as our selfe wherin the whole Law and Prophetes consiste 2. Grace souueraignelie to hate and flye all that he hates whom she souueraignly loues 3. Grace to be truly humble patient mylde and to be adorned with all the vertues that so she might become wholy gracious in the diuine sight 4. Grace finally to be obedient to the high Preists commandes and ordonnances Affection Let vs poore wretches then learne of this most holy Virgine to be continually begging for Gods grace as being necessarie to euery good act and vertuous action of our whole life Say then my soule with S. Augustine Thou commandest vs ô Lord to loue thee aboue all thinges and our neighbour as our selues Giue graciously what thou commandest and commande what thou wilt Thou commandest vs continencie patience humilitie c. Giue what thou commandest and commande what thou wilt In fine say with the holy Church Let thy grace ô Lord we beseech thee both goe before and follow vs and make vs continually addicted to good workes c. THE FIRST MEDITATTION For the Announciation I. POINT CONSIDER that to this Virgine it was thus qualified that is remoued from the world and dwelling in her sacred solitude married to a holy man but to be conserued for the Sonne of the Holy of Holyes prepossessed and replenished by heauenly grace and happily concurring with it by continuall application and feruent prayer still begging more and more grace that an Angell was sent from heauen with an embasie importing greatest honour to her and ioy to all the world to witt to prepare a worthy mariagebedd for the most pure spouse to contract the Mariage betwixt a creature and her creatour and so to begin a happie league betwixt heauen and earth Affection If we desire indeede then my soule to drawe downe heauenly blessinges vpon vs if to haue foretastes of celestiall delightes if Spiritually to conceiue Iesus in our hart let vs flye the cheating corrupting world and betake our selues to the solitude of our chamber or celle There the Kinge of Heauen speakes to our hartes There we put questions and receiue answers of what we are to say and what we are to doe It s hard saith S. Augustine to see Iesus amidst a multitude Our mynde must inioy a certaine solitude That sight requires a secrete place Marie was alone when she spoke with the Angell Alone when the holy Ghost ouershaded her Alone when she conceiued the worlds Redeemour II. POINT CONSIDER the admirable contents of this heauenly embasie at which all heauen and earth may well stand amaysed since all their concernements are to be treated in it The eternall and onely begotten sonne of the eternall God is about to espouse humane nature in an huÌ„ble mayde Marie of the house and familie of Dauid The lost world wants a Sauiour and heauen is resolued to giue one Gabriel is dispatched to Nazareth to declare the mysterie and to announce the wounders to the espoused Virgine His first word presents her with plenitude of grace Hayle full of Grace Giues the reason of it Our Lord is with thee Assures her she shall coneeiue and bring forth a sonne a great Sonne a Sonne who as he is indeede
so shall he be called and acknowledged to be the Sonne of the highest Iesus a Sauiour and shall raigne in the house of Iacob for euer And that therfor she is blessed amongst and aboue all women Affection O greatest astonishment to the Angells that euer they yet mett with since the Heauens Creation O greatest blisse to man that euer yet befell him since his first fathers fall O blessed effects of the flight of the world of silence of solitude of frequent prayer O Marie God Angell and man expecte thy consent O pious Virgine mournefull Adam with his whole miserable posteritie banished out of Paradice suppliantly crye to thee for it Abraham Dauid and all the ancient Fathers instantly begge it In a word all the world cast at thy feete humbly sues for it If that consent be giuen a passage to heauen is layd open to vs all THE II. MEDITATION I. POINT CONSIDER yet further and diligently ponder these pretious words which flow as heauenly pearles from the mouth of an Angell which man ought humbly to imbrace relish and locke vp not proudly and profanely to controle Blessed Marie is declared full of grace nor that in an ordinarie manner as diuers other Saintes were but according to the measure which Christ sorted out for his best beloued Mother who wisely sutes his giftes and graces according to the function place and dignitie to which he pleases to call euery one The fountaine the riuer the brooke are each one full so is the Sonne the Mother and the seruant But the Sonne as the sourse and sea whence all graces flow the Mother as neerliest ioyned to and most abundantly participating of the said sea the seruant as placed at a greater distance in a measure aggreable to a seruant in fine the seruant possesses it but by partes the Mother in the whole plenitude as saith S. Hierome Affection All hayle all hayle spotlesse Virgine mother of grace and mercy sith thou art the mother of my Lord and master I feare not to salute thee with an Angell full of grace since to speake wirh S. Athanasius the holy Ghost descended into thee with all his essentiall vertues which he stands possessed of by title of his diuine principalitie and therfor thou art most iustly stiled gratia plena as being replenished with the abundance of all the graces of the holy Ghost Many many daughters haue gathered riches togeither t is true but thou hast outstripped them all and art inriched with that peculiar grace which gaue glorie to the heauens a God to the earth faith to the gentils c. Dearest Lady mother daigne to Conueye some dropes of that ouer-flowing grace of thyne vpon my weake and languishing soule II. POINT CONSIDER that if Marie be full of grace it is noe wonder sith the same Angell assures her and vs that our Lord is with her Dominus tecum Noe saith S. Bernard it is noe wonder that she is full of grace with whom our Lord is not our Lord the Sonne onely whom she clothes with humanitie but our Lord the holy Ghost of whom she conceiues and our Lord the Father who begott him whom she conceiues Nay rather should we wonder that he that dispatched the Angell to her should be arriued to her before the Angell and be found with her by the Angell Affect Our Lord is with thee dearest Lady that eternall and draynelesse sourse of all graces and so the fulnesse of grace cannot be wanting to thee Our Lord is with thee the Angell is onely the Messēger of that good newes but the God of Angells who sent him preuents him and is alreadie thy guest Our Lord is with thee I say nay with vs too by thee ô thou Mother of mercy who broughtest forth our mylde Emmanuel that is our God with vs our Iesus thy Sonne whom who-euer loues he is loued by his heauenly father who with the Sonne and the holy Ghost will come vnto him and take vp their mansion with him O excessiue happines which accreues to vs by the meanes of Blessed Marie THE III MEDITATION For the Announciation I. POINT CONSIDER further that it is noe wonder that she that is replenished with all grace and hath our Lord with her and in her should be tearmed blessed amongst and aboue all women Since others haue but that by partes which she possesses in plenitude and since he that is with others onely in a generall manner by Presence power and essence is with her in all the fulnesse of the Diuinitie corporally Whence it is that she inioyes the aduantages and is freed from the incommodities of all the states of women to witt of Virgines wiues and widdowes She hath the ioys of a mother without corruption the honour of a Virgine without sterilitie the libertie of a widdowe without solitude She is therfor deseruedly blessed among and aboue all women Affectio Le ts vs then my soule say and neuer be wearie in saying with the Angell Hayle Marie full of grace our Lord is wit thee blessed art thou amongst all women and incomparably aboue and before all women for thou art indeede the Glorie of Hierusalem the ioy of Israël the honour of thy nation race and sexe for he that is powerfull workes wonders in thee and for vs poore lost sinners by thee Ah vse thy powerfull prayers to him for vs now and in the houre of our death Amen II. POINT CONSIDER the Blessed Virgines bashfulnesse prudence and retaynednesse in speech She is saluted by an Angell hayle full of grace accompaigned with her Lord and Master blessed among all women and yet she feares euen an Angell in the shape of a man she resalutes him not and in lieu of complacence finds trouble in hearing so great commendations of her selfe and falls a considering what kind of salutation that might be She eyes her selfe as one who was dayly begging for grace and she wonders to heare herselfe declared full of grace Her companions vse to be the poorer sort of Virgines and she admires to vnderstande she is accompaigned with her Lord and Master She lookes vpon her selfe as the least of women and cannot therfor conceiue how she should be blessed amongst all women Affection Ah my soule doe we obserue this Virgine full of grace blessed amongst all women startled at the presence of an Angell while yet we poore frayle Creatures miserable sinners feare not the presence of men where we may haue experienced much danger And when she returnes noe answer but is troubled at her owne prayses euen from an Angell prudently considering what they might import shall we vainely fall in loue with the prayses which men fawningly bestow vpon vs and therby vnconsideratly fall into questions and answers and ingagements which leade we know not whither Ah saith S. Ambrose it is the part of a Vingine to quake and tremble at euery approche of a man and to feare euery word he speakes THE IV. MEDITATION For the Announciation I. POINT CONSIDER that while the
know that she was wholy his and so ought to be wholy at his dispose II. POINT CONSIDER that by how much our Blessed Lady is more exalted though euen by an Angell by how much she is made more sure of heauenly prerogatiues and graces by so much she growes lesse and lesse in her owne eyes and be she neuer so certaine to be the Mother of God she will still remayne the humble handmayde of her Lord and for his sake become the seruant of his seruants and to make it good in effects as well as inwords she goes with speed into a citie of Iuda to visite her cosen Elizabeth Affection Obserue my soule how this Blessed Virgine still proues a diuine Mistresse to vs by word and worke first crying out to vs all by how much thou art the greater by so much more humble thy selfe 2. Suspect the fauours we may seeme to haue from heauen if we waxe not more humble by them 3. That humble words alone are not proofes of true humilitie vnlesse workes followes them for she finds it not enough to haue professed herselfe to be the handmayd of our Lord vnlesse in practise she proue herselfe to be the humble handmayde of the handmaydes of our Lord according to that of S. Peter be subiect to euery humane creature for Gods sake THE FIRST MEDITATION For the Visitation I. POINT CONSIDER with what Blessed and glorious effects this humble and religious officiousnesse of Blessed Marie was accompaigned Noe sooner had she saluted her cosen Elisabeth with the ordinarie Salutation of the Land Paxtecum but the child in her wombe sprung with ioy and both the child and the Mother were replenished with the Holy Ghost He begun to preach the presence of his master by ioyfull exultations which he could not yet performe by words and she with exclamations to Prophecie to prayse to magnifie the Mother and the fruite of her wombe Iesus who spoke by his Mothers mouth as S. Iohn heard by his Mothers eares Affection O my soule neuer neuer can we loose by humbling our selues be we neuer so great and illustrious but still what we seeme to cast away comes multiplyed home honour and esteeme continually most following him who most flyes it Marie was indeede the Mother of God though she had not stirred from Nazareth But the heauens onely knew that But when humilitie once brings her to Elizabeth the world begins to be acquainted with the Mysterie the Mother 's magnified the Sonne glorified S. Iohn sanctified in his Mothers wombe and S. Elizabeth replenished with the holy Ghost and by vertue therof publishes her to be the Mother of God and vtters a blessed word which all the world till this day neuer ceaseth to repeate Blessed blessed is the fruite of thy wombe O glorious effects of Maries humilitie II. POINT BVT consider how the humilitie which brought her thither leaues her not there but leades her to a most Christian acknowledgement and profession of her owne nothing She heares her selfe proclamed with a lowd voye blessed aboue all women and the fruite of her wombe blessed blessed as beleeuing what was said to her by the Angell blessed as being the Mother of God and yet amidst those highest and withall truest commendations that heauen or earth could bestowe vpon a pure creature she deuestes her selfe of all as being of her selfe nothing at all ascribing the whole to the Ocean of all goodnes saying My soule doth magnifie our Lord. Affection O admirable and incomparable humilitie and abiection of the Mother of God which neuer had in earth any thinge like to it saue onely the abismall humiliation of her Sonne Iesus which noe honours noe prerogatiues noe blessings from the mouthes of men could euer swell or make her forgett that all was Gods and that all glorie which is not taken in him is meere vanitie You may she seeme to say magnifie me aboue all women for my faith for the fruite of my wombe for the dignitie of being the Mother of God but I the while looke ouer all these priuiledges to looke vpon and laude the authour of them all and my verie soule doth magnifie our Lord that is doth publish his greatnes his magnificence his sanctitie wisdome and mercy in all those heauenly giftes of his free liberalitie THE II. MEDITATION For the Visitation I. POINT CONSIDER that it was not with her tongue onely that she magnified her Lord by speaking glorious thinges of him or abiect thinges of her selfe as that she was his handmayde whose Mother indeede she was Or by her hands and feete that is by her workes and labours onely especially those of mercy exercised vpon her cosen Elizabeth or yet by her memorie onely or her vnderstanding or will alone but euen with her whole soule that is with workes memorie vnderstanding and will all ioyntly offered vp in one sacryfice of prayse and thankes giuing and that too with huge ioy and iubilie of hart and my verie Spirit saith she exults in God my child my Iesus my Sauiour Affection O my soule thus it is indeede that we are to magnifie our Lord withall our hart with all our strength with all our soule who payes not this payes lesse then he owes All that we haue and all that we are whether corporally or spiritually in tyme or eternitie all issues originally from his free bountie and all ought to be ascribed to his mercy and goodnes we may law fully exult and reioyce my soule but it must be in our Lord. we may glorie and we haue good reason for it but le tit be with our B. Lady in Deo salutari nostro in God our Sauiour II. POINT CONSIDER for what it was that our B. Lady so magnified her Lord and Master and she herselfe will giue the cause because saith she he hath mercyfully looked vpon the humilitie abiection or pouertie of this handmayde That is to speake with Theophilact while I looked not after him he looked vpon my litlenesse and was mercifull to me while I sought him not Ponder this well it is not because he hade made her the most illustrious and blessed among all women and euen greater in qualitie of Mother of God then the greatest Cherubins and Seraphins but because he looked vpon her humilitie and abiection with the eye of mercy and pittie that is he approued loued imbraced and pleased himselfe in it and mercifully preuented her by his grace Affection Our first acknowledgements my soule following our B. Laydies example must be for that which was first in Gods fauours to wards vs when his vn compelled and free mercy had nothing to looke vpon but our miserie when he looked downe and found all mankind at a losse none doing well not one Fayle not then my soule what euer the world may conceiue and publish to our prayse how glorious and happie soeuer our presente state of life may be what euer perfections grace may seeme to vs to haue wrought in vs fayle not I. say to
magnifie our Lord and to reioyce in God our Sauiour for that he dayned graciously to looke vpon our vilenesse abiection and miserie by which looke or loue of his all our happinesse was begun THE III. MEDITATION For the Visitation I. POINT CONSIDER what was the seconde cause for which our Blessed Lady did so magnifie our Lord and you will heare her selfe againe shew it Still remouing all prayse from her selfe to ascribe it to the sourse of all Good because saith she he that is mightie hath done greate thinges to me as though she should say let none be slow in giuing credit to this ineffable mysterie let none admire that I. a Virgine haue conceiued for how euer it is in me that this astonishing wonder is wrought yet it was not I but the Almightie God that wrought it in the power of the most high who ouershaded me And the whole reason of the worke is the omnipotent power of the workman who alone workes great inscrutable and wonderfull thinges Affection Feare not my soule to acknowledg with our Blessed Lady that he who is mightie hath wrought great thinges in thee so thou humbly with her too confesse vpon whom they were wrought and by whom for so thou shalt stille haue thyne owne misery and Gods power mercy and bountie before thyne eyes so shalt thou neuer forgett that he is all and thou thy selfe nothinge at all and yet finding so many benefits whether of body or soule or fortune freely bestowed vpon thy pouertie and nothinge thou wilt euen melt away with admireing loue and willingly and ioyfully spend what soeuer thou hast of life or abilitie in continuall Magnifying of so good a Lord and in Spirituall exultations in so Deare a Sauiour II. POINT CONSIDER how hugely great that grace of Gods looking vpon B. Maries abiection must needs haue bene sith from thenceforth all generations shall call her blessed as she her selfe feares not to foretell hauing first giuen the honour of it to him that was truly the Authour therof Certainly that aspect or looking vpon was the effect of eternall direction according to that vbi amor ibi oculus and singular election his looke or aspect onely following his loue since as S. Augustin saith Gods looking vpon one by grace is the deliuering of him from abiection and abandonnement Affection O my soule what an excessiue ioy is it to a truly Christian hart to see this prediction so fully verified Blessed art thou began the Angell blessed art thou went on S Elizabeth and from them 16. ages and vpwards tooke and euer since continued the same songe all the Ancient Fathers being as it were at a holy strife which might take it the highest and all the Christian world from the rysing of the sunne till the setting of the same hauing nothing after Iesus so frequently in its mouth as our Blessed Lady that being as it were among them all her proper name whervpon millions of millions of all sexes and ages and conditions all the world ouer euery day fayle not to sing her Canticle and publish and confirme her blessed by all generations THE I. MEDITATION For the Natiuitie of our Blessed Sauiour I. POINT CONSIDER yet how many iust reasons concurre to oblidge all mankind to proclaime her blessed for euer First because she beleeued 2. Because she was full of grace 3. Because she brought out a most blessed fruite 4. Because the All-powerfull or Almightie wrought wonderful thinges in her 5. Because she was the Mother of our Lord the King of Glorie 6. Because she reserued the puritie of a Virgine togeither with the fecunditie of a Mother 7. Because neither was their before her or euer shall there be after her any like or comparable to her Affection Blesse her then my soule blesse her togeither with heauen and earth with Angells and Saintes and withall learne of her to blesse to prayse to magnifie that powerfull hand which wrought wonders in her and by her that fruite of her wombe that God her Sauiour whom she brought out blesse her firme faith her fulnesse of grace her pure maternitie her fruite full Virginitie Say say my soule with the deuoute Saint Bernard while the riuers run into the Sea while the woodes ouershade the mountaines while the starres possesse the heauens thyne honour thy name thy prayses shall alwayes remayne II. POINT CONSIDER that though Blessed Marie were a iustest subiect of admiratioÌ„ to men and Angells in all the states of her life as being designed for a worke which passed all their capacities euen to conceiue it yet was she then most blessefull and blessed when she did not onely promise but present her blessed fruite when our God was not onely our Lord with her and in her but our Emmanuel or our God with vs by her when that flower of the field began to appeare in our Land and her Virgine earth brought out a Sauiour when finally her dayes were fully come that she should be deliuered she brought-forth her first begotten Sonne and swadled him in clootes and layd him downe in a manger Affection Then then my soule it was indeede that all men of good will began to blesse her ioyninge with the multitudes of Angels who compasse about our more then Salomons litle bedd to sing a Gloria to the child of her wombe and peace to the world Then did she place her young Sonne our God visibly amongst vs and therby freed vs from that ancient reproche vbi est Deus tuus where is thy God Now thou mayst tell the Diuell my soule that here he is to subdue his pride Thou mayst tell the incredulous Iewes that here he is to confound their malice Thou maist tel all men of good will that here he is to breake our chaynes to cure our wounds to direct to protect to comfort to saue the poore banished Sonns of Eue. THE II. MEDITATION In the Natiuitie of our Sauiour I. POINT CONSIDER that then it was indeede that she shewed her selfe to be a Mother when she brought forth to the world her first begotten Sonne and layd him in a manger Then she was indeede Mother in effect and Mother of God and in that name and qualitie according to S. Thomas of Aquine the greatest creature that euer was or euer shall or can be made euen by the Almighties power since to be the Mother of God as being ioyned to a thing of an infinite perfection includes in it selfe a certaine infinite dignitie Affection Stand amaysed my soule at this heauenly prodigie as hauing neither words nor thoughtes sutable to this ineffable dignitie or at least say with that great S. Andrew of Hierusalem O holy Lady Thou art the incomprehensible secreete of the diuine economie whom the Angells desire incessantly to behold Thou art the admirable lodging of an humbled God Thou art that agreeable earth which made him descend from heauen and gave him entrie among vs. Thou art the treasure of â—he mysteries shut vp before all ages
Thou art the liuing booke wherein the word of the eternall father was written by the pen of the holy Ghost Thou art the authenticall Instrument of the peace made betwixt God and man c. what shall I say words fayle my Conceptions are langui hing and answer not to the ardour of my soule II. POINT CONSIDER her againe in qualitie of the Mother of God and as such you will find that God is truly caro ex carne eius flesh of her flesh That Word which in the begining was with God and and was God was in this tyme made flesh of her flesh So that as God the Father can onely say thou art my Sonne this day I begott thee by an eternall generation so this B. Virgine alone can onely say I am thy Mother this day I brought thee forth by a temporall birth Affection Good God to what a high flight doth this call the thoughtes of man What strange relations and connections-hath this Virgine Mother in qualitie of Mother of God with God himselfe He in eternitie had a Sonne without a Mother She in tyme a Sonne without a father He a Sonne consubstantiall or of the same substance with him selfe she the same Sonne of her substance I saith S. Augustine God gaue that verie onely begotten Sonne to Marie who as being begotten of hi owne hart equall to himselfe he loued as himselfe that God and Marie might naturally haue one and the same Sonne God who made all made himselfe of Marie to restore all that he had made He who could of nothing make all thinges would not without Marie reforme the thinges that were deformed Ah my soule what an ineffable dignitie is this what helpes may not we expect from one so neere to God by so singular prerogatiues THE III. MEDITATION In qualitie of Mother of God I. POINT CONSIDER her againe in qualitie of Mother and say If Mother and that Mother of the Sonne of God then compartner and comparent or common parent with God the Father if Mother of a most louing and best beloued Sonne then the best beloued of Mothers or creatures and consequently indowed with the best gifts amongst and aboue all creatures in heauen and in earth since loue is but a well wishing and Gods loue giues what it wishes vs. Affection O the blessed connection alliance and neerenesse in bloud contracted betwixt God and man in the person of Marie and by her meanes and mediation O my soule they that were farre out are now by her meanes nere at hand She has found fauour with God and credit to bringe vs into fauour too She is his mother and our Mother and so we are his brethren and if brethren coheires with her Christ Hence we are an elect generation a kingly preisthoode a holy Nation a people of purchace Marke these great titles my soule and learne to value thy selfe accordingly II. POINT CONSIDER her yet againe in qualitie of the Mother of God and say if the Mother of God then her sacred wombe was the Blessed Paradise to which our seconde Adam was restored and wherin he was lodged for nine monthes space for which tyme she happily possessed all the riches of heauen the riches of the wisdome and kâ—owledge of God Finally if the Mother of God she was the faithfull Guardian of his tender yeares the inseparable companion of his flight into Egipt and returne home She bore him in her armes she clothed him with the worke of her hands and fedd him with the riches of her chast breastes Affection O Iesu who will make me so happie as that I might find thee my brother sucking my Mothers breastes that I might kisse thee and that none hereafter might despise me And that I might discouer with what faith feruour tendernesse obedience humilitie and charitie she performed those pious offices about thee that in imitation therof I might at least exhibite some smale parte of them to those litle ones my Christian brethren whom thou hast left me in lieu of thy selfe and so earnestly and effectually commendest to me saying what euer you doe to those litle ones you doe to me We haue yet then my soule meanes left vs to keepe to accompanie to cloth to feede our poore brother Iesus For the Purification of our B. Lady THE FIRST MEDITATION I. POINT CONSIDER that it is a Virgine-Mother who this day presents her first begotten being the God of the Temple in the Temple of God and as such neither child nor Mother could be subiect to the Law of Purification she being free from all spott of sinne or corporall impuritie he being puritie it selfe How is she moued then to subiect her selfe to that Law saue onely to leaue vs a rare example of a singular obedience Affection Noe noe chaste Virgine thou hadst noe neede of Purification who wast wholy faire and hadst noe stayne in thee But thou art the Mother and best imitater of that Sonne who while he was subiect to noe Law neither would yet humbly vndergoe the Law of Circumcision and so wilt thou that of Purification Thou hadst noe neede I say but we had neede of noe lesse then thy Sonns and thyne owne example to induce vs to the humble and obedient obseruance of the most iust and laudable Lawes and duties vnder which we liue For doe we not my soule doe we not sometymes repine at them dispute them and seeke holes to euade them II. POINT CONSIDER that this Immaculate Virgine subiected herselfe to the Law of Purification not onely to teach vs obedience but also to ingraue true humilitie still deeper and deeper into our harts She had taught it by word when she said to the Angell who declared her the Mother of God the handmayde of our Lord. She taught it in fact in going to visite one lesse then herselfe S. Elizabeth But now she teacheth it in an occasion where honour seemes to be ingaged where her sanctitie and puritie may be suspected Affection Ah my soule how farre do we poore sinners fall short of this great perfection Alas how vnwillingly and rarely doe we stoope downe in fact or giue place to one that is belowe vs Nay if we humble our selues in words onely if we doe not rather extolle and preferre our selues before our betters or being blamed or reprehended for any litle fault if we doe not excuse ourselues yea with choller and inuentions ad excusandas excusationes in peccatis it is much But to suffer while we are innocent especially if our honour and reputation be neuer so litle in question is a thing we find not patience to disgest Alas my soule we Christians seeme quite to forgett that we are schollers in Christs and Maries schoole and what lessons they haue deliuered vs. THE FIRST MEDITATION For the Assumption That her life was spent in heauenly aspirations I. POINT CONSIDER with many of the holy Fathers that our B. Lady from her deare Sonns Ascension to this present day of her glorious Assumption
be made accordingly THE SECONDE POINTE. CONSIDER That if the approche of the iudge proue so dreadfull what will his finall doome be If we haue not courage enough to stand to behold his dreadfull face how shall we be able to stand to heare his reuengefull sentence which is without repeale And yet truth tells vs as saith S. Paul without excepting any one that we must all stand before his Tribunal And heare that dismale curse pronounced against the wicked Begone you accursed of my father into eternall fire c. Affection Heauen and earth shall passe my soule but the word of God remaynes inuiolable and vnchangable for euer We shall all heare this dismale sentence pronounced against the sinner Begone cursed of my father but whither into euerlastaing fire O horrour of an eternally damning Doome Ah who shall be the obiect of this endlesse wroth Who shall be the accursed subiects vpon whom this reuengfull sentence shall be executed This lyes hidd in the abisse of Gods iust iudgementes But who ought to be so secure as that he should not freely bestowe all his substance to buy out his pardon Who would not abandon all pleasures to auoyd this eternitie of fire who would not imbrace all paines and pressures to purchace securitie against that day of anger Yet why art thou sadd my soule and why dost thou trouble me Our God is the God of mercy and his mercy out-speakes all his workes we are yet in the tyme of mercy He wiskes not the death of a sinner but that be should be conuerted and liue Resolution THE THIRD POINTE. But when these thinges begin to come to passe look vp and lift vp your heades because your redemption is at hand CONSIDER that as the horrour of the sentēce pronounced against the wicked is most dismale so is that which the iust shall heare most comfortable and blisfull Come you blessed of my father receiue the Kingdome prepared for you c. Then shall appeare in the face of the whole world the difference there is betwixt the iuste and vniust the sainte and the sinner Then shall the iust man with excesse of ioye lift vp his longe deiected heade and see his redemption accomplished Affection O my soule what harte is yet capable to conceiue with what transports of blisse we shall be replenished vpon the hearing of this heauenly inuitation come saith our Sauiour you blessed But of whom of my heauenly father O rauishing benediction come receiue But what nothing that is light and momentanie but exceedingly aboue measure an eternall waight of glorie Come and receiue a kingdome an heauenly kingdome prepared for you purchaced by the merites of my passion Come enter into the ioy of your lord Ah my soule should we vpon the purchace of this bestowe all our tyme all our care all our substance we should then repute it as nothinge in comparison of the ineffable happinesse which we shall then be possessed of for euer and euer THE FIRST MEDITATION FOR THE II. SVNDAY IN ADVENT And when Iohn Baptist in prison had heard the workes of Christ c. Matt. 11. THE FIRST POINT CONSIDER that though there was none amongst the sonns of women either greater or better or dearer to the sonne of God none more innocent more austere or none imployed in a more diuine and necessarie function to witt to forerun Christ and to preach his coming to the people none hauing lesse commerce with the world yet we find him in persecution in prison in chaynes to manifeste to all men this diuine truth that all they which desire to liue piously in Christ Iesus shall suffer persecution Affection Let vs then ô my soule be so farre from lookeing strangely vpon or falling out with the persecutions temptations contradictions and crosses be they of what kind soeuer which Gods sweete and euer iust prouidence permitts euen strangely sometymes to fall vpon vs that contrariwise they may euen proue matter of ioy to vs. We are not better then S. Iohn more saintly more innocent but contrarily miserable sinners and yet behold him in persecution in prison in chaynes We ayme at a pious life and Truth assures vs this is the way because thou wast aggreable to God euen there for it was necessarie that temptation should trye thee Our designe is to raigne with Christ and to raigne with him we must suffer with him Resolution Say then be thou euer blest ô lord If we haue receiued good thinges from thy bountifull hand why shoud we not suffer euill thinges Sit nomen Domini benedictum THE 2. POINTE. CONSIDER that though they can keepe his bodie captiue in chaines yet his better parte is at libertie his mynde is still free and imployed about what he was sent for He cannot now in person preach to the people and with that he has patience but he can send his Disciples to heare Christ preach and in that he fayles not There is noe restraint noe want of commoditie of tyme or place that can hinder a right harte to goe out to seeke Christ to heare him speake to it and it to him to stay with him reioyce in him and happily in fine performe its dutie Affect My soule neuer be perplexed and troubled that thou canst not actually performe what thou truly desirest It is our heart not our body which God desires Our workes without our wills may want rewards but our true desires neuer Canst thou performe what thy obligation oblidges thee to Be ware to fayle in it Art thou hindred by the malice of men by sicknesse by obediēce by charitie Neuer murmure at it None is lesse perfecte for omitting what he cannot mend for what Gods prouidence hinders for what obedience inioynes for what charitie commands Let thy heart stand right and all will goe right in all places tymes and occasions THE II. MEDITATION For the same day Art thou he who is to come or must we expect an other THE FIRST POINTE. CONSIDER that S. Iohns Disciples were sent to Christ to know frō him selfe by word of mouth whether he were the true Messias or not but he in lieu of words makes his workes answer the question Goe saith he and relate to Iohn what you haue heard and seene The blind see the lame walke the lepers are made cleane the deafe heare the deade ryse againe to the poore the Gospell is preached c. This silent answer is more full more forcible more satisfactorie then words could euer make it according to that if you beleeue not me beleeue my workes Affect My soule let vs striue alwayes to make our workes speake who we are and what doctrine we follow Let vs doe the workes of Christ and they will declare we are Christians without the helpe of words which alone gett litle credit Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good workes and glorifie your heauenly father saith our diuine master Let our endeuours be imployed to helpe the blind the lame
faithfull who are to raigne in that Kingdome to a mustardseede which is saith he the least or the least kinde of all the seedes What are we to learne hereby but that to be truly of the number of the faithfull to be fitt to raigne for euer in that celestiall Kingdome we ought to be litle and euen the least that may be in our owne esteeme and in our owne desires of being esteemed by others for knowing indeede our owne weaknesse miserie and nothing with what iustice would we haue others who know vs not to esteeme vs some thinge contrarie to our owne certaine knowledge and truth Affection Marke my soule how our humble Sauiour seemes to labour to imprint deeply into our soules that great litle vertue of humilitie which S. Paule qualifies Christs owne proper vertue virtus Christi This he doth by word and worke at all tymes and places in his birth life and death He neuer taught any other greatnesse in earth then to be litle He amongst you saith he who desires to be the greatest let him be the least Vnlesse you become like these litle ones pointing to the children you can not enter into the Kingdome of Heauen You must belike grains of mustard seed saith he here O saith S. Augustine so great a thinge it is to become litle that had not the great God of heauen taught it vs by his owne example we should neuer haue learnt it THE SECONDE POINTE. But when it is growne it is greater then all hearbes and becomes a tree CONSIDER that from the smale beginings of Christ and his fruitefull spouse the Catholike Church which appeared so abiect and contemptible in the eyes of the world that it was deamed a scandall to the Iewes a follie to the Gentils grew so great in the tract of tyme that noe woode brought out so faire a tree for its flowers for it fruite for its large branches which extend themselues all the world ouer So that as farre as the sunne spreads its light the light of the Gospell is spredd the faithfull preach and dye for Gods truth Affection Dost thou desire to be great indeede my soule begin from being the least So did thy Sauiour Christ and his Church wherof thou haste the happinesse to be a member Was there a mother to be choysen for the sonne of God The Highest looked downe vpon the litlenesse of Marie and was pleased in her Is that sonne to be lodged in earth A litle caue is prepared for his Louure Is he to subdue the world to his heauenly fathers seruice He exinanites himselfe and becomes a litle child Must this heauenly child haue Apostles to send to conuert the world He makes choyce of a litle troupe of sillie fishermen And yet by these and by this conquering litlenesse the world is vanquished Proud Philosophers fall into their netts Royall Diademes fall at their feete The ignominie of the Crosse turnes honorable and is planted ouer all the face of the earth O may these examples of prosperous litlenesse confound our pride and conuert vs. THE SECONDE MEDITATION FOR THE SAME SVNDAY So that the foules of the aire come and dwelle in it CONSIDER that as this tree sprunge frō this smale graine or mustardseede affords a place as well of repose as repaste to the smale innocent birds of the aire not to the great ones which being more earthly feede on carion and liue by rapine So doth the goodly large spredd Tree of the Catholike Church giue as well shelter as nourishement to those birds of Paradice the faithful of Christ who hauing their thoughts continually aboue affecte noe more vpon earth but a meere liuelyhoode wheras those that are great in their owne eyes and heauie harted are drouned in earth and earthly cogitations and can neuer be saciated Affection There is noe place my soule vpon this tree of the Gospell for those rauinous birds and soules of earth who can neuer be glutted with the base pleasures and grosse fare of the oynions and garlike and flesh potts in this Egipt of ours who by how much more they abound by so much more they starue while those other birds of Paradice feede deliciously and lodge securely vnder the sweete shade of the glorious tree of the Catholike Church whose fruite is sweete to their throte There those chaste turtles intertayne themselues with their belowed mates and singe one to one dilectus meus mihi ego illi my beloued is myne and I am his THE SECONDE POINTE. The Kingdome of heauen is like to a mustardseede CONSIDER that the Kingdome of heauen which by some Fathers is said to be the word of God in the holy scriptures is compared to a mustard seede and that most fitly Looke vpon a graine of mustarde slightlie and you shall neither find sauer nor taste in it so is fares also with the word of God which looked vpon curserily without due reflection makes smale impression in mans harte Marrie let that smale graine be brused and a strange firie vertue is felt which affects the braines and drawes teares from the eyes And doth not the word of God being diligently pondered blesse the hart with a strange sweetnesse aboue that of honie and the honie combe And is it not according to the Prophete vehemently burning and delightfully inflaming and drawing teares of heauenly delight from our eyes Affection Thus it happened to the two good Disciples in their way to Emaus where Iesus discoursed with them of which they said to each other did not our harts ardently burne when he Christ spoke to vs in the way and opened the scriptures to vs Thus fared it with him who hauing stript himselfe of his clothes said pointing at the bible it was this booke that robbed me And thus it will fare with vs my soule if we doe not onely reade but seriousy ponder and ruminate the word of God for it was in the meditation of it that the deuoute Dauid testified his harte was sett on fire MEDITATIONS FOR SEPTVAGESIME SVNDAY THE FIRST MEDITATION Of the great and wonderfull benefite of mans vocation to the knowledge of God THE FIRST POINTE. CONSIDER how the Almightie God that great Master of the familie of the whole vniuerse began earely in the morning to call workemen into his vineyard that is from all eternitie before tyme yet was being moued thervnto by noe other motiue then his owne immense goodnes and most iust will According to that of Ieremie In euerlasting charitie hane I loued thee and therfor haue I drawen thee taking compassion And S. Iohn not as though we haue loued him but because he hath loued vs and againe because he loued vs first Affection We were nothing my soule from all eternitie and in tyme so many thousands of yeares run ouer and still we lay in our nothinge There was nothinge then to moue that excesse of goodnesse to take me into consideration and call me to his seruice because I was nothinge at all Nothing
which rayseth a litle with Gods blessing vpon it to great matters at least to sufficiencie and content This was the Legacie B. S. Augustine left his children vnitie of hartes and communitie of the same purse Noe myne and thyne the true cause of deuision This was the Apostles inheritance giuen them by the holy Ghost one hart and one soule This was the songe which the Royall Psalmist sung with such ioy and found so good and delicious the vnanimous cohabitation of brethren which like a precious oyntement conueyes it selfe through all the parts of the body Powre then ô Lord the loue of brotherlinesse and peace into our harts that being annointed with the dewe of thy spirituall vnction we may be ouerioyed with the grace of thy benediction THE SECONDE POINTE. Who is not with me is against me and who gathers not with me doth disperse Luke 11. CONSIDER that the sonne of God hath said it whose words can neuer passe Who is not with me is against me there is noe meane noe third way Noe man can serue two Masters God and Mammon There is nothing that raignes in mans hart but either cupiditie or charitie What is giuen to cupiditie is giuen to that badd master the Diuell But what is done for charitie is done for the best of Masters our good God and so we goâ— happilie with him and gather with him If our harts say liue Iesus and our actions be done actually or vertually for his sake we aduance in vertue and treasure vp for heauen If we fayle of this we walke not with God we disperse the Deuill getts a share more or lesse according to the greatnesse or litlenesse of our actions Affection Let vs not goe on biasing my soule and halting on both sides If one onely God be our all let all our thoughtes words and workes be directed to his honour If it were he not Baal or any strange Gods which created conserued and redeemed vs with his owne pretious bloode let him not them souueraignely raigne ouer vs. The bedd of our hart is to narrow for two let our lawfull spouse the Master of it wholie possesse it What euer we doe and not for that for which diuine wisdome ordered it to be done that is Gods honour though in its owne nature it be good yet for want of its right end it falls short Concludes S. Augustine THE FIRST MEDITATION FOR THE THIRD SVNDAY IN LENT Iesus went beyond the sea of Galilee and a great Multitude followed him THE FIRST POINTE. CONSIDER that we neuer walke more safely then when we follow Iesus Neuer are we more sure then in his blessed hands Neuer better prouided for then when distrusting in our owne prouidence â—e let pure loue to him which is alwayes accompaigned with Prudence leade vs after him to conuerse with him to receiue the heauenly dewe of his diuine word and to admire the wonders of his admirable workes euen with the neglect of the whole world beside as did this pious multitude Affection Let then my soule our first and principall care be imployed to followe Christ to seeke his Kindome or raigne ouer our owne harts and the harts of all men and his iustice by giuing beleefe to his words and reposing confidence in his gracious prouidence without permitting our thoughts to be afflicted with an anxious sollicitude for temporall thinges which infallibly shall be giuen vs or as it were shall be cast in to the bargaine Our heauenly father better knowes then we our selues what is necessarie for vs as well for our bodys as our soules He may leaue vs till we begin to be hungrie of both foodes but expect him and absolutly depend vpon him and that pious father of ours will not see vs fayle in the way THE SECONDE POINTE I haue compassion of the multitude CONSIDER that when the pious multitude had once giuen this ample testimonie by following him three dayes in the wildernesse of their loue and perseuerance heauenly wisdome found it seasonable to giue them also a testimonie of his power and goodnesse in one and the same miracle of his power in making fiue loafes and two fishes extende to the feeding and saciating of fiue thousand persons and of his goodnesse by applying the effects of that power to solace and nourish that hungrie multitude saying with compassion misereor super turbam that is my verie bowells are moued with pittie in pointe of the multitude of those that follow me Affection O my most gracious Lord how easily is thy paternall harte inclyned to pittie The pen of the holy Ghost may seeme to haue laboured to make it euident to our hartes I will not leaue you orphants If I come not presently expect me for coming I will come Can a mother forgett the child of her owne body And tho she could yet I am your foster-father and cannot forgett you Ah my soule what expressions can be deuised more tender Our Lord is indeede pittifull and mercifull patient and exceeding mercifull We haue reason to admire his power to dreade his iustice to venerate his sanctitie to magnifie all his Attributes yet nothing nothing comes so home to our vses as his goodnesse nothing sutes so well with our miserie as his boundlesse mercy THE SECONDE MEDITATION FOR THE SAME SVNDAY Euery one tooke as much as they would and they were filled Iohn 6. CONSIDER rhat our almightie Master is equally powerfull to worke his owne designe and our full satisfaction as well in litle as in great matters If a world be to be made he rayseth it out of nothinge If thousands be to be fedd in the wildernesse fiue loaues and a few smale fishes is Matter enough for him to worke vpon and to increase that smale prouision into such a plentifull store that he affords euery one of them as much as they will and they are all filled and saciated Affection Yes my soule our great Gods will and power are wholy equall all that he will he can it is he who wrought all that he would in heauen and earth nor can any resist his diuine will He needes noe matter to worke vpon he requires noe length of tyme to wotke in he has done in a moment he feeds whom he will with what he will and whom he feeds he fills he saciates Alas the world my soule with its fattest feasts doth not saciate vs. Vnlesse what we eate issue from thy holy hand and come with thy benediction vpon it great God we doe but languish and fayle in the way But if the litle we haue be accompayned with thy blessing it feeds it fattens it delights it saciates THE SECONDE POINTE. CONSIDER that though this multitude had iuste reason as well to magnifie his wonderfull power as to loue and imbrace his bountifull goodnesse in the stupendious multiplication of a few loaues c. Yet was but that a poore shadowe of Gods fauours to vs Christians as their obligations also were incomparably lesse hen ours There fiue loaues
they were taught by experience to distruste in their owne endeuours and to expect Christs orders and tymes with absolute dependance of his good pleasure they were so farre from labouring in vaine that they presently inclosed a huge multitude of fishes and were in a manner agreably oppressed with plentie Affection We must not fayle to labour my soule and to vse our vttermost endeuours for this the God who indowed vs with witt and industrie requires at our hands howeuer they may not alwayes be answered with wished successe But this done le ts stay Gods order and pleasure and as absolutly depende vpon his prouidence and goodnesse as though we had vsed noe endeuours at all which without Gods assistance would proue vneffectuall to our purpose Neither he who plantes is any thinge nor he who waters but God who giues increase THE SECONDE POINTE. Peter fell downe at Iesus his knees saying goe forth from me ô Lord for I am a sinfull man CONSIDER that Peter was so farre from ascribing the taking that vnexpected multitude of fish at one draught either to his owne skill or euen to the great credit he had with Christ by whose power indeede that wonder was wrought that contrarily he enters vpon it into himselfe by reflection what he is and what God is and humbly falls downe at Iesus his feete giuing all the glorie to him and acknowledging himselfe to be a poore sinner vnworthy of his presence Affection Let vs my soule in all our achiuements and progresse in spitit learne a Christian behauiour of this humble sainte and neuer ascribe any thinge to our selues but to the good giuer of all good gifts saying with the Psalmist not to vs ô Lord not to vs but giue glorie to thyne owne name for if we began well it was by the fauour of his preuenting grace if we aduanced it was by the conduct of his concomitante grace if we made any considerable progresse it was he that wrought it in vs who workes as well the will as the performāce according to his good pleasure we being otherwise noe better then poore sinfull men We are onely my soule the happie free or voluntarie instruments which his mercy makes merite to receiue afterwards a crowne of iustice at his heauenly hands THE FIRST MEDITATION FOR THE FIFT SVNDAY AFTER WHITSVNDAY Matt. 5. Vnlesse your iustice abound more then that of the Scribes and Pharisies you shall not enter into the Kingdome of heauen CONSIDER that the Scribes and Pharisies fasted often to witt twice a weeke prayed much payd the tythes of all they possessed gaue almes liberally were verie conuersant in holy scriptures and like great Rabbys interpreted them to the people and yet Truth it selfe Iesus Christ who can neither deceiue nor be deceiued threatens vs Christians that vnlesse our iustice vertue and perfection be greater then theirs we shall not enter into the Kingdome of heauen Affection Alas my deare Lord if this be put downe for an absolute and irreuocable Doome pronounced by thy holy mouth that vnlesse the iustice of vs Christians doe abounde more then that of the scribes c. We shall not enter into the Kingdome of heauen what will become of vs when we fall short euen of what they performe for are not our prayers cold and full of distractions Our workes of mercy as well corporall as spirituall verie fewe our fastes rather suffered then performed with feruour And yet vnlesse our iustice surpasse theirs there are noe hopes of heauen for vs. THE SECONDE POINTE. CONSIDER that Christian iustice and perfection doth not indeede consiste in exteriour actions though otherwise good of their owne natures but take their worth and excellencie from the interiour intention because all the beautie of the kinges daughter the soule issues from the interiour If the intention the eye of the the soule be simple the whole body of the actions proceeding from thence will be beautifull and agreeable Nor are againe euery well meant action Christian perfection but onely wayes to it perfection consisting absolutly in the loue of God and our neighbour Affection We are not then my soule so much to looke what we doe as how it is done Nor how good the action is in it selfe as from what harte it proceedeth with what puritie of intention it is done God is not delighted with the sacryfice of our lipps but of our hartes and those too sett vpon that one necessarie thinge charitie from which all our actions ought to issue and to her finally to tende because true Christian perfection and the plenitude of the lawe is loue THE SECONDE MEDITATION FOR THE SAME SVNDAY Thou shalt not kill was it said of old But I Christ say vnto you that he who is angrie against his brother shall be coulpable of iudgement CONSIDER how sweete this lawe of loue is wherin Christian iustice consists and how deare it ought to be to vs all since it prouides for all our aduantages It setts not onely our life in assurance by saying thou shall not kill but euen striues to make our otherwise miserable liues delightfull to vs by forbidding anger taunting and deridinge words and all manner of vnderualuing one an other intimated by the words Raca and foole Affection O how happie how happie were we Christians my soule did we liue according to the prescript of this heauenly sweete lawe O what a heauen should we finde in earth were our actions framed according to the directions and precepts of our diuine Law-giuer Our liues our honours our goodes and all were in an vndoubted safetie and our soules would inioy a perpetuall saboath while noe detractions ruinating neighbours fame would be heard noe carying of ill reports to one another which is destructiue to brotherly charitie would be vsed noe contumelies contempts and tauntes would be practised Labour the due obseruance of this lawe my soule and so blesse thy selfe with two heauens Consider how agreeable this brotherly charitie must needes be to our sweete Sauiour since he doth not onely prouide safetie and delight of our life while we obserue his holy Lawe according to that how goode and delightfull it is for brethren to liue vnanimously togeither but euen in case of transgression therof for our perfect reconcilement to our brother and him if thou offerest thy gift at the Altar and there thou remembrest that thy brother hath any thinge against thee leaue there thy offering c. and goe first to be reconciled to thy brother and then coming thou shalt offerre thy gift Affection O most delicious and heauenly Law O admirable goodnesse of God to poore man Who so closely lincked his interests with ours that if we be not right amongst our selues we are not right with him If we haue not peace with our brethren we haue not peace with him If any man say I loue God and hates his brother he is a lier saith the beloued Apostle Learne then to loue my soule whom thy exemplar Christ so much loues
that he chuses rather to want his owne proper worshippe sacryfice then that thy brother should want thy loue Thy offeringes of thyne austerities thy prayers thy communions will neuer proue gratefull to him as longe as thou willingly harbours grudging in thy breast against that poore brother of thyne for whom through loue he dyed The Meditations for this 6. sunday are the same with the 4. sunday in Lent pag. 100. THE FIRST MEDITATION FOR THE SEAVENTH SVNDAY AFTER WHITSVNDAY Take great heede of false Prophetes who come to you in the clothing of sheepe but inwardly are rauening wolues Matt. 7. CONSIDER that we oft proue false Prophetes or teachers to our selues and consequently our owne seducers while we vse the fawning perswasion of our owne vertue and goodnesse drawen from outward apparances from the barke leaues or flowres that is from the clothing of sheepe Wheras we are taught by Wisdome it selfe that the true and certaine decernement of solide from seeming vertues is placed in the fruites they produce that is the subduing of the great sinne pride the mortification of our passions Finally the vanquishing of our selfe loue selfwill and selfe interest Affection Le ts then my soule diligently and impartially examine our selues in pointe of our aduancement in these vertues and so we shall beware indeede of false Prophetes and be sure not to proue selfe-seducers Doe we make it our businesse to subdue pride which doth then most assault vs when we most aduance in vertue Are the passions which we obserue most to domineare in vs brought lowe Is selfe loue and self-will those pernicious sourses of all our miserie vanquished Is selfe interest subiected to the common good Humbly hope then in our Lord that all goes well with vs. If not knowe that vertue is not yet solidly rooted in vs. THE SECONDE POINTE. Euerie good tree yealdeth good fruites and the euil euill fruites Matt. 7. CONSIDER the good or bad fruites of the tree of our harte and thence we shall be able by the Euangelicall maxime to decerne whether If we meete with grapes and figues that is with mild and meeke thoughts words and comportments know for certaine the tree is good they are not the fruites of thornes and brambles marrie if we are true or false teachers or guides to our selues while we seeke for grapes and figues we meete with thornes and thistels that is with distaynefull bitter and sharpe thoughtes words and behauiour know that the roote is depraued the fruites viciated they are the productions of the badd tree which cannot bring out good fruite Affection Doe we my soule fast watch pray much doe we discipline vse great austerities and communicate often They are indeede excellent meanes for the produceing good fruites yet are they not for all that the fruites themselues They are certainely the clothings of the sheepe yet may a wolfe lye vnder them Our fruite saith S. Aug. is charitie see then whether coming from ours prayers c. we finde our selues patient benigne without enuie without peruersitie not puffed vp not ambitious not seeking our owne not prouoking to anger not thinking euill not reioycing vpon iniquitie but rejoycing at truth suffering all thinges beleeuing all thinges hopeing all thinges bearing all thinges and remayne assured thence that our hart is right and that we are happily tendinge towards our Beatitude THE SECONDE MEDITATION FOR THE SAME SVNDAY Euery tree which brings not forth good fruite shall be cutt downe and cast into the fire THE FIRST POINT CONSIDER that euery reasonable creature of what qualitie soeuer is a vine or tree planted in the vineyearde or orcharde of Christ Iesus against whom this dreadfull doome is pronounced it shall be cutt downe and cast into the fire in case it answer not to his expectation but in lieu of true grapes yealde nothinge but wilde grapes that is in lieu of true and solide vertues thinke to pay with apparances and in lieu of the sweete and agreeable fruites of charitie yeald nothing but bitternesse animosities and auersions amongst the citizens of heauen and Gods domestikes who should but all haue one hart and one soule Affection Let vs daylie and diligently my soule examine what fruites this tree of our hart produceth It importeth noe lesse then a blessed or cursed eternitie If sowre grapes bitternesse of hart enuie emulation dissension ah then Truth affirmes it shall be cutt downe and cast into the fire Alas it was not planted so that such fruites should be expected from it It was planted by the hand of God watered which the pretious bloud of Chr. let nothing then but the sweet fruites of Christianitie proceede from it THE SECONDE POINTE He that doth the will of my Father which is in heauen he shall enter into the Kingdome of heauen CONSIDER that here the wisdome of heauen in a few words layes vs downe the abridgement of all perfection and the blessed imitation of his whole life and passion to witt an absolute and louing resignation to the holy will of his heauenly father as well in all that he did as all that he suffered I come not saith that sweete Sauiour to doe myne owne will but the will of my father who is in heauen the thinges that please him I doe alwayes not as I will but as thou wilt Fawning words and Lord Lord may please fooles who desire to be flattered but the actuall complying with the will of God is onely gratefull in his eyes who sees hartes Affection Let vs then my soule absolutly and for euer renounce our owne will that disturber of our life and depriuer of our rest peace and true libertie and yeild it vp into the secure guidance of Gods holy will hauing alwayes vpon all occasions in all our doinges and sufferings in our harte and mouth thy blessed will be done my deare Lord and Master who best knowes what is most behoofull for me I am most willingly in thy holy hands turne me and winde me when thou wilt where thou wilt and how thou wilt thatthy will and myne may be but one Represse in me ô Lord that vnhappie libertie by which I am able to will any other thinge then what thou willest THE FIRST MEDITATION FOR THE EIGTH SVNDAY AFTER WHITSVNDAY There was a certaine rich man who had a Bailife Luc. 16. CONSIDER that this rich man was God the greate Maker and Master of all the earth and the Bailife man euery one of vs be we Masters or seruants rich or poore who hold all that we haue of that great Land-Lord the goods of our body the goods of our soule and those of fortune all is his and all proceeds from his bountifull hand we haue the stewardshippe of them to worke therby our saluation but the propertie remaynes still his Affection Let vs not then my soule mistake our selues apprehending that we are Lords and Masters while we are but indeede farmers and remoueable at pleasure of what seemes to be ours Be it farre from vs to vaunt
Christians know but too much to doe solitle Ignorance may some tymes excuse but luke warmenesse idlenesse and negligence can neuer We know what a deare price was putt downe at Ierusalem for our ransome and what an inestimable reward is prepared for vs in the heauenly Ierusalem We knowe what endlesse torments are threatened if we liue not according to the knowledge and light of faith we haue We know that this day is yet ours an acceptable tyme a day of saluation wherin more may be done for a sith a teare a contrite and humbled harte then can be purchaced by the prayers of all the saintes in heauen this day of our life being once past Affection And is it yet possible my soule that after all these wholsome and certaine knowledges we still liue in a cold carelessnesse as tho there were nothing after this life either to be feared or hoped for Is it possible that we dare idly spend this day of ours lent vs to worke our saluation in and still make bold to take new dayes with God which were neuer promised vs for our couersion Is there any of vs so resolute as would not weepe were he assured that within three dayes he should be cited before the dreadfull Tribunall of a wrothfull Iudge and yet while we haue but one daye we can call ours or one present houre according to S. Paule we dare passe it in laughing languishing sleeping c. which leade to death and be like those hazardous soules who spend their dayes in delights and in a moment descende into Hell THE SECONDE POINTE. Because thou hast not knowne the tyme of thy visitation CONSIDER that our B. Sauiour declares that the cause of the vtter destruction of Ierusalem was because they did not know that is through ingratitude obstinacie and blindnesse they acknowledged not the speciall fauour of hauing the son of God sent to them in person to visite them to make them heare his sacred word from his owne mouth to worke multitudes of miracles in their sight c. Affection Alas my soule I feare we know but too much to performe so litle as we doe Ah! the seruant who knowes the will of his Lord and doth it not shall be beaten with many stripes And dare we deney that we knowe his will to be our sanctitie and that we ought to be perfect as our heauenly Father is perfect and yet how coldly doe we creepe on in that way Haue we not frequently had the honour of his heauenly visites heard his sugerred words and experienced in our deade soules the miracles of his grace Ah my soule let vs diligently call to mynde the tymes of those gracious visitations with the thankfulnesse of our whole hartes and singe those sweete mercyes for euer and euer THE FIRST MEDITATION FOR THE TENTH SVNDAY AFTER WHITSVNDAY The Pharisie standing prayed thus with himselfe Luc. 18. CONSIDER in this Parable the true discription of a proud Petitioner or rather of one that goes not so much to the Church to pray as to prayse himselfe He gaue God thankes indeede but with taking a vaine complaceance in his giftes esteeming himselfe so rich that he asked noe more nay he euen insulted at the poore publicane who asked He is not like the rest of men excepting none extortioners vniust adulterers nor is he like that publican wherin he addes rashe iudgement to his pride In fine halfe the lawe is but declining from euill and all that if you beleeue him he has performed Affection Beware my soule of this proud prayer which prouokes Gods wroth vpon vs. What haue we of grace or nature which we haue not receiued and if they be Gods gifts why doe we vainely glorie in them as though we had not receiued them Why doe we glorie in them and preferre our selues before poore sinners whom we looke upon with disdaigne who are happly farre better then we in the sight of God Let such as stand looke that they fall not Let our eyes be fixed vpon our owne defects leauing God to iudge our neighbour to whom he stands or falls THE SECONDE POINTE. I fast twice a weeke I giue tythes of all I possesse c. CONSIDER that pride still ascends and gaynes ground The Pharisie had alreadie in his owne esteeme freed himselfe from all stayne of sinne what rests for his pride but to preach his owne vertues that so Christian iustice might appeare accomplished in him I faste twice a weeke saith he I giue tithes of all I possesse not of the fruites of the earth onely according to the prescript of the lawe but euen of all without exception Affection Looke vpon this vaine boasting my soule with horrour and carefully striue to auoyde that dangerous shelfe of presumption vpon which so many apparently deuoute soules perish What euer good workes we doe how vertuous resolutions soeuer we make finde we neuer so much feruour facilitie and spirituall delight in the practise of vertue and goodnesse let vs still distruste in our selues hartily acknowledging that we are nothing we haue nothing we can doe nothing of our selues not so much as thinke one good thought but all our sufficiencie is from God hauing all-wayes in our mouthes with the holy Church Deus in adiutorium meum intende Domine ad adiunandum me festina THE SECONDE MEDITATION FOR THE SAME SVNDAY The Publican standing a farre off would not so much as lift vp his eyes towards heauen THE FIRST POINT CONSIDER in this poore Publican the perfect picture of a true penitent He stands a farre off as iudging himselfe vnworthy to come neere the Altar he dares not so much as lift vpp his eyes to heauen because shame and confusion had couered his countenance to haue offended so great a Maiestie he knockes his breast where sinne was conceiued and seemes to take reuenge of himselfe He beseeches God to be mercyfull to him a sinner exposing his miserie onely for Gods mercy to magnifie it selfe vpon Affection Let vs not my soule be ashamed to learne of this poore publicane what dispositions we ought to bringe with vs when we goe to sue to the dreadefull maiestie of God for remission of our sinnes Nay rather let vs blush that after so longe practise in spiritualitie we fall short of that poore sinner after so much light so many heauenly inspirations so many helpes and assistances which he neuer had And yet while our eyes lye open to euery distraction his with confusion are fixed vpon the ground not daring to looke vpon the heauens he takes reuenge vpon the breaste wherin sinne was conceiued and makes humbly confessed miserie alone pleade for mercy THE SECONDE POINTE. Be mercyfull to me a sinner CONSIDER the contrarie effects of the farre contrarie proceedings of the proude Pharisie and humble Publican The Pharisie came with his hart full swolne with proud iustice and returned with his hands emptie The publican came loaden with humble iniustice and an emptie hart and he returnes with
which the Spouse cried so out for osculetur me osculo oris sui let him kisse me with a kisse of his mouth See the foure sacred fountaines of Paradise streame out Riuers of inestimable worth from his wounded hands and feete euerie droppe whereof being of more valew then all heauen and earth and in these Riuers are we ô my Soule permitted to bathe cure eternise ourselues O Sacred fountaines ô Ambrosian springs dulciora super mel fauum sweeter then honey and the honey combe He hath a tongue which in the beginning said fiat be it made and the whole Machine of the Vniuerse was presently raised out of nothing and with which be can still saie N. Salus tua ego sum I am thy Saluation vel hodie mecum eris in Paradiso or this daie thou shalt be with me in Paradice And what hart can wish a richer treasure a more wishfull and blissefull present He hath yet a tongue but it too must not passe without it's torment For they mixe gale amongst his foode and in his thirst they present vineger to drinke He hath yet a tongue intire and that too must be imployed euen amidst his greatest torments to pleade mans pardon reconcilement Father pardonne them for they knovv not vvhat they doe O miracle of mildnesse and mercie The persecuted becomes the persecutours Aduocate euen in the act of persecuting him The dying Lord turnes his dead and dying slaues Patron euen while he is bloodily striking at his hart Father He makes his addresse to him not so much in qualitie of God whom he knowes to be actually prouoked to reuenge as of Father whose bowells are all mercie for his prodigall children Father what confidence may not poore sinners conceaue when a father and such a father is sued to by a sonne and such a sonne Father I begge not reuenge for what I suffer but pardon for those for whom and by whom I suffer Father pardonne them I sue not that the world should be iudged for me but that it might be cleared and saued by me Father pardon them I doe not plead not Guiltie where I know sinne is great and spred vniuersally ouer the whole body of man and growen to a kind of infinitie but I am his Saluation and the price of my bloud which here I lay downe is infinite indeede let grace then through my merites superabound where sinne abounded Father pardonne them It 's pardon I demande and euen in that name the cryme is acknowledged I cannot excuse Pilates iniustice which is so much more cryminal by how much his owne conscience pleades guiltie against himselfe for condemning a person in whom he found noe guilte nor the Priests and Princes inueterate malice nor the soldiers crueltie nor the peoples false testimonies scornes and blasphemie But by how much their crymes are more cleare ther pardon is more necessarily petitioned for by how much their miserie is more desparatly great by so much thy great mercy is more absolutly to be implored haue mercy therfor vpon them according to thy great mercy and pardon them Pardon them I say heauenly Father for they know not what they doe The penall ignorance which runs all along through their actions though it excuseth not yet it much extenuates their transgression They know not they apprehend not that they arme their malice against that infinite charitie which flames vp so high amidst the same malice that all the floodes of their furie is not able to extinguish it They know indeede that they putt an innocent man to death but they know not that they Crucifie the God of glorie T is enough my dearest Lord thou hast powerfully pleaded and wunne poore man's cause which without thy plea and thy price was irrecouerably lost for euer Thou art heard for thyne owne reuerence and millions shall be giuen to thy prayers and merites 11. But ah my soule is it not true that as this lesson brings comfort to all Christian harts so it loades them with confusion and fixeth shame vpon their foreheades He couers in some sort the Iewes crymes and confusion with a plea of ignorance for had they had an absolute knowledge of what they did and to whome they had neuer crucified the Lord of glorie But we seeing knowing by the light of faith which is a more absolute assurance then any demonstration then all humane knowledge can afford and being bound standing readie in the preparation of our hart to putt downe our life for it that it was God man the verie God of glorie that they putt to death we I say make noe difficultie to crucifie him againe by our dayly crymes to treade the sonne of God vnder foote and to esteeme the bloude of the Testament polluted 12. We acknowledge that we are taught by the mouth of eternall truth it selfe vnlesse we haue renounced all Christianitie and we euen see it in his owne example that we are to returne Good for euill and we contrarily render euill for good hatred for loue disrespect for good offices neglect forcares ingratitude for greatest obligations We haue seene our Christ sadd to death betrayed taken bound abused reuiled scorned boxed spitt in the face whipped crowned with thornes blaspheamed crucified and we heare him from the same Crosse preach plead pray for pardon And yet we Christians alas who as we take our name from Christ so should his actions be the rules of our life and our conformitie to the same rules the perfection therof liuing as it were by the law of contraries run quite contre The Master cryes for pardon the scholler exacts reuenge The masters wisdome and charitie finds wayes to couer multitudes of enormious crymes and the schollers iniquitie and madnesse inuents meanes to make Molehills appeare montaines and to multiplie a few smale faultes into huge numbers The master by a Rethorique brought from Heauen endeuours to extenuate a visible iniurie by alleaging ignorance which though otherwise afected did in some sorte lessen the cryme The scholler by a Sophistrie inuented in Hell striues to aggrauate euen almost inuisible faults from the place in which it was done the tyme the manner c. And if none of these seeme vigorous enough he guesses at the intention of him that did it and will needes haue it to be such as his Passion hath framed it in his mynd In fine the scholler hath neither harte nor hand nor tongue to plead excuse to worke or wishe well too euen a seeming enemy though otherwise a true friend indeede He will not take the paines to consider that the misintelligence was but caused at most by ignorance inconsideration precipitation and to take it at the highest that it was but man sinfull man man subiect to all the same deseases that rather tooke then had offence giuen him While the Master neither hauing hand nor foote free but onely a hartfull of mercye and a tongue free and readie to expresse the same imployes it to begge pardon
and yet is comprised in noe place limited by noe time but is all in himselfe from all eternitie So is the Father saith S. Augustine so the Sonne so the holy Ghost and so the Trinitie one God Affect See my soule how while thou desirest to know how God is euery where thou scarce knowest where thou art thy selfe Yet it is good for our pride pouertie to find our selues beatē backe by Gods power and the wonders of his wayes It is noe smale part of knowledge and we profit not a litle saith S. August while in our lownesse we pant after the supreame Deitie If we learne by our pious endeuours to know that we cannot know him to the full And though by way of admiration we be forced to say what is this as not vnderstanding it yet le ts rather reioyce and loue by not finding him thus to find him then by finding him otherwise not to find him indeede THE V. MEDITATION He sees all I. POINT CONSIDER that the holy Trinitie is not onely euery where but sees all thinges too according to that of S. Augustine as God is all foote because he is euery where so is he all eye because he sees all thinges and S. Paule there is noe creature inuisible in his sight but all things are naked and open to his eyes Hence our Father Abraham walked alwayes in his sight Dauid conceiued that all his wayes lay open to his eyes Hence Ieremies Daniels and the other Prophetes prayers afflictions and teares were powred out in his sight Affection O what a consolation ought this to be to the good soule to haue the Father the Word and the holy Ghost spectatours of all her thoughtes words and actions To see her fidelitie in her temptations her resignations in her afflictions her conformitie to his blessed will in all her proceedings And what a huge confusion to the wicked to dare that in the sight of a liueing and seeing God which they durst not in the sight of a miserable man In the sight of those heauenly bright eyes I say which are farre brighter then the Sunne which noe dores or walls excludes which equally discouers the most hidden and the most open obiect O my soule how we are euen necessitated to doe well who doe all that we doe before the eyes of a iust iudge who sees all cryes out S. Augustine with feare and shame He workes all II. POINT CONSIDER that the holy Trinitie doth not onely see all the good and bad we doe but he euen workes in vs all the good we doe All our workes thou hast wrought in vs. Saith the Prophete Isay But one God who worketh all in all men S. Paule All naturall thinges by his comon concourse All supernaturall thinges by the assistance of his grace He it is who doth that in vs which is pleasing in his sight from him our good thoughtes our will and performance and all our sufficiencie Affection What rests then ô my soule but as we acknowledge that we haue all thinges from him by him and in him so that we run to him with humble thankes for all we haue receiued and humble sutes for all we yet want saying with S. Augustine I sing this hymne of glorie to thee Holy Holy Holy I inuoke thee ô B. Trinitie beseeching thee to come into me and make me worthy to be the Temple of thy glorie I begge of the Father by the Sonne I begge of the Sonne by the Father I begge of the holy Ghost by the Father and the Sonne that all vice may be farre remoued from me and all vertue wronght in me THE VI. MEDITATION That the B. Trinitie is all in all I. POINT CONSIDER yet further that the B. Trinitie doth not onely worke all but is euen all in all According to that of s. Paule that God may be all in all He is wisdome in Salomon goodnesse in Dauid patience in Iob faith in Peter zeale in Paule Virginitie in Iohn and all the rest of the vertues and blessings in the rest life saluation vertue glorie honour peace the beginning and end of all good thinges and the full sacietie and accomplishment of all our desires so that the soule that possesseth him desires nothing but him and in him and for him whom he confesses to be all in all Affection O eternall veritie and true charitie and deare eternitie who art all in all grant me grace truly to esteeme my selfe such as I am nothing at all without thee and that in thee comforting I can doe all thinges Our hope our saluation our honour ô Blessed Trinitie we inuoke thee we prayse thee we adore thee ô Blessed Trinitie Too greedie he is whom sufficiencie whom abundance whom all in all sufficeth not Thou life thou light thou honour thou glorie thou plentie thou peace thou begining thou end thou sacietie thou all in all ô Blessed Trinitie Grant that all my thoughtes words and workes may be done to thy glorie and that I may be made all to all to gayne all II. POINT CONSIDERATION But what is yet that inaccessible beeing which is who is who is euery where who sees all who workes all who is all in all What is he He is immense and therfor cannot be measured He is eternall and therfor cannnot be reached to He is infinite and therfor cannot be comprehended But yet what is he He is an Abisse of goodnesse by which all that is good is good an Ocean of beautie by which all is faire that is faire He is not wise onely but wisdome it selfe nor mercifull onely but mercy it selfe nor holy and iust alone but sanctitie and iustice it selfe Goodnesse beautie wisdome mercy sanctitie iustice not being diuers qualities in him one sole simple pure true God Father Sonne and holy Ghost Affection Dilate thy selfe my soule and with a greedie and inflamed desire breath after and striue to comprehend that which neither eye hath seene nor eare hath heard nor hath entred into the hart of man Howeuer he cannot be comprehended as he is nor be worthily expressed in words or be conceiued in mynde yet he can be desired he can be ardently coueted he can be sighed and sobbed after He all whole so great so immense so infinite so incomprehensible as he is can be inioyed for an endlesse eternitie and euen in tyme too ô excessiue happinesse of a Christian hart he may be loued praysed adored glorified by vs poore wretches All glorie then all prayse all strength all power all magnisicence all beatitude all mercy be ascribed to God the Father and the Sonne and the holy Ghost for euer and euer Amen MEDITATIONS VPON THE BLESSED SACRAMENT An introduction to feruent and frequent communicating and motiues to the same I. MEDITATION I. POINT CONSIDER that wheras it is impossible that any worke should be well done vnlesse we first well conceiue and possesse what we are going about we ought to know that in receiuing the B. Sacrament we goe aboute the greatest