comming from heauen was to call sinners vnto him for to giue them grace Mat. 9. and to worke their iustification whie shouldest not thou goe to him So. But who will warrant and assure me that I shall not be punished Ma. Humilitie and loue will worke thy securitie through the one thou shalt be exalted and through the other thou shalt be rewarded So. Alas God seuerely punished the Bethsamites 1. Reg. 6 because they beheld the Arcke and shal I be so bould as to receaue the Lord of that Arcke M. The Bethsamits with great reason were punished because that for curiositie they behelde the Arcke and vsed not dew reberence therunto but thou my soule being accompanied with humilitie and loue Iob. 26. wilt not do as the Bethsamites did So. If the Angells of heauen tremble at the presence of this great Lord how wouldest thou that I a vile creture worme of the earth shoulde dare to place him within my body Ma. If thou likewise considerest well the infinite Maiestie of this most Soueraine King which lieth hidden vnder the forme of bread thou shalt finde iust cause of feare and trembling but this feare ought to spring forth from loue that is thou oughtest to be afraide euer any more to offend so amiable a Lord and therfore being stirred vp with loue and accompaned with humilitie go on forwarde a Gods name because thou shalt be so farre of from offending of him thereby that thy most louing Iesus will most beningly intertaine thee So. Aie me I knowe my selfe to be farre vnworthy thereof Ma. The Centurion likewise did acknowledge him selfe vnworthie to receaue Christ our Souiour into his house Ioan. 9. But our Lord Iesus maketh them worthy to receaue him who acknowledging their great vnworthines doe come vnto him with greate humilitie So. Who knoweth that in me is no such euell disposition by meanes whereof this diuine Sacrament may be cause vnto me of death Ma. If thou knowest any such remoue it awaie but if thou knowest it not vse such diligēce that thou maist knowe So. Omercifull Iesus trusting in your infinite goodnes I come vnto you humblie befeeching you to anert your eies from my miseries Psal 29. for that Si iniquitates ob seruaueris Domine Domine quis sustinebit If thou O Lord wilt obserue iniquities who shall be able to sustaine thee But if it shall please you to beholde thē doe it I praie you not as a Iudge to punish thē but as a mercrfull phisition to beale and redresse them and graunte me Lord that these my miseries may serue for your greater glorie and honour Mat. 8. like as the infirmity of the blind-borne man for by your delinering of me from them so much more apparently will your mercie valor shine in me by how much more miserable and vnworthie I was before THE XIIII MEDITATION Vpon these words of the Himne Ecce panis Angelorum factus cibus Viatorū Behold the bread of Angels is made meate for Trauellers CHAP. 14 Pointes for to meditate 1 CONSIDER how traiuell and teares was the ordinarie meate of man after that for his finne he was cast forth of Paradise Consider the estate in which man was in this desert of lamēting for that he was constrained to wander in this world without any sure guid or sufficiēt prouision wherefore for want of the one he might easelie haue gone out of the way and for want of the other defecisset in via Mat. 15. hee would haue fainted in the way 3 Consider the louing carefulnes which our most mereifull Sauiour had of him since that he him selfe would vouchsafe to become a guide and meate for man in banishment 4 Confider how that the meate of Angells is no other but God the King of glorie with whom the Angels in heauen are nourished and by contemplatinge him they enioie him Now the selfe same meate our most louing Redeemer hath made the meare of man and therefore it is saide in the Himne Eoce panis Angelorum factus cibus viatorn̄ The fruit The fruit of this xiiii meditation shal be to practise louing actes of gratitude towardes our Lord who hath so greatly fauored vs and to pray his diuine Maiestie to make vs fully to vnderstand how infinitely we are bounde for this vnto our Sauiour Iesus The Colloquium It is possible O Lord that you be so inamoured of man that you would feed him with the foode of Angels is it possible that you seeke by the means of this Angelicall meate to make him all one with you Reioice O sonnes of Adam because this saying of the Prophet is no longer agreable vnto you Fuerunt mthi lachrimae meae panes die ac nocte Psa 41. dū dicitur m bi quotidie vbi est Deus tuus My teares haue bene bread vnto me day and night whilest that they said vnto me where is thy god for that now your meat is no more teares but the food of Angells and your god is not angrie nor farre frō you but is present vnder the forme of bread which he often giueth O heauenly spirits assist me that I may knowe so greate a benefactour O holy Angells teach me I pray you but perticulerlye yee Scraphines how I ought to loue my Redemer who by giuing me to eat your bread hath shewed me fauour farre aboue my desert O my Lorde your holy Prophet being astonished reioriced saying Psa 77. Panē Ange lorū māducauit homo Man hath caten the bread of Angels spea king of Manna which was made by the worke of Angells But what glorie and what admiration should I haue who may say with all veritie Mauducat Dominum pauper seruus humtlis Ores mirabilis The poore and humble seruant eateth his Lord. O maruailous matter What recompēce am I able to giue you my most beninge Iesus for that the more I doe for your loue the more fauour I continually receaue since that it wholly redoundeth vnto my good Ah hard and peruerse hart how dost thou beinge fed with this heauenly meate remaine so earthly when wilt thou become heauenly How art thou so sensuall and with out spirit being nourished with Angelicall meate How is it possible that thou art not inflamed and dissolued with the sacred presence of most beninge Iesus who is become thy meate and is a flame of loue is it peraduenture because thou art of earth Call to minde O sweet iesus vour owne words Luc. 12. ignem veni mittere interram quid volo nisi vt accendatur I came to cast fire on the earth what will I but that it be kindled Let this fire therefore bee kindled within me to the intent that the earthlines of my hart being burned and consumed I may in maner of a fierie flame ascend on high to search quae Sursum sunt Col. 3. the thinges which are aboue for that they only are able to content and quiet me O my
commonly accounted for a ChristiaÌ„ After some fewe monethes this young Turke fell sicke and his maister sent him vnto the Hospitall where he was receaued and also aduised by the master of the Hospital to prepare him selfe for to be confessed to receaue for so was the order of that house The young man for feare least that he should haue bene cast of and reiected promised to do so and did it without any discouering of him selfe to be a Turke a marucilous matter presently after that he had receaued the Blessed Sacrament he demaunded to be Baptized with such zeale and feruour that he could hide him self no longer but publickly affirmed that hee was a Turke The master of the Hospitall thinking that he had not bene well in his wittes sent me who came as a companion of a Father which preached on the festiuall daies in the said Hospitall to quiet and pacifie him The yong man rehearsed vnto me all that which heere I haue said and desired me to solicite his baptising affirming vnto me that he fouÌ„d great burning with in him and that therfore he was not able to rest or repose him selfe The Chapline hauing well examined the matter and finding that he had bene circumcised did baptise him who hauing receaued holye Baptisme was quiet died the next day An Admonition to the Christian Reader Cap. 28. REMEMBER ChristiaÌ„ Reader that as thou art composed of Soule of body euen so thou hast two liues the one temporall subiect to a thousand casualties The other spirituall subiect also to many imperfections and miseries That consisteth in the vnioÌ„ of the soule with the body which was made in the wombe of thy mother when as God creating thy soule did vnite it vnto thy body This consisteth in the vnioÌ„ of grace with thy soule which is made in the lappe or bosome of the Church our mother when as in the SacrameÌ„t of Baptisme God infused grace into thy soule Both the one the other life as they haue their contraries enemies so haue they conuenient remedies God therefore foreseeing that the enemies of our spirituall health life which are sinnes would often times preuaile As a Phisition no lesse skilfull then mercifull emongest many other helpes hath instituted two Sacraments for remedie of our spirituall life One of holy ConfessioÌ„ An other of the B. Sacrament that to giue spirituall life which is none other then to liue in the grace of God and it is performed by driuing away sinne and by conferring of grace This to conserue the same life which is done by feeding our soule by giuing it force to resist tentatioÌ„s But that which now a daies is greatly to be lamented is that albeit the spirituall life of our soule is more worthy of greater importance then the temporall life of this miserable body yet neuertheles men make little account thereof and diuersly prefer the other before it What â—oth not a sicke person for the â—ecouery of his corporal health He spareth no charges he regarâ—eth no traiuells he careth for â—o bitternes of medicines and â—e easely endureth the launcing â—f sharp rasors and the burning â—f hoat irons he seeketh out and â—ndeth for most skilfull Phisitiâ—ns and he procureth to haue all â—nd of most exquisit medicines â—nd all this he doth for getting â—f corporall health which wheâ—â—er he will or no indureth for a small while and that with infinite labour and trauaile Tell me now therfore O Christian Reader if for the recouery of our spirituall health thou vsest so greate diligence Iudge then if this be not a matter worthely to be lamented I will not here by discoursing search and seeke out the cause of this greate carelesnes whether it be for want of beleefe or else for want of considering those thinges which our holy faith teacheth vs But for coÌ„clusion of this my smal worke I do giue thee this aduise and counsaile if thou desirest as thou oughtest to desire to obtaine spirituall health and life go often to Confession and if thou desirest to keepe and preserue this life do thou also coÌ„municate often for beleeue me in the Church of Christ is no better meanes nor yet any more forcible reason to haue security of sauing thy soule as farre as possiblie it may be had in this daungerous life then to frequent as they ought to be these two Sacraments in conformation whereof I will here set downe that which is written in the booke called Promptuarium Exemplorum Two yong studients being deuout and deare frendes bargained together that the first of them which died God permitting of it shoulde â—ome and giue notice vnto the other of his estate One of these happened to die and seuenteene daies afterward appeared most â—right vnto his Companion saying vnto him I by the grace of God am saued and enioy alreadie the glorie of heauen the other saying vnto him in what thing didest thou please God most whilest that thou liuedst vpon earth he answered in frequenting of the Sacraments and cheefly by often receauing the B. Sacrament with deuotion being farre from all sinne Vigl de fruct san dis 27. THIS WHICH FOLOWeth is takeÌ„ forth of S. Thomas de Aquino Opusc 57. In the which is the Office and the Masse of the most holy Sacrament the one and the other were coÌ„posed of him by the commaundement of the holy Pope Vrban the 4. which instituted the feast of the most holy Sacrament The Himne at the first Euensong PANGE lingua gloriosi Corporis mysterium Sanguin sque pretiosi Quem in mundi pretium Fructus ventris generosi Rex effudit gentium Nobis datus nobis natus Exintacta Virgine Et in mundo conuersatus Sparso verbi semine Sui moras incolatus Miro clausit ordine In supremae nocte cenae Recumbens cum fratribus Obseruata lege plene Cibis in legalibus Cibum turbae duodenae Se dat suis manibus Verbum caro panem verum Verbo carnem efficit Fitque sanguis Christi merum Et si sensus deficit Ad firmandum cor sincerum Sola fides fufficit Tantum ergo Sacramentum Veneremur cernui Et antiquum documentuÌ„ Nouo cedat ritui Prestet fides supplementuÌ„ Sensuum defectui Genitori genitoque Laus iubilatio Salus honor virtus quoque Sit benedictio Procedenti ab vtroque Compar sit laudatio Amen The same in English OF Christ his body glorious Sing my tong the mistery And also of his pretious blood Which the worlds price to be The king of natioÌ„s did shed forh Fruit of noble wombe was he On vs bestowed for vs borne Of a maid vntoucht indeed Conuersant vpon the earth Sowing of his word thee seed And of his time of being here Strangely he the end decreed The night he with his brethren sate And his supper last did make In full obseruance of the law Law-assigned meates did take Himself food to Apostles twelue With his handes he did
vile and base creature O loue exceeding greate is thy force I thought that the wise man had spoken sufficientlye enough of thy force and power when as hee saide Fortis est vt mors dilectio Cant. 8. Loue is as stronge as death But now I see ful well that of thy force may be spoken much more for that thy sharpe and swift arrows passed through the high heauens and arriued vnto the very breast of Almightie God whither the persing darts of death coulde neuer come nor approche any thing neare And not contenting thy selfe herewith thou woundest the hart of the louer in such sorte that thou makest him to do what thou list and by transforming him into the thing which he loueth thou dost not only seperate him from all created things as death doth but also from him selfe It would haue bene sufficient enough my creator that thou shouldest haue ben giuen vnto vs for our Lord and our God which thing your holy Prophet accompted for a greate blessednes when he saide Beatus populus cuius Dominus de us eius Psal 148 Blessed is the people whose Lord is God But loue hath farther inforced thee to doe those thinges which humaine wisdome cannot comprehend It is verily most trew that thou being the God of maiestie Infinite and Immortall wast made man not only to suffer and die for vs but farther to feede our soules with thy most pure sacred flesh Thanked bee loue which coulde so prudently finde out this maruailous meanes Let therfore worldly wismē go masure with their small vnderstanding the infinitnes of this deuine loue Luc. 10 wherfore my Lord with verie great reason Abscondisti haec a sapientibus prudentibus reuelasti ea paruulis Thou hast hidden these thinges from wise and prudent men and hast reuealed thē vnto litle on s But yet I cannot o my Sauiour but remaine altogither amased with the mightie boldenes of this your loue since that at the verie time whē as the torrents of your tribulatiō were so maruilously increased Luc. 22. that the onely thinking thereof in the garden made you to swet bloud it made you so forgetfull of your selfe and of the torments which were prepared for you that you thought onely how to prouide for vs this most diuine meate O most louing Iesus full well is it written of this your charitie Aquae multae non potuerunt extinguere charitatem Cant. 8. nec flumina obruent illam The greate waters of your passion the fludes of your greiues coulde not hinder your charitie from bestoing vpon vs this so pretious and so singuler a gift O my soule 4. Reg. the Prophet Elizeus made great account of the cloake which Elias his maister at his departure leaft him with the which he deuided the waters of Iordaine and passed through them drie shodd The Lord and God of Elias being to pass from this world vnto his Father hath left thee not a garmēt but his most sacred body to th entent he might be thy companion in this painfull pilgrimage thy comfort in tribulation a most holsome meate in spirituall life Iudge now therfore what accounte thou oughtest to make with how great deuotion thou oughtest to receaue him Pray therefore vnto this thy most liberall benefactor that the same may not happen vnto thee which happened vnto the people of Israell to whom Iesus our Sauiour was giuen for a maister and a guide but they making noe account of so worthy a guide nor yet of his heauenly doctrine remained still with the veale of ignorāce ouer their eies and that which is worse adioyned vnto their blindnes the vice of ingratitude THE SECOND MEDITATION OF the excellencie and dignitie of the Blessed Sacrament CHAP. II. Pointes to meditate 1 CONSIDER how this most venerable Sacramēt is the beginning of all grace heauenly gifts for that in it selfe it conteineth Christ from whō as frō the liuely frountaine is deriued al grace al holines which can be found in the other Sacraments and in the wholle Church 2 The greate miracles wrought by this misterious Sacrament the seuere chastismentes where with God hath punished those which vnworthely hanled it do euedently declare the great dignitie thereof 3 Consider how to receaue the other Sacraments it is sufficiēt to haue contrition that there may be no let or hendrance of the grace which they conferre But to receaue this Sacrament after that one hath fallen into mortall sinne besides sorow reuerence is required another Sacrament that is of Confessiō which is an euedent signe of the greatnes thereof 4 Finally the magnificēce wher with the Church keepeth the sacred Eucharist the solemne processions which are made when it is caried abroade and the faling down on their knees of all great Princes at the only sight of this misticall Sacramēt giue greate testimonies of the dignitie and excellencie thereof The fruit That which is to be reaped by this meditation is deuoutly to reuerence and humbly to honor with affectiō of hart this so worthy and so excellent a Sacramēt not only with internall but also with externall actes A discourse in maner of a spirituall speach REIOYCE be glad O holy Church for this so pretious a gifte which frō heauen hath dscēded vnto thee for so great and so worthy is this gifte that nether in earth nor in heauē cā be any greter thing since that it conteineth in it selfe him whō the Apostle calleth Heb. 8. Splendor gloriae Dei the brightnes of the glorie of God although hidden and couered for thy greater fauour Thou knowest verie well that when Moyses descended frō mount Sinay where he had talked with Almightie God the sonnes of Isralel could not speke with him for the brightnes of his countināce for which cause the holie Scripture saieth that Posuit velamen super faciem suam Exod. 34. He put a veale vpon his face that thereby euery one might speake and conuerse with him After this sorte our heauenlye Moyses hath done with vs who not contenting him selfe with deliuering of vs from the hard seruitude of Egipt hath vealed and couered him selfe with the accidents and forme of bread that by this meanes the brightnes of his glory shoulde nether feare vs nor make vs remaine farr of from him O vnmesureable loue how much hast thou preuailed with my Lord. Thou holy Church hast good reason to builde riche Altars to erect goodly Tabernacles and with many lights to honor this most holy reuerend bread Cloath therefore thy walls with pretious tapestries and make greate Pixes of siluer and of golde for to keepe and place the same for since that it is the rich Iewell of that ringe whereby thou art espoused vnto Almightie God it is most fit and conuenient that it should be adorned with all-kind of rich pretious ornamēts Albeit whatsoeuer thou art able to doe it is all litle or nothing in respect of the excelencie
deare sisters our aduocates baue pleaded our cause before Christ our Sauiour Mercie hath presented our infirmities and hath demaunded help Wisdome hath found out the meane for to helpe vs Charitie hath enforced Iesus our Sauiour to effect it the maner is this that by meanes of this most potent Sacrament Christ Iesus will so vnite vs with him selfe that therby we become all one with him for to this end do we receaue him I most huÌ„bly thank you our heauenly Adam who haue repaired that which earthly Adam destroied hee with his meate made vs to be alienated and to stand farre of from Almightie God whereof did arise our basenes infirmities other miseries but you my sweet Sauiour by this celestiall meate do reunite vs with God froÌ„ whence ariseth our nobilitie our strengh and fortitude spirituall giftes I praie you therefore most beninge Iesus that this vnion may be soe and so sure that neither death nor life nor tribulation nor any creature may be able to seperate me from you Graunte me good Lord that I may in such forte be vnited with you that I may glorie with the Apostle and say Gal. 2 Vino aurem â—am non ego viuit vero in me Christus I liue not but Christ liueth in me THE EIGHT MEDITATION A spiritual exercise to prepare our selues for receauing when wee goe to the Church CHAP. VIII Pointes to meditate THAT day wherein thou determinest to communicate in the morning assone as thou wakest thinke that our Sauiour with greate desire expecteth thee in the Church that for to come and repose him selfe in thy soule wherfore thou like vn to a spouse for to please him oughtest to vse more dâ—ligence in the inward adorning of thy soule where with he is well plea sed then aboute the externall trimming of the bodie 2 By the way as thou goest vnto the Church consider what mirth and cheerfulnes thy good Angel keeper feeleth seing thee go to receaue his and thy Lord and thou shalt pray that he will helpe thee to receaue himworthely 3 Being entred in to the Church praie vnto the Blessed Virgine or to some other thy deuoted Saint to accompanie thee in receauing of Iesus thy Sauiour who will be thy guest 4 Assone as thou beginnest to see the Altar where the Blessed SACRAMENT remaineth make humble reuerence there vnto with thy harte and esteeming thy selfe farre vnworthy of soe greate a maiestie Euc. 18 say with the Publican Deus propitius esto mibi peccatori God be mercifull vnto me a sinner The Fruit. The fruit of this eight meditation shal be to procure a spirituall reioicing in thy soule by cause thou art to receaue thy heauenly spouse for this kinde of reioycing greatly pleaseth our Lord. A Colloquium Kneeling downe before the Altar make this or some such like speach vnto our Sauiour before thou doest communicate HOVV greate fauour is this my beninge Iesus which you now yeald me Am not I that miserable creature which so often and by so many meanes haue most impudently offended you What goodnes is there in me that with particuler inspirations you should drawe mee vnto your sacred table If Dauid O Lord made lame Miphiboseth to come vnto him would haue him to eate at his Regall and kingely table 2. Reg. 3. and to be vsed as a Kinges sonne because he was the sonne of Ionathas his speciall frend of whom Dauid had receaued many benefites But if you my Lord beholde me you shall finde me lame both hand and foote hauinge neuer done any thing well and worthie of praise and if farther you consider my first father Adam you shall finde disobedience rebellion Now that you my soueraigne Lord infinitely more wise and more mightie then euer kinge Dauid was make me an vngratefull worme of the earth to come vnto you that I might be fedde with the most pretious meate of your heaueÌ„ly table is a thinge of such exceeding greatenes that it confoundeth me ouermuch for that I am not onely vnworthie to approch nere vnto your sacred Altar but also worthely deserue to be repelled farre of from you as one that is colde and vngratfull beholde O Lord I am come to receaue you in to the house of my soule But O Alas Salomon the wise hauinge spent many yeares bestowed greate charges in building vp of a most rich sumptuous Temple Maruelled much with him selfe that the God of maiestie would vouchsafe to come and dwell therein wherefore being amased and as it were besides himselfe saide Si enim caelum caeli caeloruÌ„ te capere non possunt quanto magis domus haec quam aedificaui 3. Reg. 8 If heauen and the heauen of heauens can not coÌ„prehend you how wil this house which I haue builded for you vpon earth now what shall I say who haue scarcely spent two howers to prepare my soule for you O my Lord since that it pleaseth you to come and repose your selfe in the house of my soule I humbly beseech you to make my soule a house of praier and consecrated to your heauenly father to th enteÌ„t you may repose therein and I remaine comforted singe with the Prophet Virga tua baculus tuus ipsa me consola ta sunt Psa 22. your rod and your staffe haue comforted me THE NINTHE MEDITATION CHAP. IX When we are readie to receaue Pointes to meditate 1 BEFORE that thou dost coÌ„municate consider well these wordes of the Blessed Virgine which she spake vnto the Angell wheÌ„ as the sonne of God was incarnate in her Luc. 10 Ecce Ancil la Domini fiat mihi secuÌ„duÌ„ verbuÌ„ tuum Behold the handmaid of our Lord be it donne to me according to thy word Since therfore that thou art to receaue the selfe same Sonne of God thou oughtest to account thy selfe as a seruaÌ„t remeÌ„bring wel that the seruant dependeth of his master desiring that only which his master desireth and neither more nor lesse 2 When as thou doest coÌ„municate thinke that euen then thy LORD doth enter into thy soule to whom thou shalt do all reuerence by adoring of him as thy God and most deare Master 3 Consider afterward how thou art compassed round about with Angells adoring doing chefe reuerence vnto their Lord who really remaineth vnder the form of Bread which thou euen then hast receaued 4 Finally thinke that now thou art no more thine owne neither art thou to vse thy selfe as a thinge of thine owne but as a thinge of Gods The Fruite The fruit of this Ninthe meditation shal be to make a firme purpose to be faithfull affectionate and diligent towardes God him selfe and likewise towardes all thinges which belonge vnto his diuine maiestie For with-out those qualities noe seruant can be acceptable vnto his Lorde master A Colloquium O my Lord how greately haue you humbled your selfe by coÌ„minge vnto the poore house of my soule it should haue bene sufficient enough for