aboundant graces preserued her as all Catholiques belieue from venially offending him by a like and indeed far lesse priuiledge of his loue freed her also from all mortall and sinfull contagion Of our B. Ladyes Natiuity Chap. 3. THis dawning of our Eternall Day as the Church calleth the sacred Virgin being cleared in her first rising and brightly mātled with that sunnes beames which to illuminate the whole world rose afterwards in her S. Annes wombe became as a quiet Oratory for her to pray in and render humble thankes to her diuine Lord for his gracious fauours newly then conferred on her with such an infused kind of knowledge as S. Iohn Baptist had when in his mothers wōbe at his Redeemers presence he ioyfully exulted Her first graces actuall and habituall were such no doubt as well became so diuine and liberall a Sonne to bestow for her first welcome into the world vpon so deseruing a Mother as he foresaw she would be vnto him The Eternall Father likewise began euen then as his humble handmaid graciously to respect her and the subsisting spirit of Loue and Bounty as his designed spouse by wonderfull graces to indeare her vnto him Angells as their Lords future Mother highly honoured this gracious Infant and Gabriell a chiefe Prince amongst them was then appointed and most gladly accepted to be a Guardian vnto her by whose happy birth and holy life all mankind was to be graced and blessed Her Infancy was as we may well call it a holy Exercise of Charity towards God brought into the earth with her dutifull Loue to her Blessed parents and glad Patience in sustayning all infirmities common to children resembling then in her innocent and holy demeanures the like carriages of her diuine Sonne in his childhood afterwards so as she had no way ward fancyes or childish passions ordinarily proceeding from the vse of reason and actuall graces wanting in other children but Innocency graced her from her first entrance amongst men Purity consecrated her to her diuine spouse Sanctity enriched her Humility prepared her to receaue from him frequent and wonderfull fauours Modesty did set out her rare bewtyes made them more gracefull to such as beheld her Of our B. Ladies Presentation and life in the Temple Chap. 4. THE mother of God was in her tender yeares to her own great comfort and the merit of her holy Parents planted say th◠S. Iohn Damascene as a fruitfull Oliue in the house of God to become fatned there to flourish with all graces As another Hester she was trāslated into heauenly Assucrus Pallace to be adorned there sweetned and made ready for his future imbracements where not Egeus the Eunuch but Gabriel a chiefe Angell with his glorious cōpanions tenderly regarded her by the appointmēt of their Lord and familarized themselues with her Her life there as S. Ambrose describeth it was such as she became therein a mirrour to others of vertuous perfection To her superiours sayth he she was humbly obedient courteous to her inferiours and mildly sweet to her equals not eating oftner or more at any tyme then naturall necessity inforced her vnto praying much sleeping litle and neuer so but that her hart was waking in a manner the while often interrupting with holy thoughts the repose of her senses Her bodily beauty was like a flower sweetned with internall graces and blowne forth to the fulnes of corporall perfection neuer faded much in earth and in heauen now gloriously repayred Her holy Parents hauing enioyed themselues and yielded to the world the blessing of such a child happily departed this life as great Authours haue coniectured during her aboad in the Temple because there is not in the Euangelicall History any mention at all of them as certaynly there would haue byn had they byn liuing at and after our Sauiours Incarnation Of our B. Ladyes Espousalls to S. Ioseph Chap. 5. THis sacred pure Virgin liuing amongst a carnall people farre more respecting the blessing of children by marriage then virginall integrity and perfection was about the 15. yeare of her age by the will of them who were Rulers of the Temple espoused to a man of her owne Tribe fitly chosen first by God and afterwards by them as a husbād for her ripe in yeares chast in the profession of his life farre excelling sayth S. Bernard as well in the future dignity of his office as in heauenly sanctity that holy Patriarch and best beloued sonne of Iacob whose Name also he mysteriously enioyed a true heyre of Dauids vertues whose Sonne the Angell called him and a man according to Gods owne hart much more then he worthy as a mortal man could be to deuide the name of a Father with God himselfe to haue as a good and faythfull Steward such heauenly treasures as were the Incarnate Word and his gracious Mother recommended vnto him Her being so espoused was sayth S. Hierome for the legitimation of our Sauiours birth to the Iewes and help of his education needfully required and that also his being borne of a spotles Virgin might be concealed from the diuell Which reason alleadged by great Jgnatius who liued to know her and our Redeemer himselfe seemeth to inferre that neyther in the miraculous Conception of her child or at any tyme after infernall spirits dared to approach her Angelically garded and like an Army ranged for a battayle terrible vnto them Holy Ioseph was before marriage as may be most probably ghessed made acquainted with her virginall vow being himselfe a Virgin purely and piously disposed most willingly yielded thereunto and resolued gladly to accompany her in the obseruance thereof They liued to geather at her poore house in Nazareth S. Ioachims Sheepcote as S. John Damascene calleth it first graced with the B. Virgins happy birth and afterwards more highly dignifyed by the diuine Words Incarnation and life lead there from his returne out of Egypt till after his Baptisme so that as a sacred monument of Christianity and a sure testimony of of our Sauiours pouerty it was first by the Apostles themselues conuerted into a Chappell and since not only preserued in the miserable ruines of Palestine but from place to place likewise for the greater veneration thereof by Angels translated Deuour people come from seueral Countryes thronging vnto it Princes haue with their votarie guifts Donaries enriched it miracles haue wonderfully graced it and where now it remayneth it is as a most precious Iewell cabbined in a curious Couering of white marble and hath besids a fayre Church built ouer it wherin it standeth as a most holy Sanctum Sanctorū breathing sanctity into the pious visitours thereof and delighting I doubt not heauenly Creatures to behod it Of our B. Ladyes salutation by the Angell Chap. 6. THe sacred Virgin and her holy Spouse had not liued lōg togeather but the fulnes of tyme was come as S. Paul calleth the happy instant of our Sauiours Incarnation when the diuine persons sent a
with the Holy Ghost before she spake to the mother of God so were Zachary her holy husband and Simeon before they brake out into their propheticall Canticles But before the B. Virgin entred into hers no new inspiration is mentioned to let vs thereby know that she did no more therin then a litle open the enriching Treasures of diuine Loue and knowledge hūbly by her before hidden and euer concealed but when in gratitude to the liberall Authour of them she was sweetly enforced to discouer them And as her Cosin had magnifyed her so did she for them magnify her Lord and as S. Iohn exulted in the wombe so her spirit likewise exulted in God her Sauiour an hūble Prophetesse afterwards sayth S. Basil of her owne future greatnes and a deuout Preacher in the rest of her high Canticle of her Creatour prayses and mercyes especially in sending his sonne graciously to redeeme vs. Behould sayth she from henceforth all Generations shall call me blessed because he that is mighty hath done great things to mee c. giuing vs to vnderstand that holy soules euen to the worlds end should admire Gods gracious goodnes towards her and blesse not only him the Giuer but her also the Receauer of such wonderfull blessings Then sweetly delighted to vtter Gods mercifull loue to men and dreadfull seuerity in tumbling downe the proud Angells from their high seates for offending him shee concludeth her sacred Canticle with a feruent and gratefull acknowledgement of that high Blessing of Blessings which by her he intended to his people She is sayd to haue stayed about three monethes with her Cosin that this holy family might lastingly enioy the comfort of her presence whose first approach had byn the cause of such blessings vnto them that the little Champion as S. Ambrose calleth S. Iohn might be the more fully annointed and in the lappe and armes of this mayden and gracious Mother of his diuine Redeemer haue new graces breathed into him For by the Ecclesiasticall order of celebrating the feast of our Ladyes Visitation the day after S. Johns Octaue we are giuen to vnderstād that she stayed with her Cosin vntill the childes circumcision Holy Zachary likewise no stranger in his owne house nor vnworthy to haue these secrets of heauen imparted vnto him may well be supposed to haue heard in his owne miraculous silence the propheticall outcryes of his wife and mysterious Canticle of his Cosin pōdering them deuoutly in his hart vntill with his tongue in the circumcision of his child his speach was restored and himselfe newly inspired to add his owne Cāticle vnto them Of our Sauiours Incarnation manifested to S. Ioseph Chap. 10. AS the Mother of God had eminent graces and fauours heaped from heauen continually vpon her so had she two excellent vertues Humility to wit Taciturnity to hide them which after her returne to Nazareth she holily exercised For in a short tyme the happy grouth of her diuine Babe appeared in her wombe and her sacred breasts as pearly-bottels tipped with rubyes and filled from heauen to nurse God himselfe in humane nature plainely discouered that to S. Ioseph her louing and beloued Spouse which she desired not to haue hidden from him Her knowne sanctity vowed purity of life caused him not to suspect on the one side any adulterous sacriledge to haue byn committed by her more more stil appearing gracious vnto him yet seeing on the other side euident signes of her being with child ignorant sayth S. Hierome of this high mystery and holily resolued not to liue perplexedly with her or to expose her to infamy and death ordayned by the Iewish law for adulterous women with a griefe no doubt proportionable to his great loue towards her and vnspeakable delight which he tooke in her sweet society and presence he resolued secretly to leaue her and she the while though dearely respecting him resolued not to satisfy him in his doubt by reuealing without a diuine warrant such heauenly secrets reserued indeed by a heauenly messenger to be related vnto him Joseph sonne of Dauid said the Angell vnto him in his sleepe feare not to take Mary to thy wife for that which is borne of her is of the holy Ghost she shall bring forth a Sonne thou shalt call his name IESVS for he shall saue his people from their sinnes ouerioying him no doubt by so happy a tidinges comforting him far more then his intended departure from so deare and gracious a spouse had formerly afflicted him for then he foresawe and with due thankfulnes acknowledged such wonderfull fauours and diuine blessings as by being husband to such a wife and foster-foster-Father to such a child as was the Incarnate Sonne of God himselfe and Redeemer of the world would be heaped vpon him making many feruent resolutions with an awfull loue glad diligence from thence-forth to serue them and vttering them in a ioyfull and louing maner to his Blessed spouse as humbly and thankfully accepting them Such calmes after stormes Almighty God is wont for their triall and merit to bestow on his seruants children dearest vnto him Of our B. Ladies Expecting longing for the byrth of her Child Chap. 11. THe Indian Oysters vse to shut vp within their shells Pearles which they haue bred so fast as without violence they open not thēselues to yield vp such treasures But it was not so in this sacred mother-pearle of Heauen for as she had in her Virginall wōbe for the worlds redēption diuinely conceaued her sonne so was she for this high end desirous to produce him Whome she well knew to lye as a rich treasure mined within her body which should no sooner be brought to light but other holy persōs the sheephards for example the 3. Kings old Simeon Anna and many with them would togeather with her selfe come to be enriched holily and happly by it Or like a burning cole buryed vnder hot embers he was inclosed in her wombe which bared and layd open would sparcle send forth flames with which the whole world was afterwards to be fired lightened and purged according to his owne words in the Ghospell J came to send fire into the world and what will J but that it should be kindled Or like a rich Iewell he lay cabbined vntill his birth in her with whose gracious lustre when it came to be exposed men and Angells were to be exceedingly and equally delighted or finally like some delicious holsome fruite he lay shelled and vntasted vntill he came by holy soules to be relished and fed vpon For her owne comfort also this sacred Mother desired her sonnes birth with vnspeakable longing to see him imbrace him and performe all motherly duties vnto him which whilst he lay in her pure wombe she could not All that she could do there for him was to adore him in his humility yield the Enclosure of her body freely vnto him embracing him as he lay within it eating chiefly to
imitably gracious in all his behauiours speaches to these two only knowing his greatnes for 30. yeares together conuersing domestically with him who were neither dull to conceaue nor hard to belieue the mysterious verity of his speaches vnto them And if that be true which Salomon sayth that with the good a man shall be good how good then were these two who liued with goodnes it selfe and had their soules euer opened and prepared to receaue full streames flowing from the fountayne therof continually into them And if our Sauiour proclaymed the eyes of his disciples happy in hauing seene him whome so many Kings Prophets had desired to see and could not and their eares likewise blessed in hearing his speaches how happy and blessed may we conceaue his holy Parents to haue byn who with eyes and eares of soule and body together more lastingly clearely and deuoutly beheld their diuine Sonne pondering his mysterious speaches and in their hartes as it is sayd of the B. Virgin twice by the Euangelist deeply and delightfully considering them Of the B. Virgins charitable sorrow for S. Iosephs death Chap. 24. WHen this Blessed man dyed cannot out of the Ghospell be any wayes gathered Only it may most probably be ghessed that our Sauiour sent him to a happy rest before he began his owne preaching labours The place of his death is likest to haue byn in Nazareth where he liued and the circumstances therof are vnknown further then that as he was a iust man aduanced to a dignity more then Patriarchicall in being spouse to the Mother of God and Foster-father to the incarnate Word himselfe so was his end no doubt blessed and his merits suitable vnto it And whereas we read of many Saintes so diuinely fauoured in their sicknesse and death as they had their good Angells visibly comfortably attending them this Blessed man enioyed a far greater priuiledge when in his sicknesse and death the sonne of God himselfe and his gracious mother with a most charitable diligēce were ready to performe all seruiceable offices vnto him The disease of which he dyed seemeth to haue byn old age and the vsuall infirmities thereof increased perchance in him by the hard labours of his life as Pomegranuts vse to breake and fall to the ground by the ouer-filling grouth of their sweet kernells to rise againe in a new spring afterwards And whereas holy Men are said to dye in our Lord Blessed S. Ioseph may be said to haue dyed in him after a higher manner to wit reposed in the armes imbacements as we may conceaue of his heauenly Redeemer his immaculate louing Spouse not fayling the whilst to close his dying eyes to kisse his cold cheekes with flowing streames of teares to take her leaue of him by whome liuing she her diuine Sonne had byn so purely beloued and faithfully serued His gracious soule was no sooner breathed out but Angells there present ioyfully carryed it to the holy troopes of Patriarks Prophets and Saintes disceased before him as their heauenly Redeemers foster-Foster-father to be honoured imbraced and ioyfully welcommed by them whilst his Spouse her diuine Sōne caused his pure body to be decently interred put into the earth where perchance it was from corruption graciously preserued to be gloriously repayred in our Sauiours Resurrection with other saintes bodies then miraculously raysed since no Saint deserued more then he to accompany his God and Sonne at his first entrance into his heauenly Kingdome Of the Blessed Virgin being in Cana with her sonne at a wedding Chap. 25. AFter S. Joseph his death the B. Virgin liued alone with her diuine sonne flowing in heauenly delights then without a partner receaued continually from him vntill his going to be baptized by S. John in the Riuer of Jordan whence after his Baptisme fasting in the desert and calling of many disciples to follow him he returned into Galilee and was with his B. Mother at Cana inuited to a wedding mysteriously graced shewed not to be sinfull as some ancient Heretiques affirmed by the sacred presence of two such guests who pleased to be present at the same Whose wedding this was is not known but that the Brides were poore may be well gathered from their want of wine before the Dinner was ended which want of theirs being knowne by the mother of compassion she came to her sonne well knowing his diuine power to effect her owne graciousnes to obtayne what she meant to aske of him saying they haue no wine briefly intimating so their wantes and her owne charitable desires of relieuing them to him who without words did she doubted not know them before hand would in his bounty there presently redresse them His reply woman what is that to thee and me was not harsh as Caluin wickedly affirmed but mysterious to let vs therby know that not her will albeit euer holy and pleasing vnto him but the decree of his eternall Father did in doing miracles chiefly direct him And by telling her that his houre was not yet come yet doing withall what she intreated him he gaue vs sufficiētly to vnderstand that her request made him to exercise sooner thē otherwise he would haue done his miraculous power in performing that charity which she intreated so of him and by going afterwards to the wayters and bidding them do whatsoeuer her Sonne commaunded them she wisely and charitably prepared them as Cardinall Tolet well noteth not to hinder by their vnwillingnes what she knew he intended as hauing byn diuinely inspired to aske that miracle of him and taught to know withall his manner of performing it by causing to wit water to be drawn by the wayters afterward into wine miraculously conuerted And the fruites of this first miracle so obtayned by her are said to haue byn the manifestation of her sonnes glory confirmation of his disciples Of our B. Ladies going to dwell at Capharnaum with her Son Chap. 26. OVr B. Sauiour intending whē he began to preach to transferre his dwelling from Nazareth to Capharnaum is sayd to haue taken his B. Mother with him that mutually they might enioy ech others company and withall that such persons as were conuerted vnto him might haue her a liuely mirrour of vertuous and exemplar perfection conuersant with them So that this heauenly Sun of Iustice shining heere on earth had two Maries bright starres indeed of the Sea as their names importe illustrated by him in their seuerall graces and wayting louingly on him the one euer a cleere mirrour of vnspotted perfectiō the other a liuely patterne at length of harty Contrition Graces were in the one as a bright sun-shine neuer sinnefully clowded and in the other as a radiant sky from storms newly cleared The one was as a full fountayne of liuing waters neuer defiled the other as a deepe well freshly clensed and filled The one neuer wanted a rich patrimony of heauenly graces still by her wonderfully increased the other
fauour commonly denied by the Religious of our nation who are knowne in all places to refuse strangers albeit very worthy persons amongst thē as I for my part therby conceaue the odour of their holy Example to be very sweet and pleasing to God it being able so to attract strangers diuinely also guided vnto them Your deuoted poore Friend and Seruant in Christ IESVS I. F. The Authours Preface to the B. Virgin O Most pure gracious Mother of my heauenly Redeemer whilst in these Papers I haue sought to expresse thy Greatnes I haue seemed to my selfe as one sayling with a small Cock-boat in a vast Ocean or labouring with single sandes to rayse a high mountayne He indeed knowing the least who thinketh himselfe able to comprehend thee Perfect in thy nature Sacred in thy Office Complete in thy Graces and now Wonderfull in thy glorious Perfections imitating thy Sonnes Vertues most as being more then all other Saintes stored with his Goodnes ablest to see our necessityes readyest to aske remedies for them and powerfullest from him who will deny thee nothing to obtayne them I offer heere the slender fruites of my poore Prayers to thy Selfe the gracious subiect of them ayming at no other end in them then some increase of Deuotion towards thee in such as shall read them Which J aske also for my selfe as a far greater blessing then J can merit any wayes by them The Authours Petition VAst Sea of Glory who art blest With an Eternall Calme rayse in my brest Tempests of Sorrow stormes of sighes Let waues of teares breake through myne eyes That they may quench ere life is done The dreadfull wrath of thy deare Sonne THE LIFE OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY Of our Blessed Ladyes high and holy Pedigree CHAP. I. THOSE texts of the new Testamēt wherin the Mother of God is mentioned are not vnfitly by a graue Authour compared to deep grounds in musicke so cūningly layd as no discant of humane prayses can neerly expresse them Her lineal discent from Dauid registred by two of the Euangelists and her being Cosin to S. Elizabeth as the Angell called her do sufficiently assure vs that her high and holy Pedigree was of Patriarchicall Propheticall Priestly and Princely Progenitours iointly composed These foure sortes of Persons therein contayned were as foure rootes out of which this flourishing branche of Iesse his tree happily issued They were like to the foure Riuers flowing in Paradise from whose cleare streames meeting togeather this inundation and full of sea of heauenly graces as we may rightly call this sacred Virgin was deriued They were as foure Wheeles on which this royall Chariot of Maiesty and Loue was brought vnto vs prepared for the King of Heauens triumphant entrāce into this world to conquer Sinne Death and Hell for vs. She was as S. John Damascene from an Apostolical tradition assureth vs conceaued of barren and aged Parents that Grace might preuayle aboue Nature Lust haue no place in her holy Conception S. Ioachim and S. Anne sayth this holy Father were great Almes-giuers and very deuout persons both to deserue at Gods hands the blessing of such a child and that sanctity likewise as S. Ambrose writeth of S. John Baptist might descend as it were hereditarily on her in whome the Authour of sanctity was to be contayned An Angell is sayd to haue fortould her birth by whome the ruines caused in heauen by the fal of Angells were to be repayred Her Patents hauing in pious vses giuen away the greatest part of their worldly substance liuing as they did in a remote Prouince of Palestine and that poore Village of Nazareth prepared as it were the way to our heauenly Redeemers poore Natiuity and humble life lead afterward among vs. Of our B. Ladyes immaculate Conception Chap. 2. AS Almighty God had elected this sacred Virgin to the highest office and greatest vnion with himselfe which a pure creature could be assumed vnto so did he no doubt singularly prepare her therunto by conferring on her proportionable graces For as from our Sauiours high title of being called the Son of God S. Paul collecteth his infimite excellency aboue the Angels only called Gods Ministers and seruants so may we in like manner from this B. Virgins soueraigne title of being the mother of God well gather her graces to haue been farre greater then her diuine Father Sonne Spouse had at any time before bestowed vpon the greatest of their seruants And as she concurred in an especiall manner to redeeme the world by communicating flesh and bloud to the heauenly Redeemer thereof the high prices of our redemption So did she no doubt singularly partake the fruites therof holiest manner of being by him redeemed That whereas other soules in their first creation vnion with bodies contracte the hatefull foulenes of originall sinne she by her sonnes sweet blessing was frō that fowle infection graciously preserued so as Nature Grace began togeather in her and happily conspired to make her cōplete in naturall and supernaturall perfection As a bright starre of the sea according to the mysterious signification of her name a heauenly splend our in her first rising did wonderfully adorne her 〈…〉 out of which the flowing spring of all graces was to rise no filth of sinne did euer defile her As a liuely and most louely tabernacle of the highest she was no sooner raysed but the seauen-headded lampe of the Holy Ghost did flame in her and as a mysterious Arke placed in the beautifull Temple of her body her innocent soule was with Cherubims wings acts to wit of heauenly knowledge loue graced and protected Syria's King had no power to cast any of his deadly dartes into this euer holy and diuinely guarded Hierusalem This louely spouse of heauenly Assuerus was from the rigourous penalty of his lawes made not for her but for ordinary subiects graciously exempted The naturall and immediate vnion which this sacred Virgin was to haue afterwards with her diuine sonne preuay led far more with graces to enrich her then her remote deriuation from Adam sinfully to infect her Eues oldnes had no place in this new womans cōception ordayned to be the gracious helper of the sonne of God in our heauenly regeneration and in graces therfore to be likened vnto him And surely that particular enmity which Almighty God promised to place betweene her and Satan in the hearing of our first parents importeth her to haue byn dearely vnited to the gracious Author of that promise neuer by any kinde of sinne enthralled to him ouer whome by her Sonne she so gloriously triūphed Pious eares and harts abhorring to heare spokē that this sacred mother of their heauenly Redeemer inherited sinne as other children do for her birth-right in this world and became therby her enemies slaue a child of wrath hatefull to her diuine spouse and guilty for a tyme of eternall damnation No certainly it could not be but that he who by
sustayne him esteeming herself happy in bearing him and willing with her hart bloud if she could to haue yielded nutriment vnto him Who was not dull the whilst or careles in requiting her affectionate intertaynement but as the sunne is wont more more to mantle cleare the Easterne part of heauen before his rising therein so did this diuine fountayne of heauenly charity illuminate inflame and adorne with his brightest beames the soule of this sacred Virgin before his rising from her in our earthly Horizon Of our B. Ladies iourney to Bethleem Chap. 12. CAEsars Edict hastned odedient Ioseph and his humble spouse towards Bethleem there to be enrolled then a ruinous poore Village and farre different from what it had byn when great Salomon as his fathers birth-place with high wals turrets and stately pallaces guarded graced and enriched it yet neuer dignifyed the same so much as did these poore strangers by entring into it and bringing with them Israels heauenly King and great Captayne to be borne there as long before Micheas had prophesied so as it ioyed in an vnspeakable māner this holy couple to know that they were now arriued at the designed place of their Sōnes and Sauiours natiuity Weary of their foot-iourney friendles as poore persons reiected at the Inne stored with richer guests humbly patiētly they betooke themselues to a poore stable or Caue there as S. Hierome calleth it to beasts beggars equally exposed fitly chosen by the Sonne of God notwithstanding as mysteriously represēting the worlds estate darkened by insidelity with horrible sinnes abominably defiled at his entrance into it Expressing withall the obscurity and vncleanenesse of soules before he come by heauenly graces to be borne within them when of foule stables they become cleane tabernacles for the diuine persons to remayne in The pouerty likewise of the place and want of all things therin aptly yield exemplar documents to holy soules of contemning for his sake pallaces pōpes worldly commodities which this heauenly King for our merit and example as in his birth so throughout his whole life vtterly wanted Of our B. Ladies Child-birth Chap. 13. SAint Bonauēture in a holy cōtemplation of this sacred mystery conceaueth the B. Virgin being come to Bethleem and entred into the stable to haue byn excessiuely replenished with ioy that the long desired houre of her Diuine Sonnes Natiuity so neerly approached and whilest prostrate on her knees in prayer she delighted her soule with holy apprehensions thereof and longing to behold him he miraculously ascended out of her vnopened pure wombe into her blessed armes ready to imbrace him This high priuiledge sayth S. Bernard of being a mother yet remayning still a Virgin hauing byn for her singularly reserued whose child was God Man personally vnited able in his power willing in his loue to preserue his Mother from all payne impurity and corruption in so much as learned Suarez conceaueth the pure Nest in which this diuine Phenix and heaueuly Bird of loue was hatched and ripened for his birth to remayne entirely yet preserued as it was at his going out from it that Angells intellectually and Saintes corporally also may transparently in all eternity and delightefully behold it Insteed of midwife women to help her Angels in their kings birth gladly became his Adorers and her Attendants so that a poore stable by the happy birth of this diuine Babe therein was sodainly cōuerted into an Empyriall heauen a hard crib in which she layd him became this hūble Kings bed of State to repose in poore cloutes in place of purple robes serued to inuest him and the papps of a poore maiden filled from heauen then as her wombe had byn before serued to giue him sucke who fed the birds of the ayre at that instant and attyred the flowers of the field in their fayre and various beauties neuer greater then in being so lessened neuer more glorious then in being so obscured neuer more exalted then in being so humbled neuer more louely then in humane beauty assumed neuer more powrefull then in our infirmityes sustayned Mercy moued him to vndertake the painefull taske of of our Redemption Wisedome guided him Fortitude hartned him and Charity moued him ardētly to imbrace whatsoeuer he saw needfull or expedient to be done or suffered therein for vs. Of our B. Ladyes intertayning the shepheards in Bethleem Chap. 14. THe Angells of heauen hauing ioyfully themselues adored their king hastned into the fields of Bethleem to make the poore shephards there watching their flockes sharers of ioyes with them Feare not said the chiefest of them appearing singly and gloriously vnto them for J come to tell you a ioy which shall be to all people because a Sauiour is borne vnto you this day in Bethleem and forthwith to second these happy tydinges the whole Host of heauen was seene trooping in the ayre heard to sing in a mysterious canticle the fruites of our Sauiours comming in earth and in heauen Glory in the highest to God and peace to men c. And they were no sooner mounted vp to heauen but the shephards hasted to Bethleē where at the cribbe of Christ they ioyfully vttered what the Angells had tould them And our B. Lady is said mysteriously by the Euangelist to haue conserued and conferred all these things in her hart aswell to illuminate delight her soule by a high and amourous contēplation of them as she did all the passages of her sonnes life afterwards as also to be able for the good of others and instruction perchance of this Euangelist himselfe afterwards to relate them who professing as he doth in the beginning of his Ghospell to haue collected the sacred verities therof from such as had byn ministers from the beginning witnesses of them we may well thence inferre him to haue receaued from this sacred Virgins mouth all such particulers of our Sauiours Incarnation and infancy as she alone could testify vnto him hauing byn the chiefe and happy actour in them called therefore by sundry holy Fathers the Mistresse of the Euangelists and S. Cyrill before his Thesaurus vpon S. Iohn wondreth not that like an Eagle he soared aboue his fellowes hauing had frō his Lords Crosse this sacred Arke and rich treasury of heauenly knowledge recōmended vnto him who hauing liued with her diuine sonne as his most inward and wise secretary 30. yeares togeather was all that tyme sitting as it were at a continuall bāquet gustfully feeding delighting her soule with the heauenly viandes of his mysterious speaches and actions conserued still in her hart deuoutly considered Of our Blessed Ladyes nursing and seruing her diuine Sonne Chap. 15. AS it is certayne that our Sauiour was complete in the graces and glory of his soule from the first instant of his humane conception wanting only that experimentall knowledge which was by degrees as in vs to be gayned by the vse of his senses so are we to conceaue this diuine
worlds at that instant praying with the Nazarites the whilst as their God prayed vnto by them gazing with his humane glorious soule on the diuine persons and intuitiuely behoulding all created Obiects So as he gayned no knowledg but experimentall from them wherein with his yeares he is by the holy Euangelist said to haue increased and seemed exteriously to mens eyes more and more gracious in his person and behauiour not by any new graces gayned in his blessed soule euer consummated in them but in gracefull manifestations and expressions of sanctity and knowledge ignorance being no defect of humane nature needfull to be assumed by the sonne of God to make increase for our sinnes his intended satisfaction but wholy indeed vnbeseming him who was to be the heauenly teacher of soules and to deliuer the highest verities as a cleere behoulder of them more then all the Prophets before him and able to secure and warrant after an especiall manner the infallible Authority of his speaches vnto vs. With milliōs of holier thoghts then ordinary Soules can conceaue did his holy Parents continually behould him and draw from all his gracious behauiours and speaches his B. Mother especially as bees do gather sweet hony from flowres new motiues increase of loue towards him and he the whilst was delighted in no earthly obiect more then to see the wonderfull effects of graces in her soule to behold modelled as it were his owne vertues in her as in Archimedes christall Sphere the vast Orbes of heauen their seuerall motions were wonderfully expressed her guifts and fauours continually from him receaued being no other indeed then flowings of his fountayne sparcles of his flame beames of his infinite brightnes Sinne for example was repugnant in him to the maiesty of his owne person and she by her neere vnion with him was from the same or any inclinatiō therevnto totally preserued Acts of vertue were Theandricall in him and by the dooers person infinitely dignified and in her they were euer heroicall and highly enobled by her wonderfull graces Finally as in his bodily bewty he was like to her so did she in her soule resemble more more his gracious perfections that so in both sexes humane nature might become graced and exalted as it had byn before vilified by sinne and extremely debased Of our B. Ladyes finding her lost sonne in the Temple Chap. 22. IT was an yearely custome as the Euangelist telleth vs of Christ and his Parents to celebrate as other deuout people did their Easter in Hierusalem the sonne of God being pleased so to dignfy the Temple by his presence therin and grace those legall sacrifices the types of his Passion The mysterious obseruances of that Feast ended S. Joseph and his B. Spouse returned homewards conceauing their diuine sonne then 12. yeares old to haue gone with their kinsfolkes and neighbours out of the citty before them Whome when at night they found not with wearyed stepps carefull thoughts they returned backe againe presently to seeke him and after much labour and griefe they found him the third day amidst the Doctours of the Temple by his wise demaundes wonderfully astonishing them His Mother when she could come to speake cōueniently with him with an humble expostulation of ioy and loue asked him Sonne why hast thou done so vnto vs as wifely knowing he was not absent but by his owne will from them thy Father and I sorrowing did seeke thee naming her Husband first to expresse her humble loue respect towards him and how her owne sorrow by his afflictions had byn increased whilst S. Ioseph by silence shewed his respect to them both his aufull Reuerence restrayning loue from any such boldenes as the B. Virgin with a greater right and neuer but with his leaue gracious allowance vsed towards him Know you not answered our B. Sauiour that I am to be in the things of my Father Giuing them so to vnderstand that for the seruice of his heauenly Father he had so stayed behind them to teach perchance those Doctours guides of his people by occasiō of his wise questions some profitable verities fit to be knowne and taught to others by them that as the Iewes then so now wee might by such a glimse conceaue his sunny brightnes those enriching treasures of diuine wisedome knowledge which in his tendrest yeares were hoarded vp in him We may also piously ghesse him priuatly and alone in those 3. dayes of his absence to haue visited the holy places of his future sufferings and with an vnspeakable ardour of loue and prompt obedience to haue made his primitiue offerings seuerally in them and vented in lasting prayers and prostrations the feruent longings of his gracious soule afterwards to vndergo them His Parents are said to haue wondred at his words and the B. Virgin to haue conserued and conferred them in her hart that so we might come truly to know that she did euer do so letting none of her diuine Sonnes mysterious words and actions to passe but that by conseruing them in her fresh memory pondering them deuoutly in her hart sheenriched and raysed her illuminated soule continually by them Of our B. Ladyes life with her sonne vntill his Baptisme Chap. 23. THe Euāgelist concludeth our Sauiours whole life from his being found in the Temple vntill his Baptisme in these words He returned with his Parents to Nazareth and was obedient vnto them to wit by a voluntary submission of himself and a louing readines to do what they would haue him who priuy to his hidden maiesty and greatnes with a louing boldenes so cōmaunded him as their sonne that as God the whilst and their Redeemer they humbly in their thoughts and affections adored him Wherfore we may well cōceaue the blessed order of that family wherein three persons only liued one of them diuine and the other two eminently holy exercising Humility and Charity towards ech other he in obeying and they in commaunding him for the glory of his Father and future instruction of his seruāts subiected vnto them He with filiall loue respected his gracious Mother as the naturall and instrumentall cause of his humane being omitting at no tyme the duty of a child towards her and to S. Ioseph his reputed Father he yielded a gratefull behauiour for his many painfull labours and fatherly offices towards him with heaped graces no doubt and diuine fauours from tyme to tyme liberally requiting them Their liuing with him alone as his secretaries and seruants for 30. yeares together for S. Ioseph may be thought not to haue dyed long before our Sauiours Baptisme was as a long haruest of heauenly merits plentifully by them both according to their aboundant sowing happily reaped And as this sunne of heauenly brightenes by doctrine and examplar actions did shyne to others with whome he conuersed after his Baptisme for 3. yeares together so with the like and a far greater clarity did he appeare louely and