having been conceiv'd without sin Mary is more happy In never having committed any sin 'T is a misery for us to have contracted sin 'T is a greater misery to have committed it Mary has always suffered Altho she never sinned I sin continually And I would suffer nothing Mary is Innocent And is treated as a Criminal I am a Criminal And I would be treated as Innocent Mary's first grace Is the foundation of her happiness She co-operated with it all her life long By an inviolable fidelity There are som graces in ones life time Which are the beginnings of our happiness There are somains in ones life time Which are the beginnings of our misery Co-operate with all graces Avoid all sins Dread scandalous sins they are pestilent sins Which are communicated unto others Fear contagious ones which corrupt nature O Holy Mother of God! How beautiful are you and how pure are you There is no stain in you If my Conception is not immaculate At least make my life to be so If I have contracted original sin Make me avoid actual sin Let your Son seeing my Soul at my death say Thou art my well beloved There is no spot in thee Who shall declare her generation Isai 53. Thou art all fair my friend and there is no spot in thee Cant. 4. Our Lord possest me in the beginning of his ways Prov. 8. 'T is a great work for a habitation is prepared not for man but for God 2 Paral. 29. Holiness becoms thy house O Lord for length of days Ps 92. CXXXII MED Of the Purification of the B. Virgin MAry is the Mother of God And she passes for the Mother of a man O what Humility Mary is pure like the Sun And yet she comes to the Temple to be purified O what Purity Mary is not subject to the Law And yet she submits her self voluntarily to it O what Obedience Mary has but one Son who is most dear to her And yet she sacrifices him to God in the Temple O what Charity Imitate these virtues of Mary's Have an humble heart like her Have a pure body like her Have an obedient spirit like her Have liberal hands like her Offer up to God what you have dearest to you Sanctify to him your Children Your desires your thoughts Give him your heart That is your only one and first born Go to the Temple like Simeon Receive Jesus into your arms By the Priest's hands Sing with him that Canticle of love Now thou dost dismiss thy servant O Lord According to thy word in peace Because my eyes have seen thy Salvation Which thou hast prepar'd before the face of all People A light to the revelation of Gentils And the glory of thy People of Israel You will live in Peace If you desire nothing but Jesus You will dy in Peace If you love nothing but Jesus Beg of Mary to take you into her arms And to offer you up to her Son At the end of your life She will do it if you be her child If you be humble chast charitable like her O Mother of God! Disdain not to be the Mother of a sinner I recommend my Soul into your hands 'T is the price of your Son's blood Can you slight him Can you reject him Since you have presented the head You ought also to present the members God cannot refuse what you offer him My salvation is secure if it be in your hands O JESVS I recommend my spirit unto you I put my salvation into your hands Let me go out of this World in peace For I have seen all that I have to see My sins do disturb me O Lord I am thy Servant And the Son of thy Handmaid Can you damn your Mother's Child Can you hate him whom she loved They carried him into Jerusalem to present him to our Lord. Luk. 2. Take thy only begotten Son Isaac c. and there thou shalt offer him in a Holocaust Gen. 22. In the simplicity of my heart I joyfully offered all these things 1 Paral. 29. Now thou dost dismiss thy servant O Lord. Luk. 2. O Lord I am thy servant and the Son of thy handmaid Ps 115. CXXXIII MED Of the Annunciation of the B. Virgin 'T Is a great virtue to be little in grandure 'T is a rare virtue to be humble in honour Mary is the Mother of God Because she was his handmaid Mary takes the title of handmaid When she is qualified the Mother of God How happy is she for having conceived The Word of God in her body But she is more happy For having conceived it in her soul She conceived him in her heart Before she conceived him in her womb The spiritual Conception of God Is more honorable to her than the corporal The one makes her the Mother of God The other makes her the worthy Mother of God Make your self the Mother of our Lord By doing the Will of his Father Conceive him by Faith Bring him forth by Charity Be his Brother by Believing Be his Mother by Preaching Renew by Communion The Mystery of the Incarnation Be you humble and obedient as she was And the Holy Chost will com down on you Be our Lord's Handmaid And you will becom his Mother O most worthy Mother of God! Disdain not to own for your Son him Whom your Son vouchsafes to own for his brother If you are the Mother of God You must be the Mother of men It was for to be the Mother of men That you became the Mother of God You have two Breasts full of Milk Give one to your Son But keep the other for me Give one to the just But keep the other for sinners Behold the handmaid of our Lord be it don unto me according to thy Word Luk. 1. Whosoever shall do the Will of my Father who is in Heaven he is my brother and sister and mother Matth. 12. He is not ashamed to call them brothers Heb. 2. The Holy Ghost shall com down on thee and the virtue of the highest shall over-shadow thee Luk. 1. CXXXIV MED Of the Humiliations of the Son of God and the Elevations of Mary in the Mystery of the Incarnation JESUS of a God was made man Of a Lord he was made a slave Of Omnipotent he was made weak Of rich he was made poon JESUS by making himself man Made Mary the Mother of God JESUS by making himself a slave Made Mary the Mistress of God JESUS by making himself weak Has given unto Mary the Power of God JESUS by making himself poor Has given unto Mary the Treasures of God JESUS cannot descend lower than he descended Mary cannot ascend higher than she ascended There is nothing that is above Jesus There is nothing but God above Mary All that is not God is below Jesus All that is not God is below Mary Rejoyce in these her grandures Choose her for your Mother Acknowledge her for your Queen Take her for your Advocate Obey her whom God himself hath
Throne Jesus contemned riches To teach us to contemn them Compare O Worldling Thy house to his Stable Thy bed to his Crib Thy doon to his Dunghil Thy cloaths to his Swath-bands Thy riot to his Nakedness Jesus is poor And thou art rich Jesus in a Stable Thou in a Palace Jesus on the straw Thou on a doon-bed Jesus is all naked Thou art well clad Jesus wants all things Thou nothing O divine Babe How does your Birth rejoyce me But how does your Poverty afflict me How does your Infancy comfort me But how does your Crib astonish me I will love the Poor since I cannot love Poverty I will relieve the Poor That I may relieve your necessity I will cloath the Poor That I may cover your nakedness I shall not be saved unless I be like unto you I must be poor as you are Or you must be rich as I am If therefore I will not be poor as you are I must make you rich as I am 'T is to do good to you to do it to the poor I will therefore relieve you In the person of the poor I will feed you lodge and cloath you in c. O I think my self happy That I can render back to you What you have given me That I can help you out of your necessity That I can cloath feed and lodge you The foxes have their holes and the Birds of the air their nests but the Son of Man has not where to lay his head Matth. 8. He came into his own and his own received him not Jo. 1. Amen I say unto you as long as you have don to one of these my least brothers you have don to me Matth. 15. He was made poor being rich that by his poverty you might be made rich 2 Cor. 8. XCIV MED Of the Humility of the Infant Jesus GOD did annihilate himself By uniting himself to nothing He hath humbled all his whole greatness He has made himself as little as he was great He debased himself as much as he was elevated His humiliation is infinit substantial eternal As long as he keeps his humanity He will keep the marks of his humility Why was he made man Why was he made passible and mortal Why did he take our flesh Why was he made an Infant Why would he be born of a Woman Why would he lodge in a Stable 'T is to pull down our pride For to teach us humility For to win our hearts For to be more like us O Divine Babe How great are you in Heaven But how little are you on Earth How are you honoured by the Angels But how are you despised by men How do I respect you in the form of God But how I love you in the form of an Infant 'T is an astonishing thing To see a God humbled But much more astonishing To see a Man elevated O how am I confounded To be proud before an humbled God Whosoever shall humble himself like this little one he is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven Matth. 18. Behold God is my Saviour I will do confidently and will not fear Isai 12. He exinanited himself taking the form of a Servant Phil. 2. XCV MED Of the Divine Humiliations in the Mystery of the Incarnation THe Word was God and he became Man The Word was happy And he became miserable The Word was holy And he took the form of a sinner He became man For to communicate his Divinity to us He became miserable For to communicate his felicity to us He appeared to be a sinner For to communicate his sanctity to us O Jesus annihilated under the form of Man Of a Sinner of a Wretch O the greatest and the least O the first and the last O the highest and the lowest My Soul Wilt thou be proud Seeing thy God annihilated Wouldst thou appear to be a Saint Contemplating thy God under the form of a Sinner VVouldst thou live in pleasures Seeing thy God in misery O Nothing VVilt thou never annihilate thy self VVilt thou never be in thy proper place What good hast thou don What ill hast thou not don Whence didst thou com Whether art thou to go 'T is an unsupportable pride For man to grow proud When he sees his God humbled The Word was made flesh John 1. He exinanited himself taking the form of a servant Phil. 2. God sending his Son into the similitude of the flesh of sin Rom. 8. Him who knew not sin he made him a sin for us that we might be made the justice of God in him 1 Cor. 5. XCVI MED Of the Holy Name of Jesus JESUS is a name of greatness sweetness valour Of greatness which signifies the God of men Of sweetness which signifies the Father of men Of valour which signifies the Saviour of men His greatness makes him to be ador'd in Heaven His sweetness makes him be belov'd on Earth His valour makes him be fear'd in Hell When I pronounce the Name of JESUS I represent to my self the greatest of all Kings The most charitable of all Fathers The most valiant of all Warriours The most humble of all Men. The most faithful of all Friends The mildest of all Masters The most obliging of all hearts The most amiable of all Espouses When I pronounce JESUS My sadness is dissipated My courage is raised My heart displays it self My spirit awakens My soul melts into joy All my Enemies fly away If Jesus is my Saviour cannot he save me Ought he not to save me He is charged with my Salvation He has accepted the commission of it He makes it his business He will spare nothing for that end It will cost him his life What can I fear having a Saviour What ought not I to hope for Having such a Saviour O JESUS The Father of the poor The Comforter of the afflicted My Soul is speechless before you My heart says to you that you are all its good Be unto me a JESUS in my life Be unto me a JESUS at my death If I have committed what may damn me You have not lost what may save me O JESU Put your self as a seal upon my heart As a seal upon my mouth As a seal upon my arm That I may think on nothing but you Speak of nothing but you Labour only for you O JESU I adore you as a name of greatness I love you as a name of sweetnese invocate you as a name of valour I will give my blood for to be saved Since you gave yours for to be a Saviour I will suffer Wounds as you did That with you I may be a Saviour of men But thou art in us O Lord and thy holy name is invocated on us Jer. 14. It shall be that every one who invocates the name of Lord shall be saved Joel 2. For there is no other name under Heaven given to men in which we must be saved Act. 5. In the name of Jesus let every knee bow Phil. 2. XCVII MED Of the
Seal of my Predestination I will not therefore forsake it I will not drag it after me But I will carry it and keep you Company O Holy Cross Who wert consecrated with the blood of a God Receive me into thy Arms. Let me repose on thy Bosom Give thy self wholly to me As I give my self wholly to thee Carry me that I may carry thee Clasp me so strongly betwixt thy arms That nothing may separate me from thee Carrying his own Cross he went forth into that which is called the place of Calvary John 19. Com and follow me Mark 10. Then Jesus said to his Disciples if any one will com after me let him deny himself and take up his Cross and follow me Matth. 16. I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest Luk. 9. We have all strayed like Sheep and God laid on him the iniquites of us all Isai 53. CVIII MED Of Jesus Crucified JEsus was extended on the Cross He was nail'd to it by his Hands and Feet He is fastned to it with violence He is elevated with pain He rests only on his Wounds There issue out of them four Rivers of Blood Which water the Field of the Church And which blot out the sins of the World He is presented with bitter Wine to drink Which would have asswaged his sorrow He takes som of it into his mouth That he may feel the bitterness of it But he does not swallow it down That it may not allay his torments He is blasphem'd he is cursed He is invited to com down from the Cross But he remains on it even to the end O Jesus I adore thee On this Throne of Sorrows and Ignominies O Divine Saviour I cast my self into thy arms Since thou dost extend them for to embrace me O Sacred Victim of love All burnt and consum'd with Sufferings O High Priest of the new Law What dost thou do upon this Cross Com down and all the World will believe in thee O com not down If thou art the Son of God thou must dy on it If thou com'st down they will not believe in thee They will not follow thee Every one will fly from his Cross No body will dy upon it O my dear Cross I kiss thee and imbrace thee I will dy betwixt thy arms I have espoused thee in my Baptism This Marriage is indissoluble There is nothing but death That can separate us Let the World be no more trouble som to me I bear the marks of our Lord Jesus in my Body I am Crucified with him I will dy with him My Soul Look on thy Saviour on the Cross It is thy sins which have Crucified him He was once Crucified on Calvary But how often hast thou crucified him in thy heart As often as thou dost offend him So often dost thou Crucify him Thou must either Crucifie Jesus Or thy own Passions O Jesus make me dy For fear I should put thee to death Crucify my Body For fear I Crucify thy Spirit They crucified him and with him two others on this side and that side and Jesus in the middle John 19. They gave him wine mingled with gall to drink and when he had tasted it he would not drink Matth. 2. All the day long I spread forth my arms to an unbelieving and contradicting people Rom. 10. With Christ I am fastned to the Cross Gal. 2. They that be Christ's have crucified their flesh with the vices and Concupiscences Gal. 5. God forbid that I should glory saving in the Cross of our Lord Jesus-Christ by whom c. Gal. 5. Crucifying again to themselves the Son of God and making him a mockery Heb. 6. CIX MED On the first Word of Jesus Christ on the Cross JEsus was a long time on the Cross Without uttering so much as a word He keeps a profound silence And does not complain of his Sorrows His Blood does not call for Vengeance But for Grace for those that shed it He prays for them in the height of his Pains And whilst they insult over his misery He excuses their Sin and diminishes the malice of it He does the office of an Advocate For those whose Judge he is He forgets his own evils To think on his enemies evils Their loss is more sensible to him Than the Death which they make him suffer Keep silence O Christian Soul When thou art on the Cross Do not complain of thy Evils Do not lose the fruit of thy Sufferings Hide thy self in the bosom of Humility And repose thy self upon thy Patience Pray for thy Enemies Forget their Injuries Excuse their Intention If thou canst not excuse their action Thou art unworthy of favour If thou refuse to pardon them O Jesus I Pardon my Enemies I Pardon all those that crucify me Alas they know not what they do They think they do me hurt And they procure me much good They think they do themselves good And they procure much hurt to themselves They do themselves more hurt Than I could wish to them Lord Pardon them they know not what they do I sin out of malice and they sin out of ignorance If they had as much grace as I have They would not be so wicked as I am If I were tempted as they are I should possibly be wickeder than they Father forgive them for they know not what they do Luk. 23. Forgive thy neighbour hurting thee and then shall thy sins be loosed to thee when thou prayest Eccl. 28. Love your enemies pray for those that persecute and calumniate you Matth. 5. To me revenge and I will render it saith our Lord. Rom. 12. CX MED On the Repentance of the good Thief and the Impenitence of the bad one ONe of the Thieves confesses Jesus Christ And the other renounces him The one adores the other blasphemes him The one ascends up to Heaven by his Cross The other falls down into Hell by his Cross The one is saved by the side of Jesus The other is damned by the side of Jesus He is the Redeemer of them both And only one makes profit of the Redemption He gives his life for them both And one of them dies in his obstinacy O Judgments of God! how profound are you O Goodness of God! how amiable are you O Justice of God! how dreadful are you O Conducts of God how admirable are you Who will not fear to be damned Who will not hope to be saved One may be damn'd in all places Since one may be damn'd by God's side One may be sav'd at all times Since one may be sav'd at the end of his life O sweet words to one that is sick This day thou shalt be with me in Paradise Lord forget me not now thou art in thy Kingdom I do indeed desery the evil which I suffer But for you what Crime have you committed O Lord let me hear you say This day thou shalt be with me in Heaven One of the two thieves did blaspheme saying save thy self and us Luk. 23.
bottom of the heart 'T is the heart that conceives sin 'T is the heart that must destroy it 'T is the heart that withdraws it self from God 'T is the heart that must return to God Hatred takes its rise out of love One hates only because one loves I ought therefore to hate Sin As much as I ought to love God As much as I ought to love my self As much as I ought to love Heaven As much as I ought to fear Hell I ought to love God singularly I ought to hate Sin singularly I ought to love all things in order to God I ought to hate all things in order to Sin I ought to love God above all things I ought to hate sin above all things I cannot exceed in the love of God I cannot exceed in the hatred of sin That Repentance is nothing worth Unless it be of all crimes Unless grace blots them all out It blots not so much as one out One cannot be reconcil'd by halfs One cannot be both beloved and hated One cannot be both in sin and in grace One cannot be both God's and the Devil 's at once One cannot be both worthy of Heaven and Hell Unless one believes all one believes nothing To be a Son of the Church One must believe all things To be a Son of God one must hate all sin King Saul made exceptions And it was the cause of his ruin He became God's enemy For having saved one of his enemies What does it avail you to conquer one sin If you be a slave to another What good is it to bewail your Cholers If you be a slave to your Impurities One mortal stroke alone Is enough to bereave the body of its life One mortal sin alone Is sufficient to deprive the soul of life That man is no true Penitent Who will be so but for a time One must always hate that evil Which is always hated by God That friendship is not broke off Which one designs to make up again Can he be said to hate sin Who has a mind to commit it again Can he be said to have true Contrition Who only feels some small Aversion One may hate his sin Although he feel not the hatred One may feel sorrow And yet not have a true sorrow Then does one truly hate sin When one is resolv'd to destroy it If you love the causes of sin you still love sin 'T is not enough to hate it You must repair the damages thereof You must restore your ill-gotten goods Restore the honour you have taken away Repair the Scandals you have given Satisfie those whom you have offended You must punish by sorrow The pleasure you have taken in sinning God transfers to Pennance The right he has to punish a Sinner If Pennance spare him Justice spares him not If Pennance punish him Justice punishes him not O my God! How much reason have I to fear Least I be yet in the state of sin Have I hated it Sincerely Universally Constantly Efficaciously Am not I at the end of the year The same man still that I was at the beginning Oh! I will change my life My God change me from my heart Give me a new Spirit that I may lead a new life If with all your heart you will return to our Lord Take away the strange God from the midst of you 1 Kings 17. He that hides his crimes shall not be directed but he that shall confess them and relinquish them shall obtain mercy Prov. 28. Turn unto me with all your heart and rent your hearts and not your garments be converted to God your Lord because he is gracious and merciful patient and of much compassion and ready to be moved upon the malice Joel 2. Ananias why did Satan tempt thy heart to sin to the Holy Ghost and defraud of the price of the field thou didst not ly to man but to God Act. 5. Her transgressing Sister hath not return'd to me with her whole heart but in lying Jer. 3. Cast away from you all your prevarications and make to your selves a new heart and a new spirit And why should you die O house of Israel Ezech. 8. XIX MED Of the flight from Occasions and evil Companies 'T Is but a folly to hide your self The Company you keep betrays you Every one is pleas'd with his like Such you are as those you frequent If you suffer bad Company You may be reckoned to be of an ill life Or that you will at least soon resemble The persons whom you frequent 'T is good example that makes virtuous people Bad example that makes bad people Ignorance and Bashfulness Are the two Bulwarks of Innocency One would have been ignorant of many Crimes Had not one seen them committed One would have a horrour of sin If no body had taught it Example ennobles a Crime It makes it just and lawful It gives it authority It makes a necessity of it One is ashamed to be Innocent In the Company of the Nocent One does not blush at a sin When Example has crown'd it 'T is a vain thing to hope to be good among the wicked An evil is easily contracted Nature has a propension thereunto She imitates what she sees don She desires what is forbidden her One is not healthy for being among the healthy But one falls sick by being among the sick Go down into Hell Look upon those execrable Victims Hearken to their lamentable Cries Inquire into the cause of their Disaster There is never a Reprobate of them all Who will not with many tears tell you That it was Example that undid him That it was Company that damn'd him One is willing to please those whom one loves And you will never please the wicked Unless you be wicked like them O! but you do no harm say you You always remain a Sheep Although you live among Wolves You conserve the sweetness of the waters In the midst of a brackish Sea You draw in an innocent air In a house infected with the Plague And I say that you are dead If you think you are not sick Can any one without sin love the occasion of sin Is not the scandal of your Neighbour a very great evil Who can believe you to be chast With people that are not At least you will not long be so Example is a bad Master You will soon learn to do evil which you have seen don Occasion will draw you to it Company will drag you along to it The temptation will increase Fear will diminish Grace will grow weaker Shame will be blotted out Nature will yield A habit will be gotten The Will will be hardened This is the Progress of Iniquity This is the Road of Impenitence This is the term of Impiety O Christian Soul Retire out of Occasions Fly evil Company Love not those whom you ought not to imitate Please not those who displease God Withdraw from those who withdraw from God Fly away from contagious persons Avoid dangerous occasions
Will weaker Passions more rebellious Remedies slower The Devils more powerful Their possession more powerful What ingratitude after so many benefits What contempt after so much knowledge What perfidiousness after so many promises What malice after so many promises Is it thus that we mock God That we fail in our word to him That we sport at his patience Abuse his goodness Contemn his justice Presume of his mercy Combat his gentleness VVast his graces prodigally Stifle his Spirit Drive him out of our hearts Prefer Lucifer before him After abundance comes poverty After graces com punishments After patience fury After contempt revenge O my God! I dare no more appear before you After so many Contempts and Ingratitudes After so many Treacheries and Disloyalties My sins have almost chang'd their nature They were only Frailties But now they are hardnesses of heart They were pardonable faults They are now inexcusable Crimes Their number is infinit Their load unsupportable Their malice irremissible Their cure almost desperate But if my sins are great Your mercy is yet greater My sins are finit Your mercy infinit I may go to Heaven until such time as I am in Hell I may be converted as long as I am alive O! I will save my self in good earnest I am weary of being wicked My God take my life away Unless I change my life Take me quickly out of this World Unless I do draw off from the World It is impossible for them that were once illuminated and have tasted also the heavenly gift and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost and have moreover tasted the good word of God and the powers of the World to com and are fallen to be renewed again to Pennance Hebr. 6. If what I have destroyed I build up again I make my self a Prevaricator Gal. 2. Behold you are now cured sin no more least something worse befal you John 5. The latter things are becom worse than the first Luk. 11. XLVIII MED Of Customary Sins 'T Is a great evil to accustom one's self to evil A habit of sin is a chain of iniquity Which captivates the Soul And inslaves her to sin It lessens our knowledge It hardens the heart It lulls the Conscience asleep It blots out shame The oftner one commits a sin The less one blushes to commit it At first one commits it with a horrour One reiterates it with fear One continues it with pleasure One persevers therein with contempt These are the gradual steps of iniquity Hither it is that a habit of sin leads us That body is very sick that feels not its sickness An inveterate sinner is almost desperate He knows not his own misery He cannot hate it He finds pleasure in it He will not get out of it His resolves are without effect His efforts without perseverance His Vices in fine pass into nature And his habit into necessity When the weight of Custom lies heavy upon the inclination When the Current of Passion finds nothing to resist it 'T is a Torrent that draws all after it A Tyrant that destroys all 'T is a Law of Iniquity that domineers over the Will 'T is a second Cuncupiscence More tyrannical than that we are born with 'T is a second nature more corrupt than the first In vain does grace attack a heart that sins by Custom It is insensible to her touches It is impenetrable to her strokes One may sooner blanch a Moor Than cure an inveterate evil One may sooner root up a Tree Than pluck up an old Sin In what state are you Do you sin through ignorance Through Passion Through Frailty Through Custom Without Remorse Without Sorrow With Pleasure With Contempt Do you blush no more at your sin Do you commit it with assurance Do you glory in committing it Are you not afraid when you have committed it O then you are a slave to vice Your sins are pass'd into your nature You are now hardned You are now grown insensible Alas if you were sensible of your evil There would be som hopes of life Beg your cure of God Do your best to break your chains asunder Resist small Temptations And you will obtain the victory over great ones Do the things that are easie And God will do those that are difficult Help your Neighbour And God will help you Shew mercy to him And God will shew it to you VVithout a miracle you will not be cured VVithout Charity you will obtain nothing Let not sin reign in your mortal body that you obey the concupiscence thereof Rom. 6. If an Ethiop can change his skin you may also do well having learnt to do ill Jer. 13. My scars are grown rotten and are corrupted Ps 37. My iniquities have over-topped my head ibid. A young man according to the way of his youth so will he be in his old age Prov. 21. XLIX MED A Preparation to Death ARe you prepar'd to die Have you given order to your affairs Have you any affair greater than that of your Salvation Do you think to escape death That which must happen one day May it not happen this day You think of nothing but of living And you ought to think of nothing but dying You labour only for the time present And you ought to labour only for Eternity Small care for small affairs Great care for great affairs 'T is too late to think of dying VVhen it is time to die A wise man never undertakes a business of importance VVithout having first thought well on it Every one learns his own Trade To be saved is all mens Trade There needs no study to learn to die There needs much to learn to die well One can never do that well VVhich one does but once To know how to die well One ought to die often Death is but one only The fault committed therein Is an irreparable fault That Actour acts his part but ill VVho never exercis'd himself A Lawyer pleads a Cause but badly VVho never prepar'd himself for it 'T is a hard matter to die well VVhen one is acquainted only with the trade of life Is our life too long to dispose our selves for death Have we too much time to prepare our selves for Eternity VVatch or you will be surpriz'd Prepare your self for Death Or else you will die unprepared He that watches not is surpriz'd He that is surpriz'd is damn'd Learn that Trade which you must of necessity make use of How important is it to do well That which you will do but once VVhere it is dangerous to fail VVhose fault is without redress And whose punishment will have no end Do not trust to time 'T is but a bad security It has cozened many a man If you trust it it will infallibly deceive you O my God! I thank you for having given me time To prepare my self for death VVhere had I been had you surpriz'd me I will henceforth stand upon my guard That I may one day dy well I will dy every day I will
no body praises you nor loves you Call me to Heaven where I shall see you where I shall love you where I shall praise you for all Eternity Amen So be it One may also read to the Patient the Meditations upon the last words of JESVS upon the Cross which are in the Third Part. THE SECOND PART OF THE Meditations FOR THE ILLVMINATIVE LIFE LIII MED Of the care of our Perfection BE ye perfect like your Heavenly Father A Child ought to resemble his Father An Image its Original An Effect its Cause A Disciple his Master He that advances not in Christ's School Deserves not to be his Disciple Not to advance is to go backward Not to amend is to grow worse Not to gain is to lose One cannot stand still on a River Without going down or up If you stop you go down If you rest you go backward If you once say 'T is enough you undo your self One must labour much for to be perfect God possesses his happiness without motion The Angel gets his with a small motion Man coms to his with much motion All things are wanting to him Who thinks that he wants nothing Grace will not be barren Love cannot be idle 'T is a fire that never says 'T is enough Either it burns or it goes out Either it increases or diminishes The Talent is taken from him Who does not improve it The Tree is cut down that bears nothing O my God! How much time have I lost How many Graces have I squandred away How little virtue have I How little improvement have I made All the World advances I only go backward The Trades-man learns his Trade And yet I learn not mine The Schollar becomes learned And I am still ignorant Every one strives to be perfect Onely I will still be imperfect O my Divine Master Forgive me what is past And I will henceforward do better Alas I have not yet begun Oh! What a way have I to go O how I fear to be surpriz'd with night Let us run for to win the prize Let us advance that we may not be surpriz'd Be ye therefore perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect Matth. 5. Do not you know that those who run a Race all run and but one gains the Prize so run that you may get it 2 Cor. 9. I therefore do so run not as in uncertain I so fight not as beating the air but I chastise my body and bring it into servitude 1 Cor. 4. I said Now I have begun this is a change of the right hand of the highest Ps 76. LIV. MED Of Prayer and the Difficulties that occur therein WHy are we oblig'd to pray For to honour God's Majesty To yield an homage to his grandure To acknowledge his Providence To testifie to him our dependency on him To stir him up to do us good To put our selves in a condition of receiving good from him To enlarge our hearts To make them capable of his graces Prayer unites us to God It fastens us to his Divine Breasts It squeezes the Milk of Grace out of them It inriches us with his Bounties It supplies our Necessities It fills up our Wants It makes us powerful like God It makes us triumph over God That body is dead that breaths not That Soul is dead that prays not Whence coms it that I obtain nothing of God 'T is because you ask evil things 'T is because you ask being in all ill state Without Attention Without Devotion Without Humility Without Confidence Without Perseverance Prayer penetrates Heaven It gets all that it asks God can refuse it nothing As his nature is nothing but goodness He desires nothing but to pour himself out He is a Nurse that has too much Milk He seeks about every where for an empty heart For to fill it with his goods He has engaged his word 'T is his Son that prays in us He has given us his spirit He has transferr'd his merits on us What may we not obtain By offering to God the merits of his Son Whence com my distractions They com from the Devil Who would give us a disgust of Prayer They com from your Imagination Which is light and volatile They com from your spirit Which busies it self with vain things They com from your heart Which is fastned to Creatures Which flies where its treasure lies Which converses with what it loves Which is not pleas'd with God Because it has no love for God They often com from the body Which loads and weighs down the spirit They com from the little care You take of your perfection They com from your sloth They com from your infidelity There is nothing but Mortification That enkindles the fire of Prayer Whence coms it that I have no comfort 'T is because you have no affliction Because you desire it with too much passion Because you seek it in Creatures 'T is for to beat down your pride To keep you in humility To make you know your self To make you sensible of your weakness To stir up your desire To punish your negligence To spur up your sloth To exercise your patience To increase your merit To draw you off from your senses To make you live in Spirit To settle you in Faith To strengthen your Hope To purifie your Love To try your Fidelity To make you a Spiritual man To make you set a value on grace To make you desire conserve recover it To shew you the necessity of it For to moderate your Fervours To manage your health For to make you merit the good things Which God designs to bestow on you To prepare your heart For to receive som great favours 'T is for to draw you from Meditation And make you pass to Union O my God! I beg your pardon for having left off Prayer Alas I thought you were angry When you shew'd me the greatest affection I will henceforth be more faithful I will humble my self in my Poverties I will expect your Visit with patience I will support all my states I will suffer all my disgusts 'T is too much honour for me To be in your presence Is it not to be in Heaven to be with you We know not what we ought to pray for but the spirit himself doth petition for us with unexpressible groans Rom. 8. Pray without intermission in all things give thanks 1 Thess 4. Ask and it shall be given you seek and you shall find knock and it shall be opened to you Matth. 7. God is a Spirit and those who adore him must adore him in spirit and truth John 5. You ask and you receive not because you ask ill Jam. 4. My prayer shall turn back into my bosom and the speeches of my mouth shall be acceptable to you and the meditation of my heart in thy sight always Ps 15. LV. MED Of Faith 'T Is to be without Reason To be without Faith 'T is not to be a Man Not to be a Christian Fath is above
Reason but Reason tells us That we must submit to faith That that man is not rational Who will not submit his reason To the Principle of his reason That man is without understanding Who would by his reason comprehend What is above his understanding Faith is not evident But reason shews evidently That we have the true Faith The Antiquity of our Religion The Establishment of our Religion The unavoidable continuance of our Religion The Miracles of our Religion The Extent of our Religion The Sanctity of our Religion The Majesty of our Religion The Doctors of our Religion The Witnesses and Martyrs of our Religion Do perswade all Understandings That there is no Religion in the World Or that ours is the true one If the Church deceives me 'T is God that deceives me If the Church leads me astray 'T is God that leads me astray I would not believe the Gospel If the Church did not bid me believe it I should not receive the sence of the Scripture Unless the Church did bid me receive it One believes nothing except he believes all For to be a Catholick one must believe Universally humbly firmly efficaciously O Truth my God! You have plac'd your Throne in the Sun Your Church is as bright as the Sun She enlightens all the World like the Sun She gives life to all the World like the Sun O I will live and dy a Child of your Church I am one of your Sheep I cannot live without a Shepherd I renounce all my own lights I submit my self to the lights of Faith My Religion would not be divine Unless it were above reason You would not be my God If you were not incomprehensible My heart could not adore you If my understanding could comprehend you My heart must submit to your Law And my Understanding to your faith Behold he that is incredulous his soul will not be upright in himself but the just man shall live in faith Hab. 2. Faith is the substance of things to be hoped an argument of things that appear not Heb. 11. Reducing every understanding into captivity to the obsequiousness of faith 2 Cor. 10. Unless ye believe ye will not understand Isa 7. according to the Septuagint We have a firmer Prophetical speech to which you do well to attend as it were to a light shining in the dark 1 Pet. 3. LVI MED Of the Conduct of Faith REason is the light of Man Faith is the light of a Christian To be a man one must be rational To be a Christian one must be a believer God is to be honoured by my Understanding As well as by my Heart I honour God with my Heart When I obey his Law I honour him with my Understanding When I submit unto Faith My Heart submits its self entirely When it does that which does not please it My Understanding submits it self perfectly When it believes what it understands not Faith consecrates the spirit of man It makes him Religious It submits him to the authority of God It sacrifices him to his glory It unites him to his wisdom It fills him with his truth It makes him upright like God It makes him certain and infallible like him Faith discovers to us The Mysteries of our Religion It conducts us to our End It conserves us in Unity It maintains us in Humility It sustains our Hopes It encourages our Charity It disposes us to Grace It makes us merit Glory Without Faith the Spirit is profane It is a Libertin and without Religion It wanders in its knowledge It loses it self in its Ratiocinations It rises not off from the Earth It merits nothing for Heaven It submits not it self to its Creatour It obeys not its Soveraign It will never see the first truth O how great a gift of God's is Faith O how blind is that man that hath not Faith O how rational it is to submit our Spirit to God My God! I believe what I understand not I do what pleases me not I adore you by the submission of my thoughts I love you by the submission of my desires For to obey your Law We must renounce our own proper will For to obey your faith We must renounce our own lights That man is not your Subject Who will do nothing but what pleases him That man is not your Disciple Who will not believe but what he understands We walk by faith and not by sight 1 Cor. 5. I will espouse thee to my self by faith and thou shalt know that I am the Lord. Os 2. Abraham believed God and it was reputed to him to justice Rom. 4. He went forth not knowing whither he was to go Heb. 11. VVilt not thou be subject to God O my Soul Ps 61. LVII MED Of Hope and Confidence in God HOpe is a Divine Virtue Which leans upon her beloved She honours his goodness She renders homage to his grandure She acknowledges his Providence Of Men she makes us Gods Of Impotent she makes us Omnipotent Of poor she makes us rich We never ought to hope more Than when all things seem desperate We never ought to fear less Than when all things seem to be feared We never ought more to give our selves up Than when we think all is lost God gives his own subsistence To him that strips himself of his own God gives his Omnipotence To him that acknowledges his own weakness God gives all his Treasures To him who owns his Poverty Abundance seeks out Indigence The weak man leans upon the strong man The strong man takes delight in the weak one God sustains that human nature Which relies only on his Divinity Be you without support And God will support you Have no Human subsistence And you shall have a Divine one Trust not to your own lights And you shall have the Wisdom of God Trust not to your own strength And you shall have the power of God Trust not to your own virtues And you shall have the holiness of God Alas O my God! Who am I And who art thou Thou art my Being And I am a mere Nothing Thou art my strength And I am nothing but weakness Thou art my Holiness And I am nothing but malice O my God and my hope I leave my self to you I repose in you I rely on you If I go astray you shall be the cause of my stray If I fall you shall be the cause of my fall If I ruin my self you shall ruin me For I put all my trust in you You can neither ruin nor lead me astray I therefore will be afraid of nothing Provided that I leave my self to you To know God and not to know ones own misery Is that which begets Presumption To know our own misery without knowing God Is that which begets Despair JESUS is not only a God But he is a God-Mediatour JESUS is no more JESUS If you take his mercy from him He is no more a Saviour If he has no tenderness for a Sinner VVho is she that
strong 2 Cor. 12. LXXXI MED Of Modesty A Man is known by his Countenance A Soul is known by her Body 'T is a Looking-glass which represents her And wherein she is painted to the life A light Body shews a light Soul A modest Body shews a modest Soul It does nothing but what it is made to do When the Body is out of order 'T is judg'd that the Soul is so too What figure must that Soul have Which gives so ill an one to her Body A quiet and modest Exteriour Is the mark of a perfect Soul Of a Soul that tends to Union Of a Soul that is without passion God is a tranquil Spirit He is never disturb'd He dwells only in Peace He composes and quiets all things by his presence He imprints his Modesty on that Soul That he gives life to And if he does not imprint it 'T is because the Soul does not obey him When I see a Modest Body I say O here is the House of God! Here is the Temple of our Lord All things are here in peace and in order 'T is the Modesty of this Soul That reflects upon her Body 'T is the Sanctity within That sheds it self without An affected Modesty cannot last long When the Soul is well composed The Body is modest at all times The gestures of an ill regulated Body Com from the irregularity of the Soul She is agitated with Passions She gives ear to Temptations She sinks under her pains She gives her self up to her desires He that has God within himself Goes not elsewhere to seek him The Iron is at rest When it touches its Load-stone A Soul which touches God Is peaceable and without motion O My God! How tranquil is thy Spirit O how agitated is mine How grave is yours How light is mine How Modest is yours How unruly is mine If you were Master of my Heart You would also be Master of my Body If I quit the Out-works The Devil will gain the place I will therefore regulate my exteriour That I may conserve for you the Empire of my heart A man is known by the sight and a wise man is known by the shew of his face The cloathing of the body and the laughing of the teeth and the gate of the man tell of him Eccl. 19. Let your Modesty be known unto all men Phil. 4. The man of the heart that is hidden in the incorruptibility of a quiet and a modest spirit which is rich in the sight of God 1 Pet. 3. I beseech you by the modesty and meekness of Christ 2 Cor. 10. Do you on like the Elect of God Humility Modesty Patience Col. 3. LXXXII MED Of Divine Inspirations GOD holds his peace after he has spoken He scorns after having been scorned He hides himself after that he has sought He withdraws after he has called He punishes after having long endured Inspiration is the Voice of God 'T is a Blast of his Spirit 'T is a Ray of his Wisdom 'T is an Impression of his Love 'T is the Seed of Eternity 'T is the Principle of Salvation 'T is the price of the Blood of Jesus 'T is a Grace that has cost him his life You stifle the voice of God When you stifle an Inspiration You imitate Herod Who put St. John to death You imitate Saul Who put the Priests to death You imitate the Jews Who put JESUS and the Prophets to death You resist the Holy Ghost You sin without ignorance You sin through obstinacy through malice You bury the Talents of God You abuse his Gifts You trample the Son of God under your feet You do an injury to his Spirit You profane his pretious Blood You detain Truth Captive You break off the thred of his Graces You put your Salvation in danger The Justice of God will break out upon you Your Talents will be taken from you The Kingdom of Grace will be translated elsewhere God will speak no more to you The Holy Ghost will breath no more on you The Word of God will touch you no more Your Conscience will no longer molest you Hope will no longer encourage you Charity will no longer warm you Fear will no longer retain you Remedies will no longer profit you You abuse extraordinary Graces You will have them no more O my God! I confess that I am a Prodigal Who have wasted all your goods That I am a Herod Who have put your Voice to death O I will make you wait no longer I will no longer resist your grace You have too long knock't at the door of my heart This very day I will let you in You would have me quit this sin I will quit it You would have me change my life I will change it You would have me renounce gaming I will renounce it You would have me speak to my Enemy I will speak to him You would have me frequent the Sacraments I will frequent them You would have me love you alone I will love you in Time and Eternity Amen Wo to thee that despisest shall not thy self also be despised Isai 33. I called and you refused I extended my hand and there was none that regarded Ye despised all my counsel and ye neglected my rebukes and I will laugh in your destruction Prov. 1. I go and you will seek me and you will dy in your Sin Jo. 8. Extinguish not the spirit Thess 5. This day if you hear his voice c. Ps 44. LXXXIII MED Of the Word of God GOD created the World by his Word And he will not save it but by his Word He redeem'd it by his Word Incarnate Nor will he save it but by his Word Incarnate The Holy Ghost is produc'd in the heart of God By his Interiour Word The Holy Ghost is not produc'd in the heart of Man But by the Exteriour Word You are not a Sheep of JESUS Christ's Unless you hearken to his voice Your heart will bring forth nothing but Thorns Unless it receive this Divine seed JESUS speaks by the mouth of the Preacher 'T is he that rings in his Tongue He is cloath'd with the sound of his Voice As he came forth-cloath'd with a body of Flesh The Word written in Books Is a Sacrament of Salvation The Letter is the Species JESUS is the Sence The Increated Word Unites it self to the Word created That he may enter into hearts sanctify them What an Impiety to despise this Sacrament What a Crime to trample on the Son of God Alas How often have I don it I let it fall down on the ground I stifle it in my heart I eat this heavenly bread And I do not profit by it I hear this Divine Word and I am not converted If it does not convert me it will pervert me If it does me no good it will do me hurt If it give not life to me it will be my death If it doth not save me it will damn me Blessed is the womb that bore thee c.
all your Spirit Obey them voluntarily Obey them blindly Imitate Jesus obedient even unto death Lose your life rather as he did Than lose your obedience Would God have Holocausts and Victims and not rather to be obeyed Better is Obedience than Victims 1 Kings 15. It is as it were the sin of enchantment to resist and as it were the wickedness of Idolatry to refuse to obey ibid. The obedient man shall speak Victories Prov. 21. He that resists power resists God's order Rom. 13. Obey your Prelates and be subject to them for they watch as being to render an account for your Souls that they may do it with joy and not mourning Heb. 13. LXXXVIII MED Of Religious Discipline IF Religion is a Building The Rules are the Foundation thereof If Religion is a Body The Rules are the Sinews thereof If Religion is a Fortress The Rules are the Walls thereof If Religion is a Holy Place The Rules are its Inclosure You are no Religious man If you do not keep your Rules If you keep them by halfs You are a Religious man by hafls Or rather you are not at all As it is not to be a true Christian Not to be a believer in all If you do not observe your Rules You will never be perfect Blood runs through the veins And Graces through the Rules Look how many of them you transgress So many Graces do you lose One cannot without danger of life Out the Conduit-pipes of life Without the Rules of Religion One cannot arrive to perfection Observe the Laws of Nature And you will be a perfect man Observe the Laws of Grace And you will be a perfect Christian Observe the Laws of your Order And you will be a perfect Religious man There is no Rule be it never so small Which has not Graces of Salvation Which has not all the authority of God Which has not the ty of his power Which has not the seal of his goodness Which has not the Character of his Sanctity If you do not observe your Rules Your Virtues are Illusions Your Devotions are irregular They are great steps out of the good way You draw off from perfection Instead of drawing near to it The Spirit of Singularity Is the beginning of Heresies 'T is the Plague of Religion 'T is the Enemy of Humility 'T is the ruin of Communities It s Devotion is Schismatical It s Separation is Heretical Its Sentiments are presumptuous Its Examples are scandalous He that is not in order Is ill treated by the Prince of order He that separates himself from the Community Loses the graces of the Community Unless you be a member of the body You will have no part in the life thereof The members are united by the Rules If you cut off the ligaments of graces You must be reckoned among the dead Unless you live in order You will never live in peace Your Rules are the Out-works Which cover and defend you If you quit these defences You run a hazard of being lost Without the grace of vocation One cannot live in Religion This grace is tyed to the Rules It runs through these Channels Whoever breaks this commerce Does draw on himself an infinity of evils That which you break is small But the damage thereof is considerable These light unfaithfulnesses Dispose you unto greater He that is not faithful in small matters Will not be faithful in great ones How will you do hard matters If you do not do easie things A breach be it never so little Breaks the Religious Inclosure This small irregularity will produce a greater It will breed great temptations It will give an entrance to the Devil This Rule say you is small It is therefore easie to be observ'd You do ill therefore in breaking it It has cost many a tear to him that made it A grace ought to be esteemd That cost him dear that made it One sparkle kindles a great fire A Fort is taken by a small breach A small cranny is enough to sink a Ship Every thing in the service of God is great His Will heightens all that it orders 'T is he that made these Rules 'T is he that intimates these Laws to you They all have his hand and seal They all mark his authority He conducts every Being to its end He pushes on all Creatures to their center The Inanimate by their weight The Rational by his Laws If you keep order it will keep you If you disturb it it will disturb you If you destroy it it will destroy you O Christian and Religious Soul Do not disturb the peace of your Sisters Do not undermine the foundations of your Order Do not ruin the prop of Religion Do not lose the grace of your Vocation Do not rend the Breasts of your Mother Do not afflict your Father's heart His Spirit is in his Rules You offend him when you break them You slight him when you neglect them You treat him as imprudent Since you reject his conduct You make him pass for a Tyrant Who commands you things impossible Did you com into Religion For to live without Order and without Religion The Laws do preserve States The Rules maintain Communities To break one through contempt Is a sin of consequence Can one transgress it often and freely Without slighting it Can one desire perfection not being willing To rid ones self of one imperfection O my God! How culpable am I In doing ill in the Land of the Saints I wear the Habit of a Religious man But I have not the spirit of one I dwell in a sacred place With a profane Heart and Spirit I am the Plague of my Order The reproach of my Religion The scandal of my Brothers A grief to my Mother 〈…〉 Founder 〈…〉 his Law A man without Disciplin A Religious man without Religion O good Shepherd run after me Bring back your strayed Sheep Make her re-enter into the Fold If the Wolf finds her alone He will devour her O I will henceforth follow you I will obey your Laws I will perform all my Duties I will henceforth live in order To have Rules and not to keep them Is to seem to be a Religious man And not to be one Keep the Law and Counsel and there shall be 〈◊〉 thy Soul Prov. 3. If you love me keep my Commandments Jo. 14. He that is faithful in a small matter will be faitâ—… a greater Luk. 16. He that slights small things will fall c. Eccl. 19. They afflicted the spirit of the holy one Is 63. Odious unto all as an Out-law and execrable as enemy to his country and citizens 2 Macch. 5. Great are thy judgments O Lord and unutterable a thy words For this undisciplined couls have gone astray Wisd 17. The End of the First Tome THE THIRD PART OF THE Principal Mysteries of the Life and Death of the Son of God and of his Holy Mother LXXXIX MED Of the Imitation of Jesus Christ JESUS has said this We must
The other rebuked him saying Dost not thou also fear God We indeed suffer justly for we receive worthy of our doings but this man hath don no evil ibid. Lord remember me when thou shalt com into thy Kingdom Amen I say to thee This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise ibid. There shall be two in one bed one shall be taken and the other left behind Luk. 17. CXI MED Of the Passion of the B. Virgin O Good Jesu Why dost thou suffer thy Mother to follow thee How canst thou endure that she should see thee dy Oughtest not thou to have spared her So sensible a grief What Crime has she committed That she should be present at thy Execution God will have Mary to be at the foot of the Cross For to co-operate to our Redemption For to offer up to God this great Sacrifice For to repair Eve's fault For to conceive all the Predestinate For to be declared their Mother For to increase the pains of her Son For to take a part in his Sufferings For to drink in his Chalice For to becom the Queen of Martyrs For to be crown'd with Thorns The Martyrs did suffer for Jesus Christ Mary did suffer with Jesus Christ The Martyrs suffered in their Bodies Mary suffered in her Soul The Martyrs suffered in their criminal Flesh Mary suffered in the innocent Flesh of her Son The Martyrs desired Death Mary could not desire the Death of her Son The hearts of the Martyrs were fill'd with joy The heart of Mary was fill'd with sadness Love diminish't the Torments of the Martyrs Love increased the Sorrows of Mary Jesus was doubly crucified In his Body upon the Cross In his Spirit in the heart of Mary Mary was doubly crucified Spiritually in her heart Corporally in the flesh of her Son Love did imprint in her heart The wounds that were made in his Body Those that were not mortal to the Son Were mortal to the Mother The Lance that opened the heart of Jesus Pierced the living heart of Mary As never Mother loved more So never Mother suffered more O Daughter of Sion To whom shall I compare thee Thy sorrow is without example It is great like the Ocean It s depth is infinit It s extent is unconceivable There is nothing but the sorrow of thy Son That is comparable unto thine He is the King of Martyrs And thou art the Queen of Martyrs He is a Man of Sorrows And thou art a Woman of Sufferings O Christian Soul Go with Mary up to Mount Calvary Beg of her to receive you for her Child Take a share in her Sorrows Mingle your tears with hers Increase not her Affliction Renew not her Passion When you sin mortally You crucify her Son anew O how sensible is this death to her O how it afflicts her sacred heart She consented to his Corporal death But she cannot consent to his Spiritual death The first restored our life to us The second brings death to us Suffer as she did all Privations Remain as she did constant in your pains You will be no child of Mary's Unless you be with her at the foot of the Cross Woman behold your Son Son behold your Mother O Holy Virgin O Mother of Sorrows O Queen of Martyrs O Spouse of the Cross I chuse you for my Mother Receive me into the number of your Children Imprint in my heart the wounds of your Son Fasten me strongly to the Cross Give me a part in your sufferings If I am guilty I ought to suffer If I am innocent I ought to imitate you Pierce my heart with the sword of grief Which transpierced yours Let me drink in that Chalice of gall Wherewith you were inebriated Above all be present at your Child's death Receive my Soul into your hands And convey it up to Heaven A couragious woman who shall find Prov. 31. There stood besides the Cross of Jesus his Mother Joh. 19. He said to his Mother Woman behold thy Son Then he said to his Disciple Behold thy Mother ibid. Thy very Soul a Sword shall pass through that cogitations may be revealed out of many hearts Luk. 2. Thy contrition is great like the Sea Thren 2. CXII MED Of the Dereliction of our Lord. MY God my God why hast thou forsaken me How terrible is that dereliction Which makes a God to groan Which makes a God to weep Which makes a God to cry out Which makes the only one of his complaints Which he makes before his Enemies Before a great number of People Which he makes a little before he dies Which gives occasion to those that hear him complain To doubt whether he were the true Son of God Since he is forsaken by his Father Jesus was never separated from Grace From Glory from the Divinity He was always holy happy God This terrible Dereliction Was only a sensible suspension Of the succours which the Divinity Communicated to his Humanity It was a shadow of the pain Which a Sinner feels who is in Hell Forsaken by Almighty God O my God! I conceive what it is to be damned By the pain which your Son suffer'd on the Cross If the deprival of your sensible and comforting presence Made your Son to groan Who was substantially united to you Who will be able to bear for ever The weight of an infinit wrath Who will be able to suffer in Hell An eternal separation An universal privation Of your Grace Love Presence Comfort Glory Felicity Succour Protection Of all that can be desired Of all that can be loved With a deluge of evils for all Eternity O my God! forsake me not Although I have forsaken you Deprive me if it must be of your Pleasures But deprive me not of your Grace If you forsake me during my life Forsake me not at my Death If you forsake me now Forsake me not in Eternity O Jesus 'T is I that have committed the Sin And you have born the Punishment 'T is I that ought to be forsaken And you were forsaken for my sake O how your Dereliction affrights me O how your Dereliction comforts me You were forsaken at your death That I might not be forsaken at mine Forsake me not then O Lord When all the World hath forsaken me My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Matth. 28. Forsake me not O Lord my God go not away from me Ps 37. Cast me not away in the time of my old age when my strength fails me forsake me not Ps 70. My enemies said God hath forsaken him persecute and lay hold of him because there is none to deliver him ibid. Forsake me not wholly Ps 118. He said I will not desert nor forsake thee Heb. 13. CXIII MED On the Thirst of our Lord on the Cross JEsus thirsts and no body gives him to drink They give him gall and vinegar For all his refreshment He was willing to suffer this torment For to punish our gluttonies And to undergo All the Punishments which sin
I commend my spirit And saying this he gave up the Ghost Luk. 23. And bowing down the head he gave up the Ghost John 19. Our King before ages wrought Salvation in the midst of the Earth Psal 73. He that adheres to our Lord is one spirit 1 Cor. 6. If God be for us who is against us Rom. 8. Therefore let those who suffer according to the Will of God recommend their Souls to their faithful Creator in good deeds 1 Pet. 4. CXVI MED Of the Death of the Son of God JESUS is dead Who will fear death He died for us Who will refuse to dy for him He died wasted with pains Who will refuse to suffer He died for his Servants Who will serve any other Master but him He died for our sins Who will dare to put him to death again O the good Shepherd Who died for his Sheep O the High Priest Who immolated himself for men O the faithful Friend Who lov'd us until death O the Divine Master Who placed his Chair on Mount Calvary O JESVS Since thou didst dy for me It is just that I should dy for thee Since thou hast given me the example I must dy as thou didst Wherefore I pardon all my enemies I hope thou wilt give me thy Heaven Recommend me I pray to thy good Mother Bid her take care of me O forsake me not O my God When all the World forsakes me Sustain me by thy grace When I have lost the strength of my body I thirst I desire to see thee I desire to dy When will my end com When shall I consummate my Sacrifice O my Father I recommend my spirit into thy hands I unite my death with thy Son 's Remember that he redeem'd me with his blood Lose not my soul which is of so great value Bowing down his head he gave up the Ghost John 19. The just man perisheth and no body thinks of it in his heart Isai 57. Think upon him who endured such contradiction against himself from sinners that you may not be wearied in your minds fainting Heb. 12. He died for the wicked Rom. 5. Christ died for us ibid. For this end did Christ dy and rose again that he might be Lord of the quick and the dead Rom. 14. Your are dead and your life is hid with Christ c. Col. 3. CXVII MED In form of Prayer on the seven Stations of the Sufferings of the Son of God 1. STATION O Jesus my Saviour who didst sweat blood and water in the Garden of Olives at the sight of thy torments and of my sins And who didst strip thy self of thy farce for to cloath thy self with my Infirmities I aadore thee all bathed in thy blood I give thanks to thy sacred heart for having afflicted it self for my sake I detest all the sins which did cause so great a sadness I resolve to dy rather than ever more to afflict thee Give me grace that I may as thou didst conceive a great sorrow for my iniquities that I may resist even unto blood the Temptations of the Devil and of the Flesh and that I may conform my self in all things to thy example and to the will of thy Father 2. STAT O Jesus my Lord who wert buffeted and ill treated in the houses of Annas and Caiphas I give thee thanks for having suffered these injuries and these confusions for the love of me Alas how often have I buffeted and injured thee in the person of my neighbour since thou reckonest as don to thy self all the ill that is don to him I beg most humble pardon of thee for it And I resolve henceforth for thy sake to suffer all the injuries that shall be don to me and never more to offend thee in the person of my Brothers either by action words judgment or will 3. STAT O Jesus my King who wert scorned by Herod and by the Jews when they preferred a Robber a Seditious felow and a Man-killer before thee I beg pardon of you for having so often preferr'd the Devil and wretched Creatures before you I promise never more to dishonour you You shall always be the King of my heart and I will rather dy than lay you as I have don under the feet of Lucifer that Robber that Seditious wretch and Murderer of all men 4. STAT O Jesus the purest and chastest of all men whose innocent flesh was torn with the blows of the Whips in Pilate's house for to expiate the Criminal Pleasures that we take in our flesh I acknowledge that it was for my sake that you suffered such cruel torments I am sorry for having given you so many wounds and that I have so often renewed them by the satisfaction which I have given to my Senses I conjure you by your Dolours to sanctifie my Body and Soul and to wash them with your pretious blood from all their Impurities and never to suffer that that flesh which has been washed in your blood be ever stain'd with any sin 5. STAT O Jesus the greatest of all Kings who wert crowned with Thorns and didst wear on thy Shoulders the Royal Marks of thy Principality I acknowledge thee for my King as despised and disfigured as thou art And since thou hast no part of thy body which was not wounded I will take no more pleasure in my body but will live in grief and pain that I may be one of thy Subjects and one of thy Members 6. STAT O Jesus my Redeemer who for my sake wert fastened to a Cross and who didst shed all thy blood for to rescue me from the power of the Devil whose Slave I was I give the thanks for this incomparable love that thou didst bear to me for so many torments which thou didst suffer for my sake I kiss with respect thy sacred feet and thy sacred hands which were pierced for my sake I adore that sacred heart which was opened for my love and I promise rather to dy than ever more to crucify thee in mine 7. STAT O Jesus my life who didst dy for me and who wert forsaken by thy Father that I might not be forsaken at my death O most meek Lamb immolated for the Salvation of men Victim of Love and Patience who wert consummated on a pile of sorrows O the Saint of Saints O the King of Kings What can I do for to acknowledge so great a goodness Why may not I dy for you as you died for me I believe that thou art my Saviour and I should despair did I not believe it I hope that thou wilt pardon me my sins and that thou wilt bestow on me thy Heaven since thou gavest me thy life I detest my Crimes which are the cause of thy death and I will rather lose my life than ever make thee dy in my heart since this death is infinitly more sensible and more ignominious to thee than that of the Cross I beg your pardon for all those who have offended me I give my self
to your holy Mother I choose her for mine and I desire to dy betwixt her arms I recommend my spirit into thy hands and I conjure thee by thy dereliction not to forsake me at the hour of my death but to receive me into thy Heaven there to see thee there to love thee there to praise and bless thee for all Eternity Amen This Prayer may be recited in the time of Mass before Confession and Communion especially when one is sick and on all Fridays in the year at the foot of the Cross You must make a little Pause at each Station and produce in heart the acts that you pronounce with your mouth CXVIII MED On the Burial of Jesus Christ JEsus from the Cross is laid in the Tomb. Here is an end of his labours This is the place of his rest This is the term of his journeys His Disciples do almost lose their Faith By having lost his Presence They are fearful and dejected Because they see and hear him no longer Happy is he who receives into his heart Jesus descending from the Cross The grain of wheat that it may fructify Must dye and be hidden The arms of the Priest at the Altar Are the arms of the Cross Your heart is the grave wherein he would rejoyce Happy is he who is crucified Who is dead and buried Who is hid in the ground Who is trod under foot Who is unknown to men Who reposes in God He will soon rise again with Jesus Immortal and impassible like him Happy is he who conceives his Faith In the death and obscurity of his Senses Who loses not his hope having lost his support Who ceases not to love Having nothing that can comfort him O Jesus Hide me in thy grave Bury me in thy shrowd That I may be no more known by men Let me dy to all my senses I am ready to go along with you Even into the Prisons of Hell Provided that I be in your company I shall have nothing to apprehend Hell with you would be a Heaven to me Heaven without you would be a Hell to me Joseph taking the body wrapt it in a clean Sindon and laid it in his own new monument which he had hewed out of a rock Matth. 27. Woman why weepest thou They have taken away my Lord and I know not where they have put him John 20. My Soul was filled with evils and my life drew near unto Hell Ps 87. I was reputed with those that descend into the lake I became like a man without help free amongst the dead ibid. They laid me in the lower lake in dark places and in the shadow of death ibid. Like the vvounded that sleep in their graves ibid. CXIX MED Of the Resurrection of our Lord. JEsus is risen again He enjoys a glorious life He is com out of his grave He has conquered death He has triumphed over Satan He has broken to pieces the gates of Hell He has carried away the spoils He has frightned his guards He has confounded the Jews He is victorious over all his Enemies My Soul weep no more Jesus has resumed a new life He will dy no more in thy heart Unless thy Sin do crucify him there Jesus is risen again in our Souls He is re-entred into his Kingdom He has droven the Devils thence He has triumphed over Sin He keeps our Passions Captives He dwells therein by his Grace He lives there by his Spirit He reigns there by his Love He reposes there by his Peace All the whole Church is risen again His whole Body is out of the grave All his Members are re-animated They are no more dead nor sick My Soul weep no more Jesus has c. Jesu tarry with us for night draws on The day is going down The Devils gather together The Lions roar Our Passions revolt Ill habits awaken The World takes arms Our flesh takes strength again Your life is not in assurance Hell has conspired against you The wicked have sworn your death They will renew your sufferings My Soul c. O ye senceless Galathians What do you intend to do Do not you know Jesus any more But two days ago you lamented his death And now you are contriving To take away his life You are preparing Scourges for to tear him Thorns to crown him with Crosses to nail him to What has he don for to be crucified Is he criminal for having loved you Does he deserve death for having saved you My Soul c. Our Lord is truly risen and hath appeared to Simon Luk. 24. Christ rising from the dead dies no more death shall domineer no more over him Rom. 6. If ye are risen with Christ seek the things that are above not that are on earth Col. 3. Crucifying to themselves again the Son of God and setting him at nought Heb. 6. CXX MED Of our Lord's Wounds JEsus hath Wounds altho he be risen Do not wonder at the Wounds That remain after your Resurrection There is no hurt in feeling them There is merit in enduring them Be impassible to your passions Be immovable in your temptations The Wounds of Jesus enlighten our Faith They support our Hope They inflame our Love We cannot doubt of his affection We see his heart through his Wounds We ought no longer to be diffident Jesus is our Advocate in Heaven He prays for us by as many mouths As he has Wounds in his Body The Nails are the Keys that have opened This Ark of our Redemption All the Treasures which it includes Are now at our disposal O Jesus my Saviour How do your Wounds comfort me Secure me encourage me There issues from thence a Balsam Which cures all my sorrows Who will dare to accuse me Knowing that you are my Advocate Who will dare to condemn me Knowing that you are my Judge Who will dare to declare against me Knowing that you are my Saviour O divine Saviour Imprint on me your sacred Stigmats Imprint them in my Soul and in my Body Who can live without Wounds Seeing you covered with Wounds I cannot love my heart Unless it be wounded like yours Alas that which shall be the joy of the Predestinate Will be the torment of the damned He shewed them his hands and feet Luk. 24. He shewed them his hands and side John 20. What are those wounds in the midst of thy hands With these was I wounded in the house of those that loved me Zech. 13. Behold I have written thee in my hands Isai 49. Whom thou hast stricken they have persecuted and they have added to the pain of my wounds Ps 68. CXXI MED Of the good Shepherd JEsus is a good Shepherd He knows all his sheep He knows them as he is known by his Father He gives them life as he receives it from him He calls them all by their name He conducts them in streight ways He has a particular Providence for them He always walks before them With the Crook of the Cross in his
Draw me quickly For I am weary of living Alas What a life Ah! What a death O my dear Life Give me death that I may dy to my self And live Eternally to you And our Lord Jesus after he had spoken was assumed into Heaven and sitteth at the right hand of God Mark 16. Ascending on high he led captivity captive he gave gifts Eph. 4. Let not your heart be troubled I go to prepare you a place I will take you to my self that where I am you also may be John 14. And if I be exalted from the Earth I will draw all to my self John 12. Draw me after thee Cant. 5. CXXIV MED Of the coming down of the Holy Ghost WE are not members of Jesus Christ Unless we live by his Spirit The Spirit of JESVS Is a Spirit of Life which animates us 'T is a Spirit of Grace that sanctifies us A Spirit of Wisdom which instructs us A Spirit of Love which unites us A Spirit of Peace which pacifies us A Spirit of Purity which purifies us A Spirit of Liberty which disengages us A Spirit of Joy which comforts us A Spirit of Humility which humbles us A Spirit of Obedience which subjects us The Spirit of JESVS Makes men Gods Of sinners just Of weak makes us strong Of sad glad Of cold fervent Of cholerick mild Of ignorant wise Of timid courageous The Spirit of JESVS Does not descend upon the proud It does not repose in turbulent hearts It has a horrour of impure souls It withdraws it self from vain spirits It is not in agreement with the flesh It makes a mortal War with it It could not com down upon the Apostles Whilst they saw JESUS sensibly It lives in us by Grace It dwells in us by Charity It reigns in us by Love It reposes in us by Peace We afflict it by Venial sin We stile it by Mortal sin We lose it by the love of the World We drive it away by the love of the Flesh O my God! How gentle is your spirit How severe is mine How holy is yours How profane is mine How humble is yours How proud is mine O Holy Spirit Father of the poor Comfort of the afflicted Com and descend down to us and comfort us Enlighten us by your Light Conduct us by your Grace Sanctifie us by your Love Support us by your Strength Penetrate us by your Unction Adopt us by your Charity Pacifie us by your Presence Save us by your Mercy 'T is the Spirit which enlivens John 6. They were all replenisht with the Holy Ghost Act. 2. Grace is diffused in our hearts by the Holy Ghost who is given to us Rom. 5. If any one hath not the Spirit of Christ he is not his Rom. 8. Whoever are acted by the Spirit of God they are the Sons of God ibid. If we live in spirit let us walk in spirit Gal. 5. CXXV MED Of the most Sacred Trinity MAn believes that there are as many Gods As he loves Creatures He adores a Trinity on Earth And contemns the Trinity of Heaven He esteems only the grandures of the World He seeks after nothing but earthly riches He desires nothing but the pleasures of the Senses He despises the Wisdom of God He laughs at the power of the Father He outrages the goodness of the Holy Ghost Is it to believe that God is wise And not to apprehend his Wrath Is it to believe that God is holy And yet offend him by so many Crimes Is it to believe that God is pure And yet to cleave to the pleasures of the Senses Is it to believe that God is good And yet not to love him Is it to believe God to be independent And yet not to adore him Is it to believe God to be beneficent And yet not to thank him O most Holy Trinity I bless thee and I adore thee I will love thee both in Time and Eternity Glory be to the Father who created me Glory be to the Son who redeemed me Glory be to the Holy Ghost who sanctified me Glory be to the Father who supports me by his Power Glory be to the Son who governs me by his Wisdom Glory be to the Holy Ghost who sanctifies me by his Love Glory be to the Father who sustains my Being Glory be to the Son who enlightens my Understanding Glory be to the Holy Ghost who consecrates my Will Let the Holy Trinity be blessed By Angels and Men in Time and in Eternity Amen So be it Going teach ye all Nations baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost Matth. 28. Three there are who give testimony in Heaven the Father Word and Holy Ghost and these three are one 1 John 5. Holy holy holy Lord God of Hosts the Earth is full of thy glory Isai 6. All that is in the World is the concupiscence of the flesh and the concupiscence of the eyes and pride of life 1 John 8. CXXVI MED In form of a Dialogue Of the Institution of the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar The Disciple I Will speak unto my Lord Altho I am but ashes and dust O my God! How wonderful is your Wisdom How profound are your Mysteries Whence coms it that you would remain on Earth Since your Body is glorious Ought not the noblest of all Bodies To be on the top of the highest Heavens Your Throne is in the Firmament The Earth is but your Foot-stool Why do not you dwell in your Palace What do you do upon our dunghill The Master I would remain here upon Earth For to content my love I converse with men For to content their desires I am with my Disciples For to content them by my Presence I am amongst my sheep For to defend them against the Wolves I leave my self to my Church For to serve them for a Victim I immolate my self on the Altars For to do homage to my Father You would have no Religion If you had no Sacrifice The ancient ones are abrogated There is only I alone that can be immolated My body is in Heaven as in its Natural place My Body is on Earth as in a Sacramental place When I came down upon Earth I did not for that quit Heaven And when I re-ascended to Heaven I did not for all that quit the Earth The Disciple I will again speak to you O Lord Altho I am but ashes and dust Whence coms it that remaining on Earth You did not make your self visible Why did you hide your self Since you desire to be beloved You would have won all hearts If you had discovered your self to your eyes The Master I am a hidden God One must dy for to see me I hid my Divinity under the form of a Man And I hide my Humanity Under the form of Bread Your life is a state of Faith My Body ought therein to be veyled Your life is a state of Merit Your Understanding ought therein to be humbled Adam did not
give credit to my word But he credited that of the Serpent A blind credulity ought to repair his curiosity Faith consecrates your Understanding It humbles pour Pride It raises your Knowledges It makes you subject to God You must believe that you may see Faith goes before glory And how can you have Faith If what you see be not hidden The Disciple I will again speak c. Doutless your Humanity For to be an object of our Faith Ought to be hid as well as your Divinity But why under the form of Bread Is this state sutable to you What honour is not due to you Who can honour you in this figure The Master My Wisdom would not be infinit Unless it were incomprehensible It would not be wonderful Unless it were unconceivable Wisdom avoids the open light It hides it self in darkness Goodness flies from obscurity And would produce it self into the light Wisdom hides it self Because it would be admired Goodness discovers it self Because it would be beloved A God under the form of a man Is a more astonishing change Than a man under the form of bread Than a body in form of aliment Did not they eat the Lamb the Manna The loaves of Proposition If the figures were eaten The Truth also ought to be eaten You stood in need of a Sacrament For the nourishment of your Souls As your life is divine You stood in need of a divine food As you have a Soul and Body So there was requisit my Soul and my Body Unless you eat my flesh you will not have life All men were to eat it There was therefore requisit an aliment That all men might make use of Men have different tasts But all men love bread I took this amiable figure That I might be eaten without horrour That I might enter into the bottom of your heart That I might communicate my Spirit to you For to purify your body For to asswage its concupiscence For to cure it of its maladies For to give it my purity And my virginal qualities Bread is an aliment Which shews the effects of the Sacrament I would have you all to be united together I would transform you into my self As I live for my Father So I would have you live for me The Disciple O divine Master How admirable is your Wisdom You are truly a hidden God O what Bread O what a Feast O what a Table O how am I obliged to you That you would remain with us That you would take this figure For to communicate your self to us I believe I will not see I am called a Believer and not a Rationalist What shall I do to acknowledge you Since you remain with me I will remain with you Since you humble your self for me I will humble my self for you Since you destroy your self for me I will destroy my self for you Since you will live in me I will also live in you CXXVII MED Of the Love of JESVS Christ in the Sacrament of the Altar THis Sacrament proceeds from Love This Sacrament contents Love This Sacrament produces Love The Son of God did institute it out of Love He ascended up to Heaven out of Justice But he remain'd on Earth out of Love Did men deserve this favour They made themselves unworthy of it Does there any advantage accrew to him by it He suffers therein a great contempt Love hath triumphed over God Love made him com down on Earth Love made him stay there Love keeps him as it were Prisoner there Love tends unto Unity 'T is the end of all its desires It finds in the Communion All its satisfaction There it is that Jesus unites himself to us There it is that we unite our selves to him That he transforms himself into us That we transform our selves into him That he becoms one self-same thing with us That we becom one self-same thing with him There is but one person made up Of the aliment and of him that takes it There is a distinction every where But there is none in the food This is that which contents Love This is that which makes it a Sacrament of Love Knowledge begets Love Presence nourishes Love Affection enkindles Love Benefits do draw Love The Soul here sees her well-beloved She enjoys his Presence She discovers his affection She is fill'd with his graces and favours The heart may resist hatred But it cannot resist Love She there finds her beloved She there finds her delights She there finds her Love Ah! whence coms it that I am all ice Whence coms it that I have so little love What Nature is my heart made of How can it defend it self Love encompasses it on all sides And yet it knows not what Love is Love shews it self to my eyes Love makes it self be heard to my ears Love makes it self be tasted by my mouth Love makes it self be felt by my heart Love calls me draws me warms me Fights me flatters me obliges me Does all things to win me And yet I know not what it is to love Whence coms this insensibility O it is because I love Creatures It is because I am not disengaged It is because my heart is divided It is because I am not mortified My Soul Wilt thou always be ungrateful Wilt thou never let thy heart be won Shall not a God who is always with thee A God who gives himself all to thee A God who annihilates himself for thee A God who stands not in need of thee Who is happy without thee Who has so much Love for thee Who bestows so many benefits on thee Win thy heart Cannot he deserve thy affection O I can no longer resist this Love No longer defend my self from its pursuits I will no longer withdraw through fear I will approach out of Love O I will mortify my self For I cannot live without loving I will communicate frequently For I cannot live without eating The children of Israel said to one another Manhu which signifies What is this for they were ignorant what it was To whom Moses said This is the bread which our Lord has given you to eat Exod. 16. This is the bread that came down from Heaven not as your Fathers did eat Manna and died He that eats this bread shall live for ever John 6. Who shall give us of his flesh that we may be filled Job 31. My flesh is truly meat John 6. When he had loved his who were in the World he loved them unto the end John 13. CXXVIII MED Of the Holy Communion Ye Daughters of Jerusalem Tell my well beloved That I expect her day and night And that I languish with love I quitted Heaven for to com down on Earth And for to gain her love I took the form of Bread To make my self be loved And eaten without horrour I made my self a food that I might unite My self strictly to this ungrateful Soul I would fain feed her I would enrich her With the treasure of my Graces Why does
she slight me Why does she fly me O ye Daughters c. I am Bread and not Poyson I would make her live and not make her dy It was for to be loved that I took this shape 'T was for to be eaten That I made my self Bread And not for to be admired It is to sanctify her Body That I give her my Flesh 'T is for to enliven her Soul That I give her my Spirit 'T is for to unite her to my Divinity That I give her my humanity As wise as I am I know not what more to give her As rich as I am I have no more to give her As powerful as I am I can give her no more Why then does she sly me Why does she fear me O ye Daughters c. I have been at infinit Charges For to prepare this Banquet I have spared nothing for to content her I give her my Body to be eaten I give my blood to be drunk I heap up my graces on her I enrich her with my Merits I fill her with my Virtues I invite all the World to my Feast The sick for to cure them The weak for to fortify them The blind for to give them sight The sad for to comfort them Sinners for to sanctify them What reason has she to apprehend I do not require the end of the Sacrament For a disposition necessary to this Sacrament O ye Daughters of Jerusalem Tell my well-beloved That I expect her day and night And that she makes me languish with Love Tell her that she will dy with hunger Unless she eats this Bread That she will have no grace Unless she eats at my Table That she will have no strength no life No health no comfort That she will be strongly tempted That she will sink under that temptation Unless she eat at my Table That if she excuses her self from coming She shall not tast of my Meats Neither in her life time nor at her death Neither in Heaven nor on Earth That I will give her place To the Blind and to the Lame That she contemns me Instead of honouring me That she afflicts me Instead of comforting me That she offends me Instead of contenting me O Bread of Angels Who cam'st down from Heaven Shall I dare make thee com down into my heart Can I receive thee knowing who I am Can I refuse thee knowing who thou art Can I approach thee knowing thy Sanctity Can I draw off without necessity O Divine Lover Who dost invite us to thy Wedding And who dost invite us so lovingly Give a Nuptial Robe to this Prodigal Penitent I do not deserve this honour I am unworthy of this favour But the sentiment of my humility Will supply the want of my sanctity You will have it so You desire it You order it You command it You threaten me with your anger If I fail to be present at it 'T is better to side with Love than Fear Obedience is surer than Diffidence I will therefore approach with Respect I will receive you with Confidence I will imbrace you with Love I will thank you with Tenderness I will eat you with Pleasure I will speak to you with Liberty I will serve you with Fidelity I will bless you in time and in Eternity Amen With desire have I desired to eat this Pasch with you before I suffer Luk. 22. He that eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him John 6. A certain man made a great Supper and called many and they all began to excuse themselves Luk. 14. I say to you that none of those men that were called shall tast my Supper Bring in hither the poor and weak and blind and lame force them to com in c. ibid. CXXIX MED In Form of Prayer to our Lord Jesus Christ which may serve for a Thanksgiving after Communion SOul of JESUS sanctify me Blood of JESUS wash me Passion of JESUS strengthen me Wounds of JESUS heal me Heart of JESUS receive me Spirit of JESUS enliven me Goodness of JESUS pardon me Beauty of JESUS draw me Humility of JESUS humble me Mildness of JESUS gentle me Peace of JESUS pacifie me Love of JESUS inflame me Kingdom of JESUS com into me Grace of JESUS replenish me Mercy of JESUS have pity on me Sanctity of JESUS consecrate me Purity of JESUS purify me Cross of JESUS support me Nails of JESUS hold me fast Thorns of JESUS crown me Gall of JESUS inebriate me Mouth of JESUS bless me In my life and at my death In Time and Eternity Amen You must pause at every verse and relish that which shall touch your heart CXXX MED Of Devotion towards the B. Virgin FOr to be a Son of God's You must be the Son of Mary She is the Mother of all the just The Advocate of all sinners The Queen of all the Predestinate She brought them forth on Mount Calvary They were given to her at the foot of the Cross She hath given life to all men In giving life to God She hath co-operated to their Salvation In sacrificing him to his Father No man can go to the Father But by the Son Nor to the Son but by the Mother The Father refuses nothing to his Son Nor the Son to his Mother I shall not be saved But by the Merits of the Son Nor shall I be saved But by the intercession of the Mother The Son is our Mediatour with his Father The Mother is our Mediatrix with her Son JESVS is the Head of the Church Mary is the neck of the Church JESVS is the fountain of graces Mary is the bason of them JESVS is the Sun of the World Mary is the Moon thereof Nothing is produced in grace But by JESVS and by Mary The Moon receives the whole Sun And contributes to the generation of Beings Mary receives all from JESVS And contributes to the sanctification of Souls O holy Mother of God! I begin to breath Because my salvation depends on you Your Son is my Saviour But he is also my Judge His Goodness encourages me But his Justice affrightens me I am a Criminal I dare not appear before him But you my dear Mother You have nothing to frighten me You are a Mother of Grace and not of Justice You became a Mother Only for to give us a Saviour You would not have been the Mother of God If there had been no Sinners O I will be your child That I may be God's child O I will be your servant That I may be God's servant He saith to his Mother Woman behold your Son Then he saith to his Disciple Behold thy Mother And from that hour the Disciple received her for his John 19. Dwell in Jacob and have thy inheritance in Israel and take root in my Elect. Eccl. 24. He that shall find me shall find life and draw salvation from our Lord. Prov. 8. CXXXI MED Of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin MAry is happy In
glory of Jerusalem thou the joy of Israel thou the honour of our People Judith 25. Who is she that comes forth like the rising morning Cant. 6. Do thou and thy Son rule over us Judg. 8. He shall comfort us from all the works and labours of our hands in the land that God hath cursed Gen. 5. CXL MED Of the Presentation of the B. Virgin in the Temple MAry offered up unto God all that she had She offered it up as soon as she could She offered it up with a full will for ever And by an irrevocable promise We give to God but half our heart We give it as late as we can We give it with regret We give it but for a time Give all Give quickly Give cheerfully Give for ever O Holy Virgin I give my self wholy to you without reserve I give my self with all my heart I am sorry that I gave my self so late I give my self for ever And by an irrevocable donation Offer up my heart to your Son I give it to him all entire without delay Without regret without return for ever And by an irrevocable donation 'T is good for a man when he has born the yoke from his youth he shall sit solitary and shall be silent because he hath raised himself above himself Thren 3. And having not found where to rest her foot she returned unto him into the Ark. Gen. 18. In the simplicity of my heart I offered up all Kings 8. Ananias with Saphira his wife sold a field and bringing the price he laid it at the Apostles feet Ananias why hath Satan tempted thy heart to ly to the Holy Ghost and defraud of the price Act. 5. Their heart is divided now will they perish Os 10. A Protestation of Service to the B. Virgin which ought to be made on all Holy-Days and Communion Days O Holy Virgin most worthy Mother of God altho I know my self unworthy to be in the number of your Servants and of your Children yet trusting in your goodness and in your mercy and pushed on with a desire of serving you I declare in the Presence of God and of all the Heavenly Court that I choose you this day for my Queen for my Mother and for my Advocate And I make a firm resolution never to forsake your Service never to do or say any thing against your honour and never to permit that any that depend upon me ever offend you or dishonour you in any manner whatsoever I most humbly beseech you to receive me into the number of your Servants and of your Children to help me in all my Necessities and not to forsake me at the hour of my Death Amen I thought my self obliged to make this Form for those who know not the manner how to give themselves to the B. Virgin The End of the Third Part. THE FOURTH PART FOR THE VNITIVE LIFE CXLI MED Of the Love of JESVS JESVS is the most beautiful of all Men. JESVS is the greatest of all Kings JESVS is the most charitable of all Fathers JESVS is the most faithful of all Friends JESVS is the mildest of all Masters JESVS is the perfectest of all Spouses JESVS made himself man for me and like me JESVS made himself poor for me and like me JESVS made himself miserable for me and like me JESVS suffered death for me and like me JESVS is my Father and my King He is my Brother and my Spouse My Master and my Shepherd My Chief and my Physician My Salvation and my Redemption My Hopes and my Comfort JESVS loves me with all his heart He is always at the door of my heart He intreats me to give him my heart He has given his life to have my heart I am ungrateful if I refuse him my heart Wo unto him who divides his heart Cursed is he that loves him not with all his heart O Love of all Loves O Heart of all Hearts Let me love you as you love me Let me love you as you deserve to be loved Nothing above JESVS Nothing comparable to JESVS Nothing with JESVS Nothing after JESVS Goodly of beauty above the Sons of men Ps 44. All in all Christ Col. 3. Simon of John dost thou love me John 14. He that has my Commandments and keeps them it is he that loves me John 14. If any one doth not love our Lord Jesus Christ be he Anathema 1 Cor. 16. CXLII MED Of the Vnity of Love LOve comes from Unity tends to Unity Reposes in Unity conserves it self by Unity A strait heart cannot be bowed A pure heart cannot be stained A free heart cannot be captivated A single heart cannot be divided Wo unto those that have a double heart God's heart cannot love them No man can have two Heavens No man can serve two Masters No man can have two Spouses No man can love God and the World There must be but one Soul to one Body But one Sun to the Universe But one King in a State But one Governour in a Place But one Shepherd to one Flock But one Pilot to one Ship But one Love to one Heart But one God to one Creature You will say you give God half your heart Ah! did not God create the other half Did God redeem but half your heart Will God save but half your heart Did God give you but half his heart Ah! why will you give him but half of yours Is the heart of a man too much for God O the God of my Heart You have always been mine And I have never been yours I have made to my self as many Idols As I have loved Creatures I have divided my Faith When I divided my Charity I destroy'd both the one and the other When I divided them Ah! I lost my self when I did not love you I will henceforth O my God Love you with all my heart I will never more divide my affections All to all One to one One alone to one alone This is the Device of my heart O my God and my All. Since you have given me your whole heart Which is so great 'T is very just that I should give you all mine That is so small No man can serve two Masters Matth. 6. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart Matth. 22. How long do you halt on both sides if our Lord is God serve him c. 3 Kings 18. Wo unto the double hearted Eccl. 2. Their heart is divided now they will perish Os 10. CXLIII MED Of the Presence of God GOD is before me with me in me He is before me for to consider me He is with me for to govern me He is in me for to enliven me I ought therefore to be before God By thinking on nothing but him With God by labouring only for him In God by loving nothing but him I am never alone God is always with me I never work alone God always works with me I never suffer alone God always suffers with me
Is it not to be in Heaven to see God always Is it not to be in Hell never to see God Alas my God! You always think on me And I never think on you You are always with me And I am never with you You always labour for me And I never labour for you You are always in me as in a Hell There to see my Crimes And hear my Blasphemies You shall henceforth be as in a Heaven There to see good actions and hear your praises Lord thou hast tryed me and known me whither shall I go from thy Spirit or fly from thy face Ps 138. But thou art in us O Lord. Jer. 4. The God of Hosts in whose sight I stand 4 Kings 3. CXLIV MED Of Solitude IT is hard to be with God and with men You must avoid company to enjoy your beloved The World makes too much noise about your heart For to hear his speech He is not to be seen but in the Desart And in the sleep of the Senses And in the silence of the Passions Be solitary in body in mind in heart God visits you when you are solitary in body God speaks to you when you are solitary in mind God fills you when you are solitary in heart Unless you draw off from Creatures God cannot visit you Unless you make Creatures hold their peace God cannot speak to you Unless you disengage your self from Creatures God cannot love you O Solitude of body of mind of heart 'T is with you that God is seen heard and tasted Let us go into Solitude my beloved There it is that I will speak to the heart I will lead her into solitude and speak to her heart Os 2. Our Lord is not in commotion 3 Kings 19. The woman fled into the wilderness Apoc. 12. I have gon far flying away and I abode in the wilderness Ps 54. He shall sit solitary and be silent Thren 2. When you pray enter into your chamber Matth. 6. Through the places and the streets I will seek whom my soul loves I sought him but did not find him Cant. 3. CXLV MED Of the leaving of our selves HAppy is the man that puts his trust in God Who leaves himself to his Providence Who suffers himself to be guided by his Wisdom Who rests upon his Goodness Nothing disturbs that Soul that is left to God Nothing opposes it self to her desires All things happen out as she would have them All is don as she desires Because she desires nothing But as God would have it She sleeps amidst Storms She is calm in Persecutions She labours without sollicitude She does all things without disquiet God is her Vessel and her Pilot. Her Chariot and her Driver Her Father and her Protectour Her Safeguard and her Defence She reposes betwixt his arms She lays her heart upon his She has no care but to please him She thinks on nothing but of contenting him She recommends her spirit to him And then she dies to all her fears And to all her desires But God watches when she sleeps He works when she reposes He conducts her in her Journeys He carries her in her feebleness He hears her in her prayers He prevents all her desires He concerns himself in all her affairs He blesses all her designs He provides for all her necessities He cures all her ailings He sweetens all her bitternesses He allays all her sorrows My Child says our Lord Think on me and I will think on thee Do my Will and I will do thine Do my affairs as thy own And I will do thine as my own Remain in quiet and desire nothing Give me thy heart And I will give thee mine Blessed is the man that hopes in him Ps 34. Whatsoever befals the just man will not sadden him Prov. 12. You shall sleep in sorrows Isai 50. He that fears our Lord shall dread nothing and shall not be afraid because he is his hope Eccl. 34. To thee is the poor man left thou shalt be a helper to the orphan Ps 9. I know whom I have trusted and I am certain that he is able to keep my depositum unto that day 2 Tim. 1. CXLVI MED How we ought to leave our selves I Know not whether I lose my self I know not whether I save my self Whether I do well or ill Whether I go forward or backward I know not what to say or think In this confusion of my thoughts I say to you without troubling my self My God I leave my self to you My Friends betray me My Enemies persecute me I am wasted in sorrows I am reduced to necessity I am stript of my goods I am blackned with calumnies I find no body to comfort me I have no gust at all in my Devotions My temptations increase My forces diminish My lights are eclipsed I know not what will becom of me I am heart-less and support-less All my comfort in my pains Is to lose my self and to say to you My God I leave my self to you Am I in grace or am I in sin Am I worthy of hatred or of love Shall I be saved shall I be damned Shall I go to Heaven or go to Hell All this is unknown to me But nothing of this disturbs me I put my confidence in God I rest upon his mercy I rely upon the merits of his Son I recommend my Spirit to him I am in peace when I have said to him My God I leave my self to you Let me live Let me dy Let me dy soon Let me live long Let me be well Let me be sick Let me be comforted Let me be afflicted Let me be in peace Let me be in war All this is indifferent to me Your good pleasure is mine Your will makes my joy I have but one thing to desire Which is to please you and to love you You are my Love and my All. My God I leave my self to you Into thy hands I commend my spirit thou hast redeemed me O God of truth Ps 30. In peace in the self same I will sleep and rest Ps 4. I am a beggar and poor our Lord is sollicitous for me Ps 74. I am becom like a lost Vessel Ps 30. He said I will not leave thee nor forsake thee Heb. 13. CXLVII MED Of Annihilation A Being made us to com forth from God A not being makes us return to God Until a Soul hath found her Nothing She cannot find God He is hid under the Creatures As under veils and shapes As soon as you penetrate into the inside You see God openly For to know all you must know nothing For to tast all you must tast nothing For to have all you must have nothing For to be all you must be nothing O my God! You are my All I am nothing You are my light I know nothing You are my strength I can do nothing You are my virtue I do nothing Speak my God for your Servant hears My mouth before you is speechless You know what my
great things How beautiful is God Since he hath created such beautiful things How good is God Since he hath created such good things What favours has God don to me From what danger has he preserved me From how many evils has he delivered me What great goods he promises me Who deserves my heart better than he Who offers me a greater price for to have it To whom shall I give it if not to him Who has given me his To whom shall I sell it if not to him Who has bought it at the price of his Blood Is a naughty heart worth the blood of a God Worth the life of a God Worth the heart of a God Worth the Kingdom of God I deserve not to live If I will live for any one but you I ought not to have a heart If I will love any thing else besides you O I have loved you too late Beauty always new always ancient O I have too soon offended you Bounty always amiable always adorable I acknowledge my darkness I abhor my ingratitudes I will always love you O God of goodness I will never offend you O God of majesty Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart and with thy whole soul and with all thy forces Luk. 10. In this did appear the charity of God because God sent his only begotten son into the World that we may live by him 1 John 4. Let us therefore love God because he loved us first ibid. I will love thee O Lord my strength our Lord is my establishment and my refuge and my deliverer my God and my helper c. Ps 17. CLI MED How God loves men and how men ought to love God LEt us love God because he loves us Let us love him as he hath loved us The Love of God is ancient He hath lov'd us from all Eternity We were always in his thought in his heart His Love is as ancient as his Being He no sooner was but he loved us And as he always was So he always loved us And he will still love us During all Eternity The Love of God is pure and disinterested He loves us without standing in need of us Without expecting any thing from us Without any desert on our side Without any obligation on his He loves us that he may be loved And to make us happy through his love The Love of God is tender 'T is a Love of sweetness 'T is the sweetness of Love 'T is the Love of a Father And Mother and Nurse The Love of God is strong It triumphs over all difficulties It does good to the ungrateful To Rebels to his Enemies The Love of God is infinit He loves us with the love that he loves himself He has bestowed infinit benefits on us He has suffered infinit evils for us He has given his blood which is of an infinit price He communicates to us his grace Which is an infinit treasure He prepares his glory for us Which is an infinit good The Love of God is universal It embraces all men There is no body that he does not love That he does not visit To whom he has not appointed an Angel Whom he does not help Whom he has not redeemed Whom he is not willing to save O incomparable Lover Where shall I find a friend So faithful and so ancient as you O my Soul Canst thou not love him Who has loved thee so much Canst thou refuse thy heart to him Who has given thee his Compare one with the other Measure the greatness of the one and the other O my God! my Love Was there ever Ingratitude comparable to mine You love me from the time that you were And I offend you from the time that I had a Being You love me from all Eternity And I will not love you now O I will henceforth love you As you have loved me I will love you constantly purely strongly Eternally universally In all places in all times in all states And in the accomplishment of all your wills I have loved thee in perpetual charity Jer. 31. The Father himself loveth you John 6. He will have all men to be saved and to com to the knowledge of truth 1 Tim. 2. He loved them to the end John 13. Is the death of the wicked man my Will saith the Lord God and not rather that he should be converted from his ways and live Ezek. 18. CLII. MED Of the Incomprehensibility of God ALL times together Cannot measure the Being of God All places together cannot inclose him All understandings whatsoever Cannot comprehend him All hearts together Cannot love him sufficiently God is nothing of what I see He is nothing of what I touch He is nothing of what I hear He is nothing of what I know He is nothing of what I imagin He is an invisible spiritual And incomprehensible Being O my God! How rich am I When I have nothing but you How enlightned am I When I see nothing but you How knowing am I When I know nothing but you How contented am I When I relish nothing but you I see all things when I see nothing I tast all things when I tast nothing I hear all things when I hear nothing I possess all things when I possess nothing I am all things when I am nothing I honour the Power of God By the Sacrifice of my power I honour the Greatness of God By the Sacrifice of my glory I honour the Goodness of God By the Sacrifice of my desires I honour the Incomprehensibility of God By the Sacrifice of my thoughts Empty your Memory from its Images And God will fill it with his Essence Empty your Heart of its Affections And God will fill it with his Goods Empty your Understanding of your Conceits And God will fill it with his Lights Great in counsel and incomprehensible in thought Jer. 32. To whom have you compared me and made me like unto Isai 46. My Soul hath refused to be comforted I was made full of God and was delighted Ps 76. All my bones shall say Lord who is like unto thee Ps 34. Rase it rase it unto the foundation thereof Ps 136. CLIII MED Of Simplicity BE simple in mind Be simple in heart That Spirit is simple That has but one thought That heart is simple that has but one desire Without these two Simplicities You will never arrive to Unity God is a pure Act. There is nothing more simple than his Being He cannot be multiplyed He cannot endure Duplicity He has from all Eternity But one thought and one love He says all in one word And this word is nothing but Truth If you would unite your self to God You must imitate this Simplicity To what purpose are so many thoughts To what end so many discourses Are not you convinc'd of the truth Why should you seek after what you have found Do what you know Tast what you see God is one great Word A great matter for Prayer Cast
your self into this Ocean Plunge your self into this Abyss You will find all things in God You will find nothing out of God Martha you labour too much Your Sollicitudes are unprofitable Here is too much meat For the Word whom you would treat What need so many cares One thing alone is sufficient Imitate your Sister Magdalen She has chosen the better part She hearkens without speaking She reposes without disquieting her self She has an extreme satisfaction To be in the presence of her beloved Draw your self out of multiplicity Draw near unto Unity This is the only thing necessary There is nothing but this that can content you For to have but one only thought You ought to have but one desire For to empty your self of your thoughts You must empty your self of your desires Without simplicity of heart You will never have simplicity of spirit You love a thousand things And you would think of nothing You give ear to your Passions And you complain of Distractions Your Complaints are not reasonable There is a duplicity in your heart It runs after its treasure It takes pleasure in what it loves It does not love God only You are not master of your own spirit But are not you master of your own heart You cannot be without a thought But cannot you be without a desire You will have but few evil thoughts If you have no evil desires Shut your self up into your heart There it is that you will find What it is that you love Whatever noise your Understanding makes Take heed you open not the door to it Stop its lightness Mortify its curiosity And if you cannot compass this Let the Vagabond run But do not run after him Remain in your own quiet Wrap your self up in your Poverty What do you seek for having God present Is not faith more certain than the senses 'T is better to love than to think Better to enjoy than to desire You will enjoy your beloved When you love him without desiring any thing O my Soul How happy wouldst thou be If thou didst content thy self with God If thou didst seek only to please him If thou would'st nothing but what he wills Thy heart in thy Prayer would be Like a Stone in its Center Like the Flame in its Sphear Like a River in the Ocean Like a Needle that looks upon its Pole Like Iron that touches the Load-stone O my God! What would I have And what do I seek after What do I desire and what do I expect Alas I seek after rest And I am always in motion I would fain be in peace And I am always in war O I am weary of labouring I will henceforth rest my self I have but too much knowledge I will now begin to love Let us O my Soul tast and see How sweet our Lord is O the God of my life O the peace of my soul I have offered up all to you with joy In the simplicity of my heart You know what it is that I seek after VVhat it is that I desire My heart is simple O my God It has no double dealing Make it therefore to enter Into the repose of the Saints And draw it to the center of Unity With the simple is his Communication Prov. 3. The simplicity of the just shall direct them Prov. 11. If thy eye be simple all thy body will be lightsom Matth. 6. Thou art troubled about many things but one thing is necessary Luk. 10. In the simplicity of your heart seek him Wisd 1. CLIV. MED Of the fulness of God's Riches GOd is sufficient to himself He does not stand in need of us He is sufficient to his Creatures They stand in need only of him God is all to all men He is a light to the blind He is health to the sick He is a comfort to the afflicted He is a strength to the weak He is sanctity to Sinners Life to the dead Peace to the living O sweet words My God and my All. How savoury are they to a Soul Unto whom God is All And to whom All that is not God is nothing O God and my All I am weary of thinking reading reasoning I find All in these two words My God and my All. All that I read all that I hear Takes up my mind But it does not fill my heart I find every where a vacuity and indigence There is only You in whom I find The summ of all my desires O my God and my All. These two words are honey to my mouth A source of living water to my heart Which quencheth its thirst Which contents all its desires What can I wish for after you Who can content me if you cannot O my God and my All. You shall henceforth be my All And all Creatures shall be nothing to me I said to our Lord thou art my God because thou dost not want my goods Ps 15. I will shew thee all good Exod. 33. He that replenishes your desire in good things Ps 102. What is there to me in Heaven and what else but thee would I have on Earth O God of my heart Ps 72. CLV MED Of Heaven HEaven is the House of God 'T is the Land of the living 'T is the Center of rest 'T is the Ocean of all goods 'T is the Absence of all evils 'T is the Source of all pleasures The Treasure of all riches The Throne of all grandures The End of all pains The Height of all comforts There you shall see and you shall love There you shall possess and enjoy There you shall have all that you desire And have nothing of what you fear There good shall be without evil Pleasure without pain Abundance without indigence Health without sickness Life without death Rest without disquiet O what satisfaction to see all that is beautiful To love all that is good To possess all that is great To tast all that is sweet To see the first Truth To possess the chief good To tast the chiefest pleasure O God of Virtues How amiable are your Tabernacles My Soul languishes with a desire Of entring into your Heaven O how miserable am I here below O how happy shall I be there above My Soul If thou lovest the goods of this World Thou wilt not have the goods of Heaven O how the Earth displeases me When I lift up my eyes to Heaven My God! Let me dy quickly that I may see you Since none can see you without dying I will shew thee all good Exod. 33. We shall be filled with the goods of thy house Ps 64. They shall be inebriated with the plenty of thy house and thou wilt give them to drink of the torrent of thy pleasure Ps 35. God will wash away all tears from their eyes and death shall be no more nor mourning nor clamour nor dolour Apoc. 21. Eye hath not seen nor ear heard nor hath it entred into the heart of man what God hath prepared for those that love him 1 Cor.
You have grace enough not to go thither You have enough to retire from thence But shall you have grace enough if you stay there Is it not a sin of Presumption To promise it your self in the occasion At least it will be very weak And your enemy will be very strong He is a Dog in a chain When we come near him he bites us He expects us in the occasion If you go thither O rash Soul You will yield to that temptation He that loves danger will not escape danger Be not familiar with a cholerick man neither do thou walk with a furious man least thou learn his foot stept Prov. 22. He that touches pitch shall be defiled with it and he that keeps company with a proud man will put on pride Eccles 14. He that joyns himself to Fornicators will be naught Eccles 14. If any one be a Fornicator amongst you do not so much as eat with such an one 1 Cor. 5. He that loves danger shall perish therein Eccles 3. Go off from the Tabernacles of the wicked men and do not touch any thing that belongs to them that ye be not involv'd in their ruin Numb 16. If thy right eye scandalize thee pluck it out and cast it from thee Matth. 5. We denounce unto you brethren in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ That you withdraw your selves from every brother that walks disorderly 2 Thess 3. XX. MED Of a good and a bad Conscience O How good it is to serve God What a pleasure is there in loving him How good is he to those that love him How terrible to those that offend him How happy is a good conscience How unhappy is a bad Conscience How joyful is a sound heart How sad is a sick heart O what quiet is there in a good Soul O what disturbance in a wicked Soul The Conscience of a just man is a Heaven The Conscience of a Sinner is a Hell God is in the Soul of a just man The Devil is in the Soul of a Sinner A virtuous man fears nothing A wicked man apprehends all things A just man is well with himself A wicked man is ill with himself A virtuous man willingly stays at home Because all is in peace there A wicked man dares not enter into himself Because all things are there in disorder O how sweet is Virtue O how bitter is Vice O how precious is the death of the Just O how horrible is the death of Sinners Ah! I will love God now That I may love him in Eternity I will lead a good life that I may have a good death My sin is always before me Psal 50. There is no peace to the wicked saith our Lord. Isa 48. A good conscience is as it were a perpetual feast Prov. 15. Tribulation and anguish upon every Soul that works evil Rom. 2. Hell is my house Job 17. This is our glory the testimony of our conscience 2 Cor. 1. XXI MED Of the peace of the Soul I Would fain be in peace Whence comes it that I am not Is it not because I defer too much to my own sence Because I am too much wedded to my own will Because I rebel against my Superiors Because I will suffer nothing Because I desire something with eagerness Because I am ambitious Because I am envious Is it not because I wage war against God Because I resist his Will Because I oppose my self to his Providence Because I would have what he will not Because I will not what he wills Who can live in peace that fights against God Who can be contented that is at odds with God O my Soul If thou art against God God will be against thee If thou disturbest his peace he will disturb thy quiet If thou keep his orders his orders will keep thee If thou disturb his order His order will disturb thee Desire nothing and thou shalt have all Do the Will of God and God will do thine He will do the Will of those that fear him Ps 144. VVhence come the wars and brangles amongst you is it not from your concupiscences James 4. Glory be to God on high and on Earth peace to men of good will Luk. 2. My peace I give you let not your heart be troubled John 14. Much peace there is to those that love thy law Ps 118. XXII MED Of vain Desires ARt thou contented O my Soul What dost thou desire upon earth Is not God sufficient for thee Is not he thy happiness When wert thou well without him Or when ill with him What dost thou seek besides God Who can content thee but God Thy desires are thy Tyrants 'T is they make thee miserable 'T is they that rent thy heart How happy would'st thou be if thou desiredst nothing What dost thou get by desiring These sort of desires enter not into Heaven They are the Devils in Hell 'T is they that torment the damned Leave off desiring and thou wilt get out of Hell O my God! Out of you all abundance is to me indigence All sweetness is bitterness to me That Heart is very covetous To which God is not sufficient Covetousness is the root of all evils 1 Tim. 6. The desires of sinners shall perish Ps 122. Desires kill the slothful man Prov. 21. Turn away from me all desires Eccles 23. Yield me not O Lord from my desire to the Sinner Psal 139. Martha Martha thou art Sollicitous and troubled about many things Luk. 10. XXIII MED Of Tepidity How miserable is a Tepid Soul She has lost all relish of God She is depriv'd of all comforts She wanders out of the ways of his Providence She sins without fear She does ill without remorse She dares not enter into her self She is Sick and is not sensible of her Sickness She is wicked and thinks her self good She is a slave and thinks her self free She abuses all remedies She rejects all Inspirations She is insensible to all Grace She discredits Devotion She scandalizes her Neighbour She is a burden to Communities She lies heavy upon God's heart She is just upon the point of being cast out She is in danger of never re-entring more Am not I in that state Am I hot or am I cold Am I all God's Or am I his only by halfs If so I have a tepid Soul O divine Saviour How long have I afflicted you How long have I clogg'd your heart Ah! Vomit me not up yet Deprive me not of your love Drive me if you will out of your Heaven But drive me not out of your Heart Draw in your goods from my soul But draw not back your love from thence Alas I more dread your hatred Than I do the pains of Hell My Soul Remember the state thou art fallen from Resume thy first fervour 〈◊〉 tho I dost it quickly Thy Candlestick will be removed And another put in its place JESUS will drive thee out of his heart And thou shalt never more re-enter therein If thou
wert either cold or hot Apoc. 3. Pervent in Spirit Rom. 12. Remember from whence thou art fallen and do pennance and do thy first works Apoc. 2. Because thou art tepid I will begin to vomit thee out of my mouth Apoc. 3. XXIV MED Of the hatred of the World THe World is a cheat It must be contemned It never performs what it promises Its goods are not true ones They are not solid not pure not lasting They cannot fill the heart nor content the mind They give many disquiets and never give any rest Have you ever had any whilst you were in its service We ought to hate the World 'T is an enemy to JESUS Christ 'T is the Devil's Confederate He that loves the World believes the Maxims of the World And not those of the Gospel He is therefore a Christian only in name But an Infidel in heart The Devils believe there is a God This belief makes them tremble But they believe not in God Because they do not do his Will The Worlding believes there is a God But he does not believe in God Satan believes and trembles The Worlding believes and mocks He is then worse than the Devil Who ever is a friend to the World Declares himself an enemy to God Is it to be loyal to your King to love his Enemies We ought to fly the World Its company is dangerous We cannot live in it with security 'T is a Sea full of shelfs The World is 1. Judg'd 2. Condemn'd 3. Accursed 4. Excommunicated And can we after all that frequent it 'T is better to be hated by the wicked Than be beloved by them If you are of the World you will die in your Sin Why will you love the World Was it the World that created you That redeemed you That will save you JESUS says That he is not of this World And you say That you are of this World You are not then a Disciple of JESUS Christ Have not you renounc'd the World When you were baptized You renounc'd it before the use of reason And you adore it having the use of reason You renounc'd it without your liberty And you love it with your liberty Doubtless had you had the use of reason You would not have been baptized O JESUS How many adorers has the World And how few servants have you The World cheats all men And yet all men serve it You cheat no body And yet no body obeys you O! I am a Christian I have learnt to contemn the World and not to adore it I had rather be little with humble JESUS Than great with the ambitious World I had rather weep with afflicted JESUS Than divert my self with the voluptuous World Want all with poor JESUS Than possess all with the vicious World VVo unto the world from scandals Matth. 18. I am not of this world John 8. Now is the judgment of this world John 12. I pray not for the world John 17. Have confidence I have conquer'd the world John 10. He that loves the world the charity of the Father is not in him 1 John 2. XXV MED Of the small number of the Saved THe Flood overflow'd the whole Earth There were but eight men saved Of six hundred thousand fighting men There were only two that past the Jordan Of a field sown with Wheat Only the fourth part is fruitful Of many that run a Race only one gets the Prize The way to Hell is broad The greatest part of men take that way The way to Heaven is narrow And few there are that find it God will have all men to be saved He never forsakes them unless he be first forsaken He refuses his grace to no body Whence comes it then that so few are saved 'T is because Nature is corrupted Because it always tends downward Because we use no violence to it Because we are tyed to the pleasure of our senses Because we follow the Maxims of the World Because we do no Pennance Because we do not what we ought Because we begin to do it too late Because we stay to the very last When we are no more able to sin God contemns them at their death Who contemn'd him during their life The Devil keeps those fast at their death Whom he possest during their life Seldom can one in his old age shake off The wicked customs of his youth Every one carries to his Grave The Vices of his first years They hide themselves in his bones And sleep under his ashes with him O my God! Shall I be saved Shall I be damned If I am saved 't will be by your grace If I am damn'd 't will be through my own fault For there is nothing wanting to me for my Salvation What would I wish to have done at my death What sorrow shall I have in Hell Is a short time too long to prepare ones self Eternity Enter in at the narrow gate Math. 7. Many are called but few chosen Thy perdition is from thy self O Israel in me alone is thy help Hosea 13. What more could I do to my Vineyard and have not don it Isa 5. His bones shall be fill'd with the sins of his youth and sleep with him in the dust Job 20. XXVI MED Of Scandal or bad Example BAd Example is a bad Master It teaches evil to those that are ignorant of it It perswades those to it that abhor it It facilitates it to those that apprehend it It commands it to those that hate it It makes it honourable to the great ones It makes it necessary to the lesser sort It makes it lawful to the good It makes it pleasing to the wicked A scandalous person does more harm Than a great Saint can do good Example damns more people Than all the Preachers have ever saved Ignorance is one part of Innocence Evil would scarce ever be don Had it not been seen don One is ashamed to be good When one is amongst the wicked Only those Beings that are perfect Can produce perfect Beings like themselves One must be compleatly wicked To make others wicked A scandalous man is an Antichrist He is a Master of Iniquity He is a corrupter of Innocency He is the Devil's Substitute He is the Minister of his will A scandalous person ruins the Empire of JESUS He extends the Empire of Lucifer He fights under his Standard He draws men to his side He Martyrizes Innocence He damns the Souls of his brothers He commits as many sins As he is the cause of being committed He shall be damn'd as many times As he hath damned people He shall have as many Hells As he hath sent Souls to Hell O Scandalous Soul What has JESUS don to thee That thou shouldst persecute him What has thy Neighbour don That thou shouldst damn him Hast thou reason to be wicked because he is good And to wish him ill because he is innocent Hast not thou committed sins enough Wthout loading thy self with the sins of others What rest wilt
dy many times That I may dy once well Remember that death doth not tarry Eecles 14. Watch because you know neither the day nor the hour Matth. 25. VVatch at all times Luk. 21. If thou do not watch I will come to thee like a Thief Apoc. 3. Therefore be ye prepared because in what hour you think not the Son of Man will come Matth. 24. L. MED How to resolve for Death WHat do you fear O Christian Soul VVhence is it that you apprehend Death Cannot you endure that which a little Infant does endure Cannot you do that which an Emmot does All Creatures know how to dy And are you ignorant of this Science VVhat will you do with life If you will never part with it VVas it not God that gave it you Has not he a right to dispose of it He has giv'n you the use of it But has reserv'd the property thereof to himself 'T is a trust that you must restore to him Sooner or later in a good condition To what purpose do you stand trifling You must pass that way 'T is a folly to apprehend too much VVhat one cannot avoid VVe fear things that are doubtful But we expect things that are certain You should not have been born If you had no mind tody Are you in a better condition than Kings Shall you be more privileg'd than JESUS Christ For my part were I immortal I would beg it as a favour To be able to die as he did Are not you a Criminal Are not you condemn'd to death The Sentence thereof was pronounced Against Adam from the time that he sinn'd O how favourable is this Sentence O how much good does it procure us Death is no more a punishment 'T is an inestimable benefit VVe should ask it as a favour If God had not condemn'd us to it The Judgments of God are terrible But his Mercies are infinit It is good to fear But it is better to hope He that hopes in God Shall not be deceived He that leaves himself to God Shall not be forsaken Will your Condition be made better By living yet longer You will increase your debts Instead of diminishing them You say that you will do Pennance And you are yet to begin 'T is a Pennance of great merit To accept of death as a punishment Man can do no action for God Comparable to the Sacrifice of his life O my God! How happy do I esteem my self That 't is in my power to die for you I cannot be a Martyr for the Faith But I will be a Martyr of Charity To dy is no great matter But to dy well is a great matter I give to you O my God out of love VVhat death will take from me by force I give to you out of charity VVhat I cannot refuse out of necessity Better is death than a bitter life and eternal rest than continual sickness Eccles 30. O Death good is thy judgment to an indigent man and whose strength decays in his old age Eccles 41. Fear not the judgment of Death remember what things were before thee and what things will come after thee this is God's judgment on all flesh Eccles 41. VVe know if this earthly house of ours of this habitation be dissolved that we have a building from God not made with hands but eternal in heaven 2 Cor. 5. Unhappy man that I am who will deliver me from the body of this death Rom. 6. LI. MED The Affections of a just Soul at the approaches of Death which we should cause to be read to us in our last sickness I Am told that I must dy O the sweet and pleasant news I am quitting Earth to go to Heaven Going out of my Prison for to re-enter into liberty Quitting a Banishment for to return to my dear Country Passing from Time to Eternity From the figure to the truth From Change to Immutability From Death to Immortality From Misery to Felicity I am going to possess God To enjoy God To be transform'd into God To fill my Understanding with a plenitude of light My VVill with a plenitude of peace My Memory with a plenitude of goods My Senses with a fulness of pleasures I shall there above find all that I desire And nothing of what I fear I shall have no more evil I shall want nothing that is good God will be to me All in all And be so for all Eternity I am told that I am dying O the sweet news I shall be no more opprest with miseries Suffer no more incommodities Be no more afflicted with sickness No more subject to commit sin Nor in danger of damning my self Nor any more have any thing to trouble me I shall see and I shall love I shall praise and I shall bless This I shall do for ever VVithout ever being weary of doing it O what a happiness I am going to dy I am going to the place of my repose To the Land of the living To the Kingdom of peace To the Palace of glory To the Nuptials of the Lamb To sit at God's Table To eat the bread of Angels To see what eye hath not seen To hear what ear hath not heard To possess what the heart of man hath never conceived O the happy News They tell me I am dying Come my Soul Let us quit this miserable life Let us go out of this wretched body What art thou afraid of Jesus is dead for thee He has satisfied for thy sins He has pay'd all thy debts He is becom thy security He has answer'd for thee He has promis'd thee his Heaven He has declar'd thee his Heir He has made thee a surrender of all his Merits He has given thee his Body as a Pledge He has bestow'd infinit benefits on thee He has preserv'd thee from infinit dangers If he would have destroy'd thee Would he have died for thee Would he have conserv'd thy life so long Have expected thee with so much patience Given thee time to do pennance Have illuminated thee with so many lights Called thee with so much love Drawn thee with so much force Favoured thee with so many graces Given thee so many good desires Visited thee in thy sickness Made thee receive his Sacraments Markt thee with the Seal of the Predestinate If thou sighest thou shalt be saved If thou art converted in thy heart Thy sins shall be forgiven thee One sigh is sufficient to gain Heaven The Pennance that is true is never don too late He is always converted time enough Who is converted from the bottom of his heart Behold JESUS calls you Behold JESUS stretches out his arms to you Hark how he prays for you on his Cross Hark how he says with a loud voice Father forgive him for he knew not what he did He bows down his head to kiss you He spreads his arms for to embrace you His heart is open for to let you into it He has given his life for to save you O happy news
They say I am to dy Come I am content I willingly resign up my life I render it to him that gave it me I remit my spirit into his hands I recommend unto him my body and my soul I am sorry that I have offended him I accept of death for to satisfie him I believe all that he has reveal'd I hope for all that he has promis'd I give him all that I possess I will dy for his glory I will dy for his sake I will dy in gratitude I will dy for justice sake I will dy because he died I will dy for him as he died for me I will dy that I may see him I will dy that I may love him I will dy that I may bless him And for to sing his Praises for all Eternity O Father of mercy Behold a Prodigal Child Who has wasted all your goods Who has spent his life in Debaucheries That returns now to your house And who most humbly begs your pardon Alas I have liv'd without reason Since I have had the use of reason I have don nothing but evil Since I knew what was good My Father I have sinn'd against Heaven and against thee I deserve not to bear the name of thy Child I am not worthy to enter into thy house But have you ceased to be a Father Because I have ceased to be your Child Have you lost your goodness Because I have lost my innocence Are you no more a Father of mercy Because I am becom a Child of misery O my Father O the best of all Fathers Have pity on the miserablest of all thy Children I was lost and I am now retrieved I was dead and I am risen again I was gon far from you and now I am here ready to appear before you O my Father Come and meet your Child Give him a kiss of peace Forgive him his offences Revest him with a Nuptial Robe Receive him into your house Give him a place at your Feast O JESUS The Physician of the poor sick The Comforter of the poor afflicted The hope of poor Sinners Here am I before you without strength Without motion without speech But my heart says inwardly Come O my JESVS come quickly Draw my Soul out of this Prison Recal me out of this exile Conduct me to my dear Country Behold the Just do there expect me My friends hold forth their arms to me O how beautiful are thy Tabernacles O how admirable is thy Palace O how contented shall I be in Heaven O how happy shall I be in your Company I dy with a desire of dying Com divine Saviour and make me languish no more O holy Mother of God! Who didst see thy Son dying Lo here thy Child is sick Forsake him not in this extremity Com and receive his Spirit And defend him from his enemies O ye Angels of Heaven Com down upon Earth to help me Make a guard round about me Drive away from me the Infernal Lyon Preserve me even unto my Death After having sav'd me from so many Shipwracks Suffer me not to perish in the Haven Come let us go to Heaven Let us go to Paradise My heart is ready O my God my heart is ready It is ready to stay here on earth It is ready to go hence It is ready to live It is ready to dy Thy will be don I recommend my body and soul to you I rejoyced in the things that were said to me we will go into our Lord's house Psal 121. Blessed are those that dy in our Lord. Apoc. 14. Blessed are those that are call'd to the Nuptials of the Lamb. Apoc. 19. In thee O Lord have I hoped I shall not be confounded for ever Ps 30. VVhat is there to me in Heaven and what besides thee would I have on Earth my flesh and my heart have fainted O the God of my heart and my portion God for ever Ps 72. I am straitned on both sides having a desire to be dissolved and be with Christ much more better Phil. 1. One thing have I asked that will I require that I may dwell in the house of our Lord all the days of my life Ps 26. How beloved are thy Tabernacles O God of Hosts my soul doth long and faint after the Courts of our Lord. Ps 83. Blessed are they that dwell in thy house O Lord they shall praise thee for ever and ever Ps 83. All this Psalm is full of sweet thoughts to raise in a sick person a desire of Heaven If thou dost observe iniquities O Lord who can sustain Ps 126. VVith our Lord there is mercy and with him a copious redemption ibid. LII MED A Paraphrase on our Lord's Prayer for the comfort of the sick Our Father I Believe O my God that you are my Father who have given me the life of my soul and body for to serve and love you and which you have repaired by the Death of your Son after I had miserably lost it through my sin You are the Father of all men and of the most miserable of all men whom you see here extended on this Bed O how glad am I that I have such a Father So good so wise so holy so powerful I hope that since you have given â—ne a temporal life you will do me the favour â—lso to give me an eternal one O my Father 〈◊〉 render back unto you the life which you have given me I am sorry that I have employed it so ill and that I have used it to offend you therewith My Father I have sinn'd against Heaven and against you I am not worthy to bear the quality of your Child but receive me I beseech you into the number of your Servants My Father if it be possible let this Chalice of Death and Sufferance pass from my mouth and let me not drink it as yet Yet let your Will be don and not mine My Father glorifie your Son that your Son may glorifie you and since I have not honored you upon Earth make me praise you Eternally in Heaven Which art in Heaven Alas you are in Heaven and I am yet here upon Earth You are in a place of peace and I am in a place of warfare You are in Heaven for to reward me and I am on Earth for to honour you I hope O my God that I shall soon be with you in Heaven I hope so on the merits of the precious blood which your Son hath shed for me O when will that day com How tedious is it to live banished from your presence How the Earth displeases me when I lift up my eyes to Heaven O Heaven O Heaven What ought not we to do to gain thee What ought not we to suffer for to obtain thee All that I endure is nothing in comparison of what I hope for Hallowed be thy Name O admirable name of God! I came into this World for to sanctifie thee and I have don nothing but profane thee I came upon Earth
Yea blessed are those who hear the Word of God and keep it Luk 11. He that turns away his ear that he may not hear the Law his Prayer shall be execrable Isai 28. Not in bread alone shall man live but in every word that proceeds from the mouth of God Matth. 4. See that you refuse him not speaking Heb. 11. The seed is the Word of God Luk. 8. LXXXIV MED Of the Happiness of a Religious State REligion is a Paradise God is always seen there His Voice is always heard there One is always in his Presence there One enjoys always his Company there One always does his Will there One always sings his Praises there There one falls seldom Commits but light sins Rises soon Merits continually Dies quietly and is saved securely O how heavy is the Yoke of the World O how troublesom are its Crosses O how bitter is its Chalice O how pricking are its thorns O how pestilent are its Examples O how dangerous are its Conversations O how Tyrannical are its Laws O how pernicious are its Maxims O how shameful are its Pleasures O how imaginary are its Goods Cursed Onions of Egypt You draw Tears from those that eat you You make those weep that love you He took away his people like sheep and brought them through like a flock in the desart Ps 77. They remembred not his hand in the day that he redeemed them from the hand of the afflicter ibid. How beloved are thy tabernacles O Lord my Soul doth long and faint into the courts of our Lord Ps 89. I have chosen to be abject in the house of my God rather than to dwell in the tabernacles of Sinners Better is one day in thy courts above a thousand ibid. Every one who shall leave his house or Brothers or Sisters or father or mother or vvife or children or land for my sake shall receive a hundred fold and possess life everlasting Matth. 19. Amen I say unto you That there is none c. vvho shall not receive novv in this time a hundred fold vvith Persecutions and in the World to com life everlasting Mark 10. Much more in this time c. Luk. 18. LXXXV MED Of Poverty ONe that is Poor in spirit Busies himself with nothing One that is Poor in heart desires nothing He contents himself with what is necessary Nay he is willing to want even Necessaries Few things are wanting To a Poor man that is contented All things are wanting to a rich Miser Few things suffice Necessity Nothing is sufficient to Covetousness How rich is that man who possesses God How poor is that man who has lost God How happy is that man Who will have nothing but God How covetous is that man Who is not contented with God God fills an empty heart All is establisht in Nothing You shall have All if you desire Nothing You will find All when you have Nothing O my Saviour How rich an inheritance is Poverty What good do you to those that have quitted all Could any one be poorer Than you were born Could any one live poorer than you lived You were rich and you made your self poor I am poor and I would fain becom rich You had all and yet you wanted all I had nothing and I would want nothing O how unjust a thing is it that the Slave Should be better accomodated than his Master Fear not my Son vve lead indeed a poor life but vve shall have many goods if vve fear God Tob. 4. Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven Matth. 5. If thou vvilt be perfect go and sell all thou hast and give it to the poor Matth. 14. We brought nothing into this World nor doubtless shall vve carry any thing avvay 1 Tim. 6. LXXXVI MED Of Chastity JESVS loves those that are Virgins JESVS chose a Virgin-Mother JESVS cherished a Virgin-Disciple JESVS in Heaven is followed by Virgins I am more than an Angel if I am a Virgin I resemble God if I am a Virgin I am the Spouse of Christ if c. I am the Handmaid of Christ if c. I shall have a Garland in Heaven if c. I shall have more right to Resurrection if c. Virginity is a great treasure But hard to preserve One must be humble to be chast God humbles the Proud He lets them fall into infamous Sins He punishes the Soul by the Body He covers those with shame and confusion Who have not Submission No man can command Who knows not how to obey No man can be a Master If he never learnt to be subject The Body obeys an obedient Spirit It is submiss to a submiss Spirit It is rebellious to a rebellious Spirit He that does not obey his Superiour Loses his empire over his Inferiour He that does not mortify his senses Becoms a slave to his Body Watch over your self and Pray Fly occasions or else you will perish O my God! How I dread Pride Since it casts one into impurity How I love Obedience Since it conserves Innocency I will be very humble that I may be very chast I will obey my Superiours That I may be obeyed by my Inferiours O let me rather fall into Hell Than let me fall into Impurity The Disciple whom Jesus loved Jo. 21. These are they who were not stained with women for they are Virgins Apoc. 14. Incorruption makes one near unto God Wisd 6. In the Resurrection they shall neither marry nor be married but they shall be like the Angels of God in Heaven Matth. 22. Therefore God delivered them up to the desires of their hearts into uncleanness for to abuse their own bodies among themselves ignominiously Rom. 1. Therefore God hath delivered them into passions of ignominy ibid. LXXXVII MED Of Obedience HOw happy is an obedient man He always does what God would have him He is in some manner impeccable He possesses all Virtues He is victorious over all Vices How miserable is a rebellious Subject How wicked and vicious is he He labours much and gains nothing He is strongly tempted And he yields to the Temptation He fights against the Will of God And God fights against his He goes out of the order of his goodness And he enters into that of his justice He will not bow And God breaks his Obstinacy He will not obey And God opposes his Inclination He loses the command he had over his Body From the time that he will not submit his Spirit He is not obeyed by his Inferiours Because he obeys not his Superiours O Christian and Religious Soul Acknowledge and adore Jesus in all his Images In those of Wood and Earth As well as in those of Gold and Silver Receive with respect God's orders By the Organ of Amos as well as that of Isaiah By the mouth of a Peasant As well as of a Courtier Obey all your Superiours Obey them in all that is not sin Obey them with all your Heart Obey them with