SWEETE THOVGHTES OF IESVS AND MARIE OR MEDITATIONS FOR ALL THE FEASTES OF OVR B. SAVIOVR AND HIS B. MOTHER Togeither with Meditations for all the Sundayes of the yeare And our Sauiours Passion For the vse of the daughters of Sion Diuided into tvvo partes THE FIRST PARTE By THOMAS CARRE Preist of the English Colledge of Doway ✚ IHS PRINTED AT PARIS By VINCENT DV MOVTIER M. DC LXV TO THE VERIE VENERABLE HIS MOST HONORED DEARE LADY MARIE TREDVVAY FIRST ABBESSE Of the English Monasterie of Sion of S. Augustins Order established in Paris MADAME These poore productions of myne which were bredd and brought out amidst a multitude of dayly distractions can scarce with iustice flye to any other Patronage then your La. and your vertuous children whose instant desires gaue them beeing while their pietie did not so much and so earnestly begge them as euen force them from my pouertie Howeuer were I free from that iuste tye there is yet another from which I will neuer admitt dispensation which makes these and all that 's in my power alreadie yours and theirs to witt the affection which I owe and haue vowed to your seruice that is your aduancement in vertue As issuing from that sourse they cannot doubt of acceptance What proceeds from knowen loue and respect cannot misse to meete with it mutually in well borne hartes If you find them vsefull for you I haue my designe If they leade you to a neerer approche with IESVS and MARIE and a more liuely expression of their liues in yours I haue my end and you the fruite If finally you profit by them I haue my reward What effect soeuer they may chance to haue with others please not to let them fayle to be to you certayne testimonies that my cheife desires for myselfe and you are as I haue often intimated to you that we esteeme our selues to know nothing here below but Iesus-Christ and him crucified that is that we putt downe for a most Catholike and Apostolicall truth that the life and passion of our sweete Sauiour is the most approued the most secure and best Schoole of all perfection since according to your holy Fathers excellent Sentence Summa Religionis est imitari quemcolimus the perfection end and accomplishment of Religion is the Imitation of him Iesus-Christ whom we worshippe In whom I shall euer be MADAME Your La. and your Religious daughters poore vnworthy Father and Seruant THOMAS CARRE BETHEELEM STABLE Or an entertainement of Iesus For the daughters of Sion A Preparation towards the receipt of Iesus For Chrismas Eue. MEDITATION I. I. POINT CONSIDER that when the world was most desperately lost in Paganisme Idolatrie and in the worshippe of men as Gods and in that of Diuells Yea while Iudea that choyse part of the world where onely the true God was Knowen and adored was ouergrowen with hypocrisie auarice ambition cousenage Lying and innumerable other vices While all the earth was depraued corrupted and sunke in sensualitie and all sorts of sin In a word while man enemy of his owne saluation slept so deepe that he thought not of it while he was so desperately sicke that he felt not his euil and consequently neither merited sought for nor demanded his cure then euen then the eternall God like a most pittifull father cōmiserating his miserie and deliberating as it were the remedie in the consistorie of the most holy Trinitie resolued that the diuine Word should become man and in his owne person should come to cure man Af. O the vnspeakable blindnes insensibilitie and miserie of man O the infinite Mercie of our good God which had no other motiue then his owne infinite Goodnes wherby he cryed out to miserable man conuert your selues conuert your selues Ryse from sleepe and be illuminated Why dost thou die o house of Israël Returne to me and liue 2. POINT Consider this resolution being taken of whom the diuine wisdome and prouidence makes choyse amongst all the creatures of heauen and earth for the perfecting this great worke of the saluatiō of all mankind He doth not after the manner of the world make choyse of the greatest richest and powerfullest princesse that might be found on earth or the brightest Angell of heauen but an Angell is sent from heauē into Earth to a Virgine named Marie wife to Ioseph who liued in a litle towne of Galilie called Nazareth to Marie I say an humble poore obscure vnknowen mayde and she too married to a poore Carpenter Ioseph Aff. Waigh deeply how litle esteeme the great God makes of the riches greatnes and power of this world Ther eare noe worldly creatures great in his eyes but such as are humble low and litle in their owne eyes while I was a litle one I pleased the highest Great ones he throwes downe out of heauen and out of the chaire of Moyses while such litle ones are exalted and wonders are wrought in them by the alpowerfull hand May then the loue of worldly greatnes honor riches power for euer vanish from my thoughtes And may humilitie pouertie virginitie be the deare companions of my hart Since they be the deare vertues which tooke my heauenly spouse his hart and helped to prouide a worthy tabernacle in earth for the king of heauen MEDITATION II. In those dayes there came forth an Edict from Cesar Augustus that the whole world should be inroled And Ioseph also went from Nazareth to Bethlehem to be inroled with Marie his dispoused wife who was with child I. POINT CONSIDER that as our Blessed Lady hyghly commended humilitie and obedience to vs by her reply to the Angell saying behold the handmaide of our Lord be it to me according to thy word so doth she here immediatly before his natiuitie presse the same againe by promptly complying with the commands of a mortall man Cesar cōmands and straight wayes Ioseph Marie and Iesus obeyes Ioseph obeyes Cesars seruant Marie Ioseph her spouse and Iesus being in Maries sacred wombe obeys Marie his mother most punctually She being possessed of the treasure of heauen and heauen and earthes wonderment as though she had bene altogether ignorant of Gods high counsell and of the particular effects of his prouidence giues way to this strict order without reasoning without contradiction without reserue humbly simplely and promptly accompagned with her spouse Ioseph she takes iorney to Bethleem Aff. Oh Iesus my Sauiour how Far ought miserable man subiect himselfe to thy holy commands being a poore and abiect seruant since thou being Lord and master yea Lord and master and maker of heauen and earth becomst subiect to the commands of an earthly Emperour thy creature who is in thy sight as a meere nothing by a secrete and admirable counsell of the Diuine Prouidence Ah how this ought to confound vs in the disputes and inquests we make vpon the iust commands of our lawfull Superiours While we obserue in Ioseph Marie and Iesus an example of a most humble blind and perfect obedience II.
thee O fire which euer burnest and art neuer extinguished doe thou inflame me O thou light which dost euer shine and art neuer darkened doe thou enlighten me O how my verie hart desires to be inflamed by thee How sweetly dost thou heate how secreetlie dost thou shine how delightfully dost thou burne THE XI MEDITATION How we may know whether the H. Ghost liues in vs. I. POINT CONSIDER that the certaine keeping of Gods commandements giues vs a certaintie that we loue God And who loues him certainly remaynes in God and God in him And in this saith S. Iohn we know that he remaines in vs by the holy Ghost which he gaue vs. If then our owne hartes reprehend vs not of the breache of Gods commandements we may haue a wholesome cōfidence in his goodnesse and mercie yea a morall certaintie that we stand in Gods grace and fauour and that the holy Ghost doth dwell in our hartes Affection Happie is the Soule which hath this testimonie in herself for certainly it is a continuall and a most delicious feast to her hart since it becomes thereby a very Paradice in earth the throne the temple the heauen of God O what a singular superexcellent Angelicall Seraphicall honour is this To be the house of God and to haue God to be our house and harbour To remayne in god god to remaine in vs. Is not this indeede to begin to be Angells and to haue our whole cōuersation with God Yet beware my soule let him that stands looke that he fall not it is yet in earth that we possesse this in heauen where the world the flesh and the diuell continually surround vs. Their snares are layd charitie is lost in a momēt It is not enough to haue the holy Ghost for the present but we must further to be able to ouercome all our temptations begge the continuance of his presence vertue and power by our incesant and ardent prayers saying with the good Disciples mane nobiscum Domine stay with vs stay with vs ô Lord. II. POINT CONSIDER that the presence of the cause is neuer more surely knowne then by the effects And the principall effect which the increated Charitie the holy Ghost produceth in our hart is Charitie de Spiritu Sancto And Charitie saith S. Paule is patient benigne she enuieth not she dealeth not peruersely she is not puffed vp she is not ambitious She seeketh nor her owne she is not prouoked to anger thinketh not euill reioyceth not vpon iniquitie but reioyceth with the truth suffers all things beleeueth all things hopeth all things beareth all things in fine she is cheerefull longanmious milde modest c. Affection If then laying our hand vpon our owne harts we find by an impartiall Examen that we are truly patient in Crosses afflictions and difficulties be they corporall or spirituall If benigne and milde in words and behauiour not arrogating too much to ourselues or seekeing our owne aduantages If we enuie not the good of others If our hartes swell not nor peruersely oppose our neighbour but sweetly support him entertaine a good opinion of him and hope well of his proceeding we may hopefully conclude that the finger of the holy Ghost is in the worke and sweetly moues gouernes disposeth all THE XII MEDITATION The Holy Ghosts presence gathered by the effects I. POINT CONSIDER yet further the effects of the holy Ghost in the B. Apostles and Primitiue Christians And the first is that they began to speake with diuers tongues according as the holy Ghost gaue them to speake and those tongues were imployed not to boast nor vant their owne knowledge and giue themselues the glorie of it but to publish the great workes of God to all Nations and to speake intelligibly to Partians Medians c. Affection And wee too haue power ô my soule by the assistance of the holy Ghost If we be faithfull in following the blessed motions which he graciously inspires into our hartes if not to speake all tongues at least in our owne only language to make ourselues intelligible to all nations Let vs speake Gods great workes by our actions let our light so shine before men that they may see our good workes Let our ioy peace patience benignitie mildnesse modestie the fruites of the holy Ghost appeare and infallibly none will be found so great a stranger as not to vnderstand that language of heauen and together with vs glorifie our heauenly father who blessed our hartes with those good gifts with which the world is too little acquainted II. POINT CONSIDER as another effect that ioy in the holy Ghost the newe wine of the Gospell which so feruently boiled vp in the hartes of the Apostles that they seemed no more to be themselues but to be transported and translated into new men to strike the hearers with astonishment to see those poore rude fishermen simple Galileans who neuer were suspected of much learning speake so powerfully and intelligibly to the harts of all present while yet some turned it to derision others ascribed it to drunkennesse Affection O sudden and powerfull effects of the holy Ghosts working who breathes where he will and when he will and how he will which worldlings are more readie and capable to misconster and deride then to feele or vnderstand These are affects of new wine Say they Yes saith S. Augustine it is euen so indeede with this new wine and this excellent cupp are the harts of the faithfull daily inebriated Thus are they druncke who for the loue of God and their soules health flye their parents and countrie of their owne accord and abandonne the parents of their bodies euen to find out other new ones of their soules Being free they desire to liue in subiection being noble they fall in loue with abiection They preferre abstinence before the delightes of full tables watching before sweete sleepe and pouertie before riches Such effects my soule hath it pleased God of his infinite mercie to worke in our hartes So haue wee been deliciously drunke with the chaste wine of his cellers begetting virgins THE XIII MEDITATION More effects prouing the Holy Ghosts presence I. POINT CONSIDER as another effect of the holy Ghost their vndaunted courage in openly preaching the miracles Resurrection Ascension and Glorification of Iesus in the face of his prowd persequutours who had but a few weekes before put him to an ignominious death This Iesus saith S. Peter who was wickedly slaine by you hath God raised vp againe where of we are all witnesses Let all the house of Israel know most certainly that God hath made this Iesus both Lord and Christ whom you crucified And those vndaunted wordes strucke the harts of three thousand which were conuerted that day Affection Is then the sweete and mellifluous name of Iesus in our hartes and is it from that abundance that our tongue speakes Doe we make it our busines to beare out that blessed name which is the only one under
and vnwilling as it were to be happie Let 's not limit the holy Ghost who giues abundantly and vpbraides not His graces are too pretious to be refused or played with When we haue done the best we can we may put this downe for a certaine truth We are but vnprofitable seruantes we haue done but what we ought How Charitie perisheth and the holy Ghost is driuen out of our hartes II. POINT CONSIDER that being once gott into free trading in veniall sinnes we beginne to be more familiar with and lesse apprehensiue of mortall to witt we so long play with waspes because their stinges are not mortall that with our Mother Eue we lye open to serpents Wisdome waxeth obscure counsell is cast aside feare growes foole-hardie fortitude failes vs and faith begins to slumber But the Diuell sleepes not A pleasant obiect is cast in our waye nor is it anie more then veniall sinne We fixe our eyes vpon the beautie of the forbidden fruite and faine would we taste of it Such dalliance begetts complacence complacence ingagement ingagement procures consent and by consent mortall sinne has gotten footing in our harts Charitie perisheth and the holy Ghost is forced out of his Temple Affection O bewitching snares accursed chaines which infallibly leade to slauery and destruction Ah my soule if we begin once to giue ourselues ouer to the dandlings and caresses of the harlot-words like another Dalila were we euen Samsons it will straight bereaue vs of our strength and sight and dispossessing vs of the holy Ghost leaue vs slaues to the diuell Ah what a pittifull exchange is here Be astonished ô heauens vpon this and ô gates thereof be you desolate exceedingly The very Angells of heauen were they capable of teares would weepe to see the holy Ghost with all his gifts and graces disloyally turned out of our sinfull soules But to preuent this desolation of desolations le ts vse a timely care Being alreadie ensnared le ts by a holy violence cutt breake teare them in peeces for alas the best of them are worth nothing they leade but to death But are we yet free Flye fly then the leaste apparent occasions of euill ô thou beloued of God Flight alone in this behalfe is a sure victorie MEDITATIONS OF THE B. TRINITIE THE I. MEDITATION That by faith alone we can safely approche to God in this ineffable Mysterie I. POINT CONSIDER that though all nations be they otherwise neuer so barbarous haue alwayes vnanimously conspired togeither to the professing of some Deitie yea euen many Gods which they foolishly feyned to themselues And though all the thinges vniuersally which we see seeme to leade vs to the knowledge of some inuisible diuinitie wherby they were all made and conserued yet should we be alwayes wauering and without assurance should we committ our selues to reasons weake search not taking Faith to be our guide Faith which is saith S. Augustine the way to Beatitude Faith without which saith S. Paul it is impossible to please God whence he concludes that it is necessarie to saluation Affection O my soule how happily are we preuented by a heauenly light which the wise of the world wanting they vanished in their owne knowledge and while they could not reach to the true God they spent their witts in deuising false ones Wheras we Christians are safely conduducted by the guidance of faith by faith I say that conuincing argument of thinges not appearing that illustration of the mynde by the prime light which inables our soules to discerne spirituall thinges and leades vs to adore the Father the sonne and the holy Ghost three persons and one true God without all hesitation or doubt II. POINT CONSIDER that as faith is altogeither necessarie so is nothing more sure and comfortable as relying vpon the prime truth which cannot deceiue vs or be deceiued Let Faith saith S. Augustine marche before and noe difficultie will dare to oppose or present it selfe There is nothing more sure or better suted to all sortes of people For who can wante capacitie to giue credit to what truth it selfe reueales It speakes wisdome to the wise and yet the weakest capacities haue as much in substance as they It feedes the strong with solide foode and yet giues milke to children which nourisheth noe lesse Great witts haue as much as they can beare and the weaker sort is able to disgest all they receiue O admirable inuention of wisdome it selfe which can so wisely fitt it selfe to all abilities They are three saith S. Iohn which giue testimonie in heauen the Father the Word and the holy Ghost and these three are one To witt one substance one Deitie one God Affection O great and powerfull God! Man hath nothing to replie to this plane testimonie of faith but to fall downe and adore thee I doe therfor with the whole earth adore thee ó Father of infinite Maiestie and that diuine Word thy true and onely Sonne togeither with thy holy comforting Spirit With my whole hart and mouth I confesse blesse and prayse thee ô God the Father and thee ô God the onely begotten sonne and thee ô God the holy Ghost proceeding from them both I confesse thee to be one in essence substance power and Maiestie trine in persons ô one holy and vndeuided Trinitie Glorie be to the power of the Father glorie be to the wisdome of the sonne glorie be to the goodnesse of the holy Ghost Glorie be to the Father whence all thinges proceede Glorie to the Sonne by whom all thinges glorie be to the holy Ghost in whom all thinges Glorie to the Father who created vs glorie to the Sonne who redeemed vs Glorie to the holy Ghost who sanctified vs. THE II. MEDITATION What the B. Trinitie is I. POINT CONSIDER that hauing by a sirme faith made our safe approache hauing set downe for a certaine and vndoubted truth that there is an vnitie of Deitie in the Trinitie of persons and hauing with our whole hart adored it we may with an humble Christian confidence draw yet neerer by contemplation to discouer in some smale measure what and how it is To this effect looke with S. Athanasius vpon the sunne and noe sooner shall you haue discouered it but you meete with a naturall kind of Trinitie which leads vs to that other To witt we discouer the body of the Sunne the brightnesse and the heate of it All which make but one and the same Sunne though otherwise distinguished in themselues The body of it being the source of light represents the Father the brightnesse the Sonne who is light and the heate the holy Ghost who is a sacred fire being but all three one and the same God The sunneit selfe is noe older then the light and heate therof so that were the sunne eternall the light heate would be noe lesse eternall or coeternall Affection O thou Orient sunne shine out vpon our darknesse O thou Father of lights enlighten our benighted soules What I desire ô Lord
know that she was wholy his and so ought to be wholy at his dispose II. POINT CONSIDER that by how much our Blessed Lady is more exalted though euen by an Angell by how much she is made more sure of heauenly prerogatiues and graces by so much she growes lesse and lesse in her owne eyes and be she neuer so certaine to be the Mother of God she will still remayne the humble handmayde of her Lord and for his sake become the seruant of his seruants and to make it good in effects as well as inwords she goes with speed into a citie of Iuda to visite her cosen Elizabeth Affection Obserue my soule how this Blessed Virgine still proues a diuine Mistresse to vs by word and worke first crying out to vs all by how much thou art the greater by so much more humble thy selfe 2. Suspect the fauours we may seeme to haue from heauen if we waxe not more humble by them 3. That humble words alone are not proofes of true humilitie vnlesse workes followes them for she finds it not enough to haue professed herselfe to be the handmayd of our Lord vnlesse in practise she proue herselfe to be the humble handmayde of the handmaydes of our Lord according to that of S. Peter be subiect to euery humane creature for Gods sake THE FIRST MEDITATION For the Visitation I. POINT CONSIDER with what Blessed and glorious effects this humble and religious officiousnesse of Blessed Marie was accompaigned Noe sooner had she saluted her cosen Elisabeth with the ordinarie Salutation of the Land Paxtecum but the child in her wombe sprung with ioy and both the child and the Mother were replenished with the Holy Ghost He begun to preach the presence of his master by ioyfull exultations which he could not yet performe by words and she with exclamations to Prophecie to prayse to magnifie the Mother and the fruite of her wombe Iesus who spoke by his Mothers mouth as S. Iohn heard by his Mothers eares Affection O my soule neuer neuer can we loose by humbling our selues be we neuer so great and illustrious but still what we seeme to cast away comes multiplyed home honour and esteeme continually most following him who most flyes it Marie was indeede the Mother of God though she had not stirred from Nazareth But the heauens onely knew that But when humilitie once brings her to Elizabeth the world begins to be acquainted with the Mysterie the Mother 's magnified the Sonne glorified S. Iohn sanctified in his Mothers wombe and S. Elizabeth replenished with the holy Ghost and by vertue therof publishes her to be the Mother of God and vtters a blessed word which all the world till this day neuer ceaseth to repeate Blessed blessed is the fruite of thy wombe O glorious effects of Maries humilitie II. POINT BVT consider how the humilitie which brought her thither leaues her not there but leades her to a most Christian acknowledgement and profession of her owne nothing She heares her selfe proclamed with a lowd voye blessed aboue all women and the fruite of her wombe blessed blessed as beleeuing what was said to her by the Angell blessed as being the Mother of God and yet amidst those highest and withall truest commendations that heauen or earth could bestowe vpon a pure creature she deuestes her selfe of all as being of her selfe nothing at all ascribing the whole to the Ocean of all goodnes saying My soule doth magnifie our Lord. Affection O admirable and incomparable humilitie and abiection of the Mother of God which neuer had in earth any thinge like to it saue onely the abismall humiliation of her Sonne Iesus which noe honours noe prerogatiues noe blessings from the mouthes of men could euer swell or make her forgett that all was Gods and that all glorie which is not taken in him is meere vanitie You may she seeme to say magnifie me aboue all women for my faith for the fruite of my wombe for the dignitie of being the Mother of God but I the while looke ouer all these priuiledges to looke vpon and laude the authour of them all and my verie soule doth magnifie our Lord that is doth publish his greatnes his magnificence his sanctitie wisdome and mercy in all those heauenly giftes of his free liberalitie THE II. MEDITATION For the Visitation I. POINT CONSIDER that it was not with her tongue onely that she magnified her Lord by speaking glorious thinges of him or abiect thinges of her selfe as that she was his handmayde whose Mother indeede she was Or by her hands and feete that is by her workes and labours onely especially those of mercy exercised vpon her cosen Elizabeth or yet by her memorie onely or her vnderstanding or will alone but euen with her whole soule that is with workes memorie vnderstanding and will all ioyntly offered vp in one sacryfice of prayse and thankes giuing and that too with huge ioy and iubilie of hart and my verie Spirit saith she exults in God my child my Iesus my Sauiour Affection O my soule thus it is indeede that we are to magnifie our Lord withall our hart with all our strength with all our soule who payes not this payes lesse then he owes All that we haue and all that we are whether corporally or spiritually in tyme or eternitie all issues originally from his free bountie and all ought to be ascribed to his mercy and goodnes we may law fully exult and reioyce my soule but it must be in our Lord. we may glorie and we haue good reason for it but le tit be with our B. Lady in Deo salutari nostro in God our Sauiour II. POINT CONSIDER for what it was that our B. Lady so magnified her Lord and Master and she herselfe will giue the cause because saith she he hath mercyfully looked vpon the humilitie abiection or pouertie of this handmayde That is to speake with Theophilact while I looked not after him he looked vpon my litlenesse and was mercifull to me while I sought him not Ponder this well it is not because he hade made her the most illustrious and blessed among all women and euen greater in qualitie of Mother of God then the greatest Cherubins and Seraphins but because he looked vpon her humilitie and abiection with the eye of mercy and pittie that is he approued loued imbraced and pleased himselfe in it and mercifully preuented her by his grace Affection Our first acknowledgements my soule following our B. Laydies example must be for that which was first in Gods fauours to wards vs when his vn compelled and free mercy had nothing to looke vpon but our miserie when he looked downe and found all mankind at a losse none doing well not one Fayle not then my soule what euer the world may conceiue and publish to our prayse how glorious and happie soeuer our presente state of life may be what euer perfections grace may seeme to vs to haue wrought in vs fayle not I. say to
disinteressed loue for by that meanes the God of loue or God-loue Deus est Charitas the holy Ghost is sent into our hartes The 4. fruite of Christs Ascension The taking possession of our inheritance II. POINT CONSIDER that if he be gone and gone to his father and our Father that cōmon father of all of vs it is but to take and keepe possession of that common inheritance which being his owne by birth-right he purchaced for vs his coheires at a huge rate at the price of his owne pretious bloud for we haue heard himselfe say by S. Iohn let not your hart be troubled I goe to prepare you a place Affection O thrice happie Christians yea thrice and a thousand tymes happie I say did we duely ponder and rightly value our owne happines Christ was borne for vs he was giuen to vs he laboured thirtie three yeares in our behalfe he spent his pretious bloud vpon the purchace of his fathers and our fathers yea his owne heauenly Kingdome for vs and now for a happie conclusion of all he is gone to take possession of what he has purchaced for vs. Be not troubled then my soule but reioyce with a greater ioy then euer he is gone to prepare vs a place a permanent place a place of ineffable delight of eternall abode in the bosome of his father and our father We are not seruants but friends but children but coheirs with Christ We are not now pilgrimes we are gott home in him We are citizens with the Saintes and God's Domestikes THE IV. MEDITATION The 5. fruite of Christs Ascension The opening of Heauen Gates I. POINT CONSIDER that if Iesus be gone it is still to be a Iesus to vs still to aduance the worke of our redemption Heauen gates were shutt against man euer since Adams disobedience and he hauing first past the gates of death to breake vp the brazen gates of Hell is gone with with power to command the potentates of that Celestiall Citie to open them saying Lift vp your Gates ô you princes and be you lifted vp ô eternall gates and the Kinge of glorie shall enter in That strong and mightie Lord is at hand who returnes from battell with victorie Affection Take courage then my soule the passage is layd open according to Micheas his Prophesie He ascended laying open the way before them Le ts but follow our Capitaine and the place is ours Heauen is ours He hath shewed vs the way Howbeit we must walke as he walked in humilitie meeknesse obedience chastitie pouertie patience c. Nor must we imagine that malice can ascende with the Authour of goodnesse nor luxurie and lust with the Sonne of a Virgine nor vice finally with the God of vertues The 6. fruite of Christs Ascension He goes our Aduocate into Heauen and sends another into the Earth II. POINT CONSIDER that he is gone indeede for while they all looked on saith S. Luke a cloud has taken him from the Apostles eyes But he is gone vpon a most honorable and profitable imployment for man He 's gone to carie vp man to heauen and to send downe God into the Earth establishing as it were a good intelligence by a mutuall embasie betwixt heauen and Earth Man to God in heauen as Aduocate to plead for man and God to man in earth to teach him all truth to inculcate to him againe and againe what Christ had alreadie taught to inflame our hartes with the holy fire which Christ brought downe into the earth c. Affection Yes my soule he is gone to carie vp that man Christ to be Mediatour betwixt God and man and to pleade the cause of man at Gods Tribunal My sinnes are many and great great I say and many but my Mediatour is infinite I am able to pleade nothing but guiltie dread Lord guiltie But my Aduocate hath wounds to shew and bloud which cryes lowder then the bloud of Abel and claymes mercy as hauing payd more then my malice was able to contract As often as that bloud lookes redd from the side of that sonne who is sett at thy right hand I beseech thee that the spotts of my corruption may be washed away THE V. MEDITATION The 7. fruite of Christs Ascension The presenting of freed Captiues to his Father I. POINT CONSIDER that our most Blessed Sauiour came downe from heauen to to wage warre against the world the flesh and the Diuell and now he returnes with victorie ouer them all and bringes backe the spoyles to the Court of Heauen in tryumphe leading Captiuitie it selfe captiue that is the captiue soules deteyned in Lymbo Patrum which he wrested out of a stronge hand and offers them to his heauenly Father as the first fruites of his longe and painefull labours and part of the purchace of the pretious bloud he had plentifully spent Affection O what tongue of man or Angell is able to expresse or what hart to conceiue how gratefull this returne and tryumph was to heauen how agreable this present was in the Almighties sight and how all the heauenly Israell reioyced to see our heauenly litle Dauid returned with such victorie so ample spoyles If the Conuersion of one poore sinner my soule cause such ioy among the Angells what accesse of ioy must the securitie of so many Saintes who are to be their fellow citizens for euer cause in those heauenly hartes The 8. fruite of Christs Ascension The raysing our affections from the Earth II. POINT CONSIDER that our Blessed Sauiour is ascended to heauen from which he descended to carrie vp our hartes thither from whence they were fallen by sinne and to waine our affections from earth and make them wholye Spirituall according to that of the diuine Apostle if you be rysen with Christ seeke the thinges that are aboue where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God mynde the thinges which are aboue not the thinges which are vpon the earth Affection O Deare Iesus since as well thy descention as thy Ascension yea all the mysteries of thy blessed life and Passion turne all to our vtilitie and vse grant that we may make a right vse of them and wholie turne our hartes from earth to thee that though our bodies be imprisoned in it for a time yet in harte and affection we may alwayes liue aboue with thee that we may truly say with S. Paule our conuersation is in heauen THE VI. MEDITATION I. POINT CONSIDER finally that since Iesus our deare Lord and Master is returned to heauen as we are assured by faithfull witnesses who deliuer by the mouth of S. Iohn noe other thinge then what they saw with their eyes what they looked vpon and what their hands had handled of the WORD of life there is indeede nothinge left vs in earth worthie to lodge a Christian hart vpon He is our true life and what liuing is there without life He 's our treasure and where should our hartes be but where our treasure is He is our crucified
flesh be weake let 's haue recourse to the Spirit Let loue leade vs to this God of Loue and expose our coldenes to the fire which he visibly brings downe from heauen this day saying Veni c. What the H. Ghost is II. POINT CONSIDER what the holy Ghost is He is no other thing then the Spirit that is the spiration and breathing of the Father and the Sonne for as mans hart by his mouth breatheth or produceth a breath so God the Father by his sonne produceth the holy Spirit Or els as the soule by the vnderstanding of an amiable thing doth produce or breath out loue Loue which is no other thing then the spirit or breath of the affection so doth the father by the Sonne breath out the holy Ghost who is no other thing then a chast and holy loue produced and breathed out by the father and the Sonne whose mutuall loue it is Affection O diuinely sweete-breath Heauenly deare Gale Coeternall tye of two eternall persons Sacred commerce holy communication of the omnipotent father and his only begotten deare sonne O essentiall ineffable inflamed loue who euer burnest and art neuer extinguished graciously slide into and burne this frosen hart of mine Thou hast freely preuented me and reuiued me while I lay in a dead slumber and neither sought thee nor thought on thee Doe not I beseech thee forsake me whilst I am inuokinge thee I desire with the whole strife of my hart to desire thee The loue of my soule couets to loue thee Nor can I without thee Grant that by thee I may souue-raingly loue the father and the sonne and thee Three diuine persons â—n the veritie of one Deitie whose mutuall loue thou art O god the holy Ghost giue what thou commandest and command what thou wilt THE II. MEDITATION What kind of Spirit the H. Ghost is I. POINT CONSIDER that though the holy Ghost be a Spirit Spiration or breathing yet is it not like that of Man which is a Spirit which passeth and returneth not nor like to the Angells which are Missionarie and seruing Spirits nor like to that which our Sauiour Iesus-Christ deliuered vp when he said into thy hands I commend my Spirit To witt his soule In fine it is no created Spirit but an immense increated diuine Spirit intrinsecall to God yea God himself the third person of the B. Trinitie the same God with the Father and the Sonne proceeding from them by an eternall spiration and therefore coequall consubstantiall coeternall with them and equally to be adored and glorified together with them as Lord and life-giuer Affection Let me loue thee ô thou deare eternall immutable and euer permanent Spirit and loue of the father and the sonne let me loue thee And as thou proceedest from that one only more then most blessed eternall will of the father and the Sonne and becomest naturally and substantially one only God with them before time so grant that my will in tyme by the participation of thy heate and thy grace may so louingly adheare to that diuine will and be lincked together in so perfect a bond of true friendshipp that there be but one will betwixt heauen and earth God and Man That that may be as truly meant and accomplished as frequently pronounced Thy will that is that sourse of life of libertie of eternall loue be donne in earth as it is in heauen that by such conformitie resignation and adheasion we may all become but one Spirit with thee That the H. Ghost is a heauenly gift II. POINT CONSIDER further what the holy Ghost is and you shall finde that he is a gift but a gift sent vs from heauen a gift which containes in it the whole collection of all good things a gift prepared from all eternitie to be bestowed vpon men better then which there neither hath or shall or can be any giuen or imagined euen by the wisedome of heauen it selfe for it is euen that best gift that perfect thing which descended from the father of lightes with whom there is alwaies a permanent plentie Affection 4 O most noble most admirable and more then most excellent gift ô in comparable immense and inestimable liberalitie ô incomparable dignitie of mans soule Man was farre from dreaming of it Angels could neuer haue imagined it God himselfe could giue no more then God in a gift Ah my soule the verie heauens can giue no more then we possesse They are diuine truthes we speake the great S. Paule assures it Know you not that your members are the Temple of the holy Ghost which is in you And againe The spirit of God dwelleth in you Well may we glorie in this obsolute assurance of so incomparable a gift and guest But forget not my soule what followes But if anie violate the Temple of God God will distroy him THE III. MEDITATION The Holy Ghost is a permanent gift I. POINT CONSIDER of what a permanent plentie and blisse poore man is possessed by the bountie of this heauenly git which is accomplished with all perfections It is a gift it cannot then be recalled it is our owne nothing being more ours then what is our owne by free gift It s a free gift it was not bought or borrowed but freely bestowed Loue then was the cause of it loue which is an efficacious wishing well or wishing good to the beloued Affection Ah my soule this heauenly gift is no lesse absolutely permanent then superlatiuely excellent and no lesse sure as to externall force then a huge possession The theeuish world cannot robbe it The power of darkenes cannot wrest it out of our hands The God that gaue it takes it not awaye Non deserit nisi deseratur He forsakes not vnlesse he be first forsaken Selfe trecherie at home alone can hazard it selfe disloyaltie can loose it hatred for loue by consent to mortall sinne can driue this Loue this gift this God out of dores II. POINT CONSIDER from whom we had this good gift and we shall find it came from all the three persons of the holy Trinitie I saith the Father will powre out my Spirit vpon all flesh I will aske my Father saith the sonne and he will send you another comforter I will send him to you saith he againe And the holy Ghost saith Sainte Augustine is so giuen as God's gift that he is also his owne gift he is both the gift and the giuer All the three persons in the B. Trinitie were imployed in mans creation and all are imployed too about his sanctification We will come to him to wit the father sonne and holy Ghost and we will take vp our Residence with him Affection Blesse ô my soule that Father of lightes that good giuer of all good gifts who sent his holy breath or spirit downe vpon vs. Blesse that Lambe of God who by his death merited that blessing for vs. Blesse in fine that holy Spirit who was himselfe both the giuer and the gift and graciously came
we forgett him Isay who least he might haue bene forgotten by vs continues still with vs leauing vs noe lesse memoriall of himselfe then himselfe O be thou euer blessed and magnified my dearest Lord And be they euer accursed who forgett thee who art the fountaine of liuing waters flowing into life euerlasting THE XV. MEDITATION The seauenth Cause That being fedd with diuine foode we might become diuine I. POINT CONSIDER that a seauenth cause of the Institution of the Blessed Sacrament was to th end that being continually fedd and delighted with his heauenly body we might be wayned from and contemne the gliding delights of earthly ones with all their paynefull delights and concupiscences and therby leading a spirituall and heauenly not a terreane life that that of Saint Paule may indeede as it ought be verifyed of vs. I liue now not I but Christ liues in me Affection Such my soule should we be indeede persons quite wayned from the fleshpotts and vnions of Egipt since we are continually fedd with heauenly Manna With the true foode of the children of God with the foode which is truly God Our aymes are God our foster-father God our food is God And what should our thouhtes words and workes be but of God and for God Let vs then neuer proue so vnhappie as loathing this heauenly delicious and fattening foode to fall vpon windie and emptie huskes which indeede feede not fatten not saciate not The eight Cause The continuall presence of the Angells II. POINT CONSIDER as an eight cause of the Institution of the B. Sacrament the continuall presence of the B. Angells of heauen for as S Chrisostome saith Where Christe is in the Euchariste there are not wanting the frequent troopes of Angells Ambrose where this body is there the Eagles are gathered togeither fluttering about with their spirituall wings I saith he in another place the Eagles are about the Altar where the body is Affection Yes my soule we haue power by a vertuous life framed according to the life of Christ to take soretastes of heauen and to turne this base land we liue in into a heauenly Paradice The God of Angells is with vs and in vs when we please They come downe to vs and we mutually soare vp to them by our heauenly thoughtes and conuersation when we will They and we feede of one and the same foode though in a differēt manner loue and adore the same God singe the same Gloria's Alleluia's and Sanctus Sanctus Sanctus THE XVI MEDITATION Of the excellencie of the Blessed Sacrament I. POINT CONSIDER that our Sauiour Iesus Christ as a most tender gratious bountifull father made a most excellent and admirable will and testament and left vs thereby a legacie more pretious and better then heauen and earth to witt his most sacred bodie for our daylie food and his Blessed blood for our drinke Affection O sacred and soueraigne food ô most admirable mysterie ô diuine and deare inuention ô all you that loue God come come make haste and see with admiration and astonishment praise proclaime and magnifie for euer the name of our gracious God who hath daigned to worke such thinges in our days and in vs in vs poore miserable wormes of the earth II. POINT CONSIDER that though it were an ineffable dignation farr passing the inuention of men and Angells that he who was in the beginning with God and was euen God himselfe should build himselfe a cottage of our clay and become man like one of vs indeede yet doth it farre surpasse that againe to see the same not only take our humanitie but bestowe vpon vs also his diuinitie conioyned and vnited with the same humanitie to dwell in vs to take vp his delights and suppe with vs and euen to become our repast and nourishment Affection O what thought of man of Angells is in any measure able to diue into the infinite Abysse of the burning charitie which our Sauiour Iesus Christ meant to expresse in this most venerable Sacrament his pious fatherly hart could deuise nothing so sublimely and soueraignely good as himselfe and therefore himselfe hee bequeathes to leaue our harts charged with the demonstration of the greatest excesse of loue imaginable THE XVII MEDITATION I. POINT CONSIDER that though to giue all one hath be an argument of great loue yet to giue ones selfe is farr greater but incomparably the greatest of all to giue what we haue and what we are in such a manner and for such an end for we receiue him not now as a father and companion a brother a price but as our foode by which being worthily receiued we are made one with him not that wee chāge this diuine foode into our nature but we are rather changed and transformed into it euen as fire changes the nature of wood into it selfe Affection Ah whose hart is not stirred to deuotion and euen burnt vp with loue when he seriously considers with what excesse of loue and charitie with what solicitude as it were that Lord of Maiestie that powerfull King of glorie striues to gaine our hartes to his loue hartes which are but earth and ashes full of frailtie viciousnesse and indignitie and farr vnworthie to be chosen to be the habitacles and temples of the adorable Trinitié II. POINT CONSIDER how God could neither haue depressed himselfe lower or raised vs higher then that the bread of Angells should become the poore pilgrimes food then that the Creatour should be the creatures meate then that he who fills heauen and earth with the glorie of his diuine Maiestie should be receiued and handled and eaten by our miserie the highest heauens are not able to comprize his Magnitude and yet he will please to inhabite the narrow spaces of our howses of clay Affection Is it possible then may we not only saie with Salomon that God doth dwell with or amongst men but more is it possible that God hauing taken a humane nature vpon him and become man should also become mans food and dwell not only with man but euen in him there to cure our diseases languors and infirmities not with an infinitie of other meanes which his wisedome could inuēt but euen by the presence ' and application of his owne pretious body and blood III. POINT CONSIDER that Christ comes vnto vs accompayned with a thousand blessings for he brings into the soule that worthily receaues him what euer vertue he practised in his life all the fruite of his Passion Resurrection and Ascension the beatitude of his most Blessed bodie the efficacie of his most pretious blood and the merits of his most excellent soule and in a word all that euer can be desired or imagined Affection What is there then ô man which thou standest not possessed of what is it thou wantest if thou be not wanting to thy selfe in either not worthily preparing thy selfe to receiue so great a guest or hauing receiued him in not worthily entertaining him That man is euidently conuinced to be
so shall he be called and acknowledged to be the Sonne of the highest Iesus a Sauiour and shall raigne in the house of Iacob for euer And that therfor she is blessed amongst and aboue all women Affection O greatest astonishment to the Angells that euer they yet mett with since the Heauens Creation O greatest blisse to man that euer yet befell him since his first fathers fall O blessed effects of the flight of the world of silence of solitude of frequent prayer O Marie God Angell and man expecte thy consent O pious Virgine mournefull Adam with his whole miserable posteritie banished out of Paradice suppliantly crye to thee for it Abraham Dauid and all the ancient Fathers instantly begge it In a word all the world cast at thy feete humbly sues for it If that consent be giuen a passage to heauen is layd open to vs all THE II. MEDITATION I. POINT CONSIDER yet further and diligently ponder these pretious words which flow as heauenly pearles from the mouth of an Angell which man ought humbly to imbrace relish and locke vp not proudly and profanely to controle Blessed Marie is declared full of grace nor that in an ordinarie manner as diuers other Saintes were but according to the measure which Christ sorted out for his best beloued Mother who wisely sutes his giftes and graces according to the function place and dignitie to which he pleases to call euery one The fountaine the riuer the brooke are each one full so is the Sonne the Mother and the seruant But the Sonne as the sourse and sea whence all graces flow the Mother as neerliest ioyned to and most abundantly participating of the said sea the seruant as placed at a greater distance in a measure aggreable to a seruant in fine the seruant possesses it but by partes the Mother in the whole plenitude as saith S. Hierome Affection All hayle all hayle spotlesse Virgine mother of grace and mercy sith thou art the mother of my Lord and master I feare not to salute thee with an Angell full of grace since to speake wirh S. Athanasius the holy Ghost descended into thee with all his essentiall vertues which he stands possessed of by title of his diuine principalitie and therfor thou art most iustly stiled gratia plena as being replenished with the abundance of all the graces of the holy Ghost Many many daughters haue gathered riches togeither t is true but thou hast outstripped them all and art inriched with that peculiar grace which gaue glorie to the heauens a God to the earth faith to the gentils c. Dearest Lady mother daigne to Conueye some dropes of that ouer-flowing grace of thyne vpon my weake and languishing soule II. POINT CONSIDER that if Marie be full of grace it is noe wonder sith the same Angell assures her and vs that our Lord is with her Dominus tecum Noe saith S. Bernard it is noe wonder that she is full of grace with whom our Lord is not our Lord the Sonne onely whom she clothes with humanitie but our Lord the holy Ghost of whom she conceiues and our Lord the Father who begott him whom she conceiues Nay rather should we wonder that he that dispatched the Angell to her should be arriued to her before the Angell and be found with her by the Angell Affect Our Lord is with thee dearest Lady that eternall and draynelesse sourse of all graces and so the fulnesse of grace cannot be wanting to thee Our Lord is with thee the Angell is onely the Messēger of that good newes but the God of Angells who sent him preuents him and is alreadie thy guest Our Lord is with thee I say nay with vs too by thee ô thou Mother of mercy who broughtest forth our mylde Emmanuel that is our God with vs our Iesus thy Sonne whom who-euer loues he is loued by his heauenly father who with the Sonne and the holy Ghost will come vnto him and take vp their mansion with him O excessiue happines which accreues to vs by the meanes of Blessed Marie THE III MEDITATION For the Announciation I. POINT CONSIDER further that it is noe wonder that she that is replenished with all grace and hath our Lord with her and in her should be tearmed blessed amongst and aboue all women Since others haue but that by partes which she possesses in plenitude and since he that is with others onely in a generall manner by Presence power and essence is with her in all the fulnesse of the Diuinitie corporally Whence it is that she inioyes the aduantages and is freed from the incommodities of all the states of women to witt of Virgines wiues and widdowes She hath the ioys of a mother without corruption the honour of a Virgine without sterilitie the libertie of a widdowe without solitude She is therfor deseruedly blessed among and aboue all women Affectio Le ts vs then my soule say and neuer be wearie in saying with the Angell Hayle Marie full of grace our Lord is wit thee blessed art thou amongst all women and incomparably aboue and before all women for thou art indeede the Glorie of Hierusalem the ioy of Israël the honour of thy nation race and sexe for he that is powerfull workes wonders in thee and for vs poore lost sinners by thee Ah vse thy powerfull prayers to him for vs now and in the houre of our death Amen II. POINT CONSIDER the Blessed Virgines bashfulnesse prudence and retaynednesse in speech She is saluted by an Angell hayle full of grace accompaigned with her Lord and Master blessed among all women and yet she feares euen an Angell in the shape of a man she resalutes him not and in lieu of complacence finds trouble in hearing so great commendations of her selfe and falls a considering what kind of salutation that might be She eyes her selfe as one who was dayly begging for grace and she wonders to heare herselfe declared full of grace Her companions vse to be the poorer sort of Virgines and she admires to vnderstande she is accompaigned with her Lord and Master She lookes vpon her selfe as the least of women and cannot therfor conceiue how she should be blessed amongst all women Affection Ah my soule doe we obserue this Virgine full of grace blessed amongst all women startled at the presence of an Angell while yet we poore frayle Creatures miserable sinners feare not the presence of men where we may haue experienced much danger And when she returnes noe answer but is troubled at her owne prayses euen from an Angell prudently considering what they might import shall we vainely fall in loue with the prayses which men fawningly bestow vpon vs and therby vnconsideratly fall into questions and answers and ingagements which leade we know not whither Ah saith S. Ambrose it is the part of a Vingine to quake and tremble at euery approche of a man and to feare euery word he speakes THE IV. MEDITATION For the Announciation I. POINT CONSIDER that while the
magnifie our Lord and to reioyce in God our Sauiour for that he dayned graciously to looke vpon our vilenesse abiection and miserie by which looke or loue of his all our happinesse was begun THE III. MEDITATION For the Visitation I. POINT CONSIDER what was the seconde cause for which our Blessed Lady did so magnifie our Lord and you will heare her selfe againe shew it Still remouing all prayse from her selfe to ascribe it to the sourse of all Good because saith she he that is mightie hath done greate thinges to me as though she should say let none be slow in giuing credit to this ineffable mysterie let none admire that I. a Virgine haue conceiued for how euer it is in me that this astonishing wonder is wrought yet it was not I but the Almightie God that wrought it in the power of the most high who ouershaded me And the whole reason of the worke is the omnipotent power of the workman who alone workes great inscrutable and wonderfull thinges Affection Feare not my soule to acknowledg with our Blessed Lady that he who is mightie hath wrought great thinges in thee so thou humbly with her too confesse vpon whom they were wrought and by whom for so thou shalt stille haue thyne owne misery and Gods power mercy and bountie before thyne eyes so shalt thou neuer forgett that he is all and thou thy selfe nothinge at all and yet finding so many benefits whether of body or soule or fortune freely bestowed vpon thy pouertie and nothinge thou wilt euen melt away with admireing loue and willingly and ioyfully spend what soeuer thou hast of life or abilitie in continuall Magnifying of so good a Lord and in Spirituall exultations in so Deare a Sauiour II. POINT CONSIDER how hugely great that grace of Gods looking vpon B. Maries abiection must needs haue bene sith from thenceforth all generations shall call her blessed as she her selfe feares not to foretell hauing first giuen the honour of it to him that was truly the Authour therof Certainly that aspect or looking vpon was the effect of eternall direction according to that vbi amor ibi oculus and singular election his looke or aspect onely following his loue since as S. Augustin saith Gods looking vpon one by grace is the deliuering of him from abiection and abandonnement Affection O my soule what an excessiue ioy is it to a truly Christian hart to see this prediction so fully verified Blessed art thou began the Angell blessed art thou went on S Elizabeth and from them 16. ages and vpwards tooke and euer since continued the same songe all the Ancient Fathers being as it were at a holy strife which might take it the highest and all the Christian world from the rysing of the sunne till the setting of the same hauing nothing after Iesus so frequently in its mouth as our Blessed Lady that being as it were among them all her proper name whervpon millions of millions of all sexes and ages and conditions all the world ouer euery day fayle not to sing her Canticle and publish and confirme her blessed by all generations THE I. MEDITATION For the Natiuitie of our Blessed Sauiour I. POINT CONSIDER yet how many iust reasons concurre to oblidge all mankind to proclaime her blessed for euer First because she beleeued 2. Because she was full of grace 3. Because she brought out a most blessed fruite 4. Because the All-powerfull or Almightie wrought wonderful thinges in her 5. Because she was the Mother of our Lord the King of Glorie 6. Because she reserued the puritie of a Virgine togeither with the fecunditie of a Mother 7. Because neither was their before her or euer shall there be after her any like or comparable to her Affection Blesse her then my soule blesse her togeither with heauen and earth with Angells and Saintes and withall learne of her to blesse to prayse to magnifie that powerfull hand which wrought wonders in her and by her that fruite of her wombe that God her Sauiour whom she brought out blesse her firme faith her fulnesse of grace her pure maternitie her fruite full Virginitie Say say my soule with the deuoute Saint Bernard while the riuers run into the Sea while the woodes ouershade the mountaines while the starres possesse the heauens thyne honour thy name thy prayses shall alwayes remayne II. POINT CONSIDER that though Blessed Marie were a iustest subiect of admiratioÌ„ to men and Angells in all the states of her life as being designed for a worke which passed all their capacities euen to conceiue it yet was she then most blessefull and blessed when she did not onely promise but present her blessed fruite when our God was not onely our Lord with her and in her but our Emmanuel or our God with vs by her when that flower of the field began to appeare in our Land and her Virgine earth brought out a Sauiour when finally her dayes were fully come that she should be deliuered she brought-forth her first begotten Sonne and swadled him in clootes and layd him downe in a manger Affection Then then my soule it was indeede that all men of good will began to blesse her ioyninge with the multitudes of Angels who compasse about our more then Salomons litle bedd to sing a Gloria to the child of her wombe and peace to the world Then did she place her young Sonne our God visibly amongst vs and therby freed vs from that ancient reproche vbi est Deus tuus where is thy God Now thou mayst tell the Diuell my soule that here he is to subdue his pride Thou mayst tell the incredulous Iewes that here he is to confound their malice Thou maist tel all men of good will that here he is to breake our chaynes to cure our wounds to direct to protect to comfort to saue the poore banished Sonns of Eue. THE II. MEDITATION In the Natiuitie of our Sauiour I. POINT CONSIDER that then it was indeede that she shewed her selfe to be a Mother when she brought forth to the world her first begotten Sonne and layd him in a manger Then she was indeede Mother in effect and Mother of God and in that name and qualitie according to S. Thomas of Aquine the greatest creature that euer was or euer shall or can be made euen by the Almighties power since to be the Mother of God as being ioyned to a thing of an infinite perfection includes in it selfe a certaine infinite dignitie Affection Stand amaysed my soule at this heauenly prodigie as hauing neither words nor thoughtes sutable to this ineffable dignitie or at least say with that great S. Andrew of Hierusalem O holy Lady Thou art the incomprehensible secreete of the diuine economie whom the Angells desire incessantly to behold Thou art the admirable lodging of an humbled God Thou art that agreeable earth which made him descend from heauen and gave him entrie among vs. Thou art the treasure of â—he mysteries shut vp before all ages
troupes and aduance euen to the Throne of the souueraigne Kinge Affection Yes ô thou Souueraigne Queene saith S. Augustine seconded by S. Anselme the King thy Sonne raysed thee to the the same seate where he had placed what he tooke of thee it being but sutable to reason that thou shouldst be there where that is which was borne of thee How honored II. POINT CONSIDER what honour accrues to her in that Throne of Glorie and we shall find that she is honored by God the Father in qualitie of his dearest daughter Of God the Sonne as his dearest mother and of God the holy Ghost as his dearest Spouse Of all the Angells and Saintes of heauen as the best beloued Mother of their Master and the most glorious Queene of their heauenly Court Affection All hayle thou glorious Queene of Heauen it is not now all the generations of mē or one Angell that salutes thee full of grace but all the Quires of Angells which pronounce thee blessed and full of glorie Yea the whole Trinitie doth in rich thee with incomparable prerogatiues of honour and glorie farre aboue all the rest FINIS MEDITATIONS FOR ALL THE SVNDAYES IN THE YEARE DRAWNE OVT OF THEIR RESPECTIVE GOSPELLS Composed by the same Authour THE SECONDE PARTE Lex tua meditatio mea est PARIS Printed by VINCENT DV MOVTIER M. DC LXV THE FIRST MEDITATION FOR THE FIRST SVNDAY IN ADVENT There shall be signes in the sunne and the moone and the starrs and in the earth distresse of nations for the confusion of the sound of the sea and waues c. Luc. 21. THE FIRST POINTE. CONSIDER that there are two Aduents or comings of Christ intimated in this Gospell and celebrated in the holy Catholike Church The one of feare when he shall come in dread full maiestie to iudge the vniuersall world to th end that by whosome feare the forerunner of wisdome the heartes of her children may the better be prepared to receiue hym by loue in his first coming by his gracious Incarnation when he comes in humilitie and infirmitie Nor is there a better way to secure our selues against his dreadfull maiestie in that then by imitating his abismall humilitie in this Affection Let vs then my soule vpon the first sommons of that dreadfull day rowse vp our selues from the sleepe of negligence and sinne and without further dallying and delay fall seriously vpon the studie of our Master Christ his first lesson humilitie knowing with S. Paule that now it is the houre that we ought to ryse being called vpon by our holy mothers care Now I say euen now at this verie houre because the youngest the strongest the wisest of vs all knowes not whether the next houre will be allowed him yea or noe THE SECONDE POINTE CONSIDER the dreadfullnesse of that second coming by the astonishing forerunners of it as they are put downe by the pen of the holy Ghost Ther shall b◠signes in the sunne and in the moone and the starrs and vpon the earth distresse of nations through the confusion of the sound of the sea and waues Behold the wrothfull iudge doth not yet appeare and yet the sunne is obscured the moone refuseth to afford its light the starrs fall from the heauens the earth quakes the sea rores all is in confusion on all sides to witt what was fore told by wisdosme begins to be fulfilled The round world shall fight with him against the senselesse and he will arme his creatures to the reuenge of his enemyes Affection I haue sinned against thee ô my dread lord I haue donne impiously in the sight of thee my deare father I haue committ iniquitie before the face of all thy creatures Noe wonder then they all ryse vp against me disloyall wretch that I am Alas there is nothing in me but confusion and rottennesse nothing that is able to abide the strickt tryall of thy sterne iustice vnlesse thy mylde mercy come out before to preuent it Mercy deare lord mercy Permitt not the poore soule which thou hast daigned to loue and which has noe other hope but in thee perishe in thy anger mercy mercy mercy THE THIRD POINTE. CONSIDER further the dreadfulnesse of the same coming by the wonderous effects it seemes to worke in men and Angells In the Angells for the heauenly powers goes on our text that is the Angells themselues though otherwise secure in themselues and absolutly possessed of beatitude are moued with a certaine admiration and reuerentiall feare by the apprehension of the approch of the wrothfull iudge the exactnesse of his iustice ād the multitudes of those that are to be iudged And in men since they shall euen wither away with a dreadfull expectation of what will become of them and the whole world Affection O poore sinfull man o thou who finds thy conscience ouer burdened with so many disloyalties against thy deare lord tortured with such multitudes of crymes against thy dreadfull all-sceing euer-liuing iudge Alas What will then become of thee when the verie Angells shall quake with feare the Angells who are neither guiltie of sinne or euen can sinne the Angells who alwayes performed the will of their lord the Angells who are in the sure possession of his glorie What will become of vs my soule who are guiltie of so many imperfections palpable negligences and heynous crymes makaing a short reflection vpon the course of our whole lise Resolution I will therfor iudge my selfe while there is yet tyme c. THE SECONDE MEDITATION FOR THE SAME SVNDAY And then shall the sonne of man appeare in the clouds of heauen in much power and Maiestie THE FIRST POINTE. CONSIDER that if the signes and prodigies which fore run the coming of the all-powrefull all-sceing and most iust and wroth full iudge be so dread full with what astonishment horrour and vtter confusion must his presence needs strike sinfull man his mortall enemye who crucified him againe and againe with his vices and concupiscences and trode the sonne of God vnder foote His presence I say accōpaigned with such daunting circumstances Clouds and fogges shall inuiron him saith the Royalle Prophete and fire shall streame out before him and fire his enemyes round about while the mountaines melt like waxe before his angrie face Affection Alas who will haue assurance enough to be able to stand to see this dreadfull coming who would not sue to the mountaines to fall vpon them and hide them from so daunting an aspect Or euen pray with Iob to find protection in hell till his furie be past because the furie and anger of that man shall spare none in that day Ah my soule He sees all that hath past from the begining of the world He is most iust and will spare none he is all powerfull and none can resist his decrees It is horride to fall into the handes of a luing God Yet all this we must all stand to see How necessarie is it then to prouide in tyme Let my resolution
old heauen and earth God and man conspire togeither to putt vs out of all doubt that our Iesus is the beloued sonne of God the Father in whom he is well pleased And therfor with our whole soule we ioyne with the whole Court of heauen and adore that onely begotten who dyed for vs and esteemed it noe stelth to be equall to his heauenly father THE SECONDE MEDITATION FOR THE SAME SVNDAY And his face did shine as the sunne and his garments became white as snowe Matt. 17. THE FIRST POINTE. CONSIDER that Peter Iames and Iohn vpon the onely aspect of the transcendant splendour and beautie of Iesus his body and garments are so transported with ioy that they take a present resolution to build tabernacles vpon the toppe of Thabor and to remayne there because Peter out of the deepe sense of the heauenly delight which he felt professed freely to that diuine Master of theirs that it is good for them to be there Affection O my soule if litle glimpses of glorie be so delightfull what will the whole light of glorie proue If a litle exteriour glorie of the body be so precious what will the essentiall glorie of both body and soule be experienced If momentes of ioyes were powerfull enough to begett an absolute contempt of all other thinges in those Apostolicall hartes what should not firme hopes of eternities worke in ours If God blesse vs with heauenly gustes at our prayers c. Let vs humble our selues and be thankfull for them as being the seede of glorie But we must not be too greedie of them nor resolue to dwell in them Iesus must passe from Thabor ouer Caluarie before he enter into his owne Kingdome and so must we Christians too THE SECONDE POINTE. He spoke with Moyses and Elias of an excesse CONSIDER that while Peter Iames and Iohn like men are so transported with a smale foretaste of glorie that they wishe noe better then to liue vpon the toppe of that pleasant hill Our deare Lord and Master whose thoughts are alwayes vpon that which tends to the accomplishment of his heauenly fathers will is thinking and discoursing with Moyses and Elias of his paineful death and passion Affection We are but pilgrims in this world my soule not inhabitants We haue noe permanent citie here but we are makeing home to an euerlasting one where we are fellow citizens with the Saints and God's domestikes nor can we follow a surer guide then our Sauiour Iesus His way is through sufferances contradictions ad Crosses in euery kind And is it not our perfection to expresse his life in ours that by suffering with him we may raigne with him Good it is indeede to haue gusts and foretastes of the consolations of God! but farre better to follow the God of consolation amidst his desolations sufferances and abandonnements who ioy being proposed vnto him sustayned the Crosse contemning confusion Say then with S. Teresa aut pati aut mori either let sufer or dye THE FIRST MEDITATION FOR THE THIRD SVNDAY IN LENT And Iesus was casting out a Diuell and he was dumbe Luc. 11. THE FIRST POINTE. CONSIDER that the Diuells dominion was spredd in a manner ouer all the face of the earth Altars were erected Idolls sett vp Idolatrie or the worshippe of the Diuell raigned in euery place so that his pride growen greater then his power he durst attempt vpon the sonne of God as in the first sunday in Lent but in steed of victorie he mett with confusion He was ouerthrowen with the sword of the word of God without any other armes But now Iesus to comply with and exercise the Office of a Sauiour being sent to free the world out of the Diuells tyrannie setts vpon him by his power and authoritie and by absolute commande chaceth him out of the possessed body Affection O blessed fruites of the coming of our Sauiour Iesus Christ Poore man was kept à slaue vnder the Diuells tyrannie nor was there any power in earth to free him but Iesus our Helper in opportunities that is seasonably as he iudges fitting in tribulation in temptation c. came graciously to his ayde he assaults that stronge one forceth him by his flight to acknowledge the power of his Master who begins sake his raigne and abate his pride nor doth he this in his owne person onely but euen leaues the like power in his holie Church He graciously teaches vs by his example how we are to behaue our selues in temptation and shewes vs in what power we ought to subdue that fierce foe Blessed and magnified be he for euer who hath left such power to the sonns of man THE SECONDE POINTE. CONSIDER that though the Diuells taking possession of mans body be not verie comon yet his possession of mans soule is but too ordinarie And how euer we perceiue it but a litle yet it is farre more dangerous and most absolutly true Neuer are we so vnhappie to committ mortall sinne but the Diuell takes full possession of our soules grace departs the holy Ghost is turned out of dores the Diuell becomes our Master and we his miserable seruantes and slaues ouer whom he exercises à tyrannicall dominion We become blind to good walke in darknesse not discouering what is fitting to be done and dumbe too as to the making profession of what we know to be right Affection O my soule this is the possession indeede which we ought most to feare and dispossession which we ought most earnestly to seeke for because we haue left him who is able to throw both body and soule into Hell fire because our strength hath left vs we are sicke of a deade palsie and sore tormented by the Diuell Let vs neuer cease from sighets and sobbs and lamentations while we rcmayne in this sadd captiuitie Gods grace alone is able to deliuer vs. Let vs begge it incessantly like poore lost slaues knowing that there is noe meanes to flye from him but to him from him offended to him appeased saying haue mercy vpon me ô God according to thy great mercy and according to the multitude of thy commiserations because my miserie is exceeding great and needes noe lesse a cure THE SECONDE MEDITATION FOR THE SAME SVNDAY Euery Kingdome deuided against it selfe shall be made desolate and a house shall fall vpon a house Luc. 111. THE FIRST POINTE. CONSIDER that though we had not had truth it selfe which none dare contradicte to assure vs of this so necessarie a lesson yet common experience makes it but too sure to verie ordinarie capacities The internall diuisions and broyles of England France Spayne Italie and Flanders to goe noe further haue oft hazarded their vtter ruine And the vnhappie misintelligences of communities and particular families haue not onely disordered them and depriued them of the blissings of peace and quiete but haue euen exposed them to publicke scandall and desolation it selfe Affection How deare then my soule ought vnanimitie and vnion of harts to be to vs
neither is nor can be any consent betweene Christ and Belial There can be noe societie betwixt light and darknesse betwixt pride and humble Christ couetousnesse and poore Christ impuritie and Christ who is puritie it selfe Le ts vse then my soule a holy violence and throw those prophane Idols out of our harte that God alone may raigne in that sacred Temple of his Least the worst abomination of desolation might otherwise surprise vs eternally THE SECONDE MEDITATION FOR THE SAME SVNDAY THE FIRST POINTE. CONSIDER that there is nothing either more certaine or more vncertaine then the day of Doome that tyme of huge desolation Nothinge more certaine then that it shall be since heauen and earth shall passe but the word of God which we haue for it shall not passe Nothing againe more vncertaine then the tyme therof for of that day and houre noe body knoweth neither the Angells of heauen but the father alone If this certaintie then cannot but begett a dreadfull expectation in all humane hartes this vncertaintie ought to putt a continuall watchfulnesse vpon our thoughtes Affection If then my soule as well this certaintie as this vncertaintie be as infallibly true as is the word of God vpon which it is grounded what are we to doe but to expect it at all houres which may come at euery houre Did we certainly know that some houre this night the theife would come and robb vs of all we haue we should not fayle to watch all night to preuent our vtter ruine Alas let the hazard of our soule enter into as much consideration with vs as the hazard of our fortunes that so we may not fayle to stand still vpon our guarde that death may not take vs a sleepe and we being a wake may finde our hands emptie of good workes to our eternall ruine THE SECONDE POINTE. CONSIDER that though the day of the generall Iudgement will as certainly come as it is vncertaine to all men when that shall be so that many yeares may probably passe before it yet there is another day of Doome which hanges ouer each ones heade and can not be longe ere it come to witt the last day of euery mans life is the day of iudgement to him since as S. Augustine saith in what state each one 's last day shall finde him in the verie same shall the last day of the world comprehend him That euery one might continually stande readie for this S. Iohn tells vs that now euen now is the last houre noe man being sure of the next Affection It is appointed saith S. Paule to men to dye once and after that iudgement This my soule is the day of desolation which euery one ought most to apprehende and watch for since it is indeede his day of Doome This at euery moment may surprise vs and that in one moments tyme. What rests them my soule but that what I say to thee I say to euery one vigilate Watch watch incessantly for this theife death may steale vpon vs when we least suspecte it And if then our Lampes be found without the oyle of good workes and charitie what shall we haue left vs but a dreadfull expectation to heare the doore of the heauenly mariage is shut And what can we hope to meate with by our importunate crying out Lord Lord open to vs but that daunting replye which causeth an eternall separation from the face of God Amen I say to you I know you not FINIS A CHRISMAS CONTEMPLATION WITH A SEARCH INTO THE SOVRSE OF ALL MANS HAPPINESSE FOR THE DAVGHTERS OF SION O SWEETEST night my mynd I nere can wayne From thought of thee in which the heauens doe raine Huge shewres of grace the hillockes flowe with sweets And from the mountaines milke and honie sweates O sweetest night my starued soule doth dye To haue a full draught of ty Ambrosie Tertulian grauely said some goods there are As well as euils which euen oppresse and beare Vs to the ground The wonders of this night Are such to find our God in su … a plight That hardly such a bastard soule is found Who sends not knees and heart to kisse the ground God threats eternall death and yet we stand Stiffe-neck'd nor bowe to that his powerfull hand He offers endlesse life nor are we mou'd By hopes nor threates our God's nor fear'd nor lou'd By thunder-bolts he testifies his ire He speakes the same by earth-quakes and by fire Yet stupide man howere he dreade the rodde He lookes as high as though there were noe God But when the WORDS made flesh when God's made man The high flowen heart must stoope doe what it can Heare your Seraphique Father teach this truth While he as yet lay strugling with his youth While tortur'd thus I lay quoth he at length I had a feeble will to gather strength Thee to inioye my God nor could I find A way squar'd out according to my mynd Till I fell downe vpon thy infancie Clad in the weede of our humanitie For then my wind-blowen heart began t'vnswell And prostrate on my low layd lord I fell Downe downe proude soule keepe lowe it is not meete That wormes should swell while God lyes at their feete He biult himselfe a cotage of our clay To teach vs lowlinesse and how t'obeye THAT THE SOVRSE OF MANS happinesse is God's infinite and meere goodnesse BVT stay my muse before we further goe Le ts find the sourse whence all man's blisse doth flowe The sourse is goodnesse that vaste Ocean Which speads ore all and is shut vp from none God's naturall goodnesse which he nor owes Nor man can merite vncompell'd it flowes So you haue seene some fruitfull mothers breast Oreflowe its snowie bankes ere it was pres't Or sue'd to by the greedie babe With store She was opprest and could conteyne noe more She needes the infants pouertie it againe Needes her abundance she 's richly poore in paine On whom t'imploye her store to whom t' impart Those milkie streames the treasures of her heart OF GODS INFINITE COMMVNIcation within to the sonne and to the holy Ghost BVT now as greater good hath greater bent T' impart it selfe abroad and to be spent In larger measures so goodnesse infinite Would infinitly giue if it could light On suting subiects but none such being found Mongst all thinges made his riches doe abound Within at home to vast infinitie Within the bounds of th' blessed Trinitie To his sweete sonne God doth communicate His goodnesse Maiestie his kinglie state His Essence Substance all 's perfection His Godhood too wherin those two are one And from that boundlesse sourse againe doth flowe The holy Ghost our God who doth not owe His being to another He 's as old As Good as great as wise as vncontrold As are the Father and the sonne on high They 're equall all and one in Deitie Ther 's noe dependance want prioritie Their measure is a vaste eternitie Euen so the sun noe sooner doth appeare But
and Will say thy will be done And with your Holy father Inflame and pearce the very marrow of my dull hart with those saueing fires of thyne and let the flame of thy holy feruour drie vp and consume the peccant humours of my body and mynd 2. POINT Consider then that it was loue indeede buring loue and charitie that brought downe this silent word this beautifull saluation-weeping-child this King this metamorphized God of ours It was the immense and eternall loue of the Father and the son the holy Ghost by which he was conceiued in the sacred and pure Wombe of this Virgine Mother T was loue that brought him out Loue that lodged him in this poore cottage Loue that swadled him in poore cloutes Loue that layd him in this manger And loue of vs poore lost miserable sinfull men Propter nos homines for vs men assures faith and for our saluation he descended from heauen For his exceeding great charitie with which he loued the World saith the great Apostle Affec Oh what a hote batterie doth Loue lay to our soule what doth this full inflamed expression of loue say to our hartes but dilectus mens mihi the beloued soule of man is myne And what should or can man reply but ego illi Yes deare Lord thyne I am intirely and thou shalt be myne for euer my part my portion my substance the one thing which I onely desire my deare delight in tyme and eternitie What doth this say but deliciae meae esse cum filiis hominum My delightes are to be with the sonnes of men And what shall the lost sonnes of men say but our dearest delightes are and shall euer be to be with the sonne of God His loue to me hath made him being the lord and Master stoope below men and lye amongst brute beastes and shall not my Loue to him being but a poore sinfull seruant make me in true desire lye vnder the feete of all men Thy charitie and example doth vrge me to loue thee and by thy precept I am oblidged to it But yet alas who is able to loue thee but by thyne owne gift Giue then ô Lord what thou cōmandest and command what thou wilt THE FOVRTH MEDITATION Of Humilitie Christs first lesson in the stable I. POINT COnsider that if Charitie brought him downe from heauen it was humilitie which was to entertayne him in earth If charitie made the son of God become the son of man it was humilitie which made the mother of God become the handmayd of God and man If the bowells of Gods mercy Iesus Christ begotten from all Eternitie was sent downe humilitie was to be the ladder by which he was to descēd for he beheld that is approued the humilitie of his hand-mayde And as mans humilitie or abiection was the first thinge which mercy looked vpon from heauen so was it the first lesson which he taught in earth against that great sinne which was the begining of all mischeife both in heauen and in earth To thend that as God looking vpon mans abiection became man so man by looking vpon and imitating the abiection and humiliation of a God might be raysed to the dignitie of an Angell or a God indeede and so be published happie for euer by all Nations Aff. Ah poore miserable man neuer esteeme thou begins to learne any thing aright in this schoole of Christianitie vnlesse thou beginst where Christ began Neuer thinke thou hast learned any thing till thou hast taken out this first lesson for what is said by S. Paule of charitie is also verified saith Sainte Augustine of humilitie If I should transporte mountaines giue all my goodes to the poore and euen my body it selfe to burne and yet want humilitie it profits me nothing O infinite mercy boundlesse charitie abismall humilitie who is he that vpon the disclosing of those bowells of Mercy which brought Maiestie downe into miserie abiection humiliation who is he I say that will not humble himselfe Resolution My eyes shall be alwayes sett vpon this hūble Maiestie and myne owne miserie that in the acknowledgement of that truth I may euer truly humble my selfe for his sake and in imitation of him be below all his creatures c. I. POINT Consider that this vile stable this narrow manger this comon place of shelter for brute beastes this oxe and Asse this eternitie not a day old this disguise or forme of a seruant these infant teares seeme to say to the eye and by the eye to the hart which afterwardes he shall with his owne mouth expresse in words Learne of me because I am myld and humble of hart My Litle children Learne of me your God become a litle child a lesson shutt vp from the wise and prudent of the world and left to me in my litlenesse to reueale it to litle ones because I am myld and humble of hart not in word and exteriour comportement onely but in effect with hart and affection Aff O Angells of heauen is this the Maiestie which you incessantly prayse whom the Dominatiōs adore whom the powers dreade with trembling whom the heauens ând heauenly vertues the Cherubines and Seraphins neuer cease to proclaine Holy Holy Holy O Kinge of Angells is this thyne owne onely sonne equall to thy selfe in Maiestie whom we see in a manger among brute beastes cold weeping abiect iust like one of vs O deare Sauiour or mylde son of the highest how low how lowe doth thy humilitie descend and withall how high doth thy charitie burne vp in this action O vaine mā what will euer be able to worke downe thy proude harte if the humilitie of a God will not doe it if power become impotent if strength growen infirme cannot preuayle Ah what is more strāge more detestable more greeuously punis-hable then that when we behold him that is the highest in the kindome of God made the least and lowest in this kingdome of men for mans example and loue man will yet be puft vp and remayne high in selfe-esteeme THE SECONDE MEDITATION For the same day I. POINT CCNSIDER againe the circumstances of the stable manger c. and you will find that where humilitie is practised her sister Obedience is not farre absent If Christ by all these thinges preache perfecte humilitie it is in order to Obedience He humbled himselfe being made Obediēt saith the great Aplostle If the stable be poore Manger narrow c. he therfore humbly endures them because such is his heauenly fathers will As my father cōmanded me so I doe I came downe from heauē not to doe myne owne will but his who sent me Whence S. Paule pronounceth a strange word Though he was the very son of God yet he was to learne Obedience by what he suffered here below being other wise as God equall to his heauenly father and as such could not obey Aff. Haue we thē a true desire to imitate our Sauiour Iesus Christ Let vs then humbly obey him and by his
bedd of our harte is too straite it is not capable of both God and the world If we be friēdes with it we must be Gods enemyes And stil as we begin to loue it it begins to leaue vs for it quickly passes by with all its concupiscences Resolution Liue Iesus then in my hart and possesse it wholy to himselfe And may the loue of that bewitching lyer be for euer banished from thence as the very obiect of my hatred since it hated my Lord and Master and he it c. THE SECONDE MEDITATION For the same Day I. POINT CONSIDER that blessed schoole of the stable is still open and another most important Christian lesson is to be learnt which is vnlesse one renounce all that he doth possesse he cannot be Christs Disciple The prudence of the flesh is death and if we liue according to it dye we must eternally If we desire to liue to Christ and with Christ and follow Christ we must first deney our selues dye to our selues or our owne inclinations take vp our crosse and follow him this is the condition of our Christian obligation there is no meane Christians must dye to liue This doth Christ crye out to our hartes by the rigour of the cold which he endures by his hard entertaynement by his scrikes by his teares c. by his humilitie obedience pouertie c. Aff. Will we then or will we not be Christs disciples Le ts examine our immost thoughtes and discouer our resolutions and know indeede in this holy tyme what they are Will we not In vaine then doe we beare the name of a Christian in vaine were we baptised in vaine doe we vsurpe the qualitie of spouses if we will not euen be seruantes Or will we Reade then and marke the condition of our obligation We cannot be his Disciples vnlesse we renounce all that we possesse The Goods of body of mynd of fortune Let none deceiue himselfe this must be done or nothing is done as to our eternall possession Die we must to all these dye we must to selfe loue selfe cōceipt to our commoditie our humour c. and take vp our Crosse to follow Christ according to the blessed example which he giues vs in this infancie of his in his verie first entrie into this world Nor is it good wishes will doe it but effectes Nor can we pay this dutie in part but it must be wholy done Vnlesse yee renounce all that you possesse all you cannot be my Disciples 2. POINT Consider yet in the stable that the verie beholding of Christ a child preaches forceably to our hartes that vnlesse we be conuerted and become litle children we cannot enter into the kingdome of heauē Pride cannot ascend with hūble Christ a bigge swollen hart cannot passe through Christs narrow way which leades to life euerlasting We must then of necessitie turne newborne childrē together with our newborne Christ Children I say which willingly and louingly runne after their father Loue their mother Haue noe animositie against their neighbour putt the same rate vpon a peece of gold and a peece of leade whose tender hartes are not puffed vp with pride nor griped with hatred nor disguised with fictions but are myld and simple sweete and maniable permitting them selues to be caried whither soener the mother pleaseth This is the lesson we are to learne of Christ a child Aff. If heauen be our ayme then If Christ be our example if we intend to liue Christianly indeede we must putt off the old man with the inclinations and impressions which he hath contracted and putt on the new with Christ who is according to Gods owne hart The sonne of God our Christ is become a child and we too be we as old as we will as learned as we will be we as wise as Salomons be we as strong as Samsons will we nill we our great hart must stoope and we must become litle children againe if we will be Christs Heauen and earth may passe but this word of God can neuer passe vnlesse you become litle children againe you cannot enter into the kingdome of heauen Yeald yeald then my stubborne hart yeald thy selfe to this blessed example of thy Christ which by conquering thee will make thee à Conquerour for euer Runne after thy deare father Christ as still fearing to fall tenderly loue thy Catholike mother and sticke close to the chaste breasts of her counsels striue to be humble meeke docile litle sollicitous how thou are dealt with be in fine as a peece of clay in the porters hands onely beseeth him to make thee a vessell of honour not of cōtumelie THE SIXTH MEDITATION The comfortes of the stable I. POINT CONSIDER that vnder the humble weake and young members of this tender babe the power of a Diuine Majestie is shrewded It is God that lyes sucking at this Virgine mothers breastes He is vayled indeede with the pouertie of vile clothes and endures the hard and narrow manger but it is mercy which moued him humbly to it to thend the lost world might be redeemed He vseth the strikes of a child but it is to th end that by them we might auoyde eternall lamentations and gnashing of teeth He is wrapped in poore clothes but they serue to wipe away the filth of our sinnes Hes layd in a manger as the meate of brute-beastes but he is indeede the fatninge foode of men and Angells Aff. Yes my soule the place wherin thou stands is holy It is the very Maiestie of heauen which is here It is the verie God which made thee who lyes before thee This stable is his holy temple These poore apparances which may seeme to hide him from thyne eyes deliuer him more tenderly to thy hart for whose loue he lyes thus vayled So that by how much he descendes lower by so much doe thy hopes ascend higher For what mayst thou not confidently expect from an alpowerfull Lord so humbléd for thy sake Flye to him with an humble loue and a perseuerant confidence and thy redemption is euen at hand O what mercy doe not these abiect postures speake what consolation doe not these teares giue What man can despaire for whom a God weepes 2. POINT Consider that this litle child is constituted Iudge of Heauen and earth by his heauenly father who takes and teares in peeces the hand writinges of our ancient debtes and mercifully pardonns all our offences so that we are freed from our feares of our first Fathers preuarication wherin all mortalls were inuolued Behold that Champion present with vs who frees vs from the yoake of our old Captiuitie bringing ioy and gladnesse to the mournefull Cast off thy yoake thou captiue daughter of sion Thy mylde king is come to abate the prid and subdue the tyrannie of his and our most furious foe Aff. What hopes of safetie may not the poore criminall iustly haue when he vnderstands that the Iudge preuents the iudgement day out of a desire to find an
is presently sent for yea the poorest of men the poore shephards to be spectatours of his pouertie to witt the Lambe is borne and it is but fitting that the shephards should giue their attendance Aff. Obserue obserue diligently ô my soule the wayes of the Lord thy God which are still so contrarie to those of the world When a mother was to be choysen he cast his eyes vpon an humble handmayde When diuine prouidence was to prouide a Pallace in earth for the king of Heauen it was a poore stable When Courtiers are to be sent for the verie first Embasie that Wisdome makes is not to Kinges and Princes but to poore contemptible clownes O strange confusion to the proude Potentates of this world O singular consolation to the humble poore and simple who haue noe commerce with the same while they neither know the world nor the world them nor is worthly of them they are blest with first visites from God and Angells Yes deare Sauiour thou makest well appeare by this first act that thou art sent indeede to preach to the poore Riches doe robbe vs of our soules Learing puffes vs vp with pride Honors quite transport our hartes to vanitie In pouertie and true simplicitie our soule is safe and dayly conuerses with God and his Angells In fine either haue we choysen well in this our religious state c. or wisdome it selfe made a badd choyse 2. POINT Consider what Messenger is sent to call these poore sillie soules who are hardly held companie for other men Noe lesse then an Angell and he too accompaigned with whole multitudes of Angells They were to find the lambe their God lesse then man but they had an Angell before hand to assure them that how euer they found him he was noe lesse then both their God Their simplicitie might haue bene surprised and scandalized by his pouertie whom the world would not know but his heauenly Father acknowledged him for his sonne coequall to himselfe and made one and the same Gloria be sunge to them both by the multitudes of his heauenly Quiresters in the poore shephards hearing assuring them and the world by them of a great ioy in the birth of a sauiour who was Christ their Messias So that they were sent with a lesson taught by an Angell to glorifie and adore their God in the forme of a poore infant swadled in clothes and layed in a manger Aff. O how graciously heauen and earth begin to make acquaintance O poore sillie man how happie thou art wouldst thou but once diligently ponder and konw thyne owne happinesse to see thy hart so courted by a Kinge Who sends out his ministering Angells to call thee to his presence who while he is humble and abiect for thy loue he leaues not to be high to but still mixeth his humilitie and mildnesse with Maiestie He is in appearance a poore child but is in verie deede thy God on high He is lodged amongst beastes but his carole is sung by Quires of Angells Singe with them then mysoule Glorie to thy God to him alone it is due nor will he giue it to another Pay that dutie first to him or noe peace will follow Iustice and peace Otherwise we may crye peace peace as longe as we will we shall neuer inioy it while we remayne in that impietie and iniustice of robbing God of his Glorie Resolution I will then Angellike sing say worke and doe all my actions to Gods honour and glorie c. that I may be partaker of his peace which passes mans vnderstanding c. THE VIII MEDITATION For new-years-day I. POINT CONSIDER that this good newes which the Angells told vs these dayes past of the birth of a sauiour comes home this good new yearesday to our vses and profit being indeede the best new-yeares-gife that Heauen had to giue For if he were borne for vs these dayes past this present day he is giuen to vs. He is ours then by a double title and that too the best imaginable By birth-right nobis natus Borne for vs And by Deed of free gift nobis datus Giuen to vs. Affection O Bountie Bountie Bountie so old for thou louedst me from all eternitie And yet so new for thou louest me in tyme too and by the imensitie of thy gift shewest the imensitie of thy bountie Learne my soule by the greatnesse of this present the greanesse of the price which Heauen putts vpon thee And doe not sell thy selfe to the earth for an vnderualue Learne by this a holy pride know that thou art more worth then any thinge it hath to bestowe Thou wert told by S. Augustine that the kingdome of Heauen being to be sold was iust worth as much as thou art but me thinkes we may add to that rate since the kinge of Heauen is giuen for thee Giue thy selfe and thou shalt haue them both Ah! make-not away this faire inheritance for a messe of potage Change not the chaste loues of a heauenly spouse for the bitter Mandragores of the world The riches of heauen is giuen to thee for thy New yeares gift giue at least the pouertie of the earth backe againe Da teipsum habebis Why dost thou stand vpon the price striue to haue a good answer to this question and I hope you will find your selfe forced to conclude a good bargaine to begin the yeare and say Resolution God is my gift himselfe he freely gaue me Gods gift I am and now but Cod shall haue me 2. POINT Consider that this day our blessed sauiour begins to shew in verie deede he is ours borne for vs giuen to vs since he begins to shed his pretious bloud for vs for the eighth day is come and according to the law he is to be circūcised The lawgiuer is not subiect to the law the sonne of God cannot be lyable to sinne the sonne of a virgine cannot be subiect to corruption innocencie hath nothing to doe with the markes of a sinner And yet the poore innocent lambe without spott which comes to take away the sinnes of the word will be branded with the infamous marke of a sinner not for his owne buth for our sinnes sed omnia propter electos saith S. Bernard Affect O my deare Iesus to what a low degree of humiliation and abiection and euen scandall of thy selfe doth loue leade thee For there will be those who while they too clearely reade the a man by this thy sacred bloud will deney thy diuinitie There will be those who knowing punishement to be still the punishement of sinne that by seeing thy punishement will imagine some cryme in thee There will be those who beholding thee with an impious eye will laugh at a bloodie God how euer to pious eyes it appeares the the greatest misterie and miracle of loue O heauenly father this is thyne onely child in whome thou art so well pleased who is so innocent immaculate vnspotted Is it for the sinnes of thy people thou hast
harte by the hole of his side and confirmes vs in faith by the familiaritie of his presence and makes vs absolutly conclude with the same S. Thomas Dominus meus Deus meus Affection Obserue my soule what aduantages accrue to vs by this vigilant care of shutting the doores and liuing retiredly at home to our selues Iesus doth againe and againe visite vs. He answers our secrete desires We touch him we talke with him we behold him by faith and by that secreete and sweete communication he affords so much delight to our mynds that our weake faith is more and more confirmed so that we cannot doubt but that it is indeede our Lord Iesus God and man who is present with vs and makes our hartes burne AN ENTERTAYNEMENT FOR THE ASCENSION OF OVR B. SAVIOVR THE FIRST MEDITATION That it is the Feast of most absolute ioy I. POINT CONSIDER that of all the feastes of Christ this bringes the most absolute and accomplish't ioy to all Christians which truly loue Christ The Natiuitie gaue him to teares labours pouertie and miserie The Circumcision to bloudsheding The Epiphanie how euer he was adored by a few to the malice of many but this wipes away all teares and bloud and makes him to be adored by men and Angells And albeit his glorious Resurrection shewed him Conquerour ouer the world death sinne and the Diuell yet did it restore him to the world againe but this restores him to heauen to the Angells to his heauenly Father Affection Let heauen and earth then and all those that haue bene so happie as to was he their stoles in the bloud of the Lambe conspire togeither with great ioy and iubilie to sing tbe Canticle of the Lambe saying with a loud voyce The Lambe that was slayne is worthy to receiue power and diuinitie and wisdome and strength and honour and glorie and benediction on this most triumphant day and for euer and euer Amen That it is a confirmation of our faith leauing noe doubt behind it In their sight he was cleuated c. II. POINT CONSIDER that the rest of the feastes of Christ left still some doubts in the heauie hartes of men who are slow in beleeuing The Angells gloria at the Natiuitie was comfortable but the childs teares then and bloud in his Circumcision litle perswayded the Presence of a God To dye for sinners was an argument of greatest loue yet it was deemed a follie by many His Resurrection though glorious and apt to conuince yet was it doubted by the most and found some incredulous Thomases who would giue credit to it vpon noe lesse assurance them putting his hands into the wounds of his side But this best and brightest of dayes leaues noe mistes of doubte behind it where the eyes are witnesses of the power of a God in raysing God-man aboue the cloudes At this sight we are forced to to crye with S. Thomas Dominus meus Deus meus Affection Most iustly therfor my soule may we conclude with blessed S. Augustine that the Ascension of our Lord is the absolute Confirmation of our Catholike faith The ioyfull Natiuitie indeede brought the first hopes the Circumcision gaue the earnest pennie in dropps the sacred passion plentifully payd downe more then the whole debt in flouds of pretious bloud the glorious Resurrection comfortably raysed drouping hartes But this day signes seales and deliuers the whole Deede of mans Redemption neuer more to be doubted of let vs exult and reioyce in it Alleluya Alleluya Alleluya THE II. MEDITATION The first fruite of Christ's Ascension I. POINT CONSIDER that if by the first Adam man was banished out of Paradice By the seconde Adam he was restored to Heauen If by the first he fell lower then man by the second he is raysed aboue the Angells Archangells Cerubines and Seraphins being placed at the right hand of his heauenly Father There is our nature praysed magnified adored by all those celestiall Courtiers in the person and vpon the sight of that God-man Affection O admirable dignation To what a stupendious hight is this that mercy hath raysed poore lost man O great God what dost thou discouer in man that thou dost so mightily magnifie him and what is the matter that thou dost so put thy heauenly hart vpon him Ah my soule looke vp to this dignitie with a louing and gratefull astonishment and learne from it a holy pride to looke downe with disdayne vpon the world and all earthly thinges knowing that thou art better then they The 2. fruite of Christs Ascension The raysing of our hopes II. POINT CONSIDER to what a high pitch our hopes must needes ascend in the Ascension of Christ to see our humane nature in the person of him inuested in his heauenly fathers glorie Since in Iesus Chr. as saith holy S. Augustine there is a portion of the flesh and bloud of euery one of vs bones of our bones and flesh of our flesh For thy Sonne our God did not take vpon him the nature of an Angell but the seede of Abraham being made like to vs in all thinges saue sinne alone witnesseth S. Paule Affection Say then my soule in an humble confidence with B. Sainte Augustine where any part of me raignes there I conceiue my selfe to raigne where my flesh is glorified there I apprehend my selfe to be glorious where my bloud beares dominion there I find my selfe to rule Though my sinnes keepe me backe yet my substance and communication in bloud calls me on to a stronge confidence My deare Lord loues the flesh which he tooke vpon him to seeke vs out and saue vs. Herein my soule let vs place our whole confidence THE III. MEDITATION The third fruite of Christs Ascension The sending of the H. Ghost I. POINT CONSIDER that our Iesus hauing now absolutly accomplished his Fathers will in performing the worke for which he was sent and hauing put a happie periode to his painefull pilgrimage hath left vs yet we ought to reioyce since it is to returne to his father yes to his father and our Father to his God in qualitie of man and to our God He hath left vs but it is expedient for vs it is to send vs another comfortinge Spirit which would not come to vs vnlesse he departed from vs. Affection Reioyce my soule reioyce and how euer comfortable the presence of Iesus may seeme to thee be alwayes willing to leaue Iesus for Iesus for the accomplishment of his will for the aduancement of his glorie If you loued me saith that deare brother of ours you would reioyce because I goe to my father That is to rest after labour to glorie after ignominie from the societie of men to that of Angells from man to God to your father Ah my soule let not selfe loue deceiue vs we loue not indeede Iesus as we ought if we loue the sweetnesse of his presence more then the accomplishment of his euer best and most adorable pleasure Nor can we loose by that
sprung from a sprigge of the stocke of Iesse Iesus-Christ the first begotten among manie bretheren the same according to each ones measure is bestowed vpon vs too the younger bretheren We are regenerated and borne againe by the same spirit saith S. Augustine by which Christ was borne By the same spirit according to faith is Christ formed in the hart of euerie one of the faithfull by which according to flesh he was framed in the Virgins wombe Affection O ineffable incomparable and neuer enough admired goodnesse of God! O vnspeakable and neuer enough considered dignitie of Man Man presented with the same gifts of wisdome vnderstanding c. of which the Sonne of God was possessed The Eldest brother and the younger bretheren assisted with the same helpes towards heauen The adoptiue children sharing in the same prerogatiues with the naturall Sonne hauing the same Spirit to quicken moue strengthen comfort and replenish them The same Spirit I saie to frame Christ in the harts of Christians which framed Christ Iesus in the sacred wombe of his Virgin Mother O my soule let vs neuer so farre forgett this dearenesse this dignitie this transport of loue as by a degenerous conuersation to stoope to things so farre belowe vs as are all the fugitiue toyes which the world is able to present vs. THE IX MEDITATION Of the aduantages againe of the Holy Ghosts Cominge I. POINT CONSIDER that though Mercie had abundantly prouided for mans instruction in all vertue by the incarnation and holy life of Christ c. Though wisdome had admirably inuented and goodnesse had graciously put downe the too too plentifull price of mans redemption the pretious blood of a God a most souueraigne salue to cure the most desperate leprosie yet had it all profited nothing had not the application been also made by the meanes of increated loue the holy Ghost in the Sacrifice Sacraments and suffrances of this life Affection Our cause my soule was alreadie gained by our B. Sauiours merits against the world the flesh and the diuell but the decree was not yet put in execution The purchace of our libertie was indeede made at the price of his pretious blood but we were not yet putt in possession of our right we were yet on our parts by the assistance of the holy Ghost to negotiate vpon the talents and riches left vs by the meanes of our cooperation in good workes and patient sufferance of tribulations to accomplish the things that want of the Passions of Christ as saith S. Paule All his labours and actions and passions are mine but I must also labour and suffer with him if I will raigne with him He loued me that deare louer of man and deliuered himselfe vp for me But I must also loue him which none can doe but by the assistance of the holy Ghost II. POINT CONSIDERATION Christ was borne to the world and yet it either knew him not or knowing him remained in its wonted malignitie coldenesse infidelitie He watched fasted prayed and yet few were moued therby He preached wrought cures and miracles and notwithstanding found but few followers saue some poore fisher-men and others ledd for the most part either by their owne interests or curiositie But when the holy Ghost once breathed and brought downe fire vpon them what admirable effects did they not produce Affection Come then ah come then thou holy Spirit and purge and consume the maligant humours which obstruct my hart inflame my condenesse ah helpe my infidelitie Renue and reuiue in my memorie those many long and painefull watchings and fastings and prayers preachings and passions of my sweete Sauiour that I may euer run with speede in the odours of those perfumes That I may testifie to all the world with the Apostles and primitiue Christians that it is in memorie and imitation of Iesus of Nazareth who was ignominiously crucified and by the vertue of his holy Spirit that I doe what ere I doe THE X. MEDITATION In what manner the Holy Ghost came I. POINT CONSIDER that the coming of the holy Ghost was preceded and accompaigned with a suddaine sound like to a great lowde and vehement blast of wind which came from heauen and filled the whole howse c. Thus it is that the hand of the highest is wont to worke a happie change on the harts of men He powerfully thunders downe from heauen and forces his passage through our deafe eares by frequent feruent and redoubled inspirations Rise vp thou that sleepest and rise vp from the dead and Christ will enlighten thee And he cries so lowde that howeuer we neglect we cannot deney that we heard his call Affection Noe my Soule we cannot denie it Hee hath preuented our harts with strange blessings He hath often cried out with a lowd voice and replenished the whole howse of our harts with this sound I am thy saluation I am thy exceeding great reward Life is short and vncertaine Eternity endlesse God is iust and dreadfull and who is able to liue in eternall flames And these words haue often clouen to our very hart rootes and we haue found ourselues intrenched on euery side and we haue had nothing to oppose against them but certaine slow and sleepie delayes behold I will shortly sett vpon such and such a good worke or subdue such or such a vice which raignes in me and shortly it shall be done And yet what is notorious and we cannot deney with the Iewes we striue to suppresse and stifle the grace of the holy Ghost in our hartes And yet are we still detayned by verie toyes of toyes from concluding an absolute league of perfect friendshipp with the God of our hartes who laies so close a seige to them II. POINT CONSIDER that the holy Ghost had formerly appeared to the world in diuers formes As at Christs Baptisme in the forme of a Doue to teach the followers of Christ with what innocencie and candour and with what foecunditie of good workes they are to behaue themselues At his transfiguration as a bright clowde to intimate the shewres of heauenly grace which he plentifuly powres downe vpon vs and the fatherly protection he pleaseth to take of vs. But this daie he appeares in firie tongues signifying that he comes to establish legem igneam a firie law a law of loue and charitie which were it practised according at it is taught it were able to set all the world on fire Affection Though all thy approches motions inspirations and apparitions ô diuine Spirit be worthily euer most welcome to me yet nothing comes so home to my harts desire as these flames of fire which intimate a law of loue and in that conquering name ought to subdue all hartes For what doth mans hart loue indeede but loue What chaine of gold could euer so deliciously draw vs as the chaines of humanitie and charitie where beloued force proues absolute freedome Ardeam ex te totus ignis sancte O holy fire let me be wholy burnt by
worke that man or Angell is capable of since we we goe to pay to God the worshippe of Latria which is properly due to himselfe alone To receiue him into the narrow cottage of our hart whom the highest heauens cannot comprehend To eate the bread of Angells the body of the son of God This is the qualitie of the blessed worke we ayme at Affection Be wise then my soule and wisely discerning what thou goest about striue to imploy thy best and euen outmost endeuours vpon the best of workes Be iust withall and proue not a slow Creditour in paying what thou owest This God thou receiuest is the Lord of life and death and both are iustly due to him He giues himselfe all wholy to thee giue thy selfe wholy backe to him Man is but a sparing exchange for a God If thy hart be alreadie farre too straight to receiue him whom the heauens cannot conteyne let not the world at least possesse any part of it and make it yet more narrow lesse capable Striue to haue the hart of an Angell since thou eatest their foode yea a God like hart indeed since the son of a God is made thy foode THE FIRST MOTIVE Gods proper worshippe II. POINT CONSIDER that as this Sacrament and Sacrifice is the onely proper worshippe due to God so haue we noe other meanes to worshippe him according to his infinite dignitie but this Sacrament and Sacrifice wherin God the Sonne a person equall to him is offered to God the Father But the desire of our hart is to serue God in the best manner we can therfor we must needs frequently desire this Sacrament and Sacrifice Affection My soule my soule le ts not complement God with fictions and Sacryfice him with a lye If the desire of thy hart be indeede to serue him in the best manner we are able and to pay him the proper worshippe due vnto him thou hast in this Blessed Sacrament mett with the meanes to performe it What thou hast not of thyne owne he lends thee of his Hauing riches enough offered thee by him that became poore to inrich thee proue not slow in paying what thou owest If without him we confesse we cannot let vs not fayle to concurre with his blessings to the performance of our dutie And make resolutions accordingly THE II. MEDITATION THE SECOND MOTIVE Loue of vnion with God I. POINT IF we be the true children of Christ we desire truly and indeede to be true Christians and truly to loue Christ But loue leades to neerenesse familiaritie and vnion with the thing beloued therfor must we desire vnion Nor is there a more neere and deare vnion then to lodge him in our harte which is done by receiuing this Blessed Sacrament we must needes then earnestly desire often to receiue this Blessed Sacrament Affection In vaine my soule doe we vsurpe the name of Father if we haue not the hart of children In vaine pretend we to be Christians if we loue not Christ And falsely doe we seeme to haue or desire his loue whose companie we flye whose familiaritie we seeke not this our owne conscience and experience assures vs is true in all we loue saue him whom we should most of all loue For hauing alwayes the meanes at hand of a most neere and deare and blesse-full and glorious vnion if by coldnesse neglect or carelessenesse we make noe vse of it what doe we but declare to the world that we haue not indeede the hartes of children we haue not the Loue of Christians w◠remayne in a lukewarme condition which God hates and reiects THE THIRD MOTIVE Gratitude II. POINT CONSIDER that if we be truly gratefull for the innumerably many and great benefits which we haue continually receiued and dayly doe receiue and expect still to receiue from the hand of God we truly desire some fitt meanes to shew our gratitude nor can we find any more worthy more acceptable more effectuall then to fall vpon the Psalmists conclusion when he was in the same care I will receiue saith he the cupp of my Sauiour That is I will offerre vp Christ to his heauenly Father I must be carefull then frequently to communicate Affection Ah my soule how long shall we remayne heauie harted how long shall we putt vniust rates vpon thinges and waigh benefits in deceiptfull ballances Are we not kindly sensible enough of the smale fauours which we receiue from mē and doe we not find our selues more then sufficiently liuely in point of requitall is it God alone who made the hart that can find noe fauour with it Must toyes from the hand of man be esteemed and extolled and must innumerable benefits from the hand of God be still vnderualued fall to the ground or be receiued as duties must we steale tyme from tyme to gratifie the one and let tyme slide idlely by lent to complie with the other could we pretend the want of abilitie our excuse were currant before men though as to God there can neuer be want where the hartes desires are admitted for payment but while we haue the most easie most acceptable most effectuall meanes and yet not make vse of it make we not our ingratitude to God euident to all men THE III. MEDITATION THE FOVRTH MOTIVE Our heauenly Fathers inuitations I. POINT CONSIDER that if we haue the true harts of children we can neuer turne a deafe eare to a louing fathers inuitations especially where they come home to our owne aduantages but our heauenly father earnestly inuites vs some tymes by promises of comfort come vnto me all you that are oppressed and I will refreshe you some tymes intices by hopes of life euerlasting he that eates my flesh c. shall liue for euer And sometymes he incites by pressing necessitie vnlesse you eate the flesh of the sonne of man c. you shall not haue life in you We must needs then be carefull to communicate frequently Affection Our hartes ake we are not able to dissemble the sense of our continuall anxietie nor yet can we preuayle with our selues to haue recourse to the milde Lambe who promises solace Our life runs dayly into decay we languish and dye nor yet can we resolue to run to the foode which giues sure hopes of life euerlasting We see our necessitie and cannot find in our hartes to fixe vpon the remedie To witt we are selfe murtherers we haue not indeede hartes of children we are deafe to his inuitations and cryes and to our owne aduantages and repose Alas what a miserable senselessenes is this solace life libertie God himselfe is presented And yet wearied dying inthraled man lookes vpon that vnspeakable benefite as a thing oblidging to losse THE FIFT MOTIVE The Saintes example I. POINT CONSIDER that if our absolute aymes and desires be to liue in euerlasting ioyes with the Saintes of God in heauen it were but fitting that we should begin now in earth to honour them to reioyce them and to ioy with them but that
and a best beloued spouse to the Holy Ghost O let my soule prayse loue and magnifie her for euer who hath so singular neere and deare relations to all the persons of the B. Trinitie THE II. MEDITATION For the same Day I. POINT CONSIDER That if this day haue brought out a Virgine who is to be a Virgine Mother and that a Mothér of God it hath blessed the world not only with the most excellent and best creature that euer the world yet sawe but euen with the greatest that euer the worlds Creatour yet made amongst men or Angells to whom they crye out with admiration who is this who is this Quaeest ista who riseth as the dawning of the daye as faire as the Moone as choyse as the Sonne c. Affection Let vs my soule ioyne in admiration with the Angells in heauen and say who is this that our desert brings out who and what doe we thinke this child will proue to be a Prophetesse nay more then a Prophetesse more then an Angell more then an Archangell more then a Cherubine or Seraphim A tabernacle which the Almightie hath built with his owne hand for his dearely beloued onely beloued consubstantiall Sonne to inhabite in earth Say my soule all in one word the Virgine Mother of God II. POINT CONSIDER That though the new Testament may seeme to say but little in commendations of our Blessed Ladié yet did it indeede say more then euer was said of anie pure Creature in assuring vs that she is Marie of whom Iesus was borne And though she herselfe be heard to speake but few wordes in the said Scriptures yet in those fewe doth she preache all perfection to witt the knowledge of God and herself Gods omnipotencie who wrought great things in her and her owne littlenesse and abiection in whom such great things were wrought Affection Ah my soule neuer are we so much and so truly commended as when we are praysed for the neere relations we haue to Iesus that is when by his grace we conceiue him in our hart or bring him out by doing his blessed will as we are taught in the Gospell Nor doe we euer by words prayse Christ so much and so fruitfully as when saying litle our light shines so before men that our heauenly father is glorified and when our liues giue testimonie to Christs truth by imitation of his life and Passion Thus let vs striue my soule to prayse Christ thus let vs humbly glorie to be praysed THE I. MEDITATION For the Presentation I. POINT CONSIDER that as this child of miracle and grace this true birde of Paradice was wholy made for heauen so was she to haue noe commerce with earth She that was elected from all eternitie before all others to lodge God as in his liuing temple was tymely to be lodged in the Temple of God She that was prepossessed and replenished by heauenly blessings had noe place left for the world which she euen left before she knew it So that this Celestiall Arke by which all the world was to be saued from the floode where more then Salomon would reside was to be placed in the Sanctuarie of the Temple which Salomon built and this was performed by her pious parents care betwixt 3. and 4. yeares of her Age. Affection Say my soule to this Blessed young Virgine at her entrie into the Temple what S. German sometymes said vpon the same subiect Enter saith he into thyne owne proper inheritance ô thou seale of our Lords Testament thou ayme and end of his designes thou key of hidden Mysteries Enter thou whom all the Prophetes foresaw Enter thou who art the reconcilement of all that are in disgrace the vnion of those that are disvnited the support of such as are readie to fall into ruine c. Enter I say into the Temple thyne owne inheritance and expect with ioy till the holy Ghost thy spouse come downe into the chaste Temple of thy hart II. POINT CONSIDER now ô you Virgines consecrated to God how this most perfect patronesse of Virginitie and all other vertues behaued her selfe in the Temple If you pretend to loue her inindeede fayle not to shew it by the imitation of her heauenly life which was so singularly holy a paterne of all that is holy that the liues of the most holy compared to hers appeared sinfull To witt the sweet odour of this diuine sprigge ascended vp into the sight of God so agreeably that the whole plenitude of grace which was distributed to others by partes ouer flowingly possessed her diuine soule so that saith s. Ambrose it was her cheife studie to offend none to loue all to pay respect and honour to her elders to refuse nothing tò her equalls she had nothing of harsh or displeasant in her lookes nothing of male part in her words nothing of vnhansome in her actions nothing of mincing in her gestures nothing of lightnesse in her gate nothing of petulant in her voyce so that her verie corporall aspect was the picture of her mynde and an expression of her probitie Affection Fixe thyne eyes my soule vpon this Paterne and Patronesse of thyne and learne a true Christian behauiour indeede Looke vpon her I say and in the life of one learne the whole discipline of all holy Virgines Let euery one say to him or herselfe Is it my cheife studie to offend none and to loue all Doe I complie with my elders and equalls after this manner Are my lookes sweetly agreeable my words mylde my actions decent Or rather are not my lookes often harsh and vnpleasant my words malepart and impertinent my actions disedifying Are not my gestures affected my gate nice and light my voyce wanton and dissolute and my whole man in composed Mylde Virgine obteyne by thy intercession that I may imitate thy actions THE II. MEDITATION For the same Day I. POINT CONSIDER with S. Hierome how blessedly she imployed her tyme. This rule saith he she putt downe to her selfe that from the morning to the third houre she wholy imployed her selfe in prayer from the third houre till None she spent in worke knitting or weauing some thing for the vse of the Temple And after None she departed not from prayer till an Angell appeared and brought her meate where she praysed God without intermission She spoke with such a gracefulnesse that God was knowen in her speech In whose prayse least she might at all be interrupted if any chanced to salute her she resaluted them with Deo Gâ—atias Affection O Blessed imployment O Angelicall life in earth O my soule what a deare consolation ought this to be to thy hart to find thy selfe by thyne owne happie choyce gott into a blessed necessitie of practising the same by the example of the Queene of Heauen who began so airely to weaue the actiue and contemplatiue life togeither now praying now working and then praying againe euen till Angells came to feed her Goe on in this happie course my soule
from prayer to worke from worke againe to prayer and though the Angells of God come not to thee the God of Angells will not fayle to feede thee with thousands of deare delightes thy prayer shall be without intermission the odours of their sweetnesse shall flow from thy mouth and â—eo Gratias vpon all occasions shall continue alwayes II. POINT REPRESENT her yet further to your thoughtes out of S. Hieromes and S. Ambroses expressions of her â—he was at all tymes saith S. Hierome either reading Meditating or praying Againe in watching she was the first saith the one in speaking she was the last saith the other and most studious in reading especially the holy Scriptures concerning the coming of â—hrist which the frequently redd and imbraced In so much that when her body reposed her hart watched and euen often in her sleepe repeated what she had read or awaking from sleepe continued the same Affection Let vs by this blessed example ô my soule wholy applie our selues to read to Meditate to pray By reading we shall learne to know what we ought to doe by meditating and pondering the same we shall imprint it in our soules and inflame our hartes to the practice thereof and by prayer obteyne force to performe what we know and desire But let this reading be the word of God which will proue a light to our feete a cordiall to our hart sweeter then the honie combe Let our Meditation be his holy Law and his diuine grace our prayer And of all the Scriptures let that be most frequently in our hands mouthes and hartes which most relate to Christs coming life and Passion that we may indeede be sett vpon no other knowledge but Iesus-Christ and him crucified And in that blessed peace that verie peace le ts sleepe and repose Happie will that rest proue when our eyes are shutt with the sweet memorie of Christ and his Law in our mouth and harts THE III. MEDITATION For the Presentation I. POINT CONSIDER that allthough this blessed young Virgine was possessed and prepossessed with all the blessings of heauen and replenished with the plenitude of grace yet was not gtace idle in her or she idle in grace Grace is not giuen to worke all alone but graciously and freely to gayne our will and in it and with it to worke all So that this Blessed Virgine notwithstanding all these huge aduantages and prerogatiues of grace testified to s. Elizabeth a holy Nun that she prepared a place in her hart for God with labour continuall prayer ardent desire profound deuotion many teares and much affliction Affection Thus it is my soule that by her imitation we ought to prepare our hartes for heauen Without preuenting grace indeede we ryse in vaine it is in vaine to ryse before the light or rat he without it we should neuer ryse at all None comes to Christ vnlesse drawen by his heauenly father Yet in vaine too should the light shine if hauing light we did not walke in it If we were so drawen as we followed it not we should neuer arriue He that made vs without vs will not saue vs without vs. All our Talents are his free gifts t is true but we must negotiate with them and improue them We aske because we will we seeke because we will we knocke because we will and we are saued because we will and yet Gods grace workes both the will and performance Le ts adde then our carefull concurrence to his sweete drawghtes and be blessed for euer with that blessed amongst all women II. POINT CONSIDER that this Blessed Virgigins prayer in particular though otherwise full of grace was for grace Grace to be able to complie with those two great Christian duties The loue of God aboue all thinges and of our neighbour as our selfe wherin the whole Law and Prophetes consiste 2. Grace souueraignelie to hate and flye all that he hates whom she souueraignly loues 3. Grace to be truly humble patient mylde and to be adorned with all the vertues that so she might become wholy gracious in the diuine sight 4. Grace finally to be obedient to the high Preists commandes and ordonnances Affection Let vs poore wretches then learne of this most holy Virgine to be continually begging for Gods grace as being necessarie to euery good act and vertuous action of our whole life Say then my soule with S. Augustine Thou commandest vs ô Lord to loue thee aboue all thinges and our neighbour as our selues Giue graciously what thou commandest and commande what thou wilt Thou commandest vs continencie patience humilitie c. Giue what thou commandest and commande what thou wilt In fine say with the holy Church Let thy grace ô Lord we beseech thee both goe before and follow vs and make vs continually addicted to good workes c. THE FIRST MEDITATTION For the Announciation I. POINT CONSIDER that to this Virgine it was thus qualified that is remoued from the world and dwelling in her sacred solitude married to a holy man but to be conserued for the Sonne of the Holy of Holyes prepossessed and replenished by heauenly grace and happily concurring with it by continuall application and feruent prayer still begging more and more grace that an Angell was sent from heauen with an embasie importing greatest honour to her and ioy to all the world to witt to prepare a worthy mariagebedd for the most pure spouse to contract the Mariage betwixt a creature and her creatour and so to begin a happie league betwixt heauen and earth Affection If we desire indeede then my soule to drawe downe heauenly blessinges vpon vs if to haue foretastes of celestiall delightes if Spiritually to conceiue Iesus in our hart let vs flye the cheating corrupting world and betake our selues to the solitude of our chamber or celle There the Kinge of Heauen speakes to our hartes There we put questions and receiue answers of what we are to say and what we are to doe It s hard saith S. Augustine to see Iesus amidst a multitude Our mynde must inioy a certaine solitude That sight requires a secrete place Marie was alone when she spoke with the Angell Alone when the holy Ghost ouershaded her Alone when she conceiued the worlds Redeemour II. POINT CONSIDER the admirable contents of this heauenly embasie at which all heauen and earth may well stand amaysed since all their concernements are to be treated in it The eternall and onely begotten sonne of the eternall God is about to espouse humane nature in an huÌ„ble mayde Marie of the house and familie of Dauid The lost world wants a Sauiour and heauen is resolued to giue one Gabriel is dispatched to Nazareth to declare the mysterie and to announce the wounders to the espoused Virgine His first word presents her with plenitude of grace Hayle full of Grace Giues the reason of it Our Lord is with thee Assures her she shall coneeiue and bring forth a sonne a great Sonne a Sonne who as he is indeede
imployed all her tyme in heauenly contemplations feruent eleuations of harte and inflamed aspirations after her dearely beloued child How often said she with more then a S. Paules feruour that she desired to be dissolued and to be with Christ How often did she adiure the daughters of Sion to stay her with flowers to compasse her about with apples because she languished with loue Tell him saith she that I languish with loue Affection Thus it was my soule that this heauenly hart continually euaporated it selfe out thus while her body was detayned in earth did her soule liue in heauen and thus it is too that euery chaste turtle should behaue herselfe in the absence of her mate sometymes moaning herselfe with holy Dauid saying ay mé why is my seiourning stil prolonged Sometymes with S. Paule Christ is my life and death is my gaine Some tymes againe with the feruent S. Augustine Liue I will not dye I will I desire to be dissolued and to be with Christ That her life wasted away like incense in the flames of loue II. POINT CONSIDER that Blessed Marie hauing as truly conceiued in her hart the sacred fire which her Sonne brought downe as she had conceiued him in her Virginall wombe she continually watched it like a holy Vestall and did not onely keepe it a liue but euen added new fewell to it by euery least action of her life so that that holy flame was increased to such a degree that it was impossible for a humane hart to endure it without wasting away like incense in the thurible to imbalme the world with her heauenly odours Affection Ah my soule comme and behold this heauenly VisioÌ„ See how Moyses his burning bush whom noe fire of concupiscence could euer touch begins to melt away in the fire of loue See our sacred Salamander readie to consume in the flames which she loued wherin she liued wherwith she was â—o deliciously nourished O that this cold luÌ„pe were better acquainted with this deare torment with this fire which burnes so delightfully At least ô thou Blessed Holocauste of Loue preuayle by thy powerfull prayers that the fire of the Holy Ghost may burne my reynes and hart that I may serue him with a chaste body and please him with a cleane hart THE II. MEDITATION For the Assumption That she dyed of Loue. I. POINT COnsider that Marie must dye then because she was a child of Adam because she was the Mother of a God who dyed because a pretious delicious death will doe her the right to deliuer her vpp to her Sonne in glorie nor is glorie to be had but by death she must dye then who brought out life But as loue brought her Iesus downe from heauen and by loue she coÌ„ceiued him so must noe other hand then that of loue which is now growen stronger then deathin her breake the band of mortalitie and restore her to her life her loue her Iesus Affection O death louingly vitall ô loue vitally mortall O death of loue the noblest of all deathes And therfor due to the most noble life that euer was amonst creatures whereof the verie Angells would desire to dye if dye they could Be ah returne returne thou Sunamitesse returne that we may haue the happinesse to looke vpoÌ„ thee to craue thyne assistance in our necessities O Marie thou Mother of grace Mother of mercy protect vs against our enemyes in our life and receiue vs at the houre of our death Amen II. POINT CONSIDER that if loue gaue the blow it was the most noble death that euer creature endured If loue gaue the stroke it was the most deliciously deare and desired that euer humane hart tasted And as this death was most noble and most sweete so was it attended by the most noble compagnie All the Apostles as witnesseth the great Areopagite by Gods Prouidence and power and all the Primitiue Christians about Hierusalem being prefent at it Yea euen Millions of Angells and Christ himselfe Witnesse S. I. Damascene with many others Affection O what a mixture of delight sorrow did possesse those Apostolicall and primitiue hartes Of sorrow to see themselues readie to become Orphants hauing both the Mother and the SoÌ„ne taken from them Of delight to behold that diuin-Phenix melting away vpon her bed of hoe nour amidst the odoriferous flames of Sacred loue readie to flye into their Masters Celestiall imbracements O what Canticles of prayses did not they singe what actions of grace did they not render THE III. MEDITATION That her body was free from corruption I. POINT CONSIDER that though a death of loue or a beloued death could separate the soule from that B. Virgines body which was buried by the Apostles c. in Gethse many yet deathes corruptioÌ„ durst not at all fasteÌ„ vpon that incorruptible body which had brought out life As we deney not saith S. Augustine that the Mother of God was subiect to the Law of death so haue we learnt in the Shoole of Christianitie to priuiledge her from corruption whose grace and sanctitie was such that she singularly merited to lodge God in earth Affection Noe my soule the immaculate body of this incomparable Virgine was not subiect to corruption it was not fitting that that chaste flesh which gaue flesh to clothe our humanised God should be deliuered ouer to the wormes Though death was her gaine yet had corruption bene her losse God would not permitt that holy one who was vncorrupt in her Conception in her childbirth and after her childbirth should meete with corruption in her graue That her body was assumpted vp to heauen by her Sonne II. POINT CONSIDER that scarcely had this sacred Depositum of her immaculate body remayned three dayes in the graue after her vitall death witnesse S. I. Da. till he that rose the third day by his owne power came to rayse his blessed mothers body that her body and soule being vnited againe he might inioy his whole mother and she him in his glorie Saying to her ryse make haste my friend or according to S. Augustine come from Lybanus my spouse come from Libanus come thou shalt be crowned taking her by the right hand saith he and conducting her in pompe and magnificence according to his good pleasure Affection O my soule with what heauenly acclamations with what Angelicall admirations and exaltations was this singular triumph accompaigned While euen the astonished Angells cryed out who is this who comes vp from the desert flowing with delightes and has the confidence to leane vpon her beloued our Kinge Let vs my soule earnestly begge her intercession what cannot she preuayle for whom the God of heauen so much honours THE VI. MEDITATION How inthronised I. POINT CONSIDER whither this best of Sonns could leade this best of Mothers but to the best place that euer creature was capable of euen aboue the Cherubins and Seraphins to the Throne of God S. Augustine is my warantie saying of her Thou didst passe the Angelicall
the dumme and our hearts and purses be open to our poore bretheren and such workes will preach louder to their eares and proue more effectuall to conuert their hearts then all the eloquence of wordes imaginable THE II. POINTE. CONSIDER that though Christ now a dayes doth not ordinarily worke the forsaid miracles amongst vs corporally and visibly yet doth he daylie and hourely worke greater ones spiritually and inuisibly in our soules for haue we not bene blind and followed the blind as wel in doctrine as manners and he enlightened vs haue not our peruerse willes bene lame to good and he excited vs therto haue we not bene leprous and defiled with the infection of sinne and he washed vs in the bloud of the lambe haue we not bene deafe to his diuine inspirations and he by his multiplyed graces broke through our deafenesse haue we not bene deade by mortall crymes he by his holy Sacraments raysed vs to life againe So that while we receiue not the same we fayle not of farre greater benefits Affection It s true my soule its most true that while we seeme to want exteriour miracles we dayly meete with greater and more profitable ones in our owne soule For alas is it not true that the continuall miracles of Gods mercys to our deade soules ought farre more to be valued then the greatest infirmities of our corruptible bodies which when they are at the fairest are but dust and ashes and about to proue wormes-meate Let vs then putting iuste rates vpon thinges most admire magnifie and loue those which come most home to our aduantage and make vs appeare liuely beautifull and louely in the sight of God THE FIRST MEDITATION FOR THE THIRD SVNDAY IN ADVENT The Iewes sent Priest and Leuites from Ierusalem into the Deserte to interrogate Iohn Luc. 1. THE FIRST POINTE. CONSIDER that true vertue is of that nature that the more it hides it selfe the more it comes to be knowne and admired S. Iohn ledd a life that litle aymed at any humane estimation His conuersation was rather with wild beasts and birds then men His habitation from his youth was a vaste vnpeopled Desert His habit rough camels haire his diet locusts Yet loe while he hardly appeares a man of this world the Preists and Leuites are almost readie to ascribe the dignitie of a God to him Affection Doe we then my soule desire to be truly greate Let vs take our ryse from our owne litlenesse nothing Let vs loue to be vnknowne and to be reputed as nothing Le ts striue to hide our selues from the eyes of the world and the eyes of God and his Angells will be vpon vs. Our lord is high yet beholds lowe things Let honour seeke vs not we honour for if we seeke it it flyes vs. if we flye it it followes vs. Or if we will needs seeke it let vs seeke it in God who honours his friends exceedingly If we will needs seeke it let vs seeke it where is true and is giuen to none vnworthy of it So seeke it my soule and greedily seeke it and feare not to offend THE SECONDE POINTE. CONSIDER S. Iohns profounde humilitie He was sanctified in his mothers wombe Liued in the wildernesse like an Angell of heauen Had testimonie euen from the mouthe of truth it selfe that he was sent out before him as an Angell to prepare his way Was conceiued by the preists and Leuites to be the Elias nor a Prophete in theit sense nor Messias neuer the lesse he humbly confesses that he is not Christ that he is noe more in verie deede but the voyce of one crying in the Desert that in fine he is not worthy to loose the latchet of his shoe Affection O admirable humilie worthy to be looked vpon and imitated by all that loue Christ O admirable humilitie which whilst it makes S. Iohn appeare as litle or as it were lesse then nothing in his owne eyes he appeares more then a prophete nay a verie Angell in the eyes of God Angells and men O admirable humilitie which canst find out thyne owne nothing in the midst of sanctitie While multitudes of crymes which make vs indeede lesse then nothinge cannot preuayle with our proude hearts to humble them selues O my soule how desparatly are we lost since miserie it selfe cannot make vs acknowledge that we are miserable THE SECONDE MEDITATION FOR THE SAME THIRD SVNDAY OF ADVENT Who art thou Gospell THE FIRST POINTE. CONSIDFR that S. Iohns humilitie was not so much grounded vpon the examine of himselfe and the dignitie he found in himselfe who was sanctified in his mothers wombe as by comparison to the Word the sonne of God wherof he was the voyce whose shoetye he acknowledged by the light of faith he was not worthy to loose For in that sight he truly beleeued he was nothing in the order of nature but by his gift who is because he is nothing in the order of grace and sanctitie but onely by participation with him who is sanctitie it selfe And therfor in that comparison he truly and iustly humbled himselfe and acknowledged himselfe to be lesse in substance worth and sanctitie then a droppe compared to the whole ocean Affection Let vs thus looke vpon on selues my soule and we shall not fayl to fall to nothinge that is to be truly humble Let vs learne to knowe our selues with relation to the knowing God and our selues ioyntly with Sainte Augustine and pride can finde noe groud to worke vpon He is the sole fountaine of all beeing grace and glorie We haue nothing of all this but by his free gift and without it vniuersall vanitie vniuersa vanitas omnis homo viuens What haue we which we haue not receiued And why then doe we glorie in it as though we had not receiued it Resolution Put downe therfor this truth for certaine from S. Cyprian and S. Augustine We must glorie in nothing because nothinge is ours THE SECONDE POINTE. Let euery vallie be filled and euery montaine and hill be made lowe because all flesh shall see the saluation of God CONSIDER how S. Iohn goes still on teaching vs a fitt disposition to receiue the Messias or Sauiour sent from God by preparing his way which is done by leuelling vallies and throwing downe mountaines and hills our leuelling of vallies consists in erecting our hearts from pusillanimitie and despaire by the confidence of seeing the saluation of God or God our Sauiour now neere at hand whom all flesh shall see And mountaines and hills we shall throw downe by diffidence in our owne strength which is meere weaknes by depressing of our high flowen thoughtes and falling downe into the knowledge of our nothing with our humbled lord Affection O my poore perplexed soule why art thou sadd and why dost thou afflict me It is not vpon our owne workes that we builed our hopes but vpon the infinite mercy of that Sauiour who comes by death to giue life to all men And who trusts
Augustine though such as vowe Virginitie to God hold a more ample degree of honour and dignitie in the Church of God yet are not they without mariage for they belonge to the mariage with the whole Church wherin Christ is the spouse Affection O admirable dignitie of the Virgine where the humble handmayd is raysed to the honour of a Bride to Christ himselfe the Bridegroome whom whē she loues she is chaste whom when she touches she is pure whom when she takes in mariage she is a Virgine O supercelestial mariage from whence fidelitie and fertilitie is expected as well as in other mariages for such as breake this first faith haue damnation saith the Apostle and the happie state of Virgines assures S. Augustine is more fruitfull and fertile not to haue bigge bellies but great mynds not to haue breasts full of mylke but harts full of candour and in lieu of bringing forth earth out of their bowells they bring forth heauen by their prayers Hence issues a noble progenie puritie iustice patience mildnesse charitie followed by all her venerable traine of vertues This is the Virginns worke to be sollicitous of what belongs to God and to haue her whole conuersation in Heauen THE SECONDE MEDITATION FOR THE SAME SVNDAY CONSIDER yet a third sort of mariage wherin the whole Catholike Church that is all faithfull soules are espoused to Christe in faith hope and charitie but especially by charitie which as Queene drawes a longe with her all the powers and affections of the soule to conforme and subiect them to the pleasure of her diuine spouse making but one will and nill of two wills to witt that of God and man And this conformitie saith the deuoute S. Bernard maries the soule to God Whence results an ineffable content and pleasure and such a heate of diuine loue that the soule and all her affections are absorpt therin Affection Let the world then my soule boast as much as it will of the pleasures and contentements which it inioyes they are not like to the lawe of the Lord thy God that sweete law of loue in comparisō of which the most prosperous earthly pleasure is but vile and base The cheife Good is our Good of which Tertulian saith excellently soome goods as well as some euills bring an intolerable waight with them and most dearely and deliciously oppresse the soule Hence it was that that holie Apostle of the Indies cryed out Satis est Domine satis est It is enough ô Lord it is enough THE SECONDE POINTE CONSIDER yet a fourth sorte of Mariage which is made euery day to all kinds of faithfull soules which approche to the B. Sacrament Wherin we are made one with that diuinely deare spouse of ours not onely by charitie but euen in realitie and in verie deede we are mingled with that sacred flesh of his in that celestiall banket which he bestowes vpon vs to shew vs the excesse of his loue Whence S. Christome saith therfor it was that he ioynd himselfe with vs and mixed his body into vs to the'nd we might be come one with him as the body is ioyned to the heade for euen as one who powres melted waxe saith Cyrill into other waxe must necessarily wholy mixe the one with the other so he that receiues the body and bloud of our Lord is so ioyned with him that Christ is found in him and he in Christ Affection O excesse of goodnesse ô ineffable delightes of that most chaste and sacred mariage betwixt the kinge of heauen and poore man Here in this mariage banket is serued in the foode of Angells nay the kinge of the Angells himselfe becomes the whole feaste Nor is there neede there of any other wine then the precious bloude of the Lambe who dyed for our loue say then my soule and let all that loue and feare our Lord Iesus say with vs quoniam bonus quoniam in saeculum misericordia eius that he is infinitly good and his mercys are without end THE FIRST MEDITATION FOR THE THIRD SVNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANIE If thou wilt said the Leper to our sauiour thou canst make me cleane Matt. 8. THE FIRST POINTE. CONSIDER that the poore Leper had found by a longe and painfull experience that there was noe hope of cure by the power of man all his owne and others endeuours prouing vneffectuall and therfor he wisely resolued in an humble confidence to haue recourse to him whom he knew by faith to be able to doe all that he would in heauē and in earth By adoration he acknowledges him to be God and by his words he publishes him to be all powerfull He came and adored him sayinge Lord If thou wilt thou canst and the present effects proue that his faith is powerfull and gratefull to Christ who graciously replyes I will Be thou made cleane and forth with his leprosie was made cleane Affection Our great and good Lord my soule neither wants power nor good will to cure all our infirmites if we aske as we ought If he some tyme delaye vs it is but the better to trye vs and more euidently to acquainte vs with our owne want of abilitie till he putt his powerfull hand to the worke for then our leprosie is forth with cured If he delaye vs and sometyme permitt vs for a longe space to languish and euen to be ouerspredd with our leprosie it is but the more perfectly to humble vs and throughly to cure the more dangerous desease of pride Finally if he delay the cure till we waxe more desparatly sicke it oblidges vs being at length cured the more highly to magnifie his mercy and publish his power to all men THE SECONDE POINTE. CONSIDER that there is noe stayne so deeply setled which Gods power is not able to fetch out noe leprosie of body or soule so inueterate and incurable which God with a word doth not cure Our application or addresse is onely to be looked to We must approche to the Lord of life and death as to one such with a liuely faith with an absolute confidence that with a word he can worke what he will his power being onely limited by his will as the faithfull leper plainly expresses Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me cleane Affection Be then my soule thy leprosie and other spirituall deseases neuer so peremptorie Be it that they haue growne on with thee since thy youth Seeme they rather to be another nature then natures defects yet haue but a frequent confident humble recourse to this souueraigne Physitian with a true acknowledgement of thyne owne miserable and otherwise desparate estate crying out with afirme faith O Lord if thou wilt thou canst cure all myne infirmities and infallibly in his good tyme we shall heare I will be thou made cleane THE SECONDE MEDITATION FOR THE SAME SVNDAY Of the Centurion or Capitaine of an hundred Soldiers who sued to our Sauiour for the cure of his seruante THE FIRST POINTE. CONSIDER that we may
that he chuses rather to want his owne proper worshippe sacryfice then that thy brother should want thy loue Thy offeringes of thyne austerities thy prayers thy communions will neuer proue gratefull to him as longe as thou willingly harbours grudging in thy breast against that poore brother of thyne for whom through loue he dyed The Meditations for this 6. sunday are the same with the 4. sunday in Lent pag. 100. THE FIRST MEDITATION FOR THE SEAVENTH SVNDAY AFTER WHITSVNDAY Take great heede of false Prophetes who come to you in the clothing of sheepe but inwardly are rauening wolues Matt. 7. CONSIDER that we oft proue false Prophetes or teachers to our selues and consequently our owne seducers while we vse the fawning perswasion of our owne vertue and goodnesse drawen from outward apparances from the barke leaues or flowres that is from the clothing of sheepe Wheras we are taught by Wisdome it selfe that the true and certaine decernement of solide from seeming vertues is placed in the fruites they produce that is the subduing of the great sinne pride the mortification of our passions Finally the vanquishing of our selfe loue selfwill and selfe interest Affection Le ts then my soule diligently and impartially examine our selues in pointe of our aduancement in these vertues and so we shall beware indeede of false Prophetes and be sure not to proue selfe-seducers Doe we make it our businesse to subdue pride which doth then most assault vs when we most aduance in vertue Are the passions which we obserue most to domineare in vs brought lowe Is selfe loue and self-will those pernicious sourses of all our miserie vanquished Is selfe interest subiected to the common good Humbly hope then in our Lord that all goes well with vs. If not knowe that vertue is not yet solidly rooted in vs. THE SECONDE POINTE. Euerie good tree yealdeth good fruites and the euil euill fruites Matt. 7. CONSIDER the good or bad fruites of the tree of our harte and thence we shall be able by the Euangelicall maxime to decerne whether If we meete with grapes and figues that is with mild and meeke thoughts words and comportments know for certaine the tree is good they are not the fruites of thornes and brambles marrie if we are true or false teachers or guides to our selues while we seeke for grapes and figues we meete with thornes and thistels that is with distaynefull bitter and sharpe thoughtes words and behauiour know that the roote is depraued the fruites viciated they are the productions of the badd tree which cannot bring out good fruite Affection Doe we my soule fast watch pray much doe we discipline vse great austerities and communicate often They are indeede excellent meanes for the produceing good fruites yet are they not for all that the fruites themselues They are certainely the clothings of the sheepe yet may a wolfe lye vnder them Our fruite saith S. Aug. is charitie see then whether coming from ours prayers c. we finde our selues patient benigne without enuie without peruersitie not puffed vp not ambitious not seeking our owne not prouoking to anger not thinking euill not reioycing vpon iniquitie but rejoycing at truth suffering all thinges beleeuing all thinges hopeing all thinges bearing all thinges and remayne assured thence that our hart is right and that we are happily tendinge towards our Beatitude THE SECONDE MEDITATION FOR THE SAME SVNDAY Euery tree which brings not forth good fruite shall be cutt downe and cast into the fire THE FIRST POINT CONSIDER that euery reasonable creature of what qualitie soeuer is a vine or tree planted in the vineyearde or orcharde of Christ Iesus against whom this dreadfull doome is pronounced it shall be cutt downe and cast into the fire in case it answer not to his expectation but in lieu of true grapes yealde nothinge but wilde grapes that is in lieu of true and solide vertues thinke to pay with apparances and in lieu of the sweete and agreeable fruites of charitie yeald nothing but bitternesse animosities and auersions amongst the citizens of heauen and Gods domestikes who should but all haue one hart and one soule Affection Let vs daylie and diligently my soule examine what fruites this tree of our hart produceth It importeth noe lesse then a blessed or cursed eternitie If sowre grapes bitternesse of hart enuie emulation dissension ah then Truth affirmes it shall be cutt downe and cast into the fire Alas it was not planted so that such fruites should be expected from it It was planted by the hand of God watered which the pretious bloud of Chr. let nothing then but the sweet fruites of Christianitie proceede from it THE SECONDE POINTE He that doth the will of my Father which is in heauen he shall enter into the Kingdome of heauen CONSIDER that here the wisdome of heauen in a few words layes vs downe the abridgement of all perfection and the blessed imitation of his whole life and passion to witt an absolute and louing resignation to the holy will of his heauenly father as well in all that he did as all that he suffered I come not saith that sweete Sauiour to doe myne owne will but the will of my father who is in heauen the thinges that please him I doe alwayes not as I will but as thou wilt Fawning words and Lord Lord may please fooles who desire to be flattered but the actuall complying with the will of God is onely gratefull in his eyes who sees hartes Affection Let vs then my soule absolutly and for euer renounce our owne will that disturber of our life and depriuer of our rest peace and true libertie and yeild it vp into the secure guidance of Gods holy will hauing alwayes vpon all occasions in all our doinges and sufferings in our harte and mouth thy blessed will be done my deare Lord and Master who best knowes what is most behoofull for me I am most willingly in thy holy hands turne me and winde me when thou wilt where thou wilt and how thou wilt thatthy will and myne may be but one Represse in me ô Lord that vnhappie libertie by which I am able to will any other thinge then what thou willest THE FIRST MEDITATION FOR THE EIGTH SVNDAY AFTER WHITSVNDAY There was a certaine rich man who had a Bailife Luc. 16. CONSIDER that this rich man was God the greate Maker and Master of all the earth and the Bailife man euery one of vs be we Masters or seruants rich or poore who hold all that we haue of that great Land-Lord the goods of our body the goods of our soule and those of fortune all is his and all proceeds from his bountifull hand we haue the stewardshippe of them to worke therby our saluation but the propertie remaynes still his Affection Let vs not then my soule mistake our selues apprehending that we are Lords and Masters while we are but indeede farmers and remoueable at pleasure of what seemes to be ours Be it farre from vs to vaunt
with him in the Apocalipse that we are rich and inriched and want nothinge since indeede we are misers and miserable and poore and blind and naked Let vs render humble thankes that he permitts vs with so much goodnesse to make vse of what is his and by the good management therof to treasure vp for eternitie THE SECONDE POINTE. CONSIDER that since we are not masters but Bailifes onely and as such lyable to render accompt how much it behoues vs to sitt downe and obserue how we manage all the parts of our farme And first how are the goods of our bodyes imployed as our health our strength our beautie our fiue senses 2. how those of our mynde as our vnderstanding our will our memorie 3. how those of fortune as our moneys our Lands c. Are not the first happly rather imployed to offend then please our good Land-Lord Are not the seconde in lieu of conuersing aboue with the Angells dissipated vpon vaine curiosities and follies And are not the third in steede of the purchace of heauen mispent vpon iniquitie Affection Alas my soule how often hath that actiuitie strength and bodiln beautie while they made me gratefull in the eyes of men rendered me disloyall and disagreeable in the eyes of God vpon what vnworthy obiects haue myne eyes bene frequently fixed What vanities c. haue not myne eares bene filled with How ignobly haue those noble endowments of the soule wherby we approche neere to the dignitie of an Angell bene imployed vpon earth and earthlinesse how prodigally haue we not spent our meanes to buy vanitie and sinne which was lent vs to feede the poore Let 's after this manner cast vp our accompts and we shall find a strange waste we haue made of our Masters goods THE SECONDE MEDITATION FOR THE SAME SVNDAY What heare I this of thee to witt that thou haste wasted my goods Luc. 16. THE FIRST POINTE. CONSIDER how often our good Land-Lord cryes out to our eares and hartes by his word his preacher and priuate inspirations reproching vs with the wasting of his goods to make vs beware before we come to the rendering of the accompt indeede graciously seeming as it were vnwilling to surprise vs saying what is this I heare of thee nay which I see in thee with an all-seeing eye which cannot be deceiued Affection Alas my soule deney it we can not Our owne conscience is as an hundred witnesses to vs. Such and such reflecting in particular wastes I haue longe made The desires and delightes of my harte which should haue bene Gods part I haue dissipated vpon imaginations and lyes while thy word ô God stroue to breake through my deafenesse saying Why doe you fall in loue with vanitie and pursue a lye Thy blessed inspirations were redoubled againe and againe reproching my disloyaltie in such and such things c. and I answered those heauenly inuitations from tyme to tyme with a cold and vngratefull cras cras to morrow and to morrow which were extended into monthes and yeares I doubted not but that thy diuine eyes wete still fixed vpon me and yet I feared not while thou lookedst on to mispend and dissipate what I knew was thyne THE SECONDE POINTE. Render an accompt of thy Bailifeshippe CONSIDER that at length our lease which is but for life with our life is expired and infallibly we shall heare render an accompt of thy Bailifshippe The noyse of our vnrulie passions would not permit vs to heare Gods word his cryes were made to deafe eares his diuine inspirations the seedes of beatitude fell vpon rockie or high wayes that is hartes layd open to wordly vanities where they tooke noe roote and behold now after so much pretious tyme mispent we haue but a moment left to make our accompt in vpon which an eternitie of blisle or woe depends Affection That dayes and weekes and monthes and yeares my soule doe passe is a thinge we all doe see and know nor doth tyme past euer returne againe nor can we know how much more is to follow Onely this we know that in this course of tyme euery one shall meete with his last moment and in it as sure as God's in heauen we shall be obliged to render accompt of all the momentes of our life of all in one What would we not then doe my soule to cleare our accompt And what should we not now doe to preuent so dreadfull an expectation Ponder it well and make resolutions accordingly THE FIRST MEDITATION FOR THE NINGTH SVNDAY AFTER WHITSVNDAY Iesus drawing neere Ierusalem and beholding it wept vpon it S. Luc. 9. CONSIDER the greate difference there is betwixt the iudgements of men and those of God Neuer did Ierusalem seeme to be in a more happie state and more iustly to reioyce then when they receiued their Kinge Iesus-Christ withioyfull acclamations and Hosannas yet neuer drew it neerer to its ruine by putting Christ to an infamous death They spredd palmes and oliue branches out of tryumph he teares out of compassion Affection Learne by this my soule to know what rate we ought to putt vpon the ioyes and iollities of this world which are but ordinarily the forerunners of ruine to our soules and haue true sorrowes following them in at the heeles Nay though we receiue Iesus-Christ himselfe into the cities of our soules with more glorious Hosannas and spreading of branches then with serious discernements of the dreade Maiestie we receiue and the true fruites of charitie we are but preparing for Not this man Iesus but Barrabas or tolle tolle crucifige THE SECONDE POINTE. CONSIDER that the Ierusalem indeede vpon which our Saviour wept is our owne vngratefull soules which often turne the abundance of Christs singular fauours to our greater condemnation The greater benefits we receiue the greater gratitude we owe and the greater punishment shall we vndergoe if we answer not to them accordingly What ought he to haue done to his vinyarde his beloued Iewes which he did not doe by being borne and liuing among them by his preaching by his multiplyed miracles And what fauours and graces haue not we too receiued from his holy hand Affection O daugthers of Ierusalem inhabitantes of Sion forgett not to make continuall reflection in what highth of honour you are placed Gods free mercy did not onely extend it selfe to call you to be Christian Catholikes but euen to that which is more noble and deare to be peculiar spouses of Christ whose worke it is to cōuerse with him day and night You haue not onely heard his wotd and heard of his miracles as did the Iewes but your harts by a conquering grace was wrought to beleeue them Beware you neuer permitt ingratitude to drye vp those fountaines of mercy Remember that it was said to the fairest among women If thou know not thy selfe goe forth and follow thy fellowes c. THE SECONDE MEDITATION FOR THE SAME SVNDAY If thou hadst knowne in this thy day CONSIDER that happly we
knowledge to tempt and teache him Le ts first beleeue in him that he is the sonne of the liuing God because without faith it is impossible to please him and learne of him to be mylde and humble of harte and so we shall finde rest to our soules which in high and proude questions can neuer be found THE SECONDE POINTE. Thou shalt loue thy Lord thy God from thy whole harte with thy whole soule and with thy whole mynde This is the greatest and first commandement CONSIDER that this commandement of the loue of God aboue all thinges is most iustly called the first and greatest The first because it ought to possesse the first place in our harte The first againe because it ought to be in mans soule what the first … oouer is in the heauens which giues first motion to all the rest And it is the greatest because its whole ayme is summum bonum the souueraigne Good the greatest too because it comprises all Gods Lawe and all the vertues in a most eminent manner Affection O my soule how sweete how heauenly sweete is this lawe of loue which either finds all thinges easie or makes them such How gracious is this diuine Law giuer who deliuers vs so sweete a Lawe What is man ô Lord thou shouldst so magnifie him and place thy heauenly harte vpon him What is man to thee I say that thou shouldst commande him to loue thee yea and to be angrie and threaten to lay huge punishments vpon him if he loue thee not Alas is it not of it selfe punishment great enough if he doe not loue Alas should poore subiects who holde all of the Kinges of the earth neede any such threates to induce them to loue them THE SECONDE MEDITATION FOR THE SAME SVNDAY Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thy hart c. THE FIRST POINT CONSIDER in what manner and with what measure we ought to loue our Lord God And we are told by S. Bernard that the measure of louing God is to loue him without measure from our whole harte saith our blessed Sauiour by placing all our affections vpon him With our whole soule not permitting any of the passions to contest with it With our whole mynd by making choyce of the best meanes imaginable to accomplish his blessed will in the most perfect manner that man is capable off here belowe Affection This is the onely thinge my soule wherin there can be noe excesse He is infinitly more louely then we are able to be louinge O what a happinesse it is to be oppressed with the abundance of goodnesse Le ts dilate our narrow hartes dare as much as we are able breath after him incessantly and yet humbly acknowledge that we fall infinitly shorte of what is due saying with S. Augustine let me loue thee ô Lord as much as I wishe and as much as I ought wherin that I may not fayle proue as the Authour of the precept so the giuer of the grace to performe it giue what thou commandst ô Lord and command what thou wilt THE SECONDE POINTE. And the seeonde commandement is like to this Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe CONSIDER that our B. Sauiour had noe sooner established that right of loue which is indispensably due to his heauenly Father but he falls vpon the dutie of his adoptiue brethren to one another which he also places in loue saying thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe With this difference notwithstanding that the measure of the loue of God is to loue him without measure and the measure of the loue of our neighbour is to loue him as our selues that ought to be exhibited to God because he is infinitly Good this to our neighbour be he good or badd because it was commanded vs by an infinite Goodnesse Affection O deare God how good thou art to men of right hartes O diuine wisdome how wisely and sweetly thou disposest of all thinges My soule if man had bene left to wishe what he would what other lawe could he haue wished then what he has a lawe of loue Wherin God and mans interests are so wouen togeither that the one will not be admitted without the other In vaine doe we professe to loue God if we hate our neighbour whom he commands vs to loue Nay saith the louing S. Augustine this must be putt downe for a certaine truth that there is noe surer way to attaine to Gods fauour then the loue of man to man Ama fac quod vis THE FIRST MEDITATION FOR THE XVIII SVNDAY AFTER WHITSVNDAY Iesus c. said to the sicke of the palsey haue a good harte sonne thy sinns are forgiuen thee Matt. 9. CONSIDER that Gods goodnesse and bountie is so greate that he often giues vs not onely what we aske but euen other thinges which we aske not which are farre greater and better The poore sicke of the palsey aymed onely at a temporall blessing the cure of his infirmitie and behold he meetes with farre more the remission of his sinnes from the mouth of truth saying haue a good harte sonne thy sinnes are forgiuen thee Affection Such is the goodnesse of our good and bountifull God my soule that when we haue an humble recourse to him in simplicitie of harte he grantes vs often not onely what we desire but what he sees we most neede As at other tymes in exercising his mercy he refuses vs what we desire to grante vs thinges more conducing to our eternall good being still equally good as well in what he giues as what he denyes If we pray then day and night and be not heard as it happened to our blessed Sauiour himselfe let vs rest assured that what we asked was not for our aduantage acquiescing therin to Gods wise prouidence and desiring aboue all thinges to heare sonne thy sinnes are forgiuen thee THE SECONDE POINTE. CONSIDER that this wise Physitian of ours doth not onely shew his goodnesse and liberalitie in the care of the poore mans corporall and spirituall infirmities but manifestes his wisdome also in the manner of the cure to witt he first takes away the cause which is sinne By sinne it was saith the great Apostle that death and consequently all deseases leading to death gott first footing in the world and this woefull cause being once remoued from the soule he proceeds to the cure of the bodie Arise take vpp thy bedd and goe into thy house Affection Let vs learne then my soule of wisdome it selfe to be wise when we endeuour the cure of our deseased soule Le ts obserue the causes and occasions wherin we find our selues It is still in such and such circumstances I finde my fall It is in such companies I continually meete with the desease or death of my soule Let vs in tyme iudge our selues that we may not be more rigourously iudged That eye of scandall must necessarily be plucked out and throwne away without the reach of danger which who loueth shall perish in
then to bee esteemed as a naturall foole And this he would vndergoe for loue of vs and can we proue so vnkind as not to requite him in what we are able shall not the white habites we weare for his sake be deare vnto vs in memorie of his white garment shall wee not willingly indure the gibes and scornes of others while our owne conscience assures vs we doe well c. Cons 2. Consider what a contemptible conceipt the wicked Iewes had of our sweete Sauiour not only equalising a wicked rogue with him but without all hesitation and delay preferring him before him straight answering Pilat non hunc sed Barrabam We demande pardon not for this man but for Barabbas O strange blindnes ô vn happie choice non hunc sed Barrabam not a louing Sauiour but a damnable villaine not the mildest of creatures an innocent noe but a nocent a rogue a theefe See the iudgment of the world and learne hence what credit you are to giue to it the treasure of heauen once before sold for 30. pence now esteemed at lesse then nothing the price of a Rogue for harke they persist in their vngracious choice crying out with one voice tolle tolle Crucifige Crucifige Away with him away with him Crucifie him Crucifie him Affect Haue we not good reason then alwaies to suspect yea neuer to trust the worlds opinion for verily one is exceeding blind that cannot discerne the sonne by his splendant rayes Well could I curse their sinfull and foule mouthes their hellish harts their blind choice but woe is me the conscience of a like contempt stopps my mouth for haue we not my soule in earnest haue we not or at least haue not our actions often said non hunc sed Barabbam while this or that fond affection this or that light and momentarie delight hath been deliberately preferred before Gods pleasure or at least these imbraced that neglected ay mee therefore THE XIII MEDITATION Hovv Iesus vvas vvhipped at Pilates Cons 1. ANd now see Barbarous furie armed with authoritie Pilat giues him ouer into their hands to be scourged into the hands of vile desperate slaues what vsage may you easily thinke he had Marrie they binde him with cordes to a pillar though he had neuer yet made resistance no not so much as in one high word or distempered looke they bind him with cords I saie haueing already stripped him quite naked I leaue it to your consideration how much contrary to his virginall bashfullnes so hard that they force blood to spring out at his fingers ends ô God! what a pittifull paine must this needes be in so delicate a complection Affect And all this for his too much loue to vs vngratfull vs ô my soule t was our loue that tied him so fast to loose the tye of our sins no other cord could haue held him that was only stronge enough to tye Omnipotencie And shall not the same cord be stronge enough to tye vs to him to tye our hands from sinning so that we may answere our passions our vnlawfull desires I cannot I cannot the loue of my sweete spouse hath tyed my hands I cannot In fine shall not this confounding manner of suffering make such and such acts of humiliation seeme farre more tollerable when I consider that the innocent sonne of God indured worse for my loue Cons 2. See now alas how vnhumanly they teare his delicate and sacred bodie not leauing a place whole for a new wound see how the blood streames downe nay the skin falls off nay yet more peeces of his blessed flesh dropp downe ah pittifull sight quo nate Dei quó tua flagrauit charitas ah sonne of God how high did thy Charitie flame out behold your spouse with compassion in his wedding garment died in rich scarlet die nor was it anie meruaile sith as S. Bonauenture saith he receaued more then 5000. woundes verè vermis erat non homo opprobrium hominum abjectio plebis He was truly a worme and not a man the reproche of men and the scorne of the people Affect Looke Angels looke is this your King looke Queene of heauen is this thy child looke my soule looke is this thy spouse that euen now was so diuinely faire I I t is euen he true said the Prophet vidimus eum reputauimus quasi leprosum We saw him we sawe him and we reputed him as a leaprous person Ah me what cruell hart vsed my loue thus ah let vs run to imbrace him for t is euen he Le ts wash his deformed face with our teares ò sweete Iesus ô loueinge Lord ô deare spouse my sick hart can indure no longer to see thee thus abused THE XIV MEDITATION Hovv Iesus vvas crovvned vvith thornes c. Cons 1. COnsider how scarcely yet the torne Iesus in that his extreame wearines had sought out and put on his garments till behold a new torment a new contempt is inuented for him so without end are his sufferings And what ah goe out yee true daughters of Sion and see your true Salomon in the diademe in which his mother crowned him in a diademe of thornes sharp thornes peircing skin and skull euen to the braines as S. Bernard saith in a thousand places saith S. Anselme iudge what an vnheard of paine this must needes be And see yet to add scorne to his torment they put a reede into his hand for a Scepter nay with it they beate the sharpe thornes deepor in-to his head Affect Vâ—ere langores nostros ipse tulit infirmitates nostras ipse portauit Truly he suffered our languours and tooke our infirmities vpon him Ours euen ours O my soule things that he was not subiect vnto but by his owne will Ah my hart see how heapes of gorie blood stand vpon his heade and temples see that fairest face of men or Angells all disfigured and this for loue of vs Come come all yee soules that are moued by loue come and see a louers extasie he hath giuen vs this sure argument of loue let vs not loose our affections vpon anie lesse then himselfe And thou my poore soule die rather then be so vngratefull as euer to lett this bloodie Picture which diuine loue made so be painted for loue of vs be blotted out of our hartes Cons Vpon the Ecce homo behold the man Consider that when Pilate could neither find cause of death in him nor meanes to saue his life so farre was the implacable rage of the people causeleslie insensed against him he brings him out with a crowne of thornes vpon his head and a purple garment vpon him hopeing by the aspect of a most miserable and despicable person to incline the most barbarous hart to pittie and compassion saying Ecce homo behold the man as who should say looke vpon one so disfigured that you can hardly find man in him and know him to be what indeede he is were you not told he is a man
same sadd truth that alas I it is her sweete and best beloued Rabboni her dearest Master Christ Iesus Aske the rockes and stones and in their language they will answere you that its the authour of nature their Maker and Master the verie Authour of all beeing and life Aske the Sunne and it will straight withdraw it's light testifying that the true Sunne is setting and dyeing to this world Nay aske the Iewes and notwithstanding their endlesse malice euen by them you may informe your selfe of the truth for looke vp and you may reade their inscription IESVS N. R. I. aske who these two are which hangs by him and euery one will answere you they are two theeues 2. Theeues alas and together with Iesus what connection what to doe hath light with darkenes iniquitie with iustice ah is it not true quod cum iniquis reputatus est That Iesus our sauiour is reputed among the wicked heauens stand amazed at this strange doome O my soule loose thy selfe in astonishement in contemplation of the wordls peruerse and madd iudgement and learne to contemne it since here thou seest euen innocencie it selfe tainted with the imputation of wickednesse and after this neuer find it strange if thy resolution be to follow thy Master Christ to haue thy best actions misconstrued to thy disaduantage and disgrace 3. IESVS NAZARENVS This is the testimonie of that enemie of his Pilate who deliuered him ouer to this disgrace And if Iesus of Nazareth Iesus the sonne of Marie that innocent lambe which was borne in Bethelem stable who came to take awaie the inquities and sinnes of the world who had euen there his Gloria sung by the quires of Angels from heauen in testimonie that he was true God that word which was in the beginning with God and was euen God himselfe In the beginning which had no beginning before time yet began to be from all eternitie And yet behold now in time what monsters time brings forth He is reputed among the vvicked 4. In eternitie he esteemes it no stealth to be equall with God In eternitie he is one of those three holy persons who are equally one God And in time he is in a coniūcture with and is iudged the chiefe of the three wher-of two confessedly suffer the punishments due to their crimes 5. IESVS NAZARENVS If Iesus of Nazareth let Nazareth which knowes him giue testimonie of him Nazareth where he was virginally conceiued of a poore innocent vnspotted milde Virgine Nazareth where he was innocently brought vp and conuersed amongst the inhabitants For the space of 24. yeares Nazareth where he appeared a man approued by God by miracles and wonders and signes which God wrought by him in the middest of it Let Nazareth speake Was he euer found faultie in word or deede Nay was he not euer found innocent vnspotted segregated or separated from sinners was he not euer found doeing the worke of his heauenly Father solidly and publikly preaching the truth exalting vertue reprehending and subduing vice and vtterly destroying the kingdome of satan curing the sicke raysing the dead to life restoring sight to the blind making the lame walke and the deafe heare And yet it is thought good to the Iewish blindnesse and malice to repute and place him amongst the vvicked 6. Pilate who iudged him and in iudging him condemned himself pronounced openly that he found no cause of death in him and left him a testimonie of a iust man And yet he is reputed among the vvicked 7. Ah barbarous blinde vnnaturall and wicked Iewe whilst thou art contriuing his death by iarring treacherous and bought testimonies at Hierusalem his natiue soyle to which he was sent which he so much loued that by teares spent vpon it he expressed the same Rome vpon a bare relation sent from hence is admiring his life Whilst thou vngratefull Synagogue buyest his blood with bribes and vniustly placest him amidst two notorious Criminalls the Senate is cōsulting to place him amōgst the Gods 8. Ah king of heauen how becam'st thou an exile in this our vayle of teares for loue What did inuest thee in our clayie garmentes or rather ragges loue But tell me thou beatie of Angells how becamest thou so deformed For loue What lanced these sacred temples Loue. How became that celestiall face heauens ioy so gauled and goarie For loue Ah my hart what wounded these hands and feete which neuer walked in the waies of sinners Loue. Thou adornest the feild with a verdant greene thou deckest the tree with her fresh leaues and sweet blossomes the birds thou couerest with their comely feathers and the most contemptible beast with their skinnes and how becamest thou then so without all couer or ornament For loue Ah my crucified loue how much thou hast oblidged me to loue thee Ah Loue euen for this loue inflame my colde hart with this loue Da mihi te amare quantum volo quantum debeo 9. REX IVDAEORVM Rex A King true the King of heauen the King of Angells the King of Men the King of all things Omnis enim potestas ei data est in coelo in terra For all power was giuen him in heauen and in earth But alas if a King how so inuironed with miserie and anguish how so destitute of friends and attendants how so bereaued of all comfort consolation how so depriued of all things that might appease greife and accompayned with all things that might augment sorrow If a King and the King of heauen where are the orders of Cherubines and Seraphins the rancks of Archangells Angells those Principalities Powers Dominations those mille millium ministrantium ei decies centena millia assistentium ei 10. Rex Iudaeorum If a King where are his Nobles his fauorites his Guard-Royall his Pallace his Chamber of Presence his Purple his Gemmes If a King at least why doth he not appeare a Man Neque enim species illi est neque decor For he neither hath beautie nor comelinesse A Crowne he beares indeed but that doth so augment his paine as that it doth not anie waie in appearance add to his Regall honour And was loue yet cause of all this yes yes Sic Deus dilexit mundum c. So God loued the world that he deliuered his owne onely sonne But alas hath Loue made this King so prodigall and prodigalitie so poore that he hath nothing left him nothing to bestow vpon a poore suppliant ah yes my soule yes there is yet enough left let 's runn and begge for behold his holy armes are wide open louingly to imbrace vs and receaue vs into his fauour ô deare sweete imbracements ô how willingly could I liue and dye here O inueni quem diligit anima mea inueni nec dimittam I haue found him whom my hart loueth I haue found him nor will I lett him goe Behold his head hung downe to bestow vpon vs that sweet osculum pacis that kisse of peace that gracious fauour