POINT Consider the circumstances of this heauenly mysterie by which our Blessed Lady might haue most apparantly pretended excuse He who commanded was Emperour indeede but of the earth wheras she could not obey him without draweing the Emperour of heauē and earth into the same subiection He comanded euery one to repaire to the place of their natiuitie t is true but Nazareth her abode was distant from Bethleem the place of her natiuitie foure dayes iorney It was in the midst of winters rigour and she was bigge from heauen and most worthy to be excused Yet we heare of no dispute noe pretence noe delay Aff. Blush ô my soule to thinke how often vpon how far lesse iust occasions we pretend excuses we dispute our Superiours authoritie their prudence their meanings and sometymes euen ryse vp against that authoritie which Christ who here in Marie obeys established in earth which who resistes is declared a rebelle against the diuine ordonnance MEDITATION I. For Chrismas Day And she brought forth her firste begotten son and swadled him in clothes and layd him downe in a manger because there was not place for them in the Inne I. POINT CONSIDER how euen in the midst of this Heroicall act of obedience the B. Virgine wrought that great worke towards mans redemption for which all generations call her blessed for while through an humble obedience she was trauelling to Beth. To comply whith Cesars commands her dayes were fully come that she should be deliuered and she brought forth Iesus If we desire then to conceaue Iesus in our harts Obedience must be the herbinger If we desire to bring forth Iesus to the world that is shew him and his wayes to our neighbour it must be by shewing them our humble obedience vpon all occasions Aff. If our hartes be truly Christian we cannot but desire to presēt this new borne Christ whith some gratefull present nor is there any more pleasing in his sight then Obedience since truth it selfe assures vs it is better then a sacrifice And Christ himselfe deliuers with his owne mouth and that in words as full of admiration as comfort to such as are truly obedient that the obedient man enters into all it he respectes of neernesse and dearnesse with him saying He who doth the will of my father that is in heauen he it is that is my brother and sister and mother What could be said either more tenderly inuiting or more honorably requiting our obedience Res We will therfore in imitation of our B. Lady and our Sauiour Iesus Christ and for his honour and loue c. II. POINT Consider how this child of obedience this first begotten this Iesus is treated how and where he is lodged by his heauenly fathers eternall prouidence How is he treated poorely he is wrapt vp in cloutes How and where is he lodged alac meanely in a stable in a manger O amaysement Eternitie not a day old omnipotence become impotent Diuinitie wrapt vp in poore clothes Is a stable become the Dolphine of heauens Louure Is this the wedding roome prepared for the mariage of the Lambe is a manger his mariage bedd Aff. alas my poore soule is this the best entertaynement that the vnkind world is able to afford the king of heauen shall I lye and repose at my ease While he my L. and master in so poore a plight is exposed to the winters wroth No no Here I will not lye pampered in ease there he shall not lye vnknowen vnpittied vnplayned I will take him away I will neuer giue rest to my eyes till I find or make a fitting place for my Lord a tabernacle for the God of Iacob Inter vbera mea cōmorabitur at least I will locke him vp in his vnworthy seruants brest THE SECOND MEDITATION For the same Day Because there was no place for them in the Inne I. POINT CONSIDER this with amaysement Iesus leaues heauen to saue the world and the world will not know him he comes into his owne and euen his owne receaues him not It were litle enough me thinkes that a poore woman wearie with trauelling and readie within a few houres to be deliuered should finde the ordinarie comfort at least of some poore chamber in an Inne of fire of a bedd And yet euen this is denyed the king and Queene of heauen If there be place in the towne for all others ther 's none for them They must packe away and find the rockes of easier accesse then mans hart And lodge in them Aff. O the highnes of the riches of the wisdome and knowledge of God how incomprehensible are his iudgements how secrete are his wayes ô admirable to see the true son of God by a singular dispēsation of the diuine prouidēce necessitated as it were to take vp his first nights lodging in a poore rocke or denne For ther was noe place for him in the Inne II. POINT Consider that it was not in Iudea onely that there was no place for Iesus but the same straitnesse raignes ouer all the world Change onely the name and we shall find the storie verified of our vnhappie countrie Is there any place there for Iesus where his sacrifices are abhorred his temples violated the solemnitie of his house abandoned and his house it selfe become as a stable or a denne of theeues yea where all the memories of him and his verie name begins to be razed out Aff. But alas while we looke a far off we may find the fault at home It is neither the auncient Iudea nor our new Egipt alone which are preocupated so that there is no place left for Iesus Let but each one looke into his owne hart and he shall find that the greatest presse and pussle is euen there There the world possesseth the greatest part and the bedd is two narrow for two both God and it There the multiplicitie of secular thoughts doe presse in vpon vs. There is no place for Iesus nor place nor tyme to be vacant and to taste how sweet he is He asketh vs bread in his poore members and we refuse it him drinke and we deny him water what we giue not them for his sake we refuse him not them while we take not their miseries into our Harts by commiseration we repulse Iesus their is no place there left for him MEDITATION I. For S. Stephens day I. POINT CONSIDER that it is no wonder that Christ is not knowen by men since men haue left to be men and are turned into the nature of brute beastes to wit being placed in honour they vnderstood it not and thence they were compared to brute beastes and were made like vnto them Yes they ayme at nothing but to feede fatt to find ease to lye warme to wanton it vp and downe to generate and take delight Are not these thinges comon with men and beastes And doth not yet man adde to these many inuentions of witt and Arte to court vanitie to inuite luxe lust and sinne But loe
the wisdome of the eternall father is lodged in a Caue to teach ignorant man another lesson to witt that felicitie is not to be found in vanitie in carnalitie in heapes of gold nay it cryes out as it were to all the world by this example Why doe you loue vanitie and seeke alye It is not it is not to be found in these follies No my wayes are as farre remoued from your wayes and my cogitations from your cogitations as is heauen from earth Aff. Seeke still what you seeke ô mortalls but seeke it not where you seeke it seeke it not in the follies of the world which knowes not Christ but seek it in the knowledge of Christ Seeke it not in the world which passeth away together with its concupiscences but seeke it in Christ the Word made flesh which remaynes for euer Nay seeke not Christ neither with hope to find him in pompe and state in the pallaces of Kinges but in the poore cribbe with the poore simple and vigilant shephards that is with vigilancie in simplicitie in pouertie in humilitie and abiection There may proud man being humbled surely find and Know humble Christ Resolution I will seeke then whom my soule loueth Not in vanities as I did when I found him not But c. And since the world neither receiues nor knowes nor cares for my Christ I will neither admitt into my hart nor know or care for the world c. 2. POINT Cons Looke vpon this caue or stable as the true sohoole of all vertues where the wisdome of heauen giues solide lessons of heauenly wisdome where the eternally begotten the onely begotten son of God Iesus Christ newly come downe from heauen is to frame in our hartes the impressions of Christianitie mhere the word which was in the begining with God and was euen God him selfe God of God true God of true God lying now dumbe in a poore manger for the loue of poore man who was become a brute beast should speake lowder to heauen-beloued Christan hartes then all the voyces of men and Angells Aff. O deare God! O great God! ô truë God! whom my soule with all its forces acknowledges and adores in this strange disguise what is it thou wouldst speake to my hart by these dumbe signes What is it I st that thou wouldst signifie hereby to the faithfull and louing soule that thou dost languish with loue and so in a loue-pause remaynest speechlesse Is it that neuer more loue is spoken betwene true Louers then when tongues keepe silence and giue hartes leaue to speake by the eyes such misteries as none but louers vnderstand Is it that man should waxe dumbe to the world while the word appeares dumbe in the world O speake thus speake thus Deare Lord to thy poore seruant who giues eare to thee And whilest thou speakest let the worlde keepe silence and turne as dead to me as I to it Let my tongue and all the tumultuous people of my interiour house keepe silence Let my hart be silent too and onely giue eare to this one necessarie Word saying I am thy saluation for I am Iesus thy Sauiour THE II. MEDITATION I. POINT CONS But what is this silent word That verie same by which all thinges were made and without which nothing was made while he himselfe was not made but was begotten by an eternall generation which none is capable to expresse That word from which all thinges had beeing as from a verie Ocean of beeing That word which was in the begining and in the begining began to worke vpon nothing and of it made all thinges created Heauen and earth for that litle word fiat was said and euery thing began to ryse out of the abysse of nothing and haue beeing life and motion c. By this word was said Let light be made and it presently was made c. Aff. O powrefull almightie Lord What humane wisdome is not strucke dumme with the wonders and prodigies wrought by this now silent word The wisdome of the world would teach vs by Philosophie that of nothing nothing is made but this word which is the Wisdome of heaueÌ„ assures vs that of Nothing all thinges were made which while he is sileÌ„t all the creatures together crye outwith a loudevoyce we made not our selues but he made vs. O thou light of light who in the begining with a word made light in the world and now comest downe into it to enlighten all men daigne to be a light to my obscured hart that it may discerne as well the effects of thy word as the silence of the â—ame And clearely see that as in the begining that made all thinges of nothing so this in tyme comes to repaire all thinges made worse then nothinge And as that in the begining made all thinges right so this in tyme comes to rectifie all thinges disordered And grant that as we see all that we haue are flowed from thy Bountie so our firme resolution may euer be that all we either haue or are may returne to thee againe by our Iustice and gratitude Fiat fiat POINT 2. Conf. But yet what is this silent word The very son of God God the true God now the verie son of Mary the son of man true man flesh of our flesh bones of our bones God man man God God and man one and the same But if son heyre if son of God heire of the kingdome of God heauen If God man and heire to the kingdome of heauen then man hath gotten title to the kingdome of heauen If son and heire and to the kingdome of heauen the kinge of heauen man then begins to raigne since a part and portioÌ„ of him begins to raigne in him who raigned in the begining before the begining in tyme before tyme from all eternitie Aff. Yes my poore soule it is noe lesse excellent person then the son of God the heire of God the kinge of heauen true God of true God lyes before thyne eyes Who least he might haue bene a lesse deare obiect to thy contemplation and loue whyle he was lesse accessible of inuisible he becomes visible in flesh to thyne eyes of flesh And by an incomparable and inconceiuable transport of loue he who in the beginning made maÌ„ to his owne similitude and likenesse vouchsafeth in tyme to be made to the similitude and likenesse of man and to giue vs power therby to become the sonnes of his heauenly father the sonnes of God The sonnes of God the sonnes of thy heauenly father Ah what ioy ô Iesu we are thy brothers then and if brothers heires of God coheires with thee ô deare sauiour Iesus Christ dilate dilate my hart deare child from heauen the bulke of thy ouercharging dearenesse is too large to enter Ah make me not poore with too much heauenly plentie either bestowe thy giftes according to my measure and abilitie to receiue them or enlarge my hart and inable it to receiue them according to the proportion in which
thou dagniest to bestow them I poore contemptible wretch borne the son of earth made the sonne of God the Heyre of God! The brother of IBSVS-CHRIST coheire with Iesus let me deare childe let me neuer more by a degenerous conuersation In such or such thinges making reflection of your greatest imperfections c. stayne the noble familie and the dignitie of the bloud and alliance into which I am addopted by thy graciousnesse May I rather dye then euer proue so base and disloyall Amen The first Med for Sanct Ihons day PONIT 1. Consider But if son hyere heyre of God God if kinge king of heauen king of maiestie king of glorie How becomes he then thus inglorious thus left thus lodgd thus layd Marrie out of meere goodnesse free mercy and vndue loue loue of nations which sought him not thought not of him which cared not for him nay which trangressed his commandements violated his lawes rebelled against his will and pleasure And that without any neede he had of them without any interest he pretended by them out of meere loue and mercy Aff. Good and omnipotent God! mercyfull and holy and deare father much much doe we owe thee for our creatiō for hauing made vs mē mē the master pieces of the workes of thy hand for hauing-bestowed a whole world vpon vs with all the admirable varietie of creatures comprised therin for our vse and seruice but incomparably much more now that thou hast sent thyne owne onely son thy son and heire the kinge of heauē equall to thy selfe Those were great indeed yet earthly ones but this is euen the best that heauen had to giue here thou didst indeede open and bestowe thesaurum tuum optimum thy very best treasure so that the mostvastly greedie hart cā neither desire nor euen imagine any thing greater any thinge equall to it or euen bearinge any proportion with it A son in whom thou wast well pleased for a fugitiue prodigall seruant in whom thou wast highly offended and euen while he was yet actually offending thee then euen then to putt the greatest commendations vpon thy mercy imaginable then Isay thou sentest him cum adhuc inimici essemus into abiection and prouertie into a poore hole of a rocke to be accompaigned with brute beastes for that yet bruter beaste man I can onely stand amaysed at this strange dispensation and dignation of thyne To send a son for a seruant a sainte yea the sanite of saintes for a sinner a God for man what a stronge hope must this needs beget in the hart of a sinner Resolution I confide in thee then ô my dearest Lord I depend wholy on thy mercy c. POINT 2. Consider that man was at an absolute losse hauing strayed from his way forsaken truth and forfeited life and this abridged word humanized or clothed with our nature is in very deede the way truth and life which he comes to teach the world There is no way to Christ but by Christ we liue in darkenesse vnlesse we be enlightened by the light of this truth we liue not indeede but languish and die vnlesse we be quickned and liue by this life This word alone deliuers this truth enlihgtens vs to discouer this way and by this way we walke home to this life which is Christ All these are folded vp in this dumbe word which for our loue is layd in a manger Aff. yes my soule euen so the case stoode with vs Sinne hadd spred it selfe ouer all the sonns of Adam and they were all straying like lost sheepe and had for euer strayed and remayned in their losse had nor this good shephard Christ come downe to seeke out and saue what had perihed And had not this Way mette the wandringe pilgrime this truth illuminated the blind man that satt in darkenesse and this life quickened the dying slaue that lay vnder the shadowe of death he had still erred remayned still blind and bene dead for euer For there is noe other name vnder heauen wherby we ought to be saued What obligations then haue we to Christ our redeemer how ought we to loue this word which teacheth vs or putts out this truth a sea-Beacon to vs poore creatures who are tossed at this huge sea and proues a light to our feete to walke in this safe way Christ which securely leades to the permanencie of an vn changable and euerlastinge life which is his very selfe Reso In this way then will I walke and run for euer if thou deare Lord wilt please to draw This truth will I imbrace for euer if thou daignest to giue perseuerance And this life of thyne will I striue to lead loue and breath after till I be druncke vp in life euerlasting PONIT 1. Consider That a chill Cold in the absence of the sunne of Iustice had eased and benummed the hart of man and rendred him senselesse of all good being cold frozen stupide without all feeling of heauenly thinges and this diuine word which notwithstanding the Cold which he now indures is indeede a consuming fire is come downe into the earth with his heauenly fire and what is his desire but that it should fixe vpon those benummed harts of ours and inflame them with his holy and burning loue For what will euer be able to doe it if this heauenly Prometheus this firebringing Messenger be not able to sett vs on fire What will be euer powrefull enough to speake excesse of loue to mens harts and to oblidge them to loue if the mute eloquence of a God lying dumbe the Word it selfe left speechlesse in a manger for their loue be not able to doe it And this is the extaticall loue-language of the diuine Word which lyes before our eyes this day in the cribbe Aff. Alas I my poore hart we are cold frosen and senselesse indeede in point of spirituall thinges we relish not we perceiue not the thinges which are of God And yet our miserie is so much the greater that perceiuing our selues deadly cold we rather chuse to starue then approch to the fire that actiue sacred heauenly fire which comes not downe but to burne to burne our frozen hartes as some tymes it did those two primitiue Hartes with whom he walked in the way to Emaus who found their hartes burning while he spoke And as it did your holy father then he cryed out as one loue sicke What is this that I feele what kind of fire is this that warmes my hart which so sweetly burnes so secreetly shines so deliciously seases vpon and inflames my soule with a deare delight Ah! this diuine Word is indeed as Dauid qualified it ignitum vehementer but it was in his meditation that it burnt all out in a flame But how should this happen si nemo recogitet corde if none hartily thinke of it how should hartes burne if none applie hartes to the fire Resp If his will be that it should burne then let our hartes in conformitie to that diuine Word
occasion to saue him when he perceiues that the said Iudge is more inclined to giue then he to aske mercy When he causes proclamation to be made That he comes not to iudge but to saue the world When he teares the writinges or Euidences which the aduersarie can produce against him Such a Iudge ô my poore sinfull soule may we now find our God to witt a Iesus a Sauiour in this acceptable tyme in this day of saluation There is now therfore noe damnation to those that are in Christ Iesus Resolution I will rise therfore out of this or that badd custome reflecting vpon it in particular which I obserue my selfe subiect to And run to my milde Iudge with an humble confidence c. THE II. MEDITATION For the same day I. POINT CONSIDER a strange and comfortable change of the hand of the highest he who formely spoke onely in qualitie of Lord and master out of the clouds and out of fire saying I am thy Lord I am thy God God is a Lord of reuenge c. Is now come downe from Maiestie as it were and comes downe to vs and speakes to vs in qualitie of man yea the mildest of men Then did his power appeare in the creation of the world and his infinite wisdome in the gouuerning of it but to vs the benignitie and humanitie of God a Sauiour is manifested He comes in our nature in qualitie of our brother that he may shew as well his brotherly as fatherly affection and pitie to the poore man created by him Aff. What doth this singular graciousnesse crye out to our hartes but consolamini consolamini be comforted be comforted my people I will not the death of a sinner but rather that he be conuerted and liue Here is now noe dreadfull Iehouah noe thunder noe lightening to terrifie thee but thy mylde Emmanuell thy God with thee a meeke tender weeping childe our flesh and our brother who is come to dwell amongst vs. Let not the ancient reproche Where is thy God be any more a corrasiue vnto thee For euen here he is in flesh like one of vs There is now noe neede vpon the hearing of his voyce to hyde thy selfe with thy first parentes nay his voyce is the scrikes of a tender babe farre more apt to begett pitie in mans harte then to strike it with dreade He cannot forbeare to loue his owne brethrē his owne flesh and bloode his owne bowells I. POINT Consider that though when I looke vpon my selfe such as I am indeed poore naked blind lame abiect and miserable I haue more cause of confusion then confidence Yea when I represent vnto my selfe the multitude and greeuousnesse of my sinnes which can neuer be better knowen thē by the gratnesse of the price which is sent downe for their redemption I find my selfe euen waighed downe to hell and am readie to despaire Yet the greatnesse of the same price too possesses my hart with stronge hopes of redemption when I obserue Wisdome it selfe imploye the bloud of the lambe the bloud of this tender babe the son of Marie and the sonne of God to make a pretious bathe for the cure of my leprosie I cannot despaire Aff. O God what is man that thou dost thus magnifie him Or the sonne of man that thou puttest thy heauenly hart vpon him Is he turned some pretious thing which formerly thou wast not acquainted with Has he gott some noblenesse of beeing which issued not from thyne owne hand Is he not still dust and ashes earth earth earth of which thou madst him Nay but deare Lord hath he not added malice to this base matter of which he was made Had not all flesh corrupted its wayes so that none did well not one Did not multitudes of crymes and abominations stand vp in thy sight and crye out for reuenge What proportion is there then bewixt the price and the thinge prized Betwixt the blood of an innocent sonne and a sinfull seruant The blood of a God and worthlesse man O too too deare price ô too plentifull Redemptiō I can find nothing here but amaysement and ô Altitudos And conclude with al the gratitude my soule can conceiue that thy friends ô God are too much honored and their Principalitie too well established by this too deare a price THE SEAVENTH MEDIT. I. POINT CONSIDER that when man was so heauie harted that he could not ascende The hart of a God was so gracious that he would descend to him The earth was too heauie to mount into heauen but heauen could find a meanes to transport it selfe as it were into earth For is not this Caue a verie heauen indeede since God here truly Keepes his residence and hath his quires of Angells singing about him Where God is there is his Court and where the Court is there are the Courtiers and where the Courtiers are there is the dutie of Courtiers exercised to witt they behold and loue they loue and behold and with prone adorations singe Sanctus Sanctus Sanctus holy holy holy This stable then is a very heauen indeede Venite adoremus Affect Yes my soule it is my verie God who lyes in this stable in this earthly Heauen the God that made me that conserues me that shall iudge me come downe first to redeeme me and in his owne person shewe me the way of saluation It is my God and if my faith be liuely I may heare a multitude of the heauenly Armie praysing God and saying Glorie in the highest to God c. Let vs take a part with them ô my soule and singe with the whole endeuour of our harte We prayse thee we blesse thee we adore thee we glorifie thee we giue thee thankes for thy great glorie O Lord God! ô Lambe of God! ô Sonne of the Father who takest away the sinnes of the world haue mercy on vs. Who takest away the sinnes of the world admitt our humble supplication Yes deare Lord For thou alone art holy thou alone art Lord thou alone art the sonne of the Almightie God Resol I will not then despaire of ouercoming this or that c. In this Lord in this sonne of the Almightie in this sauing Lambe which takes away the sinnes of the world who comfortes me though otherwise I be but earth and ashes I am able to doe all thinges c. THE SECONDE MEDITATION For the same day I. POINT CONSIDER who are the first Courtiers who are called to this heauenly Celle this earthly Heauen or Court and we shall find that it is not the learned wise and riche of the world that by Christs example we may learne still more and more to contemne the same but tbe poore humble simple vigilant shephards who are so separated from the world that they can hardly be said to haue any commerce with it at all Christe is sarce yet an houre old amongst vs and he alreadie begins to sett vpon the worke for which he was sent .. He comes for mans saluation and man
of my future merits which he foresaw in his prescience could moue him neither for these were his owne free mercyes gifts and graces non ex operibus Not to vs then ô Lord not to vs but to thyne owne name giue glorie It was thy charitie moued thee to thinke vpon vs. Thy all powerfull will drew vs out of nothing thy owne graces made vs gratefull to thy heauenly eyes For of him and in him and by him are all things To him be glorie for euer Amen Must we conclude with S. Paule THE SECONDE POINTE. He sent them into the vineyard CONSIDER how that great God who out of his infinite goodnesse and chartie had thoughtes of mercy for me from all eternitie did in tyme as his prouidence had appointed rayse me out of the abisse of nothinge and gaue me this noble beeing capable to knowe feare loue and serue him in his vineyard and to gayne the day pennie that is eternall felicitie Affection O my soule what a fauour of preference is it to haue had a light sent from heauen to witt the light of faith which was not granted to all men therby to haue accesse to the great God who inhabites an inaccessible light whom none knowes but feares nor knowes and feares as being infinitly powerfull but he also ought to loue because he is infinitly good or good nesse it selfe serue as being his creature whose seruice is true libertie whom to serue is truly to raigne Let vs therfor my soule know that this is our whole businesse here belowe to feare loue and serue that good God who without hauing any neede of vs made vs to inioy himselfe eternally THE SECONDE MEDITATION FOR THE SAME SVNDAY Hauing made couenant with the workemen for a penie a day c. THE FIRST POINTE. CONSIDER further how graciously that Almightie maker of all thinges dealt with man in this proceding who though he had absolute power ouer all his creatures by right of creation and might ther-for most iustly haue exacted all their labours as they had all their abilities and euen all that they are from his free gift yet would not his goodnesse make vse of his prerogatiue with man by exacting all his labours as due to him from his slaues but pleased to couenante with him for a reward or hire as with a free man Affection All is thyne all is thyne indeede my deare Lord my God and my Creatour absolutly and without reserue as issuing freely out from the drayneles sourse of thy bountie Let all be thyne too by my free choyce and surrender all my words all my thoughtes all my workes and by how much more all being thyne owne by iustice thou yet daignest to spurre on my slowenesse by hope of rewards by so much more feruently make me spring after thee for pure lou'es sake because thou art infinitly good and louely and vnspeakably worthy of the loue of all men and Angells THE SECONDE MEDITATION FOR THE SAME DAY THE FIRST POINTE. CONSIDER that English Catholikes are not onely called to the Knowledge of God and to worke in his vineyard but further to a higher degree of honour to be the speciall champions of his truth To you saith S. Paule in the way of congratulation to his deare Philipians it is giuen for Christ not onely to beleeue in him but also to suffer for him Thus doe Monarkes vse to honour their commanders when out of the confidence they haue of their fidelitie worth and valour putt them in the greatest places and occasions of danger Affection Let vs not therfor my soule here after looke vpon persecutions tribulations and temptations as afflictions but speciall fauours from heauen and esteeme them all ioy with sainte Iames since S. Chrystome and Theophilacte assure vs that the gift of suffering for Christ is greater then the gift of raysing the deade and working of wonderfull miracles for by this last say they I become a debter to God but by that other God becomes my debter O admirable thinge It s he who giues me the grace to suffer and yet by this he himselfe be comes my debter Let vs therfor say with that admirable seruant of Christ S. Teresa aut pati aut mori lets either suffer or dye that is the sure and royall roade which our Capitaine Christ tooke to his owne Kingdome THE FIRST MEDITATION FOR SEXAGESIME SVNDAY The sower went out to sowe his seede Luc 8. And it fell by the way side THE FIRST POINTE. CONSIDER that though the seede which was sowen was noe lesse then the word of God as our Sauiour himselfe declares to his Disciples saying the seede is the word of God in that his diuine commentarie yet three partes of it by the peruersitie of man falls fruitlesse vpon the ground to witt one parte of that good seede fell by the way side that is vpon harts which lye open exposed as a through-fare to all the rumours follies and vanities of the world whence it s troden as it were vnder foote and so neuer getts tyme to take any roote at all Affection Is it not true my soule that it often happens that when the word of God is either proposed to the eare of our body by the preacher or to the eares of our harte by diuine inspirations we haue noe eares to heare or els that hearing we heare not that is we vnderstand not because our hartes are alreadie prepossessed and wholy taken vp by wordly dreames and imaginations so that there is noe place left for the word of God O what pittie it is to let that seede of heauen sent vs to produce the fruites of eternall glorie be negligently lost Le ts therfor emptie our harts of such pernicious toyes that we may truly say speake ô Lord because thy seruant heareth THE SECONDE POINTE And other some fell vpon the Rocke CONSIDER that an other parte of that good seede fell vpon the rocke which hauing the superficies or out-side of some good earth is capable to receiue the seede and to make it sprout out too but yet so hastily that it takes noe firme roote and thence as soone withers as appeares So it fares with those who heare and receiue the word of God with ioy and are often thetby moued to compunction and teares yet their harts being rockie it makes noe great impression therin and thence vpon the first temptation or difficultie they easily forgett that they were moued at all Affection Doe we happly my soule perceiue our hartes so hardened that they are litle apte to conceiue this good seede Despaire not for all that Gods word is a hammer that is able to split rockes in peeces His grace is powerfull enough to make the soyle fertile be it neuer sostonie and barren Pray hard then that these harts of rockes may be turned into harts of flesh supple and apte to receiue good seede saying with S. Augustine giue me ô Lord that conquering grace which is repulsed by noe hard harte
they cannot beleeue we beleeue him to be such indeede THE FIRST MEDITATION FOR PALME SVNDAY They the Apostles putt their garments vpon the Asse and made him Christ sitt theron CONSIDER that the sonne of God consubstantiall with his Almightie father and equall to him in Maiestie and glorie could not by ascending become greater or more glorious since nothing can surpasse or euen in any sort attayne to infinitie But what he could not by ascending he could by descending and humbling himselfe which he did in his birth in all his life in this day of his tryumphe making his entrie into Hierusalem vpon a sillie Asse and therfor God exalted him and gaue him a name surpassing all names a name which brings heauen and earth downe vpon their knees to adore him Affection Behold my soule the Kinge of heauen in the day of his tryumphe mounted vpon a sillie Asse in that royall Citie Ierusalem and obscrue that he seemes to make it his busines in earth to decry pride and exalt humilitie and to leaue vs in this one lesson an example of the ruine of the one and a cure of the other Triumphes are vsed to be made by proud man in coasâ—he on horte with Lions and Elephants By humble Christe vpon a poore asse What more abiect then a sillie asse The onely Christian way then to ascende and tryumphe is to descende To erect our heade into the skeies without the roote humilitie is to seeke ruine not aduancement and grouth of spirit THE SECONDE POINTE. FOR THE SAME SVNDAY CONSIDER that though our Sauiour Iesus-Christ be most iustly admirable adorable and amiable in all circumstances in the glorie of his heauenly father which he is possessed of by the right of his eternall generation in his power of workinge innumerable miracles in his scantlinge of glorie on Mount Tabor c. Yet neuer is he more to be admired adored and loued by poore man nor euer speakes he more tendernesse and edification to his hart then when for his loue and example he makes choyce of that which to the world appeares most ignominious poore and abiect as in this poore entrie of his he did Affection When I looke vpon the multitude of thy miracles greate God I admire and adore thy power When with the whole strife of my hart I essay as I am able to behold thee in thy seate of glorie I feare to be oppressed therwith and am forced to fall downe vpon my face with those celestiall spirits and adore thy Maiestie But when thou dost graciously please to suffer that Maiestie of thyne to appeare in ignominie poore and abiect like one of vs I fall downe vpoÌ„ thee without dreade with a strange confidence with a huge dearenesse saying in my harte what can he deney me whose singular mercy will needs share in my miserie Be ignominie pouertie and abiection alwayes deare to me since deare to him who dyed for me THE SECONDE MEDITATION FOR THE SAME SVNDAY The Apostles brought an Asse and made him sit theron CONSIDER that heauen is not further remoued from the earth then the wayes of the world are distaÌ„t from the wayes of God and mans cogitations from Gods Men thinke their greatnesse will be mistaken vnlesse they testifie it by the magnificence of their garments and their vast traynes of horse and men The sonne of God contrarily comes in the name of our Lord with two or three poore fishermen mounted vpon an Asse in the onely day of his tryumphe and in that abiectnesse finds his glorie and euen in that is ackdowledged to be the true Messias or kinge Affection If our desires be honour and glorie my soule let vs not feare to pursue them so it be by the way which our Sauiour taught vs not by those of the world which leade quite contre and seduce vs. The world seekes honour by high and glorious wayes and the more he pursues it the more it flyes him Christ walkes on in humble and abiecte wayes and it comes to meete him He is saluted with noe Hosannas in Ierusalem till he haue first humbled himselfe to ride vpon an Asse nor will he enter into his birth-right in the heauenly Ierusalem till he haue humbled himselfe to death and that the infamous death of the Crosse Let abiectnesse then my soule be thy honour foolishnesse thy wisdome and the infamie of the Crosse thy glorie THE SECONDE POINTE. He went into the Temple CONSIDER that our B. Sauiour who had taught the Iewes that he sought not his owne glorie doth here verifie the same in effect both to them and vs when presently withdrawing himselfe from the glorious acclammations Hosannas and Benedictus es giuen to him as to their true Messias and Kinge he went to the Temple there to doe his Fathers worke and aduance his glorie by casting out of it all that sold and bought therin and the tables of the bankers and the chaires of them that sold pigeons he ouerthrew saying to them it is written my house shall be called the house of prayer c. Affection Hence we are taught my soule by Christs example to run from the glorie which any one may ascribe to vs tho with neuer so great applause to imploye our selues in glorifying God especially in his owne house See how our sweete Sauiour according to the Psalmists expression is eaten vp with the zeale of that holy house and how being the mildest amonge the sonns of men he takes the whippe into his hands and resolutly without feare of offending driues those vnworthy negotiatours out of his Fathers house Ah my soule what may not they then feare who buy and sell Christs patrimonie in the Church Ah Christians what may not we feare who beleeue that we are not onely in the Temple of God but euen in the reall presence of the God of the Temple and yet seeme rather by our loose behauiour c. to come to affront him then to adore him in his owne house and presence THE FIRST MEDITATION FOR THE SECONDE SVNDAY AFTER EASTER I am the good Pastour Ihon. 10. CONSIDER that as the sonne of God was borne for vs and giuen to vs so he seemes indeede to be all ours and to come home to all our necessities and vses He is not onely the way truth and life by which we are to walke to life euerlasting but looking vpon vs as weake and straying sheepe who often leaue the way forsake truth and are subiect to hazard life by becominge preys to rauinous wolues he graciously proues our Pastour to feede protecte and leade vs by the wayes of truth to those eternally plentifull pastures of his in our owne Lande Affection Let vs my soule truly acknowledge what in verie deede we are To witt the people of his pasture and the sheepe of his hand that sheepe which strayed from the way from truth from life and perished We are indeede weake creatures and daylie subiect to erre in many things and haue litle reason to depende vpon
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
not there is not a word heard from him Behold the poore innocent true Isaac loadeh with the woode whervpon he must be sacryficed indeede not deliuered as was the other Isaac by the diuine prouidence Looke but vpon the Crosse with the eyes of flesh onely and euen as such we shall iudge it a too heauie loade for a tender worne and wearied man vpon his torne shoulders and indeede he fayled in the way needed anothers helpe but looke vpon it with spirituall eyes and we shall find it insupportable to any shoulders but those of a God since according to S. Peter he caries togeither with it all our sinnes heaped vpon the same woode Affect O my euer deare Iesu O my dearest Isaac my onely saueing sacryfice O great admirably great spectacle Iesus the onely Beloued sonne of God with a crosse vpon his backe yes my soule yet such it is to euery hart as are the eyes with which he beholds it If impietie looke vpon it it appeares a great mockerie If pietie a strange mysterie of loue If impietie a plaine conuiction of ignominie If pietie a strong Fortresse of faith If impietie it scoffes at a kinge who in lieu of his scepter caries vpon his shoulders the instrument of his punishment If pietie it sees indeede the king of glorie carying the inglorious crosse on which he will dy but a crosse that euer after shall be adored by kinges and proue the richest otnament of their Diademes Let it be euer to vs an absolute persuasion of taking vp our crosse and following Christ Let it appeare to prophane eyes fame or infamie Christ finds noe way to heauen but ouer Caluarie Noe way to Caluarie but through the contemps of Hierusalem and that too with weake and wearied limmes and torne shoulders awe see Resolution Be it farre from vs to glorie saue onely in the crosse of our Lord Iesus-Christ c. THE XVII MEDITATION Hovv Iesus vvent out to Caluarie vvith his Crosse on his backe 1. Point COnsider the circumstances of this dolefull procession Iesus setts out towards Caluarie with a heauie Crosse vpon his torne shoulders which he rather trailes then carries a long the streets of Hierusalem His heauenly face all swollen with blowes defiled with spittle gauled with thornes couered with goarie and fresh blood so that he appeared not so much to haue the face of a man as euen of some monster On either hand of him a notorious theefe Before and behind worlds of people from all parts to see this admirable spectacle some few with compassion but the most of them with disdaine malice and scorne Affect O dearest Lord and Master how thou wadest through the greatest circumstances of confusion and scorne imaginable How doth this huge loade together with this labour and wearines of thine crie out to my hart and to the harts of all men come vnto me all you that are oppressed and I will refresh you whilst you see in my sufferances the inconsiderablenesse of yours You are not Masters but seruantes nor haue you yet suffered to blood to crownes of thorne to publike contumelies before whole worlds of people c. Say say then my soule I will follow thee deare spouse whither soeuer thou goest without limitt without reserue without exception of this or that befall what wil come it from what hand soeuer by iniustice or desert c. Ours Sauiours vvordes to the vvomen of Hierusalem 2. Point COnsider what our Blessed Sauiour saith to the good woemen who follow him with teares Maides or people of Hierusalem vveepe not vpon me but vveepe vpon your selues and vpon your children That is looke not so much vpon him who suffers as vpon your-selues for whom he suffers nor what he suffers as for what Compassionate teares spent vpon our Sauiours sufferances are certainly good and agreable in his diuine sight yet are they farr better spent vpon our owne crimes which were the cause of his sufferances and continually prouoke his wrath and euen according to S. Paule crucifie him a new againe Affect Let vs not then ô my soule so much run out of Hierusalem to obserue what passes vpon Caluarie though euen with teares as looke downe vpon Hierusalem with our Sauiour and weepe vpon it That is let vs keepe at home or returne home into our owne harts and seriously obserue what passeth there what euill impressions what badd inclinations how manie auersions passions and disorders what familiaritie and daily commerce and dangerous dallying with sinnes Alas we haue good natutes enough to bestow compassion and teares vpon others miseries misfortunes and sufferances while our next neighbours our owne poore soules lye sicke at home in a dead palsie c. vnpittied vnconsidered left to ruine and yet is looked vpon by our selues with drye eyes as things which concerne vs not or are not worthy of our care or subiects of our pittie Ah senselesse man haue mercie and compassion of thine owne soule and weepe vpon her and her children Resolution Our cheife care shall alvvayes be about our ovvne defects c. THE XVIII MEDITATION The reason of vvhat our Sauiour Said to the vvomen of Hierusalem 1. Point COnsider how our sweet Sauiour goes on giuing the reason why the woemen of Hierusalem and in them all faithfull soules should not so much weepe vpon him as vpon themselues and their children For saith he if they doe this that is vse this fire of torments vpon greene wood what will they not doe vpon drye wood That is if the iustice of the Almightie exact such rigorous satisfaction at the hands of his only sonne who is wholy innocent vnspotted liable to no faults but those of miserable man what may not the sinner himselfe guiltie of so many crimes and so drye fruitlesse and barren of all good workes expect and dread Affect Ah Saith S. Augustine if he cannot passe out of the world without stripes who came into the world without sinne what stripes is not he liable vnto who was conceiued and borne in sinne and who daily addes to those originall ones which are in some sorte necessary a multitude of voluntary ones O when I attentiuely looke vpon the prodigious sufferances of my Sauiour I am forced to crye out to sinners and in the first place to mine owne sinfull soule Vae vae vae illis qui non cogitent corde woe woe woe to those who thinke not of this in their hartes 2. Point Consider how our Blessed Sauiour with wearied limmes hath now waded through publike confusion and is at length by the assistance of a poore gentile Simon Sireneus arriued with his heauie loade at the toppe of Caluarie where our most serious attentions are called to the contemplation of the strangest sight that euer heauen or earth yet saw Not now a burning God on the Mount Horeb nor a God amidst thunder and lightning vpon the Mount Sina nor a God in glorie inuironed with light vpon the Mount Thabor but the same God that
seruice whether it be in point of receiuing his owne true body or in charitably assisting his owne poore afflicted members For how often haue we obserued our selues to haue quaked with feare wher we mett with noe danger indeede and permitted such fond feares to frustrate our pious designes and resolutions and stifle the seede which was sowen in our hartes from heauen Feare not as longe as thou art imployed about Iesus and him crucified Either will noe danger at all be mett with or none at least be preualent to make vs misse of Iesus And if it be about Iesus that we are imployed if in that name we suffer we ought not so much to apprehend it the sufferance of a Crosse as the assurance of a crowne 2. Point Consider with astonishment the great power which the diuine prouidence giues to Pilate who had indeede noe power ouer Christ but what was giuen from aboue in whose handes the disposall of the body of a God was left Yes of that body which the holy Ghost framed the Virgine mother brought-forth the diuinitie still inseparably inhabited Of that body I say Pilate à sinner an vniust Iudge an infidell hath power to dispose and he giues it to Iosephe Affect O my soule how this Christ this God-man is wholy imployed in the behalfe of man In his life at his death after his death In his life for our instruction at his death for our redemption after his death for our consolation Be we left vnder what power soeuer iust or vniust peaceable or tyrannicall according to our desires or contrarie to our inclinations by our Lord and Masters sweete disposition he that so left vs if we faithfully follow his foot stepps will certainly deliuer vs glorifie vs. Noe vniust Pilates sencence will be able to hinder vs from deliuering vp our soules into the hands of a louing father nor depriue our body of the happie expectation of à glorious resurrection Resolution I will euer admire to see the disposition of the deade body of Christ left in an infidells hands but much more to see his liuing and glorious body and soule left at the dispose of disloyall Christians who beleeue in him and yet crucifie him againe by their dailie crymes THE XXXIV MEDITATION 1. Point COnsider that God being Omniponcie it selfe wanted not power to haue deliuered the body of this deare sonne of his out of the hands of Pilate without his leaue He that was onely free among the deade could easily haue freed himselfe from the deade and haue rysen as gloriously the first day from the Crosse as the third from the graue But the Scriptures were to be fulfilled his sepulcher vvas to be glorious Our Ionas was to remaine three dayes and three nightes in the bowells of the earth And his last lesson after his death as well as his first before he could yet speake was to teach vs by his blessed example an admirable submission obedience abandonnement of himselfe into what hands soeuer Affect O wisdome of heauen how secreete and incomprehensible are thy wayes We are not able my soule to looke into them In thy infancie thou wholy abandonnedst thy selfe vnto thy B. mothers care and custodie In thy youth thou wast subiect to her and Iosephe In thy passion thou wast giuen ouer to the wills of the Iewes remayning obedient till death and the death of the Crosse and now too after thy death thou continuest still at Pilates dispose Let me learne deare Lord by this singular submission of thyne in imitation therof and for thy loue to be willingly subiect to euerie creature neuer desiring to take my selfe out of that order and subiection wherin thy prouidence may haue placed me Ita Domine quoniam sic placitum est coram te Yes sweete Sauiour purely becaus so it is aggreable in thy diuine sight 2. Point Consider that Pilate hauing bene petitioned giues vp the body to Iosephe Iosephs care takes it downe from the Crosse and bestowes à sydon or fine white linen sheete Nicodemus contributes many pounds of oyntments to witt mixed mirre and aloes the body is imbalmed therwith and wound vp in Iosephs syndon according to the iewes rites His mournefull mother Marie bestowes more hartie sorowe and compassion then any tongue can speake or any hart but her owne that is the hart of a mother and such a mother the mother of a God can conceiue who as in that name she farre surpasses all other creatures in dignitie consanguinitie and neerenesse to her sonne so also in loue and consequently in compassion and sorrowe The desolate louing Magdalene and her companions their familiar teares and Ioseph putts the adorable body in his owne new Monument cutt in the side of a rocke and shutts it vp with a great stone Affect Thus my soule haue we at length gott to an end of a wearisome procession Thus haue our sinnes layd the God of heauen and earth in the bosome of the earth Thus haue our hard hartes lodged him in a rocke at whose voyce the very rockes burst in sunder Ah my soule this hard world at his first entrie lodged him in a rocke and a rocke too must receiue him at his going out O deare Master Let it be this rockie hart of myne that may haue the happines to afford thee this last lodging or at least may I be lodged with thee be the rocke neuer so hard that I may truly be according to the Apostles expression consepultus cum Christo buried togeither with Christ neuer to ryse againe but with him in newnesse of life O that my hart as it sympathises too neerely with this Monument in hardnesse had also the rest of its qualities O that it were yet in its primitiue newnesse and puritie O that it had neuer bene prepossessed by any creature But alas alas it fares not so It hath bene too longe and too easely prostituted to the worlds allurements to the Diuells suggestions It hath bene but too too peruious to all approches and remayned onely a rocke to thy holy inspirations to thy heauenly instructions to any true sense of thy excessiue torments and sorrowes A PRAYER BVt ô my deare Lord thou vvho art a hammer brusing rockes bruse this hard hart of myne into true contrition and smite it vvith the rodd of thy Crosse that novv at least though too late alas it may pay dovvne deepest compassion and sorrovve vvith the most desolate Virgine mother flouds of repentant teares vvith those mournefull Maries and finally a most manly courage and resolution plentifull vvorkes of mercy and the pretious oyntements of frequent and feruent prayers vvith the good Ioseph and Nicodemus But ah my dearest Sauiour Christ my true rocke and strength these are indeede the resolutions of my hart but of a vveake and vvauering hart vvhich vvill effect nothing vvithout thy povverfull assistance grant it o Lord for thy pretious blouds sake and let the holes of thy sacred side c. lye alvvaies open to my ayde and
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-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
middest of dangers temptations and sufferances for it is Iesus crucified that we seeke Affection Ah my soule since the messengers of heauen haue assured vs that our Iesus is risen from his graue I will no longer lye buryed in earth but will rise and goe to that good father of ours Since our Lord and our life liues we will no longer languish and dye but I will seeke him whom my hart loues without feare we will passe the watch which the Iewish world the flesh and the Diuell may sett to keepe vs from our Iesus If happily where we seeke him we find him not wee wil neuer cease to seeke him till we finde him and hold him and locke him vp in our harts That we are to seeke him by S. M. Magdalens example II. POINT CONSIDER that though it be a most Christian practise with S. Marie Magdalen to follow Christ in his life not to forsake him at his death to reioyce with a great ioy in his Resurrection yet it is not enough wee must with her too vse diligence to find him out being risen In his life she is weeping at his feete At his death neerest to the Crosse and last at his graue but her vnwearied loue leaues not off there she rests not She 's vp againe varie earely in the morning whilst it is yet darke to seeke him at his Sepulcher it beeing her absolute resolution and practise continually to seeke till she finde him whom her soule loues Affection Let vs ô my soule put our selues wholy vpon the search of our deare Rabboni by the example of that blessed penitent at all tymes in euerie place let our thoughts as hers were be vpon him ouer night and earely in the morning resolutly and incessantly crying out thee it is I seeke thee I desire thee I hope for to thee my hart hath said I haue sought thy countenance ô Lord thy countenance will I seeke for euer for all that seeke thee as they ought finde thee and who finde thee finde life euerlasting THE V. MEDITATION How we ought to seeke Iesus by the same example THE I. POINT CONSIDER that it is not enough to seeke Iesus vnlesse we seeke him as we ought truth it selfe assuring that some seeke him and finde him not and dye in their sinne That is with diligence with care with cost with vndaunted courage with feruent loue as S. Marie Magdalen sought him Affection O my soule let this dreadfull Doome pronounced by a Iudge who cannot deceiue or be deceiued you shall seeke me and and dye in your sinne spurre on our drowsinesse to seeke Iesus as we ought with the blessed Magdalene that is with a timely diligence with the whole care of our hart as being the only necessarie thing neither weighing what it may cost vs nor fearing what may befalle vs while with feruent loue we looke for Iesus of Nazareth crucified II. POINT CONSIDER that though the Natiuitie of our Sauiour was a day of great Ioy to all the world because a Sauiour was borne to it and our young Emmanuel began to liue amongst vs yet was that Ioy mixt with teares and soone after with blood as being the life of a Godman borne to labour and sufferances And though the daye of the death of Christ was a subiect of greatest comfort to all Christians yet was it clowded with the teares and lamentations of a God dying But this glorious day where in he is resussitated or regenerated to a new life is a day of perfect Ioy without all mixture of sorrow a day of exultation and triumph when our dead Master is risen to a life of immortalitie and glorie Affection Reioyce reioyce my soule in this great priuiledged day of Iubilie with a full Ioy exempt from all mixture of sorrowe This is a day which our Lord peculiarly made representing in some measure the dayes of eternitie which know no night let vs exult and spring with Ioy in it Our young Emmanuel who whilome wept in cloutes is clad with glorie his lately torne shoulders are now armed with impassibilitie his bodie subiect to death indewed with immortalitie There are now no more bloodie sweates noe more whippes crownes of thorne nayles speares crosses to be feared Death hath now no more dominion ouer him Alleluya Alleluya Alleluya THE VI. MEDITATION We must ryse with Christ I. POINT CONSIDER that as we haue endeuored to dye with Christ in his Passion by compassion diligently to seeke him ioyfully to finde him and happily to ryse with him in newnesse of life so must we especially striue to make that new life become a perfect imitation of the life of Christ that that of the great Apostle may be verifyed in vs and by our actions appeare to the eyes of others to Gods glorie I liue I now not I but Iesus Christ liueth in me That is I am moued to what I doe by his grace according to his example and for his loue Affection For this my soule it is that we liue for this we beare the name of Christians that we might imitate what wee worshipp In vaine doe we celebrate the feasts of Christ if we striue not to imitate the life of Christ If we haue hitherto then expressed the image of our earthly father by adhearing to earth let vs now expresse our heauenly father by aspiring to heauen Le ts then shew his impassibilitie by our eauennesse as well in prosperitie as aduersitie his claritie by making the light of our good actions shine before men our agilitie by our prompt obedience and feruent charitie finally our subtilitie by peircing heauen with our harts by feruent prayer II. POINT CONSIDER what kind of life Christ ledd which brought him to this new life this impassible life this life of glorie And we shall finde it was in pouertie humilitie and abiection in his birth In labours in temptations watching fasting prayer from his youth At his death in extreamities contempts thornie crownes infamous Crosses withdrawings of all comforts absolute abandonements by heauen and earth Affection We all pretend my soule to be followers of Christ must we not then resolue to take the same waye he tooke wee ayme at noe lesse then to haue a part of his glorie and can we wisely hope to attayne to it by other meanes then those that wisedome made choice of in his owne person and left vs to imitate Can we iudge it reasonable or decent my soule that while the Master is in labours the seruant should liue at his ease the Master in pouertie and the seruant in plentie the Master in the middest of contumelies and the â—eruant in honours THE VII MEDITATION Of the blessed fruites of Chr. Resurrection That as well our dying as rysing with Christ are Gods giftes I. POINT CONSIDER that if we haue dyed with Christ by compassion sought him with diligence found him with ioy risen with him in newnesse of life and striuen to leade a life conformable in some smale measure to his they are
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
heauen wherein we must be saued before the face of the Tirant at the perill of our liues and liberties Doe we endeauour to print in our owne hartes and the hartes of all men this sauing truth that that Iesus which died forvs rose againe ascended into Heauen and is there gloriously seated at the right hand of his heauenly father know my soule for certaine that such blessed effects issue from the presence of the Spirit of Iesus the holy Ghost and reioce in it with a chast feare II. POINT CONSIDER yet another effect of the presence of the holy Ghost which is a loue to heare the word of God and a constant adhearing to and perseuering in Apostolicall Doctrine frequent Communion and feruent and vnanimous prayer with reuerence and feare Such was the practise of the primitiue Christians who as in Acts 2. were perseuering in the Doctrine of the Apostles in the communication of the breaking of Bread and Prayer Affection Obserue my soule what the first fruites and feruour of the Spirit ledd the primitiue Christians to and neither feare nor fayle to follow them They perseuered in the doctrine of the Apostles And shall we giue eare to the new-found fancies and pious imaginations of new masters If any saith S. Paule euangelize to you were he an Angell besides that which you haue receiued be he accursed They communicated euery day and shall we be backward in it when laudable custome and conueniencie calls vs to it They continued vnanimously togeither in publike prayer And shall we run into corners and more please our selues in our deuotions of our owne inuention Noe noe it is the publike and vnanimous prayer of the faithfull that infallibly peirceth heauen and leaues our harts comfortable testimonies that the holy Ghost resides therin THE XIV MEDITATION The H. Ghosts presence knowen by the effects I. POINT CONSIDER againe as another argument of the H. Ghost the loue of vnitie of harts and communitie of our substances The multitude of beleeuers the primitiue Christians had one hart and one soule neither did anie say that ought was his owne of those things which he possessed but all things were common vnto them nor was anie needie among them From this blessed vnion and Communion did S. Augustine and the rest of the first founders of religious orders take the platforme of their proceedings These saith he were the first that heard How good and how pleasant a thing it is for brethren to dwell in one but that fraternall loue and vnion stopped not there but that exultation of Charitie descended downe to posteritie Thence it is that in religious houses to this day there is but one hart and one soule one celler one panterie one purse one comon designe to loue God aboue all things and their neighbour as themselues Affection O Blessed vnion ô happie communion which composeth euen a heauen in earth In thee noe myne and thyne is heard those cold words which are the source of all dissension In thee there is a perfect imitation of the B. Trinitie where many are one three persons and one onely God many operations but one will one and the same Spirit working them all Many Attributes but one and the same comon substance So saith S. Augustine in a Monasterie they liue so that they all seeme but to compose one man They are many bodies but not many hartes Many operations but all guided by one will Many offices but all vsing one comon substance or stocke And all this that Christians may become one by charitie as Christ and his heauenly Father are one in Deitie If we imbrace and loue this vnitie my soule we hold Charitie and the holy Gost certainly dwells in our hartes How the holy Ghost raignes in vs. I. POINT CONSIDER Finally that the holy Ghost doth not onely liue but gloriously raignes in our harts as it did in the primitiue Christians when we doe not only willingly but euen ioyfully endure contumelies contempts temptations tribulations c. for the name of Iesus yea euen glorie in them for the loue of that name for so did the Apostles Acts. 5. They went from the sight of the Counsell reioycing because they were accompted worthie to suffer reproache for the name of Iesus So the Christian Iewes suffered the losse of their Goods with ioy hoping for a better and a permanent substance And S. Paule I abound with ioy in all my tribulations I euen glorie in them Affection O my soule if we finde this ioy in the holy Ghost this omne gaudium in sufferance with Iesus Let 's reioyce reioyce and springe with ioy because our reward will be great in heauen But reioyce in our Lord the good giuer of this heauenly abundance the holy Ghost raignes in vs. Marrie if we find not this ioy this glorie in tribulation yet find patience and resignation with a desire of this reioyce notwithstanding the holy Ghost liues in vs. And he that begun this good worke will perfect it haue we a little patience and will confirme and establish it at his good pleasure cease not in the interim to emulate how euer we find not ourselues yet in tearmes to performe those better giftes what we haue we haue from God and what we haue from God comes from the order of his wise prouidence one thus and another thus according to the measure of Christs plenitude Cease not to aske to seeke to knocke Truth hath promised by the mouth of Ezechiel that what is weake he will strengthen and what is fatt and stronge he will keepe and feede c. THE XV. MEDITATION How the Holy Ghost is contristated and weakned in vs. I. POINT CONSIDER that euen as the Soule is seene often to languish in the bodie by reason of manie infirmities in such sort as though indeed it liue yet it seemes to be depriued of liuely motion sense and vigour so the soule of the soule the holy Ghost is so contristated as it were by the multitude of veniall sinnes especially if our affection be placed vpon them that it seemes to be depriued of actiuitie that is the hartes wherein it resides leaue off to be prompt feruent flourishing and fruitfull leading a drooping and drowsie life and expecting in a manner the first faire occasion to perish How doe many little sinns being neglected kill saith s. Augustine Marrie manie smalle droppes furnish a riuer and aboundance of sand though smalle graines sinke a shippe the neglect of pumping causes shippwracke as well as the billowes which ouerflowe the shippe Affection Take better grounds my soule Dispute not what 's veniall sinne S. Teresa found not herselfe safe in that practice But what euer hath any face of euill that flye And following S. Paules councell what things soeuer be true what soeuer honest what soeuer iust c. what soeuer of good fame if there be anie vertue anie prayse of discipline those things lets thinke vpon those things let 's doe Le ts not be strait harted
my deare Iesu and I am still desiring to loue thee more and more For in verie deade thou art sweeter then any honie more nourishing then any milke more delicious then all that is delightfull O inflamed Loue who art euer burning and art neuer quenched doe thou inflame me Let me I say be wholy inflamed by thee that so I may wholy loue thee For alas he loues thee too little who loues any thing with thee which he loues not for thee Come deare Iesu come into my soule which thou thy selfe hast prepared towards the receiuing of thee through the desire wherwith it was inspired by thee Enter into it I beseech thee and make it fit for thy selfe that as thou hast made it and redeemed it thou maist also possesse it and place thy selfe as a seale vpon it Giue me thy selfe ô my God restore thy selfe to me for all thinges which are not my verie God are nothing to me I loue thee ô my god I loue thee and if it be yet too litle ah make me loue thee more and more ardently Who am I and who art thou deare Lord who am I I say that the King of heauen the God that made me should come to visite me Alas my Lord I am not ignorant but I loue I am not presumtuous but I loue I euen quake to approach to thee but alas without thee I quite languish and dye Great indeede is my miserie yet infinitly greater is thy mercy And whither my euer mercifull Lord should my languishing Soule run from thee but to thee O that I were able to receiue thee with that humilitie obedience loue and feruour that thy Sacred Virgine Mother conceiued thee O that I had the burning loue of an Angell to receiue thee the foode of Angells O thou spouse of my soule come quickly unto me Come wound my hart with thy loue Come take vp thy mansion and repose in my poore breast Come sweete Iesu come away delay noe longer the hart which thou louest is infirme and languisheth for thy presence Come health come life come thou onely desire of my soule Immediatly before receiuing say O my soule behold thy spouse is coming Goe out and meete him He is thy Creatour thy Lord thy King thy father thy Pastour thy Phisitian thy Crucified Loue Iesus-Christ who louingly payd downe his owne pretious bloud for thy ransome and leaues himselfe wholy for thy foode Aspirations c. presently after receiuing I Haue found thee I haue found thee whom my hart loues nor shalt thou depart from me but lodge betweene my breastes I hold thee I possesse thee I inioy thee in this narrow cottage of my hart whom the heauens cannot comprehend O kisse me with a kisse of thy heauenly sweete mouth my deare Iesu for thy breastes are better then the most deliciously parfumed wine Thy name is oyle powred out thy voyce sweete thy face comely and thou art wholy faire and desiderable O bread of life bread of Angells sanctuarie of soules O sweet and secreete comforter of holy hartes O heauenly Spouse ô Iesu my dearest loue O riches of the soule solace of the afflicted foode of the famished O my ioy my glorie and all my Beatitude Noe other nation had euer their Gods so neere to them as our God is neere to vs who comes himselfe to feede vs with his glorious body and bloud O vnspeakable grace ô admirable fauour ô infinite Charitie What is this that I feele what fire is this that inflames my hart How sweetly doth it heare How secreetly doth it shine How delightfully doth it burne O Goodnesse Goodnesse Goodnesse so old and so new Too late too late alas haue I loued thee who art indeede my onely deare and saciating delight Resolutions after receiuing 1. Since by a mercy neuer sufficiently admired I haue receiued God himselfe as a pledge of his excessiue loue to me The whole loue of my poore hart shall be continually imployd to render him loue for loue Being daigned with his loue I will noe more stoope downe to the loue of creatures but in him and for him 2. Since I haue receiued thy selfe as a Memoriall of all thy wonders my memorie shall be wholy imployed to represēt vnto my thoughtes the abismall humiliations and sweete Mysteries of thy Natiuitie the diuine lessons and labours and wonders of thy blessed life the ineffable torments contempts abandonements and patience of thy bitter passion the singular dearenesse of thy pretious bloud powred out for me thy Law of loue thy innumerable benefits and graces heaped vpon me c. 3. Since I haue had the happinesse to be fedd with the foode of Angells I will neuer more so vnhappily debase my selfe as prodigally to feede with swine I will not after so noble a banket fall vpon dunge c. But rather Angell-like incessantly with hunger of hart feede of that foode and sing his prayses Pronouncing many tymes especially that day My beloued hath testified to my hart that he is myne and I am his His delightes are to be with me and myne shall euer be to be with him I will peirce the heauens with my hart and in my cogitations I will alwayes be with my God My beloued shall be to me a posie of Myrre and shall dwell betwixt my breastes Stay with vs ô Lord stay with vs because it growes late We perish ó Lord we perish and better it is we should not be then be without thee My God and my all A way how to exercise a louing and filiall sorow continually for the greatest sinnes of our life past O Deare Iesu woe is me that euer I did offend thee Alas my dearest Lord it had bene but iust if I had bene lost for euer But thy myld mercy preuented me Yes my soule it was indeede the meere mercy of our Lord that we were not consumed Nisi quia Dominus adiuuit me paulo minus habitasset in inferno anima mea Had not our Lord assisted me by his speciall grace my soule had bene litle lesse at this houre then inhabitant of Hell Yet in that mercy I am humbly confident thou art now with me because I haue conceiued a firme purpose to amende my life in generall and such and such a fault or imperféction in particular making a reflection of what fault most raignes in your hart remayne therfor with me dearest Father and I le remayne with thee And will not be separated from thee for euer For alas my deare Sauiour without thee I am neither able to aduance one foote nor euen stay where I am since in verie deede without thee I am nothing I haue nothing I can doe nothing There is nothing that is good either from me or in me or by me But all good flowes eternally from that vast Ocean of thy essentiall Goodnesse Grant therfor deare Iesu that I may liue in thee and to thee and that I may dye to the world and to all its pompes and vanities and euen to all
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
pharisaicall pride be thou euer farre banished from Christian hartes who art still imployed to misconstrue mens best actions and maliciously to turne them to their disaduantage for what indeede was more sutable to a Sauiour who was not sent to call the iust but the sinners as himselfe testifies then to admitte them into his diuine companie and mildly to couerse with them to teach them the wayes of life And what againe more coÌ„fortable to the poore sinner then to meete with so milde a Sauiour Certes such graciousnesse must needs melte well-borne hartes into teares and make them pronounce with much hope be mercyfull ô God to me a sinner THE SECOND POINT FOR THE SAME DAY The Pharisies and Scribes murmured saying this man receiueth sinners and eateth with them CONSIDER that a quite contrarie spirit appeares in these Doctors of the lawe from that of the great Lawgiuer Christ He comes from heauen not to call the iuste but the sinner to pennance They looke vpon them with indignation and murmure against them He admitts them not onely into his presence and feeds them with his holy worde but euen familiarises himselfe and feeds with them They keepe a loofe off from them proudly pretending feare to be defiled by them while they feare not to be vncharitably censuring both them and him Affection Neuer apprehend it to be pure zeale and true pietie but wicked Pharisaicall pride to haue our eyes open to pointe out such and such for sinners to prie into their actions to imploy our tongue to censure them and to murmure against them This is not the lesson which our mercyfull and mylde Master left vs but that which he reprehended in the Pharisies Noe but contrarily he willed such as were without sinne to throw the first stone at the sinner True iustice saith S. Gregorie begetts compassion in our hartes false iustice breeds detestation THE SECONDE MEDITATION FOR THE SAME SVNDAY Who among you c. doth not leaue the 99. and goe after one that is lost to find it THE FIRST POINTE. CONSIDER how our sweete Sauiour to animate poore sinners to pennance doth not onely admitt them into his companie eate with them and pleade their cause against the Scribes and Pharisies but doth further make appeare vnto them by a familiar example common to them and all the world of a shepharde that leauing ninetie-nine that is the whole heard seemes to imploy his greatest care to finde out the poore sheepe which had strayd from the rest he makes appeare I say that this proceeding of his is so litle lyable to censure that contrarily it is hâ—ld most laudable and is ordinarily vsed by euery one Affection Take courage then my soule and all Christian soules and approche confidently to our good Iesus He comes not now a Iudge but a Sauiour a companion an Aduocate to pleade the poore sinners cause against the proude God sent not his sonne into the world to iudge the world but that the world may be saued by him He leaues the ninetie-nine iuste that is the whole troupes of the Angells to seeke after poore man who had strayed who had prodigall-like deboistly spent his substance in a forraine land and without so strange a mercy had bene lost for euer THE SECONDE POINTE. And when he hath found it layeth it vpon his shoulders c. CONSIDER againe in this parable of our blessed Sauiours that the poore shephard did not onely willingly leaue the ninetie-nine to imploye as it were his whole selfe and his care to find out that one which was lost but hauing found it vsed all sweetnesse towards it not driuing or chaceing it home but louingly loading it vpon his owne shoulders and being returned home with it by calling all his friends to reioyce with him Affection This deare Sauiour of ours ô my soule this carefull shepharde imployd himselfe wholie for our aduantage to find vs out who had strayed into a land of vtter disproportion from him and that not for a fewe dayes weekes or monthes but euen for the space of thirtie three yeares sweetly inuiting all that labour and are oppressed to come to him and he would refreshe them He freely conuersed with sinners pleaded their cause and eate with them Nay more he loaded all our sinnes vpon his owne shoulders and therfor he may most truly be said not onely to haue ioyfully and mercifully brought backe the lost sheepe alone vpon his owne backe but euen all that had otherwise perished eternally THE FIRST MEDITATION FOR THE FOVRTH SVNDAY AFTER WHITSVNDAY The multitude pressed our Sauiour I. Christ to heare his worde Luc. 5. CONSIDER by how many wayes our Sauiour Iesus preaches to our soules and how by the example of the pious multitude we ought diligently to heare it Sometymes he speakes priuatly to our hartes by his holy inspirations Sometymes againe both to our eares and hartes by our Superiours Pastours Confessours and spirituall bookes Finally by the good examples of others by infirmities afflictions c. Affection Turne not my soule a deafe eare to those heauenly exhortations and inuitations Let not that golden shewre of graces which streames downe from aboue fall fruitlessly to the ground through our deffault They are the Euangelicall pearles which ought to be prised aboue all our substance These the manna which ought to be gathered before the sun sett These the seedes of glorie which are to produce in our soules the fruites of eternall felicitie THE SECONDE POINTE. We haue laboured all the night and yet haue taken nothinge CONSIDER that we often labour much and aduance but litle which happens either because we labour by night that is without the light of Gods grace being benighted by sinne Or that we depende more vpon our owne industrie then Gods gracious assistance or finally because we labour for thinges which are not worth the labour which are not permanent which vanish away like a shadowe Such are all earthly things when they are sought for themselues not directed and vsed to Gods glorie Affection It s in vaine my soule to ryse before the light If sinne haue benighted vs grace must leade vs or els we wander in darknesse and walke further from our fathers house Begge it then earnestly incessantly haue present recourse to the Sacraments to those streames of grace It is refused to none who seeke it as they ought Distruste in our owne force which infallibly will fayle vs. Aske for things which are worthy of Gods giuing such as tende to our saluation and his glorie not transitorie toyes which he leaues to his enemys and refuses to his friends in exercising mercy towards them THE SECONDE MEDITATION FOR THE SAME SVNDAY When they had done as our Sauiour ordered them they inclosed a verie great multitude of fishes and their net was broken THE FIRST POINTE. CONSIDER that Peter and the rest who had laboured all night and caught nothinge while they wholy depended vpon their owne industrie and skill in fishing as soone as
Christians know but too much to doe solitle Ignorance may some tymes excuse but luke warmenesse idlenesse and negligence can neuer We know what a deare price was putt downe at Ierusalem for our ransome and what an inestimable reward is prepared for vs in the heauenly Ierusalem We knowe what endlesse torments are threatened if we liue not according to the knowledge and light of faith we haue We know that this day is yet ours an acceptable tyme a day of saluation wherin more may be done for a sith a teare a contrite and humbled harte then can be purchaced by the prayers of all the saintes in heauen this day of our life being once past Affection And is it yet possible my soule that after all these wholsome and certaine knowledges we still liue in a cold carelessnesse as tho there were nothing after this life either to be feared or hoped for Is it possible that we dare idly spend this day of ours lent vs to worke our saluation in and still make bold to take new dayes with God which were neuer promised vs for our couersion Is there any of vs so resolute as would not weepe were he assured that within three dayes he should be cited before the dreadfull Tribunall of a wrothfull Iudge and yet while we haue but one daye we can call ours or one present houre according to S. Paule we dare passe it in laughing languishing sleeping c. which leade to death and be like those hazardous soules who spend their dayes in delights and in a moment descende into Hell THE SECONDE POINTE. Because thou hast not knowne the tyme of thy visitation CONSIDER that our B. Sauiour declares that the cause of the vtter destruction of Ierusalem was because they did not know that is through ingratitude obstinacie and blindnesse they acknowledged not the speciall fauour of hauing the son of God sent to them in person to visite them to make them heare his sacred word from his owne mouth to worke multitudes of miracles in their sight c. Affection Alas my soule I feare we know but too much to performe so litle as we doe Ah! the seruant who knowes the will of his Lord and doth it not shall be beaten with many stripes And dare we deney that we knowe his will to be our sanctitie and that we ought to be perfect as our heauenly Father is perfect and yet how coldly doe we creepe on in that way Haue we not frequently had the honour of his heauenly visites heard his sugerred words and experienced in our deade soules the miracles of his grace Ah my soule let vs diligently call to mynde the tymes of those gracious visitations with the thankfulnesse of our whole hartes and singe those sweete mercyes for euer and euer THE FIRST MEDITATION FOR THE TENTH SVNDAY AFTER WHITSVNDAY The Pharisie standing prayed thus with himselfe Luc. 18. CONSIDER in this Parable the true discription of a proud Petitioner or rather of one that goes not so much to the Church to pray as to prayse himselfe He gaue God thankes indeede but with taking a vaine complaceance in his giftes esteeming himselfe so rich that he asked noe more nay he euen insulted at the poore publicane who asked He is not like the rest of men excepting none extortioners vniust adulterers nor is he like that publican wherin he addes rashe iudgement to his pride In fine halfe the lawe is but declining from euill and all that if you beleeue him he has performed Affection Beware my soule of this proud prayer which prouokes Gods wroth vpon vs. What haue we of grace or nature which we haue not receiued and if they be Gods gifts why doe we vainely glorie in them as though we had not receiued them Why doe we glorie in them and preferre our selues before poore sinners whom we looke upon with disdaigne who are happly farre better then we in the sight of God Let such as stand looke that they fall not Let our eyes be fixed vpon our owne defects leauing God to iudge our neighbour to whom he stands or falls THE SECONDE POINTE. I fast twice a weeke I giue tythes of all I possesse c. CONSIDER that pride still ascends and gaynes ground The Pharisie had alreadie in his owne esteeme freed himselfe from all stayne of sinne what rests for his pride but to preach his owne vertues that so Christian iustice might appeare accomplished in him I faste twice a weeke saith he I giue tithes of all I possesse not of the fruites of the earth onely according to the prescript of the lawe but euen of all without exception Affection Looke vpon this vaine boasting my soule with horrour and carefully striue to auoyde that dangerous shelfe of presumption vpon which so many apparently deuoute soules perish What euer good workes we doe how vertuous resolutions soeuer we make finde we neuer so much feruour facilitie and spirituall delight in the practise of vertue and goodnesse let vs still distruste in our selues hartily acknowledging that we are nothing we haue nothing we can doe nothing of our selues not so much as thinke one good thought but all our sufficiencie is from God hauing all-wayes in our mouthes with the holy Church Deus in adiutorium meum intende Domine ad adiunandum me festina THE SECONDE MEDITATION FOR THE SAME SVNDAY The Publican standing a farre off would not so much as lift vp his eyes towards heauen THE FIRST POINT CONSIDER in this poore Publican the perfect picture of a true penitent He stands a farre off as iudging himselfe vnworthy to come neere the Altar he dares not so much as lift vpp his eyes to heauen because shame and confusion had couered his countenance to haue offended so great a Maiestie he knockes his breast where sinne was conceiued and seemes to take reuenge of himselfe He beseeches God to be mercyfull to him a sinner exposing his miserie onely for Gods mercy to magnifie it selfe vpon Affection Let vs not my soule be ashamed to learne of this poore publicane what dispositions we ought to bringe with vs when we goe to sue to the dreadefull maiestie of God for remission of our sinnes Nay rather let vs blush that after so longe practise in spiritualitie we fall short of that poore sinner after so much light so many heauenly inspirations so many helpes and assistances which he neuer had And yet while our eyes lye open to euery distraction his with confusion are fixed vpon the ground not daring to looke vpon the heauens he takes reuenge vpon the breaste wherin sinne was conceiued and makes humbly confessed miserie alone pleade for mercy THE SECONDE POINTE. Be mercyfull to me a sinner CONSIDER the contrarie effects of the farre contrarie proceedings of the proude Pharisie and humble Publican The Pharisie came with his hart full swolne with proud iustice and returned with his hands emptie The publican came loaden with humble iniustice and an emptie hart and he returnes with
to our selues too to be dying or deade in spirit whilst in truth and in the neuer fayling sight of God we are in perfect health and doe but onely slumber and a litle forgett our selues Or els if being truly deade through infirmitie we presently run to Iesus for succour while we are in his hands in whom all thinges doe liue he being indeede resurrection and life we cannot be said so much to be deade as to sleepe for a while till he interpose his powerfull hand to rayse vs to our spirituall life againe Affection Alas my soule the litle skill we haue to discerne betweene suggestion deliberation and consent causes in vs more doubts then deathes more fearfull apprehensions then true crymes Be our harte brim-full of disloyall and abominable representations they are but yet suggestions none can auoyde them they want deliberation they want consent the mayde is not yet deade this infirmitie is not to death but to Gods glorie But doth suggestion begett pleasure and pleasure procure deliberate consent through infirmitie and ignorance yet is she not irrecouerably or finally deade nor is this varie death to death since presently she has recourse to Christ for helpe who interposeth his hand and suffers her not to be brused in her fall but teacheth her therby her owne weaknesse and miserie his power and mercy by which alone she sees she is able to stand THE SECONDE MEDITATION FOR THE SAME SVNDAY And behold a woman who was troubled with an issue of bloud twelue yeares came behind him THE FIRST POINTE. CONSIDER with what dispositions this poore woman came to our Sauiour And first tho we may easily conceiue that twelue yeares sufferance of that wasting desease had brought her lowe enough yet she with as much courage of mynde as weaknesse of body pressed through the thronge to gettneere Christ Secondly she approched with as much modestie humilitie and vnderualuing of her selfe as high conceipt of his power and Maiestie before whose face she would not presume to present her selfe but onely came behind him to touch him c. Affection O my soule let vs place the example of this poore woman before our eyes And let vs but vse the same care courage modestie abiect conceipt of our selues and high esteeme of God for the cure of our spiritual infirmities be they not of twelue yeares grouth onely but euen farr more inueterate and we may certainly harbour in our soules many comfortable hopes that our care courage modestie abiect conceipt of our selues and high esteeme of God will be agreeable in his diuine sight thar he will looke vpon them with pittie and say to vs as he did to her take a good harte daughter thy faith hath made the safe and the woman became whole from that houre THE SECONDE POINTE. She said within her selfe if I shall touch onely his garment I shall be safe CONSIDER further two other dispositions which this good woman brought with her To witt a huge esteeme of Christ his power and an vnspeakable confidence in his goodnesse The first plainely appeares in that she dares venture her cure in the onely touching not of himselfe but euen of any thinge which toucheth him to witt the verie hemme of his garments And the seconde is manifested in these few confident words If I shall touch onely the hemme of his garment I shall be safe Affection Alas my soule when we compare our cold confidence to the great faith of this good woman we may well say we beleeue ô Lord yet helpe our incredulitie and increase this deade faith of ours For loe she neither couets to speake to Christ nor to haue him speake to her neither to touch him nor to be touched by him but onely in silence to touche the hemme of his garment and she is presently cured O conquering modestie O soule speaking silence Thou haste a more facile accesse to him who heares hartes then the lowdest importunities of those too sollicitous and perplexed soules who seeme to endeuour as it were by force of armes to obteyne their requestes My soule le ts onely humbly hope in our Lord and he will giue vs the desires of our harte THE FIRST MEDITATION FOR THE XXIV SVNDAY AFTER WHITSVNDAY When you shall see the abomination of desolation which according to Daniel shall appeare in the Temple c. Matt. 24. THE FIRST POINTE. CONSIDER that by the abomination of desolation which Daniel foretold was meant the deplorable destruction of Ierusalem by Titus and Vespasianus and by that againe the dismale conflagration of the vniuersall world in the last day when Christ shall come to iudge the same in great power and maiestie But by these two againe the day of the accursed eternitie is pointed out where there shall be weeping wayling and gnashing of teeth for euer The first is past with extreame horrour and disaster to the incredulous Iewe the seconde shall passe with vtter consternation both to Iewe and gentile but the third shall proue the abomination and desolation indeede among the damned and shall neuer passe Affection Great my soule astonishing greate was the desolation of those accursed Iewes when they sawe the Temple of God that wonder of the world vtterly destroyed and beheld Ierusalem that lady of all nations buried in her owne ruines her inhabitants famished and buchered finally her matrons deuowring the fruite of their owne wombes Greater yet will it be when we shall behold not Ierusalem alone but the whole world on fire at the day of Doome when the powers of heauen shall quake with reuerentiall feare and men shall wither away with dreade But greatest of all when we behold the day of the cursed eternitie which shall neuer haue end I conceiue in mynde a thousand yeares I adde to those a thousand thousand yeares yea as many thousands and millions as piles of grasse on the earth or sands in the sea And yet I haue nothing comparable to eternitie O Eternitie Eternitie Alas how rarely thou are considered by miserable man THE SECONDE POINTE. When you shall see the abomination of desolation standing in the holy place to witt in the Temple c. CONSIDER that the abomination of desolation which Daniel foretold was in particular the idolatrous erecting of the statues of Caesar and Adrian the Emperours in the Temple of Ierusalem But the abomination of desolation wherin we are all more concerned as being of farre more danger to each of vs is that of the sinners setting vp the Idoles of pride couetousnesse luxurie in the liuing Temples of God to witt in the hart wherin the holy Ghost should inhabite and raigne Affection O my soule what a strange peruersitie is this so to prophane the liuing Temple of the Almightie Mans harte was made by God capable of God for God in whom a lone it is able to find rest while the holy Ghost doth inhabite it as his Temple But alas what agreement hath the Temple of God with the base Idolls we sett vp There
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