The Rain-bow shall be in the clouds saith the Text as spoken by God himself And I will look upon it that I may remember the everlasting covenant Here we may say the place consign'd was the Rain-bow on which the Covenant to be remembred was placed and by that Rain-bow was prefigured Christ on the Cross whom his Father beholding is moved to mercy and compassion towards sinners And why should not we wretched sinners whenever we behold or represent to our selves this Rain-bow to wit Christ crucifi'd and fasten'd to the Cross diversifi'd with the several colours of red and white and black and blew c. immediately call to mind what he suffred and for whom he suffred And why may we not upon that representation according to the foresaid Art assign eight several places at certain distances for our better remembrance and practice of the Eight Beatitudes And whereas the Lord said that the Rain-bow should be seen in the Clouds why may not the representation of our Saviours bitter Passion be our Remembrancer how that he was encompassed not only with a cloud but with a total eclipse of heaviness and grief In fine if God said that he would look upon the Rain-bow that he might remember his Covenant ought not we frequently to imagine to selves a sight of him who is the Angel of the Covenant the Prince of Peace and the Mirrour and great Exemplar of patience and meekness When we reflect on his nakedness on the Cross shall we not thence derive a certain memento how poor he was in spirit and so of the rest with a reason why each Beatitude is consign'd to its proper place It will not be impertinent in this place to bring in what S. Augustine says in his Boook of Confessions lib. 10. as having reference both to our subject Beatitude and what we have deliver'd concerning our Art of Memory All of us saith he would fain be happy which if we did not apprehend with a certain kind of notice we could not all desire it with so resolute a will which certain kind of notice may be understood of the Memory wherein the knowledge of Beatitude is renewed AN INVITATION To the Grove of BEATITUDES Emblematically represented by Eight Trees HEre no Sylvanus haunts our Grove Here no prophane wild Satyrs rove Nor in our glades And blissful shades Diana and her Nymphs resort To chase the nimble Deer and sport A fairer wight More pure and bright Than rosie morn that sweetly breathes Appears crown'd with immortal wreathes The Starrie skies With radiant Eyes Are not so beauteous clear and fair Nor for the night and day a pair That glorious shine Shee 's so divine I Beatitude whom you may see Or 〈◊〉 with a Cornel Treâ— Which forward Springs And blossoms brings Ere levie erests to shrowd appear To wanton with the winds for here Vnknown before In spirit poor Beatitude in her retreat Poor in desire hath sixt her feat In Heaven whose store Lasts evermore II. Hence pass along that you may be Blest by your sight when you shall see This fair one sit Whom never yet Blind mortals found Then for her seek A Lady humble gentle meek Whose powerful Hand Doth seize the Land Like is this Arched Tree which sends A thousand shoots for so she bends Down to the Earth Blest by the birth Of humble thoughts which deeply take Firm root in Heaven and happy make For ever blest When shee 's possess'd III. The weeping Myrrh-Tree next in fight Is shading this sad mourning wight for as this Tree Distills so she Drops Orient Pearls which shining are Then Indian Gems more precious far Which never soil Sad Grief 's the foil IV. Move farther yet into our Grove And view the Tree which bears the Clove Bloom'd like a nail You shall not fail To find her where upon the ground She thirsting sits encompass'd round Midst such a plot As yet could not Admit a nanghty weed to grow The sap of Grace shee 's thirsting so Which doth impart Life to the Heart V. Shee 's gone from thence fly fly make bastes To follow her and find her plac'd Vnder the shade A Tree hath made Bears Adam's Apples No time 's lost To split them and behold how crost Is every fruit Which well doth suit With her who wounded deep with Grief Feeles others wants and gives relief And when you see Vpon this Tree Large spreading leaves know she is blest Findes Mercy cause she joyes to vest The naked poore Tangment her store VI. Yet fâ—â—ther chase this glorious wight Be sure to keep her still in sight Whom if you lose Your Hearts repose In bliss is gone See where retir'd Shee 〈◊〉 fits by Heaven inspird With Silver Breast To take her resh Where Figgs upon the Tree were green And hard until a Gnat was seen To be so kind As wound the rind Whose 〈◊〉 drop descends 〈◊〉 were In Aemulation of a Tear Fallne from her Eyes Which you may prize By blessings which each doth impart To wash and cleanse an ordur'd Heart And purifie Th' affected Eye VII Shee 's risen thence pursue her still You shall you must yâ—◠〈◊〉 nill Nor covet less Than happiness Behold this active Virgin sits Where the sweet amorous Wood-Bind knits With clasping Arms And powerful Charmes A neighbouring pair of Stands which fought Blown by the winds till round about It guirdes and bindes And clings and windes Like her who never doth surcease Beatitude to link make peace Vnite with bands Both Hearts and Hands VIII In fine This Lady yet removes Vnto a streading Vine which loves That it may bear In time of year To have her branches prun'd and gyves To bind her Arms for so she thrives Fixt to a wall But seeming thrall Is Persecution which who takes And patient hears be muck forsakes And leaves his hold Of dross for Gold What then is he so gross and rude That covets not Beatitude 1. In Spirit poor T' abound with store 2. Meek to possess True happiness 3. Mourn midst annoy To reap with joy 4. Thirst Hunger still To have his fill 5. Pittiful-kind Mercy to find 6. Pure-hearted see And Blesled be 7. Peaceful in Life Composing strife 8. Suffer and take Affliction make A Crown on Earth in Heaven of Light When fair Beatitude more bright Shall be compleat in God th' Abyss Of joy and everlasting Bliss ASHREA OR The Grove OF BEATITUDES Represented in EMBLEMES THE Eight BEATITUDES Blessed are the poor in Spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the Earth Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after Righteousness for they shall be filled Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God Blessed are the Peace-makers for they shall be called the Children of God Blessed are they which are persecuted for Righteousness sake for theirs is the
art always displease thee if thou wilt arrive to what thou art not For saith he elsewhere wherever thou makest a stop without proceeding any further there thou pleasest only thy self A man must not therefore six a Ne plus ultra to his better thoughts and Actions but go on like this Tree and be continually supply'd with good Desires as that produceth new shoots which as it were grasp the Earth to take a firmer and fuller possession thereof Moreover we finde by experience that when a Tree is slightly planted or its roots decay'd there needs no great storm to overthrow it Such is that man who is not humbly meek and patient One violent puff of anger is able to dispossess him of the Land yea and of his own Soul which cannot be possess'd but by patience nor by any but the meek and humble Now if you demand why the meek are rather said to possess the Land than any other Element I answer While our Saviour was mortal he appeared to his Disciples walking on the waves of the Sea to intimate thereby the mutability of man during this life But after his Resurrection having a glorified Body he stood on the firm Land to signifie as S. Gregory expounds that after this life man shall enjoy a permanent tranquillity and repose in the Land of the Living The Earth patiently as I may say supports all and continues immovable So doth the meek and humble man while the haughty and impatient are inconstant like the Air turbulent like the Sea and crackle and sparkle like the Fire When the like happeneth unto thee reflect thine eye on the sacred Head of thy Redeemer meekly bowing down while the ungrateful Jews revile and blaspheme against him where he saith Learn of me for I am meek and humble of heart and you shall find rest in your Souls tranquillity in your though is and in fine that solid land that shall render you for ever happy the Land of the living which I now purchase for you the Land of Promise into which I am your Joshua to conduct you from Egypt the World a Land of Servitude to a Land of Freedom and Immunity from feeding on Garlick and Onions to taste the sweet Repast of Angels CONSIDERATIONS ON THE II. BEATITUDE Of the bowing down of our Blessed Saviour's Head HAving in the precedent Beatstude learn'd a lesson of Poverty by the consideration of our Saviours nakedness on the Cross behold here his sacred Head meekly bowing down whereby is expressed the second Beatitude Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit or possess the Earth Now as those Waters which lye next the Shore may be said to possess the Shore at least during a Calm so it can only be affirmed of the meek and patient man that he possesseth his Soul according to the words of our Saviour In your patience you shall possess your Souls and Learn of me for I am meek and humble of heart and you shall find rest to your Souls a quiet calm and sweet repose To be meek is to converse without giving offence and to bear injuries without thought of Revenge or perturbation of Mind as our Lord did with head meekly inclin'd while the Jews uttered Blasphemies and Contumelies against him Having this Precedent still before my eyes I will resolve in this Book to study meekness and patience not rendring evil for evil but by good to overcome evil And the better to conceive the excellency of Meekness I will make a lively representation to my self of the Vice which is contrary thereto by a swelling and tempestuous Sea whose Billows rais'd by the Winds violently beat against the Rocks on the Shore Foaming thus with fury are the wrathful and impatient Then reflect thine eye on our Lord meekly bowing down his Head like a calm Sea or like a Sheep despoil'd of his Fleece naked on the Cross opening not his mouth but to pray for his Enemies saying Father forgive them for they know not what they do Think what Land it is which the meek shall possess If the Earth thy Body thou shalt have possession of it and dominion over it by meekness while thy Passions are subject to reason Contrariwise the wrathful are so transported that losing as 't were themselves they are cast out of possession of themselves while the Heart swells with Envy the Eyes sparkle with Fury the Feet are running and the Hands ready to execute Revenge like one fallen into a deep River who not able to swim nor touch ground with his Feet is overwhelmed and in danger of drowning Behold the state of an angry and revengeful Man who possesseth not the Land of solid Patience being wholly drown'd in his turbulent Passions loseth himself utterly for a time as a man distraught whom by meekness God should here possess in the Land of the Dying that he may be possessed of God for ever in the Land of the Living which is promised to the meek Let him therefore who is become so absolutely a slave to that passion make this short Ejaculation to the great Exemplar of Meekness O patient Redeemer and meek Lamb who takest away the sins of the World If by beholding the brazen Serpent the poyson of Serpents was expelled how can I behold thee the pure and unspotted mirror of Meekness and yet retain enmity and rancor in my heart If no storms and blustring winds are predominant at Sea while the Halcyon is nestling and brooding neer the shore grant all stormy Passions may be allay'd by thy powerful presence in my heart by thee only who art the solid Land and my total happiness which I beseech I may possess here on Earth by Grace and afterwards in Glory Let Worldlings contend and vex themselves about recovery or possession of Lands of which they must in fine be dispossess'd It is good for me to adhere to God and seek him in the Land of the Living where the humble meek and patient whose Hearts on Earth were a place of sweet repose enjoy him in eternal tranquillity The Kingdom of Heaven is within you saith our Lord And consequently that firm and compleat tranquillity of Heaven begins on Earth by Grace to be perfected by Glory Within this little Kingdom of ours what a commotion is rais'd by wrath what a perturbation by enmity what a rebellion when Meekness and Patience is banished out of the Soul by Passion When such mutinies therefore arise within me whither shall I hasten for redress To whom shall I seek for assistance but to the wounded Head of my Saviour meekly bowing down to give me the kiss of Peace and infuse meekness into my Soul But now alas he is not able by words to command the storm to cease as he did when his Apostles feared drowning No. But will it not suffice to pacifie thee O my Soul enrag'd to behold thy Lord and meek Lamb more firmly fix'd by patience and meekness then by the nails that transfix'd his hands and feet What a commotion
Should I behold thee in the poor and not commiserate thee or behold thee in the naked and not cloth thee or in the sick and not visit thee or in the hungry and not feed thee Thou gavest all even to the last drop of Blood to redeem me a vile Sinner O that I could give and surrender all I am and have to thee my God and Saviour O that I could love thee with an entire Heart and with all the powers of my Soul On his Heart Against Impure Thoughts O Good Jesu I behold thy tender Heart pierc'd through with a cruel Spear and seem to hear thee say Blessed are the clean of Heart for they shall see God O that my sinful Heart were transfixt with sorrow for my sins by true compunction that I may have the happiness to behold my God by having a clean Heart and purified Soul by true Contrition Jesu be merciful to me a Sinner that I may have a Contrite Heart deeply wounded and transfixt with sorrow as often as I behold thy wounded Side and Heart whence flowed Blood and Water With which thou O Lord shalt sprinkle me and I shall be clean thou shalt wash me and I shall be whiter than Snow On Christ's Hands Against perturbations of Mind O Good Jesu I behold thy sacred Hands pierced through with nails and seem to hear thee say Blessed are the Peace-makers for they shall be call'd the Children of God Thou O Lord wert the great Peace-maker who didst interpose thy self betwixt thy Heavenly Father and us Sinners Thou hast made our Peace yet still I find disquiet of Mind upon sleight occasions vain fears and worldly respects Therefore I appeal to thee the great Peace-maker and Son of God and beseech thee to assist me with thy powerful Grace that I likewise may be a Peace-maker not onely externally amongst such as are at variance but likewise inwardly that I may pacifie my own Soul and thereby become the peaceful Child of God who seeks repose in a Soul free from anxious thoughts and worldly perturbations Amen On his Feet Against Fear of Persecution O Good Jesu I behold thy sacred Feet pierced through with nails and seem to hear thee say Blessed are they that suffer Persecution for righteousness sake for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven Thou O Lord wert persecuted unto death even the death of the Cross For which God gave thee a Name above all Names O Blessed Saviour since thou hast promised a Kingdom to them that suffer with thee and for thee I must not I cannot presume to reign with thee unless I suffer for thy sake And since no Man shall be crowned but he that lawfully fights for thy Honour and suffers for thy Glory why should I be so backward so timorous so unwilling to undergo whatever Persecution it pleases thee to send or to permit which I should receive as a Favour from Heaven and certain pledge of thy Love and Favour who being a Loving Father receivest no Child whom thou dost not chastise Under whose Rod of Correction may I humbly through thy powerful Grace submit and fully resign my Will to be a chosen Member of that Kingdom which thou hast promised to them that suffer Persecution for thy Names sake Amen Amen Part of the 143. Psalm paraphras'd concerning true Beatitude O Rescue me out of the hand Of such as thy behests withstand Degenerate Children they wholly And utter naught but vanity Whose powerful Arms in my distress Were Arms stretch'd forth to wickedness Whose Youthfull Sonns like to a Spring Of vigorous shoots are flourishing Whose Daughters dress'd their Pride display Deckt Temple-like in rich array Whose store of Corn abundant lies Heapt up in their rich Granaries Whose Ewes are fruitful flocks that go Mantling the Earth like drifts of snow Whose Oxen prosper fat and fair And in whose Walls no ruins are Nor noyse of Thieves or Rogues that meet Or hideous out-cries in the Street Such some admire and Happy call Cause they have blessings temporal But I him Blest have understood Whose Lord to him is God all good FINIS
Kingdom of Heaven The First BEATITUDE Blessed are the poor in Spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven EMBLEME I. The Cornel-Tree Tam nudus natus homo-1 So naked Blossom-like you see A Man is born Ah! but if he In Spirit were as poor Then which ' Mongst Mortals here could I term Rich THis Cornelia or Cornel-Tree in February begins to bloom and bears blossoms long before there is any appearance of Leaves to secure and shrowd them from the injuries of Wind and Weather This is the true Embleme of Man who is born naked and springs forth like a tender Blossome As Job saith Naked came I from the womb of my Mother and naked shall I return From which we may learn this Lesson That as man is born poor and naked in Body so should he be in Spirit that is in Will and Desire seeing that as he brought nothing into this World so shall he not carry any thing out of it Now forasmuch as man is naturally too apt to be over-sollicitous for the things oâ— this World he may learn from this Cornell-Tree That if he make it his first Endeavour to bud and blossome and fructifie in Virtue a short time will furnish him with all the consequent Advantages and Conveniences of Humane Life For this Tree does afterwards plentifully bring forth Leaves to shelter and shadow its Fruit As if it should say according to our Blessed Saviour's expression First seek the Kingdom of Heaven first bloom in Virtue nourish'd by the sap of Grace spreading it self from the Root of Christian Humility into all the Boughs and Branches that is into all your Actions and all other things shall be added unto you Leaves shall not be wanting that is Cloaths to cover you besides other Necessaries which are all in fine but Leaves Nay Honours and Dignities what are they but withering Leaves What Wealth or rich Apparel but Leaves whereof Man is soon despoil'd and left poor and naked What voluptuous Pleasures but Leaves which so soon as enjoy'd shrink up and vanish Oh! what a bleak Autumn and Fall of the Leaf sudden and unexpected is that we find in this our Vale of Misery Who then would not be poor in Spirit and naked in his Affections to the leafy Creatures of this transitory Life that he may bloom to Eternity This is the poverty which lightneth the heart of Man formerly clogg'd with too much care and follicitude With this poverty of Spirit a Man runs freely towards Heaven his Country With this is accompanied Humility which lesseneth Man to himself that he may lie hidden and secure like a Blossom under the Leaves never to be blasted with Pride On this Humility Patience attends and enables a Man to suffer with Christ It is the Enemy and Self-love that surcharge Man with worldly cares riches and vices which are but Leaves without the Blossoms of Virtue These are they which puff up Man with ambitious thoughts that he high aspiring may find a precipice These incite great Spirits to toil and labour yet so as that out of breath even to the World they may happily at last reflect on Christ crucified and in his nakedness read Blessed are the poor in Spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven Might not he be said to be poor in Spirit that lies gasping and labouring for breath while every minute he apprehends Death at his Elbow ready to stifle him To be as poor in Spirit in another sense is to conceive the like That death is neighbouring as neer unto us which when it comes dismantles the covetous Heart of Man as well as his Body Why then shall not I prevent him by being disengag'd from the extream desire of Riches and verifie what S. Jerome assures us to be true Caput jam canescit prope est aest as vitae falx acuitur instat messor terribilâ— Gr. Nazianz. That He easily contemns all things who is always thinking that he shall die That if his Body be a flourishing green Meadow Death the Mower is at hand That if it be a beauteous Flower in an instant 't is cropt And finally If his Life be but a vapour it is soon dispell'd Ah! what an earthy substance interposeth 'twixt the Heart of Man and the Sun of Justice And what a dark Eclipse is thereby caused in their Souls who are not poor in Spirit CONSIDERATIONS ON THE I. BEATITUDE Of our Blessed Saviour's Nakedness upon the Cross THe Crucifix or Representation of our Blessed Saviour crucifi'd is a Book wherein may be read the Eight Beatitudes preached by him when he was upon Earth as some conceive on Mount Thabor and afterwards exemplifi'd in him on Mount Calvary At first aspect as your eye reflects on Christ crucified you behold him naked by which you may read the first Beatitude Blessed are the poor in Spirit that is to say poor in Will and Desire of having any thing of this World and therefore he would die as naked as he came into it Teaching us hereby how naked we should be in our Affections ready to be despoil'd of worldly Riches for his sake And so poor in Spirit as to lose our last breath rather then deny our Faith or him by preferring his Creatures before him Consider how poor our Lord and Saviour was in Spirit who did annihilate and evacuate himself taking upon him the form of a Servant And how for thy Redemption he gave himself unto thee and for thee to restore thee to thy self who wert lost and utterly undone by sin Now seeing he may wholly claim thee by right of Creation whereby he gave thee to thy self what hast thou left to render unto him for thy Redemption In the Creation of the World he spake the word and it was done but to redeem Man he spake did and suffered that for which thou art infinitely indebted Say then with the Prophet David What shall I render to our Lord for all that which he hath given me He desires but my self poor in Spirit and naked in mine Affections to the transitory things of this Life which cannot be till I abandon my self whom while I cherish and pamper through disordinate love I shall still be coveting the pelf of the World pleasures dignities and self-esteem so far from being poor in Spirit Will and Desire that I am involv'd and cloath'd as it were with a burthen of earthly Cares and Concupiscences which having cast off by poverty of Spirit we walk more freely towards Heaven our Country A Begger the more naked he appears the more he moves to pity and compassion and with more confidence intrudes to receive an Alms then another in better Apparel So to beg an Alms from God from whom every good and perfect gift descends present thy self as naked and poor in Spirit as thou canst Acknowledg thy self to have been hitherto an unprofitable servant naked as to all desert poor and abject in Spirit not having serv'd him with alacrity in time of afflictions crosses or
desolations of soul Then make a generous resolution for the time to come with a humble resignation to desire or have nothing but with conformity to his holy Will and Pleasure and say O most poor and most enriching Lord who dost invest and cloath all yet on the Cross art naked Bounteous in thy spiritual Graces and Favours yet so poor in Spirit and Desire that thou hast no place whereon to rest thy dying head yet hast promised a Kingdom to those who with thee are poor in Spirit Behold I renounce here whatsoever the flattering World shall allure me with I abandon all rather than forsake thee Nay not only these exterior things but I also desire to be so naked and poor in Spirit as not to have a Memory but to call to mind and think often of thy infinite Mercy and Love towards me no Vnderstanding but to ruminate and seriously ponder thy manifold Sufferings and Benefits conferred on me no Will but to love thee and my Neighbour in and for thee In such sort that being entirely resign'd to thy holy Will and Pleasure I may say with thine Apostle I live now not I but Christ lives in me Were not he in some sort poor in Spirit that should if it were possible live and breathe move and speak by 〈…〉 own Such was S. Paul's in whom Christ I may say lived and breath'd mov'd and spake Contrariwise How rich were he in Spirit in Will and Desire whose Soul should be wholly addicted to Self-love and proper Interest That breathes nothing wherein Christ is concerned but pursues only Ambition a Spirit that swells and puffs up the heart That moves not but by the agitation of a coveting Spirit Like a Silk-worm in fine to involve it self in a web of darkness and oblivion It is a great and shameful abuse saith S. Bernard for Man a poor and abject Worm greedily to covet Riches for whom the Lord of Majesty vouchsafed to bee poor A shame to be always toiling and weaving like a Silk-worm which as it shrowds it self more and more is the nearer death to leave to Posterity a silken web for Pride as a Parent doth often-time his Inheritance after a life unhappily consum'd in avaritious Desires which like a gloomy Cloud had so darkened the eye of the Soul that she which had been infus'd into the Body like a ray from Heaven was even obscurity it self As S. Augustine complains The blindness of mans heart is so great and the inward ear of the Soul so deaf that he desires to have all things but himself which must be such a Self as he may truly say with David What is there in Heaven for me and being poor in Spirit what do I desire on Earth but thee My flesh and heart faints and languisheth my Spirit is poor and enfeebled to all that which this World presents me with Thou O Lord art the God of my heart my portion my God for ever Unhappy then are the avaritious who have a god Gold their Idol but not for ever rich in the desire of earthly trash but unhappily poor in Spirit that aspire not to the possession of that Treasure which no rust shall canker nor length of time consume How can I behold the naked Blossom springing from the Cornell-Tree in cold February and not remember how I came into this wretched World exposed to Hunger Thirst cold heat weariness Infirmities Death Poor Blossom Man How soon blasted how suddenly withered which all thy leafy Riches cannot prevent Who then would not rather be poor in Spirit as naked in his Affections to worldly pelf as his Saviour dying naked on the Cross But naked to enrich me hungring and thirsting there but to save me cold to infuse into my Soul the ardors of his Love expos'd to heat but to quench my immoderate Desires weary to refresh me weak to strengthen me and finally dying to give me a life of eternal Beatitude in a Kingdom which he hath promised to the poor in Spirit I will consider why King Danid is said to have swept his Spirit meditating with his heart in the night Was it not by sweeping to cast out of doors the dust of worldly cogitations and terrene desires which like dust obscures and even blinds the eyes of the Soul Was he not poor in Spirit when he had swept together and cast out the dust of transitory things that he might contemplate the eternal Therefore he said in the precedent verse That he had thought of the ancient days and time of Mans life wherein he enjoys Riches and worldly felicity to which he opposing the Riches of Heaven and Eternity says He retain'd in mind the everlasting years If we have our several rooms in the vast habitacle of our Soul none is so often to be swept as that where intrudes sollicitude to be harboured accompanied with care and anxiety of mind together with fear that presents us with the future losses or crosses which may occur And therefore for prevention all the powers of the Soul are summoned to be vigilant and cautious for the safegard and increase of wealth by which poverty in Spirit and Will is cast out of doors The Second BEATITUDE Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the Earth EMBLEME II. The Indian Fig-Tree Sic suvat esse tenacem-2 So do the Meek to fix their Roots Humbly let down as many Shoots As good Desires which spring from Love Take root in Heaven the Land above THis Tree above all others may be said to be possessed of or to inherit the Earth For the Branches of it bending downwards to the ground no sooner touch it but they immediately take root and grew up into other Trees which afterwards produce others so that in time they spread over all the ground they meet with and yet all though stragling over a great quantity of ground way be sold to be but one Tree Another thing commonly observ'd of these Trees is that they afford a secure retreat not only to the wild Boars and other Beasts but also to the Inhabitants of those Countries where they grow who having garrison'd themselves within them defie all Enemies In like manner a pious and fructifying Soul in order to her possession of the Land of the Living produceth many active thoughts diffuses her self into good actions which yet obeying the check of Humility descends to be more deeply rooted Thus the Meek 〈◊〉 on and lay hold of that which is their heavenly Inheritance de virtute in virtutem passing from one Virtue to another and saying with S. Augustine As yet I follow yet I profit yet I walk yet I am in the way yet I dilate my self yet I arrive not Behold how like this Indian Fig-Tree the devout Soul makes her progress and advances forward still taking new root still laying faster hold never accounting her self secure or that she hath done enough as submitting to the advice of the same S. Augustine to wit this Let that which thou
I never mourn but for my sins nor grieve but for the loss of thee IV. On thy sacred Mouth crying out I thirst I read thou didst hunger and thirst after righteousness that I might be justified by thy Death and Passion Grant sweet Jesu I may ever hunger and thirst after this V. By thy wounded Side I find thou wert merciful giving all thy precious blood for my redemption May I be merciful to thee in thine that I may finally find mercy VI. Let thy pierced Heart most pure and exempt from all fin teach me to prepare a pure and clean heart for thee VII By thy sacred Hands nailed I understand thou wert the grand Peace-maker Vouchsafe to infuse into my soul true and perfect Charity that I may have peace withall for thee and during this life make my peace with thee VIII Lastly By thy Feet pierced with nails I read they are blessed that suffer persecution which thou didst even unto the death of the Cross Grant me grace to suffer for thee to bear afflictions patiently that with thee I may reign eternally Amen O good Jesu to reign with thee is to suffer with thee On the Cross thou art surrounded with the eight Beatitudes Here I must seek them exemplified in thy self on Mount Calvary to find them perfected on Mount-Sion the heavenly Jerusalem I. I behold the Cornel-tree where without leaves to shrowd it the blossom lies naked and expos'd to the blustring winds And on the Tree of the Cross as naked I behold my Saviour poor in Spirit poor in Will and Desire as naked dying as born for us Uncloath thy self then O my soul and be as naked in thine affections to the leafy vanities and riches of this life which is but a so journing for poor mortality II. I see the arch'd Indian-Fig-tree greedy to possess the Land with a thousand shoots which descend to take deep root in the earth And on the Tree of the Cross I behold our Lord meekly bowing down his Head humbled even to the death of the Cross to take possession of the Land of the Living for me an exile by as many shoots as sighs prayers tears and drops of blood as he shed for me a lost sinner O my soul where are thy humble shoots that should descend that they may ascend to the Land of promise where are thy submissive thoughts that should lowly bend to the earth by acknowledgment of thy unworthiness and ingratitude to so good and merciful a Lord Thou art now in possession of a barren Land thy body where thou canst not nor must not take deep root Heaven is thy Land this thy place of banishment Thither let thy thoughts ascend to be deeply rooted by an eternal possession III. I view the Myrrhe-tree weeping drop after drop but when prick'd and wounded it more abundantly distills Thus came I weeping and mourning into a vale of tears like a taper by the wind soon extinguish'd like a spark in the Sea as soon swallowed up like a froth suddenly vanishing and a vapour scatter'd in the air Have I not then cause to weep to prevent a future mourning and acquire a happiness and consolation which is promised to Mourners Then I cast mine eyes on Christ crucified and weeping on the Cross why for my sins Why like a Myrrhe-wee wounded over all his body distilling blood To give light to my glimmering taper fire to my spark substance to my frothy soul and purer air to my dusky vapour Thirdly I will summon my heart and expostulate with my soul why she would be usher'd by her eyes to the aspect of vainer objects yet never made use of them to bewail her sins with tears And if the Myrrhe tree stab'd or launc'd with a knife dissolves it self into tears why doth she not procure by her sighs and prayers that my heart woulded with true compunction may be liquified into tears of grief IV. I seem to behold the Clove-tree hungring as it were and thirsting after the strengthning moisture of the earth which it continually attract Then I seem to hear my Saviour cry out I thirst to express his ardent desire of our Salvation And then O my soul say I canst thou hear thy Lord crying out I thirst and yet present him with no other potion then a cup full of absinth thy sins which are more bitter to him then Vinegar and Gall of which he tasting would not drink O my soul taste and see how sweet our Lord is who to revive and refresh thee which wert like dry and barren earth showred down his precious blood from his wounded body veins and heart till it was totally exhausted O what an excessive thirst did this cause in thy Saviour what a Consummatum est was this what bounty when hereserv'd not to himself so much as one drop of blood O my soul if he gave thee all that was most precious doubt not to say with his royal Prophet What shall I give unto our Lord for all he hath given me what less then an entire heart and soul with all her powers to love honour and serve him V. Next I imagine I see the fruit of Adams Apple-tree cut in two which presents us with a cross which bare the Saviour our of the World in whom I behold as many crosses as stripes and scourges enterlac'd in his tender flesh It was the fruit of the forbidden Tree wherein being eaten were included as many crosses as miseries now incident to wretched man As hunger thirst cold heat infirmities c. which render him miserable and consequently to be pitied O my soul commiserate at least thine own self encompassed with so many frailties casualties and anxieties of mind Turn which way thou wilt thou canst not be long exempted from one calamity or other Wherefore seeing to be Misericors that is to say merciful is to have an agrieved and pitiful heart as it were always bearing a cross let thine he dolor sorrow and compunction for thy sins VI. Imagine you behold the green Fig pick'd and pierc'd by a little Gnat or Fly whence distills a drop as it were of hony And then say O my green hard and immature Heart where is that compunction that is requisite for thee O that thou wert thus pierc'd and wounded with grief for thy fins that sweet delight like a honey-drop might issue forth for while it resides within thee thou canst never come to maturity for where sin predominates Grace must needs be an Exile Then reflect your Eye on our Saviour's Heart wounded with a Spear and say Lord Were not thy larger wounds in thy Hands and Feet sufficient pledges and testimonies of thy excessive Love Why then after thy death wouldst thou receive so deep a wound in thy Heart Ah! If Death were stronger than Love in thee when by him thou wert vanquisht he seizing by Heart Love again even after Death was more powerful by opening that sacred rift whence issued the Sacraments and where the Gate of