he cometh weake out of the wombe of his Mother yet mightily he preserueth the virginity of his Mother he is swadled in poore cloathes but is enlightned with the splendour of heauen In his Circumcision he was reckoned among sinners Phil. 1. but he took a Name aboue al names whereat euery knee should bow in heauen earth and vnder the earth In this apparition and visitation of the Sages he seemed obscure and a poore man among men but he is honoured by the Starres and adored by the Kinges And so in all the rest of his life and especially in his Death wherin we may see a wonderfull weauing togeather in one webbe of thinges contrary and opposite which encounter in this Tragedy The Sonne of God is nayled to a tree as feeble faulty and yet as soueraigne he giueth letters of grace and as an Almighty God of a great thiefe malefactor he maketh a great and holy Confessour he endureth the torments of temporall death and promiseth the Paradise of eternall life men blaspheme him on earth and the starres do moane him in heauen The Iewes more hard then stones haue no compassion of his anguishes but the Rockes rent the Graues opened the Sun darkened to mourne for his death Of al these encounters the deuout soule shall learne the wisedome and power of this Lord hauing giuen vs so goodly instructions to teach vs to admire loue and serue him The third parte of the Meditation Of the Returne of the three Kinges CHAP. XXXVII The prouidence of God towards the Iust Psalm 33.16 THE third point shal containe the Meditation of the Returne of the three Kinges who being from heauen aduertised in their sleep not to returne by Herod tooke another way towardes their country In this aduertisement we must acknowledge and confesse the prouidence of God watching in the protection of them that serue him with a royal mind to deliuer them from danger and conduct them to a sure hauen notwithstanding all the stormes and contrary windes of this boysterous world and her worldlings By the same consideration is discouered the folly of the Tyrant Herod who thought by his craft and subtilty to deceaue not only men 1. Cor. 3.19 but God also and to catch him in the snares of his cruelty but the soueraigne wisedome deluded his folly and calling vnto him in spite of this worldly bloudy King these stranger-Kings to take honour and homage of them signifieth vnto vs that happy prey of soules The Magi the first fruites of our faith S. Leoser 2. de Ep. which in the sight of Sathan signifyed by Herod he did carry with him in the person of these conuerted Kings as the first fruits of our fayth Christian calling gathered out of the haruest of the Gentils And this is that which God before by his Prophet sayd of his Sonne newly borne Call his name Hasten to spoile for before the Child can call Father or Mother the strength of Damascus shall be taken away the spoile of Samaria Isa 8.3 in presence of the King of the Assyrians This is Iesus who not tarying as other men do for age fit to fight hath being but a child gotten the victory this noble spoile and subdued vnto him the force of Damascus and Samaria tho strength of Idolatry and the errours of the Pagan world and this in the sight of the King of Assyria Sathan the king of this world and vpon this consideration the good Pilgrime may say as followeth speaking to himselfe and to his God What sayst thou heere my soule And where shall thy eyes rest in the variety of so many wonders To his soule Wilt thou consider the greatnes or the littlenes of this Child Eyther of theÌ„ exceed the conceites of man Wilt thou behould the Maiesty the modesty the ioy of this heauenly Mother holding in her armes this litle-great King whilest the other Kinges did honour and adore with their deuotion and guifts Thyne eyes are dazelled in the light of this Maiesty and cleane lost in the depth of this humility Contemplate the deuotion the piety the submission the bounty of these thinges Thou art not capable to conceaue this do better then and confesse thyne incapacity in all adore this King as well in his littlenes as in his greatnes admire the vertues of his Mother imitate the humility and deuotion of these Kinges and say with an humble and feruent hart O my King and Sauiour gouerne me To God saue me be my guide in my pilgrimage my confort in afflictions my strength in temptations giue me of thy Gold Incense and Myrrh of thy bounty of thy diuinity of thy humanity to make vnto thee a pleasant offering of my presents and to returne by thy direction and vnder thy protection to myne owne country whence my Father and all his posterity were banished With these three Meditations he shall end this day The thirtith day and the ninth and last of his Aboad A Meditation of the Presentation of IESVS in the Temple CHAP. XXXVIII IN this last day of our Pilgrimes aboad he shall prepare himselfe to confesse and receaue happily to end and conclude his nyne dayes of stay there to depart the next morning with the greater light and courage being purged of his sinnes and armed with this pretious food and Viaticum His meditation shall be of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin and of the oblation she made of her deere child in the Temple fourty dayes after that he was borne The Law of Purification Leuit. 1â— Luc. 2. At midnight he may briefly remeÌ„ber the history of this old Ceremony of the â—ews which giueth the grouÌ„d to this Christian solemnity and to his meditation The history is that it was coÌ„manded by an expresse law that the woman who was brought to bed should be vncleane a weeke if she brought forth a sonne and two if a daughter and should remaine sometyme in her house The Sacrifice for Purification Leuit. 12. Luc. 2. before she came into the Temple not touching any thing that was holy to wit fourty dayes for a sonne fourscore for a daughter which dayes being expired she came to the Temple to offer her fruit with a Lambe of one yeare old or a Pigeon or Turtle which were sacrificed the Lambe as an holocaust for thankes-giuing the Pigeon or Turtle for expiation of sinne If the Mother could not haue a Lambe either for the tyme of the yeare or by reason of her pouerty The males consecrated to God she offered two PigeoÌ„s or Turtles to the same effect Moreouer the Male first-borne by right of being the eldest was consecrated to God and pertained vnto him to serue in his house but because God had chosen all the Tribe of Leui for the seruice of his Altars he permitted them of other Tribes to redeeme their first-borne with fiue sicles of siluere and so to be deliuered of that obligation The B.
we can alleadge notwithstanding as we belieue that this soueraigne wisedome doth not will or worke any thing but to a good end and with good lawes for the instruction of men so may we discerne by that light it pleaseth him to communicate vnto vs in the secret of his principall actions some reasons of this inequality as well in the workes of Nature as in those of Religion In nature the first reason He hath diuersly diuided his guifts of Nature First to giue vs to vnderstand that he is the first author of all good If euery thing had growne euery where men would haue thought that it proceeded only of the vertue of heauen and earth but seeing this diuersity and not seeing the cause they haue good occasion to haue recourse to that supreme power to belieue The 2. reason that there is a God that commandeth nature making it fertill or barren where he thinketh good Secondly so much the clearer to make the beames of his bounty wisedome shine vnto vs beautifying adorning the whole world with this variety of effects and linking togeather the society of men by the plenty and wants of the countryes where they dwell taking one of another what they want and yielding that wherein they abound In his Kingdome of the Church he vseth the like variety also The Saints differ in glory in heauen 1. Cor. 15 first to shew that it is he that distributeth his graces according vnto the counsell of his prudence without dependaÌ„ce of any other cause or subiect Secondly to honour in earth the memory of his Saints one aboue another euen as he maketh their soules differently like diuers starres to shine in heauen and finally to succour his children according to their necessity which are greater in one place then in another and to giue occasion to diuers nations to visit one another to linke them togeather by Pilgrimages made by occasion of such places Why God hath glorifyed the B Virgin in so many places specially in Loreto All which reasons may serue for an answere to the demaÌ„d made in particuler why God hath much in so many places honoured the name of the B. Virgin and especially the place whereof we speake It is in glorifying her to let vs see the glory of his treasures to make glorious aboue all creatures in the earth the mother of his Sonne as he hath made her shine aboue all in heauen And if he hath honoured his seruants liuing and dead in euery thing that appertayned to them working miracles by their hand-kercheâ—s their girdles Act. 5.15 〈…〉 their shadowes their bones the dust of their bodyes why should we wonder that he would honour the B. Virgin in all these maÌ„ners in her habits in her Images in all places of Christianity and namely in this where she conceaued the glory of heauen and earth Iesus Christ Where she brought him vp serued him adored him so often with the care charity and tendernes of a mother nurse and daughter most faythfull most feruent most humble And seing by the meanes therof she hath giuen the Sauiour and saluation to the whole world shall it seeme strange that he should gratify mortall men with his guifts and graces by her prayers and intercessioÌ„ and particulerly in this place of her natiuity and dwelling of her most feruent offices and seruices of Religion Let therfore those seduced people who for this honour done to the mother of God doth accuse the Catholicke Church of Idolatry marke heere and els where in these workes the hand of God liberall in her honour and let them accuse their owne misbeliefe and not our deuotion except they will also accuse God who by so many wonders as he doth by her doth inuite and stirre vs vp to honour serue and call vpon her to be by her helped vnto life euerlasting Of the honour of Vowes and presents and guifts of Religion offered at Loreto CHAP. XXI THE vowes and presents of deuout persons are also witnesses and testimonyes of their handes The 8. cause of vowes and reall signes of the sanctity of the place By this meanes haue diuers places of the world become famous and renowned not only among the children of God but also amongst the Paynimes as the Temple of Diana in Ephesus of Apollo in Delphos of others in other Countreyes To honour God with his guifts is a natural inclination this proceeding of the naturall inclinatioÌ„ and reuerence imparted to all men to iudge it an holy worke and a liberality acceptable to God to honour with holy guifts and offeringes places dedicated to his name and sanctifyed with some steepe of his maiesty And doubtles if they had not erred in choosing ill in taking false Gods insteed of the true and had made their vowes and offeringes to their Creatour and not to Idols they iudged aright of the ceremonies For this instinct being a branch of diuine and humane law the action proceeding from being good in the root could not faile to be well receaued of him who is the author of nature and iustice bounty it selfe But leauing these places renowned amongst the Gentils to speake only of those that are famous amongst the children of God amongst the Iewes vnder the law of Moyses the Temple of Hierusalem was greatly honoured with presents not only of the Kinges and people of the Iewes themselues but also of diuers Pagan Lordes and Princes 2. Macha 32. The Kings sayth the history of the Machabees and Princes esteemed the place of Hierusalem worthy of great veneration and honoured the Temple with many rich guifts After the comming of the Sonne of God when the Church hauing ouercome the rage of Tyrants and of Paganisme had once calme seas ChristiaÌ„ Temples honored through ChristeÌ„dome and sure footing then might be seene through all his Kingdome Temples erected and holy places honoured in this sort In Asia Europe Africa and els where as the Ecclesiasticall historyes doe teach vs with the testimony of the Temples yet standing heeretofore founded and endowed by Christians Emperours Kinges and Princes frequented to this day by Pilgrimes with vowes and presents from all partes of the world where Christianity and Catholike fayth doth reigne But to the point of our purpose and in one word to shut vp this discourse I say that if euer ony place was illustrated by the guifts of Christian Princes children of God in any age it is this of Loreto for the Kinges and Potentats of al Europe the Popes and the great Prelates of the Church communalties and cittyes and an infinit number of people comming froÌ„ all parts of the Christian world haue thither sent and brought their riches to honour God in the memory and house of the B. Notable offerings to the House of Loreto Virgin the mother of his Sonne for all these earthly guifts or offerings they haue receaued and carried backe the notable guifts of
house then the earth a dwelling common to the beasts also and to the creatures of vilest and basest condition yea although he had not sinned this base world had beene assigned vnto him notwithstanding as a land of pilgrimage not painefull and wretched as it is now but gracious and honourable where hauing a while delighted himselfe with the contemplation of his Creatour and his goodly workes and in thankesgiuing for the benefits receaued of that supreme bounty without any death or payne he should haue mounted with his body to heauen his true Countrey there to raigne for euer in the company of Angels his countrey-men and fellow-cittizens The earth therfore was graunted giuen vnto him as a dwelling pleasant indeed yet not perpetuall but only for a tyme as it were in passing so by reason of this preheminence he was still a Pilgrime and no Cittizen Why mans pilgrimage heer is so paineful Now the cause why this pilgrimage is so painefull and full of miseries is the sinne of Adam for the which he was driuen out of the earthly Paradise and became a poore Bandit about the world and in him all his posterity and race of mortall children were depriued for the most part of the dominion of the world which was their portion and inheritance moreouer for this old fault and for other new dayly committed by themselues they are made subiect to cold heat hunger thirst wearines want dangers from men and beastes strangers one to another and enemyes one to another and finally condemned to a thousand miseryes incident to this life last of all to death that dolefull close of all our whole pilgrimage if it be not made in the grace of God The fourth point shall be to consider the course of the pilgrimage limited with two boundes our birth and our death 4. The bondes a small tyme for all whereas the lasting of tyme cannot be but short though the tyme were long yet lesse for some then for some other by reason of a thousand chances and accidents that trauerse and ouerthwart our life and doe hasten vnto many the boundes assignation of death The fifth point shall consider the saying of S. Peter 5. Man must liue like a pilgrime 1. Pet. 2.19 exhorting Christians in these wordes My well beloued I beseech you to abstaine as strangers and pilgrimes from carnall desires that fight against the soule And therupon we must consider the great blindnes of the most part of men who forgetting their condition and pilgrimage do liue vpon the earth as if they should abide there alwayes without euer lifting vp their eyes to heauen mans true country The speach shall be a summary of all these points The colloquy or speach of the prayer where the pilgrime hauing his soule enlightned by the light of this meditation and possessed with a new loue of heauen and disdaine of the earth and so much the more straightly vnited to his Creatour whome he hath perceaued to be so bountifull and wise in disposition of his guifts he shall speake confidently vnto his Maiesty and thanke him and intreat him demanding his ayde and help happily to beginne and end his pilgrimage in these or such like wordes O Lord with what hart shall I loue thee and with what tongue shall I prayse and thanke thee I say not for thy benefits receaued from thy holy hand since my first being but eueÌ„ for that which thou dost bestow vpoÌ„ me at this very time in the cleere knowledge of thy wisedome and bounty of my own estate conditioÌ„ I see O my soueraigne that thou hast created this world with an admirable variety of creatures ordayned for my vse and sustenance and that thou hast made me to be borne vpon earth endowed me with thy owne image and likenes there to liue not for euer as a Cittizen but for a small tyme as a pilgrime there to passe and walke there to serue thee as long as tyme shall last and after come to enioy thee for euer in heauen in that celestial Citty of thy Kingdom a Citty built of gold and precious stones vpon the foundations of eternity and rich in glory infinit treasures I see this world is but a pilgrimage a mortall and short race and that aboue thou hast founded the land of the liuing and the seat of our rest and repose for them that will passe this way-faring habitation in the obseruatioÌ„ of thy holy lawes O how great is thy liberality To make so small account of the guift present of the vniuersall world enriched and beautifyed with so many tokeÌ„s of thy greatnes as to giue it man only for his Inne and passage What a place then may that be which thou hast prepared for him to dwell with thee in all eternity If the common Cabbine for beastes be so magnificall what shall be the Pallace which thy Maiesty reserueth for him in the company of thy immortall spirits the Princes and Nobles of thy heauenly Court O my Creatour may it please thee to graunt me an inflamed desire to serue thee and meanes to enioy thee one day in the dwelling of thy pallace there and an assured direction of all my actions and affections to walke that way and to arriue there keep me from wondering at my Cottage forgetting of thy Pallace Ap ayer to the B. Virgin O most holy Virgin who already reignest there most happily exalted aboue the highest seates of honour help my infirmity with thy authority and whilest I am thy pilgrime towards thy litle-great house of Nazareth obtaine me the grace happily to accomplish my great pilgrimage begun from the wombe of my mortall mother which must be ended in the graue in the bosome of my other mother The earth our graÌ„d Mother If it please thee to aske thou canst not misse to obtaine all that is necessary for my end for how can the Father refuse thee who hath chosen thee for mother to his Sonne And that Sonne being the Sauiour of men how can he repell his Mother treating for my saluation And the holy Ghost equall to them both what can he deny thee by whose worke thou hast brought forth the Sauiour of the world receaued the Title of the Mother of God! Aske then O most mighty gracious Virgin the graunt is assured to thee in thy power grace and to me in this graunt the fauour and assistance of God The Pilgrime hauing armed his soule with this prayer taketh his refection for his body signing his forehead mouth and breast with the signe of the Crosse goeth out of his lodging on his way with the accustomed farewell to thâ—se of the house and he shall begin the steps of his pilgrimage vnder the protection of God and of the glorious Virgin his good Angell who must guide him as Raphael did young Toby The afternoone and euening of the first dayes Iourney The likenes of the Pilgrimage of mans
it O mortall men whereto leuelleth the sight of your swollen eyes where doe you cast the ancker of your light hopes what get you and to what danger of destruction doe you driue your selues what shall become of riches gathered by theft and iniquity Against worldlinges what shall become of your rapines vsuries what gayne you winning earth and loosing heauen what heape you vp but the treasure of the vengeaÌ„ce of God See you not hell open to swallow you and eternall death expecting with her lawes gaping to make a prey of your lost soules for euer and euer O sweet Iesus make vs if it may please thee in loue with thy rich pouerty amorous of thy eternall riches and contemners of these earthly treasures Luc. 13.33 and feare full of dreadfull death and pouerty eternall Neuer let it befall vs to cast our handes on other meÌ„s goods but to stretch them out to giue them of our owne and get heauen in giuing earth according to that holy trafike which thou hast taught vs. The After-dinner and Euening of the eleueÌ„th dayes Iourney Diuers Considerations of Auarice punished and Liberality practised by the Saintes CHAP. XXVI IN this second part of the day Diuers punishments of the couetous the Pilgrime shal make some spirituall discourse neere vnto the morning meditation he shall bring into his memory the punishment of theeues rouers church-robbers vsurers and other breakers of this commandement whome the reuenge of God hath already striken he shall remember Achab Iezabel who for taking from their poore subiect his vineyard and life also 3. Reg. 21 19. lost their owne life kingdome from themselues al their posterity of Giezi who was striken with leprosy 4. Reg. 5.27 which did sticke to al his race after him for taking the guifts of Naman against right and the will of his maister Elizeus of one Heliodorus 2. Macha 3.26 who was beaten by armed Angells euen vnto death for stretching his handes to the sacred treasure of our Iudas who for a few peÌ„ce became a traytour and sacrilegious homicide of his God himself Act. 1.6 To these and such examples he shall oppose others of the coÌ„trary vertue In generall the first Christians who brought their goods to the Apostles feete for a present to God and the poore and in especiall of the glorious virgin Act. 4.34 who in the imitation of her sonne lest all hauing her hart treasure in heauen in the land of the lyuing thousandes of other ChristiaÌ„s whereof the Ecclesiasticall histories doe speake And so he shal passe the rest of the day attentiuely beholding heauen as the treasure of immortall riches prepared for those that do holily contemne the transitory and shal in this point end take his nightes rest The twelfth day A Meditation vpon the eight Commandement Thou shalt not beare false witnesse against thy Neighbour CHAP. XXVII THESE former Commandements doe order direct the hart and hand and this following the tongue that we abuse it not against our neighbour nor against our selues by false depositions of good or euill The morning meditatioÌ„ shall be thereof beginning as before False witnesse in â— iudgmeÌ„t forbiddeÌ„ The first point shall obserue that by the principall inteÌ„t of this precept it is forbidden to beare false witnes in Iudgement against our neighbour which commonly being done by oath carieth an vndoubted credit in that quality if otherwise there be no cause of exception or chalenge And if it be taken falsely It is iniurious to God and pernicious to our Neighbour it is most iniurious to God pernicious to the person of our neighbour for he vseth the name of God in opeÌ„ Iudgement to testify falshood and is cause that iustice is peruerted that the right of inoncency is ouerborne and the iniquity of the wicked established whosoeuer therefore witnesseth falshood against his neighbour or also against himself as many do vpon the racke or tortour he sinneth against this law in the princiapll point All diffamation forbiddeÌ„ The second point shall consider that by this commandement is forbidden all sort of diffamation detraction calumniation al euill cariage of our tongue against our neighbour either by word or writing for such offend God greatly who vpon euery occasion or without occasion make sport of other folkes faultes and imperfections forgetting their owne and they more grieuously who impose feyned and false crimes and yet most grieuously of all they that write diffamatory libels for the hurt is more vniuersal the malice more bitter All lying forbiddeÌ„ The 3. point shall ponder that all kynd of lying is forbidden in the compasse of this Commandement but specially that which is against Religion For this is a great lye that striketh directly at the supreme verity a lye which Dauid detested with a sharp threat of perditioÌ„ saying vnto God Thou shalt destroy all those that speake lies Psal 5. such are in the highest degree the Arch-heretiks whome S. Peter calleth Maisters of lying such as heeretofore were Arius Manes and in our time Luther 2. Pet. 3. and Caluin The speach shall demand grace of God well to gouerne our tongue and to auoyd al wordes contrary to verity in these termes My God thou art the supreme verity and all men are subiect to lying as one of thy Prophets writeth Psal 115. Thou hast giuen me a desire of thy truth may it please thee to giue me grace to auoid all lyes not only of false witnesse against my Neighbour or in Religion against the honour and the fayth of thy Church but of all sort or kind whatsoeuer not only in thinges great and important but also in light and little for lying doth dislike thee of what sort soeuer it be made and to what intention soeuer it be spoken and all those that vse it are therein followers of thyne ennemy Sathan the Father of lyes Let my hart be in thy sight right and true and my tongue and handes conformable and agreable with my hart and that thy truth may resound with a sweet accord in my thoughts wordes and workes in all and aboue all to glorify thee The After-dinner and Euening of the twelfth dayes Iourney Of the nature and basenes of lying CHAP. XXVIII IN the Afternoone the Pilgrime if he will not change the matter may ruminate that of the morning What lying is discoursing of the nature of lying and of the diuers sortes thereof He shal consider that that is a lye Putarch de puerorâ—on educatione where the word agreeth not with the thought the mouth affirming that which the hart denieth a vice directly opposite to God the supreme verity and altogeather base and seruile as comming of dastardy not daring to speake plainely and openly and therefore hatefull worthy of punishment not only in such persons of honour Aug. l. de Mendacio c. 7. 8. but also in slaues sayth
a certaine Paynim with good reason The holy Doctours and namely S. Augustine do thinke that it is in no sort lawfull for any man not only to tell a lye against the good of their Neighbour or the honour of Religion but not the least that may be not for recreation nor profit nor any thing in the world for that action or word cannot be vertuous which is done or sayd against the truth of God or with hurt of our conscience of which discourse he shall ayde himselfe to make a full purpose neuer to lye and so shall retyre himselfe The thirteenth Day A Meditation vpon the ninth and tenth Commandements Thou shalt not couet thy Neighbours wife Thou shalt not couet thy Neighbours house Exod. 20.17 nor his Oxe nor his Asse nor any thing that is his CHAP. XXIX THESE two Commandements shall be the matter of Meditation for the thirtenth day The beginning shal be as before In the first point the Pilgrime shal consider how these two Commandements do indirectly respect all the former but directly the sixth which forbiddeth adultery and the seauenth which prohibiteth theft so that those do bind the will haÌ„ds and feet that we neither consent nor proceed to the outward execution of the sinne S. Thom. 1. 2. q. 77. art 5. 2. 2. qu. 122. art 6. but these two doe command the will to rule the concupiscence and desires of the sense that they incline not to Couetise nor retaine any cogitation of what is not lawfull to doe by these is forbidden the deed and the wil of the deed and by these is forbidden in generall to imbrace any vnlawfull desire of reuenge of harme or the like and in especiall not to see or heare any sensuality or carnall thought with delight or pleasure nor admit any vnlawfull desire of other mens goods for such cogitation retayned with liking and consent is a sinne although we passe no further or haue no will to put it in execution euen as he that of brauery or lightnes of hart should receaue malefactours willingly see them and make them good cheere is intangled in their crime although he be not nor would be eyther counseller or cooperatour to their offence For the second point he shal note that this prohibition of carnall desire extendeth it selfe to that which may cause it also as to eating drinking disordinatly Il thoghtes forbidden and all that may cause theÌ„ which are neere and next causes of adultery vaine and superfluous attire wanton bookes lasciuious pictures curious sightes and such other baites whereof we haue spoken before For the third point he shall consider that carnall thoughts not consented vnto but rather resisted and reiected are not only no sinne but also matter of merit and therefore the deuout soule must not be dismayd when she feeleth against her will those thornes of her flesh as the Apostle when he sayd I know that in me that is in my flesh there dwelleth no good Rom. 7. I see another law in my members fighting against the law of my mind and making me captiue to the law of sinne which is in my members The corruption of his flesh made his members rebell and made warre against him but he resisted wonne the victory ouer his rebelles he would gladly haue beene altogeather deliuered from them but they will beare vs company as long as we liue heere These are the thornes and thistles of our cursed earth friends to our enemy from which we cannot be altogeather exempt in this life It is reserued for the next Gen. 3.17 where without all rebellion our soule shall rule and reigne in her body in pure and plentifull peace and therefore she must not loose courage if she be assailed but rather reioyce that she may with the grace of God ouercome all assaults if not without any pricking yet without any deadly or mortall wound and of these briers to erect monuments and trophies of vertues and gaine a crowne of eternall glory by the victory The speach shall be to Iesus Christ in these wordes A prayer to Iesus Christ Heere it is O Redeemer of my soule that I haue need of thy help valiantly to fight my selfe against my selfe to get a goodly victory ouer my selfe by resisting and ouercoming my owne flesh If thy strength will assist I am strong inough with my weakenesse to go conquerour from the combat therewith I shall be maister ouer all couetise and be a faithfull obseruer of this thy Commandement neither shall any enemy stand in my handes but I shall tread them vnder my feet My sweet Iesus my Lord my hope and my strength thou madest thy selfe little and weake to make vs great and strong reach thy hand to thy poore seruant help and rectify my crookednes rule and direct my senses and cogitations according to the purity and right of thy holy law that my lookes and my loue may leuell at nothing but thy beauty my eares to thy wordes and my handes to thy commandments that nothing may settle in my soule but for the desire of thy glory and for sorrow of my sinnes that my appetite and couetise be not of the flesh but of the spirit not of earth but of heauen and that I may sooner giue to my Neighbour of my owne then vniustly desire any thing that is his that my hart may be full of thee and empty of all the rest for all besides thee cannot content me thou art the only center of my soule the All of my nothing and the heap of my happines The After-dinner and Euening of the thirteenth dayes Iourney The Decalogue is a spring or branch of the law of Nature CHAP. XXX THE Pilgrime hauing now runne ouer all the ten Commandementes in particuler in the afternoone returning as it were to the whole and entire subiect shall shut vp his circle resuming the compasse and contents of the Decalogue in generall discoursing vpon those three instructions which the Christian and Hebrew Doctours haue noted The Decalogue is of the law of nature The first is that these ten Commandements are conclusions and branches of the law of nature This law is a natural light giuen by God teaching certaine generall maximes out of which doe rise as out of rootes certaine documents like little springs or branches One of these Maximes is VVe must do good Psal 33. 36. 1. Pet. 3. Rom. 12. Math. 7.12 Luc. 6.31 and flye euill A maxime marked by Dauid when he sayd â—â—rne from euill and doe good And afterward by S. Peter and S. Paul Also we must do vnto others as we would be done vnto our selues and not to do vnto others what we would not haue done vnto vs. A maxime expounded by Iesus Christ in these termes All that you would haue men do vnto you doe you the like vnto them for this is the law and the Prophets Also VVe must soueraignly loue him that is all goodnes soueraignely feare him
brimstone with an intolerable stench and ech of all their partes and specially of those that haue been instruments of their villanies The Cholericke and cruell shal haue for their whips and scourges their owne passions and the fury of the fiends The Gluttons shall be serued at the table of Hell fed with serpents and toades and drinke of the cuppe of the wrath of God The Enuious shall beare in their bosomes euer-liuing scorpions who shall sting them to an immortall rage The Slouthfull shall be beaten with the rodes of his owne rechlesnes vexed with a particuler torment of body and soule These shall be the proportions of euery one and all in generall shall haue the horrour of that hellish company of darknes of cries howlinges one of another The eternity of hell torments The third point shall be to consider that al these torments besides that they are vnspeakable and continuall shall also be euerlasting This eternity is that which giueth the forme the name of Hell to that hellish misery and without it there should be no Hell of torments nor paradise of pleasure This shall be the great hart-breake to the damned The cause of the daÌ„neds rage and sting their soule with a raging grief that they shal suffer without ceasing they shall also see without ceasing that it shall alwayes be so They shall alwayes pay the interest of their sinnes committed and yet shal alwayes be behind in errerages they shal alwayes pay and their debt increase still that which shall be past though it were ten milions of ages shall be reckoned for nothing and the future tyme shall be followed with another future as long as all Eternity The forme of this Eternity shall flye as a fierce fury continually before their eyes beating her vnwearied wings and hissing her horrour into their eares shall couch it selfe in the depth of their imagination and grauing there the marke and round circle of these eternall ages shall breed therein the sting and immortall rage of a furious desperation O soueraigne bounty What monster may sinne be that could so incense either thyne anger or thy clemency against it O sinne how abhominable art thou seeing no payne is sufficient to punish and chastice thee but eternall O mortall men what thinke you of when you defile your soules with the familiarity of this plague this death this confusioÌ„ Where is your wit to loose glory delight and riches of heauen for a fond pleasure for a foule delight for a brutish vanity with this inestimable losse throwing your selues head-long into euerlasting damnation O my soule thinke heereof delay no longer thinke of it betymes all tyme of repentance is good tyme flye the danger of eternall euills whilest the mercy of God inuiteth thee and doth promise thee help and assistance and recompence for thy labour O my Lord I will serue thee with all my soule and withall my soule renounce all vanity and doe vow from henceforth eternal emnity to thy great and immortall enemy who hath furnished so much matter to thy iustice to build these mansions of darknes confusion death O Virgin Queene and Mother most pure most great and puissant further the desires of thy Pilgrime and deuoted suppliant and by thy credit obtayne that he may happily performe the good desires and designements which thy Sonne his Redeemer and Lord hath by thyne intercâ—ssion planted in his hart The After-dinner and Euening of the twentith dayes Iourney Other Meditations of the paynes of the damned CHAP. XLV THE two other partes of the day shall be employed in the consideration of the infinite number of soules lost The lost soules since the beginning of the world vnto this tyme also an infinit number that daily are and will be lost from this tyme to the end of this world Soules alas lost dead deadly groaning in the gulfe of their torments byting their tongue for fury that seeke for death and cannot find it Apo. 18.10 being buryed in the bowells of death it selfe dying alwayes and yet cannot dye liuing alwayes and yet cannot liue that curse the day of their birth and the name and memory of their Progenitours detesting the earth they so much loued the heauens and the starres that they could not see and foâ—â—ul measure of theâ— impiety they blaspheme the Maiesty of thy Creatour and haue no rest neither day nor night All thinges are to them affliction all is night and darkenes all is gall and bitternes all tears and gnashing all griefe and despaire Death can neither end them nor ouercome them wheresoeuer they cast the eyes of their vnderstanding they find themselues on euery side coÌ„passed and inclosed with the barres of eternity without all hope not only to escape out of the prison of this dolefull and lamentable being and worse a thousand times then not being at all but also to haue ease or respit By this consideration the Pilgrime shall learne more and more the malignity of sinne and shall harden himselfe to the hatred thereof and at night he shall yield thankes to the mercy of God for the tyme and respit he hath giuen him with a thousand meanes to do pennance in this life and to abstaine from sinne that he might auoyd these paines reserued for sinners in this euerlasting prison And after he hath in good time taken vp his lodging to prepare himselfe with leasure to the last meditation of his third weeke and the day of his arriuall The one and twentith Day Of Generall Confession and of the parts of Pennance CHAP. XLVI THIS one and twentith day is the last of the first part of this Pilgrimage wherin the Pilgrime must prepare him selfe with his best endeauour to pennance purgation of his soule which is the end of this part the more worthily to appeare in the house of the B. Virgin that he goeth to visit a Virgin of purity mother of purity and Queene of purity This preparation shall be in the chiefe foundation and exact and entire confession of all his sinnes since his last Confession or if need be To whoÌ„ generall confessioÌ„ is necessary generally of all his life since his yeares of discretion or from some other markeable time This is the Confession commonly called Generall necessary to him that was neuer so confessed or was ill confessed either by concealing any mortall sinne willingly or for want of good disposition necessary to a Penitent that is without sorrow for sinnes committed Sorrow and purpose of amendement necessary or firme purpose of amending or for hauing beene confessed to such as wanted either knowledge to help him or authority to absolue him to others that haue beene daily confessed this generall is not necessary yet to them also it is profitable for thereby gathering as it were into one heape the multitude of our sinnes we procure a confusion so much the more holesome by how much it is greater The profit of general
the spirituall leprosy dead in sinne buried in her filth abhominable before thyne eyes a marke for thy fury a prey to death and eternall confusion O my Redeemer immortall thankes be to thy infinite mercy for this great benefit since thy mercy hath no boundes add also O sweet Iesu to this benefit the firmnesse of a holy perseuerance whereby I may alwayes preserue the Temple of my soule body pure neat from all filth ordure of sinne Conserue O Lord the house thou camest to purify 2. Mach. 14.36 Psal 50.5 by the light heat of thy holy Spirit cleanse it beautify it alwayes more and more and more and more wash me from my sinnes purge me of my sinnes giue me grace that as I haue hitherto serued the Flesh the World and the Diuell the most cruell enemies of my good and saluation so I may with all my force loue honour and serue thee for heerafter O my life my Creatour and Sauiour descended into earth and made man to seeke me poore strayed sheep and make me participant of thy deity ascended also vp to the Crosse there to shed thy precious bloud to wash and cleanse me there to dye to giue me life Graunt O Prince of mercy that for all thy benefits I may affoard thee an humble an entire seruice vnto my last gaspe to liue after this mortall soiourning eternally with thee and to glorify thee in heauen where thou liuest and reigning with the Father in the vnity of the holy Ghost for euer and euer Amen This shal be the shutting of the 21. day and third weeke finishing the first period of his pilgrimage the which representeth as we haue sayd the life of those which beginne the way of vertue the way of Purgation by vertues purgatiue In the morning the Pilgrime shal begin his second part which representeth the estate of those that are gone forward and aduanced in the way of perfection and light THE PILGRIMES ABODE AT LORETO The two and twentith day and the first of his abode A Meditation vpon the holy Eucharist CAHP. I. FOR the meditation of the first dayes iourney of this second Part of his Pilgrimage the Pilgrime shall fitly take the subiect of the Eucharist for he cannot better begin to honour this holy place then with so holy an action nor more refresh solace the trauaile of his pilgrimage then by this refectiō nor better open the doore of his soule to the light of the Holy Ghost then by the receauing of such a Sacrament and this should be the first meale and the last banquet of euery true Pilgrime he shal make his Meditation early in the morning at the holy house with these partes The prayer preparatory accustomed shal demand grace to direct all his actions to the glory of God and saluation of his soule In the first preamble he shall set before his eyes the history of the two Pilgrimes Luc. 14. Aug. epist 50. ad Paulin. who first of all other Christians receaued at our Sauiours handes after his resurrection in the village called Emaus The second shall demand a speciall light well to penetrate the maiesty and profit of this mystery The first Point Of three figures of the Holy Sacrament CHAP. II. THE first point of the meditation shall containe three old Figures Gen. 14.18 among diuers others of this B. Sacrament The first is the Sacrifice of Melchisedech sometyme King of Salem and high Priest who entertayning Abraham as he returned victorious from the battaile offered to God Bread and VVine in thankes-giuing for the victory blessed him and refreshed him and his companie Our Sauiour the true Melchisedech in figure of the Sacrifice of the Body and Bloud of Iesus Christ the Christian Eucharist which the same Iesus Christ the true Melchisedech the true King of peace and high Bishop did institute and ordaine when in his last supper he did communicate his Apostles giuing them his Body to eat vnder the figure of Bread and his Bloud to drinke vnder the figure of Wine after the order and forme of the Sacrifice of Melchisedech and making them his Vicars and Deputies commanded them and their Successours in their person to do the same Luc. 22 1◠and to continue this Sacrifice and Supper in his name remembrance which hath heene alwayes performed hitherto and shall be alwayes heereafter vnto the worldes end For as Iesus Christ is Priest for euer after the order of Melchisedech and not of Aaron whose Priesthood togeather with the sacrifices were ended and fullfilled on the Crosse so his Sacrifice according to this order of Melchisedech shall be perpetual and euerlasting in yielding of thankes to God and in the feeding and refection of Christians the spirituall children of Abraham Psal 109. fighting in the Church heere militant on earth and shall one day triumph altogeather in heauen returning cōquerours from the combat The second Figure is the sacrifice of the Paschall Lambe which was ordayned the night before the deliuerance of the Hebrewes Exod. 12. from the captiuity of Aegypt and continued in remembrance of this great benefit vntill that our Sauiour the true Lambe did institute our Eucharist of his precious Body and Bloud in the euening before his Passion and our Redēption and shall continue as a memoriall thereof vntill he come againe not to be iudged and condemned to death as he was at his first comming but to iudge the world by the weights of their workes to kill death for euer after and to deliuer his children from all euill The third Figure is the Manna Exod. 15.16 giuen from heauen to the Hebrewes whilest they were Pilgrimes in the wildernesse walking towardes the land of promise euen so the Eucharist the true bread of heauen and the true drinke is giuen in the Church of God for the solace and sustenance of our soules in the desert of this world and for our prouision and food vntill we be brought to the land of the liuing in heauen The second point Of the Maiesty of our Sauiour in this Blessed Sacrament CHAP. III. THE second point shall be to meditate in this Sacrament first the power of our Sauiour Power conuerting by his almighty word the Bread into his body and the Wine into his bloud Second y the goodnes of the same Sauiour who hauing giuen himselfe a price and ransome for our Redemption Goodnes hath also vouchsafed to giue himselfe for food and to vnite himselfe with his creature soule to soule body to body in the straitest manner that can be imagined Thirdly the diuine wisedome Wisedome seasoning and tempering this precious food in so familiar and easy a fashion vnder the forme and taste of bread and Wine of the one side facilitating our senses to the taking of his flesh and bloud without horrour and on the other side instructing our fayth to vnderstand and acknowledge the vnion of faithfull Christians made heerby one
nightes and men that liued in those dayes liued in darknes altogeather or at most in that small weake light of the Moon and starres of the law of Nature and Moyses Be thou therefore O day of such a Natiuity blessed aboue all the dayes of the world and be thou O chamber honoured aboue all the Princely palaces of the earth for hauing receaued into thy bosome this rysing starre O people of Sion reioyce yee in the birth of this Virgin whome your mysteryes haue so much celebrated your Prelats so much foretould your Fathers so desired as the best and most noble flower of the race of your Kinges of your Synagogue Reioyce also O yee Gentils behould the morning that endeth the night of your ignorance and bringeth you the light of heauen a Virgin that shal beare you a Redeemer a Queene that shall giue you a King that shall make you all Kinges Reioyce thou also O my soule that thy eyes doe see the place where this morning this Virgin this starre was first seene and pray her there with a deuout hart that with the aboundance of her graces she wold obtayne of this great God whome she gaue vnto the world light to vnderstand his holy lawes loue to imbrace them force to performe them as long as thou shalt walke Pilgrime vpon the earth that thou mayst prayse him eternally in heauen Hauing made his prayer he shall heare Masse and communicate with his accustomed preparation and employ all the morning in like exercises The After-dinner and euening of the foure twentith Day Of the B. Virgins Auncestours and of the vanity of worldly greatnes CHAP. XVI IN the Afternoone hauing taken some honest recreation in reading some good booke or talking with his Ghostly Father or some other of good conuersation he shall heare Euensong and the diuine Office and shall haue his meditation ready against night The B. Virgin her Auncestours which shall be of the same matter of the first gathering some new instructions and points as of the nobility of the B. Virgin hauing for her Auncestours the holy Patriarches Abraham Isaac Iacob so many Kinges Princes and Lords as are recited and named in the Ghospel of the day The vanity of worldly greatnes Of the vanity of worldly greatnes and the solidity of vertue and eternall goods setting before his eyes on the one side the long list of those Princes and that notwithstanding the house of Dauid was brought to the condition of a poore Artificer the Scepter thereof being vsurped by Herod a straÌ„ger and forrenner How god raysed the house of Dauid Considering on the other side how God would rayse this royal house of Dauid not by ordinary wayes by aboundance of honours and worldly treasures but by giuing a Virgin that should surpasse the nobility of all the Kings of the earth and who should bring forth a Sonne that should restore the Kingdome The spiritual kingdome of Dauid established by Iesus Christ and seat of his Father Dauid by a way worthy of an Almighty King changing earth to heauen tyme to eternity writing his heauenly lawes in the harts of mâ—n and making them to be published ouer all the world establishing with the price of his owne precious bloud an heauenly and euerlasting kingdome therin to crowne for Kings all his friends and seruants and to heape on them glory and euerlasting riches Of these and like considerations he shall take occasion to prayse our Lord so wise as to find such wayes to repaire the ruines of mankind so liberall to communicate his goods and graces to his creatures and namely to this sacred Virgin to make her Mother of his Sonne and his Sonne Redeemer of the world And hauing made his speach and conclusion of his deuotion he shall draw towardes his lodging shall finish the rest of his Iourney saying our Ladyes Litanies or other prayers to take his repose and rise the more fresh fit for his morning exercise The fiue and twentith Day A meditation of the Presentation of the B. Virgin in the Temple CHAP. XVII THIS day The B.V. presented to the Temple the Pilgrime hauing sayd his accustomed prayers at his lodging shall goe to the holy House there to performe his principall Meditation which shall be of the presentation of the holy Virgin when her father Ioachim and Anne her Mother Niceph. l. 1. cap. 7. Niss ser de human Christi S. Euod epist. ad Antioch did bring her to the Temple of Hierusalem at three yeares of age there to offer and consecrate her to God The prayer preparatory as before The first preamble shall represent S. Ioachim and S. Anne as standing at the gate of the Temple to offer their little creature this Virgin to the high Priest to be admitted receaued among the virgins consecrated to Almighty God The second preamble shall demand grace duely to vnderstand this mystery The first point shall be to consider Our Bl. Ladyes childhood wonderfull euery way that as the Conception of the B. Virgin was a worke beyond the ordinary course and law by a singular grace wherby she was so conceiued of barren and old parents and by a speciall priuiledge aboue all the children of Adam preserued from all sinne and vncleanes being all pure and heauenly as also her Natiuity was diuine correspondent to her Conception so her childhood exceeded the common course of others and was endowed with all the blessings that might make that age admirable And if the holy Scripture sayth nothing thereof The son of Cresus Zoroastes Hercules S. Ambrose Plato it is because it may necessarily be presumed Some children haue beene meruailous for speaking a little after their birth others for laughing when they were borne others for hauing killed serpents S. Ambrose was honoured with a prodigious swarme of Bees that set themselues on his mouth who will not then belieue that the infancy of our B. Lady was honoured with all spirituall and rare graces and that this part of her life was agreeable proportionate to the two preceding The vertus of this virgin infant and ensuing parts thereof which were all admirable therfore heere the contemplatiue soule must represent her a little creature as a wonder of creatures a child prudent sage aduised modest deuout hauing nothing childish but body and yeares and hauing a great soule in a small body and finally a Virgin bearing in her childhood all the qualityes conditions that should make the fouÌ„dation of vertue for the most noble wise couragious and most vertuous Lady of the world And in such discourses he shall prayse the greatnes of the workeman for hauing made such a creature and shall stirre vp his loue and deuotion to the seruice of him and of this Virgin for the loue of him Why she was presented The first cause The second point shall containe two causes among many other of this oblation wherof the neerest
its first fall vntill the comming of the Sonne of God incarnate he shal consider the confusion and miserable condition of men plunged for the most part in the darke duÌ„geon of ignorance of God and heauenly thinges and oppâ—essed vnder the tyranny of him who inthralled our first Father and held all his posterity prisoners in the slauery of all sort of sinnes vices The prodence of God towardes man before his sonnes coÌ„ming infinitly more cruel then that which the Iewes suffered in Aegypt for that was only a figure and shaddow of this On the other side he shall behould the diuine prouideÌ„ce not ceasing still to prouide help and succours to prepare dispose this patient by conuenient remedies and to retayne men in their duty and vertue by good lawes and good workes by punishments promises threatnings as the examples of the deluge of the burning of Sodome of his protecting of the iust do teach vs. And heere he shall remember how the Father of mercy in what measure he seeth our misery increase increaseth also strengthneth his remedies more liuely stirring vp his friends to the fayth hope of his helpe and benediction which namely he performed in the person of AbrahaÌ„ Gods promises for the comfort of the world when hauing foretold him that his posterity should be captiue in a strange country he promised also that in the fourth generation they should be deliuered and should retourne from whence they parted which is according to the outward letter of the history the deliuerance of the Hebrewes the children of Abraham happening in the fourth generation that is foure hundred yeares after they entred into Aegypt allowing euery generation a hundred yeares Foure diuers generations and were put in possession of the land of Promise According to the interiour or mystical sense it is the redemption of man wrought by the comming of the Sonne of Man into the world in the fourth kind of generation which was this For the first was that of Adam without Father and Mother the second that of Eue made of the substance of Adam without a Mother the third is the ordinary of all men borne of Father and Mother by the common law of Nature the fourth then was this of the Sonne of God made Man and borne of a Mother without a Father He shall note also in the same place and marke that faith and hope were alwayes entertained and renewed among the people of God by diuers sacraments sacrifices ceremonies and prophecies which did figure and foretel this future Messias Redeemer of mankind as is euident in all the law of Moyses The third point of the Meditation The desires of the Saints dead and liuing of the comming of the Messias CHAP. XXIII FOR the third point the Pilgrime shall choose certaine places of Scripture which declare the desires and longing of the Saints who from the tyme of the law of Nature Moyses The Fathers desirous of the comming of Messias bewayling the great miseries of mankind and longing after the promised Redeemer were in an incredible expectation of his comming and ceased not to cry for him with prayers sighes teares so much the more feruent by how much the more they saw the greatnes of our euill and misery Moyses sayd Exod. 4. I pray thee O Lord send whome thou wilt send He spake to the Father Exod. 4. desiring him to send his Sonne How long sayth Dauid O Lord wilt thou turne thy face from vs How long wilt thou forget our pouerty and anguish Psalm 43. How long shall our enemies lift vp their hornes and glory in our destruction Arise O Lord arise and for the loue of thy name send vs help and succour As if he had sayd Lord if thou deferrest thy comming to the end by thy staying to make vs acknowledge our owne misery and pouerty alas we know already too well and cannot sufficiently bewayle it we know full well that without thy help we are lost Psal 8.20 help vs then O Lord and shew vs thy face we shall be safe Send vs this promised face this valiant woman this diuine seed Gen. 3.13 that should crush the head of our enemy shew thy image thy face thy Sonne incarnate which fully doth resemble thee to the end that we may be deliuered out of our misery And in another place as it were comforting himselfe in a holy hope he singeth out this diuine generation Psal 71. He shall descend like a showre of raine vpon a Fleece signifying the heauenly and virginall Conception of the Sonne of God And this was the rayne dew which Esay the Prophet demanded O heauens powre downe thy dew from aboue Isay 45. and let thy cloudes rayne downe the Iust. Let the earth open and bring forth our Sauiour Let it bring forth this iust man that must be borne of a Virgin and beare our iniquityes And againe Isay 64. I would thou wouldest open the heauens and descend the mountaines would melt at thy presence His meaning was O King of heauen when wilt thou descend from thy heauenly throne I would thou wouldest open the heauens and come downe to vs at thy only presence our spirituall enemies the mountaines of pride should be abased and confounded After these places of Scripture considered he shall cast his eyes vpon those great and holy soules The iust soules in Limbo or Purgatory who after the death of the first Iust Abel being shut in the prison of Limbo or wrapped in the flames of Purgatory did expect the comming of the Redeemer in whome they belieued and hoped in their life tyme and did inuocate him in this prison of hope did pray him and presse him for his mercy sake to make hast Genes 3.13 Adam sayd Send this woman and that seed O my Maker wherewith thou didst threaten the pride of that old Dragon the first cause of my fâ—ll and finish this my long banishment Abel sayd Gen. 4.4 O Father of the whole world send that Lambe which thou madest me to figure by my first sacrifice and open our prison gates Noe sayd O God Almighty make that Prince of peace to appeare signified in my tyme by the raynebow in the cloudes a figure of thy Couenant which thou didst promise to make with mortall men Abraham O Lord Genes 12.3.18.18.22.18 46 4. Act. 3.25 thou didst often promise to multiply my seed as the Starres of heauen and as the sandes of the Sea and to giue them the Country of Chanaan and didst sweare vnto me by thy selfe to blesse all Nations in my seed my race is multiplyed the country of Canaan is giuen according to thy word when will it please thee to accomplish the principall point of thy promise and rayse that branch wherein the world shall be blessed and draw vs out of these shadowes into the possession of thy light and euerlasting felicity Isaac and Iacob sayd as much Genes
who can doubt but that his seruants souldiours must fight also and the subiects suffer to the example of their Prince To the deceiued And they that will not carry thâ—ir Crosse after so great a Lord who content themselues with his suffering say that his torments are sufficient without ours who will eate and drinke sleepe and sport vpon the earth and be at last hoisted vp to heauen without victory and without combat are but monstrous members quickened with a lazie spirit and not by this valorous head cowardly souldiours and faint-harted treacherous and impudent subiects ignorant of the law of God and of vertue vnworthy of the name of Christians and of the reward of heauen and most worthy of paine and confusion euerlasting Neuer let me O Lord be one of that number and how can I be How can I fly from trauell and the Crosse knowing beholding and contemplating my head my Captaine my King nailed on the Crosse fighting for me against myne enemies vpon the Crosse crowned with thornes torne with stripes drunke with vineger fed with gall filled with reproches shall I be so cowardly so treacherous so perfidious to haue any such thought Giue me therfore a part if it please thee O Lord of thy Crosse The Prayer and of thy cuppe and as great as thou shalt thinke good that I may be thy souldiour vnder good ensignes vnder the ensigne and banner of the Crosse that I may glory in thy Crosse in carying mine owne that the paine bitternes and shame of thy Crosse may be my rest delight and glory in this world and the meditation of thy Crosse a continuall spurre to follow thee carying my Crosse to the end that when thou doost recompence the louers of thy Crosse I may haue part of the felicity which thou hast gained for vs by the Crosse Most happy Virgin present if it please thee this my request vnto thy Sonne To the B. Virgin thou that hast beene blessed aboue all women and aboue all men and women hast felt the sowre and sweet of the Crosse and who hast receiued an immortall recompence aboue all mortall creatures that my request by thy fauour may be granted for the honour of him who hath giuen thee credit and authority to obtaine all thou demaundest for the good of thy Pilgrims and Deuotes 1. Gratian accused 2. Folkes transformed 3. Gratian knowne 4. Tables of Religion 5. Bageuille 6. The desires of a deuout soule CHAP. XIX THIS was the Meditation of Lazarus that he made with great feeling of deuotion Gratian transported and accused as also Theodosius Vincent for their part and it seemed to them that the goodnes of God had multiplied their consolation in that measure they suffered before bitternes and trouble with the mistes and fantasies of their distraction As they had ended Dom-Prior was ready to beginne high Masse which being ended he forget not to goe entertaine the Pilgrims whome already Dom-Procurator had brought to the guests chamber After he had imbraced them demaunded certaine questions about their iourny of Loreto and vnderstanding how they had passed Mondeuill vpon the day of their triumphe where they met almost by miracle one good man amongst so many bad called Gratian a merchant by his trade he would haue brought them their breakfast but vnderstanding by Dom Procurator that their dinner was in making ready he continued to entertaine them still and told them that euen then was in the mouth of all the CoÌ„uent that the wednesday before they were robbed by a Sorcerer as was thought of some sacred vessells amongst the rest of a siluer Chalice and that one of the theeues was found that day in the garden who notwithstanding denieth stoutly himselfe to be any such man though he confesse himselfe a sinner and that so frankly feruently that he doth verily persuade vs that he is an honest man and that he was transported hither by some good Angell what thinke you my brethren of this prisoner then Good Father sayth Lazarus he is a good theefe and a good sorcerer if he say truth we must see and heare him to giue our opinion perhaps we may bring some newes of the theefe and also of the chalice for if I be not deceiued we haue brought the theefe that tooke it and shewing him Theodosius this Pilgrime saith he hath it in his bagge but that which I commend much in him is his good will to make restitution but I pray you be good vnto him and shew him mercy Dom-Prior smyling said he shall not need seeing he is in so good dispositioÌ„ I thought not quoth Theodosius to haue beene discouered so soone nor see may bag in danger to be rifled though indeed I thought vpon my conscience and the chalice too as soone as Dom-Prior complained of the theft but that you may see farther that I am an honest theefe I will restore vnto you also a Patten stolen as I thinke with your chalice But if it please you make Lazarus first recount how the matter happened this night and you shall heare a story that shall as much astonish you as thâ— chalice doth reioyce you I pray you then hartily quoth Dom-Prior tell it vs except you had rather deferre it vntill after dinner Father sayth Lazarus I had rather it were now I will dispatch it in a word Nay not in a word quoth Dom-Prior but rather tell it at your leasure with all the circumstances of the history and as he was about to beginne the seruants with Dom-Procurator set their dinner vpon the table I see well quoth Dom-Prior that dinner will goe before your discourse and it is good reason for the words shall be more strong and I will cast the reckoning for you of purpose I will bring you in the rekoning by and by Hauing washed and said grace he caused Dom-Procurator to sit and beare them company when dinner was done grace sayd Lazarus made narration of all that had passed that night with such a force and weight of words that Dom-Prior and Dom-Procurator seemed not to heare but to see present an assembly of sorcerers in the midst of the wood hearing him tell of the wolues clyming vp the Oake they were ready to cry out for feare but when they vnderstood that they fell to the ground and that their Sabbaoth vanished as soone as the Pilgrims had pronounced the names of Iesus Maria they began to laugh Lazarus hauing ended his story you haue heard saith he our feare now you shall see our booty and therewith desired the seruants to bring in their bags out of which Theodosius tooke the chalice and patten and presenting it to Dom-Prior Loe sayth he my Father the testitution I make of your goods The good old man knowing it was that which they had lost verily sayth he you restore truly what you tooke and you pay liberally for your reckoning and if we haue alwaies such theeues as Syr Lazarus
THE PILGRIME OF LORETO PERFORMING HIS VOW MADE TO THE GLORIOVS VIRGIN MARY MOTHER OF GOD. Conteyning diuers deuout Meditations vpon the Christian Cath. Doctrine By Fa. Lewis Richeome of the Society of IESVS Written in French translated into English by E.W. PRINTED At Paris Anno Dom. M.DC.XXIX TO THE MOST HIGH AND EXCELLENT PRINCESSE MARY BY GODS SINGVLAR PROVIDENCE QVEENE OF GREAT BRITAINE FRANCE AND IRELAND c. MADAME This Pilgrime being drawn with a great desire to present himselfe and his seruice to your Maiesty was driuen backe by a double feare the one of offending with his ouer-boldnes in presenting himselfe poore Pilgrime to so great a Princesse the other least the very name of Pilgrime might debar him of all accesse and Audience Yet at last he resumed his first resolution considering that he was to appeare before a Queene not so Great as Gracious as all that conuerse in your Royall Court do try and testify You are the daughter of that great and Gracious King who heertofore hath with gracious acceptaÌ„ce intertained this same Pilgrim in FraÌ„ce presented vnto him by that eloquent learned and Religious Frenchman F. Lewis Richeome Accept then MADAME in England what your renowned Father imbraced in France He desireth only to be graced and honoured with your Maiestyes Name and to shroud himselfe vnder the winges of your Princely protection and to be admitted your Maiesties poore beadesman For the bare Name of Pilgrime though it may chance to breed some iealousy at the first yet whosoeuer shall but search him and examine his instructions and directions find nothing but of deuotion meditation prayer and particulerly for your Maiesty he may hope rather to be admitted for his innocency and loyall Intention then excluded for the only name of Pilgrime which Name though now strange hath heertofore beene so vsuall and esteemed in our Court S. Helene and Country as Kinges and Queenes haue not only vndertaken it but gloried therein Canutus And so great sayth an ancient Authour 900. yeares since was the deuotion of Englishmen in that tyme Ceadwalla after all the Country was conuerted and christened that not only the Noble men and the meaner sort Clerickes and Layickes but the Kinges the Kinges children leauing their kingdomes and the wealth of the world Marcelliâ— in vita S. Switbâ—râ—â— haue out of their great deuotion chosen for a tyme to go Pilgrims for Christ on earth This Pilgrime was presented to your Maiestyes Father in France of purpose to offer his prayers for the then Daulphin now King the benefit and fruit whereof he hath found and felt in good successe of his affaires and for all the Royall house Realme of France wherein your Maiesty had a part he commeth now wholy and particulerly to do the like for both your Maiesties that God by the intercession of his Blessed Mother would blesse your Royall persons your people and kingdome with all earthly and heauenly benedictions And namely that hauing vnited you in the sacred bandes of holy Matrimony and lincked your hearts with so fast Loue and Affection as all your Subiects do ioy to see and heare that he would also blesse you with the happy fruit thereof and make his Maiesty a ioyfull Father and You a Mother of many goodly and Godly Princes who may longe sway the Scepter of great Britaine after you may imitate in vertue and sanctity S. Edward and S. Lewis your Maiesties glorious predecessours and in wisedome and valour your Maiesties noble Father of famous memory Neither doe I see MADAME why this Pilgrime should feare to come to any Court or company seeing he coÌ„meth euery where but among his fellowes for though all be not Pilgrimes of Loreto neither is this booke only or principally to direct such yet whilest we liue in this world we are though as Kinges Queenes and Emperours all Pilgrimes as a great King sayd of himselfe Aduena peregrinus sum ego Psal 38. Who though they haue thousandes of Castles and Citties yet haue they not heere any one Ciuitatem permanentem which shall not be taken from them before they dye or they taken from it by death but futuram inquirimus hauing no mansion-house or byding place in this world we goe seeking one in Heauen where be multae mansiones Which this Pilgrimage vnder the shadow of his other Pilgrimage doth exactly teach vs to do exhorting vs with S. Peter 1. Pet. 2. as strangers and Pilgrimes to abstaine from carnall desires which fight against the soule and to seeke the spirituall and eternall the increase whereof will make your Maiesty greater before God and man For the honours and glory of this mortal life your Maiesty hath as much as your heart can reasonably desire You haue for your Ancestours great Emperours and Kings of Hungary and Bohemia for your Progenitors the great Dukes of Tuscany for your Father Great Henry of France and for your husband the King of Great Britaine all Great Being placed in the top of these honours there is no roome for more nor cause to desire any greater fortunes but only those which may and alwayes should increase in vs in this life and prouide matter for a Crowne of glory in the next These MADAME are holy vertues which adorne noble deuout soules as silke siluer gold pearles and precious stones doe the body these are the ornaments which haue aduanced meane women aboue Queenes Queenes aboue theÌ„selues as they did Hester who though she were exceeding beautifull yet her humility modesty charity wisedome other diuine qualities of her soule made her more admired in her life theÌ„ the beauty of her body or the Diademe of her head and after her death hath left her Name grauen in the memory of all following ages These goodly ornaments I say togeather with the corporall guifts which the hand of God hath liberally cast vpon You wonne the harts of those who knew you in France and were the titles wherby you were iudged to be a Princesse worthy of a Kingdome and a fit Consort for so great a King To conclude these are the treasures which only You shall carry with You departing this life to raigne for euer in the other with the Blessed The other guifts as beauty riches honour Iewelles the Crowne it selfe and all other earthly treasures the spoyle of tyme do passe from their being to their buriall as a shadow that vanisheth as a Post that gallopeth away as a Ship on the sea as a Bird in the ayre who leaue no path nor trace behind them as dust or a lock of woll hoysted with the wind as the froth and fome of the Sea broken with a storme as smoke dispersed in the ayre and as the memory of a guest which stayeth but one night Thus sayd Salomon out of his owne experience and we see as much euery day by ours Sap. 5. How vaine then O most Christian Queene is all this world
contrarywise this house subsisteth without foundation or rest against the lawes of Nature and art And heere also is to be noted a singular wonder that when the wall was made which now doth compasse it round about to the end to hold it vp and sustaine it it was found to be disioyned and retyred leauing a great space betwixt them as iâ— still to be seene whereby God would declare that this was an effect depending of his holy hand and a continual miracle to make this house of his Sonne and his mother more admirable and honourable Behold the beginning of this house of Loreto and the first condition and quality that we sayd might make a place venerable before meÌ„ wherin I haue enlarged my selfe the more for that the knowledge of this is as it were the foundation wheron is grounded the rest that I come to say heereafter where I intend to be so much the shorter by how much I haue beene heerein the loÌ„ger Of places honourable for their antiquity and how that of Loreto is most honourable by this Title CHAP. XIV THE second cause and condition that giueth title of honour and respect vnto any place as also to a man to workes to goods to vertues to any thing els is Antiquity Thereby men become memorable families famous nations glorious languages of great authority amities and friendships become more commendable and wine with age waxeth better The Iaponians haue certaine earthen pots framed after an old manner Pots of Iaponia of no valew for the matter nor of any beauty for the fashion yet more esteemed with them for this only title of Antiquity then heere with vs are Diamonds or other precious stones and are sold sometimes for two or three thousand Duckets Opinion setteth the price of all thinges for which heere perhaps a man should hardly get six pence whereat the Portugeses meruailing and mocking also who compassing these farre Seas did first land with those people for their traficke they could wel auouch that their opinion of valewing their pots was vpon better ground and foundation then ours in so esteeming of stones for of those we haue no pleasure but the sight whereas their pots say they do them some seruice and besides doe carry with them an image of immortality It is certaine then that buildings as all other thinges are honoured by this antiquity though fallen to ruine 3. Rev 6.3 2. â—aâ—al 34. Ioan. 10.23 Act 5.11 and decay In the tyme of our Sauiour there was standing in the Temple that Herod had caused to be builded in Hierusalem a porch or cloisture remayning of the ruines of Salomons Temple which was for honour called the Porch of Salomon a peece honourable chiefly for the Antiquity At Rome are beheld with reuerence the Amphitheaters the triumphant Arches of royall pallaces and like peeces of ancient buildings and yet further the pillers bathes Piramides that escaped the breaking in the falls and ruines of Cittyes haue endured whole or cracked vnto our tyme do make more honourable this Citty the abridgement of the world Loreto a most ancieÌ„t building aboue any in Palestine But in all the world there is no worke better founded vpon this title of ancient nobility then this sacred House The antiquity of the other for the most part is but a profane worke of vanity food of curiosity carying with it no greater commodity then the testimony of the mysery and mortality of humane thinges but this is diuine full of honour of spirituall fruit and holines It sheweth vnto vs a little Chamber that hath stood on foot 1600. yeares without reckoning how long it endured before which was perhaps as long or more which we cannot know as we do certainely know that it hath lasted these 1600 yeares whole and sound amidst the ruines of so many princely Pallaces Temples Synagogues and other stately Buildings More ancient theÌ„ any in the world not only of Nazareth in Galiley but also in all Palestine yea I may boldly say in the whole world wherein it giueth vs without saying a word a heauenly instruction giuing vs to know that when God will transitory and fading thinges can exceed the boundes and lawes of tyme and become immortal maugre death according as they are coÌ„secrated to the seruice of him who giueth beginning and lasting to all things There is nothing so fraile and so soone perishing as haires yet notwithstanding the haires of that noble Penitent Mary Magdalen are yet whole because they were imployed to wipe and drye our Sauiours feet There haue beene a thousand Queenes Ladyes Gentlewomen who haue had more goodly haire which yet are turned to aâ—hes 1. Reg. 1â— 26. Absalon had goodly golden lockes that did flye about his shoulders and beat vpon his legs and he was faine to cut it euery yeare least he should be loaden or troubled therewith all these haires are perished and Absalon loosing his life was hanged by them and perished by his haire corporally as many Dames do by theirs 2. Reg. 18.9 spiritually The haires only of Magdalen haue remayned incorruptible amidst the great reuell and change of mortall thinges to serue for a goodly and honourable attire to her head who so happily employed them to the seruice of her masters feet Such seruice hath founded the Antiquity of this little great ChaÌ„ber and hath made it stable against all the assaults of men tyme for that he who put all thinges and tyme in his owne power was there serued honoured O mortal men build you so so dedicate your actions and workes to the glory of him that can giue them ground and bring them to immortality euen in the land of mortality and to your selues aboue in heauen that life and glory which feareth not the lawes and rigour of tyme. Places renowned by diuine apparitions made in them and of the apparitions of the Chamber of Loreto CHAP. XV. The third cause THE third thing that doth beautify and sanctify a place is diuine apparitions made in them by this title were many places in Pale tine made honourable as was the plaine of Mambre Gen. 18. where God came to lodge in Abrahams tent and pauillon vnder the figure of three men an apparition which Deuines expound of the B. Trinity which is one God and essence in three persons Aug. lib. 1 de Trinit Also Bethel in Mesopotamia of Syria where Iacob in his sleep saw that meruailous Ladder standing vpon the earth Gen. 28.7 and reaching with the top to Heauen Angells ascending and descending thereon in prayse of which place Gen. 28.17 Iacob awaking sayd Verily our Lord is in this place and I knew it not this place is terrible and no other but the house of God Honourable also in this respect was the desert where God first shewed himselfe to Moyses in a burning Bush but aboue al other Exod. 20. the top of the mountaine Sinai is
admirable in this kind for thereon God gaue within a cloud the Tables of his law with many admirable preparations of thunder lightning sound of Trumpet and other signes of maiesty and where Moyses twice remayned forty dayes and fourty nights without meat or drinke Exod. 24.18 44 28. all which thinges haue made this place venerable with an immortal memory There be a thousand places more sanctifyed with like visions of God and of his Angells The apparition of Loreto admirable but none was euer so noble in this respect as this heauenly House and Chamber For the embassage of the Annuntiation made therein was an apparition most noble and diuine in euery circumstance of the thing it selfe of the person that ordained it and of the person that did it and of the fashion and manner how it was done The Scripture sayth expresly that the Archangell was sent on the behalfe of God which is to shew the dignity of this mission as being appointed immediatly from God and of purpose for although all good Angels come vnto men by the ordinaÌ„ce of God yet the Scripture is not wont to expresse so much but leaueth it to vs to belieâ—e But heer it declareth it in expresse termes to signify some thing extraordinary euen as it telleth vs Gen. 1.26 that God wheÌ„ he would make man sayd Let vs make man to our similitude and likenes to teach vs say Deuines by these wordes of deliberation that it was a higher worthier worke then the creatioÌ„ of other things where God did not vse this ceremonious language although he made them all with wisedome and prudence By this expression then is signifyed the maiesty of this embassage and apparition as also by the person sent which was the Angel Gabriel one of the greatest in the court of heauen bearing the name of our Sauiour whom he announced Theoph. in 2. Luc. 〈◊〉 Proc. Episc in ho. assidente Nestorio Vide Saâ—mer l. 3. p. 25. for Gabriel signifyeth Man God as Doctors interprete it a name proper to Iesus Christ the only Man God called Archangell by the holy Fathers not as being of the first order of the first Hierarchy but a Prince among the Angels as are among vs the name of Archbishop Archdeacon Archduke and such like title of dignity and not of order So the Angell that shal giue the signe of the great and last day is called by S. Paul Archangell that is a Prince of Angells as also S. Iude calleth S. Michael Archangell in that sense that S. Paul 1. Thesâ— 4 6. S. Iud. ep Dan. 10.13 and the Prophets called him Prince of Angells It was also conuenient sayth S. Gregory that the Embassadour of so soueraigne a worke as is the saluation of men should be one of the highest and that he who should be sent to a Virgin in whome the Sonne of almighty God should be incarnate Greg. hom 43. should surpasse the excellency of all the Angells and be one of the principall Spirits and of the Seraphims themselues by speciall prerogatiue and to confront Lucifer and Satan who were Princes of the Seraphims and the first workers and messengers of the fal and ruine of mankind The manner of this apparition was rare and singular for we must not doubt but that he appeared with an outward maiesty meet for his person and message with an extraordinary light in the forme of a heauenly yong man his face shyning as S. Aug. ser 14. in natiuit c. 10. Augustine sayth his habit glittering with a maiesticall regard and admirable presence The salutation was also without example for though Angells heeretofore haue shewed themselues to Agar Gen. 21.16 Iud. 13.9 and to the mother of Sampson and diuers other women we read not for all that they saluted theÌ„ either much or little But the Angell not only saluted but most honourably saluted her which caused the B. Virgin who was as low in humility as she was high in other vertues to be troubled at so great and vnaccustomed prayses Some Deuines haue written Albert. magn in postil that there were two other Angells companions to Gabriel in this Embassage to announce in the figure of the Trinity the IncarnatioÌ„ of the Sonne of God which was a true work of the selfe same very Trinity though Gabriel only did speake Gen. 18. euen as the prediction of the birth of Isaac was giuen by three persons whereof but one did speake This apparition therefore wherewith this holy House was honoured The maiesty of the Embassage of the AnnuÌ„ciation of the Son of God was before all others full of maiesty for all the circumstances and particularityes are not found in any neither is there any in others which is not found in this The apparition made to Abraham was noble for that there was present the B. Trinity in the forme of three men heere the same Trinity was peculiarly present in each person the Father sending his Sonne the Sonne taking flesh in the wombe of the Virgin the Holy Ghost also ioyning in the heauenly worke of this Incarnation and besides this a principall Angell in maiesty an Embassadour of God almighty The vision of Iacob was but a shaddow in respect of this Gen. 18. as also was the burning Bush and that of Sinai Exod. 3. where God gaue his Law and let himselfe be seene only in smoke and lightning and heard only by a voice framed in the ayre and by the sound of Trumpet heere he gaue his Sonne the author of the law to make himselfe be seene in him to speake by his word and by him to giue the Law and saluation to mortall men and let his Angells appeare in the most beautiful forme that euer they were seen in worthily to announce the mystery of all mysteries This apparition therefore wherewith this Chamber was honoured was euery way diuine how many more thinke we haue there beene since Luc. 2.13 How often haue the Angels come to adore their Lord in his infancy in his tender youth as they did adore and sing vnto him at his Natiuity How often haue they come to serue him in this little Cabbinet Matth. 4.11 as they did in the desert And who can doubt but that they did continually assist his humanity in earth whose sacred diuinity they continually assist in Heauen And though the Scripture hath not expressed it in plaine words it hath signifyed it by silence thinking it needlesse and superfluous to specify that which euery Christian may iudge certaine and vndoubted this was then a house of continuall apparitions and heauenly vision and honourable in this respect aboue all other places of the world Places made famous by the habitation of holy men and Saints and that the house of Loreto is most honourable in this respect CHAP. XVI THE fourth quality that maketh a place honourable The 4. cause habitation of Saints is the dwelling and frequenting of great persons so
people more worthy of punishment then prayse and those who trauaile with honesty indeed and ciuility but whose chiefe intention is to see diuers countreyes cittyes peoples and to feed their curiosity with the sight and knowledge of many thinges as they are not of the worst so neither deserue they the prayse of a true Christian pilgrime no more then their end doth But they are such pilgrimes as Vlisses Aeneas Plato or such like trauellers that raÌ„ ouer the world to enrich store themselues with humane knowledge and prudence and to frame and fashion their life after the skill and manner of wise men of this world The Christian aymeth at a higher marke and directeth his steppes to a more rich conquest The prâ—pall enâ— of a christian â—grime for although he doth not refuse nor omit to learne all the good that others learne trauayling in diuers countreyes as modesty humility patience temperaÌ„ce and other gaine of morall vertues whereby he may adorne his life with ciuill carriage fashions yet his principal marke is to make himselfe wise by christian wisedome to Godward to enrich himselfe with piety and charity to liue christianly that is to say perfectly before him according to euery mans state and condition and finally by trauelling vpon earth to gaine heauen Our pilgrime therefore shall not only haue in horrour the fashions of the first debauched wanderers but also shall beware of being curious about vaine and vnprofitable thinges and only seeke and search after such thinges as may help him happily to attaine vnto this end The forme and partes of Christian pilgrimages In the third place he must learne the formes and tymes of his pilgrimages which I diuide vnto him in three partes his going his arriuall or stay there and his retourne and these in fourty dayes iourney shewing what he should doe in euery one of them The three partes are the three estates of Christians the three wayes are the three kindes of Christians vertues Three sorts and estates of wayes vertues The first signifyeth the estate of beginners the way and vertues of purgation The second the estate of the Proficients and the way and vertues of illumination And the third the estate of the perfect and the way of vnion and exeÌ„plar vertues which by likenes loue hold vs alwayes straitely conioyned with God The nuÌ„ber of 40 the figure of our mortal abode heere The fourty dayes iourney signify the mortall abode or time of men in the pilgrimage of this life as our Doctours doe obserue and for such signification hath this number beene often vsed applyed in the Scrtpture The Hebrewes passing towardes the land of promise trauailed as I sayd before fourty yeares in the desert Moyses was twice fourty dayes in the top of the mountaine Sina to receaue the Law which should guide and direct vs in this life Elias fasted fourty dayes as also our Sauiour shewing vs the painefull and penitentiall course of this life And this mystery is well founded sayth S. Augustine for that this number is composed of foure and ten Aug. l. 2. de consen Euan. c. 4. wherof the first containeth the second and both togeather bring forth fourty for the parts numbers that are found in foure that is 1. 2. 3. 4. make ten and ten tymes 4. or 4. tymes ten make 40. so that foure is the matter and substance of ten and ten is the perfection of foure and both togeather the generation of fourty and euery where foure doth rule and is predominant 4. Elements To the proportion then of this number it seemeth that the production and continuance of thinges in this mortall life is framed and disposed for the Elements wherof all thinges heere below are compounded and produced 4. Times of the yeare are foure the ayre the fire the water and the earth The tymes that rule and gouerne these productions are foure the Spring Summer Autumne 4. Humours 4. Ages Winter In men there are foure humours Blood Choler Flegme Melancholy also there be foure ages Infancy Youth Manhood and Old age and foure bringeth alwayes ten a perfect number that is to say it maketh the thing perfect and accomplished according to the owne nature foure Elements make a Body as a Stone a Tree a Bird foure Seasons make a Yeare and the 10. with the 4. make 40. that is to say the thing being perfect taketh his race and runneth vnto the but and end of his 40. making his whole continuance the tree his man his and so of the rest The generation of mâ—n perfected in 40. dayes The same nuÌ„bers doe reigne in the generation of man in particuler for he is perfected in his mothers wombe in foure tymes ten dayes that is fourty if it be a man child in twice fourty if it be a femall and therefore it is that Philo the Iew doth call it the number of life Our pilgrimage therefore shall be of fourty dayes whereof shall be allowed for going 21. 〈◊〉 de vita Mosis The 21. dayes of the pilgrims going is a marke of pennance which is thrice 7. the number which signifyeth pennance and purgation according to the signification of the first part which we haue sayd doth expresse vnto vs the estate of them that are penitents beginners and walking in the vertues and way purgatiue Nine are allowed for his arriuall and stay there which signifyeth the estate of illumination as the number is a signe of light consecrated to the 9. Orders of Angells the intellectuall light Ten are allotted for his returne which is a note of a perfect life and the number of perfection and because in euery one of these iournyes the principall and most frequent exercise of the pilgrime is to pray meditate and contemplate to the end to be vnited and conioyned to God and to find him fauourable also to make examen of his conscience to amend his vices and imperfections and to goe forward in Christian purity as he doth in his way and iourney it is necessary before all thinges that he learne how to performe these thinges duly before he set forward in this way Of Prayer Meditation and Contemplation CHAP. II. THE principall most familiar and necessary instrumeÌ„t of a Christian and of him that goeth in pilgrimage for deuotion is prayer for that is it that holdeth vs vnited with God and draweth from him force and necessary prouision to discharge our voyage and therfore it is altogeather necessary to vnderstand it well and to know how to vse and handle it with dexterity which he shall doe by the proper definition thereof as it were by a toole or instrument which discouereth the nature of the thing and by declaration of the parts conditions and vse thereof Aug. l. 2. de sermon Dom. in monte c. 7. Basil hom in Mart. Iulit Damas l. 4. de side orthodoxa cap. 24. Greg. Nâ—s lib. de ora Aug. serm 226. de
tempore Chyrs l. 2. de orando Deo Prayer is a conuersion of the hart of God sayth S. Augustine It is a demand of some good thing sayth S. Basil S. Iohn Damascene comprehending them both sayth Prayer is an eleuation of the spirit vnto God and a demand of things conuenient Prayer sayth S. Gregory Nâ—ssene is a contemplation or talke of the holy soule with God a contemplation of inuisible thinges a certaine fayth and beliefe of things we should desire it is an angelicall state vocation an increase of good and subuersion of euill It is the key of heauen sayth Augustine and the sinnewes of the soule This is sayth S. Chrysostome the instrument that should alwayes be in the Christians hand day and night in the towne and field in prosperity aduersity in peace and warre in health and sicknes and in all thinges It is good reason then to learne the manner of praying well It appeareth by the foresayd definitions that the essence and foundation of true prayer consisteth in the soule that which is made with the mouth and voice only deserueth not the name of prayer It is the language of a Parrot that speaketh it knoweth not what Prayer of the spirit speaketh properly to God and maketh himselfe to be vnderstood as an Angell though the lips stirre not and he cryeth aloud to God in profound silence Exod. 14.15 Moyses moued not his lippes when God sayd vnto him Why cryest thou It was the crye and voice of his prayer which he then made in the closet of his hart The prayer of the mouth is not good except it be caried with the wings of the spirit both togeather make a perfume that pierceth the heauens a sacrifice most acceptable to God and a pregnant request to obtaine whatsoeuer shall be demanded of his Maiesty The inward is the roote and fruit of deuotion the outward is the flowre and budd To doe it well he must learne to meditate well for meditarion and contemplation do illuminate the vnderstanding do heat the wil eleuate the soule to God and ioyneth it to his loue which is the very essence and vigour of prayer Fire is kindled in my meditatioÌ„ sayth Dauid that is to say My prayer shall be feruent if I meditate well To meditate Christian-like is to discourse in the vnderstanding of some diuine subiect of the creation of the world of the Natiuity of the Sonne of God of his death of his resurrection of the purity and humility of the B. Virgin Mary of some vertue or vice of death iudgement hell heauen and such like matters This discourse is made in noting the causes The discourse of Prayer and effects and deducing conclusions agreable to the honour of God and our good For example meditating of the creation of the world I obserue that God is the supreme cause of all thinges who hath made all of nothing by his only word that heauen and all the creatures with them are the workes of his power wisedome and bounty heereof I conclude Conclusion of our Prayer that he is almighty hauing brought forth such goodly effects of nothing all wise hauing so diuinely ordered them all good in hauing giuen them all to men againe I conclude that I am bound to feare him as my soueraigne Lord adore him as the supreme wisedome and loue him as the infinite bounty and to serue him with all my hart and with all my forces as my Creatour my King my Maker my Father and my all in all By this discourse my vnderstanding is delighted in the meruailous workes of God my will is warmed in his loue and of them both my soule taketh a tongue to speake vnto him and maketh her prayer adoring his greatnes admyring his wisedome magnifying his bounty casting her selfe into the armes of his holy prouidence declaring her infirmityes offering her abilityes her vowes teares sighes and desires and al that she hath demanding what she hath not perfect humility fortitude patience charity and other vertues and finally drowning her selfe in praying to this supreme Deity as before she did in meditating Contemplation is a regard of the eyes of the soule fastened attentiuely vpon some obiect DefinitioÌ„ of Contemplation as if after hauing meditated of the creation she should set her eye of her vnderstanding fast and fixed vpon the greatnes of God vpon the beauty of the Heauens or hauing discoursed of the passioÌ„ of our Sauiour she behouldeth him present seeth him crucifyed and without any other discourse perseuereth constantly in this spectacle Then the soule doth contemplate vpon her meditation CoÌ„templation more theÌ„ Meditation so that contemplation is more then meditation and as it were the end thereof and it groweth and springeth vpon it many tymes as the braunch doth vpon the body of the tree or the flowre vpon the branch For the vnderstanding hauing attentiuely and with many reasons to and fro meditated the mystery and gathered diuers lights togeather doth frame vnto her self a cleere knowledge wherof without further discourse one way or other she enioyeth as I may say a vision which approcheth to the knowledge of Angells who vnderstand without discourse although it may so happen The knowledge of Angels that the deuout soule may enter into contemplatioÌ„ without any meditation going before according as the diuine wisedome shall affoard her inward obiects after the manner of visions as it did often to the Prophets and his most familiar friends and seruants or els where the party himselfe doth choose some one where he feeleth greatest gust and there stayeth without stirring It may happen also that meditation may follow contemplation as if one hauing attentiuely beheld an obiect doth thereof afterward ground some discourse as Moyses did Exod. 3.3 when hauing seene the visioÌ„ of the burning Bush he approched discoursing why it consumed not Heereof we learne the difference betwixt these two actions The difference between contemplation meditation for meditation is lesse cleere lesse sweet and more painefull then conteÌ„plation it is as the reading of a booke which must be done sentence after sentence but contemplation is like casting the eyes vpon a picture discerning all at once Meditation is like eating Contemplation like drinking a worke more sweet cooling and more delicate lesse labour and more pleasure then eating is For he that meditateth taketh an antecedent doth behould weigh and consider it as it were shewing the meate with some paine and afterward doth gather conclusioÌ„s one after another as it were swallowing downe of morsells and taketh his pleasure by peeces but he that contemplateth receaueth his obiect without paine swiftly and as it were altogeather as if he tooke a draught of some delicate wine such is Meditation and such is Contemplation All prayer therefore and all eleuation of the spirit for to carry it selfe with a strong and swift flight before the throne of the diuine Maiesty must be carryed by them or by the
meanes of one of them as hauing their force and vigour from them This is the essence of prayer let vs see now what are the conditions partes and vse thereof How Prayer should be made and of the partes and vse thereof CHAP. III. THE Prayer of a Christian must be attentiue deuout The principal partes of Prayer full of loue respect and reuerence to God before whom he speaketh who is King of Kinges and very wisedome bounty and maiesty it selfe It hath three principall partes as haue all other well ordered discourses The entry the body or corps and the end and conclusion The entry or beginning contayneth a short and generall preparatiue prayer also a locall representation of the matter we meditate of which is as the first essay and preamble of prayer It contayneth a particuler prayer which is insteed of a second preamble the generall prayer demandeth of God that it would please him to direct all our intentions to his honour and glory which may be done with hart alone or with hart and mouth also vsing the accustomed prayer of the Church framed for the same end in these termes We beseech thee O Lord to preuent our actions with thy aspiration and to follow them with thy help that all our prayer worke may euer begin at thee and by thee be ended Amen The representation or first preamble The first preaÌ„ble is a certaine imaginary composition or framing of a place where the thing we meditate of was done or of the thing it selfe as of the desert where our Sauiour fasted Mat. 4. if we meditate of his victory against the Diuell or the mount Caluary where he was crucifyed if we meditate of his death or of the B. Virgins chamber where she was saluted by Gabriel if we meditate of the Annunciation and so of other mysteries But if the subiect of the meditation be spirituall insteed of this composition of place The representation of sinne we must imagine some thing conuenient and agreable in maÌ„ner of a parable as if we meditate vpon sinne we may imagine the soule shut vp and imprisoned within the body as in an obscure and loathsome prison and sinne as a cruell and monstrous tyrant a dragon a serpent and such as the Diuell is painted and all the holy Doctours doe sometymes describe it It will help also to haue before our eyes some picture or image of the matter we meditate which may serue insteed of these representations to them that cannot frame this themselues This preamble is very profitable to meditate attentiuely for thereby is setled and restrained our imaginaition which is a flying and wandering faculty going for the most part out of the house without leaue carrying our thoughts sometymes before they are aware as far from the marke or matter as the North is from the South The secoÌ„d preamble The particuler prayer and second preamble is a demand or petition we make to God to graunt vs the grace to reape the fruit we seeke for in the subiect of prayer For example to giue vs charity if our prayer be of that vertue or compunction if we meditate of our sinnes The body or substance of the prayer The body or corps of the prayer contayneth the points of the subiect of the meditation one two three or more as if meditating of the ResurrectioÌ„ of our Sauiour we should make the first point of the tyme or houre of his rysing the second of the glory of his body the third of the souldiers feare that kept the Sepulcher the fourth of the apparition and testimony of the Angells and so in other matters The speach or colloquy endeth the Prayer The end of the prayer containeth a speach which the soule maketh vnto God either with the hart alone or with hart mouth togeather thanking him for his guifts offering our selues to his seruice asking pardon of our sinnes and grace to amend for afterward and finally speaking vnto him as the nature of the meditation shall require and communicating it self in such sort as a deuout and respectiue hart may doe before God This is the right prayer of a Christian which the Pilgrime shall performe euery day Those that haue not yet learned to meditate and contemplate may also pray saying their houres or reading some deuout booke or taking some prayer which they can say by hart as the Pater noster Credo or the like meditating sentence by sentence or word by word Of Iaculatory prayer CHAP. IV. THERE is another kind of prayer Why it is called Iaculatory which is commonly called Iaculatory because it is made shortly and sodenly as if one should throw a dart which is very ordinary and familiar to spirituall persons It is a sodaine excursion and eleuation of the soule ayming at heauen praysing or praying to God or his Saints in short tyme and in few wordes according vnto the occasion we shall presently take of place tyme or other thing saying with hart or mouth God be blessed My God show me thy wayes Iesus help me Glorious Virgin pray for me and such like verses taken out of the Scripture or out of our owne deuotion which manner of praying is figured by the Brocâ—es of gold that were set on the top of the Temple of Hierusalem Ioseph l. 6. de bâ—â—â—o Iudaiâ— c. 6. to the end the Birdes might not perch or sit therein nor either file it with their donge or nestle there and the similitude agreeth well for these prayers being our highest and most subtill thoughts are like little golden Rods sharp on the top of our soule hauing alwayes the point towardes heauen and are very proper to chase away euill suggestions of the Diuells those soule birds and to make all sortes of temptations vanish away at all tymes and places in night and day in coÌ„pany and alone in the citty in silence in talke and discourse the soule may cast out a sodaine sighe a request a desire a prayse of God or some Saint and pray in secret effectually without disturbance Therefore the well aduised Christian must alwayes haue this prayer at hand help himselfe with it as often as he can in the day and specially our Pilgrime all the tyme of his pilgrimage to the end to entertaine himselfe in continuall deuotion and to ouercome temptations alwaies to haue his eare harkening after the mercy of God and to obtaine help and succour of him We will now speake of the Beades and Rosary and of the examination of our conscience Of the Rosary and the manner how to say it CHAP. V. AMONGST the Prayers and meditations which should be frequent and familiar to our Pilgrime of Loreto it is good reason to reckon the Rosary Corone Chaplet in French Of the name of Chaplet oâ— Corone For seeing that all Christian Catholikes doe vse it in the honour of the mother of God much more should her deuoted seruant pilgrime This word
law of God in what sort soeuer and in the end say Pater Aue. In the 4. point he must say Confiteor knocking his breast for his faults found with dolour and dislike and also with hope to knocke at the gate of Gods mercy humbly crauing pardon for the snnes we find our selues to haue committed The 5. point is to make a firme purpose neuer by the help of Gods grace to fall againe into the like and with the first commodity to goe to Confession so to end with Pater Aue And Credo This is the dayly exercise of all that be carefull and solicitous of their owne saluation commanded by the Scripture and practised by the Saints Eccl. 28.29 Locke vp thy gold siluer sayth the Wise man and make a weight vnto thy wordes and put a strict bridle in thy mouth That is vaunt not of thy vertue nor glory in thy good actions weigh and examine all euen vnto thy wordes and keep thy selfe from euill and haue a purpose to abstaine for afterward Iob sayd I feared all my workes Iob. 9.28 knowing that thou dost not pardon the offender And this without doubt was because he weighed all in the ballance of Gods iustice which he knew left nothing vnweighed Dauid Psalm 76. I meditated in the night with my hart I did exercise my selfe I did sweep cleanse my spirit Vpon which wordes S. Augustine sayth He enquired of himselfe he examined himselfe and he iudged himself within himselfe He examined in the night the fit and proper tyme in silence with attention hauing his eyes shut to other thinges he exercised himselfe in good earnest with all his hart with feruour and vigour of deuotion and not with a distracted and wandering cogitation dead without motion of life and sorrow My sinne is alwayes before me Psal 50. Because he was in continuall examination of his actions alwayes finding some defect and heereof he sayd to God Psal 18.14 Who is he that knoweth his faultes Deliuer me from my secret sinnes and pardon thy seruant the sinnes of others He that doth not his diligence to performe this once a day sheweth himselfe to haue no great care of his owne soule for he putteth himselfe fondly in danger to be surprised and sodainly arrested by the executioner of the supreme Iudge hauing the accountes of his life ill ordered charged with debts which he shal neuer be able to discharge The deuout Christian doth it often in the day How often in the day the deuout ChristiaÌ„ should examine his conscience Our Pilgrime shall do it thrice in the morning when he riseth he shall examine the night past at noone examine the morning and at night when he goeth to bed shut vp the account and reckoning of the whole day A generall distribution of what the Pilgrime should do euery day And first of the Credo CHAP. VII Clem. Const Apost l. 7. c. 25. THE dayly prayers and spirituall exercises of the pilgrime are distributed into three tymes of the day Morning after dinner and Night according to that distribution of K. Dauid who sayd In the Euening and Morning and at Midday I will pray to thee O Lord and speake thy prayses and myne owne necessityes Psal 54. Which also Daniel practised in his captiuity as before him all iust men in their owne dwellings Dan. 6.10 In the Morning he shall make the principall meditation at Noone and after he shall make others or els if he be loath to change the subiect hauing some tast thereof in the Morning he may goe ouer it againe by way of repetition at euery one of these three tymes of prayer he must still repeate the Credo Pater Aue Confiteor as a true child of the Church who reciteth them in the midst among other prayers she maketh he that prayeth must haue Fayth Hope and Charity Fayth is the foundation of the others by fayth he doth often say in his prayers the Creed as making profession of his fayth comprised therein by these 12. Articles 1. I beleeue in God the Father almighty creator of heauen earth 2. And in Iesus Christ his only Sonne our Lord. 3. Who was conceaued by the holy Ghost borne of the Virgin Mary 4. Suffered vnder Pontius Pilat was crucified dead and buried 5. Descended into hell the third day he rose againe from the dead 6 He ascended into heauen sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty 7. From thence he shall come to iudge the quicke and the dead 8. I belieue in the holy Ghost 9. The holy Catholike Church the Communion of Saints 10 The forgiuenes of sinnes 11. The resurrection of the body 12. And life euerlasting AmeÌ„ This is a summary of fayth called the Symbole collection or gathering because it was composed by the Apostles euery one bringing and contributing his part as they doe at a reckoning after a banket representing by the number of the Articles the 12. Authors and compounders thereof for which cause S. Ambrose calleth it the Apostolike fayth Amb. ser 38. Aug. ser 1â—1 de tempore Leo c. 13. ad Pulchr composed by those 12. Artificers also the key whereby is discouered the darknes of the Diuell that the light of Iesus Christ might appeare S. Augustin calleth it the Apostolike fayth because it contayneth the abridgment thereof and would haue euery one learne it by hart The Symbole or Creed sayth he is short in wordes and great in mystery let euery one therefore that is come to the yeares of discretion learne the Apostolike fayth which he hath professed in Baptisme by the mouth of his God-father These twelue Articles containe all that euery Christian ought distinctly to belieue of God and his Church The 8. first teach vs the beliefe we must haue of the B. Trinity one God and three persons and specially of the mystery of our Redemption The foure last deliuer vnto vs what to belieue of his Church Of the Pater Noster Aue and Consiteor CHAP. VIII THE Pater noster is the summary of our hope as the Creed was of our fayth contayning seauen petitions in forme of prayer as followeth 1. Our Father which art in heauen hallowed be thy Name 2. Thy kingdome come 3. Thy will be done in earth as it is in Heauen 4. Giue vs this day our daily bread 5. And forgiue vs our trespasses as we forgiue them that trespasse against vs. 6. And lead vs not into temptation 7. But deliuer vs from euill Amen The foure first demand the guift of good thinges the three last deliuerance from euill The 3. first aske that which pertayneth to life euerlasting the foure last that which concernes this temporall to attaine vnto the other as S. Augustine sayth Aug. euch c. 115. serm Dom in montel 2. cap. 17. This is a prayer made and dictated from the mouth of the Sonne of God the richest and worthyest of all the
these meditations he shal haue others which are set downe for euery day of his voyage which he shall do the same day at diuers tymes Being in the fields he shall take matter of praysing God as those thinges he beholdeth shall giue him occasioÌ„ beholding the Heauens he shall admire God in those immortall bodyes and lights seeing the mountaines the plaines the riuers the plantes the beasts and other creatures he shal giue thâ—nkes for all to God as made for the behoofe of man and of himselfe in particuler and shall inuite them to prayse the same Creatour to the imitation of those wise and stout Hebrews who song in the midst of the Furnace Benediâ—â—e omnia opera â—omini Domino O all yee workes of our Lord blesse yee our Lord c. In faire wether he shal thanke God for that particuler benefit of his way and iourney if it doth rayne hayle or storme he shall thanke him also for this crosse and aduersity and take it patiently to make his merit thereof and his spirit all profit Passing by the Cittyes and Townes he shall visit the Churches holy places the Hospitalls such like where he may get any profit or increase of deuotion Going out of his lodging he shall say Lord shew me thy wayes Psalm 24 teach me thy paths or some such verse and shall salute his Angell-keeper that he may accompany him in the way Luc. 10.5 and beginning to march he shall say his Itinerarium and ordinary prayer for pilgrimes and trauailers entring into his lodging by day or in the night to his bed he shall say The peace of God be heere and shall giue good example and edification to euery one in his talke gestures and all his cariage sitting at the table he shall say grace or heare some other better then himselfe say it and in tyme of relection if there be company he shall beginne some discourse of honest recreation fit for the tyme or shall heare others talke If he eat alone he shall feed his spirit also with good cogitations whilest he refresheth his body with corporall food Hauing sayd grace taken some rest he shall retire himselfe and hauing sayd his Litanyes or other prayers and made examen of his conscience and hauing thanked God for his benefits receaued that day demanding pardon and purposing amendement he shall craue the ayde of the glorious Virgin of his Angell-keeper other Saints and hauing ended his deuotions for that day he shall take his rest THE PILGRIME HIS SETTING FORTH And first dayes Iourney A meditation of the condition of man which is to be Pilgrime in this life CHAP. I. OVR Pilgrime hauing obserued all this ordered and settled his affaires specially if he be maister of a family discharged his iourney of all let and hinderance made prouision of what is necessary The first dayes iourney being confessed and communicated and well prepared and furnished both in soule and body and of whatsoeuer the circumstance of Christian and ciuill prudence may require he shall choose the day of his setting forth and shall take his iourney vnder the protection and safe conduct of Almighty God and of the glorious Vigin whome he goeth to visir of his good Angell The meditatioÌ„ of the morning of the 1. day The meditation and prayer of his first dayes iourny beside that which he shall take proper for the day as we sayd before shall be of the condition of mortall men which is to be pilgrimes and strangers vpon earth The prayer preparatiue shall demand of God that it would please him to direct his intentions and actions to the glory of his holy name as we taught before The first essay or preamble of the Meditation The first preaÌ„ble shall represeÌ„t first Adam chased and driuen out of earthly Paradise to liue heere on earth as a banished man he his wife all his posterity Secondly it shall represent vnto vs diuers holy men and Saints as leauing their homes and houses to walke to strange countryes Abraham going out of Chaldaa to dwell in the land of Canaan Iacob going out of Canaan to dwell in Syria and at last to dye in Aegypt a strange countrey the Apostles after the comming of the Holy Ghost leauing their country to walke pilgrims euery one according to his lot into an vnknowne world The second preamble shall demand of God a cleare light to see this verity and liuely and profitably to apprehend The 2. preaÌ„ble how al mortall men are pilgrimes in this world that we must seek for our countrey els where The first point of the Meditation shall be taken of the wordes of the Prophet Dauid and of the Apostle S. Paul Psal 38. I am a stranger with thee O Lord and a pilgrime as all my fore-fathers haue beene Also We are pilgrimes and strangers before thee Psal 29.15 as our Fathers haue beene Our dayes are like a shaddow vpon earth and passe without any stay S. Paul also We haue not heere a dwelling or permanent Citty but we seeke another which is to come Heb. 1. The second point shall consider the practise of the foresayd words verifyed in the examples of many holy men Saints who from the beginning of the world haue carryed themselues as true Pilgrimes in this life Gen. 4.4 Abel the first iust man in the house and family of God had neither house nor Inne vpon the earth attending only to prayer and keeping his flocke Gen. 4.17 Cain contrarywise the first of worldly reprobates built a citty as being a Cittizen and Inhabitant of this world Gen. 12. Abraham the Father of the faythfull dwelt as we haue sayd a stranger in the â—and of Chanaan in tents and moueable houses not buying one â—oote of Land all his life but a place of buriall for himselfe his children The whole people of God the posterity of the foresayd Abraham was pilgrime in Aegypt 400. yeares and 40. in the desert of Arabia Our Sauiour also was a true Pilgrime not thinking of any thing but of his iourney not possessing any thing yea lesse then Abraham for he borrowed his tombe and Sepulcher which Abraham bought His Apostles also were dispersed ouer the whole earth liuing as pilgrimes and trauailers not ayming at any thing but to gayne way towardes heauen and to draw other men thereunto by preaching of Christ Iesus 3. Why man is pilgrime in this life The third point shall containe the cause why man is pilgrime in this life seeing that the whole visible world is made for him and also why this pilgrimage is so painefull of griefes and sorrowes The cause of the first is the excellency of man consisting in his soule an immortal or heauenly essence bearing in it self the image and likenes of that soueraigne and supreme beauty by reason wherof there was due vnto him a perpetual habitation more proportionate to his dignity a more noble
life to the pilgrimages of deuotion The spirituall habits of the Pilgrimes CHAP. II. GOING on his way after he hath sayd the prayers of trauailers admited blessed the diuine Maiesty at the behoulding of the Heauens the chiefe and principall worke of his handes he shall ruminate his morning meditation to draw thereout some new tast and deuotion For this is the force of prayer to giue alwayes new light according vnto the measure and manner that it is vsed To ruminate or chew the Cudde and the proper exercise of deuout persons is often to remember in their mindes what they haue once learned to the imitation of those Beasts who in the law of God are called cleane whose property is to chew the cudde and to take thereof new gust and new substance Cleane beastes Leu. 11.3 he shall gather then a new and consequently of that he hath meditated that the pilgrimage he maketh to Loreto and all others that men make vpon the earth are but figures and similitudes of the pilgrimage that all mortall men do make from their birth to their graue and comparing the figure to the truth he shall find the one most liuely expressed and represented in the other The likenes of the earthly pilgrime to the spiritual The true Pilgrime hath alwayes in his thought the place whither he tendeth he chooseth the shortest and surest way he goeth forward without any markable stay The Citties buildings paâ—laces fields gardens places of pleasure if he musâ— needes see them yet he seeth them only as in passing by them being alwaies attentiue to his end He endureth in towne field all the incommodities and dangers of men and beasts contempt iniury hunger thirst want heat cold haile snow sometyme lying vnder the house-roofe sometyme vnder the cope or canopy of heauen sometimes merry and wel disposed somtime againe weary crazed humble patient courteous wise and circumspect in all his actions He shall find all this point by point practised in the pilgrimage of mans life The spirituall Pilgrime by those that are well aduised pilgrimeâ— these walking vpon the earth haue heaueÌ„ in their hart whicâ— is the end of their mortal course they striue walke withouâ— rest towards vertue holding the directest surest way whicâ— is that which the Catholike Church our good and commoâ— Mother doth shew vs in her great Itinerarium of the lawes anâ— commandments of God The Itinerarium of the lawes of God they make no reckoning of worlâ—ly magnificence and take with an equall mynd prosperity aduersity If their affaires goe well forward they thanke thâ— diuine prouide are without pride if they suffer shipwrack they lift their hands to heauen blesse the same prouidence They are sober in aboundance abound in want they are humble in honours and magnanimous in the midst of disgraces Finally there is no accident in the variety of this changeable inconstant life wherof he reapeth not some profit towardeâ— eternity Our pilgrime shall marke all these similitudes to thâ— true pilgrimes and shal contemplate in the figure of his thâ— forme and tenour of the other and make his profit thereof He shall also allegorize all the parts of his furniture and appartell and shall attire his soule to the likenes of his body For his Hat he shall take the assistance of God his shooes shaâ— be the mortification of his affections Patience shall be 〈◊〉 mantle or lether cloake Ciuility shall be his coate or caâ—ssacke Chastity his girdle contemplatioÌ„ meditation shall his bag and bottle the loue of the Crosse his pilgrimes staffe Faith Charity and good workes shal be his purse and mony so shall he spiritually attire the inward man of the spirit to the imitation of the Apostle S. Paul who arming the Christian souldier giueth him his furniture framed of the stuffe of such like allegories and armes forged of the same mettal Ephes 6. The shield of Verity a breast-plate of Iustice shooes of the preparation to the Gospell the buckler of faith the helmet of saluation and the sword of the spirit of God In such exercises shall he passe the after noone talking to God and himselfe making his prayers and examen as before saluting the B. Virgin in her houres saying his beads singing some hymne proper for the tyme or some spirituall song drawn out of his meditation as this that followeth A Canticle of the Pilgrimage of this world O brightsome day which makes me cleere perceiue The state of this life mortall And in my soule for to conceiue A liuely expectance of th' eternall Heere I seeke in Pilgrimes weed The way that vnto heauen doth lead This path mâ—â—â— faire I walking winde By shaddow of my pilgrimage Wherein at euery steppe I find An heauenly draughâ— and image Of my fraile mortality Tending to Eternity O mortall men who tread the ground Of this false earth disastrous As though beneath were to be found The blisse of life delicious You mâ—cke your selues this world below No such pleasure can bestow The woods affoard no fish nor wine Nor from the Sea doth timber flow In this vaine world naught els in fine But thornes and fayned fruite doth grow Of fayned ioy vnfayned griefe The fruit of this our dying life This life we lead heere in exile All fraught with danger and deceyte Resembleth passengers by Landes hostile Seeking after Heauens retraite Such was Adam and such was Eue Whilst in earthly Paradise they liue Such was IESVS though God and Man Such was MARY his Mother deare Such were all Saints both now and than In this vale of woe and feare Teaching vs to seeke by hand The milke and hony flowing land Merily then let 's march apace Vnto this Blessed Virgins Hall There shall we see the Heauens Grace Inclosed in a Chappell small And learne to be of this mayde-wife Perfect Pilgrimes all our life At night he shall take vp his lodging such as he shall find to take some rest and to get new strength of body and spirit the more cheerfully to continue his iourney the next day The second dayes Iourney The meane and way happily to performe the pilgrimage of this life is to suffer and fight vnder the banner of Iesus Christ and goe alwayes forward in vertue CHAP III. IN the second dayes iourney a good while before the Sun rise the Pilgrime shall examine his actions of the night past he shall say the Credo Pater and Aue and after continuing the matter begun he shall meditate of the meanes and manner how to performe happily the Pilgrimage of this humane life hauing already obserued in his first meditation that euery man must of necessity make it seeing that euery man is a Pilgrime vpon the earth and that some make it well of which number he desireth to be one and others ill whome he would not follow The prayer preparatory heere after shall be alwayes as before The first Preamble shall represent
a great Desert through which doe passe two sortes of Pilgrimes the one that go vnder a faythfull and good Capraine patiently enduring the incommodity of places and tymes fighting valiantly at all occasions with robbers beastes We must walke while it is day Ioan. 12.35 measuring their refection not by pleasure but by necessity not thinking of any thing all the day long but to gayne way toward the place end of their pilgrimage The other lead by a naughty and treacherous guide walke all the day wandering vp and downe staying to behold curiously euery thing betaking themselues at euery houre to rest and repast like drunkards and vagabondes Those that are surprised by death And at the last being surprised by night in ill termes and ill wether and ill prouided they fall into the mercy partly of cruell beastes Lyons Wolues Beares and such like that deuoure them and partly of theeues and robbers who cut them in peeces and make merry with their spoile and booty In the second Preamble he shall demand of God with humble and feruent hart the grace whereby he may liuely see and know the manner how to be a good pilgrime in this world to auoyd the dolefull end of the bad The first point shall begin with that which God sayd to Adam for the pennance of his dolefull dinner Because thou hast heard the voice of thy wife Gen. 3.17 and hast eaten of the tree I forbad thou â—houldest not eate the earth shall be accursed in thy worke and thou â—halt feed therof in trauaile all the dayes of thy life it shall bring thee forth thornes and thistles and thou shalt eat the grasse of the field in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat thy bread vntill thou returne to the â—arth whereof thou wert made By which wordes he shall see that all the race of man wrapped in the condemnation of our first Father hath gotten a necessity to suffer paine and trauaile â—n this life vntill death as himselfe did In the second he shall heare and consider the wordes of S. â—ames saying Happy is he that suffereth temptation for after that â—e hath beene proued he shall receaue the crowne of Glory 2. Tim. 2.5 And that of S. Paul He that fighteth not duly shall not be crowned The third point shal set before his eyes the great multitude of the Hebrewes trauailing in the desert of Arabia amongst whome those that were valiant suffered and fought valiantly vnder the conduct and direction of Moyses the seruant of God in hope to enter into the land of promise to the which they alwayes aspired The other slaues of the Diuell and their own bellies murmurers and rebels sought nothing but to eate and drinke not caring for the countrey for the which they were come out of Aegypt and they perished miserably in the desert made a prey to their enemies their bodyes were a spoile to the earth their soules to hell Iesus Christ pilgrime for men In the fourth point he shall contemplate on the one part Iesus Christ descended from heaueÌ„ to the desert of this world to be pilgrime among the children of Adam the true guide of our pilgrimage and captaine of our warres In the one being made vnto vs the way to leade vs to our heauenly Country and giue vs light and strength to walke directly thither and in the other hauing taught vs by his word and example how we must fight against our enemies the Flesh the World and the Diuell and all the squadrons of vices and furnished vs with instructions weapons forces with the assistance of his grace and Sacraments valiantly to assaile and endure the assault and to beare away the victory and crowne also if we will our selues The blindnes of men On the other part he shall bewaile the blindnes forgetfullnes peruersity of those that straggling from the conduct of their King and Sauiour cast themselues into the wayes troupes of Sathan walking to perdition in perpetual misery darknes slauery to this tyrant and their own sinnes and vices In the fift point he shall weigh how profitable pleasing a thing it is to God to suffer in this life somwhat for his sake not for that he needeth our paynes It is profitable honourable to suffer for God or taketh any pleasure in them of themselues but for that to haue a wil to suffer and in effect to suffer for him is to beare towards him the depth of true charity to giue an assured proofe therof For prosperity is not the true touch and triall of loue but aduersity and therefore our Sauiour the patterne of all perfection to shew his infinit loue to his Father vs hath made choice of this way hath performed his pilgrimage in the thickest of a thousand trauaile and did end it by the torment and ignominy of the Crosse in the meane tyme he hath often with a loud voice exhorted his Apostles Disciples to suffer he councelled euery one to carry his crosse he preached those happy that suffer for his name he promised rest for paine honour for shame eternity for tyme. This exercise is so honourable and so precious that if enuy could find place in the harts of the glorious and happy Spirits they would enuy iust men this honour and happines If Angels could be enuious they would eÌ„uy our suffering that they can suffer for so great a Prince after the example of such a Captaine and for so great pay and reward By which meditation the pilgrime shall not only be comforted in the trauaile of this his pilgrimage but shal also be liuely encouraged and enabled to labour more and more euery day considering that he cannot haue a more high and royall way towardes heauen then that of the Crosse beaten by the King himselfe and as the Apostle sayth 2. Cor. 4. Our tribulation which is heere short and light worketh in vs an eternall weight of endlesse glory he shall be then animated and stirred forward to suffer in fighting and fight in suffering seeing that his tribulations his discommodities his wearynes his teares his watching his hunger his thirst fasting disciplines hayre-clothes and all his afflictioÌ„s and combats thinges of themselues of small worth and short yet suffered for this maister shall be reckoned vnto him for so many crownes of glory and so many increases of felicity in the great day when all true pilgrimes and valiant champions shall enter in triumph to the kingdome of their heauenly couÌ„trey In the end he shall make his prayer and speach to God speaking to him with the wordes and sentences of his meditation and shall say with an humble and submisâ—e hart My Creatour and Lord behold me in the progresse of my pilgrimage full of desire and courage but inexpert and vnskilfull to choose and find my way and weake to support the future difficulties thereof Thou hast giuen me the meanes to vndertake it with
and seeke all the possible meanes to attaine it And seeing that euery man is thereunto obliged by nature is not the Christian much more bound then other by reason of the law he professeth which is a law of perfection How can he worthily beare his name if he endeauour not to be a perfect Christian according to his name and degree The King a perfect Christian in his rule and roialty the Captaine a perfect Christian in his warres and managing of Armes the Magistrate in gouernment the Iudge in administration of iustice the Merchant Artificer Labourer in then trafike shop and trauaile as the Religious in his vocation Is heauen only for Religious If it be for all why doe not all seeke the way with Religious Heauen is not oÌ„ly for Religious euery one as we haue sayd according to his estate and degree This instruction will teach the Pilgrime to make dayly progresse in good life as he doth in his way and with so much the more courage as the merit and fruit of vertue is more precious and to be desired then the wynning of way in the world and this shall suffice for the afterdinner and euening of the second day The third Day The Commandements of God are the way of our pilgrimage of this life CHAP VI. IN the third day our Pilgrime being well forward on his way and iourney and hauing attentiuely meditated the conditions and qualityes of his mortall pilgrimage The way to heaueÌ„ is the coÌ„mandements of God Psal 118. â—2 he shal enter into meditation of the heauenly way by which he must come to the heauenly countrey as by the other he shall come to Loreto marching with the feet of his body he shall cause his soule also to walke with hers which are her affectioÌ„s This way is the keeping of the law coÌ„mandments of God wherof Dauid sayd I haue runne the way of thy commandements when thou hast enlarged my hart This way is Iesus Christ who comming into this world hath from point to point fullfilled the law giuen by himselfe he hath cleered bettered it with his doctrine and instructions and hath made it easie both to the eye and to the hand and in his owne pilgrimage hath traced the true path of saluation for which cause he is called Ioan. 14 1 The Way Verity Life This is the spirituall way which the pilgrime shall first consider a far off and in generall as if he were vpon some high mountaine like vnto Moyses when from the mountaines of Abarin Nebo in the land of Moab Deut. 32.9 he beheld the way and countrey of the land of Promise and after he shal run ouer all the commandements in particuler from the first to the last one by one A Meditation vpon the ten Commandements of God in generall The first and second pointe why the Law was giuen with so great Ceremonies in ten Articles and two Tables CHAP. VII THE Prayer preparatory as alwayes before The first preamble shall frame in the imagination the figure of the mountaine of Sina couered in the top with a thicke bright cloud rebounding with the noise of trumpets and thunder God appearing in soueraign Maiesty to Moyses to giue him his law and the Hebrewes incamped in the plaine by terrifyed and attending the issue of this new spectacle In the second Preamble he shall demaund grace of God whereby he may throughly vnderstand the beauty and importance of this law and the whole length and continuatioÌ„ of the way that leadeth vnto Heauen The first point shall recite the law with the clause going before it Preface of the Law where God speaketh thus vnto his people I am the Lord thy God who hath brought thee out of the land of Aegypt and the house of bondage And after giueth the same Law contayned in ten Articles 1. Thou shalt not haue strange Gods before me Exod. 20. 2. Thou shalt not take the name of thy Lord God in vaine for our Lord will not hold him guiltlesse that taketh his name in vaine 3. Remember that thou keep holy the Sabboth day 4. Honour thy Father and Mother 5. Thou shalt not kill 6. Thou shalt not commit adultery 7. Thou shalt not steale 8. Thou shalt not beare false witnesse against thy Neighbour 9. Thou shalt not couet thy Neighborus house 10. Thou shalt not couet thy Neighbours wife nor his seruant nor his mayde nor his Oxe nor his Asse nor any thing that is his In meditating the foresayd Preface he shall make this coÌ„clusion God when he would dictate his law putteth in the beginning what he is saying I am the Lord thy God as also the deliuerance of the Hebrewes he would haue vs therefore in the first place set before our eyes his greatnes and maiesty afterwardes the benefits he hath bestowed vpon vs to the end we may be stirred vp to the keeping of his commandements by that obligatioÌ„ we owe vnto him by the title of our Creatour and soueraigne Lord and our Benefactour our Conseruatour and rewarder meditating the rest he shal gather these or the like conclusions God published the law with great ceremonies with thunder and lightning Exod. 19.16 trumpets with cloudes and fire and smoke earth-quakes he will therefore that it be receaued of vs with great reuerence Psal 11â— feare and humility For the Feare of God is the beginning of wisedome He would haue it sinke deep into our soules seeing it was sent with fire voice and extraordinary noise and by whatsoeuer might most mooue our eyes and eares our two most noble senses and might most deeply print any thing in our harts He published it in the top of an high mountaine therfore would haue vs meditate thereof with a spirit eleuated and lifted vp from the earth this is the conclusioÌ„ which Dauid practised often and aduised others also to practise Psal 811.24 Psal 118.14 Psal 118.47 Psal 1.2 Thy testimonyes are my meditation Also Giue me vnderstanding I will meditate thy law I haue meditated vpon thy commandements which I haue loued Happy is the man that thinketh of thy law day night He gaue it to Moyses to communicate it vnto the people and make them to keep it he would haue them put it in execution and that as we ascend to meditate it so we should descend to execute it This is the signification of that heauenly Ladder which Iacob saw in his sleep vpon the which Angells did ascend and descend Gen. 28. for the children of God do mouÌ„t and ascend by the steppes and degrees of contemplation in the knowledge of the Law of God descend againe by the workes of the same law as it were by the same steps in the actiue life for the loue of God and profit of their Neighbour The nuÌ„ber of 10 a note of perfection He hath giuen it in ten Articles signifying by the number of perfection that it
48.13 and made like vnto them yea and worse also The constancy of al creatures to do well but of man For they not only are not idle in that occupation trade thou hast taught them but worke continually according to their law and order and wanting reason do follow reason But my selfe a reasonable creature remaine idle against reason one peece and parte of my life or do workes contrary vnto reason Other creatures haue receaued thy commandement but once to do that which they doe and they haue continually discharged their duty vnto this present But I hauing read and heard thy will a hundred tymes thy promises thy menacings do sleep and slumber notwithstanding wretch and benummed that I am and when I do wake my workes are worse then sleep and idlenes O Maker and Redeemer of man reforme this same man by the same power and mercy wherewith thou hast created redeemed him Giue vnto him giue vnto me O my Lord as to the most weake and needy strength and meanes well and holily to employ what thou hast giuen me that my Vnderstanding Will Memory my whole soule and body may be in perpetuall action to bring forth workes of life to the praise and glory of thy holy name The After-dinner and Euening of the fifteenth dayes Iourney Markeable documents and instructions for Good workes CHAP. XXXV AFTER dinner and at night the Pilgrime shall for his spirituall occupation discourse vpon the most markeable sentences of Scriptures and Saints spoken to shew that oÌ„ly fayth sufficeth not for saluatioÌ„ The Talents Matth. 25.16 without good workes The parable of the Talents holdeth the first place in this doctriné for thereby our Sauiour doth plainely instruct vs and with authority that we must negociate in the house of God and put the mony of his graces to profit and vsury which to that end he put into our handes with the condition of a good reward if we be diligent and obedient or of punishment and confusion The workeman Matt. â—0 if we be slouthfull Also the parable of the workemen sent to worke in the Farmers vineyard payd at night for their dayes labour Also the counsell which our Sauiour gaue to the young man saying If thou wilt haue life euerlasting keep my Commandements Matt. 19.17 Also those wordes He shall enter into the kingdome of heauen who doth the will of my Father not euery one that sayth Matt. 7.21 Lord Lord. But especially he shall weigh the clause of that generall decree which shall be published at the last day in fauour of good workes against the slouthfull Rom. 2.13 Come my wellbeloued Iac. 1.22 Matt. 25.34 Iac. 2. possesse the kingdome which is prepared for you from the Creation of the world I was hungry and you gaue me to eate c. And thereunto he shall add the plaine saying of S. Iames What shal it profit my brethren if any man sayth he hath fayth without works shall his faith saue him And S. Gregory Nazianzen Doe good workes vpon the ground of thy instructions for fayth without workes is dead Isa 26. as also workes liue not without fayth And Saint Hierome vpon these wordes of Esay 26. Our citty is a fortresse saluation shall there be put for the inward wall and outwâ—rd By the inward wall sayth he is meant good woorkes and by the other fayth for it is not inough to the outward wall of Fayth vnles this fayth be grounded and sustayned by good workes These workes are Prayer The principall good workes Fasting Almes and other workes of charity which we spake of before in the afternoone of the eight day In these and the like discourses shall the Pilgrime passe the after-dinner thereby stirring himselfe to the loue and practise of Christian workes In the euening either alone or with others he may sing this Canticle that followeth to shut vp the euening with ioy and profit A Canticle of good VVorkes The pious Pilgrime that doth walke Vnto the Chappell of Loret Must worke with hand his soueraignes workes And keep his soule still pure and nett To heare alone and not performe The law of God doth worke no meed To know the way and not to walke Nothing doth our iourney speed The tree that bringeth nothing els But leaues and breathing verdure Is fit for fire and not for fruit And doth greet wrong to nature Our Sauiour chiefe and iustest Iudge The fruitlesse Fig-tree strooke with curse If man in vaine doth wast his dayes Shall he not blame and strike him worse How hoat shall then be his reuenge To those that nothing els doe bring But poisoned grapes and fruites of death Of sinne and shame and els nothing Each thing doth worke and nothing sleepes In Earth in Sea in Heauen aboue Each thing doth moue in his degree Mans end is God to know and loue Then these short dayes of this short life Let be in vertuous workes well spent That last long day shall all workes try VVhen ech shall b' either crown'd or shent And hauing made his particuler prayer to the Blessed Virgin he shall take himselfe to his lodging in good time not to be surprised by night in the fieldes The sixteenth day A Meditation of sinne CHAP. XXXVI THE morning Meditation shall be vpon sinne an actioÌ„ opposite to good workes which were the matter of the precedent meditation This order shal make a fit opposition of vertue to vice The opposition of vice to vertue and by setting their faces one against another we may better discerne the beauty of the one to loue it and the foulnes of the other to hate it What sin is The first point shall put the definition of sinne the better to know both the corps and countenance and duly to meditate of the foulnes thereof Sinne sayth S. Ambrose is a straying from the law of God and a disobedience to the heauenly Commandmâ—nts Ambr. de Poenit c. 8. Aug l. 22. cont Faust c. 27 l 1. cont ep 1. Peâ—il 113. By S. Augustin it is What is sayd done or desired against the law of God so that one word spoken one deed done one thought conceaued against the law of God that is against any of his commandements is a sinne great or small mortall or veniall according to the diuers motion of the will sinning either with full consent or by some light motion or suddaine surprise and according to the great or small importance of the thing and other circumstances Of which definitions he shall learne that there is nothing so foule and deformed as sinne For what can be found more monstruous then that which is opposite to the law rule of the highest wisedome beauty and goodnes The second point shall consider two sortes of sinnes Originall and Actuall and this mortall and veniall Originall sinne Aug. ench 164. is that spot which flowed from the sin of Adam wherewith all men are stained in their conception and
plagues to the families of Men and hath marked them all with her infernall brood her malignity was so great and strong that there must be an eternity of punishments to chastice it the infection so deadly that the quickening and life-giuing bloud was necessary to cleanse it O mortall men whereof thinke you when you do the works of death Where is your memory not remembring what is passed Where is your prouideÌ„ce not regarding what is to come Where is your hart and wit yielding your loue to so monstrous and detestable an enemy O sweet Iesus made man for my sinnes crucifyed for my sinnes and raised againe for my iustice pardon me my sinnes which were too great to be pardoned were not thy mercy infinit and by the same mercy keep me from offending thee any more giue me tears to bewaile those I haue committed force to forbeare heerafter both which guifts are worthy of thee and both most necessary to me O Blessed Virgin yet againe To the B. Virgin now alwayes be my Aduocate it is the honour of thy sonne that I may obtaine my suite and the saluation of thy poore and deuoted Pilgrime The after-dinner and Euening of the seauenteenth dayes Iourney The effects of S nne and diuers paines CHAP. XXXIX THE rest of the day the Pilgrime shall imploy his houres to ruminate and repeat some particuler effects of sinne the better to know and detest it He shal see how it made the chief Angell so impudent and wicked The first exploit of the diuel that with the first vse of his language he durst accuse his Creatour of enuy and malice in that he had forbidden the tree of knowledge of good and euill to Adam and Eue that they might not be like Gods carrying vnder the colour of this blasphemous calumniation Gen. 3. that poisoned â—art wherewith he stroke to death this poore ill aduised woman and by her her husband Adam by him all mankind he shall cast his eyes vpon the enuy of Cain Gen. 7.21 which made him lift vp his hand to embrew the earth with his brothers bloud to the dissolution of all mortall men togeather buryed in the reuenging waues of the vniuersall Deluge to the pride of the Babylonians bâ—ilding against heaueÌ„ to their owne confusion the impurity of the fiue sinning Cittyes drowned in fire and brimstone the auarice of Giezi Gen. 11.4 Gen. 19.25 4. Peâ— 50. â—atth 26 Luc. 16.19 and of Iudas to the riot of the rich Glutton and other sinners and sinnes By the view whereof he shall conceaue an immortall hatred and shal firmely purpose to serue God withall his hart for the tyme to come without euer offending him neuer so little willingly and towards night hauing made some particuler prayer to the Blessed Virgin he shall thinke of his lodging The eighteenth day A meditation of Death the first effect of sinne CHAP. XL. To whoÌ„ the remeÌ„braÌ„ce of death is grieuous to whom profitable THERE is nothing more vnpleasant then the memory of death to them that doe not liue well nothing is more profitable to those that desire well to gouerne their actions for to liue and reigne alwayes and therefore the Pilgrime shall help himselfe with the meditation of death very fitly after that of sinne the father of death This meditation shal haue all his whole and entire partes The Prayer preparatory as alwayes before The first Preamble shall represent a man stretched on his bed in the agony of death The second shall demand grace to reape particuler profit of this exercise The first point shall set before myne eyes that decree and sentence of death giuen by the supreme Iudge on the person of our first Father Adam Gen. 3. Thou art dust and to dust thou shalt returne againe and executed on the body of him al that haue come of him except Enoch and Elias who notwithstanding shall dye also in their tyme. And therefore S. Paul sayth It is ordayned for all men once to dye Heb. 9.17 Of this meditation he shall marke that as there is nothing more sure and certaine then Death so also there is nothing more vncertaine then the houre and manner thereof and the estate wherein it shall find the soule Eccles 9. whether in grace or in sinne when it shall dislodge and remoue from her body By which circumstance he must stirre vp himselfe to watch and seeke all the meanes and wayes he can to put himselfe in good order and preparation for feare of being surprised and taken vnawares by reason of such vncertainty The second shall be to consider the accidents that do accompany this last conflict The conflict of death as well in soule as in body the remembrance of thinges passed the feare of that is to come the prickinges of griefs and desires the assaults of the Diuell the fayling of our senses and facultyes the coldnes of our members and the benumming of all partes of the body the dole and extreme anguish in the distresse of death all which thinges foreseene will teach vs what danger it is Math. 25. to deferre our preparation to the concurrence of so many calamityes miseryes and infirmityes and to go buy oyle for our lampes What followeth after death the soule saued oâ— damned when it will be tyme to enter into the bridegroomes chamber The third point shall meditate what followeth incontinently after death which is the iudgment of the soule either to saluation or damnation for she is eyther placed among the children of God be it by passing by if she need purgation oâ— presently if she be cleane to enter into heauen reigne there for euer or els carryed away in company of the Diuells to hell there to suffer eternall torments if she left the body seized with any mortall sinne The body in the meane tyme is put into the ground for food to wormes serpents his goods are parted to the liuing who will make merry therewith perhaps will laugh at him for hauing laboured so much for them The speach shall be to Iesus Christ in these wordes O my sweet Redeemer thou hast suffered death to deliuer me from death and hast ouercome death to make me conquerour thereof graunt me by this thy infinit charity and diuine victory the grace to vse and enioy the benefit which thy death hath brought to me and so well to prepare my selfe against this combat of death so valiantly to wrastle with it Psal 115. and so happily to ouercome it that my death may be of those the Prophet speaketh The death of his Saints is precious in the eyes of God and not of those of whome the same Prophet sayth Psal 33. The death of sinners is most miserable Thou saydst sometimes to thy Apostles and Disciples VVatch and stand ready for the Sonne of Man will come at an houre when you thinke not of him And againe Math. 24. 25. VValke
whole world shall be iudged when the iustice of the Iudge shall be made manifest to all the world when the iustice of the good shal be published by open iudgement in the full assembly of Angells and men and rewarded with a crowne of immortall glory There sayth one Saint shall be no complaint Aug. l. 20. ciuit c. 11. such as often in the presse of this world saying one to another why is this wicked man so happy in his wickednes VVhy is such a good man vnhappy and miserable in his vertue VVhy do Robbers prosper and poore Pilgrimes haue their throtes cut For then true felicity shall be reserued only for the good and extreme and true misery reserued only for the wicked This then is called the day of our Lord all other dayes are the dayes of men this which is the shutting vp of them all shall be our Lords day for therein he shall shew manifestly the treasures of his infinit mercy and iustice making for his glory the heauens and earth to leape all the most strong peeces of his power wisedome bounty O my soule tremble with feare The Prayer at the remembrance of this fearefull day for if Dauid Iob the Prophets if the pillars of vertue haue shaked how great ought thy feare to be poore sinnefull and feeble creature that thou art With what sense feeling shouldest thou meditate vpon the holding of this day the Iudgement of iudgements and the last of all What wilt thou then doe What Aduocate shalt thou haue Who dareth defend thee from this iust Iudge if he be offended with thee How shalt thou heare the irreuocable sentence when it shall be pronounced What shalt thou do if he condemne thee O sweet Iesus keep me from thy wrath to come if it please thee and giue me now a penitent hart that may deserue both now and then the voice of thy mercy Let me in this banishment suffer a thousand deathes but at that day let me liue with thee Afflict me whippe me cut me burne my soule my life my flesh my bones with al sorts of tribulation persecution trauaile and torments but may it please thee to pardon me then for euer O Lord. O Blessed Virgin my good Aduocate whome I often see represented in this Iudgement by the pious pictures of the holy houses in the Church of thy Sonne as suppliant for all mankind intreat I beseech O Virgin for al and for me who am of the number and the most needy and performe what the pictures represent They signify that thou art now Aduocate of mortall men to the end that at that day they may be out of paine and danger Aske now O B. Virgin for this is the tyme of asking and mercy and not then when there shall be no question but of iudging rewarding and punishing aske and in good tyme obtaine for me and for all those that seeke vnto thee obtaine for me O puissant Aduocate the grace throughly to bewaile my sinnes vertuously to correct my faultes wisely to order my senses and actions that at that day I may confidently behould the eye and countenance of that soueraigne Iudge set in his throne of Iustice ioyfully heare the sentence he pronounceth and happily be placed on the right hand in the number of his beloued The After-dinner and Euening of the nineteenth dayes Iourney The separation of the good from the wicked after Iudgement CHAP. XLIII AFTER dinner the Pilgrime shall imploy his deuotioÌ„ in meditating what followeth Iudgement setting before his eyes how the one sort take their flight vp to heauen with Iesus Christ and his Angells there to reigne with him happy and blessed for euer The other full of misery and anguish broken-harted desperate shall be swallowed downe body and soule to the Center of the earth with the Diuells whome they serued and hauing gone foreward a while in this thought he shall also in the euening make some prayer to our Lord and to the B. Virgin his glorious Mother to the same end with that before dinner and shall looke about to lodge himselfe in some place proper for a poore wearied Pilgrime to repose The twentith Day A Meditation of Hell CHAP. XLIV THE Pilgrime hauing purposed to cleanse his soule in this his Pilgrimage and in good earnest to sweare emnity for euer against sinne the better to moue himselfe to peÌ„nance and to conceaue contâ—ition requisite for such an effect he shall help himselfe with the meditation of Hell the second death and reward of sinne as he helped himselfe hitherto with the meditation of the first death and iudgement This is a thundring peece Eccl. 7.40 to beat at the eares and soule of a sleepy sinner and with a wholsome alarum to awake him and make him take armes and looke to himselfe Good men are also holpeÌ„ therby for though they follow vertue rather for loue then for feare and serue God for himselfe which is the seruice of true children it profiteth them notwithstanding to meditate as well the punishmeÌ„t as the reward drawing from theÌ„ce matter to prayse God in his iustice and mercy and to stirre vp themselues to serue him well The Meditation shall haue his partes The prayer preparatory accustomed The first Preamble shall represent an obscure and darke bottomlesse dungeon in the Center of the earth ful of horrour and stench of fire brimstone and smoke and soules inclosed in their bodyes plunged in these flames The second shall demand particuler grace well to meditate of Hell for euer to auoyd it Hell most intollerable The first point shall consider that as there is nothing in this life more horrible then death nothing so dreadfull as Iudgement that followeth after so nothing is more intollerable then Hell and the punishments therof Matth. 8.33.22.24 There sayth the Scripture is weeping gnashing of teeth there is the worme gnawing of the soule and neuer dying and killing alway without killing Marc. 9.44 There is the fire that neuer quencheth there is the darke Countrey couered with the cloud of death There is the shaddow of death where no order but perpetuall horrour inhabiteth Iob. 10.25 Apoc. 21.14 There the portion of the damned is in a lake burning with fire and brimstone which is the second death where the wicked shall be tormented world without end The second point shall represent the diuers sortes of paines ordayned according to the diuersity of sins Diuers paines for diuers crimes for notwithstanding the horrour and disorder of this gulfe the order of Gods iustâ—â—e neuerthelesse shall be kept as the Apostle signifyeth when he sayth that he heard a voice from heauen condemning the Lecher to paynes saying Apec 18.7 Giue him torments in that measure that he hath had glory and delight in this life Therfore there the Proud shall be oppressed with an extreme confusion and shame The Couetous suffer an vnspeakable hunger and thirst The Adulterers buryed in fire and
coÌ„fession by the viewing of our sinnes thus altogeather and make vs more ready and prompt to satisfy by good workes more capable of the mercy of God by our humility it stirreth vs vp more effectually to the loue of God making vs see his long patience hauing so long tyme mercifully supported so many faultes of ours It giueth meanes to repaire our negligences which might peâ—hâ—ps haue happened in the precedent Confessions and putteth the Conscience in great peace ioy and tranquillity for afterward And therefore it is good to vse it often namely from yeare to yeare not of all their life but of the sinnes of that yeare though they haue beene often confessed within the yeare but that it be done alwayes with the counsell of a sage and discreet Confessour The Diuell who is Father of the Proud hateth all confessions of Christians Why the Diuell hateth coÌ„fession but specially those who doe more humble the deuout soule put it in better estate more easily to obtaine pardon and grace therefore as a crafty and malicious workemaÌ„ he withdraweth them by feare and shame as much as he can and by other lets whereof the Pilgrime must take good heed and arme himselfe with a strong resolution to breake couragiously through all the snares of this deceauer There is also another Confession generall in another sense Generall confessioÌ„ in common before chap 8. in the Pilgrims preparation when one confesseth to God without a Priest which may be called Generall which should be made often in the day with the ordinary Confiteor or otherwise as we haue sayd before This we speake of heere is the Generall Sacramentall But whether the Pilgrime maketh this Generall or els hauing made it already confesseth now since his last confession he must vpon so good an occasion exactly cleanse his conscience of all sinne and therefore to prepare himselfe well he shall bestow that morning in the meditation of pennance well to doe it in confessing himselfe and attending to other good workes his Meditation shall haue the whole and entiere pares The accustomed prayer preparatory The first Preamble shall represent Adam and Eue put out of Paradise to doe pennance all their life long and our Sauiour and his Precursour Saint Iohn Baptist Matth. 2.1.4.17 beginning their preachings to men themselues hauing â—â—ad all their life in pennance What penance is The first point shall shew that pennance is a Sacrament wherein the sinner duely confessed and contrite receaueth absolution of his sinnes which power of absoluing was giuen to Priests by Iesus Christ Conc. Tri. sess 4. c. 1 Can. 1. Conc. Câ—st sess 15. Ambr. l. 1 de Poenit c. 2. 7. Conc. Tri. sess 14. c. 6. Can. 10. Ioan. 20. when he sayd to his Apostles in their person to all Priests Receaue the Holy Ghost whose sins you forgiue shall be forgiuen and whose you retaine shal be retained And againe All that you bind in earth shall be bound in heauen and all that you loose in earth shal be loosed in heauen It is God then that absolueth by the seruice of the Priest and not the Priest by his owne power The second point shall note that to obtaine the fruit of this Sacrament and to be reconciled to God three thinges must be done The first to leaue and detest his sinnes and make a firme purpose to sinne no more for such is truly contrite The second to confesse The third to satisfy for as we haue offended God in three sorts by hart by word worke so by the same meanes we must recouer his fauour grace as the Scriptures Psal 50. 1. Ioan. 1. and the Holy Fathers doe teach vs Thou shalt not despise a contrite and humble hart this is the first Let vs confesse our sinnes this is the second Redeeme thy sinnes with almes this is the third Ioan. 4. So it is sayd that the Niniuites turned themselues to God cryed vnto him cloathed themselues with haire and fasted Luc. 15. And the prodigall Child rose cried Peccaui and submitted himselfe to punishment S. Chrysostome sayth Contrition is in the hart De poenit tâ—ni 5. Confession in the mouth and all humility in worke This is perfect and profitable Pennance And S. Augustine God healeth those that haue a contrite hart healeth those that confesse healeth those that punish themselues In Psal 146. The other holy Doctours and Saints write in the same stile The third point shall first consider that the detestation hatred of sinne required to contrition is grounded in the loue of God True peÌ„nance fouÌ„ded in the loue of God and not in the feare of hell or other temporall euill that is to say the Penitent must be sorry that he hath sinned because he hath offended his Creatour not that he hath incurred punishment of Iustice to purpose also heereafter to auoid sinne for the loue of God with a filiall feare and not for any other euill which shall be a seruill feare In the second place he shall renew in his memory the principall qualityes of true Confession which are ConditioÌ„s of true Confession that it be whole and entire that is of all his sinnes he can remember since his last confession that it be Simple without affectation of superfluous or choice wordes also Faythfull declaring his sinnes with their circumstances in truth as before God who seeth all accusing not historically that is in way of accusing our selues and not as telling a tale or story and finally Humble and respectiue as comming from a contrite and an humbled hart accusing it selfe before the Maiesty of so great a God offended and asking pardon In the third place he shall note Satisfaction a marke of the goodnes and Iustice of God that Satisfaction which maketh the third part of pennance doth not any thing derogat to the Passion of our Sauiour but doth honour it more for this Passion hath truly satisfyed for vs paying for vs to the diuine Iustice that fine which we could not pay to deliuer vs froÌ„ eternall death but it was with a condition that we should contribute of good will what we could satisfy also by the merit of the same Passion But as it is more honourable to God to worke miracles not only by his owne handes but also to giue power to his seruants to do the like so is it greater glory to our Sauiour to make his seruants works meritorious satisfactory then if himselfe alone had merited and satisfyed But in tne end of the reckoning as al good coÌ„meth from him as from the first fountaine and spring so all the prayse of our satisfaction will redound vnto him as to the last end Prayers and thankes-giuing to God and the Blessed Virgin CHAP. XLVII O Lord behould me at last arriued by thy fauour at the place I haue long desired there to cleanse the spots of my soule and to beautify it with the
merits of thy pretious bloud and to offer my selfe to thy seruice for euer with a full and faythfull hart This is my intention end it is thy grace and fauour that must succour my intention and crowne my end the good of thy assistance and the crowne of my end shal be thy glory O glorious Virgin I shall this day see that happy and holy house magnificall with thy greatnes may it please that it may be to thy Sonnes honour and thyne to the health of thy humble and deuoted Pilgrimes soule Going out of his lodging in the morning after his meditation he shall sing the Canticle following as continuing to aske the ayde help of the B. Virgin and stirring himselfe vp to goe forward with a great courage A Canticle to the glorious Virgin Mary Of Gods owne Sonne O Mother glorious Heare my voice O Mother gracious Heare my sighes heare my prayer Obtaine the graunt of my desire My groaning voice doth tell my griefe My instant prayers require reliefe To heauen I sigh with eyes all weeping Heauen I seeke the land of the liuing Obtaine me grace to tread alway The steps of Saints and not to stray To walke on earth straight and euen True Pilgrim-like the way to heauen To see the Chamber that lodg'd Christ And then thy glory in the highest This being done he shall make hast to come if he may soone inough to heare Masse at that holy Chamber and to haue all the after noone free to prepare himselfe to Confession and as soone as in his way he shall haue discouered and discerned the house of Loreto he shall kneele downe saluting the B. Virgin according to the custome of Christiah Pilgrimes which is to salute the places of their Pilgrimage as soone as they see them So the Christians going to recouer the holy Land prostrated themselues at the first sight of Hierusalem he shall therefore salute this noble discouery greeting the B. Virgin and saying O sacred Virgin honour be vnto thee honour be vnto thee Mary full of grace who hast happily brought me hither O happy houre in which I beginne to see that little pallace of my great King and Redeemer and of his glorious Mother O heauely house when shall I kisse the threshold of thy doore The walles of thy house and within the walls admire the wonders that haue made thee admirable And hauing sayd this he shall sing Te Deum Thankes giuing at the arriuall at Loreto and being come vnto the place as he shall feele himselfe comforted and rauished he shall say in thankes-giuing O holy Virgin Holy Mother Virgin of Virgins Mother of Iesus Mother of Grace most pure most chast most inuiolate Mother without touch immortall thankes for thy fauours ptaise honour and eternall glory for thy benefits immortall thankes be to thee for that by thy intercession I am happily arriued at this long desired place and that with myne eyes I see the house I haue so much longed and sighed after Perfect and finish to my good O gracious and faythful Aduocate that which thou hast begun in me and procure that to the prayse of thy deere Sonne my Lord and Redeemer I may cleanse my soule from all sinne and so holily bestow my dayes in this holy Temple that I may depart stored and enriched with all such meanes as shall be necessary forme to performe the rest of my way as well for my returne to myne owne temporall house home as of my great Pilgrimage to the country of heauen and this being sayd he shall heare Masse and Matines of that morning The after-dinner and Euening of the one and twentith dayes Iourney Of choosing a good Ghostly-Father or Confessour CAHP. XLVIII IN the afternoone hauing visited the most markeable places there and hauing vsed some prayers To chose a good Confessour he shall choose some pious Priest learned and wise and one who must be his spirituall Father Iudge and Physitian to conferre with him about the estate of his soule and to appoint a fit houre to make his Confession at euening and shall for that tyme attend to the examen of his conscience for his Confession at the appointed houre and shall prepare himselfe to receaue the next morning the Blessed Body of our Lord and Sauiour Before the examen he shall demand the assistance and grace of God by this or the like prayer A prayer to be sayd before the Examen which is made before Confession LORD God who making me according to thine owne Image and likenes hast giuen me memory principally to remember thy good and myne owne euill to thanke thee for the one cry mercy for the other and confesse them graunt me by thy holy mercy Eccl. 38.15 thy grace with the fruit of compunction to bring before thee all my yeares in the bitternes of my soule and to shew my selfe to my selfe and liuely to represent to the eyes of my soule the estate of my life passed the benefits I haue receaued the sinnes I haue committed in thought word or deed against thy holy Lawes and Commandements by Pride Couetise Impurity Enuy Gluttony Anger Slouth with my eyes eares and other my senses giue me throghly to know the woundes and defects of my soule that I may faithfully confesse them and by confessing be pardoned cured and strengthned to serue thee my Lord and my life better thē hitherto I haue done And this I desire by the merits of thy Sonne Iesus Christ who liueth and reigneth with thee in the vnity of the holy Ghost for euer and euer Amen Of the examen before Confession CHAP. XLIX THIS examen must be so much the more exact and diligent by how much the longer the tyme is that must be examined as ten twenty thirty or more yeares It is performed in running ouer the ten Commandements the seauen Capitall sinnes the fiue senses with the circumstances The particular calling of euery one as of Clarke Priest Religious Magistrate Souldiour Prelate Superiour Aduocate Physitian Artificer euery one beside the general duty of a Christiā hath proper pointes of his owne particuler calling which he must looke ouer if perhaps he hath failed in any of them How he must examine his Conscience for Confession CHAP. L. An examen vpō th Commandements HE shall therefore examine himselfe vpon the first Commandement searching if he hath thought spoken or done any thing against fayth hope or charity which he oweth to God If he hath doubted in any point of the Catholike Religion or spoken against it read any hereticall bookes or had any familiarity with Witches or Southsayers and finally if he hath serued God with all his hart soule as this first Precept importeth He shall doe the like in the second and the rest running ouer the Capitall vices called Mortall Of the mortall sinnes he shall examine himselfe in his conscience if he hath had any thought in presumption if spoken any vanity shewed any
from the history of the creation of the world where it is sayd That God created light before all thinges This light was the matter whereof God framed the Sunne the fourth day as S. Denu sayth which is a figure of the Conception of the B. Virgin Gen. 1.26 S. Denis c. 4. de diu nominibus the mysticall light whome God brought forth without corruption out of the barenesse of Ioachim and Anne as of nothing therof afterward to forme the humanity of Iesus Christ the Sunne of the world and to cause of her to be borne both God and Man S. Tho. 3. p. q. 60. c. 12. the fourth day that is in the Law of grace which is the fourth estate o◠day of the world the first day hauing beene vnder sinne the second vnder the law of Nature the third vnder the law of Moyses Procl ser de natiuit Deiparat The second figure shall be the earth whereof Adam was made which was free from malediction wherto it was after subiect for sinne As therefore the first earth the matter of the first Adam was in the beginning without any curse or malediction S. Bruno Carth. in Psal 101. so the second earth whereof the second Adam Iesus Christ was to be formed was without the malediction of that originall staine in her conception Pet. Dam. in serm de virg Ass Dominic tract de corpore Christi The third shal be Gedeons Fleece wherein the Pilgrime shall consider that as the Fleece is ingendred without corruption and feeleth no passion of the Body so the Blessed Virgin was in her generation without sinne or any stayne of concupiscence a prerogatiue giuen only to her aboue al other children of Adam ingendred by the ordinary course in respect that she was to be the mother of God by another prerogatiue vnheard of before Luc. 2.44 Ieremy and S. Iohn were indeed sanctifyed in the wombe of their Mother notwithstanding they were first infected Ierem 15. Hier. in 3. Isa they were healed but not exempted from that wound The B. Virgin by a more noble priuiledge was preserued both from the wound and from the scarre thereof The third point shall consider some prophecyes of the same Conception Psal 84. as out of Dauid Lord thou hast blessed thy earth that is the Sonne of God who should preserue from sinne the Virgin that was to be his Mother Ar. ibid. Isid ad Floren. Also The Highest hath sanctifyed his Tabernacle that is the Virgin who was to be the Tabernacle of God and therefore was by him prepared and sanctifyed from the beginning with a sanctificatiō most meet for such a Sonne Psalm 48. and such a Mother In the same sense sayth Salomon Sap. 9. Wisedome hath built her selfe a house It is then a most perfect house seeing Wisedome it selfe hath built it a house all beautifull in the foundation and euery part according to an other prophecy Cant. 4. Thou art all beautifull and there is no spot in thee In the fourth point he must consider that for diuers reasons Why her conception was sāctified The first reason The 2. this Conception was to be exempted from Originall sinne 1. For that it was no way decent that the Virgin which should conceaue the Sonne of God should be marked in her generation with that spot which maketh men children of the Diuell for thereby the Sonne had beene some way dishonoured 2. Seeing that sundry seruants of her Sonne were both before and after her sanctifyed in their mothers wombe as Hieremy and S. Iohn as we haue sayd it were reason that the generation of the Mother of the Holy of Holyes should be honoured with some more noble prerogatiue and that not ōly she should be cleansed from sinne as other Saints were but also preserued from all vncleanesse in her Mothers wombe as she was in all her life The third 3. For that in this prerogatiue do shine the power wisedome and goodnes of God for heere appeared the worke of an Almighty Power in hindring that the poison which infected all the children of Adam in their origen should not in any sort touch either flesh or soule of her who was chosen to beare the soueraigne Physician of mankind There appeared the glory of his infinite wisedome Wisedom in that he could separate vnto himselfe a Mother free from all sort of sin therin appeared the liberality of his soueraigne bounty not only in hauing so plentifully bestowed his graces vpon this glorious Virgin but also in hauing preserued her from all euill Bounty from the first instant of her being These shall be the 4. points of his morning meditation out of all which the Pilgrime shall gather cōclusions either to exalt the greatnes of the diuine Maiesty and to admire it in this his worke or to stirre vp himselfe to the reuerence of the Mother of God and to enkindle himselfe to deuotion in her holy seruice to the glory of the Creatour admirable in th◠framing of this his Creature Be thou therefore eternally praysed A Prayer to God O Creatour of all thinges and soueraigne Maker of the Mother of thy Sonne Thou didst appeare great admirable in creating the heauēs the throne of thy Maiesty and the earth thy footstoole yet dost thou appeare more wonderfull in this worke for thou madest in her an heauen and earth of which stuffe thy Sonne was to make and take the cloake of his holy humanity a heauen which out of her substance should giue the Sunne of the world an earth that should bring forth the Sauiour of the world a heauen and earth conceiued miraculously of the barren to conceaue afterward by a greater miracle him that made heauen and earth and all things of nothing O happy houre that gaue the beginning to this diuine generation and more happy that measured the progresse and most happy that saw it perfect and finished To the B. Virgin O noble Virgin O noble seed of our heauenly light O earth of our fruit O mother of our saluation who can worthily speake of the course of thy life seeing the very beginning thereof exceedeth the tongues and capacities of men and Angells The After-dinner of the three and twentith Day Of the purity of Christian actions in their intention CHAP. XIIII IN the afternoone the Pilgrime shal attend as the day before to pious works shall hear◠the sermon diuine Office shall read some good booke shall conferre with his Ghostly Father or other deuout persons shall say his beads giue almes or beg for himselfe or others sing some Hymne of the B. Virgin or heare the Salue Regina song or some other for the tyme. In the euening he shall make his meditation in the Church vpon some point of his morning meditatiō labouring throughly to know and prayse the greatnes and goodnes of of God in the excellent purity of this Conception shall vnderstand
that it is much more beseeming the Maiesty of God and his Mother to be conceaued without original sinne then to be cleansed from it more noble to haue been light from the beginning then of darknes to haue beene made light more approaching to the sense and mind of the Catholike Church which honoureth this conceptioÌ„ with a solemne feast though she doth not condemne of heresy those who belieue that she was touched with originall sinne but after from heauen sanctifyed Pure intion the foundation of all Christian actions Luc. 11.34.36 He shall gather also certaine conclusions and practicall rules of his spirituall discourse as that our actions should be pure in their conception and beginning in the thought in the will that we must beginne by the light to be children of the light that the good and pure intention which our Sauiour calleth The eye of the soule ought to be the foundatioÌ„ of all our workes These and such like rules he shall frame in his mynd and shall verify them in the life of the Blessed Virgin who from her infancy neuer sought in her actions any thing but the glory of God This hath beene her light her beginning her end in all that she did thought or sayd VpoÌ„ these reasons and examples our Pilgrime shall make a full purpose to reforme his life to Godward and to serue him with all his hart to the imitation of his glorious Mother and shall say O B. Virgin To the B. Virgin all bright and beautifull cast some beames of thy diuine fauour vpon the soule of this poore sinner thy deuoted seruaÌ„t driue away my darkenes with my holy light and my coldnes with thy heauenly heaâ—e and strengthen my weaknes with thy mercifulâ— power Make me see that Sunne that came out of thy bowels make me feâ—le the vanity of this vaine world and the firmenesse and solidity of those goods which this thy Sonne hath gâ—tten for vs with his precious bloud and that this may be the profit of the piâ—grimage which I haue vndertaken to thy house and of the vow I haue made to thee O Virgin of all Virgins The foure and twentith Day A Meditation of the Natiuity of the glorious Virgin CHAP. XV. THE meditation of this morning shall be of the Natiuity of the Blessed Virgin in three points The first shall consider some figures of this Natiuity The firmament as the Firmament which God made and filled with many goodly starres to the likenes of this B. Virgin a liuing heauen and firmament as the holy Doctours call her high and solâ—d in perfectioÌ„ marked with a thousad goodly vertues in her soule Earthly Paradise as with spirituall starres Also the earthly Paradise pâ—anted with most excellent fruites and made in the Month of Septer for the dwelling of the first Adam which is a figure of the Virgin giuen vnto the world in the same month adorned with all sort of graces a garden of delights where the second Adam Iesus Christ should dwell much more happily Exod. 2â— 20 pleasantly then the other in the earthly paradise Also the Arke of the Testament made of incorruptible wood couered with plates of gold within without Heb. 9. where the heauenly Manna was kept as this Virgin exempt from all corruption in her Conception beautifyed both in soule and body with excellent guifts hath giuen and kept the Manna that feedeth our soules Iesus Christ discoursing vpon these figures he shal admire the goodnes of God bestowing on the world so noble a creature and shall thanke him therefore and stirre vp himselfe to deuotion of the Creatour and of this B. Virgin Prophecies of her Natiuity Num. 24. For the second point he shall take some Prophecye as among others this A starre shall rise out of Iacob and a man from Israell The B. Virgin is signifyed by this starre so called by the Saints by reason of her heauenly and eminent vertues her Sonne by the name of Man For he is verily the Man of men Cant. 6. and Sauiour of men Also VVho is she that coÌ„meth ascending like the morning rising beautifull as the Moone chosen as the Sunne terrible as a battaile in aray This is the B. Virgin appearing comming to the world with her celestiall purity next and before the Sunne the spirituall morning and more beautifull a thousand tymes then our worldly morning for she did not only bring tydings of the day at hand but brought him forth not only did make the end of the night of this world but also the day of the grace of our Redeemer Also A rodd shall rise out of the roote of lesse Isa 11. and from the roote thereof shall spring a flower This Rod is the B. Virgin sayth S. Hierome hauing no other shrubbe ioyned with her Hier. 16. The flower is her Sonne Iesus Christ Cant. 2. The flower of the field as he is called issued from this Virgin whereof the same Prophet sayd cap. 7. Behold a a Virgin shall conceaue Isa 7. and bring forth a sonne Vpon these like prophecies he shall discourse in his meditation still gathering the fruit of loue or admiration to the prayse of God and this holy Virgin In the third point he shall meditate the Natiuity it selfe reioycing therin honouring it as the chiefest that hath byn among men The natiuity of the B virgin most honourable and ioyfull worthy of all ioy and honour Others hitherto haue beene of misery and sadnes as the wiser sort of men haue acknowledged and the Princes of the earth that made feastes vpon their birth day were ill aduised and ignorant of their owne estate and condition for their birth was but vncleanes and an entry vnto misery but this is of good fortune and ioy being without al deformity of sinne the only cause of al euils and for that therin the world hath receaued the neerest beginning of saluation the Mother of Messias to come of the Sauiour at hand of that Sunne rysing which should bring vs the day so much desired and therefore the Church singeth and inuiteth her children to reioyce in this day saying Let vs with solemnity celebrate this feast of the Natiuity of her who was euer a Virgin the mother of God Mary This is the day that saw borne the liuing heauen this blessed earth this starre of the Sea this paradise of pleasure this Arke of the Testament this Rod of lesse this faire morning that bringeth the Sunne and so shall discourse on the ioy of this Natiuity and conclude with these or the like wordes O day desired aboue all the dayes of the precedent ages or rather the only day all the rest being but night To the birth day of the B. Virgin for seeing the morning did not appeare before thee and the bright shyning and quickening sunne was yet farre distant from the Horizon of our Redemption surely all the dayes before thee were
honour the estate of virginity and mariage and therin to figure and represent the condition of the Church which being a virgin is notwithstanding marryed to Iesus Christ and remayning a virgin doth bring forth children by Baptisme The 3. first causes concerne the person of our Sauiour the fourth and fifth his Mother and the other the Church and altogeather the honour of God and his Mother and our good and saluation The Espousals being done the Virgin remayned in Nazareth in her Fathers house Philo Iud. de special legib which espousalls were as fast of as great force a the mariage it self so that if the espoused should commit any fault in the house of her Father she should be stoned as an Adulteresse who had broken her fayth in her husbands owne house In the same house the B. Virgin was saluted by the Angell and there dwelt with Ioseph after the death of Ioachim and Anne and not in the house of Ioseph which by likelihood was at Bethleem wherof the Scripture giueth no reason but only that by silence it signifyeth that these espousals were of another quality then others were and that she was alwayes a virgin as those that remayne alwayes in the house of their Fathers and go not to the house of their husband to celebrare the marriage as other marryed folkes do who must loose their virginity The Pilgrime shal marke all this thereby to prayse the diuine Maiesty and to giue him thankes ending in this speach O heauenly marriage The mariage of Adam Abraham Isaac Iacob Tobie and worke worthy of the soueraigne Wisedome a marriage all spirituall and diuine hauing nothing carnall or earthly in it a marriage that did beâ—re the beauty of all the goodliest alliances of the world doth exceed them in honour as farre as the heauens in largenes exceed the earth The marriage of Adam and Eue made and blessed by the hand of God himselfe the mariage of Sara with Abraham of Rebeca with Isaac of Rachel with Iacob of Sara with Tobie All these mariages were nothing in comparison of this and the most worthy of them were honourable in this respect that they gaue seed and beginning to these two maried folkes of this husband and this wife children of Abraham Isaac and Iacob and of twenty other Kinges their ancestours in the house of Iuda married to God by an excellent band of Fayth Charity and inuiolable Virginity O noble paire O noble husband Psal 44.10 and more noble wife and verily the daughter of the great King clothed in gold and adorned with the richest iewells that euer came out of his cabinet O worthy mariage of this couple A mariage most worthy to be honoured with the most glorious fruit that euer woman bare Spirituall mariages O daughter of Sion O Christian daughters learne thus to marry your selues to marry your selues to God to giue him your body and soule feare not either the priuation of that pleasure which passeth like a dreame nor yet the barrennes of your body for your pleasures you shall haue the delightes of earth and heauen and for the children of your body a thousand goodly workes that shall accompany you aboue as an honourable and immortall posterity and a thousand crownes of glory insteed of the children you might haue had but if you be marryed already after the fashion of these holy Dames let it be to the same end for posterity not for pleasure and alwayes with the honour of christian chastity and coniugall fidelity O soueraigne Lord authour of these virginall marriages be thou alwayes praysed in them as in all thy workes O Virgin obtaine for me that spirit that made thee so to marry and thou holy Ioseph a heauenly branch of the house of Dauid giuen for solace and succour to this diuine Virgin solace vs with thy prayers succour vs with thy help that we may follow thy fayth and word and may be made partaker of that reward and recompence which thou hast receaued in heauen This shall be the Pilgrimes meditation in the morning after which he shall heare Masse and doe his accustomed deuotions vntill Noone when he shall take his repast The After-dinner and euening of the six and twentith Day Of the rare vertues of S. Ioseph CHAP. XXI IN the afternoone he shall follow his former exercises only the subiect of the meditation changed which he shall vary according to the diuersity of the thinges he did meditate in the morning Hauing heard Euensong he shall employ some tyme to read or meditate the vertues of S. Ioseph The vertues of Ioseph which without doubt were rare and worthy of a man chosen to be the spouse of the greatest Lady of the world before God and the foster-father of the sonne of God himselfe His innocency his fayth his hope his charity obedience magnanimity prudence humility and other royall vertues appeared in his actions performed in matters most difficult to belieue and most hard to execute Why he is called Iust which may easily be verified by some examples First when it was first perceaued that the Virgin had conceaued not knowing either the cause or the mystery he shewed himselfe a perfect wise man when on the one side he deliberated to dwell no more with her not to consent in his conscience to any suspicion of dishonesty and on the other side he would not defame nor rayse scandall without cause about her reputation Matth. 1 19. for the which cause he is called Iust by the Euangelist by a name that comprehendeth al the qualityes of a holy soule SecoÌ„dly he shewed his fayth and vertue when without contradiction he belieued the words of the Angell aduertising him that his wiues being Great was a worke of the Holy Ghost and obeyed him with promptitude and humility taking againe his Spouse at that instant louing reuerencing her more then euer seeing she was chosen to be the mother of such a child so much the more assisting her with loue and solid respect His respect to the B. V. by how much it was founded more in the soule then in the body more in the beauty of the spirit then in the fairenes of the face and if holy Elizabeth was thought to haue so much reuerenced the Virgin for hauing by sweet inspiration vnderstood that she was the mother of God how great may we thinke was the reuerence that Ioseph did beare her in this respect being informed by so cleare testimonyes and oracles of this truth of her vertues hauing also experience thereof by dayly and domesticall conuersation What care besides what diligence what patience what prudence His prudence must he needes haue shewed in conducting this Virgin from one Country to another flying the persecution and fury of Herod the Tyrant Dwelling so long in Aegypt a strange Country Alwayes firme in fayth and Charity Surely the holy Doctours could not tell with what wordes to expresse his
and man made God behold God conceiued of a virgin according to the Prophesy of Esay A Virgin shall conceiue Behold the Word cloathed with our weaknes our weaknes maried to his Almightines Esa 7. two natures ioyned together in one person Behold the descent of the Highest figured by that he did heretofore wheÌ„ he sayd I will descend to deliuer my people from the bondage of Egypt Then without abasing himselfe he descended Exod. 3.8 by the effects of his Iustice and power to chastise a Tyrant and deliuer the oppressed from a temporall euill heer he is descended making himselfe man making himselfe little Phil. 2.12 emptying humbling himselfe as the Apostle sayth to pull man from vnder the spirituall Tyrant from the tyranny of sinne and the euerlasting prisons The ioy of the Iust Saints at this conception To that deliuerance Moyses the Hebrews sung a song of thankes giuing to this descent and to this marriage the Angels from heauen sung an hymne of a new note the iust soules in Limbo did leape for new ioy and both were rauished into admiration seeing him that is called the Sonne of the Highest vouchsafe to be the sonne of his owne creature bowing himselfe downe to our littlenes to lift vs vp to his greatnes O soueraigne bounty what may I do to acknowledg this benefit The prayer what may I say to prayse it worthily what may I alone render in recompence where all men and Angels together cannot yield one worthy thankesgiuing what can I say stutting stammering when as the tongues of all the Angels cannot reach to the hundreth part either of the greatnes of thy charity or of the height of thy humility or of the purity of this match mariage O Virgin most pure most wise most humble most fruitfull most rich most charitable chosen for spouse for daughter for mother chosen to bring forth to the Angels the honour of heauen and to men the saluation of the world and to the whole Church of God the peace kingdome the glory of God help thy poore Pilgrime with thy fauour and credit obtayne for me light to vnderstand this immortall gift of God made man obtayne for me vertues proper to thaÌ„ke him withall a charity celestiall to loue him a strong memory to hold him alwayes in my hart Let me neuer depart from this place from this chamber from this heauenly Temple from this earthly heauen without this fauour worthy of thy Sonne and thee Hauing ended his meditation he shall prepare himselfe to receaue at his best commodity At midnight he shal resume the same meditation or some pointes thereof The After-dinner and Euening of the seauen and twentith Day Of the goodnes of God in the mystery of his Incarnation CHAP. XXVI IN the euening the Pilgrime hauing done his accustomed deuotions shal particularly meditate the greatnes of God in the mystery he hath considered still more and more to perceiue therein an euident demonstration of his infinit goodnes The IncarnatioÌ„ a cleere testimony of infinit bouÌ„ty wisedome and power First he shall see that this Incarnation is a cleere testimony of the infinit goodnes of God in that he would be made man and ioyne himselfe with so strait a band to our humane nature and to lift vp our pouerty with the wings of his maiesty to make himselfe man to make man God as S. Augustine saith moued only with loue and charity toward his creature De catech rudibus c. 3. hauing no need nor profit thereby seeing he could as a soueraigne God with absolut power loose man from his misery restore him to his first estate without these costes and charges and without this coniunction specially being already his enemies not only by the fault of their first Father but by those they committed since In hauing made the world and presented it to man he gaue all his goods but in making himselfe man he gaue himselfe and hath communicated himselfe to him in the largest measure of his soueraigne bounty The nature of bounty and goodnes saith one Saint is to impart the good it hath and thereupon as all creatures are good in their nature Dyon de dium nominibus c. 1. so are they communicable the sunne yieldeth without sparing his light and influences the fire his heat the water his moisture the earth her plantes and beastes and other partes of the whole world do contribute to the entertainement pleasure of man all that they can by this law of bounty S. Tho. 3. p. q. 1. ar 1. man in what measure he is well borne and morally good is also more liberall of his goodes God then the chiefe and soueraigne goodnes hath communicated himselfe to man in a soueraigne sort making himselfe man and vniting in one person our humanity with his diuinity the vnion could not be more straite and noble and therefore let the deuoute soule euen drowne her selfe in the consideration of this supreme liberality let her admire adore and drowne her selfe in a profound humility seeing heere God made Man for sinnefull man and to haue exalted this nature fallen euen to the very center of the Earth vnto a degree of honour higher then euer she could haue hoped though she had neuer sinned Of the VVisedome of God in the same Mystery CHAP. XXVII SECONDLY he must consider how in this Mystery God hath shewed his infinit wisedome hauing found so fit and conuenient a meane for the reparation of man A most euident testimony of wisedom in the incarnatioÌ„ to instruct him to plant in his soule the seed of all the most noble vertues by a way most plaine short and effectuall for making himselfe man conuersing fâ—miliarly with men he taught them by word of mouth the heauenly mysteries traced out the way of happines with the admirable examples of his own vertues Hitherto he had taught by his creatures by his seruants by the bookes of his Prophetes but being made man he did speake in person as S. Paul to the Hebrewes deduceth he became his owne interpreter Hebr. 1. he read the booke of his own knowledge and expounded himselfe and was the liuing glasse practise and proofe of the Text which he had dictated Eccl. 52. Behould I that did speake am present sayth he by his Prophet He spake hitherto not being seene behind the curtayne of his creatures within the cloudes of obscure and darke prophecies and as being absent by Prophets as Embassadours But making himselfe man he is become visible he hath presented himselfe he hath spoken and with his owne mouth his owne workes hath taught vs our lesson from heauen Whereupon S. Augustine sayth Lib. 11. de Cunt. Dei c. 2. That man might boldly walk towardes truth Truth it selfe the Sonne of God is made man and hath layd the foundation of our Fayth By the same lesson he hath planted hope in our hart also for hauing
is of another ranke for being exalted aboue the highest she humbleth her selfe to the lowest waxeth light with her load and insteed of rest vndertaketh a troublesome iourney to the Mountaines of Iudea O wayes honourable with the steppes of such a Creature carrying in her bowells the Creatour O happy Hills that were troden with the heauenly feet of the Blessed Virgin and Mother of the most high neuer did you beare so precious a burden ne-neuer did you performe a more honourable seruice O my soule see and contemplate here behould this fruitfull Virgin this daughter of Sion this Mother of God to fly with ioy caryed by him whome her selfe doth carry behould her rysing as a faire morning vpon the top of those beautiful mountaines ascending those hilly places like the Sunne rysing from vnder his Horizon behould the beauty of her face and soule surpassing the most glistering starres the modesty of her pace going the fire of her charity the greatnes of her diuine fortitude and courage The salutation of S. Elizabeth The second point shall be taken from the salutation of the Virgin and the effect thereof It is sayd that the Virgin entering into the house of Zachary saluted S. Elizabeth And it happened when Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary the Infant exulted in her wombe And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost and cryed out with a great voice and sayd Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy wombe And how commeth this to me that the Mother of my Lord should come vnto me For behould as the voice of thy salutation was made in my eares the Infant in my wōbe exulted with ioy And blessed art thou which hast belieued because those thinges shall be performed which haue beene spoken to thee by our Lord. In these wordes he must marke the meruailous vertue and force of the salutation of the B. Virgin hauing so happily strucken the child and the Mother that they were both sanctifyed and filled with the Holy Ghost enabled to effects exceeding the common course of nature The child receaued sense and vse of reason beyond his age and leaped at the voice of the Mother of our Lord honouring the sayd Lord by that his motion Elizabeth did prophesy of thinges past present and to come The Mother was made a Prophetesse knowing by reuelation what had passed when she knew things secret to wit that the B. Virgin had belieued knowing also the present as that she was happy and blessed aboue all women that she was great with a blessed fruit with the Sonne of God our Lord She knew also what was to come foretelling that those things that were tolde her should be accomplished Wherupon the Pilgrime shall consider how much the Sonne of God hath honoured his mother in making her so soone the instrument of the Holy Ghost and his cooperatresse to so high effects in what credit she must needes be now in heauen for the saluatiō of men hauing been enriched since with a thousand merits and prerogatiues and reigning with her Sonne heaped with eternal glory aboue all Angels and men And if her simple voice and salutation that did passe brought the Holy Ghost vnto the soules of men of what efficacy shall be her firme and constant prayer to obtayne vs the heauenly graces of the same Spirit to our saluation O B. Virgin make this heauenly voice of thine soūd vnto thy Pilgrime this voice so pleasing so powerfull this voice whereof the Spouse speaketh saying Cant. 2. Cant. 2. Let thy voice sound in my eares for it doth reioyce me Make it be heard O virgin and therewith obtayne me necessary help happily to accomplish the course of my mortall Pilgrimage The third point of the Meditation Of the Canticle of the B. Virgin Magnificat CHAP. XXX THE third point shall meditate the meaning of that notable Cāticle which our B. Lady vttered after S. Elizabeth had spoken Then saith the Gospell Mary sayd Luc. 1. 1. My soule doth magnify our Lord. 2. And my spirit hath exulted in God my Sauiour 3. Because he hath respected the humility of his hād-mayd for behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed c. The B. Virgin hauing heard so many blessings and praises for those graces she had receiued and knowing that forgetfullnes Ingraritude ryseth of Pride ingratitude are two branches of pride very displeasing to Almighty God she tooke occasion to yield thankes vnto her benefactour to reioyce in him and sayd in hart and mouth I acknowledge my Lord my soule doth magnify and extoll him as authour of all the good you haue praised and prophesied in me O my deare Cousin I praise him from the bottome of my hart and with all my soule and glory in his graces and bountifull liberality not in myne owne merit It is he that hath cast his eyes vpon my litlenes and hath exalted me It is his bounty and blessing that is the soueraigne cause that all the nations of the world that shall liue vnder the scepter of his Sonne shall call that Mother happy that did beare him Luc. 1.49 4. For he hath done great things vnto me who is mighty holy is his Name A great thing it is that a Virgin should vow virginity among the Hebrewes a great thing it is that remayning a Virgin she should conceiue without man a great thing it is that she should be the most fruitfull Mother that euer was hauing borne but one child great things and vnheard of that the seruant should bring forth her maister the daughter her father the morning the sunne weaknes power the Creature her Creatour These are the great things and the wonders that are wrought in me his little Creature for the which my soule doth now magnify and exalt his holy Name Luc. 50. 5. And his mercy is from generation to generation to those that feare him For the mercy of our Lord is allwayes and shall be for euer Psal 102.17 but to them that liue in the feare of his lawes It was shewed to our first Father Adam promising him a Redeemer to Abel Noe Abraham to all our forefathers assisting them with gifts and graces and strengthening them in the hope of this Redeemer and will shew it selfe now more then euer sending according to his promise the same Redeemer not an Angel or only man but his owne Sonne God made man to repaire the ruines of men by his owne bloud to exalt their condition aboue the Angells Psalm 71 28.135.4 6. He hath wrought wonders with his arme and hath scattered the proud in the mind of their hart It is he onely that is omnipotent and mightily worketh these meruailes and all others It is he that hath drawne this great All from nothing who hath created these lightes heauenly pallaces these 4. partes of the whole world the fier aire water and all that is made of thē it
this stable in this equipage of pouerty he bruized the vanity folly and vaine delights of the world and flesh he crushed them in his cradle with the weapons of his profound and vnheard of humility not only in that he was made man and clothed with the infirmity of our condition The victory of the child Iesus but also he would be the least and lowest amongst men he would be borne not in a princely pallace in a soft bed royally arrayed not in a house of his owne nor yet in an Inne as some others did to wit the poorest sort but in a cribbe and stall for beastes and that borrowed This battaile is glorious and which mortall men could neuer hitherto gaine to their race and nature and so much the more glorious as it was more quickly vndertaken and wonne by a child The ancient Authors boast of their Heroes for that in their cradle they strangled materiall serpents Hercules but though it were true and not feyned it is nothing in respect of this childes exploit making proofe of his prowes valour against the strongest enemy of man before he could speake this is that the Prophet song as a miracle neuer heard of Call the name of this Child Isa 8. â— Make hast to spoile make hast to pillage for before the Child can call Father or mother he shall carie away the spoile and strength of Damascus noting the age the quicknes the force and glory of this Conquerour and of the conquest woÌ„ne the goodly spoile of soules drawne out of the handes of Satan O glorious fighter O litle Child O great God! welcome art thou into thine and our world thine because thou hast made it by thy almighty word ours because of thy infinit bounty thou hast bestowed it vpon vs But how art thou heere entertayned O King of Kings where is the trayne of thy Court Where are thy Princes and lordes thy Gentlemen pages gromes of thy chamber where is thy guard and all thy roiall furniture O sweet Infant the traine of thy Court is aboue heauen is thy lowest Tower the Angells are thy Princes thy guard is thy selfe who guardest all things thy seruitours and pages are the starres and all the creatures of the whole world O Caesar if thou knewest the King who is now borne in thy Empyre if thou knewest whome thou inrollest in the Record of thy Registers thou wouldst come in person poore vassal to present thy self at his feet to do him homage and adore his cradle at Bethleem whose maiesty the Angells admire and adore in heauen and wouldst request him to make thee be enrolled in his great booke of life O heauenly Angells it is iust wisely done The Angels sâ—â—g at this natiuity to sing this night and honour with your holy quires sweet melody of your heauenly musike the natiuity of this King to shew the shepheardes to teach vs them how we should receaue him this is your office and duty for you haue long serued him and know the fashions of the ciuility of his Court we poore mortal men ill taught and rude cannot worthily performe this duty but only thou O Virgin-Queene who hast learned this manner in the house of God Hester and as a heauenly Hester art prepared with attire and iewels chosen out of the treasury and cabinet of the Father of thy sonne King of Kings thou mayst coÌ„fidently present thy selfe to see him to receaue and handle him But O heauenly Mother how didst thou receaue vse him how didst thou entertayne this Sonne this God this Child giuen vs this King of heauen and earth In what spirituall cloathes didst thou wrappe him with what embracings didst thou cherish him With what deuotion didst thou adore him What were the eleuations of thy mynd hauing before thyne eyes thiâ— pretious gage issued out of thine owne bowells come into the world a little Child a great God visible palpable the glory of heauen the saluatioÌ„ of the earth the hope of maÌ„kind the ioy of men and Angells What a spectacle was this vnto thyne eyes beholding this diuine Sunne What admiration to thy soule contemplating this obiect of infinit beauty What extasies of loue imbracing this incomprehensible beauty O little God O Almighty child grant me leaue by that infinit loue which made thee man to draw vs vnto thee to come neere thee with my senses to behold thee with myne eyes to heare thee moane my miseries to touch those heauenly hands to kisse those sacred feet to adore that litle humble humanity married vnto thy greatnes to offer my soule and body to thy maiesty say a thousand times on thy birth day Viuat Rex viuat Rex Regum in aternum To him be all honour for euer Amen So he shall passe the houre of midnight taking the rest of the night for his repose or he may employe the whole night in meditating the song of the Angells and the visite of the shepheards who being warned came to adore our Sauiour borne in Bethleem The Morning Meditation Of the Circumcision of our Sauiour and of the Name of Iesus CHAP. XXXIV IN the morning the Pilgrime shal take for subiect of his meditations the Circumcision of the Sonne of God made according to the Law eight dayes after he was borne Our Sauiour circuÌ„cised on the first day of the yeare coÌ„secrated to Ianus the first day of the yeare and of guiftes according to the ancient custome of the Romans and consecrated to Ianus their two faced God with one face beholding the yeare past with the other the new yeare to come The first and fundamentall point of this Meditation shall be to consider the institution of this Ceremony the deuout soule calling to remembrance the commandment of God made to Abraham to circumcise Gen. 17. and in that place to cut his owne flesh his sonne Ismaell and all his hosue-hold and to cause it from thenceforth to be kept as a law to all his posterity S. Thom. 1. 2 q. 102 p. 3. q. 68. as a token of the eternal Couenant betwixt God and them to be also some remedy against originall sinne and a profession of their fayth towardes the true God Wherupon the Iewes kept it exactly euer after causing their male children to be circuÌ„cised the eight day after their birth and then giuing them their name as we do now in Baptisme whereof Circumcision was a figure and as now he that wanteth Baptisme is not reckoned among the children of God but is excluded from all right and hope of heauen and hath neither name nor honour in his houshould so then were those who were vncircumcised Gen. 1â— 14 Heere therefore he must meditate how Iesus Christ the true child of Abraham according to the flesh by whome the race of Abraham Why Christ would be circumcised and all nations of the world were to receaue benediction and peace of God would be
them behould heere one oppressed with the burden of his sinnes cryeth at thyne eares from the bottome of his hart If this thy Clemency be accustomed to preuent sinners and to receaue them into thyne armes to shew them mercy then behold one who casteth himselfe at thy feet confounded at his owne faults crying that he hath sinned against heauen Luc. 15. which he dareth not behould against thee to whome he dareth haue recourse hoping in thy mercies Heare my crye Luc. 18.15 O Father of mercies and receaue to mercy thy prodigall penitent sonne and who hast giuen me courage and strength to visit thee in this little-great house of thy Sonne Iesus Christ and kisse the walles and doores of that sacred Chamber which he and his mother haue sanctifyed a thousand wayes graunt me grace by the infinit merit of thy Sonne and of the glorious Virgin to serue thee all the dayes of my life with an entire and perfect hart And if I may be worthy to lift vp my handes to thy holy heauenly Throne for the body of thy Catholike Church For the whole Church whereof by thy grace I am a child and for those thou hast made worthy and principall members of the same I beseech thee O Lord for all the sayd Church in generall defend it increase it sanctify it according vnto thy power and mercy I beseech for him who in the same holdeth as from thee For the Pope the keyes of heauen that he may perfectly and faythfully gouerne this Common-wealth of thy house to thy honour and glory and the profit of the flocke committed to him for the Princes and Pastours who do assist him and vnder his authority haue the gouernement of souies For the Prelats that they may wisely instruct and faithfully defend their flocke and charitably feed them vnto life euerlasting For all Kinges and Christian Princes For ChristiaÌ„ Princes who vnder the protection of thy prouideÌ„ce do coÌ„mand the people that as true Fathers and Protectours of the publike good they may carry the raynes and gouernement of their earthly policy which thy power hath put into their handes may vse iustly the sword which they beare for the defence of Innocency and punishment of wickednes For the most Christian King his deere Queene the Princes of the bloud and all the Royall house and Realme For the King assist them O Lord with thy fauours and graces remembring the seruices which thy holy Church hath receaued of their Ancestours and of the French nation hauing heertofore often left their houses and countrey not sparing their goods nor their bloud to go buckle with the Squadrons of the enemyes of thy name and to replant the banner of the Crosse in barbarous Countryes But specially I present my most humble vowes prayers for this noble Fleuron-de-Lys Monsieur the Dauphine thy guift For the Prince and the hope of the Crowne of France Make him great in wisedome valour piety and in all those vertues which gaue the title of Most-Christian to his Ancestours the name of Great to Charlemaine S. Lewis the place and honour of a Saint in the Church of God to his great GraÌ„d-father Lewis the IX Make him great and holy on the earth there to be a stay and bulwarke to the Catholike faith the ioy of his Father and Mother the honour of the nobility and of his house and the rest and repose of his people that he may reigne one day in heauen in the rank of thy greatest Saints Assist the sonne who hast assisted the Father so many wayes and so meruailously that France vnder him may shine in piety abound in peace florish in glory and may be thy chosen Kingdome and the French nation thy well-beloued people I beseech thee Lord for all those to whome I am bound in any title whatsoeuer For benefactours of bloud benefits friendship or otherwise and who haue hope in my prayers for my Parents my friends For frieÌ„ds and enemies my enemies make them partakers of thy graces and me worthy to obtaine some thing for them O heauenly Father O mighty Sonne my soueraigne Lord and Maister equall to thy Father in power and bounty O Holy Ghost the bond of both To the B. Virgin O ineffable Trinity harken to my voice and heare my prayer O glorious Virgin the principall worke of this one and of these three most happy Mother faithfull Aduocate carry this my voice and prayer to the Sanctuary of this supreme Maiesty who hath made thee so great in heaueÌ„ and earth Obtaine for me an hart and forces to serue thee as a true Pilgrime all the tyme of my mortality to praise blesse and adore his greatnes and goodnes for euer in the Kingdome of heauen in the company of thy selfe the Angels Saints of al those for whome I am to present my humble requests This is the prayer I make to thee in thy holy Chamber departing from thence Adieu sacred Chamber Adieu noble little Palace Adieu pretty house more large then tâ—e whole world more rich then the Orient more pleasant then Paradise vpon earth The remembrance of thy Altars of thy pauements of thy walles and of thy wonders shall remayne alwayes planted in my hart as a liuely and pregnant memorial to stirre me vp to yield honour prayse and immortall thankâ— to the Sonne and the Mothet who with their honour haue made thee so honourable The After-dinner and Euening of the 30. day and the ninth of the Pilgrimes aboad How the Pilgrime departed from Loreto CHAP. XLII AFTER his spirituall refection he shall take his leaue of his friends bid them farewell thanking them and recommending himselfe to their prayers and taking necessary instructions for his returne and he shall not forget to doe some markeable Almes if he be able and hauing taken his corporall refection he shall depart in good tyme with a resolution to suffer much more for our Sauiour For in what measure he hath receaued new graces new light and forces he should also labour and do more in proofe and tryall of his loue for him in all occurrences For his Itinerarium and guide of his iourney he shall haue the Ten dayes of Lazarus The ten dayes of Lazarus which are the ten dayes iourney following whereby he shall take example and direction in the exercise of his deuotion in his way If the number of dayes be too short he shall diuide the meditation of one day into more to haue inough or shal take them els where and if he may returne in lesse tyme he may choose what will be fittest for him and leaue the rest and what is sayd of this third part of the ten dayes of Pilgrimage of lengthning or shortning the meditations according to the way may be practised in the precedent parts also THE RETVRNE OF THE PILGRIME OF LORETO Or the Ten dayes iourney of Lazarus The one and thirtith day of the
in her bosome and closed in her armes whome the capacity of the heauens could not comprehend she feareth his danger and relyeth in his prouidence willingly endureth the horrour of the desart and the wearisomnes of the way and gathereth of her paines the ioyes of iust soules in the loue of him who came into the desart of the world to suffer O how gracious a spectacle to heauen is this little company O desart more happy in these three Hebrew Pilgrimes then in that infinite multitude that passed before A desart sanctifyed by these heauenly trauaillers signed and consecrated one day after to be the repaire of sanctity the earthly Paradise of deuotion to thousands of Religious soules who shal there sing the prayses of their Redeemer The desart of Egypt inhabited by Religious A desart more plentifull then all the orchards of Eden then all the Gardens of Aegypt yea then earthly Paradise it selfe for although thy trees be barren thou bearest notwithstanding at this tyme the fruit of life the mother of life and the faithfull spouse of life O Lazarus behould this pretty Pilgrime behould this trauailer and his faithfull Spouse doe them some seruice in the way giue them some fruit some ease or refreshment from thy hands request of the B. Virgin that little load she carryeth in her armes and take him into thyne to ease her but alas thou art not worthy although thou wert yet she would not leaue him This burden though it be more weighty theÌ„ the whole world is light vnto her yea giueth her vigour and strength to go the better If she will not gratify thee in this take boughes and shadow this little God who heeretefore shadowed his children in a cloud from the scorching Sunne and enlightened them with a Pillar of fire in the shadowes of night Psalm 77.14 and if thou canst do them no other seruice kisse humbly their shadow kisse the steps of their feet and haue compassion of the payns of this child and confesse thy sinnes to be the cause He entred into Aegypt according to the prophesy which he gaue many ages before Behould God shall ascend vpon a little cloud Isa 19.1 and enter into Aegypt and the Idols of Aegypt shall be troubled at his face This Cloud is the precious humanity of the Sonne of God in the which he is carryed It may be also the glorious Virgin compared to a cloud because she is heauenly and diuine like the humanity of her Sonne without any burden of sinne hauing brought forth her Sonne as the cloud doth the rayne without corruption and carryeth him in Aegypt els where as the cloud carryeth the rayne within her bosome O celestiall cloud O heauenly rayne O diuine child O diuine Mother He entreth into Aegypt whence his Father called him as he foretould by his Prophet I haue called my Sonne out of Aegypt He had called before the Hebrewes his adoptiue sonnes Ose 11. and people out of Aegypt he calleth now his naturall Sonne borne of his owne substance but in another manner Then he called the Hebrews to recall them from a cruell slauery bondage to make them enter into Iudaea now coÌ„trarywise he calleth this his Sonne from Iudaea to Aegypt to enter there and deliuer the Aegyptian himselfe from a more cruell seruitude to crush their Idols and breake the kingdom of Pharao who oppressed them vnder his tyranny with thousandes of horrible superstitions Arise then O Aegypt receaue with a good entertainement this little Sonne haue no feare of the plagues Exod. 6. 7. c. wherewith the malice of thy Ancestours hath heretofore been plâ—ged by him he coÌ„meth to sanctify thee to saue thee he is a great God but is become a little child affable of easy accesse a King full of sweetnes and mercy receaue him then receaue with good cheere these three Pilgrims the most noble that euer marched vpon thy grouÌ„d The Sages of Greece the Platoes Philosophers haue visited Egypt the Aristotles the Gallants of the world the Great Alexanders braue Caesars that haue heeretofore visited thee were nothing but poore wretched slaues of Ambition hauing their soules bound with chaines of iron howsoeuer they seemed gold glittered only in the outward of worldly vanity these heer doe passe the greatnes the brightnes of the glory of a thousand worlds This footman who is called Ioseph bringeth one who is a Virgin and a Mother the greatest Lady of the whole world admired of the Starres and Angells and shall one day be the admiration and refuge of al mortall men And this mother bringeth thee a Sonne who is the Maiesty of the heaueÌ„s the King of Angells the Sonne of a Father all mighty all wise all good himselfe as wise as good and as old as his Father in euery thing equall to his Father Creatour of the heauens with thâ— Father Gouernour of the whole world with the Father and sent by his Father from heauen to redeeme vs here in earth Receaue him then as a Pilgrime seeing Herod chaceth him out of his Countrey and whilest this Tyrant embrueth Iudaea with the bloud of the litle InnoceÌ„ts make much of this little Innocent father of them all rewarder of their life lost for him make much of his Mother and of his foster-father O my sweet Iesus did it please thee so soone to be chaced out of thy Country and to be a Pilgrime and banished maÌ„ to bring me vnto my heauenly couÌ„try whence my graÌ„dfather Adam hath so long been excluded Wouldst thou suffer euen in thy cradle what my sins deserued and what shall I eÌ„dure for thee in my Pilgrimage O mother who hast carryed this prety Pilgrim in a strange couÌ„try who hast suffered with him nursed weaned him who can conceaue the care the Charity the zeale the diligence the seruices thou didst eÌ„ploy in these seaueÌ„ years thou wert in Aegypt faithfully to nourish bring vp this litle God cloathed in the sackcloth of our mortality The goodly example thou gauest of all vertues to that people blacker in their superstitioÌ„ then in their coÌ„plexion O B. Virgin that after thy exaÌ„ple I might serue my God not now like a Pilgrime suffering in Aegypt but as a Conquerour triuÌ„phing in heauen It is I that am in Aegypt this valley of affliction where I haue need of his visit and help and of thyne O fauourable Virgin help thy Pilgrimes and deuotes The seauen yeares of this Pilgrimage being expired Herod in Iudaea being dead and the Lyon of Aegypt being buried the Angell of God aduertiseth Ioseph in his sleep to returne into Palestine The returne of Iesus to Palestine and because Archelaus the sonne of Herod successour both of his crowne and cruelty reigned in Iudaea he retyred himselfe from Galiley vnto the Citty of Nazareth where the little child Father of all ages seauen years old in his humanity was brought vp by his Mother and
foster-Father not manifesting himselfe by the markes of his greatnes to any but to his glorious Mother whose soule he enlightned at euery moment with the brightnes of his Deity to men he shewed himselfe as a little child and as such was subiect to this Father and Mother being adored of them both He was Cittizen of Nazareth as before Pilgrime of Aegypt and ruling in the heauens he suffered vpon the earth and being greater then the heauen was inclosed in the walles of a little Cottage O Nazareth O happy citty of such a Cittizen happy house of such a Guest happy chamber of such an Inhabitant how often hast thou beene honoured with the steps of this heauēly child walking vpon thy ground how often sanctified by the prayers the sighes the talkes and desires of this little Sauiour preparing himselfe betymes with the sweat of his face to our redēption for the which he descended from the bosome of his heauenly Father and sanctifyed also with the charitable offices of his heauenly Mother O my soule canst thou expresse it canst thou comprehend it It is easier to honour them in silence and to beg of the mother and the Sonne grace to follow and imitate them I aske it of thee O my Redeemer withall my power grant it me if it please thee for thy goodnes I aske it of thee O holy Mother obtaine for me for thou canst do it Let the memory of this mansion and of this Chamber which by thy grace I haue visited be vnto me a continuall spurre to stirre me to the loue of him who hath passed his youth in humility and voluntary pouerty for me 1. The fountaine of Bees 2. The dinner and meetinges 3. Presages of eloquence and the nature of Bees obserued fifty yeares by Aristomachus 4. The wonders of our Sauiour going into Aegypt 5. The tree Persis adoreth him 6. The Idols of Aegypt ouerthrowne CHAP. III. THVS prayed Lazarus in the morning according to the light God had imparted to him Vincent for his part hauing made the same meditation and recommending themselues to the protection of the B. Virgin and their good Angell they began their iourney saying their Itinerarum and their other accustomed prayers And they walked thus ioyfully vntill about noone ouer the wild plaines and barren but only of briers and broomes wherof they saw good store in the bare Champion without meeting either man or beast and they felt themselues now well wearyed tyred as wel for hauing eaten little that morning as for the excessiue heat of the Sunne At last looking heere and there about them searching some place to refresh themselues in they spyed on their right hand certaine willowes behind a little hille and hoping there to find some water they went straight thither and they found in the midest of these thicke shadowy trees a fountaine cleere as Chrystall which bubling out plentifully made a litle brooke full of cressits which was a signe that the water was good It was some what deep the bankes being high and couered partly with mosse and partly with herbes and floures of that season for it was the moneth of May. Then sayd Vincent Our way agreeth not ill with the matter of our meditation for this morning we passed in spirit through the desart of Arabia desiring to suffer somewhat to the imitation of litle Iesus and his good Mother who suffered there diuers incommodities we haue also passed this with some paine It is true replied Lazarus we haue suffered but little and good Iesus and his Mother had quickly compassion of vs hauing at a pinch prouided vs of a resting place The Pilgrimes dinner so fit for our dinner and refreshing and so they stucke their staues in the ground and set them downe to take their repast They had in their sackes two or three manchets a peece of cheese with a few aples and a little wine in their botles and as they sett forth their prouision vpon their greene napery they perceaued a farre off one wandering hither and thither seeking as they throught either his way or some fountaine they had compassion of him and thought it a worke of charity to set him in his way or to make him partaker of their good fortune therefore they hung their dinner vpon the bough of the neerest willow least some wormes or venemous beast might touch it vpon the ground and ranne speedily where they had espied him But they were amazed so soone to haue lost the sight of the man and could not conceiue that he should so quickly be walked out of their view in so large and open a champion and they did not perceiue that as soone as he saw them taking them for theeues he hid himselfe in a ditch behinde a little bush through which he saw them not being seene and beheld them running from one part to another being sore afraid to be foūd and spoild of that little siluer he had which he caried to buy stuffe for his shop for he was a merchant So they returned softly vnto their fountaine againe persuading themselues that this fellow made such hast thinking they were theeues or els that it was some spirit which they iudged more likly because he vanished sodenly Being returned to the willowes they go for their dinner and behold they found a swarme of bees lighted vpon one of their loaues and had all couered it with their hony dew Oh saith Vincent our Lord would sweetē our bread and our trauell we must hope so quoth Lazarus for this little people is commonly a presage of good lucke and benediction So it is sayd S. Ambrose that a like swarme did sit on the mouth of Saint Ambrose being a little child in his cradle and the like is sayd to haue happened to Plato Plato in signe they should be such as they proued Oratours endewed with a heauenly honylike eloquence the one amongst the Paynims the other more happily in the chaire of truth in the Church of God so they tooke the other two loaues and the rest for their dinner leauing the third to the Bees not to scarre them so soone But holding their bread in their hands they perceiued in the bodies of diuerse trees certaine hides out of one of the which this swarme came they went to visit it tooke out two or three combes of hony for their dinner when they had said grace and began to fall to their meat these little creatures came flying and buzzing about them some lighted vpō their bread some vpon the grasse kissing and pinching with their little mouth the flowres wherewith the beauty of the fountaine was diapred and sucked out the liquour to make their hony diuers drunke of the riuer stryking at the little greene froggs who lay like spies to entrappe them Frogges ◠enemies to Bees they came often about them without doing them any harme but onely serued them for a sweete recreation Vincent seeing their so great familiarity began to
among such a company of theeues sauing for the comfort I had to suffer some thing for Iesus Christ who endured death for me betwixt theeues and to consider on the one side the grace God had done me in giuing me the feare loue of his lawes and on the other side the misery of those poore rogues who suffered so much euill at the last to endure the heape of all euils Alas said I within my selfe if thou didst endure but as much for heauen as these do for hell if thou wert as constant to employ thy selfe in good works to passe whole nights in prayer to saue thy selfe and others as these do whole dayes in workes of iniquity and vndertake a thousand paines in discomodities of body and soule to destroy other men themselues O Lord of the whole world I render thee immortall thankes for all benefits bestowed on me of thy infinite bounty and beseech thee by the same bounty to enlarge my hart and to make it more capable of thy heauenly loue to increase the strength of my soule that I may suffer more and with a better courage for the glory of thy name Open the eyes of these poore blynd soules giuing them to see the indignity of their condition and the miserable estat of their soule or els take from them all meanes to do any more harme In these and the like discourses did I passe day and night and learned to make purpose of liuing better of the disdaine I conceaued in the ill life of this people as it happeneth oftentimes that by the contemplation of the foulnes of vice men betake themselues more earnestly to the loue of vertue Now there was amoÌ„gst them a certaine yong man called Tristram about 25. years of age born of a good house neighbour to France valiant and expert in armes The conuersion of Tristram and in that respect much esteemed by their Captaine who seemed to haue some particular compassion of my captiuity and came often to visit me asking if I had need of any thing that was in his power he came one day among others and sayd to me in secret Friend Theodosius for now euery body knew my name for that I haue holden you for a man of honour and conscience euer since I first knew you I desire to declare one thing vnto you which is very important but you must sweare secrecy Syr TristraÌ„ sayd I theÌ„ if the secret be against God or iustice I pray you tell it me not no saith he the thing that I meane to tell you is iust and the intention good and therefore I wil tel it you Then I promised him on faith of a Christian Pilgrime that I would keepe his secret he said this is the matter They heere haue resolued either to make you follow our manner of life or els to kill you for ransome they looke for none of you All that haue come to see you haue beene so many spies to sound you and see if there were any hope to persuade you wherein they make diuerse and different reportes to our Captaine and therefore looke to your selfe thus much I know because I was at the counsell and deliberation when it was taken When I heard this sectet I doubted whether himselfe also came to sound me and to feele my resolution neither was I deceaued though he did it with a good intention and meaning and therefore I answered him roundly that I was ready rather to dye theÌ„ make shipwracke of my conscience yea or of my reputation and honour in imbracing a vocation proper not for Christians but for Tartars or Ethiopians who beleeue neither hel nor heauen and I should make a dolefull reuolution of my Pilgrimage to become of a Pilgrime of Loreto a robber thiefe This answer pleased him much though I did not make it therefore but only to declare vnto him my mynd in respect of God and as a man of honour and an honest man as he esteemed me Continuing his discourse he tolde me Friend Theodosius I would know this of you I greatly commend your courage and am not deceaued in the opinion I haue of your vertue But this is not all I tell you further that I am determined with what hazard soeuer to leaue this Labyrinth into which I was drawne fiue yeares since by the â—â—and of some and myne owne folly neitheir can I endure to stay any longer in such a dungeon the very image of hell This is the principall point which I desire you to keep secret and to assist me with your prayers that I may put this proiect in execution and deliuer my selfe from these chaines though for regard of your selfe I aduise you to dissemble a while make no difficulty in leauing your habit and taking another when they shall offer it you for therwith they wil beginne and in the meane time seeke occasion to saue your selfe when it shall be offered which in my opinion will be shortly I shall waâ—te from one houre to another with good deuotion to put in execut on my own designes of leauing this lewd execrable life Here also I thoght he dissembled as it were by digression to persuade me to make me by little little to passe by the midst from one extreme to another so I sayd vnto him A strong resolutioÌ„ Syr TristraÌ„ I haue told you my resolution there is neither death nor torments that shall make me swarue froÌ„ honesty nor to do any thing contrary to the law of God the faith of an honest man for my apparrell it is in their poer to take it away and giue me other such as they please so it be without my fault it is all one to me to be in my shirt or to be clad in sackcloth or silke our Sauiour was spoiled of his cloathes and clad in derision in a royall robe For the rest Syr TristraÌ„ if you speake in good earnest your resolutioÌ„ is worthy of a noble courage and you shall haue the honour thereof towards God and man and doubt you not but he who hath opened your eyes to discerne the danger you liue in will also giue you meanes and direction to performe your desire I shall not faile to help you with my poore prayers if they can preuaile any thing with God in any sort wherein my industry may be employed He seeing me speake so frankly and hartily imbraced me and sayd Syr Theodosius I reade in your wordes the sincerity and the magnanimity of your courage and count my selfe happy in the midst of all my misfortunes to haue beene acquainted with you for not onely you haue confirmed me in my designement but also haue giuen me a certaine hope happily to put it in execution by the help of God and of the B. Virgin vnder whose protection you walke her pilgrime and began to weepe then I doubted no more of his vnfaynednes but firmely belieued that he spake from his hart I
in his creatures for it is he that hath taught this little beast to do as she doth And why saith Gratian Therefore hath she eaten this herbe quoth Lazarus either because she hath fought with some serpent or is to fight shortly taking it for a defence preseruatiue against her poison and as he sayd so behold the Wesel leaped forth against a great serpeÌ„t that lay hard by stretched forth in many circles against the sunne which was then very warme The battaile began the Wesel bit him by the taile rising with a iumpe thought to haue bit him in the belly The serpent was not yet hoate and therfore wynded about but heauily the Wesell went about nimbly skipping here and there to fasten on the serpent without being bitten her selfe The serpent by little and little waxed warme to the skirmish and began already to swell in the necke lifted one foot aboue the ground she turned and trayned hissing and darting her tongue The Wesel alwayes fastened some hold of him and passed sometime ouer him sometime vnder sometyme ouerthwart so nimbly that she seemd to fly so dextrously that it was not possible for the serpent to find any fastning for his teeth The combat was doubtfull a while but at last the Wesell watched her aduersary so well that she fastened her teeth in his neecke close by his head and held him so hard crying and casting her vrine that the serpent hauing made many turnings and ouer-turnings of his body in fighting with his head and taile remayned dead vpon the place and the little Wesel went conquerour out of the field as it might seeme to eate rue againe This combat greatly reioyced the company Lazarus was halfe rauished admiring the workes of God therein hauing giuen so great a courage to so small a creature strength to ouercome another ten times as bigge as her selfe So they marched together vnto Beau-repos and because the Merchants meant to reach to Mondeuille which was a Citty two leagues of to come betimes to the feast and certaine playes that should be there next morning they weÌ„t on Gratian hauing left secretly a crowne with the host for the three Pilgrimes charges and either excusing themselues for their departure with a thousand thankes to Lazarus and his companions they tooke their horses againe and rode to Mondeuille The Pilgrimes entred their lodging sayd their prayers examined their conscience euery one apart expecting their supper The Merchants went on talking of the good discourse they had heard Good Lord saith Gratian what blynd fellowes be we not to exercise this trafike whereof the Pilgrime did speake what poore merchants are we to forget that we are Christians to be trafiquers of the earth And what had we got if we had all the wealth in the world locked vp in our shops our soules eternally prisoners in hell are we borne to inherit earth and not rather heauen It was a great good happe for vs The praise of vertue a sweet harmony quoth Ludolphus to haue met with these Pilgrimes but we must further put in practise what we haue learned It is easy to heare vertue well spoken of for it is a sweet harmony to the eare of a reasonable man but therein consisteth not the profit we must stretch forth our hand to the execution and not be of the number of those who weep at the Sermon and steale at market You haue hit the very marke quoth Gratian and this is that whereat we should shoot So they passed the way to Mondeuille The Pilgrims hauing supped said the Litanies some other prayers tooke for the subiect of their morning Meditation the Tentation of our Sauiour in the desart in these three points following 1. How our Sauiour after he was baptized went into the desart and of the weapons of a Christian 2. Of the weapons and malice of the diuell to tempt and of the manner of our Sauiour in resisting 3. How the Angels ministred to our Sauiour after his victory These 3. pointes being noted they went to bed The foure and thirtith day and the fourth of their Returne Of the Tentation of our Sauiour in the desart with what weapons in what manner we must fight with the diuell CHAP. XI LAZARVS passed the 3. points of his meditation with great light and feruour and discoursing vpon the first Our Sauiour being baptized is brought into the desert to be tempted where the Baptisme of our Sauiour is represented learned that whosoeuer is baptized must enter into the desert of this world and fight for that by baptisme he coÌ„meth out of Egipt by the red Sea is enrolled amongst the souldiours of Iesus Christ according to which law S. Paul saith No man shall be crowned who fighteth not valiantly And therefore let no man expect the crowne of glory 1. Tim. 2. who hath not first fought against the Diuell and his vpholders the World and the Flesh and departeth conquerer from the combat which he may obtaine by the grace of God taking the weapons of Iesus Christ The spiritual armes of a Christian souldier fighting valiantly to his imitation His weapons are Purity of conscience Praier Fasting the word of God Of al which Christ gaue vs a modell and paterne in this tentation The Purity of conscience is signified by Baptisme To haue this peece of armour we must often confesse and wash our selues by Pennance as by a second Baptisme and keep our selues cleansed from our sinnes and who fighteth without it is ouerthowne for he that in state of mortall sinne will vndertake to fight against tentation doth like vnto him who presenteth himself to the breach with traytours that would destroy him or confront his enemies being deadly wounded within this desert our Sauiour prayed and fasted and both for our example Praier maketh vs one with God and this vnion doth enlighten and strengthen vs as also fasting doth which the Doctours do fittâ—y cal The life of God The food of Angels because it doth nourish and fortify our Spirits and therefore the Holy Church the true warrier and daughter of the God of hostes vseth often this food and this armour after our Sauiours example In Lent solemnely and at other times often Ambr. ser 15. Heb. 4.12 and calleth such solemnities of prayer fasting the Forts and Campe of Christians her children The word of God wherewith the diuel was heere throughly beaten is a two edged sword Apoc. 1.1 19.15 a weapon fit both for offence and defence which we may take out of the storehouse of holy Scriptures out of the Sermons and conferences of holy Doctours Vpon the second point Lazarus noted that the weapons and assaultes of the diuell are in generall Gluttony Vanity Couetice The weapons and malice of the Diuel armed with these he set vpon our Sauiour as vpoÌ„ all mortall men he obserued also his subtility in that he came disguised in the figure and habit
suppose you could better penetrate then I. I stayed with great contentation in the first words of our Sauiour wherewith he did beare off the first assault of the enemy saying Matth. 4. Man liueth not only by bread but by euery word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God That is as I haue heeretofore heard our Preachers say by whatsoeuer God will nourish vs with all For in this answere I perceaued the wisedome goodnes and power of God who both could would and knew how to giue meanes to liue not only to man but to all creatures whereof some are nourished with herbes some with fruits some with water others with wind Man hath all the world and all creatures for his prouision and sometyme is miraculously sustained 3. Reg. 17. euen by the beastes themselues as Elias by the Crow yea euen by direction of beastes such as are hurtfull pernicious to the life of man as not long since I heard a notable example of a Pilgrime who was nourished diuers wayes with a stone which serpents had shewed vnto him Theodosius knoweth wel this story for he told it once in good company and if it please him to renew the memory thereof vnto vs he shall so farre solace our way Truly sayth Lazarus looking vpon Theodosius you may not refuse this liberall offer Theodosius answered seeing that Vincent is in company and hath so good a memory as to remember a history that I tould foure years since me thinkes he should rather pleasure and recreate the company therewith I remember that I haue forgot it replyed Vincent if you will haue me recite it first help my forgetfullnes and after I will do my best I see well quoth Theodosius Lazarus is lead away by Vincent and I must be condemned by them both to tell this history I am content to beare the sentence but if I performe it ill your eares shall beare the paine and pennance If I remember well sayth he then heare it as I learned it of that venerable Prelate Iohn Fisher an Englishman Bishop of Rochester A Pilgrime together with a serpent nourished with a stone in the booke which he put forth in the yeare 1526. against Oecolampadius the Heretike there he sayth that he learned it of Vesalius Groningensis a Frizlander a man of good learning and credit That a certaine Priest went into Italy about the beginning of winter yet it happened that one day in very ill wether walking vpon the Alpes he lost his way and turning heere and there at last descended into a valley Roff. l. 4. c. 22. con Ooecolam hoping there to find the right way where if night should surprise him he might also find some corner to couer himselfe from wind and snow but looking on euery part he found no issue or way to get out all the ground being couered with snow For his bed he espied a little hole on the right hand wrought naturally within the Rocke and a little plaine before it there he cast himselfe as into his graue not looking to liue for he had neither weapons nor munition to sustaine the siege of two so great enemies as cold hunger which already began to buckle with him and must needes shortly presse him without mercy and take him with out striking a stroke The Moone was at the full by good fortune began to shine the heauens waxing cleare a little after he had set himselfe supperles in his bed of stone he waked almost till midnight when he saw a troupe of great Serpents which came towardes his denne trayning al along the snow he was frighted at this sight and blessed himselfe and did not thinke that they had beene serpents indeed because he could not conceaue any naturall cause that should make them leaue their holes at this tyme and thus trayne vpon the snow and it came in his mind to thinke that it was some illusion of the nights fancies or perhaps some wicked spirits who came in that figure to disquiet him so he blessed himselfe againe and recommended himselfe with all his hart to God the B. Virgin The serpents approached and came to a stone close by his denne they go about it after they come to it and licked it He sate looking when they would leape on him entring into his denne to deuoure him But when they had taryed a while licking the stone they returned the same way they came He thanked God that he was deliuered from this feare and slept a little the rest of the night and was all the next day without eating or seeing any thing but the whitenes of the earth and the light of heauen In the second and third night at the same houre the serpents came againe and hauing done as they did before returned Then he persuaded himselfe that they were very serpents but he could not tell the cause why they should licke the stone In the meane tyme he was almost starued with hunger and thought that perharps those beastes did shew him what he should do to sustaine himselfe Therfore he goeth to the stone putteth his mouth to it and licketh it and as soone as he had licked it a strange thing he felt himselfe strengthned both against hunger and cold as if he had taken some restoratiue or some strange meat and in this sort he sustayned and defended himselfe all the winter long and a part of the spring vntill the moneth of April when the snow beginning to melte and the wayes to open he heard the voice of passengers whome he followed and set himselfe in way with them to finish his iourney Behould what you demanded of me and surely Vincent had good occasion to note the prouidence of God in those wordes of our Sauiour for it is easy to see in this example that God is all mercifull and almighty hauing alwayes care of his creaturs able to maintaine them not with bread only but of whatsoeuer shall please him yea euen with stones if he will And therefore Sathan though he were crafty on the one side in giuing the assault where he thought likelyest to haue sped The folly of the diuell he was notwithstanding a great foole on the other side in thinking it necessary to turne stones into bread to sustain the body it being as easy for the Sonne of God to draw nourishement out of a stone without bread as to turne a stone into bread for nourishment Loe quoth Vincent you are discharged of your history and I am contented Truly sayth Lazarus you haue reason to be contented and I know not whether we shall haue so good a dinner againe to day as Theodosius hath giuen vs for besides the spirituall refection he hath giuen vs also a good lesson teaching vs to expect with great fayth and confidence the assistance of our Sauiour both for body and soule in all our necessityes But sayth Theodosius seeing you would breake your fast vpon that little I had in the sacke of
my memory bring you forth also the narration of your dreame you had the last night you demand quoth Lazarus but a homely dish Such as will serue for Pilgrims and footmen answered Theodosius If you will vndertake replyed Lazarus to giue the interpretation thereof as a good sauce I am content to performe your wil. I wil do my best quoth Theodosius Heare thē my dream take heed you be not afraid Lazarus his dreame for it is full of dangerous peeces In the night me thought I saw come out of a towne diuers squadrous of men and furious beasts of Lyons enraged against Foxes and Foxes against Conies Dogs against Wolues and Wolues against Sheep I saw also in the sea Ships sayling in diuers coastes amidst of this confusion stirre some Pllgrimes walking vpon the earth like our selues Behold my dreame Vincent began to laugh said that Theodosius needes not dreame much to expound this dreame Why sayth Theodosius How can you misse saith he to interpret a thing so notorious and cleare Who knoweth not that there is warre amongst men and warre amongst beastes and that diuers saile vpon the sea and walke vpon the land Truly saith Lazarus Vincent hath reason to laugh for I dreamed nothing but that euery man seeth without dreaming and therefore Theodosius either laugh with him or find some serious interpretation to keepe you from laughing I thinke saith Theodosius that the most part of dreams are groūded vpō things that are in being which we haue seen The foūdation of dreames For the imagination which is the couch nursery of dreames representeth cōmonly what she hath receiued but reason slumbering when we sleepe the fantasy can not make of her formes figures any orderly or methodicall connexion Order is a worke of the vnderstanding for that is the worke of vnderstanding and reason but like a fond chambermayd she maketh absurd connexions putting the head of a beare to the body of a goat or the coppe of a mountaine vpon the necke of a man or of a monkey yet she layeth almost alwayes the ground of her representations vpon things otherwise seene or vnderstood in some sort and I think also that dreames come not only of nature but also by the inspiration of God Genes 2◠Iacob saw a ladder standing on the earth reaching to heauen and Angels ascending and descending theron and is there any thing more common then to see a ladder and men ascending and descending by the steppes yet this was a diuine dreame Ioseph the sonne of this Patriarch had a dreame composed of the sunne moone Genes 37. and 11. starres and another of many sheffes of corne Genes 41. Pharao saw in his dreame 7. fat Kyne and 7. leane seauen faire eares of Wheat and full of corne 7. other empty and blasted These were things naturall and vulgar yet the dreames were of God and therfore I thinke Vincent meant but to recreat vs in laughing at yours to the end that his laughing proceeding from a sophisme might giue vs matter to laugh You haue halfe ouercome me saith Vincent and there remayneth no more but the exposition of the dreame to stop my mouth altogeather your selfe to triumph either of my laughing or of my silence if I cannot reply For my part saith Theodosius I thinke that the matter of this dreame as Lazarus did wisely iudge came of the subiect of his meditation that it signifieth some other warre then the ordinary of men and beastes but I cannot expound it in particular that pertaineth vnto you Lazarus for I doubt not but as God hath put this dreame into your fantasy so also he hath in some sort written the interpretation thereof in your vnderstanding I know nothing more quoth Lazarus then your selfe haue vnderstood God will shew it vs if there be any thing els to his honour the profit of his Pilgrimes If you will haue any more than this at my handes you must giue me leaue leisure to aske of God what you aske of me If there be nothing els but the representation of the imagination we must be content with that knowledge which you haue with me and so Vincent may remaine victor in his laughing Discoursing in this sort and deceiuing the tediousnes of the way they came at 10. of the clocke in the morning to Mondeuille where the merchants the day before had lodged and were there still Gratian hauing heard very ill newes They went straight to the Church in the Suburbes and hauing heard Masse and done their ordinary deuotions without going into the towne they went vnto an hospitall which was in the suburbes at the other end of the towne to take a little repast and repose and to gaine waye but some told them that they could not passe ouer the ditches by reason of the inundation of waters whith had marred the way that they must needes go through the towne which was also the shorter way They yielded to necessity As they were entred a little into the towne they met by good fortune Syr Gratian who saluted them courteously and was much comforted in meeting them namely for Lazarus sake and vnderstanding that they went to the hospitall to rest a while and after go on their way I will meet you there by and by saith he I pray you Maister Lazarus do not depart the towne vntill I haue spoken a word with you who promised to stay for him In the streetes was nothing seene but troopes of horsemen cloathed in rich precious attire who made much sport with the Pilgrims iesting sometime at their Pilgrime staffe sometyme at their buckeram cloake wherewith the Pilgrimes were not much troubled there they heard the fiffes trumpets and haut-boyes sound in diuers places especially where the list for the tourney was prepared and the Theater for the playes of the feast and all the towne was full of reioycing They met in passing three companies of Caualliers Three bādes of the world with diuers habillements and ensignes The first wore Caslockes and breeches of crimson damaske powdred as with fethers of glittering siluer with scarfes of Carnation taflata with siluer fringe hats of beauer lyned with the same and edged with gold and a band of greene silke and for their plumes they had the fethers of the bird of Paradise their armes were Gules a Goat passant The second band were clad in blacke veluet figured in the ground with gold scarfes of yellow cypresse their hats plaited of blacke taffata with a band of siluer with two branches insteed of their plume a nose-gay of double marigoldes Their scutchion was Sable a Mercury argent with winged feet and holding a wand of the same colour in his right hand Those of the third band were clad in changeable taffata laced richely with glittering gold in manner of waues their hates were garnished with the same stuffe richely embrodered without the band was wound of gold and
to take resolution of the best And to come to your selfe in particular if you haue already cast your mind to any Religion which hath the forsayd qualities I aduise you to set in good order your wordly busines and being rid of all impediments to confine your selfe as soone as you can to the seruice of God Syr sayd Gratian you haue cleared all my doubts giuen me firme hope that God will direct me to that house where I may best serue him I will follow your counsell and euer hold you for a fast friend Syr replyed Lazarus I haue not deserued such an acknowledgement but do take your friendship and your fortune for great fauours at the handes of God hoping that I shall haue part of your prayers and by their meanes some good help to prooue a good Pilgrime The end of worldly ioy Well yet I haue somewhat to say to you all three quoth Gratian made a signe to Theodosius Vincent to come neer that you do wisely depart quickly from this Towne For I feare me greatly that the day of these sportes will turne to some tragicall dolefull issue as it falleth out euery yeare by reason of the vices emnities that raigne amōg great small which will not faile to take euery occasion The qualitie of a worldly Citty to vtter their euill talent Gluttony Rebellion Adultery and all other vices are alwayes heere in their kingdome and fury and this compasse of Walles and buildinges which you see built in so great number is not a Citty and ciuill habitation of men but a fearefull desart of Africa full of Lyons Beares wild Boares Mastiues Serpents Asses Foxes and all sortes of Beastes which beat and eat one another And most of them that seeme men are so but in apparence for within they haue the soules of those Beastes I named Whilest the Merchant talked thus Theodosius beheld Vincent as making a signe for him to harken to the expositiō of Lazarus dreame And Gratian going forward I will not deny sayth he but that there be some small number of men of knowledge and piety for whose sake God suffereth the Towne to stand but they are as stangers and Pilgrimes At these wordes Theodosius began to speake and say to Vincent Behold the whole interpretation but he permitted the Merchant to conclude who sayd Well Maisters I will esteeme you happy that you haue directed the wayes of your Pilgrimage better then I haue done I entreat you by your holy prayers to obtaine for me that I may walke hereafter so happily and so hastily performe the rest of my way in this mortall life that God may be glorified the repose of my soule assured vnder the shadow of his mercy Lazarus answering for all we depart from this Towne sayth he comforted with your generous resolution with hope that God will preserue you from all the danger of this wicked world and accomplish with a full measure the good desire he hath giuen you we will beare in our hart the remembrance of your loue and friendship and will place you in the middest of our best prayers This being sayd they imbraced and tooke leaue one of another Gratian put into the hand of Lazarus some peeces of mony desiring him to take it to defray the charges of their iourney but he would none saying he had inough and thanked him of the almes he had giuen thē before so they went from the towne where Gratian taryed not long after Ludolph his companion continued his course of merchandize As they were out of the gate◠Theodosius forgot not to quippe Vincent and aske if he had now any list to laugh at Lazarus his dreame To whome Vincent let me quoth he make the examen of my conscience quietly and so remayned a quarter of an houre silent in their examen which they could not well dispatch before dinner So they walked vntill night without any disturbance or ill fortune and tooke vp their lodging for that night at a little towne called Bon-rencontre three leagues from the place wher they dined After they had supped and sayd their accustomed prayers they did conferre vpon their morning meditation which was the calling of the first fiue Disciples of our Sauiour in three points 1. How S. Iohn Baptist shewed our Sauiour and preached and his disciples followed him 2. How our Sauiour asked his Disciples whome seeke you who sayd Maister where dwell you 3. How Andrew brought his brother Simon to Iesus Christ who gaue him the name of Cephas that is a Rocke With the memory of these points they went to rest The fiue and thirteth Day and the fifth of his Returne Of the vocation of the first fiue Disciples of our Sauiour Andrew his companion whome the Euangelist not Peter Philip and Nathaniel CHAP. XIII AN houre before day the Pilgrimes did make their examen and a little after their meditation Lazarus made it as followeth Our Sauiour going victorious out of the desart came to preach publikely Pennance which he had practised hitherto priuatly he walked vpon the banke of the Riuer Iordan where S. Iohn his Precursor did testify of him S. Iohn sheweth and preacheth our Sauiour Behould O my soule and contemplate vpon these banks that blazing light which shewed the sunne heare the voice of him who came out of the desart cloathed in a Camells shin neither eating nor drinking but shewing in his life a patterne of perfect pennance cryed and sayd Behould the Lambe of God who taketh away the sinnes of the world Matth. 3. Marc. 1. Ioan. 1. O ioyfull newes O desired coming of this Lambe to produce so heauēly an effect needs must his bloud be precious which was to pay the fine for such a debt and very effectuall which must cancell such and so ancient an obligation and very powerfull which must deface so great a number of infernal spots and sinnes This is that Lambe which is shewed and called and drew Disciples to him to haue first familiar and domesticall witnesses of his doctrine and actions and afterwards trumpets to publish vnto the world what they had seene and heard O sweet Iesus make me gather profit of this to thy honour and glory Andrew and one of his companions both disciples of S. Iohn Saint Andrew the first disciple of our Sauiour hearing that their Maister in few words gaue so diuine acommendation to Iesus and vnderstanding that this was Messias they went and followed him But who is the companion of Andrew whome the Euangelist nameth not It is a Disciple which is written in the booke of life the Euangelist did not specify him because it was not necessary it is inough that he was named in generall Content thy selfe A disciple not named O my soule that thy name is written in the book of God although it were vnknowne to all mortall men desire that it might be written in heauen and not in earth The names of thousands are great
before men whose soules are shut prisoners in hell and the names of thousandes of others doe shine in heauen which are vnknowne vpon earth S. Iohn sheweth his Maister and preacheth him with a wonderful testimony The true Preacher sendeth his hearers to Christ 〈◊〉 his Disciples do follow whome he doth shew So it is the â—art of a true preacher to preach Iesus Christ and to send his â—earers and followers vnto him he that in his preaching maketh himselfe admired and not Iesus Christ and draweth â—he harts of his hearers after himselfe and not after Iesus Christ is a thiefe employing his Maisters mony and guiftes to his owne vses and not to his Maisters honour God hath giuen thee thy tongue to prayse him thou by thy tongue procurest and seekest prayses for thy selfe and dost thou not thinke that this soueraine iustice will call thee to reckoning and reuenge the wrong thou hast done him Iesus Christ seeing that these two disciples followed him turning to them Whome â— seek you asked what they sought O Lord what a question is this They do not seeke or search but they haue found without seeking that which hundred thousandes of iust men haue sought 4000. yeares without finding They haue found that which the Embassadour did announce that is the Lambe of God Luc. 10. the Lambe promised figured prophecyed by the Scriptures by the sacrifices and by the Prophets of thy schoole and family Why dost thou aske O Lord what they seeke Is it perhaps to make them thinke better of the greatnes of him whome they haue found and to make them enter into a deeper knowledge of him As if he had sayd vnto theÌ„ Whome haue you found Do you not know What seeke you more For many men find thee O sweet Lambe and yet search further not knowing throughly the valew of the treasure they haue found Many ChristiaÌ„s and Religious know not well their vocation neither can vnderstand it except thou wilt turne thy selfe towardes them giuing them light to know thee as thou hast giuen them grace to find thee They sayd Maister VVhere dwellest thou O Lord thou didst aske them What seeke you And insteed of an answer they aske another question saying Maister where dwellest thou Why do they not answere directly we seeke the LaÌ„be of God and the Messias promised in the Law preached by our Maister Is it that enlightned with thy light in their spirit they do thereby perceaue and acknowledge that they had found thee And therfore they answered not we seeke but sayd in their hart we see thee seeke nothing but thee and we would know where thou dwellest They answere therefore what thy holy spirit had put into their hart mouth Maister where dwellest thou And this question they aske that they might in conuenient tyme and place more priuately conferre with thee of holy things much importing to their saluation And thou dost answer them Come see and dost gently inuite them to come to the place of thy dwelling But O good disciples know you well what you aske of this Maister God is euery where asking the place where he dwelleth He dwelleth in heauen in earth in the sea in the North and in the South and euery where and yet dwelleth in no place For no place is capable to lodge him he filleth all and yâ—t is without all but if you aske as it seemeth you do meane where this his Humanity visible to mortall men dwelleth know you that he hath no dwelling and that he hath forsakeÌ„ all to giue vs all and to enrich vs by his pouerty as you shall heare of him hereafter that Foxes haue holes birds of the aire haue neastes and the Sonne of man hath no where to rest his head Matth. â— which is so because he came to be a Pilgrime not a cittizen vpon earth The place then of his dwelling was a lodging borrowed not his owne and to such a place he brought them where they stayed a whole day with him O day a day indeed for these disciples hauing so neere them the sunne of the world casting into their soule this wholsome light and loue What heauenly discourses were held in the houres of that day What demands and what answers were made What lessons were giuen of the mystery of this lambe whome they had found Andrew who was one of the two met his brother Simon Andrew brought Peter to Iesus who gaue him his name Peter and by the light of this faire day becomming a Preacher did shew him the sunne his maister and said we haue found the Messias who is Christ the Annointed And like a good disciple brought him to Iesus to the Sauiour to saue him Simon came desirous to see Iesus of whome he had heard before somewhat and was to heare much more afterward And our Sauiour beholding him before he spake vnto him O beholding diuine and most happy for thee O Simon to dispose him to the faith of his diuinity called him by his name and told him whose sonne he was Thou art saith he Simon the sonne of Ionas neuer hauing seene him or his Father before with his corporall eyes and changed his name Thou shalt be called Cephas which is to say a Rocke And declareth by this change what he was to do after and what place he would giue him in his Church which were so many testimonies that he was God knowing his creatures euery one by their name the name of the Fathers as of the children yea euen before they are borne into the world and changing their nature as he changeth their name bettering them by new gifts of graces so he caused his Precâ—â—sor to be called Iohn which is to say Gracious by reason of the aboundant grace he bestowed on him So he changed the name of Abram into Abraham which is to say Father of many nations because he was ordayned for such an end So now he changeth the name of Simon into Peter that is a Rocke because he would giue him a faith which should be a Rocke stone wherupon should be founded the great building of the Church Behold then a remarkeable seruice of S. Andrew bringing the sheep vnto the Shepheard and a notable benefit to his brother addressing him to a maister who so soone was so liberal vnto him Galilee the higher the lower In the next morning our Sauiour went forth to go towards Galilie not high Galilie which is of the Gentils but low Galilie of the Iewes and where the citty of Nazareth is and there he found Philip sayd vnto him Follow me This Philip was of Bethsaida the citty of Andrew and Peter Philip preached Messias to Nathaniell so by diuers meanes all foure became disciples of whome three afterward were made Apostles This is the first calling of those that should follow our Sauiour this is his grace For if he do not preuent vs to draw vs vnto him if
that with a deliberate purpose despise the riches of the earth This doctrine is very high and altogether a paradoxe to worldly men who call rich men happy and care litle for the Kingdome of heauen The 2. Happy are the meeke 2. The meeke shall possesse the earth of the liuing Psal 2â— 141.6 Orig hom 26 in Num. Bas in Psal 33. for they shall possesse the earth This is the earth of the lyuing This is also a paradoxe to the world who esteemeth aboue all other those that haue their choller and their hand ready at commaundement and know how to be reuenged of their enemies children and heires of the earth but of the earth of the dead not of the liuing The 3. Happy are those that weep for they shall be comforted The world loueth better to laugh in this life although they should be comfortlesse euer after theÌ„ to bewayle their sinnes heere and after to enioy the euerlasting comfort of heauen The 4. Happy are they that hunger thirst after iustice for they shall be filled the hunger and thirst of this world is hungerly to seeke and desire the transitory goods and honours that fill but satisfy not The 5. happy are the merciful for they shall obtaine mercy The worldlings are counted magnanimous if they be vnmercifull and fierce rather seeking to make others miserable for their particular profit than to shew themselues mercifâ—l vnto them in their necessity for Gods sake The 6. Happy are they that are cleane of hart for they shall see God the eye of the soule is the intentioÌ„ cleane hart this is the eye which shall see God the obiect of eternal felicity whereof the foule and vncleane soule is vncapable The 7. Happy are the peace-makers for they shal be called the children of God The louers of peace concord shall carry this goodly title honoured with the marke of their Father who is God of peace as contrariwise they that make onely account of warre to sow discord and dissention shall be called the children of the Diuel The 8. Happy and those that suffer persecution for iustice for to them appertaineth the Kingdome of heauen This last clause encountreth right with the iudgment of men who put their felicity in the friendship fauours and countenance of men and accounteth him accursed that suffereth persecutioÌ„ Iesus-Christ therfore opening his mouth hath controled the false opinion of the world and sheweth how honourable a thing it is to suffer for the honour of God and that by his practise fortifyed the proofe of this his paradoxe hauing himselfe chosen labours persecutions the death of the Crosse the toppe height of all persecution heere Lazarus concluded in these words O sweete Iesus excellent teacher of truth and truth it self The praier giue me the grace well to vnderstand thy doctrine and holily to practise it to be poore in spirit and rich in thy blessings and aboue all for thy loue to suffer the wants and persecutions of this life and with thee to be partaker of that hire which thy doctrine promiseth in the other Thus prayed Lazarus Theodosius and Vincent met in many points of their meditation and all did conceiue A sermon of Perfection that this sermon was a lesson of Apostolicall perfectioÌ„ conteinâ—ng the doctrine of most high Christian vertues the recompence that shall be rendred to euery one according to the measure of their merit This done they prepared theÌ„selues to confession for to receiue for they vnderstood by the Porter that the good man had faculty of the Bishop to administer the Sacraments when occasion should be offered Math. 16.21 Rom. 2.6 He came to visite them in the morning and giuing them the good morrow he inuited them to Masse which he beganne hauing heard their confessions they receiued an admirable comfort to see this heauenly old man celebrate the Sacrifice and yet more in receiuing the body of our Sauiour 1. The description of the world 2. Her lawes 3. Her fayth 4. The good mingled with the wicked in this life 5. Horrible sights 6. To serue God is a thing honourable CHAP. XVII THEIR deuotion ended the Hermite brought them to the chamber to take a litle refection for the necessity of their iourny Lazarus for himselfe and his companions sayd my good Father we cannot eat nor drinke hartily except first we may enioy the performance of your promise may see that Citty neerer which yersterday you shewed vs a farre off and made vs wonder at the meruailous qualities you recounted thereof it is to early to eat yet neyther can we haue a better breakfast at your hand than the hearing of such a lesson I remember well my promise quoth the Hermite I will acquit my self but it shall be in walking with you for I will be your companion some peece of the way you shall be so much the forwarder on your iourny giuing his benediction he deuided the egs which he caused to be sodden in the shell and to giue them example began himselfe first When they had done which was soone well saith he let vs now go on Gods name The porter gaue him in his haÌ„d his staffe of pear-tree to rest himself on shutting the doore after him he went out with them the sunne being about an houre high The Pilgrims were very aager and attentiue to heare the exposition of the allegory which the good Hermit began in this sort The description of the world S. Aug. 14 de ciuit c. 26. The Citty which I haue described vnto you my good friends is the world the assemby and Citty of the diuell fouÌ„ded in the midst of the earth for those wicked persons who make this Citty whersoeuer they be they are in the midst of the earth euery part of the earth being his midst as euery line of a Globe in the midst of his circumfereÌ„ce The situation is a maâ—ith ground a place of durt myre ill assured as her hopes base and vncertaine It is neere to the sea neere I say in qualities tossed with a thousand windes and tempests full of daungers of vices and sinnes as the sea is of rockes sandes monsters and such like S. Aug. in Psal 142. The founder is Self-loue the eldest sonne of rebellion Two loues saith one Saint built two Citties Sel-floue built that of the Diuell to the contempt of God The Loue of God built the Citty of God vnto the contempt of our selues and this is founded in heauen in the midst of the Kingdome of God Hee of it is that Abell the first member of that Citty built nothing vpon the earth Why Abell built no citty but Cain because he was a Pilgrime Cain the first reprobate and cittizen of Satans Citty and of the world built a towne therin This citty is a refuge of rebellion a den of rake-hels enemies to God and preuaricatours of his law Insteed of walles it hath deep ditchs and great rampires
you that we neuer had eyther letter or message from him this seauen years since he parted hence which maketh vs belieue that he is dead neither should there haue wanted gold or siluer to haue redeemed him if we could haue knowne where he had been I would to God he had followed my counsell whome he loued so dearely and of whome he was loued againe as much as euer wife loued husband the good Syr I wisse had now beene aliue and had not endured so much paine as I imagine he did suffer I haue lamented for and my condition had not beene so pittifull by his afflictions and myne owne and she began to weep but good Father do you know any thing of him I suppose you did not desire speake with me for nothing The good Syr seing by the countenance and wordes of his wife that he was yet vnknowne answered if I should let you see him could you know him As she changed colour for this word went to her hart he vsed his familiar language and sayd to her Mamy doe you not know Bagueuille your husband and this halfe ring therewith he presented her with the half of the ring which they had diuided The Lady seeing this gage fastening her eyes attentiuely vpon the man and aduising well she remembred the figure of his countenance and the sound of his voyce and casting herself vpon his necke with teares O my Lord and husband quoth she therewith she sâ—unded he though but weake yet held her vp The Steward and the seruitours who from the lower part of the hall did see them talke without hearing what they sayd seeing this ioy and entertainmeÌ„t ranne presently vnto them and straight did acknowledge their old maister in an instant all the Castle sounded of the rumour of this newes and his vnexpected returne Lazarus being come thus farre in his history he looked vpon Dom-Prior Lo Father sayth he I haue serued you with all that is in my budget will you that I should recite also the astonishment of the new bridegroome newly espoused to this Lady the ioy and admiration of all the kinsfolks and the old seruants and that I dresse you in this religious house where you eate no flesh a mariage feast of fish and finally that I trouble you any farther with superfluous ill seasoned meates Syr Lazarus quoth Dom-Prior the meate you haue giuen vs is very pleasant and sweet and so well dressed that it whetteth the stomacke to those that eate and filleth without glutting but it seemeth you desire to be serued no more with ours for you eate nothing I will add this yet quoth Lazarus that this Syr built the Chappell which he vowed to S. Iulian died soone after in good peace where his beard and perruque remayned a long tyme hanging in the roofe of the same Chappell as an honourable memory and hath beene seene of diuers not 40. yeares since I know not if they be there still As he sayd this came in the seruitours to take away with them the Beare marching right vpon his two hinder feete and carying in his forfeete a great basketh Euery man began to laugh to see the poore beast do such seruice as his companions in the wood are not wont to do when the cloth was taken away and grace sayd euery man rose Lazarus tooke his leaue of Gratian and exhorted him to haue good courage commending himselfe vnto his prayers Gratian thanked him with all his hart and recommended himselfe to his prayers shewing a great trust and confidence in God Dom-Prior led Lazarus his company to their chaÌ„ber where they would not suffer their feete to be washed and so he left them with his blessing They made their examen of conscience sayd the Litanies and tooke the subiect of their morning meditation which was in three points 1. Of the descent of our Sauiour to hell 2. Of his Resurrection 3. How he appeared first to his Mother After each one betooke himselfe to his bed Theodosius and Vincent were streight asleepe But Lazarus could do nothing but thinke of Sir Gratians good fortune and the fauour of God towards him O Gratian sayth he how happy a merchant art thou The desire of a deuout soule thus to haue left the worldly and earthly traficke and to haue escaped out of the gulfe of this deceitfull world Out of this Citty of confusion that maketh mortall men drunke with the cuppe of a thousand charmes vnto eternall death Thou shalt trafike henceforth with the mony of a better maister who shall make thee gayne a hundred for one and after that thou shalt wax rich thereby he will make thee heire of all his goods which are of more value theÌ„ a thousand worlds O when will that day come that like vnto thee I may serue this maister in his house whither he doth call me wherto I haue aspired euer since his light did discouer vnto me the darcknes of the earth and the inconstancy of this life where with his houshold seruants I may carry the coller of his yoke most sweet and honourable Matth. 11.30 walke the wayes oâ— his counsells gayne way to heauen by those pathes which himselfe hath marked with his owne steps and the steps oâ— his best beloued seruants to march without any hinderance of thornes which choake the good grayne to liue in the body without corruption of the body like the celestiall spirits to haue no other iudgement or will besides the iudgemenâ— and will of that soueraigne wisedome without any iudgâ—ment or will of myne owne to iudge well of all to bridlâ— myne appetites to command and maister my selfe O sweeâ— Iesus when shall this be O sweet Virgin it shall be then when it will please thee with thy credit and authority to further thy suppliant and deuoted seruant And with these desires and sighes he slept The eight and thirtith day and the eight of his returne A Meditation of the Descent of our Sauiour into Hell and of his Resurrection CHAP. XX. A LITâ—E after the Religious had begunne Mattins about midnight the Pilgrims hauing examined their conscience and resumed the memory of their meditation went to the Church into a chappell where they had marked the day before the picture of our Sauiours descent into hell and of his Resurrection very deuoutly represented euery one set himselfe to his Meditation Vpon the first point Lazarus remembred the prophecy which sayth in the person of our Sauiour Eccles 24. I will penetrate the lower partes of the earth and will looke vpon those that sleepe on all those that hope in our Lord In which words he marked three different places of soules which our Sauiour did penetrate accomplishing this prophecy the first was the bosome of Abraham where were assembled in repose the soules of the iust the second Purgatory Orig. 15. in Gen. where were the soules of the iust also but in paine and
Litanies togeather after which TristraÌ„ was caryed to his bed in another chamber where he slept quickly The Pilgrims made their examen and tooke the subiect and points of their morning Meditation The subiect was the life of the glorious Virgin after the Ascension of our Sauiour into heauen in these points 1. Wherefore she liued after our Sauiours Ascension 2. Of the profit she brought vnto the Church of God 3. Of her death The nine and thirtith day and the ninth of his Returne Of the Life and conuersation of the B. Virgin after the Ascension of our Sauiour and of her death CHAP. XXII AT three a clocke in the morning when no body was vp sauing some seruants that went to labour the Pilgrims began their meditation a part Lazarus the first in feruour and heat of spirit began in admiration wondering that our Sauiour ascended into heauen and left his glorious mother amongst mortall men seeing he knew well that she should be in continuall griefe for his absence and longing for his presence and that she desired nothing more then to go out of this vale of miseries and to be with him and there was not any creature more worthy of heauen and of his company then she was Why the B Virgin was left on earth after the Ascension of our Sauiour But the heauenly light shewed vnto him in the progresse of his meditation that the Almighty and all wise Sonne of God did herein shew a singular prouidence for the good of his most honourable mother and of all his whole Church for if the scripture reporteth that for a great fauour which is sayd of the lust that God hath honoured him in making him labour and hath accomplished his trauailes this was a speciall prerogatiue and a great honour which our Sauiour did to his mother to leaue her somtime after him in this life therin to shew employ her vertues The B Virgin was left as the moone when the Sunne was gone which hitherto had beene in a manner hidden vnder the cloake of profound humility knowne onely to God and to few men besides by a thou sand goodly workes wrought in publicke make her multiply the vsury of her merits vnto the highest heape and degree and so much to increase the glory of her felicity It was also a great fauour vnto the Church to see shine in her beginning and birth vpon the earth this starre as the moone after that the great Sunne taking himselfe from the eyes of mortall men Our Sauiour his Churche both bred and brought vp by the B. Virgin was mounted into the heauens and to conteÌ„plate in her the admirable beauty of that sunne it selfe liuely represented in the lustre of the diuine actions of this B. Virgin as we behold the visible splendour of the sunne painted in the face of the moone And euen as God would that his Sonne Iesus-Christ Espouse and Sauiour of the Church should be conceiued borne and brought vp by the sayd Virgin so would he that the same Church should in some sort be ingendred by the feed of the sayd Virgins vertues should be illustrated set in view and in a manner brought forth by meanes of her nourished and brought vp by the example of her admirable workes Namely that she should be the light of the Apostles and disciples teaching them diuers misteries of the fayth that none knew but her selfe and which the holy Ghost would haue knowne by her so by her he taught the secret of the Annunciation of the Incarnation of her perpetuall virginity of the Natiuity of our Sauiour of the musique that Angells sung thereat of the Visitation of the shepheards of the Circumcision of the Adoration of the Kings of the Presentation in the Temple of Simeons prophecy and other points which the Euangelists haue recorded and specially S. Luke Luc. 2. who therefore is called the Notary of our B. Lady Greg. Nis in fest Assump It is he that sayd Marie kept all these things in her hart Signifying as an ancient Doctor sayth that she had diligently noted the mysteries she had seene to reueale them in due tyme and that what he had written he had drawne out of the mine treasury of the Virgins hart who was Secretary and of priuy Councell to the meruayles of God And as God hath giuen at diues tymes holy women to magnify his greatnes in them and to succour his people as a Debora to counsell and conduct the armies of Israell a Iudith to encounter with the great Tyrant an Hester to winne the King and oppose herselfe against the enemies of his people also amoÌ„g the heathens diuers Sibilles women emineÌ„t in knowledge in the gift of prophecy to instruct the ignorant of the mysteries of the Sauiour of the world so he left in his bodily absence this his heauenly mother to be a Debora a Iudith a Hester and the Prophetesse of the Christians the refuge of the afflicted the booke of the doctours the strength of the faintharted the force of those that fight and f nally to be a Regent in the beginning of the spirituall kingdome of her Son by the accord of her diuine contemplations actioÌ„s to giue a modell and patterne of the contemplatiue act ue life of the Apostolicall perfect Christian way She was a patterne of actiue and contemplatiue life as she did And therfore both then euer after she was ordained called the Protectrix of all religious Families a generall Aduocate of the Church of her Sonne for euer God meaning in a woman to encounter coÌ„found vice Idolatry confound Pride the forces of Sathan who in a woman had confounded all mankind thrust mortall men into all sort of sinne She liued then many yeares after the Ascension of our Sauiour 10. after the opinion of some and 21. in the opinion of others but the common tradition is foureteene 10 Nicep li. 2. cap. 3. And being arriued to that terme which he had prefixed who gouerneth the tyme and lott of the life of man she receiued a message of her departure out of this world by an Angel in the Citty of HierusaleÌ„ 21. Epiph. serm de Derp Virg. where she had remayned since the death of our Sauiour with S. Iohn the Euangelist whither the Apostles dispersed through diuers partes of the world by the power of God were assembled togeather and with them diuers other holy men amongst whome was S. Denu the Arcopagite the Apostle of France in this last period to assist the Mother of his maister and to do her obsequies Almighty God honouring with the presence of the principall lights of his Church the deposition of that Virgin who had brought forth the Sauiour of the world Dion Metapâ—r ora de obit Virg. and illustrating the death of the mother of his Sonne with this singular prerogatiue as he had by a thousand more illustrated her life
And as the Princes of the Church were visibly present at her departure so we may not doubt but that the most noble troopes of heauen were present also with Iesus comming himselfe Damasc de dorm it Virg. to receiue into his owne hands the soule of his glorious Mother being borne into heauen as the had first receiued him into her bosome being borne man into the world And heere Lazarus as if he had beene present in this noble company and had beheld with his owne eyes this heauenly starre ready to leaue the body and take her slight into heauen made this Apostrophe saying O my good Aduocate O faythfull Aduocate of all mortall men who in verity will call vpon thee I call vnto thee from the bottome of my hart and coniure thee by the great name of him who made thee great that it would please thee to succour thy poore suppliant frō thy throne of glory wherof thou goest now to take possession at the hand of thy Allmighty Sonne Obtayne of him for me O puissant Virgin what I demand of thee not gold nor siluer nor pleasures nor delights not renowne or glory of this life nor any other gift of this mortall world this is not the subiect of my suite O sacred Virgin but a feruent loue to his holy seruice a continuall exercise in his holy loue a resolute courage to suffer for his name a constant perseuerance in good workes vnto the last breath of my lyfe that my death may be of those that are precious in the sight of his Maiesty Diuers Farewells 2. A hunting 3. A supper 4. A knight saued a Priest carying his bowells in his hand 5. A spirituall discourse of hunting 6. Of hauking CHAP. XXIII THVS prayed Lazarus sighing and weeping Theodosius and Vincent ended at the same tyme and with the like affections Straight after they went to bid Tristram good morrow and whilst he made himselfe ready Lazarus got a breakfast ready After Tristram had sayd a few prayers they brake their fast togeather and had quickly done for it was too early to eate much Vincent payd their host for all for euery body Theodosius calling Tristram a part and taking his leaue of him Theodosius farewell I would I had the means quoth he to stay longer with you and to do you some seruice worthy of our friendship but seeing we must part I beseech you for the honour of him who hath called you from the fellowship of so dangerous a company as you were with and from certaine danger of death wherein we found you for the health of your owne soule for the loue and affection you beare me and that I beare vnto you that you will take to hart the execution of you purpose you made to forsake vice and to lead a life worthy of a man of a noble house God hath done you these fauours to giue you more if you vse these well And if you shall abuse them so much more rigorous will he be for your ingratitude how much the more liberall he hath beene to you of his mercy choose now for hereafter some estate or vocation wherein you may serue God and the publike profit there be inough such amongst Christians if you will follow armes you haue a faire field in the warres that are made against the Turke other enemies of God the Christiā faith there you may gaine a goodly crowne of imortality If you will serue God vnder the shadow of a peaceable quiet dwelling and at better wages you may enroll your selfe amongst the children of God in some religious house you know many you may choose the best You go now in Pilgrimage to Loreto aske deuoutly the assistāce of the Lady whom you go to visite that she will obtaine for you of her Sonne aboundant light to see and discerne what shall be most expedient for you and make you to touch and feele the breuity the inconstancy the vanity of this life the deceit of the world and worldly things the basenes of all earthly greatnes and to make you amorous and in loue of heauen This is the farewell which I leaue you for gage of my loue there Theodosius left Tristram answered him in few wordes Tristrā◠farewell Most deere friend Theodosius I esteeme the two meetings wherein I met with you amongst the greatest fauours that I haue receiued of the prouidence of God for in the first God hath by you opened the way vnto the liberty of my soule and gaue me courage to vndertake that which hitherto I haue executed In this second meeting he hath by you also deliuered me from the rage of men and beasts hath made me see by your instruction now what is meete for me to do hereafter I promise you my deerest friend that with the grace of him that guideth me I will performe frō point to point the resolution I haue made by your aduice I haue some experience of what is past which is sufficient to harden me against the flattery of the world and make me take part els where I haue begunne to estrange and sequester my selfe from it and to perceiue what od◠there is in seruing it him whome I adore I hope to remoue my selfe further from it to the measure of my trauaile and euery day to finde more and more tast and delight in the sweetnes of Vertue 〈◊〉 go ioyfully to Loreto with a firme hope that the B. Virgin will assist me make the bounty of her Sonne fauourable vnto me that I may choose what shall be best for his honour and myne owne saluation I beseech you remember me in your holy prayers as long as I shall be Pilgrime in this world I will carry in my hart the sweet memory of our cordiall and faithfull friendship Hauing sayd thus Theodosius taught him how he should carry himselfe in his pilgrimage how to pray and confesse and to vse other exercises of deuotion which Tristram learned with a wonderfull greedinesse and both beginning to weepe they imbraced ech other Tristram came after to Lazarus thanked him with a great affection for all his courtesies Lazarus agayne confessed himselfe obliged vnto him for his friendship and fauours afforded to his Cousin Theodosius in prison and in recompence thereof promised him all the seruice he could do him in France or els where as occasiō should be offered Tristram thanked him very humbly and made a reciprocall offer wheresoeuer he should meet him then imbraced him and so did Vincent Lazarus put about his necke a payre of beades like a scarfe for a noble chayne and gaue him three crownes the better halfe of their Viaticum Tristram tooke the beades as an honourable present but he refused the mony saying that it appertained not to Pilgrims to giue almes and seeing he was a Pilgrime he would begge At least quoth Lazarus Pilgrims may take it when it is giuen them and therfore you should not refuse it at
he saw a Citty oâ— forme foure square great wonderfull spacious compassed with walles of squared Amâ—thystes of India and christall checker wise and pointed diamond wise fastened with gold enamelled with azure The Towres were of the same matter and fashion sauing that their batlements were made of Emeralds Iacinths The houses of the Citty were all great palaces built of Diamonds Saphires Topazes other precious stones of admirable lustre and variety cut most artificially for couerings or roofes they had the seeling of heauen-flaming varying in colours like the rainebow MeÌ„ entred in by twelue gates three towards the east and three towards the west as many towards the North and towards the south euery one made of a whole entire precious stone figured and wrought with art surpassing the stuffe The market place and streetes were paued with bricke of fine gold in the same place was seene a fountaine of liuely water which made a torreÌ„t of pleasure running through the streets and trees alwayes greene loaden with the fruite of life and with floures which cast a most sweet odour all ouer the Citty The Cittizens men and women were diuinely beautifull their bodies subtile shyning like the sunne all went and flew nymbly like to Eagles cloathed like the Kings children some in scarlet some in crimson damaske others in white satine some in beaten gold and others in other stuffe and these habits being wrought and garnished with embrodery and passe main lace of gold poudered with all sorts of exquisite and choice pearle and precious stones were couered with a garmeÌ„t of a glittering color thin swimming after them as a mantle of Cypres through the which the beauty of their ornaments appeared more admirable Their heads were crowned with Tissues of gold set with great orientall pearles Rubies Diamonds and Emeraldes and on their forhead hung a glittering Crosse made of diuers great Diamonds of wonderfull brightnes They caryed a palme of immortality in their hands and euery one had â—is pallace and liued all vnder one King and at his owne table in great aboundance of all good things without feare of any euill with a peace vnion and contentement vnspeakeable and there was heard without ceasing sundry consorts of musike of voyces instruments vpon the Towres which made all the Citty sound with an incredible melody As the Baron was plunged in the rauishment of this vision he awaked about midnight and perceiued well that it was God that shewed him the image of this Citty and of these Cittizens He resolued from thenceforth to be a Pilgrime vpon earth and to serue God with all his hart one day to be receiued in the number of these Cittizens a few dayes after he tooke his Fathers blessing became Religious In the same houre when Theodosius and Vincent had slept Lazarus dreamed that being neer his Fathers house his brother Pauline met him saying all amazed O my brother Aâ—me Dieu are you aliue Lazarus also more amazed imbraced him and said O my deare brother Pauline are you yet in the world I kept your funerals at Loreto and with the shadow of this ioy he awaked perceiued it was but a dreame slept againe Three houres after they a rose and kneeled to their prayers making their Meditation euery man by himselfe as they were wont Niceph li. 15. c. 14. ex lanen Episc Ieros Glâ—a alijs Niceph. li. 2. cap. 23. lib. 15. ca. 14. Lazarus meditated first of the piety and deuotion of the Apostles to our B. Lady perseuering three whole dayes to visite her sepulcher and to honour it with hymnes and canticles togeather with the consorts of Angels who in the same time afforded an admirable harmony of their heauenly melody to the honour of the same Virgin Secondly he considered how S. Thomas comming by the Prouidence of God the third day and desirous to honour the body of the B. Virgin whome he could not serue at her decease as his companions did was cause that they opened the sepulcher to giue him contentment and to behold that sacred treasure layd vp in it and that not fynding it there they acknowledged the glorious Asssiption of the B. Virgin caryed to heauen both body and soule and priuiledged after her death with a prerogatiue of a glorious resurrection before the great and generall day as she was priuiledged with a thousand graces all the course of her life And thereupon came into his memory the prophecy of King Dauid foretelling in these wordes the Resurrection of the Sonne of the mother Psal 133. Arise O Lord into thy rest thou and the Arke of thy Sanctification The wordes also of the Sonne speaking vnto his mother Cant. 4. as vnto his well beloued Spouse Arise my friend my doue and come the winter is now passed the raine is ended and gone make hast my loue without staying for the last general resurrection of men Come betimes from the shadow of the graue and come to the light of heauen for winter is passed with you the showrs of your teares are dried vp he made her make haste not letting her lye three litle and short daies in her Sepulcher So it was meete that that sacred body which had brought forth life should not be swallowed by death and giuen for a prey and foode to wormes nor the matter of incorruption turne to ashes and that she who had by priuiledge beene exempted from originall sin Gen. 3. and the common malediction of women in their childbirth should also be exempted from the paine and malediction incurred by the same which was to be by death turned into dust and ashes Heere Lazarus considered attentiuely the glory of this resurrection which doubtlesse was worthy of the Sonne mother of God and such as the Angels might well admire but not expresse and therefore seeing her ascend they sayd who is she that coming from the desert ascendeth loaden with delights Cant. â— and leauing vpon her well beloued They admired and demaunded and could not otherwise expresse the beauty of this creature And if these celestiall spirits so well seene in all great things do shew by their wondering that they neuer saw the like in heauen what can men say or conceiue of the glory of this Assumption Of the Meditation of this glory particular of the B. The ioy glory of Paradise Virgin Lazarus tooke occasion to thinke of the ioyes of Paradise â—he coÌ„sidered first the essence of that ioy which consisteth in the vision of God a perfect ioy and alone sufficient to satisfy and fill the hart of man which cannot be filled but with the possession of an infinite good and if the knowledge of creatures of the heauens of the starres of other creatures though imperfect and full of obscurity can rauish with ioy the spirits of mortall men in the darknes of this base low world what ioy may redouÌ„d to the blessed soules aboue
of the cleare vision and contemplation of their Creatour the cause of all beauties that are in heauen or earth and infinitly more beautifull then all other beauty put together Of the body He meditated in the second place of the glory which the bodies of the â—ust shall haue after the ResurrectioÌ„ which can not otherwise be declared but as the Apostle declareth the whole felicity That the eye hath not seene nor the eare heard nor the hart of man comprehended â— Cor. 2. what God hath prepared for those that loue h m he could say no more then in saying as he did that it is impossible to conceiue that felicty The scripture sayth that the iust shall shine like the sunne and compareth them to eagles Matt. 15. signifying the beauty agility of their body Our Sauiour to whose similitude we shall rise agayne came out of the graue that he rose out subtile impassible such in similitude shall our bodies be in such qualities shining Phil. 3.20 transpareÌ„t agile subtile penetrant and immortall heere withall euery particular part of the body shall haue a supernaturall beauty as now it hath a naturall with this difference that then all the body being transparent like christall all parts shall be visible in it as well the inward as the outward the bones the muscles the sinewes the veines the arteries the lungs the liuer the hart all shall be cleansed and cleared from all imperfectioÌ„ indewed with their proper beauty in propoâ—tion clearenes and colour This of Saphire that of Emeraldes one of Carbuncles another of Diamonds and aboue all shall be most adm rable those which haue beene employed in some speciall and peculiar seruice of the diuine Maiesty So the skinne of S. Bartholomew stead off for the faith shall shine with a particular beauty the armes and feete of S. Peter crucifyed the head of S. Paul cut of the tongues of true preachers the hands of Almoners the armes of the true souldiours of Iesus-Christ the eyes of chastity the hayres of virginity nothing shall be without recompence without excellency without particular glory Lazarus was plunged in this meditation and sayd O my soule if thou beest rauished meditating these beauties how great shall thy ioy be in enioying them O Lazarus what doost thou to deserue them What giuest thou to buy them What sufferest thou to gaine this honour And with what pace walkest thou to get the goale of this glory O soules redeemed with the precious bloud of Iesus thinke vpon these honours O Christian Dames who so highly esteeme the beauty of the body that not hauing it you would gladly purchase it with great summes of gold and siluer hauing it do hold it so deere tender it so carefully by art by gold by apparell by chaynes carkenets and iewels your beauty is nothing it is foule and ill fauoured in respect of this and if it were any thing you know well it shall finally perish eyther by some misfortune or by touch of sicknes or by age or surely by death Where is the beauty of AbsaloÌ„ of Lucrece of so many men women admired in the world Loue then the beauty of this Resurrection which shall be proper for euer vnto your bodies and to obtaine it loue now the beauty of your soules O my soule be thou amorous and in loue with this beauty O glorious Virgin O faithfull aduocate aduaÌ„ced this faire and ioyfull day aboue all the thrones of the heauenly and happy spirits the wonder of all goodly creatures on earth whilst thou wert aliue the wonder of all the creatures in heauen for euer the honour of the triumphant Church the refuge of the militant the comfort of the afflicted the guide of wanderers helpe vs with thy graces and credit with him by whome thou wert this day carryed vp into heauen with the company of all the heauenly hostes Procure o most B. Virgin that we obtaine grace holily to liue vpon earth to the imitation of thy selfe and happily to dye to thy example and one day to enioy eternally the riches of the triumphant Resurrection in the Kingdome of thy Sonne Iesus 1. An exhortation to a sick person in agony of death 2. The affliction of Lazarus 3. His arriuall at his Fathers house 4. His farewell to his Father and to the world CHAP. XXV THVS Lazarus ended his prayer Theodosius and Vincent ended then also and had felt great inward ioy therein The steward came early to their chamber hauing made ready their breakfast but they would eate nothing saying it was to soone They desired him humbly to salute in their behalfe Monsieur the Marquesse the Abbot the Vicount the Baron his children and to assure them that they would pray to God for their prosperity The steward had closely put into Lazarus bagge ten Crownes wrapped in a paper with these words of the Marquesse owne writing Pray to God for the Marques which Lazarus found at night in his fathers house He imbraced the Steward with many thankes after they had sayd their Pilgrims prayers they went out of the Castle and hauing beene a while silent they began to talke Lazarus praised much the prudence and liberality of the Marques and of his brother the sincere and harty loue of his children full of humility and courtesy the true markes of true nobility as contrariwise pride and disdaine is a true token of a base and rude mynd he commended also greatly the modesty diligence of all the officers and seruants and tooke this for a sure signe of the Marquesse his vertue for commonly like maister like men and the subiects doe for the most part frame themselues after the fashions of their Lord. Theodosius sayd that he noted at supper a meruailous contentment of all in the answere that was made to Syre Cime and that he did neuer better perceiue the leuity obstinacy of heresy then in that man who sought nothing but to talke and shew himselfe though he shewed himselfe alwayes void of good learning Pride the Father of heresy Whereupon Lazarus sayd Pride is the Father of heresy and vanity is her Mistresse and therefore you may not meruaile to see an Heretike both proud and vayne togeather Wherefore then quoth Vincent doth not the Marquesse his nephew shew himselfe like his maister Because sayth Lazarus he is not so much an Heretike as bred and brought vp in heresy neuer hauing beene Catholike knowing nothing but what they haue giuen him to vnderstand without contradictioÌ„ it is well to be hoped that as he is of a noble tractable nature and of a goodly spirit that as soone as he shall haue free liberty to conferre with some learned man or cast his eyes vpon some learned booke he will discouer the deceits of these impostures which his maister hath commended vnto him for rules and maximes of his Religion will imbrace the truth of the Catholike fayth Surely sayd Vincent I longed much
sinner and of my corrupted nature which seeketh earth and not heauen Pursue my Sonne thine enterprise better and perfecter then thy Father seruing God farre from this Babylon and the confusion of this peruerse world liue happily in the houshold of his soueraine Maiesty follow hardly the voyce of him who sayeth vnto thee Go out of thy country and out of thy kindred and out of the house of thy Father and come into a land which I shall shew thee And leauing me feare not to be cruell towards me for this kind of cruelty is an exploite of great piety It is the Father of the whole world who coÌ„mandeth and calleth thee and who am I worme of the earth to oppose my selfe to his voâ—ce And what an vnnaturall Father were I to enuy thy soules health thy rest thy glory for the desire of my commodity And to hold thee at my chymney corner to crouch to the seruice of my sensuality hauing but three short dayes to liue and to the meane tyme to hinder thee from following in good tyme the King of Kings and raigning in his Court Pauline would haue spoken to haue stayed the course of his Fathers teares and to solace his griefe which he saw was great But the old man went forward saying Go then my ioy my happines myne owne deere Pauline I am well worthy to want thee for my sinnes go thou with good fortune and succour me with thy Christian vertue and not with any compassion contrary to the counsell of God I giue thee for gage of my fatherly loue the best things that I haue and my greatest blessing and I beseech the King of heauen that he would plentifully blesse thee with his fauourable hand and make thee great with his graces rich with his treasures and happy with glory And saying this he kissed him fastly bathing him with teares instructing and exhortiing him with many graue wordes to constancy courage and magnanimity and to shew allwaies and in euery thing that he caryed the hart of a true Gentleman Pauline wept bitterly and humbling him selfe vnto his feete thanked him of these his fauours promising that all the dayes of his life he would remember his benefits and good inâ—tructions and so tooke his last farewell Vincent came a litle after tooke his leaue of him also and was praysed for his fidelity towards his maisters All three tooke their leaue of theiâ— brother that remayned and of their sister recommeÌ„ding their Father vnto their carâ— as they did theÌ„selues to their prayers Theodosius returned that night hauing bid his father farewell and the next morning they departed all foure and with in three d y s they arriued at the house where they were to continuâ— iâ— the sâ—â—uice of God all their life according vnto the vow watch they had made and so was fulfilled the â—â—st 〈◊〉 in prophecy of the good Hermit vpon Lazarus and Pauline And being seene after their funerals kept Shall to the 〈…〉 to heauen reuiue Tristram also became Religious and the Baron the Sonne of the Marquâ—â—se a moneth after by a chance from heauen was receiued Religious in the same house where Lazarus and his companions were which was an incredible ioy for the one and the other These are the ten dayes Iourney of Lazarus for the vse of our Pilgrime There is nothing in the whole web of this discourse which is not true eyther in deed or in allegory or morality I beseech the diuine maiesâ—y that it will p ease him to accept with a good eye this offering of his owne gifts this litle worke of ours for the health and prosperity of our most Christian King of the Queene his deerest spouse of Monsieur the Daulphine and all the Royall house Realme and that he would giue grace to all that shall make or read this Pilgrimage to pray effectually for the same to the same end and also drawe thence for themselues wholsome and profitable counsell to the glory of God and of the sacred Virgin the mother of his Sonne the most faythfull Aduocate of his Church and specially of her Pilgrimes and Deuotes FINIS LITANIAE LORETANAE B. MARIAE VIRGINIS KYRIE eleison Christe eleison Kyrie eleison Christe audi nos Christe exaudi nos Pater de caelis Deus Miserere nubis Fili Redemptor mundi Deus Miserere nobis Spiritus sancte Deus Miserere Sancta Trinitas vnus Deus Miserere nobis Sancta Maria. ora pro nobis Sancta Dei genitrix ora Sancta Virgo Virginum ora Mater Christi ora Mater diuinae gratiae ora Mater purissima ora Mater castissima ora Mater inuiolata ora Mater intemerata ora Mater amabilis ora Mater admirabilis ora Mater Creatoris ora Mater Saluatoris ora Virgo prudentissima ora Virgo veneranda ora Virgo praedicanda ora Virgo potens ara Virgo elemens ora Virgo fidelis ora Speculum iustitiae ora Sedes sapientiae ora Causa nostrae laetitiae ora Vas spirituale ora Vas honorabile ora Vas insigne deuotionis ora Rosa mystica ora Turris Dauidica ora Turris ebuâ—nea ora Domus aurea ora Foederis arca ora Ianua caeli ora Stella matutina ora Salus insu morum ora Refugium peccatorum ora Consolatrix afflictorum ora Auxilium Christianorum ora Regina Angelorum ora Regina Patriarcharum ora Regina Prophetarum ora Regina Apostolorum ora Regina Martyrum ora Regina Confessorum ora Regina Virginum ora Regina Sanctorum omnni ora Agnus Dei qui tollis peccata mundi Parce nobis Domine Agnus Dei qui tollis peccata mundi exaudi nos Domine Agnus Dei qui tollis peccata mundi Miserere nobis In Aduentu in die Annunciationis Vers Angelus Domini nunciauit Mariae Resp Et concepit de Spiritu sancto Oratio GRatiam tuam quaesumus Domine mentibus nostris infuÌ„deÌ„ vt qui Angelo nunciante Christi filij tui incarnationeÌ„ cognouimus per passionem eius crucem ad resurrection is gloriaÌ„ perducamur Per eumdem Christum Dominum nostrum Amen Post Natiuitatem Vers Post Partum Virgo inuiolata permanfisti Resp Dei genitrix intercede pro nobis Oratio DEus qui salutis aeternae B. Mariae virginitate foecunda humano generi praemia praestitisti tribue quaesumus vt ipsâ—m nobis intercedere sentâ—amus per quam meruimus auctorem vitae suscipere Dominum nostrum Iesum Christum filiuÌ„ tuum Qu tecum c. Amen A Purificatione vsque ad feriam Vâ—in Câ—ena Dom ni Vers Dignare me laudare te Virgo â—acrata Resp Dâ— mihi virtutem contra hostes tuoâ— Oratio COncede misericors Deus fragilitaâ—â— noâ—trae praesidium vt qui sancte Dei geâ—itrâ—â—â— memâ— eriam agunus intercessioni eius auxiâ—io a nostri in quâ—atibitâ—â—e surgamus Per euÌ„dem Christum Dominum nostrum A Sabbato sancto vsque ad Sabbatum post Pentecosten Vers Gaude laetare