the wisdome of the eternall father is lodged in a Caue to teach ignorant man another lesson to witt that felicitie is not to be found in vanitie in carnalitie in heapes of gold nay it cryes out as it were to all the world by this example Why doe you loue vanitie and seeke alye It is not it is not to be found in these follies No my wayes are as farre remoued from your wayes and my cogitations from your cogitations as is heauen from earth Aff. Seeke still what you seeke ô mortalls but seeke it not where you seeke it seeke it not in the follies of the world which knowes not Christ but seek it in the knowledge of Christ Seeke it not in the world which passeth away together with its concupiscences but seeke it in Christ the Word made flesh which remaynes for euer Nay seeke not Christ neither with hope to find him in pompe and state in the pallaces of Kinges but in the poore cribbe with the poore simple and vigilant shephards that is with vigilancie in simplicitie in pouertie in humilitie and abiection There may proud man being humbled surely find and Know humble Christ Resolution I will seeke then whom my soule loueth Not in vanities as I did when I found him not But c. And since the world neither receiues nor knowes nor cares for my Christ I will neither admitt into my hart nor know or care for the world c. 2. POINT Cons Looke vpon this caue or stable as the true sohoole of all vertues where the wisdome of heauen giues solide lessons of heauenly wisdome where the eternally begotten the onely begotten son of God Iesus Christ newly come downe from heauen is to frame in our hartes the impressions of Christianitie mhere the word which was in the begining with God and was euen God him selfe God of God true God of true God lying now dumbe in a poore manger for the loue of poore man who was become a brute beast should speake lowder to heauen-beloued Christan hartes then all the voyces of men and Angells Aff. O deare God! O great God! ô truë God! whom my soule with all its forces acknowledges and adores in this strange disguise what is it thou wouldst speake to my hart by these dumbe signes What is it I st that thou wouldst signifie hereby to the faithfull and louing soule that thou dost languish with loue and so in a loue-pause remaynest speechlesse Is it that neuer more loue is spoken betwene true Louers then when tongues keepe silence and giue hartes leaue to speake by the eyes such misteries as none but louers vnderstand Is it that man should waxe dumbe to the world while the word appeares dumbe in the world O speake thus speake thus Deare Lord to thy poore seruant who giues eare to thee And whilest thou speakest let the worlde keepe silence and turne as dead to me as I to it Let my tongue and all the tumultuous people of my interiour house keepe silence Let my hart be silent too and onely giue eare to this one necessarie Word saying I am thy saluation for I am Iesus thy Sauiour THE II. MEDITATION I. POINT CONS But what is this silent word That verie same by which all thinges were made and without which nothing was made while he himselfe was not made but was begotten by an eternall generation which none is capable to expresse That word from which all thinges had beeing as from a verie Ocean of beeing That word which was in the begining and in the begining began to worke vpon nothing and of it made all thinges created Heauen and earth for that litle word fiat was said and euery thing began to ryse out of the abysse of nothing and haue beeing life and motion c. By this word was said Let light be made and it presently was made c. Aff. O powrefull almightie Lord What humane wisdome is not strucke dumme with the wonders and prodigies wrought by this now silent word The wisdome of the world would teach vs by Philosophie that of nothing nothing is made but this word which is the Wisdome of heaueÌ„ assures vs that of Nothing all thinges were made which while he is sileÌ„t all the creatures together crye outwith a loudevoyce we made not our selues but he made vs. O thou light of light who in the begining with a word made light in the world and now comest downe into it to enlighten all men daigne to be a light to my obscured hart that it may discerne as well the effects of thy word as the silence of the â—ame And clearely see that as in the begining that made all thinges of nothing so this in tyme comes to repaire all thinges made worse then nothinge And as that in the begining made all thinges right so this in tyme comes to rectifie all thinges disordered And grant that as we see all that we haue are flowed from thy Bountie so our firme resolution may euer be that all we either haue or are may returne to thee againe by our Iustice and gratitude Fiat fiat POINT 2. Conf. But yet what is this silent word The very son of God God the true God now the verie son of Mary the son of man true man flesh of our flesh bones of our bones God man man God God and man one and the same But if son heyre if son of God heire of the kingdome of God heauen If God man and heire to the kingdome of heauen then man hath gotten title to the kingdome of heauen If son and heire and to the kingdome of heauen the kinge of heauen man then begins to raigne since a part and portioÌ„ of him begins to raigne in him who raigned in the begining before the begining in tyme before tyme from all eternitie Aff. Yes my poore soule it is noe lesse excellent person then the son of God the heire of God the kinge of heauen true God of true God lyes before thyne eyes Who least he might haue bene a lesse deare obiect to thy contemplation and loue whyle he was lesse accessible of inuisible he becomes visible in flesh to thyne eyes of flesh And by an incomparable and inconceiuable transport of loue he who in the beginning made maÌ„ to his owne similitude and likenesse vouchsafeth in tyme to be made to the similitude and likenesse of man and to giue vs power therby to become the sonnes of his heauenly father the sonnes of God The sonnes of God the sonnes of thy heauenly father Ah what ioy ô Iesu we are thy brothers then and if brothers heires of God coheires with thee ô deare sauiour Iesus Christ dilate dilate my hart deare child from heauen the bulke of thy ouercharging dearenesse is too large to enter Ah make me not poore with too much heauenly plentie either bestowe thy giftes according to my measure and abilitie to receiue them or enlarge my hart and inable it to receiue them according to the proportion in which
Gentil thy kingdome ô deare Sauiour is dilated ouer all the face of the earth and thy raigne shall dure for euer And therfor ô all ye nations clappe hands make iubilation to God in the voyce of exultation singe ye to our God singe ye singe ye to our Kinge singe ye because God is Kinge of all the earth singe ye wisely The Princes of the people are gathered togeither with the God of Abraham he shall raigne ouer the Gentils Thus did the kinglie Prophete teach vs Christian Gentils to singe so long agoe THE SECONDE MEDITATION Of the vocation of the Gentils in the three Kinges I. POINT CONSIDER that our pious and mercifull Lord not being the God of the Iewes onely but also of the Gentils who will all men to be saued and to come to the knowledge of the truth limites not the riches of his goodnesse within the confines of Iewrie but will haue them extended to all the world so that he calls not the Iewes onely in the persons of the shepheards but the Gentils also in the persons of the Kinges If he had promises for those he is not without blessings neither for these If he haue Angells in aboundāce to call those he wants not starrs to conduct these to his royall presence testifying by them both that he is noe acceptour of persons but loues Iewe and Gentil vnlearned and learned poore and rich and breathes by the holy Ghost where he pleaseth subduing what hartes he pleaseth to his seruice Affection Let vs then o my soule imitating Gods mercyes extende the assistance of our obsecrations prayers postulations thankes-giuinges to all men to Iewe and Gentil to such as are farre off and such as are neere hand to such as are in the Church and such as are out of it to poore and riche to kinges and Potentates be they friends or foes protectours or persecutours For this is good and acceptable before God our Sauiour For alas what doe we know that we hate not a brother while we thinke onely to hate an enemie Let vs pray I say first for our domestikes in faith that they may increase in grace ad haue the gift of perseuerance Next for those that yet beleeue not vt ex nolentibus fiant volentes that of such as will not beleeue they may by Gods grace be made beleeuers sayinge with the holy Church etiam rebelles compelle voluntates compelle euen those rebelliouswills that obstinacie and blindnesse being subdued Turke Iewe and Gentil may be but one flocke and fold How the kinges were called to Iesus II. POINT CONSIDER how the kinges came and we shall presently find that our attentions are stopt by the Euangelist with a word inciting to admiration Ecce behold saith S. Matthew there came sages from the cast to Hierusalem Nor is it without wonder indeede that wise men should leaue their countrie to come a greate iorney to a forraigne land which had nothing common with them And yet their errand seemes more strange They came c. saying where is he who is borne the kinge of the Iewes A demande which in likelyhoode might haue cost them their liues And yet their motiue seemes most strange of all for say they we haue seene his starre in the east Should wise men and Kinges leaue their Kingdomes vpon the onely sight of a starre to looke out one borne the Kinge of the Iewes and that in the midst of Iewrie where another Kinge alreadie raigned Affection O my soule what can we find here but admirations with S. Paule O the highnesse of the riches of the wisdome and knowledge of God How incomprehensible are his iudgements how inscrutable are his wayes What doe we find I say but effects of Gods great mercy strangly and strongly working For certainly their iorney their demande their motiue appeare litle lesse then madnesses in the eyes of men while yet in the eyes of God they are effectes of grace and heauenly wisdome For the starre which they saw exteriourly was seconded by the grace which they felt interiourly and thence they vndertooke the iorney the grace of the holy Ghost knowing noe sluggish delayes The grace which they felt was a powerfull and conquering grace and thence they feared not to aske for the kinge of the Iewes euen in the face of the Tyrant The starre which they saw was the light of faith and thence they giue for their reason a thinge which reason is not acquainted with an obscure yet conuinceing argument of thinges which appeare not THE THIRD MEDITATION How admirable the kinges calling was I. POINT CONSIDER againe with wonderment this strange proceeding of the kinges Abraham its true went out of his countrie too his kindred and his fathers house and he was both admirable and prayse worthy therin Howbeit this seemes farre to exceede that Abraham went out because he was commanded because he was promised to haue another certaine place appointed him because he had assurances giuen by God that he should be magnified c. But they had neither commande to goe nor place appointed whither to goe nor stayd they in any danger at home nor were they allured with any adunatagious promises abrode but contrarily they were as free to stay as goe they knew not whither they went nor whether they should find what they sought And they were withall so farre from ayming at aduantage or securitie that contrarily they ran into apparent danger and were readier to giue then to take as appeared by the presentes they brought and yet those sages came to Hierusalem vnder the guidance of one onely starre Affection Admire my soule the wonderfull effectes of the hand of the most High admire the wholy disinterressed and truly kinglie hartes of these holy kinges Who while they were noe way necessitated noe way commanded so freely vpon the sommons of one starre left their countries and all and came to him to whom none comes vnlesse first drawen by his heauenly father And yet how many starres haue we and we stirre not how many kind inuitations and we answere not How many heauenly callings toward Iesus and alas we turne a deafeeare to them But doe not so my soule doe not so the neglect of heauenly fauours iustly irritates the bountifull Benefactour If we be not able to goe before others by our good example le ts not fayle at least to follow them Run on run on by the holy example of the kinges whither diuine inspirations which continually lay seidge to our hartes as so many heauenly messengers doe leade vs. Le ts be faithfull in this behalfe and when ere the Bridegrome knockes le ts lay open our hartes and leaue them wholy at his dispose neither expecting commands nor questioning the manner how Neither ayming at gaynes nor fearing or flying labour losse nor danger All is safe and gaynfull enough where Iesus leades and Iesus is looked for That the kinges proceedinges are our lessons II. POINT CONSIDER that this proceeding of the first fruites of
the Gentils was to be a leading lesson to all their posteritie They had their starrs and so haue we They obeyed their starre and so must we if we intend happily to find out Iesus Our starrs are the light of reason hightened by the light of grace and holy inspirations vnder our Superiours directions These we are to follow nor doe we euer fayle in it but we swarue from the way or loyter in the way Had the shephards bene ledd out of their owne countrie they had bene misledd lost much labour mist of Christ As the kinges if they had stayd in their owne countries while their starre led them out of it to Bethleem had not found him There are many mansions in Gods Kingdome and he will haue vs ledd to them by the wayes he pleases to marke vs out This is his blissed pleasure which he pleases to make knowen to our hartes by frequent inspirations Affection We must not my soule expect the priuiledge of being called by name as was S. Paule whether it be to relinquish our old badd wayes and inclinations to find out Christ or to follow him being already found It is sufficient for vs to follow our owne starrs to obserue whē the spouse knockes at the doore of our hartes and to be readie to open by the assistance of his grace who stands knocking there My soule my soule is it not by his mercy who made vs that we hope to be saued Were it nor reason then we should follow his counsells which he manifests to vs by his inspirations And if it be reason to follow them by what reason doe we or can we neglect them THE IV. MEDITATION That we must cooperate with Gods grace I. POINT CONSIDER yet further that it is not enough to obserue the starre with the Kinges and to heare the knocke of the spouse but we must also with them aske seeke knocke at the gate We must not onely I say heare the knocke or touche of his holy inspirations at our hartes but we must mutually knocke at that diuine harte of his by frequent and feruent prayers crying out with the Kinge and Prophete conuert me ô Lord and I will be conuerted draw me after thee and we will run and with our Kinges all through the streetes of Hierusalem where is he who is borne the Kinge of the Iewes for we haue seene his starre we haue heard the voyce of our beloued by frequent inspirations and to what end but to leade vs to his loue Affection Yes my soule we may dissemble it but we cannot deney it euen we too haue seene his starre we haue heard his voyce and he hath said vnto our hartes I am thy saluation and he hath said it so that we haue heard it and haue taken iorney vpon it countrie parentes friendes with all the fawning allurements of the world are forsaken And what is now our expectation Is it not our Lord my soule Is not he the whole part and portion of our inheritance Is not he the whole substance we haue left vs Ah! hauinge left all by the assistance of his grace to finde him le ts make that our busines If we suffer our selues for lacke of cooperation to be frustrated of that expectation in vaine behold we the starre in vaine began we to run in vaine doe we lead a life which leades not indeede to Iesus but to death How we ought to cooperate with grace in seeking Iesus by the example of the Kinges THE II. POINT CONSIDER that the Kinges are not onely diligent and punctuall in setting vpon the search of Iesus vpon the first light of faith that appeares to them expressed by those words of the Euangelist we saw his starre in the east and we came we saw and we came noe curious disputes noe sluggish delayes noe vaine respects or interrestes retarding them but they seeke him with great patience suffering the labour and incommodities of the longe iorney of 800. myles as also with great resolution and courage not fearing to inquire for him in the midest of Hierusalem saying where is he who is borne the Kinge of the Iewes Affection Ah my soule is it not our vndertaking too and intention as well as the dutie of our whole life to seeke for Christ with them Yea and as longe as we can sitt quietly at home without trouble doe we not desire to find him and to reioyce in him But alas as soone as the labours of a longe iorney our life in our apprehension represente themselues vnto vs when once temptations and dangers and humane respects begin to stand in our way our patience fayles our courage forsakes vs we fall to sleepe or murmure our life is irk some to vs and we are almost readie to giue ouer our iorney in the mide-way Alas my soule thus it sometymes fares with vs. And why because we seeke not our new-borne Kinge with an entire but a diuided harte allowing a part of it for him and a part for the world and thence cupiditie taking off from charitie weake charitie finds not his yoake sweete and his burden light as it is indeede to true louers We will therfor continually pray that he who gaue the will to seeke him would so increase charitie that we may haue patience and courage to find him THE V. MEDITATION How longe we ought to seeke him THE I. POINT CONSIDER yet further that our kingly Guides seeke him with perseuerance to the end putting noe other limite to their inquirie but the finding him out whom they seeke for Seeke our Lord saith the royall Psalmist while he may be found seeke his face al wayes not onely in the sunshine of prosperitie and spirituall comfort but also and then especially in the darknesse of aduersitie and drinesse of spirit As well while the starre shines as disappeares While it shines and vshers their stepps they springe on with speede while it disappeares they loose not courage nor leaue off their happie enterprise but in the absence of their heauenly Guide they haue recourse to earthly ones demanding of the scribes where is he who is borne the kinge of the Iewes Affection Deare Lord if thou daignest to leade vs on in the way of thy search and thy loue by the powerfull light and heate of thy grace be thou euer blessed And if it be thy pleasure to withdrawe for a tyme the comfort of thy presence and leaue vs to tryall be thou also blessed If thou dost voutchsafe to draw vs we will run in the odour of thy parfumes and if it please thee to leaue vs in drinesse and desolation by thyne absence we will neuer cease for all that to cry out continually where is he where is he who is borne the kinge of the Iewes Hauing still recourse to Heauen and earth To earth by taking counsell of our Superiours Directours and Pastours to Heauen with an intire submission dependāce and absolute confidence that our Redeemour liues and will in due tyme deliuer
vs that the starre will appeare againe and conduct vs to the place where the child is and multiplie our ioyes as well as theirs with a huge increase of ioye gaudio magno valde Where we are to seeke Iesus II. POINT CONSIDER that the kinges find not him who is borne the king of the Iewes in Hierusalem where they sought him and where humanely speaking he was most likely to be found in Hierusalem I say that cherished citie which was preferred beforre all the Tabernacles of Iacob nor in the stately Pallaces of Kinges how euer he was the kinge of kinges and sought by kinges too but in an obscure village but in a poore groate or caue a resort for brute beastes but in a manger vpon a locke of hay betwixt an oxe and an Asse So found they the young kinge of the Iewes lodged Affection My soule is it not true that we often seeke Iesus in magnis mirabilibus supra se in great and wonderfull things which are placed aboue our reach In high contemplations and visions which we are not capable of In thinges most specious and glorious and best suteing with our owne inclinations and fancies Wheras our humble kinge Iesus is both more surely and safely found in pouertie subiection solitude and disiunction from the world in humble lodginges meane clothes poore compaignie and in the totall abandonnement of our selues and iudgementes into the hands and directions of Superiours Thus he exposed himselfe to be found by a graciousnesse which passes the comprehension of man and Angell Thus the good Kinges find him Thus seeke him my soule and we shall not fayle to find him a God to adore a kinge to protect a man to imitate imbrace and loue THE VI. MEDITATION Where or in what compagny Iesus is to be sought I. POINT CONSIDER that they found the child Iesus with Marie his mother saith the Euangelist Had they sought Marie alone without Iesus or not for Iesus they had mistaken their way indeede since that she though his mother is but otherwise his creature while they seeke the Creatour And had they sought him who was borne the king of the iewes without or otherwise then in her companie who was the Queene mother that bore him they would not so happily haue found him But in seeking the one they found both To witt they had alwayes a neere relation Noe sooner was the sonne of God determined to be the redeemour of the world but Marie is looked vpon to be the mother of that sonne and sauiour noe sooner was he conceiued of the Holy Ghost but he was conceiued and found in Maries sacred wombe noe sooner borne but found at her breastes all his life tyme he was found with her and at his death she was not separated from him Affection Let IESVS then my soule be our cheife and last ayme and end since all our actions which haue not him for their end are aymed by the marke he being that souueraigne good which our hartes incessantly seeke after Yet lets not feare withall to make Marie the meanes to haue accesse to him How euer the Kinges misse not of him it is in her armes they find him How euer the Scriptures and Prophetes and Preistes of the Law point them out the way it is by her ministerie and fauour they come to the blessed sight of him It s her priuiledge in shewing him to shew what 's her owne Shew thy selfe then to be a mother Blessed Lady let our prayer by thy meanes be admitted by him who being borne for vs voutchsafed to be thyne Shew vs shew vs thy IESVS that blessed fruite of thy womhe not after his exile onely but euen nowe especially while we liue in this heauie banishment That Iesus ought to be sought with pietie II. POINT CONSIDER that as the Kinges vndertooke their iorney with much diligence and punctualitie and pursued it with great patience and resolution so they conclude it with noe lesse pietie and religiousnesse They haue left their Kingdomes wiues and children with hopes to find a Kinge a Sauiour a God and in the end of their iorney they onely meete with to the eyes of flesh a poore stable a poore manger and a poore mayde with a poore sucking child at her breastes But to the eyes of their pietie with which they looked vppon him they discouer a Kinge a God vnder the forme of a seruant a man and falling downe they adore him Affection O happie Kinges great is your faith which leaues all the world euer after to admire it as we worthily doe this day But ô the goodnesse and mercie and power of God whose free grace it was which wrought in their hartes both the will and performance of this great acte of faith They were not the keepers of the law Prophetes as were the iewes They had not seene and heard the admirable workes and wonders of his life and passion wherby he proued himselfe both God and man as we haue and yet falling downe they adore him O my soule let neuer the excessiue and almost incredible greatnesse of the benefit discredite as it were the bountifull benefactour but by how much more his loue doth exinanite him and make him appeare lesse then himselfe in his life and passion let vs by so much more beleeue blesse loue and adore him for euer because for vs it was that he was so lowe layd for vs the cribbe the manger the hay c. THE VII MEDITATION With what puritie of intention Iesus ought to be sought THE I POINT CONSIDER that the Kinges come not onely out of their countrie accompagned with patience courage and perseuerance to find him and religiousnesse and pietie to beleeue in him but also with puritie of intention that one necessarie thinge without which the best of our actions are spoyled for his owne sake to pay him a debt of souueraigne worshippe due to himselfe alone We came say they not to find ease safetie orriches which we inioyed at home nor to seeke new kingdomes while we left our owne but onely to find the new borne kinge of the iewes to acknowledge him to be the kinge of kinges and our selues and all the kinges of the earth to be his vassals in a word we came to adore him Affection Learne my soule learne neuer to seeke God for any other motiue then himselfe Let vs alwayes seeke him to the end we may adore him that is to cast our selues at his feete acknowedging him to be all and our selues nothing at all Ah while we may doe all our workes for a kinge why will we loose them vpō any lesse worthy obiect While all our loue is but too little for him alone why wil we disperse it vpon creatures Heauen and earth can afford nothing cōtentfull to the good Prophete but God himselfe Such let our resolutions be my soule in all our patience perseuerance and actes of pietie saying with sainte Augustin Thee I will thee I seeke thee I hope for my
be made accordingly THE SECONDE POINTE. CONSIDER That if the approche of the iudge proue so dreadfull what will his finall doome be If we haue not courage enough to stand to behold his dreadfull face how shall we be able to stand to heare his reuengefull sentence which is without repeale And yet truth tells vs as saith S. Paul without excepting any one that we must all stand before his Tribunal And heare that dismale curse pronounced against the wicked Begone you accursed of my father into eternall fire c. Affection Heauen and earth shall passe my soule but the word of God remaynes inuiolable and vnchangable for euer We shall all heare this dismale sentence pronounced against the sinner Begone cursed of my father but whither into euerlastaing fire O horrour of an eternally damning Doome Ah who shall be the obiect of this endlesse wroth Who shall be the accursed subiects vpon whom this reuengfull sentence shall be executed This lyes hidd in the abisse of Gods iust iudgementes But who ought to be so secure as that he should not freely bestowe all his substance to buy out his pardon Who would not abandon all pleasures to auoyd this eternitie of fire who would not imbrace all paines and pressures to purchace securitie against that day of anger Yet why art thou sadd my soule and why dost thou trouble me Our God is the God of mercy and his mercy out-speakes all his workes we are yet in the tyme of mercy He wiskes not the death of a sinner but that be should be conuerted and liue Resolution THE THIRD POINTE. But when these thinges begin to come to passe look vp and lift vp your heades because your redemption is at hand CONSIDER that as the horrour of the sentēce pronounced against the wicked is most dismale so is that which the iust shall heare most comfortable and blisfull Come you blessed of my father receiue the Kingdome prepared for you c. Then shall appeare in the face of the whole world the difference there is betwixt the iuste and vniust the sainte and the sinner Then shall the iust man with excesse of ioye lift vp his longe deiected heade and see his redemption accomplished Affection O my soule what harte is yet capable to conceiue with what transports of blisse we shall be replenished vpon the hearing of this heauenly inuitation come saith our Sauiour you blessed But of whom of my heauenly father O rauishing benediction come receiue But what nothing that is light and momentanie but exceedingly aboue measure an eternall waight of glorie Come and receiue a kingdome an heauenly kingdome prepared for you purchaced by the merites of my passion Come enter into the ioy of your lord Ah my soule should we vpon the purchace of this bestowe all our tyme all our care all our substance we should then repute it as nothinge in comparison of the ineffable happinesse which we shall then be possessed of for euer and euer THE FIRST MEDITATION FOR THE II. SVNDAY IN ADVENT And when Iohn Baptist in prison had heard the workes of Christ c. Matt. 11. THE FIRST POINT CONSIDER that though there was none amongst the sonns of women either greater or better or dearer to the sonne of God none more innocent more austere or none imployed in a more diuine and necessarie function to witt to forerun Christ and to preach his coming to the people none hauing lesse commerce with the world yet we find him in persecution in prison in chaynes to manifeste to all men this diuine truth that all they which desire to liue piously in Christ Iesus shall suffer persecution Affection Let vs then ô my soule be so farre from lookeing strangely vpon or falling out with the persecutions temptations contradictions and crosses be they of what kind soeuer which Gods sweete and euer iust prouidence permitts euen strangely sometymes to fall vpon vs that contrariwise they may euen proue matter of ioy to vs. We are not better then S. Iohn more saintly more innocent but contrarily miserable sinners and yet behold him in persecution in prison in chaynes We ayme at a pious life and Truth assures vs this is the way because thou wast aggreable to God euen there for it was necessarie that temptation should trye thee Our designe is to raigne with Christ and to raigne with him we must suffer with him Resolution Say then be thou euer blest ô lord If we haue receiued good thinges from thy bountifull hand why shoud we not suffer euill thinges Sit nomen Domini benedictum THE 2. POINTE. CONSIDER that though they can keepe his bodie captiue in chaines yet his better parte is at libertie his mynde is still free and imployed about what he was sent for He cannot now in person preach to the people and with that he has patience but he can send his Disciples to heare Christ preach and in that he fayles not There is noe restraint noe want of commoditie of tyme or place that can hinder a right harte to goe out to seeke Christ to heare him speake to it and it to him to stay with him reioyce in him and happily in fine performe its dutie Affect My soule neuer be perplexed and troubled that thou canst not actually performe what thou truly desirest It is our heart not our body which God desires Our workes without our wills may want rewards but our true desires neuer Canst thou performe what thy obligation oblidges thee to Be ware to fayle in it Art thou hindred by the malice of men by sicknesse by obediēce by charitie Neuer murmure at it None is lesse perfecte for omitting what he cannot mend for what Gods prouidence hinders for what obedience inioynes for what charitie commands Let thy heart stand right and all will goe right in all places tymes and occasions THE II. MEDITATION For the same day Art thou he who is to come or must we expect an other THE FIRST POINTE. CONSIDER that S. Iohns Disciples were sent to Christ to know frō him selfe by word of mouth whether he were the true Messias or not but he in lieu of words makes his workes answer the question Goe saith he and relate to Iohn what you haue heard and seene The blind see the lame walke the lepers are made cleane the deafe heare the deade ryse againe to the poore the Gospell is preached c. This silent answer is more full more forcible more satisfactorie then words could euer make it according to that if you beleeue not me beleeue my workes Affect My soule let vs striue alwayes to make our workes speake who we are and what doctrine we follow Let vs doe the workes of Christ and they will declare we are Christians without the helpe of words which alone gett litle credit Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good workes and glorifie your heauenly father saith our diuine master Let our endeuours be imployed to helpe the blind the lame
it That hand which drawes vs into sinne must be cutt off its mercy to our selues not crueltie Better it is saith Truth it selfe that one of thy limmes perish rather then that thy whole bodie goe into Hell fire THE SECONDE MEDITATION FOR THE SAME SVNDAY Certaine Scribes say within themselues he blaspheameth THE FIRST POINTE. CONSIDER that as charitie and goodnesse makes the best of all thinges by a friendly interpretation so pride and malice turns all to the worst Our B. Sauiour graciously daignes as well to cure the infirmities of the sicke man's body as the wounds of his soule and the Scribes with their wordly wisdome crye out he blaspheames Wheras lesse learning then they proudly pretended to might easily haue fitted them with a better consequence To witt none can forgiue sinns but God alone But this man Iesus forgiues sinns therfor he is God the sonne of God the Messias whom we expect Affection It is the venimous propertie of the spider my soule to turne all into poison while the gentile honie bee makes honie of all shee meetes with Le ts not iudge and we shall not be iudged for in varie deede if we obserue it well we condemne our selues in the verie thinge wherin we iudge another while we doe our selues the same thinge Let vs learne hereby to be slow in censuring for we seldome fully vnderstand the businesse as also to haue patience to haue our best actions censured by others who vnderstand them not since we best know how subiect we are to offend in many thinges THE SECONDE POINTE. The multitudes seeing it c. glorified God who gaue such power to men THE FIRST POINTE. CONSIDER that while the proude and malicious Scribes turne Christ's best actions to their owne perdition the simple multitudes turne them to their aduantage and Gods glorie They both heare and see the same things To witt thy sinnes are forgiuen thee arise take vpp thy bedd and goe into thy house The Scribes find blaspheamie in it the simple people contrarily Gods power and wisdome which they acknowledge with admiring reuerence and glorifie him who gaue such power to men Affection The high conceipts we haue my soule of our owne knowledge was neuer the way to know God He is high indeede but he graciously lookes downe vpon lowe thinges while high hartes he places a faire off It is not my soule it is not the viuacitie of vnderstanding but the simplicitie of beleeuinge which saues the most parte of men saith holy S. Augustine as here we see it happens with the vnlearned multitude The myndes of men haue noe sure accesse to wisdome and saluation vnlesse humble faith first prepare them to reason and true knowledge which pride is not capable of THE FIRST MEDITATION FOR THE XIX SVNDAY AFTER WHITSVNDAY A Kinge made a mariage to his sonne and sent his seruantes to call them that were inuited to the mariage Matt. 22. THE FIRST POINTE. CONSIDER that the Kinge who made this mariage was the Kinge of heauen who decreed in his high counsell from all eternitie that his onely begotten sonne should espouse mans nature and become like to one of vs. His seruants who were sent to inuite were the Patriarkes and Prophetes first Then the sonne himselfe who spoke by his owne mouthe and after that the Apostles and Disciples who were sent into all the earth to preach The inuited were men dispersed ouer all the world Affection O the infinite goodnesse of God who while he inioyed himselfe in his blessed eternitie in selfe beatitude without any want or possibilitie of want of any thinge could euer be ours who I say had thoughts of loue for vs while we yet were not to make vs bee and so to bee as euen to be capable of himselfe and of the happinesse he inioyed from all eternitie And wheras he had but one onely sonne he would not haue him alone but sent him downe to make men his adop tiue brethren to share with him in that eternall kingdome of his He sent I say a sonne to inuite seruants to that same sonns mariage Banket which is to be made in heauen and to continue for all eternitie THE SECONDE POINTE CONSIDER how vngratefull man dealt with those who were sent to inuite him a thinge so honorable to him to the mariage of a kinges onely sonne and so aduantagious withall to witt not onely to feaste with him but to be coheires with him of his Kingdome He did not onely refuse to come but euen layed violent hands of those who were sent to inuite yea of them you kill and crucifie and of them you scourge in your Synagogues and persecute from citie to citie Nay mans malice went yet further the Kings onely sonne is sent and of him they say this is the heyre let vs kill him and the inheritance will be ours Affection Admire my soule to see Gods free mercy so continually resisted by mans miserie his longanimitie bountie and benignitie by mans obstinacie ingratitude and rebellion This we easily grant in the Iewes but alas Let vs looke but diligently into our owne hartes and we shall finde the like come home to our owne dores for doe we heare the teachers of Gods word as God himselfe who sayes who heares you heares me Or rather tho we kill them not are we not deafe to their counsells and euen contemne them Nay doe we not alas doe we not by our crymes crucisie the sonne of God againe and againe and make him a mockerie to his enemyes THE SECONDE MEDITATION FOR THE SAME SVNDAY When the Kinge heard that his inuitation and fauours were despised and his seruants murdered he was wroth and sending his hosts destroyed those murderers THE FIRST POINTE. CONSIDER that as God is most gracious and bountifull in the generall distribution of his blissings and heauenly guifts so is he most exacte and rigorous in punishing the contempt and neglect of them He made his goodnesse and bountie appeare in this that while there was nothinge to moue him to inuite man to his sonns mariage and in that to the possession of an eternall Kingdome with him but his owne infinite goodnesse noe accessions of power or greatnesse by poore man since to infinite nothing can be added Noe foresight of the merits of his workes seeing he knew that noe workes were euer or could be truly good but by his gracious assistance he pleased yet to inuite him But when he sees nothing but hatred returned for his loue he makes his rigour appeare in sending his hostes to distroye those murderers Affection Not to vs then ô Lord not to vs but to thy holy name to thy free goodnesse to thyne infinite goodnesse let glorie be giuen Thou didst not looke vpon vs and loue vs because we were in our selues louely but because thyne owne mercifull lookes made vs so Without that gracious aspect we had remayned in our nothinge without that being otherwise made we had bene but vnprofitable sinfull lost seruantes