OVR B. LADY How excellent she was from all eternitie in the diuine prescience and Predestination I. POINT CONSIDER the B. Virgin as she was at the least or rather while she yet was not in nature nor in the worlds consideration and we shall finde she was euen then great in the diuine eyes and predestination being marked out to be the Blessed Mother of the worldes Redeemer So that what was said of the eternall wisedome by eternall birth-right and propertie is applied to her by the wisedome of the holy Church guided by the holy Ghost by attribution and participation Our Lord possessed me in the beginning of his wayes Affection O worke of an eternall designe to speake with the great S. Augustine Be thou alwayes next to the only begotten Sonne of God the first in my thoughts as next after him thou wert from all eternitie the first in his diuine predestination election and loue Mans losse was foreseene and a Sauiour was resolued to be sent and that Sauiour was to be borne a Sonne which is no sooner said but we vnderstand a mother and that mother was to be Marie Blessed Marie Blessed Marie Mother of that Sonne who is God procure by thy powerfull intercession that we may be so preuented by his holy grace that we may loue him incomparably aboue all thinges and thee in him aboue all his Creatures II. POINT CONSIDER her at some-what a neerer distance when she began first to be in the thoughts and expectations of men and you shall finde holy Patriarkes breathing after her and Prophets foretelling her Witnesse Moyses his burning bush which consumed not Aarons rodd which brought forth flowers and fruit as saith S. Bernard Gedeons fleece moystened with a miraculous dew Heare the Prophett Daniell naming her a miraculous mountaine whence the corner-stone of the Church was drawen out without the helpe of man Or the Pro phet I say saying more clearely Heare the wonder which I relate a virgine shall con ceiue Affection O my soule let 's approche with Moyses to see this burning bush this admirable vision this fruitfull rodd this gentle sleece Let 's approache I say to behold this prodigie who shall conceaue remayning a Virgine and hartily say vnto her Come come ô thou desired of all nations the dyeing world expects thee Come change that woefull name of Eua into a ioyfull Aue that all generations may publish thee blessed for euer Come thou loue thou Doue thou faire and let thy sweete flowres of honour and honestie appeare in our Land Let thy Virgine Earth sprout out and deliuer vs a Sauiour THE II. MEDITATION For the same Day I. POINT CONSIDER her in her Aurora or dawning as it were in the happie o mbe of her Mother and obserue her prerogatiues She was conceaued of iust and holy parents who sprung from Patriarkes Prophets Priests and Kings Her Conception was announced by Angells and it was in it selfe miraculous in that she was borne of a sterile Mother and so was indeed a child of miracle a production rather of grace then nature For euen before nature had performed her worke grace began hers according to that of S. Iohn Damascene Nature durst not aduēture to runn before the issue of grace but made a little stoppe as it were till grace had produced her fruite Affection O peereles Virgine O hopefull and promising little budd whose verie flowers are perfect fruites of honour and honestie And indeede what but good fruits can be expected from so good trees what but illustrious holy Preist-like prince-like can issue from so holy parents so glorious progenitors Patriarkes Prophets Priests and Kings what from Angells denouncing but Angelicall what from a Childe of miracles but prodigies and wonders O incomparable sprigg sprung from the stocke of Iesse how gloriously bright must thy full day needs proue whose verie dawne is so admirable O child of grace praye that my poore soule may alwayes bee preuented with part of that wherewith thine is so timely replenished II. POINT CONSIDER with S. Anselme that it was fitting that the Blessed Virgin should haue been endowed with the greatest puritie imaginable vnder God nor can it be doubted but to haue been preuented by grace preserued from sinne and conserued in innocencie is a greater puritie and easie to be conceiued vnder God who is essentiall puritie And therefore we may piously cōclude with the foresaid Saint that God bestowed such a puritie vpon the designed Mother of his eternally begotten Sonne by a singular priuiledge reserued for her alone Affection Let vs my soule looke vpon this originall puritie with the eye of admiring pietie and loue and venerate it as a seemely disposition to the bringing out of puritie it selfe by her whose prerogatiue it was about to be to ioyne the puritie of a Virgine and the fecunditie of a Mother in one and the same subiect And let vs most deuoutly solemnise her immaculate Conception that she may interceede for vs to Christ who are defiled alas deformed and so generally subiect vnto sinne that whosoeuer affirmes he is not a sinner is concluded a lyer THE I. MEDITATION For the Natiuitie I. POINT CONSIDER her in her Natiuitie and we shall finde it a subiect of the greatest ioy that euer the the world had yet mett with It was not now one of the sinfull children of Eua cursing the day in which it was said a man is borne but one happily inuerting that name into Aua one that was wholy faire and had noe spot in her Yea one so not a sinner as that she was wholly borne for sinners to beare him who came to take awaye the sinnes of the world without whom there was no saluation at all for lost man Affection Welcome welcome ô thou deare-bright rising Aurora the languishing world hath longe and greedily expected thee O thou springing ioy of the earthly and heauenly Hierusalem Peerelesse honour of thy race and sexe Wee poore banished Sonns of Eue fall downe at thy tender feete with a thousand Aues Wee lay open our sighes sobbs to thine eyes full of pittie in this vaile full of teares Ah! let vs profitt by the example of thy vertues partake in thy merits and perceiue thy powerfull intercession in all our miseries O Clement ô pious ô dearely sweete Virgine Marie II. POINT CONSIDER that it is that Virgine is borne who is Virginally to bring forth the Spouse of Virgines That Virgine is borne who while she is euen so little and lowe she is agreeable in the sight of the highest That Virgine is borne who within a short time shall conceiue breede beare and bring forth her maker That Virgine finally is borne who remayning a Virgine shall proue a Mother the Mother of a God Affection O my soule let vs marke this day with a better stone with a marke of ioy for euer which gaue at once a Queene to men and Angells Nay a dearely beloued childe to God the father a designed Mother to God the Sonne
so strucke him O man how doth this action confounde thy pride and discouer thy selfe to thy selfe we easily committ sinne euen in the sight of God but blushe to appeare sinners in the sight of men c. Or if we chance to haue that humilitie and iustice in vs as patïently to suffer reprehension reproche or punishement when we see we are in fault yet are their any to be found who knowes what it meanes to suffer where we either indeede are or at least where we apprehend our selues innocent That euen best Christians are content to leaue to Christ alone THE SECONDE MEDITATION For the same day II. POINT CONSIDER Virgines consider Christians old and young and all that hope to be saued by the blood of Christ what these sacred dropes which fall from our Christ say to our hartes What doe they say vnlesse our harts be of stone but I will and begge by this example without example where noe law obliged noe debt was due your patience your mortification your resignation your obedience your humiliation You call me Abba pater father father and I am so show the dutie of children then by following your fathers footstepps You call me Lord and I am so make good then the dutie of seruantes in accomplishing the will of your Lord. I will obedience c. not will-worshippe not sacryfices of your owne inuention and choyce And this irreuocable will and Conuenant of myne I write downe in letters of myne owne blood that louinge children may neuer forgett it Affect Noe my soule ther was indeed noe connection betwixt an innocent Sauiour and the markes of a sinner noe necessitie for a God to imploy this paynefull and shamfull meanes who had a thousand other ways in his wisdome to haue performed the worke of mans redemption but to teach vs patience with what euer might befall vs seem it neuer so litle sutable to the thoughtes we may haue of our owne innocencie Mortification by suffering some corporall payne be it by our owne or some other hand be it by accident sicknesse or otherwise Obedience whether to our superiours as we are bounde c. Or euen to euery creature for charities sake where there appeares noe other obligation And conceiue we alwayes heare Christ by this example say vnto our hartes what great matter is it c. if you being but durt and askes subiect your selues to man for Gods fake since I who am omnipotent became humbly subiect to man for your sakes O dust learne of me to obey Learne of me ô earth and clay to humble thy selfe and caste thy selfe vnder the feete of all men for my Loue. Consider Yet further that the heauenly dropps of blood which fall from a God speake more powerfully to pious hartes then Malachie to the people of Israel saying dilexi vâ—s I haue loued you That is I haue doe and shall loue you since there is neither tyme past nor tyme to come with God I haue loued you from eternitie and thence I am come in tyme to saue you I doe loue you in tyme present and thence I giue the first dropps of my bloud for you I wil loue you in tyme to come and will powre out my hartes bloud for you in earnest wherof I now lay downe these dropps I haue loued you and so called you by preuenting grace while you thought not of it I doe loue you and so assiste you by cooperating grace I will loue you and so make my subsequent grace accompaignie you to the end and for assurance of this I now pay downe these dropps Affec O how wonderfully thou hast loued vs ô heâuenly Father since for our sakes thou didst not euen spare thyne owne onely sonne How tenderly didst thou loue vs ô dearely beloued sonne of the Almightie who for our sakes didst not refuse that paynefull imployment but dost euen so airely testifie the excesse of thy loue by the loss of thy blood By which deare pledges being partes of the price of my Redemption I apprehende it euen neere at hand Let Israel now say that he is good that his mercy is for euer Let the house of Aaron now say that his mercy is for euer Come le ts loue him le ts loue him we that are redeemed by his bloude because his mercyes are for euer Let our tongues publish his loue and mercy let our hartes loue and prayse him and let our verie bowels pronounce ô Lord who is like to thee Inable vs deare Iesus to vnderstand descerne and reuerence with due honour this admirable misterie of pietie which is manifested in the flesh hath appeared to the Angells is preached to the gentils is beleeued by the world and this day is signed in bloud Venite adoremus THE FIRST MEDITATION FOR THE. Day after new yeares-Day of the name of IESVS I. POINT COnsider That though all the names vsed by men to signifie the Deitie were from all eternitie are in tyme and shall for euer be most worthily blessed praysed and admired by men and Angells yet to vs Christians the name of our Christ IESVS by which he was called this day is by iustest right most deare and praise-worthy For whether we vse the word Elin which signifies God and is interpreted strong Elion which signifies High or Adonai which we interprete Lord or Saddai which may be called Almightie or els Iehouah which the Hebrewes esteemed ineffable none of them intimates so much and so present consolation to vs poore sinners as doth our myld Emmanuel which signifies our God with vs our Iesus a Sauiour who begins euen to powre out his pretious bloode for vs. Affection Be all thy names ô great Lord God praysed preached admired magnified sanctified for euer by men and Angells and all thy creatures in generall whether they signifie strength power Maiestie Omnipotencie immensitie infinitie or what euer els which we can in noe sorte expresse nor euen by imagination conceiue so vastly great so ineffable so inconceiuable is the Lord and Master whom we serue Yet most deare Sauiour Iesus be thy most mellifluous name as neerer to my eyes and interests so alwayes neerer and dearer so my hart Be that sauing and sanctifying name cherished and sanctfied by vs poore miscrable sinners aboue all other names because thou o deare lambe who wast slayne for me is most worthy of glorie and honour and benediction and all that euer my narrow hart is able to deuise c. 2. POINT Consider that all the names we reade intimate either power and Maiestie or grace and mercy according to that of the Royall Prophete I haue heard these thinges Power is Gods and mercy is thyne ô Lord. According to his Maiestie his name is holy and terrible But this new name IESVS which is giuen to him in earth signifies nothing but mildnesse mercy and saluation for the name of IESVS saith your holy Father is a sweete name a delightfull name a name of deare consolation and blessed hope to the sinner Nay it
hart hath said to thee I haue sought thy countenance Lord thy countenance will I seeke Le ts fixe vpon this if we desire to be happie le ts ayme at noe other thinge then this this alone will abundantly suffice How being found he ought to be adored II. POINT CONSIDER how the good Kinges make their approches to Christ and fall downe before him after the true Christian way not in word and discourse but in worke and truth The Euangelists make mention of noe one word they vsed Nor was it indecde so sutable to vse words in the presēce of the eternall WORD which lay speachlesse nor doe they doubt but that he could read their hartes in presence which he had powerfully touched at so great a distance But their workes by mysterious presentes speake their hartes and errands By gold they proclame a Kinge by frank-incense they professe a God by myrre they declare a man Affect O my soule let vs diligently looke vpon these progenitours of ours these Presidentes of our faith Let vs I say looke vpon their Christian behauiour and striue to imitate them Let not so much words as hartes speake our humble sutes and true submissions Where we meete with the eternall word silenced le ts adore him in silence silence being the worshippe of iustice Let the gold of our hartie loue that burning gold of S. Iohn the Euangelist publish him the Kinge of our hartes ouer which we wish his absolute raigne Let out feruent sighes and sobbes and incessant breathinges after him be our frankincense testifying that he is the God and Authour of our beeing in whom we liue moue and are all that we are And let the myrre of our mortifications and cheerefull sufferances declare to all the world that he is the man that suffered and dyed for vs leauing vs an example of patient suffering which his blessed will is We should follow Ah! thus doe these words of workes and hart and willing suffering speake lowdest and most effectually in the eares of God THE VIII MEDITATION That the kinges historie representes ours I. POINT CONSIDER and in the three Kinges historie reade our owne in their happines obserue our owne felicitie For were we not all deade in sinne which had dispersed it selfe ouer all the veynes of mankinde were we not benighted in infidelitie and lay wounded impotent blind naked lame poore and miserable were we not borne in a forraigne land farre from Bethleem where few seeke Christ fewer knowe or care for him was not Herode the persecutor in our way who pretended to adore him but indeed hated his memorie Had we not by his gift not onely the grace to beleeue in him but the courage to be readie to suffer for him and the resolution to leaue parentes countrie and all that was deare to vs to find him in pouertie obedience chastitie in a land which we knew not Affection Le ts giue glorie to God and let the memorie of these blissings of preference take vpp the whole capacitie of our hartes We were borne in the midest of a peruerse and incredulous generation and yet we were culd out of it that we might not perish with it Not by chance nor is there any chance with God but by choyce not because we loued him first but he vs and therfor he drew vs taking mercy on vs. Not because we willed or run but because he would haue mercy vpon whom he would haue mercy Say then my soule but say it hartily and incessantly with the Psalmist I wil singe the mercies of our Lord for euer I will sound out his prayse from generation to generation and let all the world know by the odour of our life our workes and sufferings how great thinges he hath done to vs poore creatures of his which he hath not done to all nations The diuers operations of two Natures in one Person II. POINT CONSIDER the blessed comfortable mixture of the diuers operations and demonstrations of two Natures in one and the same Person As man he lyes betwixt an oxe and an asse in miserie Yet as God he forgetts not his maiestie but commands his Angells to call the shephards to adore him As man he is subiect to childish scriks and teares But as God the Angells singe his Gloria As man he seemes neglected vnknowen vnconsidered by all Iewrie But as God he strikes terrour into all the Iewes Herode and all Hierusalem with him are troubled at his birth As man the Kinges find him the Kinge of the Iewes whom they came so farre to seeke in a poore caue accompanied with a poore mayde and their eyes reade him such as they see him a poore child But looking vpon his starre their constant guide they conclude him a powerful God whom the starrs obeye and their harts instantly breath after Affection Be thou euer blessed and magnified ô my lowe and mightie my abiect and powerfull Lord. Thou art lowe to come downe to my pouertie high to rayse my thoughtes hopes towards thy riches Lowe for my instruction and humiliation high for my protection and defence Lowe to teach my proude hart that all greatnesse ought to subiect it selfe to this admirable humilitie of thyne High to be our true refuge in all our weaknesses deiections but lowe to conuince our hartes that the true highth of a Christian is to be humble and lowe with and for his Christ When I am infirme then I am powerfull saith the great S. Paule AN ENTERTAYNEMENT FOR EASTER THE I. MEDITATION The I. Christian ioy I. POINT CONSIDER that though the great God of all consolation suffers his seruants to fall into afflictions desolations and sorrowes yet they are not continuall If there be mourning at night there is ioy in the morning yea and euen in the mourning too The dolourous dayes past were spent in following our deare Sauiour who suffered death it selfe for our loue while we looked but on Or if we euen dyed with him in our pious desires and resolutions or seemed to indure worse then death it selfe by our frequent and tormenting temptations they will not proue to death but to Gods glory and our beatitude they will produce more plentifull ioyes in rysing with him For harke while the teares are yet in our eyes for him being deade an Angell assures vs he liues and liues to dye noe more but to raigne He is rysen he is not here Affection Sing then my soule Alleluya Alleluya Alleluya Christ is truly rysen That he dyed he dyed but once and for our sinnes but that he now liues he liues to God the life of glorie for euer His sufferances were but for a tyme but his life and ioyes and in him ours too are for all eternitie Alleluia Alleluia Alleluia If he seemed forsaken it was but for a moment and that for our consolation for our example to assure vs that seeme we neuer so forsaken suffering with Christ we shall ryse with Christ in newnesse of life to a
vnto vs. Be they Blessed and praysed magnified and glorified in the vnitie of one Deitie for euer And let our earthly Trinitie neuer forgett this mercy Let our memorie faithfully represent it to ourvnderstanding Let our vnderstanding continually ponder ruminate and deliuer it to the will And let the will imbrace in ioy and carefully locke vp this present of infinite loue with all the loue ioy and Iubilie of hart imaginable THE IV. MEDITATION What we receiue indeede when we are said to receiue the Holy Ghost I. POINT CONSIDER that by receiuing of the holy Ghost we receiue the substantiall or consubstantiall vnitie charitie and sanctitie of the father and the Sonne according to S. Augustine The most firme and indissoluble bond or tye of the holy Trinitie The sacred kisse of the father and the Sonne by their mutuall loue from all Eternitie whereby they loued the iust euen with the loue of their owne hart saith S. Richard de S. Victore which is the holy Ghost Affection Ah my soule how ineffably greate blessings are these which faith layes before vs and we consider it not or rarely and coldly reflect vpon them O did we frequently looke vpon it with a liuely faith how would our thoughtes be wayned from this base world How euer we are in it we are not made for it the heauens haue other thoughtes for vs. The true cause of our being here indeede is to adheare to God by loue and to become holy as our heauenly father is holy and to that purpose the holy Ghost the verie vnitie loue and sanctitie of the Father and the sonne comes downe to dwell in vs. Ah my soule Let vs neuer forgett this astonishing and oppressing graciousnesse II. POINT CONSIDER yet further that it is not the vnitie charitie and pietie of the father and the sonne which we receiue onely but truly and indeede we receiue the person of the holy Ghost wâ—â—h grace and charitie nor is he in vs by Essence Presence and power only as he is euerie where but in a more deare neere and intimate manner as in his Thâ—one oâ— Temple For doe you not know saith s. Paule that you are the Temple of God and the Holy Ghost doth dwell in you And againe Charitie is diffused into our hartes by the holy Ghost who is giuen vnto vs. Affection Yes saith s. Augustine that good God is present to his faithfull â—ot meerly by the grace of visitation but by the presence of his Maiestie It is not now the odour of the balsome that is spredd abroad but the verie substance of the sacred oyntment it selfe By which according to s. Iohn we shall be taught all thinges O great great and most admirable mysterie which is yet so familiar to vs Christians O most excellent and incomparable visite and gift of the proper person of the holy Ghost O God what a singular fauour is it to haue God the true God really and personally dwelling in our hartes O what hartes ought they to be which haue the happinesse to be the Mansion of such an inhabitant THE V. MEDITATION The excessiue loue of God shewen to man in sending the holy Ghost I. POINT CONSIDER with S. Augustine that God the father moued by meere mercie sent his sonne to redeeme his seruants he sent also the holy Ghost to adopt the same seruants into children He gaue his sonne for the price of their Ransome the holy Ghost for a pledge and assurance of his loue and reserues himselfe all whole for the inheritance of the adopted So much did he desire mans saluation that he imployed not only what was his but euen himself also to that effect Affection Doe we beleeue this ô my soule but doe we beleeue it indeede That such a sonne was sent for such seruants That seruants and such seruants were adopted into sonns into coheires into the participation of the diuine nature By the meere mercy of the Father by the bloud of the sonne by the loue of the holy Ghost Doe we beleeue it I say yes yes we beleeue it my soule We dare not we cannot deney it Credo Domine we beleeue it ô Lord yet helpe our incredulitie in this behalfe We beleeue it in words and in hart too but our actions our gratitude our loue speake it not confirme it not to the world For to whom should all the redeemed slaues actions belong but to his deare Redeemour Vpon whom should all his loue be sett but vpon one that so loues him And to whom should he reserue himselfe wholy but to the God of heauen who reserues himselfe wholy for him II. POINT CONSIDER what an excessiue goodnes and charitie it is that this immense and infinite Maiestie who walkes vpon the winges of the windes and sittes vpon the Cherubins who fills heauen and earth being assisted with millions of millions of Angells would yet daigne to take vp his seate in a poore corner of mans hart to grace that miserable worme of the earth with his presence diuinitie and sanctitie and therby with the participation of his diuine nature Ah! could we iustly weigh mans nothing and Gods Maiestie we should neuer be wearie with admiring and tasting the dignitie of this great worke Affection Ah Domine cognoscam te cognoscam me O Lord grant me light to know thee and to know my selfe that by such knowledge I may happily and gainefully loose my selfe in the admiration of thy excessiue graciousnesse For what am I indeede compared to thee but extremitie of miserie compared to infinite Maiestie but nothing nothing compared to him who is all in all But not so much as one little droppe to a boundlesse Ocean And yet this Maiestie is graciously pleased to take vp his Residence in this miserie This All will lodge in this nothing This Ocean will ouer-flowingly possesse and please himselfe in this droppe How happens this to me that not the Mother of my Lord but euen my Lord himselfe comes vnto me resides in me takes vp his deare delights in my poore harte Ah my soule let our dearest delightes be to possesse him to please him to magnifie him to glorifie him for euer THE VI. MEDITATION Gods excessiue loue to man I. POINT CONSIDER how great and ineffable the pietie of our Redeemer was towards vs as S. Augustine obserues who carried man vp to heauen and sent God into earth what a care hath our Maker to repaire his workmanshipp Behold a new medicine is againe sent downe from heauen Behold Maiestie daignes againe by his owne presence to visit the sicke Behold diuine things are againe mixed with humane the holy Ghost is become a succeeding Vicar to our Redeemer that what the one had begun the other by a peculiar vertue might consummate that what the sonne had redeemed the holy Ghost might sanctifie what he had purchaced he might conserue Affection Too too much are thy friends honored my dearest Lord. Their principalitie is exceedingly beyond all measure confirmed by the presence
can neuer be done more highly more dearely more ioyfully more acceptably or more honorably then by offering this Sacrament to God in their honour with care and feruour therfor let vs frequently receiue this Sacrament Affection Ah my soule is it placed in our power by a graciousnesse which the heauens could neuer haue conceiued to reioyce and make glad the verie Saintes in heauen and yet can our coldnesse refuse them this comfort and honour whose prayers we dayly begge certes we may well conclude that they are blotted out of our Callender and are as deade to vs as we to our owne vtilitie We desire to liue with them in eternall ioyes and yet hauing the most acceptable and honorable meanes in our hands we can haue hartes to deney them temporall obseruances may we not iustly feare that we may find them but cold intercessours for vs to whose accidentall glorie we might so easily and yet doe so coldly contribute THE IV. MEDITATION The sixt Motiue Our imperfections and miserie I. POINT CONSIDER that what is said by S. Iames as it is most true so we all most willingly acknowledge it to witt that we all offend in many thinges and our negligences imperfections and omissions can scarcely be numbred But we are not by Gods grace fallen in loue with our sinnes and imperfections or resolue to liue in them but truly desire and labour to be freed from them nor is there any thing so powerfull to expiate crymes as this Sacrament and Sacryfice of which the Councell of Trent affirmes that our Lord being appeased therby grantes grace and the gift of pennance and pardons euen huge crymes and sinnes To this therfor ought we to haue an humble confident and frequent recourse Affection O my soule my soule were our case that of some of our poore persequuted parentes and friends whose fortunes libertie and life run hazard to be lost for a communion what excuses would not our negligence find But to slipp ouer the occasions of so great and necessarie a good to our selues where the performance is lyable to noe losse yea is ledd on with so much facilitie and called vpon by God and man and laudable custome what reply can be made to this We grant we neede to be purged we find grace not too strong in vs we acknowledge the souueraigne vertue of the remedie presented And yet must cold cras crases Be still taken for payment Ah my soule Is a longer lying sicke likely sooner to cure the desease Le ts not deceiue our selues we doe not indeed so much desire our cure as loue our languishment THE SEAVENTH MOTIVE True Consolation II. POINT CONSIDER that we all find that this worldly pilgrimage of ours is longe and teadious That such as are subiect to sinne find thēselues wearied and worne out in the paynefull wayes of iniquitie That such as are louers of vertue and striue to approch neerest to God are not exempt from temptations nay the tribulations of the iust are many though the Spirit be prompt yet the body is infirme and doth waigh downe the soule and they are forced to crye out mournefully with S. Paule who will deliuer vs from this mortall body We all then both desire and neede consolation and in this Sacrament we confesse we may receiue the God of all consolation Ought we not then ioyfully and frequently haue recourse to him therin Affection Le ts still my soule seeke what we seeke but le ts not seeke it where we seeke it True and permanent consolations are not found beleeue it my soule they are not found saue in God alone that father of mercyes and God of all consolation who comforts vs in all our tribulations Nor can we euer find God more happily or more comfortably then when we receiue him really and truly possesse him Heauen possesses him not more truly where he is the eternallioy and beatitude of all the Blessed By how much more then my troubles and temptations are multiplyed by so much more will I run to that sourse of solace that fountaine of grace as the wearied Hart to the fountaines of fresh water That we ought to receiue the B. Sacrament with reuerence feare and Loue as the best dispositions THE V. MEDITATION The I. Motiue Of reuerence and feare c. I. POINT CONSIDER the greatnesse of his Maiestie whom we are to receiue whose essence or beeing is ineffable It cannot be expressed by any definition because it transcends or outstripps all thinges He 's a bottomelesse sea and none is able to sound it saith Salomon His iudgements are incomprehensible his wayes not to be found out saith S. Paule He 's higher then the Heauens and what will you doe deeper then Hell and how should you know him saith Iob. And yet he is that then which nothing is either greater or better concludes S. Augustine with all the world Affection If the blessing I am about to receiue from thy bountifull liberalitie ô Lord be so excessiue greate that workes cannot reach it that words cannot speake it that thoughtes cannot comprehend it or euen arriue to it If sight taste and touche be all deceiued in it and bring in euidence of bread onely what rests but infallible faith which comes into our ayde assuring that it is God indeede which we receiue who is so the greatest that he is immensitie it selfe and so the best that he is goodnesse it selfe a vaste Ocean which can neuer be sounded and so leaues vs as it were in that blessefully vnsatisfactorie satisfaction that a Christian hart is capable of more happines then it hath capacitie to comprehend Prone layd then in our owne incapacitie and miserie let vs feare reuerence and loue that immense Maiestie which we haue the happines to receiue into our breastes but haue not power to comprehend it THE II. MOTIVE Of feare c. II. POINT CONSIDER yet the greatnesse of his Maiestie by the words and comportments of the Saintes and Angells who see and know him For it is euen he whom that greatest among the sonns of women feared to touche It is he whom the Prince of the Apostles through feare put a way from him saying Goe from me ô Lord for I am but a sinfull man It is he in whose presence the pillers of heauen quake the Dominations adore and the Powers tremble and in his sight the Cherubins and Seraphins fall downe and hide their faces Affection And yet my soule it is to this Maiestie so venerated so dreaded so adored by the most holy among men by the greatest among the Apostles by the burning Cherubins and Seraphins of the heauenly Court that thou aduenturest to approch Yea it is this Maiestie that graciously inuites himselfe and resolues to enter and remayne vnder this litle poore Zacheus his roofe What are we to doe then but without delay with Zacheus to stoope downe from our high thoughtes to looke vpon our smale stature our noe abilitie our nothing worthy to appeare in his sight
thing but God can dispose man worthily to receaue God What euer is good in our hart is his gift as well as the hart it selfe It can indeede wish well and moue towards God but it is from him and by him and in him Thou must then ô God preuent dispose purifie beautifie worke all in vs because thou dost loue vs and thou dost loue vs because thou hast loued vs from all eternitie Affection What haue we then to doe deare Sauiour when we are to receaue thee but to run out before vnto thee by an humble acknowledgement of our owne insufficiencie and with frequent and feruent prayers to begge of thy goodnes to inable vs. How this great worke is to be performed we truly know not yet this we know that if the holy Ghost descend vpon vs and the vertue of the highest ouershade vs our harts will be made an agreable habitacle to thy Maiestie Cleanse vs then ô Lord and we shall be cleane and pure as thou commandest but giue ô Lord what thou commandest and command what thou wilt II. POINT CONSIDER that though none but God can dispose man worthily to receaue God yet will not God worke without our consent and cooperation to witt he disposeth euery thinge sweetly according to the nature of things he will not therfore force mans free will nor worke without it but will haue it to run with him following that Doe thou draw me and we both will run And that of S. Aug. Vnlesse thou wert an operator or woker God would not be a cooperator Hence it is said conuert yourselues to me and I will turne towards you Draw neere to God and he will draw neere to you In vaine doe we hope any thing shall be done vnlesse we contribute our owne endeuours to Gods preuenting and cooperating grace which yet runs before all or endeuours the will being prepared by our Lord. Affection O great God sith it is thy blessed will to admitt vs as Coadiutours to vse S. Paules expression in this great worke while thou needst not ours or any helpe to performe all that thou wilt in heauen and earth I resolue by the assistance of thy grace to omitt nothing which my pouertie may be able to performe I will first labour to remoue what might be noysome by ouercoming such and such imperfections to which I find my selfe more inclyned and then I will striue to adorne my soule with the vertues which I know to be most agreeable in thy sight confessing ingenuously that hauing done all we can we are but poore and vnprofitable Seruants THE IX MEDITATION The best preparation a good life I. POINT CONSIDER that properly speaking what is to be done on our parte is punctually to complie with our dutie And what is the dutie of a Christian but to liue Christianly that is to imitate him whom we worshippe Iesus Christ to endeuour continually to expresse his life in ours according to euery ones state and measure dayly to meditate his holy law of loue and faithfully to keepe his commandements To such he willingly comes with such he takes vp his Mansion Affection To haue the singular happinesse to feede of Christ my soule we must by all reason follow Christ To liue of Christ we must liue in Christ and according to Christ we must leade the life of Christ A life full of affabilitie mildnesse simplicitie humility and charitie to our heauenly Father and all our Christian brethren especially those who by one and the same holy profession are lincked togeither in vnion of hartes and designes It is not the solicitous and frightfull discussion of our hartes fuller of feare then loue one halfe houre before the tyme that will proue the best preparation to receiue so great a Maiestie Heare S. Augustine He that is not worthy dayly to receiue will not be worthy a yeare hence But a constant practise of vertue all the weeke long and a perseuerant resolution to subdue our vicious inclinations and neuer to desiste till we haue prepared in our hartes a place for our deare Lord a cleane tabernacle for the God of Iacob The necessarie preparation The state of grace II. POINT CONSIDER that the immediate and absolutely necessarie preparation is if we will not turne our souueraigne foode into poyson and eate our owne damnation to be in the state of grace that is that our consciences are neither certainly guiltie of mortall sinne nor reasonably doubtfull of the same nor that we liue in the neerest or absolute occasions therof To which we must adde if we haue the hartes of true Christians if great aduancement in vertue be our ayme if we desire not onely to haue life but to haue it more abundantly the freeing of our selues of the fantomes and fumes of mortall sinne affection to veniall sinne with our best endeuours to procure in our hartes a hunger and thirst of this sacred foode For this bread saith S. Augustine requires hunger in the interiour man Affection Alas my soule if we should euer haue bene or should be so vnhappie as to dare to approche this dreadfull table wanting the first we should but industriously labour more desparatly to loose our selues and for want of that wedding garment to be cast out into vtter darknesse A pittifull spectacle to God and Angells to see death drunke out of the fountaine of life To see poyson drawen out of that sweeter then honie combe And by wanting the second howeuer we remayne a liue we doe but languish Our sparing sowing can but hope for a poore croppe The heauenly operation is too much stratened in such narrow hartes God is not delighted where he finds so little delight Is it possible my soule that where we meete with so good measure and pressed downe and shaken togeither and runing ouer we should so sparingly measure backe againe That where God giues himselfe wholy man should render himselfe by halfes THE X. MEDITATION Not Solicitude but loue disposeth c. I. POINT CONSIDER and putt downe for certaine that vse we what care we will what solicitous examination and squeesing of cōscience we can possibly imploye yet shall we neuer appeare agreeable in our heauenly spouses sight neuer be gratefull to the God of vertues vnlesse we come adorned with his vertues especially those which he sent from heauen to witt faith hope and Charitie Heare S. Benard how much soeuer you purge your selues how much soeuer you torture and torment your selues the God of vertues will not come vnto you vnlesse you be adorned with the vertues Affection It is not by force of armes my soule by frightes and immoderate feares that this Blessed Guest ought to be receiued But firme Faith alone which with Zacheus clymes vp a loft ouer lookes all visible thinges and fixes vpon inuisible thinges can find him out Hope confidently opens the dores and charitie giues him a gratefull entertaynement louingly imbraces him and deliciously feastes with him and on him And humbly and chastly dares
too greedie whom the possession of a God cannot satisfie PRAYERS BEFORE AND after receiuing A prayer of S. Thomas of Aquin before receiuing the Blessed Sacrament ALMIGHTIE and eternall God behold I approche to the Sacrament of thy only begotten sonne our Lord Iesus-Christ I approche as one that 's sick to the Phisitian of life as one vncleane to the fountaine of mercie as one that 's blind to the light of eternall brightnes as one poore and needy to the Lord of heauē and of earth I beseech thee therefore by the aboundance of thy infinite bountie that thou wouldest vouchsafe to cure my infirmitie to wash my vncleanesse to enlighten my blindnesse to enrich my pouertie to clothe my nakednes that I may receaue thee the bread of Angells King of Kings Lord of Lords with as great reuerence and humilitie with as great contrition and deuotion with as great puritie and faith with such an intention purpose as is expedient for the health of my soule grant I beseech thee that I may not onely receiue the Sacrament of our Lords bodie and bloud but the effect also and vertue of the Sacrament O most mylde Lord graunt that I may so receiue the bodie of thy only begotten Sonne our Lord Iesus-Christ which he tooke of the Virgin Marie that I may be worthie to be incorporated in his misticall body and be numbered among the members therof O most louing father graunt that I may at length behold thy beloued Sonne face to face for euer whom I now purpose to receiue veyled vnder the forme of bread Who liues and raignes with thee in vnitie of the holy Ghost for euer and euer Amen A prayer of Thomas à Kempis before receiuing MY Lord God preuent thy seruant in the blessings of thy sweetnes that I may deserue to approach worthily and deuoutly to thy holy Sacrament stirre vp my hart vnto thee and deliuer me from all heauines and slouth visit me with thy comfort that I may taste in Spirit thy sweetnesse which plentifully lyes hid in this Sacrament as in its fountaine Giue light also to my eyes to behold so great a mysterie and strengthen me to beleeue it with vndoubted faith For it is thy worke and not mans power thy sacred institution not mans inuention For no man is of himselfe able to comprehend and vnderstand these things which surpasse the vnderstanding euen of Angells What therefore shall I vnworthie sinner earth and ashes be able to search and comprehend of so high and sacred a mysterie O Lord in sinceritie of hart with a good and firme faith and at thy commandement I come to thee with hope and reuerence and doe verily beleeue that thou art here present in the Sacrament God and Man Thy holy pleasure is that I receiue thee and by charitie vnite my self vnto thee Wherefore I doe recurre to thy Clemencie and doe craue speciall grace that I may wholy melt in thee and abound with loue and hereafter neuer admit anie other comfort For this most high and worthy Sacrament is the health of the soule and body the remedie of all spirituall sicknes by it my vices are cured my passions bridled temptations ouercome or weakned greater grace infused vertue begun increased faith confirmed hope strengthened and charitie inflamed and enlarged A prayer after receiuing by S. Thomas of Aquine I Giue thee thankes ô holy Lord father almightie eternall God that thou hast pleased to saciate me a sinfull creature and thy vnworthy seruant through noe merits of myne but onely by the free gift of thy mercy with the pretious body and bloud of thy Sonne our Sauiour Iesus-Christ And withall I beseech thee that this holy Communion may not proue a guilt lyable to punishment but a powerfull mediation for my pardon Let it be an armour of Faith and a sheild of a good will to me Grant that it may free me from vice subdue concupiscence and lust increase Charitie Patience Humilitie Obedience and all other vertues may it proue a strong defence against the guiles of all visible and inuisible enemyes may it perfectly appease all my carnall and spirituall motions firmely vnite me to thee ô thou one onely and true God and put a happie periode to my pilgrimage And voutchsafe I beseech thee to leade me home to that ineffable banket where thou with thy Sonne and the holy Ghost art a true light to thy Saintes a compleate sacietie an euerlasting gladnes an absolute ioy and a perfect felicitie Amen A prayer after receiuing the Blessed Sacrament by S. Bonauenture PEARCE through the marrow and bowels of my soule ô sweete Sauiour Iesu with the most sweete and holsome wound of thy loue thy true cleere Apostolicall and most holy charity that my soule may continually languish and euen melt with the loue and ardent desire of thee alone Let it earnestly couet thee and fainte away with a longing desire after thy heauenly Mansions let it desire to be dissolued and to be with thee Graunt that my soule may hunger after thee the bread of Angells the food of holy soules our daylie supersubstantiall bread replenished with all sweetnes and pleasure and all the delights found therin let my hart alwayes hunger after thee and feede on thee whom the Angells desire to behold and let the verie bowels of my soule be filled with thy delicious sweetnes let it alwayes thirst after thee the fountaine of life the fountaine of wisdome and knowledge the fountaine of eternall light the torrent of pleasure the plentifulnesse of the howse of God let it alwayes earnestly couet thee seeke thee and finde thee let it tend to thee come to thee think on thee speake of thee and worke all things to the prayse and glory of thy name with humility and discretion with loue and delight with facilitie and affection with perseuerance vnto the end and thou alone be alwayes my hope my whole confidence my riches my content my myrth my ioy my rest and tranquilitie my peace my deare delight my odour my sweetnes my foode and refection my refuge my helpe my wisdome my portion my possession my treasure wherin my mind and hart may be alwayes constantly strongly and immouably rooted Amen Aspirations or prayers before receiuing culled out of S. Augustine COME my deare Iesu come ô thou light of my eyes let me loue thee Come ô thou solace of my hart let me loue thee Come ô thou life of my soule let me loue thee O my deare delight my sweete consolation my God my life my loue my all O thou onely desire of my hart let me possesse thee alone O thou loue of my soule let me embrace thee ô deare celestiall spouse let me inioy thee O soueraigne sweetnesse and eternall beatitude of my soule let me lodge thee and locke thee vp in the center of my hart In that hart which thou hast made to thy selfe and for thy selfe and it will not it cannot rest saue in thee alone I loue thee ô
my deare Iesu and I am still desiring to loue thee more and more For in verie deade thou art sweeter then any honie more nourishing then any milke more delicious then all that is delightfull O inflamed Loue who art euer burning and art neuer quenched doe thou inflame me Let me I say be wholy inflamed by thee that so I may wholy loue thee For alas he loues thee too little who loues any thing with thee which he loues not for thee Come deare Iesu come into my soule which thou thy selfe hast prepared towards the receiuing of thee through the desire wherwith it was inspired by thee Enter into it I beseech thee and make it fit for thy selfe that as thou hast made it and redeemed it thou maist also possesse it and place thy selfe as a seale vpon it Giue me thy selfe ô my God restore thy selfe to me for all thinges which are not my verie God are nothing to me I loue thee ô my god I loue thee and if it be yet too litle ah make me loue thee more and more ardently Who am I and who art thou deare Lord who am I I say that the King of heauen the God that made me should come to visite me Alas my Lord I am not ignorant but I loue I am not presumtuous but I loue I euen quake to approach to thee but alas without thee I quite languish and dye Great indeede is my miserie yet infinitly greater is thy mercy And whither my euer mercifull Lord should my languishing Soule run from thee but to thee O that I were able to receiue thee with that humilitie obedience loue and feruour that thy Sacred Virgine Mother conceiued thee O that I had the burning loue of an Angell to receiue thee the foode of Angells O thou spouse of my soule come quickly unto me Come wound my hart with thy loue Come take vp thy mansion and repose in my poore breast Come sweete Iesu come away delay noe longer the hart which thou louest is infirme and languisheth for thy presence Come health come life come thou onely desire of my soule Immediatly before receiuing say O my soule behold thy spouse is coming Goe out and meete him He is thy Creatour thy Lord thy King thy father thy Pastour thy Phisitian thy Crucified Loue Iesus-Christ who louingly payd downe his owne pretious bloud for thy ransome and leaues himselfe wholy for thy foode Aspirations c. presently after receiuing I Haue found thee I haue found thee whom my hart loues nor shalt thou depart from me but lodge betweene my breastes I hold thee I possesse thee I inioy thee in this narrow cottage of my hart whom the heauens cannot comprehend O kisse me with a kisse of thy heauenly sweete mouth my deare Iesu for thy breastes are better then the most deliciously parfumed wine Thy name is oyle powred out thy voyce sweete thy face comely and thou art wholy faire and desiderable O bread of life bread of Angells sanctuarie of soules O sweet and secreete comforter of holy hartes O heauenly Spouse ô Iesu my dearest loue O riches of the soule solace of the afflicted foode of the famished O my ioy my glorie and all my Beatitude Noe other nation had euer their Gods so neere to them as our God is neere to vs who comes himselfe to feede vs with his glorious body and bloud O vnspeakable grace ô admirable fauour ô infinite Charitie What is this that I feele what fire is this that inflames my hart How sweetly doth it heare How secreetly doth it shine How delightfully doth it burne O Goodnesse Goodnesse Goodnesse so old and so new Too late too late alas haue I loued thee who art indeede my onely deare and saciating delight Resolutions after receiuing 1. Since by a mercy neuer sufficiently admired I haue receiued God himselfe as a pledge of his excessiue loue to me The whole loue of my poore hart shall be continually imployd to render him loue for loue Being daigned with his loue I will noe more stoope downe to the loue of creatures but in him and for him 2. Since I haue receiued thy selfe as a Memoriall of all thy wonders my memorie shall be wholy imployed to represēt vnto my thoughtes the abismall humiliations and sweete Mysteries of thy Natiuitie the diuine lessons and labours and wonders of thy blessed life the ineffable torments contempts abandonements and patience of thy bitter passion the singular dearenesse of thy pretious bloud powred out for me thy Law of loue thy innumerable benefits and graces heaped vpon me c. 3. Since I haue had the happinesse to be fedd with the foode of Angells I will neuer more so vnhappily debase my selfe as prodigally to feede with swine I will not after so noble a banket fall vpon dunge c. But rather Angell-like incessantly with hunger of hart feede of that foode and sing his prayses Pronouncing many tymes especially that day My beloued hath testified to my hart that he is myne and I am his His delightes are to be with me and myne shall euer be to be with him I will peirce the heauens with my hart and in my cogitations I will alwayes be with my God My beloued shall be to me a posie of Myrre and shall dwell betwixt my breastes Stay with vs ô Lord stay with vs because it growes late We perish ó Lord we perish and better it is we should not be then be without thee My God and my all A way how to exercise a louing and filiall sorow continually for the greatest sinnes of our life past O Deare Iesu woe is me that euer I did offend thee Alas my dearest Lord it had bene but iust if I had bene lost for euer But thy myld mercy preuented me Yes my soule it was indeede the meere mercy of our Lord that we were not consumed Nisi quia Dominus adiuuit me paulo minus habitasset in inferno anima mea Had not our Lord assisted me by his speciall grace my soule had bene litle lesse at this houre then inhabitant of Hell Yet in that mercy I am humbly confident thou art now with me because I haue conceiued a firme purpose to amende my life in generall and such and such a fault or imperféction in particular making a reflection of what fault most raignes in your hart remayne therfor with me dearest Father and I le remayne with thee And will not be separated from thee for euer For alas my deare Sauiour without thee I am neither able to aduance one foote nor euen stay where I am since in verie deede without thee I am nothing I haue nothing I can doe nothing There is nothing that is good either from me or in me or by me But all good flowes eternally from that vast Ocean of thy essentiall Goodnesse Grant therfor deare Iesu that I may liue in thee and to thee and that I may dye to the world and to all its pompes and vanities and euen to all
creatures but in thee and for thee Let my senses dye which begett bastard desires in me And keepe my eyes for euer fixed vpon my crucified Lord and Loue who is my life my health my strength my saluation I was euen wholy plunged in death and thou hast wholy reuiued me And therfor as all my whole life and beeing are thyne so I offer vp my whole selfe to thee Let my whole Spirit my whole hart my whole body and my whole life liue to thee Yes my deare life thou hast deliuered me wholy that thou mightst possesse me wholy Let me loue thee deare Lord let me loue thee as much as I desire and as much as I ought O dearest heauenly Father what my hart most desires or desires to desire is but what thy heauenly hart most earnestly demands and most absolutly commands knocking instantly incessantly at this poore miserable hart of myne to witt that I should loue thee Giue then ah giue then what thou commandest and commande what thou wilt Amen PRAYERS TAKEN OVT OF THOMAS A KEMPIS A Prayer for the Loue of vertue and the hatred of Vice O Lord God of vertues to whom euery best thing belongs ingraue the loue of thy most sweet name vpon my hart Plant the rootes of true vertues in me and make the seedes of holie Mediation with the vardant freshnes of good works increase and sprout vp least I remaine idle in thy howse like an vnfruitfull tree but rather tille me as a fruitfull oliue and absolutelie roote out and reduce to nothing whatsoeuer thou findest vicious in me Grant me grace to hate my vices giue me force victoriously to conquer my passions to mortifie my concupiscences and to suppresse the motions of my pride in me to appease anger to expelle sloath to detest auarice to repulse bad sadnesse to contemne glorie to flie honour and to renounce all earthlie consolations so that nothing that is terreane fraile vaine curious carnall fawning harsh couetous base false or feyned may touche moue intice catch insnare or seduce my hart Grant that I may loath all terreane things earnestly desire eternall things loue what euer is good attaine to all vertue know the prime truth and enioy eternall felicitie Grant that I may meete with a blessed and happie howre of death and in the interim continually walke in thy feare and loue Free my hart from all creatures and from euerie thing which might hinder or obscure the same Grant that I may bee simple pure and all glewed to thee and wholie adheare vnto thee Grant me true internall and diuine peace and that I may possesse a quiete minde deuoide of all perturbation Grant that I may not be viciously affected to anie temporall thing nor desire to be knowne cared for or be foolishlie loued by men because they all seduce and are seduced who inordinatly desire or loue any thing out of thee Permitt me not to drawe anie one to me by flatterie and obsequiousnesse but wisely to remoue all men from my selfe and securely direct them to thee and not to loue or looke vpon anie thing in man or any creature saue what is thine and for what they were made A Prayer for patience in time of tribulation and anguish of hart O My beloued Lord God my holy Father I am not worthie to be comforted and visited by thee but to be chasticed and whipped with sharpe stripes I haue well deserued manie afflictions and tribulations because I haue grecuiously offended and been vngratful for thine innumerable benefits I am not worthy as are the rest of good faithfull Christians and my deuout bretheren to be recreated with diuine consolations and to be numbred among the heauenly banqueters But I humbly beseeche thee ô my holy Father my deare and pious Lord make me one of the least of thy hyreling that I may at least be one of their laste seruants whose footstepps I am not worthie to kisse Let them enioy manie and great consolations whom thou louest and honorest by speciall priuiledge of loue But let it be a great and most acceptable present to me who am the least and most miserable of all that thou sparest me not but dost afflict me with manifold contradictions and sorowes Giue patience ô pious Lord and let all tribulation and anxietie be farre more wishfull and welcome to me then anie consolation And grant that I may accept of and suffer this particularly for thine honour not out of a desire of adding to mine owne aduantage or hope of a greater reward Let no gaine be greater to me then cheerefullly to suffer for thy honour to desire to be vnderualued and annihilated euen to the ground and in verie deede to bee made subiect and humbly to be throwne downe vnder the feete of all men O Soueraigne Truth My God eternall light ingraue this into my hart that I may waxe vile in mine owne eyes and that I may contemne my selfe and esteeme my selfe in this world as a bannished pilgrime a poore vnknowne man a neglected solitary person abandoned by euerie creature and that I may no where seeke for hope and solace saue in thy selfe alone Nay grant that I may repute my selfe as one dead vpon earth and buried to the world whose memorie is alreadie longe a goe past by and hath left no other footestepps or markes of it selfe saue a poore miserable graue which lyes hidd vnder ground Grant ô eternall Wisdome of the Father that I may frequently and seriously run ouer these things in my hart and continually fixe it vpon my laste things by a deepe consideration and so prepare my selfe for future iudgement running out before thy face by prayers and lamentations A Prayer to prayse God feruently MY God my praise and my glorie I earnestly desire to prayse thee with as loude a voice and as deuoute a hart as euer anie creature praysed thee in heauen or earth I ardently desire to honour thee with as great and worthy an honour as euer thou wast honored by anie Sainte in thy Celestiall Kingdome I wish to venerate and loue thee with as ardent affection and as amorous a hart as euer anie deuout and perfect person did or doth loue thee in this world Let the heate of thy sacred and pure loue be alwayes renewed in me and inflame my reynes and hart as a fire descending from aboue Let it purifie and burne all my interiour partes that nothing of vicious may remayne in me which may offend the eyes of thy Maiestie O my God thou true searcher of my hart all my desires are in thy sight and all my grones for my manifold defects to wit my Spirit often failes through the want of inward sweetnesse and charitie I offer vp therefore to thee the desire of my desire to the honour of thy name Receiue my hartes desires as a morning Sacrifice and let my prayers ascend vnto thee as an euening incense and please thee for euer Amen THE FIRST MEDITATION FOR THE CONCEPTION OF
from prayer to worke from worke againe to prayer and though the Angells of God come not to thee the God of Angells will not fayle to feede thee with thousands of deare delightes thy prayer shall be without intermission the odours of their sweetnesse shall flow from thy mouth and â—eo Gratias vpon all occasions shall continue alwayes II. POINT REPRESENT her yet further to your thoughtes out of S. Hieromes and S. Ambroses expressions of her â—he was at all tymes saith S. Hierome either reading Meditating or praying Againe in watching she was the first saith the one in speaking she was the last saith the other and most studious in reading especially the holy Scriptures concerning the coming of â—hrist which the frequently redd and imbraced In so much that when her body reposed her hart watched and euen often in her sleepe repeated what she had read or awaking from sleepe continued the same Affection Let vs by this blessed example ô my soule wholy applie our selues to read to Meditate to pray By reading we shall learne to know what we ought to doe by meditating and pondering the same we shall imprint it in our soules and inflame our hartes to the practice thereof and by prayer obteyne force to performe what we know and desire But let this reading be the word of God which will proue a light to our feete a cordiall to our hart sweeter then the honie combe Let our Meditation be his holy Law and his diuine grace our prayer And of all the Scriptures let that be most frequently in our hands mouthes and hartes which most relate to Christs coming life and Passion that we may indeede be sett vpon no other knowledge but Iesus-Christ and him crucified And in that blessed peace that verie peace le ts sleepe and repose Happie will that rest proue when our eyes are shutt with the sweet memorie of Christ and his Law in our mouth and harts THE III. MEDITATION For the Presentation I. POINT CONSIDER that allthough this blessed young Virgine was possessed and prepossessed with all the blessings of heauen and replenished with the plenitude of grace yet was not gtace idle in her or she idle in grace Grace is not giuen to worke all alone but graciously and freely to gayne our will and in it and with it to worke all So that this Blessed Virgine notwithstanding all these huge aduantages and prerogatiues of grace testified to s. Elizabeth a holy Nun that she prepared a place in her hart for God with labour continuall prayer ardent desire profound deuotion many teares and much affliction Affection Thus it is my soule that by her imitation we ought to prepare our hartes for heauen Without preuenting grace indeede we ryse in vaine it is in vaine to ryse before the light or rat he without it we should neuer ryse at all None comes to Christ vnlesse drawen by his heauenly father Yet in vaine too should the light shine if hauing light we did not walke in it If we were so drawen as we followed it not we should neuer arriue He that made vs without vs will not saue vs without vs. All our Talents are his free gifts t is true but we must negotiate with them and improue them We aske because we will we seeke because we will we knocke because we will and we are saued because we will and yet Gods grace workes both the will and performance Le ts adde then our carefull concurrence to his sweete drawghtes and be blessed for euer with that blessed amongst all women II. POINT CONSIDER that this Blessed Virgigins prayer in particular though otherwise full of grace was for grace Grace to be able to complie with those two great Christian duties The loue of God aboue all thinges and of our neighbour as our selfe wherin the whole Law and Prophetes consiste 2. Grace souueraignelie to hate and flye all that he hates whom she souueraignly loues 3. Grace to be truly humble patient mylde and to be adorned with all the vertues that so she might become wholy gracious in the diuine sight 4. Grace finally to be obedient to the high Preists commandes and ordonnances Affection Let vs poore wretches then learne of this most holy Virgine to be continually begging for Gods grace as being necessarie to euery good act and vertuous action of our whole life Say then my soule with S. Augustine Thou commandest vs ô Lord to loue thee aboue all thinges and our neighbour as our selues Giue graciously what thou commandest and commande what thou wilt Thou commandest vs continencie patience humilitie c. Giue what thou commandest and commande what thou wilt In fine say with the holy Church Let thy grace ô Lord we beseech thee both goe before and follow vs and make vs continually addicted to good workes c. THE FIRST MEDITATTION For the Announciation I. POINT CONSIDER that to this Virgine it was thus qualified that is remoued from the world and dwelling in her sacred solitude married to a holy man but to be conserued for the Sonne of the Holy of Holyes prepossessed and replenished by heauenly grace and happily concurring with it by continuall application and feruent prayer still begging more and more grace that an Angell was sent from heauen with an embasie importing greatest honour to her and ioy to all the world to witt to prepare a worthy mariagebedd for the most pure spouse to contract the Mariage betwixt a creature and her creatour and so to begin a happie league betwixt heauen and earth Affection If we desire indeede then my soule to drawe downe heauenly blessinges vpon vs if to haue foretastes of celestiall delightes if Spiritually to conceiue Iesus in our hart let vs flye the cheating corrupting world and betake our selues to the solitude of our chamber or celle There the Kinge of Heauen speakes to our hartes There we put questions and receiue answers of what we are to say and what we are to doe It s hard saith S. Augustine to see Iesus amidst a multitude Our mynde must inioy a certaine solitude That sight requires a secrete place Marie was alone when she spoke with the Angell Alone when the holy Ghost ouershaded her Alone when she conceiued the worlds Redeemour II. POINT CONSIDER the admirable contents of this heauenly embasie at which all heauen and earth may well stand amaysed since all their concernements are to be treated in it The eternall and onely begotten sonne of the eternall God is about to espouse humane nature in an huÌ„ble mayde Marie of the house and familie of Dauid The lost world wants a Sauiour and heauen is resolued to giue one Gabriel is dispatched to Nazareth to declare the mysterie and to announce the wounders to the espoused Virgine His first word presents her with plenitude of grace Hayle full of Grace Giues the reason of it Our Lord is with thee Assures her she shall coneeiue and bring forth a sonne a great Sonne a Sonne who as he is indeede
so shall he be called and acknowledged to be the Sonne of the highest Iesus a Sauiour and shall raigne in the house of Iacob for euer And that therfor she is blessed amongst and aboue all women Affection O greatest astonishment to the Angells that euer they yet mett with since the Heauens Creation O greatest blisse to man that euer yet befell him since his first fathers fall O blessed effects of the flight of the world of silence of solitude of frequent prayer O Marie God Angell and man expecte thy consent O pious Virgine mournefull Adam with his whole miserable posteritie banished out of Paradice suppliantly crye to thee for it Abraham Dauid and all the ancient Fathers instantly begge it In a word all the world cast at thy feete humbly sues for it If that consent be giuen a passage to heauen is layd open to vs all THE II. MEDITATION I. POINT CONSIDER yet further and diligently ponder these pretious words which flow as heauenly pearles from the mouth of an Angell which man ought humbly to imbrace relish and locke vp not proudly and profanely to controle Blessed Marie is declared full of grace nor that in an ordinarie manner as diuers other Saintes were but according to the measure which Christ sorted out for his best beloued Mother who wisely sutes his giftes and graces according to the function place and dignitie to which he pleases to call euery one The fountaine the riuer the brooke are each one full so is the Sonne the Mother and the seruant But the Sonne as the sourse and sea whence all graces flow the Mother as neerliest ioyned to and most abundantly participating of the said sea the seruant as placed at a greater distance in a measure aggreable to a seruant in fine the seruant possesses it but by partes the Mother in the whole plenitude as saith S. Hierome Affection All hayle all hayle spotlesse Virgine mother of grace and mercy sith thou art the mother of my Lord and master I feare not to salute thee with an Angell full of grace since to speake wirh S. Athanasius the holy Ghost descended into thee with all his essentiall vertues which he stands possessed of by title of his diuine principalitie and therfor thou art most iustly stiled gratia plena as being replenished with the abundance of all the graces of the holy Ghost Many many daughters haue gathered riches togeither t is true but thou hast outstripped them all and art inriched with that peculiar grace which gaue glorie to the heauens a God to the earth faith to the gentils c. Dearest Lady mother daigne to Conueye some dropes of that ouer-flowing grace of thyne vpon my weake and languishing soule II. POINT CONSIDER that if Marie be full of grace it is noe wonder sith the same Angell assures her and vs that our Lord is with her Dominus tecum Noe saith S. Bernard it is noe wonder that she is full of grace with whom our Lord is not our Lord the Sonne onely whom she clothes with humanitie but our Lord the holy Ghost of whom she conceiues and our Lord the Father who begott him whom she conceiues Nay rather should we wonder that he that dispatched the Angell to her should be arriued to her before the Angell and be found with her by the Angell Affect Our Lord is with thee dearest Lady that eternall and draynelesse sourse of all graces and so the fulnesse of grace cannot be wanting to thee Our Lord is with thee the Angell is onely the Messēger of that good newes but the God of Angells who sent him preuents him and is alreadie thy guest Our Lord is with thee I say nay with vs too by thee ô thou Mother of mercy who broughtest forth our mylde Emmanuel that is our God with vs our Iesus thy Sonne whom who-euer loues he is loued by his heauenly father who with the Sonne and the holy Ghost will come vnto him and take vp their mansion with him O excessiue happines which accreues to vs by the meanes of Blessed Marie THE III MEDITATION For the Announciation I. POINT CONSIDER further that it is noe wonder that she that is replenished with all grace and hath our Lord with her and in her should be tearmed blessed amongst and aboue all women Since others haue but that by partes which she possesses in plenitude and since he that is with others onely in a generall manner by Presence power and essence is with her in all the fulnesse of the Diuinitie corporally Whence it is that she inioyes the aduantages and is freed from the incommodities of all the states of women to witt of Virgines wiues and widdowes She hath the ioys of a mother without corruption the honour of a Virgine without sterilitie the libertie of a widdowe without solitude She is therfor deseruedly blessed among and aboue all women Affectio Le ts vs then my soule say and neuer be wearie in saying with the Angell Hayle Marie full of grace our Lord is wit thee blessed art thou amongst all women and incomparably aboue and before all women for thou art indeede the Glorie of Hierusalem the ioy of Israël the honour of thy nation race and sexe for he that is powerfull workes wonders in thee and for vs poore lost sinners by thee Ah vse thy powerfull prayers to him for vs now and in the houre of our death Amen II. POINT CONSIDER the Blessed Virgines bashfulnesse prudence and retaynednesse in speech She is saluted by an Angell hayle full of grace accompaigned with her Lord and Master blessed among all women and yet she feares euen an Angell in the shape of a man she resalutes him not and in lieu of complacence finds trouble in hearing so great commendations of her selfe and falls a considering what kind of salutation that might be She eyes her selfe as one who was dayly begging for grace and she wonders to heare herselfe declared full of grace Her companions vse to be the poorer sort of Virgines and she admires to vnderstande she is accompaigned with her Lord and Master She lookes vpon her selfe as the least of women and cannot therfor conceiue how she should be blessed amongst all women Affection Ah my soule doe we obserue this Virgine full of grace blessed amongst all women startled at the presence of an Angell while yet we poore frayle Creatures miserable sinners feare not the presence of men where we may haue experienced much danger And when she returnes noe answer but is troubled at her owne prayses euen from an Angell prudently considering what they might import shall we vainely fall in loue with the prayses which men fawningly bestow vpon vs and therby vnconsideratly fall into questions and answers and ingagements which leade we know not whither Ah saith S. Ambrose it is the part of a Vingine to quake and tremble at euery approche of a man and to feare euery word he speakes THE IV. MEDITATION For the Announciation I. POINT CONSIDER that while the
magnifie our Lord and to reioyce in God our Sauiour for that he dayned graciously to looke vpon our vilenesse abiection and miserie by which looke or loue of his all our happinesse was begun THE III. MEDITATION For the Visitation I. POINT CONSIDER what was the seconde cause for which our Blessed Lady did so magnifie our Lord and you will heare her selfe againe shew it Still remouing all prayse from her selfe to ascribe it to the sourse of all Good because saith she he that is mightie hath done greate thinges to me as though she should say let none be slow in giuing credit to this ineffable mysterie let none admire that I. a Virgine haue conceiued for how euer it is in me that this astonishing wonder is wrought yet it was not I but the Almightie God that wrought it in the power of the most high who ouershaded me And the whole reason of the worke is the omnipotent power of the workman who alone workes great inscrutable and wonderfull thinges Affection Feare not my soule to acknowledg with our Blessed Lady that he who is mightie hath wrought great thinges in thee so thou humbly with her too confesse vpon whom they were wrought and by whom for so thou shalt stille haue thyne owne misery and Gods power mercy and bountie before thyne eyes so shalt thou neuer forgett that he is all and thou thy selfe nothinge at all and yet finding so many benefits whether of body or soule or fortune freely bestowed vpon thy pouertie and nothinge thou wilt euen melt away with admireing loue and willingly and ioyfully spend what soeuer thou hast of life or abilitie in continuall Magnifying of so good a Lord and in Spirituall exultations in so Deare a Sauiour II. POINT CONSIDER how hugely great that grace of Gods looking vpon B. Maries abiection must needs haue bene sith from thenceforth all generations shall call her blessed as she her selfe feares not to foretell hauing first giuen the honour of it to him that was truly the Authour therof Certainly that aspect or looking vpon was the effect of eternall direction according to that vbi amor ibi oculus and singular election his looke or aspect onely following his loue since as S. Augustin saith Gods looking vpon one by grace is the deliuering of him from abiection and abandonnement Affection O my soule what an excessiue ioy is it to a truly Christian hart to see this prediction so fully verified Blessed art thou began the Angell blessed art thou went on S Elizabeth and from them 16. ages and vpwards tooke and euer since continued the same songe all the Ancient Fathers being as it were at a holy strife which might take it the highest and all the Christian world from the rysing of the sunne till the setting of the same hauing nothing after Iesus so frequently in its mouth as our Blessed Lady that being as it were among them all her proper name whervpon millions of millions of all sexes and ages and conditions all the world ouer euery day fayle not to sing her Canticle and publish and confirme her blessed by all generations THE I. MEDITATION For the Natiuitie of our Blessed Sauiour I. POINT CONSIDER yet how many iust reasons concurre to oblidge all mankind to proclaime her blessed for euer First because she beleeued 2. Because she was full of grace 3. Because she brought out a most blessed fruite 4. Because the All-powerfull or Almightie wrought wonderful thinges in her 5. Because she was the Mother of our Lord the King of Glorie 6. Because she reserued the puritie of a Virgine togeither with the fecunditie of a Mother 7. Because neither was their before her or euer shall there be after her any like or comparable to her Affection Blesse her then my soule blesse her togeither with heauen and earth with Angells and Saintes and withall learne of her to blesse to prayse to magnifie that powerfull hand which wrought wonders in her and by her that fruite of her wombe that God her Sauiour whom she brought out blesse her firme faith her fulnesse of grace her pure maternitie her fruite full Virginitie Say say my soule with the deuoute Saint Bernard while the riuers run into the Sea while the woodes ouershade the mountaines while the starres possesse the heauens thyne honour thy name thy prayses shall alwayes remayne II. POINT CONSIDER that though Blessed Marie were a iustest subiect of admiratioÌ„ to men and Angells in all the states of her life as being designed for a worke which passed all their capacities euen to conceiue it yet was she then most blessefull and blessed when she did not onely promise but present her blessed fruite when our God was not onely our Lord with her and in her but our Emmanuel or our God with vs by her when that flower of the field began to appeare in our Land and her Virgine earth brought out a Sauiour when finally her dayes were fully come that she should be deliuered she brought-forth her first begotten Sonne and swadled him in clootes and layd him downe in a manger Affection Then then my soule it was indeede that all men of good will began to blesse her ioyninge with the multitudes of Angels who compasse about our more then Salomons litle bedd to sing a Gloria to the child of her wombe and peace to the world Then did she place her young Sonne our God visibly amongst vs and therby freed vs from that ancient reproche vbi est Deus tuus where is thy God Now thou mayst tell the Diuell my soule that here he is to subdue his pride Thou mayst tell the incredulous Iewes that here he is to confound their malice Thou maist tel all men of good will that here he is to breake our chaynes to cure our wounds to direct to protect to comfort to saue the poore banished Sonns of Eue. THE II. MEDITATION In the Natiuitie of our Sauiour I. POINT CONSIDER that then it was indeede that she shewed her selfe to be a Mother when she brought forth to the world her first begotten Sonne and layd him in a manger Then she was indeede Mother in effect and Mother of God and in that name and qualitie according to S. Thomas of Aquine the greatest creature that euer was or euer shall or can be made euen by the Almighties power since to be the Mother of God as being ioyned to a thing of an infinite perfection includes in it selfe a certaine infinite dignitie Affection Stand amaysed my soule at this heauenly prodigie as hauing neither words nor thoughtes sutable to this ineffable dignitie or at least say with that great S. Andrew of Hierusalem O holy Lady Thou art the incomprehensible secreete of the diuine economie whom the Angells desire incessantly to behold Thou art the admirable lodging of an humbled God Thou art that agreeable earth which made him descend from heauen and gave him entrie among vs. Thou art the treasure of â—he mysteries shut vp before all ages
in him shall not be confounded for euer Hearke how comfortably he cryes to vs loose the shakles of thy necke captiue daughter of sion Why art thou worne away with sorrow for nothing were you sold and without syluer you shall be redeemed But are our proud hearts happly raysed into mountaines of presumption vpon the view of our owne vertue Downe with them vpon the sight of a God humbled fall downe groueling vpon him and protest to him since omnipotencie is become impotent as it were and lyes at our Feete miserie rottennesse wormes meate shall not dare to aspire Resolution Humbly begge of him that all weake and lowlie soules may be filled with the multitudes of the blissings he bringes downe for man and that all swollen hearts may share in the same and learne of him who is myld and humble of heart That both of them may meete with the ioyes of these blessed tymes and find rest to their soules ✚ IHS THE FIRST MEDITATION FOR THE FOVRTH SVNDAY IN ADVENT Prepare the wayes of our Lord. THE WORDS OF THE GOSPELL THE FIRST POINTE. CONSIDER how this voyce of one crying in the Deserte this holy Euangellicall preacher S. Iohn teacheth vs how worthily to prepare our selues against the coming of his and our diuine Master saying prepare the way of our Lord. And how doth he teach vs First by his example by an absolute retreate from the world to liue in a vaste wildernesse by austeritie in meate drinke and clothes secondly by his preaching the penance which he had first practised admirable humilitie and contempt of honour publikly professing himselfe to be nothing Affection None my soule is duely prepared to receiue our diuine Sauiour who doth not first renounce the world at least in affection if not in effect and exercise acts of a penitentiall life Vnlesse we doe pennance we shall all perish togeither None is fit y prepared to receiue the humble sonne of the hūble mother but he that feares not to make publike professiō of humilitie and contempt of honours with S. Iohn saying I am not Christ I am not Elias I am not the Prophete whom you seeke nay contrarily my soule we for our parts are poore miserable sinners We are not worthy that thou ô Sauiour of the world shouldst enter vndter our roofes THE SECONDE POINTE. The voyce of God was made vpon Iohn the sonne of Zacharie in the Deserte CONSIDER that it was in the Deserte that the word of God descended vpon this great Prophete that is there it was that he was replenished with diuine inspirations sacred conferences and heauenly doctrines And there it is too that we ought to heare our lord as he doth promise by O see I will leade her the sinfull soule into the wildernesse and I will speake to her heart Affection If we desire in good earnest my soule to be instructed from heauen and to haue diuinelie sweete conferences with our heauenly spouse our hearts must turne deserts that is things forsaken by the world and freely forsaking it that in solitude and silence we may truly say speake ô lord for thy seruant heares say to my soule I am thy saluation but say it so that I may heare it That good God ceases not amidst the multituds of our follics and vanities to speake to vs but it reaches but to our eares onely the noyse of the world hinders our heart to heare those heauenly inuitations come my loue my doue my spouse and thence it is we answer not as we ought my beloued is myne and I am his THE SECONDE MEDITATION FOR THE SAME SVNDAY OF ADVENT Make his pathes straight Luc. 3. THE FIRST POINTE. CONSIDER that the great kinge of heauen is daigning to come to vs and it is butt fitting that we prepare his way by making his wayes right and straight that nothing may hinder his gracious accesse to our hearts nothing doth more hinder his coming to vs then our duplicitie and crookednesse of hart our indirectnesse of intention for a double tongued mouth he doth detest but loues to meete with the simplicitie of a doue I know saith Dauid my God that thou prouest the hearts and louest simplicitie Who walkes simply walkes confidently and our lord protects him and directs his wayes Affection It is the great kinge of heauen my soule who by an excesse of goodnesse is readie to come into the earth to comfort vs to instruct vs to redeeme vs. Not now in Maiestie to fright vs but in humilitie in simplicitie in abiection in the forme of a seruant to teach vs in his owne person to be simple and right and fearing God Let euerie mountaine and hill then be humbled all lightnesse of harte be subdued all harshnesse be banished all duplicitie be corrected The humble mylde and simple lambe will onely lodge in an humble mylde and simple breast THE SECONDE POINTE. Who art thou the Gospell CONSIDFR that howeuer this question was put by the Pharisies to S. Iohn captiously it may be or out of some curiositie yet may it be profitably proposed to each one of vs for our spirituall aduantage Who art thou A Christian or one honored with the name of Christ Further who art thou An English Christian Catholike that is one who is not onelie honored with the name of Christ but also blessed for being called to suffer for that name But who art thou finally Not onely a Christian an English Catholike Christian but euen one by a singular dignation called to be the spouse of Christ Affection Good god my soule what titles of honour and dearenesse has not heauen bestowed vpon vs which haue not bene granted to thousands of others But alas may not these honours rather cause feare then ioy for as gifts are increased doe not also our accompts ryse higher By the title of Christian we are bound to be imitatours of Christ and to expresse his life in ours By English Catholikes we are pointed out as the peculiar champions of Christs truth And by spouses we ought to be intirely and without reserue his Alas haue our liues bene answearable therto Haue we not fayld in such and such thinges c. with firme resolution of amendement THE FIRST MEDITATION FOR THE FIRST SVNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANIE Iesus remayned in Ierusalem and his parents knew it not Luc. 2. THE FIRST POINTE. CONSIDER that as it happened here to Marie and Iosephe so it chanceth often not onely to sinners by mortall sinne but euen to most vertuous and deuoute soules that Iesus some tyme seemes to be lost while he absents himselfe without their knowledge that is while he withdrawes for a tyme the delicious consolations of his presence to trye whether their loue be chaste that is free from selfe interest in that they loue not for any temporall commoditie or any spirituall solace but for his owne infinite goodnesse alone Nor can they oftentymes whithout much patience labour and sorrowe find him againe Affection Here in it is my soule that
true vertue is tryed when Iesus is willingly wanted for the loue of Iesus that is when we indeuour more faithefully to accomplishe his blessed will in the midst of our greatest drinesse in deuotion then to inioy his consolations It is the Giuer not the gift we must prise if we will be true louers It was neuer said by our Sauiour that he is my best seruant who inioys most spirituall consolation but he that doth my will is my brother my sister and mother Let therfor this resolution be our buckler in the absence of Iesus I will alwayes looke vpon the light of faith I will humbly begge Gods grace I will place an vnwearied hope in him I will neuer consent to be separated from his charitie Finally I will rather leaue my selfe to his abismal prouidence and mercy then to myne owne industrie THE SECONDE POINTE. They Marie and Ioseph sought him amongst their kinsfolkes and acquaintance and found him not CONSIDER that B. Marie the Virgine mother of Iesus and Ioseph his putatiue father those two incomparable persons sought Iesus and found him not because they sought him where he was not to be found to witt among their kindred and acquaintance But they persisted in seeking and at length found him in the temple disputing amidst the Doctours whither his heauenly Fathers concernes did call him as he himselfe told them saying Know you not that I must be about those thinges which are my Father's Affection It is not amongst our Parents and kinsfolkes my soule that Iesus is to be found nay contrarily they are to be left to find him Heare daughter and see and incline thyne eare and forgett thy people and thy Fathers house and the Kinge will couet thy beautie It is not among our acquaintance neither for there if we reflect well on it he is rather lost then found But it is in the Temple we shall infallibly finde him among the Doctours and preachers of his holie lawe in the Temple we shall find him really present in the B. Sacrament readie to heare vs and to bestowe heauenly blessings vpon vs THE SECONDE MEDITATION FOR THE SAME DAY I must be about those things which are my Fathers THE FIRST POINTE. CONSIDER that our first dutie ought to be payd to God by attending to the worke wherin we are imployed by him which we are here taught by our B. Sauiours example without any regard to parents desires when they deturne vs from the seruice to which he calls vs. But that being first complyed with we are in the seconde place to returne to the dutie which we owe to our parents following our Sauiours example againe who leauing Ierusalem went downe with them and came to Nazareth Affection If we pretend my soule to be the Disciples and followers of Christ we must learne of him what is required to it And this he teacheth vs as well by his practise here as by his precept els where Vnlesse one hate his father and mother his wife and children brothers and sisters yea and his owne life besides he cannot be my Disciple When therfor respect to parents enters into opposition with Gods will and seruice we ought to hate our Father and mother That is to kill that carnall affection which proues an enemye to God Let vs pay that first dutie my soule to that almightie father of vs all and then we cannot fayle to pay all honour respect and loue to our deare parents to obey them and to be subiect to them in all tendernesse and filiall dutie THE SECONDE POINTE. And he was subiect to them to witt Marie and Ioseph CONSIDER that Iesus as God who was begotten eternally by his heauenly father could neither be subiect to God nor man because to speake with S. Paule he esteemed it noe stealth to be equall to God the Father with whom he was consubstantiall and coeternall nor could he as God-man by any lawe of nature be subiect to any man neither because as such too he was infinitly more worthy more wise and better then all men How was he then subiect to Marie and Ioseph Marrie to giue vs an example of the greatest humilitie and obedience imaginable freely and of his owne accorde he submitted himselfe to them both euen to the exercising of manual labours or what els they pleased to commande Affection O humilitie how great a thinge thou art since we must haue an humbled God to teach it vs Yet as God he could not he takes then man vpon him to performe that great worke so great a thinge it is to become litle Whence holy S. Bernard cryes out Who is he that becomes subiect and to whom God to man nor to Marie alone but to Ioseph too On euery side astonishement on euery side wonders That God should obeye a woman is a humilitie without example That a woman should commande a God is a dignitie not to be paraelled Blush proude duste God humbles himselfe and thou exaltes thy selfe â—od humbles himselfe to men and thou by earnestnesse to haue dominion ouer men preferrest thy selfe euen before thy Authour THE FIRST MEDITATION FOR THE SECONDE SVNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANIE A Mariage was made in Cana a towne of Galilie Io. 2. THE FIRST POINTE. CONSIDER that noe good Christian ought to looke vpon mariage otherwise then with estimation and respect nor should any make nice to honour and countenance the younge maried couple with their presence The state is honorable and ordered by Gods prouidence to fill the emptie seates in heauen with saintes Nay saith S. Paule this is a greate Sacrament In fine our B. Sauiour his Virgine mother and some of his Disciples were inuited to a mariage in Cana a towne of Galilie and they freely daigned to honour it with their presence and with the first miracle that euer Iesus wrought Affection Be we our selues of what state of life so euer my soule let vs not doubt to honour what our Sauiour honours Virgines we know haue made choyse of the better parte following S. Paules counsell which he had from our Lord yet better saith S. Augustine is an humble wife then a proude Virgine If Virgins be more honorable maried women are more necessarie And if those be the greatest ornaments of Gods Church The fruitfulnesse of these peoples the Church with those ornaments Let God be honored in both who wisely distributes his gifts as he pleaseth to one so and to another so as God hath called euery one so let him walke saith the great Apostle THE SECONDE POINTE. CONSIDER that though these carnall mariages are both honorable and laudabile yet are there other mariages in the Church of God which farre out passe them Those were graced with the mother of God these with God himselfe To those Iesus was inuited to these Iesus inuites all that will in those Iesus pleased to be present in these he himselfe is the spouse In those water was turned into wine in these is onely pure wine which begetts Virgines Heare S.
Augustine though such as vowe Virginitie to God hold a more ample degree of honour and dignitie in the Church of God yet are not they without mariage for they belonge to the mariage with the whole Church wherin Christ is the spouse Affection O admirable dignitie of the Virgine where the humble handmayd is raysed to the honour of a Bride to Christ himselfe the Bridegroome whom whē she loues she is chaste whom when she touches she is pure whom when she takes in mariage she is a Virgine O supercelestial mariage from whence fidelitie and fertilitie is expected as well as in other mariages for such as breake this first faith haue damnation saith the Apostle and the happie state of Virgines assures S. Augustine is more fruitfull and fertile not to haue bigge bellies but great mynds not to haue breasts full of mylke but harts full of candour and in lieu of bringing forth earth out of their bowells they bring forth heauen by their prayers Hence issues a noble progenie puritie iustice patience mildnesse charitie followed by all her venerable traine of vertues This is the Virginns worke to be sollicitous of what belongs to God and to haue her whole conuersation in Heauen THE SECONDE MEDITATION FOR THE SAME SVNDAY CONSIDER yet a third sort of mariage wherin the whole Catholike Church that is all faithfull soules are espoused to Christe in faith hope and charitie but especially by charitie which as Queene drawes a longe with her all the powers and affections of the soule to conforme and subiect them to the pleasure of her diuine spouse making but one will and nill of two wills to witt that of God and man And this conformitie saith the deuoute S. Bernard maries the soule to God Whence results an ineffable content and pleasure and such a heate of diuine loue that the soule and all her affections are absorpt therin Affection Let the world then my soule boast as much as it will of the pleasures and contentements which it inioyes they are not like to the lawe of the Lord thy God that sweete law of loue in comparisō of which the most prosperous earthly pleasure is but vile and base The cheife Good is our Good of which Tertulian saith excellently soome goods as well as some euills bring an intolerable waight with them and most dearely and deliciously oppresse the soule Hence it was that that holie Apostle of the Indies cryed out Satis est Domine satis est It is enough ô Lord it is enough THE SECONDE POINTE CONSIDER yet a fourth sorte of Mariage which is made euery day to all kinds of faithfull soules which approche to the B. Sacrament Wherin we are made one with that diuinely deare spouse of ours not onely by charitie but euen in realitie and in verie deede we are mingled with that sacred flesh of his in that celestiall banket which he bestowes vpon vs to shew vs the excesse of his loue Whence S. Christome saith therfor it was that he ioynd himselfe with vs and mixed his body into vs to the'nd we might be come one with him as the body is ioyned to the heade for euen as one who powres melted waxe saith Cyrill into other waxe must necessarily wholy mixe the one with the other so he that receiues the body and bloud of our Lord is so ioyned with him that Christ is found in him and he in Christ Affection O excesse of goodnesse ô ineffable delightes of that most chaste and sacred mariage betwixt the kinge of heauen and poore man Here in this mariage banket is serued in the foode of Angells nay the kinge of the Angells himselfe becomes the whole feaste Nor is there neede there of any other wine then the precious bloude of the Lambe who dyed for our loue say then my soule and let all that loue and feare our Lord Iesus say with vs quoniam bonus quoniam in saeculum misericordia eius that he is infinitly good and his mercys are without end THE FIRST MEDITATION FOR THE THIRD SVNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANIE If thou wilt said the Leper to our sauiour thou canst make me cleane Matt. 8. THE FIRST POINTE. CONSIDER that the poore Leper had found by a longe and painfull experience that there was noe hope of cure by the power of man all his owne and others endeuours prouing vneffectuall and therfor he wisely resolued in an humble confidence to haue recourse to him whom he knew by faith to be able to doe all that he would in heauē and in earth By adoration he acknowledges him to be God and by his words he publishes him to be all powerfull He came and adored him sayinge Lord If thou wilt thou canst and the present effects proue that his faith is powerfull and gratefull to Christ who graciously replyes I will Be thou made cleane and forth with his leprosie was made cleane Affection Our great and good Lord my soule neither wants power nor good will to cure all our infirmites if we aske as we ought If he some tyme delaye vs it is but the better to trye vs and more euidently to acquainte vs with our owne want of abilitie till he putt his powerfull hand to the worke for then our leprosie is forth with cured If he delaye vs and sometyme permitt vs for a longe space to languish and euen to be ouerspredd with our leprosie it is but the more perfectly to humble vs and throughly to cure the more dangerous desease of pride Finally if he delay the cure till we waxe more desparatly sicke it oblidges vs being at length cured the more highly to magnifie his mercy and publish his power to all men THE SECONDE POINTE. CONSIDER that there is noe stayne so deeply setled which Gods power is not able to fetch out noe leprosie of body or soule so inueterate and incurable which God with a word doth not cure Our application or addresse is onely to be looked to We must approche to the Lord of life and death as to one such with a liuely faith with an absolute confidence that with a word he can worke what he will his power being onely limited by his will as the faithfull leper plainly expresses Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me cleane Affection Be then my soule thy leprosie and other spirituall deseases neuer so peremptorie Be it that they haue growne on with thee since thy youth Seeme they rather to be another nature then natures defects yet haue but a frequent confident humble recourse to this souueraigne Physitian with a true acknowledgement of thyne owne miserable and otherwise desparate estate crying out with afirme faith O Lord if thou wilt thou canst cure all myne infirmities and infallibly in his good tyme we shall heare I will be thou made cleane THE SECONDE MEDITATION FOR THE SAME SVNDAY Of the Centurion or Capitaine of an hundred Soldiers who sued to our Sauiour for the cure of his seruante THE FIRST POINTE. CONSIDER that we may
most iustly admire him whom our Sauiour the wisdome of God seemed to admire how euer he could not indeede be subiecte to admiration to whom nothing was vnknowne His great faith being but yet a gentile then which our Sauiour testifies he found none greater in Israell His tender care of his sicke seruant whom he tearmes his child His greate humilitie iudging himselfe vnworthy to haue our Lord come to him His true sense of his power or omnipotencie who he knew could cure at any distance by his word alone saying say but onely the word and my boy shall be healed Affection Iustly I say my soule may we admire those many and great vertues in that poore gentile but much more that mercyfull Lord who first freelie gaue what he pleased afterward to admire for faith is not ours by nature but is a heauenly light sent from aboue wherby he and we are taught to loue and serue the meanest as our children or brethren humbly to deferre to our Superiours to haue high thoughts of Gods omnipotent power and with an absolute confidence to flye to his ayde in all our owne and our neighbours necessities We will therfor not so much admire as striue to imitate the good Centurion in our approches to our almightie Lord. THE SECONDE POINTE. I haue not found so great faith in Israel CONSIDER that our Sauiour makes well appeare that God is not the God of the Iewes onely but of the Gentils too For how euer the Iewes bragged that God was onely knowne in Iuda and that his name was great in Israel yet Truth reproches to them that he had not mette with so great faith in Israel as he found in that poore gentile and with a dreadfull minace leaues them in a doubtfull expectation what might become of them who esteemed themselues alone Gods chosen people with exclusion of all others saying many shall come from east and weste and shall sitt downe with Abraham Isaac and Tacob in the Kingdome of heauen but the children shall be cast out into exteriour darknesse where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth Affection Who thinkes himselfe to stande my soule let him beware that he fall not Ther is noe assurance in mans fayling force Be our vocation neuer so holy and angell-like there is noe securitie the brightest Angells fell Seeme we to sayle neuer so prosperously yet we haue iust cause to dreade a storme and oftentymes we meete with shipwrake euen in the harbour Blessed therfor saith a holy Father is the man who is alwayes fearfull and diffident of himselfe Accursed is he who places his confidence in man If none know then who is worthy of loue or hate let vs labour the more that by good workes we may make sure our vocation and election as saith that blessed Pope S. Peter being taught that wholsome lesson by his owne fall THE FIRST MEDITATION FOR THE FOVRTH SVNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANIE When he Iesus entered into the boat his Disciples followed him and loe a great tempeste arose c. Matt. 8. THE FIRST POINTE. CONSIDER that there could neuer appeare more securitie then when good Disciples followed their good Master Iesus nor hope of a more happie nauigation then when they were imbarked in the same boate with Christ And yet loe a greate tempeste arose in the sea so that the boate was couered with waues which threatened present shipwracke Affection Ah my soule let vs neuer esteeme our selues secure while we sayle on this dangerous sea of the world at noe tyme in noe place in noe companie The whole life of man is a temptation vpon earth How euer we haue the happinesse to be Christians that is to be Disciples and followers of Christ Though we haue otherwise the singular grace to be Catholike Christians and to sayle in Peters shippe where Christ is the souueraigne Pilote yet stormes often arise and we are readie to perish and perish we shall infallibly vnlesse we fixe our whole confidence as a sure anker in his power who is able to make the windes and sea obedient to his orders THE SECONDE POINTE. The boate was couered with waues but he Iesus slept CONSIDER that as our Sauiour deales here with his deare Disciples so doth he ordinarily with his dearest friends The Disciples are readie to sinke while he as though he were not concerned in their danger quietly sleepes The faithfull soule finds her selfe surrounded with all sortes of temptations which so violently make heade against her that she seemes euery moment readie to perish And yet Iesus sleeps that is leaues her to her selfe readie to be swallowed vp in those raging stormes of her poore afflicted conscience So that whether she sinkes or swimmes she scarce knowes because Iesus seemes asleepe to her Affection And yet my soule all is safe Iesus is in the boate with vs. While we remayne in his blessed companie and adheare to his ayde we may be tossed but sinke we shall not for the God that keepeth Israël shall neither slumber nor sleepe but assures vs that if we place our confidence in him he will be with vs in tribulation that he will deliuer vs and glorifie vs. For the rest it is good for vs to be thus tryed that we may learne by longe experience and neuer forgett that our strength is weaknesse that our danger is in our selfe-confidence and our assurance in the great God of all consolation Inte Domine sperabo non confundar in aeternum THE SECONDE MEDITATION FOR THE SAME SVNDAY The Disciples came to Christ and wakened him saying Lord saue vs we perish THE FIRST POINTE. CONSIDER that as in the Disciples iust feare of perishing we ought to apprehend our owne danger in tymes of temptation so by their example we may find securitie They trust not to their owne strength or skill but run presently to Christ for ayde they crye out and awake him they acknowledge in his eares the hazard they run saue ô Lord saue vs say they we perish Affection Let vs not then my soule amidst our frequent temptations and stormes of soule fall to distrust disquiete and perplexitie of mynde nor yet hope by disputes and as it were by force of armes to vanquish them But let vs vpon the verie first rysing of such tempests imitating the Disciples run to Iesus and cast our selues into his secure bosome wherin alone is our safe sanctuarie Crye out so lowde that you may awake him that man-louer loues to be importuned and is wonne therby Tell him with all humilitie and resignation to his blessed will the danger you are in your feare of falling in your selfe with firme hope of standing by his grace saying saue ô Lord saue vs we perish THE SECONDE POINTE. Why are you fearefull ô yee of litle faith CONSIDER as well our Sauiours mylde reprehension as present deliuerie of his fearefull Disciples It is not a moderate feare that he reprehends in them which is the begining of wisdome but their infidelitie or lacke
fedd fiue thousand but with vs in the blessed Sacrament one bread of life descending from heauen feeds fiue thousand millions They receiued onely bodily foode and but once we the true foode of the soule which giues grace and strength and leades to eternall life and that too as often as we please Affection Crye out then my soule and let all Christian hartes crye out thou art great ô Lord thou art great thou art great and wonderfully laudable and thy greatnesse hath noe bounds nor end Thy friends ô God are too too much honored their dominion and raigne in thee are exceedingly confirmed and firmely established Thou giuest foode in due tyme to euery creature Thou feedst the multitude which followes thee with breade of miracle and thy Christian children with the breade of Angells O res mirabilis ô wonder of wonders A poore and abiect seruant eates his Lord and Master THE FIRST MEDITATION FOR PASSION SVNDAY Which of you shall argue me of sinne Io. 8. CONSIDER the incomparable innocencie of our Sauiour Iesus Christ who could stand vp vndauntedly amongst all the Princes of the Scribes and Pharisies his mortall enemyes and prouoke their malice to argue or conuince him of sinne Who will or can conuince me me of sinne They can carpe his best actions they can reuile him they can calumniate him they can horribly blaspheame him saying he has a Diuell in him but the most impudent among them aduentured not to fixe any stayne of sinne vpon him nor would he suffer it as being altogeither inconsistant with his diuinitie There is noe guile framed in thy sacred mouth Affection Noe my deare Lord those fatt bulls may beseedge thee and many dogs may compasse thée about but they shall not be able to teare thy inuiolable innocencie They shall find noe guile in thy sacred mouth nor blemish in thy actions We alas are they that haue sinned we that haue done vniustly we that haue committed iniquitie We dare not pretend to innocencie but at least sweete Iesus giue vs thy holy grace humbly to acknowledge our faults neuer laying claime to that which we haue noe right to And if calumnies be putt vpon vs falsely giue vs courage to neglect them by thy example vnlesse they be such as dishonour our ministerie or office by which we are made lesse able to performe our duties in which case giue vs grace to deney them with simplicitie and modestie without rendering euill for euill leauing the rest to Gods sweete prouidence THE SECONDE POINTE Doe not we say well that thou art a Samaritane and hast a Diuell Io. 8. CONSIDER the strange peruersitie and obstinacie of the Iewes who while they could find nothinge to reprehend in his doctrine nothinge in the truth of his words nothing in point of his life and manners they fall to iniuries and those most outragious ones saying with approbation of their rashe iudgement Did not we say well that he is a Samaritane a base fellow and has a Diuell The first accusation he past ouer in silence for he was indeede the true Samaritane that is the keeper and sauer of man But the seconde which was a most horride blasphemie he would not let passe but replyd to it in short with all the mildnesse and modestie that might be saying I haue noe Diuell Affection Detest my soule such a damnable peruersitie which while it finds nothing in words or actions reprehensible falls to iniurious languadge and obserue that as the Iewes malice mounts higher so our Sauiours mildenesse doth transcende They most horribly blaspheame by vniting in his person God and the Diuell two of the most absolute extreames He onely repulses that iniurie by a most milde and short replye I haue noe Diuell Let vs thus proceede my soule when our most innocent words or workes are mistaken or carped at let vs pay a mylde replye to truth without wrangling For the rest our innocencie will afford ioy enough to our harts THE SECONDE MEDITATION FOR THE SAME SVNDAY If I tell you the truth why doe not you beleeue me Io. 8. CONSIDER that our Sauiour was not onely truth it selfe which could neither deceiue nor be deceiued which the Iewes might in some sorte be ignorant of but he had vsed all the meanes possible to make it appeare to them by effectes He had cured their blind their deafe their dumbe and lame He had appeared in glorie and had the testimonie of heauen and earth that he was the sonne of God He had shewen his power ouer the Diuells There was noe guile found in his mouth nor offence in his actions as his mortall enemyes being prouoked made good by their silence and yet they beleeue him not Affection May not then one say ô Lord what couldst thou haue further done for thy vineyard for thy deare people of thy holy Land which thou didst not Thy testimonies were but too too credible thy miracles were innumerable visible vndenyable From thy diuine mouth flowed honie and milke thy actions were wholie laudable But their malice their auarice their ambition hardene their harts and blinded their vnderstandings Let vs say they circumnent that iust man he is vnprofitable to vs and contrarie to our workes He is the heire le ts kill him and the inheritance is ours Hence it is my soule that the good seede of Gods truth plainely proposed and inculcated to our harts are stifled in vs by our inordinate desires of honours pleasures profitt THE SECOND POINT If I say the truth why doe you not beleeue me CONSIDER that though the Iewes appeare and are indeede hugely blame-worthy yet I feare if the proceedings of many of vs Christians be well looked into we shall be found noe lesse guiltie They sawe the miracles yet their malice at least made them conceiue that they were done by the power of the Diuell but we beleeue without all doubt that they were done in digito Dei They sawe the innocencie of his life yet misdoubted hypocrycie We beleeue him to be that most innocent person in whose mouth there is noe guile They were in doubt of his Deitie We beleeue firmely that he is the true sonne of God Affection And yet my soule while we confesse all this to be so true that we dare not misdoubt any part of it doe not our actions often tymes belye our beleife and Gods truthes are blaspheamed therby We beleeue his almightie power by which he workes wonders at his pleasure and doth all that he will in heauen and in earth and yet being men of litle faith we doubt of his fatherly prouidence in the tyme of necessitie We well know the innocencie of his life and that it ought to be the rule of ours and yet our liues are so vicious and deceiptfull that we quite swarue from that holie rule we cannot be knowne by it We willingly professe that Ch. Iesus is our Lord and our God and yet we appeare in the eyes of his enemyes so poore seruants of his that
they were taught by experience to distruste in their owne endeuours and to expect Christs orders and tymes with absolute dependance of his good pleasure they were so farre from labouring in vaine that they presently inclosed a huge multitude of fishes and were in a manner agreably oppressed with plentie Affection We must not fayle to labour my soule and to vse our vttermost endeuours for this the God who indowed vs with witt and industrie requires at our hands howeuer they may not alwayes be answered with wished successe But this done le ts stay Gods order and pleasure and as absolutly depende vpon his prouidence and goodnesse as though we had vsed noe endeuours at all which without Gods assistance would proue vneffectuall to our purpose Neither he who plantes is any thinge nor he who waters but God who giues increase THE SECONDE POINTE. Peter fell downe at Iesus his knees saying goe forth from me ô Lord for I am a sinfull man CONSIDER that Peter was so farre from ascribing the taking that vnexpected multitude of fish at one draught either to his owne skill or euen to the great credit he had with Christ by whose power indeede that wonder was wrought that contrarily he enters vpon it into himselfe by reflection what he is and what God is and humbly falls downe at Iesus his feete giuing all the glorie to him and acknowledging himselfe to be a poore sinner vnworthy of his presence Affection Let vs my soule in all our achiuements and progresse in spitit learne a Christian behauiour of this humble sainte and neuer ascribe any thinge to our selues but to the good giuer of all good gifts saying with the Psalmist not to vs ô Lord not to vs but giue glorie to thyne owne name for if we began well it was by the fauour of his preuenting grace if we aduanced it was by the conduct of his concomitante grace if we made any considerable progresse it was he that wrought it in vs who workes as well the will as the performāce according to his good pleasure we being otherwise noe better then poore sinfull men We are onely my soule the happie free or voluntarie instruments which his mercy makes merite to receiue afterwards a crowne of iustice at his heauenly hands THE FIRST MEDITATION FOR THE FIFT SVNDAY AFTER WHITSVNDAY Matt. 5. Vnlesse your iustice abound more then that of the Scribes and Pharisies you shall not enter into the Kingdome of heauen CONSIDER that the Scribes and Pharisies fasted often to witt twice a weeke prayed much payd the tythes of all they possessed gaue almes liberally were verie conuersant in holy scriptures and like great Rabbys interpreted them to the people and yet Truth it selfe Iesus Christ who can neither deceiue nor be deceiued threatens vs Christians that vnlesse our iustice vertue and perfection be greater then theirs we shall not enter into the Kingdome of heauen Affection Alas my deare Lord if this be put downe for an absolute and irreuocable Doome pronounced by thy holy mouth that vnlesse the iustice of vs Christians doe abounde more then that of the scribes c. We shall not enter into the Kingdome of heauen what will become of vs when we fall short euen of what they performe for are not our prayers cold and full of distractions Our workes of mercy as well corporall as spirituall verie fewe our fastes rather suffered then performed with feruour And yet vnlesse our iustice surpasse theirs there are noe hopes of heauen for vs. THE SECONDE POINTE. CONSIDER that Christian iustice and perfection doth not indeede consiste in exteriour actions though otherwise good of their owne natures but take their worth and excellencie from the interiour intention because all the beautie of the kinges daughter the soule issues from the interiour If the intention the eye of the the soule be simple the whole body of the actions proceeding from thence will be beautifull and agreeable Nor are againe euery well meant action Christian perfection but onely wayes to it perfection consisting absolutly in the loue of God and our neighbour Affection We are not then my soule so much to looke what we doe as how it is done Nor how good the action is in it selfe as from what harte it proceedeth with what puritie of intention it is done God is not delighted with the sacryfice of our lipps but of our hartes and those too sett vpon that one necessarie thinge charitie from which all our actions ought to issue and to her finally to tende because true Christian perfection and the plenitude of the lawe is loue THE SECONDE MEDITATION FOR THE SAME SVNDAY Thou shalt not kill was it said of old But I Christ say vnto you that he who is angrie against his brother shall be coulpable of iudgement CONSIDER how sweete this lawe of loue is wherin Christian iustice consists and how deare it ought to be to vs all since it prouides for all our aduantages It setts not onely our life in assurance by saying thou shall not kill but euen striues to make our otherwise miserable liues delightfull to vs by forbidding anger taunting and deridinge words and all manner of vnderualuing one an other intimated by the words Raca and foole Affection O how happie how happie were we Christians my soule did we liue according to the prescript of this heauenly sweete lawe O what a heauen should we finde in earth were our actions framed according to the directions and precepts of our diuine Law-giuer Our liues our honours our goodes and all were in an vndoubted safetie and our soules would inioy a perpetuall saboath while noe detractions ruinating neighbours fame would be heard noe carying of ill reports to one another which is destructiue to brotherly charitie would be vsed noe contumelies contempts and tauntes would be practised Labour the due obseruance of this lawe my soule and so blesse thy selfe with two heauens Consider how agreeable this brotherly charitie must needes be to our sweete Sauiour since he doth not onely prouide safetie and delight of our life while we obserue his holy Lawe according to that how goode and delightfull it is for brethren to liue vnanimously togeither but euen in case of transgression therof for our perfect reconcilement to our brother and him if thou offerest thy gift at the Altar and there thou remembrest that thy brother hath any thinge against thee leaue there thy offering c. and goe first to be reconciled to thy brother and then coming thou shalt offerre thy gift Affection O most delicious and heauenly Law O admirable goodnesse of God to poore man Who so closely lincked his interests with ours that if we be not right amongst our selues we are not right with him If we haue not peace with our brethren we haue not peace with him If any man say I loue God and hates his brother he is a lier saith the beloued Apostle Learne then to loue my soule whom thy exemplar Christ so much loues
that he chuses rather to want his owne proper worshippe sacryfice then that thy brother should want thy loue Thy offeringes of thyne austerities thy prayers thy communions will neuer proue gratefull to him as longe as thou willingly harbours grudging in thy breast against that poore brother of thyne for whom through loue he dyed The Meditations for this 6. sunday are the same with the 4. sunday in Lent pag. 100. THE FIRST MEDITATION FOR THE SEAVENTH SVNDAY AFTER WHITSVNDAY Take great heede of false Prophetes who come to you in the clothing of sheepe but inwardly are rauening wolues Matt. 7. CONSIDER that we oft proue false Prophetes or teachers to our selues and consequently our owne seducers while we vse the fawning perswasion of our owne vertue and goodnesse drawen from outward apparances from the barke leaues or flowres that is from the clothing of sheepe Wheras we are taught by Wisdome it selfe that the true and certaine decernement of solide from seeming vertues is placed in the fruites they produce that is the subduing of the great sinne pride the mortification of our passions Finally the vanquishing of our selfe loue selfwill and selfe interest Affection Le ts then my soule diligently and impartially examine our selues in pointe of our aduancement in these vertues and so we shall beware indeede of false Prophetes and be sure not to proue selfe-seducers Doe we make it our businesse to subdue pride which doth then most assault vs when we most aduance in vertue Are the passions which we obserue most to domineare in vs brought lowe Is selfe loue and self-will those pernicious sourses of all our miserie vanquished Is selfe interest subiected to the common good Humbly hope then in our Lord that all goes well with vs. If not knowe that vertue is not yet solidly rooted in vs. THE SECONDE POINTE. Euerie good tree yealdeth good fruites and the euil euill fruites Matt. 7. CONSIDER the good or bad fruites of the tree of our harte and thence we shall be able by the Euangelicall maxime to decerne whether If we meete with grapes and figues that is with mild and meeke thoughts words and comportments know for certaine the tree is good they are not the fruites of thornes and brambles marrie if we are true or false teachers or guides to our selues while we seeke for grapes and figues we meete with thornes and thistels that is with distaynefull bitter and sharpe thoughtes words and behauiour know that the roote is depraued the fruites viciated they are the productions of the badd tree which cannot bring out good fruite Affection Doe we my soule fast watch pray much doe we discipline vse great austerities and communicate often They are indeede excellent meanes for the produceing good fruites yet are they not for all that the fruites themselues They are certainely the clothings of the sheepe yet may a wolfe lye vnder them Our fruite saith S. Aug. is charitie see then whether coming from ours prayers c. we finde our selues patient benigne without enuie without peruersitie not puffed vp not ambitious not seeking our owne not prouoking to anger not thinking euill not reioycing vpon iniquitie but rejoycing at truth suffering all thinges beleeuing all thinges hopeing all thinges bearing all thinges and remayne assured thence that our hart is right and that we are happily tendinge towards our Beatitude THE SECONDE MEDITATION FOR THE SAME SVNDAY Euery tree which brings not forth good fruite shall be cutt downe and cast into the fire THE FIRST POINT CONSIDER that euery reasonable creature of what qualitie soeuer is a vine or tree planted in the vineyearde or orcharde of Christ Iesus against whom this dreadfull doome is pronounced it shall be cutt downe and cast into the fire in case it answer not to his expectation but in lieu of true grapes yealde nothinge but wilde grapes that is in lieu of true and solide vertues thinke to pay with apparances and in lieu of the sweete and agreeable fruites of charitie yeald nothing but bitternesse animosities and auersions amongst the citizens of heauen and Gods domestikes who should but all haue one hart and one soule Affection Let vs daylie and diligently my soule examine what fruites this tree of our hart produceth It importeth noe lesse then a blessed or cursed eternitie If sowre grapes bitternesse of hart enuie emulation dissension ah then Truth affirmes it shall be cutt downe and cast into the fire Alas it was not planted so that such fruites should be expected from it It was planted by the hand of God watered which the pretious bloud of Chr. let nothing then but the sweet fruites of Christianitie proceede from it THE SECONDE POINTE He that doth the will of my Father which is in heauen he shall enter into the Kingdome of heauen CONSIDER that here the wisdome of heauen in a few words layes vs downe the abridgement of all perfection and the blessed imitation of his whole life and passion to witt an absolute and louing resignation to the holy will of his heauenly father as well in all that he did as all that he suffered I come not saith that sweete Sauiour to doe myne owne will but the will of my father who is in heauen the thinges that please him I doe alwayes not as I will but as thou wilt Fawning words and Lord Lord may please fooles who desire to be flattered but the actuall complying with the will of God is onely gratefull in his eyes who sees hartes Affection Let vs then my soule absolutly and for euer renounce our owne will that disturber of our life and depriuer of our rest peace and true libertie and yeild it vp into the secure guidance of Gods holy will hauing alwayes vpon all occasions in all our doinges and sufferings in our harte and mouth thy blessed will be done my deare Lord and Master who best knowes what is most behoofull for me I am most willingly in thy holy hands turne me and winde me when thou wilt where thou wilt and how thou wilt thatthy will and myne may be but one Represse in me ô Lord that vnhappie libertie by which I am able to will any other thinge then what thou willest THE FIRST MEDITATION FOR THE EIGTH SVNDAY AFTER WHITSVNDAY There was a certaine rich man who had a Bailife Luc. 16. CONSIDER that this rich man was God the greate Maker and Master of all the earth and the Bailife man euery one of vs be we Masters or seruants rich or poore who hold all that we haue of that great Land-Lord the goods of our body the goods of our soule and those of fortune all is his and all proceeds from his bountifull hand we haue the stewardshippe of them to worke therby our saluation but the propertie remaynes still his Affection Let vs not then my soule mistake our selues apprehending that we are Lords and Masters while we are but indeede farmers and remoueable at pleasure of what seemes to be ours Be it farre from vs to vaunt
o Lord and delaye not come and pardon the sinnes of thy people come and saue man whom thou didst make of claye I would to God thou wouldst burst the heauens and descende and yet this happinesse was not granted them while we Christians inioy that or a greater For though as S. Chrysostome comfortably saith we haue not the happines to be hold his forme and figure his apparell c. Yet we see him we touche him we eate him O my soule what a singular honour is this to be fedd with him to be vnited to him and to be made one body of Christ and one flesh THE SECONDE POINTE. CONSIDER that tho those good Iewes the Apostles to whom the sonne of God was especially sent had a benediction of preference to haue seene him in person yet was there another noe lesse meritorious left for vs poore gentiles of seeing him by faith attested by the same Truth Blessed are they who haue not seene and haue beleeued for there saith Gregorie faith hath more merite where humane reason produceth noe euidence Affection Howeuer my soule the preference of seeing our Sauiour in body visibly may seeme a greate happinesse yet it is not therin that the happinesse of a Christian doth consiste but in that he beleeues by a firme faith him whom the Apostles saw to be truly the sonne of God and by so beleeuing begins to hope in him and to aspire to his loue since according to S. Augustine it is the dutie of a faithfull man to beleeue what he sees not that by the merite of that faith he may hope both to see and loue THE SECONDE MEDITATION FOR THE SAME SVNDAY What is written in the Lawe CONSIDER that this question of this Doctour in the lawe Master what must I doe to possesse life euerlasting may putt vs in mynd that to appeare wise and carefull of our saluation we often putt questions to God and man saying what are we to doe to aduance in perfection to be truly vertuows to attaine to life euerlasting c. wheras without asking we know it well enough for doe not we read in the lawe are we not all taught in our Catechisme Thou shall loue the Lord thy God with all thy hart with all thy soule and thy neighbour as thy selfe Affection Noe my soule let vs not wilfully feyne to be ignorant of what we knowe Nor knowing it seeke for some new perfection The thinge commanded by God by the obseruance of which we are to liue euerlastinglie is neither aboue vs nor farre off from vs. It is not placed aboue the heauens or beyond the sea 's but is verie neere vs in our mouth and in our hart Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thy hart with all thy soule and thy neighbour as thy selfe Ah saith louing S. August had it not bene enough to haue permitted me the honour of louing thee but thou must commande it yea and threaten me huge punishments if I doe it not Ah deare Lord were it not the worst of punishments to be prohibited or depriued of that loue THE SECONDE POINTE Who is my neighbour CONSIDER that tho that greate Doctour of the lawe asked a question where he had noe doubt as he was forced to acknowledge for he redd in the lawe and knew well that to liue he was to loue God aboue all thinges and his neighbour as himselfe yet still he has another doubt to putt to witt who is his neighbour To which our Sauiour in effect answers not Iewes to Iewes onely but Iewes to Samaritons too and Samaritons also to Iewes that is according to S. Augustine euery man is neighbour to euery man for we ought to vnderstand him to be our neighbour to whom we owe workes of mercy in his present or future want as he too the like to vs in like necessitie Affection Let then the accompt of our neighbourhoode my soule and our loue to the same extend it selfe to noe lesse a compasse then the boundes of the whole world Let vs loue that is doe well to speake well to wishe well to all men of what condition profession religion and nation soeuer they be Let vs pray for Turke Iewe and Gentile least in thinking to hate an enemye we indeede may hate a friend the Turke happlie in Gods diuine prescience beeing neerer to him then we Let this saith the louing S. Audgustine be thought vpon let this be meditated let this be retayned in memorie let this be done let this be fully accomplished THE FIRST MEDITATION FOR THE XIII SVNDAY AFTER WHITSVNDAY There mett him ten Lepers who stoode a farre off and cryd with a loude voyce saying Iesu Master haue mercy on vs. Luc. 17. CONSIDER in these corporall Lepers how spirituall Lepers ought to behaue themselues to procure their cure They stay not till they be called the horrour of what they suffer is a sufficient spurre to them They come in troupes and way-lay him from whom they hope for cure They stand a farre off esteeming themselues infectious and vnworthy to approche They crye out with a loude voyce without specifying their desire knowing well that their loathsome out-side speakes that with more force and pittie to their Master Iesus to whose mercy they leaue themselues Affection Ah my soule doe we vse this promptitude in pointe of our leprosies or other spirituall deseases or rather doe we not vse a quite contrarie proceedinge while we daylie heare redoubled in our eares loose the bands of thy necke ô captiue daughter of Sion How longe wilt thou be heauie-harted and loue a lye and yet we sleepe on and yet while we liue in a loathsome languishment we seeke some more tyme to remayne vnhappie Doe we crye out with loude voyces or rather so lowe and faintly as tho we feared that God should heare vs and cure vs too soone a miserable condition wherin the great S. Augustine sometymes found himselfe and pittifully lamented it Ah my soule if we be so miserable as not yet to be in tearmes to begge hartily for our perfect cure let vs not fayle at least to laye open the masse of our vniuersall miserie before the eyes of our most mercyfull Lord to pleade for mery THE SECONDE POINTE. CONSIDER that we all are weake and miserable enough to haue fallen or to be subiect to fall into spirituall leprosies by the infection of sinne which conueys its poyson all ouer the whole body of our actions to witt by pride enuye hatred want of right intentions duplicitie of hart which depraues all our best workes and deriues an vniuersall deformitie or leprosie vpon vs. Affection Alas my poore soule this leprosie is but too ordinarie how litle soeuer vnhappie man seemes sensible of it nor finds it any cure saue from the hand of God alone Let vs euery one lay his hand vpon his owne hart and impartially acknowledge the truth Why are we disquieted and troubled vpon smale reprehensions and vnderualuings marrie because the Idol pride
knowledge to tempt and teache him Le ts first beleeue in him that he is the sonne of the liuing God because without faith it is impossible to please him and learne of him to be mylde and humble of harte and so we shall finde rest to our soules which in high and proude questions can neuer be found THE SECONDE POINTE. Thou shalt loue thy Lord thy God from thy whole harte with thy whole soule and with thy whole mynde This is the greatest and first commandement CONSIDER that this commandement of the loue of God aboue all thinges is most iustly called the first and greatest The first because it ought to possesse the first place in our harte The first againe because it ought to be in mans soule what the first … oouer is in the heauens which giues first motion to all the rest And it is the greatest because its whole ayme is summum bonum the souueraigne Good the greatest too because it comprises all Gods Lawe and all the vertues in a most eminent manner Affection O my soule how sweete how heauenly sweete is this lawe of loue which either finds all thinges easie or makes them such How gracious is this diuine Law giuer who deliuers vs so sweete a Lawe What is man ô Lord thou shouldst so magnifie him and place thy heauenly harte vpon him What is man to thee I say that thou shouldst commande him to loue thee yea and to be angrie and threaten to lay huge punishments vpon him if he loue thee not Alas is it not of it selfe punishment great enough if he doe not loue Alas should poore subiects who holde all of the Kinges of the earth neede any such threates to induce them to loue them THE SECONDE MEDITATION FOR THE SAME SVNDAY Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thy hart c. THE FIRST POINT CONSIDER in what manner and with what measure we ought to loue our Lord God And we are told by S. Bernard that the measure of louing God is to loue him without measure from our whole harte saith our blessed Sauiour by placing all our affections vpon him With our whole soule not permitting any of the passions to contest with it With our whole mynd by making choyce of the best meanes imaginable to accomplish his blessed will in the most perfect manner that man is capable off here belowe Affection This is the onely thinge my soule wherin there can be noe excesse He is infinitly more louely then we are able to be louinge O what a happinesse it is to be oppressed with the abundance of goodnesse Le ts dilate our narrow hartes dare as much as we are able breath after him incessantly and yet humbly acknowledge that we fall infinitly shorte of what is due saying with S. Augustine let me loue thee ô Lord as much as I wishe and as much as I ought wherin that I may not fayle proue as the Authour of the precept so the giuer of the grace to performe it giue what thou commandst ô Lord and command what thou wilt THE SECONDE POINTE. And the seeonde commandement is like to this Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe CONSIDER that our B. Sauiour had noe sooner established that right of loue which is indispensably due to his heauenly Father but he falls vpon the dutie of his adoptiue brethren to one another which he also places in loue saying thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe With this difference notwithstanding that the measure of the loue of God is to loue him without measure and the measure of the loue of our neighbour is to loue him as our selues that ought to be exhibited to God because he is infinitly Good this to our neighbour be he good or badd because it was commanded vs by an infinite Goodnesse Affection O deare God how good thou art to men of right hartes O diuine wisdome how wisely and sweetly thou disposest of all thinges My soule if man had bene left to wishe what he would what other lawe could he haue wished then what he has a lawe of loue Wherin God and mans interests are so wouen togeither that the one will not be admitted without the other In vaine doe we professe to loue God if we hate our neighbour whom he commands vs to loue Nay saith the louing S. Augustine this must be putt downe for a certaine truth that there is noe surer way to attaine to Gods fauour then the loue of man to man Ama fac quod vis THE FIRST MEDITATION FOR THE XVIII SVNDAY AFTER WHITSVNDAY Iesus c. said to the sicke of the palsey haue a good harte sonne thy sinns are forgiuen thee Matt. 9. CONSIDER that Gods goodnesse and bountie is so greate that he often giues vs not onely what we aske but euen other thinges which we aske not which are farre greater and better The poore sicke of the palsey aymed onely at a temporall blessing the cure of his infirmitie and behold he meetes with farre more the remission of his sinnes from the mouth of truth saying haue a good harte sonne thy sinnes are forgiuen thee Affection Such is the goodnesse of our good and bountifull God my soule that when we haue an humble recourse to him in simplicitie of harte he grantes vs often not onely what we desire but what he sees we most neede As at other tymes in exercising his mercy he refuses vs what we desire to grante vs thinges more conducing to our eternall good being still equally good as well in what he giues as what he denyes If we pray then day and night and be not heard as it happened to our blessed Sauiour himselfe let vs rest assured that what we asked was not for our aduantage acquiescing therin to Gods wise prouidence and desiring aboue all thinges to heare sonne thy sinnes are forgiuen thee THE SECONDE POINTE. CONSIDER that this wise Physitian of ours doth not onely shew his goodnesse and liberalitie in the care of the poore mans corporall and spirituall infirmities but manifestes his wisdome also in the manner of the cure to witt he first takes away the cause which is sinne By sinne it was saith the great Apostle that death and consequently all deseases leading to death gott first footing in the world and this woefull cause being once remoued from the soule he proceeds to the cure of the bodie Arise take vpp thy bedd and goe into thy house Affection Let vs learne then my soule of wisdome it selfe to be wise when we endeuour the cure of our deseased soule Le ts obserue the causes and occasions wherin we find our selues It is still in such and such circumstances I finde my fall It is in such companies I continually meete with the desease or death of my soule Let vs in tyme iudge our selues that we may not be more rigourously iudged That eye of scandall must necessarily be plucked out and throwne away without the reach of danger which who loueth shall perish in
who could profit thee nothing could bring nothing tothyne immensitie since indeede thou art thence conuinced to be our God because thou standest in neede of nothinge that is ours Howbeit if in lieu of gratitude we render nothing but ingratitude coldnesse and neglect we may iustly feare my soule that he will turne his loue into wroth and destroye vs disloyall wretches THE SECONDE POINTE. Many be called but few elect CONSIDER that this short sentence from the mouth of Truth it selfe ought most iustly to sticke to the verie rootes of our harte and continually to mynde vs that we are to worke our saluation with feare and trembling since God workes in vs both the velle and perficere the will and performance according to his good pleasure Many are called for the sound of the Apostles went out into all the earth and yet it is sayd who beleeueth our hearinge Many are called and giue credit to their calling too yet complie so ill with their vocation that Gods name is blasphemed in them Many againe are called and begin to run yet they perseuere not to be end they comprehend not Affection When I duely reflect dreade Lord vpon this doubtfull doome which issued from thy sacred mouth whence neuer any thinge issues but infallible truth in what a doubtfull perplexitie ought I not to stand Many are called and of those I haue had the happinesse to be one But few elected and who is wise enough to know that he is of that number What are we then to doe my soule but to be carefull to giue eare to the diuine call to lay faste hold vpon discipline least we might perish in a iust way to make sure our vocation by good workes and incessantly to pray for perseuerance to the end that we may so run as to comprehend THE FIRST MEDITATION FOR THE XX. SVNDAY AFTER WHITSVNDAY There was a certaine Lord or Prince whose sonne was sicke in Capharnaum Iohn 4. CONSIDER that as noe greenesse of yeares in our infancie nor vigour in youth nor strength in our more riper age can exempt vs from the assaults of infirmities sicknesse and death so can noe dignitie highth of power or principalitie free vs from the same Well may Potentates Lord it ouer townes and nations but against the deseases which growe upon them and the approches of death the most powerfull haue noe warrantie but all conditions of men are equally lyable to sicknesse and death the iuste punishments of sinne Affection My soule howeuer the greate power we may seeme to haue and the highth of dignitie wherin we are placed makes vs oft forgett that we are the banished sonns of Eue condemned to dye before we attayne to the vse of the light yet wholsome sicknesse makes vs all equally know that man be he neuer so powerfull is but man that is a poore creature borne of a woman liuing a short tyme replenished with many miseries The sicknesses the death the forgotten dust of all your Alexanders and Caesars crye out this truth that all men without exception are doomed to dye Make a vertue of necessitie my soule by willingly accepting Gods iust iudgementes herein which none euer yet or to the end of the world euer shall be able to auoyde THE SECONDE POINTE. CONSIDER that it oft happens with vs as it did with this afflicted … ce that that which we apprehend to be most disaduantagious and disasterous to vs proues the verie meanes which Gods sweete prouidence makes vse of to worke both our temporall and eternall felicitie For who I pray amongst vs doth looke vpon sicknesse with a good eye And yet had not this younge Princes sicknesse made his life be despaired of by his father he had happlie neuer thought of Christ neuer approched to him neuer sued for his sonns cure and so as well the father as the sonne had bene left to perish in their infidelitie Affection O happie affliction my soule which giues vs vnderstanding to knowe our selues O happie corporall infirmitie which brings forth the life of the soule Were we not some tymes thus lost to our owne apprehension we should forgett our selues and be lost for euer The deuoute Psalmist experienced this truth when he said it is good for me that thou didst humble me because before I was humbled I offended But being once humbled by aduersities I learnt thy iustifications I learnt that euery punishment was the punishment of sinne So that sinne brought out paine paine moued the harte to pennance and pennance couered the multitudes of sinne And thence bonum est mihi quia humiliasti me THE SECONDE MEDITATION FOR THE SAME SVNDAY The Prince saide come downe with me before my sonne dye THE FIRST POINTE. CONSIDER that this good Prince in being refused what in formall tearmes he demanded obteyned more then he either as yet wished for or euen thought of He stoode absolutly perswaded that vnlesse our Sauiour descended and went with him to his sicke sonne the cure could not be wrought His demande therfore was that Christ would come downe with him But our Sauiour though he went not wrought the cure notwithstanding at the same tyme and at that distance and thence powerfully perswaded him that he was God indeede who could doe equally all that he would as well in absence as presence Affection Learne hence my soule neuer to prescribe to God either the tyme the place or meanes how he is to performe what we demande of his mercy Leaue that vast power to worke as it pleases with out limiting the same to our narrow conceipts It reacheth from the one pole to the other and sweetly disposeth all thinges bene omnia fecit Haue patience my soule whether in his wisdome our great God refuse vs either absolutly what we desire or at least in the way we desire it and we shall find in the close that he did all graciously and to the best aduantage of the faithfull soule Ah should he grant vs all our owne desires we were lost for euer THE SECONDE POINTE. Goe saith our Sauiour thy sonne liueth The man beleeued the word which was said to him and went home CONSIDER the great fruites and comforts which accrued to this good Prince and all his by his simple faith obedience and good example He beleeued our Sauiours words and presently departed And loe he had not yet recouered his owne house but his seruantes came out to meete him and ioyfully assured him of his sonns perfect health He examined the tyme of his recouerie and found it to be the verie houre in which our Sauiour said goe thy sonne liueth whence he and his whole familie beleeued Affection Let vs humbly my soule giue credit to euery word of God whether it be written or spoken to our hartes by his frequent inspirations without disputing how it should come to passe or by what meanes it should be accomplished hope in his fidelitie and goodnesse leauing the rest to his sweete prouidence In his good tyme and euen
persecute Christ in the persons of his faithfull as the Pharisies and Herodians did by their wicked counsells in his owne person striuing to surprise him in his words Affection Happie are those peaceable and prudent soules who affect not runing to their owne ends by their owne counsells alone but humbly beleeue that many eyes see more then one and thence vnanimously conspire togeither to consulte and execute by common consent what is behoofull for the common good according to euery ones state and calling In the middst of such a companie God will surely be found to streame his blissings vpon them But contrarily accursed be that Pharisaicall way of conspiring togeither against our Lord and his Christ or Christian children with designe to surprise them in their words innocently vttered to represent their well meant actions in an odious way to sowe misintelligence amonge friends and putt them at a distance God certainely will vtterly destroye such impious counsells and consulâ—ours THE SECONDE POINTE Master we knowe thou art a true speaker and teachest the way of God in truth c. for thou dost not respect the person of men CONSIDER that the result of their fraudulent counsells was meerly by falsehoode and flatterie to come to their wicked designes They call him master whom they seeke to destroye They flatter him with the opinion they haue of his veracitie or speaking the truth while their true ayme is to catch him speaking false in saying that Tribute ought not to be payd to Cesar And so make him guiltie of treason They tell him he is noe excepter of persons to induce him to speake more freely against Cesar as being a person who would be partiall to none not euen to the highest power in earth Affection O impious pietie ô accursed flatterie O damnable vse of truth He is indeede your Master and Sauiour whose death you conspire He is not onely a true speaker but euen Truth it selfe whom you seeke to calumniate He is in verie deede noe excepter of persons and and therfor he would haue iustice done to all men To whom Tribute Tribute to whom custome custome to whom feare feare to whom honour honour He is Truth it selfe and therfor doth deteste a fawning double tongued mouth Thus doe the wicked misimploy sacred truth to worke their malice But let vs my soule striue to make a better vse of it Let vs looke vpon our Christ as Truth it selfe with adoring loue Let vs reuerently heare him as teaching the way of God in truth and incessantly followe him in the odour of his sweetnesse THE SECONDE MEDITATION FOR THE SAME SVNDAY Render what is Cesar's to Cesar CONSIDER that our Sauiour by this short lesson teaches all that belongs to iustice betwixt man and man since iustice indeede is noe other thinge then willingly to giue euery one his owne To Cesars Kings and Potentates tributes and other duties according to lawe and custome To Prelates obedience according to Canons Rules and Constitutions To Parents honour and obedience according to Gods Lawe To our elders deference and respect To the poore and distressed compassion and assistance and loue to all men in generall Affection Who fayles my soule in any of these particulars fayles in pointe of Christian Iustice and vainely flatters himselfe with the opinion of being perfectly iust No Pay we otherwise what we will euen to God himselfe vnlesse Caesar also receiue his right God is not appayed because his decree is not obserued giue to Caesar what is Caesars Doe we then defraude the Prince of his iust tributes and impositions or transgresse his penall lawes made for the weale of the Land We are vniust Doe we fayle in obedience to Prelates and Parents commandes while they trench not vpon Gods parte We are vniuste Doe we refuse respect and preference to our ancients finde the poore noe place in our hard hartes haue we noe loue for our Christian brother We fayle in one halfe of the law Caesar is not payd his parte in a word we are vniust THE SECONDE POINTE. And to God the thinges which are God's CONSIDER that if the tribute coine was iudged by our Sauiour Iesus to belonge to Cesar and therfor ought to be rendred to him because it was marked with his picture and inscription much more doth man belonge to God and ought in all iustice to be rendred to him since he was made by him to his owne likenesse and similitude conserued by him redeemed by him If we liue and moue it is in him If we conceiue a good thought haue a good will or doe a good worke they are but all effects of his grace and bountie All that we haue or are are truly his most iustly therfor are we bound to render all to him Affection God alone is the souueraigne Authour and conseruer of our Beeing he alone the absolute Superiour of the whole man to him alone are our whole selues and obediente submissions due in all thinges at all tymes and in all circumstances without limite without reserue And therfor we cannot without iniustice depriue him of any parte of our selues be it our thoughtes words or workes because the Arrest is giuen To God the thinges which are Gods And what haue we my soule or what hath the greatest of men which he hath not receiued We cannot then depriue him of them without robberie nor glorie in them as our owne without vanitie THE FIRST MEDITATION FOR THE XXIII SVNDAY AFTER WHITSVNDAY There came a Prince and adored saying Lord my daughter is newly deade but come and putt thy hand vpon her and she shall liue Matt. 9. CONSIDER the great peruersitie of mans harte who still putts false rates vpon thinges and most loues and labours for that which deserues the lesse loue and esteeme We may obserue in this Gospell as well as in all the rest prince and people poore and rich Iewe and gentile running to our Sauiour for bodily cures While yet we scarce find any haue recourse to him in behoofe of their soules vnlesse it be a weeping Magdalene or a poore humble Publicane with propitius esto mihi peccatori in his mouth Affection How longe my soule shall we be willing to vse false waightes euen in waighing to our selues How longe shall we be in loue with lyes What proportion doth our corruptible body dust and ashes beare to our immortall soule What profit will bodily health togeither with the honours pleasures and riches which we so earnestly breath after bring vs if we suffer the losse of our soule which Christ knowes best to value who putt downe the price of his pretious bloud for it Alas my soule if we haue but a tooth that akes we presently suffer the paine to haue it plucked out and yet to cure our dying or deade soule how litle are we sensible how smale paines are we willing to suffer THE SECONDE POINTE. The girle is not deade but sleepeth CONSIDER that we may often seeme to the censorious world and euen
am couered with confusion to behold the abismall humiliation of thy eternallie begotten Sonne my Sauiour who without rapine is equall to thy selfe O humble Christ how this example of thine doth vtterly confound the pride of vs Christians How euer vpon the sight of our miserie and daylie imperfections we may a little stoope yet alas as soone as wee looke vpon our knowledge our power the honorable relations or dependances we haue how easily we swel and despise or slight such as are belowe vs THE THIRD MEDITATION Of Humilitie Cons 1. COnsider howe deare this vertue must needes be to our swete Sauiour and how considerable it ought to be to vs Christians which he so singularly recommends vnto vs. It was one of the first he began to teach vs and he will haue it to be one of the last too That exinanited or powred him forth in his blessed incarnation that lodged him in a stable in a manger in poore clothes that subicted him to the badge of a sinner in his circumcision that made him subiect to father and mother in the course of his life and that subiects him to his seruants while he drawes neere his death Affect Deare God! make me loue what thou louest and so effectuallie recommendst vnto me by word and deed by life and death from the beginning and to the end by which I see that as pride was the Angells disease so must humilitie be the salue of man that as he fell by rising so must we rise by fallinge and rest and repose by lyeing lowe low in our owne conceipts that as the pride of the wicked doth still ascend so the humilitie of the iust may still descend lower and lower that so learning of him who is milde and humble of hart we may not faile to finde reste to our soules Cons 2. Consider how the Euangelicall pen labours in painting out the particulars thereby the deeper to engraue this admirable example of Christs humilitie in the harts of Christians Christ rose from supper saith he put off his garments begirt himself with a linnen cloth powred water into a basine put himselfe downe at his Disciples feete c. and by this meanes stoppes our attention vpon this wonderfull spectacle To contemplate him who sitts vpon the Seraphins rise from table who is clad with glorie putting off materiall garments who showres downe raine from the heauens in due season powering water in earth To see him vpon earth who fills heauen that Master hand which sustains the heauens at the feete the foule feete of a seruant a sinner a Iudas Affect O here is nothing left me my deare Sauiour but admiration beholding thy wisdome thy power thy Maiestie brought soe lowe laide vpon the ground by this thy ineffable humilitie Nothing but confusion when I reflect vpon mine owne ignorance miserie rottennes poore neked nothing carried still aboue it selfe by pride and aspiring at thy seat And this conclusion I am forced to make that ether I must renounce the faith I professe and remaine vnnaturallie vngratefull and stupide or els I must absolutely resolue to become humble to bestowe my felf wholie vpon the acquisition of that vertue which is the sure foundation of the rest and that in contemplation of such and so powerfull an example therof as here is placed before mine eyes THE IV. MEDITATION Of Humilitie and Charitie Cons 1. COnsider how earnestlie our Blessed Sauiour endeauours to imprint this wholsome lesson in our harts how deepely he seemes to digg this best foundation of a Spirituall life It was not enough to haue giuen vs an example of it in his owne person but what he had shewen in his practise he would also preach and presse by precept saying you call me Master and Lord and you saie wel for so it is indeede if then I beeing Lord and Master haue as you haue seene washed your feete you also are bound to washe one anothers feete that is to stand prouided in hart at all times and as occasion is offered to performe sometime anie office of Charitie though neuer so homelie and abiect and that to persons of meanest qualitie far inferiour to vs c. Affect See my hart how thy Sauiour concludes against thy pride but to thy profitt by word and deedc I a Master did it therefore thou a seruant oughtest to doe it argues he I the wisdome of heauen who am sent to teach thee all truth therefore thou who art nothing but errour and ignorance oughtest not to feare to stoope I who am an infinite Maiestie much more thou who art infinite miserie I who made thee of a peece of clay therefore thou whose origen present beeing and outgate is no other thing but clay dust and ashes c. Yee are therefore to humble yourselues vrges on our heauenlie Master yes for I haue giuen you an example of it saith he which I meant to haue obserued not neglected that as I had done to you so you to one another for surely the Seruant is not greater then the Lord nor one sent greater then hee vvho sent him O powerfull and pressing conclusion against which I cannot haue one word to mutter But ô dreadfull and oppressing confusion if in practise I proceede not accordinglie Cons 2. Consider how our sweete sauiour hauing thus in his owne person giuen vs that so necessarie lesson of profound humilitie begins now to teach his Disciples and in them all Christians the accomplishement of perfection charitie saying Mandatum nouum do nobis filioli my children I giue you a nevv commandement That you loue one another as I haue loued you and that as I doe giue my life for you so you loue one another euen vntill death yea those also who doe persecute and iniure you Marke how he confirmes his learning by his owne example giuing vs in testimonie of the greatest and dearest loue the greatest and dearest guift that euer was giuen to witt himselfe to eate Heauen had nothing better God could inuent nothing greater O strange inuention of a louer so to depart as yet to leaue himselfe to be enioyed by his beloued who are all faithfull soules Affect O my soule and all yee soules who are touched with the loue of a true louer was there euer the like seene to this ah behold wonder praise loue for loues sake le ts loue him t is himselfe he hath giuen vs le ts giue our selues to him t is himselfe he hath giuen vs true God and true Man O charitas ó pietas saith S. Augustine quis vnquam talia audiuit vvho euer heard the like to this THE V. MEDITATION Co. COnsider how being prouoked by nothing but his owne infinite Goodnes he loued man from all eternitie and not from eternitie onely but in time also in which he brought downe into the world the fire of that holie loue for no other end then that it should burne the harts of men He loued man not in the beginning onlie but euen to the end not
dye rather my soule dye then so disloyally forsake thy loue dye rather my soule dye then so spotr and defile the white garment thou art now inuested withall Yet alas S. Peters example makes vs afraide to boast our loue S. Paules saying is more safe omnia possum in eo qui me confortat as though he should say of my selfe I am able to doe nothing yet I can doe all thinges in him that comfortes me THE X. MEDITATION Hovv Iesus vvas treated in Annas his house Cons 1. SEe now your potent Lord and louing spouse humbly standing in bonds before that prowd sinner Annas mildely receauing a boxe on the eare for no other fault then meekely answeringe interroga eos c. aske those that haue heard me Consider the infinite distance betweene the giuer and the receauer and you will not know how enough to admire him The most potent the most innocent the most louing Prince to receaue a boxe a thing disgracefull in itselfe from the hands of one of his owne seruants vpon no occasion commanded by none but euen out of his owne malice while Christ through loue was suffering euen for him vnworthy wretch Affect O my soule my soule is it not euen thus that we who seeme so compassionat to all the world besides treat this patient lambe giuing him in so much as in vs lyes as many blowes as we commit offences And is it possible then that we are only yncompassionate of Iesus his case doth his loue deserue this at our hands can his example be of so little force with vs as not euen to blush to be so quickly put out of patience with the least touch of disgrace or any other word sounding anie thing contrarie to that which we conceaue while that heauenly face in quam desiderant Angeli prospicere vvhich the Angells desire to behold is exposed to the cruell blow of a vile seruant and that without muttering or impatience at all Cons 2. Accompanie now your forsaken spouse from Annas to Caiphas weighing in the meane time what a wearisome night he had of it left alone to himselfe amidst a crew of thirstie blood-suckers in a dark-some night and all this to marrie himselfe to you ah looke vpon him looke vpon him take now the true proportion and feature of his diuinely faire and gracious face for alas shortly will the howre arriue that nether forme nor figure will be lefe to be taken neque species illi vltra erit neque decor Ah pitious case See him then before whose tribunall all mortalls shall stand standing before a mortall man his owne creature to be iudged his hands bound his eyes cast downe with a gracious bashfulnes and bashfull mildnes Affect Ah me ah me shall that faire that celestiall faire face be euen so quite disfigured and my sins the cause of this dolefull Metamorphosis ah pittious case But at least goe not alone goe not alone my deare spouse drawe my sickly and fearefull soule after thee through the sharpe of thy Passion faine would she follow but alas she is fraile alas she feares Ah trahe me Domine sponse post te trahe me post te Ah draw me after thee my Lord my spouse draw me after thee by thy holy grace THE XI MEDITATION Hovv Iesus vvas treated at Cayphas his house Cons 1. COnsider how vpon Caiphas disgust taken vpon occasion of our Sauiours most milde answere Tu dicis quia ego sum you say that I am so they giue new force to their furie bursting all vpon him without pittie or compassion some beating some spitting in his face others with their nailes tearing the same some haleing him by the haire of the head some by the beard others stroke harder at him with sharpe mockes En Prophetam nostrum prophetiza nobis Christe quis est qui te percussit Loe here our Prophete Prophecie to vs ô Christ who was he that strooke thee Affect Ah what is this I heare was euer sott on earth vsed with such scorne ah what 's this I see was euer theefe or malefactor vsed with such rigour or crueltie is this the faire face I tooke euen now so good notice on ay me how wholy it s changed It was putely white and now it is swollen with blowes blubbred with spittle dyed with blood torne with nailes and all this for loue of me Ah! and shall I not loue him shall I not loue him Cons 2. Follow him now from Caiphas to Pilate their malice still continuing or rather encreasing touwards him thinke how you take not willingly so much paines to please him as these wicked Iewes did that night to offend and molest him For see after their false accusations could not moue Pilate to sentence him they hale him from thence to Herode Marke herein the full and perfect abnegation he had made of himselfe and his owne will giuing himselfe ouer to the indiscretion of a Barbarous multitude to be led to this and that man this and that place to the highest to the lowest limitting himselfe to no one thing but indifferently imbraceing all or anie one thing his heauenly father permitted to fall vpon him and all this for the loue of you Affect Learne here ô my soule of thy spouse this perfect abnegation for if we desire to be gracious and agreeable in his eyes we must be prompte and faithfull imitators of his workes vt sicut ipse ambulauit nos ambulemus and therefore hereafter we wil not looke so much by whom what or for what we suffer which is to limitt our patience to times and occasions making ourselues iudges of our owne cause but still haue an eye for whome and by whose example to witt for how louing a Lord how deare a spouse for how entire and feruent a louer in fine for how great a Kingdome for how many offences if not those which now we are accused of at least of our life past with those of our friends of our miserable coūtrie nor is indeede loue accustomed to exact reasons t is reason enough that it is for our beloued we suffer and this we can doe as often as wee haue an intention so to doe THE XII MEDITATION Hovv Iesus vvas mocked at Herodes and Barabbas vvas preferred before him Cons 1. COnsider how at Herods howse our Sauiour is receaued with new contempts and contumelies their vnsatiable malice not being a whitt satisfied with all the paine they had alreadie put him vnto See them inuest the eternall wisdome of his father in a white garment in manner of a foole to be led in that equipage through the populous streetes as a theefe or malefactor See how humbly how patiently and mildely he performes this Procession and all this for our sake and example for loue c. Affect O my soule my soule what is it that he hath refused for our sakes what could he haue done which he did not could any thing haue been more contrary to wisdome it selfe which he is
not there is not a word heard from him Behold the poore innocent true Isaac loadeh with the woode whervpon he must be sacryficed indeede not deliuered as was the other Isaac by the diuine prouidence Looke but vpon the Crosse with the eyes of flesh onely and euen as such we shall iudge it a too heauie loade for a tender worne and wearied man vpon his torne shoulders and indeede he fayled in the way needed anothers helpe but looke vpon it with spirituall eyes and we shall find it insupportable to any shoulders but those of a God since according to S. Peter he caries togeither with it all our sinnes heaped vpon the same woode Affect O my euer deare Iesu O my dearest Isaac my onely saueing sacryfice O great admirably great spectacle Iesus the onely Beloued sonne of God with a crosse vpon his backe yes my soule yet such it is to euery hart as are the eyes with which he beholds it If impietie looke vpon it it appeares a great mockerie If pietie a strange mysterie of loue If impietie a plaine conuiction of ignominie If pietie a strong Fortresse of faith If impietie it scoffes at a kinge who in lieu of his scepter caries vpon his shoulders the instrument of his punishment If pietie it sees indeede the king of glorie carying the inglorious crosse on which he will dy but a crosse that euer after shall be adored by kinges and proue the richest otnament of their Diademes Let it be euer to vs an absolute persuasion of taking vp our crosse and following Christ Let it appeare to prophane eyes fame or infamie Christ finds noe way to heauen but ouer Caluarie Noe way to Caluarie but through the contemps of Hierusalem and that too with weake and wearied limmes and torne shoulders awe see Resolution Be it farre from vs to glorie saue onely in the crosse of our Lord Iesus-Christ c. THE XVII MEDITATION Hovv Iesus vvent out to Caluarie vvith his Crosse on his backe 1. Point COnsider the circumstances of this dolefull procession Iesus setts out towards Caluarie with a heauie Crosse vpon his torne shoulders which he rather trailes then carries a long the streets of Hierusalem His heauenly face all swollen with blowes defiled with spittle gauled with thornes couered with goarie and fresh blood so that he appeared not so much to haue the face of a man as euen of some monster On either hand of him a notorious theefe Before and behind worlds of people from all parts to see this admirable spectacle some few with compassion but the most of them with disdaine malice and scorne Affect O dearest Lord and Master how thou wadest through the greatest circumstances of confusion and scorne imaginable How doth this huge loade together with this labour and wearines of thine crie out to my hart and to the harts of all men come vnto me all you that are oppressed and I will refresh you whilst you see in my sufferances the inconsiderablenesse of yours You are not Masters but seruantes nor haue you yet suffered to blood to crownes of thorne to publike contumelies before whole worlds of people c. Say say then my soule I will follow thee deare spouse whither soeuer thou goest without limitt without reserue without exception of this or that befall what wil come it from what hand soeuer by iniustice or desert c. Ours Sauiours vvordes to the vvomen of Hierusalem 2. Point COnsider what our Blessed Sauiour saith to the good woemen who follow him with teares Maides or people of Hierusalem vveepe not vpon me but vveepe vpon your selues and vpon your children That is looke not so much vpon him who suffers as vpon your-selues for whom he suffers nor what he suffers as for what Compassionate teares spent vpon our Sauiours sufferances are certainly good and agreable in his diuine sight yet are they farr better spent vpon our owne crimes which were the cause of his sufferances and continually prouoke his wrath and euen according to S. Paule crucifie him a new againe Affect Let vs not then ô my soule so much run out of Hierusalem to obserue what passes vpon Caluarie though euen with teares as looke downe vpon Hierusalem with our Sauiour and weepe vpon it That is let vs keepe at home or returne home into our owne harts and seriously obserue what passeth there what euill impressions what badd inclinations how manie auersions passions and disorders what familiaritie and daily commerce and dangerous dallying with sinnes Alas we haue good natutes enough to bestow compassion and teares vpon others miseries misfortunes and sufferances while our next neighbours our owne poore soules lye sicke at home in a dead palsie c. vnpittied vnconsidered left to ruine and yet is looked vpon by our selues with drye eyes as things which concerne vs not or are not worthy of our care or subiects of our pittie Ah senselesse man haue mercie and compassion of thine owne soule and weepe vpon her and her children Resolution Our cheife care shall alvvayes be about our ovvne defects c. THE XVIII MEDITATION The reason of vvhat our Sauiour Said to the vvomen of Hierusalem 1. Point COnsider how our sweet Sauiour goes on giuing the reason why the woemen of Hierusalem and in them all faithfull soules should not so much weepe vpon him as vpon themselues and their children For saith he if they doe this that is vse this fire of torments vpon greene wood what will they not doe vpon drye wood That is if the iustice of the Almightie exact such rigorous satisfaction at the hands of his only sonne who is wholy innocent vnspotted liable to no faults but those of miserable man what may not the sinner himselfe guiltie of so many crimes and so drye fruitlesse and barren of all good workes expect and dread Affect Ah Saith S. Augustine if he cannot passe out of the world without stripes who came into the world without sinne what stripes is not he liable vnto who was conceiued and borne in sinne and who daily addes to those originall ones which are in some sorte necessary a multitude of voluntary ones O when I attentiuely looke vpon the prodigious sufferances of my Sauiour I am forced to crye out to sinners and in the first place to mine owne sinfull soule Vae vae vae illis qui non cogitent corde woe woe woe to those who thinke not of this in their hartes 2. Point Consider how our Blessed Sauiour with wearied limmes hath now waded through publike confusion and is at length by the assistance of a poore gentile Simon Sireneus arriued with his heauie loade at the toppe of Caluarie where our most serious attentions are called to the contemplation of the strangest sight that euer heauen or earth yet saw Not now a burning God on the Mount Horeb nor a God amidst thunder and lightning vpon the Mount Sina nor a God in glorie inuironed with light vpon the Mount Thabor but the same God that
burnt that thundred that sent out beames of glorie there here is nailed to a Crosse and ignominiously dying betwixt two theeues vpon the toppe of Mount Caluarie Affect Ibo videbo visionem hanc grandem I will vp to Caluarie and see this great sight for it is not as some conceiued the frame of the Vniuerse that is about to be dissolued but the very God of nature which suffers and is readie to dye Dye then my soule dye to this world and to all its concupiscences and dye with this deare Lord and Master of thine Ah my dying Lord ô my crucified Loue Let my eyes and thoughts loath their wonted vanities and fill them selues full of this daunting obiect of a dying God O my crucified Loue let me be nayled to the Crosse with thee neuer seeking to be freed from that tye But grant that all the rest of my life in flesh I may liue in the faith of the sonne of God true God who loued me and deliuered vp himselfe for me Resolution Neuer regard among vvhom thou art numbered so thy actions be Christian Loue to be reputed for nothing c. THE XIX MEDITATION Of our Christian bloody sacrifice vpon Mount Caluarie 1. Point COnsider how at length we haue mett with such a Bishop as we had absolute neede of as S. Paule saith à Bishop who is holy innocent vnspotted separated from sinners who hauing no neede to sacrifice for his owne sinnes wholy imployes it for the redemption of ours Behold him ready to performe this great sacrifice to his heauenly father in his owne blood Caluarie is the vast Temple lying open to the whole world the Crosse the Altar him selfe the Preist and Hoste and that infinite charitie of his heauenly hart to man the fire which burnes all into an Holocaust Affect O dolefull ioyfull Mysterie thy Christ ô Christian is readie to sacrifice himselfe What fountaines of teares are not due to such an ignominious death But it is for thy sake for thy redemption what consolation what ioy Weepe then weepe vpon thy dying spouse yes for his dolours deserue seas of teares yet weepe not so as those others who haue no hope for thou hast mett with a gracious Redeemer a plentifull redemption which is euen at hand to witt our high Priest is gone vp to the high Altar and is readie to put downe his blood more then the price of a thousand worlds While this Abels blood out-speakes his brothers crime Mans malice was not able to committ what Gods mercie was able to expiate Our sinns are great ô Lord huge great we confesse it we pleade guiltie But our Priest is holy vnspotted innocent innocencie it selfe And he is readie for vs poore sinners to paie-backe what he tooke not awaie to appease thy wrath which he neuer prouoked Looke vpon this innocent obedient sonne of thine and pardon the crimes and disobediences of thy poore seruant who of himselfe is altogether insoluable 2. Point Consider that whereas other Bishops goe richly adorned to the Altar poore Christ is turned quite naked to the worke making his publike confusion the ornament which ought to rauish the harts of men and Angells to see their God and ours who couers beautifies and adornes all thinges exposed naked to the eyes and scorne of all the world to couer our confusion to hide our shame and to recouer vs againe the white garment of originall iustice which we lost in our first father Affect Neuer is a Christian man so gloriously adorned in the eyes of God Angells and Men as when he neglects or depriues him selfe of all ornaments by Christs example and for his loue Neuer doe we so neerly resemble Christ nor so securely approch to his holy sacrifices as when we find our selues turned naked not only from all interest humane respects selfe-esteeme and selfe loue but from our dearest desires and best beloued affections to certaine practises of pietie aduancement in verue by meanes of our owne choice whereas our more purified and Christian-like desires indeed ought to be an absolute indifferencie and intire dependence of Gods good pleasure affecting that in all things his holy name be sanctified his raigne be magnified his blessed will be accomplished and glorified for euer whether by our nakednesse confusion ignominie or good fame Resolution We vvill disingage our selues of all other interests but Gods blessed vvill alone THE XX. MEDITATION Our Sauiour stripped naked and putt vpon the Crosse 1. Point COnsider how this publik confusion was accompaigned with excessiue paines for the barbarous rudenesse inhumanitie and crueltie of the soldiers doe not so much teare off the fleece as the very skinne and flesh of the delicate and tender lambe which muttered not against those that shore him and ledd him to slaughter If at the piller their inhumanitie inflicted wounds without number at the Crosse their inraged violence teares them all into one while they snatche off the garment which stickes to the goarie blood of them all Affect Ah my soule let vs here behold the man againe who is placed naked before our eyes He is thy dearest spouse but thy spouse of blood whose sufferances find no end He is thy hartes only delight who is now made an obiect of horrour to thine eyes It is he who was beautifull farre before all the sonns of men and behold he is wholy deformed all couered ouer with wounds and fresh springs of blood shewre downe from euery part and now there is noe beautie in him nor comlinesse Nay he is as it vvere a Leper strucken by God and humbled Towitt we all straied like lost sheepe and this lambe takes all our iniquities vpon him Let vs not then at least spare dropps of guiltie teares where he spends fountaines of innocent blood 2. Point Consider how these vile slaues extend the King of Glorie thus naked thus deformed thus fleaed and torne thus cruelly crowned vpon the ignominious wood with as much barbarousnesse and brutalitie as their diuellish malice could inuent and then with great and rude nailes digge through his hands and feete Foderunt manus meas pedes meos as the prophet longe before had expressed it racking out his armes with huge violence to force them to their designed places vpon the Crosse so that one might count all his bones dinumerauerunt omnia ossa mea Affect O my deare Iesus what excessiue shame confusion and torments must I needs conceiue thou here indurest for the sinfull soule of me thy poore vnworthy lost seruant while I see the waight of thy whole bodie riue the wounds of thy sacred hands and feete still wider and wider Thy bones vnioynted thy veines and sinewes forced to an vniust length My hart my hart where art thou on what thinkest thou while thy innocent Master thus suffers for thy sake without complaint without murmuring one word Is it thus that we suffer infinitly lesse things for his sake and in contemplation hereof Resolution I vvill neuer forgett these huge
his humanitie is lefte to struggle with his cruell tormentes and to satisfie for those sinnes of ours in the verie rigour of iustice But now hauing consummated and fulfilled all the figures types sacryfices prophecies and euen the whole Law and hauing punctually obserued all his fathers orders with filiall obedience and admirable humilitie euen to the last gaspe he beings to behold him as a tender and louing father and so testifies with a lowde voyce that it is into the hands of such a father that he deliuers vp his spiritt Pater in manus tuas commendo spiritum meum Affect May thy wearied soule ô my kind Pelican happily returne into its rest May thou our too too kind Prodigall ioyfully returne into thy fathers house out of this forraigne land of ours where thou hast spent all thy substance euen to the last droppe of thy pretious bloud vpon vngratfull man from whom thou meetest with noe better returnes then euill for good hatred for loue vineger and gale to drinke where thou art readie to perish with thirst Ah my soule my soule Haeccine reddis Domino Deo tuo are these the kindnesses which thou rendrest to thy Lord thy God for his loue for his labours for his bloud for his life which here he is laying downe for thee Resolution Be my afflictions neuer so many be my temptations neuer so great and importune I will appeale from a rigourous Lord to a louing father and cast my selfe into his bosome THE XXX MEDITATION 1. Point COnsider in this action of Christ where he commends his spirit or soule into the hands of his heauenly father where the true hopes of a Christian ought to be placed to witt in the hands that is in the will and disposition of our heauenly father to be dealt withall according to his good pleasure Accursed is that man who places his hopes in man or in the heapes of his riches which he must leaue behind him or in the multitudes of his merites which are none without mercy but in Gods mercy alone which is indeede our merite nor shall we euer want merit so long as we cleaue to that mercy Affect Returne into thy rest my wandering soule which is alone in the bosome of thy heauenly father and fixe thy confidence there Trust not in the sonnes of men in whom there is noe saluation noe truth mendaces filij hominum Leaue not the care of thy selfe to such as haue noe care of themselues much lesse of thee Such as thou hast found thy selfe to others such at the best will others proue to thee Our dearest friends doe easily forgett vs they will not they cannot goe along with vs. O how good it is then while we haue yet tyme to make him our friend aboue all our friends who when they all fayle hath as much power as goodnesse to make good our trust Into thy handes then ô dearest father doe I commend my soule In those mercifull hands of thyne not in my miserable ones doe I repose the whole confidence of my saluation 2. Point Consideration Well may Gods prouidence my soule which we are not able to found permitt vs to be tempted with Christ to be in agonie in our deuoutest prayers with Christ and giue vs ouer as it were into the power of darknesse with Christ Well may we suffer wronges crosses calumnies tauntes and scornes with Christ Well may our bodyes be left in tormentes vpon the Crosse with Christ yea our poore soules suffer a strange anguish with Christ when we seeme to be forsaken by our God Yet still by adhearing to Christ and by following his foot-stepps we shall infallibly wade out of all and come to a happie consummation with him and find a louing fathers bosome layd open to receiue our soules Affect Doe not then ô my soule so much regarde what thou sufferest or by whom or how as for what for whom and with whom It is not for a smale prize thou fightest but for an eternall waight of glorie It is not for some ordinarie person but for the loue of thy Lord and Master to become in some sorte like to him Nor art thou left alone but in his companie and vnder the guidance of his grace I am with him saith he in tribulation I will deliuer him and I will glorifie him Looke ouer thy afflictions then ô my soule be they of what nature they will and with a liuely faith looke vpon Christ Iesus the Authour and Consummatour of faith who ioy being proposed to him sustained the Crosse contemning confusion It is not too much that the coheire should be treated like the true heire the adoptiue like the natural sonne Resolution Come then what will and from what hand it will I am resolued to looke vpon it as coming indeede from the hand of a tenderly louing father for my eternall good THE XXXI MEDITATION Christ giues vp his Ghost 1. Point COnsidera Christianes draw neere and see death shutt vp thy sweete Sauiours eyes See life dye see thy God dye Not that death man or diuell had right to exercise any such power ouer the Author of life who saith nemo tollit animam meam none takes away my soule or life but because he himselfe would when he pleased and as he pleased And to what end but to be the death of death it selfe ero mors tua ô mors I will be thy death ô death To ransacke Hell it selfe ero stimulus tuus ô inferne To be Iesus that is a Sauiour to man and to leaue him the greatest testimonies of loue imaginable by man or Angell And therfor bowing downe his head he of his owne accorde deliuered vp his spirit or soule Affection Ah my soule what 's this we heare The soule of thy Sauiour is deliuered vp to death In death then must we find true life with Christ Nolo viuere volo mori cupio dissolui esse cum Christo Dye dye then my soule to all thinges which are not his verie selfe Ther 's noe liuing without life Christ is my life mihi viuere Christus and my Christ being deade my life is deade and dye I must mihi mori lucrum I desire to dye that I may see my Christ I refuse to liue that I may liue with my Christ Ah my deare deade Master fcra pessima deuorauit te the worst of wild beastes hath deuoured thee Ah my soule thy sinnes haue slaine thy Master Thy enuie sought him thy auarice sold him thy Hypocrisie betrayed him thy rashnesse deliuered him vp thy licenciousnesse bound him thy crueltie whipped him thyne ambition crowned him thy sluggishnesse loaded him thy pride putt him vpon the Crosse thy irreligiousnesse taunted scorned and blaspheamed him thy vnmercifulnesse caused his thirst thy forsaking of God made him be forsaken by God thy disloyaltie disobedience hard hartednesse ingratitude for all his benefits putt him to death And thence my Sauiour dyed Nay it was God the fathers mercy which sacrificed him His