abilitie to doe the same Some can goe others can swyme others can flie to be short each one of them is able without anie instructor to seeke for such thinges as it hath need of onely man knoweth nothinge neither is he able to doe anie thinge but must of necessitie be caried in other folkes armes How longe time is it before he can learne to goe And yet he must beginne to crawle vpon all fowre feete before he can goe vpon two How longe tyme is it before he can speake so muche as one worde And not onely before he can speake but also before he can tell how to put meate into his owne mowth vnles some others doe helpe him One thinge onely I must confesse he can doe of him selfe that is he can crie and weepe This is the first thinge he doethe A man weepethe so soone as he is borne into this worlde but he laugheth not vntill fourtye dayes after his byrthe and this is the thinge onely he can doe without anie teacher And although he can also laughe of him selfe yet can he not doe it before he be fowrtie daies olde notwithstandinge that he is euer more weepinge from the first hower of his comminge into this worlde Whereby thou mayest vnderstande how farre more prompt and readie our nature is to pewlinge and weepinge than to ioye and mirthe O mere follye and madnes of men saieth a Wise man who of so poore naked and base beginninge doe perswade themselues that they are borne to be prowde Now as concerninge the verie bodie of man Of the bodye of mā whereof men esteime them selues so muche and take suche a vaine conceite I woulde thou shouldest consider with indifferent eies what our bodies are in verie deede how gaye and beawtifull soeuer they appeare to our outwarde sighte Tell me I praie thee what other thinge is the body of a man but onely a corrupt and teynted vessell which incontinentlie sowreth and corrupteth what soeuer lycour is powred into it What other thinge is mans bodie but onely a filthie donghill couered ouer with snowe which outwardlie appeareth white and within is full of filth and vncleannes What muckhill is so filthie What sincke auoideth out of it such filthie geare through all his channells as a mans bodie doth by seuerall meanes and waies The trees the hearbes yea and certaine liuinge beastes also do yeelde out of them verye sweete and pleasaunte sauours but man yeeldeth and auoydeth from him such lothsome and fowle stynckinge stuffe as he seemeth trewlie none other thinge but onely a fountaine of all sluttishnes and filthines It is written of a great wise philosopher called Plotinus Plotinus that he was ashamed of the condition and basenes of his bodie insomuch as he was verie vnwillinge to heare anie talke of his lignage and pedegree neither coulde he euer be induced with anie perswasions to giue his consent that anie man shoulde purtraite him out in picture sayeinge that it was sufficient that he him selfe caried with him all the daies of his lyfe a thinge so filthie and so vnworthie of the noblenes of his soule although he were not bownde to leaue behinde him a perpetuall remembrance of his owne dishonour It is written also of the holie Abbot Isidorus Isidorus that vpon a time whilest he was at meate he was not able to refraine from weepinge and beinge demaunded why he wepte he answered I weepe because I am ashamed to be here feedinge vpon the corruptible meate of beastes whereas I was created to be in the companie of Angels and to feed vpon heauenly foode with them Of the myseries and conditions of this lyfe and first of the shortnes of the same § II. AFTER this consider the great and manifolde miseries of mans lyfe and espetially these seuen to witt How shorte this lyfe is Hou vncertain Hou fraile Hou inconstant How deceitfull and finally how miserable it is This done thinke vpon the ende thereof which is deathe Of the shortenes of our lyfe Iob. 1.14 Consider then first of the shortnes of our lyfe which thinge the holie man Iob considered when he saied O Lorde the daies of man are verie shorte and thou knowest the nomber of the monethes that he hath to liue We see at this daie what a great matter it is for one to liue three score and tenne or foure score yeares and this is commōly the ordinarie rate of mās lyfe Insomuch as when they liue so longe they accompt them selues not to be euill delt withall As the Prophet signifieth when he saieth Psal 89. The daies of mā are at the vttermost but threescore and tenne yeares and if the strongest do reach to fourescore all that that followeth is but labour and greiffe Now if thou wilt deuyde this accōpte into partes and not recken it thus in a grosse somme it seemeth vnto me The tym◠of infancye that thou canst not well recken the tyme of our infancie for anie part of our lyfe and much lesse the time that is consumed in sleepe because the lyfe of infancie when we are not as yet come to the vse of reason which onely shewethe vs to be men can not well be called the lyfe of men but rather the lyfe of beastes euen as it were the lyfe of a yonge goate that goeth here and there skippinge and leapinge espetiallie bycause we see that in al that age there is nothinge either learned or done The tyme consumed in sleepe that maie well beseeme the dignitie of a man Now as towchinge the time that is spent in sleepe I see not how it maye be called the time of lyfe seinge the principall parte of our life is to haue the vse of our senses and reason which as then both the one and the other are suspended in vs and as it were deade And therefore a certayne Philosopher saied that in the halfe of a mans lyfe there is no difference betwene the happie man and vnhappie forsomuch as duringe the tyme of sleepe all men are equall because they be then as is were deade It is cleare that if a kinge shoulde be detained as a prisoner for the space of one or two yeares we can not saie and saie trulie that he raigned duringe that time seinge he enioyed not the kingdome nor gouerned the same lyke a kinge How then can it be saied that a man liueth whiles he sleepeth seinge duringe that time the Seignorie and vse of his reason yea and of his senses also by which he liueth stande as it were in suspense For this cause a certain Poët tearmed sleepe the cosin germayne of death and an other called it the brother of deathe for the likenes and resemblance which he perceaued to be betwene the one and the other Now then if so great a parte of our lyfe be spent in sleepe what a great part is that wherein it cannot be sayed that we doe liue at all And if it be the common custome of men
particular accompte of all their dissolute and wicked lyfe Wherefore it is verelye to be thought that the diuell labourethe all he can to make vs vtterlie to neglecte and forgette the remēbrance of our accompte The diuell laboureth all he can to make vs neglecte and forgette the accompte we must make of all our whole lyfe at the hower of our deathe that we must make at the verie hower of our deathe because he knoweth full well what great proffit and commoditie woulde arise vnto vs by the continuall remembrance of the same For otherwise how were it possible that men shoulde forget a thinge that is so terrible and fearefull yea such a thinge as they knowe most assuredly will come and steale verie shortelie vpon them at their owne howses If we haue but the least doubte or suspition in the worlde of losynge a litle wordly riches or of some other like thinge it maketh vs oftentimes very carefull and watchfull and causeth vs to lose both our sleepe and our health How happeneth it then that the remembrance of death which aswell to the bodie as to the sowle is the most horrible and dreadfull thinge that maie come vnto vs causeth vs not to be likewise verie carefull and watchfull in makinge prouision beforehande for the cōminge of it Suerlie it seemeth vnto me a thinge verie much to be meruayled at that men shoulde be so carefull as they be in tryfles and matters of smalle importance and liue so negligently and without all care in thinges that are of so greate importance vnto them as is their euerlastinge saluation or damnation The consideration of our deathe prouoketh vs not onelie to liue a good lyfe but also to dye well Thirdly this consideration of our death is a great helpe not onely to prouoke vs to liue a good lyfe as it hath bene saiede but besides that to die well In thinges that be harde and difficult foresighte and preparation beforehande is a very great helpe to bringe them well to passe Now so great a leape as is the leape of death which reacheth from this lyfe to the euerlastinge lyfe to come can not well be leaped vnles we make a great course and fetche a longe race to ronne the same No great thinge can be well and perfitlie done at the first time Seinge therefore it is so great a matter to die and so necessarie to die well it shal be verie expedient for vs to die oftentimes in our life that we maie die well at the verie time of our death The souldiors that be appoynted to fight doe first practice themselues in such feates and exercises as whereby they maie learne in time of peace what they must doe in time of warre The horse also that must ronne at the Tilte trauerseth all the grownde before and trieth all the steppes thereof that at suche time as he cōmeth to make his cowerse he be not founde newe and straunge in doyinge his feate Wherefore sith we all must needes ronne this cowerse forsomuch as there is no man aliue but must die consideringe also that the waie is so obscure and stonie as all men knowe and the daunger so great that whosoeuer falleth shal be tombled downe headlonge into the bottomles pit of hell fyer it shal be requisite that we doe now tread diligentelie before-hand all this waie and consider particularlie all the steppes and places thereof one by one forsomuch as in euerie one of them there is much to be considered And let vs not thinke it enoughe to consider onely what passeth outwardelye aboute the sicke mans bedde but let vs endeuour much more to vnderstande what passeth inwardlie within his harte Of the vncertaintie of the hower of death And what a greife it is at that tyme to departe from all thinges of this lyfe § I. TO beginne now euen from the beginninge of this conflicte Consider how when death shall come vpon thee Deyth stealeth vpon vs at such a tyme as we thincke least of it 1. Thess 5.2 it will come at such a time as when thou thinkest thy selfe in most safetie and suspectest least of the comminge thereof as we see by experience it is wont to happen vnto manie The daie of our Lorde saith the Apostle shall come like a thieffe Which watcheth alwaies to come at such times as men are most careles and thinke themselues in most safetie that it maie take vs vpon a sodeine at vnwares And so we see it happeneth most often that euen at that time when men doe least thinke to dye and when they are least mindfull of their departure out of this lyfe yea when they cast their accomptes before hande to make great purchases and buildinges and to set vpon great enterprises of many daies and yeares then cōmeth death sodenly vpon them and disapointeth them of all their vaine hopes and designementes and vtterly ouerthroweth all their fonde imaginations and buildinges which they made in the aier And so is that sayenge fulfilled of the holie kinge Esa 38. My lyfe saieth he was cutt of like as the weauer cutteth of his thread while I was as yet in the beginning he cut me of from morninge to eueninge thou wilt make an ende of me The first stroke of death is the feare of deathe The first stroke wherewith death is wont to strike is the feare of death Suerlie this is a very great anguishe vnto him that is in loue with his lyfe and this forewarninge is such a great greife vnto a mā that oftētimes his carnall friēdes doe vse to dissemble it and will not haue the sicke man to beleue it least it shoulde vexe and disquiet him and this they will doe sometimes although it be to the preiudice and destruction of his miserable sowle Kinge Saule had a verie stowte and valiant courage but after that the shadowe of Samuell appeared vnto him and had tolde him that he shoulde die in the battell addinge moreouer theise wordes 1 Reg. 28. Tomorrowe both thou and thy sonnes shal be here with me The feare and terror which he conceaued at these tidinges was so great that at that very instant he lost all his force and courage and fell downe to the grounde as a dead man Now what a greife will it be to a man that is in loue with this life when such lyke newes shal be signified vnto him For immediatly vpon this denuntiation there shal be represented vnto him his departure and perpetual bannishement from this worlde and from all thinges that be in the same Then shall he see that his howre is now come and that the dawninge of that dreadfull daye appeareth now at his howse wherein he shall departe from all thinges that he hath loued in this lyfe His bodie shall die but once but his harte shall die as often as he shall remember the losse of all those thinges whereunto it beareth loue and affection Forsomuch as death shall put the knife betwene him and
respecte of the workes of iustice that we haue done but accordinge to his great mercie he hath saued vs. O how wonderfull desirous was our most gracious Lorde that we shoulde vnderstande his mercie when by the Prophet Esaie he spake those so notable wordes Esa 43.22 Thou hast not called vpō me ô Iacob ād thou ô Israel hast not trauayled in my seruice Thou hast not offered vnto me thy rāmes in a whole burnte sacrifice neither hast thou glorified me with thy sacrifices c. And yet for all this thou hast made me to serue in thy synnes and hast put me to paines with thyne iniquitie It is I It is I that doe pardon thy synnes for mine owne sake and that will neuer be mindefull of them Put me in minde and let vs enter into iudgemente and shewe if thou haue any thinge where with to iustifie thy selfe Wherefore ô most mercifull and sweite Lorde what thinge is there in me wherewith I maie recompence thee for this so great a benefite If I shoulde liue all the liues of the children of Adam and all the daies and yeares of the worlde If I were able to sustein all the trauels and paines of all the men that either be hath bene or shall be all this were as nothinge to recompence the verie least of the greifes and paines that thou hast suffered for me Consideringe therefore that I can by no meanes possible discharge this inestimable great dett let me paie thee ô my almightie God if it be thy blessed will with the continuall remembrance of the same I beseech thee ô Lorde euen by the bowels of thy infinite charitie that thou wilt wounde my harte with thy woūdes and make my sowle droncke with thy most pretious bloud in such sorte that whither so euer I shall turne my selfe I maie alwaies see thee crucified and wheresoeuer I shall cast mine eies all thinges maie seeme vnto me to shyne with thy pretious bloude Let this be all my consolation to be alwaies crucified with thee and let this be all my affliction to thinke vpon anie other thinge besides thee Consider ô my almightie God the great price wherewith thou hast bowghte me and suffer not so pretious a treasure to be shed in vaine for me And graunte me ô most mercifull Lorde that I be not as a childe that is borne before his time whom his mother bringeth forthe with exceidinge great trauell and paine and yet he enioyeth not the commoditie and fruit of lyfe Of the fourthe benefite to witt of Vocation § IIII. AFTER this thinke vpon the benefite of Vocation or callinge of almightie God without which all the other benefites tende to the greater damnation of a man Two callinges of God one vnto faithe and an other vnto grace But here it is to be noted that there be two kindes of callinges of almightie God one vnto faith by meanes of the Sacrament of Baptisme and an other vnto grace after that a man hath lost the first innocencie which he had by baptisme Consider now what a great benefite the first callinge of thee was by meanes of the Sacrament of holie Baptisme The first callinge is by Baptisme whereby thou wast clensed from originall sinne deliuered from the power of the deuill made the sonne of almightie God and an inheritour of his kingedome There he toke thy sowle to be is spowse and adorned it with such ornamentes as were conuenient for such a state to witt with the grace vertues and giftes of the holie Ghost and with other iewells and giftes that are farre more pretious than those that were geuen to Rebecca Gen. 24. whē she was takē to be the spowse of Isaac Now what hast thou done whereby to deserue so great a benefite as this is How many thowsandes not onely of men but also of nations and whole countreys are there that by the iust iudgemente of almightie God doe not obteine this inestimable great benefite What had become of thee if thou haddest bene borne emonge those infidels and wanted this knowledge of the true liuinge God and worshipped stockes and stones for God as the infidels doe How much art thou bounde to almightie God that emonge such an infinite nomber of lost and damned sowles it pleased him that thou shouldest be one of the nomber of them that shoulde be saued yea and be borne in the lappe of the Catholike Churche and be nourished there with the milke of the Apostles and with the pretious bloude of our sweete Sauiour Iesus Christe The seconde callinge Now if after the grace of this firste callinge thou hast throughe thyne owne default and synfull lyfe lost the innocencie which thou receiuedst in the Sacramente of Baptisme in case it hath pleased our Lorde all that notwithstandinge to call thee the seconde time yea and verie manie and oftē times how much art thou then bounde vnto him for this so passinge great benefite How manie benefites are conteyned in this benefite One benefite it was to expecte and tarrie for thy conuersion so longe time to geue thee space to doe penance and to suffer thee so longe to contynewe in that state of synne and wickednes and not to cutte downe the vnfruitfull and vnprofitable tree that occupied such a rowme in the earthe and receiued the influencies of heauen altogether in vaine An other benefite it was to suffer thee to committe so many and so heynous enormous synnes and not to cast thee downe therefore into the most horrible bothomles pitt of hell fier where perhappes manie others are now there tormented euen for lesse offences than thyne An other benefite it was to fende thee so many good inspirations and holie purposes euen in the middest of thy verie synnes and wicked life and to persiste in callinge thee so longe a time whereas thou in the meane season diddest nothinge els but offende him verie greiuouslie that called thee An other benefite it was also to bringe thy greate stubbornes and longe obstinate resistance at the lengthe to an ende and to calle thee with such a mightie and lowde voice that thereby thou mightest rise from death to lyfe and come forthe as it were an other Lazarus Ioan. 2. out of the darcke and obscure graue of thy wicked and synnefull lyfe and not with thy handes and feete bownde but losed and sett at free libertie out of the stinckinge prison and thraldome of the enemie of mankinde But aboue all this what a benefite was it to graunt thee then not onelie pardon for thy sinnes past but also grace from that time forwardes not to retourne vnto them againe geuinge thee moreouer all such other ornamentes Luc. 15. as were geuen to the penitente prodigall sonne when he was receiued into grace and fauour againe by meanes of which ornamentes and graces thow mightest liue as the childe of God and contemne and laughe at the malice of the deuill and triumphe ouer the worlde and take a sweete tast of the thinges
that you maie haue euer one windo we open towardes the heauenlie Ierusalem Dan. 6. vers 10. as Daniel had in his chaÌ„ber in Babylon prayinge there three times in the daie towardes the earthelye Ierusalem And in case your worldlie impedimentes be ouer greate then wisdome requireth that for saluation of your sowles you doe caste them awaie from you And imitate herein the worldlie foresighte of wise Marchauntes when they be in daunger of drowninge in a stormie tempeste vpon the sea who vse at suche times for saluation of their liues to cast into the Sea their ryche merchaundise and all their troublesome heauie encombrances thereby to cause their shippe to saile more safelye And I doe also humblie beseache all good Christian readers that shall like well of theise spirituall exercises to remember me in their deuoute praiers that I proue not like vnto those foolishe carpenters that made Noes arke who made it to saue others from drowninge in the generall fludde and yet were drowned them selues Thus with all due humble submission of my self and my trauailes herein to your honours and woorships I humblie craue pardon for passinge here somwhat the bowndes of my profession and treatinge as a diuine of spirituall matters accordinge as since my departure from the Middle Temple by some studie and readinge of diuers spirituall bookes and continewall conuersation theise fifteene yeares with manie vertuous and Learned Catholike Priestes in these partes I haue bene instructed And I moste humblie beseache almightie God that theise Godlie Meditations maie woorke so good effecte in all your myndes as I haue often times verie earnestlie requested of his dâ—uine Maiestie From Paris vpon the holie festiuall daie of Pentecoste In the yeare of our Lorde 1582. AN ADVERTISMENTE BY the translatour to the Learned Reader FOr so muche as the Author of this booke hath published at diuers times seuerall editions thereof in the Spanishe tongue and in the later editions hath from time to time verie muche and often corrected altered and augmented the same not onelie in manifolde wordes and sentences but also in diuers chapiters otherwise than in the former editions that were printed either in Toledo Salamanca Lisbone Andwarpe or in anie other place before the yeare of our Lord. 1567. I thinke it verie conueniente to giue notice of it to the Reader and withall that in my TranslatioÌ„ I doe folowe the edition in the Spanishe tongue printed at Andwarpe by Christopher Plantine in the yeare of our Lorde 1572. For I perceaue that the frenche TraÌ„slation differeth in duers places from this best corcted edition of Plantins and so doe likewise all the Translations that I haue seene in the Italian tongue printed in diuers yeares at Rome Naples and Venice by Michaël Tramezzino Horatio Saluiani IouaÌ„ni Baptista Guerra and Gabriel Iolito vntill that nowe of late all the Authors workes haue bene newlie translated into the Italian tongue and printed at Venice by Georgio Angelieri in the yeare of our Lorde 1581. AN EXHORTATION TO THE CHRISTIAN Reader made by the Righte Reuerende Father in God BERNARDE de FRESNEDA Bishoppe of CVENCA one of the priuie Councell of Estate to the mightie KINGE PHILLIPPE OF SPAYNE c. And his Ghostly Father to read this booke with good attention and with a desire to profite and procede forwardes in godlines Three thinges necessarie to preserue Iustice to wit prayer readinge and good woorkes IT is the doctrine of the holie fathers that there be three thinges verie necessarie and of inestimable importaunce to the iust man to preserue him in his iustice to witt Praier Readinge and doinge of good workes In these three thinges ought the iust maÌ„ to exercise himselfe euerie daye and deuide his tyme so discreetelie and so like a good Christian that he be euer founde occupied in some of them Prayer illuminateth purgeth comforteth reioyceth obteyneth feruour causeth all traueile to seeme sweete and lighte breedeth deuotion engendereth coÌ„fidence in case our owne spirite doe not reproue vs Prayer bannisheth awaie slouthe frayeth the ennemie and ouercometh temptation And therefore a certaine wise man saide Non te pigeat orare si vis à vitiis liberari Be not slacke to praye if thou wilt be deliuered from vices Prayer is verie necessarie towardes the obteyninge of the grace of God without which the spirituall life will vtterlie decaye and perishe And therefore prayer is preferred before readinge Tertullian speakinge of prayer saithe That thinge is alwaies to be vsed which is alwaies good And he addeth furthermore and saieth If prayer be necessarie in all places and at all tymes Continencie necessarie vnto prayer then is continencie necessarie also vnto prayer for so much as praier procedeth of continencie wherefore if thy continencie hath cause to be ashamed then shall thy prayer likewise be ashamed The spirite carryeth our prayer vnto God and if the spirit finde it self faultie then our prayer ascendeth with shame vnto him Againe Cassiodorus saieth that perseuerance in prayer auaileth much to obteine firmnes of harte By meanes of continuall prayer the deuills and their deceytfull snares are ouercome and by the same the iust man weakeneth their forces and vexations By meanes of prayer he maketh them become weake cowardly and easie to be conquered and by the same he maketh himselfe also become stronge and a conquerour ouer them If thou praye with perseuerance thou shalt obteyne sweetenesse and withall a more feruent desire to praie And then doe we praie in trueth when we haue none other thinge in our mynde but doe applie all our intention vnto heauenlie thinges and haue our harte wholie enflamed with the fyer of the holy Ghoste 1. There be three effectes of prayer The first effecte is common vnto all workes done in charitie Three effectes of prayer S. Thomas 2.2 quest 83. artic 1â— which is to be meritorious And for this effect actuall attention is not of necessitie required in prayer but it is sufficient to haue an habituall attention as in all other meritorious actes The second effecte is proper vnto prayer alone Our firste intention when we beginne our prayers muste be to attende to the seruice of God by them and â—f we doe nothinge willinglye whilest we praye contrarie to this our firste intention We shall obteine our Lawfull and necessarie requestes which is to obteyne of almightie God the thinge we desire And for this effecte it is sufficient also to haue the first inteÌ„tion which is the thinge that God respecteth in our workes for if this first intention fayle we shall not obteyne the thinge we require because almightie God will not heare his praier that seeketh not the thinge he asketh of him in such sorte as he ought and for such end as he ought 3. The thirde effect of praier is a spirituall refection of the soule And for this effect it is necessarilie required to haue an attention in praier and not onely such an attention as is attent to
vnto so highe a maiestie Is this the thanckfulnes that thou yeeldest for his so manifolde and so great benefits Is this the recōpence that thou makest vnto him for the pretious bloude which he hath shed for thee vpon the crosse Is this the repaiment for those lashes and buffettes which he suffered for thy sake O miserable and wretched creature that thou art Wretched vndowtedlie in consideration of that thou hast lost and more wretched in respect of the sinnes thou hast committed but most wretched and miserable if thou be so blynded that euen yet for all this thou perceaue not thyne owne perdition and damnation Consider moreouer what a wonderfull hatred almightie God beareth against sinne and what great punnishementes he hath sent to the worlde for the same that hereby thou mayest more clearlie vnderstande how great and how abhominable the wickednes thereof is as it shal be declared hereafter When thou hast considered all these thinges aforesayd the next poynte is we must thinke verie basele of our selues that thou thinke of thy selfe as basely as thou canst possibly Thinke that thow art no better than a verie waueringe reede which is blowen vp and downe with euerie light blast of wynde without weight without strengthe without firmenes without staie and without anie maner of beinge Ioan. 11. Thinke that thou art a Lazarus that hath lyen dead fowre daies together and that thou art a stinckinge and abhominable carcas so full of wormes and of so vyle a stentche and sauour that as manie as passe by thee doe stoppe their noses and shutte their eies that they maye not beholde thee Thinke with thy selfe that thou doest stincke in this wise in the sight of almightie God and of his holie angels And esteeme thy selfe as vnworthy to lift vp thy eies towardes heauen vnworthy that the earthe shoulde beare thee vnworthie that anie creature shoulde serue thee vnworthie of the verie breade that thou eatest and vnworthie euen of the light and aier that thou receauest And if thou be vnworthie hereof consider how much more vnworthie thou art to speake and talke with almightie God Luc. 15. Luc. 18. yea and farre more vnworthie of the comfortes and consolations of the holie Ghost and of the cheryshinges and delightes of the children of God Accompte thy selfe for one of the most poore and miserable creatures of all the worlde and that none doth so much abuse the benefites of almightie God Marc. 11. as thou doest Thinke that if almightie God had wrought in Tire and Sidon that is in other verie greate sinners those thinges which he hath wrought in thee they woulde haue done penance ere this euen in sackclothe and ashes Acknowledge thy selfe to be farre more wicked than thou canst imagin and that notwithstandinge thou doest sincke verie deepe into this myer and howsoeuer thou imaginest thy selfe to be at the verie bottome yet maist thou fynde euerie daye how to sincke deeper and deeper therein Crie out therefore earnestlie vnto almightie God and saie vnto him O Lorde I haue nothinge I am worthe nothinge I am nothinge and nothinge can I doe without thee Luc. 7. Cast thy selfe downe prostrate with the publike sinner at our Sauiours feete and coueringe thy face for verie shame and cōfusion looke with what shame a womā will appeare before her husbande when she hath committed treason and adulterie against him with the verie same presente thy selfe before that heauenlie spouse against whom thou hast committed so manie and so shamefull adulteries And with great sorrowe and repentance of hart desire him to pardon thy synnes and offences and that it maye please him of his infinite pittie and mercie to receiue thee againe into his howse THE FIRST TREATISE OF THE CONSIDERATION OF SYNnes Wherein this former meditation is declared more at lardge THE first table after shipwracke as S Ierome witnesseth is penance This is the first steppe of this ascendynge and the first stone of this spirituall buildinge Now to obteine this vertue of pennance besides the grace of God whose gifte true penance is it helpeth verie much to consider the multitude of our sinnes aswell present as past and withall the greiuousnes and malice of them For of this consideration proceedeth the compunction and repentance for synnes And out of this consideration proceedeth not onely the vertue of pennance but also manye other vertues yea and those verie excellent For hereof commeth the knowledge of our selues of which pointe we minde to treat in the meditation nexte followinge Of this cōsideration also commeth the contempt of our selues the feare of God the abhorringe of sinne with diuers and sundrie other like affections wherein consisteth a verie great parte of perfection Now that this exercise maie be the more profitable vnto thee thou must applie and direct the same vnto all these endes and labour to sucke all these sweite fruites out of the bitter roote of this consideration But because towardes the obteyninge of such fruites it is nedefull to haue the grace of God which is principallie geuen to such as be humble and deuoute it shal be requisite for thee to desire of our Lorde this gifte of humilitie and deuotion to the ende that recollectinge thy selfe in the inwarde parte of thy harte Esa 38. thou mayest imitate that holie kinge who said I will recite before thoe ô Lorde all the yeares of my life in the bitternes of my harte OF THE MVLTITVDE OF THE SINNES THAT THOV HAST committed in thy former life § I. NOW if thou wilte knowe the nomber of thy synnes that thou hast committed in tymes past ronneouer briefly all the commaundementes and deadly sinnes and vndowtedly thou shalt finde that there is scarsely a commaundemente that thou hast not broken nor a deadly synne wherein thou hast not offended Of breakinge the commaundementes The first commaundemente is to honor almightie God who as S. Augustine saieth is honored with those thre Theologicall vertues FAITH HOPE AND CHARITIE Faythe Now what maner of Faith had he that hath liued so loosely as if he had beleued that all those thinges which his faith teacheth him had bene starke lyes What Hope had he Hope that neither remembred the life to come neither knewe what it was to call vpon almightie God in his troubles and aduersities nor yet how to put his assured trust Charitie and affiance in him What Charitie had he that hath more loued a pointe of honor more accompted of the chaffe of his worldly lucre and commoditie and more regarded the filthines of his pleasures and delites than almightie God him selfe syth that for euerie one of these thinges he hath contemned and offended almightie God Of reuerence vnto almightie God What reuerence hath he borne to that most highe and diuine maiestie that hath bene accustomed to rente that name of so great reuerence and to teare it in peeces in swearinge Of swerynge and forswerynge and forsweringe by it
they went to finde the partye they sought for how amased and ashamed were they when they sawe how fowlie they were deceiued Now what thinge in the worlde coulde make a more liuely resemblance of the proces and deceites of our lyfe We all doe walke here in this worlde by the waie of our appetites and desires Some seeke after golde others to purchace lādes others to make great buildinges others seeke for pleasures and delightes others for offices and dignities and each one is fullie perswaded that he taketh the best and wisest waie to obtein the thinge he disiereth But when the terrible presence of death and the daunger of our accompt discouereth the vanitie of our hopes then findinge our selues to be in arrerages for our accompt we shall clearlie perceiue how fowlie we haue bene deceiued and we shall see that by followinge that waie whereby we thought to haue founde quietnes and rest we finde our perdition O what miserable men are we How blindly doe we now wander vp and downe in the worlde What eies shall we then haue How shall our iudgement be then altered How farre different shall it be from that it was before Then shall we playnelie see how all the thinges of this worlde are miserable her goodes false her waies crooked her hopes vaine her promises lyinge her pleasures bitter her glorie shorte and vaine Then shall we perceiue though to late how her riches were thornes and her delightes poyson To be short then shall we see how our eies haue bene closed vp and that we neuer knewe whither we went and at the ende of our iourney we shall finde our selues in the streites of Samaria and in the snare of the iudgement of almightie God and compassed about with all our enemies to witt the diuells and our sinnes O how shall the wicked be confounded at that howre and how fowly shall they see them selues beguiled How truelie maye euerie one of them saie at that tyme O miserable wretch that I am what other commoditie haue I now by all my pleasures past but onely that I haue prouoked at this dreadfull howre the indignation of the iudge against me who must geue sentence vpon me Now my pleasures are all ended and gone and there remaineth of them neither relique nor memorie to comfort me withall no more than if they neuer had bene yea contrariewise they remaine as thornes that lye prickinge all about my harte they make my cause doutfull they torment my wofull sowle now presently and peraduenture shall torment it euerlastinglie for euer and euer This is the fruit that I haue gathered of my dissolute and wanton lyfe and of all my carnall delightes This is the settinge of my teeth on edge that my gluttonies past doe cause me now to haue My pleasures and delightes haue now forsaken me They are quite gone awaie and will neuer retourne againe yea perhapps in steede of pleasures that cōtinued but a momente there are prepared for me euerlastinge horrible tormentes in hell fier Now what blindnes can be greater than this How much better had it bene for me neuer to haue bene borne than to haue offended him of whose helpe and fauour I haue at this presente so great neide How much better had it bene for me that the earth had opened and swalowed me vp before I had once thought to offend him O vnfortunat daie O cursed howre wherein I offended thee ô Lorde Why did I not consider beforehande of this dreadfull howre Why was I not sooner mindfull of this terrible iudgement How were mine eies blynded with so smalle a glimse Is this the waie that I tooke to be so certayne and sure Is this the ende that all the honours of the worlde come vnto What are all those thinges which I haue so greatlie estiemeed heretofore of so litle accompte at this presente Of the terrour of the deadfull accompt we must make at the howere of our death vnto almightie God of all our lyfe past § V. AFTER this griefe there followeth also an other as great as this which is the feare of the accompt that shall then be required of vs. This is one of the greatest troubles and greifes we shall haue at that time For besides this that it is so terrible a matter to enter into iudgemēt with almightie God the very deuils also and fyendes of hell will increase this feare at that howre which before they were wont to extenuate and diminishe vnto vs with the hope and coulour of gods mercie Then will they put vs in minde of the greatnes and profoundenes of the iudgemēntes of almightie God and of his iustice which they will then shewe to be so great that he pardoned not his owne onely sonne for the sinnes of others Luc. 23. If this then be done in greine woode what shal be done saie they in drye woode Then the wicked man shall beginne to tremble and qwake for feare and saie to him selfe O miserable wretche that I am If that be true which al the scripture reporteth to wit that almightie God will geue to euerie one accordinge to his workes what maie I hope to receiue at his handes that haue done so manie wicked workes If the Gospell saie Math. 6. vers 27. Rom. 2.6 2. Cor. 5.10 Math. 3.10 Math. 7.19 That the tree shal be iudged accordinge to the frute that it yeldeth What iudgement maie I looke for that haue brought forthe so manie wicked fruites If it be true which the Prophet saieth That none shall ascend vp to the hill of God vnles he haue innocent handes Psal 23.3.4 and an vndefiled harte whither shall I then goe that haue had such wicked handes and such a filthie harthe If the sayeinge of the Wiseman be true Prou. 28.9 That whosoeuer shutteth his eares and will not heare the lawe shall crie and not be harde what maie I looke for that haue had mine eares shutt against almightie God and yet haue had them so open to harken after lies and vanities of the worlde Wherefore ô my omnipotent God with what face shall I now appeare before thee and desire thee to geue eare vnto me seinge thou hast so often times called me and I woulde geue no eare vnto thee How can I request thee to receiue me into thy howse seinge thou hast so often times called at my howse and I haue shutt my gates against thee How shall I finde thee now at the time of my neede seinge thou hast had so oftentimes neede of me in thy poore and impotent members and hast not found me By what title or right maie I request thee now at the ende of my iourney to graunt me heauē seinge I haue spente all my lyfe time in the seruice of the deuill thine enemie O how iustly maist thou then ô Lorde saie vnto me Thou hast serued the worlde and the deuill get thee therefore vnto them and let them geue thee thy hyre The like answere made the Prophet Heliseus
quake at the wordes which the Apostle spake notwithstandinge that he was an infidell and had no beleefe at all in this misterie Whereby it maie appeare what terrible thinges those were that the Apostle then spake of sith the onelie sownde of them was able to cause such a great feare and tremblinge in a man that did not beleeue them Now the Christian that belieueth them and holdeth them for a matter of faith what a liuelie sense and feelinge shoulde he haue in these thinges when he heareth readeth or considereth them And let no man thinke to excuse him selfe pretendinge innocencie and sayeinge that these threatninges are not spoken vnto him but to vniust and wicked persons S. Ierome For S. Ierome was a iust man and yet for all that he saiede That so often as he remembred the daie of iudgment both his hart and bodie trembled for verie feare The Prophet Dauid also was a iust man yea he was a man accordinge to Gods owne hart and yet for all this he had so great a feare of the accompt of this daie that he saiede in a certain Psalme Psal 142. O Lorde enter not into iudgmente with thy seruaunt for in thy sight no man lyuinge shal be iustified The holie man Iob likewise was a most innocent and iust man and yet for all that he liued in such exceedinge feare all the daies of his lyfe that he reporteth thus of himselfe Iob. 31.23 and saieth Like as he that saileth in the middes of a stormye tempest is in great feare when he seeth the furious raginge waues comminge vpon him euen so haue I trembled alwaies before the maiestie of almightie God and my feare hath bene so passinge great that I was not able to abide the heauie burthen thereof But aboue all these the Apostle S. Paule was a verie iust man and yet for all that he saide thus of himselfe 1. Cor. 4.4 I feele no remorse of conscience of any thinge that I haue done amisse and yet I accompte not my selfe safe and secure forsomuche as our Lorde is he that shal be my iudge As if he had sayed in expresse wordes Manie times it maie happen that in our owne sight we finde our selues to be without blemishe in our workes and yet in the sight of almightie God we be farre otherwise For that which lieth hidden from the eies of men is not hidde from the eies of almightie God Vnto a rude and vnskilfull painter the worke that he hath drawen seemeth to be verie perfect but a conninge and skilfull painter will finde manie defectes worthie to be noted in it Now how farre greater defectes and imperfections shall the most highe goodnes and wisedome of almightie God finde in a creature so euill inclined as man is Iob. 15.16 Who as Iob saieth drincketh sinne and iniquitie as it were water Againe if the swoorde of almightie God did finde so much to be pared of in heauen how much more shall it finde in earthe which bringeth forthe nothinge els but brambles and bryers And who is he that hath all the corners of his sowle so pure and cleane but that he shall haue neide to saie with the Prophet Psal 18.13 Ab occultis meis munda me Domine Cleanse me ô Lorde from my secrete synnes Wherefore it behoueth all men to liue in greate feare and dreade of this daye of iudgmente be their lyfe neuer so iust seinge the daie is so dreadfull our lyfe so faultie and the Iudge so iust and aboue all seinge his iudgementes be so secrete and profounde that no man knowethe what lotte shall falle vnto him But as our sauiour saieth Math. 24.40 Two shal be in the feilde the one shal be taken and th' other forsaken Two in one bedde the one shal be taken and th' other forsaken Note here against the presumptuous securitie and assurance of saluatiō tawght by the Heretickes Two grindinge in one mille the one shal be taken and th' other forsaken In which wordes we be geuen to vnderstande that of such persons as are all of one same state and maner of lyfe some shal be caried vp to heauen and some throwen downe into the bottomles pitt of hell insomuch as by this and manie other places of the holie scriptures it playnlie appeareth that no man can accompte him selfe secure and assured to be saued Psalm 18. vers 13.14 Eccles 9.1 Eccles 12.14 Eccles 5.5 Iob. 31.14.23 Daniell 4.24 Math. 12.36 Math. 19.17 Ioan. 8.31 Ioan. 15.7.14 Rom. 2.13 Rom. 8.17 1. Cor. 4.4 1. Cor. 9.27 1. Cor. 10.12 1. Cor. 13.2.13 2. Cor. 5.10.11 Galat. 5.24 Philip. 2.12 Iac. 2 14.17.24 1. Pet. 1.16 1. Pet. 2.21 2. Pet. 1.10 1. Ioan. 2.3.5.6 1. Ioan. 3.7.24 1. Ioan. 4.12 1. Ioan. 5.3 Apoc. 3.11 Apoc. 14.7 so longe as he liueth in this frayle and transitorie lyfe How rigorous the daie of Iudgement shal be § I. TO cōsider wel of the greatnes of this iudgement thou must first presuppose that there is no tonge in the worlde able to expresse the least parte of the troubles that shal be vpon this daie And therefore the Prophet Ioell beinge desirous to speake of the greatnes thereof fownde his wittes and senses so weake and confounded that he beganne to stutte and stammer like a childe and to saie Ioell 1.15 A a a what a daie shall that be The like maner of speache vsed the Prophet Ieremie Ierem. 1.6 when almightie God woulde sende him to preach to signifie that he was an infante and altogether vnable to discharge so great an embassie as he was appointed by almightie God to doe And the same maner doth the Prophet Ioel vse euen at this time to geue vs to vnderstande that there is no tonge in the worlde that will not stutte and stammer like a childe when it shall goe about to signifie what thinges shall happen vpon this dreadfull daie Vpon this daie almightie God will reduce all such filthines as the wicked haue caused in the worlde through their wicked workes to his first dewe forme and comelines And as their filthie and wicked actes haue bene manie and great euen so must the purifyenge of them be proportionable to the actes committed And so shall the worlde be so much bewtified by the punishement of the wicked as it hath bene defiled and disfigured throughe their offences When a man hath by reason of some great falle put his arme out of ioynte the more it is out of iointe the more griefe and paine must he afterwardes abide before it can be set in iointe againe and brought to his dewe proper place Now whereas the wicked haue disordered all thinges in this worlde and set them out of iointe and wrenched them out of their naturall places when that heauenly reformer shall come to restore the worlde by punnishemēt of so manie disorders how great shall the punnishement be where so manie and so great disorders haue bene This dreadfull daie
did to cause thee to be the more in loue with him by reason of this benefite and to make thee the more beholdinge vnto him by this example ād to make thy redemption the more aboūdant by reason of the great treasure that he bestowed vpon it and to geue thee more clearlie to vnderstande how much good will he beareth vnto thee that thou shouldest beare towardes him the like agayne and to shewe playnlie vnto thee how much interest thou hast in him that thou shouldest repose thy whole trust and affyance in him This is that benefite which the Prophet Esaie extolleth and that for great good cause in these wordes which after the translation of the septuagintes sownde thus In all the tribulations of men he neuer fainted Esa 43. neither was he euer wearie in sufferinge for them Neither woulde he sende anie Embassadour or Angell to redeeme them but vouchsaffed of his great mercie to come him selfe in person to redeeme them and to carie them vpon his shoulders all the daies of this worlde notwithstandinge that they did euill acknowledge this benefite Ephes 4.30 but did greiue and prouoke the holie Ghost to anger How greatlie we are bounde to our Lorde for the maner of our redemption And if thou be so much bounde to our Lorde for that he vouchsaffed to come him selfe in person to redeeme thee how much more art thou bounde vnto him for the maner of thy redemption which was by sufferinge so great paines and tormentes It were certainly a great benefite if a kinge woulde pardon a theife that had deserued to be whipped But if the kinge woulde vouchsafe him selfe to receaue the lasshes vpon his owne shoulders for him this were without comparison a farre greater benefite Consider therefore how manie benefites are comprehended in this benefite of thy redemption Lift vp thyne eies vnto that holie roode and consider all the woundes and paines that the Lorde of maiestie suffereth there for thy sake For euerie one of them is a benefite of it selfe yea and a singuler great benefite Our sauiours bodie Beholde that most innocent bodie of thy sweite sauiour and redeemer all of a gore bloude with so many woundes and bruses on all partes of him and the bloude gusshinge out on euerie side His head Beholde that most sacred head fallinge downe for verie faintnes and hanginge vpon his shoulders His face 1. Pet. 1.12 Beholde that diuine face which the Angels are desirous to beholde how disfigured it is and ouerflowed with streames of bloude in some partes freshe and redde coloured in other partes very fowle and blacke His visage Beholde that most bewtifull visage of all creatures and that coūtenance that delighted the eies of all such as behelde it how it hath now lost all the flower of his former bewtie Ieremie Thren 3. Beholde that holie Nazareth more pure than snowe more white than milke better coloured than olde Iuerie how he is now become blacker than cooles and so much disfigured and beraied that scarcelie his owne fryendes are able to knowe him Beholde that holie mouthe His mouthe His lippes how wanne and deadly it looketh Beholde his lippes how blacke and blewe they seeme Beholde how they moue desiringe pardon and mercie euen for those that are his verie tormentours Finally wheresoeuer thou beholdest him thou shalt finde that there is no one parte of him free from paine and greife but that he is couered all ouer with lashes and woundes euē from the toppe of his head to the soles of his feete His forehead His eies That goodly cleare forhead and those eies more bewtifull than the Sonne are now dimmed and darkened with the bloude and presence of deathe His eares Those eares that are wonte to heare the songes of heauen doe now heare the horrible blasphemies of synners His armes Those armes so well fashioned and so large that they embrace all the power of the worlde are now disioynted and stretched out vpon the crosse Those handes that created the heauens His hādes and were neuer iniurious to anie man are now nayled and clenched fast with harde and sharpe nayles His feete Those blessed feete that neuer walked in the waies of sinners are now deadly woūded and pearced throughe Our sauiours narrowe and harde bedde vpon the crosse without anie pillowe or other thinge wherevpō to reste his head 〈◊〉 His syde But aboue all this beholde the bedde where he lyeth and whereupon that heauenly bridegrome sleapeth at none daie how narrowe and hard it is and how he hath nothinge whereupon to rest his head O pretious head of my sweete sauiour what meaneth this that I see thee thus afflicted and tormented for my sake O blessed bodie conceaued by the holie Ghost how is it that I see thee thus wounded and euill entreated for my sake O sweete and louinge syde what meaneth this great wounde and open cleft in thee What meaneth this so great abūdance of bloude Alas wretche that I am what a pittiefull sighte is this to see thee thus furiouslie pearced with a speare for my sake O rigorous crosse be not now I beseeche thee so stiffe but mollifie a litle thy hardnes bowe downe vnto me these highe braūches let downe to me this most pretious fruite that I maie tast thereof O cruell nayles leaue I praie you those innocēt handes and feete of my innocēte Sauiour and come ād enter into my harte and pearce it throughe for it is I that haue sinned and not he O good Iesus what hast thou to doe with so manie cruel tormentes What hast thou to doe with death With sharpe nailes ād with the crosse Vndowbtedlie the Prophet had good reason to saie Esa 28.21 That his workes shal be verie straunge and farre vnlike him selfe What is more straunge and more contrarie to lyfe than deathe What is more disagreable to glorie than paine What is further of from the nature of most perfect holines and innocencie than the image and shape of a synner This title and shape ô Lorde is certaynlie very straunge for thee O true Iacob Gen. 26. that with wearinge the garmentes of others and with disguisinge thy selfe in a straunge habite hast purchased for vs the blessinge of our heauenlie father For by takinge vpon thee the image of a sinner thou hast purchased for vs victorie against synne O goodnes inspekeable O mercie vndeserued O loue exceidinge all vnderstandinge O charitie incomprehensible Tell me ô most mercifull Lorde what sawest thou in vs What seruice haue we done vnto thee With what workes haue we bounde thee to suffer such greiuous and cruell tormentes for our sakes O wonderfull bountiefulnes that without anie merite of our parte and without anie necessitie of thyne owne parte wouldest vouchesafe onely of thy mere grace ād mercie to purchace our redēption after this sorte Tit. 3.4 The benignitie and clemencie of our sauiour saieth the Apostle hath appeared not in
And that he maie not lose the fruite of all these meditations folowinge he maie exercise him selfe one weke in the one sort and an other weke in the other sort And in so doinge he maie tast and take profite of all these godlie instructions which we haue here set fourth vnto him OF THE FIVE PARTES OF PRAIER CAP. II. HERE I must aduertise the deuout Christian reader that he must not spende all the whole tyme of this exercise in meditation onelie For before meditation there maie goe two other partes of prayer which be preparation and readinge and after the same there maie followe other two which be thankes geauinge and petition For the first thinge that we must doe herein is to prepare our hartes vnto this exercise and then it shall doe well 1. Preparation to read those poyntes that we intend to meditate vpon And after the readinge 2. Readinge we haue to meditate vpon such thinges as we haue read the which beinge done 3. Meditation we maie then make an ende with some deuout geuinge of thankes vnto almightie God 4. ThaÌ„kes geuinge for all his benefites and with a petition 5. Petition or demaund of al such thinges as we shall thinke are necessarie both for our owne sowles and for the sowles of our neighboures Of which fiue partes we minde godwillinge to treat hereafter more at large in their proper place This diuision and order maie be followed by them that are as yet but yonge beginners and nouices in this trade As for those that haue had greater exercise they stand not in so great neede of these introductions and rules And it is to be noted that the meditations that are here appoynted to be vsed at night are first of all abridged into a briefe somme wherein I haue set out in order the principall poyntes that are to be considered in euerie one of them and afterwardes I haue added thereunto a more large and ample declaration of all the same poyntes And this summarie abridgement I made to the intente that after they haue bene red ouer diuers tymes they maie be the better vnderstode and meditated vpon True it is that of the meditations vpon the holie passion I haue not made the like abridgement at the beginninge of them as I haue done of the others because I iudge that the text of the holie Euangelistes which I haue there set before maie suffice for that purpose And it is not needefull for vs at euerie tyme we go to meditation to consider all the principall poyntes that are there particularlie noted but it shall suffise to take two or three of them moe or lesse according as the deuotion and tyme that euerie one hath One mysterie well considered and meditated vpon profiteth more then manie sleightelie passed ouer in haste shall require For certeinlie there is more profit taken by one misterie or point well thowght vpon and dewlye considered then by many that are sleightelie passed ouer in hast Howbeit I thowght good to note diuerse and sundrie poyntes to the intent that emonge so great varietie of considerations euerie one might make his choise of such thinges as might best serue his deuotion HERE FOLLOWE THE FIRST SEVEN MEDITATIONS FOR the seuen daies of the weke in the morninges MONDAIE MORNINGE THIS daie when thow hast made the signe of the crosse with suche preparation as shall hereafter be declared in the fourth chapter thow hast to meditate vpon our sauiour Christes wass hinge of his Apostles feete and vpon the institution of the most blessed Sacrament of the Aultar Discite a me quia mitis sum et humilis corde et et invenietis requiem animabus vestris Math. 11.29 The text of the holie Euangelistes VHEN the hower of supper was come Math. 26. Marc. 14. Luc. 22. Ioan. 13. our sauiour Christ sat downe at the table and his twelue Apostles with him And he said vnto them I haue had a great desire to eate this Passeouer with you before my passion And as they were eatinge he said verely I saie vnto you that one of you shall betraie me And they were exceadinge sorowfull and begane euerie one of them to saie vnto him Is it I Lorde And he answered and said He that dippeth his hand with me in the dishe he shall betraie me The sonne of man goeth his waie as it is writen of him But woe be to that man by whom the sonne of man is betraied It had bene good for that man if he had neuer ben borne Then Iudas that betraied him answered and said Is it I master And he said vnto him Thou hast said When supper was done Ioan. 13. he rose vp from the table and put of his garmentes and takinge a towell he girded him selfe with it After that he powred water into a basyne and beganne to washe his disciples feete and to wype them with the towell wherewith he was girded Then he came to Simon Peter who said to him Lord dost thou washe my feete Iesus answered and said vnto him what I doe thou knowest not now but thou shalt knowe it hereafter Peter said vnto him Thou shalt neuer washe my feete Iesus answered him If I washe thee not thou shalt haue no part with me Simon Peter said vnto him Lord not onely my feete but my handes and head also Iesus said vnto him He that is wasshed needeth not to washe sauinge onely his feete but he is cleane euerie whit And ye are cleane but not all For he knewe who should betraie him And therefore he said yeare not all cleane So after he had wasshed there feete and had taken his garmentes and was set downe againe He said vnto them Knowe ye what I haue done to you ye call me master and Lord. And ye saie well For so I am in deede If I then being your Lord and master haue wasshed your feete ye owght also to washe one an others feete For I haue geuen you an example that ye should do euen as I haue done to you After our Sauiour had thus wasshed there feete he tooke bread and when he had blessed he brake and gaue to his disciples sainge Take and eate this is my bodie He toke the Cuppe likewise and when he had blessed it he gaue it them sainge Drinke ye all of this For this is my bloud of the newe testament which shal be shed for manie for the remission of sinnes So often as ye shall do this thinge do it in remembrance of me Hic vir despiciens mundum et terrena triumphans divitias caelo condidit ore manu Antiphona in natali confessoris in officio â—eatâ—◠〈◊〉 virginis MEDITATIONS VPON THESE POYNTES OF THE TEXT CONTEMPLATE nowe O my sowle in this supper vpon thy sweete and mylde Iesus And beholde this wonderfull example of inestimable humilitie which he here showeth vnto thee in rysinge from the table and wasshinge his disciples feete O good Iesus what is this
for the chastesinge of men settinge before them his own diuine Image to witt the face of his own most deerelie beloued sonne so euill vsed and disfigured to the end that where as they had bene so manie tymes admonished and rebuked by the mowthes of his Prophettes and yet woulde not forsake theire wickednes they might at the least be moued for verie compassion to forsake the same beholdinge that diuine forme of our Sauiour Christ in such pittiefull wise disfigured for theire synnes So that before he laid his handes vpon men but now he came to laie them vpon him selfe which trulie was the last refuge that coulde be deuised to withdrawe men from sinne And therefore as it hath bene at all times accompted a verie great wickednes to offende almightie God so now after that he hath taken such a shape vpon him to destroye sinne it is not onelye a great wickednes but also a verie great ingratitude and horrible crueltie to offende him with anie deadlye sinne If thou wilt continewe in the contemplatioÌ„ of this pointe besides that thou mayst learne hereby to abhorre sinne thou mayst also take great cowrage to put thy whole trust and affyance in almightie God by consideringe this verie dolefull forme of our sauiour Christ the which as it is of great sorce to moue the hartes of men euen so hath it no lesse force but rather farre greater to moue the harte of almightie God And therefore thou must thinke that what dolefull forme our Sauiour toke at that tyme vpon him in the sight of the furious people the verie same he presenteth now before the diuine eyes of his most pittiefull and mercifull louinge father so freshe and in such bleadinge wise as it was that verie same daie Now what image and forme can there be of greater efficacie to pacifie the eies of the heauenlie father than the pale and wanne countenance so pittiefullie disfigured of his onelie begotten sonne This is the golden propiciatorie this is the rainbowe of diuers colours placed emonge the clowdes of heauen with the sight whereof almightie God is pacified With this were his eies fed with this was his iustice satisfied here was his honor restored Here was such seruice done vnto him as was answerable and seemlie vnto his diuine maiestie Tell me now then ô thou weake and mistrustfull man if the shape and forme of our sauiour Christ was such at that tyme that it was able as the Iudge verelie beleued to mitigate the cruell eies of such ennemies how much more able is it to pacifie the eies of the most mercifull heauenlie father espetiallie consideringe that whatsoeuer our sauiour there suffered was for his honor and vnder his obedience Compare then eies with eies person with person and thou shalt see how much thou art more assured of the mercie of the heauenlye father by presentinge vnto him this dolefull forme of our Sauiour Christ than Pilate was of the mercie of the Iewes when he showed our Sauiour thus pittiefully disfigured vnto them Wherefore in all thy praiers and temptations take this Lorde for thy sheilde and buckeler set him betweene thee and almightie God and presente him before his diuine maiestie sayenge ECCE HOMO Beholde the man I haue here o almightie God the man whom thou hast so manie yeares sowght for to be a meane betwene thee and sinners I haue here the man whose iustice is such that it answereth thy godnes in euerie poynte I haue here the man who is so much punnished as our sinnes and offences required Wherefore o most mercifull louinge Lorde looke mercifully vpon vs I most humblie beseach thee And that thou mayst so doe fixe thyne eies vpon the face of thy Christ And thou o our sweete Sauiour and mediator cease not to presente thy selfe before the eies of thy father for vs. And forsomuch as thy loue towardes vs was so great that thou wouldest offer vp thy bodie to the tormentors to be tormented for our sakes vouchsaffe o Lorde with the same loue to present it vnto the heauenlie father beseachinge him that it maie please him for thy sake to pardon vs all our sinnes and offences HOW OVR SAVIOVR CARIED THE CROSSE VPON HIS SHOVLDERS Christo igâ—â—â—ur pasâ—a in carna et vos eadem cogitationa armaâ—â—ini 1 Patr. 〈…〉 § III. NOW when Pilate sawe that all those extreme punnishementes that had bene so cruelly executed vpon that most innocent lambe were not able to asswage the furie of his ennemies he entered forthwith into the iudgemeÌ„t hall and sat him downe in his tribunall seate to geue finall sentence in that cause The Crosse was in the meane tyme prepared and made redie at the gate and that dreadfull banner was hoysed vp on highe in the aier whiche threatened the terror of a most cruell death to our Sauiour Now when that sentence was geuen and published althowghe it was of it selfe both vniust and cruell yet did his ennemies adde an other further crueltie vnto it to wit they laid vpon those tender shoulders that were so pittiefullie rent and torne with vnmercifull whippes and scourges the heauie tree of the crosse All which notwithstandinge our most mercifull Lorde and sauiour refused not to carrie that heauie burthen where vpon were laied all our sinnes but embraced the same with an vnspekeable great charitie and obedience for the verie loue he bare vnto vs. And so went on his waie as an other true Isaac Genes 22. with the crosse on his shoulders to the place of his sacrifice The cariadge was deuided betwene two The sonne caried the woode and the bodie that shoulde be sacrificed These two vertues loue and iustice did put the sonne of God vpon the crosse and the father caried the fier and the knife wherewith the sacrifice shoulde be made For truelie it was the fier of loue which he bare towardes mankynde and the sharpe knyfe of the diuine iustice that put the sonne of God vpon the crosse These two vertues contended together within the heauenlie fathers breste each one demaundinge his right Loue requested him to pardon mankinde and iustice required that sinners might be punnished Wherevpon to the ende that men might be pardoned and sinne punnished a mean was founde that an innocent to witt the sonne of God shoulde die for all mankynde This was the fier and knife that the Patriarke Abraham caried in his handes to sacrifice his sonne For it was the loue of our saluation and the zeale of iustice that cause the heauenlie father to offer his owne most deerlie beloued sonne to the crosse Now goeth the sweete innocent Iesus forwardes on his waie with that so heauie dolorous burthen vpon his weake and torne shoulders great multitudes of people folowinge after him and manie a pittiefull and sorowfull womaÌ„ accompanienge him with grieuous teares and lamentations What stonie harte had bene able to abstaine from most bitter weepinge beholdinge the kinge of angells to goe thus faintlie with such a great
of those tormentinge raginge ministers that at the verie time of rearinge it vp and placinge it therein they let it falle furiouslie from them with a iumpe into the hoole with all the weight thereof and so all his blessed bodie was sore shaken and iogged vp and downe in the aier and thereby his woundes were wydened and enlarged and his paines and grieffes more encreased Now therefore o my sweete Sauiour and redeemer what harte is so stonie harde that will not ryue in sunder for verie sorrowe and griefe sith the verie stones them selues were ryuen the same daie consideringe the extreme paine that thou sufferedest on the Crosse The sorrowes of deathe ô Lorde Psalm 17. Psalm 68. haue compassed thee about and the waues of the Sea haue ouer whelmed thee Thou art myred in the depthe of the bothomles goulfes and fyndest nothinge wherevpon to staie thy selfe Thy father ô Lorde hath forsaken thee what hope maist thou haue of men Thy ennemies make outcries against thee thy fryendes breake thy harte thy soule is afflicted and for the loue thou bearest to me thou wilt not admit any maner of comforte Vndowtedlie ô Lorde my sinnes were verie greate and haynous and that doth thy penance well declare I see thee ô my kinge fastened to a tree and there is nothinge to susteine thy bodie but onelie three iron nailes wherevpon thy sacred fleas he hangeth without anie other staie or comforte When the weight and swaie of thy bodie staieth vpon thy feete then are the woundes of thy feete the more torne and enlarged with the nailes wherewith they are pearced Againe when the weight of thy bodie staieth vpon thy handes then are the woundes of thy handes the more rente and enlarged also with the poyce of thy bodie One of thy members cannot succour an other but with equall preiudice either of the one or of the other Now as touchinge thy holie head beinge thus tormented and weakened with the sharpe crowne of thornes what pillowe hath it to rest vpon O how well might thy armes ô most excellent virgin be here employed to supplie this office But alas thine armes maye not serue at this present but onely the armes of the Crosse Vpon them must our Sauiour staie his sacred head when he will rest and yet so that the ease he taketh thereof is nothinge els but a further driuinge in of the thornes and fasteninge of the same deeper into the braine Besides all this I see those foure principall woundes as it were foure fountaines alwaies distillinge out bloude I see the grownde all besprinckled and bedewed rounde about with bloude I see that most pretious licour all betrampled and shed vpon the earthe which crieth much better then did the bloude of Abell Genesis 4. Heb. 12. For his bloude cryed for vengeance ageinst the murderer but this most pretious bloude of thine O sweete Iesus craueth pardon for synners OF THE COMPASSION THE SONNEHAD VPON HIS mother and the mother vpon her sonne hanginge vpon the Crosse § III. THE sorowes of the sonne were much increased by reason of the presence of his most blessed mother wherewith his dolefull harte was no lesse crucified within than his holie bodie without Two crosses be here prepared for thee ô good Iesus this daie The one for thy bodie and the other for thy soule The one is of passion and the other of compassion The one pearcethe thy most blessed bodie with nailes of iron th' other pearceth thy most holie soule with nailes of sorowe Who is able to declare ô sweete Iesus what an vnspekeable greife it was vnto thee when thou diddest cōsider the greate anguishes of the blessed soule of thy holie mother which thou knewest so certeinlie was crucified with thee on the crosse Luc. 2. When thou sawest her pittiefull harte pearced and thrust throughe with the knife of heauines and sorrowe When thou diddest open thy blouddie eies and beheldest her diuine face whollie ouercast with palenes and wannes of death When thou sawest those most grieuous paynes and anguishes of her minde which was not resolued with deathe and yet abode greater paines then the verie paines of deathe it selfe When thou beheldest those riuers of teares which gusshed out from her most pure eies and hardest those so lamentable deepe sighes and sobbes which burst out of her sacred brest beinge enforced with the vehemencie of her most grieuous heauines and sorowe Certeinlie ô Lorde it can not be expressed with wordes how muche this inuisible crosse tormented thy most pittiefull harte And who is able to declare also o most blessed mother the greatnes of the sorrowes and anguishes of thy dolefull harte When thou sawest him dye with such grieuous tormentes whom thou sawest borne with so great ioye When thou sawest him scorned and blasphemed of men whom there thou sawest praised of the angells When thou sawest that holie bodie which thou haddest handeled with so great reuerence and browght vp with such motherlie tendernes and cheres hinges so cuill entreated and tormented by most wicked persons When thou beheldest that diuine mouthe of his which thou haddest nourished with the milke of heauen distempered with the bitter tast of gaulle and vynegar When thou diddest also beholde that diuine head which thou haddest so often times laied and rested on thy virgines brest all to begored now with bloude and crowned with thornes O how often diddest thou lift vp thyne eies on highe to beholde that diuine shape that had so often times reioysed thy soule in beholdinge the same And how often agayne did thyne eyes turne aside from him because the tendernes of thy harte coulde not abide to see that dolefull sighte What tonge is able to expresse the greatnes of this sorrowe If the soules that loue our Sauiour Christe truelie and vnfaynedly when they meditate vpon these sorowes beinge now past haue such a tender compassion vpon him what diddest thou then o most blessed virgin beinge his mother yea and more than a mother when thou sawest presentlie with thine eies such a sonne suffer such a most cruell and painfull passion If those women that accompanied our sauiour when he went with his Crosse towardes his death beinge neither of kinne nor of acquaintance vnto him did weape and lamente to see him goe after such a pittiefull sorte How great then was the abondance of teares that fell from thine eies O blessed mother when thou sawest him who was so deerelie beloued vnto thee not onelie carryenge the Crosse on his shoulders but nailed also fast vnto it and hoysed vp alofte vpon the same And albeit these thy griefes and sorrowes were so great yet diddest not thou ô blessed virgin refuse the companie of the Crosse neither wouldest thou turne thy backe but stoodest there euen harde and fast by the same and not fallinge downe in sowndes nor yet ouerthrowen to the grounde but like a stronge pillar standinge vpright vpon thy feete Genes 3. beholdinge with inestimable sorrowe and
discources and preachinge of the gospell Now shall I no more wype of the sweate from thy face which was so oftentymes sonneburned and tyred with painfull trauels and Iourneis Now shall I see thee no more sittinge and eatinge at my table and ministringe foode to my soule with thy diuine presence Now Alas this glorie is finished this daye is this ioye ended and my solitarines beginneth presently O My deare sonne why speakest thou not vnto me O tonge of heauen that hast comforted so manie with thy wordes and geuen speache and life to so manie persons who hath put thee to such a great silence that thou speakest not to thy louinge mother How is it that thou hast not at the least left me some legacie wherewithall I might comfort my selfe Well I will take it by thy licence This Royall crowne shal be my legacie Of these nayles and of this speare will I be thy heyre These so pretious Iewells will I kepe alwaies in my harte There shall thy nailes be knocked in There shall thy crowne thy scourges and thy crosse be kepte and preserued This is the inheritance which I haue chosen to enioye all the daies of my life O how litle while doe the ioyes of the earthe endure And how soore doth that greife smarte which commethe after muche prosperitie O Bethelem ô Ierusalem how farre doe these daies differ from those which I haue had in you What a cleare night was that and what an obscure daie is this What a great ioye and riches and I then and what a greate greife and penurie haue I now The losse of so great a treasure can not be litle O blessed Angell where are now those great praises of thy olde salutation It was not in vayne that I was in such a great trouble and feare at that tyme. For after great praises there must needes followe either some great faulle or some greate crosse and tribulation Our Lorde will not haue his giftes to be in vaine Idle and without exercise He neuer geueth honor without charge nor superioritie without seruitude nor great abondance of grace but to make vs able to suffer great trouble and persecution Then thou diddest calle me Full of grace Luc. 1. and now am I full of sorrowe Then thou diddest calle me Blessed emonge all women and now am I the most afflicted of all women Then thou diddest saie our Lorde is with thee now he is also with me howbeit not aliue but dead as I now holde him here in myne armes O my sweete redeemer and sauiour was it anie offence in me to holde thee in my armes with so great ioye when thou wast but newely borne that I shoulde now come to holde thee in them so soore tormented Was it anie faulte in me to take so great pleasure in geuinge thee the sweete milke of my brestes that now thou shouldest geue me to drinke of such a bitter cuppe Was it anie fault in me to beholde my selfe in thy face as in a bright glasse that thou hast thus ordeined that I shoulde now see thee thus cruellie rente and tormented Was it anie offence in me to loue thee so entierly that thou shouldest now cause my loue to become my tormentor And that I shoulde now suffer so much the greater greife be how much I loued thee more entierlie O heauenly father ô louer of men which art mercifull towardes them and rigorous towardes thyne onelie and deerlie beloued sonne Thou knowest how great the waues and tempesteous sourges are which lye beatinge at this presente against my dolefull harte Thou knowest that this harte of myne hath abidden so manie deathes as there haue bene whippes and strookes geauen vnto this holie bodie of thy sweete sonne Howbeit althoughe I be the most afflicted of all creatures yet doe I geue thee infinite thankes for this greate sorrowe and greife that I sustaine It is a sufficient comfort vnto me to vnderstande that it is thy blessed will that it shoulde so be Anie thinge that commeth from thy handes I must needes take in good worth thoughe it were a sharpe knyfe and woulde thrust it euen into my bowells I geue thee most humble and hartie thankes both for my prosperitie and aduersitie and as well and euen in as equall wise for the one as for the other And for the vse and commoditie of thy benefittes which I haue hitherto enioyed I blesse thee And I am nothinge discontented that thou doest now take them awaye from me I mislyke not of that but I doe rather restore to thee the thinge againe that was committed to my custodie and doe yeelde vnto thee most humble and hartie thankes Both for the one and the other the angelles blesse thee and with them my teares also blesse thee for euermore Howbeit I beseach thee ô my most louinge and mercifull father if it maye stande with thy blessed will and pleasure that the martirdome which I haue alreadie suffered for these thirtie and three yeares maie content thee Luc. 2. Thou knowest ô Lorde that from the daie that holie Simeon signefied this martirdome vnto me all my pleasures haue bene mingled with bitter gaule And from that tyme hitherto I haue had that sorrowfull daie euer lyenge ouerth-warte my heauye harte In the middest of my Ioyes I haue bene alwaies assaulted with the remembrance of this dolorous sorrowe and I neuer had anie Ioye so pure but that it was myngled with the terrible sorrowes and feares of this daie I knowe well that all this was directed by thy diuine prouidence and that it was thy blessed will that from that tyme I shoulde haue knowledge of this misterie to the ende that as the sonne caried the crosse euermore before his eies euen from the verie daie of his conception so shoulde his mother carie it also Our Lorde will haue them that be his seruātes euer to suffer and be afflicted in this life For thy will and pleasure is that those that be thyne shoulde alwaies suffer and be afflicted in this transitorie life And thou wilt not that our ioyes shoulde be great or perpetuall in this vale of teares though they be such as we take in thee Wherefore ô my kinge vouchsaffe now I beseach thee if it maie so stande with thy blessed will that this maie be the verie last of my martirdomes if not thy holie will be fulfilled both in this and in all other thinges If thou thinke one martirdome be to litle for a poore seelie woman thou knowest verie well ô Lorde that I haue bene so oftentimes a Martir as there haue bene woundes and strookes geuen to the most blessed bodie of my sauiour His martirdomes are now al ended but myne in beholdinge him thus cruellie tormented doe beginne a freshe Commaunde deathe to retourne againe to take the spoyle which he hath left behinde him and let him carie the mother also with the sonne to the graue O happie sepulchre that succiedest me in myne office The crowne that
Sauiour into that place of hell which is commonly called by the Learned diuines Limbus Patrum Of the Resurrection of his holie bodie Of his appearinge first to our blessed Ladie and afterwardes to S. Marie Magdalene and to the disciples The text of the holie Euangelistes VPON the Sondaie next ensuinge after this Fridaie of the Passion Ioan. 20. verie earlie in the morninge before the breake of the daie Marie Magdalen came to the sepulcher and sawe the stone remoued from the tombe and perceaued that the bodie was not there The which when she fownde not she stoode without the sepulcher in the garden weepinge And as she wepte she bowed her selfe downe into the sepulcher and sawe two Angells in white sittinge the one at the head and the other at the feete of the place where the bodie of Iesus was laid And they said vnto her Woman why weepest thou She made answere and sayd They haue taken awaie my Lorde and I knowe not where they haue laid him When she had thus said she turned her selfe backe and sawe Iesus standinge and knewe not that is was Iesus Iesus sayd vnto her Woman why weepest thou Whom seekest thou She supposinge that he had bene the gardener of that garden sayd vnto him Sir if thou hast taken him awaie tell me where thou hast laid him and I will take him awaie Then sayd Iesus vnto her Marie And she sayd vnto him Maister Iesus sayd vnto her Towche me not but goe and tell my brethern that I ascende to my father and your father to my God and your God Marie Magdalen came forthwith awaye and tolde these thinges vnto the Disciples sayenge I haue seene our Lorde and he tolde me these and these thinges that I shoulde tell them vnto you The same daie late in the eueninge when the doores were shut where the disciples were assembled for feare of the Iewes Iesus came and stoode in the middes of them and sayed vnto them Peace be with you And when he had so said he shewed vnto them his handes and his syde Then were the disciples glad when they had seene our Lorde Then sayd Iesus againe vnto them Peace be with you As my father sent me so sende I you And when he had sayd those wordes he breathed vpon them and sayd Receaue the holie Ghost Whose synnes so euer ye shall forgeue they be forgeuē vnto them and whose synnes so euer ye shall reteyne they are reteyned At that tyme Thomas one of the twelue who was also called Didimus was not with the disciples whē Iesus came The other disciples therefore whē he came saied vnto him We haue seene our Lorde But he sayd vnto them Except I see in his handes the prynte of the nailes and put my fynger into the holes of them and put my hande into his syde I will not beleeue it And eight daies after his Disciples were againe within and Thomas with them Then came Iesus againe when the doores were shutt and standinge in the middes of them sayd Peace be with you And after he sayd vnto Thomas Put thy finger here and see my handes and bringe hither thy hande and put it into my syde and be no more incredulous but faithfull Thomas answered and sayd My Lorde and my God And Iesus sayd vnto him Thomas because thou hast seene thou beleuest Blessed are they that haue not seene and haue beleued Manie other signes did Iesus worke also in the presence of his disciples which are not written in this booke but these thinges are written that ye might beleeue that Iesus Christ is the sonne of God and that beleuinge ye might haue life by him MEDITATIONS VPON THESE POYNTES OF THE TEXT THIS is the daie that our Lorde hath made Psalm 117. let vs reioyce and be merie in it why the daye of Christes resurrectiō is speciallie called our Lordes daye Our Lorde who is the maker of all times hath made euerie daie but this daie especiallie he is sayd to haue made forsomuche as on this daye he finished the most excellente of all his workes to wit the worke of our redemption Now as this worke is called by waye of excellencie the worke of God by reason that it farre passeth all his other workes euen so also this daie is called the daie of God for that vpon this daie he finished this worke which was the most excellente of all his workes It is also sayd that our Lorde made this daye because whatsoeuer was done in it was done onely by his owne hande In other feastes and mysteries of our Sauiour there is euer some thinge that we haue done our selues because there is alwaies in them some thinge of payne which payne grewe of our sinne and therefore there is some thinge belonginge vnto vs. But this daye is not a daie of trauell nor of paine but a puttinge awaie and bannishement of all paine and a fulfillinge of all glorie The ioyefull daye of Christes Resurrection and therefore it is whollie and purelie the daie of God Who is he then that will not reioyce vpon such a daye as this is This daie all the humanitie of Christ reioyced The blessed mother of Christ reioyced the disciples of Christ reioyced heauen and earthe reioyced yea hell it selfe had his part of this ioye This daie the sonne shyned more clearly than it did anie other daie because it was meete that it shoulde serue our Lorde with his light on this daie of his reioycinge as it had serued him before with his darkenes on the daie of his Passion The heauens which before in the daie of his passion became darke because they woulde not see their creator naked doe now on this daie shyne with a singuler clearnes to see him how he cōmeth fourthe as a conqueror out of the sepulchre Let the heauens therefore reioyce and thou ô earthe take part of this ioye because this daie there shyneth a greater brightnes out of the sepulchre than from the very sonne it selfe that geueth light in the heauens A certaine holie Father geuen muche to comtemplation sayth that euerie Sondaie morninge when he rose to mattins he tooke so great ioye by callinge to minde the misterie of this daie that it seemed to him that all creatures both of heauen and earthe did singe at that howre with lowde voices and saye In thy resurrection ô Christ Alleluia The heauens and earthe reioyce Alleluia Now to vnderstande somewhat of the misterie of this daye consider first of all howe our Sauiour hauinge finished that painfull iourneye of his passion as he ascended with passinge great charitie vpon the crosse for our sakes euen so did he descende downe into hell with the like loue and charitie to finishe the worke of our reparation For as he tooke death as a meane to deliuer vs from death euen so did he likewise goe downe to hell vsinge that as a meane to deliuer such as be his from hell Now therefore let vs consider how this noble
is called not onely the daie of Anger but also the daie of our Lorde as the Prophet Ioel tearmeth it Ioel. 1.15 why the daye of iudgemente is called the daye of our Lorde Geauinge vs thereby to vnderstāde that all other daies haue bene the daies of men in which they haue fulfilled their owne willes against the wil of god but this daie is called the daie of our Lorde because vpō this daie our Lorde will doe his will against the will of men Thou doest now sweare and forsweare and blaspheme and almightie God in this meane while holdeth his peace and sayeth nothinge vnto it but be thou well assured the daie shall come when almightie God will breake of his lōge silence of so manie daies and of so manie iniuries ād will answere for his owne honour There be but two dayes the one is the daye of our Lorde and the other is the daye of men 2. Paral. 18. So that there be no more but two daies in the worlde the one is the daie of our Lorde and the other the daie of men Man whiles his daie endureth maye doe whatsoeuer he listeth and almightie God will holde his peace and as it were wincke at all his doinges Vpon this daie the Kinge Sedechias maie commaunde the Prophet of God to be cast into a well and breade to be geuen vnto him by vnces He maie vse and abuse the Prophet at his pleasure and at all those iniuries almightie God will holde his peace But after this daie there will come an other daie and almightie God will take kinge Sedechias and depriue him of his kingedome he will destroie Ierusalem and bringe kinge Sedechias in fetters before the kinge of Babilon and there shall all his sonnes and friendes be murdered before his face There shall he commaunde his eies which were preserued to see so manie miseries to be plucked out of his head which done he shall cause him to be caried in fetters to Babilon and confyne him into a prison there to remaine all the daies of his lyfe So that as man hath libertie to doe vpon his daie whatsoeuer he listeth without anie restraint or impediment at all euen so will almightie God haue free libertie to doe vpon his daie whatsoeuer his will and pleasure shal be and no man shal be able to let or disturbe him Of the signes that shall goe before the daie of the generall Iudgemente § II. FINALLIE if thou desire to vnderstande what maner of daie this shal be consider what signes shall goe before it For by the signes thou shalt perceiue what the thinge shal be that is signified as by the eueninge and Vigile thou mayste vnderstande what the feast of the daie shal be First of all when that daie shal be no man knoweth Marc. 13. no not the Angels in heauen nor yet the sonne himselfe to reueile it to anie other but the father onely Howbeit certaine signes shall goe before it whereby men maie prognosticate not onely of the nearnes of the daie but also of the greatnes and dreadfulnes thereof Math. 24.7 For as our Sauiour saieth Before the comminge of this daie there shal be great warres and troubles in the worlde Nation shall rise against nation and kingdome against kindome And there shal be great earthquakes in manie places and pestilence and famine and terrible thinges appearinge in the aier and other great signes and wonders And which is more dreadfull than all this there shall come that great horrible persecution so oftentimes mentioned in the holie Scriptures The horrible persecution of Antichrist The Iewes shall receiue and worship Antichrist for their Messias as appeareth in Iohn 5. vers 43. ād 1. Iohn 2. vers 22. which shal be executed by the most crewell persecutor that euer the Catholike Churche hath had to witt by Antichrist who shall impugne the Catholike Churche most malitiouslie not onelie with most crewell warres and horrible tormentes but also with apparant and feyned miracles Consider now therefore with thy selfe as the blessed holie Pope S. Gregorie saieth what a terrible time that of Antichrist shal be when the godlie martir shall offer his bodie to the tormentor and the tormentor shall worke miracles before his face Math. 24. vers 21.22 Marc. 13. vers 19.20 To conclude the tribulation of these daies as our Sauiour saieth shal be so great as the like was neuer since the beginninge of the worlde Antichristes raigne and persecutiō shall not continewe but three yeares and a halfe as appeareth in Daniell 7. vers 25. Daniell 12. vers 7. 11. Apoc. 11. vers 2. 3. Apoc. 13. vers 5. Ezech. 32. nor neuer shal be insomuche that if almightie God of his great mercie did not prouide to shorten these daies all fleashe shoulde not be saued But for the electes sake the daies of Antichrist shal be shortened After these signes as this daie of the generall iudgment draweth nearer and nearer there shall appeare other signes more dreadfull than these in the Sonne in the Moone and in the Sterres Of which dreadfull signes our Lorde spake by his Prophet Ezechiel sayeinge I will cause the sterres of heauen to be darckened ouer thee and I will couer the Sonne with a clowde and the Moone shall not shewe fourthe her lighte And I will cause all the lightes of heauen to mourne and lamente ouer thee And I will sende darcknes ouer all the lande Now when these great signes and alterations shall appeare in the heauens what maie we looke for vpon the earthe which is wholly gouerned by the heauens We see in a common weale that when the heades that gouerne it are in anie tumulte all the other members and partes thereof are also in a like tumulte and vprore and the whole common-weale is tossed and tormoyled with armes and dissention Now if all this bodie of the worlde be gouerned by the vertues and influences of the heauens in case both the heauens and this bodie be altered and out of their naturall order in what ruthfull case thē shall all the members and partes be that depende of them The aier shal be full of lighteninges whyrlewindes and blasinge sterres The earthe shal be full of wyde yawninge cleiftes fearfull tremblinges and quakinges And these earthquakes as it is thought shal be so great and violent that they shal be able to ouerthrowe not onely the sumptuous pallaces highe towers and stronge Castels but euen the verie mountaines and rockes them selues shal be also shaken and ouerwhelmed by them and quite remoued out of their places But most of all other elementes the Sea shall at that tyme shewe greatest rage and furie and the waues thereof shal be so highe and so furious that it shall seeme that they will vtterlie ouerwhelme all the whole earthe Such as dwell by the Sea side shal be in great dread and terror by reason of the great rysinge of waters and such as dwell further of shal be wounderfullie afraide
this time the feare and terrour of the wicked shal be so great that as the Prophet Esaie saieth Esa 2.19 they shall seike the cliftes of stones and the hollowe places of the rockes to hide them selues therein for the great feare they shall haue of oure Lorde and of the glorie of his maiestie when he commeth to iudge the worlde To conclude this feare shal be so great Apoc. 20. that as S. Iohn saieth both the heauens and the earthe shall flye from the presence of the iudge and shall finde no place where to hide them selues Now ô ye heauens why doe ye flye awaie What haue ye done Why are ye afraide And if by the heauens be vnderstode the blessed spirites that are in heauen O ye blessed spirites that were created and confirmed in grace At the daye of generall Iudgmente euen the blessed spirites shal be afrayde to see so greate maiestie and indignation in Christe the iudge why doe ye flye awaie What haue ye done Why are ye afrayde Vndowbtedly they are not afrayde for anie daunger that is towardes themselues but they be afrayde to beholde in the iudge such a great maiestie and indignation the greatnes whereof shal be able to stryke all the heauens with terrour and admiration When the Sea is outragious and tempestious euen he that standeth safe vpon the shore is in a kinde of feare and admiration When the father goeth like a lion about his howse in punishinge his bond slaue his innocent sonne is also afraide although he knowe right well that his fathers rage is not bent against him but against the slaue Now what shall the wicked doe at this time when euen the iust shal be so greatly afrayd If the heauens flye for feare what shall the earthe doe And if those that be wholly spirite doe tremble and quake what shall they doe that haue bene wholly fleashe Esa 64. And if as the Prophet saieth the mountaines shall melt in this daie before the face of almightie God What stonie harde hartes then haue we that for all this be nothinge at all moued The holie crosse shall come before Christe the Iudge at the daye of generall iudgemente and be a witnes againste the wicked Math. 24.30 Before the Iudge there shall come that royall standarde of the crosse to be a witnes of the redemption and remedie which almightie God sent to the worlde and that the worlde woulde not receiue it And so the holie crosse shall there iustifie the cause of almightie God and leaue the wicked voide of al maner of comforte and excuse Then shall all nations of the earthe saieth our Sauiour weepe and lament and they all shall stryke and beare vpon their brestes O how great cause shall they then haue to weepe and waile They shall weepe because at that tyme they can neither doe penanceÌ„ nor flye from the iustice of almightie God nor appeale from his sentence They shall bewaile their sinnes past their shame present and the tormentes that are to come They shall bewaile their miserable happe their vnfortunat birthe and their cursed ende For these and manie other causes they shall weepe and waile verie bitterlie and as persons whollie dismayed and fettered in all partes and without all maner of comforte and remedie they shall wringe their handes and stryke theÌ„ selues vpon their brestes Our sauiour Christe the Iudge shall make a seperatioÌ„ betwene the good and the wicked Math. 25. Then shall the Iudge make a diuision betwene the euill and the good and place the goates at his left hande and the sheepe at his right hande O how happie and blessed shall those persons be that shal be though worthie to haue a place emonge those elected sheepe O Lorde I most humblie beseeche thee let me haue tribulation here in this worlde Punishe me here cutte me in peeces here burne me here so that I maie there be placed at thy right hande Then shall the generall iudgement beginne to be solemnised and the causes of each one shal be throughlie scanned and examined Accordinge as the Prophet Daniell writeth in these wordes Daniel 7.9 I stode saieth he attentiuely and I sawe certaine seates set in their places and the auncient of yeares sat downe whose garmente was white as snowe and the heare of his head like the pure wolle The throne wherein he sat was like flames of fier and the wheeles thereof like burninge fire And a riuer of raginge fire issued and came forthe from before him Thowsande thousandes were attendant to serue him and tenne hundered thousande thowsandes stode waitinge before him c. I behelde all this in the vision of the night and I sawe one comminge in the cloudes who seemed to be the sonne of man Hetherto are the wordes of the Prophet Daniell Wherevnto S. Iohn addeth and saieth Apoc. 20.12 I sawe all the dead both great and smalle standinge before this throne and there the bokes were opened and an other boke opened which is the boke of lyfe and the dead were iudged accordinge to the contentes in those bokes accordinge to their workes Beholde here deare Christian brother the measure whereby thou shalt be iudged Beholde here the taxe and prices whereby all thinges that thou doest shal be valued and esteemed and not by the fonde iudgement of the worlde which hath the false and counterfeit weightes of Canaan in their handes Osâ—â— 12. in whose ballance vertue and vice are iudged to be of smalle weight and accompte In these bokes are written all our whole lyfe and that with such care and diligence that a worde hath no soner passed thy mowth but it is foorthwith noted and set in his proper register But of what thinges trowe ye will the Iudge require an accompte of vs Of what thinges we must giue an accompte Iob. 31.4 O Lorde saieth Iob thou hast nombered all the steppes of my lyfe Certainly there shall not be somuch as one idle worde nor one onely thowghte whereof an accompte will not be required in that iudgement Yea Math. 12.36 and not onely of those thinges that we either thinke or doe but also of those that we leaue vndone of such thinges I meane as we are bownde to doe If thou saie at the daie of Iudgment ô Lorde I haue not sworne the Iudge will answere that thy sonne or thy seruant hath sworne whom thy dutie was to haue chastised and corrected And we shall geue an accompte not onely of our euill workes but also euen of our good workes with what intention and after what maner we did them Finally as S. Gregorie saieth S. Gregorie Math. 12.36 An accompte shall there be required of vs of euerie point and moment of our lyfe how and after what sorte we haue spente them Consideringe therefore that such a strait accoÌ„pte shal be required of vs how happeneth it that we that beleue this as a most certaine truthe doe neuerthelesse liue with such securitie and
negligence as we doe Wherein doe we put our affiance Wherewithall doe we perswade and flatter our selues in the middest of so manie dreadfull perilles and daungers How commeth this to passe that those persones that haue most cause to feare this dreadfull daye doe least feare it and those that haue least cause to feare it doe liue in greatest feare thereof Iob. 2. vers 3. Holie Iob was a iust man for so almightie God witnessed of him with his owne mouthe and yet for all this he liued in so great feare and dread of his accompte at the daye of Iudgment that he saiede What shall I doe Iob. 31.14 when almightie God commeth to iudge and when he beginneth to question with me what answere shall I make vnto him Suerlie these be wordes that procede from a verie sore afflicted and troubled harte What shall I doe saieth he As if he had saiede One care I haue that troubleth me continually One naile I carrie alwaies fixed in my hart that will not suffer me to take any rest What shal I doe Whither shall I goe What answere shall I make when almightie God shall enter into iudgemente with me But ô holie and blessed man Iob why art thou thus afrayd Why art thou thus troubled ād vexed Iob. 29.15.16 Art not thou he that saiede I haue bene a father vnto the poore an eie vnto the blinde and feete vnto the lame Art not thou he that saied Iob. 27.6 that In all thy lyfe time thy hart neuer reproued thee of anie wicked deede Now beinge a man of so greate innocencie why ô holie Iob art thou thus afrayde Trulie the cause is for that this holie man knewe right well that almightie God looked not with fleashlie eies and that he iudged not accordinge to the iudgemēte of men in whose eies often times that thinge shyneth verie gaye and bright which in the sight of almightie God is verie abhominable Thou art ô holie Iob verie iust indede yea euen for this cause thou arte verie iust becauthou liuest in so great feare This feare of this holie man Iob my deare brethern condemneth our false securitie These wordes of his ouerthrowe our vaine confidence For which of vs hath at anie time in respecte of this care of our dreadfull accompte at the daye of Iudgment once refrained from his dynner or supper or broken his sleepe Whereas those deuout godlie persons that thinke herevpon as they ought to thinke doe oftentimes loose their sleepe and their appetite to their meate yea and sometimes more than that also We reade in the liues of the auncient holie fathers that whā one of those holie mē sawe one of his scholers laughinge he reprehended him for it and saiede What knowinge as thou doest that thou must yeeld an accompte to almightie God before heauen and earthe art thou that notwithstādinge so bolde as to laughe This holie father thought that that mā which looked earnestly for this dreadfull accompt coulde hardly laughe Now as touchinge accusors and witnesses there shall not want in this behalfe For our owne verie consciences shal be witnesses and crie out against vs All creatures which we haue abused shal be witnesses against vs And aboue all our Lorde him selfe whom we haue offended shal be also a witnes against vs As he himselfe hath signified by one of his Prophetes sayeinge Malach 3.5 I wil be a swifte witnes against inchaunters adulterers periured persons and against those that seeke cauels to defeit the labourer of his daie wages and against them that doe euill intreat the widowe and Orphan and oppresse pilgrimes and straungers For they doe not feare me saieth our Lorde The diuell shall accuse the wicked at the daye of iudgmēte Neither shall there want accusors against the wicked For the diuell himselfe shal be a sufficient accusor who as S. Augustine writeth shall alledge verie exactly before the iudge his right and title and shall saie vnto him O most iust and righteous iudge thou canst not of iustice but geue sentence and adiudge these wicked traitors to be myne forsomuch as they haue bene alwaies myne and haue in all thinges fulfilled my will Thyne they were I graunt because thou diddest create them and make them after thy Image and likenes and redeime them with thy bloude But they haue defaced thy Image and put on myne They haue refused thyne obedience and embraced myne They haue dispised thy commaundementes and obserued myne They haue liued with my spirite They haue imitated my workes They haue walked in my steppes And in each thinge haue followed my counsels Consider how much more they haue bene myne than thyne as appeareth herein that notwithstandinge I gaue them nothinge I promised them nothinge nor laid my shoulders on the Crosse for them yet haue they alwaies obeied my commaundementes and not thyne If I commaunded them to sweare and forsweare to robbe and to kill to commit adulterie fornication simonie and vsurie and to denie thy holie name all this they did willingly and with great facilitie If I commaunded them to bestowe their landes their goodes their lyfe and their sowle for a point of honour and estimation which I perswaded them in anie wise to mainteine or for a false delighte whereunto I inuited them they did forthwith verie willinglie hazarde all this for my sake But for thee that art their God their creator and their redeemer that gauest thē their lādes their goodes their healthe and lyfe that hast offered vnto thē thy grace and promised them thy glorie and aboue all this hast suffered most cruell deathe vpon the crosse for them they neuer toke the least paine and labour in the worlde How oftentimes hast thou come to their doores in great pouertie nakednes and full of sores And what almes haddest thou of them but a waiewarde answere and shuttinge their doores in a great furie and anger vpon thee they beinge then more carefull to feede their hawkes their dogges and their horses and to clothe their walles with hanginges of tapessarie silke and golde than to relieue clothe and helpe thee Wherefore seinge thou art a most Iust Iudge and knowest that this is most certainlie true the verie order of iustice requireth that they shoulde be now punnished for their iniuries and contemptes done to so great a maiestie Now this accusation beinge founde most true Christe the iudge wil pronounce that terrible sentence against the wicked Math. 25. sayeinge Depart ye cursed into the euerlastinge fier which is prepared for Satan and his angels for I was hongrie and ye gaue me not to eate I was thirstie and ye gaue me not to drinke c. And then shall the good goe to lyfe euerlastinge and the wicked to fyer euerlastinge Now who is able to expresse what an intollerable anguishe and griefe it wil be to the damned persons when they shall heare those most terrible wordes pronoūced against them There shall they crye out to the mountaines to
goodnes they liue and reigne in glorie O heauenly cittie O secure dwellinge place O blissefull countrey where all delightfull thinges are to be fownde O happie people without anie grudginge O quiet neighbours where no one is subiecte to anye wante or necessitie O that the striffe and contention of this present state were at an ende O that the daies of my bannishement might be finished O how longe is the time of my peregrination prolonged When shall this daie come When shall I come and appeare before the face of my sweite Lorde and Sauiour THE SIXTE TREATISE OF THE CONSIDERATION OF the glorie of Paradise Wherein the former meditation is declared more at large ONE of the thinges wherevpon it behoueth vs most to haue our eies alwaies fixed in this vale of teares is the blessed state of glorie in the kingdome of heauen For this consideration alone were able to encourage vs to susteine willingelye all labours and paines that are to be suffered for the atteyninge of it When almightie God promised to giue to the Patriarke Abraham the lande of promise he commaunded him to walke and vewe it all rounde abowte sayeinge Arise Genes 13.17 and walke all ouer this lande both in lengthe and breadthe and consider it one euerie side For I will geue it vnto thee Arise vp therefore ô my sowle aduaunce thy selfe on highe leaue all earthlye cares and affaires here benethe and flee vp with the winges of thy spirite vnto that most excellēte noble lande of promise and cōsider with good attention the lengthe of the eternitie the lardgenes of the felicitie and the greatnes of the riches with all the rest that is therein It is writtē of the Quene of Saba 3. Reg. 10. that when she hearde of the great fame of Salomon she went to Ieruzalem to see the great and wonderfull thinges that were reported of him Consideringe therefore that the fame of that heauenly Ieruzalem and of that supreme kinge that gouerneth it is no lesse than the renowme of Salomon was ascende thou now vp on highe with thy spirite vnto this noble cittie to contemplate the wisedome of this supreme kinge the bewtie of this temple the seruice of this table the orders of them that attende vpon it the liueries that the whole familie weare and withall the policie and glorie of this noble cittie For if thou be able to consider euerie one of these thinges it maie be that thy spiritie shal be lifted vp aboue it selfe and thou shalt perceiue that there hath not bene declared vnto thee so muche as the verie least parte of this glorie But for this purpose it shal be requisite to haue a spetiall lighte of almightie God as the Apostle signifieth sayeinge I beseache the God of glorie and the father of our Lorde Iesus Christ to geue you the spirite of wisedome Ephes 1.17.18 and to lighten the eies of your hartes that you maie vnderstande how great the hope of your vocation is and the riches of that enheritance and glorie which he hath prepared for the Sainctes And althoughe in this glorie there be manie thinges to contemplate vpon yet mayst thou now espetiallie consider these fiue principall thinges that we towched before to witt Fiue principall thinges to be considered in this meditation The excellencie and greatnes of the place The fruition of the companie of those blessed inhabitantes The vision of almightie God The glorie of the Sainctes bodies And the euerlastinge continuance and eternitie of all these so great and wonderfull benefites Of the goodlines and excellencie of the place § I. FIRST of all consider the goodlie bewtie of the place which S. Iohn describeth vnto vs in a figure in his Apocalips in these wordes Apoc. 12. One of the seuen Angels spake vnto me sayeing Come and I will shewe thee the spouse of the lambe and he caried me awaie in spirite to a highe and great mountaine and shewed me the holie cittie of Ieruzalem which descended from heauen and shyned with the clearenes of almightie God and the light thereof was like to the glisteringe brightnes of pretious stones This cittie had one great and highe walle in which were twelue gates and in the gates twelue Angels accordinge to the nomber of the gates The foundatiōs of the walles of this cittie were wholye wroughte with pretious stones and the twelue gates thereof were twelue pearles euerie gate made of one pearle and the streat of this cittie was of pure golde like vnto a verie cleare glasse and I sawe no temple therein because our Lorde God almightie and the lambe were the temple and the cittie had no neede of Sonne or Moone to geue light vnto it forsomuche as the clearnes of almightie God doth lighten it and the lampe that burneth there is the lambe Moreouer the Angell shewed me a floud of the water of lyfe as clear as the christal which issued out of the seat of almightie God and of the lambe Apoc. 22. In the middest of the streat and both on the one side of the floude and on the other was planted the tree of lyfe which brought forthe twelue fruites in the yeare euerie monethe his fruite and the leaues of this tree serued for the healthe of nations No maner of malediction shall euer be seene there but there shal be the seat of almightie God and of the ābe And his seruātes shall serue him and they shall see his face and haue the name of him written in their foreheaddes and they shal reigne for euer and euer worlde without ende Beholde here dear brother the bewtie of this cittie described vnto thee not that thou maist thinke that these thinges are there in such a materiall sort as the wordes doe sounde but that by meanes of these thou maist conceiue other more spirituall and more excellent thinges which are figured vnto vs by these materiall thinges The situation and greatnes of the heauenlie cittie The situation of this cittie is aboue all the heauens and the greatnes and largenes thereof exceideth all measure For if euerie one of the starres of heauen be so great as we haue before declared how great then must that heauen be that conteineth in it all the starres and all the heauens Suerlie there is no greatnes in the worlde that maie be compared vnto this For as a holie father saiethe from the west parte of Spayne vnto the vttermost borders of the Indiens a shippe maie saile if it haue a prosperous wynde in fewe daies but that region of heauen is so great that the starres which are more swifte than the sonne beames can not finishe their course in it in manie yeares The goodlie workemanshippe of the buildinge Now if thou demaunde of the workmanshippe of that buildinge there is no tonge able to expresse it For if that worke that appeareth outwardly to our mortall eies be so goodly and bewtifull what is to be supposed of all the rest that is there reserued
him selfe that committeth them knoweth not Wherefore like as for these kinde of sinnes we ought dailie to praie with the Prophet and saie Ab occultis meis munda me Domine Deliuer me ô Lorde from my secrete synnes Euen so oughte we also euerie daie to yelde him most humble and hartie thankes for these kinde of benefites that by this meane no synne maie remaine without penance nor benefite without rendringe of thankes for the same I H S The ende of the other seuen meditations for the seuen daies of the weke at nighte OF FIVE PARTES THAT MAIE BE EXERCISED IN PRAYER CAP. IIII. THESE be the meditatiōs good Christian reader wherein thou mayst exercise thy selfe in the seuen daies of the weke and in so doinge thou shalt not wante matter whereupon to meditate But here it is to be noted that as we haue alreadie saiede there be two thinges that maie goe before meditation and other two that maie followe after it The fiue partes of prayer So that in all there be fiue partes which maie concurre in this exercise to witt preparation readinge meditation thankes-geuinge and petition For before we enter into praier I. Preparation it is verie requisite that we doe first prepare our harte vnto this holie exercise followinge therein the maner and custome of musitians who vse to temper and tune their lute viall or other instrument before they plaie vpon it And therefore Ecclesiasticus saiethe Before praier prepare thy sowle Eccles 18.23 what it is to tempte God and be not as a man that tempteth God To tempte God is to desire that he shoulde worke a miracle in such thinges as maie be done by other ordinarie meanes Seinge therefore that the preparation of the harte is such a principalle meane to obteine deuotion he that goeth about to obtein it without this meane showeth him selfe to haue a desire that almightie God shoulde worke a miracle therein the which as Ecclesiasticus saiethe is as it were a temptinge of God II. Readinge After preparation it followeth that a man doe reade that matter which he hath to meditate vpon that daie accordinge to the diuision of the daies of the weke which we haue made heretofore And this maner of readinge is vndowtedlie verie necessarie for such as are but nouices and yonge beginners in this exercise vntill such time as a man doe knowe what he ought to meditate vpon But afterwardes when by the vse and practise of certaine daies he is well instructed therein then this readinge shall not be so neidfull III. Meditatiō but that he maie forthwith proceede vnto meditation IIII. Thankes geuinge After meditation there maie followe out of hande a deuoute geuinge of thankes to almightie God for all such benefites as we haue receiued the which ought euermore to accompanie all our praiers accordinge as the Apostle exhorteth vs Collos 4.2 sayeinge Occupte your selues verie earnestlie in prayer watchinge therein with thankes-geuinge S. Augustine For as S. Augustine saiethe What thinge is there that we can better conceyue in our hartes S. Augustine commendeth the often sayinge of Deo gratias better pronounce with our mouthes and better write with our pennes than this shorte sentence Deo gratias Thankes be vnto God Nothinge can be saide more breifely nothinge can be harde more sweetely or vnderstode more ioyfully or done more fruitfully The last parte is Petition Petition which is properlie called praier wherein we desire of almightie God all such thinges as are behouefull as well for the saluation of our selues as of our neighboures and of all the whole Catholike Churche These fiue partes maie be exercised in praier and emonge other profites and commodities that are wonte to come thereby this is one that these poyntes beinge dewlie exercised doe minister vnto a man great plentie of matter whereupon to meditate settinge before him all these diuersities of meates that if he lyste not to eate of one he maye yet eate of an other and that when he hath made an ende of meditation in one matter he maie forthwith enter into an other and so fynde varietie of matter wherein to continewe his meditation I knowe righte well that neither all these partes nor this order is alwaies necessarie for all persons Howbeit this maner maie serue verie well for all such as are but nouices and yonge beginners in this exercise that so they maie haue some order and direction whereby to directe them selues at the beginninge For certaine it is that some thinges be necessary in the beginninge to teache an arte which afterwardes when they be once knowen are but superfluous And therefore of anie thinge that shal be here treated I will not that anie man shoulde thinke that I intende to make the same a perpetuall lawe or generall rule For myne intente is not in these instructions to make anie lawe but onely to shewe an introduction for the direction of such persons as are but nouices and beginners in this waie In which course after that they shal be once entred by folowinge this introduction then the verie vse and experience they shall haue in this exercise and much more the holie Ghost will teache them each thinge that they haue to doe herein The which beinge once sayede in this place I desire it maie be vnderstoode in all the rest of this booke Of Preparation which is a thinge verie requisite to be vsed before praier and meditation CAP. V. NOW it shal be requisite for vs to treate particularly of euerie one of these fiue partes aforesayde and first of Preparation which ought to goe before the others We sayde euen now that it was needefull to vse some preparation of our minde before we enter into prayer Preparation vnto prayer may be made diuerse wayes we maye prepare our selues vnto prayer by consideringe our sinnes and offences Prou. 18.17 Exod. 3. Exod. 19. This preparation maye be made diuers maners of waies For a man maye dispose him selfe vnto prayer by callinge to minde his synnes and offences and namely such sinnes as he hath committed that present daie and he maie accuse him selfe of thē and desire of our Lorde pardō for them according to the sayeinge of the Wise man The iust man at the beginninge is an accuser of him selfe This maner of Preparation seemeth to be as it were the pullinge of of our hose and shooes to enter into the holie lande and as it were the washinge of our garmentes to goe to receiue almightie God when he commeth to treate with men and to teache them his holie lawe This maner of preparation we are taught to vse euen by nature it selfe For we see it is a cōmon maner that when we goe to request anie benefite of anie frende of ours whom we haue offended we doe first desire him of pardon and forgeuenes before we demaūde any other thinge of him This maie be done sometimes with the harte onely and sometimes by sayeinge the
such feare and reuerence as is behouefull to be vsed before so great a maiestie and withall desire him that thou mayst in such wise perseuere and spende that litle time in this exercise of prayer that thou mayst in the ende arise frō the same with newe force and strength to doe all such thinges as apperteyne to his seruice It is also a good maner of preparation to saye some vocalle prayers before meditation It is thought also to be a good maner of preparation to saie some vocalle praiers before meditation of which sorte there be manie in diuers bookes of deuotion and namely in the meditations of S. Augustine and in the Psalter of Dauid where there be some verie deuout Psalmes that will helpe very much to enkendle and stirre vp deuotion For it is the propertie of deuoute sentences beinge saiede with an earnest minde and attention to wounde the harte and to lifte it vp vnto almightie God the which deuour sentences are so much the more behouefull and necessarie for vs by how much we finde our spirite to be more colde and distracted The sayinge of And these same prayers doe serue much better for this purpose when they be in mitre as are manie Hymnes of the Sainctes Hymnes proses and versicles doe stirre deuotion and the Proses and Versicles Forsomuche as I knowe not how it is that the wordes of God vsed in this kinde of stile and harmonie doe bringe with them a greater sweetenes and delighte to our sowles And therefore we finde in the workes of S. Bonauenture who was a verie deuout holie man manie of these Hymnes The like we finde in the workes of S. Bernarde and in diuers and sundrie other of the holie fathers Likewise there is great commendation geuen by manie learned men and surely not without good cause to those three diuout himnes that Ieronimo de Vida made to the three persons in Trinitie which beinge learned by harte and saiede deuoutly be as it were a most sweite Manna to sweiten the tast of our sowle at the beginninge of prayer and to dispose it to take a delighte in spirituall and diuine matters Here I thinke it necessarie to declare with what intention a man ought to come vnto prayer With what intention a man oughte to come vnto prayer For he must not goe thereunto cheifly for his owne consolation and delighte as some that be great louers of them selues vse to doe but onely to fulfill herein the will of almightie God and to desire of him his grace and to dispose him selfe for the obteyninge of the same And herewith he must submitte him selfe in such wise into the handes of almightie God that he must be as readie and contente to be without consolations in his prayer as to haue them remittinge himselfe humbly into his handes to dispose of him and of all thinges belonginge vnto him as he shall thinke good acknowledginge on the one side that he deserueth not anie thinge of him and beleeuinge on the other that althoughe it be so in verie deede yet our Lorde of his infinite goodnes and mercie will doe whatsoeuer shall be most conuenient and behouefull for his saluation And therefore a man ought to contente him selfe a-like whether the consolations be great or litle and to take in good parte whatsoeuer vsage our Lorde shall shewe vnto him accountinge him selfe vtterlie vnworthie of all those thinges that he bestoweth vpon him and beinge readie to fulfill all such thinges as he shall commaunde him not in respecte of the benefites that he hopeth to receyue but in respecte of them that he hath alreadie receyued and in consideration of his bounden duetie vnto almightie God But we see that manie persones doe quite contrarie to this rule and be like herein vnto yonge shrewde boies who vnlesse they be dandeled and cooxed will not doe the thinge that they are commaunded I thinke it also requisite here to aduertise that when a man mindeth to vse the exercise of praier in the morninge we must be carefull ouer nighte of the meditatiō we intende to make the nexte morninge So soone as we a wake in the morninge it is good to occupie our harte forthwith with some holie thowghte he doe goe to bedde with this care ouer nighte and like as those that intende to bake the next daie doe vse to laie the leuen ouer nighte euen so must a man with a godly carefulnes preuente and recommende ouer nighte vnto our Lorde that thinge which he intendeth to meditate the nexte daie followinge And in the morninge so soone as he awaketh he ought forthwith to occupie his harte with this holie thought before anie other doe enter therein For at that time the disposition of our harte is such that whatsoeuer thoughte doth first enter into vs it seasethe and taketh possession of our harte in such wise that we shall verie hardly afterwardes put it awaie from vs. And forsomuch as the praier of manie persons is very acceptable vnto our Lorde It is good to thinke when we praye how manie deuoute Christians are at that time prayinge also vnto God with vs. therefore thou shalt doe well to consider in thy prayer both in the morninge and eueninge what a nomber of Gods seruantes both mē and women as well in monasteries as without be at that time watchinge and perseueringe before the presence of almightie God sheedinge many deuoute teares yea and perhappes also disciplininge and whippinge them selues and sheedinge great abundance of bloud for the loue of God with which persones thou oughtest humbly to ioyne thy selfe that the presence and sweete remembrance of them maie be vnto thee a prouocation of deuotion and an example of perseuerance in thy praier and also that whensoeuer thou shalt finde thy selfe colde and negligent in this exercise of prayer and that some thoughtes come into thy minde mouinge thee to ende the same thou mayst be ashamed and reprehende thy selfe by the example of so manie good and vertuouse persons which with so good attention and carefulnes doe perseuere so longe time in this exercise of prayer without ceassinge offeringe there their bodies and sowles vnto almightie God in sacrifice OF READINGE CAP. VI. In what maner we must reade AFTER Preparation followeth Readinge the which ought to be done not lightlie as passed ouer in hast but with verie great deliberation and attention applyinge thereunto not onely thy vnderstandinge to conceiue such thinges as thou readest but much more thy will to taste those thinges that thou vnderstandest And when thou commest to anie deuout place thou shalte doe well to staye and pawse somewhat longer therevpon and to make there as it were a station in thinkinge vpon that matter which thou hast read and in makinge some shorte praier vpon it accordinge as S. Bernarde councelleth vs S. Bernarde sayeinge It is requisite oftentimes to gather and procure a litle spirite and deuotion out of the matters that we
owne corrupte ād euill inclined nature but he is not so prouoked vnto attētion And therefore like as a howse that is builte vpon the syde of a hill shoulde not lose muche in the buyldinge if at suche tyme as it can not be builte by line and leuell iust vprighte the buyldinge thereof doe more bende rather vpwarde than downewarde euen so shall not our attention take anie preiudice if at what tyme it cannot continewe in our prayers in such a mediocritie as we desire it doe rather decline to that extremetie wherein is least daunger which is as we haue saied rather to ouermuch attention than to carelesnes and negligence This aduise is of so great importance that for want hereof we haue seene that certaine persons haue passed ouer manie yeares with takinge litle profite by their prayers for that they haue bene carelesse dull and as it were neither hoate nor colde therein And others contrariwise haue fallen into great sickenes and haue hurte their heades with ouermuch heate and vehemencie which they haue vsed in their meditations But espetiallie we must be well warie that at the beginninge of meditation we doe not trouble and weary our head with ouermuch attention For by so doinge we shall wante force and strengthe to passe forwardes therein as it commonly happeneth to the traueller when he maketh to greatest hast in his goinge at the beginninge of his iourney The fifte aduise that we must not be desmayed nor geue ouer our exercise of prayer and meditation at suche time as we want deuotion therein § V. BVT emonge all these aduises the principall is that he that praieth be not dismaide nor geue ouer his exercise when he feeleth not forthwith such sweitnes of deuotion at he desireth as some persons vse to doe who are verie much deceyued herein Wherefore it is to be noted that in verie deede the harte of man is very like vnto a troubled water A mans harte distracted with busines is like a troubled water which can not sodainly be cleared againe be the diligence neuer so great that is bestowed about it but it must haue time and space to be cleared and setled by litle and litle And in such case vndoubtedly is our harte which as it is wonte to be troubled with the daily entermedlinge and dealinge in wordly affaires so after that it is once troubled it can not forthwith be setled and quieted in so shorte a space againe but it must neides haue conuenient space and time for the same And therefore Ecclesiastes saith verie well Eccles 7.9 That the ende of praier is better than the beginninge because at the beginninge of praier the harte is troubled and disquieted but in the ende it is more setled and quieted and better disposed vnto this holie exercise Wherefore like as he that will enkendle a fyre in greene woode must haue patience and expecte vntill the wood be dried by litle and litle and besides all this it is requisite that he continewe for a tyme in blowinge and enkendelinge it and doe sheade also some teares with the smoke if he will enioye the fier accordinge to his desier euen so it behoueth vs oftentimes to labour and perseuere in the beginninge of praier in case we will in the ende enioye the sweite and cleare fyre of deuotion and of the loue of God Now for this cause it is requisite for him that praieth to expecte the comminge of our Lorde with longanimitie and perseuerance For it is verie conueniente as well in respecte of the glorie of his high diuine maiestie and basenes of our condition as also for the greatnes and importance of the affaires we haue in hande that we doe oftentimes attende and watche at the gates of his sacred pallayce Prou. 8.34 Blessed is the man saiethe the euerlastinge wisedome that heareth my wordes and watcheth daily at my gates and tarieth at the porche of my howse for who so shall finde me shall finde lyfe and he shall receyue saluation of our Lorde Lament Ierem 3.26 And the Prophet Ieremie saieth It is good to expecte the saluation of our Lorde God with silence The prowde man and he that mistrusteth the promises of almightie God hath neither patience nor humilitie to expecte our Lordes comminge but the humble man saithe with the Prophet I expected againe Psal 39.1 and againe for our Lorde and he hearde my praier If the fisher or hunter haue not patience to expecte for the game that he seiketh what profite shall he get by his traueill Now in this our fishinge and huntinge in praier beinge of so greate importance as it is we maye accounte a longe time well bestowed that is ēployed in watchinge and expectinge for so riche and so happie a treasure as is almightie God Of that couragious and constante woman which Salomon describeth in his Prouerbes emonge other notable thinges he saiethe thus That she did as the merchantes shippe Pron 31.14 that brought his bread from farre countries Whereby he geueth vs to vnderstande that when we shall not finde this bread of lyfe forthwith accordinge to our desire we must then traueill and saile so longe time as shal be necessarie vntill we finde it Math. 7. If thou shalt perseuere in callinge Luc. 11. saieth our Sauiour assure thy selfe that at the lengthe thou shalt haue answere Marc. 11. For it happeneth often times that that thinge which is denied in the beginninge of praier is graunted at the ende of prayer with great increase I haue vnderstoode for a certaine treuthe of a religious father that perseuered for the space of three yeares in these good exercises vsinge dailie to bestowe in praier and meditation after matins two or three howres and coulde get none other fruit thereby but drynes of harte vntill such time as our Lorde consideringe the affliction of his sowle powred vpon him the bountifulnes of his goodnes with such an abundant benedictiō of graces that he was very well recōpensed for all the barrennes of the other yeares past And the like is prooued daily by experience in manie other diuout persons Happie therefore are those sowles that perseuere in praier after this sorte for vndowbtedlie the greater their perseuerance is the greater abundance shall they haue of his grace One of the principall thinges that those persones must haue that doe dispose them selues to receiue great giftes and fauours of almightie God is longanimitie and patience of harte to expecte faithfullie so longe time for them as almightie God woulde they shoulde expecte and in the meane season to comforte thē selfes with that hope of the Prophet which saieth If he shall delaye his comminge Habat 2.3 I will not feile to tarie for him for he will suerlie come and will not staie ouer longe Now when thou hast after this sorte expected a certaine time for our Lordes comminge in case our Lorde shall then come vnto thee geue him most hartie thankes for his comminge