The other rebuked him saying Dost not thou also fear God We indeed suffer justly for we receive worthy of our doings but this man hath don no evil ibid. Lord remember me when thou shalt com into thy Kingdom Amen I say to thee This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise ibid. There shall be two in one bed one shall be taken and the other left behind Luk. 17. CXI MED Of the Passion of the B. Virgin O Good Jesu Why dost thou suffer thy Mother to follow thee How canst thou endure that she should see thee dy Oughtest not thou to have spared her So sensible a grief What Crime has she committed That she should be present at thy Execution God will have Mary to be at the foot of the Cross For to co-operate to our Redemption For to offer up to God this great Sacrifice For to repair Eve's fault For to conceive all the Predestinate For to be declared their Mother For to increase the pains of her Son For to take a part in his Sufferings For to drink in his Chalice For to becom the Queen of Martyrs For to be crown'd with Thorns The Martyrs did suffer for Jesus Christ Mary did suffer with Jesus Christ The Martyrs suffered in their Bodies Mary suffered in her Soul The Martyrs suffered in their criminal Flesh Mary suffered in the innocent Flesh of her Son The Martyrs desired Death Mary could not desire the Death of her Son The hearts of the Martyrs were fill'd with joy The heart of Mary was fill'd with sadness Love diminish't the Torments of the Martyrs Love increased the Sorrows of Mary Jesus was doubly crucified In his Body upon the Cross In his Spirit in the heart of Mary Mary was doubly crucified Spiritually in her heart Corporally in the flesh of her Son Love did imprint in her heart The wounds that were made in his Body Those that were not mortal to the Son Were mortal to the Mother The Lance that opened the heart of Jesus Pierced the living heart of Mary As never Mother loved more So never Mother suffered more O Daughter of Sion To whom shall I compare thee Thy sorrow is without example It is great like the Ocean It s depth is infinit It s extent is unconceivable There is nothing but the sorrow of thy Son That is comparable unto thine He is the King of Martyrs And thou art the Queen of Martyrs He is a Man of Sorrows And thou art a Woman of Sufferings O Christian Soul Go with Mary up to Mount Calvary Beg of her to receive you for her Child Take a share in her Sorrows Mingle your tears with hers Increase not her Affliction Renew not her Passion When you sin mortally You crucify her Son anew O how sensible is this death to her O how it afflicts her sacred heart She consented to his Corporal death But she cannot consent to his Spiritual death The first restored our life to us The second brings death to us Suffer as she did all Privations Remain as she did constant in your pains You will be no child of Mary's Unless you be with her at the foot of the Cross Woman behold your Son Son behold your Mother O Holy Virgin O Mother of Sorrows O Queen of Martyrs O Spouse of the Cross I chuse you for my Mother Receive me into the number of your Children Imprint in my heart the wounds of your Son Fasten me strongly to the Cross Give me a part in your sufferings If I am guilty I ought to suffer If I am innocent I ought to imitate you Pierce my heart with the sword of grief Which transpierced yours Let me drink in that Chalice of gall Wherewith you were inebriated Above all be present at your Child's death Receive my Soul into your hands And convey it up to Heaven A couragious woman who shall find Prov. 31. There stood besides the Cross of Jesus his Mother Joh. 19. He said to his Mother Woman behold thy Son Then he said to his Disciple Behold thy Mother ibid. Thy very Soul a Sword shall pass through that cogitations may be revealed out of many hearts Luk. 2. Thy contrition is great like the Sea Thren 2. CXII MED Of the Dereliction of our Lord. MY God my God why hast thou forsaken me How terrible is that dereliction Which makes a God to groan Which makes a God to weep Which makes a God to cry out Which makes the only one of his complaints Which he makes before his Enemies Before a great number of People Which he makes a little before he dies Which gives occasion to those that hear him complain To doubt whether he were the true Son of God Since he is forsaken by his Father Jesus was never separated from Grace From Glory from the Divinity He was always holy happy God This terrible Dereliction Was only a sensible suspension Of the succours which the Divinity Communicated to his Humanity It was a shadow of the pain Which a Sinner feels who is in Hell Forsaken by Almighty God O my God! I conceive what it is to be damned By the pain which your Son suffer'd on the Cross If the deprival of your sensible and comforting presence Made your Son to groan Who was substantially united to you Who will be able to bear for ever The weight of an infinit wrath Who will be able to suffer in Hell An eternal separation An universal privation Of your Grace Love Presence Comfort Glory Felicity Succour Protection Of all that can be desired Of all that can be loved With a deluge of evils for all Eternity O my God! forsake me not Although I have forsaken you Deprive me if it must be of your Pleasures But deprive me not of your Grace If you forsake me during my life Forsake me not at my Death If you forsake me now Forsake me not in Eternity O Jesus 'T is I that have committed the Sin And you have born the Punishment 'T is I that ought to be forsaken And you were forsaken for my sake O how your Dereliction affrights me O how your Dereliction comforts me You were forsaken at your death That I might not be forsaken at mine Forsake me not then O Lord When all the World hath forsaken me My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Matth. 28. Forsake me not O Lord my God go not away from me Ps 37. Cast me not away in the time of my old age when my strength fails me forsake me not Ps 70. My enemies said God hath forsaken him persecute and lay hold of him because there is none to deliver him ibid. Forsake me not wholly Ps 118. He said I will not desert nor forsake thee Heb. 13. CXIII MED On the Thirst of our Lord on the Cross JEsus thirsts and no body gives him to drink They give him gall and vinegar For all his refreshment He was willing to suffer this torment For to punish our gluttonies And to undergo All the Punishments which sin
having been conceiv'd without sin Mary is more happy In never having committed any sin 'T is a misery for us to have contracted sin 'T is a greater misery to have committed it Mary has always suffered Altho she never sinned I sin continually And I would suffer nothing Mary is Innocent And is treated as a Criminal I am a Criminal And I would be treated as Innocent Mary's first grace Is the foundation of her happiness She co-operated with it all her life long By an inviolable fidelity There are som graces in ones life time Which are the beginnings of our happiness There are somains in ones life time Which are the beginnings of our misery Co-operate with all graces Avoid all sins Dread scandalous sins they are pestilent sins Which are communicated unto others Fear contagious ones which corrupt nature O Holy Mother of God! How beautiful are you and how pure are you There is no stain in you If my Conception is not immaculate At least make my life to be so If I have contracted original sin Make me avoid actual sin Let your Son seeing my Soul at my death say Thou art my well beloved There is no spot in thee Who shall declare her generation Isai 53. Thou art all fair my friend and there is no spot in thee Cant. 4. Our Lord possest me in the beginning of his ways Prov. 8. 'T is a great work for a habitation is prepared not for man but for God 2 Paral. 29. Holiness becoms thy house O Lord for length of days Ps 92. CXXXII MED Of the Purification of the B. Virgin MAry is the Mother of God And she passes for the Mother of a man O what Humility Mary is pure like the Sun And yet she comes to the Temple to be purified O what Purity Mary is not subject to the Law And yet she submits her self voluntarily to it O what Obedience Mary has but one Son who is most dear to her And yet she sacrifices him to God in the Temple O what Charity Imitate these virtues of Mary's Have an humble heart like her Have a pure body like her Have an obedient spirit like her Have liberal hands like her Offer up to God what you have dearest to you Sanctify to him your Children Your desires your thoughts Give him your heart That is your only one and first born Go to the Temple like Simeon Receive Jesus into your arms By the Priest's hands Sing with him that Canticle of love Now thou dost dismiss thy servant O Lord According to thy word in peace Because my eyes have seen thy Salvation Which thou hast prepar'd before the face of all People A light to the revelation of Gentils And the glory of thy People of Israel You will live in Peace If you desire nothing but Jesus You will dy in Peace If you love nothing but Jesus Beg of Mary to take you into her arms And to offer you up to her Son At the end of your life She will do it if you be her child If you be humble chast charitable like her O Mother of God! Disdain not to be the Mother of a sinner I recommend my Soul into your hands 'T is the price of your Son's blood Can you slight him Can you reject him Since you have presented the head You ought also to present the members God cannot refuse what you offer him My salvation is secure if it be in your hands O JESVS I recommend my spirit unto you I put my salvation into your hands Let me go out of this World in peace For I have seen all that I have to see My sins do disturb me O Lord I am thy Servant And the Son of thy Handmaid Can you damn your Mother's Child Can you hate him whom she loved They carried him into Jerusalem to present him to our Lord. Luk. 2. Take thy only begotten Son Isaac c. and there thou shalt offer him in a Holocaust Gen. 22. In the simplicity of my heart I joyfully offered all these things 1 Paral. 29. Now thou dost dismiss thy servant O Lord. Luk. 2. O Lord I am thy servant and the Son of thy handmaid Ps 115. CXXXIII MED Of the Annunciation of the B. Virgin 'T Is a great virtue to be little in grandure 'T is a rare virtue to be humble in honour Mary is the Mother of God Because she was his handmaid Mary takes the title of handmaid When she is qualified the Mother of God How happy is she for having conceived The Word of God in her body But she is more happy For having conceived it in her soul She conceived him in her heart Before she conceived him in her womb The spiritual Conception of God Is more honorable to her than the corporal The one makes her the Mother of God The other makes her the worthy Mother of God Make your self the Mother of our Lord By doing the Will of his Father Conceive him by Faith Bring him forth by Charity Be his Brother by Believing Be his Mother by Preaching Renew by Communion The Mystery of the Incarnation Be you humble and obedient as she was And the Holy Chost will com down on you Be our Lord's Handmaid And you will becom his Mother O most worthy Mother of God! Disdain not to own for your Son him Whom your Son vouchsafes to own for his brother If you are the Mother of God You must be the Mother of men It was for to be the Mother of men That you became the Mother of God You have two Breasts full of Milk Give one to your Son But keep the other for me Give one to the just But keep the other for sinners Behold the handmaid of our Lord be it don unto me according to thy Word Luk. 1. Whosoever shall do the Will of my Father who is in Heaven he is my brother and sister and mother Matth. 12. He is not ashamed to call them brothers Heb. 2. The Holy Ghost shall com down on thee and the virtue of the highest shall over-shadow thee Luk. 1. CXXXIV MED Of the Humiliations of the Son of God and the Elevations of Mary in the Mystery of the Incarnation JESUS of a God was made man Of a Lord he was made a slave Of Omnipotent he was made weak Of rich he was made poon JESUS by making himself man Made Mary the Mother of God JESUS by making himself a slave Made Mary the Mistress of God JESUS by making himself weak Has given unto Mary the Power of God JESUS by making himself poor Has given unto Mary the Treasures of God JESUS cannot descend lower than he descended Mary cannot ascend higher than she ascended There is nothing that is above Jesus There is nothing but God above Mary All that is not God is below Jesus All that is not God is below Mary Rejoyce in these her grandures Choose her for your Mother Acknowledge her for your Queen Take her for your Advocate Obey her whom God himself hath
God and my End Thou art the beginning of my life Thou art the center of my peace Thy hands it were that framed me 'T is thy hands that conserve me 'T is thy hands that sustain me 'T is thy hands that defend me I am always in thy arms And yet I never think on thee I am always in thy heart And yet I have no love for thee Thy Creatures serve me And yet I will not serve thee Was it I that made them Did I give my life for them O my God! Thou didst make me for thy self And didst more-over die for me Thou promisest me eternal goods Thou threatenest me with eternal miseries And yet all this does not work on me And yet after all this I love thee not O God my Lord Burn thy Heaven Extinguish thy Hell I will have no other reward For the services that I render thee Than the honour of having serv'd thee Heaven is too much for him that loves thee Hell is too little for him that loves thee not O how these thoughts do please me I am from God I am God's I am in God I am for God From God as from my beginning God's as my Soveraign's In God as in my Center For God as for my final End Alas I have lived hitherto As though I had been from my self As though I were my own As though I were for my self As though I were sufficient to my self O! I will henceforth be all yours I will seek no rest but in thee I will labour no more but for thee The Lord your God is the God of Gods and the Lord of Lords great and powerful and terrible Deut. 20. v. 17. If I am the Father where is my honour and if I be the Lord where is my fear Mal. 1.6 Thy hands have made me and framed me Ps 128. Who is it that plants a Vineyard and does not eat of the fruit thereof 1 Cor. 9. Who art thou to answer God Rom. 4. Wilt not thou O my Soul be subject to God Ps 61. III. MED Of the care of our Salvation MY Salvation is my business My Salvation is my only business My Salvation is a very great business God from all eternity thinks of this business His Son died on the Cross for this business Our good Angels labour for this business The whole World was created only for this business All my happiness depends on this business My Eternity roles upon this business All the Devils do traverse this business I cannot without care speed in this business Death will soon put an end to this business I am then a Fool if I do not mind this business And yet I neglect this business I mind every thing else but this business I am restless about all things but this business O I will mind nothing else but this business I will labour no more but for this business One thing is necessary Luk. 10. What will it avail a man to gain the whole VVorld if he lose his own Soul Matth. 26. VVhat exchange shall man give for his Soul ibid. Attend to thy self 1 Tim. 6. Have pity on thy soul and please God Eccles 3. IV. MED Of disengagement from Creatures I Never found any true pleasure in Creatures I never found in them any rest any assurance any trust any fidelity They are vain and unconstant They are impure and indigent They are made for me Not I made for them They are more vile than I. I am more noble than they They may indeed amuse me But they cannot satiate me They may disturb my heart But they cannot calm it My God! My heart is small in substance But it is infinit in its desires Though your happiness be never so great It is capable of containing it Thou hast made it for to love thee Thou hast framed me to thy Image 'T is a River that seeks out the Sea 'T is a fire which mounts up to its Sphere 'T is a ray that would return back again To the Principle from whence it took its birth 'T is a piece of Iron which without knowing it Would fain unite its self to its Load-stone O how unhappy have I been When I loved Creatures O my God! Since I am made for thee I perceive very well that I never shall Have any peace or rest but in thee Vanity of Vanities and all is Vanity Eccles 1. In all things I perceived there was Vanity and affliction of Spirit Eccles 2. Turn O my Soul into thy rest because our Lord hath done well to thee Ps 114 VVhy do ye love Vanity and seek after lying Ps 4. V. MED Of the Will of God I Am in this World only for to do What God would have me do I deserve death if I do not do What God would have me do I shall never be perfect unless I do What God would have me do I shall never be at rest unless c. I must whether I will or nill do What God would have me do I shall be wise as God is If I have the same judgment with him I shall be just as God is If I have the same Rule with him I shall be holy as God is If I have the same love as he has I shall be powerful as God is If I will the same things with him I shall be happy as God is If I have the same pleasure as he has All things will obey me as they do God If I have the same will with him Alas how miserable was I Whilst I waged war against God All things thwarted my will Whilst I thwarted the Will of God O my God! Give me not over to my Passions Suffer me not to offend you any more Destroy my will lest it destroy yours Force me if I will not obey you Do your will with me if I will not do your Will Life is in his will Ps 26. As it is his will in Heaven so be it don 1 Mach. 13. Not as I but as thou wilt Mark 14. Let our Lord's will bedon Act. 2. Lord what wilt thou have me to do Act. 9. VI. MED Of the Obligations we have to love and serve God SInce God is the first of all Beings Since he hath fram'd me with his hands Since he hath made me for to love him Since he hath drawn me out of Hell Since he hath given his life for me Since he hath redeem'd me with his blood Since he feeds me with his own flesh Since he quickens me with his Spirit Since he promises me his Heaven Since he hath lov'd me from all Eternity Since he hath bestow'd infinit benefit upon me Since he hath pardon'd me an infinity of sins Since he gives himself wholly to me Since I belong wholly to him Since I subsist only by his favour Since he burns with the love of me Since all his desire is To make me happy as he is himself O I will love him with all my heart O I will never serve any other Master O I will
admits of no division Inclination has its bounds Charity has none To love all things except sin Is to love out of Charity 'T is to be like God 'T is to have a heart as great as God's O how happy should I be Had I an assurance that I lov'd God truly I can have no greater assurance thereof Than to love my enemies for God If I am pleas'd with those that displease me If I oblige those who disoblige me If I love those that hate me If I testifie an affection to those For whom I feel an Aversion I have all the assurance that one can have That I love God sincerely That all my sins are forgiven me Because I love my enemies for his sake O God my Lord I will testifie my love towards you By loving for your sake those who are not love-worthy By doing good to those who do ill to me By conversing with those that displease me By seeking after those that I cannot look upon without pain By that it is that you will know That I am your Child That I am your Disciple That I live not by humour And that I love you with all my heart If you love those that love you what reward will you have do not the Publicans do the fame Matth. 5. If you salute your Brethren only what do you do more do not the Heathens do the fame ibid. Amen I say to you as long as you have not don to one of these little ones neither have you don to me Matth. 25. Their heart is divided now they will perish Os 10. XXXIV MED Of Presumption WHat art thou that thou presumest of thy self What wert thou heretofore What art thou at present What wilt thou be one day Thou know'st that thou hast sinned But thou know'st not whether thy sin be forgiven Thou know'st that thou hast offended God But thou know'st not whether thou hast appeas'd him Thou know'st that thou hast lost grace But thou know'st not whether thou hast recovered it again Thou saist Thou hast been at Confession But was thy Confession good Was it entire Was it accompanied with sorrow Was this sorrow supernatural Was it sincere Was it of all thy sins Was it with all thy heart Was it of all thy life Hast thou been seen to change thy manners Is that sorrow true and real Which dies as soon as it is conceiv'd Thou feelest not thy self guilty of any sin But that does not justifie thee One ought not to be disquieted for what is past Neither ought one to presume of what is to come What art thou at present Art thou in the grace of God Hast thou nothing upon thy Conscience The Heart of man is very hidden The Devil's wit is very crafty Vices imitate Virtues Passions disturb our knowledge One is easily perswaded that what one loves is innocent No man is an enemy to himself We defend all that we love Many times we make a Mortal sin pass for a Venial one We reckon but as a slight Detraction Calumnies of the highest importance Whatsoever good thou do'st secures thee not that thou art good In whatsoever state thou art Thou know'st not whether thou art in a good one For to do a good action thou must have a good intention Who knows when it is good Many go down into Egypt That think they go up to Jerusalem Many are in Illusion who believe they are in Contemplation How deceitful is the heart of man Onely God alone can understand it Thou must not therefore flatter thy self Thou must not over-perswade thy self What wilt thou be for the time to come Art thou sure that thou shalt persever Wilt thou answer for thy own Will How often has she deceiv'd thee Wilt thou answer for God's Will He efficaciously would have thee be saved But thou must cooperate thereunto Does he owe thee all sorts of graces Is he bound to priviledge a presumptuous man Little sins lead us unto great ones Our Salvation often depends upon a small matter Whilst we are here on Earth we may ascend to Heaven Till we are in Heaven we may fall down into Hell I find no assurance but in Humility and in Obedience The fall of great ones shall make me little The ruin of the Proud shall make me humble O my God my hope Give me not over to the Spirit of Pride Take all things from me I care not Provided you leave me humility Draw back your Talents I ask them not Provided that I have Charity If I look on my self I find all things to be feared If I consider you I find all things to be hoped Alas I deceive my self but you cannot deceive me I oftentimes wish harm to my self But you always wish me well My Salvation is more in assurance In your hands than in my own I will always diffide in my self But will always conside in you He that lives without diffidence Deceives himself if he be in assurance Man knows not whether he be worthy of love or hatred Eccles 4. The heart of man is wicked and unsearchable who shall know it Jer. 17. I am not conscious to my self of any thing but I am not thereby justified 1 Cor. 14. Thou standest by faith be not high-minded but fear Rom. 4. Be ye therefore humble under the mighty hand of God 1 Pet. 5. XXXV MED Of the good use of Time TIme is precious short irreparable Precious because each moment of it is worth an Eternity Short because it lasts only our life Irreparable because it never returns What will it avail you to have liv'd in pleasures If you die in sin What will it avail you to have past your time well If it go ill with you for all Eternity Time is given you to think on your Salvation You have but little of it remaining Death draws on Eternity advances Your life slips away Your health impairs Your Judgment is preparing Poor fool this very night thy soul shall be fetch'd away And to whom wilt thou leave all that thou hast hoarded up To whom will he be good who is naught to himself After your death you will wish for one moment Of that time which you squander away in Pastimes After death you will repine at the loss of that time Which you spend unprofitably Make therefore good use of your time Manage those precious moments Redeem that which you have lost Employ the present well Regulate well that which remains Think on your Salvation Save your Soul An Angel hath sworn by him that lives in all Ages That soon there will be no more time O my God! Give me yet a little more time And I will give you all satisfaction Alas I deserve indeed to be deprived of it Because I have so long abused it But I will henceforth make better use of it I will think on nothing but my Salvation I will repair the time I have lost And employ well the time remaining They were taken away before their time Job 22. Do
comes up from the desert leaning upon her beloved Cant. 8. Those who hope in our Lord shall change their strength they shall take wings like Eagles they shall walk and not faint Isa 40. Many are the scourges of a sinner but him that hopes in our Lord mercy shall encompass Psal 31. Our Lord said to Gideon you have much people with you nor shall Madian be delivered up into his hands least Israel glory against me and say I was delivered by my own strength Judg. 8. Command the rich men of this world not to be high-minded nor to trust in the uncertainty of their riches but in the living God who does bestow abundantly on us all things for us to enjoy 1 Tim. 6. LVIII MED Of Charity CHarity is a treasure of Merit that enriches us A treasure of Grace that sanctifies us A treasure of Sanctity which makes us perfect A treasure of Peace which makes us happy Charity blots out all sins Calms all Passions Produces all Virtues Sweetens all Pains Makes us like unto God Unites us intimately to God Transforms us in som kind into God It makes God to be all ours And us all his Charity seeks not her self She loves for loves sake Her love is her pleasure Her love is her reward She is Humble Patient Mild Doing good Is not bitter Is not puffed up Not disdainful Not envious Believes all Hopes all Suffers all Pardon 's all O Charity my God! Why do you command me to love you Should not you rather have forbidden me Can there be a greater good than to love you Can there be a greater ill than not to love you Can you threaten me with a greater misery Than to forbid me to love you How is it possible not to love a God that is so infinitly good A God who love us infinitely A God who does us infinit Benefits A God who is united to us by infinit Alliances And yet I love you not O God of goodness I have in my heart only a Phantom of Charity I am Proud Impatient Troublesom Cholerick Doing ill Envious I will suffer nothing Pardon nothing Alas how shall I be saved Since I have no Charity O I have lov'd you too late Beauty always ancient and always new O I will never cease from blessing you From praising you from loving you Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart Matth. 22. The end of the precept is Charity out of a pure heart a good conscience and an unfeigned faith 2 Tim. 1. Charity covers a multitude of sins 1 Pet. 4. Many sins are forgiven her because she loved much Luk. 7. God is Charity and he that remains in Charity remains in God and God in him 1 John 4. This is the charity of God that we keep his Commandments 1 John 5. He that has my Commandments and keeps them 't is he that loves me John 14. LIX MED Of Purity of Intention YOu belong wholly to God You are totally for God You have all from God You ought therefore to do nothing but for God Such is your Action as is your End If your End be good your action is good If your End be ill your Action is ill If you have the same End with God Your Action will be holy as God's is God works only for himself And you work only for your self God seeks only his own glory And you seek only yours God would have you saved And you will damn your self If you will do nothing for him What must you expect from him If you be naught to your self Who will you be good to God looks not on the hand but the heart He considers not the gift but the giver So much you do as you intend to do So much you give as you intend to give So much you gain as you intend to gain The Intention alone sometimes is profitable without the action But never the action without the intention You please God if you intend to please him You love God if you intend to love him Is not that a great comfort to you O I will never henceforth labour for the World O I will henceforth serve God! Since you are pleas'd O my God when we intend to please you Since we love in intending to love you You are the best of all Masters I will never more think on any thing But how to please and love you All men seek their own interefts Phil. 2. Do I seek to please men Gal. 1. If I should yet please men I should not be Christ's servant ibid. VVhether yeeat or whether ye drink or whatsoever else you do do all things to the glory of God 1 Cor. 10. LX. MED Which is the noblest Intention WE never lose any thing by serving God The less we intend to get The more we get We may serve him for profit sake But this service is not so profitable True Love is contented with its self The thing it loves is its reward That Love is suspected Which seeks any thing else with God That Love is mercenary Which expects any other good but God That Love is weak Which relishes any thing else but God That Love is perfect Which contents it self with God To labour for gain Is an interested service To labour for to perfect Is a Love that is not quite purified To labour for to please God Is a Love in its Infancy To labour because it pleases God Is Love in perfection My God! I have not strength enough to fly so high My heart clings too much to the Earth To raise it self even above Heaven I will serve before I love I will kiss your hand Before I kiss your mouth I will love your reward That I may have no other but your love O how rich shall I be When I labour for you only O how perfect shall I be When I desire to please none but you O how happy shall I be When I love nothing but you I have inclin'd my heart to do your justifications for retribution Ps 118. VVhat is there to me in Heaven and what would I besides thee on Earth Ps 72. Let no man seek his own interest 1 Cor. 20. To thee alone Ps 50. Not as pleasing men but God who trys our hearts 2 Thess 7. LXI MED Of the Marks of a pure Intention IF I labour without disturbance Without eagerness without a Witness As if there only God and I I am glad that others should labour as well as I. If I rejoyce when they labour more than I If I am not angry when my labour is interrupted If I am contented when my labour succeeds not If I love the bad as well as the good success If I love rest as well as business If I am pleased to do nothing When God will have it so As well as to do much If I love contempt as well as glory If I make no vain reflexion After I have don a good action 'T is a mark that I had a good Intention O my
God! I have hitherto laboured much And I have gain'd but little I have given my self much trouble And have treasured up but little I have walked hard but advanc'd but little I have laboured for Earth But have don nothing for Heaven I have laboured for my body But I have don nothing for my soul I have laboured for the time present But I have don nothing for Eternity I have laboured for my self But I have don nothing for you O my Lord Since I am made only for you I will live only for you Since I subsist only by you I will labour only for you The reward of my service henceforth Shall be to have served you The recompence of my love Shall be to have loved you Then shall I seek nothing but you alone I shall find all things with you Is your heart right 4 Kings 10. Whom seek you John 18. Woman why do you weep John 20. Martha Martha thou art sollicitous Luk. 19. To the immortal and invisible King of ages to God alone be honour and glory for ever and ever 1 Tim. 1. I always do things that are pleasing to him John 8. LXII MED Of Humility WHo art thou O my God and who am I Thou art all and I am nothing Thou know'st all and I know nothing Thou canst do all and I can do nothing Thou art nothing but light And I am nothing but darkness Thou art nothing but fortitude And I am nothing but weakness Thou art nothing but sanctity And I am nothing but malice Thou art the Saint of Saints And I am the sinner of sinners Thou art the King of Kings And I am the slave of slaves O how strong am I with thee O how feeble am I without thee My Soul Either humble thy self Or God will humble thee What hast thou that thou hast not received Or canst conserv of thy self What hast thou that thou canst make good use of Thy Virtues without Humility will not save thee Thy Vices with Humility will not damn thee For Humility banishes all Vices And makes Charity enter into their room Wert thou as wicked as Achab If thou humble thy self God will not punish thee He resists the proud but gives grace to the humble Canst thou after this say That thy Salvation is impossible That the way to Heaven is hard Every one cannot exalt himself But who is it that cannot humble himself All the World cannot ascend But who is it that cannot descend I can do all things if I can humble my self I cannot fast but I can humble my self I cannot weep but I can humble my self I cannot pray but I can humble my self The virtue of Humility supplies the want of Charity A Sinner is in assurance betwixt the arms of Humility God will not despise a contrite and humble heart O my Soul Let us suffer contempt Let us contemn contempt Let us desire contempt Let us seek contempt Let us hide our Treasures Least we be robb'd of them Let us humble our selves That God may exalt us Let us have an esteem for those innocent defects Which give us a confusion Let us love all that keeps us in abjection To be good and to appear to be so Is a dangerous thing To appear to be good and not to be so Is a vitious Hypocrisie To be good and not to appear to be so Is a happy condition Humble thy spirit very much for fire is the revenge of wicked flesh Eccles 7. Com unto me all ye that labour and you shall find rest to your souls Matth. 11. VVhoever among you would be made great let him be your servant Mark 10. He that exalts himself shall be humbled Luk. 10. XLIII MED Of Patience ALl that I endure is nothing In comparison of the pain that I deserve In comparison of the glory prepar'd for me Of the evil which I have committed Of the good I have omitted Of Heaven that is promised me If I am without a Cross I am no Disciple of JESUS If I carry not my Cross I shall not reign with JESUS We must either suffer here or in Eternity There 's no passing from Delights to Delights But from Delights to Torments There 's no passing from Happiness to Happiness But from Happiness to Misery When I suffer with patience Jesus suffers with me Jesus reigns in me I am the Victim of Love The Throne of his Grace The Trophy of his Glory I quit all my Debts I heap up great Treasures I practise all Virtues I have the mark of the Predestinate I free my self from Purgatory I secure my self of Heaven O JESUS my Saviour I will honour all my Sufferings Since you have consecrated them I feel my Cross no more When I think on yours All my comfort is to think on your Passion Your torments sweeten my pains I should dy with sorrow Should I live without sorrow The Sufferances of this time are not worthy of the glory which shall be given us hereafter Rom. 8. Through many tribulations we must enter into the Kingdom of God Act. 14. Patience is necessary for you that doing the VVill of God you may gain the promises Heb. 10. If any one will com after me let him deny himself Matth. 6. LXIV MED Of the Exercise of Patience SInce we must suffer in this World Let us not lose the fruit of our Sufferings Let us suffer for Jesus with Jesus as Jesus Let us suffer without complaint and murmuring With resignation and indifference With fortitude and constancy VVith joy and love Let us suffer all things from all the VVorld In all things in all manner of ways Let us suffer adore love and seek Crosses O Holy Cross I adore thee and I embrace thee Since I am a Christian and a Child of the Cross I will live and dy on the Cross Thou art the Tree of life And the Salvation of the VVorld Thou art the Sanctuary of Sinners And the comfort of the afflicted O! my greatest Cross shall henceforth be To live without a Cross VVo unto those who have lost their patience Eccles 1. This is a grace of God if for your conscience to God any one does unjustly suffer sadness 1 Pet. 2. Accept of all that is applyed to thee Eccles 2. VVe glory in tribulations knowing that tribulation works patience patience probation probation hope Rom. 5. Be patient towards all 1 Thess 5. Christ suffered for us leaving you an example to follow 1 Pet. 2. LXV MED Of the Cross or several Motives of Patience CArry your Cross O Christian Soul You will find none fitter for you than your own If you leave it for to take another You will lose instead of gaining The Cross is planted every where 'T is found in all manner of places There are Crosses in Kings Palaces As well as in Cloysters God will have all men to be saved He has provided Crosses for all Because none can be saved without a Cross The Cross bears admirable fruits It unloosens us from
therefore believe it JESUS has don this We must therefore do it His Doctrin is the Rule of our Faith His Example is the Rule of our Manners He is infallible in his words He is impeccable in his actions I am an Heretick in my Spirit If I do not believe what he has said I am an Heretick in heart If I do not do what he has don I shall be perfect if I am like unto Jesus I shall be cherished by God if I am like unto Jesus I shall love God if I am like unto Jesus I shall be saved if I am like unto Jesus O what a happiness to be like unto God To live like God To speak like God To act to suffer and to dy like a God Was it thus that Jesus spoke Was it thus that JESUS acted Was it thus that JESUS suffered My Brethren put on Jesus Christ As a Garment which covers Body and Soul Look on and make it according to the pattern that was shewed thee in the Mount Exod. 25. Whom he has predestinated to be made conformable to the Image of his Son Rom. 8. He that says that he remains in him ought as he walked to walk also 1 John 2. I have given you an example That as I have don so you do also John 13. XC MED Of the Virtue of Jesus compared to our Vices JESUS was poor and I am rich JESUS was humble and I am proud JESUS was mild and I am cholerick JESUS was patient and I will endure nothing Jesus did pardon and I will revenge my self Jesus obeyed and I will command Jesus was hated and I would be beloved Jesus was slighted and I would be honoured Jesus lay hid and I would appear Jesus ascended into Heaven by pain And I would ascend through Pleasure Is it just that the Slave Should be better treated than the Child And the Criminal than the Innocent O how I fear to be reprobated Being so little like to the first of the Predestinate Is thy heart upright as mine is 4 Kings 10. The Disciple is not above his Master nor the Servant above his Lord. Matth. 10. He is made unto us Wisdom from God and Justice and Sanctification and Redemption 1 Cor. 2. I am the way the truth and the life Jo. 14. XCI MED Of the Nativity of JESVS Christ NEver did God shew himself greater Than when he made himself little Never more powerful Than when he made himself weak Never more amiable Than when he made himself miserable When I see God becom the Son of man I know that man may becom the Son of God When I see him in a stable I know that we ought to humble our selves When I see him on the straw I know that the grandures of the World Are nothing but dung When I see him weep I know that we must suffer All the Wisdom of God Is included in this Child All his Actions are Rules of Wisdom His Stable is the School of Wisdom His Crib is the Throne of Wisdom His Silence is the Voice of Wisdom His Sleep is the Extasie of Wisdom Either Jesus is deceived Or the World is mistaken Which of the two will you believe The Birth of Jesus is the Reprobation of the World He has condemn'd all that he has rejected Unless I am like unto this Child I shall never be saved I Evangelize unto you great joy c. Luk. 1. She swathed him in clouts and laid him down in a manger ibid. A child is born to us and a Son is given to us Is 9. Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this Word that is don Luk. 2. The Word was made flesh John 1. XCII MED Affections of tenderness towards the Infant Jesus O God of Wisdom who hast chosen a Stable For the Palace of thy greatness Who hast chosen a Crib for thy Throne of glory Where shall I hide my self in thy Presence What a confusion is it to a Proud man To see a God on a Dunghil What insolence is it for a worm of the Earth To be yet desirous to raise himself Is it You or the World that is mistaken Can the Wisdom of God be deceived O God of Goodness How have you hid your Greatness But how have you made your Mercy to shine You never render'd your self more amiable Than when you made your self miserable You never appear'd greater in goodness Than when you annihilated your Majesty I did dread you heretofore as you were God But I am forc'd to love you as you are Man Who can be apprehensive of an Infant Who is not melted by the tears of an Infant Your weeping moves compassion but not fear It gives me hopes but not a diffidence If you could make your Son the Son of Man Cannot you make me the Son of God If you could make your self miscrable Cannot you make me happy O divine Babe O the love of all Ages O the fairest of Men O the desires of Heaven When I hear you groan and sigh I cannot hinder my self from loving you I have a long time resisted your power I yield now unto your weakness I have slighted your greatness But I submit my self to your humility I have fought against you as you were God But you triumph over my heart as you are Man I defended my self against your wrath But I cannot resist your love O the greatest of all Kings How does your Majesty astonish me But how does your Humility ravish me How wonderful are you as you are God But how lovely are you as you are Man I am more surprized to see you humbled Than to see you elevated To hear you cry than to hear you thunder One only Tear of yours stirs up in my heart A greater fire of love than all the fires of Sinai O since you have taken on you my Miseries I hope you will give me your goods Since you are com down upon Earth I hope that you will raise me up to Heaven O dear Son of Mary Com into my arms Repose your self on my heart Water me with your tears Warm me with your love Bless me with your little hands Kiss me with your little mouth I forget what I am Since you forget what you are If I fail in the respects that I owe you 'T is your love that is the cause thereof Make your self less amiable If you will not be beloved When I shall see you on a Throne I shall be seized with fright But when I consider you in a Crib I shall love you with all my heart I shall approach you without fear I shall love you without diffidence I shall serve you without disgust I shall give you all without reserve I shall bless you without respit I shall praise and bless you without end Both in Time and Eternity Amen XCIII MED Of the Poverty of the Infant Jesus JEsus made himself poor to enrich us Jesus stripped himself to cloath us Jesus came down on a Dunghil For to raise us up to a
I commend my spirit And saying this he gave up the Ghost Luk. 23. And bowing down the head he gave up the Ghost John 19. Our King before ages wrought Salvation in the midst of the Earth Psal 73. He that adheres to our Lord is one spirit 1 Cor. 6. If God be for us who is against us Rom. 8. Therefore let those who suffer according to the Will of God recommend their Souls to their faithful Creator in good deeds 1 Pet. 4. CXVI MED Of the Death of the Son of God JESUS is dead Who will fear death He died for us Who will refuse to dy for him He died wasted with pains Who will refuse to suffer He died for his Servants Who will serve any other Master but him He died for our sins Who will dare to put him to death again O the good Shepherd Who died for his Sheep O the High Priest Who immolated himself for men O the faithful Friend Who lov'd us until death O the Divine Master Who placed his Chair on Mount Calvary O JESVS Since thou didst dy for me It is just that I should dy for thee Since thou hast given me the example I must dy as thou didst Wherefore I pardon all my enemies I hope thou wilt give me thy Heaven Recommend me I pray to thy good Mother Bid her take care of me O forsake me not O my God When all the World forsakes me Sustain me by thy grace When I have lost the strength of my body I thirst I desire to see thee I desire to dy When will my end com When shall I consummate my Sacrifice O my Father I recommend my spirit into thy hands I unite my death with thy Son 's Remember that he redeem'd me with his blood Lose not my soul which is of so great value Bowing down his head he gave up the Ghost John 19. The just man perisheth and no body thinks of it in his heart Isai 57. Think upon him who endured such contradiction against himself from sinners that you may not be wearied in your minds fainting Heb. 12. He died for the wicked Rom. 5. Christ died for us ibid. For this end did Christ dy and rose again that he might be Lord of the quick and the dead Rom. 14. Your are dead and your life is hid with Christ c. Col. 3. CXVII MED In form of Prayer on the seven Stations of the Sufferings of the Son of God 1. STATION O Jesus my Saviour who didst sweat blood and water in the Garden of Olives at the sight of thy torments and of my sins And who didst strip thy self of thy farce for to cloath thy self with my Infirmities I aadore thee all bathed in thy blood I give thanks to thy sacred heart for having afflicted it self for my sake I detest all the sins which did cause so great a sadness I resolve to dy rather than ever more to afflict thee Give me grace that I may as thou didst conceive a great sorrow for my iniquities that I may resist even unto blood the Temptations of the Devil and of the Flesh and that I may conform my self in all things to thy example and to the will of thy Father 2. STAT O Jesus my Lord who wert buffeted and ill treated in the houses of Annas and Caiphas I give thee thanks for having suffered these injuries and these confusions for the love of me Alas how often have I buffeted and injured thee in the person of my neighbour since thou reckonest as don to thy self all the ill that is don to him I beg most humble pardon of thee for it And I resolve henceforth for thy sake to suffer all the injuries that shall be don to me and never more to offend thee in the person of my Brothers either by action words judgment or will 3. STAT O Jesus my King who wert scorned by Herod and by the Jews when they preferred a Robber a Seditious felow and a Man-killer before thee I beg pardon of you for having so often preferr'd the Devil and wretched Creatures before you I promise never more to dishonour you You shall always be the King of my heart and I will rather dy than lay you as I have don under the feet of Lucifer that Robber that Seditious wretch and Murderer of all men 4. STAT O Jesus the purest and chastest of all men whose innocent flesh was torn with the blows of the Whips in Pilate's house for to expiate the Criminal Pleasures that we take in our flesh I acknowledge that it was for my sake that you suffered such cruel torments I am sorry for having given you so many wounds and that I have so often renewed them by the satisfaction which I have given to my Senses I conjure you by your Dolours to sanctifie my Body and Soul and to wash them with your pretious blood from all their Impurities and never to suffer that that flesh which has been washed in your blood be ever stain'd with any sin 5. STAT O Jesus the greatest of all Kings who wert crowned with Thorns and didst wear on thy Shoulders the Royal Marks of thy Principality I acknowledge thee for my King as despised and disfigured as thou art And since thou hast no part of thy body which was not wounded I will take no more pleasure in my body but will live in grief and pain that I may be one of thy Subjects and one of thy Members 6. STAT O Jesus my Redeemer who for my sake wert fastened to a Cross and who didst shed all thy blood for to rescue me from the power of the Devil whose Slave I was I give the thanks for this incomparable love that thou didst bear to me for so many torments which thou didst suffer for my sake I kiss with respect thy sacred feet and thy sacred hands which were pierced for my sake I adore that sacred heart which was opened for my love and I promise rather to dy than ever more to crucify thee in mine 7. STAT O Jesus my life who didst dy for me and who wert forsaken by thy Father that I might not be forsaken at my death O most meek Lamb immolated for the Salvation of men Victim of Love and Patience who wert consummated on a pile of sorrows O the Saint of Saints O the King of Kings What can I do for to acknowledge so great a goodness Why may not I dy for you as you died for me I believe that thou art my Saviour and I should despair did I not believe it I hope that thou wilt pardon me my sins and that thou wilt bestow on me thy Heaven since thou gavest me thy life I detest my Crimes which are the cause of thy death and I will rather lose my life than ever make thee dy in my heart since this death is infinitly more sensible and more ignominious to thee than that of the Cross I beg your pardon for all those who have offended me I give my self
give credit to my word But he credited that of the Serpent A blind credulity ought to repair his curiosity Faith consecrates your Understanding It humbles pour Pride It raises your Knowledges It makes you subject to God You must believe that you may see Faith goes before glory And how can you have Faith If what you see be not hidden The Disciple I will again speak c. Doutless your Humanity For to be an object of our Faith Ought to be hid as well as your Divinity But why under the form of Bread Is this state sutable to you What honour is not due to you Who can honour you in this figure The Master My Wisdom would not be infinit Unless it were incomprehensible It would not be wonderful Unless it were unconceivable Wisdom avoids the open light It hides it self in darkness Goodness flies from obscurity And would produce it self into the light Wisdom hides it self Because it would be admired Goodness discovers it self Because it would be beloved A God under the form of a man Is a more astonishing change Than a man under the form of bread Than a body in form of aliment Did not they eat the Lamb the Manna The loaves of Proposition If the figures were eaten The Truth also ought to be eaten You stood in need of a Sacrament For the nourishment of your Souls As your life is divine You stood in need of a divine food As you have a Soul and Body So there was requisit my Soul and my Body Unless you eat my flesh you will not have life All men were to eat it There was therefore requisit an aliment That all men might make use of Men have different tasts But all men love bread I took this amiable figure That I might be eaten without horrour That I might enter into the bottom of your heart That I might communicate my Spirit to you For to purify your body For to asswage its concupiscence For to cure it of its maladies For to give it my purity And my virginal qualities Bread is an aliment Which shews the effects of the Sacrament I would have you all to be united together I would transform you into my self As I live for my Father So I would have you live for me The Disciple O divine Master How admirable is your Wisdom You are truly a hidden God O what Bread O what a Feast O what a Table O how am I obliged to you That you would remain with us That you would take this figure For to communicate your self to us I believe I will not see I am called a Believer and not a Rationalist What shall I do to acknowledge you Since you remain with me I will remain with you Since you humble your self for me I will humble my self for you Since you destroy your self for me I will destroy my self for you Since you will live in me I will also live in you CXXVII MED Of the Love of JESVS Christ in the Sacrament of the Altar THis Sacrament proceeds from Love This Sacrament contents Love This Sacrament produces Love The Son of God did institute it out of Love He ascended up to Heaven out of Justice But he remain'd on Earth out of Love Did men deserve this favour They made themselves unworthy of it Does there any advantage accrew to him by it He suffers therein a great contempt Love hath triumphed over God Love made him com down on Earth Love made him stay there Love keeps him as it were Prisoner there Love tends unto Unity 'T is the end of all its desires It finds in the Communion All its satisfaction There it is that Jesus unites himself to us There it is that we unite our selves to him That he transforms himself into us That we transform our selves into him That he becoms one self-same thing with us That we becom one self-same thing with him There is but one person made up Of the aliment and of him that takes it There is a distinction every where But there is none in the food This is that which contents Love This is that which makes it a Sacrament of Love Knowledge begets Love Presence nourishes Love Affection enkindles Love Benefits do draw Love The Soul here sees her well-beloved She enjoys his Presence She discovers his affection She is fill'd with his graces and favours The heart may resist hatred But it cannot resist Love She there finds her beloved She there finds her delights She there finds her Love Ah! whence coms it that I am all ice Whence coms it that I have so little love What Nature is my heart made of How can it defend it self Love encompasses it on all sides And yet it knows not what Love is Love shews it self to my eyes Love makes it self be heard to my ears Love makes it self be tasted by my mouth Love makes it self be felt by my heart Love calls me draws me warms me Fights me flatters me obliges me Does all things to win me And yet I know not what it is to love Whence coms this insensibility O it is because I love Creatures It is because I am not disengaged It is because my heart is divided It is because I am not mortified My Soul Wilt thou always be ungrateful Wilt thou never let thy heart be won Shall not a God who is always with thee A God who gives himself all to thee A God who annihilates himself for thee A God who stands not in need of thee Who is happy without thee Who has so much Love for thee Who bestows so many benefits on thee Win thy heart Cannot he deserve thy affection O I can no longer resist this Love No longer defend my self from its pursuits I will no longer withdraw through fear I will approach out of Love O I will mortify my self For I cannot live without loving I will communicate frequently For I cannot live without eating The children of Israel said to one another Manhu which signifies What is this for they were ignorant what it was To whom Moses said This is the bread which our Lord has given you to eat Exod. 16. This is the bread that came down from Heaven not as your Fathers did eat Manna and died He that eats this bread shall live for ever John 6. Who shall give us of his flesh that we may be filled Job 31. My flesh is truly meat John 6. When he had loved his who were in the World he loved them unto the end John 13. CXXVIII MED Of the Holy Communion Ye Daughters of Jerusalem Tell my well beloved That I expect her day and night And that I languish with love I quitted Heaven for to com down on Earth And for to gain her love I took the form of Bread To make my self be loved And eaten without horrour I made my self a food that I might unite My self strictly to this ungrateful Soul I would fain feed her I would enrich her With the treasure of my Graces Why does
glory of Jerusalem thou the joy of Israel thou the honour of our People Judith 25. Who is she that comes forth like the rising morning Cant. 6. Do thou and thy Son rule over us Judg. 8. He shall comfort us from all the works and labours of our hands in the land that God hath cursed Gen. 5. CXL MED Of the Presentation of the B. Virgin in the Temple MAry offered up unto God all that she had She offered it up as soon as she could She offered it up with a full will for ever And by an irrevocable promise We give to God but half our heart We give it as late as we can We give it with regret We give it but for a time Give all Give quickly Give cheerfully Give for ever O Holy Virgin I give my self wholy to you without reserve I give my self with all my heart I am sorry that I gave my self so late I give my self for ever And by an irrevocable donation Offer up my heart to your Son I give it to him all entire without delay Without regret without return for ever And by an irrevocable donation 'T is good for a man when he has born the yoke from his youth he shall sit solitary and shall be silent because he hath raised himself above himself Thren 3. And having not found where to rest her foot she returned unto him into the Ark. Gen. 18. In the simplicity of my heart I offered up all Kings 8. Ananias with Saphira his wife sold a field and bringing the price he laid it at the Apostles feet Ananias why hath Satan tempted thy heart to ly to the Holy Ghost and defraud of the price Act. 5. Their heart is divided now will they perish Os 10. A Protestation of Service to the B. Virgin which ought to be made on all Holy-Days and Communion Days O Holy Virgin most worthy Mother of God altho I know my self unworthy to be in the number of your Servants and of your Children yet trusting in your goodness and in your mercy and pushed on with a desire of serving you I declare in the Presence of God and of all the Heavenly Court that I choose you this day for my Queen for my Mother and for my Advocate And I make a firm resolution never to forsake your Service never to do or say any thing against your honour and never to permit that any that depend upon me ever offend you or dishonour you in any manner whatsoever I most humbly beseech you to receive me into the number of your Servants and of your Children to help me in all my Necessities and not to forsake me at the hour of my Death Amen I thought my self obliged to make this Form for those who know not the manner how to give themselves to the B. Virgin The End of the Third Part. THE FOURTH PART FOR THE VNITIVE LIFE CXLI MED Of the Love of JESVS JESVS is the most beautiful of all Men. JESVS is the greatest of all Kings JESVS is the most charitable of all Fathers JESVS is the most faithful of all Friends JESVS is the mildest of all Masters JESVS is the perfectest of all Spouses JESVS made himself man for me and like me JESVS made himself poor for me and like me JESVS made himself miserable for me and like me JESVS suffered death for me and like me JESVS is my Father and my King He is my Brother and my Spouse My Master and my Shepherd My Chief and my Physician My Salvation and my Redemption My Hopes and my Comfort JESVS loves me with all his heart He is always at the door of my heart He intreats me to give him my heart He has given his life to have my heart I am ungrateful if I refuse him my heart Wo unto him who divides his heart Cursed is he that loves him not with all his heart O Love of all Loves O Heart of all Hearts Let me love you as you love me Let me love you as you deserve to be loved Nothing above JESVS Nothing comparable to JESVS Nothing with JESVS Nothing after JESVS Goodly of beauty above the Sons of men Ps 44. All in all Christ Col. 3. Simon of John dost thou love me John 14. He that has my Commandments and keeps them it is he that loves me John 14. If any one doth not love our Lord Jesus Christ be he Anathema 1 Cor. 16. CXLII MED Of the Vnity of Love LOve comes from Unity tends to Unity Reposes in Unity conserves it self by Unity A strait heart cannot be bowed A pure heart cannot be stained A free heart cannot be captivated A single heart cannot be divided Wo unto those that have a double heart God's heart cannot love them No man can have two Heavens No man can serve two Masters No man can have two Spouses No man can love God and the World There must be but one Soul to one Body But one Sun to the Universe But one King in a State But one Governour in a Place But one Shepherd to one Flock But one Pilot to one Ship But one Love to one Heart But one God to one Creature You will say you give God half your heart Ah! did not God create the other half Did God redeem but half your heart Will God save but half your heart Did God give you but half his heart Ah! why will you give him but half of yours Is the heart of a man too much for God O the God of my Heart You have always been mine And I have never been yours I have made to my self as many Idols As I have loved Creatures I have divided my Faith When I divided my Charity I destroy'd both the one and the other When I divided them Ah! I lost my self when I did not love you I will henceforth O my God Love you with all my heart I will never more divide my affections All to all One to one One alone to one alone This is the Device of my heart O my God and my All. Since you have given me your whole heart Which is so great 'T is very just that I should give you all mine That is so small No man can serve two Masters Matth. 6. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart Matth. 22. How long do you halt on both sides if our Lord is God serve him c. 3 Kings 18. Wo unto the double hearted Eccl. 2. Their heart is divided now they will perish Os 10. CXLIII MED Of the Presence of God GOD is before me with me in me He is before me for to consider me He is with me for to govern me He is in me for to enliven me I ought therefore to be before God By thinking on nothing but him With God by labouring only for him In God by loving nothing but him I am never alone God is always with me I never work alone God always works with me I never suffer alone God always suffers with me
great things How beautiful is God Since he hath created such beautiful things How good is God Since he hath created such good things What favours has God don to me From what danger has he preserved me From how many evils has he delivered me What great goods he promises me Who deserves my heart better than he Who offers me a greater price for to have it To whom shall I give it if not to him Who has given me his To whom shall I sell it if not to him Who has bought it at the price of his Blood Is a naughty heart worth the blood of a God Worth the life of a God Worth the heart of a God Worth the Kingdom of God I deserve not to live If I will live for any one but you I ought not to have a heart If I will love any thing else besides you O I have loved you too late Beauty always new always ancient O I have too soon offended you Bounty always amiable always adorable I acknowledge my darkness I abhor my ingratitudes I will always love you O God of goodness I will never offend you O God of majesty Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart and with thy whole soul and with all thy forces Luk. 10. In this did appear the charity of God because God sent his only begotten son into the World that we may live by him 1 John 4. Let us therefore love God because he loved us first ibid. I will love thee O Lord my strength our Lord is my establishment and my refuge and my deliverer my God and my helper c. Ps 17. CLI MED How God loves men and how men ought to love God LEt us love God because he loves us Let us love him as he hath loved us The Love of God is ancient He hath lov'd us from all Eternity We were always in his thought in his heart His Love is as ancient as his Being He no sooner was but he loved us And as he always was So he always loved us And he will still love us During all Eternity The Love of God is pure and disinterested He loves us without standing in need of us Without expecting any thing from us Without any desert on our side Without any obligation on his He loves us that he may be loved And to make us happy through his love The Love of God is tender 'T is a Love of sweetness 'T is the sweetness of Love 'T is the Love of a Father And Mother and Nurse The Love of God is strong It triumphs over all difficulties It does good to the ungrateful To Rebels to his Enemies The Love of God is infinit He loves us with the love that he loves himself He has bestowed infinit benefits on us He has suffered infinit evils for us He has given his blood which is of an infinit price He communicates to us his grace Which is an infinit treasure He prepares his glory for us Which is an infinit good The Love of God is universal It embraces all men There is no body that he does not love That he does not visit To whom he has not appointed an Angel Whom he does not help Whom he has not redeemed Whom he is not willing to save O incomparable Lover Where shall I find a friend So faithful and so ancient as you O my Soul Canst thou not love him Who has loved thee so much Canst thou refuse thy heart to him Who has given thee his Compare one with the other Measure the greatness of the one and the other O my God! my Love Was there ever Ingratitude comparable to mine You love me from the time that you were And I offend you from the time that I had a Being You love me from all Eternity And I will not love you now O I will henceforth love you As you have loved me I will love you constantly purely strongly Eternally universally In all places in all times in all states And in the accomplishment of all your wills I have loved thee in perpetual charity Jer. 31. The Father himself loveth you John 6. He will have all men to be saved and to com to the knowledge of truth 1 Tim. 2. He loved them to the end John 13. Is the death of the wicked man my Will saith the Lord God and not rather that he should be converted from his ways and live Ezek. 18. CLII. MED Of the Incomprehensibility of God ALL times together Cannot measure the Being of God All places together cannot inclose him All understandings whatsoever Cannot comprehend him All hearts together Cannot love him sufficiently God is nothing of what I see He is nothing of what I touch He is nothing of what I hear He is nothing of what I know He is nothing of what I imagin He is an invisible spiritual And incomprehensible Being O my God! How rich am I When I have nothing but you How enlightned am I When I see nothing but you How knowing am I When I know nothing but you How contented am I When I relish nothing but you I see all things when I see nothing I tast all things when I tast nothing I hear all things when I hear nothing I possess all things when I possess nothing I am all things when I am nothing I honour the Power of God By the Sacrifice of my power I honour the Greatness of God By the Sacrifice of my glory I honour the Goodness of God By the Sacrifice of my desires I honour the Incomprehensibility of God By the Sacrifice of my thoughts Empty your Memory from its Images And God will fill it with his Essence Empty your Heart of its Affections And God will fill it with his Goods Empty your Understanding of your Conceits And God will fill it with his Lights Great in counsel and incomprehensible in thought Jer. 32. To whom have you compared me and made me like unto Isai 46. My Soul hath refused to be comforted I was made full of God and was delighted Ps 76. All my bones shall say Lord who is like unto thee Ps 34. Rase it rase it unto the foundation thereof Ps 136. CLIII MED Of Simplicity BE simple in mind Be simple in heart That Spirit is simple That has but one thought That heart is simple that has but one desire Without these two Simplicities You will never arrive to Unity God is a pure Act. There is nothing more simple than his Being He cannot be multiplyed He cannot endure Duplicity He has from all Eternity But one thought and one love He says all in one word And this word is nothing but Truth If you would unite your self to God You must imitate this Simplicity To what purpose are so many thoughts To what end so many discourses Are not you convinc'd of the truth Why should you seek after what you have found Do what you know Tast what you see God is one great Word A great matter for Prayer Cast
same again ibid. Med. 4. Of the contempt that Herod c. Page 243 Med. 5. The same again ibid. Med. 6. Of the preference of Barabbas Page 245 Med. 6. The same again ibid. Or The four Meditations for Death Page 13 3. Sund. in Lent G. Luk. 1. v. 24.27 Med. 1. Of Relapse Page 100 Or Of Slander Page 79 Med. 2. Of our Lord's Flagellation Page 246 Med. 3. The same again ibid. Med. 4. Of his Crowning with Thorns Page 248 Med. 5. The same again ibid. Med. 6. His bearing of his Cross Page 250 Med. 7. The same again ibid. Or The Seven Stations Page 274 4. Sund. in Lent G. John 6. v. 1.16 Med. 1. Of Alms. Page 180 Or Of Hope Page 139 Med. 2. JESUS crucified Page 252 Med. 3. The same again ibid. Med. 4. The 1. Word of Jesus Page 255 Med. 5. The same again ibid. Med. 6. The good Thiefs Repentance Page 275 Med. 7. The same again ibid. Or The seven Stations Page 274 5. Sund. in Lent G. John 8. v. 46.60 Med. 1. Of Aversions Page 65 Or Venial Sin Page 26 Med. 2. Of the Passion of the B. Virgin Page 258 Med. 3. The same again ibid. Med. 4. Of our Lord's Dereliction Page 265 Med. 5. The same again ibid. Med. 6. Of our Lord's thirst Page 264 Med. 7. The same again ibid. Or The seven Stations Page 274 Palm Sunday G. Matth. 21. v. 1.10 The Passion according to S. Matthew Med. 1. Of the Kingdom of Jesus Page 235 Or Of conformity of our will to God Page 162 Med. 2. Of the 6th Word Page 267 Med. 3. The same again ibid. Med. 4. Of the last Word Page 270 Med. 5. The same again ibid. Med. 6. Of our Lord's Death Page 272 Med. 7. Of his Burial Page 278 Or The seven Stations Page 274 Easter-Day G. Mark 16. v. 1.8 Med. 1. Of our Lord's Resurrection Page 280 Med. 2. Of the same again ibid. Or Of the ill effects of sadness Page 83 Med. 3. Of the Peace of the Soul Page 41 Med. 4. The same again ibid. Med. 5. The third spiritual Canticle Page 377 Med. 6. Of the five degrees of Perfection Page 349 Med. 7. The same again ibid. 1. Sund. after Easter G. John 20. v. 19.32 Med. 1. Of the Wounds of our Lord. Page 282 Med. 2. The same again ibid. Med. 3. Of Charity Page 142 Med. 4. The same again ibid. Med. 5. Of the troubles and pains of Mind Page 61 Med. 6. Of Pride Page 89 Med. 7. The same again ibid. 2. Sund. after Easter G. John 10. v. 11.17 Med. 1. Of the good Shepherd Page 284 Med. 2. The same again ibid. Med. 3. Of the sheep of Jesus Christ Page 286 Med. 4. The same again ibid. Med. 5. Of the conducts of God Page 183 Med. 6. Of the benefit of leaving our selves c. Page 186 Med. 7. Of the hurt of leaving God's ways Page 187 3. Sund. after Easter G. Joh. 16. v. 16.23 Med. 1. Of Sadness Page 81 Med. 2. Remedies against Sadness Page 84 Med. 3. The same again ibid. Med. 4. Of Persecutions Page 73 Or The four Meditations of Death Page 13 Med. 5. That it is necessary to be persecuted Page 75 Med. 6. Of disengagement from Creatures Page 7 Med. 7. The same again ibid. 4. Sund. after Easter G. John 26. v. 5.15 Med. 1. The bad effects of Sadness Page 83 Med. 2. Vseful thoughts to make us slight the World Page 12 Med. 3. Of the hatred of the World Page 45 Med. 4. The same again ibid. Med. 5. What is the noblest Intention Page 145 Med. 6. The marks of a pure Intention Page 147 Med. 7. The same again ibid. 5. Sund. after Easter G. John 16. v. 23.31 Med. 1. Of Prayer Page 130 Med. 2. The same again ibid. Med. 3. How God loves Men c. Page 357 Med. 4. The same again ibid. Med. 5. Of the Ascension of our Lord. Page 289 G. Mark 16. v. 14.21 Med. 6. Of Heaven Page 368 Med. 7. Of the Love of our Lord Jesus in c. Page 337 6. Sund. after Easter G. Joh. 15. v. 23.31 Med. 1. Motives to Patience Page 155 Med. 2. Of human respect Page 77 Med. 3. Of Silence Page 191 Med. 4. Of Solitude Page 342 Med. 5. The same again ibid. Med. 6. Of the flight of Occasions Page 35 Med. 7. The same again ibid. Whitsunday G. Joh. 14. v. 28.32 Med. 1. Of the coming down of the Holy Ghost Page 292 Med. 2. The same again ibid. Med. 3. Of the Presence of God Page 341 Med. 4. The same again ibid. Or The four Meditations of Death Page 13 Med. 5. Of divine Vnion Page 370 Med. 6. The same again ibid. Med. 7. The first and second Canticle Page 376 Trinity Sunday G. Matth. 28. v. 18.21 Med. 1. Of the Mystery of the Day Med. 2. Of the divine Perfections Page 350 Med. 3. The same again ibid. Med. 4. Of the Amability of God Page 355 Med. 5. Of the Institution of the B. Sacrament Page 296 Med. 6. The same again ibid. Med. 7. The same again ibid. 2. Sund. after Pent. G. Luk. 14. v. 16.25 Med. 1. Of the Holy Communion Page 304 Med. 2. The same again ibid. Med. 3. Of the love of Jesus Christ in the Sacrament of the Altar Page 301 Med. 4. The same again ibid. Med. 5. A Prayer to our Lord. Page 309 Med. 6. Of Simplicity Page 362 Med. 7. The same again ibid. Or The fifth and sixth Canticle Page 379 3. Sund. after Pent. G. Luk. 15. v. 1.11 Med. 1. Of the Love of Jesus Page 337 Med. 2. Of the Virtues of Jesus Page 219 Med. 3. Of the Amability of God Page 355 Med. 4. How God loves men c. Page 357 Med. 5. Of Pennance Page 28 Med. 6. That we ought not to differ our Conversion Page 29 Med. 7. The Conditions of true Pennance Page 32 4. Sund. after Pent. G. Luk. 5. v. 1.12 Med. 1. Of God's dominion over his Creatures Page 3 Med. 2. The same again ibid. Or Of Religious Disciplin Page 210 Med. 3. Of the Purity of Intention Page 144 Med. 4. Which is the noblest Intention Page 145 Med. 5. Of Humility Page 149 Med. 6. Of Annihilation Page 347 Or Of the happiness of a Religious State Page 203 Med. 7. Of Poverty Page 204 Or The four Meditations of Death Page 13 5. Sund. after Pent. G. Matth. 5. v. 20.25 Med. 1. Of Mildness and Choller Page 170 Med. 2. The same again ibid. Med. 3. Remedies against Choller Page 172 Med. 4. The same again ibid. Med. 5. Of Aversions Page 65 Med. 6. Of the Pardoning of Injuries Page 91 Med. 7. Of the Imitation of Jesus Christ Page 217 6. Sund. after Pent. G. Mark 8. v. 1.10 Med. 1. Of the holy Communion Page 304 Or Of Driness Page 190 Med. 2. Of Confidence in God Page 193 Med. 3. The same again ibid. Med. 4. Of the leaving of our selves Page 349 Med. 5. The seventh Canticle
Page 381 Med. 6. Of the benefit of leaving our selves c. Page 186 Med. 7. The same again ibid. 7. Sund. after Pent. G. Matth. 7. v. 15.22 Med. 1. Of the Will of God Page 9 Med. 2. The same again ibid. 3. Of good Works Page 178 4. Of Hell Page 22 5. Of Charity Page 142 6. Of the care of Perfection Page 127 7. Of Faith Page 134 8. Sund. after Pent. G. Luk. 16. v. 1.10 1. Of the fulness of God's Riches Page 366 2. The same again ibid. 3. Of the good use of Time Page 71 4. The same again ibid. 5. Of Alms. Page 180 6. Of the Last Judgment Page 20 7. The same again ibid. Or The four Meditations of Death Page 13 9. Sund. after Pent. G. Luk. 16. v. 42.48 1. How God loves men c. Page 357 2. Of the Death of the Just Page 14 3. Of the Death of Sinners Page 17 4. Of Inspirations Page 199 5. Of the Vnity of love Page 339 6. Of Prayer c. Page 130 7. The same again ibid. 10. Sund. after Pent. G. Luk. 18. v. 9.15 1. Of Annihilation Page 347 2. Of Presumption Page 67 3. The same again ibid. 4. Of Pride Page 89 5. The same again ibid. 6. The conditions of true Pennance Page 32 7. The same again ibid. 11. Sund. after Pent. G. Mark 7. v. 31.38 1. Of customary Sins Page 102 2. The same again ibid. 3. Of the end that Man was made for Page 1 4. Of the care of our Salvation Page 6 5. Of Silence Page 191 6. Of the Conformity of our will to the Will of God Page 162 7. The same again ibid. 12. Sund. after Pent. G. Luk. 10. v. 23.38 1. Of the Love of Jesus Page 337 2. The same again ibid. 3. Of Charity Page 142 4. The same again ibid. 5. Of the Imitation of Jesus Page 217 6. Of the love of our Neighbour Page 164 7. The same again ibid. Or The four Meditations of Death Page 13 13. Sund. after Pent. G. Luk. 17. v. 11.20 1. Of the flight of occasions Page 35 2. Of disengagement from Creatures Page 7 3. Vseful thoughts for drawing us off c. Page 12 4. The same again ibid. 5. The eighth and ninth Canticle Page 381 6. Of Sickness Page 194 7. Of Obedience Page 208 14. Sund. after Pent. G. Matth. 6. v. 24.34 1. Of the Vnity of Love Page 339 2. Of Avarice Page 97 3. The same again ibid. Or The five degrees of Perfection Page 349 4. Of vain Desires Page 42 5. Of the Obligations we have to love God Page 10 6. Of the care of our Perfection Page 127 7. The same again ibid. 15. Sund. after Pent. G. Luk. 7. v. 11.17 1. Of Death Page 13 2. Of the Death of Sinners Page 17 3. Of Sadness Page 81 4. The ill effects of sadness Page 83 5. The tenth Canticle Page 383 6. Remedies against Sadness Page 84 7. Of Devotion to the B. Virgin Page 310 16. Sund. after Pent. G. Luk. 24. v. 1.12 1. Of Humility Page 149 Or Of the holy Communion Page 304 2. Of the judgment of Men. Page 94 3. Of Pride Page 89 4. Of God's Incomprehensibility Page 360 5. The same again ibid. 6. Of divine Vnion Page 370 7. The same again ibid. Or The four Meditations of Death Page 13 17. Sund. after Pent. G. Matth. 22. v. 34.46 1. Of God's Amability Page 355 2. Of the Presence of God Page 341 3. The same again ibid. 4. Of the divine Perfections Page 350 5. Of the Imitation of Jesus Christ Page 217 6. Of the love of our Neighbour Page 164 7. The same again ibid. 18. Sund. after Pent. G. Matth. 19. v. 1.9 1. Of Sickness Page 194 2. Of Tepidity Page 43 3. The same again ibid. 4. Of Slander Page 79 5. The same again ibid. Or The third Canticle Page 377 6. Of customary Sins Page 102 7. The same again ibid. 19. Sund. after Pent. G. Matth. 22. v. 1.15 1. Of the love of Jesus Christ in the Sacr. Page 301 2. Of the Kingdom of God Page 231 3. The same again ibid. 4. Of the small number of the saved Page 48 5. Of Inspirations Page 199 6. Of the two Eternities Page 24 7. That we ought to do our actions well Page 175 20. Sund. after Pent. G. John 4. v. 46.54 1. Of the Conducts of Faith Page 136 2. Of Patience Page 152 3. Motives to Patience Page 155 4. The same again ibid. 5. Of the care of our Salvation Page 6 6. The same again ibid. 7. Of the Duty of Fathers and Masters Page 166 Or The four Meditations of Death Page 13 21. Sund. after Pent. G. Matth. 18. v. 23.36 1. Of the Kingdom of Jesus Page 232 2. The same again ibid. 3. Of the Pardoning of Injuries Page 91 4. Of Relapse Page 100 5. The same again ibid. 6. Of Scandal Page 50 7. The same again ibid. 22. Sund. after Pent. G. Matth. 22. v. 15.22 1. Of human respect Page 77 2. The same again ibid. 3. Of the Profit of Temptations Page 56 4. Of the Causes of Temptations Page 58 5. Of the Obligations we have to love God Page 10 6. Of the Conformity of our will to God Page 162 7. Of the Virtues of Jesus Page 219 23. Sund. after Pent. Matth. 9. v. 18.27 1. Of Death Page 13 Or Of the Communion Page 304 2. Of the Death of the Just Page 14 3. Of Hope Page 139 4. The same again ibid. 5. Of Solitude Page 342 6. Of the hatred of the World Page 45 7. The five degrees of Perfection Page 349 24. Sund. after Pent. G. Matth. 24. v. 15.36 1. Of the care of our Salvation Page 6 2. Of venial Sin Page 26 3. Of the flight from Occasions Page 35 4. An Exercise of Patience Page 153 5. Of the leaving of our selves c. Page 343 6. How we ought to leave our selves c. Page 345 7. Of the Presence of God Page 341 Or The four Meditations of Death Page 13 The End of the TABLE of the Meditations for every Day in the Year A TABLE OF MEDITATIONS For the chief FEASTS of the Year Dec. 6. S. Nicholas G. Matth. 25. Of Alms. 180 Dec. 8. Conception of the B. V. Mary 312 Dec. 21. S. Thomas Of Faith 134 Of our Lord's Wounds 282 Jan. 25. Conversion of S. Paul That we must not deferr our Conversion 29 Febr. 2. Purification of our B. Lady 314 Febr. 24. S. Matthias Of the few that are saved 48 March 19. S. Joseph Of the Peace of the Soul 41 Of Silence 191 Of Conformity c. 162 March 25. Annunciation of our B. Lady 316 Of the Humiliations c. 318 Apr. 25. S. Mark Evang. Of the Causes of Temptation 58 Of the Will of God 9 May 1. SS James and Philip Apostles Of the Troubles of Mind 61 May 3. Invention of the Holy Cross Motives of Patience 155 June 24. Nativity of S. John Baptist Of Solitude 342 Of
himself before God What an amazement will it be To see himself before an angry God Before a Father whom he has outraged Before a King whom he has slighted Before a Friend whom he has betrayed Before a Captain whom he has deserted Before a Judge whom he has offended Before a Saviour whom he has crucified There is no sight in the World That a wicked man would more avoid And from which he can less hide himself Then shall he see all his Sins That will present themselves to accuse him He shall see the Devils ready to devour him Over his head a Judge ready to condemn him Vnder his Feet a Precipice whereinto he is falling Before him his goods that are carrying away from him By his side the Objects which made him sin Within him his Body which is about to leave him O Jesus on the Cross How then will the sight of thee Comfort the good Frighten the bad How will they dare to look upon him Whom they have crucified All your wounds will fall a bleeding At the sight of these murderers What kind of death will mine be Such as has been your life Shall I die like the Virtuous Yes if you live like the virtuous O I will live in grace That I may die in peace I will live holily That I may die in tranquillity I will live in Pennance That I may die in Assurance The death of sinners is very ill Psal 33. Evils will surprize the unjust man at his death Psal 139. VVhy should I fear in the evil day the iniquity of my heel will encompass me Psal 48. They shall leave their riches to strangers their graves shall be their houses for ever Psal 48. The rich man died and was buried in Hell Luk. 16. Unless you do pennance ye will all perish in like manner Luk. 13. XI MED Of the last Judgment THere is an eye that sees all An ear that hears all A hand that writes all I do not see and yet am seen I hear not and yet am heard I know not and yet am known The eye which discovers all is covered The ear which hears all is hid The hand that writes all is invisible Nothing is lost nothing flies out All things pass from Time to Eternity That which is past will return again What you thought was lost will be retrieved A crime that is buried will rise up again That which passes the time away Will not pass away with time All shall be examin'd without exception Judged without acception Condemn'd without remission Punish't without conpassion Alas my God! Where shall I hide my self when I am cited What shall I answer when you question me What will become of me when I am judged What would I have don when I am condemned Come unto me O ye blessed of my Father O amiable words Begon from me O ye accursed O terrible words We write in this life the Sentence Which will be then pronounced Wo unto me when my crimes shall be discovered Wo unto me when my heart shall be opened Wo unto me when it shall be said Here is the man and the good that I have don him Here is the man and the ill that he has don me VVe shall all stand before the Tribunal of Christ Rom. 14. VVe must all be manifested before the Tribunal of Christ that every one may receive what belongs to his body as he has behaved himself be it good or bad 1 Cor. 15. Our Lord will bring into Judgment all that is don Eccles 11. In the end of man is the disclosing of his works Eccles 11. If the just man will scarce be saved where will the wicked man and the sinner appear 1 Pet. 4. XII MED Of Hell HEll is the Prison of God's Justice 'T is the Magazin of his Vengeance The term of his Wrath. The center of all Evils The deep Well of Death The Devil's Kingdom The Country of the Desperate A Region of Tears A place of Torments A Land of Malediction A Banishment without comfort A loss without redress A labour without rest A pain without end An evil without remedy There man shall be separated from God Cursed by God Hated of God God will hate him Without any possibility of loving him His hatred will be 1. Infinit 2. Irreconcilable 3. Universal 4. Eternal In Heaven there will be all that you love In Hell all that you hate Pleasure will be pure in Heaven And Pains pure in Hell Nothing will be wanting in Heaven All things will be wanting in Hell O strange revolution The wicked man flies away from God here upon Earth And yet he finds him every where He seeks after God in Hell And shall never find him What do I say that he will flie from God Alas he will find him every where And yet he will never love him His presence makes Heaven His presence makes Hell The greatest pain of a Reprobate Is in all places to find an angry God O Eternity how long art thou O Eternity how dreadful art thou O Never that never ends O Ever which lasteth ever O Present which stickest close to what is past O Past which stickest to what is to come O Eternity Shall we never apprehend thee O Eternity Shall we never conceive thee If we had thee always in our mind We should never sin A Land of misery and darkness where the shadow of death and no order but an everlasting horrour does dwell Job 5. Cast out the unprofitable Servant into outward darkness there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth Matth. 25. VVho shall be punisht eternally from the face of our Lord and from the glory of his virtue 1 Thess 1. Thou wilt put them like an Oven of fire in the time of thy countenance our Lord in his wrath will cast them down and fire shall devour them Psal 20. The sinner shall see and be angry he shall gnash with his teeth the desire of Sinners shall come to nothing Psal 111. XIII MED Of the two Eternities TO live Ever and Never to die To die Ever and Never to live To possess all things and desire nothing To desire all things and possess nothing To rest always without ever working To work always without ever resting To rejoyce always without ever being sad To be always sad without ever rejoycing To love God always Without being in a possibility of hating him To hate God always Without a possibility of loving him The one is the portion of the good The other the pain of the bad O how amiable is Heaven O how horrible is Hell O what a cheat is the World O how blind is man O how short is Time O how long is Eternity Nothing is long of which we see an end Nothing is short of which we see no end These shall go into everlasting torments and the just into life everlasting Matth. 25. I would they were wise and did understand and provide for the last things Deut. 32. Their worm does not
bottom of the heart 'T is the heart that conceives sin 'T is the heart that must destroy it 'T is the heart that withdraws it self from God 'T is the heart that must return to God Hatred takes its rise out of love One hates only because one loves I ought therefore to hate Sin As much as I ought to love God As much as I ought to love my self As much as I ought to love Heaven As much as I ought to fear Hell I ought to love God singularly I ought to hate Sin singularly I ought to love all things in order to God I ought to hate all things in order to Sin I ought to love God above all things I ought to hate sin above all things I cannot exceed in the love of God I cannot exceed in the hatred of sin That Repentance is nothing worth Unless it be of all crimes Unless grace blots them all out It blots not so much as one out One cannot be reconcil'd by halfs One cannot be both beloved and hated One cannot be both in sin and in grace One cannot be both God's and the Devil 's at once One cannot be both worthy of Heaven and Hell Unless one believes all one believes nothing To be a Son of the Church One must believe all things To be a Son of God one must hate all sin King Saul made exceptions And it was the cause of his ruin He became God's enemy For having saved one of his enemies What does it avail you to conquer one sin If you be a slave to another What good is it to bewail your Cholers If you be a slave to your Impurities One mortal stroke alone Is enough to bereave the body of its life One mortal sin alone Is sufficient to deprive the soul of life That man is no true Penitent Who will be so but for a time One must always hate that evil Which is always hated by God That friendship is not broke off Which one designs to make up again Can he be said to hate sin Who has a mind to commit it again Can he be said to have true Contrition Who only feels some small Aversion One may hate his sin Although he feel not the hatred One may feel sorrow And yet not have a true sorrow Then does one truly hate sin When one is resolv'd to destroy it If you love the causes of sin you still love sin 'T is not enough to hate it You must repair the damages thereof You must restore your ill-gotten goods Restore the honour you have taken away Repair the Scandals you have given Satisfie those whom you have offended You must punish by sorrow The pleasure you have taken in sinning God transfers to Pennance The right he has to punish a Sinner If Pennance spare him Justice spares him not If Pennance punish him Justice punishes him not O my God! How much reason have I to fear Least I be yet in the state of sin Have I hated it Sincerely Universally Constantly Efficaciously Am not I at the end of the year The same man still that I was at the beginning Oh! I will change my life My God change me from my heart Give me a new Spirit that I may lead a new life If with all your heart you will return to our Lord Take away the strange God from the midst of you 1 Kings 17. He that hides his crimes shall not be directed but he that shall confess them and relinquish them shall obtain mercy Prov. 28. Turn unto me with all your heart and rent your hearts and not your garments be converted to God your Lord because he is gracious and merciful patient and of much compassion and ready to be moved upon the malice Joel 2. Ananias why did Satan tempt thy heart to sin to the Holy Ghost and defraud of the price of the field thou didst not ly to man but to God Act. 5. Her transgressing Sister hath not return'd to me with her whole heart but in lying Jer. 3. Cast away from you all your prevarications and make to your selves a new heart and a new spirit And why should you die O house of Israel Ezech. 8. XIX MED Of the flight from Occasions and evil Companies 'T Is but a folly to hide your self The Company you keep betrays you Every one is pleas'd with his like Such you are as those you frequent If you suffer bad Company You may be reckoned to be of an ill life Or that you will at least soon resemble The persons whom you frequent 'T is good example that makes virtuous people Bad example that makes bad people Ignorance and Bashfulness Are the two Bulwarks of Innocency One would have been ignorant of many Crimes Had not one seen them committed One would have a horrour of sin If no body had taught it Example ennobles a Crime It makes it just and lawful It gives it authority It makes a necessity of it One is ashamed to be Innocent In the Company of the Nocent One does not blush at a sin When Example has crown'd it 'T is a vain thing to hope to be good among the wicked An evil is easily contracted Nature has a propension thereunto She imitates what she sees don She desires what is forbidden her One is not healthy for being among the healthy But one falls sick by being among the sick Go down into Hell Look upon those execrable Victims Hearken to their lamentable Cries Inquire into the cause of their Disaster There is never a Reprobate of them all Who will not with many tears tell you That it was Example that undid him That it was Company that damn'd him One is willing to please those whom one loves And you will never please the wicked Unless you be wicked like them O! but you do no harm say you You always remain a Sheep Although you live among Wolves You conserve the sweetness of the waters In the midst of a brackish Sea You draw in an innocent air In a house infected with the Plague And I say that you are dead If you think you are not sick Can any one without sin love the occasion of sin Is not the scandal of your Neighbour a very great evil Who can believe you to be chast With people that are not At least you will not long be so Example is a bad Master You will soon learn to do evil which you have seen don Occasion will draw you to it Company will drag you along to it The temptation will increase Fear will diminish Grace will grow weaker Shame will be blotted out Nature will yield A habit will be gotten The Will will be hardened This is the Progress of Iniquity This is the Road of Impenitence This is the term of Impiety O Christian Soul Retire out of Occasions Fly evil Company Love not those whom you ought not to imitate Please not those who displease God Withdraw from those who withdraw from God Fly away from contagious persons Avoid dangerous occasions
because you are a Christian And have a mind to be happy Why does the Devil tempt you 'T is because he hates the Image of God Because he envies man Because he would make you his Slave Because he would have Companions Because he would enter into your heart Because he would ascend God's Throne Because he would profane his Temple Because he would be ador'd therein Because he would Crucifie JESUS Christ And renew all his Ignominies Will you carry on his Designs Will you content his Passion 'T is what you do as often as you consent to Temptation Why does God permit you to be tempted 'T is for his glory and your good He would know whether you love him He would make you know your self He has a mind to try your virtue To keep you in a dependance on him To fit you for a Combat To thrust on your Sloth To take you off from Creatures To oblige you to have recourse to him To make you merit Heaven O my Saviour I wonder not that I am tempted Since you were also tempted 'T is good that I should know you 'T is good that I should know my self I find that Temptation hinders me from entring into Presumption Tempt me O God try me See whether there be no iniquity in me O no! tempt me not Alas I know my own weakness Deliver me rather from my temptation At least fortifie me against my temptation Satan strikes at you as well as me Defend your self in me and through me God tempted Abraham Gen. 20. Fear not for God came for to try you Exod. 20. The Lord your God tempts you to make it publickly known whether you love him or not Gen. 13. Anania why did Satan tempt thy heart Act. 5. Every one is tempted by being drawn and allured by his own concupiscence Jam. 1. God tempted them and found them worthy of him Wisd 3. XXXI MED Of the troubles and pains of Mind HOw these thoughts torment me Why art thou tormented at them I fear I shall give consent to them If you fear you do not consent Your fear ought to secure you I am fallen into sin You must rise quickly out of it God is angry with me 'T is in your power to appease him Walk with more Diligence Labour with more Fidelity Confess your self without delay Humble your self without disturbance One evil does not repair another Sin is not cur'd by Sin This Temptation is importune Yes But it is necessary for you It keeps you in humility It maintains you in your dependance It obliges you to pray It hinders you from presuming Without Temptation one cannot be tryed Without fighting one cannot be crown'd Without a Cross none can be saved O my God! Keep me close to you And I will not fear the Devils Although they were all against me Without you I am nothing but weakness With you I am all fortitude If I have wherewithal to ruin my self You have wherewithal to save me Let not your heart be troubled John 14. Because thou wert acceptable to God it was necessary that Temptation should try thee Tob. 12. God is faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above what you are able but he will make profit of your temptation that you may be able to sustain it 1 Cor. 10. Blessed is the man who suffers Temptation Jam. 1. XXXII MED Of natural Inclinations TO love by Inclination is to love like a Beast To love with Inclination is to love like a Man To love without Inclination is to love like a Christian To love against Inclination is to love like a Saint Christian Charity embraces all the World Its motive is singular and universal If for God I love him that pleases me I ought also to love him that displeases me They are both of them created by God Both made to his Image Both redeem'd with his Blood Both call'd to his Glory I am not bound to love all the World equally But I am bound to hate no body Particular Friendships are Universal Hatreds The Unions of Inclination Are Schisms and Heresies of Heart The nearer you draw to one person The farther you remove from all others If you are totally one person 's You are nothing to all the rest You commit an injustice You refuse them what you ow them You wound Charity You divide Unity You slight Regularity You scandalize the Community You fly from Solitude You dare not remain any more before God You commit a great many sins Your Spirit is without Recollection Your Heart without Devotion Your Prayers without Gust Your Communions without Fruit. Your Life without Peace Your Labours without merit O my God! How amazed shall I be at my death When I shall see that I have not lov'd you Unless I love all my Brothers I love not so much as one for your sake If I have an Aversion for one I have no Charity for all the rest O how much time ill spent O how many dangerous Familiarites O how many unprofitable Discourses O how many criminal Entertainments O my God! I will for your sake love all sorts of persons I will love my Friends and my Foes The Rich and the Poor The Great and the Little The good humours and the bad humours Those that do me good and those that do me hurt Since they are all your Subjects All your Children All your Members Since you love them all That you are in them all That you order me to love them all There is no acception of persons with God Rom. 2. He makes his Sun to rise upon the good and the bad and rains upon the just and unjust Matth. 5. Thou shalt not make acception of persons Deut. 16. Is there not one Father of us all Is there not one God who created us why then does every one contemn his Brother Mal. 2. These are those that separate themselves Animals that have not the Spirit Jude v. 19. XXXIII MED Of Aversions THe wounds of the heart are mortal Hatred makes Charity die The fairest of all Victories Is to triumph over our Aversions To love a Friend is the virtue of a Pagan To love a Foe is the virtue of a Christian 'T is the strongest of all loves Because it triumphs over the greatest enemy 'T is the amplest of all loves Because it embraces both friend and foe 'T is the purest of all loves Because Nature cannot love an enemy 'T is the most meritorious of all loves Because there is nothing harder than to love an enemy God loves all things that he made He has an Aversion to nothing but sin The Creatures that fight with each other Are at peace in his bosom He has no Antipathy because his Essence is infinit Great Souls have no enmities They have a dominion over all Objects They are not divided by matter All things are at peace in their heart Sin only alone is not there in quiet Because it makes war against Sanctity self-Self-love is divided within it self Divine love
wrath Ps 9. LXVI MED Of Conformity to the Will of God TO judge as God judges is to be wise as God is To will as God wills is to be holy as God is His judgment is the Rule of our judgments His will is the Rule of our wills God alone has right to do what he will He alone can have a will of his own Wilt not thou then my Soul obey God Wilt thou always make war against him Wilt thou wrestle with the Almighty Hast thou measur'd thy arms with his Art thou wiser than he Wilt thou teach him to govern the World If thou wilt not do his Will Thou wilt take away his Crown Thou wilt ascend his Throne Thou wilt be independent as he is Is it just that God should do thy will Or that thou should'st do his Will How happy would'st thou be If thou would'st nothing but what God will In what a profound peace wouldst thou live How would thy affairs change their face What cares and disquiets wouldst thou spare God does the affairs of those who do his He obeys those who obey him He loves those that love him He contents those that content him Is it not to be in Heaven To will all that God wills Is it not to be in Hell To will nothing of what God wills A man does always his own will When he has no proper self-will A man never does what he will When he does not do what God will The Will of God is always don one way or other If I oppose him he will oppose me If I afflict him he will afflict me If I disturb him he will disturb me If I serve him he will serve me O my God! There is no pleasure in displeasing you There is no profit in offending you Since I have been at odds with you I have been at odds with my self Since I have made war against you I never could find any peace Do with me what you please If I will not do what you will have me Make me serve you if I will not love you Force me if I will not obey you Draw me if I will not follow you Good and evil life and death poverty and honour are from God Eccles 11. I have found a man according to my heart who will do all my wills 1 Kings 13. Whatsoever shall befal a just man shall never make him sad Prov. 12. Whosoever shall do the will of my Father he is my Brother and Sister and Mother Matth. 12. Not as I will but as thou Matth. 29. LXVII MED Of the love of our Neighbour MY Neighbour is a man as I am He is framed to the Image of God as I am Redeemed with his Blood as I am Is a Member of his Body as I am Is a Child of his Church as I am Is fed with the same Sacraments as I am Is design'd to the same Heaven as I am God commands me to love him as my self Jesus prays me and orders me to do it He reckons it as don to himself All that is don to our Neighbour He has substituted him in his own place He has transferr'd all his rights to him He will have me pay him all that I owe him I am not his Disciple Unless I love my Neighbour I am no Christian unless I assist him If I afflict him God will afflict me If I excuse him God will excuse me If I support him God will support me If I pardon him God will pardon me God will use me as I have used him God will judge me according to my charity to him O I will then love him that I may be beloved I will assist him that I may be assisted I will support him that I may be supported I will save him that I may be saved I will love him Tenderly Universally Generously Constantly Thou shalt love thy neighbour as t' y self Matth. 12. To love your neighbour as your self is more than all Holocausts and Sacrifices Mark 12. Bear one another's burdens and so you will fulfil the Law of Christ Gal. 6. But above all things having continual Charity in your selves because Charity covers a multitude of sins 1 Pet. 4. In this all shall know that ye are my Disciples if you have a love for one another John 3. LXVIII MED Of the duty of Fathers to their Children and of Masters towards their Servants A Father owes to his Children Nourishment of Body and Soul He must not bring them into the World For to send them to Hell Why will you be a Father Unless you will also be an Instructor What does it avail you to feed the Body If you leave the Soul forlorn The first life of Children Is but the life of Beasts They becom men but with time 'T is wise instruction that discloses their reason 'T is a new Birth 'T is the Organ of Faith 'T is the Principle of Salvation 'T is the Ground-work of Virtue Salvation and Damnation depend often upon Education Unhappy are those Children Whose Fathers will pardon them in nothing But much more unhappy are those To whom their Fathers grant all things A good education ought to be mildly severe Parents ought to imitate God Who does the office both of a Father and Mother Of a Father by severity Of a Mother by tenderness One must not always punish Nor must one always pardon One must not always be silent Nor must one always chide Never correct a Child when you are in Choler A Physician that is sick must first cure himself A Father that is hurried along with passion Does himself deserve correction Punishment is a Medecin Which is to be given in its due time When Chastisement is just and moderate It gives Understanding But it creates a Contempt When it is us'd too often For to breed up ones Children well They are to be loved equally The partiality of affections Is the cause of all disorders Why should you make a difference Where Nature has made none Why should you violate the rights Which she has wisely establish'd Ought not the Branches of the same tree Bear the same Leaves Nature acts by Inclination But those who love out of charity Do more good to those persons For whom they have most aversion Imitate God in his conduct Has he not more tenderness For the Predestinate than the Reprobate But he hides it in this life The wicked are not jealous of it He oftentimes shews more friendship To those by whom he has been most offended Instructions bring but little fruit Unless they be accompanied with example You destroy by your Actions What you build up by your Words The Hand advances more than the Tongue Example is more powerful than Discourse The Child gives more credit to his Eyes Than he does to his Ears He thinks he has a right to do What he sees his Parents do He places his glory in imitating them And his perfection in being like them All your sins are Scandals Which infect your
the Lord thy God at what time he led thee in the way Jer. 2. What wouldst thou have in the way of Egypt for to drink troubled waters ibid. Thy malice shall argue thee and thy aversion shall rebuke thee ibid. Know and see that it is evil and bitter to have forsaken the Lord thy God ibid. See whether the way of iniquity be in me and lead me in the eternal way Ps 138. LXXVIII MED Of Dryness and Aridities I Believe what I see I hope for what I touch I love that which pleases me I believe amidst light I hope when I have a feeling I love when I am in comfort This is the way of the Sences I believe what I do not see I hope for what I cannot compass I love that which does not please me I believe when I am in darkness I hope even in my dereliction I love even in my desolation This is the way of the Spirit O my God! How sensual is my Devotion I have not yet ador'd you in Spirit O happy State Where the Soul sees God without light Where she hopes in God without support Loves God without any sensible attract This is to see God without species To be united to God without a medium To suffer divine impressions To have no more proper subsistence To lead a supernatural life This is the Kingdom of Jesus Christ In darkness I have made my bed Job 17. Meat and drink is not the Kingdom of God but justice and Peace and joy in the Holy Ghost Rom. 14. They shall be dispersed for to eat and if they be not satiated they will murmur Ps 58. It is expedient for you that I should go for if I do not go the Comforter will not com to you Jo. 16. God is a Spirit and those who adore him must adore him in spirit and truth LXXIX MED Of Silence HOw fine a Science is it to know how to speak You will never learn it Unless you know how to hold your tongue To speak well and speak much Are two things which agree not together All the World learn how to speak Few there are that learn to keep Silence And notwithstanding the first of Sciences Is to learn how to keep Silence Where there are many words There is not much sence A Wise man speaks but little Because he is afraid of speaking ill He speaks a long time to himself Before he speaks to others A Fool is always talking Because he thinks of nothing but talking He pours himself all out Because he knows not how to dwell at home God kept Silence for a whole Eternity He made himself heard by Men Only for to instruct and save them Keep Silence as God does Never speak but through necessity A Soul that is full of God Cannot any more speak to men He that speaks much to men Showes that he is void of God For to becom perfect in a short time You need only know how to be silent He that is Master of his Tongue Is Master of his Passions Solitude and Silence are the two Schools of Virtue There it is that God makes himself known There it is that he speaks to the heart Silence produces Prayer And Prayer produces Silence After that Moses had spoken to God He could not speak to men He that comforts himself exteriourly Finds but little comfort within The Holy Ghost loves silence His voice is like a gentle Zephyre One cannot hear it if there be never so little noise Never quit Silence but for something that 's better One cannot without grace speak well And can you hope for it when you speak In a time that God forbids you to speak Every one speaks of that which he loves The Tongue is the Heart's interpreter He that loves the World Willingly talks of the World He that loves God delights to talk of God You may know a man by his tongue And man shall be judged by his tongue My God! give me thy love That I may willingly speak of thee Fill me with thy presence That I may love Silence I shall never be a man of reason Whilst I love conversation Speak but little speak low without passion Never speak but in necessity Never speak against Charity Speak with sincerity simplicity without Affectation vanity when you ought to speak Keep Silence when you ought to keep it If any one offends not in word he is a perfect man Jam 1. If any one thinks himself to be Religious not bridling his tongue his religion is vain ibid. Since thou hast spoken to thy servant I have more impediment and slowness of tongue Exod. 4. Where there are many words there frequently is want Prov. 14. The heart of fools is in their mouth and the mouth of the wise is in their heart Eccl. 21. Let every man be quick to hear but slow to speak Jam. 1. LXXX MED Of Sickness GOD sends us Sicknesses Either to draw his glory out of them As to the man that was born blind Or to punish our sins as to the Paralytick Or for to try us as to Job Or for to keep us in Humility As to S. Paul and to Timothy I am not able to do any thing but I can suffer I can do much if I can suffer much Others labour for me I suffer for others They honour God by their Actions I honour him by my Sufferings I have well deserved what I suffer I merit much by suffering I acquit for what is past I heap up for the time to com God takes my health from me For to give me sanctity He is with me I suffer with him I carry his Cross He carries mine How strong is my Spirit When my Body is weak How weak is my Spirit When my Body is strong Sickness gives me a disgust to life My heart aspires no more but for Heaven O my Body Thou must be punisht And have thy Purgatory as well as the Soul Unless thou hast it here upon Earth Thou must have it in Hell For nothing that is impure Shall enter into Heaven There are but these two places That thou canst have it in Rejoyce O my Soul for thy Enemy is low He is no more in a condition to hurt thee O my God! I deserve indeed to be sick Since I have so much abus'd my health O how much am I indebted to you For having thus afflicted me Since you spare me not at present You will spare me in Eternity Since you chastize me during my life You will be gracious to me after death O how glad am I to make of my Body A Victim of Love and Sufferance There is no Sacrifice more pleasing To your Eyes than that of Patience Son in thy Sickness despise not thy self but pray to God and he will cure thee Eccl. 38. Behold thou art now healed sin no more least something worse do befal thee Jo. 5. This sickness is not to death but to the glory of God Jo. 11. When I am weak then am I
Kingdom of God GOD reigns in the heart of man Man reigns in the heart of God God reigns when man does his Will Man reigns when God does his will God does the will of Man When man does the Will of God God obeys Man when Man obeys God God reigns by his Providence And man by his Obedience To serve God is to reign To obey God is to command O my God! How just it is that I should depend on you But is it just that you should depend on us How just is it that I should do your will But is it just that you should do mine And yet you promise to do the will Of those who do yours O you shall henceforth be my treasure Since my heart O my God is yours O the good Master Who does the will of his Servants O the naughty Servant Who will not do the will of his good Master He will do the will of those that fear him Psal 44. I am in the midst of you as one that serves Luk. 22. Thy Kingdom com Matth. 5. The Kingdom of God is within you Luk. 17. XCVIII MED Of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ and that of Satan NO Man can be without a Master And he can have but one You must either belong to Jesus or to Satan You are his Servant whose will you do Jesus is the best of all Kings Satan is the cruellest of all Tyrants Jesus loves us to the height of his love Satan hates us to the height of his hatred Jesus reigns in peace Satan reigns in trouble Jesus conducts us to Heaven Satan pushes us on to Hell Jesus is not our King Unless we keep his Commandments He reigns over our Spirit by faith Over our hearts by charity Over our desires by hope Over our soul by peace Over our body by suffering He governs us by his wisdom He sustains us by his power He sanctifies us by his love His Wisdom governs us When we renounce our own lights His power sustains us When we renounce our own forces His love sanctifies us When we renounce our own desires To do what God would have us do To suffer what he sends us To conserve our selves in his grace To keep our hearts in peace Not to do any thing through passion To obey his inspiration To be ready to do all things To be ready to do nothing Not to desire any good thing Not to refuse any evil To be always contented To live and dy on the Cross This is the Kingdom of Jesus This is that which makes his Empire O JESUS my King I am your servant and the Son of your handmaid Alas How can you enter into a heart From whence I have so often driven you 'T is a long time since you have not liv'd in me Since I have been in your grace Since you reign not in me Since you reign not in me in peace Re-enter O Lord into your Kingdom And never go out of it any more Defend your self in it Against the enemies of your Crown Satan says that he is my Master The World says that I am his Slave Pride says that I belong to him Sensuality says that I am hers And I say that I belong to Jesus That I am redeemed with the blood of JESUS That I have no other Master but Jesus That I will dy in the Service of Jesus That nothing shall separate me from Jesus Behold your King John 19. My Kingdom is not of this World ibid. Do thou and thy Son rule over us Judg. 8. Let not Sin therefore reign in your mortal body Rom. 6. The King of Kings and Lord of Lords Apoc. 13. XCIX MED Of the Passion of JESVS Christ in general JEsus is the true Son of God He is the holiest of all men He is the greatest of all Kings He is the best of all Friends He never disobliged any one He did good to all the World And all the World did ill to him As he suffered for all men So he suffered from all men There was no Sex nor Condition Which did not contribute to his Passion Jews Gentils Priests and Kings All laboured to his Cross Jesus suffered all sorts of evils In his body and in his soul In his spirit and in his heart In his memory and in his imagination In his honour and in his goods In his parents and in his friends In all his senses and in all his members He is a man of sorrows and pain And I would be a man of pleasures Jesus is the Victim of all times He is the Victim of all men just and sinners He is the Victim of our Crimes As he loaded himself with all our Crimes He was crown'd with all our sufferings As there is no man that he did not love So there was none that he did not suffer for But he principally suffered for me And yet I will endure nothing for him Who did oblige him to dy for ungrateful People Why would he make himself miserable He died for to restore life to us He made himself miserable to make us happy He delivered himself up to his Enemies He did not appeal from Pilate's Sentence He wrought no Miracle for to save himself He was crucified all his life long His Heart was crucified before his Body was He died with a desire to dy His greatest sufferance was That he did not suffer O most sweet Jesus You ought to rest satisfied For you have been satiated with reproaches You cannot suffer more than you have suffered You could not dy more cruelly than you died And I would live in delights Where shall I find Examples of your goodness Examples of my malice Examples of your love Examples of my ingratitude In him dwells all plenitude of the Divinity corporally Col. 2. God anointed him with the Holy Ghost and virtue who passed along doing good and healing all that were opprest by the Devil because God was with him Act. 10. Who loved me and gave himself for me Gal. 2. I am to be baptized with a Baptism and how am I straitened until it be performed Luk. 12. From the sole of the foot to the crown of the head there is no health in him Isai 53. C. MED Of the Sadness of the Son of God in the Garden of Olives JEsus is sad even unto Death At the sight of his torments Of my Sins Ingratitudes Miseries He was seized with fear for to shew That he was a man like me That he was weak like me That he stript himself of his force And cloathed himself with my weakness That he gave me his courage That he took my timidity He trembles to give me assurance He fears for to encourage me He falls for to raise me up Pleasure and Pain make all the Sins of men Desire and Fear make all the Passions of men Jesus has conquered both these Enemies And has given us his strength for to conquer them He abstain'd from all Pleasures He suffered all Pains He renounced all Desires He
heart says to you O blessed Soul Which listens to God in the silence from all Discourses Be silent all human and carnal thoughts Let all flesh be silent in the presence of God Let all flesh be silent before the face of our Lord. Zach. 2. I was reduced to nothing thou hast like the wind taken away my desire Job 30. My substance is like nothing before thee Ps 38. When I was gon a little beyond them I found him whom my soul loveth Cant. 3. Bring me yet another Vessel 4 Kings 4. CXLVIII MED Of the five degrees of Perfection ONe ought to be a Traveller on Earth One ought to be crucified One ought to dy on the Cross One ought to be buried One ought to go down into Hell A Traveller fixes upon nothing He that is crucified acts nothing A dead man feels nothing The body that is under ground is trampled on In Hell one is without comfort O Sacred Nothing Where the Soul loses her Being For to be transformed into God O living Sepulchres Where the wise do build Solitudes to themselves O Evangelical field Wherein the grain of Wheat dies for to rise again O God alone How amiable art thou I had rather be in Hell with thee Than be in Heaven without thee O let me be one of those living dead Who are wounded with love Let me sleep with them in the Tomb Of my Senses and Passions O my God! Let me dy that thou maist live in me Let me no more be any thing to my self That I may be all thine Be thou all in me all mine And if I may be so bold as to say so All my self My dearest I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims to refrain your selves from carnal desires 1 Pet. 2. With Christ I am fastned to the Cross I live now not I but Christ lives in me Gal. 2. Ye are dead and your life is hidden with Christ in God Rom. 6. The sorrows of Hell have encompassed me Ps 17. Thou hast brought my soul out of Hell Ps 27. CXLIX MED Of the Divine Perfections WHat is God I know not I should be God if I could declare that You would be God If you could comprehend him What is God 'T is he who is 'T is he from whom all is 'T is he for whom all is In whom all is Without whom nothing can be He is the beginning the end the center And the foundation of all Beings What is God He is an omnipotent will He is an obliging goodness A Sovereign happiness An Eternal light An infallible reason An invincible power An invincible justice He is all that I see He is nothing of what I see He is the beauty by which all is beautiful He is the goodness by which all is good 'T is he that gives me light in the Sun Who warms me in the Fire Who refreshes me in the Water Who feeds me in the Bread Who rejoyces me in the Flowers Who sustains me on the Earth What is God My eyes have you not seen him No because he has no colour My ears have you not heard him No because he has no sound My tongue have you not tasted him No because he has no saviour My hands have not you touched him No because he has no body What then is God He is the essence of colour The noise of sound The principle of savour The ground-work of all substances A light above all light which the eye sees not A voice above all voice Which the ear hears not An odour above all odours Which the smelling smells not A sweetness above all sweetness VVhich the tast savours not A substance above all substance VVhich the hand touches not He is an incomprehensible Being VVhich comprehends all things Invisible who sees all things Indivisible who unites all things Eternal who produces all things Immoveable who removes all things Unchangeable who changes all things What is God He is a Spirit that dwells in himself VVho is happy by himself VVho is sufficient to himself VVho finds all in himself VVho is great without quantity Good without quality Infinit without number Immense without extension Eternal without duration Beautiful without figure What is God He is a Spirit who is every where And yet is not divided Who is in all things and is not inclosed Out of all and yet is not excluded Above all and is not elevated Below all and is not depressed What is God He is a Spirit whose nature is goodness Whose greatness is nothing but Majesty Whose life is nothing but fecundity Whose Understanding is nothing but Wisdom Whose Will is nothing but sanctity Whose thought is nothing but light Whose virtue is nothing but power Whose inclination is nothing but love Whose actions are miracles Whose motions are rest Whose duration is nothing but Eternity What is God He is a Spirit always present And always secret Always acting and always in rest Always heaping up without gaining Always giving and never drain'd Always loving without disquiet Always seeking without going forth From the center of his Beatitude O great God! O great Spirit How terrible are you to our Understandings But how amiable to our Wills O the Saint of Saints All my bones as insensible as they are Are sensible at your presence They cry out night and day Lord who is like unto thee O my Soul What dost thou seek after upon Earth Goodness It is in God without malice Beauty It is in God without blemish Perfection It is in God without defect Science It is in God without errour Strength It is in God without weakness Peace It is in God without disturbance Pleasure It is in God without pain Abundance It is in God without poverty Felicity It is in God without misery O my God! I love you with all my heart Since you are my joy and my happiness I will seek after nothing out of you Because I find all that I seek after in you O what a satisfaction I have to think That I can love you more than I know you That I cannot comprehend you in my Understanding But that I can contain you in my heart Why is not my heart all yours Since you are all his O ravishing Beauty O infinit Goodness When shall it be that I shall love you When shall it be that I shall see you Since one must dy for to see you It is just for to have this good That I should dy an infinity of times I am who am Exod. 3. I am the Alpha and Omega the beginning and the end says our Lord God who is and who was and who is to com Omnipotent Apoc. 1. Who is like unto thee among the strong O Lord who is like unto thee magnificent in sanctity terrible and laudable doing wonderful things Exod. 25. Out of him and through him and in him are all things to him be glory for ever Amen Rom. 15. CL. MED Of the Amability of God HOw great is God Since he hath created such
for to give glory to thee and I have don nothing but dishonoured thee I have glorified my own name instead of glorifying of thine I have made known my own name instead of making known thine I beg thy pardon for it O God of Glory and Majesty and since I have not honored thee during my life I will honour thee in my Death I dy for thy glory and for to acknowledge the Immortality of thy Being by the destruction of mine I wish I were able to render you as much glory by my death as your beloved Son rendred you by his O why can I not make you to be beloved by all hearts make you be praised by all mouths O holy name of JESUS Thou art all my hopes Whosoever shall call upon thee shall be saved I invocate thee with love and with respect suffer me not then to be damned Thy Kingdom com My God! When will that time come When will you reign absolutely in my heart When shall I reign peaceably in yours Alas I have not made you reign upon Earth I have all my life long protested That I had no other King but Caesar I have given up my heart which is your Kingdom to the power of the Devil I have made all your enemies to reign therein But my God! Through your grace I acknowledge my fault and my perfidiousness I confess that I deserve death I accept of it with all my heart in satisfaction for my sins I hope that you will admit me into your Kingdom although I have driven you out of mine O my God! How happy are those who dwell in your house for they shall praise you for ever and ever Happy are those that serve you here on Earth for they shall reign with you in Heaven Comfort thy self O my Soul Behold the Kingdom of God is at hand Thou hast but one moment to suffer in and thou shalt have an Eternity to rejoyce in What ought not one to do for to gain a Crown What ought not one to suffer for to get Heaven Thy Will be don on Earth as it is in Heaven My God! I feel great pains My Body is overwhelm'd with Sufferings Death assaults me on all sides I cannot resist its Batteries It presents me my Chalice to drink which is very bitter Is there no means to remove it from my mouth Yet let thy Will be don and not mine My God! My Soul is in her Agony My Spirit is disturb'd at the approaches of Death She apprehends this passage and has difficulty to quit her Body She would fain stay a little longer here upon Earth for to redeem the time past and repair the losses she has been the cause of Must she drink this Chalice Can not she be dispens'd from it My God let your will be don and not mine Let me do it at my death since I have not don it in my life O my God! If it were in my power not to dy I would beg Death of you as a favour that I might sacrifice to you what I have dearest in this World thereby to imitate your Son thereby to acknowledge his love and for to drink in his Chalice O I will be consummated upon this bed of sorrow and upon the Altar of my Cross as a a Victim of your greatness as a Victim of your Justice as a Victim of your Love as a Victim of your Grace as a Victim of your Glory Give us this day our daily bread Happy is he that shall eat bread in the Kingdom of God I thank you O charitable Father for all the corporal and spiritual goods that you have bestowed on me during this life and above all for the bread of Angels which I have so often eaten and with so little fruit O bread of life I am no more afraid of death since I have eaten thee in this my last sickness I will march on being fortified with this bread till I com to the Mount Oreb which is the clear sight of God O Eternal Truth You have promised and sworn That he who shall eat your Body and drink your Blood shall live eternally This is that which grounds my hopes This is that which disperses my fears Since we have been united together in this life I hope we shall not be divided asunder in the next O JESUS Give me my bread this day Strengthen me with your graces that I may compass the great journy of Eternity and that I may persever to the end Without this bread I shall faint and shall never be able to get to Heaven Forgive us our Trespasses as we forgive those that trespass against us Lord the number of my sins is infinit If you keep an account of our iniquities alas who will be able to subsist I expect my Salvation from your mere grace and not from your justice I can no more do pennance I am no longer in a condition to pray or to fast What shall I then do to appease your justice and to secure my Salvation You have promised to forgive him that forgives to shew mercy to him that shows it I do with all my heart forgive those who have offended me and I pray you to forgive them and not to lay to their charge the ill they have don me Alas they knew not what they did Forgive me my God as I forgive them Forget the evil that I have don to you as I forget that which they have don to me And lead us not into Temptation Now it is O my God that I stand in need of your protection and your assistance See how all my enemies surround me on all sides The roaring Lyon is com out of Hell for to devour me But if you are with me what need I fear Although I should walk in the midst of the shadow of death I shall apprehend nothing being in your company Although I were besieged by an Army encamped round about me my heart would not be astonished Although all the Devils of Hell were ready to enter into combat against me I would not tremble since you are with me and that you make me hope that I shall have your assistance Arise then O God of Hosts com quickly to my succour Send St. Michael with his Troops to relieve me You know my weakness there is none greater in the World Preserve me therefore O my God from Temptation at least suffer me not to yield unto Temptation But deliver us from evil From evil of body which I have very well deserved from the evil of the Soul which I am threatned with Deliver me from the greatest of all evils which is that of Eternity This is the only sole evil that I apprehend I accept of all the rest that you shall think fit to send me I am ready to go to Purgatory for to satisfie your Justice But O God of mercy I conjure you by the pretious blood of your Son and for the love that his holy Mother bore him send me not into Hell where
no body praises you nor loves you Call me to Heaven where I shall see you where I shall love you where I shall praise you for all Eternity Amen So be it One may also read to the Patient the Meditations upon the last words of JESVS upon the Cross which are in the Third Part. THE SECOND PART OF THE Meditations FOR THE ILLVMINATIVE LIFE LIII MED Of the care of our Perfection BE ye perfect like your Heavenly Father A Child ought to resemble his Father An Image its Original An Effect its Cause A Disciple his Master He that advances not in Christ's School Deserves not to be his Disciple Not to advance is to go backward Not to amend is to grow worse Not to gain is to lose One cannot stand still on a River Without going down or up If you stop you go down If you rest you go backward If you once say 'T is enough you undo your self One must labour much for to be perfect God possesses his happiness without motion The Angel gets his with a small motion Man coms to his with much motion All things are wanting to him Who thinks that he wants nothing Grace will not be barren Love cannot be idle 'T is a fire that never says 'T is enough Either it burns or it goes out Either it increases or diminishes The Talent is taken from him Who does not improve it The Tree is cut down that bears nothing O my God! How much time have I lost How many Graces have I squandred away How little virtue have I How little improvement have I made All the World advances I only go backward The Trades-man learns his Trade And yet I learn not mine The Schollar becomes learned And I am still ignorant Every one strives to be perfect Onely I will still be imperfect O my Divine Master Forgive me what is past And I will henceforward do better Alas I have not yet begun Oh! What a way have I to go O how I fear to be surpriz'd with night Let us run for to win the prize Let us advance that we may not be surpriz'd Be ye therefore perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect Matth. 5. Do not you know that those who run a Race all run and but one gains the Prize so run that you may get it 2 Cor. 9. I therefore do so run not as in uncertain I so fight not as beating the air but I chastise my body and bring it into servitude 1 Cor. 4. I said Now I have begun this is a change of the right hand of the highest Ps 76. LIV. MED Of Prayer and the Difficulties that occur therein WHy are we oblig'd to pray For to honour God's Majesty To yield an homage to his grandure To acknowledge his Providence To testifie to him our dependency on him To stir him up to do us good To put our selves in a condition of receiving good from him To enlarge our hearts To make them capable of his graces Prayer unites us to God It fastens us to his Divine Breasts It squeezes the Milk of Grace out of them It inriches us with his Bounties It supplies our Necessities It fills up our Wants It makes us powerful like God It makes us triumph over God That body is dead that breaths not That Soul is dead that prays not Whence coms it that I obtain nothing of God 'T is because you ask evil things 'T is because you ask being in all ill state Without Attention Without Devotion Without Humility Without Confidence Without Perseverance Prayer penetrates Heaven It gets all that it asks God can refuse it nothing As his nature is nothing but goodness He desires nothing but to pour himself out He is a Nurse that has too much Milk He seeks about every where for an empty heart For to fill it with his goods He has engaged his word 'T is his Son that prays in us He has given us his spirit He has transferr'd his merits on us What may we not obtain By offering to God the merits of his Son Whence com my distractions They com from the Devil Who would give us a disgust of Prayer They com from your Imagination Which is light and volatile They com from your spirit Which busies it self with vain things They com from your heart Which is fastned to Creatures Which flies where its treasure lies Which converses with what it loves Which is not pleas'd with God Because it has no love for God They often com from the body Which loads and weighs down the spirit They com from the little care You take of your perfection They com from your sloth They com from your infidelity There is nothing but Mortification That enkindles the fire of Prayer Whence coms it that I have no comfort 'T is because you have no affliction Because you desire it with too much passion Because you seek it in Creatures 'T is for to beat down your pride To keep you in humility To make you know your self To make you sensible of your weakness To stir up your desire To punish your negligence To spur up your sloth To exercise your patience To increase your merit To draw you off from your senses To make you live in Spirit To settle you in Faith To strengthen your Hope To purifie your Love To try your Fidelity To make you a Spiritual man To make you set a value on grace To make you desire conserve recover it To shew you the necessity of it For to moderate your Fervours To manage your health For to make you merit the good things Which God designs to bestow on you To prepare your heart For to receive som great favours 'T is for to draw you from Meditation And make you pass to Union O my God! I beg your pardon for having left off Prayer Alas I thought you were angry When you shew'd me the greatest affection I will henceforth be more faithful I will humble my self in my Poverties I will expect your Visit with patience I will support all my states I will suffer all my disgusts 'T is too much honour for me To be in your presence Is it not to be in Heaven to be with you We know not what we ought to pray for but the spirit himself doth petition for us with unexpressible groans Rom. 8. Pray without intermission in all things give thanks 1 Thess 4. Ask and it shall be given you seek and you shall find knock and it shall be opened to you Matth. 7. God is a Spirit and those who adore him must adore him in spirit and truth John 5. You ask and you receive not because you ask ill Jam. 4. My prayer shall turn back into my bosom and the speeches of my mouth shall be acceptable to you and the meditation of my heart in thy sight always Ps 15. LV. MED Of Faith 'T Is to be without Reason To be without Faith 'T is not to be a Man Not to be a Christian Fath is above