next and who most easily and favorably grants what ever is ask'd and procures us a free access to Jesus and Mary Wherefore it was a profitable and imitable invention of the Devourâ— Henry Canon of Charters to have Recourse to Saint Joseph since as thâ—â— Learn'd Gerson remarks having him on his side he was sure also of his Son and Spouses Protection Saint Joseph having their Power at his Disposal and 't is sufficient to take him for our Protector to have his and their help in all our Necessities at the very first Petition or ever without asking it as appears by the following Examples Saint Teresa making a Voyage with some of her Religious to Found Vies was gon out of the right way and so engag'd with her Company among the Rocks which hung over a Brow of a Precipice so that the Wagoner cou'd not go either forwards or backwards Presently she go's to her wonted Refuge Saint Joseph ordering her Companions to joyn with her in begging the Protection of her Dear Father they had no sooner â—one so but they saw an Old Man who crv'd to them with a lowd Voice Stand for you will be lost if you go on Wherefore they ask'd him what way shall we go then That way reply'd he which seem'd impossible for a Wagon to go to but on a suddain they found themselves Miraculously put into it at which time they endeavour'd to find out the the Old Man to thank him but in vain as S. Teresa foretold who assur'd them 't was her good Father Saint Joseph who had freed them from the great langer they were in 'T was for this Reason that the Exorcist of Sister Jean of the Angels Prioress of the Vrsulins at Loudun who knew his goodness and power those him for his Protectour in this work For the Devils complain'd of Saint Joseph by whose means they cou'd not molest the Religious at her Devotions And to prove that Saint Joseph even helps without being ask'd or expecting our Prayers the following passage that hapen'd at Lyons in the Month of September last past 1638. do's evidently prove which I had from the Persons own Mouth and is as follow 's Mr. Peter Evialvin a Rich Marchant coming upon the eighth of September our Blessed Ladies Nativity with a Friend of his to the Church of Saint Joseph after some Discourse with his Friend who was a Client of Saint Joseph's about several Graces and Favours that Saint Joseph bestow'd upon his Clients and of the Merits of this great Saint conceiv'd a great desire to take him for his Advocate and resolv'd to frequent his Church and to heat Mass in it the Thursday and Friday following The next Sunday within the Octave upon which he put himself under Saint Joseph's Protection as he walk'd in the Fields for his divertisment he met two Men unknown to him one of which shot at him with a Blunderbuss charg'd with thirty hail-shot all enteâ—'d his Body without giving him any Mortal Wound two or three stayd in his Belly and one of them was beat flat upon his fore-head His Wife and some Passengers coming to his Assistance found him upon the Ground and thought him Dead but being taken up the Wounded Man seeing himself all Bloody recommends himself to Saint Joseph to whom his Wife also makes a Vow which succeeded so well that her Husband recover'd his Hurts within five Days and came to give thanks at Saint Joseph's Church for this Preservation being perfectly well and there Offer'd a Picture of this Miraculous escape as a memory of his Gratitude Give me leave therefore to end this Treatise by joyning my Petition with Saint Teresa's and beseeching you if you 'll not Beleive me yet for the Love of God that you wou'd make tryal how advantagious the Devotion to this great Saint is and how prosperous you 'll find it by Expetience For I have not sayd all I might have sayd there being greater Advantages in Loving and being Devout to Saint Joseph than the most perswasive Panagerist is able to Express But beleive me who will and let them that will Imitate me also I for my Part am resolv'd to Love Saint Joseph for Time and Eternity not with a languishing but flaming Love thereby to redeem time lost nor will I prefer any object under God before him for next after Jesus and Mary Joseph shall have place in my Affections in which I will persever to my last Breath which shall be imploy'd in pronouncing these Sacred Names Jesus Maria Joseph Live Jesus Mary and Joseph Amen FINIS DEVOTIONS TO S. JOSEPH SPOVSE to the B. V. Mary Mother of Iesus Printed by T. F. in the Year 1700. THE OFFICE OF S. Joseph At Mattins Jesus Mary Joseph vers O Lord open my Lips resp And my Mouth shall declare thy Praise vers O God incline unto my aid resp O Lord make hast to help me vers Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost resp As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be world without end Amen Alleluia The Hymn JOSEPH the Son of David was esteem'd Father of Jesus who the World Redeem'd The Virgin he espous'd In Heart conjoyn'd And Guardian was of both By Heaven assign'd Antiphon All Hail honour of the Patriarchs Steward of the holy Church of God who did'st conserve the Bread of Life and the Wheat of the Elect. vers O holy Joseph Pray for us resp That we may be made worthy of the Promises of CHRIST The Prayer ASsist us O Lord we beseech thee by the Merits of the Spouse of thy most holy Mother that what our possibility can not obtain may be giv'n us by his Intercession Who livest and reignest with God the Father in the unity of the Holy Ghost World without end Amen At Prime Jesus Mary Joseph vers O God incline unto my aid resp O Lord make hast to help me vers Glory be to the Father c. Alleluia The Hymn WHen thou the Virgin didâ—st with Child perceive Perplext in thought thou her design'dst to leave But in thy Sleep an Angel with his Voice Advis'd thee not to fear but to Rejoyce Antiphon All Hail honour of c. as before Pag. 4. The Prayer ASsist us O Lord we beseech thee c. as before Pag. 5. At the Third Hour Jesus Mary Joseph vers O God incline unto my aid resp O Lord make hast to help me vers Glory be to the Father c. Alleluia The Hymn TO Bethlem with the pregnant Virgin he Travel'd to pay th'imposed Subsidie Where Christ was to be born and in which place He shortly shouâ—d his Infant Lord embrace Antiphon All Hail honour of c. as before Pag. 4. vers O holy Joseph Pray for us resp That we may be made worthy of the Promises of CHRIST The Prayer ASsist us O Lord we beseech thee c. as before Pag. 5. At the Sixth Hour Jesus Mary Joseph vers O God incline unto my aid
O pens Heaven's Gates Above Wherefore to shew the Love and Esteem he had of them he us'd them as a watch-word as a salutation both at meeting or parting as a sign of admiration as a parenthesis as a transition and even upon all occasions he made use of them when he came home his Salutation to the Porter was Jesus Mary Joseph pray Brother open the Gate and the same Salutation he us'd when he went forth and when any Strangers came in his Salutation was Jesus Maria Joseph Father you are welcome thus on all occasions these Names were in his Mouth and as he liv'd in this Devotion so he desir'd to dye in the same wherefore in time of his last Sickness he earnestly recommended to those that assisted him that when they saw him in his last Agony they wou'd frequently repeat these Names in his Ears which were an extract and abridgement of his Affections and a singular cordial to help and conduct his Soul in it's passage to God And that fell out which he desir'd for he died with these Words in his Mouth †Bone Jesu miserere mei Good Jesus have Mercy upon me and then Invocating these three Names Jesus Maria Joseph he yielded up his happy Soul God grant us all so happy an end as this The fifth Person Devoted after a a particular manner to Saint Joseph was that Prince and Prelate of Geneva Saint Francis of Sales who as we have reason to beleive honour'd him above all the Saints in Heaven according to the Testimony of Father Peter Bernaud of the SOCIETY of JESUS who had the honour to assist him in his last Sickness who was acquainted with two or three very remarkable passages that testified the very great Devotion this Holy Prelate had to Saint Joseph The Night before he dy'd being at Lyons upon the point of his Departure an Apoplexy seiz'd him tho' not perceptable to the Rector of Saint Joseph's Colledge of the SOCIETY of JESUS when he came to salute and bid him adue who offering him his and all the Fathers Services that were in his House to which all the reply or complement the Bishop return'd was to tell him with an Angelical Sweetness O Father know yee not that I am all Saint Joseph's The same Father also related that watching the Night following in the Chamber of this holy Prelate to assist him at his happy Death whilst the Apoplexy grew worse not having his own Breviary to say his Howers one lent him the Breviary of the sick Prelate in which he found but one Picture which was of Saint Joseph Another mark of his tender Devotion to Saint Joseph is related also by the same Father happen'd some time before when he made the first Sermon in our Church upon the Feast of Saint Joseph It seems the Lord Cardinal of Markmont Arch-Bishop of Lyons had engag'd the Bishop to Preach upon Saint Joseph's Day in the Church of the Carmelits which Father Bernaud being ignorant of invited him also to Preach in the Jesuits Church Dedicated to Saint Joseph who notwithstanding refus'd not to do him this favour giving him this Answer Tho' when I bring forth Twins by one Days Labour I shall not come off well yet for the Love of Saint Joseph I will de it However he perform'd it in the afternoon with very good success and for an hour and a half so imploy'd his Eloquence in expressing his feeling Devotion to Saint Joseph explicating the Eminent Merits and setting forth the Prayses af his Belov'd Patron after such a manner that convinc'd the Cardinal and the rest of his Auditory of the great Passion and ardent Affection he had for this Saint This Devout Sermon of his puts me in mind of a rich Treatise 〈◊〉 writ concerning this Divine Spouse of our Blessed Lady which is in his Book of Spiritual Entertainments wherein he evidences how great a◠esteem he had of Saint Joseph and that you may by a part judge of the whole Piece and of the great Affection and Esteem he had for this Saint give me leave out of it to recite one of his Exclamations O what a great Saint says he in the entrance of the Discourse i◠the Glorious Saint Joseph He 's not only a Patriarch but the chief of all the Patriarch's He 's not only a Confessour but more than a Confessour for in his Prerogative of Confessour is included the Dignity of Bishops the Generosity of Martyrs the Purity of Virgins and the Perfections of all other Saints 't is therefore with just reason that he is compar'd to the Palm which is the King of Trees This is sufficient to declare his Zeal of the Honour of this Saint and of the Love he had for him this being his whole drift in that Discourse Moreover if we address our selves to the Religious of the Visitation of our Blessed Lady his Spiritual Children they being of the Order he Instituted and who inherit the Love their Founder had for Saint Joseph They 'll tell you their Patriarch has Dedicated his Book Of the Love of God to Saint Joseph That he has put the first Monastery and Church of their Order under his Protection That he every where bears the title of their Tutelar Saint or Protector that he has order'd that in all their Houses they keep his Feast with Solemnity and in his Institute has Commanded that all these Religious his Children shou'd hear a particular Devotion to him that the Mistris of Novices shou'd cause the Novices and even the Postulants to get a habit of calling upon him when they began their Mental Prayer and that they take him for their Guide and Advocate in that Exercise These are his Daughters who Imitate their Father in their Love and Devotion to Saint Joseph which he has as his Divine Legacy intail'd upon them The sixth who was Eminent for her Devotion to Saint Joseph was Blessed Margaret de Chateau of the Holy Order of Saint Dominick As commonly we think upon what we Love so this Virgin had ordinarily no other subject of Meditation than the Sacred Birth of our Saviour lying in the Manger assisted by the Blessed Virgin and Saint Joseph and this her Meditating upon those small services that Saint Joseph render'd to this little Infant and his Holy Mother caus'd both an incredible Consolation in her Mind and a singular Affection to this Holy Patriarch nor was this without many wonderful effects that accompany'd it which were manifestly wrought by the Finger of God who most wonderfully drew in her Heart these three Personages attending upon Jesus lying in the Crib A favour never before heard of who being often heard to tell her Confidents saying O that yee did but know what I carry and keep in my Heart After she was Dead she was open'd and in her Heart they found three Precious Stones in which were Ingraven the three Objects of her Love In the first was an Image of our Blessed Lady with a Rich
Work he had begun or to make one of his own upon the same Subject Which he perform'd both to satisfie his Friends Piety and his own Devotion to Saint Joseph the Canon also that he might the better evidence his signal Devotion to Saint Joseph in his last Will and Testament left a considerable Sum of Mony as a Foundation for a Yearly distribution to the Canons to oblige them Daily to sing his Hymn and Prayer in his honour hereby to habituate them to the Devotion of honouring and recommending themselves to this Saint Behold here the ten Lovers of Saint Joseph given us for an Example how to honour his Merits and how to put our selves under the shelter of his powerful Protection with assurance of the confiderable advantages we shall gain thereby But he has had very many other Clients besides these of both Sexes the number of which wou'd make too long a list for so short a Treatise yet I cannot omit the nameing a few more of them as first Blessed Joseph Herman of the Order of Saint Norbert who for his Devotion to Saint Joseph deserv'd to have the Name of Joseph given him by the Blessed Virgin who as Surius relates in his Life deserv'd her doing him also so great an honour as to take him for her Spouse because he honour'd her dearest Spouse Saint Joseph And as a token of indearment put her little Infant JESUS into his Armes that he might carry him therein as Saint Joseph had done Father Peter Cotton also of the SOCIETY of JESUS so well known all over France for his rare Vertues was also particularly Devoted to Saint Joseph which mov'd him to procure that the first Church in France that was honour'd with his glorious Name shou'd be Dedicated to him at Lyons near the place call'd the Bellcourt He had so tender an affection to him as thereby he mov'd Saint Joseph to Reveal to him the Day of his Death and to procure it upon his own Feast Saint Bridget and Saint Gertrude were commanded to be his Devotes and doubtless executed so advantagious a Command And those happy Carmelites Ann of Saint Bartholomew and Ann of Jesus who in this imitated their Foundress Saint Teresa were his constant and ferverous Clients I ought here also to recount those Writers who with so much Zeal have set forth his Perfections as Saint Bernard Saint Bernardin of Sienna Saint Chrysostom Saint Gregory Nazianzen Saint Peter Chrysologus Saint Thomas of Aquin the late James of Arana Charles Stangel Peter Moreles Stephen Bennet Charles of Saint Paul and many others who have set forth his Praises Nor ought we to forget those many Devout Souls of our own acquaintance who have had a great tenderness for his Service whereof some are still liveing both in the World and out of it in Religion and others gon to Heaven to reap the Fruit of this their Devotion But if these Examples have not force enough or power to effect what I pretend I shall endeavour to propose in the following Chapters such congruous and easie Devotions to this Saint as will of themselves incite us to Practise them CHAP. VI. Of the ordinary Devotions that may be Daily Exercised towards Saint Joseph ACTIONS are proper language and best expressions of Love they testifying by effects the truth of our good wishes and protestations to the Person we Love What do's the frequent repetition of I Love you I honour you great Saint Joseph and esteem you above all Saints after Jesus and Mary if this Love and Honour halts or stops heer and makes no farther progress than our Lips Wherefore all that I intend to say is to make our Love to this Saint no less effective than affective not that I require that every Point I set down shou'd be put in Practice but I propose several that the Pious Reader may make choice of that which most of all pleases him and all of 'em are so easie and profitable that none but a Soul that is harden'd against or disgusted with what conduces to her Eternal Happiness can dislike or be displeas'd with any of ' em The first Devotion is to have an Image or Picture either in our Chamber Book or Oratory And this was that which his Devout Client Saint Teresa practis'd who as her Life informs us set up over the Gates of all the Monasteries she Founded the Statues of Jesus Mary and Joseph and wherever she went carried with her a Picture of Saint Joseph which Picture is still kept at Avila nameing and styling him the Founder of her Order And that which occasion'd this her Devotion was a Conference our Saviour once had with her after she had Communicated for she being cross'd in the Foundation of the Monastery of Saint Joseph at Avila CHRIST bid her use all her endeavours to build this Monastery promising it shou'd be his own Work and that it wouâ—d be very agreeable to his Divine Majesty wou'd redound much to his honour and that he shou'd Faithfully be serv'd therein and Commanded her to call it the Monastery of Saint Joseph to set up Saint Joseph's and the Blessed Virgins Statue at the Gate Promising that he himself would with them be Guardian thereof Saint Teresa understanding his Will put all his Commands in execution ordering the Images to be plac'd as he had ordain'd Perhaps you 'll tell me you have neither House to build nor any Foundations to make Pardon â—â—e if I tell you you lye under a great mistake since you have the Building of Perfection to raise the Foundation of a Vertuous Life to lay you are also to employ your Thoughts about an Habitation that you must live in for all Eternity One of the best means therefore to compass this great Work of our Salvation is a tender Devotion to Saint Joseph this is the best means to finish the Edifice of Perfection and to procure to our selves a happy and Eternal Habitation What Devotion therefore can be easier than this only to keep the Spiritual Image of Saint Joseph in our Thoughts and to procure it by carrying it in our Books by keeping it in our Closset and by leting it put us in mind to call upon him whom the Image represents and to beg his assistance in all our necessities By the help of such an Image a Gentelman of Venice was drawn from a most miserable to a most happy State of his Soul which had otherwise been lost The Story I shall hereafter relate in the XI Chapter with several others therein scited which prove the care he takes of the Spiritual Malady of those who are Devoted to him The second Devotion I propose is a particular and singular affection to some Mystery of his Holy Life Such as was that of his Marriage to the Blessed Virgin his Flight into Aegypt with our Saviour and the Blessed Virgin his Spouse or any other like unto these Blessed Agatha of the Holy Cross was wont to six her thoughts upon his happy Death
Angels than Men and asking them how they obtain'd this happiness they assur'd me it was the effect of Saint Joseph's Intercession they having beg'd it of him who was himself thirty Years together in the continual Presence of the Word Incarnate and found by experience the good that proceeded from it who is therefore ready to help Recollected Souls to a Participation of this incomparable Comfort of being Constantly in God's sight which influences and facilitates all their Actions But Saint Joseph's help is no lesâ— efficacious also in obtaining Peace of Mind another necessary Disposition for obtaining this Interiouâ— Life and amongst many other Examples I cou'd bring of my own knowledge I will heer produce one A certain Person of the number of those who think extraordinary Devotion and sublime Spirituality consists in discoursing of such high Points as are both above their own as well as Auditours reach either to understand or explicate yet will venture at new Propositions to make themselves admit'd as Persons more than ordinarily inlightned by God This Person came to a Monastery and at the Grate broaches one of his own Fantastical Opinions for a truth that the Humanity of our Saviour was in all places as well as his Divinity and that one might have the Presence of the one as well as of the other This new proposition wrought some trouble in those that were present especially in one of 'em who recounted the passage to me telling me she was not able any longer to make her Prayer but that this new and extravagant Doctrine came into her Head and so darkn'd her Soul that she was able to do nothing Wherefore by my Direction as soon as this Thought occur'd and troubl'd her she recommended her self to Saint Joseph and beg'd him to disperse this Clowd who had scarce finish'd this her Petition but her trouble vanish'd and heâ— wonted Peace and Tranquility of Mind return'd after such a manner that she never more thought of that Discourse and resolv'd never more â—o give ear to such Discourses of Novelties which nothing but a vain curiosity can lead us unto And as â—o the gaining all forts of Interiour Vertues requir'd also for this Spiritual and Interiour Life I need only tell you Saint Teresa's Thoughts †S. Teresa in the 6. Chap. of her Life Ther 's no sort of Vertue says she which is not lodg'd as in it's Proper Seat in the Soul of those who serve Saint Joseph with a Faithful Heart and recommend themselves to his Prayers for one may perceive in them in a little time incredible advancements 'T is but making tryal therefore and having recourse to him for these Ends expecting and assuring our selves of a Happy Success by his Favorable Assistance Thus Saint Teâ—â—sa assures us of his efficacious help CHAP. XI Of the assistance Saint Joseph gives to Spiritual Maladies especially to those who are in a bad State of Soul THE Vision Saint Teresa had upon the Assumption of our Blessed Lady whilst she consider'd the Sins of her Past Life is a proof of Saint Joseph's help in all our Spiritual Infirmities At which time a Divine Transport seizing her Soul she saw it cloath'd with a very white and resplendent Robe At first she perceiv'd not who put it on but at last she saw the Mother of God on the one side of her and Saint Joseph on the other and understood that this was done by them to signifie that at the same time her Soul was freed from all Sin and Imperfection Which proves how careful and desirous the Holy Spouse of Mary is to disperse and drive away all Spiritual Distempers and restore Purity to our Soul so that in all attack's of any Violent Passion in any dangerous Temptation and in our failings or fall's into any Imperfection there is no better means to free our selves and obtain a particular help and assistance than by calling upon Saint Joseph We see daily Examples of this by the great and wonderful change we find in the Conversations of those who are noted for their Devotion to this Saint what Victories do we perceive they have gain'd over their Passions What Mortifications do they not use to subdue their Senses And with what Peace and Tranquility do they perform all this I knew some who cou'd not forbear Jesting and Rallying which serves for nothing but to wound and destroy Charity others who had strange aversions against those who suited not with their Temper and Humor they not being able to suffer so much as their sight much less their Conversation others that were so Passionately carried away with Private and Particular Affections that they cou'd neither Pray Labour nor perform any of their Duties which is a Passion if not cur'd that is very Dangerous and Pernicious to Purity But to my great Joy and Comfort I ever found all these Passions vanish after they had perform'd some Devotions to Saint Joseph for this Intention For this ill Habit of Sharpe and Mortifying Words of Uncharitable and Malicious Thoughts that caus'd these aversions soon Vanish'd after application made to Saint Joseph for his Assistance I knew a Young Woman violently attack'd with a Passion of Love which she free'd her self from by resolving in honour of Saint Joseph to obstain for nine Days from the Conversation of the Person she Lov'd which the performing and recommending her self every Day during that time to Saint Joseph to beg his help to overcome it she was perfectly free'd from this tormenting and dangerous Spirit of Love and that she might never more be troubl'd with thâ— like she resolv'd during her whole Life to say Daily Saint Josephâ—â— Litany whereby she obtain'd thâ— happy end she aim'd at but to pâ—â— her in mind that this constant Devotion to Saint Joseph was thâ— means whereby she obtain'd thâ—â— Favour when ever she neglected thâ— ordinary time of performing itâ— she found some small return's of this Passion which immediately vanish'd at it's performance I knew also another Person who by a violent attack of the same Passion had quite lost her Sleep and was in great danger of loosing her wit 's also for she was seiz'd upon by Dispairing Thoughts and Doubts of her Perseverance in Religion who being Councel'd for nine Days together to say the Beads of Saint Joseph I before spoke of Page 28. some of her Friends joyning their Devotions with her's to Saint Joseph for this end at the end of the nine Days she found her self perfectly cur'd There are many such like Favours which this great Saint obtains for his Faithful Servants that have recourse to him by his obtaining for them a Victory over those Passions they find themselves seiz'd withall which often times they have not Confidence to Discover and which pass only between God and themselves these I have set down for encourageing all in the the like circumstances to have recourse to this Spiritual and Powerful Physitian the great Saint Joseph Isador in his fourth Book and
Contaning the seventh Dolour and Joy of Saint Joseph O Merciful Joseph who is able to conceive the sensible Sorrow and extream grief you felt when you had lost the Child Jesus Methinks I hear you say O unfortunate Man that I am what is become of my Beloved Where is the Soul of my Heart And where shall I seek him I will never Sleep or give my self any Repose till I find him but presently without any loss of time run over all parts of the Earth to find him whom Heaven has pleas'd to commit to my Charge and Custody and without whom I cannot live but in extream Grief and Affliction And on the other fide who is able to express the Joy and extream Satisfaction wherewith your Heart was replenish'd when you found him in the midst of Doctours We humbly beseech you by this unconceivable Sadness and Joy that we may never loose our most amiable Jesus or if ever we be so unhappy as to loose him make us feel such a true and lively sorrow as you did that we may so carefully seek him as that we may soon find him with so great and sensible a Comfort that our sole care afterwards may be always to conserve him without ever loosing him any more Amen Our Father Hail Mary EIGHT MEDITATIONS FOR The Octave of Saint JOSEPH I. Meditation Of the Sanctification Birth and Name of Saint Joseph Preparatory Prayer TO beg Light of God to understand his particular Providence towards Saint Joseph and those special Prerogatives he bestow'd upon him before and at his Birth as also at his Circumcision I. Prelude Imagin your self at Nazareth where Saint Joseph was born and there behold the difference wherewith Men and Angels regarded this Royal Infant Harken to the sweet Name of Joseph given him at his Circumcision consider the esteem the Angels had both of this Holy Infant and of the sweet Name of Joseph that was given him at his Circumcision II. Prelude BEG Grace to be Inflam'd with Love and Devotion to this sweet Infant and the Holy Name of Joseph I. Point Consider that Saint Joseph as Gerson solidly proves was Sanctifi'd before his Birth for if the Prophet Jeremy Saint John Baptist and other Saints receiv'd this favour upon account of those Functions they were afterwards to Exercise The Office design'd for Saint Joseph of being Spouse to the Mother and Foster-Father and Governour to the Son of God far exceeded theirs and therefore no less requir'd the same priviledges they had Admire the Purity of this holy Infant give thanks to God for this favour of his early Sanctification congratulate with him for it and for those high Dignities for which God design'd him that mov'd him to give it And beg by the Intercession of Saint Joseph such a true Sanctification as may render you pleasing to his Divine Majesty and his Celestial Court whose love is as much to be valued as the esteem of the World is to be contemn'd II. Point Consider this holy Infant thus dear to God linally Descended from David heir to so many Kings and Royal Prophets is Born in a Poor house of Poor but Noble Parents without any of those marks of honor and greaâ—ness which are common to the Birth of Princes See the difference between God's and the World's esteem of Riches and Honor consider how be treats his true Favorits behold how the Angels admire what the World takes no notice of Praise their Wisdom and conâ—emn it's Folly The Glory of this Royal Infant is from within hid from the Eyes of the World but seen by God and his Angels O the Beauty and Riches of Poverty Which Worldlings perceive not O Royal and Holy Infant obtain for me such an inflam'd Love of Poverty such a generous Humility as you had that I may esteem no honour greater than to be contemn'd by the World for God's Sake or than the being lov'd and esteem'd by him and his Celestial Court III. Point Consider the signification of the Name that was given him at his Circumcision either by Divine Inspiration or which is more probable by the Revelation of aâ— Angel as Saint John Baptist's was Joseph signifies Encrease anâ— what an Encrease in all kinds did he receive with it All sonâ— of such Heavenly Graces aâ—sorts of Priviledges and Prerogatives as the Dignity of hiâ— Person and Employments justly requir'd The Name of the great Patriarch Joseph who was a Figure of this was given him upon account of his Angelical Chastity and the care he was to take in Feeding Protecting and Preserving the Elect Children of God in Aegypt But our Joseph of whom the other was a Type was to be the Virgin-Spouse of the Virgin-Mother of God Protectour and Preserver both of her and her Son nay even of the Son of God himself in Aegypt O Name above all Names â—ext to JESUS and MARY â—â—t it be a constant Comfort to â—ny Heart and from the abundance of Heart let my Mouth frequently repeat the sweet â—ame of Joseph joyning it to â—â—ose Delicious Names of JESUS â—nd MARY The Colloquie O most Holy and Royal Infant O most Blessed Joseph be to me a Joseph that is â—otain for me such Encrease of sanctity such a Love of Poverty â—nd Angelical Purity with such 〈◊〉 true Humility as rendred you â—â—uly great and such a Devotion to your dear self that the â—ery pronouncing your Blessed Name may creat such a Joy and Comfort in my Heart as may move you to interceed for and consequently to obtain anâ— Increase of all Vertues in it II. MEDITATION Of the humble Vocation and Sanctity of Saint Joseph Preparatory Prayer TO beg of God to let us set why Saint Joseph follow'd so humble a Profession as that of a Carpenter and after what manner he practic'd it Increasing at the same time in all sorts of Perfection I. Prelude IMagin your self at Nazareth beholding Saint Joseph a most comely Youth of eighteen Years of age learning and exercising the laborious and humble trade of a Carpenter II. Prelude BEG of God to teach you by S. Joseph's Example how Profitably to joyn an Humble Active aÌ„d Passive Life that thereby the less you are esteem'd upon Earth by Creatures the more you may be Esteem'd and Lov'd by your Creator in Heaven I. Point Consider first that Providence ordain'd that Saint Joseph tho' of a Royal extract shou'd learn and exercise so mean a Trade as that of a Carpenter first to avoid Idleness so vety dangerous to the Virginal Purity he had Vow'd to him Secondly that the Humble exercises of this Trade might ballance the Dignities he design'd to bestow upon him of being Spouse to the Mother and Foster Father to the Son of God That no Ostentation or Vanity might take any place in his Humble Heart Thirdly that by the Labour of his Hands and Sweat of his Brows he might gain wherewithall to Exercise the greatest of Charities by nourishing and maintaining the Mother and Son of God
and sees the worth of all Creatures wou'd not choose the most Perfect of all Men for his Father To think otherwise wou'd be to rank his Wisdom beneath our own Wherefore since he has chosen Saint Joseph before all others since his Knowledge and Love mov'd him to this Election must not this choice he made of him be an evident proof that he was eminent in all Perfections Especially since the Divine Wisdom it self chose him for his Father Let us now pass on and take a view of the second Leaf or second Prerogative of our glorious Lilly He was not only chosen by the Divine Wisdom to be his Father but even to be Father to him who was the Son of God So that by this Election which the Eternal Wisdom made Joseph had God for his Son Who cou'd have thought it possible that a Man cou'd be Father to the Son of God Or cou'd ever have imagin'd that Man might with truth say to the Son of God you are my Son Or that Man shou'd arrive to so high a pitch of Dignity as to bear the relation of Paternity to the Word Incarnate Which in some measure resembl'd the Paternity of the Eternal Father to his Eternal and Uncreated Son O wonderful Dignity Joseph Father of Jesus Father of the Son of God Incarnate Having the honor to be Father to him upon Earth to whom God is Father in Heaven But to evidence and make this Truth more clear We must know that Jesus was not his Son by Nature but by the Lawful Right that accru'd to Saint Joseph by Jesus his being Son to his Spouse the Blessed Virgin Mary For by his being her Son he was Produc'd in and Born of that Flesh which by right of Marriage was Saint Joseph's and was under his power and jurisdiction So that according to the common axiom of the Civil Law that says †Quid in alieno solo nascitur vel aedificatur sub illius dominium cadit cujus est solum Institut de rer divis Whatsoever grow's in or is built upon anothers Soil belongs to the owner thereof This title was strong enough to give him the right and title of a Father and caus'd our Blessed Lady to stile him his Father even to her Son himself when she sayd †Pater tuus Ego dolentes quaerebamus te Luc. 2.48 Behold with how much Grief your Father and I have sought after you he also by his Answer seem'd to own him for his Father upon Earth when he sayd * Nesciebatis quia in his quae patris mei sunt oportet me esse Ibid v. 49. Knew yee not that 't was chiefly my duty to take care of my Fathers business Meaning his Heavenly Father as if he wou'd have sayd you have reason for what you say but you know that my first and chief obligation is to comply with the Will of my Heavenly Father But this is not all Saint Joseph was not only the Father of Jesus because he was call'd so or because he had that relation to the Blessed Virgin I before spoke of but because he wanted nothing that is found in a true Paternity or Fatherly Right He had all that care affection and authority that any Father ever had or ever will have in relation to a Son For as Saint John Damascen says †Omne jus quo constituitur Paternitas sortitus est Joseph solo jurâ— generation is excepto S. â—o Damas Orat. de na B. V. Saint Joseph had all that cou'd intitle him to the right of Paternity except that of Generation * Et hoc supple vit Deus Pater infundendo viro Mariae paternum pro filio Jesu amorem Rupertus in 1. Matth. Which according to Rupertus the Abbot God the Father supply'd by infusing into the Husband of Mary a Paternal Love of her Son Jesus By which infusion Saint Joseph participated of all Graces that can either be nam'd or imagin'd for if God had a design to Love a Man after the best manner imaginable or to give him the highest place of Glory in Heaven what more cou'd he do for him than to constitute him to bear the Office of a Father over his own and only Son than which nothing can be more excellent nothing more rare or more admirable for by giving him this Office he gives him all the qualities necessary for it and gives him power to call even the Son of God his Son causing the effect to correspond to the Name The third Miraculous Leaf or Prerogative of this Lilly is that being Man he shou'd become Husband to the Mother of God O wonder of wonders When we wou'd comprehend in few words all the wonderful Perfections and Prerogatives of the Blessed Virgin Mary we make use of Saint Mathews words †Maria de qua natus est Jesus Matth. 1.16 Mary of whom Jesus was born For as by styling her Mother of Jesus we comprehend all that can be sayd of her so Saint Joseph by being styl'd Husband to the Mother of God comprehends under this title all other Dignities and Perfections whatsoever So that a greater than this cannot be given him as Saint John Damascen well observes when he says * Dicis illum virum Mariae hoc est prorsus ineffabile nihil praeterea dici potest Cant. 3. in Nat. B. V. You call him the Husband of Mary this is such a title as cannot be explicated and more than this cannot be sayd of him Mary Spouse to Joseph do's in plenitude of Grace surpass both Men and Angels and has not her Husband think you the like endowments Since God judg'd him a fit match for her and for this end gave him so great an abundance of Grace Vertue and Sanctity that neither Men nor Angels ever had the like hereby to fit him to be Spouse and Guide to the Virgin-Mother God judging it fit that in her right he shou'd partake of all her Honors Favors and Dignities If therefore she be a Princess he is a Prince and he also is King where-ever she is Queen For God who design'd to raise Mary to the quality and honor of the Mother of God At the same time design'd her a Husband like to her self whom he lov'd above all Men upon Earth and therefore endow'd him with all Graces suitable to such a Dignity O thrice happy Joseph Thus chosen by God and thus fitted and advanc'd to be the Husband of the Mother of God as his best beloved next to Jesus and Mary The fourth Miraculous Leaf or Prerogative of this Lilly is that he is at once both a Father and a Virgin Which is so singular a Prerogative that 't is allow'd to none but him There have been many Virgin-husbands but of Virgin fathers there has never been any one but S. Joseph who is Spouse also of a Virgin-mother Which singular Prerogative was reserv'd by God only for his best beloved JOSEPH and MARY God lodging his special
shew how great this Love and Devotion ought to be That is to say it ought to be next to our Love and Devotion to Jesus and Mary CHAP. III. Of the great Love and special Devotion we ow Saint Joseph and that it ought to be next to that we have for Jesus and Mary CERTAINLY none can refuse to pay this debt of Love to our Amiable Saint Joseph to this object of the Love of Jesus and Mary and to one so highly belov'd by God himself For can the Eternal Wisdom Error be Deceiv'd Can Mary engage her Affections without Reason Or can we charge God with partiality because he Loves Saint Joseph next to Jesus and Mary Certainly such thoughts as these can never enter into a Pious Heart Wherefore we must conclude that since he was so amiable they cou'd not elsewhere lodge their Affections better or give a present of their Love to any one more deserving than Saint Joseph Let us therefore see how they Lov'd him and endeavour to Love him as they did Believing that God has renderd him lovely above others to move us to Love him above others and move us to follow the track's of his own Divine Affection towards Saint Joseph 'T is hereby we shall know that we are proficients in this Divine School of Love when we come to Love Saint Joseph above all other Saints next to Jesus and Mary in which consists that special Devotion we ought to have to him I say not this to lessen your Love and Devotion to any other Saint but to augment your Love and Devotion to this Saint who in regard of his Merits hold's the first rank in Heaven and Earth not only upon account of that Love that Jesus and Mary bore him but of the Love that God has manifested towards him by those high perogatives he has bestow'd upon him Not but that God has also very highly favour'd many other Saints of his Heavenly Court such as Saint John Baptist whom the Divine Word declar'd the †Inter natos Mulierum non surrexit major Joanne Baptista Matth. 11.11 Greatest amongst the Sons of women and such as the Apostles also were who are Pillars of his Church and like Stars of the first magnitude in the glorious Firmament of Heaven as well as several other Saints like unto these but we must remember what the Learn'd and Devout Gerson says that if the first Ranck and Hierarchy in Heaven is that of the Father Son and Holy Ghost so the second is this of Jesus Mary and Joseph and that all other Saints are of a lower Rank and of a different Hierarchy These other great Saints hold indeed the first place in their Rank and Hierarchy according to the ordinary Law of Love but not in that of the Order of the Hypostatical Union and in the Mistery of the Incarnation wherein those are only compris'd who most nearly relate to Jesus and Mary namely Saint Joseph who compleats this Created Trinity as I before signifi'd and therefore makes a Hierarchy apart of far greater Excellency and Dignity than the rest But still to set forth more at large Saint Joseph's Dignity I will here declare the Source and Order of this Hierarchy which comprehends none but Jesus Mary and Joseph We must therefore take notice that God who is admirable in his Works was not content only to make Man after his own Image and Likeness but wou'd also make a Created Image and Likeness of the Increated Trinity in these three wonderful personages Jesus Mary and Joseph whom he chose for the Mistery of the Incarnation So that as the three Persons of the Increated Trinity have all Cooperated to the Sacred Mystery of the Incarnation so they wou'd also make an Illustrious and Created Emblem of themselves to Cooperate likewise towards the same Mistery For Example first in the subsistance of the two Natures of JESUS CHRIST his Soul Body and Divinity are United in the Person of the Son of God So by the Union of the admirable Love and singular Report that these three Persons Jesus Mary and Joseph have to one another they Contributed to it upon Earth Mary bears the Image of God the Father Jesus is the Son according to his Humanity in a just likeness to what he is in Heaven as he is the Word or Son of God And Saint Joseph Represents the Holy Ghost in the quality of Spouse to the Blessed Virgin or in the Love he had for Jesus and Mary which he manifested by the care he took both of the one and of the other What Affections therefore are due to this Admirable and Venerable Created Trinity as the Learn'd Gerson stiles it either in general or in particular And if the greatest Honour be confer'd upon them by this Title why ought not the greatest Love to accompany it If Love attends Merit what can be next the Uncreated Trinity but the Created And next to the Father Son and Holy Ghost but Jesus Mary and Joseph who ought to take the next place in our Affections And as it wou'd be amiss for any one first to Love God the Father secondly to Love God the Son and then breaking the Order of the Trinity to Love one of the Angels placeing the Holy Ghost in the same Rank with these Holy Spirits so infinitely inferiour to him in all things if therefore this wou'd be very Preposterous since by denying his first Affection to the Holy Ghost he wou'd refuse him the first of all possible Devotions which he deservedly challenges as his Right it being an undoubted Truth that we cannot render a greater Honour than by Love and by offering our Heart in Homage Wherefore as none can divide their Love and Devotion to the three Persons in the Uncreated Trinity to give it elsewhere no more can they do so in order to the Created Trinity But must Love Jesus Mary and Joseph after the Uncreated Trinity before any other object tho' never so Perfect and therefore to Love Jesus and Mary and in the next place to Love any Saint or Angel wou'd be to break the order of Love and become injurious to this Created Trinity robbing it of that Honour God has given it and 't wou'd be to displace Saint Joseph who ought to have the third Rank in the sanctuary of our Affections which wou'd clearly appear no less a Defect of Judgment than of Devotion Wherefore our greatest Devotion after that to Jesus and Mary ought to be to Saint Joseph without any fear or apprehension that any Saint or Angel will thereby be disoblig'd they all giving him the precedency knowing very well what Honour and Devotion is due to the Spouse of Mary the Mother of God and to the reputed Father of Jesus the Son of God and to the third Person of the admirable Created Trinity of Jesus Mary and Joseph CHAP. IV. What was the reason why it was so long before Saint Joseph the best belov'd of God and most amiable of all the
sit For tho' it wou'd have been an incredible satisfaction to the Faithful to have had him as much Lov'd and honor'd during the whole time of the Law of Grace as now yet God wou'd reserve this Joy and Contentment for these latter Years And therefore the Devout and Learn'd Bellarmin was wont to call this Age in which we now Live the Age of Saints He judging the number of Persons that arrive to an eminent degree of Sanctity by makeing Petfection the chief and whole study of their Lives to be far greater in these our Days than ever ir was in former Ages No time therefore cou'd be better for the acknowledging and serving Saint Joseph the greatest of Saints than the Age of Saints wherein the Splendor of his Perfections might appear so much the more Glorious by how much it had been for so many Agoâ— Eclipsed and lain under a Cloud O how wonderful is God in all his Designs And how good is he to us who Live in this Age Since he depriv'd former Ages of the Beauty of this Sun and ordain'd it shou'd break through that Cloud it lay hid in in this our Age to give us this most bright Day and to move us to a servent Love and Devotion to Saint Joseph Moreover the Divine Providence has in this which is one of the chief works of Grace acted after the same manner as he do's in the rarest Master-pieces of Nature 'T is his special Favor that permits us to enjoy the sight of these Beautiful Objects which are the product of his Divine Creation Such as are Diamonds Rubies Emerods Pearls and all other sorts of Precious Stones that gives us also a sight of Gold Silver and other resplendent Metals yet there are far greater Treasures of this kind buried in the Bottom of the Sea and in the Bowels of the Earth than ever we have yet seen or heard of His Bounty let 's us also behold the many Beautiful Flowers Plants Trees Birds and Beasts together with that wonderful and agreeable variety of so many beautiful Faces of Men Women and Children the wonders of the Universe yet God has layd up and kept a reserve of all these Objects far more Beautiful than any we have ever yet seen He permits us also to behold the most glorious objects of the Sun Moon and Stars tho' their distance hinders us in some measure from perceiving that wonderful Beauty they contain in themselves But there are far greater richer and more beautiful Objects than all these in the Empyrial Heaven which God has still conceal'd from us which are as far above the Sun in Beauty as the Empyrial Heaven is above it in Height Tho' God's Liberality and Bounty towards us in affording us the Contemplation of all these Beautiful Objects is a great mark of his Goodness Yet he has been far more gracious towards us in shewing us the wonderful works of his Grace than in discovering to us the foresaid works of Nature By giving us some knowledge of those wonderful ornaments of the Empyrial Heaven especially of those two great Luminaries Jesus and Mary which adorn and imbelish his Heavenly Pallace together with a great number of other Saints also who like so many Blaeing Stars Beautifie his Caelestial Hierusalem or Vision of Peace And tho' we must own our sight too short and even too weak to behold these great Lights whose number is beyond our casting up and whose Beauty and Glory exceed our Imagination because we can have no full and compleat knowledge of 'em till we be so happy as to enjoy their company by being plac'd with them in the Celestial Court Yet we must nevertheless acknowledge this imperfect and abstractive knowledge he gives us as a special favour and also that he has after so extraordinary a manner been pleas'd to discover to us in this our Age one of the Richest Treasures of Heaven for Greatness Sanctity and Glory which for so many foregoing Ages he had conceal'd from the World that we may inrich our selves by paying due honour and affection to him whom he had rais'd to the honour of being the Foster Father of Jesus and Spouse of the Virgin Mary and hereby gain those Heavenly Blessings that accompany such a Devotion And 't is no less for Saint Joseph's greater honour than our greater merit that God has reserv'd the discovery of his Merits till our Days We also know that except the work of Creation of all things out of nothing that nothing is done here upon Earth without fit Dispositions and due Preparations The Painter prepares his Pallet with Colours and primes his Cloath before he begins to Paint The Architect squares and makes ready his Timber Stone and other Materials before he begins to Build The Gold-smith refines his Silver and hammers out his Plates before he begins to imboss his Work Ladies make up their Commodes all their other Ornaments and Rich Attire before they Dress or Adorn themselves A good Rhetoritian prepares and disposes his Matter and Figures to adorn his Oration before he Composes it Nay we see that even all sorts of Artisans prepare both Tools and Matter to work upon and great preparations are made before any excellent Piece of Work can be accomplish'd and when 't is done 't is also necessary that the Beholders shou'd be duly inform'd and well dispos'd for the better conceiving understanding and admiring it's Perfections God therefore would dispose the World to conceive and understand the great Perfections of Saint Joseph before he wou'd discover to them such a Master-Piece And not only Art but Nature also do's produce her Works by degrees nor do's she furnish them without many Previous Dispositions and Trials of her Skill For according to Pliny who search'd more narrowly into her Works than any other Naturalist has ever done â—â—ys that †Campanula rudimentum est Naturae Lilia facere addiscentis The Bell-flower is an Essay 〈◊〉 Tryal of Nature how to make a â—â—illy or Tulip For after she has thus â—ade or produc'd it of one Colour â—he takes still longer time as the â—â—ost experienc'd Florists inform us â—o Adorn Trace and Paint it after â—o Artificial a manner with so many â—indes of rich resplendent Colours â—s render it so very Beautiful that â—he Divine Wisdom gives it this high Commendation saying * Nec Salomon in omni Gloria suâ— coopertus est sicut unum ex illis Matth. 6.29 That Salomon in all his Glory was not so Richly Attir'd as one of these Yet Nature do's not Communicate this Beauty to them but by degrees and after several tryals of her Skill for she first rais'd it from Seed only of one Colour which Colour also is very indifferent and ordinary in respect of those Colours wherewith she afterwards Stripes Traces and Adorn's it Now if from the Works of Art and Nature we have recourse to those of Grace immediately wrought by God himself we shall find he takes the self same
Measures wherewith he inspires both Art and Nature to Operate Especially in framing his chief Master-piece his Holy Church For to what End did he ordain so many Ceremonies in the Old Jewish Law Why was he so careful of all the Ornaments of Salomons Temple as even to Ordain that the very Snuffers and other Instruments of less Moment shou'd be of Gold It was because the beholding all these Ordinations and Ceremonies serv'd to his Elect People as an Aprentiship to understand and learn both the Excellency and Sublime Practices of the New Law that JESUS CHRIST was to Establish these serv'd as Foundations whereupon that was to be built and to dispose us to that Perfection as was requir'd and obtain'd by those Sacraments instituted in the Law of Love which the Divine Wisdom was to Establish in his Church 'T was therefore for this End that he brought up his Elect People in the Exercise of such a Multitude of Ceremonies in the Old Law that he might hereby dispose and bring them by little and little to that solid Devotion and Attention requir'd in the New We also see that the Written Law God gave to Moyses Perfected the Law of Nature and the Law of Grace Perfects both the Law of Nature and the Written Law and God made use of all these to bring us to that Perfection which the Vertue and Prerogatives of his Grace prepar'd us to obtain the better to entertain him with such Fervour and Devotion as he requir'd when he shou'd favor us with his Divine Presence Thus we see that God both by himself and his Creatures prepares disposes brings about and perfects all his designs by degrees And we see the reason why God for the space of near seventeen hundred Years has dispos'd and order'd that particular Honours and Devotions shou'd be perform'd by his Servants to particular Saints for particular benefits receiv'd by their Intercession for he bestow's upon each Saint some particular Grace or Priviledge to move the Faithful to a particular Devotion to that particular Saint giveing to one Saint the power of cureing one Disease to another the power of curing a different Distemper to one Saint power to help us in one Necessity to another Saint power to help us in a different Exigency to one Saint he gives the priviledge to obtain one Vertue for us to another to obtain some other different Vertue and why did God do all this but to move his Servants to a particular Devotion to the Saints in general And to move and dispose us also to a Devotion to each Saint in particular when we wanted their help in such a necessity as God had given that Saint a particular power to help us in And why has God reserv'd to this last Age the declaration of the Merits and Power of Saint Joseph but that the Devotion wherewith he had Inspir'd us to give to each Saint in in Particular might serve us like so many dispositions and steps to raise us to such a Devotion to Saint Joseph as he merits above all other Saints next to Jesus and Mary he having all that Power united in himself which God had distributed amongst all other Saints whereby he was able to cure all Corporal and Spiritual Diseases both of Soul and Body and to help his Clients in all their Necessities whatsoever his Dignity and Merits challenging this extraordinary priviledge above all other Saints except Jesus and Mary to the end therefore that all the particular Devotions exhibited for so many Ages to many different Saints might be united and offer'd to him and that all might have Recourse to him in all their Necessities God has discover'd to us that all the power he had before Communicated and Distributed to several Saints is united and given to Saint Joseph he having all Power given him next to Jesus and Mary I shou'd not thus freely have declar'd my Thoughts upon so sublime a Subject had I not before-hand made my Apology since after all none but God and his Saints do certainly know the true reason why Saint Joseph receiv'd not more Early Honours in the Catholick Church Now therefore I shall go on to perform that which I also Promis'd and will be a far easier task which is to make known to you who were those particular Clients of Saint Joseph that in these latter Years God has Inspir'd to endeavour after a most particular manner the promoting his Honour CHAP. V. Of the ten particular Clients of Saint Joseph who by their Pious Examples have invited and mov'd us to a particular Devotion to him next to Jesus and Mary THE Clients of Saint Joseph daily increase and are already become so numerous that there are few or none that desire not to be inrol'd amongst ' em All the Clients of Jesus and Mary have also Consecrated their Affections to him in acknowledgement of his Amability and of the Love which his reputed Son Jesus and his Virgin Spouse Mary have for him their Mouths and Pens express the desires and wishes of their Hearts saying Long Live Jesus Mary and Joseph these are now become their Aspirations adding Joseph to the common Aspiration of Devout Souls Long Live Jesus and Mary and their frequent prohouncing of these words is a signal mark of the Victory he has gain'd over their Chast Affections It has been heretofore a singular Devotion of some Persons who were particularly Devoted to the Vertue of Purity to add Alexius to those two Venerable Names of Jesus and Mary but since this Lovely Sun Saint Joseph has peirc'd the Cloud under which he so many Years lay hid all change their notes and cry out Jesus Mary and Joseph instead of Jesus Mary Alexius giving Saint Joseph his own yet without lessoning their Devotion to Alexius whom after Saint Joseph they honor also with frequent Aspirations Live Alexius O let Alexius Live But they knowing the Merits of Saint Joseph to be of a different and higher rank upon account of the alliance he had with the Vertues of his Holy Spouse and with the Mistery of the Incarnation which render'd him as I have sayd one of the Created Trinity where he takes his place gives him a preference above all other Saints tho after him every one may take Alexius or what other Saint they are particularly Devoted unto for the Object of their particular Affection The first and chief of those who were tenderly affected to Saint Joseph was Jesus the Son of God For tho' our Blessed Lady was first by the date of time that Lov'd her Spouse since her Love began before JESUS CHRIST her Son was Born yet 't is not to be doubted but that the Saviour of the World incomparably more Lov'd and Cherish'd him than our Lady did And therefore tho' her Love was precedent as I sayd in regard of time Yet the Love which Jesus as Son of God had for him before time was above our imagination and beyond the power of Angels to express he lov'd
him as his Father and never Son lov'd a Father as Jesus did Joseph nay joyn all the tender Affections that all the Children that have ever yet been have ever had for their Fathers yet the Affection of Jesus to Joseph transcended 'em all he had in proportion the same tenderness of Affection for Saint Joseph which he had for his Virgin Mother and prefer'd none upon Earth before Saint Joseph excepting her self perfectly fulfilling the Commandment of honoring his Father and Mother with greater exactness and tenderness of Affection than ever any Child in the World did and lov'd him also as it became such a Child to love such a Father so Amiable so Tender so Careful of him so Singularly Obliging to him as he was upon so many accounts Jesus lov'd him also as a Saviour for saving him from the Cruel Hands of Herod by flying with him into Aegypt Whereby he became even the Saviour of his Saviour Moreover he lov'd him as his Nursing Father as Foster'd by his Sweat and Labours he lov'd him moreover under the title of his Angel Guardian Other Persons have invisible Angel Guardians given 'em by God Jesus alone had no Angel Guardian given him his Divinity being so strictly united to his Humanity was to him a sufficient guard wherefore God gave him Saint Joseph as a visible Guardian which honour he confer'd upon Saint Joseph for the space of thirty Years he bearing all that while the title and office of Conductour Tutor and Governour of the word Incarnate Moreover the very Name and Right of a God-father appointed by God himself was another motive of Jesus's extraordinary affection towards Saint Joseph Infine such was his Love that as the Eastern Church recounts out of some Revelations he lov'd him as the Apple of his Eye The Saviour of the World as Isidorus recounts out of very Grave Authors entertaining his Disciples upon the Life of Saint Joseph spoke thus of him †Morals in Mat. Isid Dominic I Confer'd and Convers'd with Saint Joseph as if I had been his Son he be call'd me Son and I call'd him Father he Commanded me and I Obey'd him and lov'd him as my Father and even as the Apple of my Eye If you still desire to see the effects of this his extraordinary Love know that generally he favour'd him with all the particular Marks of his Love whereby he has ever favour'd any Saint 'T was esteem'd a signal favour to Saint * Ex P. Johan de S.M. in His O.S. Dō Mary Magdalen of the Vrsins to have a sight of the Infant Jesus as he lay upon Straw in the Manger at Bethlem Blessed Teresa de Cerda as a reward of her Zeal in watching the Corporals upon which his Body was wont to lye upon the Altar whilst they were drying least any Flies might light upon or stain 'em saw our Saviour himself lying upon them and wrapping them about his Sacred Body The honour Saint Mary Magdalen receiv'd in Kissing our Saviours Feet in the Huose of Simon was also very great but all these were nothing in comparison of what Saint Joseph receiv'd He not only once but all the time of Jesus his Infancy saw him in the Crib how often did he behold him in his Swadling-clouts and how many thousand times did he kiss hi◠Sacred Feet 'T was a signal Favour Saint John receiv'd by laying his Head upon his Masters Sacred Breast and what knowledge of Secrets and Misteries did he draw from thence But how many times has Jesus rested his Sacred Head upon Saint Joseph's Breast Whilst he carried him in his Sacred Armes tenderly Embracing and Cherishing him both at home and abroad in his journeys to Aegypt and elsewhere and how many Secrets did he then Communicate to him 'T was esteem'd a particular Favour to Blessed Vrsula of Valence when our Saviour appear'd to her cloath'd in Episcopal Robes and giving her his Blessing And at another time when be Enter'd by Night into her Chamber whilst she was at her prayers more Bright and Glorious than the Sun transporting and filling her Heart with Divine Comforts Great was the happiness our Saviour afforded his Apostles by three Years continual Conversation with them seeing his admirable Example and hearing his Divine Wisdom But Saint Joseph surpass'd all these Conversing with him not only three but thirty Years together seeing and hearing this Divine Word Beholding him not in an Episcopal but Mitaculous Habit that grew as his Body did and this not as he was passing from one place to another but constantly in his own House not receiving one but innumerable Benedictions from his Divine Hand We Read also of an extraordinary favour that our Saviour did Blessed Jane of France when he sat down at table with her at no other Banquet than that of three Hearts serv'd up upon a Plate of Gold Which were his own his Mothers and Hers. The Apostles also enjoy'd the honour of Eating with him at Lazarus's Simion's Zachaeus's Saint Mathew's and several other Tables But was it not a far greater favour that Saint Joseph enjoy'd of being his and his Mothers constant Guest sitting at Table with them having his Soul fed and set on fire with the Inflam'd Words that proceeded from the Heart and Mouth of the Son of God and from that large Heart of his Blessed Mother where she had laid and hoarded up all those Mysteries she had both heard and seen We admire the Visions he bestow'd upon his Apostles and other Saints at his Transfiguration upon Mount Thabor and by several Apparitions after his Resurrection or Assension into Heaven as to Saint Paul Saint Catharine of Sienna Saint Teresa Saint Francis and Saint Dominick Blessed Stanis-laus Kosta Saint Ignatius and to many other Saints replenish'd with such a resplendent Beauty accompanied with such a Melodious attendance of Angels as all the Annals of Saints do recount And was not Saint Joseph also surrounded by all the Quires of Angels singing Gloria in Eccelsis Deo Saint Briget in her Revelations relates that Saint Joseph saw our Saviour inviron'd by a Divine Light which according to his Mothers Testimony far exceeded the Lustre and Brightness of the Sun saying to Saint Briget * Lib. 9. Revel 58. Saint Joseph often beheld an admirable Glory in the midest of which my Son appear'd in great Splendour and at the same time Heavenly Musick delighted our Hearts the Angels declaring and singing the Glories of my Son Lastly we with reason look upon it as the highest Point of the Love of JESUS CHRIST when he visibly appears to his Favorits at the hower of their Death Visiting Comforting and Assisting them in that last passage out of the Miseries of this World into everlasting Happiness in the next For in this Saint Joseph had a most particular mark of his favour above all others whose Heart was fill'd with most delicious Dying Thoughts for as the Eastern Church I before cited assures us our Saviour assisted
him in his last Agony leaning on his Pillow taking him by the Hand and receiving his last Breath from his Lips and at his last Groan clos'd his Eyes shut his Mouth and form'd his Visage with his own most Divine Hand to give him a graceful Aspect at his last farewell Are not all these extraordinary marks of Jesus his particular Love to Saint Joseph The second we find inroul'd amongst the fervorous Lovers of Saint Joseph is Mary the Mother of Jesus she Lov'd him in quality of her Spouse never any Virgin Lady was so Faithfully Loving so Chastly Observant so Religiously engaging in her Conversation with her espous'd Husband as Mary was to her Joseph He was Most passionately lov'd and esteem'd by her as the Protector of her Consecrated Virginity and also the conserver of her Honour Whose Conversation was a security to her unblemish'd Reputation against any reproach that cou'd be made concerning her Virgin Child-Birth For had he forsaken her during the nine Months after her Conception her Purity wou'd unavoidably have been suspected Moreover she bore an affectionate service to him as to her Husband and Head and as to one of the greatest Merit amongst all Man kind next to her Son Jesus This Love of the Virgin Mary to her Spouse caus'd her to descend to the meanest and lowest Services whereby she cou'd any ways express her Love and Esteem of him it caus'd her to attend and wait upon him to prepare his Meat and to perform all other humble Offices he stood in need of she knew very well the place she possest upon Earth and that also which was design'd for her in Heaven As being the Queen Mother of God as being Queen both of Men and Angels and that in this regard Saint Joseph was her Inferior yet the Love she had for him made her lay aside these considerations and render him all sorts of honour and respect imaginable for as Saint Briget says in her Revelations * Lib. 7. Revela S. Brigit cap. 25. lib. 6. cap. 59. she call'd him her Lord never spoke to him but with a wonderful and most submissive respect and there was no tenderness of affection that a loveing Soul can express to one she highly esteems and passionately loves which she did not thousands and thousands of times testifie to Saint Joseph wherefore to convince you how she lov'd him hearken to the affectionate Character she her self gives of him to Saint Briget as 't is set down in her Revelations after the following manner My Spouse was reserv'd in Speech never uttering the least unprofitable murmuring or complaining Word never was he mov'd to Anger or shew'd the least Impatience he was contented in Poverty diligent and vigilant in Labour most obedient and condescending to all my Inclinations Very Meek and Affable even to those that most rudely treated him he couragiously defended the absent that suffer'd Detraction and was a faithful Witness and Divulger of God's wonderful Works he was resign'd to live upon Earth tho his longing and earnest desire was after Heaven expecting and confiding in God's Promises and frequently repeating God grant I may see them Accomplish'd he avoided Publick Assemblies took no content at all in Creatures but all his thoughts and desires were that he might perfectly accomplish God's Divine Will Saint Teresa of Jesus deserves the third place amongst those who after a particular manner have express'd their Love and Esteem to Saint Joseph Who merits the title of Saint Joseph's chiefest Devote and may well therefore be plac'd amongst his lovers She made choice of him for her particular Advocate frequently recommending her self to him as to one she honour'd above all other Saints she stil'd him her Father and Master and had such a confidence in him as was admirable and thereby deserv'd such a reward for it as she her self attests in the sixth chapter of her Life which was that she never ask'd any thing of him either for Body or for Soul that he denied her which caus'd her to say that God by his other Saints help'd and succour'd us in some particular cases of necessity but help'd us in all necessities by Saint Joseph as by his Plenipotentiary To let us understand that as he was subject to him in all things upon Earth as to a father who Commanded him So he was the same in Heaven granting him whatsoever he ask'd This was Saint Teresa's opinion concerning her great Patron to whom she was so particularly Devoted that she endevour'd to invite all to take him for their particular Patron and Protectour But especially those who desire to give themselves to Prayer and to become knowing in that most holy and profitable Exercise and therefore was wont to say let him who cannot find a Master to teach him the Art of Praying take this great Saint for his Master and he shall not fail to prove a great Proficient and a most skilful Scholar Infine she did what she cou'd to instill into all sorts of Persons a particular Devotion to Saint Joseph who as he was Master of her Heart so she had a desire he shou'd be so of the Hearts of all others and therefore endeavour'd to engage their Hearts with her own in an ardent Love of him and Devotion to him which desire of hers together with the experiments she had had of the good obtain'd by the Merits and Prayers of this Saint caus'd her engageingly to promise the same success to all that shou'd recommend themselves to him Attesting that she never knew any Person that had a true Devotion for him or render'd him any particular Service that obtain'd not a great progress and advancement in Vertue You see here the cause of my ranking her in the first place of those of this last Age that set up the Standard of Devotion to Saint Joseph by divulging his Merits and by a due acknowledgement of his Favours whereby in these our times in which we have more need than ever of Heavenly assistance she brought in that profitable Devotion to this great Saint The fourth Person noted for his particular Devotion to Saint Joseph is that holy Minim blessed Gaspar Bond who after Jesus and Mary had none so near his Heart as Saint Joseph All his Life long he had a most singular Devotion to him and at his Death his chief recours was to none so much as to this Holy and Amiable Patriarch and express'd his Devotion by a particular honour shew'd to his Name after the Name Jesus and Maria which made such an impression in him that he cou'd think or speak of nothing else he took a particular gust in the pronouncing of them and thought the doing so gave a good success and prosper'd all his undertakings and this was the short but pithy Incomium that he gave them * Haec tria nomina Bona sunt omnia Et mundi lumina Et coeli limina This Trinity of Names This lower World Inflames Contains the goods of Love
nothing neerer their Hearts than Jesus Mary Joseph The Children also of Sainâ— Francis Sales who are the Religious of the Visitation in this make knowâ— both their own and their Foundeâ—â— inclinations And the Nuns of the Word Incarnate or the Annunciates from their first beginning put themselves under his happy Protection The manner of celebrating hiâ— Feast is the same with that we Celebrate the Feast of other Saints some Fast upon the Eve in his honour others perform some otheâ— Pennance and Mortification for the same end others Communicate upon his Feast others abstain from aservil Works as upon Sundays others give more time to Prayer thaâ— upon other Days others Read hâ— Life others spend the Day in more Religious Exercises performing all this in testimony of their Love to Saint Joseph The second Devotion is to take him for your special Patron and Directour for the following Year or shou'd you already have chosen him for such then to make choice of him for the effecting some particular affair you have in hand of great Importance Resolve to perform some Devotions to him for this Intention for the space of some Months as the necessity or length of your affairs shall require †Ex Libro de gloria S. Joseph Mother Jane of the Angels of whom I have already spoken beg'd of Saint Joseph upon New Years Day that he wou'd take her for that Year 1636. into his Protection and by his powerful Intercession obtain of our Saviour the Blessing of being deliver'd from all Interiour or Exteriour Impediments in God's Service and to dispossess her of those Devils that Tormented her and free her from whatsoever else that kept or retarded her Soul from the Union of his Divine Love The Night following as she fell asleep she seem'd to feel a more particular Devotion than ordinary accompany'd with a most incredible sweet smell quite different from all other scents that are found in the Perfumes of this World And at the same time she heard a Voice that sayd to her Behold him to whom thou hast Recommended thy self Hereupon the Holy Patriarch Saint Joseph came into her mind and her Heart was fill'd with an extraordinary veneration for and love of him She seem'd in her Sleep to see such a dazeling Light as far exceeded the Brightness and Splendor of the Sun Within which she beheld a Countenance full of wonderful Majesty so Beautiful that she neither found Words to express it nor any Comparisons whereby to discover her Thoughts After all the Person spoke to her as follows Conserve Patience and Constancy in these Sensible difficulties you suffer support 'em with Resignation and endeavour to forget your self for God has Favours in store to bestow upon you Tell your Exorcist that if Men labour not for your Recovery God will make it his own Work By all means let him continue his Endeavours and God by his Ministery will Expel the Devil that most of all hinders your Devotions This being sayd all Vanish'd except the Perfume which lasted so strong for some time after that when she awak'd she verily thought her Chamber had been Perfum'd Her Thoughts were taken up all the Day following with a Confidence in our Saviour and with the Assurance of Saint Joseph's Assistance in this extream necessity she was then in Nor was she deceiv'd for five Days after upon the Feast of the Epiphany she found the effect of her Protectour's Intercession by being dispossess'd of that Devil that did so maliciously interrupt her Devotions The Father Exorcist Commanding him in the Presence of all that were Spectatours that for a Mark of his going out he shou'd write the Name of Mary upon her Hand as he did tho' not without great difficulty and repugnance fixing this Name in very legible Characters immediately above Saint Joseph's which had been writ there before upon the going out of another Devil which Names during her whole Life appear'd as clear and distinct as they did the first Day which I my self was an Eye-witness of as the sayd Religious past by Lyons to go to Anessy to visit the Tomb of Saint Francis of Sales in the Year 1638. I say nothing of the Names of JESUS and Saint Frantis of Sales that were to be seen on the back of the same Hand Writ at the Command of the Exorcist as a Mark of these Devils quitting their Possession which by God's Permission they had taken of her Body that being not so much to my purpose which is only to declare how much it conduc'd to her Happiness to have recourse to Saint Joseph for his Protection either upon his own or upon any other Feast The third Devotion that may be perform'd to Saint Joseph is to take him for our chief Patron and Advocate during our whole Life and Yearly to renew this Resolution upon his Feast I know a Religious Person of our Society who constantly practises this Devotion every Year Offering himself unto him by the Recital of such a Prayer as in our Sodalities of our Blessed Lady erected in our Colledges is publickly recited at their Reception into it I pretend not to perswade you to perform this Exercise every Day lest to some it might seem too great a burthen but only once a Year at least upon his chief Feast which his true Clients can not think too much to perform And the first time one makes use of this Prayer 't is fit to choose him for our particular Patron and Protector The Prayer is short and therefore I shall insert it heer as I shall insert a longer at the end of this Book Page 25. amongst other particular Devotions to be recited at Leisure O Holy Joseph Spouse of the most Blessed Virgin Mary I N. N. choose you this Day for my special Advocate and Patron and do firmly purpose never to forsake you nor to say do nor suffer any under my charge to say or do any thing against your Honour I earnestly therefore beseech you that you will please to take me for your perpetual and constant Servant and to aid and assist me in all my Actions especially in the hour of my Death Amen Make a firm Resolution to keep this Purpose and renew it often either at Holy Communion or when you visit the Blessed Sacrament whereby you will render this Devotion more Pleasing to God more Honorable to the Saint and more profitable to your self The fourth Devotion may either be to offer Mass your self or get a Priest to offer one in Honour of Saint Joseph and that piece of the Eastern Church History that was found and offer'd to Pope Adrian the V I. as very authentick assures us that CHRIST assisting Saint Joseph at his Death gave him his Blessing and Promiss'd to give the same to all those that shou'd offer Sacrifice to God in Honour of Saint Joseph upon the Day of his Glorious Death the ninteenth of March But we have no Sacrifice except the Sacrifice of Holy Mass And
what greater Blessing can we have than the Sacrifice of the Son of God who was Promis'd to us Moreover were not this true yet all that we can perform that is considerable all that is of any worth or that conduces to the Glory of any Saint is included in the Oblation of the Divine Sacrifice of Mass wherein JESUS CHRIST is offer'd in thanks giving to his Eternal Father for all those Favours and Benefits he has heap'd upon any Saint raising him to so Eminent a Glory and Dignity The fifth Devotion is to give Almes or bestow a Dinner upon some poor Man or Widdow in Honour of Saint Joseph and if you please for the same end relieve a poor Woman and her little Infant to Honour the Created Trinity the Infant JESUS Mary as also Saint Joseph and to encourage you to so Pious a Work Saint Vincent Ferrerius recounts a wonderful Story of a Gentelman of Valence who was very Devout to all these three and amongst the rest of his Devotions us'd every Christmas Day to invite a Woman with a Sucking Child and an Old Man to Dine with him and all this for the Love he bore to Jesus Mary and Joseph This Charity and Devotion was so pleasing to God that upon his Death Bed he had the Comfort to see them who just as he Departed gave him this comfortable Invitation to Paradise as follows Friend you have every Year invited us to a Feast in your House come now and we will receive you to our Feast and into the dwelling place of the Blessed there to â—ign with us and them in all sorts of contentment as long as a happy Eternity shall last Who can conceive how God Recompences even the least Services we do to him or his Saints I wish we cou'd always think on this And practise what these thoughts wou'd move us to perform The sixth and last Devotion to Saint Joseph is to meditate upon the Vertues Mysteries or chief Passages of his Life The Morning either before or after Communion is the most proper time for Meditation Because the After-noon is reserv'd for Even-Song Sermon or some other Works of Charity as visiting the Sick in Hospitals comforting and relieving Prisoners How and when these Meditations are to be us'd I shall declare in the following chapter CHAP. VIII Of Devotions to Saint Joseph during the Octave of his Feast or at other times according to the Opportunity or Affection of his Clients I Cannot think ther 's any better means to pass the Octave of Saint Joseph with Devotion and profit than by the consideration of his Life and Death and the contemplating upon his Glory in Heaven Because such Reflexions as these will increase our Love and Affection towards him and move us to earnest and efficacious attempts to imitate his transcendent Vertues However because some may not have time or opportunity of making these Meditations and that those that have not or know not how to Meditate may make use of 'em instead of Spiritual Reading I have made the Meditations somewhat longer than ordinary Which you will find Printed in a large Character at the end of this Book amongst other Devotions Page 41. There are eight of 'em in all for each Day of the Octave of his Feast in which are briefly contain'd the chief Passages of the Life Death and Glory of Saint Joseph and tho' the Reading of 'em for your Spiritual Lecture will be very profitable yet they will produce far greater profit and comfort in your Soul if you Meditate upon 'em whereby you will increase a far greater Devotion to Saint Joseph than only by the bare Reading of them We have declar'd already that all the Devotions Honours and Respects that are render'd to other Saints ought to be given to Saint Joseph For whosoever Loves him as he deserves must needs think he can never sufficiently Honour him his Merits exceeding all Honour and Devotion that can be shew'd him Wherefore shou'd I advise you to cause a Mass to be sayd in his Honour to perform some good Work of Charity or Pennance you may say I invite you only to such a general testimony of Affection as we give to all other Saints whom we honour I will here therefore propose to you such a particular Devotion as Mother Jane of the Angels Superiour of the Vrsulins practis'd with admirable success Who having purpos'd for her Deliverance to Communicate nine Days together in honour of Saint Joseph upon the Ninth Day one of the Devils within her of his own accord presented himself to the Exorcist during his Exorcisms and acknowledg'd he was Commanded in the Name of Saint Joseph as he left his Station to write the Name of Saint Joseph upon her Hand which he swore he wou'd perform as he did soon after You may also say or get nine Masses sayd in honour of Saint Joseph which was a Devotion that very much assisted Father John Joseph Sevrin Exorcist to this Religious Woman for before he had ended his nine Masses the Devil left her writing according to his Promise his Name in the presence of many upon her bare Hand and amongst others in the Presence of an English Nobleman †The Right Honorable Walter Montague Son to the Earl of Manchesters then a Protestant who held her Arm which was the occasion of his Conversion to the Roman Catholic Faith and of another then an Athist whose Life is Writ he afterwards becoming as renown'd for Sanctity as before he was Infamous for Athisme You may also perform the Devotion proper to all Saints by endeavouring to Imitate his rare and particular Vertues As the exercise of a retir'd and hidden Sanctity the practice of Angelical Purity even in Marriage his Humility Patience and Meekness in Conversation his great Recollection and wonderful Silence Who as a Holy Person declar'd to Father Sevrin Was a very great keeper of Silence and that in the House of our Saviour at Nazareth he spoke very little our Blessed Lady and Jesus still much less and that his Eyes perform'd to him the Office of a Tongue without need of speaking Lastly you may Imitate the works of Piety that Saint Joseph Practis'd But because these are also found in most Saints and therefore seem a general Devotion I will propose some that were particular and proper to Saint Joseph Which other Persons of Piety and Particular Devotes of his * Quiriolê have perform'd in his Honour they are six in number some of which I hope you will find suitable to your Devotion and Inclination CHAP. IX Containing nine different occasions of particular Devotions proper to Saint Joseph and practis'd by his Particular Devotes THE first is when you have lost any thing you had a high Value for to have recourse to Saint Joseph either to beg his help or at least to suffer profitably this loss if by his Assistance we happen not to recover it John Gerson his great Client suggests this Devotion assuring
call'd The Mission of Saint Joseph and in the Year 1626. two hundred Families were Baptis'd and their Example mov'd six Neighbouring Townships to unite themselves to the True Faith that they might also become partakers of those Spiritual and Temporal Blessings which Saint Joseph Visibly obtain'd for these happy Converts Saint Joseph also favours Marryage and unites the Hearts of Married Persons procuring them a True and Constant Conjugal Assection â—s appears in the Example of a very Rich Marchant of Lyons who had great Inclinations to Marry with a Young Woman of quality but she rejected all Propositions in that kind whereupon he addresses himself to Saint Joseph Vow 's the giveing an Alms of a hundred Crowns in his Honour if he wou'd move her to hearken to his proposal of Marriage The Vow was no sooner made but he gains her Consent and the Marriage is made up and they liv'd a most happy Couple in a Constant Peace and Union of Affections which is one of the greatest Blessings in this Sacrament He assists Chast Persons also and preserves them from all attempts that the Enemy makes to Destroy in them the admirable Vertue of Chastity as appears in an Example of a Pious Virgin who being attack'd in this Point her Confessour advises her to have recourse to Saint Joseph and causes her to wear about her a Paper that had touch'd the Miraculous Oyntment at Loudun whereby she presently found Help and Comfort As another also did who recommended her self to the same Saint promising to wear his Image for nine Days together I had this Relation from the Person her self who receiv'd this benifit by Saint Joseph's Intercession Saint Joseph also hears and helps Persons with Child as appears by a Votive Picture in the Church of Saint Joseph at Lyons on the side of his Altar her Child being Dead for some Days within her she cou'd not be deliver'd thereof Yet she no sooner beg'd his Assistance but she was Deliver'd of it half putrifi'd with safety also of her Life which all dispair'd of The like favour happen'd to a Woman at Trevoux who by a very hard Labour for three Days together was brought to the last extreamity and danger of Death in these streights she thought of Recommending her self to Saint Joseph and Purpos'd to Confess and Communicate in his Honour and to swallow a Paper that had touch'd the Miraculous Oyntment of Loudun which she had no sooner done but she was happily Deliver'd He favours also Married Prisons giving them Children one of the cheif Blessings of Marriage as a Votive Picture in Saint Joseph's Church testifies of one who wanted this Blessing who had no sooner beg'd his Intercession but within a Year she obtain'd it But to save the setting down many other Examples of Saint Joseph's powerful Assistance the Testimony of Saint Teresa and of many others of his Clyents whom I have heard avouch the same Truth is that he refuses nothing that is ask'd him but provides a remedy in all necessities which is a sufficient motive to make us all have Recourse to him with all confident assurance of our obtaining our Petitions CHAP. XIV To exhort all to have Recours to Saint Joseph and Confide in his Powerful Protection WE ought Piously to beleive that the Mother of God has a knowledge from her Son of what is good for our Salvation wherefore if we do but Consult her and desire her to advise us what is best for us to do to secure our Saltation we cannot doubt but she will tell us Be Devout to Saint Joseph love my Dear Spouse Saint Joseph To prove this Assertion I will relate what Father Balthasar Alvares a great Clyent of hers and Confessour to the great Devote Saint Teresa affirm's Who being one Day Sick at Valedolid of a Violent burning Fevaer one of the Religious that help'd him shew'd him an Image of our Blessed Lady and Saint Joseph and put him in mind of Recommending himself to the Spouse of the Blessed Virgin You have Reason says he for the Mother of God has expressly Commanded me to do so And as afterwards he own'd 't was in the Holy Chappel of Laurette where she gave him this Command She gave the same advice also to Saint Teresa who was Father Balthazar 's Penitent which caus'd her to have so great a Devotion to Saint Joseph and such a Confidence in him that she stil'd him her Father and those that follow our Blessed Ladies advice in this particular may expect such a particular mark of her kindness and encouragement upon this account as she shew'd S. Teresa It happend that at Avila upon the Feast of the Assumption whilst Saint Teresa was carrying on the Foundation of that Monastery under the Name of Saint Joseph that one Day whilst she was at her Prayer she saw our Blessed Lady upon one side and Saint Joseph on the other shewing her extraordinary expressions of kindness and amongst others that which gave her an incredible Consolation was a familiar treatment our Blessed Lady us'd towards her takeing her by the Hand and giving her thank 's for her Affection to her doar Spouse and for her particular Devotion towards him After these thanks she ptomis'd her all sorts of Assistance in her Pious design and in confirmation of her Affection she made her a Present of a Collar or Chain of Gold with a Cross hung at it set with Precious Stons so resplendent as she never beheld the like This made Saint Teresa use her utmost endeavours to induce and perswade all to a Devotion to her Glotious Patron And without doubt were we so happy as to Converse with the Saints now in Heaven they wou'd joyn with her in perswading us to so Pious and Profitable a Work by their own Example For we Read in Saint Gertrud's Life that upon the Vigil of the Annunciation of our Blessed Lady she perceiv'd all the Saints in Heaven bow their Heads in honour of Saint Joseph whilst his Name was Recited in the Quire they looking upon one another with signs of Joy and Congratulation to see Saint Joseph Honour'd upon Earth as they Honour him in Heaven Since therefore the Queen of Saints and Angels and all the Saints and Angels themselves take such a Satisfaction in seeing Saint Joseph Honour'd can we think it proceeds from any other reason than because they see this Honour done Saint Joseph highly pleasing to God and most profitable to Man Wherefore let us upon this account renew our Pious Resolutions of rendring him all Honour and of Honouring him abore all next to Jesus and Mary Let us resolve to honour him all the Days of our Lives especially upon his Feast Days since ther 's none more Belov'd nor none more Worthy of our Love than he next to Jesus and Mary Who obliges his Lovers by all sorts of Favours Wins their Devotions by Miracles especially in matters of Life and Death both in Body and Soul as well for this Life as the