leaving thier malice they may beleeve in thee ô Lord Therfore he picked out a choosen people to shevv his wonderous povvre more signally to all the world by them that hearing all his precepts they should say behold a wise and vnderstanding people a greate nation Therfore he came himself and tooke flesh vpon him to satisfie for the synnes of everre one of vs and to give vs example of obedience to the lavv of God which he came to promulgate and aftervvards sent his Apostles and thier successours into the whole world with commandment to preach the Ghospell to every creature testifying that with the like assistance he will be with us to the end of the world II. To this vniversalitie belongeth the sweetnes of the lavv of Grace and the easynes by which we may come to the remission of our synns and to saluation for what ceremonie could be instituted more easy then that of baptisme VVhat means of remissioÌ„ of synns aftervvards committed more indulgent then that of private confessionâ— For whatever people ill disposed may think of it if an earthly Prince had appointed such a way of pardon for crimes committed who would not runn vnto it And this not once or tvvice but ten thousand thousand times to be had and in fine as oft as we shall have offended and when ever we will have recourse vnto it after never so long delayes or relapses VVhat shall I say of the helps internall by remorse and inspiration and externall by exhortation and example of which in the Church of God there is continuall succession and abundance what of the presence of our blessed Saviour in the Sacrament continually as it were wayting vpon vs and by it inviting vs. and puting vs in mind of our duty tovvards him That he would be in every Countrey Church attending vs is no small token of his vniversall love tovvards vs refusing no body neither rich nor poore nor lame nor blind nor the most noylomest creature that we can imagin Come to me allyee that labour and are burdened and I will refresh yee III. That he refuseth no synner though never so greate is particularly to be pondered as a signe of the vâ—niversalitie of his love of which though we see dayly example the Apostle testifyeth it in himself extolling this grace and giving speciall thanks that though before he was a blasphemer and a persecutour and contumelious in his thoughts and speeches tovvards Christ our Saviour yet he received mercy Ponder the hardnes which naturally we find among men to forgive offenses and compare it with what we experience in God and be confounded at thy ingratitude have recourse to his mercyes inlarge thy haâ—t in hope and confideÌ„ce and give not way to thoughts of diffidence for if thy synns be as scarlet they shall be whitened as snow and if they be as red as crimson they shall be white like wooll He gave vnto Salomon latitude of hart as the sand which is on the sea shore but what is this compared with the largenes of thy mercyes my God ready to forgive more offenses then there be sands on the shore and to receive into thy armes more offenders then the whole world is capable of One drop of thy pretious blood was capable to satisfie for millions of worlds what a sea then of mercyes hath all humane kind offered vnto it by thee my God to plunge and cleanse itself to the full O let me not be vngratefull Amen The love of God towards vs is vniversal because to every one in particular I. THis is testifyed vnto vs by the Apostle when magnifying the grace received by Christ he sayth I live in the fayth of the Sonne of God who loved me and delivered himself for me And is seconded by ovr Saviour to S. Gertrude saying Behold thou seest how for thy love I did once hang vpon the Crosse naked contemptible disjoynted in every member and wounded in every part of my body and yet to this very day my haâ—t is so sweetely affected towards thee by love that if it were convenient for thy good and that thou couldst not othervvise get to heaven I would for thee alone suffer all that which I suffered then for the whole world O my God! what am I in particular that thou shouldest thus lovingly expresse thyself Or what doth my particular import thee that thou shouldst be so tender of me O that I had the loves of all in particular to bestovv vpon thee who deservest all Blessed is he that vnderstandeth what it is to love Iesus c. II. That which our Saviour sayed to S. Bridget expresseth an other degree of latitude in this love for thus he is recorded to have spoken My love tovvards mankind is novv as greate and as incomprehensible as it was at the time of my passion And if it were convenient that I should die as many deaths as there be damned souleâ— in hell I would most willingly and with the greatest love that may be deliver my body to be tormented and would suffer the same death and passion againe for ech soule in particular which I indured for all This infinite charitie seemeth strange to men who measure the perfections of God by thier ovvne imperfection But the heavenly wisedome pronunced rightly of him Thou loâ— vest all the things which are and hatest nothing of that which thou hast made neither hast thou ordayned or made any thing hating it In so much that the very damned soules are punished though excessively yet beneath the desert of synne and hovvever he be a rigorous judge yet he desiâ—eth that in the later day he might find nothing to be punished for which end he gives vs day to repent to the very last and so many means to blot out synne and the remaynders of it III. To this end he reserved the blessed marks of his sacred wounds even in his glorifyed body that we should â—â—nd as it were so many gates layed open to his mercyes and that these might be a never dying memoriall of his paâ—t and future love both to vs to excite vs and to his heavenly Father with our further words to plead for vs for though neither he nor his heavenly father doe need incitements to love vs or remembrances not being subject to forget or to forgo thier ovvne loving natures yet out of thier superabundant goodnes they would that these marks should be reserved more efficatious to assvvage thier anger against synne then could the rayne bovv be against a second diluge O Blessed wounds layed wide open for my sake it seemes by you that the divine soule of my Saviour had more love for me then the earthen vessell of his body could contayne O that my soule were capable to receive the remaynder I did runne in the way of thy commandments when thou didst dilate my hart sayed they holy Proâ—het supply it with thy ardent affection stretch it to all
They know not what they doe who can be slovv to excuse or hard to accept of an excuse of an others falt hearing our Saviour excuse so apparent malice Also sayth S. Augustin no man must despayre of remission seeing it offered to them that were auctors of our Saviours death No man must be sullen when he is offended and thinke himself charitable enough if he sayes nothing or remits his quarell to God but remember they are sonnes of one Father and put on the bovvels of a brother and not be as strangets one to another III. Father forgive O. in hovv many things doe we all offend and dayly and hourely need forgivene Hovv much doth it import to forgive seeing our Saviour hath so often inculcated it vnto vs and put it in our dayly petition and absolutely told vs we shall have no mercy vnlesse we forgive our brethren from our harts Make vse of thy weake vnderstanding in spirituall things or apprehension of thy danger to pleade before him for thyself who is so willing to excuse and say Lord I did not knovv what I did when I did offend thee be a Father vnto me and forgive me say with the prodigall Child Father I have synned against heaven and thee and am net worthy to call thee Father but seeing thou lovest that tiile acknowledge me for thy Sonne though vngratefull and forgive me Father c. Of the words of our Saviour II. PART Preamble As in the former I. NExt after our Saviour had besought his Father to pard on his persecutours he pardoned the theefe vpon the Crosse and promised him the kingdome of heaven for his fervent confession for wheras there were tvvo crucified with him one on the right hand the other on the left and our Saviour in the middle one of them blasphemed our Saviour with the Iewes the other defended him acknovvledging his ovvne offenses and deserts and proclayming our Saviours Innocencie and begged that he would remember him when he came into his kingdomâ— Ponder first the disgrace put vpon our Saviour to be as it were the principall malefactour of the three crucified wherin notvvithstanding holy Fathes doe discover tvvo greate Mysteries the one that he lovingly presented himself both to Ievv and Gentill if the one should refuse and thirst his Innocent blood to thier ruine the other might make benefit of it to eternall welfare endeavour to be among them that make benefit and thirst after his sacred blood with love and veneration The other Mysterie is that in the very manner of thier crucifying thy represent that which in the latter day will happen when thse on the right hand shall be revvarded and those on the left cast of into eternall punishment II. Consider secondly The noblenes of this act of the good theefe standing for our Saviour when all the world allmost forsoâ—ke him see also what it is to be patient in affliction and humbly to acknovvledge that we have deserned it On the other side hovv little it did advantage the other theefe through his owne perversenes to be so neere our Saviour and reflect on the Judgments of God and that as no man must presume so none must despayre III. And Iesus sayed vnto him Veryly I say unto theâ— this day thou shalt be with me in paradise Ponder every word who to whome and with what assurednes This day with me in Paradise O blessed day and more blessed companie See hovv the peniteut and the innocent are associated and learne to contemne no body to judge or flight no body This day thou shalt be with me O let this day never end it is Paradise enough to be with thee blessed is he who vuderstandeth what it is to love Iesus c. Tho. a Kemp. l. â— c. 1. Of the words of our Saviour vpon the Crosse. III. PART Preamble as before I. THere stood beside the Crosse of Iesus his Mother ond his Mothers sister Marie of Cleophas and Marie Magdalen And the beloved deciple S. Ihon as appeares by that which follovveth But consider first with what constancie and resolution they all remayned there looke into the breast of every one of them one by one and thier affections of love and sorrow and faith and resignation see with whaâ— teares of compassion and love they lifted vp thier eyes to the crucifyed and then cast them dovvne vpon themselves hovv some of them embraced the Crosse and kissed the staynes of blood remayning vpon it Hovv they Harkened to every tittle that he spake Stand with them and harken for he speakes not to those rhat passe by be not ashamed be not afrayed stand by his Mother cast thyself vpon thy knees with the Magdalen bevvayle thy ovvne offenses c. He that persevereth may justly expect a word of comfort II. When Iesus had seen his Mother and the disciple standing whom he loved he sayed to his Mother woman behold thy Sonne and to the disciple behold thy Mother Consider what impression this speach made in the harts of both in regard of the thing itself and of the manner so vnexpected and at such an exigent ponder hovv in different senses these words might worke different affections in our blessed Lady Woman See hovv all looked vp but his eye was directed to his Mother Behold thy sonne Which Sonne Him vpon the Crosse Or by the Crosse Hovv ever what a change is here and yet what love and care doth my Sonne shevv concerning me c. And to S. Jhon Behold thy Mother What an honour was this vnto him and in him to vs all making vs adoptive Children to our Blessed Lady brothers to our Saviour so greate a good is it to stand hy the Cresse sayth Theophilact so greate a good to suck wisdome from our Saviours breast say S. Ambrose III. And from that houre the disciple tooke her to his owne Into his ovvne charge sayth S. Augustine to have care of her and to attend her Conâ—ider with what respect and dutifulnes and veneration he ever beheld her and provided for her remembring ever whose Mother she was Imitate this loving and beloved disciple and begge of her also novv that shee wil take the into her protection that by her means thou mayst obtayne according to those Mysteries forgivenes of thy synnes the kingdome of thy Saviour here and in the other world the companie and love of his saincts constancie in adversities and never to part from svveete Iesus whatever befall thee Of the words of our Saviour IV. PART Preamble Behold the sunne suddenly eclypsed and the heavens darkened at noone day and begge that this vnvvonted accident may stirre in thee some vnvvonted good affection And I. First to take heed that in middest of the graces of Allmightie God which shine vpon thee as the sunne at noone day darknes doe not suddenly through thy falt come vpon thee by the withdravving of his heavenly beames and vpon every change that thou findeâ—t bevvare
behold the vayle of the temple was â—ent into two parts from the top to the bottome and the earth did quake and the rocks were split and the sainâ—ts that had stept vose Behold these Alterations not without contentment that novv the hidden mysteries of the old testament should be revealed and the holy of holyes be knovvne publiâ—ely to all The very rockes and dull earth testifying the feeling which we ought to have of the indignities offered to our Saviour and that the hardest harts and people dead and buryed in synne and oblivion should reape benefit if they would by out Saviours death and passion Open thyself to thy Saviour divide thy hart into love and grief think of thy life past from the top to the bottome breake through the rockes of difficulties cleanse the sepulchre of thy hart from all corruption II. Imitate the Centurion who seeing what passed cryed out truly this man was just certaynly this man was the Sonne of God And multitudes of them that â—ere present returned knocking thier breast These are the affections which thou must endeavour to rayse in thy soule and many more which thou mayst learne of our blessed Lady and S. Jhon and S. Marie Magdalen reflect vpon the behaviour of every one of them and dive into thier invvard thoughts while they were expecting what would be further done to the dead body of our Saviour III. The Iewes besought Pilate that thier bodyes might not remayne so vpon thier Saboth but that thier thighes might be broken and so taken downe and the soldiers broke the thighes of the oâ—e and the other thoefe In what anguish may we imagin were the devout soules fearing that that cruelric might be done vpon our Savoiur also not knovving perhaps certaynly that he was dead or though they knevv it But the providence of God prevented their malice for coming to our Saviour and finding him dead they did not breake his thighes but one of the soldiers with a lance opened his side and instantly water and blood issued This speare went also to the hart of the Blessed Virgon and of the rest yet finding that he was dead before they applyed themselves more to the gathering vp of that Sacred blood and admired the my sterie of the â—vvo different liquors which S. Augustine explicareth in these tearmes The Evâ—â—gelist made vse of a very significant word when he sayed He opened to shevv that there in a manner the gate of life was set open from whence the Sacraments of the Church have flovved with out which no man enters into that life which is truly life IV. Open thy hart to our blessed Saviour and if iâ— payne thee here thou hast a lenitive Thou hast wounded my hart in one of thy eyes Sayth the spouse Hovv many darts are here by which thou mayest receive the like loving wounds Cast vp thy eyes frequently meditate continually of these mysteries enter into his sacred side c. say with the Prophct This is my resting place for ever here I will dwell because I have chosen it Of the taking downe from the Crosse and buryall I. IN the evening Ioseph a rich man of Arimathea and noble decurion iust and expecting the kingdome of God disciple of our Saviour in private came and boldly went to Pilate and demanded the body of Iesus and Pilate gave it him He is deservedly reported to be rich sayth S. Ambrose having received the body of Christ. But see the preparations to receive it he was just valuing the kingdome of God more then his wealth and hovvever private before novv he boldly professeth it devotion overcame feare and humane respects Asteeme of this gift above all gifts and think hovv and where thou wilt reserve it II. Ioseph having bought a syndon or rich winding sheete and taking him downe wrapped him in it Nicodemus came also who first came by night to our Saviour and brought a composition of myrrhe and aloes about one handred pounds and they bound up the body with them If the Apostles had buried him the Ievves would have sayed the had not been buryed as they sayed he was stolen But the iust man is he that wrappeth our Saviours body in white linnen the Innocent man inbalmes him doe thou the like offices bring one hundred pounds a compleate quantitie of faith and good works III. And there was in the place where he was cruâ—ified 〈◊〉 garden and in the garden a new Monument in which not any had as yet been layed cut out in a rock There therfore because it was night they layed Iesus and rolled a greate stone to the entrance or dore of the monument To the body of our Saviour Sanctitie and Virginitie is ever due a wombe vntouched conceived him a nevv sepulchre received him And deservedly is it cut out in a firme faith and a stone rolled to it because whoever shall have buried our Saviour in his breast must be carefull that he leese him not See also that thy hart be a garden well kept not a wildernes or full of weeds and neere to the Crosse that thou mayst be the surer to have him lodged in it IV. Forget not in the meane time the duties which our Blessed Lady and S. Ihon and the Magdalen did vnto him when he was taken dovvne hovv every one strived to imbrace him and reverently to kisse his feete and hands and side and could hardly be brought to relinquish him but that the time of day and precept of keeping the sabboth called vpon them which they dutifully obeyed retayning him still in thier thoughts and in thier pâ—ous discourses An Excercise in honour of the precious wounds of our blessed Saviour I. IT is likely that those devout persons who were actours in taking our Saviours body dovvne from the Crosse did severally thier respects to his sacred wounds all proceeding from love and mingled with it yet diversly according to the severall dispositions of thier minds and the occasions which they had to attend our Saviour in his life time S. Ihon betooke himself to the right foote and as more beloved then the rest expressed his gratitude in affections of love and thanksgiving for the particular favours receaved leaning his head vpon that foote as before vpon our Saviours breast and pouring forth abundance of teares for the absence of so loving a master He remembred the request of his Mother that he might sit at the right hand or at the left of our Saviour in his kingdome but novv he resolved to drink perpetually this chalice This should be his cup and his comfort till that other kingdome came to be revealed after this life miserable with out this releefe O svveete cup. c. Dominus regit me nihil mihi deerit II. The Magdalen was at the left foote where thou must begge of her to give thee a little roome to wash that foote with teares of sorrovv for thy severall offenses she is loth to yeald
stubbornes Yet God of his goodnes as S. Gregorie reflecteth permitted this accident that the incredulous disciple while he handleth the wounds in his masters flesh should cure in our hartes the wound of Infidelitie Prayse God allmightie his goodnes towards thee and beware of the falt discovered in the disciple reflect how vnreasonable it was for one to stand against so many and the more the longer that humour stuck by him Specially our Saviour having foretold he should rise againe Hovv many means doth God vse to prevent and to salve wounds and yet we will not be cured Behold thy wayes sayth the Propher reflect what thou hast done and thou sayedst I will not I have loved strangers and after them I will walke Hovv much better is it to keepe good companie and follovv it II. After eight dayes againe his disciples were with in and Thomas as with them Iesus cometh the doores being â—â—ut and stood in the midst and sayed Peace be to you Then he sayeth to Thomas put in thy finger hither and see my hands and bring hither thy hand and put it into my side and be not incredulous but faithfull Slovvnes in beleefe deserved slovvnes in the cure Yet S. Jhon Chrysostome puts vs in mind of our Saviours mercyes and goodnes who for one soule doth willingly shevv his wounds and cometh to save one and doth not expect till he begge it He reiterates the same signes againe coming the doores being shut and suddenly appearing in the midst of them and his wonted and knovvne salutation to styrre vs vp the easyer to beleeve and love him So he doth dayly in the course of nature and grace for who is the father of the rayne and who hath begotten the drops of dewe But he that is continually renevving his works for vs. Here thou mayest touch his omnipotencie and his goodnes and thrust thy whole hand into his treasures of mercyes and benefits and overcome all incredulitie and hardnes of hart and vnfaythfull serving of him and doe not content thyself with once or slightly touching vpon him stretch forth thy thoughts often to reach further and further into him III. Thomas answered my Lord and my God expressing both his acknovvledgement and his love confounded for his not beleeving and at our Saviours mildnes tovvards him beleeving novv not only that really it was his master but that he was truly God and God who to me in particular to me so vnderserving would vouchsafe to shevv himself so loving And where shall we improve these affections better then by touching the sacred wounds of our Saviour and entring by his side into his everloving hart where we may see and beleeve and yet not being overcurious to see be partakers of that other blessing contayned in the ansvver of our Saviour because thou hast seen me Thomas thou hast beleeved blessed are they who have not seen and have beleeved For wherfore should any man say I would I had lived in those times to have seen our Saviour working miracles c. we have the word of prophecie more sure which you doe well â—ttending vnto as to a light shining in a darke place The causes why our Saviour kept the marks of his wounds in his hands feete and side I. HE shewed them his hands and side and the disciples were joyed seeing our Lord. Not only at his preseÌ„ce as thier frend thier maister their Redeemer novv freed from so much affliction in which they had lately seen 〈◊〉 but for the glorie also and good which was to come 〈◊〉 and to themselves and particularly they wondred to see the markes of his wounds remayne in his side fecre and hands and could not sufficiently admire them diving to the reasons wherfore some reflect that they were signes of the love which he had borne vs and manifested in his life and sufferings for vs for as S. Bernard discourseth the secrets of his hart doe appeare through the overtures in his body his bovvels of mercy are discovered II. Others beheld them as inciâ—ements to love him the more and to venture thy more for him so S. Thomas reasoneth He shevved his hands to incourage vs to fight for him his side to inflame vs in his love his feete to egge vs on to runne in the path of his commandments His whole body to move vs to compassion O fountaine of love what shall I say of thee who hast vouchsafed to be so mindfull of me III. S. Ambrose tells vs that they strenghen our fayth and confidence in him they set an edge vpon our devotion considering that he would retayne these markes to represent them to his heavenly Father as pledges of our Redemption and pleaders for vs. Here the sparovv finds a house and the turtle dove a nest sayth S. Bernard In these the dove doth shelrer herself and without feare beholdeth the hauke flying aboute Say then with S. Augustin Behold I beseech thee ô Lord the wounds in thy hands for lo in thy hands thou hast writtâ—n me read thy ovvne hand-vvriting and save me IV. They incourage vs to suffer fot him for he that entreth into his wounds will not be so sensible of his ovvne And finally as they are a comfort to the good they will be a corrasive to the wicked when in the latter day it shall be sayed to them See the man whom thou hast crucified see the wounds thou hast made see the side which thou hast pearced By thee and for thee it was opened and yet thou wouldest not enter O blessed wounds give me leave that I may with reverence behold yee lovingly kisse yee humbly enter and constantly imbrace yee that neither life not death not any chance whatever may sever me from yee but that my love stronger then death may be eternally tovvards thee sweete Jesus who barest them for me Our Saviour appeareth to some of his disciples while they were fishing I. PART I. THere were togeather Simon Peeter and Thomas and Nathanael and the Sonnes of Zebedee and two others Simon Peeter sayed to them I goe to fish they sayed we also come with thee they went into the boate and that night they tooke nothing Thomas had learned not to part with good companie and they joyntly mingled competent worke with thier retirement and vpon the confidence which our Saviours presence vpon earth had given them they durst novv go forth of thier houses without â—eare of the Jewes but yet they tooke nothing that night not because it was night but to shew that all did not lye in thier industrie and labour besides that the ill successe of thier fishing was to serve to the more cleere manifestation of Christs glorie and resurrection III. In the morning Iesus stood on the shore yet they know not that it was Iesus He sayed to them Children have you any meate They answered him no He sayed to them cast the net on the right side of the
in darknes We know that we are transferred from death to life because we love our brethren he that loveth not remaynes in death And the colder our love is the more signes of death He layed downe his lifâ— for vs and we must lay downe our lives for our brethren He fedd vs with his whole life by example by word by labour by day and by night feede my lambs with tender love feede my sheepe with solid love feede every one to the proportion of his necessitie but with no small proportion of love III. Peeter was grieved because he was asked the third time but the asking shevves the necessitie of our inquirie and searching into our breasts whether there doe not lurke something that doth gaynesay our affirming and as for the comparative we must allvvayes avoyde it with S. Peeter here novv learneder then at the last supper when he sayed Though all be scandalized in thee yet not I. Lord thou knowest all things the secrets of my hart are secret from myself hovv oft have I been deceived in myself and hovv apt to be still deceived Yet I cannot but say I doe love thee and if I doe not I wil love thee I desire to love thee more and more Love all for Iesus love Iesus for himself Iesus Christ alone is singularly to be loved Thomas a Kempis lib. 3. cap. 8. num 4. Our Saviour foretelleth S. Peeter of his death I. VErily Verily I say to thee when thou wert yonger thou didst gird thyself and walk where thou wouldest but when thou shalt be old thou shalt stretch forth thy hands and another shall gird thee and lead thee where thou will not This he sayed signifying by what death he should glorifie God and when he had sayed this he sayed 〈◊〉 him follow me It is a kind of death also by which God is greately glorified when for the love and service of our neighbour we let him gird vs that is restrayne vs from that to which of ourselves we have a mind and doe yeald to anothers weakenes in that which is no offense to God or beare patiently even with offenses VVe may also learne here that the elder we grow the more we shall see that it is wisdome to suffer ourselves to be guided by others and not wed ourselves to our ovvne dictamens and desires specially if we reflect what hath been oftimes the result of follovving ourselves Confine thyself to the Tenets of the Church to the commandments of God and of his Church and to the will of thy superiour in that in which thou art subiect II. He say to Peeter follow me perhaps parting from the rest he intended to instruct Peeter more particularly concerning his Church and the government of it and desired that the rest should vnderstand it so but by occasion of it we may reflect hovv greate a dignitie it is to follovv Christ greater then whatever promotion and that those who have charge of others or pretend to the loâ—e of Christ more then others must follovv closer imitating his vertues and suffring for him Peeter turning saw the disciple whom Iesus loved following and sayed Lord and this man what Not thinking much that he followed also though not spoken to but for the love and courâ—esie which was betvvixt them he was desirous to knovv what was to become of him as well as of himself III. Iesus sayed to him so I will have him remayne till I come what is it to thee As if he should have sayed attend to thyself and thy ovvne busines leave the disposition of this matter to me when it shall be time I will manifest my will concerning him Follow thou me A document not to be inquisitive concerning others and also to beare willingly a reprehension in things which we doâ— or say with good zeale and intention Begge incessantly and labour to remayne with our Saviour to the end as the thing which most importeth vndervaluing whatever els in comparison of this O that I could remayne with him so that is beloved as the disciples worthy to be admitted to leaâ—e vpon his breast so pure so illuminated or rather so that is with that patience and love as our Saviour is content to remayne with vs in the blessed Sacrament and in our neglected if not synfull soules Dive not too farre into future things which are ever vncertaine Harken to our Saviour speaking sonne suffer me to doe what I will with thee I knovv what is good for thee Them à Kemp. l. 3. c. 17. He appeareth to the Apostles while they were at table I. LAstly he appeared to the eleven as they sat at table and checked them for thier incredulitie and hardnes of hart because they did not beleeve those that had seen him risen againe Lament thy ovvne slovvnes or slendernes in beleefe and hardnes of hart and observe hovv strictly he requires that we beleeve others and that we be not obstinate though we ourselves doe not see the grounds and depth of that which is raught vs Here he condescends to thier weakes because they were the first that were to teach others and presented himself to all because some had doubted but by this reprehension he gives them to vnderstand that thier doubts were not allwayes to de satisfied that way II. And he sayed vnto them Going into the whole world preach the Ghospell to every creature neither Ievv nor Gentil excepted he that shall beleeve and be baptized shall be saved but he that shall not beleeve shall be condemneâ— Reflect that the whole courâ—e and intention of Christs coming into this world and preaching and sufferring did not tend to the gaining to himself or vs any worloly prosperitie or delight but that we shouâ—d beleeve and knovv God to be our chiefe Lord and Master obey his commands and orders and so after this life come to be saved of which the promises to the Ievves of milk and hony were but a figure Christ reserving to his ovvne coming the increase of light in these supernaturall things and the extension of his favour to all nations In this knovvledge and dutie and in no other we excell all creatures fayling of it we become like beasts and in worse condition because subiect to eternall condemnation for not having lived like men subiect by nature to God and his lavves Give God thanks for giving thee this beleefe and life at this time when with ease thou mayest come vnto it III. Them that beleeve these signes shall follow In my name they shall cast out divells they shall speake with new tongues they shall take up serpentâ— and if they drink any deadly thing it shall not hurt them They shall lay hands vpon the sick and they shall be well these signes when ever it is necessarie doe still follovv and continue in the Church of God as we see by dayly experience buâ— mystically as S. Bernard and others doe discourse they dayly dâ—e happen for by the abundance of Gods grace
depart not in his love he leaveth not vs but we die leaving him Othervvise so long as we live he inviteth vs and worketh vs to his love desiring nothing more then that his love and ours should be Eternall III. O svveete Eternitie O strong and never fayling but ever loving Eternitie VVhat can a mortall and ever fading creature doe in requitall of such immortall love Of mortall to immortall of temporall to Eternall of man to God what comparison is there Betvvixt such bitternes as we offer him and such infinite svveetenes of love with which he inviteth expecteth and receiveth vs betvvixt such weakenes of affection on our parte and such infinite strength on his what equaliâ—ie may be expected Ours lyeth dead a long time before it begin his ever liveth with out beginning ours when it beginneth to live languisheth yet betvvixt life and death and staggereth oft whether it shall choose to live by loving him or die by leaving him though the difference betvvixt such a loving life and such a hatefull death be infinite his lasteth and liveth never decaying never wavâ—ting never fayling but allvvayes follovving and persuing vs till our dying day when both life and love must either live our die Eternally O love Eternall The first means to perpetuate our love to God by desires that our love had been eternall I. IT is not possible that our love should be eternall without beginning for our life is not with out beginning as there was a time in which we were not so there was a time in which we could not love 〈◊〉 was no time in which God was not he 〈…〉 time and before all time he loved vs VVhat shall we doe in recompense of this love Let vs at least stretch forth the armes of our soule which are our desires and fervently wish our love had been eternall without beginning shall we wish we were God For nothing is eternall with out beginning but God perhaps nothing can be so eternall but God alone But it is the propertie of love not to consider whether the things be possible which it desireth or not possible it is sufficient if affection be satisfyed in doing all that it can doe and in desiring a greate deale more then it shall be ever able to effect And even these impossible desires as they are pleasing to men when expressed by some outvvard signe because by them we see the harts of those that doe affect vs much more are they pleasing to God to whom all harts are open and who doth not measure our love so much by the shevv of the worke as by the poyse of the affection if the worke be not wanting when there is means to performe it let vs therfore wish that our love had no beginning but had been eternall as God not only in himself but also in his love tovvards vs is eternall God is more loved then vnderstood sayth Hugo Victorinus love entreth where knovvledge stands with out O that I could from all Eternitie have been with God and loved him Eternally as 〈◊〉 deserveth II. Let vs wish againe that at least from the first instant of our Conception we had been so happy as to have no sooner begun to be then begun to love that infinite goodnes by whom we had our beginning For as all gifts when they deserve least doe yet deserve we should love the giver this being of ours being the beginning of all other gifts even then deserved our love and if it had been possible for vs we should have presently turned our harts to God and as S. Ihon Baptist not long after his conception in presence of our Lord have leaped for ioy and love at the voyce of our creatour commanding vs to bee For even then he did greate things vnto vs and things most worthy of his povverfull hand when out of his infinite love he made vs capable of loving him That which was wanting then let vs supply novv and with inflamed affection love him the more fervently the more time hath been spent before We began to love him III. O Blessed Virgen Mother of the eternal lovel thrice happy doe I account thee though it were but for this alone that even when thou weret in thy Mothers wombe thou didst more perfectly love the giver of thy life then did ever pure humane creature love him in most perfect yeares were it not possible for vs novv to supply this want which we find in ourselves of love tovvards thy loving Sonne VVe may I hope by thy assistance and by conioyning our love with thyne not only love him from the beginning of our life but from the beginning of both thy life and love and restore him not only as many yeares as are past of our love but in recompense of former losses give all those yeares which betvvixt this and that time in which thou first didst begin to live thou didst spend in his love Therfore humbly trusting in thy favour but what doe I say I feate I am too bold Noe. Thy love doth beare it his love deserveth it all love requireth it I humbly conioyne my love and life with thyne that this little drop of my love being drovvned in that sea of thyne and both made but one life and love as a drop is made one with the liquor into which it is infused I may love him as he deserveth noâ— only as soone but before I began to be O blessed coniunction Thou didst desire that thy love had been Eternall to make it such thou didst ioyne it with the love of thy blessed Sonne and Eternally with him thou desiredst and beganst to love him My love therfore being novv one with thyne and thyne one with his all three make but one eternall love which triple knot of love God of his infinite goodnes ever please to continue Amen The miserie of most men bewayled and the happines of younger yeares I. THe happy coniunction which we may make of our love with the love of God and of our blessed Ladie may be an exceeding comfort to vs farre greater comfort would it have been if besides the condition of being but in time there had been no further distance But alas Hovv often besides have we made a breach of love betvvixt vs and God we were no sooner Masters of our love but we began to wast it lavishly as the prodigall child did his substance in a farre country from God cleaving in affection to the husks of his Creatures which the swine doe eate the externall appearance of the things of this world in which worldlings doe delight For they never enter by consideration into the substance of things created to feed thier soules with the goodnes and mercy and wisdome and povver and other infinite perfections of God who made them neither doe they consider to what end they were made to wit to incite vs and help vs the more to his love but as the psalmist speaketh like a horse or a mule who have no
And it hath been the drift of those saincts who have practised the retayning of the presence of God continually in thier thoughts doing whatever they doe as in his sight with affections to please him in what they can that is ever to doe his will in all things endeavoring to imitate our Saviour in that which he sayed He that sent me is with me and hath not left me alone because the things that please him I doe allwayes say therfore which the wiseman Entring into my house that is into the Closet of my hart and secretest retyrement I will rest with him for in the conversation with him there is no bitternes nor tediousnes in living with him but joy and gladnes Say with the Psalmist one thing aboue all others have I asked of our Lord this will I againe and againe seeke after that I may dwell in the house of our Lord all the daxâ—â— of my life that I may behold the pleasure the delight the sweetnes the beauty of my God Blessed sisters Martha and Mariâ— the one diligent in serving our Saviour the other attentive to heare his words both happy in his loving presence who can expresse the delight and benefit which you reaped by so desirefull a conversation for if by conversing with men we come to knovv them why should we not by conversing with God increase in his knovvledge and consequently in his love for in him there is no danger of discovering imperfection as too too often it happeneth in men How we are to imitate the height of the love of God II. PART I. OVr Saviour vpon his parting with his disciples before his passion gave them command to love one another and styled it anew commandment because thier love was to have the exâ—â—llencies of his love I give you a new commandment that you love one another as I have loved you VVe must therfore love our neighbour before he love vs as hath been sayed yea though it were impossible for him to love vs we must love him though he be vngratefull vnthankfull maliâ—ious tovvards vs we must love him though never so poore and vnable ever to requite our love and this not in words only or bare affection but with reall deeds and services according to our abilitie and ready for more then our abilitie seems able to reach vnto and as the Apostle adviseth we must not be overcome by any evill â—urne but overcome evill with good heaping coles of charitie vpon his head vnquencheable by whatever misdesert II. If we cast our eyes vpon our Saviour we shall moreover see that he was so farre from sparing himself in any thing for vs that he debarred his humane nature from that happines which was from the first instant of his conception due vnto it to the end to suffer for our sakes what is it then for vs to barr ourselves of the contentments of this world for the service of our neighbour S. Ignatius Founder of the Societie of Iesus left a president in this nature above the ordinarie strayne for discoursing of an offer which might be made of dying presently and going directly to heaven to inioy God for ever or of staying still in this world to doe him more service in the way in which he was he sayed that of the tvvo he would choose to stay though vncertain as he was of â—aluation if he might be sure to doe God any whit the more service not doubting but God would have care he should not periâ—h Here certaynly self love was not called to counsell nor slothfull pusillanimitie but perfect love and a true value of that which God deserveth at our hands had taken full possession of that vertuous and loving haâ—t causing him to prefert the service of God before whatever concerned himself though never so important III. The like doth happen in other saints who are so wholy absorpt in the desire and indeavour of helping thier neighbour for God that they wholy forget themselves and live and labour as if they had not bodyes as other men or as if the common infirmities did not worke vpon them such was S. Francis Xavier who passed neither for heate nor cold nor fayre nor foule weather nor stormes at sea nor dangers at land but all was sweete vnto him through the vehemency and sweetnes of his love in so much that he rather desired more and more to suffer that he might be more conformable to his Saviour who had suffered for him IV. O love which in my Saviour weâ—t more strong then death place thyself as a soale or marke vpon my hart that beholding thee I may never forget my dutie to God and to my neighbour for God place thyself as a badgâ— vpon my arme that all my works may carry a resemblancâ— of his love O that thou wert in me as strong as death which overcometh all things high and lovv rich and poore mightie and infirme beautifull and hard favoured noble and ignoble O that thou wert as fast holding as the very gate of Hell which keepeth its prisoners eternally captive Happy were this eternall captivitie for me for though to those who measure all things by sense and â—emporall contentment it would seeme hard indeed to be so toyled as the saints of God have been and a kind of Hell vnto them for those who knovv what it is to love and serve God it is a sweete captivitie and the harder we are held by love the easyer we shall beare the burdens of this life for even in this it is most true that nothing is hard to him that loveth The depth of the love of God I. PART I. THe depth of the love of God appeareth first in that when he had choosen to save vs by means of his eternall Sonne being made man for our sake and the life of that man might have been ordered severall wayes for our benefit he choose the most abiect way of living and the most paynefull and ignominious way of dying to be born of poore parents in an obscure cottage persecuted from his cradle and in the height of his preaching to be circumvented condemned as blasphemer whipped and scourged as a slave crovvned in scorne as an vsurper and crucified betvvixt tvvo theeves as a notorious malefactour This to the Iewes who expected thier messias to be glorious in a worldly way was a scandall and by the Gentills and worldly wise to this day is accounted folly The sensuall man sayth the Apostle perceiveth not the things which are of the spirit of God for its foolishnes to him and be cannot vnderstand because it is spiritually to be examined II. The depth of his love appeareth secondly in the vnsearcheablenes of it in that having vouchsafed to be the scorne of men and outcast of people for our sakes and suffered death for vs and the death of the crosse he would notwithstanding that the finall effect and fruite of all his paynes our eternall saluation
with so contemptible a weapon he was able alone to doe such execution vpon such a multitutâ— S. Hierome deservingly accounting it as greate a miracle as any other done by him we have reason to dread and to beware least through our misdemeanours his heavy hand doth not at last light vpon vs. Wealth will not avayle in the day of revenge but iustice will free vs from death III. The Iewes sayed to him what signe doest thou shew vs that thou doest those things Iesus answered disâ—olve this Temple and in three dayes I will rayse it againe the Iewes sayed in six and fourtie yeares was this Temple buylt and wilt thou rayse it in three dayes But he spake of the Temple of his body It was true of both the one and the other he had been able to have raysed in three dayes the materiall Temple if it had been demclished and he would insinuate that the Temple and all that which was done in it was but a figure of his body and of the humane nature which he had assumed to accomplish those figures in it so sayth S. Ambrose The body of Christ is truly the Temple of God wherin is wrought the purgation of our synnes that flesh was truly Gods Temple in which there could be no conâ—agion of synne but was itself the sacrifice for the synnes of the whole world that flesh was truly the Temple of God in which the image of God did shine and the fullnes of divinitie did corporally dwell The Iewes required a signe of his commission to vndertake such greaâ—e things as if that very Action had not been signe sufficient Yet our Saviour did not deny them a signe but referred them to that which had been figured in Ionas of him and prophecyed that is to vse thier owne Industrie and the ordinarie means of vnderstanding the mysteries so faire as is necessarie and not to be still asking new signes and still remaine vnsatisfyed because things were not according to thier fancy He instructs Nicodemus I. THere was of the Pharisees a man called Nicodemus a Prime man among the Iewes This man came to Iesus by night and sayed Rabbi we know thou art a Master come from God For no man can doe these signes which thou doest vnlesse God be with him He came by night held back as yet by the infirmitie of his profession as S. Ihon Chrysostome reflects and loved God but by halfes the other halfe the world had still in possession And by his speech it appeares he did not beleeve as yet that our Saviour was God but some speciall teacher or prophet sent from God testifying his mission by those signes Our Saviour finding that he retayned too much of the Pharisaicall spirit told him three things very strange and wholy contrarie to his and the worlds apprehension and humour for first he sayed Amen Amen that is in every truth I say vnto thee vnlesse a man be born againe he cannot see the kingdome of heaven as if he would have sayed you talk to me of greatnes but I say you must all become little and begin of new and take new wayes if you will enter the kingdome of God and when Nicodemus asked how can these things be done how can a man be born when he is old Our Savior repeated the same againe and told him moreover that now he must withdraw his thoughts from materiall and wonted obiects and things concerning this corporall life and think of a spirituall life the beginning and entrance wherof is baptisme and so to be born of water and the spirit was necessarie towards it This to naturall reason and common apprehension seemes strange and to some perhaps impertinent But no man hath ascended into heaven to know the secrets of Gods eternall disposition but he who descended from heaven the sonne of man who is in heaven To him the greatest Clarks must stoope and humbly receive from this greate Master that to which by strength of wit and industrie they cannot reach And to our dayly purpose besides the thanks which we owe to God for the benefit of baptisme and of faith S. Augustin puts vs in mind dayly to renew ourselves for sayth he wherfore should a body be borne againe but to the end to be renewed And wherfore should he be renewed but for that he is become old II. The second strange thing was that wheras Moyses had set vp a brasen serpeÌ„t in the desert to the end that they who were bitten by serpents should be cured by casting thier eyes vpon that figure so sayth our Saviour must the sonne of man be exalted that every one that beleeveth in him may not perish but have life everlasting as if he had sayed this very man whom thou doest so much reverence as a man of God must be exalted vpon the Crosse and die a shamefull death and vnlesse people doe notwithstanding beleeve in him aÌ„d follow him they cannot have life everlasting His person will be hated among you as much as those serpâ—nts of the desert yet you must fix your eyes of faith vpon him or ells you will perish As Moyses by Gods appointement placed that serpent for a corporall reliefe of those who were stroken by the same Gods appointment shall I be placed vpon a Crosse for the cure of those who have fallen into spirituall serpents jawes by synne III. And yet a stranger thing I doe tell thee God so loved the world as to give his only Sonne to be so misvsed and so tormented to the end that every one that beleeveth in him perish not but have life everlasting Thou takest me to be man only as other men and doest wonder that I so much favoured by God should come to suffer as I tell thee But the love of God is greater then to content himself to imploy a man only I am not man only but the only Sonne of God and yet I am to suffer as I sayed for mankind O strange thing o infinite love Tell vs ô blessed Ihon what doth this short word so signifie Tell vs the measure declare the greatnes teach vs the excellencie of this love God so loved ô love incomprehensible by man or Angel So that none can comprehend the reason of it why so why not otherwise O deapth vnsearcheable renew thy love dayly testifie it by thy actions declare it by thy conformitie to him in beleefe and life serve him night and day in publike and in private let no part of thee be wanting to this love that thou may not perish but live and love eternally Amen The Conversion of the Samaritan I. IEfus cometh to a citty of Samaria called Sicar and there was a fountaine or well of Iacobs Iesus therfore wearied of his journey sat so vpon the fountaine it was about the sixt houre There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water Iesus sayth to her give me to drink His disciples were gone into the citty to buy
arise so it be an hundred fold so it be worth an hundred so it please comfort delight and be to be beloved an hundred times more then other things what madnes is it that men are so slow in leaving a single thing for an hundred fold where is the covetous what is become of the ambitious VVhere are those who trafficke in this world Doth not he in vayne doe evill who might more advantagiously and more plesantly serve God then serve the world Workemen hired into the Vineyard I. THe Kingdome of heaven is like a house holder who 〈◊〉 forth early in the morning to hire workemen into his vâ—â—neyard and having covenanted with the workemen for penny a day be sent them into his vineyard And going forth about the third houre he saw others standing in the market plaâ—â— idle and he sayed to them go you also into the vineyard and 〈◊〉 what shall be iust I will give you And againe he weÌ„t forth about the sixt aÌ„d the ninth houre and did likewise And about the eleventh houre he weÌ„t forth and found others staÌ„ding and he sayth to them what stand you here all the day idle They say to him because no body hath hired vs He sayth to them go you also into the vineyard The vineyard is the Church and every on s soule the market place is the world the workemen the Apostles aÌ„d Apostolicall meÌ„ aÌ„d every one is workemaÌ„ to his owne vineyard wages is promised to the first the second and third to the last nothing is promised but yet if then they do their worke God will not be behind hand with them For any man to say he is not hired is an excuse of the idle God is the greate householder who froÌ„ the beginning of the world to the eÌ„d therof doth not cease to hire vs to doe his worke which is ours also for ours is the benefit if we performe it though however his is the glorie of it VVe have reason to acknowledge his goodnes who in all ages doth admonish vs of our dutie and is not fayling to send helps to instruct vs and to set the worke forward and seeketh our good to the last period of our dayes II. When the evening was come the Lord of the vineyard sayd to his Baylie call the workemen and pay them their hire beginning from the last to the first Therfore when they were come who came about the eleventh houre they received every one a penny But when the first also came they thought that they should receive more and they also received every one a penny and receiving it they murmured against the goodman of the house saying The last have continued one houre and thou hast made them equall to vs who have borne the burden of the day and the heates This largesse seemed to these men iniust but what answer did they receive VVhat instruction was given them The iustice of this distribution was not revealed to them neither were they admitted to view the hidden secret but to the end that they should refrayne from scanning Gods iudgements the goodnes of the mercy-full householder and the power of him that ordayneth all things according to his will was layed before them as if that of the Apostle had been sayed vnto them Who art thou that thou doest answer God III. He answering sayed to one of them frend I doe thee no wrong didst not thou covenant with me for a penny Take that is thyne and go I will also give to this last even as to thee Or is it not lawfull for me to doe what I will Or is thy eye naught because I am good So shall the last be first aÌ„d the first last for many be called but few elect The penny promised to all is life everlasting which is coÌ„mon to all that shall be saved yet in the same life there be degrees of glorie as betwixt starre and starre in the firmament If therfore we be admitted to life everlasting vve can have no wrong it being above any thing we can deserve and they who came later may have equaled the longer time of the former by their fervour and surpassed it we are not good iudges in our owne case it must be left to him who cannot be vniust Our eye cannot arrive to comprehend neither what in goodnes nor what in justice God may doe If we will keepe him our frend let vs not be over curious but apply ourselves to our vvorke and for the rest stand to his mercy which is infinite Many are called Take heed thou differre not to come because thou art assured to receive thy penny when ever thou comest say not to thyself He vvill give every one as much wherfore should I take more paynes VVhat he will give and what he will doe is locked vp in his owne breast Come wheÌ„ thou are called Equall hire is promised all but about the houre of working their is greate question Yong men may say we will come at the eleveÌ„th houre but no body hath promised thee that thou shalt live till the seventh see that thou doest not by differring bereave thyself of that which he otherwise vpon his promise would give thee Few indeed are choosen but those are of the elect who not despising their caller follow him aÌ„d beleeve him for men beleeve not but of their owne free choyce The raysing of Lazarus I. PART 1. THere was a certaine sickman Lazarus of Bethania of the towne of Marie and Martha her sister His sisters therfore sent saying Lord behold He whome thou lovest is sick and Iesus hearing sayed to them This sicknes is not to death but for the glorie of God that the Sonne of God may be glorisied by it And Iesus loved Martha aÌ„d Marie ad Lazarus As he heard therfore that he was sick he taried in the same place 2. dayes The faithfull are diversly tried some by losse of frends others by losse of goods and severall other vexations would to God I could see my flesh infirme and weakened that I lived not in flesh but in the faith of Christ for greater oftimes is grace in infirmitie then in health Sicknes and death are no signes of lesse love but as the sicknes was not to death because death itself was not to death but for the glorie of God so our infirmities are more for the glorie of God then our weake nature will give vs leave to imagin and when God delayeth the restoring vs to health we are so much the more to conforme ourselves by how much we acknowledge that his wisedome is greater and his love by taxying nothing the lesse I whom I love doe rebuke and castise sayth our Saviour in the Apocalips II. Then he sayth to his disciples let vs go into Iewrie againe the disciples say to him Now the Iewes sought to stone thee and goest thon thither againe Iesus answered are not their twelve houres of the day If a man walke in
offers himself to relieve vs because as S. Leo tells vs As he findeth no body free from guilt so he comes with intention to free every body let no body therfore despayre no body out of pusillanimitie conceive he may not receive plentie of his grace As all hills and hillocks must be humbled so all valleyes shall be filled that will not put a stop to the current of his grace III. The third is a right intention desiring and imbracing his coming and his wayes not for temporall comforts or respects nor delaying our amendment for any such considerations And if we can rayse our thoughts and affections to seeke him purely for his ovvne goodnes and deservings he will come the more welcome to vs. IV. The firth is resolution to breake with the wayes of the world and of people worldly given seeme they never so pleasing to sense and to furnish ourselves with confidence that by the help and example of our Saviour the way which he takes aÌ„d teacheth shall be easy though seeming at first never so hard A preparative for the coming of our Saviour II. PART I. COnsider him who is expected as he is God In the beginning that is before any thing from all Eternitie was the word that only word which eternally spoken by his Father contaynes all things in a word and the word was with God in the bosome of his Father in equall happines and glorie with him and God was the word one God one Essence one substance one all things with him This was in the beginning with God thus was the case this was the state the glorie the happines from all Eternitie and for all Eternitie of him that is expected And more over all thinges were made by him and with out him was not any thing made Which not only signifies vnto vs his povver and that not the least thing that is can be with out him but also that he comes voluntarily vnto vs not constrayned not ouâ— of any necessitie on his part but freely liberally gratiously offering himself vnto it not overavved by his Father but willingly accepting his and doing his ovvne pleasure in it Offer thy self to him sory that nâ—t from the beginning II. That which was made in him was life as in the fountaine from whence all that is came with out him nothing lives nothing moves nothing is Vnles we direct ourselves to him vnles we follow his commands our life is no life but a wandering to eternall death we are not living but continually dying In him all things bring life our infirmities our sufferings our wrongs born for him are life III. This life was the true light of men it is the propertie of light to expell darknes see that thy darknes be not so great as to resist it open thy eyes hope in him wellcome him intertayne him without him we can doe nothing but also many things there be which with out vs he will not doe A preparative for the coming of our Saviour III. PART I. HE was in the world and the world was made by him and the world did not know him O miserie O ingratitude what greater miserie then not to know so great a frend so neâ—re vs so ready still to doe vs more good and still doing good vnto vs What greater ingratitude then not to acknowledg him from whom we have all that which we have He came into his owne and his owne did not receave him Stir vp thy self to receave him and see thou be such as he may owne thee II. As many as receaved him to them he gave power to become sonnes of God to such as beleeve in his name He refuseth none that are but willing to receave him Be they slaves be they freemen sayth S. Ihon Châ—isostome be they wise or vnwise noble or ignoble rich or poore princes or private publicans or south sayers lame blind crooked he disdayneth not to adopt them his children O bounty vnâ—onceivable and nothing can deprive vs of this power but our selves III. Who not of blood nor of the will of flesh not of the will of man but of God are born As who should say nobilitie of blood and descent according to the world doe not heere avayle nor to have been the lineal sonnes of Abraham oâ— David c. not to have invented a religion voluntarie but faith in Christ and to beleeve in his name is the entraÌ„ce into this new pedigree and the means to become the sonnes of God Againe after we are adopted we must be carefull not to give way to flesh and blood aÌ„d to our owne crooked will but we must earnestly indeavour by puritie of life to mayntayne this right and priviledge which God by our redeemer expected doth offer vs. This I saye vnto youbrethren that flesh and blood cannot possesse the kingdome of God 11. Cor. 15. 50. A preparative for the coming of our Saviour IV. PART I. Consider to how many errors we are subiect in our vnderstanding against faith as among Infidels and hereticks and how far wide we are by our naturall streÌ„gth from the truth either coÌ„cerning God the Persons of the Blessed Trinitie the ResurrectioÌ„ and account to be giveÌ„ of our actions and thoughts and the true end why man was created how various and vnsettled mens minds have been and are in point of religion when left to themselves and yett a thing so highly concerning vs as an Eternitie of payne or blesse How much we needed an Infallible Guide and how much bound to God for sending vs one who is truth itself the Eternall wisdome proceeding from his owne mouth and the selfsame God with him to shew vs from end to end this life happily II. Consider the weaknes of our will prone to as many follyes as our vnderstanding to errors and even leading vs against our vnderstanding and knowledge to that which we know to be naught and consequently as much necessitie there is in it of a guide who with a strong hand should bring vs through the desert of this world and the many difficulties we find in it and inflame vs by his example to the love of the land which is promised vs. This our Blessed saviour the sonne of God is doing c. Thank him for it deliver thyself as a poore blind or ignorant pilgrim to be dirâ—cted and incouraged by him III. Consider to how many passions and changes in them we aâ—e subject and the troble which comes by them besides the offence of God and man Now angry now pleased vpon a trifle now sad now iocund now full of feares and frights now as foolish and fond in our hopes in so much that we make ourselves oftims a laughing stock to othes and are a hell to ourselves Our Saviour comes to shew vs a way how to rule these passions which most commonly overrule vs. Beg of him that he will lend vs his helping hand in it and resolve
an inch of place or minute of time because she knovves all is too little for her ovvne expressions Importunitie and compassion will overcome her therfore settle thyself to it and say who will give me as fountayne a flood of teares that I may bowayle the Sonne of God thus slayne for my synns O cruell synne that thus killest tvvo at once me and my Saviour and as for me I am worthy of a thousand deaths and will die a thousand times before I offend againe But he what hath he deserved The Magdalen did not ceafe to kisse but I must not cease to weepe that I may wash avvay that which hath thus stayned my Saviour O blessed Magdalen have compassion on me III. Joseph of Arimathia held the riâ—ht hand and as he offered his ovvne nevv sepulchre to our Saviour for his buryal and the winding sheete and other necessaries so he poured forth his harth liberally to him offering himself to whatever future service to him or his sory that his sepulchre was not more rich and the sheete more white and costly to wrapp so greate a treasure No pretious stone could have been equall to his desert no gold or sylver enough to garnish it ô that my hart were not too hard or too base to lay thee in it whatever it is take possession of it and of all that belongs to it Thoâ— art God of my hart and my portion God for ever IV. At the left hand Nicodemus stood not having alltogeather shaken of his feares therfore he brought a mixture of myrrhe and aloes about perhaps not full a hundred pownd weight For so long as we are yet living we cannot be alltogether without feare to be cast of to the left hand and a moderate feare is profitable tovvards the buryall of our Saviour in our soules because we are earth and with the humble is his conversation Minmingle this holy feare with thy love it will serve to bind vp the spices with the body that they be not sâ—attered abroad with vayne complacencie in thy selfe or in this very actioÌ„ to the preiudice of charyty tovvards thy selfe and of thy neighbour who is an other receptacle for our Saviour V. Our blessed Lady having the sacred body in her lap had the wound of his side perpetually in her eye and her thoughts occupied in conteâ—plation hovv he was God and man immortall and yet dead extreamely deserving love and yet thus vsed Behold the teares silently trickling dovvne her cheekes some times sighing some times lifting vp her eyes and repeating our Saviours words my God my God wherfore didst thou thus forsake him father forgive them O my sonne Other motherly expressions were not wanting which she tempered with her wonted vertue and with her sonnes command Weepe not vpon me She applyed herself to the duties of his buryall and had her thoughrs vpon his resurrection c. Of the Passion of our Saviourby way of repetition I. PART I. PLace thyself in a corner of the Counsell Chamber wher Cayphas and the rest are met and first wondering with the Psalmist why they should be so fierce against a man from whom every body received so much good and they might if they would and acknovvledging that doe what they can God will at last turne thier counsels vpon themselves Qui babitaâ— in coelis irridebit cos c. Turne thou also Cayphas his verdict vpon thyself and acknovvledge thy ovvne blindnes and backvvardnes tovvards thy ovvne good Vos neseitis quicquam For wheras it is the generall document of all spirituall men and experience teacheth that every one hath some principall bad inclination or vice to which he is most prone and which dravves vs after it into many inconveniences either we doe not search after it or knovving it we doe not prosecute the rooting of it out as it were fitting Expedit vt vnus moriatur homo infectus non tota gens pereat II. Transferre thyself from thence to the Chamber where our Saviour made his last supper and reioy cing to be rather in that companie heare our Saviour foretelling his Apostles of thier weaknes in forsaking him and in being scandalized and be not presumptuous as Perer was at that time but acknovvledge rather the contrarie that though all should stand yet I have cause to feare a fall and by experience doe find many reasons for it taking myself in so many occasions not follovving him as I ought but a longe a farre of God wot even where there is no such matter of difficultie to be striven with but doe take easy denyalls for good excuses III. Beholding him washing his disciples feete begge of him that by the example and merit of this humble action he will give thee more strength and wash avvay what ever may cleave to thee offensive or disturbing his service Amplâ—us lava me ab iniquitate mea More deare lord and more for I never cease to soyle myself Fall dovvne at his feete and wash them with reares as the Magdalen and doe not cease to kisse them If thou hast any thing superfluous sayth S. Augustine give it to the poore and thou hast wipâ—d our Saviours feete To thee it is superfluous our Saviours feete have need of it If thou hast any quarell with any body give it into our Saviours hands to be washed avvay for if it be not washed thou shalt not have part with him for ever â—hou knovvest not what thou doest if thou doest not forgive thou wilt aftervvard knovv it to thy cost Lord not this only but if I were a thousand times â—hore offended I doe intirely offer iâ— into thy hands and freely doe forgive as I desire to be forgiven for I cannot answer one for a thousand that thou art able to lay against me Repitition of the mysteries of the passion of our Saviour II. PART I. VVAlking in the Garden of Gethsemanie cast thy eyes vpon our Saviours sorrovvfull hart and knocking thy breast say ô hart of myne that hast been cause of this griefe O that it were a fountaine of water breaking forth at my eyes to bevvayle the synnes which he bevvayleth sorrowfull is my soule that it is not full of sorrovves O dullnes and drovvsines Is this a time when thou beholdest thy Saviour svveating dropps of blood betrayed apprehended bound haled outraged like a rogue and a miscreant VVhere be thy resolutions to suffer prisonment and death for him VVhy doest thou not imprison thy wandering thoughts and confine them to this dolfull spectacle VVhy doest thou not die to thy desires of esteeme and case seeing him so affronted and misused II. And they brought him bound to Annas first VVhere consider that though he receive the boxe on the eare thou deservedst it and by right the fellovv might have sayed to thee Sic respondes Pontifici Is this the gratitude which thou shevvest to the Priest of the nevv Testament who shedding his ovvne blood for thee hath redeemed
what he indured for even in the garden after his prayer he was another man then when we went in Then he was sorrovvfull as he sayed vnto death and it appeared in his very countenance and cariage but novv he was couragious and ready to meete his enimies and in all the affronts and indignities which were offered him either at Cayphas or Herods or Pilats palace he did not blanche III. Yet it could not but be very irksome and paynfull to him and with whar a Crosse did they load him when he was scarce able to stand and hovv cruelly did they rend of his garments from his bleeding shoulders and streach him and vnmercifully nayle him This is the sword of which old Simeon told me so many yeares since it cannot but pearce my very hart and soule with griefe and though he sayed he would rise againe the third day and I veryly beleeve it will be so yet what hart can think of these things and not even burst with sorrovv It will be night with me till that day comes which he hath promised O light of my â—yes when shal I see thee Me thinks I still heare him crying with a lovvde voyce Father into thy hands I commend my spiritt O Father returne this happy soule so commended returne it againe with glorie that we may see his face as in mount Thabour which mount Calvarie hath so defaced I â—ommend my soule into thy hands O hands of pitty Thou hast done justice enough vpon thy Sonne restore him that we may joy togeather in the meane time I shall expect with sorrovv yet resigned to thy will as he hath taught me Not my will hut thyne be done Amen Introduction to the Mysteries of the Resurrection of our Saviour I. THe Mysteries of the Resurrection of our Saviour being full of ioyful Communication with him who is in himself the fountaine of all happines and to vs hath been and is the source and conduitâ— of all goodnes the affections which are properly to be raysed and someÌ„â—ed by the consideration of them be those of love and ioy and Congratulation Admiration also and prayse of his loving goodnes desire of his presence in this world and in the next horrour of being separated from him detestation of the least beginning of a gap or distance betvvixt our soules and him And in these and in the like our time is more to be bestormed then in discourse 〈◊〉 every action and word indeavouring to fall vpon some such short reflection as may â—indle in ouâ— hart these flames of love II. The chiefe ground wherof the Apostle doth represent vnto vs and placeth in that God who is rich in mercy his exceeding Charitie wherwith he loved vs even when we were dead by synns quickned vs togeather with Christ and raysed vs up with him and made vs sit with him in the Celestiales Chiefly therfore we are to ponder from what and to what we are raysed where we lay and where we might justly have been layed by our offenses and where he offers to seate vs if we concurre with his grace and love Hovv Rich he hath been tovvards vs in what infinite proportion his Charitie hath exceeded and doth exceed When we were dead he gave vs life when we were buryed in synns he raysed vs and hath made himself our Harbinger going before to prepare a place for vs at the right hand as his father with him III. O Iesu is it possible that I should 〈◊〉 Companion to thee in Glorie who hast been so farre from consorting with thee in thy will and commandment O vnspeakable love ô vnconceivable Goodnes I wretched synner not worthy to lift vp my eyes to heaven with thee in the heavenly places ô Charitie exceeding all thought ô Mercy with out bound or measure What can I say of myself but that I am worthy of all confusion and thou preparest Glorie for me I have nothing to say for myself but that I have synned Blessed be thy infinite Mercyes towards me and blessed be thou with the Father holy Ghost for ever and ever Amen Our Saviours going downe to limbus Patrum I. NO sooner had our Saviour given vp his blessed Ghost but troopes of Angels who wayted against that houre attended him as after his victorie in the desert and accoÌ„panied his glorious soule towards limbus PatruÌ„ with songs and hymnes farre more full of lubilee then that which they sung at his nativitie The infernall fiends hovvled and roared at the arrivall of his forerunners commanding them to avoyde but much more at his glorious and triumphant presnce shining brighter then the sunne at noone day and more resplendent then all the heavenly hoast togeather Here they were forced to adore his glorified soule who had refused due homage at first to thier Creatour when themselves might have been in glorie by one act of humble dutie what a corrasive was this to them VVhat a document to vs VVhat comfort to the iust that had been confined so long to darknes novv to see so much light approching II. But he appearing in the midst of them and saluting them with the like salutation as aftervvards his Apostles Pax vobis what exultation VVhat Jubilee was there VVhat wellcomes on all sides VVhat congratulations tovvards him in regard of his victorie Tovvards themselves in regard of thier speedy releasement And if he appeared vnto them with his glorious body also as many affirme what admiration VVhat acts of compassion VVhat wondering that he would retaine the marks of his wounds What are these wounds in the midst of thy hands sayd Zacharie the Prophâ—t and he ansvvered these I received in the house of them that loved me And David remembred that prophecying he had sayed they have digged into my hands and feete and have numbred all my bones S. Ihon Baptist most ioyfull of any repeated his wonted saying Behold the lambe of God behold who taketh away the synne of the world and hath born the smart of it vpon his ovvne shoulders And all generally from Adam to the good thiefe extolled his mercies and novv not only vnderstood of what they had beeÌ„ a figure but gave him the ioy of having fullfilled all to his greater glorie III. Our Saviour also tooke particular content to see them all at once who had been subservient to the mysteries which he had accomplished and congratulated the iust for concurring with his graces tovvards the preserving of thier iustice and with the penitent for having recourse to his mercyes with those who had suffered persecution torments and death for his love and lavv for thier fidelitie and constancie giving them all novv with more feeling to vnderstand hovv wei bestovved was all that which they had done or suffered in the world and hovv greate mercy it was that they persevered to the end among so many millions who fayled and that they were not overvvhelmed in the deluge of synne but preserved in that of his sacred blood
attending him Thou needest in all things his assistance and canst not doe any thing but by his power O lumpish flesh of myne hovv hard doest thou make it to follovv thy Saviour Nature is craftie and dravveth many and inâ—angleth and deceiveth them and allvvayes hath itself for its end O poore end Christs Ascension II. PART I. IN heaven our blessed Saviour was received with hymnes of joy and exultation such as the holy Prophet David foresignified when he sayed Our Lord hath reigned and is clothed with beauty he is clothed with strength and hath girt himself to accomplish his worke from heaven which he began vpon earth He hath established a nevv world vpon earth his church which shall not be moved because it s buylt vpon a rock against which hell gates shall not prevayle His seate was prepared from the beginning of the world but he as God was before from all Eternitie wonderfull persecutions will be raysed against him but he will be more wonderfull by overcoming them as it hath been propheâ—yed of him And againe who shall ascend vâ—to the hill of our Lord who shall stand in his holy place He that hath innocent hands and a pure hart lift up your gates yee Princes O yee eternall gates be lifted vp and the king of glorie will make his entrance Who is this king of Glorie our Lord strong and powerfull our Lord powerfull in the combat c. And being seated at the right hand of his Father they all adore him with whom we must concvrre and so much the more because for vs was all his combat imployed and he is gone before to prepare us a place as parting with his disciples he told them II. But the Apostles stood amazed vpon the hill gazing tovvards heaven doubtfull perhaps whether he would appeare againe among them And as they looked stedfastly towards heaven behold two men stood by them in white garments and sayed yee men of Galilee why stand you looking into heaven This Iesus who is assumpted from you into heaven shall so come as you have seen him going into heaven He sends these blessed spirits as a restimonie that even from heaven he harh care of them and is not so de parted as to have layed aside mindfulnes of them in his greatest joy and prosperâ—â—â—e He is to come againe but not now presently and subiect to the miseries in which you have seen him but in glorie as when he went novv from you Why stand you looking only vnto heaven fall to the performance of that which he hath commended vnto you and commanded so shall his coming againe in glorie be a comfort to you In this shevv yourselves Men of courage and resolution overcoming the instabilitie of your nature This is Iesus who is assumpted from you and as he by fulfilling the commands of his father and by suffering went into heaven so make account you are to doe to attayne the eternall revvard which he hath prepared for those who obey him III. Then they adoring returned to Hierusalem with greate ioy and continued with one accord in prayer Thus the parting which naturally might have bread griefe turned to greate ioy and comfort they revereneing our blessed Saviour in their minds no lesse then externally adoring him and perhaps the print of his sacred feete did even then or soone after appeare as is recorded which was a continuall refreshing to them Observe in the meane time tvvo notable effects and signes of Gods spirit to wit vnion and love of prayer for from whence could it othervvise come that they who before were delighted only with thier trade of fishing and were ready vpon the passion of our Saviour every one to parte vpon his severall occasions should novv hold so fast together and love retirement and devotion loyne thyself to this blessed companie often behold the ioy in which novv they are and hovv they arrived to iâ— persever in the vnitie of holy Church have recourse to the blessed Virgen and the Apostles that by thier inâ—ercession and imitation thou mayest come to see Iesus in glorie and adore him with eternall comfort Amen Considerations moving to the love of God and of our Neighbour Introduction I. OVr blessed Saviour vpon his parting with his disciples before his passion in the long speech which he held at that time did particularly commend vnto them the love of himself and of one another He that loveth me shall be loved by my Father and I will love him and manifest myself to him and v. 23. If any love me he will keepe my word and my Father will love him and we will come to him and make abode with him And Chapter 15. As my Father hath loved me I also have loved you abide in my love And concerning the love of one another a new commandment I give you that you love one another as I have loved you In this all men shall know that you are my disciples if you have love one to another This interim therfore betvvixt the parting of our Saviour from his disciples in his ascension and the coming of the holy Ghost may be not vnfitly imployed in considerations moving vs to the love of our Saviour and of our neighbour both to solace ourselves in his absence and to dispose vs the better to receive the spirit of love For doubtlesse the more we resemble him who is the eternall love of the Father and of the Sonne the more inclinable he will be to communicate himself in more abundance and he that sends him finding the dispositions allready layed will willingly accept of the dvvelling and direct him to it II. S. Paul in his Epistle to the Ephesians considering the abundanâ—â—iches of graces and glorie which are communicaâ—ed to vs by the merits of our Saviour Christ stroken with admiration breaketh forth into an affectionate prayer that they and in thier person all Christians strengthened by the holy Ghost inwardly in thier soules might come to know and to comprehend so farre as our poore capacitie is able to reach the breadth the lenght the height and the depth of the exceeding charitia of our Saviour surpassing all 〈◊〉 To the end doubtlesse that being filled with abundance of the same charitie we might ansvver with some proportion of love tovvards him â—â—kindled by his and in some sort correspond to the infinite measure of his charitie tovvards vs and have latitude in our love tovvards him and longitude and depth and height as he tovvards vs hath had all these dimensions in a proportion vncomparable III. To this purpose it will not be amisse to inlarge our thoughts vpon these considerations as foure excellencies to which all other properties of his love may be reduced and by them we may best see what measure of love in all reason God may require of vs and learne more perfectly by our ovvne experience the lesson which S. Bernard teacheth that the cause of our love tovvards God
an end not because they are weary of troble with themselves or others but because love is increased and established by the presence of the parties who doe love and especially by such an all seeing and all inioying presence by which we discover infinitely more the infinite perfections of God with out the least alay of imperfection infinitely more then we can possibly arrive to vnderstand in this life by all the naturall and supernaturall knovvledge which we have and by this blessed preseÌ„ce we are ourselves perpetually coÌ„firmed in love without any danger of fayling in the least duty of correspondence and finally we are made more capable and never weary of loving him because we still discover more and more that he infinitely and incomprehensibly deserveth the eternall continuance and perseverance of our love towards him Say therfore with the Apostle I desire to be dissolved from these mortall bonds which aggravate and depresse my soule from that perfection of love which a sincere hart desireth and thou my God deservest I defire to be dissolved if not out of perfect love which excludeth feare yet out of such love as breadeth a filiall feare of offending and lothnes to continue in the least danger of leesing or lessening thy love II. O dreadfull danger a danger worse then death itself With what exquisite manner of all corporall death would I not willingly redeeme this hazard What hazard would I not most joyfully runn to purchase an eternitie of never offending my God O pretious Eternitie One thing I have asked of my lord God this I will againe and againe require that the very houre and moment that he seeth me inclining to offend he will rather call me out of this life then permit me to fayle in his love Happy man If I be thus prevented who will give me wings as of a dove and I will fly from this death of synne which doth hang over my head ô love of my deare God! How long shall I abide this hazard of leesing thee who art my only true life III. I doe not envy any thing more in the blessed sainâ—ts and Angels of heaven then that thier love to God is continuall with out intermission constant without waâ—ering certayne without feare of leesing it or of relenting Eternall with out end of loving neither can death be truly welcome for any other end more then that it may be a beginning of this loving Eternitie O Eternitie of love what time can be sufficiâ—â—t to dwell vpon so loving a consideration What houre or minute of my life should passe in which I should not be found still loving thee my God and still exercising acts of thy love in haâ—â— and deed Print this thy love sweet Jesus in my hart by thy bitter Passion and by â—hy sacred wounds what better seale then thy loving self VVhat stronger wax then thy sacred blood What highter â—ire then thy eternall love O that my soule were â—he whitest parchment worthy to receive such a noble impression which being presented and vnfolded in thy eternall Consistorie nothing might appeare written in it from the beginning of my life to the end therof but Jesus my love my love sweete Jesus Amen How we ought to imitate the Eternitie of the love of God in the love of our Neighbour I. THe â—ternitie of love which we indeavour after our meane kind of measure to expresse in ourselves towards God in answer to his eternall love towards vs the same it is fit we should practise towards others in imitation of this first excellencie of his infinite love both to fâ—ee ourselves from that inference which S. Jhon makes that if any say I love God and hatâ—â—h his brother be is a lyer and from that imperfection to fullâ—ll the commandment which we have of it for so the same beloved disciple assureth vs This commandmâ—◠〈◊〉 have from â—â—d thaâ— who loveth God loveth also his â—rother and againe he that hath my commandments and keepeth them he it is that loveth me II. VVe must therfore love our neighbour even before he loves vs and when he gives vs no occasion to love him but rather occasion of hatred by his â—hvvart demeanour tovvards vs or ill cariage tovvards God Againe we must never be weary of loving him or of doing good vnto him or for him we must with greate patience and longanimitie beare his dayly and continuall imperfections and offenses neither wondering nor impatiently grudging at his often falling or hard measureâ— nor pusillanimously sitting dovvne thinking hovv to fly and retire from such companie to others with whom we imagin we shall have no such troble but imitating the charitie of God and patience of Christ and saying with S. Augustine if the vessels of flesh be narrovv let the bounds of charitie be enlarged that is let men be infirme and troblesome and synfull hard to be ruled harder to accommodate themselves to my disposition or conceiâ—e it is the nature of flesh and blood to be so my charitâ—â— shall not be so scant as not to out-reach all this and persever to the end in bearing that so I may fullfill the lavv of Christ and imitate his love III. O love of my God more strong then death for death could never have overtaken my God vnlesse love had yealded him into his hands This brought my deere Saviour to the death-bed of the crosse and did not suffer him to come dovvne from it for any of the vpbrayding-scoffs with which the Ievves did taunt him nor for any weaker motive which humane frayletie might have suggested nor for any fayre seeming reason which worldly wisdome might have invented but being stretched vpon it to the vtmost as he had began to love vs from the beginning of his not only mortall but immortall life so hâ— resolved to yeald vp his last breath and blessed Ghost for vs that this his â—ying for our sake might be a most evident testimonie of his never dying love seeing he choose rather to leave this life then to forgo our love O that my hart and soule were wâ—oly absorpt in this thy eternall love that I might dye by thy love who didst die for the love of me and die rather then relent in the least point of love tovvards thee or tovvards my neighbour for thee Amen The latitude or Vniversalitie of the love of God I. THe latitude of the charitie of God is the Vniversalitie of his love extending itself to all in generall and to every one in particular He will have all men to be saved sayth the Apostle and to come to the knowledge of the truth and the beloved disciple he inlighteneth every man that cometh into this world Therfore when he had created man he added his commandments and precepâ—s that if he would keepe his commandments they should keepe him Therfore he punisheth synners in this life by peeces puting them in mind of that in which they have offended that
vniversalitie of spirit professe themselves to be ready to assiste all nations and confine themselves with in no bounds of countreyes or persons or pious imployments by which they may any way advance the salâ—ation of thier Neighbours to the end that having once opened thier mouth and hart to God in this vniversalitie they doe not aftervvards relent aÌ„d our of pusillanimitie or self love streighten the bouÌ„ds which they have once promised should be none at all IV. O blessed Apostl who couldst say I most gladly will bestow and will myself more over be bestowed for your soules though loving more I am loved lesse How well didst thou Follow the example given thee by thy Saviour who bestowed vpon vs all that which we have and himself moreover in â—o large and loving a manner as to man is incomprehensible and is so slenderly rewarded by vs labour and miserie and much watching hunger and 〈◊〉 and much fasting cold and nakednes could not streighten thy love not whatsoever danger of thy life be a means to inlarge this spirit in the harts of those who have dedicated themselves to the like imployments The height of the charitie of our Lord. I. THe height of the charitie of God and of our Saviour is the supetexcellencie of his love for love being two fold one by which we love because we doe or may receive benefit the other by which we I ove to benefit it is evident both that this second is the more excellent and that the love of God â—ovvards vs could not have the imperfection which the first doth involue Let vs love God because God hath first loved vs sayth the beloved disciple which considering before we were we could not love is of itself apparent and considering to what end he loved vs to wit to communicate himself to vs first by sayth then by cleere sight and inioyment of his glorious self we may take a scantling according to our weake apprehension or dull affection of the excellencie of his love tovvards vs seeing nothing can be more eycellent then to see and injoy God All that we see or heare of in the world was created for our benefit yet all that is nothing compared to one minute of time what then to an eternitie of injoying God O if thou hadst seen the eternall crownes of saincts with how much glorie they now exult who were contemptible and not thought worthy to live c. II. A second degree of excellencie of the love of God is that which the Apostle doth reflect on and with reason doth dilate himself vpon it to wit that not only when we were nothing but when we were synners when we were enimies when we were weake and infirme full of vlcers and sores he loved vs and was beneficiall vnto vs when we deserved his hatred he did not only not execute it to the full vpon vs as we miserable creatures are wont to doe vpon one another but spared vs had compassion on vs releeved vs. God commendeth his charitie towards vs in that when we were yet synners Christ dyed for vs This is charitie which surpasseth all knowledge and all conceite of man for as the same Apostle discourseth A body can scarce be willing to diâ— when of necessitie he must or when by justice he is condemned perhaps for a good cause or for defence of that which is right a body may dare to die but for his enimie for one that taketh away his good name and as much as is in him his life who is there that would thinke of offering himself to die O my God in this thou shewest thyself to be God that is all goodnes and all love give me grace to love thee at least for this thy love and die that I may not die by syn III. Yet a third excellencie is to be reflected on which the same Apostle suggesteth to wit that God did not spare his owne Sonne but delivered him for vs all In the infinite treasure of his divine knowledge and goodnes there could not but appearâ— divers means to expresse his love and exercise his mercy towards vs yet this offering itself as the most convenient in all respects he did not spare it though the most pretious jewell of his heavenly Cabinet the neerest and deerest treasure of his divine breast but gave it for vs and who are we You are bought with a greate price it is reason we should glorifie and beare God not in our minds only but in our body also in our harts in our tendrest affections and let nothing have place where nothing can be spared from him who sparing not his owne Sonne gave vs all things with him and in him more then all what can the world give thee with our Iesus He that findeth Iesus findeth a greate transure Th. a K. l. 2. c. 8. n. 2. How we are to imitate the superexcellencie of the love of God I. PART I. TO love God to benefit him more theÌ„ allready injoyeth is impossible we may notwithstanding comply with the excellencie of his love by wishing him all the good which he hath and being 〈◊〉 glad that he is as he is which is the part of a frend to an other frend that is superiour to him And we may dilate our thoughts and affections of this nature congratulating him his Eternitie his Immenâ—itie his Omnipotencie his Bountie his perfection in all kinds and professing ourselves to be hartily glad that he is so This is the expression which the Seraphims doe make who assist before the throne of God covering thier feete as short in conceiving or affecting so greate perfections but yet stirring vp one another to prayses such as they are able repeating Holy Holy Holy is the Lord God of Hosts full is heaven and earth of thy Majestie II. To this Kind of love belongs the desire that all the world should know him and serve him and the sorrow that he is offended and that we are so short of vnderstanding what he is and of loving him as he deserves let vs therfore say with the VViseman Glorifying him so much as you can be will yet exceed and wonderfull is his magnificence Blessing him exalt him so much as you can for he is greater then all prayse Exalâ—ing him put forth all your strength be not wearied for you shall not comprehend him Many things are hidden greater then these for we have seen few of his works To this also belongs the desire of even being with God in Prayer and in other services belonging to him not for the benefit which comes to vs by it though it be greate but because he deserves to be continually attended and served which was the ground vpon which our Saviour retired himself so often to Prayer and spent whole nights in it and when he was but twelue yeares old answered his Mother did you not know that I must be about those things which are my Fathers
should depend vpon our correspondence with his graces and consequently that his infinite merit should be in a manner in greate part lost by our vntovvardnes or at least hazarded which as on the one side to those who indeavour to make vse of his love it is a greate incitement to love him the more who for the fruite in a fevv would suffer and taketh from all men all occasion of despayre so on the other side by reason of our weakenes it doth necessitate vs not to presume but to live in feare for the time of our seiourne and to labour by good works to make sure our vocation and Election VVhich designe of his we must everence and lovingly submiting to his divine ordination industriate ourselves to concurr the more diligently with it and with his love tovvards vs in it III. The depth of his love appeareth in the extraordinarie vocations of some and graces extraordinarie bestovved vpon persons oftimes in which we cannot only not discover any merit but rather much demerit and desert of the contrarie of whom that saying of God and of the Apostle comes to be verifyed I will have mercy on whom I have mercy and I will shew mercy to whom I will shew it And with good reason for he is Lord of his gifts and free to give of them more or lesse to whom and when he will So that as we may admire and must reioyce and not envy when he doth bestovv them so we must not grudge when and where he doth not bestow them but attend that our eye become not naught because he is good as our Saviour himself once answered IV. O my God! give me grace so to consider this thy love that I may increase in love tovvards thee give me grace that by measuring this thy greatenes I may grovv greater in thy favour and by reaching to thy height wax higher in thy sight and by diving into the bottomles depth of thy infinite charitie sink deeper into thy love that being wholy absorpt in it I may ever find myself wholy drovvned in thee my God my love Amen The depth of the love of God II. PART I. FInally in this matter of the love of God it will be profitable to reflect with a devout personage of this age I. First that it was not possible for God to create man after a heigher modell then according to the image and similitude of God 2. It was not possible to create him for a heigher end then the cleere vision and fruition of God 3. It was not possible to give him a greater Gift then God himself and all creatures 4. It was not possible to give him a heigher or more noble imployment then to serve God and in some sort to serve himself of God to deâ—â—â—e in a manner himself and others 5. It was not possile to give him a more perfect Guide in his pilgrimage then our Saviour and the holy Ghost 6. It was not possible to feed him with more choyce sustenance then the body and blood and divinitie of our blessed Saviour 7. It was not possible to expresse a greater esteeme of man then by shedding his blood for him 8. It was not possible to give him a greater motive to abhorre synne then that God dyed to abolish it 9. It was not possible to give a greater ground never to despayre then by constituting himself his Advocate 10. It was not possibble to inable synfull man to coâ—rrespond to these and other his benefits but by giving him the merits of Christ dignified infinitely in his divine person by which we satisfie to the full for our offenses and gayne a proportion in our good works to the rewards promised II. O infinite goodnes O immense charitie O love imcomparable Where shall I find either conceptions or words or strength to expresse the least part of my greate obligation to thy love â—hat hart can love thee enough 〈◊〉 tongue prayse thee VVhat forces serve thee as thou deservest Help me yee blessed Angels and saints of heaven Assiste me all yee oreaâ—utes of my loving God O that I had so many tongues to prayse him so many harts to love him I knovv not what to say but with hart confounded and blushing countenance to offer my love and service such as it is conioyned with his because he is so pleased and begge of him that he will please himself with it and with his ovvne merits for otherwise whatever I can offer is nothing and that all creatures in whom he is most pleased will incessantly praysâ— him and glorifie him Amen The coming of the holy Ghost vpon the Apostles in firie tongues I. PART I. OVr Saviour vpon his Ascension had willed the Apostles to remayne in Hierusalem till they should be induâ—d with power from above which they observed carefully persevering together in prayer with our blessed Lady and others when behold the tenth day â—arely in the morning there was suddenly heard a sound from heaven as of a mightie wind and it filled the whole house where they were sitting and there appeâ—â—ed to them parted tongues as it were of â—ire and it sat vpon every one of them and they were all filled with the holy Ghost and began to speake with divers tongues as the holy Ghost gave them to speake Prayer and obedience and agreement together were dispositions novv as well as afterwards effects of the holy Ghost He came suddenly vpon them to teach vs perseverance in our devout imployments for we know not at what houre our Lord will come in prayer or reading or charitable action the wind was a token of dispersing the Cloudes of ignorance and deceite to which we are subiect with out the assistance of the holy Ghost and no wonder that is was a strong wind considering hovv closse the fallaciâ—s of the world doe stick vnto vs and hovv they are apt to possesse themselves of every corner of our house that is of soule and body The parted tongues as of fire signified the spirituall flame and fervour infused into thier harts and was then to manifest itself by thier tongues publikly and privately to be imployed in the prayses of our Saviour and of his law according as the holy Ghost gave to every one Begge of him every one of these his gifts and dispose thyself to receive them II. Consider that though the wind and firy tongues were figures of the inward operation yet the gift this day communicated was not only the proportionable effects wrought by the holy Ghost but the very person of the holy Ghost communicated vnto them and vs working these effects And as in the Incarnation of our Saviour the holy Ghost in person overshaddowed our blessed Lady so here he descended vpon the Apostles and the rest there gathered together though in such different measure as he thought good to communicate himself where we have cause to admire and adore the goodnes of God who would imploy his owne person in our
points enough both for beleefe and practise which might have averted them Prayse God for all and have confidence in him c. The Mysterie Of the Mysterie of the most Blessed Trinitie I. A Principall effect of the coming of our Saviour into this world was the declaration of the Mysterie of the most Blessed Trinitie hidden even from the Iewes though the chosen people of God and not mentioned but in very darke and hidden resemblances But our Saviour did openly proclayme it specially after his resurrection commanding his Apostles to baptize all nations in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the Holy Ghost as three persons equall in all things and one in name that is in povver auctoritie and essence wherin we have cause to admire and adore the force of the light of the holy Ghospell by which our Saviour intending to abolish the beleefe and worship of many Gods brought in by the craft of the divel working vpon mens corrupt affections and desires established the beleefe of one true God yet so that they should beleeve in that one essence three persons equall to one another though vnder Appellations which according to our meane expression might signifie inequalitie it being impossible for vs to conceive the divinitie cleerely as it is â—ayth therfore must supply that which reason cannot comprehend and with reverence submit to what our vnderstanding cannot reach Adoring equally in three and one the Omnipotencie Eternitie infinite knowledge and goodnes and all Perfection the Immensitie the Immutabilitie the Beautie the sanctitie of God contayning all and more then we can imagin by the help or comparison of all creatures and all most perfectly and with out multiplicitie in one II. Adore the Father as the incomprehensible source of the divinitie with out beginning and of all things created in time when he thought fit to give them a beginning Adore the Sonne who being equall to the Father vouchsafed for our sakes to take vpon him our humane nature to instruct vs by word and example and by his sacred blood shed vpon the crosse to wash avvay our synns and open vs avvay to the eternall inioying of God by perseverance in his commandments Adore the Holy Ghost as the mutuall and recipâ—ocall love of the Father and Sonne the Auctour of our love tovvards God the cause of our adoption by his grace infused and by himself inhabiting in our soules the spirit of truth which leadeth vs into all truth and by his heavenly lights disperseth the clouds of darknes and facilitates our way to heaven by his heavenly vnction III. Adore all three in one one in nature one by consent one in operation Begge of him that we may be one with him by submission to him and to his blessed will one by constant fayth one by never decaying love one by operation esteeming ourselves in all our woâ—ks as instruments of his divine pâ—wre and goodnes and so disposing ourselves in thought and action that we may not differ from him in the least which he of his goodnes grant Amen The obligation which we haveto love God I. PART I. SO soone as Moyses had declared to the people of â—srael that God was one he instantly inferres the commandment of loving him Heare Israel our Lord God is one Lord. Thou shalt love thy Lord God wiâ—h thy whole hart c. And our Saviour in his answer to the lawyer tells vs it is the greâ—test and the first commandement and with reason ought we to think so and accordingly apply ourselves to love him For as we were worse then beasts if we did not love those who are beneficiall to vs much more if welove not God from whom we have absolutely all that we have The law therfore of nature doth impose this vpon vs so soone as we come into the world vpon which account S. Thomas and other divincâ— doe hold it a greate offense if so soone as we come to the vse of reason in our Childhood we doe not turne ouâ—â—arts to God with loving acknowledgment that he is ouâ— creatour and Lord. And the holy Text infinuates as much presently after the commandment saying And these words which I command thee this day shall be in thy hart and â—hoâ— shalt 〈◊〉 them thy Children to wit that they may knovv thier duty in time II. It is also the first commandment in dignitie and excellency for it hath the highest obiect that can be to wit God and the noblest way of service to wit for love not for feare of punishment oâ— hope of reward but riseth vpon consideration of his greate excellencie With in himself and greate goodnes tovvards vs. And besides it gives vs the greatest excellency that we can attayne vnto in this world and prepareth farre greater in the world to come for as by loving base things we become base and contemptible so by loving God and other things as they belong to God we become â—onoâ—rable in the â—ight of God and men and there can be no greater honour and excellency imagined then that to which those have risen who have loved God in perfection Iâ—I It was like wise first in the intention of the lavvgiveâ—s all other commands and directions and indeed all the works and wonders of God which he hath shevved vs tending finally and properly to this that in thought word and deed we should expresse our love to him for how could any thing subsist if it had not been thy will or been preserved if not called by thee Thou sparest all because they are thyne â—o Lord who lovest soules As he therfore did and doth all things out of love so is it expected from vs that all should proceed from love and further more as in the naturall love of one an other we must not only not shew aversion from the thing which our srend doth not synfully love but even observe his wayes of proceeding much more ought we to love that which God loves and commands because we love him and he loves vs for which reason the Apostle sayth The fullnes of the law is love even of our neighbour because we love him for God IV. It is the greatest command because most necessarie of all other precepts as with out which no other iâ— thoroughly avaylable or â—â—â—ly commendable Foâ— the feare of God is but an introduction to love and some way or other must be perfected into some degree of love els it will fall of the effect we desire and how many things doth the Apostle reckon which are nothing with our Charitie If I have the tongues of Angels if Prophecie if Fayth if knowledge if I give my goods to the poore if my body to the fire and have not Charitie it avayleth me nothing On the other side it doth set an inestimable price vpon the least of our actions when ever they are done for the love of God so that with out it all with it nothing is lost V.
day which will never end when wilt thou come My soule is weary of this wearisome life I will send forth my speech against myself I will speake in the bitternes of my mind I will say vnto God When shall I see the good things of my Lord in the land of the living My soule hath thirsted after thee my God when shall I come and appeare before thy face My teares are vnto me my dayly bread while it is sayed vnto me everie day where is thy God II. Alas everie day it is here sayed vnto me where is thy God And betwixt so many dayes and nights as I find dayly and hourely in myself now rising now falling while I loose thee and I leave thee through my manifold imperfections and doe scarce for one minute perfectly hold thee what a life doe I live VVhat death had I not rather die That once with thy thrice happy spouse having passed these transitorie dayes and these too too doâ—btfull nights I may say I have found whome my soule doth love I hold him and I will not let him go III. Here if one aske me where thou art my God I must confesse thou art a farre of because a farre of thou doest behold those which are not humble Thou turnest away thy face and I am filled with affliction sorrowes of death doe compasse me round about daungers of Hell doe presently assalt me and whether to turne myself to seeke thee and to find thee I cannot tell Shew me O my love where thou feedest where thou restests at noone day when the heate of temptation scorcheth my soule that flying vnder the shaddow of thy wings I may feed where thou feedest and reste where thou restest and not beging to wander after the droves of these vnperfect comforts in which there is no quiet rest no solid foode IV. Shew me rather my God that everlasting noone in thy heavenly cittie where neither sonne nor Moone doe shine but thou art the ever permanent comfortable light of all the inhabitants that there I may rest and feede with thee without danger of resting in any other but in thee or of feeding of any thing but of thy only self for in this world I see there is no rest but continuall tumbling and tossing from one thing to an other and who is he that amidst so many boisterous winds and wayes can continually hold thee Since thy blessed Apostle the beloved disciple giveth Sentence vpon vs all that we are subject not only to loose thee by many distractions but also to leave thee by synnes by too too many and dayly imperfections V. And who knoweth but thou o my loving God! whether in this very desire of myne to be ever with thee in blisse since I cannot be ever with thee in this fearefull banishment there lies not secretly hidden more love of myself then perfect love of thee O hard vncertantiâ— I am delighted with the love of God and drawne to desire to injoy it everlastingly there where it only ever permanently lasteth I desire it and begge it according to the inward man but I see another love which I feare creepeth in with it repâ—gnant to that perfect love and pure desire which I should have of thee Vnhappie man that I am who shall deliver me from this doubtfull and vncertayne state VI. I am in streights on everie fide if I remayne I am in doubt whether I shall ever remayne with thee rather I am certaine I shall often shrink from thee for iâ— many things we doe all offend Jf I desire to be dissolved and to be with thee thy Apostle sayth it is a thing much more better and yet he himself what he shall choose he knoweth not because to abide in flesh is necessarie for thy service But alas what necessitie can there be of me that am so vnprositable Thou wilt say that all must think and say of themselves that they are vnprofitable Servants even when they have doone thier very best in thy service Jt is so And therfore be I profirable or vnpâ—ofitable I know not what more to say or doe but yeald myself wholy into thy hands to doe with me as thou pleasest Take me or leave me as thou thinkest good Hastenme or differre me as thou seest reason I refuse not the labour if thoâ— thinkest me profitable I will beare patiently to be differred if thou judge me vnworthy yer still I am streightened of the two having desire to be dissolved and desire to be with thee which is by thy owne Confession in thy blessed Apostle a thing much more better Intertaynments of our Blessed Saviour when we receive him in the Blessed Sacrament First as God I. AT the birth of our blessed Saviour the swathing bands did not hinder vs from beleeving that infant to be God or stop the Angels from singing Glorie to God in the higest degree and from adoring him but doe incite vs the more to admire and love his goodnes the resemblances of bread and wine remayning after consecration in this blessed Mysterie must not in like manner be any hinderance to vs from beleeving the truth contayned vnder them delivered in our Saviours owne words This is my body this is my blood that is the living body and blood of our Saviour and consequently his blessed soule and divinitie God and man the eternall word made flesh for our sakes And as in them we adore his power we admire his wisdome we imbrace his infinite goodnes we doe not argue from his immensitie that he could not be contayned in the manger nor from his vnitie in essence with the Faiher and the holy Gost that he alone could not be man nor from his immortalitie that he could not suffer but doe submit as to the manner and doe beleeve the substance soe we must rayse our thoughts in this Mysterie to beleeve his reall presence though in a way incomprehensible to our short vnderstanding and adore the person of the Sonne of God our Saviour not arguing from his quantitie that he cannot confine himself to so little roome nor from his vnitie that he cannot at once be in so many places nor from his Majestie that he will not stoope to so meane an action as to be dayly handled and received by vs but so much the more admire his goodnes that as there once so here dayly he doth give himself vnto vs. O blessed Angels who in multitudes did adore him at his coming into the world though in a disguise farre different from your apprehensions with you I doe willingly submit my weake conceits and doe adore here present the living God the eternall word made flesh for vs. O blessed host with how much reverence art thou to be handled and received seeing the ground on which Moyses stood when God appeared to him was holy for here the holy of holyes is contayned after a more sublime manner put my Soule thy
Intertaynment of our Saviour as spouse of our soule I. S. Gregorie vpon the parable delivered by our Saviour of a king who made a mariage for his Sonne sayth that God the Father did then make a mariage for his eternall Sonne when he joyned him to humane nature in the wombe of the blessed Virgin and againe when through this mysterie of his Incarnation he did as it were wed him to Holy Church According to that of the Apostle speaking of Matrimonie This is a greate Sacrament or Mysterie but I say in Christ and in the Church to wit perfected and compleated in the loving coniunctioÌ„ of Christ with his Church and consequently with every soule that in it doth conserve his grace and love VVhich conjunction he doth renew and confirmâ— with new demonstrations of love every time that we doe worthily receive him in so much that we may iustly make account that every such time he sayth vnto vs as in Ozea the Prophet I will betroth thee unto me for ever I will betroth thee unto me in iustice and sanctitie and in iudgement over thy enimies and in mercy taking pitty of thy infirmities and in fayth and fidelitie vnto thee O my souleâ— VVhere shall I have thoughts and forces sufficient to thank my Saviour for such exceeding love or what doe I stand so long demurring as if there could be an offer made more honourable or more beneficiall O mercy incomparable prostrate at thy feete I doe adore thy love and by thy mercy doe promise faythfullnes vnto thee II. The day of mariage is a day of ioy the bride is as costly attired as her state will affoard frends and kinsfolk are invited and gifts presented So we read in S. Jhon speaking of the last act therof of which this is a figure let vs be glad and reiâ—ycâ— and give glorie to God because the mariage of the lamb is come and his wife hath prepared herself and it was given her that she should cloth herself with silk glittering and white and the silk are the iuâ—tifications of the saints VVith these by the grace of God which is given vs we must prepare ourselves before hand not satisfyed with slight indeavour but imitating the diligence and care of Gods saints and exercising acts of vertue which may deserve the name of silk and not of courser sturf and with the like care conserving our soules white and resplendent in the sight of our spouse with out spot of synne or too much affection to what ever creature O saints of God! VVhere shall I find these silks I give glorie notwithstanding to my God that he doth not despise my povertie It is a rule approoved by thee According to thy abilitie be mercyfull If thou hast much give abundantly if thou have but little give willingly a little That which I have I give wholy vnto thee and doe begge that by thyself and by thy saints thou wilt supply my wants and take compassion of me who doest not turne away thy face from those that caâ—â— vpon thee III. Reflect more particularly vpon the greatenes of this match and the beneficiallnes of it for in all matches the Bride is made noble by the noblenes of the bridegroome groome and he indowes her with his person and substance wher vpon the Prophet foretells that the Church of God and every faythfull soule shall have a new name which the mouth of our Lord shall give it and that he will reioyce or take contentment in such a soule as a bridegroome doth in the bride and she shall be to him as a crowne of glorie and a royall diademe that is so much esteemed by him And the argument of the Apostle is here also in force He that hath delivered for vs his owne Sonne how hath he not also with him given vs all things So that honour and profit inviting vs what can we say but humbly yeald ourselves his servants admiring his goodnes beyond all desert and indeavouring not to dishonour ourselves and him by any base act whatsoever all sorte of greevous synns being tearmed in holy writ spirituall adulterie in regard of the fidelitie which we owe to him and the linke of love which he desires should be betwixt vs and the obligation which we have vnto it Intertaynment of our Saviour as he is the good shepheard I. This title he gives himself and with-all the qualities of the good shepheard I am the good shepheard The good shepheard giveth his life for his sheepe Call to mind the life of our Saviour from the beginning to the end and thou wilt easily discover how truly he may say he hath given it all and wholy for thee and with much more reason then Jacob sayed to Laban day and night I was parched with heate and cold and sleepe did depart from my eyes and so for twenty yeares I served thee and then standing betwixt the infernall wolfe and vs he suffered himself to be torne in peeces rather then we should perish O loving Iesus Whence cometh it that thou doest thus owne vs for thyne and take so much care of vs It is thy owne mercifull goodnes that puts thee to this troble and payne with vs sylly creatures and apt to be led astray I acknowledge myself vnable to defend myself thou art my protectour in thee I doe place my hope c. II. The benefit which we reape by this his care is in comparable he performing towards vs that which he foretold and promised by Ezechiel I will seeke that which was lost and bring back that which was driven away and will bind vp that which was broken and strenghten that which was infirme and preserve that which is strong and in good liking Which is that which he sayth of himself in S. Jhon I came that they should have life and should have more abundantly that is more easy and more plentifull means towards saluation and dayly grow more perfect by this his care and liberalitie And againe as my Father knowes me and doth acknowledge me for his Sonne with love due from a Father to a Sonne so doe I know and acknowledge my sheepe and am as teÌ„der of theÌ„ as of childreÌ„ III. In consequence wherof he sayth further that he knoweth every one of his sheepe by name and taketh particular notice of every one none excepted he goeth beforâ— them to shew them the way by his owne example and puts them to â—o hardnes which himself hath no indured for them he provideth them pasture and such as the world cannot sufficiently admire That at which the Angels tremble and dare not freely fixe thier eyes vpon that is our food to him we are vnited and made one flesh with him who can expresse the power of our Lord and set forth all his prayses VVhat shepheard doth feed his sheepe with his owne blood Many Mothers doe put forth thier Chrildren to others to nurse He hath not indured
objects O object eternally to be looked on and vpoÌ„ which the Angels aÌ„d saints doe eternally looke and caÌ„not be satiated with the beauty and riches of it III. S. Jhon sayed once to the people There hath one stood in the midst of yee whome yee know not Let not this be now veryfied in thee after so many evidences Imitate the fayth of the Apostles and say with S. Peeter Thou art Christ the sonne of the living God Say with Nathanael Thou art the Sonne of God thou art the king of Israel Looking vp into heaven with S. Stephen acknowledge that this is the same Jesus who standeth at the right hand of God Harken to S. Ihon Chrisostome who tells vs that millions of Angels doe assist at the holy sacrifice and holy communion with head and knee bowed before him say with S. Agnes To him I keepe my fayth to him with intire devotion I commit myself Say with S. Agatha Carnall medicine I never applyed to my body but I have my Lord Jesus who by his word alone doth repayre all things Sing with S. Cecely Let my hart become without spot that I may not be confounded in the sight of my heavenly spouse Offer vp vnto him with these and other Virgins Puritie of haâ—t with the holy Confessours mortification of thy senses with the holy Bishops aÌ„d Doctours entire obedieÌ„ce to that which they have generally delivered concerning this blessed mysterie with the glorious Martyrs constanciâ— and resolution in whatever opposition VVith all the Saints joy and exultation at the glorie and goodnes which shineth in it and falling downe with them vpon thy face before him say Amen Benediction and glorie and wisdome and thanksgiving honour and power and strength to our God for ever and ever Amen THE TABLE PReface to the Reader 3 Introduction to the following Medit. I. Part. 5 Introduction II. Part. 6 The Incarnation of our Blessed Saviour I. Part. 8 The Incarnation II. Part. 9 The Incarnation III. Part. 10 The Incarnation IV. Part. 11 The Visiting S. Elizabeth I. Part. 12 The Visitation II. Part. 14 The Nativitie of S. Ihon Baptist. I. Part. 15 The Nativitie of S. Ihon. II. Part. 16 The office of S. Ihon as Precursor 17 S. Joseph certifyed by the Angel 1â— A preparative for the receiving of our Saviour I. Part. 20 Of the preparative II. Part. 21 III. Part. 22 IV. Part. 22 The journie of Jesus Marie and Joseph to Bethleem 23 The Birth of our Saviour 25 The Angels joyfull tidings to the sheepherds 26 The shepeherds make hast to our Saviour 27 The Circumcision of our Lord. 28 Of the name of Jesus 29 The start which appeared in the east 30 Herode trobled 31 The Sages find our Saviour 32 The purification of the Blessed Virgeâ— 33 The law of Purification 34 Old Simeon meets our Saviour 35 He take the Child in his armes 36 Simeon his Prophecie 37 Anna the Propheâ—â—sse 38 The flight into â—gypt 39 The killing of the Innocents 40 The returne out of Egypt 41 Christ in the Temple at twelve yeares of age 42 His Answer to his mother 44 His life till thirty 45 Introduction to the meditations of the Passion 46 The Councel of the Jewes against our Saviour 47 The Pascal Lambe 49 The Washing of his disciples feete 50 The parting of Judas from the testâ— 52 The Institution of the Blessed Sacrament 53 His Prayer in the Carden 55 Our Saviour betrayed 56 What passed in the night I. Parâ— 58 II. Part. 60 Our Saviour accused before Pilate 61 He is sent to Herode 63 Barrabas preferred 65 The whipping of our Saviour 67 The Crowne of thornes 68 Ecce Homo 70 The Carrying of the Crosse. 72 The Crucifying 74 The words of our Saviour I. Part. 75 II. Part. 76 III. Part. 77 IV. Part. 79 V. Part. 80 VI. Part. 81 What happened after his death 82 The taking from the Crosse and buryall 84 An exercise in honour of the woundes of our Saviour 85 Of the Passion by way of repetition I. Part. 87 II. Part. 89 III. Part. 90 IV. Part. 92 V. Part. 93 The soiitude of our Blessed Lady 95 Introdnction to the Mysteries of the Resurrection 97 Our Saviours going downe to limbo 98 His Resurrection and appearing to his Mother 100 II. Part. 102 III. Part. 103 The Angel speakes to the women 104 Peeter and Ihon runne to the sepulchre 106 He appeares to the Magdalen I. Part. 107 II. Part. 109 He appeares to the women 110 To the disciples travelling I. Part. 11â— II. Part. 113 He appeares to the disciples together 114 And to them with S. Thomas 116 The causes why our Saviour kept the marks of his wounds 118 Our Saviour at the fishing I. Part. 119 II. Part. 120 Our Saviours discourse with S. Peeter 122 He foretelleth him of his death 123 He appeareth to them at table 125 He appeareth in Galilee 126 Christs Ascension I. Part. 128 II. Part. 130 Considerations moving to the love of God and of our Neighbour 132 An act of humble acknowledgment of our owne weaknes 133 The length of the love of God 135 The first means to perpetuate our love 137 The happines of younger yeares 139 The second means 141 Of the desire of being dissolved 143 The Eternitie of love in the love of our Neighbour 144 The latitude of the love of God 146 It s vniversall because to every one in particular 147 How we may imitate it I. Part. 149 II. Part. 151 The height of the love of God 153 How we are to imitate it I. Part. 154 II. Part. 156 The depth of the love of God I. Part. 158 II. Part. 160 The coming of the holy Ghost I. Part. 161 II. Part. 162 Fruits of the holy Ghost in the first Christians 164 The Mysterie of the Blessed Trinitie 166 The obligation we have to love God I. Part. 167 II. Part. 169 III. Part. 171 IV. Part. 172 Aspirations tending to the increase of the love of God in twelve Paragraphes 173 Intertaynments of our Blessed Saviour when we receive thâ— most blessed sacrament First as God 188 As king 190 As spouse 192 As the good sheepherd 194 As Master or Teacher 196 As our Physitian 197 As our Redeemer 199 As our Judge 201 As Mediatour and Advocate 203 As our frend 205 As our Brother 207 As the sacrifice of the law of grace 208 As a spirituall banker 211 Intertaynment of our Saviour with the blessed Virgen and S. Ioseph 213 VVith S. Jhon Baptist. 215 VVith th Samaritan woman 218 VVith the penitent Magdalen 221 VVith the Cananeâ—n 224 VVith Martha Marie and Lazarus 225 VVith Zaccheus 22â— VVith the people of Hierusalem 229 VVith the first Christians 231 VVith the Apostles 233 VVith the Angels and Saints 225 FINIS Errours of the Second Part. Such as is hoped will not troble the vnderstanding reader are omittedâ— Pag. Lin. Err. Corr. 9 1 mind winde 9 9 vs more more 11 10 to thoâ— 15
confesse his owne wants aÌ„d vnworthines and everie one of vs may with much more reason say It is I who have reall need of this sacred ceremonie from thy hands who alone canst wash away my synnes it is I who have dayly and hourely need of washing my synnes and imperfections are so greate and so many It is I that ought to vndergo this shame of confessing them having not been ashamed to coÌ„mit them It is I who owe the debt and must pay it to the uttermost farthing vnlesse thou by thy Sacraments and by thy mercyes doest forgive me Iesus answering sayed suffer it now for so it becometh us to fullfill all iustice Many conveniences may offer themselves to thy infinite wisdome for which it may become thee thus to humble thyself but for me it is necessitie it is my dutie it cals vpon me by all the titles of a creature and a synner and a subject and a servant and infinite other obligations these are titles of iustice which if I doe not fullfill I shall beare the smart thou fullfillest all this with out any obligation to doe so but of thy goodnes to correct our backwardnes in doing that which is fitting for vs to doe VVhat is there that will not become me to doe to the vtmost be it never so meane or seeming to be below me seeing thou hast stooped thvs low to thy servant III. Iesus being baptized forth with came out of the water and lo the heavens were opened to him and he saw the spirit of God descending as a doue and coming vpon him and behold a voyce from heaven saying this is my beloved sonne in whome I am well pleased Three signes of the effects of the baptisme which those receive who are washed in the water sanctifyed by our Saviour The gates of heaven are opened vnto them the holy Ghost descends vpon them and they are made the adoptive sonnes of God But our Saviour was his natural and eternall sonne eternall beloved and now vpon a new title of his superexcellent obedience as man and charitie towards mankind coming into this world with the innocencie and meekenes of a dove not to punish but to spare and to forgive Have recourse vnto him while the heavens are thus open delay not thy conversion prepare thy hart with puritie to receive the spirit of God and his graces bee meeke and humble and peaceable because such are styled the Sonnes of God love that thou maiest be beloved indeavour to Please God aboue all and for no mans pleasure displease him How sweere and how rich is the name of Sonne which he vouchsafed vs from heaven and in order to the heavenly inheritance Sonnes of men how long heavyharted To what purpose doe you love vanitie and hunt after a lie The only true honour and true riches is to be the sonne of God The fast Temptation and Victorie of our Savionr I. THen Iesns was led by the spirit into the desert to be tempted by the divel and when he had fasted fourtie dayes and fourtie nights afterwards he was hungrie He was led by the same spirit that had descended vpon him at his baptisme to the holy actions of retirement from worldly occasions and of fasting and by occasion of that to be tempted by the enimie of all wholsome exercises His food all that time was prayer and the fervent desires of performing in life and death the will of his heavenly Father by which he taught vs how to arme ourselves against the assalts of the divel and not to thinke because we are sorely now and then set vpon that therfore we are deserted of God and of his spirit How also to prepare ourselves to what ever imployment God doth call vs vnto And though hepersevered so long without touch of hunger at last he was hungrie stooping to the infirmitie of man whose nature he did beare and whome he had vndertaken to instrvct the tempter not being able to dive into the deapth of the mysterie of the IncarnatioÌ„ yet by many circuÌ„stances coÌ„iâ—cturing tooke hold of his being hungrie and approching sayed If thou be the sonne of God command that these stones be made bread knowing that it was much easyer to doe so then what had been done in creating all of nothing Our Saviour did not yeald vnto his motion because as S. Augustine reflects The Tempter is not overcome but by contemning him but answered Not in bread alone doth man live but in every word which proceedeth from the mouth of God For the Children of Israel themselves in thier fourty yeares pilgrimage in the desert were not maintayned so much by the Manna as by the divine providence concerning both body and soule Rayse thy thoughts to this spirituall food and to confidence in God who will not suffer vs to be tempted above that which we are able but with the temptation will give vs issue that we may sustaine it II. Then the divel tooke him vp into the holy ciâ—â—y and â—et him vpon the pinnaâ—le of the Temple and sayed if thou bee the Sonne of God cast thyself downe for it is written he will give his Angels charge of thee and in thier hands they shall hold thee vp c. No man can pretend to be free from temptation seeing the divell so bold with our Saviour and the neerer we come to holynes and higher we are taken into the favour of God the more we must beware for the temptations are allwayes the more secret and cloked with some preteÌ„ce of good as heece with the words of scripture misapplyed if thou bâ— the Sonne of God doâ— not cast rhyself downe to things inferiour to God and his service doe not permit thyself to be taken vp by a high conceite of thyself remayne rather in the desert if thou be taken out live notwithstanding in feare be not rash doe not thrust thyself into occasions which may be dangerous Our Saviour answered Thou shall not tempt thy Lord God Gape not after extraordinarie comforts vnusuall lights new conceits go vp and downe by the vsuall degrees of vertue practised by saints allowed by the Church and by those who in it have the place of directing vs. He hath indeed given his Angels charge of vs but we must not be head-long or head-strong in our wayes III. Againe he tooke him vp into a very high mountaine and shewed him all the kingdomes of the world and the glorie of them saying all these will I give thee if falling downe thou a dore me VVhether doth not pride and ambition carie a mind that is once poisoned with them of what doth it not brag though never so false as here the divell as if all had been his to give and to take away at his pleasure I will give thee all the kingdomes as if all did consist in present wealth and glorie and pleasure and command They who have had all at will what is become of them All these what are they
people climbe mountaines and passe through a thousand dangers to gaine a little parcell of them and with them they heape vpon themselves mountaines of synns and torments due to synne say with our Saviour Avant Satan thou shalt adore thy Lord God and serve him alone No inticement of Inremperance no smoke or mind of vanitie no splendour of wealth or command shall remove me from this resolution or inveigle me with thier allurements to forget or forgo my dutie to my God and to Conscience And as vpon this the Tempter gave over for that time and the Angels came and ministred vnto him what was necessarie so by constantly resisting we shall be the more free though never absolutely secure so long as this time of warfare lasteth and the Angels will be 〈◊〉 more ready to assist vs against this common enimie Begge all this of thy Saviour by his merits Amen S. Ihons restimonie of our Saviour I. THe next day Ihon saw Iesus coming towards him and sayed behold the lamb of God behold him who taketh away the sinne of the world When Iesus is present all is easy and nothing doth seeme hard vnto vs VVhen Iesus is not present every thing is harsh Come sweete Iesus and take from me this heavy burden of synne and of repugnance to that which is thy will O blessed lamb Innocent meeke patient obedient silent rightly styled the lamb of God because from God alone these vertues can proceed and in whome they are there is God because with the simple is his conversation Behold with a loving and thankfull eye this lamb who only is able to take away thy synnes and out of his infinite mercy doth dayly take them away by means of his holy Sacraments and other helps and though dayly multiplyed is yet ready to take them all awâ—y vpon the first repentance and doth meekely and patiently beare with vs day by day II. Againe Ihon was standing and two of his disciples and beholding Iesus walking sayed behold the lamb of God the two disciples heard him speake this and they followed Iesus Iesus sayed nothing but his modestie and his humilitie spake for him and shewed that indeed he was the lamb ordayned and ready for the sacrifice Behold him againe and againe observe all his actions stand and consider be not easily diverted from so profitable and pleasing an obiect follow him with thy thoughts and actions he compels no body vnlesse his love be so potent in thee as to compell thee O sweere compulsion draw me after thee and we shall runne in the fragrancie of thy oyntments there is nothing in him which will nor invite thee to follow if thou doest duly consider whom thou doest behold He walketh not the wide wayes of the world which lead to perdition he walketh the way of righteousnes and shewes vs the way to our eternall repose III. And Iesus turning and seeing them follow him sayeth to them what seeke yee they say to him Master where dwellest thou Our Saviour was pleased with thier promptnes to follow him vpon S. Ihons words and with thier modestie and respect towards his person forbearing to interrupt his thoughts while he was walking he liked also well thier intention of not contenting themselves with some smale conversation with him by the way as being desirous at leasure to heare and converse with him more at large He therfore turned himself to them and familiarly asked What seekâ— you to the end to make them the more confident O loving aspect Observe the benefit of making vse in time of holy inspirations and suggestions and that our Saviour doth not aske whom seeke you for it was apparent enough they sought him but whht seeke you in me VVhat doe you ayme at in following me A question which may give every one of vs occasion to lay his hand vpon his breast and examin whether really in following him we seeke him or some thing els which self love or some other occasion doth suggest If thou seekest Jesus in all things thou shalt find Jesus if thou seekest thyself thou wilt find thyself IV. He sayeth to them come and see they came and saw where he did abide and they taried with him that day They desired to know where he dwelled that they might in private heare his instruction and resort the oftener to him they saw where he did abide perhaps as then he had no house or dwelling however in them he invites vs to come and see at leasure where poorely enough in all probabilitie as once in the stable and in his banishment in the desert and by whole nights in the fields in prayer and even then vpon the Crosse in thought and resolution Come and see how long and with what disposition of mind he remayned in all these and doth still in the most blessed Sacrament stay with him in the closet of thy hart in thy lawfull Superiours in every one of his little ones all the dayes of this life Ascend into heaven with thy thoughts there he dwelleth eternally passe thither in desire that thou mayest passe the more couragiously following him by the way which he sheweth thee Quam dilâ—cta tabernacula tua Domine virtutum How lovely are thy Tabernacles even in this life Master teach me where I may find thee best shew me where to feedest where thou restest at noone day that I may not begine to wander after the heards of my fellowes that is after the multitudes of those who waÌ„der without guides they know not whether Our Saviour beginneth to gather disciples I. ANdrew brother to Simon Peeter was one of the two that had heard what S. Ihon sayed and followed our Saviour He first findeth his brother Simon and sayeth vnto him we have found the Mâ—ssias and brought him to Iesus The spirituall treasures are not as those of the world they increase by communication The spirit and the spouse say come and he who heareth let him say come and he who thirsteth let him come There is abundance for every body that will receive We have found the Messias imagin what ioy was in the hart of S. Andrew when his thoughts were vpon this purchase If Jesus speake but one word we feele greate comfort and he that findeth Iesus findeth a greate good thing yea all that is good and if he bewell with him he is most rich We have found him and he brought him to Iesus this was a true brotherly part a brother who is holpen by his brother is like a strong towne This is truly to find our Lord if we truly burne with his love if we have true care of our brethrens saluation II. Iesus beholding Peeter sayed thou art Simon sonne of Ionas thou shalt be called Cephas which is interpreted Peeter Or a Rocke or stone it is not enough to find Iesus by faith or by a sensible sweetnes in our prayers faith is the groundworke spirituall comforts are helps so buyld the more couragiously
our Saviour because they were most learned and could not choose but know the Prophecies which were of him and blinded with ambition and covetousnes and other vices which our Saviour reprehended in them insteed of seeking to him they sought to take him and kill him A miserable condition and worldly greatnes the more to be feared and that councell of the wiseman the more carefully to be followed The greater thou art humble thyself the more in all things and then shalt find favour in the sight of God This is the way to seeke our Saviour so as not to misse of finding him and to come where he is Iefus hath many lovers of his heavenly Kingdome but few caryers of his Crosse. II. And in the last greate day of the festivitie Iesus stood and cryed saying if any man thirst let him come to me and drink He that beleeveth in me as the Scripture sayth out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water And this he sayed of the spirit which they should receive who beleeved in him When he saw that few gave him the hearing he redoubled his indeavours and cryed out with a loude voyce If any man thirst let him come to me As if he should have sayed I know you thirst after worldly commodities but they will not quench but increase the distemper If you will be truly satisfied come to me and drink of the doctrine which I teach you that will coole the heat of your ambition by shewing you where true honour dwelleth it will quench the desire of heaping up wealth shewing you how â—ickle it is and how full of troble and vexation It Will put you out of conceite with other pleasures teaching how much they are under the noblenes of man and either meere toyes or filth Come to me you will see nothing in me but honourable substantiall and divine III. The multitude when they heard these words sayed This is the Prophet indeed This is Christ. And the ministers came to the chiefe Priests and Pharisees and sayed never did man speake so as this man and the Pharisees answered are you also seduced Hath any of the Princes beleeved in him or of the Pharisees But this multitude which knoweth not the law is accursed They should have asked what were these admirable things which he had so delivered as no man the like but they avoyded that and when themselves should have been compunct they fell to accuse him Truly high words doe not make a man a sainct and just but a vertâ—oâ—s life makes vs to be beloved of God The eight Application to the most Blessed Sacrament I. OVr Saviour while he lived on earth appearing outwardly as an ordinarie man shewed his disciples part of the glorie even then due vnto him and at his command being transfigured before them his face shining like the sunne his garments as white as snow Being now glorious in heaven and presenting his sacred body on earth vnto vs in the most Blessed Sacrament to be adored and received by vs be coveretâ— the glorie due vnto it with the shapes of bread and wine as much for our good as his transfiguration was for the instruction of his Apostles For if the children of Israel were not able to looke Moyses in the face when he came downe from conversing with God for the glorie which shined in his countenance how should vve beâ— able to receive so greate a benefit as is the presence of our Saviour glorified if he did not mercyfully cast this vaileâ— before his face that we might confidently approch Theâ— Apostles hearing the voyce from heaven This is my beloved Sonne heare him fell to the ground and were much afrayd so should we be stricken at the voyce of the Priest pronouncing This is my body if our Saviour as he makes it instantly present should present it glorious and we should not be able to make that devout vse of it as he desires Yet it is our dutie to acknowledge aÌ„d say with hare and tongue This is that beloved Sonne of the heavenly Father in whome he is pleased This is my Saviour and my redeemer my Lord aÌ„d my God who is pleased thus mercyfully and miraculously to afford himself present to me O in whome or in what should I take more pleasure then in this beloved and so greate lover of me sylly wretch as not to be content to give himself once for our sakes but is continually giving himself in this familiar way for my comfort and for the strengthening of me in his service that is in that which is my only glorie II. Let vs make here three Tabernacles and all three for him alone One in my memorie recording if not perpetually yet at convenient times this incomparable benefit of his presence with vs and thanking him infinitely for it calling all creatures to assist me for all is too too little Benedicite omnia opera Domini Dominâ— laâ—date super exaltate â—um in 〈◊〉 A second tabernacle in my vnderstaÌ„ding submitting it to his heavenly word this is my â—ody this is my Blood beleeving both his power to doe it and eternall truth which cannot say and not doe or deceive those with whom he doth deale At this shore the boysterous sea of Philosophicall arguments must breake the swelling waves of humane conceite and turne into froth for who is able to contradicte the Omnipotent Second Part A third Tabernacle in my will pouring forth itself into affections of love and dwelling upon them perpetually O beloved Sonne of the eternall Father in whom he doth take full satisfaction and contentment wherefore should I seeke content els where Seeing thoâ— alone doest fill the eternall God who is infiâ—ite O hart of myne empty thy self of all other things that thou mayest receive this beloved Guest to his and thy full contentment O poore Tabernacle O miserable dwelling which I doe present thee Let thy glorious face shine upon it to disperse the darknes clothe it with the white garments of thy vertues III. Moyses and Elias even in this manifestation of his glorie 〈◊〉 of his passion and of the death which he was to suâ—â—â—r for he was still on earth though for the time glorifie And this Blessed Sacrament is a coÌ„memoration and representation of the sacrifice which once he offered vpon the Crosse dying for vs to put vs in mind that our chiefe meditaâ—ions and indeavours here while we live on earth must be of suffering and of humbling ourselves as he humbled himself and of imitating him in the carying of our Crosse that so we may come to an everlasting glorie And consequently the most acceptable offering that we can offer to him at holy masse or at receiving is to think of his bitter passion not only with a thankfull mind but with a mind full of purposes to imitate his conversation vpon earth and his sufferings thinking in particular in what this day or this weeke I may more constantly imitate him
Lord Iesus when he shall come and knock that we may be in an instant ready to wayte vpon him Our Lord cometh when he hastens to iudgement he knocketh when by the sharpenes of sicknes he gives vs notice that death is at hand we open presently vnto him if we receive him with love He is not willing to open when the Iudge knocketh who feares to leave 〈◊〉 body and dreads to see the Iudge whome he remembers he hath contemned He that hath confidence by hope and good works doth presently open when he knocks because he expects the iudge with gladnes and when the time of death approcheth doth ioy in the reward of glorie promised II. Blessed are those servants whome when the Lord comâ—th he shall find watching Amen I say to you that he will gird himself and make them sit downe and passing will minisâ—er vnto them And if he come in the second watch and if in the third watch he come and so find blessed are those servants Blessed are we who have such a master and Lord who though his greatenes be infinite and his glorie so incomprehensible that no diligence of man can deserve it no capacitie of nature receive it or looke vpon it yet to the end to reward them even above their deserts will gird himself and accomodate his greatnes to their measure and make them sit downe with eternall ease and delight at his heavenly table and there minister vnto them all manner of deliciousnes The citizens of heaven know how full of joy that day is The sonnes of Eve doe lament the bitternes and tediousnes of their present life But ô the goodnes of God! His mercy convinceth the hardnes of our hart and leaves it no excuse for shewing his patience and his longanimitie he addeth and if he come in the second watch and if in the third and so finds them then watchfull he doth not reject theÌ„ The first watch is child hood the second youth the third old age yet no man must abuse this his longanimitie for he addeth III. And this know yee that if the house-holder did know at what houre the theefe would come he would watch verily and would not suffer his house to be broken vp Be you therfore ready for at what houre you think not the Sonne of man will come Our Lord would therfore have the last houre vnknowne to vs that we might allwayes expect it Ah foole to what purpose doest thou think shalt live long seeing thou hast not one day certaine How many have been deceived and sudainly taken away The punishnent of the vnrepentant I. IF the sernant say in his hart my Lord is loag in coming and shall begin to stricke the servants and eate and drink and he drunck the Lord of the servants shall come on a day that he hopeth not and at an hourâ— that he knoweth not and shall devide him and apoint his portion with the infidels And that servant that knew the will of his Lord and prepared not and did not according to his will shall be beaten with many stripes but he that knew not and did things worthy of stripes shall be beaten with few And every one to whome much is given much shall be required of him see the danger of presuming of long life we are apt to grow proud vpon it and carelesse of our dutie insolent towards others and to be drunk with ambition and desire of worldly wealth and pleasure the punishment is that he shall be devided from his pleasâ—res and life and from all hope of his masters favour and that vnexpectedly so that he shall not have time to repent but shall be eternally cast of among the vnfaithfull and branded with the everlastiug disgrace of it a punishment due proportionably to his falt for that he knew well enough what was to be done and did it not not out of fraylitâ—e but presuming and casting of the feare of his Lord. II. When thou goest with thy adversarie to the Prince by the way indeavour to be delivered from him least perhaps he draw thee to the Iudge and the Iudge deliver thee to the exactour and the exactour cast thee into prison I say to thee thou shalt not go out thence till thou pay the very last mite Our adversarie in the way is the word of God contrary to our carnall desires in this life from whome he is delivered who humbly submits himself to the commandments Otherwise if we differ the agreement after this life when we come to appeare before the Prince there is no redemption but we must to prison In another sence Our adversarie is whoever doth endeavour to bereave vs of that to which we have or conceive we have tight with such we shall best agree if we observe the precept of our Lord. To him that will contend with thee in iudgment and take away thy coatâ— let go thy cloke also to him III. And there were cortayne present at that time telling him of the Galileans whose blood Pilate mingled with their sacrifices And he sayed to them think you that these Galileans were synners more then all the Galileans that they suffered such things No I say to you but vnlesse you have repentance yoâ— shall all like wise perish And those eighteene vpon whome the towre fell in Siloe and slew thim think you that they also were debters above all men in Hierusalem No I say vnto you but if you have not repentance you shall all likewise perish Therfore when you see any perish by shipwarck ot by the fall house or by fire or by water conceive that God perhaps of a will punish that partie lesse in the world to come because he suffered here and forbeareth other that vpon notice of the others punishment he may repent and mend his life or if he doe not but persevereth in his bad couâ—ses most grievous punishment will be heaped vpon him VVhat other thing will that fire devoure but thy syns The more thou sparest thy self here and followest sence the more grievously thou wilt pay it here after The goodnes of God shewed vs in two examples I. ANd he sayed also this similutude A certayne man had a figtree planted in his wineyards and he came seeking fruite of it and he found none and he sayed to the dresser of the wineyard lo it is three years that I come seeking fruite vpon this figtree and I find none Cut it downe therfore wherto doth it occupie the ground But he answering sayth Lord let it alone this yeare also till I dig about it and dung it and if happily it yeald fruite if not here after thou shalt cut it downe The figtree occupieth the ground with out fruite when either the covetous and streight-laced doe keepe that without profit which might be vsefull to many or when by the shade of sloth a man darkeneth the place which another might fertilize with the beames
him and runneth towards vs with more spâ—â—d then we towards him and condescendeth much to our infirmitie stooping to vs while we are not able to rayse ourselves so higâ— as he deserveth and affoordeth us the loving kisse of peace how ever we deserve rather to be punished He doth not say whence comest thou wherewert thou Where is thy substance thou caryedst away Wherfore didst thou change so much glorie with so much basenes Thesâ— things he leaves to our consideration but he is all love and mercy II. And the Father sayed to his servants quickly bring forth the first stole and doe it on him and put a ring vpon his hand and shâ—es on his feete and bring the fatned calfe and kill it and let vs eate and make merry because this my Sonne was dead and is revived was lost and is found And they began to make merry The loving Father would have him clothed before he should come in sight therfore he sayth quickly and it expresseth a greate deale of willingnâ—s which is in God to see vs not only out of our nastie rags of synne but clothed with those vertues which are most pleasing to him therfore not content to put on him the first stoolâ— that is the garment which he formerly vsed he calleth for a ring to his hand to beautify his workes and shooes to his feete to strengthen his affections against the allurements of the world Yet the first stools mentioned must put vs in mind that all the time spent farre from God is lost and returning we must begin where we left and happy we if we be not cast farther back then we were when we parted In a mysticall sence The father ranne to vs in his sonne when in him he descended from heaven my Father sayth he who sent me is with me He fell vpon his neck when in Christ the whole divinitie rested vpon our flesh and he kissed him when mercy and truth have met justice and peace have kissed each other He also is the faâ—ned calfe killed for our entertaynment to the end we might not only have sufficient to sustaine vs but abundance and of the best to delight vs much more in the service of God then in our former course III. But the elder sonne was in the field and when he came and drew nigh to the house he heard musick and dauncing and he called one of the servants and asked what all that should be And he sayed to him thy brother is come and thy Father hath killed the fatned calfe because he hath received him safe and he was angrie and would not go in His father therfore going forth began to desire him But he answering sayed to his father Behold so many yeares doe I serve thee and I never transgressed thy commandment and thou didst never give me a Kid to make merry with my frends But after that this thy sonne that hath devoured his substance with whores is come thou hast killed for him the fatned calfe But he sayed to him sonne thou art allwayes with me and all my things are thyne but is behoved vs to make merry and be glad because this thy brother was dead and is revived was lost and is foâ—nd This expresseth how consider that we should doe by others as we would have done to ourselves secondly how much we value the service which we doe as if God were beholding to vs for it Thirdly how blind we are in not discovering our owne falts I never transgressed as if to envie anothers good were not to transgresse it was not thy strength but thy fathers grace which was cause of it See on the other side the goodnes of God who goeth forth and desireth even the Stubborne Sonne and learne that to synne against him is to kill thy owne soule which is much more to be abhorred then the losse of our life The vnfaithfull Bayly I. HE sayed also to his disciples There was a rich man that had a Bayly and he was ill reported of onto him as he that had wasted his goods And he called him and sayed to him what heare I this of thee Give account of thy Baylyship for now thou canst no more be bayly Our Saviour Christ as God is the only powerfull King of Kings and Lord of Lords rich in all things and chiefly in his mercyes to whome we must give account of every thing for we are â—ords neither of life nor lim not thought nor deed but accountable for all neither can any thing escape his knowledge Though here that which he certaynly knoweth he reckoneth as heard by report because he is not rash or hasty in condemning and will give vs leasure to repeÌ„t while the cause is as it were depeÌ„ding before him He asketh an account that we may aske pardon aÌ„d happy we if by remorse of conscience he aske it here before the time of satisfaction be expired II. And the Bayly sayed within himself what shall I doe because my Lord taketh from me the Baylyship Dig I am not able to begge am ashamed I know what I shall doe that when I shall be removed from my Baylyship they may receive me into their houses A man allwayes desires to doe well when death comes and bereaves him of the time of doing good This question he should have asked himself before what shall I doe seeing every houre and every minute my Baylyship is vpon remouing from me Be I never soe rich to the world and abound in all things for this moment of time I am most miserable if for all eternitie I shall be a begger by it If I be not here able to worke how shall I there be able to suffer the punishments of the slouthfull If I be here ashamed to confesse and begge pardon what shame shall I vndergo there where there is no pardon It is not vnknowne to vs what we ought to doe that after this life we may be saved God grant we may take warning and be wise in time that we be not removed before we have adiusted our accounts and be ready to give in our reckoning III. Therfore calling together every one of his Lords debtors he sayed to the first How much doest thou owe to my Lord He sayeth an hundred pipes of oyle and he sayed to him take thy bill and sit downe quickly write fiftie and to another how much doest thou owe He sayed an hundred quarters of wheate he sayed take thy bill and write fourescore And the Lord praysed the Bayly of iniquitie because he had done wisely for the Children of this world are wiser then the Children of light in their generation And I say unto you make unto you frends of the Mammon of iniquitie that when you fayle they may receive you into the eternrll Tabernacles The Bayly of iniquitie is here praysed not because he did iust things but because according to the practise of worldlings he shewed himself witty and at his masters
the day he stumbleth not because he seeth the light of the world but if he walke in the night he stumbleth because the light is not in him See the love of our Saviour for our good he doth not stick to venture his life and in structeth his followers to confide in God who is the true light of the world and walking vnder his protection even that which others may think amisse cannot be to vs amisse for to them that love God all things cooperate to good God governes the houres of the day and every thing that happeÌ„s in them vpon this his providence having allwayes our eye we shall not stumble They who consider not this as they ought doe ever walke in darknes and are diversly perplexed according to the diversitie of accidents which must needs befall theÌ„ in this world which is all in chaÌ„ges III. After this he sayth to them Lazarus our frend sleepeth but I go that I may rayse him froÌ„ sleepe His disciples sayed Lord if he sleepe he shall be safe but Iesus spake of his death theÌ„ therfore he sayed playnely to them Lazarus is dead And I am glad for your sake that you may beleeve because I was not there but let vs go to him Thomas sayed to his coÌ„diâ—iples let vs go also aÌ„d die with him first father Adam brought death vpon vs Christ our Saviour coming into this world tooke away even the name of death A blessed sleepe which brings vs rest and quiet of which the psalmist sayth Pretious in the sight of our Lord is the death of his saints Consider the difference betwixt the iust and vniust To the vniust death is eternall because though they rise againe it is not to life but to a new and vvorse death the death of the iust is properly a sleepe because they rise refreshed and to a better life then before they slept thus we shall sleepe if vve be his frends Lazarus our frend sleepeth here by contemplation and love there by cleare vision and imbracings here vve must not think that our sleepe is to be continuall it is his vvill that vve be raysed from it at convenient times for his glorie in other respects he comes to rayse vs vvhen the course of our vocation calls vs to other duties the vvhich we must obey readily and lovingly knowing that it is the voyce of our beloved that calleth vs. if thus we sleepe we are safe And if vve be vvholy dead to the world we have the more reason to be glad because we shall find that to be true which vve beleeved and that Christ will not forsake vs being imitatours of his death Blessed is he that can with harty and effectuall desire say let vs go and die with him The raysing of Lazarus II. PART I. IEsus therfore same and found him now having been foure dayes in the grave And many of the Iewes were come to Martha and Marie to confort them concerning their brother Martha therfore when she heard that Iesus was come went to meet him but Marie sat at home It is a mysticall senee of holy Fathers that Iesus when he came into this world found mankind four thousand yeares bâ—ryed in the stinking grave of synne and there lying without sense of feeling of that which might concerne the soule and vvithout motion towards it Blesse our Saviour that at last for the glorie of God aÌ„d to the end vve should more palpably see the necessitie and vertue of grace he came himself to rayse vs. S. Augustin more over sayth that the first day of our buriall in synne is vvhen vve first consent the second when by not repenting quickly we come to have an itching desire to commit it againe and againe and take pleasure in it the third day when we grow into custome the forth day when custome brings vpon vs a kind of necessitie of doing ill and it seemes vnto vs that vve cannot avoyde it VVe must watch chiefly towards the beginning of temptations for then out enemie is more easyly overcome VVe may find many that vvill go about to comfort vs not taking the right way but vve must harken out Iesus and make hast with Martha to meete him for in him alone is our redresse II. Martha sayed to Iesus Lord if thou hadst been here my brother had not dyed But now also I know that what things that shalt aske of God God will give thee Iesus sayed to her Thy Brother shall rise againe Martha sayth to him I know he shall rise in the resurrection in the last day Iesus sayeth to her I am the resurrection and life he that beleeveth in me though he be dead shall live and every one that liveth and beleeveth in me shall not die for ever Beleevest thou this She sayth to him yea Lord I have beleaved that thou art Christ the sonne of God that art come into the world If Iesus be with thee no enemie can hurt thee Our chiefe care must be not to loose him yet if we doe chance to loose him we know that he is mercyfull and will not the death of a synner but that he live by repeÌ„taÌ„ce returning againe vnto him VVe shall all rise againe in the last day but in the dayes of this life vve must labour the more that by good works we may make sure our vocation and election He is the sourse and means to life and resurrection every one that beleeveth in him and liveth accordingly though he dye in body shall live happily here by grace there by glorie This vve beleeve because he himself the sonne of God hath taught it vs. III. Having sayed these things she went and called Marie her syster secretly saying the master is come and calleth thee she when she heard riseth quickly and cometh to him The lewes who were with her when they saw her rise quickly and go forth followed her saying that she goeth to the grave to weepe there Marie when she was come where Iesus was seeing him fell at his feete and sayed to him Lord if thou hadst been here my brother had not dyed Marke the expressions of love towards our Saviour â—he rose quickly and came as sudainly she fell at his feete where first she had received pardon and loving intertaynment she expresseth her beleefe and confidence that if he had been present he vvould have eased her of that crosse Yet neither she nor her syster doe require of him that he vvould rayse their brother to life either esteeming it too greate a request or thinking that it might best as it vvas or that if he thought it better he would have compassion of their very teares without other expression In fine however it should happen it was a comfort above all comforts to have him present vvhich thou must indeavour to make also thy comfort and say what can the whole world affoord me vvithout Iesus The raysing of Lazarus III PART I. IEsus therfore when he saw her
a part one from the other the separation of his body and blood at his death is plainly signified is truly a very admirable thing worthy of his former greatnesses and able to draw the harts of all after him by consideration of his love II. We need no other light to see this truth then the cleare word of our Saviour yet we have also the consent of all ages the practise of all Christians the authoritie of all the devoutest and learnedest men in the whole world who are acknowledged by all to have been lights of the world we have infinite miracles which to discredit were to belye the eyes of a world of people Let vs walke in this light and the darknes in which some are by sticking over much to their owne phancie and naturall discourses will not overtake vs we must walke from humane apprehensions to the power of God to the love of our Saviour to the eternall wisedome to the infallible veritie of his word walking thus we shall not walke vpon vncertainties not knowing whiter we go but as obedient and dutifull Children of God we shall admire his works and submit our thoughts vnto him and gratefully receive the benefit bestowed vpon vs. Thou must beware of curious and vnprofitable searching into this most profound Sacrament if thou wilt not be drouned in the deepth of doubtfullnes III. But besides humble beleefe and profound adoration of this blessed mysterie we must have the wedding garment of Charitie being invited and admitted to so greate a feast in which all things are ready to our hand and to so incomparable a mariage as is the coniunction of our Saviour to our soule and body VVho would not desire this mariage who would not indeavour to make himself worthy Cast of the thoughts for the present of farme and marchandise and what ever other thing and delay not thy coming with frivolous excuses the bad and the good were admitted the perfect and imperfect neither had that one man been reiected if he had conserved the puritie with which he was admitted or if he crept in without that puritie he was the more iustly punished as daring to aproch to so greate a mysterie without that which himself could not but know to be necessarie VVhen I weigh thy dignitie ô Lord and my vilenes I doe greatly tremble and am confounded within myself for if I doe not aproch I fly life if I thrust myself it vnworthily I doe offend Signes of the coming of our Saviour I. PART I. IEsus being gone out of the temple went and his disciples came to shew him the buyldings of the temple And he sayed to them doe you see all these things Amen say to you there shall not be left here a stone vpon a stone that shall not be destroyed The ruine of Hierusalem was a figure of the ruine of the world that city was glorious in buylding and specially the Temple yet for the abuses committed it came to vtter destruction The buyldings which men had buylt stood for a time Holynes which God had ordayned was neglected Doe you see all these things of this world They all passe away if nothing els concurre to their destruction time itself alone will ruine them if you will buyld for eternitie you must buyld in your soules a buylding of vertues these be stones which may be allwayes conserved Humilitie and patience and resignation and contempt of worldly pelse in the foundation fortitude and courage and resolution and magnanimitie in the walls Constancie and perseverance and prayer aÌ„d contemplation in the roofe Charitie and beneficence the love of God and of our neighbour through the whole buylding from the bottome to the top for this is the bond of perfection and without it we are nothing as the Apostle professeth of himself These be stones that is hard to sense and worldly humours but once polished by the example of our Saviour they become smooth and so beautifull in their postures that it is a pleasure to others to behold them and a constant content to them that have them II. And when he was siting vpon mount Olivet the disciples came to him secretly saying Tell vs when these things shall be and what shall be the signe of thy coming and of the consummation of the world Iesus answering sayed beware that no man seduce you for many shall come in my name saying I am Christ and they shall seduce many you shall heare warres and bruites of warres see that you be not trobled for these things must be done but the end is not yet Nation shall rise against nation and Kingdome against Kingdome and there shall be pestilences and famins and earthquakes in places And these things are the beginning of sorrowes Our Saviour having spoken of the ruine of the Temple his disciples imagined that the world would be quickly at an end and would fayne have knowne some further signe He to vndeceive them first exhorts them to coâ—stancie in their faith and that whatever doe happen they stick to him as their only true Master They will have many assalts in that kind many inward doubts many outward temptations many that will say why not thus and thus Contrarie to what is really true and solide but beware and follow not the many seduced but keepe yourselves to this one Christ one Lord and Master by whom are all things Then he foretells them of the severall accidents and miseries which will happen in the world by warre and famine by pestilence and the like to the end they should not be trobled VVhen such things happen but conceive of them as disposed by the providence of God for triall of the iust or permitted to the malice of men as the beginning of their forrowes who are cause of vniust quarrells and vniust dealing It is good for vs that some time we have some greevances and contratieties because oftimes they recall a man home to his hart III. Then shall they deliver you into tribulation and shall kill you and you shall be odious to all nations for my names sake and then many shall be scandalized and they shall deliver vp one another and they shall hate one another and many false Prophets shall rise and shall seduce many and because iniquitie shall abound the Charitie of many shall wax cold but he that shall persever to the end shall be saved Besides all other accidents which are matter of patience he foretells them that they shall be persecuted directly for their faith and doctrine and vertuous life and followed even to death because they are his which is matter of greate comfort and reioycing For as S. Peter tells vs if doing well you bâ—â—re patiently this is thanke before God soe we must be farre from wondering or sorrowing if we chance to be haâ—ed doing well or betrayed by whom we least mistrust much farther from suffering our charitie to wax cold vpon it but rather bend our bow the more against
the knowledge and vnderstanding though not without feruent acts of the will and resolution Contemplation hath more of the acts of the will imploying itself vpon things already known II. From the morning till Mid-day the sunne is in continuall motion yet still sending forth its beames with heate proportioned to the height in which it is At noone it resteth in a manner and hath doble the heate which at other times it had So must our soules endeavour to mouÌ„t vp by degrees to contemplation and be still increasing till we arrive to that posture of altitude to which God shall be pleased to rayse vs in this life then we must not think that we are licensed to decline againe but be rising still as to another world better and in which are things stranger and more admirable then in this It being therfore our ayme in this life to coÌ„e as neere the happines of the other as we can and that happines consisting in the perfect knowledge and love and fruition of God we must be continually vsing means to come neerer and neerer to that fruition beginning it here soe farre as is possible III. The practise of Meditation is the high way to it yet as travellers cannot so continually walke but that they must have their resting places to refreth themselves and gather new strength and those resting places are so farâ—e from hindering their journey that they doe much advance it so in this our spirituall journey besides Meditaeion by which we increase in knowledge and besides those heates which that knowledge breedeth still carrying vs along with good purposes and actions sureable if we take vp our rest now and then at some principall station we shall find so much refreshment that we shall not so much feele the wearynes which oftimes may come vpon vs in our journey as be lightened as after an houres or a nights rest and be fresher then when we first set forth IV. According therfore to the seven dayes of the weeke I have disgested seven resting places or Seates wherin siting downe without much discourse we may looke vpon our beloved in them and take that content and profit which may be for our advaucemeÌ„ut for as a green field sowed all through with severall Kinds of flowers doth recreate the eye and refresh the brayne without labour and if there be varietie of hills and plaiâ—es about it it is the more pleasing so will the sight of our beloved delight our soules and refresh our wearyed vnderstanding and the severall positions in which we find him may make the sight of him the more delightfull not that he is not allwayes exceeding delightfull but because severall people are of severall humours and the same partie is not allwayes of the same and varietie doth naturally both please and ease vs for which cause also that which is here set downe at every station or seate may serve as a short declaration of the intent of this discourse but is no wayes meant as a paterne for any body to follow much lesse to consine himself vnto for as vpon a ground in musick severall artists doe make severall Kinds of division and the same man doth varie as his phancie leads him much more doth the holy Ghost in every body suggest diversitie of loving expressions towards the beloved of our soules of whome he is the infinite love O Blessed spirit allwayes one and allwayes manifold being one I beseech thee by thy many graces to that one love of my Saviour which I ought only to have that being one vvith him in this life I may inioy him in the life to come with the many whose multitude being but one hart and one soule cannot divide me from him but increase my love towards him by their never divided affection to him Amen The first Seate the Seate of Puritie I HIs seate of Puritie is in the armes of the blessed Virgin his mother for she was immaculate from the first instant of her Conception and did not only preserve but increase that Puritie to her dying day that of the Canticles being verifyed in her Thou art all beautifull my love and there is no spot in thee And againe How beautifull art thou and how comely my deerest in delights Or spirituall delicacies bestowed vpon thee Salomon is reported to have made for himself a greate throne of Ivoris and to have adorned it with the finest gold there was not such a thrâ—ne in all the kingdomes of the world Our Saviour did no lesse for our Blessed Lady adorning her puritie with all kind of vertues and chiefly with as much charitie and love towards her blessed sonne as could be found among Creatures and there was not such a creature not only in the world below but not in the kingdome of heaven itself Admire this Puritie with the Angels and say Who is this that cometh forth and advanceth as the aawning of the day when it first riseth fayre as the moone choosen and cleare as the sunne This is the bed and seate of the true Salomon which threescore valiant men doe compasse of the most valiant of Israel to defend it from the beginning to the end from all incursions of whatever enemie she is beautifull and sweete and comely as the heavenly Hierusalem and there is not a cittizen of it among vs that is to be compared to her How truly might she say of herself my soule doth magnifie our Lord and my spirit exult in God my Saviour because he hath done greate things for me even he that is powerfull for if there be any greatenes in heaven or earth it is to be found in her in measure incomparable The moone is fayre but not fayrer then shee the lilly is white but not whiter then shee as a lilly among thornes so my love among the daughters All are but as thornes to her If thou knowest it not by reason of thy humilitie o fayrest of women go forth after the foote steps of all the companies of heaven and earth and thou wilt find that neither Cherubins nor Seraphins not Principalities nor dominations nor any of the quires of Angels or Saints will contend with thee but reverence thee and admire thee and love thee as a well ordered armie of all excellencies within thyself How beautifull are thy marches o daughter of a Prince And mother of the Prince of Princes II. But as a tree is much more beautifull when it hath the proper fruite hanging on it and a vine when it is full of ripe bunches of grapes so is the blessed Virgin with her blessed sonne in her armes A sonne who alone is to her as a thousand sonnes having all the perfections in him of which the world is capable A sonne who did nothing prejudice her puritie but raysed it to a value inestimable the remayning a perpetuall Virgin both before and after he was borne and in conceiving him A sonne who beautified her soule as the sunne doth
beautify the moone when it is at full and leaveth no part of it which doth not sparkle with heavenly light O mother O sonne How pleasing are those doue-like glances which you cast vpon one another How doe they inflame both your harts with the purest love and set your affections on fire with mutuall correspondence How sweete are those cheeks saluted with each others lips as a bed of sweete spices and followers and as a pomegranat when it is broken How pleasing are those imbracements and a thousand expressions of love and esteeme which it is not for peâ— to vndertake but a devouâ—e soule may imagin and yet fall short because the sonne is infinite and the mother hath been capable of that infinite of which no other creature hath been thought capable O blessed mother May I be so bold as to salute those little hands of thy greate sonne or to kiffe his feete I am not worthy give me leave at least to put my head vnder theÌ„ acknowledging him to be my Lord my God my soveraigâ—e and commander whome I will eternally obey O sacred feete tread downe the pride of my hart give me grace to treade the steps of thy humilitie and thy patience and thy meeknes and thy obedience O blessed feete why are they so â—aâ—e but that thou lovest Puritie How come they so warme but that thou lovest Charitie And nothing can make them cold but my want of love of thee O love give me grace to love thee III. Love Puritiâ— that thou mayest be welcome to this payre of turtles VVash thy hands and feetâ— thy works and they affections from all filth and dust let thy lips breath nothing but the prayses of this mother and this sonne and of whateuer hath relation to them let thâ— eyes bee modest thy comportment humble thy thoughts respectfull and sit vnder the shadow of this most fruitfull tree for the shade will be delightfull and the fruite sweete to thy tast Passe from branch to branch and see whether hâ— bâ— more lovely in his cralde or in his mothers armes comforting old Simeon or incouraging good S. Ioseph in his flight to â—gypt in the Temple preseâ—ted or found in the midst of dostours working at his trade or praying vpon his little knees lifting vp his sweete hand and eyes for thee to his heavenly Father O â—esus have mercy vpon me a synner I put myâ—sel into thy hands and begge that thou wilt have me in thy thoughts The second seate the seate of Authoritie I. HEre we are to represent vnot vs our Saviour as he was preaching in the Synagoges of the Iewes with power and Authoritie and not as the Scribes at which and at his doctrine they were greately asâ—onished Sit downe therfore at his feete as S. Paul at the feete of Gamaliel behold his countenancâ— his gesture his comportment his fervour in reprehending tempered with vnwonted mildnes his zeale of Gods glorie and the good of every particular The Prophecie of Esay being fullfilled in him according as himself declared The spirit of our Lord is vpon mee for that he hath annointed me to evangelize to the poore he hath sent me to heâ—le the contrite of hart to preach deliverance to captives light to the blind remission to the bruised to denounce the acceptable yeare of our Lord and the day of retribution And the more thou findest want in thyself of spirit and spirituall oyntment of contrition of sight of freedome apply thyself with the more attention to heare his words for the words which he speakes are spirit and life Begge that he will open thy eares and say thou as followeth in the Prophet But I doe not gayne say I have not gone back Stirte vp thy affection not only to imbrace his doctrine with courage and love because a greater a wiser a more consrderate a more infallible teacher thou canst not have as in whome are all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge hidden And really they are treasures of wisedome which only can inrich a soule and affoord it plâ—ntie and content for all eternitie They are hidden vnder the outward shape of an ordinarie man a Carpenters Sonne from the eyes of worldly given thoughts but not from the eye of faith which enters further thâ— corporall eyes caÌ„n reach andZ he that hath spirit will find hidden Manna in him II. From the Synagoges passe with him to Mount Olivet where he often preached but chiefely give care to that prime sermon of his when opening his sacred lips he proclaymed those eight blessings which the world accounteth rather follie and miserie Blessed be the poore of spirit Blessed the mâ—eke Blessed they that mourne Blessed they that hunger and thirst after instice Blessed be thâ— mâ—rcyfuâ—â— Blessed the cleare of harâ— Blessed the peace-makers Blessed they who suffer persecution And inlarging himself vpon this last point declared what Kind of perâ—ecution we ought to account happines to wit when they shall revilâ— you and speake all naught of you vntruly for my sake Be thou ever praysed Lord God of heaven and earth who hast hidden these things from the wisâ— and prudent and revealed them to the little ones Doe not paâ—â—e these steps lightly over but see how he did not only preach but practise theÌ„ and made theÌ„ steps to his eternall glorie aÌ„d the glorie of all his saincts Happy is he whome truth doth teach by himself III. Then follow him with multitudes of people round about the Countriâ—s sowing his celestiall doctrine and curing all disceases commanding the winds and the sâ—a and the euill spirits Heare the people with admiration saying never man spake as this man speaketh what word is this For with power and aâ—ctoritie hâ— commandeth thâ— vncleane spirits and they go forth See how he enters the Temple and casts out the traffickers there with â—is majesticall countenance and a small little whip of cords Magnifie him with his disciples for if thou hold thy peace the very slones willcry him vp O stony hart of myne that is so hard so covered and incombred with earth so much inclined allwayes downewards that this heavenly Master caÌ„not find 〈◊〉 into it Soften it I beseech thee with thy most 〈◊〉 blood hold it vp with thy powerfull hand 〈◊〉 from the earthly thoughts which clog it and if it 〈…〉 strike it with thy heavenly Charitiâ— that som 〈◊〉 at least may fly out of it and take in the tinder 〈…〉 doctrin to inlighten and inflame my soule which without it will be eternall darknes froÌ„ which sweete Iesus dâ—liver me Amen Exercise thy power and authoritie over my passions as thou didst over the winds and sea saying Peacâ— be still Teach me to doe thy will in all things instruct me how to performe the particular obligâ—tions of my state and calling with perfection Teach me above all how I may prepare my self for thy loving presence here in the most