perpetual Blaspheming there the Damned for the sharpness of their Pains bite their Tongues and Curse the King of Heaven 2. Consider that there is such Fire and Heat and such Cold as all fire and heat and all cold of this world in comparison of that Heat and Cold is nothing There they are forced to pass from intolerable Heat to intolerable Cold. There they are most cruelly boyled and roasted They feel most bitter Torments in every Sense and in every Member Their Sight continually beholds dreadful horrid Faces of Devils Their Hearing continually perceives the Lamentations sad Cryes of those who continually cry out Wo wo wo Why were we created and made Cursed be God who made us This is the sad Song which is there continually sung Imagin there to be Vessels full of all filthiness to wit Toads Snakes putrid Flesh of dead Carcasses and the filth and dung of Jaques's mix'd together And the Wicked to be drowned over head and ears in those Vessels and against their will to smell touch eat and drink that stinking Mixture Thou canst imagin nothing so abominable and grievous but there are there things more abominable grievous There every one is punished most in those Members by which he has most sinned 3. There the Devils insult over those whom they torment and whom they have and shall for ever have for their companions saying Where are now your Riches where your Honour where your Glory where your Pleasure where your Delights where your Vanities Who is so hard and mad as not to conceive a profitable Fear from the consideration of these things And as not to amend his wicked and negligent Life Assuredly whatsoever can torment whatsoever can cause horror and abomination shall for ever be seen heard and felt in Hell 4. Consider moreover the inward punishment of the damned for they shall be for all eternity deprived of the sight of God They shall never see that blessed City the celestial Jerusalem God has cast them away and they are delivered to everlasting oblivion nor will He ever have mercy on them Rom. 1. For they are vessels of wrath in which the rigor and the severity of the Divine Justice is manifested The Worm of their Conscience shall never dye but shall without ceasing gnaw and accuse them for that for so short a joy and so momentary a pleasure they have lost eternal Happiness and found everlasting Punishments O Ponder ponder diligently this Eternity of Pains After a thousand thousands of Years their End shall be no nearer because they shall never end but in Hell there shall be a perpetual presence of all Evils and a perpetual absence of all Comfort 5. Lo such a Calamity is the Reward of those who fear not God and continue in their Sins without true Repentance until their Departure out of this Life For there being in Mortal Sin an infinite enormity by reason of the contempt of the immense God Such a Sin if it be not blotted out by Repentance shall be punished with endless Pain But thou who art yet in the time of Grace leaving thy Vices and Vanities without delay return to the Lord thy God and He will receive thee cleanse and heal thee Fear Him serve Him love Him with all thy heart For so thou shalt escape those Torments which never are ended never Intermitted never diminished 6. If thou art entred into Religion thou must with all thy might tend to perfection thou must lead an humble pure and signally Holy Life But if thou hast a secular Heart and Religion and livest negligently and shall end thy life in such negligence thou shalt be thrust down into Hell or certainly shalt endure such sharp horrid and long pains in Purgatory as if thou couldest now foresee them thou wouldest dye for fear and horror of them Wherefore now if thou beest wise thou wilt take diligent care for the salvation of thy Soul Meditation V. Of the Life and Passion of Christ Division 1. THe sin of the world could not have been taken away unless the Creator of the world assuming human flesh had abolished it with his own blood Ponder therefore how our Lord Jesus the Son of the living God the most high God for the excessive love with which he loved us would be conceived by the holy Ghost and be made man in the womb of the B. Virgin Mary that thou loaded with thine Iniquities mightest not descend down into Hell Thy God was made thy Brother He was born a tender little Infant in a poor Stable He was wrapped in vile clouts He was laid in the Crib of Beasts He lay upon hay and straw He was suckled by the breasts of a very poor Mother He was Circumcised the eighth day from his Nativity and shed his Blood Then he fled into Aegypt And so in his sacred Infancy and Childhood he sustained very many necessities and grievances with Mary and Joseph 2. The sweet Jesus when he was about thirty years old humbly received Baptism from his servant John He fasted was tempted watched preached was wearied with journeys and labours He endured with a most meek heart three and thirty years hunger thirst cold heat and innumerable grievances and innumerable persecutions and at length went to Hierusalem there to dy for thee 3. The sweet Jesus when upon his knees he had humbly washed the feet of his Disciples and had wiped them with a Towell and had instituted the Venerable Sacrament of the Eucharist he went unto Mount Olivet O how grievous how unworthy how sharp things did he suffer for thee For he the Lord of highest Majesty would tremble and be sad even unto death He would be bathed in a sweat of blood by reason of the vehemency of the anguishes with which he was oppressed He resused not to be kis't by the Traytor Judas and as a Theif by wicked men to be ignominiously apprehended bound led away dragged pushed smitten 4. The sweet Jesus the Lord of Lords vouchsafed to receive a cruel buffet from a servant of the high-Priest He vouchsafed to be unjustly condemned to be defiled with spittle to be beaten with blows and buffets to be reproachfully blinded mocked and scoffed The most meek Lamb did not in the mean while complain nor turn away his face from those who spat on him but teaching us patience and exhibiting himself a pattern of patience he was dumb and opened not his mouth Isa 53. He endured with silence revilings contumelies disgraces and many injuries 5. Behold sweet Jesus the Holy of Holies bespatred with spittle and bound is lead to Pilate and before him falsely accused but he humbly holds his peace He is sent by Pilate to Herod and is despised by Herod and clothed in a white and ridiculous coat as a fool and so is sent back to Pilate He is stripped in the Pretors Hall and inhumanely tyed to a Pillar and most cruelly torn with whipps His Virginal and delicate flesh was all deformed with bruises
be praise honour and glory for ever Amen Article IV. THe sweet JESUS was presented in the Temple and was redeemed with the sacrifice of the poor He fled into Aegypt and there endured the incommodities of Poverty with Mary and Joseph He was subject and obedient to the same Mary and Joseph In his sacred Infancy Childhood and Youth he suffered very many necessities and tribulations for my salvation To him be praise honour glory for ever Amen Article V. THe sweet JESUS when he was thirty years old humbly received Baptism from his servant John He fasted forty daies and forty nights dwelling with the Beasts in the desert The maker of the World the King of Angels the Omnipotent God did not disdain to be tempted by the Devil for my sake To him be praise honor and glory for ever Amen Article VI. THe sweet JESUS was wearied with journeys watchings and labours for my salvation He preached wrought miracles bestowed favours He suffered hunger and thirst cold and heat He endured with a most meek heart three and thirty years innumerable grievances and innumerable persecutions and at length came to Jerusalem that he might dy for me To him be praise honour glory for ever Amen Article VII THe sweet JESUS the King of Kings and Lord of the highest majesty girt about him a linnen cloath and powred water into a Basin and kneeling down humbly washed the feet of his Disciples and wiped them with a towell O what an example did my Lord God give me To him be praise honor and glory for ever Amen Article VIII THe sweet JESUS out of the immense Love with which he most tenderly loves us instituted the venerable Sacrament of the Eucharist by a stupendious liberality and a most sweet charity giving and leaving to us himself in it To him be praise honor and glory for ever Amen Article IX THe sweet JESUS coming into the Garden of Olivet he began to fear and to be sad so that he said My Soul is sad even unto death he humbly bended his knees upon the ground and falling upon his face he prayed to his Father three times for my sake being excessively afflicted he most fully resign'd himself to his Father saying Father not my will but thine be done Out of the vehemency of the anguishes with which his most meek heart was oppressed he swet Blood all over his Body so that the drops ran down upon the earth To him be praise honor and glory for ever Amen Article X. THe sweet JESUS burning with an earnest desire of redeeming me and suffering for me went out to meet his Enemies and most courteously spoke to them He refused not to receive a kiss from the traytor Judas and ignominiously to be apprehended and bound as a thief by wicked men that I might be absolved from the Bonds of my Sins To him be Praise Honor and Glory for ever Amen Article XI THe sweet JESUS bound as a Malefactor was led with disgrace to the house of Annas and thence to the house of Caiphas the high Priest My gracious and sweet Lord was dragg'd pushed on beaten and blasphem'd by the Ministers of the Devil but he bore all those grievous and unworthy things most patiently for the love of me To him be Praise Honor and Glory for ever Amen Article XII THe sweet JESUS Lord of Lords endured most modestly for my Salvation a reproachful and cruel box on the ear most unjustly given by a servant of the High Priest And how shall not I hereafter in return for his Love patiently endure the affronts that are done me I beg I wish I desire to be strengthened and confirmed by his Grace To him be praise honor and glory for ever Amen Article XIII THe sweet JESUS was falsly accused in the house of Caiphas he was unjustly condemned He was fowly spit upon and received horrible blows and buffets he was scornfully blindfolded the wicked smiting him and in scorn saying Prophecy unto us O Christ who it was that struck thee Ah! that royal and amiable face of his for me was defiled with filthy spittle the most meek Lamb in the mean while did not complain but teaching us Patience he was dumb and opened not his mouth he bore in silence for my sake revilings contumelies reproaches and all sorts of injuries O how ill and how unworthily was he handled that night To him be praise honor and glory for ever Amen Article XIV THe sweet JESUS the Holy of Holys and King of Angels defiled with spittle and bound in the morning was led to Pilate and stood before him with a loving countenance and his eyes down And when he was falsly accus'd by the Jewes he humbly held his peace answering nothing To him be praise honor and glory for ever Amen Article XV. THe sweet JESUS bound as a Thief was sent from Pilate to Herod who seeing him silent to his own idle questions and to the false accusations of the Jewes he despised him and clothed him in a white and ridiculous Coat as a Fool and so sent him back to Pilate The amiable Lord at the pleasure of his Enemies went backward and forward without contradiction permitting them to do with him whatsoever they would O how humble was the Obedience and Patience of the Eternal King To him be praise honor and glory for ever Amen Article XVI THe sweet JESUS was ignominiously stript in the Pretors Hall he was inhumanly tyed to a Pillar he was most cruelly torn with whips for me his delicate and Virginall Flesh was all deformed with blewness and wounds and out of it ran down on all sides upon the ground streams of precious Blood O sharp dolours O sad spectacle Indeed he was wounded for my iniquities he was bruised for my sins and by his wounds I was healed To him be praise honor and glory for ever Amen Article XVII THe sweet JESUS for his greater ignominy was clothed with a Purple Cloak a Crown of Thorns was pressed upon his venerable head and so his head being grievously wounded most pure Blood abundantly flowed down upon his face and neck A Reed was put into his hand and he was scoffingly saluted and adored by the wicked deriding him and saying Hail King of the Jewes he was smitten with a Reed he was spit upon and received cruel buffets for my sake To him be praise honor and glory for ever Amen Article XVIII THe sweet JESUS was brought forth by Pilate and shown to the furious Jewes wearing a Crown of Thorns and a Purple Vestment But they ask'd with loud clamours that he might be crucified His head surrounded with thorns his face stained with blood and defiled with spittle his body cut with whips his humble and pleasant Aspect did not move them to pitty I pray God they may move me to a most inward Compassion and ardent Love of him To him be praise honor and glory for ever Amen Article XIX THe sweet JESUS was condemned to dye by
and wounds and out of it ran on all sides down upon the earth rivolets of his precious blood O what and how sad a Spectacle was this Truly he was wounded for our iniquities he was bruised for our wickedness and by his bruises we were healed Isa 53. 6. The sweet Jesus King of Kings is Clothed in a Purple Cloak to his greater reproach is Crowned with Thornes and Wounded Hence his Purple Blood flowed down plentifully upon his amiable face and neck A reed is put in his hand and he is scoffingly saluted and adored he is stricken with a reed again he is spit upon and buffeted He is exposed to be gazed upon by the people with a Crown of Thorns upon his Head and a Purple Vestment about his shoulders 7. The Sweet Jesus the Creator of Heaven and Earth carrys his own Cross upon his bruised and hurt shoulders He tastes upon mount Calvary wine mixed with myrrhe and gall Again he is stripped and his wounds are renewed by the pulling off of his Garments He is unmerciful stretched out on the Cross and his delicate hands and undefiled feet are transfixed with hard Nailes and the Joynts of his most Holy Limbs are miserably loosed Most Pure Blood Flows abundantly out of his sacred Wounds as out of so many Fountains Go to Ponder and Meditate profoundly these things Take notice of the Bloody and saving wounds of thy Redeemer Salute and Venerate them with a Devout Heart 8. The Sweet Jesus endured most bitter Torments three Hours Hanging on the Tree of the Cross betwixt two Thieves Lo he is Mocked and blasphemed but he prays for his blasphemers he prays for his Crucifiers He deeply Compassionates his Sorrowful and Afflicted Mother standing by and Courteously speaks to her Burning with a most grievous Thirst Vinegar is given him to Drink And forthwith bowing his Venerable Head he gives up the Ghost The good Pastor lays down his life for his sheep He who gives Life to all things dyes for thee Afterwards his Side is opened with a Spear and thence Flows out Blood and Water Last of all his Immaculate Body being taken down from the Cross is laid in a Tomb and buryed 9. Thou hast here a Spiritual bundle of Myrrhe See thou lay it diligently between the breasts of thy Soul But whilst thou ponderest these things behold with thy inward Eyes thy beloved Jesus Christ not as a Pure Man but Contemplate him as God and Man in all things which he did and suffered Consider diligently his deep humility and patience his inestimable bounty and most Ardent Charity Admire be amazed imitate compassionate him and return love for love as thou art able Adore praise and glorifie him and give him thanks Consider I beseech thee whether it be fitting that the Son of the most high the Supream King of Glory enduring for thee a most vile Caitiff so great Abjection and Ignominy and so great labours and torments thou in the mean time as if thou wert secure shouldst give thy self to sports and jests to vanities and delights little or nothing thinking of him and living negligently nay perhaps wickedly O! how ill at the last shall it go with those ungrateful and unhappy hearts who little esteem so great benefits such ensignes of love and care not to ruminate the Passion of Christ Far be it from thee Meditation VI. Of the Imitation of Christ Division 1. LO the Cruel base and horrible Prince of darkness the Devil says to thee hear and follow me be Proud and neglecting God do thy own will love the world and those things which are in the world that thou maist be Tormented with me in the horrible punishments of hell On the contrary side the Mild Gracious and Amiable King of Glory Christ says to thee Hear and follow me be humble and despising the World deny thy own proper will Love God and those things which are above that thou maist rejoyce with me for ever in Heaven Here now enquire and weigh diligently with thy self whether of the two thou oughtest to hear and follow Assuredly thy reason manifestly crys and shews that thou oughtest to follow the Lord Jesus thy most sweet Creator Redeemer Lover and Benefactor Which being so do thou without delay joyn thy self to Christ and say from thy heart O Lord Jesus I despising the Devil from henceforth purpose thy grace assisting me to follow imitate and love thee my King 2. Wherefore as Jesus Christ thy King the most high God humbled and emptied himself by assuming human flesh and the form of a servant by being born of a poor Virgin by washing his Disciples feet by most perfectly obeying his Father and Men so thou must purpose hereafter to humble thy self under all things for his love Thou must willingly submit thy self to all men willingly serve all Willingly take the lowest place seeing thou art not worthy that the earth should support thee by reason of thy sins and ingratitude Thou must willingly perform vile and abject works although thou shouldest therefore suffer some shame before men Thou must willingly readily obey men in lawful and convenient things not only thy superiours but also thy equalls and moreover thy Inferiors 3. Also as thy King Christ was alwaies meek and humble of heart so thou oughtest hereafter to endeavour that all rough and vitious motions of Anger be extinguished in thee Thou must not be obstinate in thy own sense nor adhere to thy own proper Judgement but must wisely prefer the judgement and will of others before thy own judgement and will Thou must from thy heart repute thy self the most unworthy of all men and renounce all vain glory and self complacence as much as thou canst acknowledging thy self of thy self to be nothing to be able to do nothing and to have nothing but sins and defects Thou must therefore never usurp to thy self any thing of Gods gifts but must attribute all good things to God and purely refer them to him Thou must chuse and love rather not to be known and little esteemed by men than to be known or praised 4. Also as thy King Christ abstained from all vanity pomp curiosity and superfluity in meat drink clothing and other necessaries for his life yea and chose most abject poverty in his Nativity and Death so also thou must purpose hereafter to use all things moderately and to be content with simple meat and drink and simple cloathing removing from thee whatsoever is vain proud or altogether superfluous 5. Again as thy King Christ did not follow sensual pleasures and the delights of the flesh but even thirsting drunk Gall and Vinegar and adhered inordinately to nothing and had most pleasing manners and behaviour so thou must purpose hereafter to reject all impure and sensual delights and impure pleasures Thou must restrain all thy senses thy sight hearing tast and touching and also thy tongue from all excess vanity and curiosity Thou must keep thy heart with all diligence clean and
most familiar and perpetual society with Christ and his most Lovely and most Gracious Mother Mary and with all the Blessed Assuredly all the joys of the world Compared with the least joy of Heaven are meer bitterness The vast Ocean does not so much exceed in quantity one single drop of water as the least pleasure of the Blessed does exceed all the delight and pleasure that ever was in the world And the joys of Heaven shall never be ended nor ever be diminished Nor be interrupted for one single moment for all eternity 5. Besides when thy Soul in the Resurrection shall have received thy glorious body what joy shall it thence receive For thy very body shall be most splendid and much more bright than the Sun it shall be most sound most firm most beautiful most pure odoriferous incorruptible impassible most subtil and very agil Whence thy soul with its glorified body can be wheresoever it will in a very short space of time nothing can hinder it nothing put a stop or impediment unto it Thou shalt also after the Resurrection conceive exceeding great Joy from the happy renovation of this visible World which shall be of a far more elegant form than now it is For whatsoever is now in the World unclean whatsoever is obscure and shady in the Earth whatsoever is cold in the Waters and whatsoever has power of burning in the Fire all that shall go down into Hell The Sun and Moon and Starres shall be seven times more bright than they are now Henceforth there shall be no Clouds nor Hail nor Rain nor Winds nor Lightning nor Thunder Night shall cease to be a perpetual Day and Clarity succeeding as well on Earth as in the Heavens The Air shall have more light than it has now the Water shall be purer than it is now The Earth shall be fair as Gold and pellucid as Crystal and plain as the palm of your hand 6. Such things God has prepared for those who love him O how unhappy are they who for the most base pleasures delights and vanities of this World deprive themselves of so great joyes But thou who readest these things aspire and make haste to that never-fading Glory Detest and fly all Sin as much as thou canst contemn all transitory things love God love all Men and spend the time profitably which is allotted thee The Conclusion Admonitions concerning the Practice of these Meditations 1. HE who exercises himself in the foregoing Meditations may nay ought in some of them to wit in those which are more fruitful stay more than three daies especially during the first Exercise which Exercise precedes the repetition of the same Meditations 2. It will be profitable when he is to begin any Exercise our Meditation that he read first the last division of the same Meditation for in it commonly are put some things conducing to the right and profitable performance of the same Meditation 3. If whilst he is exercising himself he be overcharged with sleep let him rise and standing or walking continue the Exercise He must diligently weigh with himself all the points and members of the Divisions and freely stay in them 4. Moreover when he shall perceive himself to be solicited or allured to follow his vitious passions Concupiscences and inclinations if holy love do not restrain him from evil he must forthwith call to mind death judgment and hell that at least profitable fear may restrain him 5. He must very Carefully contain and bridle his tongue and senses for otherwise he will never make any progress in true vertues 6. That he may more speedily attain to a contempt of himself and true humility without which no Vertue is of any value he must very often exercise himself in an attentive and amorous consideration of the greatness of God and of his Fidelity and Charity towards himself and on the contrary in the consideration of his own littleness and of his unfaithfulness and ingratitude towards God he shall say to God these or such like things O Lord who art thou and who am I Thou art the Lord of highest majesty nobility and dignity Thou art the Creator of Heaven and Earth Thou art the Immense God the Omnipopotent God But I am a most vile worme I am unworthy whom the Earth should sustain I am nothing I can do nothing Thou hast been ever most faithful to me loving me most purely and bestowing upon me innumerable benefits but I alas have been most unfaithful and too ungrateful to thee and am so still He must perform the foresaid exercise purely to the honour of God He must in his heart prefer every man how wicked soever before himself and deem him better than himself 7. He must accustom himself frequently to recall and elevate his mind to God and he must do this even amidst conversation and when he is exercised in external works least his mind wandering and forgetful of his purpose and too estranged from God lose its inward purity and antient grace He must piously attend the amiable presence of God knowing that he alwaies beholds all his thoughts words and actions He must aspire after the spouse of his soul Jesus Christ and maintain sweet colloquies of love with him By this means he shall both pass this life with pleasure and after the death of the body he shall come to eternal joyes of immortal life Amen A short Commemoration of the Life of Christ divided into Articles Article I. THe sweet JESUS the Son of the living God the most high God the Creator of Heaven and Earth for the exceeding Charity wherewith he loved me would be conceived by the Holy Ghost and incarnate in the most chast womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary in which also he dwelt nine months My God emptied himself and taking the form of a servant was made my Brother that he might reduce me to his Heavenly Kingdom O Ineffable Piety and inestimable Favor what shall I return to my Lord I offer and resign my self wholly to his good pleasure To him be praise honour and glory for ever and ever Amen Article II. THe sweet JESUS the King of glory the cause of my salvation was born a Tender Infant in a poor stable winter sharply raging He was wrapp'd in clouts He was reposed in the Crib of Beasts He lay upon hay and straw He was suckled by the breasts of a poor mother The Son of God endured so great Poverty for my sake To him be praise honour and glory for ever Amen Article III. The sweet JESUS was circumcised on the eighth day from his Birth his Mother sadly condoling with him He was circumcised and shed his most pure Blood for me a most vile wretch and he would be called Jesus that is a Saviour for my comfort Then he was revealed to the Gentiles when the Sages guided by a star to Bethlehem to adore the little Infant and with joy and reverence offered to him gifts gold frankincense and myrrhe To him