with those most sacred handes which she had so lately seene fastned to the Roode he with such pietie wiped off the trickling tears of her reuerend face then might she saye and that with great cause that sentence of the Prophet Dauid According to the multitude of griefes that my heart hath suffered thy consâ—lations haue reioyced my soule Consider then in the best wise thou canst the sweete communication that passed betwixt the blessed mother and the Sonne the the which wel maye we beleue did occasionate no lesse comfort to the mother then did his sight albeit she could vtter but fewe wordes by reason she was wholly rapt in beholding that glorious vision which she had before her eyes and in viewing euery particuler fealtie of that body and that amiable countenance whose brightnes and beautie did so greatlye delite her nowe as did the seing of it blacke and wounded heretofore torment her in the time of his painful passioÌ„ In like maner beholding those wounds which in his death had perced her virginal heart with sorowe nowe became so faire and so glittering she was therby replenished with so great a ioye as she remained like one astonished not being able to pronounce scarse any one word Reioyce therfore O Queene of heauen sith thou hast so great causes to reioyce thee Let thy spirite now be glad in God thy Sauiour who hath fully satisfied the loÌ„ging desires of thy soule Nowe thou seest him risen vp again whose death thou earst lamentedst Now is winter and the stormes of his persecutions ignominies and tormentes cleane passed ouer now liueth he and death shal haue no more any dominion ouer him Thou seest him nowe farre more exalted then he was before depressed now is he a conquerour of Death of Hel and of the Diuel nowe is neither he to suffer anye more nor thou to haue any further feare Reioyce therfore O Lady and let thy soule receaue solace through his triumph and Resurrection as it was before made sorowful eueÌ„ almost to death through his painful death and passion IN THE THIRDE point thou maiest in like maner enterteyne thy selfe being a matter of great consolation considering howe our Lorde looke what office he had performed to his most blessed mother and the same vouchsafed he to doo to his Disciples and other deuout seruants wher-with we may wel beleeue that the louing Ladye replenished with charitie was very wel contented yea desired him so to doo sithens like as when he was borne she laide him in a manger signifying thereby that albeit she alone did beare and bring him forth yet would she not haue him for her-selfe alone but for al eueÌ„ so would she not haue al the ioye of his glorious resurrection to her-selfe alone but would in any wise that others were made partakers thereof Meditate therfore how he first appered to good Mary Magdalen according to the testimonie of the holy Euangelists who went with the other deuout womeÌ„ to annoint him with pretious oyntments which they caried with theÌ„ in the sepulchre where not finding of him albeit her companions went away yet would not she depart sith loue held her fast linked to the place where she had earst left him whom she so dearly loued and remaining there weeping she with a desire she had to finde him dead merited to see him aliue and risen vp albeit in Gardners weede in such sort as she sawe him and knewe him not our Lord aunswering herein to the disposition of her soule for she loued and doubted as he for the same reason appered in pilgrims shew to those two disciples that went to Emaus where thou maiest note how this Lord knoweth at one time how both to comfort instruct and manifest the defects of his elect and how such are best fauoured of him as most feruently doo loue him like as we here see by good Mary MagdaleÌ„ to whoÌ„ for her feruent loue sake was this prerogatiue geuen that she might first see her deerlye beloued master and that she might be the messenger to announce the ioye of his Resurrection to those that litle thought therof by reason of the heauines they were in through the remembrance of his death and doleful passion Thinke nowe good Christian think attentiuely what ioy that most denout gentlewoman did feele wheÌ„ she both sawe and knew her so dearlye beloued master Ah Lorde howe that heart leaped againe for ioy wheÌ„ our Sauior called her Mary and she answered him forth-with with this louing word of master O what a sodaine chaunge is this how present an alteration What did thy hart feele O good Mary Magdalen being thus in a moment deliuered from thy surpassing sorows and surseased with such a wonderful consolation What a boiling heat of hart was that that made her so impotent ouer her selfe be about to embrace him like one dronke in loue wherby she quite forgot her-selfe of his most sacred Maiestie O most happy teares wherewith she bedewed the ground of that garden which made her so soone to reape so sweete a fruit happy the perseuerance which made her tarye stil in that place wherby she was so singulerly reioyced and comforted of our Sauiour O happy loue more strong theÌ„ death which made her to finde the authour of life reuiued and risen vp in the very place of death Contemplate afterwardes howe she hied her to tel these ioyful tidinges to the Apostles whom euery one of them this Sonne of righteousnes minded to white confect and illuminate for like as he was borne for al and died for al so did he rise vp again for al and vouchsafed to coÌ„municate the ioyes of his Resurrection to al forgetting neither Peter who denied him nor the other Apostles who were nowe for woe and distrust departed from Ierusalem neither Thomas who coÌ„tinued so long time in his obstinate incredulitie wherby is shewed vs howe much more this Lord is inclined and prone to comfort and to fauour then to afflict and punish seing how in counterchange of those fewe dayes wherin he permitted them through his death to be scandalized troubled and afflicted he did afterwardes comfort and reioyce them farre more with his desired presence appering many times to them during the fortie daies mening ther by to ascertaine theÌ„ the better of the veritie of his ResurrectioÌ„ where out thou maiest learne to put thy trust in this most faithful Lorde And albeit thou feele thy selfe other-whiles afflicted and greeuously tempted dispaire not yet for he wil haue care to comfort and visite thee in due time and wil deliuer thee out of al thy temptatioÌ„s and afflictions according as it is written After a storme he sendeth a calme and after sobbes and teares he geueth consolations A PRAYER AFTER a storm the aire grow eth commonly clear againe euen so is it happed to thee O most Souerain Queene of heauen for after the stormie and woful
may by thy holy intercession haue the vertue of perfect charitie graunted me wher-with I may in such sort loue thy blessed Sonne as I may be woorthye to be presented to him in the Temple of the celestial Ierusalem which is our true home Amen OF THE FINDING Disputat in templo dum quaeritur inter amicos Masta Parens notas itque reditque vias THE FIFT IOYFVL MIsterie is of the consolation which our Ladye receaued when hauing lost her sonne she founde him in the Temple where-vpon thou shalt meditate these three pointes FIRST the great deuotion wherewith our Ladye went euery yeare with her affianced husbande Ioseph to celebrate the Pascal solennities and caried with her her sweete sonne Iesus By meanes wherof he remained there behind in the Temple vnwitting to his most louing mother SECONDLY imagine the extreme sorowe which the sacred mother felt when the holy daies being nowe at an ende the returned backe againe to her house and founde not there her most louing sonne whom she thought to haue been earst returned in companie of her holye affianced husband Ioseph THIRDLY meditate with howe great diligence she went seeking him where she deemed he might be not resting any whitt at al vntil she had found him and ponder the ineffable ioye she receaued when at last she founde him in the Temple amidst the Doctors MEANING to pause in the first point consider howe our blessed Ladye is the liuely paterne of al vertue and perfection which shineth forth in euery one of her actions and thus was she a fulfiller of the lawe not only when she was thereto oblieged but also when she might iustly haue excused her-selfe and therefore albeit men alone were bounde to go to the Temple of Ierusalem to celebrate the Pascal solennitie yet did she for her deuotion sake go thither too as also her affianced husbande Ioseph and her sweete sonne Iesus geuing vs an example herein of the care where-with we ought to obserue the solennities of the Churche and of the deuotion and reuerence wherwith we ought to go and remaine in our Lordes Temple O howe sacred were those solennities where suche persons were present who adored the celestial Father in spirite and truth as he cōmaundeth those which adore him to doo O howe odoriferous was the Temple at that time wherein was so great abundāce of the most sweet incense of their prayers O howe much more did the glory of our Lorde fil at that time al that holy house thē when king Salomon made his praiers therein O sacred virgin who can possibly comprehend what thy praiers wer which thou madest in that temple howe feruent howe deuout howe effectual howe they pearced the heauens and mounted vp to the throne of Gods diuine Maiestie howe grateful were to his goodnes the most zelous thankes thou gauest him for hauing vouchsafed to make thee the mother of such a sonne of whom depended the welfare and redresse of the whole world O I would it were his holye wil that some one sparke of so feruent praiers and thankes-geuinges might fal into the frosen coldnes of our deuotions IN THE second point thou maiest dilate meditating howe the solemnitie being now ended the virgin-mother returned backe to her owne house with great desire to see her deere sonne whom she thought to haue been returned before with Ioseph not hauing seene him her-selfe al that day and finding afterwardes that the desired of her soule was wāting here maiest thou deeme in what a case she was what dagger of woe did wounde her heart what pitiful teares she shed what sighes and doleful sobbes she fetcht to ease by that meanes the internal anguish which she felt in her afflicted hart how manye feares did fright her how many imaginations did amase her not woting on which side to turne her and for that it was alreadie night she resolued to stay vntil the morning remaining in that anxietie and heuines which thou maiest wel imagine O most innocent virgin howe long and dark a night was that to thee wherin thou weptst with woe and thy teares neuer left trickling downe thy cheekes and nothing was able to afforde thee any comfort sith the true comforter being absent al the creatures coulde not yeelde consolation Thy greatest ease al this long night wer thy prayers thy sighes and tears the thinking of thy beloued sonne thy talking to him as though he had beene present the beholding of his beautie his sanctitie his vertues and perfections the vnbethinking thee of his gratious wordes and of the works which thou haddest seene him doo albeit al these thinges as they did on th'one side yeeld thee contentment so on th'other side did they increase thy woe when thou consideredst that he was absent and knewest not when thou shouldest merite to enioye his presence againe Finally this day and night thou feddest thee with thy teares in steade of bread when thou enquiredst of thy selfe where was thy God Herein maiest thou wel suppose that the blessed Virgin did passe ouer the time without sleep or rest vntil the thirde day IN THE THIRDE point thou mayest pause also considering howe presentlye after the dauning daye once appered the moste sacred Virgin went with great diligence to seeke the treasure she had lost where thou maiest meditate with what zeale and feruour she asked those that she mett with if they knewe anye thing of him whom her soule did loue and howe great griefe and sorowe she felt when they coulde tel her no tidinges of him She could neither finde him amongst his kinsfolkes nor acquaintance where she went seeking of him very diligently Sithens IESVS is not to be founde where the daliances and delightes of the fleshe and bloud doo reigne yea there is he wont to be lost and therfore did she returne to the Temple of Ierusalem where she had earst left him and therin did she find him standing in the middest of the Doctours geuing eare to thē and questioning of them to their great admiration O most happy mother who can possibly declare the ineffable ioye thou receauedst at such time as thou sawest thy desired sonne whom with so great sorow thou soughtest for thē did thy heart reioyce which was before oppressed with dole thē did thy troubled and ecclipsed mind through his absence growe calme and cleere againe through his presence then al anguish feares and suspitions departing was the peace and tranquilitie restored the which thou wantedst then were the teares of sorowe changed into teares of solace thē mightest thou wel cal vpō the quires of Angels to congratulate with thee for hauing founde the pretious iewel which with such sorow thou soughtest Consider then how the obedient son seing his deere mother doth most gratiously come vnto her and with what passing loue she receaueth him how she embraceth howe she entertaineth howe she holdeth him and will not let him go with what pietie she complaineth
he gaue to their tongues to preach with efficacie this Euangelical lawe like as they did ouer al the whole world O happye were they which merited through the grace of God to be instructed of such a Master and comforted of such a Comforter sith that good part befel to them which the prophet Dauid wished for when he Blessed is the man whom thou shalt instruct O Lorde and to whom thou shalt teach thy lawe IN THE thirde point thou mayest like-wise enterteine thy selfe if thou list considering the great matters which the holye Ghost wrought in the Apostles in such sort as one might wel This is a change wrought by the right hand of God seing in one instant he made them of feeble strong of ignorant learned of indeuout feruent ioyful of sadd and of terrestral celestial Wel saith the Euangelist S. Luke that at the comming of the holye Ghost Ther was sodainly a sound made from heauen as of a great winde which filled al the whole house where they satt It was no noyse or sounde of trompett which might moue any feare or horror but a sound as of a sweet musike and harmonious melodie which comforted encouraged moued ascertained and gaue signe of the aboundant graces that were infused And therfore is it saide that it filled al the whole house it filled their heartes which was the chiefe house wherein this heauenlye gest came to lodge it filled al their senses powers their vnderstāding with wisdome their wil with loue their memorie with assurance their eyes with modestie their tonges with eloquence their handes with liberalitie their feete with diligence and al their soules with al kinde of vertues Thus behooued it that they should be filled who were to fil others and that they shoulde receaue al maner of giftes who receaued them for the whole Churche And therefore presentlye after they were filled they beganne to spreade and sowe what they had receued and to shew the strength which was geuen vnto them sith they which were before shutt vp for feare and durst scarse mutter the name of Iesus Christe or make any mention at al of his most holy misteries doo now coragiouslye come abroade in publike shew to preach to reprehend to dispute and to shew that there is no other name wherin they might be saued but only that of Iesus whō they them-selues had crucified to whom they thus preched And this did they with such feruour and efficacie as S. Peter in the verye first Sermon he made conuerted almost three thousand of his audience O diuine power O meruailous vertue O celestial force This is the newe wine which as our Sauiour said should be put into these newe vessels which were prepared for this purpose O my soule if thou wouldest dispose thy selfe to taste of this sweete wine howe soure would al worldly thinges be to thee which at this instant seeme so sauourie If thou wert so happie as that this holye winde might breath vpon thee refresh thee and guide thee O howe much more securely mightest thou saile and arriue to the desired port This is that wind which the Spouse desired and craued in the Canticles when she saide Gett thee gone thou wind of North and come thou wind of South breath vpon my garden and it shal become odoriferous and fruitful Thou maiest contemplate lastlye in this point the ineffable ioye which the blessed Lady receaued who was more then al other replenished with the graces and giftes of the holye Ghost seing and hearing the prosperous beginning and successe of the holye Church and the aboundant fruit that begann to rise of the sacred bloud which her blessed Sonne had shedd which did so much the more reioyce her as her desires were more feruent her charitie more inflamed her grace more plentiful with al the other giftes she had receaued A PRAYER GREAT was the ioy and comfort which thou haddest O sacred mother of mercy whē being assembled with the holy Apostles and Disciples of thy blessed Sonne the holy Ghost discended in forme of fire and illuminated inflamed and comforted them al to goe and preach the sacred Gospel with great feruour Wherefore I beseech thee most sweete and bountiful Lady by this ioye common to thee and to al them that thy effectual prayers may helpe me to th'ende that I poore and comfortlesse wretch maye also be made a partaker of the graces and giftes of the same celestial Comforter wherby I may feruently loue him announce him and praise him euerlastingly Amen OF THE ASSVMPTION Quae vitam peperit moritur sed reddita vit◠Scandit vbi Nati Regia celsa sui est ¶ THE FOVRTH GLOrious Misterie is of the Assumption of our Lady that is to saye of her happy death when her most holy soule being seperated from her body went to enioye the endlesse ioyes of heauen about the which thou maiest meditate these points that folow FIRST the great desire which our Lady had to depart out of this vale of teares and to go see her most sweet son and howe great the ioy was which her soule felt when the vnderstood how the houre was now at hande wherin she was to abandon this temporal life SECONDLY thou maiest meditate in what maner the most holy virgin prepared her selfe for this last houre and the companie which she had with her at the time of her most happye departure THIRDLY consider the puritie and innocencie of that most blessed soule which we may wel thinke was caried vp to heauen in her Lorde his armes the Hierarchies of heauen accompanying her with most sweet songes and ineffable exultation IN THE firste point thou maiest entertaine thy selfe meditating as some doo howe after the Apostles were gone abrode into diuers places of the world to preach the holy Gospel according as was commaunded them our Ladye remained in Ierusalem and went afterwardes to Nazareth where her principal exercise was to attend diligently to contemplation and to pray for the holy Church and other-whiles through the great deuotion and continual remembrance which she had of the things that her most sweet sonne had done and suffred she went most deuoutly to visit those holy places wherin he had wrought any particuler Misterie and shed there great aboundance of deuout teares Thus passed she on her most holy life with a most zealous desire which she had to see him whom her soule loued For if S. Paul desired to dye to liue with Iesus Christe how much more is it to be thoght that she should desire this who loued him much more feruentlye If the Royal Prophet lamented greatly his so long abode in this obscure world and saide As the panting deare desireth the fountaines of water euen so desireth my soule to come to thee O Lord how much more shoulde the Queene of heauen lament her abode in earth where she thought her-self detained as in a long exile how much more should she desire
her God then anye deare the fountaine of water O most sacred Virgin who can possibly tel with what inflamed desires with what pitiful teares with what continual sighes thou crauedst desiredst to see an end of thy pilgrimage and to be deliuered from thy bodily prison How oft didst thou haply with weeping eyes say to the Angels that came to comfort and visite thee that which the Spouse saide in the Canticles I adiure you that if you meet my louer you tel him froÌ„ me that I languish in his loue Howe oft did this loue and languishing desire wholly rauish thee and transport thee out of thy selfe not being able to eate speake sleepe or attend to any other thing sith thy soule was rather there where it loued then where it liued This being so contemplate then the ineffable gladnes which our blessed Lady felt wheÌ„ by reuelation she knewe the daye to approche wherein she should haue that graunted her which she so gretlye desired If the holy Prophet Dauid reioyced so greatly when it was tolde him that he should go to our Lords house what was the ioy thinkest thou of this great Lady wheÌ„ she vnderstood how she was presently to goe to our Lordes house and that she should see our Lord and dwel perpetually with our Lorde and be more made of and fauoured of our Lorde then al other creatures what-soeuer O blessed day O happie tidinges so much more ioyful as more desired Wel might the most blessed mother say then with Simeon Nowe thou leauest thy seruant O Lorde contented and comforted with the assurance that mine eyes shal see thee who art my Sauiour IN THE second point thou mayest meditate how our Lady so much the neerer as she drewe to her happie departure so much more feruent were her desires so much more zealous her prayers and al her powers so much more quickned For like as her death proceeded not of anye natural infirmitie according as we beleeue by reason of the excellencie of her complexion like to that of her most sacred sonnes so could not the functions of her senses and powers be in any wise impeched Woting therfore that her deth drew nigh some doo contemplate how before her departure she desired to see the Apostles whom she so greatly loued and were dispersed abrode in diuers regions of the world that they might accompanye her in this her last houre geuing vs an exaÌ„ple hereby howe we ought to desire and procure to haue some deuout and spiritual persons to accompanye and comfort vs in this houre of so great peril Our Lord therfore moste bountiful condescending to her desire caused the Apostles miraculously to meete together such as yet were liuing in the world in the house where his most holye mother dwelt who were present at her departure as the great Denis Areopagita affirmeth Consider then howe great was the Apostles consolation finding theÌ„-selues thus asseÌ„bled together and seing their most holy mother and Lady whom they loued so dearly and desired once to see with what reuerence may we deeme did they salute her with what reuerence did they kisse her garments as most pretious reliques with what admiration did they consider her dignitie which they knewe farre better then any other with what coâ—â—tentation did they behold that reuerend visage supposing that in seing her they saw their most derely beloued Lorde and Master How sweet was the communication that was vsed there how feruent the diuine praises that were there celebrated how sweet the tears of tendernes and ioy that were shed there Thinke then with what confidence and contentment this blessed Lady assisted with so notable a company and assured of her conscience expected death which is to others so dreadful Thou must not thinke therefore that she was before her death in any agonie and paine as others are wont to be but howe in mild maner and with a cheerful couÌ„tenance that most holy soul departed out of her body more glittering and more faire then the clere moone O most pure Virgin how truely maye we say that in euery thing the best part hath bene geuen thee The best in thine immaculate conception and Natiuitie which was most pure and free from al sinne the best in thy life which was al holy and a Mirrour of al perfection the best in thy death which made thee no whitt afraide as it doth sinners yea was to thee a passage to true life The best part therfore hath bene geuen thee both in earth and in heauen whether thou wentest to reigne eternally IN THE third point thou mayest pause delighting thy selfe with the consideration howe that most sacred soule departed out of this life the most beautiful the most gratious the most holy of al pure and simple creatures how replenished with merits with giftes with vertues with excellencies and spiritual riches the greatest that may be possibly imagined proportionable to the incomparable dignitie which was bestowed vpon her Consider a while the maner how this most blessed soule accompanied with quires of Angels was conducted vp to the Celestial Court neither are we to doubt at al hereof for if we read of S. Martin and manye mo Saintes of both sex who leauing this life were accompanied with Angels and honored with their heauenly songes I see no reason why this fauor and honour should be denied the holy of holies and more holy and woorthy then al Yea we may not only affirme this to be most true but beleeue with godly deuotioÌ„ that not onely the Angels but that which is more the king of Angels in proper person vouchsafed to come and doo her this honour Herevpon is it that some doo contemplate how the most holy mother being vpoÌ„ the last hour of her blessed departure her most sweet sonne descended from heauen associated with the celestial powers and entred into that blessed house where she laye and beholding her with those his amiable eyes spoke that with a most sweet voice to her which the husband said to the spouse in the Canticles Thou art al faire my frende and there is no blemish at al in thee come from Liban my Spouse come from Liban and crowned shalt thou be That is to saye Come receue the recompence of thy desertes the treasure which thy most holy workes haue merited the crown that is due to thy so excellent vertues Get vp my Doue it is nowe high time to issue out of this exile no toiles no teares no sobbes or sorowes any more Come to enioye the pleasure of those woundes which when they were geuen did occasionate thy so great woes come nowe and rest thee for the paine which thou hast taken Come nowe be merye for that thou hast wailed and wept and for that thou humbledst thy selfe so lowlye come nowe to reigne perpetually These and suche like wordes maiest thou according to thy deuotion meditate to haue