vow of Pilgrime go to our Lady of Loreto euen when the Turkes were ready crying to lay their hands vpon their barke They had no sooner pronounced their vow but streight behold a sodaine furious tempest arose which scattered the vessels and separared them one farre from another and so disordered the Pursuers that they were forced to seeke rather some shore to saue themselues then to take the ship they followed These three that had thus fled did see the other terribly tossed by the waues caried sometimes hither and sometimes thither sometimes aloft sometimes below whome they knew by their turbants which made them be seene a farre of Themselues in the meane time held on their course as in the calme Sea driuen with a fauourable wynd blowing in the poope which did comfort them with a sweet admiration seing in such contrariety of wether of tempest and of calme in the same time almost in the same place that it was the stroke not of the Sea but of heauen an euident testimony of the fauour of God towards them They sailed happily vntil they arriued at the port of Catara from thence went to Loreto where cleansed from their sinnes by the Sacrament of PenaÌ„ce and made partakers of the Table of our Sauiour they rendered immortal thankes to God and the B. Virgin by whose intercession they were deliuered from a double danger of boÌ„dage and of death A French man of Prouence deliuered The second history is of one of our Nation a French man of the CouÌ„try of Prouence who hauing had newes of the death of his Father at Constantinople whilst he followed the Embassador of France being before Almener to the Duke of Mercury returned in a common vessell and as he came to the I le of Zant he saw himselfe enuironed with 4. Frigots of the Turkes who approched swiftly vnto his shippe prepared themselues to the prey both of men merchandize which they hoped to find This good Gentleman seeing his danger so desperat recommended himselfe hartily to our B. Lady of Loreto as also did all his company at the same instant almost they found themselues brought vnto a hauen of Calabria without knowing which way they came thither nor yet what was become of the Pirats They came immediatsly to Loreto to yield thankes to God and the glorious virgin and told their good fortune to one who told it me againe not long since I doubt not but you haue heard of the first miracle for it is one of the most ancient and recorded in the histories of Loreto perhaps also of the second but you haue forced me to tell what you knew before and brought me in danger to be importune were it not that as I persuade my selfe you do willingly heare repeated the miracles which concerne the praise of our good Lady not only without wearines but also with delight My good father answered Lazarus I learned alwayes haue now learned by this your narration what I knew not for of the later miracle I neuer heard before the other you haue represented with a greater Emphasis and force then I had heard it hitherto And I haue taken a singular pleasure in your discourse do confesse by all these great miracles more clearely then euer that with good right and reason the Church calleth the B. Virgin The Starre of the Sea for by her intercession The B.V. the starre of the Sea as by the aspect of an heauenly starre not only are defended those that saile the Seas but are deliuered also from many great dangers which commonly the stars do not performe The good old man would willingly haue entertayned Lazarus longer to heare him discourse for he did perceiue vnder the habit of a Pilgrime some thing generous extraordinary in him but thinking he was weary that it was late he durst not aske him any more demandes and therefore hauing caused their collation to be brought he conducted them both to a little chamber where were prepared two beds and a little Oratory to pray in some of the houshold came to wash their feet after the custome of Christian hostes but Lazarus thanked them harrily aledging for his excuse that it would mâ—ke their feet tender more easy to blister and take hurt and so euery one retired themselues The host caused according to his custome the Letanies to be sayd to all his houshold Lazarus said them with Vincent which being done they coÌ„ferred togeather about the subiect of their meditation for the morning following which was of little Iesus when his mother lost him found him againe in the Temple The points were these 1. The going of the B. Virgin and holy Ioseph with little Iesus to the Temple 2. The seeking enquiry they made when he was lost 3. How they found him in Hierusalem and brought him to Nazareth These points being noted in their memory either of them made their examen of conscience praiers for the Euening The practise of the examen of confessâ—â—e The examen of Lazarus was such after he had sayd the Credo My God enlighteÌ„ my soule to see thy benefits I thaÌ„ke thee for the assistance I haue had of thy liberality and specially this day by the meanes of this good housholder thy seruant who hath receaued vs into his house Enlighten me also if it please thee that I may see my faultes and amend them by thy grace I confesse O my soule that in my morning meditation I did not present my selfe before thy diuine Maiesty with that reuereÌ„ce I ought nor made my prayer with due attention and that by my only fault for I did not well prepare my selfe according to the rules of deuotion as neither to my examen in the morning and after dinner I haue wandered in my senses and thoughts my phantasy hath often carryed me out of my selfe I haue twice or thrice loosed the reines to my proper will with some vaine delight complacence and to foolish impressions in my imagination opened my eyes to a carelesse and curious beholding of thy creatures my eares to curiosity and my tongue to many idle words I confesse these sinnes and belieue I haue committed many more which I know not and who is he that knoweth his secret sinnes I confesse them all O Father of mercy humbly demand pardon of them with a firme purpose to amend them by the assistance of thy holy spirit Giue it if it please thee O Lord to me and to all of this house and graunt that we may passe this night without offending thee without illusion of him who day and night lyeth in watch to defile our body and spirit and whilest our body sleepeth taking its rest Cant. 5 2. that our haâ—t may wake in the light of thy grace Glorious Virgin assist vs and thou my good Angell-keeper This was the tenour of his Examen for the conclusion he sayd the Credo the Pater noster
of neighbours and for him is made the first commandement which shall make the meditation of the eight day in this sort The Morning Meditat on of the 4. Commandement Honour thy Father and thy Mother to the end thou maist liue long vpon the earth CHAP. XIX THE Prayer preparatiue as before The first Preamble shall set before his eyes The first Preamble the wordes of this Commandement HONOVR THY FATHER AND THY MOTHER The second shall aske grace of God to gather profit of this meditation For the first point the Pilgrime shall meditate the equity of this commandement taught by the wiseman saying The 2. Honour thy Father thy mother and forget not the paines of thy mother Eccl. 27.9 and remember that without them thou hadst not beene borne and render vnto them as they haue done vnto thee He meaneth they are cause that thou art in the world Why Fathers should be honoured and haue suffered much for thee they haue nourished and brought thee vp with great labour and trauile thou art then bound by law of nature to render them honour to succour them if they haue need of thy help to obey them so they command thee nothing against the commandments of God or the counsells of our Sauiour as to kill another to be an heretike not to follow the way of perfection if God call thee for then we must sticke to that exception taught by our Sauiour himselfe He that hateth not his father Luc. 14. Act. 5. and mother is not worthy to be my disciple And that which S. Peter sayth VVe must obey God before men The name of father extendeth to all parents and Superiours For the second point the pilgrime shall marke that in this Cōmandement are comprehended Fathers Mothers Vncles Ants and all sortes of superiours spirituall and temporall as are Prelats Pastours Priests Maisters Kings Princes Magistrats Tutors and such like to whome to euery one by this law is due honour respect and obedience in all that toucheth their charge with the foresayd exception that they command nothing contrary to God In the third point he shall note that this law doth secretly teach that Fathers and Mothers should carry themselues Christianlike towards their children to the end they may deserue and retaine worthily the right of this honour commanded by God to them to loue them with a Christian loue to giue them good example and edification in wordes and workes to bring them vp in vertue and in the feare of God Eph. 6.4 You Parents sayth the Apostle bring vp your children in the doctrine of our Sauiour To prouide for their necessityes but specially that concerne the life of their soules for this is the end of true and fatherly loue as all the care of beastes toward their yong ones is the life of their bodyes the like should other Superiours performe with due proportion to their subiects The speach shall prayse the diuine Maiesty in the iustice of this his Commandement The speach and shall demand grace for all children that they may honour and serue their parents for al subiects that they may respect and obey their Kinges Superiours and Magistrates for Fathers Kinges Pastours Magistrates and Superiours that they may discharge toward God that fatherly care they owe to their children subiects and that both by the one and the other he may be praysed blessed in the execution of this his Commandement shall end with this prayer It was not inough for thee O Lord to giue vs lawes cōcerning thyne owne honour thou hast made lawes also for thy creatures seeking to haue euery thing wisely and iustly ordered in thy house for this is the house of thy soueraigne Wisedome and iustice the creature with his Creatour the creatures among themselues giuing and taking euery one his due that appertayneth vnto him and that man should honour thee not only in thy selfe but also for the loue of thee in thy workes Powre forth O Lord thy holy spirit in aboundance vpon all fathers and children subiects and superiours and namely those that liue in the compasse of thy holy Church that they may holily accomplish thy commandement and by a reciprocall performance of honour and obedience prayse thy holy name and merit eternall glory the reward of good and faithfull subiects The after-dinner and Euening of the eight dayes Iourney The corporall and spirituall VVorkes of mercy CHAP. XX. IN this afternoone the Pilgrime shall frame some Meditation of the workes of mercy both corporall and spiritual for in them we make proofe of our loue to our Neighbour The corporall are 1. To giue meate to the hungry 2. To giue drinks to the thirsty Matth. 25 3. To cloath the naked 4. To lodge the pilgrime 5. To visit the sicke 6. To visit prisonners 7. To bury the dead Tob. 1.2 2. Reg. 9. The spirituall are 1. To correct the sinner 2. To instruct the ignorant 1. Tim. 5.20 3. To counsell those that doubt 4. To set those that erre into the right way 5. To comfort the afflicted 6. To pardon iniuryes 7. To beare patiently the troublesomnes of others 8. To pray for the liuing and the dead By all these workes men make triall of the loue they beare vnto their Neighbour and principally by the spirituall which concerne the health of the soule by those also principally the Son of God hath shewed his infinite loue towards vs attending to no other exercise euen to his last breath In particuler for that which concerneth this fourth Commandement the Pilgrime shall haue ready some examples of holy Scripture of such as singularly haue beene true children of their Fathers and Mothers as were Isaac Iacob Tobie and such like Plin. l. 7. cap. 36. as also among the Gentils that Roman Damsell who nourished many dayes with her own milke her Mother being condemned to dye by famine in prison by visiting her in the way of comfort Vai Max. l. 5. c. 4. secretly giuing her her breasts to sucke and was the cause that the Iudge wondring at this piety not only deliuered this prisonner but gaue her also a perpetuall pension out of the publicke treasure The piety of Storkes The like is written of a Grecian Lady towardes her Father Cimon prisonner in his extreme age He shall consider also the like piety in some vnreasonable creatures as in Storks who nourish their father and mother growing old and impotent bringing them their prey into their neast as they were wont to nourish them when they were yong But aboue all he shall admire the Sauiour of the world who not only honoured his heauenly Father by his obedience but also his Mother and Creature the B. Virgin Mary and his presumed father Ioseph He was subiect to them sayth the Scripture that is Iac. 2.51 he respected them he honoured them he obeyed them O sweet Iesus O Creatour of heauen and earth O
the spirituall leprosy dead in sinne buried in her filth abhominable before thyne eyes a marke for thy fury a prey to death and eternall confusion O my Redeemer immortall thankes be to thy infinite mercy for this great benefit since thy mercy hath no boundes add also O sweet Iesu to this benefit the firmnesse of a holy perseuerance whereby I may alwayes preserue the Temple of my soule body pure neat from all filth ordure of sinne Conserue O Lord the house thou camest to purify 2. Mach. 14.36 Psal 50.5 by the light heat of thy holy Spirit cleanse it beautify it alwayes more and more and more and more wash me from my sinnes purge me of my sinnes giue me grace that as I haue hitherto serued the Flesh the World and the Diuell the most cruell enemies of my good and saluation so I may with all my force loue honour and serue thee for heerafter O my life my Creatour and Sauiour descended into earth and made man to seeke me poore strayed sheep and make me participant of thy deity ascended also vp to the Crosse there to shed thy precious bloud to wash and cleanse me there to dye to giue me life Graunt O Prince of mercy that for all thy benefits I may affoard thee an humble an entire seruice vnto my last gaspe to liue after this mortall soiourning eternally with thee and to glorify thee in heauen where thou liuest and reigning with the Father in the vnity of the holy Ghost for euer and euer Amen This shal be the shutting of the 21. day and third weeke finishing the first period of his pilgrimage the which representeth as we haue sayd the life of those which beginne the way of vertue the way of Purgation by vertues purgatiue In the morning the Pilgrime shal begin his second part which representeth the estate of those that are gone forward and aduanced in the way of perfection and light THE PILGRIMES ABODE AT LORETO The two and twentith day and the first of his abode A Meditation vpon the holy Eucharist CAHP. I. FOR the meditation of the first dayes iourney of this second Part of his Pilgrimage the Pilgrime shall fitly take the subiect of the Eucharist for he cannot better begin to honour this holy place then with so holy an action nor more refresh solace the trauaile of his pilgrimage then by this refectiō nor better open the doore of his soule to the light of the Holy Ghost then by the receauing of such a Sacrament and this should be the first meale and the last banquet of euery true Pilgrime he shal make his Meditation early in the morning at the holy house with these partes The prayer preparatory accustomed shal demand grace to direct all his actions to the glory of God and saluation of his soule In the first preamble he shall set before his eyes the history of the two Pilgrimes Luc. 14. Aug. epist 50. ad Paulin. who first of all other Christians receaued at our Sauiours handes after his resurrection in the village called Emaus The second shall demand a speciall light well to penetrate the maiesty and profit of this mystery The first Point Of three figures of the Holy Sacrament CHAP. II. THE first point of the meditation shall containe three old Figures Gen. 14.18 among diuers others of this B. Sacrament The first is the Sacrifice of Melchisedech sometyme King of Salem and high Priest who entertayning Abraham as he returned victorious from the battaile offered to God Bread and VVine in thankes-giuing for the victory blessed him and refreshed him and his companie Our Sauiour the true Melchisedech in figure of the Sacrifice of the Body and Bloud of Iesus Christ the Christian Eucharist which the same Iesus Christ the true Melchisedech the true King of peace and high Bishop did institute and ordaine when in his last supper he did communicate his Apostles giuing them his Body to eat vnder the figure of Bread and his Bloud to drinke vnder the figure of Wine after the order and forme of the Sacrifice of Melchisedech and making them his Vicars and Deputies commanded them and their Successours in their person to do the same Luc. 22 1◠and to continue this Sacrifice and Supper in his name remembrance which hath heene alwayes performed hitherto and shall be alwayes heereafter vnto the worldes end For as Iesus Christ is Priest for euer after the order of Melchisedech and not of Aaron whose Priesthood togeather with the sacrifices were ended and fullfilled on the Crosse so his Sacrifice according to this order of Melchisedech shall be perpetual and euerlasting in yielding of thankes to God and in the feeding and refection of Christians the spirituall children of Abraham Psal 109. fighting in the Church heere militant on earth and shall one day triumph altogeather in heauen returning cōquerours from the combat The second Figure is the sacrifice of the Paschall Lambe which was ordayned the night before the deliuerance of the Hebrewes Exod. 12. from the captiuity of Aegypt and continued in remembrance of this great benefit vntill that our Sauiour the true Lambe did institute our Eucharist of his precious Body and Bloud in the euening before his Passion and our Redēption and shall continue as a memoriall thereof vntill he come againe not to be iudged and condemned to death as he was at his first comming but to iudge the world by the weights of their workes to kill death for euer after and to deliuer his children from all euill The third Figure is the Manna Exod. 15.16 giuen from heauen to the Hebrewes whilest they were Pilgrimes in the wildernesse walking towardes the land of promise euen so the Eucharist the true bread of heauen and the true drinke is giuen in the Church of God for the solace and sustenance of our soules in the desert of this world and for our prouision and food vntill we be brought to the land of the liuing in heauen The second point Of the Maiesty of our Sauiour in this Blessed Sacrament CHAP. III. THE second point shall be to meditate in this Sacrament first the power of our Sauiour Power conuerting by his almighty word the Bread into his body and the Wine into his bloud Second y the goodnes of the same Sauiour who hauing giuen himselfe a price and ransome for our Redemption Goodnes hath also vouchsafed to giue himselfe for food and to vnite himselfe with his creature soule to soule body to body in the straitest manner that can be imagined Thirdly the diuine wisedome Wisedome seasoning and tempering this precious food in so familiar and easy a fashion vnder the forme and taste of bread and Wine of the one side facilitating our senses to the taking of his flesh and bloud without horrour and on the other side instructing our fayth to vnderstand and acknowledge the vnion of faithfull Christians made heerby one
meanes of one of them as hauing their force and vigour from them This is the essence of prayer let vs see now what are the conditions partes and vse thereof How Prayer should be made and of the partes and vse thereof CHAP. III. THE Prayer of a Christian must be attentiue deuout The principal partes of Prayer full of loue respect and reuerence to God before whom he speaketh who is King of Kinges and very wisedome bounty and maiesty it selfe It hath three principall partes as haue all other well ordered discourses The entry the body or corps and the end and conclusion The entry or beginning contayneth a short and generall preparatiue prayer also a locall representation of the matter we meditate of which is as the first essay and preamble of prayer It contayneth a particuler prayer which is insteed of a second preamble the generall prayer demandeth of God that it would please him to direct all our intentions to his honour and glory which may be done with hart alone or with hart and mouth also vsing the accustomed prayer of the Church framed for the same end in these termes We beseech thee O Lord to preuent our actions with thy aspiration and to follow them with thy help that all our prayer worke may euer begin at thee and by thee be ended Amen The representation or first preamble The first preaÌ„ble is a certaine imaginary composition or framing of a place where the thing we meditate of was done or of the thing it selfe as of the desert where our Sauiour fasted Mat. 4. if we meditate of his victory against the Diuell or the mount Caluary where he was crucifyed if we meditate of his death or of the B. Virgins chamber where she was saluted by Gabriel if we meditate of the Annunciation and so of other mysteries But if the subiect of the meditation be spirituall insteed of this composition of place The representation of sinne we must imagine some thing conuenient and agreable in maÌ„ner of a parable as if we meditate vpon sinne we may imagine the soule shut vp and imprisoned within the body as in an obscure and loathsome prison and sinne as a cruell and monstrous tyrant a dragon a serpent and such as the Diuell is painted and all the holy Doctours doe sometymes describe it It will help also to haue before our eyes some picture or image of the matter we meditate which may serue insteed of these representations to them that cannot frame this themselues This preamble is very profitable to meditate attentiuely for thereby is setled and restrained our imaginaition which is a flying and wandering faculty going for the most part out of the house without leaue carrying our thoughts sometymes before they are aware as far from the marke or matter as the North is from the South The secoÌ„d preamble The particuler prayer and second preamble is a demand or petition we make to God to graunt vs the grace to reape the fruit we seeke for in the subiect of prayer For example to giue vs charity if our prayer be of that vertue or compunction if we meditate of our sinnes The body or substance of the prayer The body or corps of the prayer contayneth the points of the subiect of the meditation one two three or more as if meditating of the ResurrectioÌ„ of our Sauiour we should make the first point of the tyme or houre of his rysing the second of the glory of his body the third of the souldiers feare that kept the Sepulcher the fourth of the apparition and testimony of the Angells and so in other matters The speach or colloquy endeth the Prayer The end of the prayer containeth a speach which the soule maketh vnto God either with the hart alone or with hart mouth togeather thanking him for his guifts offering our selues to his seruice asking pardon of our sinnes and grace to amend for afterward and finally speaking vnto him as the nature of the meditation shall require and communicating it self in such sort as a deuout and respectiue hart may doe before God This is the right prayer of a Christian which the Pilgrime shall performe euery day Those that haue not yet learned to meditate and contemplate may also pray saying their houres or reading some deuout booke or taking some prayer which they can say by hart as the Pater noster Credo or the like meditating sentence by sentence or word by word Of Iaculatory prayer CHAP. IV. THERE is another kind of prayer Why it is called Iaculatory which is commonly called Iaculatory because it is made shortly and sodenly as if one should throw a dart which is very ordinary and familiar to spirituall persons It is a sodaine excursion and eleuation of the soule ayming at heauen praysing or praying to God or his Saints in short tyme and in few wordes according vnto the occasion we shall presently take of place tyme or other thing saying with hart or mouth God be blessed My God show me thy wayes Iesus help me Glorious Virgin pray for me and such like verses taken out of the Scripture or out of our owne deuotion which manner of praying is figured by the Brocâ—es of gold that were set on the top of the Temple of Hierusalem Ioseph l. 6. de bâ—â—â—o Iudaiâ— c. 6. to the end the Birdes might not perch or sit therein nor either file it with their donge or nestle there and the similitude agreeth well for these prayers being our highest and most subtill thoughts are like little golden Rods sharp on the top of our soule hauing alwayes the point towardes heauen and are very proper to chase away euill suggestions of the Diuells those soule birds and to make all sortes of temptations vanish away at all tymes and places in night and day in coÌ„pany and alone in the citty in silence in talke and discourse the soule may cast out a sodaine sighe a request a desire a prayse of God or some Saint and pray in secret effectually without disturbance Therefore the well aduised Christian must alwayes haue this prayer at hand help himselfe with it as often as he can in the day and specially our Pilgrime all the tyme of his pilgrimage to the end to entertaine himselfe in continuall deuotion and to ouercome temptations alwaies to haue his eare harkening after the mercy of God and to obtaine help and succour of him We will now speake of the Beades and Rosary and of the examination of our conscience Of the Rosary and the manner how to say it CHAP. V. AMONGST the Prayers and meditations which should be frequent and familiar to our Pilgrime of Loreto it is good reason to reckon the Rosary Corone Chaplet in French Of the name of Chaplet oâ— Corone For seeing that all Christian Catholikes doe vse it in the honour of the mother of God much more should her deuoted seruant pilgrime This word
a great Desert through which doe passe two sortes of Pilgrimes the one that go vnder a faythfull and good Capraine patiently enduring the incommodity of places and tymes fighting valiantly at all occasions with robbers beastes We must walke while it is day Ioan. 12.35 measuring their refection not by pleasure but by necessity not thinking of any thing all the day long but to gayne way toward the place end of their pilgrimage The other lead by a naughty and treacherous guide walke all the day wandering vp and downe staying to behold curiously euery thing betaking themselues at euery houre to rest and repast like drunkards and vagabondes Those that are surprised by death And at the last being surprised by night in ill termes and ill wether and ill prouided they fall into the mercy partly of cruell beastes Lyons Wolues Beares and such like that deuoure them and partly of theeues and robbers who cut them in peeces and make merry with their spoile and booty In the second Preamble he shall demand of God with humble and feruent hart the grace whereby he may liuely see and know the manner how to be a good pilgrime in this world to auoyd the dolefull end of the bad The first point shall begin with that which God sayd to Adam for the pennance of his dolefull dinner Because thou hast heard the voice of thy wife Gen. 3.17 and hast eaten of the tree I forbad thou â—houldest not eate the earth shall be accursed in thy worke and thou â—halt feed therof in trauaile all the dayes of thy life it shall bring thee forth thornes and thistles and thou shalt eat the grasse of the field in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat thy bread vntill thou returne to the â—arth whereof thou wert made By which wordes he shall see that all the race of man wrapped in the condemnation of our first Father hath gotten a necessity to suffer paine and trauaile â—n this life vntill death as himselfe did In the second he shall heare and consider the wordes of S. â—ames saying Happy is he that suffereth temptation for after that â—e hath beene proued he shall receaue the crowne of Glory 2. Tim. 2.5 And that of S. Paul He that fighteth not duly shall not be crowned The third point shal set before his eyes the great multitude of the Hebrewes trauailing in the desert of Arabia amongst whome those that were valiant suffered and fought valiantly vnder the conduct and direction of Moyses the seruant of God in hope to enter into the land of promise to the which they alwayes aspired The other slaues of the Diuell and their own bellies murmurers and rebels sought nothing but to eate and drinke not caring for the countrey for the which they were come out of Aegypt and they perished miserably in the desert made a prey to their enemies their bodyes were a spoile to the earth their soules to hell Iesus Christ pilgrime for men In the fourth point he shall contemplate on the one part Iesus Christ descended from heaueÌ„ to the desert of this world to be pilgrime among the children of Adam the true guide of our pilgrimage and captaine of our warres In the one being made vnto vs the way to leade vs to our heauenly Country and giue vs light and strength to walke directly thither and in the other hauing taught vs by his word and example how we must fight against our enemies the Flesh the World and the Diuell and all the squadrons of vices and furnished vs with instructions weapons forces with the assistance of his grace and Sacraments valiantly to assaile and endure the assault and to beare away the victory and crowne also if we will our selues The blindnes of men On the other part he shall bewaile the blindnes forgetfullnes peruersity of those that straggling from the conduct of their King and Sauiour cast themselues into the wayes troupes of Sathan walking to perdition in perpetual misery darknes slauery to this tyrant and their own sinnes and vices In the fift point he shall weigh how profitable pleasing a thing it is to God to suffer in this life somwhat for his sake not for that he needeth our paynes It is profitable honourable to suffer for God or taketh any pleasure in them of themselues but for that to haue a wil to suffer and in effect to suffer for him is to beare towards him the depth of true charity to giue an assured proofe therof For prosperity is not the true touch and triall of loue but aduersity and therefore our Sauiour the patterne of all perfection to shew his infinit loue to his Father vs hath made choice of this way hath performed his pilgrimage in the thickest of a thousand trauaile and did end it by the torment and ignominy of the Crosse in the meane tyme he hath often with a loud voice exhorted his Apostles Disciples to suffer he councelled euery one to carry his crosse he preached those happy that suffer for his name he promised rest for paine honour for shame eternity for tyme. This exercise is so honourable and so precious that if enuy could find place in the harts of the glorious and happy Spirits they would enuy iust men this honour and happines If Angels could be enuious they would eÌ„uy our suffering that they can suffer for so great a Prince after the example of such a Captaine and for so great pay and reward By which meditation the pilgrime shall not only be comforted in the trauaile of this his pilgrimage but shal also be liuely encouraged and enabled to labour more and more euery day considering that he cannot haue a more high and royall way towardes heauen then that of the Crosse beaten by the King himselfe and as the Apostle sayth 2. Cor. 4. Our tribulation which is heere short and light worketh in vs an eternall weight of endlesse glory he shall be then animated and stirred forward to suffer in fighting and fight in suffering seeing that his tribulations his discommodities his wearynes his teares his watching his hunger his thirst fasting disciplines hayre-clothes and all his afflictioÌ„s and combats thinges of themselues of small worth and short yet suffered for this maister shall be reckoned vnto him for so many crownes of glory and so many increases of felicity in the great day when all true pilgrimes and valiant champions shall enter in triumph to the kingdome of their heauenly couÌ„trey In the end he shall make his prayer and speach to God speaking to him with the wordes and sentences of his meditation and shall say with an humble and submisâ—e hart My Creatour and Lord behold me in the progresse of my pilgrimage full of desire and courage but inexpert and vnskilfull to choose and find my way and weake to support the future difficulties thereof Thou hast giuen me the meanes to vndertake it with
48.13 and made like vnto them yea and worse also The constancy of al creatures to do well but of man For they not only are not idle in that occupation trade thou hast taught them but worke continually according to their law and order and wanting reason do follow reason But my selfe a reasonable creature remaine idle against reason one peece and parte of my life or do workes contrary vnto reason Other creatures haue receaued thy commandement but once to do that which they doe and they haue continually discharged their duty vnto this present But I hauing read and heard thy will a hundred tymes thy promises thy menacings do sleep and slumber notwithstanding wretch and benummed that I am and when I do wake my workes are worse then sleep and idlenes O Maker and Redeemer of man reforme this same man by the same power and mercy wherewith thou hast created redeemed him Giue vnto him giue vnto me O my Lord as to the most weake and needy strength and meanes well and holily to employ what thou hast giuen me that my Vnderstanding Will Memory my whole soule and body may be in perpetuall action to bring forth workes of life to the praise and glory of thy holy name The After-dinner and Euening of the fifteenth dayes Iourney Markeable documents and instructions for Good workes CHAP. XXXV AFTER dinner and at night the Pilgrime shall for his spirituall occupation discourse vpon the most markeable sentences of Scriptures and Saints spoken to shew that oÌ„ly fayth sufficeth not for saluatioÌ„ The Talents Matth. 25.16 without good workes The parable of the Talents holdeth the first place in this doctriné for thereby our Sauiour doth plainely instruct vs and with authority that we must negociate in the house of God and put the mony of his graces to profit and vsury which to that end he put into our handes with the condition of a good reward if we be diligent and obedient or of punishment and confusion The workeman Matt. â—0 if we be slouthfull Also the parable of the workemen sent to worke in the Farmers vineyard payd at night for their dayes labour Also the counsell which our Sauiour gaue to the young man saying If thou wilt haue life euerlasting keep my Commandements Matt. 19.17 Also those wordes He shall enter into the kingdome of heauen who doth the will of my Father not euery one that sayth Matt. 7.21 Lord Lord. But especially he shall weigh the clause of that generall decree which shall be published at the last day in fauour of good workes against the slouthfull Rom. 2.13 Come my wellbeloued Iac. 1.22 Matt. 25.34 Iac. 2. possesse the kingdome which is prepared for you from the Creation of the world I was hungry and you gaue me to eate c. And thereunto he shall add the plaine saying of S. Iames What shal it profit my brethren if any man sayth he hath fayth without works shall his faith saue him And S. Gregory Nazianzen Doe good workes vpon the ground of thy instructions for fayth without workes is dead Isa 26. as also workes liue not without fayth And Saint Hierome vpon these wordes of Esay 26. Our citty is a fortresse saluation shall there be put for the inward wall and outwâ—rd By the inward wall sayth he is meant good woorkes and by the other fayth for it is not inough to the outward wall of Fayth vnles this fayth be grounded and sustayned by good workes These workes are Prayer The principall good workes Fasting Almes and other workes of charity which we spake of before in the afternoone of the eight day In these and the like discourses shall the Pilgrime passe the after-dinner thereby stirring himselfe to the loue and practise of Christian workes In the euening either alone or with others he may sing this Canticle that followeth to shut vp the euening with ioy and profit A Canticle of good VVorkes The pious Pilgrime that doth walke Vnto the Chappell of Loret Must worke with hand his soueraignes workes And keep his soule still pure and nett To heare alone and not performe The law of God doth worke no meed To know the way and not to walke Nothing doth our iourney speed The tree that bringeth nothing els But leaues and breathing verdure Is fit for fire and not for fruit And doth greet wrong to nature Our Sauiour chiefe and iustest Iudge The fruitlesse Fig-tree strooke with curse If man in vaine doth wast his dayes Shall he not blame and strike him worse How hoat shall then be his reuenge To those that nothing els doe bring But poisoned grapes and fruites of death Of sinne and shame and els nothing Each thing doth worke and nothing sleepes In Earth in Sea in Heauen aboue Each thing doth moue in his degree Mans end is God to know and loue Then these short dayes of this short life Let be in vertuous workes well spent That last long day shall all workes try VVhen ech shall b' either crown'd or shent And hauing made his particuler prayer to the Blessed Virgin he shall take himselfe to his lodging in good time not to be surprised by night in the fieldes The sixteenth day A Meditation of sinne CHAP. XXXVI THE morning Meditation shall be vpon sinne an actioÌ„ opposite to good workes which were the matter of the precedent meditation This order shal make a fit opposition of vertue to vice The opposition of vice to vertue and by setting their faces one against another we may better discerne the beauty of the one to loue it and the foulnes of the other to hate it What sin is The first point shall put the definition of sinne the better to know both the corps and countenance and duly to meditate of the foulnes thereof Sinne sayth S. Ambrose is a straying from the law of God and a disobedience to the heauenly Commandmâ—nts Ambr. de Poenit c. 8. Aug l. 22. cont Faust c. 27 l 1. cont ep 1. Peâ—il 113. By S. Augustin it is What is sayd done or desired against the law of God so that one word spoken one deed done one thought conceaued against the law of God that is against any of his commandements is a sinne great or small mortall or veniall according to the diuers motion of the will sinning either with full consent or by some light motion or suddaine surprise and according to the great or small importance of the thing and other circumstances Of which definitions he shall learne that there is nothing so foule and deformed as sinne For what can be found more monstruous then that which is opposite to the law rule of the highest wisedome beauty and goodnes The second point shall consider two sortes of sinnes Originall and Actuall and this mortall and veniall Originall sinne Aug. ench 164. is that spot which flowed from the sin of Adam wherewith all men are stained in their conception and
whole world shall be iudged when the iustice of the Iudge shall be made manifest to all the world when the iustice of the good shal be published by open iudgement in the full assembly of Angells and men and rewarded with a crowne of immortall glory There sayth one Saint shall be no complaint Aug. l. 20. ciuit c. 11. such as often in the presse of this world saying one to another why is this wicked man so happy in his wickednes VVhy is such a good man vnhappy and miserable in his vertue VVhy do Robbers prosper and poore Pilgrimes haue their throtes cut For then true felicity shall be reserued only for the good and extreme and true misery reserued only for the wicked This then is called the day of our Lord all other dayes are the dayes of men this which is the shutting vp of them all shall be our Lords day for therein he shall shew manifestly the treasures of his infinit mercy and iustice making for his glory the heauens and earth to leape all the most strong peeces of his power wisedome bounty O my soule tremble with feare The Prayer at the remembrance of this fearefull day for if Dauid Iob the Prophets if the pillars of vertue haue shaked how great ought thy feare to be poore sinnefull and feeble creature that thou art With what sense feeling shouldest thou meditate vpon the holding of this day the Iudgement of iudgements and the last of all What wilt thou then doe What Aduocate shalt thou haue Who dareth defend thee from this iust Iudge if he be offended with thee How shalt thou heare the irreuocable sentence when it shall be pronounced What shalt thou do if he condemne thee O sweet Iesus keep me from thy wrath to come if it please thee and giue me now a penitent hart that may deserue both now and then the voice of thy mercy Let me in this banishment suffer a thousand deathes but at that day let me liue with thee Afflict me whippe me cut me burne my soule my life my flesh my bones with al sorts of tribulation persecution trauaile and torments but may it please thee to pardon me then for euer O Lord. O Blessed Virgin my good Aduocate whome I often see represented in this Iudgement by the pious pictures of the holy houses in the Church of thy Sonne as suppliant for all mankind intreat I beseech O Virgin for al and for me who am of the number and the most needy and performe what the pictures represent They signify that thou art now Aduocate of mortall men to the end that at that day they may be out of paine and danger Aske now O B. Virgin for this is the tyme of asking and mercy and not then when there shall be no question but of iudging rewarding and punishing aske and in good tyme obtaine for me and for all those that seeke vnto thee obtaine for me O puissant Aduocate the grace throughly to bewaile my sinnes vertuously to correct my faultes wisely to order my senses and actions that at that day I may confidently behould the eye and countenance of that soueraigne Iudge set in his throne of Iustice ioyfully heare the sentence he pronounceth and happily be placed on the right hand in the number of his beloued The After-dinner and Euening of the nineteenth dayes Iourney The separation of the good from the wicked after Iudgement CHAP. XLIII AFTER dinner the Pilgrime shall imploy his deuotioÌ„ in meditating what followeth Iudgement setting before his eyes how the one sort take their flight vp to heauen with Iesus Christ and his Angells there to reigne with him happy and blessed for euer The other full of misery and anguish broken-harted desperate shall be swallowed downe body and soule to the Center of the earth with the Diuells whome they serued and hauing gone foreward a while in this thought he shall also in the euening make some prayer to our Lord and to the B. Virgin his glorious Mother to the same end with that before dinner and shall looke about to lodge himselfe in some place proper for a poore wearied Pilgrime to repose The twentith Day A Meditation of Hell CHAP. XLIV THE Pilgrime hauing purposed to cleanse his soule in this his Pilgrimage and in good earnest to sweare emnity for euer against sinne the better to moue himselfe to peÌ„nance and to conceaue contâ—ition requisite for such an effect he shall help himselfe with the meditation of Hell the second death and reward of sinne as he helped himselfe hitherto with the meditation of the first death and iudgement This is a thundring peece Eccl. 7.40 to beat at the eares and soule of a sleepy sinner and with a wholsome alarum to awake him and make him take armes and looke to himselfe Good men are also holpeÌ„ therby for though they follow vertue rather for loue then for feare and serue God for himselfe which is the seruice of true children it profiteth them notwithstanding to meditate as well the punishmeÌ„t as the reward drawing from theÌ„ce matter to prayse God in his iustice and mercy and to stirre vp themselues to serue him well The Meditation shall haue his partes The prayer preparatory accustomed The first Preamble shall represent an obscure and darke bottomlesse dungeon in the Center of the earth ful of horrour and stench of fire brimstone and smoke and soules inclosed in their bodyes plunged in these flames The second shall demand particuler grace well to meditate of Hell for euer to auoyd it Hell most intollerable The first point shall consider that as there is nothing in this life more horrible then death nothing so dreadfull as Iudgement that followeth after so nothing is more intollerable then Hell and the punishments therof Matth. 8.33.22.24 There sayth the Scripture is weeping gnashing of teeth there is the worme gnawing of the soule and neuer dying and killing alway without killing Marc. 9.44 There is the fire that neuer quencheth there is the darke Countrey couered with the cloud of death There is the shaddow of death where no order but perpetuall horrour inhabiteth Iob. 10.25 Apoc. 21.14 There the portion of the damned is in a lake burning with fire and brimstone which is the second death where the wicked shall be tormented world without end The second point shall represent the diuers sortes of paines ordayned according to the diuersity of sins Diuers paines for diuers crimes for notwithstanding the horrour and disorder of this gulfe the order of Gods iustâ—â—e neuerthelesse shall be kept as the Apostle signifyeth when he sayth that he heard a voice from heauen condemning the Lecher to paynes saying Apec 18.7 Giue him torments in that measure that he hath had glory and delight in this life Therfore there the Proud shall be oppressed with an extreme confusion and shame The Couetous suffer an vnspeakable hunger and thirst The Adulterers buryed in fire and
brimstone with an intolerable stench and ech of all their partes and specially of those that haue been instruments of their villanies The Cholericke and cruell shal haue for their whips and scourges their owne passions and the fury of the fiends The Gluttons shall be serued at the table of Hell fed with serpents and toades and drinke of the cuppe of the wrath of God The Enuious shall beare in their bosomes euer-liuing scorpions who shall sting them to an immortall rage The Slouthfull shall be beaten with the rodes of his owne rechlesnes vexed with a particuler torment of body and soule These shall be the proportions of euery one and all in generall shall haue the horrour of that hellish company of darknes of cries howlinges one of another The eternity of hell torments The third point shall be to consider that al these torments besides that they are vnspeakable and continuall shall also be euerlasting This eternity is that which giueth the forme the name of Hell to that hellish misery and without it there should be no Hell of torments nor paradise of pleasure This shall be the great hart-breake to the damned The cause of the daÌ„neds rage and sting their soule with a raging grief that they shal suffer without ceasing they shall also see without ceasing that it shall alwayes be so They shall alwayes pay the interest of their sinnes committed and yet shal alwayes be behind in errerages they shal alwayes pay and their debt increase still that which shall be past though it were ten milions of ages shall be reckoned for nothing and the future tyme shall be followed with another future as long as all Eternity The forme of this Eternity shall flye as a fierce fury continually before their eyes beating her vnwearied wings and hissing her horrour into their eares shall couch it selfe in the depth of their imagination and grauing there the marke and round circle of these eternall ages shall breed therein the sting and immortall rage of a furious desperation O soueraigne bounty What monster may sinne be that could so incense either thyne anger or thy clemency against it O sinne how abhominable art thou seeing no payne is sufficient to punish and chastice thee but eternall O mortall men what thinke you of when you defile your soules with the familiarity of this plague this death this confusioÌ„ Where is your wit to loose glory delight and riches of heauen for a fond pleasure for a foule delight for a brutish vanity with this inestimable losse throwing your selues head-long into euerlasting damnation O my soule thinke heereof delay no longer thinke of it betymes all tyme of repentance is good tyme flye the danger of eternall euills whilest the mercy of God inuiteth thee and doth promise thee help and assistance and recompence for thy labour O my Lord I will serue thee with all my soule and withall my soule renounce all vanity and doe vow from henceforth eternal emnity to thy great and immortall enemy who hath furnished so much matter to thy iustice to build these mansions of darknes confusion death O Virgin Queene and Mother most pure most great and puissant further the desires of thy Pilgrime and deuoted suppliant and by thy credit obtayne that he may happily performe the good desires and designements which thy Sonne his Redeemer and Lord hath by thyne intercâ—ssion planted in his hart The After-dinner and Euening of the twentith dayes Iourney Other Meditations of the paynes of the damned CHAP. XLV THE two other partes of the day shall be employed in the consideration of the infinite number of soules lost The lost soules since the beginning of the world vnto this tyme also an infinit number that daily are and will be lost from this tyme to the end of this world Soules alas lost dead deadly groaning in the gulfe of their torments byting their tongue for fury that seeke for death and cannot find it Apo. 18.10 being buryed in the bowells of death it selfe dying alwayes and yet cannot dye liuing alwayes and yet cannot liue that curse the day of their birth and the name and memory of their Progenitours detesting the earth they so much loued the heauens and the starres that they could not see and foâ—â—ul measure of theâ— impiety they blaspheme the Maiesty of thy Creatour and haue no rest neither day nor night All thinges are to them affliction all is night and darkenes all is gall and bitternes all tears and gnashing all griefe and despaire Death can neither end them nor ouercome them wheresoeuer they cast the eyes of their vnderstanding they find themselues on euery side coÌ„passed and inclosed with the barres of eternity without all hope not only to escape out of the prison of this dolefull and lamentable being and worse a thousand times then not being at all but also to haue ease or respit By this consideration the Pilgrime shall learne more and more the malignity of sinne and shall harden himselfe to the hatred thereof and at night he shall yield thankes to the mercy of God for the tyme and respit he hath giuen him with a thousand meanes to do pennance in this life and to abstaine from sinne that he might auoyd these paines reserued for sinners in this euerlasting prison And after he hath in good time taken vp his lodging to prepare himselfe with leasure to the last meditation of his third weeke and the day of his arriuall The one and twentith Day Of Generall Confession and of the parts of Pennance CHAP. XLVI THIS one and twentith day is the last of the first part of this Pilgrimage wherin the Pilgrime must prepare him selfe with his best endeauour to pennance purgation of his soule which is the end of this part the more worthily to appeare in the house of the B. Virgin that he goeth to visit a Virgin of purity mother of purity and Queene of purity This preparation shall be in the chiefe foundation and exact and entire confession of all his sinnes since his last Confession or if need be To whoÌ„ generall confessioÌ„ is necessary generally of all his life since his yeares of discretion or from some other markeable time This is the Confession commonly called Generall necessary to him that was neuer so confessed or was ill confessed either by concealing any mortall sinne willingly or for want of good disposition necessary to a Penitent that is without sorrow for sinnes committed Sorrow and purpose of amendement necessary or firme purpose of amending or for hauing beene confessed to such as wanted either knowledge to help him or authority to absolue him to others that haue beene daily confessed this generall is not necessary yet to them also it is profitable for thereby gathering as it were into one heape the multitude of our sinnes we procure a confusion so much the more holesome by how much it is greater The profit of general
is of another ranke for being exalted aboue the highest she humbleth her selfe to the lowest waxeth light with her load and insteed of rest vndertaketh a troublesome iourney to the Mountaines of Iudea O wayes honourable with the steppes of such a Creature carrying in her bowells the Creatour O happy Hills that were troden with the heauenly feet of the Blessed Virgin and Mother of the most high neuer did you beare so precious a burden ne-neuer did you performe a more honourable seruice O my soule see and contemplate here behould this fruitfull Virgin this daughter of Sion this Mother of God to fly with ioy caryed by him whome her selfe doth carry behould her rysing as a faire morning vpon the top of those beautiful mountaines ascending those hilly places like the Sunne rysing from vnder his Horizon behould the beauty of her face and soule surpassing the most glistering starres the modesty of her pace going the fire of her charity the greatnes of her diuine fortitude and courage The salutation of S. Elizabeth The second point shall be taken from the salutation of the Virgin and the effect thereof It is sayd that the Virgin entering into the house of Zachary saluted S. Elizabeth And it happened when Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary the Infant exulted in her wombe And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost and cryed out with a great voice and sayd Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy wombe And how commeth this to me that the Mother of my Lord should come vnto me For behould as the voice of thy salutation was made in my eares the Infant in my wōbe exulted with ioy And blessed art thou which hast belieued because those thinges shall be performed which haue beene spoken to thee by our Lord. In these wordes he must marke the meruailous vertue and force of the salutation of the B. Virgin hauing so happily strucken the child and the Mother that they were both sanctifyed and filled with the Holy Ghost enabled to effects exceeding the common course of nature The child receaued sense and vse of reason beyond his age and leaped at the voice of the Mother of our Lord honouring the sayd Lord by that his motion Elizabeth did prophesy of thinges past present and to come The Mother was made a Prophetesse knowing by reuelation what had passed when she knew things secret to wit that the B. Virgin had belieued knowing also the present as that she was happy and blessed aboue all women that she was great with a blessed fruit with the Sonne of God our Lord She knew also what was to come foretelling that those things that were tolde her should be accomplished Wherupon the Pilgrime shall consider how much the Sonne of God hath honoured his mother in making her so soone the instrument of the Holy Ghost and his cooperatresse to so high effects in what credit she must needes be now in heauen for the saluatiō of men hauing been enriched since with a thousand merits and prerogatiues and reigning with her Sonne heaped with eternal glory aboue all Angels and men And if her simple voice and salutation that did passe brought the Holy Ghost vnto the soules of men of what efficacy shall be her firme and constant prayer to obtayne vs the heauenly graces of the same Spirit to our saluation O B. Virgin make this heauenly voice of thine soūd vnto thy Pilgrime this voice so pleasing so powerfull this voice whereof the Spouse speaketh saying Cant. 2. Cant. 2. Let thy voice sound in my eares for it doth reioyce me Make it be heard O virgin and therewith obtayne me necessary help happily to accomplish the course of my mortall Pilgrimage The third point of the Meditation Of the Canticle of the B. Virgin Magnificat CHAP. XXX THE third point shall meditate the meaning of that notable Cāticle which our B. Lady vttered after S. Elizabeth had spoken Then saith the Gospell Mary sayd Luc. 1. 1. My soule doth magnify our Lord. 2. And my spirit hath exulted in God my Sauiour 3. Because he hath respected the humility of his hād-mayd for behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed c. The B. Virgin hauing heard so many blessings and praises for those graces she had receiued and knowing that forgetfullnes Ingraritude ryseth of Pride ingratitude are two branches of pride very displeasing to Almighty God she tooke occasion to yield thankes vnto her benefactour to reioyce in him and sayd in hart and mouth I acknowledge my Lord my soule doth magnify and extoll him as authour of all the good you haue praised and prophesied in me O my deare Cousin I praise him from the bottome of my hart and with all my soule and glory in his graces and bountifull liberality not in myne owne merit It is he that hath cast his eyes vpon my litlenes and hath exalted me It is his bounty and blessing that is the soueraigne cause that all the nations of the world that shall liue vnder the scepter of his Sonne shall call that Mother happy that did beare him Luc. 1.49 4. For he hath done great things vnto me who is mighty holy is his Name A great thing it is that a Virgin should vow virginity among the Hebrewes a great thing it is that remayning a Virgin she should conceiue without man a great thing it is that she should be the most fruitfull Mother that euer was hauing borne but one child great things and vnheard of that the seruant should bring forth her maister the daughter her father the morning the sunne weaknes power the Creature her Creatour These are the great things and the wonders that are wrought in me his little Creature for the which my soule doth now magnify and exalt his holy Name Luc. 50. 5. And his mercy is from generation to generation to those that feare him For the mercy of our Lord is allwayes and shall be for euer Psal 102.17 but to them that liue in the feare of his lawes It was shewed to our first Father Adam promising him a Redeemer to Abel Noe Abraham to all our forefathers assisting them with gifts and graces and strengthening them in the hope of this Redeemer and will shew it selfe now more then euer sending according to his promise the same Redeemer not an Angel or only man but his owne Sonne God made man to repaire the ruines of men by his owne bloud to exalt their condition aboue the Angells Psalm 71 28.135.4 6. He hath wrought wonders with his arme and hath scattered the proud in the mind of their hart It is he onely that is omnipotent and mightily worketh these meruailes and all others It is he that hath drawne this great All from nothing who hath created these lightes heauenly pallaces these 4. partes of the whole world the fier aire water and all that is made of thē it
no religion to abuse all for to preuaile in their intentions to oppresse vertue and authorize vice and namely pleasure couetice and ambition to loue and sow discord to promise rest and honour and to yield at last nothing but wind and smoke Her faith is to betray her friends and most cruelly to handle and destroy her most faithfull seruants which commonly are three great and ancient families of the same bloud with those three sortes of courtiers of Merefolly whome you saw yesterdaye And to the end that this towne doe not rebell being oppressed and offended with his cruelties An encharmed drinke he hath dressed a feast of purpose where he giueth them a certaine drinke wherby the guests are so well charmed that they lose the remembrance of all that is past and belieue that all that were killed died in their bed and that they are happy and haue alwaies a good opinion of their maister if by good chaÌ„ce they be not vncharmed by seeing the perfidiousnesse folly of men which trust vnto him and serue him with so great loue for such wages Those whome you saw euen now compasse about this house like mad men are not men but wicked spirits in the shape of men who reioycing in any tragedy acted to their desire came to see if peraduenture they could entrappe any one to cary him to the towne and to make him slaue to their great maister by the means of their gouernour Now there be neere vnto this Citty some good men that enter therinto somtimes but as strangers and forennners and as neither he nor his Citty doth trust them so do they trust it as little and it falleth out well for them For if they should be made Denizens or take any right of burgesse amongst them they must needs vndergo the same fortune with the naturall Cittizens Our King hath purposed a loÌ„g time to raze it down to the ground and to cut in peeces these rake-hels but by reason of those good and faythfull seruants of his Maiesty he hath deferred and temporized hitherto chusing rather like a good Prince to pardon many enemies in respect of some friends than to hurt his friends in chastising his enemies Pereaâ—t amici modo pereant inâ—mici vox Tyranni which is the humour of a tyrant Behold my good Brother out of what Citty you are come if it may be called a Citty and not rather a labyrinth or enclosure of many parkes filled with lions serpents foxes rhinocerots basiliskes and other sauage and cruell beastes Heere Theodosius and Vincent remeÌ„bred againe the dream of Lazarus al three did highly prayse God of this great fauour in hauing pulled them out of so dangerous a place and they tooke a singular pleasure in the narration of the good man but they did not vnderstand what Citty he had described neyther did they remember that euer they set foote iâ— any that was of such situation figure and quality neither in Aegypt Palestine nor in Christendome Lazarus suspected that it was a Parable and a mysticall description allegorizing some spirituall Citty and they requested him more plainly to expresse what Citty it was Theodosius and Vincent who had almost taken all his wordes according to the letter made yet more instance but the Hermit for feare of holding then too long and the better to prepare their hart and eare aduised theÌ„ to eate somthing first and rest a while and that the houre of his prayer approched promising for the rest to satisfy their demand in the morning if they desired they tooke a small refection which serued for their supper and after they went altogether to say Letanies in the Chappell whence the good Hermite brought them to a litle place neere his Cell where there was a table and certaine mats layd vpon bordes to rest vpon so he left them with his blessing and retired himselfe to his Cell to his accustomed deuotions charging his man to haue ready early in the morning all thinges necessary for the Altar The Pilgrims examined their conscience tooke for subiect of their meditation the sermon of the 8. Beatitudes as they are called which our Sauiour made in the mountaine to his Apostles The six and thirtith day and the sixt of his Returne The Hermits prayer CHAP. XV. THE Hermit watched all night in prayer and demaunded of God the grace happily to shut vp the last period of his mortall Pilgrimage and to fauour his Pilgrimes whome of his good assistance he had sent vnto him that they might performe their course like true Pilgrims and come at last to their heauenly home and couÌ„try He prayed also in generall that it would please him The Hermits praier to cast forth the beames of his mercy ouer so many poore mortall creatures who allured with the baytes of the world and caryed with the wind of her vanities posted vnto euerlasting perdition O Lord sayth he what is this mortall world and how great is the blindenesse of man The shortnes of this life who suffereth himselfe to be seduced by such a cosener taking at his handes straw for gold and shadowes for truth I haue liued 80. yeares vpon the earth alas what is become of these yeares and all that hath beene done since the Creation of the world They came from nothing and to nothing they are vanished againe and nothing can I make account of but of a few houres employed in the seruice of thy Maiesty if I haue employed any well what is life but a passing shadow and the pleasures and presents of the world but deceitfull vanities In such prayers desires passed the good man al that night talking to God in the closet of his hart without sound of tongue Lazarus and his compainions were vp soone after mydnight and in great silence began their Meditation A Meditation vpon the eight Beatitudes CHAP XVI EVERY one remembred the history of the Gospell which sayth Iesus seeing the multitude ascended vp into a mountaine Matt. 5 2â— and when he was set his Disciples came vnto him opening his mouth he taught c. They noted in these words the signification of some great and high doctrine pronounced in a choice place in a mountaine as a singular and high Law giuen by our Sauiour sitting and opening his mouth as the Doctour of doctours who hauing hertofore opened the mouth of his Angels and Prophets openeth now his owne and speaketh in person not to the coÌ„mon sort but to those whome he had ordained of the priuy Councell to his prouidence the pillers of perfection and the noble foundations of his Church and that which they had noted in generall in this Preface they did obserue in euery one of the eight clauses which make this sermon The first saith Happy are the poore of spirit 1. The poore of spirit Louers of pouerty The humble for theirs is the Kingdome of heauen The poore not by fortune but by will and vow the humble and
beginning midle and end of my best prayers and desires And I haue full hope in the goodnes of him Gen. 12.14 that sayd Go out of thy country out of thy kindred and from the house of thy Father that if he giue me the grace to be a good religious man as he hath giuen me the desire he will also yield more comfort to your person and more seruice to your house by my prayers then by my presence I could affoard what estate or calling soeuer I should imbrace And in this respect the prudence and piety of my well beloued brother and my deerest sister shall supply all the want you may haue by my absence For you haue had good triall experience this seauen yeares that this house can well stand without me and that your old age receiueth by their onely assistance obedience and charity all the seruice and succour that a father may expect of his best children And therefore I beseech you my most honourable Father to heare my request blesse my departure saying this he cast himselfe at his feete The good old man began to weepe a good while and being somewhat pacifyed caused his Sonne to rise vp and sayd vnto him with a graue and constant countenance My Sonne Aime-dieu thy words do shew that thou hast pitty and compassion of thy Father and that thou wouldest part from me without violence thou doost well and like a good child for though thou knowest not yet what it is to be a Father thou dooâ—t notwithstanding wisely coniecture that fatherly loue doth make me feele thy departure and thou doost piously endeauour so much the more the asswage the griefe that groweth in me by nature by how much the more pricking and piercing it is Know thou my Sonne that I haue beene now long time prepared to conforme my selfe to the will of God namely seauen yeares since thou wentst in pilgrimage with thy brother Pauline when togeather with him thou madest thy meaning knowen vnto me I found some difficulty to resolue my selfe but at the last this is my mynd and my resolution I am content glad that the will which God hath giuen thee to do well and serue him with a perfect hart hath continued in thee liuely and constant shall be more glad to see thee happily effectuate the same I thinke I cannot wish a better fortune then to see thee in the seruice of such a Lord and that I cannot haue a desire more worthy and fit for a Father then to desire thy saluation The obligation thou hast to me is small in it selfe and nothing in respect of that thou owest vnto God Of me thou hast the beginning of thy being in the mortall seed of thy mortall body which being well considered is a thing of nothing and should indeed haue beene nothing if the Almighty hand of God had not giuen force to nature to forme thy members within in the wombe of thy mother and all these members formed are but a lumpe of nothing if he had not infused a soule bearing his owne image and likenes to rule therein to quicken and gouerne it and finally that little I haue contributed to thy generatioÌ„ coÌ„meth also froÌ„ the liberality of the same Lord so that all being well deducted it is God that hath giuen thee all thou hast and all thou art and from him all thy goods do rise to his goodnes thou must returne duty and homage and to me thou owest nothing but by the law of the same God who commaundeth thee to honour father and mother in consideration of what thou hast receyued of them For the rest thou art all his and if he had taken thee twenty yeares since or before from me or froÌ„ this world he had done me no wrong taking but his owne And when these dayes past I had newes of thy death I setled my selfe to a resolution to thanke him for all with the hope I conceyued that he had shewed mercy vnto thy soule and hauing now conserued thee in life and desire to serue him I haue the more to thanke him for the honour he doth me calling thee to the seruice of his Altar An honour much greater then if thou wert called to the court of the greatest Prince in the world The care paine and charges that I haue bestowed to bring thee vp in vertue and to make thee worthy of a noble house and which thou hast learned in schooles in warres in thy peregrinations are also gifts of his holy hand and caÌ„not receiue a richer recompence nor a better fortune nor a more roiall imployment then in the house of God And if I be a true Father I cannot desire thee a better inheritance then that which thy heauenly Father will giue thee if thou seruest him as a faythfull child And if I should pretend to haue some comfort of thy presence I should receiue an vnspeakable comfort to vnderstaÌ„d that thou wert in the traine and wages of this King placed amongst his domestâ—call seruants leaning his eares to thy deuotion speaking to him of me and praying to him for me and demaunding of him by thy continual prayers some gift for the saluation of my soule Thou settest before myne eyes for my comfort the assistance of thy brother sister Surely the proofe I haue had of their filiall sincerity obedience hath made me hope wel of theÌ„ but know thou that the hope of my repose solace is in God who hath giuen me such children and if he will call them also to his seruice I will then also expect help at his hands in my viduity and solitude and will thinke that I haue receiued at his Maiesties hands a new benefit without fearing that my house and race shall end by them for if it shall once take an end according to the common course of families of this world it cannot be more honourable ended then by this sacred sterility of religious persons vowed vnto God Many Fathers will thinke my iudgment and opinion inhumane but I am content that it is reasonably and magnanimous before God If for my temporall commodities which I may expect of my children I should hinder their vocation from heauen vnto eternall goods which specially I should desire vnto them I should not be a true Father for this should not be to loue my children but to loue my selfe to preferre mine owne temporall ease before their honour and saluation and therefore my Sonne haue no griefe to leaue thy Father to serue God Thou leauest not thy Father neyther but doest obey him If I haue done any thing for thee thanke him who made me thy father beseech him to do me this fauour to end my mortall pilgrimage vnder the safe conduct of his grace I beseech him with all my hart to make thee great in his sight and a worthy seruitour in his holy house and thy fellowes and this is the blssing I giue thee farewell my deare Sonne fare thee well