it nor can he deceiue vs that he vvho exaltes himselfe shall be humbled and be that humbleth himselfe shall be exalted Nay my soule since the same Truth comes to teach vs this lesson in his sacred passion let vs not proue so much contrarie to his blessed designe and our owne aduantage as not to endeuour to learne it with the whole strife of our hartes Howbeit sith he is as well the teacher as giuer of it let vs often say with S. Augustine thou commandest humilitie ô Lord giue vvhat thou commandest and commande vvhat thou vvilt THE II. MEDITATION FOR THE 2. DAY THE FIRST POINTE. COnsider that hence it was that the diuine wisdome or Word of God which was in the begining with God nay was God and therfor could thinke it noe stealth to be coequall coeternall consubstantiall with God the Father exinanited or powred himselfe out and became flesh Et Verbum caro factum est taking vpon him the shape of a seruant Earth is at a losse vpon this abismall humiliation litle kowing as faith S. Augustine what to say to it or what conceipt to make of it Nay the heauenly powers stand amaysed to sea the kinge of Angells become lesse then the Angells yee iust like to one of vs in all thinges saue sinne nay one of vs indeede flesh of our flesh bones of our bones poore man Vnlesse we should yet say further lesse then man Nouissimus virorum the least and last of men a vvorme and not a man with the royall Prophete AFFECTION RESOLVT Ah my poore soule if the gracious inuitations and mylde lessons of Wisdome cannot preuayle to plucke downe our proude harte let at least the abismall example of our humanised God the eternall Word made flesh put before our eyes dissipate and cure that pernicious tumour It is thy verie God that lyes humbled at thy feete my soule it is diuinitie it selfe which lyes as it were infirme before thee that so thy swelling being worne downe thou mightst deiect thy selfe and caste thy selfe prostrate vpon that great God Deus Deorum now for thy example become the last and least of men THE II. POINTE. Consider that if this heauenly designe and resolution be truly admirable farre farre aboue the reach of men and Angells and the execution of it ineffably gracious and euen rauishinge as speaking more sweetnesse and heauēly delightes to humane hartes then they are any way capable to comprehende so that they doe not so much intice as inforce the said hartes to humilitie if there be any sense of man left in man so the admirable circumstances which accompaignie it doe powerfully preach the same lessons to the eyes of the world If then it hath pleased him to build himselfe a cottage of the same claye wherof he made vs he will also haue all the rest suted to it This most humble Loue metamorsised-kinge will haue an humble mother Queene a poore handmayde of our Lord An humble putatiue father Ioseph a carpenter An humble Pallace a poore Rocke or caue An humble chaire of state a manger Humble attendants an oxe and an Asse vvith a fevve sillie shephardes and after that all his life longe poore rude simple fishermen AFFECTION and RESOL. What my soule will be euer able to decrye pride if this doe not And what will be able to imprinte humilitie deepe in the verie bottomes of our hartes if this proue not effectuall His poore abiect and despicable condition in the verie first steppe he made into this world began to publish it His lowlie obscure and hidden life all the tyme of his infancie declared it in his riper yeares he continually preached it the course of his whole life confirmed it and at his death he signed it with his pretious bloude humbling himselfe to death and the death of the crosse the most infamous of all deathes O my soule let vs then being forced by all these pressing and euen oppressing arguments either humble our selues to the ground in all occasions of humiliation or at least confesse to our confusion that we are the most vnworthy and vnsutable seruants to a diuine Master who was in all thinges so incomparably humble THE I. MEDITATION FOR THE THIRD DAY Of the Benefit of a religious vocation THE FIRST POINTE. COnsider that it seemed not enough to that Kinge of glorie First to haue made you a reasonable creature after his owne likenesse and all the other creatures for your vse 2. to haue regenerated you to a new and better life by the holy Sacrament of Baptisme 3. to haue giuen you the knowledge of the Catholike faith hauing culled you out of multitudes that daylie perish but his gracious beneuolence went yet further on with you and by this holie vocation to Religion called you to be his peculiar friend and seruant and Fauourite to haue a more neere and deare conuersation with him and to make it your businesse in earth to singe his prayses and mercyes as the Blessed shall doe for euer and euer in Heauen AFFECTION and RESOL. O the infinite goodnesse of my deare Lord who goes still on in my behalfe heaping benefit vpon benefit and fauours vpon fauours yea fauours of singular preference tender loue and greatest assurance towards the attayning of Beatitude that can be mette with vpon this perilous sea Fauours not granted to all nay scarce to a few among multitudes who daylie suffer shipwracke while thy free grace deare God not my merits hath guided my doubtfull nauigation to a safe harbour Where witnesse S. Bernard who experienced the same one liues more purely falls more rarely riseth more quicklie walkes more cautiously receiues grace more frequently reposeth more securely dyes more confidently and is rewarded more abundantly THE II. POINTE. That this vocation leads to a certaine state Consider that Gods goodnesse by meanes of this holie vocation lendes you not to a certaine indifferencie of seruing him or not seruing him at your owne pleasure and election but he bringes you therby to a setled and permanent state wherin your body is tyed to stabilitie in a certaine place and all your actions are marked out and limited by Rule and constitutions and all these confirmed by the three essential vowes of Religion Pouertie chastitie and obedience according to S. Augustins Rule Which vowes are noe other things then sacred and solemne promises freely deliberatly and with out constrainte made to God in the face of the holy Church of thinges which are better as S. Thomas of Aquine teacheth AFFECTION and RESOL. This my soule was Gods singular goodnesse to vs to winne our hartes by our owne free choyce to renounce that dangerous libertie which might happly haue proued our ruine to imbrace the true libertie of the children of God which is neuer so free or euen truly free indeede but vnder the seruitude of that most pious Kinge of glorie according to that of S. Augustine Libertie is neuer greater then vnder a pious Kinge whom to serue is indeede
soule that we build Or rather doe we not heape negligences tepidities vanities and impurities of intention vpon the good fundation we haue layd Are we not in verie deed cold and slowe in the loue of God and ther vpon as carelesse of our neighbour as though the care of him had not at all bene commended to vs Let vs therfor in imitation of our good Patron say with him Giue me ô Lord to loue thee as much as I desire and as much as I ought and my neighbour for thee and in thee c. THE VII MEDITATION Hovv he behaued himselfe in Faith I. POINT COnsider that he putt down with Saint Paule whose best scholler he was that Faith is the substance of things to be hoped for an argument of things not appearing or as he saith in another place it is the fundation of all good things the verie begining of mans saluation It is an illustration of the mynd by which it is illuminated by the Prime Light to discerne spirituall things AFFECTION and RESOL. Doe we ô my soule ayme at the true knowledge of spirituall things doe we desire our saluation or hope we for those eternall waights of glorie those ineffable things which appeare not to the eye sound not to the eare nor enter into the hart of man which God hath prepared for those that loue him know then that it is by the benefit of the heauenly light of Faith That is the illumination that the fundation that the very substance and somme of all II. POINT Consider that he putt downe for his seconde ground with the same Apostle that without Faith it is impossible to please God I saith he none shall be admitted into the number of the sons of God without it None without it shall obtayne iustifying grace in this world nor possesse eternall life in the next which is giuen to the loue of God alone Nor can any loue whom he knowes not nor doth any know God but he to whom it is reuealed by the Father through faith in his onely son Christ Iesus AFFECTION and RESOL. If without Faith we know not without knowledge we loue not without loue we remayne in the iawes of death if in death there be no grace nor without grace any hope of glorie If we haue no right to the denomination of sons nor consequently iust Title of Heyres Oh of what con-consideration ought faith to be with vs how constantly ought we to imbrace it how carefully to conserue it For alas if we misse to be numbered amongst the sons of God we shall not misse to be counted amongst the slaues of the Diuell III. POINT Consider further with him that the begining of our faith is from Christ from vvhom by vvhom and in vvhom are all things It is not bought by our riches procured by our industries or giuen to our merits but is a pure and free gift of Gods mercy to which he is nether necessitated nor induced saue onely by the abundance of his owne vncompelled goodnes AFF. and RES Blessed be thy goodnes for euer ô my Lord God who daynedst me with this great gift whilst I nether deserued nor desired nor euen thought of it Farre be it from me to extolle my selfe to arrogate it to my self as though I had had it of my selfe Nay contrarily vpon the thought of that singular goodnes I fall downe prostrate before thy Maiestie pronunceing in all humilitie that he vvho doth glorie should glorie in our Lord. THE VIII MEDITAT A CONTINVATION OF the same subiect I. POINT COnsider that though the begining of our faith be from God purely and cannot be merited by vs yet is the increase of it Gods grace being alwayes presupposed left in our hands to be procured by care and cultiuating and by continually accompaigning it with good workes We are not to be as it were secure in faith but we are to accompaignie a right faith with a right life The Apostles saith he had not left all contemning the hopes of the world had they not had some faith nor would they haue said Increase our faith had it alreadie bene perfect AFFECTION and RESOL. Blessed be our good God who doth not onely preuent vs with his benedictions before we deserue or yet thinke of them but also giues vs power by concurring with his grace to multiplie his good gifts yea he hath euen charged vs to negotiate vpon them till he come Le ts vs not therfore be wanting to our selues since the increase is left in our owne hands II. POINT Consider that though it be our part to make good vse of the good Talent which Gods grace freely bestowed vpon vs and by that good vse to multiplie it yet are we to know with our Saint that as no man is sufficient of himselfe to begin or perfect any good vvorke so is none of himselfe able to begin or perfect faith But the increase and perfection of it ought to be procured by our feruent and frequent prayers to the good Giuer saying AFFBCION and RESOLV I beeseech thee and in a most suppliant manner I implore thy mercy ô God who are the fountaine and sourse of all good things the giuer and conseruer of all vertues increase in me holy right and immaculate Faith And make me performe workes sutable to it least a good faith may be defiled by vncleane workes and least I may deny thee by a bad life whom I confesse by a good beleife I beleeue ô Lord Yet helpe my increadulitie III. POINT Consider further with your holy Fa. that for want of good workes and feruent and frequent prayers our Faith in lieu of increasing falls into a deficiencie it sleeps waxes weeke and sicklie yea dyes Iesus some tymes sleeps in vs as he slept in the shippe that is our faith which is from Iesus sleeps in vs and then the winds and waues of temptation tosse vs too and fro We must therfore awake Iesus and the tempest shall be allayed that is we must recollect our faith and call it to practlse AFFECTION and RESOL. vve perish ô Lord vve perish haue mercy vpon vs. For alas why doth our faith sleepe but for want of being excited and stirred vp by feruent prayers whence is it weeke and sickly but for want of the nourishement of good workes whence is it dead but that it is not quickned by charitie We wil therfore Pray worke endeuour to loue God aboue all things and our neighbour as our selfe c. and when all is done we will ascribe all not to our owne strength but to Gods grace THE IX MEDITATION With vvhat modestie and humilitie he looked vpon matters of Faith And hovv high a rate he putts vpon it I. POINT COnsider that he aduentures not to diue into the knowledge of high misteries with hereticall pride and presumption as though witt were able to make way to all but by a truly Catholike submission and modestie vpon many occasions he makes open profession of his ignorance acknowledges the
did so touch him at the hart that he forceably cryed out The vnlearned men of the world doe teare heauen out of our hands and we with our great knowledge without braynes or courrage are still content to wallow in flesh and bloud AFFECTION And why doe not we my soule obseruing in our selues the same errours make vse of the same remedies why doe we not fly the occasions of euill and speedily lay hold vpon the occasions of good compagnie and good counsell If in the one we meete with a moment of false delight experience assures vs it is payd with houres and dayes and yeares of discomfort and remorse of conscience wheras in that other we might euen here below haue some participation of heauen and be left with our thoughts full of a solide and permanent delight MEDITATION V. WHAT BEFELL HIM soone after his perfect conuersion to God To vvitt a change vvrought by the hand of the highest I. POINT COnsider a soudaine and strange change of the hand of the highest which happens to all who absolutly conuert themselues to God It became sweete to me saith he to be depriued of the sweetnes of wordly toyes What formerly I feared to loose I now departed from with ioy For thou didst cast them from me thou ô Lord who art my true and prime sweetnes Thou threwest them out I say and in lieu of them didst thy selfe enter who art sweeter then all delightes though not to fleshe and bloode more sublime and high then all honour but not to those who are high in their owne conceipt AFFECTION Take courrage then ô my soule take courrage God is not Augustins God alone but ours also the bowells of his fatherly mercy lyes open euen to vs too His loue is not lessened his arme is not shortened Le ts but in good earnest conuert our selues vnto him and his goodnes cannot auert himselfe from vs. Be conuerted to me and I vvill be conuerted to you saith our Lord. Let 's but absolutely dispossesse our selues of the world and worldly toyes and he will infalliby inhabite our harts possesse them of heauenly ioyes and make vs experience a deare and delightfull change II. POINT Consider secondly that he was restored to the libertie which by the slauerie of sinne he had lost Now saith he was my mynd freed from the biting cares both of honor and riches as also from procuring to welter in carnall sins and prouoking the heate of lust AFFECTION and RESOL. Oh what a change is this from that wherin he formerly found himselfe ingaged when he said now all the arguments which I was wonte to bring were solued and their remayned onely a speachles trembling and it his soule feared euen as death it selfe to be restrayned from the course and fluxe it had longe taken towards sinne wherby it was dayly pining away and growing neerer to destruction And againe I turned and winded my selfe in my chayne till such tyme as that litle which helde me might be broken but still it helde me I was saying I would doe it and euen almost did it yet indeed I did it not but remayned breathing neere the place where I should haue bene We often my soule find the same wrastling with flesh and blood but le ts be faithfull to Gods inspirations and we shall also be restored to the same libertie III. POINT Consider thirdly that as he is more and more remoued from the troubles and cares of the world he approcheth neerer and neerer to the deare delights of heauen and inioying the true libertie of the sons of God I conuersed saith he in a familiar and tender manner with thee who art my beautie my riches my saluation my Lord and my God AFF. and RESOL. Marke ô my soule the delightfull degrees of this heauenly change We are first touched and excited by grace being fallen we are carried on by delight being risen accompayned by delight we are lead to libertie which affords vs wings of holy desire to flye vp and repose in the bosome of our dearely beloued and shelter and solace our selues betwixt those sacred breastes of consolation to which I will cling and nothing shall be able to separate me THE VI. MEDITATION Hovv absolutely he betooke himselfe to a good life I. POINT COnsider that no sooner was he restored to this blessed libertie and had he receaued the Sacraments at Saint Ambrose his hands but he began to lay the fundation of a holy life by bidding a most absolute Adieu from the verie botom of his hart as saith Possidius to all worldly pretentions nether now desireing a wife nor sons of his body nor riches nor worldly honors but made a firme purpose to giue himselfe wholy to Gods seruice fasting prayer and good workes meditating day and night in the law of our Lord. saith Possidius AFFECTIONS and RESOL. O my soule lets vs take the same resolution and humbly confidently and perseuerantly make vse of the same meanes and we shall not fayle happily to be restored to Gods fauour He who made vs without vs will not saue vs without our consent and cooperation we must worke then not we alone but Gods grace with vs. II. POINT Consider that this resolution being taken in generall he found no better way to sett vpon it in particular then by selling what he had and giuing it to the poore to follow Christe take his owne word for it I saith he Epis 89. Who write these things did vehemently loue that perfection wherof our Lord spoke when he said to the rich young man in the Gospell Goe c. and I imbraced it not by myne owne strength but by the assistance of his grace AFFECTION and RESOL. Behold ô my soule how thy holy Patron springs on in the wayes of Gods counsells Their is now no more cold cras crases to morow and to morow heard but fourth with he setts vpon it No more halfe wills wherof the one serues to destroye the other but he resolutely and vehemenly loues it No more irresolution as fearing into what hands he might putt himselfe or that he might loose by the bargaine but he sells and giues all that he hath If we find our selues thus affected how good reason haue we to reioyce in our Lord but if contrarily we be delaying cold irresolute in what we haue vndertaken how good reason haue we to spurre our selues on by his example I will therfore c. III. POINT Consider that he did not build woode haye or stubble that is terreane preferments or respects of flesh and blood vpon these holy fundations but euen gold siluer and pretious stones saith Possidius that is the most choyce christian vertues to witt a feruent loue of God intimated by gold the loue of the neighbour signified by siluer and all the rest of the vertues imported by pretious stones AFF. and RESOL. This is the paterne which our holy Patron left vs let 's examine how well we take it out Is it thus indeed ô my
nothing els Render me thy selfe giue me thy selfe for thee I vvish thee I seeke thee I hope for to thee hath my hart said I haue sought thy countenance ô Lord And therfore what euer my Lord God is disposed to bestowe on me let him take it all away and let him giue me himselfe THE XX. MEDITAT In vvhat manner and measure God is to be loued I. POINT COnsider that the best manner of louing God is to loue him chastly that is with puritie of intention with as litle of our owne respects and interest as may be but because he is God that is infinitlie good or infinite goodnes Let vs loue him so a◠that we loue no other thing besides himselfe I that we may be made worthy of his heauenly imbracemets let vs discharge our selues of the care of all earthly things and le ts adheare to him alone gratis AFFECTION and RESOL. Too litle he loues thee ô Lord who loues any thing besids thee yea euen with thee which he loues not for thee for alas the innocent lambe who was slaughtered for vs is worthy to receaue glorie and honor and benediction not that in respect of his good gifts onely but euen because in himselfe he is infinitly wise infinitly powerfull infinitly beautifull infinitly good contayning in him selfe in a most eminent manner all the respects of good by which a reasonable man can be drawen to loue Let vs loue him therfore let vs loue him euen for his selfe sake and for no other reason as farre as we are able II. POINT Consider that the best measure of louing God is to imitate his loue to vs and loue him without measure for sith the obiect of our loue is infinite should not our loue also if it were possible be infinite Thou art immense ô Lord and vvithout measure ought thou to be loued and praysed by those vvhom thou hast redeemed vvith thyne ovvne pretious blood AFFECTION and RESOLV Come le ts loue him le ts loue him he deserues all loue yea more then all for he hath loued vs to make vs he hath loued vs being made he hath loued vs first and most he loued vs so farre as to giue his son and to be readie to giue himselfe if we loue againe Ah! let vs blush and be as hamed if after all this we find our selues slowe to loue MEDITATIONS FOR SEAVEN DAYES TO BE VSED BY THE Canonesses Regulars of the Order of Sainte Augustine in the Monasterie of SION Established at Paris A. 1634. As well before their clothings and Professions os otherwise I vvill leade her into the vvildernesse and I vvill speake to her harte Osee 2. AT PARIS By GABRIEL TARGA M. DC LXV THE FIRST MEDITATION FOR THE FIRST DAY The preparatorie prayer shall be the Hymne Veni Creator with the prayer Deus quicorda THE FIRST POINTE. Of Gods Benefits to man in his Creation CONISDER that God who is infinitly great and infinitly and evernally happy in himselfe seeinge thinges which are not as thinges that are out of his meere Goodnesse without any neede of vs beinge neither preuented by any merits of ours not prouoked by hopes of returnes raysed vs out of nothinge to his owne likenesse presented vs with the whole world made vs absolute Lords ouer it and ouer all the great varietie of thinges comprised in it for our vse Finally he endowed vs with a reasonable soule capable of himselfe to enioy him for euer AFFECTION Where were wee where were wee soelonge or soe longe agoe my soule where were wee and all that wee glory in while wee yet were not Ah while wee slept in our nothinge he who watches ouer Israël slept not But loued vs vvith a perpetuall loue he made a world for vs not vs for the world he made vs Lords ouer it not slaues to it He gaue vs all thinges to vse not to inioy to solace our pilgrimage not to stay vs from our contry Heauen my soule is our contry the Kinge of Heauen our possession which we are made to inioy Be it farre from vs to loue the benefits more then the bountiful benefactor or to glory in our selues or any thinge while we and they are Equally his free gifts THE SECONDE POINTE. Of mans regeneration Consider that though the benefit of creation be great yet that of regeneration farre exceeds it whereby we are borne to a new and better life life euerlastinge By that we were made and called men by this wee were made and called by Christ his owne name Christians or men of Christ By that he gaue vs power to liue and raigne ouer all the creatures by this to be little lesse then the Angells yea to be like to our creator in iustice and sanctity We were borne dead but by pure grace we were reuiued in baptisme made domestikes of his house the Catholike Church strengthened by confirmation fedd and fatned by his holy word and euen his owne pretious body and bloud Whereby wee are not onely called his seruants but are indeede his freinds nor his freinds onely but his sonns nor his sonns alone but his spouses AFFECTION If all my soule that we are be due to God for our creation by which we are all that wee either are or haue in the order of nature what will be due for our better beeinge by our regeneration which makes vs citizens of the Saintes and Gods owne domestikes his friends his sonns his spouses O what hart is able to conceaue the highth of the dignity to be made by grace of sonns of the earth the sonns of God of disloyall subiects he spouses of Christ and yet my soule such wee are which was not granted to all such wee are by his free goodnesse and mercy If therefore all that wee haue in the order of nature or grace we had absolutly from his free gift let all be employed and hartily referred to his honour THE II. MEDITATION FOR THE SAME DAY Of the obligations vvhich vve contract in Baptisme THE FIRST POINTE. COnsider that as the benefite of regeneration in Baptisme is a benefite of preference and of singular excellencie since of slaues of the Diuell it renders vs childeren of God and reintitles vs to our right in the Kingdome of Heauen so it bringes with it greate obligations to which we are all indispensably subiect We solemnely promessed therin in the face of the Church First to renounce the diuell and all his pompes wiles and allurementes wherby he endeuours incessantly to worke our eternall ruine That is to detest and flye the concupiscence of the flesh the cōcupiscence of the eyes and pride of life which are the Diuells baites wher-in he insnares the whole world and inslaues it to his accursed dominion These renounciations ô my soule are the promesses we solemnely made in our Baptisme These are the christian duties to which we are all absolutly oblidged be we religious persons or be we secular according to these we shall be iudged at the last
Lord thy sorowes passe all our sorowes yet my soule it is maiestie that is thus smitten it 's innocencie which thus suffers It 's indeede the God of Gods whose immensitie cannot be comprehended whose perfections excellencies cannot be numbred whose goodnesse is boundlesse whose mercyes cannot be matched Alas my deformed hidden crucifyed Lord whither hath mercy goodnesse loue to miserable man ledd thee was it thought fittinge to this goodnesse that thy wounds should be without number as are thy perfectiōs mercyes to man soe to make an absolute demonstration that as there is noe loue soe are there noe sorrowes like to thyne Let me not liue but to loue thee suffer for thy sake THE II. POINTE. Consider further that he sufferd inall his senses by the presence of all the obiects of sorrow He saw his choysen Apostles sleeping while he was sweating bloud He saw the Trayter whom he had newly fedd with his owne blessed body bloud come in the heade of a barbarous band to apprehend him He saw the execrable crueltie of an vngratefull nation which he had alwayes oblidged and loued by preference Finally his cares were full of blaspheemies scoffes and scornes and his eyes and harte of the sorrowes teares and bloud of a God dying AFFECTION And yet my soule it is the very naturall sonne of God that suffers all this He is the splendour of his fathers glorie and the figure of his substance And shall we his poore sonns taken in by adoption onely see with drye eyes his full of teares and bloud or shall we after this sad sight permitt them any more to be filled with vanitie Shall our eares lye open to destractions adulations and found rumours which hurt our soules whyle his for our sake are filled with contumelies and blasphemies Shall we Christians pamper the rest of our senses with sweetes and delicacies while our Christs so hugely suffers in them all Ah! be it euer farre from vs to pay his loue with such intolerable ingratitude THE III. POINT He suffers in his soule But if his body vniuersally and all his senses be ingaged in the sufference is his soule at least free Ah noe it s sadd to death it s replenished vvith euill or sorrow the bitter vvaters of tribulations haue broken in vpon it The horrour of death the ingratitude of mē the scorne of Nations Pilates iniustice Herods mockerie Annas and Cayphas blasphemie the Scribes and Pharisies circumuentions the Ministers and Soldiers crueltie the peoples preference of Barabbas and their tumultuous and vniust Crucifige See then vvhether there be any sorrovv like to his sorrovv AFFECTION and RESOL. O man of dolours and accustomed to sufferances from thy youth Were not thy sorrowes and in them thy loue to man sufficiently expressed in abandonning that innocent chast and tender virginall body of thyne to the cruell persecutours wills vnlesse thou didst withall permitt the bitter flouds of tribulatiō and deadly saddnesse enter into and take possession of thy blessed soule Consider my soule and see whether their be any sorowe like to this sorrow or any loue like to his loue who gaue vp his soule to such sorrowes for thy sake If the horrour of death inuade thee thy Master went before thee waded through to death it selfe Proue friends vngratefull so they were to thy Lord. Are others of lesse worth preferred before thee but so was Barrabas before thy Master Christ Remember remember my soule that the seruant is not greater then his master c. THE IV. POINTE. He suffers vvithout a comforter Consider his body 's tormented his senses offended his soule afflicted and oppressed Is none left to comfort him Noe none relictus est solus he 's abandoned left all alone to wrastle with all the legions of sorrowes Non est qui consoletur eum There is none left to comfort him Was there euer so pittious a spectacle His Apostles are fled Peter followes a farre of and sweares he knowes him not The dolorous mother stands neere the Crosse indeed but her presence affords so smale solace that her sorrowes serue to redouble his The Angells come not neere His heauenly father abandonns him nay yet more Heauens stand amaysed at it he is euen forsaken by himselfe while he stopps the influence of his diuinitie that it flow not vpon his humanitie leauing it to suffer all alone without all comfort See then vvhether there be any sorrovv like to his sorrovv AFFECTION and RESOL. O my soule looke vpon the face of thy Christ Admire his his vn wearied suffering loue Hartily acknowledge that there is noe sorrow like his sorrow Imprint in thy harte at what a deare rate thou wast bought Ah my soule it was not with gold and siluer and such corruptible thinges but with the sorrowes and teares and bloud and death of a a God-man our Sauiour Iesus With sorrowes which spredd thēselues so vniuersally ouer body senses and soule with teares and bloud so plentifully and freely powred out with death so ignominious so deuoyd of all comfort so abandonned that it forced from the mouth of a most obedient and dearest child My God my God vvhy hast thou forsaken me Resolue firmely then that neither sorrowes nor bloodshed nor abandonments nor death it selfe shall separate vs from the loue of that dearest Lord. THE FIRST MEDITAT FOR THE FOVRTH DAY Of Deathe THE FIRST POINTE. Nothinge more certaine then death lesse certaine then the tyme therof COnsider and striue to imprint in our harts that which we all know yet seeme not to know it that which we all beleeue and yet as it were beleeue it not to witt that as there is nothinge soe certaine as death soe is there nothinge soe vncertaine as the houre therof Consult our owne Knowledge vppō these truthes we Know that neither Salomons witt nor Samsons strength nor Absolons beauty were founde proofe against it They were and now are not mortui sunt is certaine Consult the word of truth and we shall finde that we are bound to beleeue what we otherwise Know. Consult our selues againe vppon the vncertaintie of it and we finde that we haue Knowne many taken away when they and their friends least feared it some by violent some by naturall deathes some in their childhoode before they well knew what it was to liue some in theire flourishinge spring when vigourous youth promised them they could not dye Some in the decline of their age while death threatned and yet was not feared soe certaine it is that the houre of death is vncertaine to all as Christ himselfe makes it sure to faith Watch saith he because you neither know the day nor the houre AFFECTION and RESOLV Dye then we must my soule thereis nothinge soe certaine departe we must out of this cottage of clay Gods iustice hath pronounced the sentence Remember man that thou art dust in-to dust thou shalt returne But when must this sentence be put in execution that is noe lesse
our freinds vvho vvhen all forsake vs vvill be sure to make good his trust at the day of our death vvho vvhen all departe from vs vvill not leaue vs but vvill defend vs conduct vs by a countrie vvhere vve haue yet noe acquaintance Thou art my Iesu noe other be thou therefore my choyce in tyme in eternity THE II. POINTE. Cōsider in what a dauntinge anxiety dreadfull expectation the poore soule must needs be findinge herselfe all alone to be sentenced by a Iudge who is all knowinge all things lyinge open naked before his Eyes All powerfull for who resists his will all holy souerainly hates Sinne. Iustice it selfe which can neither be corrupted by bribes nor moued by prayes And to behold this knovvledge this povver this sanctitie this iustice armed with implacable vvroth and inflexable Zeale against the sinner AFFECTION and RESOL. Alas and woe my soule whither shall we run for shelter To his mercy but her tyme is past she leaues the place to iustice To his sanctitie But our sinnes are quite opposite to the holynesse of that thrice Holy To his Iustice But alas our iniquitie stopps our mouthes Shall we call vpon the mountaines and rockes to hide vs But his power is a hammer bruising the rockes in sunder his knowledge penetrates the mountaines and his Zeale and furie spares none Such certainly my soule and infinitly more dreadfull then we can imagine it will that dismale day be found Howbeit we are yet in a tyme of mercye we can yet safely flye from Christ to Christ from his iustice to his mercye from his power to his impotencie in his cradle c. From the zeale and wroth of Maiestie to the sweetnesse and myldnesse of the Lambe who comes to take away the sinnes of the world Finally we haue yet the meanes to hide our selues in the holes of the the saueing rocke and to saue our selues THE II. MEDITATION FOR THE SAME DAY Of Hell THE FIRST POINTE. COnsider that as mercy iustice are equall in God or euen God himselfe soe by the law of contraryes they will be followed with equall effects If God out of his mercy then haue possessed the blessed of the collection of all good thinges vnder his heauenly raigne which is beatitude he will throw the accursed into the possession of a collection of all euill vnder the tyranie of the Diuell which is damnation Let vs therefore imagine all that we are able of horrour of hope turned vnto dispaire of the loue of God and all we euer had deare into hatred detestation let vs add wormes which neuer dye weepinge wailing gnashinge of teeth brimstone and flouds of fire yet we must conclude that it is not that which the damned suffer which will indeede bee that which neither eye hath seene nor eare hath heard nor hath entered into the hart of man AFFECTION RESOLVT Ay me my soule into what a vast sea of misery disaster dispaire doth sinne cast downe poore man we imagine all that euer we can of terrour of horrour torment of im̄ortall wormes fire brimstone yet we fall short We adde the collection of all euills yet we cannot reach to it What is it alas what is it that lulles vs asleepe makes vs senselesse of things soe sensible O that we could descend into Hell aliue consider who amongst vs were able to liue in the midest of deuouringe flames And yet into such is the sinner throwne by the doome of eternall Truth Goe you accursed into eternall fire THE II. POINTE. Consider yet more particularly that as the accursed had misused all that God had giuen them for his seruice to offend him as body soule senses soe shall they all meete with theire seuerall tortures The body soule become fewell for deuouringe flames All the senses are replenished with obiects of horrour the eys are full of dreedfull gastly Ghosts the ears of howlinges roareings execrable maledictions blasphemies the smell of the stinckinge odours issuinge from the bodyes of the damned the taste is glutted with what can be imagined most bitter abbominably loathsome Finaly the sense of touchinge meets with nothinge but flouds of tormentinge flames AFFECTION RESOLVT O horrour consternation despaire O lamentation of lamentations woe woe woe woe to the corruptible body which waighed downe the poore soule woe to the soule that quickened that fleshly lumpe gaue way to its badd inclinations Woe to the eys eares which lay open to vanities franticke madnesse conueyed poyson into the harte Woe to all the rest of the senses members which conspired to the seducinge of the soule to bringe it themselues to lye tormented in this flame THE II. POINT Consider that if the miserable state of the damned be most vnhappie by the continuall presence of the whole collection of all euill What an infinite addition is made to it by the priuation of all good and that for an eternitie To be for an Eternitie separated from all the blessed were they neuer soe deare vnto vs while they liued with vs for an eternitie to be depriued of the peerelesse beautie of the Queene of Heauen the societie of all the Quires of Angells For an eternitie to be exiled from the glorious face of God which is man Angells essential beatitude to detest curse blaspheame it for euer Neuer to haue one moment of ease consolation or rest or euen the least hope of any for all eternitie AFFECTION and RESOL. O God of mercy now turned the Lord of reuenge what hart hath assurance ennough not to endure but euen to beholde this calamitous condition of the damned ouerwhelmed with all sortes of torments remoued from all hopes or euen desires of comfort not for some millions of millions of yeares but for an eternitie O eternitie eternitie how longe thou art Noe number of yeares are able to expresse thee the sands of the sea cannot equalise thee after all thou still remainest what thou art Eternitie Ah my soule let vs vse a timely preuention not make our selues away to eternall ' torments for light short delightes such or such c. nor yet for the auoydinge of such or such smale crosses afflictions or temporall losses Let vs couragiously plucke out the Eye and cutt of the hand which scandalises hazards our eternall losse conclude with holy S. Augustine Let me here be burnt let me here be cutt in peeces soe that I may not perish eternally THE FIRST MEDITAT FOR THE SIXTH DAY Of Heauen THE FIRST POINTE. COnsider what this Kingdome is which is prepared for the Blessed and which they are called to possesse come possesse the Kingdome prepared for you and this at least we shall finde that whateuer this possession may be it is greater then we haue any capacitie to comprehend Let vs looke vpon all the beauties and magnificencies that euer our eyes beheld
vs and we so vngratefull to him as greatly and frequently to haue offended his diuine Maiestie Since he so souuerainly hates sinne wherâ—of we stand guiltie Since death is so vncertaine iudgement so dreadfull Hell so intolerable and the ioyes of Heauen prepared for vs so ineffablely great consider I say what a necessitie is put vpon vs if our hartes be touched either with dreade of vnspeakable torments or loue of Beatitude To make a good vse of the tyme which by Gods mercy we yet haue to redeeme tyme lost to make hay whyle the sunne shines and to treasure vp the celestiall Manna before the sunne sett AFFECTION and RESOLV Noe my soule we will dare noe loÌ„ger to be so audaciously aduenterous as to triffle our pretious tyme with cold cras crasses But euen at this verie moment I will striue to conclude an eternall peace with God It is dreadfull to come too late to heare verily verily I know you not and to finde the dore shurt My conuersation therfor shall henceforth be in heauen and heauenly thinges I will descende into Hell aliue to obserue the horride torments of that gastly denne I will expect death at all houres since none knowes the houre indeede in which it may surprise me I will iudge my selfe without flatterie that I may not be more rigourously iudged I will endeuour in earnest and with my whole harte to hate sinne which God so soueraignely hates And the residue of my life shall be spent that by true and hartie pennance the onely true refuge after sinne I may take reuenge of my selfe according to S. Paule for hauing offended so gracious a Benefactour and so dreadfull a Maiestie THE SECONDE POINTE. Hovv vve are to returne to God by pennance according to S. Augustine Consider that the way to returne to God by pennance prescribed by S. Augustine is First as to the tyme to returne speedily and without all delay because he who promised pardon to the repentant sinner promised noe certaine tyme for him to repent in but willed him not to delay his conuersion Secondly as to the manner mournfully and with confusion Euery one ought to lament ouer himselfe as ouer a deade corps and expresse huge grones vpon his deade soule Thirdly in qualitie of Iudge Mounte into the Tribunall of your owne harte proue your owne Iudge and exercise iustice vpon your selfe And in the first place take your selfe from behind you where you endeuoured to hide your faults and not to be seene and stand araigned before your selfe Let feare torture you till a true confession burst out from an humbled harte and say to God I achnovvledge myne iniquitie and my sinnes are continually before myne eyes AFFECTION and RESOLVT My soule hauing thus speedily mounefully and with the iustice and rigour of an vnpartiall Iudge discussed our selues let vs presently humbly and confidently haue recourse to God for the rest We haue an vnhappie power in our selues to commit sinne Thy perdition is from thy selfe ô Israel but our saluation is from God alone To his mercy therfor which is aboue all his workes let vs betake our selues saying in the bitternesse of our harte Grant mercy ô Lord to that miserable wretch whom thou so longe sparedst in his crymes O immense pietie take compassion vpon a confessing cryminall O publike mercy looke vpon him with the eye of pitie who hath proued cruell against his owne soule ah I should apprehend my case in a manner desparate did I not bewaile it in the fight of an infinite goodnesse and conceiue my wounds incurable had I not recourse to an all-souueraigne Physition Let me perceiue the effects of thy myldnesse hauing so longe mercifully suspended the sword of reuenge and let the multitudes of my miseries be drunke vp in the multitudes of thy drainelesse mercyes THE II. MEDITATION FOR THE SAME DAY Hovv vve are to returne to God by the example of the Prodigall child THE FIRST POINTE. COnsider that the poore prodigall hauing consumed all his substance and rysing by Gods preuenting grace out of the sleepe of sinne where he had longe layd he said in himselfe hovv many hyrelings are there in my fathers house vvho haue bread in aboundance vvhile I lye staruing herevvith hunger I vvill therfor goe to my father and say vnto him Father I haue offended against heauen and against thee nor am I vvorthy to be called thy sonne treate me onely as one of thy hyrelings This was all the rhetoricke he vsed to witt a true acknowledgment of his owne miserie and offences and the plentie which was found in his fathers house And so tooke a pious resolution with the harte of a contrite and humbled child to returne to a gracious father and confesse his fault willing for his punishment to loose the title of a sonne for that of a poore hirelinge AFFECTION and RESOL. Thus it is my soule that we ought to enter into our selues by comparing the honour and plentie which we inioyed in our fathers house where a quiete conscience heauenly comforts benedictioÌ„s and graces doe abounde with the disasters disgrace and abandonments which experience made vs find and feel when like fugitiues we wandred abroad and were reduced at length to that excesse of miserie as to feede with swine Thus it is that we are to returne home againe by an humble confession of our faults to God and his Ministers hartily acknowledging that we are noe longer worthy of that noble Title of domestikes of God sonns of God coheires and spouses of Christ but onely of poore hirelings which we willingly imbrace Thus doe my soule and we shall infallibly be receiued into the open bosome of a tender father whose bowells are more prone to mercy then our miserable harts readie to craue it as we ought THE II. POINTE. Hovv vve are to returne to God by the example of B. Marie Magdalene Consider that that mirour of true penitents returned to God in the best manner imaginable that is with humilitie and loue mixed with teares c. Vt cognouit saith the Euangelist as soone as she knevv that Iesus vvas sett dovvne to table in the Pharisies house c. she entred with a pious impudence where she was not inuited and placed her selfe behind him at his feete she began to water his feete with teares and wiped them with the haires of her heade and kissed them c. She delayed not to witt the grace of the holie Ghost knovves noe sluggish delay She blushed not because the confusion which she felt within perswaded her that outward shame was not to be valued She spoke not where she knew that the language of a contrite harte was better heard and her teares the while more effectually spoke her errand So that she wrought her wrothfull Iudge to turne her pious Aduocate and to pronounce a fauourable sentence for her Thy sinns are forgiuen thee AFFECTION and RESOLV These indeede my soule are the blissed dispositions which leade vs to a perfect