Spes nostra salue hayle our hope the Blessed Virgin with a gratious Countenance returned them their salutation The second that at these word Eia ergo aduocata nostra O therfore thou our Aduocate with a lowly inclination to her B. Sonne she seemed to intercede for them The third that at these wordes Illos tuos misericordes oculos ad nos Conuerte Behold vs with those merciful eyes of thine she cast vpon them a most deare and sweet regard And the fourth these words Et Iesum benedictum fructum ventris tui nobis post hoc exilium ostende and shew vs hereafter Iesus the blessed fruit of your wombe she by turnes presented him there present in her armes to al the Religious This vision returning from her extasy she declared to her Confessor a man both holy learned and discreet with great feeling of deuotion and temdernes Which example may moue vs often to haue recourse vnto this our heauenly Aduocate supplicating her by this deuout Antiphon of hers in which she seemes to take soe much delight and complacence The third Condition requisit in a good Aduocate is faithfully to acquit them of their charge it is impossible for vs to comprehend how faithfully and carefully the Mother of God negotiats for vs our affaires in heauen or to conceaue the admirable effects thereof So as shee hath al these requisite parts of a good Aduocate Mary wāts not power sayes the deuout S. Bernard nor right addresse to obtaine what shee Petitions for for she is the Mother of Wisdome nor the will to employ her self to the vttermost in our affaires for she is the Mother of mercy To which last in being our Aduocat she is in manner bound For so the Iurists hold they are bound faithfully to negotiat the cause they vndertake Besides being so good as she is so affectionat towards vs how is it possible shee should not take to hart an affaire of such consequence as is that of our saluation and aboue al being our Mother too as wel as his to whom she interceds for vs a strāge circumstance that she should be both Mother of the King and suiter of the Iudge and Criminal of God and Man which must needs render her much concern'd in the affaire to make an attonement betwixt God and vs and as S. Bernard sayes be euen impatient til she haue performed it In being our Aduocat then we must suppose her incessantly pacifying her sonns anger towards vs and mediating a reconcilement for al those who haue recourse vnto her and implore her assistance which may be clearly perceaued from this following Example recorded by Iohn Grithi of the Order of the Minorits There was sayes he a souldier a man of most wicked life and violater of al things sacred and prophane whose wife not withstanding a holy and pious woman had obtain'd of him by solemne vowe to fast in honour of the B. Virgin euery Saturday saye an Aue Mary as ofte as he beheld her picture which he did nor euer omitted to doe One day more to a voyd the vehement heat abrode then for any heate of deuotion he had within he entred the Church where beholding an Image of the B. Virgin he began to doe as he was accustomed When behold he had an apparition of our B. Lady on the Altar holding in her armes her B. sonne al couered ouer with wounds and the abundance of bloud that issued out of them Moued to pitty at the sight of so pittiful a spectacle the Souldier diuinely inspired drew neerer and had the boldnes to aske our B. Lady who had so wounded her B. sonne Thou and suche sinners as thy selfe replyed she with an angry countenance who exercise more cruelty on him with your daylye crimes then euer the barbarous Iewes who crucified him These words struck the Soldyer into so liuely repentance for his sinnes as he replyed with a sorrowful hart weeping eyes O B. Ladye it is true indeed I haue been as great a sinner as you affirme yet do but obtaine for me of your B. sonne a ful pardon and remission of what is past and I heer vow vnto you to be as obsequious hereafter to him as I haue been rebellious heretofore No sayd the B. Virgin I am resolued to heare you no more nor be any more deceiued by you for whilst you sinners cal me the Mother of mercy you make me with your sinnes the Mother of al greef and affliction Oh B. Lady sayd he be not so inexorable I beseech you to my prayers but remember you are the Aduocat of sinners and haue in a manner contracted by it an obligation to intercede for them and consequently for me the most greeuous of them al and most needing your intercession Heer the B. Virgin moued to pitty with his words cast a pittiful eye towards her sonne sayd Pardon then I beseech you O my sonne this poore sinner who so humbly petitions you no sayd the sacred Infant his offences are too great to be forgiuen but she persisting stil to coniure him by al the charmes she thought most powerful to moue him at last seeing his anger so resolutly bent nothing would moue it she arose and placing him on the Altar went downe ready to cast her selfe vpon her knees before him which when her B. Sonne beheld suspecting her intention he ask't her what she meant to doe why saye she to cast my selfe heer prostrate at your feete and neuer rise til you haue granted me my petition O mother say the tēder Infant you know the force your wil hath with mine For your sake I pardō this wicked wretche and in lieu of satifaction admit him to kisse my wounde encouraged al this by the B. Virgin the soldier drew neere and whilest with incredible Consolation he kist wound after wound behold vnder the touch of his mouth they al heald vpp The B. Infant thus recouering the vision vanished when the soldier presently hauing home distributed al his goods vnto the poore and then by common consent he and his wife separated and entred into Religion O happy soules the while and happy Conuersion which I would to God al sinners would imitate To cunclude then since we haue so powerful an Aduocate in heauen of the B. Virgin let vs make no delay but preferr our supplications to her expose our necessityes and petition her for a redresse of them the meane while more to interest her in our affaires let vs be assiduous in honouring her and ingenious in finding out the way to do it best omitting neither day nor night to salute her with humble reuerence alwayes remembring that a litle of feruorous deuotion is better then a great deale negligently performed THE V. PRIVILEDGE How the Mother of God saues her deuout seruants and renders them worthy of eternal life THE glorious Queen of Heauen is not cōtented yet to cherish her seruants after a deare manner to enoble them with singular prerogatiues to succour them
Monasteries of his foundation How acceptable to the Blessed Virgin these reuerences adorations are CHAP. II. THERE is none so ignorant that doth not know that the more we honour where it is deserued the more we ingratiat our selues with the honoured This supposed we hauing in the precedent chapter declared the B. Virgins meriting in the highest kinde this sort of Adoration which we cal Hyperdulia consequently our honouring her therby cannot but be most grateful and acceptable to her It is an exercise as we haue insinuated practised by the Angels themselues in heauen and who soeuer practises it on earth becomes as it were by it equale vnto them Angels of earth in honouring and reuerencing the soueraigne Queene of heauen Neither are we to imagine that honour we exhibit vnto her here lesse grateful vnto her then that which they do there nay perhaps there are some men on earth so zealous in her seruice who acquit them so wel of their deuotions and with such vigour of spirit goe reuerencing her that their seruices to her heere are more grateful then theirs here and consequently in their reward of glory also they shal out strip then farr Dul-sighted as we are then not to see of how great glorye we depriue our selues when we endeauour not in al we may to please the B. Virgin in honouring her Certainly to fast to watch to weare hayrcloth say our Beads Offices or such deuotions are very meritorious and pleasing vnto her but it is impossible for al the learning and eloquence of the Quire of Seraphins to expresse vnto the life the infinit gladnes and extreme pleasure she receaues from these Adorations proceeding from the interior of the minde and accompanied with the respectiue comportment of the exterior Besides al the Angels and the Celestial Court do take particular contentment in the honour and reuerence exhibited to their soueraigne Queene for if earthly Courtiers reioyce when any new honour redounds vnto their Prince how much more reioycing may we imagine to be in heauen when they see their Princesse so honoured heere and of this reioycing the B. Trinitie hath its part when it beholds her reuerenced in whom they haue lodged al their supreme and singular delights the Father reioyces to see his daughter so honored the Sonne his Mother and the holy Ghost his Spouse Let al men then of what estate sexe or condition they be with al diligence and solicitud procure to honour the Glorious and euer B. Virgin Mary with al becoming reuerence especially since the honour due to her redounds vnto her B. Sonne as the honour done to Saints doth to God who made them so In honouring the B. Virgin then as the most excellent of creatures we honour God her Creatour confessing al those excellencyes we honour her for proceeding from his liberality vnto her and thanking and praysing him for making a creature of our owne Condition so worthy and excellent besides the honour and seruices done vnto the Mother for the Sonns regard the Sonne takes as done to him and proceeding from the loue and respect we beare him nay which is more the deuotion towards the Mother encreases the deuotion towards the sonne in that she as most true vnto his honour referrs al vnto it that is offered her and leade them vnto him who addresse themselues vnto her Iust so then as in honouring and glorifiing the B. Virgin we do but honour and glorify God so we in placeing our Confidence in her but place it in God himselfe for what is it to confide in him but to confide in those meanes which he hath prouided vs for our saluation and amongst al the meanes one of the most efficatious is to Commend our selues vnto her patronage as we are instructed by the holy Church in that her Antiphon Spes nostra salue eia ergo aduocata nostra illos tuos misericordes oculos ad nos conuerte Haile O our hope and O our aduocate Conuert your eyes of mercy towards vs. And that great light of the Church S. Augustine sayes to the same effect You are the only hope of sinners frō you ô Glorious Virgin We expect pardon of our sinns recompence for our good works Knowing then for certaine that in honouring the B. Virgin we do but honour God we are often to procure to honour her and both day and night offer vp vnto her our reuerēces especially in the night when the time is more silent and more fitt for our deuotions This how grateful it is vnto her she her self declared to a certaine Capuchine of our order one most deuout vnto her This good Religious man had a laudable custome profundly to incline vnto her a hundred tymes a day til hauing some special charge of the Conuent the performance of which exacted much time of him not able to Comply with both he cutt-off one halfe of his deuotions diminished them vnto fifty tymes Now it happened that one day whilst he was busily imployed in his pious exercises the B. Virgin appeared vnto him inuested with most glorious ornaments wearing a riche mantle ouer them with only one halfe of it embroydered with starrs and addressing her speech vnto him she sayd how comes it my sonne thy loue is growne so cold in thee that hauing begun to imbellish this mantle with so many bright shiuing starrs thou hast giuen ouer and left the rest vndone it is a worke so grateful vnto me the performance of it as nothing can bee more vngrateful vnto me then the neglect of it wherefore as you respect my loue finish your deuotions as you haue wel begun and so vanished away leaving the good Religious man making his profit of her so mild reproofe renewing his ancient deuotions agayne he exercised them vnto the end of his life in that ful number he began withal And let none imagine this a deuotion only for women or the simpler and vulgar sort for al are equally obliged to honour her of what sexe estate or condition soeuer they be the Patriarkes Prophets as the Diuines affirme acknowledged her worth and reuerenced her for it thousands and thousands of yeares before she was borne into the world But what do I talke of Patriarkes and Prophets when the Angels them selues at the first instant of their creation beholding her in the Eternal Word humbly reuerenced and adored her as one that should one day be their Queene in heauen and be the mother of their King on earth And what should we say more euen God himselfe become man was obedient vnto her commands and obserued her with al filial loue and reuence To descend now to the Christians of the Primitiue Church the Apostles reuerenced her dedicated Temples to her seruice erected Altars to her and according to the opinions of some cōsecrated to her the famous house of Loretto But omitting these let vs come to the Potentates of the world how many Emperours Kings and soueraigne Bishops haue there been who haue
the Wise man to her and say Behold al yee nations of men and Know that none hath plac't their trust in this soueraine Lady been Cōfounded And could we but see rising from their sepulchers al those who haue been deuoted to her and could Demand of them where euer she had fayld ' them at their need or no Infallibly they would al with one accord say with S. Bernard cōuerting themselues towards her Let him be silent O Bl. Virgin who can say you wer euer wanting to them when they inuoked you in their necessityes We wil add another Example taken out of Scala caeli of a high miraculous straine exemplifying this priuiledge to the life and so conclude it A certaine Matron of excel-cellent endowments and much deuoted to the Queene of heauen sending her sonne to serue a certaine Prince in whose seruice his father had spent his life charg'd him before he went by al the tyes by which Heauen and nature had obliged him to her to be deuout vnto the B. Virgin in al his necessities to implore her ayde and neuer omit dayly at least to say vnto her honour an Aue Maria with that short prayer O B. Virgin bee propitious to me at the houre of death This he faithfully promised and being at Court inuiolably obserued though for the rest Youth easily falling into disorder and the Court being a place most slippery this yong Gentleman frequenting the societies of some deboished ones soone tooke the taint of their societies and became as deboish't as they and as there is no stay in wickednes when one is falling once at last he was so deepely plunged in it as the Prince when no admonition would serue the turne first banish't him his presence then his Court and last of al his territory Impatient for this disgrace and conuerting that was intended for his cure vnto his great maladie what did this desperat youth but associat himselfe with certaine theeues who harbouring in the woods infested al the Prouinces about and was soone chosen their Captain when hauing a more spatious feild to exercise his wickednes in he soone became so ingeniously fierce so wittily cruel as in fiercenes and cruelty he excelled them al sparing no humane creature and no sort of inhumanity But see Heauens instice which comes with the greater force vpon vs the greater turne it makes ear it comes at vs. He raigned some yeares thus in his wickednes til at last it was his fortune to be taken and deliuered vp bound hand and foot to the publick Magistrate by them to prison where the same day he was condemned to die of this hauing secret intelligence strait as if the maske of his wickednes were but then taken off he began to perceaue the vglines of it so as to detest it be wayle and curse his fortune and euen waxe desperat for the greefe and shame it had brought vpon himself and his family When behold while he was in this dispose of minde there entred dungeon a man of mightie stature and horrible aspect who addressing himselfe vnto him Offered if he would be ru'ld by him to free him thence and who are you sayd he almost freed by his promise from the feare of his apparance I am the diuel sayd he sent hither by my Prince to deliuer you obey but his commands at hearing this without any long delay the prisoner as it is ordinary with wicked men to preferr the safety of their bodyes before their soules answered What-so'ere you are you wil oblige me by so great a benefit to what soeuer you demand then first said the diuel you must renounce Iesus Christ his merits and al the principality he hath ouer you I doe sayd he and it suffices to haue found a Prince of your Maister so ready to pleasure me next you must renounce al the Sacraments communion with his Church and that too answered he Then to Mary his mother and al your hope of fauour and assistance from her at this he demurr'd and entring into himself call'd al his thoughts together in consult of what he had promised his Mother what he had performed til then when resolued at last he answered that he would neuer doe farr be it from me sayd he how neere soeuer my life be cōcern'd in it to offer such an affront to my deare Patronesse and so to iniure her who so hath obliged me No rather I offer her my self if she daine to accept it whether she would haue me liue or die to be wholy and absolutly at her dispose Confounded with this his resolution the diuel vanished when he touched vnto the quick with a repentance for his hainous offences against his Lord Sauiour at first began to weep sigh most bitterly then had his recourse to the ordinary refuge of sinners the Mother of God saying vnto her with a sobbing voice a thousand times interrupted by his greefe O most sacred Mother of mercy haue pitty on me miserable sinner and do not quite reiect me from before your sight I aske not of you deliuerāce from my bonds I beg not of you to saue my life for that cōsidering the heinousnes of my crimes were too much for me to aske and you to grant I only hūbly craue you would obtaine for me pardō of my sinns of your B. Sōn and assist me as I haue often petitioned you at the houre of my death in this sorrowful and deuout manner he past al night and the day was no sooner come but he sent for a Confessours and confest him of al his sinnes this done he was led forth to execution the poore soule vpon his way euer calling vpon the Blessed Virgin his Patronesse to assist him at that time of neede On the way it was his chance to passe by a litle Chappel where was erected a statue of our B. Lady which he beholding vehemently cried out sighing in most dolorous māner O thou hope of sinners help me the Image at this aduanc't a litle and in sight of al the people fauourably beckened vnto him with the head which he perceiuing besought the Magistrate he might be suffred to approach vnto it and kisse its feete in thankfulnes for so great a fauour which being graunted him behold iust as he bowed downe to kisse its feete the Image laid hold of him and held his arme so fast as al the force the Officers vsed could not take him thence the people beholding so great a miracle presently al cried out a pardon a pardon deliuered him whether the Magistrate would or no in presence of whom he made the ful relation of al his passed life praysing and glorifying God in his B. Mother for it whence returned into his Countrey he became so reformed a man as he became as remarkable afterwards for goodnes and vertue as he had been before for vice and wickednes From this History we may vnderstand that the Mother of God is neuer wanting to her seruants in their
necessities that she is our refuge our safegard our comfort remedy of al our paines greefs and afflictions for which reason S. German Patriarch of Constantinoble vses these words speaking vnto her There is none saued without you sayes he O Blessed Virgin none deliuered from their greeuāces but by you none but by your mediation receaues any guift from God none but at your suite obtaynes forgiuenes of their sinnes O Virgin worthy of al glory and praise who next to your sonne takes such an especial care of humane kind as you who defends them more affectionatly then you who succours them more readily then you when they are assalted by temptations who extenuats their faults with greater charitie excuses them to God and exempts them from punishment due to their offences Wherefore in continuation of his discourse sayes this holy Patriarch Let the afflicted haue recourse to you let those who are lost vpon the Sea of this worlds misery in danger to be wrack't looke towards you as to their Pole-starr that shal safely direct you to their Port. Thus this pious Saint By which and that which hath been sayd before this third Priuiledge is enough illustrated which the deuout seruants of the B. Virgin haue Let vs passe vnto the fourth THE IV. PRIVILEDGE Of the deuoted to the B Virgin which is to haue her in Heauen for their assured Aduocate CERTAINLY it is a great comfort for poore Widowes and Orphans and such afflicted soules when their busines lies at Court on which depends the safety of their liues or estates to be assured of the fauour of some great one who hath the Princes eare but if the Queene her selfe should take their affayre so to hart as to employ her whole authority therein an vnspeakeable comfort would it be to thē Now how much more cause of Comfort haue we poore despicable creatures Knowing we haue in heauen for Aduocate to Alm God the Queene of Heauen her selfe who defends our causes vndertakes our protections procures faithfully our faluations and omits no diligēce in fine to render our soueraine Iudge propitious vnto vs. O assured hope miserable sinners haue in such an Aduocate with Alm God so as the Church stiles her in her Antiphon Eia ergo aduocata nostra c. who hauing in her hands the mannage of our affayres we cannot but she wil expedite al to our aduantage which made the elegant Cassian Say Al the helpe of human-Kind Consists in the multitud of the fauours and graces of the Blessed Mary The holy Church to our no smal cōforts with suffrage of the common opinion of Saints attributs to the B. Virgin certaine Epithets of honour in expression of the good offices she doth vs callig her Mother of sinners Mother of mercy the vniuersal hope and refuge of al Aduocatrix of mortals as also Redemptrix Pacifier and Mediatrix betwixt God and man Nor needs there any other proofe then experience it selfe how much al sorts and conditions of Christians are deuoted to her the Pilgrims cal her their Mother the Pupils their Tutrix the sick their Phisician the sea-faring men their hauen the Culpable their Aduocate the Trauaylers their Guide the Captaines their deliuerer the forsake their refuge the desperats their Hope the afflicted their Comfort the oppressed their Releife In fine al the world acknowledges her and cals her the only Refuge of the miserable and the aime to which al Christian people commonly direct their vowes and ardentest desires knowing for certaine she can do al she wil and she wil doe nothing but what may be best for vs. For which reason al sorts haue recourse to her as to their cheife treasure in Heauen the source whence al their graces spring the gate at which they neuer knock in vayne In so much as from the middest of the vastest wildernes from the bottome of the deepest sea from the iawes of death seru'd vpon the earth bed to it to be deuoured from execution and the very stroke of the hangmans hands she hath deliuered al those who haue duely inuoked her and miraculously feed them from the dangers they were in so sure and gratious a freind she is at need to the afflicted and distrest Soe she incessantly makes suite and instance for vs at that great Tribunal where her B. sonne presides as soueraine Iudge for it as S. Bernard sayes these three requisit parts of a good Aduocate First a great repute in the Court she pleades in and the fauour of the Prince or Iudge ' next the sufficiencie to plead and lastly such an affection to the cause she vndertakes to goe through with it what ere it cost Now to declare vnto the ful the B. Virgins authority with her sonne not Only exceeds my capacitie but the capacities of al men and Angels Wherefore let it suffise to say least in offering at more we should incurr but the repute of presumption that she is Mother of God from whence by Consequence we may gather that she is of vnlimited power with him and that the least intimation of her desire carryes with it as I may saye the force of a Command And so the holye Church desires no more of her but Monstra te esse matrem shew thy selfe a Mother And in another prayer we saye Grant he may eare our prayers who Was borne for vs and daigned to be thine So in our ordinary litanies we supplicats her thrice to intercede for vs as one who hath more power and authority with the Blessed Trinity then al the other saints S. Gregory of Nicomedia in his Sermons to her prayse cals her Omnipotent in her aduocation And S. Peter Damian addressing his speech to her It manifestly appeares sayes he O B. Lady Quod Dominus fecit tibi magna how great things God hath done for you in giuing you al Power in this world and the next euen to be able to afford the most desperat a ful assurance of their saluation for the Omnipotent taking flesh of you how can you be lesse then omnipotent with him and in continuation of his discourse he sayes you approch O Powerful Lady to the Altar of our humane reconciliation not in suppliant wise as do the other Saints but with the authority of a Mother to a sonne which is but to aske and haue Touching the second Condition of her Capacity of the charge in rightly vnderstanding our necessityes besides that she is stiled the Mother of mercy and our Aduocat both which suppose her abilities for it this example may suffice out of the Chronicles of the Friers Preachers whose Order in a special manner is deuoted vnto her In the Citty of Marcels there ws a deuout Virgin endow'd with al Saintly vertues who on a certaine day being present at Compline in the Church of the Dominicans while they were singing the accustomed Antiphon Salue Regina was rauished in extasy during which she sawe fower things of singular remarke The first that when they pronounced these wordes
we ground al her prerogatiues her singular graces and her supreme glory for natural reason teacheth vs that the mother is more nigh to her sonne excepting the Father then any other kynn Wherefore the B. Virgin being the Mother of Iesus Christ who was Incarnat in her sacred flesh must needs be nigher her sonne in grace and glory too then any else besids Soe he would not ranke her amongst the Hierarchies of Angels for then there had been others higher aduanced then she amongst the Powers and Thrones nor amongst them because the Cherubins and Seraphins surpast them in dignity but next vnto himselfe as was most fitt that his Mother might not be inferiour vnto his seruants nor the Queene vnto her subiects where she sitts enthroned with incredible pompe and Maiesty making a Hierarchie more high and excellent by her selfe then any of them al. But what vnderstanding can comprehend or what tongue expresse the Glory she is possessed of For if the eye hath neuer seen the eare neuer heard nor the hart of man euer conceiued what God Alm. hath prepared for those who loue him how can one conceiue what he hath prepared for her who not only loued him but brought him forth nourished educated and serued him with such affection diligence Only this we may imagine and say of it that glory and felicity next to Alm. Gods is the greatest that is in heauen and that in comparison of creatures she is holy aboue al holyes happy aboue the happiest hath more grace then those who haue most besides and hath more glory then the most glorious The holy Doctors speake marvayles of this Exaltation of hers and amongst the rest S. Bernard sayes that the glory she enioyes in heauen beares a proportion to the plenitud of grace she had on earth aboue al creatures els and adds that as on earth there was not a more sanctified place then the sacred Temple of the Virgins wombe which contained God himselfe so in heauen there is not a more glorious then her Throne where she sitts exalted at the right hand of God In another place he sayes the vnderstanding of man cannot conceiue her glory nor his tongue declare it which puts the Inhabitants of heauen it selfe to their admiration in beholding it Andraeas Cretensis sayes that her glory can not be comprehended for that it exceeds the glory of al the Saints and Angels putt together S. Iohn Damascen that there is a mighty difference betwixt the seruants and the Mother of God S. Iohn Chrisostom that the B. Virgin is more glorious incomparably then the Seraphins B. Laurentius Iustinianus that al the glory and felicity which in scattered peeces is distributed amongst the Saints is found vnited in the B. Virgin And the Seraphike S. Bonauenture sayes that the greatnes and goodnes of God doth more manifestly appeare in the B. Virgin only then in al the rest of creatures and that al their perfections are in a more excellent manner to be found in her then them and he concludes that as in grace and merits she surpasseth al other Saints so likewise doth she in felicity and glory This and much to this effect is sayd by them of the B. Virgins high exaltation answerable to the height of her other merits and prerogatiues who being Mother of God the supremest dignity which any creature could be aduanced vnto on earth Correspondent to it is this ninth Starr and one of the brightest in her glorious Crowne of being aduanc't to so supreme a dignity in heauen The tenth Starr declared THe tenth and that a most resplendant one is the Empire and soueraine command she hath ouer the whole Vniuerse al creatures both in heauen earth and in the deapes below acknowledging her superiority in reuerencing her for it and adoring her there being a congruency sayes S. Iohn Damascen that the mother should partake of the sonnes dignity And since he says S. Athanasius who was borne of her is King and soueraine Lord of al consequently she who bore him is to beheld for soueraine Lady and Queene so says S. Bernard who can deny her a legitimat claime to be Lady ouer al of which her sonne is Lord. Let vs then acknowledge her authority ouer al to be as great and vnlimited as her wil. In consideraton of whose greatnes S. Bernard breakes forth into this exclamation Al power O soueraigne Lady in heauen and earth is giuen you to do what you wil withal S. Brigitt in one of her Reuelations sayes that at the instant of her solemne entry into heauen God aduanc't her aboue al the heauens gaue her the Empire of al the Vniuerse and constituted her Lady and Mistres of the Angels and she confirmes it in these wordes dictated vnto her by the holy Ghost The principality of al people and nations she had says she and by her vertue she treads vpon the harts of the Proudest and highest there And truely a wonderful dignity it is which equals her in a manner with the Lord of al but a more wonderful and stupendious it is that she should haue an authority euen ouer him which that it may seeme lesse strange vnto the eares of flesh and bloud let vs remember only that she is his Mother and our admiration wil cease for that filial obedience he owed her heere on earth he stands not so quitt of in heauen but it induces a kind of obligation in him to grant her whatsoeuer she desires whom there we may Imagine speaking vnto her thus Demand of me deare Mother whatsoeuer you please it is not lawful for me to turne away my face This our triumphant Empresse to expresse vnto vs more vnto the life the greatnes of her dignity declares vnto vs in these remarkable words fower things I alone haue incircled the round of heauen and haue penetrated the depth of the Abisse and haue walked on the waues of the sea and haue the principality of al nations signifying by the first part of the text the dominion she hath in heauen by the second that which she hath in hel by the third the benefit the soules in Purgatory receiue by her and by the fourth her dominion ouer al the world and what can be more sayd of her dignity Vnlesse what a deuout seruant of hers in a certaine prayer vnto her hath sayd O most pure sayes he and singularly happy Virgin al ful of grace and glory the most blessed amongst al women who surmoūtest the Angels in purity and all the Saints in benignity next to your B. Sonne you only cōmand ouer this world in cheife extending your fauourable hand to al who lye and craue your ayde and there is no houre nor moment equally amiable and admired who haue conceiued the Sonne of the Highest and brought for the Sauiour of the world O Mother of saluation fountaine of mercy we miserable sinners in rendring of them vp without last breaths sighe and grone to you praying saluting and acknowledging you Queen
of this world reioycing at your greatnes congratulating your glory your souerainty and the place you hold at the right hand of you B. Sonne where becoming wholy in a manner diuine and hauing nothing of mortal in you you gouerne the heauens at pleasure illuminat the Sunn rule the world trample vnder foote the pride of hel and haue dominion ouer the starrs the elements serue you the seasons obey you the Angels adore you the diuels stand in awe of you whole nations and Kings bow their knees before you and doe you honour and reuerence O Lady of heauen and earth hel your Maiesty and Empire is so great a thousand tongues cannot speake it to the ful and euen the foules of the aire the beasts of the land and the fishes of the sea do al acknowledge it at your beck the flowers spring vp plāts grow and seeds sprout forth the earth is fertilized riuers flow winds do blow the lest wil of yours can incline the destinies and order second causes whilest the first is wholy at your dispose Cast a gratious pittiful eye vpon vs poor sinners heere declare the greatnes of your power by helping vs to ouercome our selues and to obtaine remission of our sinns grace heere glory in the life to come by your prayers and merits vnto which is nothing impossible that after this miserable life we may come to enioy that happy life where we shal see our soueraine Lord in whose sight consists al our felicity The declaration of the eleuenth Starr THE eleuenth starr whose splendour not only adornes her head but the rayes of it thēce do likewise reflect on vs crown vs with a supreme felicity is her Mediation betwixt God and man one of the cheif reasōs according to the holy Doctours why God from eternity chose her for Mother that as a most powerful mediatrix her maternal prayers for sinners might moder at the rigour of the diuine iustice and occasion a reconcilement Iesus Christ says S. Bernard was sufficient it is true for our reparation from whom proceeds al that suffiseth thereunto but it was wel for vs he ioyned with him such an one as she for although as he is man he be our most faithful and powerful Aduocat Yet such dayeling beames break through his humane nature from his diuinity that we cannot looke vpon him with that confidence and though he be infinitly gratious yet being Iudge with al offenders haue smal hart to approch vnto him for which reason the B. Virgin was chosen for Aduocat and meditatrix betwixt God and man to whom there is none can feare to approch she hauing nothing in her of formidable or austere but rather being al sweetnes and benignity and abounding in al goodnes and mercy Thus S. Bernard None then how great sinners soeuer they be but may be confident of their saluation if they haue but recourse to this our sweet and pitiful Lady who being constituted the mediatrix betwixt Sinners and Almightie God most faithful performes the charge and like a true Mother of mercy stands alwayes with open armes ready to embrace those sinners who haue their refuge vnto her it is impossible they should perish if they haue but recourse vnto her as they ought if you wil beleeue S. Anselme in his Booke of the miracles of the B. Virgin O happy Mary sayes he as the sinner whom you forsake and detest cannot but perish so who converts him vnto you and you receiue and our Sauiour cannot but be saued To which concords these excellent words of S. Bernard so frequent with preachers to giue hope vnto the desperat sinner O man saye this great Doctor thou hast a sure accesse to God where the sonne beholds the mother and the father beholds the Sonne whilst the Mother shews her sonne the breasts that gaue him suck and her chast wombe the sonne to his father his wounds pierced side where so many louing signes concurr to the entertayning thee thou canst not be repelled And this cannot but be a great comfort to poore sinners that they know they haue with the Eternal Iudge such an Aduocat stil present or rather a mother indeed who is his mother also For so in the person of S. Iohn our Sauiour on the Crosse by these words Woman behold thy sonne commended her for mother vnto vs al at which time she had two sonnes on Mount Caluary both dead the one in body the other in soule one by the torments of the crosse the other by languishing of spirit of which one was her natural sonne the other only by adoption the one innocent the other culpable This in these words S. Anselme would say O shure refuge that we haue sayes he the Mother of God is our mother also and either of her children suffred death in his passion the one vpon the crosse the other by Infidelity Iudge you in what bitternes of mind the while was the B. Virgin c. And so there is no Mother would more reioyce to see her only sonne reuiued from death to life againe then the B. Virgin doth when a sinner repents and hath recourse to her and for me I am of opinion that she glories in no title more excepting that of Mother of God then of being Mother of sinners and consequētly is most glad when she may shew it most Maria mater gratiae mater misericordiae sayes the holy church the very sound of whose name me thinks hath a certaine sweetnes in it that promiseth al grace and clemency In confidence of which S. Ignatius the martyr who liued in the Apostles tymes thus supplicats vnto her Receiue me then sayes he in the bosome of your maternal piety you who are the mother of the soueraine Deity true Mother of our Sauiour and of sinners by Adoption She is painted in a long vestment vnder which many are protected to signify the maternal care she hath ouer them amongst the rest the Fathers of S. Dominicks Order are pictured so vpon this occasion as S. Brigit receiued it by Reuelation S. Dominick neare his happy end thus with teares in his eyes conuerted himselfe vnto the B. Virgin and sayd Receiue O soueraine Queene receiue my brothers whom with such care I haue nourished and educated vnder the spreadīg vaile of your great mercy gouerne them and giue them such force and courage as their ancient Enemy may neuer preuayle against them To whom she answered I promise you my beloued Dominick for that you haue loued me better then your selfe to take a tender care and protection of yours to receiue both them and al those who shal embrace your Rule vnder the couert of my veyle which is my mercy the benefit of which and but demand it I refuse to none From whence we may perceiue how great her mercy is to her deuoted seruants to sinners who haue recourse vnto her and finally to al in that she is the Mother of God the Mother of grace