truthes by their ministerie tho otherwise as farre aboue the reach of reason as contrarie to the bent of flesh and bloode powerfully spread themselues all the world ouer and become the familiar and fattening foode not of wise onely but euen Idiotes and children too wherby they are made more learned then the proudest Phylosofer that euer liued Affection O the admirable goodnesse of the Father sonne and holy Ghost who so graciously reueales the mysteries of Heauen to vs litle ones in earth The Father sent vs his onely sonne to purchace vs that singular fauour at the price of his pretious bloode which he willingly and ioyfully vndertooke to teache vs the secreetes of heauen And the holy Ghoste sent from them both so absolutly confirmes our hartes in the beliefe therof that poore illiterate pesants doe not onely knowe more then greatest Phylosofers but are readie to laye downe their liues in confirmation of that truth THE FIRST MEDITATION FOR THE FIFT SVNDAY AFTER EASTER Vntill now you haue not asked anything Io. 16. THE FIRST POINT CONSIDER that the poore beggar needes noe other inuitation to aske then the knowledge and sense of his owne pouertie and want whence the rich of this world doe as litle vse as litle neede to intreate the beggar to aske an almes of him But the riches of heauen by an ineffable bountie and graciousnesse importunes vs vs as it were to importune him saying vntill now you haue not asked any thing aske and you shall receiue Affection Alas my soule me thinkes the longe and certaine knowledge we haue of our owne miserie and want and the daylie temptations we suffer and relapses we fall into should sufficiently inuite vs to haue frequent recourse to a bountifull giuer but now at least being incited by the reproches he makes vs for not asking let vs hourely run to those ouerflowing breasts of mercy and grace least we may seeme gratis to loose our selues Let vs my soule aske seeke knocke that holy violence is gratefull to God with as much importunitie as we truly find necessitie THE SECONDE POINTE. Amen Amen I say to you if you aske the father any thinge in my name he will giue it you Io. 16. WHOM WE ARE TO ASKE CONSIDER how stronge hopes we ought to conceiue of obteyning our demande where the promesse is made in so great a latitude and where such a sonne the wisdome of heauen confidently sends vs to such a Father the eternall sourse of all goodnesse plentie and happinesse which can neuer be drayned to his Father and our Father as we are taught by his sacred mouthe to beleeue and say Our Father which are in heauen c. Affection O daughter of Sion ah my poore soule why wilt thou wilfully perish where such large and louing offers of grace and abundance is made to thee What confidence may we not iustly haue of obteyning all things necessarie when we are sent to the Father of mercys and the God of all consolation by his onely deare sonne who in obedience to his diuine will putt downe that plentifull price of his pretious bloud for the loue of vs Be my faylings neuer so frequent be my sinns in what number they will at least from hence forth I will not forgett to call thee with Ieremie Thou art my Father the guide of my Virginitie THE SECONDE MEDITATION FOR THE SAME SVNDAY Aske the Father in my name Io. 16. THE FIRST POINTE. HOW WE OVGHT TO ASKE CONSIDER that our blessed Sauiour in these few words instructs vs not onely of whom we are to aske to witt of his Father but how or in what manner to witt in his name If we aske of a Father and that of an all-knowing all-seeing Father it ought to be done with the reuerence humilitie obedience loue and confidence of a child If in the name of a sonne it ought to be done as that sonne vsed to doe it saying with an absolute resignation Father if it may be if it be agreable to thy diuine will if it be expedient for my eternall good grant this or this c. If otherwise not my will but thyne be done Affection Let vs then my soule in all our necessities and difficulties addresse our selues to that omnipotent Father of mercyes and all consolation for none comes to the sonne vnlesse the father drawe them But let it be in the name of his sonne Iesus since there is noe other name vnder heauen giuen to men wherin they must be saued Let vs then humbly intreate that heauenly father in the name and by the merites of that most dearely beloued sonne be it for thinges necessarie for the bodie or soule but let it still be done with perfect resignation to his blessed will and pleasure saying as we were taught by him Father if it may be let this or this be done or this or this be taken away Howbeit not my will but thy holy will be done THE SECONDE POINTE FOR THE SAME DAY What we are to aske CONSIDER that what we ought to aske is to result out of the same words of our Sauiour Aske of my Father in my name We must aske then of a louing Father we must therfor demande thinges sutable to his loue his goodnesse will not giue vs a stone in lieu of breade nor a serpent in steede of a fish he will not giue vs poyson because our follie likes it We must aske of a Father who is the Kinge of heauen we must not then aske earthly trash which is vnworthy of his bestowing Finally we must aske in the name of a Sauiour nothing therfor which is against our Saluation Affection Run then my soule to that almightie Father in the name of that best beloued sonne But be not peremptorie in our demands wisdome better knowes what it best for vs. If we aske of a louing father le ts aske with loue not with feare If we aske of an Almightie father who has Kingdomes to giue aske not for cottages trifles vnworthy of his giuing If in the name of a Sauiour things then which most conduce to our saluation things which he himselfe taught vs to aske that his name may be sanctified in all nations that he may absolutly raigne ouer all hartes that his holy will may be punctually performed here belowe as in the Court of heauen c. Let vs aske that my soule and we shall neuer be confounded THE FIRST MEDITATION FOR THE THIRD SVNDAY AFTER WHITSVNDAY And there approched publicans and sinners vnto him to heare him Luc. 15. CONSIDER the great mercy and myldnesse of Iesus who did not onely graciously permitt publicans and publike sinners to approch to him to heare his diuine word c. but he euen proued by the parable of the lost sheepe which men are wont to seeke with so much care their Apologist or Aduocate against the vncharitable murmurings of the proud and vnm ercifull Scribes and Pharisies who looked vpon them and him with disdaigne Affection Base
Christians know but too much to doe solitle Ignorance may some tymes excuse but luke warmenesse idlenesse and negligence can neuer We know what a deare price was putt downe at Ierusalem for our ransome and what an inestimable reward is prepared for vs in the heauenly Ierusalem We knowe what endlesse torments are threatened if we liue not according to the knowledge and light of faith we haue We know that this day is yet ours an acceptable tyme a day of saluation wherin more may be done for a sith a teare a contrite and humbled harte then can be purchaced by the prayers of all the saintes in heauen this day of our life being once past Affection And is it yet possible my soule that after all these wholsome and certaine knowledges we still liue in a cold carelessnesse as tho there were nothing after this life either to be feared or hoped for Is it possible that we dare idly spend this day of ours lent vs to worke our saluation in and still make bold to take new dayes with God which were neuer promised vs for our couersion Is there any of vs so resolute as would not weepe were he assured that within three dayes he should be cited before the dreadfull Tribunall of a wrothfull Iudge and yet while we haue but one daye we can call ours or one present houre according to S. Paule we dare passe it in laughing languishing sleeping c. which leade to death and be like those hazardous soules who spend their dayes in delights and in a moment descende into Hell THE SECONDE POINTE. Because thou hast not knowne the tyme of thy visitation CONSIDER that our B. Sauiour declares that the cause of the vtter destruction of Ierusalem was because they did not know that is through ingratitude obstinacie and blindnesse they acknowledged not the speciall fauour of hauing the son of God sent to them in person to visite them to make them heare his sacred word from his owne mouth to worke multitudes of miracles in their sight c. Affection Alas my soule I feare we know but too much to performe so litle as we doe Ah! the seruant who knowes the will of his Lord and doth it not shall be beaten with many stripes And dare we deney that we knowe his will to be our sanctitie and that we ought to be perfect as our heauenly Father is perfect and yet how coldly doe we creepe on in that way Haue we not frequently had the honour of his heauenly visites heard his sugerred words and experienced in our deade soules the miracles of his grace Ah my soule let vs diligently call to mynde the tymes of those gracious visitations with the thankfulnesse of our whole hartes and singe those sweete mercyes for euer and euer THE FIRST MEDITATION FOR THE TENTH SVNDAY AFTER WHITSVNDAY The Pharisie standing prayed thus with himselfe Luc. 18. CONSIDER in this Parable the true discription of a proud Petitioner or rather of one that goes not so much to the Church to pray as to prayse himselfe He gaue God thankes indeede but with taking a vaine complaceance in his giftes esteeming himselfe so rich that he asked noe more nay he euen insulted at the poore publicane who asked He is not like the rest of men excepting none extortioners vniust adulterers nor is he like that publican wherin he addes rashe iudgement to his pride In fine halfe the lawe is but declining from euill and all that if you beleeue him he has performed Affection Beware my soule of this proud prayer which prouokes Gods wroth vpon vs. What haue we of grace or nature which we haue not receiued and if they be Gods gifts why doe we vainely glorie in them as though we had not receiued them Why doe we glorie in them and preferre our selues before poore sinners whom we looke upon with disdaigne who are happly farre better then we in the sight of God Let such as stand looke that they fall not Let our eyes be fixed vpon our owne defects leauing God to iudge our neighbour to whom he stands or falls THE SECONDE POINTE. I fast twice a weeke I giue tythes of all I possesse c. CONSIDER that pride still ascends and gaynes ground The Pharisie had alreadie in his owne esteeme freed himselfe from all stayne of sinne what rests for his pride but to preach his owne vertues that so Christian iustice might appeare accomplished in him I faste twice a weeke saith he I giue tithes of all I possesse not of the fruites of the earth onely according to the prescript of the lawe but euen of all without exception Affection Looke vpon this vaine boasting my soule with horrour and carefully striue to auoyde that dangerous shelfe of presumption vpon which so many apparently deuoute soules perish What euer good workes we doe how vertuous resolutions soeuer we make finde we neuer so much feruour facilitie and spirituall delight in the practise of vertue and goodnesse let vs still distruste in our selues hartily acknowledging that we are nothing we haue nothing we can doe nothing of our selues not so much as thinke one good thought but all our sufficiencie is from God hauing all-wayes in our mouthes with the holy Church Deus in adiutorium meum intende Domine ad adiunandum me festina THE SECONDE MEDITATION FOR THE SAME SVNDAY The Publican standing a farre off would not so much as lift vp his eyes towards heauen THE FIRST POINT CONSIDER in this poore Publican the perfect picture of a true penitent He stands a farre off as iudging himselfe vnworthy to come neere the Altar he dares not so much as lift vpp his eyes to heauen because shame and confusion had couered his countenance to haue offended so great a Maiestie he knockes his breast where sinne was conceiued and seemes to take reuenge of himselfe He beseeches God to be mercyfull to him a sinner exposing his miserie onely for Gods mercy to magnifie it selfe vpon Affection Let vs not my soule be ashamed to learne of this poore publicane what dispositions we ought to bringe with vs when we goe to sue to the dreadefull maiestie of God for remission of our sinnes Nay rather let vs blush that after so longe practise in spiritualitie we fall short of that poore sinner after so much light so many heauenly inspirations so many helpes and assistances which he neuer had And yet while our eyes lye open to euery distraction his with confusion are fixed vpon the ground not daring to looke vpon the heauens he takes reuenge vpon the breaste wherin sinne was conceiued and makes humbly confessed miserie alone pleade for mercy THE SECONDE POINTE. Be mercyfull to me a sinner CONSIDER the contrarie effects of the farre contrarie proceedings of the proude Pharisie and humble Publican The Pharisie came with his hart full swolne with proud iustice and returned with his hands emptie The publican came loaden with humble iniustice and an emptie hart and he returnes with
old heauen and earth God and man conspire togeither to putt vs out of all doubt that our Iesus is the beloued sonne of God the Father in whom he is well pleased And therfor with our whole soule we ioyne with the whole Court of heauen and adore that onely begotten who dyed for vs and esteemed it noe stelth to be equall to his heauenly father THE SECONDE MEDITATION FOR THE SAME SVNDAY And his face did shine as the sunne and his garments became white as snowe Matt. 17. THE FIRST POINTE. CONSIDER that Peter Iames and Iohn vpon the onely aspect of the transcendant splendour and beautie of Iesus his body and garments are so transported with ioy that they take a present resolution to build tabernacles vpon the toppe of Thabor and to remayne there because Peter out of the deepe sense of the heauenly delight which he felt professed freely to that diuine Master of theirs that it is good for them to be there Affection O my soule if litle glimpses of glorie be so delightfull what will the whole light of glorie proue If a litle exteriour glorie of the body be so precious what will the essentiall glorie of both body and soule be experienced If momentes of ioyes were powerfull enough to begett an absolute contempt of all other thinges in those Apostolicall hartes what should not firme hopes of eternities worke in ours If God blesse vs with heauenly gustes at our prayers c. Let vs humble our selues and be thankfull for them as being the seede of glorie But we must not be too greedie of them nor resolue to dwell in them Iesus must passe from Thabor ouer Caluarie before he enter into his owne Kingdome and so must we Christians too THE SECONDE POINTE. He spoke with Moyses and Elias of an excesse CONSIDER that while Peter Iames and Iohn like men are so transported with a smale foretaste of glorie that they wishe noe better then to liue vpon the toppe of that pleasant hill Our deare Lord and Master whose thoughts are alwayes vpon that which tends to the accomplishment of his heauenly fathers will is thinking and discoursing with Moyses and Elias of his paineful death and passion Affection We are but pilgrims in this world my soule not inhabitants We haue noe permanent citie here but we are makeing home to an euerlasting one where we are fellow citizens with the Saints and God's domestikes nor can we follow a surer guide then our Sauiour Iesus His way is through sufferances contradictions ad Crosses in euery kind And is it not our perfection to expresse his life in ours that by suffering with him we may raigne with him Good it is indeede to haue gusts and foretastes of the consolations of God! but farre better to follow the God of consolation amidst his desolations sufferances and abandonnements who ioy being proposed vnto him sustayned the Crosse contemning confusion Say then with S. Teresa aut pati aut mori either let sufer or dye THE FIRST MEDITATION FOR THE THIRD SVNDAY IN LENT And Iesus was casting out a Diuell and he was dumbe Luc. 11. THE FIRST POINTE. CONSIDER that the Diuells dominion was spredd in a manner ouer all the face of the earth Altars were erected Idolls sett vp Idolatrie or the worshippe of the Diuell raigned in euery place so that his pride growen greater then his power he durst attempt vpon the sonne of God as in the first sunday in Lent but in steed of victorie he mett with confusion He was ouerthrowen with the sword of the word of God without any other armes But now Iesus to comply with and exercise the Office of a Sauiour being sent to free the world out of the Diuells tyrannie setts vpon him by his power and authoritie and by absolute commande chaceth him out of the possessed body Affection O blessed fruites of the coming of our Sauiour Iesus Christ Poore man was kept à slaue vnder the Diuells tyrannie nor was there any power in earth to free him but Iesus our Helper in opportunities that is seasonably as he iudges fitting in tribulation in temptation c. came graciously to his ayde he assaults that stronge one forceth him by his flight to acknowledge the power of his Master who begins sake his raigne and abate his pride nor doth he this in his owne person onely but euen leaues the like power in his holie Church He graciously teaches vs by his example how we are to behaue our selues in temptation and shewes vs in what power we ought to subdue that fierce foe Blessed and magnified be he for euer who hath left such power to the sonns of man THE SECONDE POINTE. CONSIDER that though the Diuells taking possession of mans body be not verie comon yet his possession of mans soule is but too ordinarie And how euer we perceiue it but a litle yet it is farre more dangerous and most absolutly true Neuer are we so vnhappie to committ mortall sinne but the Diuell takes full possession of our soules grace departs the holy Ghost is turned out of dores the Diuell becomes our Master and we his miserable seruantes and slaues ouer whom he exercises à tyrannicall dominion We become blind to good walke in darknesse not discouering what is fitting to be done and dumbe too as to the making profession of what we know to be right Affection O my soule this is the possession indeede which we ought most to feare and dispossession which we ought most earnestly to seeke for because we haue left him who is able to throw both body and soule into Hell fire because our strength hath left vs we are sicke of a deade palsie and sore tormented by the Diuell Let vs neuer cease from sighets and sobbs and lamentations while we rcmayne in this sadd captiuitie Gods grace alone is able to deliuer vs. Let vs begge it incessantly like poore lost slaues knowing that there is noe meanes to flye from him but to him from him offended to him appeased saying haue mercy vpon me ô God according to thy great mercy and according to the multitude of thy commiserations because my miserie is exceeding great and needes noe lesse a cure THE SECONDE MEDITATION FOR THE SAME SVNDAY Euery Kingdome deuided against it selfe shall be made desolate and a house shall fall vpon a house Luc. 111. THE FIRST POINTE. CONSIDER that though we had not had truth it selfe which none dare contradicte to assure vs of this so necessarie a lesson yet common experience makes it but too sure to verie ordinarie capacities The internall diuisions and broyles of England France Spayne Italie and Flanders to goe noe further haue oft hazarded their vtter ruine And the vnhappie misintelligences of communities and particular families haue not onely disordered them and depriued them of the blissings of peace and quiete but haue euen exposed them to publicke scandall and desolation it selfe Affection How deare then my soule ought vnanimitie and vnion of harts to be to vs
sooner and more abundantly then we expect what may be conducing to our good will be effected For behold while Christ scarce promiseth the cure of the Princes sonns bodie presently before his returne home the child is cured and he and his whole house are become the faithfull of Christ Ah! how good thou art ô God to such as are right of harte THE FIRST MEDITATION FOR THE XXI SVNDAY AFTER WHITSVNDAY The Kingdome of heauen is likened to a man beinge a Kinge who would make an account with his seruants Matt. 18. FIRST POINT CONSIDER that by the Kinge who would make an account with his seruants is meant the Kinge of heauen and by the seruant who ought him ten thousand Talentes is represented a sinfull soule guiltie of many huge crymes wherof he is not at all in a condition to disingage himselfe And what could such an one expect from a most iust Master but rigour since he had so vniustly and carelessly run into so great arreares To witt his Master commanded that he should be sold he his wife and children and all that he had Affection Alas my soule in what a miserable state is such a guiltie person He may truly say with Iob behold there is noe helpe for me in my selfe All that I finde in my selfe of my selfe is an accursed libertie to heape sinne vpon sinne to contemne the benignitie and humanitie of Christ and finally to treasure vp anger against the day of anger Whither then must I betake my selfe for ayde What meanes must I vse to shelter my selfe against the rigour of the most iust doome which I see readie to be pronounced against me Alas my soule there is noe flight from God but to God from God offended to God appeased from his iustice to his mercy Let then the residue of our life be spent in crying mercy mercy mercy dread lord acknowledging from the bottome of our hartes that it was his mercy alone we were not consumed THE SECONDE POINTE. But the seruant falling downe besought him saying haue patience towards me c. And his master moued with pittie forgaue him the debt CONSIDER that though that badd seruant 's prodigalitie or negligence in contracting so great a debt had putt him into a certaine morall impossibilitie of euer beinge able to paye so immense a summe and consequently made him most iustly lyable to the punishment which was putt vpon him yet was his good Master so mercifull that presently vpon his submission and prayer he was moued with compassion and forgaue him the whole debt howeuer great it was Affection Take courage then my soule be thy crymes in neuer so greate multitudes be thy arreares contracted in what length of tyme so euer Gods mercyes doe infinitly surpasse thy miseries the accursed power of thy malice can neuer exhauste the riches of his free commiserations Behold behold with admiringe loue how the tender harte of that best Master is presently touched and moued to pittie vpon the first submission and sute of his worst seruant and forgiues him not a part but the whole debt Let then all the poore sinfull seruantes of this most indulgent Master with most humbled hartes replenished with gratitude say to him and all the world quoniam bonus quoniam in aeternum misericordia eius THE SECONDE MEDITATION FOR THE SAME SVNDAY This seruant found his fellow-seruant who ought him one hundred pence c. and layd violent hands vpon him and cast him into prison THE FIRST POINTE. CONSIDER the vnmercifulnesse and crueltie of this naughtie seruant and in him lets diligently obserue our selues He ought his Lord an immense summe to witt one hundred and twentie french millions His fellow-seruant ought him a trifle onely to witt one hundred pence He vpon his first submission and humble sute found mercy with his Lord and the remission of the whole debt His fellow-seruant falls downe with noe lesse submission and humble prayer and yet meets with nothing but violence and vttermost rigour Affection Alas my soule is it not thus that we deale with one another notwithstanding the many precepts and examples of mercy giuen vs by our mylde Master Blessed are the mercifull for they shall obteyne mercy I will haue mercy and not a sacryfice And is it not by Gods mercy alone that we are not consumed And yet while we heare mercy so highly commended by God while we so easily find mercy and pardon for many and great crymes at his holy hand we can hardly preuayle with our selues to pardon our brother the smale fault he may happen to committ against vs. Let vs deale my soule as we would desire to be dealt with Vse mercy and we shall not fayle to finde it But iudgement without mercy to him that hath not done mercy assures S. Iames. THE SECONDE POINTE. And deliuers him to the tormenters till he pay the whole debt CONSIDER that when our B. Sauiour finds that neither his precepts nor practice are forcible enough to preuayle with fierce man to doe as he would be done to and pardon one another as we desire to be pardoned by him he waxeth wroth and deliuers that vnmercifull seruante to the Tormenters vntill he repay all the debt For howeuer what God remitts is truly remitted nor doth he iudge twice vpon the same thinge yet the horrible ingratitude and crueltie of the naughtie seruant appeared in the eyes of his iustice so enormious that he looked vpon it as the whole debt of ten thousand talents adding withall that so also his heauenly father will deale with vs if euery one of vs forgiue not his brother from his harte Affection With what measure we measure our brethren it shall be measured backe to vs. If we will needs vse iustice without mercy iustice shall we finde without mercy Ah my soule what a daunting reproche shall it be to vs to heare from a Iudge from whom there is noe appeale thou vngracious seruant I forgaue thee all the debt because thou besoughtest me oughtest not thou then too to haue mercy vpon thy fellow-seruant euen as I had mercy on thee But his mercy freely extended to multitudes of offences committed against a diuine maiestie Should not ours then and from our harte reach at least to a fewe and light faults done against our miserie What replye alas shall we be able to returne to this demande THE FIRST MEDITATION FOR THE XXII SVNDAY AFTER WHITSVNDAY The Pharisies consulted among themselues to intrappe him Iesus in his words Matt. 22. THE FIRST POINTE. CONSIDER that though there be nothinge more conducing to mans good then to haue a docile mynde to take counsell and a readinesse to aduise amongst our selues before we sett vpon any things of moment according to that of the Prouerbes I wisdome dwelle in counsell and againe saluation is found in much counsell So is there nothing more pernicious then when many heades conspire togeither to contriue mischeife to supplante their Christian brother to tempt Christ and
Iustice exacted satisfaction and his mercie found the meanes which to effect he spared not his owne onely sonne but deliuered him vp to death for vs all Nay but euen Christ himselfe too both accepted the hard commission and complyed with the painfull dutie and willingly offered himselfe vp If then sinne gaue the cause if mercy found out the meanes if transcendant chartiie executed the office by the death of a God deteste sinne my soule extolle that so admirable mercy and magnifie that boundlesse charitie for euer And least we who are most concerned may seeme least sensible let vs take a deepe share with all the creatures in this dolefull mourning If there be any sense of mans miserie left in vs if any gratitude for greatest mercy if any loue for most admirable charitie weepe my soule weepe If thou art a sunne for light brighnesse and beautie farre beyond all the other creatures eclipse thy glorie for a while in lamentations If a Temple of God burst in peeces If earth and ashes putt thy mouth into thy dust weepe in thy ashes and let thy earth quake to see thy God dye If thy hart be euen a rocke let it rend in peeces at least with the rockes laying a close seige to it make the Crosse the hammer and the nayles the wedges to riue it à sunder If it be yet harder then the rockes and be growen to the hardnesse of a diamāt which nothing but bloud can mollifie oh take the streames of the innocent bloud of the Lambe and applie it continually till it relent and bring out a shewre of teares at the king of heauens funeralls who dyed for our loue 2. Point Consideration O all yee that passe by the way attend and see whether there be any sorow like my sorowe cryes out our Sauiour by the mouth of mournefull Ieremie O all you spouses of Christ then ô all you Christian hartes doe not slightly passe by or passe ouer this saddest sight but make a stoppe ponder deeply feelingly obserue whether there was euer sorrowe comparable to the sorrow of your deare Lord and spouse who lyes deade for your loue deuoyde of all beautie and comelinesse For we haue seene him all disuigoured and deformed contemptible miserable and the last of men a worme and not a man a man of dolours and ouerloaden with all the extremitie of miseries We haue seene him like a leprous person to the eyes of all men strucken by God and made abiect Affect And yet my soule this last and most dolourous of men was in the Begining without Begining before the Angells yet were his owne souueraigne ioy and Beatitude O what a huge distance there is betwixt that Begining and this ignominious dolourous and dismale end He was there selfe-happie or happinesse is selfe here miserable and ablect There framinge all thinges all the vaste varietie of creatures of nothing here forsaken by all his creatures and reduced to nothing there before the day starre inhabiting an inaccessible light here dyinge and deade in darknesse O prodigious change of the Highest by the hand of the Highest O daunting disproportion betweene such a Begining and such an End O then at least le ts attend and see vvhether there be any sorovve like his sorrovve Resolution My beloued spouse shall be to me a posie of mirre and shall for euer dwell betwixt my breastes THE XXXII MEDITATION Our Sauiours side is opened by the Lance. 1. Point COnsider that as Christs loue and the iewes malice goe on and increase euen till death so rest they not there but euen out-liue death it selfe He is now subiect to noe more paines his soule being departed yet he is subiect to more iniuries his dead body is capable of more wounds markes of more malice in them and more dearenesse in him to whom nothing happened by accident Yet thy malice profits thee not ô cruell Iewe. since thou hurtest not him and thou profitest me All thinges concurre to the aduantage of those that loue him whom you hate Affect Ah deare Lord thy charitie is boundlesse It leades thee with ioy to death for ioy being proposed vnto him he sustayned the Crosse saith S. Paule It victoriously raignes in death and ouer death It out-liues death Ah was it not enough to haue payd the first droppe of thy pretious bloud which was more then sufficient to haue redeemed a thousand worlds vnlesse thou payedst the laste droppe too O too too plentifull a price O too too diuinely deare and prodigall a loue which payes an infinitie of millions more then is due prouing Christs loue to be incomparably greater then the Iewes malice and his mercy infinitly out-speaking mans miserie 2. Point Consideration We wanted not indeede streames of innocent bloud wherin to washe our leprosie and to cure the deepest wounds of our soule We wanted not deare argumentes and euen open conuictions of infinite loue since we saw our selues written as it were in his bored hands But we wanted as yet the best treasure which was left for Longinus his launce to open We wanted an open side for our languishing faith to enter into with incredulous Thomas his hand and grope out a God We wanted yet a passage to his hart wheras nothing can euer speake so much dearenesse or so absolutly subdue a hart as a kind hart lying open to it Affect Let vs then my soule yeald our selues vp to this last batterie which comes indeede the conquering way Let vs not fayle by this blessed breatch to find out our God and to adore him Dominum nostrum Deum nostrum our Lord and our God For by this blessed wound we gett free accesse to his fatherly tender bowells and learne the secreetes of his diuine hart Dominus meus Deus meus Here is my Lord here is my God indeede Here will I enter here will I adore him here will I loue him here will I rest here will I taste how sweete my God is Here finally will I safely singe his mercyes for euer Resolution As this open hart speakes powerfully to me my beloued is myne so shall my hart replye to him And I am intirely thyne for euer THE XXXIII MEDITATION 1. Point COnsider Iosephe of Arimathias great religion and courrage who went boldly to Pilate and demanded the body of Iesus He might iustly haue feared to haue mett with resistance from the Synagogue wroth and reuenge from the high Preists and a shamefull repulse at Pilates handes The cold prudence of the world would easily haue suggested that the best way was to lett their furie passe ouer least losse or ruine might haue followed Yet Gods prouidence for whose loue he vndertooke the worke so prouided that neither Synagogue preist nor Pilate either opposed refused or did any thing els to Iosephes preiudice Affect Learne my soule by Iosephs pious courage seconded with wished successe not to let thyne be shaken by imaginarie feares so thou be truly called vpon by the interests of Christs necessarie
which the Spouse cried so out for osculetur me osculo oris sui let him kisse me with a kisse of his mouth See the foure sacred fountaines of Paradise streame out Riuers of inestimable worth from his wounded hands and feete euerie droppe whereof being of more valew then all heauen and earth and in these Riuers are we ô my Soule permitted to bathe cure eternise ourselues O Sacred fountaines ô Ambrosian springs dulciora super mel fauum sweeter then honey and the honey combe He hath a tongue which in the beginning said fiat be it made and the whole Machine of the Vniuerse was presently raised out of nothing and with which be can still saie N. Salus tua ego sum I am thy Saluation vel hodie mecum eris in Paradiso or this daie thou shalt be with me in Paradice And what hart can wish a richer treasure a more wishfull and blissefull present He hath yet a tongue but it too must not passe without it's torment For they mixe gale amongst his foode and in his thirst they present vineger to drinke He hath yet a tongue intire and that too must be imployed euen amidst his greatest torments to pleade mans pardon reconcilement Father pardonne them for they knovv not vvhat they doe O miracle of mildnesse and mercie The persecuted becomes the persecutours Aduocate euen in the act of persecuting him The dying Lord turnes his dead and dying slaues Patron euen while he is bloodily striking at his hart Father He makes his addresse to him not so much in qualitie of God whom he knowes to be actually prouoked to reuenge as of Father whose bowells are all mercie for his prodigall children Father what confidence may not poore sinners conceaue when a father and such a father is sued to by a sonne and such a sonne Father I begge not reuenge for what I suffer but pardon for those for whom and by whom I suffer Father pardonne them I sue not that the world should be iudged for me but that it might be cleared and saued by me Father pardon them I doe not plead not Guiltie where I know sinne is great and spred vniuersally ouer the whole body of man and growen to a kind of infinitie but I am his Saluation and the price of my bloud which here I lay downe is infinite indeede let grace then through my merites superabound where sinne abounded Father pardonne them It 's pardon I demande and euen in that name the cryme is acknowledged I cannot excuse Pilates iniustice which is so much more cryminal by how much his owne conscience pleades guiltie against himselfe for condemning a person in whom he found noe guilte nor the Priests and Princes inueterate malice nor the soldiers crueltie nor the peoples false testimonies scornes and blasphemie But by how much their crymes are more cleare ther pardon is more necessarily petitioned for by how much their miserie is more desparatly great by so much thy great mercy is more absolutly to be implored haue mercy therfor vpon them according to thy great mercy and pardon them Pardon them I say heauenly Father for they know not what they doe The penall ignorance which runs all along through their actions though it excuseth not yet it much extenuates their transgression They know not they apprehend not that they arme their malice against that infinite charitie which flames vp so high amidst the same malice that all the floodes of their furie is not able to extinguish it They know indeede that they putt an innocent man to death but they know not that they Crucifie the God of glorie T is enough my dearest Lord thou hast powerfully pleaded and wunne poore man's cause which without thy plea and thy price was irrecouerably lost for euer Thou art heard for thyne owne reuerence and millions shall be giuen to thy prayers and merites 11. But ah my soule is it not true that as this lesson brings comfort to all Christian harts so it loades them with confusion and fixeth shame vpon their foreheades He couers in some sort the Iewes crymes and confusion with a plea of ignorance for had they had an absolute knowledge of what they did and to whome they had neuer crucified the Lord of glorie But we seeing knowing by the light of faith which is a more absolute assurance then any demonstration then all humane knowledge can afford and being bound standing readie in the preparation of our hart to putt downe our life for it that it was God man the verie God of glorie that they putt to death we I say make noe difficultie to crucifie him againe by our dayly crymes to treade the sonne of God vnder foote and to esteeme the bloude of the Testament polluted 12. We acknowledge that we are taught by the mouth of eternall truth it selfe vnlesse we haue renounced all Christianitie and we euen see it in his owne example that we are to returne Good for euill and we contrarily render euill for good hatred for loue disrespect for good offices neglect forcares ingratitude for greatest obligations We haue seene our Christ sadd to death betrayed taken bound abused reuiled scorned boxed spitt in the face whipped crowned with thornes blaspheamed crucified and we heare him from the same Crosse preach plead pray for pardon And yet we Christians alas who as we take our name from Christ so should his actions be the rules of our life and our conformitie to the same rules the perfection therof liuing as it were by the law of contraries run quite contre The Master cryes for pardon the scholler exacts reuenge The masters wisdome and charitie finds wayes to couer multitudes of enormious crymes and the schollers iniquitie and madnesse inuents meanes to make Molehills appeare montaines and to multiplie a few smale faultes into huge numbers The master by a Rethorique brought from Heauen endeuours to extenuate a visible iniurie by alleaging ignorance which though otherwise afected did in some sorte lessen the cryme The scholler by a Sophistrie inuented in Hell striues to aggrauate euen almost inuisible faults from the place in which it was done the tyme the manner c. And if none of these seeme vigorous enough he guesses at the intention of him that did it and will needes haue it to be such as his Passion hath framed it in his mynd In fine the scholler hath neither harte nor hand nor tongue to plead excuse to worke or wishe well too euen a seeming enemy though otherwise a true friend indeede He will not take the paines to consider that the misintelligence was but caused at most by ignorance inconsideration precipitation and to take it at the highest that it was but man sinfull man man subiect to all the same deseases that rather tooke then had offence giuen him While the Master neither hauing hand nor foote free but onely a hartfull of mercye and a tongue free and readie to expresse the same imployes it to begge pardon
thou dagniest to bestow them I poore contemptible wretch borne the son of earth made the sonne of God the Heyre of God! The brother of IBSVS-CHRIST coheire with Iesus let me deare childe let me neuer more by a degenerous conuersation In such or such thinges making reflection of your greatest imperfections c. stayne the noble familie and the dignitie of the bloud and alliance into which I am addopted by thy graciousnesse May I rather dye then euer proue so base and disloyall Amen The first Med for Sanct Ihons day PONIT 1. Consider But if son hyere heyre of God God if kinge king of heauen king of maiestie king of glorie How becomes he then thus inglorious thus left thus lodgd thus layd Marrie out of meere goodnesse free mercy and vndue loue loue of nations which sought him not thought not of him which cared not for him nay which trangressed his commandements violated his lawes rebelled against his will and pleasure And that without any neede he had of them without any interest he pretended by them out of meere loue and mercy Aff. Good and omnipotent God! mercyfull and holy and deare father much much doe we owe thee for our creatiō for hauing made vs mē mē the master pieces of the workes of thy hand for hauing-bestowed a whole world vpon vs with all the admirable varietie of creatures comprised therin for our vse and seruice but incomparably much more now that thou hast sent thyne owne onely son thy son and heire the kinge of heauē equall to thy selfe Those were great indeed yet earthly ones but this is euen the best that heauen had to giue here thou didst indeede open and bestowe thesaurum tuum optimum thy very best treasure so that the mostvastly greedie hart cā neither desire nor euen imagine any thing greater any thinge equall to it or euen bearinge any proportion with it A son in whom thou wast well pleased for a fugitiue prodigall seruant in whom thou wast highly offended and euen while he was yet actually offending thee then euen then to putt the greatest commendations vpon thy mercy imaginable then Isay thou sentest him cum adhuc inimici essemus into abiection and prouertie into a poore hole of a rocke to be accompaigned with brute beastes for that yet bruter beaste man I can onely stand amaysed at this strange dispensation and dignation of thyne To send a son for a seruant a sainte yea the sanite of saintes for a sinner a God for man what a stronge hope must this needs beget in the hart of a sinner Resolution I confide in thee then ô my dearest Lord I depend wholy on thy mercy c. POINT 2. Consider that man was at an absolute losse hauing strayed from his way forsaken truth and forfeited life and this abridged word humanized or clothed with our nature is in very deede the way truth and life which he comes to teach the world There is no way to Christ but by Christ we liue in darkenesse vnlesse we be enlightened by the light of this truth we liue not indeede but languish and die vnlesse we be quickned and liue by this life This word alone deliuers this truth enlihgtens vs to discouer this way and by this way we walke home to this life which is Christ All these are folded vp in this dumbe word which for our loue is layd in a manger Aff. yes my soule euen so the case stoode with vs Sinne hadd spred it selfe ouer all the sonns of Adam and they were all straying like lost sheepe and had for euer strayed and remayned in their losse had nor this good shephard Christ come downe to seeke out and saue what had perihed And had not this Way mette the wandringe pilgrime this truth illuminated the blind man that satt in darkenesse and this life quickened the dying slaue that lay vnder the shadowe of death he had still erred remayned still blind and bene dead for euer For there is noe other name vnder heauen wherby we ought to be saued What obligations then haue we to Christ our redeemer how ought we to loue this word which teacheth vs or putts out this truth a sea-Beacon to vs poore creatures who are tossed at this huge sea and proues a light to our feete to walke in this safe way Christ which securely leades to the permanencie of an vn changable and euerlastinge life which is his very selfe Reso In this way then will I walke and run for euer if thou deare Lord wilt please to draw This truth will I imbrace for euer if thou daignest to giue perseuerance And this life of thyne will I striue to lead loue and breath after till I be druncke vp in life euerlasting PONIT 1. Consider That a chill Cold in the absence of the sunne of Iustice had eased and benummed the hart of man and rendred him senselesse of all good being cold frozen stupide without all feeling of heauenly thinges and this diuine word which notwithstanding the Cold which he now indures is indeede a consuming fire is come downe into the earth with his heauenly fire and what is his desire but that it should fixe vpon those benummed harts of ours and inflame them with his holy and burning loue For what will euer be able to doe it if this heauenly Prometheus this firebringing Messenger be not able to sett vs on fire What will be euer powrefull enough to speake excesse of loue to mens harts and to oblidge them to loue if the mute eloquence of a God lying dumbe the Word it selfe left speechlesse in a manger for their loue be not able to doe it And this is the extaticall loue-language of the diuine Word which lyes before our eyes this day in the cribbe Aff. Alas I my poore hart we are cold frosen and senselesse indeede in point of spirituall thinges we relish not we perceiue not the thinges which are of God And yet our miserie is so much the greater that perceiuing our selues deadly cold we rather chuse to starue then approch to the fire that actiue sacred heauenly fire which comes not downe but to burne to burne our frozen hartes as some tymes it did those two primitiue Hartes with whom he walked in the way to Emaus who found their hartes burning while he spoke And as it did your holy father then he cryed out as one loue sicke What is this that I feele what kind of fire is this that warmes my hart which so sweetly burnes so secreetly shines so deliciously seases vpon and inflames my soule with a deare delight Ah! this diuine Word is indeed as Dauid qualified it ignitum vehementer but it was in his meditation that it burnt all out in a flame But how should this happen si nemo recogitet corde if none hartily thinke of it how should hartes burne if none applie hartes to the fire Resp If his will be that it should burne then let our hartes in conformitie to that diuine Word
occasion to saue him when he perceiues that the said Iudge is more inclined to giue then he to aske mercy When he causes proclamation to be made That he comes not to iudge but to saue the world When he teares the writinges or Euidences which the aduersarie can produce against him Such a Iudge ô my poore sinfull soule may we now find our God to witt a Iesus a Sauiour in this acceptable tyme in this day of saluation There is now therfore noe damnation to those that are in Christ Iesus Resolution I will rise therfore out of this or that badd custome reflecting vpon it in particular which I obserue my selfe subiect to And run to my milde Iudge with an humble confidence c. THE II. MEDITATION For the same day I. POINT CONSIDER a strange and comfortable change of the hand of the highest he who formely spoke onely in qualitie of Lord and master out of the clouds and out of fire saying I am thy Lord I am thy God God is a Lord of reuenge c. Is now come downe from Maiestie as it were and comes downe to vs and speakes to vs in qualitie of man yea the mildest of men Then did his power appeare in the creation of the world and his infinite wisdome in the gouuerning of it but to vs the benignitie and humanitie of God a Sauiour is manifested He comes in our nature in qualitie of our brother that he may shew as well his brotherly as fatherly affection and pitie to the poore man created by him Aff. What doth this singular graciousnesse crye out to our hartes but consolamini consolamini be comforted be comforted my people I will not the death of a sinner but rather that he be conuerted and liue Here is now noe dreadfull Iehouah noe thunder noe lightening to terrifie thee but thy mylde Emmanuell thy God with thee a meeke tender weeping childe our flesh and our brother who is come to dwell amongst vs. Let not the ancient reproche Where is thy God be any more a corrasiue vnto thee For euen here he is in flesh like one of vs There is now noe neede vpon the hearing of his voyce to hyde thy selfe with thy first parentes nay his voyce is the scrikes of a tender babe farre more apt to begett pitie in mans harte then to strike it with dreade He cannot forbeare to loue his owne brethrē his owne flesh and bloode his owne bowells I. POINT Consider that though when I looke vpon my selfe such as I am indeed poore naked blind lame abiect and miserable I haue more cause of confusion then confidence Yea when I represent vnto my selfe the multitude and greeuousnesse of my sinnes which can neuer be better knowen thē by the gratnesse of the price which is sent downe for their redemption I find my selfe euen waighed downe to hell and am readie to despaire Yet the greatnesse of the same price too possesses my hart with stronge hopes of redemption when I obserue Wisdome it selfe imploye the bloud of the lambe the bloud of this tender babe the son of Marie and the sonne of God to make a pretious bathe for the cure of my leprosie I cannot despaire Aff. O God what is man that thou dost thus magnifie him Or the sonne of man that thou puttest thy heauenly hart vpon him Is he turned some pretious thing which formerly thou wast not acquainted with Has he gott some noblenesse of beeing which issued not from thyne owne hand Is he not still dust and ashes earth earth earth of which thou madst him Nay but deare Lord hath he not added malice to this base matter of which he was made Had not all flesh corrupted its wayes so that none did well not one Did not multitudes of crymes and abominations stand vp in thy sight and crye out for reuenge What proportion is there then bewixt the price and the thinge prized Betwixt the blood of an innocent sonne and a sinfull seruant The blood of a God and worthlesse man O too too deare price ô too plentifull Redemptiō I can find nothing here but amaysement and ô Altitudos And conclude with al the gratitude my soule can conceiue that thy friends ô God are too much honored and their Principalitie too well established by this too deare a price THE SEAVENTH MEDIT. I. POINT CONSIDER that when man was so heauie harted that he could not ascende The hart of a God was so gracious that he would descend to him The earth was too heauie to mount into heauen but heauen could find a meanes to transport it selfe as it were into earth For is not this Caue a verie heauen indeede since God here truly Keepes his residence and hath his quires of Angells singing about him Where God is there is his Court and where the Court is there are the Courtiers and where the Courtiers are there is the dutie of Courtiers exercised to witt they behold and loue they loue and behold and with prone adorations singe Sanctus Sanctus Sanctus holy holy holy This stable then is a very heauen indeede Venite adoremus Affect Yes my soule it is my verie God who lyes in this stable in this earthly Heauen the God that made me that conserues me that shall iudge me come downe first to redeeme me and in his owne person shewe me the way of saluation It is my God and if my faith be liuely I may heare a multitude of the heauenly Armie praysing God and saying Glorie in the highest to God c. Let vs take a part with them ô my soule and singe with the whole endeuour of our harte We prayse thee we blesse thee we adore thee we glorifie thee we giue thee thankes for thy great glorie O Lord God! ô Lambe of God! ô Sonne of the Father who takest away the sinnes of the world haue mercy on vs. Who takest away the sinnes of the world admitt our humble supplication Yes deare Lord For thou alone art holy thou alone art Lord thou alone art the sonne of the Almightie God Resol I will not then despaire of ouercoming this or that c. In this Lord in this sonne of the Almightie in this sauing Lambe which takes away the sinnes of the world who comfortes me though otherwise I be but earth and ashes I am able to doe all thinges c. THE SECONDE MEDITATION For the same day I. POINT CONSIDER who are the first Courtiers who are called to this heauenly Celle this earthly Heauen or Court and we shall find that it is not the learned wise and riche of the world that by Christs example we may learne still more and more to contemne the same but tbe poore humble simple vigilant shephards who are so separated from the world that they can hardly be said to haue any commerce with it at all Christe is sarce yet an houre old amongst vs and he alreadie begins to sett vpon the worke for which he was sent .. He comes for mans saluation and man
so strucke him O man how doth this action confounde thy pride and discouer thy selfe to thy selfe we easily committ sinne euen in the sight of God but blushe to appeare sinners in the sight of men c. Or if we chance to haue that humilitie and iustice in vs as patïently to suffer reprehension reproche or punishement when we see we are in fault yet are their any to be found who knowes what it meanes to suffer where we either indeede are or at least where we apprehend our selues innocent That euen best Christians are content to leaue to Christ alone THE SECONDE MEDITATION For the same day II. POINT CONSIDER Virgines consider Christians old and young and all that hope to be saued by the blood of Christ what these sacred dropes which fall from our Christ say to our hartes What doe they say vnlesse our harts be of stone but I will and begge by this example without example where noe law obliged noe debt was due your patience your mortification your resignation your obedience your humiliation You call me Abba pater father father and I am so show the dutie of children then by following your fathers footstepps You call me Lord and I am so make good then the dutie of seruantes in accomplishing the will of your Lord. I will obedience c. not will-worshippe not sacryfices of your owne inuention and choyce And this irreuocable will and Conuenant of myne I write downe in letters of myne owne blood that louinge children may neuer forgett it Affect Noe my soule ther was indeed noe connection betwixt an innocent Sauiour and the markes of a sinner noe necessitie for a God to imploy this paynefull and shamfull meanes who had a thousand other ways in his wisdome to haue performed the worke of mans redemption but to teach vs patience with what euer might befall vs seem it neuer so litle sutable to the thoughtes we may haue of our owne innocencie Mortification by suffering some corporall payne be it by our owne or some other hand be it by accident sicknesse or otherwise Obedience whether to our superiours as we are bounde c. Or euen to euery creature for charities sake where there appeares noe other obligation And conceiue we alwayes heare Christ by this example say vnto our hartes what great matter is it c. if you being but durt and askes subiect your selues to man for Gods fake since I who am omnipotent became humbly subiect to man for your sakes O dust learne of me to obey Learne of me ô earth and clay to humble thy selfe and caste thy selfe vnder the feete of all men for my Loue. Consider Yet further that the heauenly dropps of blood which fall from a God speake more powerfully to pious hartes then Malachie to the people of Israel saying dilexi vâ—s I haue loued you That is I haue doe and shall loue you since there is neither tyme past nor tyme to come with God I haue loued you from eternitie and thence I am come in tyme to saue you I doe loue you in tyme present and thence I giue the first dropps of my bloud for you I wil loue you in tyme to come and will powre out my hartes bloud for you in earnest wherof I now lay downe these dropps I haue loued you and so called you by preuenting grace while you thought not of it I doe loue you and so assiste you by cooperating grace I will loue you and so make my subsequent grace accompaignie you to the end and for assurance of this I now pay downe these dropps Affec O how wonderfully thou hast loued vs ô heâuenly Father since for our sakes thou didst not euen spare thyne owne onely sonne How tenderly didst thou loue vs ô dearely beloued sonne of the Almightie who for our sakes didst not refuse that paynefull imployment but dost euen so airely testifie the excesse of thy loue by the loss of thy blood By which deare pledges being partes of the price of my Redemption I apprehende it euen neere at hand Let Israel now say that he is good that his mercy is for euer Let the house of Aaron now say that his mercy is for euer Come le ts loue him le ts loue him we that are redeemed by his bloude because his mercyes are for euer Let our tongues publish his loue and mercy let our hartes loue and prayse him and let our verie bowels pronounce ô Lord who is like to thee Inable vs deare Iesus to vnderstand descerne and reuerence with due honour this admirable misterie of pietie which is manifested in the flesh hath appeared to the Angells is preached to the gentils is beleeued by the world and this day is signed in bloud Venite adoremus THE FIRST MEDITATION FOR THE. Day after new yeares-Day of the name of IESVS I. POINT COnsider That though all the names vsed by men to signifie the Deitie were from all eternitie are in tyme and shall for euer be most worthily blessed praysed and admired by men and Angells yet to vs Christians the name of our Christ IESVS by which he was called this day is by iustest right most deare and praise-worthy For whether we vse the word Elin which signifies God and is interpreted strong Elion which signifies High or Adonai which we interprete Lord or Saddai which may be called Almightie or els Iehouah which the Hebrewes esteemed ineffable none of them intimates so much and so present consolation to vs poore sinners as doth our myld Emmanuel which signifies our God with vs our Iesus a Sauiour who begins euen to powre out his pretious bloode for vs. Affection Be all thy names ô great Lord God praysed preached admired magnified sanctified for euer by men and Angells and all thy creatures in generall whether they signifie strength power Maiestie Omnipotencie immensitie infinitie or what euer els which we can in noe sorte expresse nor euen by imagination conceiue so vastly great so ineffable so inconceiuable is the Lord and Master whom we serue Yet most deare Sauiour Iesus be thy most mellifluous name as neerer to my eyes and interests so alwayes neerer and dearer so my hart Be that sauing and sanctifying name cherished and sanctfied by vs poore miscrable sinners aboue all other names because thou o deare lambe who wast slayne for me is most worthy of glorie and honour and benediction and all that euer my narrow hart is able to deuise c. 2. POINT Consider that all the names we reade intimate either power and Maiestie or grace and mercy according to that of the Royall Prophete I haue heard these thinges Power is Gods and mercy is thyne ô Lord. According to his Maiestie his name is holy and terrible But this new name IESVS which is giuen to him in earth signifies nothing but mildnesse mercy and saluation for the name of IESVS saith your holy Father is a sweete name a delightfull name a name of deare consolation and blessed hope to the sinner Nay it
Gentil thy kingdome ô deare Sauiour is dilated ouer all the face of the earth and thy raigne shall dure for euer And therfor ô all ye nations clappe hands make iubilation to God in the voyce of exultation singe ye to our God singe ye singe ye to our Kinge singe ye because God is Kinge of all the earth singe ye wisely The Princes of the people are gathered togeither with the God of Abraham he shall raigne ouer the Gentils Thus did the kinglie Prophete teach vs Christian Gentils to singe so long agoe THE SECONDE MEDITATION Of the vocation of the Gentils in the three Kinges I. POINT CONSIDER that our pious and mercifull Lord not being the God of the Iewes onely but also of the Gentils who will all men to be saued and to come to the knowledge of the truth limites not the riches of his goodnesse within the confines of Iewrie but will haue them extended to all the world so that he calls not the Iewes onely in the persons of the shepheards but the Gentils also in the persons of the Kinges If he had promises for those he is not without blessings neither for these If he haue Angells in aboundāce to call those he wants not starrs to conduct these to his royall presence testifying by them both that he is noe acceptour of persons but loues Iewe and Gentil vnlearned and learned poore and rich and breathes by the holy Ghost where he pleaseth subduing what hartes he pleaseth to his seruice Affection Let vs then o my soule imitating Gods mercyes extende the assistance of our obsecrations prayers postulations thankes-giuinges to all men to Iewe and Gentil to such as are farre off and such as are neere hand to such as are in the Church and such as are out of it to poore and riche to kinges and Potentates be they friends or foes protectours or persecutours For this is good and acceptable before God our Sauiour For alas what doe we know that we hate not a brother while we thinke onely to hate an enemie Let vs pray I say first for our domestikes in faith that they may increase in grace ad haue the gift of perseuerance Next for those that yet beleeue not vt ex nolentibus fiant volentes that of such as will not beleeue they may by Gods grace be made beleeuers sayinge with the holy Church etiam rebelles compelle voluntates compelle euen those rebelliouswills that obstinacie and blindnesse being subdued Turke Iewe and Gentil may be but one flocke and fold How the kinges were called to Iesus II. POINT CONSIDER how the kinges came and we shall presently find that our attentions are stopt by the Euangelist with a word inciting to admiration Ecce behold saith S. Matthew there came sages from the cast to Hierusalem Nor is it without wonder indeede that wise men should leaue their countrie to come a greate iorney to a forraigne land which had nothing common with them And yet their errand seemes more strange They came c. saying where is he who is borne the kinge of the Iewes A demande which in likelyhoode might haue cost them their liues And yet their motiue seemes most strange of all for say they we haue seene his starre in the east Should wise men and Kinges leaue their Kingdomes vpon the onely sight of a starre to looke out one borne the Kinge of the Iewes and that in the midst of Iewrie where another Kinge alreadie raigned Affection O my soule what can we find here but admirations with S. Paule O the highnesse of the riches of the wisdome and knowledge of God How incomprehensible are his iudgements how inscrutable are his wayes What doe we find I say but effects of Gods great mercy strangly and strongly working For certainly their iorney their demande their motiue appeare litle lesse then madnesses in the eyes of men while yet in the eyes of God they are effectes of grace and heauenly wisdome For the starre which they saw exteriourly was seconded by the grace which they felt interiourly and thence they vndertooke the iorney the grace of the holy Ghost knowing noe sluggish delayes The grace which they felt was a powerfull and conquering grace and thence they feared not to aske for the kinge of the Iewes euen in the face of the Tyrant The starre which they saw was the light of faith and thence they giue for their reason a thinge which reason is not acquainted with an obscure yet conuinceing argument of thinges which appeare not THE THIRD MEDITATION How admirable the kinges calling was I. POINT CONSIDER againe with wonderment this strange proceeding of the kinges Abraham its true went out of his countrie too his kindred and his fathers house and he was both admirable and prayse worthy therin Howbeit this seemes farre to exceede that Abraham went out because he was commanded because he was promised to haue another certaine place appointed him because he had assurances giuen by God that he should be magnified c. But they had neither commande to goe nor place appointed whither to goe nor stayd they in any danger at home nor were they allured with any adunatagious promises abrode but contrarily they were as free to stay as goe they knew not whither they went nor whether they should find what they sought And they were withall so farre from ayming at aduantage or securitie that contrarily they ran into apparent danger and were readier to giue then to take as appeared by the presentes they brought and yet those sages came to Hierusalem vnder the guidance of one onely starre Affection Admire my soule the wonderfull effectes of the hand of the most High admire the wholy disinterressed and truly kinglie hartes of these holy kinges Who while they were noe way necessitated noe way commanded so freely vpon the sommons of one starre left their countries and all and came to him to whom none comes vnlesse first drawen by his heauenly father And yet how many starres haue we and we stirre not how many kind inuitations and we answere not How many heauenly callings toward Iesus and alas we turne a deafeeare to them But doe not so my soule doe not so the neglect of heauenly fauours iustly irritates the bountifull Benefactour If we be not able to goe before others by our good example le ts not fayle at least to follow them Run on run on by the holy example of the kinges whither diuine inspirations which continually lay seidge to our hartes as so many heauenly messengers doe leade vs. Le ts be faithfull in this behalfe and when ere the Bridegrome knockes le ts lay open our hartes and leaue them wholy at his dispose neither expecting commands nor questioning the manner how Neither ayming at gaynes nor fearing or flying labour losse nor danger All is safe and gaynfull enough where Iesus leades and Iesus is looked for That the kinges proceedinges are our lessons II. POINT CONSIDER that this proceeding of the first fruites of
vs that the starre will appeare againe and conduct vs to the place where the child is and multiplie our ioyes as well as theirs with a huge increase of ioye gaudio magno valde Where we are to seeke Iesus II. POINT CONSIDER that the kinges find not him who is borne the king of the Iewes in Hierusalem where they sought him and where humanely speaking he was most likely to be found in Hierusalem I say that cherished citie which was preferred beforre all the Tabernacles of Iacob nor in the stately Pallaces of Kinges how euer he was the kinge of kinges and sought by kinges too but in an obscure village but in a poore groate or caue a resort for brute beastes but in a manger vpon a locke of hay betwixt an oxe and an Asse So found they the young kinge of the Iewes lodged Affection My soule is it not true that we often seeke Iesus in magnis mirabilibus supra se in great and wonderfull things which are placed aboue our reach In high contemplations and visions which we are not capable of In thinges most specious and glorious and best suteing with our owne inclinations and fancies Wheras our humble kinge Iesus is both more surely and safely found in pouertie subiection solitude and disiunction from the world in humble lodginges meane clothes poore compaignie and in the totall abandonnement of our selues and iudgementes into the hands and directions of Superiours Thus he exposed himselfe to be found by a graciousnesse which passes the comprehension of man and Angell Thus the good Kinges find him Thus seeke him my soule and we shall not fayle to find him a God to adore a kinge to protect a man to imitate imbrace and loue THE VI. MEDITATION Where or in what compagny Iesus is to be sought I. POINT CONSIDER that they found the child Iesus with Marie his mother saith the Euangelist Had they sought Marie alone without Iesus or not for Iesus they had mistaken their way indeede since that she though his mother is but otherwise his creature while they seeke the Creatour And had they sought him who was borne the king of the iewes without or otherwise then in her companie who was the Queene mother that bore him they would not so happily haue found him But in seeking the one they found both To witt they had alwayes a neere relation Noe sooner was the sonne of God determined to be the redeemour of the world but Marie is looked vpon to be the mother of that sonne and sauiour noe sooner was he conceiued of the Holy Ghost but he was conceiued and found in Maries sacred wombe noe sooner borne but found at her breastes all his life tyme he was found with her and at his death she was not separated from him Affection Let IESVS then my soule be our cheife and last ayme and end since all our actions which haue not him for their end are aymed by the marke he being that souueraigne good which our hartes incessantly seeke after Yet lets not feare withall to make Marie the meanes to haue accesse to him How euer the Kinges misse not of him it is in her armes they find him How euer the Scriptures and Prophetes and Preistes of the Law point them out the way it is by her ministerie and fauour they come to the blessed sight of him It s her priuiledge in shewing him to shew what 's her owne Shew thy selfe then to be a mother Blessed Lady let our prayer by thy meanes be admitted by him who being borne for vs voutchsafed to be thyne Shew vs shew vs thy IESVS that blessed fruite of thy womhe not after his exile onely but euen nowe especially while we liue in this heauie banishment That Iesus ought to be sought with pietie II. POINT CONSIDER that as the Kinges vndertooke their iorney with much diligence and punctualitie and pursued it with great patience and resolution so they conclude it with noe lesse pietie and religiousnesse They haue left their Kingdomes wiues and children with hopes to find a Kinge a Sauiour a God and in the end of their iorney they onely meete with to the eyes of flesh a poore stable a poore manger and a poore mayde with a poore sucking child at her breastes But to the eyes of their pietie with which they looked vppon him they discouer a Kinge a God vnder the forme of a seruant a man and falling downe they adore him Affection O happie Kinges great is your faith which leaues all the world euer after to admire it as we worthily doe this day But ô the goodnesse and mercie and power of God whose free grace it was which wrought in their hartes both the will and performance of this great acte of faith They were not the keepers of the law Prophetes as were the iewes They had not seene and heard the admirable workes and wonders of his life and passion wherby he proued himselfe both God and man as we haue and yet falling downe they adore him O my soule let neuer the excessiue and almost incredible greatnesse of the benefit discredite as it were the bountifull benefactour but by how much more his loue doth exinanite him and make him appeare lesse then himselfe in his life and passion let vs by so much more beleeue blesse loue and adore him for euer because for vs it was that he was so lowe layd for vs the cribbe the manger the hay c. THE VII MEDITATION With what puritie of intention Iesus ought to be sought THE I POINT CONSIDER that the Kinges come not onely out of their countrie accompagned with patience courage and perseuerance to find him and religiousnesse and pietie to beleeue in him but also with puritie of intention that one necessarie thinge without which the best of our actions are spoyled for his owne sake to pay him a debt of souueraigne worshippe due to himselfe alone We came say they not to find ease safetie orriches which we inioyed at home nor to seeke new kingdomes while we left our owne but onely to find the new borne kinge of the iewes to acknowledge him to be the kinge of kinges and our selues and all the kinges of the earth to be his vassals in a word we came to adore him Affection Learne my soule learne neuer to seeke God for any other motiue then himselfe Let vs alwayes seeke him to the end we may adore him that is to cast our selues at his feete acknowedging him to be all and our selues nothing at all Ah while we may doe all our workes for a kinge why will we loose them vpō any lesse worthy obiect While all our loue is but too little for him alone why wil we disperse it vpon creatures Heauen and earth can afford nothing cōtentfull to the good Prophete but God himselfe Such let our resolutions be my soule in all our patience perseuerance and actes of pietie saying with sainte Augustin Thee I will thee I seeke thee I hope for my
disinteressed loue for by that meanes the God of loue or God-loue Deus est Charitas the holy Ghost is sent into our hartes The 4. fruite of Christs Ascension The taking possession of our inheritance II. POINT CONSIDER that if he be gone and gone to his father and our Father that cōmon father of all of vs it is but to take and keepe possession of that common inheritance which being his owne by birth-right he purchaced for vs his coheires at a huge rate at the price of his owne pretious bloud for we haue heard himselfe say by S. Iohn let not your hart be troubled I goe to prepare you a place Affection O thrice happie Christians yea thrice and a thousand tymes happie I say did we duely ponder and rightly value our owne happines Christ was borne for vs he was giuen to vs he laboured thirtie three yeares in our behalfe he spent his pretious bloud vpon the purchace of his fathers and our fathers yea his owne heauenly Kingdome for vs and now for a happie conclusion of all he is gone to take possession of what he has purchaced for vs. Be not troubled then my soule but reioyce with a greater ioy then euer he is gone to prepare vs a place a permanent place a place of ineffable delight of eternall abode in the bosome of his father and our father We are not seruants but friends but children but coheirs with Christ We are not now pilgrimes we are gott home in him We are citizens with the Saintes and God's Domestikes THE IV. MEDITATION The 5. fruite of Christs Ascension The opening of Heauen Gates I. POINT CONSIDER that if Iesus be gone it is still to be a Iesus to vs still to aduance the worke of our redemption Heauen gates were shutt against man euer since Adams disobedience and he hauing first past the gates of death to breake vp the brazen gates of Hell is gone with with power to command the potentates of that Celestiall Citie to open them saying Lift vp your Gates ô you princes and be you lifted vp ô eternall gates and the Kinge of glorie shall enter in That strong and mightie Lord is at hand who returnes from battell with victorie Affection Take courage then my soule the passage is layd open according to Micheas his Prophesie He ascended laying open the way before them Le ts but follow our Capitaine and the place is ours Heauen is ours He hath shewed vs the way Howbeit we must walke as he walked in humilitie meeknesse obedience chastitie pouertie patience c. Nor must we imagine that malice can ascende with the Authour of goodnesse nor luxurie and lust with the Sonne of a Virgine nor vice finally with the God of vertues The 6. fruite of Christs Ascension He goes our Aduocate into Heauen and sends another into the Earth II. POINT CONSIDER that he is gone indeede for while they all looked on saith S. Luke a cloud has taken him from the Apostles eyes But he is gone vpon a most honorable and profitable imployment for man He 's gone to carie vp man to heauen and to send downe God into the Earth establishing as it were a good intelligence by a mutuall embasie betwixt heauen and Earth Man to God in heauen as Aduocate to plead for man and God to man in earth to teach him all truth to inculcate to him againe and againe what Christ had alreadie taught to inflame our hartes with the holy fire which Christ brought downe into the earth c. Affection Yes my soule he is gone to carie vp that man Christ to be Mediatour betwixt God and man and to pleade the cause of man at Gods Tribunal My sinnes are many and great great I say and many but my Mediatour is infinite I am able to pleade nothing but guiltie dread Lord guiltie But my Aduocate hath wounds to shew and bloud which cryes lowder then the bloud of Abel and claymes mercy as hauing payd more then my malice was able to contract As often as that bloud lookes redd from the side of that sonne who is sett at thy right hand I beseech thee that the spotts of my corruption may be washed away THE V. MEDITATION The 7. fruite of Christs Ascension The presenting of freed Captiues to his Father I. POINT CONSIDER that our most Blessed Sauiour came downe from heauen to to wage warre against the world the flesh and the Diuell and now he returnes with victorie ouer them all and bringes backe the spoyles to the Court of Heauen in tryumphe leading Captiuitie it selfe captiue that is the captiue soules deteyned in Lymbo Patrum which he wrested out of a stronge hand and offers them to his heauenly Father as the first fruites of his longe and painefull labours and part of the purchace of the pretious bloud he had plentifully spent Affection O what tongue of man or Angell is able to expresse or what hart to conceiue how gratefull this returne and tryumph was to heauen how agreable this present was in the Almighties sight and how all the heauenly Israell reioyced to see our heauenly litle Dauid returned with such victorie so ample spoyles If the Conuersion of one poore sinner my soule cause such ioy among the Angells what accesse of ioy must the securitie of so many Saintes who are to be their fellow citizens for euer cause in those heauenly hartes The 8. fruite of Christs Ascension The raysing our affections from the Earth II. POINT CONSIDER that our Blessed Sauiour is ascended to heauen from which he descended to carrie vp our hartes thither from whence they were fallen by sinne and to waine our affections from earth and make them wholye Spirituall according to that of the diuine Apostle if you be rysen with Christ seeke the thinges that are aboue where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God mynde the thinges which are aboue not the thinges which are vpon the earth Affection O Deare Iesus since as well thy descention as thy Ascension yea all the mysteries of thy blessed life and Passion turne all to our vtilitie and vse grant that we may make a right vse of them and wholie turne our hartes from earth to thee that though our bodies be imprisoned in it for a time yet in harte and affection we may alwayes liue aboue with thee that we may truly say with S. Paule our conuersation is in heauen THE VI. MEDITATION I. POINT CONSIDER finally that since Iesus our deare Lord and Master is returned to heauen as we are assured by faithfull witnesses who deliuer by the mouth of S. Iohn noe other thinge then what they saw with their eyes what they looked vpon and what their hands had handled of the WORD of life there is indeede nothinge left vs in earth worthie to lodge a Christian hart vpon He is our true life and what liuing is there without life He 's our treasure and where should our hartes be but where our treasure is He is our crucified
my deare Iesu and I am still desiring to loue thee more and more For in verie deade thou art sweeter then any honie more nourishing then any milke more delicious then all that is delightfull O inflamed Loue who art euer burning and art neuer quenched doe thou inflame me Let me I say be wholy inflamed by thee that so I may wholy loue thee For alas he loues thee too little who loues any thing with thee which he loues not for thee Come deare Iesu come into my soule which thou thy selfe hast prepared towards the receiuing of thee through the desire wherwith it was inspired by thee Enter into it I beseech thee and make it fit for thy selfe that as thou hast made it and redeemed it thou maist also possesse it and place thy selfe as a seale vpon it Giue me thy selfe ô my God restore thy selfe to me for all thinges which are not my verie God are nothing to me I loue thee ô my god I loue thee and if it be yet too litle ah make me loue thee more and more ardently Who am I and who art thou deare Lord who am I I say that the King of heauen the God that made me should come to visite me Alas my Lord I am not ignorant but I loue I am not presumtuous but I loue I euen quake to approach to thee but alas without thee I quite languish and dye Great indeede is my miserie yet infinitly greater is thy mercy And whither my euer mercifull Lord should my languishing Soule run from thee but to thee O that I were able to receiue thee with that humilitie obedience loue and feruour that thy Sacred Virgine Mother conceiued thee O that I had the burning loue of an Angell to receiue thee the foode of Angells O thou spouse of my soule come quickly unto me Come wound my hart with thy loue Come take vp thy mansion and repose in my poore breast Come sweete Iesu come away delay noe longer the hart which thou louest is infirme and languisheth for thy presence Come health come life come thou onely desire of my soule Immediatly before receiuing say O my soule behold thy spouse is coming Goe out and meete him He is thy Creatour thy Lord thy King thy father thy Pastour thy Phisitian thy Crucified Loue Iesus-Christ who louingly payd downe his owne pretious bloud for thy ransome and leaues himselfe wholy for thy foode Aspirations c. presently after receiuing I Haue found thee I haue found thee whom my hart loues nor shalt thou depart from me but lodge betweene my breastes I hold thee I possesse thee I inioy thee in this narrow cottage of my hart whom the heauens cannot comprehend O kisse me with a kisse of thy heauenly sweete mouth my deare Iesu for thy breastes are better then the most deliciously parfumed wine Thy name is oyle powred out thy voyce sweete thy face comely and thou art wholy faire and desiderable O bread of life bread of Angells sanctuarie of soules O sweet and secreete comforter of holy hartes O heauenly Spouse ô Iesu my dearest loue O riches of the soule solace of the afflicted foode of the famished O my ioy my glorie and all my Beatitude Noe other nation had euer their Gods so neere to them as our God is neere to vs who comes himselfe to feede vs with his glorious body and bloud O vnspeakable grace ô admirable fauour ô infinite Charitie What is this that I feele what fire is this that inflames my hart How sweetly doth it heare How secreetly doth it shine How delightfully doth it burne O Goodnesse Goodnesse Goodnesse so old and so new Too late too late alas haue I loued thee who art indeede my onely deare and saciating delight Resolutions after receiuing 1. Since by a mercy neuer sufficiently admired I haue receiued God himselfe as a pledge of his excessiue loue to me The whole loue of my poore hart shall be continually imployd to render him loue for loue Being daigned with his loue I will noe more stoope downe to the loue of creatures but in him and for him 2. Since I haue receiued thy selfe as a Memoriall of all thy wonders my memorie shall be wholy imployed to represēt vnto my thoughtes the abismall humiliations and sweete Mysteries of thy Natiuitie the diuine lessons and labours and wonders of thy blessed life the ineffable torments contempts abandonements and patience of thy bitter passion the singular dearenesse of thy pretious bloud powred out for me thy Law of loue thy innumerable benefits and graces heaped vpon me c. 3. Since I haue had the happinesse to be fedd with the foode of Angells I will neuer more so vnhappily debase my selfe as prodigally to feede with swine I will not after so noble a banket fall vpon dunge c. But rather Angell-like incessantly with hunger of hart feede of that foode and sing his prayses Pronouncing many tymes especially that day My beloued hath testified to my hart that he is myne and I am his His delightes are to be with me and myne shall euer be to be with him I will peirce the heauens with my hart and in my cogitations I will alwayes be with my God My beloued shall be to me a posie of Myrre and shall dwell betwixt my breastes Stay with vs ô Lord stay with vs because it growes late We perish ó Lord we perish and better it is we should not be then be without thee My God and my all A way how to exercise a louing and filiall sorow continually for the greatest sinnes of our life past O Deare Iesu woe is me that euer I did offend thee Alas my dearest Lord it had bene but iust if I had bene lost for euer But thy myld mercy preuented me Yes my soule it was indeede the meere mercy of our Lord that we were not consumed Nisi quia Dominus adiuuit me paulo minus habitasset in inferno anima mea Had not our Lord assisted me by his speciall grace my soule had bene litle lesse at this houre then inhabitant of Hell Yet in that mercy I am humbly confident thou art now with me because I haue conceiued a firme purpose to amende my life in generall and such and such a fault or imperféction in particular making a reflection of what fault most raignes in your hart remayne therfor with me dearest Father and I le remayne with thee And will not be separated from thee for euer For alas my deare Sauiour without thee I am neither able to aduance one foote nor euen stay where I am since in verie deede without thee I am nothing I haue nothing I can doe nothing There is nothing that is good either from me or in me or by me But all good flowes eternally from that vast Ocean of thy essentiall Goodnesse Grant therfor deare Iesu that I may liue in thee and to thee and that I may dye to the world and to all its pompes and vanities and euen to all
so shall he be called and acknowledged to be the Sonne of the highest Iesus a Sauiour and shall raigne in the house of Iacob for euer And that therfor she is blessed amongst and aboue all women Affection O greatest astonishment to the Angells that euer they yet mett with since the Heauens Creation O greatest blisse to man that euer yet befell him since his first fathers fall O blessed effects of the flight of the world of silence of solitude of frequent prayer O Marie God Angell and man expecte thy consent O pious Virgine mournefull Adam with his whole miserable posteritie banished out of Paradice suppliantly crye to thee for it Abraham Dauid and all the ancient Fathers instantly begge it In a word all the world cast at thy feete humbly sues for it If that consent be giuen a passage to heauen is layd open to vs all THE II. MEDITATION I. POINT CONSIDER yet further and diligently ponder these pretious words which flow as heauenly pearles from the mouth of an Angell which man ought humbly to imbrace relish and locke vp not proudly and profanely to controle Blessed Marie is declared full of grace nor that in an ordinarie manner as diuers other Saintes were but according to the measure which Christ sorted out for his best beloued Mother who wisely sutes his giftes and graces according to the function place and dignitie to which he pleases to call euery one The fountaine the riuer the brooke are each one full so is the Sonne the Mother and the seruant But the Sonne as the sourse and sea whence all graces flow the Mother as neerliest ioyned to and most abundantly participating of the said sea the seruant as placed at a greater distance in a measure aggreable to a seruant in fine the seruant possesses it but by partes the Mother in the whole plenitude as saith S. Hierome Affection All hayle all hayle spotlesse Virgine mother of grace and mercy sith thou art the mother of my Lord and master I feare not to salute thee with an Angell full of grace since to speake wirh S. Athanasius the holy Ghost descended into thee with all his essentiall vertues which he stands possessed of by title of his diuine principalitie and therfor thou art most iustly stiled gratia plena as being replenished with the abundance of all the graces of the holy Ghost Many many daughters haue gathered riches togeither t is true but thou hast outstripped them all and art inriched with that peculiar grace which gaue glorie to the heauens a God to the earth faith to the gentils c. Dearest Lady mother daigne to Conueye some dropes of that ouer-flowing grace of thyne vpon my weake and languishing soule II. POINT CONSIDER that if Marie be full of grace it is noe wonder sith the same Angell assures her and vs that our Lord is with her Dominus tecum Noe saith S. Bernard it is noe wonder that she is full of grace with whom our Lord is not our Lord the Sonne onely whom she clothes with humanitie but our Lord the holy Ghost of whom she conceiues and our Lord the Father who begott him whom she conceiues Nay rather should we wonder that he that dispatched the Angell to her should be arriued to her before the Angell and be found with her by the Angell Affect Our Lord is with thee dearest Lady that eternall and draynelesse sourse of all graces and so the fulnesse of grace cannot be wanting to thee Our Lord is with thee the Angell is onely the Messēger of that good newes but the God of Angells who sent him preuents him and is alreadie thy guest Our Lord is with thee I say nay with vs too by thee ô thou Mother of mercy who broughtest forth our mylde Emmanuel that is our God with vs our Iesus thy Sonne whom who-euer loues he is loued by his heauenly father who with the Sonne and the holy Ghost will come vnto him and take vp their mansion with him O excessiue happines which accreues to vs by the meanes of Blessed Marie THE III MEDITATION For the Announciation I. POINT CONSIDER further that it is noe wonder that she that is replenished with all grace and hath our Lord with her and in her should be tearmed blessed amongst and aboue all women Since others haue but that by partes which she possesses in plenitude and since he that is with others onely in a generall manner by Presence power and essence is with her in all the fulnesse of the Diuinitie corporally Whence it is that she inioyes the aduantages and is freed from the incommodities of all the states of women to witt of Virgines wiues and widdowes She hath the ioys of a mother without corruption the honour of a Virgine without sterilitie the libertie of a widdowe without solitude She is therfor deseruedly blessed among and aboue all women Affectio Le ts vs then my soule say and neuer be wearie in saying with the Angell Hayle Marie full of grace our Lord is wit thee blessed art thou amongst all women and incomparably aboue and before all women for thou art indeede the Glorie of Hierusalem the ioy of Israël the honour of thy nation race and sexe for he that is powerfull workes wonders in thee and for vs poore lost sinners by thee Ah vse thy powerfull prayers to him for vs now and in the houre of our death Amen II. POINT CONSIDER the Blessed Virgines bashfulnesse prudence and retaynednesse in speech She is saluted by an Angell hayle full of grace accompaigned with her Lord and Master blessed among all women and yet she feares euen an Angell in the shape of a man she resalutes him not and in lieu of complacence finds trouble in hearing so great commendations of her selfe and falls a considering what kind of salutation that might be She eyes her selfe as one who was dayly begging for grace and she wonders to heare herselfe declared full of grace Her companions vse to be the poorer sort of Virgines and she admires to vnderstande she is accompaigned with her Lord and Master She lookes vpon her selfe as the least of women and cannot therfor conceiue how she should be blessed amongst all women Affection Ah my soule doe we obserue this Virgine full of grace blessed amongst all women startled at the presence of an Angell while yet we poore frayle Creatures miserable sinners feare not the presence of men where we may haue experienced much danger And when she returnes noe answer but is troubled at her owne prayses euen from an Angell prudently considering what they might import shall we vainely fall in loue with the prayses which men fawningly bestow vpon vs and therby vnconsideratly fall into questions and answers and ingagements which leade we know not whither Ah saith S. Ambrose it is the part of a Vingine to quake and tremble at euery approche of a man and to feare euery word he speakes THE IV. MEDITATION For the Announciation I. POINT CONSIDER that while the
know that she was wholy his and so ought to be wholy at his dispose II. POINT CONSIDER that by how much our Blessed Lady is more exalted though euen by an Angell by how much she is made more sure of heauenly prerogatiues and graces by so much she growes lesse and lesse in her owne eyes and be she neuer so certaine to be the Mother of God she will still remayne the humble handmayde of her Lord and for his sake become the seruant of his seruants and to make it good in effects as well as inwords she goes with speed into a citie of Iuda to visite her cosen Elizabeth Affection Obserue my soule how this Blessed Virgine still proues a diuine Mistresse to vs by word and worke first crying out to vs all by how much thou art the greater by so much more humble thy selfe 2. Suspect the fauours we may seeme to haue from heauen if we waxe not more humble by them 3. That humble words alone are not proofes of true humilitie vnlesse workes followes them for she finds it not enough to haue professed herselfe to be the handmayd of our Lord vnlesse in practise she proue herselfe to be the humble handmayde of the handmaydes of our Lord according to that of S. Peter be subiect to euery humane creature for Gods sake THE FIRST MEDITATION For the Visitation I. POINT CONSIDER with what Blessed and glorious effects this humble and religious officiousnesse of Blessed Marie was accompaigned Noe sooner had she saluted her cosen Elisabeth with the ordinarie Salutation of the Land Paxtecum but the child in her wombe sprung with ioy and both the child and the Mother were replenished with the Holy Ghost He begun to preach the presence of his master by ioyfull exultations which he could not yet performe by words and she with exclamations to Prophecie to prayse to magnifie the Mother and the fruite of her wombe Iesus who spoke by his Mothers mouth as S. Iohn heard by his Mothers eares Affection O my soule neuer neuer can we loose by humbling our selues be we neuer so great and illustrious but still what we seeme to cast away comes multiplyed home honour and esteeme continually most following him who most flyes it Marie was indeede the Mother of God though she had not stirred from Nazareth But the heauens onely knew that But when humilitie once brings her to Elizabeth the world begins to be acquainted with the Mysterie the Mother 's magnified the Sonne glorified S. Iohn sanctified in his Mothers wombe and S. Elizabeth replenished with the holy Ghost and by vertue therof publishes her to be the Mother of God and vtters a blessed word which all the world till this day neuer ceaseth to repeate Blessed blessed is the fruite of thy wombe O glorious effects of Maries humilitie II. POINT BVT consider how the humilitie which brought her thither leaues her not there but leades her to a most Christian acknowledgement and profession of her owne nothing She heares her selfe proclamed with a lowd voye blessed aboue all women and the fruite of her wombe blessed blessed as beleeuing what was said to her by the Angell blessed as being the Mother of God and yet amidst those highest and withall truest commendations that heauen or earth could bestowe vpon a pure creature she deuestes her selfe of all as being of her selfe nothing at all ascribing the whole to the Ocean of all goodnes saying My soule doth magnifie our Lord. Affection O admirable and incomparable humilitie and abiection of the Mother of God which neuer had in earth any thinge like to it saue onely the abismall humiliation of her Sonne Iesus which noe honours noe prerogatiues noe blessings from the mouthes of men could euer swell or make her forgett that all was Gods and that all glorie which is not taken in him is meere vanitie You may she seeme to say magnifie me aboue all women for my faith for the fruite of my wombe for the dignitie of being the Mother of God but I the while looke ouer all these priuiledges to looke vpon and laude the authour of them all and my verie soule doth magnifie our Lord that is doth publish his greatnes his magnificence his sanctitie wisdome and mercy in all those heauenly giftes of his free liberalitie THE II. MEDITATION For the Visitation I. POINT CONSIDER that it was not with her tongue onely that she magnified her Lord by speaking glorious thinges of him or abiect thinges of her selfe as that she was his handmayde whose Mother indeede she was Or by her hands and feete that is by her workes and labours onely especially those of mercy exercised vpon her cosen Elizabeth or yet by her memorie onely or her vnderstanding or will alone but euen with her whole soule that is with workes memorie vnderstanding and will all ioyntly offered vp in one sacryfice of prayse and thankes giuing and that too with huge ioy and iubilie of hart and my verie Spirit saith she exults in God my child my Iesus my Sauiour Affection O my soule thus it is indeede that we are to magnifie our Lord withall our hart with all our strength with all our soule who payes not this payes lesse then he owes All that we haue and all that we are whether corporally or spiritually in tyme or eternitie all issues originally from his free bountie and all ought to be ascribed to his mercy and goodnes we may law fully exult and reioyce my soule but it must be in our Lord. we may glorie and we haue good reason for it but le tit be with our B. Lady in Deo salutari nostro in God our Sauiour II. POINT CONSIDER for what it was that our B. Lady so magnified her Lord and Master and she herselfe will giue the cause because saith she he hath mercyfully looked vpon the humilitie abiection or pouertie of this handmayde That is to speake with Theophilact while I looked not after him he looked vpon my litlenesse and was mercifull to me while I sought him not Ponder this well it is not because he hade made her the most illustrious and blessed among all women and euen greater in qualitie of Mother of God then the greatest Cherubins and Seraphins but because he looked vpon her humilitie and abiection with the eye of mercy and pittie that is he approued loued imbraced and pleased himselfe in it and mercifully preuented her by his grace Affection Our first acknowledgements my soule following our B. Laydies example must be for that which was first in Gods fauours to wards vs when his vn compelled and free mercy had nothing to looke vpon but our miserie when he looked downe and found all mankind at a losse none doing well not one Fayle not then my soule what euer the world may conceiue and publish to our prayse how glorious and happie soeuer our presente state of life may be what euer perfections grace may seeme to vs to haue wrought in vs fayle not I. say to
magnifie our Lord and to reioyce in God our Sauiour for that he dayned graciously to looke vpon our vilenesse abiection and miserie by which looke or loue of his all our happinesse was begun THE III. MEDITATION For the Visitation I. POINT CONSIDER what was the seconde cause for which our Blessed Lady did so magnifie our Lord and you will heare her selfe againe shew it Still remouing all prayse from her selfe to ascribe it to the sourse of all Good because saith she he that is mightie hath done greate thinges to me as though she should say let none be slow in giuing credit to this ineffable mysterie let none admire that I. a Virgine haue conceiued for how euer it is in me that this astonishing wonder is wrought yet it was not I but the Almightie God that wrought it in the power of the most high who ouershaded me And the whole reason of the worke is the omnipotent power of the workman who alone workes great inscrutable and wonderfull thinges Affection Feare not my soule to acknowledg with our Blessed Lady that he who is mightie hath wrought great thinges in thee so thou humbly with her too confesse vpon whom they were wrought and by whom for so thou shalt stille haue thyne owne misery and Gods power mercy and bountie before thyne eyes so shalt thou neuer forgett that he is all and thou thy selfe nothinge at all and yet finding so many benefits whether of body or soule or fortune freely bestowed vpon thy pouertie and nothinge thou wilt euen melt away with admireing loue and willingly and ioyfully spend what soeuer thou hast of life or abilitie in continuall Magnifying of so good a Lord and in Spirituall exultations in so Deare a Sauiour II. POINT CONSIDER how hugely great that grace of Gods looking vpon B. Maries abiection must needs haue bene sith from thenceforth all generations shall call her blessed as she her selfe feares not to foretell hauing first giuen the honour of it to him that was truly the Authour therof Certainly that aspect or looking vpon was the effect of eternall direction according to that vbi amor ibi oculus and singular election his looke or aspect onely following his loue since as S. Augustin saith Gods looking vpon one by grace is the deliuering of him from abiection and abandonnement Affection O my soule what an excessiue ioy is it to a truly Christian hart to see this prediction so fully verified Blessed art thou began the Angell blessed art thou went on S Elizabeth and from them 16. ages and vpwards tooke and euer since continued the same songe all the Ancient Fathers being as it were at a holy strife which might take it the highest and all the Christian world from the rysing of the sunne till the setting of the same hauing nothing after Iesus so frequently in its mouth as our Blessed Lady that being as it were among them all her proper name whervpon millions of millions of all sexes and ages and conditions all the world ouer euery day fayle not to sing her Canticle and publish and confirme her blessed by all generations THE I. MEDITATION For the Natiuitie of our Blessed Sauiour I. POINT CONSIDER yet how many iust reasons concurre to oblidge all mankind to proclaime her blessed for euer First because she beleeued 2. Because she was full of grace 3. Because she brought out a most blessed fruite 4. Because the All-powerfull or Almightie wrought wonderful thinges in her 5. Because she was the Mother of our Lord the King of Glorie 6. Because she reserued the puritie of a Virgine togeither with the fecunditie of a Mother 7. Because neither was their before her or euer shall there be after her any like or comparable to her Affection Blesse her then my soule blesse her togeither with heauen and earth with Angells and Saintes and withall learne of her to blesse to prayse to magnifie that powerfull hand which wrought wonders in her and by her that fruite of her wombe that God her Sauiour whom she brought out blesse her firme faith her fulnesse of grace her pure maternitie her fruite full Virginitie Say say my soule with the deuoute Saint Bernard while the riuers run into the Sea while the woodes ouershade the mountaines while the starres possesse the heauens thyne honour thy name thy prayses shall alwayes remayne II. POINT CONSIDER that though Blessed Marie were a iustest subiect of admiratioÌ„ to men and Angells in all the states of her life as being designed for a worke which passed all their capacities euen to conceiue it yet was she then most blessefull and blessed when she did not onely promise but present her blessed fruite when our God was not onely our Lord with her and in her but our Emmanuel or our God with vs by her when that flower of the field began to appeare in our Land and her Virgine earth brought out a Sauiour when finally her dayes were fully come that she should be deliuered she brought-forth her first begotten Sonne and swadled him in clootes and layd him downe in a manger Affection Then then my soule it was indeede that all men of good will began to blesse her ioyninge with the multitudes of Angels who compasse about our more then Salomons litle bedd to sing a Gloria to the child of her wombe and peace to the world Then did she place her young Sonne our God visibly amongst vs and therby freed vs from that ancient reproche vbi est Deus tuus where is thy God Now thou mayst tell the Diuell my soule that here he is to subdue his pride Thou mayst tell the incredulous Iewes that here he is to confound their malice Thou maist tel all men of good will that here he is to breake our chaynes to cure our wounds to direct to protect to comfort to saue the poore banished Sonns of Eue. THE II. MEDITATION In the Natiuitie of our Sauiour I. POINT CONSIDER that then it was indeede that she shewed her selfe to be a Mother when she brought forth to the world her first begotten Sonne and layd him in a manger Then she was indeede Mother in effect and Mother of God and in that name and qualitie according to S. Thomas of Aquine the greatest creature that euer was or euer shall or can be made euen by the Almighties power since to be the Mother of God as being ioyned to a thing of an infinite perfection includes in it selfe a certaine infinite dignitie Affection Stand amaysed my soule at this heauenly prodigie as hauing neither words nor thoughtes sutable to this ineffable dignitie or at least say with that great S. Andrew of Hierusalem O holy Lady Thou art the incomprehensible secreete of the diuine economie whom the Angells desire incessantly to behold Thou art the admirable lodging of an humbled God Thou art that agreeable earth which made him descend from heauen and gave him entrie among vs. Thou art the treasure of â—he mysteries shut vp before all ages
be made accordingly THE SECONDE POINTE. CONSIDER That if the approche of the iudge proue so dreadfull what will his finall doome be If we haue not courage enough to stand to behold his dreadfull face how shall we be able to stand to heare his reuengefull sentence which is without repeale And yet truth tells vs as saith S. Paul without excepting any one that we must all stand before his Tribunal And heare that dismale curse pronounced against the wicked Begone you accursed of my father into eternall fire c. Affection Heauen and earth shall passe my soule but the word of God remaynes inuiolable and vnchangable for euer We shall all heare this dismale sentence pronounced against the sinner Begone cursed of my father but whither into euerlastaing fire O horrour of an eternally damning Doome Ah who shall be the obiect of this endlesse wroth Who shall be the accursed subiects vpon whom this reuengfull sentence shall be executed This lyes hidd in the abisse of Gods iust iudgementes But who ought to be so secure as that he should not freely bestowe all his substance to buy out his pardon Who would not abandon all pleasures to auoyd this eternitie of fire who would not imbrace all paines and pressures to purchace securitie against that day of anger Yet why art thou sadd my soule and why dost thou trouble me Our God is the God of mercy and his mercy out-speakes all his workes we are yet in the tyme of mercy He wiskes not the death of a sinner but that be should be conuerted and liue Resolution THE THIRD POINTE. But when these thinges begin to come to passe look vp and lift vp your heades because your redemption is at hand CONSIDER that as the horrour of the sentēce pronounced against the wicked is most dismale so is that which the iust shall heare most comfortable and blisfull Come you blessed of my father receiue the Kingdome prepared for you c. Then shall appeare in the face of the whole world the difference there is betwixt the iuste and vniust the sainte and the sinner Then shall the iust man with excesse of ioye lift vp his longe deiected heade and see his redemption accomplished Affection O my soule what harte is yet capable to conceiue with what transports of blisse we shall be replenished vpon the hearing of this heauenly inuitation come saith our Sauiour you blessed But of whom of my heauenly father O rauishing benediction come receiue But what nothing that is light and momentanie but exceedingly aboue measure an eternall waight of glorie Come and receiue a kingdome an heauenly kingdome prepared for you purchaced by the merites of my passion Come enter into the ioy of your lord Ah my soule should we vpon the purchace of this bestowe all our tyme all our care all our substance we should then repute it as nothinge in comparison of the ineffable happinesse which we shall then be possessed of for euer and euer THE FIRST MEDITATION FOR THE II. SVNDAY IN ADVENT And when Iohn Baptist in prison had heard the workes of Christ c. Matt. 11. THE FIRST POINT CONSIDER that though there was none amongst the sonns of women either greater or better or dearer to the sonne of God none more innocent more austere or none imployed in a more diuine and necessarie function to witt to forerun Christ and to preach his coming to the people none hauing lesse commerce with the world yet we find him in persecution in prison in chaynes to manifeste to all men this diuine truth that all they which desire to liue piously in Christ Iesus shall suffer persecution Affection Let vs then ô my soule be so farre from lookeing strangely vpon or falling out with the persecutions temptations contradictions and crosses be they of what kind soeuer which Gods sweete and euer iust prouidence permitts euen strangely sometymes to fall vpon vs that contrariwise they may euen proue matter of ioy to vs. We are not better then S. Iohn more saintly more innocent but contrarily miserable sinners and yet behold him in persecution in prison in chaynes We ayme at a pious life and Truth assures vs this is the way because thou wast aggreable to God euen there for it was necessarie that temptation should trye thee Our designe is to raigne with Christ and to raigne with him we must suffer with him Resolution Say then be thou euer blest ô lord If we haue receiued good thinges from thy bountifull hand why shoud we not suffer euill thinges Sit nomen Domini benedictum THE 2. POINTE. CONSIDER that though they can keepe his bodie captiue in chaines yet his better parte is at libertie his mynde is still free and imployed about what he was sent for He cannot now in person preach to the people and with that he has patience but he can send his Disciples to heare Christ preach and in that he fayles not There is noe restraint noe want of commoditie of tyme or place that can hinder a right harte to goe out to seeke Christ to heare him speake to it and it to him to stay with him reioyce in him and happily in fine performe its dutie Affect My soule neuer be perplexed and troubled that thou canst not actually performe what thou truly desirest It is our heart not our body which God desires Our workes without our wills may want rewards but our true desires neuer Canst thou performe what thy obligation oblidges thee to Be ware to fayle in it Art thou hindred by the malice of men by sicknesse by obediēce by charitie Neuer murmure at it None is lesse perfecte for omitting what he cannot mend for what Gods prouidence hinders for what obedience inioynes for what charitie commands Let thy heart stand right and all will goe right in all places tymes and occasions THE II. MEDITATION For the same day Art thou he who is to come or must we expect an other THE FIRST POINTE. CONSIDER that S. Iohns Disciples were sent to Christ to know frō him selfe by word of mouth whether he were the true Messias or not but he in lieu of words makes his workes answer the question Goe saith he and relate to Iohn what you haue heard and seene The blind see the lame walke the lepers are made cleane the deafe heare the deade ryse againe to the poore the Gospell is preached c. This silent answer is more full more forcible more satisfactorie then words could euer make it according to that if you beleeue not me beleeue my workes Affect My soule let vs striue alwayes to make our workes speake who we are and what doctrine we follow Let vs doe the workes of Christ and they will declare we are Christians without the helpe of words which alone gett litle credit Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good workes and glorifie your heauenly father saith our diuine master Let our endeuours be imployed to helpe the blind the lame
the dumme and our hearts and purses be open to our poore bretheren and such workes will preach louder to their eares and proue more effectuall to conuert their hearts then all the eloquence of wordes imaginable THE II. POINTE. CONSIDER that though Christ now a dayes doth not ordinarily worke the forsaid miracles amongst vs corporally and visibly yet doth he daylie and hourely worke greater ones spiritually and inuisibly in our soules for haue we not bene blind and followed the blind as wel in doctrine as manners and he enlightened vs haue not our peruerse willes bene lame to good and he excited vs therto haue we not bene leprous and defiled with the infection of sinne and he washed vs in the bloud of the lambe haue we not bene deafe to his diuine inspirations and he by his multiplyed graces broke through our deafenesse haue we not bene deade by mortall crymes he by his holy Sacraments raysed vs to life againe So that while we receiue not the same we fayle not of farre greater benefits Affection It s true my soule its most true that while we seeme to want exteriour miracles we dayly meete with greater and more profitable ones in our owne soule For alas is it not true that the continuall miracles of Gods mercys to our deade soules ought farre more to be valued then the greatest infirmities of our corruptible bodies which when they are at the fairest are but dust and ashes and about to proue wormes-meate Let vs then putting iuste rates vpon thinges most admire magnifie and loue those which come most home to our aduantage and make vs appeare liuely beautifull and louely in the sight of God THE FIRST MEDITATION FOR THE THIRD SVNDAY IN ADVENT The Iewes sent Priest and Leuites from Ierusalem into the Deserte to interrogate Iohn Luc. 1. THE FIRST POINTE. CONSIDER that true vertue is of that nature that the more it hides it selfe the more it comes to be knowne and admired S. Iohn ledd a life that litle aymed at any humane estimation His conuersation was rather with wild beasts and birds then men His habitation from his youth was a vaste vnpeopled Desert His habit rough camels haire his diet locusts Yet loe while he hardly appeares a man of this world the Preists and Leuites are almost readie to ascribe the dignitie of a God to him Affection Doe we then my soule desire to be truly greate Let vs take our ryse from our owne litlenesse nothing Let vs loue to be vnknowne and to be reputed as nothing Le ts striue to hide our selues from the eyes of the world and the eyes of God and his Angells will be vpon vs. Our lord is high yet beholds lowe things Let honour seeke vs not we honour for if we seeke it it flyes vs. if we flye it it followes vs. Or if we will needs seeke it let vs seeke it in God who honours his friends exceedingly If we will needs seeke it let vs seeke it where is true and is giuen to none vnworthy of it So seeke it my soule and greedily seeke it and feare not to offend THE SECONDE POINTE. CONSIDER S. Iohns profounde humilitie He was sanctified in his mothers wombe Liued in the wildernesse like an Angell of heauen Had testimonie euen from the mouthe of truth it selfe that he was sent out before him as an Angell to prepare his way Was conceiued by the preists and Leuites to be the Elias nor a Prophete in theit sense nor Messias neuer the lesse he humbly confesses that he is not Christ that he is noe more in verie deede but the voyce of one crying in the Desert that in fine he is not worthy to loose the latchet of his shoe Affection O admirable humilie worthy to be looked vpon and imitated by all that loue Christ O admirable humilitie which whilst it makes S. Iohn appeare as litle or as it were lesse then nothing in his owne eyes he appeares more then a prophete nay a verie Angell in the eyes of God Angells and men O admirable humilitie which canst find out thyne owne nothing in the midst of sanctitie While multitudes of crymes which make vs indeede lesse then nothinge cannot preuayle with our proude hearts to humble them selues O my soule how desparatly are we lost since miserie it selfe cannot make vs acknowledge that we are miserable THE SECONDE MEDITATION FOR THE SAME THIRD SVNDAY OF ADVENT Who art thou Gospell THE FIRST POINTE. CONSIDFR that S. Iohns humilitie was not so much grounded vpon the examine of himselfe and the dignitie he found in himselfe who was sanctified in his mothers wombe as by comparison to the Word the sonne of God wherof he was the voyce whose shoetye he acknowledged by the light of faith he was not worthy to loose For in that sight he truly beleeued he was nothing in the order of nature but by his gift who is because he is nothing in the order of grace and sanctitie but onely by participation with him who is sanctitie it selfe And therfor in that comparison he truly and iustly humbled himselfe and acknowledged himselfe to be lesse in substance worth and sanctitie then a droppe compared to the whole ocean Affection Let vs thus looke vpon on selues my soule and we shall not fayl to fall to nothinge that is to be truly humble Let vs learne to knowe our selues with relation to the knowing God and our selues ioyntly with Sainte Augustine and pride can finde noe groud to worke vpon He is the sole fountaine of all beeing grace and glorie We haue nothing of all this but by his free gift and without it vniuersall vanitie vniuersa vanitas omnis homo viuens What haue we which we haue not receiued And why then doe we glorie in it as though we had not receiued it Resolution Put downe therfor this truth for certaine from S. Cyprian and S. Augustine We must glorie in nothing because nothinge is ours THE SECONDE POINTE. Let euery vallie be filled and euery montaine and hill be made lowe because all flesh shall see the saluation of God CONSIDER how S. Iohn goes still on teaching vs a fitt disposition to receiue the Messias or Sauiour sent from God by preparing his way which is done by leuelling vallies and throwing downe mountaines and hills our leuelling of vallies consists in erecting our hearts from pusillanimitie and despaire by the confidence of seeing the saluation of God or God our Sauiour now neere at hand whom all flesh shall see And mountaines and hills we shall throw downe by diffidence in our owne strength which is meere weaknes by depressing of our high flowen thoughtes and falling downe into the knowledge of our nothing with our humbled lord Affection O my poore perplexed soule why art thou sadd and why dost thou afflict me It is not vpon our owne workes that we builed our hopes but vpon the infinite mercy of that Sauiour who comes by death to giue life to all men And who trusts
of my future merits which he foresaw in his prescience could moue him neither for these were his owne free mercyes gifts and graces non ex operibus Not to vs then ô Lord not to vs but to thyne owne name giue glorie It was thy charitie moued thee to thinke vpon vs. Thy all powerfull will drew vs out of nothing thy owne graces made vs gratefull to thy heauenly eyes For of him and in him and by him are all things To him be glorie for euer Amen Must we conclude with S. Paule THE SECONDE POINTE. He sent them into the vineyard CONSIDER how that great God who out of his infinite goodnesse and chartie had thoughtes of mercy for me from all eternitie did in tyme as his prouidence had appointed rayse me out of the abisse of nothinge and gaue me this noble beeing capable to knowe feare loue and serue him in his vineyard and to gayne the day pennie that is eternall felicitie Affection O my soule what a fauour of preference is it to haue had a light sent from heauen to witt the light of faith which was not granted to all men therby to haue accesse to the great God who inhabites an inaccessible light whom none knowes but feares nor knowes and feares as being infinitly powerfull but he also ought to loue because he is infinitly good or good nesse it selfe serue as being his creature whose seruice is true libertie whom to serue is truly to raigne Let vs therfor my soule know that this is our whole businesse here belowe to feare loue and serue that good God who without hauing any neede of vs made vs to inioy himselfe eternally THE SECONDE MEDITATION FOR THE SAME SVNDAY Hauing made couenant with the workemen for a penie a day c. THE FIRST POINTE. CONSIDER further how graciously that Almightie maker of all thinges dealt with man in this proceding who though he had absolute power ouer all his creatures by right of creation and might ther-for most iustly haue exacted all their labours as they had all their abilities and euen all that they are from his free gift yet would not his goodnesse make vse of his prerogatiue with man by exacting all his labours as due to him from his slaues but pleased to couenante with him for a reward or hire as with a free man Affection All is thyne all is thyne indeede my deare Lord my God and my Creatour absolutly and without reserue as issuing freely out from the drayneles sourse of thy bountie Let all be thyne too by my free choyce and surrender all my words all my thoughtes all my workes and by how much more all being thyne owne by iustice thou yet daignest to spurre on my slowenesse by hope of rewards by so much more feruently make me spring after thee for pure lou'es sake because thou art infinitly good and louely and vnspeakably worthy of the loue of all men and Angells THE SECONDE MEDITATION FOR THE SAME DAY THE FIRST POINTE. CONSIDER that English Catholikes are not onely called to the Knowledge of God and to worke in his vineyard but further to a higher degree of honour to be the speciall champions of his truth To you saith S. Paule in the way of congratulation to his deare Philipians it is giuen for Christ not onely to beleeue in him but also to suffer for him Thus doe Monarkes vse to honour their commanders when out of the confidence they haue of their fidelitie worth and valour putt them in the greatest places and occasions of danger Affection Let vs not therfor my soule here after looke vpon persecutions tribulations and temptations as afflictions but speciall fauours from heauen and esteeme them all ioy with sainte Iames since S. Chrystome and Theophilacte assure vs that the gift of suffering for Christ is greater then the gift of raysing the deade and working of wonderfull miracles for by this last say they I become a debter to God but by that other God becomes my debter O admirable thinge It s he who giues me the grace to suffer and yet by this he himselfe be comes my debter Let vs therfor say with that admirable seruant of Christ S. Teresa aut pati aut mori lets either suffer or dye that is the sure and royall roade which our Capitaine Christ tooke to his owne Kingdome THE FIRST MEDITATION FOR SEXAGESIME SVNDAY The sower went out to sowe his seede Luc 8. And it fell by the way side THE FIRST POINTE. CONSIDER that though the seede which was sowen was noe lesse then the word of God as our Sauiour himselfe declares to his Disciples saying the seede is the word of God in that his diuine commentarie yet three partes of it by the peruersitie of man falls fruitlesse vpon the ground to witt one parte of that good seede fell by the way side that is vpon harts which lye open exposed as a through-fare to all the rumours follies and vanities of the world whence it s troden as it were vnder foote and so neuer getts tyme to take any roote at all Affection Is it not true my soule that it often happens that when the word of God is either proposed to the eare of our body by the preacher or to the eares of our harte by diuine inspirations we haue noe eares to heare or els that hearing we heare not that is we vnderstand not because our hartes are alreadie prepossessed and wholy taken vp by wordly dreames and imaginations so that there is noe place left for the word of God O what pittie it is to let that seede of heauen sent vs to produce the fruites of eternall glorie be negligently lost Le ts therfor emptie our harts of such pernicious toyes that we may truly say speake ô Lord because thy seruant heareth THE SECONDE POINTE And other some fell vpon the Rocke CONSIDER that an other parte of that good seede fell vpon the rocke which hauing the superficies or out-side of some good earth is capable to receiue the seede and to make it sprout out too but yet so hastily that it takes noe firme roote and thence as soone withers as appeares So it fares with those who heare and receiue the word of God with ioy and are often thetby moued to compunction and teares yet their harts being rockie it makes noe great impression therin and thence vpon the first temptation or difficultie they easily forgett that they were moued at all Affection Doe we happly my soule perceiue our hartes so hardened that they are litle apte to conceiue this good seede Despaire not for all that Gods word is a hammer that is able to split rockes in peeces His grace is powerfull enough to make the soyle fertile be it neuer sostonie and barren Pray hard then that these harts of rockes may be turned into harts of flesh supple and apte to receiue good seede saying with S. Augustine giue me ô Lord that conquering grace which is repulsed by noe hard harte
burnt that thundred that sent out beames of glorie there here is nailed to a Crosse and ignominiously dying betwixt two theeues vpon the toppe of Mount Caluarie Affect Ibo videbo visionem hanc grandem I will vp to Caluarie and see this great sight for it is not as some conceiued the frame of the Vniuerse that is about to be dissolued but the very God of nature which suffers and is readie to dye Dye then my soule dye to this world and to all its concupiscences and dye with this deare Lord and Master of thine Ah my dying Lord ô my crucified Loue Let my eyes and thoughts loath their wonted vanities and fill them selues full of this daunting obiect of a dying God O my crucified Loue let me be nayled to the Crosse with thee neuer seeking to be freed from that tye But grant that all the rest of my life in flesh I may liue in the faith of the sonne of God true God who loued me and deliuered vp himselfe for me Resolution Neuer regard among vvhom thou art numbered so thy actions be Christian Loue to be reputed for nothing c. THE XIX MEDITATION Of our Christian bloody sacrifice vpon Mount Caluarie 1. Point COnsider how at length we haue mett with such a Bishop as we had absolute neede of as S. Paule saith à Bishop who is holy innocent vnspotted separated from sinners who hauing no neede to sacrifice for his owne sinnes wholy imployes it for the redemption of ours Behold him ready to performe this great sacrifice to his heauenly father in his owne blood Caluarie is the vast Temple lying open to the whole world the Crosse the Altar him selfe the Preist and Hoste and that infinite charitie of his heauenly hart to man the fire which burnes all into an Holocaust Affect O dolefull ioyfull Mysterie thy Christ ô Christian is readie to sacrifice himselfe What fountaines of teares are not due to such an ignominious death But it is for thy sake for thy redemption what consolation what ioy Weepe then weepe vpon thy dying spouse yes for his dolours deserue seas of teares yet weepe not so as those others who haue no hope for thou hast mett with a gracious Redeemer a plentifull redemption which is euen at hand to witt our high Priest is gone vp to the high Altar and is readie to put downe his blood more then the price of a thousand worlds While this Abels blood out-speakes his brothers crime Mans malice was not able to committ what Gods mercie was able to expiate Our sinns are great ô Lord huge great we confesse it we pleade guiltie But our Priest is holy vnspotted innocent innocencie it selfe And he is readie for vs poore sinners to paie-backe what he tooke not awaie to appease thy wrath which he neuer prouoked Looke vpon this innocent obedient sonne of thine and pardon the crimes and disobediences of thy poore seruant who of himselfe is altogether insoluable 2. Point Consider that whereas other Bishops goe richly adorned to the Altar poore Christ is turned quite naked to the worke making his publike confusion the ornament which ought to rauish the harts of men and Angells to see their God and ours who couers beautifies and adornes all thinges exposed naked to the eyes and scorne of all the world to couer our confusion to hide our shame and to recouer vs againe the white garment of originall iustice which we lost in our first father Affect Neuer is a Christian man so gloriously adorned in the eyes of God Angells and Men as when he neglects or depriues him selfe of all ornaments by Christs example and for his loue Neuer doe we so neerly resemble Christ nor so securely approch to his holy sacrifices as when we find our selues turned naked not only from all interest humane respects selfe-esteeme and selfe loue but from our dearest desires and best beloued affections to certaine practises of pietie aduancement in verue by meanes of our owne choice whereas our more purified and Christian-like desires indeed ought to be an absolute indifferencie and intire dependence of Gods good pleasure affecting that in all things his holy name be sanctified his raigne be magnified his blessed will be accomplished and glorified for euer whether by our nakednesse confusion ignominie or good fame Resolution We vvill disingage our selues of all other interests but Gods blessed vvill alone THE XX. MEDITATION Our Sauiour stripped naked and putt vpon the Crosse 1. Point COnsider how this publik confusion was accompaigned with excessiue paines for the barbarous rudenesse inhumanitie and crueltie of the soldiers doe not so much teare off the fleece as the very skinne and flesh of the delicate and tender lambe which muttered not against those that shore him and ledd him to slaughter If at the piller their inhumanitie inflicted wounds without number at the Crosse their inraged violence teares them all into one while they snatche off the garment which stickes to the goarie blood of them all Affect Ah my soule let vs here behold the man againe who is placed naked before our eyes He is thy dearest spouse but thy spouse of blood whose sufferances find no end He is thy hartes only delight who is now made an obiect of horrour to thine eyes It is he who was beautifull farre before all the sonns of men and behold he is wholy deformed all couered ouer with wounds and fresh springs of blood shewre downe from euery part and now there is noe beautie in him nor comlinesse Nay he is as it vvere a Leper strucken by God and humbled Towitt we all straied like lost sheepe and this lambe takes all our iniquities vpon him Let vs not then at least spare dropps of guiltie teares where he spends fountaines of innocent blood 2. Point Consider how these vile slaues extend the King of Glorie thus naked thus deformed thus fleaed and torne thus cruelly crowned vpon the ignominious wood with as much barbarousnesse and brutalitie as their diuellish malice could inuent and then with great and rude nailes digge through his hands and feete Foderunt manus meas pedes meos as the prophet longe before had expressed it racking out his armes with huge violence to force them to their designed places vpon the Crosse so that one might count all his bones dinumerauerunt omnia ossa mea Affect O my deare Iesus what excessiue shame confusion and torments must I needs conceiue thou here indurest for the sinfull soule of me thy poore vnworthy lost seruant while I see the waight of thy whole bodie riue the wounds of thy sacred hands and feete still wider and wider Thy bones vnioynted thy veines and sinewes forced to an vniust length My hart my hart where art thou on what thinkest thou while thy innocent Master thus suffers for thy sake without complaint without murmuring one word Is it thus that we suffer infinitly lesse things for his sake and in contemplation hereof Resolution I vvill neuer forgett these huge
forsaken him If our Aduocate be not heard be forsaken our case is desparate mans cause is lost for euer But be it not so dread Lord be it not so Looke vpon the louely deformed face of thy Christ which is therefore more louely because more deformed Looke vpon his bare breast sometimes lilly-white now all-redd and goared with blood Looke vpon his withered bowells his bright sweete eyes now languishing his extended armes his torne limms his imperiall head crowned with thornes his pearced hands and feete whenoe springes of pretious blood streames downe to bathe our infected soules The strangenesse of his plea my God my God vvhy hast thou forsaken me speakes onely the desparatnesse of our cause thou canst not forsake that onely deare sonne of thine nor he thee or vs whose suite he is resolued to winne with the losse of his life Aspice Deus respice in faciem Christi tui 2. Point Let vs weigh yet further these stupendious words My God my God vvhy hast thou forsaken me He complaines not of the excesse of the barbarous torments crowne of thornes nailes cruell extension vpon the Crosse and effusion of his pretious blood which he suffers in his bodie Nay he mentions not the contumelies contemps scornefull blasphemies which enter into his very soule but to see himselfe seeme to be quite abandoned by his heauenly father and left as a person forgotten or as one who had no credit or power in the midst of his barbarous enemies and euen in the hight of those torments which he suffers in obedience to his will and for his glorie Affection Cry out then my soule with S. Augustine what haste thou committed ô most sweete child that thou shouldst be so iudged What hast thou committed most amiable young man that thou shouldst be so treated What is thy trepasse what is thy cryme It is I it is I who am the wound which putt thee to that payne I the cryme which kills thee I the sinne wherof reuenge is taken I the man which seemes forsaken in thee who can indeede neuer be forsaken Noe my soule it is noe forsaking but a mysterie Man had forsaken God by sinne and God forsakes man in Christ that by Christ sinnfull man may be reconciled to God It is noe forsaking but a doctrine intimating noe despaire but a rigourous satisfaction and is indeede à souueraigne antidote which loue presentes to our sicke hartes Ah let vs engraue it deeply in the same hartes and neuer forgett that the desease must needes be hugely great which will not be cured but by the abandonnement torments and death of the most skilfull Doctour Ah my soule our leprosie was desparatly malignant which found onely the bathe of the bloud of so innocent a child souueraigne for its cure Resolution Neuer to despaire of Gods mercy and assistance seeme vve neuer so forsaken THE XXVI MEDITATION I thirst 1. Point COnsidera But harke my soule the fontaine of life is almost dryed vp and thy deare Lord drawes neere to his end The incessant labours of a most wearisome night and the immoderate effusion of his most pretious bloud in the garden at the Pillorie vpon the Crosse hath quite drayned his veyhes his vigour and strength as he foretold by the Psalmist is withered as a pott and his tongue cleaning to his iawes dolefully testifies that he is drye Affect O my soule what a deadly thirst is this which seemes to haue dryed vp the verie sourse of life and is readie to force the afflicted soule out of the withered body It is truth that sayes it and it issues out of that sacred mouth which sometymes said If any be thirstie let him come to me and drinke who am the fountaine of liuing water which flowes into life euerlasting And it is excessiue torment my soule in my crucified Loue which hath so withered and dryed him vp He is oppressed with the waight of my sinnes he is burnt vp with my intempetance and riotte and he seemes to say to our hartes children giue me to drinke And à true sense of his sufferances à compassionate hart a repentant teare is able to refresh him whether it be bestowed vpon his owne person or vpon any of his suffering members in his name Ah then let it neuer be reproched to our hartes I was thirstie and you gaue me not to drinke c. 2. Point Considera And though the extremitie of the torments which my Sauiour suffered were indeede forceable enough to draw this expression of corporall drinesse from his mouth yet was the drouth of his soule according to S. Bernard farre more ardent wherby he thirsted after the saluation of our poore soules and the honour and glorie of his heauenly father which he saw contemned My meate and drinke said he sometymes is that you accomplish the will of my heauenly father and what is his will but your sanctification or sanctitie Affect If we desire then truly to take compassion of our Sauiours extreame thirst and be willing to refresh him let our cheife care be to take pittie of our owne soules and to sanctifie them So shall we accomplish Gods blessed will pleasure so shall we honour and glorifie his heauenly father and so finally shall we afford Christ both meate and drinke How happie are we then my soule to haue our interests so inseparablie lincked with those of God the Father and the sonne that we neuer performe his holy will and honour him but the aduantage comes home to our owne soules nor euer againe attend to the aduantage of our owne soules but we honour and glorifie God and giue drinke to Christ in his greatest thirst Resolution I will be still carefull to glorifie God in seeking to performe his heauenly will since his glorie is my sanctitie my sanctitie his glorie THE XXVII MEDITATION They present Christ vvith vineger c. 1. Point COnsideration Consider that Christ his mercy myldnesse and sufferance and the Iewes crueltie maddnesse and malice goe on still at the same hight The myld lambe out of mercy to miserable man is so miserably racked and torne that all the radicall moysture of his body is dryed vp and he signifies his neede of drinke they presently run with malice accompaigned with mockerie and present him with vineger and gale Ah was there euer any I doe not say iust innocent patient meeke dying young man but euen any despicable theife cruel homicide or most cryminall villaine so vnhumanly treated as I see these barbarous tygers treate my deare Lord and master Affect Alas my soule Le ts change but the name of cruell Iewe into cold and vnworthy Christian and the storie is told and verified of vs. For are not indeede our words our workes our thoughtes mixed with vineger and gale And doe we not present them to Christ too who saith what you doe to those litle ones you doe to me We offer vineger and gale to Christ when we mixe his pure loue with terreane and
doe not so my soule doe not so but rather wholy offer thy selfe such as thou art to him for verily he hath offered himselfe wholy for thee and inuite earnestly all creatures to praise him Laudate Dominum omnes gentes laudate cum omnes populi quoniam in this act of vnparralled loue and mercie confirmata est super nos misericordia eius at least run to him and craue pardon his fatherly bowels are easily wonne to compassion his louing and royall hart cannot denie a bowne we haue a good proofe of it for euen the theefe his doubtfull demand is accorded and he hath alreadie heard mecum eris in Paradiso A great grace and consolation for poore sinners Demand his benediction before he goe least we may be after forced to complaine with that faithfull Soule heu mihi Domine heu animae mea recessisti consolator animae meae nec valedixisti ingrediens vias tuas benedixâ—sti tuis nec affui Woe is me woe is my soule thou didst depart ô thou comfortour of my soule without bidding me farewell and taking thy iorney thou gauest thy blessing to thy friends and I alas was not present 29 And alas he cannot long now indure for infinite torment possesseth at once euery sense and member see how the weight of his torne and wearie bodie vnioynts his armes and shoulders riueing the holes of his haÌ„ds and feete and harke he cries out Consummatum est Heauenly Father the worke is done for which I was sent my commission is accomplished my Mission is ended The predictions of the Prophetes are verified the types and figures and Sacryfices of the old law are abolished the miracles and wonders wrought the cures finished the debt of all mankind well nigh discharged and an eternall league made betwxit Heauen and earth in myne owne bloud Consummatum est 30. Yes eternall Father for what could I haue done for my vineyeard which I haue not done I haue manifested thy name and truth vnto it I haue taught thy people by word and example seconded and confirmed by wonders and prodigies I haue waded through whole seas of indignities contumelies and contempts and a storme of tormentes haue almost wracked me There is not one member of my body left intire the whole stocke of my bloud is spent the conduites wherin it ran my vaynes are dryed vp and my hart the source is quite drayned my iawes are horce with crying and scarce now is there so much breath left in my body as to giue thee this short accompt of my selfe and my Embasie in saying Consummatum est and so deliuer vp my soule or life into thy holy hands 31. Ah my soule my soule what haue we seene and heard and what doe we now heare The soule of thy Sauiour is readie to be giuen vp for thy sinnes Whither whither hath thy miserie and malice togeither with his mercie and charitie lead thy Lord and thee Thy malice hath run with a stiffe necke into a lande of huge disproportion and his mercy hangs vpon the Crosse with a humbled head bowed downe to receiue thee home with a kisse of peace Thy malice hath run thee out of breath in sinning and his mercy in suffering Thy malice wholy spends its thoughtes vpon rebellion against God and selfe-affliction and his mercy vpon thoughtes of peace and reconcilement Thy malice imployes its words in prouoking Gods wroth and his mercy is exercised in petitioning thy Pardon Thy malice prodigally powres out the last farding of thy substance to loose thy selfe and his Mercy more prodigally the last droppe of the bloud of a God to saue thee 32. Yes yes my soule it was not thought enough to thy Christ for thy loue to haue taken thy nature vpon him to haue bene borne in a stable layd in a manger in humilitie abiection and pouertie to haue conuersed 33. yeares among men as one of them in labours from his youth to haue preached and practised all sorts of vertues to haue sweate bloud to haue bene betrayed taken bound scourged crowned calumniated condemned to a most shamefull death nayled to a most infamous Crosse But he would also stay there till the consummation of all to the last droppe of his pretious bloud to the last breath of his body till he had yeilded vp his Ghost into his heauenly fathers hands 33. Nor is it enough for vs Christians to begin well to run prosperously for a tyme to liue in humilitie pouertie and abiection to watch to fast to pray to practise religious discipline It is to finall perseuerance saluation is promised It is to the coÌ„summation or end of the worke the crowne is giuen Looking then vpon the Authour of our faith and consummatour Iesus be as prompt to suffer with him as to adore him and pray to him Be still as readie for the ignominie of Caluarie as the glorie of Thabot Prefixe noe end to our labours caluminies contradictions temptations c. but that of our life Prescribe noe limit to what euer abiection torment abandonement c. Gods wise prouidence and good pleasure may permitt to fall vpon vs but constantly remayne in the midst of them nayled to our Crosse with Christ dying with him to the world to worldly respects to selfe interests to our selues with him I say who is euen a dying for we haue heard Consummatum est 34. And harke now we heare In manus tuas Domine commendo spiritum meum into thy hands ô Lord I commend my spirit Ay me Ay me my dearest spouse my Loue my life my God is deade Yes my soule he 's deade noe longer can his weake necke susteyne his sacred heade As we haue followed him liuing and looked vpon him dying so let vs now for a sad farewell take our last view of our dead Lord who was slaughtered for our loue Alas he is wholy deformed there is neither beautie nor comlinesse left in that Fairest farre beyond the sonnes of men A gastly palenesse hath seased vpon his glorious face whilome the Angells ioy Wounds gaules goarie bloud wholy couer his Virginall body All whitenesse is fledd from that white Lilie of the vnderualleys totus rubicundus est dilectus meus my Beloued is all redd Be all honour and glorie and benediction and thankes-giuing to that tender Lambe who was slayne for loue Amen AN OBLATION OF the life and Passion of our Sauiour for the remission of sinne O Sweete Iesu I haue alas all the dayes of my life offended thee and haue bene incessantly vngratfull vnto thee my dearest Creatour and Redeemour I haue mangled thy gifts not preseruing them intire nor making a right vse of them but haue hindered thy grace and still added new faults to the old Verilie my offences are exceeding great and many but yet thy mercy is infinitlie greater and without all limite I confesse I am vtterly vnworthy to be called thy sonne I cannot howeuer but acknowledge thee to be my Father as thou truly art and in
thee is all my confidence Thou art the drainlesse fountaine of mercies who dost not repulse but wash those stayned soules who flye to thee Behold ô my dearest refuge behold I the verie scumme of all thy creatures approche vnto thee bringing nothing along with me but the heauie loade of my sinnes lowly layd at the feete of thy pietie I humbly implore thy mercy Pardon me I beseech thee ô my surest hope and for thy names sake saue me who beleeue that noe crymes are so great and enormious that by the merites of thy most holy Passion may not be forgiuen O sweete Iesu I offer vnto thee for remission of all my sinnes that admirable charitie of thyne which made thee not disdaigne being the God of eternall Maiestie to become man and for the space of more then thirtie yeares to be molested with many labours calamities and persecutions I offer vp that heauinesse that bloudie sweate those hard exigents which afflicted thee in the garden when thou prayedst to thy heauenly Father with Knees bowed downe to the ground I offer that excessiue desire of suffering wherwith thou didst burne when thou wentest voluntarilie out to be apprehended by thyne enemies I offer thy bonds stripes contumelies blasphemies blowes spittings and diuers other kindes of iniuries which thou didst suffer all the night longe in the house of Annas and Cayphas All this I offer vp to thee rendering thee harty thankes and humbly beseeching that infinite bountie of thyne and boundlesse pietie that by thy merites thou wouldst fully purifie my soule render it aggreeable to thee and conduct it to life euerlasting O sweete Iesus I offer vp vnto thee for all my sinnes the vnheard of ignominie which thou didst suffer when being strucken spitt vpon and bound thou wert ledd to Pilate in the morning from Pilate to Herode and from thence to Pilate againe I offer that sacred silence of thyne which made thee humbly hold thy peace at those contumelies and iniuries which were offered thee I offerre the contempt thou sufferedst when Herode opprobriously scorned thee in a ridiculous garment I offer that most cruell paine which thou sufferedst when they barbarously scourged thee being bound to a Pillar I offer thee the goarie markes of thy scourging and the streames of bloud which run downe from all thy sacred members All this I offer thee in thankesgiuing beseeching that immense pietie of thyne that by the merites of these thou wouldst fullie purifie my soule render it pleasing to thee and conduct it to life euerlasting O sweete Iesu I offer vnto thee for all my sinnes that humilitie and patience which thou didst shew when clothed in a purple garment for thy greater scorne thou wert crowned with thornes and saluted in a scoffing manner impiously spitt vpon smitten with a reede c. and buffeted Brought out before the Tribunall iniuriously condemned and last of all haled out to Mount Caluarie bearing thyne owne Crosse vpon thy shoulders I offer that greiuous toyle of thy sacred bodie the many wearie stepps of thy holie feete and the heauie waight vpon thy shoulders I offer thy sweate thy thirst and all the rest of thy torments which with a most meeke and readie hart thou sufferedst for my sake All this I offer thee beseechinge that immense clemencie of thyne that by the merits therof thou wouldst fullie purifie my soule render it pleasing to thee and conduct it to life euerlastinge O sweete Iesu I offer vnto thee for all my sinnes those most horrible paines thou sufferedst when thy wounds were renewed by plucking off thy garmentes when thy hands and feete were fastened to the Crosse when the ioyntes of thy body were all dissolued when thy pretious bloud came gushing out as from so many fountaines I offer these rosie dropps of thy pretious bloud that in effable meeknesse and benignitie wherby thou didst patiently suffer the intolerable insolencies of those who insulted ouer thee euen whilst thou didst pray for them to thy heauenly Father All this I offer thee beseeching that immense pietie of thyne that by the merite therof thou wouldst fully purifie my soule render it pleasing to thee and conduct it to life euerlastinge O sweete Iesu I offer vnto thee for all my sinnes vanities negligences and distractions those incomprehensible tormentes which thou sufferedstw when being exposed to such anguishe destitute of all consolation thou didst hange in a miserable manner on the Crosse betwixt two theeues and when burninge with excessiue thirst they gaue thee noe thinge but vineger and gale to drinke I offer that exceeding charitie and gracious mercy with which inclyninge thy venerable heade thou rendredst vp the Ghost I offer that saueing bloud and water which flowed from thy pierced side All this I offer thee beseeching that immense clemencie of thyne that by the merite therof thou wouldst fullie purifie my soule render it pleasing to thee and conduct it to life euerlastinge O sweete Iesu for the perfect remission of all my offences which in all my life tyme I haue in any wise committed I offer vnto thee the whole worke of mans redemption performed by thee I offer thy Incarnation thy birth conuersation death and Passion I offer what euer els may haue bene gratefull to thee at any tyme in thy most glorious Mother the Blessed Virgine Marie and in those other Saintes of thyne O most sweete Iesu I beseech thee may thyne innocencie fullie satisfie thy Father for my guiltinesse Shroud in the purest syndon of thy merites all my too vnworthy and sinfull life that what is vncleane in me by being conioyned to them and what is imperfect by being vnited to them may be perfected that so during this life I may be pleasing to thee and hauing-finished the course of this miserable pilgrimage I may presently arriue home to thee who art eternall saluation to glorifie thy B. Name for euer Amen VIVE IESVS A IAMAIS Dilectus meus mihi ego illi Amen IHS