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
of thy holy Spirit Ah my soule what doe the heauens seeme to make of vs what rate putt they vpon vs while we vnderualue our selues The holy Trinitie may seeme to be whâ—llâ— imployed to saue vs while we are b … 〈…〉 … ll our selues away for moments of â—â—â—nsitorie pleasures for vanities for lyes Our thoughtes are languishing after the hope of I know not what delightes which the world promiseth while our dearest delight ought to be to receiue in hand more then we are able to conceiue Ah my soule what dearer delight could euer mans hart wish for then to be deliciously oppressed with heauenly plentie II. POINT CONSIDER the vnspeakable honour conferred vpon man by the presence of the holy Ghost He receiues saith S. Basil a Propheticall Apostolicall and Angelicall dignitie being before but earth and ashes abiection and rottennes Yea saith he by vertue of this presence euerie holy soule becomes a God Ego dixi Dij estis I haue said you are Gods and all sonns of the highest For who adheares to God which is is done by loue in the Holy Ghost is one Spirit with him Affection Good Iesu what is man that thou dost so magnifie him or what is the sonne of man that thou dost so place thy hart vpon him What did Gods mercy discouer in our miserie my poore soule that he should honour it with a dignitie due the Prophetes Apostles Angells yea euen rayse it to a certaine vnion with himselfe For this it was that Iesus-Christ while he was yet in this world prayd so ardently to his heauenly Father I pray saith he that they his Apostles c. all may be one as thou ô heauenly Father in me and I in thee that they also in vs may be one by participation by charitie by grace by glorie O vnspeakablely deare vnion ô more then most Blessed Communion betwixt God and man THE VII MEDITATION To what end the holy Ghost comes I. POINT CONSIDER that the holy Ghost comes vnto vs to purge illuminate and perfect our soules and to reforme them to the image and likenes of God to which they were made thereby to make them partakers of himselfe He being the diuine sanctitie in this life and disposing them to a more neere and noble likenes thereof in the life to come to which euery cause striues to produce effects like to it selfe it followes then that the holy Ghost endeauours to make the soule which it doth inhabit which is the soueraigne perfection and dignity of a reasonable creature feruent spirituall holy and diuine Affection Why doe we then my soule remayne in our wonted languishments why doe we still liue in league with our accustumed imperfections making reflection what they are and how often we haue had the light to know them and resolution to amend them our luke-warmenesse in Gods seruice our impuritie of harte our ingratitude to God for his innumerable giftes and graces c. Why doe we why doe we alas resiste the designes of the holy Ghost His aymes are to purge our hartes and we remayne in our impurities To illuminate vs and we affect darknesse more then light we feare to know his will least we might be oblidged to doe it To burne our hartes and we persiste in our coldnesse To render vs spirituall holy diuine and we continue indeuoute carnall and earthly Alas my soule is not all this too too true II. POINT CONSIDER that the holy Ghost comes to be the Soule of our Soule and to furnish vs with all things necessarie to the perfection of our spirituall life euen as the soule of our bodie giues force to the great diuersitie of the functions and actions of the senses and faculties of the said soule as farre as is necessarie to our naturall life for what want wee which this Spirit brings not If light and knowledge of truth He is truth it-selfe If strength He is power itselfe If heate He is a consuming fire Are we sicke he is the Phisitian and the Phisicke Is the cause of our eternall reconcilement to be pleaded before the dreadfull Tribunall of Gods Maiestie He is our Aduocate Are we oppressed with temptations and tribulations he is our comforter our Deus omnia our God who is to vs all things Affection It is not it is not from this body of ours that the same body hath life motion action and vigour but from the soule without which it remaynes an vnprofitable bulke of corruption Nor is it from the soule that the soule liues remembers vnderstands wills but from God who is the life of the soule Nor doth it euer liue vnderstand or will any thing profitably but by his grace diffused into our hartes by the holy Ghost Come then oh come then thou holy Spirit and be our light our truth our fortitude our fire our salue our Phisitian and cure Proue our second Aduocate to the heauenly Father togeither with that deare Lord of ours who both merited thy sending and graciously sent thee Proue our comforter in our tribulations temptations c. Proue finally our God and our all THE VIII MEDITATION Of the aduantages or fruites of the Holy Ghosts Coming I. POINT CONSIDER what huge aduantages we receiue by the coming of the holy Ghost adn we shall finde that thereby we are taken into the participation of all the blessings and riches in some measure which our Blessed Sauiour possessed in plentitude and fulnesse The Spirit of wisdome and vnderstanding the Spirit of Counsell and fortitude the Spirit of science and pietie and the Spirit of the feare of our Lord. These are the seauen lightes or seauen Lampes by which the faithfull are enlightned wisedome is a light by which we know Superiour things Vnderstanding a light by which we discerne interior things Science a light wherby we know inferiour things Counsell a light by which dangers are discouered Fortitude is giuen to repulse and master them as Pietie to mollifie the hardnesse and Feare to subdue the pride of our hartes Affection Blessed be the Father of our Lord Iesus-Christ who mercifully sent his Sonne to saue vs sinners Blessed be his only begotten Sonne who spent his most pretious blood and life vpon the worke of Mans Redemption And blessed be the holy Ghost whose infinite loue plentifully bestowed those good giftes vpon vs which were purchased for vs by Christs merits whereby we haue light and strength to walke and without which like sensuall men not knowing what belongeth to Spirit we had wandred in darknesse without either the true knowledge of God or ourselues had quaked with feare through want of Fortitude where there was nothing indeede to be feared and for want of Councell had not feared him whom we ought to feare who can throw the bodie and soule into Hell fire II. POINT CONSIDER the excessiue loue of God to Man in the distribution of these gifts The verie same which were giuen in their full extent to that flower of the field which
is vt videam that I may see Say then againe to this little blind world of myne fiat lux let light be made and in that light of thyne we shall discouer light indeede And thou ô sonne of God who art true light illuminating all men coming into this world leaue vs not in darknesse and in the shadowe of death And thou ô holy fire who alwayes burnest and art neuer extinguished burne my reynes and hart that I may serue thee with a chaste body and please thee with a cleane harte II. POINT CONSIDER yet againe without going out of our selues a perfect image of the holy Trinitie For looke but vpon our owne soule and we may obserue in it in the essence of one the same soule three powers or faculties to witt Memorie vnderstanding and Will which haue three distinct operations to witt remembrance knowledge and Loue. Nor is loue ascribed to the Memorie nor knowledge to the will nor remembrance to the vnderstanding So that we find in our soule in some sorte what we beleeue in God distinction of powers diuersitie of operations in vnitie of essence Affection Ah my soule sith the Blessed Trinitie hath marked out the house of thy hart for himselfe yea hath sett vpon it his owne signet or representation let vs neuer proue so disloyall to him as to thrust him out being entred or keepe him out when he pleaseth to knocke by his heauenly inspirations to lodge in his place his and our owne worst enemyes the world the flesh and the Diuell O noe but rather let our memorie be filled with the multitude of his wonders our vnderstanding with his innumerable benefits and our will be wholy inflamed in contemplation of so vnspeakable a graciousnesse THE III. MEDITATION Againe what the holy Trinitie is I. POINT CONSIDERATION Let vs yet further with an humble and Christian curiositie feruour and feare follow faith and draw neerer to the inaccessible light which the holy Trinitie doth inhabit And to approach saith S. Paule we must beleeue that he is and that he is the rewarder of those that seek him But what is he The Father the word and the holy Ghost and these three are one And what is that one He himselfe tells vs by the mouth of Moyses I am who am Say saith he he that is sent me to you That is he is the origine and souâ—se of all beeing in himselfe of himselfe and by himselfe without participation dependance or assistance of any other in absolute plenitude without beginning or end Affection We beleeue ô Lord that thou art and that thou art he indeede who is Thou art thyne owne permanent beeing thou art the rewarder of those that seeke thee Thee therfor will I incessantly seeke thee will I desire thee will I hope for My verie hart hath said to thee thy face will I seeke O my soule what a comfortable inquirie is this where the verie seeking is better then the finding of all thinges besides Where the ayme is a permanent beeing noe transitorie and fading shadowe Where what is sought is the rewarder and the rewarde Ego merces tua magna nimis I am thy exceeding great reward Whose beeing as it neuer had any beginning so shall it neuer haue end II. POINT CONSIDERATION Let vs yet force our selues to find out as farre as faith will leade vs. What he is indeede Who is For it is a thinge of great comfort to be seeking where we shall be sure to find more then we are able to comprehend It is safe to be seeking there where humble ignorance is a most safe knowledge Let him be sought saith S. Augustine in whom all things proue safe to vs. What is he then who is but a substance without begining without end a simple substance without any mixture An inuisible incorporeall ineffable and inestimable substance essence or nature A substance that hath nothing created in it nor is increased by addition of any other thing nor lessened by any substraction A substance finally subsisting without any Authour because it selfe is the Authour of all thinges Affection Why doe we then my soule scatter our thoughts vpon the inquisition of thinges where we meete with nothing but emptinesse vanitie and lyes so that after our long labours we find nothing in our hands for what is there indeede left vs of what we may haue seemed hitherto to haue gathered togeither but hartes full of remorse Why doe we spend our witts vpon perilous knowledges where faith presentes vs with an humble ignorance which is true wisdome Why doe we leaue substance and such substance to pursue Shadowes which the more we pursue them the more they flye vs and in the end vanish Why doe we I say quitte pure and permanent substance and vnhappily suffer our selues to sticke fast in the myre of the depth where there is noe substance Why finally doe we fixe our hartes vpon nothing while the Authour of all thinges is proposed vnto vs For what indeede is our expectation ô my soule is it not our Lord and is not our substance with him THE IV. MEDITATION That he is euerie where I. POINT CONSIDER that this Blessed Trinitie being He who is is indeed euerie where He is euen a sea of Essence or beeing He is euery where I say by the same essence by his power by his Presence and we run we whither we will neuer escape out of that presence of his If I shall ascend into heauen thou art there If I descend into Hell thou art present If I shall take my winges earely and dwell in the extreame parts of the Sea certes thither also shall thy hand conduct me c. Sings the Royall Psalmist Affection Whither shall we flye from him my soule but to him from his sterne iustice to his mylde mercy There alone and noe where els can we be secure from him who is euery where The heauens can afforde vs noe shelter Hell can giue vs noe protection the deepe Abisses cannot hyde vs. In vaine doe we striue to hide our selues with Adam In vaine to flye with Ionas his powerfull hand is able to ouertake vs. Be where we will we are allwayes in his presence See my soule what a blessed necessitie is putt vpon vs of liuing well who liue continually in the presence of so powerfull a Maiestie Le ts humble our selues vnder the powerfull hand of God That the holy Trinitie is euery where and how II. POINT CONSIDER that he is indeede euery where but how He is so diffused through all thinges in the world vniuersally that he is not as a qualitie but as the creating substance therof gouerning it without labour sustayning it with his three fingers or by his power without burthen He is not spredd abrode all ouer by bulke or partes but is all whole euery where as the soule is in the body all in all and all too in euerie part therof He is all in heauen all in earth at one and the same tyme
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
thing but God can dispose man worthily to receaue God What euer is good in our hart is his gift as well as the hart it selfe It can indeede wish well and moue towards God but it is from him and by him and in him Thou must then ô God preuent dispose purifie beautifie worke all in vs because thou dost loue vs and thou dost loue vs because thou hast loued vs from all eternitie Affection What haue we then to doe deare Sauiour when we are to receaue thee but to run out before vnto thee by an humble acknowledgement of our owne insufficiencie and with frequent and feruent prayers to begge of thy goodnes to inable vs. How this great worke is to be performed we truly know not yet this we know that if the holy Ghost descend vpon vs and the vertue of the highest ouershade vs our harts will be made an agreable habitacle to thy Maiestie Cleanse vs then ô Lord and we shall be cleane and pure as thou commandest but giue ô Lord what thou commandest and command what thou wilt II. POINT CONSIDER that though none but God can dispose man worthily to receaue God yet will not God worke without our consent and cooperation to witt he disposeth euery thinge sweetly according to the nature of things he will not therfore force mans free will nor worke without it but will haue it to run with him following that Doe thou draw me and we both will run And that of S. Aug. Vnlesse thou wert an operator or woker God would not be a cooperator Hence it is said conuert yourselues to me and I will turne towards you Draw neere to God and he will draw neere to you In vaine doe we hope any thing shall be done vnlesse we contribute our owne endeuours to Gods preuenting and cooperating grace which yet runs before all or endeuours the will being prepared by our Lord. Affection O great God sith it is thy blessed will to admitt vs as Coadiutours to vse S. Paules expression in this great worke while thou needst not ours or any helpe to performe all that thou wilt in heauen and earth I resolue by the assistance of thy grace to omitt nothing which my pouertie may be able to performe I will first labour to remoue what might be noysome by ouercoming such and such imperfections to which I find my selfe more inclyned and then I will striue to adorne my soule with the vertues which I know to be most agreeable in thy sight confessing ingenuously that hauing done all we can we are but poore and vnprofitable Seruants THE IX MEDITATION The best preparation a good life I. POINT CONSIDER that properly speaking what is to be done on our parte is punctually to complie with our dutie And what is the dutie of a Christian but to liue Christianly that is to imitate him whom we worshippe Iesus Christ to endeuour continually to expresse his life in ours according to euery ones state and measure dayly to meditate his holy law of loue and faithfully to keepe his commandements To such he willingly comes with such he takes vp his Mansion Affection To haue the singular happinesse to feede of Christ my soule we must by all reason follow Christ To liue of Christ we must liue in Christ and according to Christ we must leade the life of Christ A life full of affabilitie mildnesse simplicitie humility and charitie to our heauenly Father and all our Christian brethren especially those who by one and the same holy profession are lincked togeither in vnion of hartes and designes It is not the solicitous and frightfull discussion of our hartes fuller of feare then loue one halfe houre before the tyme that will proue the best preparation to receiue so great a Maiestie Heare S. Augustine He that is not worthy dayly to receiue will not be worthy a yeare hence But a constant practise of vertue all the weeke long and a perseuerant resolution to subdue our vicious inclinations and neuer to desiste till we haue prepared in our hartes a place for our deare Lord a cleane tabernacle for the God of Iacob The necessarie preparation The state of grace II. POINT CONSIDER that the immediate and absolutely necessarie preparation is if we will not turne our souueraigne foode into poyson and eate our owne damnation to be in the state of grace that is that our consciences are neither certainly guiltie of mortall sinne nor reasonably doubtfull of the same nor that we liue in the neerest or absolute occasions therof To which we must adde if we haue the hartes of true Christians if great aduancement in vertue be our ayme if we desire not onely to haue life but to haue it more abundantly the freeing of our selues of the fantomes and fumes of mortall sinne affection to veniall sinne with our best endeuours to procure in our hartes a hunger and thirst of this sacred foode For this bread saith S. Augustine requires hunger in the interiour man Affection Alas my soule if we should euer haue bene or should be so vnhappie as to dare to approche this dreadfull table wanting the first we should but industriously labour more desparatly to loose our selues and for want of that wedding garment to be cast out into vtter darknesse A pittifull spectacle to God and Angells to see death drunke out of the fountaine of life To see poyson drawen out of that sweeter then honie combe And by wanting the second howeuer we remayne a liue we doe but languish Our sparing sowing can but hope for a poore croppe The heauenly operation is too much stratened in such narrow hartes God is not delighted where he finds so little delight Is it possible my soule that where we meete with so good measure and pressed downe and shaken togeither and runing ouer we should so sparingly measure backe againe That where God giues himselfe wholy man should render himselfe by halfes THE X. MEDITATION Not Solicitude but loue disposeth c. I. POINT CONSIDER and putt downe for certaine that vse we what care we will what solicitous examination and squeesing of cōscience we can possibly imploye yet shall we neuer appeare agreeable in our heauenly spouses sight neuer be gratefull to the God of vertues vnlesse we come adorned with his vertues especially those which he sent from heauen to witt faith hope and Charitie Heare S. Benard how much soeuer you purge your selues how much soeuer you torture and torment your selues the God of vertues will not come vnto you vnlesse you be adorned with the vertues Affection It is not by force of armes my soule by frightes and immoderate feares that this Blessed Guest ought to be receiued But firme Faith alone which with Zacheus clymes vp a loft ouer lookes all visible thinges and fixes vpon inuisible thinges can find him out Hope confidently opens the dores and charitie giues him a gratefull entertaynement louingly imbraces him and deliciously feastes with him and on him And humbly and chastly dares
troupes and aduance euen to the Throne of the souueraigne Kinge Affection Yes ô thou Souueraigne Queene saith S. Augustine seconded by S. Anselme the King thy Sonne raysed thee to the the same seate where he had placed what he tooke of thee it being but sutable to reason that thou shouldst be there where that is which was borne of thee How honored II. POINT CONSIDER what honour accrues to her in that Throne of Glorie and we shall find that she is honored by God the Father in qualitie of his dearest daughter Of God the Sonne as his dearest mother and of God the holy Ghost as his dearest Spouse Of all the Angells and Saintes of heauen as the best beloued Mother of their Master and the most glorious Queene of their heauenly Court Affection All hayle thou glorious Queene of Heauen it is not now all the generations of mē or one Angell that salutes thee full of grace but all the Quires of Angells which pronounce thee blessed and full of glorie Yea the whole Trinitie doth in rich thee with incomparable prerogatiues of honour and glorie farre aboue all the rest FINIS MEDITATIONS FOR ALL THE SVNDAYES IN THE YEARE DRAWNE OVT OF THEIR RESPECTIVE GOSPELLS Composed by the same Authour THE SECONDE PARTE Lex tua meditatio mea est PARIS Printed by VINCENT DV MOVTIER M. DC LXV THE FIRST MEDITATION FOR THE FIRST SVNDAY IN ADVENT There shall be signes in the sunne and the moone and the starrs and in the earth distresse of nations for the confusion of the sound of the sea and waues c. Luc. 21. THE FIRST POINTE. CONSIDER that there are two Aduents or comings of Christ intimated in this Gospell and celebrated in the holy Catholike Church The one of feare when he shall come in dread full maiestie to iudge the vniuersall world to th end that by whosome feare the forerunner of wisdome the heartes of her children may the better be prepared to receiue hym by loue in his first coming by his gracious Incarnation when he comes in humilitie and infirmitie Nor is there a better way to secure our selues against his dreadfull maiestie in that then by imitating his abismall humilitie in this Affection Let vs then my soule vpon the first sommons of that dreadfull day rowse vp our selues from the sleepe of negligence and sinne and without further dallying and delay fall seriously vpon the studie of our Master Christ his first lesson humilitie knowing with S. Paule that now it is the houre that we ought to ryse being called vpon by our holy mothers care Now I say euen now at this verie houre because the youngest the strongest the wisest of vs all knowes not whether the next houre will be allowed him yea or noe THE SECONDE POINTE CONSIDER the dreadfullnesse of that second coming by the astonishing forerunners of it as they are put downe by the pen of the holy Ghost Ther shall b◠signes in the sunne and in the moone and the starrs and vpon the earth distresse of nations through the confusion of the sound of the sea and waues Behold the wrothfull iudge doth not yet appeare and yet the sunne is obscured the moone refuseth to afford its light the starrs fall from the heauens the earth quakes the sea rores all is in confusion on all sides to witt what was fore told by wisdosme begins to be fulfilled The round world shall fight with him against the senselesse and he will arme his creatures to the reuenge of his enemyes Affection I haue sinned against thee ô my dread lord I haue donne impiously in the sight of thee my deare father I haue committ iniquitie before the face of all thy creatures Noe wonder then they all ryse vp against me disloyall wretch that I am Alas there is nothing in me but confusion and rottennesse nothing that is able to abide the strickt tryall of thy sterne iustice vnlesse thy mylde mercy come out before to preuent it Mercy deare lord mercy Permitt not the poore soule which thou hast daigned to loue and which has noe other hope but in thee perishe in thy anger mercy mercy mercy THE THIRD POINTE. CONSIDER further the dreadfulnesse of the same coming by the wonderous effects it seemes to worke in men and Angells In the Angells for the heauenly powers goes on our text that is the Angells themselues though otherwise secure in themselues and absolutly possessed of beatitude are moued with a certaine admiration and reuerentiall feare by the apprehension of the approch of the wrothfull iudge the exactnesse of his iustice ād the multitudes of those that are to be iudged And in men since they shall euen wither away with a dreadfull expectation of what will become of them and the whole world Affection O poore sinfull man o thou who finds thy conscience ouer burdened with so many disloyalties against thy deare lord tortured with such multitudes of crymes against thy dreadfull all-sceing euer-liuing iudge Alas What will then become of thee when the verie Angells shall quake with feare the Angells who are neither guiltie of sinne or euen can sinne the Angells who alwayes performed the will of their lord the Angells who are in the sure possession of his glorie What will become of vs my soule who are guiltie of so many imperfections palpable negligences and heynous crymes makaing a short reflection vpon the course of our whole lise Resolution I will therfor iudge my selfe while there is yet tyme c. THE SECONDE MEDITATION FOR THE SAME SVNDAY And then shall the sonne of man appeare in the clouds of heauen in much power and Maiestie THE FIRST POINTE. CONSIDER that if the signes and prodigies which fore run the coming of the all-powrefull all-sceing and most iust and wroth full iudge be so dread full with what astonishment horrour and vtter confusion must his presence needs strike sinfull man his mortall enemye who crucified him againe and againe with his vices and concupiscences and trode the sonne of God vnder foote His presence I say accōpaigned with such daunting circumstances Clouds and fogges shall inuiron him saith the Royalle Prophete and fire shall streame out before him and fire his enemyes round about while the mountaines melt like waxe before his angrie face Affection Alas who will haue assurance enough to be able to stand to see this dreadfull coming who would not sue to the mountaines to fall vpon them and hide them from so daunting an aspect Or euen pray with Iob to find protection in hell till his furie be past because the furie and anger of that man shall spare none in that day Ah my soule He sees all that hath past from the begining of the world He is most iust and will spare none he is all powerfull and none can resist his decrees It is horride to fall into the handes of a luing God Yet all this we must all stand to see How necessarie is it then to prouide in tyme Let my resolution
Augustine though such as vowe Virginitie to God hold a more ample degree of honour and dignitie in the Church of God yet are not they without mariage for they belonge to the mariage with the whole Church wherin Christ is the spouse Affection O admirable dignitie of the Virgine where the humble handmayd is raysed to the honour of a Bride to Christ himselfe the Bridegroome whom whē she loues she is chaste whom when she touches she is pure whom when she takes in mariage she is a Virgine O supercelestial mariage from whence fidelitie and fertilitie is expected as well as in other mariages for such as breake this first faith haue damnation saith the Apostle and the happie state of Virgines assures S. Augustine is more fruitfull and fertile not to haue bigge bellies but great mynds not to haue breasts full of mylke but harts full of candour and in lieu of bringing forth earth out of their bowells they bring forth heauen by their prayers Hence issues a noble progenie puritie iustice patience mildnesse charitie followed by all her venerable traine of vertues This is the Virginns worke to be sollicitous of what belongs to God and to haue her whole conuersation in Heauen THE SECONDE MEDITATION FOR THE SAME SVNDAY CONSIDER yet a third sort of mariage wherin the whole Catholike Church that is all faithfull soules are espoused to Christe in faith hope and charitie but especially by charitie which as Queene drawes a longe with her all the powers and affections of the soule to conforme and subiect them to the pleasure of her diuine spouse making but one will and nill of two wills to witt that of God and man And this conformitie saith the deuoute S. Bernard maries the soule to God Whence results an ineffable content and pleasure and such a heate of diuine loue that the soule and all her affections are absorpt therin Affection Let the world then my soule boast as much as it will of the pleasures and contentements which it inioyes they are not like to the lawe of the Lord thy God that sweete law of loue in comparisō of which the most prosperous earthly pleasure is but vile and base The cheife Good is our Good of which Tertulian saith excellently soome goods as well as some euills bring an intolerable waight with them and most dearely and deliciously oppresse the soule Hence it was that that holie Apostle of the Indies cryed out Satis est Domine satis est It is enough ô Lord it is enough THE SECONDE POINTE CONSIDER yet a fourth sorte of Mariage which is made euery day to all kinds of faithfull soules which approche to the B. Sacrament Wherin we are made one with that diuinely deare spouse of ours not onely by charitie but euen in realitie and in verie deede we are mingled with that sacred flesh of his in that celestiall banket which he bestowes vpon vs to shew vs the excesse of his loue Whence S. Christome saith therfor it was that he ioynd himselfe with vs and mixed his body into vs to the'nd we might be come one with him as the body is ioyned to the heade for euen as one who powres melted waxe saith Cyrill into other waxe must necessarily wholy mixe the one with the other so he that receiues the body and bloud of our Lord is so ioyned with him that Christ is found in him and he in Christ Affection O excesse of goodnesse ô ineffable delightes of that most chaste and sacred mariage betwixt the kinge of heauen and poore man Here in this mariage banket is serued in the foode of Angells nay the kinge of the Angells himselfe becomes the whole feaste Nor is there neede there of any other wine then the precious bloude of the Lambe who dyed for our loue say then my soule and let all that loue and feare our Lord Iesus say with vs quoniam bonus quoniam in saeculum misericordia eius that he is infinitly good and his mercys are without end THE FIRST MEDITATION FOR THE THIRD SVNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANIE If thou wilt said the Leper to our sauiour thou canst make me cleane Matt. 8. THE FIRST POINTE. CONSIDER that the poore Leper had found by a longe and painfull experience that there was noe hope of cure by the power of man all his owne and others endeuours prouing vneffectuall and therfor he wisely resolued in an humble confidence to haue recourse to him whom he knew by faith to be able to doe all that he would in heauē and in earth By adoration he acknowledges him to be God and by his words he publishes him to be all powerfull He came and adored him sayinge Lord If thou wilt thou canst and the present effects proue that his faith is powerfull and gratefull to Christ who graciously replyes I will Be thou made cleane and forth with his leprosie was made cleane Affection Our great and good Lord my soule neither wants power nor good will to cure all our infirmites if we aske as we ought If he some tyme delaye vs it is but the better to trye vs and more euidently to acquainte vs with our owne want of abilitie till he putt his powerfull hand to the worke for then our leprosie is forth with cured If he delaye vs and sometyme permitt vs for a longe space to languish and euen to be ouerspredd with our leprosie it is but the more perfectly to humble vs and throughly to cure the more dangerous desease of pride Finally if he delay the cure till we waxe more desparatly sicke it oblidges vs being at length cured the more highly to magnifie his mercy and publish his power to all men THE SECONDE POINTE. CONSIDER that there is noe stayne so deeply setled which Gods power is not able to fetch out noe leprosie of body or soule so inueterate and incurable which God with a word doth not cure Our application or addresse is onely to be looked to We must approche to the Lord of life and death as to one such with a liuely faith with an absolute confidence that with a word he can worke what he will his power being onely limited by his will as the faithfull leper plainly expresses Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me cleane Affection Be then my soule thy leprosie and other spirituall deseases neuer so peremptorie Be it that they haue growne on with thee since thy youth Seeme they rather to be another nature then natures defects yet haue but a frequent confident humble recourse to this souueraigne Physitian with a true acknowledgement of thyne owne miserable and otherwise desparate estate crying out with afirme faith O Lord if thou wilt thou canst cure all myne infirmities and infallibly in his good tyme we shall heare I will be thou made cleane THE SECONDE MEDITATION FOR THE SAME SVNDAY Of the Centurion or Capitaine of an hundred Soldiers who sued to our Sauiour for the cure of his seruante THE FIRST POINTE. CONSIDER that we may
of confidence in him whose power they knew howbeit tho he reproches them with their weaknesse in faith yet graciously he ryseth vp commands the windes and the sea and causes a great calme bringes safetie to them and makes his power be admired by all that behold that the winds and sea doe obeye his commandes Affection Though he somtymes reprehends then my soule fayle not to confide in him our fayth is indeede weake and needs spurringe on If he now and then delayes his succour for a tyme expect him with patience coming he will come and not delay for euer He is the great Master and best knowes the tymes and momentes in his good tyme he will deliuer vs. If we seeme to be in danger for a while it is to redouble our ioyes when we shall see his great power in commanding the windes and seas and a sweete calme and constant tranquillitie of mynd shall follow THE FIRST MEDITATION FOR THE FIFTH SVNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANIE The Kingdome of heauen is ressembled to a man that sowed good seede in his fielde Matt. 13. THE FIRST POINTE. CONSIDER that the Kingdome of heauen or rather the Kinge of heauen our Sauiour Iesus Christ is compared to a good seeds man for he it is indeede who sowed the seeds of heauen in the hartes of his faithfull as well by baptismall grace which of sterille and vnprofitable that we were makes vs the fruitfull field of Christ as by his holy word and heauenly inspirations by which that field is continually watered and brings out pure wheate fitt for the heauenly granaries if through want of vigilancie we permitt it not to be ouersowen by the enemye Affection By that excellent heauenly seede of baptismall grace my soule we were made the sonns of God the heyres of God the brothers of Christ the coheires of Christ This is a grace of preference and is not giuen to all Let our acknowledgements be for euer as peculiar as is the fauour we were without our owne labour made the domestikes of that royall house before we had yet the sense to know it And haue we not since had the knowledge of his blessed will and pleasure by his holy word and frequent inspiratiōs Iet not that holy seede my soule be destroyed in vs by our sloth and negligence THE SECONDE POINTE. CONSIDER that like as the field of mans harte hade for euer remayned barren had not this good seede bene sowed in it so would this good seede produce noe fruite without mans cooperatiō It is by the grace of God we are that which we are as well as S. Paule yet was not Gods grace voyde in him but he laboured more abundantly and so ought we because he that made vs without vs saith S. Augustine will not saue vs without our owne consent and concurrence It is man that must worke his owne saluation yet not he principally but Gods grace with him which makes him freely and profitably worke what ere he workes Affection Alas my soule it was Gods free mercy which raysed vs from our losse Without his grace we had remayned vnprofitable for euer It was Gods meere mercy that we were not consumed It was in vaine to haue hoped to haue rysen before that light which is Christ Iesus And in vaine too will that heauenly light haue shined vpon vs vnlesse we putt our hand to the worke and walke in the light while we haue it for howeuer it is most true that God workes in vs both the will and performance it is true too that we are saued because we will nor vnlesse we will shall we euer be saued Compelle then ô deare Lord our rebellious wills by thy victorious grace to the due obseruance of thy lawe and good pleasure THE SECONDE MEDITATION FOR THE SAME SVNDAY Didst thou not sowe good seede in thy field Whence then hath it cockle THE FIRST POINTE. CONSIDER that the seede which the good seeds-man did sowe in the field of mans soule was charitie that heauenly roote whence all the vertues haue as well their origine as perfection whose fruites are ioy peace patience benignitie goodnesse longanimitie myldnesse faith modestie continencie chastitie and all the rest of the vertues of all which charitie is the fruitfull mother But the enemye man to witt the sinner and the Diuell ouersowed cockle that is cupiditie whose accursed fruites are vncleanesse brawles dissensions diuisions enmities contentions banketings drunknes and the like Affection O my soule what pittie it is that such faire fruites should be stifled by such vnhappie cockle O how delicious a thinge is the Kingdome and harte where charitie raignes There is found a heauen before heauen a heauen in earth And what a Hell it is contrarily euen in this world to liue among the horride fruites of the Diuells ouersowing to witt cupiditie the professed enemye of charitie which is still accompaigned with diuisions dissensions brawles and all the poysonous broode of vice Let vs therfor imploy our vtmost endeuours to roote out those mortall weedes which so much hinder the growth of charitie THE SECONDE POINTE. When men were a sleepe his Gods enemye came and ouersowed cockle CONSIDER when it was that the cockle was ouersowen and the holy Gospell tells vs that it was when men were a sleape that is when we waxe lukewarme neither hote nor cold in the seruice of God which is a disposition that God hates when we grow negligent how thinges passe in our hartes when we are not faithfull in complying with our vocation but carelesly forgett the happie state wherin we are placed when we become too confident of our owne mistaken strēgth which is true weaknesse wherupon is begotten in vs a certaine slumbering obliuion contempt and auersion from heauenly thinges Thus doe we fall into a deadly sleepe and the Diuell the while who sleepes not but incessantly roues about seeking whom he may deuoure easily ouersowes the soule with his hatefull cockle Affection Thus it is my soule that we sleepe out our sleepe and at our wakening we find all in disorder the field of our harte being ouersowen with weeds Had we bene watchfull and stoode vpon our garde this disaster had neuer befallen vs. While we negligently sleepe and fayle in pointe of our dutie to God his grace failes vs but the Diuells malice neuer fayles and thence we fall Ah saith our B. Sauiour if the Master of the house knew at what tyme the theife would come he would watch and not suffer himselfe to be robbd And should we doe lesse to preuent the death of our soules What therfor I say to you I say to all the world watch because the theife Sabalus or the Diuell will otherwise surprise vs while we least suspect it THE FIRST MEDITATION FOR THE SIXTH SVNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANIE The Kingdome of heauen is like to a mustard-seede Matt. 13. THE FIRST POINTE. CONSIDER that here the wisdome of heauen compares the Kingdome of heauen that is the Church or the
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
Behold the man a man of dolours a man humbled if euer man were humbled Behold the man nor is he a brute beast but a man and as such might deserue to be looked vpon with an eye of pittie But noe pittie was found for poore Iesus for the High Priest and people hauing seene him cryed out Crucifie him Crucifie him Affect In vaine Pilate in vaine dost thou striue to appease madd men in vaine is reason imployed whete furie raignes in vaine is innocencie pleaded where malice hath resolued the sentence before hand These reproches this pubblike derision these scornefull garments and scepters this crowne of thornes this gorie bloud alreadie powered out will not doe it noe lesse then his sacred harts bloud will be able to glutt their bloudsucking humour Behold thou then the man my soule behold the man who for thy sake is readie to powre euen that out to the last droppe Behold the man I say but behold him in a quite other manner with a hart full of veneration gratitude and compassion resoluing firmely for his loue to be willing to be exposed to what euer scorne disgrace contempt c. THE XV. MEDITATION Vpon the same subiect Cons 1. COnsider Christian yet further and behold this man againe and againe the deeper to imprint this lamentable spectacle in the very bottome of thy hart Pilateinuites thee to behold him a man and in that he tells thee noe newes for thyne eyes reade that in his bloud the most pittifull plight in which thou discouerest him speakes him a frayle poore miserable man to thy hart were it euen of flinte But behold him with the eyes of faith and thou shalt at the same tyme see him a God too And howeuer he appeares at present a worme and not a man by this abismall abiection of his yet is he no other then thy verie God who created thee and is now with all made an obiect of contempt to redeeme thee Affect Deare Lord I behold thee and most willingly acknowledge thee a man yea I cordially venerate imbrace and loue thee as the dearest mildest and best of men euen amidst this thicke cloude of reproches which inuolue thee Yet forgett I not nor blush nor feare to publish the King of glorie vnder thy crowne of thornes the Lord of Maiestie though couered with a mantle of scorne The Authour of order comelynesse and beautie in the midst of thy deformitie and confusion And while I see and touch thy wounds as it were I confidently with S. Thomas professe thee my Lord and my God and with my whole hart fall downe and adore rhee Beseeching thee euen for the same charitie and mercy to engraue the sadd idea I now make of thee so deeply in my hart that conceiuing a sound sense of sorrow and compunction I may neuer more affect to behold any vaine and curious thinges nor eye any lustfull or carnall obiect for euer Cons 2. Consider how painefull reprochfull and ignominious a procession our Sauiour Iesus Christ had of it Hee s taken and ledd like a theefe or malefactour to Annas and there receaues a boxe of the eare Hee s thence haled to Cayphas and there is receaued with reproches spitts blowes and scorne Thence to the Councell where he meetes with iterated iniuries and fowle blasphemies Thence to Pilate where he is loaden with false accusations Thence to Herode where he is treated like a foole in a white garment From thence he is hurried backe againe to Pilate and there a seditious rogue is preferred before him Thence he is trayled into Pilats yeard and whipped Thence by Pilate he is exposed to the peoples scorne in a purple robe and a crowne of thornes wherby not preuayling to appease the iewish rage he causeth him to be ledd into Lichostratus and pronounces sentence of death against Iesus and his owne conscience Affect O deare Iesus what strange indignities are these which thou daignest to suffer for me thy poore and miserable seruant thy rebellious subiect thy prodigall sonne Ah how powerfully doe these things preach to a hart that hath anie sense of Christianitie left in it what is it that man should finde strange to suffer after these prodigious sufferances of his God who made and created him Thou art happly true and honnest neither dost wrong thy neighbour in thoughts wordes nor worke yet thou art reputed a theefe a malefactour c. So was thy God Thy best actions are misconstrued and paid with reproches blowes and iniuries so were thy Gods Thou art made a scorne to others they make thee passe for a foole thou art openly derided calumniated falsely accused vniustly condemned whilst thou art indeede innocent and acknowledged to be such euen by those that condemne thee and is not here thy Christ thy God innocencie it selfe so dealt withall too for thy loue for thy example Endeuour to print this deepely in thy hart to haue it readie vpon accasions making a firme resolution patiently to endure such and such things as are wont to trouble thee for Christ his loue that by imitation thou maist become like to thy Master THE XVI MEDITATION Hovv Iesus carried his heauie Crosse tovvards Caluarie Cons 1. COnsider that the sentence is pronounced not because iustice would haue it so but the people for Pilate finds him who is iudged a iust man Iesus is deliuered ouer to their wills and dye he must And that of a death both for the kind and manner of it most ignominious that it might so be sutable to the rest of their violences Iewrie knowes noe death more disgracefull then that of the Crosse Vpon the Crosse then Iesus must dye Nature knowes nothing more barbarous then to compell a sentenced person to beare the instruments of his owne punishment to the place of execution vpon his owne shoulders and yet a heauie loade of a Crosse about 15. or sixteene foote longe is placed vpon the poore Isaacs backe Ah my soule what a sadd sentence is this Thy innocent Iesus thy spouse of bloud thy God must dye Crucifie him Crucifie him is the generall voyce of Hierusalem and dye he must It is not onely Pilates iniustice will haue it so but his heauenly Fathers mercy hath resolued it so in the Court of Heauen and his obedient sonne in earth hath charitie abundantly enough to performe it O what a strange conspiracie is here for the same thing to witt the death of Iesus but by how diuers ends and meanes and motiues Pilate is lead by iniustice least he might appeare an enemy to Cesar The people by rage to raze his memorie out of the earth But God the Father by mercy to saue the world and to glorifie his innocent sonne The sonne by louing obedience to magnifie his Fathers mercy in redeeming man that man might for euer singe Gods Mercyes Cons Consider how the meeke Lambe who came to take away the sinnes of the world is ledd out as a sheepe to slaughter He mutters not he murmurs
then he cries out that intrauerunt aquae vsque ad animam meam the waters of bitternesse haue entred into my very soule Affect O my soule how happie were we if we could once haue the true sense and zeale of Gods honour and haue lesse sense and feeling of our owne short and light sufferances though for our owne defaults We see what a lesson our Sauiour giues vs who is able to looke ouer all that reflects vpon himselfe and only eyes his heauenly fathers honour to witt all the waters of tribulation are not able to extinguish the liuely flame of his charitie But we my soule are selfe louers and selfe flatterers and farre too delicate and tender soldiers to liue vnder a Captaine who with a thornie helmet on his head exposeth his naked body to deadly blowes for his fathers honour Whereas wee if we can sleepe at ease in a whole skinne seeme little concerned when we heare and see our Masters name and fame vilified blasphcamed and euen torne in peeces Is this to be followers of Christ He commends his mother to S. Iohn and S. Iohn to his mother 2. Point Consider that though the waters of bitternesse and a sense of inward sorrow had possessed his hart yet did mildnesse filiall care dutie and dearenesse still raigne therein for with blubbered bloodie and dyeing eyes espying his mother and the Disciple whom he loued he said to his mother pointing at S. Iohn behold thy sonne and then to his Disciple behold thy Mother O how heauenly loue is able to liue and raigne amidst our greatest anguishes And where loue liues and raignes what anguish is able to make vs faile of our dutie Affect Obserue my soule the order and dutie of charitie Christs greatest care is his heauenly Fathers honour and consequently he feeles the greatest torment where he findes it violated and thence his first praiers are imployed for pardon for those that violate it and his first pardon is granted to the good theife that acknowledged him with a repentant hart In the next place he paies the honour which hee owes to his parents and the loue which he owes to his friends Mother behold thy sonne Disciple behold thy Mother Thus are vve taught my soule to loue God incomparably aboue all things and to seeke his glorie euen before and aboue the loue of our parents Next vve are to loue and honour those authors of our beeing and lastly to loue our friends and our neighbours as our selues c. Resolution Zeale of Gods glorie c. and loue of our parents THE XXIV MEDITATION Of the sorrovves of Iesus and Marie 1. Point COnsider and ponder well the circumstances of this sonne and this Mother and this standing and if there be anie sense of Christianitie or euen humanitie left our harts cannot misse to melt with pittie The sonne the most louely the most louing the most beautifull child that euer heauen knew the Mother the most gracefull most gratefull most louing and most beloued virgine that euer the earth produced or can produce The sonne innocencie it selfe and the Mother the most innocent Lady that euer the world beheld And that virgine Mother stands neere the Crosse to behold that sonne that man that God dying vpon that most accursed and ignominious wood in all the circumstances of greatest torment and contempt of body and soule imaginable dying I say for her for vs for those that put him to death for all mankind Affect O my soule stand astonished at this saddest spectacle that euer the amayzed heauens beheld and let the same nayles which through the innocent sonns hands peirced the dolorous mothers hart wound thine also The sonne is plentifully powring out for sinners that pure and harmelesse blood which he receiued in that mothers chast wombe without all spott of sinne and she the most innocent and louing and most beloued of all mothers stands to behold it Ah what swords of sorrow doe not pearce her tender hart Well may we conceiue she paies the panges of childbirth with huge vsurie which she felt not in his immaculate natiuitie She now indeede brings forth Iesus the most painefull waie that euer woeman experienced since the child must absolutly dye and the mother hardly escape The sunne is eclipsed the earth quakes the rockes burst in sunder 2. Point COnsideration But while hard and vngratefull and vnnaturall man wil bestow no compassion neither vpon the dying sonns blood nor vpon the dolorous mothers teares the senselesse elements may seeme to turne sensible to mans confusion and acknowledge the master who made them while he litle considers the God that redeemed him euen in the painfull and ignominious act of his redemption The sunne withdrawing its light for three howres space couers his shame the veyle of the temple burstes in peeces the very rockes rend and all the earth is in a commotion to wit saith S. Iohn Chrysostome the creatures could not indure the wrong done to their Creator Affect Ah sonns of men and may I not adde sonns of God too Christians brothers of Christ Spouses of Christ vsque quo graui corde how longe how longe will you remaine heauie harted and appeare lesse sensible then the verie rockes themselues O God vouchsafe I beseech thee in vertue of the pretious blood of thy deare sonne which so plentifully streames downe either to smite this fleshly hart of mine with thy feare and with thy loue or turne this senselesse fleshly hart of mine into a very rocke that that rodd of Moyses may draw waters out of it that these hammers may bruse and burst it a sunder Smite ô Lord smite I beseech thee this hard hart of mine with the pious and powerfull dart of thy loue that I may be sensible at least among the senselesse creatures and testifie that it is my God that 's dying Resolution I vvill continually lament the hardnes and vnsensiblenesse of myne ovvne hart as to any respects of God c. THE XXV MEDITATION My God my God vvhy hast thou forsaken me 1. Point COnsidera And well might all nature stand astonished well might the dumme elements crye out by earthquakes and prodigious signes to stupid man whose crimes had brought the God of nature the true sonne of God to such extreamitie of all kind of torments that the most lamentable and daunting voice that euer was heard vnder the sunne broke out from his mouth My God my God vvhy hast thou forsaken me To witt our eyes were witnesses of greatest exorbitancie and vniuersalitie of torments inflicted vpon him that euer creature suffered but his owne tongue alone was able to expresse his inward sense and sorrow of his soule Affection O eternall God the father of my Lord Iesus Christ dispose graciously and looke downe towards vs not vpon me but vpon the glorious face of thy Christ that coeternall sonne of thine in whom thou hast testified thou wert alwaies well pleased who cryes out to the worlds astonishment that thou hast
his humanitie is lefte to struggle with his cruell tormentes and to satisfie for those sinnes of ours in the verie rigour of iustice But now hauing consummated and fulfilled all the figures types sacryfices prophecies and euen the whole Law and hauing punctually obserued all his fathers orders with filiall obedience and admirable humilitie euen to the last gaspe he beings to behold him as a tender and louing father and so testifies with a lowde voyce that it is into the hands of such a father that he deliuers vp his spiritt Pater in manus tuas commendo spiritum meum Affect May thy wearied soule ô my kind Pelican happily returne into its rest May thou our too too kind Prodigall ioyfully returne into thy fathers house out of this forraigne land of ours where thou hast spent all thy substance euen to the last droppe of thy pretious bloud vpon vngratfull man from whom thou meetest with noe better returnes then euill for good hatred for loue vineger and gale to drinke where thou art readie to perish with thirst Ah my soule my soule Haeccine reddis Domino Deo tuo are these the kindnesses which thou rendrest to thy Lord thy God for his loue for his labours for his bloud for his life which here he is laying downe for thee Resolution Be my afflictions neuer so many be my temptations neuer so great and importune I will appeale from a rigourous Lord to a louing father and cast my selfe into his bosome THE XXX MEDITATION 1. Point COnsider in this action of Christ where he commends his spirit or soule into the hands of his heauenly father where the true hopes of a Christian ought to be placed to witt in the hands that is in the will and disposition of our heauenly father to be dealt withall according to his good pleasure Accursed is that man who places his hopes in man or in the heapes of his riches which he must leaue behind him or in the multitudes of his merites which are none without mercy but in Gods mercy alone which is indeede our merite nor shall we euer want merit so long as we cleaue to that mercy Affect Returne into thy rest my wandering soule which is alone in the bosome of thy heauenly father and fixe thy confidence there Trust not in the sonnes of men in whom there is noe saluation noe truth mendaces filij hominum Leaue not the care of thy selfe to such as haue noe care of themselues much lesse of thee Such as thou hast found thy selfe to others such at the best will others proue to thee Our dearest friends doe easily forgett vs they will not they cannot goe along with vs. O how good it is then while we haue yet tyme to make him our friend aboue all our friends who when they all fayle hath as much power as goodnesse to make good our trust Into thy handes then ô dearest father doe I commend my soule In those mercifull hands of thyne not in my miserable ones doe I repose the whole confidence of my saluation 2. Point Consideration Well may Gods prouidence my soule which we are not able to found permitt vs to be tempted with Christ to be in agonie in our deuoutest prayers with Christ and giue vs ouer as it were into the power of darknesse with Christ Well may we suffer wronges crosses calumnies tauntes and scornes with Christ Well may our bodyes be left in tormentes vpon the Crosse with Christ yea our poore soules suffer a strange anguish with Christ when we seeme to be forsaken by our God Yet still by adhearing to Christ and by following his foot-stepps we shall infallibly wade out of all and come to a happie consummation with him and find a louing fathers bosome layd open to receiue our soules Affect Doe not then ô my soule so much regarde what thou sufferest or by whom or how as for what for whom and with whom It is not for a smale prize thou fightest but for an eternall waight of glorie It is not for some ordinarie person but for the loue of thy Lord and Master to become in some sorte like to him Nor art thou left alone but in his companie and vnder the guidance of his grace I am with him saith he in tribulation I will deliuer him and I will glorifie him Looke ouer thy afflictions then ô my soule be they of what nature they will and with a liuely faith looke vpon Christ Iesus the Authour and Consummatour of faith who ioy being proposed to him sustained the Crosse contemning confusion It is not too much that the coheire should be treated like the true heire the adoptiue like the natural sonne Resolution Come then what will and from what hand it will I am resolued to looke vpon it as coming indeede from the hand of a tenderly louing father for my eternall good THE XXXI MEDITATION Christ giues vp his Ghost 1. Point COnsidera Christianes draw neere and see death shutt vp thy sweete Sauiours eyes See life dye see thy God dye Not that death man or diuell had right to exercise any such power ouer the Author of life who saith nemo tollit animam meam none takes away my soule or life but because he himselfe would when he pleased and as he pleased And to what end but to be the death of death it selfe ero mors tua ô mors I will be thy death ô death To ransacke Hell it selfe ero stimulus tuus ô inferne To be Iesus that is a Sauiour to man and to leaue him the greatest testimonies of loue imaginable by man or Angell And therfor bowing downe his head he of his owne accorde deliuered vp his spirit or soule Affection Ah my soule what 's this we heare The soule of thy Sauiour is deliuered vp to death In death then must we find true life with Christ Nolo viuere volo mori cupio dissolui esse cum Christo Dye dye then my soule to all thinges which are not his verie selfe Ther 's noe liuing without life Christ is my life mihi viuere Christus and my Christ being deade my life is deade and dye I must mihi mori lucrum I desire to dye that I may see my Christ I refuse to liue that I may liue with my Christ Ah my deare deade Master fcra pessima deuorauit te the worst of wild beastes hath deuoured thee Ah my soule thy sinnes haue slaine thy Master Thy enuie sought him thy auarice sold him thy Hypocrisie betrayed him thy rashnesse deliuered him vp thy licenciousnesse bound him thy crueltie whipped him thyne ambition crowned him thy sluggishnesse loaded him thy pride putt him vpon the Crosse thy irreligiousnesse taunted scorned and blaspheamed him thy vnmercifulnesse caused his thirst thy forsaking of God made him be forsaken by God thy disloyaltie disobedience hard hartednesse ingratitude for all his benefits putt him to death And thence my Sauiour dyed Nay it was God the fathers mercy which sacrificed him His
seruice whether it be in point of receiuing his owne true body or in charitably assisting his owne poore afflicted members For how often haue we obserued our selues to haue quaked with feare wher we mett with noe danger indeede and permitted such fond feares to frustrate our pious designes and resolutions and stifle the seede which was sowen in our hartes from heauen Feare not as longe as thou art imployed about Iesus and him crucified Either will noe danger at all be mett with or none at least be preualent to make vs misse of Iesus And if it be about Iesus that we are imployed if in that name we suffer we ought not so much to apprehend it the sufferance of a Crosse as the assurance of a crowne 2. Point Consider with astonishment the great power which the diuine prouidence giues to Pilate who had indeede noe power ouer Christ but what was giuen from aboue in whose handes the disposall of the body of a God was left Yes of that body which the holy Ghost framed the Virgine mother brought-forth the diuinitie still inseparably inhabited Of that body I say Pilate à sinner an vniust Iudge an infidell hath power to dispose and he giues it to Iosephe Affect O my soule how this Christ this God-man is wholy imployed in the behalfe of man In his life at his death after his death In his life for our instruction at his death for our redemption after his death for our consolation Be we left vnder what power soeuer iust or vniust peaceable or tyrannicall according to our desires or contrarie to our inclinations by our Lord and Masters sweete disposition he that so left vs if we faithfully follow his foot stepps will certainly deliuer vs glorifie vs. Noe vniust Pilates sencence will be able to hinder vs from deliuering vp our soules into the hands of a louing father nor depriue our body of the happie expectation of à glorious resurrection Resolution I will euer admire to see the disposition of the deade body of Christ left in an infidells hands but much more to see his liuing and glorious body and soule left at the dispose of disloyall Christians who beleeue in him and yet crucifie him againe by their dailie crymes THE XXXIV MEDITATION 1. Point COnsider that God being Omniponcie it selfe wanted not power to haue deliuered the body of this deare sonne of his out of the hands of Pilate without his leaue He that was onely free among the deade could easily haue freed himselfe from the deade and haue rysen as gloriously the first day from the Crosse as the third from the graue But the Scriptures were to be fulfilled his sepulcher vvas to be glorious Our Ionas was to remaine three dayes and three nightes in the bowells of the earth And his last lesson after his death as well as his first before he could yet speake was to teach vs by his blessed example an admirable submission obedience abandonnement of himselfe into what hands soeuer Affect O wisdome of heauen how secreete and incomprehensible are thy wayes We are not able my soule to looke into them In thy infancie thou wholy abandonnedst thy selfe vnto thy B. mothers care and custodie In thy youth thou wast subiect to her and Iosephe In thy passion thou wast giuen ouer to the wills of the Iewes remayning obedient till death and the death of the Crosse and now too after thy death thou continuest still at Pilates dispose Let me learne deare Lord by this singular submission of thyne in imitation therof and for thy loue to be willingly subiect to euerie creature neuer desiring to take my selfe out of that order and subiection wherin thy prouidence may haue placed me Ita Domine quoniam sic placitum est coram te Yes sweete Sauiour purely becaus so it is aggreable in thy diuine sight 2. Point Consider that Pilate hauing bene petitioned giues vp the body to Iosephe Iosephs care takes it downe from the Crosse and bestowes à sydon or fine white linen sheete Nicodemus contributes many pounds of oyntments to witt mixed mirre and aloes the body is imbalmed therwith and wound vp in Iosephs syndon according to the iewes rites His mournefull mother Marie bestowes more hartie sorowe and compassion then any tongue can speake or any hart but her owne that is the hart of a mother and such a mother the mother of a God can conceiue who as in that name she farre surpasses all other creatures in dignitie consanguinitie and neerenesse to her sonne so also in loue and consequently in compassion and sorrowe The desolate louing Magdalene and her companions their familiar teares and Ioseph putts the adorable body in his owne new Monument cutt in the side of a rocke and shutts it vp with a great stone Affect Thus my soule haue we at length gott to an end of a wearisome procession Thus haue our sinnes layd the God of heauen and earth in the bosome of the earth Thus haue our hard hartes lodged him in a rocke at whose voyce the very rockes burst in sunder Ah my soule this hard world at his first entrie lodged him in a rocke and a rocke too must receiue him at his going out O deare Master Let it be this rockie hart of myne that may haue the happines to afford thee this last lodging or at least may I be lodged with thee be the rocke neuer so hard that I may truly be according to the Apostles expression consepultus cum Christo buried togeither with Christ neuer to ryse againe but with him in newnesse of life O that my hart as it sympathises too neerely with this Monument in hardnesse had also the rest of its qualities O that it were yet in its primitiue newnesse and puritie O that it had neuer bene prepossessed by any creature But alas alas it fares not so It hath bene too longe and too easely prostituted to the worlds allurements to the Diuells suggestions It hath bene but too too peruious to all approches and remayned onely a rocke to thy holy inspirations to thy heauenly instructions to any true sense of thy excessiue torments and sorrowes A PRAYER BVt ô my deare Lord thou vvho art a hammer brusing rockes bruse this hard hart of myne into true contrition and smite it vvith the rodd of thy Crosse that novv at least though too late alas it may pay dovvne deepest compassion and sorrovve vvith the most desolate Virgine mother flouds of repentant teares vvith those mournefull Maries and finally a most manly courage and resolution plentifull vvorkes of mercy and the pretious oyntements of frequent and feruent prayers vvith the good Ioseph and Nicodemus But ah my dearest Sauiour Christ my true rocke and strength these are indeede the resolutions of my hart but of a vveake and vvauering hart vvhich vvill effect nothing vvithout thy povverfull assistance grant it o Lord for thy pretious blouds sake and let the holes of thy sacred side c. lye alvvaies open to my ayde and