obeyed Serve her whom God hath served Love her whom God hath loved Salute her whom the Angel did salute Say to her often with heart and mouth Hail full of Grace Give us a part of your fulness Our Lord is with thee As Father as Son as Spouse Blessed art thou among Women With infinit blessings Thou alone art a Virgin and a Mother Thou alone wert conceiv'd without Crime Thou alone didst live without Sin Thou alone didst dy without Pain Thou alone hadst God for thy Son and Subject Thou alone art his Daughter his Mother his Spouse Thou art the repairer of the World The Queen of the Universe The Gate of Paradise The Dispenser of Graces O Blessed Virgin give me thy blessing And blessed be the Fruit which thou gavest to the World Most holy Mary and most worthy Mother of God Pray for the Just and for Sinners Now that thou seest them Beaten by so many Temptations Slaves to so many vices Overwhelm'd with so many miseries But especially at their Death When their Salvation is in greatest danger And thy succour will be most necessary for them The Word was made flesh John 1. You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that for you he was made poor whereas he was rich that by his poverty you might be rich 2 Cor. 3. He exinanited himself Phil. 1. He was subject to them Luk. 2. All generations shall call me blessed Luk. 2. CXXXV MED Of the Visitation of the B. Virgin JESVS visits S. John Mary visits S. Elizabeth Jesus sanctifies both the Mother and the Son By the mouth of Mary As soon as ever she had spoken John Baptist was sanctified Her speech was a Conduit-pipe of grace which gave sight to a blind man Which delivered a captive Which raised up one that was dead Which justified a sinner Mary applies to the first amongst men The first fruit of our Redemption She conceives man spiritually After having conceiv'd God corporally She becoms the Mother of men After having becom the Mother of God She is the Mother of grace She is the Mother of mercy Of grace for the just Of mercy for sinners O Mother of grace Mother of mercy Visit us frequently together with thy Son You want not grace Since you have the fulness thereof You want not mercy Since it dwelt nine months in your bowels Exercise it on a poor blind man And on a poor captive On a sinner a slave to his Passions On one dead to the life of grace Com and enlighten and enlarge him Com and raise him and sanctify him Make thy voice to be heard to the ear of my heart For thy voice is sweet And thy beauty incomparable Speak and my heart will leap with joy Say the word and my soul will be healed For you have in you the Word of God Which gives life to the World Mary Mother of grace Mother of mercy Defend us from our Enemies And receive our Souls at the hour of our Death For to honour the Virgin You must imitate her Virtues Love Solitude as she did Go not out of it but for to do good Visit the Prisoners Help the Miserable Deliver Captives Sanctify Sinners Be a Mother of grace to their Souls A Mother of mercy to their Bodies Blessed is the Lord God of Israel because he hath visited c. Luk. 1. Through the bowels of the mercy of our God in which he visited us ibid. Visit us in thy salvation Ps 205. Thy visitation hath preserved my Spirit Job 10. As soon as she heard the salutation of Mary Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost Luk. 1. Arise make hast my friend my sister let thy voice sound in my ears for thy voice is sweet and thy face comely Cant. 2. CXXXVI MED Of the Death of the B. Virgin WHat is it that makes the Chalice of Death bitter It is the loss of the World 'T is the separation from the Body 'T is the account that is to be given We feel sadness in quitting the World We feel pain in quitting our Body We dread being to appear before God Mary died without Fear Sadness Pain Because she liv'd without Sin ty Pleasure O let my soul dy with the death of the Saints O let my death be like the death of Mary Live the life of Saints And thou wilt dy the death of Saints Live like Mary and thou wilt dy like Mary Live without sin and thou wilt dy without fear Live without ty and thou wilt dy without sadness Live without pleasure And thou wilt dy without pain If you lead the life of sinners You will dy the death of sinners If you live in disorder You will dy in confusion If you live in sin you will dy in fear If you live in pleasure You will dy in pain That which makes your delight during your life Will make your torment at your death That which is your pain during your life Will be your pleasure at your death O Holy Virgin I care not by what death I dy Provided that I dy in a good state I shall dy without fear if I dy in your arms I shall dy in grace if I dy in your service For you save those that belong to you You never suffer your Children to perish O fail not to be present at your Son's death All the Predestinate must dy in your arms Since you saw the first Predestinate dy I will disengage my self from the World That I may dy without sadness I will afflict my Body That I may dy without pain I will abstain from sin That I may dy without fear I will live in pain that I may dy in pleasure I will live in Pennance That I may dy with assurance I will live in Charity That I may dy in Sanctity I will live a Child of the Virgins That I may dy like a Predestinate I will live in grace that I may dy in grace I will live in love that I may dy in love I adjure you O ye daughters of Jerusalem that if you find my beloved you will tell him that I languish with love Cant. 5. Love is as strong as death Cant. 8. Let my soul dy the death of the just Numb 23. The Death of sinners is very bad Ps 33. He shall laugh at the latter day Prov. 31. Into thy hands O Lord I recommend my spirit Luk. 23. CXXXVII MED Of the Resurrection of the B. Virgin MAry is risen again Her body is no longer in the grave So pure a flesh as hers Ought to be exempt from corruption So holy a Temple ought not to be profaned Mary is the chastest of Virgins She ought therefore to be incorruptible Mary is the best of Mothers She ought therefore to be with her Son If the body of Jesus by its Communion Gives a right to a Resurrection Who ought to rise again If not she who gave him flesh If the Servants are with their Masters Where ought his Mother to be If this favour
They say I am to dy Come I am content I willingly resign up my life I render it to him that gave it me I remit my spirit into his hands I recommend unto him my body and my soul I am sorry that I have offended him I accept of death for to satisfie him I believe all that he has reveal'd I hope for all that he has promis'd I give him all that I possess I will dy for his glory I will dy for his sake I will dy in gratitude I will dy for justice sake I will dy because he died I will dy for him as he died for me I will dy that I may see him I will dy that I may love him I will dy that I may bless him And for to sing his Praises for all Eternity O Father of mercy Behold a Prodigal Child Who has wasted all your goods Who has spent his life in Debaucheries That returns now to your house And who most humbly begs your pardon Alas I have liv'd without reason Since I have had the use of reason I have don nothing but evil Since I knew what was good My Father I have sinn'd against Heaven and against thee I deserve not to bear the name of thy Child I am not worthy to enter into thy house But have you ceased to be a Father Because I have ceased to be your Child Have you lost your goodness Because I have lost my innocence Are you no more a Father of mercy Because I am becom a Child of misery O my Father O the best of all Fathers Have pity on the miserablest of all thy Children I was lost and I am now retrieved I was dead and I am risen again I was gon far from you and now I am here ready to appear before you O my Father Come and meet your Child Give him a kiss of peace Forgive him his offences Revest him with a Nuptial Robe Receive him into your house Give him a place at your Feast O JESUS The Physician of the poor sick The Comforter of the poor afflicted The hope of poor Sinners Here am I before you without strength Without motion without speech But my heart says inwardly Come O my JESVS come quickly Draw my Soul out of this Prison Recal me out of this exile Conduct me to my dear Country Behold the Just do there expect me My friends hold forth their arms to me O how beautiful are thy Tabernacles O how admirable is thy Palace O how contented shall I be in Heaven O how happy shall I be in your Company I dy with a desire of dying Com divine Saviour and make me languish no more O holy Mother of God! Who didst see thy Son dying Lo here thy Child is sick Forsake him not in this extremity Com and receive his Spirit And defend him from his enemies O ye Angels of Heaven Com down upon Earth to help me Make a guard round about me Drive away from me the Infernal Lyon Preserve me even unto my Death After having sav'd me from so many Shipwracks Suffer me not to perish in the Haven Come let us go to Heaven Let us go to Paradise My heart is ready O my God my heart is ready It is ready to stay here on earth It is ready to go hence It is ready to live It is ready to dy Thy will be don I recommend my body and soul to you I rejoyced in the things that were said to me we will go into our Lord's house Psal 121. Blessed are those that dy in our Lord. Apoc. 14. Blessed are those that are call'd to the Nuptials of the Lamb. Apoc. 19. In thee O Lord have I hoped I shall not be confounded for ever Ps 30. VVhat is there to me in Heaven and what besides thee would I have on Earth my flesh and my heart have fainted O the God of my heart and my portion God for ever Ps 72. I am straitned on both sides having a desire to be dissolved and be with Christ much more better Phil. 1. One thing have I asked that will I require that I may dwell in the house of our Lord all the days of my life Ps 26. How beloved are thy Tabernacles O God of Hosts my soul doth long and faint after the Courts of our Lord. Ps 83. Blessed are they that dwell in thy house O Lord they shall praise thee for ever and ever Ps 83. All this Psalm is full of sweet thoughts to raise in a sick person a desire of Heaven If thou dost observe iniquities O Lord who can sustain Ps 126. VVith our Lord there is mercy and with him a copious redemption ibid. LII MED A Paraphrase on our Lord's Prayer for the comfort of the sick Our Father I Believe O my God that you are my Father who have given me the life of my soul and body for to serve and love you and which you have repaired by the Death of your Son after I had miserably lost it through my sin You are the Father of all men and of the most miserable of all men whom you see here extended on this Bed O how glad am I that I have such a Father So good so wise so holy so powerful I hope that since you have given â—ne a temporal life you will do me the favour â—lso to give me an eternal one O my Father 〈◊〉 render back unto you the life which you have given me I am sorry that I have employed it so ill and that I have used it to offend you therewith My Father I have sinn'd against Heaven and against you I am not worthy to bear the quality of your Child but receive me I beseech you into the number of your Servants My Father if it be possible let this Chalice of Death and Sufferance pass from my mouth and let me not drink it as yet Yet let your Will be don and not mine My Father glorifie your Son that your Son may glorifie you and since I have not honored you upon Earth make me praise you Eternally in Heaven Which art in Heaven Alas you are in Heaven and I am yet here upon Earth You are in a place of peace and I am in a place of warfare You are in Heaven for to reward me and I am on Earth for to honour you I hope O my God that I shall soon be with you in Heaven I hope so on the merits of the precious blood which your Son hath shed for me O when will that day com How tedious is it to live banished from your presence How the Earth displeases me when I lift up my eyes to Heaven O Heaven O Heaven What ought not we to do to gain thee What ought not we to suffer for to obtain thee All that I endure is nothing in comparison of what I hope for Hallowed be thy Name O admirable name of God! I came into this World for to sanctifie thee and I have don nothing but profane thee I came upon Earth
therefore believe it JESUS has don this We must therefore do it His Doctrin is the Rule of our Faith His Example is the Rule of our Manners He is infallible in his words He is impeccable in his actions I am an Heretick in my Spirit If I do not believe what he has said I am an Heretick in heart If I do not do what he has don I shall be perfect if I am like unto Jesus I shall be cherished by God if I am like unto Jesus I shall love God if I am like unto Jesus I shall be saved if I am like unto Jesus O what a happiness to be like unto God To live like God To speak like God To act to suffer and to dy like a God Was it thus that Jesus spoke Was it thus that JESUS acted Was it thus that JESUS suffered My Brethren put on Jesus Christ As a Garment which covers Body and Soul Look on and make it according to the pattern that was shewed thee in the Mount Exod. 25. Whom he has predestinated to be made conformable to the Image of his Son Rom. 8. He that says that he remains in him ought as he walked to walk also 1 John 2. I have given you an example That as I have don so you do also John 13. XC MED Of the Virtue of Jesus compared to our Vices JESUS was poor and I am rich JESUS was humble and I am proud JESUS was mild and I am cholerick JESUS was patient and I will endure nothing Jesus did pardon and I will revenge my self Jesus obeyed and I will command Jesus was hated and I would be beloved Jesus was slighted and I would be honoured Jesus lay hid and I would appear Jesus ascended into Heaven by pain And I would ascend through Pleasure Is it just that the Slave Should be better treated than the Child And the Criminal than the Innocent O how I fear to be reprobated Being so little like to the first of the Predestinate Is thy heart upright as mine is 4 Kings 10. The Disciple is not above his Master nor the Servant above his Lord. Matth. 10. He is made unto us Wisdom from God and Justice and Sanctification and Redemption 1 Cor. 2. I am the way the truth and the life Jo. 14. XCI MED Of the Nativity of JESVS Christ NEver did God shew himself greater Than when he made himself little Never more powerful Than when he made himself weak Never more amiable Than when he made himself miserable When I see God becom the Son of man I know that man may becom the Son of God When I see him in a stable I know that we ought to humble our selves When I see him on the straw I know that the grandures of the World Are nothing but dung When I see him weep I know that we must suffer All the Wisdom of God Is included in this Child All his Actions are Rules of Wisdom His Stable is the School of Wisdom His Crib is the Throne of Wisdom His Silence is the Voice of Wisdom His Sleep is the Extasie of Wisdom Either Jesus is deceived Or the World is mistaken Which of the two will you believe The Birth of Jesus is the Reprobation of the World He has condemn'd all that he has rejected Unless I am like unto this Child I shall never be saved I Evangelize unto you great joy c. Luk. 1. She swathed him in clouts and laid him down in a manger ibid. A child is born to us and a Son is given to us Is 9. Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this Word that is don Luk. 2. The Word was made flesh John 1. XCII MED Affections of tenderness towards the Infant Jesus O God of Wisdom who hast chosen a Stable For the Palace of thy greatness Who hast chosen a Crib for thy Throne of glory Where shall I hide my self in thy Presence What a confusion is it to a Proud man To see a God on a Dunghil What insolence is it for a worm of the Earth To be yet desirous to raise himself Is it You or the World that is mistaken Can the Wisdom of God be deceived O God of Goodness How have you hid your Greatness But how have you made your Mercy to shine You never render'd your self more amiable Than when you made your self miserable You never appear'd greater in goodness Than when you annihilated your Majesty I did dread you heretofore as you were God But I am forc'd to love you as you are Man Who can be apprehensive of an Infant Who is not melted by the tears of an Infant Your weeping moves compassion but not fear It gives me hopes but not a diffidence If you could make your Son the Son of Man Cannot you make me the Son of God If you could make your self miscrable Cannot you make me happy O divine Babe O the love of all Ages O the fairest of Men O the desires of Heaven When I hear you groan and sigh I cannot hinder my self from loving you I have a long time resisted your power I yield now unto your weakness I have slighted your greatness But I submit my self to your humility I have fought against you as you were God But you triumph over my heart as you are Man I defended my self against your wrath But I cannot resist your love O the greatest of all Kings How does your Majesty astonish me But how does your Humility ravish me How wonderful are you as you are God But how lovely are you as you are Man I am more surprized to see you humbled Than to see you elevated To hear you cry than to hear you thunder One only Tear of yours stirs up in my heart A greater fire of love than all the fires of Sinai O since you have taken on you my Miseries I hope you will give me your goods Since you are com down upon Earth I hope that you will raise me up to Heaven O dear Son of Mary Com into my arms Repose your self on my heart Water me with your tears Warm me with your love Bless me with your little hands Kiss me with your little mouth I forget what I am Since you forget what you are If I fail in the respects that I owe you 'T is your love that is the cause thereof Make your self less amiable If you will not be beloved When I shall see you on a Throne I shall be seized with fright But when I consider you in a Crib I shall love you with all my heart I shall approach you without fear I shall love you without diffidence I shall serve you without disgust I shall give you all without reserve I shall bless you without respit I shall praise and bless you without end Both in Time and Eternity Amen XCIII MED Of the Poverty of the Infant Jesus JEsus made himself poor to enrich us Jesus stripped himself to cloath us Jesus came down on a Dunghil For to raise us up to a
Seal of my Predestination I will not therefore forsake it I will not drag it after me But I will carry it and keep you Company O Holy Cross Who wert consecrated with the blood of a God Receive me into thy Arms. Let me repose on thy Bosom Give thy self wholly to me As I give my self wholly to thee Carry me that I may carry thee Clasp me so strongly betwixt thy arms That nothing may separate me from thee Carrying his own Cross he went forth into that which is called the place of Calvary John 19. Com and follow me Mark 10. Then Jesus said to his Disciples if any one will com after me let him deny himself and take up his Cross and follow me Matth. 16. I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest Luk. 9. We have all strayed like Sheep and God laid on him the iniquites of us all Isai 53. CVIII MED Of Jesus Crucified JEsus was extended on the Cross He was nail'd to it by his Hands and Feet He is fastned to it with violence He is elevated with pain He rests only on his Wounds There issue out of them four Rivers of Blood Which water the Field of the Church And which blot out the sins of the World He is presented with bitter Wine to drink Which would have asswaged his sorrow He takes som of it into his mouth That he may feel the bitterness of it But he does not swallow it down That it may not allay his torments He is blasphem'd he is cursed He is invited to com down from the Cross But he remains on it even to the end O Jesus I adore thee On this Throne of Sorrows and Ignominies O Divine Saviour I cast my self into thy arms Since thou dost extend them for to embrace me O Sacred Victim of love All burnt and consum'd with Sufferings O High Priest of the new Law What dost thou do upon this Cross Com down and all the World will believe in thee O com not down If thou art the Son of God thou must dy on it If thou com'st down they will not believe in thee They will not follow thee Every one will fly from his Cross No body will dy upon it O my dear Cross I kiss thee and imbrace thee I will dy betwixt thy arms I have espoused thee in my Baptism This Marriage is indissoluble There is nothing but death That can separate us Let the World be no more trouble som to me I bear the marks of our Lord Jesus in my Body I am Crucified with him I will dy with him My Soul Look on thy Saviour on the Cross It is thy sins which have Crucified him He was once Crucified on Calvary But how often hast thou crucified him in thy heart As often as thou dost offend him So often dost thou Crucify him Thou must either Crucifie Jesus Or thy own Passions O Jesus make me dy For fear I should put thee to death Crucify my Body For fear I Crucify thy Spirit They crucified him and with him two others on this side and that side and Jesus in the middle John 19. They gave him wine mingled with gall to drink and when he had tasted it he would not drink Matth. 2. All the day long I spread forth my arms to an unbelieving and contradicting people Rom. 10. With Christ I am fastned to the Cross Gal. 2. They that be Christ's have crucified their flesh with the vices and Concupiscences Gal. 5. God forbid that I should glory saving in the Cross of our Lord Jesus-Christ by whom c. Gal. 5. Crucifying again to themselves the Son of God and making him a mockery Heb. 6. CIX MED On the first Word of Jesus Christ on the Cross JEsus was a long time on the Cross Without uttering so much as a word He keeps a profound silence And does not complain of his Sorrows His Blood does not call for Vengeance But for Grace for those that shed it He prays for them in the height of his Pains And whilst they insult over his misery He excuses their Sin and diminishes the malice of it He does the office of an Advocate For those whose Judge he is He forgets his own evils To think on his enemies evils Their loss is more sensible to him Than the Death which they make him suffer Keep silence O Christian Soul When thou art on the Cross Do not complain of thy Evils Do not lose the fruit of thy Sufferings Hide thy self in the bosom of Humility And repose thy self upon thy Patience Pray for thy Enemies Forget their Injuries Excuse their Intention If thou canst not excuse their action Thou art unworthy of favour If thou refuse to pardon them O Jesus I Pardon my Enemies I Pardon all those that crucify me Alas they know not what they do They think they do me hurt And they procure me much good They think they do themselves good And they procure much hurt to themselves They do themselves more hurt Than I could wish to them Lord Pardon them they know not what they do I sin out of malice and they sin out of ignorance If they had as much grace as I have They would not be so wicked as I am If I were tempted as they are I should possibly be wickeder than they Father forgive them for they know not what they do Luk. 23. Forgive thy neighbour hurting thee and then shall thy sins be loosed to thee when thou prayest Eccl. 28. Love your enemies pray for those that persecute and calumniate you Matth. 5. To me revenge and I will render it saith our Lord. Rom. 12. CX MED On the Repentance of the good Thief and the Impenitence of the bad one ONe of the Thieves confesses Jesus Christ And the other renounces him The one adores the other blasphemes him The one ascends up to Heaven by his Cross The other falls down into Hell by his Cross The one is saved by the side of Jesus The other is damned by the side of Jesus He is the Redeemer of them both And only one makes profit of the Redemption He gives his life for them both And one of them dies in his obstinacy O Judgments of God! how profound are you O Goodness of God! how amiable are you O Justice of God! how dreadful are you O Conducts of God how admirable are you Who will not fear to be damned Who will not hope to be saved One may be damn'd in all places Since one may be damn'd by God's side One may be sav'd at all times Since one may be sav'd at the end of his life O sweet words to one that is sick This day thou shalt be with me in Paradise Lord forget me not now thou art in thy Kingdom I do indeed desery the evil which I suffer But for you what Crime have you committed O Lord let me hear you say This day thou shalt be with me in Heaven One of the two thieves did blaspheme saying save thy self and us Luk. 23.
deserves He was forsaken in his Soul And consumed with sorrows in his Body All his Senses were crucified His Eyes by the sight of his Enemies His Ears by their Blasphemies His Smell by the infection of the place His Touch by his wounds His Tast by the bitterness of the gall His Memory by the sight of our crimes His Understanding by the darkness His Will by the terrours His Appetite by infirmity By disgust and by sadness He had no Part in his Body Which was not loaden with wounds He suffered like a mere man Who neither had been God nor happy The Victim was indeed flayed But it was still sound within The whips had taken off the skin But they had not touch'd the entrails That he might afflict all the organs Of our Excesses and Gluttonies He suffered a cruel Thirst He makes the bitterness of his Chalice Descend down into his Body Then was the Book of this divine Lamb Written both within and without Jesus complains that he is athirst Knowing that they would give him gall to drink He discovers to us his sorrow And the love that consumed him He thirsts after our Salvation and Perfection He desires to suffer more 'T is Love that makes him dy O Jesus my Saviour What can I do for your relief Cannot I quench your thirst Doubtless you desire something of me What is that thirst that burns you O I know what it is that you require You would have me quit this Sin Renounce that company Draw near unto your Cross Entertain my self with your Sufferings Apply my self a little to Prayer Give my self to Devotion Keep silence when I am provoked and offended This is what you desire of me This is what will quench your thirst Shall I dare to refuse This relief to your Pains O that I did burn with your love As you burnt with mine O that I could suffer for you As much as you suffered for me O how love makes me languish O I have long desired to dy That the Scripture might be fulfill'd he said I thirst John 19. O that som one would give me water of the cistern of Bethlehem which is in the gate 1 Par. 11. Woman give me to drink John 4. They gave for my food gall and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink Ps 98. As the heart desires the fountains of waters so doth my soul thirst after the living God Ps 41. CXIV MED On the sixth Word of our Lord on the Cross ALL is Consummate Jesus having taken the Vinegar said All is accomplished The Holocaust is consummated The Commands of my Father are executed The Gospel is announced The Prophecies are verified The ransom of mankind is paid Their sins are pardoned The Captives are delivered Heaven is opened The Sacraments are instituted The Devils are overcom The World is repaired I have nothing more to say do or suffer I have nothing now to do But to give up my soul 'T is now in the power of men To live well and save themselves O the happy Consummation of the just O the unhappy Consummation of the wicked All is Consummate the sinners will say Our pleasures are past Our pastimes are at an end Our fair days are eclipsed Our hopes are vanish'd away Our time is slid away Our life is ended Our malice is Consummated We must now begin to suffer An evil which can never end We must begin a misery Which will never be Consummated All is Consummate the Just will say Our evil days are past away Our sufferings are terminated Our combats are ended Our troubles are calmed Our sorrows are allayed Our infirmities are cured Our tears are wiped away Our Miseries are Consummated There is no more Cross for us to bear No more evil to suffer No more Pennance to do We are going into a Country of Peace Where our joy shall never have an end Choose O Christian Soul One of these two Consummations You must of necessity one day say All is Consummate Will you say it as Lazarus did Or will you say it as Dives did Will you say it as JESVS did Or as Pilate did When your time is Consummated You will find that all is but vanity O Jesus the Author of our Faith And the Consummator of our Salvation Let me consume my life for you As you consumed yours for me Let me accomplish all your commands Let me spend my self for your glory Let me burn with your love Let me make a victim of my body Let me annihilate my self continually Let me fulfil all your designs Let me acquit me of all my duties Let me say with truth when I dy All is ended All is consummate It is consummate John 19. By this one oblation he consummated for ever the sanctified Heb. 10. Looking upon the Author of faith and the Consummator Jesus Heb. 12. He learnt by those things which he suffered obedience and he was made consummate Heb. 5. If a man lives many years and do rejoyce in all these things he must remember the darksom time and the evil days which when they com the things that are past will be argued of vanity Eccles 11. CXV MED On the last Word of JESVS Christ on the Cross FAther into thy hands I commend my soul Jesus leaves himself to his Father When he is forsaken by him He teaches us how to dy As he taught us how to live He teaches us confidence After he had taught us patience Let us imitate Jesus living Let us imitate Jesus dying Let us rest betwixt his arms Let us recommend our souls into his hands He is our Father Can he forsake us He is our Saviour Will he damn us Let us at our death say to Jesus Christ Father into thy hands I recommend my Spirit It came from thee as from its beginning It returns to thee as to its end It is a blast of thy mouth 'T is an emanation of thy spirit 'T is the price of thy blood 'T is the Sanctuary of thy Grace I recommend it into thy hands Which were pierced for its sake I recommend it to thy heart Which burnt with love for it O Lord take it into thy care And when it hath left its body I beseech thee not to forsake it Unless it fall into thy hands Alas its Salvation is desperate O Lord permit not that Soul to be lost Which has cost thee so dear Go forth O my Soul quit thy Body How coms it that thou apprehendest death JESUS has answered for thee He has recommended thee to his Father When he recommended to him his own Spirit Go forth of thy Body O Christian Soul In the name of the Father who created thee In the name of the Son who redeemed thee In the name of the Holy Ghost who sanctified thee Jesus calls thee to his Heaven Bow down thy head through obedience Fear nothing thou art in security In the hands of JESUS Christ Jesus crying with a loud voice said Father into thy hands
I commend my spirit And saying this he gave up the Ghost Luk. 23. And bowing down the head he gave up the Ghost John 19. Our King before ages wrought Salvation in the midst of the Earth Psal 73. He that adheres to our Lord is one spirit 1 Cor. 6. If God be for us who is against us Rom. 8. Therefore let those who suffer according to the Will of God recommend their Souls to their faithful Creator in good deeds 1 Pet. 4. CXVI MED Of the Death of the Son of God JESUS is dead Who will fear death He died for us Who will refuse to dy for him He died wasted with pains Who will refuse to suffer He died for his Servants Who will serve any other Master but him He died for our sins Who will dare to put him to death again O the good Shepherd Who died for his Sheep O the High Priest Who immolated himself for men O the faithful Friend Who lov'd us until death O the Divine Master Who placed his Chair on Mount Calvary O JESVS Since thou didst dy for me It is just that I should dy for thee Since thou hast given me the example I must dy as thou didst Wherefore I pardon all my enemies I hope thou wilt give me thy Heaven Recommend me I pray to thy good Mother Bid her take care of me O forsake me not O my God When all the World forsakes me Sustain me by thy grace When I have lost the strength of my body I thirst I desire to see thee I desire to dy When will my end com When shall I consummate my Sacrifice O my Father I recommend my spirit into thy hands I unite my death with thy Son 's Remember that he redeem'd me with his blood Lose not my soul which is of so great value Bowing down his head he gave up the Ghost John 19. The just man perisheth and no body thinks of it in his heart Isai 57. Think upon him who endured such contradiction against himself from sinners that you may not be wearied in your minds fainting Heb. 12. He died for the wicked Rom. 5. Christ died for us ibid. For this end did Christ dy and rose again that he might be Lord of the quick and the dead Rom. 14. Your are dead and your life is hid with Christ c. Col. 3. CXVII MED In form of Prayer on the seven Stations of the Sufferings of the Son of God 1. STATION O Jesus my Saviour who didst sweat blood and water in the Garden of Olives at the sight of thy torments and of my sins And who didst strip thy self of thy farce for to cloath thy self with my Infirmities I aadore thee all bathed in thy blood I give thanks to thy sacred heart for having afflicted it self for my sake I detest all the sins which did cause so great a sadness I resolve to dy rather than ever more to afflict thee Give me grace that I may as thou didst conceive a great sorrow for my iniquities that I may resist even unto blood the Temptations of the Devil and of the Flesh and that I may conform my self in all things to thy example and to the will of thy Father 2. STAT O Jesus my Lord who wert buffeted and ill treated in the houses of Annas and Caiphas I give thee thanks for having suffered these injuries and these confusions for the love of me Alas how often have I buffeted and injured thee in the person of my neighbour since thou reckonest as don to thy self all the ill that is don to him I beg most humble pardon of thee for it And I resolve henceforth for thy sake to suffer all the injuries that shall be don to me and never more to offend thee in the person of my Brothers either by action words judgment or will 3. STAT O Jesus my King who wert scorned by Herod and by the Jews when they preferred a Robber a Seditious felow and a Man-killer before thee I beg pardon of you for having so often preferr'd the Devil and wretched Creatures before you I promise never more to dishonour you You shall always be the King of my heart and I will rather dy than lay you as I have don under the feet of Lucifer that Robber that Seditious wretch and Murderer of all men 4. STAT O Jesus the purest and chastest of all men whose innocent flesh was torn with the blows of the Whips in Pilate's house for to expiate the Criminal Pleasures that we take in our flesh I acknowledge that it was for my sake that you suffered such cruel torments I am sorry for having given you so many wounds and that I have so often renewed them by the satisfaction which I have given to my Senses I conjure you by your Dolours to sanctifie my Body and Soul and to wash them with your pretious blood from all their Impurities and never to suffer that that flesh which has been washed in your blood be ever stain'd with any sin 5. STAT O Jesus the greatest of all Kings who wert crowned with Thorns and didst wear on thy Shoulders the Royal Marks of thy Principality I acknowledge thee for my King as despised and disfigured as thou art And since thou hast no part of thy body which was not wounded I will take no more pleasure in my body but will live in grief and pain that I may be one of thy Subjects and one of thy Members 6. STAT O Jesus my Redeemer who for my sake wert fastened to a Cross and who didst shed all thy blood for to rescue me from the power of the Devil whose Slave I was I give the thanks for this incomparable love that thou didst bear to me for so many torments which thou didst suffer for my sake I kiss with respect thy sacred feet and thy sacred hands which were pierced for my sake I adore that sacred heart which was opened for my love and I promise rather to dy than ever more to crucify thee in mine 7. STAT O Jesus my life who didst dy for me and who wert forsaken by thy Father that I might not be forsaken at my death O most meek Lamb immolated for the Salvation of men Victim of Love and Patience who wert consummated on a pile of sorrows O the Saint of Saints O the King of Kings What can I do for to acknowledge so great a goodness Why may not I dy for you as you died for me I believe that thou art my Saviour and I should despair did I not believe it I hope that thou wilt pardon me my sins and that thou wilt bestow on me thy Heaven since thou gavest me thy life I detest my Crimes which are the cause of thy death and I will rather lose my life than ever make thee dy in my heart since this death is infinitly more sensible and more ignominious to thee than that of the Cross I beg your pardon for all those who have offended me I give my self
she slight me Why does she fly me O ye Daughters c. I am Bread and not Poyson I would make her live and not make her dy It was for to be loved that I took this shape 'T was for to be eaten That I made my self Bread And not for to be admired It is to sanctify her Body That I give her my Flesh 'T is for to enliven her Soul That I give her my Spirit 'T is for to unite her to my Divinity That I give her my humanity As wise as I am I know not what more to give her As rich as I am I have no more to give her As powerful as I am I can give her no more Why then does she sly me Why does she fear me O ye Daughters c. I have been at infinit Charges For to prepare this Banquet I have spared nothing for to content her I give her my Body to be eaten I give my blood to be drunk I heap up my graces on her I enrich her with my Merits I fill her with my Virtues I invite all the World to my Feast The sick for to cure them The weak for to fortify them The blind for to give them sight The sad for to comfort them Sinners for to sanctify them What reason has she to apprehend I do not require the end of the Sacrament For a disposition necessary to this Sacrament O ye Daughters of Jerusalem Tell my well-beloved That I expect her day and night And that she makes me languish with Love Tell her that she will dy with hunger Unless she eats this Bread That she will have no grace Unless she eats at my Table That she will have no strength no life No health no comfort That she will be strongly tempted That she will sink under that temptation Unless she eat at my Table That if she excuses her self from coming She shall not tast of my Meats Neither in her life time nor at her death Neither in Heaven nor on Earth That I will give her place To the Blind and to the Lame That she contemns me Instead of honouring me That she afflicts me Instead of comforting me That she offends me Instead of contenting me O Bread of Angels Who cam'st down from Heaven Shall I dare make thee com down into my heart Can I receive thee knowing who I am Can I refuse thee knowing who thou art Can I approach thee knowing thy Sanctity Can I draw off without necessity O Divine Lover Who dost invite us to thy Wedding And who dost invite us so lovingly Give a Nuptial Robe to this Prodigal Penitent I do not deserve this honour I am unworthy of this favour But the sentiment of my humility Will supply the want of my sanctity You will have it so You desire it You order it You command it You threaten me with your anger If I fail to be present at it 'T is better to side with Love than Fear Obedience is surer than Diffidence I will therefore approach with Respect I will receive you with Confidence I will imbrace you with Love I will thank you with Tenderness I will eat you with Pleasure I will speak to you with Liberty I will serve you with Fidelity I will bless you in time and in Eternity Amen With desire have I desired to eat this Pasch with you before I suffer Luk. 22. He that eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him John 6. A certain man made a great Supper and called many and they all began to excuse themselves Luk. 14. I say to you that none of those men that were called shall tast my Supper Bring in hither the poor and weak and blind and lame force them to com in c. ibid. CXXIX MED In Form of Prayer to our Lord Jesus Christ which may serve for a Thanksgiving after Communion SOul of JESUS sanctify me Blood of JESUS wash me Passion of JESUS strengthen me Wounds of JESUS heal me Heart of JESUS receive me Spirit of JESUS enliven me Goodness of JESUS pardon me Beauty of JESUS draw me Humility of JESUS humble me Mildness of JESUS gentle me Peace of JESUS pacifie me Love of JESUS inflame me Kingdom of JESUS com into me Grace of JESUS replenish me Mercy of JESUS have pity on me Sanctity of JESUS consecrate me Purity of JESUS purify me Cross of JESUS support me Nails of JESUS hold me fast Thorns of JESUS crown me Gall of JESUS inebriate me Mouth of JESUS bless me In my life and at my death In Time and Eternity Amen You must pause at every verse and relish that which shall touch your heart CXXX MED Of Devotion towards the B. Virgin FOr to be a Son of God's You must be the Son of Mary She is the Mother of all the just The Advocate of all sinners The Queen of all the Predestinate She brought them forth on Mount Calvary They were given to her at the foot of the Cross She hath given life to all men In giving life to God She hath co-operated to their Salvation In sacrificing him to his Father No man can go to the Father But by the Son Nor to the Son but by the Mother The Father refuses nothing to his Son Nor the Son to his Mother I shall not be saved But by the Merits of the Son Nor shall I be saved But by the intercession of the Mother The Son is our Mediatour with his Father The Mother is our Mediatrix with her Son JESVS is the Head of the Church Mary is the neck of the Church JESVS is the fountain of graces Mary is the bason of them JESVS is the Sun of the World Mary is the Moon thereof Nothing is produced in grace But by JESVS and by Mary The Moon receives the whole Sun And contributes to the generation of Beings Mary receives all from JESVS And contributes to the sanctification of Souls O holy Mother of God! I begin to breath Because my salvation depends on you Your Son is my Saviour But he is also my Judge His Goodness encourages me But his Justice affrightens me I am a Criminal I dare not appear before him But you my dear Mother You have nothing to frighten me You are a Mother of Grace and not of Justice You became a Mother Only for to give us a Saviour You would not have been the Mother of God If there had been no Sinners O I will be your child That I may be God's child O I will be your servant That I may be God's servant He saith to his Mother Woman behold your Son Then he saith to his Disciple Behold thy Mother And from that hour the Disciple received her for his John 19. Dwell in Jacob and have thy inheritance in Israel and take root in my Elect. Eccl. 24. He that shall find me shall find life and draw salvation from our Lord. Prov. 8. CXXXI MED Of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin MAry is happy In
heart says to you O blessed Soul Which listens to God in the silence from all Discourses Be silent all human and carnal thoughts Let all flesh be silent in the presence of God Let all flesh be silent before the face of our Lord. Zach. 2. I was reduced to nothing thou hast like the wind taken away my desire Job 30. My substance is like nothing before thee Ps 38. When I was gon a little beyond them I found him whom my soul loveth Cant. 3. Bring me yet another Vessel 4 Kings 4. CXLVIII MED Of the five degrees of Perfection ONe ought to be a Traveller on Earth One ought to be crucified One ought to dy on the Cross One ought to be buried One ought to go down into Hell A Traveller fixes upon nothing He that is crucified acts nothing A dead man feels nothing The body that is under ground is trampled on In Hell one is without comfort O Sacred Nothing Where the Soul loses her Being For to be transformed into God O living Sepulchres Where the wise do build Solitudes to themselves O Evangelical field Wherein the grain of Wheat dies for to rise again O God alone How amiable art thou I had rather be in Hell with thee Than be in Heaven without thee O let me be one of those living dead Who are wounded with love Let me sleep with them in the Tomb Of my Senses and Passions O my God! Let me dy that thou maist live in me Let me no more be any thing to my self That I may be all thine Be thou all in me all mine And if I may be so bold as to say so All my self My dearest I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims to refrain your selves from carnal desires 1 Pet. 2. With Christ I am fastned to the Cross I live now not I but Christ lives in me Gal. 2. Ye are dead and your life is hidden with Christ in God Rom. 6. The sorrows of Hell have encompassed me Ps 17. Thou hast brought my soul out of Hell Ps 27. CXLIX MED Of the Divine Perfections WHat is God I know not I should be God if I could declare that You would be God If you could comprehend him What is God 'T is he who is 'T is he from whom all is 'T is he for whom all is In whom all is Without whom nothing can be He is the beginning the end the center And the foundation of all Beings What is God He is an omnipotent will He is an obliging goodness A Sovereign happiness An Eternal light An infallible reason An invincible power An invincible justice He is all that I see He is nothing of what I see He is the beauty by which all is beautiful He is the goodness by which all is good 'T is he that gives me light in the Sun Who warms me in the Fire Who refreshes me in the Water Who feeds me in the Bread Who rejoyces me in the Flowers Who sustains me on the Earth What is God My eyes have you not seen him No because he has no colour My ears have you not heard him No because he has no sound My tongue have you not tasted him No because he has no saviour My hands have not you touched him No because he has no body What then is God He is the essence of colour The noise of sound The principle of savour The ground-work of all substances A light above all light which the eye sees not A voice above all voice Which the ear hears not An odour above all odours Which the smelling smells not A sweetness above all sweetness VVhich the tast savours not A substance above all substance VVhich the hand touches not He is an incomprehensible Being VVhich comprehends all things Invisible who sees all things Indivisible who unites all things Eternal who produces all things Immoveable who removes all things Unchangeable who changes all things What is God He is a Spirit that dwells in himself VVho is happy by himself VVho is sufficient to himself VVho finds all in himself VVho is great without quantity Good without quality Infinit without number Immense without extension Eternal without duration Beautiful without figure What is God He is a Spirit who is every where And yet is not divided Who is in all things and is not inclosed Out of all and yet is not excluded Above all and is not elevated Below all and is not depressed What is God He is a Spirit whose nature is goodness Whose greatness is nothing but Majesty Whose life is nothing but fecundity Whose Understanding is nothing but Wisdom Whose Will is nothing but sanctity Whose thought is nothing but light Whose virtue is nothing but power Whose inclination is nothing but love Whose actions are miracles Whose motions are rest Whose duration is nothing but Eternity What is God He is a Spirit always present And always secret Always acting and always in rest Always heaping up without gaining Always giving and never drain'd Always loving without disquiet Always seeking without going forth From the center of his Beatitude O great God! O great Spirit How terrible are you to our Understandings But how amiable to our Wills O the Saint of Saints All my bones as insensible as they are Are sensible at your presence They cry out night and day Lord who is like unto thee O my Soul What dost thou seek after upon Earth Goodness It is in God without malice Beauty It is in God without blemish Perfection It is in God without defect Science It is in God without errour Strength It is in God without weakness Peace It is in God without disturbance Pleasure It is in God without pain Abundance It is in God without poverty Felicity It is in God without misery O my God! I love you with all my heart Since you are my joy and my happiness I will seek after nothing out of you Because I find all that I seek after in you O what a satisfaction I have to think That I can love you more than I know you That I cannot comprehend you in my Understanding But that I can contain you in my heart Why is not my heart all yours Since you are all his O ravishing Beauty O infinit Goodness When shall it be that I shall love you When shall it be that I shall see you Since one must dy for to see you It is just for to have this good That I should dy an infinity of times I am who am Exod. 3. I am the Alpha and Omega the beginning and the end says our Lord God who is and who was and who is to com Omnipotent Apoc. 1. Who is like unto thee among the strong O Lord who is like unto thee magnificent in sanctity terrible and laudable doing wonderful things Exod. 25. Out of him and through him and in him are all things to him be glory for ever Amen Rom. 15. CL. MED Of the Amability of God HOw great is God Since he hath created such
repose That is the Paradise of my delights There is no noise in the house of God There is silence in Heaven Lord I am no more able to speak Since you have spoken to me I am full of thoughts And I have no more words O my heart Preserv Charity the Treasure which thou possessest The Bridegroom enters the doors being shut He goes out when they are open Shut upon thee the doors of thy Senses Peace Love Secrecy Silence This is what puts the soul in security V. CANT I Have lost all I have nothing more to lose I have found all I have nothing more to seek I am contented I desire nothing else I am God's I apprehend nothing now I have left all for God I have found all in God My desires have there met together As Rivers do in the Sea Without noise without distinction Without motion without violence Without those narrow banks Which locked them in on the Earth As soon as I lost the sight of him I entred into an Ocean I plunged my self into these Abysses I lost my self happily I confounded my Being with that of God's I was in time And I believ'd I was in Eternity I was a Creature And I found my self united to the Divinity O mysterious and fortunate night Where God unites himself to our spirit In the silence of its desires and thoughts O how sweet is that hour but how short Let all flesh be silent in the presence of our Lord. VI. CANT I Am threatned with death I am encompassed with darkness Beaten with storms At the very gates of Hell But all this does not astonish me Love is stronger than death He makes his bed in darkness He sleeps in the midst of Storms He finds Heaven in Hell He carries his Heaven with him Because he has within himself All that he desires He would have all things And would have nothing He possesses all things and possesses nothing God is his treasure and his felicity He to whom God is all All the World is nothing VII CANT JESUS thinks on me and I think of him JESUS works for me and I work for him My heart suffices him And he suffices my heart He is contented with me and I with him This is the Canticle of love Which I sing to him day and night The only good which I would have Is to will nothing To live without care and without desire Is that which makes up all my pleasure VIII CANT WHat do I feel in the bottom of my Soul What passes in the bottom of my heart The Wedding is made in Cana. JESUS there works a Miracle He chang'd the Water into Wine He entred in at midnight The doors of the senses being shut I saw him without seeing him I knew him without knowing him My eye did not see him pass My ear did not hear him walk I smelt the odour of his perfumes I tasted the honey of his sweets O my God! Into what Country do you bring me Am I in Heaven or on Earth Am I in time or in Eternity I see you without Image I touch you without a Body I feel you without an Organ I am doubtless in Heaven O if this lasts long I must dy IX CANT REtire from me my beloved But retire not for any long time Withdraw your presence But withdraw not your love Withdraw your sweetnesses But leave me your sorrows Draw your heaven out of my soul Or else draw my soul into your heaven I can have no joy if I am not on a Cross Unless you make me suffer You will make me dy Your sweets are too many Your sorrows are to few O my God my love All my pleasure is to suffer All my desire is to dy My Soul Sing for ever this sweet Canticle of joy I will content God I will be contented with God He will be contented with me When I am contented with him I shall testify to him my contentment When I am calm in my pains I am not contented with him If I murmur against him X. CANT I Place all my glory In being despised for you I place all my riches In possessing nothing but you I place all my pleasure In suffering much for you I live I live no longer I am and I am no more my self You and I are no longer but one All my wills are destroyed All my hopes are ruined All my desires are extinct All my Being is annihilated I labour no longer but for you I breath no more but by you I subsist no more but in you You in me I in you You for me I for you To be where you would have me To will what you will To do what you would have me To suffer what you would have me Is what makes a man perfect and happy FINIS Words of the Holy Scripture for the chast Spouses of the Son of God My beloved to me and I to him Cant. 2. I found him whom my Soul loveth Cant. 3. I adjure you O ye daughters of Jerusalem that you raise not up nor make the beloved to awake till her self will ibid. I sleep and my heart watcheth Cant. 5. Put me as a seal upon thy heart as a seal upon thy arm c. Cant. 8. Let him kiss me with a kiss of his mouth Cant. 1. Under his shadow whom I desired I sate Cant. 2. My soul melted as he spake I sought and I found him not I called and he did not answer me Cant. 5. For what is to me in heaven and besides thee what would I upon Earth my flesh hath fainted and my heart God of my heart and God my portion for ever Ps 72. v. 25. And now what is my expectation is it not our Lord c. Ps 38. v. 8. I said to our Lord thou art my God Ps 15. Our Lord is the part of my inheritance ibid. To thee did my heart say my face hath sought thee out Ps 26. v. 8. Lord before thee is all my desire Ps 37. The violence of the river maketh the City of God joyful Ps 45. v. 5. The Lord of Hosts is with us our Protector the God of Jacob. ibid. v. 11. In peace in the self-same I will sleep and rest Ps 4. This is my rest for ever and ever Ps 131 He put darkness his covert darksom water in the clouds of the air Ps 17. v. 12. When he shall have given sleep to his beloved to the inheritance of our Lord. Ps 126. I am thine save me Ps 118. Much peace there is to those that love thy law ibid. Thou wilt bless thy people in peace Ps 18. Enter into thy rest because our Lord hath don well to thee Ps 114. My heart waxed hot in me and fire shall burn in my meditation Ps 38. Expecting I expected our Lord and he hath attended me Ps 39. I will hear what my Lord says in me because he will speak peace to his people Ps 84. Unless our Lord keep the city in vain does he watch that
Canticle Page 381 Med. 8. Canticle ibid. Med. 9. Canticle Page 382 Med. 10. Canticle Page 383 Words of the Holy Scripture for the chast Spouses of the Son of God Page 385 Words of Love taken out of the Book of the Following of Christ for Souls which aspire to Vnion Page 387 The End of the Table of the Second Tome A TABLE OF THE Meditations For the whole Year 1. Sunday of Advent Gospel Luk. c. 21. v. 25. unto v. 34. Med. 1. OF the last Judgment Page 20 Med. 2. Of Death Page 13 Med. 3. Of the End for which Man was made Page 1 Med. 4. Of the same Subject ibid. Med. 5. Of good Works Page 178 Med. 6. Of Pennauce Page 28 Med. 7. Of the same Subject ibid. 2. Sund. of Adv. G. Matth. 21. v. 2. to 11. Med. 1. Of human Respect Page 77 Med. 2. Of Persecutions Page 73 Med. 3. The same again ibid. Med. 4. Of Poverty Page 204 Med. 5. Of Scandal Page 50 Med. 6. Of Conscience Page 39. Med. 7. The same again ibid. 3. Sund. of Adv. G. John 1. v. 19.29 Med. 1. Of Humility Page 149 Med. 2. The same again ibid. Med. 3. Of the judgment of Men. Page 94 Med. 4. Of vain Desires Page 42 Med. 5. The same again ibid. Med. 6. Of Disengagement Page 71 Med. 7. The same again ibid. 4. Sund. of Adv. G. Luk. 3. v. 1.7 Med. 1. That we ought not to deferr our Conversion Page 29 Med. 2. Of the Conditions of true Pennance Page 32 Med. 3. The same again ibid. Med. 4. Of Mortal Sin Page 25 Med. 5. Of the Peace of the Soul Page 41 Med. 6. The same again ibid. Med. 7. Of Tepidity Page 43 25. Dec. On Christmas-Day Med. 1. Gospel Luk. 2. v. 1.25 Med. 2. Gosp Luk. 2. v. 15.21 Med. 3. Gosp John 1. v. 1.15 26. S. Steven G. Matth. 23. v. 34.40 Of the Pardoning of Injuries Page 91 27. S. John G. John 21. v. 19.28 Of the love of our Neighbour Page 164 28. Holy Innocents G. Matth. 2. v. 13.19 That we must be Persecuted Page 75 29. Affections of Tenderness towards the Infant JESUS Page 221 30. Of the Poverty of the Infant Jesus Page 224 31. Of the Humility of the Infant Jesus Page 226 A Preparation for Death Page 105 The four following Meditations may be made on the four last days of every Month for to learn how to Dy well Med. 1. Of the Preparation to Death Page 105 Med. 2. Motives to resolve for Death Page 108 Med. 3. The Affections of a just Soul c. Page 111 Med. 4. A Paraphrase on our Lord's Prayer Page 118 1. January G. Luk. 2. v. 21.22 Of the Holy Name of JESUS Page 229 Med. 2. Jan. Of the good use of time Page 71 Med. 3. Jan. The same again ibid. Med. 4. Jan. Of the divine Humiliations c. Page 227 Med. 5. Jan. Of the Virtues of JESUS c. Page 219 Med. 6. Jan. Epiphany G. Mat. 2. v. 1.13 Of the Kingdom of JESUS Christ Page 232 Med. 7. Jan. The same again ibid. Med. 8. Jan. Of the Kingdom of God Page 231 1. Sund. after the Epiph. G. Luk. 2. v. 42.53 Med. 1. Of the Duty of Fathers c. Page 166 Med. 2. Of the Care of our Salvation Page 6 Med. 3. The same again ibid. Med. 4. Of the leaving of our selves Page 343 Med. 5. The same again ibid. Med. 6. How we ought to leave our selves Page 345 Med. 7. The same again ibid. 2. Sund. after the Epiph. G. John 2. v. 3.12 Med. 1. Of the happiness of a Religious State Page 203 Or Of divine Vnion Page 370 Med. 2. The same again ibid. Med. 3. Of Chastity Page 206 Med. 4. Of the Contempt of the World Page 45 Med. 5. The same again ibid. Med. 6. Of Patience Page 152 Med. 7. The same again ibid. 3. Sund. after the Epiph. G. Matth. 8. v. 1.14 Med. 1. Of Sickness Page 194 Or Of Communion Page 304 Med. 2. Of Faith Page 134 Med. 3. Of venial Sin Page 26 Med. 4. Of Preparation for Death Page 105 Med. 5. Motives to resolve for Death Page 108 Med. 6. The Affections of a just Soul c. Page 111 Med. 7. A Paraphrase on our Lord's Prayer Page 118 4. Sund. after Epiph. G. Matth. 18. v. 23.28 Med. 1. Of the Profit of Temptations Page 56 Med. 2. The same again ibid. Med. 3. Of God's dominion over his Creatures Page 3 Med. 4. The same again ibid. Med. 5. Of Hope Page 139 Med. 6. Motives to Patience Page 152 Med. 7. The same again ibid. 5. Sund. after the Epiph. G. Matth. 13. v. 31.36 Med. 1. Of the flight from occasions c. Page 35 Med. 2. The same again ibid. Med. 3. Of the Purity of Intention Page 144 Med. 4. Of Hell Page 22 Med. 5. Of the hatred of the World Page 45 Med. 6. The same again ibid. Med. 7. Of the two Eternities Page 24 6. Sund. after the Epiph. G. Matth. 13. v. 31.36 Med. 1. Of fidelity in small things Page 176 Med. 2. Of Presumption Page 67 Med. 3. The same again ibid. Med. 4. Of the Conducts of Faith Page 136 Med. 5. Of the troubles and pains of mind Page 61 Med. 6. Of natural Inclinations Page 62 Med. 7. The same again ibid. Septuagesima Sunday G. Matth. 20. v. 1.17 Med. 1. Of the small number of the saved Page 48 Med. 2. Of Slander Page 79 Med. 3. That we ought to do our actions well Page 175 Med. 4. A Preparation for Death Page 105 Med. 5. Motives to resolve for Death Page 108 Med. 6. The affections of a just Soul c. Page 111 Med. 7. A Paraphrase on our Lord's Prayer Page 118 Sexagesima Sund. G. Luk. 8. v. 1.16 Med. 1. Of the Word of God Page 201 Med. 2. Of driness Page 190 Med. 3. Of Alms. Page 180 Med. 4. The same again ibid. Med. 5. Of Inspirations Page 199 Med. 6. The same again ibid. Med. 7. Of Avarice Page 97 Or Of Devotion to the B. Virgin Page 310 Quinquagesima S. G. Luk. 18. v. 31.44 Med. 1. Of the obligation we have to love God Page 10 Med. 2. The same again ibid. Med. 3. Of Modesty Page 196 Med. 4. Ash-Wednesday Of outward Pennance Page 53 Med. 5. The same again ibid. Med. 6. Of the excellence of Mortification Page 55 Med. 7. Of customary Sins Page 102 1. Sunday in Lent G. Matth. 4. v. 1.12 Med. 1. Of the Causes of Temptations Page 58 Med. 2. Of our Lord's Passion in general Page 235 Med. 3. The same again ibid. Med. 4. Of our Lord's Sadness Page 237 Med. 5. The same again ibid. Med. 6. Of his Prayer in the Garden Page 239 Med. 7. The same again ibid. Or The seven Stations Page 274 2. Sund. in Lent G. Matth. 17. v. 1.10 Med. 1. Of Heaven Page 368 Or Of Solitude Page 342 Med. 2. Of the outrages that our Lord suffered c. Page 241 Med. 3. The
bottom of the heart 'T is the heart that conceives sin 'T is the heart that must destroy it 'T is the heart that withdraws it self from God 'T is the heart that must return to God Hatred takes its rise out of love One hates only because one loves I ought therefore to hate Sin As much as I ought to love God As much as I ought to love my self As much as I ought to love Heaven As much as I ought to fear Hell I ought to love God singularly I ought to hate Sin singularly I ought to love all things in order to God I ought to hate all things in order to Sin I ought to love God above all things I ought to hate sin above all things I cannot exceed in the love of God I cannot exceed in the hatred of sin That Repentance is nothing worth Unless it be of all crimes Unless grace blots them all out It blots not so much as one out One cannot be reconcil'd by halfs One cannot be both beloved and hated One cannot be both in sin and in grace One cannot be both God's and the Devil 's at once One cannot be both worthy of Heaven and Hell Unless one believes all one believes nothing To be a Son of the Church One must believe all things To be a Son of God one must hate all sin King Saul made exceptions And it was the cause of his ruin He became God's enemy For having saved one of his enemies What does it avail you to conquer one sin If you be a slave to another What good is it to bewail your Cholers If you be a slave to your Impurities One mortal stroke alone Is enough to bereave the body of its life One mortal sin alone Is sufficient to deprive the soul of life That man is no true Penitent Who will be so but for a time One must always hate that evil Which is always hated by God That friendship is not broke off Which one designs to make up again Can he be said to hate sin Who has a mind to commit it again Can he be said to have true Contrition Who only feels some small Aversion One may hate his sin Although he feel not the hatred One may feel sorrow And yet not have a true sorrow Then does one truly hate sin When one is resolv'd to destroy it If you love the causes of sin you still love sin 'T is not enough to hate it You must repair the damages thereof You must restore your ill-gotten goods Restore the honour you have taken away Repair the Scandals you have given Satisfie those whom you have offended You must punish by sorrow The pleasure you have taken in sinning God transfers to Pennance The right he has to punish a Sinner If Pennance spare him Justice spares him not If Pennance punish him Justice punishes him not O my God! How much reason have I to fear Least I be yet in the state of sin Have I hated it Sincerely Universally Constantly Efficaciously Am not I at the end of the year The same man still that I was at the beginning Oh! I will change my life My God change me from my heart Give me a new Spirit that I may lead a new life If with all your heart you will return to our Lord Take away the strange God from the midst of you 1 Kings 17. He that hides his crimes shall not be directed but he that shall confess them and relinquish them shall obtain mercy Prov. 28. Turn unto me with all your heart and rent your hearts and not your garments be converted to God your Lord because he is gracious and merciful patient and of much compassion and ready to be moved upon the malice Joel 2. Ananias why did Satan tempt thy heart to sin to the Holy Ghost and defraud of the price of the field thou didst not ly to man but to God Act. 5. Her transgressing Sister hath not return'd to me with her whole heart but in lying Jer. 3. Cast away from you all your prevarications and make to your selves a new heart and a new spirit And why should you die O house of Israel Ezech. 8. XIX MED Of the flight from Occasions and evil Companies 'T Is but a folly to hide your self The Company you keep betrays you Every one is pleas'd with his like Such you are as those you frequent If you suffer bad Company You may be reckoned to be of an ill life Or that you will at least soon resemble The persons whom you frequent 'T is good example that makes virtuous people Bad example that makes bad people Ignorance and Bashfulness Are the two Bulwarks of Innocency One would have been ignorant of many Crimes Had not one seen them committed One would have a horrour of sin If no body had taught it Example ennobles a Crime It makes it just and lawful It gives it authority It makes a necessity of it One is ashamed to be Innocent In the Company of the Nocent One does not blush at a sin When Example has crown'd it 'T is a vain thing to hope to be good among the wicked An evil is easily contracted Nature has a propension thereunto She imitates what she sees don She desires what is forbidden her One is not healthy for being among the healthy But one falls sick by being among the sick Go down into Hell Look upon those execrable Victims Hearken to their lamentable Cries Inquire into the cause of their Disaster There is never a Reprobate of them all Who will not with many tears tell you That it was Example that undid him That it was Company that damn'd him One is willing to please those whom one loves And you will never please the wicked Unless you be wicked like them O! but you do no harm say you You always remain a Sheep Although you live among Wolves You conserve the sweetness of the waters In the midst of a brackish Sea You draw in an innocent air In a house infected with the Plague And I say that you are dead If you think you are not sick Can any one without sin love the occasion of sin Is not the scandal of your Neighbour a very great evil Who can believe you to be chast With people that are not At least you will not long be so Example is a bad Master You will soon learn to do evil which you have seen don Occasion will draw you to it Company will drag you along to it The temptation will increase Fear will diminish Grace will grow weaker Shame will be blotted out Nature will yield A habit will be gotten The Will will be hardened This is the Progress of Iniquity This is the Road of Impenitence This is the term of Impiety O Christian Soul Retire out of Occasions Fly evil Company Love not those whom you ought not to imitate Please not those who displease God Withdraw from those who withdraw from God Fly away from contagious persons Avoid dangerous occasions
thou have in Hell Where thou wilt have for tormentors All those that thou hast damned O my God! Forgive me my own proper sins And impute not to me the sins of others I have hitherto been a Tyrant I will henceforth be a Martyr I have lived like a Devil I will now live like an Angel I have labour'd only to destroy Souls I will now labour to save them I shall not be in security Unless I save as many as I have damn'd I am not born for my self alone I must likewise answer for my Neighbour My life is only necessary for my self But my reputation is necessary for others I ow Chastity to my self But I ow Modesty to the whole World Wo unto the world from scandals Matth. 17. He that scandalizes one of these little ones it were better for him to have a Milstone hung about his neck and to be flung into the Sea Matth. 17. If thy hand scandalize thee cut it off Mark 4. VVo unto him by whom scandal cometh Luk. 7. XXVII MED Of outward Pennance and Mortification THere is nothing more united than Soul and Body Nothing less united than Soul and Body When the one goes forward the other goes backward When one goes up the other goes down When the one is well the other is sick When the one is strong the other is weak I am not a man if I obey my Passions I am no Christian unless I fight against my Passions I am no Penitent unless I mortifie my Passions How do I know whether my sins be forgiven me Whether the punishment be remitted me Whether God will chastise me spiritually Or punish me corporally If I spare my self God will not spare me If I punish my self God will not punish me If I hate my self God will love me If I love my self God will hate me O! I will chastise my Body That I may be predestinated I will fight against this enemy of God That I may be crowned I will mortifie my senses That I may live a life of the spirit I will be crucified with JESUS That I may rise again with JESUS I abhor my body unless it have wounds as his had Since I have not the heart to make my self any I will suffer those that God shall make me O Christian Soul Make of thy body a living and dying victim Mortifie thy Passions thy Senses and thy Desires Mortifie thy self at all times In all places In all things Mortifie thy self discreetly and prudently Give thy flesh unto God and he will give thee his spirit Do thou take care of the exteriour And he will take care of the interiour Do thou do what is easie and he will do that which is hard Walk as long as thou art able And he will carry thee when thou canst go no longer The flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh Gal. 5. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God Rom. 8. Those that belong to Christ have crucified their flesh with its vices and lusts Gal. 5. If you live according to the flesh you shall die Rom. 8. XXVIII MED Of the excellency of Mortification WHat is Mortification 'T is a death of love which kills the criminal life Which takes the Soul off from the senses Which severs her from the body Which makes her live in spirit What is Mortification 'T is a Martyrdom of love without Crime or Tyrant Less bloody than that of faith but longer and more tedious More free and more voluntary More honourable and more innocent More troublesom and more constant What is Mortification 'T is a continuation of the Sacrifice of JESUS Which fills up what is wanting to his Passion Which makes our Bodies Members of his Which enlivens us with his Spirit Gives us a share of his Sorrows Which merits for us a treasure of his Grace Which disposes us to the throne of his Glory O let me die the death of the Just That I may live the life of the Just O let me be a victim to love That I may die a death of love I beseech you brethren through the mercy of God that you yield your bodies a living and holy Host and pleasing to God Rom. 12. I die every day 1 Cor. 15. I am fastned to the Cross Gal. 2. I fulfil the things that are wanting to the Sufferances of Christ in my flesh for his body which is the Church Col. 1. If by the spirit you mortifie the works of the flesh you shall live Rom. 8. XXIX MED Of the Profit and necessity of Temptations THe evil purifies the good A Storm makes Trees take deeper Roots Wind blows away the Chaff Fire refines Gold Snow warms the Ground A Combat tries ones strength Infirmity conserves Humility Temptation increases Charity Every thing hath its contrary War produces Peace Every thing subsists by opposition You will be saved but by Temptation Unless you be tempted you will not be predestinated Unless you fight you will not be crowned Unless you be assaulted you are already overcome This Combat is troublesom but it is necessary It gives an exercise to your virtue But it gets you a Crown That which encourages you to resist Will crown your patience The feeling of Temptation hurts not Provided the heart consent not God is with you what do you fear You are stronger than your enemy He cannot overcome you unless you will He cannot bite you unless you go near him Be vigilant in the first beginnings Pray to God at all times Fly occasions Be firm in your resolutions Take counsel in your Doubts Seek for succour in your Combats Go up to Heaven there to see your Throne Go down into Hell there to see your place 'T is on this Combat peradventure That your Salvation depends 'T is on this Moment that your Eternity depends 'T is on this Crisis that your life depends 'T is on this Temptation that depends your Predestination O JESUS my King I fight for you and before you You are the Spectator of my labours You are the Witness of my feebleness Suffer me not to betray you Permit me not to ruin my self Arise O God of Hosts make hast unto my succour Defend me against my foes Scatter away those that hate me He that is not tempted what does he know Eccles 34. Gold and Silver is tried in the fire and men that are acceptable in the furnace of humiliation Eccles 12. Esteem it all joy brethren when you fall into several temptations Jac. 1. Vexed in few things in many things they shall be well disposed Wisd 3. XXX MED Of the causes of our Temptations WHy am I tempted 'T is because you are proud Or because you watch not over your Senses Or because you avoid not Occasions Or because you have ill Habits Or because you are not in order Or for that you have quitted your Vocation Or because you are not sufficiently employed 'T is because you are a man Because you are a Sinner And
evil without remedy There is no pardon to be hop'd for Unless restitution be made The sin is not forgiven Unless what is stolen be restored Honour is not to be repaired When once it is taken away The Wound of Slander is incurable The Scar thereof remains for ever O my God! How many Robberies have I committed And how many Murders My Tongue is a Pen that writes lightly And which has prepar'd the Decree Which will be pronounc'd at my Judgment I shall be justified by my Tongue I shall be condemn'd by my Tongue Alas who then shall be saved Who can say I have never detracted I have made reparation For the harm my Detraction has done Fly from Detractions Satan is in their mouth when they speak In your ear when you hearken to them Bear with a Detraction but give no occasion for it Repair those you have spoken in the best way you can That Truth which is not charitable Proceeds from a Charity that is not true I persecuted him who did secretly slander his neighbour Psal 100. Detract not one another brethren he that detracts his brother or he that judgeth his brother detracts the law and judges the law Jam. 4. He that detracts any thing he obliges himself for the future Prov. 13. Neither Robbers nor Slanderers shall possess the Kingdom of Heaven 1 Cor. 6. Out of thy words thou shalt be justified and out of thy words thou shalt be condemn'd Matth. 12. XL. MED Of Sadness WHence comes it that you are sad 'T is doubtless because your heart is sick Because you are a slave to som Passion Because you love som Creature Because you feed som desire Because your Conscience is not clear Because you have committed som sin Because you would have what you cannot have Because you cannot do what you would Because you will not do what God would have you do Because you would do what God would not have you do 'T is because you would suffer nothing Because you adhere too much to your own sence Because you fear the World too much Because you seek your own ease too much Because you love your self too much Happy is that man who desires nothing but God How joyful is that man who fears nothing but God How secure is that man who has nothing to lose How contented is that man who lives a virtuous life Have an esteem for nothing but God And nothing will afflict you Think all that you can lose already lost Love not that wealth which may be taken from you Ty your self to nothing that may perish Whatsoever you lose still preserve your peace Live always well and you will never be sad Leave your self to God and you will always be contented Drive away sadness far from you Eccles 30. Rejoyce in our Lord and exult O ye just Psal 31. Let the just exult in our Lord praise becomes the upright Ps 32. Rejoyce in our Lord always again I say rejoyce Phil. 4. As it were sad but always rejoycing 2 Cor. 6. XLI MED The ill effects of Sadness A Man that is sad dishonours God He shews that he believes not his Providence He accuses God of ignorance He tacitly complains of his injustice 'T is I says he that take this good from you 'T is I that permit this persecution 'T is I who send you this sickness And do you dare to murmur Do you dare to complain Can one be sad without murmuring You blaspheme not with your mouth But you blaspheme in your heart You say there is no God Or that he knows not how to govern the World A man that is sad loses himself He wasts himself with Melancholy He shortens the life of his Body He brings death to his Soul His heart is a Hell The Devil has a right to dwell in it He pushes him on to Despair He engages him in all sorts of Vices He proposes to him bodily Pleasures For want of Spiritual ones O strange Disease which needs such a Remedy O JESUS who never wert melancholy And yet hadst always causes of sadness Give me not over to this Passion Plunge me not into this Hell I will always have a contented heart Because you dispose of all things for my good I. will honour your Providence Edifie my Neighbour Begin my Heaven even in this life For to confirm it after my death A discontented Servant dishonours his Master A true Servant of God ought never to be sad He will not be sad nor turbulent Isa 42. Why is thy countenance sad 2 Psdr 2. As it were sad but always rejoycing 2 Cor. 6. A wicked heart will cause sadness Eccles 36. Be not like Hypocrites sad Math. 6. XLII MED Remedies against Sadness WHy do you afflict your self That which seems ill to you is not so Your Miseries are Mercies Your Disgraces are Graces of God They take you off from the World They unite you to our Lord. They make you enter into your self They give you a disgust of this life They make you feel your sin They are marks of your Salvation They are Pledges of your Predestination Did not God love his Son Was there ever man more afflicted than he Your evil is not to be complain'd of If it be light it is easily boren If it be violent it cannot last long A great ill cannot be long Unless it be droven away otherways It must sink under it self Either it bereaves you of your life Or of your feeling of it No where but in Hell evil is immortal Time without your thinking of it will do your buliness Your pain cannot last any longer than your life And what is life in regard of Eternity Do you think to live in this World without affliction How will you be a member of Jesus Christ How can you reign with him Unless you be afflicted as he was Shew me a man without his Cross And I will discharge you from yours Is it just that you should have for nothing That which has cost all the Saints so dear What rank will you take in Heaven In what place shall you be put All the Saints are loaden with wounds Shall you be the only one that has none Think on Heaven and your sadness will away The hopes of a great good produces a great joy All evil is little which delivers us from an Eternity of pains The body feels but little pain when the mind dwells in Heaven Do not you know that Heaven is the in heritance of the afflicted That it is the Kingdom of the Crucified That it is the portion of suffering Souls If you have a mind never to be sad Drive sin out of your Soul 'T is that which saddens Hell it self If they were without sin They would be without sadness What joy can that person have Who has driven God out of his heart What rest can he take who has poison lying on his heart If you fasten your self to nothing You will afflict your self for nothing We suffer in proportion to
dy many times That I may dy once well Remember that death doth not tarry Eecles 14. Watch because you know neither the day nor the hour Matth. 25. VVatch at all times Luk. 21. If thou do not watch I will come to thee like a Thief Apoc. 3. Therefore be ye prepared because in what hour you think not the Son of Man will come Matth. 24. L. MED How to resolve for Death WHat do you fear O Christian Soul VVhence is it that you apprehend Death Cannot you endure that which a little Infant does endure Cannot you do that which an Emmot does All Creatures know how to dy And are you ignorant of this Science VVhat will you do with life If you will never part with it VVas it not God that gave it you Has not he a right to dispose of it He has giv'n you the use of it But has reserv'd the property thereof to himself 'T is a trust that you must restore to him Sooner or later in a good condition To what purpose do you stand trifling You must pass that way 'T is a folly to apprehend too much VVhat one cannot avoid VVe fear things that are doubtful But we expect things that are certain You should not have been born If you had no mind tody Are you in a better condition than Kings Shall you be more privileg'd than JESUS Christ For my part were I immortal I would beg it as a favour To be able to die as he did Are not you a Criminal Are not you condemn'd to death The Sentence thereof was pronounced Against Adam from the time that he sinn'd O how favourable is this Sentence O how much good does it procure us Death is no more a punishment 'T is an inestimable benefit VVe should ask it as a favour If God had not condemn'd us to it The Judgments of God are terrible But his Mercies are infinit It is good to fear But it is better to hope He that hopes in God Shall not be deceived He that leaves himself to God Shall not be forsaken Will your Condition be made better By living yet longer You will increase your debts Instead of diminishing them You say that you will do Pennance And you are yet to begin 'T is a Pennance of great merit To accept of death as a punishment Man can do no action for God Comparable to the Sacrifice of his life O my God! How happy do I esteem my self That 't is in my power to die for you I cannot be a Martyr for the Faith But I will be a Martyr of Charity To dy is no great matter But to dy well is a great matter I give to you O my God out of love VVhat death will take from me by force I give to you out of charity VVhat I cannot refuse out of necessity Better is death than a bitter life and eternal rest than continual sickness Eccles 30. O Death good is thy judgment to an indigent man and whose strength decays in his old age Eccles 41. Fear not the judgment of Death remember what things were before thee and what things will come after thee this is God's judgment on all flesh Eccles 41. VVe know if this earthly house of ours of this habitation be dissolved that we have a building from God not made with hands but eternal in heaven 2 Cor. 5. Unhappy man that I am who will deliver me from the body of this death Rom. 6. LI. MED The Affections of a just Soul at the approaches of Death which we should cause to be read to us in our last sickness I Am told that I must dy O the sweet and pleasant news I am quitting Earth to go to Heaven Going out of my Prison for to re-enter into liberty Quitting a Banishment for to return to my dear Country Passing from Time to Eternity From the figure to the truth From Change to Immutability From Death to Immortality From Misery to Felicity I am going to possess God To enjoy God To be transform'd into God To fill my Understanding with a plenitude of light My VVill with a plenitude of peace My Memory with a plenitude of goods My Senses with a fulness of pleasures I shall there above find all that I desire And nothing of what I fear I shall have no more evil I shall want nothing that is good God will be to me All in all And be so for all Eternity I am told that I am dying O the sweet news I shall be no more opprest with miseries Suffer no more incommodities Be no more afflicted with sickness No more subject to commit sin Nor in danger of damning my self Nor any more have any thing to trouble me I shall see and I shall love I shall praise and I shall bless This I shall do for ever VVithout ever being weary of doing it O what a happiness I am going to dy I am going to the place of my repose To the Land of the living To the Kingdom of peace To the Palace of glory To the Nuptials of the Lamb To sit at God's Table To eat the bread of Angels To see what eye hath not seen To hear what ear hath not heard To possess what the heart of man hath never conceived O the happy News They tell me I am dying Come my Soul Let us quit this miserable life Let us go out of this wretched body What art thou afraid of Jesus is dead for thee He has satisfied for thy sins He has pay'd all thy debts He is becom thy security He has answer'd for thee He has promis'd thee his Heaven He has declar'd thee his Heir He has made thee a surrender of all his Merits He has given thee his Body as a Pledge He has bestow'd infinit benefits on thee He has preserv'd thee from infinit dangers If he would have destroy'd thee Would he have died for thee Would he have conserv'd thy life so long Have expected thee with so much patience Given thee time to do pennance Have illuminated thee with so many lights Called thee with so much love Drawn thee with so much force Favoured thee with so many graces Given thee so many good desires Visited thee in thy sickness Made thee receive his Sacraments Markt thee with the Seal of the Predestinate If thou sighest thou shalt be saved If thou art converted in thy heart Thy sins shall be forgiven thee One sigh is sufficient to gain Heaven The Pennance that is true is never don too late He is always converted time enough Who is converted from the bottom of his heart Behold JESUS calls you Behold JESUS stretches out his arms to you Hark how he prays for you on his Cross Hark how he says with a loud voice Father forgive him for he knew not what he did He bows down his head to kiss you He spreads his arms for to embrace you His heart is open for to let you into it He has given his life for to save you O happy news
for to give glory to thee and I have don nothing but dishonoured thee I have glorified my own name instead of glorifying of thine I have made known my own name instead of making known thine I beg thy pardon for it O God of Glory and Majesty and since I have not honored thee during my life I will honour thee in my Death I dy for thy glory and for to acknowledge the Immortality of thy Being by the destruction of mine I wish I were able to render you as much glory by my death as your beloved Son rendred you by his O why can I not make you to be beloved by all hearts make you be praised by all mouths O holy name of JESUS Thou art all my hopes Whosoever shall call upon thee shall be saved I invocate thee with love and with respect suffer me not then to be damned Thy Kingdom com My God! When will that time come When will you reign absolutely in my heart When shall I reign peaceably in yours Alas I have not made you reign upon Earth I have all my life long protested That I had no other King but Caesar I have given up my heart which is your Kingdom to the power of the Devil I have made all your enemies to reign therein But my God! Through your grace I acknowledge my fault and my perfidiousness I confess that I deserve death I accept of it with all my heart in satisfaction for my sins I hope that you will admit me into your Kingdom although I have driven you out of mine O my God! How happy are those who dwell in your house for they shall praise you for ever and ever Happy are those that serve you here on Earth for they shall reign with you in Heaven Comfort thy self O my Soul Behold the Kingdom of God is at hand Thou hast but one moment to suffer in and thou shalt have an Eternity to rejoyce in What ought not one to do for to gain a Crown What ought not one to suffer for to get Heaven Thy Will be don on Earth as it is in Heaven My God! I feel great pains My Body is overwhelm'd with Sufferings Death assaults me on all sides I cannot resist its Batteries It presents me my Chalice to drink which is very bitter Is there no means to remove it from my mouth Yet let thy Will be don and not mine My God! My Soul is in her Agony My Spirit is disturb'd at the approaches of Death She apprehends this passage and has difficulty to quit her Body She would fain stay a little longer here upon Earth for to redeem the time past and repair the losses she has been the cause of Must she drink this Chalice Can not she be dispens'd from it My God let your will be don and not mine Let me do it at my death since I have not don it in my life O my God! If it were in my power not to dy I would beg Death of you as a favour that I might sacrifice to you what I have dearest in this World thereby to imitate your Son thereby to acknowledge his love and for to drink in his Chalice O I will be consummated upon this bed of sorrow and upon the Altar of my Cross as a a Victim of your greatness as a Victim of your Justice as a Victim of your Love as a Victim of your Grace as a Victim of your Glory Give us this day our daily bread Happy is he that shall eat bread in the Kingdom of God I thank you O charitable Father for all the corporal and spiritual goods that you have bestowed on me during this life and above all for the bread of Angels which I have so often eaten and with so little fruit O bread of life I am no more afraid of death since I have eaten thee in this my last sickness I will march on being fortified with this bread till I com to the Mount Oreb which is the clear sight of God O Eternal Truth You have promised and sworn That he who shall eat your Body and drink your Blood shall live eternally This is that which grounds my hopes This is that which disperses my fears Since we have been united together in this life I hope we shall not be divided asunder in the next O JESUS Give me my bread this day Strengthen me with your graces that I may compass the great journy of Eternity and that I may persever to the end Without this bread I shall faint and shall never be able to get to Heaven Forgive us our Trespasses as we forgive those that trespass against us Lord the number of my sins is infinit If you keep an account of our iniquities alas who will be able to subsist I expect my Salvation from your mere grace and not from your justice I can no more do pennance I am no longer in a condition to pray or to fast What shall I then do to appease your justice and to secure my Salvation You have promised to forgive him that forgives to shew mercy to him that shows it I do with all my heart forgive those who have offended me and I pray you to forgive them and not to lay to their charge the ill they have don me Alas they knew not what they did Forgive me my God as I forgive them Forget the evil that I have don to you as I forget that which they have don to me And lead us not into Temptation Now it is O my God that I stand in need of your protection and your assistance See how all my enemies surround me on all sides The roaring Lyon is com out of Hell for to devour me But if you are with me what need I fear Although I should walk in the midst of the shadow of death I shall apprehend nothing being in your company Although I were besieged by an Army encamped round about me my heart would not be astonished Although all the Devils of Hell were ready to enter into combat against me I would not tremble since you are with me and that you make me hope that I shall have your assistance Arise then O God of Hosts com quickly to my succour Send St. Michael with his Troops to relieve me You know my weakness there is none greater in the World Preserve me therefore O my God from Temptation at least suffer me not to yield unto Temptation But deliver us from evil From evil of body which I have very well deserved from the evil of the Soul which I am threatned with Deliver me from the greatest of all evils which is that of Eternity This is the only sole evil that I apprehend I accept of all the rest that you shall think fit to send me I am ready to go to Purgatory for to satisfie your Justice But O God of mercy I conjure you by the pretious blood of your Son and for the love that his holy Mother bore him send me not into Hell where
no body praises you nor loves you Call me to Heaven where I shall see you where I shall love you where I shall praise you for all Eternity Amen So be it One may also read to the Patient the Meditations upon the last words of JESVS upon the Cross which are in the Third Part. THE SECOND PART OF THE Meditations FOR THE ILLVMINATIVE LIFE LIII MED Of the care of our Perfection BE ye perfect like your Heavenly Father A Child ought to resemble his Father An Image its Original An Effect its Cause A Disciple his Master He that advances not in Christ's School Deserves not to be his Disciple Not to advance is to go backward Not to amend is to grow worse Not to gain is to lose One cannot stand still on a River Without going down or up If you stop you go down If you rest you go backward If you once say 'T is enough you undo your self One must labour much for to be perfect God possesses his happiness without motion The Angel gets his with a small motion Man coms to his with much motion All things are wanting to him Who thinks that he wants nothing Grace will not be barren Love cannot be idle 'T is a fire that never says 'T is enough Either it burns or it goes out Either it increases or diminishes The Talent is taken from him Who does not improve it The Tree is cut down that bears nothing O my God! How much time have I lost How many Graces have I squandred away How little virtue have I How little improvement have I made All the World advances I only go backward The Trades-man learns his Trade And yet I learn not mine The Schollar becomes learned And I am still ignorant Every one strives to be perfect Onely I will still be imperfect O my Divine Master Forgive me what is past And I will henceforward do better Alas I have not yet begun Oh! What a way have I to go O how I fear to be surpriz'd with night Let us run for to win the prize Let us advance that we may not be surpriz'd Be ye therefore perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect Matth. 5. Do not you know that those who run a Race all run and but one gains the Prize so run that you may get it 2 Cor. 9. I therefore do so run not as in uncertain I so fight not as beating the air but I chastise my body and bring it into servitude 1 Cor. 4. I said Now I have begun this is a change of the right hand of the highest Ps 76. LIV. MED Of Prayer and the Difficulties that occur therein WHy are we oblig'd to pray For to honour God's Majesty To yield an homage to his grandure To acknowledge his Providence To testifie to him our dependency on him To stir him up to do us good To put our selves in a condition of receiving good from him To enlarge our hearts To make them capable of his graces Prayer unites us to God It fastens us to his Divine Breasts It squeezes the Milk of Grace out of them It inriches us with his Bounties It supplies our Necessities It fills up our Wants It makes us powerful like God It makes us triumph over God That body is dead that breaths not That Soul is dead that prays not Whence coms it that I obtain nothing of God 'T is because you ask evil things 'T is because you ask being in all ill state Without Attention Without Devotion Without Humility Without Confidence Without Perseverance Prayer penetrates Heaven It gets all that it asks God can refuse it nothing As his nature is nothing but goodness He desires nothing but to pour himself out He is a Nurse that has too much Milk He seeks about every where for an empty heart For to fill it with his goods He has engaged his word 'T is his Son that prays in us He has given us his spirit He has transferr'd his merits on us What may we not obtain By offering to God the merits of his Son Whence com my distractions They com from the Devil Who would give us a disgust of Prayer They com from your Imagination Which is light and volatile They com from your spirit Which busies it self with vain things They com from your heart Which is fastned to Creatures Which flies where its treasure lies Which converses with what it loves Which is not pleas'd with God Because it has no love for God They often com from the body Which loads and weighs down the spirit They com from the little care You take of your perfection They com from your sloth They com from your infidelity There is nothing but Mortification That enkindles the fire of Prayer Whence coms it that I have no comfort 'T is because you have no affliction Because you desire it with too much passion Because you seek it in Creatures 'T is for to beat down your pride To keep you in humility To make you know your self To make you sensible of your weakness To stir up your desire To punish your negligence To spur up your sloth To exercise your patience To increase your merit To draw you off from your senses To make you live in Spirit To settle you in Faith To strengthen your Hope To purifie your Love To try your Fidelity To make you a Spiritual man To make you set a value on grace To make you desire conserve recover it To shew you the necessity of it For to moderate your Fervours To manage your health For to make you merit the good things Which God designs to bestow on you To prepare your heart For to receive som great favours 'T is for to draw you from Meditation And make you pass to Union O my God! I beg your pardon for having left off Prayer Alas I thought you were angry When you shew'd me the greatest affection I will henceforth be more faithful I will humble my self in my Poverties I will expect your Visit with patience I will support all my states I will suffer all my disgusts 'T is too much honour for me To be in your presence Is it not to be in Heaven to be with you We know not what we ought to pray for but the spirit himself doth petition for us with unexpressible groans Rom. 8. Pray without intermission in all things give thanks 1 Thess 4. Ask and it shall be given you seek and you shall find knock and it shall be opened to you Matth. 7. God is a Spirit and those who adore him must adore him in spirit and truth John 5. You ask and you receive not because you ask ill Jam. 4. My prayer shall turn back into my bosom and the speeches of my mouth shall be acceptable to you and the meditation of my heart in thy sight always Ps 15. LV. MED Of Faith 'T Is to be without Reason To be without Faith 'T is not to be a Man Not to be a Christian Fath is above
God! I have hitherto laboured much And I have gain'd but little I have given my self much trouble And have treasured up but little I have walked hard but advanc'd but little I have laboured for Earth But have don nothing for Heaven I have laboured for my body But I have don nothing for my soul I have laboured for the time present But I have don nothing for Eternity I have laboured for my self But I have don nothing for you O my Lord Since I am made only for you I will live only for you Since I subsist only by you I will labour only for you The reward of my service henceforth Shall be to have served you The recompence of my love Shall be to have loved you Then shall I seek nothing but you alone I shall find all things with you Is your heart right 4 Kings 10. Whom seek you John 18. Woman why do you weep John 20. Martha Martha thou art sollicitous Luk. 19. To the immortal and invisible King of ages to God alone be honour and glory for ever and ever 1 Tim. 1. I always do things that are pleasing to him John 8. LXII MED Of Humility WHo art thou O my God and who am I Thou art all and I am nothing Thou know'st all and I know nothing Thou canst do all and I can do nothing Thou art nothing but light And I am nothing but darkness Thou art nothing but fortitude And I am nothing but weakness Thou art nothing but sanctity And I am nothing but malice Thou art the Saint of Saints And I am the sinner of sinners Thou art the King of Kings And I am the slave of slaves O how strong am I with thee O how feeble am I without thee My Soul Either humble thy self Or God will humble thee What hast thou that thou hast not received Or canst conserv of thy self What hast thou that thou canst make good use of Thy Virtues without Humility will not save thee Thy Vices with Humility will not damn thee For Humility banishes all Vices And makes Charity enter into their room Wert thou as wicked as Achab If thou humble thy self God will not punish thee He resists the proud but gives grace to the humble Canst thou after this say That thy Salvation is impossible That the way to Heaven is hard Every one cannot exalt himself But who is it that cannot humble himself All the World cannot ascend But who is it that cannot descend I can do all things if I can humble my self I cannot fast but I can humble my self I cannot weep but I can humble my self I cannot pray but I can humble my self The virtue of Humility supplies the want of Charity A Sinner is in assurance betwixt the arms of Humility God will not despise a contrite and humble heart O my Soul Let us suffer contempt Let us contemn contempt Let us desire contempt Let us seek contempt Let us hide our Treasures Least we be robb'd of them Let us humble our selves That God may exalt us Let us have an esteem for those innocent defects Which give us a confusion Let us love all that keeps us in abjection To be good and to appear to be so Is a dangerous thing To appear to be good and not to be so Is a vitious Hypocrisie To be good and not to appear to be so Is a happy condition Humble thy spirit very much for fire is the revenge of wicked flesh Eccles 7. Com unto me all ye that labour and you shall find rest to your souls Matth. 11. VVhoever among you would be made great let him be your servant Mark 10. He that exalts himself shall be humbled Luk. 10. XLIII MED Of Patience ALl that I endure is nothing In comparison of the pain that I deserve In comparison of the glory prepar'd for me Of the evil which I have committed Of the good I have omitted Of Heaven that is promised me If I am without a Cross I am no Disciple of JESUS If I carry not my Cross I shall not reign with JESUS We must either suffer here or in Eternity There 's no passing from Delights to Delights But from Delights to Torments There 's no passing from Happiness to Happiness But from Happiness to Misery When I suffer with patience Jesus suffers with me Jesus reigns in me I am the Victim of Love The Throne of his Grace The Trophy of his Glory I quit all my Debts I heap up great Treasures I practise all Virtues I have the mark of the Predestinate I free my self from Purgatory I secure my self of Heaven O JESUS my Saviour I will honour all my Sufferings Since you have consecrated them I feel my Cross no more When I think on yours All my comfort is to think on your Passion Your torments sweeten my pains I should dy with sorrow Should I live without sorrow The Sufferances of this time are not worthy of the glory which shall be given us hereafter Rom. 8. Through many tribulations we must enter into the Kingdom of God Act. 14. Patience is necessary for you that doing the VVill of God you may gain the promises Heb. 10. If any one will com after me let him deny himself Matth. 6. LXIV MED Of the Exercise of Patience SInce we must suffer in this World Let us not lose the fruit of our Sufferings Let us suffer for Jesus with Jesus as Jesus Let us suffer without complaint and murmuring With resignation and indifference With fortitude and constancy VVith joy and love Let us suffer all things from all the VVorld In all things in all manner of ways Let us suffer adore love and seek Crosses O Holy Cross I adore thee and I embrace thee Since I am a Christian and a Child of the Cross I will live and dy on the Cross Thou art the Tree of life And the Salvation of the VVorld Thou art the Sanctuary of Sinners And the comfort of the afflicted O! my greatest Cross shall henceforth be To live without a Cross VVo unto those who have lost their patience Eccles 1. This is a grace of God if for your conscience to God any one does unjustly suffer sadness 1 Pet. 2. Accept of all that is applyed to thee Eccles 2. VVe glory in tribulations knowing that tribulation works patience patience probation probation hope Rom. 5. Be patient towards all 1 Thess 5. Christ suffered for us leaving you an example to follow 1 Pet. 2. LXV MED Of the Cross or several Motives of Patience CArry your Cross O Christian Soul You will find none fitter for you than your own If you leave it for to take another You will lose instead of gaining The Cross is planted every where 'T is found in all manner of places There are Crosses in Kings Palaces As well as in Cloysters God will have all men to be saved He has provided Crosses for all Because none can be saved without a Cross The Cross bears admirable fruits It unloosens us from
Creatures It gives us a disgust of this life Makes us desire death Satisfies for our sins Makes us feel the punishment of them Gives us a horrour of them Destroys the habit of them Makes us like to Jesus Christ Makes us drink in his Chalice There is nothing more glorious than to suffer Nothing more sweet more wholsom More necessary than to suffer What an honour is it to be Crucified with JESUS To be treated like one of his Members To ascend up his Royal Throne To carry his Scepter and wear his Diadem To consummate the work of his Redemption To fill up what is wanting to his Passion To express his suffering Figure To continue his Sacrifice To take a part in his Sorrows To help him to carry his Cross To be a Victim like him To be a Martyr like him To be persecuted like him To be immolated like him I adore Torments as Sacraments I look upon an afflicted man As on Jesus crucified I had rather suffer with Jesus Than reign with Jesus God chastizes those whom he loves He spares not the Rod to his Children If I am not corrected I am not beloved If I am not God's Child I shall not be saved God is never more in wrath Than when he puts not himself in wrath I never am more comforted Than when I find my self amidst Sufferings He that chastizes me for the present Will spare me in Eternity God always visits with his grace Those whom he visits with pain Grace is a fruit of the Cross You must climb the Cross to gather it You will never be without grace As long as you are on the Cross There is no virtue without a Cross No merit without patience Take away the Cross from Charity And it has no more tenderness Take away the Cross from Hope And it has no more support Take away the Cross from Humility And it is nothing but Vanity Take away the Cross from Fortitude And it is nothing but Weakness Money is not currant Unless it be stamp't with the Prince's Coin The Wounds that are given to it Give it its value Unless you have Wounds You will have no merit Your Gold will not be currant Unless it be markt with the Cross's Stamp How perfect is a Patient man All his Virtues are Heroick He believes that he is lov'd When he is afflicted That God makes much of him When he strikes him He hopes against hope He is calm in all events Immoveable in his ruin Indefatigable in his labours He loves God without allurements He kisses the rods wherewith he is scourged He thinks himself unworthy of all goods He reckons himself worthy of all evils He leaves himself to his Providence He lets himself be led by Obedience He adores all Crosses as Relicks of the true Cross God is wise he knows well what he does He is good therefore he wishes me well He is every where the sees what I suffer He is omnipotent he can deliver me He is rich he can assist me He is just Why should I complain He is charitable Why should I despair He is patient Ought not I to imitate him He is a King Ought not be to govern He is Soveraign Ought not he to command What a comfort is it to be on the Cross With JESUS Crucified He is with you upon your Cross And you are with him upon his He is united to you by sufferance And you are united to him by patience Is not this to be blessed To be thus united to him The Union in Heaven is delicious The Union on Earth is dolorous God created the World by acting But he repaired it by suffering He acts like a God with those that act He suffers like a man with those that suffer O my Soul What greater joy Than to be with Jesus on the Cross You are a Christian onely by the Cross You are no more one if you be without a Cross 'T is to renounce your Religion To be too much afraid of Sufferings You shall have a part in Jesus his Pleasures If you have a part in his Sorrows You shall accompany him in his glory If you will keep him company in his pains You shall reign with him Provided that you suffer with him One must fight for to be crowned One must suffer for to be saved Man lost himself by pleasure He cannot save himself but by pain JESVS liv'd in pain And You would live in pleasure The Innocent was punisht And the Nocent would go free The Son was crown'd with Thorns And the Slave would be crown'd with Roses The Just man was elevated on a Cross And the Wicked man would ascend a Throne There is no greater Cross Than to have a horrour of the Cross One endures more in damning ones self Than one endures in saving himself The wicked man suffers without pleasure He has no comfort in his pain His Cross has no Unction 'T is the wicked Thief 's Cross It hath neither sweetness nor merit No body helps him to carry it 'T is the Cross of one in despair Let us honour bear love the Cross of Jesus 'T is the mystical Ladder of Jacob. 'T is the Throne of Wisdom The Chair of the Man-God The Trophy of our Salvation The Standard of our Religion The Seal of Predestination The principle of grace The foundation of glory O Holy Cross I adore thee Dear Spouse of the Son of God I kiss thee and I embrace thee Disdain not the Servant because thou didst bear the Master Disdain not the Criminal Because thou didst bear the Innocent Disdain not a man Because thou hast born a God O Holy Cross 'T is to me that thou dost belong The Holy one has no right in thee Thou art the portion of man Thou art the inheritance of the sinner The appennage of a Christian For me therefore thou wert made Come O Holy Cross betwixt my arms Permit me to rest upon thine I have espous'd thee in my Baptism Thy Marriage must be indissoluble Let nothing separate me from thee O Throne of grace and of mercy Raise me up from the Earth As thou didst my Saviour If I dy betwixt thy arms I shall be both a Saviour and saved I shall gain Souls to God And shall not lose my own Blessed is the wood by the which justice is made Wisd 14. Then Jesus said to his Disciples if any one will come after me c. let him take up his Cross Matth. 6. The word of the Cross to those that do perish is foolishness but to those that are saved that is to us 't is the power of God 1 Cor. 1. I rejoyce in Sufferings for you and fulfil the things that are wanting of the suffering of Christ for his body which is the Church of God Coloss 1. God forbid that I should glory saving in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ Gal. 6. The sinner hath provoked our Lord to wrath he will not seek after him according to the multitude of his
wrath Ps 9. LXVI MED Of Conformity to the Will of God TO judge as God judges is to be wise as God is To will as God wills is to be holy as God is His judgment is the Rule of our judgments His will is the Rule of our wills God alone has right to do what he will He alone can have a will of his own Wilt not thou then my Soul obey God Wilt thou always make war against him Wilt thou wrestle with the Almighty Hast thou measur'd thy arms with his Art thou wiser than he Wilt thou teach him to govern the World If thou wilt not do his Will Thou wilt take away his Crown Thou wilt ascend his Throne Thou wilt be independent as he is Is it just that God should do thy will Or that thou should'st do his Will How happy would'st thou be If thou would'st nothing but what God will In what a profound peace wouldst thou live How would thy affairs change their face What cares and disquiets wouldst thou spare God does the affairs of those who do his He obeys those who obey him He loves those that love him He contents those that content him Is it not to be in Heaven To will all that God wills Is it not to be in Hell To will nothing of what God wills A man does always his own will When he has no proper self-will A man never does what he will When he does not do what God will The Will of God is always don one way or other If I oppose him he will oppose me If I afflict him he will afflict me If I disturb him he will disturb me If I serve him he will serve me O my God! There is no pleasure in displeasing you There is no profit in offending you Since I have been at odds with you I have been at odds with my self Since I have made war against you I never could find any peace Do with me what you please If I will not do what you will have me Make me serve you if I will not love you Force me if I will not obey you Draw me if I will not follow you Good and evil life and death poverty and honour are from God Eccles 11. I have found a man according to my heart who will do all my wills 1 Kings 13. Whatsoever shall befal a just man shall never make him sad Prov. 12. Whosoever shall do the will of my Father he is my Brother and Sister and Mother Matth. 12. Not as I will but as thou Matth. 29. LXVII MED Of the love of our Neighbour MY Neighbour is a man as I am He is framed to the Image of God as I am Redeemed with his Blood as I am Is a Member of his Body as I am Is a Child of his Church as I am Is fed with the same Sacraments as I am Is design'd to the same Heaven as I am God commands me to love him as my self Jesus prays me and orders me to do it He reckons it as don to himself All that is don to our Neighbour He has substituted him in his own place He has transferr'd all his rights to him He will have me pay him all that I owe him I am not his Disciple Unless I love my Neighbour I am no Christian unless I assist him If I afflict him God will afflict me If I excuse him God will excuse me If I support him God will support me If I pardon him God will pardon me God will use me as I have used him God will judge me according to my charity to him O I will then love him that I may be beloved I will assist him that I may be assisted I will support him that I may be supported I will save him that I may be saved I will love him Tenderly Universally Generously Constantly Thou shalt love thy neighbour as t' y self Matth. 12. To love your neighbour as your self is more than all Holocausts and Sacrifices Mark 12. Bear one another's burdens and so you will fulfil the Law of Christ Gal. 6. But above all things having continual Charity in your selves because Charity covers a multitude of sins 1 Pet. 4. In this all shall know that ye are my Disciples if you have a love for one another John 3. LXVIII MED Of the duty of Fathers to their Children and of Masters towards their Servants A Father owes to his Children Nourishment of Body and Soul He must not bring them into the World For to send them to Hell Why will you be a Father Unless you will also be an Instructor What does it avail you to feed the Body If you leave the Soul forlorn The first life of Children Is but the life of Beasts They becom men but with time 'T is wise instruction that discloses their reason 'T is a new Birth 'T is the Organ of Faith 'T is the Principle of Salvation 'T is the Ground-work of Virtue Salvation and Damnation depend often upon Education Unhappy are those Children Whose Fathers will pardon them in nothing But much more unhappy are those To whom their Fathers grant all things A good education ought to be mildly severe Parents ought to imitate God Who does the office both of a Father and Mother Of a Father by severity Of a Mother by tenderness One must not always punish Nor must one always pardon One must not always be silent Nor must one always chide Never correct a Child when you are in Choler A Physician that is sick must first cure himself A Father that is hurried along with passion Does himself deserve correction Punishment is a Medecin Which is to be given in its due time When Chastisement is just and moderate It gives Understanding But it creates a Contempt When it is us'd too often For to breed up ones Children well They are to be loved equally The partiality of affections Is the cause of all disorders Why should you make a difference Where Nature has made none Why should you violate the rights Which she has wisely establish'd Ought not the Branches of the same tree Bear the same Leaves Nature acts by Inclination But those who love out of charity Do more good to those persons For whom they have most aversion Imitate God in his conduct Has he not more tenderness For the Predestinate than the Reprobate But he hides it in this life The wicked are not jealous of it He oftentimes shews more friendship To those by whom he has been most offended Instructions bring but little fruit Unless they be accompanied with example You destroy by your Actions What you build up by your Words The Hand advances more than the Tongue Example is more powerful than Discourse The Child gives more credit to his Eyes Than he does to his Ears He thinks he has a right to do What he sees his Parents do He places his glory in imitating them And his perfection in being like them All your sins are Scandals Which infect your
in this Action I shall not have the Grace that follows this Action Possibly my Salvation depends on this Action I will therefore do nothing but study To do this Action well Thou shalt justly prosecute what is just Deut. 16. In all thy works be thou excellent Eccl. 33. Cursed is he that does the work of God fraudulently Jer. 48. He will render to every one according to his works Matth. 17. He did all things well Mark 7. LXXII MED Of fidelity in small things GReat Rivers rise from a small Spring Great Trees grow up from a little Kernel A great fire from a little sparkle Great falls from a little sin Great disorders from a small unfaithfulness The great depends upon the little The little leads to the great He that loves esteems all things He that fears neglects nothing Great actions content men Small actions content God He that is unfaithful in small things Will be unfaithful in great ones He that is faithful in small things Will be faithful in great ones Nothing is little on which our Salvation depends All that is esteemed by God is great Men contemplate the hands But God considers the heart Fidelity is a virtue that makes all things great That it gives life to Do you do what you know how to do And God will teach you that Which you know not how to do Do you do what you are able to do And God will help you to do VVhac you are not able to do O my God! Since I cannot do you any great service At least I will render you small ones Since I dare not under take hard things I will do all that is easie for me to do He that slights small things will fall by little and little Eccl. 14. He that fears God neglects nothing Eccl. 17. He that is faithful in the least will be faithful in a greater and he that is unjust in a small matter is unjust in a greater Luk. 16. And though the Prophet had bid you don a great matter you ought indeed to have don it much more then since now he said to you be washed and you shall be cleansed 4 Kings 15. VVho shall find a faithful man Prov. 20. LXXIII MED Of good Works A Christian without VVorks Is a Tree without Fruit. A Lamp without Oyl Land without a Crop His faith is barren sick dying dead He that doth nothing believes nothing He that believes and does not do Shall be judg'd by his belief The more you know the guiltier you are Much is required of him that receives much 'T is to do ill not to do good Sterility is a kind of iniquity The fruitless Fig-tree is cast into the fire The Talent is taken from him that buried it Faith either faves or damns us It makes us better or worse To believe what is good and do evil Is to be judg'd before being judg'd 'T is to be condemn'd before being accus'd He that does not do what he believes Soon ceases to believe what he does not Faith does not live long After the decease of Charity Do therefore good works Do them in abundance Do them in grace Do them for a good end Do them without delay Do as much good as you have don evil Do all that you can And think that you do nothing Do good whilst you have time For very soon you will have no more The Son of man will com in the glory of the Father and then he will render to every one according to his works Matth. 16. Behold I com quickly and my reward is with me to render unto every one according to his works Apoc. 22. See how a man is justified by his works and not by faith alone Jam. 2. As a body without a soul is dead so faith without works is dead ibid. Cut it down why doth it take up the ground Luc. 13. The ground that drinks in the showres that fall down on it and brings forth thorns and thistles is reprobate and next to a curse Heb. 6. Therefore whilst we have time let us work good Gal. 6. LXXIV MED Of Alms. THe rich man depends upon the poor man And the poor man upon the rich man The rich man stands more in need of the poor man Than the poor man of the rich man The poor man receives his corporal livelihood from the rich man The rich man receives his spiritual life from the poor man The poor man depends upon the rich man For this present time The rich man depends upon the poor man For Eternity VVithout the rich man The poor man would dy corporally Without the poor man The rich man would dy spiritually The rich man is the poor man's Judge upon Earth The poor man will be the rich man's Judge in Heaven Favours and Punishments are in the poor man's hands When he requires mercy God grants it to the rich man When he requires justice God executes it on the rich man The rich man's Salvation is lost That has not the favour of the poor One cannot defend him before God Whom the hunger of the poor shall accuse He will have an ill day of it Who has not their favour at the last day Do good to the poor man For he is a man as you are And you are in misery as he is He has need of you And you have need of him 'T is JESUS that will receive your alms 'T is he that is in want He is in the person of the poor man He is covered with his figure He is hid in him as in a Sacrament He has substituted him in his own room He has surrendred him his rights He will give you an account for your Charity He will thank you for them At the end of the World Will you send JESUS to lodge in a stable Will you refuse him cloths to cover him Will you not give him a bit of bread to eat Never be afraid of Poverty As long as you relieve the Poor You will never want any thing As long as you never suffer the poor to want You sow Gold when you give Silver The poor mans hands is a field Which yields to him that gives a hundred fold JESUS makes himself your debter He is the poor man's security He obliges himself by contract He promises you good things at present He promises you the goods of Eternity Will you not trust God Is your money ill placed Has he not wherewithal to pay you O JESUS How tenderly do you love the poor Since you chose their condition Since you were poor upon Earth And that you will be so yet in Heaven You are indeed rich there above But you are also poor withal here below Since you are so in the person of the poor And that you beg an Alms with them Happy is that rich man Who gives an Alms to JESUS Accursed is that rich man Who refuses an Alms to JESUS He will beg an Alms of him at his death And it will not be granted him He
the Lord thy God at what time he led thee in the way Jer. 2. What wouldst thou have in the way of Egypt for to drink troubled waters ibid. Thy malice shall argue thee and thy aversion shall rebuke thee ibid. Know and see that it is evil and bitter to have forsaken the Lord thy God ibid. See whether the way of iniquity be in me and lead me in the eternal way Ps 138. LXXVIII MED Of Dryness and Aridities I Believe what I see I hope for what I touch I love that which pleases me I believe amidst light I hope when I have a feeling I love when I am in comfort This is the way of the Sences I believe what I do not see I hope for what I cannot compass I love that which does not please me I believe when I am in darkness I hope even in my dereliction I love even in my desolation This is the way of the Spirit O my God! How sensual is my Devotion I have not yet ador'd you in Spirit O happy State Where the Soul sees God without light Where she hopes in God without support Loves God without any sensible attract This is to see God without species To be united to God without a medium To suffer divine impressions To have no more proper subsistence To lead a supernatural life This is the Kingdom of Jesus Christ In darkness I have made my bed Job 17. Meat and drink is not the Kingdom of God but justice and Peace and joy in the Holy Ghost Rom. 14. They shall be dispersed for to eat and if they be not satiated they will murmur Ps 58. It is expedient for you that I should go for if I do not go the Comforter will not com to you Jo. 16. God is a Spirit and those who adore him must adore him in spirit and truth LXXIX MED Of Silence HOw fine a Science is it to know how to speak You will never learn it Unless you know how to hold your tongue To speak well and speak much Are two things which agree not together All the World learn how to speak Few there are that learn to keep Silence And notwithstanding the first of Sciences Is to learn how to keep Silence Where there are many words There is not much sence A Wise man speaks but little Because he is afraid of speaking ill He speaks a long time to himself Before he speaks to others A Fool is always talking Because he thinks of nothing but talking He pours himself all out Because he knows not how to dwell at home God kept Silence for a whole Eternity He made himself heard by Men Only for to instruct and save them Keep Silence as God does Never speak but through necessity A Soul that is full of God Cannot any more speak to men He that speaks much to men Showes that he is void of God For to becom perfect in a short time You need only know how to be silent He that is Master of his Tongue Is Master of his Passions Solitude and Silence are the two Schools of Virtue There it is that God makes himself known There it is that he speaks to the heart Silence produces Prayer And Prayer produces Silence After that Moses had spoken to God He could not speak to men He that comforts himself exteriourly Finds but little comfort within The Holy Ghost loves silence His voice is like a gentle Zephyre One cannot hear it if there be never so little noise Never quit Silence but for something that 's better One cannot without grace speak well And can you hope for it when you speak In a time that God forbids you to speak Every one speaks of that which he loves The Tongue is the Heart's interpreter He that loves the World Willingly talks of the World He that loves God delights to talk of God You may know a man by his tongue And man shall be judged by his tongue My God! give me thy love That I may willingly speak of thee Fill me with thy presence That I may love Silence I shall never be a man of reason Whilst I love conversation Speak but little speak low without passion Never speak but in necessity Never speak against Charity Speak with sincerity simplicity without Affectation vanity when you ought to speak Keep Silence when you ought to keep it If any one offends not in word he is a perfect man Jam 1. If any one thinks himself to be Religious not bridling his tongue his religion is vain ibid. Since thou hast spoken to thy servant I have more impediment and slowness of tongue Exod. 4. Where there are many words there frequently is want Prov. 14. The heart of fools is in their mouth and the mouth of the wise is in their heart Eccl. 21. Let every man be quick to hear but slow to speak Jam. 1. LXXX MED Of Sickness GOD sends us Sicknesses Either to draw his glory out of them As to the man that was born blind Or to punish our sins as to the Paralytick Or for to try us as to Job Or for to keep us in Humility As to S. Paul and to Timothy I am not able to do any thing but I can suffer I can do much if I can suffer much Others labour for me I suffer for others They honour God by their Actions I honour him by my Sufferings I have well deserved what I suffer I merit much by suffering I acquit for what is past I heap up for the time to com God takes my health from me For to give me sanctity He is with me I suffer with him I carry his Cross He carries mine How strong is my Spirit When my Body is weak How weak is my Spirit When my Body is strong Sickness gives me a disgust to life My heart aspires no more but for Heaven O my Body Thou must be punisht And have thy Purgatory as well as the Soul Unless thou hast it here upon Earth Thou must have it in Hell For nothing that is impure Shall enter into Heaven There are but these two places That thou canst have it in Rejoyce O my Soul for thy Enemy is low He is no more in a condition to hurt thee O my God! I deserve indeed to be sick Since I have so much abus'd my health O how much am I indebted to you For having thus afflicted me Since you spare me not at present You will spare me in Eternity Since you chastize me during my life You will be gracious to me after death O how glad am I to make of my Body A Victim of Love and Sufferance There is no Sacrifice more pleasing To your Eyes than that of Patience Son in thy Sickness despise not thy self but pray to God and he will cure thee Eccl. 38. Behold thou art now healed sin no more least something worse do befal thee Jo. 5. This sickness is not to death but to the glory of God Jo. 11. When I am weak then am I
strong 2 Cor. 12. LXXXI MED Of Modesty A Man is known by his Countenance A Soul is known by her Body 'T is a Looking-glass which represents her And wherein she is painted to the life A light Body shews a light Soul A modest Body shews a modest Soul It does nothing but what it is made to do When the Body is out of order 'T is judg'd that the Soul is so too What figure must that Soul have Which gives so ill an one to her Body A quiet and modest Exteriour Is the mark of a perfect Soul Of a Soul that tends to Union Of a Soul that is without passion God is a tranquil Spirit He is never disturb'd He dwells only in Peace He composes and quiets all things by his presence He imprints his Modesty on that Soul That he gives life to And if he does not imprint it 'T is because the Soul does not obey him When I see a Modest Body I say O here is the House of God! Here is the Temple of our Lord All things are here in peace and in order 'T is the Modesty of this Soul That reflects upon her Body 'T is the Sanctity within That sheds it self without An affected Modesty cannot last long When the Soul is well composed The Body is modest at all times The gestures of an ill regulated Body Com from the irregularity of the Soul She is agitated with Passions She gives ear to Temptations She sinks under her pains She gives her self up to her desires He that has God within himself Goes not elsewhere to seek him The Iron is at rest When it touches its Load-stone A Soul which touches God Is peaceable and without motion O My God! How tranquil is thy Spirit O how agitated is mine How grave is yours How light is mine How Modest is yours How unruly is mine If you were Master of my Heart You would also be Master of my Body If I quit the Out-works The Devil will gain the place I will therefore regulate my exteriour That I may conserve for you the Empire of my heart A man is known by the sight and a wise man is known by the shew of his face The cloathing of the body and the laughing of the teeth and the gate of the man tell of him Eccl. 19. Let your Modesty be known unto all men Phil. 4. The man of the heart that is hidden in the incorruptibility of a quiet and a modest spirit which is rich in the sight of God 1 Pet. 3. I beseech you by the modesty and meekness of Christ 2 Cor. 10. Do you on like the Elect of God Humility Modesty Patience Col. 3. LXXXII MED Of Divine Inspirations GOD holds his peace after he has spoken He scorns after having been scorned He hides himself after that he has sought He withdraws after he has called He punishes after having long endured Inspiration is the Voice of God 'T is a Blast of his Spirit 'T is a Ray of his Wisdom 'T is an Impression of his Love 'T is the Seed of Eternity 'T is the Principle of Salvation 'T is the price of the Blood of Jesus 'T is a Grace that has cost him his life You stifle the voice of God When you stifle an Inspiration You imitate Herod Who put St. John to death You imitate Saul Who put the Priests to death You imitate the Jews Who put JESUS and the Prophets to death You resist the Holy Ghost You sin without ignorance You sin through obstinacy through malice You bury the Talents of God You abuse his Gifts You trample the Son of God under your feet You do an injury to his Spirit You profane his pretious Blood You detain Truth Captive You break off the thred of his Graces You put your Salvation in danger The Justice of God will break out upon you Your Talents will be taken from you The Kingdom of Grace will be translated elsewhere God will speak no more to you The Holy Ghost will breath no more on you The Word of God will touch you no more Your Conscience will no longer molest you Hope will no longer encourage you Charity will no longer warm you Fear will no longer retain you Remedies will no longer profit you You abuse extraordinary Graces You will have them no more O my God! I confess that I am a Prodigal Who have wasted all your goods That I am a Herod Who have put your Voice to death O I will make you wait no longer I will no longer resist your grace You have too long knock't at the door of my heart This very day I will let you in You would have me quit this sin I will quit it You would have me change my life I will change it You would have me renounce gaming I will renounce it You would have me speak to my Enemy I will speak to him You would have me frequent the Sacraments I will frequent them You would have me love you alone I will love you in Time and Eternity Amen Wo to thee that despisest shall not thy self also be despised Isai 33. I called and you refused I extended my hand and there was none that regarded Ye despised all my counsel and ye neglected my rebukes and I will laugh in your destruction Prov. 1. I go and you will seek me and you will dy in your Sin Jo. 8. Extinguish not the spirit Thess 5. This day if you hear his voice c. Ps 44. LXXXIII MED Of the Word of God GOD created the World by his Word And he will not save it but by his Word He redeem'd it by his Word Incarnate Nor will he save it but by his Word Incarnate The Holy Ghost is produc'd in the heart of God By his Interiour Word The Holy Ghost is not produc'd in the heart of Man But by the Exteriour Word You are not a Sheep of JESUS Christ's Unless you hearken to his voice Your heart will bring forth nothing but Thorns Unless it receive this Divine seed JESUS speaks by the mouth of the Preacher 'T is he that rings in his Tongue He is cloath'd with the sound of his Voice As he came forth-cloath'd with a body of Flesh The Word written in Books Is a Sacrament of Salvation The Letter is the Species JESUS is the Sence The Increated Word Unites it self to the Word created That he may enter into hearts sanctify them What an Impiety to despise this Sacrament What a Crime to trample on the Son of God Alas How often have I don it I let it fall down on the ground I stifle it in my heart I eat this heavenly bread And I do not profit by it I hear this Divine Word and I am not converted If it does not convert me it will pervert me If it does me no good it will do me hurt If it give not life to me it will be my death If it doth not save me it will damn me Blessed is the womb that bore thee c.
Yea blessed are those who hear the Word of God and keep it Luk 11. He that turns away his ear that he may not hear the Law his Prayer shall be execrable Isai 28. Not in bread alone shall man live but in every word that proceeds from the mouth of God Matth. 4. See that you refuse him not speaking Heb. 11. The seed is the Word of God Luk. 8. LXXXIV MED Of the Happiness of a Religious State REligion is a Paradise God is always seen there His Voice is always heard there One is always in his Presence there One enjoys always his Company there One always does his Will there One always sings his Praises there There one falls seldom Commits but light sins Rises soon Merits continually Dies quietly and is saved securely O how heavy is the Yoke of the World O how troublesom are its Crosses O how bitter is its Chalice O how pricking are its thorns O how pestilent are its Examples O how dangerous are its Conversations O how Tyrannical are its Laws O how pernicious are its Maxims O how shameful are its Pleasures O how imaginary are its Goods Cursed Onions of Egypt You draw Tears from those that eat you You make those weep that love you He took away his people like sheep and brought them through like a flock in the desart Ps 77. They remembred not his hand in the day that he redeemed them from the hand of the afflicter ibid. How beloved are thy tabernacles O Lord my Soul doth long and faint into the courts of our Lord Ps 89. I have chosen to be abject in the house of my God rather than to dwell in the tabernacles of Sinners Better is one day in thy courts above a thousand ibid. Every one who shall leave his house or Brothers or Sisters or father or mother or vvife or children or land for my sake shall receive a hundred fold and possess life everlasting Matth. 19. Amen I say unto you That there is none c. vvho shall not receive novv in this time a hundred fold vvith Persecutions and in the World to com life everlasting Mark 10. Much more in this time c. Luk. 18. LXXXV MED Of Poverty ONe that is Poor in spirit Busies himself with nothing One that is Poor in heart desires nothing He contents himself with what is necessary Nay he is willing to want even Necessaries Few things are wanting To a Poor man that is contented All things are wanting to a rich Miser Few things suffice Necessity Nothing is sufficient to Covetousness How rich is that man who possesses God How poor is that man who has lost God How happy is that man Who will have nothing but God How covetous is that man Who is not contented with God God fills an empty heart All is establisht in Nothing You shall have All if you desire Nothing You will find All when you have Nothing O my Saviour How rich an inheritance is Poverty What good do you to those that have quitted all Could any one be poorer Than you were born Could any one live poorer than you lived You were rich and you made your self poor I am poor and I would fain becom rich You had all and yet you wanted all I had nothing and I would want nothing O how unjust a thing is it that the Slave Should be better accomodated than his Master Fear not my Son vve lead indeed a poor life but vve shall have many goods if vve fear God Tob. 4. Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven Matth. 5. If thou vvilt be perfect go and sell all thou hast and give it to the poor Matth. 14. We brought nothing into this World nor doubtless shall vve carry any thing avvay 1 Tim. 6. LXXXVI MED Of Chastity JESVS loves those that are Virgins JESVS chose a Virgin-Mother JESVS cherished a Virgin-Disciple JESVS in Heaven is followed by Virgins I am more than an Angel if I am a Virgin I resemble God if I am a Virgin I am the Spouse of Christ if c. I am the Handmaid of Christ if c. I shall have a Garland in Heaven if c. I shall have more right to Resurrection if c. Virginity is a great treasure But hard to preserve One must be humble to be chast God humbles the Proud He lets them fall into infamous Sins He punishes the Soul by the Body He covers those with shame and confusion Who have not Submission No man can command Who knows not how to obey No man can be a Master If he never learnt to be subject The Body obeys an obedient Spirit It is submiss to a submiss Spirit It is rebellious to a rebellious Spirit He that does not obey his Superiour Loses his empire over his Inferiour He that does not mortify his senses Becoms a slave to his Body Watch over your self and Pray Fly occasions or else you will perish O my God! How I dread Pride Since it casts one into impurity How I love Obedience Since it conserves Innocency I will be very humble that I may be very chast I will obey my Superiours That I may be obeyed by my Inferiours O let me rather fall into Hell Than let me fall into Impurity The Disciple whom Jesus loved Jo. 21. These are they who were not stained with women for they are Virgins Apoc. 14. Incorruption makes one near unto God Wisd 6. In the Resurrection they shall neither marry nor be married but they shall be like the Angels of God in Heaven Matth. 22. Therefore God delivered them up to the desires of their hearts into uncleanness for to abuse their own bodies among themselves ignominiously Rom. 1. Therefore God hath delivered them into passions of ignominy ibid. LXXXVII MED Of Obedience HOw happy is an obedient man He always does what God would have him He is in some manner impeccable He possesses all Virtues He is victorious over all Vices How miserable is a rebellious Subject How wicked and vicious is he He labours much and gains nothing He is strongly tempted And he yields to the Temptation He fights against the Will of God And God fights against his He goes out of the order of his goodness And he enters into that of his justice He will not bow And God breaks his Obstinacy He will not obey And God opposes his Inclination He loses the command he had over his Body From the time that he will not submit his Spirit He is not obeyed by his Inferiours Because he obeys not his Superiours O Christian and Religious Soul Acknowledge and adore Jesus in all his Images In those of Wood and Earth As well as in those of Gold and Silver Receive with respect God's orders By the Organ of Amos as well as that of Isaiah By the mouth of a Peasant As well as of a Courtier Obey all your Superiours Obey them in all that is not sin Obey them with all your Heart Obey them with
Kingdom of God GOD reigns in the heart of man Man reigns in the heart of God God reigns when man does his Will Man reigns when God does his will God does the will of Man When man does the Will of God God obeys Man when Man obeys God God reigns by his Providence And man by his Obedience To serve God is to reign To obey God is to command O my God! How just it is that I should depend on you But is it just that you should depend on us How just is it that I should do your will But is it just that you should do mine And yet you promise to do the will Of those who do yours O you shall henceforth be my treasure Since my heart O my God is yours O the good Master Who does the will of his Servants O the naughty Servant Who will not do the will of his good Master He will do the will of those that fear him Psal 44. I am in the midst of you as one that serves Luk. 22. Thy Kingdom com Matth. 5. The Kingdom of God is within you Luk. 17. XCVIII MED Of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ and that of Satan NO Man can be without a Master And he can have but one You must either belong to Jesus or to Satan You are his Servant whose will you do Jesus is the best of all Kings Satan is the cruellest of all Tyrants Jesus loves us to the height of his love Satan hates us to the height of his hatred Jesus reigns in peace Satan reigns in trouble Jesus conducts us to Heaven Satan pushes us on to Hell Jesus is not our King Unless we keep his Commandments He reigns over our Spirit by faith Over our hearts by charity Over our desires by hope Over our soul by peace Over our body by suffering He governs us by his wisdom He sustains us by his power He sanctifies us by his love His Wisdom governs us When we renounce our own lights His power sustains us When we renounce our own forces His love sanctifies us When we renounce our own desires To do what God would have us do To suffer what he sends us To conserve our selves in his grace To keep our hearts in peace Not to do any thing through passion To obey his inspiration To be ready to do all things To be ready to do nothing Not to desire any good thing Not to refuse any evil To be always contented To live and dy on the Cross This is the Kingdom of Jesus This is that which makes his Empire O JESUS my King I am your servant and the Son of your handmaid Alas How can you enter into a heart From whence I have so often driven you 'T is a long time since you have not liv'd in me Since I have been in your grace Since you reign not in me Since you reign not in me in peace Re-enter O Lord into your Kingdom And never go out of it any more Defend your self in it Against the enemies of your Crown Satan says that he is my Master The World says that I am his Slave Pride says that I belong to him Sensuality says that I am hers And I say that I belong to Jesus That I am redeemed with the blood of JESUS That I have no other Master but Jesus That I will dy in the Service of Jesus That nothing shall separate me from Jesus Behold your King John 19. My Kingdom is not of this World ibid. Do thou and thy Son rule over us Judg. 8. Let not Sin therefore reign in your mortal body Rom. 6. The King of Kings and Lord of Lords Apoc. 13. XCIX MED Of the Passion of JESVS Christ in general JEsus is the true Son of God He is the holiest of all men He is the greatest of all Kings He is the best of all Friends He never disobliged any one He did good to all the World And all the World did ill to him As he suffered for all men So he suffered from all men There was no Sex nor Condition Which did not contribute to his Passion Jews Gentils Priests and Kings All laboured to his Cross Jesus suffered all sorts of evils In his body and in his soul In his spirit and in his heart In his memory and in his imagination In his honour and in his goods In his parents and in his friends In all his senses and in all his members He is a man of sorrows and pain And I would be a man of pleasures Jesus is the Victim of all times He is the Victim of all men just and sinners He is the Victim of our Crimes As he loaded himself with all our Crimes He was crown'd with all our sufferings As there is no man that he did not love So there was none that he did not suffer for But he principally suffered for me And yet I will endure nothing for him Who did oblige him to dy for ungrateful People Why would he make himself miserable He died for to restore life to us He made himself miserable to make us happy He delivered himself up to his Enemies He did not appeal from Pilate's Sentence He wrought no Miracle for to save himself He was crucified all his life long His Heart was crucified before his Body was He died with a desire to dy His greatest sufferance was That he did not suffer O most sweet Jesus You ought to rest satisfied For you have been satiated with reproaches You cannot suffer more than you have suffered You could not dy more cruelly than you died And I would live in delights Where shall I find Examples of your goodness Examples of my malice Examples of your love Examples of my ingratitude In him dwells all plenitude of the Divinity corporally Col. 2. God anointed him with the Holy Ghost and virtue who passed along doing good and healing all that were opprest by the Devil because God was with him Act. 10. Who loved me and gave himself for me Gal. 2. I am to be baptized with a Baptism and how am I straitened until it be performed Luk. 12. From the sole of the foot to the crown of the head there is no health in him Isai 53. C. MED Of the Sadness of the Son of God in the Garden of Olives JEsus is sad even unto Death At the sight of his torments Of my Sins Ingratitudes Miseries He was seized with fear for to shew That he was a man like me That he was weak like me That he stript himself of his force And cloathed himself with my weakness That he gave me his courage That he took my timidity He trembles to give me assurance He fears for to encourage me He falls for to raise me up Pleasure and Pain make all the Sins of men Desire and Fear make all the Passions of men Jesus has conquered both these Enemies And has given us his strength for to conquer them He abstain'd from all Pleasures He suffered all Pains He renounced all Desires He
silent from me least at any time thou hold thy peace from me and I shall be like to them that go down into the lake Ps 27. There is a time to besilent and a time to speak Eccl. 3. CIV MED Of the Preference of Barabbas before JESVS Christ THe innocent is compared to the nocent The just man to a Thief A King to a Slave The God of sanctity to a Sinner This outrage is less sensible to him Than that which a Christian does to him When he compares him with a Creature When he prefers Lucifer before him As often as you sin you make this comparison You give him this confusion O JESUS The greatest and the least The first and the last When I see you at the feet of Judas I find no place to put my self in When I see you beneath Barabbas I see nothing but Hell where to hide my self Is it just that I should be above you You are now the last of all men If I prefer my self before one only man I must prefer my self before you O my Soul Suffer contempt Seek humiliations Envy not the elevation of others But love abjections If thou exaltest thy self God will depress thee Whom will you that I release to you Barabbas or Jesus that is called Christ Matth 27. To whom have you compared me and to whom have you likened me Isai 46 They all creed out saying not him but Barabbas Job 19. I have bred up children and exalted them but they have slighted me Isai 1. CV MED Of the Flagellation of Jesus Christ JEsus was scourged like a Slave He is all bathed in his Blood His Body is but one wound His Bones are seen through his wounds The Lamb is now flayed He must be put on the Cross O Christian Soul Take these whips into thy hand Do justice to thy self say It is I that have sinned It is I that ought to be punished Is it just that I should be without wounds Seeing my King loaden with wounds How shall my Body be glorified Unless it be purged by Sufferings Those who are not chastized with Men Shall be chastized with the Devils O most holy Lamb What Crime hast thou committed That thou shouldst suffer such pain And undergo such confusion Alas Thou payest in thy flesh The criminal Pleasures of ours 'T was for to expiate the sins of our bodies That thine was thus torn O Virginal Flesh Into what a condition have the infamous Pleasures of men reduced thee O I will chastize my body That I may make it like unto thine My God! I confess my cowardice I have not the courage to chastize my self Take therefore the whip into thy own hand Spare not thy Corrections I am dispos'd to all that thou think'st fit Chastize me if it be necessary But chastize me like a Father And not like a Judge Chastize me out of love And not in thy wrath Chastize me Now and not in Eternity Then Pilate took Jesus and scourged him Jo. 19. He delivered Jesus beaten with whips Mark 15. Many are the scourges of a sinner Ps 31. I am prepared for scourges and my sorrow is always in my sight Ps 37. They are not in the labour of men and they shall not be scourged with men Ps 72. Our Lord chastizes those he loves and he scourges every Son whom he receives Heb. 12. CVI. MED Of the Crowning with Thorns JEsus is crown'd with Thorns Sorrows Ignominies He wore this Crown to make his Head suffer For to expiate the pleasure of our thoughts For to punish our Ambition For to purifie our Imagination For to shew what sort of Kingdom his was For to declare who are his Subjects The Jews renounce him for their King And ask to have him crucified Christian behold your King Will you have him with this Diadem If you are the Son of God as he is You must be put on the Cross with him If you will wear a Crown of Gold in Heaven You must wear a Crown of Thorns on Earth Ought a member to be delicate Under a head crown'd with sorrows The Crowns of the World are Crowns that shine The Crowns of Jesus are Crowns that prick O ye Daughters of Jerusalem Com forth and see King Salomon with the Diadem Which his Mother has crown'd him with Alas the Synagogue is not a Mother But an inhuman Mother-in-Law She crowned her self with Roses And crowned her God with Thorns Christian As often as you entertain foul and ambitious thoughts So often do you renew his torments You strike in these bloody prickles You afflict his spirit You crown him with ignominies O ye Daughters of Jerusalem Behold the man that has saved you Behold the man whom you have crucified The man who has loved you so much The man whom you cease not still to persecute O the fairest of Men O the greatest of Kings I will never offend you more The Jews will not have you The Worldings will obey Casar The Rich will have a God of Silver The Sensual will have a God of Pleasures And I will have a King of Sorrows I will have a poor and despised King I will have no other King but JESUS I will be crowned like Jesus The Souldiers platting a crown of thorns put it upon his head and they put about him a purple garment John 19. Jesus went forth earrying the Crown of thorns and the purple vestment bid Lo the Man ibid. Lo your King ibid. Crowning he will crown thee with cribulation Isai 22. We have no King but Caesar John 19. Jesus of Naza reth the King of the Jews ibid. My King and my God Psal 5. CVII MED On Jesus Christ's journey in carrying of his Cross JESUS carries his Cross on his Shoulders He sinks under so heavy a weight They substitute a poor man in his room Who carries it for him and after him He was forced to take it up And follow Jesus Christ How coms it that he permits himself to be relieved That he does not work a Miracle For to carry his Cross 'T is to teach men that this Cross is due to them That he took it on himself for their sakes That we help him to carry his Cross When we carry ours with patience That to be his Disciples We must carry our Cross That he carries our Cross with us And that we ought to carry his Cross with him O happy Simon Who carried the Cross of JESUS Christian it is in your power To have the same honour as he had All our Crosses are pieces of his Cross They have touched his Soul or his Body He first drunk in our Chalice He suffered all that we suffer He hath espoused all our Sorrows There is not one of them that entred Not into his heart O JESUS my Lord I will follow you wheresoever you go And since that you are loaden with a Cross I will carry one after you 'T is the Trophy of my Salvation 'T is the Standard of my Religion 'T is the
The other rebuked him saying Dost not thou also fear God We indeed suffer justly for we receive worthy of our doings but this man hath don no evil ibid. Lord remember me when thou shalt com into thy Kingdom Amen I say to thee This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise ibid. There shall be two in one bed one shall be taken and the other left behind Luk. 17. CXI MED Of the Passion of the B. Virgin O Good Jesu Why dost thou suffer thy Mother to follow thee How canst thou endure that she should see thee dy Oughtest not thou to have spared her So sensible a grief What Crime has she committed That she should be present at thy Execution God will have Mary to be at the foot of the Cross For to co-operate to our Redemption For to offer up to God this great Sacrifice For to repair Eve's fault For to conceive all the Predestinate For to be declared their Mother For to increase the pains of her Son For to take a part in his Sufferings For to drink in his Chalice For to becom the Queen of Martyrs For to be crown'd with Thorns The Martyrs did suffer for Jesus Christ Mary did suffer with Jesus Christ The Martyrs suffered in their Bodies Mary suffered in her Soul The Martyrs suffered in their criminal Flesh Mary suffered in the innocent Flesh of her Son The Martyrs desired Death Mary could not desire the Death of her Son The hearts of the Martyrs were fill'd with joy The heart of Mary was fill'd with sadness Love diminish't the Torments of the Martyrs Love increased the Sorrows of Mary Jesus was doubly crucified In his Body upon the Cross In his Spirit in the heart of Mary Mary was doubly crucified Spiritually in her heart Corporally in the flesh of her Son Love did imprint in her heart The wounds that were made in his Body Those that were not mortal to the Son Were mortal to the Mother The Lance that opened the heart of Jesus Pierced the living heart of Mary As never Mother loved more So never Mother suffered more O Daughter of Sion To whom shall I compare thee Thy sorrow is without example It is great like the Ocean It s depth is infinit It s extent is unconceivable There is nothing but the sorrow of thy Son That is comparable unto thine He is the King of Martyrs And thou art the Queen of Martyrs He is a Man of Sorrows And thou art a Woman of Sufferings O Christian Soul Go with Mary up to Mount Calvary Beg of her to receive you for her Child Take a share in her Sorrows Mingle your tears with hers Increase not her Affliction Renew not her Passion When you sin mortally You crucify her Son anew O how sensible is this death to her O how it afflicts her sacred heart She consented to his Corporal death But she cannot consent to his Spiritual death The first restored our life to us The second brings death to us Suffer as she did all Privations Remain as she did constant in your pains You will be no child of Mary's Unless you be with her at the foot of the Cross Woman behold your Son Son behold your Mother O Holy Virgin O Mother of Sorrows O Queen of Martyrs O Spouse of the Cross I chuse you for my Mother Receive me into the number of your Children Imprint in my heart the wounds of your Son Fasten me strongly to the Cross Give me a part in your sufferings If I am guilty I ought to suffer If I am innocent I ought to imitate you Pierce my heart with the sword of grief Which transpierced yours Let me drink in that Chalice of gall Wherewith you were inebriated Above all be present at your Child's death Receive my Soul into your hands And convey it up to Heaven A couragious woman who shall find Prov. 31. There stood besides the Cross of Jesus his Mother Joh. 19. He said to his Mother Woman behold thy Son Then he said to his Disciple Behold thy Mother ibid. Thy very Soul a Sword shall pass through that cogitations may be revealed out of many hearts Luk. 2. Thy contrition is great like the Sea Thren 2. CXII MED Of the Dereliction of our Lord. MY God my God why hast thou forsaken me How terrible is that dereliction Which makes a God to groan Which makes a God to weep Which makes a God to cry out Which makes the only one of his complaints Which he makes before his Enemies Before a great number of People Which he makes a little before he dies Which gives occasion to those that hear him complain To doubt whether he were the true Son of God Since he is forsaken by his Father Jesus was never separated from Grace From Glory from the Divinity He was always holy happy God This terrible Dereliction Was only a sensible suspension Of the succours which the Divinity Communicated to his Humanity It was a shadow of the pain Which a Sinner feels who is in Hell Forsaken by Almighty God O my God! I conceive what it is to be damned By the pain which your Son suffer'd on the Cross If the deprival of your sensible and comforting presence Made your Son to groan Who was substantially united to you Who will be able to bear for ever The weight of an infinit wrath Who will be able to suffer in Hell An eternal separation An universal privation Of your Grace Love Presence Comfort Glory Felicity Succour Protection Of all that can be desired Of all that can be loved With a deluge of evils for all Eternity O my God! forsake me not Although I have forsaken you Deprive me if it must be of your Pleasures But deprive me not of your Grace If you forsake me during my life Forsake me not at my Death If you forsake me now Forsake me not in Eternity O Jesus 'T is I that have committed the Sin And you have born the Punishment 'T is I that ought to be forsaken And you were forsaken for my sake O how your Dereliction affrights me O how your Dereliction comforts me You were forsaken at your death That I might not be forsaken at mine Forsake me not then O Lord When all the World hath forsaken me My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Matth. 28. Forsake me not O Lord my God go not away from me Ps 37. Cast me not away in the time of my old age when my strength fails me forsake me not Ps 70. My enemies said God hath forsaken him persecute and lay hold of him because there is none to deliver him ibid. Forsake me not wholly Ps 118. He said I will not desert nor forsake thee Heb. 13. CXIII MED On the Thirst of our Lord on the Cross JEsus thirsts and no body gives him to drink They give him gall and vinegar For all his refreshment He was willing to suffer this torment For to punish our gluttonies And to undergo All the Punishments which sin
to your holy Mother I choose her for mine and I desire to dy betwixt her arms I recommend my spirit into thy hands and I conjure thee by thy dereliction not to forsake me at the hour of my death but to receive me into thy Heaven there to see thee there to love thee there to praise and bless thee for all Eternity Amen This Prayer may be recited in the time of Mass before Confession and Communion especially when one is sick and on all Fridays in the year at the foot of the Cross You must make a little Pause at each Station and produce in heart the acts that you pronounce with your mouth CXVIII MED On the Burial of Jesus Christ JEsus from the Cross is laid in the Tomb. Here is an end of his labours This is the place of his rest This is the term of his journeys His Disciples do almost lose their Faith By having lost his Presence They are fearful and dejected Because they see and hear him no longer Happy is he who receives into his heart Jesus descending from the Cross The grain of wheat that it may fructify Must dye and be hidden The arms of the Priest at the Altar Are the arms of the Cross Your heart is the grave wherein he would rejoyce Happy is he who is crucified Who is dead and buried Who is hid in the ground Who is trod under foot Who is unknown to men Who reposes in God He will soon rise again with Jesus Immortal and impassible like him Happy is he who conceives his Faith In the death and obscurity of his Senses Who loses not his hope having lost his support Who ceases not to love Having nothing that can comfort him O Jesus Hide me in thy grave Bury me in thy shrowd That I may be no more known by men Let me dy to all my senses I am ready to go along with you Even into the Prisons of Hell Provided that I be in your company I shall have nothing to apprehend Hell with you would be a Heaven to me Heaven without you would be a Hell to me Joseph taking the body wrapt it in a clean Sindon and laid it in his own new monument which he had hewed out of a rock Matth. 27. Woman why weepest thou They have taken away my Lord and I know not where they have put him John 20. My Soul was filled with evils and my life drew near unto Hell Ps 87. I was reputed with those that descend into the lake I became like a man without help free amongst the dead ibid. They laid me in the lower lake in dark places and in the shadow of death ibid. Like the vvounded that sleep in their graves ibid. CXIX MED Of the Resurrection of our Lord. JEsus is risen again He enjoys a glorious life He is com out of his grave He has conquered death He has triumphed over Satan He has broken to pieces the gates of Hell He has carried away the spoils He has frightned his guards He has confounded the Jews He is victorious over all his Enemies My Soul weep no more Jesus has resumed a new life He will dy no more in thy heart Unless thy Sin do crucify him there Jesus is risen again in our Souls He is re-entred into his Kingdom He has droven the Devils thence He has triumphed over Sin He keeps our Passions Captives He dwells therein by his Grace He lives there by his Spirit He reigns there by his Love He reposes there by his Peace All the whole Church is risen again His whole Body is out of the grave All his Members are re-animated They are no more dead nor sick My Soul weep no more Jesus has c. Jesu tarry with us for night draws on The day is going down The Devils gather together The Lions roar Our Passions revolt Ill habits awaken The World takes arms Our flesh takes strength again Your life is not in assurance Hell has conspired against you The wicked have sworn your death They will renew your sufferings My Soul c. O ye senceless Galathians What do you intend to do Do not you know Jesus any more But two days ago you lamented his death And now you are contriving To take away his life You are preparing Scourges for to tear him Thorns to crown him with Crosses to nail him to What has he don for to be crucified Is he criminal for having loved you Does he deserve death for having saved you My Soul c. Our Lord is truly risen and hath appeared to Simon Luk. 24. Christ rising from the dead dies no more death shall domineer no more over him Rom. 6. If ye are risen with Christ seek the things that are above not that are on earth Col. 3. Crucifying to themselves again the Son of God and setting him at nought Heb. 6. CXX MED Of our Lord's Wounds JEsus hath Wounds altho he be risen Do not wonder at the Wounds That remain after your Resurrection There is no hurt in feeling them There is merit in enduring them Be impassible to your passions Be immovable in your temptations The Wounds of Jesus enlighten our Faith They support our Hope They inflame our Love We cannot doubt of his affection We see his heart through his Wounds We ought no longer to be diffident Jesus is our Advocate in Heaven He prays for us by as many mouths As he has Wounds in his Body The Nails are the Keys that have opened This Ark of our Redemption All the Treasures which it includes Are now at our disposal O Jesus my Saviour How do your Wounds comfort me Secure me encourage me There issues from thence a Balsam Which cures all my sorrows Who will dare to accuse me Knowing that you are my Advocate Who will dare to condemn me Knowing that you are my Judge Who will dare to declare against me Knowing that you are my Saviour O divine Saviour Imprint on me your sacred Stigmats Imprint them in my Soul and in my Body Who can live without Wounds Seeing you covered with Wounds I cannot love my heart Unless it be wounded like yours Alas that which shall be the joy of the Predestinate Will be the torment of the damned He shewed them his hands and feet Luk. 24. He shewed them his hands and side John 20. What are those wounds in the midst of thy hands With these was I wounded in the house of those that loved me Zech. 13. Behold I have written thee in my hands Isai 49. Whom thou hast stricken they have persecuted and they have added to the pain of my wounds Ps 68. CXXI MED Of the good Shepherd JEsus is a good Shepherd He knows all his sheep He knows them as he is known by his Father He gives them life as he receives it from him He calls them all by their name He conducts them in streight ways He has a particular Providence for them He always walks before them With the Crook of the Cross in his
hand He brings them back when they go astray He casts himself into the bryars For to draw out him that is lost He lays him on his shoulders He carries him back to the fold He testifies a joy at it And he does him no hurt Jesus is a good Shepherd He feeds his dear Sheep He leads them into fat Pastures He nourishes them with his Word He fats them with his Flesh He inebriates them with his Blood He fortifies them with his grace He quickens them with his spirit He enriches them with his merits What Shepherd feeds his sheep With his own Flesh and his own Blood as he does Jesus is a good Shepherd He gives his life for his sheep He does not feed upon their flesh Not cloath himself with their wool Not strip them to cloath himself He fasted for to feed them He labours only for them He defends them against the wolves He hinders them from coming near them He helps them to drive them off He lifts them up when they fall He carries them when they are feeble He comforts them when they are sad He cures them when they are sick He raises them to life when they are dead O Jesus How good a Shepherd are you But what bad sheep have you They stray away from your conduct They despise your Pastures They will not eat at your table They go every where to seek after wolves They howl and run after them They devour the sheep as they do O my Divine Shepherd For my part I will follow you every where I will never go astray from your ways I will go up to the Mountains with you I will go down into the Vales with you I will never complain of you I will be always contented with you I am a good Shepherd I know my sheep and my sheep know me John 10. He goes before them and the Sheep follow him ibid. And I am not troubled following thee my Pastor Jer. 17. Our Lord governs me nothing will be wanting to me he placed me in a place of pasture Psal 22. I have gon astray like a sheep that is lost seek after thy servant Psal 118. CXXII MED Of the Sheep of Jesus Christ THe Sheep loves his Shepherd He follows his Conduct every where He hears and owns his voice He is in assurance with him He is lost when he goes a stray He goes well when he follows him Jesus committed to Saint Peter The Conduct of his Flock His voice is heard in the Church Out of the Church it is not heard Virtues without Obedience Are large steps out of the way One goes astray instead of advancing Who advances without being directed A Sheep does not argue He goes whither he is led He never goes righter Than when he follows his Shepherd He leaves himself to his Conduct He fears nothing in his Company 'T is to be without judgment To trust to one's own judgment It is to have no guidance Not to be willing to be guided A Sheep does not murmur He does not fall into impatience Does not take offence at his Shepherd Does not complain of his conduct Suffers himself to be stript Goes quietly to his death Suffers his Throat to be cut Dies without saying any thing There is need of extreme patience For to indure impatient men They would have God to endure from them But they will endure nothing from God A Sheep hath no fangs He does not bite his Companions He is the mildest of all Creatures He has nothing of fierceness or wildness He hates singularity He maintains himself in unity He keeps Society Is pleased in the Community The Mark of the Sheep of Jesus Is Mildness and Charity Are you one of Jesus's his Sheep Do you love the Pastor of the Church Do you follow God's Conduct Do you leave your self to his Providence Do you obey your Superiours Do you renounce your own proper lights Do you complain of your losses Do not you murmur in your pains Do you love your Neighbour Do not you offend him in word Have you a compassion of him Are not you angry as he is Thou that rulest Israel attend who leadest on Joseph like a Sheep Psal 79. My foot has followed his footsteps Job 13. He shall be led like a sheep to the slaughter and like a lamb before the shearer he shall be dumb and shall not open his mouth Isai 53. I was dumb and did not open my mouth because thou didst do it Psal 38. In this shall all know that you are my Disciples if you love one another Jo. 13. If you bite and eat each other see ye be not consumed by each other Gal. 5. CXXIII MED Of the Ascension of our Lord. WHither go you O divine Shepherd Is it thus that you forsake your Sheep Whither go you O charitable Father Is it thus that you forsake your Children Whither go you O glorious Captain Is it thus that you forsake your Souldiers What will poor Sheep do in the midst of Wolves What will poor Children do in the midst of the Streets What will Souldiers do in the midst of their Enemies Go my well beloved Quit this ungrateful Earth That has used you so ill An immortal body like yours Ought not to be in the region of death An incorruptible body like yours Ought not to be in a place of corruption An impassible body like yours Ought not to be in a place of affliction Go great Conquerour Ascend up to Heaven which you have gained Take possession of the Kingdom Which is yours from all Eternity Carry along with you your victorious Troops For to honour your Triumph Stop not till you have reach't the highest Heaven Go and sit upon the Throne of God It is just that you should rest After having laboured so much It is just that you should receive glory After having been so mightily humbled Go Ark of our Lord After having been beaten with the Waves Go and rest on the highest Mountains of Armenia Arise O Lord ascend to your place of rest You and the Ark of your Sanctification You have broken down the Gates of Hell Go now and open the Gates of Heaven Enter into the Palace of your glory Go and prepare us a place Go and present your self to your Father Go and shew him your Wounds Go and be our Mediatour Go and send us your Holy Spirit O Jesus Since you are gon to Heaven I find no more comfort here upon Earth My heart is where my treasure is My soul would fain quit her body For to go and enjoy your presence When shall I go out of this exile When shall I return to my dear Country O Jesus The hope of forlorn Souls The comfort of afflicted Souls You promised to draw all things to you When you were elevated from the Earth You are now above all the Heavens Perform now your promise Draw me out of this World Take me off from Creatures Draw me strongly For I cling close to the Earth
give credit to my word But he credited that of the Serpent A blind credulity ought to repair his curiosity Faith consecrates your Understanding It humbles pour Pride It raises your Knowledges It makes you subject to God You must believe that you may see Faith goes before glory And how can you have Faith If what you see be not hidden The Disciple I will again speak c. Doutless your Humanity For to be an object of our Faith Ought to be hid as well as your Divinity But why under the form of Bread Is this state sutable to you What honour is not due to you Who can honour you in this figure The Master My Wisdom would not be infinit Unless it were incomprehensible It would not be wonderful Unless it were unconceivable Wisdom avoids the open light It hides it self in darkness Goodness flies from obscurity And would produce it self into the light Wisdom hides it self Because it would be admired Goodness discovers it self Because it would be beloved A God under the form of a man Is a more astonishing change Than a man under the form of bread Than a body in form of aliment Did not they eat the Lamb the Manna The loaves of Proposition If the figures were eaten The Truth also ought to be eaten You stood in need of a Sacrament For the nourishment of your Souls As your life is divine You stood in need of a divine food As you have a Soul and Body So there was requisit my Soul and my Body Unless you eat my flesh you will not have life All men were to eat it There was therefore requisit an aliment That all men might make use of Men have different tasts But all men love bread I took this amiable figure That I might be eaten without horrour That I might enter into the bottom of your heart That I might communicate my Spirit to you For to purify your body For to asswage its concupiscence For to cure it of its maladies For to give it my purity And my virginal qualities Bread is an aliment Which shews the effects of the Sacrament I would have you all to be united together I would transform you into my self As I live for my Father So I would have you live for me The Disciple O divine Master How admirable is your Wisdom You are truly a hidden God O what Bread O what a Feast O what a Table O how am I obliged to you That you would remain with us That you would take this figure For to communicate your self to us I believe I will not see I am called a Believer and not a Rationalist What shall I do to acknowledge you Since you remain with me I will remain with you Since you humble your self for me I will humble my self for you Since you destroy your self for me I will destroy my self for you Since you will live in me I will also live in you CXXVII MED Of the Love of JESVS Christ in the Sacrament of the Altar THis Sacrament proceeds from Love This Sacrament contents Love This Sacrament produces Love The Son of God did institute it out of Love He ascended up to Heaven out of Justice But he remain'd on Earth out of Love Did men deserve this favour They made themselves unworthy of it Does there any advantage accrew to him by it He suffers therein a great contempt Love hath triumphed over God Love made him com down on Earth Love made him stay there Love keeps him as it were Prisoner there Love tends unto Unity 'T is the end of all its desires It finds in the Communion All its satisfaction There it is that Jesus unites himself to us There it is that we unite our selves to him That he transforms himself into us That we transform our selves into him That he becoms one self-same thing with us That we becom one self-same thing with him There is but one person made up Of the aliment and of him that takes it There is a distinction every where But there is none in the food This is that which contents Love This is that which makes it a Sacrament of Love Knowledge begets Love Presence nourishes Love Affection enkindles Love Benefits do draw Love The Soul here sees her well-beloved She enjoys his Presence She discovers his affection She is fill'd with his graces and favours The heart may resist hatred But it cannot resist Love She there finds her beloved She there finds her delights She there finds her Love Ah! whence coms it that I am all ice Whence coms it that I have so little love What Nature is my heart made of How can it defend it self Love encompasses it on all sides And yet it knows not what Love is Love shews it self to my eyes Love makes it self be heard to my ears Love makes it self be tasted by my mouth Love makes it self be felt by my heart Love calls me draws me warms me Fights me flatters me obliges me Does all things to win me And yet I know not what it is to love Whence coms this insensibility O it is because I love Creatures It is because I am not disengaged It is because my heart is divided It is because I am not mortified My Soul Wilt thou always be ungrateful Wilt thou never let thy heart be won Shall not a God who is always with thee A God who gives himself all to thee A God who annihilates himself for thee A God who stands not in need of thee Who is happy without thee Who has so much Love for thee Who bestows so many benefits on thee Win thy heart Cannot he deserve thy affection O I can no longer resist this Love No longer defend my self from its pursuits I will no longer withdraw through fear I will approach out of Love O I will mortify my self For I cannot live without loving I will communicate frequently For I cannot live without eating The children of Israel said to one another Manhu which signifies What is this for they were ignorant what it was To whom Moses said This is the bread which our Lord has given you to eat Exod. 16. This is the bread that came down from Heaven not as your Fathers did eat Manna and died He that eats this bread shall live for ever John 6. Who shall give us of his flesh that we may be filled Job 31. My flesh is truly meat John 6. When he had loved his who were in the World he loved them unto the end John 13. CXXVIII MED Of the Holy Communion Ye Daughters of Jerusalem Tell my well beloved That I expect her day and night And that I languish with love I quitted Heaven for to com down on Earth And for to gain her love I took the form of Bread To make my self be loved And eaten without horrour I made my self a food that I might unite My self strictly to this ungrateful Soul I would fain feed her I would enrich her With the treasure of my Graces Why does
having been conceiv'd without sin Mary is more happy In never having committed any sin 'T is a misery for us to have contracted sin 'T is a greater misery to have committed it Mary has always suffered Altho she never sinned I sin continually And I would suffer nothing Mary is Innocent And is treated as a Criminal I am a Criminal And I would be treated as Innocent Mary's first grace Is the foundation of her happiness She co-operated with it all her life long By an inviolable fidelity There are som graces in ones life time Which are the beginnings of our happiness There are somains in ones life time Which are the beginnings of our misery Co-operate with all graces Avoid all sins Dread scandalous sins they are pestilent sins Which are communicated unto others Fear contagious ones which corrupt nature O Holy Mother of God! How beautiful are you and how pure are you There is no stain in you If my Conception is not immaculate At least make my life to be so If I have contracted original sin Make me avoid actual sin Let your Son seeing my Soul at my death say Thou art my well beloved There is no spot in thee Who shall declare her generation Isai 53. Thou art all fair my friend and there is no spot in thee Cant. 4. Our Lord possest me in the beginning of his ways Prov. 8. 'T is a great work for a habitation is prepared not for man but for God 2 Paral. 29. Holiness becoms thy house O Lord for length of days Ps 92. CXXXII MED Of the Purification of the B. Virgin MAry is the Mother of God And she passes for the Mother of a man O what Humility Mary is pure like the Sun And yet she comes to the Temple to be purified O what Purity Mary is not subject to the Law And yet she submits her self voluntarily to it O what Obedience Mary has but one Son who is most dear to her And yet she sacrifices him to God in the Temple O what Charity Imitate these virtues of Mary's Have an humble heart like her Have a pure body like her Have an obedient spirit like her Have liberal hands like her Offer up to God what you have dearest to you Sanctify to him your Children Your desires your thoughts Give him your heart That is your only one and first born Go to the Temple like Simeon Receive Jesus into your arms By the Priest's hands Sing with him that Canticle of love Now thou dost dismiss thy servant O Lord According to thy word in peace Because my eyes have seen thy Salvation Which thou hast prepar'd before the face of all People A light to the revelation of Gentils And the glory of thy People of Israel You will live in Peace If you desire nothing but Jesus You will dy in Peace If you love nothing but Jesus Beg of Mary to take you into her arms And to offer you up to her Son At the end of your life She will do it if you be her child If you be humble chast charitable like her O Mother of God! Disdain not to be the Mother of a sinner I recommend my Soul into your hands 'T is the price of your Son's blood Can you slight him Can you reject him Since you have presented the head You ought also to present the members God cannot refuse what you offer him My salvation is secure if it be in your hands O JESVS I recommend my spirit unto you I put my salvation into your hands Let me go out of this World in peace For I have seen all that I have to see My sins do disturb me O Lord I am thy Servant And the Son of thy Handmaid Can you damn your Mother's Child Can you hate him whom she loved They carried him into Jerusalem to present him to our Lord. Luk. 2. Take thy only begotten Son Isaac c. and there thou shalt offer him in a Holocaust Gen. 22. In the simplicity of my heart I joyfully offered all these things 1 Paral. 29. Now thou dost dismiss thy servant O Lord. Luk. 2. O Lord I am thy servant and the Son of thy handmaid Ps 115. CXXXIII MED Of the Annunciation of the B. Virgin 'T Is a great virtue to be little in grandure 'T is a rare virtue to be humble in honour Mary is the Mother of God Because she was his handmaid Mary takes the title of handmaid When she is qualified the Mother of God How happy is she for having conceived The Word of God in her body But she is more happy For having conceived it in her soul She conceived him in her heart Before she conceived him in her womb The spiritual Conception of God Is more honorable to her than the corporal The one makes her the Mother of God The other makes her the worthy Mother of God Make your self the Mother of our Lord By doing the Will of his Father Conceive him by Faith Bring him forth by Charity Be his Brother by Believing Be his Mother by Preaching Renew by Communion The Mystery of the Incarnation Be you humble and obedient as she was And the Holy Chost will com down on you Be our Lord's Handmaid And you will becom his Mother O most worthy Mother of God! Disdain not to own for your Son him Whom your Son vouchsafes to own for his brother If you are the Mother of God You must be the Mother of men It was for to be the Mother of men That you became the Mother of God You have two Breasts full of Milk Give one to your Son But keep the other for me Give one to the just But keep the other for sinners Behold the handmaid of our Lord be it don unto me according to thy Word Luk. 1. Whosoever shall do the Will of my Father who is in Heaven he is my brother and sister and mother Matth. 12. He is not ashamed to call them brothers Heb. 2. The Holy Ghost shall com down on thee and the virtue of the highest shall over-shadow thee Luk. 1. CXXXIV MED Of the Humiliations of the Son of God and the Elevations of Mary in the Mystery of the Incarnation JESUS of a God was made man Of a Lord he was made a slave Of Omnipotent he was made weak Of rich he was made poon JESUS by making himself man Made Mary the Mother of God JESUS by making himself a slave Made Mary the Mistress of God JESUS by making himself weak Has given unto Mary the Power of God JESUS by making himself poor Has given unto Mary the Treasures of God JESUS cannot descend lower than he descended Mary cannot ascend higher than she ascended There is nothing that is above Jesus There is nothing but God above Mary All that is not God is below Jesus All that is not God is below Mary Rejoyce in these her grandures Choose her for your Mother Acknowledge her for your Queen Take her for your Advocate Obey her whom God himself hath
your self into this Ocean Plunge your self into this Abyss You will find all things in God You will find nothing out of God Martha you labour too much Your Sollicitudes are unprofitable Here is too much meat For the Word whom you would treat What need so many cares One thing alone is sufficient Imitate your Sister Magdalen She has chosen the better part She hearkens without speaking She reposes without disquieting her self She has an extreme satisfaction To be in the presence of her beloved Draw your self out of multiplicity Draw near unto Unity This is the only thing necessary There is nothing but this that can content you For to have but one only thought You ought to have but one desire For to empty your self of your thoughts You must empty your self of your desires Without simplicity of heart You will never have simplicity of spirit You love a thousand things And you would think of nothing You give ear to your Passions And you complain of Distractions Your Complaints are not reasonable There is a duplicity in your heart It runs after its treasure It takes pleasure in what it loves It does not love God only You are not master of your own spirit But are not you master of your own heart You cannot be without a thought But cannot you be without a desire You will have but few evil thoughts If you have no evil desires Shut your self up into your heart There it is that you will find What it is that you love Whatever noise your Understanding makes Take heed you open not the door to it Stop its lightness Mortify its curiosity And if you cannot compass this Let the Vagabond run But do not run after him Remain in your own quiet Wrap your self up in your Poverty What do you seek for having God present Is not faith more certain than the senses 'T is better to love than to think Better to enjoy than to desire You will enjoy your beloved When you love him without desiring any thing O my Soul How happy wouldst thou be If thou didst content thy self with God If thou didst seek only to please him If thou would'st nothing but what he wills Thy heart in thy Prayer would be Like a Stone in its Center Like the Flame in its Sphear Like a River in the Ocean Like a Needle that looks upon its Pole Like Iron that touches the Load-stone O my God! What would I have And what do I seek after What do I desire and what do I expect Alas I seek after rest And I am always in motion I would fain be in peace And I am always in war O I am weary of labouring I will henceforth rest my self I have but too much knowledge I will now begin to love Let us O my Soul tast and see How sweet our Lord is O the God of my life O the peace of my soul I have offered up all to you with joy In the simplicity of my heart You know what it is that I seek after VVhat it is that I desire My heart is simple O my God It has no double dealing Make it therefore to enter Into the repose of the Saints And draw it to the center of Unity With the simple is his Communication Prov. 3. The simplicity of the just shall direct them Prov. 11. If thy eye be simple all thy body will be lightsom Matth. 6. Thou art troubled about many things but one thing is necessary Luk. 10. In the simplicity of your heart seek him Wisd 1. CLIV. MED Of the fulness of God's Riches GOd is sufficient to himself He does not stand in need of us He is sufficient to his Creatures They stand in need only of him God is all to all men He is a light to the blind He is health to the sick He is a comfort to the afflicted He is a strength to the weak He is sanctity to Sinners Life to the dead Peace to the living O sweet words My God and my All. How savoury are they to a Soul Unto whom God is All And to whom All that is not God is nothing O God and my All I am weary of thinking reading reasoning I find All in these two words My God and my All. All that I read all that I hear Takes up my mind But it does not fill my heart I find every where a vacuity and indigence There is only You in whom I find The summ of all my desires O my God and my All. These two words are honey to my mouth A source of living water to my heart Which quencheth its thirst Which contents all its desires What can I wish for after you Who can content me if you cannot O my God and my All. You shall henceforth be my All And all Creatures shall be nothing to me I said to our Lord thou art my God because thou dost not want my goods Ps 15. I will shew thee all good Exod. 33. He that replenishes your desire in good things Ps 102. What is there to me in Heaven and what else but thee would I have on Earth O God of my heart Ps 72. CLV MED Of Heaven HEaven is the House of God 'T is the Land of the living 'T is the Center of rest 'T is the Ocean of all goods 'T is the Absence of all evils 'T is the Source of all pleasures The Treasure of all riches The Throne of all grandures The End of all pains The Height of all comforts There you shall see and you shall love There you shall possess and enjoy There you shall have all that you desire And have nothing of what you fear There good shall be without evil Pleasure without pain Abundance without indigence Health without sickness Life without death Rest without disquiet O what satisfaction to see all that is beautiful To love all that is good To possess all that is great To tast all that is sweet To see the first Truth To possess the chief good To tast the chiefest pleasure O God of Virtues How amiable are your Tabernacles My Soul languishes with a desire Of entring into your Heaven O how miserable am I here below O how happy shall I be there above My Soul If thou lovest the goods of this World Thou wilt not have the goods of Heaven O how the Earth displeases me When I lift up my eyes to Heaven My God! Let me dy quickly that I may see you Since none can see you without dying I will shew thee all good Exod. 33. We shall be filled with the goods of thy house Ps 64. They shall be inebriated with the plenty of thy house and thou wilt give them to drink of the torrent of thy pleasure Ps 35. God will wash away all tears from their eyes and death shall be no more nor mourning nor clamour nor dolour Apoc. 21. Eye hath not seen nor ear heard nor hath it entred into the heart of man what God hath prepared for those that love him 1 Cor.
keepeth it Ps 126. My Prayer shall be turned into my bosom Ps 34. It it good for me to cleave to God to put my hope in our Lord God Ps 72. To thee have I lifted up my eyes who dwellest in heaven Ps 122. I am thy servant give me understanding Ps 118. If I should walk in the midst of the shadow of Death I will fear no evils because thou art with me Ps 22. The God of my heart and God my portion for ever Ps 72. I have made my bed in the dark Job 17. Let no man look upon me Job 7. Our Lord is not in a whirlwind 3 Kings 4. Behold God and my Saviour I will act confidently with him and will not fear Isai 12. But thou art in us O Lord c. Jer 14. Let all flesh be silent in the sight of God Zach. 2. I have laboured a little and have found much rest Eccl. 52. In all these things I sought rest and I shall abide in the inheritance of our Lord. Eccl. 24. He that loses his life shall find it Matth. 16 The Holy Ghost shall com down on thee Luk. 1. My Lord and my God John 20. I eace be to you fear not it is I. Luk. 25. I give you peace John 14. Behold the Bridegroom cometh Matth. 25. They who were ready entred with him ibid. Why do ye fear O ye of little faith he commands the wind and the sea Matth. 8. Remain in me and I in you John 15. Be like unto men expecting their Master when he shall return from the wedding Luk. 12. The Peace of God that surpasseth all understanding preserve your hearts and your understandings in Christ Jesus Phil. 4. We will com unto him and make our mansion with him John 14. The Disciple whom Jesus loved and who leaned on his brest at supper John 21. Ye are dead and your life is hidden with Christ in God Col. 3. He is our peace Eph. 2. In him we live we move and we are Act. 17. Blessed are the dead that dy in our Lord. Apoc. 14. Words of Love taken out of the Book of the Following of Christ for Souls that aspire to Vnion HAppy is he whom Truth teaches 1 Book c. 3. All proceeds from one word and all speaks one word ibid. He to whom all is one thing ibid. O Truth my God make me one thing with thee ibid. I am often weary of reading ibid. Let all Doctors be silent ibid. The Kingdom of God is in you ibid. When you have JESUS you will be rich ibid. O JESUS splendour of glory c. ibid. This whole Chapter is divine and fit to comfort a Soul that is in Privation I will hear what my Lord shall say 3 Book c. 1. This is what the beloved says I am thy salvation thy peace and thy life 3 b. c. 1. Lord my God thou art all my good 3 b. c. 2. Thou O Lord alone art good ibid. O Lord my God c. ibid. Thou art my glory and the joy of my heart 3 b. c. 5. Thou wilt suffice to him that loves thee ibid. Thou art the true peace of heart 3 b. c. 15. My soul thou wilt always be at rest 3 b. c. 21. O when shall I see my Lord and my God c. ibid. Read all the 48 Chapter of the Third Book which is of an infinit sweetness and comfort Son as much as thou canst go out of thy self 3 b. c. 56. Lord what confidence can I have in this life 3 b. c. 59. I had rather be poor for thy sake ibid. Read all this Chapter which is the last of the Third Book and you will find much comfort Who will give me to find you alone O my Lord. 4 b. c. 13. O Lord my God ibid. Be in me and I in you ibid. Truly thou art my Peace-maker ibid. O truly thou art a hidden God ibid. O God how sweet is thy spirit ibid. O truly there is no Nation c. ibid. O JESUS splendour of eternal glory ibid. These words taken out of the Book of the following of Christ may sweetly and profitably employ a Soul in Prayer and after Communion FINIS