had more helps towards the faith which they should have had in Christ our Saviour But this alien bread up in his youth in idolatrie among the Romans whose servant he was made better use of the benefit which God had done him in bringing him to live among his chosen people where his eyes might be opened and be a dócument for us not to neglect Gods greate grace towards us least we come at last to be reiected Our repiditie and negligence is much to be lamented and pittyed that we are not lead which more affection to our Saviour c. He â—ayseth from death the sonne of the widdow of Naim I. ANd he went into the citty which is called Naim and there weÌ„t with him his disciples aÌ„d a very greate multitude and when he came nigh to the gate of the citty behold a dead men was caryed forth the only sonne of his mother and she was a widow and a greate multitude of the citty with her the citty was called Naim because it was a beautifull citty butwhat did beauty or strength of the citty avayle against death Or the youth of him that was carryed out or that he was the ouly sonne or rich or wellâ—beloved aÌ„d respected and attended We all dye and as water we sink downe into the earth And who is there allmost that doth think of it as he ought and prepare for another world in which he is never to dye We are caryed away with that which concernes this body of ours which no industrie can preserve long and think least of our soule which must be preseved by good life here if it will not be miserable for ever when this everdying life is gone is gone Glorie not in wealth if thou have it nor in frends that they are powerfull but in God who giveth all things Be not extolled with the beauty and proportion of thy body a little sicknes doth dissigure it and destroy it II. Whome when our Lord had seen being moved with compassion vpon her he sayed to her weepe not And he came â—eere and touched the coffin and they that caryed it stood still and he sayed yong man I say to thee â—ise and he that was dead sat vp and began to speake and he gave him to his Mother O blessed eyes of my Saviour looke vpon me with compassion for behold I am caryed â— know not whether now with one phancy now with another now with one passion now with another And this wretched body of mine in which I am coffindâ— will be cause of my doble death if thou doest not lay thy mercyfull hand vpon it and stop the course which naturally it is running O soule forget not that thou art allwayes yong if thou wilt thy self Rise take courage sit vp speake to thy senses and desires to keepe themselves in order and compasse O Lord Blessed be thy word sweete to my mouth above hony and the hony combe What should I doe in so many trobles and vexations if thou didst not comfort me with thy holy speeches So I may arrive at the haven of saluation what matter is it what I suffer c. III. And feare tooke them all and they magnifyed God saying a greate Prophet is risen among vs and God hath visited his people And this saying went into all Iewrie of him and into all the countrie about The people had more reason to feare when they saw the yong man caryed out dead not knowing what was become of the Better part of him or by whome or whether it was caryed His reviving being a signe of the common resurrection when that voyce which called the world out of nothing will in the later day call it againe out of coâ—ruption and he that in the beginning raysed man out of earth will rayse him againe in the later end out of dust Magnisie this greate prophet who hath brought thee to the beleefe of these things Begge of him that he will often visit thee with his heavenly inspirations and be thou more ioyfull to receive his heavenly instructions then the sorrowfull mâ—ther could be to receive her sonne alive S. Ihon Baptist sends his disciples to Christ to be instructed I. VVHen Ihon had heard in prison the workâ— of Christ sending two of his disciples hâ— sayed to him art thou he that art to come or looke we for another And Iesus making answer sayed to them go and reporte to Ihon what you have heard and seen the blind see the lame walke the lepers are clensed the deafe heare the dead rise againe and to the poore the Ghospel is preached and blessed is he that shall not be scandalized in me S. Ihon did not doubt but that our Saviour was the only Messias expected but to satisfie his disciples more fully he sent them so our Saviour who answered not in words but by the admirable works he was then working in all sort of cures which cures it was long before prophecied the Messias should worke And we also are to restifie by our works that we are Christians not beleeying and professing one thing and doing nothing sutable to that which we professe but suting our lives to our beleefe If our voyce be Iacobs our hands must not be Esaus Nor because God hath perhaps blessed vs with riches must we neglect the pooreâ— There is no other to come to save vs by any other way then Iesus hath allready traced our vnto vs be not scandalized in him because crucified dead and buryed the same will come at the later day to Iudge the more rigorously the slighter we make of his commands and directions here Harken after all his works of mercy and lustice that esteeming him the more thou mayest follow him the more willingly and expect him with the more comfortâ— II. And when they wenâ— their way Iesus began to say to the multitude of Ihon what went you into the desert to see A reed shaken with the wind Or what went you to see A man clothed in soft garments behold they who are so clothed are in kings houses But what went you to see A Prophet yeâ— I tell you and more then a Prophet for this is be of whome it is written Behold I send my Angel before thy face who shall prepare the way before thee Our saâ—iour proposeth vnto vs what we are to reverence and imitate in S. Ihon His constancie in his course of life perseveriug from his childhood to his dying day not shaken with every wind as a reed nor hollow and emptie and able to beare noâ—streffe but with fervour of spirit and manly resolution overcoming the weakenes of flesh and blood not given to delicacies but content with that which bare necessitie required those who are otherwise disposed are fitter for the courts of earthly princes and to be rewarded accordingly the courtiers of our heavenly King must put theÌ„selves to more hardship that they may have the reward of eternall ioy and indeavour to
wherin we are to apply ourselves to this or that service pleasing to God III. All the dayes of this life are dayes of purgation As we wash our hands our face our garment so must we our soule that it may appeare before our Lord an acceptable present Now present thyself to the Child and to the Virgin that thou mayst find favour when he shall come as Iudge For nothing that is polluted shall enter into the heavenly Hierusalem nothing â—hat is not purified by innocency of life by pennance or by the purging fire The law of Purisication I. EVery male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to our Lord. Consider vpon how many titles thou art Gods and oughtest to be holy to him and wholly his He created thee of nothing to his Image and likenes for a holy and sublime end to wit to serve him with body and soule and eternally to inioy him Thou hast been redeemed with blood most holy that in holynes and iustice thou shouldst serve him all the dayes of thy life Thou hast been called into a Holy Church perhaps to holy vovves and to be an instrument to make others holy fed with the holy bread of Angels bred vp to a holy course of life with holy documents and inspirations in conversation with holy persons How â—omes it to passe that my beloved in my house doth if not many things which are naught so few holy things Put on a manly courage in the way of vertue that thou mayst become truly holy to our Lord. II. And to offer Sacrifice according as it is sayed in the law of our Lord a payre of turtle doves or two young pigeons Consider the Indulgency of God towards vs He requireth nothing above our strength Give according to the law Keepe the commandments keepe thy rule this is a most gratefull sacrifice doe not pretend that that is above thy strength which he appoints Noe man is so poore or weake as to be excused from conforming himself to his blessed will III. A payer of turtles c. A double offering for the Mother and for the Sonne Thy soule and thy body thy vnderstanding and thy will thy interiour and thy exteriour cariage thy intention and thy workes both of them sincere and innocent not inconstant and â—leeting not hanging after worldly contentments I esteemed laughter deceit sayth the wiseman and to ioy I sayed wherfore dost thou in vayne let thyself be deceived The coming of old Simeon to meete our Saviour I. ANd behold there was a man in Hierusalem named Simeon and this man was iust and religions expecting the consolation of Israel and the holy Ghost was in him How few of this kind of men are now to be found and even in Hierusalem that is the most sacred place how few The word Simeon signifieth one that giveth eare how few give eare to the Best things Who so doth is in a way of Iustice and religion and attendeth not the vaine and emptie comforts of this world which passe as in a blast but the inward comfort of the holy Ghost and of the presence of God and of our Saviour II. And he hath received answer from the holy Ghost that he should not see death till he first saw the Christ of our Lord. See how many commandments rules or directions thou hast received from God in thy state of life for so many answers hast thou receaved from him that thou shalt not see death if thou keepe them so our Saviour sayed answering the yong man Doe this and thou shalt live and the Wiseman Feare God and keepe his commandments for this is the whole man as much as to say in this is all the happines of man with what confidence shall we looke vpon à temporall death and avoide the eternall if we be thus armed III. Simeon was expecting the consolation of Israel Follow thou his example and the advise of the Royal Prophet Expect our Lord and be of good courage whether thou be by him often or seldome spiritually visited whether busines succeed to thy mind or otherwise in what ever imployment he doth ingage thee This disposition is a signe of Iustice and Religion and of the Holy Ghost dvvelling in vs A signe that we have the true spirit of wisdome and vnderstanding and of counsell and of fortitude and of Pietie and of the feare of God and of his love not wedded to our owne wayes c. Simeon takes the Child Iesus into his armes I. ANd he came in spirit into the Temple Reflect with what spirit how fervently with how much thirst and eagernes or coÌ„trarivvise how coldly and dully thou appearest in the Temple at prayer or at the holy Sacrifice of Masse where the Angels assist with reverence or at other pious exercices and see what successe thou mayst hope for If by a customarie performance of thy devotious thou be fallen to a feeblenes in them rouse vp thy spirits renew vvhat is decayed Rise make hast my beloved sayth the bridgroome and come II. And when his parents brought in the Child Iesus to doe according to the custome of the law for him He also tooke him into his armes and Blessed God and sayed now thou mayst dismisse thy servant ô Lord according to thy word in peace VVhata blessing is it to receave our Saviour in our breast To have him in our hands And as it were in our possession VVho can sufficiently esteeme that instant in which we may say with Jacob. Now I will not dismisse thee vnles thou bles mâ— VVhat may we not hope to obtaine having our God as it were in our povver Begge peace saluation light comfort in tribulation and in expecting the time of comfort and what ever may be wanting to thee towards thy owne or thy neighbours assistance III. My eyes have seene thy saluation which thou hast prepared before the face of all people c. Blesse God for sending this saluation to all and that thou in particular hast been made partaker of it Begge increase of this light c. And his Father and Mother were marveling at these things which were spoken of him And not with out reason shall we detaine ourselves in admiring and adoring his goodnes his willingnes to impart himself vnto vs and infinite other thinghs which we may find in this Child who gives himself into our armes incomprehensible in himself but framing himself according to humane nature by love and imitation of his vertues to be comprehended by vs. Simeon his Prophecie I. ANd Simeon blessed them and sayed to Marie his Mother Behold this Child is set to the ruine and resurrection of many in Israel and for a signe which shall be contradicted God mingleth sorrow vvith ioy and gladnes which in this life is not only the common case of every body but also a blessing And therfore when adverse things doe not befall vs we shal doe well to forthinke
Then open the eares of thy soule and harken hovv our Saviour cryes out with a lowd voyce O my God my God wherfore hast thou forsaken me Dive into the anguish of his soule from the beginning of his passion to the end he being as a man forsaken not only of men but of God that is left comfortles to beare the burthen of all these griefes with out any refreshing from the divine person with which his humane nature was conjoyned without diverting his thoughts or his imagination from it by other means When did the like ever happen to man Say with him O my God my God wherfore this but for me to satisfie for my vaine worldly comforts To teach me to want them and to contemâ—e them to teach me courage in occasions of distast and derelictions and not to complayne seeing he would not have complayned neither first of his sorrovv vnto deaâ—h nor novv of being forsaken but to persuade me of this truth that he suffered as a man indeed forsaken O my God forsake me not though I cannot say but that I have deserved to be forsaken II. Some that stood by and heard him sayed this man calleth vpon Elias let vs see whether Elias comes to deliver him As if he had need or expected help Hovv ordinarie it is for people to mistake or misconstrue words and actions and agayne thinke with what kind of coÌ„tempt they sayed this man and les vs see whether any comes to save him or to take him downe Prepare thyself for the like incounters and call vpon him in the dayes of this tribulation call with a lowdâ— voyce that is with fervour of affection and acknovvledgement of thy necessities III. Consider also the goodnes of God who in our extremities of corporall paine or spirituall derelictions doth not forbid vs to aske why though we cannot but knovv that we have deserved it if we knovv ourselves and God But the question must be as our Saviours with a loving respect and submission with resignation to the very last Heare him speaking to thee Sonne I came dovvne from heaven to save thee c. as in Thom. Kemp. l. 3. c. 18. And ansvvèr him as there Of the words of out Saviour vpon the Crosse. V. PART Preamble as in the former I. IEsus knovving that all things were novv consummated that the Scripture might be fullfilled he sayed I trist And certainly naturally he had greate thirst for the toyle of his journies to and fro might procure it his watching his sadnes the effusion of so much blood his attention to what was sayed aâ—d done by others and what was to be done or sayed by himself and it is fitting that we should compassionate him in it and animate ourselves to suffer that which may hapsen to vs in that Kind Yet if we reflect how once he begged water of the Samaritan and sayed to his Apostles my food is to doe my Fathers will we shall find there was another cause of thirst to wit he thirsted to accomplish his Fathers will to accomplish the Prophecies which were of him that not one tittle mightremayne vnfulfilled He thirsted the salvation of thy soule and that all might be paâ—takers of the living waters of his merits and grace He did thirst after thee that thou mightest learne to thirst after him and his heavenly giftâ— without which all is drougth and bitternes II. A vesseltherfore of vineger stood there full of vineger and they putting a spunge full about hissope offered it to his mouth reaching it to him with a reed This the tormentours did to proloÌ„g his life in payne that he might not faynt avvay as before they offered him the mingled wine which we have reason to lament but much more the hardnes of haâ—t even of beleeving Christians who for the vpshot of all the sorrovves which our Saviour hath suffered either continue in thier wonted synns or offer him vineger to drinke that is Actions as sovver as vineger lukevvarme without life or vigour halfe dead with tepiditie and dulnes and niggardnes tovvards him And like spunges drink vp worldly contentment which soone turne sourâ— and are as hard as flint in respect of that which is spirituall or like reeds wavering and changeable and weake Take heede that this manner of proceeding dry not the fountaine of his graces and bring the life of thy soule to a bitter end III. O Iesu give me the wholsome thirst of which thy prophet speakes saying My God earâ—â—y doe I awake to thee my soule hath thirsted after thee and my flesh very many wayes that neither soule nor body may desire any thing but thee and the accomplishing of thy blessed will in both that hating the thirst which hithertâ— I have laboured in vayne to satisfie in the world I may taste thy living waters c. Of the words of our Saviour vpon the Crosse and of his death VI. PART I. VVHen therfore Iesus had taken the vineger he sayed it is consummated and againâ— crying out with a lowde voyce he sayd Father into thy hands I commend my spirit and saying so bowing downe his head he gave vp the Ghost Novv indeed the Sunne is ecclypsed at noone day our Saviour being taken avvay by a cruell death in the prime of his yeares and middle of the vsual course of men in this world He would notwithstanding see all things before fullfilled that he might justly say to every one of vs what could you expect I should doe more for you I have given myself body and soule for you and all the labours and paynes that I have taken in them Consummatum e st See what you will doe for me II. O loving Father into what better hands can I commend both body and soule then after thy sonnes example into thyne To thee I doe bow downe my head acknovvledging thy soveraignitie over me and over all things created Thou art lord of life and death accordig to thy will and best knovvledge dispose of me Thy hands did frame me into them I render myself to be ordered as thou pleasest I confesse some times my spirit doth rise against that which doth not suite with it but it is when I doe not coÌ„sider rightly that all cometh from thee to whom all ought to be subject In manus tuas commendo spiritum â—eum III. With hovv different a note doe those cry out at the latter houre who are overtaken with death before they have done all that they ought to doe tovvards God and thier neighbour the good and the bad the diligent and the flouthfull Whatsoever thy hand can doe doe it instantly for neither worke nor counsell nor wisdoms nor knowledge is after death whether thou hastenes Sayth the Wiseman Begg of our Saviour that he will assiste thee living and dying that having passed this life and vale of miserie thou mayest enjoy him the more perfectly in the other world Of the things which happened after our Saviours death I. ANd
that is with a noble and large hart imbracing whatever may be for the advantage or will and pleasure of God II. Thou shalt love God with thy whole soulâ— Desire conjunction with him as the soule doth with the body and be as loth to be separated labour for dispositions fiting this conjunction Have feeling of no thing but what is for him or against him be ever moving towards him both thyself and others also VVithout the soule what is the body VVorse is the soule without God have a horrour from this separation both for it self and for the difficultie of returning to returne to life is a greate miracle so is this III. Love him with thy whole mind and strength that is imploy the whole force of thy mind and body to love him let nothing occur to thy mind out of which thou doest not draw some occasion to love him Be wholy transformed into love such as our Saviour expressed when that saying of the Prophet was verified in him the zeale of thy house hath consumed me making no reckoning of temporalls in comparison of the love of God Aspirations tending to the increase in the love of God in our soules The first Paragraphe O My God my love Blessed be thy infinite goodnes and Charitie by whose only gift it cometh that I may tearme thee my love O love â—ternall O that my love had been towards thee continuall as I find and feele thine to have been ever permanent towards me II. O love to whom it is never too late to come though in regard of thy all-deserving love all delay is long all coming is late because coming is a signe that there I was not before whether I now only come III. Alas where was I That now only I may say I come I know not where I was it is a shame for me to say it is a griefe for me to think where I was This certaynly I know and must confesse to all that I was not with thee in that measure of love which thou ever deservedst of me O measure without measure why doe I so measure my affections as not to give them to theâ— without any measure IV. I say I come and I think it is pleasing vnto thee aâ—d so it is for thou art easyly pleased and pleased with a little But in reason I should not still say I comes because so long as I come there is some distance betwixt thee and me which distance yet if it were only so that thy Creature cannot be even with thee My God and Creatour in love as I cannot be even with thee in nature and Essence I could be wel content because nothing ought to content me more then thy infinite perfection in all things to which no Creature can arrive But as long as I say I come there is some thing els betwixt thee and me and not only thy sole infinite goodnes which causeth this distance V. And this grieveth me againe and to think that there should be any thing betwixt thee and me or that there should be any creature so bold as to take part of my love from thee or rather I so foolish as to give it froÌ„ thee towards whoÌ„ it is apparent injustice not to give full abuÌ„daÌ„t measure which caÌ„not be without giving intirely all VI. Come therfore without measure to me and supply I beseech thee with thy infinite love the many defects which thou findest in myne Come who art never absent neither from those who absent themselves too too often from thee but standest at the doore and knocest expecting when we will open againe vnto thee Behold deere God now my hart is wholy thyne take it possesse it vse it fashion it as thou pleasest that it may still be more capable still more perfect in thy love Amen The second Paragraphe I. ABove all things give me grace to be ever preseÌ„t with thee who art never absent from me Ever in thee as thou art in me Present with thee by walking in thy sight who ever seest all things and to whom nothing is hiddeÌ„ that I caÌ„ think say or doe in the very secretest corner of my hart every twinkling of my eyes thou markest every glancing of my thoughts thou judgest Give me grace to marke them and to judge them myself that I may allwayes as I ought adjuge them to thee and direct them for thee to whom only they are wholy due and to no other but for thee II. In the light of the sunne who is nâ—t ashamed to offend if men looke much 〈◊〉 what if a Master a judge a king from whome reward or punishment is certaynly to be expected What if my love Shall I before his face reprochfully turne myself from him and imbrace in his sight whome he doth disdayne O eyes of pitty pardon that which is past forgiveme my love my many offenses committed in thy sight and let this thought of thy Allseeing eye ever fixed vpon me be a stay to my thoughts a temper to my actions that nothing may passe vnbeseeming thy presence III. Behold o my soule that God doth behold thee O dreadfull ô loving sight ô that I had allwayes lovingly feared thee and respectfully loved thee my God that thy eyes might have beheld with content thy worke vnde filed but now give me grace at least to bathe myself with teares and bitterly to bewayle my many losses that so I may appeare before thee with lesse shame and remayne more constant in thy service through the memorie of my finnes which in all reason I ought to endeauour to counterpoise with ten thousand times more love and more attendance vpon thee The third Paragraphe I. GRaunt me that I be ever in thee with a right intention and with pure Affection doing all things for thee and loving nothing in all that is but thee alone who art the life the love the All of all things II. I know there is no Creature that can in reason aske any thing of me but for thee but it will happen some times as there are many of them many times vnreasonable they will demand vnreasonably I myself too too often shall be inclined vnreasonably Graunt me that I give them but that which is reason And what can be reason which is not for thee Nothing Graunt me that I give them nothing but for thee no thought no word no worke no Affection but distast of all things where I find not thee III. The whole world is a booke the fayrest the learnedost the greatest that ever was made â— verie creature is a letter Everie Accident a line Everie motion a sentence Everie disposition a lesson the whole a most eloqvent Oration a most ample Treatise full of all Rhetoricall persuasions pregnant in teaching forcible in moving pleasant in delighting sounding out thy divine prayses speaking thy wonders inviting to thy service withdrawing from thy offence inflaming in thy love O that my vnderstanding were so instructed my will so inclined
day which will never end when wilt thou come My soule is weary of this wearisome life I will send forth my speech against myself I will speake in the bitternes of my mind I will say vnto God When shall I see the good things of my Lord in the land of the living My soule hath thirsted after thee my God when shall I come and appeare before thy face My teares are vnto me my dayly bread while it is sayed vnto me everie day where is thy God II. Alas everie day it is here sayed vnto me where is thy God And betwixt so many dayes and nights as I find dayly and hourely in myself now rising now falling while I loose thee and I leave thee through my manifold imperfections and doe scarce for one minute perfectly hold thee what a life doe I live VVhat death had I not rather die That once with thy thrice happy spouse having passed these transitorie dayes and these too too doâ—btfull nights I may say I have found whome my soule doth love I hold him and I will not let him go III. Here if one aske me where thou art my God I must confesse thou art a farre of because a farre of thou doest behold those which are not humble Thou turnest away thy face and I am filled with affliction sorrowes of death doe compasse me round about daungers of Hell doe presently assalt me and whether to turne myself to seeke thee and to find thee I cannot tell Shew me O my love where thou feedest where thou restests at noone day when the heate of temptation scorcheth my soule that flying vnder the shaddow of thy wings I may feed where thou feedest and reste where thou restest and not beging to wander after the droves of these vnperfect comforts in which there is no quiet rest no solid foode IV. Shew me rather my God that everlasting noone in thy heavenly cittie where neither sonne nor Moone doe shine but thou art the ever permanent comfortable light of all the inhabitants that there I may rest and feede with thee without danger of resting in any other but in thee or of feeding of any thing but of thy only self for in this world I see there is no rest but continuall tumbling and tossing from one thing to an other and who is he that amidst so many boisterous winds and wayes can continually hold thee Since thy blessed Apostle the beloved disciple giveth Sentence vpon vs all that we are subject not only to loose thee by many distractions but also to leave thee by synnes by too too many and dayly imperfections V. And who knoweth but thou o my loving God! whether in this very desire of myne to be ever with thee in blisse since I cannot be ever with thee in this fearefull banishment there lies not secretly hidden more love of myself then perfect love of thee O hard vncertantiâ— I am delighted with the love of God and drawne to desire to injoy it everlastingly there where it only ever permanently lasteth I desire it and begge it according to the inward man but I see another love which I feare creepeth in with it repâ—gnant to that perfect love and pure desire which I should have of thee Vnhappie man that I am who shall deliver me from this doubtfull and vncertayne state VI. I am in streights on everie fide if I remayne I am in doubt whether I shall ever remayne with thee rather I am certaine I shall often shrink from thee for iâ— many things we doe all offend Jf I desire to be dissolved and to be with thee thy Apostle sayth it is a thing much more better and yet he himself what he shall choose he knoweth not because to abide in flesh is necessarie for thy service But alas what necessitie can there be of me that am so vnprositable Thou wilt say that all must think and say of themselves that they are vnprofitable Servants even when they have doone thier very best in thy service Jt is so And therfore be I profirable or vnpâ—ofitable I know not what more to say or doe but yeald myself wholy into thy hands to doe with me as thou pleasest Take me or leave me as thou thinkest good Hastenme or differre me as thou seest reason I refuse not the labour if thoâ— thinkest me profitable I will beare patiently to be differred if thou judge me vnworthy yer still I am streightened of the two having desire to be dissolved and desire to be with thee which is by thy owne Confession in thy blessed Apostle a thing much more better Intertaynments of our Blessed Saviour when we receive him in the Blessed Sacrament First as God I. AT the birth of our blessed Saviour the swathing bands did not hinder vs from beleeving that infant to be God or stop the Angels from singing Glorie to God in the higest degree and from adoring him but doe incite vs the more to admire and love his goodnes the resemblances of bread and wine remayning after consecration in this blessed Mysterie must not in like manner be any hinderance to vs from beleeving the truth contayned vnder them delivered in our Saviours owne words This is my body this is my blood that is the living body and blood of our Saviour and consequently his blessed soule and divinitie God and man the eternall word made flesh for our sakes And as in them we adore his power we admire his wisdome we imbrace his infinite goodnes we doe not argue from his immensitie that he could not be contayned in the manger nor from his vnitie in essence with the Faiher and the holy Gost that he alone could not be man nor from his immortalitie that he could not suffer but doe submit as to the manner and doe beleeve the substance soe we must rayse our thoughts in this Mysterie to beleeve his reall presence though in a way incomprehensible to our short vnderstanding and adore the person of the Sonne of God our Saviour not arguing from his quantitie that he cannot confine himself to so little roome nor from his vnitie that he cannot at once be in so many places nor from his Majestie that he will not stoope to so meane an action as to be dayly handled and received by vs but so much the more admire his goodnes that as there once so here dayly he doth give himself vnto vs. O blessed Angels who in multitudes did adore him at his coming into the world though in a disguise farre different from your apprehensions with you I doe willingly submit my weake conceits and doe adore here present the living God the eternall word made flesh for vs. O blessed host with how much reverence art thou to be handled and received seeing the ground on which Moyses stood when God appeared to him was holy for here the holy of holyes is contayned after a more sublime manner put my Soule thy
such a poore snake Sonne whome the proude Scribes and Pharisees would scarce have looked vpon how ever zealous they seeme here to be of the honour due to God alone III. But Iesus seeing thier thoughts sayth why think 〈◊〉 thus within yourselves Which is easyer to say to the such man thy synns are forgiven Or to say Rise take vp thy couch and walk But that you may know that the Sonne of man hath power on earth to forgive synns I say vnto theâ— Rise take vp thy couch and go into thy house And he forthwith arose and tooke up his couch and went away in the sight of all and all marveled and glorified God who 〈◊〉 given such power to men By answering to thier thoughâ—â— he gave them to vnderstand that by the same power he could also forgive synnes and confirmed it by this miâ—â—cle that as his word was made good in the outward 〈◊〉 so it would by the same vertue be made good in the clearing of soules from synne And observe by the way that as this man coming for his corporall health received with it that which is better so we praying for things which occurre to vs as beneficiall may receive that which is better though perhaps we receive not directly that which we then aske And be not ashamed to confesse thy synnes seeing God knowes thy secretest thoughts Rise take vp thy couch Our couch is our body we take it vp when we cause it to obey the commandments of God it is heavy therfore he sayth walk Few are they who after much infirmitie can runne we walk into our house following the commandment of Christ when after death we are received into the celestiall habitation The calling of S. Matthew I. ANd when Iesus passed thence he saw a man sitting in the custome house named Matthew and he sayth to him follow me and he rose vp and leaving all things followed him Other Evangelists call him levi out of respect to S. Matthew dissembling his ordinarie name He calles himself Matthew and a Publican for as the wiseman sayth the Iust is first in accusing himself And with all sheweth vs that no man must despayre of saluation Iulian the Apostata imputeth it to folly that people vpon a slight call would follow our Saviour as if they had not reason he working so many prodigious wonders Besides that the Majestie of his divinitie which doubtlesse did shew itself in greate measure in his very countenance was able to draw people to him For if a lodestone and amber be able to draw after them materiall things how much more forcibly is the Creatour able to draw his Creatures Looke vpon this mirrour of perfection harken what kind of doctrine and in what manner he delivereth it observe him diligently and thou wilt see thou hast reason to follow him without delay II. And Levi made him a greate feast in his house and there were a greate multitude of Publicans and of others that were sitting at the table with him and with his disciples And the Pharisees seeing sayed to the disciples wherfore doth your Master eate with Publicans and synners These Publicans saw one of thier trade converted to better life therfore they did also hope to find place for repentance and saluation for they did not come to Iesus with intent to remayne in thier former vices as the Pharisees murmured but being repentant as the following words of our Saviour doe insinuate And who sayth S. Gregorie Nazianzen accuseth a Physitian that he visiteth the sick that he abideth the stench that he endeavoureth to set vp the infirme III. Iesus hearing it answered they that are in health and able need not a Physitian but they who are ill at ease Go and learne what it is I will mercy and not sacrifice For I am not come to call the just but synners No man by the law is iust he sheweth therfore that they did in vayne brag of justice And the wiseman asketh this question which concerneth every body Who can say my hart is pure I am frre from synne Let vs therfore have recourâ—e to this mercifull Physitian whose fees are but what is for our profit and not his owne he hath the labour and we the fruite he the thanks and we the reward and seeing mercy is that which he desires and esteemes it as sacrifice follow the advise of old Tobie to his sonne To thy abilitie be mercyfull if thou hast much bestow liberally if thou hast little give a little willingly And that which is allwayes in thy power forgive as thou desireth to be forgiven The third application to the most blessed Sacrament I. S Matthew vpon his conversion made a banket foâ— our Saviour Our Saviour vpon our turning to him makes vs a banket But ô infinite difference that banket was of temporall and perishable meates turning to corruption both of body and soule this banket cometh downe from heaven and giveth life to the world and is his owne flesh and precious blood which whoever eateth hath life â—verlasting Drinking of this cup sayth S. Ambrose our body doth not stagger but doth rise to better life our mind is not trobled but consecrated and made holy And the councell of Florence what ever good effect materiall meate and drink doth work in vs towards corporall life mayntayning increasing repayring and delighting this Sacrament worketh towards our spirituall life it withdrawes vs from that which is evill it strengtheneth vs in that which is good and encreaseth grace and vertue in vs. But if we consider further that it is our Saviour himself who feeds vs with himself the bread of Angels and the true bread from heaven not in figure only as the Manna of the Iewes but really himself as he is God and man what a treasure have we what a banket what love what mercy what desire of our love shewed vs O Sacrum convivium in quo Christus sumitur c. II. It is moreover a medicine for all spirituall diseases and what a legion of syns and imperfections and passions doth possesse vs So exceeding fierce sometimes that no man can passe by but we must have a saying to him or whome by word or example we do not anoy neither remayning in house that is in the Church at our devotions nor in the citty among men of civill conversation but in the sepulchres and in the mountaines among those who live a wild and barren kind of life voyde of good works having little respect to the chaynes of the commandments in which we are bound but breaking them at pleasure and not being willingly subiect to any body A pittifull staâ—e ô Saviour of the world command this evill disposition out of me that it cast me not into the depth among the hogs suffer me to be with thee I beseech thee and I will publish the greate things which thou hast done for me having mercy on me
who art thou I am he who have spread the Canope of the heavens over thy head O power of the omnipotent Wolves round about and the wolves they were changed into sheep The wisdome of the serpent is to looke to the principall as the serpent doth to save his head whatever becomes of the rest of his body this wisdome must be accompanied with synceritie for worldly craft doth not beseeme the servant of him who is the eternall Truth III. Thirdly he commends courage and constancy feare yee not them that kill the body and cannot kill the soule but feare him that can destroy both soule and body into hell Feare of temporall inconveniences is to be overcome with a more just feare of eternall punishment if we shrink from our dutie but much more with love of our dutie and of him for whome we labour and by whom we live And to incourage vs he addeth Are not two sparrowes â—old for a farthing And not one of them shall fall to the ground without your Father But your very hayres of your head are all numbred feare not therfore better are you then many sparrowes and more deere to him whom you justly call Father and who hath a fatherly care over you that you come not to harme but when it is most for his glorie wherin you are also most to glorie For every one that confesseth him before men he will confesse him before his heavenly Father IV. Finally he will have them shake-of all carnall affection whatsoever He that loveth Father or Mother more then me is not worthy of me and he that loveth sonne or daughter above me is not worthy of me and who taketh not up his Crosse and followeth me is not worthy of me The Crosse was the instrument of his death he signifyeth by it that we must be dead to the world and to all worldly contentment Another Gospell sayeth he that taketh not up his Crosse dayly least we should think that one â—ervent act were sufficient our Crosse is allwayes to be caryed that we may testifie that we allwayes love our Saviour These things are hidden from the worldly wise but in fine we shall find them not only necessarie but comfortable according as he sayth in the sequell Come to me all yee that labour and are burdened and I will refresh you take vp my yoake vpon you and learnâ— of me because I am meeke and humble of hart and you shall find rest in your soules for my yoake is sweâ—te and my burden light That which is hard in respect of the labour is easy to the self same parties in gard of thier love for love makes hard things easy and in a manner nothing The death of S. Ihon Baptist. I. HErode apprehended Ihon and bound him and put him in prison because of Herodias his brothers wife for Ihon sayed to him it is not lawfull for thee to have her and willing to put him to death he feared the people because they esteemed him as a Propher No man is so innocent but is subject to suffer either by power offended with out cause or by ennie of others in whose light he is conceived to stand or by mistake aud misconstruing of some word or action or some other accident of a thousand in this world so that it behoveth every body 〈◊〉 be prepared for a blow which when least expected falleth least taken at vnaware he be transported to that which may be vnbeseeming his person or his qualitie in which occasions though innocencie may be modestly pleaded yet the best satisfaction is to content ourselves with a good conscience and not to be too eager in defending but commit himself and his cause to God who in his good time will reâ—eale the truth II. And on Herodes birth day the daughter of Hâ—rodias â—aunced before them and pleased Herode where vpon he promised with an oath to give her whatever she would aske him And she being instructed before by her Mother sayd give me â—ere in a dâ—â—h the head of â—hon Baptist and the King was strooken sâ—d yet because of his oath and for them that sat with him at table he commanded it to be given See how one synne breeds another and to what rashnes passionate affection to any thing brings vs How humane respects overcome reason How the rulers of the world have oftimes least coÌ„mand over themselves And practise betimes moderation that when the occasion happeneth thou mayest not be to seeke O slave of a woman Thou fearedst to have witnesses of thy periurie those who sat at table and fearedst not a world of spectatours of thy vniust murder III. And he sent and beheâ—ded Ihon in the prison And his 〈◊〉 camâ— and tooke the body and buryedâ— and came and told â—esus Consider how S. Ihon tooke the newes first and then the stroke being ever ready for it how happy he was to be at once delivered out of two prisons how much his happy soule was welcomed among the Patriarchs aÌ„d Prophets those of old time and those who were later deceased as old Simeon and his Father Zacharie and â— Ioseph and such others meeting him with ioyfull acclamations and saluting him in the qualitie of forerunner to the Messias so long desired And as his disciples did thier dutie towards his body doe thou to his soule the respect no lesse due to it and imitate his constancie Ihon condemning openly Herodes impietie lost his life but gayned immortall glorie how oft doe we rather fall to flatter for feare of offending or to curry favour The sixt aplication to the B. Sacrament I. VVHat a hidden treasure have we in the most B. Sacrament And what a pearle Christ Iesus in whom are all the treasures of the divinitie and of his sacred humanitie hidden vnder the shapes of bread and wine in most admirable manner and layed vp in the field of holy Church for our refection when ever we shall think good to make vse of it Hidden from our corporall eyes but open to the eyes of fayth buylt vpon his never sayling word This is my Body this is my Blood The living Body and Blood of my Saviour torne and shed for me vpon the Câ—osse but presented intire as it is now in heaven at the right hand of his Father A Treasure signifieth that which is able to supply all our necessities and moreover to inrich vs and rayse vs to a higher stare then that in which we were before Such is our Saviour here offered and moreover a Peaâ—le to adorne vs. How short are all other ornaments to this As a Treasure we hide it and lay it vp in our breasts not thinking of any things els but of it and how we may make best vse of it As a Pearle we glotie to have such an ornament about vs by which we may seeme to all the heavenly Court more beutifull aÌ„d be more welcome And as Pearle is a Cotdiall taken inward so
and submission will also find him a loving Father easy to forgive the offenses of his children And with all we must remember that he is our Father which is in heaven Creatour of heaven and earth every where present but chiefly shewing his glorie in heaven above and consequeÌ„tly adoring his Omnipotent power togeather with his love behave ourselves not carelesly and disrespectfully but with greate submission and attention when we pretend to appeare before him in our prayers representing to ourselves by faith the maiestie of the heavenly court and the royall attendance vpon him II. Holowed be thy name That is be thou and thy holy name worshipped and reverenced with all holynes and puritie of action and intention Be thou for ever glorified and magnified for all eternitie This he put first in our petition to give vs to vnderstand that it is the chiefest thing which we ought to ayme at in all our actions and our whole life It is that for which heaven and earth and all that is in them were created The heaven set forth the glorie of God and the firmament declare his works how wonderfull they are This is the occupation of the Angels and saints and of all creatures and nothing more to be lamented then that they who have most reason every minute to prayse and magnifie him because they are made reasonable creatures and capable of his knowledge and love that they I say should be the most backward and most vndutifull above all others and insteed of honouring him and glorifiyng him doe the quite contrarie as much as in them lyeth though he out of his omnipotent power turneth all to his glorie whether they will or no which at last they will find to their cost in thâ— punishments which he will most iustly lay vpon them III. Thy Kingdome come By the parable which our Saviour delivered to the people we find that his kingdome is two fold first that which he came to establish here oâ— earth which is his holy Church and this we begge may be propagated and inlarged through the whole world Secondly that kingdome which he hath prepared in heaven for vs from the foundation of the world we desire may come and we be translated into it as a thing better then all the happines which we can inioy in this world which because those who are wedded to the world finding the sweetnes which sense taketh in the inioying of temporall commodities can hardly conceive therfore he would have vs dayly repeate this prayer to rayse our thoughts to that which being not only eternall but superabounding with all contents imaginable is much more to be desired then to live here vnder the Princes and Potentates and greate men of the earth or to be a Prince or Potentate ourselves for all this below is vncertaine perishable full of troble full of danger to body and soule which being immortall it is fitting and necessarie it should dayly and hourely think more of that who it may be happy forever then by neglecting it become eternally miserable for if we be not in his Kingdome by glorie we shall be eternally subiect to his enimies over whom notwithstanding he reigneth to punish them O most blessed mansion of the heavenly citty O most cleare day of eternitie IV Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven This is tâ—e way to that heavenly kingdome to doe his will delivered vnto vs in his commandments and counsels and though the infirmitie of our nature will not permit vs so perfectly to execute his will as the blessed doe in heaven yet the greatnes and the goodnes of God doth deserve that we should ayme at the best way of doing it and imitate the heaveÌ„s as neere as we can esteeming it not only the most necessarie busines which we have in this world as oâ— which depends our eternall happynes or miserie but the thing in which we must place most content in regard of what God is and by which we shall receive most content within ourselves for nothing is so solidly satisfactoâ—e to mans mind as to consider that the will of God is performed and to take contentment in it because it is the will of God for which end his kingdome also is chiefly to be desired because it is his kingdome and his â—â—me to be â—anctifyed because it is his name wherby we â—hall rayse our thoughts and affections from seeking ourselves even in these things which so maynly concerne vs but in all seeke the glorie of God consisting in that his name be hallowed his kingdome come and his will be done He teacheth his disciples to pray II. PART I. GIve vs this day our dayly bread After that which concernes vs most as belonging to life eternall he teacheth vs to aske our temporall sustenance in order to maintayne ourselves in this life so long as it shall be his will and pleasure that we should remaine here and will have vs aske it dayly to acknowledge the continuall dependence which we have of his omnipotent power and goodnes for if he blesseth vs not nothing can prosper he can when he pleaseth send seven yeares of famine as to the Egyptians and recompense them when he pleaseth with seven yeares abundance and in an instant send that which shall destroy all our provisions therfore we must pray to him this day And yet not be too solicitous about it but content ourselves with moderate care and rely vpon his providence who as this day he hath mayntained vs and blessed vs with that which is necessarie for vs so he will the next and the next over much solicitude nothing conducing to the time to come which to vs is vncertaine and cannot be by vs mended or pared II. And forgive vs our trespasses as we forgive them that trespasse against vs. After the care of ourselves he pleaceth Charitie towards our neighbour whome we are commanded to love as ourselves and therfore no wonder that he measures his resolution of forgiving vs by the proportion which we vse in forgiving our neighbour For he that will not forgive another who is his equall at least in nature a man like himself subiect to infinite imperfections and mistakes how can he think that God deales hardly with him in not forgiving him seeing betwixt God and man there is no comparison at all The words of the Text are forgiue vs our debts as we forgive our debters for even in temporall debts owing vs we must not be hard dealers but consider how ourselves may desire to be forborne in occasions which may happen to vs. VVe should rather imitate God who notwithstanding the distance betwixt him and us by which our offences are infinitely aggravated yet is the first that openeth the way to forgivenes giving vs motions and helps to repent vs that vve may be forgiven by him III. And lead vs not into temptation but deliver vs from evill Amen VVe have spirituall and temporall evills
seeth him that sent me I am the light come into this world that every one that beleeveth in me may not remayne in darknes And if any man heare my words and keepe them not I doe not iudge him for I came not to iudge the world but to save the world The world That I have spoken that shall iudge him in the last day This high point of doctrine was to be proclaymed with a lowde voyce VVhat is that which he sayth He beleeveth not in me But that he beleeveth not in that which with his corporall eyes he seeth he beleeveth not that I am only man And to the same effect he sayth that which followeth He that seet me seeth him that sent me to wit with the eyes of faith he seeth more then with his corporall eyes he can discover he seeth God in me which happines we have dayly in the most B. Sacrament for vnder the formes of bread and wine we see our Saviour his body soule and divinitie we see God And here in we may rightly observe the excellencie of faith by which we see God so much as the condition of this life will give leave and that the only way not to remaine in darkenes is to beleeve for though in the acts of faith there be ever some obscuritie there is more light as we may see by comparing the beleefe of Christians with the most knowing knowledge of those who are not Christians or are fallen from the vniversall beleefe of Christians for in many things these will be found to swarve even from common sense In which notwithstanding they will not be excusable because the word which they have heard and which they cannot but know to be true if they lay aside their perversnes and obstinacie will iudge them and convince them VVhere will this iudge sit with in vs. In every ones conscience he will terribly thunder out a iust sentencâ— The parable of the Vineyard hired ouâ— and of the two sonnes I. THere was a man a house-holder that planted a vineyard aÌ„d made a hedge round about it and digged in it a presse and buylt a towre and let it out to husbandmen and went forth into a strange country and when the time of fruite drew neere he sent his servants to receive the fruits And the husband-men apprehended his servants one they beate another they killed another they stoned Againe he sent other servants more then the former and they did to them likewise As last he sent his sonne saying they will reverence my sonne But they seeing the sonne sayed This is the heyre come let vs kill him and we shall have the inheritance and apprehending him they cast him forth of the vineyard and killed him When therfore the Lord of the vineyard shall come What will he doe to those husband meÌ„ they say the naughty men he will bring to naught and his vineyard he will let out to other husband men that shall render him fruits in their seasons It is evident that God is this greate House-holder Who hath planted our soules here on earth to the end to yeald him the choyest fruit he hath hedged vs round with his divine protection that we be not tempted above our strength he hath digged a presse that is hath furnished vs with helps sufficieÌ„t for bringing ouâ— fruite to perfection and buylt a towre for watch and ward if we will make vse of it This vineyard is let out to vs for an vncertaine tearme of yeares God is every where and allwayes preseÌ„t but to those who doe not consider right he seemes to be in a strange countrey farre of He sends his servants at seasons to admonish vs of our dutie How doe we intertaine theÌ„ aÌ„d their admonitioÌ„s He seÌ„ds more and more aÌ„d never ceaseth to put vs in mind He sent his only sonne our Saviour how doe we revereÌ„ce him VVe think by cvill means to inioy this world to establish an inheritance to make to ourselves a kind of heaven on earth and it will not be such will be brought to naught before they think of it Think betime of rendring fruit in due season least thou be taken tardie II. Have you never read in the scripture The stone which the buyldâ—rs reiected the same is made the head of the corner By our Lord was this done and it is miraculous in our eyes Therfore I say to you that the Kingdome of God shall be taken from you and shall be given to a nation yealding fruits therof and he that falleth vpon this stone shall be broken and on whome it falleth it shall all to bruise him In the end of the last periode he asked the standers-by what they thought should be done to the wicked husbandmen to shew that we need no other Iudge then our owne conscience they answered as wicked men vse to doe condemning themselves in another when they reflect vpon his cvill deserts for however vice doth blind them in their owne case yet in another they condemne that which themselves are doing Here he tells them directly that this parable concerned them and that the true faith and means to salvation would be taken from them and from their observances and preached to all nations That he was the corner stone which was miraculously reserved for the perfection of the buylding They who fall vpon him by contempt as they did will but ruine themselves and at the later day he will fall heavy vpon them and crush them to peeces â— herfore wilt thou put of this purpose till to morrow Rise and instantly beginne III. What is your opinion A man had two sonnes and coming to the first he sayed sonne go worke to day in my vineyard and he answering sayed I will not But afterwards moved vvith repentance he vvent and coming to the other he sayed likevvise and he ansvvering sayed I go Lord and vvent not vvhich of the tvvo did the Fathers vvill They say the first Iesus saith to them Amen I say to you that Publicans and vvhores go before you in the Kingdome of God for Ihon came to you in the vvay of justice and you did not beleeve him but they did beleeve him And you seeing it have not had repentance aftervvard to beleeve him Againe he referres vs to our owne consicence and judgment and teacheth vs not to despayre though we have been refractarie for he doth mercyfully attend our râ—pentauce and receiveth vs when we begin to think ourselves How oft doe we say I go and go not O how greate is the frayltie of man allwayes prone to viceâ— To day thou confessests thy synns and to morrow thou doest againe commit them Our Saviour gives vs here a good Item to beware that we be not out stripped by the greatest synners and even by their example to rouse vp ourselves we cannot but approve of the way which is layed before vs by Gods servants as they did of S. Ihon Baptist neither his doctrine nor their example did
the knowledge and vnderstanding though not without feruent acts of the will and resolution Contemplation hath more of the acts of the will imploying itself vpon things already known II. From the morning till Mid-day the sunne is in continuall motion yet still sending forth its beames with heate proportioned to the height in which it is At noone it resteth in a manner and hath doble the heate which at other times it had So must our soules endeavour to mouÌ„t vp by degrees to contemplation and be still increasing till we arrive to that posture of altitude to which God shall be pleased to rayse vs in this life then we must not think that we are licensed to decline againe but be rising still as to another world better and in which are things stranger and more admirable then in this It being therfore our ayme in this life to coÌ„e as neere the happines of the other as we can and that happines consisting in the perfect knowledge and love and fruition of God we must be continually vsing means to come neerer and neerer to that fruition beginning it here soe farre as is possible III. The practise of Meditation is the high way to it yet as travellers cannot so continually walke but that they must have their resting places to refreth themselves and gather new strength and those resting places are so farâ—e from hindering their journey that they doe much advance it so in this our spirituall journey besides Meditaeion by which we increase in knowledge and besides those heates which that knowledge breedeth still carrying vs along with good purposes and actions sureable if we take vp our rest now and then at some principall station we shall find so much refreshment that we shall not so much feele the wearynes which oftimes may come vpon vs in our journey as be lightened as after an houres or a nights rest and be fresher then when we first set forth IV. According therfore to the seven dayes of the weeke I have disgested seven resting places or Seates wherin siting downe without much discourse we may looke vpon our beloved in them and take that content and profit which may be for our advaucemeÌ„ut for as a green field sowed all through with severall Kinds of flowers doth recreate the eye and refresh the brayne without labour and if there be varietie of hills and plaiâ—es about it it is the more pleasing so will the sight of our beloved delight our soules and refresh our wearyed vnderstanding and the severall positions in which we find him may make the sight of him the more delightfull not that he is not allwayes exceeding delightfull but because severall people are of severall humours and the same partie is not allwayes of the same and varietie doth naturally both please and ease vs for which cause also that which is here set downe at every station or seate may serve as a short declaration of the intent of this discourse but is no wayes meant as a paterne for any body to follow much lesse to consine himself vnto for as vpon a ground in musick severall artists doe make severall Kinds of division and the same man doth varie as his phancie leads him much more doth the holy Ghost in every body suggest diversitie of loving expressions towards the beloved of our soules of whome he is the infinite love O Blessed spirit allwayes one and allwayes manifold being one I beseech thee by thy many graces to that one love of my Saviour which I ought only to have that being one vvith him in this life I may inioy him in the life to come with the many whose multitude being but one hart and one soule cannot divide me from him but increase my love towards him by their never divided affection to him Amen The first Seate the Seate of Puritie I HIs seate of Puritie is in the armes of the blessed Virgin his mother for she was immaculate from the first instant of her Conception and did not only preserve but increase that Puritie to her dying day that of the Canticles being verifyed in her Thou art all beautifull my love and there is no spot in thee And againe How beautifull art thou and how comely my deerest in delights Or spirituall delicacies bestowed vpon thee Salomon is reported to have made for himself a greate throne of Ivoris and to have adorned it with the finest gold there was not such a thrâ—ne in all the kingdomes of the world Our Saviour did no lesse for our Blessed Lady adorning her puritie with all kind of vertues and chiefly with as much charitie and love towards her blessed sonne as could be found among Creatures and there was not such a creature not only in the world below but not in the kingdome of heaven itself Admire this Puritie with the Angels and say Who is this that cometh forth and advanceth as the aawning of the day when it first riseth fayre as the moone choosen and cleare as the sunne This is the bed and seate of the true Salomon which threescore valiant men doe compasse of the most valiant of Israel to defend it from the beginning to the end from all incursions of whatever enemie she is beautifull and sweete and comely as the heavenly Hierusalem and there is not a cittizen of it among vs that is to be compared to her How truly might she say of herself my soule doth magnifie our Lord and my spirit exult in God my Saviour because he hath done greate things for me even he that is powerfull for if there be any greatenes in heaven or earth it is to be found in her in measure incomparable The moone is fayre but not fayrer then shee the lilly is white but not whiter then shee as a lilly among thornes so my love among the daughters All are but as thornes to her If thou knowest it not by reason of thy humilitie o fayrest of women go forth after the foote steps of all the companies of heaven and earth and thou wilt find that neither Cherubins nor Seraphins not Principalities nor dominations nor any of the quires of Angels or Saints will contend with thee but reverence thee and admire thee and love thee as a well ordered armie of all excellencies within thyself How beautifull are thy marches o daughter of a Prince And mother of the Prince of Princes II. But as a tree is much more beautifull when it hath the proper fruite hanging on it and a vine when it is full of ripe bunches of grapes so is the blessed Virgin with her blessed sonne in her armes A sonne who alone is to her as a thousand sonnes having all the perfections in him of which the world is capable A sonne who did nothing prejudice her puritie but raysed it to a value inestimable the remayning a perpetuall Virgin both before and after he was borne and in conceiving him A sonne who beautified her soule as the sunne doth
thousands and thousands that would negligently vnreverently vnvvorthily misuse his blessed presence labour thou to be none of these IV. Consider fourthly How our Saviour giving outvvardly this blessed bread of life did invvardly inlighten the harts of his Apostles and tâ—ach them that this was the bread which he had promised before bread in outvvard shape but really his bodie and blood And hovv they according to thier weake capacitie as then appâ—chending and beleeving it were filled with admiration and love and thanksgiving which are the acts which we must exercise begging that he will strengthen our faith establish our hope and take possession of our soule and bodie and make vs wholy his transforming vs into himself by love and perfect vnion with him A meditation of our Saviours Prayer in the Garden Matth. 26. Preamble Beholding our Saviour sadd and heavy and full of feare and agonie and the blood trickling dovvne his forehead while he was earnest at his prayers begg of him that thou mayest profit by this dolfull sight I. COnsider first if thou didst truly love thy Saviour how thou wouldst compassionate him seing him so sadd so pale so pensive with teares in his eyes beginning to trickle dovvne his cheeks novv hanging dovvne his head novv looking vp to heaveÌ„ sighing and scarce able to bring forth three words togeather yet at last breaking forth into this mournefull note my soule is sorrowfull vnto death And with this he suddenly leaves his disciples and having gone but a stones cast he falls dovvne vpon his knees and vpon his face and prayes a long houre Father if it be possible let this Chalice Passe from me but not my will but thynâ— bâ— done II. Consider secondly That it is God who suffers this Agony to come vpon him for thy sake to teach thee hovv thou oughtest to take the Crosses which thou foreâ—eest or feelest For condescending to our infirmitie he shevveth that we may earnestly begge of God to be delivered from them In which respect thou oughtest greately to love him and thank him for his compassion over thee And on the other side hovv we must begge with Resignation to his holy will in regard that these Crosses may be many wayes beneficiall to ourselves and much for the glorie of God And it is reason we should leave ourselves in his hands it being a fearefull thing to be out of them at our ovvne choyse and say often from our hart that which we say dayly in our Pater noster thy will be done III. Consider thirdly That at the end of his first prayer he comes againe to his disciples as it were â—o refresh himself and also to instructe them and â—ebuks S. Peeter for sleeping when he should have prayed so couldst thou not watch one houre with me And returnes againe to his wonted prayer and so againe the second time To shevv vs that he is willing we should take comfort by the help of creatures though our chiefest comfort must still be in God For creatures of themselves have it not in them though we imagin they have it and oftimes they breed more affliction insteed of comfort as it could not be but some affliction to our Saviour to see his beloved Apostles in steed of helping him and arming themselves by prayer to sleepe and as it were forget both him and themselves IV. Consider fourthly Hovv at his last returne he fell more earnestly to his prayers and out of meere anguish and agonie svveating blood that it fell in greate dropes vpon the ground an Angell came and comforted him with which he went couragiously on to death Shevving vs that in our afflictions we must never leese our courage and our hope For when crosses are in thier height and we in our greatest agonie then comes the Angell of comfort and the spirit of God and either blovves all over if it be expedient for his Glorie and our good or puts nevv courage into our harts and makes vs bold to looke death and disgrace and losse of frends and fortunes in the face and rise and goe forvvards to meete them Prayer To our blessed Saviour that he will vouchsafe by the merit of this blessed action of his to give me courage both in my prayer to persever with constancie till the end and in all other occasions of difficultie and distast to conforme my self to his blessed will A meditation How our Saviour was betrayed and apprehended Preamble Reflecting hovv busy Iudas and the Jâ—vves were about thier mischievous intentions while our Saviour savv all at his prayer begge of our Saviour grace to profit by his behaviour in this action I. COnsider first with what peace and quiet of mind our Saviour after his last prayer came to his disciples and sayd vnto them sleepe now and rest with what courage he attended the blow and when he savv the officeâ—s dravv nigh sayd againe to his Apostles Rise let vs go He doth not say let vs fly but go and meete and confront our adversaries Behold hovv vndauntedly he went and met them and asked them whom seeke yee and told them I am he Admire all and in all the povver of the grace of God and of a good resolution settled vpon that sole povverfull grace for of ourselves we are weake but let vs to our povver ply God as our Saviour did and we shall have his grace II. Consider secondly Hovv little malice can prevayle against good but when God sees time and permits it I sat by you dayly sayth our Saviour teaching in the Temple and you held me not but this is your houre and the power of darkenes We must therfore neither be wrath nor over fearefull but discreetely confident in the povver and providence of God for his glorie and we shall see his wonders and multitudes of Good spirits to defend vs. III. Consider thirdly Hovv vsuall a thing it is for vs to be accounted-and spoken of and handled as male-factours But this is our glorie that doing well people should detract of vs as S. Peeter sayth as of malefaâ—tours You have come sayth our Saviour as to a theeâ—e with swords and cluâ—s to apprehend me Let vs not leeâ—e our patience but remember for whom and like to whom we suffer vndiscreete defending of ourselves by words or actions makes the matter worse as S. Peters striking IV. Consider fourthly Hovv the Traytour kisseth the officers apprehend and binde and hale thy lord avvay with shoutes aâ—d cryes and taunts and a thousand iniuries And all this for thy synns O what have my synns deserved He on the other side like a lambâ— suffers himself to be bound and led as they please he speaketh mildly to Judas Frend wherfore comest thou He healeth the eare of Malchus appeaseth Peâ—câ—rs vntimely wrath offers himself to drinke the chalice of his passion though he could have had thovvsands of Angellâ— to defend him Indeavour to benefitt thyself by all The Prayer O my love Draw me after thee and we will
behold the vayle of the temple was â—ent into two parts from the top to the bottome and the earth did quake and the rocks were split and the sainâ—ts that had stept vose Behold these Alterations not without contentment that novv the hidden mysteries of the old testament should be revealed and the holy of holyes be knovvne publiâ—ely to all The very rockes and dull earth testifying the feeling which we ought to have of the indignities offered to our Saviour and that the hardest harts and people dead and buryed in synne and oblivion should reape benefit if they would by out Saviours death and passion Open thyself to thy Saviour divide thy hart into love and grief think of thy life past from the top to the bottome breake through the rockes of difficulties cleanse the sepulchre of thy hart from all corruption II. Imitate the Centurion who seeing what passed cryed out truly this man was just certaynly this man was the Sonne of God And multitudes of them that â—ere present returned knocking thier breast These are the affections which thou must endeavour to rayse in thy soule and many more which thou mayst learne of our blessed Lady and S. Jhon and S. Marie Magdalen reflect vpon the behaviour of every one of them and dive into thier invvard thoughts while they were expecting what would be further done to the dead body of our Saviour III. The Iewes besought Pilate that thier bodyes might not remayne so vpon thier Saboth but that thier thighes might be broken and so taken downe and the soldiers broke the thighes of the oâ—e and the other thoefe In what anguish may we imagin were the devout soules fearing that that cruelric might be done vpon our Savoiur also not knovving perhaps certaynly that he was dead or though they knevv it But the providence of God prevented their malice for coming to our Saviour and finding him dead they did not breake his thighes but one of the soldiers with a lance opened his side and instantly water and blood issued This speare went also to the hart of the Blessed Virgon and of the rest yet finding that he was dead before they applyed themselves more to the gathering vp of that Sacred blood and admired the my sterie of the â—vvo different liquors which S. Augustine explicareth in these tearmes The Evâ—â—gelist made vse of a very significant word when he sayed He opened to shevv that there in a manner the gate of life was set open from whence the Sacraments of the Church have flovved with out which no man enters into that life which is truly life IV. Open thy hart to our blessed Saviour and if iâ— payne thee here thou hast a lenitive Thou hast wounded my hart in one of thy eyes Sayth the spouse Hovv many darts are here by which thou mayest receive the like loving wounds Cast vp thy eyes frequently meditate continually of these mysteries enter into his sacred side c. say with the Prophct This is my resting place for ever here I will dwell because I have chosen it Of the taking downe from the Crosse and buryall I. IN the evening Ioseph a rich man of Arimathea and noble decurion iust and expecting the kingdome of God disciple of our Saviour in private came and boldly went to Pilate and demanded the body of Iesus and Pilate gave it him He is deservedly reported to be rich sayth S. Ambrose having received the body of Christ. But see the preparations to receive it he was just valuing the kingdome of God more then his wealth and hovvever private before novv he boldly professeth it devotion overcame feare and humane respects Asteeme of this gift above all gifts and think hovv and where thou wilt reserve it II. Ioseph having bought a syndon or rich winding sheete and taking him downe wrapped him in it Nicodemus came also who first came by night to our Saviour and brought a composition of myrrhe and aloes about one handred pounds and they bound up the body with them If the Apostles had buried him the Ievves would have sayed the had not been buryed as they sayed he was stolen But the iust man is he that wrappeth our Saviours body in white linnen the Innocent man inbalmes him doe thou the like offices bring one hundred pounds a compleate quantitie of faith and good works III. And there was in the place where he was cruâ—ified 〈◊〉 garden and in the garden a new Monument in which not any had as yet been layed cut out in a rock There therfore because it was night they layed Iesus and rolled a greate stone to the entrance or dore of the monument To the body of our Saviour Sanctitie and Virginitie is ever due a wombe vntouched conceived him a nevv sepulchre received him And deservedly is it cut out in a firme faith and a stone rolled to it because whoever shall have buried our Saviour in his breast must be carefull that he leese him not See also that thy hart be a garden well kept not a wildernes or full of weeds and neere to the Crosse that thou mayst be the surer to have him lodged in it IV. Forget not in the meane time the duties which our Blessed Lady and S. Ihon and the Magdalen did vnto him when he was taken dovvne hovv every one strived to imbrace him and reverently to kisse his feete and hands and side and could hardly be brought to relinquish him but that the time of day and precept of keeping the sabboth called vpon them which they dutifully obeyed retayning him still in thier thoughts and in thier pâ—ous discourses An Excercise in honour of the precious wounds of our blessed Saviour I. IT is likely that those devout persons who were actours in taking our Saviours body dovvne from the Crosse did severally thier respects to his sacred wounds all proceeding from love and mingled with it yet diversly according to the severall dispositions of thier minds and the occasions which they had to attend our Saviour in his life time S. Ihon betooke himself to the right foote and as more beloved then the rest expressed his gratitude in affections of love and thanksgiving for the particular favours receaved leaning his head vpon that foote as before vpon our Saviours breast and pouring forth abundance of teares for the absence of so loving a master He remembred the request of his Mother that he might sit at the right hand or at the left of our Saviour in his kingdome but novv he resolved to drink perpetually this chalice This should be his cup and his comfort till that other kingdome came to be revealed after this life miserable with out this releefe O svveete cup. c. Dominus regit me nihil mihi deerit II. The Magdalen was at the left foote where thou must begge of her to give thee a little roome to wash that foote with teares of sorrovv for thy severall offenses she is loth to yeald
defects and perceiving from a farre of the stone to be removed we may easily imagin hovv they mended thier pace and not easy to say whether the peniteÌ„t or the attender to mortification or the contemplative ranne fastest In fine every one is to runne so as he may comprehend as the Apostle tells vs but hovv soone or in what measure we shall comprehend that is to be left to our Saviour and as these holy women the neerer they came and the more hope they had by the removing of the stone the more they were inflamed in thier desire and indeavour to wayte vpon him and to serve him so must we dayly increase till we come to the perfection which he hath designed Amen The Resurrection of our Saviour III. PART I. ANd looking they saw the stone rolled back and it was a very greate one for there had been a greate earthquake because the Angel of our Lord descended from heaven and coming rolled back the stone and sat vpon it By perseverance we deserve increase of the grace of God by which difficulties othervvise seeming vnsuperable are not only easily overcome but turne to our greater comfort and case and satisfaction The earth quake was also greate yet the holy women did not perceive it nor were terrified for it is no wonder to pious soules if sence be troubled at that which reason and God doth suggest and they passe on thier way nothvvithstanding would to God sayth S. Peter Chrysologus the Angel of God would even novv descend and plough vp the whole hardnes of my hart break open the seales which sense hath put vpon my eyes and eares and testifie by it that Christ hath risen in the midst of vs. II. His countenance was like lightening and hiâ— garment as snowe and for feare of him the watchmen were frighted and became as dead He in whom Christ hath risen is in his countenance more cheerfull in his aspect more gracefull in his speech and words more innocent in his gate more composed more prompte and lively in all spirituall duties Endeavour to be thus qualified by the merits and example of the resurrection and intercession of thy good Angel reverence him both glorious in heaven and carefull in assisting thee and neglect not his holy admonitions His presence is dreadfull to our invisible enimies comfortable to vs Bevvare of wayting vpon our Saviours holy body in the blessed Sacrament or othervvise attending vpon him for other respects then for his love and service all such actions are as if they were dead and may iustly feare the Angel of god and the substraction of his graces III. In the generall day of Judgement the like will happen for by our Saviours glorious presence the just will be exceedingly joyed and the wicked will be extreamly terrified and wish they were dead body and soule and be notvvithstanding a greate testimonie both of his mercyes and of his Justice but his very mercyes will then be a terrour and a corrasive to them because neglected when time was to make vse of them Let therfore nothing hire thereto doe evill no pleasure no profit no feare let thy countenance be free from dissembling for all will be there discovered thy actions pure thy conversation as from heaven so shalt thou enjoy the blessed companie of the Angles and of thy beloved Redeemer Amen The Angel declares to the women that our Saviour is risen I. THe Angel sayed to the women feare not you for I know that you seeke Iesus of Nazareth crucified he is not here for he is risen as he sayed come and see the place where our Lord was layed A comfortable salutation to them that truly-seeke Jesus and him crucified All desire to rejoyce with him fevv will suffer any thing for him frame thy affections so that God and his Angels may say I know that you seeke Iesus See that thy conscience be not able to contradict thy outward comportment and tell thee he is not here He is wherever he pleaseth and wherever thou art that seekest him thou art in him whom thou seekest II. Come and see the place where our Lord was Layed If with this we transferre our eyes to behold the soules which by synfull thought or action have lost the grace which once they had received what a lamentable spectacle is it If to a soule which hath worthily received our blessed Saviour in the Sacrament hovv comfortable a sight Joy in rhis behalfe with the blessed Virgin and say with holy Church Beata Viscera Mariae Virginis quâ— portaverunt aeterni Patris Filium Reverence the very Sepulchre and the resemblance of it the holy Altar and all that belongs to the Altar See with what reverence the Angel pronounceth our Lord esteeme one receiving of him aboue all creatures imaginable looke often into the place into which he is to be received that nothing be out of order in it I am a lover of puritie c. III. And going quickly tell the disciples and Peeter that he is risen and they went forth quickly out of the monument with feare and greate joy running to tell the disciples Observe with hovv many severall affections they entred and visited the monument Hovv loth they were to go avvay quickly and yet hovv fearefull to stay hovv willing to impart the good nevves to others hovv vnwilling to be mistaken love made them greatly to rejoyce feare cooled thier joy the Angel pressing them to be gone They runne to tell the disciples more joyfull that they did not find him then if they had found and inbalmed his body only that would have continued their griefe this did wipe away all that which was past leaving only a desire novv to see him glorions whom they lately savv in torment and hoping our Saviour might have prevented them and â—â—evved himself to his disciples first that with them they might be happy in the sight of him They runne not to fayle of meeting him Happy desires which will not fayle to be fullfilled Amen Peter and Ihon runne to the Sepulchre I. MArie Magdalen ranne and came to Simon Peeter and to the other disciple whom Iesus loved and sayed to them they have taken our Loed out of the monument and we know not where thy have put him She ranne before the rest who loved more then the rest and she came to those tovvards whom her Lord had ever shevved particular respect neither did she decline him that had thrice denyed she knevv he was penitent and the Angel had avovved so much see with hovv greate reason the penitent synner and the persevering just man are coupled togeather But hovv stands so much incredulitie and so much love togeather She hath not given credit even to the Angel that he was risen They have taken away our Lord who The Angels And we know not where they have layed him Looke into thy hatt where doth he venture to lay himself It was the greatnes of her love which
an end not because they are weary of troble with themselves or others but because love is increased and established by the presence of the parties who doe love and especially by such an all seeing and all inioying presence by which we discover infinitely more the infinite perfections of God with out the least alay of imperfection infinitely more then we can possibly arrive to vnderstand in this life by all the naturall and supernaturall knovvledge which we have and by this blessed preseÌ„ce we are ourselves perpetually coÌ„firmed in love without any danger of fayling in the least duty of correspondence and finally we are made more capable and never weary of loving him because we still discover more and more that he infinitely and incomprehensibly deserveth the eternall continuance and perseverance of our love towards him Say therfore with the Apostle I desire to be dissolved from these mortall bonds which aggravate and depresse my soule from that perfection of love which a sincere hart desireth and thou my God deservest I defire to be dissolved if not out of perfect love which excludeth feare yet out of such love as breadeth a filiall feare of offending and lothnes to continue in the least danger of leesing or lessening thy love II. O dreadfull danger a danger worse then death itself With what exquisite manner of all corporall death would I not willingly redeeme this hazard What hazard would I not most joyfully runn to purchase an eternitie of never offending my God O pretious Eternitie One thing I have asked of my lord God this I will againe and againe require that the very houre and moment that he seeth me inclining to offend he will rather call me out of this life then permit me to fayle in his love Happy man If I be thus prevented who will give me wings as of a dove and I will fly from this death of synne which doth hang over my head ô love of my deare God! How long shall I abide this hazard of leesing thee who art my only true life III. I doe not envy any thing more in the blessed sainâ—ts and Angels of heaven then that thier love to God is continuall with out intermission constant without waâ—ering certayne without feare of leesing it or of relenting Eternall with out end of loving neither can death be truly welcome for any other end more then that it may be a beginning of this loving Eternitie O Eternitie of love what time can be sufficiâ—â—t to dwell vpon so loving a consideration What houre or minute of my life should passe in which I should not be found still loving thee my God and still exercising acts of thy love in haâ—â— and deed Print this thy love sweet Jesus in my hart by thy bitter Passion and by â—hy sacred wounds what better seale then thy loving self VVhat stronger wax then thy sacred blood What highter â—ire then thy eternall love O that my soule were â—he whitest parchment worthy to receive such a noble impression which being presented and vnfolded in thy eternall Consistorie nothing might appeare written in it from the beginning of my life to the end therof but Jesus my love my love sweete Jesus Amen How we ought to imitate the Eternitie of the love of God in the love of our Neighbour I. THe â—ternitie of love which we indeavour after our meane kind of measure to expresse in ourselves towards God in answer to his eternall love towards vs the same it is fit we should practise towards others in imitation of this first excellencie of his infinite love both to fâ—ee ourselves from that inference which S. Jhon makes that if any say I love God and hatâ—â—h his brother be is a lyer and from that imperfection to fullâ—ll the commandment which we have of it for so the same beloved disciple assureth vs This commandmâ—◠〈◊〉 have from â—â—d thaâ— who loveth God loveth also his â—rother and againe he that hath my commandments and keepeth them he it is that loveth me II. VVe must therfore love our neighbour even before he loves vs and when he gives vs no occasion to love him but rather occasion of hatred by his â—hvvart demeanour tovvards vs or ill cariage tovvards God Againe we must never be weary of loving him or of doing good vnto him or for him we must with greate patience and longanimitie beare his dayly and continuall imperfections and offenses neither wondering nor impatiently grudging at his often falling or hard measureâ— nor pusillanimously sitting dovvne thinking hovv to fly and retire from such companie to others with whom we imagin we shall have no such troble but imitating the charitie of God and patience of Christ and saying with S. Augustine if the vessels of flesh be narrovv let the bounds of charitie be enlarged that is let men be infirme and troblesome and synfull hard to be ruled harder to accommodate themselves to my disposition or conceiâ—e it is the nature of flesh and blood to be so my charitâ—â— shall not be so scant as not to out-reach all this and persever to the end in bearing that so I may fullfill the lavv of Christ and imitate his love III. O love of my God more strong then death for death could never have overtaken my God vnlesse love had yealded him into his hands This brought my deere Saviour to the death-bed of the crosse and did not suffer him to come dovvne from it for any of the vpbrayding-scoffs with which the Ievves did taunt him nor for any weaker motive which humane frayletie might have suggested nor for any fayre seeming reason which worldly wisdome might have invented but being stretched vpon it to the vtmost as he had began to love vs from the beginning of his not only mortall but immortall life so hâ— resolved to yeald vp his last breath and blessed Ghost for vs that this his â—ying for our sake might be a most evident testimonie of his never dying love seeing he choose rather to leave this life then to forgo our love O that my hart and soule were wâ—oly absorpt in this thy eternall love that I might dye by thy love who didst die for the love of me and die rather then relent in the least point of love tovvards thee or tovvards my neighbour for thee Amen The latitude or Vniversalitie of the love of God I. THe latitude of the charitie of God is the Vniversalitie of his love extending itself to all in generall and to every one in particular He will have all men to be saved sayth the Apostle and to come to the knowledge of the truth and the beloved disciple he inlighteneth every man that cometh into this world Therfore when he had created man he added his commandments and precepâ—s that if he would keepe his commandments they should keepe him Therfore he punisheth synners in this life by peeces puting them in mind of that in which they have offended that
leaving thier malice they may beleeve in thee ô Lord Therfore he picked out a choosen people to shevv his wonderous povvre more signally to all the world by them that hearing all his precepts they should say behold a wise and vnderstanding people a greate nation Therfore he came himself and tooke flesh vpon him to satisfie for the synnes of everre one of vs and to give vs example of obedience to the lavv of God which he came to promulgate and aftervvards sent his Apostles and thier successours into the whole world with commandment to preach the Ghospell to every creature testifying that with the like assistance he will be with us to the end of the world II. To this vniversalitie belongeth the sweetnes of the lavv of Grace and the easynes by which we may come to the remission of our synns and to saluation for what ceremonie could be instituted more easy then that of baptisme VVhat means of remissioÌ„ of synns aftervvards committed more indulgent then that of private confessionâ— For whatever people ill disposed may think of it if an earthly Prince had appointed such a way of pardon for crimes committed who would not runn vnto it And this not once or tvvice but ten thousand thousand times to be had and in fine as oft as we shall have offended and when ever we will have recourse vnto it after never so long delayes or relapses VVhat shall I say of the helps internall by remorse and inspiration and externall by exhortation and example of which in the Church of God there is continuall succession and abundance what of the presence of our blessed Saviour in the Sacrament continually as it were wayting vpon vs and by it inviting vs. and puting vs in mind of our duty tovvards him That he would be in every Countrey Church attending vs is no small token of his vniversall love tovvards vs refusing no body neither rich nor poore nor lame nor blind nor the most noylomest creature that we can imagin Come to me allyee that labour and are burdened and I will refresh yee III. That he refuseth no synner though never so greate is particularly to be pondered as a signe of the vâ—niversalitie of his love of which though we see dayly example the Apostle testifyeth it in himself extolling this grace and giving speciall thanks that though before he was a blasphemer and a persecutour and contumelious in his thoughts and speeches tovvards Christ our Saviour yet he received mercy Ponder the hardnes which naturally we find among men to forgive offenses and compare it with what we experience in God and be confounded at thy ingratitude have recourse to his mercyes inlarge thy haâ—t in hope and confideÌ„ce and give not way to thoughts of diffidence for if thy synns be as scarlet they shall be whitened as snow and if they be as red as crimson they shall be white like wooll He gave vnto Salomon latitude of hart as the sand which is on the sea shore but what is this compared with the largenes of thy mercyes my God ready to forgive more offenses then there be sands on the shore and to receive into thy armes more offenders then the whole world is capable of One drop of thy pretious blood was capable to satisfie for millions of worlds what a sea then of mercyes hath all humane kind offered vnto it by thee my God to plunge and cleanse itself to the full O let me not be vngratefull Amen The love of God towards vs is vniversal because to every one in particular I. THis is testifyed vnto vs by the Apostle when magnifying the grace received by Christ he sayth I live in the fayth of the Sonne of God who loved me and delivered himself for me And is seconded by ovr Saviour to S. Gertrude saying Behold thou seest how for thy love I did once hang vpon the Crosse naked contemptible disjoynted in every member and wounded in every part of my body and yet to this very day my haâ—t is so sweetely affected towards thee by love that if it were convenient for thy good and that thou couldst not othervvise get to heaven I would for thee alone suffer all that which I suffered then for the whole world O my God! what am I in particular that thou shouldest thus lovingly expresse thyself Or what doth my particular import thee that thou shouldst be so tender of me O that I had the loves of all in particular to bestovv vpon thee who deservest all Blessed is he that vnderstandeth what it is to love Iesus c. II. That which our Saviour sayed to S. Bridget expresseth an other degree of latitude in this love for thus he is recorded to have spoken My love tovvards mankind is novv as greate and as incomprehensible as it was at the time of my passion And if it were convenient that I should die as many deaths as there be damned souleâ— in hell I would most willingly and with the greatest love that may be deliver my body to be tormented and would suffer the same death and passion againe for ech soule in particular which I indured for all This infinite charitie seemeth strange to men who measure the perfections of God by thier ovvne imperfection But the heavenly wisedome pronunced rightly of him Thou loâ— vest all the things which are and hatest nothing of that which thou hast made neither hast thou ordayned or made any thing hating it In so much that the very damned soules are punished though excessively yet beneath the desert of synne and hovvever he be a rigorous judge yet he desiâ—eth that in the later day he might find nothing to be punished for which end he gives vs day to repent to the very last and so many means to blot out synne and the remaynders of it III. To this end he reserved the blessed marks of his sacred wounds even in his glorifyed body that we should â—â—nd as it were so many gates layed open to his mercyes and that these might be a never dying memoriall of his paâ—t and future love both to vs to excite vs and to his heavenly Father with our further words to plead for vs for though neither he nor his heavenly father doe need incitements to love vs or remembrances not being subject to forget or to forgo thier ovvne loving natures yet out of thier superabundant goodnes they would that these marks should be reserved more efficatious to assvvage thier anger against synne then could the rayne bovv be against a second diluge O Blessed wounds layed wide open for my sake it seemes by you that the divine soule of my Saviour had more love for me then the earthen vessell of his body could contayne O that my soule were capable to receive the remaynder I did runne in the way of thy commandments when thou didst dilate my hart sayed they holy Proâ—het supply it with thy ardent affection stretch it to all
thy commands that as there was nothing which thou refusedst for the love of me so there may be nothing at which I may shrinke which ought to be done suffered for the love of thee Amen How we may imitate the vniversalitie of the love of God I. PART I. THe vniversalitie of the love of God may be imitated first by loving and esteeming all that he loveth and esteemeth and disesteeming and hating all that he disesteemeth and hateth To which we must indeavour to attayne by continuall mortification and inure ourselves not to affect things which deserve not our affection that is all earthly things so farr as they have not connection with his service vsing them meerely as instruments to doe him service and othervvise wholy neglecting them and making no account of them nor giving them any place in our thoughts or affections which is that to which the Apostle exhorteth vs by his example allwayes bearing about in our body the mortification of Iesus that the life also of Iesus may be manifested in our hodys Hovv came it that some saynts were so perfect and so contemplative because they laboured to mortifie themselves alltogeather from all teâ—rene desires II. How large accordingly this measure of love towards God was in the Apostle himself and in divers other Saints is apparent in thier lives and writings and in some of them we find it expressed not with inke but with the spirit of the living God not written in tables of stone but in the tables carnall of thier hart and body such as may say with the same Apostle from hence forth lâ—t no man be troblesome to me that is let no man think he shall be able to take Christ from myhatt for I beare the marks of our Lord Iesus Christ in my body In which kind S. Francis founder of the Order of friars minors might justly glorie in our Lord for having expressed his love towards God in that strict povertie and perfect renuntiation of all things to the end to give himself by prayer and good works wholy to God Our Saviour testifyed to the world that he was wholy his printing the marks of his sacred passion in his hands feete and side and as it were designing in his body that longitude and latitude and height and deepth of love which was long before ingraven in his soule ô blessed Sainct c. III. Blessed Mother Teresa of Iesus for her exceeding love towards him had a favour not farr inferiour when the saw and felt another Seraphim digging in her hatt with a daâ—t of gold to make way for the incomprehensible greatenes of the love of God towards her and to inlarge her hatt that it might be more capable of love towards him And S. Francis Xavier late Apostle of lapan was also often seen and heard when walking in the garden at home or on his journies abroad he inlarged his garments with both his hands to give scope to the love which burned in his breast or by externall cold to suppress from outvvard shevv the internall fire with which he was excessively inflamed often repearing those words It is enough O Lord it is enough IV. These blessed Saincts and many more had enough of that of which no body can ever have enovgh because though in effect they never had so much but that they desired more and eveÌ„ then when they sayed they had â—nough not content with what they had they enlarged themselves to receive yet more which is a pregnant signe that indeed they had very much VVe that feele not these inflamed desires because we never were throughly possessed by love and none but such caÌ„ ever feele theÌ„ not being able to inlarge our harts into such fervent affections what can we doe lesse then by attentive ponderation of his love and thiers and humble indeavour try whether by often striking the steele of our consideration vpon our stony harts we may at last beate-out some one sparke of of true love which taking in the tinder of our affections and blowne with the most svveete breath of the heavenly spirit may increase into a greater and never quenched fire of love Amen How we may imitate the Vniversalitie of the love of God II. PART I. AN other means of imitating the Vniversalitie of the love of God is by exteÌ„ding it to the love of our Neighbour in that measure as we see God doth to vs and his Saints have done in imitation of him God out of his meere goodnes when we were not gave vs our being and all the good which we have and though we deserve it not continues his goodnes tovvards vs making his sunn which he hath at command rise over good and evill and rayning over just and injust which kind of love he requires we should beare towards others not considering what they deserve but what is sitting for vs to doe to the end to be like God in love tovvards them and therfore also it is sayed the second commandmeÌ„ is like the first because it mâ—st have the conditioâ—s of the first that is as we love God with our whole haâ—t our whole soule our whole vnderstanding and our whole strength so must we imploy all these wholy vpon our Neighbours good not loving him by halfs or coldly and remissely but with much heate of affection solidly constantly couragiously nobly not giving way to what ever opposeth it and imbracing largely whatever may be for his advaÌ„age aÌ„d prosecuting it with our whole streÌ„gth aÌ„d forces II. This vniversitie requireth also that we extend our love â—o all sorts of people to the poore as well as to the rich to the infirme as well as to the strong and the more infirmities we discover in another the more should we be inclined to assist him in imitation of our Saviour who where iniquities did abound gave superabundance of his grace and of S. Paul who out of the largenes of his hart sayed to the Cotinthians who gave him not the best satisfaction our mouth is open to you O Corinthians for your 〈◊〉 instruction our hart is dilated you are not streightened in â—â— And againe to the same Corinthians when I was free from all I made myself a servant of all that I might gayne the more To the weake I became weake that I might gayne the weake to all men I became all things that I might save all III. In conformitie to this love our good God hath not only set a part in his Church those of the Clergy to attend to the help of all sorts of people by administration of the holy Sacraments and of his divne word but hath instituted all sorts of religions both of men and women that those might be houses of refuge for all sorts of humours and that at least by prayer and example others might be benefitted by the most retired the obligation of which vocations is duly to be considered and specially of those who out of an
out such fire to rise thier continuance is but short and they are but of little force IV. O my God my love when I think of the multitâ—de of waters and forcible streames of severall distractions which are wont to be heaped all the day vpon this little burning flash the little fire of â—ervour which I may rayse what can I doe but turne myself to thee and with what courage and strength I can not of myne owne but of thyne offer myself vnto thee and cast myself into thy armes and say Here take me I am thyne vse me as thou wilt I will not from thee put me to what thou wilt so thou allwayes keepe me thyne for thyne I will be whaâ— soever come of me The seaventh Paragraphe I. THou tendrest vs all as thy decrest Children created to thy Image redeemed with thy blood exalted to be thy frâ—eÌ„ds fellow heyres and spouses give 〈◊〉 grace so to behave myself so to deale with others as allwayes I may have this in mind if thou graunt me this I shall never have the face to be careles of myself or disdaynefull of others but shall beare due respect and love towards all desirous to doe for them all that I may for the love of thee II. It is true there be many things which may easily make me enter into misconceite of others and grow into neglect and by little and little into contempt of thy servants if I take not heed as thier imperfections of mind and body but I know it is my part and I hope thou wilt give me grace to remember it to weigh most of all myne owne many miseries both of body and soule many which shew themselves without and many more which lye hidden within me which thou only knowest and therfore to humble myself in the sight of all And in them to consider the many gifts of nature and grace which thou hast either bestowed vpon them or peradventure layed vp in store for them and perchance in heaven I shall be glad to sit at thier feete III. O that this and such like considerations could befixed in my mind how affable meeke how servicable should I be to all It is thy only lesson in a manner or most properly thyne when that which thou hadst shewed by thy example coming downe from heaven to live among vs in that manner as thou livedst thou declarest in words saying learne of me because I am meeke and humble of hart IV. It is besidâ— the way to gayne others to thee in whatsoever state they be it breedeth in them confidence and freedome and openes of minde which is the only true way that bringeth a soule to thee where as rudenes sadnes vntimely ieasts or vnconsiderate gestures rising of passion in one kind or other be the breeders of distast and the overthrow of all much more to contend or to wrangle with those with whom we deale Rather I must yeald not only to betters or to my equalls but even in many things to my inferiours and follow thier opinion against my owne when otherwise there is no speciall inconvenience The eight Paragraphe I. O My God infinite is the Circumspection which I see I must have to live in this world to give satisfaction to all and above all to thee I see I must be carefull of not shewing any particular or otherwise inordinate affection to any or disaffection from any though there should seeme iust cause â— must be patient in bearing where I perchance may have received the wrong patient in hearing whatsoever complaints of myself or others if it be committed to my charge to have any little care of others Never making shew of much hast or of greate busines much lesse of vnwillingnes to give free accesse to any though the parties seeme importune prolix passionate vnapte to receive satisfaction impertinent though tempted against myself but with all mildnes intertayning them when they shall require it and if busines will not permit appointing them with all quiet some other certaine houre II. I must not my God be easy of beleefe but esteeme it as it is the ruine of the household whersoever shall live the disvnion of those with whom I shall deale It is the bane of charitie to give facill hearing and easy credit to that which is first related I know that many things are sayed otherwise then they are even by vertuous and holy persons not faynedly falsly or allwayes with offense of God but good men being men as others be they may be also in these things deceived Wherfore one eare must be kept for the contrarie part and my mind rather incline to excuse then to condemne to defend rather then to oppresse to all meeknes and lenitie rather then to rigour and austeritie as much as the order of true charitie will permit III. Moreover I know thou wouldest have me to have a speciall care of the credit and good opinion of all not only in my owne mind to think well of them and not easyly settle my iudgement though vpon somewhat apparent defects But also with all others concealing thier defects whersoever it may be done and when any seeke to amend thier faults be they never so greate receiving them and esteeming them as if never any thing had happened amisse for so thou of thy infinite goodnes dealest with vs forgeting our offenses where thou findest repentance and rewarding vs in all things farr above our deserts The ninth Paragraphe I. O Patience O longanimitie O perseverance O evenes of mind and externall cariage O courage and magnanimitie O indifference O confidence O feeling of thy providence O my God where shall I find all this but in thee my God my love whose nature is goodnes whose works is mercy Jf we see a poore creature we are moved with pittie we give what we can to releeve his necessitie Thou seest my wants I need not say thou art rich in all this and much more I need not say thou art good and infinitely good or that thou art mightie and infinit I mightie coÌ„ceive it would be enough that thou seest my thoughts in which are both ever represented thy riches and my poveâ—tie I say no more I trust in thy goodnes that thou wilt assist me I am assured in tâ—y love that thou wilt help me more certaine I am that thou wilt help thyself and dispose all things so as they may be best for thy glorie which when thou doest thou satisfiest me who am the slave of thy honour born to nothing els but to attend thy ever blessed will and pleasure II. I must confesse I would oftimes be shut of those distractions me thinks in humilitie I ought to desire it because I am not so much as worthy of the name of thy vnprofitable servant Me thinks charitie towards them whom thou lovest and among whom I live requireth no lesse but seeing thou ordaynest so I have no cause to complayne or to â—hrink The greatest humilitie is
to deale thus by vs he feeds vs with his owne blood and doth wholy vnite himself vnto vs. IV. O my soule How is it possible thou shouldest not love this good shepheard to whom nothing is too deere that may be beneficiall to thee How comes 〈◊〉 that thou doest not allwayes heare his voyce and follow him but turnest thy self to a stranger who will lead thee into wayes of which at last with griefe thou wilt confesse that thou hast gone astray from the way of truth and wearyed thyself in the way of iniquitie and perdition and gone â—agy wayes and not knowne the way of our Lord His wayes are full of pleasure and his paths peaceable and free from danger I will heare what my Lord God doth speake in me for he will speake peace to his people and to those that returne into thier hart for his saluation is nigh those that feare him Intertaynment of our Saviour as he is our Teacher or Master I. CAll to mind how Marie Magdalen having Christ her Guest sat at his feete hearing hiâ— word and make account that no lesse happines hath befallen thee the day that thou receivest him in the blessed Sacrament or art present at the holy sacrifice for to this effect S. Jhon Chrysostome sayeth complayning and answering How many doe now say I would see his feature his garments his shooes Behold thou doest see him thou doest touch him thou doest receive him thou desirest to see his garments and he doth thee a greater favour that thou may not only see him but touch him and receive him with in thee sit therfore downe at his feete and harken to his divine words Consider the excellencie of this master his infinite comprehension of all things his excessive desire of benefiting thee his resolution to spare no labour and paines for thy instruction the impossibilitie of his being deceived or mistaken or of having any will to misinforme thee and withall the importance of his doctrine as concerning no lesse then our eternall wellfare and that vpon the point he is and ought to be our only master whom above all others we must heare and harken to no body against him II. In this life time he had many places from whence he did teach the people the Temple private houses the opeÌ„ fields and mountaynes whether people did flock after him by many thousands and 〈◊〉 his enimies did confâ—sse that never did man speake as this man This day he saveth thee the labour of running after him he is come to thee and hath choosen thy hart for his chayre say with young Samâ—el speake ô Lord for thy servant heareth Say with the Prophet Esay Our Lord hath opened my eare I will not gayne say I will not turne back O my Jesus forgive me many reluctances to thy heavenly inspirations I acknowledge thy goodnes towards me and thy desire of my wellfare my hart is at thy command make what impression in it thou pleasest how over hard I have been heretofore to receive them now I desire to be like wax in thy hand to temper it according to thy owne mind which shall be ever mine c. III. The need which we have and the benefit which we receive by this our master will be more playne vnto vs if we reflect how many wayes and in how many things we are of ourselves ignorant and apt to mistake or to be misled How often doe obscurities rise in vs concerning the knowledge the goodnes the providence of Allmightie God What feares and anxieties doe accompanie them How often doth vice insinuate itself vnder colour of vertue our faith our hope our Charitie is assalted by the wily serpent Say with the royall Prophet thou art good through thy goodnes teach me thy iustification Teach me not as other teachers whose words sound in my eares but touch not my hart teach me as having power withall to dispose one with hart and hand to follow thy doctrine O divine master I doe give thee full power to mould this my hart as thou thinkest best I say with S. Augustine give what thou commandest and command what thou pleasest I say againe with thy royall Prophet give me vnderstanding and I will search into thy law and keepe it with my whole hart lead me in the path of thy commandments for it is that which I desire Intertaynment of our Saviour as he is our Phisitian I. A Chiefe imployment of our Saviour while he lived among vs was to cure the sick and the blind and the lepers and people touched with the palsey and other diseases preserving the life of many and giving life againe to others and we may observe with what eagernes the people flocked to him from all sides for thier cure in so much that the Ghospel sayth there were so many that came and went that he had not leasure to eate his meate His intent was by it to cure thier soules from thier dead palâ—es and lamenes and bliâ—dnes and to give them the true life which is his knowledge and a will to serve him O that I did halfe so lively apprehend the danger and troble of my spirituall diseases and death how eagerly should I runne to this heavenly Phisitian from whom alone I can have reliefe O dullnes that I must be so often put in mind of my owne good and be so â—low in seeking it and why doe I say in seeking it he presents himself vnto me and seeketh after me to cure me and insteed of taking a reward he will reward me being cured II. The Blessed Sacrament is tearmed the Sacrament of the living and nor of the dead because if our soules be dead by mortall synne which God forbid we must first confesse our synns and have absolution and so be restored to life that we may receive our Lord otherwise insteed of cure we give ourselves another wound and doe incurre greater damnation and that which is ordayned for our good turneth to our greater harme Yet for the receiving of that life he is our Physitian whome we receive in this Sacrament the Priest being his minister and he by the mouth of the Priest pronouncing absolution and here he confirmeth and strengtheneth the same life in vs by his blessed presence and by more abundant grace bestowed giving vs more strength to overcome temptations keeping of our Ghostly enimie by himself and by his holy Angels accompanying him and asswaging the heate of our concupiscences and earthly desires and the oftener we come devoutly to him the more we shall find these gracious effects to be wrought in vs that we may humbly say with the Apostle Heretofore I was blasphemous and a persecutour but I have obtayned mercy III. Life is defined to be the beginning or fountaine of motion or operation we are sayed to live so long as we can move and so is a tree or a plant so long as it can put forth when we
see no more such effect we say it is dead In which respect charitie or the love of God being the life inherent in our soules S. Gregorie sayth that the proofe of charitie is the exhibition of the worke and our Saviour himself He that bath my commandments and doth keepe them he it is that loveth me our Saviour in nature of a Phisitian cometh to vs to strengthen this life by the cordiall compound of his owne pretious body and blood delivereâ— vnto vs vnder the shapes of bread and wine that by the devout receiving we may both breath out the superfluous and corrupted humours remayning after our purgation and cure and with more rigour apply ourselves to the exercises of Christian dutie to which by his charitable assistance we must concurre first by giving time to the working of this heavenly receite by some little recollection and not instantly ingulfe ourselves in our wonted worldly affayres and secondly by renewing our good purposes in his presence and begging of him that he will blesse them and those most in which we feare we shall have most difficultie to accomplish towards which also we may justly expect he will suggest some speciall remedie to a willing mind Intertaynment of our Saviour as he is our Redeemer I. THe word Redeemer doth import that the redeemed being once eâ—ther free or in the power of one cometh to be subiect to another and is bought out of that subiection so was man by his creation wholy Gods and being left free as to his will he fell by synne vouÌ„ltarily into the possessioÌ„ and powre of the divel and as his captive and prisoner was loded with a thousand miseries and egged on dayly from one synne to another till dying in synne he should be eternally condemned to the prison and paynes of hell fire and no power vnder God being able to rescue him the Sonne of God our Saviour offered to pay his ransome and to give him againe his freedome wherby he might remaine in Gods possession perpetually by his owne free choyce as well as he was by nature and come to inioy the happines which God had layed vp for him The price where with he was ransomed was the body and blood and life of our Saviour layed downe for vs vpon the crosse i this very body and blood and life himself doth here present vs in the Sacrament that we may make a gratefull oblation of it to our heavenly Father as the price of our redemption in particular and represent vnto him with ioy and thanksgiving our freedome to serve him proâ—essing that we will never give way to any other to possesse vs. II. This benefit of our redemption will appeare in a better light if we consider the miserie of the slaverie in which we were or are by synne And first by synne from reasonable creatures we turne vnreasonable and the longer we continue in synne the more vnreasonnable we become not vnlike the man mentioned in the Ghospell whose habitation was not among men but in the fields and dens among beasts and beastly company â—aked having lost all shame and could not be held within any compasse but ranged about breaking through all bonds of the law of God and man and being possessed by a legion of Divels did not vnderstand that they were his masters who did egg him on to his owne destruction in so much that he cut his owne flesh and did make nothing of it and when our Saviour or any good body came neere him he raged the more crying out with a lowde voyce what have you to doe with me or I with you VVhich state of a synner however while one is in it he doth not heed it in itself notwithstanding is extreame miserable and men of reason see it to be so And how much this man did afterwards acknowledge himself obliged to our Saviour when being delivered from this legion of Divells he quietly sat at his feete clothed and well in his wits much more ought we to thank our Saviour for our redemption our spirituall slaverie being infinitely more preiudiciall and more to be lamented III. Our Saviour in S. Luke asketh this question who among you having a servant ploughing or keeping cattle will say to him returning from the field go sit downe and sayth not rather make ready for me and serve me and afterwards thou shalt eate and drink This is the practise among men one to another but our Saviour more indulgent to vs not weighing that we are indeed but his slaves bought at so deere a rate as his most pretious blood and from so base and vnworthy a slaverie as is that of synne and so iniurious to himself doth notwithstanding coming from our owne worldly occasions noâ— much thinking of his service in them invite vs to his owne table that is to his owne most pretious body and blood intreating vs to pattake of so heavenly a banket at which the Angels doe reioyce and doth not passe for many a spoâ— dust that stick vpon vs though we have washed away the dirt and filth it were our dutie to be as cleane as out of the font of baptisme but ô the weakenes of man O the goodnes of God Who notwithstanding our vnworthynes when least vnworthy doth extend his kindnes vnto vs so farre beyond all humane kindnes or capacitie He out of whome he had cast the legion desired to be with him still in his companie and he did not admit of him but bad him go home and recount how mercyfull God had been to him How much more ought we to retire ourselves for a while into the closeth of our hart and reckon vp the mercyes of God towards vs and put this in the head of them that notwithstanding so lately voluntarie slaves to his enimies he doth vs this greate mercy and favour to admit of vs not only to his presence but to his table Intertaynment of our Saviour as Judge I. THe coming of a Judge to a citty or house is generally not without some apprehension and feare in the parties to whom he comes for if they be gylty they have reason to feare if they be not giltie they know not how the Judge may be informed concerning them That our Saviour is our Judge is vndoubted the Father hath given judgement to the Sonâ—e sayth our Saviour of himself yet at this his coming vnto vs in the blessed Sacrament we have not so much cause of feare first because his rigorous judgement is reserved till after this life in which respect himself sayth God did not send his Sonne into the world to judge the world but that the world should be saved by him Secondly there is no danger that he should be misinformed of vs. Thirdly when he comes to judge he comes in majestie with the attendance of all his heavenly courte here he comes disguised of set purpose because we should know that he comes in a familiar way to doe vs honour and
which we are they are numbred amoÌ„ng the six whome God doth hate who sow discord betwixt brethren And certaynly to keepe vs from often intertayning this our brother must needs be the seed of discord betwen him and vs for by neglect of the Sacrament we grow lesse able to resisâ— temptations and consequently are the easyer drawne into synne which only can make a distance betwixt him and vs IV. Finally by this title we are put in mind that we Christians being all brethren should labour to maintayne brotherly love among vs so much the more by how much our Saviour is also our brother and we know that generally one brother taketh vp the quarel of another brother and it is not for our purpose to have our Saviour against vs Therfore particularly when we are to receive or have received we must according to the counsell of S. Peâ—ter lay a side all malicâ— all deceite and dissembling and â—nvy and all detraction to the end to mayntayne this brotherly love as being of one familie with Jesus Christ and feeding vpon the same supercelestiall bread of his sacred body and dispose ourselves to all meekâ—es and affabilitie that there be no dissention nor hartburning not any occasion of it by word or dâ—ed but aâ—â—ist one another in what we can with no lesse promptitude and readynes then one hand is ready to help the other Intertaynment of our Saviour as he is the sacrifice of the law of grace I. SAcrifices were practised in the law of nature from the beginning of the world and instituted in the law of Moyses as the prime act of worship due to God as he is the author and giver of all things and as due to none but God And because none can deserve better then he who is the fountaine and giver of all the light of nature did dictate and the law prescribe that the best things and prime fruits should be offered nothing â—ame nothing corrupted nothing which was not perfect in its kind So Abel is commended for offering the first begotten and the fat of his flock Cain not looked vpon because defective And because life is the best thing that we have and most esteemed and for the mayntayning of it all other things serve God commanded Abraham to offer him the life of his only sonne Isaac as a testimonie that he was Lord of life and death that is supreme over mankind and secondarily as his acknowledgement of it and obedience Content notwithstanding with the demonstration of his willingnes and not pleased that we should exercise that vpon one another which would turne to crueltie and barbariâ—me he furnished him with a ram to sacrifice and in conformitie all the sacrifices of beasts or fowle or what other thing offered were testimonies and acknowledgements that what we did to them was due to be done in our ownâ— persons God of his goodnes accepting other things in lieu of vs as afterwards he appointed in the law that the first begotten Children should be redeemed with mony where besides the truth of the thing We may see how pleasing it must needs be to God to part with life and goods and the contentments of this world rather then offend or that we may serve him better and persever for every such act is a sacrifice and hath the nature and meâ—it of the highest act of religion II. Christ our Saviour coming into this world to perfect the written law of Moâ—ses and to institute the law of grace could not leave this law of his with out a more perfect sacrifice then had been before therfore being to compleate all the sacrifices of the old law by the sacrifice of himself vpon the altar of the Crosse and to provide a continuall sacrifice not inferiour to any for his people and Church to the worlds end the day before his death he instituâ—ed this blessed sacrifice of the altar â—hat is his owne self to be offered and noâ— only in words but by a publick ceremonie common to the wholâ— Church and to be really sacrificed not bloodyly as once vpon the Crosse for that would have been incompetent to him and inconvenient to vs but yet so that his death should be dayly not only represented but in a manner acted the words of consecration dividing as it were the body from the blood and the blood from the body by being pronounced severally vpon severall matters not that the blood of our Saviour is not also in the sacred host and his body in the chalice but it is not there immediatly by force of the words but accidentally because the body and blood is now living as at the last supper VVhen our Saviour sayed This is my body which shall be delivered for you this is my blood which shall be shed for you And againe doe this in memorie of me Ordering the same sacriâ—ice to be continued successively in his Church by his Apostles and those who were to succeed them in thier Priâ—stly function so that here is the best thing offered for vs and offered in the highest way of expression of our acknowledgement towards God the only Sonne of God the first born of all creatures Who as God contayneth all things in himself O unspeakable grace O wonderfull favour O immense love expressed towards man what shall I render to our Lord for this grace for so excessive love I cannot give him a thing more gratefull then wholy to deliver him vp my hart and intirely vnite it vnto him Thom a Kemp. lib. 4. cap. 13. num 3. III. As in the sacrifices of the old law so in this our Saviour would have all his people partake of this sacrifice and therfore did institute it vnder the forme of bread and wine and not in the proper shape of flesh and blood bread and wine being things both most vniversall and best agreeing with every bodies taste and from which generally people not only have least aversion but most vse and doe best signifâ—e the effects of this holy sacrifice as it is also a Sacrament to wit the spirituall nourishment and fortifying of our soule by the presence of our Sauiour in person and by speciall graces flowing from him in which respect our Saviour tearmeth his body and blood truly meate and drinke and that he that eateth this bread shall live for ever because as by often eating and drinking we mainâ—â—yne our bodily life so by this bread we may maintaynâ— ouâ— spirituall life which is to remayne for ever O how grâ—eate and honourable is the office of Priests to whom power is given with sacred words to consecrate our Lord of Maiestie with thier lips to blesse him in thier hands to hold him to receive him in thier mouth and to minister him to others O how pure ought those hands to be how cleane that mouth how holy that body how vnspotted that hart into which the authour of Puritie doth so often enter Thom a Kemp. 1. 4. c. 11. n.
6. Intertaynment of our Saviour as he is a spirituall banket I. MEate and drink is for necessarie sustenance a banket is moreover for pleasure and contentment not only of the taste but generally all other delights concurre in it Now if the wiseman â—ould say of the Manna in the old law that it had in it all delight and the siveetnes of every thing that we taste doubtlesse if we apply ourselves vnto it we shall find also in this heavenly Sacrament where of that was a figure all sort of spirituall delights And first occurs the exquisitenes of the food it being the bread of Angels and senâ— vs downe as farre as from heaven prepared to our hand without other labour on our part then as in all bankers to dresse ourselves handsomly that we be not found to appeare at so greate a table and in such companie without our nupâ—iall or wedding gaâ—â—ent that is without Charitie the love of God and our neighbour or puritie of hart from mortall breach of his commandments though we be otherwise poore and lame and weake he doth not disdayne our companie but gives vs a most harty welcome Come vnto me all yee that labour and to whom it is paynefull to serve me and are burdened with evill customes and passions and I will refresh you O sweete and frendly word in the eare of a syâ—â—er that thou my Lord God doest invite this poore and needy Creature to the feeding vpon thy sacred body The heavens are not pure enough and thou sayest come vnto me all II. Besides this exquisitenes of the food and companie and harty welcome if we attend we may find that which will please the eye of our soule very much to wit the death and passion of our blessed Saviour to put vs in mind VVherof this holy Sacrament and sacrifice is instituted and as it were to Act it before vs. And what can be more comfortable to a synner then to see before his eyes the price of his redemption layed downe to receive into his breast the forgiver of his synnes the sacred body and blood by which they are more and more dayly washed away If we doe vnderstand what synne is and how much it doth import vs to be cleare of it we cannot but take greate contentment thus to receive our Saviour the lamb of God who taketh away the synns of the world Reioyce ô my soule and give thanks to God for so noble a gift and such singular comfort left thee in this vale of teares for as often as thou recordest this mysteric and receivest the body of Christ so oft doest thou work the work of thy redemption and art made partaker of all the merits of Christ. Thom. à Kemp. l. 4. c. 2. n. 6. III. As to our tast and other senses if we consider the refreshment which we receive by this holy Sacrament we shall find that the effect of it is to cure the palaâ—e of our soule to take away our false appetites which egge vs to feed vpon things that are hurtefull and poysonsome to breed satisfaction and contentment in our devotions and spirituall exercises and a right temper of body and â—oule in which our health doth consiste By often receiving devoutly we shall come not to thirst so much after vanities nor to be altered vpon every suggesâ—ion or temptation as being strengthened with this fruite of the Tree of life And as by the practise of vertue we shall find the sweetnes of it so the same sweetnes will diffuse itself to others by good example and the house will befilled with the odour of the oyntment that is we ourselves and others will be pleased with it O admirable aÌ„d hidden grace of the Sacrament which is knowne only to Christs faythfull people In this Sacrament spirituall grace is given the strength of our soule is repayred the beauty therof lost by synne is restored The grace is sometimes so greate that from the fullnes of devotion â—ot the mind only but our weake body also doth feelâ— more strength bestowed vpon it Thomas à Kempis lib. 4. cap. 1. num 11. IV. VVho could by contemplation rayse vp his soule so high would not fayle to heare the musick also of the Angels singing glorie to God in this blessed mysterie for that the Angels doe assist in multitudes both at the consecration and receiving there is no doubt Holy Fathers confessing it and many visions confirming it and seeing in his life time in the desert after his tempâ—ation they came and ministred to him now in glorie they certaynly never leave him and attending him they cease not to sing his prayses and also thy happines who hast the favour to intertayne so greate a Lord to lodge so greate a Guest to have so pleasant a companion so faythfull a frend so noble and so beautifull a spouse ô happy soule which hast been made worthy devoutly to receive him and receiving to be replenished with spirituall ioy Thom à Kemp. l. 4. c. 3. n. 4. Intertaynment of our Saviour with the blessed Virgen and S. Ioseph I. THe time which our Saviour lived with our blessed Lady and S. Ioseph may be distinguished into three parts the time of his Childhood the time of his youth till mans estate and the time after of his preaching In the time of his infancie and Childhood though he were in most things like other children yet some rayes of his divinitie at times appearing did not fayle to put them in mind that he was more then a Child he carying himself with more discretion and more pliablenes then vsually infants and Children doe never froward never vntoward modest in his sports moderate in his desires so that besides the naturall love which parents have to thier little babes they had a particular sweetnes and contentment in that he was such a babe so qualifyed above all others and accordingly when they beheld him or tooke him into thier armes or provided necessaries for him they did it not only with extraordinarie love but with loving reverence and respect thier minds being elevated to a higher pitch by the continuance of his divine comportment and never having any the least cause of distaste by him This is he whom we receive into our breasts and as so qualified he doth commend himself vnto vs he having as it were lessened himself into this forme to the end we should take him between our aâ—mes and imbrace him and reverently kisse his feeâ—e and hands assuming the affections of father and mother so farre as to expâ—â—sse the â—tmost of our tender love towards him in regard that for vs he would become an infant first and then in this blessed Sacrament be as tractable to vs as a little infant in whom is all that a fatherly or motherly hart can desiâ—e II. VVhen his Child-hood was past we cannot but think they tooke so much the more soqâ—d comfort in him by how much they observed in all his
the Messias who would instruct her in all those high matters whervpon our Saviour differred her no longer but told her he was the Messias expected which she instantly proclaymed with greaâ—e ioy through the whole citty from whence she came and he was received in it with much satisfaction O powerfull word I am he who speakes with thee It is the Saviour of the world who doth thus familiarly impart himself vnto vs. Too greate a person to be put in balance with whatever thing created and his blessed presence too greate a favour that any thing should be admitted to stand in competencie with it Come and sâ—â— the man who is able to satisfy you in all your doubts and from whome you shall receive all goodnes take these things into your consideration that you may inioy the living waters which he promiseth and in which you will find eternall comforâ— V. His disciples returning from the toâ—ne with provision wondered to find him talking with the woman but 〈◊〉 more when inviting him to take his refection vpoâ— what they brought he answered that he had other meatâ— to feed on which they knew not and to take away thier â—ondering he declared himself that his food was to doâ— the will of his father and wheras it was then neere harvest time his harvest was the good of soules in all things indeavouring to rayse our thoughts from these temporall things to that which doth infinitely more import vs to wit our spirituall food and the harvest of which we arâ— to make ouâ— eternall living for which end he would remaine with vs continually vnder the shapes of bread and wine that as we cannot forget nor forgo for any thing our corporall food so we should be as mind full at leas of our spirituall food and sustenance and not neglect it or differâ—e it long for any temporall occasion whatsoever O Lord my God prevent mâ— with the sweetnes of thy blessings that I may devoutly and worthily approch to thy Sacrament stirre vp my hart towards thee and â—ake away the heavy dullnes â—hich possesseâ—h me Tho◠〈◊〉 Kemp. lib. 4. c. 4. Intertaynment of our Saviour with the penitent Magdalen I. S. Mariâ— Magdalen is set before vs as a patterne of the best love after harty repentance for our synns her teares bearing testimonie of her sorâ—ow her incessant kissing of our Saviours feete witneâ—â—ing her love and her annointing them her desire of making satisfaction to her power which three though at all times it behoveth vs to practice yet chiefly in order to the holy table of our Lord before and after receiving him wich might be the cause among others why he ordered her conveâ—sion to happen while he was sitting at board with the Pharisee whose invitation he accepted the rather because as in the Samaritan he had other food to feede on then was outwardly set before him and accordingly he wished him to take notice of what this woman was then doing to receive instruction how it had beeâ—â—itting for him to have behaved himself towards our Saviour in his receptiopn by discoverie of his errours comâ—itted in it II. The paâ—able which our Saviour vsed to the Phaâ—isee of two debters wherof one owed a greate summe of money the other a lesse and were both forgiven may serve vs for the first document and â—each vs that we are all debters to our Saviour more or lesse and that he that â—hall think himself lesse debter then another shall runne greate hazared to be grossely mistaken as we find this Pharisee was and that other who comparing himself with the Publican however in his owne eyes he thought he deserved better was found in the eyes of God to be farre behind Let every one therfore retire himself into the closet of his hart and looke over his obligations new and old he will not find them all cancelled if those for which he was eternally to lye in chaynes have been delivered vs vpon repentance and promise of amendment as to the servant that fell at his Masters feete and craved his patience let vs looke whether the obligation which we have to our Neighbour to deale by him as God hath dealt by vs be dischaâ—ged And if we fiâ—d no greate summes of this nature owing yet besides infinitâ— little debts which we dayly incurre we have the greate debt of his patient forbearance still lying vpon vs and of his more then patient love out of which he hath not been overcome with our often offenses but still favored vs with his graces in regard of all which we must prostrate ourselves with the Magdalen at our Saviours feete with teares acknowledging our Arriers More in numberâ— then the hayres of our head and poure them out largely as water confessing that all we can doe is not sufficient to discharge even this new obligation of his gracious admitting vs poore synners to his table What doth this pious condescendencie meane and this frendly invitation How shall I dare to approch who have nothing good wheron to presume Th. a Kempis lib. 4. c. 1. n. 3. III. But â—o draw so neere as we can to our discharge we must chiefly in this occasion practise acts of love which is two fold towaâ—ds God fignifyed by her incessant kisses and towards our Neighbour signifyed by the oyntment bestowed vpon our Saviours feete These two are the fullfilling of the law and in these two consisteth our Plenarie Indulgence and remissâ—â—â— for having received â—bsolution of all greate offenses which we could remember in the Sacrament of confession in this are forgiven more fully those which we could not remember and what other veniall synns we may have committed since confession being sory for them with purpose â—o amend and by acts of love and true contrition which are proper to this Sacrament of love much of the payne due to synne is â—eleased and the more the more we love as our Saviour sayed in conclusion of this blessed saint Many syns are forgiven her because she loved much he that finds lesse forgiven him it is signe he loved lesse And of that love which we owe our Neighbour the holy Ghost telleth vs that almes giving or works of mercy deliver from all synne and from death and will not suffer a soule to goe into darkenâ—sse Lord what is my confidence in this life or what greater comfort among all things vnder heaven is it not thou my Lord God IV. The Magdalen vnderstood her vnworthynes yet did not forbeare to approch to our Saviour but knowing the greatenes of her disease she came with humilitie to the Physitian whom she found able and willing to cure her she placed herself behind 〈◊〉 his feete shame commanding her to be bashfull love drawing her on to a reverent confidence she began with teares but never ceased to kisse his feete for whoever hath least cause to weepe hath most cause to love his synns being either forgiven him or prevented She considered what
things He did not misâ—ike her carefulnes not to be 〈◊〉 is next degree to neglect to be carefull and 〈…〉 I argues pusillanimitie to be 〈…〉 out of a noble disposition confident in that which is best And speaking of intertaynment in three things people vse to shew thier care that there be varietie of good meates that they be tender and well seasoned that they be served in good order and time These three betoken the serious mortifications of our passions and evill customes after our reconciliation Varietie of vertuous actions sometimes praying sometimes reading sometimes doing some deed of Charitie spirituall or temporall sometime attending to our other occasions according to our calling And thirdly that all these things be not done at randome but in an orderly and constant way and distribution so neere aspossibly we can III. It is very true that Charitie or the love of God is the queen of vertues and is that one thing which is absolutely necessarie as indeed comprehending all other vertues as the Apostle setteth forth vnto vs Charitie is patient benigne doth not envie c. and is never to be taken from vs because fayth and hope and other vertues will cease in heaven where there will be no occasion of them Charitie remayneth for ever And happy are they who with Marie Magdalen can sit at the feete of our Saviour by hearing and speaking of his love to inflame it in thier harts It is the best part yet they must vnderstand that so long as we live in this vale of miserie it is but a part it must be so attended vnto as not to hinder other occasions which dayly call vpon vs. And even in this intertaynment of our Saviour when we receive him though our whole life time were not sufficient to attend vpon him for once receiving yet having set at his feete some convenient spâ—ce so we part â—oâ— from him for idlenes ortediousnes or neglect we may not omit other necessarie bysines but having commended all the occasions of the day or weeke following to his direction we shall find that we shall have no reason to complayne that we are left alone but be holpen 〈◊〉 assisted in our distractions by our former quie◠〈◊〉 thou art my beloved choosen among a thousand in whome it hath pleased my soule to dwell all the dayes of my life thou are he in whome is all true peace and quier Intertaynment of our Saviour with Zacheus I. ZAchâ—us was Prince or chiefe of the Publicans a rich man and desirous to sâ—â— our Saviour as he passed that way but could not by reason of thâ— throng of peoplâ— himself being low of stature therfore running before he went vp into a sycomore tree that he might see him This represents vnto vs the condition of many who are hard of beleefe and find a thousand difficulties particulaâ—ly in this Mysterie of the blessed Sacrament humane reasons throâ—ging vpon them so thick that the more they strive inthem the further they are thrust of from seeing our Saviour as he is and the richer they are indowed with naturall wit the more difficultie oftimes they find and where thier naturall wit doth not help the â—ownes of thier stature they think that runâ—ing before every body with philosophicall discourses they shall discover that which will give them content and satisfaction But as Zacheâ—s had been little the better if no other coâ—â—â—e had been taken but his stepping into the sycomore tree and perhaps that only sight might have put him into a mâ—aner conceit of our Saviour then before it so it fares with these men Thou must beware of curious and unprofitable searching into this most profound Sacrament if thou wilt not be drowned in the depth of doubtfulnes c. II. In regard nothwithstanding that his indeavour to see our Saviour was not all together of curiositie bâ—â— probably out of some reverend conceite of him mingled with it our Saviour taking compassion of him shewed him the way how he might come both truly to know him and inâ—oy him wherfore looking vp vpon him he 〈◊〉 vnto him make hast and come 〈◊〉 for this day I 〈◊〉 â—bide in thy house It must be light from our Saviouâ— eye supernaturaly inlightening vs that must give vs 〈◊〉 â—rue notion of this mysâ—erie it is our dutie how lo◠〈◊〉 we be of stature or howeveâ— rich in naturall 〈◊〉 to make hast When ever any reason represents itself 〈◊〉 trarie to what fayth doth tell vs not to runne higher aâ—â— higher in our 〈◊〉 but baâ—â—ing discourses to 〈◊〉 lower and lower into our owne disabilities mindfull of that caveat which S. Paul gives vs If any man think that he knoweth some thing he hath not yet knowne how he ought to know Many have lost thier devotion while they would be searching into higher things III. And he made hast and came downe and received him reioycing and when all saw it they muttered saying that he turned in to a man that was a synner But Zacheus standing sayed to our Lord Behold the half of my goods I give to the poore and if I have defrauded any man of any thing I restore foure-fold Let people mutter as they please either at the blindnes of our fayth or at our hast to come to our Saviour and often receiving We see here the beneâ—it of it the more we submit our thoughts to fayth the more constant we become in it the ofâ—ener we receive the more grace is derived into vs and more lighâ— and resolution to discover and remedie things of which before we made no account And â—he office of our Saviour and intent of his coming being to seeke and to savâ— that which was lost we have the more frequent occasion and more poteÌ„t motive to seeke â—ith him into our soules and expect saluation from him Behold I stand before thee poore and naked begging gâ—ace and craving mercy Intertayment of our Saviour with the people of Hierusalem I. THe Prophet Zacharie exhorts the people of Hierusalem greately to reioyce and to exult in regard of our Saviours coming Behold thy king shall come vnto thee poore or as S. Matthew records it â—eeke sitting vpon an Asse and vpon a colt the fole of an Asse And he gives the reason because in this meeke and â—umble manner he intended to conquer the world bringing both Iew and Geâ—till to receive him as thier king and to obey his commands and directions The same meeke and humble manner he continues till this day particularly in the blessed Sacrament offering himself to be received bâ— vs in so loving a way that however they who have â—ier thoughts pinned vpon worldly greatnes may tâ—â—nk it strange in him and folly in vs to beleeve thaâ—â—e should come vnto vs in so poore and infirme wise yet to those who truly consider his loving intent in it it is both admirable and to be received with all ioy and exulâ—ation subiecting our vnderstanding to
with as much love and confidence say vnto him Lord it is good for vs to be here and insteed of the tabernacles of Moyses and Elias make vse of the figures of the old testament which represented this blessed mysterie as the Sacrifices of Abel and Abraham here accomplished and the Manna outgone by many degrees and the Paschal lambe and the bread of proposition and the dayly Sacrifices and what ever elâ— is recorded in all the ceremonialls with all the prophecies and consider how much the person of our Saviour and the manner of his being present with vs and the inrent and effect of this my sterie doth exceed all that is gone before and taking vp thy rest in the tabernacle of thy hart with our Saviour say often to him how amiable are thy tabernacles o Lord of hosts My soule longeth and languisheth after the cours of my Lord my hart and my flesh have exvlted in my living God c. II. S. Paul had a desire to be dissolved that is even to dye that he might be with Christ esteeming better then life or any thig that that this life can affoard that was a desire of seeing him in an other world yet if we did conceive things in thier right value we should in reason with as much fervour lay aside all worldly busines to be with Christ in this blessed action at convenient times saying with the same Apostostle To me to live is Christ and to die is gayne that is Christ is my life and though I forsake all the world to be with him I shall be a gayner by iâ— Who therfore shall sever vs from the Charitie or love of Christ. Tribulation Or distresse or famine Or nakâ—dnes Or danger Or persecution Or the sword I am sure that neither death nor life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers neither things present nor things to come nor might nor heigth nor deapth nor other creature shall be able to separate c. I desire to be dissolved from this mortall body that I may see thee face but seeing it is thy pleasure that I only injoy thy in this covert manner I willingly forgo all worldly content all companie all pastime or intertaynment to be with thee for thou art my God and all things III. S. Andrew with another seeing our Saviour once passe alone by him and hearing S. Jhon Baptist whose disciple then he was say Behold the lambe of God accosted our Saviour and asked him Master where dwellest thou And he sayed come and see they came and saw where he abided and taried with him that day VVhat can be more beseeming thee in this blessed action then even out of compassion to aske our Saviour where he dwelleth here below seeing his glorious habitation is so adorable in heaven VVhat are our Churches be they never so sumptious And how many of them are more like stables then Churches And what is thy breast Come neere and home to thyself and see where and how thou intertaynest him and how long thou vsest to stay with him S. James and S. Ihon vpon occasion that the Samaritans once did with discurtesie refuse to give passage to our Saviour through thier citty would have commanded fire from heaven vpon them which zeale though our Saviour repâ—ehended as vnreasonable yet it behoveth vs to reflect how deepely we are apt to take an indignitie offered where ourselves are concerned and how slight oftimes we make of this so greate a curtesie of our Saviour though it wholy concerne vs and againe how that really that punishment was not exorbitant considering the person contumeliously rejected and yet how little oftimes we value him IV. Finally therfore joyne with S. Ihon who deserved the name of the beloved disciple and seeing our Saviour is pleased to remayne in thy breast as he gave vpon his a resting place to S. Ihon be not backward nor streight laced in point of love but as the favour is greater so to thy abilitie straine thyâ—elf to greater love give him his full rest in thy soule doe not disquiet him with vâ—â— quiet thoughts words or deeds Begge of him that he will stay with thee even beyond the time limited by the species say with the two disciples Mane nobiscum Domine quoniam advesperascit And with the devout Thomas a Kempis VVould to God that thou wouldest totally inflame me by thy presence stretch forth thy hand with S. Thomas and touch his sacred syde and hands and frete and kissing them say My Lord and my God Intertaynments of our Saviour with the Angels and Saints I. VVHile the Apostles at our Saviours Ascension were looking towards heaven after him two Angels appearing sayed what stand you looking into heavon This Iesus who is taken vp from you into heaven shall so come as you have seen him going into heaven And really if we should consider only the worth and dignitie of his person it were but fitting he should in all occasions appeare in so much and much greater glorie but stooping to our weaknes and to our commoditie behold how he cometh not clad with glorie but clouded vnder the shapes of bread and wine yet this is the same Iesus who then taken vp into heaven sitteth at the right hand of his heavenly Father in glorie Stand therfore and looke earnestly into this heavenly mysterie Admire and love his goodnes once he will come to judge but to doe mercy vpon vs to increase his graces to bestow himself in so frendly a manner he comes millions and milleons of times and will continue so till the end of the world This is Iesus this is my Saviour my Redeemer my all things O that I could say he shall never be taken from me Come sweet Jesus and come so that I may ever inioy thee Amen II. His taking vp into heaven betokeneth not any need that he had of assistance for he ascended of himself but the reception or intertaynment which the Angels and Saints gave him at his ascension all the nine quiers ranking themselves in order from the highest to the lowest heaven and taking him in the midst of them singing prayses of his divinity and humanitie and of the wonderous things which he had done and suffered for mankinde and rejoycing at his exaltation even above themselves the Cherubims not daring to stretch thier wings over his head as anciently over the Arke and the Seraphins hiding thier faces in reverence of the splendour of his glorious countenance the Thrones and Dominations and Principalities proftrating themselves vnto him as king of kings and Lord of Lords and the rest of the heavenly court doing homage every one in his degree VVhy stand we looking only vpon him And not industriating ourselves to doe him with the holy Angels all the honour and homage thar lyeth in our powre or perhaps doe not so much as looke after him but let our thoughts aÌ„d feete waÌ„der instantly after other
confesse his owne wants aÌ„d vnworthines and everie one of vs may with much more reason say It is I who have reall need of this sacred ceremonie from thy hands who alone canst wash away my synnes it is I who have dayly and hourely need of washing my synnes and imperfections are so greate and so many It is I that ought to vndergo this shame of confessing them having not been ashamed to coÌ„mit them It is I who owe the debt and must pay it to the uttermost farthing vnlesse thou by thy Sacraments and by thy mercyes doest forgive me Iesus answering sayed suffer it now for so it becometh us to fullfill all iustice Many conveniences may offer themselves to thy infinite wisdome for which it may become thee thus to humble thyself but for me it is necessitie it is my dutie it cals vpon me by all the titles of a creature and a synner and a subject and a servant and infinite other obligations these are titles of iustice which if I doe not fullfill I shall beare the smart thou fullfillest all this with out any obligation to doe so but of thy goodnes to correct our backwardnes in doing that which is fitting for vs to doe VVhat is there that will not become me to doe to the vtmost be it never so meane or seeming to be below me seeing thou hast stooped thvs low to thy servant III. Iesus being baptized forth with came out of the water and lo the heavens were opened to him and he saw the spirit of God descending as a doue and coming vpon him and behold a voyce from heaven saying this is my beloved sonne in whome I am well pleased Three signes of the effects of the baptisme which those receive who are washed in the water sanctifyed by our Saviour The gates of heaven are opened vnto them the holy Ghost descends vpon them and they are made the adoptive sonnes of God But our Saviour was his natural and eternall sonne eternall beloved and now vpon a new title of his superexcellent obedience as man and charitie towards mankind coming into this world with the innocencie and meekenes of a dove not to punish but to spare and to forgive Have recourse vnto him while the heavens are thus open delay not thy conversion prepare thy hart with puritie to receive the spirit of God and his graces bee meeke and humble and peaceable because such are styled the Sonnes of God love that thou maiest be beloved indeavour to Please God aboue all and for no mans pleasure displease him How sweere and how rich is the name of Sonne which he vouchsafed vs from heaven and in order to the heavenly inheritance Sonnes of men how long heavyharted To what purpose doe you love vanitie and hunt after a lie The only true honour and true riches is to be the sonne of God The fast Temptation and Victorie of our Savionr I. THen Iesns was led by the spirit into the desert to be tempted by the divel and when he had fasted fourtie dayes and fourtie nights afterwards he was hungrie He was led by the same spirit that had descended vpon him at his baptisme to the holy actions of retirement from worldly occasions and of fasting and by occasion of that to be tempted by the enimie of all wholsome exercises His food all that time was prayer and the fervent desires of performing in life and death the will of his heavenly Father by which he taught vs how to arme ourselves against the assalts of the divel and not to thinke because we are sorely now and then set vpon that therfore we are deserted of God and of his spirit How also to prepare ourselves to what ever imployment God doth call vs vnto And though hepersevered so long without touch of hunger at last he was hungrie stooping to the infirmitie of man whose nature he did beare and whome he had vndertaken to instrvct the tempter not being able to dive into the deapth of the mysterie of the IncarnatioÌ„ yet by many circuÌ„stances coÌ„iâ—cturing tooke hold of his being hungrie and approching sayed If thou be the sonne of God command that these stones be made bread knowing that it was much easyer to doe so then what had been done in creating all of nothing Our Saviour did not yeald vnto his motion because as S. Augustine reflects The Tempter is not overcome but by contemning him but answered Not in bread alone doth man live but in every word which proceedeth from the mouth of God For the Children of Israel themselves in thier fourty yeares pilgrimage in the desert were not maintayned so much by the Manna as by the divine providence concerning both body and soule Rayse thy thoughts to this spirituall food and to confidence in God who will not suffer vs to be tempted above that which we are able but with the temptation will give vs issue that we may sustaine it II. Then the divel tooke him vp into the holy ciâ—â—y and â—et him vpon the pinnaâ—le of the Temple and sayed if thou bee the Sonne of God cast thyself downe for it is written he will give his Angels charge of thee and in thier hands they shall hold thee vp c. No man can pretend to be free from temptation seeing the divell so bold with our Saviour and the neerer we come to holynes and higher we are taken into the favour of God the more we must beware for the temptations are allwayes the more secret and cloked with some preteÌ„ce of good as heece with the words of scripture misapplyed if thou bâ— the Sonne of God doâ— not cast rhyself downe to things inferiour to God and his service doe not permit thyself to be taken vp by a high conceite of thyself remayne rather in the desert if thou be taken out live notwithstanding in feare be not rash doe not thrust thyself into occasions which may be dangerous Our Saviour answered Thou shall not tempt thy Lord God Gape not after extraordinarie comforts vnusuall lights new conceits go vp and downe by the vsuall degrees of vertue practised by saints allowed by the Church and by those who in it have the place of directing vs. He hath indeed given his Angels charge of vs but we must not be head-long or head-strong in our wayes III. Againe he tooke him vp into a very high mountaine and shewed him all the kingdomes of the world and the glorie of them saying all these will I give thee if falling downe thou a dore me VVhether doth not pride and ambition carie a mind that is once poisoned with them of what doth it not brag though never so false as here the divell as if all had been his to give and to take away at his pleasure I will give thee all the kingdomes as if all did consist in present wealth and glorie and pleasure and command They who have had all at will what is become of them All these what are they
this time forvvard thou shalt be taking men and having brought thier ship to land leaving all things they follovved him Miserable creatures who fall out of the net in which our Saâ—iour hath taken them more miserable those who teare it Happy they who are called and imployed to assist that it be not torne They will be filled with heavenly graces and though they be often ready in a manner to sink vnder the burden they will be relieved in time so that they shall suffer no prejudice Fall downe before our Saviour with admiration and thanks and acknowledgment of thy vnworthynes Peeter doth not aske to be forfaken but that he may not with the successe be puffed vp with pride Leave all things rather then leave thy Saviour c. Second Application to the most blessed Sacrament I. OSonne of the highest o depth of mercy and love I a synfull man and thou not only to receive me into thy ship but into thyself for so are thy words he that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood remayneth in me and I in him O deepth vnsearcheable the life of the fish is to be in water it thinks it death to be in the net and struggles to get out But here is a net out of which no man that is wise will be because the more he is in it the more water he hath and the more scope to doe whatever is fitting to be done His precious wounds are as so many messhes which captivate vs to Christ yet doe let in vnto vs the fountaines of living vvater promised to the devout Samaritan fresh sweete pleasant springing vp to life everlasting in which we may live and drink when ever we will Lord give me the right tast of this vvater that I may not go other where and thirst when I have done I am not worthy to approch vnto thee because I am a synfull man but thou hast ordayned this sea of vvater to the end that plunged in it we should both be cleansed and refreshed and live eternally in thee O that we did knovv how greate a gift this is fall dovvne at his knees and aske he is not sparing of his gifts who so freely and bountifully giveth his owne self vnto thee II. O prodigious bounty O wonderfull dulnes of such as hearing and knowing that Iesus comes thus dovvne from heaven for our reliefe doe not make hast vnto him How insensible are we of our dangers and our diseases we have but one soule which ought to be more deere vnto vs the any Sonne to his father it lyeth gasping oftimes for life and here is life which offereth itself and we are slow in accepting it VVhen a sick person begins to have no heate in his fecte we say he begins to die what are the feete of our soule but our affections If these be not warmed with this fire of love which is our Saviour what can we thinke of ourselves Lord come dovvne before my soule dye O stupiditie of mankind can this Lord of Lords come dovvne lower then he hath done he came into a Virgins wombe into the Crib vnto the Crosse into the jawes of death and yet here he comes lower then in all these into thy bosome into thy breast Go and beleeve and obey readyly his commands and his Angels will meete thee and bring thee the ioyfull tidings of health and thou wilt know that that houre most of all will be the time in which thy feaverish distempers will leave thee III. Be not still asking with Nicodemus in the cold night of thy tepiditie hovv can these things be done But buyld vpon the testimony of our Saviour who speakes vvhat he knovves will be done vpon his word this is my body God so loved the vvorld as to give his only Sonne this sonne hath no lesse love to the world then his father He giveth himself and is dayly giving in this admirable manner noâ— contenting himself to be once only for three and thirtie yeares and vpward vpon earth he will be with vs to the worlds end really present among vs that after-ages need not envy those yeares of his visible appearance having the selfsame Sonne of God here present vnder these visible shapes more vniversally through the whole world and more for our present vse and necessities Exalt him as Moyses did the serpent in the desert Behold him with a devouâ— and loving eye and he will preserve thee Cast out all earthy conceites and tumultuous busineses from the temple of thy hart and make it as it ought to be specially in this coniuncture of time a house of prayer a house of thanksgiving a house of prayse and of magnifying thy loving Saviour who hath done so greate things for thee and this greatest of all that he vouchsafeth to be within thee O invisible creatour of the world how wonderfully doest thou deale with vs how sweetly and graciously with thy elect offering thyself vnto them to be received in this Sacrament His fervourin preaching and divers cures I. ANd they enter into Capharnaum and forth with vpon the Sabboth going into the Synagog he taught them and they were astonied at his doctrine for he taught as having power and not as the Scribes And there was in the Synnagog a man possessed with a vncleane spirit who cryed out what to vs and to thee Iesus of Nazareth art thou come to destroy vs I know who thou art the holy of God And Iesus threatened him saying hold thy peace and go out of the man And the uncleane spirit tearing him and crying out with a lowde voyce went out and did not hurt him And they all marvelled and questioned among themselves what thing is this What is this new doctrine For with power he commandeth the vncleane spirits and they obey And the bruitâ— of him went forth presently through the whole country we have no lesse reason to admire and rejoyce and magnifie his name and his power which he retaynes over all evill spirits and his wonderfull wholsome doctrine and to begge he will ever exercise the same power over them to restrayne thier malice and over vs by the force and vertue of his doctrine to over-power all that may contradict it in vs for we find a law within vs striving against the law of our mind which is reason and vertue and captivating vs vnder the law of synne vnhappy that we are who shall deliver vs But the grace of God by Iesus Christ. This law as it were teareth vs in peeces yet doth not hurt vs vnlesse we voluntarily consent vnto it for it is left in vs not to damnation but for exercise and reward if we fight couragiously II. Going forth of the Synagog they came into the house of Andrew and Simon Simons wifes Mother lay sick of a greate fever and they besought him for her and taking her by the hand he commanded the fever away and it left her and she presently rising ministred vnto them
And when the Sunne was downe all that had diseased of sundry maladies brought them to him and he laying his hands vpon every one cured them And divels went out of many crying thou art the Sonne of God and be rebuking them suffered them not to speake that they knew he was Christ. The fever of which we lye sick is our Avarice our ambition our wrath and anger c. a fever inflames the body these disteper the mind We must have recourse to our Saviour and beseech him to help vs those fevers neglected grow greater and greater and bring vnlucky deaths if we be freed from the violence of these passions we must not be idle but diligent in the service of our Saviour See how worldly busines doth delay our spirituall cure people flocked not till sunne set How many differ repentance to the last God is mercyfull and oft wayteth our leasure but not allwayes III. And rising very early be went into the desert and prayed and Simon sought after him and they who had been with him and when they found him they sayed all seeke thee but he answered I must preach to other citties also the kingdome of heaven for therfore am I sent He went into the desert to teach vs that if we chance to doe any thing extraordinarie we must fly the prayse of men and give God thanks in private for the benefit received He went away sudainly and without the knowledge even of his owne disciples to teach vs to take time while time is and not to delay but dread the judgments of God who oft withdraweth himself even from those who at times desire his presence because at other times they neglect him And he rounded all Galilee preaching and healing all diseases and his fame did spread itself through all Syria and multitudes did follow him from Galilee and Hierusalem and Iewrie and from beyond the river Iordan Thou mayest soone drive away Iesus and leese his savour if thou turne thyself to externall things c. Three pretending to follow our Saviour I. AS they were walking in the way one of the Scribes sayed vnto him Master I will follow thee whersoever thou goest Iesus sayed to him the foxes have holes and the birds of the ayre neasts but the Sonne of man hath not where to lay downe his head VVe may well conceive sayth S. Augustin that this man if he had followed Christ would have sought himself and not Christ therfore he was answered that the sonne of man hath not where to rest his head But where hath he not He hath not in thy faith foxes have taken vp thy hart because thou hast a doble hart the birds of the ayre have neasten in thy hart because thou art proude the deceitfull and the proude doe not follow me How can craft and deceite follow simplicitie or pride humilitie And withall admire the poverty of our Saviour in which he lived and how he was often put to exigents for want of shelter and retired himself into the desert to pray The Sonne of man hath not where to rest his head and is it for me so easyly to give way to lazines or to seeke my ease II. To another he sayed follow me and he answered Lord let me go first and bury my father and Iesus sayed to him let the dead bury the dead but go thou and preach the kingdome of God That which this man desired to doe was an act vvas an act of pietie but the heavenly Master taught him what he ought to have preferred VVhen the misbeleeving bury a corps the dead bury the dead the mans body lost the soule but thier soules had lost God Ponder the difference betweene these two deaths and these two burialls and againe reflect what hast thou to doe with secular busines when it is time of prayer and such spirituall imployments Let the dead bury thier dead III. Another sayed I will follow thee Lord but let me first take leave of them that are at home And Iesus sayed to him no man putting his hand to the plough and looking back is apt for the kingdome of heaven He would not suffer that those whome he brought vp for the kingdome of heaven should be one moment diverted from it but that having given themselves to God they should make no account of earthly things at all nor have any thought of them And if no man looking back be apt for the kingdome of heaven how canst thou expect the divine illustrations in prayer or his assistance in other things if thou hast not thy eyes vpon him but art looking back vpon things impertinent How canst thou hope to profit if thou lookest vpon those who lag behind and not vpon the fervent who go before thee One thiug sayth S. Paul is of importance or one thing I endeavour forgeting the things which are behind and stretching myself to those which are before I pursue the marke the prize of the supernall vacation of God in Christ Iesus let vs therfore as many as are perfect be thus minded He calmes the sea I. ANd they take him into the ship as he was and behold a greate tempest rose in the sea the wind blew and the waves beate into the ship so that it was covered with them and he was in the hinder part sleeping upon â— pillovve It is a greate commendation and excellencie of faith to receive our Saviour as he is in the ship that is in the church leaving the multitude of questions and reasons A tempest rise it is but to trie the skill of the Pilote and the diligence of the mariners for vvhatever happeâ—eth will not contristate the Iust who repose vpon the pillow with our Saviour to wit vpon a good conscience with trust and confidence in him and resignation to his will Record what stormes the Church of God hath indured and hath been delivered out of them all Consider also the inward stormes which rise in thy soule and how thou art to behave thyself in them Hath some body slandered thee or miscalled thee It is a wind which is risen against thee hast thou been angrie at it It is a wave which hath beaten into thy ship Remember how our Saviour hath behaved himself and he was sleeping II. His disciples came to him and raysed him saying Master doth is nothing belong to thee that we perish Save vs And he sayth to them why are you fearefull ô yee of little faith As if he should have sayed You doe well to call vpon me and to beleeve that I can save you but you should moreover have beleeved that even sleeping I have care of you that you perish not and have a mind to save you though for a time I permit you to be in troble He sayed well let the world rage and the wicked bend thier teeth against me yet I will hope in thee Rise why doest thou sleepe ô Lord
cast out divells surely the kingdome of God is come vpon you Beware of dissension the mischiefe which comes of it is too apparent Beware of censuring other-folks actions or words and construing them to the worst most commonly they condemne themselves as one time or other guiltie of the same Imitate our Saviour who is still doing good to these who shew themselves thus vngratefull for it is a signe that we pertayne to the kingdome of God who makes his Sunne to shine over the good and the bad and rayneth vpon the just and vnjust III. When an vncleane spirit departs out of à man â—e wandereth through places without water seeking rest and not finding he sayth I will returne into my house whence I departed and he findeth it swept and trimmed but vacant then he taketh seaven other spirits worse then himself and entring in they dwell there and the last of that man becomes worse then the first S. Augustin sayeth that they are signified in this parable who beleeving in Christ and imbracing his doctrine shrinke afterwards in the performance of it overcome with thier too much inclination to case and pleasure for though at first they resolved to overcome it yet missing afterwards of those remporall delights to which they were too much affected they fall to them more greedily then before and are vtterly lost in them Begge of our Saviour the seaven gifts of the holy Ghost contrarie to the seaven wicked spirits which labour to prossesse vs. To witt true wisdome ioyned with profound humilitie cleare light of the vnderstanding with out too much adhering to our owne conceit easynes not only to take advise but also to follow it fortitude even in those things which are not all togeather to our liking if otherwise sitting or commanded to be done knowledge without of tentation true pietie and devotion with our all kind of dissembling and the true feare of God not to be overcome with the falsly stiled freedome which endeavours to vndermine it Veni Sanâ—te Spiritus The fist application to the most Blessed Sacrament I. THe Magdalen the Centurion and the Widdow of Naim gives as an ample subiect wherwith to interrayne our Saviour at the holy Communion with teares of repentance for our manifold offences with humble acknowledgment of our greate vnworthynes to be visited by such a guest and with ioy at the raysing of our soule from 〈◊〉 to life by the powerfull mercy of our Saviour taking â—ompassion of vs when we were caryed away by our disordered desires to our vtter ruine Prostrate thyself at thy Saviours feeâ—e with the one begging pardon and washing with reares the aspersions which thou hast cast vpon them by thy disorder Retire thyself with the other into the bosome of thy owne nothing by nature and worse then nothing by synne and be ashamed to approch yet not soe but that with the third thou mayest rayse thyself to confidence seeing he is pleased to meete thee and to stretch his loving hand towards thee to be received by thee II. But we must not rest in affections only we must bestow vpon him the oyntments which he desireth resolutions to imbrace the narrow way by him commended For not every one that sayth Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdome of Heaven but he that doth the will of his heavenly Father This resolution we must strengthen by often applying ourselves to this holy Banket and often receiving it For heis our strength and our refuge â—â—d in him is all our hope See how he gives sight to the blind hearing to the dease Speech to the dumbe life to the dead how he refuseth not the poorest snake that is but gives â—free accesse and comfort to every body that is willing to be holpen by him And be not scandalized in him thinking that he makes himself too cheape or that it is better to foxbeare for if he be willing to afford vs this comfort and this honour as certainly he is it were rather a discourresie to shrink back and as it were to forbid his coming to vs. For neither did the Centurion so but presenting himself vnto him expressed only his firme beleese that in absence also he could cure his servant III. When thou hast received take heed of instantly turning to other thoughts vnlesse some absolut necessarie busines come vpon thee but give him some time of loving intertaynement least he that is cast out watching his opportunitie finding the house trimmed but vacant and emptie of any good imployment or thought strive to come in againe and for our ingratitude we find lesse devotion if not some thing worse happen vnto vs. Imploy thyself in his prayses as he did in S. Jhons when his disciples were returned say vnto thyself what a Guest have I received into my house A Prophet an Angell No the inlightner of Propheâ—s and the Lord of Angels in whose prelence-they stand with reverent respect singing Holy Holy Holy the Lord of hosts full is heaven and earth of thy glorie aÌ„d Maiestie Thee The glorious quire of the Apostles The multitude of Prophets The glitering armiers of blessed Marryrs The whole Catholick Church spead through the world doe prayse and glorisie and consesse to be thier God thier redeemer thier glorifier The parable of the seed I. VVHen a grâ—â—te multitude assembled and hastened out of the citties to him be sayed by a similitude the sower went forth to sow his seed and in sowing some fell by the way side and was troden vpon and the fowles of the ayre did eate it Othersome fell vpon the rocke and being shot vp it withered because it had not meisture Othersome fell among thornes and the thornes growing vp with it choked it Othersome fell upon good groâ—â—d and being shot vp yealded fruit an hundred fold The sower is the most Blessed Trinitie the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost the blessed Angels the holy Apostles and Prophets in thier doctriâ—e preached and written for vs. The seed is every good thought every good motion stirring vs to that which is our dutie towards God towards our neighbour and ourselves Every good thought that is given and every perfect gift is from heaven descending from the Father of lights It behooveth vs to think how we receive them not to be vngratefull to the gratious giver and prerudiciall to ourselves God is bountifull to all and vpon every mans haâ—â— he soweth his seed it belongs to man to prepare his souâ— by the selfsame graces and to render it â—upple and plyable by cooperating with them for we are not by 〈◊〉 tute rocks but by our owne willfull hardening our harts nor are we necessitated to lye by the high way side where every one is apt to tread vpon vs nor bred so among thoâ—nes that we cannot avoyde them II. In the explication of this similitude our Saviour tells vs that the birds of the ayre signifie the evill spirits who while we
lye open by the high way side to every one that passeth by cast in other thoughts into our mind and so tread downe and overwhelme the good which we had received and put it quite out of our memorie They that fall vpon the rock are such as with ioy receive the word and having no moisture take no roote and for a time beleave and in time of temptation they fall away And that which fell into thornes are they that having heard going thier wayes are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life and render no fruit So that we have here three enimies of our good The evill spirits vpon whoÌ„ we must waâ—ch and keepe our hart recollected that they may have noe entrance by thier devices Our owne flesh which if it be not subdued and broken of its wicked and stubborne desires and so made capable of the heavenly dew will grow harder and harder to be brought to good and however pleasing for a time a heavenly inspiration is it will take no roote but as a resty iade will fly-of where most of all it should go on And thirdly the cares and wealth and pleasures of this world are as so many thornes which instaÌ„tly choke vs so soone as we begin to think that the service of God cannot be complyed with vnlesse in some measure we forgo them for thier importunitie is without measure and stint III. And that which fell upon good ground are they who with an honest and good hart hearing the word doe retayne it and yeald fruit in pacience some a hundred fold another threescore another thirty As S. Matthew relates it Though God doth bestow his graces liberally vpon all yet is he to some more liberall then to others For which every one according to his measure ought to give him thanks as being his free gift without any originall obligation to vs. And if he have bestowed vpon vs a soule inclined to Good we are the more bound vnto him and yet we cannot expect to yealâ— fruite without pacience for in hearing and retayning â—ad in cooperating we shall find our difficulties Custome will lye crosse in our way and is to be overcome by better custome Our flesh will repine and is to be bridled by fervour of spirit the old serpent will tempt vs. and afflict vs and is to be put to flight by prayer and alâ—o to be shut oâ—t by profitable labour The Parable of the Cockle I. Another parable he proposed to them saying the Kingdome of heaven is ressembled to a man that sawed good seed in his field But when men were in sleepe his enimie câ—me and sowed over it cockle among the wheats and went his way and when the blade was shot up and brought â—ith fruite then also appâ—ared the cockle Another similitude to stirre vs vp to watchfullnes for as sleepe is necessariâ— for our corporall fustinaÌ„ce so to our soule it is pernicious that is spirituall drow synes sloth and neglect of what passeth in vs or about vs lightly to omit our exercises scaree ever passeth with out some losse In our beginnings we receive good seed if we be not watchfull the enimie crastily sowes other principles tending to libertie to self will and self iudgement and the like and he lets vs alone for a time as if nothing had been done but as we grow in yeares and into imployment then those loose principles begin to appeare and vnlesse we be aware will over beare the good corne aÌ„d by the neglect of theÌ„ and not choking them in thier first sowing many a sad event befalls those who otherwise might have borne much fruite in the Church of God II. The same parable signifyeth also vnto vs. that in the Church of God and in all communities there be good and bad â—ervent in the service of God and some lesse fervent God giving every one means to doe well but some out of neglect suffer the enimie to sow other seeds in theÌ„ which hinder the fruite which they might beare and turne them from wheate into cockle These he sayth are not alwayes to be dealt with rigorously but with pacience and good admonitions exemples and reprehensious expected till God dispose them either to better in this life or to punishment in the next The servants sayd wilt thoâ— we go and pluck vp the cockle and he sayd No least gathering the cockle you roote vp the wheate also with it Let both grow till haruest and in the time of haruest I will say to the reapers gathâ—r first the cockle and bind it into bundles to burne and 〈◊〉 the wheate into my barne III. Admire the pacience of Almightie God who suffereth so many affronts fâ—oÌ„ synners and yet expecteth theÌ„ to the last reckon thy self in the number and bâ—ware thou trie not his pacience too long but a wake be times and looke about thee and search eveâ— conner of thy field that is thy soule see what is there sowed and by whome many an one seemes a frend and is an enimie because favouring our humours he speakes things pleasing and not profitable but preiudiciall to us VVhile we doe not resist the enimie in the beginning he enters by little and little wholy into vs and the longer we continue sloathfull in resisting the weaker we grow and our enemie the stronger yet we must take S. Hieromes advertisement in our way who vpon this parable sayth that our Saviour forbiddeth to passe our censure sudainly where a thing is doubtfull but rather leave it to God to iudge The parables of the Mustarseed the Treasure and the pearle I THe Kingdome of heaven is like to a Mustardseed which â— the least of all seeds but when it is growen iâ—â—s greater then all hearbs and becomes a tree so that the sowles of the ayre come and dwell in the branches therof Christian faith and the doctrine therof at first seems contemptible and had but slender beginnings from the preaching of a few fishermen but in processe of time being well pondered and thoroughly sifted the life and vigour of it appeared and it hath over toped all other professions so that the sublimest wits have found full satisfaction in it Besides that persecution hath increased it as the seed wheÌ„ it is grinded is more forcible Our Saviour himself how contemptible did he appeare to the world being crucified dead and buryed Yet that made for his greater glorie and by it he would shew vs the only way to glorie to be to humble ourselves and be humbled bearing it patiently and with courage and assurance that at last we shall have a crowne of glorie and immortalitie for our sufferingsâ— Let vs therfore not be dejected with persecution or crosses but according to the advise of S. Hierome take wings of a doue in simplicitie of hart and fly into the branches of this tree and contemning earthly things and that which here is in esteeme make hast to things
be thou opened and immediatly his eares were opened and the string of his toâ—gue was loosened and he spake playnâ— Our Saviour could with a word have cured him but he would commend vnto vs a reverent opinion of the ceremonies which were afterwards to be vsed in his Church no lesse significative then these He tooke him from the multitude a part to teach vs that whoever will be cured of his spirituall diseases must vvithdraw himself from evill companie and attend to God in private Also that synners are often to be admonished in private least shame keepâ— them from repentance He sighed more bewayling the invvard deafnes of the Iewes then the outward of this one man And vsed those other ceremonies to shevv that he spared no indeavour to correct them S. Gregorie by 〈◊〉 fingers vnderstands the gifts of the holy Gost infused into his soule and by his spitle heavenly vvisdone vvherby vve come to speake rightly and teacheth vs by his sighing to lift vp our harts to God and sigh for those heavenly gifts of vvhich we have so much need II. And the Pharisees and Sadduces came to him tempting him and demanded of him a signe from heaven But he answered when it is evening you say it will be fayre weather for the â—limâ—nt is red and in the morning This day there will be a tempest for the sky doth glow and lowre The face of the eliment you have skill to discerne and the signes of times can you not There shall not a signe be given but the signe of Ionas the Prophet and he went away and left them So many signes and miracles our Saviour was dayly vvorking â—aÌ„d none would satisfie them desirous of some after thier owne fancy which when it had been yealded vnto would have wrought as little vvhich them For hovv oft had a voyce come from heaven declaring what he was and they never the neerer finding some other thing to impute it vnto This is a deafnes more to be commiserated then any other wearying out even our Saviour himself and causing him to forsake them vpon whome words and signes were spent in vaine Though he put them oft in mind of his resurrection by the example of Jonas who was three dayes in the whales belly yet at it when it happened they were as blind and willfull seeking new occasions and tooke no benefit by it If thou wert within good and pure then thou wouldst without hindrance see and vnderstand all things III. They came to Bethsaida and bring to him one blind and desired him that he would touch him and taking the hand of the blind he led him forth of the towâ—e and spiting into his eyes and laying his hand vpon him asked him if he saw any thing and looking vp he sayed I see men as it were trees walking and againe he layed his hands vpon his eyes and 〈◊〉 began to see and was restored so that he saw all things clearly The Ceremonies are much the same the event different He cures him by peeces not for want of power but for our Instruction who must content ourselves with what God will allow vs and by our thankfulnes incite him to doe more at his owne time He saw men walking likâ— trees with thier heads downwards and thier feere vpâ—ward groveling in the earth and alltogether busy to get roote in worldly wealth and honour and seting heavenly things at naught O thaâ— our Saviour would lay his hand againe and a gaine vpon our eyes that we might see all things clearly how different judgment should we make fâ—â—o that which passeth most coÌ„moÌ„ly for good in the world Peeter confesseth Christ to be the Sonne of the living God I. IEsus came into the quarters of Cesarea Philippi and asked his Disciples whome say men that the Sonne of man is And they sayed same Ihon Baptist and other-some Elias others Hierome or one of the Prophets How many ifferent opinions have there been and are still of our Second Part. Saviour For to say nothing of the Arians and such like Heretiks who denyed our Saviour to be God or to be truly man how many even among those who professe themselves Christians and Catholiks have not so reveâ—end opinion of him in effect as these Jewes had whose censure the Disciples did relate For either they think his doctrine foolish or harsh and impossible or shew by their actions that they beleeve not that he shall come to judge or that he hath zeale of the glorie and honour of his heaveâ—ly Father which Elias and the Pâ—ophets had dissembling thier iniquities and doe measure his proceedings by thier owne foote Enter into thy owne breast and aske thy soule whome it thinks Christ to be Examine thy actions and see whether thou findst not two different opinions one of thy beleefe another of thy life and beware that that of the pfalme be not true of thee deceitfull lips in hart and hart they have spoken that is in two harts one drawing one way the other to the quite contrarie II. And he sayth to them but whome doe you say I am Simon Peeter answered thou art Christ the Sonne of the living God And Iesus answering sayed to him Blessed art thou Simon Barionâ— because flesh and blood hath not revealid â—o thee but my Father which is in heaven And we also must shut the eyes of flesh and blood which see no further then she outside of every thing and opening the eyes of faith beleeve as we have been taught that however in the outward he is man and subject to the common miseries of mankind he is truly the Sonne of God and one God with him and reverence him accordingly what is there in the world of which we see more then the outward lineaments and yet from the effects we come to beleeve and know that there is more in it then we doe see much more of our Saviour and of all that belongs to him and to the other world ought we to be most certaine that it is otherwise then our short sight or vnderstanding can of itself discover Blessed are they who beleeve inlightened from above begge increase and strength of faith that thou mayest partake of the rewards layed vp for humble beleevers III. And I say to thee that thou art Peeter and vpoâ— this rock nill I buyld my Church and the gates of hell shall noâ— prevayle against it And I will give to thee the Keyes of the Kingdome of heaven and whatever thou shalt bind upon earth if ffiall be bound also in the heavens and whatever thou shalt loosâ— on earth if stetall be loosed also in the heavens God is never backward in rewarding that which is good and the morâ— heroicall acts we doe the more we shall experience it Peeter signifies a rock or stone therefore alluding to the name which himself had given him before vpon designe he promiseth to buyld his Church vpon him so strongly that no attempt of hell gates
darken him but to teÌ„per his shining if thou follow the visible sunne it forsaketh thee at the setting if thou doest not forsake God his light will never set to thee The light of the old law was confined to a smalle compasse and scarce appeared out of the land of Iury the light which our Saviour brought by his sacred presence is diffused farre and neere and excludeth none that will imbrace it It is vniversall yet darkenes is not avoyded by only knowing him but by following his steps and practising the doctrine which he taught I am the light others who teach not conâ—orâ—ably to him are not to be followed as being false lights which will deceive vs and leaâ—e vs in the darke O the wicked world That chooseth rather to follow their pleasures intemperately then waite vpon this light and in the meane time they walke and little think whether The light which our Saviour bringeth leads vs to an everlasting light and life and the very dignitie of the leader might justly intice vs to follow him for he is God the same that anciently sayed I am he that is Inlighten me sweete Iesus with the clearenes of internall light and expell ouâ— of the habitioâ— of my hart all darkenes II. You judge according to the flesh I does not judge any man and if I doe iudge my judgement is true because I am not alone but I and he that 〈◊〉 me They saw our Saviour as he was man and did not beleeve he was God iudging therfore according to that which they saw with their carnall eyes they erred he judgeth not man according to the outside or according to human affection but as â—â—e and his heavenly Father being God knoweth all things How many to this day judge no otherwise of him then as man And even among Christians how many think his wayes none of the best or the wifest measuring them either by their owne disordered appeâ—its or by their short vnderstanding and conceits And concerning one another we must follow the directions of S. Augustine Every one that is bad doth either therfore live that he may amend or that the good may be exercised by him so long as they are such let vs not hate them for we know not whether they will allwayes be such and oftimes when thou thinkest thou haâ—est thy enimie thou haâ—est thy brother and doest not know so much The divell and hiâ— Angels are declared to vs that they are damned their asmendment is alone to be despayred of III. I go and you shall 〈…〉 I go you cannot come you are from beneath I am from above you are of this world I am not of this world Therfore I sayed you shall die in your synnâ— for if you beleeve not that I am he you shall die in your synns Our Saviour was to go out of this world by death upon the Crosse the Jewes to this day seeke him as expecting still thier Messias and die in thier synnâ— of refusing him when he was vpon earth because they will not yet belâ—eve that he was the man they expected They were of the world and from beneath still harping vpon wordly freedome and wealth and honour and did not rayse their thoughts to the heavenly things and heavenly Kingdome which he did preach to them this was the cause of their blindnes of which we must also beware least with these things beneath we fall short of the heavenly A heavy saying to a soule I go and you shall seeke me and shall die in your synne He doth not depart so vnlesse he be forced away by our obstinacie in synne yet his parting at all times is heavy though but for a time of tryall in regard of our infirmitie but if we seeke him carefully and lovingly we shall find him to our greater comfort A little when I had passed the watch I found whome my soule loveth I have found him and will not suffer him to depart Where are the bowels of Christian compassion if bewayling the body that is forsaken by the soule thou bewaylest not the soule forsakeÌ„ by its Saviour He gives sight to him that was borne blind I. â—suas passing by saw a man blind from his nativitie and his disciples asked him who hath syâ—ned this man or his parents that he should be borne blind Iesus answered neither this man synned nor his parents but that the workes of God may be manifested in him and when he had sayed he spit vpon the ground and made clay of the spiâ—â—e and spred the clay vpon his eyes and sayed to him Go waâ—â— in the poolâ— of Siloâ— he 〈◊〉 and washed 〈…〉 Iesus his passing by is never without 〈◊〉 if we attend not more to curiosiâ—ies then solâ—de vertue Out 〈◊〉 to knâ—w the reason of things with never be able to diâ—â— so deepe to vs to come to the truth vnlesse our Saviour reveale it And as here he layed clay vpon the blind mans eyes to make him see however contrarie it might seemâ— to the standers by so our spirituall eyes are more opened by humbly shutting them to humane reason and beleeving our directours then by curious questioning This is the highest and the most profitable lesson the true knowledge and contempt of thyself We are durt and ashes wherfore should we be proude We are moreover defiled with synnâ— we must wash in the poolâ— appointed by our Saviour which is the Sacrament of Confession and doe it humbly and syncerly as this blind man did and with true desire to be cured II. The Iewes were more blinded in their minds theÌ„ he had been in his corporall sight for to so evident a miracle they gave little credit Some sayed this is the man that sat begging others sayed not but hâ— is like him They bring him to the Pharisees and they asked him how he saw And certaâ—ne of them sayed This man is not of God who keepeth not the Sabboth And they say to the blind Thou what sayest thou of him And he sayed He is a Prophet And the Iewes did not beleeve of him that he had been blind and saw They called his parents and asked them They called him againe And he still affirming the truth aÌ„d pleading for ouâ— Saviour they cast him forth A passionate man doth construe good to be evill and doth easyly beleeve that which is ill A good peaceable man doth turne all to good A miserable thing that some should be the more blinded the more they seeme to search after the truâ—h So long as they did looke that he would have denyed himself to have been blind they thought him worthy to be beleeved but finding him to speake the truth vndauntedly then they condemâ—e him When most of all they should have admired him III. Iesus heard that they hâ—d cast him forth and when he had found him he sayed vnto him doest thou beleeve in the Sonne of God He answered who is he that I may beleeve in him
Our glorie must be in our hope of heaven and that by Gods goodnes we are in a way towards it all other thingâ—â—vayle vs little but as these are accoÌ„panied with humilitie and other vertues Whosoever rejoyceth in that which another hath not by his very abundaÌ„ce he becometh the worse because his joy is noâ— of the common good but of his private interest III. In that very houre he rejoyced in spirit and sayed I confesse to thee Father Lord of heaven and earth because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them to little ones and turning to his disciples he sayed Blessed are the eyes that see the things that you see for I say vnto you many prophets and Kings desired to see those things which you see and saw them not and to heare the things that you heare and heard them not Our Saviour rejoyced not at the synne of those by whose falt and presuming to be wise these things were hidden from them but at the goodnes of his heavenly Father who did not disdayne to reveale thâ—Ì„ to those who in the world were coÌ„teÌ„ptible And what are these things But that by humilitie and by suffering we must go to glorie and that in this is the happines of this life not in the wealth and honour and pleasurs which men so much hunt after and think themselves only then happy when they injoy them at will and miserable whenever they are bereaved of any of them Blessed are the eyes which see these things in our Saviours life and doctrine now as well as when the Apostles saw him vpon earth Many Prophets and Kings before our Saviours coming desired to see and heare them we have the same blessing according to his owne saying to S. Thomas Blessed are they that have not seen and doe beleeve The ninth Application to the most Blessed Sacrament I. HEre we are to admire the goodnes of God and of our Blessed Saviour towards vs who notwithstanding that we are so imperfect and all the good we do if we do any so much mingled with things distastfull to him that we deserve to be kept aloofe of as the lepers and oftimes perhaps to be shutout of the citty of heaven for greater offenses yet vpon our crying to him for mercy and shewing ourselves to the Priests in the Sacrament of confession he admitteth vs so familiarly to his holy table O with what gratitude should we magnifie him for so great mercy and love with what humilitie should we cast ourselves vpon our faces before his feetâ— giving thanks and purposing to be perpetually mindfull of so greate a benefit But where are our thoughs oftimes eveÌ„ when we should most attend Our repeditie and negligence is much to be lamented and pittyed that we are not drawne with more devotion to receive our Saviour Christ. In whome is all the hope of them that be to be saved and all their merit If one in ten of out thoughts be imployed this way we think it a greate matter wheras our whole atteÌ„dance were indeed nothing in coÌ„parison of that which this greate goodnes of our Saviour deserveth II. Our Saviour to cure the blind man and to give him his sight layed clay vpon his eyes which seemed quite contrarie to the cure we also if we will see the truth of this mysterie must close vp our eyes to humane reason according to that which our Saviour answered the Iewes vpon this occasion for they asking him Are we also blind He sayed to them if you were blind you should not have synne but now you say we see your synne remayneth S. Lewis of FraÌ„ce when his courtiers brought him newes that there was a little child to be seen in the Priests hands as he was lifting vp the sacred host would not stirre to see it but answered that he beleeved the reall preseÌ„ce of our Blessed Saviour vpon better ground then that sight could affoard him He was truly illuminated with the light of faith shutting his eyes to curiositie and opening them to the words of our Saviour who is true light and cannot deceive I am the light of the world He that followeth me walâ—eth not in darkenes however darke the mysteries of faith seeme to be III. And if we reflect vpon the other title which he giues himself of good Pastour In what could he shew his goodnes more then that having once offered that greate oblation of himself vpon the Crosse and given his life for vs he resteth not content with that but dayly would have it offered for vs yea hourely through the whole world for our greater comfort and satisfaction providing that his sheepe may never want so fertill a pasture but vpoÌ„ all occasioÌ„s may haue such celestiall food at haÌ„d See how they who record the passioÌ„ aÌ„d sufferings of our Saviour in time of the holy sacrifice drinking of the spirituall fountains springing from that â—orrent of love doe delight themselves with sweete teares above all delicacies And how much sweetenes they do suck into their soules inquiring and consâ—dering where their God is Certainly this one word and this one consideration that God is so neere them not only as to the whole world but in this particular familiar and constant way is able to melt the hart of any loving soule and abundantly to fill it with all delight â—â—This good Pastour giverth his life for his sheepe in that he delivereth his Body and Blood in this Sacrament and with the substance of his owne flesh doth feed the sheepe which he redeemed The parable of the man wounded in his way to Iericho I. ANd behold a certaine lawyer stood vp tempting him and saying Master by doing of what thing shall I possesse life everlasting He sayed to him in the law what is written How readest thou He answering sayed Thou shalt love thy Lord thy God with thy whole hart and with thy whole soule and with all strength and with all thy mind And they neigbour as thyself And he sayed to him thou hast answered right doe this and thou shall live How many doe say would to God I knew the direct way how to be saved or how to overcome my passions And having it before their eyes they heed it noâ— the weake resolution or difficultie which they have about forsaking either their will or their companie or their wonted steps blinding them life everlasting when they think of it is a greate attractive and deservedly but whether they perswade themselves thoroughly that it deserves so much paines as they conceive is to be taken that is the question and yet as this man confesseth the way is love which makes all things in the world easy for vnlesse worldly people did love their employments they would find no lesse difficultie in serving the world then they apprehend in serving God Love God and they neigbour and nothing will be hard II. But â—e desirous to iâ—stifie himself
sayed to Iesus who is my neigbour Iesus sayed A certaine man went downe from Hierusalem to Iericho and fell among theeves who stripped him and â—â—unding him went away leaving him half dead It chanced thâ—t â— Priest went downe the same vvay and seeing him passed by so did a Levit but a Samaritan going his iourney came neere him and seing him was moved with compassion and going to him bound his wounds pouring in oyle and wine and setting him vpon his owne beast brought him into an Inne and tookâ— care of him and the next day he tooke forth two pence and gavâ— to the host and sayed have care of him and whatever 〈◊〉 shalt bestow above I at my returne will repay thee Which of these three in thy opinion was neighbour to him that fell among theeves He sayed he that did mercy vpon him and Iesus sayed to him Go and doe thou in like manner And thou sayth S. Ihon Chrysostome if thou see any body needing help for body or soule doe not say to thyself why did not such an one or such an one assist him But help him thou in his distresse If thou happen vpon a bag of gold lying in the high way thou doest not aske why another did not take it vp but makest hast to take it before any body elscome So when thou meetest with thy neighbour fallen think that thou hast found a treasure to witt an occasion of helping him III. This is that which we ought to practise but in a spirituall sence as S. Augustin discourseth The man that fell among thâ—eves was Adam and in him all man kind The theeves were the divell and his Angels who stripped him of his innocencie and of immortalitie and wounding him by perswading synne they left him half dead for in as much as he hath habilitie to know God he is alive in as much as he synneth he is dead The Priest and the Levit signifie the ceremonies of the old law which could not avayle towards the reliefe of the wounded the Samaritan is our Saviour a stranger to this world as he is God and coming as it were a long iourney he tooke our offences vpon his owne body suffering for then and bringing vs into his Church takes care of vs and commends vs with the exercise of the two precepts of charitie to the governours of the Church and what ever we doe more then we are absolutely obliged vnto he will repay it to the full betake thyself to this Samaritan c. Martha intertaynes our Saviour I. ANd it came to passe as they went he intrâ—d a certainâ— towne and a certaine woman named Martha received him into her house and she had a sister called Marie who sâ—tting also at our Lords feete heard his word What is this towne but the hart of man which before our Lord resorted to it was rounded with a deepe ditch of Cupiâ—ditie and disordered desire inclosed with a wall of obstinacie having in the midst a babyloniall toure of confusion victualled with carnall pleasure and worldly vanitie and armed and mâ—nitioned with arguments of carnall wisdome This towne at the entrance of our Saviour must fall downe and a new one be buylt with a ditch of humilitie and wall of constancie and toure of circumspection and care of all our actions and thoughts victualled with spirituall comforts armed with the armour of faith hope and charitie Martha receives him with devouâ— action and Marie iâ—tertaines him with pious contemplation II. But Martha 〈◊〉 busy about much service who stood and sayed hast thou no care that my sister hath left me alone to serve speake to her therfore that she help me Martha was busy hoâ— she should feed our Lord Marie was busy how she migh 〈◊〉 by our Lord Martha was preparing a banket for our Lord Marie was taking delight in the banket which our Lord had prepared for her But happy is that house or congregation where Martha complaynes of Marie action of contemplation for it were an vnworthy thing for Marie to grow into emulation with Martha contemplation with action where doe we ever find Marie complayning that Martha hath left her alone sitting in her retirement Martha must alwayes persuade herself that she needs help by contemplation and that she is in want of it III. And our Lord answering sayed to her Martha Martha Thou art carefull and trobled about many things but â—ne thing is necessarie Marie hath choosen the best part which shall not be taken from her To be neither carefull noâ— trobled at our carelesnes is a â—igne of greate neglect of our dutie to God To be carefull and yet trobled is a signe of pusillanimitie and little confidence in the mercies of God or little apprehension of them To be carefull and yet not trobled is proper to an humble and loving spirit acknowledging its owne infirmitie and confiding in the goodnes of God that he will not forsake vs. The fervour of our action sayth S. Gregorie is then in its best disposition when we so apply ourselves to our worke that with a peaceable hart we indeavour to behold him before vs to whom we have consecrated our labours excesse of solicitude is but a confounding of our intentions Marie was occupied in that one thing which our Saviour commended she sayed with the psalme It is good for me to sticke to God She sat at his feete The more humbly she sat the more she received the waters doe gather in the low vallyes they leave the pround hills dry Our Saviour did not find falt with the imployment but shewed the difference The multiplicitie of labour passeth away the vnitie of charitie remayneth Therfore that which Marie choose shall not be taken from her from thee Martha that which thou hast chooseâ— shall be taken away but it shall be taken for thy good and a better thing given thee labour shall be taken away that thou mayest rest Thou doest sayle the sea she is in the haven He teacheth his disciples to pray I. PART I. ANd it came to passe when he was in a certaine place praying as he ceased one of his disciples sayed to him Lord teach vs to pray as Ihon ought his disciples And be sayed to them when you pray say Our Father which are in heaven hollowed by the name Thy Kingdome come Thy will be done in earth as it is in Heaven The name of Father is of itself apt to breed in vs thoughts of love and confidence for it is proper for a Father to provide carefully and lovingly all things necessarie for his Children The tearming him our Father doth add yet more confidence and love bâ—cause as he is the common Father of all so is he ours in particular whoever with a childs love and respect doe acknowledge him and obey him with these affections therfore we should come to our prayers They who have misdemeaned themselves towards him yet coming with due sorrow
to vvhich in this life vve are subject the spirituall are temptations proceeding from our Ghostly enemie who as S. Peeter expresseth as a roring lion walketh round seeking whome he may devuore whome resist yee strong in faith Chiefly conâ—iding in the assistance of God vvith out vvhich it is impossible for vs to overcome his temptations nor those neither which the prosperitie of the vvorld may bring vs into or the disordered desires and delights of the flesh into these vve begge that God vvill not bring vs by permitting vs to be overtaken by them As also not by the evills aÌ„d adverse accideÌ„ts of the world which push men oftimes into despayre and not to think so dutifully of God as they ought from these we begge also to be delivered as irksome to our bodies and sometimes inthralling our soules at least vve crave not so farre to be â—rcised by them as to indanger our falling from that vvhich is iustly expected at our hands By all vvhich vve see how providently our Saviour disposed of our prayers that first vve should begge of him that which is best for our soule and body and then to be delivered from the hurtfulâ— molestations of both concluding Amen as much to say as in truth let this be done He teacheth his disciples to pray III. PART I ANd he sayed to them which â—f you shall have a frend and shall go to him at midnight and say frend lend me three 〈◊〉 because a frend of mine in his iourney is come to me and I have nothing to set before him and he from within answering sayth troble me not now the doore is shut and my children are with me in bed I cannot rise and give thee If he persever knocking though he will not rise and give him because he is his frend yet for his importunitie he will rise and give him as many as he needeth After our Saviour had taught his disciples what to pray for he giveth them divers incouragements to pray And first that God is a frend for however we cary ourselves towards him he allwayes carieth a frendly mind towards vs Making his sunne to shine over the good and bad and rayning over the just and iniust Secondly that all houres he can heare our prayers the middle of the night being as much as day to him Thirdly that there is greate difference between God and man for suters to men are many times troblesome to God none can be so and therfore he bids vs confidently Aske and it shall be given you seeke and you shall find knock and it shall be opened to you Fourthly that notwithstanding we must not think that instantly we shall obtaine what we desire but must persever knocking VVhervpon S. Hierome sayth Great is perseverance which though it seeme to be importune and troblesome hath more power then the title of frendship II. For every one that asketh receiveth and he that seeketh findeth and to him that knocketh it shall be opened Humane sloth and dulnes hath reason to be ashamed seeiâ—g God is more ready to give then we are to receive he is more willing to have mercy vpon vs then we are to be delivered from our miseries for in that he exhortes vs it is for our good that he exhorteth vs. Some things which seeme to be are not denyed but differred that they may be granted at time convenient And a powerfull meane to obtaine is to acknowledge that we have nothing of ourselves A begger asketh an almes of vs and we are beggers of God Consider other folkes necessities and God will consider thyne finally we must pray from our hart as the Psalmist professeth of himself From the deapth I have cryed vnto thee O Lord. He did not pray from the teeth outward but from the deepest of his hart with greate application and greate indeavour sâ—ch prayers have greate force III. Which of you if he doth aske his Father bread will he give him a stone Or a fish will he give him a serpent Or if he aske an egg will he reach him a Scorpion If you then being naught know how to give good gifts to your children how much more will my Father from heaven give the good spirit to them that aske him God knowes before we aske what we have need of and what is good for vs he will notwithstanding that we pray not that our desires may be made knowne to him wo knoweth all thing but that our desire be exercised and inflamed in prayer that we may be the more capable of that which he is ready to give That which he will give is very greate but we are little and little able to receive Faith is signified by the fish which the serpent indeavoured to subvert Hope is signified by the egg as contayning in expectation a living creature Charitie by bread which charitie stony harts doe reiect This is the good spirit which the heavenly Father never denyes those who have recourse vnto him Avarice condemned I. ONe of the multitude sayed to him Mâ—ster speake to my brother that he divide inheritance with me But he sayed to him man who hath appointed me Iudge or divider over you And he sayed to them see and beware of all Avarice for not in any mans abundance doth his life consiste of those things which he possesseth A document for those who have retired themselves from the world not to put themselves into worldly affaytes and for them that are in the world not to vndertake more then they can well come-of with and for both to beware of all kind of covetousnes VVherfore doth he say all kind Perhaps thou wouldst iudge him only covetous who incrocheth vpon other folks goods But I say be not greedy aÌ„d pinching even in thy owne This is a greate charge for it is not a thing to be flighted where our Saviour sayth â—eware He knowes how dangerous a thing it is we know not let vs beleeve him And he gives vs an excellent motive to beware and looke to ouâ—selves in it because abundance is not that which advantageth our spirituall life which most of all concernes every body nor when vve have scraped it vp perhaps by none of the best means are vve sure vve shall compasse even our tempoâ—all ends with it as he declares by the example following II A certaine rich mans field yealed plentie of fruite And he thought within himself what shall I doe because I know not whether to gather my fruite And he sayed this will I doe I will destroy my barnes and make greater and thither will I gather all things that are growen to me and my goods And I will say to my soule soule thou hast many goods layed vp for many yeares take thy rest eate drink make good cheare But God sayed to him Thou foole This night they require thy soule of thee and the things which thou hast provided whose shall they be First he did not
consider vvho gave him that plentie and that it comes more by Gods blessing then by humane industrie and labour Secondly he did not reflect vpon the end wherfore God doth bestow plenty vpon others to wit to relieve the needy and to doe works with it which may turne to Gods glorie and not only to rest and eaâ—e and drinke and make good cheare or the like meerely temporall ends O foliâ—h words sayth S. Basill for if thou hadst the soule of a hog what couldst thou have sayed more like a hog Thou mights have answered with farre more ease I will feed the hungrie I will imitate Ioseph and relieve a whole countrie He should have takeÌ„ into consideration the casualities of the world and the vncertaintie of his ovvne life vvherby he might have moderated his intemperate affection to his vvealth and provided better for an other vvorld as vvell as for this we have not one night certaine of either life or goods Thou foole this night vvhen thou doest little think they vvho have povver of life and death shall require at thy hands as a thing depositated for a time thy soule vvhich imports thee more then all thy goods vvhich thou knowest not whose they shall be and vvhen thou art gone neither thou vvilt care vvhose they are nor they vvho have them care for thee III. So is he who layeth vp treasure to himself and is not rich to Godward A generall saying of vvhich every body shoâ—ld take notice least vvhile he seemes vvise to himself God call him foole and prove him so All our thoughts all our actions all our endeavours in what kind soe ever must have a tincture of Gods service and be done in some measure for him or els vvhile vve think ourselves rich we shall prove poore as he in the Apocalips vve are not forbiden to lay vp treasure but vve must looke â—o vvhat purpose vve lay it vp least insteed of advantaging vs it prove our ruine as it doth to most men who have no other end but themselves The tenth Application to the most Blessed Sacrament I. IN the most blessed Sacrament we have indeed plenty of fruite not produced by our owne industrie but sent vs from above as the celestiall Manna nor of one yeares growth but dayly growing from the fountaine itself our Blessed Saviour The barnes are our hart which though we have cause to inlarge with love yet vve shall not need to destroy any thing but vvhat is of itself ruinous and by the very ruine wherof we buyld Here we may freely and with out danger say to our soule soule thou hast many goods layed vp in this small roome for many yeares and for thy vvhole life time and after this life for all Eternitie take vp thy rest eate drink and make good cheare for this is the lambe slayne for vs from the beginning of the world This is the fat calfe with which the father of the prodigall child feasted him at his repentant returne This is the hidden Manna promised in the Apocalips to him that overcometh his greedines of worldly commodities and feedeth himself with this This is the food of Angels prepared for vs from heaven without any labour of ours having in it all delight and the savour of all kind of sweetenes O foolish people who either for worldly cares care not for thâ—s treasure or for waÌ„t of due consideration of the benefit of it or of the goodnes of the benefactour doe neglect it wheras after due receiving though that night vnexpectedly they should require our soule we should not need to feare but that we should be eternally his then which happenes what can we desire more II. Give vs this day our dayly bread In the primitive Church when the number of Christians were few but fervent they received dayly S. Hierome sayth of his time I know that in Rome the customâ— is that the faithfull doâ— allwayes receive the body of our Saviour And S. Ambrose argueth If it be our dayly bread why doest thou stay a yeare before thou receivest it as the Graecians in the East are wont Receive that every day which may dayly benefit thee live so as thou mayest deserve to receive dayly Christians being multiplyed and among many many not being so well disposed or so fervent the councell of S. Ignace the Martyr is to be imbraced Endeavour often to meete and Communion for when you meete often the power of Satan is weakened and his firy darts inciting vs to synne fly back vpon him with out indamaging vs. He that eaâ—eth of this bread hungers no more because the grace of this Sacrament is so full and the vnderstanding of it is so satisfactorie that whoever comes to the notice of this abundance having found out the vtmost of all perfection carying Christ about him in his breast and bearing him in his mind sounds forth by word and deed his prayses with greate ioy and is continually singing songs of thanksgiving III. No man can think but that S. Martha and her sister Marie and Lazarus did take exceeding content so oft as our Saviour came to their house and never thought he came too oft but indeavoured ever to be ready to receive him and to be diligent and respectfull at his receiving Martha did not think she did too much when she desired her sister should help her but she thought that both of them could not doc enough she complayned that she was left alone to wayte vpon him let vs looke that our Saviour have not reason to complayne of vs that we doe leave him alone he ministring to vs and we either doo not come to him or whe we have received him doe not attend him Here he presents vs not with a part but with his whole self VVho is there among the faithfull that can make any doubt but that at the instant of the consecration the heavens are opened at the Priests voyce That at that SacrameÌ„t of our Saviour Iesus Christ quires of Angels are present The high and the low are coupled togeather earth and heaven are ioyned visible and invisible are made one thing VVho therfore that is right in his senses will despise or neglect this reverend and dreadfull mysterie The watchfull and diligent servant commended I. LEt your loynes be girded and candles burning in your hands and you like men expecting their Lord when he shall returne from the mariage that when he doth coâ—and knock forthwith they may open vnto him It 〈◊〉 the custome of the Eastren people to go in long garmeÌ„tâ— therfore he bids vs have our loynes girt That we maâ— be free sayth Tertullian from the impediments of a loose life intangling our feete so that we cannot be quick in walking but ready at every step to stumble and burning lights in our hands that is our mind burning with a lively faith and shining with the light of good workes Thus we must expect our
him and runneth towards vs with more spâ—â—d then we towards him and condescendeth much to our infirmitie stooping to vs while we are not able to rayse ourselves so higâ— as he deserveth and affoordeth us the loving kisse of peace how ever we deserve rather to be punished He doth not say whence comest thou wherewert thou Where is thy substance thou caryedst away Wherfore didst thou change so much glorie with so much basenes Thesâ— things he leaves to our consideration but he is all love and mercy II. And the Father sayed to his servants quickly bring forth the first stole and doe it on him and put a ring vpon his hand and shâ—es on his feete and bring the fatned calfe and kill it and let vs eate and make merry because this my Sonne was dead and is revived was lost and is found And they began to make merry The loving Father would have him clothed before he should come in sight therfore he sayth quickly and it expresseth a greate deale of willingnâ—s which is in God to see vs not only out of our nastie rags of synne but clothed with those vertues which are most pleasing to him therfore not content to put on him the first stoolâ— that is the garment which he formerly vsed he calleth for a ring to his hand to beautify his workes and shooes to his feete to strengthen his affections against the allurements of the world Yet the first stools mentioned must put vs in mind that all the time spent farre from God is lost and returning we must begin where we left and happy we if we be not cast farther back then we were when we parted In a mysticall sence The father ranne to vs in his sonne when in him he descended from heaven my Father sayth he who sent me is with me He fell vpon his neck when in Christ the whole divinitie rested vpon our flesh and he kissed him when mercy and truth have met justice and peace have kissed each other He also is the faâ—ned calfe killed for our entertaynment to the end we might not only have sufficient to sustaine vs but abundance and of the best to delight vs much more in the service of God then in our former course III. But the elder sonne was in the field and when he came and drew nigh to the house he heard musick and dauncing and he called one of the servants and asked what all that should be And he sayed to him thy brother is come and thy Father hath killed the fatned calfe because he hath received him safe and he was angrie and would not go in His father therfore going forth began to desire him But he answering sayed to his father Behold so many yeares doe I serve thee and I never transgressed thy commandment and thou didst never give me a Kid to make merry with my frends But after that this thy sonne that hath devoured his substance with whores is come thou hast killed for him the fatned calfe But he sayed to him sonne thou art allwayes with me and all my things are thyne but is behoved vs to make merry and be glad because this thy brother was dead and is revived was lost and is foâ—nd This expresseth how consider that we should doe by others as we would have done to ourselves secondly how much we value the service which we doe as if God were beholding to vs for it Thirdly how blind we are in not discovering our owne falts I never transgressed as if to envie anothers good were not to transgresse it was not thy strength but thy fathers grace which was cause of it See on the other side the goodnes of God who goeth forth and desireth even the Stubborne Sonne and learne that to synne against him is to kill thy owne soule which is much more to be abhorred then the losse of our life The vnfaithfull Bayly I. HE sayed also to his disciples There was a rich man that had a Bayly and he was ill reported of onto him as he that had wasted his goods And he called him and sayed to him what heare I this of thee Give account of thy Baylyship for now thou canst no more be bayly Our Saviour Christ as God is the only powerfull King of Kings and Lord of Lords rich in all things and chiefly in his mercyes to whome we must give account of every thing for we are â—ords neither of life nor lim not thought nor deed but accountable for all neither can any thing escape his knowledge Though here that which he certaynly knoweth he reckoneth as heard by report because he is not rash or hasty in condemning and will give vs leasure to repeÌ„t while the cause is as it were depeÌ„ding before him He asketh an account that we may aske pardon aÌ„d happy we if by remorse of conscience he aske it here before the time of satisfaction be expired II. And the Bayly sayed within himself what shall I doe because my Lord taketh from me the Baylyship Dig I am not able to begge am ashamed I know what I shall doe that when I shall be removed from my Baylyship they may receive me into their houses A man allwayes desires to doe well when death comes and bereaves him of the time of doing good This question he should have asked himself before what shall I doe seeing every houre and every minute my Baylyship is vpon remouing from me Be I never soe rich to the world and abound in all things for this moment of time I am most miserable if for all eternitie I shall be a begger by it If I be not here able to worke how shall I there be able to suffer the punishments of the slouthfull If I be here ashamed to confesse and begge pardon what shame shall I vndergo there where there is no pardon It is not vnknowne to vs what we ought to doe that after this life we may be saved God grant we may take warning and be wise in time that we be not removed before we have adiusted our accounts and be ready to give in our reckoning III. Therfore calling together every one of his Lords debtors he sayed to the first How much doest thou owe to my Lord He sayeth an hundred pipes of oyle and he sayed to him take thy bill and sit downe quickly write fiftie and to another how much doest thou owe He sayed an hundred quarters of wheate he sayed take thy bill and write fourescore And the Lord praysed the Bayly of iniquitie because he had done wisely for the Children of this world are wiser then the Children of light in their generation And I say unto you make unto you frends of the Mammon of iniquitie that when you fayle they may receive you into the eternrll Tabernacles The Bayly of iniquitie is here praysed not because he did iust things but because according to the practise of worldlings he shewed himself witty and at his masters
arise so it be an hundred fold so it be worth an hundred so it please comfort delight and be to be beloved an hundred times more then other things what madnes is it that men are so slow in leaving a single thing for an hundred fold where is the covetous what is become of the ambitious VVhere are those who trafficke in this world Doth not he in vayne doe evill who might more advantagiously and more plesantly serve God then serve the world Workemen hired into the Vineyard I. THe Kingdome of heaven is like a house holder who 〈◊〉 forth early in the morning to hire workemen into his vâ—â—neyard and having covenanted with the workemen for penny a day be sent them into his vineyard And going forth about the third houre he saw others standing in the market plaâ—â— idle and he sayed to them go you also into the vineyard and 〈◊〉 what shall be iust I will give you And againe he weÌ„t forth about the sixt aÌ„d the ninth houre and did likewise And about the eleventh houre he weÌ„t forth and found others staÌ„ding and he sayth to them what stand you here all the day idle They say to him because no body hath hired vs He sayth to them go you also into the vineyard The vineyard is the Church and every on s soule the market place is the world the workemen the Apostles aÌ„d Apostolicall meÌ„ aÌ„d every one is workemaÌ„ to his owne vineyard wages is promised to the first the second and third to the last nothing is promised but yet if then they do their worke God will not be behind hand with them For any man to say he is not hired is an excuse of the idle God is the greate householder who froÌ„ the beginning of the world to the eÌ„d therof doth not cease to hire vs to doe his worke which is ours also for ours is the benefit if we performe it though however his is the glorie of it VVe have reason to acknowledge his goodnes who in all ages doth admonish vs of our dutie and is not fayling to send helps to instruct vs and to set the worke forward and seeketh our good to the last period of our dayes II. When the evening was come the Lord of the vineyard sayd to his Baylie call the workemen and pay them their hire beginning from the last to the first Therfore when they were come who came about the eleventh houre they received every one a penny But when the first also came they thought that they should receive more and they also received every one a penny and receiving it they murmured against the goodman of the house saying The last have continued one houre and thou hast made them equall to vs who have borne the burden of the day and the heates This largesse seemed to these men iniust but what answer did they receive VVhat instruction was given them The iustice of this distribution was not revealed to them neither were they admitted to view the hidden secret but to the end that they should refrayne from scanning Gods iudgements the goodnes of the mercy-full householder and the power of him that ordayneth all things according to his will was layed before them as if that of the Apostle had been sayed vnto them Who art thou that thou doest answer God III. He answering sayed to one of them frend I doe thee no wrong didst not thou covenant with me for a penny Take that is thyne and go I will also give to this last even as to thee Or is it not lawfull for me to doe what I will Or is thy eye naught because I am good So shall the last be first aÌ„d the first last for many be called but few elect The penny promised to all is life everlasting which is coÌ„mon to all that shall be saved yet in the same life there be degrees of glorie as betwixt starre and starre in the firmament If therfore we be admitted to life everlasting vve can have no wrong it being above any thing we can deserve and they who came later may have equaled the longer time of the former by their fervour and surpassed it we are not good iudges in our owne case it must be left to him who cannot be vniust Our eye cannot arrive to comprehend neither what in goodnes nor what in justice God may doe If we will keepe him our frend let vs not be over curious but apply ourselves to our vvorke and for the rest stand to his mercy which is infinite Many are called Take heed thou differre not to come because thou art assured to receive thy penny when ever thou comest say not to thyself He vvill give every one as much wherfore should I take more paynes VVhat he will give and what he will doe is locked vp in his owne breast Come wheÌ„ thou are called Equall hire is promised all but about the houre of working their is greate question Yong men may say we will come at the eleveÌ„th houre but no body hath promised thee that thou shalt live till the seventh see that thou doest not by differring bereave thyself of that which he otherwise vpon his promise would give thee Few indeed are choosen but those are of the elect who not despising their caller follow him aÌ„d beleeve him for men beleeve not but of their owne free choyce The raysing of Lazarus I. PART 1. THere was a certaine sickman Lazarus of Bethania of the towne of Marie and Martha her sister His sisters therfore sent saying Lord behold He whome thou lovest is sick and Iesus hearing sayed to them This sicknes is not to death but for the glorie of God that the Sonne of God may be glorisied by it And Iesus loved Martha aÌ„d Marie ad Lazarus As he heard therfore that he was sick he taried in the same place 2. dayes The faithfull are diversly tried some by losse of frends others by losse of goods and severall other vexations would to God I could see my flesh infirme and weakened that I lived not in flesh but in the faith of Christ for greater oftimes is grace in infirmitie then in health Sicknes and death are no signes of lesse love but as the sicknes was not to death because death itself was not to death but for the glorie of God so our infirmities are more for the glorie of God then our weake nature will give vs leave to imagin and when God delayeth the restoring vs to health we are so much the more to conforme ourselves by how much we acknowledge that his wisedome is greater and his love by taxying nothing the lesse I whom I love doe rebuke and castise sayth our Saviour in the Apocalips II. Then he sayth to his disciples let vs go into Iewrie againe the disciples say to him Now the Iewes sought to stone thee and goest thon thither againe Iesus answered are not their twelve houres of the day If a man walke in
my soule had not dyed but thou mayest truly and with shame enough to me say sonne if thou hadst been with me thou hadst not dyed For thou art ever present and ready to refresh me but I even when I come to receive thee where am I VVherfore doe I not prepare myself to receive these thy holy mysteries with more care and diligence VVherfore doe I so easyly go from thee after receiving making so little difference betwixt this holy table and other meates Therfore there be among vs many weake and feeble and many sleepe O sweete spousâ— let thy voice sound lowde in my eares that I may rise from this dulnes and shake of the bonds which hinder me from walking to thee as I ought and from beholding thy face and thy greate love and goodnes in this most blessed mysterie rise quickly and fall at his feetâ— with the Magdalen and poure forth teares of love and sorrow according as his goodnes and thy backwardnes doe deserve Christ foretelleth his Passion I. ANd they were in the way going up to Hierusalem and Iesus went before theâ— and they were astonished and following were afrayd and taking againe the twelve he began againe to tell them the things that should be fall him The Apostles were afrayd because they knew the malice of the Iewes against oâ—r Saviour vpon which account they sayed a little before Master even now the Iewes did seeke to stone thee and goest thou againe thither They were astonished to see vvith that speed and alacritie our Saviour notvvithstanding made hast to Hierusalem vvhere he vvas most maliced and to add to their astonishment he began to discourse with them of his sufferings And certainly he that could foretell what vvas to happen to him could have prevented it if he would but it is an evident signe that he was willing to suffer seeing he so willingly went to the place where he knew he was to suffer and by it he would shew vs that our way to the heavenly Hierusalem is by suffering which we must also in deavour to imbrace with alacritie II. Behold we go vp to Hierusalem and the sonne of man shall be delivered to the chiefe Priests and to the Scribes and they shall condemne him to death and shall deliver him to the Gentills to be mocked and scourged and crucified and the third day he shall rise againe He did not content himself with ordinarie sufferings or vvith a private death the creatour of the world vvould die in sight of the world that as his patience was singular so might be his sufferings He tells them before hand of it and of his resurrection vvithall that they might not thinke that those things came vpon him at vnawares as vpon others or that by suffering he vvere vtterly destroyed but continue their beleefe in him seeing the prediction and event to agree and his divine power much more evident by his resurrection after so cruell a death then by all the former miracles vvhich he had wrought So in all our distresses he leaveth vs not vvithout speciall comfort if we attend to his Words and in no particular shall we suffer in vvhich we shall not be particularly rewarded if mocked we shall be honoured if scourged and crucified vve shall be not only eased of all paine eternally freed but shall have particular refreshment and content proportionable to our sufferings III. And they vnderstood none of these things and this word was hid from them and they vnderstood not the things which were sayed The Apostles first beleeved he was God and could not comprehend how being God so innocent and so powerfull he could come to suffer Secondly they had seen by experience that when he vvould he declined the furie of the Iewes vvith greate facilitie and hoped he vvould allwayes doe so Thirdly Nature shrinking at the very name of suffering they could not conceive how he should willingly put himself into their hands who hated him and sought his distruction Fourtly the love which they bore our Saviour made them the more vnwilling to hâ—are of his sufferings and lesse capable to vnderstand the reason of it But our Saviours thoughts and ours are so different that the evangelicall Prophet sayth of them As the heavens are exalted abovâ— the earth so my wayes are exalted above yours aâ—d my thoughts above your thoughts And we may justly here bewayle oâ—r miserie that beleeving as we doe we are notwithstanding so little capable of vnderstanding the benefit of suffering and so little pliable to it Hard to many doth this speech seeme dâ—ny thyself and take vp thy Crosse and follow Iesus But it will be much harder to heare that last word Go from me you accursed into everlasting fire They who now doe willingly heare and follow the word of the crosse will not then feare The SoÌ„nes of Zebedee demand the first places THeÌ„ came to him the Mother of the soÌ„nes of Zebedeâ— adoring â—ad desiring some thing of him who sayed to her what wilt thou she sayed to him say that these my two sonnes may sit one at thy right hand and one at thy left hand in thy Kingdome By this we see how little the Apostles did relish suffering mentioned immediately before by our Saviour they dreame of a worldly Kingdome and desire promotioÌ„ in it esteeming it some thing wheras it little deserves so much as to be called some thing but they with their Mother were loth at first to opon their request fearing the issue and therfore they spake in generall tearmes as if our Saviour knew not their thoughts aÌ„d she adored him according to the custoÌ„e of preteÌ„ders Sâ—e did not appreheÌ„de what it might signify to be vpoÌ„ the left haÌ„d of our Saviour acording to that passage he shall set the sheepe at his right hand and the goats at his left Rayse thy thoughts to higher pretenses that thou mayest be sure to be seated at his right hand and heare comâ— yeâ— blessed II. Iesus answering sayed you know not what you desire Can you drink the cup that I shall drink of Thy say to him we can He sayth to them my cup indeed you shall drink of but to sit at my right hand and left is not mine to give â—ou but to whome it is prepared by my Father First they â—new not what they asked because they asked temporall â—lorie and our Saviour ever spake of the eternall Secondly even of temporall glorie and preferment they knew not what they asked because they considered not the daÌ„ger and troble both to body and soule and the vncertaintie and ficklenes of it and all that vexation which accompanieth it VVhen our Saviour put them in mind of the cup which he was to drink before he entred into his glorie and consequently every one who will be of his disciples the desire which they had of preferment made theÌ„ boldly say they could But how able they were in realitie it soone appeared
imbracing the crosse we come to be aboue the ordinary strayne of people not encombred with so many secular cares not kept vnder by so many vices and imperfections from these we must strive to runne that we may get ground before they take hold of vs. The proude multitude the multitude which glorieth and reioyceth when it can revenge itself doth hinder from seeing him who from the Crosse prayed Father forgive them because they know not what they doe II. And when he came to the place Iesus looking vp saw him and sayed to him Zaccheus come downe quickly because this day I must abide in thy house and making hast he came downe and received him reioycing That we might see we were looked vpon that we might love we were first beloved And yet that is true also which S. Bede sayth Iesus saw the man that saw him and choose him and loved the man that loved him For both must go hand in hand the grace of God preventing vs and our Correspondence and cooperation with it Therfore our Saviour sayth come donne quickly because instantly we must close with the grace offered that we may receive favour vnexpected Zacheus esteemed it a greate benefit to see our Saviour as he passed sudainly coming downe he deserved to receive him not passing bâ—t into his house This day I must abidâ— in thy house A blessed day and worthily to be reioyced in Mane nobiscum Domine c. III. And when all saw it they murmured saying that he turned in to a man that was a synner But Zaccheus standing sayed to our Lord Behold the half of my goods Lord I give to the poorâ— and if I have dafrauded any man of any thing I restore fourfold Iesus sayed to him this day salvation is come to this house because he also is the Sonne of Abraham For the sonne of man is come to seekâ— and to save that which was lost He condemnes himself as vnworthy of pardon who accuseth God for turning in to synners But Zaccheus remaining constant to his desire of seeing our Saviour and not vndervaluing him by reason of the meane aspect which outwardly he bare deserved to prove by his owne example that synne is not in riches but in them who know not how to vse 〈◊〉 riches for as they be a hindrance to the wicked so to the good they are a help to vertue Zaccheus was rich and one of the elect but it was by giving to the poore and restoring what was ill gotten all rich men are covetous Behold the efficacie of receiving Christ into thy house how sudainly is he become a Sonne of Abraham who was a Child of the divell The Sonne of man our Saviour comes to seeke vs and doe we fly him God forbid Marie Magdalen annoints our Saviour in Bethania I. IEsus six dayes before the Passe over came to Bethania where Lazarus was that had been dead whome â—esus had raysed and they made him a supper there and Martha ministred but Lazarus was one of them that sat at table with him Marie therfore tooke a pound of oâ—nâ—ment of right spikenard pretious and annointed the feete of Iesus and wiped his feeâ—e with her hayre and breaking the â—labaster boxe she poured it vpon his head and the house was filled with the odour of the oyntment Marie Magdalen never forgot the benefit which she had received by her first conversion the memorie wherof was lately renewed and redoubled in the raysing of her brother Lazarus from his grave therfore as then with teares of repentance she washed our Saviours feete here with pretious ointment of thanksgiving she annoints both feete and head acknowledging all from the beginning to the ending to be his gift and breaking the boxe she poureth ouâ— all vpon him thinking nothing too much though it seeme to be with losse or paine The two feete of our Saviour Sayth S. Bernard be his mercy and his judgment These a soule doth first betake itself vnto with the oyle of Compunction Afterwards it riseth to the head with the ointment of devotion compounded of the memoâ—ie of his infinite benefits Iâ— One therfore of his disciples Iudas Iscariot he that was to betray him sayed whâ—rfore was this waste made â—â—hy was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence and given to the poore And he sayed this not because he cared for the poore but because he was a theefe and having the purse caried the things which were put therin And now also sayth S Bernard when one is noted tâ— attend to his devotions there want not those who account it waste and losse of time and talents not that they envie sanctitie but would provide for Charitie And this among people of good life and vpright intentions Others there be who out of malice laugh at those who give themselves to prayer or to the service of God and as our Saviour sayed to the skillfull in the law among the Jewes neither doe well themselves nor suffer others to doe well But we must imitate the Magdalen in her constancie and not regard what they say or doe who are no better then theeves stealing soules from God and keeping the purse have theiâ— thoughts more in that then in what doth more concerne theÌ„ as to eternitie And what is three hundred pence in comparison of the reward in heaven or satisfaction in this life III. But Iesus sayed let her alone why doe you molest her she hath done a good worke vpon me Poore you have allwayes with you and when you will you may doe them good Mee you have not allwayes That which she had she hath done she hath prevented to annoint my body for the Buryall Amen I say to you wher ever this Ghospell shall be preached in the whole world that also which she hath done shall be told for memorie of her A small worke which the world would little have regarded or condemned our Saviour esteemes so highly as to have it preached through the whole world and for the honour done to him doth honour his saynts even here on earth That which she had she hath done God regards every ones abilitie and good will the hart aÌ„d not the outward worke AmoÌ„g the rich casting many things into the treasurie the Poore widow cast in two mites which makes a farthing and was esteemed by our Saviour to have cast in more theÌ„ all the rest because others out of their abundance gave some thing but she out of her povertie gave all she haÌ„d her whole living The Councell of the Iewes against our Saviour I. THe chiefe Priests therfore and the Pharisees gathered a Counsell and sayed what doe we For this man doth many signes if 〈◊〉 let him alone so all will beleeve in him and the Romans will come and 〈◊〉 away our place and nation But one of them named ayp has sayed to them you know nothing neither doe you consider that it is expedient for
doctâ—ine and miracles of our Saviour bred a desire in the Gentils to see him our Saviour vpon notice of this honour retireth his thoughts to his passion and death The houre indeed is at hand in which I shall be glorified by the conversion of the Gentils to me but it will not fully come till I die I rejoyce much that I shall be then glorified but first I must indure the pangs of death This is the way to my glorie and in very truth I say vnto you that be a body of never so fine a graâ—ne yet if falling to the ground and acknowledging from whence he was taken he die not to all worldly content he will not bring much fruite for he that loveth his life and maketh too much of it shall lose it and he that hateth his life in this world and vseth it accordingly doth keepe it to life everlasting A greate and strange saying how a bodies loue should turne to his ruine his hatred to his exaltation If thou love evilly thou hatest if thou hatest well thou lovest Happy are they who preserve themselves by hatred that they may not perish by love II. If any man minister to me let him follow me and where I am there also shall my minister be if any man minister to me my Father will honour him Now my soule is trobled and what shall I say Father save me from this houre but therfore came I into this houre father glorifie thy name The hatred which our Saviour requireth is not without comfort in this life and reward in the next The comfort in this life is that we have our Saviour going before vs we follow him who cannot misse of the way we follow him who as he is farre greater theÌ„ we so have we the farre lesse reasoÌ„ to shrinke froÌ„ him aÌ„d the greater incouragement to follow him The reward is to be where he is to be not only rewarded but honoured by God himself Now our soule is trobled with the thought of this death but what shall we sayâ— Shall we desire to be freed from itâ— No it were neither for ourgood nor for his glorie Therfore we câ—Ì„e into this world to be ordered as God should see best to this we wust conforme and we shall find it best for vs also Sonne suffer me to doe with thee what I will I know what is expedient for thee thou thinkest as man thou iudgest in many things as humane affection perswades thee Father glorifie thy name for in this is my full content III. A voyce therfore came from heaven Both I have glorified it and I will glorify it The multitude that stood and heard sayed it thundered others sayed an Angel spake to him Iesus sayed this voyce came not for me but for your sake Now is the iudgment of the world now the Prince of this world shall be cast forth And I if I be exalted from the earth will draw all things to myself and this he sayed signifying what death he should dye Conformable to our Saviours humilitâ—e the voyce sayed not I have glorified thee and I will glorify thee but I have glorifyed it that is my name which is thy desire and the desire of all that are perfect what ever become of me be thou glorified The multitude though hearing vnderstands not this language but is rather terrified with it as some people with thunder but it is the language of Angles and of God himself Sonne say thus in every thing If it be pleasing to thee let this be done thus ô Lord. If it be an honour to thee let it be done in thy name This proceeding of God condemnes the ludgment of the world and by it the Prince of this world who domineers over most part of it by the synfull life of worldlings is to be cast forth By the death vpon the Crosse our Saviour drawes mens harâ—â— after him even against the naturall inclination which wâ— have to ease and pleasure and yet so as they doe willingly and joyfully follow him Doe not think that thou art drawne against thy will love also draweth the mind Have our corporall senses their delights and shall not the mind have its delights also The spowse sayth draw me â—e will runne after thee in the odour of thy oynements Our Saviour teacheth that he is not only man but God I. THe multitude answered him we have heard out of the law that Christ abideth for ever and how 〈◊〉 thou the sonne of man must be exalted Who is this Sonne of man Iesus sayed to them yet a little while the light is among you Walke while you have the light that the darkenes overtake you not He that walketh in darknes knoweth not whether he goeth While you have the light beleeve in the light that you may be Children of the light These things Iesus spake and nent away and hid himself from them See how necessarie it is besides the law which the multitude had heard and many of them doubtlesse had read to have a right interpreter of the law It was very true that Christ was to abide for ever and yet it was also true that he was to dye and not to stay here visibly for ever In like manner there be many things in holy Scripture which seeme to be contrarie one to the other and yet are not being rightly vnderstood be not therfore easyly moved or trobled when they occurre but referre thyself to the Church and to the teachers therof The light of the truth was among the Jewes for a time by their obstinate refusing to give full credit to our Saviour they fell into the darkenes in which we see them and they know not alas whether they go with them that among them beleeved the light did continue and they became the Children of light Beleeve also that the light may not forsake thee Our Saviour went away and hid himself partly by reason of the obstinate Pharisees who sought his destruction before his time partly to avoyde the honour which others were ready to give him vpon the voyce speaking to him from heavaven II. Wheras he had done so many signes before them they beleeved not in him yet of the Princes also many beleeved in him but for the Pharisees they did not confesse that they might not be cast out of the Synagag for they loved the glorie of men more then the glorie of God O the miserable captivitie of people desirous to please men They contemne God but stand in owe of men and will doe any thing to yet their favour Besides signes and miracles there must be a pious inclination to beleeve otherwise vpon an obstinate hart they seldome worke good life also helps oftimes for they who are vnwilling to leave their synns ate loth to heare any thing that may move then to it III. But Iesus cryed and sayed he that beleeveth in me doth not beleeve in me but in him that sent me and he that seeth me
will shine clearer then the sunne and as before Princes and Emperours their retinue marcheth and their Guard so before our Lord the quires of Angels will come in state And he himself in so much greater Maiestie as he is above them Then the despisers of the Crosse will weepe and wayle vnprofitably and be greately stonied with the sound of the trumpet summoning them to their last reckoning The elect notwithstanding will heare it and behold the Crosse with some comfort as having reverenced it as the standart of their King and followed him in his warre against the world the flesh and the divell so our Saviour saith to his followers But when these things begin to come to passe looke vp and lift vp your heads because your redemption is at hand Where the difference betwixt the good and the bad is greatly to be pondered III. But of that day and houre no body knowes neither the Angels of heaven but the Father alone But this know yee if the good-man of the house did know what houre the theeâ—e would come he would surely watch and not suffer his house to be broken vp therfore be you also ready because at what houre you know not the sonne of man will come Our soule imports vs more then all worldly substance be it never so greate and rich more watchfull therfore we ought to be that it peâ—ish not and so much the more because we are vncertaine of the time when it will be demanded of vs O dulnes and hardnes of mans hart which only thinks of things present and doth not foresee what is to come The Parable of the ten Virgens I. THen shall the Kingdome of heaven be like to ten virgins who taking their lamps went fâ—rth to meete the bridegrome and the bride and five of them were foolish and five wise The five foolish having taken their lamps did not take oyle with them but the wise did take oyle with them in their vessels with their lamps This parable tends in effect to warne vs to be watchfull and provident and not to mind only things present not forethinking what will come after The wise besides the oyle which was in their lamps tooke provision with them in another vessel considering the vncertantie which might be fall them the foolish were short in this thinking that what they had might be sufficient Besides the lampe of this body of ours fed with things present we have a soule to last for ever we must have other provision to feed it Our journey is to meete the Bridegroome and the Bride our Saviour and his glorified companie it imports vs to beware that this iourney in the world which is intended for our eternall ioy prove not to our discomfort by our negligence and carelesnes The things of this world will not avayle vs vnlesse we add to them the oyle of a good intention and of charitie with these they may bring vs to eternitie of ioy without them they will fall full short II. The bridegroome tarying long they slumbred all and slept and at midnight there was a clamour made Behold the bridegroome cometh go yee forth to meete him Then arose all those Virgins and they trimmed their lamps and the foolish sayed to the wise give vs of your oyle because our lamps are going out The wise answered least peradventure there suffice not for vs and you go rather to them that sell and buy for yourselves All doe sleepe All must die The clamour after death awakes vs to life againe but not to time and means to mend what was wanting while we lived Then we discover our errours when it is too late and we are denied assistance because we neglected it when time was Then vertue pleaseth vs and we would fayne have it finding the want but every one must answer for himself and be iudged according to his owne workes then he cannot borrow of others any thing not if he would give a thousand worlds for it Prayer doth nothing avayle then nor confession nor sollicitude all must be done in this life Blessed are the dead who die in our Lord from hence forth now sayth the spirit that they rest from their labours for their works follow them III. And while they went to buy the bridegroome was come and they that were ready entred with him to the mariage and the gate was shut Last of all came the other Virgins saying Lord Lord open to vs but he answering sayed Amen I say to you I know you not watch yee therfore because you know not the day nor the houre O that we could relish in our harts the admirablenes of that word The Bridegroome is come or the sweetnes of that other They entred with him to the mariage Or the bitternes of the last the doore is shut I know you not But there he that asketh can deseâ—ve nothing as Gods hands who here would not heare what he commaÌ„ded And they send forth their prayers and are not acknowledged because then our Lord doth forsake those as vnknowne whome here by their good deserts he could not know to be his Whatever thy hand can doe doe it instantly sayth the VViseman for neither worke nor counsell nor wisedome nor knowledge is in the grave whether thou hastenest The Parable of the Talents distributed I. A Man going into a strange countrey called his servants and delivered them his goods To one he gave five talents to another two and to another one to every one according to his proper facultie and immediately he tooke his iourney And he that had received the five talents went his way and traded with the same and gayned other five likewise also he that had received two gayned other two But he that had received the one going away digged it into the earth and hid his Lords money This parable signifies whatsoever gifts of God for there is no man that is not partaker of his liberalitie God therfore resembles himself to a man in a strange countrey because his â—hrone is in heaven farre from where we dwell on earth for though he be every where he is not in our sight but by Faith as a king is in the knowledge of his subjects though they see him not with their eyes and though he be not in the realme from God we have all that which we have and severall talents as severall abilities with these we must trade in this life imploying them in the service of God our Lord and Master for to that end he doth give them as in the like parable in S. Luke he expresseth saying trade till I come and he gives vs the tearme of this life to doe it immediately he takes his journey which signifies that he leaves vs to our free will and industrie not pressing vs above our power nor compelling vs as slaves assisting notwithstanding iâ—visibly with his graces signified by every ones proper facultie or abilitie but yet so that something depends vpon our diligence
armes and into thy hart and help him to beare this Crosse for he is ready to fayâ—t vnder it as powerfull and as stroug as he is otherwise O mount wherfore art thoâ— so cragy to him whose steps are so wholesome But seeing he is pleaâ—ed to choose thee for thâ— stage of this his last action 〈◊〉 shâ—l◠〈◊〉 my resting place for â—ver hâ—râ— I will dwell because I have choosen it and the noyse of those 〈◊〉 which struck in those cruell nayles shall sound perpetually in my â—â—res my eyes shall be fixed vpon this laâ—entable spectacle which the heavens are sory to behold my hart shall be nayled to his Crosse with him I will stand with our blessed Lady and S. Ihon weeping I will say in part with the Scâ—ibes and Pharisees Hâ— hath saved others He will also saue me Lord have mercy vpon me a synner Lord remember me now thou art in thy Kingdome my God doe not forsake me Father forgive me The sixt Seate the Seate of Miserie I. THe seate of Miserie is my poore hart and soule compassed with a body as poore and miserable What is man that thou art mindfull of him Or the SoÌ„ne of mnÌ„ that thou doest visit him A leafe tossed with every wind to day alive to morrow dead to day green to morrow withered to day set forth with borrowed favours to morrow abominable by its proper stench What is beauty but the cover of a dunghill What proportion but the pleasure of aâ— other bodies eye VVhat is strength but a laughing stock to thousands that are stronger And when a body should have all what certaintie The soule is in a maÌ„ner in as much vncertaintie for though the body decay by nature and accidents come vpon it not possibly to be prevented and the mischiefe which happens to a soule is volâ—ntarie yet so much weakenes doth often oppresse it so many enimies doe assalt it so many crooked inclinations aâ—e leading it into darke and crooked wayes that so long as iâ— is in this world it is in danger and no man can absolutely say I will not fall For what is my strength that I should bâ—arâ— and go through with so many hard things Or what will be my end that I should have patience enough to persever vnto it O my God! Thou must be my strength and my patience Thou didst vouchsafe to take vpon thee my 〈◊〉 that I might be the stronger thou wert pleased to dwell in my nature that by thy gracâ— it might overcome â—aturâ— have compassion of this â—â—rthen vessell that it be not put to more stresse then thoâ— knowest it will beare for of myself I am very frayle and miserable and know not what will be my end II. O infinite goodnes This the goodnes I must be ever clayming for what but thy goodnes could move thee to cast thy thoughts so much vpon me as to have mercy vpon me most misereble wretch leaving those rebellious spirits in their iniquitie VVere not thy mercyes greate enough to have pardoned them as thou didst me It were blasphemie to think otherwise Yet no where doth he take the Angels but the seed of Abraham hâ— taketh and vouchsafeth to suffer miseries with vs and to die for vs that this misâ—rie and this death which we either dayly indure or hourely expect might of miserie become a happines being borne patiently resignedly joyfully They in nature doe so farre excell vs aâ— it is not to vs now comprehensible we are the least and lowest of rationall creatures we made ourselves lower by our owne beastly wayes and became very slaves of thedevill How came it then to be thy delight to be with the sonnes of men but by thy owne infinite goodnes which deligâ—teth to be doing wonderfull works which thou alone canst doe works glorious and hiddeâ— and vnknowne to all but by thy ownâ— infinite wisdome III. The distance betwixt heaven and earth is in all respects greate but nothing to the distance betwixt God and me He must be more then an Angel that can measure it Yet I not being able to rayse my self from dirt and dust he stoopes to me I myself that spake Lo I am presert I myself will comfort you Shall I fall downe at his knees with S. Peeter and say Go forth from mâ— bâ—cause I am a synfull man Lord Or with the humblâ— Centution Lord I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter vndâ—r my roofe Or with the â—en lepers retire and keepe a loofe crying alowde Iesus Master have mercy on me Or rather with that one Samaritane fâ—ll on my face before hi◠〈◊〉 giving thanks aâ—d with a lowadâ— voyce magnifying his greate greate goodnes that vouchsafeth thus not only to looke vpon this miserable creature but to be with him â—nd within him many many wayes O Lord nothing is due to me but confusion for my poorenes in all respects and more confusiou for my many synns withouâ— respect To thee Blessing and honour and gloriâ— and power and thanksgiving for ever and ever for who is sufficient to declare his works Or who shall add to declâ—re his mercyes When a man shall have done then shall hâ— begin what 〈◊〉 man and what is grace And what is his grace And what 〈…〉 good or what is his evill God is patient towards him and poâ—râ—tâ— out his mercyes upon him he hath seen the presumption of 〈◊〉 hart that it is naught therfore he hath fullfilled his propitiâ—tion towards them and hath sâ—evved them the vvâ—y of 〈◊〉 Grant me grace that I may follow it and bring this miserable carkas and wretched soule of myne to that glorie which thoâ— hast prepared for me from the beginning of the world Amen The seventh Seate the Seate of Glorie I. HIs seate of Glorie is at the right hand of his Father where equall to him in all things as he is God and neerest to him in glorie as he is Man as farre above all the Celestiall spirits as the hand in honour is above the foote he possesseth the Kingdome of his Father with full power governeth the world at his pleasure and in the plesaâ—tnes of his countenance is the liâ—e of all the heavenly Court and the lamp or light 〈◊〉 is the lambe for infinite glorie doth shine out even froâ— that glorifyed body of his able to astonish the highest Cheâ—ubâ—â—s as much as the three Apostles at his transfiguration were it not that they are strengthened above their nature Hither if we lift vp the eyes of our Soule we may see the King in his beauty his throne his scepter his crowne his footestoole of gold his garments as vvhâ—â—e as snovv his face resplendent as the sunne His retinâ—â— in array proportionable to his owne most bountifull magnificence and their deserts King of Kings and Lord of Lords Fall downe before this throne doing homage â—nto him and reioyâ—ing at his exaltation more then at any thing in this