and many others had visible after his resurrection THe seconde glorious mysterie vvas the Ascension of our Sauiour fortie Dayes after his resurrection The Ascēsion of Christ Here consider hovv our lorde after he had many times appeared to his dear mother and to his disciples at last he called them all together on the mount oliuet and there after a louing farevvell he mounted vp to heauen in all their sightes vvith great triumphe accompanied vvith many Sayntes vvhom before he had deliuered out of Lymbo and vvith this comfortable sight recite the secound Pater noster and tenne Aue Maries And pray to God that thou may so humble thy selfe in this life and so kepe thy hart pure and Innocent as thou may ascend after him to those Ioyes vvhiche God hath prepared for his elect THe third glorious Mysterie is the coming of the holie Ghost The coming of the holy Ghooste And here thou may vievv the blessed mother of God our Redemer together vvith the holie Apostles and Disciples beholding the vvonderfull Ascension of our Sauiour and remaining together in one place vvith humble prayer and feruent deuocion attending the coming of the holie Ghost And thou may marke hovv the holie Ghost to their great coumfort came doune in fyrie tongues in the day of Pentecost being the fiftieth day after the Resurrection of our Sauiour And vvith this thought recite deuoutly the third Pater noster and tenne Aue Maries And then note his faithefull performance of his promisse and their firm faith and belefe in the same and vse thou that example to thy benefit here all so for thy instruction and coumfort consider six speciall causes of the comyng of the holy Ghost to vvitt for to reioyçe the pensiue to reuiue the deade in synne to sanctifie the vnclean to confirme his Disciples in loue to saue the Iust to teache the ignorant Thees guyftes and graces are preserued and encreased in vs by speciall meanes vvherof prayer vvith humilitie is one diligent frequenting the Sacramentes vvith hearing diuine seruice is an other continual exercife of the vvoorkes of Charitie is a third for thus it geueth strength against all assaultes and tentacions of ghostlie and bodilie enemyes Therfore no perill nor persecucion can anoye that persone vvhiche hath the holy Ghost THe fouerth glorious mysterie is the Assumpcion of our Ladie The Assumpcion of our ladie Here beholde the blessed Virgin mother of God and man about the fyfteenth yere after the resurrectiō of her Sōne hauing passed her time vvith exercises of pietie vvas assumed and taken vp to heauen in soule and bodye with inestimable triumphe And here conceiue the sight of her Sonne our Sauiour accōpanied vvith legions of Angells comyng to conduct her Note hovv the Apostles being all dispersed abrode in the vvorlde exercising their functions in seuerall farre distant places are miraculouslie come to gether in a moment to testifie her death and assumpcion And vvith thies thoughtes recite the fouerth Pater noster and tenne Aue Maries And here consider hovv our Sauiour can and vvil revvarde those vvhiche serue and loue him faithfullie Marke also hovv dear she vvas to hym and ther vpon hovv auailable her prayers are vvith hym THE fift glorious mysterie is the Crovvning of the blessed Virgin Marie The crovvning of our ladie here beholde hovv that glorious Virgin before assumpted in bodie and soule vvas in the presence of all the holy companye in heauen vvith inestimable honor and glory by the Holie Trinitie crouned and placed aboue all Angells And vvith this cogitacion recite the last Pater noster and tenne Aue Maries And then note hovv in heauen she maketh daily intercession for the good estate of holy Churche and ys redy to assist eache one vvhiche vvith a contrite hart prayeth to her For the more reuerence and deuocion vve bear tovvardes her the greater helpe shall vve receiue of her sonne in all our distresses And this vve may be sure of that lyuing here according to her example in continence humilitie pacience and mortificacion vve shall arise at the last daye in bodie and soule to rest in heauen for euer Vnto vvhiche Ioye God of his mercie bring vs vvhere that blessed virgin resteth in presence of the Holie Trinitie the Father Sonne and holy Ghoost To vvhom be all honor and glorie Amen SEVEN SHORTE MATter 's of Meditacion touching the benefites vvhiche God hath bestovved vpon Mankynde IT is requisite and expedient for euery Christian often to thynke vpon the benefites that God haith geuen to man vvhiche being infinite in nomber and valevv may be reduced to seuen principall heades And thees are the benefites of our Creacion Gratificacion Vocation Iustificacion Dotacion Gubernacion and Glorificacion Touching the benefite of Creacion VVe may consider sex thinges touching our Creacion First hovv God hath predestinated vs in perpetuall loue before the vvorlde vvas made Secondlie hovv he made man most lyke to him selfe Thirdlie hovv he hath geuen vs a body of a most seamly constitucion and proporcion voyde of many deformities and made it apt to serue him Fovverthly hovv he hath made our soule immortall and adorned it vvith many qualities most precious Fiftlie that he haith appointed for eache one of vs a Good Angell to guyde and keep vs. Sixtlie that he hath geuen vs a prerogatiue to be borne of Christian parentes not of infideles nor heretiques And of thies matters you may thynke vpon vvith great profit geuing God due thankes for the same euerie monday at morning noone or night as your laisure vvill permit Touching the benefit of Gratificacion VVe may cōsider six thinges touching Gratificacion First hovv God the Father hath sent among vs his vvelbeloued Sonne to be our redemer and our exemplar to folovv Secondlie hovv he hath geuen vs the holie Ghoost in token of adopcion as a priuileige of loue and a pledge of dispensacion communicating vnto vs his inspiracions guyftes and fruites Thirdlie hovv he haith bestovved on vs his holy Sacramētes in his holy Churche there to haue a refuge and place of succour as in the Arke of Noe from the fludde of synne and iniquities Fouerthly hovv by baptisme he haith purged vs of Originall sinne and as it vvere haith restored to vs the vesture and Innocencie of originall Iustice Fiftlie hovv he haith fortified vs vvith the Sacrament of Confirmacion vvherby he haith armed vs agaynst many inconueniences Sixtly hovv he haith made vs Christianes according to the name of our Sauiour Christ making vs ther by the sonnes of God by adopcion and coheyres of his kingedome And of thies matters you may thynk of euery tevvestaye Touching the benefite of vocacion VVhe may consider six thinges touching vocacion First vvith vvhat great patience he haith borne vvith vs falling so often from him after so many and so great benefites Hovv he haith long expected our returne to him forbearing to condēne vs eternallie not permitting vs to dye in our vvickednesse Secondlie hovv many
the good vvoorkes that he hath doen shal be put out of memorie Secondly he is resembled to a dogge that svvalovveth his ovvn filthy vomit In that he resumeth his olde sinnes that vvere ones caste ovvt by the sacrament of pennance Thirdly he falleth again in to the handes of his greatest enemie against vvhose vvill he vvas delyuered and geueth to him greater povver ouer him selfe than he had before For as Seynt Augustin sayeth he vvhiche heapeth sinne vpon sinne maketh a roope to bynde him selfe vvithall Fovverthly he is made more impotēt and lesse hable to arise agayn For as a skarre in a mans bodie is harder to be cured after the place be vvounded agayn so is a sinner after he returne to his olde folie Therfore our Sauiour sayd to the man vvhome he had healed Iohn 5. Beholde thou art made whole sinne no more lest some worse thing chaunce to thee And of this mischefe he vvarneth vs in an other place vvhere he shevveth that the vnclean spirit returneth in to the house vvhence he departed and bringeth seuen other spirites vvorse than him selfe and dvvelleth there And the last of that man be made worse than the first Fiftlie he is accompted a derider and mocker of God and abuseth the mercie and clemencie of his redemer Sixtlie as muche as in him lyeth he causeth the Angels and blessed Seyntes in heauen to be pensiue and sade for as of their charitie they reioyse at the repentance of a Synner so it may vvell be thought that they are forie for the fall of the Iust Seuenthly his soule is compared to a drie and wethered braunche cut of from the tree vvhiche receiueth no moysture nor norishement of the tree Euen so is he secluded from the benefite of all good mens prayers and from the merites of Christes passion And here vve may call to mynde à notable punishement of suche as after reconcilement haue fallen from God in to their former sinfull practizes There vvas a company of certein youg men vvhiche at the time of easter repared to the churche craued the benefit of the Sacrament of pennance vvere absolued and receiued the blessed Sacramēt of Christ his bodie and bloudde But they vvere no soner departed from that holie place thā they dyd fall again to their olde vvicked Ryot dronkinnes and filthy lyfe VVherupon they were greuouslie punished by the Iust Iudgemēt of God For they were sodeinlie smitten vvith a greuous disease and driuen in to suche an extreme vomiting as they dyd cast out of their mouthes great abundāce of corrupt bloudde vvith their ovvn excremētes verie lothesomelie contrarie to the course of nature Their corne and other fruites vvere consumed vpon the grounde and destroyed som vvith vvater and some vvith fier Serpentes and venomous beastes dyd breed abundantly in their groundes in suche sort as theyr persones were in great daungier And thus brought in miserable distresse many lamented theyr case Emong vvhome one deuout holie man vpon compassion prayed to God earnestlie for them till at last an Angell of God appearing to him dyd demaund of him vvhat punishement he deserued that dyd put in to a filthie presone the Innocent sonne of a mightie Emperour the good man ansvvered that he deserued greuous punishement Yea sayd the Angel but vvhat punishement deserueth he vvhiche in the sight of all men doeth cast the blessed bodye and blood of Christ in to a filthy myre he is to be brent as an heretique sayd the good man And euen suche felovves are all they sayd the Angel for vvhom thou hast so long prayde Therfore it is expedient for euery good Christian vvhen he hath receiued the blessed Sacrament and is reconciled to God then and euer after to take good heed of relapse and often to calle to memorye these seuen miseries and inconueniences of relapse here mencioned Certein signes and tokens Thereby a Christian after he hath receiued the blessed sacrament may probablie coniecture that he is in the fauour of God all framed to the similitude of a syk man THe first signe and token of Gods fauour is compunction or harti sorow for sinne committed For as the sicke man so long as he yeeldeth breth be he neuer so sick geueth good hope of lyfe euen so a Christian after he haue receiued the Sacramēt of our Redempoion if he cōceiue or cast ovvt sorocofull sighes for his sinnes by past in respect that therby he had offended god may vvell hope that the blessed sacrament doeth vvoork in him many good spirituall effectes for as Seynt Barnard sayeth the more seeling a man hath of sinne the greater sobbes and sighes he casteth out of his sorovvfull harte The secounde signe or token is laudable conuersacion of lyfe vvith good example For as a freshe naturall colour in a sikman is good argument of amendement so is modesty and temperance a speciall signe of Gods grace And good example is so necessarie that Seynt Gregorie sayeth sinnefull men could neuer return to true repentance if good example of lyfe vvere taken avvaye And blessed is the soule of that persone sayth Seynt Chrisostom vvhose humilitie doeth confounde the pryde of an other For as Seynt Leo sayeth so many as thou shalt vvinne by example of humilitie and charitie vvith them shalt thou possesse eternall revvarde in heauē And for cōmendacion of good exāple I haue redde of a good Abbot whiche hearing that there vvas not farre of his Abbey a notable great theefe and robber vvhiche spoyled and mordered many passing by the common vvayes had great compassion of this theefe for his sinfull lyfe and studied hovv he might reclame hym At last he thought the best vvay to be first to talke vvith him And though he knevv no mean to doe it vvithout personall danger to him selfe yet he purposed to geue a proofe And taking a Monk in company vvith hym aduentured to passe through the place vvhere the theefe haunted It so fell ovvt that the theefe met the Abbot and according to his profession spoyled the Abbot and his companion of all that they had After a vvhile the theefe hauing gotten his pray vvaxed somevvhat more colde than before for the Abbot vsed him selfe vvith all humilite in vvorde and countenance tovvardes him And the Abbot perceiuyng the rage of the theefe to be assuaged vsed the matter so as they tvvo fell in to familiar talke of common matters As of the great paynes that the theefe indured and of his continuall perill and of the commodities of securitie and suche like At last the Abbot asked him if he could be content to leaue that paynfull daungerous and disordered course of lyfe for a filthie and vncertein gayn And to goe home vvith the Abbat vvhere he should be assured of a sufficient liuing vvith great credit and honesty After some discourse vpon the Abbots vvoord the theefe yeeldeth and home he cometh vvith the Abbat to the Abbey vvhere he syndeth all thinges that the Abbot had promised and more Novv this good
Abbot hoping by good example to vvinne the theefe appointed one of his monkes a deuout man to attend vpon the theefe and to geue vvhat so euer he demaunded vvith this admonicion to eat and drink euer in his company and vvhat deinty meat so euer vvas set before the theefe yet he him selfe should eat none of it but content him selfe onlie vvith bread and vvater The monke vvell performed vvhat vvas commaunded In continuance of time the theefe obserued vvell the diet of the Monke and being somevvhat amased there vvith all asked the monke vvhat great offence he had committed that caused such straitnes of diet vvhether he had committed any morder incest or great crime No sayd the Monke I am not culpable of any haynouse fact But this austeritie I vse to the ende that the king of all kynges may be more mercifull to me at the latter day vvhen euerie mans dedes shall appear This ansvver strooke the theefe vvith suche remorse and repentance as he came to the Abbot and vvith great thankes so humbled him selfe as he vvas admitted vnto that societie and became so penitent and after so religious as in holynes and perfection of lyfe he excelled all the couent Thus may vve see vvhat good fruit vertuous examples may bring forthe The third signe is patience in aduersitie For as the greefe of siknes is estemed more or lesse by the mouynng or rest of the sicke mans pulse so is our perfection and imperfection tried by toleracion of aduersitie And as an empty vessel if you beat vpon it vvill yeeld an Eccho or holovv sounde but if it be full no noyse at all is heard from vvith in the vessel So is a patient man tried from a vnpatient man by aduersitie The one if he be touched vvith affliction exclameth against God and man but thother is quyet taketh all in good part vvhat so euer hapneth The fouerth signe is the sense of tast for so long as a sikman eateth his meat vvith a good tast it is lyke he vvill recouer his healthe euen so if a man haue a delectacion to hear speake or thinke of the passion of our Sauiour of the blessed lyfe of our lady and of holy Martyrs and Confessors or to be fedd vvith any spirituall foode these thinges doe argue sound health of the soule and a good state of spirituall grace in any suche persone for there can be no more accorde betvvene spirituall and vvorldlie pleasures than betvvene fyre and vvater Therfore it is impossible sayth Seynt Ambrose in this lyfe to liue delited vvith all vvorldlie pleasures and to enioye the pleasures prepared for the soule The fift signe is our tongue for it is a good signe of a mendement in a sickeman vvhen his tongue faultereth not in his mouth and he ottereth his speech easilie and playnlie Euen so it is a right good signe of a spirituall grace vvhen a man deliteth in godly talke and conference of godly matters vvithout detracting or bakbiting his neighbor euer interpreting the deedes and vvoordes of other men in the best sense For often the tongue vvalketh after the affection And of abundance of the hart the mouth vseth to speake The sixt signe is a disposicion to doe good vvoorkes and to be in exercise of pietie for a sik man vvhen he beginneth to recouer desireth to sturre and exercise his bodye so he that hath a right feeling of the spirit of God is nener Idle but euer occupied in good vvoorkes Other occupacion vvhat so euer it be is an Idlenes and not an occupaciō nor exercise Therfore all good vvriters exhort men to be euer occupied in some vertuouse exercise The seuenth signe is naturall heat a speciall argument of lyfe in a syk bodye So is the spirituall heat of loue of God and our neighbour a sure signe of perfection in a Christian For as saynt Augustin sayeth loue is the lyfe of the soule In so mucheas he vvhiche loueth not is dead Of certein good documentes touching euell thougtes TOuching euell thoughtes vve haue to consider for our better instructiō diuerse speciall matters First the cause vvhereof they arise Secondlie the reason vve are so prone and inelined to them Therdlie the hurt that vve receuie by them Fouertlie hovv vve may arme our selues against them Fiftlye by vvhat meanes vve may auoyd them As to the first it is vvel knovvn that euell thoughtes had their first origin and beginning of our professed enem ye the deuill vvho first seduced our common mother Eue by his suggestion to conceiue a vviked thought and there vpon to eate the aple vvhiche moued delite and lyking then folovved the consent of Adam and consequentlie the displeasure and indignacion of allmighty God Touching the second poynt among many there are three speciall causes of Certein godlie lessons and obseruacions touching the hart of man GOD requyreth the hart of man and to haue the possession of yt And three reasons may begeuen to moue hym therunto One is for that the hart is as it vvere the harbarovv of the Allmightie and the proper bedchamber or cabinet of the king Again the hart is the principall seate and first member that receyueth lyfe And by naturall consequence the hart being full of bloudde is apter to conceiue an impression of hym that shedde is bloude for vs vpon the crosse God desireth a purified hart And thre thinges there are vvhiche purifie the hart The first is a carefull examinacion daily of our ovvn vvoordes deades and thoughtes vvith a speciall desire to geue good example to others The second is daily pennance vvith due confession cōtrition and satisfaction for our offenses against God and our neigbour The third is continuall crauing and begging of God by deuout prayer to be preserued by his Grace from all occasions and matters that may offend God for as the prophet Dauid sayeth If our lorde haue not buylded the house in vain haue they labored whiche buylded it A pure and clean hart is knovvne by three signes or markes The first is the quicke and pregnant knouleige of our ovvne defectes For as a small spot is sone espied in a verie vvhite linnen clothe so a pure hart quickelie perceiueth a small fault in it selfe The second is quietnes of conscience in all troubles and aduersities For a pure good vvine in a cleane glasse changeth not his colour and clearnes be it neuer so muche troubled euen so a pure hart and cleane conscience is vvell setled and resteth euer in one estate vvhat aduersitie so euer hapneth The third mark is encrease of couraige in time of affliction euen as a pure fresh vvine sprinkleth and leapeth vvhen it is vvith any force poured in to a Cuppe And our hart is preserued in puritie and cleannesse by a true fear of God by a carefull gouernement of our externall senses and by continuall exercise of the vvoorkes of charitie Fouer good lessons for preseruing our hope and confidence in God NOvv to make an end vve must