holye Ghost the flower sprong A branch shall springe out of the roote of lesse and a flower shall ascende from the roote as faith Esaie And what other is this braunch O thou blessedst amongest women but thy selfe the virgine of God what this flower but thy sonne O crimson rose Iesus how in all thy bodie shine the perfect signes of thy loue Ahlasse there is no little space lefte without impression of loue or griefe Hearke what Ambrose faith further of this virgin She fixed not her happines in vncertaine substaunce but fastned her hope to her son Christ intentiue in her workes modest in her sayinges whose purpose was not to satisfie man but to seeke after God to hurt none but to succour all to salute euerie one to reuerence her elders not to hate her equalls to slie boasting to followe reason to loue vertue When dyd this virgin hurt her parents with disobedient lookes When dissented she from hir friends When despised she the humble When decided she the weake When shunned she the needie Accustoming her selfe to conuerse onely with that companie of men whose conuersation shee might not be ashamed of Whome past shee by without modestie hauing nothing crabbed in her looks nothing crooked in her sayiugs nothing immodest in her actions not wanton in gesture not insolent in gate not foolish in voice but such she was that the verie beautie portraiture and forme of her body was the image of her mind and figure of her honestie The beautie of this tēple of the Deity was expressed in the Canticles where it is sayd O howe faire art thou my loue Howe faire art thou Thine eies are like doues eies yet is there farre more hidden within This is the paradyce which God prepared to put the second Adam in This is that virgin of whom Hierome speaketh which passed the night in contemplation watching the thiefe in loue of God the most learned in humilitie the most humble in the psalms of Dauid the most elegant in charitie most feruent in puritie the most pure and in all vertue the most perfect All her words were alwaies full of grace because she had God alwaies in her mouth shee continually praide and as the Prophet sayd meditated in the lawe of God daie and night This is the virgin of virgins the humble of hūblest in whome humilitie greatned virginitie virginitie adorned humilitie This is shee whose humilitie adorned her fecunditie and whose fecunditie consecrated her virginitie This is that Marie into whose armes the faire vnicorne Iesus retyred himselfe after a long pursuit by the praiers teares and sighs of the fathers This is the exalted according to the Hebrew or the starre of the sea as Hierome translateth it or the mistres of mankinde according to the Siriake This is she of whom the Sibils prophesied This is she whom Euodius Peters successour calleth immaculate without spot glorious in humilitie This is shee appointed before all ages to beare the great fruit This is the animated arke of the liuing God which brought many blessinges to Zacharie and Elizabeth as the Arke of the couenant did to Obed Edom. This is shee of whom Albumazar prophesied who speaking of the signe of the Virgine sayde that there shoulde an immaculate virgine be borne sayre elegant and modest that should norish an infant in Iudea who shoulde be called Christ. Of this virgin there was found a testimony on the tomb of a pagan where in a plot of ground these wordes were written found in Constantine and his mother Irenes time An infant named Christ shall bee borne of a virgine and I beleeue in him O sonne thou shalt see mee againe in the time of Constantine and his mother Irene The like Zonoras reporteth of a certaine Iew who in a certaine ancient book written in three languages vsed these wordes This is shee in whome Nestorius denying the vniting of the humanitie with the diuinitie our Lorde in iustice caused wormes to deuour and eate out his tongue This is she in whom all vertues did concurre all learning abound all deuotions flowe all comforts depend This is she as Gregorie testifieth which foretolde the Iewes of their destruction and the desolation of their citie This is the true celestiall Pandora decked and inriched with the whole gifts of God the father the sonne and the holie Ghost This is shee whome the Moores reported to surpasse in excellence this is the perfectest of all perfections as the Turkes and Arabians testifie This is shee whome all the fathers in deuotion the Mahumetists in theyr Alcoran set foorth with praises and inrich with titles Oh sweete mother of God who so speaketh of thee as Hierome sayth speaketh insufficiently humane abilitie cannot attain it humane industrie is too weake for it Whether art thou transported my soule O my heart bee no more rauished with ioye intentiue to praise looke back to the foot of the crosse there is more cause of meditation more cause of moane Ahlasse what seest thou Nay what seest thou not to bewaile If thou seest the virgines lappe it is bloudied with the streames that fall from her Sonnes wounded head If thou seest her modest eies they are almost swolne and sunke into hir head with teares If thou looke for her pure colour it is decaied with extreame sorrowe her breasts are defaced with often beating of her handes her handes are wearyed by often beating of her breasts If shee looke on the one side shee sees Marie the sinner washing her sons feet with her tears if on the other she beholdeth Ioseph wofully preparing his funeralls if on the other she seeth virgins mourning if on the other she beholdeth soldiers mocking if anie waies she sees sorrowes plentifull knowing therfore in her selfe that true griefe correcteth the minde salueth the offence and maintaineth innocence shee gan renue her teares and thus tenderly bewailed her If it bee a custome in nature that fountains return from whence they first issued bodies bee resolued to that wherof they were first created ahlasse why should not the same law be in my tears which first springing from loue must be buried in loue no sooner buried but renued nothing before his fulnesse hath his fairenesse his ripenesse his strength his perfection his praise Why then delaie I my teares which can neuer receiue their excellence till they bee wepte to their vtteraunce Ahlasse ahlas teares are sweet weapons to wound and to winne harts I will vse them I will inuite them I will maintaine them I will triumph in them Come my son what now shall I weep in thee Not thy death for it is thy triumph not thy contēpts for they were thy cōtents but thy martyrdom which wrought my miserie O sinfull soules behold two altars raised by one massacre one in the bodie of Christ the other in the heart of the virgin on the one is sacrificed the flesh of the sonne on the other the soule of the mother such a death
houle and lament a Sauior is departed from you a iust king hath suffered Let your faces bee swolne with weeping for I wil water my couch with teares Let the voice of my mourning bee heard in your streetes for the noise of tribulation is harbored in my heart Weepe discomfortable teares and I wil mingle my drinke with weeping with weeping conduct that Lord to the graue who weepingly bewailed and be wailingly wept ouer your Citie Inforce your selues to weepe whilest my eyes faile me thorough weeping powre your teares on his heart whilest I feede on teares daie and night I will powr all my teares into his wounds he will put all your teares into his bottell Let your teares run like a riuer let my teares be seas to suck them vp only assist me in my strong weeping and teares and he will wipe awaie all your teares Why claime I partners in my griefe who haue no partners in my loue No creatute loued thee deerer in thy life shal I seeke associats in bewailing thee Ah my son could ought but death depart thee and mee Nay coulde there be one step betwixt mee and death who onelye in death maye now seeke thee O Iesu my Father my Sonne see heere an indissoluble Enigma I a Virgine had thee a Sonne thou a son hadst mee a spouse my sonne is my father and I am the daughter of my sonne I will then weepe for thee as my father sigh for thee as thy daghter die for thee as thy spouse and grieue for thee as thy mother as thou art wonderfully mine so will I weepe such a labyrinth of teares as no mortall mourner shalbe able to tract them I will dissolue my relenting yelding passions with all their fruites to lament thee as a sonne I will put on the roabes of dissolution to mourne for thee as my spouse I wil gather ingrosse al griefe to weep for thee as my father beginning where I end and ending where I began I will make my tears famous in their continuance and my loue more inflamed by thinking on thee I coniure you ye daughters of Ierusalem to looke on me but weepe no more with me I lament a sonne lost to teach you to weepe for the sorowes of your children to come but if the entrailes of your pittie springs of compassion must needes breake out weepe you onely his harmes in life let me bewaile the losse of him by death my confident minde and firme constancie when the world was disturbed at his passion made me peremptorie when the earth trembled I was not troubled whē the pilets of heauen were shaken I sounded not they sell I stood now am I drowned in the sea of bitternes his eie of compassion the pilot in those seas hath lefte mee the helme of my hope is broken the sunne of my comfort is eclipsed hee hath past the brierie thornie paths the scourges hath registred his patience on his backe the nailes haue tied his triumphs our sinnes his bodie to the crosse I niurie hath spit her venom Infamie hath doone his worst Iustice hath ransackt his right wayle this yee daughters of Ierusalem for your children shall wring for it I onely exclaim on death death hath triumphed ouer life til glory ouercome death the holie one hath perished fished seeth no corruption one daies one houres one minutes want of that I loue maks euery day an age euerie houre a million of ages euerie minute an eternitie of sorrow for that I want O you that passe this waie beholde this bodie you that looke on these wounds see these lims tell me Is not beautie oppressed Maiestie imbased Innocencie martired Come neere and iudge if anie griefe may bee compared with mine The fairer children we haue the dearer we loue them and shuld I who bare the mirrour of all beautie in my wombe cease to weep for him You men of Israel that beholde this bee not amazed at my griefe my loue was extreame my griefe must not be extenuate the grace was great to beare Christ the courage is as great to bewaile him his beautie was infinite and shall my moanes bee definite These thornes which martyrize his beautious browes this bloud which bedeweth his bloudlesse face these woundes that disgrace his blessed bodie this humilitie in so great mighty a monarch ' are prickes and spurs to egge you vnto repentance springes to washe you from your wickednesse gates to bring you to glory all these are but stinges to stir you to loue God mirrors in which you see his beautie books in which you reade his wisedome and preachers which teach you the waie to heauen Oh thou paschall lambe whose bloud hath bin sprinkled on the timber of the cross Oh thou by whō men are deliuered frō y e thraldom of Egipt the captiuity of the prince of this world whose death killed their death whose sacrifice satisfied for their sinnes Whose bloud deliuereth them from the chastising Angell whose meeknes pacifieth the ire of the father and whose innocencie deserueth for them true securitie and iustice Thou booke which the Prophet sawe written both within and with out why striue not men by theyr sighs to breath life into thee And why should not my cries of compassion recall thy spirit Ahlas my God sinne hath gotten the vpper hand these Iewes are amazed thy mother vnable their zeale cold my power small the vnbeleeuing are many and penitents haue too fewe teares to bewaile thee yet while teares yeeld me anie tribute sighes vouch safe me anie succour tongue affoord me anie words I will weep for thee sigh for thee and talke of thee desiring rather to surfet in wordes than to shroude my zeale and rather die in bewailing thee to much than liue to lament thee too little O thou glasse of grace who hath bespotted thee who hath brought thee into the shadow of death Ah deare soule what northwind of sin hath blowen hether al this tempest meeknesse could not offend patience did not insult innocencie was faultlesse the vvolfe shoulde haue suffered not the lambe the guiltie not the guiltlesse Oh the immeasurable reach of thy mercie I haue spied the insearchable bent of the same thou hast lefte life to reuiue them that loath thee suffred death for such as detracted from thee borne mans infirmities and satisfied his sinnes O grace beyond all conceit O marucilous mysterie Thou diedst for man man declineth from thee thou sufferedst for his sinnes he sigheth not for thy death O men swift footed to run to wickednes haue you no affects to bewaile him who suffered for your defects Wil you not weep for the prophet that died for your profit Haue you no teares to spend for him whose life is spent for you O ingratefull O iniurious drawe neere and behold a mother bewailing your ingratitude a son dead for your redemption and though you lament him not for the plentious consolations
no creature hath suffered such a sorrowe no heart hath contained Philosophie concents to my sorow for mine eies increase in griefe my passions are intollerable beeing afflicted in al my senses my loue quickens my passions my deuotion nourisheth my loue my teares beautifie my affection Woe is me nowe'am I rightly compared to the Moone for my sunne is eclipsed and I am confounded now iustly am I counted a peele being sed no waies better than by the deaw of teares now am I'improperly taken for a cedar for the sweet sent of my blossome is vanished my fruit is decaid the leaues of my delight are fallen onelye in this I retaine thy nature by reseruing my griefe in force my compassion to eternities Oh what a wo is mine What a sorrow is mine If the Angels behold this face they bewail him if the heauens look on this crueltie they weepe for him if the aire discouer it it loureth if the earth eie it it renteth What shall the mother then doo that hath behelde her sonne martyred and could not succour him naked could not cloath him thirsty and could not comfort him iniuried and could not defend him defamed and coulde not aunswere for him spit vpon and could not wipe him finally weeping and could not comfort him Out alasse for teares I will paie teares teares for former tragedies teares for after passion teares for present miserie tears in abundance teares with vsurie Oh thou so excellent in holynesse so mightie in power and so merciful in pietie how shal I more righfully bewaile thee than in considering the wants I haue beeing diuided from thee I want thy presence to repayre my delights I want thy counsell to inrich my soule I want my ioye by wanting thee Nay what wanteth not the worlde by thine absence The humble are turned to proude the faithfull falne to Apostasie the poore are despised the iust reuiled the patient spit at the faithfull afflicted deuotion nowe is clothed with dissimulation sanctimonie with simonie conscience with couetousnesse hypocrites wil be humble without contempt poore with out defect flatterers vnseene enuious vnsuspected slanderers without cause craftie as foxes within humble as lambes without Ahlasse what confusion What error Thy scholers in humilitie haue forgotten their lesson they will not learn of the bird which before hee soareth towards heauen humbleth his bodie to the earth they will enter by thee as the gate and wil not learne of thee because thou art humble Thou hūblest thy selfe to thy equals they despise their superiours The tree the more it aboundeth in fruit the more it abaseth his bowes towardes the earth but man the more he is raised by thy graces the more hee resisteth against thy humilitie Thy glorie is to submit serue and obey mans desire is to gouerne rule command Thou sayest that all thing perisheth if it be not kept with humilitie they saie that nothing more breedeth cōtempt than obseruance Thou biddest them flie honours they affect them Thou biddest them possesse their soules in feare they deeme nothing assured but in honour Oh sweet Iesus thou sayest that the gate of heauen is so straight that no man laden with riches no man fatned with delights no man decked in purple can be possest thereof before he be dispossessed of these vanities but the worldling saith that welth breedeth happinesse delightes lengthen life rich clothing bringeth credit so that they that possesse these they vtterly despise heauen What shall I saie the worlde is so fraught with pleasure and auarice is so ful of profite that it is helde good pollicie to heare thee preach but no wisedome to followe thy pouertie Oh deare Lord thou giuest thy self wholy vnto them and they wholie flie thee if they are hungrie thou art bread to them if they are thirstie thou art water to thē if they are in darknes thou are light vnto them if they be naked thou cloathest them yet are they 〈◊〉 grounded in vngratitude that they forget thee They knowe that what so euer the world is is eyther the desire of the flesh or the desire of the eyes or the pride of lyfe yet pretēding to flie the world they fansie nothing more earnestly They knowe that a fatned thicke and dilated body leaueth God and forgetteth his creator yet follow they sensualitie and forget thee eāmque mortuam sayth the Psalme neither cordially recorde they thy benefites They knowe with Hermes that thy acceptable best incense is thanksgiuing yet haue they learned with Iudas to crucifie thee vngratefully They knowe that they are blessed that haue not seene and beleeue yet hauing beheld thy passion they despise it They know the booke of life is opened but they will not reade They know that those which folow thee shall not walke in darknes se yet take they pleasure to stumble in the daie time Finally they knowe that thou hast spred the light of thy coūtenance on them yet preferre they darknes before light to their owne damnation The Naturalistes write that Bats haue weake sight because the humor Christaline which is necessarie for the eie to see with is translated into the substance of the wings to flie with whereupon they haue leatherne winges and so for their flight sake haue lost their sight because that is substracted from the eies which is imploied in the wings These bats betoken these proud neglecters who by how much the more they striue to flie by so much more are they depriued of the grace of the diuine light because all their intention which ought to bee in consideration of heauenly things is translated into the feathers of ambition so that all their thought is howe they may ascend by degrees the steps of dignitie not descende in imitation of thee to the bosome of humilitie O man the cause of the Angells fall was negligence the cause of Adams fall was negligence why then art thou summoned so sweetly neglectest so carelesly If men angels created by God had vsed his giftes orderly the angels had neuer striued to surpasse God in excellence neither had man listned to the serpents perswasion but because they were careles of his graces he suffred thē to fall into errour by the sinne of negligence and from the error of neglygence into the sinne of pride disobedience Beware man by mans first falling flie man the Angels negligence least by both thou winne apostasie and with apostasie perdition Wilt thou be frind of this world thou art enemie to God Wilt thou follow Beliall thou art not for Iesus Oh cast downe thy selfe proud soule whatsoeuer thou hopest trust not the weaknes of thy power since strength it selfe hath beene oppressed Knowe that chastitie is hardned in delightes truth in riches and humilitie in honours iust feare to fall mercifull feare obduration continence feare lust deuout feare negligence with feare and trembling waxe you rich in Iesus who wyth griefe and agonie hath indured for you Oh sinners