MEDITATIONS VPPON THE MYSTERIES OF OVR HOLY FAITH WITH the practise of mental praier touching the same 〈…〉 Composed in Spanish by the R. F. LVYS DE LA PVENTE of the Societie of IESVS natiue of Valladolid AND Translated into English by F. RICH. GIBBONS of the same Societie THE FIRST PART The contents of this woorke are to be seene in the page folowing SIT NOMEN DOMINIBENEDICTUM IHS Printed with priuiledge M.DC.X. THE CONTENTS OF THIS WORKE These Meditations goe diuided into six partes which be correspondent to the three wayes PVRGATIVE ILLVMINATIVE VNITIVE the first two parts for Principiants in Vertue the other two for those that Goe forward and the two last for the Perfect And all six doe helpe for Preachers and Masters of perfection The first part of Sinnes and Last things of man with Meanes of praier to purifie the heart from vices The second part of the Mysteries of the Incarnation and Childhoode of IESVS Christ our Lord vntill his Baptisme The third part of the Principall mysteries of his life Diuinitye and Miracles vnto the ende of his preaching The fourth part of all the Mysteries of the Passion The fifth part of the Mysteries of the Resurrection Apparitions Ascēsion till the comming of the holie Ghost publishing of the Gospell The sixt part of the Mysteries of the Diuinitye Trinity Perfections of God of the Benefits natural supernaturall that proceede from him Accordinge to the order of the historye there goe inserted also meditations of all the Life of our LADYE and of some Saints of whome the Gospell and the booke of the Actes of the Apostles make mention of which and of those that be vpon the Gospells of the Sundayes holie dayes thoroughout the yeare there be Tables in the ende of the whole worke TO THE VERTVOVS AND DEVOVTE GENTLEWOMAN MISTRES CICILIE MORGAN DAVGHTER to the worshipfull Mistres MARIE MORGAN SOme peraduenture may and will also Vertuous Gentlewoman marueil not a little what moued me to dedicate this booke rather vnto you then to diuers other persons of no meane calling in our nation whoe might with great reason haue expected the same at my hands especially I being as they will suppose obliged to sundry of them for diuers respects To whome for satisfaction of my part and that this their woundring may cease I answere in fewe words that as touching particular obligation to any person I found none in my selfe that might with iust cause haue moued me to alter this my intended course other then that Rom. 13.8 to which the Apostle exhorteth saying Nemini quidquam debeatis nisi vt inuicem diligatis Owe no man any thing but that you loue one an other More ouer if any obligation there be towards others certes it is most towards you for whome I haue giuen my word in such sort that I am bound by all the meanes I possibly may to further your spirituall good aduance you in that kind of perfection to which you so much aspire Whereunto I add that if this my labour such and so much as it is be aniwise due to those which were the cause I first tooke it in hand I neither can nor will deny but that your often and feruent calling vppon me to aford you sufficient matter for meditation with the manner how to performe the same in such sort as it ought to be donne was the occasion that hauing seene this worke I tooke in hand to translate it findinge it to be such as in it selfe contained all that which either you with reason could require of me or I thinke good to performe of my part as necessary for your spirituall instruction profit in this kind of exercise And heere I wittinglie and willinglie leaue to speake of your godlie and vertuous behauiour of your feruent affection in the seruice of almighty God of your holie desire to conforme your selfe in all your words thoughts and woorks to his most holie will and pleasure of your renouncing the world and the contentments thereof with so generous a resolution of the continuall mortification of your selfe with so inuincible courage which all and many more your rare vertues vnknowne to others then to those whoe of dutie ougt to knowe them had ben sufficient without anie further cause to haue presented you these my small paines such as they are thereby to forward you in this happy course of life which you haue vndertaken to perfect you in the same as much as in me lieth As for my labour if it may with Gods holie assistance profit others then your self let them con you thankes whoe haue ben the motiue thereto but if it may further your owne spirituall good as I nothing doubt but with the grace of God and your owne vertuous endeauour it will if you perseuer and continue in the practise of meditation as you haue begunne I hope I shall not be defrauded of your good merites praiers in which I hartilie desire to be remembred wishing you all abundant increase of grace and goodnes in this world that growing from vertue to vertue Psal 83.8 you may at the length as the Psalmist saith see the God of Gods in Sion that is see his diuine Maiestie face to face and inioy him for euer and euer in the world to come Your louing friend that wisheth you all good RICH. GIBBONS THE PROLOGVE TO THE CHRISTIAN Reader SO proper it is to the Religious of our lest Society or Company of IESVS to procure by Gods grace not onely our owne saluation and perfection but also our neighbours that wanting health to exercise other duties ordained to this ende not to bee wholely wanting to the ende of my vocation I inclined to write this booke by meanes whereof I might ayde them to negociate their owne saluation which is the finall ende of all Christians and therewith also the excellency of Euangelicall perfection which is the speciallest ende of such as are Religious And whereas all those which liue in this greate house of the Churche of what estate or condition soeuer they bee are called by God to pretend in some sorte this soueraigne perfection for to all is intended or directed that sentence of our Sauiour which saith Matth. 5.48 Bee you perfect as also your heauenly Father is perfect So likewise this booke I direct vnto all to teache as S. Ad Coloss 1.28 Paul saith and to procure that euery man may bee perfect in Christe though most particularly it is directed to those who by reason of their Religious estate professe this perfection and pretende to attaine thereunto by the meanes of Prayer and Meditation whereof this booke doth entreate wherein aswell as I can according to my poore habilitie I desire to fullfill what S. Augustine counselleth vs in his 3. sermon vpon the 33. In illud Magnificate Dominum mecum Psalme saying Si amatis Deum rapite omnes ad amorem Dei qui vobis iunguntur
Grace to signifye that whereas this Childe by Circumcision was loden with the heauy burthen of the olde Lawe Luc. 16.16 Lex Prophetae vsque ad Ioannem ex eo regnum Dei euangelizatur God gaue him most abundant Grace to beare it and to be after a sorte the beginning of the newe Lawe which was the Lawe of Grace of which some parte fell to his Lot and in which this Grace is graunted vnto all And therefore I will beseeche our Lord that seeing he hath imposed vpon me the burthen of his Lawe he will graunt me abundance of his grace to fullfill it The second miracle was Luc. 1.64 to restore vnto his father Zacharias his specche whome he forthwith filled with the holy Spirit giuing him the spirit of Prophecye wherewith he composed the Canticle of Benedictus Dominus Deus Israel beginning with the praises of God who shewed himselfe so liberall in comming to visite vs and then with the praises of his Fore-runner For it is the propertye of the diuine Spirit to inspire praises of God for his benefits of his Sainctes for the giftes that he hath giuen them But the excellencye of this Childe and the much that God loueth him is most resplendent this being graunted to his Father assoone as he had written in a table the name of Iohn that we may perceiue the grace and fauour that he will doe for his respect to those that with deuotion shall worship his holy name O glorious Childe Colloquie I reioice that thou art so beloued of our Lord and seeing thou according to thy name art so full of Grace obtaine for me of our Lord that I may be replenished therewith that I may perpetually serue him and in thy Companye may enioy him worlde without ende Amen The third that hapned Luc. 1.14.65 was greate Alacritye with greate Reuerence and Admiration in all People to whose knowledge these things arriued fullfilling that which the Angell had saied that many should rejoice in his birth to signifye that God our Lord gaue him to his Church as the Aduocate of spirituall Alacritye which is the effect of Deuotion the pledge of Life euerlasting The last and most glorious is that which the Euangelist sayeth in the beginning of his Life Luc. 1.68 that the hande of our Lord was with him that is that his Omnipotencye fauored him and wrought for him greate things and moued and directed him in all his wayes and protected him in all his necessities for the which the Churche applyeth vnto him that of the holy Prophet Isaias Cap. 49. Our Lord hath called mee from the wombe from the belly of my mother he hath beene mindefull of my name he hath protected me in the shadowe of his hande and hath put me as a chosen arrowe in his quiuer he hath hidden me O happy Arrowe Colloquie that mouedst not by thyne owne impulsion but by the impulsion of the all-mightye O selected arrowe directed by the holy Spirit to greate things neuer leauing thee out of his powerfull hande O hande of the Allmighty that mouedst thy Fore-runner moue me with thy impulsion to fullfill thy holy VVill and be euer assistant vnto mee for thou knowest that without thee I am able to doe nothing The fourtenth Meditation Of what hapned when S. Matt. 1.18 Ioseph would haue forsaken the Virgin seeing her with Childe and of the reuelation made vnto him by the Angel concerning this mysterye The first Pointe FOr the foundation of this Meditation Of the sanctitye of S. Ioseph I am to consider the greate Sanctitye of S. Ioseth and the Vertues and Graces graunted him by our Lord for being the worthye Spouse of his mother and his worthy Foster-father so that he should be helde for his Father Luc. 2.48 and was so indeede as concerning the office of educating and sustaining him For as our Lord filled with grace and with the holy Spirit the Baptist and the Apostles with that abundance that was conuenient to exercize worthily the Offices that he incharged them so also would he replenish S. Ioseph with most excellent giftes and graces with the which he might fullfill those ministeries that he recommended vnto him and he so skillfully negotiated with the giftes receiued that euery daye he encreased them and was therefore called Ioseph Gen. 49.22 which is to say Accrescens Encreasing or he that encreaseth First he encreased his Sanctitye aboue all the Sainctes that had preceded him for he had greater Faithe and Obedience then Abraham more Patience in Afflictions then Iacob more Chastitye then his Sonne Ioseph more familiar Conuersation with God then Moyses more Charitye towardes the People the â—amuel and more Humillitye and Meekenesse then Dauid In these and other Vertues he was resplendent and daily augmented them that being fullfilled in him that was spoken by the Prophet Dauid Blessed is the man whose helpe is from thee Psa 83.6 for with thy fauour hee hath disposed ascensions in his Hearte ascending from one Vertue to another vntill he see the God of Gods in Sion Especially this happy Sainct increased mounting that spirituall Ladder which as we haue saide his Spouse did ascende by whose example he was ayded these two Seraphins prouoking one another to flye with their wings and to glorifye the Holye of Holyes in their Praier Isa 6.3 And to doe this with more libertye of Spirit by Inspiration of the holy Ghost he chose to obserue perpetuall Chastity 1 Cor. 7.35 which as S. Paul sayeth remoueth the impediments of Praier and therein he proceeded so farre that by speciall fauour he felt no euill motion though he conuersed with a Virgin exceeding beautifull but withall so admirably chaste that meerely to beholde her inflamed one with desier of Chastitye And in this very Action he discouered his greate Loue to allmighty God for whose sake he renounced the pleasures of matrimonye accepting the burthen of that estate without the delightes thereof With these Vertues he joyned other whereof wee shall by and by speake in the which I am to endeuour to imitate him beseeching him to be my aduocate vnto his Spouse Christ IESVS our Sauiour for doubtlesse he may preuaile much with them both for the great seruices that he did them O glorious Patriarch Colloquie Gen. 49.26 whose beautye the Hierarchies of Heaueâ— doe admire beseeche the Desired of the eternall Hilles who powred forth vpon thy Heade his copious benediction that he will likewise powre it forth vpon mine that in imitation of thee I may encrease in good workes and augment in Vertues perseuering with Constancye to the gaining of the euerlasting Crowne Amen The Second Pointe AFter that the blessed VIRGIN came from the house of Zacharias her Husband seeing her with Childe and not knowing the cause felt a greate affliction but as he was a just man he would not carrye her to his owne house neither yet would he defame
the three degrees of Soules to witte the Vegetatiue proper to Plantes the Sensitiue proper to brute Beastes and the Rationall proper to Men the Superiour besides his owne workes doth likewise the woorkes of the Inferiour though after a more excellent manner so also as S. 2.2 q. 24 art 9. maxime ad 3. Thomas sayeth in the three Estates of People that dedicate themselues to Praier and to the Seruice of God those which are Proficients or Goers forward are to exercize themselues in the meditations and workes of the Beginners or Principiants and the Perfect in those of them both but after a more perfect manner drawing out of them the fruite which they pretende with more aduauntage that is more perfect mortification of themselues and a more excellent manner of Imitating our Sauiour Christe in his Vertues Besides this Experience teacheth that when a greate Spirit or Affection of any Vertue whatsoeuer is predominant in a Soule vpon what thing soeuer it meditateth it taketh occasion to feede and augment it If the Spirit of Humillitye predominate whither hee meditate vpon Hell or vpon Heauen whither hee thinke vpon his owne Miseries or vpon the Diuine Excellencies hee will extract or drawe out of all Affections of Humillitye And if in his Hearte the Spirite of Loue doe predominate though hee meditate vpon Iudgement and Hell hee conuerteth all into the Affections of Loue. So likewise Prinâ—ipiants Proficients and those that are Perfect vpon whatsoeuer they meditate they may drawe out those Affections and Purposes that are fitting to their state and necessitye From hence it is that albeit by the ordinary Lawe wee are to obserue the Order propounded yet neede wee not to bee so tied to it that it shall not bee lawfull to change it nay rather sometimes it is conuenient for some cannot applye themselues to Considerations of Feare who yet are easily moued with meditations of Loue and other contrarily Some finde Deuotion and Proffit in considering the misteries of the Childehood of our Sauiour Christe others in considering the mysteries of his Passion some in one mysterie and some in another and it is not good to force them ouermuch nor to drawe them from their consideration to passe them to another wherein they shall not finde what they desired And for this cause our Lord hath prouided the matter of meditation to bee so copious and ample that euery one may finde some that is fitting to his Purpose Of Entrance into Praier §. 5. IT is the Counsell of the holy Ghoste before Praier to prepare the Soule Eceles 18 23 for to goe without preparation is as it were to tempt God pretending the ende and fruite of Praier with out vsing the meanes ordained to obtaine the same It is therefore necessary before wee enter into Praier to carrye the matter forseene which wee are to meditate vpon for regularly meditation cannot bee attentiue nor recollected if the matter bee not first prepared well digested and diuided into pointes after that manner that wee heere shall prescribe And yet for all this wee hinder not if our Lorde by speciall Inspiration shall mooue vs to thinke vpon some other thing but that wee may occupye ourselues therein omitting till some other time that which before wee had premeditated because Diuine Impulsion or mouing is the principall cause of this worke which wee are to followe but with this aduertisement that it procede not from lightnesse of minde nor Instabillitye of Hearte to dashe out of one matter into another without sufficient cause This beeing presupposed before wee begin meditation wee are to doe these things following 1. First wee are to lift vp our Heart and the Faculties of our Soule to God our Lord beholding him as hee is there present with an Interiour attentiue reuerende and louing aspect for that if a man bee to speake with a Prince it is necessary that hee goe to his Palace or to the place where hee is and present himselfe before him for with one that is absent wee cannot speake and seeing God is present in Heauen and in Earthe and in euery place assisting all and beholding all when I am to pray and to speake vnto him I neede not goe seeke him in any other place but to quicken my Faithe and to beholde how hee is there present perswading myselfe that when I pray I am not alone but that there is also with mee the most holy Trinitye Father Sonne and Holy Ghoste to whome I speake who seeth mee heareth mee is accustomed to aunswer within my hearte with Inspirations Illuminations communicating the light of Truthe to the Vnderstanding feruent affections of Deuotion to the VVill and infusing guiftes and Vertues and other Graces into the Soule as before hath beene saide Sometimes I may beholde God as hee is rounde about mee incompassing mee on euery side myselfe within him as the fishes are within the Sea Othertimes I may beholde him as hee is within mee by Essence Presence and Power knowing what I doe and ayding mee to doe it And in this manner is fullfilled the saying of our Lorde christe VVhen thou shalt pray enter into thy chamber Matt. 6.6 Ex D. Hilario can 5. in Matth. Amb. lib. 6. de sacra c. 3. Aug. coÌ„e 2. in Psal 33. that is into thy Hearte hauing shutt the dore of thy senses pray to thy Heauenly Father in secret thy Father vvhich is there and seeth in secret vvill repay thee that is will giue thee what thou askest This Truthe of the Presence of God within mee round about mee wheresoeuer I am praying I am much to quicken that it may moue mee to reuerence and confidence to due Attention And if with this consideration I shall perceiue myselfe moued to these and other like affections of Deuotion I may well detaine myselfe to enjoy this morsell that God giueth mee for the time it will last for this already is a Praier and a very good one But the ordinary shall bee to detaine myselfe in this Cogitation a Pater noster while albeit in all the time of my meditation I must not loose out of sight the presence of God according to that of Dauid Psal 18.15 The meditation of my Heart is in thy sight alvvaies but in the time of my Petitions Colloquyes I must fenewe it with more feruour povvring out Psal 141 3. as Dauid saithe our Praier in the sight of our Lorde This donne secondly I am to make a greate and 2. Para. vlt. flecto genu cordis mei profounde reuerence to the maiestie of God bending before him the knees of my hearte and of my bodye once and three times as they doe that enter into the presence of kings I am to adore him in Spirit acknowledging him for my God and my Lorde the Father of immense Maiestie and the king most worthy of infinite reuerence and with my bodye to humble myselfe euen to the fastening my mouthe
life and much more for the good credit or his Gouernment that all may see that hee was both wise and holy in all whatsoeuer hee ordained Psal 82.19 Ierem. 12.1 Abacuc 1.6 1. Cor. 4.5 and permitted So that neither the good may complaine any more then that Vertue was oppressed nor the wicked glorye that Vice was exalted and finally to confounde the rashe Iudgements of those that dared to iudge what they knewe not Hereupon the Apostle counselleth that wee should not iudge before the time vntill our Lord come who also will lighten the hidden things of Darkenesse and will manifest the Counsailes of the hartes The third cause is the glory of Christ IESVS our Lord that hee may not onely discouer himselfe in Heauen to the good but also that in Earthe where his Ignominye was apparent hee may manifest himselfe to the wicked and that those which sawe his Humilliation may see the rewarde thereof And for this cause the place of Iudgement shall bee the Valley of Iosaphat Ioel. 3.2 neere to Ierusalem and the mount of Oliues that in the same place where hee was Iudged condemned and crucified for our Sinnes they may all see him with greate honour to bee the Iudge both of the quicke Actuum 10.42 and the deade and that hee that ascended to Heauen in the fight of a fewe Disciples shall descende as it was tolde by the Angells in the sight of the whole worlde to Iudge them all Actuum 1.11 For these causes the remembrance of Iudgement may moue mee to Ioye Thankefullnesse and Praise glorifying God for his soueraigne Prouidence wherewith hee designed it for so high endes Psal 95.11 8. and wiâ—h â—â—uid inuiting all Crearures to rejoice and clap their handes for Ioye for that our Lord shall come to Iudge the Earthe and shall Iudge all People and all Princes with Iustice and equitye righting wrongs without acception of Persons The second Pointe SEcondly Matt. 24 5. Marc. 13 5. Luc. 21.8 Erunt signa in sole c. Sapien. 5 18. are to bee considered the signes precedent to this Generall Iudgement as Christe our Lord reckoneth them in his Gospell pondering their number and terrour the things which they signifye the effectes which they shall cause in men the manner how they shall come to passe and with all the causes wherefore they come to passe 1. First I am to ponder the number of them for all Creatures as the VViseman saieth shall bee armed to take vengeance on the Enemies of their Creator all the worlde shall fight for him against rashe incoÌ„siderate Sinners And as all haue beene instruments of Gods mercye to doe them greate benefits so then they shall bee instruments of Gods Iustice to doe them greate Dammages and with greate reason for that they abused them to the iniurye of their Creator And although they now dissemble this wrong then they shall manifest it with terrible signes 2. Secondly I will ponder their terriblenesse discoursing of some of them The Sun shall bee obscured the Moone shall bee turned into the colour of Blood The Starres or Comets shall fall from Heauen like Lightening and the powers of Heauen shall bee mooued for they shall make a fearefull noise like a Clocke when it is let loose to strike the hower the Earthe shall dreadefully tremble like Mongibels opening it selfe in many partes the Sea shall bee in a tumult with terrible waues the windes encountring one another shall raize horrible Tempestes Dreadefull thunder claps with fearefull flashes of Lightening shall sounde in the aire Sapiâ—n 5 22. 2 Mach. 5.2 and there shall appeare affrighting visions and horrid monstres much more horrid then in Egipt Ierusalem The wilde and sauage beastes and venemous Serpents shall stray vp and downe running in all partes with horrible howlings roarings and hissings 3. But how terrible soeuer these signes bee they will afflict much more with the terrour of the things which they signifye and which men apprehende Haec autem omnia Initia sunt maloruÌ„ because all these are but as a draught of the dreadefull euills which they expect for the worlde shall bee the very pourtraiture of Hell The darkenesse of the Sun menaceth eternall Darkenesse in chastizement of the darkenesse of the Soule The blood of the Moone is the signe of the Indignation of God which shall take vengeance of them for staining themselues with the blood of Sinnes The falling of the Starres from Heauen is the signe of the most vnhappy fall which they shall take from the Heauen of the Churche to the bottomelesse pit of Hell for they threwe themselues downe headlong from the heigth of Grace to the Depth of Sinne. The furye of the Elements and Beastes prognosticateth the terriblenesse of the Infernall Furyes against them for liuing like Beastes without any order AresceÌ„tibus hominibus prae timore or gouermnent of their Passions 4. From hence it will arise that men shall wither with feare and Astonishment aswell for the euills which they experiment as for those which they expect Prou. 17.22 being seized vpon by the sad Spirit that withereth the bones O what a difference shall there bee in this case betweene those that haue a good and secure and those that haue an euill and vnquiet Conscience for albeeit that all shall feare yet the feare of the good shall bee mixed with greate confidence in Gods mercye And so our Sauiour Christe comforteth them saying Lucae 21.28 VVhen these things begin to come to passe open your eyes and lift vp your heades for they are signes that your redemption is at hande the ende of your labours and the beginning of your rest But the feare of the wicked shall bee full of Desperation Sap. 17.10 Psal 13.5 and greate Impatiencie for as the VViseman saithe an euill Conscience augmenteth their feare and paine And if already saithe Dauid they tremble with feare where they haue nothing to dreade how much more will they tremble where they haue so much to tremble at beginning presently to haue that trembling and gnashing of teethe which they shall euer haue in Hell Pondering all these things and euerye one of them I will exhort myselfe to the feare of God and detestation of my Sinnes saying to myselfe How is it o my Soule that thou fearest not the wrathe of allmighty God who the more mercifull hee is now shall then bee the more rigorous why embracest thou not with loue the Sacraments and signes of his Grace before the terrible signes of his wrathe fall vpon thee If the Pillars of Heauen shall then tremble why doest not thou fortifye thyselfe with a celestiall Life that though thou fearest yet thou maiest not fall O infinite God naile my fleshe vvith thy holy feare Colloquie Psal 118 120. making mee feare thy terrible Iudgements Let my bones bee vvithered vvith sorrovve for hauing offended thee rather then I should bee vvithered vvith an vnproffitable feare Let
an abisme From all these cōsiderations I will collect a greate detestation of veniall sinnes for the good that they depriue mee of for the prison that they menace mee for the burthen wherewith they burthen mee and aboue all because God so abhorreth it as foorthwith wee shall ponder more at large The Second Pointe SEcondly I am to consider what a greate feeling those soules haue and mine shall haue of the obscuritie and darknesse of that prison which is to want the sight of God and what a terrible paine this is like to that which they call the paine of losse pondering the causes of this sence and Dolour 1. The first is for that there they haue a very liuely faithe of what God is and how good how beautifull and potent hee is how hee is our last ende and eternall blessednesse many of those clowdes and doubtes which here wee haue beeing taken away And this liuelinesse of faithe shall kindle their desire to see their last ende and consequently shall encrease the paine of their delay of beholding it Prouerb 13.12 for as the wiseman saithe Hope that is delaied afflicteth the hearte 2. The 2. cause is for that the loue of God is there in its perfection and exceedingly desireth to see its beloued to bee vnited with him and hath nothing to diuert it not entertaine it in this life with meriting newe glory augmenting its perfection and doing good to its neighbours all which ceaseth in purgatorie And if with all this some holy men haue here so greate longing to beholde God that they are much afflicted with the delay of the accomplishment of their desier and mourning say with Dauid VVoe to mee for my banishment hath beene much delaied Psalm 119.5 and my soule hath beene a long tyme a pilgrime on the earthe with how much more feeling shall the soules detained in purgatorie say this who loue are in paine and yet thriue not 3. The 3 cause of this paine is the suspension wherein those soules are not knowing how long tyme this prison and this delaying of beholding God shall endure for allbeeit they are conformable to the will of God yet for all this they are in great paine considering that originally it springeth from their owne sinne and frō their owne negligēce and carelesnesse aswell insatisfiing for their sinnes as in desiring to see God Refert Blosius in monili spiritu ali cap. 13. For as it was reuealed to S. Briget there is for this culpable lukewarmnesse a kinde of punishment in the other life which they call the purgatorie of desier wherewith they are chastized that were but lukewarme in their desire to see God 4. This Paine likewise is augmented by wanting the sight of our sauiour Christ of the most blessed virgin of the sweete society of the angells and sainctes in heauen and the sight of all other things which they beleiue and hope to beholde for of them all they haue a very liuely faithe confirmed by the experience of their immortallitie and of the purgatorie itselfe which they suffer The greatnesse of this paine I may simbolize by that which a discreete wise and noble man hath when hee is imprisoned in a very obscure prison of the inquisition without seeing the light of heauen any more but by some chinke or loope hole without hauing any communication with his kinred freindes or acquaintaunce and without knowing what passeth in the world or how long his imprisomnent shall continue And all beeit it is to bee beleiued that the Angell gardian commeth now and then to confort the soule of whome hee had care Tob. 5.12 Colloquie yet wee may imagine that it aunswereth him as blinde Tobyas awnsuered to S. Raphael vvhat Io◠can I haue beeing seated in darkenesse vvithout seeing the light of heauen or my svveete Creatour and redeemer O my soule seeing thou beleiuest this paine that attendeth thee in purgatorie if thou payest not here vvhat thou ovvest for thy sinnes deferre not the payment that God may not deferre thee from beholding him clearely Desire vvith greate feruency to goe to beholde him remoouing from thee all that may deferre the accomplishment of this desire that vvith the ende of thy life there may bee an ende of thy paine and that thou mayest presentely enter into rest and gloris Amen The third Pointe THirdly I am to consider the paine which they call of sence which my soule shall suffer in Purgatorye tormented by the terrible fier thereof This is to bee pondered first for that this fier is the same with that of Hell in comparison whereof that of this life is as it were painted As also for that it wonderfully tormenteth as beeing the instrument of God and of a wrathfull God whose hande is exceeding heauye when hee reuengeth his iniurye For as the fier melteth the siluer to purifie it from drosse so this fier as the Prophet saieth Malac. 3.3 shall melt that is shall terribly afflict those soules to purifie them from the drosse they brought from the worlde So that whilest there is any thing to purifie D. Aug. in ps 37. D. Greg. in ps 3. peniten D. Tho. 3. p. q. 46 ar 6. ad 3. Colloquie the dolour shall continue for there is no sleepe nor distraction nor nothing else to temper the furie thereof as there is in this life And hereupon holy men conclude that the dolours of purgatorie exceede in that which is paine and torment the dolours that sinners endure in this life and those which martirs haue sustained yea and those that the king of martirs himselfe Christe Iesus our Lord did suffer to whome I am humbly to say O most svveete redeemer chastize mee not in thy fury vvith the fier of hell and purifie mee so in this life that I may haue no neede of the fier of purgatorie From this consideration I am to collect three affections and Intentions of very much Importance The 1. is a greate Feare of God and of the rigour of his Iustice For if I consider it well what neede I bee so much amazed that the maiestie of God standes beholding the soules burne in hell without hauing compassion of them seeing they are his enemies and persist in abhoring him as that his should see those of Purgatory burne enduring most terrible paines and sometimes for very light sinnes and yet louing them much and beeing beloued of them hee letteth them burne and bee in paine vntill they pay all that they owe Colloquie VVho shall not feare thee o king of the nations If thou thus burnest the fruitefull tree for a fevve thornes that vvere mingled vvith the good fruite hovv vviltt thou burne and tormēt the vvi hered barren tree that hath brought forth nothing but the thornes of greiuous sinnes The 2. intention is to satisfie in this life for my sinnes and to embrace willingly whatsoeuer penaunces and afflictions seeing they are all as nothing in comparison of these other For that which
B. LADYE the VIRGIN declared in the Circumcision the name of her Sonne whose excellencies she most perfectly knewe since the time that the Angell reuealed them vnto her and in her hearte she did ruminate and conferre them and therefore on this day she with greate reuerence and deuotion tooke his name in her mouthe sayed his name shall be IESVS O what greate Ioye felt the most sacred VIRGIN when this first time shee pronounced this most sweete name of IESVS and not she only but glorious S. Ioseph and the rest that were present and hearde this name felt a celestiall fragrancye sweetenesse For then began to be fullfilled that which is written in the Canticles Cant. 1.2 Oile powred out is thy name therefore haue young maydes loued thee Vntill this hower this sweetest name made no odour of itselfe because it was locked vp and inclosed now that it manifested itselfe it powred out a most sweete and odoriferous fragrancye cheering comforting and affecting those pure and chaste Soules that either pronounce it or heare it the which are inflamed with the Loue of this our Lord thorough the sweetenesse of his holy name but aboue all our most blessed LADYE the VIRGIN being most pure and vndefiled and knowing best the soueraigne mysteries of this name O with what pleasure repeated this B. LADYE those wordes of her Canticle My Soule doeth magnifye our Lord and my spirit reioiceth in God my IESVS and Sauiour Because he hath regarded the humillitye of his handmaide for beholde from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed because he that is mighty hath donne greate thinges to me and holy is his name O Soueraigne VIRGIN beseeche thy Sonne to imprint in my Hearte that estimation Colloquie and loue of this holy name that he imprinted in thine O most sweete name poure downe vpon me thy Celestiall fragrancye that my weake sicke and miserable Soule may be comforted and healed therewith and may be free from those miseries wherein it is plunged enioying the fruite of her abundant faluation Lastly I may ponder how this blessed Babe accepted the name and office of our Sauiour and ioyed therein offering with greate delight to his eternall Father to stand for the honour of this sweetest name and entirely to fullfill all whatsoeuer it signified for the good of men I thanke thee o good IESVS Colloquie for this will which thou hadst to saue vs accepting the office with the name of Sauiour fullfill it o Lord effectually in mee and seeing thou art IESVS Este mihi IESVS Be to me IESVS be my Sauiour The Second Pointe SEcondly I will consider the causes why this name was giuen him on the eigth day at his Circumcision for albeit the Angell declared it before the Incarnation to the blessed VIRGIN and afterwardes to S. Ioseph yet in the Circumcision it was manifested for twoo principall causes First for the honour of the Childe for his father seeing him so humbled that he bare the likenesse of a Sinner would that he should then be exalted giuing him a name aboue all names which is the name of IESVS that we might vnderstand that not only he hath no Sinne but that he is the Sauiour of Sinners and pardoner of Sinnes This is to moue me to giue infinite thankes to the eternall Father for thus honoring his Sonne when for his Loue he humbleth himselfe whereby he giueth me an assured pledge that if I humble myselfe he will also exalt me Apoc. 2.17 and will giue me a newe name so glorious that none shall knowe how to esteeme it as it ought to be esteemed vntill he receiue it and that God communicateth his greatenesses in glorye Secondly to make manifest that the name and office of Sauiour was to cost him the shedding of blood for without shedding of blood saieth the Apostle there is no remission of Sinnes Heb. 9.22 And therefore our sweete IESVS taking the office of a Redeemer giueth in earnest of the price that he is to pay for our ransome a litle of that blood which he sheddeth in his Circumcision with a determination to pay the whole price entirely in his passion shedding for vs all the blood that he hath True it is that this litle was a sufficient price for all the Sinnes of the Worlde yea if there had beene a thousand other Worldes because it was the blood of God but his Charitye and Liberallity would that the price should be all his blood to which ende he gaue licence to all the instruments that are on Earthe for shedding of blood to drawe out his blood with greiuous Dolour and Contempt to witte the Knife Whippes Thornes Nailes Speare The knife on this daye opened the first fountaine of blood but that was presently closed The other instruments afterward opened others which closed not till all his blood was runne out O sweetest Sauiour Colloquie Isa 12.3 vhose fountaines albeit they are of blood shed with greate dolour yet they are also fountaines of the liuing water of infinite thankes which are to be gathered with greate reioicing and Loue. May my Soule praise thee for this infinite Charitye wherewith thou openest these fountaines commaunding me to approache with alacritye to enioye the price that thou sheddest with such paine O my Soule what hast thou reason to doe for thy owne Saluation when as thy Sauiour doeth so much for it If it cost him his blood is it much that it should cost thee thine Beholde me heere o Lord readye to shed my blood for thy Loue so that thou wilt make me partaker of thine Amen The third Pointe THirdly I will consider the greatenesses of this sweete name the greate proffit that wee reape by it and the manner how we are to make our commodity thereof but before we enter into this consideration I am to beseeche the eternall Father that for the glorye of this most holy name he will be pleased to illuminate me that I may knowe his greatenesse for if as S. 1 Corint 12.3 Paul sayeth no man can duely say IESVS but in the holy Ghoste then can no man worthily ponder and vnderstand what is contained in the name of IESVS if he be not preuented and ayded by the same holy Ghoste This presupposed I will consider how the name of IESVS is a Summarye and memoriall of all the greatenesses that are in Christ our Lord reducing them to three heades for that it is the Summe of all the perfection that agree to him as he is God and of all the graces and Vertues that he hath as he is man and of all the Offices that as hee is God and man hee doeth vnto men So that I may well inferre if he is IESVS then is he infinitely good holy wise omniponent and full of mercye and the very Goodnesse sanctitye and Wisdome of God for all this is needefull to complye with the name of IESVS 1 Corint 1.30 who as S. Paul sayeth is made
before propounded pondering how the causes rootes of this worke were not our merites but onely the bountye and mercye of God and the endes were the Redemption of the VVorlde and the manifestation of his diuine Goodnesse and Charitye Aftervvardes I will consider the proffit that thereby came vnto vs to wit Pardon of Sinnes Destruction of Deathe Entraunce into Heauen and such other like And then the losse wee had sustained if this worke had not beene donne remaining all Enemies of God Slaues of the Diuell and Damned to Hell Finally the Circumstances of this worke touching Place and Time and Manner and what properties of Bodye and Soule God tooke when hee was Incarnate In eache of these things the Vnderstanding is to make a pawse detaining itselfe in euery one so long as it shall finde Deuotion and Spirituall Gust without caring to passe to another mouing the VVill to diuerse Affections of Loue and Confidence as hath beene saied making Petitions and Colloquies with our Lord according to what hath beene meditated and desired And when our Vnderstanding hath pondered well one of these things it may passe to another with the like quietnesse and calmenesse of minde and so proceede in the rest Of all this wee shall see plaine examples in the meditations ensuing especially in the first which shall bee a patterne for the rest I onely aduertise that when the holy Spirit with speciall Inspiration moueth vs to pray all is easy sweeet for that hee recollecteth the memorye reuiueth the discourses raineth showers of meditatiōs inkindleth the Affections accordeth the Petitions ordereth the Colloquies and maketh perfect the whole VVorke of Praier ourselues cooperating without Trouble But when this speciall Succour is wanting it is necessary that wee ourselues vsing our freewill with the assistaunce of Grace which neuer faileth vs apply our faculties to the exercise of their Actes in the forme aforesaide whereby wee prouoke the holy Spirit to ayde vs with the speciall Succour of his Inspirations For Spirituall men which treate of Praier should not bee like Ships of high building that cannot saile with out winde but rather like Gallies that nauigate both with the winde with the Oare and when they faile of the prosperous winde of diuine Inspiratiō they are to nauigate with the Oare of their faculties aided by the diuine fauour though it bee not so sensible And this kinde of Praier is wonte to be sometimes most profitable though it be not so pleasing for the much that it meriteth fighting against Distractions and Drynesse of Hearte And if wee perseuer rowing and praying at his time Christe our Lord will come to visit vs with whose visitation this tempest shall cease as it happened in a like case to the holy Apostles as hereafter wee shall see Matt. 14.25 The Armes to fight against these Distractions of Hearte Drouthe of Spirit are principally foure 1. The first is profound Humillitye Mar. 6.48 acknowledging our VVeakenesse and miserye and beeing ashamed of ourselues to stand before God with such distraction and accusing ourselues of our offences passed and present for the which wee are chastized therein Lucae 14.11 For whosoeuer in this manner humbleth himselfe in Praier shall bee therein exalted 2 The second is Fortitude of minde making a manly resolution not aduisedly to admitte any Cogitation that may separate vs from that whereof wee pray though it bee of a matter that ministreth to vs much pleasure or seemeth of very much Importance for at that time none Importeth so much as to attend to my Praier and to God before whome I am to pray and when vnwittingly I finde myselfe diuerted I will turne againe to tye the thrid of the good Cogitation and Discourse begun and if a thousand times I shall bee diuerted I will turne a thousand times to the same without loosing my Courage or Confidence Genes 15.11 D. Greg. lib. 16. mor. c. 19 remembring that Abraham perseuering to chase away the Importunate birdes that approached to the Sacrifice came to sleepe a mysterious Sleepe wherein God discouered vnto him greate Secrets and passed like Fier thorough the midst of the sacrifice in testimonye that hee accepted it So I labouring with Perseuerance to chase away Importunate Cogitations that disquiet mee in the Sacrifice of Praier shall come with Gods fauour to sleepe the quiet sleepe of Contemplation wherein hee may illuminate my Soule with his light that I may knowe him and inflame it with the fier of Loue that I may loue him 3. The third VVeapon is Praier it selfe beseeching our Lorde to builde in our Soule a Citty of Hierusalem Psal 146.2 that may bee a Vision of Peace recollecting my Thoughtes and wandring Affections that they may Inhabite therein and busy themselues quietly in Praier The like will I beseeche the holy Angells who assist those that pray And in this meane I will Imploye all my force for Praier is so powerfull that it can obtaine of God all things and it selfe with them vsing in the middest of these Disturbations some breife Praiers to this Purpose Sometimes I will say with Dauid My Hearte hath forsaken mee Psal 39.13 it may please thee to Lord to deliuer mee from the violence I suffer and haue respect to helpe mee Other times I will say with the same royall Prophet My Soule as Earthe without water to thee Psal 142.6 Matth. 8.25 heare mee quickly to Lord my Spirite hath fainted Other sometimes I will crye out with the Apostles in the middest of the Tempest Saue mee o Lord for I perishe Or like the blinde whose Praier was hindred by the presse of the People I will lift vp my voice saying Luc. 18.38 Sonne of Dauid haue mercye vpon mee And if I perseuer crying though it bee with Drouthe and Violence our Lord Christe will not faile to haue compassion on mee as hee had on this blinde man which wee shall ponder in its place 4. The last weapon must bee a greate Confidence in God our Lorde perswading ourselues that seeing hee commaundeth vs to praye hee will giue vs grace and help for the same whereby wee may bee able to resist the Diuell to bridel our Imagination to represse our Passions to moderate our cares and to cast from vs our lukewarmenesse that they may not hinder vs in the exercise of Prayer But with this Confidence wee must joyne Diligence Collat. 9. c. 2. collat 10. c. 13. Cap. 48.49.50 procuring as Cassianus sayeth before Praier to remoue all such occasions as wee would not should distract vs therein imitating in this the subtlety of our Aduersarye who as S. Nilus the Abbot sayeth ordaineth all his Temptations wherewith in the day time hee tempteth spirituall Persons to hinder them from Praier and the fruite thereof Hee tempteth them with Gluttonye to make them in Praier heauye and sleepye Hee tempteth them with Impatience to disquiet them with Curiositye of the Senses to distract them with
and what puritye of Intention I had therein with such like being very sorrowfull for any defect that I shall finde and purposing from that time forwarde to amende it 2. Secondly I am to examine whither I were attentiue or distracted whither deuoute or drye whither I contented myselfe with discoursing onely for that were no Praier but studye or whither I had good affections and purposes whither I begged of God and spake vnto him in my Colloquies with reuerence and confidence or without it And if I finde that it hath gonne well with mee in all I will giue thankes to God for it attributing this good successe not to my diligence but to his grace and mercye But if I finde that it hath gonne ill with mee I will examine the cause whither it were any fault of mine or any passion or disordered Affection or any negligence or remissenesse and being sorrie for my fault I will purpose to amende with determination to mortify my selfe and to remooue away the cause of this harme 3. Thirdly I am to examine the motions and Inspirations or Illuminations and spirituall Taste that I haue felt marking well what effectes they haue wrought in mee to knowe whither they spring from a good Spirit or not and to gaine experience that may helpe mee to knowe the Variety of Spirits To which ende it will helpe much to knowe the rules that are prescribed for this of which wee shall set downe many in the discourse of these meditations 4. Fourthly I am to examine the Resolutions that I made in Praier to see when and how I am to put them in execution and generally I am to examine what fruite I drawe from Praier and Conuersation with God for if my Praier bee a Tree without fruite Matt. 21 19. it will bee cursed like the figtree and presently wither but if it beare fruite it shall bee blessed and growe vp like a Tree planted nigh to the streames of waters Psal 1.3 The fruites of Praier are these To reforme manners to withdraw vs from Sinnes bee they neuer so light to auoyde the occasions of them and of all Imperfection to subdue Passions to curbe the Senses to mortifye sinister Inclinations to vanquish the repugnancies and difficulties that I finde in Vertues to fight valiauntly against Temptations to animate myselfe to suffer much Affliction with alacritye to incourage myselfe to fullfill readily the will of God declared in his holy Lawe in the Euangelicall Counsells and in the rules and Orders of my estate and office To procure also the augmentation or increase of Vertues imitating those of Christe IESVS our Lorde especially his Charitye and Humillitye his Obedience and Patience in Afflictions his Loue of the Crosse and of Contempt and of Chastizing the fleshe And particularly euery one is to procure to haue that Vertue that hee hath most neede of according to the quallitye of his Estate whither it bee Modestye or Chastitye or Fortitude or any other of the Theologall or Morall Vertues with a most effectual resolution and purpose as shall be set downe in the 29. meditation of the first part And when I shall make an examination of Praier I must make good Triall whither I haue drawne out any of these fruites in the manner aforesaide Of the seuerall formes of Praying in diuerse Matters accomodated to different Persons and Times §. 9. THE taste of man is so disgusted in spirituall Exercises that it easily begetteth tediousnesse and loathing if his meate bee giuen him dressed allwaies after one fashion though it bee neuer so precious Num. 21.5 as the Israelites were lothed with Manna though it were exceeding sweete because it was alwaies the same For this cause the Sainctes and Spirituall masters haue Inuented diuerse formes of Praier accomodating Praier in sundry manners with this Variety to take away the wearinesse wee might haue in the exercise thereof when the Spirit of God goeth not alwaies renewing the delight of the same making vs Psal 95.1 97.1 as Dauid saith alwaies to sing vnto our Lord a newe song Herein the Seraphicall Doctor S. Bonauenture was very excellent in his very many and large treatises that hee made of these matters and no lesse was our glorious Father Ignatius couching in his litle booke not onely variety of matter for meditation but also seuerall formes of praying for the examination of the Conscience for the application of the Interiour Senses of the Soule and for diuerse Similitudes and Parables and especially hee taught three very proffitable formes of Praier accomodated to those which walke in the three wayes aboue-saide Purgatiue Illuminatiue and Vnitiue although they are all three of greate profit for them all 1. The first forme of Praying is vpon Gods Commaundements vpon the seuen Capitall Vices commonly called the seuen deadely Sinnes vpon the three faculties of the Soule and vpon the fiue Senses taking all this for matter of Meditation and Praier This forme is proper to those that walke in the Purgatiue waye labouring to cleanse themselues of their Sinnes And so wee will declare this forme in the first parte making speciall meditations of all these things with the rest that pertaine to the manner of praying examining the Conscience and preparing a mans selfe for Confession and Communion whereby is obtained the puritye of the Soule 2. The second forme of Praying is vpon VVordes taking for matter of meditation some Psalme of Dauid or some Sermon or Sentence of our Sauiour Christe or some Praier or Hymne of the Churche ruminating euery worde by it selfe and drawing out the Spirit and Affection that is in it For as the wordes of holy Scripture were dictated by the holy Spirit they haue all some misterye worthy of Ponderation And as the Churche is gouerned by the same holy Spirit it speaketh not a worde but it containeth much Spirit The forme of meditating these is to consider who speaketh that worde to whome it is spoken or directed to what ende with what manner and Spirit it was spoken and what is the signification thereof that is to say what it is that it commaundeth or counselleth threateneth or promiseth or what it is that is required or pretended therein drawing out of all Affections agreeing with what hath beene pondered For in another sorte are those wordes to bee meditated which God speaketh to man then those which man speaketh to God The first as a man that heareth God who is his Master Law-giuer Counsellor Protector and Rewarder hearing him with Desire to learne what hee teacheth to execute what hee commaundeth to followe what hee counselleth to feare what hee threateneth to hope for what hee promiseth and to loue him for what hee sayeth The second are to bee ruminated with that Spirit with which hee that ordained them spake them according to the ende whereunto they are directed The which is manifestly seene in the Psalmes of David for some hee made with a Spirit of praising God and thanking him for
bee without Sinne for by Sinne onely I shall bee euill though I bee exempt from all other miseries From hence it is that if all the paines of this Life were joyned togither in mee Pouerty Dishonour Sickenesse Dolour Heauinesse and Persecution with all the Torments that the Martyrs haue endured yet they equall not the miserie of one mortall Sinne and I should willingly offer myselfe to suffer them all rather then to committe one In Imitation of that renowmed Martyr Machabean who aunswered those that menaced him with greiuous Torments 2. Mach. 6.23 if hee would not breake one Commaundement of Gods Lawe Praemitti se velle in infernum That hee would rather suffer himselfe first to bee sent into Hell that is That hee would rather suffer himselfe to bee killed and cut in peeces and to sinke a thousand degrees vnder ground with terrible Dolours and Ignominies then to committe such a Sinne. Colloquie O most glorious Martyrs that offered yourselues to sustaine such horrible Torments rather then to committe one onely Sinne vvilling rather to loose your Liues then to admitte an offence though but for an Instant beseeche your eternall and Soue â—igne king to graunt mee such Charitye and Fortitude that to flye from Sinne I may litle esteeme any Paine vvhatsoeuer In confirmation heereof I will ponder that the euill of Sinne so farre exceedeth the euill of Paine that God our Lord though hee bee infinitely good may bee the Author and cause of any paine whatsoeuer Amos. 3.6 nay rather as the Prophet Amos saide there is no euill of these in the Cittye which God hath not donne for this doth not make him euill neither is it contrary to his Goodnesse but it is Impossible that hee should bee the author or cause of the leaste Sinne whatsoeuer for that should bee contrary to his Goodnesse which as the Prophet Abacuch saithe cannot looke vpon wickednesse Abac. 1.13 as approouing it or delighting in it And by the same reason God becomming man might take vpon himselfe all the euills whatsoeuer of Paine onely D. Tho. 3. p q. 14 15. that were in the VVorlde but it is Impossible that in him should bee founde any euill of Sinne and Christe our Lord would haue offered himselfe to suffer all the Torments and Dishonours that hee endured and others much greater if it were necessarye onely not to committe one Sinne in Imitation of whome I am to doe the like beeing exceeding sorrowfull for the Sinne wherein I haue hitherto liued O most pure God Colloquie that beeing free from Sinnes and from Paines taking our nature vpon thee didst charge thyselfe vvith paines to discouer the Detestation thou hast of Sinnes loade mee heere vvith Torments so thou for euer free mee from Sinnes From hence proceedeth another third Reason D. Th. 1. p. q. 48. art 6. in Sed contra which manifestly declareth the greiuousnesse of Sinne. For God our Lord of his Infinite VVisdome ordained the euills of this Life for the medecine of Sinne. And seeing no wise Phisition doeth doe any very greate euill to cure another that is little it is a signe that all these miseries are lesse euill then Sinne. And therefore with greate reason our most mercifull Sauiour and Phisition Christe IESVS would suffer such terrible paines in his Passion and Deathe to deliuer vs from our Sinnes and yet were they much greater then they were they were not equall with our Sinnes nor would they serue to redeeme them nor to cure them had not the Person that suffered them beene of Infinite Dignitie and Sanctitie From whence I will drawe a greate horrour of so terrible an Infirmitie for whose cure are ordained so bitter sirrops and putges And withall greate patience in my Afflictions considering that how greate soeuer they bee they are incomparably lesse then my Sinnes saying as it in written in Iob Peccaui vere deliqui Colloquie Iob. 33.27 vt eram dignus non recepi I haue sinned and in deede I haue offended and as I vvas vvorthie I haue not receiued the punishment due to my Sinne. O Heauenly Phisition that vvell knovvest the greiuousnesse of my Sores burne and cut heere and spare not so thou cure mee of them The third Pointe THirdly I am to consider the greiuousnesse of Sinne by Comparison with the paines eternall pondering First That mortall Sinne is so greate an euill that hauing caused as hath beene saide all the euills of this life yet as if it had done nothing causeth also the eternall euils of the other Life God chastizing therewith the Sinner that remaineth in his Sinne as if in this Life hee had receiued no chastizement at all So that neither the ten plagues of Egipt nor the fier of Sodome nor the Tribulations of vnhappy Ierusalem nor the paines that Sinners Rebells to God doe suffer heere are put in account to lighten the Chastizements of Hell which shall bee as greate as if heere they had suffered no others at all And so as making no reckoning of them Nahum 1. saithe the Prophet Nahum that God punisheth not one thing twise because the Punishment of this Life is as if it were not or is as S. Lib. 13. Moral cap. 13. Gregory saithe the beginning of the eternall Secondly I will ponder the reason of this most just rigour For as Sinne is an infinite Injurie as hath beene saide and all the Paines of this Life are finite it is not sufficiently punished with them if there succeede not others that haue some Infinitie as those of Hell haue for two respectes First for beeing eternall and hauing no ende in their continuation Secondly because they depriue of an Infinite Benefit In id Ps 49. ignis in coÌ„spectu eius exardescet which is the Sight of God for euer VVhereupon saithe S. Augustine Although there should bee no daye of generall Iudgement for Sinners and though thoroughout all eternitye they should liue with abundance of Delightes without feare of Punishment yet onely for this that they should for euer want the happye beholding of God they should bitterly lament for it is not possible for a man that hath a liuely Faithe of what God is to imagine any paine that is equall heereunto Quia haec amantibus paena est non contemnentibus This paine they feele which loue not they which despise it And for that fewe feele it in this Life therefore another of most terrible fier is threatened which is felt much in comparison of which the paines heere are so light as if they were no paines at all Then why shall not I tremble to continue a rebell in Sinne deseruing that God should punish mee with double Tribulation Ier. 17.18 Colloquie should breake mee with a double breaking this Temporall Punishment beeing but a Scratch and a beginning of the eternall O infinite God deliuer mee from this Rebellion that I fall not into so greate a misery The fourth Pointe LAstly I
and had they not beene like the Divells impenitent they should not haue beene cast into the eternall fier prepared for them Colloquie O God of Vengeance and vvith all Father of Mercye seeing thou rather desirest to pardon sinners vvith mercye then to chastize them vvith Vengeance giue mee time of true Penitence that I bee not chastized vvith the impenitent Divells Amen Esuriui enim non dedistis mihi manducare THen declareth the Iudge the iust reason of his sētence saying for I vvas hungrye and you gaue mee not to eate nor exercized to wardes mee the other workes of mercye And the Danmed desiring to excuse themselues not to haue failed with Christe in such workes hee wil say vnto them VVhat you did not to one of these litle ones you did not to mee for I was in them and therefore what you did not to them you did not to mee 1. Ioan. 4.20 For hee that loveth not his neighbout whome hee seeth visibly with his eyes how can hee loue God that is inuisible and hee that forgetteth the Image of God whome hee hath present how will hee remembre God himselfe whome hee esteemeth as absent I vvill also ponder that Christe our lord in the reason of the sentence all edgeth those sinnes that seeme the lesser to giue vs to vnderstand with how much more rigour hec will chastize the greater sinnes of which hee will also make mention And especially hee will declare to every one that all shall vnderstand it the cause wherefore hee condemneth him saying to the Luxurious Departe from mee yee cursed to the fier everlasting for the luxuries and Carnallities wherein you lived And to the Perjured and Blasphemours Departe from mee be cause you prophaned my holy name I having had so greate care of honoring yours etc. Mathê 7.22 Thirdly I will ponder that the wicked in the Day of Iudgement will alledge for their discharge some glorious workes that they did saying to Christe Matth. 7.22 Lord Lord did not vvee prophecye in thy name and in thy name cast out Divells and in thy name vvrought many miracles then why doest thou separate vs from thee But our Lord will aunswere them I never knewe you Departe from mee you workers of iniquitye which is to saye This Faithe and these graces that you had I knowe for I gaue you them but you abused them mingling them with haynous sinnes and it had bene reaseon that you prophecying to others should haue prophecyed to yourselues and casting out Divells out of other mens bodyes should haue cast them out of your owne soules and dooing miraculous workes should also haue donne vertuons workes which seeing you did not doe I neither knowe you nor approoue you and though you call mee your lord I will not admitte you as my seruantes because you were not obedient vnto mee From whence I will collect that if at that time no account shall bee made of Prophecie and the Grace to doe miracles without Vertues lesse account shall bee made of Nobilitie Riches Dignities sciences and other much lesser things which yet are much esteemed of men For to all in generall hee will say I knowe you not Departe from mee you workers of iniquitie The Damned hearing the Thunder of this dreadefull sentence Psal 76.19 Colloquie Psal 76.19 96.4 a mortall raving sadnesse shall fall vpon them For if the signes of Iudgement which like Lightenings are precedent to this Thunder shall wither their bones with feare what a Terrour shall the Thunder it selfe cause what affliction the Flashe and what Torment the fier O soveraigne Iudge sende the Lightenings of thy divine inspirations vpon the Earthe of my soule that contemplating vvhat is to passe in Iudgement I may tremble and quake and so alter my life that thou maiest alter the sentence Psal 76.11 Chaunge my Hearte vvith thy right hande that in that daye I may not bee placed on thy left hande Et cum veneris iudicare noli me condemnare And vvhen thou commest to Iudgement doe not condemne mee Let thy mercye novv pardon mee that then thy Iustice may not condomne mee Amen The third Pointe THirdly I am to consider the execution of these sentences Math. 25.46 of the which our saviour Christe saieth Et ibunt he in supplicium aeternum iusti autem in vitam aeternam And these shall goe into punishement everlasting but the iust into life everlasting First I will consider the execution of the sentence giuen against the wicked for in the instant that it shall bee giuen without any delaye in viewe of the Righteous the earthe shall open vnder their feete and the Divelle laying holde on them they shall all togither descende vnto Hell and the earthe shall presently close vp againe they remaining for ever buried in that abysme of Fier Then shall bee fullfilled that Malediction written in the Psalme Psalm 54.16 Apocal. 20.14 let Deathe come vpon them and let them goe dovvne quicke into Hell And that which Saint Iohn speaketh of in his Apocalips That the Divell and Deathe and Hell and all those that were not written in the booke of life were cast into the Lake of fier and brimstone where with Antichriste and the false Prophet they shall bee tormented Day and might for ever and ever And this is the second Deathe bitter and eternall which comprehendeth the soules and Bodyes that died the first Deathe of sinne and the corporall Deathe that ensued therevpon O what a furious Raving shall possesse the Damned seeing themselues not able to resist nor to impeache the execution of this sentence O what a bitter Envye shall penetrate their entrailes to beeholde the glory of the righteous from whome they are divided O what a desperate sadnesse shall they receiue by this second Deathe and in their first entrance into that stinking infernall poole O what raging Agonyes beholding themselues covered with mountaines of Earthe bolted vp with eternall boltes and bounde handes and feete with Chaines of perpetuall Damnation Then shall they see by experience how evill and bitter it was to haue divided themselues from theire God and to haue abandoned his holy feare Ierem. 2.19 Feare o my soule the terriblenesse of this second Deathe that thou maist avoide the iniquitie of the first Deathe Enter vvith thy spirit into these Openings of the Earthe and hide thy selfe therein Isai 2.10 beholding quietly vvhat passeth there that thou mayest feare the vvrathe of the Almighty and escape his furye I vvill likewise ponder how Ioyfull the righteous shall bee as David saieth to beholde the vengeance that Gods iustice taketh on wicked Psalm 57.11 for although among the Damned bee hee that was his Father or mother Brother or Frende they shall receiue no paine but rather Ioye to see the greate reason that God hath for vvhat hee doeth Exod. 15.1 Apocal. 15.3 so that they shall sing the song that Moyses sung when the Egyptians were drowned in the
after these goods with ouer greate Care setting our whole hearte vpon them treading vnder foote for this cause the commaundements of God and of his Churche and the obligations of our estate from whence spring many sinnes that are the Daughters of auarice to witte lyes fraudes periuries violences tirannies cruelties sutes discordes and innumerable others 1. Ad Timoth. 6.10 VVherupon the Apostle saide that couetousnesse is the roote of all euill Fourthly whosoeuer hath made a vowe of pouertye sinneth against it in vsurping to himselfe without licence of his superiour what is giuen him by others or in alienating what is giuen him or in hiding it or in vsing what hee hath to a prohibited vse or after a proprietary manner that is with an affection so disordinate as if it were his owne beeing sad or complaining when they by iust title depriue him of it Fifthly wee may sinne doing good workes principally for temporall interest or for onely omitting workes obligatorye treading vnder foote the rules of our estates and office This examination beeing made I will consider whither I haue any thing that may bee an Idoll for my auarice to adore seeing S. Ad Ephe. 5.5 Ad Coloss 3.5 Paul saithe auarice is the seruice and adoration of idolls And if I shall finde any such thing in my possession or in my hearte any such affection and desire thereof I will confesse these sinnes before God our Lord with greate shame that I haue coueted any thing against him resoluing to roote out this affection and if I can also to disapropriate myselfe of that which is the cause thereof To which ende I shall bee ayded with these considerations ensuing The Second Point SEcondly I am to consider the dammage and chastizement of auarice reducing them to the three kindes that haue beene spoken of 1 First 1. ad Timoth 6.9 I will ponder that auarice as S. Paul sayeth is the roote of twoe sortes of euills in the which are summed all the euills of this life to witte Transgressions and paines sinnes and dolours the which are ioyned togither to chastize the mother that ingendreth and sustaineth them so that shee is the tormentour of herselfe putting the couetous man in greate vexations and afflictions to gaine or preserue riches with a miserable seruitude and slauery of them It is likewise a snare of sathan wherewith hee draggeth him thorough thornes pricky shrubbes of temptations clowdes of faithe remorses of conscience and of cares that sting him and in the ende hee hangeth him like Iudas betweene heauen and earthe neither permitting him to enioie the goods of the earthe nor to attaine to those of heauen 2 To these chastizements God sometimes addeth others to shewe how much hee abhorreth this vice and such as sinne therein in any of the fiue wayes before rehearsed of euery one I will set downe an example Iosue 7.25 Achan because hee tooke certaine things of Iericho contrary to the precept of Iosue was by Gods commaundement stoned to deathe and all his wealthe consumed with fier 1. Reg. 25.27 Nabal ouerwhelmed with auarice denyed Dauid the almes that hee asked and because hee was harde hearted to him that was needye hee died with his hearte as harde as a stone 3. Reg. 21.23 4. Reg. 9.36 Actuum 5.1 Aug. ser 27. de verbis Apost vide Belar to 1. lib. 2. de Monach c. 20.4 Reg. 5.27 Ioan. 12.6 Act. 1.18 Iezabel with a disordinate desire to haue Naboths vineyarde to get possession thereof caused him to bee put to deathe and shee was throwen out of a windowe and eaten with dogges Ananias and Suphira because when they had vowed pouertie they reserued to themselues parte of the price of the sale of their lande they died disastrously Giezi vanquished with couetousnesse demaunded monie of Naaman for the health that Eliseus the prophet had giuen him and was therefore strooken with a leprosie Finally Iudas harried and drawen by his auarice admitted sathan to enter into him and beeing not content to steale what they gaue his maister hee solde him hanged himselfe O my soule hovv is it that thou art not affraide of so fierce a vice that assaileth ouerthrovveth kings plebeians riche poore secular and religious seruauntes of the prophetes and primitiue christians one of the tvvelue apostles 3 After these chastizements come the eternall punishements of hell where the couetous shall suffer very greate dolour with the apprehension of their terrible necessitie seeing they want all that their auarice desired and by how much more riche and couetous they were heere so much the more they shall there bee tormented like the riche couetous man whose abundance ended in horrible miserie Colloquie O omnipotent God riche in dooing mercie deliuer mee from this auarice out of vvhich spring so many miseries for I had rather vvithout it suffer temporall necessities then vvith it fall into eternall The third Pointe THirdly Of Pouertya liberallitie I am to consider the greate benefits that are included in the perfect mortificacation of auarice And for that there are two wayes of mortifying it one keeping still the domination of my Riches and mortifying onely the disordinate affection vnto them wherein consisteth the first degree of pouertye of spirit wherewith goeth the vertue of liberallitie which distributeth its goods when and as it is conuenient and the vertue of mercye which with them remedieth the necessities of the poore The other waye is forsaking all the riches that I haue or might haue the more to disroote my affections from them wherein consisteth the voluntary pouerty of religion in both wayes are included greate benefits for generally to all the poore of spirit Christe our Lord promised the kingdome of heauen Mat. 5.3 Ad Rom. 14.17 as well the kingdome of the other life as that which is enioyed in this life which is iustice peace and ioye in the holy spirit So that if I mortifie and vanquish auarice I shall enioye three benefits iustice with abundance of good workes peace without any noise of disturbance and spirituall ioye free from heauinesse and vexation because I shall haue taken awaye the roote of these euills that hinder this good 2 Besides this auaricie beeing vanquished if I shall bee liberall towardes God in giuing for his sake what I haue God shall bee most liberall towardes mee in giuing mee his benefits aswell the temporall which shall bee befitting mee as also the spirituall both in this life and in the other For it is hee that saide Luc. 6.38 Giue and it shall bee giuen to you good measure and pressed dovvne and shaken togither and running ouer shall they giue into your bosome where it shall bee very secure and well loued And hee saithe Dabunt they shall giue to signifie that our giftes are the cause that God giueth vs this measure with those foure conditions that it may haue when it is most abundant And hee addeth that
Enuie of grace and brotherly charitye and it is one of those sinnes which are against the holy Ghoste beeing sad and heauy that our neighbour should bee vertuous and should haue the graces and giftes of the holy spirit wishing that hee had them not from whence proceedeth the most grieuous sinne of scandal which is to saie or doe something to cause our neighbour to loose grace and charitie Such was the enuie of the diuell against man by the which saieth the wiseman deathe entred into the worlde Sapient 2.24 whome all they imitate that are of his faction This might suffice to abhorre this so abominable vice which maketh mee an imitatour of sathan And so confounding myselfe for the sinne which in this matter I haue committed I will saye to myselfe seeing thou wast called to imitate Christ imitate not his enemie for if thou imitatest him inenuie thou shallt bee partaker of the deathe that entred thereby The seconde Pointe SEcondly I will consider the innumerable euills of sinne and paine that spring from enuie by Gods iust punishement that itselfe might bee the most cruell tormentour of him that is subiected vnto it aswell in this life as in the other First enuie is avenemous breathe of the infernall serpent by the which hee casteth out all his poison togither seducing to most grieuous sinnes obscuring reason inraging the soule corrupting the bodie and rotting the bones and much more destroying the strong vertues of the hearte And on the other side Prouer. 14 30. it is like a disease incurable or very difficult to bee cured for as it is a vice infamous and proper onely to base mindes wee are ashamed to manifest it to the spirituall phisition and with what successe soeuer it bee though it bee contrary prosperous or aduerse it is baited and augmented All which may be pondered by certaine examples of holy scripture in all estates of persons according to the degrees of enuie that wee spake of Cain thorough enuie Genes 4.8 that God accepted the sacrifice of his brother Abel killed him by deceite and cruellty yea hee would haue couered his sinne from God and hee dispaired of mercye and remedy The bretheren of Ioseph thorough enuie put him in a well and solde him for a slaue Genes 37.24 and though hee humbled himselfe vnto them they were not appeased Core Dathan and Abyron enuing Aaron and Moyses Num. 16 31. would haue vsurped their dignitie and haue put the people in a tumult for the wich the earthe opened and swallowed them aliue Saul thoroughe Enuie persecuted Dauid with such obstinacy that hee liued as if hee had beene possessed with a diuell and killed himselfe like a man in despaire Finally the Ievves for the Enuy they bore against our Sauiour Christe commited the greatest sinnnes and suffred the greatest punishments that haue happened in the worlde 3. From hence I will passe to consider the punishments of hell where the Enious with incredible rage shall turne against themselues biting their owne fleshe and that cruell worme that gnaweth their consciences shal whet their teete with Enuy remembring what goods they lost and others obtained specially when after the day of Iudgement they shall see the glorie of the righteous whome here they despised 4 Finaly Enuy is so euill and cruell that it conuerteth al things to its owne hurt Prou. 17.22 From other mens good it draweth a spirit of heauinesse that dryeth vp the bones And from other mens harmes it draweth such a manner of ioy that with the sinne it maketh it selfe partaker of them And therefor in hell the good euill of others shall bee the proper tormēts of the enuious Now this being so why doe not I trēble at this cruell Beaste How dare I dwell with this basiliske that with his eye killeth tormenteth mee Iudas Apostolus in sua canonica 11. Colloquie O how truely may I apply to myselfe that of the Apostle VVoe to mee that vvickedely haue follovved the vvaies of Cain persecuting for enuy my bretheren like Balaam haue giuen them euill counsell to ouerthrovve them in sinne like Core haue pretented to exalt myselfe by debasing of them I haue deserued o my God that the earthe should svvallovve mee as it did Core that I should perishe miserably like Balaam and that thou shouldst caste mee for euer out of thy presence like Cain imiating in paine those vvhome I imitated in sinne But heerein by thy grace I differ from Cain confessing that thy mercy is greater then my vvickednesse and therefore I hope to obtaine intire pardon therof The third Pointe THirdly I will consider the greate benefits which are included in the perfect mortificatiō of Enuy in embracing brotherly Charitye Pondering First the actes of this charitie as they are contrarye to enuie The first is to resiste euill motions Ex D. Bern. serm 49. in cant in such sorte that though I feele myselfe to bee assailed with heauienesse for the prosperitie of my neighbour that yet I giue not consent thereunto Another and better is to reioice at his good as if it were myne owne and to giue him the much good may it doe him The third and most perfect is to wishe that many had the same excellencies that I haue yea and greater if God shall bee so pleased reioicing the reat for this cause as if they were mine owne To moue mee to so excellent actes I am to ponder that it is the generositie of a christian minde to seeke more Gods pleasure then mine owne and the glorie of God much more then mine owne and that it may bee spread amongst many and in many things And if it bee Gods will and for his glorie that others should haue greater naturall or supernaturall giftes then I it is iust that my will should condescende thereunto I must not bee like Iosue the seruant of Moyses who was enuious that others should prophecie but like Moyses himselfe who saide Num. 11.27 29. I would I might vnderstand that all did prophecie that all were wise prudent and holy and that all did serue and glorifie God I must not bee like the disciples of Iohn Baptist Ioan. 3.26 who were enuious that Christe should baptize and that all should followe after him but rather as the Baptist himselfe who saide It behoueth that Christe encrease and I diminishe I reioice that my neighbour is axalted I humbled and so it is meete when God will haue it so Besides this brotherly charitie contrarily to enuie draweth out of all things good to itselfe for reioicing at the good of my neighbour I make it myne owne and grieuing at his euill I shall free miselfe therefrom for by such actes I dispose myselfe that God may giue mee the one and deliuer mee from the other in such sorte as shall bee most conuenient for mee Finally with this charitie whose fruite is peace and ioie in the holy ghoste I shall beginne euen from
mee from deathe I vvill not againe subiect myselfe thereunto seeing thou hast crovvned mee vvith morcies I vvill giue thee the glory of all my crovvnes Adde o Lord this mercy to the former to fill my desire vvith thy good things of heauen giuing mee grace to occoplish vvhat I offer vnto thee chaunging my fortitude in such manner that vvith greate feruour I may vvalke Isai 40.31 runne and flie like a renevved eagle vntill I obtaine the eternall crovvne of thy glorie Amen After this forte wee may make other canticles of praise inuiting those sainctes that were greate sinners to gloriefy God for mee for hauing pardoned my sinnes The third Pointe FInallly in order to the third acte of thankes giuing I am to doe three things First to confirme myselfe much in my inteÌ„tions of AmendemeÌ„t imagining that Christe our Lord sayeth vnto mee as hee saide to that other sicke man in the Temple who was giuing thankes for the health that hee had receiued Ecce sanus factus es iam noli pâ—ceare Ioan. 5. ne tibi aliquid deterius contingat Beholde now thouart whole sinne no more least some other worse euill happen vnto the Prouer. 26.11 2. Petr. 2.22 Luca 11 26. for the relapse is vsualy worse then the fall But if like a dogge I retourne to eate what I vomited after this eating the first diuell will enter with seueÌ„ other spirits worse then himselfe and this secoÌ„d entraunce shall bee much worse then the first And at least I am much to bee afraide of falling neere vpon my ConfessioÌ„ For if the selfe sameday I fall into the selfe same sinnes it will be a signe that my coÌ„uersion was colde and imperfect though it were true and that of Ecclesiasticus may bee saide vnto mee Ecclos 34.30 hee that was heth himselfe for hauing touched a deade man and retourneth presently to touch him what hath his washing auailed him And so the man that fasteth for his sinnes presently returneth to committe them to what end is his Hamiliation The praire of this man who shall heare it Prouerb 24.16 But this I am to consider to moue me to feare not to distrust for it is not strange for a man to fall 7 times and to rise againe as often 2 The second thing that I ought to doe is forthwith to accomplishe all my penâ—unce if it may be accomplished and if not some parte thereof with a spirit and affection of obedience and loue to pay somwhat of the much that I owe vnto God desiâ—ing to haue much force to doe much more for him that hath donne mee so many benefites and saying that of the other seruante Math. 18.26 Haue patience with mee o lord and I will labor to pay thee the whole debt 3. The third thing is in than kefullnesse of the benefit receiued in this sacrament of penaunce to dispose myselfe with greate feruour to receiue that of the sacred Communion because for this ende it is ordained Psalm 115.12 according to that of the Prophet Dauid VVhat shall I giue to our Lord c. I will receiue the Chalice of saluation and wil inuocat his holy name The XXXIII Meditation of the most blessed Sacrament of the Altar before Communion OF the excellencies and comodities of this nost blessed Sacrament of the Altar wee shall speake in the fourth parte amonge the mysteries of the Supper but more largely in the sixt parte among the diuine Benifittes Now in this Meditation I will only point out certaine considerations to communicate with reuerence deuotion in the which I am to fixe my eies vpon the ponderation of these foure thinges to witt The greatnesses of our Lord that coÌ„meth to visit vs the vilenesse of maÌ„ whoÌ„ hee commeth to visite the amiable fashione wherein hee coÌ„meth the endes of his coÌ„ming making coÌ„parison betwene the one the other for the greater splendour of the soueraignety of this benefit The First Pointe First I am to coÌ„sider the greatnesses of this Lord that is inclosed in this blessed Sacrament actuating liuely my faithe of theÌ„ all aswell of those that hee hath as hee is God as of those which hee hat as hee is maÌ„ 1. First I will discourse of the greatnesses of his Godheade and of the workes that he doeth Ioan. 1.14 Ad Heb. 1.3 as hee is God pondering that hee that is there is the very onely begotten Sonne which is in the bosome of the eternall Father the brightnesses of his Glory and the figure of his substance as Eternall Immense Infinite and Omnipotente as the Father and the very wisdome Goodnesse and Fortitude by whome all thinges were created and are conserued There also is the gouernour of the worlde the sanctifier and glorifier of soules he that is the first beginning the last end of all creatures And though hee bee a Lord of so great maiestie that Heauen nor Larth cannot containe him yet he was not contente to haue made himselfe man for our remedie but woulde humble and restraine himselfe more remaining with vs in this visible sacrament to comfort and protect vs with his presence that we might haue vpon earth some visible throne of his grace Ad Heb. 4.16 whereunto to approche as the Apostel saith with greate confidence to obtaine mercy and aide in seasonable time for the remedy of all our euelles O diuine vvorde Colloquie vvhich art in the Immense bosome of thy eternall Father hovv is it that thou commest to dvvell in the straight bosome of a sillie man O king of glorie vvhich art in thy heauen seated in a Throne of infinite maiestie hovv is it that thou humblest thyselfe to be on earth in a throne of such basnesse Thy Insinite Charitie hath binne the cause of this humiliation to exallt me to prouoke me to loue thee for a vvorke of so great loue O that I could loue thee as thou louest me O that I could humble me as thou didst humble thyselfe to be able to honour and serue thee as thou meritest To this Throne vvill I approach for the remedy of my euilles vvith confidence that thou vvilt fill my desire vvith thy good thinges 2 Secondly I will discours of the misteries of his most sacred humanitie and of the maruelous work that he did therin and of the offices that hee exersized pondring how he himselfe is in this SacrameÌ„t that was niue moÌ„ths in the wombe of our B. Lady the Virgin enriching her with admirable giftes of his Grace and from thence in the house of Zachrias sanctified the Baptist and replenishid with the holy Ghost both the sonne and the mother And seeing he hath in this sacramente the same goodnesse and Omnipotency he may worke the same effects in my soule Likewise hee that is there is the very same that was laide in a maunger and was adored by the shephards and Magies paying them for this seruice with an aboundant rewarde And if I doe adore
gratefull vnto him for it with the greatest gratitude that possibly wee may applying herein the counsell of the wiseman Suffer not the good daye to passe Et particula boni doni non te praetereat Eccles 14.14 And let not so much as the least parcell of the good guift escape thee but make vse of the good lot that hath befallen thee For as wee much esteeme the leaste parte whatsoeuer of this sacrament for that whole Christe is therein so wee are to esteeme euery litle parte of the day and tyme that wee haue him with in vs seeing in eache parte therof hee his able to doe vs greate fauours if with a deuout and thankefull minde wee dispose ourselues to receiue them especially for that this sacrament as S. Dionisius saieth is the coÌ„summation De Eccles hiâ—rar cap. 3. D. Tho. 4. q. 65. art 3. fullfilling and perperfection of all the other and the most effectuall meanes that God hath giuen vs for our perfection And seeing wee haue him present to communicate it vnto vs it is reason to inlarge the vessell of our harte to receiue it To this ende wee are here to exercize with greatest feruour the three actes of thankes giuing that were set downe in the 34. meditation spending the tyme not so much in newe considerations seeing those that are set downe are sufficient as in newe affections and canticles of praise and thankes giuing in this forme ensuing The first Pointe 1. FIrst I am greately to quicken my faithe of the presence of this our lord that is with in me beholding the inuisible as if I did visibly beholde him and breifely pondering that hee is the same Lord of whome I conceiued so greate excellencies when I prepared myselfe to communicate And seeing where the king is there is the court I may imagine as S. Gregorie saieth that hee is Inuironned with thousandes of the courtiers of heauen Lib. 4. Dialogo cap. 58. in whose companie prostrate in spirtte before his feete and admiring that so greate a God is harboured in so humble a place I will breake out first into affections of humilitie of reuerence and of mine owne confusion sometymes saying with S. Peeter Departe from mee o Lord and goe forth from this wretched litle ship for I am a great sinner And sometymes with S. Luc. 5.8 Luc. 1.43 Psalm 8.2 Colloquie Elizabeth I will say vnto him whence is it to mee that my God and my Lord commeth to visite mee O eternall God vvhat is man that the â—art mindefull of him Or the sonne of man that thou visitest him Thou madest him lesse then the angells by beeing clothed vvith vile fleshe and commest thou from heauen accompanied vvith angells to harbour thyselfe vvithin him O our Lord and God hovv admirable is thy name thoroughout all the earthe seeing thou hast made it thy Habitation as vvell as heauen 2. In the Preface Isai 6.3 Then will I breake out into affections of praise and thankes-giuing vsing some canticles of the churche Sometyme I will say as the Seraphins Holy holy holy is the Lord God of hostes that hath humbled himselfe to dwell in this smoky cloudie temple of my soule Sometymes I will crie out with the Hebrewe children that accompanied Christe on Palme-sunday saying Math. 21.15 O king of Israel and Sauiour of the worlde blessed bee hee that that hath come from on high to visit mee I not knowing how to deserue it Daniel 3.52 Other sometymes with the three youthes that were in the furnace in Babilon I will inuite all creatures to praise our Lord for this fauour that hee hath donne mee 3. Or in imitation of this canticle I will make another inuiting to the same ende the nine quires of angells and the quires of the patriarkes and prophets of the apostles and euangelistes of the martirs and doctors bishops and confessours preistes and leuites virgins and widowes Colloquie and all the Sainctes in heauen in this forme May thy Angells Archangells and Principallities blesse thee o Lord may they praise and glorifie thee for euer May thy povvers Vertues and Dominations blesse praise and glorifie thee vvorlde vvithout ende May the Thrones Cherubins and Seraphins blesse thee praise thee c. Blesse our Lord o yee Patriarkes and Prophetes praise him and glorifie him for euer Blesse our Lord o yee Apostles and Euangelistes praise him c. And in this manner I may goe through all the sainctes Psalm 102.1 4. I may likewise with Dauid inuite all faculties and sences and all the cogitations and affections of my harte that all togither may assemble to adore and glorifie this our Lord for the parte that they all haue in this soueraigne benefit May my eies blesse thee o Lorde for they haue seene thee in this sacrament and my lippes for they haue touched thee Colloquis and my tongue and pallate for they haue tasted thee and my brest for hat it is thy habitation Psalm 34.10 and let all my bones say O Lord vvho is like vnto thee Let my memory budde forth thy praises my vnderstanding magnifie thee my vvill loue thee my appetites desire thee and let them all bee dissoued in thy presence singing the glorie of thy Comming The Second Pointe 1 Then am I to recall to my memory the Offices of Christ our lord and the endes that hee had in comming to visite mee beeing glad and iojfull to haue within mee my Redeemer my phisition my maister and all my good and with a greate affection I will spiritually embrace him with the armes of humilitie and charitie speaking that of the Canticles CaÌ„t. 3.4 I haue founde him vvhome my soule loueth I vvill keepe him and not let him goe I will for no cause parte from his sweete Companie and for no labour Ad Gal. 4.26 nor tribulation will I leaue his amitie I will allwaies haue him with mee till hee cary mee to the house of my mother which is the caelestiall Hierusalem where I may enioye him with perfect security 2. Then like Dauid in the presence of this our lord I will powre forth my praier and set before him all my necessities and miseries recounting them as if hee knewe them not because hee delighteth to heare them beseeching him to doe his offices in remedying them seeing this was the ende of his comming and the comming of so greate a prince should not bee in vaine And therefore I may say vnto him I Colloquie o Lord am sicke of grieuous Infirmities and passions pride vvrathe sensuallitie and couetousnesse haue prostrated mee Thou art the Omnipotent phisition and hast come to my soule to cure mee cure mee according to thy povver and leaue mee vvhole say in this entrauÌ„ce as thou saidest entring into the house of Zacheus Luc. 19.9 Hodie salus huic domui facta est this day saluation is made to this house And because thy saying is doing it shall bee as thou saiest I
thou giuest vs a remedye to obtaine pardon of our Sinnes may the Angells that remaine in Heauen laude thee for this fauour may the men that liue vpon the Earth acknowledge it and make vse of it and may my soule melt it selfe in thy Loue singing the multitude and Greatenesse of thy mercye by the which I beseeche thee to pardon my Sinnes ayding mee that I may neuer more returne vnto them This Consideration I am to applye to myselfe pondering that allbeeit God our Lorde thorough his mercye hath made a Decree to pardon Sinners and effectually pardoneth those that submitte themselues yet to the Rebellious bee vseth his rigorous Iustice condemning them as hee did the Deuills And therefore I am to endeuour not to resist Gods mercye leaste I fall into the handes of his Iustice Then will I ponder the causes that in some sorte mooued the Diuine Mercye to haue Compassion on our miserye One was for that Adam by his Sinne not only indammaged himselfe Rom. 5.12 but allso all that descended of him who were to bee borne Sinners condemned to Deathe and to perpetuall Prison incurring these damages not by their owne personall Will but by that which they had in their first Parent But whereas God was so mercifull that his Clemencye could not permitte that his whole worke for one mans Transgression should perishe without remedye and that all this visible worlde that was created for man should bee frustrate of his ende seruing the sinner hee therefore resolued to finde out the Remedye From whence I will collect two motiues to repose my Confidence in Gods mereye alleaging them as Dauid did for respectes wherefore hee should remedye my miserye Psal 50.7 The one because I was coÌ„ceiued in Sinne froÌ„ whence originally spring all my miseryes The other for that I am the worke of his handes for the which I am neither to bee contemned nor abhorred seeing hee abhorreth nothing that hee made O most mercifull Father Sapient 11.25 Psal 102.14 seeing thou knowest the masse wheref wee thy Children were formed which issued good from thee and by Adam was made euill haue Compassion on vs remedying the Hurt donne by Adam to reforme the Good donne by thee My handes haue defaced in mee the worke of thy Handes les thine by thy aboundant grace repaire what mine did thorough my greate sinne Another cause was Sapient 2.24 for that man sinned beeing tempted and seduced by the Deuill partely for the enuye that hee had of his good partely for his rage against God â—esiring to reuenge himselfe of the Creator in the Creature who by him was so fauoured and in whome his diuine image was stamped wherevpon God himselfe mooued to Compassion would take to himselfe the cause of man with a determination to remedye him because his Enemye should not remaine for euer victorious And therefore hee saide vnto him Genes 3.15 when Adam had sinned I will put enmityes betweene thee and the VVoman and thy seede and the seede of her and they shall breake thy Heade vanquishing him that vanquished them and triumphing ouer him that triumphed ouer them Whereby hee also putteth mee in hope that hee will haue Compassion on mee and take my cause for his owne seeing the Deuil now persecuteth mee with the like Enuye Psalm 73.22 and Rage and so I may say vnto him with Dauid Arize o Lord Iudge thyne owne cause ayding mee with thy Grace to breake the heade of the Serpent who allwayes persecuteth mee because hee abhorreth thee The Second Pointe SEcondly I am to consider the admirable Decree made by the most sacred Trinitye that the second Person who is the Sonne of God should bee made man to redeeme mankinde lost by the Sinne of Adam pondering the causes that mooued him thereunto some in regarde of our owne greate necessitye miserye and others in regarde of his infinite Bountye and Mercye First I will consider how the most holy Trinitye sâ—eing in his Eternitye many meanes that hee had to remedye men either by pardoning them by hos sole and pure mercye or by creating another newe man to satisfye for them or by imposing this charge on the Seraphines hee would not make choice of a meane that was more easy nor lesse perfect nor would hee impose the charge of this worke vpon another but chose the best meanes that was possible plotting that the Sonne of God should become man for the remedye of man In such wise that hee coulde not giue vs a better Remedier Ad Rom. 5.20 nor a more powerfull Remedye nor a more copious Redemption willing that where Sinne abounded there Grace should more infinitely abound To ponder this Veritye the more I will consider what the first man did against God and what God doth for man comparing the Thoughtes and Deuises of the one with those of the other Adam plotted with Pride to rebell against God himselfe desiring to vsurpe his Diuinitye and Wisdome and to haue Signorye ouer all things whereby hee deserued that God should abhorre and humble him and should annihilate his peruerted nature But God of his infinite Goodnesse was not only willing to pardon this iniurye but to that ende chose a meanes of the greatest Honour and Proffit for man and of the greatest Humilliation and Trauaile for God for that the Diuine Worde beeing of infinite Greatenesse and Majestye sticked not as S. Psa 137.5 Paul saithe vpon exinaniting and humbling himselfe to take the forme of a Seruant and to Inuest himselfe with the mortall and passible nature of his very Enemye joyning it to himselfe in vnity of Person to drawe him out of that greate misery whereinto hee was fallen thorough Sinne and to exalt him to that high Honour and Happinesse that hee might lay holde vpon by his Grace Phil. 2.6 Ser. 9. de Natiuit For as S. Augustine saieth God made himselfe man to make man God that by the Vertue of God made man men might bee Gods by Participation Finally considering this soueraigne Decree I will with greate Astonishment admire the infinite Bounty and Mercye of God which sometimes with Moyses I will magnifye saying Dominatour Lord God mercifull and clement Exo. 34.6 patient and of much compassion and True which keepest mercye vnto thousands of generations which takest away iniquity and wicked factes and Sinnes and without whome no man of himselfe is Innocent before thee Othertimes with the Seraphines couering with my wings the face and feete of God and adoring this conjunction of his Diuinitye and Humanitye I will crye out saying Holy Isa 6.3 Holy Holy is the Lorde God of Hostes all the Earthe is full of his Glorye thorough the Greatnesse of his mercye And othersometimes I will giue thankes to this our Lorde for this so glorious a benefit saying vnto him O Eternall God Colloquie I most humbly thanke thee for this soueraigne Plot which thou inuentedst for my remedye taking vpon thee my basenesse to
vs with thy Glorye VVithout thee wee had had nothing of this and now by thee wee possesse it all for by thee descende from Heauen all the Benedictions and Mercies that replenish the Earthe Blessed bee the Father that gaue thee vnto vs for our remedye and Blessed bee thou his Sonne that camest to remedye vs. Remedie mee effectually o Lorde that I may not perish but obtaine by thee Life euerlasting Amen By what hath beene saide in this and in the precedent Meditation it appeareth that the causes and motiues of the Incarnation may bee reduced to three rankes inchayned owne within another One in regarde of the diuine Perfections to manifest them Another in regarde of our miseries to remedye them And the third in regarde of the supernaturall Riches of Grace and Glorye to communicate them Of these three things wee are to weaue a most strong triple Corde Eccl. 4.12 wherewith strongly to binde vs to this diuine Worde Incarnate joyning vs vnto him with perfect Loue seeing wee haue so many motiues to loue him as are the diuine Perfections that hee hath discouered vnto vs and the miseries from which hee hath freed vs and the Graces and Vertues that hee hath merited vnto vs. The third Meditation Of the Decree that GOD made to be borne of a VVoman and of the election of our Blessed LADYE to be his Mother and of the singular Graces that therefore hee graunted her in the Instant of her Conception The first Pointe FIrst D. Th 3. p. q. 31. ar 4 I am to consider how God hauing determined to make himselfe man although hee might haue taken the bodye of a perfect man as was that of Adam yet hee would not but bee borne of a Woman as S. Gal. 4.4 Paul saithe and haue a mother as other men had And this hee reuealed in the beginning of the Worlde saying vnto the serpent Gen. 3.15 That the Seede of the Woman should breake his Heade To this Determination there were many causes that moued him wherein to our proffit hee discouered his infinite Charitye The first for that the diuine Bountye which so much loueth to communicate itselfe to it creatures might bee more dilated and to greater Greatenesses in both the sexes of Humane Nature exalting a Man to the infinite Dignitye of the naturall Sonne of God and exalting a Woman to the Dignity of the Mother of God which as S. 1. p. q. 25. ar 6. ad 4 Thomas saieth is in some sorte likewise infinite whereby hee giueth vs assurances that without acception of persons his intention is to doe good vnto all Gal. 3.28 For according to that of the Apostle in Christ IESVS there is no difference of male nor female of Bond nor of free of little nor of Greate The second cause was That as our Perdition began by a Man and a Woman so our Redemption should begin by another Man and another Woman principally by Christ as beeing the Heade and our onely Mediator and Father of the Worlde to come And secondly Isa 9.6 by his Mother as by his Assistant in the Worke of our Redemption to both whome men should repaire for the Remedye of their necessities with that Confidence that they vse to haue recourse to their owne Father and mother But especially our Lord Christ would haue a mother that shee might likewise bee the Mother and Aduocatrice of Sinners who if thorough Pusillanimitye they should bee afraide to haue recourse vnto him for that hee is not onely man and our Aduocate but also God and a Iudge most Iust they might confidently approche to his blessed Mother D. Ansel lib. de excell Virg. cap. 6. to whome it pertaineth not to bee a Iudge but an Aduocatrice that shee as a Mother full of Mercye and Pitty might bee an Intercessour for all Whereby wee may see the greate longing that God hath of our Saluation and that wee should bee confident to obtaine it seeing hee hath inuented therefore so greate meanes so sweete and so effectuall I giue thee thankes Colloquie o eternall Father for hauing giuen vs a Father and Mother of our owne Nature by whose mediation wee may securely negotiate thy Grace I giue thee thankes o diuine Worde for that it was thy holy Will to haue a Mother who should likewise bee Ours by whome wee should finde entrance vnto the Throne of thy infinite mercye that wee may not bee condemned by the rigour of thy Iustice. The last cause was for that it was the pleasure of God to make himselfe a Childe for vs and to haue a Mother on Earthe to whome to obey and subject himselfe like other men to giue vs an Example of Humillitye and of other Vertues as shall bee seene in the ninth Meditation and in the other ensuing The Second Pointe SEcondly I am to consider the election of our blessed LADYE the Virgin to bee the Mother of God pondering how the most holy Trinitye among the innumerable Women that hee sawe in his Eternitye cast gaciously his Eyes vpon the blessed Virgin and made choice of her for those Greatenesses that in the precedent Pointe wee haue spoken of that is to say for beeing the Mother of the Diuine Worde Incarnate and his Cooperatrice in the Redemption of the Worlde the Mother and Aduocatrice of Men and shee to whome God himselfe as hee was man did subject himselfe and obey Vide Frāciscum Suarez tom 2. in 3. p. disp 1. This election as say the holy Fathers was the Roote of the other Greatenesses of our LADYE of which shee alwayes made greate estimation and for which shee was euer very thankefull considering that it proceeded from meere Grace without any merit of hers for when as almighty God made choice of her to bee his mother hee might haue chosen many other Women as well as her and made them like vnto her But yet I am to rejoice that this good Lot fell vpon her and to giue her the Much good doe it her therefore saying vnto her O most blessed Virgin Colloquie I exceedingly rejoice that thou wast elected for so soueraigne a dignitye as to bee the mother of the same whose Daughter thou art And seeing with this dignitye it was graunted thee likewise to bee the mother and Aduocatrice of Sinners shewe thyselfe to bee our Mother in fauouring vs and Aduocating for vs that wee may bee the worthy Children of him of whome thou art the Mother The third Pointe FRom hence I will mount to consider that God our Lord in his Eternitye hauing made choice of our blessed LADYE to bee his Mother Of the Predestination of our blessed LADYE D. Th. 3. p. q. 7. ar 10 Ex D. Aug. lib. de nat grat c. 38. Cant. 6.9 did withall elect her to bee the most excellent Vessell of his Mercye with whome hee would leaue in trust all the Greatenesses of Grace and Glorye that were conuenient for the Mother of such a Sonne and
and Puritye deliuer vs from Sinne and make vs meeke and chaste Amen And in imitation of her I will shut vp the Garden of my Bodye and Soule if God shall inspire mee therevnto vnder the locke of a Vowe and if in this manner I cannot locke it vp I will place for Garders those Vertues that garde Chastitye The Sixt Pointe SIxthly Of the Betrothing to S. Ioseph D. Tho. 3. p. q. 29. Mat. 1.18 Luc. 1.34 35. I am to consider how the time of the Incarnation approaching very neere the blessed VIRGIN our LADYE by reuelation from God was batrothed to a just man named Ioseph shee beeing certified that it should bee without perill of her Chastitye to the which shee readily obeyed Vpon the which I will ponder the causes why God our Lord would that his mother should bee despoused wherein hee discouereth the Prouidence hee hath of those that are his The first was to conceale the mystery of the Incarnation the Childe bearing of the VIRGIN vntill the full time Hee had likewise heerein a Care of the Honour of his Mother that they might not esteeme her as an Adulteresse As also that shee might haue one to sustaine and serue her in her Afflictions and to accompany her in her Peregrinations that her Sonne might haue a Tutour or Foster father to bring him vp and prouide for him And finally to haue occasion to magnifye S. Ioseph exalting him to such a Dignitye as to bee the Spouse of the Mother of God the Foster father of the Sonne of God O most louing Father Colloquie I giue thee thankes for the care thou hast of thy Children Seruants prouiding for their Honour for their Ease and sustentation preuenting in time the Remedye of what may molest them and seeking out Occasions to magnifye them Happy is hee that is vnder thy Wing and Protection Prouide for mee o Lord that am thy Creature that I may allwayes bee imployed in seruing thee seeing thou art allwayes imployed in gouerning mee Secondly I am to ponder in the VIRGIN the greate Faithe and Confidence that shee had in God that her Chastitye should not bee indaungered by her Mariage As also the greate Obedience that shee shewed in accepting this Estate which shee had so earnestly refused denying her owne will and resigning it to the Will of God Wherein I am to imitate her according to my Estate perswading myselfe that for my Obedience to God if I trust in him with a liuely Faithe I shall not loose Vertue nor Consolation nor any thing whatsoeuer in reason I can desier for my Saluation For God hath both Knowledge and Power to ioyne Virginity with Wedlocke Contemplation with Occupation and the Beautye of Rachel with the fruitefullnesse of Lia without receiuing any harme the one by the other The seuenth Pointe SEuenthly Of the feruent zeale wherewith shee desired the Incarnation I am to consider the feruent Desires the blessed VIRGIN had of the comming of God into the Worlde the which so much the more increased by how much the time of the Incarnation approached neerer the holy Spirit inspiring them into her whose propertye is when hee will graunt any thing to the elected to inspire into them liuely desires thereof that with their Desier with Praier they may dispose themselues to receiue it Besides this 2 Cor. 5.14 the VIRGIN was sollicited by her owne Charitye with the two most noble Actes thereof Loue of God and of our neighbour zeale of the Glorye of God and of the Saluation of Soules for as shee very much loued God shee desired to see him allreadye made man the better to knowe his Greatenesses to beholde his meruailous Workes and to conuerse familiarly with him Then vsed shee vnto him that of the Canticles Cant. 8.1 VVho shall giae to me thee my Brother sucking the Breastes of my mother that I may finde thee without and kisse thee and now no man dispise mee I will take holde of thee and bring thee into my Mothers howse there thou shallt teache mee and I will giue thee a cuppe of spiced wine and new wine of my Pomegranates O how happy were I if I might see thee allreadye in humane fleshe sucking at the breastes of some Woman and might finde thee out of thy Heauen conuersing visibly with men vpon Earthe that I might giue and receiue of thee the kisse of Peace Then would I procure to conuerse with thee and to heare thy Doctrine in this Temple and to inuite thee to what thou most of all desirest giuing thee my whole Loue with many Affections and Actes of Charitye Hereunto was added that her feruent zeale did eate her vp seeing the offences against God and the perdition of men and therefore with many and greate Gronings and Praiers desiring of God to come to their Remedye shee repeated with greate Affection the praiers of Dauid and of Isaias which the Church vseth in the Aduent Psal 79.3 84.8 Isa 64.1 45.8 saying vnto allmighty God Raise o Lord thy might and come to saue vs Shewe vs thy mercye and giue vs thy Saluation O that thou wouldest breake the Heauens and descende Drop dewe ye Heauens from aboue and let the clowdes raigne the Iust Be the Earthe opened and bud forth a Sauiour Finally the Praiers of the blessed VIRGIN preuailed so much with God our Lorde that though the Worlde were so wicked as soone after wee shall see and that mankinde no wayes merited this fauour shee only counterpeised the Demerits of all and with her merits and Praiers was a meane that the Sonne of God hastened his Incarnation without making any accoumpt of the Indignitye of the Worlde O meruailous efficacye of the Praier of the VIRGIN I rejoice o blessed LADYE Colloquie that thou wast so powerfull with God as to make him mende his pace and hasten his comming beseeche him also to make haste to come to visit mee and that I may bee worthy of his visitation Inuocate the Diuine Spirit to inspire mee with feruerous Desires thereof Amen The fifth Meditation Of the time that God chose to annuntiate and execute the Mysteries of the Incarnation THree times might our Lord God haue made choise of D. Th. 3. p. q. 1. ar 5. 6. to execute the Decree of his Incarnation The first was in the beginning of the Worlde assoone as Adam had sinned The second in the middle of it Continuance Abac. 3.2 which the Prophet Abacuch calleth In the midle of yeares The third about the ende But the Diuine Wisdome made choise of the first time to promise this mysterie as concerning the Remedye of Sinne of the second to execute it And of all the rest to gather the copious fruites that from it were to spring ordaining it thus for our Good for the Causes that in the ensuing pointes shall bee pondered The first Pointe FIrst D. Th. 2.2 q. 2. ar 7. ex Gen. 3. I am to
Glorye is to doe what God willeth and in imitation of him I will procure by Gods grace to clothe myselfe with his Fortitude to accomplish in all things the Diuine Will Shee to whome the Embassage commeth is a poore Virgin forgotten by the Worlde despoused to a poore Artificer that liued in a litle Citty of so base esteeme that it was hardely beleiued that any good could come out of it Ioa. 1.46 But shee was most holy pure and therefore so esteemed of God that shee was preferred before the Daughters of the kings and Emperours of the Worlde for in the eyes of God there is no such Greatenesse as Sanctitye neither in mine ought there to bee I esteeming only what God esteemeth The Intent of the Embassage is to require the Consent of the VIRGIN to bee the Mother of God for this our Lord is of so noble a condition that though hee bee an absolute Lord hee will not bee serued by his Creatures in such waighty Affaires without their free Consent For though to bee the mother of God was a thing very excellent yet greate Afflictions were annexed vnto it it was therefore meete that the Virgin should of her owne freewill accept the Dignitye with the Charge that shee might merit the more and it might be the more sweete and easy vnto her And so likewise neither will God enter to inhabit in men by Grace nor exalt them to the Dignitye of the Sonnes of God without their free Consent hauing attained to the vse of Reason From hence I will passe spiritually to consider this Embassage applying it to myselfe and pondering how God our Lord sendeth mee euery day Inuisibly many Embassages with his Inspirations Tract de 7. donis Spiritus sancti c. 6. ex Richa de sancto Victore Ex D. Ber. ser 1. de Pentec the which as S. Bonauenture saieth are the Inuisible Embassadours and messengers of God and by them hee speaketh vnto mee and discouereth his Will and solliciteth mee to giue him entrance into my Soule and to employ myselfe allwayes in his Seruice And therefore in feeling within myselfe these Inspirations I am to reuerence them as Embassadours of God giuing him many Thankes for that hee daigneth to speake vnto mee by them consenting presently to all that hee requireth of mee and beseeching him more often to speake vnto mee O most louing Father that solicitest my Consent with so greate Loue and Care Colloquie as if that which importeth mee imported thee Inspire mee what thou willt for I am ready to consent to whatsoeuer thou inspirest mee The Second Pointe SEcondly I am to consider the Entrance of the Angell to the VIRGIN and the manner how hee saluted her Pondering how hee tooke of Ayer a most beautifull Bodye of Humane shape And in this manner hee entered where the blessed VIRGIN abode with rare Modestye Reuerence and Grauitye and with such an exteriour semblance of Sanctitye as well declared what interiourly shee was to instruct vs what Apostolicall men ought exteriourly to bee who as S. 2 Cor. 5.20 Ephe. 6.20 Paul sayeth are the Embassadours of Christ and likewise what Religious men ought to bee that professe an Angelicall Life whose exteriour behauiour ought to represent Sanctitye and to mooue thereunto all that beholde them The Angell in entring saluted the B. VIRGIN not with vaine Salutations but with those diuine Wordes that God put in his mouthe saying vnto her HAILE full of Grace S. Ambr. Beda in Luc. 1. our Lord is with thee Blessed art thou among Women This Salutation as say the holy Saintes was newe and neuer heard of in the Worlde inuented by the most holy TRINITYE to honour the sacred VIRGIN and to declare her rare Sanctitye newe Dignitye as the Misterye was newe for the which it was ordained Ier. 31.22 For as Christ was a newe man contrarye to the olde Adam so the blessed VIRGIN that conceiued him was a newe Woman contrary to the olde Eua. With this Spirit and esteeme wee are to say and to meditate this newe Salutation pondering in euery worde the Greatenesse that it signifyeth with affections of Ioy and Thankes giuing rejoicing that the blessed VIRGIN hath such Greatenesse and giuing Thankes to God for giuing it her desiring of him some parte thereof and purposing to imitate what is imitable AVE First the Angell to manifest his Ioye and the Ioyfull newes that hee brought and to assure the VIRGIN entreth saying Aue which is as much to say as Haile or God saue thee peace bee with thee bee cheerefull assured for the newes that I bring is of peace and Prosperitye O soueraigne VIRGIN Colloquie with all the Affection of my Hearte I salute thee and say Aue Haile God saue thee For by thee began our Saluation conceiuing him that was the Author thereof Ecclesia in Hymno Aue maris stella Thou hast changed the name of Eua defeating her miseries and replenishing vs with mercyes The other Eua was the beginning of Sinne thou the beginning of Grace By the other Deathe entred into the VVorlde by thee Life Gen. 3.15 The other subiected vs to the Serpent thou hast broken his Heade Bee cheerefull o blessed VIRGIN for the good lot that hath befallen thee and renew my Hearte that I may daily sing this newe Canticle of Praise with newe feruour of Spirit Amen Psal 32.3 Secondly I am to ponder the cause why the Angell in this first salutation named not the Virgin by her proper name saying Haile MARYE but Haile full of Grace our Lord is with thee blessed art thou among VVomen This hee did that wee might vnderstand that allmighty God gaue her newe and most glorious names as hee gaue to the Messias Isa 9.6 the which for Excellencye are to bee attributed vnto her in the Church so that as wee call Salomon the VVise and S. Paul the Apostle so wee may call the blessed VIRGIN the Full of Grace or the Blessed among VVomen Isa 7.14 And as the name of the Mossias is Emanuel which is as much to say as God with vs so the name of the VIRGIN may for excellency bee Colloquie Our Lord with thee O most sacred VIRGIN let others call thee the Rod of Iesse the Porte of Heauen the House of VVisdome and other like names I will now call thee as did the Angell full of Grace the Inhabitation of our Lorde and the blessed among VVomen and declare to thy glorye the Greatenesses signified by these names GRATIA PLENA First I will ponder what fullnesse this is and how the blessed VIRGIN was full of Grace with all manner of fullnesse Shee was full of the Grace that Iustifieth full of Charitye Faithe and Hope of Humillitye Obedience and Patience with the rest of the Vertues full likewise of Wisdome of knowledge of Pietye and the Feare of God with all the other giftes of the Holy Spirit Her memory was full of
glorious a Salutation shee was astonnied not so much at the sight of the Angell as because shee founde in her selfe no foundation of such Praises and greatenesses as hee declared And then shee shewed her Prudence in thinking well what Salutation this might bee and to what ende it was ordained And therefore shee would not thrust to aunswere inconsiderately till the Angell had somewhat more opened himselfe Whereby shee shewed how much shee loued Silence holding her peace at that time and retourning for aunswere the exteriour semblance of her humble bashefull amazement O most pure VIRGIN how well befitteth the at this Instant that which thy Spouse saide Cant. 1.9 Thy Cheekes are beautifull like the Turtles a bird shamefast chaste for in them is resplendent the beautye of thy Chastitye the splendour of thy humble VVisdome These Vertues of the Virgin are more eminent Gen. 3.3 comparing her with the first Woman Eua who when shee was yet a Virgin went wandering and gazing thorough Paradise and the first Question that the euill Angell in forme of a Serpent did aske her shee made aunswere and helde a long discourse with him wheerein shee discouered Pride Curiositye Imprudence and Desire of talking other Vices wheerein wee her Children doe imitate her Which considering I am to bee astonished imploring the ayde of this most prudent VIRGIN that in the like Occasions I may followe her Vertues The fourth Pointe THe Angell knowing the holy Disturbance and Feare of the B. VIRGIN saide vnto her Feare not MARYE for thou hast found Grace with God Wheerein I am first to consider that it is the propertye of the good Spirit to pacify and calme any Feare or Disturbance of the Hearte whatsoeuer that it may quietly receiue the Reuelation and Visitation of God And allbeeit the Astonishment of the B. VIRGIN was without any kinde of Sinne or imperfection yet thereby wee may gather with what Care the good Angell endeuoreth to take away those Disturbances that spring from sinne or our owne imbecillitye And I for my parte am to labour to remoue them leaste they hinder mee of the Visitations of God remembring how Christ our Sauiour reprehended Martha when hee saide Martha Martha Luc. 10.41 thou art carefull and art sroubled about very many things when as but one thing only is necessarye And this am I to require of the Angell of my Garde saying vnto him O most blessed Angell Colloquie remoue from my Heart all vaine feare that it may bee capable of Diuine Loue appease the Disturbance that it suffereth in earthly things that it may contemplate the things of Heauen contenting myselfe with that one wheerein consisteth my eternall rest Amen Secondly I will ponder that most sweete Worde added by the Angell to perswade the blessed Virgin not to feare For that sayeth hee thou hast founde Grace with God How greate a good it is to find grace with God which was to say vnto her Thou needest not to feare the Deuill nor Hell nor visible nor inuisible Enemyes neither hast thou cause to suspect the Greatenesses that I haue spoken to thee of in this Salutation nor other greater that I shall presently tell thee of for I doe thee to wit that thou art fallen into Grace with God And this is sufficient to secure thee for from hence it proceedeth that thou art full of Grace that our Lord is with thee and that thou art blessed among Women for whosoeuer findeth Grace with God what benefits shall hee not receiue from his liberall hande O happy a thousand times happy is that Soule that findeth Grace with God! If it be helde among men for a high felicitye to fall in grace with an earthly king how much greater shall it bee to fall in Grace with the king of Heauen From that grace proceedeth abundance of Riches Honours Dignityes and many other temporall benefits that a king bestoweth vpon his Fauorite and yet sometimes all endeth with Disgrace But from this Grace proceedeth an abundaunce of Vertues heauenly giftes that God bestoweth on his beloued for the which it is saide in holy Scriptures of the greatest Sainctes as of Noe Gen. 6.8 Exo. 33.17 Act. 7.46 Moyses Dauid and other such like that they founde Grace with God but aboue all the most sacred VIRGIN founde much greater and neerer Grace with God yea so neere that shee was allwayes with him and hee with her euen to the containing him in her Wombe as his mother O sweetest mother Colloquie I rejoice that thou hast founde Grace before God with such singular fauour And seeing Queene Esther for that shee founde grace before king Assuerus Esth. 2.9 was a cause that her People founde the like and was by him very much fauoured bee thou our Mediatrix that wee may finde Grace before God and obtaine that perfect Grace which is eternall Glorye Amen But I am very carefully to consider that allbeeit God doth not this fauour thorough the merits of man but thorough his meere mercye yet Humillitye doth most of all dispose vs to obtaine it by the which the blessed VIRGIN obtained it And therefore saide the holy Spirit The greater thou art Ecol 3.20 humble thyselfe in all things and thou shallt finde grace before God bocause the might of God only is greate and he is honoured of the humble Hee sayeth that the Humble doe him Honour for that they attribute vnto him the Honour and Glorye of all that they haue for the which God honoreth them much more and they finde greater Grace before him Therefore o my Soule if like the blessed VIRGIN thou willt finde Grace neere vnto God humble thyselfe in all things like her For God resisteth the prowde and giueth his abundant grace to the Humble Iacob 4.6 The seuenth Meditation Of the manner how the Angell annunciated and declared to the blessed VIRGIN the Misterye of the Incarnation The first Pointe THe Angell hauing quieted the holy Amazement of the blessed VIRGIN deliuered his Embassage in this manner Luc. 1.31 Beholde thou shallt conceiue in thy Wombe and shalt beare a Sonne and thou shalt call his name IESVS He shall bee greate and shall bee called the Sonne of the most High and our Lord God shall giue him the seate of Dauid his Father and hee shall reigne in the house of Iacob for euer and of his kingdome there shall bee no ende In these wordes are to bee pondered the greatenesses and Excellencyes of the Sonne that the Angell promiseth to the Virgin The first is that hee shal bee IESVS the Sauiour of the Worlde with greater excellencye then all other that had this name as heereafter shall bee declared The second that hee shall bee greate aboue all greates without any Limitation greate in his Diuinitye and Humanitye greate in Wisdome and Sanctitye In Life and in Doctrine In Example and in Worde and finally greate in Power for that hee shall haue power aboue all
Mother and the Mother of such a Sonne shee was full of vnspeakeable Ioye O what Gratitude what Praises and Thankesgiuing and what exultations had shee O what a fullnesse of good receiued shee in that moment For as this Visible Sun assoone as it was created in this Worlde filled it with his Light and communicated vnto it his Heate and Influences so the Sun of Righteousnesse Christ IESVS our Lord in that very Instant that hee was conceiued and formed in the abbreuiated Worlde of his blessed Mother filled her with exceeding greate Light and caelestiall Heate with the Influences of Life euerlasting So that shee D. Th. 3. p. q. 27. ar 5. ad 2. that before was full of Grace was then much more replenished and heaped vp with all Graces and with inestimable Ioye in the possession of them O most sacred VIRGIN Colloquie much good may it doe thee for beeing the mother of God made man And seeing thou likewise beginnest to bee the mother of vs men distribute with vs that Light and Ioye which was giuen thee that wee may knowe loue serue him whome thou hast conceiued Lastly I will ponder the greate reason that wee men haue to be contented to see ourselues of kinred with God and exalted to so high a Dignitye for the which I am to giue him humble Thankes and to beseeche the holy Angells to bee therefore thankefull vnto him and to get a newe noble and generous Courage resoluing as S. Ser. 1. de Natiuit Leo the Pope sayeth to liue as the kinsman of so greate a king without admitting any thing that may bee contrary to this nobillitye The Second Pointe SEcondly I am to consider the Circumstances of this Incarnation as concerning the bodye of this God and man beholding it as a bodye mortall and passible and the causes heereof For according to that which naturally was due to the person of our Lord Christ his bodye was not to bee mortall nor passible for 2. causes First for that Christ our Lorde was absolutely free from Originall Sinne not by Priuiledge but by right for beeing the naturall Sonne of God and for hauing beene conceiued not by the Worke of Man but by the power of the Holy Ghoste And consequently the punishment of mortallitye and passibilitye due to Originall Sinne touched not him and yet for all this this our Lord to demonstrate his Humillitye and Charitye was willing to leaue the Sinne and take the Punishment and without beeing a Sinner Rom. 8.3 to take as S. Paule saide the fleshe of a Sinner subject to all the penalties and miseries of Sinners to pay with his Deathe and with his Paines our Sinnes Colloquie O blessed bee such an Immense Charitye from the which sprung so profounde an Humillitye O what reason haue I to confounde myselfe for my pride seeing contrary to this our Lorde I would haue the Sinne but not the punishment I am a Sinner and yet would not suffer the penalties due to Sinners Animate thyselfe o my Soule to Imitate this example of Humillitye and seeing thou hast subiected thyselfe to Sinne bee content to suffer the Punishment that thy Sinne doth deserue The second cause why the bodye of our Lord Christ was not to bee mortall is for that his Soule was glorious and blessed and so by right his bodye was to haue the foure endowments of Glorye which he now hath in Heauen which are Perspicuitye Impassibilitye Subtillitye and Agillitye yet notwithstanding this our most louing Lorde was willing to doe this newe miracle and to renounce this right depriuing himselfe of these endowments of Glorye and inuesting himselfe with mortallitye and with Ignominye with all the rest of our miseries that his bodye as hee himselfe saide might bee fit to bee an Hoste Psal 39.7 Heb. 10.5 and Sacrifice for our Sinnes vpon the Altar of the Crosse May the Angells blesse thee o Lord Colloquie and may my Soule praise thee for euer for the Charitye that thou hast shewed in dooing miracles to bee able to dye and in renouncing all that which might haue excused thee from suffering O how I am confounded and ashamed beholding how carefully I flye from afflictions desiring sometimes miracles to deliuer mee from them I desier from hence forth rather to renounce all that shall bee Honour and Delicacye to imitate thee in suffering Ignominye and Torment and seeing thou giuest mee such a Desier giue mee also grace to fullfill it The third Pointe THirdly I am to consider the causes why our Lord God was willing to become a Babe Isa 9.6 and to bee conceiued in the Wombe of a Woman when as hee might haue taken the bodye of a perfect man as hee formed the bodye of Adam The causes heereof omitting those which were touched in the 3. Meditation were these Heb. 2.17 Isa 46.3 First to make himselfe as the Apostle sayeth in all things to bee like to men his bretheren to oblige them heereby to loue him more tenderly Colloquie O most louing God who as a mother bearest vs in thy Wombe who hath made thee a Babe inclosed in the wombe of thy mother Thy Loue doubtlesse is the cause heereof and the greate desier thou hast to bee loued for that if wee should not loue thee for the Greatenesse that thou shewest as thou arte God yet wee should loue thee for the Tendernesse thou thewest towardes vs as thou arte a Babe The second Cause was to giue vs an Example of Humillitye and to affectionate vs thereunto when with the eyes of Faithe wee should see the God of Maiestye made a litle litle Babe and see him whome Heauen Earthe cannot containe contained in the narrowe boundes of the wombe of a Woman And so comparing the greatenesse of God with this Littlenesse I will breake into Affection of Admiration and Imitation saying to this our Lorde Colloquie O diuine VVorde who as thou art God art in the Immense besome of thy Father and as thou art man inclosedst thyselfe in the narrowe bosome of thy Mother cleare the eyes of my Soule that considering the greatenesse thou hast in the one bosome and the litlenesse thou hast in the other admiring at both I may adore thy greatenesse with trembling and embrace thy Littlenesse with Humillitye The third cause was Ecclesia in Hymno Non horruisti Virginis vterum to enter into the Worlde giuing vs an Example of Patience and most perfect Mortification suffering for nine moneths a horrid obscure and narrow prison such as is the Wombe of a Woman in which this Babe was streightned and pressed not beeing able to mooue himselfe from one side to another nor to stirre hande nor foote nor to see nor to heare nor to smell nor to taste any thing Of which although other babes haue no feeling because they haue not the vse of Reason yet this most blessed Babe hauing the most perfect vse thereof had a feeling of it and yet
and of S. Ioseph which was very puntuall and prompt to accomplish this precept though they knewe that the execution thereof would bee very dolorous and painefull to the Childe whome they so much loued yet the will of God was to bee prefered before all which the blessed VIRGIN esteemed so much that if neede had beene she herselfe like another Se hora would haue taken the knife Exod. 4.25 and would haue circumcized the Childe some say that she herselfe did circumcize him some others that S. Ioseph did it but howsoeuer certaine it is they were prepared to put in execution whatsoeuer they should esteeme to be most agreable to the Will of almighty God Secondly I will ponder the Charitye and Deuotion of the blessed VIRGIN who doubtlesse would be present at this spectacle both to cherishe her Sonne to cure him his Wounde being one whome she so much loued as also to gather vp the most precious bloud that he there shed and to keepe that litle peece of fleshe that was cut of for she knewe it to be the blood of God and to be of infinite value O with what deuotion did she kisse it with her mouthe and keepe it in her brest O what Loueacts vsed she with that precious blood and how did she beseeche the eternall Father that for it hee would pardon the Worlde beseeching him if it were possible he would content himselfe with this alone it beeing so Infinitely worthe She likewise directed her speeches to the holy Ghoste whose spouse she was saying vnto him as Sephora saide to Moyses being in an Inne with her Sonne Exod. 4.25 O most holy Ghoste though thou art to me a Spouse of blood desiring that the blood of my Sonne should bee shed bathing therewith his sacred feete yet for all this I will not leaue thee as Sephora left Moyses for I esteeme more thy Will then my owne though it were needefull to shed my owne blood to fullfill it On the other side the blessed VIRGIN was transperced with Compassion and Dolour for the suffering of her Sonne She wept with him to see him weepe and for the cause for which he wept saying O originall Sinne how deare doest thou cost my Sonne O Sinne of the terrestriall Adam how bitter art thou to this caelestiall Adam O most B. Colloquie VIRGIN that I might accompanye thee in this Lamentation bewailing my Sinnes to obtaine the remedye of them by the Vertue of the precious blood of thy Sonne The second Pointe SEcondly I will consider the Heroicall Actes of Vertue which our Sauiour Christ exercized in his Circumcision which in him was not alone an exercize of suffering as in other Children which want the vse of reason but it was a worke of most excellent Vertue First it was Obedience to the Lawe for albeit that as he was God and the supreame Law-giuer he might haue dispensed with himselfe heerein and had sufficient cause therefore being not obliged by the rigour of the Lawe for that he was not conceiued by the worke of man nor with the debt of contracting Originall Sinne yet for all this he would of his owne will obey this painefull and rigorous precept protesting therewithall that he would ohserue all the olde Lawe for as S. Gal. 5.3 Paul sayeth euery man circumciding himselfe is a debter obliged to accomplish the whole lawe how burthensome soeuer it bee and therefore this blessed Childe offered himselfe at that time to vndergoe this heauy burthen Psal 39.9 setting this whole Lawe as himselfe sayeth by the Prophet Dauid in the middest of his hearte to the ende to giue vnto vs a perfect patterne of obedience O my Soule Colloquie why doest not thou offer thyselfe to beare the burthen and sweete yoke of the newe Lawe when thy Sauiour offereth himselfe to beare for thee the most heauy burthen and insupportable yoke of the olde Lawe If he for thy example obeyeth in hard things whereunto he is not obliged why doest thou denye to obey him in those easy things that he hath commaunded thee Pardon o Lord my disobedience and ayde me to followe the example which thou gauest me obferuing thy Lawe in such sorte as thou allwaies obseruedst it The second Vertue was Humillitye for albeit this our Lord could not accoumpt himselfe as a Sinner seeing he neither was nor could be so yet hee would be held so to be subjecting himselfe to Circumcision which was the signe of sinfull Children so that such as sawe him circumcized might haue saide that he was a Sinner which he ordained for the confusion of vs who being sinners will not seeme so to bee but take vpon vs the maske of being righteous Therefore o my Soule seeing thou art humbled by Truthe Ex D. Ber. ser 42. in Cant. be humbled also by Charitye seeing thou knowest thyselfe to be worthy of Humilliation for thy Sinnes desire with thy Lord to be humbled though thou were without Sinne. The third Vertue was Patience for other Children wanting the vse of Reason feare neither Circumcision nor the knife nor the Wounde and till the blowe light vpon them they feele it not but this blessed Childe as a perfect man knewe what was in hande and naturally feared the blowe and the Wounde yet for all this he was as quiet without mouing himselfe as if he had not knowne it And though when he felt the Wounde hee wept like a Childe and greately lamented thorough the delicacye of his Complexion yet in his Hearte he was merry for shedding his blood with such dolour delighting in this Affliction to accomplish the Will of his Father for our good The fourth Vertue was most feruent Charitye shedding that litle blood with so greate Loue that if neede had beene to shed all presently he would haue effected it and if it had beene conuenient to receiue forthwith many other and much greater Woundes he would haue offered himselfe for the Loue of his Father and for our good O Immense Charitye o Inuincible Patience Colloquie o profounde Humillitye and perfect Obedience of my Redeemer Exo. 29.8 Exo. 39.1 O soueraigne Vertues wherewith is weaued the Preistlike garment of our high Preiste IESVS much more precious then Graine or Purple then Hyacinthe and wreathed Holland O high Preiste that on this day didst clothe thyselfe with this garment to offer this sacrifize of the morning and didst afterwardes againe put it on on the Crosse to offer the sacrifize of the euening Inuest me with such another that I may offer vp my bodye Rom. 12.1 and Soule a liuing Host holy and pleasing to thy soueraigne maiestie I am ashamed o Lord Apoc. 3.18 to see myselfe so naked of these foure Vertues let thy grace aide me to Inuest me with them and to couer my nakednesse Amen The third Pointe THirdly I am to consider the spirituall Circumcision that our Lord Christe exacteth of me with the example of this his corporall Circumcision