with consent of his free will with his cooperation and endeauour did much of his part to attayn vnto that degree of sanctity yt notwithstanding Christ our Lord was he who after a particular manner like vnto some most exquisite master continued to labour so gratiously in that soul that he wrought in yt both sanctity and perfection Secondly acknowledging him to be the meritorious cause for that whatsoeuer beauty or goodnes ys found in the blessed saints although yt hath his proportion and proper dignity as the partiall meanes towards grace glory notwithstanding yt proceeds from the merits of Christ as being the head of the vniuersall church all the dignity which the workes of holy saints haue ys foūded in the self same merits of him who making himself man for mans sake and continually labouring for the space of thirty three yeares and some moneths besides euen vnto the ignominious death of the crosse opened an euerflowing foūtayn of liuely merits for his holy church which should be sufficient to giue life to all thw workes of men be they neuer so many Thirdly considering him as a most excellent master who whilst he liued by word of mouth and after his ascending into heauen by internall instruction gaue such precepts of all vertue to all men and inparticular to the saints that from remembrance of that doctrine hath proceeded that diligent care to exercise vertue in which the saints haue beene so eminent Fourthly behoulding him not only as a master teaching by words but as the paterne example in deeds for that he hauing beene the true and first parterne of all sanctity by inspiration from his heauenly father who ceaseth not to exhort all men to imitate him with these wordes Behould and doe according to the Patren the holy saints with good reason haue beheld him after such a manner that they haue copied out his liuely image in theyr soul diuerse after a different sort according to the variety of theyr actions yt none with out some laudable degree of perfection Fiftly behoulding him as the finall cause the crown and glory of his saints after the triumphant victory obteyned of the world the flesh and the diuell for that he was proposed vnto them for a soueraigne reward most great and high aboue all comparison as the garland of triumph which might sustaine theyr hopes vphould theyr weaknes from dangerous falles vnder the troublesome burthen and oppositions of theyr enemyes who aymed at nothing els but to bereaue them of the glorious palme prepared for the victory This done to the end the meditation may be so much more fruitfull let him endeauour to see yf our Lord Iesus doe deale with him also after the fiue foresaid manners and how he doth dispose himself to obtayne so much fauour at his hands After that let him stirr vp in himself a desyre to be so fauoured and let him seeke out the reasons and causes which may hinder him from receiuing such graces let him reprehend and blame himself for not answering to the gratious helps receiued frō God as the saynts haue done before him and let him serue himself of other māners which will come after helping to moue the will and more to kindle the affection The third manner of meditation for feasts AN other manner no lesse profitable thē the former may be that he take the gospell occurring in that feast and deuiding the matter into three or more principall parts procure to apply eyther in proper or misticall sense all those things which the gospell referrs vnto the vertuous actions of that glorious saint and lastly making reflexion vnto himself aswell in the first as in this second manner procuring to see if in his manner of life he discouer conformity or contrariety to the doctrine of the gospell to the life of the saint whether Christ Iesus haue not so dealt with him in all these fiue meanes before named for the gayning of vertue as he hath with the saints whose feasts he celebrats And after this let him reprehend himself for that he giueth not correspōdence vnto the helps giuen him from our Lord nor to the vertuous exāples of his saints The manner how to meditate the text of scripture LASTLY yt ys good also to know how to imploy our selues profitably when we meditate eyther one only word of the holy scripture or els some sentence of the same or els some particuler parables which are things full of doctrine both holy and profitable for all mē And this altgough yt be here spoken principally to serue for the meditation of misteryes when by occasion of some cōditions which concerne eyther the persons vvords or workes vve are to meditate vppon some passage of the text as before hath beene declared yt shall serue notvvithstanding in like manner for him that vvill meditate all by himself and cheesly for those that vvill first meditate vppon the Psalmes that he may aftervvards say them vvith more deuotion eyther in his canonicall houres or in the office of our B. Lady c. He may therefore first examine yt in the literall sēse vvhich ys no other then that vvhich ys agreable vnto the signification of that vvord sentence or parable and to the intention of him that spake yt or els agreable to the intention of the holy ghost vvho caused him to speake yt Thē let him cōsider yt eyther in the tropologicall or morall sense vvhich consisteth in accommodating the thing signifyed by that vvord sentence or parable vvith misticall conceits seruing to the amending of his owne life and manners or those of others or els let him consider yt in the sense called allegoricall in which the things signifyed in that word sentece or parable are taken as shadowes and figures of things to come eyther in respect of the Messias and of the church his spouse yf we speake of the old testament or els accordingly towards others things appertayning also to the church or to some other mistery yf we speake of the new or lastly in the anagogicall sense whereby the signification of the wordes sentences or parables are applyed to a more high vnderstāding of celestiall and supernaturall things of the life to come As for example when there occurs one only word as Hierusalem you shall interpret yt literally according to Cassian that so often named city of the Iewes tropologically the soul of man allegorically to the holy church of Christ Anagogically for the blessed city of Paradise Then meditating that sentence of our Sauiour Nisi granum frumenti cadens in terram mortuum fuerit c. Vnlesse the graine of wheat falling into the ground dye c. he shall vnderstand by the word seed first literally the wheat corns or other seed which to bring forth yoūg buds must first be corrupted yt self in the earth Then tropologically spirituall persons who that they may bring forth the fruit of vertuous actions like corne must also first be mortefied and so dye
decorum whether conuenient to the place to the person to the tyme c. or contrary The condition of the workes ABOVT the workes the vnderstanding may ponder First the roote from whence they proceede whether yt be intrinsecall or extrinsecall proportionate or disproportionat yf of God of Angels man or woman yf one or many yf effectuall and powerfull or weake and feeble yf totall or partiall principall or subordinate 2. Theyr essence and nature whether they be supernaturall or naturall morall or artificall 3. The quality whether noble or vulgar vertuous or vitious perfect or imperfect begunne only or ended 4. Of what sort whether internall or externall yf durable or no. 5. The merits whether they be worthy of praise or dispraise of much or litle reward 6. The manner how they are wrought whether in hast or by leasure whether willingly or by force yf earnestly or negligently with joy or sadnes 7. The helps whether many or few naturall or supernaturall expected or inexpected sufficient or insufficient deserued or not deserued 8. The end whether proportionate or disagreing good or ill totall or partiall the last or not yf foreseene or vnthought yf one alone or many yf naturall or supernaturall 9. The meanes whether effectuall or not effectuall iust or vniust conuenient or no many or fevv yf naturall or supernaturall 10. The instruments vvhether fit or no superfluous or necessary many or fevv 11. The place vvhether conuenient or disconuenient larg or straight publick or priuate honourable or dishonorable 12. The tyme vvheter vvinter or sommer spring or autume night or day long or short 13. The number vvhether many or fevv yf often repeated or els continued From whence are to be drawen the aboue named conditions THESE be the conditions of the persons vvords and vvorks vvhich I thought good to insinuate omitting diverse others which might be adioyned Yt now remayneth to aduertise that one shall fynd sometymes some of those conditions explicated by the authour himself who recounteth the history as that of Simeon by S. Luke in the mistery of the purification and sometymes one shall nnt fynd them as we see yt happen most commonly in other misteryes wherefore when they are not set down in the text eyter at full or in part a man may conceaue them as himself shall judg for the best but when he findeth them set down he ought to coÌ„sider theeÌ„ in that determinate manner as the authour hath put them poÌ„dering well the force of those very words which he findeth in the author himself wherevppon yt wil come to passe that by occasion of these conditioÌ„s the whole text of the history will offer yt self to be coÌ„sidered although we doe not intend to take the same for our giude in the course of our meditation but only some certayne poynts gathered out of yt And this I say because ordinarily one should not take the text yt self for meditation as some vse to doe when they intend to meditate vppon the mistery therein contayned but yt ys more conuenient to ponder yt by occasion of examining the foresaid conditions because otherwise meditating the text yt self in respect that the same ys capable of many senses eyther literall or morall c. as afterward shal be declared yt will often happen that the tyme of two or three meditations will passe without touching the cheefe point of the mistery which the party should and would willingly meditate vppon And sometyme he shall light vppon some word hard to be vnderstood which eyther he must leaue to discusse or yt will hinder the tyme which he hath taken to discourse vppon the mistery proposed The manner of discoursing breefly vppon any mistery AL that which hitherto hath beene said ys proposed partly to assigne many heads from whence the matter of one meditatioÌ„ made at once vpon a whole mistery may be taken partly that those who will may know how to entertayne themselues many dayes in the same mistery but he that desireth to content himself with fewer heads and hath a will to runne ouer at once a whole mistery vvhich may seeme to be fitly done the day yt self that any particular mistery shall occurr of vvhich the holy church doth solemnize the feast he may chose for the heads of his discourse those seauen circumstances vvhich ordinarily are to be considered in our actions by those vvho treat of christian manners and morall operations are comprised in this verse Quis quid vbi quibus auxiliis cur quomodo quando Who vvhat vvhere by vvhat meanes vvhy hovv vvhen Pondering vvell vvhat person yt ys to vvhom the proposed mistery doth agree examining vvhat actions he doth vvhere by vvhat meanes for vvhat end in vvhat manner and in vvhat tyme. For example vppon Christmas day considering vvho yt ys that ys borne vvhat yt ys to be borne into this miserabble world where yt ys that he ys borne what helps he had in the tyme of his birth for what end he would be borne in what maÌ„ner he was borne and in what tyme. The first mannner how to meditate vppon Saints dayes THE same manner he may also obserue who will fruitfully meditate any mistery which hapened to the most B. Virgin or Saints whose feast the church ordayneth to be solemnized choosing out of all the vertuous actions of theyr life some one most notable most agreable to his owne peculiar estate to reape from thence the pretended fruit and let him meditate the same according to these last related circumstances As for example he may choose for the subject of meditation vppon the day of the conception of our Lady the sanctification and aboundance of grace which shee had giuen her vppon the dayes of the natiuity and presentation let him choose to consider her inward joy and exultation also the great humility of her self vppon the day of the Annuntiâ—â—ion and so also of the visitation Vppon the feasts of S. Peter and S. Paul let him considar the crucifying of the one and the beheading of the other the stoning of S. Sthephen vppon his day vppon the feast of S. Laurence the cruell torment he suffered being broyled on a gridyron vppon the feast of S. Nicholas the Bishop of Myrrhea his tymely beginning to fast absteyning from the milk of his nurse two dayes in the weeke c. And so in this manner in the feasts of other saynts he may consider other of theyr actions The second manner of meditation for the feast of Saynts SECONDLY let him choose in his preparation one or two or more vertues wherein the saint of whom the feast ys celebrated hath beene most famous in tyme of miditation let him consider theÌ„ after such manner that yt be still referred to Christ Iesus our Lord who ys the head and euer flowing fountayn of all the greaces coÌ„municated to mankynd First considering him as authour and efficient cause of those vertuous actions for although yt be true that the saint himself
THE PRACTICE OF MEDITATING WITH PROFIT THE MISTERIES OF our Lord the Blessed Vergin Saints GATHERED OVT OF DIuers good authors And published by the very Reuerend Master Iohn Alberto Buronzo Chanon of the Cathedral Church of Verselles Reuiued and augmented by the same Author translated into English by a Father of the Societe of Iesus Imprinted at Mackline by HENRIE IEAY 1613. HENRIE IEAY TO THE Deuont Reader HAuing perused good reader this litle booke written in Italian by a father of the Societie of Iesus though he thought to publish it vnder a borrowed name and translated into English by another of the same Societie I found it likelie to proue as fruitful as acceptable to pioussoules that are desirous to conuerse with almightie God in meÌ„tal praier and for theyr help and comfort determined to put it forth with this one aduise vnto them which I had from one wel experienced in spiritual affayres In the places from which we are here taught to draw matter of meditation as condicions of persons words and actions that occurr in any mistery They shal perhapes finde such store and varietie as may to some seeme superfluous at the least if not troublesom But they must consider that this booke is not for one man onlie nor for one sort of vnderstandings but intendeth the common help of al that practise themselfes in this spiritual exercise It was therefore necessarie to make such prouision for al as out of it eueryone might fit himself of matter for his own discourse and take that which he findeth most agreable with his own manner of proceding As he that cometh to a plentiful feast eateth not of al that is sett before him which might cloy his appetite and hurt his helth but rather feedeth discretly and soberly on som few dishes which his stomack lyketh and are wholsom for him In a good garden are a multitude of simples yet are not al ingredients for euery medecine the Gardnier notwithstanding had sufficient reason to plant them al because there is not any one amongst them of which som one or other may not finde som vse I wish thee good reader to choose out of these places those that are most behoosul for thy purpose and let not the plentie left vntoucht for other men trouble thee So I leaue thee to make that profit of this worke which the author wisheth to al that read it to the greater honour and glory of God H. I. THE PREFACE AMongst the many and different exercises of men in this life the meditation of spiritual and diuine thinges without al doubt is one of the most excellent For by meanes therof with our vnderstanding together with the light of Gods assisting grace we doe search find out Gods holy wil which is our sanctification with our wil we desire loue the same with our memory we cal it to mind we apprehend it with our imagination and in some sort do imbrace it with our corporal senses and the faculties of our body the better to put it in execution Most iusty therfore may be said that there remayneth not â—n man any one power either internal or external which by meanes of this holy exercise is not wholy imployed in the praises of almighty God which â—s a great part of that end for which maÌ„ was created placed in this world Neither doth man only by meanes of meditaâ—ioÌ„ attaine his proper end the cause of his being in this preseÌ„t â—ife but also by a certain kind of participatioÌ„ in some proporâ—ion doth vnite himself to that which is proper to the other â—ife which consisting in seeâ—ng louing enioying the gloâ—ious maiesty of almighty God â—ccording to the degree of eueâ—y ones merit and that without â—nterruption or desire of ought els out of doubt man giuing himself wholy in the exercise of meditation to seeke the most perfect knowledg of the most vnited loue and the most sweetest enioying of God which this wretched life affords he doth participat proportinally of that glorious happines in heauen which is the last and accomplished portion and that happy end for which man was created True it is that through the vnhappy condition of this troublesome world he being diâ—tracted by other thoughts and surprised by other affections cannot continually or withouâ— some violence enioy this so great felicity yet neuerthele 〈…〉 he may with the help of God from whom euery good meditation proceedeeh as his perfect gift of whome therein he treateh with whom he then conuerseth and reasoneth together with his own diligence and industry attayn to such vnion with Gods diuine Maiesty that he may if not continually at least for som time enioy his creatour with some perfection Therefore in this as in al other noble exercises there must be vsed much diligence to performe it wel not only for the causes set down already but also for that the nature of meditation it self as it is explicated by holy Doctors doth exact no â—esse For meditation somtimes â—s called a studious intention of â—he mind which diligently atâ—endeth to the finding out of some matter sometime an especial application of our vnderstanding seriously imployed in searching out the truth at other times an industrious inforcing of the mind endeuouring to find out obscure things and to vnfould the intricat and perplexed as also it is described to be an earnest and vehement applicatioÌ„ of our mind to seeke know tast some diuine matter finally it hath other names and definitions al which doe playnly shew that great labour and industry is required on his part who intends to meditate Wherefore it shal not be amisse to set down briefly the practical manner which is to be held in this so holy an exercise to the intent it be not performed negligently or without the fruit which by it is pretended I wil therefore for more facility and cleerenes set down first what is to be done before meditation then what in the very time of meditation and lastly what is meete to be obserued at the end thereof THAT VVHICH IS TO BE DONE BEFORE MEDITATION CHAPTER I. Remote Preparations WHo soe desireth to meditate well and fruitfully the divine misteries must procure to haue great purity of hart that he be not guilty to himself of any thing which may cause great remorse of coÌ„science He must haue the passions and affections of his soul so coÌ„posed that neither by excesse nor want they be troublesome vnto him 3 Let him keepe his powers and senses so recollected that he neither think see nor heare willingly any thing which may cause distraction briefly let him as Cassian saith so dispose himself before prayer as he desireth to find himself in tyme of prayer The neerer Preparations WHereas to follow thâ— example of King Dauid who speaking to God said Iâ— matutinis meditabor in te I will meditate of thee in the morning the best tyme of meditation ys when he riseth from his bed therefore to
tibi pro omnibus quae retribuisti mihi My God my mercie what shall I render to thee for all things that thou hast rendred to me And shall not then my hart be melted as waxe before the suÌ„ne The fourth ys by way of Oblation Yes Lord so yt ys fit yt should be by any meanes behould therefore here ys my hart which ys become like melting waxe It ys not as yet fully melted but yt will meelt by degres in presence of thy burning beames and yt will become so soft that thou maiest imprint therein any image whatsoeuer or letter or writing as shall best please thee Yf thou wouldest imprint the image of compunction for that yt hath offended thee hath been vngratfull to thee behould yt here made like wax that melteth yf thou wilt haue in yt an image of mortificatioÌ„ or pennaÌ„nce to blot out satisfi for the faults coÌ„mitted behold yt here like melted wax Yf thou wilt haue an image of gratitude and of charitie towards thee for that thou didst scarse expect to here me cry peccaui I haue siuned to see some small fruits which might be thought worthy fruit of pennaÌ„ce but transtulisti peceatuÌ„ meum a me Thou didst traÌ„sfer my sinne from me as to thy seruaÌ„t Dauid behold therfore my hart becoÌ„e as a peece of soft tender wax Yf yt be thy pleasure to write in yt any necessary aduertisemeÌ„ts to the end I may perseuer the better in thy grace not return vnto my former misrable estate write yt hardly Ecie sanus factus est iam noli peccare ne deterius tibi aliquid coÌ„tingat Behold thou art made whole now sinn no more least soÌ„e worse thing â—appeÌ„ vnto thee for lo my hart ys now mollified fit to write in Yf yt be thy will to ioyne thy self vnto yt to leaue such impression that yt be alwayes myndfull to doe according to thy deuine inspiration and to preseuer with more facility behould yt here in thy haÌ„ds melted so fit tractable behold yt wholy thine behould yt prompt to doe whatsoeuer shall best please thee behold yt can say nothing els but that which yt learneth of the apostle Domine quid me vis facere Lord what wilt thou haue me to doe The fifth ys of Confession And now o my Lord yf thou say vnto me that I haue many tymes before this made like offers vnto thee somtymes more full of affect then now I doe and yet when contrary occasioÌ„s were offered I went back and did the contrary to thaâ— promised I graunt in deed this I haue done that most often tymes and that my faylings haue beene much more frequent then my purposes to doe well and that thy diuine maiesty hath most iust cause to obiect yt vnto me I confesse o Lord that I am one of those of whom thou didst heretofore lament by the mouth of the prophet saing filij ephraem intendentes mittentes arcum conuersi sunt in die belli The children of Ephraem bending and shoting with bow were turned in the day of battell for being once truly made by the grace thy elected sonne and one that should haue beene fruitfull vnto thee thy maÌ„ner being to worke increase and to abetter still the harts of those that truly loue thee yet I became like one of those vaine glorious yet dasterdly souldiars who before the day of battell can doe nothing but bend their bow and shoote their arrowes but when they come to try their valour are the first that shew their heeles The sixt ys by way of Purpose I confesse o my Lord that all this ys to to true but I now purpose most firmely in thy diuine presence taking for witnes of this my firme resolution all the saints of thy celestiall court who alwayes doe conssantly continue in contemplation of thy beauty and most worthy praises that froÌ„ this time forward I will not omit for any cause at the least seauen times a day to lift vp my mind towards heauen which I see ys drawen down to the earth by the poise of my corruptible body I know well that I offend thy maiesty not so little as seauen times a day and for that I purpose by thy grace at the least so often to honour thee But yt seemeth thou sayest to me o Lord that I will not doe yt and that this ys my ould wont to promise much and performelitle But o Lord what ys yt to remember thee seauen times a day Can I be lesse mindfull of thee then so that should remember thee as often as I breath Certainly o Lord I will remember thee Reddam tibi vota mea quae distinxerunt labia mea I will render thee my vowes which my lips haue distinguished The seauenth ys by by way of Taxing I well fore see o Lord that the Diuell will not faile to put into my head a thousand impertinent thoughts to make me easely forget what I haue purposed I know well there will somtimes fall out so many occasions of busines that eyther I cannot make good what I haue promised or not remember yt I see also that this new suggested purpose will appeare somewhat hard vnto my flesh but certeyne yt ys that I am to doe yt and I may not take yt for a new or sleight suggestion that which ys to turne to my so great commodity VVherfore o my Lord I doe here so freely yt ys much better to suffer a litle while the trouble I shall haue in the carefull practice of this purpose then to continue in the former manner without due memory of thy diuine maiesty Better it is to depriue my self of that content which I had before in the false liberty of a carlesse life then to be debarred of these true consolations which are to be enioyed by treating with thee Meliora sunt vbera tua vino saith the spouse vnto thee in the canticles Better are thy breasts then wine according to the vnderstanding which thy deuout Saint Bernard giueth of these words for that the affect of deuotion which is tasted by treating with thee doth truly and that by many degrees surpasse all the pleasurs and delights which any sensuall thing can bring vs. And the same o my Lord doe I now affirme at this present although I haue not now so much tast thereof as I should if it were not for my owne fault Meliora sunt vbera tua Better are thy breasts that is the sweetnes which is tasted in lifting vp the mind oft to thee vino thenwine which is the licencing our hart to goe wandring where it list without restrayning it to returne and be mindfull of thee Meliora sunt vbera tua vino Better are thy breasts then wine And if thy holy prophet estteemed more one day of abode in the courts of thy pallace rather then to stay thousands of yeares in the most sumptuous and commodious lodgings of the world when he said Melior est dies vna