in the world for the succour and consolation of man that I may neuer be destitute of thy protection to th'ende that by meanes thereof I may know my selfe to be a pilgrime in this world and that my thoughtes and conuersation maye be principally in heauen where the self-same Lorde reigneth in the glory of God his Father Amen OF THE COMMING OF THE HOLY GHOST Iam Mariae socijsque datur Paracletus Olympâ— Munere quo magno munera magna parant ¶ THE THIRD GLORIous Misterie is of the coÌ„ming of the holye Ghost concerning the which thou shalt meditate these pointes folowing FIRST howe the most sacred Virgin and that holy assemblye which was present at our Redeemer his AscensioÌ„ remained together in the dining chamber or refectorie of Ierusalem expecting the comming of the holye Ghost like as the same Lord had commaunded them to doo SECONDLY consider how on Whitsonday al of them being in the same place and deuoutly at their prayers the holy Ghost came in forme of fyrie tonges which were seene ouer â—che one of the Apostles heades who were greatlye retoyced and comforted with this comming THIRDLY consider the meruailous effects which the holy Ghost wrought in them sith they which before were shutt close vpp for feare of the Iewes presently after they had receaued the holy Ghost issued forth preaching with great feruour in the streates and market-places by the which preachinges a great multitude of people was conuerted IN the first point thou mayest entertain thy self meditating howe the most sacred Virgin with al the Apostolical Societie remained secret in the great hal of Sion expecting in great peace charitie and vnion that celestial CoÌ„forter which our Lord had promised them Thinke what sighes what sobbes and what store of teares they shedd and how feruent and continual praiers they made in this behalfe and learne thou that if so be thou couet to haue the same comforter come to thee it behoueth thee necessarilye to haue the same disposition that is to say to be vnited with al in perfect peace and charitie estranged from al strife and contention sith this diuine spirite wil that such as dwel in the house where he is to come be of this dispositioÌ„ like as contrarywise the wicked spirite where-soeuer he soiourneth doth what he can to sow furious debates and enmities This L. wil also be greatly longed for and inuited with often praier according to that our Sauiour said once with a loude voice If any be athirst let him come to me and drink Which he ment by the holy Ghost which al they were to receaue that would beleeue in him Note moreouer in this point how the Apostles went not forth to preache before they had receaued the holy Ghost like as their Master had warned theÌ„ tofore whence such as are to exercise the same office may learn how before they beginne it behoueth them to with-draw them-selues and to pray for the receauing of the same spirite without the which the worde they preache shal-be of smal efficacie and auaile Here maiest thou meditate in like maner how feruent and deuout were those prayers which our Lady made in this place who vnderstoode much better then the rest the cause of this their retyring and of how great importance and woorthines was the spirite which they required by whose meanes the Gospel was to be preached through the vniuersal world O happie was that habitation where such worthie persons remained more happy the exercises wherto they addicted them-selues but most happie the tresure and the consolation which they looked for O Harbour far more excellent and delicate then is the terrestral Paradise howe iustly might that be applied to it which Iacob had earst said Verily our Lorde is in this place this is the house of God this is the batche of heauen Sith here there was nothing thought of but God nothing spoken of but God nothing desired and wisshed for but onely God him-selfe AS TOVCHING the second point thou hast a plentiful subiect to warm thy soule with entertaining thy selfe in meditating the comming of the holy Ghost Thou maiest therefore thinke with godly zeale according to thy deuotion howe after that sacred Colledge had beene thus assembled together certaine dayes geuing them selues diligentlye to the exercise aforesaide and seing howe the holye Ghost staied longer in his comming then they desired they beganne to be heauie for as it is written The delaied hope afflicteth the soule yea and some did haply beginne to doubt Our Ladye vnderstanding their affliction like a true mother and comforter of the afflicted endeuoured al she might to comfort and harten them persuading them to perseuer in their prayers with greater feruour and faith assuring them how they should be sooner visited and comforted of the holy Ghost then they looked for and to animate them the better fel her-selfe to her prayers with them Contemplate nowe howe the pitiful mother kneeling on the grounde with her handes and eyes eleuate vp to heauen wholly inflamed in diuine loue pouring forth aboundant streames of bitter teares did with great instance and feruour craue that the celestial Comforter whom they expected would vouchsafe to come and amongst other deuout speeches wherof thou maiest meditate she vttered likely ynough that sentence of the royal Prophet Dauid Sende Lord thy holy spirite and they shalbe created to witt new affectes newe thoughtes new wordes newe force in these thy seruants which desire and craue thee And so shalt thou renew the face of the earth O how great consolatioÌ„ did the praiers and speeches of this most blessed Lady geue to this holy CongregatioÌ„ howe exceedingly did she comfort them how did she inflame theÌ„ howe did she animate and stirre them vp to doo the same A most pleasant and deuout thing is it to meditate and viewe with our spiritual eyes this prayer which the most holy mother made in earth but much more to coÌ„template that which the most sacred Sonne as man made in heauen like as he had promised to his Disciples saying I wil pray my Father that he wil geue you an-other Comforter Whose prayer thou maiest wel thinke how feruent how gratious how effectual and acceptable it was to his eternal Father especially when he presented to him those most sacred woundes which so lately he had receaued and reserued to this ende Thus so many deuout prayers so many sighes wishes sobbs and teares hauing been made before on whitsonday at the third hour which was the selfe-same daye and houre wherin the old lawe had earst bene geuen in the mount Sinai they receaued the holy Ghost in the mount Sion who engraued the newe and Euangelical lawe not in tables of stone as before but in their heartes of flesh those tonges of fire which wer seene ouer the Apostles signifying the fire of diuine loue which he kindled in their heartes and the eloquence which
a benefite and yet such was the loue of God towardes the world as without any good desert of our part yea with an infinite number of most enormous crimes the dai being come which his maiestie had before al daies ordeined he remembred them that had forgotten him and with moste rare clemencie vouchsafed to visite them that deserued most seuerely to be chastised and to redresse the endlesse euils and miseries that reigned round about the world albeit so beetle blinde were men as they knewe them not nor any whit perceued theÌ„ And for the doing of this matter he disdained not to ioyne him-selfe to the miserie of humane nature making him-selfe man for vs and thral to thousands of annoyes for our saluation O inestimable Charitie O infinite liberalitie Lorde thou liberally departest with more to the world theÌ„ it either durst craue or wish for at thi handes What diddest thou espie in vs O Lorde to constrain thee in such lowly wise to visite vs what wer our merits towardes thee what seruices had we performed to thy diuine maiestie thy mere goodnes it is that only prouoketh thee therto that thy mere clemencie causeth thee to descend from heaueÌ„ to earth and to take humane fleshe in the blessed virgins wombe for our wel-fare which made thee earst to descend down into the bushe taking pitie of thy peoples affliction and to procure their deliuerance as then thou saidest to Moises whereby thou figuredst this thy second discent of clothing thy selfe with the mantel of our humanitie Al the Angels praise and thank thee for this thine ineffable mercy seing man can-not condignely thanke thee therefore nor yet acknowledge it sufficientlye IN THE seconde point thou shalt haue a plentiful subiect to dilate vpoÌ„ considering on thone side the qualitie of the Ambassadour which God sent downe for the dealing in this affaire his high estate being one of the principal Angels of heauen the beautie and brightnes of body wherin he appered to the most sacred virgin the humilitie reuerence wherwith he saluted her the gratious speeches replenished with al consolation which he vsed towards her the great skil and wonderful wisdom he shewed in reporting his Commission to her declaring by degrees the diuine misterie of the Incarnation In this maner maiest thou likewise discourse vpon al the other circumstances On th'other side weigh wel the excellencie and souerain dignitie of her whom this ambassage was sent to her modest countenance in harkening her graue prudence in pondring the wordes that were spoken to her that wel-beseeming bashfulnes which made her blush in hearing her owne praises the feruent zeal she caried to virginitie which made her make answere meaning to be assured thereof the liuely faith wher-with she firmly beleeued al that was on Gods behalfe announced her for the which she was of her cousin S. Elizabeth singulerly coÌ„meÌ„ded lastly the profouÌ„d humi with she resigned and gaue vp her self as our Lord his obedient seruant he hauing chosen her for his beloued mother If thou discusse diligently al these particularities as al other the like circumstances of this diuine misterie thou shalt finde thy selfe rapt into such an admiration as shal make thee crie out with the Roial Psalmist Dauid Great and wonderful is thy wisdome O Lord it is so high as I cannot comprehend it It surpasseth my retche and vnderstanding sithens of what side soeuer thou turnest thee in this Ambassage thou shalt finde great and right miraculous meruailes Great is the message great the Lord that sent it gret is the personage to whoÌ„ it was sent great the Ambassadour that brought it great is the affaire that is intreted of great and meruailous the maner of proceeding in it Our Lorde be lauded euery wher that doth so gret matters both in heauen and earth IF THOV desire to staye vpon the third point thou shalt neuer want matter meditating the thinges that tooke effect presentlye after the Queene of heauen had geuen her coÌ„sent saying Fiat mihi secundùm verbum tuum Be it done vnto me according to thy worde Sith in that verye instant the most sacred body of Iesus was by vertue of the holy ghost formed of the most pure bloud of the blessed virgin Mary and in the selfe same instant was his glorious soule created and infused in his body and in the â—ame instant was his most holy humanity vnited with the eternal word of God in one self-same person And thence-forth was the blessed virgin mother of God Queene of Angels and men ful of grace replenished with al the giâ—tes and prerogatiues meete for so incomparable a dignitie O Fiat most puissant and effectual with an-other Fiat God did earst make the heauens earth and al the creatures of the world yet were ther farre greater more important matters made with this Fiat seing that by means of this Fiat the same God made him-self maÌ„ and maÌ„ was made God with al the other right woÌ„derful workes that proceed out of this chaÌ„ge most miraculous metamorphosis O mightie Lady thou hast not said without cause in thy Canticle That he which is mightie hath done great things vnto thee and what greter matters might there be then to haue made thee his mother thou enioying stil thy pure and immaculate virginitie what greter matter theÌ„ to haue made thee his temple and the sacred tabernacle of the holy Ghost what greater matter then he whoÌ„ the cope of heauen can not conteine to haue vouchsafed to shut him-self vp in thy sacred woÌ„be it being made thereby a celestial Paradise wherein the Angels delite to adore their Maker Verilye the Almightie hath done great matters to thee wherby thy spirite may rightly reioyce and without intermissioÌ„ magnify him who hath so highly magnified thee And we al may rightly for the same cause coÌ„gratulate with thee and praise and reuerence thee perpetually endeuouring our selues al we may to be thy true faithful seruaÌ„ts A PRAYER GREAT and ineffable was the ioye O moste sacred virgin Mary which thy most holy hart was seased with wheÌ„ being saluted by the Angel Gabriel and vnderstanding the cause of his Ambassage thou with a most profouÌ„d humilitie resignest thy selfe into our Lorde his handes and wert presently thervpoÌ„ made the true mother of thine owne Father Creator I beseech thee Lady by this thine incomparable dignitie that with thy worthy praiers thou wilt obtein me abuÌ„daÌ„t grace wherby I may coÌ„ceue spiritually the self-same Lorde and knowe alwaies howe to keepe him in my soule Amen THE VISITATION Visitur Elizabeth Christumque salutat ab aluâ— Infans qui geminae legis alumnus erat THE SECOND IOYFVL Misterie is touching our blessed Ladye her visiting of S. Elizabeth wherevpon thou maiest meditate these three articles or pointes folowing THE FIRST is how our Lady hauing by the Angels reuelation vnderstoode howe her Cousin was nowe sixe monthes gone with child she with an
of him for that he had so manye daies depriued her of his desired presence Be mery therfore O Queene of heuen and forget thy former sorowes sith nowe thou hast found and possessest him whom thy soule desired and according to the greatnes of dolours past art now surceased with present consolation A PRAYER VVHAT pleasure and contentment did thy soul feele O most sacred Queene of heauen when hauing lost thy deerly beloued sonne thou foundest him againe in the Temple amongst the Doctors None can possibly conceue it but he that wel weieth with howe great grief desire and diligence thou wentest those three days seeking him amongst his frends kinsfolks I beseech thee therfore O mother of mercy aswel by the extreme annoy wherwith thou soughtest him as by the inexplicable ioy wherwith thou receuedst him hauing founde him that thou wilt vouchsafe to helpe me that I deserue not through my sinnes and offences to lose the same Lorde and if at some time he should absent him selfe from me I may knowe howe to seeke him and howe againe to finde him Amen ¶ THE SECOND MISTERIES ARE CALLED DOLOROVS THROVGH THE GRET dolours which the moste sacred virGIN-MOTHER FELT WHEN such thinges happed as thou shalt MEDITATE THEREIN whereof some she sawe with her CORPORALEYES and some with her spiritual OF THE PRAYER Expauet ingeminatque preces sanguine mâ—nat Dum socij fugiunt impia vincla subit ¶ THE FIRST DOLOROVS MISTERIE is of the praier which our Lorde made in the garden of Geth-semani wher vpon thou shalt meditate these pointes in maner folowing FIRST how our Redeemer comforting his Disciples and exhorting them to pray and watche with him pronounced this most doulful speeche My soule is heauy euen til death SECONDLY howe withdrawing him self from his Disciples about a stones cast he praied with most profound humilitie and reuerence to his Father saying My Father if it be possible passe ouer this cupp from me howbeit not my wil be done but thine THIRDLY howe he came to visite his Disciples and finding them asleepe awaked and commaunded them to praye as he did twise more him-selfe with the same wordes and swett droppes of bloud which trickled downe to the grounde and then did an Angel discend from heauen to comfort him AS TOVCHING the firste point thou maiest pause therein meditating how our Redeemer fore-knowing the hour of his most holy Passion to draw nigh wherto he through his most feruent charitie freely offred vp him-selfe got him to the garden of Geth-semani where he was eftsons wont to pray that Iudas the Traitour and the other which he brought with him might knowe where to finde and to apprehend him Howbeit before thei came our Lorde had praied a longe time and commaunded that his Disciples shoulde doo in like maner wherein he ment to geue both to theÌ„ and vs an example that against al the perils temptations and tribulations that may befal vs in this life and that in any matter of importance whatsoeuer it be that we haue to doo that we first arme and fortifie our selues with the armour of holy prayer by meanes wherof we shal-be illuminated to knowe what we ought to doo and comforted to endure patientlye the afflictions which we are to suffer Meditate also how our Sauiour finding him-self sore afflicted inwardly through the consideratioÌ„ of so many sorts of griefes and torments as were prepared for him he shewed the most vehement affliction and heauines which he felt by those woful wordes he vttered to his Disciples My soule is heauie euen til death The which ought to perce to the verye depth of our heartes seing we haue been the cause that he shoulde suffer such sorowe who is the ioy of Angels And howe can it be O Lorde but my heart be it neuer so harde shal-be heuie and melt againe contemplating thy heart so extremely anguished and distressed What solace can my soule receaue seing thee who art the Sonne that illuminatest and reioicest it thus oppressed with dole and sorowe If thou which art the ioye of Angelical quiers art thus grieuedâ— what thing can suffice to reioyce and comfort man but to think that thine infinite charitie which bringeth thee to thy death doth make thee heauy euen to death to th'ende that as thy death is cause of our life so in like maner thy heauines might be cause of our consolation and deliuer vs from that mortal heauines wherein we shoulde perpetually haue remained if thou haddest not vouchsafed to haue bene made sorowful and heauy for our sakes This thy heauines O King of glorie shal continue eueÌ„ til thy death for that euen to death shal thy trauaile endure wher-with like a moste louing mother thou deliuerest vs but when we shal by thy death be borne a-newe then shalt thou not thinke any more of heauines by reason of the ioy of our newe birth and this maye some-what mitigate his sorowe who contemplateth this sorowful passage AS FOR the seconde point thou maiest staye therein considering the circumstaunces that happed in this our Lordes praier and the wordes he vttered First the text saith howe he withdrewe him-self from his Disciples to pray and this withdrawing or separation doth S. Luke declare by this worde auulsus est which signifieth plainely with howe great difficultie he withdrewe him-selfe from them through the loue he bare them and that to pray which must be done in solitarines silence and attention and he withdrew him-selfe from theÌ„ but a stones cast so that he might easily see and heare them being called yea he came eftsons to visite theÌ„ to wake them and to warne them of that they had to doo instructing al Pastors and Curates how they ought to behaue them-selues towards their flockes by these his particularities Learne also of the profounde humilitie wher-with he threwe him-selfe on ground to pray what humilitie is necessary for thee when thou praiest sith thou presentest thy selfe before the face of the self-same infinite Maiestie before whom the Potentates of heauen doo tremble againe In like maner thou maiest out of the wordes which he vsed in his petition learne the forme which thou oughtest to obserue in thy prayers not crauing such temporal thinges as thou desirest absolutelye but remitting al things to his diuine wil wherto thou oughtest to conforme thy wil. Here maiest thou contemplate also howe with the silence and obscuritie of the night and with the words which our Lorde pronounced in his petition this inwarde heauines he felt in his heart increased and grewe greater finding nothing that might possibly afforde him comfort Ah! my moste sweete Sauiour the onely comfort of the comfortlesse and afflicted how is it that I see thee this night without any comfort or ease at al neither is there any of al thy deere frendes to comfort thee for whose sakes thou art fallen into such heuines and anxietie O that I had heard those pitiful
with those most sacred handes which she had so lately seene fastned to the Roode he with such pietie wiped off the trickling tears of her reuerend face then might she saye and that with great cause that sentence of the Prophet Dauid According to the multitude of griefes that my heart hath suffered thy consâ—lations haue reioyced my soule Consider then in the best wise thou canst the sweete communication that passed betwixt the blessed mother and the Sonne the the which wel maye we beleue did occasionate no lesse comfort to the mother then did his sight albeit she could vtter but fewe wordes by reason she was wholly rapt in beholding that glorious vision which she had before her eyes and in viewing euery particuler fealtie of that body and that amiable countenance whose brightnes and beautie did so greatlye delite her nowe as did the seing of it blacke and wounded heretofore torment her in the time of his painful passioÌ„ In like maner beholding those wounds which in his death had perced her virginal heart with sorowe nowe became so faire and so glittering she was therby replenished with so great a ioye as she remained like one astonished not being able to pronounce scarse any one word Reioyce therfore O Queene of heauen sith thou hast so great causes to reioyce thee Let thy spirite now be glad in God thy Sauiour who hath fully satisfied the loÌ„ging desires of thy soule Nowe thou seest him risen vp again whose death thou earst lamentedst Now is winter and the stormes of his persecutions ignominies and tormentes cleane passed ouer now liueth he and death shal haue no more any dominion ouer him Thou seest him nowe farre more exalted then he was before depressed now is he a conquerour of Death of Hel and of the Diuel nowe is neither he to suffer anye more nor thou to haue any further feare Reioyce therfore O Lady and let thy soule receaue solace through his triumph and Resurrection as it was before made sorowful eueÌ„ almost to death through his painful death and passion IN THE THIRDE point thou maiest in like maner enterteyne thy selfe being a matter of great consolation considering howe our Lorde looke what office he had performed to his most blessed mother and the same vouchsafed he to doo to his Disciples and other deuout seruants wher-with we may wel beleeue that the louing Ladye replenished with charitie was very wel contented yea desired him so to doo sithens like as when he was borne she laide him in a manger signifying thereby that albeit she alone did beare and bring him forth yet would she not haue him for her-selfe alone but for al eueÌ„ so would she not haue al the ioye of his glorious resurrection to her-selfe alone but would in any wise that others were made partakers thereof Meditate therfore how he first appered to good Mary Magdalen according to the testimonie of the holy Euangelists who went with the other deuout womeÌ„ to annoint him with pretious oyntments which they caried with theÌ„ in the sepulchre where not finding of him albeit her companions went away yet would not she depart sith loue held her fast linked to the place where she had earst left him whom she so dearly loued and remaining there weeping she with a desire she had to finde him dead merited to see him aliue and risen vp albeit in Gardners weede in such sort as she sawe him and knewe him not our Lord aunswering herein to the disposition of her soule for she loued and doubted as he for the same reason appered in pilgrims shew to those two disciples that went to Emaus where thou maiest note how this Lord knoweth at one time how both to comfort instruct and manifest the defects of his elect and how such are best fauoured of him as most feruently doo loue him like as we here see by good Mary MagdaleÌ„ to whoÌ„ for her feruent loue sake was this prerogatiue geuen that she might first see her deerlye beloued master and that she might be the messenger to announce the ioye of his Resurrection to those that litle thought therof by reason of the heauines they were in through the remembrance of his death and doleful passion Thinke nowe good Christian think attentiuely what ioy that most denout gentlewoman did feele wheÌ„ she both sawe and knew her so dearlye beloued master Ah Lorde howe that heart leaped againe for ioy wheÌ„ our Sauior called her Mary and she answered him forth-with with this louing word of master O what a sodaine chaunge is this how present an alteration What did thy hart feele O good Mary Magdalen being thus in a moment deliuered from thy surpassing sorows and surseased with such a wonderful consolation What a boiling heat of hart was that that made her so impotent ouer her selfe be about to embrace him like one dronke in loue wherby she quite forgot her-selfe of his most sacred Maiestie O most happy teares wherewith she bedewed the ground of that garden which made her so soone to reape so sweete a fruit happy the perseuerance which made her tarye stil in that place wherby she was so singulerly reioyced and comforted of our Sauiour O happy loue more strong theÌ„ death which made her to finde the authour of life reuiued and risen vp in the very place of death Contemplate afterwardes howe she hied her to tel these ioyful tidinges to the Apostles whom euery one of them this Sonne of righteousnes minded to white confect and illuminate for like as he was borne for al and died for al so did he rise vp again for al and vouchsafed to coÌ„municate the ioyes of his Resurrection to al forgetting neither Peter who denied him nor the other Apostles who were nowe for woe and distrust departed from Ierusalem neither Thomas who coÌ„tinued so long time in his obstinate incredulitie wherby is shewed vs howe much more this Lord is inclined and prone to comfort and to fauour then to afflict and punish seing how in counterchange of those fewe dayes wherin he permitted them through his death to be scandalized troubled and afflicted he did afterwardes comfort and reioyce them farre more with his desired presence appering many times to them during the fortie daies mening ther by to ascertaine theÌ„ the better of the veritie of his ResurrectioÌ„ where out thou maiest learne to put thy trust in this most faithful Lorde And albeit thou feele thy selfe other-whiles afflicted and greeuously tempted dispaire not yet for he wil haue care to comfort and visite thee in due time and wil deliuer thee out of al thy temptatioÌ„s and afflictions according as it is written After a storme he sendeth a calme and after sobbes and teares he geueth consolations A PRAYER AFTER a storm the aire grow eth commonly clear againe euen so is it happed to thee O most Souerain Queene of heauen for after the stormie and woful